When You Left
Girl of Light Writter- Aniecä
Guide:
∆ (Location Change) ∆ Viewpoint ◊ (Chapter) ◊ Ж (Flashback) Ж
∞ (Dream) ∞ (Time Change) - (Special) -
◊ (The Idea of Returning) ◊
∆ (Soul Society) ∆ Kuchiki Rukia
I want desperately to return, why can't I? I know, because I chose to stay in the Soul Society as a Shinigami. That's why I'm here. They won't send me out again because I was gone so long. That I can't go out. I'm on probation. I miss it.
"Rukia, isn't it time you come out?" Abarai Renji asked me knocking on me door.
"If you want me to come out, you could just drag me out, I'm in no condition to do anything." I said bluntly.
"You know I wouldn't do that to you; are you feeling well. I heard that it's quite a change from here to there, huh?"
"You could say that. I miss it."
"But you said 9 out of…
"10 times I know. I'm that 1 that doesn't like it here." I walked to the door and opened it returning to my bed.
"I didn't get a chance in early years to stay there on trips and be real, I miss it."
"It's okay Rukia; you'll have a chance to go back. Why hasn't it ever affected you before?" Renji asked me.
The truth was that in all honestly, I missed the things I never had more than anything. Back there, I was a normal poor girl, like I was when I came here before I moved up in society. I wanted to feel what he had, family, friends, happiness; I know I'm jealous but I think and know its okay because I could never have what he has.
"I had always dealt with souls of those hanging around; I never once dealt with someone who was alive. I gave up my powers to him; I lived in a Gigai for him."
"Why would you?"
"Living in the Gigai was responsibility still but a lot of the time I fit in, with friends, school work and stuff like that. I learned of friendship, love, caring and compassion, it really made me miss it. It's easy to find a soul who is being attacked by a Hollow and send it to the Soul Society. It's not easy to stay in a world and meet someone who lost his mom to a Hollow, and he has to protect his family because he has high spiritual energy, like they do."
"So you felt that you wanted the chance so to give up your spiritual energy for a worthy cause is a rightful choice, is that what you were thinking."
"No, not exactly; that never crossed my mind. What I was thinking was, he's in danger, and it's my job to protect him, if I can't. I can let him choose to protect himself or not."
"Can I ask you a few questions Rukia?"
"Of course," I said trying to pull off a smile.
"You enjoyed being a Gigai while you were one right?"
"Sort of, I have to tell you that it was a lot harder, to have to do everything the hard way, and the pains and all the hardships. It wasn't all fun but I enjoyed friends, food, parties, spending time with partners and stuff like that."
"Did you want to come back?"
"No, I can say honestly. I didn't care to come back, and when that guy returned, I told him I didn't want to go back because I had stuff to take care of."
"Did you miss it?"
"I missed my strength, powers, abilities and such but not really here. It's like a fake protected world. I went there to protect, not be protected. There is no adventure here, just boring life."
"Do you like him?"
"Huh?"
"Ichigo Kurosaki, do you like him?"
"We became close friends but nothing more. You know that it's forbidden. I'm 10 times his age remembering a 150 year old dating a 15 year old. It's a lost cause."
"He seems to like you."
"I have the appearance of a 15 don't forget."
"Even in your normal outfit you look the same, no differences."
"Whatever, I can't like anything as anything more than a friend. I'm dead, remember."
"You're real to him; he can sense you touch you. You have a soul and a body now. Maybe this is the chance to go back."
"Is that allowed?"
"No, returning after death is forbidden, don't be so naïve. But maybe you could ask for a vacation there, to recall things, and bring yourself maybe you'd realize what you are, and all you could be."
"I'll try; but would you blame me if I fell in love."
"No, I wouldn't ever blame you. It's amazing but you've lived for so many years but the time from when you lived is a different time but you only lived to be 15, that's why."
"Here." I took off my necklace and gave it to him.
"This is your key to the Soul Society, you can't leave or enter once you come back here with out, if we drag you back. Then it's good-bye forever to that world if I don't come back. Give me a year, and come and get me if I refuse once, leave me."
