Prepare of OOC-ness! I know that it might disturb many of you, but (please) deal with it.
*Rukia looked down at the golden field of wheat under her from the safety of her branch. She always liked to climb to high places, especially trees when she was young - err, younger. Being nine years old made her feel somewhat old, but not that much. Even if Renji said that she is already acting like an old woman.
If Nee-chan would know where she is now... She'd get the scold of her life. The third one, actually..
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm breeze that was playing with her hair. True, she liked cold better, but that didn't mean she should to hate warmth, right?
The girl frowned when her ears caught a noise that clearly did not belong to any animal that lived in the forest or the field.
Crying.
She jumped down from the tree with the elegance that of a cat's and started searching for the origin of the sound that disturbed the silence.
It - more exactly he - wasn't too hard to found. The boy, whose hair was the most shocking colour she had ever seen (not counting her flamehead friend's) was crouching next to the small stream.
She frowned once again - she hated when boys were crying. After all, once they will have to protect their families, right? No one can do that when they cannot see because of their tears.
"You shouldn't do that," she said.
The boy looked at her startled. He did not hear her coming, for sure.
"W... What?"
"Cry. Boys shouldn't cry."
"I'm not crying! Just something got into my eyes and I can't get it out! And don't tell me what to do!"
"Suuure," she said, rolling her eyes, then crossed her arms. "Besides, what are you doing here?"
"Here?"
"At this territory. It's not yours, so you aren't ought to be here." The boy scowled.
"Well, this land isn't yours, either, you know."
"Yes, it is. It is the property of the Kuchiki, and since I'm a Kuchiki, in a way it's mine."
"No, it isn't," shook his head the young male. "Nature itself is the one whom this land truly belongs to."
The girl stared at him.
"You are a strange one, aren't you?"
"Well, you are even more strange. I saw you climbing up to that tree - girls shouldn't climb trees. Everybody knows that." There was a moment of silence.
"You were spying on me!"
"I was not!"
"Yes, you were!"
"I was SO not! Who'd want to spy on a girl like you!"
"Repeat that, you little... Little... Aggh!"*
The raven-haired almost-woman smiled at the memory. Ten years ago, at the exact same place. Ten years...
If she would've known what she does now, she would've never ever said something like this land is her property. But back then she did not know so many things...
*The sun was shining way too brightly that day. It was him, who arrived sooner - not like she really cared, after all she gave him the permission to wander around the grounds without her, and made sure that the guards know about it, too. She blushed at the thought what she was about to do - but this felt the right thing to do.
"So?" asked the teenager male, looking at her. She turned her eyes away.
"Well... Promise not to laugh, ok?"
"Of course."
"I think... I've fallen in love with you." He smiled. It was a real smile, which was rare to see on his face.
"Thank goodness that you said it first. I had no idea how to do it."*
Even if only for the dumbstruck face of his, after she told him, he'll have to introduce himself to her brother, but it was worth to tell to him. And the happy years that were following after it.
And which are now about to end. That's the only way he can be really happy. After all, nobody besides her kind would want her as a wife.
"Hey, Rukia!" The female jumped slightly.
"Gosh, Ichigo... Do not scare people like that..." The carrot-top grinned.
"Sorry. So what did you want to talk about?"
"Well... I'm not sure how to say this, but I think... We shouldn't meet anymore. Or talk, for that matter." His eyes widened.
"What? What are you..."
"Please, don't interrupt. Believe me, it's not your fault. It's mine. I'm not the kind of human who you think I am. And under these circumstances... My kin is kinda dangerous to hang out, or fall in love with, although it's not really our fault. Others made it to be. So... For your and your family's safety... Let's never meet ever again. Please."
"What is this all about?" asked the boy in a startled voice. The girl did not answer but rushed past him, pushing him to the ground. When he finally managed to stand up, she was nowhere in sight.
-##-
"I'm home," he said as he opened the door, automatically avoiding the flying kick of his hyperactive father.
"Welcome home, Onii-chan!" yelled Yutu from the kitchen.
"Ichi-nii, what's wrong? You look like you've just seen an unicorn go mad," said his other sister, Karin, as she looked up from the book she was reading. (She'd have already been whipped by the other villagers several times, if they'd have known about this - a female, reading...)
"I'm fine," he said. His sister scowled.
"As if I'm gonna buy that. You're paler than a ghost!"
"I said, I'm fine!" snapped Ichigo. "Just leave me alone for a while, will you?" Karin shrugged.
"Whatever."
