The Destruction
It was a peaceful afternoon for Ichigo and Rukia, it wasn't too warm or too cold as they relaxed in Ichigos room one day. Rukia was in Ichigo's wardrobe, drawing a picture of Ichigo and herself, still mesmerised over that kiss. Ichigo was relaxing in his bed, enjoying the nice serene ambience of the birds singing and the wind blowing in the trees. Both were as peaceful and as happy as can be, but unknown to them, that peace was soon to be shattered.
Renji Abarai, Ikkaku Madarame and Momo Hinamori arrived at the Kurosaki clinic behind a bush that was closest to Ichigo's window. To avoid detection, they were in their Gigai form; Renji wore a white short sleeved shirt, with a pair of ragged denim jeans to go with his default headband. Ikkaku wore the same shirt, but had a pair of ragged sports trousers, carrying his wooden sword to make him look tougher. And Momo was dressed more fitting to her character: she wore a bright pink outdoor dress that was bunched to her shoulders with the the skirt extending to her knees; along with this, she also wore her traditional bun to her hair. The three remained low to avoid detection.
"How do we get those drawings?" Ikkaku said with his voice as low as possible. Renji thought for a moment and then arrived at a possible conclusion.
"The two only leave to face Hollows, right? If we lure two Hollows far from this place, they'll separate and fight the Hollows on their own, that gives the third person on our team to do the business with the drawings, if Ichigo can arrive first and be caught in the scene of the crime, she'll be bound to hate him." Renji explained.
"No wonder you got kicked outta 11th Squad with that thinking brain." Ikkaku mocked.
"Shuttap!" Renji hissed.
"Great timing will be required though." Momo said. "If Ms. Rukia arrives back first, the plan will fail instantly. Also if Mr. Ichigo arrives with plenty of time left to spare, he will discard the evidence as if nothing happened." Renji thought for a moment.
"If we burn the pictures as soon as Ichigo arrives, it will be impossible for him to cool the flames on time." Renji proposed.
"Alright, let's just get this plan into action." Ikkaku said impatiently. "Renji and I'll lure the Hollows, making sure Kuchiki gets the stronger one to buy more time. Momo'll get the drawings and burn them just as Ichigo's coming back."
"Why do I get the most important task?" Momo whined. Ikkaku then handed her a box of matches.
"Do we look like the bunch who can use matches?" Ikkaku growled. Momo didn't answer, both in fright and the knowledge of 'both answers are inaffective'. Renji handed Ikkaku a Hollow bait and kept one for himself.
"Good luck, team." Renji said. "Move out!" Him and Ikkaku dispersed while Momo stayed put. Ikkaku arrived at Ichigo's desired scene, cracking the Hollow bait, which as desired, made a weak green-winged Hollow appear with a roar. At the same time, Renji cracked his slightly stronger bait which made a hand-scythed purple Hollow appear, which was evidently stronger. Momo could hear Rukia's Soul Society phone bleep, signalling the arrival of Hollows.
"Hollows!" Rukia gasped. "Two of them!" Instantly, Ichigo and Rukia went to the window in their Soul Reaper forms. "You take the one to East, I'll take the one to the South!"
"Got'cha!" Ichigo said as the two scattered in their desired locations. Momo took a deep breathe, plucking up her courage and headed for the window; but in the nick of time, caught on to the window ledge and hid under the window: as Yuzu came in to clean the room up, and detection from Ichigo's sister could spell disaster for the operation.
"This isn't good!" Thought Momo. "I must get the girl away from here immediately." Yuzu certainly took her time, as she hoovered, sorted Ichigo's bed and made sure everything was in pristine order.
"There!" Yuzu cheered as she left to do her sister's room. Momo peaked in carefully and landed on Ichigo's bed as she scouted the room for the drawings. There was just one more daring obstacle: she didn't know where the drawings were.
