It was a few days after the interviews, and the final part of the Evaluations was about to begin.
"Rukia! I'm so glad you could make it!" Ukitake exclaimed as they made their way to the testing grounds.
"I'm glad, too. Thank you so much for allowing me to take part in the Evaluations. It's such an honor!" Rukia beamed.
"You, more than anyone, deserve to take part in evaluating the future members of this division."
Rukia looked down, a blush covering her cheeks.
"Oi, Kotsubaki! You've been pushing Rukia the whole time! Give me a turn!" Kiyone yelled. She rammed her body into his own and grabbed the handles of Rukia's wheelchair.
Rukia had insisted she didn't need a wheelchair. However, Isane, being as overly precautious as ever, refused to let Rukia leave without one. Isane had even made Rukia promise to stay in the wheelchair the entire time she was out before letting Captain Ukitake steal her for the day.
Rukia sighed. Kiyone and Sentaro were more than eager to make sure Rukia kept that promise.
Sentaro huffed. "Out of the way! I don't need your help, Kotetsu! I could push Kuchiki to the ends of the world, on my own, if I had to!"
"Oh yeah?" she bellowed. "Well, I could push Kuchiki to the ends of the world and back! Ten times!"
"Only ten times?" he laughed. "I could do it twenty times! No! One hundred times!"
"You wanna bet?" Kiyone growled.
"Yeah!"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"You're on!"
They each grabbed the handles of Rukia's chair and charged forward with everything they had. Ukitake could hear Rukia's cries for help echoing off into the distance.
He awkwardly chuckled to himself. "How in the world did we end up with those three as our subordinates, Kaien?" He grinned as he continued his walk to the testing grounds. "I wouldn't change it for the world, though. I don't think you would have either."
Once Ukitake had arrived, the first thing he noticed was that Kiyone and Sentaro were still arguing. In front of them was Rukia, who looked as if she were about to throw up.
"That's enough, you two," he scolded gently. "Rukia is still in a weak state. Your antics won't do her any good."
The two immediately stopped yelling and stood straight. "Yes, Sir! Our deepest apologies! We will do better!"
Ukitake started walking, the three following behind. Rukia's eyes sparkled as she watched all the trainees warming up to get ready for their matches. She couldn't wait to witness all the young shinigami work hard to prove themselves to her captain.
Ukitake stopped in front of the viewing deck, which was a story tall. You had to climb the stairs to get up.
"I wonder-"
Before Ukitake could finish his thought, Sentaro grabbed Rukia and swung her over his shoulder.
"Wait a moment! Are you crazy?" Rukia shrieked.
Without another thought, Kiyone folded up the wheelchair and carried it up the stairs.
"I guess that'll do," Ukitake chuckled. He slowly followed behind them to the top of the deck.
His fourth and fifth seats were at the top waiting for him. They came up to him and bowed.
"Good morning, Captain. Everything is about ready to start. Your officers are currently announcing the matches and giving the trainees instructions," the fifth seat, Shunske Ota, announced. He was a young man, newly promoted. Rukia remembered meeting him for the first time, a little bit before she had left for her mission in the World of the Living. Ukitake had brought her along to greet the young recruit into the 13th Division. He had graduated from the Academy very early, and his grades were incredible. Despite this, he was quite timid and feared doing anything wrong. However, this was not what had stood out to Rukia the most about his character. He was always so kind and his devotion to Captain Ukitake rivaled even Kiyone's and Sentaro's. It made getting along with him so easy.
Shunske's gaze momentarily fell upon Rukia. He smiled and offered her a small waved before turned his attention back to Ukitake.
Rukia smiled. It had been such a long time since she last spoke with Shunske. Now that Rukia was seeing him after so much time had passed, she could see that he carried himself with a newly found confidence. She smiled. It was about time.
"Is there anything else you need us to do, Captain?" asked the fourth seat, Ikue Hasegawa. She was an older woman, who unlike the fifth seat, Rukia already knew all too well.
Ukitake smiled at the two officers. "Nope, nothing at all. You two have done very well, thank you. You can go join the rest on the grounds. I'll be up here if you need anything."
