Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters, Tite Kubo does. I am simply writing this for my own amusement.

A big warning first, this is a VERY sad chapter. But I will say this now, this story does have a happy ending, so don't take this to hard….

Chapter 26

The Day the World Fell Down

The jungle which just moments ago had been filled with screams and death suddenly went quiet. Not a single noise was made. It was as if all the creatures and even the wind itself were starkly aware of the tragedy that had just occurred within its depths.

Yet time continues and ever so slowly things seemed to return to normal. A small monkey was the first to venture over to the two still figures laying on the forest floor. It approached them carefully, as it was a breed that was noted for being none to brave. However, it sensed no danger and approached quickly. Picking up a small glittering object that had caught its attention, it had apparently gotten what it had come for. Scurrying off with its prize it never took the time to notice other similar objects laying around… little charms from a broken bracelet.

In the distance a fire burned. The helicopter had simply plunged after it had exploded. The force of that alone had blown Byakuya and Rukia clear of the wreck and falling debris, but in the end some would have wondered if that really would have made much of a difference.

As the sun rose higher into the sky, it finally broke though the thick and deep foliage. A few trees had lost a few branches with their fall, perhaps it was that that had made the difference, but in many ways that too didn't seem to matter much in the end.

But yet, even in times of deep despair a bit of hope can still arise. And that hope this time took the form of a small woman beginning to stir.

They had landed in a partially open area, softened by layers upon layers of discarded leaves. Just a few meters away stood a rather sharp and deadly looking rock, so perhaps luck had helped there again. At least they didn't end up landing on that… that might have destroyed hope entirely.

...

The first thing that came to Rukia Kuchiki was pain. It throbbed through her head like a battalion of plunging knives. At first she didn't move, she really couldn't even if she wanted too. The world so bright to everything else, seemed dim and spotty. Her eyes didn't seem to want to adjust right no matter how long she tried. Finally just the energy it took to look around wore her out and darkness once again claimed her.

Around her the animals of the forest watched carefully, aware that something strange was there. A large tiger emerged from the trees then, it being bolder then the rest. Even yet it approached cautiously, something about what it sensed made it nervous. It approached the smaller of the two and sniffed at the creatures hair. It smelled off and it wasn't completely dead yet… the tiger then padded on silent feet around to the larger of the two. It didn't even get within two feet of it before it sensed something very bad and even frightening about it.

Backing up quickly, the tiger fled, it would take its chances over normal pray, even if it involved chasing and hunting it down itself.

The hours ticked by. Morning became afternoon then even that began to wane. A few hours before sunset Rukia finally stirred again.

The first thing she realized again was that the pain wasn't as bad this time. She gingerly opened an eye and found that her vision had improved.

Opening the other, she began taking deep breaths and as she lay there, began to probe for injuries. At this point she wasn't concerned as to why she was laying as she was. Normally in her trainings her first priority was to check for immediate dangers, but for some reason she didn't feel as if it was necessary this time. She could feel that she was laying on something semi soft, almost like a body… although knowing her soul reaper job it may well just have had been a body. But at that moment, she wasn't thinking about that. Her first priority was to check for personal injury. Surroundings and circumstances would come next.

From her painless breathing she was relieved to find that she didn't break any ribs. She moved her fingers on both hands and again, with relief, felt each of them move relatively painlessly. Her left leg seemed numb, perhaps it was broken, or something had cut off the circulation to it, but at least her other was fine, which meant she didn't break her back.

Rotating her shoulders, she winced when a sharp pain lanced across her shoulder blade… which was to be expected she guessed, having woken up laying on her back.

After some more time spent checking herself over, she came to the conclusion that in fact she wasn't in that bad of shape. She had a bad bump on the head and she seemed to have scraped her shoulder bad but thankfully her leg had also regained its feeling. Making up her mind, she very slowly eased herself up into a sitting position.

Looking around, she found herself sitting in the middle of a strange looking forest. Large ferns dotted the area and many huge trees, trees that she didn't know could even grow that big, towered over her.

A bright shinny object caught her attention a short distance away and she moved gingerly to examine it.

However as soon as she moved, did it finally register that in fact she had been lying on a body.

