...BE SURE TO READ A/N AT THE BOTTOM please!

"Lighting fire on the untouchable fang... Like solving a problem without looking up to the stars... Like there's no need to yell until the voice is gone."

Just what kept bringing the stern Kuchiki into her life, Hiori wasn't quite certain. All she knew was that then, in that moment, they opposed each other. Two immovable forces, both of them strong in their own ways. One would have to give in... Eventually. Hiori just prayed to the Heavens that it wasn't her who caved.

"I don't want to fight you." Hiori murmured. Rukia's face, clearly warped with something that looked strangely like fear, watched the scene in front of her in awe. What was it about the red head that her brother loathed to such an extent? A moment later, she lowered her eyes; She knew. Her brother's feelings towards others were always guarded- It didn't matter what connection you had with him. The minute that you were the enemy, his back was turned to you. Rukia knew this all too well. She had experienced first hand the extent of her brother's apathy.

"I fail to see why that matters," the older Kuchiki replied, though it was difficult to make out the words over Amaterasu's sorrowful lament. "You are both a criminal and a traitor; Either fight, or you will die here."

"If I fight, I may die here anyways." Hiori retorted, gripping her Zanpakuto even more tightly. Byakuya made a small noise in the back of his throat.

"True." he replied. Byakuya straightened his back, holding his body in a manner that suggested both lethalness and stature. "I cannot deny that I plan to kill you." Hiori's eyes softened, and for a moment it looked as though she were lowering her blade. She knew better than that, though. No one could be too careful around the Captain of the Sixth Division.

Behind Hiori, Rukia watched as Ukitake's eyes filled with what looked like sadness. Rukia herself had not known Ukitake at the time that he had known Hiori; She wondered vaguely if they had been close and, if so, in what respect? Had they been lovers? But Rukia tossed this notion swiftly aside as she watched disappointment cloud Ukitake's features. Perhaps things with Ukitake had not been so simple.

"Do you hate me that much, Byakuya?" Hiori whispered- But it seemed that the elder Kuchiki had at last had enough of speaking. His eyes narrowed, and his voice lowered to something much more sinister; Hiori began to feel something stir within her, as if he were a predator, and she was the helpless prey. Her muscles twitched with anticipation as she gripped her Zanpakuto still tighter- Within her mind, she could hear Amaterasu whispering through the Zanpakuto's song.

'You are not alone…'

"Scatter… Senbonzakura."

"Thaw… Amaterasu."

Onlookers were pushed back by the force with which the fighters had released their Soul Cutters, but Hiori had no time to marvel at either her sword's size or power. No sooner had the words left Byakuya's lips, his thin katana had transformed into thousands upon thousands of miniscule blades. The pink cluster paused and, a moment later, came speeding towards Hiori head on. Without having any time to think, Hiori could only do what came to her instinctually.

Her eyes closed momentarily, and she gathered nearly all of her Reiryoku within the split of her blade. The blue light glistened in the sun, and although Hiori was feeling rather drained, she also felt safe. The blue light expanded, shaking slightly as it made contact with Byakuya's Shikai. The man's cold gray eyes narrowed, watching carefully as Hiori blocked his onslaught of blades.

"I have never before had the opportunity to fight you," he explained monotonously, and Hiori glanced up briefly from the ground. "I have only ever heard about your various abilities through word of mouth... But this is much weaker than I had expected." Hiori's gray eyes narrowed in frustration- She knew exactly what he was doing; He was trying to spite her, rile her up so that, one way or another, she would make a fatal mistake. And, to Hiori's horror... It was working. "Materialized Reiryoku can only keep my Senbonzakura at bay for so long."

"Is that right?" Hiori hissed, and she got the feeling that her expression was one that was almost maniacal. She could feel the blades' pressure increase, and a cracking sort of noise met her ears. Byakuya was right- She wouldn't be able to keep this up for long.

'Use your Bankai.'

Hiori's eyes widened. Amaterasu's suggestion seemed not only groundless, but also extremely reckless. Her Bankai provided her no protection from Byakuya's Shikai, not to mention that she had only used it once before.

'You'll be faster if you use Bankai.'

