A/n: this is the first chapter of my bleach fic. I'm sorry if it took a while. I'm also sorry if it didn't pass your expectations. I rushed writing it. So, I only got to revise it two times. Hopefully, you enjoy this. Anyway, I apologize for any typographical errors, misspellings, grammatical errors, and the like. As I have told you I rushed to type this thing because I have a lot of academic requirements to finish. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach! Don't sue me!

Chapter One: Waiting in Vain is Painful

A million and one words ran through her head. She tried to mouth at least one of those many words but to no avail. It felt as if something was stuck in her throat. It kept her from saying something. She just decided to grab one of those random words in her mind. Her voice trembled at first but she managed to release the word. "Idiot." Her voice trembled. Her spine shivered; whether from her zanpaktou she did not know. What a word to say. She was bewildered. She had no idea how to react. She mentally shook herself to bring her back to reality. Really, agreeing to go on this mission was the worst idea she had for a hundred years. At least, she was alone. She did not want her subordinates to see their lieutenant looking stupid and defenceless at the sight of a familiar boy.

She reminded herself of her resolve. She took a deep breath and clenched her sword. She jogged her memory about an arrancar she fought about a century ago. The arrancar had the power to disguise itself as someone she admired dearly. If she had defeated an arrancar of such abilities, what a mere hollow that just looked like the young boy? But no, it was not the same. This hollow was definitely Ichigo. If she killed it, she would give it peace. She won't give it peace. She would merely pass judgement. After killing so many shinigamis, the chances of it being sent to hell would be large. She couldn't let that happen. She can't send him to hell, but she had to. She had no choice.

She pulled herself together. Who would give it a chance of peace, if not her? When will it be given peace, if not then? A captain would come sooner or later. She didn't want any captain seeing it like that. Furthermore if a captain was sent, then she would have already been dead. No, she didn't want to die. If she died, every thing Ichigo risked would be worthless. She would live for him just as she promised him, even if it means killing him. Yes, that is her resolve.

She grabbed her zanpaktou and aimed to hit the hollow's left shoulder. It was still busy recovering its shattered mask. She flash stepped into the one meter radius of the hollow and thrust her sword into its left chest. The penetration was only superficial. The hollow manage to cut short the sword's deepening. It pulled out the shinigami's katana and threw it along with the girl as far as it could. Rukia was again sent flying but she caught her fall. She attacked the hollow several times, however to no avail. She needed a better way to attack. She needed to kill it.

"Shinigami," the hollow snickered. "Is this the best you can do?"

"I haven't even strated yet." She smirked and stabbed her sword onto the ground.

"Dance!" she commanded her zanpaktou. Ice crystals pierced out of the ground and trailed towards the hollow.

His name was Nightbringer Malificent. Weak attacks like that cannot hurt him. He evaded the piercing crystals with ease. This shinigami was of lieutenant level? She could barely scratch him. And she didn't even have the guts to thrust her swords harder to his chest. Killing this shinigami would be even far easier than the others.

His mask has completely covered his face. Would he kill this soul reaper instantly with a single blow through her heart? It would be boring. He wanted to see the pathetic and desperate look in her eyes that even at the brink of her death; she would believe that he would not kill her. Yes, he would kill this shinigami slowly and painfully; dismembering limb after limb. He would love to hear the shinigami squeak out a desperate cry for help. Then, finally, he would crush her little build and watch as her life slowly suck out of her battered body. And the verge of her death, he would devour her soul. He would taste it carefully; her sadness, bitterness, and frustrations of her soul. Yes, it was his best plan yet.

He propelled himself away from the ice crystals. He glided through the air towards the shinigami. Where would he aim? Where to aim? Would it be the head? The blow would be fatal. He didn't want to kill her yet. The limbs? No, it would be boring if he made his prey immediately defenceless. He didn't want to waste the fierceness of the woman. The shoulder blades would be the perfect target. When to hit? When to hit? When she is on her defensive position or when her guard is down? He decided to attack her while defensing herself. It would definitely ruin her resolve.

He evaded the ice crystals that formed in front of him. He dodged each and every ice crystal that flew towards him. The girl took her sword and again pointed it towards the hollow. Her eyes told her that she was confident in blocking whatever attack the hollow would throw at her. The hollow was pleased with the shinigami. This one would indeed be interesting to kill. It was though the woman was filled with curage and determination and yet there was an unmistakable but discrete sign of half-heartedness in the woman. It was as if the woman hid some sort of unexplainable emotion for the hollow.

Whatever it was, it was none of his concern. He was a powerful hollow that could rival that of any arrancar. He need not care about insect like this woman. He was a hollow. He sought more power. He was not the type that would waste his time figuring out why the shingami held back some of her powers.

He materialize a claw-like weapon in his hands. With speed and strength, far greater than the goddess of flash and the 11th division captain respectively, he broke through the shinigami's defence and sliced through her shoulder blades like knife though a stick of butter. The hollow paused and waited for the arteries to burst. He smiled at the first drop of blood and the scent of it. He then brought himself a few meters in front of the woman. He watched her shocked sapphire eyes unable to comprehend how he broke her defence. Then, she fell to her knees.

Unable to support her own back, Rukia Kuchiki, carried her half dead body to wall and leaned on it. Coincidence or not, it was the spot she rested on when she first met him. She sat there with her vision getting blurry. It was much like last time except that there was no boy to bestow shinigami powers to. There was only a hollow that threatened to kill her. And what's worse is that the boy that should receive her powers was the hollow that would take her life.

