Disclaimer: Does not own Bleach. Plot is mine, however.
'Thinking'
"Talking"
(Recap)
She remembered the times where they had laughed and cried together before she had to take her smile away on that night.
"Hime-chan, look at me."
The smaller girl looked up at Rukia.
She had called her name so softly.
"I know it hurts princess, but just bare with me for a little bit."
A promising smile graced her lips and Orihime truly wanted to believe.
"I swear to you that I will never allow the past to repeat itself."
'Ever.'
In her confined room, it was impossible to tell the difference between day and night; with darkness stretching over the four walls that boxed her in, Rukia sat crouched in the corner, furthest from the door. She felt herself raising her hand to her face, but could only see black.
Despite the suffocating darkness she plunged herself into.
This was the only place; only room that Rukia could call home.
This was her only home.
If she refused to accept even that, then she had nowhere to go to.
And in time, she came to be unaffected by the windowless walls, and had learnt to let the darkness soothe her.
In her state of reminiscence, her ear twitched at the sound of tapping footsteps and slid up the smoothly paved walls, straightening herself to her full height.
The door creaked open, letting the bright light from the corridor spill into the room, making visible the bed left untouched, the tray of food left uneaten and a neatly folded, black haori of the Sixth Division placed nicely on the bed. Rukia eye slightly squinted at the intrusion of the sudden light; staring at the visible borderline of light and dark in her abode.
Darkness always remained in the corners of her room; like they did in her heart.
Looking up, she saw the slender figure of the Cuatro Espada; a white uniform in hand.
"You're back."
Sounds of her tapping sandaled feet resonated off the walls; Rukia saw the start of light and the end of darkness drawing closer and stopped herself.
She saw sea green eyes looking straight at her, despite that fact that she had yet to step into view.
They stood like statues; one in darkness, one in light.
"Enough of your obstinacy, trash; do not make me force the food down your throat."
"Don't be so mean Ulqui; ask nicely and maybe I'll consider it."
She felt herself biting her own tongue, Rukia didn't know where that spurt of humor came from.
She was never so casual with Ulquiorra in her time; sure, they came to some-what respect each other and used first name bases.
However, she was the one who created rain with the blood of his comrades.
(Although Rukia really didn't think he cared).
And he was the one who created lullabies with the screams of her comrades.
Respect for each other could only go so far, but they refrained from meddling with each other; and came to a silent agreement of their mutual respect.
Even so, it was never so casual.
Looking at his pale white face, she swore she could see his thick eyebrow twitch.
Nonetheless, he managed to keep his face void of emotions.
"Refrain from being so untailored with me, woman; I'm merely acting on Aizen-sama's orders, it is my duty to keep you alive, as troublesome as it is."
Rukia finally took a step over the line, letting the light gobble up her right leg, slowly making it's way to her waist, then finally to her pale face.
"Like a guardian angel?"
She stepped closer towards the Espada, the threshold of her room being the only barrier.
Sea green irises stared apathetically and threw the white uniform to Rukia.
"Your presence is required in the Espada's meeting room; dress quickly."
Rukia subconsciously felt the soft texture of the white uniform between her fingers; unabashed, she undressed where she stood; her free hand pulled at her black obi as she shouldered off the white shihakushou. The black and white shinigami uniform falling down to spread around her feet, like a ripple of water.
She felt the bandages that covered her constrict slightly as she inhaled deeply, before donning the white uniform.
Looking down at her new clothes, Rukia had the urge to raise her eyebrow.
The white garb looked like the pants of the Tres Espada; held in place by a black sash around her slender waist, the white material flowed down to her ankles, hiding her well-toned legs in a mass of white.
Her white jacket was ragged with an upturned collar, the inner lining was black and the sleeves were rolled up. It reminded Rukia of the one that the Kitty used to wear.
She felt the corner of her lips rise to show a playful grin.
"How do I look, Ulqui-chan?"
She just couldn't help herself.
The only reply he gave, however, was a turn of his lean body towards the meeting room.
"I don't have time for your games, woman; hurry and follow me."
There was a soft click of a closing door.
The Cuatro Espada and time traveler now stood side by side; Rukia turned her head to face him, her raven locks flowing behind her, clashing strongly with the much lighter shade of her uniform.
