Author's Note: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are the property of Tite Kubo. The original characters, settings and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated withTite Kuboand no copyright infringement is intended. This work is an amateur fan effort and no profit is being made.

With that in mind, check your sensibilities at the door. AU. Pure entertainment only. You've been warned. Enjoy!

I woke the next day late in the afternoon to the sound of Aodhan arguing with someone. I opened my eyes to see that my ever-present cousin was arguing with Ichigo, except that he was no longer dressed as a Shinigami. He wore jeans and a shirt that had Good Vibe written on it. They were arguing over something concerning the ruined wall where the window had been.

I let them argue.

I stood up with the blanket wrapped around me and walked over to my room. The shattered door had been replaced with a new one. It just needed to be painted. I changed into jeans and a black T-shirt. It was mid September and still cold, but I liked to keep my apartment warm. I stepped out of my room and into the living room. There were more people here than I remembered last night. I saw Aodhan looking highly annoyed as he was talking with Ichigo. My guess was that they were attempting to fix the wall and were still arguing over it.

"Just let Aiden fix the wall," I said on my way to the kitchen. Everyone stopped. I didn't even know who half of them were. "This isn't the first time that a wall has been blown out and I doubt it will be the last."

I saw a tall blonde woman with breasts you could hardly miss sitting on the floor. She was dressed in a skirt and a barely buttoned up shirt. I wasn't quite sure what to think of her. Was she just comfortable with how she looked or-? I decided to be nice and give her the benefit of the doubt. She was here with Ichigo and to me that meant something. There was also a boy with white hair and green eyes dressed similarly to Ichigo sitting nearby. He seemed to have this perpetually serious look on his face. I figured it was because of the frown. Someone so young shouldn't frown so much, but I knew from personal experience that you couldn't judge people, especially Shinigami, by appearance alone. I winced. I should have remembered that when I first saw the blonde woman. Still, what were they doing in my apartment?

Ichigo must have noticed my look for he stepped forward. "Cinnia, this is Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku and Captain Hitsuguya Toshiro." He gestured to each of them in turn.

I raised my eyebrows. "'Captain?'" I didn't say it, but Toshiro looked a little young to be a captain.

Toshiro stood up. "Captain of the 10th Division."

That still hadn't clarified anything for me. It must have shown.

"There are thirteen divisions among the Shinigami," Rangiku explained, "called the Gotei 13 and each division is led by a captain."

That made sense to me. The divisions must be like units in an army led by an officer. I vaguely remembered something like that from the last time I spoke to a Shinigami. "An honor to meet you, captain."

Toshiro nodded curtly and sat back down. So much for good impressions.

Aodhan was busy working on the wall. He had a tape measurer, a level, a chair, and a few other things needed to help with the repairs. The tape measurer was in his mouth as he attempted to scribble something down on a wrinkled piece of paper with no backing. Numbers, I guessed. Measurements of all the pieces of wood and whatnot he would need. I idly wondered if he would repair the wall to the exact specifications that it had been before or get a wild hair and do something subtly different. Something that no one would notice unless they looked close enough. I was interested in seeing what he would do. I sat down on the couch and sighed. I still felt weak from last night's attack. What worried me was that more Hollows could come. My temporary weakness was secondary.

"You shouldn't frown so much."

I looked up at Toshiro, startled. I hadn't realized that I had been frowning.

"You have three Shinigami with you right now. No mere Hollow would be able to withstand us." He turned to Rangiku. "Once the wall is fixed, we'll begin rotation. Two Shinigami at all times."

"Yes, captain," she replied.

"Ichigo, did you bring them here?" I asked. I was vaguely aware of Aodhan announcing that he needed a few more things before he could begin on the window as Ichigo nodded.

"I thought having a few extra Shinigami would be a good idea, considering the circumstances," he replied.

I was about ready to fume but I couldn't get mad at him. He was thinking about our safety. "Why so many to help us?"

"Because Hollows aren't supposed to attack Elves. Because they aren't supposed to be able to see you and your kind." Toshiro turned slightly to look at me. "Because our two worlds aren't supposed to overlap in this realm."

I understood then. They had been sent to investigate the matter and were watching over us to see if more light could be shed on the issue. I told him as much.

He acknowledged my thoughts with a nod. "That would be my assumption as well."

