A/N: Someone said the story was rushed.
To that person, I say, well yes. It is. It's a short 13 chapter story and I'm trying to fit everything in.
Thanks to everyone who left awesome reviews!
November 10 (Tuesday)
I'm writing this on a blank piece of paper at Ichigo's house. If we don't come back, Hisana can use my room for the baby. Let her paint it whatever color she wants...Even Amber. If we can't save Grams...I'd rather stay in the realm of demons. To loose her would be like loosing my mother all over again.
Goddess, bless us on this journey.
&3&3&3&3&
We had decided to use Ichigo's basement. That's where Ichigo and Kaien were now. I was upstairs in the bathroom, staring at my reflection. Oh goddess. The reality of loosing my grandmother was almost too much. I felt like I was coming apart at the seams.
I know she's not dead...but if she's hurt. Oh...if she's hurt. I would never forgive myself. I know she's battled Hollows before, she's a strong witch. She's still an older woman though, no matter how much energy she had, she was still frail.
"Grams...show me a sign that you're okay. Please." I stared at my reflection and it started to blur. Then something wet fell onto my hand that was holding the rim of the sink and I looked down. Was I crying? I hadn't cried since my mother passed. I fiercely blinked away the tears.
"Grow up." I angrily said to myself, wiping away the tears with the back of my hand. "You're too old to be crying. Crying gets you no where! It doesn't change anything." I grumbled taking some toilet paper and blowing my nose. I didn't want to break apart, fall apart, in front of Ichigo and Kaien. Maybe that's why I went into the bathroom. I wasn't sure of anything anymore.
I took a big breath and clutched at the small pentacle around my neck. "Grams, I need you. Show me something...anything...that you're okay. I'm coming to save you. Don't be scared." I whispered feeling my heart beat quicken.
"That's my girl. You're so strong...I'll be waiting. They haven't touched a hair on my head. Be safe."
I smiled involuntarily when I heard my grandmother's voice in my head. I choked on my tears, my reflection looked ridiculous. Red eyes and nose with a big smile. Her voice helped ease the pain inside but I still feared her safety. Time was of the essence.
I set my paper down on the kitchen table before leaving to go downstairs.
I added one more line:
P.S: Grandmother's heal the heart and bless the soul. They are always waiting with open arms. Even when they are gone, they live on in our hearts.
&3&3&3&3&3&3
Ichigo was standing near the wall, muttering words that I could not hear, and Kaien was standing by the stairs.
"Ready?" Kaien asked with a smirk.
"Grams is okay, for now." I said right before a blast of energy shook the room, causing my knees to buckle. I looked up to see Ichigo tearing open a hole in the wall, a hole of black energy, sparking at the edges with red.
"You coming?" I asked to Kaien and he shook his head.
"Gotta stay here. When you get your grams, I'll pull her out." He explained and I nodded, clutching the quartz crystal in my pocket. Its positive energy swelled and traveled up my arm until I was glowing with white energy.
"I'd give the world to be with you. But this isn't the past anymore...I made a promise." I said turning my head back to look at Kaien. He smiled with understanding.
"It would have been selfish to make you become an angel just for me." He said before his eyes moved away from mine and to Ichigo.
I got to my feet and stood next to Ichigo. "Let's go." He said taking my hand and leading me through the portal. I felt like a thousand dark hands were grabbing me, the breath was sucked from my lungs, and a chill ran down my spine. It was the most horrible feeling I ever felt. A cold shower in the snow, a winter coat in the middle of summer, it was all of those sensations.
My feet lightly touched the ground and I took a big breath of air. I looked at Ichigo, his jaw set in determination, before my eyes wandered around this new place. The Demon World? The Otherworld? I didn't know what to call it.
&3&3&3&3&3
We were standing in a hallway. Green doors marked with red numbers on each side. I could hear screams coming from all directions. This place was full of hatred, anger, sadness, regret, lust, jealousy, and the most overpowering of them all was—pain.
I took a step forward, my foot sticking to the floor. I looked down and saw that I had stepped in a crimson pool. Ichigo's hand was now on my shoulder, supporting me. I could feel a tightness in my chest, the walls were closing in on me, and green blobs of light appeared before my vision.
"Breathe, Rukia." Ichigo said slowly and I listened. I focused on my breath. I was pure, a girl with positive energy, love, flowing through her veins. Ichigo was less affected because he was part-demon. I saw my grandmother's face appear before my eyes and that kicked my will into overdrive.
I stood up straight, still gasping for breath like a fish out of water, but I knew I would be okay. As long as we kept moving.
The hallway would flash with images of souls, they would walk past us, walk through us, but never pay attention. Every face I saw was crying.
"What place is this?" I asked Ichigo quietly.
"It looks like a hospital. I don't know where we are...but can you sense your grandmother?"
