The Fall Festival officially started at the end of October and as they went into November the weather began to shift into overcast and unusually cold for this time of the year. Just as the Festival mood was filling the school Kenshin's homeroom learned of two new transfer students they were getting: Haruka Tenou and Michiru Kaiou. It didn't take long for the guys to learn that both girls were off-limits though it took a furiously blushing Minako to explain to Kenshin exactly why. For their after school activities Haruko joined the Judo club with Makoto, who was happy to have a friendly face among the group, and Michiru joined the orchestra and quickly became the lead violinist.

The Festival itself was a weeklong celebration put on by the school and the various afterschool clubs put on either a performance – like the orchestra's concert – or a service – like the swim team's Maid Café. At several points Minako was seen dragging several of the kendo boys away from said café, including her boyfriend, on more than one occasion. The Kendo Club had set up a head-polishing booth for bald men and a hair salon as well though the only haircut they gave was a clean shave, leaving several surprised patrons looking like Ikkaku. Each of the members were dressed in their uniforms, including Kenshin in his Captain's uniform, and both boys and girls wore skullcaps that had been polished to a shine so that they each looked like their coach.

The Judo Club, meanwhile, was offering the 'Hunk Café' – the male equivalent of the Maid Café – and, like Minako before him, Kenshin could be seen dragging the female kendo members out, including Minako, several times over the course of the Festival. The Cross Country Club had chosen a Run-a-thon where donors could sponsor a runner and the proceeds would go to a local charity. Usagi uttered several curses the first few times she'd passed the Hunk Café but eventually blocked it out as she focused on running.

At the end of the week the Festival ended and life moved on for the school as well as Kenshin and the Sailor Guardians. Despite the fact that every time he met the Outer Guardians they bickered like they had their first time he found himself warming up to the Inner Guardians, even enjoying their company whether he was in his gigai or shinigami form. By the time the beginning of December arrived he wasn't sure if his urge to protect the girls came from his orders or his own desires.

"A Christmas present?" Minako asked as she and Kenshin walked home from kendo practice hand-in-hand. She scratched her chin as she stared up into the grey skies and falling snowflakes. "Hmm. Well, I suppose a few pictures of you in that Hunk Café outfit would be a good start."

"You know damn well you already have those," he reminded her as his cheeks flushed. "I'm being serious. I have no idea what to get you and I want it to be something memorable. It'll be our first Christmas together, after all."

"That's true," Minako admitted as she looked at the ground, trying to think of something. It wasn't as if she was in any better position. She'd been questioning the girls all week as to what she should get for Kenshin but so far none of them had any good ideas. They knew a little of his cover story but that was about it. He'd shown some interest in Western music but they all wanted to give him something from the heart, something that only friends would know to get for each other. In all the time they'd spent thinking about what to get him it hadn't occurred to her that he might want to know the same for her. "I'm actually drawing a blank there," she said after several moments.

"Well, is there something that you really want that would only be appropriate coming from me?" he asked.

Minako's cheeks flushed. "Well, there is one thing," she admitted bashfully. "I know it might seem kinda silly but..." She gulped nervously before looking Kenshin in the eyes. "I'd really like my first kiss to be on Christmas."

Kenshin stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide with surprise. For a brief moment he saw an obscured face with long golden hair repeating Minako's words. The woman then smiled at him and went to say something else, her words drowned out by Minako. "Yeah, I'm fine," he responded when she asked him though by her expression it was easy to guess that she didn't believe his lie. "It's just...you sound a lot like someone I used to know."

Minako stared at him, unsure of what to make of his confession. "Wait, so someone else you know asked for that too?" she asked as uncertainty filled her chest.

Kenshin let out a sigh as he tried to relax. "It was a long time ago, before I knew anything about being in a relationship," he admitted. "She was a childhood friend, probably just telling me that because anyone else would've just thought she was crazy." He smirked. "Well, she was crazy but that's beside the point." When Minako asked what he meant by 'used to know' he replied, "Oh, it's nothing dramatic. I just haven't talked to her in a long time is all." Despite his assurance Minako could see the sad look in his eyes that told her there was more to it.

"Well, I'll put some more thought into it. Maybe I can come up with something that's a little easier," she said as they came upon the Urahara Shop. She kissed Kenshin on the cheek, and he likewise, before heading for home.

"Kenshin!"

A young boy with tousled black hair turned at the sound of his name. He looked to be ten or eleven years old and was dressed in a tattered kimono and shorts. The other child calling his name was a girl his age with bobbed blonde hair and a smile on her face. "Yeah, what do you want, Saihana?" he asked gruffly as he eyed the food on the market stand. She responded by whacking him on the head.

