Chapter 27: Distance

A week passed by after Ichigo became a Shinigami, and Kirara didn't emerge from her room during that time. The others gave her space, heeding her request to be left alone. When she was ready, she would go to them, just as it had been a hundred years ago when they had all needed the time to process the changes they had undergone.

During that week, Kirara didn't do much other than sleep. Every morning when she woke to her alarm, she would look over at the uniform that had been tossed over a nearby chair, before a sick feeling would start climbing up from her stomach. At that, Kirara would roll over and go back to sleep, telling herself that she would decide the next day.

After the week passed and Kirara woke once more to her alarm beeping, she reached out and turned it off before rolling onto her back. She stared at the ceiling, wondering once more if she should get up and continue to go to school. Ichigo was a Shinigami now, and with Kuchiki who gave him her powers also in the same class, Kirara felt like she was jumping into a pool filled with sharks.

But despite that, Kirara wanted to keep an eye on Ichigo, making sure that he didn't get caught up in something dangerous. She had gotten to know him during her time in class with him. He was short-tempered and stubborn, but it was obvious he did care about his classmates. She didn't want a kid like that getting dragged into the Shinigami's mess.

Especially now that Kirara knew what lurked under the surface of that so-called peace.

"You do realise that you're not one of them, right?" Shinji's cold words made Kirara openly flinch, and tears stung at her eyes before she threw her arm over her face.

In that week, Kirara hadn't felt Shinji's presence. All of the Vizards had given her space, but he seemed determined to outdo the rest. But instead of allowing her to relax, it had only wound Kirara up further.

"You don't get to question that, not when you've avoided me for the last century!"

"You're right. I don't."

That weight that had settled on her chest after Shinji had agreed with Kirara's furious words hadn't shifted, and all Kirara had been able to do in her attempt to ignore it was sleep.

"I'm pathetic," the words were quiet and croaked out, before Kirara sat up in her bed and glared at the uniform nearby. "A week is long enough to mope. I won't falter on my ideals so easily," Kirara told herself, her blue eyes blazing as she flung the covers off and climbed out of bed.

Grabbing the uniform from the chair where they had been slung, Kirara checked to make sure they were in acceptable condition before she opened her door and slipped out. She didn't skulk or try to hide. That would only make it seem like she was embarrassed about what had happened, and she refused to be. So instead, she moved normally to grab a shower before dressing in her uniform.

Kirara ignored the socks as she got dressed, deciding that while she was wasn't about to blow her cover, she wouldn't try as hard as hard as she had been to match the human standards. If she was going to fit in with the class of oddballs, she had to do it right.

She didn't see any of the other Vizards that morning as she left, but Hachi still opened the barrier for her to leave. He was the only one who was awake at such an ungodly hour, and before Kirara had started attending school, she had been just as guilty for sleeping most of the morning away.

The fresh air of the outdoors calmed Kirara a little as she walked away from the industrial district and towards the school, but the closer she got, the more her awareness of Ichigo and Rukia grew. But she forced herself to continue, reminding herself why she was doing it.

"Kirara!" the familiar, too-loud voice belonging to Keigo almost made Kirara smile, and she side-stepped before he could crash into her. Keigo barely managed to stay on his feet this time as he barrelled past her, and turned to grin.

"You're getting better at not eating shit, Asano," Kirara told him, walking past without stopping.

"And you're finally back!" Keigo ran to catch up to her, falling into step beside her. "Where have you been? You almost knocked out the new girl running off," he commented, and Kirara laughed awkwardly. She'd forgotten just how much of a dramatic exit she had made the week prior.

"When I get sick, it's not pretty," she lied, and he grimaced. "Took a little while to recover. You worried about me?" Kirara teased him.

"Of course I was!" Keigo declared, and Kirara moved around him easily as he flung his arms out to try and hug her.

"You're being creepy again, Asano. Mizuiro is going to disown you again," she warned, and he pouted but kept walking with her.

"Kirara, you're back!" Tatsuki's voice was louder than usual as Kirara walked into class. She looked tired, as if she hadn't slept well, and Orihime didn't look much better.

"Gee, I'm so popular," Kirara laughed, before wincing out of pure reflex when a book lightly tapped her on the back of the head. She looked around and up at Ms. Ochi, who had a stern look on her face.

"You might be popular, but you're still a delinquent," she told Kirara sternly. "I hope we'll be having a chat after class about your little vanishing act last week," she said, and Kirara smiled sweetly at her.

"Of course, Ms. Ochi. I'm really sorry about that," she apologised, and the teacher hummed as the other students laughed amongst themselves.

