The Iced Moon Arc Bleach

by timarc

Lieutenant Kuchiki has a secret. A variety of secrets that the Gotei 13 do not know until a figure of her past and present tips them off and then a story is told, a past. A past connected to the very creation of the Soul Society from the Soul King to zanpakutos. Shinigami are not the utmost rulers after all.

30. Sundown Searches & Discoveries

Pre-Note

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. This is for creative purposes. I do own this plot.

There are Images for this Chapter.

Reminder: Mature-rating. Mystery-themed. Light sexual content. Crucial to remain attentive to detail. This is for Rukia and her relationships.

---

Sundown Searches & Discoveries

Present

Raiden was stunned. So much that he remained silent as the old lady pressed her lips together and observed them in scrutiny.

Key?

He looked to Wildfire on his left whose shoulder was still lodged into the bars beside her. She had her face down, her right arm clutching her left and that's when the old lady's accusation sank in.

Stepping back, he got rid of the expression as the old woman relaxed her eyes and had her lips curve to another crooked line.

"I'll let you both speak." Her glare was mean but her words came out as a murmur. It then wandered to Wildfire who kept her eyes down. The old lady fumbled with her key a bit before returning her attention to him. "Ten minutes. Then, I punish you."

Raiden's stare unknowingly glanced to the dead division member bent down in the rolly chair to the side. The old woman followed it and then turned around, surprisingly providing an explanation.

"Soul shadows." She answered, "dragged that one from outside."

Raiden didn't believe her, "you fucking bi—"

"Speak back to me again and I will cut you like that soul shadow did." She interrupted him. "I don't think you want to know what happens when you defy my orders. You're already in enough trouble because of your sins."

Though he was reluctant to do it, he stayed quiet.

"Both of you!" She jerked her head forward before casting Wildfire another bitter stare. "Sinned in the eyes of the Lord, our Holy Spirit. In God's name, you went out, defied orders and defied the Holy Spirit's name. Now, this is your fate."

"Let me see," she arched a brow, "what you both can do when I'm done."

She whipped around, opened the door and firmly placed herself in front of them from the hall. She held her hands behind her back, that crooked smile and snake-like eyes watched them before the door closed and all they could see from that rectangular window built into the door was those eyes from a distance.

Raiden didn't hesitate to let loose once it did.

"What the fuck, Wildfire?! What the fuck?!" He shouted at her.

He moved around to calm himself down, running his fingers through his mohawk in frustration. Though the anger easily resurfaced again causing him to halt his movements and put his hands on his hips to curse again.

"Why the fuck did you do that?!"

Wildfire who had remained put finally slouched her shoulders and approached him.

"Look," she softly called, keeping her arms up to touch him but she never did. "I'm sorry."

"You're fucking sorry?" Raiden spun around again in disbelief. "Why the fuck did you tell that two-sided bitch I gave you the key?!"

"Lower your voice." She scolded in a whisper, now closer to him.

"What the fuck should I do then?" Raiden asked her. "I did nothing wrong!"

"Look," she took a deep breath, "I...didn't know what else to do okay? She came in here and she obviously didn't believe I stole the key so when she asked I...panicked—"

"—Oh? You fucking panicked and decided to throw the shit on me?" Raiden interrupted her. "Man, I gotta get new fucking friends. I'm not here to be anyone's shit scraper."

Wildfire lightly touched both of his arms. "It's not like that, Raiden. Please, just listen to me."

"Listen to how you gave me up for something I didn't do for fucking Major Har—"

"Listen!" She commanded in a loud whisper. Her hands moved down from him in frustration. "You're not listening to me, listen. I'm sorry, okay? It just...It just came out and before I knew it the woman was smiling and laughing. Do you think she believes it's you? Of course not. If I couldn't steal it, neither could you."

"Oh? And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Raiden snapped. "I can't steal from your lovely fucking Ha—"

"It's not like that!" She whispered harshly. "I get it, you're mad but Minister Asa isn't going to charge you for that key. She's a bitch and we know it but she also cares about the truth, surprisingly. She's not gonna charge you without evidence. My 'confession' means nothing. There's nothing to back it up, no sense, no logic or reason for you to have given me th—"

"Now you're just standin' there to fucking insult me."

Wildfire closed her eyes in impatience. "Would you just listen?! I know the last thing you want to do is take cover for a noble but Haru isn't just any noble, you know that. He's walking on thin ice with that stupid clan of his. It's his reputation, Raiden, that keeps him afloat. His sisters don't even look at him and when they do, it's in the slightest, most teeniest sort of appreciation for keeping that clan so well known and loved. We know how they fucking work, Raiden. Anyhow they find out that,"

She looked to the small window and back before whispering, "that he did what he did, they will hate him even more. He might even fall from grace I don't fucking know but we can't make that happen. Sensei Haruyoshi won't let it slide, they always wait for the mistake. They always do and when it happens, none of what he did for them will matter. I can't let that happen to him, alright? I just need time to think of a better way to prove that I stole it. C'mon, please don't be mad."

Raiden, now with his arms crossed and left side to her, shook his head.

"I'm not fucking doing this." He grumbled before walking off a bit. "Do you know what this does to me? I came down here to bust you out of your fucking cell because I didn't think you deserved to be fucking locked up while we were a, going through this shit and b, because of fucking you-know-who's case only to find out that the whole fucking time you threw me under the bus and now have me locked here while I'm supposed to be out fucking there with my division."

"Renji is still—"

He closed the gap between them. "I give zero fucks about Renji. That division is still mine. You think he gives a shit about them? I'm basically they're leader. I'm not gonna be cuffed in chains while he's maneuvering my own fucking group."

Stepping back, he turned around again. "Can't believe you have me down here dealin' with this shit when outside is going through fucking hell. All for your precious Major Haru."

"I already told you it wasn't like that." Wildfire said. "You heard me. I just don't want him to be insulted or have his position taken away or anything because of me."

"Then you shouldn't have fucking gone in there in the first place." Raiden responded which immediately made her stiff.

"Fuck you." She immediately cursed. "You know—I tried, Raiden, I fucking tried to hold myself back but I wasn't about to let her walk all over this fucking place because I care. I needed to know. Are you happy with this shit? Fucking myth stories like The Woman in the White Haze, Minister Asa's weird ass religious group and everybody else licking her feet because they think she's this holy, pure, gifted figure of the Soul Society who's our silver lining or whatever? Our only hope? I should've never kept my mouth shut at that meeting. I should've told them, all of them, about who exactly she was."

She strolled away in irritation. "I can't even look at Sensei properly anymore. There's no such thing as a holy, pure, gifted being. The Sensei Okasakes were maybe proof of this being once. Her too. But after all this? There no fucking pure, rare, whatever being in this world. They're all fakes! Sensei Okasake became so easily corrupted by his fucking son—he embarrassed us, he turned on his, Sensei Okasake Gureta killed her own son! She drowned him under Jushirmai's influence and then killed herself shortly after because of her own goddamn guilt! It's not a myth or a fucking rumor or whatever shit this court fed you, it's real. They just didn't want us to doubt their fucking pure figures. And her? She's the biggest hypocrite and liar of them all. Fucking came down here acting all pure and sweet and optimistic and had us Rukongaiers believe that we now had a voice and then, she fucking built herself up and gave us hope, gave us security and reassurance only to fucking run away to those shinigami! And now I find out that Sensei was a part of her entire plot too. I'm tired, alright? That's why I did it. I'm tired of believing royal and 'pure' superiors—I'm done."

"You don't fucking know shit, Wildfire." Raiden criticized darkly, she stepped back the moment he did. "I'm not defending her or him or anybody else but you gotta open your eyes once n'awhile when you're pissed as shit because sooner or later, you're gonna start looking dumb."

In full offence, she scrunched her brows in disbelief, "excuse me?"

"I get it. Our pure fucking holy spirits aren't pure, alright? I get it but who the fuck said they have to be? Did the Soul Society ever seem fucking pure to you? Was it ever entirely pure? You should know better by now. Nothing on this world is safe from fucking corruption. Not even our rulers. If you want a ruler made out of fucking stone then I'm afraid to say your wish is unrealistic as fuck. I'm not defending what happened to Sensei but blaming him because Oky took over him isn't entirely fucking smart either, especially considering the fact that you're shit with dealing with your emotions too."

She leaned back at that comment.

"Think of him. Was the man never supposed to feel sad or somethin'? Really, Wildfire, blaming him for getting corrupted when you think of it is fucking stupid. His wife couldn't have kids, he wanted a bunch, she died before he even thought of adopting kids and was left with no one. His sister killed herself, his nephew died, the whole fucking Okasake line that they were barely holding onto passed without generating a fucking kid. Now Oky worked his magic tricks alright but you can't tell me that you're pissed at Sensei for falling victim or even becoming a lil' weaker in front of him because he's supposed to be our pure, holy fucking spirit and light and whatever. It's a shit thing to be mad about. So no I'm not going to fucking disrespect him about it and deep down, you know better not too."

Wildfire was left stunned.

"And about Sensei Okasake and her kid. Fucking being pissed about that when you know she had to live with the guilt of drowning her son until she couldn't take it anymore is a fucking dick move too. She went through a fucking whole lot because of Oky. You should know that from all the victims we've read about, what we saw happening to you-know-who when we were young and growin' up. Just 'cause ol'Oky never casted you under his spell doesn't mean that any one of them were weak minded enough to give in. I don't blame them for tryna to cover it up. Why the fuck should she be remembered like that? It's not her fault, is it? I don't think anyone would want to watch their sister get dragged through the fucking mud for something that wasn't in her control. Calling her impure for something she couldn't control is fucking dumb, Wildfire."

He moved in closer, "and about you-know-who. We're mad—I get it but undermining what she's fucking been through with that fucking guy isn't funny either. He's fucking dragged her back and forth like some puppet all her life. She's shit for what she did but calling her impure because she ran for a reason we aren't entirely sure about yet isn't funny either. For all we know, the reason that darkness grew so much in her fucking heart was because of here."

Wildfire's stare never left his as he moved back again, slowly. He turned around and slammed his two hands on the bars behind him. With his head down, he closed his eyes.

He knew more about what she had been through now. He couldn't let Wildfire call her that when he knew she was battling more than she could handle and he didn't even know the entire story.

Well, maybe...he did know a bit.

Renji had some truth to his words and that had hit him. Not because he was wrong but because he had been in the wrong at the time of her disappearance as well. Having Renji, who he was still upset with, trying to maintain the moral ground above him had set him off but the more he talked about it with Wildfire, he realized that perhaps he could piece together the ending of The Woman of the White Haze himself considering what he knew.

He was hiding a whole lot of things from her for sure but after considering this, he realized that for the first time in his life, he couldn't trust her to know.

He shouldn't have come down here.

After awhile, it seemed like Wildfire got a hold of herself considering that he heard her take a step forward.

He waited for it, knowing it'd come.

"I'm sorry." She muttered quietly. "You're right—I'm sorry. I...lost control again. I'm sorry."

He let loose of the bars to turn and face her though he found that he had nothing to say. Looking at her face just made him even more conflicted.

Standing a few metres away from him was his best friend.

They didn't always stay together but he always knew that in the Rukongai, she had his back and he had hers.

Becoming an assassin had made them closer in fact, when he found out she was one, it only enhanced his reasons to become one too even if he had hated assassins then for what they did.

Their whole childhood with Rukia and Renji had made them closer.

The time Wildfire spent in the 12th Division as Secretary of State had been one of the best times of his life. Even when she moved to the 5th and eventually became Major, they never stopped speaking.

She was a rock to him.

And now, even through all that, he couldn't say what he felt anymore.

Deep down he knew where his loyalty lied. He had rushed all the way down here in a moment of guilt and anger. He felt sorry for his friend who had been going through the same thing he had when he first found out about Rukia except, his first instinct had never been to expose her.

In fact, his first instinct was to save her. And now, here he was trying to aid his friend to do the exact opposite and expose her only to regret it minutes later.

And now he was in a cell.

"Just...do this for me. I know you don't want to, but I'm asking...I'll beg just to accept it for now. She's just taking a jab at us, nothing more. That charge won't go on file or anything, I promise. Captain Kuchiki won't believe that you took it either. You're safe."

Raiden couldn't help but scoff. "No."

He saw the fury come to her immediately but didn't back down.

He shrugged, "no. I don't fucking care, the answer is no."

"Why?" She whispered in anger. "Weren't you listening to me? Har—"

"If I said I don't give a fuck about Major Haru, what would you say?"

"I'd say you're fucking stupid." Wildfire said. "I already told you you wouldn't be charged."

"Stupid 'cause I don't give a shit about your half noble?"

"Stupid because you're allowing your feelings for me to fuck with your judgment about right and wrong." Raiden was immediately silenced.

His posture got straighter. "You sure fucking know how to run me."

"Raiden," she approached him again. "Minister Asa doesn't believe me. She knows it isn't you. Captain Kuchiki would never believe it either. And if it counts for anything, Cem knows the truth too. And what do you think? If outside is really bad as you say it is, of course Sensei will request that you get out. He knows you're important and so do I. She's only going to taunt us for awhile and have us recite things from her sinner and saints book until she figures out what to do with us, specifically me. I'm the one that went in there, not you. She doesn't even wanna listen to me about Sensei Haruyoshi who just so happened to be there or the fact that someone was trying to hide you-know-who's case and I'm pretty sure it was Sensei Haruyoshi."

Raiden swallowed at the mention of the case file.

"Don't you see?" She jerked her head forward. "There's others who probably knew about this whole thing too. There's gotta be more people who know and are trying to protect her. Probably because they feel ashamed about the outcome or maybe there's something more about this whole thing that our 'superiors' refuse to fucking tell us. That's why I'm angry and that's why I was trying to figure out the end of this stupid case so I could reveal her and anyone else who participated in her scam but Sensei Haruyoshi just had to 'coincidentally' catch me and somehow knew that I had that voice recorder in my pocket and have me jailed. Then, Captain Kuchiki came to talk to me and refused to listen to me and it's all because he's protecting her. And then he had the nerve to put this psychotic witch on my case and now she has me in a chokehold over this key stuff. I'm frustrated too, okay, Raiden? I'm sorry, I let things slip but when you look at the facts, can you blame me?"

"I know for a fact that Sensei Haruyoshi was probably in there to hide her case but then heard my footsteps and panicked." Wildfire crossed her arms. "He doesn't want anybody doubting the Kuchikis. He didn't want anyone looking the Lieutenant up at the meeting because he knew that if we found her there, the Haruyoshi clan would be looked down upon for not knowing. It wasn't just about insulting the Kuchiki clan or whatever. I know it and it's wrong because he was deliberately trying to hide that so no one would go looking for you-know-who's case again to find answers."

With her arms still crossed, she turned around and walked slowly. "I'm being dragged through the mud too ya know. I'm just trying to tell the truth and everyone's after me because they want to protect her for nothing."

Raiden bit his lip, contemplating whether he should just take the hit or stay quiet.

His mouth made the decision for him. "It isn't for nothing, Wildfire."

He said it so quietly he was convinced for a second that she didn't hear until she spun around with the heat fresh on her face with the loudest response she had given him in here.

"What?!"

Her fists were clenched, her entire body leaned forward in betrayal. Seeing how upset she was, he had to give himself pep talks before facing her fully.

The entire time, he spoke quietly. "When are you gonna admit it to yourself that despite it all we still fucking need her?"

In disbelief, she looked around the cell with her hands on her hips. She did a whole 360 before responding.

"Sensei Okasake gave birth to the Soul King how the fuck does she know more than him?"

"She knows more about its state than any of us do, Wildfire. We all know that if everyone here found out that she became one of those things it'd be fucking over. Authority over here would be as fucked up as it is over at the Seireitei. Sensei already faced a lot of opposition for even sending you, Major Haru and Shira over there in the fucking first place. We can't face any more anger or betrayal now. Not in this state. You haven't even fucking seen outside, Wildfire, it's fucking insane. The whole fucking sky is pitch black with a bunch of soul shadows coming out. They've invaded divisions, homes, our side of the Rukongai and more. I watched thousands of division members get swept and eaten with blood all over their chests and bodies dismembered and fucking everything. That guy sitting over there is the least of it. We can't have the shit with you-know-who blow up like this. The whole ground is a fucking scrapyard for soul shadow bones and fucking division members. No one can do clean up because everybody's occupied with fighting. Major Imamura's vaccine needs to go through one more trial before it gets approved to be administered. We have dying people in beds, some virus that could easily get infected into us because of all that fucking moving snake ice outside and an infinite amount of soul shadows coming from this big black hole. Tell me, what's supposed to be our fucking priority? Causing more chaos or fucking dealing with it?"

She was astonished. "It sounds more to me that you wanna protect her instead of give a fuck about outside."

He charged at her. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?!"

"Look at me!" Their noses were so close they could touch. "Now look who's letting their own fucking feelings get in the way of right and wrong."

"They deserve the truth. It doesn't matter what chaos it causes, it's her fau—"

"You don't mean that." Raiden was quick to say. "I'm pretty sure if you saw the pile of fucking bodies that were outside right now you'd be unable to say shit. That's the main reason I want out of this shit nest. I don't care about you or your problem with fucking Haru. I'm not staying in here, you should've never gone."

"You're still gonna get charged for trying to break me out, dumbass. You're staying here either way."

"And that was my fucking mistake." Raiden backed away. "I'll admit, I didn't give a fuck about whether you screamed that you-know-who was that Lieutenant I just wanted to set you fucking free only to come down here and be thrown into shit I don't belong in but also hear that you don't give a fuck about me and only care for your precious fucking Haru. You haven't learnt shit about dealing with your emotions, I take that all back. You can't even look at this problem neutrally."

"Why the fuck am I the only one in the wrong?" She strangled out.

"Because you didn't fucking think, Wildfire. You didn't wait—you were too fucking impatient and Haru, no matter what the fuck you say, is just as responsible for letting you loose like that."

Wildfire tried to say something though Raiden thought it was best to clean the slate as he thought of what she said about Sensei Haruyoshi too.

"And about the file and whatever the fuck you said, he might've been there but it wasn't him who was trying to cover up that case under the rug."

Wildfire leaned back, surprised at how he knew about the rug too, Raiden never saw himself admitting this until now. Immediately the mention of Sensei Haruyoshi and that file made him feel apologetic because it hadn't been him. She was pointing the blame to the wrong person even if he had been there watching her. That rug had long been lifted before, the lair just had no reason to be opened in the time being.

Raiden watched her expression fall in confusion, "what?"

He took a deep breath, making sure to utter it quietly so that the evil witch outside couldn't hear.

"Sensei Haruyoshi didn't try to move that file," he watched her mouth part slightly, "it was me."

---

3rd Division

House of Knowledge

Ruby / Shotel

"Housely, you should know better than to get caught." Sensei Kyōraku said with a stick to the back of the curly haired 3rd seat who was sent out by Major Imamura to find information on Kurosaki Ichigo and the Lieutenant.

"Roaming the house of a substitute shinigami in that heat wasn't smart either."

Sensei Kyōraku had found her lurking inside. The doors were locked and windows blocked but inside she knew the family were still in there, protecting themselves from the heat.

