Yoshino leans back against the building looking at her arm in amazement. He surely worked wonders on it. All she needed was to be able to draw a bow and she'd be fine. She looks around quickly before getting to her feet and starting to walk down a long road which cuts off in ten different directions. This place is like a maze, is all her brain can come up with.

"Don't move." A voice orders and Yoshino draws in a breath feeling the point of a blade on her spine. She slowly turns around and looks down at the blade pressing slightly into her clothes. Her eyes follow the blade up to a pair of pale hands and then further up to a beautiful girl. Her silver hair is falling to her elbows and her blue eyes are analysing Yoshino carefully.

"I can't believe…" Yoshino starts thinking back to her childhood, to her mother's friend who looked almost identical to this girl.

"I'm sorry to have to do this but it's my duty." The girl says and Yoshino skids back as the girl lunges forward.

Hikari no tsubasa, Yoshino thinks lifting her left arm and then drawing back a petal from her bracelet. It grows to fit her palm and finally the bow disappears leaving a gleaming blue sword in her hand. The girl frowns looking slightly impressed as she swings forward. Yoshino swings forward and the girl blocks it quickly with her Zanpakuto.

"You're pretty good." The girl comments and Yoshino lunges forward. The girl dodges and then uses her Zanpakuto to push Yoshino's blade to the ground.

"So are you." Yoshino admits before yanking her blade from under the girls and moving behind her. She lunges and the girl flings her Zanpakuto over her shoulder and blocks the blade.

The girl knocks Yoshino's blade in the air as she spins around. She lunges and Yoshino dodges at the same time as swinging the sword around. The girl pulls back from attacking and narrowly misses blocking the blade. The girl grits her teeth as the blade makes a gash in her leg. She stares at Yoshino and as if on cue blood starts to run from Yoshino's head in a trail down her face.

"Any closer and you would have killed me." Yoshino tells her and the girl smiles lightly.

"That was the plan I'm afraid." She replies and Yoshino smiles before letting her blade disappear. She tips her head to the side and then gives a soft smile feeling slightly guilty for what she's about to do to this girl. She only looked about Nemu's age.

Subete no hikari o shūryō, she thinks and then draws back a black bow. The girl prepares to dodge but Yoshino releases the bow before the girl even stood a chance. The girl stumbles backwards clearly in shock. Hikari no tsubasa, Yoshino thinking and draws back her blade again. She walks up to the girl slowly.

"I'm sorry to have to do this. I really hope you don't die." Yoshino whispers and then stabs her blade through the girls side with her eyes closed. The girl lets out a pained yelp and then falls to the ground. Yoshino opens her eyes and glances down at the girl to see thankfully she missed the heart. She sighs and then walks on with a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.


Kaien sits under the tree with the food out in front of him. He jumps as Hino appears in front of him with a strange expression on her face. He looks up at her and watches slightly amused as she leans down and grabs two rice balls and then tucks them inside her uniform. She borrows their mum's old uniform a lot.

"Hey aren't you eating with me?" He asks and Hino shakes her head.

"Sorry I'm busy, said I'd eat with Orihime." Hino lies but he doesn't seem to notice but instead just nods. They look at each other and both can tell the other is hiding something but they just both smile and then Kaien watches as Hino disappears.


Nemu sits with her knees tucked to her chest. She was so happy to have met Hino. The girl was kind to her though she didn't even know her. The door creaks open and Nemu looks up hoping Hino has returned to let her heart fall when a tall figure walks towards her. She is about to scream when the person quickly wraps a piece of cloth tightly around her mouth. She lets out a muffled scream as the figure pulls her to her feet by her hair.

"I can remove the gag is you tell me what your powers are." The person hisses and Nemu shakes her head in protest. For whatever reason they need her powers and it can't be for something good or they wouldn't have kidnapped her. The person sighs before yanking her up by her hair once and then letting her drop onto the ground. The figure leaves and Nemu allows the tears to escape her eyes and fall down her cheeks.


Hino turns around another corner and recognises the locked doors leading to her new friend. She glances around quickly and then runs to the doors. She slips through the gap and draws her Zanpakuto.

"Light up Tenshi!" She whispers and her blade glows. She walks along the length of the room and her heart shudders at the sound of muffled cries. She flash steps to the end of the room and Nemu looks up as she kneels down in front of her. Her mouth is gagged and her glasses are steamed up. Her face is stained with evidence of tears but Hino notices how her eyes light up at the sight of her.

"What did they do to you?" Hino whispers and then leans around Nemu and unties the cloth around her mouth. She pulls it away from her mouth and Nemu takes in a deep breath before she puts a hand over her mouth and coughs.

"You came back." Nemu smiles and Hino nods.

"I brought you some food." Hino says revealing the two rice balls from inside her uniform. She curses remembering Nemu's hands are tied and then shrugs and holds the rice ball up to her mouth. Nemu hesitantly takes a bite and then before Hino can even speak Nemu begins to eat the rice ball from her hand as if she's not been fed for days, then again as far as Hino could tell Nemu hasn't been fed since she was brought here.

"Thank you." Nemu whispers as she swallows the last mouthful. She smiles and Hino smiles back before offering her the other rice ball feeling a little greedy for only giving her friend one. Nemu shakes her head and Hino shrugs and then takes a big bite out of the rice ball.

