Rukia Baby

by

Mojo-licious

Chapter Fifteen

- Scrutiny -

Violet eyes squeezed shut and teeth bit down on the wooden block as hands quickly straightened and then pushed the dislocated bone back in place. She cried out through clenched teeth. Despite her discomfort her trainer bent and tested the reattached joint eliciting tremors of pain and numbness down her arm. Her muscles quivered in response as the being inspected the bruised joint and gently prodded the muscle. Her face was flushed and her brow was sleek with sweat from the intense pain she had undergone. Unlike her previous trainer, this cloaked being named Nur seemed to care for her condition and tended to her injuries methodically. If the being wasn't around then the assistant, Nsia, would often tend to her injuries.

"Everything seems to be well," with that the being named Nur rose and went towards the door. Rukia watched her trainer talk to the woman with curly red hair. Her vision became hazy as she lay back down in bed feeling dizzy and disoriented. She had finished yet another grueling exercise and had sustained injuries. Swallowing hard she tried to breathe in properly. Her small frame had taken a severe beating, especially her side which ached from the blows she had received. She needed to recuperate quickly for the upcoming fights. Just as she was about to close her eyes she felt someone touch her cheek gently and saw the kind assistant Nsia hovering above her. Her curly red hair framed her porcelain face and her green eyes looked down at her with such tenderness. Soft whispers filled Rukia's ears as the gentle lull of Nsia's voice caused her body to relax and her mind to slip into the abyss. The healer rinsed a cloth in the basin and touched it to Rukia's injured side. The lulling sounds of the healer's voice abruptly halted as pain flared up the girl's side. Violet eyes opened instantly and her good hand latched onto Nsia's arm preventing her from touching the wound.

"Sshh.. it's alright Rukia. I just need to clean it," the healer whispered trying to reassure the child. There was fear in those violet orbs and again Nsia like so many other times, wondered about the damage done to the child. Nur hadn't mentioned anything when the child had been brought to her in the beginning, but the hours she had spent bandaging and healing the child spoke volumes about the girl's previous trainer.

"It's alright Roo," the healer whispered using the special nickname she had coined for the girl.

She placed a tender kiss on Rukia's forehead and whispered an incantation. Violet eyes closed and Rukia fell unconscious. Nsia waited for a few moments. Tenderly she pushed back Rukia's sweaty bangs and then inspected the child's body. Rukia lay in a pair of shorts on the bed. Nsia studied the small form, noting the cuts and scrapes that ran across her abdomen and the horrific bruise on her right side which spanned from her ribcage to her belly. The healer tried not to think of what the girl had faced this time on the training field. There were grotesque looking creatures hidden within the tunnels, more specifically inside the caves and holes of the place. While the creatures were difficult for those in the normal ranks of the military to deal with, she could only imagine how much more difficult it would be for the children; especially for someone like Rukia, who was the shortest and smallest of the bunch. After waiting a few more moments Nsia dipped the cloth in the basin and rinsed it. Carefully she placed the cloth on Rukia's injured side, Rukia's breath hitched and her body tensed. Nsia bit her lip worriedly but continued dabbing the cloth lightly against the bruised skin. Soft whimpers and hurried breaths filled the quiet room as the healer continued her task. After five basins of bloody water and two hours of care, Nsia was finally done. The healer pulled the blanket over her patient and leaned down placing a final kiss on the girl's cheek.

"Sleep well Roo," she whispered. She gathered her things, stood, and turned off the light beside Rukia's bed before closing the door behind her.

Two hours later..

The temperature in the room began to drop and the air became thick creating a mist that drifted towards the bed. The mist swirled and cold droplets of water joined, freezing and becoming solid ice instantly. A translucent face emerged from the mist. Cold ice blue eyes stared at the sleeping form. Blue icy lips parted releasing a white puff into the air.

"Fool." The voice was distinctly female.

"You should have been more careful," the woman chastised. Her tone was both regal and severe. Hard blue eyes scanned the occupant taking in the details of each injury. She had borne witness to every suffering endured by the petite form, from the time of her awakening. Though she could not feel the pain of each lashing, or injury, she was privy to its depth and location, as well as the mental scars left on her charge. The child's pain was in a sense her own and whether she desired it or not, they were bound.

There wasn't much she could offer the girl. Unlike other Zanpakuto's, she lacked the affection most gave to their charges earning her the nickname Ice Queen. She was blunt, aloof and resilient. It was expected, she supposed, after all she was a warrior queen. Born, bred and raised to defy the odds and conquer. The ice that ran in her veins was evidence of this.

Blue eyes watched as the small form began tossing about restlessly. Sode no Shirayuki frowned realizing the child would injure herself further. A translucent hand materialized from the mist and was placed onto Rukia's hot forehead. The warrior queen felt her anger rise at the healer's negligence and wondered where the woman was.

The feel of a warm hand on her cold arm drew the Zanpakuto out of her musings. Her blue eyes looked down at her charge, noting the disoriented violet eyes that studied her. The warrior queen waited to see how her charge would react.

"Cold," came the whisper. Under normal circumstances she would chastise the girl for stating the obvious, but Sode no Shirayuki remained quiet.

Rukia's hot cheeks and hands were given instant relief. Still delirious and barely aware of her actions the small form tugged the arm towards her and hugged it. While the hand cooled the girls cheek, the arm draped across her, cooled her torso. The discomfort she felt moments ago dissipated and she soon fell asleep.

