Hello Everyone! Just wanted to say a quick "Thank You" for all of you AMAZING readers who took the time to review! I REALLY hope you are enjoying the story so far and that you'll continue to take time to comment and share thoughts and ideas! I'm also not opposed to questions so if you have any I'd love to hear them!
Just as a side note for this chapter, I often listen to music as I write to set a certain mood for scenes in my story, so if you ever want some "background/ambiance" music to listen to as you read I'll try share them if you'd like. If you don't care for it, tell me in your review and I'll exclude it! ;)
With most of this particular chapter I YouTubed the video "The Rain, The Piano" posted by Wintermood, which I in no way, shape, or form own! I LOVED it though because not only does it set the perfect mood but it also has the sounds of rain and thunder in the background! Just perfect! If you don't care for that then try "Broken Wings" the piano version from the anime Trinity Blood (also a good mood setter!) which I also don't own! ;) Thanks again and please enjoy! –Miko
In a dark room, in the quiet lonely palace known as Las Noches in Hueco Mundo, a silver haired ex captain of the Gotei 13 smiled. The sense of a certain spiritual pressure in the world of the living, though weak at the moment, was growing rapidly. A certain spiritual pressure that, although quite familiar, was now shifting and changing into something not even he had ever sensed before.
"It's time." He uttered with a snake-like smile on his ever grinning face.
"RUKIAAAAA!" Ichigo shouted, his voice beginning to go hoarse from yelling at the top of his lungs.
The rain that had started to come down in little droplets not five minutes ago was now coming down in sheets, drenching the orange haired teen from head to toe.
Stopping to catch his breath Ichigo doubled over, his hands resting on his knees as he fought for air. He had been running none stop in the direction he sensed Rukia had gone but after nearly a half hour of searching he still hadn't found her, much less caught up with her. She's gotta be running scared. Ichigo thought as he finally stood up straight again. How on earth could she have outrun me otherwise?
His thoughts then turned to what had happened in the classroom. What had happened! All of a sudden it had seemed as though she was sleep walking while playing out a nightmare. Then when she finally woke up she had screamed at him to leave her alone.
Ichigo's frown grew deeper as his thoughts grew darker. Right before she had yelled at him, she had the strangest look on her face. A look that said she was a million miles away in thought. And then she had screamed at him… but if Ichigo hadn't known any better, he had the sickest feeling in his gut that it wasn't *him* she was shouting at….
He shook his head furiously, sending hundreds of beads of water flying in every direction from his sopping orange locks. That doesn't matter! What matters now is that I find her! He fumed before taking off again, racing down another street corner. I don't know what's going on Rukia, but I promise you… I'm going to find out! He vowed….
Rukia ignored the burning in her lungs as she continued to push her body further and faster. Flashing lights and honking horns filled her senses as she flew past busy streets and huge office buildings. How could I have done something like that! She screamed internally as she narrowly dodged a young couple walking towards her. I can't believe I did that! How could I have EVER raised a hand against my friends! Especially Orihime!
Rukia's eyes, though nearly blinded by the torrents of rain coming down could still feel the prickling of tears spring to her eyes. And no matter how much she cursed them she could still feel them mix with the cold unfeeling rain as they ran down her flushed cheeks.
"*THEY* aren't your friends, Sister… but *I* am…." The haunting voice whispered in her ears.
Just then a huge crash of thunder was felt as vast streaks of lightening lit up the sky above her. Rukia's body jerked at the many sounds overwhelming her already overloaded senses causing her to come to an abrupt hault.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT!" Rukia screamed with all the energy she had left inside her.
At that same moment a loud horn blared directly behind her and she turned just in time to see the headlights of a car coming straight at her.
Her eyes widened in surprise when a powerful force slammed into her side, knocking her completely off her feet and propelling her to the opposite side of the street and rolling down a small embankment. When she came to a stop she realized that she wasn't alone. Strong arms engulfed her small body and her eyes grew ever wider when the smell of him assaulted her senses.
He was panting hard, his breath coming in quick harsh gasps that ran warm against her shoulder. His body was shaking ever so slightly and she was surprised to notice that hers was too, though slightly more so. One of his arms was wrapped around her head, the other wrapped firmly around her waist. It was at that moment that she realized what he had done.
