OUR LOVE TOWARDS THE FUTURE

By: Mari Kia Aishiteru

TWO: Attack!

Rukia opened the door of her apartment. She left her shoes at the genkan and stepped inside. She lay down her school bag on the couch and went straight to the kitchen. She put down the plastic bag on the kitchen counter and started placing the foods on the refrigerator. She just bought some cup noodles, yogurts and other necessities she needed after getting out of school. She was earning the money that her foster parents entrusted her.

Actually, her foster parents were one of the richest families in Japan. That was why she had a lot of money in her account. But, she was still earning it for the people not to think of her as a rich stubborn princess who ran away from home and decided to start a normal life with her parents still giving her money to do what she wants. Because, she was not really like that. She just wanted to have a normal life. But, she knew. She knew that her life would never be normal. Because, she wasn't normal.

[FLASHBACK]

"Onii-chan! Will you come with me and play over there?" Eleven-year-old Rukia asked excitedly as she tugged her brother's coat with her right hand and pointing at the playground with her left.

They were in the park because this is the place where he first saw Rukia, lying down on the grass, unconscious and blood all over her body. He immediately carried her to the hospital to be treated. When she told them that she didn't have any family, his parents decided to adopt her and treat her as their daughter. He gladly accepted, since he was the only child.

He bended to her level and smiled, "Of course I will. Come on. Where do you want to play?" he asked as he looked around.

"I want to play at that thing over there!" she replied grinning widely as she pointed to the swings.

"Ok then, let's go." He said as they move their way to the swings.

Rukia sat on the swing while her brother moved at her back to push her.

"You ready, Rukia?" he asked.

"Hai!" she replied excitedly.

He just smiled back as he started to push her. Rukia giggled loudly as her brother push her harder up to the air. After a few hours of playing at the swings, they heard someone calling their names.

"Byakuya! Rukia!" a woman with black hair called out. She was running towards them with a smile on her face.

Byakuya stopped pushing Rukia and the said little girl stood up from the swing. She also ran up to the woman. The woman bends to reach her level and embraced her. Rukia hugged her back.

"Mommy!" she exclaimed as she giggled between her mother's kisses on her cheeks. Byakuya walked up to them.

"You ready to go home now, you two?" their mother asked.

"Hai!" Rukia answered.

All of the other people at the park had gone home and they were the only ones who were there at that moment. The sun had gone down a few minutes ago and the place was dark.

"Mom, where's Dad?" Fourteen-year-old Byakuya asked as he followed his mother and sister to the car park in front of the park's gate.

"He's waiting for us at the gate, dear." She answered as they walked. They saw their father, waiting for them, outside the car.

"Daddy!" Rukia exclaimed as she ran up to her adopted father.

Her father hugged her like her mother did a while ago.

"Hi little princess, how's your day?" her father asked.

"It's fun daddy! Byakuya onii-chan let me play and he played with me daddy! I really love playing with Onii-chan!" Rukia exclaimed as she hugged Byakuya this time. Byakuya hugged her back.

Rukia looked up at Byakuya and grinned widely. "Thank you Oniichan! I love you!" she said as she giggled.

The young man smiled genuinely. He really loves her even though she wasn't his true sister and that will never change. Whatever happens.

They move their way in the car when suddenly there were men who held them up. They were holding guns and bats. One of the men held up their parents. Byakuya lost the hold of one of them, grasped Rukia by the wrist and placed her behind him, protecting her from the men.

"Gangsters, what do you want?" Byakuya asked calmly.

"Byakuya! Run! Take Rukia away! Don't worry about us! Go now!" their father yelled.

Instead of listening to his father's orders, Byakuya just stood there and waited for his question to be answered.

"We just want your car that's all. Don't worry, we will not hurt any of you." One of the men said as he touched the car's window sill.

One of them went in the car and looked inside.

"Wow, I can see that your family was rich. Oh, I know, I will kidnap your lovely daughter and ask for some ransom. How about a ten billion yen? That will be enough. Right boys?" he said.

The other men nodded at the idea.

Byakuya's eyes widened.

No one will kidnap the little girl behind him. Over his dead body.