Nonetheless, she had snuck in. In the darkness of the night, she walked past the boards on the windows of the substitute shinigami's room and was let in.

Observing the rooms, she immediately searched for anything—most favourably a picture—to prove Major Imamura's suspicion. She went through books, papers and the furniture but found nothing that could link that woman back to the Lieutenant.

She even attempted to search for her reiatsu on the bed and floors and table but found nothing. If Major Imamura's suspicion was true then that would mean that the woman had been here recently and frequented the area regularly but there wasn't a trace of anything.

Desperately, she started to look at the most unusual places where a trace could be left. Under the bed, under the rugs, on the walls and on the ceiling. Her eyes fell on the trash with crumpled papers piling up and decided to take a look.

Most were just garbage but then she caught a hold of a drawing that seemed peculiar. There was some code to it and a bunny drawn. It raised suspicions because she hadn't seen any drawings from the substitute shinigami despite having searched his entire room.

She had also been told that as a child that woman had liked bunnies.

Ri Ann had wondered if in the moment she was making too far of a stretch. Having deciphered the code shortly, she realized that it read:

I'm going back to the Soul Society for a few days. Captain Ukitake needs my assistance — I'm a seated officer now so I can't just hang around in the human world without reason. You two be good!

P. S. If you're still having some trouble with reconnecting with your powers again, talk to Urahara and don't take out any hollows, fool while I'm gone if you feel unsteady. Let the shinigami on duty take care of it.

And then she knew.

"Urahara?" She had whispered out loud in surprise. The name was naturally familiar. He often dealt with Sensei Seo and her own Major often. His shop was located here in the human world.

Everyone knew about him.

Him and the Adachi clan were top rivals in their 'industry'.

Having recognized it, Ri Ann had stood up but also took note of how the Lieutenant had referenced two people in her message, not one.

But who could be the second?

She went hunting again. She checked underneath the pillows and sheets before opening up the closet again to find any boxes with photos and she did.

The substitute shinigami had a box with a bunch of yearbooks from his school days but most striking was the family photo framed with a decorative silver frame. It was at the top of it all.

He was young then. He was holding onto the hands of his mother with almost identical hair but a shade darker. Her face was turned to him with a smile though staring at it more reminded her of someone else.

Ri Ann couldn't help but think of one of the few quincy families which had fled to the human world to protect their clan. She was certain that in their own history books they had the name there and someone much like his mother here was a part of it.

She made a mental note to check it later before she set eyes on the two other children running behind them. One with black hair and one with a very mundane, dark wheat colour.

His sisters.

Then, she felt her brow arch in surprise at the man chasing after them with glee.

Captain Shiba Isshin? Ri Ann mentally shook her head but the more she looked at it, the more clearer it seemed.

Kurosaki Ichigo was Shiba Isshin's son? A member of the fallen Shiba clan?

She found it hard to believe when she made the connection but it was true, that was Shiba Isshin in the photo. That meant that he and his children were not only members of the Shiba clan but were living here now as humans and Kurosaki Ichigo was a substitute shinigami that may or may not be aware of his relation.

Then, that's when the name teased itself.

Kurosaki Masaki.

That had been the name of the woman in that prestigious quincy clan which had settled here as well.

When the connections became clearer, Ri Ann had found herself baffled by it. For, if what she was thinking was true, that meant that Lieutenant Kuchiki had been saved by a human-shinigami-quincy hybrid that was a blood Shiba.

A Kuchiki-Shiba relationship was more than odd. It felt weird.

If Shiba Isshin's son could be a substitute shinigami, it was most likely that he had quincy techniques too though, Ri Ann was neither sure if he knew about them or he'd even acknowledge them considering who he was.

She also questioned whether he knew of his parents' past as by the looks of it, his family was located here to carry out a normal human life. His fate only became entangled with the shinigami following the appearance of the Lieutenant who had transferred her powers to him.

More family photos confirmed her suspicion.

He most likely didn't know.

Remembering the coded note, Ri Ann had walked back to the space in front of the trash can next to the desk. She held up that family photo next to the letter, trying to figure out who the 'you two' had indicated.

Tallying up the ages, Ri Ann realized that it couldn't be either one of his sisters unless the Lieutenant shared a closer relationship with one of the two.

She placed the family photo down and reopened drawers again. Then, she flipped through his yearbooks.

None of the connections she thought of made sense but at the same time, she could get her answers if she reconnected with Urahara Kisuke to know exactly who else was the other companion she was referring to.

And then, she heard footsteps run up the stairs and before she knew it the source had entered the room, allowing the golden light from outside to cast a shadow much larger than they actually were.

Her suspicion of perhaps all the Shiba children having strong reiatsu had already made her activate her sheatsu to conceal her just in case. Even if Shiba Isshin once did have a 'Major' leveled sheatsu, she doubted that he had any of those abilities now considering that he had forfeited his shinigami life to have his children live as normal humans.

Considering her preparation, she felt no need to turn around fully to see who it was. She assumed that they just needed to get something from the substitute shinigami's room except, their feet remained still.

Ri Ann had then turned around to take a better look at the guest and saw one of his sisters, the one with black hair staring at her.

Her pulse quickened.

Could she see her?

Her hand was on the knob of the door as she did. She was silent but not afraid. Her eyes merely made contact out of the usual 'who are you?'.

Ri Ann found it interesting that she had sheatsu. Her brother didn't. And he was perhaps one of the most powerful soul reapers in all of time.

Moments later, her hand broke away from the knob and took small steps forward.

That's when she suspected that perhaps she couldn't see her but felt something was there.

The fact that she was only human now and her sheatsu was already giving her hints of its presence in her body meant that she had potential to be as 'gifted' as her brother.

Her shoulders were raised but they weren't out of fright as she got closer. Ri Ann thought about testing it by moving but instead she remained in her place and watched the girl stare up at her and then, the room.

She could perhaps see that it had been searched. The closet was opened, the brown boxes below it out, the trash left scattered, the family picture she left on the desk and drawers open with papers out.

Ri Ann was unsure of what her reaction would be but then she muttered, "Stupid, Ichigo came and left without saying hi."

Ri Ann then took a breath of relief but then the eyes of the teenage girl shot up at her again.

Was she starting to hear?

Though Ri Ann wouldn't have the chance to discover more as Sensei Kyōraku had come behind her and yanked her out. Moments later she had been transported back here at court, walking along the veranda of the fourth floor of her division with the elder pushing her forward with a stick.

The atrocity occurred on the right.

Soul shadows were everywhere, in blobs of black. Bodies were dashed left and right.

The moment one comrade was slammed onto the wall to the left of her, she stopped—swallowing at the body which had been smashed with blood and organs splattered like a tomato thrown to a wall.

"Let me help." She requested with her fist clenched.

"Your division members aren't out yet." She responded cheerfully.

"I'll let them out. I'll take the lead like I've always done, just let me participate."

"Hm, and the information you have on your tongue?" The elder inquired behind her with that little, irritable splotch of glee in her tone. Ri Ann knew she was implying that for her freedom, what she knew had to be exchanged.

"You have my word, Sensei Kyōraku. I'll let you know what you want but now's not the ti—"

"It's the perfect time." She interrupted. "What better way to tell me all you know in front of your comrades who are in need?"

Manipulation at its finest.

No wonder Arigawa always runs when he sees you, Ri Ann thought.

She swallowed as she let out what she knew. Her discovery of the substitute shinigami and his connection to the Shiba family and Major Imamura's suspicion about her.

Shortly after, a sugary giggle left her mouth and the stick left her back.

Ri Ann spun around to see the woman's eyes uplift to slits as she laughed so charmingly.

She patiently waited for it to cease.

"Oh, your Major is so funny!" She remarked. "We have a whole virus being transmitted and she's worried over a shinigami?"

Ri Ann unknowingly bit her bottom lip, not liking the insult. Major Imamura wouldn't be able to handle it either. She was very sensitive to hate.

She cleared her throat, "I think it's a decent concern."

She regretted the way she worded it instantly as the elder clapped her hands.

"Decent?" She repeated. "You don't even believe it's a good pursuit yourself."

"You're wrong." Ri Ann said. "It is a good pursuit. There's just way too many coincidences."

"Oh?" She used her whole mouth to create the 'O'. "I think it's silly that you would pursue something when our great Head Commander has already passed her off as nothing. Don't you think he would know that? What makes you both think that your division retains the only knowledge of this entire world?"

"We mean no disrespect," Ri Ann held onto her fingers near her lap, "that wasn't our intention."

She bowed a bit and when she rose, "but..."

"You were already barred from investigating the Lieutenant. I heard even our lovely Shira came to visit your Major and told her to abandon her instinct and yet she pursued it regardless."

Ri Ann mentally closed her eyes, feeling a bit giddy. "Will she be charged?"

"Of course! The final decision made at the meeting was final. Sites were blocked to avoid the pursuit and she was even warned by Major Shira which should have been the most critical reason to stop and yet, she sent her little ex-lover out to investigate."

Her cheeks flushed lightly, that woman really did know everything.

"I heard Major Ira was charged and imprisoned. I found Cem and he gave me a bit of the details. Will that happen to her too? Will she be confined? Even in all this?" Ri Ann looked around in disbelief.

Hearing that not even Wildfire was granted exemption due to outside worried her. Her Major was important, yes but fighting was the least of her concerns or specialty.

"Perhaps we will discuss her punishment once the vaccine trials are over."

"I think it's risky," Ri Ann tried to persuade her, "to have Major Imamura confined for her violation after the vaccine is made. She is a scientist and a critical one too. Her knowledge is incredibly important to figure out the ways of Okasake Jushirmai. It isn't wise to lock her up."

"Punishment does not always mean jail, Housely. You should know that better now, considering that you are close with Secretary Cem and are a former member of the 11th Division."

"It's not that I think that but Wildfire—"

"Major Ira's situation is much different from yours and your Major. Violations were made, yes but these were not laws, they were orders. Major Ira has broken the law, there's a difference."

"So what do you think they'll do? What punishment would she be given for this? If it was normal, I'd say she'd be restricted from several things but considering it has to do with her, it means—"

"Harsher verdicts are involved." Sensei Kyōraku finished for her. "I don't know much of Minister Asa's whereabouts but when we do take a vote on her punishment, I can guarantee she will not be in your favor. The shinigami association will be enough to have her suggest that you and your Major spend time in the Quarter Sanctuaries. Going there will leave you without much information about what's going on here. In other words, you'll spend two days there but feel like it's a lifetime. That's how the Adachi clan made it to be and that will most likely have you both lose your mind considering the chaos which has happened here."

Ri Ann grew nervous about the thought. But...

"The Lieutenant." She brought up again.

"You seem to have a very interesting obsession."

"I still think...I still think that these coincidences are too much. It's not a coincidence, it's—"

"Now listen here, I will bring this up again to rid you all of your suspicion for once and for all. If you'd like my hand in lessening your Major's punishment then you will listen well and spread it well so I never have to hear about this same story again." She then grabbed her hands, the gold wrapped around her fingers felt cool on her skin.

"Okasake Jushirmai wants to create an unfavourable allyship which would go against our basic morals. We are yet to be properly attacked because Okasake Jushirmai is trying to immobilize us which could completely prevent us from being involved. That alone is a death sentence as you know. He's given us a choice. That choice is us leaving our court to help the shinigami. If we do, we'll have opponents to fight and the Gotei 13 will have now been completely aware of our existence but will be reluctant to back down and have the matter passed onto us. That being said, handling Okasake Jushirmai will become a joint matter where both assassins and shinigamis will be involved which would be completely unacceptable to most of our court, including me. Now, if we choose to stay and wait for our shot, he intends on keeping us here locked in our court through that illness and these soul shadows he's unleashed. There is no end to them. Soul shadow bones are acting like another dose of poison, vaccine trials are being delayed and more and more people are still lying in the 4th Division's medical rooms. More importantly, that ice is still out there and is more of a weapon than anything. These are all his tricks to make us choose. The Lieutenant is most likely bait to make us become curious. I realized it shortly after our Head Commander made the decision to not have us search for the Lieutenant. It was smart, he thought ahead and that's why any more pursuits about this Lieutenant is utter nonsense and you should especially tell your Major that too."

Having digested it all, Ri Ann saw behind Sensei Kyōraku's logic and regretted it all even though she still wondered about the facts that she most definitely still felt were true.

"What about the Kuchiki family? Lieutenant Kuchiki is still very much a real person even if it isn't her. I believe the information I found was correct. She resembled the Lady of the Kuchiki clan and was adopted into the Kuchiki clan fifty-two years ago. Doesn't that sound strange? Her zanpakutō is ice-based too."

"Those are simply facts which could easily be disregarded as untrue. Didn't you think he would have to do something like that to raise suspicion? If he altered these facts and made it seemingly similar to her, of course any of you would leap at the chance to take the bait. That Lieutenant may be real but she is most likely entirely different. Her details were only changed to appeal to all of you. Certainly we can't appear this foolish."

That made sense.

Part of Ri Ann felt the whole time that the facts she was finding about the Lieutenant were too good to be true but there was still stuff to make sense of like Minister Kuchiki and Secretary of State Abarai, what about them?

"And Secretary of State Abarai?" Ri Ann asked. "Appearing out of nowhere from the Inklin Mountains like that? And Minister Kuchiki reviving himself from the dust?"

"Again, you're falling way into his tricks. Secretary of State Abarai could've been held captive by him though he doesn't remember it other than his whereabouts which could even be fake! That would be an easy way to usher suspicion. Minister Kuchiki, on the other hand, had this experiment planned around the time of his death. It worked miraculously and now he's here, just in time for this matter to aid our Head Commander. Shouldn't you be glad?"

"It's not that I'm ungrateful it's just..." she bit her lip — unsure of what to say but then she remembered. "What about what I told you about that substitute shinigami bei—"

Sensei Kyōraku raised her right hand for her to stop. "That should be of no concern to you or us. That family resides in the human world to be left alone, there is no use broadcasting this information to the court or anyone else when those ties have been left untouched. More importantly, it's no use to us. What reason could you have to disturb that family's peace?"

Ri Ann lowered her head in regret. "I'm—"

"Don't apologize to me, just do what I asked of you. Spread it so everyone knows and quits their nonsense about this silly Lieutenant. Once you're done, your division can be released. I know you're tempted to fight considering where you came from but I think you're more needed down there with those soul shadow bones and deceased. It's best we have at least one division cleaning up that garbage before those soul shadow bones sweep this place with its disease." Sensei Kyōraku turned around, leaving Ri Ann to watch her leave.

"I'd be mindful of your Major's intuitions, Housely. She's smart but lacks what it takes to control her instincts."

Unlike Sensei Seo.

Ri Ann couldn't protest that observation but knew that Major Imamura would. She didn't want her feeling less of herself than she did already.

She turned on her heels, paying respects to the crushed body to her left and moved to do what Sensei Kyōraku had asked of her.

---

12th Division

House of Souls

Rose Quartz Hall, for luxury.

Renji stood at the large round white balcony belonging to Rose Quartz Hall, located right through the middle of his division barracks.

Beads of sweat streamed down the sides of his face despite the cold. He was panting heavily as more came at him. Beneath his feet, lustrous tile of the softest pink with red roses were stained with an even brighter colour, blood.

Beside him, hundreds of bodies laid—their skin blue, frost lining their brows and lips, the remains of their organs splattered across the surface merging with the rose gold hue on the ground.

He could no longer see the sky. There was nothing to see but black, more lanterns and fires had to be lit to even see. The Rukongai looked like nothing now—the thick murk of millions of soul shadows obscured the view.

Even the streets within the Capital could no longer be seen. Slowly the darkness had swallowed them into one more frightening and lethal than the blue tinted ice from a short while ago.

Cracks of fire in the black miasma would give light like fireworks from a distance. Most fire element assassins from the 1st Division and 11th Division were participating as the struggle of resistance grew.

Renji was one too.

He belonged to the stone citrine.

At first what had been a time to reconnect was swiftly turned into a necessity to do so to stay alive.

Spiritual summoning had never been his specialty. It was the same reason his kido skills were so poor. The most he could do with his own element was summon it from his fingertips and feet though beyond that, he was helpless.

Fortunately part of being an assassin, although of equal importance during training, was much more focused on the physical side. Nonetheless, he alternated between throwing fire using his hands and legs to throwing out sai blades to twirling his tiger claws before throwing them out and having it slit their throats. But he wasn't done. He still had his katana from before and his main blade which was shaped exactly like Zabimaru was.

It moved the same way Zabimaru did too. The only difference would be the absence of bankai. He'd light it with fire and throw his sword out as it mimicked what Zabimaru would typically do. If there was anything he missed about being an assassin was how fully equipped you were. Blades of all kinds existed to use as a defense.

Lighting each up with fire would make any witness have their neck up marveling at the beauty in such a dark night.

His fire was always outlined with a bright red colour, a shade unique to him. There was still more he was yet to know of how to work with this colour. It was in that moment he thought of Zabimaru.

They were here with him even if he wasn't using his zanpakutō. Once upon a time, they had embodied this. The fire within him which he was using now to light his many blades and this physical entity of sheatsu which lived inside of him.

His zanpakutō had just given them a physical form.

He had reconnected with them in the midst of fighting for his life as hundreds of soul shadows encircled him. They were following the silver line to find the second generator to release the Gotei 13. He felt relieved of hearing that.

Knowing that he could still feel them within him as he blasted fire from his palm and swung his blade which they had recreated again for his zanpakutō was a good feeling.

It seemed that after days he was finally regaining his footing in this world in which he had left behind.

His division had changed a bit. Old faces mixed with new ones, division faces he remembered but now knew had passed. When Raiden disappeared, he had went out to them. They were relieved he was alright and came back.

That was a good feeling. It was the first time he had properly gotten to chat with them since coming here.

Reconnecting with them had been great too. He only wished for Rukia to experience the same thing when she returned but looking at the Capital now was different.

There were screams, clashes, animal roars and more. That heavy murk had taken over. They were surrounded by this darkness with the division barracks still lit, making it seem like they now belonged to a different, secluded world like an island—locked away from the Soul Society they once knew.

After slashing a rhino soul shadow, he flipped back to his spot on the balcony. There were more bodies now. He stepped back further and unknowingly touched a soul shadow bone which instantly made him flinch in disgust.

He hated them.

Looking down to the grounds of the Capital didn't help his feelings either. It was a pool of creamy white bones down there. His skin crawled. He didn't like this.

He had to look away the moment he caught sight of it or else…

The dizziness, the tightening of his bones were already starting to kick in with a glimpse.

He was glad the 7th Division had equipped them with the antidote considering how much there were now in a flash.

More than ever they were susceptible to contracting the disease from the bones below and even while fighting them, considering how much they were rotting to the sides.

The 7th Division had brilliantly thought ahead as expected. It was the reason their division had a reputation of being near perfect.

To be able to distribute as many in time as they did while running vaccine trials was impeccable. He had heard word through a hell butterfly that the 7th Division had distributed more antidotes all across the Capital and were working on equipping the Rukongai with antidotes as they could no longer see how far the murk stretched and wanted to ensure their safety.

He gave props to them for being so quick. It was only about time before they distributed the other vaccine for their illness.