Rukia didn't miss the hurt that crossed Ikue's face. She also didn't miss how the older woman's blue eyes came upon Rukia's purple ones. If looks could kill…
"Yes, Sir!" the two officers said. They started to make their way downstairs.
As the older woman passed, Rukia noticed the tension there was between them. She felt like she couldn't breathe with the blonde woman's intense eyes upon her. Rukia almost gasped when the woman stopped behind her. Rukia didn't like that she couldn't turn to face her.
"Kuchiki," the woman started. Was Rukia the only one that could feel the venom dripping from her words? "I heard you were in the hospital. Is everything alright?"
Rukia didn't hesitate. She would not allow that woman the satisfaction of knowing just how nervous she was. "Your concern is appreciated. I am just fine."
"Oh, really? What a relief. Here I was thinking you'd be out of commission for good." She tisked. "What a pity."
Rukia froze. Her body broke into a cold sweat.
"Hasegawa! That's enough!" Ukitake roared.
Everyone there was shocked. Rarely do you see Captain Ukitake angry. And at the moment, he was so mad that a vein in his forehead was popping out and his face was red.
"I already talked to you about this kind of behavior, and I will not repeat myself! Go home and cool off! Don't come back until you know how to treat your comrades with respect!"
Ikue was mortified. She stared at her captain in disbelief. "C-Captain…?"
"Go home. Now!" he growled.
The woman bowed. "Yes, Captain. My deepest apol-"
"I am not the one you should be apologizing to."
Ikue's eyes widened. She stared at Rukia, trying to swallow her pride enough to muster up an apology that would save face in front of their captain. The older woman scoffed. She'd choke on her pride before apologizing to that girl.
Ikue turned around and flash-stepped home.
Ukitake sighed deeply. "Rukia, I am so sorry about her."
She shook her head. "Your words are greatly appreciated. However, there's no need to apologize for someone else's actions, Captain." Before he could continue apologizing, she said, "Look! The first match is about to begin!"
The first match was two female shinigami, one a redhead and the other had pink hair. They each bowed and took their stance. There was an officer between them who finally yelled out "Begin!"
Rukia, Kiyone, Sentaro, and their captain paid close attention to the match. They immediately noticed that the redhead was far more advanced in sword fighting than the other. However, the pinkette was not bad at all. She would not allow the redhead to have an easy victory.
Rukia gasped as the redhead kicked the other in the stomach, forcing her to the ground. Even though she was watching the fight from a distance, Rukia could still tell that the blow was strong and it could have easily done some serious damage; not to mention the excruciating pain the recipient would suffer. Just as the redhead brought her zanpakuto down for the finishing blow, the pinkette, through a great deal of pain, jumped to a crouching position, blocked the attack with her zanpakuto, and swiped her leg out. The attack worked, sending the redhead to the ground. The pinkette immediately brought her zanpakuto down, knowing that even a second of hesitation would be enough for the other to recuperate. Her zanpakuto cut through the air and stopped millimeters before the redhead's face.
"Winner, Ran Nakamura, District Three, West Rukongai!" the officer announced.
Ukitake smiled. "What an amazing fight!" he marveled. "What was that girl's name again?"
"Ran Nakamura, Sir," Sentaro answered.
"Ah, yes!" he exclaimed. "I remember now. She's the trainee that failed her first attempt at the entrance exam for the Academy. After that, she spent years studying and training herself so she would be ready the next time she took it. How inspiring!" He chuckled. "When I asked her to tell me how she felt about being the oldest in her class, she said that it made her want to work even harder. You know why, Rukia?"
"Why?" she asked.
"So that she could use her knowledge and experience to be able to help her classmates. She's not letting her failures hold her back or put her down. I have a good feeling about her."
"Next match: Sora Kuchiki vs. Haru Ito!"
"Huh?" Sentaro exclaimed. "Kuchiki, did I hear that right?"
She nodded. "Yes, he is a member of the Kuchiki Clan. He failed the entrance exam for the Sixth Division and was recommended for your Division, Captain."
Ukitake turned to look at Rukia. The white haired man did not miss her sad eyes.
"...yes. I remember seeing his file," he said.
