"You want me to WHAT?" Keigo shrieked, gawking at all the crates before him.

His new apron, which sported a tiny fan emblem and the characters for Urahara Shop stitched on the front, was now covered in various substances. Tessai sighed, wondering why exactly Urahara had decided to hire this boy on when he barely even knew how to properly stock shelves. "We have these shipments of anti-Hollow products that we need sorted," he repeated, "and I need you to go through them all and document what we have. There's about two years' worth here."

Keigo's shoulders slumped. "So… so much stuff," he whimpered. "And I don't even know what any of it is…"

Ururu appeared at his side, hands clasped behind her back. "I could help you with that, if you want," she said in her quiet voice. "I know these products pretty well."

"That'd be great," Keigo said, his face lighting up a little. "Otherwise, I dunno how I'd get this done."

"Wonderful," Tessai remarked, clapping his hands together in quick succession. "This will probably take you most of the day, so I will set you both up in one of our back rooms." He began to pick up a few crates, saying, "Now, let's carry this back. Chop-chop!" Ururu grabbed a few as well, following.

Going to grab one as well, Keigo nearly fell forward as the weight of it surprised him. "Holy crap!" he exclaimed. "How are they able to carry so many? This is crazy heavy!" He lifted the crate again, his arms straining to keep it lifted.

Several trips were made to bring all the dust-covered crates to the back room, leaving Keigo a sweaty mess and Ururu to quietly begin sorting. "If you need help, just let me know," Tessai called to them before closing the door, "Good luck!"

"L…Luck," Keigo said, wiping his sweaty forehead. "We're gonna need more than luck."

Ururu shook her head. "It's not that bad," she said, grabbing two long red tubes. "You have me here to help, plus there are only about 50 products here, at most."

Sitting down, Keigo gawked at her. "Only 50?" he exclaimed. "Is that supposed to be a small amount?"

Looking up from the crate she was unpacking, Ururu's eyes serious. "There are almost 400 different products that are used in Hollow extermination, and that's just from Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi's lab in the past 10 years."

With shock on his face, Keigo turned to the crate in front of him, squeaking out, "Yeah, when you say it like that, 50 isn't that much at all."

Upon picking up the first can from the crate, Keigo took a moment to read the label. It was a green, stubby jar that sounded like it was filled with marbles or beans. The label simply read Hollow!BeGone! in large black letters. Underneath it read "The Gotei 13 trusted formula perfect for average Hollow extermination!" Eyes narrowing in suspicion, he said, "This seems a little unorthodox for the Soul Society, and I haven't even been there."

"The Soul Society is an odd mix of modern-day spiritual knowledge and old Feudalism," Ururu replied. She didn't look up from her work. "I would imagine to the average mortal, it would seem really odd and out of place, so I don't blame you for being confused."

"Huh," he responded. This girl seemed a bit sharper than she'd let on. He sorted through the Hollow!BeGone!'s and the GrapTrap's and random Soul Candy that had found their way into the crates, somehow. They hardly noticed as the light gradually dimmed a little bit around them, evening close by. It was when Keigo's stomach rumbled that he found himself wondering what time it was. Looking at his watch, his eyes went wide. "Holy crap!" he exclaimed. "It's already 4:00?!"

Ururu stopped what she was doing, her last crate almost empty. "Wow," she said. "That was quick. And you seemed to have stayed focused on the task at hand. Most people would have just goofed off after an hour or two." Or at least that's what Jinta or Yoruichi would do.

Keigo didn't hear the compliment, his hands on his head in panic. "My sister is gonna flip!" he shouted. "I need to head home!" Rapidly, he sorted the last remaining product and stacked the empty crates against the wall, then stood and ran out the door.

After turning a corner, he almost ran head first into Tessai, who blocked the hall with his arms crossed on his chest. "Can I be of assistance, Asano?" he asked, his voice deep and menacing. Keigo began motioning wildly.

"I'm so sorry!" he said, his voice high. "Ururu and I got all the product sorted and I stacked all the crates against the wall, but now I have to go! My sister is expecting me home after school and if I don't get there soon, she'll murder me! I'm sorry I have to leave so soon!" His words were shooting out at 100 miles a second.

