Warning (Author's Ranting inform): We are now getting into the cursing stages of this story. Please forgive Ichigo and Renji. I had nothing to do with it.

Viewer discretion is advised.

I'm not sure what discretion means, but they say it a lot on TV, like right before COPS comes on, so I thought I'd say it too.

Wait. I just found out what it means. Let's see: carefulness, good judgment, prudence, caution, wariness, and so on. Thanks spell check synonym finder…thing. But what does prudence mean?


Chapter III
Completed Puzzle; Truth Revealed

"Not connected?" The commander of the sixth division glanced over his shoulder briefly, flashing an interested expression towards his vice captain, "I assure you, Abarai, Hitsugaya-Taicho does share some affiliation. Did she not tell you what sort of relationship they had?"

Worried of what his Captain was saying, Renji glanced at Ichigo's equally confused expression, searching for an answer, but nothing came. "Huh? Like what?"

"Matrimonial relations."

There was a moment of silence as the lieutenant stared at his superior with a puzzled expression. He was at a complete loss of words.

Ichigo, sensing what his redheaded friend wanted to ask, blurted out a question of, "What the hell are you talking about? Matrimonial? You're starting to sound like they're promised to each other or something. Wait…you don't mean…"

Byakuya nodded in response to the young Shinigami's question. "That is it precisely. An arranged marriage between Rukia and the Captain of squad ten, Hitsugaya Toushiro."

"No…" Renji stumbled backward towards the door, shaking his head, and sprinted through the already opened entrance.

Byakuya sighed in annoyance, deciding he would have to intervene sooner than he thought. He glanced over at an infuriated Ichigo, who simply glared back at him, suddenly having the intent to kill. "So…have I struck a nerve?"

"Obviously. You can't just spring something like that on us. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Hm? Wrong with me?" The captain gazed curiously at the other, changing the subject. "Did you not, at one time, have a preference for Rukia?"

"What?! Why are you asking me this? I shouldn't have to answer."

"Respond. Now."

"No friggin' way." Ichigo turned his gaze elsewhere, trying to seem like he was not paying attention, but a low growl from the other caused him to speak up sooner than he had expected. "Alright, alright. Yes—but not anymore."

"Exactly as I thought. You overcame that, and so can he," Byakuya stated as he headed towards the door, "It's as simple as that." In replying, he closed the door behind him, off to attend to certain matters.

"No…" Ichigo sighed deeply and scratched the back of his head with a finger, "It's not that simple at all."


Rukia winced in pain as she rolled over onto her side, gazing out the opened window located not too far from her futon. It felt awkward to her to be resting in her brother's home. The last time she was here like that, was when she had been injured, and perhaps out of some ounce of decency, Byakuya had let her stay there.

She gasped, and cringed, feeling the pain radiate from her chest after a shadow crossed the light of the sunset as it showed through. The unknown figure stood at the doorway, looking down at her from the distance and she kept her eyes on them. A small smile formed on her pale face as she recognized whom it was.

"It's been a while…hasn't it?" She began in a near whisper, "You've been well, right, Ichigo?"

"Rukia." He made his way towards a vacant mat that lie beside her and took a seat there. The cushion was warm, and he knew that someone had just been there, but paid no mind to it.

After noticing that he was not going to say anything, Rukia became concerned with his current mood. He was never so thoughtful about anything. "What's wrong? You seem a bit…occupied."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Trying to play dumb, the young woman smiled warmly at her companion, "Tell you what?"

"Marriage. Well. You know. About your—" He was cut off when a set of footsteps could be heard coming in their direction.

"Who told you?" She whispered fiercely.

"Byakuya told us," he answered, an eyebrow rising in surprise of her question.

With her eyes filled with sorrow, Rukia turned her gaze to Ichigo. "By us, you mean Renji, as well?"

"Yeah."

"I see." Slowly, Rukia rose from her bedding, into a sitting position. "Where is Renji? I'm due for an explanation, it seems."

"Damn straight." Ichigo smiled weakly, trying to seem unaffected by it all, as he slid a hand behind her back to support her, but Rukia moved away from his touch and grit her teeth in pain. "Huh?" Ichigo began, giving her a skeptical look, "Something wrong with me now?"

"No…It's just that—"

"Details aren't necessary. It's obvious enough," came a deep and familiar voice as the male figure rounded the corner, focusing his eyes on the ones who sat before him.

"What the…Toushiro? Well, well, well. I thought it was about time you showed up. Looking for some free time with the bride-to-be?" Ichigo joked in a bitter voice, motioning towards Rukia. As anyone could have seen, Ichigo was not in the best mood at the moment. "But getting down to business, why did you keep all this marriage business from everyone? Especially the bride herself, too. You lied and said that she was at the infirmary with that fourth division captain, but she wasn't now, was she? And you…" Ichigo glanced at his silent, raven-haired friend. "Why didn't you inform us of your little endeavor with all this? I know you could have contacted us someway."

