Chapter 2

The Captains meeting room was dimly lit, much like it always was, with candlelit sconces dotting the walls at even intervals. The barred windows lined the upper part of the outside wall, providing a source of fresh air from outside as it was forced through by the breeze that all the captains were thankful for in the stuffy room.

Lined up in two rows that faced each other, the summoned captains stood and listened to what Byakuya had to say, his telling of the woman's volatile arrival and the experience of her spiritual pressure that nearly brought him down to a crumbled corpse. Many of their faces were adorned with looks of mild disbelief that even the great Byakuya Kuchiki had nearly succumbed to spiritual pressure when even the Head-Captain's wouldn't even phase him.

When he had finished speaking, the room fell silent, but it only lasted a moment before questions began to be asked.

"Where did she come from?" Asked Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, captain of the 13th division, from his usual spot at the end of the same row.

"I do not know, but if I were to guess, one of the outer districts, if not living on her own outside of them." Said Byakuya.

"Most of her injuries were received by... other means, but the wound on her head was clearly received from a Hollow. What is odd is that no alarm was sounded that a Hollow was even sighted in the area." Said Captain Retsu Unohana as she delicately adjusted the thick braid of black hair in front of her that hung over her neck and chest.

"Then it must have been from an outer establishment. One far from the Rukongai." Said Ukitake.

"I would agree. Perhaps it was this Hollow that sent her flying to crash land in Kuchiki's pond." Said Captain Shunsui Kyōraku out from underneath his straw hat that had been turned down to cover most of his rugged face.

"That's some hit. How is it she didn't die?" Asked Kenpachi Zaraki with a grumble from his thick throat.

"Unfortunately, all we can do at present is speculate." Byakuya said simply and with no expression across his face.

"Regardless of all our unanswered questions, we must stay vigilant in this matter. If this woman's spiritual pressure is as powerful as Captain Kuchiki claims, then it may bring down the Hollow that she faced. I want all squads to establish a watch rotation for the next several nights until we can restrain her spiritual pressure." Said Head-Captain Yamamoto, whom never once removed his only hand from the top of his gnarled cane.

"Yes, Head-Captain!" All the captain's said in unison.

"I will send a team to investigate the outer reaches. This Hollow must still be out there." Said Captain Soi-Fon, rocking forward on one foot to reveal herself from behind the massive Kenpachi's stature.

"No. It would be fruitless without any knowledge of where to look. Your men will stay put, Captain Soi-Fon." Head-Captain Yamamoto said just as soon as she had finished speaking.

"But, Head-Captain-" She tried, only to silence herself when the end of the wooden cane banged into the floor.

"I said no!" He boomed.

"Yes, Head-Captain." Is all she said, stepping back into place.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, you will develop a similar device to restrain her spiritual pressure in the same way you did for Captain Kenpachi Zaraki." The Head-Captain said.

"I will need to get an accurate reading of her spiritual pressure in order to do so. Perhaps this is a phenomenon that I can study and subsequently exploit for our gains." Answered the painted captain with his mane of blue hair and constant toothy grin.

"There will be no dissecting of this woman! Your task is to only produce a suitable inhibitor so as not to lure every Hollow from Hueco Mundo." Said Head-Captain Yamamoto with a stern scowl set within his wrinkled face.

"Hrmph. Very well. I suppose." Grumbled Captain Kurotsuchi, crossing his lanky arms.

"I will, however, allow for a measurement of her spiritual pressure to be carried out immediately." The Head-Captain added.

"I will have the woman brought to the Department of Research and Development as soon as we break, Head-Captain." Said Captain Unohana with a slight bow of her head.

"Very well. Dismissed!"

As the captains turned to leave the stuffy room, Byakuya broke from his usual wordless retreat and approached Captain Unohana, whom was already surrounded by several others.

"I would like to accompany you, Captain Unohana." Byakuya interjected as he came to stand next to Captain Ukitake.

"I was about to request you do so, Captain Kuchiki. As you are the only one of us with first hand experience with her spiritual pressure." She said, her deceivingly delicate hands clasped in front of her.

"What was it like? Her spiritual pressure, I mean." Asked Captain Ukitake, his voice deep, hoarse even, from the most recent bout with his illness only days before.