"I will not let you do that!" Byakuya yelled. He will not let her little sister be hurt for some pleasure of these kinds of people.

"Oh really?" the man inside the car said. He got out of the car and held up Byakuya's arm tightly that he winced.

"Let me go, you monster!" Byakuya yelled as he fought on getting his arm out of the man's grasp but to no avail.

Rukia saw this and looked up to her parents and then, at Byakuya. She didn't really know how but she suddenly felt warm inside of her. And then, a burst of strong wind approached straight at the men. They were choking to death. The men's hold at her parents and brother loosened and they were all shocked to see Rukia's eyes change its color, from violet to ice blue. Her whole body was surrounded by a white-colored light. After what it seems like forever, the strong gust of wind stopped and Rukia lose consciousness. Byakuya caught her falling body. The men lay down on the ground. Her father touched one of the men's pulses.

"H-He's dead. They're dead. All of them." He said in shock.

"Dear, you think it's…" the mother asked as she looked at the sleeping Rukia on her son's arms.

"Yes, dear. Rukia, she had such an extraordinary powers." Their father replied as the parents made their way to their two children.

"Dad, what do you plan on doing from now on?" Byakuya asked his father as they made their way home. He sat on the back seat with Rukia still sleeping, her head on his lap. He continued to stroke her hair as he waited for his father's answer.

He heard his father sighed.

"I don't know what to think right now. But, I love Rukia as a daughter now. And I want her to stay with us forever. Even though, she had such a power…" his father paused, he glanced at his smiling wife seated next to him. He looked at the road and smiled.

"…she will still be my daughter. I'll protect her. We will keep this secret. This way, we can protect her from other people. We will help her hide her powers. She will be safe. I promise." He finished.

Byakuya smiled.

"Me too, Dad. I want to protect her too. Because she's my sister. And I love her so much." Byakuya replied.

His mother smiled at him.

"You are really attached to her now, aren't you, Byakuya?" his mother asked.

He smiled and looked at Rukia. "Yes mom. I want to make her happy. I want to always see her happy. I love to see her smile. I don't know when I feel this way but I want to be her brave brother who will always defend her and never let her go through pain and sadness. And I swore to fulfill that promise." He said as he smiled at the sleeping Rukia who was oblivious at the moment.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

She sighed lightly while resting on her blue-leathered couch. She already had changed her clothes from her gray uniform to her blue blouse and short jeans. She looked up at the ceiling as she said, "That's right, that's the time when my foster family discovered my true nature. The true me."

She suddenly remembered what happened back at school today. She acted normally as she planned. But, there was a weird feeling she couldn't pinpoint at. That orange-haired guy.

That guy, who sat next to her, she could feel such a different aura surrounding him. Different aura from the normal aura a normal human should have. Not only him, the girl, Kurosaki Orihime also. They both had much higher aura that a normal human shouldn't have. Maybe they were related to each other?

But, even so, she couldn't tell them what she thinks about them. They might get dragged in her world, and they might get hurt.

She sighed heavily. "I think I should investigate them secretly." She thought aloud as she rested her head on the arm of the couch and closed her eyes slowly, falling asleep almost immediately.

"You called for me, my lord?" a black-haired guy with blue eyes asked as he stood before the man in front of him. He was wearing a white cloak. The man he just asked wore a golden haori and hakama symbolizing his high position at that place, which was still unknown.

"Yes. I want you to continue the mission now." He ordered.

The guy's fists clenched unconsciously but upon realizing it, he willed himself to relax. "Are you talking about the class A mission sir?" he asked again.

"Of course. Now, take whoever or how many black soldiers you want in this castle, just make her come here and beg to me to join us. Understand?"

"I understand, my lord. I'll take my leave then." He replied as he turned around to leave but was stopped by a soft, reassuring voice.

"Nazure, there's no need to hurry. We still had a lot of time left before the transfer ceremony. Just take it easy, you got it?"

"Yes your highness. Excuse me." He said politely, bowing his head and left the room.

When he left, a man with a red haori and black hakama had walked in. He had a yellow spiky hair and blue eyes. Nazure bowed before him before completely leaving the room. He just nodded at him and faced the man in the center of the room.

