Chapter 14
A week later, Rukia was sitting on a green hill overlooking the cemetery. The Kurosaki family was down there, paying their respects to Masaki – Ichigo's mother, who had died when he was barely 9. Deep in thoughts by the sudden revelations she had decided to go back home and warn her brother of Aizen's plan before it was too late. She just wondered if they will kill her on the way. If Urahara was right Aizen already knew that she had found out the truth.
"Hey!" Ichigo sat down next to her and startled her. "Sorry!"
"It's ok." Rukia smiled.
"Is everything ok with you, Rukia?"
She nodded. She had not revealed anything other than her name and the fact that she came from the Seireitei Empire.
"I was the reason for my mother's death." Ichigo suddenly said.
She turned to him.
"I saw a little girl that was about to drown in the river. And I ran after her, despite my mother's warning. She ran after me. And then she was lying on top of me, with an arrow in her back. She died protecting me. And the little girl was gone. I had dragged her into a trap, without knowing it." He was holding back the tears.
Rukia spoke.
"It is not your fault at all. You were barely a 9 year old boy. Who would have known they wanted to drag you there to kill you? And why?"
"That we do not know. There were no witnesses. No suspects. She was just gone, because I did not listen to her." He tried to be strong but he was just a teenager.
Rukia was moved to tears. She just embraced him quietly, trying to suppress his pain and hers also.
Later that night, when they were back at the Kurosaki's, Rukia dressed up and took a long black coat, Urahara had given her. She had decided to leave without saying anything and go back to her brother to warn him of the impending danger. Ichigo was sleeping downstairs on the couch. Rukia passed by him feeling guilty.
"Forgive me for lying. I just want to protect you and your family." That whispered, she moved closer and caressed his cheek.
She was outside on the back of Sode no Shirayuki, feeling sad to be leaving this place that allowed her to heal some of her wounds and find new friends, when someone shouted behind her back.
"Yess! There she is!"
She felt shivers running through her body.
"Renji?" She turned her head back.
That was indeed her husband, on his horse Zabimaru.
"You still remember me, your highness. I can't believe it! We were going mad searching for you, thinking you were dead, but there you were fine and happy without bothering to write a single letter! When the Special Forces told us you were living here normally, blending with the locals, I refused to believe it."
"Renji, I can explain. But there are much more important things to discuss…"
"Do not bother explaining to me! Your Majesty is the one who needs it."
Rukia felt the cold night wind on the face, when her brother moved to stand in front of her.
"Brother?"
"Rukia." His voice was cold and unreadable. He had bothered to come personally. It was serious.
She jumped down from her horse and Renji did the same, while Byakuya remained seated on Senbonzakura, the most beautiful and fastest horse in the whole Empire. Renji ran and grabbed her hand with force.
"What are you doing?" She shouted, trying to free herself.
"You are riding back with me! Be grateful that we came personally. According to the reports, you were about to be killed the moment the assassins found you." Renji said with surprising rage.
Rukia was dumbfounded.
"Brother, explain to me, please! What have I done?"
"And you are asking?" Renji pulled her forcefully. Byakuya was just standing there. "You met and lived with traitors, sentenced to death, Rukia! You became a traitor yourself! And the punishment for that is death!"
"That is not true. They are not traitors. You just have to listen to me because…"
"Shut up!" Renji pushed her harshly and she fell to the ground, injuring her cheek.
Too shocked to accept everything happening, Rukia remained on the ground. Suddenly another voice broke the heavy atmosphere.
"What is going on here? Who are you bastards to attack an unarmed woman?" Rukia turned her head and gasped from the shock.
Ichigo was standing behind her, carrying a sword.
"Ichigo…" Rukia whispered.
Renji moved aggressively towards him.
"I can ask you the same question, arrogant kid!"
The smirk on Ichigo's face was an indication that he was really angry now. Before Rukia could say something the two men clashed their swords and to her surprise Ichigo was holding Renji on.
"I get it now! You are that orange-haired idiot who took Rukia in his home and brainwashed her to the point of her arranging with traitors!" Renji shouted.
Ichigo jumped backwards.
"I don't know what is going on in your sick brain, but Rukia is not a traitor, neither am I. How do you know her anyway?"
Renji smiled.
"She hasn't told you? She is the princess of the Seireitei Empire and I am her husband – royal lieutenant Abarai Renji!" Ichigo was stunned by the revelation. "Remember the name of the man who is going to kill you!"
Renji used the opportunity to cut Ichigo's arm. Ichigo fell to the ground, while Rukia jumped.
"Ichigo!" She ran towards him, but Renji was about to make the final blow. She jumped on his back and caught his hand.
"What the hell are you doing, Rukia? Do you want to make matters worse for yourself?" Renji freed himself from her grasp.
When he looked back at the boy, Ichigo was standing in front of him, blood dripping from his wound, but his face more determined than ever. This time Renji was the surprised one.
"Princess? I don't care who she is! But I won't let you kill her!" Ichigo slashed and Renji's sword fell to the ground.
Ichigo moved closer, his grin widening. Rukia was too shocked to do anything. She did not know Ichigo knew how to fight and for him to defeat Renji, one of the best swordsmen was astonishing. Ichigo moved his sword above his head, preparing to cut Renji, when he groaned in pain, coughed out blood and fell to the ground. All three of them were shivering.
"Too slow, even when you are falling!" Behind Ichigo stood Byakuya, who had apparently slashed him and even sheathed his sword again.
"Forgive me, Captain! I should have…" Renji spoke.