Turing her head, she stared at it with a frown. It seemed somewhat familiar. It was face down, and she couldn't see anything of the face because of a large shock of black hair that lay scattered on and around it. It was male, she could tell that right away, but it was wearing modern human clothes, which was odd.

She glanced down at herself and gasped at seeing the torn and dirty human dress she was also wearing.

Could she know this person? She felt a stab of fear at what she might find. Could this be a loved one… it almost, judging by the hair and slim build, looked a bit like her nii-sama… but that couldn't be possible. He would, could, never die. He was to strong and powerful for that.

Yet, something kept nagging at her and she almost feared turning him over to look at his face. Reaching out, she hesitated for a moment, she almost didn't want to look. Almost didn't want to know the truth. Almost didn't want to face the emotions that might flood thorough her if it was in fact someone she knew… but he had undoubtedly saved her life, she knew that. She didn't know yet what had happened to bring her here, in this position, but she somehow knew that by turning this man over and seeing who it was, the secrets would become revealed.

Taking a deep breath, she touched his shoulder, then with a grunt rolled him over onto his back.

Her heart stopped.

Her breath stopped.

The world stopped.

She stared in pure shock. It couldn't be! It just couldn't! This had to be some sort of sick joke… or maybe a dream. Ya, that's it! It had to be a dream!

She'd reach out to touch him, then wake up, and she would be back in her bed.

She reached out a shaking finger and touched his cold skin.

She didn't wake up.

Maybe if she touched him again she'd wake from this nightmare… she had too… she touched his shoulder and still nothing…

Maybe if… she suddenly felt moisture on her face.

Reaching up, she touched her cheeks and her fingers came away wet.

That's odd, she thought to herself, since when could you feel the wetness of tears in a nightmare? Unless…. Her eyes widened when she spotted the bracelet, or what was left of it, on her wrist. The little cherry blossom caught her attention especially and with a wild look of understanding she again looked down on him.

There was a moments silence, then all of a sudden all the birds in the area took off in fright as a loud heart breaking cry sounded through the forest. A cry so filled with pain, anguish, and utter despair, a cry … a cry of sudden remembrance… when suddenly all ones painful memories of past events suddenly come folding back in one heart breaking moment. A cry that would have broken the hearts of anyone listing. But this cry was only heard by one, barely, by the one making it.

Byakuya was lying with his eyes closed his head at an awkward angle. Blood caked his hair and had ran down one side of his forehead. His perfect white shirt was now torn and stained, now dried blood freely dotted some spots. But the thing that caused her to tremble was the fact that his chest wasn't moving. Feeling her heart tremble she quickly leaned down and placed her finger on the side of his neck looking for a pulse, one slim and hopeful chance that he might not be…

Her eyes widened.

"Oh, God no!" she cried and quickly lay her head on his chest, listing for what never came.

Her breath hitched in her throat and, as a second scream tore from her body, suddenly all around her the world died.

"Oh God NO!" she cried in denial. This couldn't be happening.

"Byakuya Please!" she shouted at him.

"Stop playing around, this isn't funny!"

"Nii-Sama, wake up! WAKE UP!"

She shook his shoulders and watched with a broken heart as he simply flopped back and forth lifelessly.

"This isn't funny!" she cried tears beginning to blur her vision. Her fingers went ridged and she stared at him in utter shock.

"You can't die, not here not like this… not-" he words were cut off by the sound of a lone call from a bird.

"Nii-sama," she said tears running freely.

"This is not how it's supposed to be… it's not.."

"BYAKUYA!" She cried tossing her head up and yelling. Her anguished voice startling all the nearby animals.

She pounded on his chest with her little fists, anger camouflaging her despair. Tears stung her eyes and fell around his face in a sparkling shower.

"Don't leave me all alone!"

Tears rolled and fell from her eyes in undying torrents as she clung to his bloodied clothing.

"I love you!" she cried between sobs.

Burying her face into his chest she sobbed like never before. Never had she felt this way, not even when Kaien had died. Her whole body was breaking, her insides torn and alight with anguish she had never know before.

How long she sobbed she had no idea. His clothing had become wet with her tears and still they fell unhindered from her red and swollen eyes. She cried until she could not anymore, she cried until she was exhausted, she cried until she was physically unable to. Even then her body convulsed in pain.

