Thanks to AmericanNidiot, IrishPrincess1987, Suzume Amai and Sakamaki Suzuku for favouriting and following! Thanks also to ruler of the ice dragons, Dayome-Chan Dragneel, jwadd2, TwinsMadness, IrishPrincess1987, Suzume Amai, Sakamaki Suzuku and Alicanto for favouriting and following!

I'm glad that the first chapter was enjoyable, I hope that continues!

Chapter 2: How It Started

Natsuki stared with wide eyes up at her best friend, the ghost of the past, who was leaning against the bars of her cell and smirking at her like she wasn't locked up. Like she hadn't been missing and believed to be dead for a century.

"Kirara...how is this...how are you here?" she finally managed to find her voice as Kirara just watched her.

"Well I was arrested by Captain Rich Boy and Lieutenant Pineapple, so..." she shrugged. Natsuki got to her feet and walked over, standing in front of her friend.

"Everyone said you'd died, you were gone," Natsuki took a step closer, before stopping as she saw the wariness flicker across Kirara's gaze. "What happened? Why'd you never come back? Why'd you never..."

"Doesn't really matter now. I'm dead either way," Kirara just shrugged and stepped back from the bars.

"But Kirara...I've missed you so much," Natsuki whispered. "I just want to know why-"

"You're not wearing your Lieutenant's badge any more," she stopped at Kirara's comment. "And you cut your hair. Why?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"I stepped down, became Fourth Seat," Natsuki told her, a little confused by her question. "And I had to cut my hair, it got caught in a sparring match a few years ago," she added.

"Huh. Okay," Kirara nodded, as if accepting this.

"Ren-Lieutenant Abarai said that you gave your powers to a human," Natsuki accused. Kirara leaned against the bars again, watching her. "Why would you do such a thing? It's forbidden, the punishment-"

"I gave my powers to Ichigo for one reason. His family were in danger, and he needed to protect them," Kirara told her firmly. The look in her eyes was one of determination, without a single hint of remorse. Natsuki opened her mouth to speak, but words failed her. "No, I don't regret it. After all," Kirara gave a small laugh as she straightened up. She moved back until she was against the wall, and slid to the ground. "I'm dead either way," she repeated.

"Kirara, please, tell me what happened back then. What happened that made you have to leave?" Natsuki pleaded with her. Kirara looked up, her eyes glittering in the dark again.

"It was nice to see you again Natsuki," her words made Natsuki jerk back as if struck, and tears burned at her eyes. Kirara just closed her eyes and yawned, letting her head fall back against the wall.

"But..."

"Hamasaki," she stopped, looking around as Captain Kuchiki walked into the room. His cold eyes were on her for a moment before moving to Kirara, who hadn't reacted at all to his arrival. "You were allowed five minutes. I was generous and allowed 7, but you need to leave now," he instructed.

"I..." Natsuki glanced at Kirara again, before sighing. "Yes sir," she bowed respectfully to the Sixth Division Captain, and left as her tears threatened to spill over.

"Kirara Yamada," as soon as she was gone, Byakuya turned to Kirara again. The dark haired ex-Lieutenant didn't respond. "Ignore me all you will, but we will get answers from you eventually," he told her, turning to leave.

"You might have everyone else fooled," he stopped at the door, looking around at Kirara, whose eyes were now open and trained on him. "But I remember you. A hot-headed, spoilt little rich boy," she told him.

"A century has passed since we last met. People change," he replied, but he had twitched at her words. "But I see you remain as disrespectful as ever," he added. The smallest of smirks tugged at Kirara's mouth.

"Earn it, and I'll show it," with that, she closed her eyes, and Byakuya left, ordering his men to keep guard and not speak with her. When the door slammed shut, Kirara took a ragged breath, and closed her eyes again.

"Fucking idiot," Kirara hissed, kicking a stone hard out of her way. It slammed into a street light, denting the metal with a loud clank. "Why the hell have I been taking orders from that dammed asshole?" Kirara demanded to no-one in particular.

