The Lifeblood Doctrine
A/N: Aah! T_T I screwed something in the timeline... lol x_x This chapter's supposed to be the start of their college days but... it's so sudden since Ru just returned from abroad... so... it's not how I wanted it to be. x_x Anyway, I've patched it up with this.
I actually have no idea how I would go with the commandments thing. But since I already started with chap 2 like that... I have to follow the flow. Haha, goodluck with me. -_-
And this is the part where I will clarify some things before you start throwing knives at me later...
I've followed some vampire tropes used in other animes, literature and films but I altered some because of the history (that's not the real story there either. lol xD) on ch 1 (and yeah, vampires themselves are just fiction! So I can write my own version and vampire myth too! lol XD):
1. They don't burn in the sun. I can't use the burn in the sunlight trope because my vampires are already half a (father was a full) demon and a (blessed) human.
2. Vampires can procreate.
3. They can see their reflection on mirrors.
4. No dhampyrs.
5. Other info will be revealed as the story progresses.
I've always thought that lesser demons/vampires = half demon/human so I've made them that way. lol
Warning: It's probably nothing much but it's better to warn the readers than no warning at all. This chap still have a little blood, violence and death. xD Oh and, a little RenRuki at the beginning too. xD
italics - thoughts; character narration; emphasis; special notes;
Aniki - older brother;
nee/nee-san - sister;
Chapter Three:
The Atonement
Whose eyes am I behind
I don't recognize anything that I see
Whose skin is this design
I don't want this to be the way that you see me
And when the world is on its knees with me its fine
And when I come to the rescue I get nothing but left behind
Everybody seems to be getting what they need where's mine
'Cause you're what I need so very but I'm anything but ordinary
- Ordinary by Train
"Rukia," came Byakuya Kuchiki's cold voice from the cell phone.
Rukia was standing by the window near the reception area, holding the gadget while gazing at the weather outside. It was still dark though, as if rain was going to pour again any time soon. It had been a few hours before she was finally dismissed from confinement. It was actually her first time getting hospitalized, and the doctors didn't do much either except tell her she was fine and just slightly wounded. The bandage on her neck was already replaced by band-aids but the cut on her arm was still wrapped in a cloth. There were no interrogation from police yet and definitely none from Renji. This will probably be her first interrogation for today. She thought it'd be best not to keep her brother waiting for an answer. "Yes, Nii-sama?"
"Are you well?"
"Yes. I'm fine," she answered, a bit surprise at her brother's sudden display of concern. He was always cold and he never talked to her unless it was important. Important things such as sending her away to whatever country for a few years or requiring her presence in a gathering which was more of a celebration of a blossoming business than a familial one. "But..." she added, wanting to voice out her growing concern for the victims of the incident. Still there were no reports about the mansion, the thieves and the guards who were killed. Also to note, the butler was still nowhere to be found.
"Rukia, I will come back within the week. I expect you to stay away from the mansion. That is all." And then the line was cut. That was it, as if he was giving a direct order to a soldier without any briefing, etc. No interrogation at all. She wasn't even able to ask about the secret room of the mansion, or why there were vampire statues there or why their family's kept them. She only sighed at her brother's indifference towards her. That's Nii-sama for you.
She lowered the cell phone and put it in her pocket. Although her brother a.k.a. commander-in-chief had ordered her to stay away, she just couldn't do that. She wouldn't do that. Just this once, she will disobey him. Make that twice since she had also disobeyed his order to take college in America. Talk about college, Renji was going to escort her for late enrollment at Karakura University. She remembered how he wrestled her from leaving the damn room. He was actually incredibly helpful. He had taken care of the bills, talked to the doctors and really really irritatingly guarded her the whole night. But she wouldn't complain. In fact, he was already like another brother to her.
He was currently away talking to doctor Unohana. Chance! Sneak away while the guard's away! She hastely walked towards the main door.
"Rukia!" called Renji as he appeared from the divided hallways near the reception. "You aren't planning on leaving me, are you?"
"Renji, since when are you my babysitter?"
"Since last night!" he yelled back. The receptionists glared at him and signaled him to shut up. She glared at him too. He quickly walked towards her and whispered, "Well, your brother asked me to take care of you while he's away."
"Well you don't need to. I just talked to him and he said you're fired," she joked.
"LIAR!" That earned Renji another wave of glares and shh...sfrom the passing doctors, nurses and receptionists.
"I still can't believe you're working with my brother. I mean it's you, you who used to hate him!"
"I only did what was necessary," he answered though he was a bit uncertain if he really should've said that. It would open new discussions about...
"Necessary to what?"
"To... to..." Renji stuttered. He was getting nervous so he turned around to hide the flush of red on his face. To be close to you... How do I say that...?
