Title: Aquamarine Moondust

Genre: Romance

Rating: M

Pairing: GrimmRuki, with a sprinkling of IchiRuki

Disclaimer: I don't own BLEACH and its characters. They all belong to the great Kubo-sensei!

Summary: Rukia goes back to Hueco Mundo to fulfill her promise to Ashido. She knew the dangers that await her, but she never expected to see HIM.

Timeline: The story follows the events in the anime, as I'm aware Ashido is not present in the manga. However, I will try my hardest to stick to the original storyline of Bleach.

CHAPTER ONE

Don't look back, Rukia told herself as she passed Chad, Orihime and Ishida on her way to the newly-opened Sekaimon hovering above them. She took in their sad smiles and rewarded them with the biggest smile she could muster. Behind her, she heard Ichigo sigh.

Don't look back.

Looking back would be useless anyway. He couldn't sense her reiatsu anymore, much less see her. "Minna," she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. "Take care of him for me." Without waiting for a reply, she pressed one foot against the ground to gain momentum, and with one graceful shunpo, reached the Sekaimon effortlessly.

As her hell's butterfly passed her and fluttered across the darkness, she hesitated before finally turning around. She had turned around too soon. The Sekaimon hadn't fully closed and even across the distance, she could see Ichigo staring up at her with sad eyes and an equally sad smile.

She felt her breath catch in her throat as the Sekaimon finally closed, enveloping her in darkness. "Was he -" Rukia shook her head. What was she thinking? Of course he couldn't see her. He was probably just looking up at the sky. It was a coincidence, that's all.

Rukia took a deep breath and finally started walking along the precipice world. Her footsteps echoed through the darkened halls, her path guided by the feeble light of the kido-powered torches that lined the eerie walls. She did not allow her thoughts to wander, but allowed a couple of happy memories to slip past, just so she had something to keep her company as she made her way back to Soul Society.

She will miss her friends in the human world, but she told herself that since Ichigo's power is no more, there was no reason for her to stay there anymore. Now that the war is over, her presence was needed in Soul Society. Aizen's betrayal had exposed a lot of flaws in the system, and now was the time for rebuilding and moving forward.

Kiyone and Sentaro were seated outside Ukitake's office, their ears pressed against the door and trying their best to pick up on the conversation transpiring inside. Ukitake-taicho had summoned Rukia to his office a few days after her return to Soul Society. Rukia thought he wanted to gather more information regarding her last days in the human world. She never imagined it would be about something else.

"Me, a vice captain?" Rukia asked, her amethyst eyes wide with confusion and surprise.

Ukitake chuckled at his subordinate's reaction and nodded. "It's an idea I have been playing around with for quite some time, and since you did extremely well in your fights in Hueco Mundo, I must say you definitely deserve the title."

Rukia was seated across her superior, who was at his usual spot behind his desk. On the desk lay the vice-captain's badge, which once belonged to her mentor, Kaien Shiba. The badge brought back memories and it made Rukia falter. Suddenly, she was at a loss for words.

"But..." Rukia looked down at her hands, which rested delicately on her lap. "What about Sentaro and Kiyone?"

"We don't observe monarchy when it comes to ranking Kuchiki," Ukitake explained gently. He knew Rukia will have reservations about the promotion, but he also knew his current 3rd seats were not the main reason. He was aware that his subordinate had kept her heart closed for so long and had subconsciously sabotaged her opportunities for growth, but he had hoped her stint in the human world had changed her perspective of things. "While some people may think everyone should move up one rank automatically when there's an opening, you have surpassed them in skill and ability. You've successfully defeated an Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie as well as the leader of the Exequias, Rudbornn Chelute."

"Aa," was all Rukia could say. Hearing her captain compliment her felt nice and awkward at the same time. She couldn't put her finger on it, why she felt so uneasy about the news. She knew in her heart that she had done extremely well in Hueco Mundo, but a promotion? Her gaze fell on the badge once more. "Is it okay though... for me to have this?" she whispered, unaware that she was talking out loud.

Ukitake smiled and stood up slowly. This shook Rukia out of her semi-reverie and she stared at him inquisitively. "Kuchiki, I understand you have a lot of things to think about. It's no rush, so if you want time to think about things -"

"Yes!" Rukia said abruptly, as she stood up as well. She almost immediately realized that she had interrupted Ukitake and looked embarrassed. "I- I mean... Thank you very much for understanding Ukitake-taicho! I won't disappoint you, I promise. I just feel like I have a few things I need to deal with..." Rukia's voice faltered again.

Ukitake went over to his subordinate and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll do just fine." With sweeping gestures, he motioned for her to move towards the door. "You must be tired. I heard that you were feeling under the weather, with all that traveling from Hueco Mundo, to the human world and then back to Soul Society. You have to admit, these past few months have been pretty hectic for you." He opened the door to escort Rukia out when he was greeted by a gasp and two flushed faces.