"Whatever you say Rukia,"
"Thanks for the chance."
"You deserve it, I promise. You do know that without the soul key and you die…"
"There's no anywhere from me, I'm gone forever. I know. I don't think I care." I said walking to form a portal.
"Bye Rukia, I'll be stopping by if you're in danger to see you; don't worry. You need it."
'A Shinigami must pledge to maintain the balance between this world and the world before it. They must protect the souls of that world with the risk of being lost themselves. They know where and where not to step. They know the laws and they protect the key with their lives. Every life in the next world is precious and we honor those who give their all to save another. It is with that you have succeeded in becoming a Shinigami.' What a joke that was.
"Rukia, are you leaving?" A man in white robes said to me.
"Hai-sensei; I don't plan on coming back. I don't have my key. If I'm gone, I'm gone. It's no loss really. I would have been happy dying there. The Soul Society wasn't my place. 9 out of 10 but I was always the top percent where others dared to be, but never were."
"Come here musume (daughter)," I wanted to cry but then I realized, here you can't. I took a step and hugged him. "Musume, you know if you leave again, they will torture you for the rest of your years. They won't kill you. Then you'd go back there, that is not fair to you."
"And this place is." I said.
"No, but maybe you should think about it."
"No Sensei, I know what I'm doing. I've made my decision. I left my key. Can't they leave me, please? I can't fight for them, I have no use."
"Fine my sweet musume but don't return if you plan to leave."
"I don't plan on returning, no one is taking me back."
"Good. You're stronger than I thought you'd be but I'm glad you are. Good-bye, I hope to not see you in this world again."
"eikyū no sayonaras (eternal good-byes)," She stood and walked to a mark on the wall. "Can you do the honors?"
"Of course," He stuck his Zapakuto into the gate and it opened. "Good-bye musume."
"Sayonara Shimpo-sensei," The gate completely opened and she fell out hitting the grass in her Gigai form.
(Earlier) 3rd Person or Free
"Why is brother always in his room dad?" Yuzu asked her dad.
"He's depressed duh Yuzu." Karin answered.
"But why?"
"He's a teenager and probably has a girlfriend that hates him or something. It's teenage stuff Yuzu."
"Oh, well then maybe I should see if he's alright."
"Maybe, but I don't think he'd like that." Their father suggested.
"I will anyway." Yuzu knocked on her brother's door.
"Leave me alone," He yelled slamming open the door and yelling. Then stopped yelling, his eyes caught his sister he turned to look at Yuzu. "Sorry Yuzu, I thought it was dad or one of my friends; you need something."
"Its okay, Ichi-nii-san; why are you upset?"
"It's nothing really Yuzu, don't worry. I'll be fine in time. Like dad says wounds of the heart take longer to heal." Yuzu nodded.
"Well I hope that you heal soon, I don't like you like this."
"I don't like it either." Yuzu followed her brother into his room.
She went to get a chair from the closet and a book hit her on the head. "Oh, Ichi-nii-san; you keep a diary? Isn't it a bit girly?"
"What, a diary? I don't have one."
"Then what's this, it says 'watashi no nikki' (My Diary)?" Ichigo jumped up and picked up the book from his sister's hands.
"She left this…" He finished.
"Who is she?" He smacked himself mentally.
"A friend of mine, I must have grabbed her diary when I took care of her things when she moved away."
"You should mail it to her."
"I know I should, but it's too far away. I'm sure she doesn't need it."
"Is she why you're upset because she moved away?"
"Sort of,"
"Then you won't heal very fast because she'll be gone for a while, but feel better."
"I will thanks, Yuzu."
"You're welcome for whatever I did." She said walking out.
A piece of paper fell out of her diary.
Dear Ichigo,
I don't know how to explain it but thank you for everything you did for me. I know that I was always bothering you but it's because I didn't have a choice, you didn't give me a choice either. I don't want to go back to the soul society, I want to escape, I'll do my best to make sure that I come back and say good-bye to you. I am confused about how my Gigai is reacting but it's weird but it's your fault. You have a strange effect on my Gigai body so try not to mess up my body when I come back, got it. Good. I'll be sure to miss you, I'll come back I promise. Our time goes by a lot faster then yours; I'm around your age.
