Floating. Emptiness. What loneliness has been bestowed upon me? I can't remember. The light grows brighter, so blinding. What's happening to me? I feel like I'm on fire! So blinding. Now I feel like I'm falling. The light is fading. Black out.

I open my eyes. The ground is cool on my burning skin. Where am I now? The grass feels soft against my hands, but I'm still burning. I roll onto my back, only to see the orange glow of the sun through my eye lids. I clench my stomach with my hands, digging my fingernails deeper into my skin, trying to stop the pain. I draw blood and I freeze. I bring my fingers to my lips, smearing the crimson moisture on my mouth, the burning continues but this is better. A good pain.

The girl gasped as she shot up from her futon, just awaking from the dream. She hadn't had that one in a while- that floating feeling from just after she died and then waking up in the place she was now, Soul Society.

The tall dark haired girl wrapped her arms around her torso and stood up from the futon, wiping cold sweat from her forehead.

"Eien" Called the voice of her master in a kind voice, "Could you please come here?"

Obediently, the girl Eien strode gracefully over to where her master was located in the house.

"You called for me, sir?" Her gentle, smooth, voice said.

"Yes," Ukitake Jyushiro replied.

She leaned innocently against the door frame, awaiting instructions from the man who has been so kind to her for the past few years.

"Could you please deliver a message to Hitsuguya-taicho?" He asked, handing her an envelope.

She took the envelope and bowed slightly, "Of course." She then turned and walked out of the room.

Eien walked quietly down the streets of the Seiretei on her way to the tenth division headquarters, thinking about the dream she had.

While she was walking she heard laughter from around the corner outside the Kuchiki mansion. She turned and saw her close friend, Rakku, hanging from the mansion wall.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

He jumped down her meet her, his straggly black hair blew in the breeze, "Got out again."

"How many times do you insist on going against Byakuya-sama's orders?"

"Until I don't have to listen to him anymore."

Eien sighed, "You do realize that's not likely to happen."

The boy shrugged, "I can try."

Again, Rakku shrugged, "You'd better go before Byakuya catches you talking to me."

"You're right, and I must be going. I have a message to deliver to Hitsugaya-sama" Eien replied, turning to leave.

There were angry voices from within the mansion walls, Rakku laughed and leaped back up onto his perch on the wall.

Eien continued down the path and soon reached the 10th Division headquarters, she knocked on the door, awaiting an answer.

"Hel- Ah! Eien!" Cried out the person who had opened the door, another friend of Eien's named Chi. She was just as pale as Eien, but her hair was blood red and reached her waist whereas her eyes were a piercing, icy blue.

She nodded at her friend, "Hello Chi. I have a letter for Hitsugaya-sama from Ukitake-sama."

"Come right in." Chi stepped out of the doorway, allowing for the other girl to enter.

Eien stepped into the office where the tiny white haired captain was working. She approached his desk and offered him the letter, "Letter for you, sir."

"Thank you." He replied, taking the letter without looking up, not saying anything else.

Eien pursed her lips and went back over to Chi, "He is the most serious child I have ever seen."

"He is hardly a child, he just looks like one." The shorter girl reminded as they walked out of the office.

"But still," The raven black haired girl sighed.

"And Toushiro-sama is not very kind to those who treat him as such."

"I noticed. But I will not treat him like that." She said, walking out onto the streets.

"A wise decision." Chi nodded, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"That would be nice," Eien nodded.

"Follow me then." Chi said, leading her friend towards the kitchen.

"Rangiku-sama, may I inquire as to what you are doing?"

Matsumoto jumped, banging her head on the ceiling of the fridge. "Ah, Chi. Nothing, absolutely nothing."

Eien blinked, "Were you raiding that refrigerator?"

"Maaayyybbbeee."

"You know that Toushiro-sama does not approve of such activitites."

"You won't tell him, will you?" Rangiku asked.

Chi sighed, shaking her head, "No, I guess not." She replied with a small smile.

Rangiku sighed, "Thank you."

Eien nodded, "Our pleasure."

"Well, I must be off!" Rangiku said, exiting the kitchen.

"Is that normal?" Eien asked, watching the retreating Matsumoto's back.

"Perfectly." Chi replied, putting a kettle of water on the stove to boil.

Eien shook the thought away and sat down at the table, "I saw Rakku on my way here. He got out again."