"No." I answered flatly and I began to pick up the pace. Ichigo kept up with me pretty easily and we we re running down corridors that seemed to lead the same place over and over again.
I stopped at door number 458. I don't know why, but it called to me. "Careful." Ichigo muttered when my hand reached for the handle. The second skin touched the metal—I screamed.
"Rukia! Rukia! Where are you? Mommy is tired of playing these games!"
I was jerked away from the door, Ichigo had his hands on my shoulders. "What happened?" He asked smoothing my hair from my face. I hadn't realized that I broke out in a cold sweat.
"I saw my mother, when I was younger. It wasn't her though. She was...a corpse. Her face was falling apart...oh...god" I shook my head to get the haunting images away.
Ichigo had his arms around my shoulders from behind me. I couldn't stop shaking. I had to keep moving. I had to save my grandmother. I couldn't let this place trick me. I had to...I had too...
"Four-hundred fifty eight...that was my mothers hospital room." I said softly staring at the red numbers against the green door.
"Let's keep moving..." Ichigo said taking my hand and leading me away from the door. I wanted to go back, but I had to save grams first. My mother was gone, she wasn't here, no matter what these walls told me.
&3&3&3&3&3
"Wait." I said hearing drums beating in the distance. "Hear that?" I asked trying to figure out where they were coming from.
"Yeah. This way." Ichigo said tugging me around a corner. As we ran, the drums got louder. I could hear flutes too. Chanting. The Hospital fell beneath our feet and we were running now on dirt. Trees appeared around us. The music and the voices got louder. We were so close.
I could sense my grandmother! 'We're almost there. Hang on!' I thought feeling my lungs burn because they weren't getting enough oxygen. Ichigo stopped suddenly and I ran into his back. Ouch.
"Holy shit." He said and I scrambled to my feet to look.
"Grams!" I called out stupidly. Ichigo's hand clamped over my mouth. We seemed to have interrupted their ritual. Grams was sitting on a throne, decorated with skulls and beads. Well, she wasn't really sitting, more like tied. Hollows surrounded the area, flying in the air and perched on the trees. Circling my grandmother was more 'human' looking demons. They had black eyes with yellow iris, like Ichigo's.
Their skin was painted red and black markings decorated their chests. They all turned to look at Ichigo and I, the beads in their long black hair jingling.
""¡Mátenlos!(Kill Them!)" One cried out, he was the only one in the group with a mask on.
"Shit." Ichigo said standing protectively in front of me.
"Protect Grams!" I said, watching as a large golden barrier suddenly appeared around my grandmother.
It seemed that in times of need, my powers were stronger and a lot more cooperative. Ichigo gave me a smile.
Then we went our separate ways, Ichigo took the right side and I took the left. I jumped onto a tree branch, "Alright..." I said thinking about what Kaien taught me. This place was overflowing with negative emotions and energy...I could use that to my advantage.
I collected the negative energy, a hollow lunged at me, and I jumped out of the way. Holding my hand out, a red explosion burst from my hand and shattered its mask. I landed on the ground and a hollow bit down on my shoulder. "Ah!" I let out a short scream before grabbing the things jaw and blasting it to bits.
My shoulder was bleeding but I couldn't feel it. Everything was a blur, I rolled behind a tree to defend myself from an attack. I wasn't sure how Ichigo was doing and I didn't have the energy to sense him.
"Get away from my grandma!" I yelled jumping on the body of a downed Hollow, I ran towards the tribesmen, the ones with the paint. The human ones. I jumped off the hollow and into the middle of their circle.
"Rukia!" Grams exclaimed, her eyes opening wide.
"Hey." I said as the human tribesmen rushed at me. I didn't even flinch. They lunged and I ducked. My palm pressed against the earth and it felt like my heart exploded. White energy burst forth like a nuclear explosion from my chest and outwards.
It covered the whole forest, erupting it in blue flames. The tribesmen turned to dust and Hollows screamed, escaping the area. The back of my neck was wet with sweat and my breathing was heavy.
"Rukia!" Ichigo ran towards me, he was bleeding. A line of blood went from his forehead and down his left eye. I ran towards him and we embraced, I could still feel the demons energies swirling around us. None of that mattered, what mattered was that Grams and Ichigo were safe.
"Hold still." I commanded softly placing my hand on that mop of orange hair. I let my energy flow through my fingertips, healing him. His eyes closed and there was a ghost of a smile on his face.
"Thanks." He said brushing my hand off of his head. I looked at Grams and released my barrier. It shattered and the energy swirled in the air like dust. The blue flames around the forest slowly disappeared and any remaining Hollows must have left, I hoped I killed the all.
&3&3&3&3&3
Ichigo untied my grandmother and I stumbled towards her. She embraced me, my head to her heart, and she kept stammering a bunch of thank yous to the goddess.
