[Edited]
The Moon That Embraces The Sun
Chapter –9
The night was beginning to come to an end. It was almost dawn but the fair haired woman couldn't bring herself to step out of the house, for she feared that she might share the same fate as her dear friend. She had gone missing for days now. They set off into the forest together, in hope to pluck some berries. But by the time it was time for them to return, she was the only one to come back. Her friend was no longer with her. God only knew what had happened to her. She could only, pray from the bottom of her heart for her safety. They had been talking. It took a while for her to realize that her friend was no longer there. She set on a desperate search to find her friend, hoping that she was only joking, and playing hide and seek. But then, she never showed up and she had decided to leave as quickly as possible, to inform the villagers of her disappearance. Days passed but there was no sign of her dear friend.
The blonde woman rubbed her hands together. She needed to set off if she wanted her mother and two little sisters to have a proper breakfast. They lived on the outskirts of the village. The market was still very far, right in the middle of the village. They were not the most able family in the village. The woman let out a sigh and nodded, as if reassuring herself that everything was going to be alright.
She needed to go. For the sake of her family.
If father was still here we wouldn't…..
She closed her eyes, forcing her mind to stop before finishing the sentence.
The wooden door creaked not too silently as she opened the door and slipped outside, as silently as she could. The cold air brushed against her and she wrapped the old knitted scarf around her shoulders tighter. It was only dawn and she could still make it home before her mother and her lovely sisters woke up. The sound of her sandals caressing the soft ground underneath echoed through the silence and her eyes darted around her, alert for anything suspicious. The fire posts provided enough light for her to make out the path but none hidden behind the shadows. Everything seemed eerie this morning.
Way eerie she felt goosebumps rising on her skin.
There was ruffling and she gasped. Her head jerked to the right where the sound came from and saw a cat yawning as it jumped off a roof. She stopped to ease the drumming beat of her heart and clutched the fabric above her chest, heaving a sigh.
And then, she saw a shadow coming towards her from behind. She was barely able to turn her head before a woven sack was wrapped around her head. Her screams were muffled by a large hand and she thrashed against the strong hold as whoever it was began to drag her away.
::
Aizen walked through the market. His beautiful niece was beside him, her eyes darting to and from things she took a liking to.
"Please!" he heard a wail.
The brown haired lord turned around to see a woman, probably in her mid-forties by the looks of it, in rags and crying as she went from person to person.
"Have you seen my daughter?" she asked a random man who shook his head in response. She only sobbed harder and walked over to someone else, asking the same question. Her body shook as she cried harder every time the answer came out as a no.
And then, her green eyes landed on him.
"My lord!" she came running towards him. Her eyes looked desperate and puffy.
"My lord!" she gasped as he kneeled in front of him. It attracted many eyes but he didn't care as long as the woman knew her place. "Please, may you live a long and healthy life. This humble servant only wishes nothing more than to find her daughter. She left this morning and never came back. Please, my lord, I request you, please, help me find my daughter." She begged, her voice breaking at the end.
Aizen crouched down to her level, taking one of her hands that were clutching the dirt. He needed to act compassionate and like the good lord as everyone knew him to be in public.
"Do not worry. I shall ask of the Emperor. Fear not, you will have your daughter by your side very soon."
The brown haired lord smiled gently and the woman looked all too grateful for his liking.
After all, he had no intention of letting his majesty know of the problem that arose in his kingdom.
::
The sound of hooves hitting on the grassy ground echoed through the air as two magnificent stallions tried to outrun each other. One black, the other white. Absolutely flawless, and unquestionably elegant, like the ones riding them. The white beast neighed, shaking its head as its long mane danced in the wind and its rider, a purpled eyed beauty with hair as dark as a moonless night laughed merrily. The black one, as if answering to its companion did the same and its rider, one with hazel eyes, as brown as it could be, hair orange like the fruit itself patted on the side of its head, urging the black beast to run faster.
"Come on, boy. Beat her." he whispered in its ear, a smirk playing on his devilishly handsome face.
The black horse neighed loudly and began to run even faster, passing its companion.
Rukia pulled on the reins, urging her horse to run even faster. Their surroundings passed in a blur as they competed with each other, to see who can reach the great water fall sooner. Behind them, the palace began to diminish in size as they rode away.
Her laugh echoed through the thick and humongous trees as her horse galloped expertly, avoiding all the obstacles in its way, so its master could win.
"I see you are falling behind, your majesty!" she shouted over her shoulder.
"Not quite, my love." His voice sounded closer than it should be considering minutes ago, he was way behind her she thought she might lose sight of him.
