x
x
chapter iv
x
"Someone has a little crush" A voice behind her sing songs, startling Rukia out of her trance
Rukia whirls around, face red, nose scrunched, eyes big and embarrassed. She shoots a glare at the servant who hides her fit of giggles behind a dainty hand, "I do not!"
She gives a shrug and Rukia follows her pointed gaze at Byakuya who enters the garden, clad in his shinigami academy garb and looking—"Handsome" the servant coos, "I can't blame you, Master Byakuya is a sight to behold"
Rukia rolls her eyes—a habit she's learned from Byakuya himself—and folds her arms over her chest defensively.
"It's been about two years since he's entered the academy" The servant sighs wistfully "I do miss his strong, masculine presence—
"Ew" Rukia makes a face
"—around the estate" She taps her chin, "I bet all the girls at the academy just drool over him, he probably gets at least twenty love confessions per day"
Rukia shakes her head in disbelief, "Oh get real! He's not that handsome"
The servant shrugs, "If you say so, if I were you I would sink your little fingers—" She makes claws with her hands, "—Into him quick, before he gets snatched away by some beauty at the academy"
Rukia ignores the girlish servant's insistence swoons over Byakuya and turns away. Byakuya has changed since he entered the academy, he's gotten taller and put on lean muscle but Rukia would never notice such things anyway.
She will admit, however, that she has missed Byakuya too. Ever since he's entered the academy she feels as if it was some great reward to see him. He had been training hard, keen on graduating before the six years required were up and looking at him now Rukia believes that it will only be a matter of time before he graduates early.
Then—Rukia frowns—then she'd never see him. He would be terribly busy with his duties as a squad member. His presence would become candle-like, a flame flickering in and out at certain times.
"You look terribly foolish staring like that" Byakuya comments with a smirk teasing the corners of his lips
"I was not staring!" Rukia fumbles, ears reddening as she stamps her foot in the ground like a petulant child and—dammit!—She could've sworn she was better at bantering then this!
"If you say so" Byakuya says dismissively
Rukia had grown right under his nose, Byakuya could've sworn that yesterday she was still some bratty little kid and now she was older, a little taller—but not by much, Rukia would always small in stature—her face more defined, more feminine, pretty.
"Why are you home so early?" Rukia asks, noticing his unusually prompt arrival
"I was dismissed from training" Byakuya replies
"Dismissed?" She repeats incredulously
"They were teaching flash step" Byakuya clarifies, "And I've already mastered that"
Rukia smiles conspiratorially, "If you're so great at flash step, perhaps you should practice with me"
"Pardon?" Byakuya quirks a brow
"Come on Byakuya" Rukia tugs on his sleeve, batting her eyelashes—a trick that she's developed and mastered over the years—"Please"
"You must be foolish to think I have the time to spare to practice flash step with you" Byakuya says with a slight shake of his head
Rukia releases his sleeves and clutches her heart dramatically, "Oh woe is me! I should've known better to assume…"
"Stop it" Byakuya cuts in
"…That someone as talented and strong as you would teach a lowly vermin like me…"
"Rukia"
"I shall go to my room and not come out for three whole days in order to soothe my embarrassment for making such a foolish suggestion"
"You've become quite the accomplished actress haven't you?" Byakuya comments in fond exasperation
Rukia beams, "So you'll pratice me then?"
"I suppose" Byakuya sighs, Rukia smiles and between the two of them something hangs in the air, I've missed you—the three words they can't say, too stubborn to speak.
"Such enthusiasm" Rukia quips dryly
"Don't push it" Byakuya warns, his long ponytail swishing as he shakes his head
"You're so lucky that Yoruichi-san taught you flash step" Rukia sighs wistfully, unable to help herself from pushing his buttons
"You're still pushing it"
"I wish I could meet her one day"
And if on some cue, a voice above them startles them from their conversation "Wait no longer Rukia-chan!"
Byakuya rolls his eyes and bits back the annoyed groan teasing his throat, she was always one for dramatics.
Yoruichi—standing proud and strong on the roof of the Kuchiki Manor (Byakuya would pay good money to see the horrible woman fall of the ledge)—looks down at her favorite pupil with a cheshire grin pulling on her lips, something absolutely deviant shimmering the liquid gold of her irises, "Did you miss me Byakuya-bo?"