But will it be fast enough?

'... You'll make it.'

Pushing her numerous doubts aside, Hiori concentrated the rest of her energy onto her tattoo. It was difficult, and time consuming, since the only other time that she had ever used Bankai was when Amaterasu had transferred some of his energy through direct contact. All around her was chaos, but the only thing that she could do was concentrate; Even as she heard the outer shell of her defense crack and then shatter, all that she could do was keep forcing her tattoo upwards, climbing all the way from her stomach to her left shoulder.

"You're finished, Hitsugaya Hiori." Byakuya murmured. The next second, her Shikai defense was undone, the tiny pieces of her own essence scattering around her like blue butterflies and mixing with the pink Sakura petals of Byakuya's Shikai. "Do you have any last words?"

"Yeah..." Hiori choked out, all the while a triumphant smirk growing on her face. "Bankai."

Not a moment too soon, the red head dodged the oncoming mass of pink, which hit the wooden planks of the bridge before scattering once more. From where she stood, Rukia studied Hiori's newest power carefully; The ice gleamed in the sun, and the long bronze blades scraped against the chains that connected the claws. But even just as an onlooker, Rukia could already tell that her time in Bankai was limited- Very much limited. Hiori, however, seemed to ignore this, and instead chose to aim yet another cat like sneer in Byakuya's direction.

"Sorry, I don't really feel like dying yet."

"... Pity."

Bending over backwards, Hiori managed to dodge Byakuya's Shikai yet again before standing upright and heading straight for the railing. Byakuya barely followed her with his eyes, merely sending his Shikai in the direction that she ran. Standing straight on both hands, Hiori allowed herself to fall from the bridge just as the Sakura petals made contact with the railing, demolishing the space where she had previously been perched. This time, Byakuya did look for her with his eyes- But she disappeared before he could spot her.

The tiniest noise, like mice scurrying over hardwood, made its way to Byakuya's ears. A sudden rush of air, and the Shinigami Noble barely managed to dodge a well placed kick from directly below his chin. Hiori, crouched directly beneath him, gazed up for only a moment as he took several swift steps backwards; Then she vanished for yet another time.

The fight continued to carry on in this manner for several more minutes; Ukitake's calm green eyes watched as the vivacious red head darted in every direction, always eluding Byakuya's grasp at the very last second. Perhaps he was the only one who saw it- Everyone seemed to say that Hitsugaya Hiori had changed entirely. But as the white haired man watched the girl who, so many years ago, he had almost considered a daughter, Ukitake could clearly see her old self beginning to take hold of her once more.

"Lookin' for me?" The elder Kuchiki's eyes widened as he felt five sharp points dig into his shoulder. It seemed that Hiori had, at last, utilized her speed in Bankai to give herself the upper hand in this strange battle of evasion. Rukia stared, wide eyed, as the red haired girl continued to do a sort of one armed hand stand on the man's shoulder, before finally looping herself over his body.

The Sakura petals were on her almost instantly, but before they could touch her she was gone yet again. Byakuya's cold eyes darted over his surroundings, his normal fighting stance now abandoned, replaced by something much more rigid.

"Maybe you have managed to improve your skills in Shunpo," Byakuya muttered darkly, calculating eyes continuing to seek out his sangria-haired assailant. "But it will take much more than a few scratches and evasiveness to beat me." Crimson droplets now stained Byakuya's once white Captain's uniform, the shallow puncture wounds barely visible beneath the stark cloth. A sinister snicker to his right alerted him of Hiori's reappearance, and before she could make her next move, his blades were on her.

A strangled cry escaped her throat as the tiny blades sliced her skin, crimson mixing with pink in the air as Hiori fell backwards. Byakuya's face remained impassive, though if one had looked closely, they would have seen something like triumph shining within his eyes. The aristocratic Shinigami didn't have much time to gloat, however, for no sooner was she down did Hiori stand up again. Her breath was coming out in deep, shallow pants, and she could feel blood rising in her throat.

'You got cocky.'

