Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. If I did, I'm not sure there's anything that I'd really change anyway.
AN: Well, here goes chapter three. Shorter than the last one, but most chapters will probably average at around this length, and perhaps between 500-1000 words longer from time to time.
"Talking"
Thought
Time Passage
Human World, Urahara Shop Underground Training Room, Late Afternoon
The afternoon had begun its gradual shift to the evening, when the city outside would soon come to its daily rest. Yet while the hustle and bustle of the day began to draw to a close in Karakura Town, there was a much different story taking place deep below the small store owned by one Kisuke Urahara. With the afternoon quickly coming to a close, Ichigo Kurasaki was struggling with the bonds holding his arms behind his back, recently put in place by Tessai after entering the shattered shaft.
"What the hell is this, Hat 'n Clogs?"
"It's lesson two, of course. I call it the Shattered Shaft. As of now you've got seventy two hours to get out of that hole."
"Get out of a hole? Heh. No problem Hat 'n Clogs. Even if my hands are tied behind my back, I'm gonna get out of here and kick your ass!"
"Well that's good to hear, Ichigo. Because if you don't make it out in that time period, you'll become a Hollow." He paused, pushing his hat up slightly to get a better look at the teen. "And we'll have to kill you."
"W-what?"
"Yeah, take a look." He tapped the fan on his chest, where the Chain of Fate would have been if he were deceased. Glancing down at his own chain, Ichigo nearly cried out in fear for what would have felt like the hundredth time that day, as the links on the end of the chain had grown mouths and started eating away at the link below.
"Better start climbing, Ichigo."
Transformation Initiated. 72 Hours Remaining
Soul Society, Seireitei, 70 Hours Remaining
Rukia's report had been less than pleasant to say the least, and it had Jūshirō worried. Not about her performance, of course. She was a highly talented combatant, and any Shinigami likely would have been stunned if a regular human had managed to break through a Kidō Bakudō, even one as weak as the first. After all, it was highly uncommon to find a living human with that kind of Reiryaku. No, he was concerned more for her state of mind. Rukia had always had an unhealthy tendency to put all of the blame on herself when a situation went bad, even when there was nothing more she could have done.
And so, as he always did when his young companion was torturing herself over something, he made an effort to raise her spirits that would inevitably end in failure. But as her Captain, friend, and mentor, he couldn't very well just let it go without a word. Finding her had been a simple matter, as she always walked the same paths when lost in thought.
"We need to talk, Rukia."
"Can we please not do this now, Captain Ukitake?" He knew she meant no disrespect. She never did.
"I know that telling you not to blame yourself won't do any good. No matter how hard I try, you always believe that you're responsible when someone is lost."
"We're Shinigami. Our entire purpose is to protect the innocent from Hollows. How can I not blame myself when I stood by and watched as one of those monsters murdered an innocent boy?"
"It's not your fault. I know you don't believe that, Rukia, but it truly wasn't. You were shocked, and he was being reckless. Circumstances were simply not in your favor. It hurts, but sometimes that is simply how the universe works."
"May I please go now, Captain?" She was getting impatient. At the very least, he had to do something to help.
"Rukia, wait. I know you don't want to, but I think you should take a day to rest. Give yourself some time to think things over."
"I don't really think-"
"Please, Rukia? At least do it for me. Give your dear old Captain one thing less to worry about tonight." He really hated using his illness to manipulate people, but the girl just wouldn't stop pushing herself for anything less. Different though they may have been, if she picked nothing else up during her time with Kaien Shiba before his death, it was the curse of being unbelievably stubborn.
"…Alright, Captain Ukitake. I'll take a little time off, if it makes you feel better." And curse it all, now he was the one feeling guilty.
"It truly does, my friend. And please, try not to be so hard on yourself." She nodded, though they both knew it was only for his sake. Going their separate ways, Rukia was beginning to think over what had happened back in the human world for what felt like the millionth time when she ran into something rather solid, and promptly fell on her back. Looking up, she felt a blush spread across her face as she realized whom she'd just made a fool of herself in front of.
"Oh, C-Captain Aizen, I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention." Great. First I freeze up and let that boy die, just like- She stopped that train of thought before it could start –then I'm caught not paying attention and make a complete fool of myself in front of a Captain. One of the most respected Captains in the Soul Society, no less. This day just keeps getting better and better.
"Oh no, no need to apologize. The fault was mine. I'm afraid I was rather lost in thought." He paused, glancing away as though he were embarrassed, nervously pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "My deepest apologies, Miss Kuchiki, but I couldn't help overhearing your conversation with Captain Ukitake. May I offer some advice?"
"Advice?" Please tell me he's not going to start telling me how sorry he is. I've had enough pity for one afterlife. Even with as few friends as she had, they all seemed intent on making sure she was "okay" after her return. Either way, she took the hand he'd offered her, allowing him to help her up.
"Yes, if it's alright with you. Walk with me?" For a moment she almost considered declining – talking about these imagined "problems" that everyone seemed to believe she had wasn't high on her priority list – but she had just run into the man.
"Very well, Captain Aizen." He smiled, clearly pleased with her response as they began moving.
"You should do as your Captain has suggested. Take some time to rest. Not even the Captains have absolutely perfect records." Rukia gave a silent sigh. It was just another "don't blame yourself" speech. Great. Because I haven't had enough of those already.
"You see, I've learned something from my experiences over the years. The reason we fail, and we all fail at some point, is so that we may learn from those failures and better ourselves. You failed to protect someone who, from what I understand of your report, likely wouldn't have wanted your aid to begin with." He paused as they came to a small pond, sitting on a nearby bench and motioning for her to join him. She protested his claims, but took the offered seat all the same.