I frowned and looked away. Assumption, huh? That meant he wasn't entirely sure what was going on. I watched as Aodhan managed to convince Ichigo to go with him to pick up the things he needed for the damaged drywall, among other things. I was sure they were going to pickup things to finish up whatever supports had been damaged as well.

I decided to occupy my mind by curling up in my sitting room with a book. It wasn't really a room. Just a sectioned off part of the main room that I created by placing Victorian styled standing screens up. I let the Shinigami do what they needed. There wasn't much for me to do anyway.

Adohan returned with supplies and his "volunteer." It was late already and Aodhan knew how much I couldn't stand him working on projects late into the night at my place. Especially loud ones. I heard Ichigo leave. Only Rangiku and Toshiro remained. I set my book aside and stepped into the main room. I offered to make dinner but Toshiro waved me off. I turned to Rangiku and Aodhan. "What about you two? I can make some traditional European dishes." Truth be told, they were the only dishes that I knew how to make well.

Rangiku seemed intrigued. "Sure, I'll try some," she said, which received a snort from Toshiro. Rangiku seemed to wave him off in the same manner he had me.

"What about manicotti?" Aodhan suggested.

I agreed. We typically didn't eat meat. It wasn't that we couldn't, it was more out of respect for the animals. That, and the smell of meat made me feel ill. It was the same for Aodhan. It wasn't until dinner was almost ready (salad and bread was all that was left to prepare) did two more guests appear. They had knocked on the door before entering, which I thought was rather considerate. Well, I would have had they waited for me to say, "Come in."

I watched in some annoyance as two men walked into my apartment. One had red hair with a white piece of cloth tied around his forehead and walking in behind him was a young looking bald man. They had the same sense of death about them and were dressed in nondescript clothes that were worn by the common people. I glanced over at Rangiku as she greeted them.

"Renji. Ikkaku. So nice of you to join us." She smiled and gestured to the dinner I was finishing. "Care to eat? Cinnia has just finished making this interesting smelling food."

I nodded to both of them as I was introduced. I looked them both in the eye. Just briefly. They would both stick out in a crowd. The red head because of his tattoos and the other because he was bald. And not just shaved head bald but shiny bald.

"I made extra in case you want seconds, Rangiku," I announced. I tossed the salad and sliced the bread. "Please, have a seat." I gestured to the table where Rangiku, Aodhan, and Toshiro (I had convinced him to eat with us) sat. There was plenty of room and plenty of food. I wasn't worried.

I set two more places at the table and served everyone their food. No one ate until I sat down. The normal chit chat over dinner ensued. Although, Renji, Ikkaku, and Toshiro were quiet until Rangiku involved them. She said something about Ikkaku being bald and they started arguing. I realized then that Renji was the red head.

After dinner, Rangiku and Toshiro left. The four of us went our separate ways. Aodhan disappeared into his room/the guest room. I left for my room as well, leaving the two Shinigami to their own devices.

I changed and tried to sleep but my restless mind kept chasing it away. I finally got up, put on some pants for decency, and stepped out of my room. I shut the door behind me out of habit and glanced at Ikkaku. He was sitting near the hole in the wall. Aodhan had thought to put up a transparent barrier to keep the warmth in. Rangiku had suggested a curtain of sorts and my dear cousin had happily obliged. I think he was infatuated with her. Ikkaku barely glanced at me as I walked by to the sitting area. I paused as I saw Renji sitting in my favorite chair. I was now annoyed.

I forced a smile and reached for my book that was sitting on the little end table right by the chair.

"I'm sorry. Am I sitting in your seat?"

Damn. I hadn't expected him to be nice. I smiled again. "You're fine. No worries." I curled up in the chair opposite him. "How long are you two here for?" I was trying to be polite.

"Until morning."

I didn't know what else to add to the conversation. I looked down at the book in my lap. It was one of those literary classics. L'Morte D'Arthur. I wanted to see how the rest of the world saw him. Besides, I didn't know what else to add to the conversation.

"You have a tattoo."

I looked up at him then. "Hmm?" It took me a moment to realize what he was talking about. "My back." I had forgotten. I was wearing one of those spaghetti strap nightie tops. He must have seen my tattoo when I had turned to sit down across from him.

He nodded.

