Chapter 8: Grave Visit
*Thank you for the reviews. They help me feel better in my dark and dreary days. In this chapter we'll be focusing on Soi Fon and Yoruichi in Hueco Mundo and then Ichigo and Rukia. It's time for the other characters to have a spot in the limelight, don't ya' think?
The translation for Amanda's sword is "Rot, Midnight Corpse." I forgot to put that at the end of the last chapter.
SasuTenLuvr, as for the pills people would carry them to quickly end their lives so they could avoid torture and interrogation and leaking important information. Though Anna has already done that so she was just trying to avoid an even worse fate then death.
As for Orihime, we won't be seeing her for a bit, but don't worry she has not been forgotten...unfortunately. True, Anna didn't mean any harm but she took the money and did the deed. It wasn't like anyone was forcing her to do this.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Seirin or Ayame, just a host of OCs.*
Neither Yoruichi nor Soi Fon had ever been to Hueco Mundo or Las Noches personally but they had heard many detailed explanations and descriptions of the place. Endless white sandy dunes dotted with thin quartz like trees, pitch black sky with an inverse moon and no stars.
Then there was Aizen's drab white palace. Or rather the ruins of Las Noches. Most of the towers had large chunks missing or were gone completely, noticeable amounts of wall were smashed and the debris littered the sandy ground. It was hard to believe that six months ago this building housed the most devious and ruthless man Soul Society ever knew.
It was also the same building that worked as a prison for Orihime Inoue and Naoko Ishida. Yoruichi curled her lip at the thought of the torment Naoko was put through, her and Orihime on a lesser note. Naoko actually suffered here while all Orihime did was sit pretty and patient. Naoko remained strong and sane even after all this, while Orihime cracked like an egg. The feline woman thought with a repressed hiss.
"Shall we move in Lady Yoruichi?" Soi Fon asked.
Yoruichi sighed slightly. She's never going to stop calling me 'Lady' is she? Oh well...
She nodded and their small party moved into the dilapidated palace. The Head Captain had allowed Yoruichi, her lieutenant and four of their seated members to travel to Hueco Mundo and take a look around. Nel and Grimmjow had said that they were going to have the palace repaired and turn it into a sanctuary of sorts for Hollows. The damage on the building was obviously not a part of the renovations and the damage looked recent.
This does not look good. Yoruichi thought as she looked the large room over.
"Alright two of you go left, two of you go right. Keep your communication lines open and report anything unusual you see. We will reconvene back here in three hours time. Now move out!" She ordered.
Two pairs of bodies sprinted like the wind in separate directions. Yoruichi started walking down a partially lit hallway with Soi Fon trailing beside her. The whole place was quiet as a crypt. No life was stirring at all. This building felt more like a mausoleum then a palace.
"What exactly are we hoping to find Lady Yoruichi?" Soi Fon asked quietly. Her voice was easily swallowed up by the silence. If Yoruichi hadn't been standing next to her she probably wouldn't have heard her question.
"Any sign that Gimmjow and Nel are alive or dead. By the look of things and the recent damage I'd say very large battle just took place here." The feline captain said inspecting a large hole in a wall.
The pair continued walking and as they turned the corner they were met with the sight of a large splatter of blood on the wall before them. It was made even creepier that the blood was fairly fresh, perhaps four or five days old. It was Hollow blood and Yoruichi felt a twinge of pity for whatever poor creature the blood belonged to.
The duo kept walking and as they did they began to notice bits and pieces of Hollow remains peeking out from piles of rubble. Soi Fon walked a little closer to Yoruichi. This is starting to look more like a cross between a war zone and a graveyard. The Shihouin princess mused.
Yoruichi then cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Grimmjow? Nel? You guys here?"
Soi Fon grabbed and jerked her captain's arm, "Lady Yoruichi what are you doing?"
"Well how else are we going to find them? Relax Soi Fon with the two of us here I doubt any Hollow could stand a chance," Yoruichi reassured her. She went back to calling out for their Arrancar allies. Soi Fon looked around warily.
After spending well over a half hour calling for their friends Yoruichi kicked a small rock in frustrated defeat. The small rock flew and hit something eliciting an audible groan. The two women heard the soft groan and rushed to where it was heard.