Ichigo arrived at the Hollow scene, where it was terrorising the street where it was set loose. Ichigo gave it a strong Getsuga Tenshou, hitting and killing it instantly without too much of a fuss. Rukia in the same position handled the Hollow well, using her Zanpauktou Sode no Shirayuki to deliver a quick death with a Some no Mai - Tsukishiro to freeze it to death. Where they managed their jobs successfully, Momo was not. She looked fruitlessly for the pictures, but to no results. Her search got her to Rukia's wardrobe but they weren't to be seen, until she noticed a small piece of paper hanging from the mattress; after pulling it out and looked under the mattress, Momo uncovered Rukia's secret passion: her drawings.
"Yes!" Momo cheered, leaving through the window, landing on the gardens, she dumped all the pictures into a steel drum container, making sure a few were littered on the ground for effect, and then came the difficult part: lighting it. She was a sweet innocent girl that couldn't cause trouble for anyone, but then again couldn't betray comrades. She gave a small sigh in defeat as she tried to light a match from the box that Ikkaku gave her, but it was proving difficult, even for her; then a thought crossed her mind. She discarded the box of matches, stood back and prepared a Kido spell. "Hadou no. 31 - Shakkaho!" From her hand ignited a blood red flame as it shot for the steel drum container and instantly setting it alight. She felt great shame in doing this, but orders were orders. She seen Ichigo approach from a distance and took cover in the bush.
When Ichigo saw the drum container ablaze, he was alarmed at the sight.
"What in the...?" Ichigo whispered. He landed at the gardens and immediately picked up the discarded match box. "Who could have-"
"Ichigo?" Called a voice from behind him. Ichigo turned to see Rukia. "What's going on?" She rushed to the blaze and picked up one littered piece of paper, which had fire starting on it, to see her drawing of her and Ichigo just started today. Her eyes widened in horror. She looked through the drawings, whether it be not burning, burning or burnt, she grew hysterical after each drawing destroyed. "N-No! Nooo!" She collapsed in grief, crying at this loss.
"Rukia!" Ichigo said, trying to comfort her. But this made matters worse, for when Rukia opened her eyes, they fell upon the matches Ichigo was holding.
"I-It was you?" Rukia gasped with astonishment. Ichigo was bewildered with what she said and threw the matches aside.
"I didn't do it, I swear!" Ichigo cried, instantly trying to clear his name. He put a hand on Rukia's shoulder to comfort her, but she instantly threw it away.
"I can't believe you would do something so horrible!" Rukia cried. "You knew those drawings were everything to me!"
"I did!" Ichigo countered. "And you know it's for that reason I wouldn't do something like this! I found those matches on the ground!"
"Why should I believe you?" Rukia snapped. "You've been caught out!"
"Rukia! Listen to me! I didn't do this!" Ichigo pleaded. But Rukia heard none of it. She stood up, turned away and unseathed her Zanpakutou.
"I'm going back to the Soul Society. Be certain that I may never return." It pained Momo to hear this behind the bush. She wanted to jump out and confess it was her, but once again it would jeopardise the operation.
"Wait, Rukia!" Ichigo cried. "Rukia!" But before Rukia could open the Senkaimon to the Soul Society, a voice was heard.
"You may want to gather more evidence before accusing people, Rukia Kuchiki." Said a familair voice. The two turned to see none other than Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. Momo gasped silently.
"Toshiro?" Ichigo said.
"Captain Hitsugaya." He reminded.
"What are you doing here?" Asked Ichigo.
"I was on patrol duty and seen this fire at your house, so I decided to investigate." Toshiro explained, taking one of the destroyed drawings and grunted in disgust at Rukia's lack of drawing talent. "More to it, I can't let a person be blamed unless it truly was him."
"It was Ichigo, Captain Hitsugaya. He held the matches that did this." Rukia explained.
"I told you! You need more evidence to suggest otherwise!" Toshiro yelled, shaking the two by it's surprise. Toshiro calmed down to give his analysis, much to Momo's despair. "If you use your eyes for a moment, doesn't it strike you as odd that Kurosaki would do something completely out of character to destroy something dear to you, Kuchiki?"