"Oh, Kiyone! Sentaro! I was wondering where you two are," Ukitake greeted jovially at his two embarrassed subordinates.

"Ukitake-taicho! We- we weren't spying or anything!" Kiyone sputtered, her face all red. In her defense, she looked at Sentaro and glared at him. "It's all your fault! You're the one who wanted to find out what they were talking about!"

"Me?" Sentaro shot back, waving his fist angrily. "I distinctly recall you begging me to accompany you here because you wanted to eavesdrop on their conversation!"

"Maa maa," Ukitake said, laughing. "It's okay you two. I would have told you guys next, anyway."

"Ah!" Kiyone said, as if remembering something. She quickly rose to her feet and clasped Rukia's hand, taking the latter by surprise. "Isn't it great, Kuchiki-san? You're going to be vice-captain soon!"

Rukia didn't know how to respond; thankfully, Ukitake cleared his throat, saving her. "Now Kiyone, I'm sure Kuchiki is tired and needs to rest. Why don't you two escort her to the Kuchiki manor? You can talk about things along the way."

"Hai, Ukitake-taicho!" Kiyone and Sentaro chorused with enthusiasm.

That night, Rukia couldn't sleep no matter how hard she tried or how tired she was. Vice-captain? Her? She wondered what Kaien would say if he were here. Rukia sighed when she realized that Kaien was the real reason for her hesitation. Kaien wasn't here; he was gone, and it was because of her. She found it a bit cruel that now she was being asked to take the position that was once his.

She had been blaming herself for so long and it was only after she had saved Ichigo, his family and friends that she had begun to feel like she had atoned for her sins. Yes, it was her fault for allowing Kaien to fight that monster alone and for running away when she was told to do so. After her fight with Aaroniero, she realized she was slowly moving on from the tragedy that transpired that fateful night.

But could she ever be the person Kaien was? He taught her how to fight and treated her fairly while everyone else either liked or hated her just because she was a member of the Kuchiki household. Yes, she can certainly hold up her own when it came to fighting, but could she ever be the type of person that others would look up to and respect?

A yawn escaped Rukia's lips; thankfully, sleep has finally caught up with her. Just in time too; as Rukia's eyes fluttered close, she decided that she'll never convince anybody that she deserves to be Vice-captain if she herself has some doubts.

Tomorrow, Rukia thought as she settled into dreamland. Tomorrow I'll start tying up loose ends and taking care of unfinished business.

Her plan was easier said than done. Telling Ukitake-taicho about Ashido and how he was still stuck in Hueco Mundo had been easy enough, but once she expressed her desire to retrieve him, the soft-spoken Captain of the 13th division frowned and told her that it was too dangerous for her to go there alone. He said he'd meet with the other captains and maybe the 2nd division will try to get Ashido out of there.

Rukia had thought her plans for redeeming herself were cut short from the very start, but fate started to sway her way when the 2nd division said they were too busy trying to chase after some shinigami who had deflected to Aizen's side during the war and were now hiding amongst their ranks since Aizen was already defeated. However, there's still the matter of Hueco Mundo being too dangerous for her to travel alone.

One night, maybe out of sheer desperation, Rukia found herself walking stealthily towards her brother's room. The light was still on in his room, but because of the late hour, Rukia thought it would be best if she did not enter his room.

"Nii-sama?" Rukia called out in a faint voice as she sat down beside the sliding door to her brother's room.

A few seconds of silence, and then, "...yes?"

"I'm sorry for bothering you this late, but I have something I would like to discuss with you."

She heard the rustling of paper before her brother replied in a firm, but modulated tone, "If this is about your request to go on a rescue mission to Hueco Mundo, I believe your captain has already told you about how dangerous it would be if you will go alone."

Rukia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had expected this, but something inside her just didn't want to leave things be. "I understand, nii-sama, my mind has grasped them fully and Ukitake-taicho's points are reasonable, but my pride-" she paused and gathered up her courage before continuing, "-my pride won't allow me to back down. You always said that you'd gladly fight for your pride, so why can't I do the same? Ukitake-taicho even said there were two types of fights. The fight for one's life and the fight for one's pride. And I want to do this because I'm fighting for my pride. How can I command my future subordinates if deep inside my mind I feel as if I have not proven myself worthy of being a Vice-captain?" Rukia had not realized that her voice had risen during the latter part of her speech and that she was breathing heavily. Her hands, which had been resting on her lap, were now wound into fists, wrinkling her immaculate kimono.

She waited for her brother's reply, but when she was met with silence, she wondered if she had gone too far and her brother was mad at her. "I'm sorry nii-sama. For a while there I was-"

"Rest," She heard her brother's voice, indecipherable as always. "It's late and you need your sleep."