Lying before them was Grimmjow coated in fresh and old blood that had come from the deep lacerations on his body. On the side of his face part of his jaw mask was cracked. He looked as though a large beast had chewed him up and spit him out. Yoruichi dropped to her knees and, out of habit, pressed her fingers to his neck looking for a pulse. Do Hollows even have pulses? They don't have hearts so...
Luckily she didn't need to worry if he was dead again or still alive. He let out another soft moan and his eyes blearily opened. Yoruichi gently shook him and tapped his face when he started to slip into unconsciousness.
"Grimmjow come on stay awake!" She ordered firmly.
The blue haired Arrancar hissed weakly, "What?"
"Do you remember me?"
Grimmjow's brows furrowed as he squinted at the woman leaning above him. "You're...Yoruichi right?"
She nodded, "What happened here?"
The Arrancar groaned and screwed his eyes shut. "That bastard...he was supposed to be dead...Nel and I..."
His eyes snapped open and he looked at Yoruichi, "Nel? Is she...?"
"We haven't seen her yet, we just found you. Soi Fon, start checking around here for Nel, hopefully she's not too far."
The shorter woman nodded and started searching and Yoruichi went back to trying to keep Grimmjow conscious. As she walked the petite lieutenant noticed something odd. They were not alone, there were Hollows creeping about, she caught glimpses of them from the corner of her eye. She walked passed a narrow hallway and the Hollows in it cowered away from her. Granted Soi Fon could be quite intimidating when she wanted to be but this was just plain bizarre.
These monsters have a damn right to be afraid of me but I'm not even trying to be threatening right now. Either there's something bigger here that's scaring the crap out of them or something was here. She thought as she spotted more masked monsters running like bats out of hell away from her.
After rounding a few more corners Soi Fon found a voluptuous woman with sea green hair lying on her side coated in just as much blood as Grimmjow was. Her sword lay just a few inches from her fingers. The lieutenant dropped to the floor and gently shook the larger woman. Nel groaned and blearily opened her eyes only to fall back into unconsciousness.
"Damn," She cursed under her breath.
Soi Fon then turned to survey the area and behind her she saw a greater splattering of blood on the wall. The floor was littered with bits and pieces of Nel's Fracción. Their bodies were torn and mutilated almost beyond recognition. She felt a chill shoot down her spine at the gruesome sight.
The lieutenant sheathed Nel's sword at her hip and then proceeded to haul the woman onto her back and carry her.
"Damn, you're heavier then you look. But I bet most of your weight is in your chest right?" Soi Fon muttered.
She hobbled back to Yoruichi. Their men had arrived and were making a make shift stretch to carry Grimmjow. At the sight of her lieutenant and Nel Yoruichi asked, "Is she...?"
"Yes, she's alive." Soi Fon stood up after two of their men gently took the unconscious woman off of her. "Her Fracción are dead though, or rather have been mercilessly murdered."
Yoruichi reached into a small pack tied at her hip. A Hell Butterfly rested on the palm of her open hand and slowly unfurled its wings. She whispered a brief message and opened a window size Senkimon Gate and let the insect go.
"I sent a brief heads up to Unohana about getting two new patients." She inclined her head to the Arrancar pair. "Our men will be going back with them and we will continue our search here. The Hollows in this place having been acting...bizarre and I believe it's in our best interest we find out why."
Soi Fon nodded quietly and looked down at the prone figures. She could only wonder what in hell could not only bring down two powerful Arrancar, make the other Hollows to cower submissively and if there isn't something worse than Aizen lurking in the dark halls.
"And that's about it I think. I know a lot has happened since I came last year and not just to me. But don't worry I'm handling it well or at least that's what everyone keeps saying." Ichigo sighed. "There are times when I don't feel cut out for the job of a captain. I have the strength but I don't know if have what it really takes to lead people. I guess I'll just have to trust myself and do my best."
Ichigo looked at his mother's grave, freshly cleaned and polished with a bouquet of flowers set before it. Things had changed since the last time he and his family had visited their mother's grave, though one thing remained the same.
