Woo chapter twooo~ OH IMPORTANT: about 112 years have now past since she first arrived in the soul society. Her age is approximately 108, Kazu is approx. 114 and Rika is 110 with the year being around 1952. (Last chapter it was about 1876)
All descriptions will remain up the top as usual,

Obi: People should know this but just in case, it's a sash worn round the waist of a Japanese kimono.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, only my OC's

Enjoy~

Chapter 2 – Times of Change

I stood atop the hill overlooking district 79, in recent years the crime had somewhat lessened. No, death was still happening but not every day like normal, it appeared that the more bloodthirsty ones killed each other off making the district a tad more quiet- but still crime ridden.

It had been many decades since I first arrived here and it had been years since I met Kazu and Rika. Surprisingly I had grown a tad, sure I only looked a few years older because of my height, however my hair had grown from my upper back to my hips with a long strand reaching just past my nose that hung between my eyes and other strands of varying lengths sweeping to the left side naturally. I was probably around 108 by now but time was a tricky thing as a soul. I had to keep insisting to Rika that if my boobs merely got bigger I was sure I'd look far older.

Speaking of Rika, she hadn't changed except for having much bigger boobs, growing taller and having hair to her thighs however nowadays she tied it up in a high ponytail having it reach her hip area with bangs framing her face and multiple strands of different lengths hanging in her face. She never bothered to cut it, I had suggested the both of us cut our hair but she ended up whining all day that she liked long hair and adored my long hair so I relented.

Hirokazu looked pretty much the same except for his hair, it was still shaggy as ever and was now longer from being at the nape of his neck to just above his shoulder, he did get taller and more muscular unfortunately making me feel like a gnome half the time but that couldn't be helped for someone vertically challenged. That's right vertically challenged, NOT short.

I still had the dream to become a Shinigami and since the day I decided it I trained my body as much as possible, Rika tried to teach me how to control my Reiatsu with what little knowledge she had on the matter needless to say it didn't go as well as she hoped but I had grasped an understanding of it however we both decided it was best I learn all that at the academy.

By now I was more than ready to leave this dump, normally one would be attached to their homes and sure I liked my hut but as long as I had my family with me I couldn't care less where I was. In the years that had past I had learnt more and more about this world and the world of the living, Rika ended up teaching me how to read and write (although finding anything to read or write with was incredibly difficult and even took weeks just to get started.) Of course Kazu learnt all this as well however he wasn't as enthused as I was about becoming a Shinigami, in truth he'd only do it because he had nothing better to do and had admitted to both Rika and I that he probably wasn't going to end up going to the academy at all. Rika and I both believed he should go and put his Reiryoku to use but he had the better argument of keeping Rika company who would be left alone if we both left. He had no true passion to become a Shinigami like me.

"Hotaru! We're ready to go!" Rika called as she waved from the entrance of their home, nodding I walked back inside to find three backpacks with our makeshift beds rolled up and tied to the backpacks. I grinned, over the years we managed to find three backpacks at different points, normally from corpses in the woods. Probably travellers, all that mattered was that they were ours now. Not only that but the three of us managed to get new clothes from corpses, I wore a light grey kimono that reached above my knees with a dark blue obi. Kazu wore a kimono almost identical to his previous dark brown one only it was a lighter shade of brown and not so tattered. Rika had a light blue kimono with a faded purple obi. Of course none of us managed to find shoes in all the years we had been here, still a foreign object in this district obviously.

I grabbed my katana which I had managed to find a sheathe for in the previous year and strapped it to my back, (Not because I was vertically challenged, because I chose to.) wielding the blade had become easier for me even if it was still a bit big it had become somewhat second nature after training with it every day, I was initially disappointed to not have called out a zanpakutō yet as it had been years but Rika merely said that it takes quite some time to imprint my soul into the blade and likely even longer when it's a stolen blade. The thought irritated me but regardless at this point I didn't need a zanpakutō spirit to lend me power, I had my own power which I was quite content with.

Grabbing my backpack I slung it over my shoulders, my katana digging slightly into my back which was mildly uncomfortable, I took one last look at the hut which was now basically vacant before walking out last. In front of me Rika stood with a hand on her hip and a grin, over the decades she had become confident, cheerful, encouraging and supportive. We both decided upon being 'twins' as neither felt older nor younger, she stood with her backpack slung across her shoulders and no weapon. In the past Kazu taught her hand to hand combat and she proved to be incredibly fast and flexible despite not possessing much Reiryoku in the first place. Yet she refused to wield a weapon as she wasn't much of a fighter despite her surprisingly strong personality (compared to her meek one when we first met.)

Kazu on the other hand stood proudly and confidently, he was as impatient and blunt as ever. But he was also just as protective and caring as ever, his sword was strapped to his hip as he also managed to find a sheathe, as well as his own backpack.

I grinned as we walked off together, walking through the streets one last time. Thankfully no one approached us or threatened us. It would've only been because Kazu and I had swords and also killed many of the people who tried to kill us in recent years, walking across a somewhat unstable wooden bridge I glanced into the river with a smile. I remembered the time Rika had told Kazu and I we'd be training yet in fact she just wanted to play in the water on one of the more humid days in a more secluded area of the river, of course I had learnt the basics of how to swim that day and incorporated it into my routine occasionally much to Rika's annoyance as she wanted it to be 'fun time' for them. Initially Kazu refused to go into the water until Rika yanked him in, which resulted in him chasing us around and splashing us with water.

Pulling back from the memory I looked at the road ahead in excitement "Shin'ō academy, here we come!" I cried determinedly as we paraded on.

"UGH are we there yet?" I questioned for the hundredth time that day.

Hirokazu's eyebrow twitched violently in annoyance "For the last time. We've only reached district 62. Now please, Shut. Up." He ground out as he marched forward, his steps oddly comical as they conveyed his annoyance.