"Crushing. It felt like I was forced to hold up the entirety of existence on my back. Nothing I could do would allow me to breathe and the only course of action I could take was to shield myself with my own. Even then, I could still feel the weight of it." Said Byakuya, his shoulders rolled back to bring him to his full height, which was slightly shorter than Captain Ukitake's.

"That's immense pressure." Captain Kyōraku gasped, having finally tilted his straw hat back to reveal his middle aged features and trademarked lock of brown wavy hair that dove down in front of his face.

"I will admit that I am intrigued." Byakuya admitted.

"As am I. I would like to accompany you with this woman. A friendly face will probably come in handy should she wake during the measurement process." Ukitake said, resting a thin hand over his chest from the lingering ache.

"I agree, Jūshirō. Where Captain Kurotsuchi's mind is brilliant, albeit mysterious, he does not invoke feelings of comfort." Unohana said with a visible shutter that made the tiny wisps of hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Well, if you're going, Jūshirō, so am I." Said Kyōraku with a tip of his hat.

"Wonderful. The more friendly faces, the better. I sense she will wake soon."

The group of four captains headed for the medical facility where the woman remained, still sleeping, under guard, in the same room she had been placed.

The wound on her forehead had been treated and wrapped with white bandages, clumping her dirty bangs around her face and the dirt from her scuffed cheeks had been wiped clean. Her hands, that had been scuffed with scratches, had also been wrapped with soft bandages, along with her right elbow from the apparent beating she had taken from whatever had thrown her the distance into Byakuya's pond. He was not under any delusions that all her injuries were a result of the mystery Hollow, as he was sure her landing had produced more, caused by the stone pebbles that littered the bottom of the pond. Despite being smooth and water-worn, they could still scratch at delicate skin.

With the woman resting comfortably on a rolling bed and covered by a thin sheet that was held at each corner by a captain to protect her from the sun, they made their way to the industrial looking tower of the Department of Research and Development where all were positive that Mayuri Kurotsuchi was impatiently awaiting their arrival.

They were right.

"It's about time. The Reiryoku Detection Chamber has been ready for ages." Mayuri complained as the group entered the dark laboratory.

Byakuya's eyes briefly narrowed, as the captain of Squad 12 always managed to grate against his nerves. Even steel could be scuffed.

"I would've figured patience was one of your virtues, Mayuri. It can't be a quick process to put all that make-up on every morning." Kyōraku quipped with his mouth taking on a crooked and pleased smirk at the jab that visible irritated the scientist captain.

"Nemu!" Mayuri barked of his right hand, a petite pretty looking thing that managed to put up with his constant abuse.

She went to a large rounded and glass walled chamber with a collection of heavy cables rising out of its top, only to disappear into the dark of the ceiling that could not be seen. With little effort, she opened the glass door, swinging it outwards, and motioned for the woman to be brought inside.

Releasing a sigh that was laced with the air of uneasiness, Unohana took the rolling bed from the squad member that had accompanied them, and wheeled the woman into the center.

"Good. Now get out." Kurotsuchi hissed, his typical, vial demeanor taking over with is eagerness to continue.

With the door closed, the captain went to a bank of consoles along the right side of the glass chamber. His thin, boney fingers worked the controls with ease, ordering the machine to hum with a low tone that all could feel in the sole's of their feet. The chamber glowed with a subtle blue, illuminating their faces from the dark of the mad scientist's lab and it was in this light, that Byakuya noticed the angry sneer that covered that very scientist's painted face.

"What is it?" He asked, never once removing his eyes from the captain.

"There's barely even a blip! This girl has very little spiritual pressure!" Kurotsuchi snarled as he clenched his fists into unthreatening balls on the consoles.

"It reacts defensively. Your only detecting what is leaking." Byakuya said with the barest of nervous pangs in his stomach at the thought of just what the man would do to invoke such a response.

"Oh? Well then. This shall do it." Kurotsuchi snickered.

It was that very snicker that caused the nervous pang to roll, forcing Byakuya to intake a long, chest filling breath simply to cover it up. All the present captains seemed to agree with his feeling, as all of them followed suit in taking in their own breaths as they watched and waited.

