Thanks for being so patient, it's been a nightmare trying to keep up with all my stories so I took winter break off to reorganize my thoughts. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach
She ran threw the abandoned village, the dark ash from her zanpakuto swirled around her as she tried her best to avoid the energy blasts from the Arancar. There were three on her tail now, and she thanked the gods that Renji and Rukia were able to get the people out before the rest of the enemy force got there.
But there was another problem...how was she going to get out?
Matsumoto let out another vicious swear as she ducked behind another building. She was already severely injured, and her opponents showed no signs of giving up. They were on her tail and they were not going to give up until she was dead.
Damn.
Turning quickly down the next block and heading towards the end of the road, she suddenly stopped, letting out a gasp.
There was a cliff. It dropped close to sixty, seventy feet at least. Turning around, the Arancar warriors sneered at her.
"Quite a beaut', isn't she?" 89 chuckled, resting his sword on his shoulder.
"I hate to cut her flesh." 72 sighed, "Quite a pity indeed."
68 glared at them, "We have bigger fish to fry, guys. Let's kill her and get it over with."
Rangiku gritted her teeth together, holding the sword in front of her. She was trapped, there were no more escape routes that were easily accessible to her. Whatever she was going to do, she had to think of it now.
The three attackers arranged their stances, and began their attacks. Closing her eyes shut and preparing for the worst, she planted her feet readily into the ground. To her confusion, she felt nothing from the attacks. Opening her eyes, she stared in shock at the white robed figure in front of her.
"Gin-"
He raised his sword, "Shinsou, kill them."
She covered her ears, trying to block out the screams of the three Arancar as Shinsou began to vaporize them.. Before she had time to process what was going on, she watched in shock as Gin attacked his own allies. At the last moment, one of them fired an attack towards her. She did not have time to block it.
"Rangiku!" Gin turned around, grabbing her. The attack hit him first, his arms wrapping around her to protect her from any other attacks. The last Arancar caught a glimpse of him as he disappeared.
Aizen would find out.
There would be no where to run.
Gin held on tight to her as the attack forced them off the cliff. The wound in his side was critical, he did not have the energy to stop their fall down the cliff. As they plummeted towards the river below, he caught the sad look in her eyes.
"Wh...Why?" she whispered.
"Because." he replied before they crashed into the river below, "Because I wanted too."
There was a vague feeling of being dragged threw a long, white hallway. It was hot, too warm from him, and his afraid that he would melt as...whoever it was...dragged him by his ankle down the hall. At one point he passed out again, however when he woke, there were tight chains on his wrists and feet. It was long enough to allow him to stand, but not long enough for him to move easily.
"Well, well. Looks like the young genius has finally awoke." a snide voice floated threw his ringing ears, "Welcome to Hueco Mundo, old friend."
"You are no friend of mine." he replied, "Aizen."
"Come, come, Toushirou Hitsugaya." Aizen laughed, "It is only my generous hospitality that you are still alive. The Espada wanted to kill you right away but I told them it would be more adventageous for everyone if you lived."
"Excuse me if I don't thank you." he coughed, he had at least two broken ribs. They must have beaten him at one point, but he could not remember.
"You have grown well, Shiro." Aizen stood up and walked towards him, "No doubt, I know that you would have become one of the most powerful captains to ever live. I remember Yamamoto telling me the other day that you would eventually become the first division captain if you stayed on."
"I have no desire...to rule the Seireitei."
"That's why you are the best choice." Aizen stopped in front of him. Toushirou stood on shaking feet, coughing one more time and finding a trail of blood on the edge of his lips, "But I'm afraid that its never going to happen."
"Oh, why not?"
"Because, I am going to get information from you." Aizen raised a hand over the young man's chest, "And you're going to tell me what I need to know or-"
With a twitch of his finger, there was a loud, sickening crack. The ice Shinigami cried out as another one of his ribs shattered under Aizen's power.
"You will tell me."
There was a soft chuckle, and Aizen frowned at him, "You laugh?"
"I...will never tell you anything." Toushirou smirked, "You can break every bone in my body. I will die before I tell you shit."
"Such language and disrespect for you superiors-"
"Aizen-sama!"
The voice the echoed threw the hall seemed to silence everyone. Aizen looked him, the gaurds in the background had stopped yelling. Toushirou recognized the voice in the background but he could not quite place it.
Aizen straightened a moment, and glared at the shadows in the corner of the hall.
"You raise your voice."
"Please accept my apologies, Aizen-sama." she spoke, "But I believe that maybe it will suit everyone's best interest if he rests. If you intend to torture this young man, maybe it will be more effective to wait until he is completely healed, no?"
"You..." Aizen chuckled, "...can be more merciless then myself."
