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Urahara's Shop

Ichigo, Uryu, Orihime, and Chad were all sitting around Rukia's makeshift bed while Kisuke relayed the analysis he had made about the espada's spirit energy to them.

"According to the data I've gathered, this espada is ranked five or higher. The extraction process I've come up with for taking the spirit energy out of our young friend here will take quite a while, but at the end of it Rukia should be as good as new."

"That's good," Uryu breathed.

"Hmmm," Chad agreed.

"Is there any way I can help with my powers? Maybe I can speed up the process a bit," Orihime said hopefully.

"If your abilities didn't work the first time you tried to heal her mind, they won't do me any good now," Kisuke announced bluntly.

"Geez Kisuke, you don't have to be so mean about it," Ichigo said while rolling out the stiffness in his neck.

"Well you certainly seem relaxed, Ichigo." Uryu noticed, and he pushed his glasses up. "Just a while ago you were shouting at everyone because you were worried about Rukia. It could only mean one thing..." Everyone caught on to what he was implying, including Ichigo. He didn't even blush.

"Uryu, Rukia and I are best friends, but there's nothing more to it. We trust each other and look out for each other's backs just like me and Chad here, and all of you. Besides, all of you are my friends and I'd be equally worried about any of you guys. Uryu, Chad, Orihime," Ichigo made eye contact with everyone in the room to show he was completely honest about what he was saying.

"Aren't you worried about her though Ichigo?" Chad asked.

"There's no need to worry now," Ichigo replied. "I trust Kisuke, he's never failed before at this kind of thing."

"That's true," Chad said. "By the way, did you guys notice that this took up our whole evening right before summer?"

"I gotta go guys sorry!" Orihime burst out suddenly. "I just remembered that Tatsuki invited me to go on vacation with her the week after summer, and I need to pack!"

"That's right, Tatsuki!" Ichigo reminded everyone. "We should explain everything to her sometime before she leaves. We'll do that tomorrow though, I have to get home now. Yuzu and Karin will be worried if I don't."

"Good idea. See you guys later!" Uryu said, and everyone went home without any worries, while Kisuke strolled to the back of his shop for the rare customer who'd just shown up. Meanwhile, Rukia's eyes snapped open.

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Rukia felt woozy, and slightly sick. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to wake up. Suddenly, an adorable bunny made an appearance in her mind. It jumped over a fence. Several more bunnies did this, and before she knew it, Rukia was asleep again.

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The next time she woke up, she felt alert. She didn't know how much time had passed since she was last awake, but the lighting inside her room was certainly dimmer. Rukia sat up in her bed and waited for the dizziness. None came. She stood up and still felt perfectly fine, so that was good. She paced the room for a while, trying to remember what happened before she got hit. That's right! She looked down at herself in her soul reaper outfit, but there were no bandages. How long had she been asleep? She didn't know, but the last thing she remembered hearing was Orihime wishing she had the power to fight. That seemed about right. Now then, first things first. Rukia had to find Urahara and thank him for keeping her here for as long as he did, then it was off to Ichigo's. Rukia browsed around a bit but she couldn't find a thing except for outdated candy. Kisuke was probably out. She stepped outside and felt the breeze, so warm and refreshing, and she started to walk.

Ichigo's house was empty. Completely devoid of life. Rukia found this strange, as not even Kon was in his room when she checked. She was starting to worry, what could've happened? After further inspection, Chad and Orihime were gone too from their homes as was Uryu. Now it was getting scary. Rukia started to run to the park where they were last together in one place, it was the only area she could think of. She passed rows of houses and the cemetery, where there was an event going on. It felt wrong to just run by when someone was being payed respects, but she would have to come back later. She continued running, but suddenly she slammed into someone.

"Hey watch where you're going idi-" she glanced up. "Ikkaku?" He nodded to her.

"Why are you here? What's going on?" He gestured towards the way she'd come from and quickly turned away.

"Ikkaku! Don't just say nothing, tell me what's going on."

"Rukia, go back."

This wasn't getting her anywhere. Rukia turned back and instinctively went to the funeral procession, despite the voice inside her screaming in fear. Something felt undeniably wrong, and it took all her willpower to investigate what it was. Wait was that…

"Kisuke!" Rukia called out. He noticed her, but turned away afterwards. What the… Rukia stopped. Her inner voice was taking over her body, controlling her feet and making her turn away from the event. No, no, something's wrong. I can't be this afraid, it's my duty to help people! Rukia took control of herself again and surged forward.

"Hey what's going on? I don't get-" her sentence died in her throat as the faces of Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, and Uryu appeared in the pictures above four coffins.

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"Rukia. Rukia!" different voices were calling out to her from somewhere. "Rukia!" Her eyes fluttered open.

"You're finally awake!" Orihime's face smiled at her from the edge of her bed, along with the faces of her other friends.

"You took a full week to recover after Kisuke finally took the spirit energy out of you." Uryu said. "The side effects might have been hallucinations, but what matters is that-"

"You're alright." Everyone said in unison.

"Guys…" Rukia's voice quivered. Then she knocked them all over with a hug.

"What the-"

"Rukia are you really okay?"

"Yeah what exactly did you dream about?"

She didn't even hear them. "I'm so glad I have friends like you," she sniffed. "Even though you are just humans."

"I don't know if that's an insult or a compliment," Chad said.

"Let's just say it's a compliment!" Orihime cheered.

Rukia looked up at each of her friends, remembering specific memories with each of them, especially Ichigo. That fateful day when she gave her powers to him was still as clear as day in her mind, and she never regretted anything that had happened since then. Rukia's eyes were shining as she realized more deeply than ever before that she loved her friends, both here and in the Soul Society. She loved them more than anything else in the world, and she would do anything for them. But why did she have that terrifying nightmare? It sent a shiver up her spine.

"Hey don't start celebrating yet," Yoruichi called from the doorway. Everyone turned to face her. "We've just discovered the position of the espada who controlled those arrancars."

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