Dark Nights

Chapter 8: Hate me

Rukia's POV:

How dense can a person get until they finally have a momentum to kill or die?

"I'm getting seriously pissed off right now,"

Were my words.

I felt my arm drip in blood, my newly found scar burning in pain. Yet, the expression on Ichigo's face burning into my heart even more than a mere cut. Was it something I did?

Or maybe…

I didn't bother to look down to my newly crafted scythe, and I didn't bother to pay attention to Ichigo anymore. My target was Nemu. Did she expect me just to watch as she wounded my friend? Oh. Hell. To. The. No.

I noticed, she too had forgotten about Ichigo, and her eyes were only on me. Maybe I did become a freak. I don't care. "What?" I spat. "Have you stopped looking down on me yet?" The words weren't mine, but my voice, my heart meant them all too well.

Nemu grinned, her smirk turning into laughter. Whatever dark humor she found so interesting didn't have anything to do with me though. "So now that you grew a thorn you think your all bad ass?" She asked her android-self completely gone now. "Damn and I wanted to make this a fast job."

My grip grew on my scythe, and I held it out to my side, showing it off with a smirk. "Stop crapping," I said and in some clique way I sprinted off with speed I wouldn't have ever imagined been mine. In one swift movement I was in the air, a smile plastered on my face, and in another I was sweeping my scythe aiming for any part of Nemu's body.

Nemu almost showed no emotion, but eventually she gave in, the irritated-yet-I'm-so-pissed-off look growing more and more noticeable. Her arm somehow grew a sword, her android-like body probably providing it, and constantly our blades would clash sending sparks flying ubiquitously.

And I enjoyed every bit of it.

Was that wrong?

I forced my body to speed up, fallowing her and chasing her deeper into the forest. I cut down trees, plants, and found a way to making ice fly out of my scythe with a sweep, first as a liquid and hits as a solid. As I went deeper into my heart, I found I could do more and more.

Eventually I was addicted. Every blood I spilled from Nemu's body reminded me of how stained the world was. They were only cuts, but how many cuts can a human take? How many cuts do you think the world can take?

Nemu charged at me, my scythe sending the hydraulic Ice right into her face, she barely had time to doge, but escaped with a stain of ice on her face. She put a hand over her cheek were the ice was and it slowly started to burn her face away.

The only way to stop it was…

To rip it off.

She stayed on the ground whimpers of pain in her eyes.

"Rukia! Stop it! This isn't you!" That was Ichigo, finally caught up to us.

I didn't bother to look at him, maybe because he would actually convince me to stop, but a scratchy smile grew to my face and I held my scythe in front of me. "Just a little more Ichigo! I can control it!" I shouted Darkness already growing inside me.

And I fell in love.

With the power of my Darkness.

It taunted me with games and the more I won the more I gained. I couldn't lose. I was addicted. I was in love. I wanted more. Darkness spilled into my heart and it filled my body with power. I felt like I didn't have to try anymore.

I could just win.

"I was ready to die, a long time ago, and still am," I said with a smile. "So why aren't you?" and with that I swung my scythe over my head, ready to reap the woman. And I swung will all my force downwards.

"Idiot!" That was Ichigo again, and this time he was in front of me, not only pissed off, but with my weapon in his hands. "How much darkness are you willing to give into for power?" He shouted breaking my scythe into shattering light pieces with only a squeeze of his hand.

I rolled my eyes and stepped forward passing him completely, my cloths already shredded and ripped, looking more like dangling fragments than a yukata. I held out my hand and looked at Ichigo my body right in front of Nemu's pained one. "I don't need a weapon to reach a soul." And with that I fell into the darkness.

And then, those words weren't mine.

But my hand grew an icy blue flame and I reached into Nemu's chest grabbing the soul from her body and ripping it out, showing it off to Ichigo. "This!" My Darkness said. "Is a Soul!"

The flame was purple and black, flames of the same color swarming around it. There was no touch of light, not a single ounce, and I felt that I could squeeze it and break it with any false movement. "Too much force can break a Soul." I said. "And without a Soul, there is only a body, nothing for it to live off of." I said. "And some people with filthy Souls such as this one, don't deserve a Soul at all. How sickening."

