"See?" Jun said. "I told you I wouldn't leave you behind, Hurricane. We did it!"

He bounced around, and Miki thought for a brief moment that if he burst with excitement now, it would ruin his new uniform. She felt very self conscious in her own new clothes, and couldn't help stealing another peek in the mirror, gasping at the black clad girl that stared back.

"The graduation parties are starting!" Jun said, tugging at her arm. "Let's go already!"

They stopped only long enough to pick Daiki up before heading to the bar. Despite the fact that there were several such places in Seireitei, this one was the only one she'd been inside of. It was at this very bar that Byakuya had come to pick her up the night she'd gotten drunk.

Her body felt heavy at the thought of him, as though a boulder had suddenly been laid upon her shoulders. She'd meant what she said that day, and they hadn't spoken since. He sent her a letter every so often, and when she wasn't too depressed, she sent him some back. It seemed so wrong to her that he would not be here on this important day of her life, but she could not give in.

When she told her friends what happened, none of them quite knew what to say, but each had made it known that if she wanted to talk, they'd be there. For the most part, nobody brought up his name, and she attempted to drown out her sadness with practice.

Rukia still visited often, and that was hard because she refused to tip-toe around the issue with her, instead telling her straight out how Byakuya was doing. It seemed he, too, had his ups and downs.

"You figure out where to go next, Hurricane?" Daiki asked.

"No idea yet. You going to four?"

"Of course," he grinned. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"At least I'm not alone, right Jun?"

"Uh, right," Jun flushed a bright red, and looked down at his shoes, which always meant he was lying.

"You got a division?" Miki asked, incredulous. "And you didn't tell me? Where is it?"

"Six," he answered so quietly that she barely heard him over the music.

"That's great! Oh, but beware. Your new Captain can be a real pain in the ass sometimes."

"I'm sorry, Miki."

"No, it's good for you. Sure looks like we're going to be spread out all over the Seireitei, aren't we? And me with no place to go."

"What if we all agree to meet up once a week?" Daiki asked.

"That sounds like a good idea," Jun agreed, but Miki walked on in silence.

The bar was crowded, but she quickly spotted Rukia sitting at a table in the back with Rangiku. They pulled up seats, and Jun demanded copious amounts of drinks be brought. Dancing and merriment began immediately after that.

"Kimie!" Miki said, spotting her friend and rushing over. "How are you?"

"Congratulations!" Kimie said, managing a tiny smile.

"What's wrong?" Miki's senses went on high alert, some dullness in her friend's eyes betraying her sadness.

"You know how I pretty much ran away when I came here? I talked to my Mom for the first time earlier today."

"What'd she say?"

"That she wanted me to come home right away. Her usual drivel about how being a shinigami is unladylike."

"Really?"

"Yep, and she didn't stop there. She informed me that she expects me to come home and marry some guy. Said I was lucky that anyone would be willing to marry me!"

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her to stuff it, that I'm not leaving."

"That must have been hard. I'm sorry," Miki said.

"Oh, he's here," Kimie said, "I don't even know what to say to him!"

Miki looked all around in a panic, until she realized her friend meant Jun, and not Byakuya. She recovered with a laugh, "Just ask him if he's gotten an assignment yet."

The girl, still wearing her green hair tie, took Miki's advice; she walked up to their friend and began talking his ear off. Miki poured her a drink, which she downed quickly, the only sign of her unease.

Some time later, much to Miki's surprise, Captain Hitsugaya arrived, and Rangiku bounded over to him. He took a seat next to Miki, who offered to pour him a drink.

"Just a little," he said. "I can't stay long."

"How are you?" Miki asked.

"Fine. I saw your solo exam, you did well. Have you changed your mind about my offer?" the white haired man said. "No strings, of course."

"Then, I absolutely have to accept."

Rangiku, who had been hovering behind Miki, began bouncing around. "Congratulations to Miki, newest member of Division Ten!"

Everyone cheered, and drinks were passed around for a toast. Rukia continued to glance around her, and Miki couldn't help but feel her unease. When Daiki asked her if she wanted to dance, she took to the dance floor. After he'd had his fill of dancing, which she suspeceted he didn't particularly care for, she continued to dance, losing herself in the rhythm, stopping only to take a sip of her drink. Though she'd kept careful track of how much she'd been drinking, she was a little tipsy.