Hitsugaya shook his head and sighed, feeling annoyed with the entire situation. "Because I informed her not to."

Rukia lowered her gaze, feeling like she should stop the white haired boy from continuing. "Hitsugaya-Taich—"

"Enough." The young captain interrupted, "I think it's best you be going."

"No…what about Renji? He wants to hear Rukia's side of the story."

"Is that so? Well then…what needs to be clarified? I'm sure I can be just as much of assistance."

"But, with all due respect, shorty…I don't want to hear it from you and I'm sure he doesn't either."

"Really? I guess that he's just going to have to cope with this or—"

"Hitsugaya-Taicho," Rukia interrupted, shifting her gaze towards the young Captain, "Please, if you don't mind, let me speak with Renji. I don't want him to…" She trailed off. "Well, it's best that I tell him the truth. You come too Ichigo. I'm only going to give this explanation once."

"I didn't plan on staying behind anyways," answered the orange haired youth as he stood and held out a hand for his injured friend.

"If you must go speak with Abarai-Fukutaicho, then head east from here. I believe he's near the 11th Division's barracks," Hitsugaya stated as he gestured in the direction.

"Thank you, Toushiro," she muttered as Ichigo pulled her to her feet. "I appreciate you being so understanding."

"We'll you'll have all the time in the world to thank me later, now won't you?"

She smiled and clung to Ichigo for support. "Right."

"C'mon," urged Ichigo as he kneeled infront of Rukia, his back to her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to hold on. He made sure to hold on to her tightly. "Alright. We're off." In that, he disappeared with Rukia.

Hitsugaya stood there for a few moments longer, hesitating on what had to be done next. She would understand, wouldn't she? After all, they had been friends and known each other for a long time. "Now to tell Hinamori."


Renji sighed and stared up at the sky from where he sat on the roof. He had come by to talk with Ikkaku about the matter, only to find out that he was nowhere to be found at the moment. "Man…Just my luck."

His thoughts were then interrupted by yelling and fussing off in the distance, but paid no mind to it.

Rukia resisted the urge to rip out most of Ichigo's hair for the reasons of insulting her and whatnot for keeping the truth from him. They had been arguing all the way to their destination, turning the heads of many shinigami as they passed them.

"What the hell has gotten into you?! I told you that I'd explain once we met up with Renji! Just be patient."

"Well isn't that special? Special, special, special. I'm the one getting lectured to be patient by the one who's getting married at young age."

She opened her mouth to say something in response, but Ichigo purposefully landed hard on his feet, making her grasp the back of his shihakusho and wince in pain from the sudden stop. "You idiot." Rukia mumbled something else he could not understand.

"Huh? What was that? I couldn't quite hear you," came his answer in a mocking voice.

"I said, how about you do something right for a change!"

"Oh really? Well, how about you kiss my ass for a change!"

They took the moment to glare at each other before turning their attention to their friend. It appeared that Renji had tuned at all of their bickering and was not aware that anyone was there, or he just did not care.

"Oh, Renji…did I really do this to you?" Rukia whispered to herself, giving him a sorrowful look. Ichigo lowered her from his back slowly until she was steadily on her feet, and moved a few steps away from her.

"Good to see you too, Rukia," he stated as he stood and brushed himself off before facing her and Ichigo. "It's been a while, huh?" He smiled weakly, not bothering to hide the fact that he was distressed about everything at the moment. She hated that smile. It was the same one that he had given her that day when Byakuya came to the academy and asked her to join their family and Renji had urged her to join. Full of grief.

Ashamed to look at him, Rukia lowered her gaze. "Renji. I'm only here to clear things up. Nothing more. If you have something to say, save it until I'm finished speaking, alright."

He nodded, understanding what she was saying and continued to smile forlornly. "Alright."


Dramatist Ranting (Or not…um…spoilierific…savvy.: Um…Ahem…FIRSTLY….! I saw 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'. For all you out there who have or have not seen the movie, I want to ask you a question. A question so unmeaning-ful that mostly, you're going to forget it, but I want to ask it—because I NEED AN ANSWER! I want to know if I'm the ONLY one out there who thinks this way about SEQUELS. And that question is…!

If you saw the title 'AT WORLD'S END', would you not think that it would be taking place AT THE END OF THE WORLD and that it would be THE FINAL OBJECTIVE considering that it is AT THE WORLD'S END? You know…It might just be me, but when I see the word "END" I don't think "TIME FOR A SEQUEL"! So to wrap this whole question: "When you first heard 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' did you think that it would be the final 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie?"

Speak freely now.

-Vincentre