Here's Chapter 6... Don't hate me for this chapter D: I promise everything turns out good!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, for the I-wish-it-were-the-last time!


"Byakuya, I hate to ask this of you, but can I stay the night here? I need to search through Soul Society's history, and all the documents are stored here in the manor..." Miyuki had asked hesitantly.

"...Where is Rukia?" Byakuya had asked in response.

"She's arriving an a couple of hours. She's bringing a human friend, Orihime, with her so Rukia can help her train, so they have to pass through the dimension. Ukitake-taicho is clearing it as we speak so they can travel through safely." Miyuki answered with a sigh.

"...Very well. You know where the documents are held... You will stay in the same guest room you used to." Byakuya had said after several moments, his expression unchanging.

"Oh, thank you." Miyuki let out a sigh of relief.

One night turned into one week. Now Miyuki was sitting in the records room with scattered candles for light as she read through the many scrolls. "What exactly are you looking for?" Byakuya inquired as he looked in on her. Miyuki yawned widely before replying.

"I'm not entirely sure. I'll know it when I see it." Miyuki answered honestly. "Don't worry, I'll putting everything back in the exact place I found it... The sorting system in here is pretty complex. By category, days, eras... It must have taken a lot of work to set everything up..." Miyuki mused as she looked around the room. She was wearing a purple kimono that matched the amethyst butterfly choker she wore. The kimono was silk with dark purple flowers embroidered elegantly into the kimono so they blended in while at the same time sticking out. The kimono was bordered by white silk, and held together by a dark purple obi that matched her hair color.

"Indeed..." Byakuya said stoicly as Miyuki scanned the scroll she held. Suddenly, her head snapped up and she locked Byakuya in her gaze.

"Is that tea I smell?" She asked, staring at the cups he held hungrily.

"Yes." Byakuya said emotionlessly as he set the cups on the table, carefully avoiding the scrolls she'd laid out on it.

"Byakuya, if I weren't afraid you'd blow me up with Kido, I'd hug you for this." Miyuki said as she grabbed the tea and sipped it. "Ah... Wonderful."

"Hn..." Byakuya sipped his tea as well as he settled on the cushion opposite of Miyuki.

"So, what brings the Head of the Kuchiki Clan to my humble, temporary, dark corner of the Manor?" Miyuki inquired with a frown.

"Now that you have returned... Do you intend on continuing your past illegal activities?" Byakuya asked calmly, and Miyuki looked at him with an amused expression.

"Now, now... I thought the Head of the Kuchiki Clan would know better then to delve into the buisness of other Noble Houses." Miyuki teased him as she sipped the tea.

"I am not asking as the Head of the Kuchiki Clan." Byakuya said, his expression and voice void of all emotion. Miyuki frowned at him lightly, her teasing expression immediatly turning seriously.

"Well, that changes things. If by criminal activities you mean protecting others from the law, then yes... I have every intention of continuing that now that I've returned, and I've already begun to." Miyuki answered honestly and seriously.

"Then I have a request." Byakuya began, but Miyuki cut him off.

"I already am." She said, sipping her tea.

"Am what?" Byakuya asked without emotion.

"Please, Byakuya. Don't treat me like a fool, for I am far from one. I've known you since you were ten years old. I can read you like I can read this scroll." Miyuki said, raising the scroll up pointedly. "Rukia is already under my protection."

"...And just what is it you are protecting her from?" Byakuya inquired coldly.

"Now, now, Byakuya..." Miyuki said with equal coldness. "If I just handed out that information, I wouldn't be doing a very good job, would I? Don't worry about what she's being protected from, Byakuya. Just bear in mind that she's your sister, and for that reason, I would do anything to protect her. You're family is like my own family, and I will protect my family."

"And your father?" Byakuya inquired emotionlessly.

"Oh, I protect him as well. But only because if he goes down for his disgusting crimes, he would take my innocent family down with him. However, I've also made it clear to him that if he does anything else illegal, I would make quick work of him and make it a very natural death." Miyuki said calmly.

"How would you achieve that?"

