Pre-Note

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. This is for creative purposes. I do own this plot.

Reminder: Mature-rating. Mystery-themed. Light sexual content. Crucial to remain attentive to detail. This is for Rukia and her relationships.

Disappeared

The sun.

Gold and elegantly embodied as a sphere that guides the daytime.

The annihilator of shadows and the creator of the day's shine.

The protector of dreams with the pride of the sun.

An entrancing work of art, whose story just begun.

It was gone.

Ethereal and lost like it had never been there to begin with.

Just like that, it disappeared from his sight—hiding it's miraculous light to allow the moon to breathe. It was a perception he had seen ever since he was a child, the story of the sun and moon—a story of sacrifice and yearning lovers that longed to be united as one.

He silently bid the sun farewell and welcomed the full moon before walking away from the mirrored body of water. His school bag hung over his shoulder as he strolled down the lonely street, crippled and sweating from the new found heat.

The World of the Living, specifically Karakura Town was rapidly being engulfed with an ember-like heat as the Soul Society was being consumed by glistening ice. The heat moistened the air and generated perspiration among the residents of the town as the cold climate that was predicted by the meteorologists vanished. The gust of strong winds and the cool air that once surrounded his atmosphere had strangely disappeared. Stains of sweat formed under his arms as a stream of water seeped down his neck into the dent of his spine.

He hadn't noticed it at first—the cold touch of his skin was reluctant to be replaced by a sultry feeling that would cool the inside of his body and torment the outside. His body had tried it's best to resist the humid feeling but it was competently inevitable. Perspiration formed on the frame of his face before streaming down the sides and trickling down the structure.

"Damn, how'd it get so hot?" Ichigo questioned out loud as he looked up at the night sky. He wiped his forehead with his right arm as he made a turn onto his street. He wasn't too updated with the news nor the weather, but based on what Karin had said in the morning, it should be –10. He looked at the trees aligning the street, focusing on the motionless leaves and the silent night—not even a single breeze, he noted as he unbuttoned his grey blazer.

By the time he got to the front door of the Kurosaki Clinic, he was drenched in his own sweat. His hair was noticeably soggy while his neck and face were glistening with perspiration. He closed the door behind him before stepping into the kitchen.

"Ichi-nii! You're late!" Yuzu said as she rushed to his side with a pan in her hand. Ichigo looked down at his younger sister as he prepared his apology.

"Sorry Yuzu, I had to stay back to catch up on a few things for school." Ichigo apologized in a soft tone as he wiped off another stream of sweat. She was visibly being affected by the heat as Ichigo had mentally noted when he stepped in, cooking on a hot stove had made both her forehead and hands moisten.

"It's alright, you should eat—your food is gett—" Before Yuzu could even finish her sentence, a male figure wearing a familiar doctor's coat came rushing in speed in their direction.

"Ichigooooooooo!" Kurosaki Isshin yelled at his son as he attempted to kick him before being brutally countered by Ichigo's bag. The black-haired man laid face flat on the ground as Yuzu sighed at her father's childish behavior.

"Cut it out!" Ichigo said as he walked past his father with annoyance. Karin sat at the table eating her dinner with her eyes closed. She shook her head in irritation before using her chopsticks to eat some food. Ichigo joined her on the table as Yuzu placed his dinner in front of him. His father attempted to mount another attack but was punched back by Ichigo's left fist and slammed into the wall.

"Cut it out you two! The food is going to get cold!" Yuzu said before joining her brother and sister on the table. Kurosaki Isshin was not a normal father, he was lively, idiotic, and had a tendency of attacking Ichigo for almost everything he did. Whether he was late for dinner or even for waking up, he was prone to attack him for any reason. His loud voice and ranging facial expressions never failed to annoy his children when he was overreacting, especially Ichigo and Karin.

"He never learns." Karin said. Yuzu took the remote control and switched on the TV to hear what the weather network had to say regarding the weather. A news anchor with blonde hair and stale red lipstick appeared on the screen with a few papers shuffled in her hand and a microphone.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm Matsuno Kurumi and you're watching JC24 news. An unusual heat wave has been detected in Karakura Town as the temperature in the east decreases. Health officials have issued a heat warning to the residents of Karakura Town as the temperature is expected to increase by 10% in the next week. Not much is known about the reason behind this rare and sufficient weather, however specialists argue that it is the act of global warming while others beg to differ. The real question is, why weren't meteorologists able to detect it? According to their reports, Karakura Town was originally expected to be receive a decrease in their temperature—ranging from –10 to –25. Strangely, the graphs were displaying the same information up until half an hour ago when—"

The woman was suddenly cut off as the TV began to flicker with black, white, and grey lines.