Sighing, Rukia knew a dismissal when she heard it and decided not to press the issue further. "Yes, nii-sama. I'm sorry for disturbing you. Goodnight." With that, she walked slowly back to her room, her spirits dampened.

Ukitake was looking at a note on his desk, his face wrapped up in seriousness. Across from him, Rukia sat as gracefully as she could, but after minutes of silence, her mind started jumping to conclusions. Will they punish her just because she won't drop the issue? Her brother probably spoke with Ukitake about her trying to get his help for the mission. Rukia sighed and readied herself for the lecture that was sure to come.

"I don't really know what to say, Kuchiki," Ukitake began, making Rukia wince. Here it comes, she thought. To her surprise, Ukitake-taicho stood up and motioned for her to do the same. As soon as she was on her feet, her captain gave her a smile, "The captain commander himself has given you the go signal for the retrieval mission."

Purple orbs lit up as Rukia stared at her captain, incredulous yet hopeful. "H-he did?"

Ukitake laughed. "Yes, according to this report-" he waved the piece of paper he had been reading a while ago. "You are to infiltrate Hueco Mundo and bring back Ashido Kano to the best of your abilities. However, since you are going alone, you need to be prepared."

Motioning for Rukia to follow him, Ukitake stepped out of his office and started walking through the halls of the 13th division, oblivious to the sun's rays that usually bothered him because of his health. "Let's go pay the 12th division a visit, shall we?"

Rukia would have thought that it was all just a dream – or worse, a cruel joke everyone decided to play on her – were it not for the fact that she was actually walking along the precipice world on her way to Hueco Mundo. Her sheathed zanpakutou swayed underneath her cloak with each determined step. She felt the aura around her change slowly, signaling that she was almost in Hueco Mundo.

She remembered her conversation with Ukitake-taicho just before she stepped into the Sekaimon. He had given her instructions, some equipment and it was hard for her to miss the worry in his voice. However, she returned his worried look with a determined face and told him that she will not fail.

Rukia will never forget what Ukitake divulged after that. It made her smile just thinking about it.

"I know you won't fail," Ukitake-taicho had said, finally allowing himself to smile despite his worry. "Your brother made it clear that you will do a splendid job."

"My brother?"

"Yes," Ukitake nodded. "It seems Kuchiki-taicho personally requested that you be put on this mission. He said that you were on a standstill and this mission would be the perfect opportunity to take your skills and abilities to the next level." He placed a hand on Rukia's shoulder. "One of the biggest reasons why I wanted you to become a Vice-captain was because I DO feel like you're on a standstill, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for you to grow. However, I forgot that growth is something you should decide for yourself. If you feel like this is what you need in order for you to move forward and progress, then I will support you in this, Kuchiki."

Rukia smiled and put her hand against her chest. It made her feel warm inside that her brother had done something for her, although she was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to find out. She knew there would be no mention of this when she got back, but she hoped that by performing admirably on this mission, she could somehow show her brother that she was grateful for what he had done.

The gradual change in spiritual presence caused Rukia to look up, and her smile vanished. The air was starting to fill with dread, destruction and a sense of remorse, but it was not enough to bring Rukia down. Her eyes alert, her face showed nothing but grim determination. They were right. She was on a standstill – she's been on one since Kaien's death and has never fully recovered. Although she has improved, she has never taken it upon herself to improve more than what was expected of her. But all that is going to change. She was on a mission and absolutely nothing will get in the way of her triumph.

Grimmjow Jaggerjaques looked at the bloodied mass that lay before him with extreme distaste. Limbs and innards were mangled to the point where even Grimmjow couldn't tell how many enemies he had been up against in the beginning. He was just wandering along the sandy dunes of Hueco Mundo when suddenly a group of Gillian-level Arrancars appeared before him. Normally, he can dispose of a Gillian in mere seconds, but this particular event had been different. There were 4, maybe 5 of them and these Gillian were just a few steps away –or as they put it, just one former Espada away from transforming into Adjuchas.

"Moronic shitheads," Grimmjow said with a smirk. It was stupid of them to think they could win just because they had an advantage in numbers. More enemies didn't mean a better chance at victory; to Grimmjow it just meant more souls to devour later on. However, after he had accomplished what he wanted, the former La Sexta Espada wondered if confronting them had been the right thing to do all along.

"Ch," Grimmjow spat at the bloody mess and wiped the gooey green liquid from the side of his mouth with the back of his hand. Maybe fighting them hadn't been the best idea. Not that he didn't want to fight; in fact, he'd never pass up an opportunity to show the Hollows who their next king was. After all, Baraggan has kicked the bucket so Hueco Mundo is now his for the taking.

He had sustained some injuries in the fight. As much as Grimmjow hated to admit it, he was still in pretty bad shape. He had all but crawled away from Las Noches, bruised and bleeding, as the battle raged on between the Shinigami and the Espada. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to take step after painful step although he felt like a coward for running away.

