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Chapter 9: Changes

'Do you feel it, Kirara?'

"Have I ever told you about specifying, old man?" Kirara asked her Zanpakuto when he spoke quietly, almost a whisper, as Kirara walked through one of the farther out districts. She was sorting notes, slipping them into her small bag she carried when working. The Spirit hummed as Kirara walked out of a small shop where she had purchased sweets from.

'I mean the unrest. Surely you can feel it in the air,' Kokoro no Kage spoke after a moment, and Kirara's amused smirk faded.

"I can," she confirmed in a quiet voice. It had been niggling in the back of her mind for a little while now. "Do you know what it is?" Kirara asked curiously.

'I do not,' Kokoro no Kage responded just as quietly as she had spoken. Kirara could hear the worry in his voice. 'Whatever is going on, be careful, Kirara,' he warned her.

"Aren't I always?" Kirara asked with a grin. Kokoro no Kage hummed in irritation. If there was one word that did not define Kirara, it was careful. "I suppose there's always one perk to coming here, the sweets are amazing," Kirara sighed happily as she made her way through them.

Still searching for the possible deserters who had attacked one of her own men in a district not far from where she currently was, Kirara was not about to give up. Slowly but surely, she was starting to get information, even if she had been a bit distracted as of late with Urahara becoming a Captain. Hiyori was still demanding that she take him back, but had at least stopped chasing Kirara around the Seireitei.

Hearing a loud crash, Kirara was snapped from her thoughts. She stopped, looking around as her first thought was a potential Hollow attack. However, she detected no sign of the Reiatsu of a Hollow, so relaxed very slightly as her hand dropped back to her side. She continued to look around for the cause of the commotion, before hearing loud swearing and finally narrowing in on what the problem was.

A young man was on the ground, being beaten by at least ten thugs who didn't hesitate in kicking him and beating him with their fists, feet and wooden swords. "I shouldn't get involved..." Kirara muttered as she watched others edge away as quickly as they could without attracting attention. "I shouldn't. This happens all the time..." she muttered to herself. She was well aware of how dangerous the area she was in could be. Fights were always breaking out. "Ah, shit," Kirara hissed, walking over. "Uh, excuse me?" she called over the noise.

"Fuck off, bitch!" one man yelled over his shoulder. Kirara sighed, trying not to get angry at his words. Instead, she tapped his shoulder, and with a snarl, he spun around to turn his wrath on her. The moment he saw her robes and the Zanpakuto that stuck out over her shoulder, he stopped dead. Kirara didn't need to speak. Instead, she folded her arms, leaning slightly to one side as she raised an eyebrow.

"Shit, she's a Shinigami!" another had stopped to see what the problem was.

"Forget that man, she's a damn Lieutenant! I'm outta here!" the first yelped. The crowd scattered, leaving the man who was on the ground groaning by Kirara's feet. She looked down, but made no attempt to help him. He was covered in injuries and blood, but was still able to move fine.

"I didn't need your damn help!" he spat at her feet, pushing himself to his feet. He swayed, unsteady, as he looked down at the much shorter young woman with a glare.

"I'm very aware of that," Kirara's voice was flat as she surveyed the man, whose head was completely shaven. "I think you'll find those men left of their own accord the moment they realised who I am," she told him, and his eyes travelled to her Lieutenant's badge. His eyes widened in shock. "Your wounds are superficial. I imagine you'll survive to get into another fight shortly after I leave," she straightened up, and turned away.

"Why?" he spat, making her stop and look over her shoulder with a bored expression.

"Because unfair fights don't do it for me. You shouldn't rely on outnumbering an opponent who outmatches you," Kirara looked away. "If you have to resort to something like that, you shouldn't bother fighting at all," he stared at her as she walked away. She paused for a moment, her eyes wide as she saw a fallen Zanpakuto on the ground. The man staggered over, snatching it up and shooting her a suspicious glare before limping off.

'Interesting...he has his own Zanpakuto...' Kokoro no Kage mused aloud as Kirara watched him leave.

