Kaien's Fate, Aizen's Experiment and Ichigo's Sister

by SeerKing

Shiba Kaien died at the hand of Kuchiki Rukia after being possessed by a Hollow. This is well known. What if Aizen drew Metastacia from Hueco Mundo and extracted some reiatsu belonging to Kaien for another experiment? This is the tale of the result of that experiment; Kurosaki Kirika. Now has a TV Tropes Page! Which needs spellchecked!

2. Explanations and Kurosaki

Author's Note: Well, here is chapter two. Now, this might be a good place to point out a few things. In canon, Kubo almost completely ignored Tatsuki. Why, I have no idea, but not in my Fic. One Substitute, here we come…

As to Orihime…she has a god-like power…and only has FOUR techniques with it. What the hell? That's gonna change.

Pairings…Definitely IchiRuki…not certain, but how does IchiRukiHime sound to you all?

As to Kirika…not certain. Tatsuki? Hinamori? Whatever. I'll think on it.

Read and Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

"Rukia" - Regular Speech

'Ichigo' - Thoughts

*Kaien-dono* - Zanpakutō speech/thoughts

"Bankai!" - Spiritual Technique

Chapter 2: Explanations and Kurosaki

An Hour Later

Urahara Shōten, Karakura Town

"So she just came out of a Senkaimon?" asked a black cat dubiously. Pure black with yellow eyes, the cat actually spoke in a human language and possessed the deep voice of a male.

"Yup." Urahara Kisuke replied flippantly. He sat cross-legged on the floor next to a futon. Tsukabishi Tessai was wiping the brow of the young girl who was lying on top of it.

"Kisuke, it's impossible." the cat said firmly. "The main Senkaimon is on top of a tower in the middle of the Seireitei. Even if she had somehow managed to get there, she would need to convince two members of the Kidō Corps to empower the Senkaimon for use."

"All true." Urahara acknowledged. "Nevertheless, she emerged from a Senkaimon. This means one of two things. One, she's from a Noble Family and she used her family's private Senkaimon."

"Unlikely." the cat sniffed, "She's dressed like someone from one of the outer districts of the Rukongai. Zaraki or Inuzuri, likely."

"Which leaves the last option as the most likely." Urahara said quietly. "Aizen."

"Why would he send us a Soul?" the cat asked. "She is only a Soul, right?"

"My Kidō cannot read her Inner World." Tessai informed them.

"She shouldn't even have an Inner World." the cat refuted flatly. "Not yet. Even a Pureblood Soul Reaper has to wait decades before they have an Inner World formed within themselves."

"Nevertheless, Yoruichi-dono, I can detect the presence of an Inner World within this girl." Tessai replied calmly. "All I can tell is that it exists, however. Even my most powerful examination Kidō is unable to penetrate the wall around her Inner World."

"Is it natural?" Kisuke asked intently.

"No, it is not." the former Commander of the Kidō Corps replied calmly. "Furthermore, I can detect trace elements of Hollow Reiatsu, as well as the Reiatsu signature belonging to a member of the Shiba Clan within her."

"What?!" Yoruichi leapt into the air and transformed into her real form, a buxom purple-haired beauty with brown skin and yellow eyes.

"Are you sure, Tessai?" the now human-and-female Yoruichi demanded.

"As sure as I can be." the man said stoically, ignoring the woman's nudity. "The traces are scattered about her being and are steadily merging with her Soul at an ever increasing rate. Within two days, they will be fully assimilated into her and unable to be removed."

"Looks like Aizen's been experimenting with Soul Reaper/Hollow Hybrids from the Soul Reaper's side again." Urahara said with a frown. "Who could the Shiba Reiatsu belong to?"

"If he's hurt Kūkaku or Ganju, I'll rip his head off!" the woman hissed.

"Ara, ara." Urahara waved at her. "I doubt he would deliberately go after those two. A far more likely scenario is that Aizen was involved in Kaien's death somehow. He was the last Shiba to die in the Soul Society before Isshin took over as the Clan Head."

"That would be a reasonable conclusion." Tessai agreed.

A groan from the girl made the three of them shut up and look at her. A slight flicker of her eyes told them she had peeked at them and was trying to pretend to still be asleep.

"Young miss, we can tell that you are awake, so please kindly sit up." Urahara said not unkindly.

Reluctantly, the girl's pale jade eyes opened and gazed warily at the two men and naked woman staring at her. Her tongue wetted her lips before she asked, "Wh-where am I…?"

"You're currently in the Urahara Shōten in Karakura Town." Yoruichi said quietly. "Now you answer my question. Did Aizen send you?"

"Him?" the redhead snorted, "He ordered that silver-haired guy to dispose of me…called me refuse…I'm the only one left."

"Only one left?" Urahara interjected. "An experiment to inject the essence of a Hollow-tainted Soul Reaper's Reiatsu into another spiritual being? Is that what you are the only survivor of?"

"Y-yes…" the girl swallowed and looked on the edge of tears.

"What's your name, kid?" Yoruichi asked.

"She said it was Kirika just before she fainted." Urahara answered for her.

"My friends gave me that name." the girl said in a choked voice. "Rei-chan…Masao-nii…Misa-nee…Tatsuya-kun…Misa-chan…I was taken as a babe…didn't have a name, just a number…so they named me after the mist of my memories and the fire-like colour of my hair. Kirika (霧火) or Mist Fire, you see…now…they're all gone….I'm…all that's left…"

With that, Kirika broke down into a quiet sobbing session that the on looking exiled Soul Reapers could tell wasn't in any way feigned. Yoruichi's previously impassive face softened and she padded out of the room, to return a few minutes later fully dressed in her usual outfit of black stretch-pants, light shoes, a black shirt and orange shirt atop that.

"Here." she offered the girl a tissue. Kirika accepted it with a nod and blew her nose with it.

"Ahem…by 'silver-haired guy', I presume you mean Ichimaru Gin?" Urahara asked carefully.

"That's what Aizen said." Kirika replied after she wiped her eyes dry, "He was going to…dispose of me himself…but the silver-haired guy…Gin…reminded him he had to get to a meeting with the Captain-Commander soon…so Aizen left my disposal to him."