"You already resume the princess hunting, father?" the guy with the yellow hair asked.

He smiled at his son. "Yes, my son. Even though the ceremony was so far away, we must secure the princess' enormous powers as our own." He explained to his son who nodded.

"I know that, I'm sure Nazure will complete the mission. He's your strongest soldier after all." He said as he sat on the chair across his father's.

His father chuckled. "You're right, my son. He's loyal too."

"Yes, even though he used to be the guardian of Princess Hisana. I heard he loved her and he became her fiancé so I thought that he might betray us soon enough by sparing the life of her loved one's little sister." He explained calmly.

"You had a point, Shizuri. I guess he's just waiting for the right time to attack me." He said chuckling slightly. "But he knew that he couldn't do that." He said as he faced his son.

"Because, I already transferred the King's Powers in me. He knew how strong the King's Powers is, that's why he knew that he can't do anything to stop me." He explained as he smirked evilly.

His son just smiled as he thought of something. "Father, why do you want Princess Rukia's powers? You said that the King's Powers that you transferred in your being was powerful already. Why do you still need her?" he asked hesitantly.

His father sighed. "My son, Kuchiki Rukia's powers were different. Before she escaped in the Butterfly Society for the Human World, her siblings gave her half of their powers." He explained.

"So, you are saying that Princess Rukia's powers were like the combination of the powers of the Kuchiki siblings? The four strong natural elements?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes my son." He nodded. "Princess Rukia had the ability to absorb the powers of any butterflies. That's her special ability despite her elemental powers which is the wind. So, we need to get her ability to absorb and all of the powers she absorbed. That way we will be invincible."

"Father, if we didn't fulfill that plan then Princess Rukia will be our strongest threat, right?"

"That's right. So we need to ensure that she will not absorb any powers any longer. She was inexperienced in the way she was right now. This is our chance to make her weak for her not to be able to absorb any powers." He paused as he stood up from his seat and looked at the window behind him, turning his back at his son. "As long as she is in the Human World, with no butterflies, she will not be able to absorb, and that would be our advantage." He finished.

"You were really troublesome, Father. But, I'm willing to help." Shizuri thought. "And when everything works out fine, I will be the prince of the Butterfly Society, and will be powerful." He smiled at the thought.

Nazure was walking out of the castle when a familiar voice stopped him.

"The king resumed the hunting?" she asked, eyes fixed at him.

He ran a hand on his hair. "Yeah. He did." He simply answered. He continued to walk past her but she followed.

"You sure about this, Nazure? I thought you promised her that you would protect her sister in her place before she was locked up?"

"You're right. But, I need to do this for the time being. I'm sure the guardians were doing their work already. All I can do for now is to wait and to keep an eye on her."

"Even though the one you were trying to protect thinks that you're trying to force her into something that she didn't want to do?" she asked.

"I don't care what she thinks of me." He replied calmly.

"I know, you only care about her safety." She said as she gazed at him. "You know, you're such a good brother-in-law and boyfriend." She said mockingly.

"Thanks for the compliment, Izuki. I'll be leaving now." He said as he reached a fusuma door and opened it.

"Yeah. Good luck and take care, baka." She said as Nazure smiled with a nod and walked in the fusuma door.

They just didn't know that there was someone listening to their conversation. He left before Nazure with a troublesome plan.

"I'll go ahead of you, Hitsugaya Nazure. I will fulfill your mission in my own way." He smiled as he thought of an idea to get the princess in his hands.

"Why does it feel so hot all of a sudden?" Rukia thought. Out of curiosity, she opened her eyes, and shocked at the scene before her.

"What the— how did this happen?" she muttered as she stood up and coughed at the smoke hovering over her apartment. "Where does this fire came from?" she asked in no one in particular.

She looked around only to see that her apartment was totally covered in fire. However, she noticed something.

"This fire, it's spreading like it's alive. This is not a normal fire. It was being controlled." She gritted her teeth in frustration. "The people in this building would be ashes very soon if I didn't do something." She thought. "They're after me again."