A startled gasp escaped her lips and she pulled on the reins harder, the horse striding even faster. Their breathing began to get uneven as they neared the clearing where the country's largest waterfall was. The sound of it was heard long before they could see it. It fueled her will to reach faster than her husband, beating him in their little challenge.
When Ichigo finally arrived at the clearing, Rukia was already there, standing beside her horse and running her hand through its mane.
"He has grown healthy." The emperor said as he dismounted his black stallion and walked towards her, holding the beast by its reins.
"It's a she." She said without looking up at him and he studied her side view.
A small smile graced her lips as she combed her hand through the white horse's mane. It was as if she was conversing with it, like she knew the animal language. She donned a white sleeveless dress with a slit on the side that revealed the brown boots she wore. It was loose and didn't hug her body like a second skin and he was glad he forced her to change into them rather than allowing her to wear the tight and revealing attire she picked. He didn't want all the eyes to ravish her body. It belonged to him. None else.
The strands that fell out of her French braid waved in the air as a soft breeze brushed past them.
She looked extremely breathtaking. He was glad he took her out. There was nothing but a frown on her face for the past two days. He knew she was a person that loved freedom; Yoruichi herself had said it several times.
If you want to win her heart. The woman's voice echoed in his head. She had been giving him every bit of information she knew of his wife though he had said to her that he didn't need them. But the lady witch had said that he wanted to and that she was very sure he was falling for her deeply.
Which was all very true.
And the fact that it had been two days since her assaulter escaped, Ichigo knew she wanted a sort of release of the pent up stress inside her. So, he asked her if she wanted to race with him. Her eyes shined with glee but she tried hard not to show the near-exploding excitement.
"She?" he asked as he tied the reins of his horse to a nearby branch and walking towards her.
"Yes, your majesty. It's a she." She repeated.
"I see." he said softly as he stood behind her.
Rukia felt his breath on the bare skin of the nape of her neck. It sent tingles down the length of her spine. Not before long, she felt his hands snake around her waist, slowly, as if asking her permission first. She didn't refuse him so he pulled her to his chest, her hands in the mare's mane losing and went limp by her sides. His strong arms tightened around her.
It felt peaceful. So much she couldn't help but close her eyes. There were the soft chirps of birds, streaming water and wind around them. His breaths and the beat of his heart against her back.
Perfect tranquility. So serene.
"Rukia." He whispered into her hair.
"Hm." She hummed trying to lean further into his touch.
"Rukia….Kurosaki." it felt like he was testing her name. Her new name. How it felt like. Of course, it was perfect. It fit her perfectly. Like she was meant to take his name.
"Yes, your majesty? What is it?" she asked in a low voice. Like she was scared that if she spoke any louder, the peace might be disrupted, it might disappear.
"It fits you." He said, closing his eyes and burying his face between the crook of her neck and shoulder.
"Of course." She said with a sly smile and a deep chuckle was his response. "It feels nice to be outside, away from all the stress of running an empire. I think I understand why you wish be so free."
"Mhm. The nature…riding is what kept me sane." She spoke softly, opening her eyes as the days she struggled for life passed through her mind. "The nightmares were constant back then. Places like these helped me gain my thoughts back."
"Would you like to share with me?" he asked and placed a kiss on her neck.
"Would you listen?"
Rukia didn't know where the sudden urge to tell him her darkest secrets and deepest agony came from. Would he understand? Would he leave? Would he look at her the same again? Would he still love her after telling him all those gruesome stories? But his words were enough to convince her that she was doing the right thing.
"Of course, I will. As long and as much as you wish to."
Rukia heaved a sigh and surfed through her memories.
~Ten years ago~
"Tell me Hana, what have you prepared for mother's birthday banquet tonight?" ten year old little Rukia asked the head cook.
The brown haired woman smiled warmly at the little child.
"Many things. His and her lordships' and yours favorite, my lady." Hana said, her eyes shining with glee as she looked at the young lady, already knowing the reason why she was asking.
"Is that so?" Rukia folded her arms across her chest that had yet to grow. "Then, do you have chocolate brownies, chocolate cakes and chocolate cookies? As well as that thing that melts in your mouth…" the little lady frowned, suddenly forgetting the name to one her favorite foods. "…what is it called?" she mumbled to herself.
Hana only giggled into her hands and she brought it down to pat on her head.
"Is that thing called chocolate trifle?" the cook's grin widened more as she knew what was going to come next.
Rukia's frown lit up into a wide grin and almost squealed.
