Chapter 7
Ichigo stared at the man standing before him. He could sense Rukia moving closer to him as the man's eyes turned to her.
"What does he want?" Ichigo asked quietly.
Rukia shook her head. "I don't know," she whispered. She turned to see Ichigo's furious expression and took his hand into hers. "Just don't do anything...rash, okay?"
Ichigo turned his head to retort, but on seeing her pleading look, he sighed.
Renji was the first to approach them, his face looking grim and tired. Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "What is going on, Renji?"
Before Renji could say a word, the man bowed his head slightly and turned to face Rukia. "Rukia-san, I apologize for coming unannounced. I hope you are doing well."
Rukia nodded slightly, her eyes looking away from his.
He continued to look at her, his lips pursing. "I have just come to inform you that your brother has suddenly fallen very ill. Your presence is requested by your aunt. I have been asked to escort you back to meet with your brother."
Rukia's eyes widened and turned to Renji, who nodded. She looked from Ichigo to Renji, her lips slightly quivering. "Nisama...is he alright? What happened?"
Renji sighed. "He became ill after you left, Rukia. Captain Unohana-san is still attending to him. You aunt wants you to return immediately as your brother is asking for you." His eyes softened when he saw her nervousness. "Don't worry. I have been told by your brother to bring you right back once you meet him."
Ichigo stepped forward. "Then I will come as well with Rukia."
Takeshi's eye's narrowed. "I'm sorry, but only Rukia-san's presence is required. Not of any other...commoner," he sneered, causing Ichigo to step forward.
Rukia tried to hold him back, but saw him reaching in his pocket for his shinigami badge. "Ichigo, don't you dare use that! It will just result in a needless fight."
"That's fine by me," he gritted his teeth, still trying to pull his shinigami badge out to use. Renji walked forward and pushed Ichigo back a bit. "Oye, take it easy." Takeshi watched him closely, his own hand extending to his sword as the two behind him approached with their own swords ready. Rukia's eyes widened as Renji noticed as well and blocked their paths, his hand also reaching for his zanpaktou. "That's enough," he said quietly.
"Put down your swords. This is between us," Takeshi said coldly, motioning his hand towards Rukia and Ichigo.
They glared at one another, Ichigo having to be constantly restrained by Rukia. It was only after her whispered plea to calm that he finally relaxed and stood protectively in front of her. She quickly took his hand and pulled him away from the others, watching as the crowd below began to slowly disperse.
Ichigo stood fuming in his spot, his eyes watching Takeshi. "Something is up, Rukia. I don't like it."
Rukia looked at him sadly. "I know. But this is no place to be starting an argument, or worse, a fight between you and them. You know they will not back down if something was to happen, Ichigo. And if Nisama is really ill, I need to make sure he is okay too. I will be fine."
Renji approached them and turned to Ichigo. "Listen, Ichigo. Takeshi-san is right. At this moment, it's just best to let Rukia go...but..." he added as Ichigo opened his mouth to retort. "I have already been given the responsibility to bring her back here. And I will..."
"I still don't see why I cannot go," he growled, staring at the men suspiciously.
Renji narrowed his eyes. "You honestly think those goons are here for nothing, Ichigo? I know you think you can take them on, but you can't. Not all of them, and certainly not here where there are many people around who can get hurt. Why do you think I made sure to come as well? They are here to make sure no trouble is brought up in bringing Rukia back with them."
Ichigo grew furious and was about to argue, but the warning look on Renji's face silenced him. He stared in frustration at the smug look on the man and then at Rukia, who also nodded reluctantly. "I will come back soon," she whispered to him, taking his hand into hers.
Ichigo could feel the man watching them carefully, and drew her close to him. The look on Takeshi's face was enough for Ichigo to know that he had noticed and Ichigo grinned at the man. He let her hand go reluctantly and she gave him a small smile.
