The Iced Moon Arc Bleach

by tending

Lieutenant Kuchiki has a secret. A variety of secrets that the Gotei 13 do not know until a figure of her past and present tips them off and then a story is told, a past. A past connected to the very creation of the Soul Society from the Soul King to zanpakutos. Soul reapers are not the utmost rulers after all.

32. Intuitive Thoughts and Feelings

Pre-Note

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

There is an Image for this Chapter.

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

Salutations! I've gone back to do a little clean up of past chapters from revising to re-editing to chopping off parts to reduce the word count. Naturally as years have passed, my writing style has changed and I needed to work on minimizing the details for some previous chapters.

The story is still the same of course. As mentioned before, everything has been planned ahead, it's just a matter of execution. I took a year off of it because I didn't plan on continuing until I found time to do just that.

Read carefully, I hope there's some surprises along the way as I eventually push through and finish this thing to conclude a chapter I started so long ago I can't believe I'm only now getting to what I anticipated years ago. My only motivation to continue what I started is just to provide that closure.

---

Intuitive Thoughts and Feelings

Rukia leaned against Byakuya's side once he had them brace against the wall beside the door. She didn't know what he was trying to sense from the room they had left but truth be told, she was concerned.

We are not alone in this room.

He was shielding her with most of his body now as if she could get hurt. Ghosts weren't real so then….

Rukia didn't know how to explain this behavior of his. It had to be something in connection with Okasake Gureta, considering how unsettled he was ever since she mentioned it, but Rukia couldn't think of any case scenario where he would have to feel this way if he wasn't convinced that it was a ghost.

But ghosts weren't real.

Shockingly, she couldn't find the means to open her mouth when he was acting like this. She looked over his shoulder and felt nothing.

What was there?

She tried hard but was without help.

What was this feeling? This feeling he felt so strongly?

###

"She felt real...very real. It's like her eyes were saying something to me...warning me." Orihime explained.

"Maybe to not go in?" Uryū proposed.

"Who would want to go into that dead woman's house anyway?!" Kon shouted in fright.

"Could it have been for Byakuya and Rukia, instead?" Ichigo asked before clarifying, "the message. To not go in."

"Could be…." Uryū mumbled, "but I don't think either one of them had that intention. Kuchiki-san would have most definitely stopped him from going given how forbidden the area is but with us, we can do anything without anyone noticing."

"Not to make too far of a stretch but what if Sensei Okasake never died?" Rangiku asked. "What if she was kept there secretly?"

Captain Ukitake dismissed that thought immediately. "I had been there for her funeral. She was buried. There are too many plot holes to give that assumption any ounce of probability."

"Okasake's fate was brutal—enough for them to want to preserve her honor and free her from that fate. I do not believe they would feign a story such as that either." Tōshirō said.

"Sensei Okasake must've been in a lot of pain…" Momo whispered with her eyes down. "If the heir really make her drown her own son then...I can't imagine what she went through for all those years later that she lived."

"Wait!" Orihime suddenly exclaimed. Her eyes widened with fear, "she's here...she's trying to get in."

Their heads turned and twisted to spot the elder.

"Wait...get in here?" Ichigo tried to clarify.

Orihime nodded her head. "She wants in."

"From outside." Uryū said before he rushed past the shōji door. Ichigo forgot they could run through them with ease.

He followed.

They were outside but they could only see the smoke being fog.

"The other way!" Ichigo shouted once they thoroughly checked the place out.

Nobody was there.

What was she seeing?

She looked different. Her eyes were stuck in their widened state and her whole body was scrunched together. She jittered in her spot.

"S-She's….so strong." She stammered out. Her chest jumped up like she had hiccups.

"Where is she, Inoue?" Ichigo asked and then, there it was. A long and nerve-wracking creak.

The ceiling.

They stretched their neck upwards to see her but they couldn't.

"There's nothing outside." Kensei reported before they heard it again. A long creak. They rushed into silence to hear it again.

"Oh please," Mayuri remarked. "Ghosts now?"

He had more than enough of this silly tale.

"It's probably just the house creakin' by itself, don't get so worked up." Ikkaku said.

"There's nothing here." Shuhei confirmed before he turned down to Orihime who was still shaken up. "Look, it's gotta just be some visions of yours or somethin' from the Okasake heir. You saw him too."

He was referring to that picture the elder Captain Kuchiki had shown.

"It's all a trick." Izuru said. "There's no such thing as ghosts."

"It sounds plausible when you think of what they were doing here." Tōshirō said. "They came to find some map of the Soul King Palace. Providing hindrances like this would prevent them from reaching their destination."

"But what about us, Captain?" Rangiku was still by Orihime's side. "Orihime saw her too and could feel her. Doesn't that mean he knows we are here too? What would be the reason for us too?"

"To incite fear." Byakuya answered, which took them by surprise again.

Ichigo glanced at him. He had his eyes closed.

###

"Byakuya." Rukia finally gained the nerve to call against his shoulder. It was said in a whisper.

"Silence."

"This is ridiculous." She didn't listen. "What can you feel? Do you think it's a ghost?"

"Did I not say to not speak?" He questioned her.

Rukia scowled, "you're doin' it again. I told you to stop."

He didn't answer.

"I don't feel anything. Are you sure you're not blowin' this out of proportion—"

A creak screeched above them. She looked to the ceiling as that ominous aura surrounded Byakuya again. She didn't speak as it continued before it abruptly stopped.

She drew close to him again as she waited. There was nothing she could sense but Byakuya's reaction was telling her otherwise.

On one hand, she just assumed it was the house creaking like any usual noise an old house would make but on the other, Byakuya's eerie presence was telling her otherwise. He was really starting to make her feel afraid.

Her left hand faintly touched his wrist of exposed skin. It was cold. Once again, he was stiff. Slowly, Rukia enclosed her fingers over his hand—feeling nervous. She clutched onto it as they waited.

Moments later, he reciprocated the squeeze she had given him with the same hand.

###

"Can you tell us what you feel, Orihime?" Rangiku inquired.

"She wants to come in here, why?" Ichigo asked right after.

"It's not a fucking ghost, move on." Kensei said with his arms crossed. "There's no such thing. It's the heir's illusion. He wants her to feel afraid."

"C-Could it be 'cause they went to see her house?" Kon asked.

"It shouldn't be a problem if maids clean it out every winter." Uryū said. "There must be something to this connection, Inoue-san."

"It's the heir." Shuhei said. "She just needs to get out of it like Lieutenant Kuchiki did with Lieutenant Ise."

Ichigo turned to him. "Was she like this too?"

"Well, yeah. She was actin' scary n'shit too. She was yellin' about Lieutenant Kuchiki killin' the pure light n'a bunch of other stuff. She was stuck in some trance but Lieutenant Kuchiki got her out of it. Just talk to her—tell her whatever she's seeing isn't real." Shuhei advised. "Maybe after she gets out of it, she'll draw like Lieutenant Ise did."

"What Lieutenant Ise saw was pretty heavy." Izuru said. "She went through a lot of things before Lieutenant Kuchiki brought her back on track."

"B-But I'm aware...I know who I am...I'm not being shown anything." Orihime managed to puff out. "It's just...she's here."

"Look, it could just be another form of corruption, alright?" Kensei said. "Another way to entrance you while you're conscious like the heir did with Captain Kuchiki to find his sister back then (AN: Rarity Fades Into Nothingness)."

Knowing that fact made them second-guess this episode right then. Could it be him?

"Inoue-san, is there anything more you can tell us?" Uryū asked.

"No...I just know she's here. She's outside….she wants in."

"But she can't get in." Kensei said. "Just another way to 'incite fear'."

"This manor belongs to the Okasakes. There is no doubt about it that this place is lined with their pure reiatsu and energy." Uryū mentioned. "If this is real, she can't get in."

"Or this is just another way to fuck you guys up like it is doin'." Kensei argued. "This shit shouldn't get to your head. It's not real. Okasake Gureta is dead and has been for centuries now, no? Let it go. It's not real."

Kensei had Ichigo convinced but Orihime's expressions continued to have him curious about this enchantment of his. He was doing the same thing with the younger Byakuya who was now in the other room with Rukia.

"I-It's...here." Orihime shivered. She could feel it. It was like a heavy blanket had covered the room. Something was in here or at least, trying to get in. Her shoulders slumped at the contact, her neck craned up and followed an imaginary line on the ceiling.

Okasake Gureta was here.

It couldn't be an illusion. The energy was too heavy for it to not be real. In Orihime's eyes, the room had gone black. There were only the tapered candles which gave light to the room. Things were shuffling—almost like chains—and slowly, the voices of her friends in the room had become nonexistent.

The boards were creaking below her. There was something here. She had to keep telling herself that this was true. It wasn't the heir—it couldn't be.

There were doors slamming around her. She gasped and bent like an armadillo and shielded her ears as they got louder and louder. They were near—they kept shaking the door to get in.

The slams got faster.

They were aggressive too. Any moment and she knew the door would probably bust open.

One slam.

Two slams.

Three slams.

Four!

The doors shook ferociously then. Her mouth opened to let out a squeak before it stopped. Silence. She raised her head slowly. It was quiet again.

The caution subsided but she remained trembling with her hands loosely shielding her ears.

Was she gone?

It became tranquil. A wave of calm transcended the room as if it had left and yet, she was still stuck in the darkness—miles and miles away from the reality of her friends.

###

"We will remain here." He tugged her into the middle of her room. She could tell he was still eyeing that open entrance on the side of her room. "You will rest until then."

He let loose of her hand and reached for the lights. He dimmed them until it was near dark. "We cannot rely on light either."

She bent down and slipped out a box of matches and a taper candle to light before placing it next to her futon. When he disappeared through that side entrance yet again, she slid open the closet door where her fan blades were hanging and pulled out an extra futon and laid it beside hers.

