Updated 12/28/07
Sorrow of the Strawberry, Chapter IV
--
His hands were freezing. He splayed his fingers and unusually found that they treaded through powdered cold. His mind was muddled at the moment, so coherent thoughts summed up to few and none. Cold? He groggily opened his eyes and as he did was blinded by white.
His inner-world was somehow colorless. The skyscrapers wore the color like eggshell drenched coats, the sky looked as though it had been bleached; clouds still hovered in the air but to his eyes they were only identifiable as moving outlines.
'What in the world?' he wondered, and realized that he had yet to rise, his body was angled atop the surface of one of the buildings. He stood and as he did came to know that the cold he felt was due to the snow he had been laying on. He frowned, confusion riddling him. "Old Man!" he called out, hoping said person would clarify the situation.
He took in his surroundings, recalling that he had not ventured into his soul for a long time. 'Since the Aizen War,' he thought. He remembered how his world had been chaotic then. The buildings had floated in weightless space, every single one in a vast array of directions. That had been his inside until he learned to control his power fully and understand himself, when he did he no longer had to carry Zangetsu in Shikai form all the time, instead he could do as all Shinigami did and seal his Zanpakuto.
"But what now?" he said aloud. "Why is my world like this now?"
Cool wind blew around him and immediately he turned around. He reached for Zangetsu, ready to launch him into a defensive way. It was only then that he realized that the sword was absent. He felt naked in that instant, his Zanpakuto had never been far from him since the day he had received it.
"Be calm, foolish boy," said a passive voice. He looked up sharply and met the eyes of the person who spoke. His mind worked fast. Who was this person? Why was this being in his soul? "Who are you?" he asked. "And what have you done to my world?"
He thought that Yumichika would for sure instantly go head over heels for this individual. He was a tall young man, with gentle ivory hair that swept the curves of his face in a comely frame. The white color made his eyes stand out, blue unlike anything Ichigo had ever seen. Like sapphires and Lapis Lazuli combined.
"It was not my doing entirely," said the boy so aloof. "It was not I who chose to wield your power."
Ichigo had no clue as to what he meant and continued watching him. The boy mirrored his gaze, his deep passive eyes seemingly passing through him. Not as if he were overlooking, but as if searching him from within. "Where is Zangetsu?" Ichigo demanded after a while, the silence was making him anxious. "You know, right?"
The boy nodded once, solemnly. "I do," he affirmed. "But it is not a place you must go to. Instead you will wait here until he returns."
The answer irked him for some reason. "If Zangetsu went somewhere then you have no right to stop me." He said that confidently, because in fact it was how he felt. This was his world, he was King and he could do and go wherever he pleased. "This place is mine."
He Shumpoed past the boy and landed on another building, he stepped again and repeated the process. He didn't know where he was going to look exactly, but at the most he had begun a search and that was what was most important.
It began to snow, sprinkles of flakes at first, then a fine powder that was not dense but as well not light.
He was sprite in movement, as he wanted to find the Old Man as soon as possible. The white was getting to be disturbing, it made things unfocused and hard to make out. 'I guess I should be glad my world is orderly now, all the buildings are stacked at the same length apart and are the same in size and longitude.'
"Do you know, idiot, that as long as there is white you can not run from me?" rang out a voice, sounding to his ears as if it had resonated from the white sky.
He knew it was the blue-eyed boy, the voice had by then been incised into his memory. He stopped and frowned heavily, as he did the boy came into focus. "When did you move?" asked Ichigo. "To have gotten here before me?"
The boy raised an eyebrow, fine bristles of white made it up. "I did not move," he said. "I merely made you go in a circle. It is as I said, as long as there is white you are under my mercy."
Ichigo's eyes furrowed. "Under you mercy?" he echoed. The boy nodded. "Unless of course," he said. "You have me submit allegiance to you."
As he said so the boy walked a step forward and his garments became visible from the white background. He wore an all-white tunic that came to his knees and tied in a gold sash at his waist, the flowing sleeveless robes that he wore open exposed the garment and toned arms. His shoes were also golden, sandals that ensnared his calves in a patterned vice. He looked Grecian in sense. "To you?" asked Ichigo, and a light flickered on in his mind. This was familiar, had he done this before? "To me," affirmed the boy. Ichigo's brow cascaded into a deeper frown. "What may I call you?" he asked with interest.
The boy closed his eyes. "At last you inquire," he said with a hint of exasperation. "You may address me by my name, that is if you can make me swear alliance to you."
The light stopped fluttering and glowed a solid yellow. He remembered now. This was something he had done long ago.
Before he knew Zangetsu's name.
Ichigo nodded and called reiatsu into his hand; he had no Zanpakuto, Kidou would have to do. "Then lets get started, whoever you are," he grinned.
--
--
--
She could feel him, yet somehow she knew he was quite a distance away. His power surged in such a familiar way. She did not know who the person was, or why she had classified him as male, she deemed there was just something about him. Some memorable sense.
She trudged clumsily through heavy snow. It was thick as a coverlet and her bare feet sank down about a quad of inches every time she stepped; up her calves the cold snow embraced. Her arms were wrapped around herself in an endeavor to create and contain warmth. The garment she wore made no effort to deliver her from the cold in the slightest.
But the fact that she was wearing nothing but a thin white yukata did nothing to her mental will. It was only her body that felt the bitter frost, the discomfort of the patches of dried blood which had clotted around her wounds, how her clothes stuck to her skin from how soaked they were in red. Her mental state was robotic at the least, although she stumbled around she maintained her pace and walked driven to where the reiatsu was drifting from.
It was so familiar, the feel of it. Whose could it be? She stopped as she realized she had been walking on a hill, and that a few yards away the ground gave way to decline, like a slide.
She walked cautiously now, taking care that her steps landed on even ground. She did not want to fall. She reached close enough to look down from her perch above the ground, above where the slide of snow reached plained land. Below was whom she had been seeking. She knew it had to be, and in an instant realized why his reiatsu carried such familiarity. 'Ichigo,' she thought, 'This is like Ichigo's reiatsu.'
The moment the thought crossed her mind she slipped; in a tumble of snow she ran down the hill, momentum preventing her from stopping. She screamed as her foot gave way and she fell face first the rest of the path. It had not been a long way down to fall flat on her side after a fit of rolling, but it had been enough to open her tender wounds.
She bled anew, and did nothing to stop it. What could she do? She was injured and had essentially no reiatsu left, if she tried to heal herself she would most likely pass out from the exertion of the deed.
So she laid in the snow and let its cold numb her pain. 'Who is he?' she thought, her train of mind coming back to the man with Ichigo's aura. 'Why does that man have such a similar reiatsu signature?'
