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Kyouka Suigetsu – A Silver Lining

Chapter Two

A Change in the Times

A week after finishing school she had begun working in the sweet shop, keeping stock of what they had and helping run the place. She had known they sold Shinigami things as well as normal sweets and other oddities, but Amaya was surprised by some of the things she hadn't even seen before. One had been the stock of gigai that had almost given her heart attack. Urahara had to do a lot of explaining about that.

"Hara-chan, I'm off out for a while!" she called, grabbing her scarf due to the weather getting gradually colder.

Despite being dressed in jeans, t-shirt and a black jacket it was still cold to her. Not to mention the darkening skies promised rain. Urahara poked his head from behind a wall, eyes shadowed by the brim of his striped hat but a wide grin on his face as he waved.

"Take care and don't stay out long!" then on an after thought he added in a whine, "and please stop with the Hara-chan!"

Snickering, Amaya slipped on her boots before heading out towards her favourite spot in Karakura.

It took ten minutes to trek up the mountain, moving past the countless memorial stones, she didn't pause at them instead she headed towards one of the peaks that overlooked the town. She often went there to think by herself, enjoying the privacy but also the wonderful view. Despite how small the town was she loved it. Finding the bench empty she sat down with a quiet sigh and closed her eyes. All around her was darkness, a world where she was alone, but she wasn't. She could see them, the red ribbons that hung like streamers in the world of darkness, some brighter and stronger than the others. Amaya never quite knew how she had managed to do it but it felt natural to feel the others around her. A whole town of souls that kept her company constantly. Something splashed across her face, a cold droplet that made her jump. It had begun to rain but that wasn't what had really made her jump, it was a surge in a familiar reiatsu nearby. Urahara had told her about the ribbons, explaining what they symbolised, and also how depending on the familiarity with the soul, it was possible determine whether something was happening to said soul. And at that moment the feeling had almost kicked her in the gut. Ichigo was in trouble.

Jumping from her serene post she ran towards the brilliant red ribbon she had seen moments ago. She had always admired how strong his ribbon appeared but had been horrified to see it beginning to fray. Something was very wrong and she didn't pause to think of how she could be of use, acting on instinct, only remembering what Ichigo had told her. They were friends. He had come to her aid a number of times so it was only right that she too should answer the call. Rain began to hammer down on her from above as if to try and slow her down, and it was working but she carried on with a desperation she had never felt before. Ichigo's ribbon was tearing.

"Ichigo!"

Almost stumbling onto the scene, her wide eyes took in a doorway that had appeared from nowhere, shoji doors opened to reveal a bright, blinding light. In a matter of seconds she had taken in everything, her mind working overtime with the adrenaline. Rukia, the short shinigami she had seen on numerous occasions, was being escorted through the door by two other shinigami whose reiatsu was intimidating to say the least. But it was the sight of a bloodied Ichigo laying on the ground, too weak to move as he could nothing but watch Rukia leave, that really hit her with a stab of panic and fear. Never had she ever imagined to see him, someone she knew was strong and stubborn, in such a state before. And he wasn't alone, Ishida was also in a sorry state not too far from him but the Quincy had already fallen unconscious. One of the shinigami turned to see the new appearance, Amaya's eyes drawn to the white haori he wore and the Japanese symbol for '6' on his back. Hard, dark eyes fell on her and she shuddered, feeling his reiatsu daring to try and push hers back in a show of force. She could do nothing but stand there frozen in fear as the trio vanished behind the shoji doors, the doorway vanishing within seconds and leaving them with only the sound of the rain. There was no time to dwell however as she remembered the mortally injured Ichigo. Falling to her knees beside him, she rolled him over only for her eyes to widen at the long gash across his torso that was bleeding profusely.

"Ichigo…Ichigo!" she tried to get a response out of him but he was already unconscious.

She had to do something and quick. Panic dared to swallow her mind but within an instant she pushed it back. No, she couldn't panic, she needed to think. Having remembered see Tessai do something when she had been younger and she had cut her knee, Amaya held her hands over Ichigo's chest and concentrated on that feeling inside of her, a chained power that was ready for the taking. A voice deep in her mind urged her on, not even thinking of how ridiculous the notion of her being able to replicate Tessai's magic from that time, really was.

A violet light began to glow from her hands surprising her for a moment before she narrowed her eyes in concentration. She didn't completely know what she was doing but it felt right, pushing her reiryoku through her hands and into Ichigo's wound that seemed to eat it up. It was incredibly draining, but the rain washed away her perspiration until finally the glowing subsided. Her shoulders sagged heavily but Ichigo seemed to have stabilized, his breathing steady and the wound had stopped bleeding. Amaya could only stare at the pink wound across his torso and her hands that had held a power that lay inside her. Had she really done that? Only then did she realise the rain was no longer falling on her. Looking up through her sodden hair it was to see Urahara looking down at her with a small, proud smile.

"You did good Amaya, now let's get him back so Tessai can finish up."

"I…I wanted to help," she stuttered out, almost frozen to the bone with the rain and the cold, "I wanted to…to stop them taking Rukia but…Ishida and Ichigo…"

"It's alright," he soothed, a warm hand falling onto her shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze.

Knowing now was not the time to be breaking down at her own weakness; she helped carry the two boys back towards the shop.

