"So Ukitake Taichou, why did you call us down here?" Ichigo broke the silence as if it was casual. Rukia knew something serious was going on though whether Ichigo realized it or not.
"Well, seeing as Rukia no longer has to prepare for a wedding," Ukitake started. How does he know already? Renji himself doesn't even know! Rukia looked just as baffled as her thoughts. "I have decided to send you both on a mission, together." Ukitake finished.
"A mission sir?" Rukia spoke up. Ukitake nodded.
"Well seeing as you both were at one time familiar with the world of the living I would like you both to proceed back to Karakura town and finish Rukia's original job seventeen years ago. I want you to rid the town once and for all of these hollow menace." Ukitake explained.
Rukia wasn't really fond of the idea. Last time she had lost more than half her powers to Ichigo and didn't even complete her mission that so many times ago. Ukitake could see perfectly well what she was thinking.
"Or you could both go and rid the entire world of a most wanted defective soul." Ukitake offered.
"A defective soul? Like a mod soul?" Rukia was more into this now
"No not a mod soul. It is more of a shadow demon. Squad 12 seems to have created another monster. It has been on the loose for fifteen years. It doesn't grow old though and it has been consuming souls like crazy recently. We think it is somehow connected to the Kurosaki case. I want you to find and capture it if you can. If you cannot… destroy the being once and for all." Ukitake put in the greater details.
"Wait taichou. Kurosaki case? You mean my case?" Ichigo interrupted.
"Yes Ichigo… we believe this is the same thing that killed you." Ukitake said hesitantly. Rukia froze and her eyes clouded for a second as her memory went back in time. The black human like blob with cold blood eyes and blood seeping from its mouth, claws, and spikes out of its back. The creature was the same that vanished.
"But I thought that thing was dead!" Rukia cried.
"We thought so too. But after some extended research we figured out that the soul had attached itself to Kurosaki. It was female. For some reason Ichigo was its target to be its mate I guess is the general term. It vanished after killing its potential mate in a way of grief but has detected Ichigo's spiritual pressure again which has caused it to return." Ukitake seemed to know a lot about this creature.
"That's why it was trying to kill me…" Rukia whispered. The creature had noticed her and Ichigo's affection for each other and in a torent of jealousy and the will to win Ichigo, the creature went mad trying to kill her but ended up killing the one person they both wanted.
"Do you have any idea why this creature has chosen me?" Ichigo's voice brang her back into the conversation.
"We believe it had to do with your tremendous amount of spiritual pressure. And you were the only one with that great of an amount around at the time and you hold more than most captains." Ukitake seemed lost in thought as he spoke.
"That did get you in trouble a lot with many different species Ichigo. Including the hollows." Rukia agreed. That was a very logical explanation.
"Really? That sucks…" Ichigo grunted. Rukia mentally agreed.
"Will you take on this mission?" Ukitake held out his hand first to Ichigo.
"I accept." Ichigo shook Ukitake's hand and the Captain then held it out to Rukia.
"And you?" he gave her a questioning look.
Rukia hesitated for a moment but took hold of her Captain's hand. "I accept."
"Good. I wish for you to leave approximately within the next three days. In that time you may prepare, say good byes or anything of that sort. If you wish to see me I will probably be in here sick as a dog." Ukitake smiled happily at them both. "Do you have any more questions?"
"No taichou. I think we have all the information we need." Rukia dipped her head respectfully then left when she was dismissed.
"So what do you think?" Ichigo was following her.
"Do you enjoy following me or sneaking around?" Rukia sighed, glancing at him over her shoulder.
"Yes I do now answer my question." Ichigo chuckled.
"What is there to think? Its not really a matter is it?" she pointed out bluntly.
"Yes it is." Ichigo protested.
"Alright fine… I'm worried and I'm scared." Rukia admitted.
"Why would you be scared or worried?" This started Rukia's thoughts to flare.
"I lost you once Ichigo… I don't want it to happen again." She looked at him with a hard serious look.
"Don't be worried. I will be fine I promise. Its you that you should be worrying about." Ichigo didn't seem to care that he has already lost to this thing before.
"And why is that?" Rukia was getting the impression he thought of her as weak.
"Well wasn't its original target that night you?" Ichigo recalled.
"You remembered?" Rukia's blood froze. How much exactly does he remember of that night?
"No I heard you smartass." He used a 'duh' tone that made Rukia's blood boil.
"I'm a smartass now am I? Last time I checked that was you. No wait you were the dumbass!" she snapped defensively. Ichigo's scorn appeared faster than a lightning bolt.
"Dumbass?" he growled.
"I'm not sure you had so many nicknames eh? Strawberry!" Rukia cracked.
"Oh the strawberry thing is too far!" Ichigo began to storm away.
"Where do you think your going carrot top?" she demanded. Ichigo's head swiveled back to her.
"I don't need any of this shit!" Ichigo kept walking.
"I win again Ichigo." She snickered to herself. Just like old times exactly.
(To Be Continued…)