Ichigo was sitting on the couch, while reading his favorite William Shakespeare book. Orihime was on his left, watching television. She was laughing so hard because of the funny show she was watching.

"Orihime will you shut up? I can't concentrate!" he scolded.

"But it's funny Ichi." She reasoned.

"I don't care but please just watched quietly." He told her as he get back on reading his book. Suddenly, the phone rang and his father answered it.

"Hello?" he heard his father asked. He immediately noticed his father's change of facial expression. When he placed down the phone, Ichigo asked, "What's that about, Dad?"

"There's a fire in a building near here. We need to get ready for patients. Come on you two." He said as the two immediately get up from their positions, with Ichigo closing his book and placing it on the table and Orihime turning off the television with a remote control.

They all went to the small clinic that the twin's father managed in this town. He was known to be the most intelligent doctor in their place. He saved many lives already that was why Ichigo dreamt of being a doctor someday also like his father. After a few moments of preparing the utensils and things for healing, there were several people who entered their small clinic. Everything was in chaos again whenever this happens. Ichigo and Orihime helped their parents in taking care of the injured victims from the reported fire in a building, one block from their street. He heard his father asked one of the volunteers who was taking the victims to their clinic, while healing one of the victims' right burned arm.

"Are there any other victims at the scene?"

"Yes doctor. The transferring of the victims in here were very slow because of the lack of the volunteers." He answered.

"I understand. I'll go there personally then." Isshin, Ichigo's father, said as he got his black bag and called on. "Masaki, Ichigo and I will go there to help. You and Orihime take care of the things here while we're gone."

He saw his mother nodded, smiling. He heard his father called him, and Ichigo followed him outside.

They soon reached the place. The fire was still growing even though the fire fighters were doing their best to put this out. Then, they helped the other victims that were stranded there.

…

"I-I couldn't… take this… out any… further…" Rukia told herself as she tried to use her water element power to put out the fire. She was breathing heavily. She was trying to get out of her apartment using her power but every time she used her water element power, the fire spreads further. She suddenly heard a faint voice.

"H-help…m-me…" the voice said, followed by a faint sob.

Rukia focused on listening to the voice. "There's one person trapped in the next door. I need to…" she paused as she used her water element at the door full of fire to get out. She finally did it and immediately walked inside the apartment next to her. She searched for the voice again. She tried to call out.

"Hello? Anyone here?" she heard someone answered.

"He…lp… p…le…ase…"

Rukia found herself in the bedroom and saw a little girl covering herself with a blanket while coughing. She seemed to lose consciousness when this fire started. She reached out and looked at the little girl.

"Are you alright?" Rukia asked.

"Onee… chan?" the little girl asked. The little girl remembered Rukia to be the weird high school student living alone next to them. She wasn't the talkative type to them and their other neighbors, that was why she thought that Rukia was weird. "I-I…Mommy…"

Rukia smiled at her. "Come on, don't worry. I'll bring you to your mommy."

"Really?"

"Really. Now, hold on to me tightly, 'kay?" Rukia asked kindly as she carry the little girl in her arms.

The little girl merely nodded. Rukia tried her best to get out without using her powers because the little girl might see it. She used her invisible shield with her water element instead for the little girl will not be able to see it. But, this ability was eating her energy when used. She tried harder not to lose consciousness because she needed to save the little girl. Her mother might be really worried about her daughter.

Every time she walked home from school, she would always see the two of them. The little girl was giggling and her mother was saying something to her. She thought about her family, foster and true, when she saw the bond between mother and daughter so she had to bring this little girl back to her mother. She couldn't break their bond just because of her. She couldn't do that. She promised to herself that the past will never be repeated again, so she will do her best to prevent it from happening. Even if her life depends on it.

…

Ichigo heard a voice screaming in front of the burning building. A volunteer was trying to stop her because she seemed to want to go inside the building for something.

For what?

Then, as if she heard his question, he heard her say, "My daughter is still inside! I need to save her! My daughter needs me! Let me go!" she tried to let go from the volunteer's grasp but to no avail. Ichigo went up to her and said, "Don't worry ma'am. I'll go inside."