Her fingers tightened on the fabric of his shirt as she lay there, unable to see, and not even caring. Nothing mattered to her now. Not her duties, nor her responsibilities, not even her life. All had died with the crash of that god forsaken flight. Her heart was torn and nothing would mend it this time. He had unknowingly become her whole life and with his passing everything had died along with him.

"I didn't even get a chance to tell him that I loved him," she whispered into the now coming darkness, her voice nearly gone and ragged. Her tears somehow coming again.

"We ended everything in the middle of a….f-fight!" she collapsed again, to exhausted and broken to even care that she was by herself in the darkening and ending day in the middle of a dangerous jungle. Somehow the idea of her own life ending then beside him felt appealing, not that she even cared about that now.

She only stopped crying when she fell asleep, to exhausted to remain awake. The night ticked by hour by hour, and a few of the night creatures did come out to investigate but for some unusual reason they all left her alone. Something unknown all kept them away and kept her safe.

Even in her sleep she still clung to him, her head resting on his shoulder, her body curled tight against his own, trying even when unconscious, to hold onto the lasting memories of him. Her heart had died with him and there wasn't going to be much that could bring back the warmth in her life.

...

It was early in the morning when she finally awoke again. Mindlessly lifting her head, she stared out into the forest with dead eyes. Somewhere back in her mind she knew that something was watching her, it had been a loud noise that had woken her in the first place. But now, she didn't care.

She stared down at his broken and still body. Whatever it was could have her, but by the Gods she would not let it take him.

Sitting up, determination flashing in her eyes, she turned and stood.

"Come and get me!" she cried. "But you will not touch him! Even with my last breath I will crush whatever dares defile him!"

The only response was a rustle.

"Damn it, what are you waiting for!"

In the back of her mind she was distinctly aware that it was almost impossible that her attacker was human. But in her current state she was far from conscious of that fact.

Suddenly a large bird flew out of the trees. Normally it would have startled her, but now she simply didn't care. Looking around she determined that there was nothing else.

Knees buckling she fell to the ground beside his body. Not bothered or even caring about the pain that shot up through her legs as she landed.

She stared at his beautiful still face for a moment. One tear trailed its way silently down her cheek, quickly followed by a second, then a third.

By the time the fourth and fifth had fallen she had already collapsed over him her sobs tearing through her broken body like daggers.

She wanted to die then. There was nothing left for her anymore. Suddenly the ideas and responsibilities that had kept them apart before seemed so stupid. In that moment she truly realized what Berdine had been saying all the time. But why oh why, had she not realized that earlier? Why did it take his death for her to truly realize how much he meant to her? Why…

That was her last thoughts as exhaustion finally over took her. She didn't fall asleep, but rather passed out. She actually welcomed the darkness, and every part of her wanted and wished that that darkness would remain. That she'd never wake up, that she'd be with him now forever.

Sometimes dreams like that, no matter how selfish, are in the end, all that can heal a heart broken beyond repair. And as Rukia lay there, her head resting on his still chest, that may just have had been the easiest solution of all.

But things in life are never easy. Pain and despair can sometimes lead to hope and happiness. And in this case, hope and happiness was making their way as quickly as they could towards her, all the while hoping and praying that they would make it there in time.

*sniffs* Oh goodness, I broke down twice again when just doing this last edit…. So I hope you guys reading this are well. I should never listen to sad country songs while doing this. .

I tried to leave this chapter with a bit of an open ending… and I can say now that it's not over yet… but I'll shut up now as I don't want to give anyway any spoilers… but I will say this, as I wrote above, this story will have a happy ending as things always have a way of working out in the end.

I posted this chapter a lot sooner then I had intended (all your wonderful reviews are thanks to that) so it might be a little while again until I can update… since the next chapter isn't finished yet... unless you all convince me to hurry up a bit. : )

Thanks to my reviewers again: mochiusagi, Scarlettsky, sleeplygirl, vicky73, AkuRokuTurkTrainee, Reckoning Day, Firebirdever, Gerychi, aria, YuzurihaNoRyuu, Black Burning Heart, Pamila De Castro, and Mia. Aka Michan. And OMG I passed 500 reviews, that's the most I've ever received for a story! *hugs you all so much*

Next chapter title: I Failed