To those who review and read:
Taeniaea: Here, I updated! It's late but it's up!
Harpygirl91: You love it? Really? Wow! I'm the writer of a good story?! ...Shocker.
SesshyLover180: The Soul Reaper Princess is the most powerful Soul Reaper to date. She's apart of the Royal family and thus was automatically made a soul reaper. Only the Captains know what she looks like-past and present-and, like Rukia, who has similar qualities to one of the living. It'll get clearer later on and I will reveal who it is but not now.
Saturn's Spawn: Yeah, I read it! It rocks! I have it favorited and I no likey your cliffies! Update for KAZI! UPDATE...please!
moifah: Here be your update. I think there's couple more after this that I'm posting today...yeah, at least one more if not 2.
Still no voice messages or texts and it was already lunch. Where was she? What was happening? Was she all right? Was Urahara taking care of her?
Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what to do. Should he call her? No…she promised she'd call and if he called first, then he seemed desperate. He didn't want to seem desperate. It would possibly scare her away. Ichigo sighed. Why hadn't she called him yet?
"Check that cell phone one more time and I'll kick your ass, Ichigo." Tatsuki warned as Ichigo checked his voice mail for the umpteenth time.
"I'd like to see you try." Ichigo shot back, sending a text message to Hotaru's phone. "I have a friend that I'm a little worried about her."
"Is this 'friend' the same one you've been spending so much time with?" Rukia asked a little suspiciously. She had been like that since Ichigo was only around for his Soul Reaping duties. It really was pissing her off. Ichigo didn't care; to him, Hotaru was much more important.
Before Ichigo shoot back a snappish reply, his cell phone rang and he knew the ringer he had assigned to this number. He got up from the others and secluded himself to take the call. He pressed 'send' and let the caller have a piece of his mind as something out of the corner of his eye. He saw Hotaru with her cell phone, standing by the front gate of the schoolyard. He ran over to her and grabbed her shoulders.
"Where the hell have you been? Don't you realize how worried I've been?" Ichigo half demanded, giving her a little shake. Hotaru looked at him a little surprised at his reaction.
"I'm sorry, Ichigo. I just got done a little while ago." Hotaru admitted apologizing. "Mr. Urahara really worked me. He even helped me fashion a locket that'll help me displace your spirit if Kon's nowhere near by."
Ichigo saw the square shaped locket around her neck. No doubt to was meant to channel its energy through her body so she could merely touch him if a Hollow was near. Ichigo suddenly hugged her, showing her how worried he really had been. He pulled away and held her face in his hands.
"Don't you ever worry me like that ever again. I wasn't sure whether that Hollow got you or that Prince Sapphire guy." The deputy soul reaper told her firmly.
"I'm assuming this is the 'friend' you've been so worried about, Ichigo." Rukia's words cut their alone time short. And there she was, her arms crossed and the Lady Reaper was pissed. "She's pretty, for a mere human. Perfect Hollow bait, if I do say so myself."
"Kuchiki, Rukia. Soul Reaper of 150 years. A royal pain in the ass and the one reminder of 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki's beloved wife who has left this world and the Soul Society." Hotaru rattled off, taking Rukia by surprise.
"Who are you?" Rukia asked with a hiss.
"Hotaru Tomoe of Tokyo, Japan." Hotaru responded calmly. She had a blank face, similar to the one she had as Sailor Saturn but her eyes weren't as cold. "It's been a while, Rukia. How's your brother doing? Is Byakuya behaving himself?" Rukia got suspicious immediately. "Although, he has Renji to keep track of so his life expectancy might have gone down a few hundred years."
Rukia suddenly attacked Hotaru. Her locket glowed as Rukia tackled her into the ground. Hotaru laid unmoving under Rukia, her eyes closed. A sword blade was put to the side of Rukia's neck.
"The next time you attack someone, make sure they can't become a Soul Reaper." Hotaru now stood behind Rukia as a soul reaper. Her black kimono had a white obi, no sleeves, and a short skirt with slits up the sides. Her hair was pulled back into high pigtails at the back of her head and black cloth was wrapped around her hands. Her zori had stiletto wedge heels with the straps up to her knees. She had a black ribbon tied around her neck. She had rod dangle earrings hanging from upside down triangle studs.
"You're a soul reaper?" Rukia was so shocked that she didn't notice that Hotaru had 2 zanpakuto, their scabbards on her back in an "X".
"I don't like being at a disadvantage when I have an enemy." Hotaru responded icily. "I've been attacked by a Hollow and only Ichigo came to help. You, Rukia, took your sweet damn time despite having that cell phone in your pocket. Its radar shows you where a Hollow is at and it took a mere flare of my energy to get Ichigo to come. Pray tell, Rukia-were you hoping I'd die so Ichigo could go back to only worrying about you, his family and Hollows?"
Rukia gasped silently at the question as Ichigo looked at Hotaru surprised. Hotaru pressed her blade closer to Rukia's throat.
"Do you know what would've happened if I had died? Ichigo would blame himself. His grief would destroy him. It was the grief of his mother's death that cemented his powers to the level they were at before you made him a Soul Reaper." Hotaru was really mad at the female reaper still over her body. "Just imagine what his powers would do now that he is a soul reaper. Do you now know the result your callus jealousy? Do you now recognize the price of that churning envy?"
Rukia bowed her head. "Yes…yes, I do…"
Hotaru sheathed both of her zanpakuto. "Good. I don't like being forced into doing things. Make me become a Soul Reaper without a Hollow ever again, and not even this cheap Gigai will save your sorry ass."
Yeesh! She ain't pulling any punches!