Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, just Lilandra and her story

Lilly walked through empty alleys as she thought about the previous night and tried to remember what happened. The last thing she remembered was breaking a teacup and crying into Chad, but she woke up in her bed and the broken teacup pieces were gone. That means I owe Chad thanks…Lilly blushed at the thought of him carrying her to bed.

When Lilly got to school she was immediately summoned to the principal's office. There she found Keigo, Mizuiro, Chad, Ichigo, Tatsuki, Orihime, and Rukia as well. Lilly went to stand with the girls and was greeted not so pleasantly. "Lilly! How nice of you to join our little party!" Screamed the vice principal. "YOU, missy, are as bad as him." He pointed to Chad and Lilly smirked.

"Yeah. And this is a bad thing because?"

"DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE?! LOOK AT THIS!" a picture of Ichigo fighting with security was shown on the big flat screen in the office. Lilly tried to listen but she really couldn't. When the coach, vice principal guy was done yelling at Ichigo, Lilly raised a small hand.

"Was anyone paying attention to what he just said? I wasn't listening." This made him go berserk and scream at her. "Dude. You're spitting on me." Then he got into it with Tatsuki and Orihime and they left. He then got in it with Ichigo and Keigo so Lilly moved to stand by Chad and Mizuiro as they listened to Rukia tell a sob story. Mr. Kagine, the yelling guy, went to her and tried to comfort her. While he was doing so, the boys and Lilly snuck out the window and ran as fast as they could with Mr. Kagine yelling after them. Lilly walked next to Chad as they all walked down the steps, thankful that they actually got away. They were admiring Rukia when she and Ichigo got into a fight but Lilly wasn't really paying attention. She was thinking of the previous night. What exactly happened with Ichigo and that Hollow? Obviously he won, but how did Don Kanonji feel about that?

The weekend passed and the next day at school Keigo and Mizuiro were freaking out because Ichigo's name was on the list of top 50 students in the class. He went to Chad and said that he could still hang out with them because he wasn't on the list, but Chad and Lilly went to the list and ran a finger down the line to find his name at eleventh. "Wow." Lilly looked impressed but found her name at fifth. "Yay! I'm smart! Woot!" Keigo and Mizuiro freaked out and ran away screaming that they would never hang out with them again. Chad, Ichigo and Lilly stood in the middle of the hallway, confused and not really trying to make sense of it. School went on as usual though Lilly didn't see any more of Keigo and Mizuiro. Chad was quiet as normal and Ichigo mouthed off as usual. But something told Lilly that this day was going to be different. And not necessarily in a good way. After school Chad started to head off with a couple of friends but Lilly stopped him. "CHAD!" She got his attention and ran to him. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" The guys in his group laughed and teased him. "Oh can it I'm not his girlfriend, losers." Chad smiled and followed her away form his friends. "Chad. I need you to promise you'll keep an eye out today."

"Huh? Why?"

"I don't know…just something tells me that you're gunna have to. Promise? And that you'll get those two out of trouble. But if you can't see anything…just run…it sucks to be the cause of harming people." Chad nodded.

"Yeah. I promise."

"K…be careful." Chad turned and walked away with his friends and Lilly watched until he left, then started her way home through the park. On the way her whole body convulsed in shivers. She looked to the sky and it looked as if it was falling apart. Suddenly a giant hollow crashed next to her sending her flying back into a fence. She screamed out in alarm and pain. "What the…"She stood and looked at it. "Oh…that's not good." She looked and saw kids playing soccer. Gotta get out of here. Chad ran through and had a Hollow following him too. Really gotta get out of here.

"Lilly?" Chad yelled.

"Chad. You stay…I'll draw this one away. Protect the children." Lilly ran down the streets towards an empty alley. She turned and faced her opponent. I hope Chad's alright. And that girl…Ichigo's sister… "I'm not afraid to die. You want to get me? Come and do your worst." The Hollow swung at her and she dodged but then it brought out a talon and sliced her stomach and arm. "Unh." She looked at it and remembered her mother and father. "You guys killed them. I will not let you kill any more people." That's my problem. I always think about protecting the people who have already died…I need to think about the ones still living…"You will end here. Please…..give me something…" Lilly felt a change in her body, her ice cold hands warmed and her churning belly calmed. She felt sweet serenity take over. A voice in her mind spoke. Well it's about time you opened your mind to me. Geeze do you have any idea how long I've been waiting?

