Preparation
Ichigo is walking back home from the mansion, wondering how in the hell he's gonna explain this incident to Rukia. As he walks back home, he contemplates what Aizen just told him right before he left:
"I'll give you a couple of hours to prepare. Do what you have to, but do not tell anyone under any circumstances. If you try to tell anyone you're leaving, they will not stand for it, we both know that, especially Kuchiki-san."
It will be a miracle if he manages to accomplish that feat, given Rukia's perception skills. If he so much as gives one fearful glance at her, she'll pelt him with a schoolbook until he's unconscious on his floor or until he tells her whatever's wrong.
He's walking through the park for a quick shortcut home when he's suddenly greeted by Rukia.
"Ichigo, where have you been? You've been gone all day, without telling me. What's wrong?" she asks, staring intently at Ichigo.
"I was running an errand, and you were sleeping. What were you doing out here anyways? Did you miss me that much?" he says, smirking at her.
"You idiot, it wasn't just the fact that you were gone. I could always sense your reiatsu even if you went away, just like when you went training with the Vaizards. But your reiatsu disappeared entirely, and I know damn well you can't hide it. Tell me before I beat it out of you!" She screams.
"I was at Urahara's place training! Damn, do you always have to be on my case about every little thing!" he screams at her.
"I thought something happened to you! I don't even know how I would react if you just up and disappeared for another couple months!" she screamed at him, her eyes softening a bit. Ichigo's eyes immediately soften and his facial expression changes to one of guilt and pain. Rukia immediately picks up on that.
"You are planning on going somewhere, aren't you! Why, Ichigo? There's no enemies to fight that you can't handle right now, there's nothing you need to go away for. Why can't you stay here where you belong? Why..." Rukia's voice goes incredibly soft and she holds her arms as her eyes give a strong look of compassion.
"Why can't you stay here with me?"
"Rukia, I promise you. I'm not going anywhere. If I was, you'd be the first to know. You know, out of all my friends, that if something serious was happening and I needed help, you would be the first one I'd go to. I trust you more than anyone I know, including my family. You've always been there for me. I would never do anything to hurt you." he said, his gut wrenching in misery at the horrible guilt that arises from the depths of his soul.
"Why does it have to hurt this bad?"
Rukia looks up at him again, before sighing. "You're right, Ichigo. I'm sorry. I guess I was worrying over nothing."
They get back to his house, and Ichigo heads to his room. He finds it unusual that his dad isn't home, since his father is always there to dropkick him in the face for being late.
"Where's the old man? He's usually trying to bash my teeth in around this time." Ichigo asks Yuzu.
"Oh, he's working late tonight. There's a lot more patients at the Karakura hospital right now, and they're calling all clinics to lend their support. Apparently, there's a nasty flu bug going on right now." she says cheerfully.
"All right." Ichigo replies, and heads up to his room, with Rukia following him. As Ichigo gets back to his room, he flips through his books and starts reading some more Shakespeare as Rukia starts flipping through her manga. Ichigo is trying to figure out how in the hell he can get away from Rukia long enough to pack a few things and leave without being followed. Right as he finishes his thought, there's a hollow alert, and Ichigo capitalizes on it.
"Rukia, do you think you can handle that? I'm really tired tonight." he says, and Rukia nods.
Odd, usually he's the one who volunteers to kill hollows, even if he's tired...
"Yea." she replies, and she uses Chappy to change into her shinigami form, and leaves on the spot. As soon as she's gone, Chappy looks up at him.
"Oh, if it isn't Pwechigo! Did Rukia-sama want me to keep an eye on you~?" she sings out, and he shakes his head.
"No, she's out killing a hollow. Do you think you can keep my family occupied for a few minutes? I need a moment of privacy." he says.
"Oh Pwechigo, if you wanted to do that sort of thing, all you had to do was ask! Or better yet, you can ask me to help~!" she says, and she leans forward and rubs her hand on his crotch.
"Uh, that's okay, I think I'll be fine on my own." he says, immediately reacting to Rukia's soft hand.
"If you say so, you'll just have to take it out on Rukia-sama later~!" she sings out, leaving Ichigo beat red.
"Thank god she's gone." he says, as he hurries before Rukia finishes the hollow slaying.
As Ichigo finishes gathering the last of his things, he sighs at what he's about to do to his friends, his family...to Rukia.
"I'm sorry." he whispers out to the room, as he enters his shinigami form and heads back to Aizen's mansion.
"You're an hour late, Ichigo-kun." Aizen states. Ichigo is surprised at Aizen's sudden formality of him.
"Uh, yea, sorry. It was near impossible getting away from Rukia. I wasn't even home before she found me. I've had better luck shaking off a bad cold." he said, and Aizen chuckles.
"Yea, I figured as much. That's why I sent out that fake hollow alert to her phone. I'm glad to see you seized the opportunity I opened for you." he states.
"Still, I'm a little uncomfortable about all of this. Are you sure you need my help to do this? Is the spirit king so powerful that even someone like you is uncapable of defeating him?" he asks. Aizen solemly nods his head.
"The spirit king has reigned in his realm for over 10,000 years. There have been many attempts on his life, all of them ending in pure misery. According to the royal hierarchy, I myself would struggle against the officers of the royal dimension, let alone the legion commanders, and the king who resides above them." he states. "Besides, who said the training was just for you? I haven't trained in a long time, and perhaps by training with someone who is capable of strength greater than my own will increase my own capabilities as well. I would not pass up such an opportunity." he says with finality. Ichigo nods.
"Right, so where are we going? We need to hurry so Rukia doesn't find us." he says.
"Don't worry, there's a high power barrier here that prevents our detection. It doesn't matter much though, since we won't be training here anyways." he says. Ichigo looks up at him.
"Then where are we going to be training?"
"The Soul Society." Aizen says. Ichigo looks at him like he's crazy.
"And how in the hell are you going to manage that?" Ichigo asks.
"I've set aside a gate that we can enter that's far on the other side of Seireirei. Given the great distance that will be between us and Soul Society, and the vast amount of spirit particles that resides in the atmosphere, it will be impossible for them to even detect our presence during our entire stay there." he says. Ichigo pauses for a moment to think his logic through, then agrees.
"All right, let's do this." Ichigo says with confidence.
"Very well, but remember: if you fail, Soul Society will forever change, and billions of people will lose their lives, including your friends, your family, and Kuchiki-san." he says. Ichigo shakes a little bit at the thought of losing Rukia, and then agrees.
Aizen steps into the main hall of his mansion and begins to incant a spell. Soon after, a gate opens similar to the one that leads to Soul Society. As Aizen steps in, Ichigo follows closely behind.
Goodbye, Rukia. I'm sorry...