"Interesting is right," Kirara agreed, before starting to walk again. "The Soul Society is filled with curious people," she chuckled, leaving the stranger behind as she continued on with her work.

"Any luck on your search?" Rose asked as he and Kirara walked through the Seireitei. After her encounter with the stranger with the Zanpakuto, Kirara had bumped into the Captain of Squad 3, and they had decided to walk back together.

"A little. But still no name," Kirara sighed heavily, scratching her head and messing up her hair. "Even with help from the Detention Unit, I can't track these guys down," she grumbled irritably.

"Ah yes, the Detention Unit. Captain Urahara was the Commander for them before his promotion, wasn't he?" Rose remembered, and Kirara nodded. "I wonder how he's doing with Hiyori," the blond man wondered as they turned a corner.

"Well, I think she's warming up to him," Kirara nodded.

"Oh?" Rose blinked down at her, looking surprised. "What makes you say that?" he asked curiously.

"She's stopped chasing me around the Seireitei demanding that I take him back," Kirara sighed, and Rose laughed. "I'm serious, she chased me for hours on the day of the Captain's Ceremony. And on a hangover as well," she complained. Rose continued to laugh quietly in amusement. Almost everyone was aware at this stage that Hiyori wasn't happy with her new Captain.

"She'll settle down and accept it eventually. She just needs time to adjust," Rose told her.

"I hope you're right. And that she doesn't just kill him instead," Kirara muttered, but was smiling a little as Rose's laughter won her over. "Or me..." she considered.

"Well, you haven't killed Shinji yet, so I think she'll be fine," Rose grinned, and Kirara rolled her eyes, giving a mocking laugh. Rose just smiled back, and Kirara elbowed him with a sigh. "I think we're all surprised about that," he continued.

"Rose why..." Kirara groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Am I going to have to tell Lieutenant Iba that you're skipping out on paperwork to go listen to that street performer in the Rukongai?" she looked up at him, and Rose's smile fell.

"How could you be so mean?" he asked, and Kirara's grin returned.

"Hey, if you're going to be like that, so will I," she shrugged. "Two can play this game," Kirara winked, giggling as Rose sighed. His eyes lifted when he noticed someone walking past, and gave a small smile.

"Oh...speak of the devil," he nudged Kirara, and she followed his gaze to where Shinji was walking past with Aizen.

"Oh?" Aizen stopped, noticing them. Shinji stopped as well, frowning as he glanced at the pair out of the corner of his eye. The laughter hadn't fully died from Kirara's face when she'd noticed them, but she had gone rigid. "Good afternoon," Aizen bowed respectfully to the pair as Kirara blinked multiple times, her mind going back to what had happened a week ago.

"Come on Sosuke, let's get-" Shinji was cut off, letting out a shriek of pain when a foot slammed into his head, throwing him across the open grounds. Both Rose and Aizen stared in alarm as Kirara landed, and took off running. "What...what the hell?!" Shinji yelled as he clutched his head.

"Maybe I was a little early in commenting that she hadn't killed him yet," Rose mused to himself. He watched Kirara run off, and tilted his head slightly. He wasn't sure if he'd been imagining it, but he could have sworn he'd seen her...blushing. Aizen watched the young woman disappear as well, before glancing down at his Captain, who also had his grey eyes on her.

"Dammit...dammit..." Kirara cursed as she raced back to the Squad 2 barracks. "Why was I so damn stupid?" she groaned as she finally stopped in the grounds of her division.

'Kirara-'

"Please don't..." Kirara stopped the Spirit before he could talk. "Just please...leave me alone," she sank to the ground and pulled her legs up and in close, trying to stop her heart from pounding painfully against her chest as tears stung at her eyes. Kokoro no Kage sighed, but for once did as she asked, and fell silent, leaving Kirara alone. "What is going on? Why am I getting like this? After what happened..." Kirara took in shaky breaths, hiding alone in a secluded spot.

Kirara wasn't sure how long she was there, hidden away from everyone as she stared up at the sky. Lying on her back, she used her arms as a pillow as she wondered just what was going on in her head. Nothing was making sense to her anymore.