Rukia would never admit it, but she hated Sora. On several occasions, she would overhear him speaking illy about her brother. And on several more, she overheard him speaking about her. It was no secret that many members of the Kuchiki Clan - if not all - despised her for being from Rukongai. What really got the clan members' blood boiling was the fact that she had been adopted into the main family, technically making her closer in line to be head of the clan than many others. Not that the elders would ever allow that to happen.
But out of all the people in the clan, Sora Kuchiki hated Rukia the most. When she had just been adopted into the prestigious family, he was one of the first to make his opinions on her known. He publicly confronted Byakuya about the matter, screaming at the top of his lungs. "You're ruining the great name of the Kuchiki! She's disgusting, absolutely filthy! How the hell are you going to allow another one of them into the clan?"
Byakuya had immediately silenced him. Unfortunately for Sora, Byakuya chose to use his zanpakuto. Never did Sora raise his voice in front of the clan's leader again. However, he did not stop speaking illy about Byakuya behind his back, and especially not about Rukia.
Rukia's thoughts were interrupted by a ruckus coming from the testing grounds. She stared in disbelief as the black haired Kuchiki refused to shake the hand of his opponent, who simply brushed off the act of arrogance.
The irked officer yelled for the two to start the fight. Before anyone could even begin to process that the fight had begun, Sora Kuchiki disappeared and was now right behind his opponent, ready to strike.
The crowd gasped. Not because of the impossibly fast attack, but because his opponent was no longer there. He reappeared a few feet away from the shocked noble.
The young man, Haru, smirked. "Kuchiki, huh? How disappointing. Don't tell me you Kuchikis are all bark and no bite."
The noble growled. "I'll show you!" he yelled as he wildly ran to attack the man who had offended him.
Haru smirked. He easily dodged the vicious attack, grabbed the cocky noble by the wrist, and squeezed hard enough to make Sora yell out in pain. He dropped his zanpakuto. The match was over.
"Winner: Haru Ito, 78th District, South Rukongai!"
The crowd burst into applause.
Sora just stood there, mortified.
Haru grinned. "Now, let's try that handshake again." He took the noble's hand, which was still outstretched from when Haru had previously grabbed it, and shook it.
"Amazing!" Ukitake cried. "That Haru kid went face-to-face with a member of the Kuchiki Clan and won!"
"Truly amazing!" Rukia agreed. Secretly, she was bubbling with joy that Sora had had his butt handed to him. And right in front of her!
She didn't miss the glare Sora shot her from afar.
The next few matches went by pretty quickly. Most were not that interesting, nor did they last very long. Most were done within seconds because one opponent was simply too strong compared to the other, like the current match.
Rukia frowned as she watched to poor girl valiantly trying to dodge her opponent's skillful attacks. But her efforts were futile. The poor girl had been disarmed within seconds.
"Captain, that's the girl you requested, isn't it?" Kiyone asked.
He nodded. "Yes. Maeko Yoshida."
Kiyone's brows furrowed. "I'm sorry to ask, Captain, but why?"
Ukitake's sad eyes watched the meek and fragile-looking girl stand up and happily shake the hand of her opponent. "I understand your concern. Her power is very limited, so limited that you can barely feel her presence even if you were in the same room as her. So her kido skills are not the best. And her fighting skills are not much better. She barely graduated from the Academy, and none of the other Divisions thought she would fit in well with her level of skills. Even our division may not appear to be suited for her."
"So why? It's going to be really hard for her to try to keep up with everyone. Even here."
"Because someone needed to give her a chance."
Rukia turned to look at her captain.
"She's fought so hard to get to where she is today, so she deserves at least that. And I suspect that she may be more suited to be a shinigami than most. Even more so than those who excel at kido or combat."
"How so, Captain?"
"Her heart," he simply stated.
Rukia looked up at her captain in awe. She marveled at his kind smile and his gentle eyes.
Kiyone and Sentaro were in tears. "Captain!" they sobbed.
He laughed. "Ok, you two, that's enough for now. The final match is about to begin."
They all turned to look at the training grounds. It was time for the final match.
"Next match: Aia Kuchiki vs. Aiko Takeda!"