Rukia was going to comment on his odd behavior and sudden turn-around but there was a person that had instantly caught her attention from the opposite hallway Renji came out from. He was walking back and forth, tensed and nervous about something. Rukia quickly recognized who he was. How would anyone miss someone as big as him?
She walked towards him and left Renji who was still contemplating whether he should confess or not. "Ganju-dono," she called.
Ganju seemed shaken. "Ah... Kuchiki Rukia. I heard about what happened in your house. How are you?"
"I'm fine now, although the culprits behind the attack are still yet to be found and the families of the people involved are not yet given justice." He's still yet to be caught too, she thought grimly. "What about you, Ganju-dono?"
By this time, Renji had approached the two as well. Ganju sighed before answering, "Aniki's wife... Miyako-neesan... she's... she's been attacked and... in a coma..."
"What? When? How?"
Ganju sat by the waiting bench. Rukia sat beside him. Ganju sadly lowered his head, his eyes fixated on the ground as he began to tell the tale. "Just last night. Nee-chan and I went out to go shopping. Miyako-nee said she would wait for Aniki's return from your mansion. But... when we came back, she was already unconscious and heavily injured in Aniki's arms. The house has been thrashed. We still don't know what happened. Aniki won't talk to anyone either. He said he wanted to be the first person she sees when she regain consciousness. He wouldn't leave her side."
Rukia peered into the room through the glass window from where they were sitting. She saw the back of a man, Kaien's, and he was holding his wife's hand tightly. Miyako was covered in a lot of bandages. Her head, shoulder, neck, arms, and legs. It was as if she was brutally tossed around and crumpled like a doll. Kaien kissed his wife's hand while carressing the strands of black hair on her face. He was talking to her, whispering, begging her to wake up and stay alive. It hurt Rukia to see him like this.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." she said, placing her right hand on the window in sympathy, hoping her feelings would reach and comfort him. There was a tinge of pain in her heart and there was also guilt. That night, Kaien was supposed to be with his wife but he left their house, to visit her. Because she came back when she shouldn't even have.
"It's not your fault. We've just all been victims here..."
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
IV. Thou shall not meddle with human society.
Vampires and humans cannot coexist.
Vampires are easily tempted and subsequently caught in the open.
For peace and exposure control, the society of vampires is separate from human society.
This law includes meddling with human politics or community affairs.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"I know that face," Renji finally decided to break the silence that had enveloped them ever since they left the hospital. They were now in the University, making their way to the Office of Admission.
Rukia didn't reply. Whatever face she was making had probably made her feelings glaringly obvious.
Renji knew her long enough to know that she was blaming herself deep inside. Ever since they were kids, she always had the habit of accusing herself before any other person even starts accusing her, even when things were purely accidental. "It's not your fault. It's just a coincidence. You know, if Kaien hadn't come to your mansion... maybe he got attacked too."
"Or maybe he was able to protect Miyako-san..."
"Damn it Rukia! There is no way you could've known the future. You don't know this would happen, they don't know what would happen. Whatever happens, happens for a reason. Maybe you came so you could keep Kaien away from death that night. Just... whatever happened, if there's someone to blame, it's the criminals and it's fate."
Rukia sighed. "You're right," she knew being gloomy about things won't change what happened and blaming herself right now would only add to the mountain of things she had to worry about. She just have to face them and help find the bastards responsible for the attacks. There must be a mastermind behind them somewhere.
And regarding the agenda for today, it was all planned out already in her mind.
The Plan A -
1. Have Renji enroll her in the University while she escapes from him but she doubts it anyway.
2. Pretend to go to Church and pass the mansion which was on the way as well.
3. Peek at the mansion, Renji won't complain once they're there.
4. Sneak inside anyway.
5. If unable to retrieve the book, proceed to the risky plan B.
Rukia thought things over and over again. Maybe it was better to hide the truth, to not pursue him and let go of what he did to her or to anyone else, and let karma do its job. Maybe she should wait for her brother to come back and tell him everything, though she'd risk sounding crazy. Maybe she should just let it be. But taking passive actions like that won't make things better. The fact that he was out there already posed a threat to other people's lives. Only she knew about him and to protect his possible next victims, she must stop him. Every knowledge she needed must be witheld in that doctrine.
Her decision was firm and final until Renji told her something that wavered her determination. "Your coat. I forgot to give it to you." He handed her a paperbag where a gothic ensemble coat too big her size was neatly folded. They now stood in front of the office door, finished filling up the forms and only waiting to be called inside.
"Where," she lifted the coat and spread it out, just to make sure it was that familiar coat he wore. She remembered how the vampire came in through the balcony, already coatless. "... did you find this...?"
