A/N: What's this? An update? Oh dear. The world must be ending. Now where's the rum...
Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.
Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary. - Mark Twain
ooo
Between the cool sand under her cheek, and the hot blood pooling beneath her chest, Rukia Kuchiki almost wished she were truly dead. Not recycled into the Soul Society, not back into the human world. Truly, peacefully, dead.
The wind of Hueco Mundo howled above her, shifting sand onto her hakama and rendering her nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Luckily for her, her captor knew what to look for.
Conniving snake. The small noble that viciously, coughing harshly. The wound in her side pulsated painfully and Rukia nearly regretted stabbing the hollow servant with the butter knife before fleeing. Nearly.
If only she had killed the thing, the racket he (it, she corrected) wouldn't have alerted that damn Tousen. The blind former Captain had managed to catch her in the side with his zanpakutou before she froze him with her recently aquired Sode no Shirayuki and fled into the sands.
In retrospect, her actoins were a bit harsh.
Ichigo would be proud. The thought drifted into her mind innocently. A sharp stab of despair nearly blinded her, and Rukia let her head collapse into the sand, finding repreive in the cool temperature against her fevered skin.
Ichigo.
Believing her dead, the shinigami had retreated back to the Soul Society to re-group. That had been two weeks ago. She had given up on the hope of rescue on day three.
She resolved to fight her way back.
Unfortunately, with her zanpakutou hidden and the constant supervision of the Espada, Tousen, and Him, she had virtually no chance of escape.
Until this morning. The usual escort for her morning meal had been absent, the one who looked as if he had tears running down his cheecks (Ulquiorra? Is that his name?) curiously missing. Taking her chance, Rukia had swiftly snatched the knife and lodged it into the eye socket of the servant.
She should have gone for his throat.
If Tousen was alerted, it would only be a matter of time before He found her. The smiling snake would find her immediately, and whisk her away back to Las Noches to be his little play toy once more.
I would rather die. Rukia thought, enraged at the mere thought of it.
The moon loomed overhead, casting a milky whiteness unto everything below. Hueco Mundo seemed to glow.
Footsteps padded closer, nearly silent on the sand, but Rukia heard them. Small hands fisted in the sand before releasing, violet orbs closing in defeat.
"Whacha doin' down there 'neath all that sand, Rukia-chan? You'll catch a cold out here." The cheery voice piped up as the figure squatted before her, hands hanging off his knees.
"Go away, Ichimaru. Let me die in peace."
A small beat of silence. She didn't see the brief flash of rage or the frown on his face.
"Can't do tha', Rukia-chan. 'Sides. Dontcha wanna see the present I had Ulquiorra fetch fer ya?"
"No."
"Aw, don't be like that, Rukia- chan! You'll like it, I promise." He cooed, scooping her up in his arms, sand falling away from her small form in droves.
Mind hazy with exhaustion, the small shinigami fell into unconciousness, a smiling face and a glint of blue eyes her last sight.
000
Rukia gazed down at the thing in her lap, mouth curling. Ichimaru stood in the corner, arms folded into his sleeves as he watched his charge in anticipation. Ulquiorra stood in the doorway, looking utterly bored.
"Go on, Rukia-chan! How do ya like it?" Ichimaru asked, regarding her with slits of ice blue.
There was a moment of silence as Rukia looked down at the gift.
"Rukia-chaaaaan."
A pale hand raised off the bed and hovered over the gift, Ichimaru's smile widening by the second. Ulquiorra observed out of the corner of his eye, looking slightly interested.
Rukia's hand lowered, and she stroked the soft fur of the small white rabbit gently, warmth blooming unbidden in her chest, sneer melting slowly off her face.
"He's perfect." She said softly, looking up at Ichimaru with guarded eyes.
Ichimaru grinned widely and opened his mouth to reply, when Rukia turned to Ulquiorra with a warm, exaggerated smile.
"Thank you, Ulquiorra."
The Espada snorted softly and walked out, leaving the former captain choking in the corner, and the small shinigami petting her new pet calmly.