I snorted, intertwining my hands behind my head and looking up at the sky "Sure…sure….Hey Rika are you sure we're-"

"Yes. We are definitely in district 62, North Rukongai and yes we are going in the right direction." Rika said exasperatedly. Before shooting me a side long glance.

"You're not normally this impatient." She remarked

I looked at her blankly like she was an idiot even though she was most definitely smarter than me "Isn't it obvious? I want to get to the Shin'ō academy asap! I want to become a Shinigami!" I said determinedly.

Rika shared a dubious glance with Kazu "You must've blocked out the part about the entrance exam and having to spend 6 years at the academy before even becoming a Shinigami…." She muttered

I scoffed "I'll pass that entrance exam with flying colours! I'll speed through those 6 years like its nothing!"

"Oddly optimistic…" Rika commented in mild surprise.

"I think you mean annoyingly optimistic." Kazu grumbled, my mouth twitched upwards as I danced in front of Kazu with a gleam in my eye.

"Kazu you're starting to sound like an old man these days with all that grumbling!" I joked to which he glared. I turned away from him for a mere second before being whacked on the head swiftly.

Crouching down I held my head with a wince as tears came to my eyes "Owwwww" I whined as Kazu shook his fist at me.

"Old?! I don't even have wrinkles! You goddamn shortie!" He growled, I stiffened and stood up slowly my hair covering my eyes.

Rika walked past the both of us as we stood in silence, she sighed heavily "here we go…" she muttered as she continued to walk on as the two began to hurl insults at each other like no tomorrow.

"Yea well….you're fat!" I shouted, pointing at him in an almost accusing manner.

Kazu laughed "Fat? It's called muscle. You're just jealous because I've actually got strength."

I shook my fist at him "Oh I'll show you strength." I shot back, the two of us began to tear at each other's hair eventually rolling about in the dirt, kicking and punching before Rika walked back and pulled us apart she whacked us both on the head.

"You're both acting like children and complete idiots! Man up. Now do we want to get to the academy or not?" Rika huffed as she turned away, Kazu and I immediately quietened down as getting Rika angry or even irritated wasn't easy to do and she was very scary when she was angry. Funnily enough even though they could retaliate if need be her glare frightened them enough, the two stayed mostly quiet all the way from district 62 to 57 which was quite a long way, normally it would take more than a few days to get from district 79 to district 57 however they managed it in three surprisingly as they walked for almost a full 24 hours with minimal stops to at least get out of the more barbaric districts, they managed to go for a few more hours before stopping at a hotel on their way to district 57. After resting and eating they marched off again to district 57 to restock.

Eventually getting to district 10 in fourteen days and district 1 in two more days they stopped in the middle of the street and surveyed the area.

"We might be wearing poorer looking clothes but at least we managed to get shoes during our travelling." Rika noted, holding her hand up to block out the blazing sun.

I looked around in awe, each district as we went along managed to amaze me even more. The houses were built from proper materials, from wood, metal and cement. Some of the homes were even painted! The people surrounding them were dressed well in more rich colours unlike their faded and tattered kimonos. The path itself was mostly a dirt road with the main road being lined with long strips of pavement, it shocked her to see such civil people as always. People were chatting idly in the streets, kids running by and playing, some kids crouched in a group with spinner tops and various stalls open with the owners greeting people kindly.

"Wow…district 1 is so….civilised?" it sounded almost like a question as I looked around uncertainly, Rika just laughed.

"They're the most law abiding and civilised of all the districts if that's what you're going for." She confirmed.

Kazu rubbed the back of his neck "Perhaps we should find a place to bunker down for the night rather than going straight to that academy place."

Rika and I both nodded in agreement before I looked around and squinted, a hand blocking out the sun as my eyes darted around "I don't see an academy anywhere?"

At this Rika chuckled as they entered an Inn, Kazu arranged the rooms whilst Rika stood by my side with a small smile "The academy is actually located inside the Seireitei." At this I felt a light bulb turn on as I looked at Rika whilst she just rolled her eyes as we followed Kazu to our new room.

Grinning once again I watched from the door as Rika and Kazu argued over the beds with her kicking him off and causing him to yelp somewhat like a girl. I sighed quietly, once I join the academy…these two won't be joining me. The thought on its own was saddening, I had spent my entire lifetime so far with Kazu and a majority of it with Rika as well. We were a family, we spent pretty much every hour together, whether it was messing around, eating together, training, stealing food among other items, killing people, learning the basics of reading and writing and so many other experiences over the decades. I knew I would still be able to see them but it would be far less frequent than usual, not only that but after it I would become a Shinigami and see them less and less. The thought frightened me but admittedly I felt better knowing they were residing in district 1 a very safe district compared to 79.

The story of the Fukuhara family may not end when I go to the academy but that doesn't make the heart wrenching feeling of being separated from them any easier. I would be alone and have to start all over again, I was far better at killing people than I was making friends, and last I checked killing others was not a steadfast way to make friends or begin conversation. Heck even saying I was from district 79 was a terrible idea, they'd all end up avoiding me!

Dear lord am I, Hotaru Fukuhara, a soul from district 79 that has stolen more things than I could count, a soul that has killed numerous men that would have all been intimidating to anyone else, and a soul that laughs at the fights to the death and spilling of blood, feeling nervous and even a bit terrified about going to the academy and fretting about making friends? Who knew that'd be more terrifying than death to me. The concept was amusing but still terrifying nonetheless.

There were thousands of questions spinning in my head but the main one being:

'How do I get into the Seireitei in the first place?'

Alright Chapter 2 done and dusted! Hope you all liked it (Yes the chapters are kinda short and each of them are varying lengths when I normally keep a consistent amount going) but oh well.

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