"It's ok, Renji. Even my abilities will wither if I don't practice sometimes."
Meanwhile, Rukia had moved to Ichigo's body with teary eyes, shouting his name. Renji grabbed her arm.
"You fool! Your crime is already great enough!"
"Is it that wrong to go to him when I am the reason he is dead?!" Rukia was screaming.
"I am not…dead…" Ichigo said faintly, trying to get up, catching Byakuya's leg in the process.
"I see. You don't want to keep that hand!" Byakuya looked down.
Rukia quickly moved and kicked Ichigo's hand.
"You stupid boy! How dare you grab my brother, he is the Emperor!" Rukia shouted much to Ichigo and Renji's dismay. "Let us go, your Majesty. Rukia's eyes have opened now!"
Ichigo was looking at her like an abandoned dog.
"Rukia…what are you doing?"
Rukia tried to hide her tears as she took Renji's hand and jumped behind him on Zabimaru. They followed Byakuya, while she threw one last glance at Ichigo, praying that someone will find him and heal him before it became too late. Ichigo's vision was getting blurry, partly from him succumbing to his wounds and because of the tears that were falling. "I got protected instead…Rukia."
Rukia was sitting inside her cell, when Renji came by.
"Why are you refusing to eat?" He asked.
"I am simply not hungry, royal lieutenant." She replied sarcastically.
Renji smiled.
"Make fun of me as much as you want, but you are really in trouble!" He attempted to joke.
However, Rukia's face was dark and serious.
"Renji, do you think I am going to be executed?"
"Of course!" He replied loudly. Rukia nodded her head. "Hey, I was joking! Rukia, how can you really think that! Now that we are back here, away from these traitors, everything is gonna be fine. I am sure your brother will disagree with the order of the Central 46. He is the Emperor after all. Their justice is not absolute."
"I know my brother better than you do, Renji. He won't do that. He will kill me! He has never disagreed with Central 46. Justice is really important for him. And he hates Yoruichi so much that he will never believe me!"
Renji was scared. Before him sat the hurt Rukia – the depressed one, the broken Rukia.
"Do not say that!"
"You don't believe in me, either." She moved to the small window, her only source of light.
"I do believe in your innocence. But I think that these bastards Yoruichi and Urahara have manipulated you into believing them. This bullshit with Aizen is too much! If he was indeed of royal blood, someone would have recorded that."
"Tell me one reason they would do it!" Rukia turned to face him, shouting.
"Because they want revenge. Urahara ordered the attack against you and when he did not succeed he made up this twisted plan. He knew our soldiers would come sooner or later. They wanted to save themselves. If they were telling you the truth would they leave you to be captured and executed, while fleeing the shop? Captain is looking everywhere for them, but the Goddess of Flash Yoruichi has disappeared again."
"If he wanted to kill me, he could have easily done it in Karakura!" Rukia shouted.
"Maybe he decided that making Byakuya kill you will hurt more!" Renji answered.
Rukia sighed, not knowing what to believe in anymore.
Toushiro threw the papers on the floor.
"These reports are complete bullshit! Why would my aunt side with the traitors to overthrow her own brother from the throne?"
Matsumoto was pale.
"Your highness, you don't think that Gin and Aizen are the real traitors, do you?"
Toushiro sat back into his chair.
"I don't know. To be honest, I have always found something suspicious in Ichimaru. But Aizen… You make sure that these rumors don't reach Hinamori, Matsumoto! She is already a bit tired and strange these days."
"Yes, I will." She went to pick up the papers. "Rukia and I grew up together. I know that she is not guilty. But the fact that she hid herself from the Emperor and communicated with these people, she knew were sentenced to death is a great crime. I am afraid she has become a victim into their manipulative game."
Toushiro did not say anything. "A game of manipulation? I have to look back into the past and the circumstances around the death of my mother."
"I am listening to you, Soifon." Byakuya said calmly.
Soifon was standing in front of him, fire burning in her eyes.
"Do you really believe that my aunt is participating in treason against you? Have you lost your mind?"
"Watch your words!" Byakuya looked up.
"If I don't then what? Are you going to execute me too?"
"Soifon!" Byakuya stood up, his voice loud. "Need I remind you that you are the daughter of a traitor?"
Soifon shivered in anger.
"No, your majesty! You have reminded me that my whole life. You hate my mother so much that you are willing to kill everyone that shows some understanding to her. But do you have any evidence that she has indeed ordered the poisoning of Hisana? As far as I know, only the judgement of your grandfather, who hated Hisana more than anyone else!" She shouted too.
Byakuya pushed away the documents on his desk, scaring her.
"Get out!" He shouted.
Soifon bowed sarcastically and left the room, leaving him out of his skin for a while. "Brother, Aizen is your uncle! An illegitimate son of our Grandfather!" These were Rukia's words to him and he was sure that she believed in that. She asked him to investigate and he did that, of course.
"There is no truth in that, Your Majesty!" Ginpei said without even a notice of doubt. "Your Grandfather had only one son – your father. He was an example of nobility his whole life. Unfortunately, we can't say the same about her highness, Rukia."
"Enough, Ginpei! You may leave."
Central 46 were absolute in their decision. Involving with criminals, hiding yourself for over a month was treason, punishable by death. Byakuya could not do anything except finding Yoruichi and killing her for ruining his life!
I know that it might be a bit boring for you without HitsuHina, but we are close to the culmination of part 1, so there is no time for romance now. A few more chapters before my Christmas pause! As always, I am looking forward to your comments! :)