Surge
By: WhisperedSilvers
Prompt: "I felt it too."
Summary: Rukia's almost execution became the catalyst that caused the Soul Society to question what was right and what was wrong.
It was approximately one week since Aizen's betrayal—approximately one week since the Seireitei was betrayed by three of the captains in the Thirteen Court Guard Squad. It was one week—since Rukia's almost execution.
The thought should have shaken her to the point where her heart might explode with the furious pumping of adrenaline and her hands would tremble with anxiety, because she wouldn't know when these hands of hers would stop all movement.
Shockingly, it didn't.
Rukia accepted her death, even welcomed it in a melancholic manner, but when Ichigo invaded the Soul Society, when her friends—the humans that she acquainted herself with raided the Seireitei, she learned that some things never change. No matter how many times she would plead, she would beg, for the orange-haired buffoon to leave her to die—to die peacefully, knowing that this boy was alright, knowing that he was safe, and knowing that he is alive—he broke down the walls and rescued her during a coup.
He was still a stubborn fool.
Rukia shivered when she looked up. The sky was clear and the night was cool. It wasn't high tree she stood on, at least not to her. Her leg draped over her other as she lay against the trunk of the tree, it was past midnight, but too early to be considered morning.
Her powers hadn't returned yet and it would be a slow process before it did fully return. She hated being this weak, she felt useless, and protected. She didn't like it. She took care of herself for as long as she remembered, she did not want to be a burden.
She was tired, so, so tired—she couldn't sleep.
She still had nightmares.
Sometimes, she would scratch the back of her neck, needing the reassuring feeling of knowing that, that collar, that constraint —was gone. Sometimes she could still feel that monster's hand still inside her, rummaging for the crystal and sometimes she couldn't breathe—it felt too raw and too real.
"What are you doing up there?" A voice broke her thoughts and she looked down. Amethyst orbs locked onto a shock of white, her eyes narrowed before lowering in respect.
"I couldn't sleep, Captain Hitsugaya." Her voice was soft when she addressed him; she made no move to greet him properly. Partly because her legs were asleep and partly because she didn't know if she could bow with falling over, she paused for just a moment before she inquired with light curiosity, "May I ask, what you are doing in the Kuchiki compound?"
Rukia was well within her rights to ask this question.
Hitsugaya crossed his arms, leaning against the tree adjacent to hers, teal orbs glimmering with its usual coolness, "I came to pay my respects to your brother, he seems to be recuperating well."
She nearly flinched.
If Rukia were honest with herself, she would confess without any hesitation that she didn't know where her and her brother stood. Her relationship with him was always rocky. She was grateful to him of course; he adopted her into the clan, sped up her graduation process, and took her under his very, very eloquent wings as an older brother. She admired him so, she wanted to prove herself to him that she wasn't a mistake and she wanted to prove that she was capable of being Byakuya Kuchiki's sister.
It was always a quick hello in the halls of the compounds, a quiet breakfast and an even quieter dinner. Those were the times she would see him, she really didn't know him and maybe that was one of the problems.
Distress welled up in her stomach.
But Byakuya was sent to retrieve her, he didn't try and stop her execution, he didn't even try—she clenched her fists.
What kind of brother would stand by and watch his younger sister be executed?
But then, but then he saved her from Ichimaru's attack, injuring himself gravely in the process. Byakuya then confessed that she is his deceased wife's younger sister, the adoption was deliberate—a dying wish from his wife.
She was an obligation.
And that hurt her more than she would like to admit.
A burden. It was something that should be stamped on her forehead and stapled with a warning sign.
She didn't care how much it hurt her, she didn't care if she would have to paint the sky red, and defy the Gods themselves; she would not be in anyone's shadow.
It was time she proved that.
"Have you visited your brother, Kuchiki?" Hitsugaya asked. He was looking at her now, his eyes narrowed almost accusingly.
"No," She didn't care how cold or how emotionless her voice sounded at that moment. It was the first time in years that Rukia was absolutely terrified to see her brother, horrified to speak to him of all things and it left a bitter taste in her mouth. But he did this to her and she needed to deal with herself before she could even approach her Nii-sama.
Snowy eyebrows raised, it was an unexpected reply, perhaps he hit a sore spot, and almost hesitantly he inquired, "Are you?"
Her breath hitched, "No."
It wasn't any of his business, no it wasn't, and he didn't say anything after. But it was silent.
Rukia paused when she inhaled, wavering in her tone when she questioned him, "Is he awake?"
"Yes," Hitsugaya shifted uncomfortable with the situation regarding the Kuchiki siblings, "He wanted to know if you were…alright."
The dark-haired woman swallowed a bitter laugh.
No, she wasn't all right.
What a silly question to ask.
"I see." Her reply was vague and he removed his gaze from her light, frail form to look at the pale moon.
"You should see him." It was an order.
"I should do a lot of things," Rukia answered back, her tone slightly acidic. Her eyes flickered from his face to the indents on her ankle. "My brother," That word came out more poisonous than she intended it to, she winced, "And I, will talk when it is necessary—"
"I said to see him, not speak to him, Kuchiki." Hitsugaya snapped irritated at how easily she seemed to play with words and not take them seriously.
Rukia looked at him, her eyes frosted midnight and she struggled to keep her temper in check, "Seeing leads to speaking," She didn't want to pull this card, especially to a captain, but he was going to cross the line of no return, "Clan matters are quite private, Captain."
He looked at her as if she slapped him.
Not only did she thinly insult him whilst pulling the clan card, Rukia successfully placed a wall to keep the distance between superiority and subordination.
Before Hitsugaya could reprimand her for her unruliness, the ground shook; vibrating with an unstable quake and Rukia nearly tumbled off the branch.
Rukia hopped off the limb and stood onto the shaking floor, her hand grasping the tear in the bark. Hitsugaya grabbed onto his zanpakuto and a light, blinding white flashed like lightening and thunder crackled into the heavens. The winds blew roughly, Hitsugaya's Captain's haori wavering wildly.
She felt a zing, like an electric current dragging across her nerves, static hissing like a maddening thing and she blinked wondering if the shock would stop. Ozone leaked into the air and she was gasping when the current left her—she felt like something alive just swam threw her and she looked at the snow-colored Captain.
She didn't even have to ask.
Hitsugaya's eyes were wide, glimmering with a cobalt sheen rather than aquamarine and his teeth clicked together, "I felt it too."
Rukia's knees nearly buckled when the crackling of thunder roared again, the zing coming back stronger, Hitsugaya's hands grabbed onto her arm roughly, pulling her inside the compound.
Like electricity she could see the visible static between their skin and his eyes widened when the current shocked him. Like a magnet, the shock grew stronger and Rukia nearly screamed at how hot the lightening burned her and Hitsugaya was gritting his teeth at the burning sensation—it stopped.
She collapsed to the ground, breathing heavy and his hand glued to her bicep, sitting on the steps of the compound.
Rukia was trembling for the sheer power of that surge and she looked at the Captain with disbelief.
Hitsugaya shook his head, but his hands didn't leave her arms.
Not sure if I should continue this.
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