She was finally snapped from her thoughts as she picked up two familiar Reiatsu signatures. Blinking, Kirara sat up, her hair falling into her face as she frowned.

"Kisuke? What's he doing here?" she wondered curiously. Pushing herself to her feet, Kirara brushed her skirt down and began to walk towards the entrance to the barracks.

"I said I don't wanna!" she heard Hiyori's childish yell before she saw her, emerging from the bushes in front of Urahara and Hiyori. The new Captain of Squad 12 had Hiyori by the scruff of her robes, dragging her along.

"Kirara, what a surprise," Urahara smiled at her when he saw her.

"What brings you back here, Captain Urahara?" Kirara smiled at him as if she hadn't been hiding in the bushes having a mental crisis.

"Please Kirara, call me Kisuke, neither of us care about the formalities," Urahara chuckled, and Kirara's smile widened.

"Okay, Kisuke," she chuckled. "Good afternoon Hiyori, I see you're doing well," she smiled.

"Shut up. I still say you should take this idiot back," Hiyori huffed. Urahara's smile widened as Kirara rolled her eyes in amusement.

"You sleeping out here again?" the Captain asked in amusement. Kirara blinked in confusion.

"Not this time, no. Why?" she asked, curious as to why he would ask such a strange question. Urahara chuckled.

"You've got leaves in your hair again," he pointed out. Kirara blushed as she reached up and pulled a leaf from her hair. She tossed it aside, and let her hair down to try and get the rest out.

"So what business have you here?" she asked with a teasing smile as she did this.

"We're here to visit the Maggot's Nest," Urahara told her, and Kirara's smile instantly dropped, her hands stopping.

"The Maggot's Nest?!" she stared at him, and Urahara nodded, his smile not faltering. "Uh, I know that Hiyori's not exactly been the most gentle of people, but the Maggot's Nest? That's a bit far, don't you think?" she asked, her smile returning as she recovered from the surprise.

"Funny, Kirara," Urahara shook his head as they continued walking, and Urahara finally released Hiyori, who did not hesitate to punch him for dragging her into the Squad 2 barracks.

"All jokes aside, why are you going there? You're not in charge of the Detention Unit anymore," she reminded him.

"I know. I'm here for a particular person who can help me with the plans I have for Squad 12," Urahara explained, his smile not wavering. Kirara stopped, and the two looked around at her.

"Please tell me it's not..." she groaned when she saw his expression. "You're absolutely insane. I helped get you info on that guy!" she ran a hand through her hair.

"Who are we here for?" Hiyori asked, looking up at the two curiously.

"Well...it's your Squad. And your funeral," Kirara scoffed as she stepped backwards. "I'll leave you to it. Enjoy your visit Hiyori," Kirara gave a dark laugh, and turned, walking away. Hiyori stared after her with wide eyes, wondering just what sort of place her new Captain was taking her to.

'Do you really think that was necessary, Kirara?' Kokoro no Kage asked as Kirara smirked.

"She deserves it after the hell she's put me through this week," she replied, unapologetic. "But in fairness, if Kisuke is really bailing out that crazy bastard, she's going to need to be worried. I don't trust him as far as I could throw him," she muttered.

'Perhaps Captain Urahara knows what he is doing?' the Zanpakuto Spirit suggested. Kirara snorted.

"Of course he knows what he's doing," she retorted as she left her Barracks and began to walk again. She wasn't entirely sure of where she was going, but she just kept going. "But whether or not it makes sense to anyone else, in either the short or the long run, is anyone's guess," she sighed as she continued to rake leaves from her hair. Kokoro no Kage hummed, but didn't speak again as Kirara focused on getting everything from her hair.

"You know, it's quite remarkable," Rose commented as Kirara sat in his office, having found herself visiting before she'd realised it. Not that Rose minded. He appreciated having someone to speak to who didn't call him an idiot and bark at him to go back to work.

"What is?" Kirara asked as she watched him strum the guitar he had had smuggled in from the World of the Living.