His father heard him and said, "Ichigo, don't try to be a hero." Calmly enough for Ichigo to understand that he was letting him do what he want, just don't get hurt or killed. Ichigo nodded at his father who smiled slightly.

As Ichigo was walking to the building, he saw a shadow, a shadow coming out of the burning building. The other people there watched closely and patiently until the shadow got clear. Ichigo was surprised when he saw the familiar black raven hair and violet eyes.

"The mysterious Kuchiki girl? But, how did she—" He thought as he saw her walked tiredly with a little girl securely carried in her arms. She was breathing heavily as she stumbled down on one knee. He immediately ran to her side and inspected her.

"Hey, are you… alright?" he asked hesitantly. She looked at him, seem surprised herself to see him, but nodded eventually. She saw the little girl's mother running towards them. She sat on their level and looked at her daughter. The little girl saw her mother and Rukia let go of her to let the little girl come to her mother.

The daughter started to sob on her mother's chest as her mother hold her tightly. Rukia stared at them and felt a smile escape her lips. A smile that held her emotions towards her own family and friends who died because of her, and for her sake. The smile turned into a sad smile when Ichigo looked at her.

"Those eyes again… What's wrong with this girl? Why was she… like this? And why won't she talk about it?" he thought as he continue to stare at her pained face.

He stopped his train of thoughts when he saw the girl's eyes slowly closing and losing its violet glow. She fell into the darkness called unconsciousness when Ichigo caught her in his arms. He heard footsteps coming to his side. "Ichigo, bring her to the clinic. She's tired, she needs to rest." He heard his father said from his side. He stood up, carrying the girl bridal style. He looked at his father and nodded. Then, he headed out.

…

Where… am I?

Her violet orbs opened. She sat on the bed she was lying onto. She noticed her clothes were changed into a blue dress. She started to panic in her mind. Where she was now? As if the heavens heard her asked, she heard a familiar voice from the door.

"Seems you're awake." He said as he slowly walked inside, and stopped when he reached the side of the bed. She slowly looked up at him and was shocked. The orange-haired guy with a high amount of aura! But, why is he… Her thoughts stopped. She looked at him, and not just looked; she glared, as if she wanted to kill him on the spot.

"Where am I?" she questioned.

"Don't get the wrong idea." He paused to turn away from her deathly glare. "You're in our clinic." He said.

"Clinic?" she asked, confused. "Why am I here? I am not injured so why…" she coughed so hard that her throat and chest were hurting so much.

"Hey! Take it easy. You're not injured yes. But, you lose consciousness and we don't know what to do so I decided to bring you here and wait for you to wake up. You're tired so you need to rest. You can stay here for as long as you want to." He explained.

Rukia breathed out after hearing what he said. Then, she remembered about the clothes.

"Wait, where are my previous clothes?" she asked, glaring at him again. "Did you dare to…"

Ichigo knew what she meant. He immediately denied and explained. "No! It's not what you think it is. I am not the one who changed your clothes you know." He said, blushing madly.

"Oh? And who did it?" she asked, ignoring the blush that she could see on his cheeks.

"My twin sister." He said calmly, now, looking at her.

"Your twin sister?" she asked in disbelief. "You had a twin sister?"

"Yeah, why won't I have?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Um… that's not what I meant… sorry…" she apologized.

"Don't apologize. You don't need to." He said as he heard some knocking and a voice outside the door.

"Ichi? Is Rukia-chan already awake?" she asked.

Rukia stared at the door. That voice… it seems familiar to me… but, where did I hear it before? she thought.

"Yeah. She is awake. You can come in now." Ichigo answered.

Slowly, the door opened and revealed a young girl, who was wearing an orange shirt and a long skirt that reached below her knee. She smiled when she saw Rukia sitting on her bed. She slowly walked up to her.

"Rukia-chan, how're you feeling?" Orihime asked as she sat on the chair next to her bed.

Rukia couldn't believe her eyes. Here, in front of her, was Kurosaki Orihime, asking her if she was…

"I-I'm fine… thank you…" she answered politely but hesitantly. She looked at her lap.

Orihime noticed her uneasiness. "Oh, Rukia-chan, you don't know Ichigo yet, right?" she asked.