Then suddenly the world slowed around her, the music fading to a dull thump as blood rushed through her body. Everything tilted and spun, while the people in the bar all seemed to turn toward the entry. He's here, like Kimie had said earlier.

Miki continued to dance, pretending to be oblivious, but watching from the corner of her eye, as Byakuya strode across the room, and had a very brief conversation with her new Captain. When Miki could take no more, she broke into a run, desiring only to be as far away as possible from this place. Out the doors, and through the town she ran, paying no attention at all as to where she was going. Her body felt electrified, and if she didn't go as fast as possible, she might explode.

Suddenly, her body came to a wrenching halt as she collided with something. Whatever it was, it wasn't hard or poky like a bush or a wall might be. It was soft, and smelled really good, causing her heart to beat even harder. She was tipsy enough, and the wreck of her emotions caused her to topple over backwards, but a hand caught her before she fell.

"Hey, watch where you are going," Byakuya said, holding her steady.

"Oh, hello," she said stupidly.

"I apologize if my presence earlier bothered you."

"It was just business, I'm sure."

"Yes. So Hitsugaya has taken you on anyway, I hear. Congratulations."

"Thanks. I doubt I would have graduated if it hadn't been for you."

"You still have not learned to give yourself credit, I see," he said with a smile. "Some things never change. But then again, some do, just too slowly to notice."

"It felt strange without you there, today. Incomplete. But now that you're here..." she broke off, wondering just where here was. Much to her shock and embarrassment, here was the front gates of Kuchiki manor.

"It's awkward," he replied, and she nodded. "I was just about to go in for some tea. Care to join me? Things are always less awkward over tea."

"I can't. Maybe another time, but not right now," she said, holding back tears, as she walked down the street.

"Miki, I..." he said, and she met his eye. "I'm glad you didn't let what happened stop you from joining Division Ten. Of all the places you could have gone, I believe you would benefit most from Hitsugaya's example. They're also active in the human world, and I thought you would want to be out there, helping others like yourself. It was not a decision that I made lightly. Perhaps it was not mine to make, but I only wanted to help you."

"Thanks. But it doesn't change anything," she said and ran straight to her room to cry herself to sleep.


After her meeting with Byakuya, Miki buried herself in her duties, in effort to combat the loneliness. That was when the true training began for Miki, only now the stakes were much higher than a single letter written on a piece of paper. Over the first few months on the job, she became one of the first choices when patrols were needed in the real world, and Rangiku had even complimented her ability to think on her feet.

Even though her friends were all busy with their new lives, they managed to find enough time to gather for drinks once a week. Since the graduation party, much to Miki's relief, Jun and Kimie seemed to be closer than ever, though it was strictly friendship. At least, that's what they claimed when anyone asked, but anyone who watched closely could see the signs of romance on the horizon.

Rukia still visited her regularly as well, though she didn't often mention her brother anymore. Miki assumed he had given up, at least for the time being, since he hadn't sent a letter since her graduation. On those rare occasions when their paths crossed, Miki would greet Byakuya, but he always glared icily ahead, refusing to acknowledge her at all.

That always cut to the bone, and Miki threw herself into her practices during her free time to avoid thinking about him. Her friends accused her of being a workaholic, and it was obvious they worried about her.

As the months passed, one thing bothered Miki more and more. It was that meeting she'd had long ago with her mother. For reasons she couldn't explain, she found that she wanted to know more about where she came from. And the secrets. What could her mom have meant by that?

Whenever possible, she looked for the hollow, hoping for a chance at a better explanation. One rainy evening, she got her wish. She allowed herself to be separated from her friends, saying she'd be back in a few minutes, and followed the hollow to a place where they could talk. Both of them knew full well that it would end in battle.

"I was beginning to think someone killed you," Miki said.

"Judging by your clothes, you're not here to join me."

"What did you mean, you know my secrets?"

"Where's your little lapdog? Or did he finally get tired of you and dump you?"

"Actually, I left him," Miki said, snatching at the air as though she could retract her words.

"Now you know things are like I said. You just beat him to the punch."

"It's not like that. Tell me what you meant about my secrets!"

