I dedicate this to everyone who read and reviewed She Is, She Isn't. As I have promised to most of you, here is the sequel to that open-ended oneshot. There is implied IchiRuki and IchiHime here, and OOC-ness. Read carefully to avoid confusion. Flashbacks weren't italicized. Sorry for the typo and grammar errors.
Summary: She was given a chance--a chance to come back and make things right, only to realize that she didn't want that chance all along.
She needed it. He gave it.
Cold, yet undeniably gentle fingers caressed her soft, angelic face. Despite having her lids over her amethyst orbs, she knew he was there, observing her, adoring her, loving her... She involuntarily shivered as she thought of their predicament. She was a Shinigami, he was an arrancar; she purifies hollows, he devours them. Yet, amidst the differences, they found common ground—behind their stoic, icy façades, they were both passionate beings. The hand on her face moved ever so slowly towards her creamy neck, the pad of his thumb lazily drawing circles on its path. The fingers reached the collar of her dress—her arrancar's dress—and cautiously opened the front, revealing milky white skin. Without opening her eyes, she was certain he was studying every single part of her body, like he always does. She felt lips traveling oh-so-patiently towards the newly revealed parts of her body. Slowly...slowly...
She needed it. He gave it.
Rukia awoke with a start. She stared at the surroundings, rummaging her messed up brain of where she truly was, for the truth seemed to meld perfectly with her dreams to the point that she couldn't tell which was which. After calming herself and letting her eyes fall on two lumps on two separate beds, she quickly deduced that she was, indeed, back at the Kurosaki home—back in Karin and Yuzu's room. She briefly looked at the majestic orb outside the window, casting an eerie glow right at her. She realized how there was a moon there, too, and how it would often serve as their only light during the darkest of nights...nights when besides the moon, their hands and their lips were the only things that directed them to the most kept secrets of their bodies... She felt cold all of a sudden, seemingly missing a certain warmth that she had been so used to having in the past, right beside her, above her, under her, completely around her. The petite woman curled into a ball and covered her whole body with her thick blanket—whose thickness didn't offer the same warmth that she wanted...that she craved for—and willed herself to sleep, albeit with dreams that only leave her longing...wishing...craving.
She needed it. He gave it.
Everyone had been training for the coming war, all with high spirits except one. From a distance, amethyst orbs quietly observed every single movement of two orange heads. Ever since she returned—unexpectedly something no one dared to question—she had seen a drastic change between them. Those two who were once no more than mere acquaintances were now inseparable friends. They trained together, though it was obvious to anyone who bothered to look—not that there was anyone else who bothered besides her—that neither was a benefit to the other. One was good with swords, while the other was good at healing. Training together was futile and a mere waste of time and effort, she thought bitterly. But still...but still, the two of them chose to waste their time together, even at the expense of getting ready for an upcoming war. While here she was, sitting on a solitary rock in the vast expanse of the underground training area below the Urahara shôten, alone, quiet, unmoving.
Why?
Because the person she wanted to train with was with someone else...because the person she wanted to first show her bankai to was wasting his time with another woman.
She needed it. He gave it.
Bankai. Yes, she had finally achieved her bankai. During her confinement inside the bland, white halls of Las Noches, she had secretly been training to achieve her bankai...her mind was set on helping her nakama in the coming war, whether or not she makes it. She was, after all, still a captive and was unsure if Aizen was going to spare her life, or kill her in her sleep.
To her utter suprise, it was him who helped her. Him...Ulquiorra.
Their relationship changed enormously after she regained her memories. She started to remember everything one night after a week of recurring nightmares. She felt scared when she realized what happened to her. She was alone...she was on enemy camp. And he was there, staring at her...guarding her only means of escape. She had guessed he would kill her the moment he finds out.
But he didn't.
He held Sode no Shirayuki in his hands and gave it to her, presuming it would be the first thing she would ask for. Her name rolled off his tongue, and although it felt foreign to her ears, to hear his voice call her out, it felt...oddly comforting, in a way. It was like...in that single moment, he assured her that she wasn't alone.
He held out his hand, only a couple of feet were separating them from each other in her chamber. Her grip on her zanpakutō was tight, though there was no sign of her drawing it.
A step nearer...and another.
In a couple more, the gap that was once there between them diminished considerably. A hand wrapped around hers that was clutching onto her sword like a life line. And when she thought she was about to be stabbed, or hit, or killed...another hand rested gently served on her cheek.
"Do not fear." He murmured softly, almost achingly. Almost. "I have no intentions of harming you."
Rukia wanted to gawk at the absurdity of it all—the way he talks, the way he acts, the way he holds her—and she certainly would have had it not been for the undeniable fact that she was reassured by what he had just done. She subconsciously leaned onto his touch as her lids closed over amethyst eyes.
"Rukia.."
"Rukia. Oi! RUKIA!"
The said woman was forcibly yanked out of her thoughts and saw the sunshine heads right in front of her, both giving her strange and worried looks.
"Daijoubu ka?" Orihime asked.
"We've been calling you for the past minute and you were just looking blankly at us. You sick or something?" Ichigo interjected.
