Chapter 13: Love Becomes Power
The group stood outside Los Noches, contemplating a way inside. "Did you want to knock on the door?" Dondochakka asked, Uryu turned to retort and noticed Chad. "That's a great idea, hey Chad, can you come knock for us?" Uryu gestured toward the wall in front of them. Chad gave a thumds up as he walked past Uryu to the wall, his arm transformed and he punched the wall with all his strength. The wall shaked and cracked, when Chad withdrew his fist, the wall crumbled, revealing a hole large enough for the group to enter the palace.
Ichigo walks over to Chad and places a hand on his shoulder, peering into what was now their doorway. "Nice job, Chad." Ichigo said, walking into the room. "Thanks, Ichigo." Chad said, as he followed. The group filed in an surveyed their new surroundings, they turned towards the outside and said good-bye to their four new allies. The group began running down the corridor until they came into a brightly lit room. As the group entered the room, they noticed five seperate corridors on the other side, "Well, this is interesting." Renji said.
"Looks like we're gonna have to split up," Uryu said. Fear began to bubble inside Renji's stomach at the thought of leaving Rukia's side, especially since he was finally understanding his feelings for her, he wanted tell her, but he was afraid of what she would say. Now, he was becoming more afraid that he would never get the chance.
Also, he wanted to make sure that everyone made it back home safe. "Wait, you guys," Renji said. "Before we split up, I want to say a prayer." "A prayer?" Ichigo asked, puzzled. "It's a warrior's prayer." Rukia said. "I've heard a few of the captains say it before a battle." "What do we do, Renji?" Chad asked. "All we need to do is place our hands over one another, and I'll say the prayer." Renji said.
As everyone placed their hands in a circle, Renji placed his on top, and began to recite the prayer. At the same time, he placed some of his spirit energy into the others, so that if the others were in trouble he could rush to their aid. The moment they split off, all Renji could think about was Rukia. He ran down his corridor saying a silent prayer to himself, saying that when they all got back home, he would tell her how much he loved her.
At the end of the corridor, Renji enters an area where the ceiling is in an image of the brightly lit sky in midafternoon. After surveying his surroundings, he decided to check on his friends. Closing his eyes, and taking a deep breath, he focused on finding the traces of his spirit energy he gave to them. Finding each one, he checked their spiritual pressures, when he locked onto Rukia's, he noticed that she was in a fierce battle with an espada. Renji broke into a run, hoping to reach her in time to help. 'She can handle herself,' he thought. 'She's a fighter.' Suddenly, he felt her spiritual pressure began to weaken. 'No!' Renji thought. 'Just hold on, Rukia, I'm coming.' Renji's heart began to pound and his mind started to race. He flash stepped as fast as he could to the tower where he could feel Rukia's spiritual pressure. Unsheathing Zabimaru, he tore open the door and ran inside, once inside the dark room, he searched for her. "Rukia!" he yelled, hoping for a response. He stood still, listening, when he heard the sounds of battle, he ran toward it.
"Rukia!" he shouted, rounding a corner. When he saw her, he froze. Rukia was standing on the other side, her arms hung limply at her sides, her zanpakto was on the floor, shattered, she collasped to her knees as her called out to her. She turned her head, and he saw blood seeping from a wound beneath her hairline and a cut across her cheek. Renji looked ahead of her and he noticed a dark figure coming up behind her. Renji took a step forward, then stopped once again when he recognized who the figure was, Rukia's old lieutenant, Kaien Shiba.
Kaien Shiba was the former lieutenant of squad 13, and Rukia idolized him, until the night his body was overtaken by a hollow. Renji remembered the story Rukia told him all too well, and the guilt she felt for ending his life. No matter how many times he told her it wasn't her fault, she still carried it. Renji wanted to help her through her grief so many times, but he was never sure about how. Now, she was on the precipice of death and the one delivering the final blow was the one person she felt she had hurt most. Renji froze, staring at the scene before him, Rukia noticed Renji and reached out to him, her tiny hand covered in her own blood.
The sound of laughter echoed in the room as Shiba raised his zanpakto over Rukia's body. Renji sprinted towards them as the weapon came down with a sickening crunch. The pleading look in Rukia's eyes as her body crumpled to the floor made Renji's heart stop, and all that could be heard was the sound of lieutenant's sickening laughter as he pulled the weapon out of Rukia's now limp body, readying himself for his next victim.
All Renji could do was stare at the body that lay on the floor, he could feel her spiritual pressure slowly start to fade and a part of him fading with her. He knelt down and rolled her over, taking hold of her hand. "Rukia?" he asked, hoping she would answer. "Ren-ji?" Rukia struggled to form the words. "Yes Rukia, I'm here." Renji's voice started to crack as hot tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. "We're not-supposed-to show-emotion." Rukia said, smiling. "I don't care." Renji's voice started breaking as he fought back tears.