"You've always been good at twisting your wickedness into nobility. So many secrets you keep, so many lies. Out of the fire and destruction you create, you become a hero."

"Knock off this cryptic crap, and give it to me straight. What secrets?"

"You can still hear them, can't you? The cries of the children? That is the night you became a murderer. When your heart turned black."

"The night I set fire to the orphanage?" Miki said.

"So you do remember. And the little kiddies you left to burn," the hollow said with a grin and a little dance of what could only be taken as satisfaction.

"There were no children inside that building."

"Yes, there were," her mother sang.

"Just the matrons. The ones who deserved it."

"And what gave you the right to judge?"

"The scars. What they did to me. Everything. I had to. Had to protect the children. I only locked the adults inside, just the evil ones."

"Miki, they all made it out safe. It was only the children who died."

"You lie!" Miki drew her katana, her shaking hands steadying a little with the strength the weapon lent her, and advanced. "Die, you liar!"

Miki slashed at the hollow, unleashing a battle cry, but her attacks were too slow, and she dodged them all.

"Maybe when you come to terms with who you are, then I won't look like such a monster."

"No. There were no children!" Miki screamed, angry tears shining on her cheeks, as she increased her speed.

The hollow danced away, laughing, from Miki's onslaught. "You still want to blame everyone else. Murderer!"

Miki brought her weapon down on the hollow again, this time finding resistance as it grazed the creature's arm.

"Dammit," the hollow shrieked. "You really are trying to kill me!" With a final cry, she disappeared, leaving only a ghostly echo behind.

Sometime during the dark hours of night, Miki awoke in her bed, trembling and drenched with sweat, and she knew without a doubt that her mother spoke the truth.


Miki continued her practice, despite Rukia's sudden presence appearing in the training field. She wanted to get through this sequence before stopping.

"You are a difficult person to find, sometimes," Rukia said.

"Not when you know where to look," Miki said, after she'd finished her practice. She stretched in front of her friend, and asked with a sigh. "What brings you way out here?"

It seemed that every conversation she'd had with Rukia lately always ended when she tried to convince Miki that her cause was hopeless. As far as Miki was concerned, she would defeat Byakuya, and there was nothing more to talk about.

"Don't give me that look!" Rukia said. "You ever hear that old saying, 'If you can't beat them?'"

"What are you getting at?" Miki asked.

"There's someone I want you to meet. I think he might be able to help you. Come on, we have to go now or we'll be late."

"Why? What made you suddenly decide to stop laughing at me and help me?"

"He's lonely, Miki," Rukia said, her eyes sad. "Lost without you. When he doesn't know I'm there, I catch him staring at the ring. Not just staring, but sometimes he talks to it. He'd never admit these things, but I've seen them."

Miki understood those feelings. Every night before falling asleep, she held the sapphire Byakuya had given her and wished him a good night.

"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head.

"But this is how it has to be," Rukia finished. "I know, I've heard it before. So let's go."

Rukia led her, not to a practice yard in the Seireitei, but to the human world, and right to the front of a shop. A little girl stood sweeping, though it wasn't needed, while a redheaded boy teased her.

"This the girl?" the boy said, running over to them. "She looks weak!"

They ignored him and went inside, Miki feeling a little uncomfortable, stuck to Rukia.

"My my," said a man in a green and white striped hat. "This one does have quite a bit of potential..."

He stared at her for several long minutes, his eyes seemingly glued to Miki's neck.

"That's quite a bauble there, where did you get it?"

"From a shop here in town," Miki said, trying hard not to shudder. "I had one just like it when I was little, though."

"Hey, Tessai," he called, and a giant of a man came into the room. "Remember that girl we took in for a week a while back?" He nodded sideways at Miki, and they both examined her, leaving her feeling a little like a science experiment gone wrong.

"Forgive me, I've been rude. The name's Urahara. Kisuke Urahara. Pleasure to meet you," and he introduced everyone else.

"I'd bet on it, Boss," Tessai said, as though it were some sort of signal.

"Well, well. It looks as if we have a bit more to talk about than I originally thought," and he led them into the living quarters, gesturing for them to have a seat. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you were raised by your grandmother in a town just east of here."

"How did you know that?" Miki asked.

"You probably don't remember it, but we've met before. Long ago, when your father came to me asking for protection."

