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Falling Together
Chapter Sixteen - Night One - Sudden Goodbye; New Battle Preparations
RELIEF NOTE: Yay! Finally got the Fanfiction mail. I was wondering what was going on…Oh well. Enjoy this chapter, I think it might be sad….
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Ichigo was too shocked to react against Ichimaru's sword. He was busy contemplating on the words Rukia had just spoken. W-What the hell? He asked himself angrily. Why am I so mad? The sword Ichimaru called out ripped through her stomach. She coughed up blood and fell down immediately onto the floor. Blood spilt everywhere. Why the hell am I so angry!? He shouted to himself and tugged onto his orange hair. A light of visible reiatsu surrounded him and nearly shattered all the window panes.
"Rukia!!!" Renji shouted and spat out the wine that had been kept in his mouth for several seconds. She lay there motionless. Her eyes closed, and her reiatsu slowing down. "YOU BASTARD!" The red-haired shouted staring at the direction from where the sword had appeared. Ichimaru was on a window sill, a smile so wide was plastered onto his normal cold face.
"Well, hello there." He simply responded and summoned his sword to retreat back into it's sheath. "Now, goodbye." And in saying so, he quickly left including the shadow figure behind him.
"Good job…it'll be a matter of minutes when she'll come to us." Aizen replied coolly as they dashed out of the kingdom. Ichimaru's smile faded as he followed his leader.
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Hitsugaya rushed towards Rukia's side and felt her pulse. Her heart was still beating, but it was also slowly fading. He then stared at Ichigo who seemed out of it. He was staring at the ceiling wall like a dummy. His mouth opening and closing. "Damn. Looks like that reiatsu he just spilled out worn him out." Hitsugaya angrily muttered and slammed his fist on the marble floor.
Ukitake rushed by his side and stared at Rukia's pained face. "…She's not going to die." He replied quietly and then suddenly pushed Hitsugaya aside.
"W-What are you doing?!" The boy shouted angrily. He was treating Rukia's injuries, but Kyouraku who had just appeared held him back. "What the hell are you doing?!" Hitsugaya angrily repeated as he found Ukitake conjuring kidou. "That's not going to save her-" Kyouraku interrupted him.
"The move that guy made only injured her slightly." Shinsui murmured and began drinking his glass of wine. "That move was so that she can transport to their headquarters…apparently she's an interesting experiment." Kyouraku added after gulping down the whole beverage. Hitsugaya stared at his master who was muttering a long conjuring line. "That kidou, Ukitake is chanting will give us the directions to where Rukia is going to be taken."
Renji at that time, who had heard everything, stared intently at the young woman who was paralyzed and apparently asleep. His heart rate increased and he angrily swore to himself. I-I couldn't save her from one measly pierce! "Why the hell couldn't I save her!?" He shouted out loud, and suddenly a hand tightly gripped onto his shoulder, and that quieted him. It belonged to Shuuhei.
"What?" The red-head asked staring at his serious expression.
"You shouldn't be depressed over Rukia-sama." The man assured him and let go of Renji's shoulder. "She's a strong woman." He added and quickly left. Renji looked away.
No matter how strong she is…she has a limit. He thought to himself and continued to stare at her.
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Orihime quickly rushed to Rukia's side while Ukitake was performing his kidou. "If I may, may I be able to heal Kuchiki-san's wounds?" The girl asked thoughtfully, and Kyouraku allowed her to do so. "Arigatou." She whispered and kneeled down staring at Rukia. Gomen nasai…Rukia-san…She closed her eyes and began healing her.
The wounds quickly disappeared, and everyone stared with amazement. Orihime had obviously possessed a rare ability after that 'death incident.' "Orihime…I think you should check on Ichigo as well." Ishida murmured quietly after she had finished with Rukia. She nodded and followed him to the corner, where the orange-head was busy staring at the ceiling walls.
Ishida wasn't worried at all when he faced Ichigo's blank expression. Instead he was a tad angry. "How come you didn't save her?" He asked the supposedly unconscious man. He was the only one to notice that Ichigo was faking his lifelessness. "Why didn't you save her…? You had the chance!" The man spat and gritted his teeth.