Ichigo gave me a sadden look. "Rukia, did you really let the Darkness swallow you?" he asked.

I flinched, dropping the Soul into the grass. "Shut up!" I raised my hand and my scythe materialized back into my hands, holding it up to Ichigo's throat. "I don't give a damn about what you think!"

Ichigo held up his head high showing off his throat as if he want me to cut it. "If you didn't give a damn, I would already be dead." He said. "Rukia, your still in there, I know you can fight this."

I wanted to listen but… "Shut up damn it!" I cursed my grip tightening.

Ichigo inched closer to the blade, it scaring his throat and making the stained blood trickle down his tan skin. "I dare you."

"Stop it…"

"Kill me."

"No…"

"Kill me! For I rather be killed by you then to watch you suffer in the Darkness!"

"I don't suffer."

"Then kill me."

I didn't realize it, but my body was already in his embrace. I don't know how, or when he passed through my scythe, but I couldn't deny his warm touch eased me. I didn't want to breathe for I thought I would mess up everything. Though, everything was already messed up though.

"Rukia hold on, and let me save you from your Darkness."

XXX

No POV:

Ichigo wandered the tundra endlessly. So this was Rukia's Soul.

The snow devoured every part of the inner world. And of the purest white too. It was beautiful, that was until he reached a certain point of view. Far off from where Ichigo was standing was a lake and in the middle on the lake there was darkness that took the shape of thunder, bursting out from the core.

And rotting everything it touched.

That's where Ichigo knew Rukia would be. He flash stepped his way over to the edge of the lake, spotting Rukia's converse on the floor and feeling his heart swell.

Ichigo clenched his sword, and made his way to the center of the lake. Ichigo wasn't going to let Rukia suffer another second in the Darkness. The cracking ice was growing quickly and Ichigo looked down into the massive hole. Though there was nothing to be seen.

Ichigo puffed up his chest with a breath of air and dived into the crack head first, feeling ice cold water to hit is body. Ichigo squinted and swam down, trying to find, or at least see something.

The water grew heavier and the pressure made Ichigo's body hard, not to mention, he didn't have much breath left. The longer Ichigo went down the more he wondered how much more he could take.

That's when he saw it.

Maybe only a glimpse.

But he saw Rukia for sure, cocooned it darkness.

And he locked his target to where he saw her and swam faster down. And the visual became clearer, Rukia curled up in the cocoon, her body untouched. She looked like she was sleeping almost, yet Ichigo wouldn't take staring at her as good enough, so he stretched out an arm to reached for her, his heart already beating faster, but he hit glass, or some kind of gel-like goo.

Well whatever it was, he didn't have time to waist, or enough air in his lungs to stay under water for much longer. Ichigo put his hands against the barrier and pushed in, trying to break through. The pressure of the water was already getting to him though, his body couldn't take much more of it.

Ichigo pushed harder, and little by little he went deeper, almost able to break free. Ichigo felt his lungs start to ache, and burn and he let a gasp escape. "RUKIA!" was the name drowned by the water.

He reached her and pulled her body upwards, breaking through the goo and pulling her unconscious closer to his body. He pushed off the goo, and swam forward, seeing the light from the sky grow bigger and bigger.

The pressure slowly relieved, but his lungs were still burning, and he felt his eyes start to fall as he was slowly loosing consciousness as well.

But he was so close.

How could his body give up?

Ichigo felt the top of his head hit the air and he didn't hesitate to gasp out a breath of air, treading on water and putting Rukia's body up first, making sure she was safe as he pulled up his own weak body to the ice and lied down next to her, making up his absence of breath.

"Well Rukia..." he panted. "your officially the worst damsel ever." and he closed his eyes, forcing his heart to slow down.


Rukia's POV:

I felt warmth, and if felt like years since I had felt that. And I found myself opening my eyes, afraid to look up, but somehow I already had a sense of who's arms I was embrace in. So I looked up always.