"And he threw you into the Dangai." Yoruichi scowled. "You were lucky to outrun the Kōtotsu."

"The big, one-eyed snake thing?" Kirika asked, "It was only a foot behind me when I left the Senkaimon."

"Very lucky." the werecat amended her statement. "Did Gin say anything before he threw you into the Dangai?"

"He…he told me that I was the only one left…after years of experimentation and half a million test subjects, I was the only one to survive." the redheaded Soul replied painfully. "He said that he wondered what Shiba Kaien would think of the one who had inherited his Reiatsu…as well as the Reiatsu of the Hollow that killed him, Metastacia."

"I think I can guess why you survived." Urahara said as he pulled his hat down to cover his eyes. "Shiba Kaien possessed a Flowing Water-type Zanpakutō, which is a subset of Water-type Zanpakutō. More than likely, none of the others who were experimented on possessed a Zanpakutō at all or, if they did possess one, it wasn't a Water or Flowing Water type. You were just lucky enough to have a Flowing Water-type Zanpakutō yourself, or at least the potential to possess one."

"So…it was just luck that I survived?" Kirika asked.

"Pretty much." Urahara replied bluntly. "The next question is where you got your hands on an Asauchi."

He pointed at the wall to his left, where Kirika's bokken rested against the wall.

"I ran away from Gin at first." Kirika said quietly. "I didn't stand a chance of actually getting away, but he took his time finding me. While he was, I found the Asauchi propped up against a wall and grabbed it. A memory flew into my head of a Zanpakutō transforming into a cane and I tried to imagine the Asauchi turning into something…and it turned into a bokken."

"A memory flew into your head?" Urahara asked sharply. "Have you had any more."

"A…couple, in the Dangai." Kirika said haltingly. "Of what would happen if I touched the Kōryū or the Kōtotsu. I…I think that the memories belong to Shiba Kaien."

"Then it would appear that Aizen was too hasty in disposing of you." Urahara said grimly. "His experiment, which I believe was to create a Soul Reaper/Hollow Hybrid, was at least partially successful. I presume that the reason you were cast aside is because your Inner World can't be monitored?"

At Kirika's mute nod, the ex-Captain sighed. "Aizen seems to have become more careless in the last century. There are a whole host of other methods to determine stability of the Soul other than monitoring a person's Inner World, but he just tossed you aside without a second thought. Interesting…"

The blond man stared into space and started to mutter under his breath.

"Does…does he do this all the time?" Kirika asked in bafflement.

"Indeed." Tessai intoned. "The Manager has a bad tendency to do so whenever something new catches his eye. He'll be like this for a while."

"Can I have my Asauchi back?" she asked. "I need to bond with it."

"Why?" Yoruichi asked, although she already had a suspicion as to the answer.

"Revenge." Kirika replied, a glint of determined fire in her eyes. "Revenge against Aizen…Gin...and the other one…Tōsen something-or-other."

"Tōsen Kaname." Yoruichi told her. "A Soul like you won't be able to be strong enough, soon enough. Souls age and gather power at a very slow rate compared to humans."

"I have to. Otherwise, why else am I alive?" Kirika said determinedly. "I'm here, my friends are gone. I have to avenge them! What other purpose is there for me?"

The former Clan Head of the Shihōin sighed. She figured that if they tried to stop the girl trying avenge her friends' deaths, she might run off and get eaten by a Hollow trying to train herself. She absently whacked Urahara on his head, making him whine at the pain.

"Suck it up Kisuke." she told her childhood friend. "Examine her to make sure Aizen didn't leave any unpleasant surprises embedded in her. I wouldn't put it past the bastard to do that."

"Which one? Aizen or Gin?" Urahara asked cheekily.

"Either of 'em!" Yoruichi bopped him on the head again. "Now examine her!"

With numerous mutterings about domestic violence and violent women, Urahara spend the next half hour doing a series of tests on Kirika, aided by Tessai, which bypassed the entirety of the whole 'Inner World examination' problem that had irked Aizen.

"Well, I can confirm that your Inner World is in fact completely shut off from outside scrutiny." he said at last. "Whatever it is that caused it has locked you up tighter than a drum. I doubt you could even let anyone enter your Inner World with permission."

"You can do that?" Kirika asked.

"Only with the permission of the person the world belongs to." Urahara replied absently. "It isn't widely known or encouraged because entering another person's Inner World can have dire consequences if the Zanpakutō spirit takes offence at the presence of an intruder into their master's World. As I say, it is highly unlikely you will be able to do that.

"Moving on to the modifications that were made to you, I won't bother listing them, but there are some fifty of them that have, for lack of a better term, shifted your soul. You now have a growth rate much greater than that of a Soul, but less than that of a Human."

"How is that possible?" Yoruichi asked, her face incredulous.

"A combination of the extreme stress she was under, the locking-down of her Inner World, the numerous 'enhancements' performed to her and her own willpower." Urahara said with a shrug. "This is only a preliminary analysis, but that is essentially what is happening. Something of considerably higher concern is the memories that you have been receiving, Kirika-chan."

"Kaien's memories? What about them?" Kirika asked.

"There is a risk of your ego being crushed." Urahara told her. Seeing a look of incomprehension on her face, he decided to elaborate, "You are how old, exactly?"

"Five and a half, I think." Kirika replied in puzzlement.

Urahara nodded. "Shiba Kaien, at the time of his death, was over two and a half centuries old. The sheer volume of his memories is far vaster than your own. From what I've been able to tell, soon the memories, which have been a trickle up until now, will flood into your mind and overwhelm your sense of self. Soon, you will basically be a female version of Shiba Kaien."

"Stop scaring her and tell her what you're going to do to help her, Kisuke." Yoruichi said as she placed a supporting hand on Kirika, who was looking scared.

"Hai, Hai…" Urahara sighed. "The best solution that I can come up with is to seal those memories up for a period of years, until you have a sufficiently strong ego and are able to withstand the influx of memories without losing yourself."

"You aren't thinking of using a Kikanshinki (Account-Replacing Spirit Device) on her, are you?" Yoruichi asked suspiciously.

