Alive
An urgent Captain's meeting had been called. Shinji Hirako and Kisuke Urahara were arriving in Soul Society, official business, important business; that required the presence of all Squad captains.
Captain Ukitake had hurried off towards the meeting room, no longer plagued by illness thanks to Orihime. He had forgotten something, something important; something he needed in the meeting.
A hell butterfly fluttered into the office where Kiyone and Sentaro sat working and arguing, Rukia stumbled in carrying paper work that required their attention. They were too busy and couldn't decide which one of them were better fitted to deliver that required package to Captain Ukitake at the meeting room; it was decided, Rukia will go.
She shunpo'd as fast as she could push herself, carrying the package securely in her arms. A rectangular box, slightly heavy, wrapped up in a silk cloth, the ends knotted together making a makeshift handle.
That is how she had found it, and that is how she intended to deliver it; the curiosity to what the box was and what lay within it only tingling slightly in the back of her mind.
She landed gracefully in front of the guards to the meeting room, stepping towards one she made to hand him the package to deliver to her captain within but instead was ushered in.
The captains stood at their usual places, Urahara and Shinji stood in front of the Sotaichou, their backs to her, there was another who stood in front of them, but she could not ascertain who.
None had heard the meeting room door nudge open for her, none were aware of her presence; their focus was entirely upon Shinji and Urahara, and the other that stood with them. The whispered insistency of Urahara, and collaboration of Shinji captured their entire attention; Rukia knew not what of, for she could only hear murmuring even when straining her hearing.
Quickly and quietly she moved behind the captains and towards her own, bowing low behind him, "Captain", she whispered quietly, presenting the package to him her posture still bowed,
"Ah Rukia" he replied genially, his soft voice seeming to resonate in the room, drawing the attention of everyone else. Urahara and Shinji surprised, turned sharply around towards her. Her face reddened slightly at the attention.
"Rukia" the quiet whisper cut through the deadened silence the surprise of her appearance had caused.
They were all dead; Aizen, Gin, Tosen, his Espada and the remainder of his minions.
He was also supposed to be dead.
Ichigo and Orihime had witnessed him disintegrate into ash, blown away by the breeze…and yet here he was, standing before her, them…very much alive.
Ulquiorra Schiffer
She stood frozen, shell-shocked, her violet eyes wide upon beholding him standing there so casually in front of Urahara and Shinji, before the Sotaichou and all the other captains. It was he; he was the cause of their visit, he was the cause of this meeting.
She stared at him, oblivious to Ukitake thanking her and dismissing her. She stared at him; they stared at each other.
He was different, human like, as if he was wearing a gigai in Soul Society. Gone was the broken half helmet, gone was the pallid skin, black lips, cat eyes, and Espada parched-white clothing.
Instead he stood before her, the perpetual frown still present but upon porcelain skin, his emerald green eye though not catlike was never-the-less soul-piercing. His hands where stuffed into the pockets of dark green pants, a crisp white cotton shirt the sleeves rolled haphazardly to above his elbows, a sharp v-neck revealing a little of his well-toned chest and the absence of a hole at the base of his neck. The cyan lines marking each cheek as if tear lines, remained as dark scar lines.
She continued to stare at him her expression blank, he stared back, the dismissal of Ukitake and the Sotaichou by now unheard by her. She stared at him thoughtfully; he stared back just the same.
"Rukia" Byakuya's solemn voice reverberated in the room, but still she did not stir
"Oi chibi-Kuchiki!" he spoke loudly, smirking slightly, his eyes alights with humor. She broke from her reverie; stammering around she caught the humorous eyes of Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. She scowled at him, her eyes narrowing as she tsch'd under her breath, "You can leave now chibi-Kuchiki," he said in calm authority; his eyes of triumphant humor.
She reddened, finally realising the eyes of all the captains upon her, stuttering mildly she muttered her apology to Ukitake, and then more clearly to the Sotaichou and the room at large before quickly leaving the room still very much red-faced.
She shunpo'd away from the meeting room, heading off in no clear direction; she rounded a corner and leant heavily against it.
"Ulquiorra" she muttered to herself, and then shook her head vigorously, angry at the stupidity she displayed in front of her captain, her Nii-sama, the Sotaichou and the captains at large. Minus Hitsugaya of course, she had since learnt, all thanks to being assigned to assist in paperwork due to Matsumoto's heavy injuries from the war, that he was just as smart-assed as expected of a prodigy despite his reserved manner.
She sank down, her back sliding roughly down the wall until she was sitting upon the hard ground, her mind blank "ARGH!" she screamed out loud, "How could he possibly be alive, Ichigo and Orihime saw him die, they…argh…he's so…so…different!"
Her mind drifted over the entire scene repeatedly, the whisper of her name upon his lips making her blush; how DARE he address her by her given name and so intimately too, and yet the feminine side of her blushed and was flattered, and eager…eager to hear her name from his lips again…and again.
AN; Reviews much appreciated
'til next time