'Kirara...who are you trying to fool? You've cared for that man for a long time, but the two of you have been too stubborn to do anything about it,' Kokoro no Kage was in no mood for her tantrum, it seemed.

"Maybe once, not anymore. Not after Sosuke did this," Kirara snapped back at him. "He had no right to talk to me like that," she shook her head.

'You are as bad as each other,' the Zanpakuto Spirit told her with a loud sigh. 'You will find no sympathy with me. Not when you're out sulking instead of facing him, and yourself,' he said firmly.

"How about you keep quiet then, old man?" Kirara was too wound up to listen to reason. Her hands were clenching and unclenching. She needed to fight something. Just where the hell were all the Hollows anyway?

She continued walking along, completely unseen by most around, having left her discarded Gigai behind when she'd stormed out of the warehouse. Kirara ran a hand through her hair, making it fall from the ponytail she kept it in, and shook her head again.

When she finally came to a stop, she looked around, at first unsure of where she was. Then her eyes settled on the emergency clinic nearby, and gave a small laugh. "Kurosaki, of course," she chuckled in amusement. In her aimless wandering, she'd been drawn to Ichigo's uncontrolled Reiatsu. She'd been watching him for a little while now, in school and out, wondering just what was with him. He seemed like a regular human, but his Reiatsu spilled out and could be sensed a mile off.

Leaping into the air, Kirara stood on the roof, looking up at the full moon in the sky. She frowned very slightly at the sight, and gave a sigh. "I hate this. I hate that we're always on the run. That we have to watch our backs all the time. I hate that we have to be so careful. I hate..." she trailed off, putting a hand to her chest. "Sosuke will pay for it all, one day," she vowed.

'And he will...you just need to be patient,' Kokoro no Kage told her, more gently this time.

"I know," Kirara sighed again, letting her hand drop to her side.

A shiver ran down her spine, and her eyes widened very slightly. As she looked around, the loud shriek of a Hollow echoed through the town. Drawing her Zanpakuto, Kirara braced herself, searching for the location of the Hollow. "Where are you..." she wondered, not able to get a lock on it. "Come on, it shouldn't be that hard...it's-" Kirara's eyes widened even more and she spun around, just in time for a clawed hand to slam into her. With a cry, Kirara was thrown from the roof, and slammed into a wall nearby, hard enough to break through it.

Coughing up blood, Kirara rolled onto her front, pushing herself up as rubble fell from her now dusty clothes. Everywhere hurt, and the Hollow was nowhere to be seen "Dammit," she hissed, scrambling to her feet and grabbing her Zanpakuto. "Where are you, you son of a bitch?" she called, jumping up onto the wall. Looking around, Kirara scanned for the Hollow again, ready to move at the slightest indication.

A scream shattered the silence that fell, and Kirara looked to the Kurosaki clinic as the front of the home exploded.

"Ichigo!" the Hollow laughed at the little girl's scream. He held her in his hand as another girl the same age lay at his feet, unable to move. "Help us, Ichigo!" the dark haired girl pleaded weakly for her brother. With a growl, Kirara leapt down, swinging her blade at the hand still holding the girl. The Hollow noticed her, and Kirara cursed, using Shunpo to dodge its attack.

"Bastard's fast," she hissed to herself, leaping down. Running in again, she managed to grab the girl on the ground, lifting her easily into her arms, and leapt away.

"Yuzu! Karin!" she looked around as Ichigo stumbled down. "What the-" he noticed Kirara standing there. "Kirara?" he recognised the girl from his class.

"Ichigo, stay back," Kirara warned him as she set his sister down against the wall. She'd passed out, and let out a soft moan as Kirara stood back up.

"What's going on?! What is that thing?" Ichigo demanded. Kirara sighed.