"No, that would only remove her memories of the last five minutes or so." Kisuke said with an airy wave of his hand. "Tessai and I will have to devise a brand new Bakudō in order to do this."

"How…how long do I have before the memories overwhelm me?" Kirika asked shakily.

"A couple of months at best." Kisuke replied. "At worst, a week."

"Oh…" the young Soul said faintly before her eyes rolled back and she fainted. Yoruichi caught her and shot a stern look at Kisuke.

"Did you have to be so dramatic about it?" the ex-leader of the Onmitsukidō asked Urahara disapprovingly. "She is exactly as old as she looks, after all."

"Yoruichi, this isn't good." Urahara said seriously. "If Aizen is discounting a girl with her potential just because he cannot monitor her Inner World, it must mean that he is close to starting something."

"I agree." Yoruichi replied as she placed Kirika's unconscious body back in the middle of the futon. She hesitated for a moment before grabbing the bokken-shaped Asauchi and tucking it in with her.

"Why?" Kisuke asked simply.

"Once we have her memory situation under control, I'm gonna train her." the werecat replied. "She'll go out and try and train by herself otherwise, and likely get eaten by a Hollow. She sees it as her purpose to try and avenge the death of her friends at Aizen's hands. 'Why else am I alive?' she said earlier, while you were off in la-la land."

"I am not certain that this is a good idea." Urahara remarked neutrally.

Yoruichi snorted. "You're just irked that another variable has been added to your plan, so you have to adjust them to account for her presence in it."

"I would agree with Yoruichi-dono." Tessai put in placidly. "Her addition to our forces would increase our chances of success significantly. I would offer my services at teaching her basic Reiryoku and Reiatsu control, as well as Kidō once she is ready for it."

"I see I am to be overruled here." Urahara sighed. "Very well. Now Tessai, let's get to work on that Bakudō. It should take a couple of days to do the basic framework if we take some of the processes from the Kikanshinki and adapt them…"

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Unknown Location…

Kirika woke up. She opened her eyes and looked around her surroundings in confusion. This wasn't the Urahara Shōten.

"Now where the heck am I?" she groused as she sat up.

The place she was in looked like a land that had once been full of water, but was now dry as a bone. The earth was parched, the canals and aqueducts that once carried water were empty and wind blew dust all around them.

In the distance, she could see a large rock formation of some sort that was just about the only distinguishing feature around here, so she started walking towards it for lack of anything better to do.

The entire land was giving off a sense of sadness, as if it was mourning someone. Kirika shivered as the wind itself seemed to moan. As she approached the large rock, she saw a small pool of water around it, along with an area of greenery around the pool. Small waterfalls, eight of them, fed the pool, but they were very small and barely added any water to the pool.

"Where am I?" Kirika asked in bemusement.

*In your mindscape, young one.* a soft voice muttered.

From the pool, a woman appeared. She was as tall as Yoruichi, with pale skin. She wore a cream and turquoise hakama and had her breasts bound with a large amount of bandages. Wrapped around her arms and floating above her head was a thin veil-like garment that Kirika somehow immediately identified as a hagoromo (Dress of Feathers). The woman's hair was spiky and blue, while her eyes were a pale red, but kind.

"Who…are you?" Kirika asked.

*My name is xxxxxxx.* the woman replied, *Although I doubt you can hear my name.*

"No, I can't." Kirika said with a frown. "Wait, you said this is my mindscape. Does that mean that this is my Inner World?"

*It is the fusion of the remnant of Shiba Kaien's Inner World and the fledgling Inner World that was growing within you.* the woman replied, *While I am a remnant of Shiba Kaien's Zanpakutō.*

Kirika's eyes flew wide open. "You are-?!" she choked out, before she bowed slightly. "I am sorry for my rudeness and for being unable to stop Aizen from using your wielder's Reiatsu like this."

The Zanpakutō Spirit smiled sadly at her. *Child, I can no more blame you for hosting what little remains of my former master than I could blame the Soul Reaper who slew my former master.*

"Huh?" Kirika tilted her head to one side in confusion.

*My master was fighting against a Hollow which possessed the ability to destroy Asauchi.* Kaien's Zanpakutō Spirit explained. *The second ability that the Hollow had was the ability to possess and control a Soul in its entirety, Rei-tai Yūgō. With it, the Hollow possessed my master and used his body to attack someone he regarded as a younger sister called Kuchiki Rukia. She slew my master's body with a single thrust and allowed him to die as a Soul Reaper, rather than as a Hollow.*

"Wow…" Kirika said. "What did Rukia-san think of Kaien-san?"

*She regarded him as a mentor and as an elder brother, with a touch of a crush thrown in as well.* the Zanpakutō said with a fond smile, which dimmed as she added, *She was likely devastated by having to slay him. I hope her Zanpakutō can help her through this trying time.*

"Ummm…do you know where my Zanpakutō Spirit is?" Kirika asked hopefully.

*Regrettably, I have temporarily displaced your own Zanpakutō.* the woman answered. *As long as I am here, your own Zanpakutō will remain in slumber…as will the Inner Hollow that was born when Kaien-dono's Reiatsu was implanted into you.*

"Oh…" Kirika didn't really know what to make of this. On one hand, she had a piece of a Soul Reaper inside her that was keeping the Hollow within locked down. On the other hand, it was blocking her from her own Zanpakutō as well.

*I was listening when Ichimaru was talking to you.* the Zanpakutō said casually. *As well as when you were talking with the exiles. Do you really intend to fight Aizen?*

"Yes." Kirika nodded firmly, "He can't be allowed to do to others what he did to me and Kaien-san. He killed all my friends! He has to pay!"

*Walking down a path of vengeance is not usually a wise idea.* Kaien's Zanpakutō warned her. *It is fraught with peril and the end you seek is very rarely the end that you need. The fate of my own wielder is proof enough of that. He sought revenge for the death of his wife, and ended up dead himself.*

"I know." Kirika said softly. "But…I can't abide the idea of standing by and doing nothing while he gets away with who knows what! He has to be stopped."