Toushirou turned his head towards the voice as she walked from the shadows. His eyes grew wide.
"I have only learned from the best, Aizen-sama." she bowed her head, "He will be my liability. I will be responsible for him."
"Of course you will, Orihime." Aizen nodded, "If something happens, as in an escape per chance, I will kill you in his place."
"Yes, Aizen-sama." she said.
The chains suddenly shattered from him, and he sunk to the floor. Orihime pulled his arm over her shoulder as Aizen chuckled,
"Tell me, Shiro...how is dear Momo-chan these days?"
They stopped, Orihime could feel his grip on her shoulder tighten almost painfully. It was obvious that Aizen had struck a cord with the ice warrior, and knew how to torture him in ways other then the physical.
"Don't talk about her like you give a fuck."
As the door towards the main hall shut and Toushirou found himself being deposited into a cell, and Orihime pulled out a med kit and began to work on his wounds.
"You." he whispered, "Orihime Inoue."
She gave him a sad, but happy-looking smile. It was the sort of forced, painfull smile that seemed to turn his heart. There were deep, dark circles under her eyes and her face was pale. The years of living in Hueco Mundo had definantly taken a toll on her. She was probably in her early twenties now, but she still had the same beautiful, youthful complextion, even though the aura around her felt like she was twice her age.
Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes at her, "Why did you save me?"
Orihime was quite a moment, holding her hands over his rib cage, "I can heal your ribs, but the other wounds will have to heal naturally. I don't have enough energy right now to heal the rest. Until then, I'll have some dinner brought to you, and you need to sleep."
She looked tired, more tired then he was.
"Why do you not rest?" he asked.
She laughed, a sad, but soft laugh. It was not to different then her previous one.
"I am on constant call for Aizen-sama." she said, "I am here to do his bidding."
"Inoue." he frowned, "What the hell are you doing here? Why do you escape-"
"Because she belongs here."
It was a rough, course voice that seethed behind the bars. Orihime's eyes instantly grew cold, and she sighed,
"Grimmjaw." she said, "Tell the others I will return shortly."
"You, woman, are healing the enemy."
"I heal the enemy every day." she said, finishing with Toushirou's ribs and tying the bandages around his arm, "Tell Ulquiorra that I will be there in a few moments."
The Espada regarded her with a different sort of look for a moment, and then glared at Hitsugaya. This was the Espada that Ichigo Kurosaki used to fight, and from what Toushirou rememebered, Grimmjaw felt lot stronger then he used to be.
"Kurosaki has a bone to pick with you." Hitsugaya told him, "In the battle, he says that he will come find you."
Grimmjaw chuckled, "I welcome him, boy."
Orihime's hands stilled for a moment as Grimmjaw left the brig.
"Toushirou-san?"
He looked at her as she was working on his wounds.
"How...How is everyone?"
Hitsugaya sighed, "Yasudora returned to his home country, I have not seen him in four years." he replied, "Ishida has been gone for a while as well, I do not know what has become of him, Kurosaki does not speak of him often. Kurosaki..."
She held her breath.
"...Kurosaki is a teacher at the high school."
There was a moment of silence, and then to his shock, Orihime burst out laughing. She was laughing so hard that she fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself.
Grimmjaw stood in the hallway in the shadows where they could not see him. He frowned, glaring at the floor.
She laughed. It was the first time he had ever heard her laugh.
Opening the glass doors to the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo was instantly glomped by a little blonde girl, who squeeled.
"Yuzu." he smiled, "I was only gone two days."
"We missed you!" Yuzu proclaimed, "You don't take good enough care of yourself either! I was worried."
"Aw..." he smiled, rubbing her head. Clapping hands with Karin, Ishida followed him into the house, "Oh, everyone, this is Ishida Uryuu. Be nice to him, he'll be staying with us for a while."
"Really?" Yuzu smiled, bowing quickly to the dark-haired man, "Good! I just made dinner."
"I-" Ishida looked at them. He had never really been part of a functional family, so it was all rather overwhelming. The furthest memory of his family that he had, was listening to his mother sit in the kitchen humming and knitting. She was a very powerful Quincy herself, and the daughter of a priest, "...thank you, I'll join you."
"Good." Ichigo chuckled, "If you had said no, she would have prodded you about it."
Ishida smiled as they headed up the stairs. Seeing the white hallways filled with rooms, Ichigo glanced down the halls, "Pick a room. It doesn't really matter."
"Alright."
Picking the room at the end of the hall, he set his things on the floor, and sat on the white bed. It was strange to be living in a hospital, but it did not bother him too much. Ruffling threw his things, he caught sight of the braclet on his wrist again.
