• It was a dark, autumn day when I went to Master Mayuri Kurotsuchi for help after my father died. Miss Nemu Kurotsuchi, Master Mayuri's daughter, was the only one home when I had arrived there. Her long, braided, black hair looked rather like my own, though I preferred to keep my hair short and manageable. Her eyes were strangely violet, and she never smiled. She wore a red choker around her pale neck and a traditional, black kimono. The hem of which barely reached mid thigh. I felt underdressed in my ratty, old, pale grey kimono, a hand-me-down from my mother, who died a while before my father.
    "Is Master here?" I asked the older woman nervously.
    "Why?" she asked back. I looked her in the eyes. Her expression an ever bored looking frown.
    "I need him Nemu-chan. Now."
    "He's down stairs. I wouldn't bother him."
    "Is he working on his latest project?"
    "Yes."
    Master is a strange man, he's always performing strange experiments. He usually hides away in his underground lab for days, starving himself to near death, especially when he's starting a new project. His latest project has been about infusing normal humans with super-natural, almost demonic powers, like the Shinigamis he always told me about. I'm not sure if it's been successful yet or not, but I was determined to find out one way or another. I ran passed Nemu, who did not try and stop me. I knew the layout of the house fairly well, and found the secret entrance easily.
    I opened the trap door and climbed down into the dark depths. Looking around me, I saw no signs of my Master, so I called out to him. He didn't answer me, I walked around the dark lab, wondering if Nemu had lied to me. At the same time this thought entered my head, something reached for my bare feet from the depths of the lab and held tight to me left ankle. I could not see it, the shadows pitch blackness. It forced me off my feet and began to drag me towards it's pen. I gently pried it's hand off, knowing Master would not like an experiment harmed and fearing the punishment of harming one in the slightest, and the thing retreated into the deepest darkness once more.
    "That's my little Night Rain," I hear a familiar, masculine voice say from almost the same shadows that my attacker - for lack of better term - had dissapeared into. Master Mayuri now stood in front of me, his body painted like every other time I had seen him. I ran to embrace him, tears falling from my eyes, though I tried to stop them. Master rested a hand on my shoulder. After a minute of stillness, he forced me away from him so he could look me in the eyes.
    "Night Rain," he said, his usual cruelness lost from his person. "What is wrong?"
    "Papa died Master. Just earlier, he told me to seek you for help."
    "Is that so? Come, and don't let my pets get you again." I nodded and was led into a different, lit room. Master told me to sit on the only furnishing as he went to retrieve something.
    Though I had never witnessed Master work on a project, I had a feeling this is how it begins. Surprisingly, I wasn't frightened. My body tensed in anticipation, for I loved my master than even my own, now deceased father and mother combined. It seemed an honor for him to allow me to become a test subject.
    Only now do I know that this was a mistake.
    Master returned with a large syringe filled with only-he-knows-what. He held out a single, painted hand, the middle finger of which was much longer than his others. He asked me once more if I was sure, and I foolishly said "yes."
    I was only nine.
    A fortnight passed. I have, to this day, no memory of what had happened through this time. All I know, is that I suddenly felt warmer than my environment. During the winter of that year, I was able to explore outside with no need of heavy winter clothing. I also had strange, black marks decoratively tattooed on my feet, ankles, hands, and arms up to the elbow. master said to always need the marks covered, no matter what. "They could be the death of you otherwise," Master had said when I asked him.
    I was happy, despite the constant companionship of the negative Nemu, who had become somewhat of an older sister to me, and the pain of wrapping and the constant re-adjusting the bandages around the markings. My old clothes were replaced with new ones made of silk instead of cotton. And I chose to wear men's garb instead of the kimonos picked out for me by Nemu.
    One day, about two years after I had been "Modified," Master entered my room - I now stayed in his residence. It was late at night, and I had barely entered the dreaming world when he woke me.
    "What's wrong Master?" I asked, wiping the sleep from my blazing red eyes.
    "No time now child," Master said. He didn't use my nickname, so I knew at once it was urgent. I stood and he ushered me outside. Nemu stood beside a large, pitch black horse, my black traveling cloak in her arms.
    I took the cloak and put it on. Master helped me onto the horse's bare back. He told me it's name was Ryuukyuu, and to have him run as far away as possible. I tried to ask why, but was cut off and Ryuukyuu galloped, full speed, away from my Master, and second home.
    I dared not turn to look back, I feared what I might see. I simply continued on, allowing the horse to guide itself. I absentmindedly adjusted the bandages on my wrists, looking dead ahead.

    It was sunrise when the Ryuukyuu finally stopped. We had arrived at a new village that stood beside a small stream. I let him drink and rest. The village seemed empty, though the small huts were well kept. No villagers left their homes, and I was almost glad. This meant that I could leave and not be noticed. I looked into the gently rushing water and relaxed a bit, but not letting my guard down too much. That would surely be the death of me.
    "Who're you?" I heard a voice behind me ask. I turned, not having felt his presence. The boy seemed to be my age, maybe a bit older. He had messy, silver hair and brilliantly teal eyes. He wore a simple, green kimono as I had expected to see a villager wear. He stood about ten feet away from me.
    Forcing myself to speak, I said, "I had learned you give your own name before asking for someone else's. Otherwise it's rude."
    The boy smirked slightly, and i smiled. "I'm Toshirou Hitsugaya."
    "Amaya Kurotsuchi." I stood up and closed the distance between me and Toshirou, holding out one bandaged hand. "Nice to meet you."
    We shook hands and I asked where the other villagers were. He just shrugged and turned to Ryuukyuu, who was watching us.
    Toshirou stayed for a while longer before I sensed a group of people coming fast from the direction that I had just come from. I quickly jumped back onto Ryuukyuu's back, said farewell to Toshirou, and forced the horse into full gallop once more.

    For three days, I successfully stayed out of reach of any threat. I hunted small game and fished for my food. Master Mayuri would have been proud of me.
    On the fourth day, I had stopped in front of a large river to let Ryuukyuu rest. I could not feel the presence of anyone who could pose as a threat, and let myself relax as I had when I had met Toshirou. Ryuukyuu stood by me as I looked into the fast moving water, at my own reflection.
    "There you are," a voice came from behind. Again, I sensed no one. "We've been looking everywhere for you. Good thing Mayuri told us where the horse was taking you."
    I now looked back, towards the voice. The woman who had been speaking had black hair, cut short with the exception of two strands. She stood alone, wearing a sleeveless haori and long hakama, both black. Her smirk was a triumphant one. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she smiled down at me. I stood my ground, keeping eye contact with her.
    "I have no idea what you're talking about," I said softly, not trusting my voice to go any louder.
    "Give it up kid. There's no where else for you to go."
    "Except into the water of course."
    This seemed to confuse the woman, for she asked, "No one would live if they tried to swim in that."
    "That may be true, but the way I see it, I may have a chance at surviving with Ryuukyuu. Master taught me a lot."
    The woman allowed me to mount Ryuukyuu and I had him face the water. He shied away at first, but I whispered my plan to him and he calmed.
    "Jump Ryuukyuu," I commanded, and he did. "Bakudo 37: Tsuriboshi!" A star-shaped cushion appeared under us. It anchored its self into the edges of the river, allowing us to pass over without getting wet. As we crossed, it slowly dissapeared, so no one could follow. Once at the other end of the river, I whispered, "Bakudo 26," and we were lost within bent light, invisible to anyone around. Once or twice, I looked back, wary of any one somehow still following us. There was no one, but I didn't calm.