Her heart sped up when she saw a pair of closed shoes move her way, the man heading towards her. The person walked languidly, as if he had all the time in the world in his pocket; at his beck and reach. He stopped a foot from her, his feet pressed together, a cloak billowing around his ankles. She wished she had a cloak like that, but in a second the thought was rendered lame; what use would she have of a warm cloak? Due to her wounds she was likely to die very soon, there was no need for something as a coat. She closed her eyes and listened as the wind picked up and died, as the black material of the coat flew and settled with the air. They opened halfway when he spoke.
"You must rise, girl," said the man; deep and purposeful like a person who spoke only to make his point and nothing more or less. "Why do you not? Are you in honesty wounded?"
She did not know what exactly he meant by that. Obviously she was. Could he not see the stains of blood on her Yukata? Was he mocking her?
He knelt down, she saw, and pressed his hand against her torn shoulder. She gasped audibly when he made connection and tried to recoil from his touch. She jerked and blood streamed at a more forceful pace; the work of the cold snow in retarding the flow for nothing. "You were not ready then, girl," he spoke whilst getting up. "But if you wish to live then you must try to be."
His hand retreated and he looked to the sky. "There are so many clouds," he said. "They are white, girl. But just as easily the may become black; with black clouds comes the rain." He spoke so sadly when he said the last word. "With death comes the rain, you must not die or the clouds will weep," he muttered.
She blinked, not understanding his point. "Ichigo," she said in the stead of asking for elaboration. "Where is Ichigo?"
The man said nothing, he remained standing straight while looking up. She could not see his eyes, they were hidden behind black lunettes. "Ichigo is doing as you should right now," he said. "He is fighting the spirit that cares for you," he elaborated. "Once he has allegiance with your spirit then this world will cease to be imbalanced. Right now snow covers the expanse of ground and clouds cover the sky. That must not be so, the sky should be visible not overrun, the same applies to the ground."
Rukia breathed in, focusing her breath takes as to not gulp down too much. The air was too cold to be soothing, "Ichigo," she said softly. "I want him, where is he?" she gasped, ignoring what the man just said. The man crouched again, his unruly hair blowing behind him due to the wind. "Did you not hear me, girl?" he asked.
"I did," said Rukia chokingly. "But I don't care. Where is Ichigo? He is injured, probably more than I am. Where is he? You said you know, go help him," she insisted. The man shook his head. "I must not leave you," he said. "You must get up and have me swear allegiance to you. If you do not then you will die. That is why you are here, in Ichigo's soul and not yours. The later was far too imbalanced for you to even enter."
She shook her head. What was this man talking about? Allegiance to him? What did that mean and entail? Rukia's vision suddenly unfocused in a wave, through her eyes the man lurched in spinning spirals, but the white around them remained constant but blurry. She gasped and shut her eyes, her stomach heaved and she fisted her hands, straining for some solidity. "I am sure that Ichigo came here already healed, you however have not. This is worrisome," said the man. She only caught some of his words, the rest jumbled unrecognizable to her understanding.
'Ichigo,' she thought. 'Where are you?' Before the white engulfed by black became.
--
--
--
He gasped for breath and dodged just in time to avoid a whirlwind of snow. The white betrayed sight; the airborne flakes were each razor sharp instead of fluff, the paper-cut gashes on his body proved witness to that.
He ran and jumped over his foe, while the later had his back turned Ichigo directed his pointer finger at him. 'Not a very reliable opening,' he thought, but he went for it anyway. "Shot of Red Fire!" he shouted. At once his finger generated a red sphere of reiatsu, the ammo tore through the air and was engulfed within a flurry of snowflakes. 'This shit's like fighting Byakuya,' he growled Inwardly. 'Albeit without the pink.'
He landed on the ground and raised his palm to the boy who surveyed him quietly. They stood with ten feet's distance between them. The blue-eyed foe spoke. "How do you intend to beat me if you can not touch me with your attacks?" he asked. "Perhaps you are attempting to bore me into submission?" He said it all so coldly passive that Ichigo found he had to suppress his eye from twitching. "You know," Ichigo bit. "You're nothing like Rukia, she knows how to express sarcasm with a little feeling."
He scoffed, "No wonder her power is ice, her spirit -meaning you- acts like he has a frozen lake shoved up his ass."
The spoken of person merely blinked calmly. "Speaking trash will not defeat me," he informed. "As well, while your mind is on Rukia, know that she is here in your world as well. Her consciousness that is," he added. Ichigo faltered. "Here?" he asked. "Why is she in my soul?"
The boy sighed, his eyes closed and a weighed down expression graced his what appeared to always be expressionless visage. "Because she became unstable during the soldering of power. She could not pry her own soul so Zangetsu brought her here instead of going with her to her own world. In essence he was to go and form a bond with her as you are now doing with me."
Ichigo's mouth twitched, "Some bonding this is," he muttered.
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Are you clear on what's to occur then?" he inquired.
Ichigo lowered his palm. "Is that why you are preventing me from going to Zangetsu then? Because Rukia is with him?" he asked. The boy nodded. "That is so." Ichigo shook his head. "I'm still confused," he said. "What the hell happened? You just said our power soldered together, but what happens after that?"
The boy raised his head to the white sky, and suddenly like lightening his eyes widened. "I shall have to tell you as we run," he said. "Rukia is not well, I can just barely sense her now."
Ichigo frowned. "What do you mean not well?" he demanded. "What's wrong with her?" The boy turned and began to walk away. "Follow if you like," he called back. "Shumpo preferably."
As the last syllable he spoke sounded over air waves the boy disappeared in flash step, Ichigo frowned deeply and a second later followed.
--
--
--
Kaien watched him earnestly from the rail of the bed he stood before; as his chest was bared and the blood cleaned off by the first team of medics. As soon as they finished their labor they moved out of the way, making room for the reiatsu expert on duty to take over. "If you would please wait outside, Shiba san," suggested said person as she walked through the doors.
Her long auburn hair brushed his face as she went past him. "Inoue," he acknowledged. "Why are you here?" This was not the healer he had expected.
She smiled a pained sort of grimace before looking to Ichigo's still form. "I am aware that you said to work on the girl first, to Unohana Taichou," she said. "Because Ichigo can handle waiting," agreed Kaien.
She shook her head. "Well as we did we found that the Hollow they fought used poison to incapacitate them…most likely why Kurosaki kun was taken down, and so I was called in to merely reject it. The girl was really injured and time was of essence," she explained softly, her head bowed.
"Then you healed her," said Kaien roughly. "That's why you're here now, isn't it? Because the kid is alright now."
She shook her head. "She isn't," said Inoue. "She rejected my ability to reject, if you can imagine such a thing. I could not reverse her damage. That is why I'm here, to at least be of some good to Kurosaki kun." Kaien could feel his stomach empty at her words. He spoke not as the healer before him called upon her power and rebuffed the wounds and poison in Ichigo. "Where is Rukia?" he said when the glow of her skill ebbed away.
