Chapter 13 - Dance of Death
It was almost time. Only a few minutes left, but everyone was anxious that the anxiety caused minutes to be like eternity. Ichigo waited in the stage, feeling calm about performing the dance. She wished Rukia well as a student-in-charge of announcements went up the stage and started to tell the audience to lower the noise.
This was it. Both her hands started to open the twin fans, as the curtains in front of her started to open when the student announced the celebratory dance.
She was kind of glad that he didn't announce who would be the dancer for whatever reason, because it would give them the shocked faces which she hated after seeing it twice.
Her feet advanced forward until she was at the center of the stage, and she started to dance. She started by making an elegant pose where her arms were in front of her while holding the fans like delicate flowers, and the long sleeves covered most of her face except the eyes.
As if she was putting her heart in the dance, her eyes blazed and she started to make the first step by swaying the fans to the right while her right foot makes a 180 movement. They completely ignored to who she is, and just watched her dance to the slow sangen music that seemed to set up the mood.
Like a geisha, she started to make slow and steady moves which gradually became fast, dangerous and dizzying by each second. The once calm melody turned intense the more powerful the dance became, and it suddenly dropped as she stopped with another striking pose.
Her eyes once again looked at them at such a daring manner, as if they were literally glowing. She needed to look as if the dance is her life, for she vowed not to screw up.
This dance was for Rukia's sake, this was merely a favor for her friend, nothing more.
Her knees dropped to the ground, as if she was going to faint that a few hitched their breath of thinking that she might be ill. But it was merely a part of the dance, as she gladly took the sandals off her feet.
A different type of music played. It started with a few steady drumbeats, then after a few seconds followed by a flute then a violin, making a music full of many emotions concentrated in the song. Her whole body moved like she was in the free air, dancing along with the happy breeze though in reality the air around her was still.
The longer she danced, the more the audience was filled with awe. The teachers were impressed that though she had only little time to learn the moves to replace Rukia, she is still doing an extremely great job.
They were also impressed that a boyish girl like her would dance like a real lady, but they never asked themselves or the others why.
Ichigo's face remained as flawless as a doll's and her expression remained unreadable but inside her head she was thinking, that though she was only doing this for Rukia, why is it that while she dances she feels more enlightened inside?
The song was beautiful, yet it had a sad tone and that solemn melody was responding to the pain in her heart. Something like this, a dance that delicate maidens would do, was trying to heal a small wound in her heart among the thousand wounds that she received through childhood to now.
She couldn't understand, but she continued to dance nonetheless until it was over. She didn't bother to bow at their claps, and she merely went backstage and removed the clip and the flower off her hair as it flowed loose down to her back.
Afterwards she immediately changed clothes to her normal uniform and went back to the classroom, to take a rest while the rest continued to spend their time in the auditorium. Class flew by quickly and she walked home without talking to anybody.
Ichigo did her best not to let her tears flow again. She wouldn't allow it. Everything was fucking confusing that she wished time would take her back to long ago for it all to disappear. To distract herself, she fell asleep just as her father arrived early.
Half an hour later, she woke up and went down the stairs while fixing her messy bed hair, and saw her dad reading the newspaper while drinking coffee.
"So you got early today?" She muttered, which he heard very well. He nodded and she decided to prepare dinner since Karin and Yuzu would be home any minute now.
"Ichigo, has something been troubling you?" She paused chopping from that question she wants to be asked the least. "What is this right now? I'm perfectly fine." But he knew his daughter better.
"Though you claim you're wearing clips to protect your face from your hair and that you're fine, I can see through those well-made excuses and acts. You're the type who knows how to get out of a sticky situation, but it's not going to work this time. Ichigo, whatever is making you act awkward, tell me." He was so concerned that it hurt her. She wished that it didn't have to be now.
"Dad... do you believe in love at first sight?" (It's a cliffhanger made on purpose, XD)
Two days later...
It appears his parents finished early and arrived, and he was quite irritated with the constant change in when they'll meet.
From the text they sent him, they would be in a hotel in the corner of Minamikawase (it's one of the places in Karakura Town and where Ichigo lives; I researched through the official Bleach wiki site).
He didn't use his car, and instead took a taxi on the way there and when he was in front of the building he coldly stepped in and went in the elevator. Everything was so fast, probably because he was too busy noticing how much his blood is boiling to leave him attention for the time.
When he heard the ding, he immediately walked forward the moment the doors opened and searched for room 7105. Before he could grab the knob that would lead him to his parents, he paused and collected himself, out of the fear that he might not be able to keep his cool when it would be about them.
But he took his chances as he slowly turned the knob and opened the door and his eyes showed nothing relating to shock or anger when the moonlight discs captured the image of his parents sitting down across a small table, looking at him with cold eyes that were as cold as back then.
"You'll never stop in trying to make me the heir." And you won't stop those stupid family traditions of yours was what he wanted to say after that, but he left that part out if he wanted things to go smoothly.
"What a greeting after many years of not seeing each other in person, Byakuya." His father spoke.
"It's not like you would care." He used such a cold tone that made his hatred for them clear.
"Like I said also many times whenever you would call me, Koga is much better for the position than me, and I'm sure you have a long way until you can no longer manage your business." He added, which was the truth said in a cruel voice.
"I knew you would remain stubborn. You really are nothing but a hardheaded child." This time it was from his mother, with the same poison in her words.
"That hardheaded child did well without relying on any of you when I ran away. And if Koga is not like that, just give up and make him the heir. I'm sure he is trying hard." He continued to talk like how he would usually talk to others, as if he doesn't care for anybody at all.
They continued to talk for the next ten minutes, exchanging cruel words through calm voices. Byakuya knew they would never give up, but he nearly lost it when they mentioned Rukia.
"Either you agree with us, or we will involve her regardless of your threats." He didn't want that, the abuse they gave him wasn't just the reason why he hated them. Their companions who gave them a different abuse that stained him, the shady deals they did with the underworld, many other dark things, it was what prompted him to run away.
He didn't want Rukia to be raised in such an environment.
He left, leaving them in silence. He could have had the chance to kill them. His gun was ready to take their lives. But he didn't take the chance, it was too easy, and it would make it easy for him to get busted and ruin his sister's life. He still wanted to eliminate them, but at the right situation and at the right time.
It wasn't over, Byakuya knew that. This time he walked to his home though it was pretty far, but he needed a long hike with fresh air for slight comfort. On the way, he saw a figure holding a sharp knife drenched with blood.
And before he knew it, the figure started to lunge at him after noticing his presence...
A/N: Nothing but drama and angst I know, but a teenager's life always has those two. I am a teenager myself, but I have no love problems yet since I'm a young teenager. What happened to Ichigo within those two days will be in the next chapter.