Color the Sky Blue Chapter 6: Her Chest Hurts, a bleach fanfic

Chapter 5: Her chest hurts

Her eyes smoldered. That was the only way Renji could describe it. They were burning so intensely he wondered why the object of her anger did not crumble into dust, namely, the Captain 6 who was holding him…

Hostage?

Renji cursed loudly inside his head but his mouth was too dry to speak out loud.

He twitched inwardly that he was being held hostage. Wasn't it usually the other way around? He sighed to himself. Then again, Rukia always ended up in strange situations and this was bordering insane.

What was happening to her?

Her eyes were so dark, yet as he looked closer, they seemed to have lightened a shade. He pondered this curiously with a hint of apprehension as the reiatsu around her licked higher around her body.

He called out to her cautiously.

"…Rukia?"

Her eyes flickered to him and they were unfocused at first, almost confused before they seemed to dawn with recognition. He shivered as she let the full intensity of her eyes rest on him.

Byakuya stared at the petite girl in front of him. Her black hair was fluttering up and down as the reiatsu's force moved it. A few wisps settled themselves in front of her, just between the eyes.

He stiffened and his grip on Renji loosened just the slightest, the hand holding the sword going lax.

Those eyes that captured his heart, warmed it, caressed it, and broke it.

This reiatsu…

He wished that he could believe.

But his tears have long dried and they would not fall.

It's not even spring yet.

Hisana, the first one has just bloomed.

He brutally crushed down the hope in his cold heart.

He closed his eyes. In case there were really tears.

I'm invisible. You can't see the tears I cry.

It was a mistake.

She flew at him with speed Renji could not follow. Speed that even Byakuya could not follow.

Her small hand gripped his wrist tightly and the sword was swung in a large arc, just barely missing Renji's nose. His eyes snapped open to see a fist coming towards him. He let go of Renji, attempting to block the hit, but her speed.

His eyes widened and he could only try to move his head to the side.

Her fist glanced off his cheek and he flash stepped away, regarding her cautiously. He held onto his sword, his stance seemingly relaxed and unworried.

Renji fell to his knees, his hands catching himself clumsily. He felt her step towards him and he immediately looked up. She was not looking at him.

"Renji."

He started and quickly got up.

"Un. Rukia?" he asked, staring down at her.

She looked up at him, cocking her head slightly, and he was scared out of his wits by the expression on her face. Her eyes…were scary.

She spoke with almost a childlike wonder.

"Why does my chest hurt?"

He stared.

"Huh?"

Byakuya calmed himself and shifted and her head immediately snapped back to look at him. He stared at the living replica of Hisana holding a sword. He did not like it. Even if it was a wooden sword.

He remembered the blood on her when he had attacked her earlier that day and he saw her grip on the sword tighten.

"Rukia."

She started at his voice, calling her name.

Her head hurt.

He advanced and Renji tensed, his arms going to come around Rukia but the flames of reiatsu around her expanded.

"Ow!" he exclaimed when they really did burn him this time.

Byakuya's eyes widened at this. Rukia looked at Renji in shock.

"Renji?"

Byakuya took his chance then, swiftly raising his hand and murmuring a spell.

"Bakudo 1. Sai."

Nothing happened and the two figures in front of him whipped their heads toward him, the boy's eyes frightened and the girl's, perplexed. Rukia gripped the sword in her hands tighter, not noticing the pain it brought on.

Byakuya's eyes furrowed slightly. Could her reiatsu block his kido? Was the kido too weak to counter her reiatsu?

Renji only looked back at Rukia confusedly. "H-How did you…"

Rukia stayed silent, not understanding what the Byakuya had done, or tried to do.

"Bakudo 61. Rikujokoro."

The beams of light slammed violently into her stomach and she stared, shocked. The reiatsu around her licked furiously at her feet and the flames rose to her shoulders. She trembled and Renji panicked.

"Rukia!" he pleaded.

Byakuya did not heed him and came closer to them. As he walked over, the flames of dark reiatsu around her grew darker until they became pitch black. Byakuya's eyes narrowed and when he was almost close enough to touch her with his sword, Renji flashed in front of her, holding his arms out protectively.

"Kuchiki-taichou!"

Byakuya glared down at Renji. "Move aside."

Renji gulped. "No."

Byakuya raised his sword and Renji stared up defiantly.

A hand caught Byakuya's wrist and his gray eyes widened. He glanced back to find Ukitake smiling nervously at him.

"Now, now, what do we have here, Kuchiki-san?" His eyes wandered to Renji and then the still form behind him and his brown eyes widened before narrowing. The reiatsu around the girl were ominous but even more important was the resemblance she bore to the 6th Captain's late wife.