"Not to be rude, but are you done yet?" Perked the oh so sweet voice of a violet eyed midget.
Ichigo looked up at Rukia who had her head cocked to the side waiting for his answer. He had been quite surprised that she was the one who suggested they weekend off and come visit his family.
"I know this weekend in particular is significant to you. Besides Kiyone and Sentaro can watch the division for a few days and your family loves it when I come to visit."
"Yeah, sure." The tangerine boy stood and bowed to the grave before leaving. He noticed Rukia wasn't following. "Hey are you coming or what?"
She fidgeted a little, "I'll catch up with in a sec alright. Just go ahead without me."
Ichigo blinked and then something clicked in his head. "Wait a minute. Do you want to talk to my mother's grave?"
Rukia's face went deep red. "Just go! I'll catch up with you later!"
The tangerine teen held up his hands in a placating manner before walking away, "Fine, fine I'll give some privacy. Seriously midget you really need to start controlling your temper."
Rukia huffed before turning her attention to the grave, "Fool, sometimes I don't know why I put up with him."
As soon as her back was turned Ichigo ducked behind a large gravestone. This was something he definitely wanted to hear.
"Sorry about that but your son can be so stubborn sometimes. But I'm sure you already knew that." Rukia said as she knelt down. She rested a small bouquet of lilacs, which she had been hiding behind her back, down. "Um...I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Rukia Kuchiki, lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division of the Gotei 13 and I'm your son's lieutenant but I'm sure he already told you that."
She paused and wrung her fingers, "I don't normally do this sort of thing, you know talk to the dead sort of since I'm technically dead. I don't even do this for my sister Hisana's grave I think it's because she looks so much like me that I can't stop thinking about how weird it is.
"You know Ichigo talks about you and it makes me wish I could've met you. You sound like a really wonderful woman. The only family I had was my sister. I never got to meet her, she died a year before I entered the Spirit Academy and Nii-sama found me. That would be Byakuya Kuchiki and he adopted me because my sister asked him to when she was dying. At least she loved me that much.
"Ichigo is really lucky at least he knew that you loved him. I have no idea how Hisana felt about me, all I have to go on is what very little my brother tells me. But I shouldn't be talking about this sort of stuff right? I know Ichigo said he doesn't feel fit to be a captain but...personally I think he fits the bill. He looks very...handsome wearing that haori.
"I know Captain Ukitake made the right choice in wanting Ichigo to replace him. Captain Ukitake was the former captain of our division. He's not dead or at least dead again but he retired due to his illness and frail health though he is still a strong man in his own right and a good man at that.
"Ichigo is a really good person too. He cares about the people under his command and a lot of them respect him and are proud to serve under him." Rukia paused glancing up at the blue sky. Her eyes softened and she smiled gently, "You should be very proud of your son. I know everyone else is."
She looked back at the tombstone and rose. Rukia bowed, "It was very nice talking to you Mrs. Kurosaki."
Ichigo waited until she passed by and then quietly followed behind her. He picked up the pace until he was right beside her before casually asking, "So...have a nice chat with my mom?"
In a split second Rukia's fist was buried in Ichigo's stomach. The taller teen doubled over gasping. She may be small but Rukia packed one hell of a punch.
"Damn...you midget..." He gasped.
"That's what you get for eavesdropping. Honestly you really need to improve on controlling and hiding your reiatsu." She growled as she walked away.
After regaining his breath Ichigo straightened up, "Hey Rukia?"
She whirled around and glared at him.
"That stuff you said about me being a captain. Did you really mean that?"
His lieutenant huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "If I didn't mean it then I wouldn't have said it."
Ichigo felt warmth blooming in his stomach as he watched her walk away.
"Ichigo! Ichigo wake up!" Hissed Kon as he tried to shake the young man awake.
Said young man seized the stuffed animal by the throat. "You better have a damn good reason for waking me up or so help me the minute Naoko and Uryu get back here I'm giving you to Naoko as a new chew toy and letting Uryu have free reign in putting you back together."
Kon paled and gulped before trying to wriggle out of Ichigo's grasp. "It's Nee-san. She's crying."
