Thanks for all the reviews. Theres a lot more to come for this story. Enjoy this chapter.
It might have been a Tuesday but it was definitely raining hard outside when Rukia came through the door.
Rukia walked down the hallway like a zombie dragging her sword which dripped blood behind her. A maid put her hand to her mouth and moved against the wall. Servants were stopping where they were unable to move at the sight. Byakuya, Hisana, Ginrei saw her as she entered the main room. A maid scurrying behind her to wipe the blood and water from the floor.
"I've killed him. I've killed Kaien-dono." she announced to the room in a monotone voice, then turned and walked away still in a daze.
No one was sure what they had heard at first. Although her voice was low, her presence alone had grabbed everyone's attention from what they were doing. It took a while to register what she had said and then even that did not make sense. She must have said something else.
"Dear god I hope I heard wrong!" Ginrei exclaimed.
"She looks aweful. I hope she dosen't ruin the floor." Hisana commented.
Rukia navigated the halls to her room like a toy robot being controlled by remote. Her eyes not focusing or seeing anything. Not the walls, the furniture, or any moving entity registered form in her brain as the evenings events played themselves over and over in her mind.
To her she was still in the forest with the stars twinkling above their warning through the clouds Somehow she managed to sit in the middle of her room. The blank wall her only area of focus.
A hell butterfly arrived for Byakuya from a very upset Ukitake Taicho explaining the situation of the hollow and how he ordered her to kill him while Kaien had thrown himself onto her sword to save himself from being fully taken over by the creature who would devour his soul. There were many dead from the encounter with the hollow and it had not yet been captured.
"Hisana it is your duty to assist Rukia through this." Byakuya said nearly shaking her to pay attention to something other then herself.
"I can't, sad stuff bothers me. Haven't I had to face enough?" she asked.
"Hisana I am warning you not to make this any more difficult."
"Why is it always me? You act like I'm the one who killed Shiba."
"Fine I shall go, I have had it with you." he said.
"No I want you here with me, darling." she pouted and held onto his arm. He shook her off and they began to argue violently and it ended with her being thrown to the ground.
"Forget it. I will assist Rukia." Ginrei said walking out of the room disgusted with what had just transpired.
Rukia wasn't crying she was still staring into a corner reliving the moment over and over in her head. He had smiled as he threw himself on her sword. He had told her the love and friendship created between them would never be lost no matter what happened.
"There is nothing left for me now Yuki." Rukia said.
"I agree with your decision as I have not recovered since I was separated from Senbonzakura." Sode no Shirayuki said.
"We killed him with our own hands."
"It was unavoidable but the last of our hope died with Kaien. I still wish to fight as long as Senbonzakura lives but I will do as you decide."
"Everything has been taken from me. I have nothing left to give. There is no possible future for us and we can't remain here."
The cold steal of Sode no Shirayuki pointed to her stomach the sword no longer feeling or putting up a fight was as determined as her master was to end the torment.
Just the continuation of guilt, bitterness, distress, and joylessness threatening to encompass her and make her implode was left. The feelings in her stomach, the sickness, the nervousness, the constant need to vomit from the stress was more then she could take.
The blade had pierced through the fabric on her body as Ginrei walked into her room grabbing the hilt of her sword mid motion. Seeing her state he struggled with her to take the sword out of her hands as she yelled at him to let her die. When he freed the sword from her grip he handed it off to a servant who removed the now completely frozen sword from the room.
She sat there curled in a ball with the blood and rain still wet on her hands and face, spaced out again not responding to anyone or anything. The 4th division was called to tend to her and to see what could be done about her state.
Unohana Taicho had cleaned the girl up and tucked her into bed like an attentive mother. Stroking her hair she gave a concerned look as Rukia' eyes were again not responsive and the violet turned to black. She waited until Rukia was asleep before consulting the group waiting outside of the room.
"I gave her a sedative she should sleep." Unohana said with a comforting smile.
"Thank you, we will see to her from here." Ginrei said the worry in his eyes contrasting the set look on his face.
"Please keep an eye on her, as expected she is not taking this well. However I have been worried about her mental state for a while she seems to be suffering from depression and occasional panic attacks. It is not my place to ask about what occurs within your household. But I think she will still benefit from the support of her family." Unohana said looking at Hisana.
"You will stay with your sister this evening." Byakuya demanded.
"But I've had these plans for weeks. I'm not going to give up these tickets for anything." she whined.
"You will stay with her." he ordered.
"I will not. Besides she's fine. She's sleeping, doesn't need anything. I'm leaving."
"I'm warning you Hisana." he had grabbed her by the arm with a strong enough grip to leave a bruise.
"I will take my leave now lord Kuchiki." Unohana said and Ginrei escorted her out as the couple argued again.
"Take your hands off of me." Hisana yelled and it echoed down the corridor.
"Ginrei-sama we have known one another for many years." Unohana said at the front entrance.
"Yes we have shared many good and bad times through the ages." Ginrei said.
"Then you will excuse me if I speak my mind to you. I have suspected for a while that this has not been a good place for Rukia to be. When she started at the academy her personality was much livelier and I can say the same for Byakuya Taicho before he met Hisana-san. I have come across those like her in my many years, it would be for the best if she were to be kept away from Rukia for a while…Until we can be sure Rukia is stable. It is never the best for anyone to have a person like that around. I currently have my eye on one such person but I will not gossip."
"I will inform the servants that she is to be kept away from her room." he said.
"I think that is for the best. I would also like to see her once a week for a while." she said.
"Your discression in this situation will be appreciated."
"Of course. She reminds me so much of your wife, we were the closest of friends. I miss her terribly." she said.
"Not as much as I do." he said.
"Do come for tea soon."
"I will good night Retsu. Thank you." he said.
Rukia slept but it was far from peaceful. The memories surrounded her like a hurricane. She held Kaien' body in her arms and screamed out into the cold dark night. Her captain was there his hands on her shoulders trying to pull her away. Every part of her body dripping away into a black puddle. There was only black, and white but the blood prominently red, pooled over her sword that lay beside where she sat. The yells of her captain were barley audible to her. Her screams echoing as she yell at him to go away and leave them alone.
Everyone in the household heard her yelling for Kaien in her drug induced sleep. It broke Byakuya' heart to hear her in such agony. But he only allowed those feelings to creep through for a moment before crushing them again. She had aided in killing her closest friend, the man she would have married, the man who would have taken her from that cursed house.
He watched her struggle in her sleep, becoming violent with her actions and yells. This one time he would not leave her to such a lonely fate he would be the brother he promised to be the day he adopted her, not the cruel monster he had become. Taking her in his arms he lay beside her and held her through the night like her sister should have.
When Hisana returned she saw the sight of the two of him together sleeping and tried to protest but the servants were instructed to lead her back to her own room by any means necessary, and was confined there until the morning. An occasional crash of an item being flung across the room could be heard as she let out her rage.