"…She's not my wife anymore. So it's none of my concerns." Ichigo replied slyly and shrugged. Ishida sighed and a blue bow of reiatsu appeared in his right hand. Orihime, who had suddenly noticed this strong reiatsu glanced back at her husband who was now pointing his weapon towards the king's throat. "What the hell are you doing?" Ichigo asked staring at him wearily.
"STOP THAT ISHIDA!" Orihime cried out and started running towards the two.
"Stay out of this Orihime!" Ishida angrily retorted and continued to point the bow at Ichigo. "What the hell are you doing?" He grumbled with frustration. Ichigo stared at him for several seconds. It was amusing to see how angry Ishida could get over such a small simple subject. "Even though she proclaimed a divorce does not mean you are officially divorced." He hissed. "You should know that. You knew that."
"I-Ishida-kun? Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime whispered staring at the two. Everyone's gaze fell on the two who were in intense concentration.
"Yes. I could have saved her." Ichigo whispered clutching onto the sleeve of his silk gi. "But the fact is, she does not want me to be with her. So why save her?" He announced angrily and clearly. Orihime stared at him. He was crying inside, she could sense it.
She could feel his sadness leaking out of him, every time he spoke, every time he moved. She could see it in his eyes, the way they shimmered with no hope and only regret. Tears slid down her eyes. She was crying. And how the pain she sensed could kill her.
"O-Orihime?" Ishida asked retreating his bow. His wife was cradling herself, sobbing. "What's wrong?" He asked in alarm and raced towards her. Ichigo's head tilt down as he stared at the bloodied floor.
"Orihime?! Orihime!?" The voices of everyone in the present slowly faded away from Ichigo's senses.
It was true. He loved her. Loved her so much that when she divorced him he grew bitter and angry. So angry that his reiatsu overflowed. So angry that he couldn't think straight. So angry that he didn't want to save her from death's blade. He bit his lower lip. His mouth quivered. What the hell was wrong with him?
"What's wrong Orihime?" Ishida asked as he embraced her. She finished crying and stared at Ichigo who looked at her with a sick kindness in his eyes. He mouthed a thank you to her, and quickly fled. He knew where Rukia was. The white palace in the dunes. "Are you alright?" Ishida whispered stroking her hair. She nodded. "Why were you crying?"
"I was crying for Kurosaki-kun." Orihime whispered breathing lightly. Her husband had a small smile on his face as he proceeded to gently stroke her hair.
"Arigatou…Orihime." She heard her husband gently whisper in her ear.
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"It's in the desert!" Ukitake shouted after he had finished his performance. Kyouraku tilt his woven hat and nodded. "We shall need to get a few supplies and recruit some of the soldiers." The white-haired adult responded to the silence and looked at Yoruichi who nodded back at him.
"We'll hand over at least seven troops." She whispered. "I'm sorry that's not enough, but we've lost over 100,000 soldiers, and we can't afford to lose more." Yoruichi added as she saw Ukitake's disappointed face.
"No, it's perfectly fine." He replied in an awfully cheery voice. As the two were speaking everyone else noticed Rukia's fading body. Her figure slowly disappeared and a light of green surrounded her. The light was taking her to the new location.
"OKAY! We'll leave tomorrow noon!" Urahara slammed his fist against his palm. Yoruichi rolled her eyes.
"I'm coming too." A woman's voice echoed through the hallway. Soi Fong appeared, agitated yet calm. She strolled down towards Ukitake and saluted him with a bow. "I will bring at least five of my most intelligent soldiers." She replied and stared at Yoruichi who seemed to have agreed with her decision. Urahara gazed at Soi Fong. He hadn't seen her for a long time.
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Matsumoto came rushing in and handed a parchment to Byakuya. He opened it slightly and then dismissed her. Rukia…He thought to himself in calm panic as he realized his sister's kidnapping. He quickly left, but did not realize Matsumoto's following figure.
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The doors opened and a figure emerged from the dark area. "I'm coming too!" His voice shouted with intense frustration. Ukitake looked at the man with surprise. "That stupid son of mine! I knew he couldn't handle a man's job!" Isshin Kurosaki complained and slammed his sword against the broken door. Ukitake had a small smile as he found his comrade stomping in the hallway. "Damn that Ichigo." Isshin hissed.