Tessai put a hand up, telling him to stop. "That's fine," he said. "You did well, and from what I can tell you did a good job." Ururu stood behind Keigo, nodding silently. "Tomorrow, you will have to come by after school and we will give you a few more duties," Tessai continued, arms crossing again. "But for now, get a good night's rest and be safe. Hopefully Kisuke will be here to give you a better tour of the place."

Keigo nodded, "Thank you! I look forward to it!" He was kind of excited, now that he had seen the kinds of things this shop had to offer. "However," Tessai said, his voice firmer than before, "there are two rules I need to inform you of if you are going to work here." The two kids gulped, a little put-off by Tessai's intensity. He raised a hand, extending his index finger. "One, do not tell any of your other mortal friends what you are up to, or about this shop. The less people involved, the better." He rose his middle finger next. "And two, you need to take these with you." From his apron pocket, he pulled a tube of Hollow!BeGone! and a black ring, placing them in Keigo's hands. "You will need these supplies to not only keep you safe," he said, "but to aid the other Shinigami that are now stationed here in Karakura Town. That is one of your missions as Kisuke's employees, understand?"

Slipping the black ring on his middle finger, Keigo asked, "What does this thing do?" He tapped it with his nail, squinting. "If you come across a Hollow," Tessai said, "and you are unable to use your Hollow!BeGone!, you are to twist the ring twice. From there, you'll be able to figure it out." Keigo's brows fell, eyes low. "That was so vague," he said, slightly irritated. "Is that all you're gonna say on that?" Tessai shrugged. "It's pretty self-explanatory when you activate it," he said simply.

With that, Tessai patted him on the back, ignoring his pale face and queasy look. "You'll be just fine if you follow those simple rules," he said, his tone suddenly chipper. "We'll see you tomorrow, Asano."

Keigo stuttered, his voice shaking. "O-o-o-okay-y," he stammered. "S-see ya…" He put the tube in his backpack before rushing out of the store, his feet kicking up dust as he rounded the door.

Ururu looked to Tessai, asking, "You gave him that ring?"

Without looking away from a running Keigo, Tessai nodded. "He doesn't know it yet," he replied, "but his spiritual energy has increased dramatically in the past few minutes since he's been here. It's almost like he's a sponge. So, I gave him a way to defend himself."

"I suppose that's a good idea," she said. "But I think he'll end up having to explain himself to his other friends sooner or later." Tessai said nothing this time, turning away.

"Come on, Ururu," he said softly. "We have a lot of work to do still."

With a long stretch, Keigo sat up in his bed, yawning. The night prior had come and gone quickly, and his sister had chewed him out for being late and receiving a detention. But, with his new sense of purpose, he had something to look forward to, thankfully. The glint of the black ring on his finger caught his eye and he pondered for a second. What exactly had Tessai given him? It felt… dangerous. Quickly realizing he was dangerously close to being late for school again, he snapped out of his trance and leapt out of bed, grabbing his clothes off the back of his desk chair. "Can't be late today," he muttered to himself. "Can't afford another detention."

He smelled the breakfast his sister had laid out for him on the table before he even opened the door, where scrambled eggs, rice and some green peppers were waiting for him. A note lay next to the plate, where his sister had scrawled out in hurried characters, "Had to leave, my manager needed me early today. Hope school goes well. Don't SKIP!" With a sigh, he sat and downed the food quickly. Unlike his other friends, he loved green peppers (much to Mizuiro's disgust). But he was curious why his sister was being so nice to him after last night… Without a second thought, he rinsed his now empty dishes in the sink, looked around his empty house for a second to make sure everything was in place, then ran out the door, school bag secured around his shoulder.

However, he was cut off when his face planted directly into a muscular chest and he fell backwards. "Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed, rubbing his head. "Don't just stand outside someone's door like that!" Looking up, he found himself staring at two men dressed in black Shinigami robes. One was bald and menacing, with red markings around his eyes. He was the one Keigo had run into chest-first. The second man had chin-length black hair with oddly-placed feathers on his eyebrow and eyelashes. Around his neck was an orange turtle-neck collar that sat on top of his uniform, and a matching orange sleeve that connected to it on his right arm, which was angled as his hand was on his hip. Keigo's jaw was down to his chest in shock.

"Good morning," said the Shinigami with the weird feathers on his face. "Sorry to scare you. We were just coming to knock on your door."

