Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach!

Bleach Star

Chapter Thirteen – Arigatou~

"Do you do this all the time?" Rukia asked,

"Often, I guess."

"Why?"

Ichigo knew he was right about Rukia, she was much like Tatsuki, bold. She just came and sat next to him; most people wouldn't have unless they really knew him because to others he could appear so dark and unapproachable.

"It calms my thoughts."

Rukia looked at him then across the lake to the lights, "Ohh, I see how it could do that."

"Yea."

"But I hear my every thought, being here for so long can calm my mind but also muddle it, like all my thoughts just rushing in the silence."

"You have to drown them out, push all the bad thoughts away and focus on the good ones. Just focus on the lights."

"The lights- "

"The lights are the good thoughts and the darkness around us, the bad. Just look at the lights." Ichigo said, his eyes never leaving the lights across the water.

Rukia tucked her fake orange bang away and tried to concentrate,

'Lights good thoughts~ good thoughts' She breathed in and out slowly establishing a smoothing rhythm. 'Good thoughts~'

~*'

The fields of lavender were like a sea as the wind swayed the flowers from side to side. A nine year old Rukia was running through this sea laughing, dancing and smiling. It was early morning and she had sneaked out the palace as she always did. Some mornings she took a book with her but this morning she was just basking in the sun. She ran swiftly till she came to the edge of the cliff just behind her home. The sea spray blew across her face as she inhaled its saltiness. Down below the waves crashed against the ragged rocks and escaped into underwater caves that sent water bursting through blowholes. The sight never got old to Rukia though she saw it every day. It was like a ritual, she came out, run through the flowers and to the edge of the cliffs, and then she'll look for him. A mysterious diver, he looked like a red streak going over the cliffs into the calm part of the cove. She never him any place other than over the cliffs on a morning, she was curious but was never able to get to him.

"You're like a book, and this is your prologue for every chapter of your day, coming out here I mean."

Rukia turned and smiled up at her mother, "I can't help it."

"You wouldn't be my child if you did."

Rukia's mother, Queen Hisana, stood gracefully with her hands on her daughter's shoulders, looking out in the distance. The wind making their black hair dance.

"I just want to see it every day, so that when I leave, I'll remember."

"I'll remember…" Rukia muttered, she couldn't even believe she forgot. It was so long since she's been to the lavender field and the cliffs, since her mother's death her morning prologue became non-existent. She even forgot about the mysterious diver.

"This does help." Rukia admitted,

"Sometimes." Ichigo got up and stretched,

"Where are you going?" Rukia asked getting up.

"A walk."

"I'll come with you."

Ichigo stopped and spoke without looking back, "Aren't you out late?"

"Aren't you?"

Ichigo turned smirking slightly, "I guess I am." He continued walking with Rukia behind.

The first place that Renji took Orihime was to a movie, they picked a comedy, ordered a huge bucket of butter popcorn, large bags of gummy bears and two large sodas and together they laughed all the way through it. Next, they went go-kart racing, Orihime shockingly beat Renji in all of their races, which made Renji extremely competitive and he went crazy on every other driver on the track. Eventually, the guys running it begged them to leave. Close nearby they watched some skateboarders, then got ice-cream and decided to hit a club. It took some encouragement to get Orihime in but once Renji got her in, they danced and sang for a good hour straight. It was amazing her wig was still on after all of that.

"Ladies and gents, let's have some brave couples come up and sing a song for us. Best couple gets an awesome prize and you guys know I don't lie."

"Oi, Inoue, let's do this."

"Let's not!I can't sing."

"L-i-a-r Liar, I heard you sing along to every song all night, you can sing you can't deny that."

Orihime mentally kicked herself. She was having such a great time she forgot to be careful.

"But I'm really shy-"

"Listen to them," Renji was motioning to the first couple that went up. They hit every high note but thing was, there were no high notes in the song and how was that even possible, Orihime didn't know.

"They stink."

"But I don't want to, can't we just dance."

"No! We must win, now what song should we sing."

Orhime sighed, she wasn't getting out of this one.

"I've got it, let's sing Arigatou."

"By Home Made Kazoku?"

"Yea! that's the one." Renji held Orihime's hand and dragged her through the club crowd and into the small line that start at the end of the stage. There were three more couples just ahead of them.

Okay, there is mainly rapping in that song, I won't sound the same.

And she was really hoping she didn't.

"Do we really need to sing?"

"We must, you owe me for taking you around town."

Sleaze ball, she thought.

Couple one sucked without a doubt, two and three was okay and number four , which was currently singing had the best chance so far.

"I hope the prize is money."