"I never knew you were such a gentleman, Ulqui; to escort a lady like this, but…"
She took a step forward.
"…I already know my way around here."
And shunpoed to the meeting room.
War taught her many things.
It taught her how to kill.
How to despair.
How to die.
And how to live.
It taught her how weak and brittle she was.
And in turn, she awakened herself and changed her fate.
However, life lessons were never free.
War taught her many things.
So as repayment, she turned into a person who only knew war.
She only knew how to kill
Only knew how to maim.
Only knew the smell of freshly spilt blood.
And so, Rukia found it tragic when she felt more like herself amongst the killers.
This was what war did to her.
She didn't avert her eye from death.
Instead, she looked forward.
Forward at all the lives she had shattered.
This was the only thing she remembered.
Never to forget.
This place was the only home she could return to.
It probably didn't register to her as anything important. But it had stayed with her, a small wound among many small wounds.
In Rukia's youth and inexperience, she herself didn't even realize how those wounds she didn't feel during the times of violence, festered and rooted away, eating at her, during the times of peace.
"Ah, the guest of honor has arrived."
And in time, he was the only person who occupied her mind.
"What the fuck?"
Rukia turned to the rude interrupter and landed her single gray-violet eye on the Quinto Espada, Nnoitora Jiruga. She could already feel her fingers twitching for her sword.
"What's a shinigami, doing here?"
She didn't even have to turn her head to know who the other speaker was. After all, the person who spoke so primitively, second only to Nnoitora, was Grimmjow.
"Now, now be nice."
Rukia could feel the smirk on Aizen's face; his amusement oozed out of his whole being like a radiator.
"Minna-san, this here, is Rukia-chan from the future."
The ex-shinigami felt thirteen pairs of eyes stare at her… also including that of Tosen's.
Scanning the scene in front of her, she saw an empty seat in between Ulquiorra and Stark. It sometimes amazed her how fast these things got organized.
Rukia sashayed her way over to her seat, head snapping to her right when she felt something brush near her ass.
Staring into lecherous eyes of the Quinto, Rukia felt her self baring her canines and giving him an animalistic growl.
The matter of killing him was not so much the problem.
But she had more reserve then this and she refused to let him manipulate her with such pitiful antics; plus, she needed some time to plan his slow, torturous death.
Rukia sat down between the Quatro and Primera Espada.
"I've lived under your reign for thirty years, Aizen; stop treating me like a stranger."
Aizen closed his eyes in assurance.
"Well then, let us continue with this meeting."
If the man was curious of his triumph, he sure didn't show it.
Much to her distress, Rukia couldn't even read Aizen even with her advantage of future knowledge.
All she knew was that he was a man to be very vigilant of.
Walking back towards her room, Rukia stopped when she saw the tall and lanky figure of the Quinto Espada; his never-changing grin set on his face.
'Maybe if I kill him here, no one will notice…'
"It looks like I have a new irritation; don't think you actually mean anything here because Aizen accepted you, shinigami."
Gray-violet stared nonchalantly at him.
"Taking care of your ego is your own responsibility; you shouldn't come to me unless you want me to deflate it considerably."
Rukia had to admit that she felt a pang of satisfaction when she saw the corners of his lips draw down into a frown.
She closed her eyes in silent victory and continued to walk past him.
"Heard that little pet was under your care."
The echoing of foot steps came to a halt.
When Rukia turned around, she saw two unknown arrancars standing behind Nnoitora, holding Orihime's arms.
Nnoitora's grin was back in place.
"Just the right timing."
His grin only broadened when he saw her lone iris following his hand intently, he teasingly slid it around the healer's shoulders; feeling the small tingles of pleasure coarse through his body when he felt her tremble.
"Rukia-chan, meet Loly and Menoly; they'll be pet-sama's new guardian after I'm through with you."
The short arrancar with lengthy, pigtailed black hair and light-pink eyes growled at the taller Espada.
"Oi! Becoming this bitch's guardian wasn't part of the dea-"
A looming figure blocked her view of the tall Espada's back. Loly saw a silver blade glistening in the light and striking down in front of her. She felt warm liquid trickle out at the corners of her mouth, and felt the room tilting to the right as her body hit the cemented white floor with a dull thud.