Amaterasu's words echoed within Hiori's frantic mind- He was right. After landing just a single hit, and a shoddy one at that, she had professed herself the winner. Clearly, she had been mistaken. Blood dribbled out from between the bandages on her stomach, which was heaving with the effort it was taking to keep herself upright. With another breath her Bankai shattered, the pieces of ice falling onto the wooden bridge noiselessly before disappearing all together. Out of the corner of her eye, Hiori watched as Ukitake cast his eyes downward- Hiori knew he could not help her, even if he had wanted to. She parted her lips as she slid to the ground, her back pressed up against the wooden railing of the bridge. Byakuya's cloudy eyes regarded her with carefully guarded interest, waiting patiently to hear what it was she wanted to say.

The red haired girl was unsure of just what it was that was making her say it. A distant memory, perhaps, or a feeling? But something inside her told her that she just had to ask, even if merely to gage the Kuchiki's reaction. The name on her tongue was one she didn't recognize, but she said it all the same, gray eyes meeting gray as the words finally escaped her lips.

"Hisana… Did you… get to be with her?"

She had precious little time to see just how the dark haired man would react. Hiori watched as his eyes widened with recognition, and even in her weakened state, she was sure that she heard Rukia's breath catch in her throat. Byakuya turned away, something that looked like bitterness clouding his features for a moment before he once again returned to his stoic self. A sudden Reiatsu filled the air, the owner of which was undoubtedly Ichigo. With one last look at Byakuya, whose attention was now directed to the open air to his left, Hiori let her eyes slide shut.

I guess that's a no...

"Why did you only take us back?" Ichigo's roar pierced through Hiori's blank mind, shaking her painfully from her stupor and back into the conscience world. As she blinked, the blurry images of Ichigo and Yoruichi came to her eyes- Though, admittedly, not in the way that she had expected. Yoruichi was pressed flat against a wall by none other than Ichigo, and judging by his voice, Hiori could only imagine his rage filled expression.

"The person with the highest chance of survival back there was me!" he bellowed, though Yoruichi's expression remained completely stoic. "This way, Ganju and Hanataro and even Rukia may have been killed!" The dark skinned cat woman was silent for several long seconds, mulling her words over carefully before replying.

"Don't think so highly of yourself." she whispered, though it was not the usual timid tone that so often came with whispering. Her usually bright golden eyes now had a darkness to them; A shadow. Hiori couldn't help but shiver as she gazed into them... What on earth was happening? "You had no chance of surviving that fight- Didn't you see the state Hiori was in when we got there?"

This question seemed to throw Ichigo way off track, and Hiori watched with curiosity as his fist loosed on Yoruichi's collar. Hiori wondered vaguely what she had looked like upon Ichigo's arrival- Dead, maybe? A bloody wreck? She couldn't remember much of what had happened before she had completely blacked out.

"She must've been injured before... Or something," Ichigo growled, determined to keep up his argument. Was he just looking for somebody to blame? If anyone was to blame, Hiori thought, it was herself. Had Yoruichi not taken her back with them, she may have been able to take Rukia instead. "Besides, I'm stronger than Hiori-" At this, Yoruichi scoffed, and Ichigo seemed a little taken aback.

"You're stronger than her?" she repeated monotonously, and Hiori was suddenly reminded of Byakuya's way of speaking during battle. "Possibly... You could be, with work. But you aren't better than her."

"I didn't say-"

"No, but you were thinking it." Yoruichi interjected. Ichigo paused, casting his eyes in Hiori's direction- She instantly pretended to still be asleep. "Hiori is hundreds of years older than you are, Ichigo. All of the Shinigami here are."

"I've beaten them before, I can do it however many times I need to!"

"You won those fights because you were lucky," Yoruichi scolded, but this only resulted in Ichigo pushing her roughly against the wall. "You were reckless, careless, and you were nearly killed."

"But I wasn't!"

"You. Will. Be." Hiori's breath caught in her throat. "You will die, Ichigo, if you do not listen to what I am trying to tell you." Ichigo's labored breathing made it to Hiori's ears as he took in Yoruichi's words. "What I said is true- Hiori is better than you are. I can only see this because I have seen her as she originally was; I know she can return to being the amazing fighter that she was." The orange haired boy backed away, and was now staring down at Hiori, who was still feigning sleep. "As you are now, if she cannot defeat Byakuya, then neither can you..."