"Simple. I use Mirarame to give him a terrible dream that scares him so bad it gives him a heart attack. I've thought this through, you know." Miyuki said as she sipped her tea.

"So it seems." Byakuya said dryly.

"You know as well as I do that I don't make threats that I can't follow through on. And I have every intention of doing just that if he crosses the line..." She said before narrowing her eyes with slight sadness. "And there was a time that you would have been more then willing to assist."

"What makes you believe I am not still?" Byakuya asked without emotion, and Miyuki frowned at him.

"I believe you called me unworthy of your presence previously." Miyuki pointed out calmly.

"I recall it was unworthy of you viewing my emotions." Byakuya pointed out with equal calmness.

"Hm. Perhaps it was..." She mused thoughtfully. "Oh well. Maybe I was wrong."

"Which reminds me of the question I asked you during that conversation. How many times have you used Bankai in the past year?"

"Three times. I haven't needed to use it often while in the Royal Guard." Miyuki said as she looked back at her scroll.

"Have your other skills increased?" Byakuya questioned without emotion.

"Nope. Still can't do much Kido, and my fighting skills aren't the best. My swordsmanship is better, but not by very much. I still have to rely on my speed and my illusions." Miyuki answered honestly without looking up. "I'm glad, Byakuya."

"About what?" Byakuya inquired emotionlessly.

"That you still have a heart." Miyuki sighed, looking up from the scroll to meet his calm eyes. "Do you realize that if Hisana could, she would slap you for how you've acted since she died? I've talked to Ukitake-taicho about how you've acted and continued to act. You're a fool if you think she would want you acting this way."

"Do you not act the same way?" Byakuya countered calmly.

"Of course I do." Miyuki said with amusement. "Who would listen and obey the orders of a bumbling fool? I know when to act like myself and when to act like I was raised to, Byakuya... Seeing as I'm here as liason from the Royal Family, I'd say now is the time to be acting serious. Don't you agree?" Miyuki said with a light smile as she sipped her tea.

"Did you believe our relationship in the past was more then just friendship to you?" Byakuya inquired, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes. He must be referring to the conversation we had two months ago before Rukia and I went to the Human World...

"Byakuya..." She began, serious again. "You've not been merely a friend to me since we were teenagers. It's been a hundred and eleven years since I last thought of you as a mere friend." Miyuki answered icily, suddenly feeling very defensive.

"I see." Byakuya said calmly before standing.

"Later." Miyuki said lazily as she turned to her scroll, sipping her tea silently as Byakuya left the room. Despite her outward nonchalance towards his response, her heart felt like it was just stomped on.

"Why did I just pass a very irritated Nii-sama on my way here?" Rukia asked as she walked into the room.

"Oh! Hey." Miyuki looked up and smiled at Rukia despite her sadness. "Don't worry about him. He's just a little prickly because I told him I'd be staying here a while yet unless I find the dang information I'm looking for." Miyuki lied easily. It came second hand to her after so many years of lies followed by more lies. "How's Orihime?"

"Oh... She's okay. I managed to teach her to use the first Hado spell." Rukia said with a shrug.

"That's good. She'll be the first human to ever learn any Kido." Miyuki said with a smile.

"Yeah." Rukia laughed lightly. "Have you had any luck?"

"No. There are way too many scrolls here." Miyuki sighed, folding her arms across her chest.

"Can I help at all?" Rukia asked tenatively. She's probably still uncomfortable with not treating me with respect. The Kuchiki Elders are bastards for making her act this way.

"Uh... Well, actually... Could you get some of the servants to make me some food? Usually I do it myself, but I've been too busy with this..." Miyuki sighed as she lifted the scroll she was scanning.

"Don't worry about it. Nii-sama already told one of them to make you something." Rukia said as she sat on the cushion Byakuya had previously occupied. "Miyuki... You said before that your father was a horrible person. Is that why Nii-sama hates him so much?"

"To correct you, I called him a bastard. And yes, it is. I told you before that Byakuya and I used to be extremely close, though I was never more then a friend to him. He knows everything about me and my childhood. The best, and the worst... My father happens to be the center of most of those worst things in my life. Byakuya happens to blame him for that, and rightfully so. Anyways..." Miyuki rolled her shoulders to ease the muscles.