Kuchiki Rukia
---
(Next Day)
"Orihime, please smile." Honshō Chizuru asked her.
"Not until Kuchiki-san returns, I miss her. Kurosaki-san, don't you miss her too?" She asked. "Kurosaki-san!" She yelled.
"What, oh yeah, yes I do." Orihime frowned again and looked at him. He jumped up and walked away to the playground off campus.
"He definitely likes her and misses her." Orihime said sighing.
"I think he loves her, too. Poor sad boy. Let's go somewhere more cheerful."
∆ (Playground) ∆
Ichigo was sitting in the swing being upset and then two girls were walking bye. "Did you hear?"
"What?"
"Orihime just ran off she said that she saw someone very important to her. Orihime said her name was Kuchiki Rukia."
"Kuchiki Rukia?"
"Yeah, I've never heard of the girl either and no one else saw anybody going by. They say Orihime was going insane, like normal."
"Hey, are you serious, Orihime saw Rukia."
"We don't know, since you were listening in you should have listened better. No one else saw her but Orihime, Orihime went to get her wherever that girl is. We don't even know if the girl exists so we're not sure what to do. Plus you have no respect for girls so if it's someone close to Orihime; we'd be sure to keep her away from you."
"What?" He said in response.
"Bye." The girl said walking off.
"No way she could be back, that is impossible she couldn't have made it back she's on probation, and she lost her powers, and she can't." He said looking at the ground. "Nothing good ever happens to me."
"Don't I count?" A voice said.
"Huh?"
A figure was sitting above him, and it jumped and flipped landing on it's hand and foot and it stood up. "I don't think we've met, I'm Kuchiki Rukia."
"Rukia…"
"That's my name, seems you're as stupid as ever." He walked up to her and hugged her close to himself. After a while, she pushed herself away.
"Welcome back Rukia,"
"Glad to be back, Ichigo." She said standing there fixing her skirt which was ruffled in the process of being hugged.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here looking for you, Orihime said you'd be here so I decided to say hi. You busy."
"No, I haven't been busy since you left."
"Oh, well what you want to do."
"Answer my question, what are you doing here?"
"I told you but if you mean here as in earth, I'm here because I like it here rather than the Soul Society and I miss it."
"I thought you didn't want to come back."
"I didn't I just didn't want to face that I wanted to. I died early, the time passes differently then, I didn't get a chance to be young, to be myself. I need it here."
"Are you a Soul Reaper?"
"Not exactly, I regained my strength when he took it away but my sword needs help. It'll take a while before I'm back and as strong as I was before."
"Ah, good; it would be hard to be one without you. I don't have the natural skill that you do. I haven't learned all the magic you have."
"You will because when I'm back to strength, I'll teach you. I was a top student at the academy."
"Thanks," She was just standing there in front of him with her hands behind her back, and he was just looking at her. After a few minutes everything went dark and she fell back to the ground.
∆ (Urahara Shop) ∆
"Ah, it's you. I thought you were gone from my sight for good."
"Who are you?"
"Urahara, or has that gone from you too." Urahara answered her.
"I'm fine, what happened?" She answered Urahara.
"You passed out; I don't know what happened to you. It seems that you're just a soul without your Gigai since you returned. Urahara gave you back your normal one."
"Thanks, I owe you."
"No you don't, you paid for this one so you deserve to keep it; except I had to do repairs on it, and so you owe me." She handed him a chunk of money. "This is too much for a Gigai."
"I know but this is for my tab to hold on so I don't have to hold on to this money, got it." He nodded.
"So where's your key?"
"Oh yeah, I gave it to Renji, I'm not going back."
"Living as a Gigai and a soul reaper; sees your views have changed."
She smiled. "Of course they have, I never had a chance to live, so why wouldn't I return if I could and I enjoyed it."
"I'm glad your back, you never had an existence here in the first place here so it can't mess up destiny if you stay."