"She is down the hall, if you go you won't miss it, there's a crowd," she whispered softly, almost as if she wished her words were inaudible
Kaien took a step towards Inoue, but as he did he shook his head and ceased his advance. Her defeated look triggered anger from his heart, replacing his shock and disbelief over Rukia. "Pull yourself together," he snapped at Inoue. "And don't look so sorry for yourself when he wakes up and asks for her. It's not like you killed her."
He left from the room hurriedly then and as soon as he was halfway down the hall he stopped entirely. What was he rushing to? Rukia was dead, Inoue said she couldn't heal her, so she was dead. He closed his eyes and let his features tear into a pained expression. "Damn kid," he muttered. "Stupid kid." He shook his head and trekked once more down the hall, he turned the bend and saw that further up a cluster of Fourth Squad members were huddled by a door. He made his way to them and as they became aware of his presence they gave way for him to walk inside the room.
Unohana Taichou was bent over a tiny figure on the bed, her palms were pressed against her chest, one stacked onto the other, pushing reiatsu were the heart lay inside. On the other side of the bed was Kotetsu Isane, the squad's Vice Captain. She instead of standing was sitting on the pillow beside where Rukia's head rested, her hands glowed green with reiatsu and were pressed against either side of the tiny girl's cranium.
As Inoue had told him, any attempt to heal her had been in vain. Her entire torso was covered in blood-bathed gauze. Kaien watched as a squad member came and carefully removed the stained bandages to lay down new ones to soak up the gore. He winced.
And then his mind directed him to what Unohana Taichou and Isane san were doing. "What?" he breathed, and he looked at the kid again. "What's going on?" he asked to no one in particular, not being able to remove his gaze from Rukia who was the center of all the happenings in the room. A hand held his shoulder suddenly, he looked to his side and was met by Hisagi's calm eyes. "They are trying to save her," he said. "They are trying to keep her alive while her soul stabilizes."
"Stabilizes?" asked Kaien. "Then she's not dead?" Hisagi shook his head. "She isn't, at least not yet." To those words Kaien glared, but Hisagi didn't look down or away, "The possibility of her dying is much higher than the one of her living," he said, "I'm just being frank."
Kaien shook his head. "My bad," he sighed. "You're right."
Shuuhei removed his hand and let it fall to his side. Perhaps being too blunt was not of essence right now? Yes, hope was what was needed instead. "She's holding on very well, Kaien-dono," he said softly, his eyes watching Rukia's short even breaths. "There is a chance regardless."
He nodded as he watched the two healers keep her brain working, her heart beating. "Right. But tell me about the instability, what's that about?" he asked. Shuuhei walked to the bed Rukia lay on and picked up a sash-wrapped sword. "This," he said. "This is what I meant."
Kaien walked forward and took the sword from Hisagi's hands. He unwrapped the weapon, letting the ribbon cascade to the ground. "It's completely white," he said in awe. "I've never seen a sword like this. Whose is it?"
Shuuhei sighed heavily looking at the Zanpakuto. "We think its Rukia san's," he said. "She was holding it when we found the two."
Kaien frowned. "This is in Shikai form," he said. "It can't be Rukia's, she's a first year, they aren't allowed their own swords, much less know Shikai."
Shuuhei nodded. "I know that," he agreed. "But she was holding it, and that's a strong bout of evidence that says it belongs to her."
Kaien frowned again. "Fine, lets say I believe this sword is Rukia's, then why is it causing her to be imbalanced?"
"Because," said a patient voice. "Most surely the power to activate Shikai into a sword was ripped from her soul. In the place of learning how to bring that power out little by little as how Shinigami do, instead she drew it out all at once with no control. That is my theory, which means that if it is true then right now her soul is falling apart."
"Unohana Taichou," said Kaien, awed by her thoughts. "How do we help her then?"
The kind woman didn't look up from her work on Rukia. "We keep her body running until she can with the help of her spirit companion put order back into herself."
Kaien sighed. "Then all we can do is keep her alive?" he demanded. "That's it?"
"It is, Shiba kun," said Isane, her eyes flickering to whom she spoke to. "Rukia san has to do this on her own, just as one gains allegiance with their Zanpakuto's spirit, on their own."
Kaien shrunk a bit under her gaze. Shuuhei nodded and kept his mouth closed, watching Rukia intently. 'Be strong Rukia san,' he thought.
--
--
--
He was as careful as he could be as he peeled the damp cloth from her open wounds, he shushed her unconsciously when pain fell through her lips as sound. "Be still," he whispered to her, Rukia's limp form. He held her so her pallid cheek was leaning against his chest, and her thin legs were draped across his crossed thighs.
"You are sure of what you're doing?" asked the boy suddenly, right before Ichigo began to pull at the top of Rukia's uniform, his intention to open her shirt to see her wounds. "I am," he growled as he realized his concentration had been broken. "Now if you'd shut up and let me continue…perhaps without feeling the need to interrupt me?"
He could almost feel the boy's anger as it exfoliated from his pores. "Then hurry," he snapped. "Can you not see she's in pain every time you touch her? You're incompetent."
He laughed mockingly and locked eyes with the boy, knowing his expression was petrifying and counting on it. "I'm good at healing, so fuck off before I smash your face in, got it?" he demanded while baring her torso besides the standard wrappings. Calling reiatsu to his hands he let them hover over her pouring injuries, and steadily lowered them until the bleeding stopped enough for him to press lightly against her skin.
The boy stopped and Ichigo's concentration returned, and what seemed like a veil passed over his mind. The boy disappeared from his conscious and all he could focus on was healing Rukia. Saving her like she did for him. He knew very well, that if she had done as he had then demanded and left him with the hollow, then at the present he would not be alive. "Just a little more, Rukia," he whispered as he closed up the deep piercings in her shoulder and chest where the damn hollow had bitten through.
Ichigo healed from the bottom up, so to speak, which was a sort of oddity in the healing profession. He had to find ways to escape both Urahara and Mayuri's experimenting hands every so often even now. Even Unohana Taichou was interested, but thank God not obsessively, just curious and looking forward to chatting with him.
Healers, you see, began to cure from the dermis down. The skin would seal first under their reiatsu and then work down closing up and arranging damages vertically along. Ichigo's process was exactly vice versa.
It was happening now as he worked on the girl in his hold. He could feel his energy flow within her and embrace her damage, patching her up, rejecting in a way even the famed Inoue never could. He could feel himself mend her. As she breathed better so did he, as her pain dissapitated a weight on his shoulders lessened.
Soon he finished and the light in his hands glowed away. And as if on cue his patient opened her eyes in slow bats, adjusting to the light. "Rukia," he said gratefully, thankful for the way she breathed and lived. "How do you feel?"
She felt heavy and yet so light, so tired and somehow comfortable in his embrace. "Ichigo," she said softly, "You found me fool." He smiled at that, Rukia speaking like Rukia meant everything was going to be fine with her, the Hollow scare would be soon past them.
"Yeah, shrimp. But maybe I'd have found you sooner if you weren't so short." Her eyebrows furrowed. "That doesn't make sense," she reasoned and closed her eyes.
Ichigo was about to change her mind about that with twisted logic but was interrupted by a small cough.
It was the boy.
"If I may," he said whilst extending his arms, a signal that he wanted Rukia to be given to him. "Her body may be healed in here but it is not in the outside world, so hand her over so we can do something about that," he snapped when Ichigo made no motion to obey.
Grudgingly he complied, being as careful as he could as he moved her.
He watched the boy hold her carefully. One arm supporting her back, the other arranged so that his hand could stroke her head soothingly. "Rukia," he whispered to her. "You must swear allegiance to me. It is the only way you will live."
Ichigo's knees prickled from wet cold as he kneeled in the snow before the two. He frowned. "Aren't you supposed to swear that to her?" he demanded. The boy nodded.
"That is how it should be," he agreed. "But Rukia must fight me to obtain that sovereignty. And as I'm sure you see, under these circumstances that is impossible."
"Her saying yes will save her?" asked Ichigo. The boy nodded. "Yes," he said. "Her soul will stabilize so long as the two of us are bonded, it does not matter in what way. Once that is done her body will heal." Ichigo glared. "Then do so already."
The boy called her again. "Rukia," he whispered. "Wake now." She obliged slowly, her eyes lazily fluttering open. She blinked leisurely and extended her arm to Ichigo as soon as she recognized him.
"Ichigo," she whispered. "You're here." He smiled at her and grasped her hand, amused that she had forgotten about their earlier greeting. "Hey shrimp," he humored. "Yeah, I'm here." She smiled too. "Are you hurt?" she asked. "It's my fault," she murmured. He scoffed. "Don't be stupid."
She blinked and looked to the person holding her. He was a beautiful boy, and was gazing at her expectantly. "You must bond with me to live," he said matter-of-factly. "You must tell me your name and swear your allegiance."
She stared at him in wonder. "I have heard your voice before," she said softly. "You told me to dance." The boy nodded. "I did." He stroked her hair and pulled her closer when a shiver wracked through her body because of the cold. "Tell me your name," he said.
"You already know her name," said Ichigo. "What's the point of her telling you?"
"Be silent, Ichigo," said a deep voice. "Let the girl say her name to both of us." Ichigo looked up and came to see Zangetsu. "What?" he asked. "What does that mean?"
The boy shook his head. "Do as your spirit says," he snapped, "Your turn will come soon enough."
Ichigo shut his mouth and watched as the boy pressed his lips to Rukia's forehead. "Your name?" he asked. She frowned and closed her eyes. "My name is Rukia," she said. "I swear myself to you." The boy smiled lightly and lowered his visage to hers. "Rukia," he said before brushing his lips to hers. "I will tell you my name when you can defeat me," he said. She drew back sharply and glared.
Ichigo watched with a grin as Rukia refused to meet the boy's eyes. "What now?" he asked. "Is she better now?" The boy looked to him and shook his head, "Not quite yet." He stroked her hair. "Now you must tell your name to Kurosaki's spirit, Rukia," he said. "Because we are now all connected."
Ichigo watched as Rukia looked to the Old Man and said, "I swear myself to you." As soon as her words were uttered the two spirits looked to himself. "Now you must do the same as Rukia," said Zangetsu.
His eyes narrowed at the blue-eyed boy. "This is the only way to normalize everything?" he verified. The boy nodded. "It is. Your soul is entwined with Rukia's, so my power must reside in you as well as your spirit's in hers."
He wasn't too happy about this, but if it was the only way to restore everything back… "I swear myself to you," he said bitingly. "At least until I have time to defeat you," he finished with a grin.
As his words ended Rukia disappeared from the boy's arms and he could feel himself being sucked backwards into some unseen chasm. His hand extended to Zangetsu, but the Old Man did nothing…and then the two were gone from his sight and there was no more light.
--
--
--
There was no doubt about it…he was dreaming. In his dream he floated as if he had suddenly become weightless, but then again defying gravity was an acquired skill of his so 'waking' up to hovering wasn't so startling.
He rolled around, his intent to see how far the ground was below him. His eyes widened when he saw that beneath him was nothing. Just more open space. As colorlessly white as above and to his right and left. "Hmm," he whispered to himself. "I wonder when I'll wake up?"
Ichigo did not dream often. But when he did he found it was usually this style of dream that he dreamt. Usually suspended. Always hollow space.
But then the endless white took form in the area, distance suddenly became a seen factor as a person became visible some ways before him.
He found he moved towards the new person without hesitation and after a few seconds came to see that anonymous was Rukia.
She was not facing him but at something unseen to his eyes. To her it must have been plainly visible and outmostly frightening as she was shaking where she stood. Her hands were grasping something that was like wisely invisible to him, it must have been heavy since it took a bit of effort to raise her hands. "Please," she whispered. "Help me, help Ichigo. Please, help us."
The sound of his name shocked his brain. And suddenly he knew what was happening before him. This was Rukia facing the Hollow in the Human World. This was Rukia giving her life to try and protect him.
So soon as the thought crossed his mind the sword that Rukia held in her grasp took visibility and as well the battered being behind her that she was laying down her life for.
There was so much blood coming from him that it almost seemed impossible. And then his attention was suddenly shifted by two familiar presences.
Behind Rukia, before his unmoving body, appeared the boy. "Dance, Rukia," he spoke. A second later, on her left materialized Zangetsu. "Call upon the white moon, girl," he instructed.
And then everything happened so fast and all sound drowned out leaving Ichigo with sight alone to see how his sword changed into white, and how strangely, ice shot from it...from such a beautiful Shikai.
But there was now something that he had not noticed before. There was something wrong with that ice. It betrayed common sense. Since should not a sword as fair as the one Rukia held shoot ice as equally white?
But the ice was black, as black as Getsuga Tenshou when he went Bankai.
In one frightful instance the Hollow broke through the opaque frost, and Ichigo was running to Rukia before his brain registered that he was bounding as fast as he could.
As always, just like before…he was too late.
He woke up drenched in cold sweat.
--
--
--
"Approximately thirteen hours ago Fourth Squad received a distress call. While about to answer it you two showed up with an injured Shinigami, and as well an academy student who was in worse condition…how do you explain yourselves?"
Kaien could not help but to cringe. "It sounds pretty bad when you say it like that," he muttered so that only the person next to him heard the uttered words. "It was my fault," said said person. "The blame is completely mine."