His snicker continuing, Kurotsuchi commanded the chamber to do his bidding, as a flash of white energy snapped inside, crackling in the air like a bolt of lightning that had just broken free of its cloudy prison. The energy flicked against the woman with a hard crack, licking at the exposed portion of her thigh below her tattered clothes.

The energy had done the trick, as the woman's body erupted into angry tendrils of lavender that snapped and whipped in every direction in order to defend her from the encroaching energy at Kurotsuchi's command.

"Yes! There it is! Now lets measure just how much you have." He cackled as he continued his work.

The machine began to whine and hum, a sound that echoed in their heads as if they had been standing inside the world's largest bell the moment it was struck. It was unpleasant to say the least, but in the blue and lavender tinted light, the shock that had replaced Kurotsuchi's expression of excitement was strong enough to catch all of their attentions.

"What is it, Mayuri?" Asked Kyōraku, taking the chance to go and stand next to the scientist to take a look for himself.

"This can't be! Her levels are rising! She's already surpassed Captain Kuchiki!" Kurotsuchi gasped, his voice strained with shock and with eyes that never left the screens, let alone blinked.

"He's right. Her levels are approaching Zaraki's without the eyepatch and fast. At this rate... She could reach Old Man Yama's... Maybe even surpass it." Kyōraku said, looking at the others with concern clear in his expressive brown eyes.

"No wonder she was attacked by a Hollow. She's a lure to them without proper training." Ukitake said with eyes locked on the chamber that was becoming too bright to look at.

"Her spiritual pressure was entirely shielded until I touched her. I sensed nothing until then." Byakuya said simply.

"Self taught, or did someone teach her?" Ukitake asked.

"Only she can answer that."

Silence fell once more as the machine's whirring hum leveled out to a gentle rumble that could no longer be felt under their feet. The blue and lavender light faded until only the lavender remained, an aura surrounding the woman in its attempt to protect her from the snaps of violent energy.

However, this aura, this lavender shield refused to go away, not wanting to withdraw out of the shared fear that more fingers of energy would reach out for her like desperate hands.

"What's wrong. Why won't she calm?" Ukitake asked, his concern distinguished in his features.

"She still feels threatened." Byakuya said quietly, his eyes never faltering from watching her.

Unsure of what to do, the captains stood in silence and watched, waited, for the aura to calm, but it never wavered, even when the woman began to stir.

Her movements were barely noticeable at first, only her fingers twitching, but soon, her head lolled to the side to face them. Her brow crinkled in discomfort, squeezing her eyes shut until her lids finally relinquished the treasure hidden behind their pale curtains. Bright vibrant gold stared back at them through the lavender aura, her uncertainty and fear clear within their borders. They widened as she set her eyes on her audience, all of them, and they especially took concern with the painted face that stared back with grinning teeth of gold and mane of blue.

Her fear taking hold, she jumped to her feet, backing way from them until she could go no further, slidding down the glass to cower and hoping the act would hide her from the many sets of eyes.

"She's terrified." Ukitake whispered, taking a step forward towards the glass door, where he knelt down to her level with nothing but kindness on his face.

"Be careful, Jūshirō. With these levels, she could cause irreparable harm to you." Kyōraku warned, having come to stand with Byakuya and Unohana to watch what unfolded.

"We won't hurt you. It's alright." Ukitake said quietly, his voice airy and soothing.

The woman quivered in fear against the glass behind her back, her golden eyes rapidly shifting to each captain before starting their rotation anew.

"My name is Jūshirō Ukitake. What's yours?" He asked, softly placing a hand on the glass door with an open palm.

The woman bit her chapped bottom lip, but the fear that had taken hold seemed to ebb along with her lavender aura.

"N-Nyruki... Nyruki Sawada." She said, her slightly deeper voice echoing within the glass chamber.

"We won't hurt you, Nyruki. We're only here to help." He said. Maintaining the kindness was second nature to him.

"What's going on? Where am I?" She asked, eyes never once losing track of any of the captains looking back at her.

"You're in the Department of Research and Development. We were measuring your spiritual pressure." Kyōraku said, copying the same kindness exhibited by his best friend.