"Hardly" Byakuya grumbles
"Byakuya-bo?" Rukia repeats in a weak attempt to stifle her teasing grin, Byakuya shoots her a dangerous glare that sends Rukia doubling over in laughter.
From the mere minutes of meeting Yoruichi, Rukia can already tell that this is the type of woman she wants to grow to be—strong and unwavering, unapologetic and powerful. Yoruichi flashes before them, her eyes straying on Rukia's face, "My, my Rukia-chan, you are quite the image"
Yoruichi reaches forward and cups Rukia's chin, "Wow, take a look at those eyes Byakuya-bo! Those are the eyes of a fighter"
"Let go off her" Byakuya grabs Yoruichi's wrist, "You are being a nuisance"
Yoruichi pulls her hand from Byakuya's grip and smiles like she's discovered some grand secret, "Very protective of Rukia-chan aren't you Byakuya-bo?"
Rukia lifts her eyes in surprise to Byakuya who is silently fuming at Yoruichi's statement, all at once Rukia wishes nothing more than to be a mind reader so she could have some inkling of the thoughts that are running through Byakuya's head right at this very instance.
"Why are you here?" Byakuya inquires, changing the subject
"I need to see your grandfather about a matter concerning the Gotei 13" Yoruichi answers back, vagueness wrapped around every syllable of her statement
"And that matter is?" Byakuya pries
Yoruichi chuckles, it's a deep throaty sound that is used in moments of seduction or to show one's superiority, "A matter that concerns the captains and despite your power, Byakuya-bo, you aren't quite there yet"
Byakuya's lips curl in disdain as he opens his mouth to make a cutting remark when Rukia steps in, "You can find Ginrei-sama in his study"
"Ah!" Yoruichi grins and ruffles Rukia's hair affectionately—Rukia thinks that if she knew her sister than she too would do such a gesture, "Thank you for your hospitality Rukia-chan!" She leans in a covers her mouth with her palm, "You should teach Byakuya-bo some manners"
"Go" Byakuya warns darkly
Yoruichi blows him a teasing kiss before disappearing before their eyes, Byakuya turns to Rukia quickly, "Please refrain from making any comments about that demonic woman"
Rukia nods innocently, clasping her hands behind her back, "I wasn't going to say anything…"
"Thank you—
"Except…" A smirk teases Rukia's lips, "That I think Yoruichi seems like a nice woman"
x.
"You're not still mad at me about the Yoruichi compliment right?" Rukia asks, bending over at the waist and holding her knees in exhaustion while Byakuya watches her, arm crossed with a holier-than-thou expression aligning his handsome features.
"Again"
Rukia makes a face, scrunching up her nose and flashing away from him. Within a matter of seconds, Byakuya catches her wrist and stops her motion, "Too slow"
Rukia hates this silly game of tag, this was no way to learn flash step, or at least practice it. Byakuya was far too fast for her to avoid his touches, it was hopeless and tiring to be practicing so hard when Byakuya was sure to catch her every time.
"You enjoy punishing me?" Rukia breathes, using the back of her palm to wipe the sweat from her brow.
"Perhaps" Byakuya humors the idea
Rukia sneers at him and she falls on the forest ground, exhaustion seeps into her bones as lies back; fingers weaving through the thick blades of grass.
"You look ridiculous lying there like that" Byakuya comments, arching a thin brow
"Well it's probably because you're standing up, looking all prideful and snobbish" Rukia replies, eyes shut and a smile on her face
"You're immature"
"You're elitist"
"You're…" Byakuya stops mid sentence, his brows pulling together in concentration, he turns to the thick of the trees, hackles raised.
"I'm what—
"Quiet" Byakuya commands, posture tense as he takes a step backwards. He turns to Rukia suddenly, "We need to go"
"Why?" Rukia pulls herself from the ground, confusion etched into her delicate features
"There's a hollow with an abnormally large reiastu" Byakuya explains quickly, "We need to go seek help immediately"
Rukia nods, the gravity of the situation bearing down on her. The two of them flash step away, hearing the starving roar of the hollow in the distance. Rukia tries to keep up with Byakuya's incredible speed, but finds herself slowing, still exhausted from the exertion of training.
