Chapter 26: Shinigami

Another month passed by quickly for Kirara, who continued her task of monitoring Ichigo and his wild Reiryoku. Even without focus, she could feel the odd feeling within it, but could never quite figure out exactly what that odd feeling was.

To the surprise of the other Vizards, Kirara's cheery disposition had remained. She'd never been the quietest or most subdued of their little group, but she had lost something of that playful, teasing attitude that they had known 100 years ago. Now, however, she seemed to have found it again, almost as if she was enjoying pretending to be a high school student.

While they were somewhat glad that Kirara was returning to her normal, chaotic self, the Vizards were also very glad that she was out for a large majority of the day, sparing them from the brunt of her teasing nature.

They'd just eaten their dinner and were taking the time to relax before their evening training was to take place, and all of them were doing their own thing as usual. Love was laughing hysterically at the latest manga that he'd stolen from Rose, and Kensei was already taping his knuckles in preparation for their training.

Mashiro was napping nearby, snoring loudly, and Hachi had gone to feed the stray cats who had taken a liking to him. Shinji had a pair of headphones on, his eyes closed as he listened to music, and Kirara had vanished upstairs, claiming she was going to do her homework.

"Lisa!" Kirara's yell carried through the warehouse, filled with dismay. Lisa didn't look up from the swimsuit catalogue that she was looking through, even as Rose stopped playing his guitar to look up.

"Are you quite alright, Kirara?" he asked as Kirara came crashing down the stairs. He spotted the book clutched in her hand, recognising it as one that Lisa had loaned her not too long enough.

"So much for homework," Kensei muttered, unsurprised. Kirara ignored them.

"Lisa," Kirara's voice was more of a whine as Rose saw her red-lined eyes. Tears still lingered in the corners of her eyes. "Please tell me that you have book 3," she pleaded, and Rose couldn't help but smile.

"Of course," Lisa lifted the book from beside her.

"You were just keeping it with you?" Love asked, having torn his attention from his comic at the commotion.

"I knew she'd be finishing book 2 soon. I wanted to see her reaction," Lisa answered, handing the book over to a very eager Kirara. She almost squealed with delight as the thicker book was pressed into her hands, and she traded it for the one she was carrying.

"Thank you!" she turned and ran off, already opening the book to start reading.

"Does she have to be so loud about it?" Kensei complained as he finished what he was doing and put the tape away.

"I knew she'd love that series," Lisa smirked, already looking down at her catalogue again.

"Oh? Why's that?" Rose asked curiously. "Kirara often loves the books you give her, but that one in particular seems to have grabbed her full focus," he considered as Lisa looked triumphant.

"Because that book plays into her favourite tropes," she said, eyes sliding over to where Shinji was still sitting. He'd gone still at the tears in Kirara's eyes, having paused his music the moment he'd heard her anguished yell. "Enemies to lovers," Lisa's simple explanation made Shinji go rigid, and he fought hard not to show any kind of reaction to the words, knowing that she was baiting him.

Rose just went back to playing music, deciding not to acknowledge what Lisa had said. Her attempts to get Shinji to take down the walls he'd put up regarding Kirara had grown more and more obvious over the years, but all she succeeded in doing was drive the two further apart, as Shinji would just close up and Kirara would run away.

"Please, Rose. Just leave it," Kirara's words were tired, the one time he'd tried to approach her about it. It was blatant to everyone around them that there was a lingering tension between Shinji and Kirara that had appeared after the events that led to them becoming Hollows.

"It seems to me that you're just running away," Rose hadn't intended on such harsh words, and he regretted them the moment that they came out of his mouth. He didn't try to backpedal, however, and despite how harsh they were, it seemed that Kirara appreciated that.

"Probably. But there's nothing I can really do about it," Kirara replied, not looking up from her book. "He's the one who's keeping his distance from me," she said quietly.

"And you're letting him," Rose said, frustrated. They didn't have much in their lives anymore, but this just felt like too much. "You're denying yourselves a rare chance of happiness within this hell. And you're both fools for it," he told her, walking away before she could come up with more excuses.