"Yes! That's the one!" she then cleared her throat and stood straighter, looking like the lady she was.
Hana giggled again, seeing how her little lady wanted to grow up into an adult so quickly. She was already acting like one.
"Then," she raised her head, air of nobility surrounding her. "May I have a taste of it? I would like to see if it is edible for the guests."
Hana already knew she was dying to try some of the deserts she made. The lady inherited her father's pride to admit that her cooking was the best. And that she would like to have every bit and drop of what she made.
"You may. Right this way, my lady."
The ballroom was filled with so many people that Rukia thought she wouldn't have any place to move. There were people of all rank filling up the room and the huge courtyard outside. Her relatives, other nobles and commoners were all present. It was a huge feast.
To celebrate her beautiful mother's birthday.
Speaking of her mother, where was she and why wasn't she present yet? She was supposed to take the spotlight this afternoon.
Rukia walked out of the ballroom and into the hallway that led inside the monstrous mansion. She took hurried steps towards her parent's room, hoping to find her mother there and take her to the party. She lifted the skirts of her pink gown so she wouldn't trip over it as she ascended the large half spiral stairs donned by a deep scarlet carpet. A smile graced her lips and she hummed as she closed the distance to her parent's room.
The door was ajar only slightly and the raven haired little lady dared to take a peek inside. Her father had always said that prying was bad but she only wished to know where her mother was. Maybe because she didn't heed her father's words, was what made her turn into the color of a perfectly ripe tomato.
Her father, his hands around her mother's slim waist was kissing her deeply.
Was that how adults celebrate birthdays? Her young mind wondered.
Rukia cleared her throat and knocked softly on the door. Whatever they were doing, they should celebrate her mother's birthday with everyone else. Wasn't that the reason why everyone was present?
"Rukia!" her mother gasped and hurriedly pushed away her father, her cheeks tinted with pink. "Sweetheart, what are you doing up here?"
"I came to get you." Rukia said simply, walking inside like a true lady. "Good afternoon, father." She bowed to the lord Byakuya. He returned her bow with a nod of his head and Rukia thought he looked a little flushed though she couldn't understand why.
"Oh." Hisana said. She stood dumbly, her mind still unable to function properly because of the passionate and sweet kiss her husband has given her.
"Will you both be coming down with me?" Rukia asked. Her big purple eyes were wide with innocence.
Byakuya bent on one knee to level himself with her. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and a barely visible smile, if only looked closer, appeared on his handsome face.
"Of course, we will."
Rukia couldn't help the wide grin that broke on her face as she took both her parent's hands and pulled them towards the door, telling them how excited she was and all the things she would do at the party and after that and the many things she had discovered and learned.
The party was over almost an hour ago but Rukia still lay in bed, unable to sleep. Her mother's arms were wrapped around her waist protectively and she looked up at her pretty face. She was the most beautiful person Rukia had known. A smile broke on her face as she noticed that she resembled her mother more than she did her father. Of course, she would absolutely love to look like her mother. Not that her father was ugly, he was handsome too but she still wanted to look exactly like her mother. She placed her small hand on her cheek, feeling the smoothness under her fingers.
Her mother was so warm.
She snuggled deeper into her chest and her mother wrapped her arms around her tighter, even though she was fast asleep.
The door to her chambers opened slowly just the moment she closed her eyes that were drooping with heavy sleep. She opened one purple eye and saw her father enter.
His steps were hurried and she could make the slight panic on his face in the dimly lit room. He bent over them and called to her mother. She stirred and opened her eyes. He whispered something in her ear. She couldn't hear it because of the sleep that tried to consume her. And the next thing she knew, her mother was calling to her, shaking her shoulders gently.
"Darling."
"Hm?" she looked up groggily.
"Stay by my side, alright. Be very quiet. Do not scream. I'm here with you." She spoke as soon as she sat up and kissed her deeply on the forehead.
Her father stood behind her and she sent him a confused glance which he ignored.
Hisana grabbed her hand tightly and nodded at her husband.
She let her mother take her to wherever she wanted to go. Sleep tried to consume her once but when she heard the clash of metal against metal and a scream, her eyes snapped open.
"Mother, what was that?" she clutched her hands harder and shook her head.
"Everything is going to be alright." Rukia could feel the slight tremble in her voice. Her confusion only increased when her father had one hand on the hilt of the sword around his waist and the other around her mother as he led them to wherever they were going.