As Rukia walked towards Renji, the man inched his head fractionally to the side where one of his guards stood and made a small nod. Renji quickly stilled and looked over to Rukia. "Why don't you go ahead, Rukia. I need to talk to Ichigo for a moment."
The man's eyes turned coldly to Renji. "You were asked to escort Rukia-san back, Abarai-san."
Renji bowed his head slightly. "I apologize. I will certainly follow in a moment, but there is some pressing matters I need to talk to with this human."
Takeshi stood for a moment, his eyes challenging both Renji and Ichigo before turning without a word and leading Rukia away. Ichigo watched as Rukia turned once more to look at him before disappearing amongst the crowd. He turned to Renji, shaking with anger. "If anything happens to her, Renji…"
Renji snorted. "You think you are the only one concerned, Ichigo? I told you, I will take care of her and make sure nothing happens. But there really wasn't anything we could do right now. If not now, they would have gotten her to go back sooner or later. Let's just hope Taicho gets well soon and allows me to bring her back."
Ichigo's eyes turned to where Rukia had disappeared, his fists clenched.
---
Rukia walked behind Takeshi as he led her down the narrow hallway towards her brother's room. There was nothing but silence, though Rukia was aware that there were eyes watching her in the shadows. When the arrived, Rukia found Captain Unohana standing by the door as she spoke to one of the servants. On seeing Rukia, Unohana smiled gently and approached her.
"I hope you are well, Kuchikis-san. He is resting and I can assure you, he will be fine."
Rukia swallowed a lump that had been forming in her throat and nodded. "Do you know what happened to him?"
Her eyes widened when she felt Unohana's grip on her hand tighten slightly, but the warm smile did not leave her face. "We can speak on the matter later. For now, all I know is that he became ill after breakfast. But do not worry, he is in no danger. I'm sure he will be happy to see you again. Why don't you go inside?"
Rukia nodded and walked inside as Takeshi escorted Unohana out. She entered and found him sleeping. Kneeling before him, she took his hand.
"I am so sorry, Nisama. This is my fault," Rukia whispered. Her brother looked so helpless; something that Rukia had barely ever seen and wished to never see.
Her eyes opened when she felt his hand gently tighten on hers. His lips were moving, but his eyes were still shut close. She could barely discern what was being said, but could sense him trying to say her name. She gently placed her cool hand on his forehead, which seemed to calm him slightly.
"Kuchiki-sama?"
Rukia turned to find an elderly man standing nervously at the door. "Your aunt is requesting your company."
Rukia nodded, gently letting go of Byakuya's hand as she got up. She followed the old man through the hallway, her heart beating rapidly with each step towards her aunt's room. Leiko Kuchiki was a member of the family who had always loathed Rukia from the day she had been adopted, treating her as if she was no better then the lowest filth of Soul Society. They had barely ever spoken with each other, which was good for Rukia. Even with the proposal, she had not seen her aunt as much, but she knew that her defiance was the reason for her aunt taking a more active role in the Byakuya's affairs.
They finally reached her room, entering upon the summon of the aged woman.
The room was illuminated with only a few candles, and a light breeze flickered through the drawn doors. The servant led Rukia to the back of the room, where she found her aunt sitting. Rukia stood still as she waited to be acknowledged, as the woman in front of her sipped her tea slowly. Finally, a very light motion was made to sit, and Rukia obeyed immediately. Although the room was large and beautiful, Rukia felt suffocated, yearning to be anywhere but here. She could feel her aunt's eyes on her, and kept hers downcast.
Rukia looked up finally when she heard a soft clatter in front of her. A small cup was placed before her, and a servant gently poured some tea. Rukia thanked the girl quietly as her aunt coughed to gain her attention.
"Drink," she commanded quietly. Rukia nodded and took a small sip of the scalding tea, feeling the burn it left behind.
"Do you know why you are here?"
Rukia nodded. "I was called because Nisama was ill."
The woman pursed her lip slightly, a very quiet chuckle resounding from her, sending a chill unknowingly through Rukia's spine. "Yes. Byakuya. He really doesn't take his health very seriously, now does he?"