Rukia shrugged. "Well…"

Orihime smiled at her. "I'll introduce him to you then." She held Ichigo's hand in hers and looked at her. "Rukia-chan, I'd like you to meet… my twin brother, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Rukia looked at Ichigo and saw him looking back at her. "Now, I understand why I feel different with the both of them. It's because they're twins. But, the question is, why they have that strong aura if they were just ordinary human? Or, maybe, they're not. But, is that even possible?" Rukia thought. She turned away from Ichigo.

Ichigo noticed her distant look and called out, "Oi, are you alright?"

She didn't budge.

The twins looked at each other and then at the girl before them. "You think she's alright?" Orihime asked.

"Who knows?" He shrugged. "Try to shake her."

"'kay." Orihime answered as she slowly looked at Rukia and put her two hands on her opposite shoulders and shook her. "Rukia-chan! Wake up!"

"Eh?" was Rukia's only reply.

"Are you alright?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia nodded. "Yeah… why?"

"Rukia-chan, you spaced out. We're kinda worried about you." Orihime confessed.

"S-sorry…" she murmured. She turned away from her gaze. "Why were they worried about me? We're not even friends…" she thought.

Orihime smiled at her. "You don't need to apologize."

Rukia looked at her and smiled slightly. "Thank you, Orihime-san."

Orihime nodded and giggled. And remembered something.

"Oh, Rukia-chan, do you want us to call your family? They might be worried about you." She offered but noticed Rukia's sudden change of expression. Ichigo noticed it too and felt the urge to say, "Something wrong?"

"No. I'm sorry for worrying you two again." She replied.

"Why? You have some misunderstanding with your family?" Ichigo asked.

"No, that's impossible."

"Why is that?" Orihime asked innocently.

Rukia turned away her gaze. "Because… I… had no family…" she replied, almost a whisper, but enough for the twins to hear it.

The twins stood there, dumbfounded. They stared at her for a moment with just silence. When, Orihime broke the silence.

"I-I'm sorry, I just didn't…" Orihime trailed off as Rukia cut her. "No, it's not your fault. I accepted it a long time ago. But, I'd appreciate it so much if you would not bring it up again."

"I understand." Orihime replied. She looked at Ichigo who was still looking at the suffering girl in front of them. Orihime was sure that Rukia was suffering alone. She needed someone to hold on to and the Kurosaki sister knew who this 'someone' might be. Her twin brother also knew that he was the only one who can do this. Of course, she would be willing to help.

"Thank you." Rukia replied.

"Orihime, come on, let's go. She needs to rest." Ichigo said.

"Okay. Rukia-chan, if you need something, just call out any of us two. 'kay?" Orihime said as she stood up from her seat.

"Okay. Thank you so much for your help. Orihime-san, Ichigo-kun." Rukia nodded.

Orihime giggled. "Just call me Orihime please? We're friends now right?" she asked.

Rukia gasped silently. She cannot have friends. Their life would be in danger if…

She faced Orihime and smiled slightly.

"And call him Ichigo too. 'kay?" she asked as she pointed to her brother.

"Eh? But, it might cause him some inconvenience…" she trailed off and looked at Ichigo. She was shocked when she saw him having a small smile on his lips.

"It's fine with me." Ichigo replied.

Really? Rukia thought in disbelief.

"So, please do so, Rukia-chan." Orihime said again.

"O-okay, I will. Orihime, I-Ichigo…" she stuttered. She didn't know why she was stuttering but, she was feeling anxiety now.

Orihime smiled at her before walking out of the room. Ichigo stared at Rukia for a moment and said, "Don't worry, everything will be alright."

He walked out of the room, not waiting for her response.

Rukia didn't hear the closing of the door because she was too shocked to even pay attention to it. W-What did he say? T-those words… she thought as she slowly looked at her hands on her lap. Her eyes were still wide in shock but she later smiled sadly when she thought of what he said to her.

"That was the exact same words he told me years ago." She thought but came out from her lips as a murmur. She closed her eyes and saw his face, smiling at her.

"I missed you so much, Kaien…"

-END OF CHAPTER TWO-