AN: I do not own Bleach
Rukia Kuchiki sat by her window in the waning light of day. Soon the sun would set, and cast the Seireitei in the silver light of the moon. Sitting there, inside the Repentance Cell, she thought back to the events that had brought her to this place.
Her life swirled through her mind at a blistering pace. She remembered all the years spent alone in the Rukongai, struggling to survive. How that struggle got easier when she found Renji and the others. They were her family for two hundred years and despite herself, she smiled as those many happy memories flew through her mind.
Then she remembered finding her friends dead in some abandoned ally holding a parcel of food that neither of them need. She could not help the guilt that filled her soul at the memory that they had gone to get the food for her and Renji so they could keep training on how to control there Reiryoku to become Soul Reapers. Digging the graves with there own hands, they buried them in a shallow grave overlooking the Seireitei. That was the day she decided to become a Soul Reaper.
Her days at the Academy passed through her mind in blur. She remembered the day she was invited to join the Kuchiki clan by none other the Byakuya himself, and how Renji had encouraged her to accept.
Then happier memories came to mind. Joining the 13th Division and meeting Lt. Kaien Shiba and his wife 3rd seat Miyako Shiba. They treated her like any everyone else, no prejudice because she was from the Rukonhai or the fact that now she was a noble. No, to them she was just another rookie who needed to be trained to stand on her own. No sooner had the ghost of a smile found its way to her lips then it was gone, the images of that fateful night running through her tired mind. She remembered Miyako slaughtering her own men as that hollow took control of her body. How Kaien was so determined to avenge her, even when he lost his ZanpakutÅ. How it eventually took his body and turned on them. How she had panicked and run, and when she turned to fight she froze, as Kaien leapt at her and impaled himself on Sode no Shirayuki.
The years passed by rapidly as forgotten memories resurfaced after being forgotten for decades. How no matter how much training she did she would never get the chance to advance in rank thanks to her brother. Brother? She wondered if she could really call him that. He hardly ever interacted with her beside telling her to be quiet or follow him. Then again, what did she expect of a man who adopted her simply so he could have a living statue of his dead wife moving though his house. No, she was never family to Byakuya, and she never would be. He probably kept her from advancing just so he could keep her docile, and keep alive his fantasy world in which his wife was alive.
Through she could honestly say Renji wasn't much better. He had abandoned her that day in the academy. In the fifty years since they had become Soul Reapers he never once tried to talk to her, he even refused to respond to her letters. Eventually she stopped trying and got on with her life. But the look on his face when he and Byakuya came to arrest her haunted her still. She had never imagined his face looking so forward to killing someone. He had taunted her, and toyed with her and when he was done, he was right about to kill her in front of her "brother" with such a joyful smile on his face. If Uryu had stopped him she would be dead now.
But then her mind showed her Uryu's broken body lying on the cold wet ground as his life's blood flowed out of him onto the road. Then Ichigo came to try his hand at saving her. She admitted she was surprised when he overpowered Renji, but he stood no chance aginst Byakuya. Her mind forced her to remember his body dieing on the ground trying to get up and save her. Why?
She had caused so much death. She admitted she probably deserved to die for causing so much pain. Then Renji final words to her came back to her mind. "I want to leave you with some unconfirmed information. They say that a group of intruders attempted to enter the soul society yesterday. Five of them. Now my sources say one of them carried a sword as long as his body. A Soul Reaper with orange colored hair."
That statement had brought hope to her mind despite herself. It meant Ichigo was alive thorough she had a hard time figuring out the other four. Uryu was one, maybe, but the other three were a mystery as to who would come for her and had enough power to be of any help. Then again, Ichigo had no chance of getting to her. He did not even know the name of his Zanpakuto. He would be slaughtered by the first seated officer that found him. If they were still outside the walls then they could still get away from here. The Central 46 would probably leave them alone, after all they cared little about what happened outside of the Seireitie.
This thought drove her mind away from her trip down memory lane. She looked out side and was amazed to find the moon was already high in the night sky. She looked out past the walls and wondered if Ichigo and the others were looking at it at the same time. She could not bear causing anyone else to die, no she would have to find a way to get her to leave here without her. She would die, there was no getting away from that fact. The Central 46 had ordered it, and they never reconsidered any order. A small smile found its way to her lips as she wondered if she got out, if the Head Captain himself would go out looking to ensure she was executed.
Rukia spent the night thinking of some way to try to save those who came here to save her. A long night talking to Sode no Shirayuki had revealed only one option. Letting out a sigh she slowly pushed herself off the ground by the window she had been resting by and began to climb the spiraling staircase.
Slowly she climbed, and as she did she wondered what people would think of her after this. She could not stifle the small laugh as she climbed. They would probably think her a coward, afraid to face justice for her crimes. But she was not afraid of death, no this way at least her death would have some meaning. A Rukongai rat, a noble princess, an unseated officer that's what she was in this world, she was never just Rukia. Byakuya would keep that same stoic face of his without emotion when he learned of what she had planed. She wondered if he would be angry because she did it without permission. After all, he viewed her as his property to control. But this time she would do what she wanted, what she knew was necessary.
Renji would probably just laugh and go out for a drink of sake. The thought that her childhood friend would not care, hurt her more then the fact that her "brother" would feel the same way. The fact was no one in the Soul Society would care if she died. She had no real friends or family to speak of. Oh some would morn her, her captain among them, but no would cry for her. The only people who would care were from living world, and they barley knew her. The irony that people she knew for a few months would miss her more then those she had known for decades.
As she reached the top of the stairs she came to stand by the highest window and looked out just in time to watch the sunrise. It was a beautiful sight to see the sky painted in the early morning light. She stood in silence there for some time as she watched the Sun rise one last time. But she had come here for a reason. She slowly stepped into the empty space that was the window and looked down.
Her mind set, she prepared herself for what she had to do. Peoples lives were depending on her to follow though. She opened her violet colored eyes again and looked across the horizon one last time. "I'm sorry Sode no Shirayuki." she whispered as she leapt out the window.
In no time she was flying toward the ground with no way to stop herself. Her power sealed away to prevent escape. As she continued her fall she heard her partner and only friend in this world whisper back her understanding. So it was that she smiled as she hurtled to the ground faster and faster in the early morning light. Closing her eyes she waited for the end.