AUTHOR NOTE: well, I must say bookwormtiff's reaction to my fanfic was quite shocking, so this chappie is for her!
This chappie is quite angsty (well, angsty compared to my other fanfics) but don't worry it will pick up next chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach, but I totally agree with the plotline right now!
SPOILER! DON"T READ!
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RUKIA IS BACK! OH MY GOD! She's finally back and she looks cooler than ever! WHOOT!
Music Game – Playlist No.1 Track 8: Halleluja Remix
~ Live on . . . always remember, love deeply, travel far and never, ever forget . . . ~
Rukia curled up against the wall in the forgotten music room, breathing heavily has she tried to swallow back her tears. It was unbelievable and she had been caught unaware. That guy, Kurosaki Ichigo . . . he had looked so similar to him during that performance. That confidence, that swagger, even the singing style was exactly the same.
It was almost as if he had come back from the dead.
Plip, plop.
Her teardrops splashed onto her skirt.
Abandoning all attempts to hide her sadness, she allowed herself to sob silently.
I miss you . . .
Sometimes, she thought the pain of losing her sister couldn't compare to the pain she felt when she had lost him . . .
She loved her sister so much. But, he was there when she wasn't.
She had only been 10 when her sister had found her; she had spent her whole life up until then in many different homes. But, no matter how far away her new home would be, he would find her and stay with her.
Even when she had moved into the new house with her sister and her fiancée, he had come without fail, every single day.
She reached out and took a notepad and a pen which was lying on the ground.
Remember me . . .
She placed the pen to paper and before she knew it she was lost in her lyrics. Whenever she was sad, she would write. It always turned out to be lyrics to a song, though she never dared to sing it out loud.
The scratching of pen on paper and her soft sniffling were the only sounds in the room as time seemed to fade away.
After who knows how long, her body felt tired and sluggish from no food all day and crying really hard; so she gently placed the notepad down and fell asleep in a ball next to a brand new set of lyrics.
"Damn that stupid, stuck up Kuchiki!"
Ichigo was fuming as he stabbed his chopsticks into his bento. The other students sitting at the other tables all jumped slightly when he viciously tore open the wrapper for his juice box and leaned slightly away from him.
Ichigo was oblivious to all the commotion he was causing and was focused on how to get that stupid shorty to co-operate with him. If there was one subject he didn't fail then it was music. Music was the only thing he had left, after that incident. It had been so long, but he would never forget it.
Music had changed so much in his life, there was no way he was letting it go.
"That's it! I'm gonna hunt that Kuchiki down and force her to work with me!"
The outburst had silenced the entire cafeteria but Ichigo, clueless as usual, stalked out without noticing a thing.
He looked through every room but just couldn't seem to find that midget.
Frustrated and tired, he decided to the music room to relieve his stress. Being a new student halfway during the term wasn't a good thing, especially when he knew his first impression to his classmates wasn't so good.
As he approached the door of the music room, he looked up and saw a little stick-it note.
Sorry! This music room is currently unavailable!
Please use the one down the corridor and to the right!
Thank you,
Urahara Kisuke!
Ichigo growled.
Damn his annoying music teacher.
"Rukia did what?"
The butler winced at Byakuya's volume.
"She, um, changed her electives."
"To what may I ask?" Byakuya coldly replied.
"To . . . um . . . she, um, changed Elective History to music . . ."
Byakuya stared at the butler, his eyes boring holes into the poor servant's head.
"To what? Speak up."
"T-to music . . ."
Byakuya's eyes widened.
"WHAT?"
"Ah, Yoruichi!"
The dark skinned woman turned and flashed a toothy grin at her partner.
"What's up, Kisuke?"
"Kurosaki and Kuchiki are going to be a bit late for P.E this afternoon. They're going to be a little busy preparing for the assignment I gave them."
Yoruichi gave Urahara a knowing look.
"Ahh, that was quick Urahara. I didn't expect you to move that fast. But are you sure this will work for both of them this way?"
"Well, Kuchiki Byakuya is coming back in two weeks. Time must be used wisely, no?"
Yoruichi laughed.
"Of course!"
"Orihime! Orihime! What's wrong with you?"
The said girl shook herself out of her daydream and faced her friend.
"Nothing, Tatsuki-chan! It's just . . ."