In a scary way, Sensei Seo reminded him a lot of Aizen. Or rather, Aizen had reminded him of Sensei Seo. Both were too perfect, too nice, too intelligent, it had him thinking that Sensei Seo had just as much of a secret as Aizen.

Except, he doubted it was related to any evil.

He leaped up yet again, like a pyromaniac, he flipped and had his fire light the way. His naturally brown eyes were now ringed with yellow flames. Again, he pulled out his main blade and spun like a skater on ice to have it take out the hundreds which encircled him.

If there was one thing he was glad for it was the fact that the soul shadows surrounding him had SOS rank sheatsu or lower rank Major sheatsu. None were particularly a challenge but the infinite nature of it all was becoming a hassle as the hills of soul shadow bones below grew higher, more antidotes were used up and the 7th Division essentially became a working machine to provide for everybody.

Releasing the handle of his blade, it sparked and combusted into a shimmery bronze-gold-red dust and returned to him as he pulled out another sai and threw it to his right.

A beast twice as big roared above them. The biggest one he had seen or dealt with so far.

Pulling both his hands to his right hip, he then had his hands cupped in a circle and the fire came blasting out. It surged to the jaws of the thing as it roared louder.

Renji realized he'd need extra fuel.

He moved his right hand to the left as the katana blade moved from shimmery dust to the sword and he leaped to take it out. The fire and the blade formed an ignited line through the beast as Renji used the rim of the balcony for support to charge back into the swarm of beasts which came roaring in.

He was sweating so much he thought of removing the black cloak he had on as soon as he went down again. The heat burnt from his palms to his face to his legs.

He was hot—too hot.

He had given out a lot of fire and by the looks of it, it wasn't ending any time soon. He figured that he would have to rely less on it to cool off before he became too irritably sweaty.

It was natural for him to get overheated at times.

His mind ran on those black latex gloves which the Li family's House of Weaponry sold for fire stone wielders.

Those gloves could help with that, he knew. They'd make it easier to work with the fire as he had learned a long time ago.

Wiping out the last of which came, he stood on the top of the bars which lined the balcony again—analyzing the ones which were swarming out again.

He panted as he thought of a way to end it all. He had killed way too many. His division had killed so much already. The hill was now up to the 10th level of their barracks. The Rose Quartz Hall was located just directly above that.

Everything about its proximity made him internally quake.

He watched as the familiar members of the team whipped out dozens beneath him. He didn't know how long everyone would be able to go on at this rate.

It was a never ending pool of darkness. Sooner or later Sensei would have to release his own sheatsu and remove it all just so they could have a few moments of a clear sky to know whether it was night or day. By the looks of it, it would come soon.

Though having two was better than one.

Hearing cracks beneath him, Renji looked down to see the long neck of bones curl and then rise. The surge of energy chilled him and he was back to feeling cold. His eyes widened as the creature's neck continued to move up. It was big...really big.

He swallowed as it finally looked down and swung the top part of its neck back and forth to scream. Renji's insides felt jittery the moment he detected the level.

Green.

2nd rank.

Sensei.

He felt his heart leap out of his chest as the creature charged down to his spot. The fear had paralyzed him though fortunately, he had shot his feet with fire to wake them up and flash step in time before the creature rammed its head and destroyed more than half of the large balcony.

The dead bodies on it fell down into those bones making Renji shiver at the thought of that being him.

He hated soul shadow bones.

He loathed them.

Everything about them always made him feel queasy inside.

His throat went dry when the head of that thing curved and was ready to charge at him again. The rotting bones which made up its figure already made him jittery.

He most definitely did not want to get anywhere close to that. Preparing his fire, he thought of a way to trick him by using a blade instead as it charged at him at a speed that made him flinch again before the neck of it was slit off by someone else.

He watched the figure do multiple flips before tying a brown string like rope around its head and throwing it to the left of him which made him notice a few things.

Once she did twirl kicks to the remaining part of the balcony, he followed too.

When she landed, it was to the back of him where he watched the tips of her long hair touch the ground.

The lighting tattoo with that cyan and indigo outline on the back of her left arm said it all.

Adachi Alum.

Noble heir, businesswoman and owner of the House of Adachi Spiritual Garments and Necessities (AGN).

He took a good look once she turned around.

"Al," he greeted.

She smirked immediately.

"Hey, Renji, what's been going on?" Her front teeth were still sharp as he remembered them. Her hair was mocha brown with poofy big bangs which covered her forehead. They were a bit messy as usual.

It seemed that she hadn't changed.

She still wore the same brown tank top, a shade darker than her skin, baggy black pants with assassin boots and that thick brown string around her arm.

"Besides this fucking mess? Nothing new."

"Nah," she put her right hand on her hip, "I meant with you. You just came back, you must be exhausted."

She had that sort of voice which sounded permanently croaky.

"I'm doin' alright I guess. I'm finally getting back on track." He said.

"That's good. It's nice to hear that you managed to get back—must've been tough."

"Yeah," Renji sighed. "How's the Seire—I mean noble houses. Can you see all this shit from there too?"

"Nah," she grinned with one of her sharp right teeth sticking out. "You can't see any of this stuff from there. I was in the middle of the Rukongai when I saw it, I was making a shipment."

"Well, that's a relief." He meant that in both ways. It was good there was still some light in the Rukongai and the Seireitei. The Gotei 13 were still yet to return and the rest of the divisions were left without much defense but themselves. Nonetheless, he didn't want to give any indication of it even though Alum's business motto was to welcome any customer who can pay. "Is it day or night?"

"Night. It's a pretty clear blue sky. Rukongai has a bunch of fires lit. Some blankets distributed by the shinigamis are there too and the ones from here. Never seen them so unified in years. Everyone's huddlin' close together." She informed him. "As for food, with all the crops gone, relief packages that the 8th Division took care of a while ago had non-perishable stuff sent from Opal Hall."

"That's pretty good." The Rukongai being secured in the meanwhile was especially a good feeling. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Thought I'd help out. Think I might have a hunch about what that poison is. I'm headed to the 7th to tell Sensei Seo about it." Renji nodded his head in response.

"Got any idea how to end this shit beside us?" Renji pointed out with his left hand.

"Exhausted?" She grinned with a mouth full of sharp white teeth like fangs. She then looked down to the pile of soul shadow bones. "We gotta a lot. Should probably send some more shipments out here of the antidote in case you guys run out."

"7th Division is crazy as usual. I'm sure those guys have already pumped out a bunch of units of this shit while testing for that vaccine."

She shrugged, "eh, that's Sensei Seo for you. Perfection is key."

"I guess," Renji mumbled. "Though, how'd you even get in here. With all that murk, your only option had to be to step in."

"Yeah, that's what took me so long. I mean I flash-stepped but it was hard getting past all that guck with screaming soul shadows in your face every minute." She took her hands off her hip and relaxed her shoulders.

"Still came out unscathed." Renji pointed out.

"Yeah," she smirked again with a strand of her hair sliding down her shoulder revealing more of her tawny brown skin. "But that's my brand."

It was his turn to smirk.

"Now what ab—"

"Secretary of State Abarai!" A member of his division called behind him. They turned their attention to him. "We got seventeen members down. All soul shadow infections—they ran out of antidotes while fighting."

"You should get going." Alum said behind him. "I'll request Maynar to send some more antidotes through."

"That isn't all. The soul shadows' presence has officially moved over half of the Rukongai! The Quarter Sanctuaries up south have reported that they can no longer see our court. 3rd seat Kento from the 9th has reported that the soul shadows there are attacking their loved ones."

"W-What?" Renji asked. "When did this happen?"

"Just now, sir. Reports from the 9th Division stationed there reported the fold moving forward which stretched to cover half of the Rukongai. Villagers are running to the west with the 9th Division's assistance."

"Hold up, what about the chandelier?" Alum questioned him.

"They can no longer see it either."

Renji pondered for a second. Thinking of a way they could cleanse the darkness from the Rukongai or at least aid the 9th Division.

He had an idea but he wasn't sure if it was going to work. The idea was to cut the chain and have one drop into the pool of darkness. He'd have to be careful though. Any wrong move and he would let the ones the chain was holding at bay in.

Looking at his wrist where a silver chain was ringed around, he thought of taking the chance. He had one fan blade on him. If he whipped out one from a distance, he was sure he'd be able to cut one down.

That in itself did suggest that the pure light would allow him to do that. He had no guarantee that it would break that easily unless the pure light recognized him or at least recognized his intentions.

"We're gonna head to the Rukongai." Renji informed him. "Transfer the injured to the 4th Division. Secretary Yuming always got space no matter what. We'll head to the Rukongai to cut the chain."

"Right." From the ground, the division member flash-stepped away.

"Wait—" Alum called behind him, he turned around. "You're just gonna cut the chandelier? In the dark?"

"I have too. That's the only way we can get rid of that much darkness even if it is infinite."

"Any light you use from your fire will attract them to you, be careful."

"Don't exactly have the best eyesight so I'm gonna have to take that chance. Besides, if the Rukongai still has fire lit on the ground, it shouldn't be too much of a risk to light a few fingers before I cut one. Wouldn't want to tear the whole thing down if it works."

"Hmph, you haven't changed." She put her right hand on her hip again. "That's good to hear. You'll probably clear that slot of suspicion against you too if it works."

Renji was surprised she had heard of that too but didn't question him. "Yeah well, I'm not gonna let the Rukongai be shredded into bits because of a few soul shadows on the loose that we can handle."

"Right." She finally smiled. "It feels good to have you back here and I'm sure Arigawa, wherever the fuck he is, is sure glad to have you back too. While you were gone, I felt kinda bad for him. He had to run this whole division by himself—be their Sensei, Major, Secretary of State, third seat and Head of the Research and Development Bureau. He's even Sensei Okasake's acting Secretary of State now with Minister Asa's niece. He didn't have the authority to appoint anyone, I'm sure, but he gotta a lot help from your division members. Must've been crazy for him to deal with it all on his own."

"Yeah..." Renji agreed with a breath of regret.

He could tell from the moment he stepped in that their division members really admired him. If there was one thing he was right about was that he deserved a Major promotion more than anything. Renji couldn't imagine having to be in charge of all the stuff Raiden had handled in the past fifty-something years.

It was insane.

"I used to think the 10th Division had it hard when the whole Shiba clan backed out and left them without a Sensei or Major. Considering their ownership, you would've thought they'd pass on the authority to another clan like the Kuchiki clan did before they headed out but instead Cang Du and Ingrim were left as Secretary of States Major-less and Sensei-less. Though, at least they had each other. Raiden had no one."

Renji's shoulders slumped. The thought of it alone made him feel even more bad than he had before.

"But," she turned to leave with another one of fang-like teeth sticking out, "don't feel too bad about it, alright? Not like it was your fault or anything. Being stuck in the Inklin Mountains for years must've been tough too."

He nodded his head slowly though the guilt continued to pump in his chest. His stare cemented itself into the remaining light rose tiled ground.

"It isn't your fault." He heard her say but it was. It most definitely was. "No need to beat yourself up about it. Just sit down and have a drink with him n'I'm sure you'll be fine."

Like a minion, he nodded his head again in agreement even though he knew it would take much more than that to win back his approval.

"Hey," he heard her call but didn't look up. "Hey,"

When he glanced at her, her head was bent a little to catch his stare. "If it gets too bad, let me know. Could always sell you a potion that makes him give in."

He couldn't help but crack a smile. Adachi Alum was always looking for an opportunity to sell.

"You should go." Renji said. It came out softer than expected. "7th Division. If you got a hunch, it's probably true. Better to have them distributing the right vaccine to tackle this shit."

It was her turn to nod her head in agreement. "Hmph, see ya, Renji."

She whipped around fully with her hair swaying with her hips before flash-stepping away.

On cue, he reached his finger out and had a hell butterfly appear to explain what he planned on doing to Sensei Okasake.

With that, he eyed his division members who were waiting.

"Let's go."

---

"Here." The younger Rukia said as shards like glass fell from her small palm, causing everyone to encircle them in shock.

It had been a quick moment in which they had stopped to figure out which way to turn before a circle of white, forming a portal, had appeared behind them.

The young Rukia had emerged through it and immediately ran to drop the coloured shards, amid the greetings of her return. In her palm, she let them drop atop a brown trunk placed in front of the substitute shinigami's stretcher.

They scattered there as everyone took a look.

"These are those fraudulent shards his entourage had used when they entered the Seireitei. He claimed they had been replicas of the original stones of the Seavens." Senbonzakura shared.

"You got them all?" Yoruichi asked her.

She nodded her head before explaining. "I was in the Rukongai. All five of them—emerald, diamond, citrine, aquamarine and lapis lazuli—surrounded me. I knew from the start they were part of the group made for the shinigami but really, I've never seen much more of an insult than this. They really weren't a challenge if you ask me. Coming from the perspective of a shinigami, of course. I really do think it would take bankai and a few tricks to get through their element's creation. I really don't see it as them being able to do more than cause a few injuries since they've got sheatsu. What a waste. And with these gems, fraudulent is an understatement, a bit of the element was installed in the making. They're real gems, yes but nothing close to the original. You could easily buy this stuff in the human world if you wanted or even here."

"There is more though." Byakuya pointed out.

"I know. The ruby one wasn't there—the person who has it wasn't among them either. And the moonstone doesn't count because well, we all know it has no physical form."

"What were their capabilities like? Did they challenge you with a zanpakutō?" Senbonzakura inquired.

"No, actually. It was all Judan. Not anything basic I mean, the ones I dealt with were near Level 6 or 7 and obviously that's a lot. Plus, their element ability. It makes me wonder how long they trained. It seems kinda pointless that they went down that easily with me. I don't get why they would attack me or why Jushirmai authorized them to do that. With the shinigami, the end result wouldn't have been that different, it'd just take some wits and extra strength but at least it'd be a proper battle."

Unknowingly, she met eyes with Byakuya who was observing her. "And sheatsu level?"

His face was blank. Interestingly, she couldn't tell what he was thinking with his arms crossed like that.

Rukia decided to answer truthfully. "Uh, green, green, white, white, green—all Sensei."

Again, in silence he observed her.

"What?" Rukia asked him. The stare was creeping her out—she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Fortunately, Yoruichi shifted her gaze. "And the Seireitei?"

"Bored and waiting." She replied. "I would say it's divided but most of the shinigami are just resting in their barracks and keeping warm. They're kinda without much to do though there are exceptions. 12th are working in the lab, 10th are investigating and training, 4th is still active of course and 11th. 9th are also training as well and," her eyes averted to Byakuya again, "your division is doing the same."

"It seems that the Seireitei's defenses are much weaker now." Roger said.

"Yeah, won't it be easy for that Juh-sheer-a-freak to take over?!" Ririn asked.

"I suppose so though at the same time, I don't think he's interested. Warm shield sheets have the Seireitei surrounded to keep everyone warm. The Rukongai are currently being covered by the same."

"By who?" Senbonzakura asked.

"If it is those assassins..." Nanao started to say but Rukia shook her head.

"Don't ask me why or how but it was that sovereign of the spider species who did it. But she didn't do it alone. Major Shira of the 4th Division also helped put them up though her effort was clearly much less."

"B-But w-why would that s-scary woman help u-us?" Hanatarō asked. The images Nanao had drawn were frightening enough, he couldn't imagine seeing her in person.

Rukia contemplated for a short second. If she told them about the alliance, she wondered what they would think. Would they accuse her more? Would they doubt her? Before she could make a decision, Yoruichi made it for her.

"Kuchiki-san has an informal alliance with her." Yoruichi informed them.

Vividly confused faces looked to her.

"She does?" Nanao voiced in confusion but also fear. "Why? What could possibly be her reason for forging an alliance with something she fears?"

"I don't know." Rukia mumbled to herself even though the attention was on Yoruichi. "No one told me a thing. I just found out. Jushirmai is also with her too. She said she needed help because her kids were sick and he...helped."

"He is actively aiding the enemy." Byakuya condemned and Rukia almost rolled her eyes because yes, in one sense he was but on the other hand, since this alliance was real, it meant that there was more to his assistance after all.

"Don't say that." Rukia rushed to say. "It's wrong. We don't know the situation. Mayb—"

"How can you defend such an obvious act of deceit?" He questioned her.

Boy, he really did easily set her off.

"Deceit, Byakuya? Really?" She sounded tired because she was. "He's my brother. In what way would he deceive me? You just heard it from Yoruichi-san. The older me does have some alliance with her. Shouldn't we focus on that instead of making such weird assumptions?"

"I suppose the younger Rukia-san makes a point. As I asked, what is the nature or need of this alliance?" Nanao redirected her question to Yoruichi. "If Dr. Oswald helped her with her children that means that there was a casual exchange. Was putting up the shield sheets it or was there more to it?"

"Oh quit being so stupid!" Kla snapped. "Of course that was a 'casual exchange', do you think Jushirmai has any reason," she made sure to emphasize it in the Kuchiki heir's direction, "to aid that crazy woman? Obviously it was to have the shield sheets put up since no assassin, and rightfully so, wants to help you stupid people! It worked out for the best and Jushirmai is safe, that's all that matters!"

"Kla is right. At least he's safe though, I wished he had told us." Yūshirō said.

"That woman would never let him." Roger said. "It's the reason their alliance is informal. It's only temporary, of course. That woman doesn't like Rukia-sama or her brother. That alliance only exists because it benefits both parties greatly."

Rukia was glad that Roger was here to let her know. "Mind telling us how? She made it very clear to me that she didn't like me when we met in the Seireitei but yet she plans on using me as a stepping stone to get somewhere. What exactly is her goal and how can I help?"

"Well, like many other shapeshift breeds, there are numerous species—many within a single family. The black widow spider is the highest amongst the colonies. That being said, her being sovereign of her own species is a very impressive and powerful position in the spider community and others. Though, there are other sovereigns within the species, ones she views as competitors."

"So is she trying to monopolize it. " Nanao figured. "Weed out the competitors so she can maintain full control of the species."

"Precisely so. If all species were to follow her command then certainly you can understand what sort of reputation she would have in the shapeshift community. It is not something that has ever been done before. " Roger replied.

"Why would Rukia want to let that woman achieve that?" Byakuya inquired.

"Considering all that we know, I do not see why she would need to forge this alliance and ensure the sovereign retrieves access to such power." Senbonzakura said.

"Y-Yeah, that s-sovereign is really creepy!" Snake shrieked. "With all that staring and stalking, I don't get it."

"Seems like there's something else to it." Monkey said with crossed arms. "So get on with it, what is it?"

"As you know, Okasake Jushirmai has been alive for quite some time. He was present before the split and after, he's had time...lots of time to forge alliances with other groups such as soul shadows which would be detrimental if you consider how many kinds truly exist in our world, the Soul Society. Shapeshift breeds answer to no one unless they choose to. My kind most definitely has never formed a bond with another kind of soul to have a master like me. We answer to our own only and considering how many sorts of shapeshifters there can be, it is extremely dangerous if they answer to the wrong one. Casual alliances can easily exist if there is something in it for both parties."

"You are suggesting Rukia forged this alliance early to ensure that the spider species would not join with the heir." Byakuya clarified.

