Holy crap, I was not expecting this story to be this popular. O.O

Anywho, a couple of you have asked me about Hariel in terms of HP vs Bleach timeline and how she could possible be as old as she is saying she is. Here's me answer:

Hariel is from an alternate dimension. She lived her life and then she died, but as the Master of Death, things went a bit different for her.

Here's how it works in my head: there are alternate universes and different planes of existence, etc, etc. and the one thing they all have in common is death. As the Master of Death, Hariel is able to travel between them because she now exists outside the cycle of souls that each dimension has. Occasionally, she can reenter the cycle (though these days she prefers not to - life is exhausting) and live a mortal life. She did this once in what would eventually become Bleach verse and had a family. Now she keeps tabs on her descendants while she wanders.

Hope this helps!

In the meantime, for this chapter, we're switching gears a bit. This takes place sometime before the Turn Back the Pendulum arc.

Sousuke found her in one of the courtyards.

The Fifth Division was practically empty at this time of day, most people having gone off to lunch. He had been running an errand and was only now returning and was entirely caught off guard by this stranger.

Her back was to him, though he could tell she was female. Wild black curls tumbled around her shoulders and down her back and she wore a silvery cloak that was made of a material he had never seen before. It didn't move like fabric, more like water, and it seemed to bend the light around it. He had never seen this woman before, neither in the Division or the Seireitei. He didn't recognize her from any of those he had seen from Rukongai either.

He narrowed his eyes before putting a pleasant smile on his face. "Excuse me, miss," he said as he approached.

The woman did not startle, did not stiffen, did not show the slightest hint of surprise at his sudden arrival. She merely turned her head ever so slightly to look at him with a single green, green eye before turning back to the lilies before her.

He'd have thought she dismissed him if not for the quiet word that drifted over to him.

"Yes?"

Her voice was soft, like a breeze rustling through the leaves.

"I do not think you are supposed to be here," he said, carefully crafted concern and wariness lacing his voice, though not all of the later was faked.

This woman was an unknown element he had never encountered before, had never seen hints of before. And for all that she looked harmless, she also looked out of place. She did not fit here or any other place he'd ever been and that put him on guard.

The woman hummed. "Is that so?" she asked, seeming completely disinterested in the fact that she was very much trespassing in the middle of the Seireitei, "Tell me, Aizen Sousuke, where is it that you think I should be?"

He straightened, letting the smile slip off his face and pulling up a look of bewilderment up instead. It was not entirely strange that she would know who he was - he was the lieutenant of the Fifth Division, and people of rank as high as his were often recognized on sight.

And yet.

"You seem to have me at a disadvantage," he said.

The woman turned to him, pinning him in place with her bright green eyes, a small smile pulling at her lips. He took note of her clothes - a plain red shirt and a pair of well worn pants - the make of which he had never seen before, not even in the World of the Living.

"So I do," she said and made absolutely no move to introduce herself.

"May I have your name?" he pried, refusing to become irritated over her non-answer.

"I have many names," she replied, tilting her head in such a fashion that suddenly made her look very much like a noble for all that her clothes were odd, "And I am not in the habit of giving them out to people who I let see me."

His brow furrowed. "...let see you?"

"I have walked passed you many times," she informed him, eyes intent, expression betraying nothing of her thoughts, "I have stood over your shoulder and watched you from a distance and not once have you seen me before this moment."

Sosuke froze a tightness rising in his chest that felt a little too much like fear. But it wasn't because this single woman would never be able to harm him, never be able to stop him and if she knew too much, it would be easy to dispatch her.

She turned back to the lilies, reaching out with one hand to cup one of the blossoms that was clearly dying. Absently, he noted the old ring on her finger – a simple gold band with a cracked black stone as its only decoration. He watched as the flower sprang back to life under her fingers, the color returning, the stem straightening, without the slightest fluctuation in her reiatsu. In fact, now that he thought about it, he could feel nothing from her, not even the slightest hint of presence and yet here she was before him.

"I was curious you see," she said, "How you would react. So far you've only tried to charm me. But I've known people who are much better at putting up such kind facades. I have to wonder, though, how long you plan to pretend."

Sosuke felt himself grow cold the longer she spoke. She knew. Without much thought, he drew his zanpakutou and sliced through her middle.

Or he would have, had his blade not passed through her harmlessly.

The woman clicked her tongue. "How rude," she said, turning to face him even as he took an involuntary step back, fighting down his surprise.

"What are you?" he asked warily, keeping his blade between them for all the good it would do him.

The woman smiled at him, soft and sad, something that looked alarmingly like pity flashing across her eyes. "You should try to find something to love, Aizen Sousuke," she said, "Find something to care about before you drown yourself."

Sousuke narrowed his eyes, letting some of his irritation surface. "I won't ask again, what are you?"

"Whatever I want to be," the woman replied promptly, "The question is, little one, what are you? What will you become if you stay as you are? What are you willing to become to get what you want? You might not like the answer."

He fought back the instinctive bristle at that. She looked younger than him and yet she called him "little one" as if he were a child. Spoke to him as if she knew better, as if she was above him. Stronger than him.

"There will always be someone stronger than you," she cut in as he opened his mouth, "Always. You are only ever born with one guarantee and you are trying to run from it. Be careful, child. Such a thing never ends well."

Souskue couldn't find any words. Anything he could think to say stayed lodged in his throat under this woman's bright gaze. She seemed unbothered by his lack of response, by him in general. As if he was insignificant in the grand scheme of things, a mere footnote that was easily over looked. She brushed a gentle finger over the restored lily's petals before stepping away and turning to leave.

"Wait," he called, taking a step after her but then stopping has she paused, turning to look at him over her shoulder.

He'd learned nothing from this encounter; he couldn't let this woman leave, not without gaining something from her.

She wouldn't give her name, had dodged or outright ignored every question he'd asked.

"What do I call you?" he asked finally.

The woman smiled, fond and sad and old and pitying. "You may call me Death."

Then she pulled up her hood and Sousuke could do nothing but stare as she vanished from his sight.

Oh, Sousuke. What are we going to do with you?

Until next time,

~Elri