AN: so you guys, the reason i've been gone so long is well... hmph... my grandpa died, a little while ago (like in november), and it's been hard for me to write, and these past two months have been very overwhelming and a few of my friends have been stressing me out with a BITCH load of drama, so yeah. But, i'm alright, feeling great about myself. Please don't say you're sorry about my loss and shit like that, I know it's sad but I don't want to be reminded of it, my grandfather's dying wishes were to have his family be happy and not to cry over his death. He's watching all of us from God's clouds up in heaven (: enjoy please! And REVIEW! 3
My heart had made its way into my throat, greeting my voice that coward in the bowels of my esophagus. It was such an odd place for my heart to be. My breaths had become inconsistent as the silence held up. I was about to burst when his amber eyes narrowed considerably. He sucked in a breath loudly before exhaling, a look of disgust rising to his face. "This is horrible. A disgrace. I cannot believe you had such a talent. Horrendous." The Young Master said as I almost broke into tears. A white paper whipped out in front of my face, a gorgeous array of rabbits skidded on the white side. I gaped at the astounding work, remembering only briefly that I had been doodling in the Young Master's study awaiting dinner a few nights ago. My body was boiled in anger as he continued on about the hideousness of my piece of art.
"Hideous?" I asked in annoyance, eyebrows twitching. The Young Master scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"Why yes, it is a terrible piece of art. No one would possibly call this art." How rude can one get? I am starting to hate this man. He is rude beyond belief, ignorant, ill-mannered, arrogant, two-faced—
"Rukia! Are you listening?" I snapped out of my seething anger to look at the Young Master's amber eyes in front of mine. I staggered backwards slightly, taken off by his face so close to mine. I had just remembered those terrifying dreams that attack me in my sleep, only to notice that they hadn't stopped by in quite some time. Blasted Hell, they are sure to come now. I sighed tiredly, not wanting to fight with him. Surprisingly, the Young Master took this as I snatched my beautiful drawings from his fingertips. "I think they are cute..." I muttered, leaving the room in search of Kisuke and Yoruichi. I am sure that they will respect my art.
I trudged down the hallways, seeing nobody beside or in front of I, which was odd. The kitchen was unusually silent, the windows slightly foggy. I blinked back confusion, pushing the door as I shook my head. A pot was bubbling in the corner, the room quite hazy. Yoruichi and Kisuke nowhere in sight. How odd. Things seemed in order, as well as the uneasy quietness. I must have mentioned that more than once now, haven't I? I shrugged the thought away, crawling onto the high stool. "Kisuke? Yoruichi?" I called, seeing a fragment of pink scratched into my eyelids that took my person off guard, plummeting to the ground near silently. I rubbed my painless head, seeing Yachiru grinning atop the counter. I furrowed my brow, Yoruichi and Kisuke never mention Yachiru stopping by. I had always thought that Kenpachi and Yachiru were inseparable, so why was the small girl here on her own? Other than why, how in the name of God did she get here? Where was Yoruichi and Kisuke anyways? I was beginning to panic. Yoruichi and Kisuke never went anywhere, since I had came along not too long ago, without notice.
Yachiru had disappeared from in front of my face to the bubbling stove. I stood up and dusted my bum, wandering over to the pink-haired girl. She stood over the pot that she stirred with Yoruichi's best, large wooden spoon. I hope Yachiru knows what she is doing. I peered over the pot to see a hideous array of... well I am actually not quite sure what it is. I cringed at the smell and steam that attacked my face.
"Y-Yachiru? May I ask what this atrocious... soup is?" I found it quite humorous to be talking so politely and mannerly to a small child. I sighed, awaiting a reply. She was silent, her lips curled in a Cheshire grin. It was quite chilling. I shuddered, stepping back for no apparent reason. There was a chilling feeling that arose in the kitchen, my feet taking my body backwards. I felt uneasy all of a sudden, Yachiru's pink hair sprouting ears. I gasped, falling to my bum once more.