The candle was placed in the center between the two.

Then, she pulled out a light overcoat for Byakuya to wear. She knew that he was cold. It wasn't just the fear he was trying to deny he felt. The heater was usually never on because everyone in the house could handle situations with drastic heat or cold. Though now she was thinking of putting it on so he could feel warm if he didn't accept the overcoat.

But he would never let her leave.

Even if she could flash-step.

He came in again.

Concern donned over him when he eyed the light. Rukia thought he was being silly so she closed the gap between them and handed him the overcoat. "Here, wear this. It's big, it'll keep you warm."

He walked past her with his arms crossed, "I am fine."

She whipped around, "Byakuya!"

"Lower your voice." He ordered before he knelt down on the futon she had laid. "And, dim that light with something further."

"Wear the coat." Rukia matched his authoritative tone. "Or at least let me put on the heater."

"No, we will remain here."

"Byakuya, I'll be back in a—" her eye caught a hold of the tiny space beneath the shōji in the midst of speaking. It was black. How did the lights turn off? Was it the fuse?

She approached the door.

"Do not go out."

She pressed her ear against it to hear anything. There were no movements at all but there were a lot of wind sounds coming from the door to her far right which gave access to the veranda. She then bent down to see through the crack if the room was truly that dark.

It was.

"It's probably just the fuse. There's a snow storm out—listen." Rukia said and let the wind do the talking for her. Unlike the door she was near, the shōji across was secured to the bottom of the floor. She couldn't tell if there was really another storm or if it was just the wind.

The room temperature said otherwise and so did the roof which now sounded like thousands of pebbles were descending on it.

Byakuya looked up, "it is weak."

"It's not," Rukia crossed the room to the exit door, "I told you, there's a snowstorm—a heavy one."

"Do not open that door."

Rukia sighed, "you're being difficult. Won't you just tell me?"

"I have already told you. Rest." He closed his eyes.

She lost the energy to protest and just opened her closet door and found a glass candle cover of onyx shaped as a vase to put over the candle she had been burning. The room got very dim.

She sat down, criss-crossed.

Pulling the overcoat to her lap, again, she attempted to have him wear it. "Wear this. It's just gonna get colder, there's a storm out."

"I do not need it."

Why you—

She lowered her brows. "You do. Quite with the brave act, alright? It's freezing outside. Do you think any other soul reaper without an ice-based zanpakutō or fire one could withstand this? No. That's why they were given protection on their clothes which you don't have."

"I am not cold."

Quit it!

"I told you to quit with the noble act, you're gonna freeze!"

He opened his eyes, "silence."

She leaned back slowly.

"Rest." He hid his eyes once again. "We will be here until it leaves."

"Until what leaves?" Rukia asked. "A ghost? Do you really think you saw a ghost?"

Perhaps she had offended him because he didn't speak after she asked.

"There is no such thing." She whispered in annoyance. "Look, I should've never told you about Sensei Okasake Gu—"

His eyes flung open and she was rushed back into silence again. It translated into don't say her name.

Her shoulders did the frown for her.

He was really convinced that she was here.

###

The winds outside grew violent. It had them feeling as if the manor had moved with it too. Orihime remained distant and fixated on the ground. While Kon, Rangiku and Isane tried to reconnect with her, the others became fixated with the strong gusts they could hear.

"What the hell?" Ichigo asked as he stood up. He found himself following it until he completed a full circle.

"Check outside." Kensei ordered and they did.

Uryū and Ichigo stepped out again and were met with a force which had them almost fall back in through the door.

Snow.

There was a vicious storm which had been conjured up. Whirls of white haze blocked almost everything. High mountains of white formed ahead of them to indicate the severity of the snow while trees broke off and went flying into the opaque silver mist.

"This is…" Uryū couldn't find the means to complete his reaction.

They came back in.

"It is a storm again." Captain Ukitake identified.

"Just like the first time but worse." Ichigo reported. "Is he moving in?"

"It's probably 'cause of this one here." Shuhei alluded to Orihime still bent down. "Okasake Gureta's stone was the moonstone, right? That's got three elements. Two natural, one spiritual."

"You think he's doing this to make Inoue scared then?" Ichigo asked. "To make her think that Okasake Gureta…"

"Is here?" Shuhei completed it for him. "Yeah, I mean, the moonstone was her stone to look after. Her zanpakutō and whatever assassin ability she has is a reflection of that, no?"

"Any indication of her presence is bound to make Inoue-san believe she's here." Uryū finished.

Isane faced Orihime. "Maybe I can help. I remember some of the things Lieutenant Kuchiki had said to Lieutenant Ise when she was like this. Let me give it a try."

Isane held both sides of her shoulders. Orihime never looked up. "The hold he has on you isn't real. It's fake! He won't hurt you or anyone here…"

Isane's voice faded into the background as Ichigo found himself fixated with the wind from outside. He turned again.

"There's nothing here." Mayuri snapped. "Have you ever heard wind before?"

Mayuri moved to explore the study as Ichigo continued to follow this particular streak of wind which seemed to encircle the perimeter of this place from the outside.

A horn then roared. Its waves were enough to rumble the floor as it came out blaring for a long ten seconds of humming.

"What the hell is that?" Ichigo asked.

It paused to finish the last note and bellowed again to complete the same tune for three other rounds of the long, deep cry before it ceased.

---

"That was way cool, Abarai!"

"Yeah, I can't believe you did that!"

"Cutting the chains of the chandelier wasn't easy…"

"…and with those soul shadows coming out of nowhere, wow!"

"Oh, stop," Renji said with a grin, relishing their admiration and praise.

He was glad he was able to pull it off without any real problems besides having to consistently dodge the soul shadow bones he despised.

If Rukia could somehow come back and insert her sai blade into the center of it, it would signal a ring to disperse more of it.

He was practically itching to get back and tell her until he remembered one very important thing.

Raiden had gone off to free Wildfire.

But by the looks of it, the whole court still knew nothing about Rukia which meant that maybe he hadn't freed her or she magically changed her mind.

Either way, it was strange that he was gone for so long.

Where was he?

He couldn't be mad enough to not want to come back to his team.

"Is everything alright, Secretary of State Abarai?" A division member behind him asked.

"Yeah," he forced an orderly tone, "I was just thinkin' about how to spread you guys out now that we're on cleanup duty."

"Secretary of State Arigawa usually divides us based on a group cycle. They're already set up." The same division member informed him. "We got variations depending on the amount needed."

"So I just gotta figure out how many groups I want." Renji said, more to himself.

"Basically, unless—" he stopped.

"Unless what?" Renji asked.

"You wanna do something different since…Secretary Arigawa isn't here."

Right…"Let's just stick with whatever he had you guys doin'." He answered before assertively commanding orders. "We gotta cover a lot of ground and quick to get them outta here. I don't want any of those things within miles of this place, you got that?"

"Yes, Secretary of State Abarai!" They shouted in unison.

"Don't do anything sloppy either. Just get them cleared and disposed of. You already know the drill so I won't get into what you need to do about that. The faster we clear them, the better it looks on us."

"Right!"

"And another thing," he swung his Zabimaru shaped sword over his shoulder with his eyes closed, "don't be t—"

"Secretary of State Abarai." A voice sternly interrupted him.

He opened his eyes to see Sensei Seo a few feet away and above him with his lab coat on and glasses.

His division greeted him accordingly but Renji was still taken aback by his arrival.

"Sensei Seo…" he greeted, almost nervously though he was unsure why.

"I was hoping you had some time, I wanted to speak with you." He said.

Renji didn't know what they possibly needed to speak about.

"Secretary Abarai?" A division member called, snapping him back to reality.

"What about?" Renji asked.

"Ah," Sensei Seo grinned, "just some technical and spiritual matters regarding the vaccine transmissions."

He then remembered his division's duty.

"Oh, right," he cleared his throat, "sure."

He turned his attention to his division. "Spread yourself out, dividing you up into forty-eight groups should be fine, no?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Then get on with it."

"Yes, sir!" They shouted before disappearing in a flash step.

Renji put his sword away and then joined Sensei Seo at the high balcony where he had called for him. The moment he did, Sensei Seo turned and led the way inside.

"Excellent work, by the way," he said with his back to him.

"Thanks." Renji replied. "Any luck with the vaccine?" He asked in an attempt to keep a conversation going and tame his churning insides.

"Plenty," Renji could see the side of his face which tore into a smile, "we should have the entire court greatly immune to those tentacles soon. The virus those lines injected were fairly hostile to our bodies but I believe it is our far neighbours who endured the worst of it."

"Their hearts were eaten out," Sensei Seo continued to explain as the memory came back to Renji, "their flesh and bones were freezed from the inside."

"Glad we didn't get any of that." Renji said, not knowing how to respond.

Sensei Seo agreed. "We are fortunate that our sheatsu provides us a protective barrier that is not so easily broken down."

"After we start the vaccine rollout, what do you think s'gonna happen next?"

"Your work with the chandelier has bought us some time to clean up and start anew. I believe the Head Commander was waiting for such a thing."

"The soul shadows aren't just gonna disappear."

"That's probably true," he admitted slowly, "but at least we are up against our usual business and not anything we don't firmly understand."

"Not yet." Renji pointed out.

They made a sharp turn into a white laboratory.

"I believe that can be avoided." Sensei Seo responded, which confused him.

"What do you mean?" Renji asked as he watched him put his left hand on a machine.

"Tell me, Abarai," he still wasn't looking at him, "how were you able to cut that chandelier?"

Renji froze. What?

"Uh…what do you mean?"

"You know precisely what I mean." Sensei Seo replied, "that chandelier is a fixed structure. It's fueled by the light of our existence. It is not so easily broken."

