A Reflection of a Soul: Lieutenant Kazuko Tsukumo is shocked to learn that her friend and subordinate Rukia has gone missing in the human realm on what should have been an easy, routine mission of hollow termination. When sent to find her, Kazuko follows an unexpected trail and runs into a familiar face from her distant childhood that she never expected to see again which awakens long forgotten memories of childish worries and struggles that bleed into the present.

Rating: Rated M. This is gonna get dark the longer it goes.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach, I am just borrowing the characters and plot for a time.

Author's Note: Here we go with chapter 2! I hope you enjoy~

Chapter 2: Enter Karakura

"Wow, the world has changed…" Kazuko breathed, standing on top of a tall, sleek building, looking around the busy, human town of Karakura. The sun was beginning to set in the distance. It had been many years since she had last been to the human realm, back before she was a lieutenant and part of squad 13. It was most common to send unseated shinigami to take care of hallows, as anyone with a higher ranking reiatsu could have an effect on the humans. "Now, where could Rukia be?" She muttered, closing her blue eyes as she concentrated on feeling out and separating the spiritual energy around her.

There was a remarkably high amount of energy for a human town. She felt a few small echos of hollow energy scattered about, as was to be expected, but she also felt a couple pinpoints of stronger, more focused reiatsu. Hmmm, several dropped off, as if sensing someone was looking. She ignored them, as they did not feel like her fellow squad member's spiritual power. She would have to remember to write them into her report for investigation at a later date. I…don't feel her presence. There would still be residual energy hanging about if she was in a battle or-or, Kazuko opened her eyes, biting her bottom lip, frustrated at the lack of results and answers she could detect.

"I guess I'll go take care of some of the hallows while I continue to search." She took a step off of the roof, focusing and stepping through the air to where she felt a few of the low, sinister energy.

Moments later, Kazuko arrived behind a deformed figure of a hollow that was crawling towards a spirit of a child on four, stubby legs. The child was crying, scared and confused. She drew her sword, reciting "Hado 19," causing a blue flame to engulf the otherwise useless blade in its sealed form. Her zanpakuto was a sakabato, meaning the sword had no conventional edge to cut with unless she reversed her hold, something she saw no point in doing with weaker hollows.

The hollow opened its oversized mouth behind its white mask, ready to scream and attack, when Kazuko stepped forward quickly, slicing the hollows mask down the middle without a problem. The hollow fell into two pieces, blue flame spreading and burning the hollow as it faded.

"W-Who are you?" The spirit of the child asked, cowering against a fence with tears falling down pale cheeks. Kazuko smiled gently at the girl, walking closer as she resheathed her sword, kido spell dispelling. She knelt in front of the child.

"That is not important. I am sorry I did not arrive sooner," she raised her katana, the child flinched and tried to cower further, "do not be afraid," her smile softened as she touched the end of her katana to the forehead of the girl; a faint glow enveloped the spirit as they began to fade, finally able to begin crossing over, "you will be safe, soon."

"O-Okay…" the girl mumbled, wiping a hand along her cheeks, trying to wipe away the tears, "t-thank you," was the final words spoken as the girl faded away, spirit crossing over to the Soul Society.

Kazuko stood up shortly after, smile leaving her face as she placed her sword back by her side, secured in the blue sash. "Well, that's one down. Still no sign of-" Her eyes widened, her muttering stopping mid-thought as a powerful, almost uncontrollable amount of spirit energy flared up to the east of her. "What in the world?" It doesn't feel like a hollow, but it's definitely not a normal spirit. It also doesn't feel like Rukia either, Kazuko thought, using shunpo to quickly head in the direction of the energy.

It took her less than a minute to reach the destination of the pressure. Her brows furrowed as she spotted an orange haired male in a shinigami uniform with a large sword that had to be at least double the size, if not more, than a regular shinigami sword. He was engaged with a hollow, holding the sword to block the hollow from taking a chunk out of his arm. Who is that? There are no other shinigami stationed in Karakura. Kazuko lifted her left arm, calling out, "Hado 31: Shakkahō," and an orb of fire shot from the palm of Kazuko's hand, hitting the hollow in the middle of its mask in a controlled explosion away from the male. The hollow crashed through the wall of an abandoned building, crumbling it.

"What-" the male cried at the unexpected explosion and interference. Kazuko stepped before him in the blink of an eye, zanpakuto drawn. She held up her sword with both hands, impaling the hollow as it tried to lunge at her. It began to disappear, the mask broken which tore its connection to the human realm. "Who are you?" The male asked, a surprised look still on his face, large sword at his side.

"I think I should be the one asking you that," Kazuko replied, keeping her sword drawn in caution.

"L-Lieutenant Tsukumo!" Blue eyes widened at the small figure that appeared at the orange haired male's side: Rukia Kuchiki. She was wearing a human school uniform that consisted of a gray, pleated skirt, a white, short sleeve button down, and a red bow tie. She even had knee high socks and mary-janes.

"Rukia!" Kazuko was surprised, but for a completely different reason than seeing her subordinate alive and well, she was surprised that - "What is going on here? Why are you in a gigai? And what happened to your spiritual energy, there's almost none at all?!"

"L-Lieutenant Tsukumo!" Rukia repeated, surprised that her lieutenant was before her, and also panicking because she was before her.

"Who are you?" demanded the boy, for Kazuko could now see he was not that old by human standards, most likely a teenager on the edge of adulthood - but still a young boy nonetheless. "Rukia, what's going on?" he asked the black haired woman who was sweating nervously.

"Yes Rukia, what is going on?" Kazuko asked, sheathing her sword. "You haven't checked in for over a week. Your mission should have ended days ago, everyone is worried. Captain Ukitake is worried. And so is your brother."

"B-Brother?" Rukia gasped, paling even further. "I-I can explain everything Lieutenant Tsukumo, but I can't," she took a deep breath, a frown on her face, "but I can't go back to the Soul Society yet…" She shifted, avoiding the sharp gaze of her lieutenant.

Kazuko continued to stare at the girl, frown developing on her face. She shifted her gaze to the orange haired boy, whose energy was still raging out of control despite no longer being in battle. "You better start from the beginning. Now. What has happened? Who is this boy? And why can't you return?"

"W-well…" Rukia signed, scratching the side of her face. "You see…"

Sorry, it's a short chapter! But I just needed to end it here, as I don't plan on rehashing everything verbally word for word, nor did the chapter need to drag on. Sorry! Stay tuned for the next chapter…and hopefully we'll also hear some news about AO3 soon…I cross post my stories there as well…

Yikes!