It was the only time that anything remotely heated went on between the pair. Rose later apologised, and Kirara told him that he was right, and not to feel sorry for telling the truth. She still refused to do anything about it, but Rose refused to lose his dear friend in the process. Their little family was all they had left, thanks to Sosuke Aizen. He wouldn't risk that for anything.

Something was different.

Kirara had felt it in the air the moment she had left the safety of the barrier. Something was off, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. So she just made her way to school, trying to chalk it down to staying up half the night reading the book she'd gotten from Lisa.

"Are you okay, Kirara?" Hibiki was the one to notice as they all chattered idly before the bell rang and their teacher arrived to start the day. Kirara had been distracted, noting that Ichigo wasn't in yet. Her uneasy feeling only grew when she noticed that. "Kirara?" Hibiki called again, a little uncertain, and Kirara blinked, finally looking at her.

"Yes, sorry. I'm okay. Just up too late last night," she said as she registered Hibiki's question. Hibiki didn't look convinced, watching Kirara with eyes that sometimes seemed to sharp to be human.

'Really, what is with this town?' Kirara wondered, but kept her smile on her face. "Sorry for worrying you, Hibiki. I'm fine, really," she insisted. Her classmate was shy, but sweet, and Kirara found that she got on well with her. She was slowly coaxing Hibiki to open up, sharing more about herself as they chatted, and she'd even managed to get her to join for noodles with Tatsuki and Orihime.

"Alright class," they looked up as Ms. Ochi walked in. Hibiki shot Kirara another concerned look, before walking away to take her own seat. "Everyone get to your seats. The seat itself, Kirara," she gave her a pointed look as she saw Kirara perched on the desk instead, her legs swinging lightly.

"Of course," Kirara gave a sweet smile, and moved to sit in her chair as a few laughed.

"Oh? Ichigo isn't in yet?" their teacher noticed the empty seat nearby. The class waited for her response - Ms. Ochi was ruthless when it came to absence or lateness. She then shrugged. "Oh well, he'll be here eventually," she set her book down in front of her, ignoring the indignant shouts of favouritism from others who had been called out in the past. Kirara grinned, having been one of those people herself.

After their teacher took attendance, Kirara slid down a little further in her seat, ready to prop up her book to get a nap in during class. "I know that we only had a new student recently, but we now have another new student joining us today," Ms. Ochi announced. Instantly excited chatter carried through the class at the idea.

"Looks like you're already old news, Yamada," Tatsuki called over to Kirara, who grinned back.

"Finally. I've been getting tired of starting rumours to get people to leave me alone," she said, stretching in her seat as more laughter started amongst their classmates.

"Don't worry, Yamada. Everyone knows you're a delinquent by now," Ms. Ochi said simply. "Anyway, you can come in now," she called to the young woman who walked in. Instantly Kirara felt her entire body lock into place, her heart starting to thud as for a moment she thought that she was going to be sick.

The young woman was petite and delicate, with black hair and large violet eyes. She had a polite smile on her face; one that Kirara always used to see on nobility. Kirara didn't know her, personally, but she could recognise the Reiryoku gently swirling around her.

She was a Shinigami.

Everything warred in Kirara to move. To get up and leave, right then and there. It didn't matter if she made a scene. She just had to get out.

"Good morning," her smile grew just a little, her words soft and pleasant. "My name is Rukia Kuchiki," she bowed.

Now Kirara was convinced that she was going to throw up.

Before she realised it, Kirara was on her feet and unable to catch her breath.

"Kirara?" some of the others were openly staring at her.

"Sorry…sick…nurse's office," Kirara staggered towards the door. It wasn't entirely an act, but her senses were screaming at her to get away as quickly as possible.

"Hey, Yamada!" Ms. Ochi called after her as she left the room, but Kirara was already sprinting down the corridor. "I didn't completely mean it when I called her a delinquent," she muttered under her breath. "You can take a seat," she told Rukia, who looked startled.

"Of course," Rukia nodded, moving to sit down as everyone in class murmured, now torn between discussing the new girl, and Kirara's sudden escape.

The moment she left the school grounds, Kirara had instantly launched into the air and used Shunpo, aiming to get as far away from the Shinigami as possible and get back to the warehouse to warn the rest of the Vizards. Her heart was still pounding as Rukia Kuchiki's introduction echoed in her mind.