At his confession Captain Yamamoto glanced at Kaien as well. "If that is so then it should have been Shiba Kaien's responsibility to deter you from such an action, Hisagi Shuuhei san." The two nodded and Yamamoto closed motioned for his Vice Captain. The Vice Captain whispered something in his ear. At once Yamamoto stomped his staff and everyone in the room stood up from the seats that encircled the arena, the chairs were all higher than the ground where Hisagi and Kaien stood.
"You were given leave to the Human World for a specific purpose. One which you managed to disorder by allowing passage to a child who is now fighting for her life. Do you understand what you have done?" Yamamoto said brusquely.
Kaien could barely swallow air, his throat had constricted at the mention of Rukia. The kid who he had no choice to leave with Unohana Taichou as he had been ordered to the current hearing. "I understand," he whispered solemnly. "She might die because of my slip in judgment. I will accept any punishment." Hisagi next to him nodded as well. "As will I," he agreed.
Yamamoto shook his head. "Then let it be know by those in this room, by our council, Captains and Vice Captains, that you understand the seriousness of having taken that child with you." He breathed in heavily and pierced both men with his gaze. "However I will not make you two repent in a normal fashion, which would have meant suspension from action and more paperwork that you've ever seen in your life." He motioned to his Vice Captain who unfurled a slip of parchment.
"By order of the Council," he read loudly, so that it resonated in the marble room. "Vice Captain Shiba Kaien and Academy Sixth Year, Hisagi Shuuhei, will return to the Human World and take Fourth Squad's task of cleansing the area of spilled blood that was their fault. As well they will capture the Hollow which attacked the two injured."
Kaien's stomach twisted. The blood? Rukia's and Ichigo's blood? But still he nodded, and his mood lifted at the mention of capturing the rampant Hollow that had harmed his friends. "When shall we depart?" he asked with eagerness.
Yamamoto answered. "Tomorrow, as right now the council would like to see the video Twelfth Squad managed to capture of the event." As he said so the Captain of that squad as well as the ones of Sixth and Second Squad stood up from their seats and walked down to where Kaien and Hisagi were. The first stood behind to them both and the other two flanked his sides. "I would appreciate your commentary," he told them good-naturedly. "It might explain few things."
Kaien agreed with a nod and Urahara Kisuke pointed to the ceiling where in a second a large screen began to come down from above. "It plays on both sides," he explained laughingly when Hisagi raised an eyebrow at the position.
"I think some of us will be quite interested in these images," he prophesized good-naturedly, "And I mean particularly one of you, dear Captains."
Yorouichi sighed, "Just continue, Kisuke," she demanded irritably. Kisuke had been wrong, she honestly had no interest in the contents but had to be here because Yamamoto had explicitly ordered for her presence. 'And judging from the looks of most of these guys so were they,' she thought.
"Now, lets play," Kisuke said animatedly as he hit said button on a small control he had produced at of nowhere.
The first image was of Ichigo. "We have a pretty good video of this," said Kisuke who directed his control to the screen. The screen immediately responded. Foremost it showed and aerial view of two small figures walking together, both wielding swords.
"Is that Kurosaki?" gasped Vice Captain Matsumoto. "That's got to be his hair!" Kaien nodded to her. "Yeah, it is," he said as turned again to watch intently.
The room viewed as the pair stopped at the center of a large gritty lot, it was surrounded in every side by unfinished buildings.
"Let's zoom in, why don't we," offered Urahara as he hit a button a few times.
The image zoomed in and changed angles, they now had a frontal view of what Ichigo was doing. "This is showing us what the girl sees," he explained.
The orange-head fumbled around in one pocket and when he found not was he was searching for rummaged through the other with a deeper frown. He was triumphant this time and the spoils of his effort were brought out in the shape of a small tube-shaped dispenser with a hollow mask to which he flipped open and dumped into his outstretched palm a round, colored pill. He talked for a second, pocketing the dispenser and probably explaining to the girl what he was going to do and then wrapped his hand in a tight fist around the black pill.
"Wait," interjected Vice Captain Mayuri and Kisuke immediately hit the pause button. "Taichou," he said with question in his voice, "That pill is of a Dummy Hollow as we've seen from the dispenser. But it cannot be that it is black, that color does not exist."
Some in the room stirred, looking now at Kisuke with puzzlement.
"If that is so then why are we seeing one?" asked Vice Captain Nanao.
Kisuke smiled at her and she blinked. "That is a very good question, Nanao san," he said. "But let us watch and I can guarantee that you will get your answer."
He pressed play once more and Ichigo pumped reiatsu into his hand, green glow encasing the appendage to signal the release of power. A second later after the burst of energy he wound up his arm and threw the gleaming pill away from himself and the girl.
Urahara paused the image again. "Now we'll switch perspective," he informed and pressed a button, then again hit play. The image fizzed and when it settled it was not Ichigo who they viewed but a small dark-haired girl who they looked at in profile as she was gazing at the object the orange-head threw.
She fixed her gaze back on said boy and Urahara almost smiled when he felt the person on his left shift ever so slightly. How their breathing quickened just a small tad that he only noticed because he had been looking to see it coming. Effectively, Kuchiki Byakuya had been stunned in his own passive representation of the sentiment.
He quickly paused the image and leaned up to look to his right at where Unohana Retsu sat on the higher grounding. "Unohana san," he called to which she answered with acknowledgement in gaze. "Can you tell me the name of this girl?" he asked.
But she didn't get to answer as she was suddenly interrupted by Shiba Kaien's sudden movement. He had shumpoed without warning, heading straight to her. He stopped directly before her person, his eyes apprehensive. "If you're here then how is…," he trailed off.
She smiled at him. "She is stable. Her wounds were suddenly treatable and I was able to patch her up. If you would like I could arrange a visiting time for you and Hisagi san?" Kaien nodded enthusiastically. "Yes," he agreed before nodding his head and then shumpoing back next to Hisagi.
Kisuke chuckled at Kaien's obvious relief, as well as Hisagi's. "So," he asked Captain Unohana. "Her name, please?" He felt Byakuya's breath still. "Her name is Rukia," answered Unohana. "She is as you can see by the uniform, an academy student. Why do you ask?" she asked, her last few words very stern.
He smiled. "Oh, nothing, I just merely thought some of us might find her very familiar in quite a few ways."
A gasp was suddenly released. "No way!" shouted Kaien. He suddenly turned and looked at Byakuya in aghast. "Now I know why she seemed so familiar!" he said loudly to him. "She looks just like Hisana san, doesn't she Byakuya?" he demanded.
Said man nodded once and very curtly. "She does," he agreed. He glanced at Kisuke who was grinning at him, "May we continue?" he asked, and somehow it was more of an order than a request.
"Yes, yes," agreed Kisuke and pressed play once again, effectively shaking off all the eyes on Byakuya and back to the screen.
The girl was talking, her brow was furrowed and she slowly unsheathed the Asauchi in her hands. She held it uncertainly and dropped it suddenly.
Ichigo's gaze and by default the audience's switched and they saw what had caused to girl to relinquished her hold on the sword. She had been startled and they all knew why. A Hollow was walking through a heavy cloud of smoke, smoke that they knew came with the loud bang of the pill breaking to form the creature.
Ichigo was looking at the girl now, who looked scared and uncertain. He must have said something reassuring because the girl was smiling again. She took a step forward and raised her sword defensively.
Then the scene changed and it was due to the fact that Ichigo had shumpoed. He was now parallel to the advancing Hollow, watching the girl as she suddenly charged.
"Whoa," whistled Captain Shinsui, "The little lady is fast," he remarked. Too true he was, the girl sped in between thrashing tentacles and swiftly cut one off. She drew back suddenly and Ichigo shumpoed again. This time he had ran into the fray and grabbed the girl by the waist, pulling her from the Hollow to a spot a distance away where they could still see the monster.
The image the blurred and they all watched as the scene fast forwarded. "They fight like this for quite a while," explained Urahara when Nanao raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to skip to the interesting part."
He paused and played again when the girl was in the air, about to do away with the Hollow. Then they saw that it vanished and that the girl, obviously confused relinquished her guard.
At that point Ichigo got rid of the Hollow, slashing through its mask with Zangetsu and watching the pieces crumble and the monster fade.
When he turned to her they saw that she had fallen, but why they did not get to see as Urahara has fast forwarded again. "The reiatsu a dying Hollow expels," he explained. "It made Rukia san sick, as she's most likely never experienced it."
He stopped when they were walking and they found that they were back to Rukia's perspective when she glanced back to see Ichigo. She looked back ahead again and suddenly she stopped.
When she slowly looked back again they found Ichigo on the floor with a thin piece of Hollow sticking out of his side. "But he killed it!" protested Matsumoto at once. "How is it the same one?"
Kisuke nodded. "Yes, I thought so too," he agreed. "That this Hollow is the same Hollow that was just destroyed."
"How is it that it's back?" asked Captain Hitsugaya, "Where did it reform without Kurosaki seeing it happen?"
"Perhaps it didn't fade into spirit matter," proposed Mayuri. "Could it be, Taichou, that it simply just became invisible?" he inquired.
Kisuke waved towards the screen where Ichigo was busy killing the Hollow before him with a slash of his sword. "Watch, dear friends, and you'll see why very soon."
The Hollow fell this time, thrashing until its movements became still and Ichigo's vision was focused on the girl. She looked uncertain. Kisuke paused.
"He was most likely telling her to get me to help him suppress the Hollow," commented Kaien suddenly.
"Yes," agreed Kisuke. "He must have seen that there was something greatly amiss about the creature and wanted to conserve it for study instead of just killing it."
He pressed play. "Brace yourselves," he said abruptly serious.
The girl took a step. In a quick movement that due to their training they were able to see quite clearly the audience witnessed as a tentacle suddenly swung and hit the girl in the torso, sending her flying backwards.
"Ouch," muttered Matsumoto. "Good thing the kid's got no breasts."
"Matsumoto, be silent," reprimanded Hitsugaya without leaving the image on the screen.
"It's gotten back up," said Kaien, "I don't see how since it's mask was broken." True, part of it was gone, leaving red pulsing eyes revealed. They screamed agony.
Kisuke let the video run and for the remainder everyone was quiet. That was until the girl somehow managed to embody her Shikai into Kurosaki Ichigo's sword. "How?" he heard Yoruichi gasp next to him. "How did she…?"
--
--
--
"Are you sure that you're alright?" asked Inoue Orihime, her eyes carefully observing for any sign that said otherwise. Ichigo, who was sitting up in bed nodded enthusiastically. "I am," he assured with vigor. "But I think I'd be even more alright if you'd let me go see Rukia."
Uncertainty flashed through her, and he could clearly see it. He braced himself for the questioning. "Is she important to you, Kurosaki kun?" she asked quietly. Ichigo smiled. "All of my friends are important to me, Inoue," he said earnestly. "And I'd like to see her to know myself that she's alright."
"I could go an-"she began but he cut her off by shaking his head in disapproval. "There's no meaning to that…I need to see her myself," he stressed curtly. Inoue sighed and nodded. "Fine," she relented. "But only if you answer me something."
He almost rolled his eyes. "Don't take advantage," he chastised. "I'll be upset with you." She met his eyes and with them pleaded. "No," he said and began to get out of bed, swinging his legs off the mattress. He already knew what her inquiry would entail.
Inoue blocked his way by standing before him, her proximity to him close enough that if he stood up he would end up pushing her back. He sighed exasperatedly. "Move, Inoue," he said unamusedly.
"Not until you let me ask you something," she demanded. He glared at her as heavily as his manners towards women allowed him and she stood her ground with her unwavering determination. He knew it would not unravel and after a few seconds looked away from her, trying to prevent his expression from turning too sour. "Fine. Ask."
Now she was abashed. Her cheeks colored slightly and her eyes tittered and blinked nervously. "Would you consider trying again with me?" she asked softly.
He wasn't surprised at all. After all, how many times had he been forced to listen to the same inquiry since the end of the Winter War. Too many? An almost annoying amount?
'Yes,' he thought sardonically to himself. 'That, but as well enough to rid me of kindness...' He looked into her eyes and found the bit of hope in them that never seemed to waver, the one that was always there.
"No," he said bluntly, bowing his head, never having the heart to bear her disappointment with a cold face. "For the last time, no."
--
--
--
"What has been concluded," said Urahara Kisuke, directing his words loudly to his now completely attentive audience. "Is that Kurosaki san's power was used to draw forth Rukia san's. Therefore, Kurosaki san's Zanpakuto changed into what hers would look like…but with some of his qualities embedded into her abilities perhaps," he added.
"What qualities?" asked Kaien. "Might you mean the black ice?" Urahara nodded enthusiastically. "Quite right," he agreed. "And as well their Command Phrases…I know there's no sound in the video…but I can read lips and can assure you that they both use Mae …Mae Zangetsu and Mae Sode no Shirayuki," he elaborated.
"Sleeve of white snow," mused Yoruichi. "It fits the sword," she said. "But not the attack. Or perhaps it was white ice but it turned black since her abilities were molded with Ichigo's?" she asked Urahara.
He nodded. "That is my theory," he said happily. "Or really the only thing that makes any sense of what happened."
"And her soul?" asked Yoruichi. "Is there much damage to it? Considering that the power to activate Shikai was ripped from it."
Kisuke sighed dramatically. "That I can only verify with some testing…but Unohana Taichou assures us that it has stabilized now," he said while gesturing to said lady.
"So what happenes now?" asked Kaien. "You aren't going to hold them as lab experiments are you?" he demanded. Urahara laughed. "Of course not. It's just that nothing this strange has happened in a while…and we needed all of the Captains and Vice Captains to see this to brief them on the Dummy Hollow situation."
"What is going to be done about that?" asked Yoruichi. "They are only used as practice tools, we could easily stop using them."
Kisuke nodded. "Yes," he said. "But there's also the fact about the matter that they hold traits that Aizen Sousuke's Hollows held…If my theory is correct then it would mean that not only are they mixed with other soul pills, which would cause havoc since they are so much stronger than normal Dummy Hollows, but that they can also access Hueco Mundo."
Astonishment read on many faces in the hall. "Why do you believe that is so?" asked Yamamoto, finally speaking again, although he had been listening with great consideration.
"It's just a theory," said Kisuke. "But I believe that is where the Hollow disappeared to regenerate." He paused. "Like Soul Society, Hueco Mundo is also made out of spirit particles. Shinigami here heal at a faster rate than if they were in the real world because they can gather those spirit pasticles as energy to recooperate faster. It is essentially the same thing concerning the Hollow. It went into Hueco Mundo, absorbed spirit particles when wounded and came back again and again until it was destroyed completely, unabling it to return to Hueco Mundo to regenerate."
Yamamoto suddenly stood and Urahara was silenced. "Thank you for you explanation," he told said man. "It is time for this meeting to end, as I have other matters to attend to. However this situation will be dealt with soon. I may ask Vice Captains or if need be Captains to supervise Soul Pill inspections. That is all," he said finally.
Kisuke smiled at Yoruichi. "I bet I get called in," he laughed. "But I'm going to decline as I might conveniently schedule Kurosaki san and Rukia san into my agenda." He turned to Byakuya. "Would you like to come, Little Byakuya?" he asked playfully only to realize that the man was already gone.
Yourouchi laughed and punched his arm lightly. "Looks like he's beat you too it," she teased. Kisuke grinned. "I wonder if it really could be her?"
--
--
--
Rukia could sense him again, in fact it was the first thing she noticed after she shook off the remnants of sleep from her hazy vision. "Ichigo's reiatsu," she said softly to herself.
She knew enough to realize that she was laying on a hospital bed, but wasn't sure where exactly…perhaps at the academy with the handsome Healer or maybe in Fourth Squad's Division? She blushed as a picture of the first came to her mind. "Stop being stupid, Rukia," she berated herself.
Her surroundings were quiet, she heard not the bustle of footsteps outside her door, which made her mind to decide that she was at the Academy. Nodding to herself, confirming her train of thought, Rukia slid her legs from under the prim white sheets that covered her and sat up. "I should find Ichigo," she decided. "I should find him…"
She trailed off suddenly and her eyes widened as her past hit her full impact. "The Hollow," she gasped suddenly. "…And then, then the man with Ichigo's aura…and the boy," she whispered to herself. Rukia closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. "The boy," she repeated. "What was his name? Did he say?"
She got up hastily and ran to the door, "Ichigo will tell me," she decided as she paced awkwardly to the sliding screen. She pulled it open and walked into an empty hallway, she continued to the left as that is where instinct told her.
She stilled abruptly when she glanced around the bend. "Oh," she uttered, surprised. So it seemed she had been wrong. "I'm in Fourth Squad's Division," she said lowly as her eyes followed the black-kimono clad people.
Her lips parted slightly to smile just a bit at her mistake then she stepped out of her turn and walked briskly through the mob of moving squad personnel.
"Are you lost miss?" asked a soft voice when she managed to weave herself out of the heavy traffic.
Rukia jumped a bit and froze. "I," she gasped when a hand touched her shoulder. She could not help but to turn around to the speaker. He was smiling at her. "Where you looking for someone?" he asked.
She nodded, a bit trapped by his sleepy eyes. "Who?" he asked, "I'll be happy to escort you."
She decided that being out of bed might be something that would get her in trouble. "The captain," she found herself saying in the stead of Ichigo's name.
The boy nodded and took her hand carefully in his, "I'll take you to her," he vowed. "It's just right this way."
He led her down a few hallways, his pace somehow quick yet slow. "I'm Yamada Hanataro," he said and the words struck a chord in her mind. She could, however, not find the note. "What is yours?" he asked as he led her into a room.
She was offered a chair before a heavy wooden desk to which she obliged a sit while he stood beside her waiting for an answer. "Rukia," she said to him.
Hanataro nodded. "Rukia san," he said. "Please stay here, I will inform Unohana Taichou that she has a patient who awaits her."
He smiled again and trudged out of the room, not even glancing back to see if she had stayed put like he had requested. "His name sounds familiar," she said softly, "I wonder where I've heard it before?"
"Please Kurosaki kun!"
Rukia jumped at the sound of Ichigo's name, not to mention the volume of the shout. "Please," she heard again, this time subdued.
She got up from her chair and went to the door, peering out to the room next to the one she was in and found the door to be open. She nestled herself against the right doorjamb so that she could listen to why this girl had shouted Ichigo's name. Perhaps they were arguing?
"I don't see why we can't try again," said Inoue, "We did very well before the Winter War did we not?"
He sighed, averting his eyes from her. "It's not about that Inoue," he said. "The War had nothing to do with it."
"With us you mean," she intervened. "And I don't believe that it didn't. You changed after the end of it, you weren't you. The real you would not have broken things off -"
"Enough!" he cut her off. "I don't know why you think you can say that Inoue. You aren't me, you don't know the true me, so don't talk as if you do," he bit out, his eyes no longer wavering but piercing through hers.
Inoue's eyes saddened and she looked down. "Kurosaki kun," she whispered.
He shook his head. "I'm being honest, Inoue," he sighed. "I don't want you to continue to wait like this because I will never say yes to you again, so please, stop trying."
She shook her head from side to side like a defiant child. " I won't give up," she said as she met his eyes. "I haven't even after so many years."
Ichigo scoffed and hardened his own. "I won't say yes, Inoue," he vowed. "You're wasting your time."
Rukia blinked as the two remained in a sort of face-off. 'They were together?' she wondered and before she had more time to ponder the door to the office she had been peering into opened fully, giving her not a second to retreat from her snooping position.
Ichigo lifted an eyebrow, clearly surprised by her presence, and especially by what she had been doing. Eavesdropping? He would have laughed amusedly at her antics were he not so frustrated.
Rukia bit her lip and slowly raised herself from the tiled ground. "Ichigo," she said apologetically. He shook his head, deterring her from going on, and in movement swiftly lifted her into his arms; her own instinctively wrapped around his neck as he supported her weight with his hands underneath her thighs, her legs rested at his sides and swayed slightly back and forth as he began to walk down the empty hallway. "Ichigo," she said hastily. "I can walk, put me down."