*I agree.* the Zanpakutō said simply. *But you cannot do this alone. Aizen, Ichimaru and Tōsen are all Captain-Class Soul Reapers, with centuries of experience in combat, Kidō and politics. They know their own Zanpakutō's skills inside and out and have achieved the two releases of their Zanpakutō as well. Without a Zanpakutō of your own, you cannot fight them effectively.*

"But you just said that my Zanpakutō is buried and asleep!" Kirika protested.

*Which is why I propose to lend you my own powers until there is nothing left of me.* the Zanpakutō said softly.

"Can…can you really do that?" Kirika asked.

*The Soul Reaper Tōsen Kaname is living proof that such a thing is possible. He wields the Zanpakutō of his fallen friend, permanently displacing his true Zanpakutō in the process.* the bluenette replied. *Unlike with Tōsen Kaname's blade however, I no longer have a physical form to use as an anchor, thanks to the Hollow Metastacia, so gradually my power will dwindle until I am absorbed into your true Zanpakutō.*

"Why…?" the redhead was confused as to why Kaien's Zanpakutō would deliberately choose a path that guaranteed her destruction.

*Shiba Kaien is no more. I was born from his soul and I am now missing a part of myself, which makes me feel…hollow. Not Hollow, just hollow.* the woman replied quietly. *To have a part of yourself not just torn from you, but to be entirely helpless to do anything about it is the worst feeling in the world, young one. I wish to be with Kaien-dono again, even in death.*

Kirika was silent for a moment, but there was no question as to what she would choose. She was silent in awe of the devotion that the Zanpakutō before her was showing to her former wielder.

"I…don't know how I will be as your temporary wielder, but I will do my best." she said finally. "I hope to be able to hear your name soon."

The Zanpakutō Spirit smiled at her. *As do I, young one. As do I.*

"Can you teach me about Zanpakutō?" Kirika asked.

*Certainly. Let us have a seat by the water.* Kirika joined the woman at the side of the pond before she began her explanation. *Zanpakutō are a part of a Soul Reaper's Soul. We are born with our wielders and, usually, we die with them as well. There are three forms that we Zanpakutō can take on.

*The first is our Fūingata (Sealed Form). This is when most of our power is locked away and concealed and we generally take on the appearance of a katana or a similar weapon. For those not of the Captain-class, the size of the sealed form is usually indicative of the amount of Reiatsu of the wielder.

*Next is Shikai (Initial Release). This is our true form and in order to use this form, a Soul Reaper must learn their Zanpakutō's name. This requires that the Zanpakutō trusts the wielder and vice-versa. The reason that you cannot yet hear my name is because neither of us knows each other well at this point.

*All Shikai have what is called a Kaigo (Release Call), a word, phrase or poem that transforms the Zanpakutō into its Shikai form. Every Kaigo differs from Zanpakutō to Zanpakutō, so once I tell you my name and Kaigo, you must memorise them.*

"Wow…" Kirika breathed. There was so much to learn, and this was only about one aspect of being a Soul Reaper!

*In Shikai form, we take up special characteristics that can be loosely divided into five types.* the Zanpakutō continued. *The first is Melee. Zanpakutō of this sort generally provides some manner of close combat enhancement. The second is Kidō. This type generally can use a variety of Reiatsu-based attacks that are remarkably similar to either Hadō or Bakudō. Thirdly is Illusion. This type is relatively rare and involves using techniques for tricking or controlling one or more of the five senses. Fourth, there are Non-Combat types. These are Zanpakutō of multiple different types that are not suited for combat in most cases, such as healing or movement. Finally, there are Elemental-type Zanpakutō, which use one of the elements to attack or defend.*

"So many types!" the young Soul exclaimed, making the blue-haired woman smile.

*Just so.* she agreed. *While most types of Zanpakutō fall entirely into these categories, a few cross the boundaries and mix two or more of these categories. I am one such Zanpakutō.*

"What categories do you mix?" Kirika asked eagerly.

*Melee and Elemental. I am what is known as a Flowing Water-type Zanpakutō, meaning that while I create water, my specialty is controlling it. In conjunction with my melee enhancement, I am quite powerful.* she said proudly. *While I am a mix of Melee and Elemental, the most common combination, there are also Kidō/Melee, Melee/Illusion and Elemental/Kidō combinations. Other combinations are so rare that only a couple of instances of that type have ever been documented.*

"I have so much to learn…" the redhead mutters.

*Admitting that you know nothing is the first step to wisdom.* the Zanpakutō told her. *The final form we Zanpakutō can take is very, very rare. It is called Bankai (Final Release). Up until this point, the relationship between a Soul Reaper and their Zanpakutō is one of mutual understanding, trust and cooperation, but in order to achieve Bankai, another facet has to be added to the relationship: Subjugation.*

"I don't know what that means." Kirika admitted in an embarrassed voice.

*To subjugate someone is to force that person to submit themselves to you by force.* the Zanpakutō explained. *The reason you are here is because you unconsciously used the art of Jinzen (Sword Meditation) in order to enter your Inner World. For Bankai, you are required to do the reverse, and draw your Zanpakutō Spirit out of your Inner World and Materialise them in the real world. The Soul Reaper must then battle and defeat their Zanpakutō in order to achieve Bankai.*

"That doesn't sound fair to the Zanpakutō." Kirika said with a frown.

This earned her another smile. *Bankai is very difficult to attain and only those with immensely strong Reiatsu ever achieve it, meaning Captain-class Soul Reapers, who mostly come from the Four Great Noble Families or, more rarely, from the lesser Noble Families. Rarer still are those who are from the Rukongai. The subjugation is a one-time thing and rarely inconveniences the Zanpakutō beyond hurt pride.*

"That's good." Kirika nodded firmly, then frowned. "Urahara-san said that my Inner World is locked up tightly, to the point I can't let anyone in even if I invite them. What if this means I can't materialise you?"

*The barrier you speak of is a product of your own unique ability, the power to absolutely protect your Inner World, twisted by the experiments performed upon you by Aizen Sōsuke.* the woman soothed her. *It prevents all foreign Reiatsu from entering your Inner World, even if it is what you wish to happen. As I have fused with you, my Reiatsu is largely the same as yours, meaning that you can materialise me without a problem once you learn how.