Before anyone could ask, Rukia said, "That's Sora's twin sister. She passed the entrance exam for the Sixth Division, unlike Sora. But wherever he goes, she goes."
"The name's Aia. It means 'ruler.' I don't care that you've been adopted into the family. It doesn't change the fact that you have dirty blood. Know your place and bow before me!"
Remember how Sora was the one who hated Rukia the most? That was not quite true. He was a close second to his twin sister, Aia. When Rukia first arrived at the Kuchiki Manor, whenever Byakuya was not around, Aia would torment her. At first, she simply taunted Rukia, who would ignore the girl. It wasn't that Aia's words didn't bother her. They really had. When Aia saw that her words didn't seem to bother Rukia, she escalated and started cursing at Rukia, yelling things that Rukia never dared repeat out loud.
Then one day, Aia took it too far.
Rukia had been taking a walk and had stopped by a stream. She was in the middle of admiring the crystal clear water when a voice got her attention. It was Aia. She was screaming at Rukia, telling her to move out of the way. Rukia had been furious! She was nowhere near being in that girl's way! Nevertheless, Rukia apologized and moved farther away from the spoiled noble.
"You piss me off!" Aia had growled through gritted teeth. She had kicked Rukia, hard. The attack had caught Rukia off guard, and she went tumbling down the small hill. On her way down, Rukia had hit her head against a rock, making her lose consciousness. Rukia fell into the steam, her head completely underwater.
Aia just stood there, frozen in place. Did she really want to kill Rukia?
Then she remembered how Rukia had snuck her way into the Kuchiki Clan and butted in line to be the next head of the family. She walked away.
Her name definitely fit Aia's character. She definitely carried herself with the dignity of a clan leader. That was what she aspired to be, Head of the Kuchiki Clan. It would be impossible though. There were too many others in front of her. She had accepted that. Until a girl from Rukongai of all places was adopted into the family, and placed before Aia in line. That, she could not accept.
A maid running errands for the Kuchiki Manor had seen the whole thing. Lucky for Rukia, the maid took action immediately. She had pulled her out of the water and started CPR when she saw that Rukia was no longer breathing. The maid had saved Rukia's life. She took Rukia to her room and told her to rest. She then immediately went to Byakuya and told him what she had witnessed.
In Aia's version of the story, she claimed that Rukia had attacked her with her zanpakuto and that she was forced to fight back. Unfortunately for Aia, Rukia had accidentally left her zanpakuto in the office of Kaien Shiba that day, after another training session. Aia's story crumbled. Byakuya attempted to have the girl disowned. The parents fought like hell to keep that from happening. Instead, he had her shunned by the clan, and removed her from the line to be the Head of the Kuchiki Clan. No other punishment could have rivaled that small action. Aia's pride and spirit had been crushed.
"Captain Ukitake? May I ask something of you?" Rukia said.
He looked at her. "Yes, of course."
"As soon as it becomes clear that the girl facing Aia will lose, please, I ask that you step in. Aia is much different from her brother. She is twice as strong and she is not afraid to kill. Her opponent, Aiko Takeda, is too young to die by her hands."
"Rukia..." he whispered.
"I know what I'm saying sounds dramatic. But I know that girl, all too well. She doesn't know what sympathy is. All she cares about is being the best. And there are no boundaries when it comes to winning."
Ukitake gulped. "I see. I will take your warning to heart."
Rukia relaxed a little. "Thank you."
"Begin!"
Aia did not hesitate. She immediately went to attack the girl. Rukia could not believe it when Aia's opponent blocked the barrage of attacks. It was obvious that Aia did not like that. She called out to her zanpakuto and released its shikai form. She now held a fiery spear.
Ukitake gasped. "She has already mastered shikai?"
Rukia nodded.
Ukitake gasped once again when Aia's opponent also released her shikai. She now held a sparkling sword in her hands. The thick blade was made of water.
"Amazing! Two trainees who have already mastered shikai! I am a lucky captain!"
The two attacked each other, over and over. There was a light mist covering the training grounds from Aiko putting out Aia's flames. The two were evenly matched, neither making much progress in defeating the other.
