Chapter 4: When It Rains

You made yourself a bed

At the bottom of the blackest hole

Convinced yourself that its not the reason

You don't see the sun anymore

Slowly, the Ten Taicho's and Twelve Fukutaicho's came in pairs. They moved like ghost as they marched up Soukyoku Hill. No one spoke a word, no one looked behind one another. All eyes stared straight ahead, as they marched to the top.

Once each Captain and Vice reached the top, they made two lines, one on the right and one to the left. Vice stood by their respected Captain; a gust of wind came and blew their hair and attire about randomly. Slowly, the Head Captain came and he stood at the front of the two lines, leaning upon his cane as if his weight was too much to bear.

He looked at all his comrades and then towards the entrance of the hill. Four men, dressed and veiled in white moved silently between the line of shinigami, in the middle of the four men was a slender young man with a veil placed over his head, four slender red ropes connected to his collar and hands.

They moved without a word and finally came to stand to the side of Old Man Yamamoto. No words were spoken as the four white canes of the four veiled men were slammed into the ground. They then departed to stand behind the Head Captain.

Then finally, after a moment, Yamamoto spoke, loud and as clear as day with his voice powerful. "Taicho's and Fukutachio's of the 13 Gotei, you all have been summoned here today to decide the fate of a young Vizard. Yes, he has severed Seireitei well when he was a Shinigami Representative." The old man paused to regard his fellow shinigami. "He helped us in the war, even though he never followed orders well. But, now the boy has become a Vizard." The Old man turned and started toward the white clad figure between the four rods that held him in place.

His old hand reached up and pulled the veils away to let them dangle from their respective rods. "He is over come by his inner demons." No one said a word, many looked on to stare at the criminal while others turned away, refusing to look upon the black and amber eyes of Kurosaki Ichigo. They refused to stare at his pure white nails and the small bone plate that had grown under his right eye, like thick eyeliner.

Ichigo looked out to his friends, or he supposed his ex-friends as all that knew him were looking away. His own eyes lowered to the ground like a submissive servant. He said nothing as Yamamoto continued. "Kurosaki Ichigo the Vizard is charged with attacking shinigami, refusing arrest, endangering the living, becoming a traitor, influencing the living without permission, choosing to become a Vizard, dealing with the Vizard's and finally murdering his own human body in order to free his soul and hide himself within the realm of hollows."

Hueco Mundo, yes, he had thought about running away there in hopes that he could at least live in some peace. However, that would mean he would have to leave Rukia, his family, and live with hollows. It should not of been very hard to do, with his hollow coming out to take him over.

After the war, Ichigo had just wanted to fade away, his friends had died, his life had been started and his resolve was beaten from him. Everything he had was taken, and yet Rukia had stayed with him and he did not understand why. He wanted to disappear even now; maybe that was why he allowed his hollow out that night, hours before Rukia had come to see him. He had allowed the beast to murder him to take away his human body, it was if his body knew he wanted to escape and his soul did the dirty work that his mind could not comprehend. It was strange, to see yourself die by your own hands and yet, ever so satisfying.

To escape into Hueco Mundo. It was his plan ad the old man knew it.

Ashamed about his discovered ideals his hollow like eyes averted from the people before him once again as he had tired to lift his head high but found he was unable too.

"We have had many Vizards before, they had been dangerous and unstable, but never at the level that this one is, his powers growing stronger everyday, even now he gains strength and possible could destroy us all." The old man said as he looked out towards his Captains. "If allowed to stay as he is will cause him to change into a hollow and possibly do more harm then good." The Old man's eyes rested upon Renji who was now looking towards the orange haired vizard.

"Even if the boy was able to be spared and allowed to live, he would be confined and watched carefully. For he is, vizard and they can change at anytime by losing to their hollow. Kurosaki Ichigo, at this very moment is losing to his hollow, his face displays his lose and his continued failure." He paused once again. "A few of you had guarded the boy and sent me reports, in which you all have read carefully. So let us start now on the closing."

His old eyes locked onto Ichigo, the teenager flinched when he was addressed by a mere look. Was the old man giving him permission to defend himself? What could he say? He raised his head and looked at his old friends and war comrades. He saw hardly any emotions before him and the ones that he could see held sadness or a firm decision on what they were about to cast upon him.

"So then, you will not speak in your own defense?" asked Yamamoto as Ichigo stared at them all, his lips locked tightly, he knew there was nothing to be said, and nothing could save him. He had broken the taboos of Seireitei as well as the law. He was a criminal. He was dead; he had fallen into their rules and their hands.

"Then let us cast forth our minds." He looked at everyone slowly; each Taicho and Fukutaicho pulled forth his or her zanpakutou. No one moved, Ichigo looked on to see what would happen, having never been to a trail before he was curious. He looked at each zanpakutou.

Izuru Kira was the first to stab his blade into the ground.

He was the first to condemn Ichigo.