"I hope it isn't." Orihime said just to annoy him.

"It's our turn." Renji said pushing her towards the stage. The dj waved a girl over to hand them mics as he address the crowd.

"And this folks, looks like our last couple, come on up."

The stage was extremely small compared to what she was use to but she was sweating bullets. What if she gave herself away?

"What will you guys be singing?" the dj asked,

Right into his mic, Renji shouted out, "Arigatou by Home Made Kazoku!"

The crowd screamed out in approval and the dj turned to the band.

"On the count of three, ah...1...ah...2, ah 1 ,2, 3!"

The band started up and leading up for Renji and Orihime to start.

"Itsumo sasaetekureru hito-tachi ni, higoro no omoi wo kometa rapusodii apurishieeshon no kimochi yo todoke, itsumo arigatou hontou arigatou, tatoe doko ni itatte kimi no sonzai ni kanshashiteru yo." Sang Orihime.

"Tasogare no machi ga akaku somaru goro nanigenaku michi wo aruiteita
Iki kawau hito no mure ga masu gogo…" Renji continued on.

As they sang the crowd began to sing along, Renji was doing some crazy dance as Orihime belted out the second verse. Together, they sang the chorus with the whole room singing along. Orihime couldn't believe she was having so much fun, Renji swung his hand over her shoulder as they swayed from side to side, he winked as if saying "we got this" and judging from the crowd they totally did.

Finishing in sweat, they bowed and ran off the stage beaming.

"I was right, you can sing." Renji said, "Why do you say you can't?"

"I just- don't want anyone to know." Orihime said honestly, she stopped smiling for a moment. Renji looked at her, he wanted to forget his troubles and clearly she had something she wanted to forget too.

"Hey, hey no sad faces, I won't tell anyone. As far as I'm concern, you were terrible."

Orihime did a half smile and gave him a friendly shove. "Arigatou."

Ichigo walked while Rukia followed behind, he didn't say much but Rukia could pretty much carry on a conversation on her own. He didn't mind though. For someone that was new in his life he was beginning to think she was there all along. An image of Inoue and her half gray eye and half hazel eye appeared in his mind. A faint 'hnnn' escaped his lips.

"Pardon?"

He stopped and shook his head. "Nothing."

"Uhuh~"

He didn't know what it was, but something about these two puzzled him. Not everyone could come into his life and instantly make some sort of impression and two different impressions at that with Inoue being more of a mystery.

"Ahh, a shooting star! We must make a wish." Rukia said grinning from ear to ear at the sky.

Unknowingly, they both stopped at the same time and gazed at the sky.

"What was your wish?" Rukia asked some seconds later,

"Isn't there a rule against that?"

"Yea, I guess."

"If it comes through, I'll tell you." Ichigo promised,

"Deal."

Turning to stroll again, Rukia cried out, "Gosh, I have to get going."

"Oh, let's go."

"Nope, I can go alone."

Are you sure?" Ichigo said raising his eyebrows.

"Totally,it was cool, later." Waving Rukia ran off before he could say anything else.

"Later." He said and he watched her till she was gone.

As fate would have it, Orihime could not escape her superstar half. The prize that she and Renji won turned out to be a free backstage passes to her 'One Star At Sea' concert. She just couldn't believe it. She told Renji he could have all of them and to tell the rest he won them on his own. He agreed and was literally floating. He couldn't wait for school to tell them all about it she, however, could.

Finally home, Orihime slipped off her shoes and walked as quietly as she could through the kitchen .

"I'm sorry, Hime."

Startled, Orihime held onto to the nearby counter and clapped her hands to turn on the lights.

"Matsumoto!"

"And I'm sorry I startled you."

"I didn't mean to be out so late, I ran into a friend and welllll, we lost track of time."

"It's okay…you needed time to be away from me."

"Not really you, just, it all you know."

"I know but I could be horribly selfish, but I'm working on it."

"Matsumoto-."

Smiling Matsumoto got up and stretched, "Hungry?"

"No, but I'll drink some tea."

"Okay, done."

Orihime went up to her room showered quickly and came back down to the kitchen. She carefully took her mug and sipped the green tea her sister offered her.

"So, what did you do tonight?"

"Well-" In a fair amount of detail, Orihime told her sister about her night out on the town that somehow led to her giving her friends backstage passes to her doom.

"I have no sort of luck, how am I'm going to fool them."

"Come on, you've been fooling the public of a while now."

"Yea, but I wasn't this close to any of them."

"Yea I understand, but they know a shy, non singing, black hair girl that moved here a few weeks ago, they don't know you yet."