"He missed you." Jinta added.
"Honestly, I missed him too." Ururu was smiling happily. "I'm glad to be back."
"So the reason the other people couldn't see you were because you were just a spirit." She nodded. She was about to collapse and she was caught by Ichigo. "We're not done talking, where are you going to stay?"
"I'll manage to find some place." She said walking off.
"She gets on my nerves, with her personality. You'd think she knows everything."
"Seeing as she's lived and studied for about 125 more years then you, you'd think she does. She's talked with people who done major accomplishments, and know the meaning of life, she's picked up on these things, such as I have."
"Whatever, she better not come to me, searching for a place to stay. I don't think I can do it anymore."
"It's your fault she left anyway."
"What, why?"
"You learn someday but until then you'll just have to wait."
"Fine, whatever."
∆ (Kurosaki Home) ∆
Rukia knocked on the door. Ichigo's father opened the door. "Hello miss, can I help you?"
"Hi, I'm Kuchiki Rukia. I live far away and I was wondering if you had a place I could stay I am friends with your son Ichigo, and I just wanted to handle asking you properly myself if I could stay since I have no where else to stay." I said happily.
"I know you; you're the one who saved…"
"…Ichigo from failing the test, believe it or not. I'm extremely talented at helping people so I helped Ichigo from failing by tutoring him. It's one of my many skills." She said covering Yuzu's mouth.
"I was going say left her book with Ichigo, when you moved away. I'll go get it. Ichigo accidentally grabbed it before you left and kept it to return to you if you came back." Yuzu added covering up the other girl's story.
Yuzu ran to get the book. "Well why don't you come in and we'll discuss it." She smiled and nodded. Yuzu came in and handed her a book.
"Here you go, your Kuchiki Rukia, right?"
"Yeah, thanks; I was wondering where this went to." She said hugging and smiling at Yuzu.
"I'm glad you came back. Ichi-nii-chan has been really depressed since you left. He doesn't talk to anyone; he barely eats, and doesn't do anything. He's sulking and is so depressing. I'm glad you're back."
"I'm glad I came back too, I missed it here. I spend all my life there but when I got a chance to live here it was a lot better to live here."
"I'm glad you like it." The father said.
"I wanted to say that I'll pay rent, food expenses, water, heating, and electric expenses for me so that I won't be a burden for you. I wouldn't want to go back and leave Ichigo to take care of getting everything by him. We also wouldn't want him sulking would we?" She said happily.
"No you will not, no friend of my son's is going to pay for our hospitality. We run a hospital here so hospitality is our specialty of course, and a friend of Ichigo 's especially as rare as a friend being a girl is we'd be happy for you to stay for free." The father said.
"I really couldn't do that, I was taught to be proper and respectful when living with anyone. Maybe I could help around the house and stuff." Rukia explained being a nice as she possibly could.
"How about you help out Ichigo with school work and maybe if Yuzu or Karin needs anything you could help them out." The father suggested.
"Oh, of course I would. I would always do something for a family member of my closest friend Ichigo. I'll make sure I'm no burden to you three at all." She added.
"Then it settled you stay with us in the extra room."
"Thank you so much, I'll go get settled in." After a while, she went out and bought a few things for the room she was staying in, and bough a few sets of clothes that actually fit me and I decided to go into the kitchen.
"Oh, hayo Rukia, can you help me decide what to make for dinner." Yuzu asked.
"Actually I was thinking about cooking for your family. As a sort of thank you for your hospitality. I'm sure a break wouldn't be bad for you, right?"
"I guess you can. I can't wait to eat it. You must be a good cook."
"I'm probably a bit rusty but I'll see what I can still remember how to do."
"Anything is good to me. I make all the food so this is a real treat to eat something that I haven't made."
"Glad to hear it." Rukia hadn't been very talented culinary wise; Souls don't need to eat so why would you need that talent. She put on Yuzu's apron and went to work on cooking, she hadn't had real talent but she could follow directions to exact. She found a box hidden in a cabinet full of recipes; she picked out 6 one from each course and made it.