"It was on you when I found you on my porch."
"On me? On your porch?"
"Yeah. It wasn't yours...? I thought it was too big for you."
"No," she shook her head.
Renji looked at her with growing concern. Maybe now was the time to ask. "Whose was it? What happened? I'd reckon you remember how you got there at my house... right?"
Was she going to lie? Or tell him the truth? She don't remember how she got there. She don't even remember wearing that coat. So... she was delivered right on Renji's door, like a package or something, wrapped in his coat. Was he guilty? It was shocking to know that he even cared to bring her help. So maybe there was something good in him?
"HEY! Earth to Rukia here! Plutonians abducted your brain now?" Renji said annoyed while snapping his fingers in front of her.
"For your information, Pluto is no longer the ninth planet," she said, tucked the coat back in the paperbag and handed it to Renji. "You can have it."
"Doesn't make a difference!" he retorted. "Anyway, whose was it? You're not supposed to give it away if it's not even yours and, will you answer my damn questions already?"
The door of the office opened. Rukia continued, "It belongs to -"
BAM!
Something hit Rukia at the back. She almost tumbled down when a hand grabbed her shirt from behind. Immediately, she regained composure and searched for the object that caused the collision. She nearly had a heart attack when she saw those weird orange locks, amber eyes, and familiar scowl. That annoying yet unforgettable face. She gasped. Is he going to be everywhere now?
Once Ichigo saw her back on her feet, he let go of her shirt. He saw her again. The woman unyielding to his power. He have tried so many times to hypnotize different people last night and he succeeded in each and every one of them. In fact, he just succeeded in making the office personnel admit him in school without having to pay any fees. He would like to try and erase her memories again. He was of course, furious at how a mere human would oppose his charms. No one should have, even men would turn gay on him if he wanted. But that would be too weird. Somehow though, deep inside, he was happy. Happy to have found someone who could see him for who he truly is. And maybe, he'd like to keep it that way too.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
V. Thou must avoid anything that would endanger the entire race.
For the protection of the race, this doctrine was made.
This commandment creates exception to the other commandments.
If it is to protect the race, killing will be permitted.
The second commandment also aims to protect the entire race.
Any exposure could lead to an entire race extermination movement from the humans.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"Oh sorry, I didn't see you. Next time, don't block the way... midget."
What did he call her? "Mi-Mi-Midget?" Rukia fumed. "I'm sorry, your highness Mr. Baron, that your skills are so impaired, you couldn't even sense me here when you should have!"
Renji was making a quizzicial face. "Who are you?" he asked, pointing a finger at Ichigo.
"My skills are not impaired. You want to try?"
"Gladly."
Ichigo was taken aback. What? Did she just...? Isn't she scared of me? Or is she underestimating me? Mocking me? Or does she want me to make her forget? He stared at her and she stared back. She showed no hint of fear nor hesitation. She kept her brave facade on so good it was getting him confused. Such a pain in the ass. Thinking wasn't his forte too. She was hard to read, to figure out. She was a totally different kind of challenge. Strange as it may be, he was enjoying this. "As you wish."
"What's with this skills talking and that as you wish thing? Don't fucking ignore me here!" yelled Renji.
Beside Ichigo, a woman appeared and called, "Kuchiki Rukia? Please come inside."
"Yes. In a minute, my guardian will talk to you."
"Guardian?" Renji's brow furrowed. "I'm not your guardian!"
"You just said my brother asked you to take care of me! Well, do your job!" she commanded.
"You really think I'm doing this because your brother asked me to? I'm doing it because... because..." Renji was again, at a loss for words. To escape the almost confession, he quickly walked inside to talk to the lady. "You better follow or I'll kill you later."
"Yeah, yeah," she nodded.
The minute the admission office door closed, Rukia tensed. They were alone in the corridors. Classrooms were empty. No guards, no professors loitering around, no students chatting, no noise, nothing. Only their breathing and their unwavering glare at each other. "Alright, spill it! Why are you here?" Rukia asked finally, making her motives clear.
Ichigo was surprised again. The nerve of this woman. She underestimated his powers and now she dared to command him to talk. He was the one supposed to be giving orders. She was supposed to be following him. Something was very wrong with her. He tried to recall if he ever commanded her to be unafraid of him, but there were no such moments. He even forgot to command her to be numb with the pain of his bite. That's how they, vampires, usually lure victims. Entrance them. Make them unable to feel the pain, or enjoy the moment and bring them into the throes of pleasure. It was all in the mind and in how the vampire wishes the prey to react: to be passive, to be in bliss, or just simply be in pain. She was just unfortunate 'cause he was very very hungry to even care for her pain at that time. He have also considered the possibility of her meeting another vampire, getting hypnotized and commanded to only oblige to that certain person. But he doubted there would still be vampires at such a modern age and that strong too. How long has it been? 100, 200, 300 years or more? But then again, he will never know...