He was returning to the fight.
It was a bold move on his part, he was not quite used to fighting so much anymore. Ishida only hoped the the peaceful years had not completely ruined his fighting abilities.
"Ishida! Dinner!" Ichigo called down the hallway.
Leting out a loud sigh, Ishida stood and left his room.
Renji stared at the path below. It was at least a 3 or 4 days walk to the Seireitei, taking into account the Shinigami, the wounded, and the civilians. They had at least sixty villagers with them, and about ten warriors that were unable to fight. To top it all off, the Arancar had taken over South Rukongai and were searching for him. Being a vice-captain, Renji was a more valuable prisonar then any of the others.
"Renji."
He frowned, turning to see Rukia behind him. There was a sad look on her face.
"Matsumoto-san and Hitsugaya-taicho are missing." Rukia replied, "Some of the villagers, however, remembered seeing some people going over the cliff, and the Arancar dragging off someone back to Hueco Mundo."
"Swell." Renji looked back at the mountains again. They would have to walk, there was not any other choice.
He was alone.
"What..." Rukia looked up at him, "...what are your orders?"
Renji did not reply to her. Rubbing his eyes he heard a storm in the distance.
"Get the people together. We need to find somewhere to rest for the night." he turned and walked past her, "We need to tend to the wounded and take stock of our supplies. We're on our own."
She did not said anything back at first, then she turned her head, "Renji-"
"Don't start with me Rukia, I'm not the mood to deal with you."
"God, you are such a coward!"
He flinched, turning to look at her. There was an alarmed, blazing look on his face. He was angry, there was no doubt about it. There was a boom overhead, and rain began to fall around them.
"Don't give me that." he said, "You don't know shit."
"This is all about me being engaged, isn't it?" she asked, "I don't understand what you're problem is Renji, its not like I chose it."
The rain started to pour.
"You know-" his arms fell at his sides, "-we've been together a long time, Rukia. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"We've never been together, Renji." she said, "We're commrades."
"Only commrades?"
She gritted her teeth, "Don't start with me."
"Don't start with what, Rukia?" he said blandly, "You won't face that fact that-"
"Shut up, Renji! This is not the time for this!"
"I will not shut up!"
"You think you're the only one that is upset?!" she yelled back at him, "Do you think I want to do this? It's not my choice!"
"You could have fought it!"
"I did!" she said, "I tried and I had to fight it all by myself! Maybe if you had said something back then instead of sulking like a spoiled brat maybe we wouldn't be in this position! I don't see what business of it is yours anyway!"
"It damn well is my business."
"Oh?" she put her hands on her hips, "And why, pray tell, is that?"
"Because I love you!"
She gasped, and turned away from him. He growled loudly, grabbing her arm.
"Renji! Let go of me-"
Renji yanked her back, pulling her arm towards himself as he circled an arm around her waist.
He closed his mouth over hers.
Time seemed to stop as he kissed her. She did not hear the trees, or the wind, or the people, or even the rain. All that she could feel with her senses at all was the soft lips on hers, the smooth hands that were wrapping around her shoulders. She was clinging onto the front of his uniform as he pressed her back against the tree, his mouth dragging over her lips and down her neck.
It felt more wonderful then anything that she had ever felt before. Her arms made their way around his neck, and she found herself kissing him back, her fingers digging into his red hair. His hands roamed over her, and in a moment where her thoughts seemed to return, she felt a warm hand slip under the hem of her kimono.
For a split second, Rukia seemed to gain control of her senses.
"STOP!"
She shoved him, and he stumbled back a few steps, staring at her in horror. The color had drained from both of their faces, and they was both breathing as if they had just run a marathon. What the hell was he doing?
"Rukia-"
"Vice-Captain Abarai! Kuchiki-san!" one of the scouts spotted them, dashing up the path on the hill towards them. Coming through the bushes, he saluted quickly, "We have located caves, sirs. We have gathered the people and have proceeded to settle them into the camp site for the night."
There was silence as Renji stared at her. One of her hands now gripped tightly on the front of her kimono, and she looked away from him. Her cheeks turned bright red.
Great. She would not even look at him now.
"Good." Renji turned to him, "Rukia and I will be along to help with the wards. I want you to arrange a watching shift."
"Aye, sir."
Renji followed him off. Rukia sunk to the ground next to the tree.
"Damn it..." she murmured, "...damn it..."
I was originally planning to write the last scene further on in the story, and then decided that I didn't want the story to be unreasonably long. The story will begin to pick up now, so sit tight and keep reading :D
I love reading all of your reviews! I'm glad people love this story so much. Don't forget to send a review to tell me what you think. I love hearing everyone's comments.
Arigato
Lilith
