Chapter 54: Strawberry Meets Death
Hey everyone! Been too long T.T I was at the 2010 Anime Expo, was my first ever! I bought a giant 6 foot by 4 foot poster of Ichigo! *drool* Two days tearing my room apart to rearrange it and fit in my new poster, hehe. Then one to recover since I was working at the Anime Expo. So, sorry for the lack of updates.
Just finished this chapter real quick. Started at 11am and it is now 2pm (I'll admit I took a nap in between, ha) so I'll edit this, and then post! :D!
This chapter is only 8 pages and 3,166 words without ANs. Do not be surprised if I post many short chapters. Two reasons: 1) I am short on time 2) They might just seem the right length like this one :P
I am replying to reviews once I post the chapter. I am so bad at keeping up with them T.T Please forgive me! Please remember this is OOC and being improvised in every. Single. Chapter. :)
I hope you enjoy! Here is Chapter 54 of 'Strawberry Meets Death'!
Large metal doors were shoved open with little effort, Ukitake and Byakuya swiftly making their way through the maze of machines and wiring of the Twelfth Division's headquarters, an eerie, familiar voice calling out to them:
"Ah, Kuchiki, Ukitake- so glad you could make it. Welcome to my humble headquarters…."
Both captains slowed before a large, bright screen of one of Kurotsuchi's many machines, his tall silhouette standing before it, his back to them.
Byakuya grasped the hilt of his sheathed blade at his hip, his iced gaze on the strange captain before them; "What information do you have for us, to call us from our duties?"
Chuckling, drumming his long fingers along the machine's keypad, Kurotsuchi slowly turned to face Byakuya and Ukitake, their pale skin reflecting the screen's green hued light.
"My half-witted idiots collecting data and samples from the living world picked up on something of interest to Soul Society and yourselves… I had a sudden feel of… kindness, and decided to show you before reporting it in."
Here, come look."
Stepping closer to the large screen on either side of the Twelfth Division captain, Kurotsuchi's long fingers typing various commands, Byakuya and Ukitake stood silently as they watched the screen change, both unable to understand anything before them.
"What are you showing us-?"
"Patience, Ukitake. Here." Pointing up at the flickering screen, Kurotsuchi indicated each picture before their eyes, one of each criminal sentenced to execution.
Byakuya narrowed his gaze, tightening his hold on his hilt; "No need to show us worthless pictures-."
"No, no- look now, at the graph."
A large line graph appeared below the pictures of Ichigo and his companions, the three lines each glowing a different color, the steady blinking of the lines similar to that of a heart monitor in the infirmary.
"The lines indicate the reiatsu we've been able to gather since their escape. Of course, all three disappeared for some time, but over some span of weeks, we've had various catches on them- including today."
Ukitake's eyes widened as he followed Kurotsuchi's finger with a large, blue nail pointing at the end of the graph, two lines rising beyond the graph's numbers before leveling out and disappearing, and a single line low and blinking much faster.
"But, we haven't dispatched any officers or captains. What could have them expose themselves so recklessly?"
"That I do not know. However, see this line here, low and unstable?"
Both Byakuya and Ukitake's eyes on the white line, Kurotsuchi retreated his hand, his hands resting on the machine's front; "That line belongs to Kuchiki Rukia, unseated officer of the Thirteenth Division."
She is dying."
"Ukitake taichou, please, you must wait to see Yama-!"
Wooden doors reaching up to the high ceiling slammed open, Ukitake stepping through with the guards on his trail, Yamamoto's calm eyes looking up from his paper; "Hm?"
"You said the Gotei would be informed of every decision and move on our part against the human and our shinigami!"
Standing from his seat as Ukitake stormed up to his desk, Yamamoto frowned, dismissing the guards with a small wave of his hand, his eyes on the angry captain before him.
"And so every decision has, young one; what brings you to invade my time and authority?"
"Kuchiki Rukia is dying! I swear if you sent-!"
"Silence!" Yamamoto stood still before Ukitake from behind his desk, his strong reiatsu suddenly crashing down on Ukitake, Rukia's captain wincing from the sudden onslaught, nonetheless silent.
"Jyuushiro…."
Stepping around the desk, moving before the taller male, Yamamoto looked up into Ukitake's eyes, a slight frown pulling at his aged lips; "Consider yourself the only soul to live after such an accusation."
Soul Society has not dispatched any shinigami to the living world. And if we had…."
Remember that you are to accept the consequences awaiting Kuchiki Rukia, as her own clan has."
Lifting his reiatsu, Ukitake biting his tongue to withhold his anger, Yamamoto dismissed his captain, turning back to his desk to continue his work.