In her light-pink eyes, she saw a beautiful clash of solid white and flowing red.
"Lo!-"
Gray-violet turned to the blond arrancar, her sword cutting at the petite frame with a horizontal strike to the abdomen. A single eye glazed over unflinchingly even when tendrils of red sprayed onto her cheek, creating a clash with pale skin, gray-violet and crimson.
Turning around, Nnoitora shoved the curvaceous teenager away as Rukia jumped into the air. He immediately reached for his sword, his single slit eye following the airborne frame of the shinigami, her katana raised above her head for a strike.
He saw carnage in her lone iris; burning with bloodlust.
Nnoitora swore he could see the whites of her eye bleeding black.
"That is enough."
A loud clang echoed throughout the now crimson corridor.
Steel clashed against steel, shaking with silent force.
Rukia glanced up to see those mesmerizing sea green irises.
"Out of my way, Cuatro."
She slightly pushed down on his sword and spiked her reiatsu higher.
"As much as that fool is useless; I don't think it's in your best interest to start a scene."
Peach pink lips raised in a growl; showing abnormally large canines in a threatening manner.
However, logic quickly took over instincts and the heavy tension in the air lifted.
Rukia straightened herself, sheathed back her sword and wiped the blood off her cheeks with her bloodied sleeve.
Without a word, she slowly walked towards the younger girl, who had fainted during the conflict.
Carrying her bridal style, Rukia didn't make eye contact with any of the two Espadas, nor did she spare a glance to the two bloody heaps on the floor.
Definitely…
Rukia made her way towards Orihime's room.
'I'm definitely going to kill you again.'
It was only her seventh day here, and already Aizen had called for a personal audience.
'I bet it's because of that Quinto.'
The cold metal door knobs, that opened to his throne room, almost felt warm against her chilling hands as Rukia pushed them open.
The first thing, or rather person, she saw; was Aizen in all of his arrogant glory.
As she stepped towards him, he spoke through his wide grin.
"I heard that you fought with Nnoitora. "
She hated those damn eyes; those eyes that had always held mirth as they looked on the suffering of her and her friends.
(Flashback)
She always hated going into his room.
And to be honest, terror ruled over any other emotion when it came to him.
A place where he could play as much as he wanted without the outside world knowing of the unfolding horrors.
With walls that were as cold and unforgiving as its dweller was.
She felt like they were cornering her and baring all of her deepest fears to be seen.
Those of which Aizen manipulated on his free will.
The true demon's domain.
And at first, she didn't know why she did it.
But here she was, very much in that very same room.
"Come closer Rukia-chan."
His voice was like velvet.
Wrapping itself around her in an attempt to soothe her, before closing in and suffocating her.
Nonetheless, she felt her sandaled feet taking a step forward towards him.
Looking into his deep chocolate irises, she felt cold sweat breaking out.
If she had to give fear a name; then it was definitely one Aizen Sosuke.
She knelt in front of his throne.
"Reporting on the mission of-"
"What happened to your eye, Rukia-chan?"
She bit her tongue and suddenly felt a surge of rage boil through her body.
Rukia closed her eyes tightly to try and stop the images from flooding back to her.
In a room so cold and dark, Rukia could still feel the leather straps digging harshly into her wrists and ankles as she struggled furiously against them; she could still feel the needle probing in her right eye; feeling the searing pain in her iris as an unknown cobalt blue liquid coursed through her optical nerves. What ever was inside that syringe, it effectively changed her gray-violet into the color of blood.
That sanctimonious bastard.
She suddenly stiffened when she felt the presence of the demon closing in on her; the feeling of his hand ghosting around her.
Rukia didn't dare to look up, but she knew that he was directly in front of her.
The smooth hand eventually gripped her chin and tilted her deathly, pale face for him to see.
"Hm… I liked your normal shade better."
Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated to nothing but a dot.
Paralyzed in fear, Rukia felt helplessness and panic wash over her trembling body as those boney fingers hovered over her eye, reaching out fro them.
The last thing she saw out through her right eye was his sickeningly sweet smile.
(End Flashback)
"I can't believe you're treating me like some idiotic school-girl."