'Not just a Shinigami, but a fucking Kuchiki? What the hell is going on? Why is she in school? In my-' Kirara's eyes went wide, and she stopped abruptly. 'Ichigo wasn't in either,' she remembered, instantly changing directions to head straight towards where Ichigo lived.

Landing on a nearby rooftop, Kirara crouched low to study the building. She could sense Ichigo's presence inside, as obnoxious as ever, but was focusing on the damage done to the building itself. There was a massive hole in the wall, looking as if something had smashed through it.

"A Hollow?" Kirara wondered, tilting her head as she saw the telltale signs of a fight around the street just outside the clinic. "That Kuchiki must have been on patrol last night. Odd mission for a noble," she murmured to herself, not moving from her crouched position. "Damn, what the hell is going on?" Kirara wondered.

When Ichigo emerged, Kirara moved lower to avoid being seen, all while carefully studying the young man. His scowl was deeper than usual, as if things weren't making sense to him at all. He started jogging, knowing that he was late for school, and Kirara followed from the rooftops as she studied him. "If a Hollow showed up here, that Kuchiki girl would have sensed Ichigo's Reiatsu too. That must be why she's suddenly showing up in class. To keep an eye on him. But why not just report him?" she wondered quietly.

Ichigo stopped and turned suddenly, and Kirara ducked out of sight. "That kid's senses are too sharp," she hissed to herself, waiting until she heard him start to move again before looking out. "Maybe she can't report him…" Kirara reached out with Reiraku, and a swirl of white ribbons floated in her peripheral vision. But she didn't acknowledge them as instead her eyes were on the ribbon linked to Ichigo.

Scarlet red. The sign of a Shinigami.

Lead filled Kirara's stomach at the sight, and she blinked to clear her vision. With bile rising up, Kirara turned away, leaving Ichigo to hurry to school as she leapt through the air, headed straight back to the warehouse.

It was as it ever was, with birds weaving around the barrier, completely oblivious that they were being deterred by something. Kirara reached out, putting a hand on the barrier even as her heart pounded so hard she was sure she was about to throw up everywhere.

It only took a second for Hachi to react to her touch, opening a doorway for her to step inside again. Once it closed behind her, Kirara paused to take a few calming breaths. She couldn't let what she'd learned freak her out.

Rukia Kuchiki showing up all of a sudden had been a terrifying blast from the past. They had spent the last century in hiding, knowing that they would be hunted by anyone who knew that they were still alive. A Kuchiki, even one who had been delegated patrol in the World of the Living - a task for unseated officers - was a threat to them and their secrecy.

"What are you doing back?" Love, who had been on his way out, stopped as he saw Kirara walk back inside. She was paler than usual, looking as if she had seen a ghost. Even if she tried to hide how thrown she was, Kirara was terrible at hiding her emotions.

"I…" her voice quivered, and she stopped to take a breath.

"What happened?" Kirara jumped, looking around quickly at Shinji. He had appeared out of nowhere, watching her with that usual unreadable expression. Kirara closed her eyes to gather her thoughts and stop herself from rambling.

"Ichigo Kurosaki is a Shinigami now," she started there, feeling that it was the best place to start. Instantly Love turned back, abandoning his plans to go out.

"What? How?" he asked, not understanding. "He was just a regular kid. Weird-ass Reiatsu, but still human," Love remembered when he'd come across the teenager a few months ago now.

"There's a Shinigami in town. Here on patrol missions probably," Kirara bit her lip, before admitting the thought that had dawned on her the moment she'd seen Ichigo with a red Spirit Ribbon. "I think…I think she gave Ichigo her powers," a curse to the side told Kirara that Hiyori had heard what she'd said.

"That's going to bring the Soul Society down on her like a ton of bricks," Kensei had heard too, looking unimpressed. Giving a human powers was a forbidden act, and if the Soul Society got wind of it, the Shinigami responsible would be dragged back and imprisoned at best. Executed, at worst. "So much for this place being good for lying low," he muttered.

"It gets worse," Kirara said quietly.

"How the hell can it get worse?" Love demanded. Kirara aimed her grim smile at him.