And there was Ichigo. Watching me carefully with his amber eyes transfixed into mine. It's like he was saying 'Where is my thanks?'.

And then...

Ichigo's expression changed from protective to straight out pissed, threw his hands up . "Damn it Rukia, what were you thinking?" he shouted.

I gave him a weak smile. "Well I thought I could save myself... " I muttered shyly starting to feel like a total ditz. "But I kinda went over bored, didn't I?"

"Kinda? You put yourself in danger Rukia! What did you think you could do if she kidnap you huh? Run up to her, point and shout 'STRANGER DANGER!'"

I lowered my head and refused to look at him. "I-I'm sorry..." I said holding back the tears. "I-I didn't want to be a burden anymore..." I muttered. "I wanted to help..."

I felt Ichigo tense, and he put a cold hand to my face and picked my head up by the chin, forcing me to watch him. "Stupid," he said this time rather sympathic. "This is what happens when you don't listen to me." he said more childish now.

I nodded ignoring his conceited comment and letting his amber eyes soak into mine.

Then, I spotted the dried blood that ran down his neck, and I couldn't bear it, I realized what I had done, I realized what I caused. "You got hurt because of me," I choked, right above a whisper, trying to find my voice as I felt disgust dry over me. "Yet you act so casual! Damn it Ichigo." I said tightening my grip on his torn shirt and shutting my eyes hard.

Ichigo sighed. Picking up my head again, but this time more playful since he grabbed me by the top my head and not my chin. "Rukia, stop sulking, your dragging my whole hero-ness down, if anyone should be saying 'damn it' it should be me, I was expecting gratitude and a kiss from the damsel, and a-"

Slap.

"Bastard!" I shouted. "Who the hell are you calling a damsel!" I huffed puffing out my cheeks.

Ichigo just gave me a smile, his amber eyes almost shining with gratitude. "And a slap from Rukia." he finished.

I felt my heart skip a beat and tears edged my eyes, was this my punishment? I hung my head down low and I couldn't stop the grin that crawled onto my face. "Well when you put it that way," I said whipping my eyes before looking up at him. "I'm one badass damsel." I said shoved my face into his chest, hugging him.

Ichigo silently gasped, that was one thing he was expecting. But even so, I felt him wrapped his arms around my back. Then he got closer to my ear, and I felt his breath rub against my cheek.

"You still need to clean up your mess."

Insert cuss word here "_."

XXX

I sighed, staring at the orb which I called a "Soul." I wondered, do I dare touch it? But somehow I ended up picking it up anyways, but before I even got near it, I felt a sudden shock hit my hand, but I didn't pull back, instead the Soul went into my hand.

And the darkness around it started to disappear.

I looked at Ichigo and he shrugged back at me. "Well, what do I do with it?" I asked.

He crossed his arms, "Well, you did just gorge it out of her body, so why don't you just stick it back it?" He asked.

I was about to say 'That's the stupidest thing ever!' but then again, I had nothing better, so I walked over to Nemu's body, and hesitated to put the ord back into her chest. "Ichigo, don't forget, you better save me if she threatens to kill me."

Ichigo smirked. "Of course."

And I lurged the orb into her chest, and felt her heart skip back into beat, in sync with mine.

As Nemu's eyes fluttered open and I held my breath.

"What am I doing here?" She asked.

My eyes widened, she really didn't know what had happen? "Umm..."

"I thought I was in Central, on patrol." she said holding her head in pain, "Do you know where I am?" She asked.

Right when I was about to shake my head 'no' Ichigo cut me off. "Your right outside of Central." he said. "Go north and I'm sure you'll find the main town." he said with a smile.

Nemu got up, "Thank you," she said with a bow and flash stepped away.

Ichigo smile then turned to me. "We should start heading out too, after all we have a busy schedule tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" I asked as I watched him walk past me, his smile turning into a smirk.

"Oh, I can't tell you." he said. "If I didn't it wouldn't be as fun."

