Chapter Eight- Far Away

They ran into Orihime's living room just as the communications monitor buzzed on. They listened and Nova's hand tightened on Aira's as the Captain-Commander stated that Orihime was now a traidor and there would be no rescue missions to save her. Aira's heart raced as she saw Ichigo go bazerk. He yelled before Renji caught him.

And then he said it.

"I'm ordering Captain Hitsugaya and his team to return for war preparations immediantly." Captain Yamamoto said.

Both Nova and Aira stopped breathing. She dropped his hand and stepped forward.

"You can't mean me, can you, Captain?" She asked.

Yamamoto looked at her directly. "You will return with them, Captain Shikyo."
"I can't leave!" She demanded.

"We're sorry, sir, but this is an order we can't obey." Rukia told him.

"I had a feeling you might say that." He lowered his head. "So I made arrangements to have you escorted back to Soul Society."

Suddenly, the gate to the other world opened right behind them. Out of the gate stepped Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and Captain Kenpachi Zaraki.

Aira felt like she might cry. Nova's eyes were going from the two newly-arrived Captains and her. They looked at each other desperately.

They barely even noticed Ichigo's arguement with the Commander.

"It's time to go." Kuchiki said.

Aira approached Nova and hugged him tightly. "Wait for me."

He nodded as he hugged her back.

Aira headed up the group to enter the gate before it hit Nova that he might not see her for a while...

He couldn't just let her leave...

"Wait!" He called.

Aira turned just in time to see Nova remove his mask. He threw it on the ground and kissed her, slowly.

She held onto him, unsure that she ever wanted to let go.

But she had to.

They broke apart, and everyone was staring at them. Especially Nova.

"Captain Shikyo."

It was Byakuya's cold voice. She released Nova at the sound of it and took a step back before glaring over at Kuchiki.

"Are you done?" He snapped.

"Jealous bastard." She muttered before kissing Nova again, softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He whispered.

At that, she turned to the gate. She kept her head held high as she literally pushed Byakuya out of the way and stepped into the light.

And then she was gone. They were all gone, with only Nova and Ichigo remaining.

"Nova." Ichigo said as he stared at the blank screen.

Nova bent down to pick up his mask and placed it back on his head. He turned to Ichigo instantly.

"Since when?" Ichigo asked.

"Two months." Nova answered simply.

Ichigo nodded. "Good for you."

"I'm sorry, Ichigo." Nova muttered.

"Not your fault."

And at that, even Ichigo left. Nova followed him out and ran all the way to Urahara's.

~^.^~

"What was that about?" Rangiku asked Aira as they exited the gate.

"Nothing." Aira bowed her head with deep sorrow in her eyes.

"Looked like something to me." Rukia said as she stepped up. "Nova hasn't ever taken off his mask."

Aira smiled to herself. "Maybe he's finally coming to his senses."

Rukia nodded as her brother walked up.

"Captain Shikyo." He said in a cold voice. "I need to speak with you. Alone."

"If you're going to yell at me, yell at me here." Aira looked up at him with the same cool manner.

"I'm not going to yell at you." He looked down at her with that arrogance in his eyes.

"Uh-huh. Right." Aira rolled her eyes. "Just because you're noble does not make you any better than anyone, Byakuya! So quit acting all high-and-mighty and get down off your throne so you can see some people have feelings."

"Captain-" Rukia started.

"It's okay, Rukia." Aira said without looking away from Byakuya's cool face. "I might apologize later, and I probably won't."

At that, she turned to leave. Byakuya caught her arm.

"Don't think that I don't need to talk to you anymore because you think you told me off." He demanded.

"I'm warning you, Kuchiki." Aira said without even turning. "Touch me again and I will cut that pretty arm right off."

She shook off his hand and turned on him. "I am so not in the mood for your arrogance, Byakuya-kun! What exactly do you need to talk to me about?"
Byakuya gave Rukia and Rangiku the look he gave people when he wanted them gone.

"Nii-sama..." Rukia whispered.

"Please, leave us." Byakuya said calmly.

Aira was fuming again, her temper even shorter than it had been before.

Rangiku took Rukia's arm and lead her away from them.

"Now." Byakuya looked over at Aira once they were gone. "Your rudeness back there was not tollerable-"

"Like I give a shit." Aira said, lowering herself into a fighting stance. "I'm warning you-"

"Know your place!" He demanded.

"I know my place!" Aira drew Denkihime. "And it's not under you and your pretenciousness!"

"Are you threatening me, Captain?" Byakuya narrowed his eyes at her.

"Am I, all-mighty Kuchiki?" Aira asked. "Because God-Forbid I go against your orders!"

"Don't insult me, Airashii!" Byakuya said, getting angry now.

"I'll insult whoever the hell I want!" She cried out, tears in her eyes, she was so angry.

Byakuya drew his composure again, his eyes growing more and more repose.

"Aira." He said quietly.