"Ichigo always does the out of character." Rukia said with her arms folded.
"Even so." Toshiro added. "Have you considered the possibility that matches weren't the device used to start the flames?"
"What?" Rukia asked.
"You may be an unseated officer, but even you have great powers as a Soul Reaper. If you would have calmed down from the beginning, you would have detected traces of Spirit Energy emitting from the fire." Toshiro stated. Rukia did so, and could rightfully detect the Spirit Energy.
"Matches can't do that..." Rukia pondered.
"Most likely a Kido spell." Toshiro said. "Kurosaki can't do many attacks involving Spiritual Energy nor can he use Kido."
"But his Getsuga Tensho could!" Rukia persisted. Ichigo was saddened at how doubting Rukia was lately.
"Then tell me, where is the destruction caused by Kurosaki's attack?" Toshiro countered. Rukia inspected the area, and the only destruction was the blaze itself. "Kurosaki's attack deals damage to the surrounding area if attacking grounded targets. More to it, it wouldn't set it on fire, but it would crush it with it's force." Rukia was beginning to see Ichigo's innocence. Ichigo's lawyer was indeed proving effective. "Oh, and do you remember when I said to use your eyes? Well..." Toshiro walked to the bush Momo hid and grabbed the neck part of her dress. "You would see the real culprit is still here." Toshiro yanked Momo out, and with a scream, she fell out and was exposed.
"Y-You-re..." Ichigo gasped in surprise. Momo was quivering in fear that she was now busted.
"Momo! Explain what happened!" Toshiro yelled.
"I-I did it..." Momo confessed. "I set your drawings on fire, Ms. Rukia..." Rukia was shocked at this new revelation.
"Why?" Rukia screamed at her.
"I-I..." Momo stuttered. She had to make up an excuse to not reveal Renji or Ikkaku. "I've been hearing that Mr. Ichigo and Ms. Rukia were seeing each other as of late...I wanted to see how pure their love would be...but such a test was too heart-breaking for Ms. Rukia. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She was now bowing to Rukia in sorrow. Toshiro drew his Zanpakutou and froze the flames, which shattered immediately. He took from the drum what drawings that were left.
"I think you owe something to Kurosaki." Toshiro said to Rukia. She turned to Ichigo who was huffing with anger at Rukia. The young Soul Reaper took Ichigo's hand and held it to her face.
"Ichigo...I'm so sorry for accusing you like that..." Rukia said in deep sorrow. "I was blinded by lies and deceit...I couldn't see what was truly before me...Ichigo...is there any way you can forgive a fool like me?" Ichigo gave a sigh.
"There is one way." Ichigo said and then hugged Rukia. "Know that I would never do such a thing to you..." Rukia accepted the hug, making Momo smile in delight. Once the hug was concluded, Toshiro handed the remaining drawings to Rukia.
"If they are truly important to you, guard them with your life, as you do with the most important person in your life." Toshiro said, glancing to Ichigo.
"Thank you, Toshiro." Ichigo said with a smile.
"Captain Hitsugaya!" He reminded once more. He picked Momo up. "Come, we're leaving."
"Don't punish her." Ichigo said. They all looked to Ichigo.
"B-But...I did something truly wrong...I deserve punishment..." Momo said.
"I can tell it isn't Toshiro's nature to punish someone he likes." Ichigo said. Toshiro nodded.
"You won't be punished, Momo." Toshiro concluded. Rukia smiled at Ichigo's just attitude. Toshiro and Momo waved goodbye as they entered through the Senkaimon back to the Soul Society. Ichigo gave a smile to Rukia.
"Y'know, your cute when you're mad." Ichigo taunted. Rukia gave him a punch in the shoulder, beginning a playful battle of punches and tickles, proving their relationship was still burning strong...