Everytime Rukia would see him, she would always be reminded of that night. Because of the facts and speculations and the way he would talk to her, she couldn't bring herself to be afraid of him. Maybe it was because of too much drama series or movies that involved vampires, or maybe because it was the books. But that night... It wasn't as traumatic. She was alive. He let her live. That was a fact. At that night, she was afraid for her life. But the more they meet and talk, the more she felt nostalgic. It were just simple threats, teases and insults but somehow it alleviated the little bits of fright from that night. Moreover, it felt as if she've known him for a long time already. She felt unthreatened, unafraid and comfortable with his presence. And she didn't understand why so.
"Are you stupid? I'm here to study," he answered.
Rukia raised an eyebrow. First she's a midget, now she's stupid. "No! Why are you really here?"
Ichigo snorted. "I'm here to modernize myself with your time and... to keep an eye out."
"For what?"
"For the damage you might cause."
"E-excuse me? I will cause a damage? To who? To you?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yes. Can't have other people know what I am, can I?"
"So you're here to scare the hell out of me and shut me up. You're very unsuccessful."
Ichigo became serious. Because they were alone in the corridors, and his back was turned from the door of the Admission Office, he revealed his vampire self. His eyes started to change color from amber to red and his fangs suddenly sharpened. In an instant, he was able to push Rukia to the wall. She gasped from the shock. He was too fast to see. "Am I not?" He asked, hands on her shoulders and his face just a few inches away from hers. "I could make this school kick you out. I could have the police lock you up. I could make any mental institution take you in, make everybody think you're deranged. I could do all that, don't make me."
Rukia still wasn't fazed by his threats. It was nothing new. She will have to gamble her life, just to gauge his morality. "Ruining a person's life is almost the same as killing them. Why don't you just kill me then?"
Her suggestion was the easiest solution to his dilemma, but he was not born a murderer and he wouldn't want to ruin another's life for his sake. His own life was pretty much ruined too anyway. So what was he actually protecting? His race? He doesn't even know if there were still vampires alive. Himself? His freedom? His existence? Whatever life he still have in him?
He let go of her shoulders and returned to his normal human self before sighing. God, she really won't give up. "You're really an annoying pain in the ass. If something happens to you, or to the person you told it to, don't come crying to me."
"As if!"
With swift movement, Ichigo vanished, leaving Rukia with the answer she was looking for. The way he avoided her question and quickly retreated, told her he was just all talk.
Renji opened the door and yelled impatiently. "DAMN IT! Hurry up and come inside will you?"
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
VI. Thou shall not believe in other Gods.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
The late enrollment went well. Of course, with a Kuchiki family name, no one would dare refuse her. In just a span of five minutes, her schedule was processed and she was given a slot with the course Business Management. There were no interviews required. The first day of class however, will start next week Monday. She was not so sure she was ready. There were a lot of things to worry and anticipate about. Besides, it was already Friday... her brother said he will come back within the week.
The plan was already set in motion. Renji had refused to leave her alone the whole day and tagged along when she said she wanted to go to the Church. She actually wasn't just going there so she could take a peek at the mansion but also to pray for Miyako's recovery, for Takamura to be found, and for the souls of the victims. She didn't know why up to now she wasn't ambushed by police agents and news reporters about the incident but it was fine. It was hard to act and pretend to know nothing in front of other people.
By the time they reached the mansion, Renji wasn't able to stop her from inquiring the police officers guarding the area. The gate, the whole vicinity was bound by a "Police Line Do Not Cross" barrier tape. There were ambulances and police cars around. Medics also crossed the line, carrying in stretchers people whose whole body were covered with a white cloth.
"Excuse me. I'm Kuchiki Rukia, can you let me pass?" Rukia asked the security guard by the gate.
"Ah, I'm sorry Kuchiki-sama. No one is allowed to pass."
"Even me?"
"Even you."
"Then, just tell me what happened. Is Takamura-san there? Have they found him? I need an update!" she commanded. Renji was behind her, trying to calm her down.
The guard frowned. "I'm sorry but there are only seven bodies recovered. Four are wearing the same black clothes and three of which are beyond recognition."
"I need to see," she said, determined to find out if one of them was Takamura.
The guard nodded and led her to the bodies that were laid beside an ambulance. Each and every one of them was already dead. She opened the first one up to the fourth one. They were the thugs that had invaded her house. So they have suffered a cruel fate as well. "How did they die?" she questioned in pity. Their quest for everlasting life only led to their miserable deaths.