"What's happening to the TV?" Yuzu asked as images of the news anchor began to drift from black and white to colour. The Kurosaki siblings immediately stopped eating their meal as they stared at the TV.

"Dad must've forgot to pay the cable bill." Karin theorized as Ichigo's eyes closed and Yuzu left the table. Suddenly, a cheerful and harmonic voice rang in the siblings' ears as a familiar face appeared on the screen.

"🎵Good evening, Kurosaki-san.🎵" The voice of Urahara Kisuke sang with a fan concealing half of his face and his green-and-white striped hat eclipsing a shadow. Ichigo's eyes immediately widened at the sight of the shopkeeper as he smiled through the television.

"Urahara-san?! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Ichigo said as he stood up from his chair. His brown eyes widened with a comical facial expression forming on his face. Karin remained calm at the presence of the ominous shopkeeper as Yuzu stared in perplexity.

"Glad to see you're doing well, I'm sorry for interrupting your dinner but we have an urgent matter to discuss." Kisuke said calmly as the voices of Inoue Orihime, Ishida Uryū, and Chad became audible in the background. Ichigo stared at the shopkeeper in disbelief as he smiled cheerfully on the TV screen like it was a normal thing.

"This looks great, Ishida-kun!" Orihime commented in the background.

"Better get going, Ichigo. This creep isn't gonna get off the screen until you leave." Karin said as she opened her eyes to face her brother.

"Karin." Ichigo said softly after turning his attention to his sister.

"Nice to see you too, Kurosaki-san." Kisuke said joyfully as he waved with his fan.

Karin turned away in an unpleasant response to the shopkeeper's energy and joy. In the background, Uryū could be seen with a slight blush on his face as he pushed up his rectangular-framed glasses before responding to Orihime.

"You really think so? I couldn't recreate the outfit you wore in Hueco Mundo, but I was able to make something similar to your liking." Uryū explained.

"It sure is...different." Chad commented as he stared at the vivacious Orihime who stared down at her new outfit. It was white with an aquamarine collar and sleeves, it exposed her stomach that was then covered by a skirt with black lining. Regardless of the newly revealed skin, she was quite fond of it.

"Here, Sado—this is yours." Uryū said as he handed Sado another one of his creations. "Try it on."

"Oh—um...I'm fine." Chad responded in an attempt of rejection.

"🎵Try it on.🎵" Kisuke sang as he turned his attention to the people behind him.

"Do I have to?" Chad asked as he stared down at the outfit in his hand.

"Kisuke." A female voice said in the background, causing Kisuke to turn his attention to the slender woman beside him. Yoruichi entered the screen—her chin-length bangs framed the sides of her face as her dark skin illuminated in the light from the sweat that covered her body. Her arms crossed as Kisuke made space for her to sit down—but she stood.

"Yoruichi-san." Ichigo acknowledged as he stared at the woman he had known for so long. She turned to him with an expression that he hadn't expected, but it told him this meeting was more than just an urgent matter. It was serious—dangerous. Her grim verbalization was the kind that made Ichigo's expression change almost immediately. His body got tense and his fist clenched as he wondered what could have possibly happened.

"Ichigo, meet us at Urahara's Shōten in five minutes. We have important matters to discuss." Yoruichi said causing the room to get tense. Dread was laced in her voice as she spoke, causing Ichigo to develop a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that was unlike any other feeling he had felt before. Rukia...Renji, he thought as Yoruichi stared in all seriousness.

The screen went blank before Ichigo could mount a reply. Karin and Yuzu stared at their brother, unsure of what to say. Before anything could be said, Ichigo left the kitchen—shouting a few words that was audible enough for Karin to hear before he left.

Just like that, he had disappeared—preparing himself for the what could be the worst.