"Ass..." I said. "Carry me."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Oh please." but even if he said that, he walk towards me and bent over giving me his back.

I climbed on and rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes. "Don't you dare drop me."

Just as I said that Ichigo let go of me and I felt my stomach make a quick drop. "Oops." and he caught me again before I let out a scream. "I promise it won't happen again." He said but I could feel the sarcasm dripping out of his voice.

And for my answer, I slapped him across the head.


The Next Day:

I swung my feet over the bed, repeatedly kicking the wooden sides, making continues 'thumps' and 'squeeks'.

"Would you stop." Ichigo growled.

I glanced back at him with a smirk. "Why? Does it annoy you?" I asked.

"Greatly." he said. "Now shut up, I can't concentrate when you making all that racket." he growled peering out of one eye and scowling at me.

I couldn't help but laugh at the strange position he was in though. "What are you even doing?" I asked through my chuckles. "You look like your about to take a poo." I said hiding my smirk with my hand.

Indian style Ichigo got up from the floor in furry. "Shut up! it's not like you can track Reiatsu!" He hissed.

I rolled my eyes. "Who are you even looking for?" I asked calmly getting up as well.

"Not a person, a place." he said in a-matter-of-factly kind of tone, adding on a smirk. "Now I got you something last night, but you have to promise me that you will do as I say." he said pointing an index finger. "It's our best chance to get information about our little lost puppy." he said.

I felt my body stiffen at the thought of Toshiro. "How do you suppose we could do that?" I asked hesitantly.

"Rukia, I'm not any tramp on the street here," he said with a smirk. "I'm one of the greatest Soul Reapers out there, and, with that title, comes the honor of knowing some other powerful people." he said with pride.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows. "Let's go."

Ichigo nodded. "But," he said. "You can't go dressed like that. After all you have to make yourself representable, especially when you're going to be my partner. "

I suddenly felt dread to where this was going. "W-what do you mean?" I asked with hesitation.

He walked around me and went into the closet, grabbing a black dyed, sleeveless dress, with a corset-like waist that ended with three layers of blue-tainted ruffles.

I felt my jaw drop.

"Are you trying to make me look like Lolita chick!" I shouted, restraining myself from throwing my hands into the air. "What the hell were you thinking?" I asked.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Oh please..." he said. "It's a ball, not some high-school prom dance. People from hear wear this sort of stuff." he said. "And the Prince has a thing for cute, short, midget, girls.

I shook my head putting aside his ruthless comment. "No. I refuse." I made and 'X' with my arms. "Nowayinhell."


How was it that I got myself stuck in this mess?

The mission was clearly only to get more info about Toshiro's red moon problem from the prince. How was it that she was convinced to wear suck a ridiculous get-up? Ichigo of course, he said that the only way was to go under cover, but I didn't think I would have to suffer from lectures about the economy and fancy rich people with fake accents!

So now I was stuck sipping tea out of and vintage cup, and sitting there listening to boring conversation from people Ichigo said were important.

"So is this girl your - how do you kids say it? - Girlfriend?" the man asked and I felt the hot tea run back up my throat as I tried to hold in the cough. Which I failed at.

The man gave me a weird look.

I looked at Ichigo apologetic, but I only received a smile, cleaning up the tea that stuck on my face with a napkin gently, and making me fidget uncomfortably. "No, not really, she just a really important friend." He said towards the man, and when I he looked back down to me I blushed, I couldn't tell whether he was lying or not, and that gave me a rather unpleasant feeling.

The man nodded. "Well seems like I've taken enough of your time," he said getting up and pushing his chair in. "Pleasure to meet you, bye Kurosaki." He said and led a girl, who was at least more than half his age or younger, to the dance floor and joined the other slow dancing couples.

Ichigo got up holding out his hand for me. "Before we end the night with violence, care to dance?" he asked.

I stared at him for a second and hesitantly took Ichigo's hand, watching the tile as he led me to the dance floor. And as if on cue the lights in the room dimmed, and I could feel his arm wrap around my waist as he held me with caution. I tried to keep my mind on the slow, elegant music that played, but my mind kept on wondering what he was up too. And I couldn't help but notice how much sync we shared.