A ringing sound echoed. It was her Chappy keychain that hung from her zanpaktou. She smiled sadly at it. It was the only gift given to her by him. It was the first and only time he said those words to her. She couldn't forget that. She watched the keychain would accordingly with the night breeze. She reminisced that moment.

"Here," he said in his ever so exciting tone. "Catch."

Rukia raised an eyebrow, not quite sure what Ichigo threw at her. Whatever it was, it looked really cute with its small soft squishy body, the warm life-like white fur, its fluffy bunny-like ears, pink velveteen nose, and its small black synthetic eyes. It was adorable. She blinked at it a few times.

"What?" Ichigo frowned. "Don't you love it? I'll return it, if you don't."

"No!" Rukia tucked the bunny under her neck. "I love it. What does it do?"

"It's a keychain, dimwit." He replied.

"Keychain?" Rukia repeated what Ichigo just said. She dangled the metal ring hanging from the bunny. She shook it a little. Upon hearing a ringing sound, she jerked. "Ichigo, it made a sound! Is that why it's a keychain, it's because it sounds like a bunch of keys."

"No, genius." Ichigo rolled his eyes and took something from his pocket. He showed her a set of keys bundled together with an unknown emblem. "This is what a keychain does." He pointed at the keys with his free hand. He slumped in his bed as Rukia absorbed the information.

"But I don't have keys." She finally said. "We don't keep keys in soul society. Can I attach Chappy-chan to something else?" Ichigo was about to comment on something Rukia was about to say. He won't destroy the mood. He timed to give the keychain at a moment when she was less of an annoying girl. He sat up his bed and scratched his head.

"Got your zanpaktou?" He asked. "Attach it to that."

"I would." She smiled while still staring at the keychain.

Ichigo stood up. "So, do love it?" he asked as he exited his room.

"A lot." Was Rukia managed to say. She continued to look at it like she was a chilf of four receiving a new gift. She did not quite pay attention to Ichigo's mumbles.

"It's the first gift I've given to the idiot I love." Ichigo shut the door and went down the stairs to have his dinner.

The shinigami sat the same spot beside the same pole; the hollow had no idea what he meant by that. He stood watching the woman hold on to her life as he tried to get out of his system an unidentified feeling that forced him to feel something strange about the woman; a feeling compelling him to save her from something. Whatever it was he did not know. He walked slowly and distracted himself by thinking of ways to torture her. He finally brought himself in front of the woman. He looked her. She looked at him wearily. At an instant, images ran through his head like a fast forward vintage movie. He fell to his knees and screamed hysterically.

"I'm not shinigami." The movie played in his head. "I'm Rukia Kuchiki."

An orange haired boy stood in front of the soul reaper. She offered her sword to be pierced through his heart. The boy would become a shinigami. He pushed the blade and light shone. He wasn't just any young teenager now. He was already a shinigami substitute. His zanpaktou was as tall as him. He killed hollows for the girl, whoever the girl was to him. But he smiled for her; she made him happy. She smiled for him and she was happy. Who was this shinigami?

If you follow me, I swear I will not forgive you.

What did the boy do? Why was the shinigami crying? Who was this young boy? Why was she crying? Why was that girl leaving? Where is she going? Why isn't that boy doing anything? The boy had to stand up! He had to follow her. He had to rescue the girl. Get up boy! Get up! Why was it raining that night? Why? Why? Why does it hurt so badly? He was already a hollow. He cannot care about anything but power and bloodlust. Why would he be affect by some boy and woman he did not know? Why? Why? Why?

Ichigo, you are indeed an idiot.

Ichigo? Is that the name of the boy? Who was this Ichigo? This woman seems happy yet sad. Why? Why is Nightbringer seeing these things? What relationship does he have with this Rukia and Ichigo? Is he Ichigo? No, it was impossible. Why does he even care bout these things. He needed to get this out of his system. Was this an illusion to lose his mind? He had to get over it.

The hollow punched himself on the face so hard that it bled. He got back to reality. He looked at the woman leaning on the post. She was the same as the one in his dreams. He decided to just kill the woman. He told himself that it was a bad idea to torture this woman. He should kill her immediately. Who knows what other things he might he see. He extended his claw-like arms as he prepared to slash her through and through. But just as he predicted, he couldn't. More images flashed through his mind. He screamed more. His mask was shattering but he did not know why. A voice broke in his head screaming to get out. He forced it back but to no avail. He couldn't stop it. His vision went black.

Rukia, where are you going again?

She was walking away from him, the boy, Nightbringer; both of them. She was walking away from them. The boy ran to catch up with her. He couldn't. She vanished into thin air. He kept on running; they kept on running. Nightbringer couldn't understand why he followed the boy. Why did he follow the boy to look for her? It did not make sense. Why are they feeling heavy? Why is not the girl coming back? Why are they not looking for her? Why does he give a damn about them?

He waited; they, the boy and the hollow, waited, however in vain. But they waited for an unknown reason. The boy was dying. The hollow was beginning to feel. They still waited; still in vain. But they waited, but she never came back, not once, never in the boy's lifetime.

A/n: How was it? Was it deathly terrible? Hell boring or worse? Please tell me. Hopefully, I will update by the next month or next two weeks. Depends. PLEASE REVIEW! I want to know how bad I fair with your standards! Till then!

1) Nightbringer Malificent- I thought of giving Ichigo a hollow name.

2) Dance- Rukia has new attacks! She will be tested for bankai. Hopefully in the next chappie

3) fluff inserted- too short for a one-shot

toodles!