Rukia jumped over to a navy blue cylinder that was situated next to Aizen's throne. Slender fingers brushed over the top to reveal the crystalline sphere of the hogyoku floating in the midst of nothing.
"It's crucial to keep the secret weapon polished and clean; letting that thing around her will only demote the quality of her usefulness."
She feathered her palm over the cylinder once more to close it.
"I'd killed that thing already, if you hadn't needed him."
She didn't miss the slight rise in his eyebrows.
"You're mistaken, dear Rukia-chan; he is of no use to me."
Rukia gave a small snort.
"Even rooks have some use to a king, Aizen; that Quinto will make a good meat shield."
His chuckle bounced off the walls.
"A very interesting point there, Rukia-chan."
Rukia narrowed her eye.
"You may not trust me Aizen, but right now, I'm the only one who holds the key to you're triumph; not the hogyoku or any of your Espada's."
A playful grin stretched over peach-tinted skin.
"What if I don't trust you?"
The man was obviously playing with her; accepting her in, but also keeping her at bay.
Rukia stared directly into his eyes, despite the chilling feeling at her core.
"You have no choice."
.
.
.
To be continued…
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
EDITED: Jan. 23. 2011 12:22 AM
Apologize for the sloppy and short chapter; but do not stress!
I will definitely edit this and make it longer and more Maya-like.
The update was delayed greatly because I'm currently not in my home state.
But thank you all for your co-operation.
The revealed events so far in order of occurrence in the future (the _ means it has yet to be revealed) :
-Aizen goes to Hueco Mundo.
-Kuchiki Clan unadopts Rukia.
-Ate Watermelons with Toushiro.
-Sparred with Soifon.
-Learnt medical knowledge under Unohana Retsu. (Not necessarily in order.)
-Fed the carps with Joushiro.
-Continued to go to Hisana's shrine with Byakuya.
-War between Soul Society and Aizen begin.
-Unohana Retsu: Died during an unknown medical mission; beginning of the war.
-Rangiku's death: Very minor and by Tia's fraccion.
-Ukitake Joushiro: Died by Tuberculosis on a rainy day; beginning of war and barely saw action.
-Kuchiki Byakuya: Killed by Gin on a rainy night; middle of war.
-Kyouraku Shunsui: Killed by Vasto Lorde's trying to protect Rukia; middle of war.
-Rukia, Soifon and a few other Shinigami get captured by Aizen and thrown into a cell.
-Orihime Inoue gets captured and used as a healer.
-Soifon devises plan to escape but gets caught.
-Soifon was experimented by Szayel and had her tendons cut and went blind.
-Aizen obtains the Oin.
-Orihime Inoue became useless.
-Yamamoto Genryusai: Killed by Aizen using _; peak of war and rapid downfall of Soul Society.
-Hitsugaya Toushiro: stabbed Hinamori; right arm cut by _; captured by Szayel Apporo, killed by Szayel.
-Hinamori Momo: Stabbed by Toushiro in Aizen's place; experimented on by Szayel when she was barely alive; killed by Szayel.
-Rukia forcefully becomes a captain under Aizen; because she wanted to live.
-Rukia get's experiment on by Szayel; injecting liquid in her right eye (which turns crimson).
-After reporting a mission to Aizen; right eye gets gauged because Aizen didn't favor the eye color.
-Sent to training in the nest full of adjuchas.
-Heavily wounded, Rukia goes hysterical and Sode no Shirayuki manifests; bankai achieved.
-Zaraki Kenpachi: Viewed by Captain Rukia and three other nameless shinigami; killed by Vasto Lorde's.
-Rukia is stationed to patrol the ruin of Kuchiki Manor.
-Ichimaru Gin: Killed by Rukia; avenges brother.
-Orihime Inoue: constantly raped and tortured by Nnoitra.
-Orihime: begged Rukia to kill her but eventually did it herself.
-Rukia buries Orihime: kills Nnoitora.
-Kurosaki Ichigo: Hollowfied and working as Aizen's Lieutenant.
Just to let you know, this isn't everything, just showed the ones that appeared in case you readers get confused.
Ask questions if you don't understand anything!
Read and Review.
Peace,
M.