"Forgive me. I sometimes forget that it's even there."

"What is it? It looks like some sort of symbol."

"The design on my back is known as a triqueta." I turned my back to show him again. "It's an ancient symbol of protection." I sat back in my chair. "I noticed that you have some as well."

Renji reached up instinctively. "Ah. Yes."

"Forehead and chest?" I guessed.

He nodded. "And back and arms."

I was stunned and amazed. "You're completely covered?"

The look on my face made him laugh. "No, no. Not completely. Well, not in the way that you're probably thinking." He rolled up one sleeve as he spoke and showed me a tribal looking design on his upper arm.

"And that's tattooed on the rest of you?" I gestured at him with my index finger in a swirly motion.

"More or less."

I shook my head. "I don't know how you managed to get through having your forehead tattooed."

"Why? How many do you have?"

"Two." I held up my fingers to illustrate.

"Where?"

Ah ha! So he hadn't seen the other one. "The other one is on my lower back."

We lapsed into silence. I'm a great conversationalist. Honest.

I fell asleep at some point. I don't really remember when. I remembered being tired, my eyes drooping, and that was it. I woke with a blanket over me, tucked in gently around my shoulders. I sat up and turned my bleary eyes to the person sitting across from me.

"Hello?" I mumbled. I rubbed the heel of my hand in my eyes and blinked away the morning haziness.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

I froze. I knew that voice. I knew that voice all too well. I looked, really looked, this time. "Jushiro," I whispered.

His hair was longer than I remembered but still white. There was a tiredness about his eyes that I didn't remember, though. He wore a crisp, clean business suit and sat upright in the seat, back straight. I shouldn't have expected anything less.

"Hello, Cinnia."

"You pushed for this, didn't you? The protection."

"The captains and I were in agreement-"

I snorted. "You mean the old man remembers me."

Jushiro leveled a look at me. "Yes, he remembers you. He also happens to remember what happened the last time that our worlds overlapped."

I looked away. "You could have sent word. Said, 'Hello.'"

"You know as well as I do that attempting such communication would have been difficult."

I knew that. I just didn't want to admit it.

"You and Aiden seem to be doing well. Is he living with you now?"

I shook my head. I was actually thankful for the change in subject. "Aiden stays here most days. I think that, even after all this time, he hates being alone."

"And you?"

I was silent for a moment. I tried not to think and just answer the question. "I feel her sometimes, in those last few moments between waking and dreaming. I see her. I'd like to think she's happy."

"I'm sure she is." I heard the smile in his voice.

"How long are you here for?" I asked abruptly.

"Until about evening. Maybe not quite that long. We're in twelve hour rotations," Jushiro explained.

Silence hung in the air. We were dancing around the real subject and we both knew it.

"It's different this time," I whispered.

"How so?"

"Just as you can feel reiatsu, or spiritual pressure, I can feel magical energies. The way I sense these energies is almost the same way you do. The difference being what I'm sensing. I can tell you right now that whatever is causing this imbalance between all the realms is much different than last time."

Jushiro frowned at me. I probably would have given him the same look had he been explaining something from Soul Society.

I closed my eyes and concentrated. I shut out the noises and grasped the nearest magical thread I could find. I traced it until I found another one and another. I traveled along these threads until I found that one that was inherently different from the rest. I felt my brow furrow down.

"What is it?" I heard Jushiro ask.

"Hush," I told him. I focused on it, that energy, and tried to determine where and what. All I could sense was darkness and a heavy oppressiveness as if a weight was being pressed down upon me. Then, I felt it move and it was aware. Aware of me.

I gasped aloud and my eyes flew open. I broke the connection as quickly as possible. I had felt this before. This was ancient and full of malice. This was an intelligent evil. I was hard pressed to place where exactly I had sensed this maliciousness but I recognized it. It worked in subtle ways and manipulated those around it, especially Man, to do what it desired. It had poisoned the hearts of some of my Elvish cousins, turning them into Drow. It had ruined lives without any thought than its own wants. I shuddered, not wanting to think on it any longer.

"What is it?" Jushiro asked again. "What did you sense?"

"This is nothing like the last time. This is something far worse."

"What could be worse than Demons?"

"A nathar sgiathach."

He gave me a confused look.

"A winged serpent."