He snorted and glared at her. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he asked. "You're still recovering from what I've heard," he shot. She blushed and looked away from him, her eyes trailing the frames of the shoji walls as they moved. "I've slept enough," she said. "Any more and I'd have gone insane." His lips cracked into a small smile.
He turned at the end of the hall and walked down one that was bustling with Fourth Squad members. She turned red and moved her head to settle her gaze on Ichigo's chest. She could see a bit of white peeking through his uniform. "You're still healing as well," she muttered unhappily, the knowing stares directed to them getting to her. She looked to him and found that he was not phased by the looks. 'Bastard,' she thought, 'Just because he doesn't care doesn't mean I do not mind.'
He walked into an open room, which she saw was the one she had fled from a little while back and settled her on the edge of the bed when he reached it. Once she was seated he turned from her and walked to the door. He closed it abruptly. He didn't turn again when it was shut.
"What were you doing back there, Rukia?" he asked, his voice low. She paled and looked to her bare feet. "I was looking for Unohana Taichou," she began. "I was asked to wait there by one of her subordinates."
He sighed and finally turned. "That's no excuse for listening in to private conversations," he said. She turned red and glared at her toes, "Anyone could have been listening, and you didn't exactly make the conversation you were having private by leaving the door wide open," she snapped. He made a noise that sounded both like a snort and scoff. "Don't blame your lack of courtesy on my mistakes," he said. He closed his eyes and bit his lip as if to stem the flow of words he wanted to say, she knew they were probably bitingly reprimanding. "Go to sleep," he sighed. "I'm not going to argue with you when you're injured."
"You're injured too," she muttered, her eyes boring deep holes into the air above her feet. They snapped up when he started laughing. She stared at him, confused while he clutched his forehead with his hand as he cackled hysterically. He looked positively, idiotically maniacal at the moment. "This," he mustered through his fit, waving his hand to gesture at her person. "This coming from the person who almost died...'You're injured too,'" he drawled mockingly. Once he said so his hand dropped and his eyes pinned hers hard. "You almost died, Rukia," he said lowly. "You were so close and yet you walk around like nothing. Like I didn't..." His eyes closed then, and a pained expression captured his features.
"Like you didn't?" she inquired softly, wondering what it was he had been about to say, and yet apprehensive to his words. He bowed his head and shook it, as if separating himself from a daydream. He did something she never would have expected then. Never in a million lifetimes.
He knelt down in front of her. One leg crouched, one knee resting on the floor. And it was like how a man proposed to a woman in western culture, like how she had heard girls at the academy talk about; how wonderful would it be to wear a white dress instead of a heavy ceremonial gown? and things of that sort flashed through her mind.
Ichigo took one of her hands within his own, he pressed his forehead down onto it very carefully. "Like I didn't fail in protecting you," he whispered. Her eyes widened as surprise overtook her. "Ichigo," she said, her gaze sweeping suddenly tenderly over his hair as his head was bent. "I'm going to do this properly," he said, his voice heavy with promise. "I won't run away like before."
He looked up to her and her hand was clutched more tightly in his grasp. "During the war," he said. "Many of my friends were injured because of me. After it was over I didn't know how to confront them, I didn't have the courage to say I was sorry. Because of that I retreated for a long time into myself. I wanted nothing to do with anyone. I essentially ran away." He sighed forlornly. "But not this time, I'm going to apologize to you. For failing you, for almost letting you die." He lowered his head and pressed his lips to her hand, he did so gently, pressure held to a warm minimum. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her skin. "I'm sorry Rukia."
--
--
--
Corny, huh? Anyhow I had computer predicaments…enough said. I hope the chapter was self explanatory…I tried to make it so. I was and still am ecstatic about all the reviews I got for the last chapter! Although maybe so much response was mainly due to the fact that I left the chapter up a long time? Also I'd just like to say sorry about the long wait…but that's how it's going to be since these are verylong chapters. I'm sorry that they're so long too…but this isn't the kind of story that I could write in small intervals…there's too much to say!
Thank you to: -AnGeLiCaNiMeKiTtY-, SunsetGlory, Karel Ritza, honey-vanilla11, acer-sigma, JadeRent, NnieTHM, RinUtari, carrietheninja, shell, jazzjackrabbit, IntegralGirl, intercostalspace, ceecee chan, denebtenoh, darkemogirl, Dimonica, DeadlyBeauty23, , OB, Clemen, Maireilla, stardaze, MoonLitNightSky, CharmedNightSkye, GothicHikage, sam, blue-eyed-lullaby, ColourPearl, mk, sapph89, and nemesis!
And this time I do have a preview:
"It's nice to meet you, Inoue san," Rukia said uncertainly. "And you as well Arisawa san," she continued.
The auburn haired girl smiled softly at her. "There's just something I'd like to clear up," she said kindly. "It won't take long."
Rukia raised an eyebrow. "If it's something concerning you and I then I don't see why Arisawa san is here." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Unless of course she's here for intimidation purposes?" Tatsuki glowered. "You assume too much," she snapped.
"And you're butting in too much, Tatsuki," said an unamused voice from behind her.
Rukia leaned her head to the side and saw that Kurosaki Ichigo was approaching them. And might she say that he didn't look to happy.
"Ichigo," said Tatsuki, acknowledging him. He didn't extend the curtesy, but merely brushed past her to Rukia. He stopped to stand at the foot of her chair and gave his hand to her. "I need to speak with you," he told her. "It's about Byakuya…I found out why you woke up in his house yesterday," he finished in a whisper.
Rukia's eyes widened and she immediately stood up…and fell right into his arms due to the foot he had positioned for her to fall over. He laughed when she glared at him and scooped her up for the second time into his arms. The auburn haired Inoue girl behind him gasped.
"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed at him. "Play along, shrimp," he quirked, "Or I won't tell you what I know."
So she let him carry her and it didn't surprise her one bit when he stopped next to Arisawa. "I know you're on Inoue's side," he told her lowly. "But don't ever try this sort of thing again or I really won't forgive you," he promised.
Tatsuki met his eyes. "You're not being fair to Orihime," she glared. He matched her gaze. "And neither of you are being fair to Rukia," he shot back. He scoffed and looked way from his friend. "Bye," he told her before shumpoing off with Rukia in his arms.
--Does it possibly sound intriguing? I hope so! Anyway I'd like for you all to stop by my profile page if you could. I've featured some great artwork of this story, all done by the lovely Denebtenoh…please check it out.
R&R please…It would be nice to get as many reviews as last time. --promises to update on her b-day (Jan.14) if her plea is met--
-Luna-