No, he wasn't a coward. Yes, he lusted for battle, but he wasn't an idiot. The Espadas were dropping like flies around him. What did they want him to do, keel over obediently? Hell no! He was only retreating so he could live to fight another day. Days later, news came that the king, Baraggan won't be returning anymore after meeting his end at the hands of the Shinigami. Once news reached Las Noches that Aizen was no more, most of the remaining Arrancars fled, while some were foolish enough to try to take the reigns of leadership. Blood was shed as battles were fought, but in the end no one was strong enough to unite the remaining Arrancars under one rule, and they ended up separating ways, leaving Las Noches in ruins.

"Just you wait," Grimmjow grumbled under his breath. One day, as soon as he recovered fully from the injuries inflicted by Kurosaki Ichigo and Nnoitra, he will rise to power for sure. That is... if he could get past the standstill he was in right now.

Right. It was a predicament that vexed Grimmjow to no end, and as he finished devouring the souls of the Gillians he just defeated, he was forced to face the reality that had been rearing its ugly head since his escape from Las Noches.

"Fuck!" he cursed as he looked down at his hands and desperately tried to feel a change in reiatsu. Nothing. After his escape, he devoured the souls of other Hollows in order to speed up his recovery. The first few kills stabilized his condition and some of his wounds even closed and healed on their own. However, even before he can completely recover, he discovered that he faced a dead end. Eating hollows no longer had an effect on him, even on his wounds. And right now, consuming the souls of the Gillian-level Arrancar had done nothing for him. None. Zip. Nada.

He felt his blood boiling and he mentally berated himself for getting into a fight that in the end, didn't benefit him any. It actually made matters worse for him because now he had new injuries to think about. Even with his skills, he did not go unscathed against a group of Arrancars attacking together.

He directed a multitude of curses towards Aizen, "How many Arrancars did that fucked-up fairy turn?" However, he had to admit, he could use Aizen's powers right about now. Grimmjow hated to acknowledge that maybe he had reached the end of the line in terms of strength. Eating hollows did nothing, and even the effects of the Hōgyoku had its limitations.

Deciding that the battle had been a waste of time, Grimmjow turned around and decided to head back towards his lair. As he rushed to his destination using his Sonido, he recalled his fight with the orange-haired Shinigami.

Kurosaki Ichigo. The Shinigami's strength proved to Grimmjow that the universe was unfair – or at the very least hated every fiber of his being. Just when he thought he had seen all of the Shinigami's moves and just when he thought he had him cornered, the brat would suddenly find a new source of power easily, as if he were picking a rabbit out of a hat. He couldn't understand why nature would favor the weak-hearted while it preached survival of the fittest. He had been craving for power for as long as he could recall, and yet here he was unable to shove past a stone wall that prevented his growth. Meanwhile, that Kurosaki guy only wanted to wield a sword whenever someone was in danger. Did that idiot even realize that with his power he could move mountains and change destinies?

Suddenly, Grimmjow's thoughts were interrupted by a slight disturbance in the air and he stopped in mid-Sonido. "What the hell was that?" The wave pattern was similar to that of a Garganta opening, so he could only surmise that it was one of those portals the Shinigami used to travel around. Why would the Shinigami be in Hueco Mundo? To exterminate them all? Grimmjow laughed at this. They would have to be pretty stupid to think that they can get rid of Hollows once and for all.

Without another thought, Grimmjow began moving towards the disturbance, his senses picking up a lone reiatsu signature in the distance.

Just one Shinigami? Impossible.

Grimmjow wondered briefly if that weak-ass Shinigami Ashido over at the Menos forest was finally able to open up a gate on his own, but he quickly rejected that thought as soon as it came. No, the signature was different; faint, but still stronger than that of Ashido's. Come to think of it, it has been days since Grimmjow saw the hermit Shinigami dwelling in the Menos Forest.

He finally figured that maybe someone had come to rescue Ashido. "Tss, I should have killed that pansy of a Shinigami when I had the chance". Grimmjow did not really know why he kept Ashido alive, but he found it amusing, the Shinigami's feeble attempts to live in a forest filled with his natural enemies. Grimmjow also loved to play a game with himself, wherein he would test how long he could spy and stalk his prey before his blood lust finally took over. The longer he held out, the more exhilarating the kill was.

However, faced with the possibility of Ashido escaping, and that a Shinigami was there to rescue him, Grimmjow decided he didn't want Ashido to leave Hueco Mundo alive. He was finally going in for the kill. He was going to dispose of Ashido once and for all. "Same goes for the sap that had the misfortune of having to rescue him," Grimmjow said cackling.

Maybe his day wouldn't turn out so bad after all.

Author's Notes: No interaction yet between the two main characters. Didn't think that the introduction would be that long. Just wanted to provide some back story as a foundation for things to come.