Still smiling, she reached up and cupped his cheek. "Rukia?" Renji asked, as he encircled his hand over hers. "Renji, I've always wanted to tell you, I-I-" Rukia struggled to finish her sentence as her hand began to slip from his face. "Rukia? Rukia, no, don't go, please! Rukia!" Renji yelled as he shook her, the light slowly fading from her eyes. His tears started flowing down his cheeks, dripping onto her still face, "Aw, did your girlfriend die on you, Renji?" Shiba's voice came from behind. Renji held her body close as Shiba's maniacal laughter broke out once again.
Despair begin to carve a hole in Renji's heart as Shiba's laughter rang in his ears. He laid Rukia down on the floor and turned around, "What? You want to party too?" Shiba asked, mockingly. "She trusted you," Renji said, anger boiling in his veins. "She trusted you, and you killed her!" Renji shouted, his emotion so raw he couldn't feel anything else. Shiba chuckled at Renji's statement. "She trusted me? Did she trust me when she decided to end my life? I was suffering and she killed me." Shiba said. "I'd be careful Renji, you might've been next if I hadn't killed her myself."
"That's not true!" Renji yelled, his body shaking with rage. "She idolized you! She wanted to be a lieutenant just like you!" Renji roared, the rage inside him rising to the surface. "Idolized me?" Shiba mocked. "All she wanted was to be lieutenant!" At that statement, Renji lost all self-control, he charged at Shiba with all the pain and anger in his broken heart. "Roar, Zabimaru!" he shouted, swinging violently at Shiba.
Shiba easily dodged Renji's swings, cackling the entire time. "Oh, Renji , do you need a sparring partner?" Shiba said. "Hado number 33: Sokatsui." Renji shouted. Blue flame shot forth from his palm and Shiba dodges once again, chuckling. "You never were very good at kido, Renji." Shiba said. "And now, it's my turn."
A flash of light closed the gap between Renji and Shiba, before Renji could react, Shiba was already bringing his zanpakto down over his head. Renji rolled, using Zabimaru to deflect Shiba's strike. Renji swung Zabimaru at Shiba legs, which caused Shiba to leap back, creating an opportunity for Renji to charge. Shiba flash stepped to the side, and swung his trident in a circluar motion, causing Zabimaru to wrap around it.
With a flick of his wrist, Shiba sent Renji flying through the air. He crashed into the wall, the blow knocking the air from the lungs. He fell to floor landing a flew feet away from Rukia's still form. Battered and bloody, he struggled to get to his feet, his opponent laughing the entire time. He looked over at Rukia, she was still clinging to life, he could still feel her spiritual pressure. It was faint, but it was there. 'Just a little longer, Rukia, don't give up on me now.' he thought.
"Lesson number one: Don't get distracted." Shiba's voice came from behind him. "Damn." Renji said as he was kicked in the ribs, the force sending him rolling across the floor, crashing into the wall inches from where Rukia lay.
As Renji struggled to pull the air back into his lungs, he felt something touch his hand. He looked over and noticed Rukia had managed to reach for him, so he enclosed his hand around hers. "Aw, young love, Isn't that sweet?" Shiba teased. "I'll kill you both together." He ran his trident through Renji's torso, causing him to cough blood. Shiba's laughter once again filled the room as his eyes began to blur. He looked over at Rukia who was shedding silent tears, her hand still holding his.
'Please, Rukia, don't cry.' Renji thought. 'I never could stand to see you cry.' His conciousness started to fade as Shiba began to repeatedly kick Rukia in the stomach, his manical laughter being the last thing Renji heard. His eyes began to get heavy, all he could think about was Rukia's face as she lay there, her tiny hand holding his own, trying to give him strength even though she was growing weaker with every breath.
"Aren't you going to get up?" a smug voice said. "Looks-s-s like he 's down for the count." a slithery voice remarked. "Would you two shut up?" Renji replied, still clinging to life. "Seems like you didn't have the strength to wield us after all." the smug voice replied. Renji turned his head to see the spirit of his zanpakto, Zabimaru, a white monkey with a white snake as it's tail. "Appears-s-s he can't even lift his arm." the snake replied. "Knock it off, already." Renji replied, too tired for the spirit monkey's smug remarks. "You're dying." the monkey said. "Thanks for ststing the obvious." Renji replied, "Got any advice for me, or you are here for the show?"
The spirit thinks about it for a moment, then the snake says, " Why would we help s-s-someone like you?" Renji opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. Zabimaru was right, he was weak, and the spirit knew it. He knew it, that's why he couldn't save Rukia. He turned to Rukia, her small form unmoving, then he turned his gaze to Kaien Shiba who had transformed. Renji's eyes widened. He wasn't Kaien Shiba, he was an espada, and now, he was going to kill the love of his life, and he was powerless to stop it.