"Why is it that when you smile like that, it makes me nervous?" she asked. Kirara blinked.

"When you smile like that, it makes me nervous," the words were a quiet, distance memory, and they only made the weight on Kirara's chest grow heavier.

"Sorry," Kirara apologised again, only it was quieter as she made her way back to her seat. The teacher frowned at the sudden change, but didn't press it. Instead, she called out for everyone to take their seats, starting the class, but she didn't take her eyes off Kirara the entire time.

When the lunchbell rang, everyone quickly got to their feet to grab lunch, chattering away amongst themselves. Kirara rubbed her eyes, tired and wishing she'd taken a nap during their history class.

"Hey Kirara, we're going to the roof for lunch. Do you want to join?" Orihime asked her, smiling warmly at her. There was something different about the girl, and Kirara wondered just what she'd missed in her week's absence.

"Yeah, sounds great," she agreed, before a hand caught her shoulder.

"She'll join you in a bit, Orihime. Go on now," Ms. Ochi told Orihime as Kirara glanced around with her eyebrows slightly raised. Of course she'd sensed the teacher's approach, and she wondered if she should at least start pretending to be surprised when she tried to sneak up on her.

"Ri-right. See you there," Orihime smiled, grabbing her lunch and hurrying to follow Tatsuki out as the other girl waited for her.

"Come on, Kirara," the teacher led Kirara out of the class, away from her classmates still there who were eating at their desks. "So, want to tell me why you were off for so long?" she asked as they stood out in the corridor away from other students.

"You didn't call my guardian?" Kirara asked.

"I did. He said that you weren't feeling well," Ms. Ochi answered, and Kirara frowned. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't skipping like the delinquent people seem to think you are," she commented. Kirara laughed.

"You call me a delinquent at least twice a day," she pointed out. The teacher shrugged.

"I call most people delinquents," she said, as if this explained it. "So, that was really it? You were sick?" Ms. Ochi pressed.

"Yep. Sorry for causing such a fuss in front of the new girl," Kirara apologised. She'd been hyperaware of Rukia's presence in the classroom, but didn't go anywhere near her.

"It's fine. She needs to get used to you eventually," Kirara's brow furrowed at her words.

"I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be so callous about your students," she said.

"I'm just honest," Ms. Ochi replied. "Are you sure that you're okay? You seemed…off, this morning," she said, and Kirara was surprised by the concern in her eyes.

'She might be a little crazy, but she does care about her students. How admirable,' Kirara thought to herself, before smiling.

"I'm fine. It's probably just the last of whatever was wrong with me," she said simply, shifting her weight from one leg to the other.

"No…I've seen that look before," Ms. Ochi denied with a shake of her head. "It didn't seem like you were still sick. At least, not in the physical sense," she considered. Kirara snorted.

"So you're saying I'm mentally unwell?" she asked, and the teacher lightly rapped her over the head with her book.

"Brat," she scolded, not missing the faint grin. "It's more…heartsick, than anything," Kirara's grin vanished instantly at her musing. "Boy trouble?" Ms. Ochi asked, sounding sympathetic. Kirara couldn't stop her face from heating at the question.

"I am definitely not talking about something as gross as that with my teacher," Kirara managed to shudder. Once again, the weight in her chest grew.

"Hey, I'm a young woman too," Ms. Ochi said, so indignant that it almost made Kirara laugh. "I know all about the hardships of being a woman," she sighed dramatically. "So if you need to talk, I'm here," she offered.

"Thanks," Kirara nodded. She then shifted. "Do you mind if I get lunch? I'm starving," she said, and the woman chuckled.

"Go," she gestured. Kirara started to go back to the classroom, before pausing.

"Just so you know, talking about the 'hardships of being a woman', makes you sound really old," she warned. Ms. Ochi's eyes widened, and Kirara swore she saw a faint smirk on her face.

"Go, before I give you detention for the rest of the year for your sass," she warned. Kirara laughed, hurrying off. "Brat," the teacher muttered again.

When Kirara made her way up to the rooftop where the others were having their lunch, she pushed the door open and instantly heard shouts of disbelief.

"No way!" one girl that Kirara managed to remember was Mahana refused, shaking her head.

"Really!" Orihime insisted, rice clinging to the corner of her mouth as she spoke.

"Orihime suggesting weird things to mix with her onigiri again?" they looked up as Kirara spoke. She grinned, taking a seat with them before opening her store-bought lunch.

"That at least makes sense," Chizuru said, looking sceptical. Kirara tilted her head, and looked at Orihime.