Who are you?

Questions later…now fighting. Lift your fists, don't get hit. The Hollow took advantage of her confused state to try and pound his fist onto her, but she successfully dodged. Lift you fists; concentrate on the fire you feel there. Say the word emblazon.

Lilly lifted her fists and focused on the warmth in her hands. "Emblazon." Her fists engulfed in fire but she wasn't scared, instead she swung madly at the Hollow's unprepared body. Good, now put your fist out at the hollow and yell fira.

Lilly did so and flames leaped from her fist towards the Hollow, engulfing him in flame. If you yell out phoenix your body will be engulfed in flames, kick him while yelling spiro and it will do the same thing as when you punched him and yelled fira.

Lilly engulfed her body in Flames then kicked the hollow while yelling fira and sent the hollow flying back, but before he went away completely he scathed Lilly again across her stomach again. She ran back to the empty lot, park that she had been at and found Chad being carried away by that guy in the funny hat. "Hey…" She called out weakly. The man and the bigger man carrying Chad turned to see a woman engulfed in flames. Say finito and it'll take he flames off "Finito." Her body stopped flaming and she walked two steps forward. "Chad…" She fell heavily and didn't get back up as the man in the hat picked her up and carried her somewhere.

Lilly woke to her body protesting her movement. "Oweeee…" she held her head. "Ooo…that hurts…"

"You ok?" She turned to see Chad behind her.

"CHAD!" She ran and gave him a hug. He hugged her back awkwardly and she moved away after a while.

"You ok?" He repeated.

"Oh, yeah….I have a voice in my head. NO I'm not insane…but now I can wear that shirt and literally mean it….no he doesn't hate you….but there are some people he most likely would hate at school…"

"Glad you're ok. You defeated your Hollow then?"

"Yeah. How'd you defeat yours?"

"Let's talk when Orihime wakes up…" Orihime moaned in response and rolled around a little bit. Chad and Lilly went to go check on her. Chad leaned his head over hers and she woke up with a shot, head butting Chad in the nose. It proceeded to bleed and Lilly went to him with a handkerchief. "I heard you moaning. What were you dreaming about?"

"I-I can't tell you…it's a secret."

I don't think I wanna know. Said the voice inside Lilly's head. "Oh shut up." Chad and Orihime stared at her. "Oh! Not you!...oops..."

Orihime looked around. "Where are we anyway?! This isn't school is it?! Where are we?!"

Not the brightest bulb in the box is she? Lilly almost responded out loud again but that weird guy in the funny hat showed up in the doorway. "So. You're finally awake."

"Who is that?" Orihime asked. Lilly sat next to Chad.

"I don't know…but…I think maybe he…saved our lives."

"He did…" Lilly confirmed.

"C'mon, they're both awake now. Let's hear the rest of the story." Chad spoke to the man. "Why do we suddenly have these strange powers? And…what do they have to do with Ichigo?"

"What?...Ichigo?" Orihime got a concerned look on her face.

"Yes…Your sudden supernatural abilities…Lay sleeping deep in your souls. Coming in contact with Ichigo Kurosaki…ACTIVATED YOU LATENT INBORN POWERS!!" The man in the hat explained.

Orihime spoke quietly. "Our abilities were awakened…by contact with Ichigo?"

"Yes."

"WOAH, Wait a second…I don't understand."

"You don't have to understand. Your transformation is not a disease. You were just given the key to the door in front of you. There's no need to know the cause. No need for sorrow or sadness. What comes next is up to you. You can use your keys to open the door…or lock it. And if you choose to open it…You can still decide not to pass through." The door at the opposite side of the room slid open hard.

"Sir!" It was the man that had carried Chad. He was big with a mustache and hair pulled back on his head. "The Kumon, The sky ridges…They've begun to converge."

Lilly stared confusedly at Chad. "Okay…" Said the man in the hat. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes sir!" Answered the man.

"All right. Let's go."