"Then why didn't you just take Rukia?" Ichigo growled, clenching his fists with frustration. "Left Hiori and I, and taken Rukia?"

"I risked both our lives by bringing one extra back as it was. It's not easy to outrun Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Then why-"

Despite herself, Hiori jumped as Yoruichi slammed Ichigo's back into the wall directly behind them. He let out a strained grunt, which Hiori knew could only mean that he was still injured. Such a gesture would not have hurt him otherwise.

"I don't expect for you to understand." Yoruichi hissed, her feline-like traits revealing themselves as her anger increased. "But I have lived with this girl for a full two years- I have watched her grow, and I've watched her struggle. I watched as she changed when she met you and Rukia- Every single connection she built in the human world, I was there... I was one of those connections."

Hiori's self control was wearing thin, and she was beginning to doubt her ability to fake sleep for much longer. Hot tears stung the corners of her eyes, and she felt her nose sting as she repressed her cries. All of this time, she had been so sure that Yoruichi, like so many others, had been unable to forgive her for the many sins she had committed in her past... She had never expected this.

"Maybe she's not so different than she was when I first knew her... Perhaps she still has a long way to go." Yoruichi's voice was carefully guarded, but even where she lay, Hiori could hear it shaking. "But I intend to let her have this second chance. And if I had left her there... I have no doubts about just what Kuchiki Byakuya would have done."

For several long minutes, all three of them were silent. Yoruichi's golden eyes came to rest on Hiori's dark red hair, while Ichigo's eyes settled guiltily on the ground. Ignoring the eyes burning holes through her skin, Hiori allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of her lips. She allowed her eyelids to slide closed once more, a sudden, peaceful sort of feeling welling deep inside of her. Yoruichi cared about her... Yoruichi didn't hate her.

"All the mushy stuff aside," Yoruichi was the one to break the silence first, of course, bringing both Ichigo and Hiori out of their awkward stupors. "Despite your carelessness... In three days, I can both make you better than Hiori and strong enough to defeat Kuchiki Byakuya. That is why... I've brought you back." She paused again, releasing Ichigo and allowing him to stumble away from the wall. "Aside from Byakuya, Ukitake was also there. He is Rukia's superior... And a very important person to Hio-" She stopped talking, as Hiori had at last decided to make her awakened state known.

"What I mean is... He wouldn't let anything happen to them." With these last words, Yoruichi turned her attention to the now awake Hiori, who was clutching her side in pain as she stood herself upright. "Well then... Look who's finally decided to join us."

"Let me ask you something, Ichigo."

Yoruichi's calm voice broke through the heavy silence that covered the rocky landscape. Ichigo and Hiori stood side by side, Ichigo's Zanpakuto drawn and positioned in front of him. Hiori, on the other hand, had chosen to leave her Zanpakuto in its sheath until she was sure that Yoruichi had finished speaking; Amaterasu usual caused quite the racket, and she figured that it would just be easier to wait until Yoruichi was finished.

"Have you ever realized that Zangetsu is always in his released form?" Ichigo made a face, doing a double take of sorts as he looked between Yoruichi and his Zanpakuto. Finally he turned to Hiori for answers, but she merely shrugged. After all, she knew about as much as he did. "Take a look at Hiori's Zanpakuto... When she first takes it out, it's considerably smaller than yours is."

"Huh... So that's why it's so much bigger." Hiori murmured, gazing at Ichigo's Soul Cutter with mild interest. "I always figured you had... Y'know... A size complex."

"I- What?" Ichigo spluttered, rounding on her as soon as the words left her mouth. "What the hell does that mean?" Hiori simply smirked, looking Ichigo head to toe before making a reply.

"Judging by your reaction, I think you know what I mean."

"Enough." Yoruichi spat angrily, placing her hands on her hips. "Hiori, try to be an adult." Ichigo cast a triumphant sneer in Hiori's direction. "And Ichigo, suck it up. We've all thought that about you at one time or another."