"Oh...Rukia. I'm so glad you're safe. You too, Ichigo." Grams said after releasing me.
"Why did they take you?" Ichigo asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" A voice said from behind the group. "I wanted to see the Kuchiki, most powerful witch today, fight my demons."
"Get Grams out of here!" I thought very suddenly and then a purple hole appeared in the ground. Behind it was Kaien's face. He reached out his hand. Grams gave me a look of disapproval.
"Go." Ichigo and I said at the same time.
Grams took Kaien's hand and then was gone.
"Who's there?" I demanded and a man stepped from the trees. He was young, maybe early twenties, and his eyes were dark.
"This is my playground. Ah, Ichigo. How is your mother? I haven't seen her since I put a curse on you." the man said with a smirk.
"You." Ichigo growled and I saw his eyes flicker.
"Who are you?" I asked again and the man smiled.
"Aizen, ruler of this world." He said with an elegant hand wave. "I've been trying to kill you to steal your powers...but if you die here by my hands...that process will be a lot quicker." He said before opening his two palms and electricity covering them.
"Like hell you're gonna hurt Rukia!" Ichigo snarled and then his eyes turned black. His face went pale. He became the demon inside his heart. I shuddered slightly, that was a curse that was only supposed to happen on the night of the new moon at midnight. Oh goddess, will killing Aizen save Ichigo?
I tried to move but couldn't, Grams! Damn her! She put a binding spell on me. I could see the invisible chains wrapping around my body. I know she was just trying to protect me...but how could I help Ichigo? Oh goddess! Save Ichigo! Give me the strength to break these chains!
&3&3&3&3&3
I watched in horror as Ichigo was beat down. If he landed a blow, Aizen would get two. His black shirt was stained with blood and the wound on his head that I previously healed was open again. I tried to move my lips but couldn't.
'Rukia! I need you! We can beat him together!'
I could hear Ichigo's voice in my head, screaming and calling out for me. I pressed against the chains, I could feel their pressure against my skin. Come on! I flinched my hand, there, it was working. I kept pressing against the binding.
'Rukia!'
I'm trying! I'm trying! I wanted to scream but my vocal chords wouldn't work. I focused on the crystal in my pocket. I imagined it growing, spreading its light and breaking the chains. My arm twitched. I kept pushing and it was mentally exhausting.
'Rukia!'
He was calling my name out into the darkness. I needed to reach him. My foot moved forward and my eyes saw Aizen's fist collide with Ichigo's stomach, causing him to fall backwards.
"Watch Rukia, as I kill the one who means the most to you. Call out his name in agony." Aizen said stepping on Ichigo's chest. Oh no! NO! I watched as Aizen's hand filled with dark energy, purple and black smoke with sparks of yellow. Ichigo was struggling but Aizen had him down, his whole bodyweight pressed against Ichigo's wounded chest.
I heard a large crack and for a second I thought Aizen had broken one of Ichigo's ribs. That wasn't the case. I was free! I ran forward, not really thinking, just allowing my instincts to take over. I fell onto Ichigo chest.
BAM!
I felt the energy burn through my skin. I screamed in terror and anguish, the fire spread through my body and I clutched the ground. Dirt filled my palms but did nothing to stop the pain. Tears filled my eyes and blackness surrounded me. I barely heard Ichigo yell, my screams blocked out any other noise.
I could smell smoke and I wondered if it was me. "Open...." I couldn't breath, who was talking to me?
"Your..." Who was that? Stop talking, please, just let me die. The pain is too much! My heart hurts, it feels like needles are pressing into my skin.
"Eyes." What eyes? I have eyes? I don't know anymore. I just want to go into the darkness. Take away the pain! Please!
"Rukia!" My eyes snapped open and I saw the distraught face of Ichigo. My hand limply reached up and touched his cheek, it was sticky with some sort of red. I could feel cold...streams running down my face. They were salty when they touched the corner of my lips.
"Ich...i...go." I breathed but the pain was still burning, it hurt to talk. I saw a heap of a body in the corner of my eye. It hurt to breath, it hurt to keep my eyes open. My blood was on fire and the air filling my lungs scorched my throat. I had no energy, I wanted to heal Ichigo. Why can't I heal him? Oh Ichigo, did we do it? Are you saved? I wanted to ask so many questions but there was static around my eyes. Like when you get a bad connection on the tv and its all fuzzy. That's how it felt.
"Rukia! Don't..." I didn't hear him. My eyes slipped close and I was back with the darkness.
A/N: Cliffhanger!
This one, I tried to focus more on the emotions, but I am still sorry if it feels rushed.
Short story, remember? Two more chapters and this is done!
Also, who is your favorite bleach character? Besides Ichigo and Rukia!
This will help me decide something in later chapters...you'll see.