Disclaimer- bleach is not mine or the masquered of the red death

Author's Notes- this is based in "The Masque of the Red Death" and if you have read my others stories you will know that I love crack pairings

Alone

The red death had been the worst disease to hit the city of Seireitei. Nobody new when or where it first appeared. The first cases to appear were on the lowest district Rukongai. The affected people suffered various symptoms; the first stages of the disease were strong headaches, followed by high temperature. Then their skins would turn white, almost transparent. The body would hurt and you would lose your appetite. In the final stage, the blood vessels in your whole body would explode, covering your entire body in blood. The last stage was the reason people started calling it the red death. All this occurred in the course of a day.

Rukia knew all this; she was an expert on the topic. She has witnessed the death of all her loved ones by the hands of the red death. The first time she saw it was when her childhood friend got infected; she was only 12 at that time. For many months she cried. Three years had passed since Renji's death. The second time it was her boyfriend Kaien. He also died by the red death.

She thought that after Kaien's death nobody would be able to replace him. Her family and friends tried to cheer her up, but they failed miserably. She continued to live in depression. Only months after Kaien's death her closest friends died. Orihime was the first, then Ishida, then Chad. All of them died by the red death.

She lost all her friends in the course of a year. She was sixteen when she met the person that gave her a reason to live again. She met him one rainy day, when she was standing on rail of a bridge. She was tired of living. 'Why live if everybody is leaving me?' she asked herself. She was ready to jump, and with her take all the pain.

Just when she was about to jump, somebody tackled her to the ground. Her arms instinctively wrapped themselves at the person's neck. Said person wrapped his arms protectively over her, so she wouldn't get hurt. She opened her eyes and looked up. The wind got caught in her throat; the person on top of her was Kaien!

'It can't be!' she thought. 'He is dead.' The boy looked down at her. A frown was on his face.

"Are you an idiot!?" Those were the first words he said to her.

"What?" she stammered still shocked by the resemblance that the boy had to Kaien.

"Not only you are an idiot, but you are also deaf," he said standing up and offering his hand to help her up. She stood alone ignoring the stretched hand.

"How dare you call me an idiot!" she said to him. "Do you know who you are messing with? I'm from one of the four noble houses. I'm Kuchiki Rukia!"

"So?" he said in a bored voice. "I'm also from the four noble families. I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Kurosaki? But didn't they all die by the red dea-" she covered her mouth with her hands. "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to make you remember awful things. Please forgi-" Ichigo slapped his hand to her mouth.

"You talk too much" he said removing his hand from her mouth. He turned around giving her his back. "You don't need to apologize."

She stood there staring at his back. Rain was still pouring from the sky. Both of them stayed quiet. She thought that maybe it was better to leave him alone. She was about to turn and leave when he decided to speak.

"Why did you want to jump?" he asked still not facing her. She looked down, studying his shoes. She didn't feel like answering that question. He turned around to look at her. Her hair was sticking to her face. Her clothes were covered in mud.

He scratched the back of his neck. "It's ok if you don't want to tell me, but what could possibly be that bad to make you want to end your life?" he said looking to the side. "At least you didn't lose everything you loved to a stupid disease, like me."

She looked at him with a new light. Here she was about to end her pathetic life because she wanted to find the easiest way to end her suffering. But he on the other hand confronted his suffering. She didn't know him, but she was sure that he endured more pain than her. She was sure that he wasn't the type to surrender.

She suddenly felt stupid. She was so pathetic. It was true at least she still had a family. She lurched herself at him, and started sobbing on his chest. "Hey! What's wrong!?" he asked. She just continued to sob on his chest. She didn't know why, but she knew that he would be the one to save her from pain.

After that they continued to see each other at the bridge. They constantly argued about everything. They became friends and two years later he proposed to her.

They were going to get married in winter, but fate was cruel to her. Ichigo got infected with the red death. She stood by his side the whole time not caring if she got infected too. In his final moments he asked her that no matter what happened, she needed to be strong, that he would watch her from heaven. And that he would never forgive her if she tried to kill herself. His last words were I love you.