"Wait…Wait a second! We still haven't…" Orihime yelled after them.

"Do you want to come along?"

"Huh?"
"You want proof? Come see for yourself…THE WORLD YOU ARE ABOUT TO STEP INTO!...and…the enemy you have to fight." The man walked out the front door and left Chad, Orihime and Lilly to decide what to do.

They stood at a window high up and watched the fight taking place between Ichigo, Ishida and the monster coming out of the sky. "Can you see…Ishida and Ichigo?"

"Uh-huh." Orihime was unusually quiet.

"Yeah." Lilly sounded lost.

"Clearly?" Asked Chad. Orihime responded yes again and Lilly nodded. "Oh…They're blurry to me."

"We watch from here…" Came Orihime's sad voice. "We look…and choose…The path we'll take…" Chad and Lilly stared at Orihime. "Lilly…Chad….What…Are we supposed to do?" Neither Lilly nor Chad had an answer for her. They just stood in silence, Chad's arm around Lilly's shoulders and Lilly's hand stroking Orihime's hair, as they watched the fight unfold. They watched Ishida and Ichigo defeat the ugly thing in the sky, but just when they thought it was over it started regenerating. Once they really defeated it Ichigo's body fell and his sword started changing shape. Ishida tried to help; it looked like they were battling an invisible enemy. Ishida let off an arrow and also fell to the ground. Both boys were exhausted. Lilly and Chad walked Orihime home. Lilly kept her arm around Orihime and hummed all the way there. After they dropped her off Chad walked Lilly home.

"I can't believe it's only been one day…"

"Yeah…Some day huh?" Lily nodded.

"You wanna come have some tea? You look pretty tired." Chad nodded and followed Lilly into her house. She went to the kitchen to make some tea and let her animals in and out. Chad went into the living room and sat on the couch next to her cats. Crystal came in and sat on his shoulder and the puppies began playing with his shoes. Lilly came back in a few minutes later with the tea. She set it on the coffee table then joined him on the couch. She plopped herself down next to him and laid her head back heavily, closing her eyes and sighing.

"So what do we do?" Chad asked staring at her.

"Well…I'm going to hone my powers and help Ichigo in whatever way I can…I think you and Orihime will do the same…" Chad nodded. "You wanna crash here tonight? It's too dark for you to go home…plus no telling how many more Hollows are out there. No one from school lives close enough to me to tell that you were here…if you decide to stay…yet again….as tough as I look and seem….I'd feel a lot better if you were here…" Chad nodded and agreed to stay the night. She put him in a spare room she had. "You'll either have to sleep on the floor or the couch…sorry."

"No problem. I'll just take the floor." Lilly set up nice bedding for him on the floor then went to feed her animals. As she was doing so she felt a strange flutter of cold air. She felt a presence behind her and turned sharply, holding a large kitchen knife in her hand. "Whoa." Chad put his hands in the air. "Did you feel it too?"

"Yeah…think it has to do with Ichigo and Rukia?"

"Yeah." Lilly walked Chad back to his room and said goodnight then went to her room. She slept fitfully and woke up in the middle of the night screaming. Someone burst into her room and it took her a second to remember that Chad was there. "You okay?" Chad ran to her side and she sat gingerly.

"Yeah…my…my head..and my body…what's going on?" you're body is tired from the energy spent yesterday. Calm down and go back to sleep. "He says I'll be fine…it's just that my body is exhausted from all the energy I used….That dream…it was so real…"

"What dream?"

"You….you died…." Chad sat on her bed next to her legs. "The others…they were all on the ground, bloody and pale. You stood in front of me like you were protecting me….Something went through your chest and you fell to the ground…" he said he loved you….SHUT UP! "In front of you was a large evil thing…it took me and tortured me…I was so scared…." Lilly started to cry from the memory of Chad dieing in her arms. Chad leaned over and hugged her tightly. She buried her head in his shoulder.

"I can stay in here if you want me to." Lily nodded and Chad went to go get his things. Why don't you tell him?

Because I'm scared….scared of rejection...scared of the dream coming true. The voice in her head quieted when Chad came back in. Lilly lay on her bed and was soon fast asleep. This time her sleep contained nothingness.