(An Hour Later)
"Dad, Karin, Yuzu, I'm home." Ichigo called. "Whatever you made Yuzu, it smells extra good today."
"You can thank your friend for that nii-san." Yuzu said. Ichigo walked into the kitchen and saw his favorite Shinigami sitting at his table.
"Don't get this the wrong way Rukia but what are you doing here?"
"Ichigo, I don't mean to be mean but I'm living here now since I need a place to stay and you're my closest friend and all." She said smiling.
"Don't start that with me, Rukia. You can stay and all but what's with dinner?"
"I found a box of recipes and I made one from every group. I thought it would be a treat for you guys and a break for Yuzu."
"Oh, that's really nice of you Rukia. It does look really good." Yuzu and Karin were glad to see Ichigo eating up a storm and having an older mother figure did them good as well. She was always very proper, kind, nice and caring.
"So are you really staying with us Rukia?" Yuzu asked.
"It seems so." Rukia said smiling and resting her hands on her lap.
"I'm glad to see someone here had some common decency when they eat, besides Yuzu and me." Karin added. Rukia choked a smile and nodded.
"So how do you guys like the food?" Rukia asked.
"It's great; if you don't mind could you cook for us a few times while you're here." Yuzu asked politely.
"I wouldn't care for something different from the basics from time to time either." Karin added.
"You're a great cook Rukia, did you learn somewhere?" Their father asked.
"Actually this is the first time I've ever cooked anything in my life. Let's just say that where I'm from food is something that not a lot of people have. Kitchens are a super luxury."
"That sounds so bad, no wonder you came here. I'm surprised you're so good of a cook. This meal is amazing though."
"Thanks, what do you think Ichigo?"
"It's really good, Rukia. I was just thinking that these are mom's favorite recipes."
"Oh, that's why they were put away." Rukia said looking at the floor.
"Actually I put them away because they were too hard for me or dad to make." Yuzu admitted. "And you for never have cooked before, did a wonderful job, it tastes just like mom's did." Yuzu said.
"Thanks," Rukia said thanking her.
"So how long will you be staying with us?" Karin asked, it sounded impolite but it was rather just curiosity.
"I don't know for sure. I plan to stay in the area at least for the next three years to finish high school but after that I don't know where I'll go."
"You could stay with us, we really don't mind. We haven't anyone over in such a long time."
"I don't know, I mean that would be so much of a bother to Ichigo and it would disrupt your family so much. I wouldn't want to." Rukia said acting once again.
"You can stay as long as you want, I know you can't return home anymore so your always welcome here Rukia." Ichigo said staring at his dinner.
"Then it's settled, this lovely young lady will be staying with us and become part of our family from now." Rukia smiled as was happy to be part of something.
The night when on as normal and, they ate in silence. "So what are your plans for the rest of the summer Yuzu and Karin?" Rukia asked.
"We're going with our father to stay with our grandmother. Ichigo says he has to stay here though, what are you doing?"
"I don't know I'll probably just catch up with my old friends around here, help Ichigo out with things and such; nothing much. I'll probably have plans for next year but I didn't think I'd be back so I didn't make any."
"Okay well thanks for dinner, and good-night." Rukia nodded as Yuzu and Karin retired for the night.
After Rukia finished eating and cleaned up the table and washed all the dishes she walked away. "Stop," He commanded grabbing her arm.
"You have something to tell me Ichigo?" She asked still not turning around.
"Yeah,"
"Then out with it," She responded.
"Welcome back, I'm glad to see you changed your mind and came back. I missed you."
"You have no clue as to how much I missed this city, world and…you."
"You missed me too?" She turned around and gave him a big smile.
"Of course, you can only spend so much time with someone before you know them to a point where being away from them upsets you to the point you go insane right. Plus I owe you a lot; I wouldn't want you to have to suffer because of me." She said walking into her room after he let her go.
"Rukia," He said smiling.
A/N: This is fairly long for the first part of my story. This isn't going to be long, I'll finish soon but I just had to write it after watching the series so here it is.
