Screaming in terror, Hisana reeled back and began to hit at her attacker. Hot tears were streaming from her eyes, clouding her vision.
"Hisana? Hisana-ow! It's me Hisana!"
The girl ceased her flailing. She brought a hand up to her eyes to clear her vision. That was not the voice of that man who chased her, instead this man-this boy, was shorter. He had blonde hair, and his blazing gray eyes were concerned as they observed her.
"D-Daisuke..?" she whispered, her voice hoarse from screaming.
The boy smiled gently, rubbing at his bruised arm.
"Hey, yeah, it's me. Why were you screaming? What the hell is going on?"
Wide amethyst eyes shot behind her.
"Daisuke! We need to leave Daisuke!"
The boy frowned slightly, his eyes following her gaze to the direction of her apartment.
"What? Did someone break in? Is someone in there?"
Hisana grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the direction of his car. She all but shoved him into the driver's seat before stumbling slightly and making her way to the passenger's side.
"Hisana," the blonde murmured as she entered the vehicle. He placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "If someone's in your apartment we have to call the pol-"
"NO!"
Daisuke stared perplexed at her sudden outburst. The raven haired girl had by now curled into herself in the car seat. She was trembling violently, flinching away from his touch.
"They'll think I'm crazy! I can't! Don't call them, G-God please, drive! Just drive Daisuke!"
Daisuke's eyes were wide as he watched her, but nevertheless he turned the key in the ignition and sped down the pebbled pathway. Away from her apartment and into the night.
-o-
11:30 P.M.
Daisuke stepped out of the vehicle and made his way around to Hisana's side. Slowly, as not to startle her, he opened the door and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. He then moved his other arm underneath her knees and lifted her from the car, carrying her bridal style into his home.
The blonde entered the large complex and carried his raven haired companion into the living room. He placed the still frightened girl onto the couch and ran a hand through his hair tiredly.
Hisana wrapped her arms around her legs, large eyes flickering around the grand room. From what she could tell, Daisuke's home was absolutely massive. Much too large for the average college Sophomore to afford.
"Hisana, you have to tell me what's going on."
The small girl blinked, the sound of his concerned voice shaking her from her thoughts.
"Your house...It is...big."
Daisuke narrowed his eyes. He knew she was trying to change the subject, but he feigned ignorance.
"My family's pretty wealthy," he said, keeping his tone neutral "I don't talk about it much. Spreading around the fact that you're rich doesn't exactly attract the most...goodhearted of people."
Hisana nodded slowly, fixing her gaze on the marble floor.
"...Hisana? Look, Hisana, it's okay. Just tell me what happened."
The girl remained silent.
The blonde frowned, his patience with her beginning to wear thin.
"Hisana, answer-"
"Why were you at my front door?"
Daisuke blinked, confused.
"That's not important right no-"
"Why were you there!? Why were you there right when I opened the door?"
Daisuke sighed, his gray eyes lowering.
"Reiko called me. She told me to come pick you up, She told me she knew you'd be scared in your apartment alone."
"Hisana's cheeks reddened. She looked down to her knees, embarrassed and ashamed for having accused the blonde. He was such a nice guy, how could she have been so distrusting of such a kind gesture? Daisuke gave a small smile and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Reiko knew you wouldn't come to me, so she told me to come and get you. I was just about to knock on your door, then you ran out screaming and started hitting me...I'm still trying to figure out what you were screaming about."
The girl sat there, her eyes refusing to meet his gaze.
"Someone was chasing me..."
"What? Really?" worry overcame the blonde and he sat down next to her. "Are you hurt? What happened?"
"I-" she bit her lip nervously "I don't know...He j-just appeared, a-and the letter! There was a letter!"
Hisana reached into her jean pocket and pulled out the crumbed piece of parchment. With shaking hands she handed it to Daisuke.
The boy raised an eyebrow but took the paper anyway. His gray eyes scanned over the letter for a moment, and Hisana would have probably found his expression hysterical if the situation weren't so serious.
"What the hell is this!?" the boy exclaimed, throwing the letter to the side in disgust. "This is very serious Hisana! This man-this...this creep is going to keep coming after you! We have to call the police!"
"Please don't Daisuke!"
Daisuke stared at his raven haired friend, he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and the strong urge to protect her overwhelmed his senses.
