Everything was the same. She hadn't noticed it on her way to the bath, but every single thing in her room had been left where she had put it since leaving that time to the Thirteenth Division. Fingering the hair ornaments never worn, she reflected on her feelings.
What was so indefinable previously, made almost sense now.
They had needed each other. She had liked that fulfillment, of being required. Needed. That had been lacking during the beginning from her estrangement with Renji- strange she hadn't thought of him at all when with Ulquiorra. There had always been something else to do, words to bandy with the usually silent Hollow, food to gather, bath sights to find...
Dammit. Annoyed with the tell-tale prickling of her eyes, she rubbed furiously at them. How weak was that...tearing up over remembrances like those? She-!
"Rukia.." The door slid open quietly.
Stiffening with the thrill of nervous tension that had always gripped her being in his presence, she turned slowly, wearing a mask of calmness. "Nii-sama, you required something-?" her eyes respectfully remained trained somewhere on the side, rather than directly meeting his gaze.
He did the same. Looking askance, past her out into the slice of the gardens visible beyond the engawa. "I trust everything is to your preferences?"
As if he ever gave a da- but she stopped her rebellious thoughts. "Yes."
A short pause, then, "I thought it best for you to rest a duration before resuming your duties in the Thirteenth division. I took the liberty of informing Ukitake of this beforehand."
"Ah, whatever Nii-sama thinks is best." Rukia murmured, a quiet seething steadily growing strength within her. Rest was the thing she wanted the least. To get back into her long neglected duties, to once again sink into obscurity as just another face among others was what she want-no needed.
"Rukia." The note of something else in his cool tone surprised her.
"Nii-sama, w-what is it?" Rukia despised the tremor she had given away.
"There were two Hollows reported in the vicinity of where you were discovered. One was of considerable strength..of more than what you yourself could've handled."
Her eyes hardened but she kept the rest of her expression neutral. Ulquiorra..
"Understandably it is being questioned, your state of well-being coming from such a situation." Byakuya's cold gray eyes remained somewhere to the left of her.
Her anger deepened. How dare he...!
"Now I must ask..." his voice was a deadly thin whisper. "Why are you unharmed, Rukia?"
That did it. "Ulquiorra would never-!" She bit down on the insides of her mouth, too late realizing she had been led into a trap.
"Ul..quiorra?" her brother's lips thinned. "Pray tell who is this-Ulquiorra, Rukia? It is a Hollow, is it not?"
(*)*)*)*)*)Las Noches Palace(*)*)*)*)*)
"So, are you really going to go through with it?" Lilinette's usually bossy voice was timorous, a pitch lower than what he was used to. "Of course." Stark had his arms pillowed under his head, eyes staring up at the ceiling moodily. That Ulquiorra was a peculiar one.
Rather than find it disturbing or not in the norm of developing some sort of feeling toward a Shinigami, the Primera could see it didn't bother the Cuatro in the slightest. Startled some by this forced realization, then on further contemplation accepting it to a degree of near impassiveness that was infuriating as Stark wasn't good at reading expressions.
What does it feel like? That was what he most desired to know. He could almost envy the other, having the companionship he had lacked for all those years.
"What I don't see is why all this just for a Shinigami!" Lilinette persisted, pouting in visible annoyance. "I mean what is Lord Aizen thinking being interested in her?"
"It's not our place to question our Lord's whims." Stark patiently said, though he himself wasn't so fond of the idea. There was a soft flump as his fraccion dropped onto one of the outer pillows, her skinny arms and legs crossed, her expression set in a serious frown.
"Yeah... but what I don't get is why not Ulquiorra? Why do you have to go to that place, Stark?"
He heard the sadness in her tone, masked by the petulant child's whine. Being two halves of the same Hollow meant that the absence of one was felt deeply by the other. He wasn't sure of how it would feel, their connection tested between two worlds for a longer period of time.
"Ulquiorra...was not informed of this."
"I know that!"
"Our Lord wished to observe the effects Kuchiki Rukia left upon the Cuatro Espada for what specific reason I do not know."