"One had a broken neck, one had a slit throat, one had a crushed heart and one drained of blood," answered the medic who was facilitating and recording the victim's vital information and status.
There was no denying. It was the work of a vampire. But, Ichigo - she remembered his name anyway - didn't seem to be the type of vampire who would kill other people. Maybe she just had a miscalculation? But it was too early to accuse him.
She went to the other three bodies. She breathed in deeply before opening the cover on one of them. What she saw turned her stomach upside down. Renji had quickly covered her eyes from the gruesome sight but it was too late. She already saw it and smelled the acrid odor of rotting flesh. The man's face had three big scratches that distorted it and his right arm was mutilated. His whole body was covered in dried blood. The body looked so pale, so dead, so dried.
Noticing Rukia's reaction, the medic quickly covered the bodies again with the cloth. Renji released her eyes. "We are going to perform autopsy on the bodies. If one of them is the butler, we will let you know. But from the clothes they were wearing, I think they are the guards at your mansion. We still don't know what happened. What monster could've done this?"
Monster...
"We're very sorry for what happened, Kuchiki. We are going to do our best to solve this case. Rest assured that their families have already been properly compensated," said Shunsui, the Kuchiki family's most trusted private investigator, as he approached her. Nanao followed just behind him. Although he looked so bored to death or as lazy as he ever looked, he was one of the best men when it came to field investigation.
Who did it?
Did he...?
Rukia only replied with a nod. She left the site, still shocked and speechless.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
It took time for Rukia to recover from the morbid image she saw. How could so many things happen in one night? She couldn't remember her hometown being this scary, this dangerous, this mysterious. She don't know Karakura anymore. It used to be a better place where people could walk alone at night without fear, where children would play around unguarded but still be safe. It was now so different, so... dark.
They were now at the Church. She and Renji had separated then, since Renji also have his own prayers to pray. The first thing Rukia wanted to do, was to confess to a priest. For hiding the vampire's identity, for waking him up, for disobeying her brother, and for the decision she was about to make.
She walked towards the confession box until the door suddenly sprang open. And then she was stunned, for like the nth time already. "Di-Di-Did you just...?" she managed to ask when the person, who seemingly took her breath away every time she sees him, walked past her.
Ichigo turned to face her with a smirk. "Yes, I just did. Better hurry, I think someone's on their last breath in there."
Rukia flushed red with anger. "You did not just do that!" Of course, that 'someone' Ichigo talked about was the priest who was in the confession box. He'd dare not do that to a holy priest! She quickly ran to the other side of the box and opened the door.
"Child, you're supposed to be on the other side," the healthy-not-dying-or-bitten-in-any-way priest told her.
"Yes. I was just... checking," she closed the door and heard the vampire chuckle as he walked away.
Bastard...!
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
After the confession with the priest (she didn't tell him specific information anyway or talked about vampires), she found Ichigo kneeled in front of the altar. He was probably muttering prayers right now. But still, it was unbelievable. A vampire... in a Church... What mockery was this?
She knelt beside him (on his right). There were only few people in the church now, around only three. Everybody else was probably in their respective houses, waiting for the weather to get better. It still rained a bit, but not as hard as it rained last night. She shot him an inquiring glance and noticed his eyes closed. She hoped he wasn't sleeping.
After she finished her own prayers, she opened her eyes to look again at the person beside her. She was a bit startled to find him already staring right at her. "Stop staring."
"You're the one who moved your ass beside me," he averted his eyes to the altar.
"It's so funny how quickly you lost all that nobility from last night, my Lord," she mocked in a whisper.
"Ah. I knew it. You just couldn't resist my charms now, could you? It's okay though, I don't mind a little follower."
Rukia almost wanted to punch him for that 'little' adjective. No matter how hard she thought about it, she really can't see him as someone who could literally eat a person. But she wanted to know the truth, if it was him or another one of his kind. That was why she approached him. "This is so unbelievable. Of all the places I could run with you into, this place is the least I'd thought of. Don't you like, burn here?"
"That's only in books and movies."
"So... are you really here to confess about your crimes and repent?"
"Whatever I confessed about is none of your business."
"It is. Especially if it's about what happened last night. The people you killed, what you did to Inoue, to me."
"As far as I know, I hadn't killed anybody."
"Oh, maybe kill isn't the right term then? You ate them, didn't you?"
"Stop accusing me of something I did not do. And as far as I'm concerned, the only person I ate, is you." He turned to look at her again. The seriousness in his eyes told her he wasn't lying.
"Me huh? Then... who did it? Who killed them?" She believed him. There was no reason for him to lie to her, and lie in a sacred ground no less.