All Divisions, excluding 1st, 11th, and 12th, were scattered around the Seireitei in search for the ryoka. Each member shivered in their blankets as they followed either their Captain, Lieutenant, or 3rd seat to inquire and capture the man. The name of the possible ryoka—Shiegeari Jushirmai promptly made its way to each division, the basic description given was all the members had to distinguish the dominant man. His inky hair, unspecified eye colour, pale skin, and his unknown tattoo were the only characteristics that were knowledgeable to the divisions—not even the Head Captain could identify any specific details about the former soul reaper.

His features remained unknown and his purpose remained unclear, but either way they would be revealed tonight beneath the glistening moon with his beloved shimmering brighter than the sun. He had a plan—one that would unveil itself like petals falling from a rose. One by one, each petal would drop—symbolizing the completion of each step that he forged under a tree. His victory was his desire, he yearned for succession in completing the task he dedicated himself too for 60 years. It was bound to end in his victory—or so he hoped.

The 10th Division and 13th Division Lieutenants joined forces to patrol the area. They were ordered to head north-west and report any new casualties that were spotted to the 4th Division as soon as possible. Fortunately, no deaths were confirmed in the past hour of their search—which meant, the ryoka was trying to keep a low profile.

"Damn, we've been walking for over an hour and there's still no sign of him." Rangiku said as she walked side by side with Lieutenant Kuchiki. The petite Lieutenant sighed in agreement to the blonde-haired woman's words. She did speak the truth, the past hour was nothing but a hopeless chase. The ryoka's reiatsu had immediately disappeared once the divisions had evacuated their barracks, it was undetectable—lost as if it was never there in the first place.

However, the Gotei 13 weren't as easily fooled. The ryoka was still within the Seireitei and could easily be captured—or so they assumed. Regardless, the Seireitei was still massive and did require a lengthy amount of time to patrol and investigate. By the time each inch could be inspected, the ryoka could disappear without a single trace.

"His reiatsu is even greater than an espada. I've never felt something so powerful and cold at the same time." Rukia said as she glanced ahead of them.

"I know, not even my Captain's presence feels like that." Rangiku agreed as she glanced in the opposite direction. The area they were ordered to inquire was completely deserted, so it wasn't exactly difficult to spot the ryoka in an open space. Still, it wasn't exactly entertaining—the members felt like falling asleep while the Lieutenants wanted to return home. Rangiku specifically, yearned for another nap. Her brain was sober, but her body was not. She needed rest, which unfortunately could not be offered at a time like this. Rukia yearned to return to her home in hopes of finishing a book she had purchased in the World of the Living. It was too intriguing to put down but unfortunately it had to be laid to rest.

"I know, it's deadly. The fact that he could cause this much destruction in less than an hour, worries me." Rukia said with a tone laced in concern. Reflecting on her research, she stared forward in thought. Element-based zanpakutōs could lead to the destruction of the Soul Society. They were primary earth elements that could increase based on the wielder. Therefore, he was powerful—powerful enough to destroy a division, powerful enough to freeze the Seireitei in a block of ice, powerful enough to destroy the Soul Society, and powerful enough to do things they weren't aware of.

"My Captain mentioned something about you being associated with this shinigami, is that true?" Rangiku asked as she stared down at the petite Lieutenant. Her powder blue eyes glimmered as moon-like orbs met hers.

She hesitated before she spoke, Rangiku took note of that as she waited for her to speak. "It's strange...I've never met this man in my entire life nor have I known of his existence. Yet...he knows me." Rukia said in uncertainty as she looked away. As far as she could remember, she never once met anyone by the name of Shiegeari Jushirmai.

"That sure is strange, it seems like no one can remember his appearance nor his existence. He must've done something to our memories, not even the Head Captain has a distinct description of him." Rangiku said as they made a left turn.

"My brother mentioned something about remembering him quite distinctly, but after I had asked for specific details he had forgotten them almost immediately." Rukia shared as a rush of cold air blew in their direction. The joint division struggled to stay on their feet as the barrier blankets flew back. Both Rangiku and Rukia made an 'X' with their arms as they looked away to avoid the raging snowflakes and wind. The white barrier-type blanket that warmed Rangiku flew back, exposing her arms and chest to the air. Rukia stood without a barrier-type blanket, she used her reiatsu to avoid her from freezing since she was already familiar with colder temperatures that were beyond this.