They passed the kitchen and Rukia made the mistake to look at the place. Her eyes grew horrified and her body began to shake as she saw Hana's lifeless eyes staring at her. She noticed a dagger embedded in her stomach. She opened her mouth to scream but a large hand was pressed against it. From the corner of her eye, she could see her father.
"Do not scream. You are going to be okay. Do you understand, Rukia?" he asked in a gentle voice and Rukia knew her father would never lie. So she nodded.
They walked past several other bodies, all dead. Their lifeless eyes looked at her and she felt so scared. Her father opened the door to his study and quickly shut it behind him. He walked over to one of the walls and tapped on a certain spot until a door opened. She was amazed that something like that existed in the mansion. She didn't even notice that there was a secret room in his study until now.
He gestured them to go inside. She looked at her mother once and she smiled down at her. Rukia knew she was scared but she was trying to be strong and look like everything was okay. She knew it wasn't. There was a feeling inside her that told her nothing was going to be alright again.
She felt as if this moment was a turning point in her life.
"Stay here and do not come out, do you hear me, my lady?" her father asked her mother as they stepped inside the room. He cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb on the skin before bending down to place a kiss on her lips.
"I will come for you, Rukia." He said glancing down at her.
Rukia nodded, knowing that he was telling the truth. He closed the door and everything turned dark. Light of the fire torches in the study seeped through the little hole on the door. Her mother sat behind her, one arm around her and the other on her chest. She felt uneasy.
After many moments later, her mother stood up. Rukia looked up at her in confusion.
"My darling Rukia, stay in here. I will be back." She said as she bent down to her level and cupped her cheeks.
"But father said not to leave this place." little Rukia said, her voice shaky.
"Yes, he did. And I am going to see if your father is alright." Her mother said. There was worry in her eyes and voice, so Rukia only nodded, putting every ounce of trust in her parents. "Be a good girl and remain here, alright. This will be over very quickly."
Her mother kissed her on the cheeks, nose, lips and forehead. It was desperate and she didn't like it one bit.
She opened the door and locked it behind her as cautiously as possible.
Several minutes later, she heard the clash of swords. It came from her father's study. She leaned forward and placed one eye on the hole, trying to see what was happening. It was silent for a minute and then a body was thrown right into the door where she was hidden behind. Rukia jumped back with a soundless gasp. The person who hit the door stood up and her body went rigid when she recognized the person as her mother. She was holding a sword, the sleeves of her night dress ripped and blood trickling down her arms. The hand she held the sword trembled uncontrollably. And then she saw a man. She couldn't see his face but she knew it was a man.
"I am so lucky to have met the lady Hisana herself. It would be a pleasure to kill you by my hands." The man said.
Kill…mother? Rukia's eyes went wide and she leaned forward again.
A bunch of soldiers stormed into the room and she felt relief flood over her. But when that man took every single one of them down, she heart began to increase its pace to the point where she thought it might tear her chest apart and jump out.
Her mother grabbed her sword again and charged at him. He sidestepped easily and stabbed her mother in the stomach with his sword that was dripping down with the blood of her father's soldiers. Rukia's hands began to tremble and the tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Where is she?" he asked as he retrieved the sharp sword from her mother's body.
"Like…I will…ever tell you!" her mother hissed fiercely despite the pain she felt.
"Where are you, little one?" the man who attacked her mother cooed, as if playing hide and seek with her.
Rukia pushed her back straight against the wall. That man with his brown hair slicked back and his brown eyes glistening with pure malice was dangerous. She couldn't go out, not when her mother and father were fighting to death to protect her. She promised them that she wouldn't go out until they come for her. But her mother was being killed. Was she just supposed to watch?
"No!" her mother, Hisana Kuchiki screamed. "Don't sweetheart. Do not come out." She cried. A smile in her eyes as she secretly looked where her daughter was.
Rukia wanted to cry as she watched through the small hole in the door but she nodded nevertheless, knowing that her mother will not see her.
A chuckle forced her to tear her eyes away from her mother, sitting on the ground with blood pooling around her. Her face looked pale, like she was very sick.
"If you don't come out, then…" the brown haired man aimed the bow at her mother."…your mother will be hurt." He said as he sent the bolt flying. It pierced her mother right through the chest.
Mama…
Time slowed down.
Purple eyes grew wide, as wide as it could be as she watched her mother cough up blood. She wanted to scream but there was no sound. She couldn't find her voice.
"Won't you come out, little bitch?!" the man snarled before unsheathing his sword and shoving it through the secret door she was hidden behind, he didn't suspect a thing since everything in the room was made of wood but Rukia saw the panic in her mother's eyes and face as clear as day. The tip of it impaled into her hip, a good inch deep.
