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( T h e. S h a t t e r e d. S t a t e. of. F r a g i l e. M i n d s )
Outburst of the Oppressed
by hitdapanicbutton
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Once again, thank you to all who have read, reviewed, put this story on alert/favorites. The feeling I felt when I received all those alerts and messages were akin to happiness, as if I was floating on heaven. Cliché, but you have no idea how true that is!! No other way to describe it ;p
Anyway, I sincerely apologize for the delay on updating. This chapter had been revamped countless of times because I was intially not satisfied with it, particularly with the Hitsukarin moment.
So presenting... chapter 11!!
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11
Rukia couldn't help but mentally kick herself in the head. Here she was, busy cracking her brain cells trying to decode the deeper meaning of the sentence when the sentence was as plain as day. "Spring!" Rukia exclaimed as she hopped from the bed, one hand rounded into a fist rested on the top of her open palm.
"Whoa." Ichigo took a small step back, his hands outstretched with open palms, startled by the sudden outburst when Rukia added "The first earth active period is spring!"
His eyes started blinking as confusion took over "What?"
"Beginning and ending of a circle. Basically the circle represents a year which begins with the spring season, ending is winter. So in technical sense, earth first active period is spring." Rukia explained with the speed of a bullet train.
Ichigo nodded his head, seeing a little sense. "Okay but how is this relevant to finding the gate?"
"Because there is precisely only one gate that fits Nii-sama's description." Despite himself, Ichigo couldn't help but noted how her violet eyes glimmer with excitement over the revelation, his stomach doing double flips as he suddenly was deeply aware that they were the only two in the room. He quickly stared at the parquet floor beneath his feet and cleared his throat, which Rukia took it as a sign to continue.
Rukia watched as Ichigo's eyes widen in surprise.
She continued after a moment of silence, reflecting. "The next full moon of spring will be in four days." Rukia could sense his worry. "Although it is a long time to waste but I know that Karin and Hitsugaya-taicho will do just fine. Meanwhile it is the best time for us to make preparations and get ready." She bit her lip "It wouldn't be easy Ichigo."
"But not impossible." Ichigo said with confidence and his eyes were full of resolute. Rukia smiled. That was one of the reasons why she liked about him. No matter how intimidating the task may be, he would always get it all together and pull through until he succeeds his objective.
"Rukia."
Rukia was about to open her mouth and reprimand Ichigo as she thought he sounded strange, his tone of voice sounded strangely gentle. But when she turned her head up to gaze at him, her breathe was caught in her throat as his caramel eyes looked right into her midnight amethyst ones, his steady gaze was too electrifying to look away. She could feel the chills shooting all over her body and the heat on her face.
"Thank you."
She exhaled slowly, an eyebrow shot up, "What for?"
"For being here for me. I… I honestly don't know what I would do without you."
She smirked. "Baka. Even without me, you'll do just fine."
He smirked back. Just then, Yuzu opened the door. "Ichi-nii, can't you hear me calling you?" There was a slight irritation in her voice. Then she perked up when she looked at Rukia. "Rukia-san, dinner is ready."
"Hai Yuzu." Rukia said. Yuzu gave a quick disapproving pout to Ichigo, causing him to unconsciously tilt his head backwards in trepidation. Yuzu can be scary when she wants to be.
Rukia proceeded to follow her out of the room, further aggravating Ichigo's cries of injustice with a wink before her head disappeared from sight. Ichigo huffed in relieve, his shoulder slumped slightly as his expression grew serious.
Don't get yourselves killed Karin, Toshiro. We are coming.
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"This is all your fault Toshiro!"
"Huh. Funny how this coming from someone who went charging into the Garganta. Without thinking, I might add." Hitsugaya said drily as he observed their surroundings. They were in the middle of Hueco Mundo's desert and by the looks of it, all alone in the infinite land that stretched for miles despite how the Las Noches fortress seemed to loom in a reachable distance, sand covering every surface except for the odd tree skeleton and crumbling debris that strewed here and there. The concentration of soul particles felt heavy in the air.
Hitsugaya eyed Karin's bloodstained kimono. "Karin, you're still injured. You really should get some rest while I heal you."
Earlier he had managed to heal the serious lesion on her stomach before she unexpectedly stood up despite the fact that she still had cuts all over her body, ignoring Hitsugaya's many reasoning, saying that she didn't want to waste anymore time. "The faster I get my hands on Rudobōn, the earlier we are outta here."
She pointedly ignored him yet again as she marched on. "I was thinking. Of killing Rudobōn that is. You ain't so smart yourself, I mean; you are stuck here with me."
"That was the intention. I wasn't going to let you run off all alone, get lost and slaughtered by a bunch of hollows."
"Glad to give you a peace of mind." Hitsugaya looked at her with the permanently embedded frown on his face, a storm brewing inside of him. Karin was many wonderful things but she could really make him so infuriated sometimes.
"Kurosaki." Hitsugaya admonished; his voice tense as he stopped walking abruptly. "It is not about me having a peace of mind. With you taking actions on impulse, how can I let you be? Do you enjoy making everyone worry over you?"
"Toshiro! My hero! What would I ever do without you?!" Karin cried exaggeratingly.
"This isn't funny."
"Am I laughing?" Karin glared at Hitsugaya. "Do you think I like everyone getting worried over me?"
Hitsugaya said nothing as she watched her close her eyes, jaw fixed, her breathing more forceful. He regretted his words, realizing belatedly that he had stepped over the line while expecting her to give him a deserving punch.
But he was taken back when he saw her tearful eyes instead, her voice choked with melancholy and distress while her arms hugged her sides. She looked so vulnerable, a side of Karin he had never seen before.
"It's hard watching Ichi-nii disappear without so much of telling where he was going, for how long or why. Goat face, Yuzu…" Her voice was barely audible when she uttered "me" as she pointedly stared at her feet. "We waited patiently and went on with our lives, reassuring each other that the idiot didn't get himself killed or whatever." She rolled her eyes; her laugh rang hollow in his ears.
"Then suddenly, this nightmares and visions. Feeling paranoid everywhere I go." The grip of her hands tightened on her arms, she looked fearful. "I made Yuzu and otousan worry. I hated it. Hated it. I hated myself. I… I…" Hitsugaya's arms enveloped over her small form, cradling her. Karin deepened the hug, her head resting on his chest with hands clutching the front of his kimono. An overpowering primal, protective instinct had washed over him; the consuming need to kill the perpetrator was unlike any other.
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I swear vengeance upon all who dared harm you
I'll be your wings that cover you from perils of the cruel reality
Just as you have enlightened me like the northern star to my winter sky
This is my promise to you
My beloved
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