Her eyes turned to Rukia, piercing them with her icy stare. "But my question was not why you are in Soul Society. It is why you are here, with me. Your brother...shared some very interesting developments this morning."
Rukia felt her breathing stop, her eyes widening slightly as a sneer appeared on her aunt's face. "Imagine my surprise when I learned that my nephew defied my orders by refusing a proposal that I had picked out for you. A proposal that would have probably found some use for you after all."
Leiko stood up, turning away and walking towards the open door, shutting it quietly. "You and your sister have always been a curse on this family," she murmured. Her eyes turned to Rukia, who could do nothing but stay rooted in her position.
"Did you know that before your sister entered my nephew's life, he was to be engaged as to someone else?"
Rukia's shook her head as Leiko smiled coldly.
"Yes. It was to the daughter of a very old friend of our family. His own clan was falling under harsh times, losing their status of nobility due to the questionable behaviors of some of their members. Yet my husband was very close to them. The daughter was of great beauty and refined manners, despite the harsh times they were going through. She was the perfect choice for my nephew. But in the end, he shocked us all by declaring himself to be in love with some commoner. He married her, despite the objections of his family."
Leiko took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "The girl's family was livid, to put it lightly. Everything had been prepared for the union of our two families. What was worse was that the day after the news broke out, we learned that their daughter also ended her own life after learning that she would not wed Byakuya. He was not aware of what occurred. Even though they were very angry, they agreed to keep the matter quiet. We felt it as a stroke of luck, being that it would have completely destroyed our name. But their loss was something that still has haunted us all these years. They had forgiven, but certainly not forgotten. They used what happened for their own benefit."
She looked vacantly out the window. "It has been a very...tiresome burden."
Rukia swallowed when her aunt turned to look at her. "I was very disappointed in my nephew, and even more so when he added more insult by bringing you into this household. You may have been accepted as a Kuchiki by others, but never by me. But I cannot ignore the fact that it is you that is the key to ending this absurd grievance we have found ourselves in. For some unknown reason, their youngest son showed an interest in you, and they were willing to forget all past occurrences if we agreed to give your hand to him."
Leiko turned to Rukia and walked over to her. Her long, slender fingers grasped Rukia's chin and pulled her face up. "I did not tell you this earlier because I felt you would obey my orders without fail. Yet this doesn't seem to be possible. I will not let another brat of such inferior birth ruin the one chance I have to be rid of this hindrance that has been hanging over my head all these years. If I see you disobey me once more, I will make sure you and the reason you defied me is erased from existence forever. If I see you running after that…filth of a ryoka …again…"
A slight cough made both turn to the door. An elderly man stood by the doors, a smile spreading on his face as his eyes turned to Rukia. She shifted uncomfortably at his gaze and moved slightly over as he made his way to her aunt. She knew him to be one of Takeshi's uncles when he was introduced to her earlier. Yet even though he was the most jovial by nature, she could not shake off the feeling of a strange coldness that she felt from him whenever he was near. She bowed lightly when his attention turned to her.
"Kuchiki-san, it is so wonderful to see you! I apologize for not having gotten an opportunity to see you on our last visit."
Rukia smiled and bowed her head respectively, yet not saying a word as her aunt interrupted immediately. "Ah, our dear Rukia was away for a few days on an assignment. But she is back now and the preparations can resume."
Rukia opened her mouth but lost her voice at the look her aunt gave. Before she could do anything, the two were speaking once more about the wedding as they made their way out into the hallway, leaving her alone.
She felt herself collapsing on the floor as she fought to calm her breathing. She had known it, but didn't want to believe it. It was all a trap. She knew it the moment she had met Unohana; she had not said anything, but Rukia understood. She began to feel anger boil inside her at the thought that her own brother's life was used to bring her back like this.