Come on, Rukia thinks frantically, losing sight of Byakuya, Move legs!
Rukia stumbles to the ground in a heap of sore bones, she looks up to see that she is terribly alone in a clearing in the forest. She tries to lift herself from the ground but finds it a fruitless attempt, her legs feel like mush, unable to move.
Why… Rukia looks up, her eyes finding a shadow emerging from the forest trees…Am I always so weak?
She is reminded of the time-it seemed like ages ago-when she was in a similar position, face pale and stricken, pupils fat and dark with fear, the melody of death echoing in the still air. Only this time, she has something to lose. Only this time, she fears the emptiness of leaving those she loves so dearly left behind.
The hollow that appears is smaller than what she expected, more slender and skeletal like than any hollow that she's ever seen or heard of. Still—Rukia's eyes grew wide—it has a frighteningly large reiastu despite it's small size.
"Hello there" It's sickeningly sweet voice vibrates the bones in her body, filling her with dread, "What are you doing in my forest?"
It approaches her slowly, eyes crimson and filling the dark of the forest with a murderous light, "You're pleasantly…docile, I prefer my meals to squirm but you're just too delicious to pass"
Rukia sneers up at it-defiant, even when looking the epitome of death in the eyes. Rukia wishes that she would have forced Byakuya to teach her kido, or something to defend herself.
"I can feel your struggle" The hollow laughs, "You tell yourself that you are not scared of me but I can feel it-I feel your fear"
x.
Byakuya feels his heart plummet to his stomach when he finally realizes that Rukia is no longer behind him. He turns on one heel and takes off into the eternal black of the forest .
Green flashes around him, envelopes him as he hones on Rukia's reiastu, he grits his teeth in frustration, brows strictly pulled together as he pushes himself to the peak of his abilities, forcing himself to go faster with each step.
I should have been careful, He thinks, a curse on his tongue, I should have carried you, Rukia!
I won't let you get hurt, you won't get hurt-Byakuya feels himself approaching her quickly.
Just hold on a little longer...
Byakuya appears in the middle of the clear, eyes signing of an incoming storm as he sees the hollow reach down for Rukia-
He snarls, something angry and protective and absolutely animal comes over him.
Don't...
He flashes forward, fingers outstretched, reaching for her
Touch...
Byakuya grabs Rukia, just as the hollow reaches down, touching her with it spidery fingers.
Her!
For a second, the three of them, hollow—Rukia—Byakuya, are all connected as one single entity (Byakuya feels something angry, despicable lingering in the air—his mind sings of panic) in that particular moment before Byakuya rips Rukia away from the hollow's seeking touch and pulls her into his chest as he flashes away from the monster.
Despite the looming threat of danger and death and destruction that looms over them like an impending storm, Rukia feels safe in Byakuya's arms, feels invincible—immortal even. She looks up at him through her dark lashes, and in this moment she swears Byakuya has never looked more handsome—standing there facing death with an expression of unyielding determination, his bangs plastered to his forehead with sweat, his mouth tight, eyes fierce and oh, he looks every bit of shinigami that he is.
Suddenly, there is another power—bright and singing with concealed strength—approaching quickly. Rukia feels her heart stutter in shock as Soujun appears in the clearing, his black robes swaying in the slight breeze, back facing her and Byakuya.
"Otou-sama" Byakuya himself is not surprised at his father's abrupt appearance, he figured that someone would've come by now, since the hollow was so unusually close to the Seireitei.
"Byakuya" There is a seriousness in his voice that causes Rukia to lift her eyes in surprise, there had always been this unexplainable softness to him. She never thought him capable of possessing a hard edge, "Stay back, understand?"
He's speaking to him as a lieutenant of the Gotei 13, not as a father, not now when danger was dancing in the humid air.
"Hai Otou-sama" Byakuya nods, watching as his father draws his zanpakuto, the smooth silver of its blade glinting in the moonlight. '
Rukia watches as Soujun approaches the hollow, his shoulders straight, eyes forward, fingers gripping the hilt of his weapon. Something inside her keens, telling her that she should stop him, make him run away—
"Don't" Byakuya says, as if reading her mind, "It is an insult to the warrior if you tell him to run during battle"
Rukia understands but she wishes she didn't, she wishes she could just go stop him, tell him that it's not worth risking his life over. The hollow roars into the air, the noise wraps around her, suffocates her.