A little stunned Ichigo released the animated toy. He listened closely and he could hear soft sniffling and muffled sobbing coming from his closet. Ichigo quietly clambered out of bed and opened his closet. Rukia had her back to him and she was curled up in a ball and shaking.
"Rukia? Hey Rukia come on wake up." He whispered while gently shaking her.
She didn't wake but instead let out a small sob. Ichigo then slowly slid his arms underneath her and picked her up. She was so much smaller all curled up against his chest in his arms. The slightly ruffled tresses, pale skin and all around cute sleeping face made her look so damn irresistible. He laid her down on his bed on the side up against the wall and then lay down next to her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kon hissed.
Ichigo scowled and grabbed the scruff of the stuffed lion. "Look, I need you to keep watch okay? If my sisters, or hell, my dad catch me and Rukia in bed I will never hear the end of it. She needs someone right now okay? And I'm seriously tired and want to sleep, so I'm just trying to kill two birds with one stone alright?"
"You're just trying to disguise your perverted attempts to fondle my Nee-san when she's at her weakest!" Kon softly accused Ichigo.
The tangerine haired teen respond by throwing Kon forcefully against the wall across the room.
Ichigo sighed and looked down at his bed and jumped out of his skin. Rukia was awake and looking at him with her haunting yet hypnotizing amethyst eyes.
He clutched his chest, "Damn midget, are trying to give me a heart attack? How long have you been awake?"
"Didn't mean to scare you strawberry. I woke up right after you set me down." She looked at him with a slight mischievous glint in her eyes. "So did you bring to your bed to...you know?"
"No, Byakuya would tear me to shreds with that girly sword of his if I even thought doing anything like that. You were crying in your sleep and I couldn't wake you. I thought if you felt eh presence of another you'd calm down. That usually works for my sisters." He explained as he settled himself down on the bed.
"Oh, well I can assure I'm fine and I'm sorry for waking you." She replied sitting up.
"Like hell you're fine. Your eyes are red and your cheeks are still wet. Now lie back down and tell me what could've made someone as strong as you cry." Ichigo gruffly ordered.
Rukia stayed sitting up and drew her knees to her chest. "Remember when I said that you were lucky to know that your mother loved you? It's just...Byakuya doesn't talk about Hisana. If I ask about her he just clams up or changes the topic. It has gotten better before he would just leave the room and avoid me for a while.
"But I just..." Rukia's shoulders started shaking. "I don't know if she ever loved me."
Ichigo blinked at her in surprise. "Rukia..."
"She just left me when I was a baby! I know life is hard in Inuzuri; it's very hard but still! What if she...What if she abandoned me because she hated me?"
Ichigo sat up and wrapped his arms around Rukia as she started sobbing again. He soothingly rubbed her back as she clutched his shirt.
"Rukia I gotta ask what brought this on?" Ichigo asked carefully.
She sniffled, "All the times you talked about your mother and how she loved you and your family, it just made me think and question if Hisana ever loved me. I know she spent the last part of her life looking for me but was that really out of love or just a guilty conscience?"
The pair was quiet as Ichigo continued to comfort her and she calmed down.
"Rukia I can't speak for your sister about how she felt about you. I don't know if it's much consolation but there are a lot of people here and now that do love and care about you and...I love you." Ichigo said softly.
The young woman's heart bloomed with warmth and she felt herself relax and feel happy. "I love you too Ichigo."
*Shit this was a long chapter wasn't it? But I really hope you liked the IchiRuki goodness I jam packed in here. Now I don't hate Hisana in fact I like her. Anyone who can make Byakuya smile and feel warm and fuzzy is cool by me. But you have to wonder what Rukia thinks and speculate about her sister and her actions.
The bit with Rukia talking to Masaki's grave I just...I don't know I like that scene so I put it in. I think it'd be really cool if the two ever crossed paths...wait a minute...I just got a brilliant idea...be right back! *zips away*
Gin: While the authoress is away, the characters will play! So you guys know the drill so do your part to encourage our authoress to keep writing by reviewing.
Ayame: Next chapter will be getting back to beloved royal siblings or not, hard to tell where the Empress is gonna go. Stay tuned! :D*