"Hey, wait, that's not-"

"I said, enough." Golden eyes turned icy momentarily, silencing both teens instantly. "Now. Since you didn't know, I'm also assuming that you did not know that there is another level of Soul Release for Zangetsu." Ichigo's eyes widened, and Hiori resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Even she knew that, and she was the one who was suffering from a case from extreme amnesia.

"Not just Zangetsu," Hiori murmured. This caught Ichigo's attention, and his hazel eyes turned to her yet again.

"Can you do it? The second release?" Hiori nodded slowly, reaching behind her hips to touch the tips of her fingers to Amaterasu's hilt.

"I've only used Bankai for a few minutes though..."

"Bankai?" Ichigo repeated confusedly, shifting his gaze back to Yoruichi. "What's Bankai?" Yoruichi frowned, her bright eyes settling on Hiori momentarily before speaking.

"Hiori, stop getting ahead of me!" she said, her tone biting but playful at the same time. "I was counting on you not knowing this... You've achieved Bankai already?" Hiori smiled in a rather gloating manner, making a mocking peace sign at Yoruichi as she smiled.

"Sure have- Twice." Ichigo's head swiveled back and forth, following the brief conversation between the two women with interest.

"I don't get it. Is that a good thing?" Yoruichi nodded, once again turning serious as she went back into teacher-mode. Even when Yoruichi had been teaching her Shunpo, Hiori hadn't ever seen a side of her this driven... This focussed. Perhaps the situation was even more dire than she had been expecting.

"To become a Captain, you must achieve both Shikai and Bankai." Yoruichi explained simply, gauging Ichigo's reaction carefully as she barreled on with her explanations. "The only exception to this rule was Zaraki Kenpachi, the only Shinigami in the history of Soul Society to ever make it to the level of Captain without knowing his Bankai release."

Hiori arched a thin red eyebrow- Had Ichigo fought this man? Judging by Ichigo's expression, Hiori could only assume that he had. Someone with such raw power, to the extent where he could become a Captain with a Shikai release alone, it was a wonder that Ichigo had made it out alive.

"The power and forms of both Shikai and Bankai depend on the Zanpakuto, and they can vary based on the wielder's strength and training. But in general, one's strength can increase anywhere from five to ten times greater." With this statement, Hiori's eyebrows furrowed. That couldn't be possible- She had used Bankai herself, and she had neither felt or recognized any sort of change in her power level. Her speed, yes, but all in all she had felt completely normal. Yoruichi seemed to notice Hiori's confusion, for she halted in the middle of her speech, once again settling her eyes directly on the redhead.

"You, Hiori, may be the one exception." Hiori spluttered indignantly, preparing for an argument; Yoruichi, however, swiftly cut her off. "I am still unsure of why that is, since I have never seen you perform Bankai as you are now... However, if you really aren't experiencing such a change in power, perhaps it has something to do with your sudden change in personality."

Hiori pondered this carefully as Yoruichi moved on to a new subject. What if Amaterasu hadn't fully recognized her as his wielder, simply because she was not the same Hiori she used to be? What if Amaterasu was not really her Zanpakuto anymore... Did she not have the power required to tame such a powerful Soul Cutter? Or was it not her fault at all; Perhaps Amaterasu no longer represented her soul, and the two were less connected than she had thought.

"HIORI!" Yoruichi's sudden and barking voice cut through Hiori's dazed thoughts, making her jump visibly before returning her attention to the feline-like woman. Both of her arms were outstretched and, with each hand, she supported a large white cutout that faintly resembled that of a person. The figures seemed mostly two dimensional, though they had more substance than the small people one could cut out of paper with scissors. Hiori regarded the pair of cutouts with obvious interest, and Ichigo made a questioning noise in the back of his throat.

"What the hell are those?" he asked briskly, pointing towards the cutouts, though Hiori didn't think he really needed to. What else would he possibly have been talking about? Yoruichi smirked, however, patting the tops of her cutouts carefully as she answered his question.