The next week passed slower than usual. A few times he ran into Rukia, but she always walked past him, without a word. The very few times he caught her glance, she immediately looked away.
But he could catch the flash of pain in her eyes.
He shrugged it off mentally. It wasn't his problem. Not anymore.
And yet, he couldn't help but feel concerned about her.
"For you, and your family's safety..."
It's not like any human would stand a chance against him. Well, they'd need a whole army at least.
He imagined as a small ball of fire appeared in his palm, and it immediately did so in real life too. He smiled as the salamander - his partner; each of his kind had partners from each element which were born in the exact same time as their partner was - appeared next to him, his eyes blazing red. For a reason, he liked to work with the salamander's power more than his gnome's... Although in some's opinion there should be no difference. Probably because his own personality was much more like the always moving fire than the mostly steady earth.
Of course he never told this to any of them - he'd be in a serious trouble if he'd do so. Their forgiveness is pretty hard to gain, and he doubted the village could survive without their lands go sour. They were famous for the vegetables and crops that grew on them - thanks to his and the gnome's work.
The door slapped open.
"Ichigo!" yelled Karin. The male quickly jumped down from his residence "upstairs". His sister gave her a terrified glare.
"They caught... A witch. It's... Rukia."
-#-
Yamamoto stepped forward. His cane hit the ground, hard.
"Do you protest that you are a witch?"
The girl remained silent.
"She is! I saw as she and her crows milked my cow! Ever since then it did not gave milk, not a drop!" shrieked a woman in her late fifties, bony finger pointing towards Rukia. She shot a cold glare at the woman.
"Or, possibly your cow is way too old to give milk anymore."
"She went into the forests during full moon!" yelled a man.
"I went into the forest to collect herbs that can heal your son, in case you forgot, idiot. If I did not do so, he'd be dead," she hissed.
"And how do you know so much about herbs, due to not being a healer?" asked the head of the Elders. She did not answer.
"My sister, who was a healer, taught me."
"She's a witch, I tell you! I've seen her talking to rabbits!" Yamamoto sighed. The last sentences came from a man, who was known as the fool of their town, but due to their laws, his words couldn't be ignored.
"These reasons still aren't enough to..."
"I know one more reason," said a light-haired woman. She smiled pleasantly.
"Inoue..." whispered Rukia.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, son of Kurosaki Ishida has either been enchanted, or love potions were used on him, that made him believe he is in love with Kuchiki. Before the beginning of this month, day not passed without him talking about Kuchiki. Ever since then, his behaviour changed, like the spell or the potion would start to lose it's power."
"That's a complete an utter lie," said Rukia.
"Really, Kuchiki? Then how comes that we've found plenty of roses in your house which are known as the flowers of love?" asked Orihime sweetly.
"Kuchiki Rukia, do you, or do you not love Kurosaki Ichigo?" asked Yamamoto. "Remember, if you lie, we'll notice that."
The girl hung her head. There was a moment of silence.
"I love him."
Triumphant smile spread across Inoue's features.Yamamoto nodded.
"But I'd never ever use a love charm on him! Nor love potions, as some would do!" she screamed - she knew well that the first sentence betrayed her, but she no longer cared; she was sure that Inoue still had something up in her sleeve, and would've used it if this one didn't work.
"Kuchiki Rukia, I think your punishment is obvious - you'll die by the Sokyoku tomorrow morning. We'll let your loved ones to say good bye to you."
"If any of them would want to see her after this, that is," whispered Inoue, loud enough to be heard only by Rukia.
The doors snapped open.
"Rukia," stared at the raven haired girl the newcomer, then his gaze wandered over to the head of the village, the twelve other elders and the present villagers. His eyes suddenly flared. "You cannot kill her!"
"Kurosaki, our decision has already been made."
"And care to tell me what gives you the right to decide whether one should live or not, old geezer!"
"Watch your mouth, kid," said a black haired man. Ichigo turned towards him, scowling.
"Should I, Byakuya? She's your sister, in case you haven't noticed. And you ordered her death. A shame to your family, really. Especally since she has done nothing wrong!"
"How dare a lowly..."
"Is practicing witchcraft not enough for you?" asked a woman with two braids.
"It is not, as long as she does not use her knowledge to hurt people."
"I've had enough. Kuchiki used witchcraft, which is a serious crime according to our laws, used to hurt people or not. It is still one of the dark arts that should never be used. For breaking them the punishment is death. Your punishment for questioning our decision will be decided later."
