Afire Love (Bleach: Ichiruki)

XXV

Jūshirō Ukitake

If didn't know better, I'd say Byakuya looked rather upset. Although he always looked upset, not even a hint of a smile on his face. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen him smile, except for when he was a child.

"Captain Kuchiki! What a surprise!" I exclaimed in joy, rising up to my feet. I felt myself sway a bit, my vision blurring briefly.

Aw. I'm getting ill already?

"Ichigo Kurosaki. I need to speak with you." Byakuya turned his attention to him before turning back to me. "And this concerns you too, Captain."

I rose my eyebrows. "Captain Kuchiki, if I didn't know better, I'd say you look upset."

"Its about Rukia."

Oh.

Ichigo took a step forward.

"What is it? Is she okay?" He asked. I watched his face twist into worry.

But the look on Byakuya's face told otherwise.

"No."

"What happened?" Ichigo's voice now begun to fill with panic.

"Rukia's soul. You have it within you, correct?"

"Y-yes, why?"

"We need to put her back in her body as soon as possible."

"I know, Byakuya. That's the plan."

"Your plan is to restore her soul tomorrow. What I am saying is this has to happen before tomorrow happens."

I stepped forward this time.

"Has something happened with her?"

"You are closer to her than I have ever been. I had thought you would have figured it out before me." Byakuya said. His tone was annoyed, and angry. This issue was really affecting him.

"What are yo-"

"-give us a minute, Kurosaki." I said, shutting him up.

"I understand, Captain Kuchiki, that Rukia has not been exactly herself. That is because Rukia's soul is not in her shell. It is Asami's, so of course she would have been acting different."

"Jūshirō. The old Rukia would have given up her life this easily. But she would have no intention of giving up now.

Rukia is not herself."

"Of course not. She doesn't have her soul." I said, narrowing my eyes at Byakuya. He sighed, shutting his eyes.

He would always shut his eyes to block everything out in order to calm his temper down. He still has a very bad temper to this day, but he has controlled it skillfully.

"Have you ever given thought as to why the Soul Queen is weakening so rapidly?" Byakuya opened his eyes, challenging me.

I frowned.

"It is her fate to die after she has achieved her destiny, Byakuya."

"Her soul is the strongest soul to have ever existed. It is even stronger than the Soul King's.

If she were to die, it would take many months for her soul to weaken.

But how is it that her soul has deteriorated rapidly in the past month?"

My frown deepened. Byakuya did have a point.

And I even knew Asami myself, before she was taken away. Her soul was always huge, her reiatsu overpowering even though she hadn't mastered her shinigami skills.