"Yes. It's incredibly important, especially given her fear, that the spider species are left untouched and are able to defend our side when we are ready. Naturally, other alliances that woman formed with other species like worms or caterpillars become ours too." Roger explained. "With this alliance alone, Rukia-sama has secured more than forty-five thousand spider species alone and more when you count that woman's own alliances."

"In short, we started making an army early." Rukia said. "When I think of it, having a lot of shapeshifter breeds would be pretty incredible support to have and without a doubt they'd be interested in doing anything which keeps their habitat alive."

"That's right. Okasake Jushirmai may offer another deal to other shapeshift breeds for their support, guaranteeing that very habitat will remain saved though of course those are all lies." Roger said. "This alliance Rukia-sama has formed guarantees quite a lot of things and naturally, alliances of the other species which joined will follow in aiding her to keep our world pure."

"Though I have one question." Nanao had her eyes fixated on the sheets of the stretcher. "How will Lieutenant Kuchiki ensure such a thing? The sovereign's goal is to completely squash her competitors and take control of an entire species. That is very much dangerous, is it not? If shapeshift breeds generally don't have any allies unless they make one then after this entire conflict ends, we will still have to deal with a species that might turn on us any moment from now. The sovereign doesn't like Lieutenant Kuchiki as you said, isn't this a huge risk?"

"Oh geez!" Kla puffed. "Of course she hates her but not enough to kill her, please. She had the chance all these years but didn't do anything because Sister Rukia will always be useful to her. Even if she gets what she wants, she'll always be there. I swear you all know too little, it's annoying! That woman has visited our house too many goddamn times for milk," she listed out with her fingers, "to beg, to steal, to ask, to eat, she isn't going anywhere and as much as this alliance might be informal or casual and what not, that woman views Sister Rukia as a useful prize despite all her blabbering about hatred. Sister Rukia is just her useful 'forever tool' to use for life."

They all glanced at each other, surprised at what they had heard from the loud entity of Jushirmai.

"Does that not mean this is more than casual? It's fixed." Nanao corrected slowly but Roger shook his head immediately.

"No, it's not. She could turn on her any moment if necessary but nothing big enough to result in what you were worried about. It is casual. Rukia-sama doesn't like her either—the detest is mutual; however, neither one can deny the power their alliance would have. That woman's recurring presence at our house is merely part of her reassurance that she respects no boundaries of their relationship."

"Even so, it is not appropriate or safe to have the sovereign frequenting the area." Byakuya argued.

"While I agree, I also understand Rukia-sama's leniency. She has always treated the sovereign as she was never there, just a normal part of her life so much that she became nonexistent. Even now with an alliance formed, she continues to do so naturally. The sovereign has just never been there to her. I can see why she wouldn't want to change that despite their deal."

"This is kinda expected of me. I mean, even with the discomfort, we need that kind of support. Especially since Jushirmai does have an alliance with soul shadows, we need support more than ever." Rukia said.

"How's the Capital?" Yoruichi asked.

"Worse. I couldn't even see it. There's some black miasma which has taken over half of the Rukongai on their end. I couldn't get past it all without causing a commotion and exposing my identity. There's way too many soul shadows coming out. It's insane! The ones the chandelier bars are holding off are just dying to come out, I know. I was hoping the older me was back to send the pure light with a chain though by the looks of it, I'll have to do it myself. I can't send the light through the miasma though or they'll know it's me. If the Capital doesn't find a way to close that hole, I'm afraid we don't have much time until that whole thing covers up the rest of the Soul Society and everything will just be dark with soul shadows hidden within them." Rukia hoped they understood her worry.

It was much more fearful to witness in person.

"We must release the Gotei 13. We shouldn't stop until we know we're close." Nanao informed the group. "Lieutenant Kuchiki needs to return soon also though, that may not be her fault."

"Let's get going then! We need Ichigo too!" Ririn yelled.

"You did a good job," Rukia looked up at the Lieutenant to her left who softly praised her. "Though I'm not sure how you did it, considering that those things were made for the Gotei 13 with such a high level of sheatsu, you did. It's...terrifying and very much concerning though I've come to understand that you're much different than others."

She was touched the moment the Lieutenant finished her praise but of course, the Kuchiki heir had to add his two cents and ruin the moment. How she hated his grumbling.

"It is more concerning than it is impressive." Rukia sighed as she met his impassive eyes. "You mean to have us believe that you engaged in battle with five people, each with Sensei ranked sheatsu with high levels of Judan training and came out completely unscathed or not killed? I do not believe you revived yourself so quickly or at all for that matter."

She understood his frustration though. If she was in his position, she'd be questioning that too.

Byakuya continued. "You have trained in tessenjutsu and yes, you have many blades all which you know well but you are lacking a power source. Your reiatsu now is the equivalent of a Lieutenant but as we know that would not be enough to tackle the physical aspects associated with their power."

"That's just 'cause Rukia's cool!" Snake said while hopping. "Right, Monkey? Tell 'em."

"Yeah, never seen a kid bust as many teeth as she did in the Rukongai." Monkey said, causing Rukia to lightly blush.

"It is more than that." Byakuya went on. "I do not see how all of you do not see a flaw in this. These were five enemies tailored for the Gotei 13, certainly the heir is not as foolish to equip them so poorly knowing the Gotei 13's zanpakutō and capabilities."

"I suppose so. Did you," Nanao's eyes fell on her, "use anything particular to defeat them?"

"A—"

"Or perhaps the heir might have gone easier on her and had other opponents kept hidden all along." Senbonzakura proposed which automatically made Rukia feel small.

"Now, wait a minute," Monkey intervened, "we're talkin' about Rukia here. Obviously Yoruichi-san and Roger knew she could handle herself if she was attacked, saying all that implies that they sacrificed themselves 'cause the heir said so."

"Yeah!" Snake jumped. "Besides, why do you think that big meanie wants to fight her anyway? None of you can, but why her?!"

"That does not explain anything. Perhaps the older version is different but Rukia, here, would not have been able to defeat as many of them at once without some source of power or skill despite her blade training." He then turned to her. "You do not have grandfather's sheatsu either or the pure light, it is obvious there is some trick here to your powers, what is it?"

Rukia opened her mouth but Hanatarō interrupted her before she could.

"A-Are you by any chance the pure light, Rukia-san?" He asked. "Is that your power in that blade? Is it your light?"

Nanao then put her hand under chin. "Hm, that is a plausible question. Though I've heard that the pure light was of Major rank and died a long time ago from the older you, in our situation you must understand why I would be a bit skeptical. Considering that you worked with that pure light to form the chandelier could easily mean that it is your own which you are trying to pin under a fictional person."

"The pure light isn't me." Rukia affirmed quietly. "I wouldn't be so easily tainted by darkness now if it was. I'd be able to purify myself if I ever got myself in a situation where I became a part of Jushirmai's mind games but I can't. The pure light was someone else. What the older me told you was true."

"Forgive me but how do we know this for sure? I have drawn a few things which suggest that you hated the pure light, so much that you wanted to kill it. It seems the heir wanted to frame you as a murderer. If you are not it then…." Nanao stopped herself when Rukia looked down.

"I didn't kill the pure light. Your drawings are not as accurate as you think. If Jushirmai's mind games can get to you so quickly, how can I trust any of you with information?" Rukia asked, feeling almost hurt at the accusation.

All she ever did was try to help.

"Do not accuse her that way. If there was any truth to that, the pure light would not have aided her if she was responsible for their death." Byakuya said.

"The pure light died a normal death…" Rukia murmured, not wanting to get into the topic further. "There was no such thing as a murder so please get that suspicion out of your head. I beg of you….it's...offensive."

Noticing her change in mood, Byakuya thought of resuming back to his initial question.

"Now that it is clear, you will tell us how you were able to defeat all five of the heir's opponents tailored for the Gotei 13."

Figuring he was trying to change the topic again, Rukia decided to keep it going on. "You've already seen my blades, Byakuya. I don't think I need to get into anything further."

"As impressive as that might be, a chain dance would not make you capable enough to defeat all five. When you consider speed, technique and power you are greatly outskilled."

"Do you really find it that hard to believe?" Rukia asked him before flicking out her right fan blade. "Or do I need to demonstrate myself again?"

"It is not that I'm unaware that you can call ice cylinders and flash-step and move around many blades without interruption. It is the fact that there is no logic attached to you winning or surviving without some power source, you've already shared with me that you have no sheatsu so what is left?"

"The rarity that you call me." Rukia said with a head tilt.

"That is not it." Byakuya quickly dismissed. "There is more to this power. You simply cannot have me believe that yo—"

"Oh would you just shut up!" Kla screamed. "Can't you just trust her for once and be patient?! Geez!"

She sensed the murderous reiatsu of the Kuchiki heir's zanpakutō emitting as soon as she voiced her outburst but could anyone blame her? The same grumbling, the same confusion, the same belittling was all starting to get real annoying again.

How she cursed her luck for the Kuchikis being so involved in this. She especially didn't like speaking about the pure light. It was only her bad luck which led her to a space where three Kuchikis roamed and one of their zanpakutō' spirits, who just had to threaten her for whatever reason, roamed free.

Zanpakutōs really were just obedient dogs.

"You will not speak to my master that way." Senbonzakura warned. "It is most inappropriate as you are no more than an entity belonging to the heir."

Kla scoffed. They treated her as if she was Jushirmai's ally even when she was far from interested in aiding that man—even if she was born from him.

It didn't matter.

There was no family relation or what not. She was just who she was but of course, she guessed she couldn't expect Kuchikis to understand that.

Man o'man were they a pain.

"All I'm saying is to stop treating her so poorly. C'mon now, don't you know your stupid grandfather is the cause of all this? He didn't want you to know, we've been through this four-hundred-billion times! How's that Sister Rukia's fault if she still obeys your grandfather and the Kuchiki clan? Not like you wouldn't do it too, please! She has no reason to tell you anything anyways or obey your wishes like a slave!"

"Silence." Senbonzakura ordered though Byakuya took over shortly.

"You are nothing more than the entity's tool yourself. You were born from him, you are an extension of him. What say could you possibly have in the way in which I treat my sister? I have not harmed her. I am merely asking for answers to my questions, that is all. Meanwhile, you embody everything she has grown to detest and hate and will most likely be destroyed when that heir does."

The red rushed to her cheeks and took over the rest of her face and arms as she clenched her fists tightly.

"I will not be destroyed!" She shouted in defiance. "I am my own person! Besides, it seems like you just described yourself! Everything she has grown to detest and hate is you! It amazes me how you supposedly smart Kuchiki men are dumber than stool! And what's the point of her telling you anything anyway? You'll just grow to hate her even more! Why should she allow herself to be ripped to shreds by some stupid Kuchiki?! The more you know, the more you accuse and it's all because you're upset that she had prior relations to your clan!"

"That's enough." Yoruichi warned again. "Let's move."

She walked away but Senbonzakura's aura only got stronger.

"I told you to quit your accusations against my master! Ban—"

Zabimaru immediately jumped to stop him.

"Hold on! Don't do that!"

"Yeah, c'mon now, didn't you hear?! Rukia already said she and Jushirmai hate the Kuchiki clan more than anything. She's just saying those things to get you all riled up." Snake tried to reason with him as he struggled against his grip.

While the chaos continued on the side with Kla's provoking, Byakuya turned to Rukia who didn't meet his eyes.

"Is that true?" He asked her though her head remained down. "Do you perhaps feel that I will accuse you?"

Rukia figured he didn't like repeating his words when he remained silent despite how long it took her to reply.

"No." Rukia muttered with her eyes down before she brushed past him to follow Yoruichi.

"That is a lie." She foolishly stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"I will not accuse you. I have already apologized."

"I already said no so can we move?"

"No, because your answer is fake."

"It's not," she assured him with a crooked smile. "Let's get going, alright?"

"So you will not tell me of the reason."

Rukia took a deep breath, swallowed and then shook her head.

"Then it is true."

"It's not." She protested. "Let's just go."

Rukia then turned to walk ahead but was stopped yet again.

"If you are not the pure light then what are you?" He asked her, once again forcing her into silence. She didn't want to answer.

Eventually, she looked back at him slightly with her right fist clenched.

"I'm rare."

---

Past

She shrieked the moment she saw that beguiling colour reflect from the glass, falling back instantly onto the ground in surprise.

She was no longer glowing once she broke contact with the glass. For that she was grateful but it didn't change the fact that what she saw was real and most importantly, rare.

She watched her own shock through the glass like a mirror before noticing a thick, blurred line of black which made her twist her head to see the cause of it.

Instant regret washed over her face when she looked for she was surrounded by assassins. Each donned in black, some wearing the dress-like version, some wearing the pant-like one.

Rukia swallowed, unsure of what to do. She was in many ways startled. She couldn't find the will to move from her position on the ground. Her arms propped her up but she remained laying there, still.

What was going on?

Her heart had never stopped racing even until now. It seemed that they too were startled. They surrounded her, yes but somehow it was like they didn't know how to move, much like her.

She drew in the tiny details that had changed. For one, the chandelier above her was on and bled a golden colour which directly placed the spotlight on her, the tiles she was laying on were no longer grey but reflected the leaves of gold perennials, the testing had most definitely stopped with all the Rukongai children watching her and the operators of the tubes.

The silence scared her.

With so many eyes watching her, she didn't know what to say.

###

To the right, a space was cracked open of a different environment—they remained still on their feet, reluctant to move.

It was accurate to say that the Gotei 13 and the human group were still digesting their thoughts as the events on the right ensued to send the message to Sensei Okasake.

###

Though he found it hard to separate his shock from his feet, he moved and had flash-step take him in front of the Okasake Manor.

Without avail, he pushed through those large mellow yellow cornflower coloured doors with a strip of orange belonging to the Copper Residence. He couldn't even move properly—he was embarrassingly speed walking through the entrance but his feet were still as speechless as him.

He felt their stares at him as he walked through the general area for servants and gardeners. He scurried across the green tiled floors with illustrations of flowers and rivers without much incentive to walk around the people who blocked his way. From one open entrance, carved as an upside down tulip, he walked through another to end up outside again.

This time finally stepping on the grass which would lead to the main gates which stood in front of the Okasake Manor. It was not nearly as hot today and yet the sweat dripped down the sides of his face as if water had been dumped all over him.

He didn't want to think of how he looked as he stepped onto the sandy path in front of two guards who watched the main door. By then, he was embarrassingly panting.

He had come here without a mask on too. This day would probably be remembered forever and out of all people, he would be the one they remembered in such an embarrassing light.

He straightened his back and cleared his throat as one of the guards ordered him to speak.

"I," he panted, "have something very important to tell the Head Commanders. I'm Yamaguchi Katashi, 78th District, commanding officer of Section 105 of Testing Station 201."

He swallowed some more, trying to catch his breath.

"And?"

"And I must see them!" He yelled in between a gasp for air. "It's important. I think we've found someone…"

His voice began to shake, "accidentally who m-might…"

He stopped. Uncertain whether he should share this information with the guards first before the Head Commanders themselves. It would be dangerous to share it or have it spread for the girl's sake too.

"It's important." Katashi ensured. "I promise you I won't be wasting their time with this. Please, let me in. You'll regret it if you don't do it now!"

"We're not convinced. Leave and have it sent with your superior and they'll get back to you if it's important."

Two invisible guards who were stationed at the top of the large doors appeared beside him and held him.

"I can't! This is urgent! We have her surrounded now. The guards will probably have her taken in and secured. Let me loose! They must know this!" Katashi pleaded as the two guards attempted to pull him back though he resisted.

"Then share."

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's dangerous! Only the Head Commanders can know this! Once they make a decision then everyone can know! Just set me free! Let me speak with them!"

One guard arched his brow. "And if this isn't as urgent as you claim?"

"It is! It's important! You'll see! They'll drop everything and come to the 78th District to see! Set me free!" He was starting to sound crazy with all his shouting but he couldn't wait for documentation to be processed just to have them know this.

They needed to know this now.

Two of the guards glanced at each other and then one went in through the doors. Katashi remained hopeful as he waited with most of the guards carrying his weight.

After he returned, he opened one of the doors and Katashi immediately sprang loose to run through before he stopped him by clutching his collar.

"You better hope," he leaned into him, "that we didn't let you in for some bullshit urgency or else."

Katashi gulped even though he knew that the Head Commanders would act immediately upon hearing this news. He nodded his head like a frail child before the guard pushed him in.

Immediately, he ran through the grass leading to the pavilion. Once he caught sight of those shōji doors, it took everything within him to push them open.

He had broken all the rules, he knew. Not only did he not knock or bow or wait or make any indication of his presence, he had opened the doors to the general meeting room of the Okasake home.

He stilled in his spot as he made eye contact with those in the room. Once again, his heart raced with sweat dripping, his palms clammy against the parted doors.

Fear forced him into silence as they watched him. He probably looked insane with all the sweat and panic that was written all over his face.

There were four people in the room. Each knelt around a table.

Minister Kuchiki to his left, Sensei Okasake Hirosuke across from him, another elder beside him and then Chancellor Fuji diagonal to him.

The other Head Commander wasn't here.

The cold stare from each of them forced him to get on his knees quickly and bow before pouring it all out.

"Forgive me, Head Commander, I had no means of interrupting you but this is urgent. We found someone in the Rukongai." He dared to look up and meet the gaze of the Head Commander as he said the next piece which would have him release a gasp, followed by a 'what?'.

---

Present

By now, her left arm had blood oozing beneath the remains of her doctor coat's sleeve. She was sweating a lot. So much that every now and then it became necessary to have her skin emit that cool air to dry it down as a soaking wet, animalistic Naohira continued to attack her.

The hall was in ruins. Barely holding up with a bunch of holes and wrecked walls and paintings.

Rukia's own left sleeve was cut and bloody but it was nothing compared to the hall which became their battle ground.

Naohira was a force of power. So blood curdling Rukia had occasionally felt fear knowing that realistically she would never be able to counter such a terrifying mass of energy if it touched her in this state.

It seemed that she had lost touch with the Naohira she knew. Her indigo eyes were dark with an even wider black pupil supported by a white backdrop with red cracks.

Though she was relying on Judan alone, it was powerful with her animalistic ways of kicking, flying and jumping. Naohira's true colours were that of a beast.

She wondered if beneath her mask there were teeth just as sharp to reflect the energy she was giving off.

It had certainly been capable of sweeping her into a mode of desperation where she even had to alternate with kido of all things. She needed to find a way to end this soon.

Rukia couldn't engage in the battle Naohira wanted. To end this would require actually fighting back which Rukia was no match for. Her defenses had lasted her long but they would not be enough to immobilize this beast in front of her.

She needed to think of a way to injure her and quick.

Her speed and flashes of ice from her palms would only last her a little while longer before her reiatsu gave up and she was completely burnt out.

Again, they were on a flash-step chase. Each disappearance was so quick, Rukia lost sight of where she was half the time. The destruction of the walls didn't help either.

Somehow, she needed to cease the chase.

---

Past

"W-What are you doing?" Rukia spluttered, twisting left and right as they surrounded her.

She was lifted against her will and experienced her first ever move with flash-step in a millisecond.

The hall disappeared so quickly, Rukia didn't even have the opportunity to call for Renji when they moved. Once they transported her, they made her stand. Her feet, for the first time in her life, touched a warm rug of brick red.