"Ichigo…" she whispered. What would his reaction be if she did not return? Would he know something was very wrong? Even if he did, what could he do? She knew that her aunt was very serious in her determination to make certain nothing happened to ruin the plan she had set in motion. If he came, she knew he would be in danger.
She quickly got up, determined to find Renji. She knew he could help her find a way to get out of this. They would probably have to wait until Byakuya was well enough again, but until then, they had to stall. Her small feet made barely any noise as she walked through the hallways. She stopped abruptly when two figures came out of the shadows to stand before the door. Her heart pounded when she realized it was the same two men who she had accompanied Takeshi to get her. They bowed lightly and one spoke. "We are sorry, Kuchiki-san. On orders of your aunt, you are not allowed to leave the house without her permission."
"What?!" Rukia blurted out, stepping closer and finding them blocking her path.
"We are sorry, Kuchiki-san, these are our orders."
She felt her lips quivering as they bowed again, yet refusing to move from their positions. Knowing there wasn't any way to get past them, she turned and walked away. She stopped in front of her brother's room, and looked in to find him still sleeping. "Nisama…" she whispered.
---
Ichigo sighed in frustration as he slammed the phone down again. It had been two days now since he last saw Rukia. Two days that Renji had said he would bring her back safely. Yet he still had not heard a word from them. Not a single word about how Rukia was, where she was, or when she would be returning. He couldn't even go to Soul Society to see what had happened to her since Urahara had left. All he could do was call Renji repeatedly, and even then he could not get a hold of him. He got up and paced the room again as Kon watched him curiously from the couch.
'Please be okay, Rukia…if anything happens, I swear I'll find a way to get to you.'
---
The wind howled as the thick, grey clouds thick loomed overhead, threatening a downpour. Rukia looked up, remembering a time before when the rain had brought nothing but despair to her and the ones she loved. She turned down the narrow winding path and walked quietly, the strong winds lashing at her.
Rukia stilled when she heard faint footsteps enter the garden, and approach her. She did not even need to turn to know it was Renji.
"Rukia, what is going on? I came to take you back to Ichigo, but I wasn't even allowed to meet you."
Rukia sighed softly, tightening the hold of her shawl as the cold morning air drifted through the garden. She continued to walk down the path wearily, Renji close on her heels. Her eyes lingered momentarily towards the entrance of the garden, making sure they were not being followed. After making certain they were alone, she turned to face him.
Renji's eyes narrowed at her state. Her eyes were swollen and red, her once glowing skin pale from sickness. She could barely stand on her own weight, relying on objects around her to keep her steady. Yet the thing that surprised him most was the look in her eyes; one that showed her defeated and tired soul. He exhaled deeply and put his hands on her shoulder. "What happened, Rukia?" he asked quietly.
She shook her head. "That is for later…Is Ichigo okay?"
Renji's grip tightened. "He is fine. Rukia, what happened?"
She clutched her shawl tighter, biting her lip. "I don't have much time, Renji. I don't know what to do. Nisama…"
After telling him of everything that had passed between her and her aunt, Renji let out a frustrated sigh. "I knew it. I grew suspicious the moment taicho just suddenly became ill after he had met with her."
Rukia nodded. "She is very angry and I don't want to risk Nisama's and Ichigo's life because of this. I was just too stupid. I shouldn't…so many things just went so wrong."
Renji shrugged. "You didn't know, Rukia. What we need to figure out is how to get you back to Ichigo."
"I already told you, Renji, I can't. You saw how determined they were to bring me back in the first place. I'm being watched now all the time. I had to sneak out just to see you. And…I can't leave Nisama in this condition."
Silence ensued until Renji coughed lightly. "So then, what should I tell Ichigo?"
Rukia looked around wearily when she heard a sound in the distance and shook her head urgently. "Just…stall. Until Nisama is better, I won't be able to do anything. But as soon as he gets better, I'll think of something. Just…make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
Renji snorted. "Easier said then done."
Rukia sighed. "Just watch out for him, okay? I need to get back to my division. It's the only place that I'm allowed to go to so I'm going to make the most of it."