I though, tried not to make eye contact with Ichigo, but even so, I somehow started the conversation. "Ichigo, you know, I'm sorry about… I shouldn't have… I went too far yesterday..." I said feeling the scar I left him through my silk gloves. "These powers, I can't control them. I'm sorry."

Ichigo lifted up my chin in a familiar motion and smiled to me, a nice, warm smile. "Rukia, haven't you learned? No matter how far you go into darkness, I'll always be there to pull you out." he said. "last night's accident wasn't your fault, none of this is, you just need time with your powers."

I took the chance and my courage to look him dead in the eye. "How can you say that when I almost killed you!" I cringed "You even warned me to stop and I didn't listen! I—"

"Oh shut up, it's already happened and you can't change it," he said cutting me right off and stopping the swaying movement. "Right now, that's what matters, and right now were dancing." He said giving me another warm half smile. "So for once, enjoy yourself."

I nodded feeling confused and awkward. "Thank you."

Ichigo was giving me a painful expression though, his back hunched closer to my face, holding my waist tighter than before. I could barely make out his whimpering in until the song came to a even softer hum.

"Uh… Ichigo… is something wrong?"

Ichigo pointed downwards.

That's when I noticed my three-inch stiletto-like shoe stabbing Ichigo's shiny black shoe and quickly stepped off him, removing it, but our distance never parted. "Urgh, I'm so sorry Ichigo." I said embarrassed. "This is why you should lead."

"I agree." He said painfully with a smile. We hardly even noticed how close our noses were to touching, he even kept his back hunched over without realizing it... I think...

I just smiled though, shaking my head holding in the laughter. "Doofus."

"Hey-!"

Ichigo was cut of my a loud bang of the music that ended the song. And we both stared at each other, blush running across our cheeks as we detached.

"Uhh... lemme get something to drink." I muttered.

Ichigo nodded in agreement. "I'll see to the meeting with the prince." he said and gave me a quirky, half smile. And we both gave each other another awkward nod of agreement and went separate ways.

I went to the buffet and poured myself a cup of un-spiked punch and swallowed down quickly. 'Why am I so nervous?' I asked myself squeezing my eyes and reopening them. I set the cup down. "I need some air."

So I walked through and past the ladyfinger-conversations and the did-u-c-that-girl-conversations trying to block out all the Dilly-dally-shilly-shally in the room. Before I knew it I was already jogging towards the large, curtain covered, porch. I sneaked inside and hunched over on the railing breathing heavily and closing my eyes.

'Why do I feel so uncomfortable?' I scolded.

A dark figure caught my eye, right below the patio, staring up at me. As soon as he realized I saw him he hid his face with his hood and turned his back towards me. But why did I feel like I had to chase after him.

'Rukia...'

"Wait!" I shouted. "Toshiro wait!" I gasped at my words. 'Toshiro?' I covered my mouth with my hand. 'Why did I reason that it was him?' I shut my eyes once again. "I know it, it has to be." So I ran, opening the curtains wide and this time running through the conversations of people and skipping steps as I scurried down the endless staircase. 'Please don't leave!'

The Bellboy opened the large door for me and I nodded a 'thanks' to him running out into the lovely backyard, garden filled with different colors of different flowers.

I looked around panting hard and out of the corner on my eye I saw him, quickly pacing away, and I chased after him my stelleto's giving my feet blisters.

"Wait!" I shouted.

He stopped dead in his tracks and didn't dare turn around.

I didn't take a step forward but I didn't hesitate to speak either. "Please, I sorry if I'm bothering you but, I'm looking for a friend, and I would like it if you showed me you face." I said.

The hooded figure turned around making a sound like he was about to speak. "R-"

"Rukia!"


Author's Note:

uRgH. Me is sorry for late update. I was piled up with Benchmarks, Mock TAKS, and IA's... hopefully next chapter will be sooner that this one.

SOrry again.

Oh! and Cliffy! *insert Heart here*