"Let go!" She struggled against their grip until her wrist was free from their grasp.

One line of assassins stood to her left and another line stood to her right. They were standing uncomfortably close to her, enough for her to want to squeeze her own arms closer.

"What are you doing?" None of them looked down at her, it's like she hadn't said a word.

Then, they began to walk and those behind her pushed her slightly to move. Once again, she was being moved against her will.

"W-Wait! Where are we going?" The hand behind her just pushed her until she began walking by 'choice'.

Rukia never felt more nervous about anything. They were walking so close to her to ensure that she wouldn't leave, she was sure of it now. The very thought made her start to worry.

Was she in trouble?

Did she touch some forbidden glass?

The more they walked, the more nervous she felt. Was she a prisoner now?

It was hard to tell as it was hard to think. She was walking through one of the most fascinating rooms she'd ever been through in her life.

Such glassy chandeliers with such intriguing structures were lined far above her head.

She could spot some hints of citrine.

The fire stone.

The very thought made her swallow.

It was so interesting. Flowers were the prettiest thing she'd ever laid eyes on in the Rukongai but here, not even flowers could compete with those raindrop crystals which looked half way filled with rum.

The rug she was on felt so delicate beneath her feet. Again, something she had never felt before. The grass was the finest thing she had ever been on.

It was all so glorious but also unfair.

The reminder alone woke her up from the dream the hall had temporarily casted with its autumn charms and had her opening her mouth to protest again.

All she wanted to do was leave.

"Where's the exit?" Rukia asked them. "I don't know what's happening here but I want out."

No one answered.

"Listen, can't any of you speak? Am I in trouble or something? If not, let me out. I have no interest in your organization."

Nothing.

"Can't you hear? Am I in trouble or what? Is it that glass?" Rukia was starting to grow impatient. "The least you could do is answer me. I don't even know where I'm going, help me out here!"

The refusal to respond just made her more angry. All their heads remained straight as the doors ahead of them were opened and they entered another hall, much darker than the first, which reflected the citrine stone a bit too well for her comfort.

There were fewer chandeliers in this one, offering a much duller butter-like light and yet the walls appeared as glossy as ever with bronze brocade-like structures mounting the walls to the ceiling, glistening like they were made just yesterday.

Rukia needed to get out.

She was starting to fall victim to the hall's tremendous charms.

"Look," Rukia was speed walking now to catch up with their quickened pace, "my friend is outside waiting for me. I really don't know what this is about but all I know is that I want out of it."

She spotted an upcoming room to the right which practically bled the colour of canaries. Another assassin was waiting in front of it with their arms near their thighs.

Rukia's talking ceased, having a feeling that that's where she was headed.

Her thought was proven right moments later when they made that sharp turn and entered.

The canary bird colour was accurate but almost blinding with transparent crystals, amber, bronze, gold and walnut brown everywhere in the form of anything you could think of—frames, chandeliers, wall designs, couches, rugs, chairs and crystals.

If a golden sunset could be a room, it would be this one.

The moment they entered, the assassins got on their knees and bowed to the line of five assassins waiting in front of them. Then, they disappeared, leaving her there to stare and wonder.

To the right of them, she then spotted a grey cage of some sort.

Once she saw it, she understood her fate.

She was a prisoner now.

She didn't hesitate to move forward as they watched her.

Weren't they supposed to toss her in or something?

Rukia almost felt like she wasn't supposed to go in there until one of the assassins spoke.

"This is only temporary." It sounded assuring but Rukia was entirely convinced that he meant that there was a real prison she'd be transferred to shortly after. "You only have to stay in there until we're granted further instructions."

"Instructions?" Rukia asked. "What did I do?"

"Please," he gestured for her to open the cage herself. "Go. It's for your protection."

"Protection?" Rukia repeated in a grimace though she hadn't meant for it to come out as such.

She heard the swish of a flash-step behind her and spun immediately to see a tall woman with mauve purple hair, partly pulled back.

She was wearing no mask.

"Please, do." She kindly said. "It will only be for a short while."

Rukia felt weird. The woman was smiling and when she turned back at the line of assassins in front of her, they were too even though she could only see their eyes upturned into slits.

What was going on?

Suddenly, she didn't want to go in anymore.

The way they were smiling at her had her thinking that entering there would have her subjected to something much more worse and gruesome than they were trying to sugarcoat with their beams.

Two hands went on her shoulders and had her flinch before she was lightly pushed into the tall cage with bars. She didn't see anyone lock it but when she tried to push it open, it didn't budge.

Then, the strangest thing happened.

The assassins disappeared in a flash again. The main yellow light was shut off and the room now bled an amber honey colour.

There were two assassins now. One near the closed cream double doors she had entered from and another one that she couldn't see far past her cage.

The hundreds of decorative frames in the room of bronze lined numerous photos of places she had never seen before but knew were probably extravagant enough for her to never see.

Her heart stilled when she neared the bars to hold them as the first assassin who had spoken to her approached the cage again.

"In the meanwhile, we seem to have found your friend. He will keep you company until it's time." He said, now with his mask off and that same glee on his face.

Why were they all so happy?

"Wait, wh—"

"Rukia!" Hearing Renji made her snap her neck right and forget all her questions as he approached her.

She noticed that an assassin had been the one to bring him in. They must've asked around and found out that he had been the friend she was referring to.

"Renji!" She had never felt more relieved to see him. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the assassin vanish again but she was too caught up in Renji's arrival to bother with it now.

"What the hell happened?" He asked her with wide arms.

Rukia immediately scrunched her brows. "What? You don't know?"

"Your friend was vomiting up more than half of his eatings on the floor when the event occurred." The assassin from afar informed her.

Rukia glanced at Renji who blushed with a flashy smile before noticing the clear bag he had of more honey pastries.

"You imbecile." Rukia scolded. "This is why you shouldn't have stuffed your face with five-hundred of these. Where'd you get more?"

"They gave it to me." He answered in excitement. "But anyways, forget about me, what the hell happened to you?"

"And," he looked up in confusion, "why'd they put you in a cage?"

Rukia suddenly didn't know how to explain so she recited what she remembered and had him figure out the conclusion himself.

"No fucking way."

"The more I think of it, the more unreal it sounds. I noticed it so quick, it feels like I could've been wrong but everybody was staring at me like, I don't know, some pretty painting or something. It was weird." She explained with her arms hanging through the bars. "It could've been different."

"Look, if that shit is really true then that means you're responsible for that big ass hole in the ceiling, no?"

Rukia nodded her head. "I think so."

"But—"

Renji paced back and forth all of sudden, even dropping his bag. "That means we might have to pay for that shit too. You mentioned it before, it was painted by some noble, right?"

"Adachi." Rukia answered after reflecting on the now distant memory.

"Adachi, right. If what you saw was true then I don't see any reason they got to jail you but they did so—"

"You're thinking that maybe I'm being imprisoned here because I broke it?" Rukia asked but somehow, she couldn't say that would be it after all, they were smiling at her and said this jail cell situation was only temporary for protection.

Though...protection from what?

"Could be. What'd they say to you anyway?"

"Nothing really. This cell is supposed to be for my protection, according to them, but it's only temporary—l'll be moving somewhere else soon." Rukia said. "And! They were smiling at me really weirdly when they told me to come in here. Something about it felt off, really off."

"Protection? What the fuck would that mean?"

"I don't know. No one would really answer my questions. I'm surprised they even went to find you. No one said a thing when I mentioned it."

"The fuck do we do now?"

"Wait, I guess and see." Rukia said. "I really hope it isn't about the painting. In that case, it'd cost millions I don't have and I'll spend the rest of my life in debt or in jail. In that case there'd really be no point of living."

"We don't know that yet, Ruks." She could tell he was nervous too just by his voice. "But, if what you said tru—"

"I'm starting to think I was wrong too. There's no way I'd be in a cell if it was. Also, think about how unrealistic it is. I probably saw a light flare and touching that glass set something off to break the ceiling." Rukia said which sounded a hundred times more rational than what she was thinking about earlier so she stuck with it.

That was the truth.

Anything else she had imagined before was not only very unlikely but with her of all people? Rukia concluded that she was being held captive due to the glass as the same assassin approached her 'cell' again.

"You're free to go now." Those words took Rukia by shock as the cell was lifted above her and stepped off the platform.

Already?

"Really?"

"Of course! I knew he'd arrive soon." He grinned with those same slitted eyes. "Everyone will leave the room and you'll meet!"

"Meet?" Rukia slightly shook her head. "You said I was free to go. Who do I have to meet? What was the point of all this anyway?"

"You'll see, alright. We promise your friend will remain unharmed and you'll meet again in our waiting room." Rukia was sure she'd remember this man's bright blonde hair, slitted eyes and that charming high voice for life.

Rukia saw his eyes again, they were of forest green.

"Can you tell me who I'm meeting? What is this all about anyway?" Rukia asked but of course, she was getting the hang of their protocol of not answering questions.

"Ah, no need to worry about formalities either. You're simply here to be seen!" He said. "Now, come, come, stand here and we'll all leave."

"I'm not going to unless you give me some answers. What does this all mean?" She asked even though she allowed him to grasp her wrist and tug her to a spot that was circled in front of the rosewood desk. "Tell me something at least? Who am I mee—"

She stopped when she noticed Renji was gone.

Rukia looked up at him. "Where's Renji?"

"As I said," there came those slits again, "he's in the waiting room. You'll be reunited with him soon. Just do what you have to do."

"And what exactly is that?" Rukia inquired.

"Be seen!"

Rukia figured he was about to flash-step up since everyone who had been there exited the room in a flash. Rukia took the opportunity to ask the same question.

She reached out and tugged the back of his uniform. "By who?"

He slightly turned to her before vanishing. "Head Commander Okasake."

Rukia gasped.

###

When she slowly twisted to see the desk again, an elder man emerged from the side.

It was so casual. Completely informal. From the shadows he had crept in without saying a word, not a single indication from outside spoke of his arrival before he came in.

They were alone.

Somehow the light in the room got somber as he positioned himself behind the desk, making her feel as if it was no longer evening but night though, there were no windows to tell her that.

Only time.

Rukia didn't know what to say about this almighty superior. Having just stepped in without a word, she felt as if she was being fooled. He seemed like he'd be a reliable figure who worked with the Head Commanders but not the Head Commander himself.

Many things were off.

The elder man held a cane near the center of his feet but it wasn't touching the ground, not until he stopped to stare at her.

Rukia, now fully facing him from a distance, couldn't help but doubt that this could be him and yet the photos she had seen in those books said otherwise.

Rukia saw him as a shorter version of Captain Kuchiki with the same styled hair and similar moustache. With his short height, he embodied all the characteristics she'd assume a cousin of Captain Kuchiki would look like.

It was only his clothes which set him apart. There were layers to it. All black. From the big, droopy kimono sleeves to the hakama-like skirt to the samurai-like cuirass design on his chest atop the robe those sleeves belonged to and then to the same beaded purple chain Captain Kuchiki wore around his waist and two haoris—one sleeveless and the other with sleeves atop all that.

The more she stared at him, the more it was starting to feel real. She couldn't say which one this was though. He had lavender eyes.

Her memory from those books wasn't strong enough to remember which one this could be.

She cleared her throat and slightly straightened her back. The nerves were finally starting to get to her as she held her hands near her lap, unsure of whether she should bow.

What was happening?

Why did she need to be seen?

Unless, what she had initially thought was right.

"Look," her voice came out shaky though she had no way of stopping it from doing so. Right in front of her was the Head Commander of all things and not just any Head Commander, the Head Commander of the Soul Society. Frankly, her hatred for all of them couldn't resurface at a time where she was face to face with the royalty people in the Rukongai only dreamed of seeing.

She only grew to despise her hypocrisy.

"Head Commander Okasake…." she inhaled, "I don't know what this is about," a lie. She most definitely had a feeling. "But if I'm not in trouble for breaking that ceiling or touching that glass then, I'd like to leave."

Why did she need to be seen of all things? In one way, they all could easily have it repaired.

It was a mistake, it was unintentional, they said she'd be fr..

"And how did you break the ceiling?" Rukia felt that chill tingle near her toes again when he spoke for the first time.

Her chest felt heavy. Not even she knew how to explain.

"I don't know." It came out much more confident than she was expecting. For that she was glad.

"You are aware." He leaned forward and that look made her chest shiver. She wanted to get out.

"No," Rukia assured, she unknowingly went on her tippy toes and down when she said it with the most confidence she could force in her tone. "I don't know. I want out."

Rukia couldn't believe she was taking such a challenging stance against the Head Commander of all people but she didn't like how she felt around him.

"Out where?"

Her brows crumpled at that question because it should've been plainly obvious that she wanted to return up there where she belonged.

"Here." Rukia said. "I'm sorry for breaking the glas—I mean, ceiling, sorry—but if I'm not in any trouble, I want to leave with my friend."

"You have the gift." He suddenly said, Rukia unknowingly leaned back.

She thought of that glimpse of colour she saw flash momentarily.

Gift?

Had they all seen it too?

Accepting that meant that what she saw was real and Rukia wasn't entirely ready to accept that. She just wanted out.

"If…." her shoulders heaved, "I say that I think I know what you're talking about, can I leave?"

"Would you not like to talk about what you saw?" Rukia didn't know if that was supposed to be an offer to have some comforting discussion about it but she certainly did not want to have one if it was.

Especially with him.

If this really was true, she was nothing more than a tool to this man. The interest was born the moment she exhibited that trait.

How badly she wished to run.

"What is there to say?" Rukia asked. "I saw a colour and I fell back."

"What you have is incredibly rare."

She internally scoffed. He spoke like a jeweller discovering the authenticity of a gem.

He found her valuable now.

Rukia didn't know what to say to that, other than the fact that this entire conversation was making her uncomfortable.

"I," she was nervous again, "understand but, I really don't care to know more about it so may I just le—"

"Why?"

How suffocated she felt in that moment.

Let me leave!

"What you have in your soul is an impeccable thing. It's a force that has never been born with anyone before other than Hiroshima and I."

Hiroshima?

Rukia now figured out that this was the younger one of the two, Hirosuke.

The beads around his waist rustled as he put his hands together, letting the cane stand on his own.

"It is a powerful thing." The way he stressed 'powerful' made her concerned. It sounded as if it was something viciously powerful, enough to kill her or something. "You were born rare."

She had nothing to say to that. She just wanted to leave. She didn't care to know anything more but trying to escape from the Head Commander of the Soul Society didn't sound like a good plan either.

"And that's why you're here." Rukia confirmed. "I'm this rare person now because of what I think I saw and now…."

"Now?"

Her tongue ran loose.

"There isn't more to this? That assassin told me that I needed to meet you to be seen, right? If you're gonna ask me to confirm it then I'll tell you I saw what I saw but I also don't want to be called a liar if I'm wrong. But more importantly, I kinda don't care about what I saw. That's why I'm asking to leave."

He studied her.

Rukia knew she looked like an ungrateful child but she really just wanted to go home. Yes, home—near the river where she was free.

She was going to kill Renji for throwing her down here. Of course that suggested she'd even get the opportunity to leave here any time soon and see him.

He let out a 'hmmm', it was rough and deep. Every part of her internally rumbled. "I cannot sense it either."

Good! It was fake! She could leave!

"That means, what I saw was wrong and I can leave, right?"

"You are quick to jump to conclusions though, I do not see that as being in your character, I see it as you being afraid."

She had been turned inside out.

It felt like she was back in front of the eyes of Captain Kuchiki again who seemed to read off her feelings so easily even when she was trying hard to conceal them.

Yes, she wanted nothing to do with their organization.

"You don't understand." Rukia said. "I really don't want anything to do with this and whether the thing I saw is real or not, I just want to go home."

She saw something interesting flare in his eyes when she said 'home'.

"It is a rare thing. An interesting one. Are you afraid that it lives inside of you?"

"I have nothing to fear, I just don't care about it. The only reason I was down here was because my friend pushed me down the well because he wanted to check this place out. We came in, some assassin led us to the testing hall and my friend decided to get tested." Rukia explained. "The whole thing was just one big accident. I never asked to be carried here and stand in a cage for less than a few minutes to meet with you about this because I really don't care to know about it."

"I don't even know if it's real." Rukia added quietly. "It's not fear, it's just...I don't see the use in knowing. I'm sure you're a very busy person, Head Commander Okasake. I can't imagine the number of responsibilities you have in a day alone and yet, you came all the way down here to meet with me because of a chance that I have something rare."

"You believe there is an intention?" He figured.

"Well, I certainly don't see you coming down here to have me stand here for display?" She cursed herself the moment her words came out of her mouth.

"Display is inappropriate."

Rukia knew she was wrong for the tone she had used. She felt inclined to apologize.

"Nonetheless, it is true that I came here with the intent of seeing you but not because I harbour any intention towards you. Your ability is yours. I had to see it for myself because it is rare. It has never been born with anyone else before other than myself and Hiroshima."

"You haven't asked me to show it though? Not that I can, I still refuse to believe what I saw was real." Rukia said. "And the fact that you can't sense it means—"

"Nothing." He interrupted her. "It is the fault of your body, nothing more. There are many witnesses to testify to what happened. What you saw was a mere spark but that was not what the others were seeing while you stood there."

Rukia internally groaned. That confirmed it but Rukia didn't want to think about it too much before it really did sink in and she'd have to accept the fact that it was real.

Why her?

"Then...since it's true, do you need to see it? Then can I leave?"

Her feet were itching to get out of this place.

"No."

So freedom?

"Then…."

"It is interesting how much hatred you have for it."

"I just don't want to know about it, is that bad?"

"No." He answered. "It is your body, it is your gift, it is your will that gave birth to it. It is yours. Whatever you choose to do with it is your own decision."

He then turned with his stick, Rukia felt hopeful that he was allowing her to leave.

"You have been gifted something tremendous." Rukia took that as a part of his farewell speech, "take care of it. It will always be yours to keep."

A door to her right was then opened, letting in a white light much like the ones which had lined the hall her and Renji had first entered in.

An assassin was holding the handle, having come from inside of it.

Rukia looked to the desk to finally bow, apologize and thank the Head Commander for allowing her to leave but he was already gone.

Rukia's shoulders slightly slumped but nonetheless, her feet ran through the door and saw Renji sitting inside. He asked a bunch of questions but Rukia couldn't wait to get out of there so she dragged him out first.

She opened the next door and saw black stairs. Immediately, she ran up them with Renji telling her to slow down from behind. Eventually she pushed open the wooden door which led her back to the outside she knew.

It was still bright out. Sunset was only starting to creep in but even then, it wasn't evident.

Behind her, Renji knelt to catch his breath as Rukia warmly looked at her surroundings. The dry, sandy ground, the river from afar, the dead trees, the kids with dirty kimonos running around with the markets nearby.

Yes, she was home.

Whatever happened down there belonged to another world which casted her as something different.

Something she didn't want to belong to.

She looked to Renji who was only starting to get himself together. He suddenly pulled out a canteen she had never seen before on him and poured its contents into his mouth.

"Phew!" He exclaimed right after in relief. "You want some? It's still cold."

Rukia glared at him which caused him to stand up straight and throw the strap of the canteen around him.