"Well, it's not like I knew it was gonna break or anything I just…tried it."

Sensei Seo turned to him. "But that's a lie."

He felt cornered.

"You were a close ally of our lady, you frequented the Okasake manor as almost consistently as she," he listed out, "you were amongst that group very closely associated with that thing and the disgraced Head Commander Okasake and you were presently aware of the events which led to the sealing of the heart."

Renji swallowed.

"I have studied the particles of our world with the utmost precision and care. The natural light which constructs us is beyond rare and very powerful. It is not easily destructible and it is not so easily found."

He didn't like where he was going with this.

"It would certainly not succumb to the will of an ordinary man trying to break it down for the sake of good because it does not know that ordinary man. It only responds to the heart of a soul as pure as it, which is nearly impossible with the exception of Head Commander Okasake who bore a pure light and our lady who was very pure."

Sensei Seo's outpour of information regarding the pure light followed by the way he frantically expressed it revealed something that he had a feeling not many people knew; he was obsessed or maybe, very unusually interested or fascinated by it.

His role was being the doctor of the court, not the mad scientist mimicking the behaviours reminiscent of Kurotsuchi Mayuri or the court's very own Major Imamura.

Renji didn't know how to respond to him.

"But you Abarai, are just like us, you cannot touch a thing that light protects. Your permission has to be either born within you or granted." His stare was hard.

He then moved towards him. "Tell me…who gave you permission?"

"I told you it just happe—"

"No, no, no—" Sensei Seo quickly shook his head, "that isn't right, you're lying. That light has a mind of its own, a sensory one, it only reacts to what it knows it can allow or destroy. Who gave you permission?"

Renji didn't respond.

"How did you get permission? There must be some way that light could recognize you and permit you to cut down its chains."

"I didn't know it'd let me." He said with an assertive tone. And that was true, he had questioned whether the light would even recognize him before doing it (AN: Sundown Searches and Discoveries). And it did, that was the only thing he could tell. "What's it to you anyway?"

Something stirred in his eyes when he asked. He leaned back, almost struck in fascination.

"Then it is true…" he said to himself.

Renji arched a brow in confusion. "What's true?"

"You knew the pure light."

---

When she woke up, her vision adjusted to the wall diagonal to her. The faint cider-hued flare from the candle casted a shadow along it.

Somewhere above that was the time. She'd only been asleep for less than a half hour.

Some nap…

The details of her situation sank in once she realized that Byakuya's back was no longer hindering her view as it had been when she lied down. She looked to the futon across from her to see that he was lying down—stiff and backside up—with his arms still crossed near his chest.

Kuchikis...she grumbled internally as she sat up and pulled the overcoat she had been wanting him to wear and gently covered it over him.

The hail had ceased but the wind outside indicated that the snowstorm was still ongoing. It made her nuzzle back to her futon with her legs pulled up to the right where she could see him sleep.

Byakuya suddenly stirred awake. His eyes shot open, his body looked tight and tense. Was it a bad dream? He seemed to be familiarizing himself with the ceiling before his gaze fell on her.

"How long?" He questioned immediately.

"If you fell asleep around the same time as me then about thirty minutes. If not, less than that." She moved up and then knelt beside him.

"Was it a dream?" She inquired quickly. "A bad one?"

"What do you mean?" Rukia wanted to roll her eyes at that question because he obviously knew what she was alluding to.

"C'mon, Byakuya, spill it out. You had a bad dream."

"I did not." He sat up like a machine—straight up from his position.

"That's a lie." Rukia argued. "Tell me."

He glanced at the shōji in front of them. "You did not move from here."

He was starting to sound like his grandfather with all these statements which were actually questions.

Rukia shook her head, "no, I didn't. Now tell me, what did you see?"

It seemed as if it had become natural to ignore her pestering when he stood up and moved next to the shōji.

"Was it her?" Rukia now whispered, "is that what you saw?"

She was up on her feet now and behind him again.

"Byakuya!" She shouted in a whisper. "Would you ju—"

"It is not here anymore." Byakuya said. "Perhaps it is hiding."

Rukia opened her mouth to speak but he wouldn't give her the chance. He whipped his head to that side entrance again. He repeated every single action he had been doing since visiting that house. The stillness, the coldness, the distancing except, this time, his shoulders shot up.

Was it panic?

It's like he saw something.

Quick! Before she could question it, he grabbed her arm, opened the door and they were back into the general study. The lights were on—it looked like it had appeared when they had left.

He hurriedly shut her room door and secured it. She was scared. Even if she couldn't feel anything, the panic which brewed beneath that stoic exterior had broken her. She was petrified.

She scrambled to grab his arms and get an explanation when he stepped back from the door in a quick stride.

"Byakuya!" She commanded. "Look at me! What did you see? What are you seeing?"

She just wanted him to communicate with her. All his silence and rushed movements were unnecessarily causing panic she didn't need. At least one of them had to be stable.

"Byakuya, tell me." Rukia urged. He didn't meet her eyes regardless of her plea.

"Let me know! Is it her?"

###

The candles had been smothered.

There was no light in the room now in Orihime's world. A horn had made a cry three times which only made Orihime's feelings worse.

She heard flaps like wings from outside. Violence from the wind, snow and hail. The heaviness overtook her in the ebony murk inside. The deep tune of the horn sounded like a demonic summoning which would allow all the beasts she could only dream of become real.

Being in the dark wasn't helping her out either. It was only when a nonexistent crack in the wall provided a glimpse of light from outside did she see a bit of the room. It was nodded into a round circle which was projected on the wall across from her. It was a chiffon shade with a tint of sapphire blue.

Moonlight.

An icy coolness slithered in.

She tried to remain calm as she observed the room. Was she here? Orihime wasn't certain but she knew that she should expect anything. The room was too heavy. It was the weight of a presence which roamed here that she was yet to see.

She heard a door slide. It froze her.

Immediately she glanced at the doors she could see but none of them had moved. The floorboard creaked. Footsteps were heard—dashing—Orihime immediately scurried to her right as if it was coming straight forward.

Her limbs were too paralyzed in fright to move. The footsteps got faster—they were chasing something. It was near her. She tried to pinpoint where it was coming from precisely to move.

The footsteps ceased. It reached a destination and then, in one blood-curdling stride near her she heard them loudly bolt towards her.

Orihime gasped. Her right hand rushed to her throat as she scrambled back in absolute fright. She shuddered in entirety as she kicked her feet as the most heaviest force weighed over her.

It was here.

She was here.

Orihime screamed and kicked. She was fraught with terror as she tried to force off this weight on top of her that she couldn't see. Her cries became helpless. It was trying to choke her—kill her. Despite her pleas, she couldn't call upon her little helpers in her hair to aid her.

Couldn't they hear?

###

"Inoue-san…" Uryū called nervously, noticing how still she was on the ground.

Her hands were flat down on the surface of the floorboard—head up with wide eyes. She trembled a bit, her mouth was parted and her words...weren't coming out properly or at all.

She was somewhere far beyond their world now. The expression which had molded her facial features told them all.

She was here but she wasn't at all.

"U…..h….w...h...a…." She couldn't form any coherent words for them to understand what was happening to her.

Isane continued to try to draw her back into the real world but nothing seemed to be working at all.

Orihime finally drew the attention of the rest of the Gotei 13 members who had passed it off as nothing when she tilted her head to the left and it cracked.

"Something wants in her…." Ichigo muttered to himself. He didn't know what he believed now. Whatever she was experiencing was too abnormal for him to ignore even if it was an illusion.

The younger Byakuya running out of the room with Rukia just made him more nervous. What if it was real?

"Inoue-san!" Uryū called as he flew down to his knees. "Don't let it take you! Fight back!"

"It has a strong hold." Chad observed from behind her.

"That's the problem." Ichigo muttered. "Don't think it plans on letting her go."

"Fight back! You have too!" Kon yelled in tears. "Do it! You can do it!"

"Come on, Inoue-san," Isane urged kindly. "You must remember your friends. They're here—they're your strength."

"Tatsuki too." Ichigo added with crossed arms. "Tatsuki's here, in your heart."

"More enthusiasm would be nice, Kurosaki." Uryū scorned.

"I'm just tryna help." Ichigo said.

"Say it louder then." Uryū demanded. "Let her know you're here."

"Alright, alright," Ichigo knelt down in front of her. He kept his eyes on her distant ones. "Inoue…"

He moved in closer. "Inoue."

"You gotta know that we're here. Your friends are here. Tatsuki's waiting back for you in the human world. She's here—she's there with you right now, wherever you are. You gotta remember her at times like this. She's that strength—find that light and get back. It's just the Okasake heir's tricks."

###

"Look at me!" Rukia urged in frustration. She kept her clutch on his sleeves tight. She refused to have him run off now in panic again.

This time he'd have to face his fears.

"Why are you so quiet?!" Steam was ready to come out of her ears. "Let me know," she shook him, "is it a ghost?"

Again, she stretched her neck and tried to catch a glimpse.

"You're scaring me." She confessed and he stopped resisting. Rukia went off her tippy toes. "The more quiet you stay, the more you creep me out. Just tell me, what is it? Staying quiet isn't helping me at all. I wanna know."

It seemed that she was wearing him down.

"Just tell me, let me hear."

He met her eyes briefly.

Rukia relaxed, thinking he was ready to speak.

"Good," she was happy that he was finally looking at her, "now tell me what's going o—"

Again. Rukia had enough of this. He was staring at some place behind her. He had attempted to step back but she wouldn't allow him too. She kept him in his place.

"Rukia, we must move." His attention was to the spot behind her. She could definitely feel his feelings now even with that commanding tone.

"No." Rukia simply said.

