Hellloo ma people!! I am officially on holidays!! I'm sooo stoked right now, I can't wait to go away for Christmas! So holidays mean I have a lot of time on my hands, which means I can write chapters quicker! Yay for you!
This one was done in one sitting, so don't kick my ass if it sucks.
THANKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ADDED ME TO THEIR FAVES AND STORY ALERT LISTS!! ALSO TO THE NEW REVIEWERS: YA ROCK FOR LIFE!!
Disclaimer: Hah! In ma dreams!
Rukia glared at the man before her. Was he really asking her to do what he was asking her? "There's no way in hell—"
"Rukia-san, please. Go. Ready yourself for his awakening. He will be here when you get back." Urahara said.
"If you do anything to him—"
"Rukia-san...I have grown to respect Abarai-san. I assure you nothing will happen to him. We are trying to help."
She nodded, then turned on her heel and left the Urahara Store.
Urahara sighed. "Tessai-san, you know what needs to be done. Abarai-san has been put to sleep. The tentacles around his chest and head have put his soul and mind into indefinite slumber. If my suspicions are correct, the only person that can wake him up is Rukia-san."
Tessai nodded silently.
Rukia cleaned up then got back into her gigai. When she was done, she led Renji's gigai to the Urahara Store.
She saw Jinta sitting on a chair outside the store; he was unusually quiet. "How is he?" she asked him, only just wondering why she asked Jinta instead of someone like Urahara or Tessai.
"The same." He replied, looking bored.
Rukia was anxious to go and see Renji but Jinta's mood intrigued her. "What's up with you? You usually look a lot more….alive."
He grunted. "Freeloader-san is……its just boring without him."
Rukia nodded, but didn't say anything. She went inside and to the room where she knew Renji would be. No one was in there except for Renji's unconscious form.
She watched him for awhile but then chose to sit next him. "C'mon Renji," she said, and in barely a whisper. "wake up."
Suddenly, his reiatsu began to fade rapidly, something that—for obvious reasons—worried Rukia. "Urahara! Tessai! Someone!"
Urahara rushed into the room a few, long seconds later, with Tessai closely behind. Rukia was surprised to see Orihime there too; something seemed different about her.
Tessai roughly threw Renji over his shoulder and carried him out of the room, the other three following. They went to the enormous basement below the store.
Renji was put on to a hospital-like bed and hooked up to various, strange-looking machines.
After examining the stats that one machine spat out, Urahara went pale. He turned to Rukia. "His condition is deteriorating, Rukia-san. there is no way for us to help him. I've tried everything; so has Orihime-san and Tessai-san. If I am right, he will be….gone, by…sundown."
Rukia shook her head. "B-But there has to be something! Please!"
"I wish there was. I'm so sorry." He whispered. After a long moment of silence, another machine began beeping madly. Urahara slowly walked over to Renji's side. "Gomen nasai, Abarai-kun. I couldn't help you. Forgive me….good bye."
Orihime shed silent tears and Tessai bowed his head. Urahara turned and faced the sorrowful three. "Come Orihime-san, Tessai-san, we must go. Let Rukia-san have some time alone with him."
Rukia didn't even notice them leave, let alone hear the whispered condolences her closest friend. The only thing in her mind was Renji. Renji.
She made her way toward her long-time friend and felt tears well up in her eyes as the machine's beeping got faster and faster. She could feel her heart beginning to beat at the same rate as the machine. She sat on the bed, making sure she didn't sit on Renji.
"Renji, you can't leave me." she said, barely audible. "Please don't leave me?" she buried her face in his chest as sobs racked her body. "No…no."
She pulled away from him, bringing her face inches from his. "Renji…I…I…I'm sorry…I should've had your back and gotten that bastard hollow."
Rukia almost slapped herself. She knew those weren't the words she wanted to say; she knew those weren't the words he needed to hear in his final moments.
How long had she known Renji? How long had she loved Renji? How long had she been running away from feelings she knew she wanted to feel?
Why was I running? Why wasn't I ready to face those feelings when he would be around for me to face them with?
In any case, now she was ready; ready to admit her feelings to herself and to his unconscious, dying form.
"Renji, you can't leave me; not now, not ever…..There's something I need to tell you; something I stupidly never realised until just recently; something I should have told you a while ago.
It's just that I've…..we've known each other for so long. You were always there for me and…I wish I could say the same for me."
She looked at his closed eyes, hearing the machine's beeping in the background. "I couldn't believe myself when I realised it. I was in denial for all this time because…I was afraid; afraid you wouldn't love me; afraid you would leave me, just like… like Ichigo.
I didn't want to lose the friendship that kept us together and I didn't want to lose you."
She leaned in closer, her tears falling onto his face. "So you can't leave…..because I need you, Renji....I need you to be okay; I need you to know that…that I…I always have and probably always will…love you."