The muscular one grimaced, grunting in annoyance. "It's not every day I get a human running face-first in my chest," he said.

Clearing his throat, the other Shinigami continued. "I am Yumichika Ayasegawa," he said, hand on his chest. "And my associate here is Ikkaku Madarame. We are two of the Shinigami who volunteered to stay here in the World of the Living."

Keigo, snapping out of his stupor, stood up, brushing himself off. "Oh yeah," he said. "I remember you two from the meeting yesterday!"

Ikkaku looked to Yumichika, saying, "Told ya this brat was at the meeting yesterday. He was sitting with Kurosaki."

Yumichika rolled his eyes, "I guess you're right, Ikkaku." He waved his hand dismissively. "That doesn't matter now."

"What can I do for the two of you?" Keigo asked, slinging his book bag on his back, head tilted. "I really need to get to school, I'm running late."

"Kisuke Urahara sent us here," Yumichika explained flatly. "He told us that you could help us with our accommodations here in the World of the Living." Without waiting for another word from Keigo, the two walked towards the slightly opened door to Keigo's home.

Sputtering Keigo, shouted, "Hey, I didn't even invite you guys in yet! HEY!"

Ikkaku plopped down on the couch in the living room, arms draped over the back, eyes closed. Yumichika was in the kitchen, looking through the cabinets. "Where do you keep supplies for tea?" he called back to Keigo, whose eyes were bulging from his head.

"I can't have you guys staying here!" he exclaimed. "What will I tell my sister?"

Yumichika looked back, placing his hands on the counter. "Well, that's up to you, my friend," he stated casually, unaffected by the human's panic. "Just say that we're friends of you and Kurosaki. We'll be great house guests, you'll see."

Ikkaku stirred on the couch. "She won't even know we're here," he added gruffly.

"THE HELL SHE WON'T!" Keigo shouted, freaking out. "When my sister sees you guys she's gonna freak out! You can't stay here!"

Ikkaku rose from the couch, slowly walking over and resting his arm on Keigo's shoulders face leveled with his. "Look, kid," he growled in irritation. "Kisuke told us that you were instructed to aid us in any way ya could. And, right now, we need some place to stay. Ya don't wanna go against Kisuke's orders, do ya?"

Remembering what Tessai told him before he left, Keigo gulped. "I guess you're right." He sighed, his hand running through his hair. "Fine. But don't break anything and don't change anything around the house. Mizuho will murder us all if you do." Ikkaku smiled, patting Keigo on the back.

"That's the spirit, kid," he said, walking away. "Also, remind us of your name. I don't think ya told us."

Realization on his face, Keigo said, "My name's Keigo Asano. My sister's name is Mizuho."

Yumichika, closing the cupboards and assembling tea in the kitchen, called back, "Ah, what a name! A respectful one, at that." Keigo said nothing, watching him turn on the stove. "Well, Keigo Asano," he continued, his eyes lilting, the yellow feathers in his eyelashes leveling with his hair line, "aren't you running late for this school you were talking about?"

Panic returned to Keigo's face and he ran to the door. Before leaving, he called out, "Don't break anything, and just tell my sister you're cousins visiting from out of town!" With that, he slammed the front door closed and booked it to his school campus.

Tatsuki Arisawa knew there was something off about Orihime. She was acting different, more subdued and focused. Her smile was much politer than it usually was too, and her bubbly personality was replaced with a calm one. "Uh, Orihime?" she ventured, her stride matching her friend's, "Are you feeling okay today?"

The orange-haired girl turned her head, gray eyes shifting. "Of course I am, Tatsuki," she said, the small polite smile on her face once more. "Why do you ask? Do I look sick?"

Tatsuki shook her head, eyes closed. "Nah," she said. "You just seem… different. You're not your normal self."

Before Orihime could say a word, Chizuru appeared, wrapping her arms around Orihime, resting under her chest. "Ah, Orihime~" she exclaimed, her face pressed against Orihime's. "It's good to see you this morning!" Her eyes kept looking down to see Orihime's breasts bunched up on her arms, blushing.

Orihime seemed perturbed but laughed sheepishly. "Morning, Chizuru," she said quietly.

Gritting her teeth, Tatsuki began prying Chizuru off Orihime. "Lay off, ya perv," she growled at her, "Keep your hands to yourself!"

