Chapter 20: Ichigo's the Key
Ichigo runs up stairs to go see Rukia who is still locked inside the steam room. He peers through the window on the door and see's that she is awake. He wonders how long she was knocked out for. Rukia looks up and see's that Ichigo is staring at her through the glass. She gives him an icy smile, "what is it that you want Ichigo, come to see me squirm in here. Do you really believe because this room is hot that it will prevent me from completely embracing the ice within my soul?" She looks at him and laughs, "This is only delaying the inevitable the Rukia that you once knew is fading away. Soon she will be lost and I will be in complete control. Then I will be able to shape this world into something of a winter wonderland." Rukia lays down on the bench done talking with Ichigo. What a bitch, Ichigo thinks to himself. "Well I guess you won't mind if I turn up the heat then," as he is increasing the thermostat to its max setting. Rukia doesn't answer him, she just gives him an icy glare.
Ichigo continues watching Rukia through the window. He can tell that she is getting uncomfortable, she has been in the steam room for almost an entire day. Yoruichi walks up behind Ichigo, "what are you doing" she asks in a curious voice. She notices that the thermostat has been increased to max. "How long has it been set at this temperature?" Ichigo looks at her, "I guess for a few hours now." Yoruichi cocks her head to one side, "you know that might kill her. She did almost just die and although the ice elemental is taking over her soul, I don't know if her body can tolerate it." Ichigo is quite for a moment. "I had a dream last night that involved the phoenix she tells us about. I was on a boat in the middle of a lake of lava when the bird spoke to me. He said that I am the key to awakening the fire inside her." "I am not sure if it meant to make her die of heat stroke," Yoruichi replies, "it probably meant…" Ichigo interrupts her before she could finish. "I have a good idea of what it meant, but to weaken the ice element within her so the real Rukia comes close enough to the surface for me to reach her." Yoruichi stares at Ichigo, "I hope you are right Ichigo because if she dies we die with her." Ichigo watches Yoruichi walk away, "I will never lose her" he whispers to himself.
Ichigo watched Rukia as she paces back and forth inside the steam room. Every now and then she looks at him at unleashes a string of curses that would make a sailor blush. The heat has been turned up to max in the steam room for six hours now. "How long will this take" Ichigo mutters to himself. He notices that Rukia has stopped walking and is just standing in the middle of the room. She looks at him and he notices that one of her eyes is now a deep dark blue, "Ichigo" she croaks out as she falls unconscious to the floor. Ichigo opens up the door to the steam room and rushes to her side. He brushes the hair from her face, "Rukia can you hear me?" Rukia looks at him tears running down her face, "why is it so hot in here, why are you doing this to me?" It breaks Ichigo's heart to hear Rukia sound so betrayed. "The ice elemental is taking over your soul and when she consumes it the person you were before will cease to exist. You have to fight her Rukia, you need to unlock the fire element within you." Rukia just stares at him, tears still welling up in her eyes. "Just how am I supposed to do that, by getting heat stroke in a steam room" she yells at him.
Ichigo is relieved to hear Rukia yell at him. He is quite for a while as she continues to yell at him. "I can't believe this Ichigo. You must have lost your mind. I swear if I would have died I would have come back and haunted your worthless ass." Ichigo looks at her when she quieted down "Are you done now?" Rukia glares at him with both eyes a deep blue sparkling with anger. "The phoenix that you dream about came to me in a dream and told me that I was the key to helping you master the fire element." Rukia glares at him, "I think that phoenix is trying to kill me. Did it tell you to lock me in a steam room and watch me suffer?" Ichigo winces at her words, "I didn't mean for you to suffer Rukia, I just needed to weaken the ice element and this is all I could think of to do." "So you expect me to spend the remainder of my days locked up in this steam room" she asks him with a sneer. "Rukia quit whining, I did it to save you. Now shut up and listen." Rukia looks at him as if he grew two heads. "The bird told me that the key to helping you unlock you fire is through passion."
Rukia glares at Ichigo furious that he locked her in here. "Well congratulations I am passionately angry" she tells him. Ichigo just smiles at her which makes her angrier. "Well evidently we need to find something that your soul will burn for. So Rukia what does your soul burn for?" Rukia reaches up to hit Ichigo, but he easily pins her arms over her head. "This isn't a game, what does your soul burn for." Rukia looks at Ichigo with wide eyes and then gets angry at him again. "Get off of me asshole you weigh a ton." Ichigo doesn't budge, his face is just inches from hers. He lays his body on top of hers and she can feel that he is getting excited by the situation. "Answer me Rukia," he demands in a seductive voice. Rukia looks at him, his orange hair is shining like fire and his eyes are burning her soul. She can feel the imprint of the phoenix burning on her side. She suddenly realizes that the thing her soul burns for is Ichigo. She looks at him with eyes full of passion. "You Ichigo, my soul burns for you," he lowers his head and kisses her passionately. The room around them erupts in fire as the make love in the middle of the room.