Ok...now for a little bit of the plot!
Disclaimer: yeah yeah, you get the point.
Hollows Haunt Us
Chapter 7
The next day at school, as Rukia was looking out the window, the voice began to talk to her.
Today I'll take care of her. Just tell her to meet you on the roof of the school at lunch.
Sighing, Rukia nodded.
When they broke for lunch, Rukia approached Orihime before she ran off to join her friends.
"Hey, Orihime, could just me and you eat lunch together on the roof? I need to talk to you about something important." Rukia smiled, the best she could. Something deep down, past the voice's presence, told her that something was terribly wrong with this idea. But she couldn't back out. Something kept pushing her, some invisible force…something that wouldn't stop her legs as she approached Orihime, nor as they walked together towards the roof.
When they finally reached the top, Orihime sat down in the shade and patted the spot next to her. Rukia wanted to join her, wanted to sit down and hopefully just pull off that lack of judgment by covering it up with some other kind of question, but that invisible force wouldn't let her. Instead she stood in front of the girl, just staring.
The voice inside spoke aloud, no matter how hard Rukia tried to push it back.
"Girl," the voice began, "do you love Ichigo?"
A noticeable blush appeared on Orihime's face. "Wha…? Kurosaki-kun? Well…I wouldn't exactly say love, as much as a huge crush…"
Rukia's heart sped up. She didn't want to hear this. She wanted to just put her hands to her ears and drown in all out. She knew that Orihime loved Ichigo, and that Ichigo probably felt the same way, but for some reason, the truth stung. Ignoring the whole matter made it feel so much better than hearing the real thing.
"…I mean, he is cute, and strong, and I really love that scowl he has on his face…make's him look so tough…" Orihime continued, ignorant of the battle within Rukia.
It felt like her world was going to shatter. The pain was building up inside, wanting to burst out and lunge at Orihime to get her to stop. Finally, a door opened up inside, and Rukia went in and closed it behind her, shutting out the pain, and the scene that ensued.
Orihime looked up to see Rukia with her eyes closed, looking down so far she couldn't see her eyes. "Kuchi…ki…san…?"
Rukia had let go.
Looking up, Rukia's eyes glowed. Fear rushed through Orihime so fast that she couldn't move. A smile, so cold, so heartless, it seemed to claw at Orihime's heart and clutch it with cold fingers.
A whisper, so unlike the Kuchiki-san she knew so well, escaped smiling lips. "Sayonara, little girl. Too bad you're little love won't last any longer than your life…"
Down in the classroom, a scream was heard. A long, loud, bloody scream.
Ishida, sitting idly by in his desk, could feel a certain girl's aura he knew so well, drift away.
Rukia came out of the blackness to feel blood on her hands. She opened her eyes and found the sky blue above her, her head having fallen backwards. She looked down slowly and saw the source of that blood.
Orihime had been mutilated almost beyond recognition. Claw marks, deep crimson red all over the place, leading right up to Rukia's now shaking hands.
"What have I done…?" Rukia whispered, feeling suddenly cold.
A sound came from behind and Rukia turned around to see Ichigo, Ishida, and Chad standing in the doorway that led to the roof.
As Ishida and some others ran up to Orihime to check her wounds, Ichigo stood at the doorway, staring at the tiny shaking black haired girl in the middle of the mess.
Slowly, Ichigo approached them, and knelt down beside Rukia and Orihime. He looked at the wounds Orihime had then asked Ishida, "You think she'll be alright?"
Ishida just nodded, casting a glare almost full of hatred at Rukia. He voice shook as he spoke. "What did you do to her?"
Rukia shook her head. Her eyes grew watery as she shook her head. "I don't know…I don't know…"
Ichigo looked at the tiny shaking form he had thought he knew pretty well, until now. Getting up, he held out his hand.
"Get up." He commanded quietly, his face betraying no emotion.
Rukia looked at her bloody hands again, then shook her head, gripping her shoulders as they trembled. "I can't…"
Ichigo bent down and grabbed her elbow gently, pulling her close enough for him to whisper in her ear. "Everyone else will be getting here soon. We need to get you away from here. We need to talk."
He pulled her up by her elbow straightened up.
"Ishida, can you and Chad take Inoue to the nurse's?" Ichigo asked. Ishida, ripping pieces of his clothes to wrap around the wounds, only nodded his head.
"I hope she gets her punishment soon, Kurosaki, otherwise, I will take care of it." Ishida said, malice dripping from his shaking voice.
Ichigo turned away, dragging Rukia behind him. He took off his jacket and handed it to her. "Here. Wipe off that blood before too many people see it. I need to get you home."
Rukia complied quietly.
Inside, she was screaming.
Why did you do that to her? Rukia shouted inside. I thought I told you not to hurt her!
I did what I thought was right. DON'T complain. The voice replied angrily.
Squeezing her eyes shut and looking down so that Ichigo wouldn't see, she began to cry.
I can't believe I gave in like that… She whispered inside, now all alone.
Thanks for the reviews! Here's who reviewed the last chapter!
Satan Hat: You're not cruel! Heck, I wrote it, shouldn't I be the cruel one? Haha, anyway, I'm glad you enjoy it so far! You probably really like this chapter, huh?
Mitsuno: Oh my goodness, I have never agreed more! Rukia really does belong to Ichigo! joins in the kicking I'm so glad that I've reached readers beyond English speakers. And I don't think I've ever had such an enjoyable review! Your reveiw really brought a smile to my face. (By the way, you write English very well!) Hope you continue reading!
Katratzi: Thank you for that review! feels special I'm so glad you're enjoying this story, I hope I don't let you down at any point, I really am trying my best! The voice thing is gonna get pretty interesting, let me tell ya...!
Thank you to all the readers again!