Chizuru ignored her, waving flirtatiously at Orihime. "See ya later, my love!"

In Chizuru's absence, Tatsuki's mind returned to her concern for her friend. She seemed to have behaved normally to Chizuru's advances, but she still seemed… off. "Good morning, Tatsuki and Orihime!" The two girls looked back to see Chad and Mizuiro, the latter waving at them with a smile on his face. "Have either of you seen Keigo? He texted me that he'd meet me here about twenty minutes ago," Mizuiro continued, looking down at his phone.

Tatsuki shook her head, "Nope, no sign of him. Not a surprise at this point, honestly."

Mizuiro laughed, "You're right, I guess I should be used to that at this point." Chad remained silent, his face listless.

"He's gonna get another detention if he's not careful," Tatsuki said, shaking her head.

The warning bell rang, signifying that classes would begin in five minutes. Students began to hurry inside, their rushed feet leaving poofs of dust in the Autumn air. Leaves rustled in the wind, as a breeze began to pick up. "I guess we should head in," Orihime said, turning. "We don't want to be late."

Chad nodded. "Right, let's go."

Tatsuki and Mizuiro watched their two friends walk away, passing through the door with the other students. "Is it just me," Mizuiro said quietly, "or does Chad seem a little odd?"

"The two of them are very off today," Tatsuki mused,her eyes serious. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed."

"Do you think they're sick?"

Tatsuki shook her head. "Nah, not really," she replied. "But they seem like they've changed overnight. Like they… switched bodies with someone."

Their musing was interrupted by the loud huffing and wheezing of Keigo, who stood next to them, his hands on his knees and his chest heaving. "H-hey," he managed, sweating profusely. "I-I made it." Mizuiro smirked.

"Bout time, Keigo," he said. "We have less than five minutes to get to class."

Keigo sighed in relief. "Thank god, I thought I was late again!" Tatsuki, still serious, walked towards the school, her stride fast. Keigo looked up, confused. "What's up with Tatsuki?" he asked, eyebrow raised. Mizuiro turned towards the school now, motioning for Keigo to follow.

"I'll explain later."

The last bell rang, the school yard filling with students excited to head home. It was the weekend, and many were excited for the time off. Laughter and loud conversation could be heard through the halls and many faces passed, a blur. Keigo mingled with the students, hoping the teachers and administrators wouldn't notice him and pull him into detention. He wanted to get to Urahara's shop undetected and quickly, resuming his training at the store. Little did he know that he was being followed by three kids, intent unknown.

As soon as he made it outside, Keigo booked it down the road, the late afternoon sun beating down. He knew his sister would be too surprised by the guests at his house to be wondering why he was late today, so he wanted to make his time count. School bag on his shoulder, he rounded every corner, trying to remember exactly how to get back to the old shop with his memory. Chad wasn't here to help him this time. Finding the dusty path that led to the dilapidated store, he smiled, skidding to a halt in front of the glass door. He opened it, being greeted by a disgruntled Jinta, his red brows furrowed. "Bout time ya showed up," he jabbed, crossing his arms. "Yer five minutes late! Tessai was askin' where ya were."

Keigo looked at the kid in disbelief. "I didn't know I had a set time to be here," he said, taking his shoes off at the door. "I was just told to get here as soon as I got off school."

Tessai appeared, his eyes looking past Keigo to the outside. "It seems you brought friends," he said, his voice tinged with disappointment. "I thought I told you not to tell them, Asano." Confused, Keigo turned around, seeing the heads of Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Chizuru peering from around the corner of a nearby building. He felt his heart sink, turning to explain himself to Tessai. Before he could say a word, however, Tatsuki sprang forward, pointing her finger at Keigo.

"Keigo, what the hell are you doing here?" she called out. "Why are you here at this shady shop? Who are these people?"

Chizuru popped forward now, hands on her hips. "Are they forcing you into child labor, Keigo?" she added. "You should have told us sooner!"

Mizuiro stood to the side, watching the two girls. "Do you have a job now, Keigo?" he asked, remaining calm.

Keigo looked back to Tessai, panicked. "I swear I didn't tell them!" he told him. "I didn't even know they were following me! You gotta believe me!"