"He was just a human. An innocent. He shouldn't have needed to make that choice in the first place." Though she kept a straight face, the slight clenching of her fists may as well have been a blaring alarm announcing that she was angry with herself.
"You're right. He was just an innocent human, and he shouldn't have been in that position." Her eyes widened by a fraction, and she glanced over at him sharply. That was unusually blunt compared to what most generally told her.
"You should have knocked him unconscious. Or you should have bound him more securely. Or you should have taken the blow for him, or struck more quickly, or pushed him out of the way, or perhaps even given him your powers so that he could finish the battle. Miss Kuchiki, there are countless things that you could have done, and there are also countless mistakes that you could have made. But dwelling on what could-have-been and what might-have-happened will do nothing but inhibit your performance when the next chance to prove yourself arises." His gentle smile was strangely soothing, as was the hand that he lightly placed on her shoulder.
"You must see your mistakes, but you must also rise above them. To achieve new heights, we must not allow our errors in judgment to consume us, but rather we should use them to strengthen our resolve. Shinigami fear what the Hollows represent, even if they don't fear the Hollows themselves. The Hollows feed on that fear, and they use it as their strength. To combat them, a Shinigami must rise above that fear." He gave her shoulder a light squeeze before removing his hand, and gave her another smile. A sense of relief seemed to overcome her, and she returned his gesture with a small smile of her own.
"You are no different, Miss Kuchiki. Do not forget this incident, or try to excuse what happened as a result of your actions. Instead, take this unfortunate occurrence as a learning experience. Rest, gather your thoughts, and when you're ready, return to the human world and use the power you've gained from this obstacle to show your enemies that a failure, no matter how painful, will never be enough to stop you from fighting."
That, much to her surprise, actually made some sense. After constantly hearing people say that she shouldn't blame herself, that it was simply a common mistake, or that there was nothing that she could have done, it was somewhat refreshing to hear a different take on things.
"You're…Unusual, Captain Aizen." Realizing what she'd said, she corrected herself immediately. "I mean no offense, of course!"
He chuckled, shaking his head with amusement.
"No offense was taken, Miss Kuchiki. I view it as a compliment. Please, feel free to speak your mind."
"It's just that, I'm not sure. Everyone tells me that it wasn't my fault, but I know that it was. And I know that they know it too, but they still just keep…" How do I say this?
"It's because they want to protect you." He was looking out over the pond now, towards a group of children who had clearly just been released from the Shinigami Academy.
"Protect me?" But why would they want to protect me? And from what? The truth?
"Captain Ukitake means well, of course. I have no doubt about that. However, just as I view those in my own division as such, in his eyes you are his children, his family. Sometimes those feelings can make one say what they think will comfort their loved ones the most, rather than what needs to be said. That is why it's sometimes easier to speak of your troubles with a stranger."
"Like you, Captain Aizen." She smiled slightly, uncomfortable with addressing a superior so casually, but somehow compelled to continue. His smile didn't falter, so she could only assume that he had no problems with the behavior.
"Well, I like to think that we're all friends here, but yes. You shouldn't hold it against him. He realizes that you are a Shinigami, and a skilled one at that, but even this knowledge will not be able to override that inherent desire we have to protect those who are precious to us. Had it been one of those children for instance," He gestured towards the students "I would no doubt feel the need to hold them, and shelter them, and tell them that everything was going to be all right. But you are a grown woman, and a Shinigami. Everyone needs comforting at some point, but there comes a time when they will need encouragement. To spread their wings, rather than hide in the safety of the nest."
He stood, and she followed without thinking. She looked up at the much taller Shinigami and smiled, a genuinely thankful smile this time, and gave a small but respectful bow to the Captain of the Fifth Division.
"Thank you, Captain Aizen." His smile widened, and he brushed the comment aside with a friendly wave.
"Oh, think nothing of it Miss Kuchiki. It is a Captain's privilege and honor to help his juniors in times of need."
"Hm. Please, call me Rukia." She wouldn't normally make such a request of a Captain, but there was something about Sōsuke Aizen that attracted people to him. That made people want to befriend him.
"Ah, if I may, then please call me Sōsuke. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I have a prior appointment with an old colleague to attend, but I do hope my advice has been worth the while. Please take care of yourself, Rukia."
She nodded. "And you as well, Captain Sōsuke."
As they parted, she pondered over that little encounter. She had only seen the Captain of the Fifth Division on a few rare occasions herself. However, his Lieutenant, Momo, had often spoken of his wisdom and charisma. While Rukia was pretty confident that the young girl overestimated just what Aizen was capable of, she now had little doubt that he at least deserved some of that credit. His words hadn't been life-changing or anything of the sort, but somehow she just felt lighter than before, as if he'd taken some of the weight off of her shoulders with him when he'd removed his hand.
His suggestion that she not make excuses about her mistake and dwell on what she couldn't change, but instead focus on what she could change in the future, had been refreshing. Enlightening, even. As she made her way back to the Thirteenth Division's barracks, she decided that sooner or later she'd have to thank him. A gift, perhaps. She doubted that she possessed anything of value that he was unable to attain himself, but she would have to think about it further sometime.
But for now, she needed a good night's rest. Then tomorrow, she would request permission to be stationed in a certain human world town until the Hollow situation started to die down.
AN: Well, I hope you enjoyed, and I'd love to hear what you have to say. And please, don't hesitate to point out errors (Be they grammar, plot, characters, or whatever). Heaven knows I'm far from the perfect writer.