"I don't know anything about him. Did you know my father?"

"Not well, I'm afraid. It was a dark and stormy night, years ago," Urahara said, and Miki swallowed back a little shriek as the room was plunged into darkness.

"Lightening filled the air with electricity," Urahara continued. A flashlight appeared in his hand out of nowhere and flickered beneath his chin, casting an eerie glow over his face. "And thunder shook the earth. Rain poured-"

"Ahem, Boss..." Tessai said, his deep voice barely audible over the sudden rumble of thunder coming from the kitchen.

"Oh, all right. I was just trying to set the mood. So, when you two got here, you were soaked and crying. Your dad handed you over to Tessai, and you immediately quieted reaching out to grab his mustache, and both giggling like crazy. It was love at first sight, I think."

Tessai raised an eyebrow at Urahara, who smiled and continued his story. "I don't know how he found us, but there you were. He told me that your mother had died during childbirth, and had become a hollow. She wanted you badly, though nobody knows why, and he stopped many attempts on her behalf to kidnap you."

"What did my father look like?" Miki asked, hanging on his every word. She'd always been told that her father was no good, but the story this man was telling was different. Either way, she assumed that her past would stay locked away forever, and to finally know something was a relief.

"Dark hair, dark eyes," Urahara said, glancing at her. "Your eyes, in fact, with those unusually think eyelashes. He was a shinigami, though I don't think he had much skill. He introduced himself as Kyote."

"Kyote?" Miki repeated. Now that he had a name, he seemed a little more real to her. And now it was obvious where her powers came from.

"He asked me if I could offer you any protection, and I agreed to help. Then he left, saying he was going to try to rid the world of her, and if he didn't come back, I was to take you to your grandmother in the town. I never heard from him again."

"And she's still around, so I guess he's probably dead," Miki said with a frown.

Urahara nodded, "I put a couple of spells into a necklace similar to the one you're wearing. It was really quite a wonderful little thing, if I do say so myself. The first was to protect you from hollow. While you wore it, they would be completely unable to touch you."

"That's why I survived for so long. But wait," Miki said, remembering. "It broke when I was eight years old or so. The hollow smashed it."

"As I suspected might happen. It was only meant to be temporary anyway, and the protections on it would have faded into you. The other spell was one to call shinigami to you. For those with any kind of protective instinct would be subconsciously drawn to you."

"So then, maybe nobody really liked me much to begin with?" Miki glanced at Rukia.

"I don't think so, Miki. I would have still taken you home, I'm sure of it," Rukia said, smiling at her.

"Besides that, it shouldn't have been very strong by that point, and when you turned into a hollow yourself, it likely broke the spell. If not, then Kuchiki would have done it. If nothing else, that man is thorough."

"Well, that's good, I guess. I'd hate to think everyone liked me only because of some spell."

"Of course not!"

"We returned you to your grandmother, and that's the last we've heard of things, until today."


Yorouichi followed them all into the basement and watched in silence while Rukia sparred with the newcomer.

"So, this little scrap of a thing is the girl that stole Byakuya's heart, huh?" she said, mostly to herself.

"That's what I hear," Urahara said. "I've seen worse. A lot worse."

Yoruichi nodded, "You planning on using your technique?"

Urahara shook his head, "No. I don't think she'd ever be able to believe it was something she did herself. She's stubborn enough to get it into her head that she wasn't worthy."

"And you know all that just from watching her for a few minutes?" she asked.

"You didn't?"

Just then, Rukia called a halt, and they both came over so Yoruichi could introduce herself.

"Not bad, for a baby," she said, and Miki beamed.

"Unfortunately, I have no good news for you. I'll be unable to help you out with your quest. You are the kind who learn quite differently than others, and because of that, my techniques won't work on you. You are, of course, free to use my basement at any time, but that is all the help I can give. I'm afraid you'll have to learn your Bankai at your own pace," Urahara said.

"Thank you anyway, Urahara," Miki said with a bow, but the determination in her eyes wasn't the least bit stifled by the news. "I'm grateful for a private place to train, and I'll be fine on my own."

"Why are you in such a hurry?" she asked.

"Because I need to reach Byakuya's level in the next year or so," Miki said, unflinching. "But at least I can train here without him seeing it. The less he knows about my skills, the better my chances, right?"