A voice came from behind Tessai, "Don't worry, Keigo, I believe you." The blond shopkeeper appeared from behind Tessai, striped hat atop his messy hair. "I figured it wouldn't be long before your friends decided to see what was up."

"Then why did you tell me not to tell them?" Keigo asked, confused.

Urahara smirked, "I wanted to make sure we could keep them safe for as long as possible, but it seems they are much smarter than I gave them credit for."

Walking towards the three friends, Urahara called out, "Welcome, kids! I'm a friend of Ichigo's!" Tatsuki lowered her arm, narrowing her eyes. This shady man didn't seem like someone Ichigo would hang around with, and her guard went up instantly.

"What the hell do you mean you're Ichigo's friend?" she yelled, her stance changing to one ready to fight. "I've never heard him mention you! Just who the hell are you, anyways? Where are our friends?"

Chizuru piped up, "Are you guys aliens? Did you replace our friends with aliens too?" Mizuiro looked at the two of them in disbelief. "Where did you even think that up, Chizuru?"

Urahara laughed, raising his hands in the air in mock surrender. "I figured he wouldn't," he replied. "And no, we aren't forcing Keigo into child labor, he's a volunteer here."

"That sounds an awful lot like unpaid child labor to me!" Chizuru spat.

Tatsuki turned to her, eyes burning with irritation. "Shut up, Chizuru!"

Urahara stood before the three kids, his hand on the brim of his hat. "Let me introduce myself," he said. "The name's Kisuke Urahara, and I run this little shop you see before you." He beckoned behind him to the run-down little shop. "If you're looking for answers on your friends and the weird things that are going on, you all might as well come inside. I can give you a full explanation."

Tatsuki backed away. "How do I know we can trust you, huh?" she hissed. "How do we know you won't try something funny?"

"Yeah, how do we know you're not gonna replace us with aliens and use our bodies for experiments, eh?" Chizuru added, pointing at Urahara.

"Guys, he really is a friend of Ichigo's!" Keigo called out. "If you come on in, we'll tell you all about the weird stuff, and no, there are no aliens, Chizuru!" Urahara pointed back to Keigo, his smile returning.

"Listen to Keigo," he said. "We'll make sure you get the full story, no funny business."

Tatsuki, still glaring at Urahara, walked past him and headed to the front door of the shop. "You better," she said. "Or you'll regret it."

"So, where are they all now?" Mizuiro asked, his body shifting on the cushion that he'd been sitting on for the past hour. Cold tea sat on the table in front of them all, all hunched forward listening to Urahara and Keigo's story.

"Orihime and Chad should be in the Seireitei by now," Urahara answered, waving a fan in front of his face. "And Ichigo should be in the training room below this building with the Visoreds. Uryu is probably down there as well." Tatsuki lifted her lips from her hands, which were wrapped around each other. Her face was pensive.

"And you say that they're all getting ready for this… war with this Aizen guy, right?" she asked. "What does he want with our town?"

Urahara closed the fan with a snap, his smile long gone. "Sōsuke Aizen is planning on creating a device known as the Ōken," he replied. "He needs Karakura Town to make it, you see. Not only does this device need 100,000 souls to create it, but it needs to be on an Important Spirit Ground. And it just so happens that Karakura town has both the population size he needs but it is also one of a few Important Spirit Grounds in this world. One of the most powerful, in fact."

Chizuru spoke up now, asking, "When you say he needs these souls, do you mean he intends to kill everyone here in Karakura Town?" The question seemed to disturb Mizuiro and Tatsuki, who both turned to Urahara now.

Sighing, he nodded. "Unfortunately, yes," he said. "Which is why it's crucial that your friends are in top shape. We don't know when Aizen intends to strike, or what his plans are at this moment, but with whatever time we have, we need to make it count." Silence filled the room, the four friends look at each other in fear and shock. Urahara watched as they seemed to be processing the information, wondering what their next move would be.

With that, Tatsuki stood up, her eyes suddenly – and dangerously – determined. "Then what the hell are we all sitting around here for?" she said, her voice serious, fists clenched at her sides. Urahara looked shocked, as did everyone else. "You're telling me our friends are training so they can protect us all, protect our entire town, and the four of us are just sitting here, letting them take this burden alone?" Her eyes filled with tears, which she didn't intend. So much emotion was flowing through her, her body seemed to be shaking a little. "I'm afraid," she said, trying to fight back the tears that were spilling. "But I'm not gonna let my friends fight as I stand idly by. I want to help, especially after all they've done for us. And I want you to tell us what to do. Whatever it is, no matter how hard, you need to have us do it. Hell, even if it's just me and Keigo who are volunteering, I don't care. Let me help!"