There's a sharp pain that suddenly invades her temples, but Rukia doesn't cry out, she stifles her noise of pain and pushes it away—too focused on Soujun, too focused on urging him to win.
x.
The battle is fierce, the hollow is a lot stronger that what Byakuya initially thought, it was able to block and par Soujun's assaults with ease. However, Soujun wasn't giving up, he has been able to land a series of hits on the hollow with practiced precision.
Shinigami and hollow.
It is a deadly dance—one that has been practiced for centuries, it is a war between the evil, rotten souls of the underworld and the gods who wield blades to shed their blood.
Soujun advances on the hollow, growing stronger with each strike, determination is a blanket that falls over his shoulders as he moves with lethal grace, ready to end this fight.
x.
The hollow grows frantic in his movements, sensing his defeat approaching quickly. With a burst of power—so blinding and fiery that it knocks the wind out of both Rukia and Byakuya. It grabs Soujun in one of its multiple hands, holding him tight and Soujun wails
x.
Byakuya suddenly remembers the night his mother died, it was a memory that he kept buried away in the further corner of his mind.
It was a quiet night, there was a stillness in the air as fireflies danced around in the black of the night.
A servant guides him into his parent's room, and sits him down next to his bedridden mother who already looked so lifeless lying there with a pallor complexion and lifeless ebony eyes. The only way Byakuya knew she was alive was by the slight, strained exhale of breathes from her chapped lips.
"Okaa-sama" He whispers, nudging her gently with his hands
Her eyes flickers to his, and a weak smile pulls on the corners of her lips, "My son, my child"
She reaches up with trembling fingers, cupping his face with a gentle touch that only a mother could manage, "In life, you will be faced with many hardships, that you might question yourself and who you are—
Soujun quietly enters the room, his head bowed with the weight of grief and he silently sits kneels by his son.
"But never forget that you are my son, you are a product of my love and everything you do and will do is going to take breaths away" She draws her hand away from her child and clutches at her chest. Byakuya turns away, squeezing his eyes shut, unable to watch his mother die right before his eyes.
"Open your eyes" She whispers hoarsely, "Let me see you Byakuya"
He can't—
—He won't.
Byakuya gets up, every bone in his body telling him to go. He's not old enough to see the tears of his father, to watch the life seep from his mother's bones.
"Akane" Soujun pulls his wife into his chest, his shoulders shaking with his silent sobs as she takes her final breath and Soujun wails—a sound so terribly similar to the screams of his father now.
Byakuya is brought back from the cruel depths of one of his worst memories by Rukia tugging on his sleeves desperately telling him to, "Do something! Byakuya!"
He looks up to see the hollow holding his father in it's hands—
—And it snaps his father in half.
It must've only happened in a matter of seconds—a heart beat even but Byakuya swears that it take his father lightyears to fall to the ground, dead.
Time begins again when Rukia starts screaming, angry and hateful and delirious with grief and the shock of the situation and the air is saturated with death. She takes off, running at the hollow, her reiastu throbbing in fury.
Byakuya grabs her, pulling her back from the hollow, "Stop!" He can hear himself saying, "What do you think you're doing?"
Rukia is trembling in his arms, tears spilling down her cheeks and she cries, "It killed him!"
"We have to go" Byakuya shakes her, "Now!"
"We can't just leave him there!" Rukia fights him, pulling away from Byakuya, "He's your father dammit!"
Byakuya's face contorts with aguish for a moment before he grabs her again, "If we stay, someone else could die! We need to go get help before this hollow gets any closer to the Seireitei!"
Devastation is laden on her face and she agrees with eyes filled with sorrow. Byakuya holds on tight—silently vowing that this time he won't let her go, and they disappear into the night.
author: I really don't know how I managed to write 12 pages worth of content in like two days but I feel super accomplished tbh. To clear up any confusion Byakuya was a young adolescent so like 11 or 12-ish (Soul Society years are so weird) and Rukia was like 8-ish in chapters 1-3 and now they're older so Byakuya is around 13/14-ish and Rukia is like 11-ish.
Thank you all so incredibly much for your reviews, they really motivate me to update faster!