She grew quiet, her one eye tilted to study the floor. "..maybe Lord Aizen thinks that the Shinigami might abandon the other Shinigami for Ulquiorra and that's why he needs you to watch over her- for when that time comes."
Stark made a noise in his throat, grumbling softly. It was entirely possible Aizen had thought that much ahead. But he did have to smile some. "That Shinigami has a knack for getting into trouble. More likely Aizen's afraid she'll get herself eaten or something before he has a chance to accomplish whatever objective he has for them."
"That's true!" Lilinette crossed her arms over her scanty top. "If Kuchiki Rukia would get herself eaten then there would be no need for you to go to Soul Society!"
"Don't let him hear you say that." he warned, "Ulquiorra's very protective over that little Shinigami."
"Hmm.. well, I don't care. He's Cuatro and together we're the Primera. There's nothing he can say or do to us."
"Still. I don't want you to be saying things like that. I've asked Halibel to keep an eye on you while I'm gone-" he stopped.
"About that.." once again her expression became downcast. "When exactly are you going to leave?"
Sighing a little, he reached out and ruffled the top of her head, mussing up the short blond strands that weren't hidden by the broken mask fragment. "Szayel's creating the Gigai as we speak. So, I'm sure I can expect it by sometime tomorrow."
She made a face, for once not snapping at him. "Oh, I see."
"Lilinette..." Stark could feel the depression seeping through their bond.
She looked up at him. "Stark...you're such a big oaf, be careful around those Shinigami, you know how they hate our kind."
One didn't, he was sure, thinking of the petite yet weak-seeming Shinigami, but didn't say anything.
(*)*)*)*)*)Living world(*)*)*)*)*)
Ichigo couldn't catch his breath.
Running up the streets, pursued by something only he could see... his eyes screwed shut tightly, willing his aching lungs to take in a draught of air. He was only glad he had able to draw it away from Chad and Tatsuki. The creature's clawed feet scraped the asphalt behind him, the heavy lumbering gait familiar almost as was the long lure like thing hanging before its horrible masked face.
Strangely he thought of Rukia.
Then of the sword she had wielded to protect him the first night they met.
Where had she gone? Though he had only known her for such a short time, it felt like it had been longer. He-
"I've got you now, boy!" The triumphant ring of the creature's bass tones reverberated seconds before he was slammed down. The ground jarred his spine painfully making a groan leave his lips. Was this the end?
Trapped between the creature's front legs, he couldn't move as it lowered its face to him, inclining its nostrils to inhale deeply something only it could smell.
"Haha! I knew it, boy! You're that prey whom escaped me by that foolish woman's sacrifice!"
His vision blurred; his thoughts growing confused.
Wha...what did it mean?
A massive limb settled against his chest, pinning him down.
"Now become one with me!"
The last thing Ichigo saw, was his mother's kindly face smiling down at him, her body attached to the lure.
(*)*)*)*)*)
"Ichigo-!" Isshin's quiet gasp was a parent's worst nightmare.
"So, you felt it as well." A blond man knelt on one knee at the fallen boy's side. Blood had soaked through the breast. The shopkeeper's eyes slanted up at the other's approach. "The Grand Fisher of course. I unfortunately was only able to chase it away for the time being. I'm sure it will be back to finish what it had started."
The father dropped to the ground, to his trained eye as a human doctor he could see the pallid lifelessness of his son's body. "Save him." To be asking the help of the man was a severe blow to Isshin's pride, however he could not do what needed to be done on his own strength. His fault in not being able to save Masaki had taught him that.
"I know you can do it. So...please. Save my son."
Urahara looked at him measuredly, the slightest of smiles shadowing his handsome face. "I can, however...there will be a price."
Isshin clasped the fingers about Ichigo's flaccid wrist, feeling what he knew already. No pulse.
"Name it."
-TBC...
AN: sorry for the long wait -.-; thanks for reading.
No flames-haters-stupid comments!
Reviews appreciated and loved :)