Shuddering with rage, Ukitake turned on his heel, his haori billowing behind him as he raced to Byakuya's office, his reiatsu flaring out to paralyze the door's guard as he stepped through on his own.
"Byakuya!"
The noble captain had been staring out the window when his friend of many decades came through, simply looking over his shoulder, the moon reflecting off his whole being; "I believe I informed my guards to have me undisturbed."
"I'm going with you, Byakuya."
Now turning completely, glaring at the male before him, Byakuya delicately raised a single eyebrow for a second, quickly composing himself with an unreadable expression.
"Just what are you talking about, Jyuushiro?"
"I know you won't stand aside any longer. A Kuchiki, killed by other hands other than Soul Society or your own?"
You're going to the living world for Rukia, and I'm coming with you."
"Ichigo! Hisagi!" Yoruichi raced towards the massive wreckage of rusted metal and protruding beams, dust overwhelming the air, Ichigo and Shuuhei's reiatsu low and close to their bodies, Yoruichi and Urahara following it through the mess.
The exiled shinigami finally found their young ones, Shuuhei holding Rukia close within his embrace, Ichigo kneeling with his head resting in her lap, his bloodied hand clenching her torn robes.
Yoruichi skidded onto her knees, her gentle hands cupping Rukia's jaw, turning her head towards herself, met with dull, violet eyes hardly open; "Oh, Rukia…."
Pressing her fingers against Rukia's pulse above her collarbone, Ichigo and Shuuhei silently watching Yoruichi's movements, the older woman frowned, a faint pulse beating only every few seconds, Rukia's breathing dragged and low.
"Yoruichi-san…." Ichigo's defeated voice turned Yoruichi's eyes onto him, her own voice caught in her throat as she met Ichigo's eyes, hollow orbs of nothing but pain looking back at her, his orange strands of hair shadowing them.
"…Kisuke; help me carry her."
Urahara knelt on the other side of Rukia's dying body, his hands gently moving Shuuhei's arms from around Rukia's small frame, Yoruichi sliding her arms under Rukia's thighs and behind her back, Urahara's arms under Rukia's knees and around her shoulders.
They stood slowly together, Shuuhei watching as they removed her from him, Rukia's torn robe sliding out from Ichigo's hold, his hand left empty as they stood tall with her.
In a single step, Urahara and Yoruichi moved into shunpo, Ichigo and Shuuhei left behind in the debris, their eyes downcast and shadowed, the dust clearing around them.
Brown eyes moved as he felt a flicker of Rukia's reiatsu beneath large scraps of metal, Ichigo slowly moving from his knees, Shuuhei looking up at him as he moved towards the debris some steps away, Ichigo kicking the ruined metal and cement around, crouching with a heavy reiatsu.
Standing to join Ichigo, Shuuhei felt his chest tighten at the sight of Rukia's zanpaktou in Ichigo's dirty, bloodied hands, her blade dull and released from its shikai, Ichigo's hand grasping it tightly.
"I won't let them get away with what they've done…."
Moving quickly back to his fallen zanpaktou, Ichigo slung Zangetsu across his back, holding tightly onto Sode no Shirayuki as he moved into shunpo, Shuuhei left alone within the debris, staring off into the last ray of sun disappeared, the night sky crawling along above him.
"Don't leave us behind, Kuchiki…."
He disappeared with a single step.
Ichigo and Shuuhei sat within the hallway hardly repaired from the last attack from Soul Society, their legs brought up to their chests, their arms resting on top of their knees, heads buried within their arms; Yoruichi stood with her back against the door to the room holding Rukia, her yellow eyes on the defeated males before her, her chest aching at the sight.
'Two different love for one soul, both just as strong as the other….'
Closing her eyes, she felt for Rukia's weak reiatsu, sighing as it flickered weakly, dull and struggling.
Wordlessly, Yoruichi pushed off the door, stepping between Ichigo and Shuuhei, nudging them apart.
Both males looking up at her as they moved over, Yoruichi slid down the wall between them, wrapping her arms across both their shoulders, the males accepting her comfort as they laid their heads against her chest; running her hands through their hair, Yoruichi rested her chin in Ichigo's orange hair, closing her eyes with them, their reiatsu calling out for Rukia's to meet them.
"Urahara-sama… I … I cannot heal her."
"What do you mean, Tessai? What's different this time?" Urahara gently held Rukia's small hand between his, her breath still struggling, their small shinigami refusing to give in, sweat glistening along her skin from her fight to keep living.