Sode no Shirayuki was placed in a rather awkward position. She wasn't used to people touching her. The whole thing made her feel uneasy, but she understood its necessity. Her senses tingled alerting her to a presence and she disappeared, a portion of her drifted towards the corner of the room for observation. Sure enough the red haired healer emerged with a lit candle in one hand and a shawl wrapped around her shoulders for warmth. The woman inhaled sharply at the sudden frigid air and then coughed a few times.

"Why is it so cold in here?" she wondered aloud, as she made her way towards the bed. Her fingers flicked on the light beside the bed before she leaned over to check her patient.

Sode no Shirayuki watched as the healer rushed about gathering specific items to treat the high fever. Part of her was grateful to the woman, while another part disliked her for being so lax in treating her charge. After a few minutes the Zanpakuto disappeared, preferring to observe things from her icy realm. For now Rukia seemed to be in good hands and Sode no Shirayuki noted the attachment forming between the healer and the girl. Only time would tell how the relationship would end, for now the warrior queen would merely observe the two before voicing her concerns to her charge.

Seireitei, First division..

Seated at his desk the aged General of the Gotei 13 stroked his beard as he mulled over the reports he had read. His eyes traveled towards the red folder and the scattered documents on his desk with information pertaining to the late Atagawa Nori, the previous thirteenth division captain. The man had an exemplary military record. He was a highly decorated captain and those in his division had been devoted to him. In many ways the man reminded Yamamoto of Aizen, the only difference being that Atagawa had lost his entire family to a hollow attack which later led to his decline.

The General had studied the file, paying close attention to a medical report on the man stating that he had been unfit to perform his duties as a captain. In the end an unstable mind led him to ruin as many speculated that the loss of his family had been too much for him to take. Even before the Central 46 Chambers could reach a verdict on his role in the Gotei 13, the man had disappeared along with a handful of his loyal followers.

General Yamamoto's eyes fell onto a thick stapled report with details pertaining to the wars that lasted an entire century. Those had been the toughest years. Fear, disease, famines and suspicion ran rampant through the place. Death was everywhere, its scent clinging to the walls that protected the city. After grueling battles and the death of three generations of captains and vice-captains the war had finally ended and those left behind were forced to pick up the pieces and restore order. The chaos left in the quake of the war had been almost as cumbersome as the wars itself. The aged General closed his eyes recalling how difficult things had been back then. The Gotei 13 captains today were stronger than the previous generations, but with the threat of Aizen and his Arrancar, there was a lot for them to deal with. Their forces would be stretched and the attacks upon Seireitei would be relentless. Aizen was deadly enough, but the new wave of attacks coming from the new enemy was lethal. Already they had lost two captains and a vice-captain; anymore losses could severely cripple their defense. After much deliberation the General had asked his vice-captain to seek out Kurosaki Ichigo and bring him back to Seireitei. He had sent word that Ichigo was needed to help with the fifth division; the truth was that the General wanted to keep a close eye on the youth in case he did something drastic like go after Kuchiki Rukia or his other human friend. The boy though not refined in his skills as shinigami was none the less a formidable force to deal with and Yamamoto was worried that his loyalties would lead him straight to his death, especially with these new forces aligned against them.

Absently the General turned his attention to the contents in the high level security folder labeled Project Gen-Alpha. Just the thought of it sent a chill down his spine. In the past Atagawa had created a formidable group of beings with great strength and power. It was these beings that caused the most damage to Seireitei and were the most difficult to kill. According to the report there were ten of these beings; it was assumed that their small numbers were a result of the tremendous resources needed to create them. There was little information on the details of Atagawa's operations. In the end the report was inconclusive in many areas leaving far more questions than answers. The one thing that did catch the General's attention was that the beings were marked with strange red tattoos. The location of the markings bore a great significance to the status and power of the individual and within the hierarchy of power there were three beings at the top. Of the three beings, one had the marking on the scalp, while the other two were unknown. It was noted that a few of the other Gen-Alpha beings had markings on the shoulder blade, the arm, the hand, the thigh and the base of the skull.

The elderly man frowned at the possibility of these warriors being resurrected. The Arrancar were already a handful, but the Gen-Alpha warriors would be the greatest threat. For now he decided to remain silent about his findings, there was no sense in causing a panic; his captains had enough to worry about. A knock on the door alerted the General who narrowed his eyes knowing instantly who it was.

"Enter."

General Yamamoto looked at his vice-captain, Sasakibe Chojiro, who had his head bowed. Chojiro's stance and the lack of the substitute shinigami beside him confirmed General Yamamoto's fears; the boy had acted on his own, still he waited for his vice-captain to confirm his suspicions.

"Taicho, Kurosaki Ichigo is missing."

To be Contd…

It took me a lot longer to write this chapter; I created two other versions but wasn't pleased with where the story was going so I created this one. I hope the latter part of the chapter helped explain a few things. I just love Rukia.. I've always wondered about the relationship between Sode no Shirayuki and Rukia. Hoped you liked the interaction between them. Oh and that's not Sode no Shirayuki's complete form in case you're wondering.

My thanks to all who reviewed, I always appreciate hearing your thoughts on my story. Hope you enjoyed the chappie, more to come when possible.

Next chappie. Ichigo and Kaien