Chizuru stood up, hand on her hip. "I want to help too," she said. "Orihime, a blessing onto this world, is risking her life to protect us. As is Chad and Ichigo, of course. But I can't just let her do this alone. So, count me in as well."

Mizuiro had begun standing as Chizuru was speaking his hands in his pockets. "I suppose I should join as well," he said, his voice quiet. "I don't know how I can help, but if Keigo is already here, I should be too. Besides, I live here. I don't want my family being turned into a device that does… god-knows-what."

The three standing kids stared down at Urahara, who seemed to have had his breath taken away. "Well," he said, his voice quiet now as well. "I suppose I can't say no to the three of you, now can I?"

Tatsuki shook her head. "Nope, you're stuck with us."

Keigo was beaming. He was so relieved to not only include his friends on his secret, but that they seemed so willing to help. "Alright!" he exclaimed, standing now. "We can all protect Karakura Town!"

Sighing, Urahara knitted his fingers together, resting his head on them. "The first order of business, then," he said, "is that I need two of you to allow some of our Shinigami volunteers to stay in your homes. Who would like to volunteer?" Keigo narrowed his eyes, remembering his two "guests" at home.

Tatsuki raised her hand, "I've got room for one."

Mizuiro also raised his, "I could have one as well."

Clapping his hands together, Urahara stood as well. "Good!" he exclaimed. "We have two Shinigami left who needed a place! Yoruichi, bring the two volunteers back here please!" In no time, the sliding door opened, revealing Yoruichi standing there, with Renji and Shuhei.

"Hey there," she greeted the room, a side smile on her face. "Nice to meet our new recruits."

Urahara pointed to Tatsuki and Mizuiro, saying, "Lieutenants Abarai and Hisagi, these two kids are willing to bring either one of you home with them and let you stay for the duration of your time. Choose who you want to room with!"

Renji stepped forward, eyeing Mizuiro. "Thank you for letting me stay with you," he said. "I'd stay with Ichigo, but he's busy, as you may have guessed."

Mizuiro nodded. "Yeah, I hope you don't mind sleeping on a couch," he replied. "I don't have much space in my room to set up another bed, unfortunately."

Renji shrugged. "That shouldn't be a problem."

Shuhei approached Tatsuki, arms folded across his chest. "Pleased to meet you," he said, his face serious. "I'm Shuhei Hisagi. Thanks for letting me stay with you."

Tatsuki smirked. "Not a problem," she said. "Neat tattoos."

Shuhei looked a little confused. "Uh… thanks…" he said. No one ever really mentioned his tattoos that much, so he was confused why this human took such an interest in them.

Interrupting, Urahara said, "Now that you all have found your polite hosts, I will send you all home for the evening. I want you all well rested for tomorrow."

Keigo looked confused. "B-but I just got here," he said. "Do you want me to go home already."

Patting him on the back, Urahara replied, "You got guests tonight, so I think it would be best for you to go home. Besides, if all four of you are training here, you might want to rest up for tomorrow. It might get intense."

Keigo groaned. "Oh yeah," he grumbled. "Those two. Thanks for sending them my way, Mr. Urahara."

Urahara smiled. "Of course! I knew you'd be a willing host!"

With that, the friends went on their way, chatting excitedly. The secret was theirs now, and they felt oddly excited, even with the threat of their town being in imminent danger. It was an adventure that not every high school kid could boast about, for sure. As they left, Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai watched them, their faces serious. "Are you sure you want them involved?" Tessai asked. "They're just kids, and I don't really want to have any casualties."

Urahara waved his hand slightly. "I think they'll be just fine," he said. "They're strong kids, and since they've been around Ichigo, they don't seem to be lacking in spiritual energy. Much like Keigo, they all seem to harbor some sort of strength."

Yoruichi smiled. "That's for sure," she said. "That Tatsuki girl is something else. I'd like to train her, if that's fine with the two of you."

Urahara looked at her, returning a smile. "I figured you'd say that," he replied.

