Atonement.13
It was as she had first thought; they were too late.
Ichigo's classmate and another dark-haired girl were dead. Rukia saw him clench his hands and knew deep inside he was blaming himself. It's not your fault, she wanted to say, but couldn't quite swallow past the lump in her throat. That was the same thing Ukitake-Taichou and everyone else had told her when Kaien died.
The same helpless feeling of wondering, just torturing yourself by saying that only if you had been a little stronger this might not have happened.
Rukia heard his sigh and reached out, her hand inches away from the sleeve of his shirt when the wall burst inward.
The Hollow! So, it hadn't fled to Hueco Mundo as she had thought. She paced back, watching it warily, her instincts told her to flee, gain open ground. She had everything to lose by fighting in such close quarters as the girl's apartment.
"So..ra."
Her head swiveled to where Inoue lay on the floor, loose orange hair pillowing her head. The girl halfway rose, her gray-eyed gaze on the creature's massive face. "Big Bro..ther?" The Hollow stiffened, its voice hoarse as if it hadn't spoken in ages. "Orihime... so you remember me." There was wonder and another element that Rukia didn't like present. She tensed, standing protectively in front of Ichigo, waiting for it to make the first move.
"Of course, I remember you!" The girl unconsciously raised a hand to wipe away a tear that had formed in her eye, "you're my big brother! My Sora...you took care of me ever since I was little."
"That's right," the Hollow nodded, "I took care of you all by myself and when I died you were left all alone."
Inoue clasped her hands together, pressing them to her heart, "oh! Big brother, I've missed you so much! You wouldn't believe--"
"So, much that you would rather forget my memory?" The room darkened; Rukia felt its anger rising, tainting the atmosphere. "What do you..mean?" Inoue's eyes widened. Ichigo made a move to go around Rukia, but she held him off, jerking her head to the side with a hiss of wait!
"After I died you prayed everyday and talked to me about how your day had gone. I couldn't cross over because I was worried for you and so I stayed around, keeping watch. Your prayers gave me peace..." It seemed to smile a little in memory, but even that soon faded, "until you met that boy!" The Hollow's angry gaze turned accusingly to Ichigo.
"He made you forget me! He was all you thought of and so you forgot me! Forgot the brother who sacrificed everything for you! And that I cannot forgive!" With this, the Hollow lunged violently for Ichigo. Rukia without thinking shoved him aside, the wall exploded behind her and she was pitched out into the night.
~*~
"Rukia!!!" Ichigo yelled, hurling himself against the edge. His amber eyes widened momentarily at the sight rising before him. "T-There's another?!"
~Las Noches~
He supposed he should've been angered at the entrance of the one-eyed little Arrancar girl. She was a part of Stark, if memory served correctly, and the embodiment of his Zanpaku-to.
"What do you want?" Ulquiorra asked, his chin tilted up to regard the frowning girl.
"Stark sent me to tell you that your squeeze," her mouth pouted, her arms crossed over the white halter top, "was being mauled by a lower Hollow in the living world."
Something in his chest immediately quavered, however, he managed to appear as if this news didn't concern him. "I see..."
"Alrighteee then!" She pivoted on her heel to go out the door, pausing only long enough to add, "he said she wouldn't last long. That if you didn't hurry...she'd be eaten."
The Arrancar was gone before he could question her further on the Primera's knowledge of Rukia. How dare-- Ulquiorra suppressed his anger. If indeed what Stark had sent the trash to tell him of, was true then, but Aizen had--
Rukia!
~Living world~
"Foolish woman."
She groaned softly, her head was pillowed against coarse fabric and beneath it she could feel the musculature of a firm chest. In the haziness of her thoughts, one cognizance surfaced. That voice! She struggled against the arms that confined her, his name falling from her lips even as her eyes opened to find the familiar emerald green eyes staring back.
"Ulquiorra!?"
Pale lids fluttered closed, "who else?"
Rukia marveled for a moment, his face completely devoid of the mask. The same fine, almost delicate features, the cyan lines flowing beneath each orb. "Ulquiorra..." she murmured, her mouth sliding into a relieved smile, "it's really you. I thought--"
"Thought what?" There was a hint of sardonic mockery that she decided for once to ignore.
"I thought maybe I was..." he touched down on the roof of a building but didn't release her right away. She was glad of that since she didn't want him to let go. Suddenly feeling shy, Rukia lowered her eyes to her hand clutching the front of his jacket. So desperately, she thought and colored slightly, releasing her hand-hold.
"Finish. Rukia." Ulquiorra commanded with barely a trace of emotion in his voice.
"Wha-what I mean is--" she felt herself sway and grabbed onto his shoulders. He leapt back with ease, evading the Hollow's long arm swipe. "Trash," Ulquiorra said above her, his eyes narrowing on the form of what-had been Inoue's brother. Damn it, inwardly she cursed. She had forgotten about it entirely and--
Ichigo was down below, his bright hair the only color in the darkness of the street. Rukia saw the look on his face and couldn't blame him. But...
Ulquiorra dodged another assault. One arm was wrapped securely about her back, keeping her in place as he phased from spot to spot. Being so close to him as she was, Rukia couldn't help but feel the power contained within his body. Just how much more powerful had he become?
"I've no fight with you..." She tilted her head up to catch the indifference in his eyes., "So, why do you persist-?"
The Hollow rasped, "the Shinigami..give me the Shinigami!"
It wants...me? Has Sora Inoue's humanity totally disappeared-?! She felt momentarily startled by the change in its sights. Ulquiorra pressed her closer, a quiet sigh leaving his mouth, "and that is the one thing I will never give up to the likes of you."
Green light pierced a hole through its forehead; its body slowly disintegrating into a thousand spirit particles.
"S-Sora!!!" Inoue's cry shattered the night.
Rukia reflected then what she had seen in Ichigo's gaze. In his eyes, the two Hollows were the same. Two monsters. Two malevolent lost souls that needed to be destroyed. But as Ulquiorra landed in the quiet street; she knew the truth.
There were bad Hollows and then there were good Hollows.
Ulquiorra was a good Hollow.
~*~
"What happened here?"
The question as well as the voice awoke her. That was--but it couldn't be...
Rukia started awake, at once Ichigo tried to hold her down, his amber eyes narrowed in suspicion wandering to the two black clad forms exiting the Shoji doors made of light.
"U-Ukitake-T-Taichou and N-Nii-sama?!" She stammered, knowing even without looking for his presence, that he had left once again. Damn him...
~To be continued~
AN: (^^; sorry for the long wait! Hopefully I still have readers. ^^ anyway I know it's not accurate at all about Inoue and the battle with Sora, but whatever. Ulqui just had to leap into action and save Rukia ;) thanks for reading.
No flames-haters-Stupid comments!
Reviews appreciated :)