"It's high, huh?" Nyruki asked, seemingly as if she already knew.

"Very. What happened to you? Do you remember?" Ukitake asked, never moving from his spot.

"I... I was... I was attacked." She said, cowering even further back into the glass as if it would help.

"By a Hollow?" Byakuya asked.

Nyruki nodded, "Yes. A big one... I think. I never actually saw it, I only sensed it. I-I thought I had masked myself, but I guess it wasn't good enough."

"So you know how to control your spiritual pressure?" Ukitake asked.

Again, Nyruki nodded, "Yes. My father taught me when I was younger."

"Who is your father?" Ukitake asked as soon as she stopped speaking.

"I don't know his name. To me, he was Father." She said, finally settling her shifting eyes on Ukitake.

"Did you reside in the Rukongai?" Asked Byakuya, taking a step forward towards the chamber.

"No. Father said it was too dangerous, so we left to live on our own when I was a teenager." Nyruki said, wrapping her arms around her knees to hold them to her chest.

"Can you describe the attack?" Kyōraku asked as he grasped his forearms in his sleeves to hide his hands.

Nyruki couldn't look at anything them as she spoke.

"I... I remember I was... um... walking through the forest not far from the cave when I sensed it was near. It was so sudden that I didn't even have time to really think before I ran. That's the last I remember. I was knocked out." Nyruki said as a heavy sheen built over her golden eyes.

"That Hollow must have hit you with some serious force because you ended up landing in his koi pond in the middle of the Seireitei." Kyōraku said with an amused grin across his lips as he pointed a thumb at Byakuya.

"Oh... I-I'm sorry! I-I can't pay for them, but I can work! I'm a real good worker!" The woman spat out as fast as her tongue would allow.

She was silenced when Byakuya raised a hand and shook his head once.

"Nothing that cannot be replaced." He said evenly, lowering his hand back behind his back.

Kyōraku leaned to his left, bringing his shoulder in contact with the noble's, "How old do you think she is? She's no child."

"If I were to guess, I would say she is around 200 years old." Byakuya said with a single nod.

"Come here. I promise, you are not in any danger." Ukitake urged, fully sitting down on the floor and keeping his palm on the glass.

With another bite of her bottom lip, Nyruki hesitated for a few moments before she scooted along the floor, coming to lean against the glass in front of him. She rested her shoulder against it, hesitating more, as if waiting to see what would happened, but inevitably, she raised her palm and rested it over his with the glass between them.

"Can you calm yourself? Can you rein in your pressure?" Ukitake asked, his voice even lower than normal.

"Yes."

Nyruki closed her eyes and evened her breathing as her fear had begun to fade because of the kind face in front of her. It didn't take long before the lavender aura calmed, becoming more and more subtle until it entirely retreated back into her body. Her success was even confirmed when the consoles beeped that her levels had decreased.

"Good. You did very well, Nyruki." Ukitake said with a small comforting smile.

"Thank you." She returned the smile.

"Your levels are incredible! I would love to perform more tests for my databanks!" Kurotsuchi suddenly boomed from the consoles, his fear inducing grin spreading across his painted face.

The thin layer of air surrounding Nyruki's skin began to glow again with a barely visible hue of lavender, "Stay away from me!"

"Calm down, Nyruki. Your tests are done. There will be no more." Ukitake said as he rose to his feet, blocking the door from the approaching scientist.

"What? You can't be serious! She's too valuable!" Kurotsuchi scowled as his thin fingers curled out of frustration.

"There will be no more, Captain Kurotsuchi. Your only remaining purpose is to develop an inhibitor to suppress a large amount of her spiritual pressure." Byakuya interrupted, sending a stone faced glare towards his fellow captain.

With unintelligible grumbles, Mayuri Kurotsuchi simply turned to his consoles, seemingly unwilling to bicker with the captain of the 6th Division.

"Fine. I'll begin immediately." He grumbled lowly.

Ukitake sent Byakuya a silent and thankful nod before he crouched once more to look Nyruki in the eye as he spoke.

"Come on. Lets get you out of here." He smiled.

"Yes please."