Aia was beginning to slow down. It was obvious that her stamina was not as good as her opponent's.
Aia went to strike, but Aiko dodged. Aiko took advantage of the opening and called out an attack. She swung her sword, which shot out a giant bubble of water and it engulfed Aia's head. She was screaming, but no one could hear it. You could only see bubbles gurgling from her mouth. Aia tried and tried to rip the bubble off. It was no use.
Rukia could have laughed at the irony of Aia's situation.
Finally, Aia collapsed to the ground, the bubble bursting when she did. She was soaking wet and gasping for air.
"Winner, Aiko Takeda, First District, North Rukongai!"
It was at that moment that Rukia realized it. She rubbed her horrified eyes and looked at the girl who had just won her match.
"Hey! What's the deal!" Kiyone shouted. "That girl! Why does she look exactly like Miyako!"
"I-Impossible!" Sentaro gasped. He, too, rubbed his eyes and looked again at the girl to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him.
"Captain, what's going on?" Rukia asked.
"Relax, everyone," he said gently. "When I was reading over the files last night, I also noticed how she bears a striking resemblance to Miyako Shiba. But I already looked into it. She is from Rukongai and has no relations to the Shiba family."
The three of them relaxed. However, seeing someone who resembled the former third seat reopened a wound that they thought had already healed.
Ukitake was also hurting. He would not show it though.
"Well, let's go congratulate everyone!" he said.
Sentaro grabbed Rukia once again and swung her over his shoulders.
"Damn you, Kotsubaki!" Kiyone growled. "It was my turn to carry Rukia!"
He stuck his tongue out at her. "You were too slow!"
They argued the whole way down. They only stopped once they reached the crowd of trainees.
"I congratulate each and every one of you on a job well done!" Ukitake exclaimed. "I was more than pleased with the efforts you all made today. Please take the rest of the day to rest and relax! You all pass!"
There were excited gasps and whispers coming from the crowd. Rukia smiled. It was such an amazing thing to see all these young men and women starting their careers as shinigami of the Gotei 13.
Ukitake dismissed the trainees for the day.
"Rukia, shall we take you back to the Fourth? I promised Isane not to keep you so long," Ukitake said.
Before she could answer, a mob of shrieking girls made their way towards Rukia.
"Rukia Kuchiki-dono!" they shrieked. "It's her!"
Rukia's eye twitched. What was going on?
The mob surrounded her, pushing Sentaro and Kiyone away.
"Oh my gosh!" one girl gushed. "I can't believe it! It's Rukia Kuchiki!"
Another girl grabbed Rukia's hand and shook it vigorously. "It's so nice to meet you! I can't believe I'm actually shaking your hand!"
Another girl squeaked and jumped before hugging Rukia. "I'm so sorry, but I can't control myself! You were, like, my role model when I was in the academy! You're the reason I chose to be in the 13th Division!"
Rukia simply stared at the crowd of girls. "M-Me? Are you sure?"
The crowd burst into laughter. "She's so funny!" one girl marvelled.
"Of course you were my role model! You're, like, totally famous!"
"I am?" the overwhelmed girl asked.
More laughter.
"You were a normal girl, just like us! You grew up in Rukongai and fought hard to join the Academy. You worked so hard that even the Kuchiki Clan noticed you! And you were targeted by the Seireitei's worst criminal, Sosuke Aizen, for being the host of the Hogyoku! And that group of powerful ryoka from the World of the Living broke into the Seireitei and came to save you! Not to mention that three captains - Ukitake, Kyoraku, and Kenpachi - five if you count Captains Hitsugaya and Unohana, who launched individual investigations into your execution - and four lieutenants - Kotetsu, Abarai, Ise, and Kusajishi - defied the orders of the Captain-Commander to save you! Gah! You're so cool!"
Rukia frowned. They made the events of Aizen's betrayal sound cool. However, it was anything but cool.
"You guys! Back off!" chimed in a male trainee who had emerged from the crowd. It was the trainee that had defeated Sora. "Can't you see that's a touchy subject. My deepest apologies for my classmates' ignorance, Kuchik-dono. They truly do admire you, though. As do I. You really were a sign of hope to those of us from Rukongai."