She fiddled with a strand of her red-brown hair while bitting her lip.
Tatsuki stared at her friend. After knowing her for so many years, it became easy to tell when Orihime was lying and what she was actually thinking.
"It's that Kurosaki guy . . . isn't it?"
Orihime jumped and eyes flicked nervously back and forth.
"N-no, why would it be?"
Tatsuki sat down and sighed.
"Orihime . . . you know you can't lie to me."
"Oh . . . ok. I'm sorry Tatsuki . . ."
Tatsuki took a bite of her bread.
"Don't go near him."
"What?"
Tatsuki swallowed and took a big gulp of milk.
"He isn't good for you. He's been like this for several years now."
"Y-you know him, Tatsuki-chan?"
"Yeah. He was my best friend when we were younger. Then one day, something happened and he changed from the innocent, smiling boy that I knew to something else."
Orihime took all this in, still not touching her food.
"But still, he's very interesting isn't he?"
Tatsuki choked on her milk.
"Don't tell me you have a crush on him, Orihime! You just met him!"
Orihime blushed and hid behind the wall of her hair.
"N-no! I just think he isn't as scary as he looks."
Tatsuki raised an eyebrow at her best friend.
"Sure, sure."
Orihime chewed her lip.
"Tatsuki-chan, can you tell me exactly what happened?"
Ichigo stepped into the old music room, coughing at the amount of dust while cursing Urahara over and over again in his head with the worst words he could think of. He dumped his bag down near the door then headed over to open the nearest window to get some fresh air into the room while dodging the obstacle course that the room had set up.
After forcing open the old window with much difficultly, he turned around and let himself examine the room more closely. His eyes surveyed the room and he nodded in approval. The manuscript papers, instruments and other stuff were clearly old and out of date, but it was still very good quality. He saw a baby grand piano in the corner, where it was nearly hidden under piles of old piano practice books; he saw a dusty flute which would definitely shine if he bothered to give it a good clean; and he saw a beautiful acoustic guitar. He instinctively moved towards a guitar that was leaning against the wall and picked it up.
Grabbing a random chair, he shoved all the paper off it and sat down, his hands already moving across the guitar. He fingered the familiar strings of the guitar, caressing it in a very un-Ichigo like way.
A note pad lying on the ground with someone's scribbles on it caught Ichigo's attention. He picked it up and read through it, his scowl fading as he read the touching lyrics to a song. It sounded so sad and he wondered who could have written this.
As he read, a melody formed in his mind and slowly he began to figure out the chords to the melody.
Soft guitar chords filled the room, making it feel alive with new music.
It was probably the first time in a very long time that music had been played or sung in that old, overlooked music room.
Rukia, who had been lying on the ground, sleeping, was hidden behind a huge pile of music books. She woke up to the beautiful sounds of a guitar and for a moment she thought she was still dreaming. She hadn't heard such wonderful sounds in years. Byakuya's restrictions were very tight: no listening to the radio, no going to dances, no singing, and even no going into shops that played music in the background. To someone who used to love music so much when she was younger, it was torture. But she knew, she couldn't break the promise to her beloved nii-sama and more importantly . . . to her sister.
As Rukia listened closely to the music, she realised how perfectly it fitted with her lyrics.
As the guitar swelled to the chorus, Rukia realised she hadn't felt so at ease near music like this in ages. Without realising it, she breathed in and opened her mouth.
She stood up, not caring if the person who was playing the guitar saw her or even if anyone heard her. All thoughts of her promise to her family flew out of her head.
She was free, and this time nothing would stop her.
And for the first time in 7 years, Kuchiki Rukia sang.
Byakuya groaned.
Why was this happening? Rukia has always been a quiet and obedient girl, why would she deliberately dis-obey him, especially when she knew that it wasn't just his request but her deceased sister's too.
"My deepest apologies, Kuchiki-sama, but I'm afraid you'll have to stay for longer than two weeks."
Byakuya would have head desk-ed himself in anger and frustration, but a Kuchiki must remain formal and dignified at all times, so he just sat there, seething.
The butler cringed.
Why did he always have to deliver bad news to Byakuya Kuchiki?
"One month. Maximum."
"Huh? Sir?"
"One month. After that I will leave no matter what."
The butler bowed in acknowledgement.