"They will think I'm insane...Reiko...you...everyone..."
The blonde's gaze softened and he wrapped a protective arm around her.
"None of this is your fault, Hisana. There's some creep after you- we need to call the police. I mean, 'take you away from this world'? This guy obviously has an intent on harming you, Hisana!"
"I don't think anyone can see him, no one knows...that he's there."
Daisuke's eyes narrowed into confused slits.
"Hisana, what-"
"I d-did call the police. I called the police when I first saw him. O-oh God, Daisuke, I did. They checked my apartment...They checked and it was like he was never even there!"
"Hisana..."
"They thought I was crazy! This man-this man following me is real! He's real but Reiko can't see him, the police can't see him, none of you can see him!"
And with that the girl was reduced into hysterics. She began to quake violently and chock on her own labored breaths.
"Hisana, it's okay. I don't think you're crazy."
But she wasn't listening. It was all too much. Why her? Why was she always so helpless and weak? Why did she always find herself in these sorts of situations?
"Why would anyone stalk me? I'm not pretty, or smart, or rich! Why is this happening to me?"
Daisuke tried to calm the shaking girl. She was not speaking like herself and she was sobbing violently. He attempted to steady her quivering by pulling her into his embrace, but she only continued to struggle in fright. Worried and confused, Daisuke grabbed her shoulders and did the only thing he could do.
He kissed her.
-o-
She had ran from him. He had written to her, distanced himself from her over the past few months and she had ran from him.
His dear wife had always adored his letters. He recalled how she would blush bashfully and dote on his calligraphy. Her reactions to any form of his love had always been ones of gratitude.
But this time he was rewarded with terrified screams and a knife to his heart.
Of course he had followed her; did she think that he would not? Hidden from view he had watched as his petite wife ushered the flustered blonde into his vehicle and made their way to what he presumed to be the boy's home. As the boy carried his beloved inside, he couldn't help the savage rage that shot through him.
"Captain," Senbonzakura says calmly, and there is a hint of sadness in his voice. As a zanpakuto, he too shared some of his master's feelings. It is a pity that the one they love cannot remember them...but this had gone much too far now.
"I know that you grieve for her," he winces slightly "but there is nothing that can be done. This reborn Hisana is different from the one in which we knew."
Byakuya closes his eyes, contemplating the words of his zanpakuto.
"It is time we leave here."
The Kuchiki heir opens his eyes and begins to turn away, only to be stopped by a sudden shriek.
It had come from this boy's home.
The captain flashsteps to the window, eyes narrowing dangerously at the site before him.
Hisana is there struggling against the blonde. She wrestles her tiny body away from him, only for him to grasp her shoulders, forcing her against his chest in a tight embrace. Hisana continues to struggle, her body is shaking and tears are streaming down her flushed face. Her long raven locks whip around her, and what he sees next is enough to tip the already fragile captain over the edge.
The boy seizes his helpless wife in his arms and kisses her, forcing his lips upon her own.
His reiatsu flares around him.
"CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN!"
Slate gray eyes move slowly down to the sword at his side, his face is blank.
Senbonzakura...
"CONTROL YOUR REIATSU, CAPTAIN!"
Oh yes. He can feel it. The frigid, yet burning cold in his chest- right where her knife had sliced through.
"CAPTAIN! Your spiritual pressure is becoming that of a-"
Senbonzakura's voice is fading away, and the captain of squad six can no longer hear the voice of reason. His reiatsu is spiking viciously, it vibrates the air around him in angry waves.
It purges from his mouth, his ears, his eyes, and Byakuya can feel the agony of it all. An emptiness pierces through his chest-right where his stab wound lay, and something begins to eat away at his flesh, the skin hollowing...
Through what remains of his sight he can see the white particles beginning to appear in front of him. They form into the air as translucent drops before they begin to spread over the left side of his face, enclosing his eye, then dipping sharply to crack into place just beneath his chin.
Byakuya-sama...Byakuya-sama...
The white pulls back around his Kenseikan, covering the base of his skull.
And Kuchiki Byakuya is no more.
A/N: The moment we've all been waiting for. This story is drawing to an end. Just about two short chapters left to go, then the epilogue. I'll be able to update much sooner now that school is out.
Please Review, everyone!