"What happened Nemu?" Hino asks and Nemu looks down.

"The person came who took me. They wanted to know what my powers are." Nemu tells her and Hino chokes on her mouthful of rice. Nemu looks at her a little shocked and Hino stares at her just as shocked.

"You have powers?" Hino stammers and Nemu smiles.

"I must have forgotten to tell you about that. You see my parents aren't normal humans. My father is a Quincy and my mother has incredible powers that intensify on how strong her heart is." Nemu explains and Hino lets her jaw drop open. This girl wasn't normal after all and Hino stupidly thought she'd found a normal friend.

"So you live with your mum and dad at home?" Hino asks and Nemu nods.

"And my sister. My sister is amazing. She is always looking after me and I never really thanked her properly. I'd repeat thank you over and over but I can never do anything to help her." Nemu sighs and Hino just smiles.

"I'm sure she doesn't see it that way. I live with my parents too and my older brother." Hino tells her and Nemu smiles truly looking intrigued. "Yeah my dad's a Captain and my mum's his Lieutenant. My brother just got accepted into Squad Thirteen but I'm still training at the academy. Though I don't have to go now because of the intruders."

"Wow your family sounds amazing." Nemu admits looking honestly impressed.

"Well so do yours." Hino tells her smiling. "I've never seen a Quincy before but I've been told about them."

"Well my dad thought he was the last but he isn't my granddad is a Quincy too and my sister also has Quincy powers." Nemu explains and Hino laughs.

"Wow." She looks down a little nervously before looking at her friend again slightly embarrassed. "Hey Nemu, will you tell me about the world of the living?" She asks.

"Sure, I'd love to." Nemu grins and Hino smiles before shifting slightly to get comfortable. "What do you want to know?" Nemu wonders.

"Everything that's important and all the stupid things too." Hino beams.

"Well firstly everyone has to go to school. You get put in a class with around thirty other people but in each year there are lots of classes. You have to wear a uniform but they're usually quite cute." Nemu starts. "Oh and then there's holidays. When you get to have a break from school for a few weeks or so. In the summer I go to the beach with my family every year…"

"Could I come with you one day?" Hino interrupts and Nemu grins and nods.

"Yeah, you could even come and stay with us for the summer. It's only just the start of summer now actually. Nemu's moving to a college near my high school." Nemu explains and Hino smiles trying to imagine what it would be like to go and stay with Nemu. Her life would change so much but then again maybe she'd like it better than her life now.


Kusaka skids to a stop feeling the faint spiritual pressure of Yoshino, he looks around quickly and then his eyes land on a beautiful girl. He drops down off the roof and looks at the girl. Her silver hair is spread out around her heavily breathing body. Blood is staining the ground around her. He sighs knowing Yoshino isn't here but she has been. He is about to turn away when he looks at the girl again. She truly is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. He sighs before flash stepping next to her.

He kneels down and scoops his arms under her body and then pulls her to his chest. Her eyes flutter open as he flash steps onto the roof again. Her eyes are the colour of the sky on a perfect summer's day. She looks up at him looking slightly dazed before she realises he's not a Shinigami and her eyes fill with fright.

"It's ok I'm not going to hurt you." He whispers.


Orihime looks up into his blue eyes which are slightly misty. She breathes heavily and tried not to smile at the beautiful feeling of his body heat pouring onto her. His words seem to wash away the worry inside her and for some reason she finds herself trusting him. She looks down embarrassed and then wraps a shaking hand in his shirt. He blinks down at her and tightens his grip on her slightly.

"Where's the best place to take you?" He asks and she takes in a deep breath.

"Squad Three or Four." She whispers.

"Which is closer?" He says softly and she thinks about it quickly wondering where she'd rather be. Squad Four could heal her but her dad was in Squad Three.

"Squad Three." She mumbles and he nods slowly and is about to ask where it is when she shakily points in the direction. "To the tall building." She tells him and he nods and then begins to flash step in the direction she pointed. This would put him off course to finding Yoshino but for some reason the idea of leaving this girl there was making him ache. She is so cold but her body is cold in his arms. Luckily Yoshino seems to have missed the heart and lungs. It'll be the loss of blood that kills her.

"I'm going to have to go." He whispers lying her down in front of the door to the tall building. She blinks up at him but then nods slowly. He looks up at the tall building and then flash steps away and hides behind a building and watches as the doors open slowly and a Shinigami looks down at the girl horrified.

"Captain Ichimaru! Your daughter!" The Shinigami calls and a second later a man appears in front of the Shinigami with the same silver hair as the girl.

He looks down at her with pain and shock on his face. He drops to his knees and scoops her up into his arms and Kusaka is shocked to see tears fall from the man's eyes onto the girl. The Shinigami seems just as shocked because he flash steps away saying he'll alert Squad Four immediately.

"Orihime answer me sweetie." The man begs and the girl opens her eyes and smiles.

"Hey daddy, I nearly stopped the intruder." She tells him and the man smiles and wipes his eyes before hugging the girl tightly. She laughs lightly. "Why are you crying?"

"Don't you ever do anything that dangerous again." He tells her and Orihime smiles but the blinks sure she can still feel the spiritual pressure of the intruder who helped her. She smiles knowing it's probably just her imagination, he had no reason to stay and see if she got help.