"I do not know the internal damage, Boss. I have always known what I am healing, but this… I would have to tear her chest open to know, have to open her abdomen… I cannot risk such a move."
"Then the hospitals? We can reunite her into her gigai, take her-."
"And of the kidou keeping her alive this long? Either we lose it or not during the transfer into the gigai, but we will have trouble explaining it to the doctors…."
Looking down in time to catch the rare rise of her chest, her violet eyes meeting Urahara's shadowed gaze, the male shinigami frowned deeply, his hands shaking as they continued holding her hot hand.
"We can't have her suffering like this…."
"She won't be the only one to lose her life if we do put an end to her struggle, Boss…."
"No, she won't; hearts will cease to exist with hers before the torture we will surely face by Ichigo's hand."
But what are we to do, Tessai?"
"Unohana-san." Looking up to Urahara's confused eyes, Tessai swallowed deeply, looking back down at Rukia struggling to breathe; "Unohana-san can save Kuchiki-san's life…."
"No, Urahara. I-I can't even; how could you, even think I will hand her over to Soul Society!"
Ichigo struggled to remain calm, Yoruichi frowning as black crept slowly into the whites of his eyes, the male pacing furiously within the front room of the shop, the floor cleared of previous debris from the attack.
"Kurosaki-kun, I already explained our situation- Kuchiki Rukia is dying some feet from us and we have no power whatsoever to do anything about it!"
Either end her life or give her up! But I refuse to keep her suffering!"
"I can't!" Ichigo stood helplessly before Urahara, his eyes losing their light, slithers of black slowly consuming his eyes; "I… can't lose her, Urahara-san."
The exiled shinigami remained silent, surprised at Ichigo's defeated front, the Ichigo they knew dying with the woman in the other room.
"Ichigo… they will have to follow the same formal procedure as before- they cannot execute an injured soldier, much less a noble. Respect and honor will have them wait for her to be fully recovered and healthy-."
"What fuckin' good will that do us, Urahara! Won't this great healer of yours save her and recover her reiatsu quicker than any of us could even dream of? What is the point of it all!"
"I will make you stronger than any captain combined in Soul Society, Kurosaki Ichigo."
Silence came upon them, Shuuhei remaining back, Yoruichi stepping up beside Urahara, Ichigo staring in disbelief; "W-what-?"
"Soul Society has a grace period of thirty days."
Circling around Ichigo, Urahara kept his gaze on the male turning to follow his every move, Urahara's eyes shadowed from sight as he continued on, Ichigo listening intently; "Seventeen hours until sunset on the last day."
Ten days of us annoying you, then seven to open the gate, since Hisagi-kun's zanpaktou is surely bound to set off an alarm…."
That gives you thirteen days to save Kuchiki-san."
Pausing in his steps, Urahara stood before Ichigo, their eyes locked.
"You'll only need one."
"How can you be so sure I can save her, Urahara? What if I fail and I only leave her to her death?"
"Then maybe you don't care for her as much as you say you do-."
Tension rose in every reiatsu, Urahara held up against the wall by his collar before anyone could breathe, Yoruichi and Shuuhei at Ichigo's throat before he could crush Urahara, Tessai ready to restrain the male at any given second.
"My, my… seems I struck a nerve."
Ichigo was looking back at him with yellow eyes surrounded by black, his whole being shaking with anger, a harsh growl escaping him; Shuuhei's hands shook as he held his blade along Ichigo's neck, memories of Ichigo's Hollow flashing in his mind as he stood so close to the monster ready to take control, his eyes shifting over to Yoruichi on the other side of Ichigo, her yellow eyes urging him to stay calm.
Please don't lose yourself, Ichigo… don't give into him….
"You don't have the ability to understand how much I care for her, Urahara…."
None of you do."
"Kurosa-." Urahara suddenly stilled, Yoruichi's hands tense around Ichigo's throat, Shuuhei looking out past the broken walls of the shop out to the night sky, his eyes wide.
Ichigo growled in confusion, his grip on Urahara's collar giving out slightly, the blackness slowly pulling back behind his eyes, the male looking at the older male before him; "What's-?"
"He's here." Urahara swiftly raised a hand to shove Ichigo's grip away from him as he kicked against Ichigo's chest, a blue blast of spiritual energy surging through the shop just where Ichigo once stood, the young male held up on his feet by Yoruichi and Shuuhei, Urahara moving to join them as the attack ceased, his blade brought forth as he stood in front of Ichigo, his eyes on the dust clearing away to reveal-
"Byakuya."
"Urahara Kisuke…."
