NOTE: As said in the note on the first chapter, this is the same Bleach universe (and trust me, you'll see why I say that soon) but in a different time period. In response to the fact that Byakuya is gone, you will also see why later. I've planned out quite a few of the next chapters and I'm coming up with more every day, so expect to see some interesting coincidences/developments from the actual Bleach to the Bleach in this fanfic.

Also, sorry for the delay, folks! I regret not finding the time to write another chapter, but I'll try to pump out one or two every week from now on. If I don't think I can get a chapter out during a week, I'll try my best to tell you.

Ayame didn't know what to think. This man, who could block bullets with a sword, catch punches powerful enough to destroy houses with his bare hands, just told her of something that she had never heard of once in her life. Shinigami... Death Gods...

Hikaru saw the look of utter confusion on Ayame's face. "Look," he whispered to her as he put his hand on her shoulder, "I know it's a lot to take in. But you'll have to believe me on this. That creature I just killed? It's called a Hollow. A lost soul that gave into despair and depression to become a spirit of hatred. Us Shinigami exist to dispatch them from this world so they don't threaten people like you."

Ayame shook his grip from her shoulder and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "People like me! What do you mean? Am I special, am I different? Why am I being dragged in to all of this?"

"Yes, you are special, in a way that I can't quite explain at the moment," he replied. Hikaru turned around and sheathed his sword. "Sheesh, I'm no good with these things. I'll just have to show you. Take my hand."

"...Why?"

"Just do it. Explaining why would only bring up more questions. Look at it this way; if you don't, you'll be stuck in nothingness for all of eternity. Let's leave it at that."

"And where are you taking me? Why should I trust you?"

"I didn't save you twice just to betray you, Ayame. As to where I'm taking you – you'll see when we get there."

"Why should I go with you, wherever our destination might be?"

"Well, for a first, I doubt you want more of those Hollows coming after you while you're unprotected."

Ayame sighed. He was right. She still didn't quite want to grab his hand, but did it anyway. Hikaru smiled. "Get ready. Don't let go of my hand, no matter what," he said. Ayame nodded.

He turned away and stuck out his other hand, palm forward. An old, wooden Japanese door appeared out of thin air and opened, revealing an entire path of white light. Ayame realized that she hadn't even begun to scratch the surface of the "Shinigami" by meeting Hikaru and the hollow. There was a lot to learn, and she wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to even know or be involved in any of it.

Hikaru stepped into the pathway of light, and Ayame followed. The door closed behind them, but not before a pitch black butterfly appeared at Hikaru's shoulder. It didn't seem all that trivial – after seeing all Hikaru could do and that hollow he mentioned, a black butterfly wasn't of much surprise to her. Then the entire world around them seem to twist and turn, heaving, as if being crunched down. In what seemed like an eternity, the pathway of light gradually transformed into a dark alleyway, with walls on both sides that were made of a strange purple goo that endlessly fell down into nothingness.

Hikaru explained, though Ayame was so dumbstruck that she could barely hear him. "This is the passageway that Shinigami use to get to the World of the Living," he elaborated, as Ayame stared at him as though he were speaking another language. "Earth, I mean. The World of the Living is the Shinigami term for Earth. Yeah, sorry about that. I still need to get used to this... anyway, this Hell butterfly," he continued, gesturing to the black butterfly nestled on his shoulder, "is the 'device' we use to bind us to this passageway. If a Shinigami doesn't have one a Hell butterfly side, they run the risk of being lost in a different dimension forever. That's why you have to keep hold of my hand, because my commander would rip my head off if he found out I lost you..."

Ayame didn't much care about Hikaru's head being ripped off at the moment, but she certainly cared about being lost in nothingness for eternity. She tightened her grip on Hikaru's hand until her knuckles turned white. Hikaru winced, but said nothing. He expected that kind of reaction after explaining such a thing.

"Now, enough talk. We need to hurry for reasons that I can't conceivably explain, because not even I fully understand them. Long story short, there's a – well, train, let's say – that comes through here. If you get caught by it, you're erased from existence. It's much more complicated than that, but there's the main jist. Now start running and don't let go of my hand no matter what."

Ayame did as she was told. She ran so fast that Hikaru had a hard time keeping up, and that's saying something, because he ran faster than anyone she'd ever known. Soon enough, they came across what looked like the end of the tunnel; light shone through an opening in front of them, clear as day. Ayame looked inquiringly at Hikaru, and he nodded. They slowly drew closer to the source of light, and finally stepped out...

The first thing Ayame saw in this new world was a tall, muscular man staring down at her. Hikaru then came through and immediately looked stern, controlled, and serious. "Sir!" he said in a solemn tone of voice. Sir? Ayame wondered. So this must be Hikaru's commanding officer...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the tall man in front of them speaking. He was dressed in a black kimono, and suddenly Ayame noticed that Hikaru and herself were as well. A katana hung down from the man's waist, just like Hikaru's, but there was something unusual about it. His katana seemed much larger than Hikaru's – not enough larger to be sheathed on the back – but large enough to notice the difference. And there was one other stunning feature that Ayame noticed as the man spoke, one that made him particularly unusual...

The man had orange hair.

"Good to see you made it back in once piece, Hikaru. I see you've done your job well. She's a bit bruised, but a well-performed mission, all-in-all." he said in a voice comparable to a typical eighteen-year-old's.

"Thank you, commander." Hikaru responded.

The man turned to Ayame. "Good to see that you're still in one piece, Ayame. Seems you're a bit... confused with everything happening around you. There is much to be explained, but all in due time. I imagine information from Hikaru alone has already left you reeling. Understandable. You should rest. Hikaru, take her to her quarters in the 6th Squad barracks. She looks like she needs rest and time to think."

If you were to give me all the time I wanted to rest and think about this, then you would be waiting for a year or so, Ayame thought to herself. The man was right, of course. Hikaru led her away, down a street lined with houses made of an odd stone. Hikaru's commander turned and stopped Hikaru before he could get too far away.

"A day should suffice," he told Hikaru. "Bring her here at this time tomorrow and we will see to an explanation of these events." Hikaru nodded and began to walk away, only to be stopped again. "One last thing, Hikaru."

"Yes?"

"I suppose an introduction is long overdue, Ayame. My name is Kurosaki Ichigo, Captain of the 1st Squad and leader of the Shinigami."