Prelude

"Fine, I didn't want to use this again today, but…" the monster paused, and all of a sudden it exploded, "…since you insist on insulting me, you leave me no choice!"

Vice Captain Shiba Kaien, a man bent on vengeance, was shocked. His first instinct was to block the incoming mass, but instead he dodged it. It was working fine for a while, but then he got bored.

"Binding spell 61, Luminous Prison of 6 Bars" he shouted the name of the spell, and the mass instantly stopped moving. Kaien was about to vaporize the beast with a destruction spell, but stopped as a more sinister idea came to him.

"Captain, Kuchiki-kun…" he said as he all of a sudden started grinning, "…let's inform 12th Company that we have something very interesting for their captain to experiment with."

For the most part, Ukitake was shocked, he thought he knew his vice captain well enough, and that he would have wanted to kill the beast.

"Maybe Captain Freakshow will let me put it down." Kaien said, knowing well that Kurotsuchi would do much worse than anything he could dream of.

Kaien noticed a blur from Ukitake's position and for a split second wondered what it could be, until he heard a young woman's voice. "Kaien-dono!" and fell as he felt arms wrapped around his torso. Looking down, and seeing that the small figure that was Kuchiki Rukia, the young woman who came with Ukitake and him to avenge the death of Miyako. Her sobs of relief made him realize how important he is to her.

"I see," Kaien thought, asi he smiled at her, "next to her brother, I'm the closest thing to a family she has." Rukia had let go of him, and looked blankly at him.

"It's all right Kuchiki-kun," Kaien said, "it was stupid of me to try to follow my wife into death, when others will suffer because of it."

As Kaien got up, Rukia sitting on the ground, Ukitake laughed, "You're right, without you, who would I have to do my paperwork?" he asked.

"You could always have either Kiyone, or Sentaro do it."
"Those two? I'd have a better chance of doing it while coughing up blood!"

"Then why don't you?"

"I'm sorry!"

Ukitake, and Kaien looked over at Rukia, her head bowed as low as she could get it.

"I'm sorry for what I did!" Rukia's bowed head did not reveal her red face, Kaien rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry about it, Kuchiki-kun.

"But…I…I…" Rukia stammered.

"I said don't worry about it," Kaien looked at her. "I know how much I made you worry, I should be the one apologizing."

Rukia raised her head, revealing her flustered face. Kaien looked towards the Seireitei, while Ukitake summoned a Hell Butterfly to inform 12th Company of their new specimen.