"Go for it."

From the rooftops, a figure seemed to be trailing the group of kids and Shinigami, who remained unaware. Silently, the figure climbed and leapt from roof to roof, vaguely listening to their chit chat. Lifting the visor, the aquamarine eyes of Ash surveyed them. In her ear, she heard the static-ridden voice of Will once more. "That group there seem to be filled with intense energy," he said. "Amelia isn't with them, for sure, but they aren't necessarily normal humans, that's for sure. I'm not sure what's up with them, but for now keep an eye on them."

"Roger that," Ash whispered. "There's one more place I'm going to look really quick, as it seems to pick up a large reading of energy. I don't think she's there either, but maybe I can find answers there."

"Be careful," Will said. "We don't want any unnecessary attention. You remember what happened last time we went out into the public eye…"

Ash grimaced. Amelia had been with them that time, she recalled. "Don't remind me," she whispered again. "Those were tough times." Her eyes seemed distant, recalling memories from long ago.

"Anyways, if you find anything, let me know," Will said. "Anything at this point could be helpful to us." Rising, Ash lowered her visor again, the shiny black surface reflecting the horizon.

"You got it. Ash out."

Dashing away, her body leapt through the air silently and invisibly, leaving the group behind. She followed the energy reading in her visor's tracking system, a glow increasing on her screen. Soon enough, she arrived at a small hospital clinic. A window on the top floor was opened, curtains billowing in and out in the evening breeze. This was her way in, and she was going to take it. Silently, she landed on the window sill, her gray-and-black clad form crouching. She slid her body through the window, feet stepping on a bed below.

Ash surveyed the bedroom she found herself in, the walls mostly bare and an open closet opposite her. A door was next to it, opening suddenly, a small girl with dark hair entering. Ash was frozen in place, unable to properly react.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked Ash, her voice low. "And why are you in my brother's room?"

Ash noticed the girl's fists were clenched and her body was leaning away, ready to dash off and warn the others in the house. She lifted her visor and took the cloth off her head, revealing long, flowing white hair that reached her waist. Her eyes were kind and her lips in a genuine smile. "Hi there," she said, speaking Japanese now. "My name's Ash, and I was… looking for your brother. I needed to ask him a few questions. What's your name, sweetheart?"

The girl's eyes narrowed, suspicion written all over her face. "My name's Karin Kurosaki," she replied. "And Ichigo's not home right now. In fact, I'm not quite sure where he'd be. And I sure as hell am not convinced he knows you."

Ash shook her head. "He doesn't, truthfully," she said. "Sorry to have scared you. It was just that I thought he'd be home if his window is open. Do you want to come with me to look for him?" Her eyes were wide and innocent, her body half turned to the window.

Karin looked confused. "Why exactly do you want to talk to Ichigo?" she said. "Are you even from Japan?"

Ash laughed, her voice melodious and smooth. "No, not really," she said. "I… I need his help to find my sister."

Karin stepped into the room now, curious. "Why would he know where your sister is?"

To this, Ash shrugged. "Not sure he would know," she said. "But he is one of the most powerful presences here, and with power like that, he might be able to help me track her down. Besides, just from what I've gathered by being in this town, he seems like a nice guy. If he doesn't want to help, that's fine, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask."

Karin thought for a moment, her eyes locked with the woman's. She seemed nice, and her words sounded genuine. "I guess I'll go with you to find him," she said. "I've been meaning to go out looking for him anyways."

Ash's eyes lit up. "Really?" she said. "Are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you. I mean, I guess I'm doing that by invading your brother's room, but… I would really appreciate it."

Karin shrugged. "It'll help me find my brother, so it's really not that inconvenient. Maybe I can help you find your sister while we look for Ichigo as well." She didn't quite trust this woman who climbed through her brother's window, but she didn't seem threatening...

Ash smiled, nodding. "That would be wonderful," she said. "I cannot express just how thankful I am to you, Karin Kurosaki." "

"Just call me Karin," she said. "Since I'm only calling you Ash."

With that, Ash extended a hand out to Karin, her eyes sparkling. "Take my hand," she said, "and we'll be on our way." Karin hesitantly accepted, her small hand sliding into Ash's. With that, Ash lifted the girl off the ground, hoisted herself out the window and jumped from the window sill.