There was no pain. She couldn't feel anything. Her body was numb.
The bad man went over to her mother, retracting his sword sharply, making her stumble.
He walked back to her mother and slid the tip of the sword against her neck, ending her life in one swift move. And if killing off her wasn't enough, he dug the sword back into her mother's stomach where his previous attack was still bleeding, raw and fresh.
Darkness clouded her vision as she watched while he ravished her mother's lifeless body. Still attacking her cruelly, like a wild animal, without any fear.
He didn't have a heart. There was no humanity in him.
He was not human.
Her body slid against the wall as unconsciousness overtook her.
::
"I killed my mother." His hazel eyes watched her as she whispered those words. Her eyes were staring off into space, like she was reliving it over and over again.
"Stop." He couldn't bear to see her like that. So lifeless, so dead inside. She had been living just for the sake of living. Because death wasn't ready to take her yet. Because it wasn't her time to leave yet.
He needed to bring that Rukia she told him about.
"I killed my mother." She said again, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes.
They were lying under the shade of a huge plum tree, its leaves falling around them. It created a beautiful scenario. But not exquisite as the woman lying in his arms. She looked so perfect to the eyes. But there were so many scars, flaws inside he doubted that would ever heal. But he will try to repair her. To help her regain her old self. The one who smiled frowned and giggled, genuinely.
"Don't say that." He wiped the lone tear that fell from the corner of her eye. "You didn't kill her. He did." his mind came up with zero possibilities to who that sadistic man could.
"I killed my mother." She turned her head to look at him.
The moment he saw her gaze, it broke his heart.
"She's dead because of me." Her voice broke and she clutched the fabric of his shirt as she stared into his eyes, tears streaming down sideways. Ichigo shook his head. He had seen people crying. But it wasn't as sad as compared to her. The raw hurt, so vivid even he could feel it.
"She is not dead because of you." He wrapped his arms around her and brought her flush against his body, not caring whether they were lying on the hard ground.
"Every mother would do the same if it meant protecting her child." He said softly, trying not to break into tears but his vision was blurred by them.
He ran his hand through her hair as she cried into his chest, his own tears falling.
At that moment, Ichigo vowed to find the man who did that to his wife. And kill him over and over a thousand times again.
::
Lady Rangiku knocked on the wooden door twice before opening it. Riruka sat on the window seat, her eyes staring out of the window. It had been days already since she last talked to the young woman. They have shared only a couple of greetings since Gina passed away. There were so many things she needed to ask her. She needed to know how she escaped that mansion. She needed to know to whom that mansion belonged to and why she was kidnapped. But Riruka was not telling her anything. It was as if she was hiding something.
But what?
The moment Riruka turned to face her; Rangiku knew she was having a vision.
"You better stay away if you want your head and body to remain intact." She said and stood up, eyes staring at her without blinking and her head tilted to a side. "Do you think they will sit idle? You do, don't you?
She chuckled darkly.
"The moon is beginning to fade away. It will only be a matter of time before it disappears completely. What will you do then? What will you do?!"
Her eyes turned scared and her brows knitted together.
"Gina is dead! They will kill her too! A fire so great it rises into the heavens. Its smoke so dark the day turns into night. The fear so great it forces people to their knees as their bodies tremble."
Rangiku was openly crying. Riruka was having the same visions as her. What was the meaning of those visions? Of what were they being informed of? Why was she seeing a huge fire? Why was the emperor crying? Why was everyone mourning, holding candles? Why was she seeing the royal wedding? Why did she see Riruka donning the clothes of the head spiritualist, a sword in her hand with blood trickling down her left arm?
Who is it that I must protect, Gina?
Riruka blinked once and straightened. Her eyes grew wide as she saw her lady shedding tears. She quickly ran over to her.
"My lady!" she shook her gently by the shoulders but the head spiritualist didn't move though the tears kept coming continuously. "Did I say something again?"
"Please forgive me, my lady."
Is it your sister? Answer me Gina! Who is it that I must protect?
A/N: Konnichiwa! ^^
Thank you thank you all you wonderful people for the many reviews follows and favorites :D I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There will be mistakes and like the previous chapter, I updated without reading it over. It's late over here but I just couldn't sleep without updating ^^ aren't I a sweetheart. (lol)
Anyways, I will be back to correct the mistakes (:
Ja!
Oh and I might have changed the genre from tragedy to drama :D like all my other stories. I think I scared some of you. Hehehe! Gomen!
But Ichigo and Rukia will have a happy ending, I can promise you that (:
