During all the flash-stepping, I had closed my eyes and hugged my brother close. I was afraid of falling out of his arms; not like I thought he'd drop me, though.

But I was surprised when he finally stopped, and I opened my eyes. He set me down on my feet as I looked around.
"Where are we?" I gasped. It looked as if we were someplace underground, in a huge cave of some sort. And even though I asked him, he didn't answer.
He only said, "Stay here." And then he left.

He left?! Seriously, he was going to leave his younger sister alone in a cave after he kidnapped her so she wouldn't be executed? And I was starting to admire him! Well, there's always room for second thoughts, right?

But then I heard footsteps inside the cave. From where I stood, I looked in every direction, though I couldn't tell where the person was. Until they flash-stepped in front of me...that's when I was truly surprised!
"Y-Y-Yoruichi?!" I gulped. "Wh-What're you doing here?!"
She smiled at me and said, "Your brother told me to watch you...and protect you, if needed."
"H-How sweet of him." I blinked. I was still feeling a bit nervous because of her sudden appearance. "But...where did he go, exactly?"
"Can't say..." She sighed.
"Why?" I looked at her funny.
She laughed, "He didn't tell me!"
I slapped my forehead. "Oh, brother." I groaned.
"You can say that again!" She teased.

An alarm went off in the Seireitei then, informing everyone that I had been taken from my cell. I looked at Yoruichi with the most terrified look in my eyes, and all she did was press her index finger against her lips, and shushed me.
Would anyone find us down here? To look in an underground cave, thinking maybe, I was hiding down here? And what if they were to find me; would Yoruichi be able to stop them all from taking me away?!

I guess, by the expression I must have been making, Yoruichi could tell what I was thinking...because she had whispered to me, telling me to calm down, clear my mind of all thoughts about this situation, and to just stay quiet. So I did as she said, and before I knew it, the alarm had turned off.
What a relief!

But then, Yoruichi grabbed me by my wrist, and I knew she was going to drag me somewhere. I just didn't know where.
"Wh-What now?!" I gasped, as we began running.
Yoruichi stared straight ahead as we rushed out of the cave, and she told me, "Byakuya said that if the alarm went off, we were to wait until it stopped, and then I would have to get you to the gate on the edge of the Seireitei..."
"Y-You don't mean...?" I blinked.
"That's right," She looked back at me, slightly. "You're going to the Human World again."
"What, why?!!" I bit my lip, my eyes wide with shock. All the things that had happened to me so far were swirling memories inside my mind. It was making me dizzy!

"Your brother thinks that the world of the living is the safest place for you, right now. He said that 'the farther you are from the Soul Society, the better'." She replied. "And I agree. As long as you're hiding out in Karakura Town, where Ichigo can protect you, you're safe."
I blushed at her comment...about Ichigo protecting me. He always had, I remembered. And I guess maybe...he always would.

"Stop right there!!" I heard a man shout. I gulped when I saw his face, and tears of fear slipped from my eyes. Oh no, not Kenpachi!
"You're not getting passed me with that girl," He smirked at Yoruichi. "Not without a fight."
"Says you." She snickered, smirking back. She then flash-stepped away with me, and the next thing I knew, we were at the gate! Just a few more steps, and I'd be free! ...Right?

WRONG!
The second we stopped in front of the gate, Renji, Ikakku, and Yumichika appeared in front of us! Man, this was not a good day for us!

"Yoruichi," Renji pulled out his zanpakuto. "Let go of Rukia and hand her over to us."
I frowned at him, remembering how he seemed to want to help Byakuya free me just a few hours ago. But now he was trying to take me back?! Or...was he?

Yoruichi glared, hissing under her breath, as she grabbed my wrist a bit tighter than before. "Whose side are you on, Renji?!" She snapped. "Last I checked, you were on our side! But now you're not?!"
"What?!" Ikakku and Yumichika blinked, turning their heads to look at him. "You were going to help save Rukia?!"
Renji gave Yoruichi the most furious look just then, mouthing something like, 'You should keep your mouth shut from now on.
But she just shook her head at that.

The two continued to glare as Yumichika and Ikakku kept questioning each other about what was going on.
And then, I heard Renji shout, "Roar, Zabimaru!!" And saw his blade become wider, now half-black and half-white, with spikes going down the right side of it. And as I watched him, he attacked Ikakku and Yumichika!
...But not enough to really hurt them; he was just trying to render them unconscious...which he did.
As the two fell to the ground, his sword transformed back, and he sheathed it.

Byakuya had appeared then, and I noticed streaks of blood slowly sliding down the left side of his face. He looked at me as if nothing was wrong, but I knew he'd gotten into a fight. He couldn't hide it from me; the blood was a dead-giveaway!

"B-Brother..." I mumbled, worry making my voice shake. "Are you...okay?" I walked up to him slowly, and reached out, as if to touch the blood on his face. But he stepped back, and my arm flinched; I lowered it to my side, and backed up a bit.
"I'm fine." Byakuya mumbled, though I knew he was lying.
"But you're hurt-!" I frowned at him. "You're bleeding..."
"It's nothing." He said, almost glaring at me for insisting on talking about his wound.
I couldn't take it. I seriously couldn't handle this anymore. I had to say something; I had to stop this!
"IT'S NOT 'NOTHING'!!" I screamed, clenching my fists at my sides. "Brother, you're clearly hurt and in pain!" I lowered my voice and frowned again, looking at him, Yoruichi, and Renji. "Look, this is too much. You're all risking everything just to save me, and I can't stand that you'd do this at all costs. You could get hurt, lose your ranks, or worse...you could die." I felt my eyes water, then. "One life saved is not worth three lives lost. And if you all lose your lives just to protect me, then I wouldn't be able to live through knowing that I caused all of this...I can't even bear the thought of it..."

And as they stared at me, in shock, I burst into tears.