"C'mon, you know better, stupid boy," the little girl replied, her face puffed up. "If she catches you again she'll tan your hide so bad we could make shoes out of your butt."

"A kid's gotta eat," he muttered only to have Saihana offer him a loaf of bread. "Huh? But how did you...?" He looked at his friend to see her grinning ear-to-ear. "So why did you hit me just for your crime?"

"It's not a crime if you never get caught. And you always get caught," she told him mischievously as they ducked into an alley where they split the bread. As they ate Saihana couldn't help but stare at the stale bread, her train of thought interrupted when Kenshin asked what was wrong through a mouthful of food. "It's just weird, I guess. I thought souls weren't supposed to get hungry."

"Only the really strong ones need to," Kenshin told her as he finished off his half of the loaf. "Besides, it's not like we eat that much, right?" Saihana seemed to accept the answer as she munched on her meal.

"Kenshin!"

An older version of the boy looked over his shoulder while trying to balance the boxes in his arms. A blonde girl with shoulder-length hair came running towards him, her red hakama and clean white kimono in stark contrast to their surroundings. "So you finally got admitted," the teenage boy said as he set down his load. "How on earth did you get in?"

"They said I had real talent," Saihana replied, puffing her chest out. "I might even be able to score a seated position in the Gotei 13 if I keep at the rate I have been." Her expression turned serious, an unusual look for her. "So when are you gonna apply?"

Kenshin shrugged. "Meh, being a shinigami sounds like too much work," he said, earning a whack from his friend. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Stupid boy. If you don't become a shinigami too how are ever gonna keep the promise you made me?" Kenshin froze as his entire face turned scarlet. "You do remember the promise, right?" Saihana asked him, staring intently at him with a soft smile. "You promised that after we both became shinigami that you would-"

"I remember, damn it!" Kenshin said cutting her off, his face still red. "It's just that..."

"Do you still think that you're weaker than me?" Saihana's question cut right to the bone but his defeated sigh was all the answer she needed. "How many times do I need to tell you, stupid boy, that you're the strong one between the two of us? There's not a doubt in my mind that they'd let you in if you just applied."

"But I'm not strong," Kenshin told her sullenly. "I mean, you lunge head-first into danger while I'm too much of a coward to even risk thinking about it. If a Hollow were to attack I don't think I'd even be able to move, let alone fight it."

"This coming from the kid who got his butt whooped at least twice a week when he was a kid for stealing from the stores." Saihana's arms were crossed over her chest as she stared at her friend with a curious gaze. "What happened to you, Kenshin?"

"Next week, I promise," he told her, knowing that she would hound him if he didn't follow through. Saihana sighed and shook her head, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before heading back to the Shinigami Academy. "Crazy girl," he muttered with a smile as his heart rate picked up a bit. "Still, I must just as crazy if I agreed to marry her on Christmas."

Kenshin groaned as he rejoined the waking world, throwing the covers off his bed and spinning around to sit on the edge. Still groggy, he went into the kitchen and made himself a cup of tea before walking outside. It was still dark, well before dawn, and the cold air sharpened his mind in no time while the tea kept his insides warm.

"Can't sleep?" Urahara asked from the roof of the shop.

"Strange question coming from the guy sitting on the roof in the middle of winter," Kenshin replied, jumping up to join the shopkeeper. "Nah, I was sleeping fine. Just some freaky dream."

"Is that why you kept saying Saihana's name?"

Kenshin's gaze fell as his thoughts drifted back to the dream. "I haven't dreamt of her in ages," he admitted. "I'm just glad that this dream was a peaceful one and not..." He gripped the teacup as he pushed the thought from his mind. "I never got around to thanking you for what you did back then. Well, what you and Yoruichi did."

"I'm not sure you were in any mindset back then to thank us," was Urahara's reply. "You were lucky enough to have survived considering…" Urahara bit his tongue at the last second. "Sorry, didn't mean to dredge up bad memories. So what brought on this reflection of her?" Kenshin took a moment to sip his tea before explaining what Minako had asked for as her gift from him. "I see. My guess is that you're starting to have a hard time separating yourself from the assignment. What started off as a way to use Minako has turned into something else."

"Every time I have to lie to her about what I've been doing it feels like someone's trying to rip my guts out," Kenshin explained. "It wasn't bad at first and I was able to ignore it. But now it's just agonizing." To Urahara's suggestion of just telling Minako the truth Kenshin replied, "To be honest I've been debating it. On the one hand I don't know that she'd be able to forgive me for some of the things that I've said over the last few months or the fact that I've drawn my sword on Usagi and Haruka." His gaze lifted for a moment. "Well, more Usagi than anything. Haruka can just shove off."

