"The Hogyoku is able to manifest the desires of those around it…"

It had been centuries since Ywach's defeat. It had only been decades since the rebellion. Yet despite everything, life in the Soul Society carried on, flourished even. Was it the introduction of modern technology that brought improvements to the lives of so many, even those in the formerly run down Rukongai districts? Or was it the toppling of a millennium old system of corruption, the acknowledgement and forgiveness of the original sin that finally brought peace to all the worlds.

She could see the way her captain stomped around panicked that he once again had forgotten the date. Not that she or his wife would blame him, having to deal with multiple trips to Hueco Mundo, the Soul King Palace and the Seireitei, a lot had been going on in the past year. Yet Captain of the 14th Division Ichigo Kurosaki was sweating bullets trying to figure out what he would be able to gift his wife this year.

"Maybe you could try something simple, like flowers", his lieutenant offered to no avail. In her mind it seemed simple really. Orihime was a sweet woman, and would no doubt be ecstatic to receive even such a simple gift. After all, sometimes the thought isn't the gift but the action of giving itself.

Captain Kurosaki glances over at his lieutenant in exasperation. Seeming to sigh in defeat he nods and agrees that maybe that is a good idea after all. Grab some nice flowers and have a nice simple dinner. Easy. Done.

"I know she would accept anything I get her. And she always tells me not to get worked up over such things but I just want to do something really nice for her," he says exhausted.

After hurriedly rushing out of his office, brushing past his lieutenant with a hurried order to wrap up any remaining tasks for the day, Captain Kurosaki was gone. She sighed and bent over to gather up the papers that had blown off the desk due to his hurried exit, not that she wasn't already used to her captain's erratic behavior. She enjoyed it in fact. She liked the uniqueness of Squad 14. The mission being unlike any other in the Soul Society. Being the liaison between the Arrancar of Hueco Mundo and the Gotei 13 of the Soul Society. And, being the check to the balance of the higher ups in the Soul Society.

Ayame had been the lieutenant of Squad 14 for over 10 years now, having taken the position hesitantly. She knew full well there were still those that did not trust her simply because of her abilities and family history. But Captain Kurosaki and her father and many other Captains believed in her, trusted her even. For it was her very existence that had been the catalyst to bringing change to the Soul Society.

Sometime in the past...

She could not feel anything distinct and yet she felt great warmth around her soul. As if a great being of light and heat carefully wound itself around her tiny, fragile soul as if any sudden movement would cause it to shatter. She enjoyed this; this was peace. However, the being holding her told her it was her time to go. That she needed to wake up. She didn't want to leave. Why?

There was a pull, a feeling of overwhelming desire seeping into her soul. Something was demanding her. Needing her. It felt as if she was going to be ripped from the plane of existence she was currently on. There was no speaking. No sights, no sounds. But her soul tried to protest. She didn't want to go. Despite the overwhelming pull she was feeling to go.

Not getting any help from the light and only receiving more of a push, she became uncomfortable. She began to regain a sense of feeling, of awareness. The being of light gently released her soul, watching as the blue light of her spirit faded away. This was an abnormal situation, but one that was destined to happen. Needed to happen.

It was when the first snow fell in the Soul Society that a great burst of reiatsu was suddenly felt everywhere in the Seireitei. Nothing was damaged and no one was hurt, but the alarm was raised as everyone rushed to locate the source of the burst. It would be a few hours however before anyone found it though.

It was in the darkest depths of the Soul Society, that a small bundle appeared cloaked in blue light. Wrapped in white cloth, the small infant came to rest on the ground. Small cries, and whimpering soon came from the tiny child as they grew restless in the environment, they were in. Seeking comfort and warmth, the baby's spiritual pressure began to become unstable as an a purple glow emanated from its chest.

A figure approached the child, and gently scooped it up, holding it close to try and give it some sort of warmth back. It was at this point he realized it was a baby girl. To say he was in shock by what has just happened is an understatement. Sosuke Aizen is never surprised by anything. Yet, even though he thought he knew it all after all these years of being fused with the hogyoku, to have the hogyoku manifest and fuse itself to create an infant child was not something he saw coming.

Or should he have? Was this what he desired? A child? What was she exactly? He felt the hogyoku still sealed with him and yet somehow it was also part of this child he was holding. Examining her as best as his illusion self would allow, he could see the unmistakable brown of her hair, and upon further inspection he saw a tiny orb glowing on her chest.

The hogyoku.

Who and what was this child? Was she, his child? How he wished he was not sealed in this merciless position where he could not fully examine her himself. She had stopped crying. Too distracted in his thoughts he had not realized she had opened her eyes. And that was when he sensed it. Her eyes were the same shade of brown his was. Her reiatsu, while it had its subtle differences there was no mistaking it. It was almost an exact copy of his.

This was his newborn daughter. A manifestation of the hogyoku, him, entwined seamlessly with a newborn soul. His desire. Despite it being something he tried to not face. He had briefly felt it when he lost the fight against Ichigo Kurosaki. He had felt the hogyoku manifest his desire, and…he lost.

And now that same feeling from the hogyoku was present, as he stared at the infant girl held in his illusion's arms. And she stared back.