Rukia was blushing. "You all are too kind! Really!"
"Not at all! Even when I was growing up in Inuzuri, you were famous. I remember when everyone was talking about the two kids that got accepted into the Academy and were going to become Shinigami. And a few months later, all anyone was talking about was that the same girl was adopted into the Kuchiki Clan. You're the reason I thought I could make it through the Academy. I was able to believe in myself because someone just like me, someone who grew up on the same streets as me, had succeeded despite the odds. "
One of the girls blew a raspberry. "Come on, Haru! You're telling us to back off? Might as well confess your love for Kuchiki-dono right now!"
Haru blushed. "It's not like that!"
The girls all joined in the laughter. Eventually, Haru did too.
"Say, Kuchiki-dono! Would you mind showing us your zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki?" one girl asked.
The crowd squeaked in agreement.
Ukitake finally stepped in. "I'm sorry, girls, but that will have to wait. Rukia is not at 100 percent at the moment."
The crowd of girls groaned in disappointed.
"But once she is all better, I'll make sure I assign her to help you ladies transition into Division 13. How does that sound?"
Rukia choked. "What was that?"
Her question could not be heard over the chorus of squealing girls. "Captain Ukitake! You're so cool!"
"All right then. We will be on our way!" Ukitake announced.
The four finally left and made their way to the Fourth Division.
"How about that, Kuchiki! You're famous!" Sentaro said.
"Yeah... I guess you could say that."
"Come on, Rukia, don't be so modest! It's about time someone recognizes how strong you are!" Kiyone huffed. "Definitely strong enough to be promoted-"
At that moment, Sentaro had stomped on Kiyone's foot, making her scream out. Right as Kiyone went to yell at him, he shushed her.
"You're gonna blow it!" he said in a harsh, low voice.
Kiyone's face turned white. "Some day!" she corrected. "You're definitely strong enough to be a seated officer some day!" Kiyone chuckled awkwardly. "I don't know why the idea of a promotion suddenly popped into my head! Not that you wouldn't make a great seated officer someday, definitely not in the near future though! Why would I be talking about something like that happening so soon?"
Ukitake slapped the palm of his hand to his forehead.
Rukia stared at her three superiors. "What's going on with you three?"
"Nothing!" they squeaked.
Rukia eyed them. They were sweating bullets and staring back at her, waiting for her to say something. She knew something was up, but didn't have the energy to figure out what it was.
She shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever be able to understand you three."
The three breathed out, finally able to relax.
"Let's get you back to the hospital, Rukia," Ukitake said.
When the three had arrived at the hospital, they were surprised to run into Byakuya at the front desk.
"Nii-sama? What are you doing here?" Rukia's hand unconsciously went to touch the pin in her hair.
Isane stood up from behind the desk and smiled. "Hello, you four! I trust you took good care of Rukia-chan today?"
"Of course!" Kiyone and Sentaro blurted out.
Ukitake walked up to Byakuya. "It's so nice to see you, Byakuya! How did the Evaluations for your division go today?"
"It was fine. And yours?"
"It went quite well. I already have two trainees who have mastered their shikai, one of them being from your clan. I was quite surprised to find out two more members of your clan will be joining the 13th Division!"
Byakuya was not interested in continuing this conversation. His silence made Ukitake uncomfortable.
"So, what brings you here?" Ukitake tried.
"He's here for Rukia," Isane said. "Captain Kuchiki thought it would help Rukia-chan's recovery if she rested at home instead of in a hospital. And I couldn't agree more." She handed Byakuya a paper and a pen. "Just sign here and she'll be good to go, Captain Kuchiki."
Neither of them spoke. Byakuya simply pushed the wheelchair. Rukia didn't know what to say. Should she ask him about work? No; it was a very stressful time for captains. Not to mention all the work that had to be put aside during the Evaluations. The piles of paperwork on Byakuya's desk were definitely on the back of his mind. Other than work, Rukia really didn't know what to talk about.
"Did you enjoy evaluating the trainees today?" Byakuya asked, breaking the silence.
Rukia tried hiding her surprise. It was unlike her brother to do things like ask about her day.
