Hello! First I'd like to thank those who have left a review :') it made me so happy to see what you are thinking!

To Sam: I'm so glad you are liking and connecting with the trainees! I had so much fun coming up with their personalities and backgrounds so I'm glad you appreciated their characters :')

To the guest: I can't tell you just yet what's wrong with Rukia... but one of the upcoming chapters is going to have a really big hint.

To Jojo669: I'm glad you also liked the trainees! It was so much fun making them apart of this fic

To everyone else: thank you for reading/favoriting/following! Enjoy the upcoming chapters! There's going to be a lot of tea so I hope you enjoy!


A few days later

"Aiko!"

Aiko turned around to see Ran waving and smiling as she ran towards her. Aiko offered the girl a small smile in return.

"Hey!" Ran greeted once she reached the bench Aiko was sitting at. "Sorry for being late, today's training session ran a little longer than usual."

"That's alright. I haven't been waiting long. Where's Haru? I thought he said he would join us for lunch today."

"He said he was gonna take a nap 'cuz he was feeling a little dizzy after training. I think maybe he didn't drink enough water."

"Oh," was all Aiko said.

The two sat and ate their lunch. Ran had tried starting a conversation every now and then. It was obvious, though, that Aiko had a lot on her mind.

Ran finally had enough of watching Aiko pick at her food.

"Are you still thinking about that?" Ran asked.

Aiko didn't look up from her food. "About what?" she mumbled.

"Kuchiki-dono isn't you birth mother-"

"How do you know that?" Aiko snapped. When she saw how startled Ran was after her outburst, she sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell."

Ran couldn't be mad with her friend even if she had wanted to. She knew Aiko was incredibly frustrated at the moment. She knew she had to be understanding. Even so, it didn't feel good having all that frustration being taken out on her. "It's ok."

"No, it isn't ok! I'm just so confused! First, I think Miyako and Kaien Shiba are my birth parents. Then I find out that Kaien Shiba was having an affair with Kuchiki-dono. Kuchiki-dono having a child with a married man and getting rid of it makes sense. Why would a married couple have a child only to dump it in Rukongai? The only solid evidence I have is that stupid shinigami robe. But Shiba can mean 'Miyako Shiba' or 'Kaien Shiba.' So either one of them could have been there when I was born and wrapped me in their stupid shihakusho. There's so much that I still don't know. I feel like I'm going crazy trying to figure this all out!"

Ran didn't know what to say. Finally, she came up with, "But you look just like Miyako."

Aiko shook her head. "I know. But the more I look at myself, the less I look like the woman from the picture and the more I see Kuchiki-dono. You and Kuchiki-dono said so yourselves. My hair is darker and my eyes are bigger. Who has dark hair and big eyes? Kuchiki-dono," Aiko answered herself. She exhaled deeply and rubbed her temples. "God! And now there's all these extra training sessions she's running. I haven't gone back to one since the first time because I couldn't think straight with her so close."

The young girl clenched her teeth as she thought back to how she kept almost dropping her zanpakuto because of how sweaty and shaky her hands had been. Having the woman who possibly had all the answers to Aiko's questions so close was too much to handle.

"Aiko, Kuchiki-dono said those are optional. You don't have to go to them if you don't feel comfortable."

She frowned. "I do have to go! I'm a shinigami! This is my life now! I have to train and get stronger because that's all I have now. I became a shinigami to find my birth parents. And with every day that passes, that task seems to become more and more impossible. Whether I like it or not, this is my life now. I have to at least try to make it work!"

Ran let her friend have a moment. She knew that saying nothing and letting Aiko think would be better than lying to her and telling her that everything would be ok.

Finally, Ran said, "Being a shinigami isn't all you have."

Aiko looked up.

The pink haired girl smiled. "It's not much, but you have me and Haru. I guess we'll have to do for now."

Aiko smiled and wiped a stray tear. "You idiot," she whispered affectionately.


Ran closed her lunch container and rubbed her stomach. "Mmm! That was so tasty!"