What is going on? I was actually beginning to panic now, seeing a tail grow from Yachiru's bum. I squeaked nervously, running backwards out the door. What had happened? I peered into the kitchen once more, Yachiru nowhere to be found, but a pink cat in her place. My violet eyes grew wider, my feet staggering backwards. I ran down the hallways, screaming the only name that came to mind: "Master Kurosaki!" The only other name that I would have called was Brother's or Renji's, but knowing that they were not here made the pit of my stomach curl.
It was strange how silent things had gotten since I screamed his name. Things stopped, the air began to froth, colors distorting. A shiver scurried down my back, crawling up to my lips, sinking into my stomach and let through my breath. What was going on? The air shattered as though it was glass, falling to the ground like mercury pebbles. I had always had a fear of mercury. Trembling backwards, the pebbles began to form into a face on the floor that looked oddly familiar. I grimaced at the sinister laugh erupted from the beads. My spine was tapped upon by the ripples of air that were so visible, furry fox ears growing from the carpet.
" Ya aren't afraid o' me, are ya, Miss Rukia?" Called a familiar voice as the beads of mercury assembled themselves into the shape of Gin. A bushy silver tail from his backside swayed from his backside, eyes slanted inwards as they had always been. "Dos'd off thar, hav'n'cha, Miss Rukia? I see that ya have been pretty tired, but fallin' asleep on da job ain't so good; ya gon' be fired." Why in bloody Hell was Gin speaking rhymes? First of all, he had grown ears and a tail like Yachiru— though, she had turned into a cat. Did this mean that Gin would turn into a fox? I shivered, not only because of my cold, but because Gin had taken a few steps closer. "Miss Rukia, there ain't a need ta be afraid; I only came ta yer aid." His rhymes are atrocious. Gin was and still is my mentor, but I do not have an ear for his rhymes. And his accent.
"And why must I need your 'aid' here, Gin?" He chuckled and rocked on the balls of his feet. His finger was outstretched, arm following behind it. "From dat, Miss Rukia." I turn to see what he is pointing at, only to see the Young Master. Well, not quite the Young Master, but... actually, I am not quite sure what it is. "Com'na, Miss Rukia. We betta get goin' b'fore he catches us." Gin said, his mischievous grin glimmering strongly. He took a hold of my sweater, dragging my body on as I glanced at what seemed to be the Young Master. He had a bright orange mane, as well as long canine fangs that protruded from his pink lips. Did he and Kon have a baby? I snickered at the thought, realizing that Gin and I had not been running.
"Gin? Why are we not running? Would he not catch up with us?" Gin turned to grin at me, tugging along at my sleeve. "We would, but ya fell asleep so we ain't got no'in ta worry 'bout." Asleep? What is this crazy man speaking of? The Young Master walked behind us slowly, stalking the both of us as he sneered. "Gin. I am quite sure he is going to rip our faces off." Gin chuckled, shaking his head as though I had said something impulsive. "He ain't gon' rip yer face off! 'Less ya wake up, he ain't gon' rip yer face off!" He exclaimed, the Young Master's footsteps echoing ours. What is this man talking about? I am not asleep!
"No need to fear! Toshiro is here!" Not another set of rhymes. As I glanced around the stained glass hallway, I had noticed somebody standing in the large windowsill. Please, dear Lord, that could not be who I think it may be. The mysterious figure donned a silver cape and a reptilian tail. Oh no. As the light cascaded around the figure, it appeared to be Toshiro with a sword strapped to his side. Good God. What is wrong with this world? Just as Toshiro jumped from the stained glass, the Young Master roared, clawing at Gin and I. Dodging the blow swiftly, Gin left I to be clawed away at. Surprisingly, there was no pain.
The claws stopped as I heard a scream of terror, and a large slash of the flesh. I opened my eyes to see that Toshiro had slain the Young Master, my voice hitching into my throat as I noticed the blood smeared across the floor.