The air cleared completely, Byakuya standing amongst the ruble of what had been left of the shop's front wall, Ukitake slowly walking up behind him, standing at Byakuya's shoulder, shocked, brown eyes on him.
Ichigo's skin ran cold, his eyes meeting Ukitake's sorrowful stare; Rukia's… Rukia's captain….
He came for her. What hope is there now?
"Ukitake… taichou…."
"Kurosaki Ichigo… it's been a long time since I last saw you. I am sorry it's come to this…."
Byakuya moved forth, unsheathing his blade with natural elegance, slowing his steps as he approached the group before him, his eyes locked with Urahara's; "Kuchiki Rukia. I've come for her."
"…very well. We will not resist."
"Urahara!" A blast of Ichigo's reiatsu exploded throughout the room, Yoruichi hissing as the ceiling broke apart above them, Shuuhei cursing as he dodged numerous ruble falling to the ground.
"You will not have her!" Pulling forth Zangetsu, his blade alive with reiatsu, Ichigo charged at Byakuya standing motionless before them, Ichigo's eyes instantly consumed by black, locked with Byakuya's emotionless eyes-
"Sing, Benihime!" "Reap, Kazeshini!" "Hainawa! With light, divide this into six- rikujoukourou!"
A wall of red mist suddenly came between Byakuya and Ichigo as a black chain whirled tight around Zangetsu's blade, ripping it out of his grasp, Ichigo's arms trapped behind his back as the same kidou rope Rukia had used on him wrapped around him, six rods of light slamming into him to hold him further.
"NO!" Fury overtook him as the red wall of crystallized mist shattered to reveal Byakuya calm and unnerved before him, Ichigo growling as his mask began to materialize below his jaw, Yoruichi coming up at him, ripping the small piece of the Hollow's mask off from Ichigo's skin, the male roaring in anger, his Hollow's harsh tone weaved with his own.
Ukitake frowned deeply as he fought to keep himself from rushing to Ichigo's side, the young male fighting to escape his restraints, his angry, desperate reiatsu raging on around them, an obvious weight bearing down on them.
He's grown so strong… and I know he can only become stronger after this….
Closing his eyes to the scene, Ukitake searched for Rukia's dying reiatsu, stepping into shunpo, coming back in seconds with her small, limp body in his arms.
"RUKIA!"
Shuuhei tore his pained eyes from Rukia's body in Ukitake's arms, Ichigo screaming in fury, his pain tearing through Shuuhei's soul as he watched Ukitake hold his precious shinigami, the captain using his reiatsu to push Ichigo's off her struggling body.
Byakuya continued staring at the male raging in anger before him, the ceiling crumpling further to the ground, Yoruichi continually ripping off the forming mask along his face, but Byakuya saw her struggling to keep up, each formation harder and harder to rip with her bare hands, black eyes burning back into his gaze.
This boy….
"Byakuya! We cannot engage them; we must leave before we are forcibly retrieved!"
Sheathing his blade, Byakuya turned on his heel to make his way out, his reiatsu surrounding his body to shield him from the falling debris, the noble captain leaving without word, Ukitake hesitating behind him still in the shop.
Yoruichi cursed as her fingers bled as she tried to tear off the mask forming along Ichigo's jaw, her pulls useless, the female giving up as Ichigo's reiatsu flared further, Yoruichi stepping back, her eyes on Ichigo's struggling body trying to break the restraining kidou; she stood beside Urahara as Shuuhei backed away against the wall, their eyes strained with sorrow as they watched him call out for Rukia, the mask covering half his face, no longer growing.
Ukitake struggled to find the right words, staring at the male before him, Ichigo's voice laced with the Hollow's harsh yelling, Ukitake's chest overwhelmed by the sight.
"RUKIA! LEAVE HER ALONE! LEAVE HER!"
"Kurosaki-kun… please…." Ukitake stepped back as Shuuhei launched his chain to coil tightly around Ichigo, Yoruichi and Tessai reinforcing his restraints, Ichigo raging on, his mask growing to cover his other eye.
"QUEEN!"
Eyes grew wide in shock as they only heard the Hollow's unmistakable voice call out for Rukia, Ukitake backing out the door, fear and confusion dominating his tired features.
Feeling Byakuya's reiatsu call out for Ukitake, Rukia's captain looked back at Ichigo one last time, his eyes moving off him to meet the eyes of the others behind him, his hold around Rukia tightening as Ukitake looked back at Ichigo.
"For the sake of all our lives… you better come for her, Kurosaki Ichigo."
He disappeared from sight, the shop brought down to the ground under Ichigo's reiatsu flaring out trying to stop him.