"It's still pretty impossible," Rukia said.

"I said I'd do it," Miki said. "And I will. Just need to work out the 'how' of it all."

"Hey," Yoruichi said. "Maybe he can't help you, but I can. Only if you're serious, and up to some difficult training. I'm not the type to laze around, and I won't take any slacking from you. You'll work, and you'll work hard, but maybe you can pull it off."

"Tell me when and where, and I'll be there. But why are you offering?"

"Let's just say I'd love to see the look on that Kuchiki's face if he lost," Yoroichi said.

At the girl's request, they began training immediately, and Miki had scheduled herself to spend almost every spare moment available to her in training. The girl wanted it, that much was evident, but managing that kind of feat in such a short time was near impossible.


After Miki began her training sessions with Yorouichi, her spare time became preciously short. Sleep was especially rare, and Miki found herself shaving minutes off her rest time every day. That left her feeling cranky and irritable, though she hadn't shown any hint of it to her teacher or friends.

Despite being so tired, she was looking forward to her drinking night with her friends, the one appointment she always kept. She wondered if anyone would be offended if she left earlier than usual.

She zipped up the street, anxious to get there, but slowed when she saw him. Byakuya walked alone, heading in the direction she'd just come from, his loneliness a palpable black shield about him. That same sadness that called to her in the first place, now begged to be eased, and she longed to reach out to him.

"Hello," she said, loud enough to be heard, but quiet at the same time. Her heart beat wildly, as she fought trembling muscles to keep a steady pace. His stony grey eyes never moved from the path ahead of him, and if it hadn't been for a split second of hesitation between his steps, Miki would have thought he hadn't heard her.

She stopped, watching his retreating back, and desperately wanted to run to him. He whipped around, his hair flowing out behind him, and regarded her with a cold glare. Her breath caught in her throat, and she struggled to say something, anything to keep his attention. In a moment, he again turned and strode off, leaving her to watch through teary eyes until he disappeared around the corner.

A sudden commotion from just up the street caught her attention, and she went to investigate. She found Hanataro kneeling on the ground, picking up supplies that had been strewn all over the sidewalk. Before him stood a group of big, mean guys that Miki guessed were from division eleven.

"Hey, watch where you're going, pipsqueak," one said, while another bent down to flick the littler guy upside the head.

"I'm sorry," Hanataro said, as he picked up the last of his things. He bowed and turned quickly away.

Just when Miki thought it was all over, the biggest of them all stepped forward, blocking his path. "Apologize to my friend, too," the bully demanded.

She moved quickly, coming to stand between Hanataro and the others, "What the hell is going on here?"

"This shrimp needs to learn to watch where he's going," a smaller man said, his beady eyes on Miki.

"Looks to me more like a bunch of bullies who can't leave well enough alone."

"It's okay, Miss Miki," Hanataro said.

"You guys need to learn some respect," she said. "This guy is the one who's going to patch your dumb asses back up when you get ripped apart out there. You do not treat him that way."

"Shut up, lady. What the hell do you know about battle?"

"Oh, I forgot, morons like you don't understand words, so let me put this in terms you'll understand."

She turned to Hanataro, unfastening Yuhimori, and thrusting it into his open hands. "Hold this, so I don't do anything I'll regret later."

"Please-" he said.

"It's fine," she whirled to face the bigger one. "Come on, then. Let's see what you got!"

He looked quickly at his friends, who shrugged.

"All of you," she clarified, stepping in closer and staring up at them with what she hoped was her meanest glare.

"Hey, what's going on?" a voice she recognized as Daiki's echoed down the street.

"These idiots were picking on your superior. I was about to teach them a lesson," she said.

"Really, Daiki, it's-"

"Please be quiet, Hanataro," Miki said, and saw Daiki shaking his head from the corner of her eye. "You going to let them get away with that?"

Daiki shoved his own Zanpakuto into Hanataro's already loaded arms, and the small man struggled to hold onto everything.

"Let's crack some skulls, then. Just like old times. Which one you want?" Daiki said.

"How about a challenge today. I'll take the little one, since he seems faster. And that guy," she gestured to the one in the middle. "Can pick whoever he wants."