Ichigo had seen it only seconds before it had nearly happened…. After turning a sharp corner he had finally caught sight of her school uniform sprinting ahead of him. In relief he pushed ahead, working hard to gain on her when all of a sudden she had stopped dead in her tracks… right in the middle of the street! All the air in his lungs seemed to vanish as he felt his heart freeze up in his chest at the sight of her looking skyward shouting something he couldn't hear over the sudden blast of thunder. All he knew was that a car was speeding towards her and she didn't see it.
In desperation he had thrown caution to the wind as he surged forward with all the strength he had and lunged for her, praying to any god who would listen that he'd reach her in time…
"Ichigo!" Rukia gasped, still unable to believe he was actually there.
For a moment Ichigo didn't reply. He had narrowly avoided what he could only deem the unimaginable and simply tightened his grip on her. His legs and arms protested weakly of the minor scrapes and sprains he had received from hitting the ground and breaking her fall but he ignored it and fought to swallow the knot in his throat. What if I hadn't made it!
"ICHIGO!" Rukia tried again a bit more forcibly.
"Are you hurt?" Ichigo managed to rasp out, slowly pulling back from her.
Rukia stared at him in shocked speechlessness.
"*HE* can't help you..." The disturbing voice interjected loudly. "…He couldn't help you before….." grotesque and vile images of her most recent nightmares filled her mind, filling her soul with dread. "….And he can't help you now. But *I* can."
"SHUT UP!" Rukia suddenly roared, breaking out of Ichigo's grasp and forcing herself to her feet. Ichigo gasped as Rukia's sudden break away jarred his wrist which he now realized was going a nasty shade of black and blue. No doubt sprained from his reckless fall. Without a word Rukia instantly took off in another direction leaving Ichigo behind in complete shock.
With an angry growl Ichigo sprang to his feet as well and chased after her.
"Captain! I've just received word from Head Captain Yamamoto that we are to take part in a special task force being sent to the world of the living to investigate the source of an unknown and unidentified spirit energy."
The tall dark form of Captain Byakuya Kuchiki stood motionless in front of the window he'd been staring out of, not responding to his red haired lieutenant's recent report.
Renji Abarai frowned as he watched his captain's back for a moment before coughing hesitantly. "Captain… Did you hear what I said?"
"Yes Renji…I heard you." Byakuya replied quietly, still not turning away from the window. "The source of this unidentified spirit energy… its location is Karakura town isn't it?"
Renji's expression changed to one of surprise. "Ah…YES! How did you know that Captain?"
Finally Byakuya turned to look at his lieutenant, his expression grim. "Because… I can sense that there is something wrong… with Rukia's spirit energy."
Stumbling for the millionth time Rukia reached into the pocked of her soaked school shirt and pulled out her soul candy dispenser, quickly popping the tiny mod soul pill into her mouth and forcing her soul out of her gigai.
"Rukia!" Chappy, her mod soul, asked in sudden dismay as she took in the distressed form of her master.
"Go back and help Ichigo!" Rukia commanded in a wavering voice before flash stepping out of Chappy's sight.
"RUKIA!" A frantic voice called from behind and Chappy turned to see Rukia's friend Ichigo charging towards her.
"She left me!" Chappy practically whimpered as Ichigo came to a halt in front of her. "It'll be ok." He reassured her as he placed a strong hand on her shoulder. Realizing that it'd be impossible to keep up with her the way he was now, Ichigo reached into his pocket and yanked out his substitute soul reaper badge. Swiftly forcing his soul out of his body he gave the limp form of his body to Chappy and ordered her to swiftly find Uruhara and be careful.
Taking Ichigo's body into her strong arms she quickly nodded in understanding as they both took off in opposite directions.
She crashed to the soft and muddy ground in an exhausted heap in the middle of a large deserted park near the edge of town. Gasping in lungful after precious lungful of air, Rukia's body refused to move a step further. So there she lay, in the mud and the grass as the rain continued to pour down around her.
Her body flinched at the ear splitting sound of thunder above and brought her hands up to her ears to try and block out all sound entirely… both inside and out.
"You can try to run from me Sister… but it's no use. You cannot run from what you are…."
"WHO ARE YOU!" Rukia shouted, somehow finding the strength to rise to her feet.
"Who *AM I*!" The eerie voice asked suddenly sounding angry. "WHO AM *I*!"
"YES! WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT!" Rukia cried to the heavens as lightening flooded the sky.
"….NO!…Sister…the question is NOT what do *I* want….it's what do *YOU* want!"
Bringing her shaking hands up to ball into tight fists in her dripping hair Rukia closed her eyes as she started to sink back down to her knees in the mud.