"Sorry." He apologized. "So what the fuck happened in there? Who'd you meet?"

Rukia's eyes fell on the market. "Let's get some bread first. I'll tell you on the way."

She was starving and no amount of coercing they did with their sweet pastries would work on her.

She hoped she never went back.

###

Rukia couldn't believe the mess she had got herself in once they sped out of the marketplace with only a bit of hard bread.

It was like the moment she entered, they knew it was her—the girl from underneath who had broken the ceiling because of that thing.

It was just stares at first. Some people, like the sellers, didn't know so she was just entering a crowd who felt the need to catch her gaze but soon the chaos ensued once she found someone selling bread.

Their plan was clear-cut but was soon abandoned once she saw a herd of villagers—some small, some big, some kids, some adults—all charging at her from far, lifting an opaque grey and brown fog into the air.

Immediately, in panic, Rukia started to run. They were after her but she had no clue why. Renji had followed along too in a rush.

What did they want with her?

How did everybody know?

But when she thought of it, she realized that the amount of Rukongai kids who had been there probably had it spread to every corner of this district.

She was no longer unknown to them. Now they'd remember her as whomever that person was under there.

Rukia had pulled Renji in a shed then and watched them gallop past through the crack of light the slightly opened door had given her to see.

Renji then gave her the piece of bread he managed to snatch and they left the shed when the atmosphere became bathed in pink.

Now they neared their home under that big, dry tree and the river which shimmered twice as much as those chandeliers did underground.

Rukia was relieved she was back home.

From far, they suddenly noticed their sleeping bags and remembered their friends who were probably still looking for them but they also saw Raiden waiting near the river.

When they approached the area, Raiden saw them and came jogging towards them.

He was wearing an assassin uniform.

Rukia tried to hide her distaste as he came up to them.

"Where the fuck have you two been?! You had Koda, Oda and Uzi runnin' around lookin' for both your asses! Where've you been? Uzi told me you both fell down some fucking well."

Rukia scowled at Renji and had Raiden connect the dots.

"Now how the fuck did you manage to drag her all the way with you?" Raiden asked Renji before he caught sight of the canteen and a clear bag of pastries. He stepped back, looking at both of them. "Wait, where the fuck were you?"

Renji and Rukia glancing at each other once again told Raiden all he needed to know.

"No fucking way!" Raiden erupted in glee. He held onto her shoulders with that big smile on his face, making her feel like she had down there with those uncomfortably merry assassins. "I knew you'd have it. That's great! What rank? It's gonna be higher than mine for sure and Renji's. Wait. What the fuck? Abarai, do you got some too?"

Renji scowled at him but nodded his head. "Same as yours."

Rukia hated the proximity of all this. Renji had told her that when he was in the waiting room, the assassin with him had identified second rank, Secretary of State sheatsu from him. And by the looks of it, Renji planned on going back too to take classes just like Raiden.

Her skin crawled at the thought of being so close to that organization or eating their treats or indulging in their benefits.

How she wished Renji never threw her down there.

"Great," he complimented, "when do you start?"

Renji shook his head, "I signed up but I gotta go back to do the same test you did to find out more about myself. I couldn't exactly do that after Rukia sped outta there."

"Whadaya mean?" His attention shifted back to her. "Was it 'cause you got sheatsu? C'mon, Ruks, I told you this was a good thing. Now tell me, it's higher than ours for sure. Ain't no fucking way it's anything lower, so what? First rank, SOS? Nah, nah, first rank, Major?"

Rukia, wanting to change the subject, looked behind him and around. "Where's everybody else?"

"I told you, they've been searching the fucking area to find you!" Raiden said before continuing on with his list. "Anyway, 4th rank, Major? 5th? 3rd? There's no way it's SOS, Ruks. It wouldn't make sense."

Rukia ignored him. "Shouldn't we go find them then?"

"If you want too. I saw them hours ago when I came out. They said you guys fell down and we went searchin' together. We decided to split up and I came runnin' here just in case you'd show up and here you are—oh, and Ruks, that Captain came looking for you too. Made up an excuse though 'cause I had no idea where the fuck you and Renji were out doing and I don't think you wanted me sharin' that Renji of all people took you down a well."

Rukia gasped.

"HEY!" Renji yelled in offense.

"It's okay, Ruks. I told him you were out with Renji somewhere, no big deal. He's probably gone now so don't worry. Anyways, what the fuck is the colour of your sheatsu? Why is no one tellin' me?"

She could see that he was excited and impatient but frankly, she didn't see much joy in it at all.

If she could forget the last few hours down there she would.

"We should go find them." Rukia hoped that Renji would see that she was trying to divert from saying what it was and would help out. "It's getting late. If they're still separated, it could be dangerous."

She moved to turn back around but Raiden stopped her.

"Hold up, we still got a few hours left of sunshine. It doesn't get dark till like nine now."

"How the fuck would we know the time?" Renji asked him and Rukia watched Raiden's fingers tingle with excitement as he pulled out a beaded chain with a small clock attached to it.

"This." He showed off the 'gift'. "Summer isn't done yet. Still got more days of bright nights left."

"We should get supper ready." Rukia tried to reason.

Raiden shrugged it off. "I already ate and clearly you," he gestured to Renji, "did too."

"And the others?" Rukia asked. "I didn't eat much either. Catch me a fish, I'll be back."

"—Wait," Renji grabbed her arm when she moved. "You can't go back into the market again, Ruks. They'll find you again."

Raiden moved in. "Who's they? What the fuck happened?"

"Never mind that." She mumbled before breaking eye contact with Renji. "That orphanage I stayed in might have some pots and dry vegetables they use. I'll steal some from there and be back."

"Wait a minute, what the fuck happened? Is it the same person who fucked up your shoulder?" Raiden inquired, making her realize how easy it had been to forget all that once that happened.

Renji was finding it hard to hold it in. "No, it's just—"

Rukia walked forward to the tree and picked out her cardigan and pulled it over. Looking above at the tree, she realized she could use them to transport quickly and back without having to bump into mass crowds once she found a decent cluster of them up ahead.

Renji stopped the moment she left his loose grip.

"What the fuck is going on, Abarai?" He put his hands on his hip and twisted his neck from her to him. "What the fuck are you hiding? Is this about the sheatsu shit? C'mon, Ruks just tell me."

Rukia walked back to her position next to Renji before taking a deep breath.

"Is it bad? C'mon, there's no way Renji and I are stronger than you. It must've been a mistake." Raiden was trying to be comforting but there was nothing she would want more than to be in the position he was thinking of.

"What is it?" He asked again. "Is she ranked?" This time, he directed his question to Renji.

Renji nodded his head.

"Well!" He put his hands up. "Then what the fuck are we so sad about here?"

Those arms in the air then pulled them into a side hug though Rukia's solemn look continued when he let them loose.

"Is it below ours?" Raiden questioned when he noticed. "Is that why you're upset?"

Renji tried to bring him up to speed. "Of course she isn't upset about fucking that, Raiden. She's got first rank!"

His eyes bulged wide with even more glee. Rukia was convinced she saw confetti dance above his head.

"That's amazing!" He cheered. "First rank Major or first rank SOS? Anyway, who the fuck cares? This is great! We can all train together and reap in the perks. No more starvin' nights and we can finally eat warm shit that isn't grilled fish or fish soup!"

"Today was fucking great, by the way. Yeah it was a bunch of introductory shit but the food was fucking amazing. The cafeteria was a bit too dull for my taste but I get it, I mean. They save the glamor for when we advance and shit and the food was great so who cares? Made a bunch of assassin friends and met up with my lil' birdy." He smirked in delight before reaching out to Renji's right shoulder. "Bud, I gotta let you try those pork skins. It's better than the ones we tried to grill and ended up tasting like shit."

Again, Renji used his eyes to have him look at Rukia again who was clearly forcing a smile.

"I'm happy you're happy, Raiden." Both of her hands held her arms. "I'm gonna go and get those things from that orphanage. When I come back, have the fish and the others here."

She walked away.

Renji, who was staring wistfully at her, was snapped out of his trance when Raiden questioned him again.

"What the fuck is it?" Raiden was too close to him to have him lie. Literally. "She's got first rank sheatsu. That's fucking awesome. Is she still fucked up about that bruise? There's no way you're tryna tell me she's still on her hating assassins agenda. I get it but this is a huge opportunity for us to get somewhere. I swear, the moment she tastes their food, she's gonna forget all about this."

"It isn't just that." Renji said, which had Raiden lean back.

"So? Spill. What's she so freaked out about?"

"What's inside her."

"Not like it's a fucking kid. Look, they teach you all about that shit. She shouldn't be nervous about that—having 1st rank Major is great! What colour is that? Shit, I already forgot." He craned up to the clouds with his finger on his chin. "Red? No, that can't be, that's ours and I don't think Major rank has red unless I read that shit wrong too. Yellow? No, no wait, that's second rank. My lil'birdy has that one too. Is it orange? It's gotta be fucking orange because ya know I think those cooler colours start at 4th rank but then again, that all depends on which fucking 1st rank she belongs to, Abarai. Is it SOS or Major?"

Renji shook his head.

"C'mon," he brushed it off, "look it's gotta be either one. You said she was ranked. Which one is it?"

Renji didn't respond so Raiden took the liberty of asking.

He leaned forward with his hands to his hips. "SOS?"

Again, he shook his head.

"Ok, so Major." He straightened his back before looking away at the tree. "Don't know what the fuck you two were being so secretive over. I knew she was gonna be above both of us, what's the big deal? All it means is that she's orange and she's going to be level above us but it's not like we won't be—"

Raiden glanced back at Renji who was still shaking his head. He loosened his expression as he observed the way Renji was staring at him.

No?

###

The orphanage looked abandoned.

No one was out which was strange considering the heat. She was starting to regret even tossing on her cardigan. The sand was still hot despite it being sundown.

She was starting to wonder whether they moved or were out on a 'field trip' to gather rations.

Surprise took her when she caught the glossy black head belonging to the serpent she had met almost a year ago with Choda.

"Roger?" She called out loud.

When he slithered around, it almost felt like he had been expecting her.

He casted an ominous look at her in silence.

"Uh..." she eyed the door of the torn down orphanage. "Okay then."

She attempted to lift her foot but his tail curled to cover the spot her right foot was about to land on.

"What?"

"Where did you go?"

Rukia gulped, not liking the question nor the tone he used.

"I-I, uh, nowhere?"

"You left."

"Left….where?" She fixed her posture and tried to figure out what he was referring to. He couldn't possibly mean that place, could he?

"Here." He simply answered. "You left this orphanage."

Rukia nodded her head before she could speak. "Yeah, didn't you know that? I told you, before I left, when we buried Goro, remember? I said I was heading back to an area I knew well. Choda went south."

He whirled around, almost as if he was upset with her.

Unsure of what to do, she walked over his tail and apologized. "Sorry, I—"

She decided to walk further so she could at least see the side of him. "I'm sorry. I thought I made myself clear."

When he didn't say anything, she looked back at the door. "I should get going now though it was nice seeing you. I'm glad that cut on your throat? Healed."

"Wait."

Rukia did.

"I have something to tell you."

"Mmh, what is it?"

"I'd like to call you master."

Rukia leaned back. "Master?"

She put her hand up, immediately rushing to decline, "uh, no, thank you. Don't do that."

"I'm without a master. And though I don't need one, I think I've chosen you."

"I-I can see that but—" she stopped, trying to provide an explanation. "It's not that I don't like you but having me as your master would be really weird, no? Can't we just be friends?"

"Friends?"

"Yeah," she giggled right after. "I can't imagine you calling me master. It sounds a little silly, don't cha think?"

He slightly tilted his head. "I...guess."

"What's so weird about that? Don't you think it would sound weird if you were to tell anyone your master is a kid from the Rukongai?"

"I suppose though having someone you abide by is usually called a master. I-I'm uncertain as to how this would work."

He sounded so worried, Rukia couldn't help but feel a little joy come to her face at his confusion.

"Well, for starters, you don't have to listen to everything I say. I'm bound to get you into some kinda trouble eventually." Rukia said. "Besides, that's not what friends do."

"So what do they do?"

Rukia smiled. "Don't you have friends like you? As in, cobra form?"

"They are different."

"Different how?" Rukia inquired. "Just 'cause I don't transform into a spoon head when I talk doesn't mean I'm not like them."

"Well the back of your head does sort of look like mine."

Rukia shrugged. "Wouldn't know. I've never seen it before, obviously."

"I suppose you're right." He then lifted his tail and had it come near her arm. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

She took her hand and shook it.

"So what brings you back here?"

"Food." Rukia replied. "Though by the looks of it they're either gone or out of rations."

He slithered to face her properly.

"I can go look just in case." He proposed to her. "I'm sure I can find something for your meal, there could be bread or cabbage or potatoes or—"

He stopped when he noticed that her attention had now shifted to something behind him, he twisted to look.

Rukia had been in the midst of scolding him for speaking like a servant until she saw them from far. The crowd had somehow gotten bigger. Some were even carrying pitchforks now, speeding so fast that they were approaching the barn rather quickly.

Mere seconds would be enough to have them in front of the orphanage soon. Rukia couldn't take the chance of having them corner her.

Then what would she do?

"Who are they?" Roger asked her. "Have you done something wr—"

"See ya!" She spun around, jumped atop the roof and flipped to the other side.

Roger didn't get the chance to say anything else but he was most certain that he could help.

The large group arrived moments later. He was certain they would have run him over if he didn't jerk his neck forward and grasp their attention.

Fortunately, most were fearful of snakes.

"What is your concern?" Roger immediately inquired to the group who stepped back in amazement at the talking snake.

At first they were hesitant but eventually, a kid with auburn hair spoke.

"Where is she?" He had a tough look on him. "That girl, the gifted one?"

"Gifted? In what way do you mean?" Surely she was peculiar. Very strong as he had personally experienced himself but also had a very strong-willed personality which he enjoyed.

Beyond that, he was unsure of what they meant.

A tiny girl with short pigtails, shaped into two orange balls, held by lavender strings spoke to his left. "She's the one!"

"The one of what?"

"She was here!" One of them shouted.

They were ignoring him.

More villagers appeared with torches of fire. Adults and children spoke to each other about her whereabouts as if he wasn't there.

More importantly, none of them seemed to be appalled or interested in the fact that he was speaking. Was their intention with her so serious that they didn't care to notice?

A boy pushed past a few people seconds later to stand next to the orange-haired girl while pointing to the barn-like shed.

Roger recognized him instantly.

Choda.

Though he didn't take a glance at him.

It seemed like everyone was fixated on finding Rukia as opposed to him. Strangely enough, this one knew her. He wondered if he knew who he was chasing or if their relationship had gotten sour.

"She may have gone behind here." He pointed out. His voice had gotten a bit deeper. "Let's move!"

"Wa—"

The body of legs almost ran over him, bringing up the dust as they ran behind the barn.

By the time he leaned up, he had dust all over him and voices echoed of cheers and calls.

Rukia shrieked when she heard their feet and voices again. Her back had been braced against the barn the entire time until she heard a boy command the group of people to come behind the barn where she stood. Immediately she ran to the very tall tree diagonal to her and sprang up as the group approached it.

It was even larger now. There were torches, pitchforks and sticks.

Did they intend on beating her?

Rukia observed the crowd nervously before she realized she was surrounded. They circled that large tree with whispers and gasps and big eyes like she was the largest chunk of meat on sale.

"Rukia?" She heard a familiar voice say.

The crowd was so huge, she couldn't tell where he was but then her face fell front and center.

There.

He was just as surprised to see her as she was to see him.

"C'mon! Show it off!" A very skinny man shouted from her left before the crowd screamed 'yeah!', except Choda.

"I can't believe she's the one."

"We should've known!"

Incoherent chatter continued but Rukia had no intention of linking herself to whatever occurred downstairs.

"There must be some misunderstanding." The crowd got quiet when she spoke as if her voice was the most fascinating thing in the world. "I don't have what you think I have."

The crowd roared in objection.

"You have it!" One of them guaranteed.

"Yeah!" Another one agreed.

"Kenny said he saw it!"

"C'mon let us see!"

"—Wait a minute, she could kill us!"

"Well if she has that much then I guess it will sorta be a problem."

"We gotta be careful!"

"How we supposed to live when we have a witch like that in our territory?"

"It'll be unfair! She could steal from the market too easily now!"

"Don't be a hog!" One big-mouthed girl yelled at her. "Give us some! Let us see!"

"C'mon, no matter how much ya give out you'll still have enough. Let it out!"

"Maybe we can all become assassins!"

Some cheered, some didn't.

"Assassins? Fuck that. We got a reason to move our business to the Capital now! Let it rip!"

"She's dangerous! Having that much is too much. Forget the business! You," her eyes darted to her, "need to leave!"

"Leave?" Rukia leaned back. She had her hands up in a surrendering pose. "W-Wait!"

"Yeah!" People to her left agreed.

"I heard that she didn't even wanna be an assassin!" Another prudent girl shared in a whiny voice.

The crowd gasped in resentment.

"You wanna kill us all?!"

"How stupid!"

"That's crazy!"

"Having her live with that thing in our yard is no different than living with an enemy!"

"You can't live here!"

"Move!"

"Yeah!"

"She could wreck everything we have!"

"It's too much to have a child the size of a plant with that much power."

"She's dangerous!"

"Oh my!"

"We might have to kill her!"

"Hold on, she might be some use to us! Isn't that why we came down here?"

"Yeah," some girl with orange pigtails spoke with her hands on her hips, "I came down here because I want somma that! We could all get it and get the frick outta here!"

"Yeah!" The crowd shouted.

"W-Wait!" Rukia called again. "I told you I don't have what you think I have."

"You liar!"

"I'm telling the truth!" Her chest couldn't help but quiver at the accusatory looks. "It was all just a misunderstanding. It was a mistake!"

"I saw it with my own eyes! It was you!"

"It was just an accident." Rukia insisted calmly. "I was evaluated again. When they checked, turns out I didn't have it."

"I don't believe her!" One shouted.

"It was you! Are you brain dead? Most of us watched it happen. How could that be fake?"

"Why'd you run if it wasn't you?"

Rukia almost rolled her eyes. "Duhhh, you came after me with a bunch of pitchforks and knives and what not. What was I supposed to think? You wanted to interrogate me and ask me about something I don't have? Stupid."

Mutters in agreement came soon after until someone shouted, "well I still don't think you're tellin' the truth."

"Yeah! So many people saw it! You're just being greedy."

The same girl who always sounded like she was whining spoke next. "She probably wants it all for herself so she can get somewhere and leave us all behind."

"That's arrogant!"

"You can't do that!"

"What a hog!"

"You're being way too selfish."

"I told you I don't have it! What part of mistake do you people not understand? You're harassing me for no reason. If I had it, do you really think I would be out here so soon?" Rukia asked in disbelief at the sort of vile accusations they continued to toss at her over this stupid thing.

As they chatted among themselves, Rukia caught Choda's stare again.

He cleared his throat, "she's right."

Choda drew everyone's attention just then. "They wouldn't have. And even if they did, Ru—she's not like that!"

"Not like what?!"

"Don't tell me you have a crush on her already?!"