"Byakuya."

Byakuya stiffened.

"Say nothing," he commanded harshly and after a moment, Ukitake smiled softly and nodded, releasing Byakuya's wrist.

"Hai, hai," he said before chuckling lightly.

Byakuya sheathed his sword and Renji seemed to relax. Ukitake-taichou was here and he would not let any harm come to them.

"Please release Rukia, Kuchiki-taichou."

Ukitake started. "Ah, so her name is Rukia."

Byakuya closed his eyes in annoyance and Ukitake laughed softly. "Hai, hai, Byakuya. Ah, shinigami-san, please move out of the way, now. Byakuya seems to be short-tempered today."

Renji stared at Ukitake unwillingly but the captain smiled reassuringly. He nodded slowly and then stepped to the side cautiously.

Ukitake observed the girl carefully before he nudged Byakuya lightly.

They both suddenly tensed as her reiatsu flared and approached a third seat level.

Rukia stared at Byakuya, her vision waning slightly and a small frown marred her forehead. The image of the man in front of her seemed to flicker on and off and the edges of the picture were white.

Her hand tingled where she had hit him.

But most of all, her head hurt.

I…

She didn't understand it but something was off about the man. Her senses said that he was dangerous. But her guts…

Or her heart?

But somewhere, deep down inside her, she couldn't grasp where. It hurt to hurt the man.

Her chest hurt.

Her head hurt.

She sucked in a breath desperately, trying to qualm her dizziness and her senses.

Her eyes ventured up to meet his gray ones.

And she felt something inside of her plummet.

The yellow beams of light around her cracked and shattered.

She didn't know why it hurt so much. She really didn't understand, she was too overwhelmed over why she was here, why the shinigami took her, why she had this pain in her chest and her head and her hand.

But she knew it hurt to look into his eyes.

She didn't understand why.

But it hurt.

His gray eyes were like the gray of storm clouds.

She fleetingly thought of the rain.

Her hair flew up wildly as her reiatsu exploded and she dropped to her knees.

The captains' eyes widened as her reiatsu passed third seat, approaching a lieutenant. Renji stumbled back uncertainly. "R-Rukia."

Rukia stayed hunched on her knees and slowly, she brought her hands up to the sides of her head.

She whispered something but none of them heard.

"Rukia?"

The black flames swirled rapidly around her and her robes billowed around her. She stared at the ground uncomprehendingly. Her eyes slipped shut and as she felt something knock viciously against her skull. Her grip around her head tightened as the pressure increased.

She didn't know where she was anymore.

Ukitake's hand went to his sword when her reiatsu passed a lieutenant's level. Byakuya swiftly held out a hand to stop him and he came forward slowly.

"Rukia."

She did not hear him.

She couldn't breathe.

She bent forward more, her hands clutching her head tightly as her reiatsu climbed even higher. It hurt.

Her chest hurt.

He calls to her.

"Rukia."

Her head hurt.

She can't hear. Memories crowded her mind and she felt that she would explode from the onslaught.

She faintly realized that they were not hers.

Darkness envelops her.

A bright light.

A beautiful kimono.

A silver wedding ring.

Somehow, she felt a brief flash of joy.

It faded into despair.

She felt lonely.

She lost something precious.

My necklace?

She's running. She can't breathe in fear and panic. Not for herself.

Her chest hurts.

Her head hurts.

She coughs.

Red.

It's blood.

Sorry.

Hisana, the first one has just bloomed.

Her chest hurts.

Her head hurts.

She's running again. She's running with the white walls around her that seem to stretch forever and ever. She's so tired.

She just wants it to end.

A voice is calling.

Who are you?

You look cold.

Thank you…Byakuya-sama.

Onee-chan?

She screams and the three men flinch in surprise. Her reiatsu bursts and explodes and revolves.

Tears drip down her face. She doesn't notice them.

He misses her.

He's frustrated. Why can't she hear him? He reaches out to shake her but her reiatsu pushes him back violently.

Her tears keep flowing and he hates the sight of them. They're too familiar.

She feels something brink her shield. The touch hurts.

Someone's calling.

Who are you?

And she gives up.

She's taken over.

A flash of light and a swirl of cherry blossoms.

The reiatsu suddenly starts to fade. It lightens first, slowly changing to a dark violet, it's outline white. Then it recedes, the violet flames falling.

Black hair drips gently over her hunched shoulders.

She's still for a while and the three watch with apprehension.

Her head comes up and her face is obscured by a small white mask.

But he can see her eyes.

Violet.

She speaks.

"Byakuya-sama."

He doesn't understand.

"Hisana?"

And she falls.