A/N: I know this may seem choppy in some parts of the story, I know that when Rukia killed Kaien, she was already in the 13th division and I know that she was exempt from further examinations of the academy when she was adopted into the Kuchiki family but still I will try to make this as smooth as possible, of course I love the reviews so keep giving me them, tell me what I still need to improve with and feel free to ask questions, and the cog in the murder machine is in reference to Teenagers by MCA. I do not own MCA, or Bleach
It was nightfall and Ichigo was sitting in the same spot he had been sitting for over six hours. His mom and that Naomi lady had left a while ago. They both thought it would be best for him to be alone until he would move on but Ichigo found it harder and harder to just die peacefully. He found it ironic that here he was a step closer to being with his mother forever and he didn't even want it. He had friends, family; a weird one but still he had a family. He also was doing great in school and would become a doctor like his father when he was older, but those goals or dreams were just another cog in the murder machine, and would never be reachable again.
He gagged a bit as the chain of fate was slowly severing. It was harder to breathe with the chain attached to his chest. He wanted to just rip it off but he had a bad feeling that it wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. He stood up for the first time that day and began his walk back home. He could leave whenever he wanted to, but something gnawed at his heart. He still was bound to earth with unresolved emotions, ones that at the time he thought he could not ever heal.
A collective group of Shinigami students gathered on a district of Karakura where the least spiritually aware humans resided. They were given instructions to separate into their groups and to descend to their assigned locations. Towards the back, a Shinigami with his red hair tied upwards into a ponytail scoffed arrogantly at his surroundings while still listening to what he was supposed to do. He was acutely aware that he would have to kill any hollow that showed up. It had been a rather long time since he had been in the living world. In fact he hadn't been here since before he died, unlike Rukia his childhood was ended shortly but even then he still had to grow up under poverty and starvation so naturally anything that made him think of such times made him sick. He walked over to his small 'clique' of friends that included hinamori, Kira and a few others that he was acquaintance with. "Renji isn't this exciting?!" chirped a hyperactive student known as hinamori. Renji dismissed her exclamation with a slight nod, his eyes still looking forward in the not so distant future. Completely ignoring the laws of physics all the Shinigami students flew over fences and tall buildings as if this was their career. Soon the street where the class once was became as empty and deserted as the rest of this side of town. Renji made a note to himself that this place reminded him of Rukon district. They all gathered in the poorest side of town where little to no people lived. And though the irony is sickening, this was truly a ghost town. Helpless souls popped up here every day needing the guidance and passing on of a soul reaper such as them.
The air around Ichigo was thick with silence, and it almost suffocated him; there were only a few times Ichigo felt this alone and that was the time after him mom died and now. His mother was the center of their universe and by killing her; he killed the heart of the family. Somehow he thought back to Yuzu and Karin. He closed his eyes and his arms dragged carelessly at his sides. "I'm so sorry…" He was sorry for everything, because everything was his fault. He learned the power of guilt at a very young age, and because of that guilt, his childhood innocence had ceased to exist and was replaced by this permanent frown. He had to live everyday by keeping his face down so he wouldn't see all the other kids his age running joyously to their parents after school or karate. His father was swamped with paperwork and patients so he never had time to be with his family. That was when Yuzu took the role of being mother by cleaning and cooking. Karin had toughened up; fed up with crying and would help with her father with what she could. Ichigo stopped smiling and became quiet. His world shattered but he had no one to pick up the pieces so he had do that himself yet when he was finished there was still that empty hole, like a lost puzzle piece. If Ichigo could look over his shoulders he could relive that day all over again. There was still the fading hope; a big lantern with a small flame that his mother's arms would reach out and embrace him close again. He wished he could see Karin's smile, and Yuzu's carefree laughter again. He wanted his mother to walk through the clinic apologizing for being gone so long that everything would be fine. Ichigo would protect her always making sure that his father named him right making him number one guardian. "I am you guardian and as long as I'm here, I will be your wings so I will catch you when you fall." Ichigo did not know how much time had passed then but he trudged along further. He then let out an exasperated sigh, when morning came others would see his bloody body lying there along side of the river. He didn't want that much attention so he figured he would have to leave it at the kurosaki clinic's stoop. He hoped they wouldn't cry. He didn't want their tears or their sadness; he didn't want to hurt them any longer.
In an alternate dimension, perched in a tree sat a distant, violet eyed Kuchiki. Rukia had took her little rendezvous around seiretei. She got to breathe without her brother flanking her the whole walk. She felt like a caged bird that finally broke through. She had even stopped outside the court of pure souls and into the Rukon district. She played games with the children and told them exciting stories of the soul reapers. When she saw their bride and innocent eyes almost about to burst as she told them of all the sword fights and dangerous quests, she had to suppress a smile. This is nice, she thought. She also went about healing the ill and injured. To end her little trip, she even made some dinner for some families who could not afford to buy dinner. They all felt so grateful for her presence and selfless attitude that they were ready to give her their most prized possessions but she of course refused as she got the satisfaction of just making someone's dull life a bit brighter. She knew it wasn't much, but it was the least she could do. But of course, her freedom and happiness was short lived. Her brother, who had found her outside the gate, approached her. His spirit pressure was intense, and he sent this look that bounded her. She fell to her knees unable to move. She expected harsh words, a beating anything but the silence that seemed to strangle her. She felt his power flow into her and slowly choke her. He was pissed! The walk back home was quiet and neither spoke a word to each other. She could not cry, for crying would only be a sign of submission. Submission and display of uncontrollable emotions was frowned upon in the Kuchiki family. She felt tears burning in her eyes, longing to spill, ready to crack through that stony façade of hers. Her nii-sama did not give her a long lecture when they returned home. He did not say a word to her. Rukia let out a sigh and had found her favorite tree out in the garden. Although her eyes went sharp and clear when she felt the presence of someone else walk into the Kuchiki manor. There was something familiar about this spirit energy. She tried to think of all the possible relations to a reiatsu such as this but drew a blank. She heard words exchange between this stranger and her brother. She could not hear exactly what they were saying so she decided to eavesdrop on them. Silent as a cat, she dropped to the ground gracefully and used shunpou to appear before the main hall of the Kuchiki manor. She hid behind a pillar, and kept her ears erect.
The words were muffled to her as she tried her best to overhear what they were saying but she couldn't hide any closer in fear they would sense her spirit energy. Jut what was so important for the 13th division captain to just idly walk over to the Kuchiki mansion? It was a very improbable event that a captain would come to talk to another captain at their household, and Rukia knew very well that her brother wasn't the social kind of man. He did not simply call friends over to just hang out, for Ukitake-taicho to stroll here to talk to her brother, it must be something big and exciting. Rukia did not know how long she was standing there but she had been there long enough to tune out. She was awoken by the words, "But Kuchiki-Taicho! She is only a 1st year! This is breaking all the rules I was taught as an academy student myself. What shall happen when we are on a reconnaissance? Or a hollow attacks? She will only get in the way." Rukia winced at Ukitake's words. Following Ukitake's brave but ineffectual speech was a violent cough. When anyone raised their voice to her brother, it meant death! There was the smell of blood but her brother didn't induce it. She opened her eyes and only saw her brother say a few more words quietly before leaving the room. Ukitake sent one glance over his shoulder before sighing in defeat and following Kuchiki-Taicho until Rukia could no longer see them. Did they know I was here? Just who got him all flustered? Who is this girl that Ukitake was talking about and why did it involve her brother? This just didn't add up to Rukia.