Oh no! I screamed in terror, not because of the death of my employer, but because Toshiro had pointed his sword towards I. "Dear Miss Rukia. If you do not awake, I believe I must be the one to take... your life that is." What in Heaven's name are these people speaking of? I began to crawl backwards as Toshiro followed in my steps, Gin seeming to protect I. Suddenly, a heap of snow fell upon my body as I awoke in shock.
"Oh Dear Heavens! Miss Rukia!" I heard somebody yell, the cool breeze and white scenery making my eyes ache. I saw Kisuke standing over I as well as Uryuu. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Mister Urahara. I knew we should have not let you carry Miss Kuchiki." I was helped up, dusted off and glanced around. "Where are we, may I ask?" I muttered to the two men beside I. Kisuke grinned as Uryuu pushed his glasses up. "We are in the middle of nowhere. Ever since that incident at the restaurant, we had never made it home." Uryuu explained as I furrowed my brow. So that means that I returning home, getting yelled at by the Young Master, being chased by a Kon-Young Master baby, and 'dying' was all a dream?
Glancing around once more, I noticed that we had indeed ended up nowhere. I sighed loudly, seeing my breath as we heard light footsteps behind us. I turned to see the Young Master, his cheeks slightly charred from the icy foreground. I staggered backwards, slightly taken off by my dreams. He was staring at the ground, the thought coming to my mind as I blurted it out loud.
"It isn't good to stare at the ground." His amber eyes met mine as they twisted quizzically. He raised an abnormally orange eyebrow, waiting as I would go on. "Staring at the ground while you walk means you will have no future." The Young Master's eyebrows squished together as he huffed, walking along. I glanced at Kisuke who shrugged his shoulders. I sighed, knowing that Yoruichi was lucky to stay home.
We later found out that she had nearly killed herself closing an open window in the kitchen.
The winds were dry and cold, yelling obscene breaths as we trudged through the thickening snow. It was dark and bright at the same time, the snow blasting into our faces. The cold turned our ears raw, and cold. So cold that they feel as though they had gone through the kiln. Kisuke, Uryuu and I had been the last walking along with the group.
Every minute, Kisuke would turn and glance behind his back into the dark abyss. That was when I had decided to lag behind him to see what he is seeing. There was nothing. My mind, stressed and icy, still function as I looked at the ground while we walker every now and then. I noticed that the footsteps we left were packed more into the snow.
There was nobody behind I, when I was beginning to think somebody was following us. I rushed to Kisuke's side once again, standing on the tips of my toes to face him. "Kisuke, I do believe somebody is follow-"
"Hush, Young Miss, no need to worry," Kisuke interrupted as the snow became thicker. This cane dripped with water that froze over as we walked. "It is no one. Do not worry to much." I nodded, gripping the coat around my frozen body as we continued walking. Suddenly, a heavy coat fell from the sky, startling both Kisuke and I. Lifting the heavy, grey trench coat, a piece of paper fell from the pocket inside. Keep warm, Miss Rukia... It was written in messy calligraphy, my mind scrambling.
Kisuke grinned to himself, his green hat masking his grey eyes. I glared, knowing he knew something I had not. Fumbling, I managed to put the coat on, feeling its old warmth wrap around my body. Examining the coat, I found it had many useless trinkets, as well as pieces of candy and stray pieces of leather.
The smell that came from the coat was of shoe-shiner, and very old leather. I could have guessed where this coat had come from. I glanced at the sky once more, seeing only the tall buildings by the roads. The small streetlamps illuminated the streets with an iota of a chance seeing through the thick snow. For a fragment of a moment, I saw a shadow running atop the building we just passed. I rolled my eyes, my feet growing heavy and cold. As I thought the walk could have gotten any longer, we had to climb up the large mountain. I groaned loudly, feeling my legs grow more and more weary.
