A/N: I have decided to continue this so I'm hoping for more reviewers and readers! Anyway, I'll try to make this as a week or two week update since every chapter is not really a lengthy one, for your sake.

Milieu

"Yes, you're name is Akiru and we're your family… well, somewhat." Homura told Rukia as she fixed the pillow behind her so that she can sit up on her bed comfortably.

Rukia thanked her and continued to ask, "Somewhat? What do you mean?"

Homura sat at her side and explained, "You said before that you grew in the deep slums and you were alone. My brother and I were abandoned when we were young so we were also in the same scenario as you. Then, you found us and then took care of us like a mother would do to her children. You would always say that we'll be a family and that we'll be together, forever."

Shizuku added, "We are now professionals, thanks to you, Akiru. You really worked hard for us so that we can have a better life."

The petite woman just stared blankly at them; so many details but somehow, they were both familiar. With that in thought, she blinked and then pain rushed in her head. She held it with both of her hands and flashes of images appeared in her mind. It's a bit vague but she knew it was them from the figures' outlines despite that their faces were blurry. It's the two siblings who she took care of and gave them a promise.

"Homura… Shizuku… you're the two siblings, right?"

They both gasped in glee and their worry for her vanished as she said their names. "You remembered!" they both cried in unison as they hugged her.

"Yes, yes I did. I'm sorry if I made you worry…"

"It's okay; as long as you remember us, we're happy that way. Ne, Homura nee-san?"

Homura replied her brother with an amused expression with another notion in mind: and not that man. As long as you don't remember him, nothing else matters anymore.

His next punch was restrained by Ishida and Chad as they hold the crimson-haired man as it was about to land on Ichigo's face again. Inoue walked to his side to aid him but he stopped her saying that he's fine.

"Stop it Abarai! This isn't going to solve things about Kuchiki-san's absence!" Ishida shouted at Renji.

He continued struggling at their restraints, "Shut up! You're the one to talk; this bastard is the reason why she's missing. Killing him is the solution!"

Ichigo then stood and approached his girlfriend's childhood friend, "Don't worry, I'll find her. If I'm killed along the way, I still won't stop looking."

Renji stared at his amber orbs now filled with so much determination. The two men holding him back let him go when they realized that his temper ceased to go down. He fixed his shirt and faced his back towards his friends, "Tch. You're not the only one; I'll go look for her too. You're going to get it if I found her first, crying because of what you've done."

With another second of silence, they went their separate ways.

Inoue, jointly with Ishida and Chad were about to leave in order to help as well but Ichigo told them as he stopped in his tracks for awhile, "Thanks for helping. Update me if you can. Ishida, don't let Inoue push herself too much." He then continued to run afterwards.

"Kurosaki-kun…" was only the redhead girl could muster as he faded away in the mist.

Ishida pat her in the shoulder, "Kurosaki is counting on us, let's go." From that, they have also started to find their missing friend.

"Are you sure it's okay this way, onne-chan?" Shizuku questioned his sister as they were in the living room as they let Rukia to rest in the bedroom.

Homura gazed at him joyously, "Of course it is. She somehow manages to remember us but that seems to be it. As long as she doesn't see him or the others, there's nothing to be worried about."

He protested politely, "But–"

She cut him, "No! It'll be okay; her identity as Rukia shall be kept within our hearts and starting today, we'll start a new life with her as 'Akiru'."

He retorted back with panic in his eyes, "What if he finds her, what do we do then?"

Her emerald eyes twinkled as she grinned, "I'll take care of it. Just you wait and see." She rose from her seat and headed outside. "I'll go buy some outfits for Akiru; watch over her okay? Keep in mind what we talked about earlier. We musn't speak of anything that can make her remember the past, got it?"

Shizuku hesitated a bit but nodded his head, eyes not looking at her sister's form. As she closed the door, he sighed longingly. He knew that lying like this isn't something that would last forever but he has no choice. Inside him, he could feel his wrath through his clenching fist, every time Rukia's hurt or angry because of him. He can still be a nice guy but he sees that as a part of him like a needle in a haystack. What's more, it's because of him that she appeared to be going farther and farther away from them. He sighed once more. Looks like this is going to be okay, after all…

Ichigo was resting on his couch when his phone rang. He had just got home after another failed mission of finding Rukia. Damn, where the hell did she go? She's not really going that far, is she? Usually, she's somewhere at the park or Inoue's house or even his brother's house, which reminds that he'll definitely be killed by his hands once he finds out about it. Getting lost in his mind tracks, the continuous ringing of the phone pushed him out of that state and then picked it up.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue's voice trembled as if she was afraid to tell him something.

He was beginning to feel it too but remained his composure through his voice, "What is it Inoue? Did you find Rukia?"

There was silence, but in the short span of stillness, he can hear people shouting and sirens of ambulances. She continued to stammer on the line, "N-no. I-I th-think y-you should s-switch your t-te-levision right n-now."

Ichigo had lost his strong composure and began to panic endlessly as he switched the button of his TV set. There, he saw flammable orange fire being put away lingering on a certain floor of a building. His phone left his hand as it fell on the floor, as he began to shake helplessly; it's Rukia's apartment and that's the floor where she stays! He then hurriedly grabbed his keys and proceeds to the incident.

As he drives, he stared at his hands quivering on the steering wheel; why was he shaking so much? They looked over there and she wasn't there! There's no way that… He shook his head to get those negative ideas out of his head. No! I must remain calm.

As soon as he arrived, the flames were already put out and the rest were in the middle of investigating the cause. The other people, who he thought might be the ones who live in the said apartment were already been taken cared of by the medical team as they examined them for any kinds of bruises or wounds. However, as he roamed around, he can't find her.

Later, a body, he assumed, covered in white cloth was brought out of the edifice. He asked a police officer, "Where did that body come from?"

The officer replied, "She was found inside, at the floor where the fire started trapped in her room."

Ichigo quickly queried back, grabbing his collar, "Her? Wait, how can you tell that the body is a 'she'?"

The other policemen held him off so as not to cause any more trouble while the other had been released from his clutch and fixed his wrinkled collar, "Be thankful that I'm not going to file anything against you. I'm sorry mister if she'll be related to yours. We found her body in room 114, the place we've suspected on where they fire actually started and the same thing goes for the witnesses. According to the caretaker, the one who resides there is…"

He brought out his notepad and read the name to end his sentence, "…Miss Kuchiki Rukia."

Ichigo knelt down in gloom. No way, it can't be..., he thought. His mind is blank; he can't think any longer. He shouted in defeat, "RUKIA!!!"

A/N: So? How was it? Is this okay? I'm sure you don't mind if I name her Akiru for now; it's a reverse of Rukia, LOL. Do look forward for gloomier atmosphere on Ichigo on the upcoming chapters…Hope you enjoy that one and please don't forget to review!