"She's a Kuchiki," the name made them all flinch. Hiyori's swearing got louder. "She showed up in class this morning. I'm guessing to keep an eye on Ichigo," Kirara pushed her hair from her face.

"A Kuchiki giving a human their powers. The Soul Society has gone to shit," Lisa was the one to speak as she walked over, catching the conversation as well.

"We knew that already," Kensei muttered. "What about the kid? Anything changed with his Reiatsu?" he asked, and Kirara knew what he meant. That oddity that they could feel just lingering within that pressure.

"No change, but who knows what will happen now that he's got powers," Kirara shrugged. "I can keep-"

"You're not going back there," the low voice made Kirara stop. For a moment, she processed Shinji's quiet order, before turning to look at him.

"Excuse me?" something in the air turned tense as they stared one another down.

"You heard me. You're not going back to that class. Forget this kid. He was worth keeping an eye on while he was human, but now that he's a Shinigami, we all need to lie low," Shinji told her firmly, either not noticing the anger in her face or ignoring it. "Especially with a Kuchiki following him around," he added.

"He might be a Shinigami now, but that just makes it more important to keep an eye on him. What if-"

"Forget him. We need to focus on ourselves, not some human kid," everyone else had gone deathly silent, not speaking up for either side. Kirara's fists were clenched at her sides.

"I can't just leave Ichigo to get hurt!" she snapped. Shinji's eyes were cold at her words, and he stepped towards her. Kirara moved backwards instinctively, not seeing how his jaw clenched at her actions.

"You do realise that you're not one of them, right?" his question made her eyes go wide. "You've had your fun playing schoolgirl, now you drop it and leave the kid to whatever shit he's gotten himself into. It's not our problem," Shinji stressed as Kirara found herself backed up against the wall. Words failed her. "Or do you care more about your new friends than-" Shinji's words were stopped as the slap echoed through the warehouse.

Nobody spoke, all of the Vizards now gathered and watching carefully as Kirara lowered her shaking, stinging hand. Shinji's head was knocked to the side, and he didn't move, eyes wide as tears burned at Kirara's eyes.

"You have no right to question my loyalties, Hirako. Nobody matters to me more than the Vizards, and that hasn't changed. It will never change," her voice shook as she spat the words out, glaring at him. "You don't get to question that, not when you've avoided me for the last century!" Kirara's yell carried with the hurt and anger through the otherwise eerily silent building.

For a moment, nobody dared speak. Shinji had lowered his head, his cheek burning where she had slapped him. Then he sighed, moving his head to meet her gaze once more. There was something more to it, but Kirara was too angry; too hurt, to figure it out.

"You're right. I don't," with that, he was gone.

The moment he'd vanished from in front of her, Kirara felt a weight in her chest that only grew as she tried to breathe. Suddenly she felt like she was suffocating, and the attention of the rest of the Vizards only made it worse.

"Kirara-"

"Please don't," she stopped Rose as he started to approach her with a worried look. "Just leave me alone. Please," Kirara requested, refusing to look at them as she vanished too.

"Well…shit," Love muttered.

"What happened…?" Mashiro's eyes were huge as she tried to process the fight that had just happened.

"It was only a matter of time before they blew up at each other," Lisa shook her head.

"It took longer than I expected," Hiyori admitted, arms folded as even she looked uneasy.

"Yes, but now I fear that it leaves us in a very precarious position," Hachi spoke up. As a former member of the Kido Corps, he had always been the one who knew the least about the rest of his fellow Vizards. He'd wondered, but never dared ask about the wall between the two. Rose had looked in the direction that Kirara had gone - able to determine that, but even he wasn't fast enough to catch her, even if he'd wanted to.

"It'll be fine," to their surprise, Kensei was the one to say it. "They're idiots, but nothing matters more than this. We've been patient for the last hundred years. Even they won't screw that up," he said, unusually restrained as he looked towards the entrance to the warehouse.

"Kensei's right," Mashiro beamed. He shot her a wary look, almost expecting a childish comment. But she didn't say anything more than that, looking confident in her former Captain. The rest of them started to relax, but they feared they wouldn't be able to fully. Not until the two finally addressed what had just happened.

It had taken a hundred years for them to explode like this. None of them wanted to know how long it would take for them to address it.

:)