And in that moment, she could feel it. It was slight, but very real. The dominant reiatsu she felt before with Renji was here. It lurked in the shadows and danced in the air—it felt cold and daunting as it dispersed in the wind. Yet no figure was seen, they were in a wide-open space—it was easy to see if someone was there, but this...was different.

"It's him, there's no mistaking it!" Rangiku said as her hand touched the hilt of Haineko. She instantly positioned herself in defense to attack, carefully placing her right foot ahead of her left for support.

"His reiatsu...it's even stronger than before!" Rukia said as the feeling of uneasiness trapped itself in her body. She imitated the same position as Rangiku before putting her hand on the hilt of Sode No Shirayuki. The coldness slithering through her spine was far from the effects of her own reiatsu. It was something else...something more sly and sinister than any other hollow or espada she has ever seen or encountered.

Whatever it was, it wasn't comforting. Even Rangiku could feel his mere presence settling into her bones, inducing a type of frailty that made her feel more weak than she would've imagined. Slowly, the two Lieutenants prepared themselves as they waited for a figure to appear. But in response to their position, the reiatsu disappeared.

"What the hell do you mean by frozen?!" Ichigo questioned as he stared at the shopkeeper in fortitude. Orihime, Uryū, Chad, Yoruichi, Ririn, Kurōdo, and Noba all sat in a circle that ringed the table in the middle of the room as they stared in disbelief.

"It is as I said, the Seireitei has been completely frozen with ice." Kisuke said with his legs crossed and his eyes narrowing at Ichigo's. The Karakura gang stared at him in skepticism as they waited for him to supply more information. "apparently, a ryoka slipped in about an hour ago and was able to turn everything within the Seireitei to ice that can't be liquefied, as well as defeat the 11th Division with his reiatsu alone. I'm not exactly sure how he got into the Seireitei, though as far as I'm concerned he caused a lot of damage. Based on what Captain Kurotsuchi said, the ice is unable to melt in warm temperatures which means it cannot be destroyed."

"How is that even possible?" Uryū questioned with his sapphire-blue eyes staring abnormally at Kisuke's. His facial expression was grim and passionless as he reflected on the new information Kisuke had delivered about the ice.

"Apparently, the ice is surrounded by a protective barrier to keep the ice from liquefying in warm temperatures. Therefore, when anyone attempts to melt or destroy the ice, the barrier reacts immediately and modifies it's temperature to freeze the attack and destroy it." Kisuke explained to the Karakura gang before Yoruichi opened her mouth to speak.

"As of right now, the temperature has reached the state of -90—it's too cold for anyone to fight without getting hypothermia. The 11th Division's, Madarame Ikkaku is getting level 7 surgery as we speak." She explained with her arms crossed and a steaming cup of green tea ahead of her.

"Mayuri was able to create a barrier around each Captain's haori and blankets to provide warmth to the Captains and the divisions. They issued a wartime order not too long ago and the divisions are currently searching for the ryoka."

"We have to help them!" Orihime urged with Kurōdo resting on her left shoulder in his plushie. Her expression morphed into a look of concern as she stared with courage buried in her grey eyes. "Kuchiki-san...Abarai-kun, we have to help them."

"Inoue is right." Ichigo said, earning a glance from Orihime. "Rukia...Renji...Ikkaku...Yumichika, they all need our help."

Ichigo's voice remained concerned and unsteady, the thought of the 11th Division being destroyed made him dread his future opponent. He didn't know what was the ryoka's purpose nor what his intention was, however the Gotei 13 were in need of his assistance and he understood that perfectly.

"This ryoka sure seems rather deadly." Kurōdo commented in fear as his plushie forged a comical expression of worry as his hands touched the sides of his face to emphasize it.

"Yes, he seems quite devious." Noba said in response to Kurōdo.

"Who is the ryoka, anyways?" Ririn questioned as she jumped on top of the wooden table to extend her height.

"Based on Lieutenant Kuchiki and Abarai's research, the ryoka is a man named Shiegeari Jushirmai—an ex. shinigami that was convicted for the theft of a Captain's zanpakutō." Kisuke said before pausing to take a sip of his tea. "He wields an enormous amount of reiatsu that was able to take down the 11th Division with the power of it alone. No other division besides the 11th Division has come in contact with him, as of yet. However, the Gotei 13 is currently scattered around the Seireitei in search for him. I don't know how well they're doing as of now but it's my understanding that he has concealed his reiatsu."