Ichigo thought about it. That perhaps his brother was freed and was now terrorizing people. He wasn't cautious when he left the mansion. But of course, at that time, he prioritized bringing Rukia to safety than hiding his stoned brother. He had to come back later, to make sure of it. "How should I know?" he answered.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"What the hell is Rukia doing kneeling in front of the altar with that damn weirdo?" Renji asked, annoyed as he watched the two look at each other and then look away.
"They look like they're getting married!" he yelled to himself.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
The two pretended to still be praying just so they could talk to each other.
"What's wrong with you?"
"I'm waiting for your apology. To me. Since you confessed to the priest, I'm assuming you want to be forgiven. You can start by asking mine."
"Why...?" he asked in a very low voice. "Why aren't you... afraid of me...? After what I've done and tried to do? After I've almost killed you? Why do you come to me so... normally, despite your knowledge of what I am?"
"You ask why? Cannot you see the answer yourself? The way you act, the way you talk, the reason you are here right now. You make me not scared of you."
You make me not scared of you...
The words she uttered echoed in his head. It was so weird and yet it made sense. Despite of all his efforts to scare the shit out of her, to threaten her life and her friends', he was here. He was right at this very moment, praying his guilt out. And the moment he looked at her again, he felt... deja vu. The place, the moment, her... it was all so familiar and yet, he could not recall anything like it at all.
"But... even if you're saint vampire, that doesn't mean I'm not going to do anything about you." It was her turn to threaten him. She knew right now she could do nothing, but she won't let him know. Knowing your weakness doesn't make you any weak, but showing your weakness does.
"Cheh. As if you could do something against me," he scoffed.
"If you apologize, I'll think about it."
Ichigo was confused yet again. How come she talked like she could do something against him? What could she possibly do?
"Listen. I have no intention of apologizing to you," he said hard-headedly, a part of it was because of pride, and the other part was because of a fact, "because frankly, I don't regret doing it." He turned to look at her."In fact, I can't wait to do it again."
Rukia sharply looked at him. "Co-come again?" she asked, feeling both nervous and annoyed with his lack of guilt.
"I..." Ichigo quickly grabbed her left arm.
"Can't..." he lifted it up.
"Wait..." he lowered his head, almost a few inches away from her skin, almost replaying the incident last night when he sucked on her right arm.
"To..."
She didn't let him finish his line, nor did she wait if he will do it again right at that moment. She punched him on the face, hard enough that his cheek bruised but it still turned back to normal after a few seconds. She shoved her hand away from his grip, stood up and glared at him. "You know what, there won't be a next time," she muttered, this time with nothing but determination in her eyes.
He simpered as she walked away.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
The Plan B was now set in motion.
He still had the guts to want to do it again! But like hell he will!
Rukia entered a restricted room in the Church with a surly mood. It was perhaps a conference room for the meetings of Church personnel and volunteers. There were lots of bookshelves with articles relating to the Church and the bible. On the center was a big elongated wooden table. At the edge of the table was a black-haired man, wearing a white robe with weird cross design. He seemed so preoccupied with the book he was reading that he wasn't able to notice Rukia come in.
"Ishida!" she yelled once she reached his side.
Ishida Uryuu almost jumped up from his chair. "Ku-Ku-Kuchiki-san?"
"I need your help."
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
VII. Thou shall not turn a human unless approved or warranted by the Lord or the Covenant.
The turning process also poses risk to the life of a human.
It will be based on the assessment and the Covenant's discretion if a person will successfully turn or not.
However, the Lord, as the leader of the race, has the undeniable privilege to turn anyone at his whim.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
It was night time when Rukia was able to escape from Renji with Ishida's help. They used the Church's secret backdoor and headed straight to the mansion.
"I can't believe you are the one to do this to me, Kuchiki-san," Ishida pushed his glasses up as they walked on the streets.
"I merely had a wild guess. You confirmed it yourself," she laughed. "You're so guilty."
Ishida blushed in embarassment. "Th-that was a wild guess?"
It was unbelievable that he had fallen victim to her trap. Using the name Inoue Orihime as bait and the promise to help him woo her with all the knowledge she have as the rod, she was able to fish Ishida Uryuu out of the pond. Add a little fire called friendship and he was easily barbequed into her will.
"Who knew Inoue would be your weakness?" she giggled.
"Ku-kuchiki-san!"
Rukia laughed again in amusement. "Anyway... did you bring any holy water?"
"How many times should I tell you, I'm not a priest. I'm a Quincy!" he protested. "What do you need it for anyway? If you want your mansion to be blessed, maybe you should wait for your brother."
"I can't wait for him. I just need to get something. Isn't it ironic? I sneak inside my own house."
"And I am here because... because you're afraid of ghosts?"