After that she became hollow. She continued to live just like Ichigo told her, but it was not the same. Her smiles became empty. Her movements were rigid. She was a body without a soul.

And now not only her friends and lovers died; now it was her family. Her sister, Hisana, was the first one to pass away. Now Rukia stood by her nii-sama's bed.

Rukia was on her knees crying. "Please nii-sama! I know that you are stronger than this stupid disease," she cried. "Please don't leave me! I don't want to be alone!" She was gripping his hand hard. He returned the gesture.

"I'm sorry Rukia," Byakuya said, closing his eyes.

"NO!" she cried gripping the sheets of the bed. "Oh, God, please no!"

"Kyone! Sentarou! Grab her and put her to sleep!" Ukitake, the family doctor, ordered his assistants. A tall, black haired man grabbed Rukia's waist and pulled her away from the bed.

Rukia struggled trying to get free from the man and stay by her brother's side. "Please don't take me away! I don't want to be alone!" Rukia said still crying.

"Drink this tea, Kuchiki-san," a blond woman said forcing Rukia to drink the tea.

The effects of the tea worked immediately and Rukia fell limp in the tall man's arm. "Kyone, take her to her room please," Ukitake said rubbing his temples.

"I really feel bad for her," Kyone said. "That poor girl has lost everything." She moved to stand by the bed were Byakuya's lifeless body rested. She pulled the blankets up and covered his face.

"Don't worry about her. I have known Rukia-chan since she was little. She may not look strong but she is. She will find a way to keep going," the silver haired doctor said.

Rukia woke up and found herself in her room. She felt sick. Her head hurt like hell and her body felt heavy. She lay awake on her bed looking at the ceiling. The memories of how her brother died were still fresh on her mind.

Tears fell from her eyes, but she didn't make any efforts to stop them. She just wanted to die. Why was fate so cruel to her? What had she done to be punished like this? Why did the red death never take her? Why? Why? Why? She kept asking in her mind.

All her family and friends had left her. She didn't have anybody in the world. She was alone.

Alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, alone…

"AH!" she screamed.

She was tired of this. Tired of the pain of seeing each of her loved ones die in front of her. Tired of not being able to do anything for them. Tired of been bullied by fate.

She didn't want others to suffer the same as she suffered. She wanted to save those infected by the red death. She wanted to give hope to them.

She would find the cure for the red death.

She walked down the stairs, to the living room. She knew that Ukitake would be there. She opened the doors and stood in the entrance of the room.

Inside the room were Ukitake and his two assistants. They were sitting by the fire that the fireplace provided. They looked at her with concern. After all it had only been a few hours since her brother's death.

She walked to where Ukitake was and stood in front of him. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"As you know, I don't have any family or friends left," she said. "Let me finish, Ukitake-san," Rukia said cutting the doctor off before he could interrupt her. "Because of that I have no ties to this place."

"What's your point Rukia-chan?" Ukitake asked the young lady in front of him.

"My point is that I have nothing here. I don't want to be here. There are too many painful memories in this house. That is why I have decided to go with you," she said.

"No," Ukitake said. "You are only eighteen years old; you are too young. Do you even know what my job is? I'm a doctor that travels around the country, researching the red death. Taking you with me is to risking. You could get infec-"

"I don't care!" she said cutting him off. She was trembling. Her hands were made into fist by her side and her head was down. Tears were running down her face. "Do you really think I care? I have lost my friends and family to the red death! I want to find the cure. I don't want others to experience the same pain I'm feeling. I want to give them hope."

She fell to her knees, with her arms around her. "Do you know how painful it is to watch the people you love die in front of you, and you can't do anything to help them?" she asked, sobbing. "Please, Ukitake-san, please let me go with you."

The room was quite, except for Rukia's sobbig.

Ukitake gave a sigh, "Very well, I will take you with me."

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