*As to whether you can learn Bankai…as I have said, only those possessing an immense amount of Reiatsu ever achieve Bankai. This is because in order to materialise a Zanpakutō Spirit, it takes a great quantity of Reiatsu, as well as a great deal of focus. You have a great deal of potential, young one, but I do not know if it will be enough to achieve my Bankai.*

The Soul nods before looking around the landscape around her. "Why is the landscape like this?" she asked.

*The state of the Inner World of a Soul Reaper reflects the mental state of the Soul Reaper who created it.* the blue-haired woman said sadly. *Each world differs from person to person, but in this case it is easy to explain. You are mourning the loss of your friends and are full of anger and despair. This is reflected by the water retreating to this pool and the land drying up, as well as the aura of sadness across the entirety of the world.*

"So…this is my fault?" Kirika asked quietly.

The Zanpakutō Spirit, reaches out and gently grasps the girl's chin and makes her look the woman in the eyes. *Kirika-sama, it isn't your fault. If you did not feel angry, sad and despairing after being tortured and experimented on for three years, I would think something was wrong with you. As your mental state improves, so too shall this world. Let me show you something that might help.*

The Spirit stood and beckoned Kirika to follow her. Puzzled, the redhead followed her as the woman strode around the rock. Stopping, the Zanpakutō pointed at the back of the rock that seemed to be the centre of her Inner World. Kirika followed her finger and her eyes blinked once, then twice before they widened and filled with tears.

Carved onto the back of the rock was an engraving that depicted the faces she thought she would never see again, the faces of her friends who had been sacrificed by Aizen in pursuit of whatever mad goal he sought.

*No matter what Aizen did to them, they live on here, within your heart, Kirika-sama.* the woman said softly as her new wielder collapsed to her knees in shock. *You are never alone, for you have inherited their hearts. You are the one who will avenge their suffering and the one who will make their sacrifice worthwhile, so please never think yourself to be alone.*

The orphaned Soul Kirika gave into her grief, which she had been holding back ever since she had heard Gin confirm the death of her friends, and wept. The Zanpakutō Spirit that had formerly belonged to Shiba Kaien knelt at her new wielder's side and drew her gently into a hug.

'*Aizen Sōsuke, you have much to answer for.*' Nejibana thought as she comforted her new wielder. '*I will do all I can so Kirika-sama is ready to face you and more, so that when I am finally absorbed into her real Zanpakutō, the Kirika-sama that that spirit meets will be far more ready to deal with you than you might think!*'

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In the Real World…

"Yoruichi, what's with that Reiatsu?" Urahara called. He and Tessai were in the underground training room he had built for training purposes. They were working out the exact parameters of the Bakudō that would keep the girl from having her ego crushed, when this build-up of Reiatsu started.

"It's Kirika." the werecat called back. "She's gone into Jinzen somehow."

"What?" Urahara asked calmly, although his mind was racing. Jinzen wasn't usually attainable with a freshly issued Asauchi. A few prodigies managed it within a month, but going into Jinzen after not even a single day was unheard of. She was only five; her Zanpakutō shouldn't even be formed yet, so how…oh.

"She must have had a piece of Shiba Kaien's Zanpakutō inserted into her as well!" he cursed himself under his breath. No wonder she was able to disguise her Asauchi as a bokken; she had a fully mature Zanpakutō Spirit within her accelerating the process of her spiritual awakening!

Using his Shunpo, Urahara raced up the ladder and straight to the girl's bedside, where Yoruichi was standing over the girl looking worried.

"Look at her kimono." the Shunshin (Flash Goddess) said quietly. Kisuke looked at the girl and his eyes widened. It was shrinking to fit her, as well as turning black.

"Her kimono is turning into a Shihakushō." he said in amazement. "She's turning into a Soul Reaper."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" his childhood friend said sarcastically, "Now, would you care to speculate as to why she is tuning into a Soul Reaper?"

"She has Nejibana inside her." Kisuke said flatly. "A fully mature Zanpakutō Spirit, not her own, still developing, Zanpakutō. She fell into Jinzen as she was dreaming, I would presume, and has started talking to her, maybe even learned what Nejibana's name is. That kick-started the process of activating her own Soul Reaper powers."

"So she's a Pureblood Soul Reaper." Yoruichi stated. "That means she's from one of the Noble Families."

"Irrelevant. This complicates the plans for the Bakudō considerably." Urahara replied in a clipped tone. "Now we have to design it do it doesn't impede communication between her and Nejibana. Not only that, this situation cuts down on how long we have before her ego gets crushed. We have two weeks at the latest and perhaps a couple of days minimum before that happens."

"Well then don't just stand there like an idiot; get to it!" Yoruichi shooed him away before returning to her vigil over the sleeping girl, watching as tears fell from her eyes in her sleep.

"Boss?" Tessai asked him as the former captain of Squad Twelve as he blurred back into existence at his side.

"She has Nejibana and she's turning into a Soul Reaper." Urahara said with a shake of his head. "We're running out of time. How long until we have a working model?"

"Midday tomorrow if I don't sleep." the muscled man replied, "Then the testing would take another two days."

"The earliest she could have her ego crushed is the day after tomorrow." Urahara said with a frown. "We'll have to speed the process up, otherwise Yoruichi with claw my eyes out. She's gone all maternal over the kid."

"It isn't really all that hard to do, Boss." Tessai remarked as he worked on the Bakudō. "She's been through more than the Visored have. Or perhaps a better way to put it is that she's been through just as much as the Visored in a different way."

"Hmmm…a hundred years of exile for something in no way their fault, forcibly Hollowfied and almost executed versus being taken from your parents at the age of two, tortured and experimented on for three years and the knowledge that she is the only one out of half-a-million to survive…" Urahara mused. "Tough call to make, but I think the young lady up there has the Visored beaten."

"Hmmm." Tessai grunted.

The two men put their heads together and started to work hard on the Bakudō. One because he took pride in his work, the other because he greatly feared a certain werecat's wrath.