Daiki stepped up to the bigger one, while the smaller man came after her. She dodged his first blow, but the move put her back to the stone wall. As the second blow came, she braced herself for impact.

She grunted and swore as his fist met her eye. She didn't slow any, and dodged his left hand swing, coming up with a few hits of her own.

Frustration welled up inside her, and she unleashed it with her fists, pounding the little guy in the face several times before he backed out of the way. Hanataro still protested weakly from where he stood, but she paid him no attention. It felt good to finally be protecting someone, though the small shinigami probably could have taken care of this weakling himself, if he were so minded.

Before she knew it, she was fighting two opponents, and hard pressed to dodge their flurry of attacks. Daiki, always looking out for her shouted a taunt at one of them, and he stopped for a moment, torn between the two of them.

"Hey!" Jun shouted, running up to them. He took one look at the situation and barged forward, knocking the third guy to the ground. "Didn't your momma ever teach you not to gang up on people? Scum!"

Miki returned her attention to her own, while she worked out the aggression she felt at Byakuya's earlier denial, the pain of her broken heart, and the anger she still harbored toward Riko on her opponent, who gladly answered her blows with ones of his own. And then, suddenly, she stopped.

His fist caught her across the chin, and pain rushed through her, but not enough to slow her down. She grabbed his wrist, dancing under his arm. Swiftly she maneuvered around behind him and pulled his wrist up and back. He went down, his forehead touching the ground.

"Now, apologize," she demanded.

He stayed right where she held him, but said nothing. She pulled his arm up even higher, and braced a foot on his back. Glancing at her friends, she saw they hadn't fared so well yet, but they would. She winced as Daiki took another blow from the big guy, and turned back to her own, grinding her heel into him.

"What is all this?" a different voice, one that held unquestionable authority, said.

She let up on her opponent, who rose shakily, but did not try to continue their fight, and turned to explain herself.


"Someone explain to me why, when I am out for a leisurely stroll, I should come upon a band of uncouth individuals fighting in the street?" Byakuya said.

"Please, sir. They were just trying to help.." Hanataro trailed off in mid thought, when he realized just who was standing before him.

Daiki, who was not so tongue tied, began to fill him in.

"Enough!" Byakuya said, long before he'd finished the story. "You all are a disgrace to your fellow shinigami, behaving like heathens. What's more, you have broken the law, and make no mistake, I will be informing your captains of this. Do not let me catch you at this kind of behavior again," he said.

Which meant that the Elevens might get a slap on the wrist for this. Their captain likely wouldn't care what they'd been doing. That was assuming the man could read at all, which she doubted. She and Daiki on the other hand, would probably be cleaning toilets for the next eternity.

Byakuya glanced all around him, and his eyes narrowed when he saw Jun. Miki felt suddenly dizzy with dread for her friend. He wouldn't be so lucky as to get away with cleaning duty, and it was all her fault.

"You," he towered over Jun. "One of my own here. Disgusting! First thing tomorrow you are to report to me for paperwork duty until I decide otherwise."

"I'm sorry," Miki said when Byakuya dismissed them, and turned to rush away with the others.

"Wait," he said to her.

When the others left, he spoke, "I am especially disappointed in you, Miki. You cannot earn other's respect by beating it into them. And further, I hope you do not expect any special treatment from me or anyone else."

Miki suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Her actions were no better than what Riko had done to her. She was truly ashamed of herself.

She looked at him through blurry eyes, one of which was nearly swollen shut. This man that she once loved - no, still loved, had never been what she would call warm. But what stood before her now was an entirely different world of coldness. The walls had always been there, but the view from this side was heartbreaking.

"Byakuya, I.." she said, struggling to find the words. "I'm sorry."

"Apologizing after the fact does not change a thing. And from now on, you will address me with the respect I deserve."

"Captain Kuchiki," she said, with a bow. The idea that their relationship had come to this, that she must now refer to him in such a formal way, sent all her emotions draining from her, only to be replaced by a flood of sadness.

Again, he walked away from her, but this time she was too exhausted to cry. All at once, she knew what she wanted. She wanted to make things right between them, but did not know how to go about it. Living in a world with this cold Byakuya was like being trapped in a dark, frozen wasteland, and it was time for her to turn on the sun.


Author's Note: As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you all enjoy :) Feel free to let me know what you think!