"I did, Nii-sama," she said. She thought keeping it short would be best.
"Did you thank Captain Ukitake for allowing you to participate in the Evaluations?"
"Of course, Nii-sama!"
"And how did the trainees perform, in your opinion?"
Rukia would be lying if she said that she wasn't surprised that her brother was having a real conversation with her. They hadn't spoken this much to each other, well, ever.
"They all did amazing! The matches were so exciting to watch because you truly had no idea who would win. And, I don't think you'll believe me, but Aia and Sora were both defeated! I couldn't believe it even though I was right there, witnessing it with my own eyes."
"Aia and Sora?" Bakuya paused for a moment. "Did they bother you at all today?"
Byakuya continued to surprise Rukia. For a second, she thought she was dreaming.
"No, Nii-sama. They didn't bother me at all." She thought it best not to mention the glares she had received from the twins. A little white lie wouldn't hurt in this case.
They both remained silent the rest of the walk to the Kuchiki Manor.
A maid greeted the two at the entrance. After bowing to Byakuya and wishing him a good night, the older woman took Rukia and pushed her to her room.
"Rukia-sama!" the maid said. "It's so good to see you again! You had me so worried. I trust that you are feeling much better?"
Rukia looked down bashfully. "Yes, I do feel much better, thank you."
The maid beamed with joy. "I'm so glad to hear it, Rukia-sama!"
The older women carefully helped Rukia to bed. She refused to let the young girl move a muscle, insisting that any small movement would hinder her recovery.
Once Rukia was tucked in, the maid sat down by her side. She gently took the pin out of Rukia's hair and placed it on the bedside counter. The older woman brushed Rukia's bangs to the side.
"Now, Rukia-sama, be honest with me. How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling just fine."
Rukia did not miss the maid's raised eyebrow.
"I will be fine, I mean. I feel a bit tired, but I know that in a couple of days, I'll be as good as new. You shouldn't worry yourself over me!"
"You're wrong, Rukia-sama. The moment you stepped foot into this house, my job became taking care of you. You've always treated me so well, better than the other members of this house. I am so happy to be able to serve someone as kind as you. Sometimes, I even forget that it is my job to serve you. You make me feel so comfortable. I have become so fond of you that I've begun to think of you as a daughter. I've started telling people I have two daughters!" the maid laughed.
A huge smile came onto Rukia's face. Her tired eyes closed from how big she was smiling. Her heart fluttered. Is this what it felt like? To be someone's daughter? To be loved by a mother?
A knock at the door interrupted the two. They turned to find Byakuya at the door.
"Looks like it's time for me to go. Good night, Rukia-sama."
Rukia smiled at her friend as she stood up to leave.
Once the maid had left, Byakuya took a second before entering his sister's room. He walked over and stood by her bedside. Unbeknown to Rukia, he was at a loss for words. He was searching for anything to say, but came up with nothing. Rukia mistook this as his usual silence.
"What is it, Nii-sama?" she finally asked.
"I read that receiving gifts while one is ill can help them with their recovery…"
Rukia was confused. She looked at her brother. She watched as he pulled something from behind his back. In his hand was a Chappy plushy. With wide eyes, Rukia sat up.
"Nii-sama?"
He handed her the white bunny. Who would have guessed that the sight of his sister marveling over a toy would bring such joy to the passive man?
Rukia looked at the stuffed bunny in her hands. It wore a tiny shihakusho and a small purple flower adorned one of its ears. She hugged the gift tightly. It was so soft!
"Nii-sama, thank you so much! I love it!"
Byakuya didn't say anything, mostly because he didn't know what to say. This was not easy for him. It would take him some time to get used to...whatever this was.
"Get some rest," he finally said.
Rukia looked at her brother as he walked out the door. She couldn't remember the last time she had ever felt this happy.
I really enjoyed writing that last part :') I found myself fangirling over Byakuya lol. I was tempted to add a little snippet of him awkwardly shopping for the Chappy doll. It was so funny imaging him being so serious yet so confused as he tried to pick one out for Rukia!
But what did you think about this chapter? I had so much fun with this one!
Thanks for reading! :)