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The Next Day…

Kirika woke up…again. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. She looked around slowly and saw that she was now back in the Urahara Shōten…or rather, her mind was out of her Inner World.

"Awake now, sleeping beauty?" Yoruichi asked from her position next to Kirika's futon. "You've slept for over a day. Guess you needed that, eh?"

"Hard to sleep when you're chained to the wall with Reiatsu-sapping manacles." Kirika replied dryly.

"Seriously?" Yoruichi asked with a shake of her head. "Aizen is going to pay for this. How do you feel? Still you?"

"I…think so." Kirika said slowly. "Oh! That reminds me; I met Kaien's Zanpakutō in my Inner World!"

"Did she tell you her name?" the purple-haired woman asked intently.

"She tried to, but I couldn't hear her name." Kirika drooped as she said that. The Shihōin Princess patted her comfortingly on the head.

"Well, hardly surprising really." Yoruichi said calmingly. "You two had only just met, after all. Once we have your memory problem sorted out, me'n'Tessai'll start training you up, then you'll have plenty of chances to bond with her."

"Y-you will?!" Kirika gasped.

"Yep. Been a while since I've had a student, but it should be just like riding a bike." Yoruichi grinned cockily. "Have you checked out your clothes yet?"

"Huh?" Kirika looked down at her body and discovered that she now wore the garb of a Soul Reaper. "Wow!"

"Yeah. Interesting thing is the bandoliers you have." the werecat pointed out the pair of white belts that hung off of Kirika's shoulders, crisscrossing across her chest and resting on her hips.

"What are they?" the redhead asked.

"Kisuke thinks they have something to do with your power, the one that prevents access to your Inner World." the Flash Goddess said. "He also theorises that they might have something to do with your true Zanpakutō, but he can't be certain."

"He really thinks about things a lot." the newly minted Soul reaper said with a scrunched up expression on her face.

"Yeah, that's Kisuke for you." the older woman snorted. "He thinks more than he should. His poor Benihime must be frustrated."

"Beni…hime?" Kirika cocked her head to one side. "Is that his Zanpakutō's name?"

"Yep. The Crimson Princess. Nasty if you get on her bad side." Yoruichi said with a feigned shudder.

"What about you? Do you have a Zanpakutō?" Kirika asked curiously.

"I was a Captain, so yes I do." Yoruichi replied. "I haven't touched her in over a century though."

"Why? I feel bad for your sword if that's the case." the girl said with a frown.

"Eh...it isn't a big thing really." the werecat said with a shrug. "I was the Commander of the Onmitsukidō, as well as the Captain of Squad 2. The only time I was permitted to draw my sword outside of training was when I was punishing someone. That's what the Onmitsukidō Commander drawing their blade means to the Soul Society, you see. So I just got into the habit of using Hohō and Hakuda to the exclusion of all else. I still have her, but I'm out of the habit of using Zanjutsu."

"What about Tessai-san?"

"He was the Commander of the Kidō Corps, so he focussed on using Bakudō and Hadō." Yoruichi replied.

"So…the person who is going to teach me Zanjutsu is the person with the scariest Zanpakutō, Urahara-san." Kirika concluded.

"Eh…didn't think of it like that." Yoruichi admitted. "We'll have to see. Anyway, Tessai's making some grub, so let's see what he's cooked up for us, shall we?"

While Yoruichi and Tessai kept Kirika busy, Urahara was sitting in a living room facing two people he had known for the last five years.

One was a woman with long orange hair and a kind look about her, while the other was a male with short-cut black hair and a ruggedly handsome face.

"Alright Kisuke, whaddya want?" the man asked. "We had to put Karin and Yuzu down for their nap early because you showed up."

"Isshin, be nice." the woman chided him. "I'm certain Urahara-san wouldn't show up unannounced like this if it wasn't important."

"Masaki…" Isshin sighed. "OK, I'll be patient. Now, what has you all up in a tizzy?"

"Aizen has started to move." the shopkeeper said seriously. Masaki and Isshin's eyes widened as Urahara then went on to describe Kirika's arrival, what he had gleaned from her, what conclusions the three Captains at the Urahara Shōten had come to, based on that and Kirika's problem.

"That poor girl…" Masaki said softly.

"Yoruichi's looking after her." Urahara assured the former Quincy. "She and Tessai are already planning her training."

"Training?!" she exclaimed. "She's been through hell, almost literally, and those two are planning to train her?!"

The shopkeeper sighed. "Masaki-san, I would rather keep her out of it myself, but she is determined to train to get stronger. She is showing all the signs of Survivor's Guilt, on top of self-hatred, depression and despair. She needs something to keep the guilt she feels from dragging her under, and training is what she wants. Besides, Yoruichi is looking forward to teaching the girl."

"Why come here and tell us this?" Isshin asked quietly.

"Because she needs something in her life besides training, as your lovely wife was about to point out to me." Urahara replied. "The Bakudō that she's going to be hit with will seal all of Shiba Kaien's memories until she is old enough to withstand them. Once it's in place, she will be trained. But Tessai, Yoruichi and I are hardly parenting material and we are used to having the Shōten to ourselves and she'd likely learn bad habits."

"Like putting white wine into curry." Isshin muttered.

"That was one time!" Urahara pouted. "Anyway, I would ask that you consider adopting her. She lost her family twice. I propose that giving her a custom-built Gigai and giving her a new family will balance out her vengeance-driven impulses and stop her from going after Hollows willy-nilly as training."

"Are you sure that Aizen hasn't done anything to her that might threaten our family?" Isshin asked.

"As best that I and Tessai can tell, aside from numerous implantations and modifications, the Hollow is the only thing that would be of concern and the fact it hasn't shown itself yet leads me to believe that the presence of Nejibana is suppressing the Hollow and will continue to do so until her real Zanpakutō emerges." Urahara replied. "By the time that happens, she should be in her teens. If necessary, I'll bring in the Visored to help deal with her Hollow then."

"…Masaki?" Isshin asked quietly.

The former Echt Quincy looked Urahara straight in the eyes. "I will agree to adopt her…but she is not to be trained. She is far too young."