"Yeah!" she lied. "So when something evil comes up, you can start your exorcism prayers and show off like you're in Don Kanonji's Bohaha Show."
"I'm not a priest! Quincies only chant. And by the way, that show is lame. You watch that?"
"Uh huh. I find that show entertaining and for your additional information, Inoue watch that too," she smirked and the mention of Inoue's name made Ishida mute and unable to bash the show anymore.
"Do you think vampires exist, Ishida?" she questioned. Ishida, although he kept denying being a priest, have spent most of his time in the Church as a volunteer for his grandfather, so maybe he knew something about them too. She was rather reluctant to ask for his help. Asking him to accompany her would put his life at risk as well. If something was to happen and they were unable to fight it, then it would be her fault. But she had to think positive, and she didn't want to come alone. At least, with Ishida, she would feel safer.
"Vampires? I don't know. But if they're true, they're rare so perhaps they've come into the brink of extinction by now. I've read some articles, which I do not know if farce or not, that a war centuries ago drove the vampires into extinction."
"Really?" she asked in amazement. She knew Ishida would know something. "Do you... do you think they can be fossilized?"
"Fossilized? That's absurd! How do you fossilize a person?"
"That... I also want to know," she whispered.
Ishida was puzzled by her cryptic whisper. But before he could start questioning her motives for asking such questions, they already arrived at the mansion. The mansion looked so creepy and scary at night. It looked so haunted. All the lights were off and of course, there was nobody home. The whole place was still bound by a barrier tape. They carefully maneuvered their way into the mansion, avoiding all the crime scenes and marked places.
Eventually, they came into the library. Ishida had proposed to wait for her while he dumped himself at the tower of books. Rukia ventured into the secret room alone.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
The staircase leading down to the room was dark and scary. She have tried so many times to switch on the light in every room they entered but it seemed that the power was cut down. Good thing she and Ishida brought flashlights, borrowed from the Church' emergency equipments.
As Rukia went down the stairs though, there was an eerie silence. She felt her hair rise when she noticed the dried blood stains on the stairs. She tried her best not to walk on them since it could be evidence against the killer too. When she reached the door, she opened it and she dreaded what she saw.
Nothing.
There was nothing inside.
All the books, the treasures, the ornaments, statues, etc. They were all gone. It was what she dreaded the most. It was the reason she wanted to come back on that same night. All the things could have been stolen, hidden by other people or by the vampire himself, or in the police's custody. Whatever it was, it would be harder for her to get the book back. It was just a book, but it could've held great knowledge. And that knowledge, no matter what, could've been humanity's strongest weapon.
She cursed the person who had the antiques taken away. All her efforts and Ishida's help, were just in vain.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"Ishida? Are you there?" she asked, once she was back in the library.
There was no answer.
"Ishida... this is not the time to scare me. Answer me."
Still, there was no answer. It had only been 5 minutes since they separated. Rukia was getting really really worried.
"Ishida?" she fastened her pace, walking and directing her flashlight to corners and to every clearing in between the rack of books. She stopped on the gigantic glass window by the other side of the door she came from, when she saw Ishida's lit flashlight on the floor. I knew it. I shouldn't have asked for his help. Ishida... please be safe... "Ishida..."
She picked up and grabbed the handle of the flashlight. It was still warm. That meant Ishida was still there a few seconds ago.
Suddenly, Rukia felt a presence behind her. He spoke, his voice was guttural and creepy, "Young... miss..."
Rukia quickly turned. She could only see his silhouette but she was sure it was Takamura, the missing butler. "Takamura-san, what happened? Why were you gone? Where did you go? Why are you still here? Have you seen my frie-"
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." he croaked.
Rukia didn't understand why he was apologizing but something was wrong with him. Even though it would be rude, she pointed the flashlight on his face, just to get a better look at him, at his health and status. What she saw for a second had made her drop the other flashlight she just picked up. "Ta-Takamura... san...?" His face was hardly recognizable because of the smudges of dried blood. His clothes looked as if it was dipped with the red fluid as well. His eyes were yellow like that of a cat and on his mouth were not fangs but sharp teeth. "W-what happened...?"
"I was on the way to ask for help to the nearest family to us... the Shiba Clan. I saw someone walk out so I quickly talked to him. But he used something on me. He... he... turned me into this. Will you... will you help me, miss?"
So, that was why he wasn't able to come back. His disappearance was linked to the incident in the Shiba family. Who was that man he saw? What did he use on him that turned him into this? There were so many questions but right now, what was more important was that Takamura had finally been found. And with his question, Rukia can't help but feel sorry for him and she wasn't able to deny his request for help. "I will help you. I wish to help you. Tell me what can I do?"
"There's only one thing I'll ask of you. After all I've served the family for more than thirty years. Let me... eat you."
"W-What?" And by eat, that literally meant eat.
"Don't worry, I'll spare you the pain of being eaten alive. So..." he smashed the flashlight away from her hand and it landed right next to Ishida's slowly regaining consciousness body. The reason she hadn't seen him there was because she was actually looking for a tall and standing Ishida the whole time, while he was just lying unconscious almost a few feet away. "... die!" The butler threw Rukia to window. The impact of her back made the window shatter and she started to fall. It was just on the second floor but falling from that height could also be fatal.
"Kuchiki-san!" yelled Ishida as he got up.
.~.~.~.~.~.~.
I'm falling... I'm falling...
It was too fast and too unexpected. In just a millisecond, she felt the strong hands that smashed her to the window, heard the thundering sound of breaking glasses and saw herself getting farther away from where she supposedly stood. And then she felt gravity pull her down. She was falling, she was going to die.
She closed her eyes. "Ishida... please, at least save Ishida..." she prayed to whatever Gods or angels listening to her. It was her fault they were here and Ishida was left alone in the library with the monster Takamura had transformed into. It was either he attacks him before devouring her dead body or the other way around. At least, let Ishida live.
"He's not going to die," a voice suddenly muttered behind her.
It was then that Rukia realized her momentum stopped. Her eyes fluttered open and she was already on the ground with a pair of cold hands holding her arms. She turned to her savior. "You..."
"You don't have to worry about your friend. He's going to come after you first," said Ichigo. He knew that uncontrollable instinct, that once the beasts were tempted, it would be impossible to stop the lust for blood. "You should worry about yourself. You're..." his eyes changed its hue to red, and sharp fangs protruded from his mouth. "You're bleeding..." So close... so tempting... He tried to repel the urge to bite her right there.
"Don't you dare!" Rukia pulled herself away from his grip. The pain from the cuts on her back seeped.
Takamura jumped from the broken window and stood before them. He was salivating in hunger.
"What happened to him? Why did he turn? Is there no way to save him?" she asked the vampire beside her.
"He's already turned. He can never revert back to being human." Though I have seen nothing quite like it. This is not the work of my brother. This man is not a vampire, and he's not a werewolf either. Who could have the power to change someone like this? Ichigo thought. He actually came to check his brother but he also found the room empty. So he was still unsure whether his brother was freed or not. But one thing was certain, the transformation this man undertook was not caused by a vampire.
"The only way you can save him..." Ichigo picked up a pointy broken piece of glass on the ground. "... is by killing him."
Takamura snarled before lunging forward to Rukia. He have already lost his sense of humanity and attacked like a mindless savage beast. As much as Rukia wanted to deny it, Ichigo was right. He was already inhumane. He was already beyond salvation.
Ichigo suddenly appeared in front of her and stabbed the shard of glass right at his heart. Instantly, his image returned to that of a normal human. It always was a standard that transformation would stop at the moment of the person's death. Rukia looked away as the butler's body fell on the ground. He was like a family... she mourned silently.
"I have repaid you with your life. I no longer owe you anything."
"I'm not going to thank you." To thank him for saving her, for saving Ishida and for saving Takamura's humanity.
"I know."
At the same time of Ichigo's disappearance, Ishida had emerged from the front door of the mansion. "Kuchiki-san..." he said in a low, sad tone once he saw her in grief. He went to her side and convinced her to leave and treat her wounds. He asked nothing. He saw everything that had happened, the monster Takamura had become and the vampire that have saved them. He saw it all.
A/N: Gawd, my last update was april 17 and what? It's now JUNE! Freaking more than 1 month! -_- lol So many distractions, including my lazy ass. lol Plus my new job! Woot! I'm officially a working girl! ^_~ So yeah, that means slower updates... I guess. =_=
Not-So-Significant-Special Notes:
- 4th Commandment = Vampires have their own school, but it's mostly self-study or homeschool. Willing people come into their lair and tutor them with other worldly knowledge. But most of the time, they just hypnotize the humans to become their mentors. Of course, there are also mentors who are vampires, just to teach how to grow, use their powers and all the lores.
- You may find the 'Your Highness Mr. Baron' familiar. Yes, it's from chapter 1 of manga. lol xD
http:/www(dot)onemanga(dot)com/Bleach/1/21/
Sorry, it's kinda long. Writing non-IchiRuki scenes are excruciating! That's why it took so long for me to update too. lol xD But it's for plot's sake... so hope you guys don't mind. T_T I swear the next chapters will be shorter. ='( Again, if you find any errors, please tell me.
Reviews will be greatly appreciated. Thank you. ;-)