The raven-haired woman blinked at them in surprise and confusion. It seemed like no words wanted to roll off her tongue. Still, she forced herself to say something. "I-I'm okay." And then, she suddenly realized that they have finished wasting their time, or rather training together, and the petite Shinigami saw this as her opportunity.
"Ichi—"
"Well, if everything's okay, I guess I'll go now. I'm exhausted." Orihime announced with her usual sunny smile.
"I hope geta-bōshi had some food prepared for us. I'm starving." Ichigo replied, implying his coming with the buxom woman. "You finished training, Rukia? Let's go back to the shōten and rest."
Rukia simply averted her gaze to the rocky grounds. "No. I think I'll stay a bit longer."
Ichigo stared at the petite Soul Reaper for a few moments before shrugging in acquiescence. "Ja ne, Rukia."
"Aa." The sunshine heads walked away, not sparing another glance back at the raven-haired woman who watched their retreating forms with obvious longing. Those last few moments made her feel...nostalgic. Those were the same words they uttered to each other before they temporarily separated paths. And those were still the same words they uttered now.
He wants her. She wants him.
Rukia sat on the same rock even after everyone else had long been gone. She intently stared at the false sky of the underground training area, and she couldn't help but let out a humorless chuckle. Looks like she'll be dealing with false skies a lot after this. Slowly, she stood up from the rock that had been her seat for the part eight or so hours, and, unnoticed, walked out of the training area and out of the shop. Possibly, out of their lives...
He wants her. She wants him.
The last few rays of the sun were bidding her goodbye; the orange glow making her remember another sun she won't be seeing again. She closed her amethyst eyes tightly to absorb everything for the very last time—the cool, refreshing wind, the calming chirping of birds, the warming rays of the setting sun...though said warmth did nothing to satisfy her cravings. She needed him. She needed his warmth. And she made up her mind.
She briefly recalled their day of parting.
They were walking towards the point in Hueco Mundo where a portal that directly led to the living world could be opened. Neither spoke a word, both not knowing what to do with this impending separation. They reached the said spot and both just stood still, waiting for the other to initiate a conversation.
She could sense his opposition, he could feel her hesitation.
Neither of them asked Aizen for this chance—for her to be sent back. But the traitorous ex-captain had graciously granted it; both of them were sure it was just a small part of a much bigger scheme his wily mind had conceived. Green eyes stared into amethyst and both saw everything from the other's striking orbs. Hesitation, passion, longing...and a promise. A promise of return.
She had thought that this chance was the perfect opportunity to clear her head. She knew she had fallen for him. Hard. But no matter what, he was still an arrancar, and she was still a Shinigami. But then again, she couldn't love that other guy, for he was a human being. In a state of confusion, she deduced that she loved both. And thinking that loving an arrancar was a sin and a crime far more unjustifiable than loving a human, she grabbed this opportunity to try and discern how she truly felt—whom she really loved. And if it was that human boy, then this was her chance to make things right.
With that last thing on her mind, Kuchiki Rukia and Ulquiorra Schiffer separated paths.
And now, as Rukia pondered on all the events that had transpired, she realized just how much of a fool she had been.
He wants her. She wants him.
The sky was already pitch black, the majestic orb that usually lit the night sky was hiding behind thick clouds, seemingly not wanting to be a witness to what was to come. It had been hours since training was officially over for that day, yet a person was still obviously missing as the whole learn sat around the low table, questioning each other as to who saw her last.
"I haven't seen her since me and Chad started training earlier this morning." The red-haired 6th division lieutenant said. "I asked her to spar with me, but she said she'd be sparring with someone else." He narrowed his eyes at the orange-haired Shinigami Representative. "I thought she was sparring with you."
"Me? But I was training with Inoue the whole day!" The carrot-top defended. The shōten owner fanned himself as he watched the exchange in silent amusement.
"I see. I think I know what happened, then." There was a strange glimmer in his eyes as he made eye contact with the arguing Soul Reapers.
"What is it?" Both roared out.
"Have you, by chance, seen her training with anyone else?" Urahara asked cautiously, as if trying to prove his theory.
"She was just sitting alone during the whole training session..." Orihime slowly muttered, as though she was only remembering the event.
"Yare, yare. Jealousy sure is a pain, ne?" The blonde man teased.
No one, not even the genius ex-captain seemed to know of the gravity of the real situation.
"Jealousy?" Chad asked as he eyed the man.
"Ah, I think I get it now." Ishida announced as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"Why don't you just get straight to the point?!" Ichigo growled.
"Kurosaki-san, do you know that Kuchiki-san already achieved bankai?"
Amber eyes widened and stared in shock at the man. "She did? Why didn't she tell me?!"
Realization dawned upon the red head. "So that was it."
"What? Why don't you explain what's going on?!" Ichigo looked ready to pounce anyone who denies his request.
"You're such an insensitive bastard, Ichigo." Renji's eyes narrowed even more to the point of looking like mere slits.
Orihime blushed at the insinuation. Jealousy? Was Kuchiki-san really jealous of her because Kurosaki-kun chose to train with her? Why did Kurosaki-kun choose to train with her in the first place? Was he finally realizing that he indeed has feelings for her?
