Okay guys I was off yesterday and was able to bust out another chapter.

This chapter reflects what Rukia is feeling while all this is going on. I wanted to do so much more with this chapter but decided to break it into two chapters instead of one.

Thank you Quickslice for your review! You are correct it was always my intention to have the first few chapters slightly Narrative to set the story. There is much more dialog in this chapter and will be in the coming chapters.

If any of you have read the new bleach isn't about damn time that Ichigo decides to show back up. Cant wait to see him kick some ass!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH IF I DID YACHIRU WOULD HAVE A MUCH BIGGER PART

_Chapter 2_

The Mask covers all and Nothing

The black wings of the hell butterfly fluttered before her, she didn't even notice. She had spent the past four months watching him. As she walked towards the open senkaimon in the distance she was lost in thought. Deep inside her soul she was having a conversation with her zanpakuto spirit.

The land was desolate a field of snow with few trees scattered here and there. Sode no Shirayuki, the ice princess stood regally as always. She was dressed in her usual long flowing white robes tinged with blue along the edges. Looking down at her petite shinigami master she shivered at the blizzard that was blowing around her.

"Child if you only knew how calm it is in here when your love is around" she mused.

"I do not know what to do Shirayuki, I feel like an immense part of me was left with him and now I am but a shell of what I was." Rukia agonized with tears brimming again in her eyes.

"This is what you said you wanted. You wanted him to be able to live a normal life. To be able to have a peaceful existence where he does not have to fight. This is what you wanted..Is it not?"

" I do not know anymore. I was hoping at the end of this war I could find out if he felt the same. The joy that revelation would give me would have been insurmountable. I know nisama wouldn't approve, but that man has my heart, my whole heart."

Smiling Sode no mused to herself "At least she has finally got to where she can tell me the truth without hiding things."

It had taken awhile but Rukia had learned finally that there was no need for the mask here. It had taken considerable work by the later to convince her that couldn't hide her emotions or the truth from her. After all she was part of her own soul.

"Child do not give up I too miss the calm snows that his presence brings here, all these blizzards are getting tiring!"her zanpakuto laughed.

"Sorry about that..." violet eyes looked down upon finding out that her suffering was causing the weather in her soul to go haywire.

She felt a single tear rolling down her face, at the same time a finger slowly pulled her eyes back up to eye level.

"Do not fret child. That man has gone through the very depths of oblivion and came back for you. Against all odds he has wound up by your side time and time again. Do not think of this as an end. Think of this as a brief interlude. You will see him again of this I have utter faith. The only obstacle you have to overcome is time." Smiling Rukia acknowledged the wisdom in Sode no Shirayuki's words.

Although they did not take the pain away you could feel the blizzards subside ever so softly as she felt just a little better.

"Oi! RUKIA! WAKE UP ARE YOU IN THERE!"

Blinking she noticed that in her concentration she had exited the Dangai and was now back in the Soul Society. The culprit of the yelling that had forced her back into reality was of course Renji. Her oldest friend had come to greet her on her return home.

Home. That word meant so much different now. Will she ever feel at home as she did living in the closet her warrior. Wait...her warrior? That possibility had been taken from them both. Her mask reformed on her face as the need to hide her emotions resurfaced. She was a Kuchiki dammit and she would not show weakness.

As quickly as the blizzards subsided they came back with even more intensity. Standing in the middle of the turmoil Sode no Shirayuki sighed.

Renji had heard from his captain that Rukia was coming back today. Nobody had really seen or heard much from her since what happened with Ichigo. When he got the reprieve from his captain to take the rest of the day off he rushed to the senkaimon to await her arrival. He didn't have to wait long. Less than fifteen minutes after he arrived the doors opened and a hell butterfly fluttered through followed by the raven haired shinigami. One of his oldest friends, and one of his biggest personal secrets.

Of course he saw the connection between her and Ichigo. To not see it would be like disregarding the sun on a summer's day. Hell, that damn orange haired idiot had become his best friend and he would willingly follow him into to hell if he needed back-up. Still, he could not deny that those old feelings were still there. Even if they only amounted to a small tinge of jealousy every now and then. Seeing her would always put a smile on his face though, he waved enthusiastically

" YO! Rukia Welcome Back!"

Nothing. No response at all.

A tiny vein of irritation could be seen as he decided to stomp over and try again.

"Lousy friend you are...haven't seen you in months...not even a wave back...I'll never understand why I put up with this sh-" Renji muttered until he got close enough to see the details he had missed.

Her eyes were tinged with red and there were tear streaks on her face. She looked like she hadn't slept for days. Her shihakusho which she usually took pride in maintaining to almost perfect standards was in a state of total disarray. Just what the hell had she been through? The thing that caught him most off guard was her eyes. They were glazed over like she wasn't even there and her face...her face had that damn mask on it. Completely devoid of emotion. She had told him once it was her "Kuchiki" mask, a product of her noble training. Now standing beside her she still had not given him the slightest inclination that she even knew he was there.

"Oi! RUKIA! WAKE UP ARE YOU IN THERE!"he yelled

Life hit her eyes again and she started blinking.

"Renji..?!" recognition showed in her eyes as she looked around.

"I didn't even realize I was here already."she admonished

"Well if you keep walking around like one of those zombies the humans talk about you will run straight into a wall!"he joked with a smile. It did not have the desired effect. He noticed the mask go up even more.

"You are right. I am a Kuchiki, it is not dignified for me to have my head in the clouds when I should be reporting to nisama of my arrival."

"The Captain has given me the rest of the day off! I wanted to come down and welcome you back. How have you been?"such a stupid question a blind man could see she had been through hell.

"I have been fine" she lied

" I have completed my duties in the human world and have returned eager to get back to my duties as a lieutenant. I have been away for far to long and my Captain needs me."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down...Captain Ukitake knew you were coming back today. He sent a hell butterfly to my Captain to inform him. It also said the he graciously gives you the rest of the day off to rest." Renji having completely forgot at first his secondary task in meeting with her was glad that he remembered that little bit now.

"So I thought we could go hang out with everyone. I know everyone is excited that you are back." he was not met with the answer he was expecting.

"It is my duty to return back to our family manor and await nisama. Renji it was good seeing you but I must leave." With that she disappeared flash stepping away before he had a chance to retort.

He had seen it before. After the death of Kaien Shiba, her old lieutenant. After his death she had withdrew into herself for years. It was the arrival of that orange haired, bastard of a friend of his that had turned her around. The time that they all had together he had began to see his friend become herself again. It pained him that it wasn't him that was able to bring her around. But in comparison to the way she was, he was happy to have his friend back again. That time was nothing to the look she had just given him . It was utterly devoid of life. It was if her soul had been sucked out and what stood before him was just a shadow. It was shocking.

"Damn you Ichigo, you better hurry up and die or find a way to get your powers back. So I can kick your ass for making her feel the pain she is in now." he thought " Although I'm sure he isn't doing much better" frowning he flashed stepped away.

Maybe Matsumoto still had some of that good sake... he needed it right now.

Well there is the new chapter I hope you enjoyed it. I know it is starting out a little slow but trust me it will be worth it.

There will be at least one more chapter maybe two continuing to set up and introducing some more key characters.

Please review it really helps :) I am already into the next chapter and big brother will be making his appearance ;)

POLL: I have not yet decided what the main antagonist is going to be yet any suggestions? Rouge Vizard? Arrancar? Something we haven't seen before? I will take all suggestion