"It's called a Hollow. It seeks out spirits, particularly those with high Reiatsu. The same power that allows you to see spirits," she told him quickly, not taking her eyes off the Hollow.

"Wait, you know I can see ghosts?" Ichigo demanded.

"Look, Ichigo," Kirara lost patience. "That's hardly important when that girl, I'm guessing your sister, is in danger. Do you want to have a little chat, or do you want me to save her?" she demanded.

"Save her!" Ichigo yelled, his eyes back on his sister. Without another word, Kirara shot at the Hollow again and lashed out, but it moved, and Kirara's blade raked down its shoulder. With a curse, she leapt out of its reach.

"Why is this thing so fast? It's a damn common garden variety Hollow! It's Reiatsu ain't worth shit!" Kirara hissed, her eyes on Yuzu. "Something is wrong...something is really wrong," she muttered.

"Hey! Let my sister go, you son of a bitch!" she glanced to Ichigo, who was suddenly running at the Hollow. Having lost patience, he'd decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Dammit!" Kirara rushed at him, slamming into the orange-haired teen. She managed to dodge the clawed hand coming at them. "You can't just treat this like the thugs you fight! This is a monster, an evil spirit!" she shouted, and rushed at the Hollow again. This time she was ready for his attack, and cut up his arm. With a yell, she cut up, and Yuzu screamed as she was suddenly released and dropped. Kirara caught her, but as she went to move away, she caught a flash; a flicker of Reiatsu that she hadn't felt in a long time, but still knew like it was yesterday.

The searing pain was followed by force that threw Kirara several metres, and she barely managed to avoid landing on Yuzu. She whimpered, tears in her eyes from the pain and gasping for breath. "Shit...I can't..." she slumped back as the Hollow roared in pain, before coming for them.

"Yuzu! Kirara!" Ichigo ran over to them as Kirara slumped against a wall. The ground was slick with her blood.

"Ichigo...take your sisters and get the hell out of here," Kirara told him, and his brown eyes went wide.

"What? I can't..." Ichigo stared at her. "You're hurt! You can't fight that thing!" he told her. Kirara gave a small chuckle.

"Well that's rude..." she commented.

"What you said before...that thing is after me, isn't it?" Ichigo asked her slowly. Kirara paused, before nodding. "Please, let me help!" Ichigo pleaded with her. Kirara watched him for a moment more, before sighing.

"Okay," Kirara grabbed her Zanpakuto. "What I'm going to do, is a forbidden technique. But, hell, I'm a dead woman walking anyway. I'm going to transfer you a portion of my powers, which will allow you to destroy the Hollow," she explained.

"Do it," Ichigo nodded, and Kirara pointed her Zanpakuto at his chest.

"You're lucky I know how to do this Ichigo," she smirked. "Cause you're about to become a Shinigami."

"A what?" Ichigo frowned, but instead of responding, Kirara thrust her Zanpakuto forwards, and a bright light lit up the area, throwing the shrieking Hollow back.

There was a loud crack as Natsuki's fist met the wall, and pain made itself obvious, travelling up her arm. She whimpered, tears stinging at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

'That wasn't the smartest idea,' Tsuki no Usagi commented as Natsuki stepped back from the wall. She was quivering from pain and anger.

"I don't care. What I care about, is the fact that Kirara is alive, and won't talk to me!" Natsuki growled back. "I want to know what's going on!" she yelled furiously. "I need to hit something..." she looked around for some poor unsuspecting newbie.

"I think you've done enough of that," she looked around with a dark glare as Yumichika leaned against the wall, watching her. "I see the reunion went well," he commented.

"I'm not in the mood Yumi," Natsuki snapped at him.

"It went very well then," Yumichika said. Natsuki turned to him fully, the pain in her hand making her even more angry.

"I just said I'm not in the mood. Leave me alone," she told him furiously. When he made no attempt to move, she scoffed. "Fine. I'll leave then," Natsuki turned and went to storm off, but he grabbed her wrist before she could. "Let me go!" she twisted, throwing a punch that he easily caught.