"Yes, sir."
Byakuya waved away the butler, concentrating on his paperwork. As soon the door closed behind the butler, Byakuya dropped the paperwork.
This can't be happening. He had promised Hisana that he would definitely honour her wishes.
Rukia had to stay away from music.
Because music had taken so many things away from Hisana, and Rukia knew that. It still didn't stop her though.
Then . . .
The accident happened.
Hisana almost lost something else because of music. Almost, she was so close.
Rukia, why did you do this?
Why would you break your sister's wishes?
Tatsuki looked at Orihime and looked back at her milk bottle.
She took a small breath before beginning her story.
Ichigo . . .
He always had been a cry-baby, a whiner, a complete mamma's boy.
I met him when we were much younger at the dojo. I was his teacher and even though we were the same age, I always managed to beat him to a pulp each time. He always ended up with bruises and cuts, not to mention the snot running down his dirty little face as he cried over his defeat.
But when his mum came to pick him up, it was like someone had magically taken away all of those pains and placed a huge smile on his face.
He loved his mum.
And whatever his mum liked, he liked.
His mother loved to sing and play the piano. So naturally, Ichigo too loved music.
What he loved the most though was when his mother would sing to him whenever he was sad or lonely. Sometimes she would sing when she was happy too.
And trust me, I only ever heard her sing once, but it was amazing.
She was amazing.
I wish I could hear her sing once more.
One night, when Ichigo was about 6 or so, there was a car accident. I don't know exactly what happened but what I do know is that she died that night, protecting Ichigo.
How he must have felt . . .
His entire family was quiet for so many days.
Then, when Ichigo turned 8, his cousin came to visit. He was the one who taught Ichigo how to play the guitar and read notes. Then, every holiday, he would come and visit and they would sit together and whisper over many things. His cousin didn't even feel like his cousin anymore; they were more like brothers.
But, suddenly, Ichigo's new found happiness was snatched away from him. It was so cruel, how it seems fate always seemed to be toying with him.
His cousin had passed away too.
I think it was cancer or something that was long term that he had for a while.
Ichigo had no idea.
But then, once every week after his cousin's death, he would disappear off somewhere, claiming he was doing some duty he owed his cousin. I don't where he went and I didn't dare ask.
Eventually though, he stopped doing that too.
I'm guessing that something happened again. I think it was around when we were 10 or 11.
And that was the last time I ever saw Ichigo like the real Ichigo.
From then on . . .
He was just a shadow of the bright flame he once was.
Orihime wiped at her eyes where tears had started to form.
"Oh, Kurosaki-kun . . ."
Ichigo stopped playing and listened.
It was remarkable.
Her voice sounded so soothing and so comforting; and somehow the same feeling he got when he argued with her the first time began to well up in him. It was so familiar. . .
Baby I have been here before
I know this room; I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
She was standing, singing her heart so passionately that it dispelled any doubts Ichigo had about her not being musically talented.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah . . . Hallelujah . . .
Her voice filled the whole room and Ichigo was drawn in.
Maybe there's a God above
but all I've ever learned from love
was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
It's not a cry you can hear at night
It's not somebody who has seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
There's a blaze of light in every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah
"Hallelujah . . . Hallelujah . . .Hallelujah . . . Hallelujah . . ."
Rukia's voice had softened to a whisper and when she sang the last note, it felt like it was suspended in the air for a while before she let it fade away.
She opened her eyes.
And saw Ichigo sitting in a seat in front of her.
The two of them looked at each other, caught in the moment.
Ichigo opened his mouth to speak just as the full impact of what she had actually done hit Rukia. A billion thoughts that she had blocked off while singing rushed into her mind and she could feel her head spin as it tried to keep up. What had she just done? What would Byakuya think? What was going to happen to her?
Her legs felt soft and she felt the blood pounding as it rushed into her head; she fought against her tiredness but failed.
Her eyes rolled back and she fell onto the ground in a dead faint.
Ichigo dropped his guitar in shock.
"Rukia!"
What did I just do?
AUTHOR NOTE: Aaannnnnddd cliffy! Altogether a very depressing one but trust me, it will lighten up! :)
REVIEW! or i will be sad . . .
P.S bookwormtiff: no more complaining,i updated so now you have to wait at least one week till next time ok?
Aprilup*