"Leave me alone…." She whispered miserably as her body fell forward.
"Rukia?" A hesitant voice filled her ears as she felt his hands catch her just before the rest of her body hit the ground.
In one swift gentle motion Ichigo turned her so that he cradled her head in his lap. She wearily opened her eyes to see his amber ones looking upon her with worry, concern and fear.
"What's….What's happening to me?" she implored brokenly, her eyes pleading with his for answers.
"I think that the REAL question should be what *HAPPENED* to you?" A calm and detached voice called as several figures stepped forward out of a nearby group of trees. "Or can't you remember Kuchiki-san?"
Before Rukia had time to blink she found herself propped up against a nearby tree, with Ichigo standing protectively in front of her, Zangetsu drawn and ready to strike at a moments notice.
"You're quick Kurosaki-san, I'll give you that, but are you really prepared to fight all of us?" Sosuke Aizen smiled serenely.
Ichigo's jaw jutted out in a deep scowl as he took in the forms of Sosuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, Kaname Tousen and a small handful of unfamiliar looking arrancar.
"What do you want?" Ichigo spat angrily as he gripped Zangetsu tightly.
"My dear boy, what on earth could I possibly want from you?" Aizen's smile grew wider as realization dawned on Ichigo's face. Instinctively turning to look at Rukia Ichigo nearly missed Tousen come flying at him with his zanpakto drawn and flashing.
Blades clashed loudly as Ichigo grunted under the weight of Tousen's blow.
"ICHIGO!" Rukia shouted in surprise at the sudden attack.
"Oh I wouldn't worry about him Rukia dear." A slick yet cheerful voice quipped as she turned to see the smiling face of Gin Ichimaru only a foot or so away from her. The sickeningly familiar feel of his reiatsu smothered her senses, making her hands automatically reach up to her throat to feel for choking snakes that weren't really there. "If I were you, I'd be more worried about myself."
"Gin." Rukia hissed under her breath like a curse as she fought to hide the terror his presence instilled in her. He only smirked at her as he took a step closer. "You look better than the last time we met Rukia, although not by much." He grinned while stooping down to kneel next to her. "You *do* remember the last time we met don't you?" he crooned facetiously.
"It was *HIM* Sister! …Don't you remember!" The spine-chilling voice suddenly snarled like a wild animal.
Images assaulted her mind once more. Faces, masks, laughter, pain, and then a new face; one that had blended into the others before stood out with startling clarity in her mind's eye now. His face…
Rukia's countenance immediately blanched as all of her memories came flooding back to her, forcing her to scramble away from Gin as quickly as possible. "Stay away from me!" she gasped, starting to hyperventilate. Without looking where she was going Rukia backed into something solid and looked up to see Aizen's smirking face. "You look upset Kuchiki…. Now let's see if we can get you agitated." He stated while drawing forth his Zanpakto.
"Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu." He murmured as Rukia watched unable to move or look away. With that said, Aizen suddenly disappeared using shunpo to instantly reappear behind Ichigo who was still engaged with Tousen in heated combat.
"NO! ICHIGO!" Rukia screamed in both horror and rage as Aizen lashed out at Ichigo's unprotected back. Blood filled the air as Ichigo cried out in terrible pain. Forgetting her exhaustion, Rukia immediately drew her Zanpakto ready to charge at Aizen for what he had done when it suddenly hit her.
Pain so agonizing it was impossible to imagine consumed her from the inside out. With an ear piercing scream Rukia doubled over, collapsing back onto the muddy ground writhing in complete agony…. Then, without warning, she suddenly started to vomit….
The terror in her voice and the sound of his name on her lips chilled him to the bone as Ichigo turned from his fight with Tousen to see both Gin and Aizen standing over Rukia who was now screaming in torment as a black and white substance poured from her mouth and eyes. "RUKIAAAA!"
Aizen's smile slowly started to fade as he silently watched the raven haired girl choke and gag between tortured screams as she retched up the black and white substance that slowly started to cover her face. Everything was going according to plan… her infection, her lost and recently recovered memories, even her aggression at believing his illusion of wounding Kurosaki… all had played out perfectly… until he saw the substance she was now gagging up.
"Gin….what have you done?" He asked coldly.
I hope it all made sense! I also tried to make this chapter a bit longer as another way of thanking you for all the reviews! Perhaps if I get even more reviews I'll make the next chapter even longer! ;) Thanks again! -Miko
