"I see that 'mask' has worked out wonderfully for you," a cool voice echoed in Hisana's ear, "tell me, was fainting in front of your sister a part of the plan?"
Hisana blinked, bringing the ceiling of the Fourth Division into sharp clarity. The smell of herbs and antiseptic filled her nostrils. She lingered for a moment in the foggy sense of being totally at peace before the familiarity of the smells and sights and what they meant pushed through.
Though she had died in the Kuchiki Manor she had spent a good time dying in the Fourth Division with Unohana and her herbs. She remembered the unbearable weariness taking over her senses, the feeling of struggling against an impossible tide. She remembered the sorrow and desperation in her normally controlled husband's eyes as he soundlessly begged her not to leave him. Would she have stayed with him if she had found Rukia? If she hadn't? She heard the whispers of what everyone thought she was for being with him. Even if she loved him, even if eventually she could change their minds, there would always always be whispers that followed her. Could she stand the thought of raising a child who heard the other nobles call their mother a whore?
Distantly she heard some monitor begin to beat faster but her own heart was pounding in her ears. The rest of the world seemed to dim as she struggled to turn over and push herself up, gasping for air. Everything in her screamed to run, to get out of there as fast as she could. If she could run fast enough, if she could be strong enough then she wouldn't have to die again. But all her limbs seemed to be dead or numb or a thousand times heavier than they had any right to be. Cool hands were on her and even as she lashed out they were not to be deterred. As quickly as she had been awake, the world vanished as though someone had turned a light out.
When Hisana opened her eyes again her surroundings were clearly different. For one she was no longer lying in the Fourth Division. The smell of herbs and antiseptic was absent. Instead she was lying in a room, in her room in the Sixth Division. Turning her head to the side she saw the familiar sight of Ayumi sitting on her bed with a book propped on her open lap. As if feeling eyes on her the girl turned her head.
"Oh my God!" she gasped, "you're awake!"
"What happened?" Hisana demanded gingerly pushing herself up.
"Well you fainted first," Ayumi said, "then you had a panic attack in the Fourth Division. Captain Unohana said you probably had some remaining memories from your death. Um and then we brought you here and she said that when you wake up we should send a hell butterfly."
Hisana felt heat in her cheeks. Fainting? Panic attacks? She supposed both reactions were perfectly normal given the circumstances but it was still horribly embarrassing. She pushed herself up to a sitting position despite Ayumi's eyes widening. The other girl hopped off her bed nimbly and hurried over to where she was, standing in front of the bed and shifting her weight back and forth nervously.
"Everyone was worried you got sick in Rukongai that night," Ayumi said softly.
"Maybe," Hisana said, grasping at that with a weak smile, "how long have I been out?"
"A day," Ayumi said.
"Oh God," Hisana groaned burying her face in her hands.
"Its not that bad," Ayumi said.
"I already need extra training and I just spent a day unconscious," Hisana continued, "how is that not bad?"
"Well, um," Aymui frowned, thoughtful, "well our training went really really badly. I mean, poor Kyo is never gonna be able to look at a monkey again! And besides, Lieutenant Kuchiki said that Captain Ukitake had another of his coughing fits and she had to deal with her own new recruits so she wouldn't have been able to stay much longer," Ayumi continued.
Hisana nodded as Ayumi got to her feet to send the Hell Butterfly and tell Unohana that she was awake. What was going to happen? Memories were everywhere. Was she going to faint at the sight of every plum blossom now? The whole pint of not telling everyone was for them not to know. Rukia and Byakuya had suffered enough because of her, they didn't need to suffer more. She certainly looked different enough. As long as she could find a way to pretend, she could pull it off. But not if she kept fainting or having panic attacks. There was no reason to panic because she had wasted away at the Fourth Division even if she had died in the Kuchiki Manor.
There was no reason to faint because the little sister she abandoned had grown up to be the spitting image of their mother.
She had looked like their mother too once. Now she looked like a stranger. It had never bothered her in the transient world but now that she was in Soul Society surrounded by all the memories, she still couldn't look in a mirror without wishing she saw the violet eyes or ebony hair of a woman who she had lost so long ago. She had been the spitting image of their mother and even as a baby Rukia had her violet eyes. Their mother used to tell her that Rukia was going to grow up to look just like them both while their father laughed merrily and said that at least Hisana had his stubbornness.
"Hey Chiyo? Are you okay?" Ayumi asked looking at her.
"Fine," Hisana said. Ayumi's face was still full of worry, "memories," Hisana explained.
"Oh," Ayumi said softly, "I can't remember anything about my life," she said after a moment, "I mean, I know I lived--obviously--but I just never remembered. I guess I was having too much fun with my family huh?"
"You're lucky," Hisana said, "remembering isn't fun."
"Yeah," Ayumi said sympathetically, hanging her head quietly for a moment before there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Ayumi asked.
"Its Lieutenant Kuchiki, may I come in?"
Ayumi looked at Hisana who stood up and walked over to the door. It was now or never. If she really wanted to do this, to live as another person, she had to start somewhere and meeting Rukia without collapsing in a heap on the floor was as good a place to start as any. So Hisana took a breath, squared her shoulders and opened the door to meet the sister she had abandoned as a baby.