"I take it you don't get along with Sailor Uranus?"

"That's putting it mildly, even in her civilian form," Kenshin explained, stretching out as much as he could. "I don't know if it's just me or she just has it out for all men everywhere. She gives 'hardass' a whole new meaning. Michiru's not too bad. A little aloof but nice otherwise." He stared at the sky for several moments before asking, "You think Soul Society would blow a gasket if I broke my cover intentionally?"

"It was your choice all along if you wanted to keep the act up," Urahara reminded him as they both jumped down from the roof, landing on the ground with ease. "I'm certain they'll have something to say but nothing worth worrying about in the long run." As they went back inside Kenshin agreed to give it more thought over break but in the meantime he had other school-related things on his mind.

"You disappoint me once again, Jadeite," Empress Beryl said, her nails digging into the arms of her throne. Her general stood in front of her, the latest of his most recent schemes having burned out spectacularly. "Time and time again the Sailor Guardians and this shinigami have made a fool out of you and the youma I put under your care." She tightened her fist as the air around her began to ripple with raw power. "Give me one reason I shouldn't turn you into a pile of ash."

"This, my Empress," Jadeite said, levitating two gems over to her. One was dull and lifeless and the other pulsed with energy, prompting the dark ruler to ask what they were. "It would be simpler to show you." He called over one of the youma and handed him a dull gem, ordering him to crush it. He did and the pieces of the gem slowly disintegrated. Beryl watched, unsure of what he was trying to prove. He then handed a glowing gem to the same youma and he crushed it as well. This time, however, a swell of energy ran through and around him. His muscles bulged, pieces of armor forming on his biceps and calves. Long serrated blades erupted from the tops of his forearms, blood dripping down them. A stream of steam escaped his jaws as he adjusted to his new body.

"So he's gained a small amount of power," Beryl said, hiding the fact that she was impressed. Jadeite told her that wasn't all before drawing a rapier and slicing the youma in half. Her eyes widened at his action but before she could say anything the youma's top half pulled itself back up onto its legs and the flesh reconnected seamlessly.

"Using these gems we can give both the youma and Arrancar an unbelievable regenerative ability as well as tailor them with specific abilities," Jadeite explained. "I've already developed several Arrancar like this. One is designed with the ability to alter human perception – a useful weapon against the Sailor Guardians – while another is able to create webs of energy that can trap and drain a large group of humans. Another is designed to not only control Hollows and other youma but she is also able to analyze information from multiple battles simultaneously. The other two have had all their natural abilities enhanced far beyond what Minerva Kialla was able to do on her own. And this isn't a temporary gain nor is it a one-off improvement. Multiple gems can enhance their abilities far beyond what they would have been capable of naturally."

Empress Beryl smiled and nodded at Jadeite's accomplishment. "I take it you were able to learn a great deal from the Sailor Guardians' encounter with the Gillian," she said.

"Minerva's promise came through spectacularly," he answered though there was a touch of anger. "We've seen the extent of the Guardians' powers as well as learned a little about this shinigami ally of theirs. Personally I believe he is the bigger threat."

"Both I and Minerva agree," Beryl told him. "Based on the information you provided us we need to eliminate him before we can do anything about the Sailor Guardians. Use whatever means necessary to find and eliminate him." Jadeite bowed and began to exit the main chamber. "And Jadeite," Beryl added, stopping her general in his tracks. "If you fail this time I will ensure that there is nothing left of you to resurrect, is that understood?" With a gulp he nodded and left the chamber.

Slow footsteps from behind her drew Beryl's attention. "Is it wise to place such a heavy responsibility on him, my Empress?" a deep male voice asked, obviously in a great deal of pain.

"You've just awoken, Nephrite. I won't risk sending you or the others out before you're fully recovered," she told him. "Besides, this is Jadeite's trial. If he is successful then he will continue to serve. If not he will die, either by my hand or the shinigami's." Nephrite nodded, his curiosity sated as he went back to his room.

All the girls, including Hotaru, were gathered at Minako's house for their meeting since her parents were off visiting Minako's grandparents and would likely be there until just before Christmas. Minako had made a mental note to herself that it was unusual for her father to use this much of his paid vacation time and for her mother to be encouraging him but it gave her time to decide how to tell them she'd had a boyfriend for the last few months. For that matter she was still working up the nerve to tell her friends and based on the conversation so far she figured that was a long way off.

"I'm telling you that no normal human can fight the way he can," Haruka insisted, referring to the civilian Kenshin. "I mean, what are the chances that a martial arts and kendo master just happen to start coming to school with you?"

