Rie-chan would like to thank those who have reviewed so far. arigatou gozaimasu.
The Muses Tk and Zv asked whether Kaien-dono would appear in this story. well the answer to that question would be...
fufufu of course i can't tell you guys. that'd be giving the story away now wouldn't it?
for those of you who were looking forward to Ichigo's appearance i'm sure you'll be happy to know that he is now here for you to read about in this chapter, XD. enjoy minna-san.
(oh and a reminder that Rie-chan doesn't own Bleach, Kubotite-sensei does)
A noble lord.
Byakuya stood high upon the roof of his palace. His strong bold eyes stared clear towards the starry sky. It was strange how beautiful and mysterious it seemed to him. Stretching across this world he couldn't help but be absorbed into this unworldly moment between him and the midnight sky.
It was as though he were trying to escape the reality of what was happening.
Tomorrow would be the coming day of her wedding, and the power that came with it.
A sudden image of her sullen face appeared in his mind. He had seen her tears and her heart full of sorrow. Yet he felt no emotion from it.
Despite how much she resembled that person...
"Ara, if it isn't Kuchiki Byakuya-sama?
Byakuya whirled around as his eyes met the face of a wide-grinning man. With his upward smile and slit eyes he gave a chuckle as the high noble gave him a usual stern look. With regal elegance, no one normally addressed him in such an easygoing and unafraid tone.
"Ichimaru-dono," the high lord gave a nod, "Is there something you wish to say?"
"Nothing much," Gin said as he casually laid his hands behind his hands, "I just wanted to come by to congratulate you on your current achievements. Gaining the liaisons between our noble houses, by giving me the permission…
….of having your sister's hand in marriage."
He began to chuckle to himself as Byakuya merely glared at him resentfully. Despite how annoying he found Gin to be, he couldn't help but admit by letting him marry Rukia it would prove great accomplishments in his favor.
And finally for once give his sister a useful purpose to serve.
"KUCHIKI-SAMA! TERRIBLE NEWS!"
Byakuya turned around to see one of his men running frantically towards them. Ichimaru immediately stopped laughing as he returned to his normal grinning face.
"What is it?" Byakuya questioned.
"Rukia hime-sama has is no where to be seen! She's escaped from the palace my lord!"
"What?" Byakuya frowned as he furrowed his eyebrows.
"Relax Byakuya," Gin smirked as he patted the noble lord's shoulder in assurance, "I had a feeling that the princess was bound to do something like this…"
The eccentric beaming man began to chuckle silently to himself again. Byakuya raised his eyebrow looking at him skeptically. His annoyance for this absurd man was starting to rise once more.
"Don't worry. I made sure that this situation would be dealt with," Gin smiled as there was sudden dark look in his face, "She'll soon find out it isn't as easy to run away from as she thinks…"
Sudden shadows soon appeared from behind Ichimaru, they were barely there but Byakuya could sense their dark presence. It was as though they were instantly summoned by him coming forth by his will. They were giving off an aura in which Byakuya didn't like.
"Go," Ichimaru commanded without facing the figures behind him, "Hunt down the princess and retrieve her to me at once."
"Hai, Ichimaru-sama," the voices replied back.
"Oh yes and one more thing," Gin grinned more widely than ever, "Kill the man who is with her. Make sure that he isn't left alive…"
"We stretch out both of our arms…
Pass through the clouds, straight to the sky…
Even though we touched the Moon and Mars
We still cannot touch the truth."
Bleach 10: Tattoo on the Sky.
Life is Like a Boat:
2: raven-haired nightmare
Rie Fu
Rain,
It was raining…
So soft and delicate…
He raised his arms towards the dark sky embracing the cold droplets of water as they collided into his body. The smell of rain was everywhere…
He closed his eyes as he imagined to himself, scenes from when it happened from that day.
When that horrible event took place…
A day so similar to this one…
How he despised the rain…
He clenched his fists as he stood there trembling with his gritted teeth. Why was it that this weather made him feel so emotional? He didn't understand it one bit. He should have been over this by now yet still he was always like this whenever it rained.
With a heavy sigh he grimaced as he stuffed his fists back into his pockets and continued to trudge along the wet stormy streets. The air felt so unnaturally heavy but he couldn't care to give much attention about it.
However the gloomy atmosphere seemed to consume him…
Walking down the roads as the cars passed him by; he went on lost inside his thoughts. As if somehow his mind didn't exist and he was simply wandering around aimlessly. He stared as his feet as he walked on letting the raindrops freely precipitate down upon him. Without an umbrella he simply allowed the rain the come down upon him.