His shoulders were dying to shoot up to directly reveal his tenseness but nonetheless, she would not move. It wasn't real. If it was, she would feel it.

There was no ghost.

"Move." That authoritative tone was starting to fail him. She detected that speck of urgency mixed with panic. To him, she must be near.

"—Rukia—" There. The shakiness was starting to unravel. She could feel his arms. They were tense—he was crippling inside.

"We must go." But he couldn't move. She would not let him. Instead, she would set him free.

"Look at me," Rukia commanded, "she isn't behind me! Look, here! She's not there...no matter what you see, she isn't."

"Move."

Rukia jerked his arms towards her. "She's not there, whatever you see behind me isn't real. Look—"

"We must move." He attempted to pull her but she would not move.

"She isn't—"

"Rukia…" it came out as a warning—it translated into Okasake Gureta's 'spirit' was closely behind her.

"No." Rukia said which immediately earned him that infamous glance of disapproval.

Finally.

"Good," she tightened her grip on his forearms, "it isn't real, Byakuya. I know what you see. You see her, she's approaching me, isn't she?"

He didn't respond.

"That's what it looks like, no? She's probably close behind me right now." He grew stiff and it only told her that it was true. He was dying to look. "But that isn't real! It's just a ploy by Jushirmai. None of it is real. There's no ghost—there's no such thing! What you see behind me isn't real at all!"

She moved close. "There is nothing here."

The alarm rushed through his limbs again and he attempted to pull her forward again but she stayed put. "Listen to me. She's not behind me! Nothing will hurt us! It isn't real."

"She…." the spirit he was seeing was probably touching her, "...move!"

He tried to yank her forward again in that repressed panic that was unleashing every time he spoke out loud.

"You have to believe me…" Rukia said. "Nothing is there. You have to believe that. The sooner you do, the sooner she disappears."

Byakuya maintained her stare. She could still feel the tension in his arms. He wanted to move—he wanted to get out but...it seemed that he was contemplating what she said.

Her features morphed into the most reassuring look she could give, "please, Byakuya. It's just a trick."

Her voice came out softly as she reeled him into the real world with reassurance.

###

Orihime could hear her.

But just her.

The younger Rukia who was reeling her into the space she remembered where the Gotei 13 remained, staring at her.

It was that heavy voice which she could hear and had the ebony world surrounding her start to glitch and showcase the one she had left.

The spirit of Okasake Gureta remained lurking from a distance. Her body was still paralyzed in fear because of her as she stood behind what Orihime could now see was the younger Rukia.

Okasake Gureta stood closely behind her—tall, straight and young. Instead of the bright turquoise eyes Orihime had grown familiar with in a short time, they were a blaring yellow with a ring of black.

She approached her slowly and had the younger Captain Kuchiki attempting to move her forward multiple times but the caressing reassurances which left the younger Rukia's mouth were starting to convince her to believe that Okasake Gureta wasn't real.

That it was all...make believe.

###

He relaxed his tendons and had hers relax too.

She disappeared.

"Gone?" Rukia asked to confirm.

Slowly, he gave a nod. He still seemed concerned though she knew for a fact that Okasake Gureta was no longer behind her to him.

It was probably the events which took place before which were still bothering him.

"See," Rukia's shoulder sank further in relief, "you were gettin' all worried for nothing. Maybe if you had told me what was going on, I'd get you out sooner. There was no ghost—it was just your mind being drawn into an illusion."

He didn't respond.

"Got me all spooked about it too." Rukia muttered before forming a crooked smile. "You can relax now. She isn't here—all that stuff was just an illusion created by your mind. I couldn't see her or feel her but you could. It was just that sort of thing, nothing more."

She let loose of his arms, "now why don't you lie down and actually sleep? You looked spooked when you got up too—I'm gonna go check out that fuse."

"You said it was an illusion." He quickly said.

Rukia knew he was still going to be reluctant to believe it was all an illusion considering how real it must've felt to him. Nonetheless, she needed to shake it out of him soon or else he would be this high strung forever.

"It was, I'm just checking it out in case the lights turn off. There is still a storm out, ya know." Seeing that he was still skeptical, she approached him, "I'll be back."

"There is a person for that." He sounded so serious. He most definitely would still be shaken up for awhile if she didn't do something.

"I know but that person isn't here." She reminded him. "I'm just gonna take a look and I'll be back, alright?"

Though he was feigning that look of sternness, she was starting to second-guess if she should leave him alone so soon. That illusion visibly troubled him a lot. She had felt it before when he had been protecting them from it.

He was scared.

Not that he would admit it but she could feel it then. With that thought in mind, she thought of the one thing that would bring him the utmost comfort besides her returning him to the actual world where they were safe.

"Give it to me," she put her hand out, "the pure light."

He reached out into his pocket and pulled it out. She grabbed it and walked around him—"you'll find that the pure light will bring you just as much comfort as I d—"

"I do not need the pure light."

Rukia halted and turned, God he was stubborn. "The pure light wards off any evil. It likes to be used."

"I do not need it." He insisted rudely.

"You do." Rukia argued, matching his reluctance. "It's just to calm your nerves since you're spooked about the illusion which, " she made sure to voice the next part loudly, "you are. It'll do nothing but provide a light like the candle did."

"No."

"Yes." She insisted. "Stop being so hard-headed and rest."

"I do not need th—"

"Quit with the brave act and listen to me for once. It is just a light."

"That I do not need."

"You do." Rukia said. "You were spooked. No matter how much you try to deny that, you were. There was an advantage, it became an illusion. Your mind played a couple of tricks on you and you thought that we were being chased by Okasake Gureta's ghost. That's the truth. You're obviously still gonna be shaken up about it so I'm trying to give you some ease with this. Sleep, the pure light won't do anything but light the room. When you wake up, all that stuff you saw in your illusion will finally start to feel like what they were."

She headed into her room and snuffed out the candle light. In its place, she put the sai blade to stand upwards and put the candle back into its place in the closet while fetching a blanket.

Byakuya eventually came into the room.

"The fuse isn't too far from here," she explained with her back to him, "I'll be back quick."

She faced him when she exited out of the parted doors into the general study. He was eyeing the light again.

"Rest." Rukia repeated. "You look a lot more tired than I do. When I come back, you should be asleep."

###

Orihime had returned.

It took her awhile to familiarize herself with her surroundings but once she did, she realized that her friends were surrounding her with Lieutenant Kotestu, Kon and Ichigo in front of her, Sado behind her, Uryū to her left and Rangiku to her right.

Some members of the Gotei 13 were watching her.

She felt relieved when the world around her began to feel real again.

Rukia had been right.

"Inoue-san," Uryū bent, "are you alright?"

"Did he get you too?" Ichigo inquired.

"I was calling for you, did you hear me and return?" Lieutenant Kotestu asked in front of her.

Orihime shook her head and glanced to the younger Rukia who had now stormed off into her room to her left.

"It was her…" she explained quietly, "...Kuchiki-san—the younger one."

They twisted their heads to her.

"I could hear her." Orihime continued. "She was the only one I could hear. She got me out."

"What did you see?" Captain Ukitake inquired.

Orihime recounted what she saw and felt as the younger Rukia assured the younger Byakuya to rest beside them and exited out some shōji ahead of them which was part of the other room the fake wall had shielded.

Once she was done, the younger Byakuya had fallen asleep in the room beside them.

"But why Inoue?" Ichigo asked. "I don't see the point of giving her that illusion too."

"It felt so real…" Orihime reflected on the memories. "I was so scared…"

"I can't say for sure but it could've just been to scare her." Tōshirō said.

"Or to tell us who the pure light really is." Momo said behind him. "Lieutenant Kuchiki."

"Hinamori, we can't know that for sure." Tōshirō argued. "She has first rank sheatsu that is the colour purple. The pure light carries a yellow light. It is also sheatsu."

"It could still be the Lieutenant's." Momo defended. "When the Soul Society was born, the Okasakes bore a pure light but that isn't their sheatsu. The pure light in their life force gave birth to this place and manifested into the reishi of their body and the Soul Society."

"So what? You think it's another separate entity or 'form' of sheatsu she has?" Captain Hirako asked.

"I'm sure of it. She could be protecting it by creating a fictional person so no one comes after her for it."

"That's a bit of a stretch, innit?" Shuhei asked. "I mean, from what we got, the pure light couldn't purify the heart when they were alive 'cause they didn't have enough power to do so. It was second rank, Major sheatsu. The most they could do is make a barrier. Lieutenant Kuchiki's been trying to find more pure light to purify the heart. She uses a sai blade with the only speck of light she has or was given. It just doesn't make sense why she'd do all that."

"It also doesn't make sense as to why she doesn't have the entirety of the pure light with her." Izuru added. "If the heart got sealed up during her time as a kid she would've known who the pure light was and they would've left the remainder of their sheatsu to her but all she has is that sai blade which carries what? A speck? It just doesn't make sense."

"But a lot of things about Lieutenant Kuchiki don't make sense. We're all just basing this on what we saw and heard but that doesn't mean it's true." Momo said. "The older one we know might hold herself back but the younger one here tells me that she thinks ahead enough to know what she's doing. No matter the logic, I still think Lieutenant Kuchiki is the pure light—even if it does sound like a stretch."

"I agree too." Orihime said softly, drawing all of their attention. Her eyes were on the floor. "I think she's the light too."

"So what do we do now?" Kensei said, moving his attention away from Orihime. "Head Captain's gone and we're here but we still can't see anybody but ourselves."

"Look." Tōshirō recommended. "We have this entire manor to search. We can spread out and look in the meanwhile. We are bound to find things left out in the open which can explain Kuchiki's story."

"What about the past?" Ichigo asked.

"If he left us here, that means there is something to find or something that will be explained. We shouldn't waste anymore time and find it. There are clues."

