-Toy Store-

Sachi and I were strolling around the toy store, looking for a new body for him.

For a whole hour I nagged at dad to somehow get a different gigai for Sachi and gave dad a lift of looks for Sachi to have that would match his personality, somewhat.

Sachi was refusing the conditions of me choosing his gigai's looks, but then I kicked him and then he realized just how abusive I've become since I was an infant.

"What about this?" I asked, holding up a stuffed black dog.

He shook his head. "No. Too small. Why can't I be a panda?" He asked. :E

I frowned, "Look around. All of the pandas are gone because other good little boys and girls got what they want. Don't blame me, blame the brats. Besides, it's just until dad's friend is done with the new gigai." B

He looked a bit whinny. It looked really weird with Seriyoku's gigai.

"Oh my gosh! Is that Kotsu-chan?" A somewhat familiar voice called out.

I looked to where the voice came from to see Orihime and Tatsuki. (Yeah, I knew I had to put Orihime and Tatsuki in here sometime. Here it is)

Orihime walked over to me and Sachi, Tatsuki right behind. Tatsuki seemed a bit unpleased to be in a toy store.

They were both still in their school uniforms, so I guessed they haven't go home yet.

I smiled warily to her.

Crap! I didn't know someone I knew was going to be here! Now someone knows about my cast, not that it's not going to be not noticeable tomorrow.

"Hi, Orihime-chan, Tatsuki-chan..." I greeted.

I'll have to be nice... Crap...

Orihime smiled up to Sachi, "Hi, green-haired-guy-san! Are you Kotsu-chan's boyfriend?" She asked.

My lip twitched. "No, no, no. Seiryoku is my cousin. He's visiting."

Might as well call him Seiryoku in public, just in case Ichigo says something. Then when the new gigai comes in, I'll call him his name.

Orihime blinked a couple times, "So discolored hair runs in the family?" She asked.

"Y-Yeah, you could say that." I said.

Though that's kinda true.

Tatsuki stared at me oddly. "Why is someone like you in a toy store?" She asked.

I hesitated, than realized the black dog was still in my hands. I quickly put it back.

"We're jsut... Shopping for my other cousins' birthday! He collects stuffed animals. We're trying to find a panda. But since we can't find any, we'll just leave." I said.

"Aw! That's so nice of you!" Orihime said.

"I think I saw a pretty big panda in the back, but it's a bit expensive. ¥43,200(Equal to $120)" She said.

I sighed. "I only have ¥5,400($15)..."

I wanted a panda, too...

Orihime smiled. "I'm sure you can put a deposit on it and I think there are two job openings at the bakery aross the street from here."

I became interested in our conversations. "Oh really? Do you know how much they pay?" I asked.

She thought for a moment, "I think you get ¥7,560($21) everyday for 5 hours."

"Hm. That's not bad. Thanks, Orihime-chan." I commented.

"No problem, Kotsu-chan." Orihime said.

She looked over my left shoulder and her eyes sparkled. "I see the cutest teddy bear!"

She glanced to me and waved, "I hope you get the job, bye!"

She skipped past me and Tatsuki began to walked past me, too, but stopped. She stared at my cast.

"What exactly happened to you?" She asked.

I rubbed the back of my head with my left hand, "Long story short, I lost a fight."

She still had the same expression. "Well, than I hope you get well soon."

She caught up with Orihime.

I sighed in relief. "That was a close one. I can't believe she thought you were my... Boyfriend." I said hesitantly.

"Why'd you call me Seiryoku?" He asked.

I frowned at him, disappointed. "Isn't it obvious? You're in his gigai and you'll be getting your own gigai. I already told one person about Seiryoku other than dad. So if I say you're you, and if Ichigo started asking questions, it'd be bad. So, in public with that gigai, you're Seiryoku, Sachi's older brother and my cousin. If anyone asks this gigai's age, its 17, Sachi is 14, got it?"

He looked a bit upset. (In a comical sense, don't know a text smiley for that face)

"You've become so demanding. And why 14? I'm closer to 70!" He said.

"Sorry if you sound like you're 14, Sake-bozu." I apologized sarcastically.

"Anyways, let's check out that panda, see if it's still there. Then I'll put don the deposit and get the jobs. I listed.

"Matte, I gotta work, too?" He asked.

I raised a brow, "Do you not want that panda? I can just kick you out of that gigai and leave you in candy form if that suits you better."

He made a hand gesture, "The job's fine with me!"

-Bakery-

"Ugh. I hate sweets. I prefer meat." Sachi complained.

I hit him in the back on the head with my left hand. "We're on the job, dope, don't mess it up."

The boss put us on the job right on the spot. He was having a bit of trouble with the amount of customers.

Sachi and I were boxing cupcakes and cakes in boxes in the back, ready to be sold.

"I would have rather be in candy form..." He murmured.

I closed a box and moved onto the next, "Then why'd you say what you said!? You knew this was a bakery!"

"I didnt know what a bakery was, though. Soul Society didn't have places like this. Don't blame me." He said.