"You're not asking anything that we haven't asked already, Haruka," Rei replied with her arms across her chest. "Besides, we looked into Kenshin's backstory and it's legit. We have names, pictures, even the video of the fight that ended that poor girl's life." Her posture relaxed some. "I can't believe I'm saying this but Kenshin is Kenshin. If he also happens to be a shinigami then, well..."

"You're not forgetting that he threatened both me and the Princess, are you?" Rei bit her lip, unsure of what to say.

"Maybe it'd be better to focus on who's after us now," Minako offered, wanting to stop the conversation. She didn't like the idea any more than they did that Kenshin may have threatened their lives. "We know for sure that some of these guys are youma, right?"

"The last time we fought youma was against the Dark Kingdom," Ami replied with a nod. "But we annihilated them, didn't we? Usagi destroyed Queen Beryl and Metalia with the Silver Crystal." Michiru offered that they may just be fragments. "No, I disagree. These attacks are too organized, too centered on us. This feels like revenge, not lashing out blindly. And we haven't seen any evidence of them gathering energy from humans."

"So let's say that somehow, someway, the Dark Kingdom survived," Makoto said, nibbling on a cookie. "How are they mixed up with Hollows and Arrancars?" Not long after their encounter with the Gillian Captain Kurotsuchi had contacted Ami and she'd asked him about it. His answer had been disconcerting but it had helped nonetheless.

"Hollows are created from souls," Usagi said, remembering what Ami had told them after her first encounter with the shinigami Captain. "What if their souls somehow were turned into Hollows and they became Arrancar?" A visible shudder went through the Inner Guardians while the three Outer just stared at them. "Queen Beryl and Metalia, in the same body, turned into an Arrancar. Now that's a scary thought."

"That still doesn't explain how they're getting Hollows and Arrancars on their side," Michiru said. "Or where they're getting all this power from. Those Gillian were the strongest that we've fought so far."

"And the shinigami said that was unusual," Minako added, rubbing her chin. "If the Dark Kingdom is really behind this and they have a way to control Hollows what if they intentionally sent a weak Arrancar after me and Kenshin? Then they come after us with the Gillian."

"The Gillian could also have been used to see how our powers have evolved in the years since we fought them," Ami said, getting where Minako was going. "If they have that kind of army at their disposal we may be biting off more than we can chew. We need some way to increase our abilities without leaving the city vulnerable."

"Yeah, well good luck," Haruka said as she stood up and stretched. "The closest thing to a training camp that we'll get a chance at it is during the Christmas Break." Haruka went to thank Minako for inviting them over but the blonde teen was deep in thought. "What's up?"

"Is there any way we could try using the shinigami's techniques?" Minako asked, looking at Ami. The rest of the group seemed surprised at the suggestion but Ami closed her eyes, trying to think it over.

"If we knew how the attacks were structured then I don't see why not," she said after several moments. "I'll run some simulations and see if it's possible." Ami smiled at her friend. "It's not like you think about the enemy's movements like this, Minako." Minako blinked several times, a bit lost as to what Ami meant.

"I think what Ami means to say is that you usually have no clue about these things," Rei translated and Ami blushed. "It's not a bad thing, it's just weird to see you thinking like this."

"Kenshin's probably rubbing off on me," she admitted bashfully. "He encourages us during tournaments to watch every match and try to predict how each fighter will move and what the appropriate counter would be." She smiled as her hand brushed past the hair pins he'd given her.

"So are you ever gonna ask him to be your boyfriend?" Rei asked, her mind finally off their Sailor duties. Makoto nodded and both stared intently at Minako who scooted back a little.

"Cuz if you don't ask him then I will," Makoto said matter-of-factly and Rei immediately started arguing with her.

"You're welcome to try but I don't think he'll go for it," Minako said and all eyes were on her. "I may have asked him hypothetically a while ago and he said that he'd turn us down because we're his friends. Dating any one of us would just complicate things."

"So you did ask him," Rei said but Minako reiterated that she hadn't, which was technically true. "Be that as it may you spend an awful lot of time with him."

"No more than the rest of you. Besides, we're in the Kendo Club together and he lives just down the street." She crossed her arms across her chest in a mild act of defiance. "Also, he's a nice guy and a lot of fun to hang out with. Why wouldn't I spend time with him?"

"And not invite us?" Usagi asked, playing the devil's advocate. "C'mon, Minako. It's obvious you like the guy. Just ask him out. Who knows, maybe he'll say 'yes' to you and not these two." Rei and Makoto turned on Usagi, causing the other girls to laugh.