###

It caught the younger Rukia by surprise when she had woken up from her futon with Byakuya still soundly asleep beside her on his own.

She had kept the doors which entered the general study open in need of some cool air. The light had come in sharply from there.

She walked in.

Opening the doors quietly, she was met with the sharp white belonging to the snow beneath a somber-looking sky of dull blue and grey.

She never imagined that they would get rid of that black miasma so fast. It had her convinced that it would settle beneath the skies and have them live in the 'night' forever but by the looks of it, the murk above the noble homes and maybe further was gone.

A turn to the clock had confirmed that it was early morning—around eight. The thought that all that commotion had happened while she was asleep was alarming.

She felt more relieved when she thought of how well Byakuya was sleeping when she peeked into her room again and saw him sound asleep in that stiff, straight position of his. At least he got some rest.

She now sat behind the low table in the general study which was nearest to the space where the fake wall had run through. With the natural light leaking in, she didn't feel the need to put any candles or lights on.

The clock would strike ten before he would awaken and the maid would come and distribute the meals on the table she was behind. When he stepped in, he had eyed the meal guardedly but kneeled down into the cushion across from her and dug in shortly.

"We should return to the others soon."

They had spent a lot of time here.

"Sure." Rukia said before eating the last of her beans. "Though,"

"What?"

"Do you think...it would be alright to give the older me this map?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, this map is just as ancient as the one in that frame so…should we really give her something like this to use up there? It could get destroyed or lost…"

"I see. It is true that we should not take chances with historical artifacts." He said. "Though, I do not believe you are that careless either. The older you will not lose it."

"Still," she insisted, "it's...unsafe."

"So what do you suggest?" He questioned her. "We cannot waste any more time."

"How about….we…copy it."

"What?"

"There's a copier here. Maybe we can create a direct copy of it and put this back so we don't mess this one up."

He closed his eyes. "That will take longer."

"It won't." She quickly said, unknowingly lifting herself a bit higher over the table. When his eyes shot open at her defiance, she lowered back down. "There's a big one. We can at least have this safely kept here."

"It is still risky to take an ancient artifact such as this and attempt to copy i—" Byakuya was interrupted by a knock on the door which led to the veranda.

"Yoo-hooo!" It sang. Rukia recognized that voice instantly.

"Kit?" She asked out loud.

"Oh yes!" He answered. "Permission to come in, my lady?"

"Yes, of course." Rukia felt so glad to see him. When the doors parted open and he slipped through, she took his appearance in.

He was older, yes but nothing close to a wrinkle aged his face. He now wore a small green hat, the size of a yarn ball with a black streak atop his head and had a moustache that was oddly a ginger orange. Overtop his shoulders was a short double-breasted cape coat of black which barely covered his chest or his arms for that matter.

Rukia didn't see the purpose.

Finally, those familiar green eyes, platinum blond hair and smile drew her back to the Kit she once knew and remembered.

He hurriedly knelt and bowed the moment he stepped in—leaving the doors parted to leave the snow as his backdrop.

"It's so good to see you, my lady." He said quickly as if he'd miss the chance. As he rose, the hurriedness continued, "I couldn't believe it when I heard. You're really here."

Rukia smiled.

"I was hoping to converse with the present you the moment I heard. I shed so many tears when you died…" from the corner of his eyes a blue droplet grew. "Sensei Okasake sent the message to me privately when he knew and w-well, I tried to reach you here but I was tied up in the Rukongai."

"It's okay." Rukia said. "I'm sure you woulda missed the older me too. She's...kinda busy."

"Of course, my lady. I understood, I-I mean, I understand. It was just so shocking to hear that you had passed. I absolutely refused to believe it even if the rumors were true."

That piqued her curiosity immediately. "What rumors?"

He met her eyes for the first time. "Well the rumors of you falling off Velmar Cliff—intentionally."

Rukia gasped and looked to Byakuya who met her eyes too.

She returned her attention to Kit. "That's….how I died?"

"O-Oh! My deepest apologies, my lady." He bowed again. "I would've thought you knew. I heard that you've been like this for quite a while by Sensei I—" his eyes wavered to the right and spotted a new face that he wished he recognized sooner.

He scrambled up and turned. "My sincerest apologies," he bowed to Byakuya, "I was unaware you were here. I was very caught up with seeing my lady. Forgive me for my imprudence though…"

He rose and glanced back at her. "My lady, if I may ask, what are you doing with the esteemed former Lieutenant Kuchiki's son?"

"Uh…." what to say? What to say?

Byakuya eyed Kit with a look which had him bowing for forgiveness yet again.

"My apologies, I...meant well. It is just…" he swallowed nervously, "you….should not be near my lady...there is uh—"

"He knows about the law." Rukia interrupted him. It struck Kit by surprise. "Captain Kuchiki...brought him back to have him involved so...since we uh, both came from the same time we…." have to hang out? Stay together?

"Oh, I see." Kit said. "I did not know—I was unaware."

"Don't worry." Rukia gently said, which had him blush. How good it felt to hear her voice again. "Now, tell me everything you know about my death and what happened."

Kit recounted the entire story which everyone knew— the mythical story about The Woman of the White Haze and the alleged assassin who said Sensei had seen her off too.

What in the world had happened that day?

Velmar Cliff was a section of rocky landscapes situated just outside of the Seireitei's walls. The cliff and its landscape, including a river and a waterfall, were notorious for its ability to cease reiatsu-driven tricks. Flashstep nor could zanpakutō abilities function within that area. It was one of those sites which hosted unknown abilities.

When she considered that, it seemed likely that her death was a planned thing. It was the perfect spot to justify why she couldn't have saved herself.

"When did this all happen?" Rukia asked.

"Early spring. Sometime in the middle of March." Kit answered.

"Spring…" Rukia repeated with her eyes lowered to the table of food. Suddenly, she didn't want to eat anymore.

"B-But," Kit stumbled forward, "please do not feel sad, my lady. What matters most is that you have returned and can finally return our land to its natural purity."

How she wished it was that simple.

"What do they speak of now?" Byakuya asked him.

Kit, surprised that he had been addressed, answered, "well...not much. I know there were some members of the 2nd Division who broke the lockdown order to light candles in the 78th District but otherwise, there is nothing to be concerned about."

"Wait, are they okay? Did they get in trouble?" Rukia asked in concern.

"I would not know of that my lady but I would be happy to find out for you—" Rukia was already shaking her head at the thought.

"No, it's okay—I'll ask someone else for that info." The Captain. He would most definitely know what happened to them. "Thanks, for telling me all this."

"It brings the utmost pleasure and glee to have you back here, of course. Should there be anything you need, please do not hesitate to call. I hope to speak to the present you soon. Certainly, I must see the miracle for myself."

"I'm sure she'd be happy to see you." Rukia said.

"Returning from death is a miracle that only you have and it comes to no surprise. I'd hope to have her return to the Capital soon. It would do wonders in terms of restoring hope like Secretary of State Abarai did earlier."

Hearing about Renji also intrigued her. "What'd he do?"

"He managed to cut some chains off of the chandelier to get rid of that infinite soul shadow miasma in certain hotspots. It saved a lot of members of the Rukongai. Though it is temporary, it was useful enough to give us this much sight of broad daylight." Kit explained.

"Well that explains outside." Rukia muttered. "Is there anything else you can tell me about the Capital's current condition? And...what they think about me?"

"I haven't heard of anything about you, my lady. Your name is still banned in court and the Rukongai. I don't believe there is much talk of you that has become a part of public discourse. To all of us, you have either died or disappeared in accordance with the events which took place at Velmar."

"But what do they think?" Rukia asked him. "Is my death suspicious to them?"

"Well…" he rubbed his left knuckle, "certainly you couldn't expect them to believe that you had died, my lady. Even if no such thing as a revival is possible, you are...very different. There is no doubt that you could've died that easily unless you let yourself."

Rukia grew nervous. She really did jump off that cliff to fake her death.

"There must've been assumptions." Byakuya said to him. "Reasons which could potentially justify why she decided to take her life there."

Kit grew more jumpy. "I….can't say for sure. The only reason anyone would think is that vermin. Though, our lady is very strong and much more capable than him to even fall victim to any of his tricks. Certainly, he would never get to her head as he had with others."

"So what did you think?" Rukia inquired.

"W-Well I," he stammered, "I was...shocked, I never believed in it either but the longer you remained absent, the sooner I had to form that conclusion though," he lowered his eyes, "I was wrong for believing that could ever be true. Even if you had never died before and came back, I still should not ha—"

Byakuya interrupted him. "She has never died before?"

Kit, jarred by his question, shook his head. "No, of course not."

Byakuya shifted his eyes to Rukia in front of him who confirmed it.

"It's true…" she confirmed, "upon coming here, I never knew that I could die and come back."

"Then why had you not said that?" He questioned her. "When I had asked you about that abnormality, you immediately associated it with you being rare. Did you really think nothing of it?"

"I only shrugged it off 'cause it isn't surprising." Rukia said.

"Which would imply that the older you experienced death with that light for the first time recently. She did not know she could come back." Byakuya said. "I would assume she tested it at Velmar Cliff; however, it seems that death was planned."

Kit, who had just been observing them, was taken aback at the accusation. "Whatever are you talking about?"

Rukia closed her eyes. She could trust Kit in her heart but she didn't know if the older her could.

"My lady would not fake her death." Kit refuted. "To even say that is unmannerly, Captain Kuchiki."

Rukia was surprised Byakuya maintained his gaze with her even after Kit's critique of his commentary.

"I suppose he gets the audacity to talk back from you." Byakuya seethed.

"Ah," Kit bowed his head again, "my most sincere apologies. I should not have spoken that way to you no matter what you said. It would be disrespectful to our esteemed Lieutenant Kuchiki, of course. Please forgive my indiscretion."