"These are Tenshintai*," she replied, her smirk continuing to grow along with Hiori and Ichigo's confusion. "Rare artifacts from the Special OP. Division- Because I am as stealthy as I am gorgeous, I managed to get two. You're welcome." Although Hiori could have come up with close to infinity witty retorts, she felt that now simply wasn't the time, and instead settled for a dramatic roll of the eyes and a swift exchange of glances with her orange haired companion. Even though Yoruichi was being rather helpful, Hiori couldn't help but get the feeling she would grow increasingly more gloating as time moved on.

"These can forcefully materialize the soul of a Zanpakuto."

"I don't get it..." Ichigo muttered thoughtfully, his eyes not leaving the Tenshintai. "What does that have to do with Bankai?" Hiori's eyes widened, understanding finally dawning on her. She understood it now, the inner workings that created Bankai.

"Because... Because you need to communicate with your Zanpakuto for just the innitial release... You need something more for Bankai." Hiori said softly. Slowly she drew her sword, the soft melody piercing the mostly empty space around them as it let out a high pitched whistle at her touch. "Isn't that right, Yoruichi?" She understood, now, just why her Bankai wasn't working for her. Amaterasu kissing her was merely a brief transferal- Borrowed power, a loan. It wasn't hers. He had never truly given himself up to her. As far as the two of them were concerned, as a pair, Amaterasu was still the one in charge.

"Exactly. At least one of you brain dead idiots gets it." Ichigo and Hiori exchanged weary glances, silently agreeing on what Hiori had been thinking only moments earlier; Yoruichi was getting cockier by the minute. "It usually takes as long as ten years to achieve it. If I remember correctly, Hiori, yours took you until graduation from the Academy."

"Huh... Is that less than ten years?"

"It is." Yoruichi replied, nodding curtly. Hiori snickered, punching Ichigo solidly in the shoulder playfully.

"Hah. Beat that, carrot top."

"Oh, he will." Yoruichi interjected, eyeing the pair of bright haired Shinigami in front of her. "He has to. Ichigo, you must beat Zangetsu into submission. If you can't-" The woman's words were cut short as Ichigo sprinted forwards, shoving the tip of his Zanpakuto directly through the Tenshintai. His eyebrows furrowed with determination and, as Hiori drew closer, she could feel powerful energy begin to form all around him.

"I don't want to know." he muttered darkly, peering ever so slightly to his right to watch as Hiori changed into her Shikai, allowing the very tip of her blade to pierce the material of the Tenshintai. "There is only one way to end this... And that is to go all the way to the end."

"Or die trying, right?" Hiori snickered, though part of her couldn't help but wonder if all of them were going to make it out of Soul Society with their lives. Yoruichi, however, took this sentiment lightheartedly, laughing loudly as an enormous amount of energy gathered around the pair of Tenshintai, turning the surrounding space white with light.

"Now, now." she whispered, her lips barely moving as the two Zanpakuto Spirits materialized in the center of the triangle formed by Yoruichi, Ichigo and Hiori. "No need to get so dramatic."

"Hiori, your Zanpakuto's a dude?"

***ANNOUNCEMENT**** I need an OC for later arcs, so if you've got one, PLEASE don't hesitate to post it in a review! OC MUST HAVE A FULLBRING.*******

*Tenshintai: Transform Soul/God Body

Also, I've been debating whether or not to put in a few "Omake Theater" extra short chapters, just about Hiori or something. There's a poll on my profile, so GO VOTE!

Please, please review people! I know I've made you guys wait so long for an update, and I don't plan on withholding chapters for reviews- I enjoy writing too much. But seriously, reviews would be really appreciated. AND SO WOULD YOUR OCS. Like seriously, I've got no ideas for one, and I really need one for later arcs.

Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Ichigo and Hiori have finally been reunited. Expect some funny bits in the next chapter, as well as some possible jealousy of our one and only Amaterasu on Ichigo's part- Bet he wasn't expecting his competition for Hiori to be with a Zanpakuto Spirit, am I right guys?

The end of the Soul Society Arc is next, and I'll be skipping right over the Bount Arc because I HATED it- SO SERIOUSLY, GIMME AN OC TO WORK WITH PLEASE.

Thanks to all my loyal readers, and don't forget to review!