Spoiler for the end of the Soul Society Arc if you squint... I also mentioned one tiny manga spoiler that happens about Rukia's whole sob story thing.. Yay, we've reached the second arc in the entire story! Now, time to write about death, blood and short-lived grief...- The things I'm not good at writing about... I hope I didn't fail it too terribly... XO (Actual story-telling begins in Chapter 5...)

Story Arc II: Darkened Memories

Chapter Four: "Shadowed Past, Part I"

PREVIOUSLY:
"So, where are you guys sleeping?" Ichigo directed the attention to Hirosaki and Yuki who were still in his room.

"Isn't it obvious? Your room, of course!" They both grinned simultaneously.

"What do you mean you'll be sleeping here?" Ichigo gaped at the abruptness of the situation.

"We're not going to be a bother."

"That's not the issue! My family comes back from their camping trip tomorrow at noon. What will you do if my dad catches you two in here as well? Rukia's sob story won't work again…" Ichigo shuddered. Actually, he could imagine Kurosaki Isshin hugging the poster of his mother saying, "Masaki! We have another son and daughter now!" He shoved that thought out of his mind and sighed, "Rukia, what do you think?"

"I don't think it's such a bad idea…" Rukia shrugged, "But it is your house."

"Where are you planning to sleep?" Ichigo sighed after a while.

"The floor is fine." Hirosaki looked over at his sister, who nodded.

"Also, there are reasons for us to stay in the living world as well." Yuki frowned.

"What reasons?" Rukia became curious.

"As we said a couple of hours ago, 4th Division was busy back in Soul Society because of some crisis that was going on."

"Although it is our duty to assist our Division in any way we can, our captain ordered us to stay in the living world until this mess is cleared. Because of this 'crisis,' they have sealed off the portal between Soul Society and the living world," Hirosaki bit his lip, "Even we don't know what's going on over there right now."

"Communication has also been cut off for a while. We should receive word from Kimura-taichou soon…" Yuki checked her cell phone for the ninth time.

I feel so useless not doing anything at an important time like this. What are you doing, Kimura? Hirosaki sighed.

Silence fell in Ichigo's room as the two siblings sulked, lost in their thoughts.

They're just like twins… Ichigo mused.

"OK, snap out of it. I'm already starting to feel depressed reiatsu coming from you guys." Ichigo rubbed his neck.

"Ah, sorry…" they apologized.

Rukia started a conversation, "Please tell us about yourself. We're certainly curious about it…" She recalled earlier today in school when they suddenly revealed themselves as Shinigami and fought the Hollows alongside with Chad, Orihime, Ichigo and herself.

Yuki was the first to speak, "As you know, my name is Kazama Yuki. I am also the 4th Seat of Division Zero."

"Division Zero?" Ichigo and Rukia both raised their eyebrows.

"Yep. It would be odd to call it 0th Division, so everyone usually dubs it 'Division Zero.'"

"But I thought it was called Gotei 13… If there is another Division, then…" Rukia began.

"-Then it wouldn't be called Gotei 13? They stopped calling it that name shortly after Aizen's betrayal. Soul Society was in such a mess... The Divisions got too crowded and there were more Shinigami with different abilities that didn't completely match up with the other Divisions."

Hirosaki added, "There is also 14th Division. It was added after Division Zero."

AIZEN...! Yeah, we'll jump you later...- You and your Hollows! BWAHAHAHA! Ichigo's evil genius mind cackled. Out loud, he asked calmly, "So what position are you, Hirosaki?"

"Division Zero, 3rd Seat." He replied.

"Do you know why he's the Third Seat?" Yuki smiled while asking them.

"Yuki, don't…-" the elder brother's request was futile.

"In reality, he should have already been Vice Captain and would probably be responsible for taking Kimura-taichou's spot if something were to happen." Yuki boasted.

"Aiiya…" Hirosaki groaned. He received praise from everyone about how good he was and that he should at least become Vice Captain. However, hearing it from his sister was another thing.

"May I use your bathroom, Ichigo-san?"

Ichigo nodded, "It's across the hallway."

After leaving the room, Yuki continued talking.

"He should have become the Lieutenant under Kimura-taichou…" Yuki sighed.

"What happened?" Rukia wondered.

"He declined it. Hirosaki said that he had his own reasons, and also, if he was to become Vice Captain and died fighting, there would be no one to take care of me," Yuki slightly smiled and rested her face in her hands, "It's pretty pathetic if you think about it. He's getting such a great promotion and he declined it because he's worried about me." she frowned.

"It's good that he cares for you." Rukia told her.

"Yeah, but I feel like useless dead weight. I'm restricting him from his full potential." A sigh escaped her, "You know, he kind of reminds me of you, Kurosaki Ichigo." She looked at him.

"Me?" Ichigo tried to see the similarity.

"You're loud, short-tempered, and hasty, Ichigo. He's quiet, cool, and decisive. He's like a mini Hisagi Shuuhei." Rukia laughed.

Yuki contemplated, "Yeah, I guess so..."

"What's so great about the 69 tattoo guy?" Ichigo shrugged.

Rukia and Yuki both shot an icy death glare at him, "He's really great." The two fangirls sighed and started talking about how "really great" the 9th Division Vice Captain was.

"Can we get back on topic?" Ichigo said, sick of the girly chitchat.

Yuki continued speaking, "You know, I'm not actually full Shinigami."

"Really?" Rukia was curious to find out if she was another special case like Ichigo, who was a human death god.

"I still have some human left in me. It was part of an ordeal a long time ago…" Yuki's mind wandered off to that delicate memory, back when she was eight in the living world.

"What are you doing?" Rukia recognized what she was doing as some type of kidou.

Yuki had done an incantation and summoned a large, black orb to the center of the wooden floor.

I can't back down… I've seen this a million times. It is not going to affect me again… Yuki breathed and gently said, "I will show you …"

TBC in chapter five...