Another car passing by him drove through a puddle next to him spraying him wet with dirty street water. He cried out in disgust, cursing the car as it left. He heaved another sigh as he squeezed the water out of his shirt when suddenly he paused.
Someone was standing upon the overpass, with a strange aura emanating all around her.
He stared at the girl for a few moments. A short-figured person with shoulders drenched with soaking black hair. Her back was turned towards him as he watched her stare out aimlessly towards the nothingness.
Her aura, it was so bizarre. Why was it that he felt so attracted to it? It was as though it was luring him towards her, he couldn't shake the feeling off.
And yet she seemed so familiar. Why did he suddenly have the strong desire meet her?
Suddenly he felt his feet move towards her, as though they were moving all on their own. But he didn't stop them; he simply let them lead him towards her. Crossing the street he dodged the zooming cars to reach the other side. He grabbed one of her shoulders and whirled her around to face him but right when her face met his, he suddenly lost his balance as a sudden force pushed him away from her.
He felt himself freefall from the ledge. He closed his eyes as he felt his body being dragged by gravity's pull.
"No…!"
All of a sudden his body abruptly came to a halt. He eyes opened with an instant as he felt his hand being clasped tightly around someone else's. The boy looked up to see that the hand belonged to none other than that girl. He stared at her in disbelief and was stuck by utter surprise. He saw by the expression in her face she was struggling to keep him from falling but with the same determination burning to keep her hand from not letting go. Tears began to stream down her face as he saw her trembling in panic and fright.
"No…" she sobbed frantically, "No…not you too…!"
"Please…PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!"
What…What was she talking about?
The boy simply stared at her in silence as she continued to sob. He felt so confused, why was she saving him? And why did his heart feel so heavy all of a sudden?
It was as if her sorrow was infecting him, making him share her pain.
There was a roar within the clouds as a flash of lightning illuminated the sky. Suddenly the rain came down with a heavy downpour, a strong gale shook them as he felt his hand slipping through hers because of all the rain. She gasped in alarm as she tightened her grip and secured his hand with both of her own two hands.
"No! I'm not going to let you go!" she cried. He grit his teeth together as he too grabbed a hold of her and clung to her grip as desperately as he could.
He wasn't going to fall, not now not ever. He'd keep himself from falling, just for her sake!
The girl began using all of her force as she tried tugging him up over the ledge. He felt himself being risen higher and higher, watching her struggle so hard against the wind and heavy precipitation. Yet she didn't let that trouble as he saw her determination burn brightly in her eyes more than ever.
BOOM!
A sudden immense blast of wind came at the girl with a strong impact as it sent her flying backwards. Without knowing she let go in surprise. He felt it happen as though everything was being played out in slow motion. He felt his hands losing contact with hers, slipping from her grip as she cried out in despair running back and hanging over the ledge trying to reach out for him.
But it was too late.
He was already falling.
And as he felt himself descend, he continued to stare upwards at her face locked in her deep blue eyes as though he was lost in them. She could see her screaming in horror but he heard no sound coming from her mouth. From her eyes he saw her tears flowing from her face joining into the droplets of rain pouring down. Her arm was stretched out towards him as though she was trying to desperately grab a hold of whatever part of him she could possibly retrieve. He slowly reached out his own arm towards her but all he could feel was the air. Yet beyond all that he could see that her face reflected tremendous hurting from deep inside her as though she was being suffocated by her suffering…
He didn't lose sight of her as he continued to watch her face gradually become smaller fading into the sky. As though he was being drowned by the rain along with that girl's never-ending sorrowful tears…
The last words he could hear from her as he was falling, was the girl calling out his name…
"ICHIGOOO!"
"GOOODD MORRRNINNGG ICCCHIIGOOO!"
BAMMMM!
Panting the fifteen-year-old orange haired boy held his father in a deadly grip to the ground. He huffed as he was still trying to fight back the shock his father had awoken him with. They fiercely glared at each other as the father began to chuckle maniacally. Ichigo gave him a disgusted look, his old man was insane…
"fufufufufuFUUUFUUUFUUUFUU WELL DONE MY SON AS ALWAYS YOU'RE ON THE BALL!"
"WHAT THE &#/ IS UR F-ING PROBLEM YOU CRAZY OLD FART! WHO THE HELL WAKES UP THEIR CHILDREN LIKE THIS EVERY SINGLE MORNING!"