Rukia thought it would be best to switch the topic before they divulged any further into it. Kit would have to remain oblivious until she got the green light from the older her.

"Never mind him," Rukia dismissed, "just…" if she didn't say this, the Kuchiki heir would be on her back for the rest of her life, "be mindful next time."

"Of course, my lady." He bowed to her. "I should not have disgraced you like this. It was not appropriate."

"You could never disgrace me. Now quit with the bowing and tell me about you. How've you been?"

He sprinted up in delight at the mention. "Oh, I've been swell, my lady—of course, besides, mourning you. I have a kid now—a daughter. She is young and pretty like you. She has done wonders in her studies. I'm looking forward to having you meet her. She's just like you."

"That's nice to hear. How abo—"

"Oh dear," he checked his watch, "is that the time? I'm afraid I must go."

"Is something wrong?" Rukia asked in concern.

"I-It's nothing, my lady. I was just supposed to start my shift ten minutes ago. I still work downstairs in the Rukongai. I've been preparing meals for the ones outside since the cold came in. I should go now—I only wanted to see you, that's it. I-I must go!" He bowed, scrambled up and left in a flash.

Rukia turned her attention to Byakuya who was still staring back at her.

###.

"You should join us." Captain Ukitake said to Ichigo near the door frame. "It would be best to regroup for now, considering that we have not found much to work with."

"Sure thing, Ukitake." Ichigo said, but he didn't move. Instead he resumed his gaze upon the memorial frames.

Captain Ukitake stepped in and followed it. His eyes first laid eyes on Byakuya's father, then to the former Head Commander Okasake and then to Rukia. The order ran from who had passed first. The flowers which were loaded onto both Byakuya's father and Rukia's reiterated what they now knew.

They were the Okasakes' prized kids.

Interestingly, the former Head Commander Okasake had no flowers encircling his photos. Ichigo could feel the resentment. It was sharp and heavy.

Even his own brother didn't want to honor him with flowers?

Captain Ukitake, now beside him, could only wordlessly stare at the images too, releasing a deep sigh as he fixed his gaze on the former Head Commander.

They would stand there silently before joining the others.

---

Rukia led Byakuya through the small corridor covered with a deep emerald rug to a room on the right.

"Are you ready?" She asked him with her right hand on the door.

"Of course. What is there to be cautious about?"

She pushed open the door to have him see. Intrigued by his first glimpse at it, he stepped closer to the door line.

It brought some discomfort to him as he craned his neck upwards to see hundreds of frames with two cut out or scribbled faces belonging to his father and Rukia.

He watched all over when he stepped in to see photos he had seen around the Okasake Manor enclosed by a designer gold frame but with both of their faces cut out.

But there was more.

There were profanities in red ink written on almost half of the black and white-printed images and black circles painted over. Some frame glasses were even broken.

This was a much different picture than what the rest of the manor showed. The ambience had changed and all he could feel from this study was hate. It reflected on even the smallest of frames on the wall.

Rukia and his father's faces being the only faces cut or marked out brought on an unsettling feeling.

There was an essence of eeriness which crept around them. Those round circles of black indicated something he had never seen but heard about, Sensei Okasake's hate.

"Sensei Okasake's hate for us lives here." She explained.

"He emptied this room out to store his hatred for you two?"

"Basically." Rukia said.

She went around the desk to pull drawers.

"It's kinda funny when you think of it."

"This is not funny." He had his back to her as he scanned the images further. "It is concerning. He took all these images and condemned both you and father with inappropriate messages and immaturity."

"It's not a big deal unless you make it one." She idly said behind the desk, distracted by a few papers. "What matters most is that we saw it so we knew to stay away."

"That does not change anything."

Rukia finally looked up. "Why not? It's not like we were willingly putting ourselves in danger."

"Rukia, father was ill, you know that." He pointed out which had Rukia slouch in defeat. "This would have put an unprecedented amount of stress on him that he could not take on. He was put under tight restrictions for a reason."

She had slowly walked back around the desk to face him as he finished his last sentence.

"He took time off his Lieutenant duties for months, which I am sure you are aware of, for that exact reason. Having to be the center of this childish Sensei's hatred would mean that he would have to engage with all the dangers being a Lieutenant had posed to his health at the time even though he was off-duty."

Rukia understood that immediately. It was true that the Lieutenant had stepped down from his duties for months but there was more to it than just his health. It was also true that she had watched his health deteriorate as the situation with Jushirmai had escalated though there was more to it all which she felt wrong to say herself.

She felt warm at his concern for him. He was very protective of his family—something she really admired.

His concern now was out of fear that his father had overworked himself during the times in which he was supposed to be resting.

"I know." She answered quietly. But…."he was okay, Byakuya—he was fine. I told you, these sorta things weren't a big deal to us…"

Us...She needed to stop using that word.

"...it isn't as bad as you're thinking." Rukia assured him. "He was at the Okasake Manor a lot during that break you spoke about. For the times that I was there, he was fine."

"He did not like showcasing his illness often. He would pass off his symptoms to appear as less than they actually were. How can you be so sure?"

'Cause I was there. "I'm only telling you what I know from the time that I stayed there. I'm not saying he never coughed or anything or any of the symptoms you knew of didn't happen regularly or often. He was alright from what I saw but I could always be wrong so your best source for that information is Sensei Okasake."

That was the most she could say for now.

He turned around to watch the frames again. Rukia assumed he was done talking and moved to open the shōji in front of her to enter the other with the copier.

"Wait."

She stopped. "Huh?"

He was staring at something—a frame across from her which was near his head level.

He approached it. "This is not distorted."

Curiosity got the best of her and she quickly moved to see it herself.

It was of the Lieutenant when he was younger and a younger Sensei who had his arm around him.

"Hmm...Not even he could manage to destroy this picture." Rukia muttered to herself over his shoulder.

"It is of value because they were young?" Byakuya asked.

Rukia shook her head, eyeing the trainee uniform. "These were the moments he felt that he had one for real." A son, Byakuya automatically connected, "though he butchered all those other ones, this was a really important one."

"To him?"

"To them." Rukia corrected. "I'm just surprised he managed to spare this one even with all that darkness he was letting in."

"That does not mean much."

"It doesn't?" Rukia asked him in surprise.

"No. It does not make up for what he did to him or you."

"I guess though, it still means some of his old heart was intact to prevent him from doing anything to it." Rukia said. "Even if it was just for a moment, it's something."

"That 'something' is still not enough."

Rukia agreed.

###

"If this was the life he was livin' secretly, the hell does that mean for his leadership?" Kensei asked.

"Seems like Hiro-jii took on the role himself." Captain Kyōraku said.

"I would have never imagined that he hated Sojun like this. He never shared anything like this with me." Captain Ukitake said.

"I didn't talk with him a lot but when I did, he looked like the same ol'Shima-jii I knew." Captain Kyōraku said.

"It would be very hard to spot it if you weren't close with him or worked with him often." Captain Unohana said, which drew their attention. "I would not believe that much of the Capital knew about this or rather, believed it until the very last few years of his life. It is what ruined his legacy.."

"If this second face was more than dominant and he became his son's ally, that made him the Soul Society's enemy. He should've been removed from his position." Isane said.

"Maybe he was but we never knew." Captain Kyōraku said. "It could've happened indirectly if he neglected his duties to spend more time with him."

"Still, Kyōraku, something could've been done." Tōshirō said. "Combined, Kuchiki and Okasake had more than enough power to overcome him."

"Still don't think the Okasake heir would allow that to happen." Captain Kyōraku reminded him. "He used Shima-jii to his advantage. He wouldn't have had him brought down that easily."

"Before he got his father's sheatsu, what rank did he have?" Kensei asked.

"White, from what I remember." Captain Unohana said. "Sensei."

"It doesn't change the fact that a lot of his power sources are unknown." Tōshirō said. "Perhaps I see your point, Kyōraku. Maybe they didn't have the advantage."

Momo agreed. "But if sheatsu wasn't the problem then..."

"What?" Rangiku finished for her.

---

Her bones which had cracked from the fall managed to fix themselves rather quickly since she woke up on the ground and felt no discomfort.

When she stood up, the circular room she had fallen into became a source of interest. The ceiling was miles away from her, forming a cylinder where she stood on the base.

There was a thick grey blob of something which circled her. It looked much like jelly but came with groaning and moaning sounds in addition to sounds like bubbling.

It also moved.

Rukia scanned the deformed blob of jelly which encircled her in curiosity. It took her by surprise when a section of the blob tore out of the ring and began to shape itself into a body.

Suddenly, features were carved out to form what appeared as an old man but barely. Rukia then remembered the old woman who was with her in her room.

So this is where they were made.

She craned her neck upwards to see reishi in several lines being shot from holes in the ceiling into the blob around her. She had many questions that came together at once.

For a fact, the reishi stolen had to be from the soul collectors.

It was interesting to watch them get birthed. She wondered what was the use of creating so many as they didn't seem to do much but maintain simple duties for the palace.

It looked like this was a daily thing and if they could be made that quickly then what was he using all of them for?

It spelt trouble.

There had to be a way they were able to serve him beyond watching visitors and cleaning and if the reishi from Soul Society inhabitants were making them, it meant something worse.

Rukia decided she'd take a sample back to have it analyzed. Surely if these people were composed of the same thing the revived Captain was then…

She reached out to snatch some but the blob and the faces which tore out of it started shrieking. There were loud moans followed by deep wails which encircled her. She assumed she had triggered it which she knew would cause more of his secret allies to find her.

She tried to shush them but they seemed distraught. Bodies tore out of them with wailing expressions etched into their faces as lines. Rukia didn't know how to stop them all as she twisted and turned to find her escape route.