"Please, Yamamoto-sama, go easy on him. His mind must be still clouded by the love charm," said Inoue. Ichigo glared at her for a moment with open mouth then started laughing.
It had no joy in it.
"Love charm. Used. On me? Are you that blind? We all have seen people under the effect of those spells and potions, and if I remember correctly, they acted nothing like I do."
A white haired, though young looking man and another one male, who was wearing a hat, looked at each other, unsure about the whole thing.
"I'm truly sorry, Kurosaki, but her punishment will be not changed. Lead him away, and take Kuchiki to her prison cell."
"Don't you dare to touch me!" roared the carrot-top as suddenly six men appeared next to him. They immediately took a step back, noticing the wild fire in his eyes that said if they do touch him, they'll be ripped into tiny pieces. "You can't..."
"Ichigo!" yelled finally the black haired girl. "Stop. I mean it. You heard them didn't you? Go home!"
"What the... You're going to die!"
"And I've accepted it! Now... Get out of here!" She turned away from him.
"You should listen to her," said an other woman, Unohana, as she smiled sadly. The young man growled, pushed the men, who were still surrounding him aside and rushed out from the room.
Rukia looked up at he full moon. So calm and beautiful. She sighed as she leaned her head against the cool bars.
The last moon she'll ever see in her life.
"Please," she whispered to the glowing orb. "Look after them."
"Look after who?" She jumped in surprise.
"Renji! You really shouldn't do that, you know," she said, then narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Saving you, of course."
"What... No! You can't do that!"
"And why not? Nevermind... Thinking of it, why don't you save yourself?"
"I can't. What good would it do? Even if I escape, I'd be hunted like a wild animal, like those were before me. I won't give Zaraki that pleasure."
"You are really selfish, you know."
"I'm what?"
"Selfish. What about Ichigo? Or me?" There was a moment of silence. "You were the one who said that you love him more than anything. And that you like me as an elder brother."
The pain was obvious in his voice.
"I do. That's why I'm doing this. To protect you from harm and trouble."
"You know us as somebody who is so lucky that trouble never finds him?"
Rukia let herself smile a bit.
"No, I don't."
"Thinking of it, I thought that the loverbird would be the first one to be here."
"Oh, he tried to come, I just didn't let him." Thinking about it, it was stupid that she didn't think about Renji, too. But he was much more reasonable than the other one.
"You have power to ban people from entering one place, and you do not use it to save yourself. You are a strange girl, Rukia. But I think I should respect that. Well, then... Good bye, I guess."
"Yeah. Good bye." The male started to walk towards the door.
"Renji?" He stopped and turned.
"Yes?"
"Thank you. For everything."
-í-
The sun rose surrounded by blood-red light. As if it would hurt to watch the scene in front of "her" eyes.
"Kuchiki Rukia, daughter of..."
The girl looked up at the weapon that will cause her death within a few minutes. It slowly turned into a flaming bird - people thought that it was given to them by the Holy Spirit to kill the Dark Ones in his name.
"We found you guilty in the following..."
The Priest's voice faded for her. She looked down at the crowd below, searching only for one pair of eyes, and she found them. The left side of his face was bruised and there also was a cut above his eye - not to mention the slight burn on his right cheek.
Was he trying to get in that hard?
"And today, we, the people of the..."
She noticed a head with flaming red hair behind the carrot coloured one's. Suddenly, Ichigo lunged forward, pushing through people - Renji barely could catch him, before he almost did something very stupid and dangerous. Ichigo started yelling and struggling against the obviously hurt. Another man - Nii-sama? - joined the two and smacked Ichigo across the face. Just then, three more men arrived, surrounding him. At first, he glared at Byakuya and the other men, then at her in silent horror and pain.
"And so shall it be."
The flames grew even higher, their colour slowly changed from angry red into somewhere between light blue, faded orange and white.
It was hot. And it was only something that helped another journey to begin.
She closed her eyes, fighting back the urge to scream as the fire made it's way towards her very core, tearing flesh and soul apart.
-..-.-.-.-.-
This fic was inspired by the song, Deathaura from Sonata Arctica. I wanted to make it a oneshot, but it'll obviously be a two-shot at least. xD
Gnomes are creatures that are related to the element Earth. A salamander is the spirit of fire, "no fires could be created without one being present" according to one of my books. Silpheed is connected to air while undines are connected to water.
I do not know that much about elemental magic, but even so, if you do, please remember, this is a fanfiction, where I can bend the world as I like.
I'm more than sure that I've made grammatical mistakes and rushed a few things. I really am sorry for that.