"Impossible..." Miyuki whipsered as she stared at the scroll in her hands, her deep blue eyes wide. She stood up abruptly, setting down the scroll, and walked quickly out of the room.. She hurried down the halls until she reached the garden which seperated the Head family's houses from the rest of the manor. Miyuki walked through the garden, the garden covered in darkness due to it being the middle of the night with no lights nearby. Suddenly aware of how alone she was in the garden, Miyuki looked around warily. In the split second Miyuki left herself unprotected, a blade went right through her chest.

Miyuki's eyes flew wide with shock, but no noise escaped her lips. The blade slashed down as it was pulled out of her from behind, leaving a foot long gash down her back and chest. Miyuki fell to the ground, landing on her chest. She stared to the side, her cheek pressed into the earth due to how she landed, and her body flat against the ground. "Sorry, Miyuki. I really hoped you wouldn't realize it. You just got too close..." The voice of Miyuki's attacker said, their voice sounding truely remorseful, and then the attacker fled. Miyuki laid there, unmoving, as blood pooled around her from the fatal wound that had jsut been delivered.

She felt her blood pounding in her ears as her heart beated frantically. Mirarame... Miyuki called weakly to her Zanpakuto, but there was no response. Even you know I'm about to die... That's why you're silent... You've left me... Miyuki thought sadly as her eyelids started to droop, her crimson lifeforce forming a growing puddle around her. So then... Am I going to die alone...? Miyuki wondered, her slowing heart aching with sorrow. Suddenly, defiance filled Miyuki. No... Even if I'm just speeding up my death, like hell will I fall without telling them what I found. She thought as she put her hands under her and pushed up.

She slipped on the blood, on her blood, but managed to climb to her feet after several tries. Her feet dragged across the stone and earth as she walked forward with sluggish movement. Her entire back and chest were soaked with her own blood from the long gash that cut right through her chest, missing her heart by mere centimeters. Finally, after three minutes of struggling, she reached the place she was trying to get to. ...Shit... Miyuki thought as she fell forward just outside the door and hit the floor with a loud thud... and she couldn't get back up. She'd lost too much blood, and her body was trembling badly as her heart started to slow.

With the small amount of strength she had, she flared her reiatsu as much as she could. However, in her weakened state, it wasn't even half the strength her reiatsu usually was. Please... Please have been enough to wake him... Miyuki thought desperately as she flared her reiatsu a second time. She didn't have the strength to do it a third time. She'd lost too much blood, and her darkening eyesight told her she was losing her conciousness as well. Just as she was about to give into the darkness, the door slid open.

"Miyuki!" Byakuya's eyes widened with surprise as he knelt down beside her. Miyuki's lips moved as though she were speaking, but no sound came from them. Byakuya leaned forward so his ear hovered over her lips, and his eyes widened once more and he sat up straight. He quickly rolled her onto her back, her head facing his direction. He pulled his haori off his shoulders and bundled it up, pressing it against her chest as it bled heavily. Her chest heaved with each sharp breath she took. Byakuya looked around quickly, cursing under his breath when he realized no one was around. "Miyuki, I will be right back. Stay awake until I return." Byakuya said sharply, and Miyuki knew he really meant 'stay alive' until he returned. She blinked at him in acceptance and he shunpoed away.

Alone again... Miyuki thought as she heaved for air, excruciating pain filling her body with every chest movement. Am I... really about to die...? Is it... really over...? Miyuki felt her conciousness slipping. I don't... want to die alone... Please... Miyuki plead silently as the darkness continued to slowly creep across her eyesight. Suddenly, over the slowing beat of her heart echoing in her ears, she heard a gasp. "Maruyama-san!" Orihime's voice yelped in alarm before suddenly, an orange glow covered Miyuki's body. Miyuki stared to the side, unable to move from the position Byakuya had found her in, her face turned to look at the doorway.