"Anger makes you sloppy, remember?" he frowned, pushing her back. "And it's not very-"

"Beautiful to throw punches, whatever," Natsuki rolled her eyes.

"Was it her? Your friend?" Yumichika asked, ignoring her snide comment. Natsuki just nodded. "What happened?" he asked her.

"What do you care?" Natsuki snapped.

"I care when you're skipping meetings and leaving your work for me," Yumichika told her, irritated by her attitude. "What. Happened," he spoke slowly, forcing her over to the side to sit down. With a huff, Natsuki slumped to the ground.

"Kirara has always been very good at dodging what she doesn't want to talk about," Natsuki shrugged. "And apparently she is adamant that she does not want to talk about what happened back then," her voice quivered and the tears returned. "I went to bed early that night. I missed everything because of it," she glanced to Yumichika as he sat down beside her, producing a bottle of sake. "There'd been rumours of weird stuff happening in the Rukongai. Disappearances, people just vanishing, leaving nothing but clothes behind," she explained.

"I remember that," the fifth seat nodded, thinking back to his days before being a Shinigami.

"Captain Muguruma, and Lieutenant Kuna of Squad 9, they were sent out to find out what was going on. Lieutenant Sarugaki of Squad 12 was sent to help them out. Then, they disappeared too," Natsuki sighed. "An emergency meeting was called, and Kirara, with three Captains, and two other Lieutenants, were sent out to find out what was happening. They disappeared, and the Captains of Squad 2 and 12, with the Commander of the Kido Corps, went on the run, accused of killing them," she explained.

"Since your friend-"

"Kirara."

"Since she's alive, then the others must be as well, right?" Yumichika suggested.

"Yeah, but she won't talk to me about what happened," Natsuki huffed, shaking her head. "And from what I heard, she's talking even less with the others that have tried to talk to her. She gave her powers to that human kid...I don't think we'll ever find out what happened, and that just..." Natsuki stopped. "Yumi, I spent a century trying to accept that Kirara might be dead, and could never do it. Not when I never found out what happened. Now, she's alive, and I still don't know what happened," the ex-Lieutenant muttered.

"Be patient, Natsuki," Yumichika told her. "You'll find out. Just give it time. And maybe..." he downed the last of his drink and stood up. "Get your hand looked at," Yumichika finished.

"Fine," Natsuki rolled her eyes, finishing her own drink and getting to her feet. "You're just like my mother. Nag," she told him, but there was a playful smile showing that she wasn't being serious.

"And you're a handful. Can you please do some work?" Yumichika flicked his hair from his face as he walked off. Natsuki laughed quietly, looking down at her hand. The knuckles were red and swollen. She definitely needed to get it looked at.

"May as well go see Hana...wait..." Natsuki's eyes widened.

The bright light faded after a minute, and Kirara slumped forwards, exhausted. Her Zanpakuto clattered to the ground as her shaky hands were no longer strong enough to hold it.

"My...my power...I thought I was only giving him a little of my power...he's taken almost all of it," Kirara groaned, looking up slowly. Her eyes went wide, her heart beating fast as she stared at the black robes of a Shinigami. Ichigo's expression was determined, one of steely resolve as he hoisted a massive Zanpakuto over his shoulder. "That Zanpakuto, it's huge," Kirara stared at the teenager.

"Hey you," the Hollow looked over at Ichigo. "You messed with my sisters. You hurt my classmate. Because you wanted my power. Well..." Ichigo lifted the Zanpakuto from his shoulder. "Come get it!" he launched at the Hollow, who roared back at him.

"It's raw power...untrained and sloppy...but..." Kirara watched as Ichigo leapt into the air with a fierce roar. "It might just work," she whispered as he cut through the Hollow's hand, and sliced through its Mask, destroying it almost instantly. He landed as the Hollow disintegrated, turning into blue lights and fading into the night. For a moment, there was silence, with only their breathing to be heard. Then Ichigo turned to her, lowering his sword.