"A Sumo wrestler with a gun blasted a hole through the wall into my room last night!" the girl declared, so honest in her words that for just a moment, Kirara couldn't help but believe her.

"…huh," Kirara leaned back a little.

"That's all you have to say?!" some of the other girls shouted at her, and Kirara couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry, it's just too weird that I can't think of anything witty to say," she admitted, and beside her, Hibiki giggled. "Are you sure that you didn't just…dream it or something, Orihime?" Kirara asked her, one eyebrow lifted at the girl. Orihime pouted.

"If you're going to make up stories, at least make them sound realistic," Mahana complained. "Like, maybe a pro-wrestling match spilled out of the ring," she suggested, which made the others laugh.

"Don't listen to them, Orihime," Chizuru soothed, despite their laughter. "I like your wild imagination!" her words only made them laugh more.

'That doesn't sound super comforting,' Kirara thought as she took a bite of her onigiri. She resisted a sigh. Sub-par at best. Humans really did sacrifice quality for convenience.

"But it's not a made-up story, I swear!" Orihime insisted, not appeased by Chizuru's words. "It really happened. Right, Tatsuki?" she turned to the girl beside her, who had been suspiciously silent.

"I remember something last night," she shrugged. Kirara paused, her onigiri halfway to her mouth as Tatsuki seemed to struggle to remember.

'It couldn't be…' she glanced over her shoulder to where Ichigo and Rukia were standing off alone together. They talked too quietly for Kirara to hear them, but she had a suspicion that she knew exactly what it was.

"Kirara?" she glanced at Hibiki, who was sitting beside her. "Are you okay?" she asked, and Kirara realised she still had her onigiri halfway to her mouth.

"I'm fine," Kirara soothed, and glanced over her shoulder again. "I was gone a week and Ichigo goes and becomes best friends with the new girl, huh?" she grinned, and the girls stopped teasing Orihime at last.

"It is weird, isn't it?" Mahana commented, finally taking a proper seat. They continued with idle chatter, and Kirara shoved more of her onigiri into her mouth as if hoping to find some kind of taste in it.

'If that Kuchiki used the Kikanshinki to change Orihime's memories, then something weird must have gone down last night. Is it Ichigo's crazy Reiatsu that's causing weird stuff to happen around here? Or is it the Shinigami's presence? If it's the latter…how much is he pulling the strings?' Kirara chewed slowly, thoughtful as she wondered just what was going on.

As she ate, Kirara focused for a moment on Ichigo's Reiatsu. Still the same wild, chaotic pressure as ever, with something that just felt different. She wondered just what it was. And if Rukia could feel it too.

When school finally ended for the day, Kirara knew that she couldn't avoid the Vizards for much longer. She declined the invite to hang out with Tatsuki and Orihime, pointing out the mountain of work she'd built up from a week's absence. They were sympathetic, offering their notes if needed, but eventually Kirara made her way back home.

Seconds after passing through the barrier, Kirara was tackled off her feet by a familiar blur. She yelped, crashing to the ground as her bag flew off her shoulder to land nearby.

"Kirara!" Mashiro nuzzled happily under her neck, clinging to her tightly.

"I'm back," Kirara couldn't help but chuckle, patting Mashiro on the head as she accepted her fate of being stuck on the ground for a while.

"I've missed you. It's not the same without you making stupid Kensei mad," Mashiro complained, and Kirara's smile softened.

"I think you do a great job of that by yourself, but I'm sorry, Mashiro," she apologised, and Mashiro lifted her head.

"So you'll join us for training today? It's Mask training," she said with a hopeful smile that Kirara could never deny. Of course, she had no intention of denying it. She'd slacked off for a week. If she skipped again now, she'd never hear the end of it. Kirara was sure if she did, after going to school, Kensei would kick her door in and drag her down to beat her senseless.

"Of course. Have to make up for a week without annoying Kensei, right?" Kirara grinned at her, and Mashiro cheered.

"I heard that, brat," Kensei's growl made her look up to where he was standing, arms folded as he leaned on the doorway of the warehouse. He had a dangerous smile on his face. "You're going to regret it," he warned her.

"See? Already making up for lost time," Kirara told Mashiro, who giggled and leapt to her feet, dragging Kirara with her.

"Silly Kensei, you're so grumpy," Mashiro told him, keeping Kirara in her arms as she walked past the short-tempered Vizard.

"Hey, Mashiro! I need to change," Kirara protested as Mashiro dragged her straight towards the entrance to their training ground.