"She wanted you to be the first one to see her bankai, that much I know." Urahara's shadowed eyes were giving the substitute Shinigami a pointed look.
Finally, it was all absorbed by Ichigo's brain. "What? So you mean...she was jealous because I trained with Inoue? That stupid midget! She should have known that I was only keeping an eye on Inoue!" He yelled as he hurriedly got up from his spot and ran out of the shōten in search of the missing woman, not knowing the fact that the person he was "only keeping an eye on" heard everything he said, sitting across from him, and was deeply hurt, though she didn't show any sign of it.
He momentarily closed his eyes in the middle of his sprint to focus on her reiatsu...and his amber eyes opened in alarm when he felt a familiar reiatsu right behind her. And he couldn't lie to himself even if he wanted to—he knew that reiatsu all too well to deny it. Shit.
He wants her. She wants him.
She took slow yet sure steps. She knew she had a purpose for being allowed to get back. She wasn't sure if she has done what she needed to get done, since no specific instructions were given to her, not that she really had plans to carry them out when she first returned. However, she was certain that she could not wait any longer.
And she could feel, neither could he.
She reached a vast clearing and stood right in the middle, looking up at the now dark sky mirroring her eyes. She didn't know how, but she knew that it was time. He'll be coming to take her back.
And he did.
A rip on the dimension manifested itself out of nowhere, thought it had not surprised nor startled her. Rukia just stared, patiently waiting for the man she was sure would step out of the garganta soon.
White arrancar's clothing. A broken mask. Black hair. Green eyes. He looked exactly the same as he did during their parting. The same passion, the same longing. His feet touched the ground she was standing on, and for a few moments green locked with amethyst, both quietly basking in each other's presence after the long time of separation.
"Take me." She muttered in a whisper as soft as the breeze that slightly ruffled their raven hairs.
Arms spread wide open, waiting for a body to be held in its confines. And it wasn't in vain.
She held on to him tightly, as tight as he to her. Cold and emotionless façades dropped in that very instant as both re-familiarized themselves with each other's scent…with each other's feel against their bodies.
"Let us go back." He started.
She hesitated for just a brief moment, knowing full well that without finishing her pourpose, she couldn't go back with him. "Yes…but Aizen—"
"—will not be able to do anything take you away again." He finished with such finality in his voice that all her hesitation left her body with the wind.
And as long as he was there, she didn't really care about everything else. The chance given to her—it's sole purpose for her was to open her eyes to the truth: that she hadn't wanted that chance all along.
THEir END.
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Ichigo ran as fast as his soul form would allow him. A single millisecond matters so much at the moment that he couldn't waste it to even catch his breath, which seemed awfully unimportant now compared to his mission. He needed to get there—to her—fast. He needed to save her.
He came to a halt upon reaching a large clearing where he felt her reiatsu was. Amber eyes searched frantically left and right, desperate for any sign of the missing woman, wondering if he made it on time.
He actually did. Or so he thought.
Retreating not too far from where he stood was Rukia. And beside him was…Ulquiorra.
"RUKIA!" His hand immediately went to grab Zangetsu but was frozen on the spot when amethyst orbs gazed at him coldly.
"Don't move."
How nostalgic.
"What?" He gasped out.
"You heard me. Stay put, or die. By me."
Ichigo was too overwhelmed with shock to even try to move a single limb. Never in his whole life had he imagined Rukia to actually make such a threat—and for it to be directed at him. He felt his whole world crumbling down, and he couldn't do anything but look as she walked farther and farther away from him. Forever, perhaps…
Aizen smiled that same warm smile that deceived even the smartest men in Seiretei and in the entirety of Soul Society.
"Okaeri nasai, Rukia-san. You have served your purpose well. Omedetou."
And it was at that moment that everyone who remained clueless—including the raven-haired woman and her lover—learned of her purpose: just by going back to Kurosaki Ichigo, she unknowingly made him all the more stronger. She was his source of strength, and her mere presence gives him the courage and the confidence to defeat anyone who stood in his way. Thus, her voluntary walking out of his life made his whole world come crashing down on him. Surely, Rukia's purpose was to ensure a win in the coming Winter War.
And indeed, she had served her purpose well.
All is fair in love and war.
Before anything else, THEir END is not a typo error. It's actually directed to Ichigo's group, which was further explained by the last few paragraphs.
And yeah, the omission of details throughout the whole story (like their reactions when Rukia came back) was intentional. This is meant to be a one-shot, nothing more, and will remain so. Plus, I didn't want to put more details not closely related to Rukia and Ulquiorra's relationship. Is this story weird? I'm not sure. Does the ending imply that Aizen wins the Winter war? Perhaps. We do know that this story has only few possible endings: this, eternal separation or death, As you see, I chose the happiest one (though it didn't really end up happily, I guess). And was Rukia a traitor? I don't think so. She didn't mean to betray them when she first returned, but…things happened. And there are some things that you do for love no matter how illogical it is.
Well anyway, I hope you liked it. Please review! :D