"What's he talkin' about?"

"Get on with it."

"Ya know her?"

"No...I don't." Rukia knew he was pretending to avoid criticism though nonetheless, it still tugged on her heart to hear him pretend that he didn't. "I've seen her a couple of times though in the streets."

"So?"

"Look, she isn't like that, alright? If she had it, she wouldn't hog it like you're all saying." Choda explained.

"I thought you didn't know her." The whiny girl said.

"Yeah, how would you even know that if you didn't?"

"Forget that! I say, if the witch doesn't want to give us some, we burn her!" A large man shouted.

Witch?

Rukia stilled with fear. "W-What?"

"Why are you so shocked? Not like you're gonna train or anything."

"Yeah! And besides, if she trains, she's gonna get all the privileges and leave us behind!"

"Right! And then, she'll move all the way to the Capital and live the good life we deserve!"

Rukia couldn't believe what had happened in a matter of minutes.

"I told you I don't have it! How can you all be so senseless?!" Rukia shouted. "You wanna burn me? For what? I did nothing wrong!"

"You're a liar!"

"What a cheat!"

"How the heck are you calling me that when you don't even know that?! Are you my body?" Rukia snapped, the crowd was silent. "You're an awful lot of stupid people for coming here. You could've just asked me about it but instead you brought out your stupid knives and torches and sticks to do what exactly? I don't have what you want! I was let loose because it was a mistake! I touched something I wasn't supposed to that had it, that's all!"

"There's no way she doesn't have it." A new voice said from behind the crowd.

There was a path paved by the ground as he stepped closer. Eventually, he came behind Choda.

Rukia recognized him instantly.

The seller.

That lanky man and his partners that she had left tied up in that shed. He had a cut across his left eye that was swollen shut.

It looked permanent.

"Remember me?" He grinned up at her. "This bitch and her feet killed my team. We ran a meat shop up north. She tied us up with a bunch of boobytraps and everythin' but it was worse when we were fightin' her. She isn't normal, she's dangerous."

Rukia leaned her right shoulder on the tree. She noticed something as he went on with his speech of what a 'dangerous' person she was, followed by their hums in agreement, the tree bottom wasn't tightly secured into the ground.

As much as she didn't like it, she felt it in her right hand. She could push it down as a distraction and get out there.

That thought grew much more favorable in her head, despite being a direct give away her special strength.

She scanned the mob, watching the animosity burgeoned in their round eyes. It seemed like they had come to a consensus as nightfall drew near. The baby pinks had cleared and the skies above were now a sliver of a mango orange yellow melting into a very cool, deep blue.

The torches of fire were now casting more apparent shadows on their faces. Rukia stopped leaning on the tree bark and replaced the spot with her right hand.

She'd only do this if she had too.

Choda's desperate wails of objections to their plans touched her though the mob only grew louder. Her analysis of the crowd fortunately told her that most children were to her left. Given the size of the tree, it'd give them some time to run.

Rukia realized she'd have to slickly do this.

She'd need time to leap, run and avoid the fire that would start on the ground from fallen torches.

She'd time this appropriately.

"That's not my fault! Why don't you tell them how you and your 'team' were trying to rape me? All of you were! A couple kicks to the face was the easy way out. You should be the one to burn."

"Doesn't matter! You've gotten worse by the looks of it! She's dangerous! She's too strong. That whole thing is probably true! She'll kill you all!"

They went on with their jabber of feeling fearful and scared and about all their troubles at once.

"I say we kill her either way!"

"Yeah!"

"Even if she isn't the one, she's still pretty dangerous."

"Yeah!"

"If she doesn't have it, that means she's that strong without having anything. She could be a witch!"

"Yeah!"

"Dirty bitch deserves to die! If she has it and she's lying, she'll probably run away with it and we won't get a thing!"

"It's her fault for not wanting to be an assassin." The whiny girl said. "If you weren't so stupid and actually gave it up to us maybe we'd let ya live."

"We should get rid of her early then!"

"Is that really gonna be your reason for all this? I already told you I don't have it! It was a mistake! Anything you do here today is stupid and wrong."

The meat seller grinned. "Who's gonna charge us? Nobody, that's who. If anything I'm sure most of the sellers here would be happy to burn your ass, sheatsu or no sheatsu."

"Well, isn't that sweet." Rukia remarked. "You're all just a bunch of greedy freaks. By the looks of it, you're all more mad at the fact that I'm not the one than the fact that I wouldn't want to share."

"I'm not responsible for the mistake. It just happened!" Rukia shouted. "Thousands of kids, even the ones here, steal from you every day. Why am I the only one getting burned? It doesn't make sense. You're mad at me for something I don't have! You're angry at a mistake! How stupid!"

"Quit the yap!" The meat seller shouted.

"Why should I? I'm innocent. I've done nothing wrong!"

"Throw the fucking sticks!" He commanded and everyone threw them at her with curses.

She let them hit her but barely brought her body closer together and hid her face. Once they ran out, she looked back at them.

"Fuck this," a large man cursed before taking one of the torches from a kid, "light this shit up."

"—Wait!" Choda cried. "She didn't fucking do anything nitwitt!"

People were silenced when the guy slammed his left elbow into Choda's jaw and had him fall back, bleeding. "Shut the fuck up and let the bitch burn!"

Rukia quietly gasped as he fell back, making her decision just then.

"Any last words, stupid bitch?!" The meat seller asked.

She made eye contact with him just then. A cold look donned her features before she pushed the tree and leaped into the air, grabbing onto one of the branches as it fell and swung herself higher.

The embers were already lighting the ground but also shot high beneath her feet while she was still doing peddling movements with her legs until she hit the ground and slid against the muddy grass.

She could hear the shouts and screams from a distance but most importantly, the witch hunt that was about to start as orders to catch her echoed.

Immediately she began to sprint in the open area to enter the forest of naked trees. It was starting to get dark soon and that fire had blocked the field in which she had fallen.

She had time to escape but she was uncertain of where she would go. By the looks of it, the 78th District would be lit with embers all night, trying to find her for absolutely no reason.

This would most definitely be remembered as one of the worst days of her life.

She leaped into the naked trees that were already surrounded by the blackness of night. It gave her an advantage as she hopped from branch to branch to get home.

Once she neared a steep river, she cut an emergency rope that was secured by a rock with her knife and used a block of wood for her to surf on as she went down the running river.

She knew the area she was about to approach was a forest she dreaded more than anything. It was another naked forest but much more morbid. For starters, the trees were insanely tall and charred. The branches were unnervingly curled and twisted and long.

The dirt was hard and just as charred as the trees as a fire had ripped through there long ago and the echoes of those who passed lived in that space and passed on the feeling.

It felt forbidden to step in there.

She was convinced it was a burial ground of some sort. With each step, she felt as if she had disturbed someone's peace.

It was her worst fear to have to go through there at night. She could easily walk across the open field and run to her space near the river but that also made her vulnerable to other things such as animals she wouldn't be able to see once it got pitch black.

Rukia figured that she'd have to sleep alone tonight.

Her first in a while.

###

When Renji and Raiden got to the orphanage, the fire had been extinguished, the grounds burnt and a long snake was longingly staring at the open field ahead.

They were careful not to go near it when they approached the field.

"Where the fuck you think she went?" Raiden asked him.

Renji shook his head. "I don't know but those villagers sure want to rip her a-fucking-part over this shit. They're huntin' her."

"This is fucking insane." Raiden cursed. "She could be headed back, ya know, take the forest to the river and then head towards that weird ass dead forest soon after. The one near our place."

"I guess but I have a feeling she isn't gonna even come back to our place. They'll probably search for her there too."

"We're not letting her stay in that fucking forest." Raiden said. "Didn't you say she didn't eat shit? What's she gonna find to eat? She can't even light a fucking fire over there or they might take a guess it's her."

"I didn't say for her to fucking stay! I just said that I don't think she's movin' from there. If they catch her, at this rate, they'll just start throwing the torches."

"Are you perhaps acquaintances of Rukia?" Someone asked in front of them.

Renji and Raiden stilled as they caught sight of what was speaking.

Raiden soon erupted. "Heyyyy! Aren't you one of those fuckin' shapeshifter things? That's sick!"

"Uh…."

"They're basically animals that can speak Abarai and transform into soul shit like us!" Raiden informed him as he bent down to observe the thing at every angle.

"Precisely. Now, are you acquaintances with Rukia?" It asked though clearly there was some aggression to it as Raiden continued to shift from angle to angle to observe it.

Renji couldn't bring himself to answer it.

"Yeah, yeah," Raiden stood up, "she's our best friend. Whadaya know about her? She's being hunted by a bunch of fucked up villagers right now and whadaya know? She was just here. Did you see where she went?"

"I believe she is following the path you just paved out." He answered. "I am Roger, she's my master. Now tell me, you say you're her best friend, right?"

"Master? Not to burst your bubble buddy but Rukia never mentioned anything about you." Renji said.

"It's a rather new thing."

"She's around us 24/7, there's no way she missed shit like that to tell us about unless it was fucking made today." Raiden said.

"You mean she's around me every day." Renji corrected Raiden, causing him to stick out his tongue. "But either way, he's right. There's no way she would forget to mention that she's a cobra's master, alright?"

Roger stretched a bit taller. "We formed our bond early. Before she even met any of you. Now, if you both are her best friends, prove it. What's her favourite colour?"

"White." They both answered quickly with their arms crossed. "Purple too."

"What's her favourite flower?"

"She's got none but she likes those lilies in water."

Roger made a note to ask if they were related given how perfectly well they mimicked each other.

"Duly noted," he mumbled quickly to himself, "now what's her favourite animal?"

Almost as if they were competing, they spoke again in perfect unison.

"Bunnies. She'd die for them."

"And her favourite meals?"

"Rice dumplings, cucumbers and eggs."

"And her favourite season?"

"Winter for whatever reason."

"Favourite pastime?"

"Drawing, reading, flower watching and picking."

"What kind?"

They broke their streak of speaking together just then.

"Whadaya mean? All kinds." Renji said.

"Don't you know she likes taking walks n'shit to see all the ones she can find?" Raiden asked him.

"W-Well—"

Renji shifted his attention. "I thought that'd be one of the most obvious facts about Rukia, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I mean with all her walkin' and talkin' about them, you'd think everyone would know."

"It was a test." Roger cleared his throat. "I am her companion on such walks."

"Uhh….no you're not." They responded with their shoulders slouched.

Roger leaned back. "Urrr...w-what do you mean? What other companion should she possibly have?"

"Captain Kuchiki."

"I—it was just another test, see." Roger tried to play it off but took note of this peculiar relationship to ask about later. "And her secret talent?"

"Climbing trees."

"And her fear?"

"Spiders."

"Hmph, it seems that you are her best friends." He confirmed with a tone that sounded much like he was stricken with envy.

Renji and Raiden both cocked a brow at him—mainly because they found him odd.

"Great, now that we're done with the trivia shit, can we go find her?" Renji said.

"We must find a way to divert the attention from her first." Roger slithered close. "Even if she returns, there will still be those villagers on the lookout. They've already started lighting bonfires across the district. Piles of hay are being gathered to tie her there and burn her."

"Not like she committed a fucking crime." Raiden cursed. "I don't get it. Why the fuck are they so mad?"

"It seems like they had wanted her to share her gift instead of keeping it to herself. There was talk about her refusing to become an assassin, there were also concerns that she would end up harming the village if she kept it inside her for too long. They casted her as dangerous because of it." Roger explained. "I suppose their concern is valid, considering the amount of course, but it is beyond anything I've ever seen. At first it was admiration then it was greed then it was fear and then they made their decision to kill her."

"Fucking greedy piece of shits." Renji cursed. "Not like they ever expected anybody else to share. Why the fuck are they so after her?"

"I believe it is the rarity of it all. The amount is tremendous. Any amount would be able to supply all their dreams of leaving this place with faith. It is the ultimate form of power here which she, an ordinary member of the Rukongai, wields. Certainly you can see the dismay. If it had been any one of the higher ups, perhaps they would react differently but the mere fact that they know her as someone like them or less than them is what's stirring this envy. Surely they know that someone who wields such an incredible force is bound to end up somewhere they wish to be."

"But Rukia's not like that." Renji said. "She doesn't even want the fucking thing. The Head Commander of the fucking Soul Sociery met with her and she flat out said she didn't care about it. She doesn't want luxury like that. When we went down there, she wasn't even trying to get tested. Rukia hates the assassins and soul reapers for what they do to us, she'd never turn on these villagers even if they're fucking pieces of shit!"

"I'm aware though they seem to think that much like the others, she will advance to higher places and leave them behind. They feel a direct ownership over her now that she has something special because she is a member of this district. Their acts now are acts of envy. If they can't possess it with her, they want to stop her before she is fully granted protection from the regime itself or becomes dangerous enough to kill them."

"Great," Raiden scoffed. "So how the fuck do we send the message that she doesn't give a fuck about her gift and would rather not do anything with it?"

"Perhaps I can do something." Someone offered behind them, Renji recognized them instantly.

"Heyyy, you're that assassin that was with Rukia downstairs." Renji acknowledged.

He smirked with those familiar slit eyes. "Yes. I've come to help."

"Not that we don't need it but why?" Renji asked, noticing how happy the man looked to provide his assistance. "You were all happy down there 'cause you were glad you found someone with something that rare but Rukia doesn't want it, she doesn't care about it and she made it pretty clear so now that she's no use to you all, why save her? Unless you want to preserve it for yourself."

He raised his hands. "I have no intention, believe me. I just want to ensure that no one pursues her further."

"But why? Did the Head Commander order you?"

"He has long left to resume his duties. He simply wanted to see the wielder of his own gift, that is all and provide some aid with questions and concerns that she didn't have. I'm here to carry on with her story and tell the villagers that it was an incident just as she had explained to them earlier when they cornered her up on that tree or I suppose, that fallen tree now." He explained kindly.

Roger accepted his proposal. "That would be most suitable."

Renji and Raiden turned to scold him. "HEY!"

"We haven't got a moment to waste. If the path you paved is true, that means she'd be staying in that Ash Forest and that is far too dangerous of a place for her to be, especially at night. It would be best for this fellow here to explain to those villagers now and cease this hunting or we could find her dead by tomorrow morning." Roger said.

And though that was true….

"How the fuck we supposed to gather them up though? They're all scattered out with bows and arrows like they're hunting meat." Raiden asked.

"Let me take care of that. Just find her and have her return and eat. I've prepared some meat as an apology for smothering her." The assassin assured.

"Meat?" Raiden's eyes glittered.

"Forget that," Renji dismissed, "what the fuck do we call you if this all falls through and you end up tryna take her power for yourself?"

The assassin turned to him with a smirk. "3rd Seat Kit of Section 105, Testing Station 202."

###

Crows cawed as early morning light allowed the daytime silver haze of the dead forest to meander once again across the charred black trees.

The scent of smoke was heavy, so much that when Rukia had arrived when the blanket of navy blue above was starting to blacken, she had many tendencies to cough up on one of the elongated branches of a dead tree.

It had been hot as expected.

The entire forest was forbidden and stricken with myths of a large fire which had taken numerous lives.

As their souls were never put to rest, they lived through the forest which had never been recovered. The trees, the land, the smoke and the heat remained the same as nightly whispers and foot marches could be heard.

Fire could especially not be lit in that forest.

Rukia was glad that she had hopped onto a high tree when she could see and had been too exhausted to find out if those myths were real.

She had knocked out cold once she rested her head against the warm tree bark and huddled her body close together. She imagined herself up on her own tree back at the river which easily took away any fear that had a chance to invade her thoughts before she slept.

In peace, she had slept until a voice jolted her awake. Her knife flipped out as a reflex, her eyes then fell on the owner.

She mentally sighed in relief as far down stood the Captain under natural light.

It was early dawn.

The permanent fog of the area made its way around the trees to cast a grey tint in the air.

She couldn't believe it. She had made it until morning. Though the explanation she had to devise to explain her situation was most challenging when he repeated his question.

"What are you doing up there?"

"Captain…." Slowly, the grogginess was starting to leave.

She scooched to have her legs dangle. "What are you doing here?"

"I would ask the same of you." He said. "You should not be in this forest."

"It wasn't my plan." Rukia said while she swung her legs with each hand touching the branch she was on.

She then noticed the spots of bruises running all the way up to her knee. When she returned her concentration to him, she caught him staring at them too.

Dammit!

It was becoming impossible to hide things from this noble. It wasn't his stare, he was just very attentive.

No matter what she did, she'd always be see-through like glass. She instantly pushed herself off the tree branch to land on an even lower one and then the ground.

"You still didn't answer me. Why are you walking here?" Rukia asked him before looking up at those disturbing tree branches that she could now clearly see given the light.

A lot of them reminded her of spider legs.

She immediately trembled at the thought.

"I came to see if you and Renji had found the melons you were searching for."

Rukia looked up at him, confused, until she remembered Raiden saying he had made an excuse for them.

But of all things, melons?

"O-Oh! No, we didn't. Sorry," she bowed, "I lost track of time. By the time I found out, Raiden had already told you and you were gone."

She caught him staring at her knees again and this time, there was no avoiding it.

"We just got in trouble." Rukia tried to explain.

"That does not explain why you were up on that tree."

Rukia internally scowled. Of course, it didn't. Not even she could think of an excuse.

"Or in this forest."

Rukia found herself feeling squeamish again as she took another glimpse at those spider legged trees.

She was starting to think there was more to this forest than just a burning which instantly put her off.

Smoothing out her kimono, she met his eyes again. "Can we just leave?"

Did she feel scared? A bit. Seeing all these branches for what they were in daylight incited something within her that was dying to have her get out.

She walked ahead unknowingly.

"You are a terrible liar."

Rukia paused and spun around. "Captain…."

She sighed. "I just don't wanna talk about it, alright? I spent all day yesterday just talking about it and now, I just want to forget it all. Speaking about it more just makes me lose all my chances of returning back to normal."

"I see." He started to walk and so did she.

All she wanted to do was forget yesterday and whatever chaos it had brought to her life.

Pretending it was nonexistent was the only way for her to move on quietly and soon, she'd forget all about that life which awaited her if she cared.

###

The Captain had walked with her most of the way. When she was near, Renji, Raiden and Roger ran to her and they had walked the rest of the way together.

From there, they informed her of what had happened overnight and now she sat beneath her tree with a blanket underneath her and that blonde assassin in front of her.

The group gathered close.

"So...basically, things can go back to normal now? They won't accuse me or hunt me or anything?" Rukia asked to clarify.

It sounded too good to be true.

"Yes," he confirmed, "you've been cleared of any suspicion. The villagers now know that you speak the truth. I confirmed the lie you had told them when they had asked you. As for the tree, we had it casted as a fake. Now, you may resume your daily life."

She was happy to hear it but also partially doubted that was it.

"What's the catch?" Rukia asked, suspicious. "You're really gonna let me walk away with this?"

He chuckled. "No catch. Look, here—as an apology I made this for you. It's something to make up for the hassle you endured yesterday. Any normal person would've been afraid."

Rukia watched him open a round box with meat.

She surveyed the food before glancing up at him. "I appreciate it but I don't want to take things from the assassin regime."