"I-never-told-you-this-but-Ichigo-saw-me-this-one-time-without-my-contacts."

"What!" Matsumoto shouted,

"It wasn't my fault."

"Uhuh- people wear contacts as a fashion accessory all the time, so that is nothing major."

"True."

"Good, one problem solved and as for the concert, we'll have to believe that nothing will go wrong. We'll give you lower bangs, a mask... something, we'll think of something."

"Really? Cause I can't do this by myself."

"Like I said, I'm trying." Matsumoto said reaching across and squeezing her sister's hand.

Orihime wasn't so sure, Matsumoto had said such things before, but being the only one in this mess she was willing to believe it this time.

"Arigatou, sis."

Yoruichi Shihouin, along with Son Foi, stood in her home office facing a huge monitor. The person on the monitor spoke.

"The invites to the Abarai ball have been sent, a month early as expected, I don't want to interfere during the ball but after."

"Wouldn't it be easier to move before the ball, during transit?" Soi Fon asked,

"It would, but the ball must happen with her there." Said the mysterious person.

"I don't understand that." Yoruichi stated.

"You would if you think, certain things must happen in order for others to fall in place."

"There are ties being established within the council, if we don't act fast our moves will be useless." Yorucihi stressed,

"We've been trying to find the source but it's becoming difficult, everyone has acceptable profiles."

"There is no such thing Soi Fon, someone must be looking too acceptable, the person is there."

"We'll try harder."

"And the princess how is she?"

"Fairly rebellious and spirited, she has friends." Youruichi informed.

"Friends…that's nice," there was a slight pause, "Continue and we'll meet again soon."

"Yes."

Rukia ran to the tree that she met Renji under that day, she was his history partner on their new 'surprise' project from Professor Urahara and she was already dreading it. Renji was cool, but he didn't seem very interested in class, let alone school. She sighed when she saw that he wasn't there, dropped her bag and sat on the grass. She pulled out some blue and purple headphones and her books and listen to Sun Hime's album while she read. History was nothing difficult for her, being who she was, she had to know a lot about the history of her home whether it be political, cultural or family related.

In order for her to work alongside the council she needed to know all the past decisions and positions. To keep the family image uplifted she needed to memorize all her families' trees. It was hard work but she was born with a great responsibility and that was something she needed to understand very early in life. She was the only child of King and Queen Kuchiki and now the only Queen. It was her fate.

Ten minutes passed before Renji strolled up to the tree and ploy his butt right next to Rukia.

"Yo, Rukia."

"You're here."

"Yar, right on time." He said pulling out his books.

"You are ten minutes late-_-."

"Minor detail."

Rolling her eyes, she started talking about her ideas. Renji pretty much agreed with everything she said so using her laptop they began working and did so for thirty minutes. Occasionally, she caught him on a sports site and knock him around the head every time she did.

"Gosh, what are you, Tatsuki's twin?

"Stay focus!"

Renji made a gruff sound and turned back to the laptop while Rukia reached into her bag to pull out one of her favourite snacks, it was made only in her country and she snuck some in her suitcase on her way to Kankura. It was a diamond shaped chocolate coated in white chocolate and filled in the middle with nougat. She opened the bag to put one in her mouth when Renji's hand clasped her wrist.

"Where did you get these?"

"Gosh, do you smell everything? I'll share just wait."

"No, where did you get them?" He persisted,

"Owwwww, let… me go." Rukia said pulling her hand to no avail.

"No! Not until you tell me where you got those."

"I bought them." Rukia said struggling,

"From where?"

"A store in town."

"LIAR! These don't sell here."

Rukia's eyes opened wide, her back pressed into the tree as she tried to make sense of what was going on.

"How? How do you know that?"

Renji backed off immediately and stood up looking down at her enraged.

"How, how did you get these, did someone give them to you?"

Something isn't right here, she thought

"My dad when he came back from his trip, he bought them for me." She lied,

"Your dad?... He travels?"

"Yes, it's his job."

"And that's how he got these? Do you know where?"

"I don't know, it was some business trip,- why are these so important?" Rukia asked looking directly in his eyes.

Renji looked straight back at her for a minute before he released his grip and sat beside her as he did before.

"Sorry."

Rukia traced her fingers lightly over where he held a few minutes ago, she was now scared. How was it that Renji knew about these chocolates? Did he live in Seirei? And if he did was he just someone who left or someone else?

"Are you okay?"

He didn't reply, but just stared ahead at nothing.

"Do…you want one?" Rukia said, trying to be normal.

Renji turned to her, his face so distraught it triggered something deep inside her gut.

"Yes."

Thanks for reading!