When Soifon awoke the next morning Kei was still asleep. Light was creeping through the window. She slipped out of the bed and into the hallway. She fixed her haori and headed off to her office to continue her duties. For first time in awhile she was focused.

Kei awoke a few hours later to find Isane changing her bandages. She was still out of it, and her vision was blurry, but she remembered the Lieutenant. She knew who she was.

"I remember you," she muttered.

Isane looked up at her and smiled, "That's good means it worked."

"Why do I feel it shouldn't have?" she mumbled to herself looking out the window.

"Things happen for a reason, Kei, and you need accept that whether it's what you want to or not. Life is never fair," she looked at the former Captain.

"So I've been told," Kei looked down at her wounds. I remember how I got all these, I remember it all. And yet I don't feel better for knowing everyone and knowing everything that happened. And this feeling on the inside I feel so powerful it scares me.

Isane finished dressing Kei's wounds when another shinigami guard came this time followed by General Yamamoto. He smiled warmly at her before taking a seat on the couch against the wall and that faced Kei's bed. The elderly man discussed the guard with a wave of his hand.

"General…" Kei breathed.

"Glad to see you're awake and healing nicely," he sighed, "But there's another reason why I came here."

Kei waited for him continue, and he took his time as he usually did to do anything, "I was informed of the incident between you and Gin as well as when you arrived here."

His eyes shifted to the mask lying on her bedside table, "You are what is called a visored…"

"Visored?" she had heard the title before in the academy.

"Because Gin can only access your ability to regenerate using water through your spirit energy he had to restore what was taken from you," he looked at her.

Kei's mind flashed back to the night on the roof of the castle where she had released her energy into the rain also allowing her to control it.

"But that was a one time thing. I don't even know how to control it properly…"

General Yamamoto held up his hand and immediately silenced Kei, "Let me finish," he paused, "Since he needed you to have your soul reaper powers back in order to get a control of that. He had to forcibly give them to you not wanting to wait until you did it yourself."

"So the mask…"

"Not only did Gin restore your Soul Reaper powers, but he also gave you those of a hollow and that pain you experienced was your body resisting, your soul resisting the hollow that now lives inside of you…" he pointed right at the center of her chest.

"So that's what I feel…" she muttered and looked down, "So what will happen to me? The visoreds are supposed to be exterminated…"

General Yamamoto nodded, "This is true, but you did not obtain your powers willingly. They were forced upon you. I will be discussing this with the council today to see what will happen. I will do my best to have to spared after all we brought you here to help us…"

"I still don't feel great about this…"

"You must learn to control your inner hollow or it will take over and you will become a hollow. You will battle with that until the end of your days."

"Ok? How am I supposed to do that?" she took the mask off the table and looked it again in the eyes and suddenly felt something growing inside her, but she blinked and it was gone, "I can feel it. It's rage, and hatred…"

"Its dangerous power to possess, but it will give you great power as well…" he stood, "Yoruichi is getting you help for that…" he smiled before heading for the door.

"One more thing General Yamamoto…" she looked up at the bearded man.

"Hm?"

"I want to say goodbye to everyone. Can I be allowed to do that?"

"Yes you can. I will arrange for you to return to the living world in order to say goodbye."

"Thank you," she stared again into the eyes of the hollow mask. I will not let you rule me…

--

"Kei I'll go with you…" said Soifon.

"No. I need to do this alone," they were standing just a few feet from Kei's house. And she could see Hana through the window. Yumichika came this time because Ikkaku and Miku had duties in the Soul Society. Kei looked at them before going to the house.

Hana opened the door and even though Kei was in full shinigami uniform she could be seen. Hana wrapped her arms around Kei and the two held each other for awhile before stepping inside.

"I'm so sorry, Kei. I didn't mean…" she cried.

"It's ok, Hana…" Kei smiled taking her hands.

"Where have you been?"

Soifon and Yumichika stood silently in the street watching through the window. Although they couldn't hear what was being said they knew what Kei was doing. She had to let Hana go.

Hana slapped Kei hard across the face as she delivered the news to her, "How? Why?" she cried ripping her hands from Kei's grasp.

"Hana you have to understand. I'm doing this for you. I'm doing this to protect you," Kei pleaded, "I don't want to see you hurt…"

"Please stay, Kei. You don't have to go back. You don't have to do this…" Hana cried.

"Because if I don't go back. They'll come here for me, and they'll do anything to get to me. And I don't want you to have to be put in the middle of that…" she stated.

"Than we can go away somewhere where they can't find us!" she pleaded with Kei.

But Kei shook her head, "They'll find us wherever we go, wherever we run they'll be there, and I won't see your life ruined because of me," she took Hana's face in her hands, "I will always love you, Hana. And you will always be in my heart," she whispered.

Hana nodded finally and kissed Kei deeply, "I will always be here for you if you ever decide to return. And I will always love you. Please be safe…" she kissed her again wrapped her arms around Kei's neck and sobbing into her shoulder.

--

Kei stepped from her house taking a deep breath and wiping her tears away. It took her a moment before she finally let go of the door, and went over to Soifon and Yumichika.

"How'd…" Yumichika started, but Kei held up her hand and shook her head. The next place they needed to visit was Master Ko and Mai. The walk there was quiet. Kei didn't want to speak to any of them. She was too consumed in her own thoughts.

Like usual Master Ko never seemed to sleep and was out sitting on the walkway that wrapped around the academy smoking a pipe. He smiled when Kei came up from the pathway, and unsurprised whatsoever that she was there.

Mai was playing on the ground out in front of him with two hand carved wooden horses. She jumped to her feet and ran into Kei's arms, "Kei! Why are you here?" she smiled.

"I have to talk to you and Master Ko…" Kei put on a smile as she set Mai down and she ran over to Master Ko who stood and puffed out a large cloud of smoke, "It's good to see you again Captain Soifon…"

Kei froze and looked to Soifon and than to Master Ko, "And you Master Ko," Soifon bowed.

"What?!" spat Kei.

"Tell me Kei, how does it feel to wear that uniform again?" he smiled walking down the steps out into the moonlight and that's when Kei could sense his spirit energy.

"You're a…"

"I was one a long time ago…" he took another puff, "I have known about you for sometime now, Kei."

"How long?" she asked.

"I have known you and watched you since the day you were born…" he paused, "Your father would have been proud to see the shinigami you have become…"

"My…my…father?" Kei choked staring directly into Master Ko's eyes. She had never known her father and never remember her mother ever talking about him.