Byakuya knelt in the doorway leading to his room and looked at Miyuki intently. His expression was blank, though his eyes betrayed a minimal amount of worry. I'm only worth... a little worry.. to you, eh...? Miyuki thought as her eyesight continued to darken slower then before. Miyuki weakly lifted her hand towards Byakuya with sluggish movement due to her excessive blood loss. As her hand passed through the orange glow, Byakuya reached up and took her hand, grasping it gently. Too gently... He wants to give me some comfort before I die... She blinked her eyes slowly at him, knowing that he knew it meant thank you. Then, she closed her eyes... All she could do is pray she would open them again.


Miyuki slowly opened her eyes to darkness, aware of an excruciating pain in her chest, though it hurt noticeably less then before. She was also aware of a chill, realizing the pain was so bad that she was sweating from the effort of holding in the pain. As the darkness faded from shrouding her eyes, she realized she was still covered by an orange glow, but Byakuya was no where to be found. Slowly, Miyuki turned her head without moving any other part of her body, and looked at the source of the glow. "Orihime..." Miyuki murmured, her voice rough and strained from pain.

"Please, Maruyama-san, rest... I've only been doing this for an hour, you've still got at least another two hours before I'm done healing you..." Orihime said gently, and Miyuki swallowed thickly due to the pain before speaking again.

"Where's... Byakuya?" Miyuki breathed out in a tense voice.

"He just left to get Unohana-sama. He wouldn't leave until I was certain your life wasn't in immediate danger anymore." Orihime said with a worried smile, and Miyuki turned her head to stare straight at the sky. Her eyes were half shut as they scrunched against the pain that was tearing through her body.

"How... healed am... I?" Miyuki asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"About thirty percent..." Orihime answered as she concentrated on healing.

"Orihime..." Miyuki said after several minutes of silence, gaining the orange haired girls attention. "My... necklace... Please, remove it... It's making it... difficult to breathe..." Miyuki lied easily, so perfectly that Orihime didn't even think twice. She lowered the healing barrier as she reached forward and carefully twisted the choker so she could reach the latch. Pulling on it, she unlocked the choker and pulled it away, surprised by how heavy the beautiful piece of jewelry was. Immediatly after Orihime had pulled her hands away, Miyuki had struggled to her feet.

"Maruyama-san! Please, don't move, you'll hurt yourself further!" Orihime protested in alarm, but Miyuki ignored her.

"Orihime... Tell him that I've never lied to him... And that I never did take it off until now." Miyuki said, her eyes locked on the beautiful necklace in Orihime's hands. "Please... tell him not to come after me... I would rather die then hurt him, but if I have to... I will." Miyuki whispered before she opened a doorway to the Human World using a Hell Butterfly she had instantly summoned.

"Who...?" Orihime asked in confusion before the doors closed behind Miyuki, and the gate dissapeared. The door reopened just outside Urahara's shop, and Miyuki stepped out with the Hell Butterfly beside her. Immediatly, Miyuki drew her sword and destroyed the butterfly. She slipped the blade in the sheath that was attached to Miyuki's forearm, then staggered into the shop. Her breathed was heavy, her body caked in blood and sweat. Tessai, who had been just inside the shop, caught her as she fell, collapsing into his arms.

"Miyuki?" Tessai gasped in alarm at the blood covering her. "Urahara! Emergency!" Tessai shouted loudly as he scooped Miyuki into his arms and ran further into the shop with her.

"Don't... let them... find me..." Miyuki whispered as Tessai carried her.

"Don't let who find you?" Urahara demanded as he ran to her side. "Set her down here, Tessai." He ordered, and Miyuki felt herself get lowered onto a bed of some sort.

"Seireitei..." Miyuki breathed out, wincing.

"Tessai, get Yoruichi..." Urahara instructed and the man ran out of the room. "Miyuki, why is Seireitei after you? Did they do this?"

"They... didn't... They don't know... anything." Miyuki hissed at the pain in her body. "They might... come looking for me... I left without... permission. They can't know... I'm here..." She said between breaths.

"What happened?" Yoruichi asked as she and Tessai ran back into the room.

"Tessai, please." Urahara said and Tessai knelt beside Miyuki, putting his hands on her chest. The glowed green and began to slowly heal her, and Miyuki looked at him with a grateful expression.

