Yoruichi Shihoin sat perched above the window of the room where Tsukiro Ashimitsu, her most skilled and talented student, lay wounded and barely alive. Ichigo had left hours ago to find Kisuke and Tessai so they could heal him. Tsukiro was barely hanging on, but she had faith in his strength and stubbornness. There was nothing she could do. She was a fighter, not a healer. All she could do at this point was play "look out" and make sure no one came to finish the job on her poor student.

True, she hadn't been around lately. Like always, she had been running around doing recon and gathering intel; working from behind the scenes as she always did. But she should have done more. She should have been there for Tsukiro the moment she found out from Kisuke that Sousuke Aizen had ordered Tsukiro's own captain to kill him. Now all she could do was guard him and protect him.

Her mind flashed to several moments in her past--times when she was with Tsukiro when he was young. He was so energetic, so eager. He spent over 90% of his time with her most days, learning, training, soaking in every bit of knowledge his young mind could hold. Then Aizen came and flushed out that happy scene and she was forced to leave not just Soi Fon, but Tsukiro too. She was forced to leave both of her students. Then she found out that her former advisers and consorts were pressuring Tsukiro into claiming her throne. She had no problem with that, but so young?

She sighed and pushed those thoughts away. She looked around. "Come on Kisuke. I know you've got to be just as worried. He needs you right now."

Goood~ Morning, everyone! Wow! All of you sure have been busy, huh? It's all I can do to cram all this reading stuff into my head! Whew! Well, expect to see a lot more of me. ;)