I groaned, "Damn, you're a pain. And you wonder why I'm so violent? Gee, such a mystery!" B/

I put a lid on a cake box with the cake inside with my left hand.

The boss peeked his head to check up on us. I forgot his name.

"Good work, underlings!" He complimented with a thumbs up, then went back to the front room with the customers.

Another employee came from the kitchen, she had flour all over her face. She looked European, on a count of her blonde hair and blue eyes. Her name was Alicia.

"Seishou-chan, Seiryoku-kun, are you doing okay in here?" She asked.

I sighed and nodded, "Surprisingly."

The boss peeked in again, "Seiryoku-san, someone dropped their cake in here. Clean it up!" He ordered and went back into the front room.

Sachi groaned, "Coming."

He went to the front room and I continued folding boxes.

Alicia leaned against the rack of empty boxes, waiting to be used.

"How is it that you can fold so well with one hand? If I were you, I wouldn't be working at all." She said.

I pushed the box to all the others. "I'm not doing much but folding, Siryuki-bozu put the cakes in. Besides, I need the money for my cousins present."

"Oh? What kind of present?" She asked.

Damn, she's really nosey.

"A stuffed panda. My cousin has been wanting one for a long time." I said.

I folded the last cake box and pushed it to all the others.

I checked all the boxes, making sure they weren't being squished by another box.

"So how old are you, anyways? And that boy?" She asked.

"15. Siryuki-bozu is 17." I answered, not even glancing to her.

"Is he your boyfriend? You both seem to like dyed hair and both work here together now. Seems like a couple thing."

I froze.

Oh my gawd, I feel like stabbing her! If she wasn't a fellow employee, I'd done kill her! As soon as we get the money, I'm quitting!

I managed to keep my cool on the outside and shook my head. "No, he's my cousin, too."

We both hear a ding from the kitchen.

She sighed. "Better go check up on the cakes. See you later." She said and left for the kitchen.

Sachi came back into the room, the remaining of a cake were caked onto his apron.

He didn't look too happy.

I snickered. "Don't tell me. The cake monster spat you out because you taste like chicken?"

He frowned, "You're a little demon, aren't you? Did a demon take over you when you were ten or something?"

I adjusted my sling, it stung a bit. "Shh. Don't tell anyone, but I was born a Hollow." I joked.

He went over to the trash can and got a spatula, then started scrapping off the cake. "I didn't know you had humor. But you're not very good at it." He said.

I frowned. "Gee, thanks. Just what I want to hear."

He managed to get most of it off, than gave up and walked back over to me. He looked at all of the folded boxes.

"Seems like our job's done. So far." He said.

"Until that Alicia brings in more cakes on the cart." I said.

He sighed heavily. "I'll put these in the display."

-Home-

I smelled like sweets still.

I told dad about the job after he got home from teaching kendo. He was proud of me, but said that I wasn't allowed to quit or be fired until I was 16, which is in a few months, or he would never get me a normal katana.

As of right now, I was in my room, reading Shinigami Basics 101.

So far, I've read about what I already knew from Seiryoku.

I suddenly sighed and looked out of my window. It was around 6 or 7. I didn't bother looking at my alarm clock.

I wonder what Ichigo's doing... Probably fighting Hollow's... I don't sense his reiatsu... Or maybe he's hanging out with Rukia...

I'm not around him much anymore.. He probably got bored of me... I can understand... I'm still not a good person...

I think I should just stay out of his way for now on... It's the best thing I can do...

I don't know why, but I feel he's better off to be happy with Rukia...

I felt a sudden pain in my ribs and winced.

Dammit..

I coughed a bit. It didn't help my rib pain one bit.

I heard a knock on my door and I got back to look like I'm reading the book.

"It's open." I said, my voice a bit rough from the cough.

The door opened and I knew it was Sachi. I could tell by the way his reiatsu was different than any others' and able to identify by now.

In the past few hours, I've been studying about reiatsu and how to exactly depict and memorize a certain individual's reiatsu on the spot, even if you met them only once.

I heard him sit on the edge of my bed.

"Are you feeling well? You missed dinner after we called for you about a hundred times." He said.

"It annoyed me, you yelling so loud. But I'm studying what I need to know when I'm a shinigami." I answered, now getting to actually read my book,.

"Dai-kun told me about that. why do you want to become one, anyways?" He asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I have to protect everyone." I answered, turning a page with my left hand.

"Is that really a reason? Or is there something else to it?" He asked.

I took my attention aay from the book and looked to him, I gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

Sachi sighed heavily. "You're so clueless.

"Just let me ask you one thing. One last thing before I go back downstairs and let you study." He said.

Was he asking permission to ask a question? How old fashioned was this guy?

"Shoot." I said, letting him go on.

"What is it that you really care for most?" HE asked.

I hesitated, trying to understand hat he was saying.

He got up before I could even get what he asked.

He smiled, "Don't stay up all night. You do have school tomorrow." He said and left my room.

I stared at the door, trying to figure out what just happened.

