ooo
"Bankai!"
Ichigo destroyed a couple of hollows in his way and turned to face Aizen.
"Getsuga Tensho!"
Aizen simply smirked and sidestepped to avoid Ichigo's attack.
"Ichigo! You idiot! Wait for reinforcements!" yelled Rukia, as she slashed a hollow who stepped into her path.
Ichigo ignored her, and continued attacking Aizen. The former captain just moved slightly and evaded all of Ichigo's attacks with a slightly amused expression. "I have no interest in fighting you, Kurosaki Ichigo," he said. "Actually, I am far more interested in your friend over there."
Taking advantage of Ichigo's surprise, he quickly shunpoed in front of Rukia and took out a long, needle-like thing from his sleeve. And he plunged it between her collarbones.
Rukia did the only thing she could do in this situation. She screamed.
"RUKIA!" Ichigo yelled.
He was about to take out his hollow mask and fight Aizen with efforts doubled when he felt two people growing closer. Aizen felt it too and turned to them.
"Ah, Kuchiki-taichou. And Abarai-kun too! Such a surprise to see you two here. I'd like to stay and chat, but my business here is done and I must return to Hueco Mundo. Until later!" He smiled mockingly, opened a Garganta and he and his Hollows left.
Renji then noticed his friend on the ground. "Rukia!" He ran towards her. His captain followed him quietly.
Rukia was gasping for air, bleeding heavily. Before anyone could do anything, Byakuya stepped up and picked his adoptive sister up. "We must get help for her," he announced and shunpoed to Urahara Shoten.
ooo
It had been a relatively peaceful day. Ichigo and Rukia were walking home from a complete day at school when Rukia's soul pager started beeping. They were shocked when they saw the monitor; more than a hundred low level hollows were concentrated on the center of Karakura Town. But what was the most disturbing was the presence of a captain class soul in the middle of them. Rukia called Soul Society for reinforcements before leaving.
Ichigo and Rukia rushed to the scene, and were surprised to see the hollows just sitting around, as if waiting for someone. When Aizen saw them arrive, his face broke into a smile.
ooo
"It seems like Kuchiki san is going to be okay."
Relief was palpable in the room. Ichigo and Renji relaxed in their seats were they had been sitting stiff with concern before Urahara's announcement.
"But… why would Aizen want to do that to Rukia?" Renji asked quietly.
"I can't be sure," answered Urahara thoughtfully. "She doesn't seem to be affected in any way, other than the stab wound, of course. The only thing we can do is wait for any changes there might be"
Nobody seemed satisfied by his answer.
"Renji, I want you to call Soul Society and tell them that we won't be returning until further notice." said Byakuya after a pause.
"Uh- yes taichou" said Renji, surprised by the request.
ooo
"This world is full of snow. It is so cold. It is so lonely."
Rukia opened her eyes and discovered she was in a forest full of snow. She instinctively knew where she was. It was the world of her thoughts, where Sode no Shirayuki lived. But she also realized that those whispered words could not belong to her zanpakutou. But if she was right, then who had talked?
Rukia started walking around, looking for the owner of that voice. She reached a clearing, were it was snowing heavily. She gasped. In the center of the clearing, there was a person, dressed all in white. Rukia started towards it.