Chi sighed, "When will he ever learn that if he wants a good life, the best choice is to get along with your master like we do."

Eien shook her head, "I don't think he ever will." She paused, thinking of her own master, "Ukitake-sama's health seems to be getting worse as time goes on." She explained, "It seems like every time I turn around, he's sick and coughing up blood."

"I wonder if anyone will ever discover a remedy."

"I hope so," Eien was saddened by the thought of potentially losing her master, and then she remembered, "Oh! I also had a strange dream last night."

"What about?" Chi asked as the kettle began to whistle.

"It was like the others. I was floating in empty space and then i was lying in grass with blood on my lips," The tall girl stared down at her empty cup in front of her. Her evergreen eyes not seeming to stir.

Chi was silent as she prepared the tea. Then she came over to the table where Eien was seated and pouring them each a cup. After she had taken a sip, she began to speak. "I too had that sort of dream last night"

"What does it mean?" She asked, sipping her tea, "The feeling of the blood on my lips was like nothing I've ever experienced before."

"I have absolutely no idea." Chi responded, shaking her head, "But I doubt it means anything good."

Eien agreed, she stared out the window long and hard when she heard a rapping at the door.

"Ah, be right back." Chi said, getting to her feet and heading towards the front door.

Eien bit her lip, then the silence grew on her and she followed Chi.

"Byakuya-sama, to what do we owe the honor of your visit?" Chi greeted, bowing to the stoic captain.

"Have you seen Rakku?" He said without a hello.

Eien watched from door frame when behind her, a tea cup fell over and smashed. Turning to be sure no one saw her, she saw Rakku climbing in through the window.

"Are you insane?!" She hissed.

He grinned, looking at the tea cup, "Did I do that?"

"No I haven't, I am sorry." Chi replied.

Rakku stepped of the window ledge and slipped on the tea, sending plates crashing.

Eien gasped, glancing to the door.

"What was that?" Byakuya asked, his eyes glancing towards the kitchen. Hitsugaya also looked up from his desk too.

"That isn't Matsumoto." The white haired captain said, "I saw her leave."

"I don't know." Chi said honestly.

Rakku laughed at his clumsiness.

Eien just looked worried, "You have to leave! Byakuya is here looking for you!"

"Oh well."

"Rakku, what are you doing?" Byakuya demanded, standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

Rakku raised his hands in surrender, a cocky grin still spread on his face, "You caught me."

"Indeed. We are going back to the 6th division headquarters now." Byakuya ordered, leaving the building with a slouching Rakku in tow.

Eien just watched them go.

"My, our tea time was ruined. You might as well return to Jyuushiro-sama, I have things I need to do." Chi said, sounding a bit regretful at the first part.

"I was thinking the same thing. Thank you for the tea." She said with a grimaced before striding out the door.

Eien walked in silence back to the headquarters, thinking about many things- one of which being that Rakku could be such an idiot sometimes... She quietly stole into her master's house and sighed, leaning back against the door.

"Ah, Eien, you're back." Ukitake said, smiling at the girl, "Would you be so kind as to brew some tea?"

She briefly smiled, then proceeded to heat up the kettle.

"There seems to be an ominous force about recently." Ukitake said as Eien gave him is tea, "And this worries me greatly."

Eien sat across from him, "Please explain to me what you mean. I have not sensed anything lately." Her thoughts quickly flashed to her dream, but she forced herself to push the memory to the back of her mind.

Ukitake took a sip of his tea and set the cup down. "I do not really know myself. All it is is that lately, I have had this feeling that I cannot shake off that something bad is lurking about, waiting to strike."

Eien folded her hands on her lap, thinking. So much was happening.

"Um, Ukitake-sama, I have a question to ask you." Eien said hesitantly.

He looked at her, "Yes? Anything."

"Well, last night I had this dream..."

His eyes narrowed in anticipation a bit, but he remained silent.

Eien then continued to explain the dream. The emptiness. The sun. The blood. When she finished she bit her lip and awaited his response.

He was silent for a while, as if contemplating something.

"Is that everything?" He asked finally.

"Um, no. I just remembered, Chi said that she had a very similar dream last night as well."

He was silent some more and it make Eien grow agitated.

"Excuse me." He said, suddenly standing up, "But I must go. I do not know when I will be back." and with that, he swept out of the room.

Eien stared, open-mouthed at the door he had just left through, "This is crazy." She muttered to herself, cleaning up.