She was taken aback. She had never heard him say her name like that.

"What?" She felt her hand go lax on the hilt of her sword.

"You always had a temper." He smiled slightly.

Is he smiling? She thought.

He relaxed his posture and looked up at her. "I'm sorry. I guess I can be a little arrogant sometimes. But you know me...sometimes I have to be."

Aira looked up at him with confused eyes. "What are you talking about, Byakuya?"

"I wanted to talk to you before, not about how rude you were back when we were leaving, but about the Modified Soul you were with." He sighed.

"What about him?" She asked.

"Put away your blade and I'll tell you." He nodded towards her Zanpaktou.

She sheathed it quickly and stood straight as she faced him.

"He's interesting." Byakuya commented. "What was his name?"

"Nova." She said, feeling something like butterflies as she said his name. "Just Nova."

"Hmm." Byakuya nodded. "You looked well together. I take it he doesn't take off that mask much by the looks on everybody's faces."

"No." She shook her head.

"I'm guessing you're in love with him." Byakuya commented.

"Where are you going with this, Byakuya?" She asked, quieter now.

"I've been where you are before." He told her. "In love and unable to be with someone. But I made my way. I'm hoping you can make you're way as well."

"What does that mean?" Aira urged.

"It means that I was ordered to bring you here." He smiled at her as he walked past her. "What you chose to do afterwards isn't any of my concern."

Aira's eyes grew wide.

"Oh, and do me a favor?" He said as he continued to walk. "Take Rukia and Renji with you. They'll most likely want to go as well. Ichigo will want them there as well. That filthy brat will never survive Hueco Mundo if he's left to his own devices."

Aira smiled. "Arigato, Kuchiki-sama."

He just walked away, leaving her there.

~^.^~

Rukia, Renji and Aira ran through the gate quickly. They nearly fell over each other when they got to the other side.

"Hurry! We have to get to Kisuke's!" Aira cried.

They ran forward, using the air as thier pathway to the former Captain's house.

"I don't sense Ichigo's reiatsu anywhere!" Rukia yelled as they closed in on the shop.

"Ishida or Chad either!" Renji called.

Aira's eyes narrowed. Where were they?

When they approached the Urahara Shop, Kisuke was already outside.

"I had a feeling you guys might come." He smiled. "Follow me."

They all ran into the house behind him before he lead them down into the vast desert training grounds beneath his house.

"Where is everybody?" Aira asked.

"Ichigo, Chad and Ishida have all went to Hueco Mundo to save Inoue." Urahara stated lightly.

"What?" Renji and Rukia cried at the same time.

"We have to get to them." Aira said. "Can you open the gate for us, Kisuke?"

"You're not going alone."

Aira turned when she heard Nova's voice and saw him leaning against a huge wall of desert rock. He stood up straight when she looked at him and walked to her.

"I'm going with you." He said.

"Nova...I don't know..." Aira trailed off.

"I do." He nodded to her before turning back to where Ririn and Kurodo were staring at him, wide-eyed with thier mouths open. "You two should stay here. It would be dangerous if one of us got stuck, but it would be worse if we all three got stuck."

"What?" Ririn demanded. "We're going with you!"

"No..." Kurodo caught Ririn's shoulder. "He wants to go on his own. We should let him."

"You're only saying that 'cause you're scared!" Ririn yelled.

"Ririn." Nova said flatly. "Just stay here and protect Urahara-san."

"Like he needs protection..." She muttered and saw Urahara smirk from where he was on one of the two huge pillars of wood sticking out of a cliff.

"Please, Ririn." Nova said quietly.

Ririn sighed, obviously annoyed. "Fine. Just don't die, Nova."

"I won't." He said.

"Who said I was letting you go?" Aira ordered.

"Doesn't matter if you let me or not." He crossed his arms. "I'm still going."
Aira narrowed her eyes at him. "How am I supposed to keep you safe in a place like that?"

"I can take care of myself." He said, looking insulted.

She shook her head. "You're not going."

"Airashii-"

"Just let him go, Captain." Renji said.

"We could use his power." Rukia added.

Aira groaned. "Why? Why do you have to go so badly?"

"I'm not letting you go into a place like that without me." He told her.

"Why not?" She pushed.

He felt his face growing red as she asked this.

She saw that and sighed. "You don't have to protect me, Nova."

He looked up at where Kisuke was beginning to open the gate. "Yes, I do. I'm going, whether you want me to or not."

"Nova..." She whispered.

Aira looked up when the gate ripped open. Her eyes were torn between it and Nova. She just shook her head.

"Be careful!" Urahara called down to them. "The gate here doesn't have a path like the others, so you'll have to gather reishi under your feet and make your own."

"Thank you, Kisuke!" Aira called down.

She reached and took Nova's hand. He looked down at her softly and his eyes looked a little afraid.

"Let's go." She smiled incouragingly.

And at that, they jumped through the gate together, with Rukia and Renji.