"She would refuse to be adopted if she isn't allowed to train." Urahara sighed. "She believes that avenging her friends is the sole reason she is alive and, let me tell you something, she needs to be trained thanks to the presence of Nejibana within her."

"Ah. He has a point, dear." Isshin pointed out. "If she doesn't at least learn to rein in her Reiatsu, she could hurt Yuzu and Karin."

"What about Ichigo?" Urahara asked curiously, knowing of their eldest child.

"He can see spirits already." Masaki said quietly, a worried expression on her face. "At his current rate of development, he'll become stronger than I was in High School at the age of ten. He seems to subconsciously control his Reiatsu around me and the girls though."

The exiled captain's eyes widened fractionally. Masaki had been an exceptionally powerful Quincy before the Hollow had attacked her and her son was already catching up to her former strength?

"I see…you might want to have him practice meditation then." he said, carefully concealing his reaction to that revelation. "The fact remains that Kirika-chan needs to be taught how to restrain her Reiatsu, at the very least. A logical extension of that would be basic Bakudō and Hadō. We could put off any physical training until she's older, say ten, but she will badger me every time she sees me for more training."

Masaki was silent for a moment. "Very well. How will we explain her disappearances every time she needs a new Gigai?"

"I've been toying with the idea of one that ages at the human rate for a while now." the scientist replied. "Thanks to Aizen's…modifications, I believe her soul will age at the human rate, until she is fully mature at least, so this will give her the illusion of a regular human life."

"Kurosaki Kirika…" Isshin mused. "It has a nice ring to it."

Masaki smiled at her husband. "I agree. Very well then. Let us adopt a third daughter. When will we be able to meet her?"

"Once we have dealt with Kaien's memories, taught her basic Reiatsu control and I have built the Gigai." Kisuke said firmly. "Call it a month. That'll give you enough time to fabricate a story for Ichigo-kun."

"We're looking forward to it." Masaki said with a smile.

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The Next Day…

Underground Training Room, Urahara Shōten

Yoruichi stood with her arms crossed as an unconscious Kirika, stark naked save for a loincloth, was gently placed atop a raised table in the centre of the underground room by Tessai.

"Is it really necessary for her to be naked?" the werecat asked sceptically.

"The Bakudō we are about to perform on her requires the target be marked with ink, Yoruichi-dono." Tessai explained somewhat apologetically. "It is the only way we could come up with to specifically designate Shiba Kaien-shi's memories without sealing Kirika-kun's memories or interfering with Nejibana's link with her."

The woman huffed. "If either of those are affected by this spell, I'll have a new pair of scratching posts for when I'm in my cat form."

"That's exactly why I triple checked the formulae not a minute ago." Tessai replied firmly. "I do not wish for my new student to be shorn of her memories before her first lesson with me."

This simple statement made Yoruichi grin. Tessai was an excellent teacher, able to drum complicated topics down into terms anyone could understand, as well as possessing the patience of a saint. The one quality that most people missed about the ever-polite and calm man was that he loved to teach. Passing his knowledge on to others was a passion for the man and it was plain to the Shihōin Princess that her other childhood friend had missed teaching more than he missed the Soul Society.

"Ara, are we all ready?" Kisuke asked as he sauntered into the room.

"Everything's ready, manager." Tessai reported.

"Good. Then let's begin." the blond-haired man said , "Tessai, you start off and I'll come in on the second verse."

"Hai." Tessai slammed his hands together twice, as if he was praying at a Shrine before he began to chant the words to the first verse of the new Bakudō he and Urahara had created, in record time.

"Kurayaminonakade Kagayaku ni Hōseki. Kenmeina Hito ni Kagayaku. Kage wa Sorera o Haaku shi Daichi no Saishin Dōkutsu-gun Yadoru dare ga Kare ni Sorera o Toru Tame ni Sashinoberu! Bakudō #69, Shokyoku: Kioku Kashu! (Twin Jewels Shining in the Darkness. Shining to those who are Wise. Shadows reach out to Grasp them and take them to He who dwells in the Deepest Caverns of the Earth. Way of Binding Number Sixty-Nine, First Song: Memory Singer!)"

As Tessai spoke, Kirika's body levitated up off of the table and a dozen tiny brushes emerge from Tessai's apron pockets and drew a bewildering series of geometric shapes and patterns across almost every part of her skin.

'This has to be one of the most complicated-looking Bakudō I've ever seen, and Tessai is ranking it at number sixty-nine?!' Yoruichi thought incredulously.

"Manager, the first stage is complete." Tessai announced.

"Right then. Let's get to it." Urahara said as he clapped once and then pointed his clenched fists at Kirika before he and Tessai started chanting the next part of the Bakudō in unison.

"Kyū Kashu ga Kanakirigoe. Yūyami no Kioku Keimusho ga Umareru. Kage ni Fuyōna no Sōshin, Hikari ga Shinu. Bakudō #69, Nikyoku: Keimu Uta! (Nine Singers Shrieking. A Memory Prison of the Dusk is born. Sending the Unwanted into the Shadows, the Light dies. Way of Binding Number Sixty-Nine, Second Song: Prison Song!)"

With every word spoken by the two men, one of the ink designs on the girl started to glow with a white light. When they finished the chant, roughly three quarters of them were glowing.

"Last verse." Urahara muttered.

"Jōmyōna Doryoku kara Umare Yamayama. Kokoro ni Umare Handan no Yōsai wa, Jiko o Surutameni. Sore wa Toshi no Tsūka o Taemashou! Bakudō #69, Shūkyoku: Jigen Hōshutsu Jō! (Mountains born from Mortal Effort. A Fortress of Determination, Born in the Mind, to Guard Oneself. Let it Endure the Passing of the Years! Way of Binding Number Sixty-Nine, Finale: Timed-Release Lock!)"

With a final surge of light, the ink faded away from Kirika's body, its job done. The young Soul Reaper floated back down to the stone table and lay there calmly.

"Whew…that was a lot harder than I assumed." Urahara said as he wiped his brow.

"How so?" Yoruichi asked as she checked Kirika over.

"There were more memories that merely Kaien-shi's to seal away." Tessai explained. "The second Verse should have sealed all of the designated memories; evidently the Hollow's memories are present there as well."