"Are you sure going on patrol on a full stomach is the best idea? What if you have to chase down some goon and end up losing him because you had to throw up your lunch?"

Ran laughed. "That does sound like something I'd do."

Aiko rolled her eyes. "You better get going or you'll be late."

Ran got up. "You're right!"

"Tell Haru I said hi!" Aiko called as her friend ran off.

"Ok!"

Aiko watched as her friend hurried off. She waited until she could no longer see Ran to get up. She quickly gathered her things and made her way to the barracks. Aiko's pace got faster and faster. Pretty soon, she was running.

Aiko knew she had to hurry. This would probably be one of the only chances she had to go talk to Rukia. Ran and Haru would both be away on patrol. She knew they would try to stop her from talking to Rukia if they were there. Aiko knew they had a very good reason to. But she didn't care anymore. She needed answers.

Despite her haste, Aiko found herself lingering in front of the door. Was she ready to do what she had to do once she was face to face with Rukia? Was Aiko ready to ask Rukia questions that could very well crush both of them? Was she ready to hear the answers to those questions?

She shook her head. I have to hurry up and do this now!

Aiko knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came Rukia's voice.

"Kuchiki-dono? I-It's me, Aiko."

"Oh, Aiko! Come in!"

She took a deep breath before opening the door.

Rukia was sitting at her desk, working on some paperwork. She smiled at Aiko. "Aiko, it's so nice to see you. What can I do for you?"

Aiko hated how nice Rukia was. It made what she was about to do so much harder.

Rukia immediately noticed the worried look on her subordinate's face.

"Is something the matter? Is Aia still giving you a hard time?"

Aiko shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that."

Rukia sighed in relief. "I'm glad. The last thing we need around here is more unnecessary conflict. So, what did you need to talk about?" she asked eagerly. Rukia felt butterflies in her stomach. It used to be that she could only dream of being where she was now. After years of telling herself she wasn't ready, and after years of being forced to turn down any sort of promotion, there she was, the Fourth Seat of her beloved 13th Division. She was so much closer to being like her late lieutenant. Her goal was to help others the way he had helped her. And here was another opportunity to do just that.

But something was off. Rukia had realized it too late.

"Kuchiki-dono, I want to apologize in advance…"

Aiko didn't miss the confusion that crossed Rukia's face.

"There's something I need to talk to you about. But, it's probably going to make you very upset."

"Aiko? What's wrong? What are you talking about?"

"I need to ask you about Miyako and Kaien Shiba."

Rukia's grip on the brush she had been using tightened. "What is this about?"

Every last inch of Aiko's being was telling her to run away. What gave her the right to just storm in here and demand answers? Answers that very well may crush the two shinigami in that room. But it was too late to back down now. "Y-You know where Ran is from, right?"

Rukia's brows furrowed. "Yes, she's from the Third District of West Rukongai."

Aiko nodded. "You've been there before, haven't you?"

Memories began to flash through Rukia's mind. Memories of her and her beloved lieutenant traveling to the mountain ranges just outside of the Third District of West Rukongai. A memory of her holding her newly attained shikai that she had trained for and achieved on those very mountains almost made her smile. Out of the countless memories that her and her lieutenant had shared on those mountain ranges, that one was probably one of her favorites.

"A long time ago, I traveled frequently to the mountain ranges outside of that village. Aiko, please tell me what this is about."

Aiko gulped. A part of her had hoped Ran had remembered wrong. But Rukia's answer was the puzzle piece she was missing that would put all of the other clues together. "I don't know how to ask this, so I'll just say it. Kuchiki-dono...did you have an affair with Kaien Shiba?"

The brush in Rukia's hand snapped in half and ink splattered across her desk.

A chill went down Aiko's spine. The room had suddenly gotten much colder.

Rukia hadn't noticed the sudden drop in temperature. "I…" She was at a loss for words.

Rukia's mind was racing. She was trying to figure out what was going on. How did this girl know? How had she found out? What did this have to do with Ran or the Third District?