"EHHH? WHAT'S THAT SON? WANNA FIGHT WITH UR OL' POP! IS THAT IT KID?" Isshin challenged as he waved his fists in the air wildly.
"I NEVER SAID THAT YOU RETARD!" Ichigo hollered back in rage as the two began to have another one of their cloud-dust fights. Karin and Yuzu sweatdropped as they both stood by the doorway, sighing at their hopeless excuses for a father and an older brother.
"Ano, stop it you two! Breakfast is getting cold…" Yuzu complained with her usual puppy-dog eyes.
Karin simply sighed as she crossed her arms in disgrace, "Leave them alone, Yuzu. Men are all idiots, especially these two morons…"
"But Karin-chan…!" Yuzu protested but Karin ignored her as she started to walk away.
"Mou!" Yuzu pouted as she crossed her arms in irritation, "And I went through all that trouble to make a REALLY nice breakfast today, since it's the first day of school…"
The two of them instantly came to a halt (with Isshin being pinned to the ground by Ichigo XD) as Isshin began to sniff the air in a doglike manner and gave a gasp in pure delight.
"PANCAKKESSS!"
"Un! I woke up at six to make them! " Yuzu proudly nodded as she gave a triumphant grin.
"YOSH! THAT'S MY FAVORITE CHILD FOR YOU!" Isshin squealed as he grabbed his daughter squeezing her tight, "SEE ICHIGO? WHY CAN'T YOU AND KARIN BE JUST LIKE YUZU?"
"Haaa….?" Ichigo exclaimed in disbelief.
"Hmph, no respect for his old man!" Isshin cried in disapproval, "Let's go kids! We'll eat the pancakes before Ichigo gets to them!"
Ichigo sighed as he scratched his head, "Fine. Go ahead I'll come down later…"
Ichigo turned towards his bed in order to fix the mess it had become when he realized that both Isshin and Yuzu hadn't left the room. He whirled around with his usual "scary" face as they both withdrew in shock. He frowned as he furrowed his eyebrows at them.
"What?" he asked outloud, "What's wrong?"
"We're the ones who should be asking you that question," Isshin retorted as he gruffly crossed his arms, "What's wrong with you son?"
"What!" Ichigo exclaimed as he scowled at his father, "Nothing's wrong with me damnit! I'm perfectly fine!"
"Onii-chan," Yuzu said in a quiet tone, "We're your family. We can tell if something's wrong…please tell us!"
Ichigo glared at them both in annoyance in order to scare them away yet they both remained there, Yuzu's puppy eyes already begging to death that he'd tell them. He sighed as he scratched his head once more and became silent.
"It's nothing really," Ichigo said after awhile, "Just these stupid dreams I keep having. About some weird girl I dunno…"
"HAA! I KNEW IT! ICHIGO'S BEEN HAVING EROTIC DREAAMS!" Isshin exclaimed pointing a finger at Ichigo.
POWWW!
"WRONG YOU PERVERTED BASTARD!"
"hohoho my boy's growing up to be a MAN!" Isshin began chuckling as a lump begain swelling on his cheek, "I hope your bed sheets aren't wet son! Heheheheh"
"Y-YOU! WHY I OUGHTA-!"
"…girl?" Yuzu questioned as Ichigo stopped his fist in mid air as he turned to look at her. He frowned as his eyes softened.
"Someone was standing upon the overpass, with a strange aura emanating around her.
A short-figured person with shoulders drenched with soaking black hair…"
"Aa," he sighed as he began to straighten his bed, "Seriously it's nothing Yuzu. I don't even know who she is."
"Sighh yes Yuzu, this is something girls wouldn't understand," Isshin said as he slapped his son on the back, "This is what you'd consider a MANLY thing!"
Ichigo gave him one final death glare as he chased them both out of his room even though they had left with reluctant looks. It was as if they felt as though he wasn't telling them the whole truth. The hell? What else was he supposed to say? That was all there was to it! He wasn't hiding anything…
The fifteen-year-old sighed as he leaned upon his windowsill. He stared outside seeing that it was certainly a beautiful morning. No signs of clouds anywhere and it was promising good weather for the day. Ichigo stretched out an arm as he held his hand towards the sky as though he was reaching towards it.
"Who in the world are you?" he asked quietly to himself, although he knew that he'd probably never get to know the answer to that question…
TSUZUKU!
(TBC!)
I like how rain associates with Ichigo. Water sort of associates with Rukia as well in my opinion. hmmm it's amazing how powerful a scene can get if it takes place in the rain…