"What happened?" Yoruichi repeated, only tihs time her words were directed at Miyuki.

"I was attacked..." Miyuki said, her voice barely above a whisper she was so exhausted from all the blood loss.

"We figured that one out on our own. By who?" Yoruichi demanded, but Miyuki's eyes merely slipped shut as she lost conciousness once more.


When Miyuki awoke again, she was more then happy to feel completely back to normal, minus a dull ache in her chest and back. "Shit... Ow..." Miyuki winced as she sat up in the sleeping mat, her long purple hair falling loosely around her.

"You shouldn't be moving. Tessai's good, but he isn't a miracle worker." Urahara said calmly from where he sat against the wall.

"Does Yoruichi know you have a habit of watching poor, innocent girls sleep?" Miyuki teased him lightly, though her voice was stressed.

"Hey, now..." Urahara whined, but Miyuki ignored him. "Where is your necklace?"

"I'm not returning." Miyuki said tightly, having tensed at his words. "I need a gigai. One that will completely hide me from Soul Society..." Miyuki said seriously, looked at Urahara.

"Oh...? Well, I have the perfect thing." Urahara said, suddenly whipping out a gigai from behind him. Miyuki frowned in irritation at Urahara, since he was always one step ahead of her.

"Will it keep me untrackable?" Miyuki asked, narrowing her eyes.

"To the extreme. It will basically turn you human while you're inside it. You'll have a heartbeat, bones, blood... However, it'll keep your spiritual power strong but hidden perfectly. Still, you'll be able to leave it easily. Keep this on you at all times when you're outside the gigai." Urahara instructed, tossing a black cloak at her. Miyuki caught it easily, frowning.

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

"Reiatsu supresssion cloak. It will hide your spiritual pressure so long as you wear it, even when you're fighting with it on. Don't ever leave your gigai without this. You should be able to enter your gigai without a problem while wearing this on your spirit, as well." Urahara explained.

"Wow... It's almost like you were prepared for this." Miyuki said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"Well, there was always a chance we would have to go into hiding again." Urahara said calmly, and Miyuki glared at him.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever, Urahara." Miyuki stood up, ignoring the pain in her chest, and pulled the black cloak over her body.

"Where will you go?" Urahara asked as he stood up, offering her the Gigai.

"I don't know. Far away from here. This is the first place they'll look." Miyuki said before she entered the Gigai. She shook Urahara off her and frowned.

"Yes, I suppose so. In fact, they will likely come soon. You've been unconcious two days. It's a wonder they haven't come already. Be careful while in your gigai. Like I said, it basically renders you human temporarily without depleteing your reiatsu." Urahara said and Miyuki nodded.

"I know." Miyuki sighed, walking out of the room with Urahara behind her.

"Also, the Human World is quite a bit different then Soul Society. Try not to stick out too much." He said with amusement, and Miyuki growled in irritation.

"I know this as well, Urahara. I won't be visiting nor will I be communicating at all with you once I step out that door. I refuse to drag you down with me." Miyuki said seriously, and Urahara looked at her with a frown.

"Why exactly is Seireitei after you?" He asked her sternly, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes.

"They aren't. At least, they shouldn't be yet. However, they will be soon... My enemy is a manipulative bastard who is very good at falsifying evidence. No doubt he'll have all of Seireitei hunting me down like I killed the Reiou." Miyuki said with a sigh. "Don't get caught up in this mess, Urahara. And if it comes to that, then pick their side. I'd rather not fight you, especially since you can fight my powers, but I'd much prefer that over you all signing your own death warrants."

"As you wish, Miyuki." Urahara said with a bow, and Miyuki rolled her eyes at his antics. "However, in turn... You have to do me a favor."

"What favor?" Miiyuki asked him suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing much... Just take care of this lovely semi-human here!" Urahara chirped as a teenage girl with black hair and dark, brownish red eyes walked into the room.


*Sigh.* Don't hate me? :( I kind of had fun writing this chapter, actually. Well, maybe not fun, but I was proud of myself after I finished it. I never was able to detail things very well, so I was worried this chapter was going to be bad. In my opinion, it isn't too bad. Please review ^^