There; she had said it. Even if you don't love me back…or even if you leave me.
She moved her lips to his ear and whispered her pleas.
"Don't go, Renji…..
Don't leave me….
Stay…
Stay with me….
Please...
I need you, Renji….
I…
I love you…"
She buried her face in his neck and cried uncontrollably. She was so busy crying, she failed to hear the machine's beeping slow down or see the twitch of Renji's finger.
"…Renji.." A deep voice called.
Renji couldn't move. He felt completely immobilised. He was able to move his eyelids, though. As soon as he managed to open his eyes, he thought he didn't open them at all because it was pitch black.
"…Renji…" the voice called again.
Then he could see it—see him. It was the embodiment or the extension of his soul: Zambimaru. His white fur glistened and so did the markings on his body that were identical to Renji's tattoos.
"Zambi…." Renji trailed off as he realised that he could move his mouth and talk.
"…Renji…" he called yet again.
"Yes, Zambimaru, I hear you." Renji said.
"Renji, that hollow has locked you in here. He had an ability, where he could create spiritual chains to immobilise his prey, then devour them. You have been his last victim and you must break free."
Renji attempted to move his body, but his efforts were futile. "I…I don't think I can."
Renji watched as Zambimaru walked toward him. "Renji…do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Renji asked, without actually trying to listen.
Knowing Renji, Zambimaru kept silent. Renji sighed, but started to listen.
There.
It was faint, but he could definitely hear it. There was a scream; a sad, heartbroken scream.
"Who is that?" Renji whispered.
"We have been connected for a long time. When we are in tune with them, I can hear her." Zambimaru said.
"Who is that?" Renji repeated.
"Sode no Shirayuki." He replied. Renji's eyes widened as Zambimaru shook his head sadly. "She mourns for us….they both do."
Rukia?
Renji felt his resolve formed. He was going to get out of this place no matter what happened. He fired up his reiatsu, building it up. Once his reiatsu was at its highest point, he released it, targeting the spiritual chains around his body.
It was exhausting and made him feel like he was going to explode, but he could feel the chains coming loose.
When he thought he couldn't go on any longer, Zambimaru touched head of his tail (the serpent) to Renji's head, giving him a reiatsu boost.
It took another long moment before the chains broke free and Renji could move. Feeling drained, he collapsed, but Zambimaru caught him before he hit the floor.
"Renji, find the strength. You are being called. She is calling you…Go, Renji…"
Renji found himself walking, in no particular direction. It took a while until he saw some light….more light….more light, and then he was completely engulfed by the light.
Rukia's sobs had finally come to a stop as she realised the machine had ceased its frantic beeping; instead it was low and slow. She thought about calling for Urahara, afraid that because the beeping had slowed, something bad had happened.
Looking closely at Renji, Rukia's heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Renji's hand clenched and unclenched! She could only stare at his hand with her mouth hanging open.
First it was his right hand then his left; his feet was next. Soon enough his whole body was moving and he sat up, taking in Rukia's gaping look.
"Hey." Was all he managed to say.
"…"
"Are ya just gonna stand there and stare at me like I just rose from the dead, or are ya gonna—"
He was cut off as Rukia tackled him and hugged him tightly. "R-Renji!!"
He chuckled. "Hi, Rukia."
"I thought….i thought you were…going to die." She muttered sadly.
"You brought me back, Rukia. It was you. I heard you." He smiled.
Rukia went ten shades darker. "You….heard me?"
"Yeah. I could hear you crying….and your soul." He said, patting her head as she released him from the bone crushing hug.
Rukia sighed relieved. He didn't hear it. He didn't hear my confession.
But she couldn't figure out why she was so relieved that Renji hadn't heard. Was it because she was still afraid? Was it because she still thought he would leave?
No.
She concluded that it was because he wasn't ready to hear it yet. She smiled at him. "Yeah?"
"Yeah, it was horrible. I don't think I wanna die anytime soon, now that I know how you're gonna react."
She shook her head at him. "Not funny, Renji."
"Yeah, I know."
Urahara watched Renji being tackled by Rukia from behind a rock. He smiled to himself. He turned around to see Tessai taking the Ririn-mod-soul from the Orihime-gigai that he had created especially for this day.
Putting Ririn back into the little birdie plushie toy, Tessai looked to Urahara. "What now?"
"We nurse Abarai-san back to full strength." He replied, watching Tessai throw the Orihime gigai over his shoulder.
He grunted in response, walking away.
Urahara smiled to himself, following Tessai.
I hope you likey!! It took me a while to get Rukia's confession right, but I still don't think I got it.
Anywho, I love Zambimaru!! He looks so cool!
Tell me what you think, okay?
Yours forever,
~Sewa-san~