"How many leaves you still have in your hair," he glanced up as Kirara removed a twig that had been snagged. "Were you rolling around out there?" Rose asked in amusement.

"No! I was just lying there, looking at the sky," Kirara went red as she looked at the small pile of leaves.

"Were you lying in a pile of leaves?" Rose asked, his smile growing.

"Oh shut up," Kirara muttered, throwing the twig at him. He moved his head and it missed, hitting the wall. He blinked, as if he hadn't expected it. "I think that's all of them now..." she sighed, running her hands through her long hair as she considered getting it cut shorter. She couldn't remember the last time she'd cut it, and it was starting to become a little unmanageable. "What's that music?" Kirara asked, snapping back to attention when she heard the melody Rose played.

"Something I heard in the World of the Living. The music there is always changing, it's fascinating," Rose replied, strumming another chord as Kirara sat cross-legged on the sofa in the office. She watched, her eyes wide in a childish awe as she listened intently. Happy to have an audience, Rose continued to play as Kirara retied her hair back up out of the way.

The two sat in silence for a while, just listening to the music Rose played on his guitar. Kirara didn't move, her hands resting on her ankles as she watched him play. His music was almost hypnotic, and different from what Kirara had heard before.

"What's with the music?" they both looked up in surprise as Shinji stood in the doorway, his arms folded.

"You can't really talk, you've always got music playing in your office," Rose replied as Kirara frowned at the interruption.

"Yes but nothing like that," Shinji replied. "Though it seems to be appeasing the Princess, so it must be good," he gestured to Kirara, who scowled.

"Don't call me that, Captain Dickhead," Kirara growled at him. Shinji just turned his grey eyes on her, looking bored.

"What, not gonna kick me again when I'm not looking and run off again?" he asked, making her stiffen. Rose sighed heavily as he just turned away and continued to play his guitar.

"I will if I have to," Kirara warned him as he stepped into the office, looking bored.

"I doubt you could, the only reason you hit me was because you had the element of surprise. It won't happen aga-" there was a loud crash before he could finish his words. Rose glanced around, blinking several times as the two wrestled on the ground furiously. "Hey! Let go-ow!" Shinji yelped as she pulled at his hair.

"Asshole!" Kirara yelled.

"Brat!"

"Pervert!"

"That was an accident dammit!" Rose sighed heavily as they squabbled loudly. "Let go!" Shinji yelled, and Kirara let out a loud wail as he pulled at her ears.

"You let go!" she yelled back, tugging harder on his hair.

"What is all this commotion?!" the pair froze as even Rose looked alarmed as another voice echoed out.

"Lieutenant Iba..." Kirara breathed in horror, hearing footsteps storming towards them. "I'm outta here!" Kirara made a break for it, as did Shinji, leaving Rose to the wrath of his Lieutenant.

"Disrupting the peace...playing that blasted instrument again...neglecting your paperwork!" the fierce woman's words echoed out to where Kirara was hiding, peeking out as she listened.

"Oh, she is one scary lady," Kirara shivered.

"I'll say," she frowned as Shinji leaned over her.

"Get off me!" she hissed at him.

"I'm not on you!" Shinji hissed back.

"Well can you at least figure out the meaning of personal space?" Kirara demanded, looking around to see him very close. "Pervert..." she muttered.

"That was an accident! You ran into me!" he groaned in irritation. He should have known Kirara would be angry about it. Hiyori on her tail had been the only reason she hadn't beaten him senseless. "Maybe if you'd been a little more observant of where you were running..." Shinji muttered, and cried out as Kirara grabbed his hair again, yanking. "Let go! If you pull any out you'll regret it!" he warned her as he grabbed her ears.

"That hurts! Let me go!" Kirara flinched in his grasp.

"So does that!" Shinji yelled as she yanked his hair again.

"For the love of...who is causing this ruckus?!" they froze again as they heard Lieutenant Iba's angry voice. The two looked at each other, and let go instantly, fleeing from the furious Lieutenant.

Seems Kirara has even more reasons to fight with Shinji now...

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