Just as we thought we were going to die of frostbite, when a carriage monotonously strolled beside all of us. The Young Master and Doctor Kurosaki both glanced upon it's gold ridges and the large insignia that was... K for...
Kuchiki! I gaped, my face growing red. Thank goodness Yoruichi was not here or Brother would die of fright. The door opened, Hisana, Renji, and Brother all leaning outward to glance at the Kurosaki household. Renji stiffened as his eyes guided themselves towards I. Hisana only smiled, waving gently as she coughed. Hisana had always been sickly. Brother looked rather frustrated, his gaze lingering towards Kisuke who grinned.
I swallowed hard, seeing Renji wave towards I. Brother glared at him as he lips curled inward, his eyes darting away. Hisana, on the other hand could not be told to stop what she is doing. "Dearest Rukia, is that you? Oh my, oh my, why is my only sister out in the snow?" Hisana said frantically, hitting and staring at Brother who had seemed to care less. Hisana hit him once more, this time in the chest, and he let out a soft 'oof' before sighing loudly. "I do not believe that all of them can fit inside our cart."
It was ten minutes later where I had found myself sitting in between the Young Master's underarm, his father's backside, and Kisuke's legs atop of mine. We had managed to fit every single one of us inside, and I was beginning to feel wet from all of the snow we trudged through. It was quite a bother. Brother had kept staring at I, as well as the Young Master. Doctor Kurosaki seemed as though he had knew who picked us up, so I had not worried much about him. All I had wanted to do was get home and have some nice soup or rather a warm bath.
The ride was long and tortuous, and the silence had only made it worst. We all stared at each other and watched as the snow drifted past the Kuchiki carriage. I felt the people sitting atop of I grow heavier as we ascended the large mountain-hill, (as Kisuke referred to it as), and felt as though I was being crushed. We all sat for a long and agonizing twenty minutes before we came to a stop. The carriage squeaked to a stop, wheels urging to give out at any minute. It was a surprise that we had all fit.
Crawling out of the hellhole, I was already regretting the warmth. Master Kurosaki had invited Brother, Hisana and Renji into the Kurosaki manor for dinner, as a payment of the torture. I wanted to object, but he was my employer and objecting an employer...
I trudged into the large house where I call home, at least for now. I was hoping Brother would take I home by now, but I do want to continue my swordsmanship. The snow was thick and the wind tickled my nose dry. As we entered the home, woman after man after woman, we heard loud yelling. A few crashes ran after the yelling, and the sounds of glass shattering. The first to run to the sound was Kisuke, who had presumed it was from the kitchen. I ran after, with the Young Master following.
The door was closed, and two silhouettes seemed to be arguing, but from further staring and listening, they were chasing something. "Get back here!" One voice, I assume to be Yoruichi, yelled a smack of the broom braking hay that flew to the closed glass doors. Kisuke, reluctantly, opened the door, the three of us peered into see Yoruichi and... Toshiro! The two were chasing each other around the kitchen, which, odd enough, was spotless. Is it odd that I always find Toshiro? I think not. I enjoy his company, most of the time.
A small, fury, disgusting creature came from under the counter causing my lips to let out a scream, the two figures turning to stare. My face immediately changed to a red, hands clasped over my lips. That was not what I expected. Toshiro's eyes smirked, his lips quirking at the sides. I frowned. I wanted to hit him.
The large rat scurried beneath Yoruichi's feet, and as she glared at it with the broom in hand when a large basket was placed over the rat as it ran away from the dark skinned woman. Kisuke grinned, donning his hat at his lover, eyes sparkling. "Milady, Sir Knight has come to save the day." Kisuke bowed.
Yoruichi rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. It had been a long day and I decided to reside for the night. The walk was longer than I had expected, and it seemed like the snow hadn't stopped. Oh what a pain this will be for my training. Poor Miss Yuzu's flowers as well. What a shame.
