Kei was allowed to relax and no one disturbed her in her room, but the shingami didn't get the sleep she had wanted. She spent most of that afternoon and night lying awake on her futon staring out the opened sliding door. Her hand rested on the empty space next to her. Some of Hana's clothes had remained in her room. It's only been a day and already I can't stand this…

She sat up and rubbed the back of her neck. Kei stood leaving her kimono in the room and heading out onto the walkway. The air was warm and there was no wind. Kei looked back into her room and spied her zanpakuto lying near her kimono. The shingami's eyes lingered before she stepped off the walkway and wandered into the night. Kei was led by moonlight to the cemetery and Hana's final resting place. She stopped in front of the gate her hand resting on the latch. She could see the Princess's marker from there and she lingered a moment before opening the gate and entering.

"I broke my promise to you, Hana. We were supposed to be together. It's not fair. And I don't know how much longer I can continue like this," she muttered into the night. She knelt before the marker and ran her fingers through the grass seeing if she could feel just a bit of Hana's presence, but there was nothing.

You must go on, Kei…

"HANA?!" Kei was on her feet looking for where the voice may have come from.

We will always be together Kei. I never left you.

"Where are you?" the shingami's eyes bore into the night trying to catch a glimpse of Hana, but she didn't see anything. Kei closed her eyes and felt Hana's energy stir within her. She took a deep breath and pictured the Princess before her.

Hana drew closer to Kei. She wasn't stained with blood or scarred. She was beautiful like the first time Kei had ever set eyes on her. She laid a hand on Kei's face and smiled. Her touch was warm and her eyes welcoming.

"I don't understand Hana?" Kei looked into her eyes, "I broke my promise to you."

Hana smiled, "You forget a lot, Kei. Remembered when I brought you back. The only reason I was able to do that is because my spirit energy connected with yours. And just like your spirit energy went into the rain some of mine went into you. I'm always with you," her fingers trailed down and rested on Kei's heart, "Right here," she smiled and kissed Kei. Kei wrapped her arms tightly around Hana as tears streamed down her face, "Please don't leave me, Hana. Please…"

But Hana just smiled with tears in her eyes, "I love you, Kei," and in the blink of an eye she was gone and Kei was alone in the cemetery. Kei looked around her tears still falling, "HANA!" she cried into the night only to receive no answer, "HANA!" she cried again sinking to her knees, "Come back Hana…come back to me!"

---

"I don't think Kei-Kei is handling the lose of Hana very well…" muttered Yachiru as she threw a rock into the pond.

"Same here…" muttered Ikkaku, "I notice she doesn't sleep. And the squad members with night watch have told me they see her walking around."

"But she does her duties, and doesn't complain. I mean it's kind of like having Kei back," sighed Yumichika.

"No it's not. She may continue with her duties, but she's not the same. I never thought something like this could get to her. I mean you see her fight without mercy and lose fellow squad members left and right, but this is different."

"Well we have to try something to bring her back!" shouted Yachiru at the two who just sighed and looked down.

"Like what Lieutenant?"

"I don't know baldy! I'm thinking!" she shouted and smacked him in the head leaving a large red mark.

"Where is she now?" asked Ikkaku looking out into the courtyard.

"Probably at the field training. That's where she spends all of her free time," answered Yumichika.

---

"General Yamamoto you need to ask Kei what happened that night on the roof…" begged Captain Hitsugaya. At first the large elderly man didn't answer. He sat stroking his beard with one hand resting on his staff. He was thinking.

"Captain Hitsugaya's right. We've given Kei plenty of time to recover. If we're going to get any where we need to question her," stated Byakuya.

General Yamamoto nodded and opened his eyes. He looked to Hisagi who was standing near the door, "Hisagi can you please get Kei and bring her here."

"Yes sir," he nodded, "Where would I find her?"

"At the wheat field, Hisagi," he answered. The black haired shingami nodded and bolted out the door and sprinted towards the wheat field. When he arrived Kei was training her bankai. He walked near her, but didn't get to close fearing the streams of water.