I shook my head and went back to reading.

I'll think about it later. I have better things to do.

-2am-

The streets were empty. Not a sign of life, just the ruins.

The houses looked like they were all smashed.

The road wasn't straight and flat; it was crooked and jagged.

Only one street light was on, but it flickered on and off.

It didn't look familiar, but yet it felt it.

My legs acted on their own, one foot in front of the other, knowing their own way.

They stopped in the center of the flickering lights' view.

Another street light flickered on, and stayed on.

In the center of the light was Ichigo, in his normal, everyday clothing.

He was with someone else. Hand-in-hand. Both staring into each other's eyes and smiling.

Rukia.

I felt a pain in my chest and I put my right hand over my chest and gripped the collar of my shirt.

Their street light flickered off.

I let go of my shirt, relieved.

I noticed something.

I looked at my right hand. It wasn't in a sling and it felt fine.

But the clothes were different, too. They were white with blue lining. It had a thumbhole and the edge of the material stopped a bit past my knuckles.

I looked down to see the rest of my outfit.

Was I wearing a... Cape?

The reached my elbows and was connected in the front by a snap. The tips of the shoulders of the cape were cut like a square.

The shirt, or was it a dress?, under it, reached my knees and was like the cape, it was connected by snaps. It was like a turtle neck that snapped at the neck, too.

The side of the hip area of the dress had a cut out square hole, too. Beneath the holes were dark blue Celtic Crosses.

The pants were a bit loose and white, just like the shoes and the rest of the outfit.

For some reason or another, it didn't look half bad. I actually liked it.

Btu something even better caught my eye.

I raised my left hand and watched the charm dangle as I smiled. My Celtic Cross.

I became instantly aware of the sudden change on my sleeve.

The wrist of the sleeves were tingeing with redness and spreading.

I pulled back my sleeves as quickly as I could.

There it was. "Shinigami".

It wasn't bloody, though. It was a scar.

I looked at the other that said "Spirit" it was a scar, too.

What...?

"Confused there, Princess?" A very familiar voice asked.

My heart raced a mile a minute as I slowly looked up.

There she was. There I was. Hanging upside down.

I stumbled backwards.

I didn't land on the jagged road, I landed in something wet.

I quickly got back up, but it was false alarm. It was just water.

I looked back to where the other me was, but she was gone.

"Looking for me?" Her voice asked.

I quickly spun around, seeing she was just three feet away.

She crossed her arms, grinning that wicked grin.

That grin... Not even I could grin like that... So maybe she isn't me... Maybe she's like an alter-ego. Yeah, that's it! She isn't real, she's just here to scare me. Maybe she's just giving me a message. Yeah, a message.

I gulped, gathering courage, but appeared to be afraid still, even though I was.

"What... Do you want?" I asked hesitantly.

She raised a brow, than cackled.

"Want? What do I want?" She inquired.

Once again, she cackled.

I feared I said something wrong, only it was on my end of the bargain.

She stopped, but still grinned wildly. "I want control." She said.

She sounded so hungry. So insane.

My eyes widened with fear. "C-control..? Over what...?" I asked, not really wanting an answer.

She snickered, "Isn't it obvious? We look the same because we are the same, in our own little way. Tell me, has anyone else got to see me? Do I ever get to be free? I'm your tiara, remember, Princess?"

It started to become clearer.

"You... Want control over... Me..." I said slowly.

"And she scores! That's right, Princess." She said, making an exaggerated gesture.

She suddenly disappeared and then I looked above me to see her hanging upside down above my head.

She reached and rubbed the top of my head.

"I could make you proud, Princess, I really could." She ensured.

I panicked, just like before, and started randomly thrashing at her to get away.

Somehow, I managed to hit her before she appeared 10 feet behind me.

I turned to her, still looking frightened.

She had her arms crossed and seemed to be in a sitting position with her legs criss-crossed. Her head was aligned with mine, meaning she was floating.

But then again, it was hard to tell where the ground was in this darkness. Maybe I was floating, too.

"Tell me, Princess, when will you give in?" She asked, her face straight.

I glared.

The real me is starting to kick in, I think.

"I'd never give in to someone like you." I said.

She raised a brow, "Oh? Really now?

"Tell me, do you really think you'll only be fighting Hollow's as long as you're friends with Strawberry head? Don't you think that, somewhere down the line, a, enemy will come along and try to hurt poor Strawberry head? What would you do, eh? Wouldn't you want to protect him? But you're just a low level shinigami, so what would you do without battery power? Eh?" She asked, starting to grin.

I blinked a couple times in confusement, "Low level... Shinigami...?"

She simpered. "I nearly forgot. Ol' Daisuke never did tell you that you were once accidentally under Mayuri's care, did he?"

She suddenly looked up, I automatically looked up, too. A giant clock was about to strike 6.

I looked back to her.

She sighed, "Damn human world and your clocks."

She then smirked at me. "Later, Princess."

I realized this was going to be my one chance to ask her.

She started fading and I reached out for her, "Matte!"

Everything was black.