Her brief glimpse was right. Rukia was the spitting image of their mother down to the lack of height. Her violet eyes were as bright and expressive as their mothers had been. Their father used to say that he could see the world in their mother's eyes. Rukia was dressed in the standard Shinigami uniform, her Lieutenant's armband riding high on her arm. Belted to her waist was a Zanpakto. Around her neck was a fine chain that seemed to shine pink or white, depending on the light. Hisana had a feeling it was a gift from her brother. Rukia smiled and looked at her.
"Hi, you must be Michiyo," she said, "I'm Lieutenant Kuchiki. We didn't get to meet properly earlier."
"Y-yes," Hisana stumbled the words out, "I'm sorry for fainting like that."
"Its alright," Rukia said, "we just got worried you were sick from the other night," she continued, "but Captain Unohana said it was just exhaustion," Hisana nodded, "so your Academy Record says you're far stronger in Swordsmanship than in Kido," Hisana nodded, "don't worry, you can't be half as bad as Renji."
"You mean Lieutenant Abarai?" Ayumi gasped, "but he was going on and on about how Shinigami have to be well rounded."
"Hmm, well if you ever get drunk with him--and believe me you will--ask him about his fight with Szayel and how he used Kido in that one," she said with a glint in her eye. Ayumi looked like she was about to write it down, "but it is important for a Shingiami to be well rounded. We do all have our strengths though," she looked at the two of them seriously, "I wanted to come by and tell you that we're going to train tomorrow. Can you meet me at the Thirteenth Division?"
"Absolutely," Hisana said, "what training field?"
"Oh just come to the Lieutenant's Office," Rukia instructed glancing down the corner, "excuse me, I have to go and meet my brother," they nodded, "but if was nice to meet you both. I'll see you tomorrow Chiba."
"Chiyo's fine," she said quickly. Rukia smiled warmly.
"Chiyo," she said, "pretty name."
And then with a last bow which they both returned she walked down the corridor.
"Wow," Ayumi gasped, "she's so cool."
"What do you know about her?" Hisana asked looking at her.
"Just the rumors and stuff," Ayumi said closing the door. Hisana's eyes narrowed, "um, well," Ayumi was thoughtful, "oh! She's adopted."
Inwardly Hisana rolled her eyes, she knew that one.
"She grew up with our Lieutenant but she broke his heart because he liked her but she liked someone else. And when they weren't speaking for a bit Captain Kuchiki took them both off active duty and locked them in guest house so they would start talking again."
"He seems like a good brother," Hisana said softly.
"Yeah, once he took that sword for her after she was about to be executed and he did nothing, he became a really good brother."
Hisana felt like she was going to faint all over again.
Rukia almost executed?
He did nothing?!
Sensing her silent horror Ayumi barreled on.
"Well this is one of the rumors about her. Apparently," Ayumi said, "she gave her Spiritual Pressure to Captain Kurosaki to save him. And then Captain Kuhciki and Lieutenant Abarai came to bring her home. She was supposed to be executed but Captain Kurosaki fought through everyone to save her. He fought Captains and Lieutenants and Seated Officers--"
"What about Captain Kuchiki?" Hisana demanded, not even bothering to keep the tenseness out of her voice.
"Oh well," Ayumi frowned, thoughtful, "well apparently Captain Kuchiki promised his dead parents to always uphold the law. And when Lieutenant Kuchiki got sentenced to death he was gonna let them kill her but Captain Kurosaki came and saved her. And then," she jumped to her feet, excited, "Captain Kuchiki and Captain Kuroskai fought for her." she wielded an imaginary sword, "and Captain Kurosaki won!" she cried triumphantly, "and so he took Lieutenant Kuchiki, or he was going to anyway, but he couldn't."
"Why not?" Hisana demanded.
"I don't know," Ayumi said, "its just a rumor. But someone swears they saw the scar on Captain Kuchiki's chest after someone stabbed him to try and take Lieutenant Kuchiki," she shrugged, "and then after that they became close as siblings."
"How long ago was that?" Hisana demanded.
"Not long before the Winter War," Ayumi said, "I think it was a bit after her adoption," she fell back against the pillows, obviously missing Hisana's flushed face, "that'd be so romantic to have someone like Captain Kurosaki come and fight everyone to save you," she sighed dreamily, "even if its just rumors."
"Just rumors?" Hisana got out through gritted teeth.
"Yeah. And like Lieutenant Abarai said 'we won't confirm or deny anything'," she blew out a breath, "I bet it was made up though."
"Why?" Hisana asked.
"Well apparently Captain Kuchiki told Lieutenant Kuchiki that he adopted her because he married her sister who abandoned her when she was a baby."
Hisana's short nails bit deeply into the skin of her palms. He told her? After she had specifically asked him to find and protect her, he hadn't done that. And then he had gone ahead and told her after she had specifically told him not to. Now Rukia knew that she had a sister who abandoned her. What else had he told her? What had their relationship been like? She knew Byakuya had trouble letting people in but she had hoped that if he found her sister he would let her into his heart. Apparently for a while that hadn't been true. Siblings who were close didn't let the other be executed.
Half an hour ago she had been worried the first time she met Bykauya again she was going to faint or burst into tears. Now she had to worry about whether or not she could restrain herself from punching him.