Just then, she caught sight of a peculiar figure above her, standing behind a gate which encircled the place.

She stilled. Her insides began to quiver and itch as she grew nervous upon direct contact with this heinous looking thing which had somehow managed to pull her into a state of absolute alarm.

Its head was the skeleton of a lamb, crescent moon earring dangled from its horns. There was an ominous feeling which immediately attacked her the moment she met its eyes.

It felt familiar.

She knew what this feeling was like. She had endured it time and time again during her dreams.

And that's when it clicked in.

This thing…this soul shadow…was giving her the same thoughts and vibes akin to what she felt like in the midst of her dreams. It perfectly embodied the horror of them all and what they did.

But...that was something only he was able to do…unless…

---

When they returned back into the room, surprise took them when the Captain appeared in the doorway to the corridor.

"I see you have discovered the room of contempt." That comment was directed to Byakuya.

"This is beyond unacceptable, grandfather. Why ever did father stay here if he was behaving like this?" Byakuya asked him.

"Hirosuke." He answered. "This was the only acceptable meeting place in accordance with the law."

Rukia crossed her arms and leaned to his side. "See."

Byakuya averted his eyes to the frames again, "if he could express his contempt so childishly then what does that mean for his leadership?"

"Worse." Rukia answered behind him before making eye contact with the Captain, "Renji got rid of some of the soul shadows, I heard, from Kit. How's the Capital now?"

"There are still a lot more on the court's side but the Seireitei and the Rukongai are cleared for now." He answered.

"I guess that's good." Rukia replied. "Anything else?"

"I have the results regarding that consort." He said.

"And…"

He seemed hesitant to answer.

"What?" Rukia asked.

"The spawn is the consort's child."

Rukia and Byakuya leaned back simultaneously, "what?"

"Kla…is the woman who's playing me's kid?!" Rukia restated to make sure she had heard right. His silent confirmation shook her. "That doesn't make sense what about—"

"It is still the good entity of it; however, it seems its separation was completed with the aid of the consort."

"What the hell is this guy?" Ichigo asked, feeling morbid.

"Well it's not like the guy separating himself from another personality was anything normal too, Ichigo." Shinji said.

"Y-Yeah but—"

"Having it manifest through a child he fathered is extremely concerning." Captain Ukitake finished for him.

"And it seems like she doesn't know about it either." Rangiku pointed out.

"You mean the entity." Tōshirō clarified before Rangiku would give him a nod. "Well, I suppose there would be no reason for that."

"His abilities become more difficult to read the more we learn." Uryū took a few steps forward. "His control over minds seems to be the most normal, everything else…"

"We should treat him as another species." Captain Komamura said. "It is obvious his abilities are much more than anything even an assassin would qualify for."

"But what type of species would that be that the assassins wouldn't already know of, Captain?" Lieutenant Hisagi asked. "We would've heard what he was a long time ago, don't you think?"

"That's unless they don't know, dammit." Kensei said behind him. "It's obvious they aren't the big know-it-alls they're tryna play out to be. By the end of this detour, they might just be more clueless than us."

"Kensei's right." Ichigo said. "Besides, we're seeing him for who he really is. The past is the key to everything."

"Do you think Nee-san knows what he is?" Kon asked him.

"I don't know, Kon but even if she does, she clearly hasn't told much of anybody." Ichigo said.

"Perhaps this room is one of the reasons." Uryū said. "The Okasake heir ruined Head Commander Okasake. It seems that they intended to protect his diminishing honor till the end which is why so much of his true behavior was kept within a closed circle."

"You might be onto something," Captain Kyōraku praised. "There might be a lot of things that they know that a lot of people don't."

"Isn't that kinda dangerous?" Lieutenant Kira asked.

Captain Kyōraku shrugged, "depends on how you look at it."

"In one way, keeping information within a specific circle prevents rumors and avoids others from putting themselves in danger but on the other…" Lieutenant Kira responded.

"We're left on the short end of the stick." Captain Kyōraku finished for him.

"There's definitely some exclusivity here with who gets to know what." Uryū said. "Even Urahara doesn't seem to know much about how Kuchiki-san's been moving all these years."

"And Urahara being the guy we all go to for everything and the guy who knows everything means that he's purposely being left out for a reason but to protect what?" Ichigo asked.

"Well there are a lot of nobles involved in this matter." Uryū pointed out. "The same reason they shielded the former Head Commander could be the reason why they're keeping info in a closed circle."

"Yes, considering Gureta-san and Sojun, it seems likely." Captain Ukitake said.

"Kay, so how do we get in?" Lieutenant Hisagi asked.

"We kinda already are in, excluding whatever the fuck else they're hiding right now." Captain Hirako said.

"I think both Kuchikis know more than what they're saying." Tōshirō said. "They're being selective, I can see why now but I also think it makes them much more knowledgeable than anybody, even more than the current Head Commander Okasake."

"Which means they could already have a game plan that nobody else knows of." Rangiku figured.

"Considering how often they exchange information means they probably do or if not, they have trump cards." Tōshirō said.

"You mean they got secrets that are helpful that they're not gonna share with any of us?" Lieutenant Kira said.

"Yes and no, not until they're useful." Tōshirō said.

"Like how did Captain Kuchiki know to check the DNA between Kla and that woman he calls a consort?" Orihime suddenly questioned which drew all their attention to her.

"You're right." Uryū said as he watched the elder Captain Kuchiki and the younger Kuchiki siblings leave the room. "He was supposed to find out who she was but I doubt any person working for the heir would have any of their information in a database, let alone anything having to do with a 'kid'."

"It could've been a hunch." Lieutenant Kira said.

"Isn't that a bit too random?" Rangiku asked.

"Yes, which makes it very likely that he does know more about what the Okasake heir is, leading him to make that discovery." Tōshirō said.

###

As Rukia peeled open the frame to return the original map to its place, Byakuya took the opportunity to address his concern about Okasake Gureta who he was still convinced had been more than an illusion.

He recited the events without referring to her name precisely before diving into his assumption, "I do not believe it was a simple illusion. What I had felt during that time was very peculiar. There was a sense of alarm in me, like a trigger, that had been set off each time she was near. It seemed as though I was being warned."

"And…if it wasn't an illusion that I was seeing then that would imply something else."

He waited, "a soul shadow."

He took a glance at Rukia to ensure she was still occupied with something else. "Although I cannot explain why Rukia couldn't see it or sense it, I believe that it was."

"It is likely that you were right."

It took him by surprise that he did not dismiss the possibility at first. After all, he had gone through what others, under the heir's spell, had previously gone through. There was no way of him knowing how he had felt at the time either to say it was different.

Perplexed, he decided to point it out, "you believe me?"

A deep, low rumble translating into "hm" came out.

"But…would you not say what I went through could also just be the heir's tricks considering that it is like all those other cases which have occurred?"

"You are determined to poke holes." Ginrei observed. "Why?"

He would not admit to feeling queasy about it, though he was sure his grandfather got the hint, but something about that woman being back as a soul shadow spelt trouble he felt could not be handled and would complicate their already complicated situation.

"I would not like to believe that she became a soul shadow despite the circumstances which caused her death." He admitted slowly. "I am aware of what happened, it makes sense that she could not be purified and ultimately became one of those creatures because of her despair but nonetheless, the heir has mobilized her death just as he has use the former Sensei Okasake to be exemplars of how versed he is in psychological destruction and manipulation."

"…it could be a trick." He concluded.

"We must be prepared for anything, no matter the circumstance."

"Though that also implies that there is a possibility that the other Sensei Okasake has returned."

He then remembered his grandfather's previous reluctance to believe that the other Sensei Okasake had been back.

He glanced at the spot Rukia had been but she was not there. Moments later he heard shuffling in a nearby room and concluded it was her.

"That would make the matters of the heart worse." Byakuya said in a low tone.

"Indeed." Ginrei replied. "But we are not in a state of absolute demise even if that is true."

"What do you mean?"

Ginrei didn't respond.

"You have a backup." Byakuya figured. He then corrected himself, "she has a backup."

"There are alternative routes, necessary sites of knowledge which exist that will make it difficult for it to have any dramatic success."

"So…we are equipped, beyond Rukia's knowledge…"

"We have options that will cause considerable damage to its regime if they work out as expected." He replied. "They are not known to the others downstairs nor to the Capital."

"And you both are maintaining this secret until it is time…" Byakuya figured, not bothering to question it as he felt reassured now that he knew. "I suppose I should have expected it. Her journal has lots of notes in regards to this, she knows too much to not have found potential methods. Though, it is interesting that you have not shared this with the feline either."

"Urahara Kisuke should be excluded for the time being."

"Not that I am opposed to your decision but they believe that the only chance against the heir is finding another, if not more, pure light, Rukia's knowledge and the heir's fixation with her which is keeping the damage upon the Soul Society at bay. How do we benefit from continuing to keep everyone else in oblivion?"

His grandfather peered down at him, seemingly prepared to relay a long story.

"When she was to be executed, Urahara Kisuke had a device inserted into her body which he intended to destroy. That device was able to intercept her ability to come back to life. He was aware of that."

What? Byakuya jerked back slowly.

"If the execution had occurred, she would not have been able to come back to life. The device he inserted would not be destroyed either; rather, it would absorb something."

That instantly made him curious. "What would it absorb?"

It felt as though his grandfather was hesitating the longer it took for him to reply. "A entity. A thing a part of her which she made."

"Which is…"

"It plays a fundamental role in her ability to come back to life." Though he had not answered his question, he was glad he was finally getting answers as to how she could do that.

"So Urahara Kisuke is the enemy and the feline is complicit." Byakuya said.

"Though I would not deem him as so, it is wise we maintain knowledge to ourselves until we can be sure that it will not be used against us."