"Kirara...can you please explain what just happened?" he asked. "What was that...thing..." his Zanpakuto fell from his hand, and he swayed, falling face down onto the ground.

"I guess that's one way to finish a battle," Kirara laughed quietly, and groaned as it hurt. Hearing footsteps, she looked up, wondering just who was out at this time of night.

"Well Princess, you really know how to create a scene, don't you?" Shinji asked as he stepped into view, glancing at the destruction around her.

"Oh sure, now you show up..." Kirara grumbled. Pushing herself up, Kirara held onto the street light beside her and frowned as he walked over, looking at the unconscious teenager and his sisters lying around.

"Care to explain what's going on, and why you're covered in blood...again?" the lanky blond leader sighed. He walked over to her, seeing her struggling to remain standing, but as he stood in front of her and started to reach out, they heard footsteps, and looked around to see a familiar figure in green approach, his clogs clicking off the ground.

Kirara sensed visitors before the door opened, but she still made no attempt to move, nor open her eyes. Keeping to her spot on the ground, legs pulled in close, Kirara appeared asleep as the door opened.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from you, Lieutenant Pineapple?" she asked without moving.

"It ain't from me. Just making sure you don't go after the Squad 4 kid while he's doing janitorial duties," Renji replied, trying not to react to the nickname she'd given him.

"How sweet of you. Don't worry. I ain't like you Shinigami. I don't go around hurting people for the hell of it," Kirara just yawned and shifted to make herself more comfortable.

"Go ahead," Renji glanced to the black haired young man beside her.

"R-ri-right," he nodded, and slowly made his way over to the cell. Renji opened it and allowed him inside. He shot the prisoner a nervous look, but she didn't react at all as he stepped inside and began cleaning. Renji leaned against the wall, watching, but Kirara didn't move as the Squad 4 member cleaned around her. As he did, the Shinigami kept looking at Kirara, and after a while he noticed that while she didn't move, her entire body was tense, like a coiled spring. He froze for a moment, before realising. She wasn't preparing to attack him, she was bracing herself for an attack.

"You done?" Renji's voice made him jolt.

"Oh um...sure," he nodded, turning and hurrying over to the door. As Renji let him out and locked the door again, Kirara opened her eyes and watched the young Shinigami. He bowed respectfully to Renji, and dared to sneak a glance at Kirara again, pausing when he found her watching him. When he left, Renji stretched and went to leave as well.

"Lieutenant Abarai," he paused, looking around in surprise at Kirara to find her leaning against the bars. He hadn't even heard her move. "Who was that kid?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"Him?" Renji glanced to the door. "I think his name as Hanataro. Hanataro Yamada," he told her. Kirara's expression was blank, but she blinked at his words.

"I have a request," Renji snorted at her in disbelief, turning to face her properly. He towered over her, much taller in stature than the woman who had once caught him pickpocketing her. She'd seemed so much bigger back then.

"You have a request," he repeated in a drawl. "You're kidding, right? You're a prisoner, locked up for multiple reasons, and the only time you've spoken, is to antagonise us. Why should we-"

"If that kid is around again, don't tell him my name," he stopped at her request. "I'll tone down on the antagonising, but please, don't tell him my name," Renji stared at Kirara, whose gaze seemed earnest. There was something very different to her attitude from the moment they'd met.

"Why would you...hold up," his eyes lit up in realisation. "Kirara Yamada. You have the same last name. He's related to you?" Renji asked. Kirara sighed.

"Just please...don't tell him my name. The kid doesn't know I exist, and I'd prefer to keep it that way," Renji watched her for a moment, and gave a small nod. Kirara then stepped away from the the bars. "Thanks, Lieutenant Abarai," she slid to the ground, pulling her legs close and closing her eyes again. Renji watched her for a moment longer, before leaving her alone.

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