Tears began to well up in the corners of his eyes as he stared feeling defeated. Zabimaru, stood there, staring at him. Sensing Renji's defeat, the creature took a step toward him. "Have you given up?" the monkey asks, looking down at Renji's limp form. "Is this-s-s all you've got?" the snake remarks. Renji didn't respond, and the spirit animal sat down. "You love her, don't you?" the monkey said and Renji looked at the animal. "Yes, I've always loved her, I've just never had a chance to tell her." Renji replied.
"Then, are you going to just sit there and let this happen?" the monkey said, catching Renji off-guard. "Or are you going to do s-s-something about it?" the snake replied, further enforcing the animal's intention. Passion began to burn in Renji's eyes, as he started to realize what the spirit animal was doing. "Do you still have my back, Zabimaru?" Renji asked, power fulling his body. The creature smiled, saying, "If you have to ask then you don't deserve wield us." Renji smirked as he got to his feet. "Let's do this, Bankai!"
Power radiated off of Renji in waves, determination in his eyes. Zabimaru's bankai form wrapped around him, shrieking as Shiba turned to face him. "So, you're not dead yet?" Shiba said. "You used him, you used him to hurt her, and now you're gonna pay." Renji shouted, no longer holding back. He charged Shiba, sending Zabimaru towards the espada, Shiba dodged easily, sending Zabimaru into the wall behind him. When Renji pulled back, a hole was created allowing the sunlight to creep through. Shiba shrieked and his face melted, revealing the espada's true form. Underneath the mask of Kaien Shiba was a cylindrical tank filled with a pink fluid and two golfball sized heads inside.
"I suppose now the game is over," one says in a deep voice. "And now, it's time to reintroduce ourselves." the other says in a high-pitched voice. "We are Aaroniero Arruruerie and you have witnessed our power." the two heads said in tandem. "We continue to evolve through the consumption of our enemies." the high-pitched one said. "And through that, we evolve into a higher being." the deep voiced one said.
"Really? Let's see you evolve after I kill you!" Renji screamed. Sending Zabimaru towards Aaroniero. Aaroniero dodged using Shiba's zanpakto to block Zabimaru's teeth, causing him to slide across the floor. Aaroniero pushes Zabimaru back, twirling the trident to create some distance between them. Aaroniero moved to charge at Renji and his hand wavered into the sunlight. As he shrieked in pain, Renji had an idea, he sent Zabimaru into the wall behind Aaroniero and it crumbled allowing the sunlight to fill the room. Aaroniero cried out in pain, trying to find a place to hide. "Now, I've got you!" Renij shouted. "Roar, Zabimaru! Higa Zekko! Show him that he will never hurt Rukia again!" He roared. Zabimaru shrieked as if in response and began disjointing, filling the empty spaces with Renji's overwhelming spiritual energy until the creature's mouth opened and a red beam came shooting out, turning the espada's body to ash. As the glass cylinder shatters, the two heads come rolling out to the floor, the high pitched one screamed as it died and deep voiced one rolled to Renji's feet. "How? We were perfect. How did this happen?" he screamed. "Because," Renji said. "You tried to kill the woman I love." Renji raised his foot over the head and slammed it down, crushing the screaming head.
Exhausted from battle, Renji walked over to Rukia cradling her in his arms. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was labored, but when Renji picked her up, her eyes opened. "Renji," she said, her voice weak. "What happened?" "Rukia, there's something I have to tell you. I've been wanting to tell you for years, but I've been afraid of what you would say. Rukia, you're the most important thing in my life. I love you, I've loved you since we were kids, from the day we meet I fell in love with you. I went to the soul reaper academy just to be with you. Rukia, that's why I need you to live, so I can be with you for the rest of my life. I'd do anything for you because I love you."
Tears began to form in Rukia's eyes as she listened to Renij's words. Her heart began to pound as she realized she felt the same about him. "Renji, I love you, too." She said, smiling, Renji felt an overwhelming sense of joy and relief at Rukia's words and leaned in to kiss her. As their lips touched, the spark ignited between them and Renji pulled Rukia closer to deepen the kiss.
"Lieutenant Abarai, I don't remember giving you consent to court my sister." a voice called out, scaring them both. They looked up and saw the captain of squad 6, and Rukia's adopted older brother, Byakuya Kuchiki. Hiding behind him was the seventh seat of the fourth division, Hanataro Yamada. "Yamada, my sister needs medical attention." "Yes, sir." Hanataro responded, running to his injured comrades. "Lietenant Abarai, Captain Kuchiki said. "Come with me, we need to talk."