"No, no, you're not taking it from them, you're taking it from me. I prepared this and I think you will like it. Here—I'll take a taste of it to clear any suspicion about poison or anything." He took some into his mouth and chewed. "Delicious. You'll enjoy this well, I hope. I cook very well."

"Uh...thanks?"

"Of course. Now, please don't worry about what's inside of you. The only ones who will know of it were the officers on duty that day, the Head Commanders, your friends and me. No one else." He assured her with zest.

"Isn't that still risky though?" Rukia asked. "Won't they want to tell?"

With that same smile, he spoke, "no, of course they won't. If it's against your wishes, they will keep it safe."

"And you know this how?" Raiden questioned him from her left side.

"I know them. We want nothing more than for you to be safe." Again, that glee on his face had her second-guessing his intentions. Still, she ate the meat. "Though you have no official protection from us, I'm sure that keeping this a secret will give you the most protection there is."

That's true.

"Though I should let you know of one thing if it ever crosses your mind." Rukia stopped eating. "There is a shed not too far from here. You'd find it down there, at the end of the street where you found that well. It looks abandoned but it's not. That is your gateway back down there if you ever feel the need to ask questions about your capabilities as you grow. If you ever need any assistance, we are always there."

"—wait, can we use that too?" Raiden asked.

"No, I'm afraid you will have to use the regular way until you learn flash-step or portal transportation. That shed is where the Head Commander stays downstairs. It feeds the illusion that you are still on normal ground but once inside it, you enter downstairs. You can, of course, use the way you came in before with the well if it is ever needed." Kit explained. "It is all up to you now."

She mimicked the Captain unknowingly, "I see."

"So basically Rukia can just hop right in there if she wants to be an assassin or ask shit?" Renji asked. "If they catch her, won't it cause all that drama again about her being the one?"

"Yeah, witch huntin' her can't fuckin' happen again." Raiden said. "Even you being out here is dangerous."

Kit chuckled. "What do you mean? You three are the only ones who can see me."

Rukia swallowed. "What?"

"No way...are we using sheatsu right now to see you?" Renji squeaked as he noticed that their remaining friends were treating them like they weren't there.

"Exactly. No one else can see us right now unless they have what we have. We are entirely secured and so are you. Your life will resume to normal now. There is no need to worry about them approaching you with questions about your gift."

Rukia found that beyond comforting.

"How's the meat?"

"Good." Rukia complimented. "Thank you."

A blush came to his cheeks. "Of course, I'm glad to have made something good for you. Again, you're always welcome to come down. I'm a chef there, I will make you anything you please."

"C-Chef?" Renji repeated to her right. "Hold on, I thought you were an assassin."

"I am partly trained as an assassin but it's only to handle the basics downstairs. We alternate shifts regularly." He said.

"So, you're not actually an assassin-assassin?"

"Ooh, not really. I'm a daily worker down there. I know what I need to do to maintain the job but in truth, my passion lies with the culinary arts hence why I am also downstair's chef."

Rukia was intrigued. "So, you mean to tell me that all of you down there just do basic jobs like cooking and cleaning n'stuff but have assassin badges?"

"Well, yes, precisely. We still do train of course. I do have blades and have practiced Judan. It is merely just a part of the uniform to look like this and ensure things are managed well downstairs." Kit explained.

"I understand. Though about that thing you mentioned of me coming downstairs again, I don't think I will ever do that again. You said my life could return back to normal, right? Why would I need to come downstairs if I don't plan on acknowledging this so-called gift?"

"Considering what it is, it's bound to occasionally make you feel peculiar as you grow. It is just an open opportunity in case you have any questions or concerns about how it is growing within you, even if you may not choose to acknowledge it." Kit said. "Though I can see you find that strange as well."

"I just find it weird, that's all. It's like you're setting me free but not at the same time. I just find it hard to believe that you or anyone else doesn't want any of this. I'd expect the higher ups to want to use it for something given how rare it is but they're just...setting me free. It just makes me feel a bit off." Rukia explained.

Raiden, who had his legs stretched out and leaned back, agreed. "I get her point too I mean, there's no way you guys don't find this shit to be a big motherfucking deal and you're just gonna let her go like that? No strings attached?"

"Sounds suspicious if you ask me." Renji said.

"How is it possible that the assassin regime does not want her a part of it? Certainly with the gift she has, there must be something they would want with it." Roger added.

"My, my, you all are one skeptical group." Kit said. "It is your gift, not ours. We can't tell you what to do with it."

"But that doesn't make sense." Rukia argued. "You all were so excited. It couldn't just be because you were seeing something rare. I find it hard to believe that you all would just let me walk away without even asking for it even though I'd gladly give it up."

"We cannot take what is not ours. It is very rare but even if there is use, why should the burden fall on you?" Kit questioned her which made her lean back.

"Gee, maybe it's because she's only the third fucking person in the whole world to have it and will probably be the last one to have it ever." Raiden pointed out.

"I'll gladly give it up." Rukia repeated, brushing it off as nothing. "If there's something you all want with it, just say it."

"It is truly yours to keep, we want nothing from it or you." He ensured again.

Rukia ceased her chewing and straightened her back. "Is there really no catch to this? I'm really allowed to roam free?"

She hoped her tone gave off how much she wanted to hear his sincerity in his words. The last thing she wanted was to be reeled back in.

"Well…" he rubbed his left knuckle, "perhaps there is one thing but it's only being requested of you since yesterday was left incomplete." Kit admitted.

I knew it!

"Whadaya mean by 'incomplete'?" Renji asked with Roger now curling around his lap.

"Yesterday you were to meet both Head Commander Okasakes and soon after, their heir." He clenched his teeth in regret. "I-It's nothing special, really! They were supposed to all meet you considering your capability but it seems that only Sensei Okasake was there of the three when it was announced. It will take less than an hour of your time. I'm sure Head Commander Okasake already informed them of your wishes, you most likely won't have to repeat them."

Rukia closed her eyes, instantly losing her appetite.

"What will they do?" Rukia asked.

"The usual."

"You mean just stare and tell me how great my gift is?"

"Basically. It really will be just a brief introduction. Once it's over, you're free to go."

"For life?"

"For life." Kit confirmed. "Though again, you are always welcome down there for any questions you might have."

"When do I have to do it?"

"Sometime before sundown today." Kit said. "Just wait near the grass field—the ones with the white star top. He will come to you then and you'll meet them. I can assure you, it will be brief."

Rukia only nodded her head as Kit repeated a few more things before leaving them for good.

She spent the rest of the day practicing how to introduce herself till afternoon neared.

###

With Raiden's hand clock, she knew it was about five now.

The clouds forecasted heavy rain which had the area dark and somber-looking. She was trying to avoid going inside but it seemed that the rain would make it impossible to do.

If this meeting was quick as Kit said it would be, it shouldn't take so long that the rain would catch him.

With that in mind, she jogged to the grassy field she knew. It was around the same place she had met those wolves which the Captain had saved her from.

When she arrived, she saw a lone shed nestled around bushes to her left.

She waited and occupied her time by surveying the star grass and then the end of her river and then a space across from it which became fixated on shortly.

It was only when she felt the rustle of grass did she twist back around to the shed to see him.

Head Commander Okasake Hirosuke.

She now knew from Raiden that the other Head Commander had different coloured eyes.

She was seeing them up close now, the lavender ones this one had. They were pretty.

Mid-bow, he ordered her to go 'inside', wanting to go over rules and precautions. It had been funny that she forgot he was a noble of all things. Looking back, she mentally face-palmed at how she had acted during their first interaction.

Kit had said to not worry about formalities then but his 'go ahead' never crossed her mind when she was talking then.

She just wanted to leave.

Rukia silently followed him into it and found herself walking through many rooms that looked the same. Finally, they entered one much like the others but with a fireplace with a brocade border that was polished clean.

It wasn't on though.

The slits on the wall to her left permitted white light from outside to gleam through and have her see him and the room for all its minor details. The round rugs, the book shelf behind him and the photos of indistinguible things all bordered with a black decorative frame around her.

Rukia wondered why all these rooms were so dark but didn't bother to ask. Instead, she prepared herself for the rules and regulations she'd have to memorize to meet the rest of the almighty superiors of the Soul Society.

"You will meet Hiroshima today and his son," he started with a voice that could only belong to the almighty superior of the Soul Society—magisterial and hoarse. "There will be some things you need to be aware of before meeting them as opposed to me."

I can't be rude or informal or talk about not caring about my power and so on, Rukia thought to herself.

"Hiroshima will welcome you. He will be much like me, I hope, when it comes to greeting you."

I hope? Rukia was puzzled but chose to keep her mouth shut.

"He is already aware of your wishes. He accepts your right to disassociate from our organization. He is just intrigued to meet the person who wields it, that is all." Well, that's a relief. "His son, on the other hand,"

Is prudent, arrogant but probably pretty, Rukia thought.

He cleared his throat. Rukia guessed he was unsure of how to explain but she already guessed that a noble's son would shun her immediately. Though she had washed herself clean, those bruises still remained peppered all over her legs, her kimono was worn out and her face probably still looked weary.

The only thing remotely new on her was her cardigan.

"He is a bit strange."

That confession caught her off-guard.

Strange? Strange how?

"You will understand how when you meet him though it is important you remember this precisely." He warned. "He is unwell. Be mindful of that when you engage with him in any manner."

"If...I may ask," she couldn't help it, "what do you mean by unwell?"

"You will see. Just know that Hiroshima's son is unwell and if he ever brings discomfort to you, don't hesitate to leave."

That especially took her off-guard. Was he that bad? She couldn't believe that she had to be warned for her safety.

She also took note of how he addressed him as his brother's son and not his nephew or even the heir.

"Now I do not know if you are aware about our clan as you are aware of our organization, however, you should know that Hiroshima's son is not a noble."

That mere fact opened her eyes for her.

He's not?

Rukia was too stunned to speak.

"He was adopted over a century ago from the Rukongai to become heir. He will appear just like you."

Appear just like me? So he's a kid? Like me?

"Do not think this is forbidden to speak about elsewhere. Most are aware though I can see why some Rukongai children such as yourself may not know."

And it isn't a secret?! Noble people adopted random Rukongai kids?

Rukia watched him move closer to her.

"He is not a normal child. Be mindful of that always. I am only telling you this now because Hiroshima will not." Rukia crimped her forehead. "When you go out there, you are free to act like yourself. Do not burden yourself with formalities either. He has come here to meet you. If possible, avoid one-sided conversations with his son."

Rukia was starting to feel like he hated him.

Him telling her that she was free to act as she wished had Rukia assume that part of his leniency came from the fact that their heir was just like her.

Suddenly, she couldn't wait to meet him.

Who was this not-noble heir?

###

They were now on freshly cut grass. Head Commander Okasake had led them out from the door inside that same room. When they came out, she saw the end of the river and then realized that the shed was only one part of the huge low house which stretched this far down.

That had been what she was staring at. Only then, it seemed like just an empty space.

The Head Commander had told her that there was training which occurred outside that the other Head Commander was overseeing with his son.

When they arrived, she saw over a hundred kids lined up horizontally on a patch of grass to her right. They were following someone moving in the air.

Rukia took a peek at them as they moved before she saw the pair they were waiting for beneath a droopy white oak tree.

They approached them.

She stilled when the other Head Commander came closer. His eyes were a pale cyan—like the wings of a mazarine butterfly. To no surprise, he resembled his brother completely.

She felt her limbs freeze as he came near them.

Rukia bowed.

"So you are the one." His voice was a bit different than the one to her right. She could definitely tell the difference moving forward now.

Oddly enough, the younger one sounded older than the eldest. There was a young charm to his voice despite all the gruffness.

When he acknowledged her, Rukia didn't know whether to nod or just stand there.

"It is a great gift you have there even if you may not feel inclined to use it." He said. "A gift from the stars, the universe and life itself. It is a remarkable thing to wield."

Rukia just smiled and nodded. He seemed very nice—she liked him. Even though she knew it was most likely because she had that gift they loved so much, she felt his sincerity.

Rukia blamed his voice for charming her that way. With just a few words, his voice had casted a spell.

"Ah, and this—" he raised his right hand which Rukia followed to the shoulder of his son who looked nothing like him, of course. "Is my son. The heir of our clan and the Soul Society."

He had round indigo eyes. His hair was wavy at the front and cascaded behind his back. His skin was really pale. He was a bit taller than her too.

"So you've come…"

She bowed. "Nice to meet you, I'm—"

"I know who you are." He interrupted her.

Rukia looked up at the Head Commander beside her. Did he even know her name?

"No, you do not." The Head Commander Okasake beside her said to him.

Rukia resumed her gaze to the heir.

The father of the heir let out a noble wheeze. "Nonsense, Hirosuke. Let the kids talk to each other."

"Come now," he then turned to the heir, "talk."

"Urr…" Rukia didn't know what to say.

"Would you like to join me?" He asked her before looking up to his father. "I'd like to speak with her alone."

The father let out a cackle, "why of course you can."

Then she saw something dark come in the heir's eyes as he met his uncle's hard gaze.

There it was.

Tension.

"Come." The heir said to her.

She felt hesitant, only because the silent exchange between the heir and his uncle seemed off.

It only confirmed it—he didn't like the heir at all.

Rukia's feet slid against the grass to move forward but she felt a hand touch her right shoulder which made her flinch.

She shot up and saw a warning from the Head Commander's eyes which his brother instantly disapproved of.

"Hirosuke…" he rebuked, "let the child leave."

She sensed his dismay following his brother's words.

"Remember what I said." He said to her.

Rukia nodded her head before following the heir who led her under the white oak tree from afar that she had first spotted them under.

He halted his movements abruptly once they got under the tree and spun around.

Rukia unconsciously stepped back as he did.

"I'm quite glad you made it here." He said before his lips curved into a grin.

Again, she just nodded her head.

Boy, was this awkward.

"You have," the next words came out quicker and lower, "no idea how long I've waited for your arrival."

What?

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked him.

He came closer. "You are stronger than before too."

She took a step back. "I'm sorry, I don't get what you mean I—"

"I knew you'd come."

"Well...didn't you already know that I would?" Rukia couldn't hide her confusion. "Yesterday, you were supposed to meet me, weren't you? I thought to make up for that, you all planned to meet with me today."

He ignored her. "Now that you're here next to me, we can finally begin."

"Begin what? Wait." She put her hand up.

"I knew you would come down here and be found." He tried to close the gap between them in fast strides though Rukia hurriedly scrambled back.

She clutched the neckline of her cardigan. "How?"

The heir smirked.

"Hmm," he moaned. "You seem a little jumpy today. Is it perhaps something I said? Or...is it Hirosuke?"

He calls his uncle by his first name?

How much bad blood was there between them?

Rukia tried to respond but he cut her off instead, pulling his hands behind his back and walking back and forth in front of her.

"Certainly you have nothing to fear. How could I harm you? That man has never liked me from the start." He explained.

"Why?"

He paused.

A light chuckle came afterwards, "come on, we both have that one thing in common."

"We're not noble blood." Rukia figured.

"The disdain for Rukongaiers like you and me runs deep." He approached her again though this time she didn't flinch or move. She welcomed him into her space. "You can only imagine how much it must irk him that he has to leave his life's work in my hands."

He leaned in. "You're just like me. We're gifted but we lack one thing. Nobility is what everyone here seeks for all valuability. But your gift is much more beyond that. Your gift was created before any of that became a thing."

"You see, they like you, you're suspicious of that—I know and I like that because it's true, you should be suspicious of the fact that they like you because you know there is more to it."

"Can you tell me what it is then?" Rukia asked. "Obviously I know everyone likes me because I have this gift or whatever but what else is there? What do they need?"

"You're smart, I knew it." He walked away from her. "That's exactly who you are. That stubbornness, that skeptical view of yours, that charm has never left you, Rukia. You just brought it over here with you."

She gasped when she heard her name.

"What?" He ribbed. "You didn't think I knew your name? I know you, Rukia, please."

It was as if she had humoured him.

Her name sounded unsettling. It came out as a breezy whisper which somehow triggered an ice cold chill to fuzz above her spine.

Was she scared?

She didn't know what it was about this person but they felt ominous to her.

This talk of knowing her was beginning to sound weird.

"What do you know?" Rukia took the first step closer. Her hands were brought to the sides of her arms—in the same vulnerable position she had put herself in when talking to Captain Kuchiki about the incident.

"Everything." He closed the gap between them. His next words would come out faint, "I know you better than anyone else. I know you better than you know yourself, Rukia."

She gulped at how his voice changed. There was a heavy, smoky quality to it which disturbed her.

The voice of a boy had changed into that of a man.

"The logic here is that you trust me and only me. Me, who knows you best." It came out hostile. "Don't be foolish and make a mistake that could jeopardize our future."

That came out a warning not to be crossed.

He was no longer smiling.

"Our?" Rukia grimaced. "What are you talking about?"

He was weird.

"I don't plan on staying here for long." She muttered before turning around.

The ambience he was emanating was distracting. She needed the distance to think things through.

Once she found one she liked, she faced him halfway, preparing herself to leave.

"I'm just here to meet you all, that's it." Rukia said.

"You know that's not true though." He moved close to her again, the voice of the boy was back and so was the smirk. "You know that your gift is worthy. You know that something so impeccable wouldn't just be thrown away into the dust."

Clearly he got his charms from his father.

"I already asked you what they wanted and you wouldn't tell me." She pointed out. "If they want something, tell me, if not, I'm gonna assume that I'm free."

"You know that's wrong though." He insisted. "You know that it wouldn't make any sense for them to want to leave you in this filth or not have any control over you and your power. Not when it's so valuable and rare."

That was true. She was suspicious or rather had been suspicious of their leniencybut after meeting the other Head Commander, it seemed that he had convinced her that she was free.

Or maybe that was just his voice doing the job. His son inherited the same technique.

"So what are you saying?"

"Trust me."

Rukia cocked a brow.

"I'm the only one you should trust here, Rukia. I'm just like you—those nobles only harbor disdain for us kids who are gifted enough to surpass them because of our blood."

"And what's your gift?" Rukia inquired.

He swayed as the grin grew wider. "Ah, I think you'll discover that soon enough, Rukia. After all, soon, you'll know me just as much as I know you."

Rukia dismissed the possibility. "I doubt it. I don't have any interest in knowing about my 'gift' beyond here."

"You'll never get that far." He growled at her, she silently gasped when she saw the indigo leave his eyes and turn into something dark.

She was ready to leave.

She reciprocated his stare for a few seconds before fully spinning to leave with her hands still holding onto her arms.

Weird…

"You will never be set free." Her arms tensed, she paused and then spun around to see the source of vileness.

He remained the same. That sinister ambience had swallowed him.

"You have the gift." He reminded her. "It's a gift but it has cursed you, Rukia. You'll never leave here because of it. You'll never be set free…"

To know is a gift but also a curse. To feel is a gift but also a curse. If possible, I'd like to free myself from this curse, I wish to be free (AN: Sudden Confessions).

---

End Note

Images for This Chapter (byaruki.(tumblr.)com/theicedmoonimages)

Adachi Alum Moodboard

Renji's eyes lit with fire

Fire kicks

Next Thursday: Interlude — Two-Faced.