That made sense…

"When Rukia had woken up, he had acted as though he did not know." Byakuya realized. "And the feline—"

He stopped, instantly feeling the throbbing frustration with that thing take over him.

"We must be wise with how we move. Though she is deemed as dishonest, it is better to keep what we know to ourselves."

When he perceived their situation in that light, he understood why Rukia and him were being so secretive.

"It is as though we are surrounded by potential enemies." Byakuya scoffed before he closed his eyes. "To think the feline and the shopkeeper had played a role in attempting to eliminate her I—"

He paused again. The words of the irritable quincy regarding that mysterious brother-in-law came back again.

One eye popped back open and shot a look straight to his grandfather who was still staring at him.

He knew the chances of that individual being her younger brother's relative, despite knowing absolutely nothing about him, had been a stretch. Still, he had wanted to keep that option open.

It had been him.

Though…He was just following the law.

"I know you must feel as if being dishonest in return will cause more confusion and less faith in her; however, you must understand that she is a targeted individual." His grandfather said. "There are only a few spaces where we are able to speak without being listened to."

"So I have heard and read." Byakuya responded.

"She has a gift." His grandfather simply said in response to a sentence he knew the remainder of already.

"But it has cursed her." Byakuya finished for him. "Her abnormalities have indeed become nuisances. I do not see why the shopkeeper would even go to such lengths to do that to her when it seems that he considers her an ally."

"That device has a longer history and relevance to another story which has no relevance here." He responded. "It is the thought that was malicious."

"And the feline?"

"She is not involved."

"Does this mean," and he finished the question with great displeasure, "that you both will notify her of your findings when you are ready?"

"When we are safe." He replied. "So long we are in spaces such as these, we cannot speak to the fullest extent."

"But if we cannot speak here," and this was a place with lingering pure reishi, "then—"

"There are a few spaces which are protected. Sacred. We will be able to converse there without any interception."

"I see."

"The matter of the heart is still without an adequate solution." He informed him.

"Which concerns me now that it is possible that both Okasakes could have become soul shadows operating under the heir." Byakuya said before glancing at the large picture frame diagonal to them and back. "That other Sensei being back would change everything. She would be almost guaranteed to lose it."

"It is a possibility."

"—That room tells me that this soul shadow version of him would precisely target her much like he did when he was alive. If that woman's soul shadow came here today it is only a matter of time before he does too."

The images tucked away in that room came back in a flash and he was reminded of the single image that was not marked out.

It inspired a particular question.

Byakuya cleared his throat, "I also have a personal question."

He was given a sign to proceed, "why did you choose this Sensei Okasake to be father's godfather instead of the other one? It would have made sense if the other Sensei had been his godfather considering how much he wanted a son."

"Hirosuke did not have children by choice although his aptitude in raising one was great. Though he did not yearn for the experience precisely, he was chosen to put that skill to use in ways that Hiroshima would not."

"I see though, I am surprised the other Sensei Okasake did not attempt to protest that decision given how he treated father as his."

"It was a mere title to him, nothing more."

---

Hirosuke knelt down in the meeting hall of the 1st Division with his back to the emerging visitor.

On his desk were the papers that Rukia had left him of her discoveries within the past two years. She had discovered more than enough to provide a safety net for most of their problems. It was for that reason the soul shadows were less of a concern, for now.

With his eyes still tracing her diagrams and explanations to ensure he was up to speed, he waited for them to speak.

"I have left them there." Genryūsai announced behind him.

His attention left the papers but he did not turn around. "Most of the Seireitei will likely be destroyed now."

Silence followed shortly.

"Where is she?" Genryūsai finally asked.

"In the palace." Hirosuke replied.

"Tell her to proceed. She'll be without interference now."

"They are en route to find the second generator to undo the effect of the Interioreum realm your colleagues created. If the Gotei 13 are to be returned to their physical state, you will lose any chance of redeeming yourself."

"I intend on keeping them there until they know."

Hirosuke turned. "How will you prepare your kind to join us?"

"I would ask you the same." Genryūsai replied. "She is yet to come here and unveil herself. Get your own to do that quickly and I might inform you as to why they have every right to defend the land they work and live on."

"I am not underestimating you, Genryūsai. I know well, very very, of what you are capable of—I need not remind you of your place and your own past."

Genryūsai opened his eyes.

"We will have to do this correctly if we wish to succeed."

"Then have her proceed as planned with the techniques she gathered to disperse all of this nonsense and reinstate her position. There is someone here who caused all of this and it is not that thing—get rid of it."

"No." Hirosuke said harshly. "That is a separate matter that will be dealt with privately. Continue to inform the Gotei 13, I will proceed as I planned until you are ready. Should the Seireitei suffer anymore attacks, I will not be able to send anymore of my kind. It will be up to your soul reapers and whomever is left."

"They are not prepared."

"I am unable to do more. They are resistant."

He was silent. Hirosuke resumed his gaze at the papers.

"You are making up for sins, Genryūsai. Do not forget that. We are not on equal playing ground, you have created irreversible damage to the world you claim you'd like to defend. You have mistakes that you are owning up to, nothing more."

"This is not a personal matter." Genryūsai growled.

"It always is."

---

"Ha!" Mayuri cackled. "And we call me the heinous one. Urahara Kisuke had you all fooled."

"Well whadaya know…" Captain Hirako said.

"Urahara…" Ichigo couldn't believe it. The whole time there had been more to placing the hōgyokū into Rukia than having it destroyed in the first place. The thing would've absorbed her sheatsu and allowed her to be killed for real, without any chance of revival.

Something he knew.

He felt dirty. He knew Urahara wasn't perfect and had sent him out to save Rukia, well-equipped, but that didn't make up for putting the thing in her in the first place with, what Ichigo assumed was, another intention.

Did he intend to steal it?

"Urahara being a villain in all this explains everything." Uryū said. "Silence and lying is the only way to ensure she's not aiding someone who wishes to use her."

"And Nee-san from the past hated her sheatsu because she knew that everyone would want to do the same thing with her ability." Kon reminded the group sadly.

"She became a tool…" Isane said with her eyes lowered.

"Well it comes to no surprise that no one would want to use her but Urahara orchestrating this scheme to steal it before sending Kurosaki out of guilt is not exactly thrilling in the sense that he is a very close ally of hers and us."

"Well she got over it, didn't she?" Lieutenant Hisagi said before they all glared at him. "—What? I'm just stating the obvious. She's not tellin' him anything but I mean, he's still here."

"That doesn't change what he did!" Momo yelled up at him, which took everyone by surprise.

Captain Ukitake only grew more sympathetic towards and sad on behalf of his Lieutenant who had been battling more than he imagined.

When he thought of Byakuya's father, he also sincerely questioned why he hadn't come to him either.

"This is a sign to lighten the fuck up." Kenpachi grumbled. "The Soul Society's fine if they know shit to deal with it so can the Head Captain hurry up and let us the fuck out?"

"No, it is a sign to be even more concerned." Tōshirō argued. "Too many things in the Soul Society are not what it seems. If it has come to the point where both Kuchikis must hoard information to themselves then—"

Ichigo cut him off. "Something's not right."

"Well he's got us all swallowed up because of the Soul King Palace." Shinji said beside him. "Sure he knows everything so maybe it's better we don't know."

Captain Komamura disagreed. "That isn't an excuse to be keeping information as vital as that secret."

"They are considering our worlds, our linchpin." Captain Unohana said. "We must see this from their point of view. They have seen the state our worlds are in and know about it better than anyone."

"Shit like that can't slip." Kensei said. "But that doesn't mean we don't have to know about it, I mean, they know places where they can actually speak without being spied on."

"That spider lily field gotta be one of them." Ichigo said. "Something about that place is protected. I don't know if it's related to Rukia and her moonstone ability or the pure light or whatever but I'm placin' my bets on that place being secured."

"Strange how even this place couldn't be protected even though it's lined with their pure reishi." Uryū said. "If that field is protected, it must have something to do with the methods and information Kuchiki-san is currently keeping secured."

"I think it's gotta be the moonstone." Ichigo said, a belief which stirred after witnessing what that space had done or been for Byakuya. Rukia leading him there only meant that she knew there was something special that she potentially could've created given that she did create the County of Reincarnate Souls with the stone alone.

"Won't that be a problem if that other Sensei actually is a soul shadow and wasn't just a figment of Orihime and the younger Captain Kuchiki's imagination?" Rangiku asked.

Kon yelled in horror. "AHHHH! If that happened then! Then! We'd be surrounded! We'd have to be MUTE!"

"That's the worst case scenario, Kon." Uryū said. "But I don't think they're unprepared for it either."

"The whole thing about taking her sheatsu also means that the present one still has it. It's just locked or sealed." Kensei said.

"It seems likely that perhaps it could've been done for protection given what we now know about Urahara." Tōshirō said.

"That's—"

"Where is it going?" The younger Byakuya cut him off. He looked to him to see that he and his grandfather were staring at the opening.

"The blade just shot outta his pocket." Ichigo said.

"It's just the light being sensitive. It has sensory instincts of course. Exactly how it called upon itself to stab the heart of the heir when it was near something in need of purification." Mayuri explained.

"What do you think it sensed?" Orihime nervously gulped.

They all looked at each other nervously before eyeing the opening the young Rukia had gone through. Moments later the blade came flying out—which the younger Byakuya caught instinctively— but something was different.

It was not only no longer glowing but was completely fried. Smoke came up in black, disappearing before it could touch the ceiling.

"What the hell—" Ichigo shouted.

A loud noise was heard and just like that, it all faded to black.

---

End Note

Images for this Chapter (byaruki.(tumblr.) theicedmoonimages)

Sensei Seo's moodboard

byaruki / tumblr