Would You Do The Same?

The late afternoon sunlight bathes our classroom and I stared at the chalk drawn illustrations of circles in front of me. I glanced down upon my wrist watch, 'Ten more minutes.' Math was quite boring. I wasn't totally used to this kind of lessons but it wasn't what I grew up with. I have to admit, I wasn't bad with this at all.

The dismissal bell finally rang and I sighed in relief. I stretched my lead-like arms overhead and a familiar face came into my view, "Rukia, let's go." I nodded.

So here I am, with Kurosaki Ichigo in the human world fighting off hollows and saving souls as was my task as a shinigami. I took my bag and we walk down the hallway towards Ichigo's home. Upon reaching said house, we came upon a white Honda civic in front. I looked at my orange-haired friend and he just cocked a brow in confusion. We both stepped in the house each of us uttering a, "tadaima."

Isshin met us with a rather, serious face and behind him were two children. One was a boy that was of fourteen years of age and the other was a young girl that cited that she was eleven. The boy had thick black hair and fringes over his delicate fair complexion. He almost looked like onii-sama although he only had short hair. The girl however was sickly-looking and pale; she had long hazel brown hair tied as pigtails. They both had beautiful emerald green eyes. Isshin coughed and I reverted my attention to him, "Ichigo, theses are your cousins. It might surprise you since Kenji was still young when they last visited." I looked at Ichigo and he looked at the boy. "Wow, you've grown." The boy named Kenji smiled a sweet smiled, "Sure did. What did you expect? That time would make me shrink." Ichigo laughed and it earned a smile from my features, he hasn't laughed in quite a while now. "And this young lady is Mimi." The young pale girl bowed in introduction. I got down on my knee and patted her head. She flinched, a blush crept upon her cheeks and hid behind Kenji. "Kawaii." Yuzu cried and hugged her female cousin but Mimi shied out. "They'll be staying for a while since Mimi needs some medical attention." Isshin explained and patted young Mimi's head. She smiled and enjoyed the fatherly touched. "Kenji will be bunking at your room Ichigo while Mimi will be with…" Isshin trailed off thinking. Yuzu was waving her hands up wanting to invite her cousin to sleep with her. "Rukia-chan if she doesn't mind." I stiffened, 'what if I have to leave her during the night when hollows show up?' I sighed and remembered I still have Chappy, "Sure, it's okay with me."

It was night and my soul pager rung signaling a hollow was nearby, I quickly scrambled out of bed but careful not to wake Mimi. I took a piece of the gikon and my shinigami form emerged from my gigai which was replaced by Chappy. I jumped out of the window unaware of the watching emerald green eyes.

It had been a few days, a week to be exact since Mimi and Kenji moved in. Mimi wasn't as shy as before and her condition was better than when she arrived but it was brought to risk when a certain day came…

"What? What do you mean you're abandoning your kids?!" Isshin shouted over the phone early in the Saturday morning. This woke the whole house up. Ichigo and I were already seated upon the dining table, weary but alert for any strange signs. Kenji was walking down the stairs, already fresh-looking and dressed in new clothes. "Uncle Isshin, was that otousan?" the young fourteen year old boy asked. Isshin nodded as he hung up, "He said, he's having difficulty in supporting Mimi and so he's leaving the two of you into my care for a while." The door to Rukia's room crept open and Mimi peeked out. She had worn pink bunny pajamas that Yuzu lent her. "niichan?" Kenji whipped his head to her direction and she walked towards him dragging a small brown teddy bear. Kanji's gaze softened at the toy, how come? Tears trailed down upon Mimi's face, "niichan, gomen." She sobbed and Kenji patted her head in comfort, "It's not your fault, Mi-chan." The young girl wiped her eyes and he smiled while rubbing her hair, "That's better."

But it didn't turn out well, the next day a small letter was left upon where Mimi used to lie. I picked it up and read it. My eyes widened and immediately I rushed out of my door.

"Mimi! Mimi, where are you?" I cried as we searched all throughout Karakura's park. She had left a farewell message, seeing that she was only a burden upon the family. She had fled to Karakura town's park with nothing but her small teddy bear. I looked all over, the swings, the slides, the monkey bars which were obviously empty. Ichigo and I had agreed to search her in the vast forestation of oaks and mahoganies. I was about to leave when I heard sobs. I immediately searched for the origin and found a small bundle hugging her knees, sobbing on her soiled blue jumper and a teddy bear tucked in the comfort of her arms. "Mimi!" I cried and she looked up with sadden teary eyes. I shushed her sobbing and patted her head in a comforting manner. "Let's go home." I helped her up and we were about to go when I felt a hollow's reiatsu, which was very nearby. To be correct it stood a good five meters from where we were. I had forgotten to bring my gikon upon rushing to find Mimi. "Rukia-neechan! Monster! Monster!" I looked down at the young girl, 'so she can see Hollows as well?' The hollow charged at as and I made myself a human shield to protect Mimi. The beast lunged in our direction, I braced for the pain but it never came and I looked at our savior. My eyes widened in shock.

"Onii-sama…"

Byakuya stood there with his aristocratic glory, his zapakuto unsheathed and had sliced one of the hollow's limbs. Rain began to pour from the gray clouds that had hung upon the sky since morning. "Onii-sama, how come you're here?" He looked at her before locking his gaze at the beast, "Soutaichou's orders." I nodded and felt a heavy weight upon my arms. I looked down and found Mimi wheezing. I panicked, I didn't have any idea what to do. "Mimi!" Kenji cried and he ran to us. Obviously he didn't see the commotion in the said park. "Rukia-neechan, thank you for finding Mi-chan." He took his sister's arms and laid them upon his shoulders while he took her legs with the support of his arms, he gave her a piggyback. "Oneechan, please put my raincoat on top of Mi-chan." I did as he requested and he shifted Mimi before saying, "I need to go Rukia-nee, I need to get Mimi back to the hospital." He dashed upon when I nodded my head and when I looked back at oniisama. He was gone along with the hollow.

"I don't care if we're not related, she's my sister now." I overheard the statement when I entered the Kurosaki household. Kenji was arguing with someone who looked like him only older which I guessed was his father. His mother sat down upon one of the couches with Isshin opposite of her. She had long wavy blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes. "Kenji, we should've never had adopted Mimi." Kenji gritted his teeth, "How could you say that?! She's my sister now and you don't have the right to tell your 'daughet' that." He bolted to my room which I guessed was where Mimi was. I twisted the door knob and was met by still silence. Kenji sat upon a chair that stood beside Mimi's sleeping body and he occasionally wrung the cloth. "Don't worry Kenji, it will all turn out all right." He lifted his sober gaze when I spoke and smiled, "I know Mimi will be okay. She's strong." I smiled inwardly, siblings.

I had opened the window to keep the clothes that were left outside but instead caught a glimpse of onii-sama. He was going to enter the way that lead Soul Society and a thought hit me, 'Would you do the same?' And as if he heard me telepathically, he turned his cold gaze at me and entered the portal.

Leaving a whisper upon the wind…

Of course I will.