"He was able to take them down with his reiatsu alone? Is that even possible for a Captain?" Uryū questioned.

"Not exactly, Captains do wield a powerful amount of reiatsu however, to defeat an entire division in less than two minutes is more unlikely for any Captain to be capable of doing. As for Shiegeari Jushirmai, he did not have a rank—he was a newly graduated soul reaper who had entered the Gotei 13 in search for a formidable division. In less than a month he was convicted for stealing a Captain's zanpakutō and was sentenced to death." Kisuke explained from his own knowledge.

"How did he get so much power then?" Chad asked.

"Unfortunately, I can't answer that. The source of his power is unknown to me as well."

"Regardless, we still need to head to the Soul Society and help them. It's not as easy fighting when everything is surrounded by ice. The temperature hasn't increased one bit and I'm afraid the blankets Captain Kurotsuchi made aren't working to our advantage." Yoruichi said as she stood up.

"That's what must be causing the heat wave." Orihime said as her eyes turned to Uryū. The sapphire-blue eyes of the quincy turned to meet hers.

"Yes, the imbalanced climate must've caused our world to receive the opposite of the Soul Society. If the temperature continues to decrease in the Soul Society, who knows how high our temperature will increase." Uryū said.

"It'd be too hot to even step outside." Chad said.

"And eventually, it'd become too hot for us to live." Uryū finished.

"Isn't there any way you can do something to decrease the temperature?" Ichigo asked in worry to Kisuke. The thought of his family, his friends, and the residents of Karakura Town being burned to death only made him more desperate to get to the Soul Society as fast as possible.

"I've been working on it, but that's the least of our worries now. Right now, we have to get to the Soul Society as soon as possible." Kisuke said while standing up as the gang nodded their heads in agreement. The Karakura gang got up and followed as he lead them to his training grounds where a senkaimon was already set for their departure. Using his substitute soul reaper badge, Ichigo transformed himself into a soul reaper—wearing his standard shihakushō, a thick strap around his chest, four black lines on his arms and tattoo-like bands crossing his chest, wrists, and ankles.

Uryū transformed into his quincy attire, almost immediately after Ichigo transformed—wearing a long white cape that draped over his white trench coat and a white belt with silver-like buckle around his waist. Orihime followed by changing into the outfit Uryū had specifically designed for her by the request of Kisuke—wearing a long-sleeve white top with raindrop-like shoulders with an aquamarine collar and sleeves along with a black lined skirt. Two six-petaled flower pieces were clipped on the sides of her hair with a flower placed on the collar of the outfit.

Chad wore his usual attire in addition to a long brown cape that Kisuke had provided him shortly. The cape was clipped at the collar and extended to cover his muscular body.

"Before you go, wear these." Kisuke said before gesturing to Tessai who arrived with three long capes. Orihime received an aquamarine cape that was similar to her collar and draped around her figure before being clipped at the middle with a six-petaled flower. Uryū received a white cape that was similar to his own and matched his quincy attire. Ichigo received a black cape that he draped shortly around his body and clipped at the middle with a black clip.

"This should be able to keep you warm in the Soul Society. The barrier is similar to Mayuri's so you can fight without collapsing from the cold." Kisuke educated the group as his employees Jinta and Ururu appeared in the background.

"Great, now I'm wearing a dorky cape." Ichigo sneered in Uryū's direction.

"Excuse me?! There is nothing wrong with the cape!" Uryū responded with a comical expression in the background.

"You're only saying that because you made it!" Ichigo argued.

"Am not! And who gives you the right to insult my capes when they're the only thing that's going to keep you alive!" Uryū argued back.

"They seem to be forgetting that we're in hurry." Chad commented in the background as he stood beside Orihime. Uryū and Ichigo continued to argue in their own comical world as Orihime stared.

"Kurosaki-kun...Ishida-kun." She said kindly before taking a step closer.

"Huh?" They both replied at the same time before turning to face Orihime. Both of their faces immediately got serious after they came to the realization that they were wasting time and turned away.

"Alright..." Ichigo said as he turned to the opened senkaimon. "Let's do this."

And with that, the Karakura gang disappeared into the senkaimon unaware of what laid ahead.

End Note

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