Renji nodded. "Alright. I'll let Ichigo know and we'll work something out until Taicho is better."
Rukia nodded. "Thank you, Renji."
---
Ichigo grabbed the phone even before the first ring finished.
"Renji! You finally called! Where the hell are you?! Where is Rukia?!"
There was a moment of silence before Renji spoke. "Ichigo, we need to meet. We have a problem."
Ichigo raised his brow, anger welling up inside him. He knew it. Rukia came to his mind instantly, and he sighed into the phone. "Is Rukia okay?"
"She is. But I need to meet with you right now."
Ichigo noted down the location and headed out as soon as he turned off the phone. Renji had assured him Rukia was alright, but Ichigo knew from the tone of Renji's voice that something was very wrong. He gripped the handle of the car wheel as he drove, wishing that he could see her right now. Just to make sure she was okay.
He finally approached the park where they had met earlier and went out to look for him. He found Renji standing at the same spot near the tree, hidden.
"Oye," he muttered. "What is going on?"
Renji motioned for him to follow and they made their way down through the park. He relayed everything that Rukia had told him to Ichigo, who appeared livid. He knew he should have taken care of those three from the very beginning. After Renji was finished, he looked over to find Ichigo staring blankly at the ground, his hand fisted angrily as he was in his own thoughts.
"What are you planning to do, Ichigo?" Renji asked, his brow raised as Ichigo looked up at him.
"I'm going to go get her, that's what. There is no way I'm going to let her get married to that guy."
Renji snorted and crossed his arm. "How do you plan to do that? They are watching you, Ichigo. Talking to you is putting you in enough danger as it is, but Rukia wanted you to know what was going on. Do you honestly think they will allow you to roam freely in Soul Society?"
His eyes widened when Ichigo grinned. "They won't have a choice."
---
"You don't look well, Kuchiki-san."
Rukia turned her head towards the door to see Captain Ukitake walk in. Her tired eyes shifted back to the paper work that was on her desk. "I am alright, taicho. There was just so much work that piled up in my absence. I'm sorry."
She heard a soft chuckle as Ukitake walked over to her, putting his hand gently on her shoulder. "Do not worry over it. You had your reasons. But right now, you should really be resting. You have been growing paler by the day."
Rukia smiled weakly as she rubbed her eyes. "I have not been well, yes. But I think being here helps keep me busy and my mind off of things. Please do not worry over me, Ukitake-san."
Ukitake sighed, shaking his head lightly. 'How can I not worry?' as he watched her return to her work, her eyes filled with a sadness he wished he would never have to see.
---
Night fell as the moon illuminated the alleys of Sereitei, leaving a hushed silence other then the few shinigamis on patrol. Outside the walls, the gatekeeper Jidanbou, worked furiously to not nod off from his post. His eyes slowly slipped down, not realizing the two figures in hoods walking up to him.
"You think this is a good idea? I say we just enter the way we did the first time?"
The second figured snorted. "Oh yeah, we can really sneak in that way, Ganju."
Ganju narrowed his eyes at the figure and walked over, making sure to bump his shoulder hard for emphasis on his annoyance. "Since when have you become such a careful one, eh?"
He walked up to the sleeping Jidanbou and poked him hard, earning a grunt from the giant before them. Jidanbou opened his eyes in annoyance and stared angrily at the two figures.
"You better have a very good reason for waking me or I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your miserable existence. Who are you?!"
Ganju snorted and yawned as the man next to him took off his cloak, earning a surprised look from the gatekeeper.
"Kurosaki Ichigo. Open the gates."
To be continued.
A/N: I'm sorry I posted this later then expected lol. I have been ill these past few weeks, so such a bbiiiigg thank you to my best buddies Ava and Janina for reading through this and helping me in more ways then I can ever express. Thank you both! *HUGS* Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments and reviews. They are very helpful and very appreciated. Hope you enjoy!