"Kei!" he shouted and got no answer, "Kei Reiykuu!" that seemed to get through to her. The streams of water disappeared and he could hear her sigh. She turned to him, "Yes, Hisagi?" she was surprisingly calm, but there was very little emotion in her voice.

"General Yamamoto has requested your presence," he stated and she nodded in acceptance. Kei sheathed her zanpakuto and walked with Hisagi back to the Captain's meeting.

Ikkaku, Yumichika and Yachiru were just on their way to see her when the spied she and Hisagi walking back towards the Captain's meeting. They stopped.

"Wonder what that's about?" asked Ikkaku.

"Probably going to question her about that night on the roof. Captain Zaraki said they kept putting off the subject because they wanted Kei to have enough time to recover. Looks like some Captains are losing their patience," said Yumichika.

Hisagi and Kei entered the Captain's meeting and looked right at General Yamamoto and literally ignored everyone else's looks. Soifon really hadn't seen Kei in a few days, but the shingami really hadn't changed. It was obvious she hadn't slept, but other then that she seemed stronger.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" she asked.

"Yes, Kei. We've been putting off asking you what took place on that roof the night…" he paused and looked into her eyes, and realized he didn't have to go any further, "Anyway we wanted to give you time to recover. And we now believe it's time to tell us what exactly took place."

Kei nodded and took a deep breath, "Yakunan had taken Hana captive, but I didn't know that until I had encountered him on the rooftop. I pleaded with him to release Hana because it was me he wanted to fight. But he wouldn't listen. He kept rambling on about orders from someone and that the entire Royal Family needed to die," Kei closed her eyes, "I kept asking him who he was taking orders from and why he was doing it, but he told me it was none of my concern," Kei took a deep breath, "That's when he stabbed her. We began to fight and other then a few insults thrown back and forth there wasn't much else said about the matter," she looked at General Yamamoto.

He looked up at her after a moment of thinking, "Thank you, Kei. Just one last question, did Yakunan mention at any point about a man from Hueco Mundo?"

"No."

"That's all. You're free to go. This Captains' meeting is over. I will see you all soon. Goodbye for now."

The Captains nodded and swept from the room. Soifon didn't even see Kei leave, but she was gone and out of sight even before a single Captain left the meeting. Where'd she go? Soifon looked around, but saw no hint of the blue haired shingami. The wheat field! Soifon made her way to the wheat field, but to her disappointment Kei wasn't there. She turned around to head back to her office when she looked over the wall to the grassy hills where she saw Kei standing with her back towards her just looking off. The Squad 2 Captain made her way over to Kei.

"Kei?"

"Yes?" Kei turned to Soifon.

"How are managing?"

"I don't know, Soifon."

"Was it hard to relive that night just a few minutes ago?"

Kei smiled, "I relive that moment every night," Kei went quiet, "I'm thinking about going away, Soifon."

The Captain's eyes went wide, "What do you mean away? For how long?"

"I don't know. I just want to go away," she looked up at Soifon.

"For how long?" Soifon was trying not to cry and she couldn't understand why she was about to cry. Was it the fact that she was losing someone again? Someone she deeply cared for was going to walk out on her life?

Kei didn't answer the question, "You're going to come back though right?" pleaded Soifon searching Kei's eyes for answers.

"I don't know," Kei muttered. Then something happened that neither woman expected. Soifon ran into Kei's arms and wrapped her arms around the blue haired shingami's waist and held her tightly, "Don't leave me Kei. You have to come back. You don't realize how much I need you."

"Soifon?" Kei looked down at the Captain who looked up at her with tears streaming down her face. Kei hesitated at first before she put her arms around Soifon.

"I know how upset you are about losing Hana, but you can't just leave us all behind," Soifon looked right into her eyes, "Hana wouldn't have wanted that," she cried, "Please don't leave me. Don't leave us. You've had such an impact on the Soul Society and its people. Please Kei if you go away promise me you'll come back."

Kei knew what Soifon had said was right. She couldn't just up and leave her fellow shingami and never come back. She had a duty to them as well. And Hana would have wanted her to stay. This was her family now.

"Soifon…" she started.

Soifon's embrace tightened and she cried harder, "Promise me," she choked.

"I…"