Suzumebachi, Gegetsuburi, Itegumo, Ashisogi Jizō, slammed into the ground soon after the first. Ichigo knew this was going to be bad, he knew what was happening.

Hyōrinmaru, Haineko, Gonryōmaru,Tenken, the blade of Iba joined the other and then for a brief moment, it seemed to have stopped but suddenly, one by one more swords were stabbed into the cold, hard earth.

Sōgyo no Kotowari, the zanpakutou of Hisagi, , Katen Kyōkotsu, Nanao's zanpakutou, Tobiume. Oh god, Jushiro was stabbing his blade into the ground! This was not a good sign. Where they all were going to kill him, did they all want him dead?

Then what came next shocked him, confused him and made his heart bleed. Minazuki, the zanpakutou of Unohana came down. Even, Unohana was voting for his death. He looked at the remaining few who did not place their swords into the ground, but that only lasted for a few seconds as Senbonzakura kissed the ground.

Kenpachi, Yachiru, Renji and Nemu were the last ones. Nemu stepped forward, placing her vote and then he sighed, knowing at least three did not wish him ill.

Zabimaru bite into the ground.

Ichigo felt like he had been slapped in the face. Even Byakuya himself had cocked his head slightly to the side to view his red headed Fukutaicho with a surprised look. Ichigo stared at Zabimaru and then at Renji who never once looked at him now, his face was turned away and his hands balled into a fist.

Ichigo only dropped his head, so even Renji wished him death.

Yamamoto looked around slowly and his eyes rested upon Kenpachi and Yachiru, either of the two had put their swords into the ground, neither of them voted to harm the orange head. In fact, the two looked rather stern.

"So it has been decided, Kurosaki Ichigo shall be sentenced to death in three months time. During these three months, he shall live in the Senzaikyu Shi-Shinro, The Repentance Palace, and third cell. He shall remain there until a decision has came to an agreement in the matter of execu…" The Head Captain was not able to finish his sentence as a voice called out from the stairs upon the side of the mountain.

"No!" The voice shouted and everyone turned to see who was defying the order that was being given. At first, no one was able to see who was declaring such a thing but the slapping of sandaled feet came hurrying up the remaining stairs and then, to perhaps everyone's horror stood Kuchiki Rukia, huffing and puffing with her sword resting the hilt of her zanpakutou that hung at her waist.

"No!" She said again, "You can't do this to him!" She said with a sweep of her arm, tears running down her face. Ichigo looked up at her, his black and amber eyes wide with surprise that she would she would be here, god he wished her he could hold her but he could not step away from his binds.

She took a step forward dangerously, "How can you do this?" Her eyes went to the others, and her eyes caught sight of the blades in the ground. The blades of her brother and childhood friend.

"Rukia, return to the manor." He said with his emotionless voice, he had told her to stay away and wait for him to return but it appears she would not do as he wished. He knew she was not listening when she saw the swords and so he stepped forward, blocking her view of his blade and his fukutaicho's who was now looking away.

"Renji…Byakuya…how…could you…" Her body shook with rage as her small hand clang to her blade. She had cried and begged her brother to spare Ichigo, to spare his vote to not allow this and what did he do? He voted for death, as did Renji. Renji who was Ichigo's friend and her own!

No, she wasn't going home.

"Rukia." Her brother spoke again but she did not hear him, instead she performed shunpo, her zanpkatou clashed into her brothers who now stood between her and Ichigo. "I won't let you take him!" She cried as her body shook and her sword slipped against her bothers as Ichigo finally spoke. "Rukia, let it be."

Her sword fall from her hands as she could no longer hold her weapon as she was over come with emotions. Byakuya said nothing as his sister fell to the ground, "Fukutaicho Matsumoto."

"Hai!" Matsumoto said as Yamamoto addressed her, "Escort Kuchiki Rukia back to the Kuchiki manor and do not let her leave the campus."

"Hai!"

Matsumoto rushed to Rukia and helped her stand but leaving her blade. "Rukia, come on you are making things worse for Ichigo and yourself…" She whispered to her friend as she helped her stand. "No, I won't go without him…" She had turned to pull away but a sudden pressure on her neck made her lose consciousness.

Matsumoto looked up at Byakuya who lowered his sword, no words were exchanged as the sandy haired woman picked up the small raven haired shinigami and shunpo'ed away.

Byakuya looked down at his sister's sword and sighed mentally.

Ichigo himself bit his lower lip.

"Ya know, Horse." Said the Hollow, "With drama like this, who needs soap opera's." The hollow cackled within the mind of Ichigo and then added in, "Now Horse, don't make it rain, ya might make me…wanna kill something…like the star of the opera! Oh what a lovely ending to an episode of All My Shinigami!"

A/N: Yay! I had time to actually write! Now I bet ya no one saw that one coming about Renji. Hehe Surprise surprise. Also, I am up for any suggestions you might have for this story and events! I love hearing ideas to help me right and hearing from you in general! I hope you enjoyed this short chapter!