Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of the characters that are mentioned within this fanfic.
The wind that once blew furiously dulled to a non-existent level, the blue haze still radiating slightly from the black butterfly that fluttered its new wings towards its destination. The moon hung low yet the night had just begun. A soft breeze swept over my skin as the alley disappeared to be replaced by the top of a building under my feet. Sighing I gazed at the moon content and lost in the moment. 'Performing a kensõ always gives me a satisfied feeling.' I mused to myself. I dragged in a deep breath of the chilled air, a slight hint of frost was apparent within its temperature and crispness.
A fluttering noise filled the air causing my ever present frown to deepen, my eyes fluttered shut as I dragged another deep breath in. the fluttering increased in speed as a small, bright red light formed in the distance within my mind. Shifting my feet so that the light radiated behind me, forcing another deep breathe to fill my lungs, ready for what was about to occur.
The fluttering stopped as my eyes flew open, placing Zangetsu's tip into the ground just in front of me, my hand lingering on the hilt. 'I know I won't need Zangetsu, they are no enemy of ours. However the old man will get pissed if I leave him.' I muttered internally whilst wrapping part of Zangetsu's cloth around my wrist.
'Of course I would be pissed Ichigo, you would be too if someone left you behind.' Zangetsu moaned into my thoughts.
'I suppose, now quite down. Our company will be arriving any second.' I thought whilst now able to feel the lights pressure behind me. Zangetsu smirking within me at this realisation.
'Why do you pretend not to sense them?' he questioned me.
My mind ran blank, no ideas filled my head. 'I don't know Zangetsu.' I mused as realisation sunk in.
Zangetsu merely nodded in a sad sort-of way.
A pressure connected with my back causing my attention to be redrawn into the real world. The force increased, my knees bulked and my hand grasped Zangetsu tighter, my other hand flying to the hilt to join the other. My knees buckled slightly though Zangetsu prevented me from falling. The force stopped, somehow realising I would not fall. I turned to glance at it, knowing full well where it had come from.
"Damn it Rukia do you have to kick me?" I inquired.
"Hello to you too Ichigo." She stated whilst smirking.
"Is there a reason you're here, or did you just come to annoy me?" I asked a slight smile graced my features by her answer.
"Well I'm here on official business, but annoying you is a bonus that I can't resist." She stated simply.
"Careful Rukia it almost sounded like you cared." I stated chuckling internally.
Rukia's arms crossed with pretend anger as she faced away from me. I glanced at her resisting the urge to laugh. She held her head high, turned so I could only see the left hand of her face. She had tightly closed her eyes in an obvious attempt to seem more angry than she was. The little lighting that was available all seemed to radiate onto her face, highlighting its beauty. Her ebony hair swayed in a slight breeze as did the strand that was normally between her eyes. The breeze also caught Rukia's uniform and caused it to sway slightly. Her zanpakutõ rested slightly on her left-hand side as normal.
Untying Zangetsu from my wrist I picked him up and placed him upon my back, the cloth wrapping around him. The familiar weight locked into place.
"So what are you here for Rukia?" I questioned my scowl deepening.
Rukia's eye fluttered open as she looked at me clearly annoyed that I had not thought I had angered her. "Well as I've said I'm here officially." She smirked slightly.
Anger raised slightly within me. "Yeah I know that, but that doesn't tell me why you're here." I stated my voice raised in pitch slightly showing my anger.
"I'm here to ask you to come to Soul Society." She stated causing my mind to instantly go blank and what I assumed was a blank expression to possess my face. "Ichigo will you accompany me to Soul Society?" She questioned clearly noticing my blankness.
"Why?" I asked.
"That's my mission, to bring you back. Now please, Ichigo come back with me." She stated her eyes filling with a sad look towards the end.
"Fine. When?" I answered as simply as I could.
"Now." She stated. A light emitted from behind her similar to what the kensõ had created. The light died down revealing the door that I had seen Rukia take before.
'I guess this is how you travel when your invited.' I muttered to myself causing Zangetsu to chuckle.
'There is a first time for everything.' He muttered.
"Are you ready Ichigo?" Rukia inquired a smile forming upon her lips.
"Yeah, yeah, lead the way." I stated walking towards her. She turned as the door opened, three hell butterflies fluttered within the doorway. My curiosity flared. "Three butterflies?" I questioned.
"One for each of us…" Rukia held up her hand to silence my obvious question. "…the third is to inform the Captain-Commander if you are with me on my return or not. And before you ask I don't know why either, I just follow orders." she stated simply.
'Be careful Ichigo.' Zangetsu stated simply concern filling his voice.
'I'll be alright I have you with me.' I stated internally smiling. "Shall we?" I asked whilst motioning for Rukia to proceed on our journey, secretly grateful that Kon was placed within my body at this moment in time. 'I'll be back as soon as I can guys.' I muttered thinking of Yuzu, Karin and the goat-bearded idiot. I stepped through the door at that moment.
The light increased again blinding me, a force behind me informed me that the door had closed. Placing my left arm above my eyes I shifted forward unsure of my surroundings. Uncertainty filled my mind 'I have no idea where I'm going.' I acknowledged to myself. "Rukia, Rukia where are you? I can't see." I asked.
Silence filled the air around me. 'Damn-it she must have gone on without me.' slight fear filled me, fear of the unknown world that now surrounded me. Clamping my eyes shut I took a deep breath as I straightened ignoring the slightly orange haze that was caused by the light I searched for the red light from before.
Forcing myself to calm I noticed a small black ball of light floating just in front of me. A white with a tint of blue light radiated in the distance, not as bright as the light that surrounded me when my eyes were open but bright enough to catch my attention. Forcing another deep breath into my lungs I moved towards the bigger light, the little black light just ahead of me bobbed further ahead as if to encourage me to move faster. The discomfort I felt at being blinded prevented me moving any faster than a slow walk.
The whitey blue light now mere steps in front of me I tore my eyes open preparing for the brightness, the light stung my eyes disorienting me. Forcing my feet forward I moved through the light that had blinded me so. A door swung shut behind me as my eyes adjusted to the less violent lighting. I could hear shuffling nearby, voices whispering in the cooling breeze.
"Ichigo Kurosaki.?" a small voice seemed to ask in a scared manner.
My head turned to the noise that I could not quite see yet. "Yes?" I queried
"Follow me please." the voice stated.
I blinked ferociously a few times revelling the world around me. Glancing around I noticed I was within the Seireitei within a street I had not been on yet. Lots of Shinigami were located nearby some of them in groups of three or four glancing at me and whispering to there group, others stood staring, yet others walked past oblivious to me, a few entered or exited one of the many buildings that accumulated this street. My attention was drawn to a small Shinigami to my immediate right staring straight up at me.
"Will you please follow me sir?" the Shinigami asked with the same voice that had spoken whilst I was blinded.
I nodded causing him to turn and walk down the street. Muttering broke out among the other Shinigami in the street causing me to feel uneasy. The path ahead was littered with Shinigami on both sides all muttered amongst there groups as I passed them.
"Please go in you are expected." The Shinigami that was leading me stated indicating a building directly ahead, the building was bigger than the others, surrounded by its own garden within which a gravel path was situated directly to the main door. Cherry trees lined the pathway, there pink petals flowing in the wind. And semi-surrounding me as I passed them. I reached the door and uncertainty flared again was I just to enter, knock or wait. My scowl deepened. Thinking back to the words my guide had spoken I knocked slightly whilst opening the door in front of me.
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