Tessai finished healing Ichigo, said orange haired teenager laid on a futon in one of the back rooms that had been cleared out recently. Ishida had already been returned home, healing rather quickly and refusing to stay. Amaya watched silently from the hallway, arms crossed tightly and a worried frown on her face until Urahara joined her.

"He'll be fine," he chimed.

"I know but…" she was still angry at herself for not having been able to do anything more.

Urahara had told her what she had done, pushing her reiryoku into Ichigo had probably saved his life, but it wasn't enough for her. Not when she had been frozen there while Ichigo's friend had been taken away. She had been scared. Finally Amaya let her arms drop, turning to her guardian with confused eyes.

"Why am I different? How can I have this power and not be able to use it to be of actual help?" Amaya wasn't aware of her shaking, the affects of feeling the shinigami's reiatsu still weighing on her, "I was s-so scared and all I could do was stand there!"

Urahara's eyes softened before he pulled her into his arms. She remembered being like this many times when she had been younger, partly because she had enjoyed the comfort and safety his hugs gave her, and just like then it worked on her.

"It's alright to be scared Amaya, as long as you don't let it rule you. Everyone gets scared sometimes, even me!" she scoffed lightly into his shirt in disbelief but he nodded, his stubble tickling her cheek, "I've been scared plenty of times, like when you fell off the swing and when you tripped on the steps outside the shop, and don't get me started on when you started school!" this made her laugh a little.

They stood there for a moment longer before Urahara lightly tapped her chin, his grey eyes warm once again but she noticed something else, a sadness she couldn't understand.

"I think it's time I told you something important…but it can wait until tomorrow. For now, off to bed with you!" he almost squawked, pushing her towards her bedroom, "I don't want you catching the flu!"

"Yes, yes, mother," she grumbled but was still smiling as she pulled herself into bed after tossing off her still damp clothes.

As always as she caught a passing glimpse of herself in the mirror, Amaya's emerald eyes couldn't help but roam the birthmark that resided above the ravine of her breasts, a vague cross shape. Remembering the times that other kids had looked at it with wonder when she had been little, proudly showing off her oddity, Amaya shook her head with a small smile before letting her damp hair down finally. It felt so warm and safe in her bed, in the shop, and she settled into the land of sleep with ease.

Amaya looked around her with wide, curious eyes, not recognising any of those that they passed in the crowded hallways. Usually she would have been running around, asking people their names and trying to make friends with anyone she could get ahold of – something her father found strange – but not today. In fact she did not usually enter the hallways clogged with people, used to her home in the other districts outside the white walls, but she could no longer stay there. Not now her mother was gone. The effect was obvious to any who knew the little girl. She had fallen silent, staring wide eyed at everything but not remarking nor daring to let go of her father's large hand.

"This will be your new home," her father informed her quietly, the affect of her mother's death less obvious in his voice.

As they entered the nice building where there were less of the black clad men and women, Amaya's wide emerald eyes looked around at all those inside the building. Some were rushing around carrying piles of paperwork but one was walking towards them to speak with her father. She didn't listen instead her eyes had been caught elsewhere; a flash of silver had snapped her attention much like a magpie or a cat. Part of her wanted to dart after the flash of colour but the death of her mother weighed down her legs and kept her in place. The man talking to her father had gone and she realised he was now looking down at her. He seemed to guess that she did not like the crowd of people around and took her to his rooms instead, shutting the door behind them before kneeling down in front of her. Once again his face seemed shadowed but his voice was clear.

"You will need to stay here while I work, Amaya."

"Is…Is mum coming back?" she asked innocently, her first quiet words since the news of her mother's death.

"No, she is not."

"Oh…okay…" Amaya slipped her hand from his before curling her arms round his neck to hug her father, his arms hanging by his sides, "don't worry daddy…I won't leave you alone."

As Amaya walked into the main room for breakfast the next day it was to find a surprise guest. A black cat sat on one of the cushions beside Urahara, its golden eyes shining with human intelligence. It had been a while since she had visited.

"Yoruichi-san!" she exclaimed with a wide smile as the cat turned to her, somehow managing to smile also.

"Good morning little Amaya, you have grown since I last saw you!" despite the masculine voice she knew that the cat could turn into a beautiful woman.

Although she remembered with a cringe the first time she had met the cat when she had been ten, hugging the dear life out of her at first sight and dissolving the cat into a purring mess from all the petting.

"What are you doing here?" she couldn't help but ask as she sat down, Tessai placing a bowl of cereal in front of her with her thanks, "is it because of Ichigo?"

"Something like that," the cat replied mysteriously, "but Kisuke tells me you managed to heal the kid last night, that's pretty impressive."
"It wasn't much," Amaya dug into her cereal feeling starved from using her reiryoku last night.

"But that is part of what I wanted to talk to you about today," Urahara added, his eyes shadowed by his hat.

Despite being curious as to what was going on she finished her breakfast along with a helping of toast before Jinta and Ururu were given their duties to clean up and man the front of the store for a while. Feeling a little anxious as three pairs of eyes turned on her where she sat, Amaya shuffled in her seat wondering just what Urahara was going to say.

"I told you did I not, that humans can have strangely high reiryoku levels but these are only very few," she nodded, one of Urahara's steely eyes shining from under his hat, "although this is true, it seems that you have the ability to use shinigami powers."

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