"But why? Lisa wears something like that and she trains fine. Come on, I don't wanna wait!" Mashiro kept pulling, and Kirara groaned as she found herself unable to refuse the excitable woman who had managed to maintain that bright personality even after everything.

"You're too much of a soft-touch with her," Kensei said as he walked behind them. Kirara turned her head to narrow her eyes at him.

"Says you," she fired back. Kensei just met her gaze coolly, and Kirara huffed, but she couldn't help but relax a little. It was obvious where she'd been all day, but he didn't say a word about it. He didn't even look annoyed about it. In fact, Kirara would have sworn that he almost seemed relieved.

"Surprised to see you showed up," Love spoke without turning around. "You usually hate Mask training," he said as Kirara finally managed to dislodge herself from Mashiro. She ditched her Gigai, letting her own Reiatsu return as she set the body to the side nearby.

"And risk Kensei hunting my ass down for skipping?" she scoffed, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at the silver-haired man walking behind her. "I'd sooner take Rose up on his offer to teach me the guitar," Kirara said as she rested her hands on her hips.

"Hey…" the blond looked up to frown at her, but his own relief to see her back with them was apparent.

"I've already told Rose that you're never allowed near a musical instrument," Kensei snorted as he strode past, cracking his knuckles. "You're loud enough already," he told her simply.

"And we all knowfor a fact you'd be 'practicing' outside Kensei's door at the crack of dawn," Lisa added. Kirara couldn't hide her smirk in time.

"That's giving me too much credit, Lisa. Like I'd be awake that early," she said. Kensei snorted.

"She's right," he agreed. Kirara didn't know whether or not to feign offence. "Let's get started. Hachi, you and Love drew the short straws this time, so you start," Kensei reminded the two.

"Yeah yeah," Love set down his manga and got up to stretch. Kirara opened her mouth to tease Kensei for being so bossy, but found that the words wouldn't come out. Instead, she shut her mouth and took a seat on the hard ground, pulling her legs up close to her chest.

Shinji's presence was still missing, leaving a tense atmosphere over them all that they tried to pretend wasn't there. Kirara dug her fingertips into her arms as she tried not to think about it, but the weight in her chest was there, and she doubted it would go away anytime soon.

When she felt someone else's gaze on her, Kirara turned her head to Hiyori, who was sitting nearby and watching her with her usual scowl on her face. When Kirara met her gaze, Hiyori looked down at the uniform she was still wearing. Kirara's fingers dug in harder.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Hiyori's words were quiet, and Kirara didn't dare breathe. "I trust you. We all do. Just…be careful, idiot," she said, and turned her head away to look over to where Hachi and Love were standing, preparing to start training.

"Yeah…" Kirara said, fighting back her tears at Hiyori's unusually supportive words. She held it together, turning away as well to watch as Love went first. The unusual Reiatsu that they all had grew darker as Love pulled his hand down over his face, summoning his Hollow Mask.

It was in the style of an Oni Mask, complete with two small horns on the forehead. Love's Reiatsu, having grown darker as he summoned it, became more like a Hollow's, settling over the group.

Hachi followed suit shortly after. His Mask was more colourful and intricate, with large orange goggle-eyes and a row of yellow feather-like spikes over the top as sharp tusks jutted out.

Love wasn't wrong. Kirara did hate their Mask training. Any one of them who said they didn't was a damn liar. This was the result of Sosuke Aizen's experiments on them. What Kisuke Urahara had been unable to save them from - costing him his own position within the Gotei 13 as he and Tessai were exiled from the Soul Society when Aizen pinned the blame for the Hollowfication on them.

Kirara shook her head quickly. She refused to be the one to showed it. They all hated Mask training, but it was vital, if they were to continue surviving and one day get their revenge. So she kept quiet, trying to ignore the weight in her chest as she prepared herself for her own training.

As she psyched herself up, Kirara remained oblivious to Kensei's eyes on her. His arms remained crossed, and his scowl was permanently across his face as he studied her closed-off behaviour. How withdrawn she was, especially compared to how she had been only weeks ago.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath.

"I have to agree," Rose's response made him glance to the blond. Kensei knew that of all of them, Rose was the closest to Kirara. And if he looked this concerned, they really did have a problem on their hands.

"I'm going to beat both of their asses for this," he said. Rose found himself smiling just a little, but pretended that he didn't hear Kensei's declaration as he wondered just what he was planning. Either way, he doubted it was going to be pleasant for either Kirara or Shinji, but he had no sympathy for them.

They had brought it on themselves.