"Damn…" the werecat looked down at Kirika with a bit of pity in her eyes. "She keeps getting more shit dumped on top of her, doesn't she?"

"Yep." Urahara said with another sigh. "Luckily for us, we made that third verse as a precaution, but seriously, that was unexpected."

"We overlooked the possibility of the Hollow having more than a slight presence in her mind." Tessai said firmly. "Despite the fact that her Inner Hollow is being suppressed by the presence of Nejibana, the memories of the Hollow Metastacia are separate from that. We were too confident."

"Well, at least you dealt with the memories." Yoruichi said comfortingly. "Now, let's get sleeping beauty here into bed; she's going to need all the sleep she can get once we begin training her."

The smile the purple-haired woman gave made the two men flashbacks of the training they had undergone with each other in the Soul Society with her as they grew up in the Shihōin mansion, making them subtly shudder in remembrance.

Yoruichi was generally speaking a kind woman, but when it came to training, she was a drill sergeant of the worst kind when she got into it. It had been fortunate that all three of them had been skilled with Kaidō (Healing Kidō), otherwise Unohana Retsu would have had some pointed questions for them once she had finished healing them up.

"Just remember, Yoruichi, no serious physical training until she's ten at the earliest." Urahara said.

"Yeah, yeah." the werecat waved at him before she gently picked up Kirika and Shunpo'd to the room Tessai had made for Kirika for use when she stayed with them.

"Ara, ara…she's getting maternal again…" Urahara muttered.

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One Month Later…

Kurosaki Family Clinic and Home…

Kurosaki Ichigo wasn't entirely sure what was going on here. Not long ago, he had been upgraded from 'only child' to 'big brother of twin girls' and he thought that both of his sisters were adorable. Now his Kaa-san and Tou-san were behaving strangely again, just like before they told him he'd have sisters in a few months' time.

"Waa!" Yuzu, wrapped in a blanket on one side of him, started to cry and the orange-haired five-year-old played with her to calm her down. Then he had to do the same on the other side for Karin.

"Ichigo." The boy looked up when he heard his mother speak and smiled at her.

Masaki was so happy to see her son settling into his role as big brother to his new sisters. She had always wanted to have a large family, but she doubted that whoever she would have married in the Quincy Echt society would have wanted more than a son. Now she had a handsome son and two beautiful daughters, and was about to add another daughter to the mix.

"Your father and I were contacted by the lawyer of an old friend not long ago." she said, giving her son the cover story she, Isshin and Urahara had worked out. "He and his family passed away in an accident, apart from a girl a bit younger than you are now. In their will, we were asked to take her in."

"So…I'm getting another little sister?" Ichigo asked for confirmation.

"Yes, but she is very fragile at the moment. She misses her Kaa-san, Tou-san and siblings a lot, so be gentle with her, OK?" Masaki said firmly.

"Hai, Kaa-san!" Ichigo said with a wide smile. He loved his Kaa-san and if she told him to treat his new sister gently, gently she would be treated.

From the door, Isshin watched his son and wife interact with a soft smile. He had been forced to become the head of the Shiba Clan after Kaien's death because Kūkaku had been to broken up by her brother's death to care about anything other than her grief. Ganju was far too young, so that left Isshin, the eldest member of the branch family of the Shiba Clan to ascend to the headship.

He had hated it, but had agreed for the good of the Clan. Then he had become a Captain in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Urgh, the sheer paperwork involved was mind-numbing! Add that all together and that was one of the main reasons he had charged off to the World of the Living when reports of a Menos Grande-class Hollow came to him.

There, he had met his future-wife. He didn't regret saving her at the cost of being unable to use his Soul Reaper powers. A person's life was more important than any kind of powers any day of the week. And the sacrifice had given him three beautiful children.

The doorbell rang, making Isshin jump. "Masaki! Sounds like our third daughter has arrived!" he called as he answered the door.

Masaki picked up Yuzu and Karin and cooed at them as she waited for their new daughter, Ichigo sitting next to her fidgeting as he waited.

A moment later, Isshin walked in, followed by a dark-skinned purple-haired woman in a shirt and a skirt, who was holding the hand of a small redheaded girl.

She had her long red hair in a plait down her back and wore shorts and a t-shirt. She looked at Ichigo and Masaki shyly before returning her gaze to her sandaled feet.

"C'mon, Kirika-chan." the woman muttered. "Introduce yourself."

"A-ano…I'm…Kirika. Nice to meet you?" she half-asked, half-stated as she shuffled in place.

Ichigo decided to break the ice, so he stood and walked over to her. Kirika's eyes flew open as she felt how strong he was. He had the comparative Reiatsu of a Tenth Seat in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!

"I'm Ichigo!" the orange-haired boy introduced himself. "My name means 'First Guardian' and I'm your new Big Brother!"

"A-Aniki?" she asked quietly.

"Yup!" Ichigo smiled.

"M-My name…means 'Mist Fire'…nice to meet you." Kirika said with a small and shy smile that made the adults smile at each other. Ichigo grabbed her hand and pulled her over to his mother, who was still sat down.

"This is our Kaa-san and our little sisters." he said excitedly, "Karin and Yuzu."

"'Karin' means 'Summer Pear' or 'Fire Wheel'." Masaki said with a fond smile at Karin, "We haven't finished deciding how to write Yuzu's name yet. I'm Masaki, although Kaa-san works as well."

"…'True…Bloom'?" Kirika asked softly.

"Aren't you smart? Yes, that's what my name means." Masaki said with a smile. "Isshin, that's Tou-san to you, his name means 'one heart/mind'. Practically a prophecy that he'd be a doctor."

"Masaki…!" Isshin whined.

Kirika giggled. By the looks of things, she'd enjoy living here. A family…something she thought she'd never have again. A warm feeling grew inside her as she realised she wasn't alone anymore.

Within Kirika's Inner World, Nejibana looked on with a smile as the water in the pool began to flow down the channels that led all over the landscape of the mindscape.

*It's about time.* she muttered. Now maybe she could see about persuading Kirika to put a house here…

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Next Chapter: The Substitute

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