Chapter 9
Her surrounding was dark and gloomy due to the heavy rain. As she ran deeper into the woods, she prayed and wished that someone will come and rescue her. She felt her cheeks wet, which, she couldn't tell whether it's from her own or the raindrops. She took a glimpse at the blood on her obi and appeared faintly on her hands. She shivered at the thoughts that she had killed him. She recalled the moment her blade stabbed through the ex-fukutaichou and sensed a black soul full of hatred and death emerged from the other side, moving dangerously towards her. She ran as fast as she could without turning back, knowing, someone or something behind, was chasing her and will hurt her mercilessly.
'Kaien-dono…why can't I save him and why can't anyone save me?' she whispered without slowing down.
She ran to an opening and suddenly she saw Kuchiki Byakuya stood tall facing his backs towards her. Her heart leaped and she increased her speed with a smile, which started to form on her lips.
'Byakuya nii-sama will help me… Byakuya nii-sama will help me…he will surely save me,' she enchant between her breaths.
Before she could slow down, Byakuya turned and to her utter shock, he held out his Zanpakotou ready to slice her. She dodged in the nick of time before the sword touch her neck but unfortunately it managed to cut her left shoulder. Thick red blood began to cover her obi, mixing with the previous one. Without pausing, even to face Byakuya and demand an explanation, she kept on running, faster than before.
'Why? Why…nii-sama? Why, nii-sama?!!!' she screamed in her mind and this time she was sure it was her own tears fell on her cheeks freely.
The forest, now, seemed deeper and darker than before. Her thoughts swirled with the changes around her. As her tears partly blinded her vision, she failed to see that she had come to the end of the forest. The clearing in front her is only a short distance to a sea cliff. It took her few seconds to realized that she was almost at the end of a cliff but was too late when she felt her feet did not touched anything solid. She almost fell into the waves slamming the cliff angrily below which filled with jagged rocks, if not of two strong hands that gripped her right hand tightly.
Amber met violet and for once, she took a deep breath and started to calm down. His scowl and smirk never left his face but as she understands him, she knew something was not right. Slowly, he began to release his right hand's grip, one finger at a time. She watched with a total shock and confusion with his doings and within seconds, her life clung entirely on his left hand. She lowered her gaze to the waves below and when she turn to look at him again, her face changed in a flash and she began to smile.
'I understand now. I never deserved to be alive. I took Kaien's life to save my own. I tried to hold on to my pathetic life hoping that nii-sama, Ichigo and everyone else to save me. I am a disgrace, to myself and to my own existence…arigatou…for reminding me…I will let you go with ease. No more regrets…'
And slowly she let go her grip on his hand and felt her body slipped away. Right before she closed her eyes to accept her fall and her death, she sensed her body was welcomed in embrace. She caught glimpse a pair of serene green eyes gazed into hers, as if screaming into her mind, telling the opposite of her thoughts.
'I need you…I always need you…don't leave me here alone. I will be lost without you… Rukia…' was all she heard before she shut her eyes completely.
Rukia woke up with a start. She breathed haggardly and quickly scanned her surrounding. She was still in fourth division and the sun shone brightly outside. She choked when she remembered her dream and slowly she stepped down from her bed. She winced as she felt pain shot through her whole body, but shrugged it off knowing that she will need some time to recover. She took a stroll outside, aware that she was heading towards the only lake in Seireitei, which is far away from the division four. But for the time being…she didn't care. She wanted to breathe in fresh air and to be left alone.
She found a spot and sat, lost in words to the beautiful scenery in front of her. The wind blew her hair and she smiled sadly wishing that her life ended back then in Hueco Mondo. The dream…her dream had shown the real meaning of her life. She had nothing in her grasp. She felt so low but refuse to cry and pour it all out in tears. She had become strong, at battle and at heart. She managed to handle Ichigo back there along with her dignity and beaten an espada and an ex-fukutaichou. She let out a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting her reiatsu seared through Seireitei. She accepted all the images at once from each and everyone in Seireitei and let her soul roamed free almost everywhere.
"Rukia…how are you?" said a red haired.
"Eekk…Renji!! Baka! Can't you see I'm resting?" barked Rukia slapping his head. Renji boiled in anger when he saw his head swollen to an egg size.
"What the heck was that for? You are the one who's baka! Resting should be in bed, not here!" yelled Renji in return. He flopped himself next to Rukia.
"Ahh…ano….that…" stuttered the raven haired shinigami when Renji began to wave his hand up and down.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever stupid. I know you are resting. In your own terms of course," said Renji, which earned him another quick slap. Both Rukia and Renji glared for sometime with heads twitching in anger. But Renji broke the glare first and look up front. Rukia smiled a little and letting her eyes fell on the blue water.
"Ne…Renji. I'm glad that you are around. Thank you for being there for us. We couldn't made without you. Arigatou…' said Rukia. Renji watched her silently from the corner of his eyes.
"Tell me Rukia. Why did you stayed back? I left thinking that you will be safe when that reckless boy is around. But when I heard taichou is the one who brought you back, I couldn't help wondering why did you stay behind," said Renji keeping his gaze to the lake. Rukia froze at his words. Realized that she's stiffen with the question, Renji turned to look at her.
"Renji, you already knew what happened there. I could understand him. Even though what he went through was deeper than I am, but believe me…I do understand how he feels," replied Rukia slowly. Renji let out a small laugh.
"So….it's Ichigo and Inoue, eh? You are really becoming strong. The way you took care that brat smoothly and the way you flared out your reiatsu just now, let it roamed around this whole place, I can sense your power had level up. Perhaps you can even reach bankai with a little more practice. Sooo…is there any chance for me now that the brat is gone?" asked Renji playfully but waited for her answer nervously.
It took Rukia sometime to digest Renji's words in her brain. Not that she couldn't understand the meaning of his words but his phrase arrangements caught her off guard. Rukia's face lit up before she turned to face Renji.
"In your dream baka! Who wants a tattooed freak like you? I might screamed off if I saw you in the dark with the weird red hair. One might thought a haunted fireball is floating around!" replied Rukia in a shriek.
"Why you...!!!" and it took both Renji and Rukia glaring each other for a few seconds before they erupt into laughter. Renji felt glad that they are on the same ground, understand that she need space of her own for the time being while Rukia felt a relief, knowing that Renji understood her well and respect her decision.
"Rukia, don't you think it's kinda chilly out here? I think it's better for you to rest in your room. Who knows you might catch cold after this? Come on," said Renji brushing his hands to keep it warm.
Rukia nodded and felt weird at the same time. She looked up to see the sun still shone brightly. She couldn't help wondering why she felt cold in the hot sun, which showed it is almost at noon by now. Rukia just shrugged off her thoughts and followed Renji slowly back to division four.
Least both of them knew that a figure stood, not far away from them, folding his hands close to his chest. His face sink with a frown as he watched the two childhood friends now walking side by side together, laughing and smiling that left him irritated terribly. He couldn't sleep the whole night thinking about the girl and watching the red hair talked to her before him made him feels uneasy. He wanted to be the first to see her , to greet her warmly and to spend time with her, but his big chested fukutaichou, Matsumoto Rangiku was hovering around him, pestering about what happened in Hueco Mondo for the past three hours. Only when he threatened to use bankai on her that she shunpoed away and left him in peace.
Now watching the two together, he couldn't help but felt uncomfortable with their familiarity. He's the one who needed to see her the most, and he, understands her well compared to that tattooed freak! He watched Renji venomously and couldn't control his annoyance that instead of creating a warm atmosphere matching his boiling anger, iciness filled the area…thanks to Hyoruinmaru…