Another memory flashed into her mind. This time, it was of a little girl chasing a ball. Rukia's heart stopped. That girl...There's no way it could be-

"Kuchiki-dono, please answer me!"

Rukia opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She just stared at Aiko.

Aiko took a deep breath. "Kuchiki-dono, I was abandoned as a baby. My mother or father didn't want me for one reason or another, so they left me on some poor woman's doorstep. But I was lucky and that woman took me in and gave me the best she could. When she died, I wanted to know where I came from. My search led me to the 13th Division of the Gotei 13. And it led me to you, Miyako Shiba, and Kaien Shiba. I need to know, Kuchiki-dono. A-Are you my mother?"

Rukia looked at the crying girl in front of her with wide eyes. She mentally slapped herself. This was no time to just sit there like an idiot! Her sins had finally caught up to her. She always knew the day would come. But she never would have thought that this poor girl would have ended up getting caught as well. She needed to tell her the truth. It was the least she could do for the girl who's being punished for what Rukia had done all those years ago.

She stood up and hugged the girl. In response, Aiko started to sob uncontrollably. Rukia pulled out a chair for Aiko to sit down and gave her a tissue.

Once Aiko had calmed down enough, Rukia sat down in front of her and said, "Aiko, I'm so sorry, but I'm not your mother."

The young girl took a shaky breath. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

"So you and Kaien Shiba are not my parents?"

"I know that I'm not your mother."

"Are Miyako and Kaien Shiba my parents then?"

"Before I say anything else, what makes you think that they are?"

"I was wrapped in a shinigami's shihakusho when I was abandoned. The label on it read, 'Shiba, 13th Division.'"

Rukia nodded her head. She took a very deep breath. "What I'm about to tell you is something that I've never told anyone before. Aiko, you're a very sweet girl and I'm very fond of you. But I really don't want to tell you this. For many reasons. For the sake of respecting Kaien-dono. For the sake of respecting Miyako Shiba. And for my own sake. But you have every right to know. That being said, I only ask that you are very careful with this information."

She nodded.

Rukia took another deep breath in an attempt to slow down her racing heart. Why am I surprised? I always knew this would happen one way or another. To think that after all these years, this is how my secret would get out… Serves me right.

For a moment, Rukia questioned herself. She had held onto this secret for decades, and planned on taking it to her grave. Why was she about to confess her darkest secret to someone she barely knew? It would have been so much easier to just lie to the girl before her. That way, she could continue to keep her sins a secret.

But she couldn't do that. She wouldn't do that. She had caused enough pain, Rukia told herself. It was about time she received punishment for her actions.

"Long story short, I did have an affair with Kaien Shiba. I had always admired him. And for the life of me, I can't remember when my admiration had turned into love. But it did. I knew to stay away, but even so, it just happened. I never thought I'd be capable of doing the things that I did. I never thought that Kaien-dono would be capable of those things either.

"We both did a terrible thing, but he never did any of those things just because. The reason why he cheated on Miyako was because she had cheated on him. She broke his heart.

"A couple months after our affair had started, Miyako had found out. She found Kaien-dono and confronted him. She was so furious. But not at me. No, she barely even noticed me. She was so furious with Kaien-dono. After they argued back and forth, Kaien-dono screamed that he wanted a divorce. Miyako didn't hesitate before telling him she was pregnant and that it was his own fault if he never saw the baby.

"After that day, Miyako had taken a leave of absence and just disappeared for months. Kaien-dono said he doubted the child was his. But there was always that doubt in the back of his mind. He didn't know when Miyako became pregnant or how far along she was before she disappeared. He didn't know if it was his baby or the baby of the man Miyako had the affair with. He didn't even know if she had been telling the truth about being pregnant or if she had told him a lie to get revenge." Rukia looked at Aiko sadly. "And I guess she had been telling the truth."

"Well then, who's my father? Kaien Shiba or the man Miyako had an affair with?"

Aiko's heart sank when she saw Rukia's frown deepened. "I'm so sorry, but I have no idea. Kaien and Miyako died before anyone could find out."

"Well, who's the man? Please tell me you know."

"I'm sorry," was all Rukia could say.

Aiko sighed. "Don't be, Kuchiki-dono. None of this is your fault. I'm the one who started digging. I have to live with what I find whether it be good or bad."

Rukia contemplated very carefully on the decision she was about to make.

"There is someone who may know who this man is."

Aiko's head snapped up to look at Rukia. "Who?"

"This woman was Miyako's closest friend when she was alive. But, Aiko, before I send you to her, I need you to know. She isn't the most trustworthy person. While she was Miyako's best friend, at the end of the day, she only cares about herself. I don't know if sending you to her will be of any help."

"I'll take anything. Please, tell me."

"Her name is Ikue Hasegawa. She's the 20th seat here at the 13th Division."

Aiko nodded her head and stood up. "Thank you, Kuchiki-dono! Thank you so much!"

To say Rukia was confused would have been an understatement. Aiko should have been furious with Rukia, right? Aiko should be screaming and demanding Rukia explain her actions. Aiko should hate her for crying out loud! Instead, that poor girl was thanking her? Rukia couldn't bear it.

When the young girl was at the door, Rukia said, "Aiko, wait!"

The anxious girl turned to look at her. "Yes? What is it?"

"I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you. And I'm sorry that I don't have the answers that you're looking for. I never thought that my actions would have such consequences. I was stupid to have fooled myself into believing I would be the only one suffering the consequences. I can't tell you how sorry I am."

"Kuchiki-dono," the girl said, "this all happened before I was even born. There's no way I could ever understand what went on between you three. You were kind enough to tell me the truth, but I know that it's a lot more complicated than just what you told me. And you're forgetting that you weren't the only one who played a part in all of this. You all made mistakes that are still causing consequences to this day. But, Kuchiki-dono, I know exactly who you are. You've made some mistakes, but who hasn't. Mistakes are just that. They don't define us."

Rukia, who was once again left speechless, stared as the girl ran out of the room.


Aiko sped through the hallways in search of Ikue Hasegawa's office. She turned a corner and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Haru?" Aiko exclaimed. She had almost run into him. "Aren't you supposed to be on patrol?"

Aiko finally took a good look at her friend. He was red and very, very mad. He was breathing very heavily.

"Yes, I am! And thanks to you, I'm going to be even more late!" he snapped before he shoved past her.

With wide eyes, Aiko watched as Haru stormed off. That was totally unlike him.

But she would deal with that later. She continued on in search for the office of the 20th seat.

As she approached the office, she started to hear voices echoing through the halls. She could hear a man and a woman arguing very loudly.

"Geez, I guess everyone's pissed today," she mumbled to herself.

The voices got louder and louder. When she had finally found the office she was looking for, she realized that that was where the shouting was coming from. Aiko stared at the closed door before her.

She knew this was a bad time, but she needed her answers. Aiko knocked on the door.

The shouting stopped.

When no one answered, she knocked again. "Hello? Is Ikue Hasegawa in there?"

Still no answer.

She knocked a third time, but there was still no answer. Aiko chewed on her lip. She proceeded to open the door slowly.

"Hello? I'm sorry to interrupt, but-"

She stopped. There was nobody in the room.

"I swear I heard voices in here."


Rukia hadn't moved from her chair. She didn't know how much time had passed. It could have been a few minutes. It could have been a few hours. She didn't know. She really didn't care. She just sat there.

How late was it?

She looked at the clock on her wall. She was looking at the clock, but she wasn't sure what exactly she was supposed to be doing. Why was she looking at a clock?

A knock at the door made her flinch. She shook her head and tried snapping herself out of it.

"Come in," she said. Rukia was surprised to see Shunske Ota, the Fifth Seat, walk in.

"Come in?" he repeated. "Kuchiki, you should really ask who it is before just letting anyone in."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

Shunske laughed. "I was mostly kidding around. Come on, Kuchiki! There's no need to be so serious all the time."

"Right… So what brings you here, Shunske?"

He sat down. "I just wanted to see how you were adjusting to the new position. And I wanted to catch up. We haven't really talked since before you left for the World of the Living."

"I guess it really has been that long."

Rukia unknowingly frowned. So much has happened since she had left for her mission in the World of the Living. If someone had told her that all the crazy events from the past year would happen as a result, she would have told them that they were insane.

Rukia's reaction didn't go unnoticed. "But I can see that you're tired, so maybe some other day?"

"No! I'm not tired at all!"

He smiled. "It's ok. Really," the fifth seat insisted. "I have some work to finish up anyway. But I just wanted to tell you that I was happy to hear about your promotion. If I'm being honest, I really wasn't too sure about Hasegawa. I was always worried about her true intentions. It was clear that her loyalty wasn't with Captain Ukitake or the 13th Division. I'm glad someone as loyal as you has been entrusted with this position."

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Rukia was left speechless.

"I also wanted to let you know that if you ever have any questions, I'm just around the corner." He panicked. "Not that you're not capable! I didn't mean that at all, Kuchiki! You're probably the most capable out of any of us here at the 13th..."

Rukia looked at the flustered man before her as he continued to ramble. Her heart was moved by his words. But she knew that she wasn't deserving of such kind words.

Loyal.

That word echoed throughout her mind.

No. That's not me at all, she decided.

Shunske mentally slapped himself. "So what I'm trying to say is let's do our best to serve Captain Ukitake! Together!"

He looked at Rukia, waiting for her reaction. He was relieved when he saw her smile. How lucky was she that Shunske was one of those people who couldn't see past an empty smile.

"Thank you so much, Shunske. I'm very grateful."

Shunske was beaming. "It's my pleasure, Kuchiki!"

She shook her head. "Come on, Shunske. I told you a long time ago you could call me Rukia."

He scratched his head. "Sorry, K-Rukia, I forget. It's just, when I met you, you were so intimidating. It feels weird addressing you so informally."

"A long time has passed since then, and a lot has changed. You're no longer a new recruit. In fact, you were the first one of us to be promoted."

"I guess you're right. But even if you hadn't been promoted, I'd still see you as my superior. You're so wise and skilled. And your loyalty is unmatched, Rukia. I want to be like you someday."

Rukia's mask almost cracked. He's mistaken...

"Well, I'll be going then. I'll see you later!"

"Yeah, see you later."

As soon as the door closed, her mask disappeared.

She sighed. "You're mistaken, Shunske. If you knew the truth about me, you'd know that you wouldn't want to be anything like me. In fact, I think you'd hate me. And rightfully so."

The sound of rumbling thunder caught her attention. Rukia turned to look out her window to see gray clouds covering the skies.

It's going to rain.

Rukia got up from her chair and walked out of her office.


Toshiro sat at his desk, staring blankly at the paperwork before him. He had been unable to focus on his work for quite a while now.

Toshiro was replaying the events that took place a few days ago, when he had ended up having dinner with Momo, Rukia, and Rangiku.

"She seemed to be ok then," he contemplated.

It had taken Toshiro a long time to convince himself to finally speak with Momo seriously about her wellbeing. He knew that it was an important conversation that they needed to have. What made it difficult though was his fear of losing control over his temper if his old friend ended up saying something about Aizen.

That night, he intended to have the long overdue and very dreaded talk with Momo. However, since they had ended up running into Rukia and Rangiku, he hadn't been able to bring it up. And since then, because of his full plate, he continued to forget meeting with Momo again.

His focus now shifted to weeks ago, when he had met with Unohana to discuss Momo's wellbeing. With everything going on - the evaluations, training the recruits, paperwork - he had ended up pushing what he learned that day to the back of his mind. But now, it seemed that that was all he could think about.

"From what I can tell, it seems as though the trauma Momo Hinamori suffered caused her to suffer a mental breakdown. For the past few months, she's been trying to come to terms with what happened. However, it hasn't been easy for her. She can't seem to understand what she went through. She seems to 'know' that Aizen betrayed the Soul Society. But she can't seem to comprehend what that means. There's no accurate way of putting into words what's going on in her mind, but if I were to try, it's as if Aizen is a traitor, but at the same time, he is not. He is her beloved Captain, but at the same time, he is not.

"And I'm afraid that's not all, Captain. I am still not sure, but I'm fearing that her mental breakdown may have actually been a psychotic break. She's displayed certain symptoms of what's known as psychosis. However, this would mean there is an underlying disease that has made her susceptible to such symptoms. I don't have the necessary information or history on Hinamori to make any diagnosis. I'm sorry to ask, but has she ever displayed similar symptoms before all of this happened…"

Toshiro was scowling. He couldn't remember a time where Momo ever acted like that.

His mind went back to the dinner he had with Momo, Rukia, and his lieutenant. Was Momo acting strangely then? No. Right?

He slammed his desk. He could barely understand what Unohana had been saying to him. How could he be sure that he hadn't just been overlooking these kinds of things all along? How was he supposed to keep his promise to Momo if he couldn't even understand what was going on in her head?

"Damn it!" he growled. Toshiro brought down his trembling fist once again. But, this time, he stopped right before it hit the desk. He took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. His scowl deepened.

It wasn't working.

Toshiro abruptly sat up from his chair. He snatched his haori from behind his chair and walked out of his office.

What was he supposed to do? What could he do?

Toshiro knew that he wanted to help Momo in any way he could. But hearing her speak about Aizen in such an endearing way… It made his heart burn with fury. That man had caused so much pain and destruction. Didn't she understand that?

Toshiro blinked. Could she understand that? Did she have the ability to?

He shook his head. How could anyone with eyes and ears not comprehend that? It's a fact. Aizen is a traitor. He is the enemy!

How can someone not understand that? he growled.

"She seems to 'know' that Aizen betrayed the Soul Society. But she can't seem to comprehend what that means."

He repeated Unohana words in his head over and over.

Does Momo really not have the ability to understand that?

Toshiro had walked quite a distance before finally noticing that it had been pouring.

He scoffed at himself. "Get ahold of yourself!"

He made his way towards a near building and took shelter under its awning.

Look at me! I have so many things that I should be doing right now and instead I'm stuck in the rain like some idiot. I can't keep getting distracted with Momo. I have a division to run. I have subordinates to train. And I've completely neglected my own training. If I want to even stand a chance against that man, I have to get stronger.

The image of his childhood friend lying half-dead on a hospital bed flashed in his mind.

He clenched his fists. It's not good enough. The way I am now, it's not good enough!

Toshiro looked up at the sky. The rain was starting to come down even harder than before. He couldn't stay there any longer. He had work that needed to get done.

He started to make his way back to the office. It was getting late. But he was so fired up that he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep.

Suddenly, something caught his eye, making him stop. He squinted. He could see a shinigami sitting on a bench. Their eyes were fixated on the sky.

Why would anyone just be sitting out in the rain like that?

He was about to keep walking when he realized who it was.

Toshiro walked over to the bench. "Kuchiki?"

To his surprise, the girl briefly looked at him and then right back up at the sky. That wasn't like her at all. She was always polite and extremely respectful towards her superiors.

"Kuchiki, what are you doing?"

Rukia blinked. Once again, she looked down from the sky to look at whoever it was trying to talk to her.

That was when Toshiro noticed her eyes. A chill went down his spine as her lifeless eyes pierced into his own. He'd seen lifeless eyes like those before…

Rukia's eyes reminded him of Momo. Not of the Momo he grew up with. And not the Momo who was the Lieutenant of the Fifth Division. Those eyes reminded him of the Momo whose mind had been shattered by that man.

A strange feeling took over him. She needs help. She shouldn't be alone like this.

"Kuchiki, what's wrong?"

No answer.

"You shouldn't be out here like this. Come on. Where should I take you?" He grabbed her by the hand and turned to start walking.

To his surprise, she pulled away. "No!"

He looked at her.

"I can't leave," she simply stated before looking back up at the sky. "It's raining."

His brow furrowed. "Yes, it is raining. Which is why you can't be out he-"

"Did you know" - she said, cutting him off - "that there is a ritual in the World of the Living called baptism? It's a rather straightforward ritual. You are submerged into water. They believe that all your sins are washed away with the water, and that when you come back up, you are no longer bound by those sins." She laughed softly. "Wouldn't that be nice?"

He looked at the girl before him. "What?"

Rukia looked down from the sky. She raised an eyebrow at him before pointing to the sky. Toshiro looked into her lifeless eyes before finally looking up. "The water," she answered.
"Wouldn't it be nice if it really did have that power? The power to wash away all of your sins."

"It's not so much the water as it is the significance of the ritual, Kuchiki."

"Hmm. You're probably right. Too bad."

What was going on? "What sins are you trying to wash away, Kuchiki?"

To this, Rukia started laughing. She laughed and laughed. What kind of a question was that?

"That damn fool," she finally said.

"Who?"

"Ichigo."

"What about Kurosaki?"

"Who does he think he is denying me the chance to finally pay for my sins?"

The feeling in Toshiro's stomach increased tenfold. It was rare for him to feel fear. And, at that moment, his fear was setting off a bunch of internal alarms. "Kuchiki, I don't understand what you mean."

"I was supposed to pay for my sins on that day. The day of my execution-"

The feeling Toshiro had gotten when he had seen her cold eyes consumed him and his fear made him act. "Kuchiki!" he yelled. "Snap out of it!"

He didn't exactly understand what had been possessed to do that. But he was glad he had. He watched as the girl before him slowly came back to reality.

Rukia blinked and looked around her. Her eyes finally landed on the man before her.

"Huh? Captain Hitsugaya, what are you doing here?"

He could see fear creeping into her eyes, replacing the emptiness. Her breathing started getting heavier, and Toshiro realized something.

Something must have scared her. Scared her so badly that it made her hide. That's why she was acting so strangely just then. I wasn't talking to Kuchiki. Kuchiki was hiding.

"Kuchiki, something scared you, didn't it?" he asked.

The girl before him looked horrified. "I have to go," she said as she went to get up.

Toshiro grabbed her by the arm. "You shouldn't be alone right now. I'll take you to Matsumoto. Is that alright?"

She gulped. Rukia knew she couldn't go against her superior's wishes, no matter how badly she just wanted to run away. She nodded. "Yeah, that's fine."


Matsumoto awoke to pounding at her door. She looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost 11.

"What could anyone possibly want with me at this hour?"

She yawned as she got up and made her way to the door.

"I'm coming!" she called as the pounding continued. Rangiku opened the door. "Rukia-chan? Huh? Captain? What are you two doing here?" Suddenly, Rangiku was no longer sleepy.

"Can we come inside?" her captain asked.

She was so confused. "Yeah, come in."

Toshiro walked in, pulling Rukia behind him by the hand. Rangiku closed the door behind them.

"Captain, what's going on?"

"I'll explain in a minute. Do you have any towels?"

The lieutenant stared at the two before her. They were completely soaked. Her captain's brows were furrowed and she could see that his mind was racing. What was more troubling was Rukia, who was just staring at the floor.

"Yeah, I'll go get some towels."


"Please wait here, Kuchiki-dono. The Captain will be in shortly to greet you," said a nervous shinigami. He was scared of Rukia. Or rather, he was scared of upsetting her.

"Um…"

"Yes! What is it, ma'am?"

"I'm just an ordinary new member. Could you please address me less formally, like you would any other new member?"

"Yes, yes! My apologies! I'll be more careful!" he said as he closed the door.

