A/N: This story and the one before it were both inspired by my attempts to justify Rukia's weakness in the first chapter of the manga (compared to her abilities in the Arrancar arc).
Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine *sigh*
Reckless
Rukia watched in stunned disbelief. He was challenging a hollow armed with nothing more than determination and the desire to protect his family. The expression of confident arrogance he wore was so familiar she found it hard to breath.
This boy had pulled to surface all the emotions which she had kept buried for so long.
The hollow rushed forward and so did she. Her head screamed that it was nothing more than resemblance, but the thought of having to see those features relaxed in death once again threatened to stop her heart. She barely had time to raise her sword before she felt the hollow's teeth sink into her flesh. The pain that followed was a sweet relief, banishing the torrent of emotions that had consumed her a just a moment before.
"You idiot..." she said weakly as she collapsed to the ground, honestly not knowing whether she was admonishing herself or the boy.