The opened my door and settled in, taking off my coat and kicking my shoes off. What a long day. All the walking and such. I sighed loudly and sat down onto my bed, rubbing the covers in between my fingers. An odd dream I had earlier today. I wonder if it will have any relevance to the rest of my life. Oh well. I laid down for a moment and stared at the ceiling, wondering if the other swordsman would accept I.
It hadn't occurred to me lately that I was possibly the youngest member, aside from Yachiru who does not know anything about swords. Well, actually, what do I know. Maybe Yachiru did know a thing or two about swords. The keyword being, 'a'. Sitting back up once more, I rubbed my face, feeling that the sleep was sinking into my skin.
Changing into my night gown quickly, I came to conclusion of practicing my routines with Sode no Shirayuki. The Young Master was probably asleep by now, as for the others. To the dresser I went and unhinged Sode no Shirayuki from its resting place. Pulling the sheath from the silver blade, shining with an effervescent beauty. The glimmer in the light echoed the moonlight that came through the window, and there was a faint smell of ice and snow. If the two things had a smell.
I swung the sword a few times, realizing that the longer I stay away from practicing my strikes, my arm became sore. I stared at my sword for a moment, taking in what I had given my life too. Swordsmanship. If my elementary friends had heard of this, they would think of it as childish, rather impulsive, and hard to achieve. Yes, it was true, that in my youth, I was still dreaming of becoming a swordsman as Brother was beginning his training. I sighed loudly, unaware of the creeping footsteps approaching my room from behind the door that lead into the Young Master's room.
Who was I? What was I giving up for this lifestyle? The 'high-class' luxury, the extravagant and intricate clothing, the finest of foods anyone could imagine; all for a law that I must break. The law of women not being able to wield swords. The more I thought about, the more absurd and sexist it was. Why does it matter if I, a woman, wield a sword? Does it make any difference? A woman wielding a sword could be just as strong as a man wielding a sword! These abiding 'laws' the old men indigenous to some far away land that is not where I reside. And those men believe that everything is equal for all kinds of people, blasphemy! Oh, the thickheaded minds of those foolish men. If anyone would retaliate to their precious 'laws', it would be I. Dueling to a sword match as well, I would most likely win the battle. The old lawmen could never defeat a swordsman as I. Deeming myself more canny than majority of swordsmen in this whole country, I could take them on. What trouble could it be? I could be the woman with a story; Kuchiki-
"Rukia? I want you to polish my sword-" A voice called and paused as the door swung open. I turned around with Sode no Shirayuki still grasped tightly in my hands, my heart beating faster than the fastest horse running against the field. His orange hair faced me, his calloused fingers around the dark hilt of his sword. When his auburn met mine, I felt my heart stop. My breathing was swept away by the crisp air of the window opening with the silence. The fireplace in his eyes were lit and he scowled, Sode no Shirayuki gaining weight by the second. I could tell his mind was trying to comprehend all of this in the single moment, whilst his breathing was erratic. Squared shoulders, sheathing his sword, I took a defiant stand, the tip of my own sword scratching the polyester flooring. I swallowed my fear and breathed pride, preparing myself for what he was going to say about my sword. Was he surprised? Would he be angered? Oh holy Hell, of course he would be angered! I silently scolded myself for being so ignorant and watched his movements. The Young Master's forefinger on his left hand twitched, his face curling into a twisted frown. He was not happy with me it had seemed.
"What is the meaning of this?" The Young Master asked with a serious and low tone, melting my heart of gold to a puddle of bronze. I could not speak, and I could not move. For a peculiar reason, I was more frightened than him than I was Brother. And I had thought that Brother was the thin line between Heaven and Hell. He took a step forward as I took a step back, the sound of metal scraping cloth the only sound that skimmed the air.
"Do you know the consequences of this?" The Young Master said icily, his eyes piercing my soul. I swallowed hard, hoping what came next would not be as bad as I thought it would be.