The young girl sighed. Everywhere she went, it was the same thing. To her face, people were polite because they thought upsetting a noble would surely be the end of their careers. But behind her back...

"Who is that girl?" came a snarky voice from outside the room.

"Careful, she's from the Kuchiki Clan."

"I heard she was exempt from the Graduation Exam as well as the Evaluations," one man scoffed.

"You've got to be kidding me! We're here busting our asses and she can just waltz right into the Gotei 13?"

"Hey!" came a rugged voice. "What are you all just standing around for? Get back to work! This isn't a show, damn it!"

Rukia turned around to see a very tall man open the door and walk in. He had been the one yelling just a second ago.

"I'm Kaien Shiba, Lieutenant of the 13th Division. It's nice to meet you."

Rukia couldn't help but stare at the man who had just greeted her so...normally. "Um...Yes, Sir."

"Huh?" he blurted. "'Yes, Sir'? What kind of a greeting is that?" The man put his big hand on Rukia's head and made her look right into his eyes. "Your lieutenant just introduced himself! You're supposed to state your name and say what a pleasure it is to meet me! What's your name?"

The poor girl had been so confused. "I'm R-Rukia Kuchiki, Sir."

"And?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said as her wide eyes looked into his.

He smiled. His grip on her head loosened and he ruffled her hair. "That's more like it."

An ordinary greeting, an ordinary scolding, and an ordinary subordinate-superior relationship. Who knew that something so ordinary was exactly what Rukia had been looking for?

And who knew that it would turn into something so ugly?

From the kitchen, a very worried Rangiku watched her friend. Rukia had been sitting on her couch like a statue for the past few minutes. Rukia seemed to be very lost in thought.

The older woman sighed. Her captain had explained to her how he had found Rukia just sitting out in the rain. He said that he thought something had scared her pretty badly. But that was all he said before leaving. He said that he shouldn't be there so that Rukia could feel more comfortable. Rangiku knew her captain was right, but she had no idea what she could do. Getting Rukia to talk was... "Impossible" didn't do the task justice.

Matsumoto shook her head and did her best to hide how worried she was. She knew that being scared wouldn't do Rukia any good. She picked up her small tray and walked to her living room. She placed the tray down onto the coffee table.

Rukia had not noticed the woman right in front of her. She was still sitting frozen in the same position, her glossy eyes staring off into space.

Matsumoto poured the tea she had just made into a cup. She grabbed one of Rukia's hands and placed the cup carefully into her friend's hand.

Rukia blinked before offering Matsumoto a small smile. "Thank you," she murmured.

Matsumoto sat down next to Rukia and poured herself some tea as well. She gave Rukia a few more minutes before finally asking, "Rukia-chan, what is this about? What has you so scared?"

Rukia continued to stare down at the cup of tea in her hands. If she had heard Matsumoto's words, she showed no sign of it.

"Rukia-chan, keeping it all bottled up isn't going to do you any good. I'm here to listen. Whatever it is, I can handle-"

"I did something. A very bad thing," Rukia finally said.

Rangiku ignored the feeling she had just gotten in the pit of her stomach. Rukia was actually talking. She couldn't afford to lose this chance. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

The older woman scooted closer to Rukia and gently grabbed one of her hands.

Rukia's eyes suddenly began to look around her. Her frightened state quickly changed to one of realization. It was almost as if she had just realized where she was and what she had been about to do. Rukia shook her head and ripped her hand away from Rangiku. "It can wait. It's really late. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let Captain Hitsugaya wake you up like that."

Rukia went to get up, but Matsumoto was quick to sit her friend back down.

"Rukia, whatever this is, it's weighing down on you a lot. It's time to get it off your chest. Talk to me. I'm not here to judge; I'm here to listen."

Rukia gulped. "It's a really long story."

"I have time."

Matsumoto saw how Rukia was becoming more and more nervous. Matsumoto put her hands on Rukia's small shoulders. "It's ok," she reassured.

Rukia nodded. "It started out like such a normal day…"