Not-so-long-author-note: Hey! This is the fourth chapter of It Takes Two to Make a Heart! I'll say more in the author note below, SO PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE BELOW.
This is rated T for mild language.
Warning: Possible spoilers
It Takes Two to Make a Heart – Thirteen Minus Three, Minus Another Three, Plus One
Uproar. That was the only word to describe what state the audience was in after the new 10th Captain's sudden announcement.
After all, it wasn't every day that an-all boy's school suddenly had a probable female student.
It wasn't every day that said student was proposed to by their vice-captain.
And it certainly wasn't every day that said proposal was nullified by the arrival of the new 10th Captain, who happened to be a boy younger than anyone in the audience.
"What the, what is this!"
"This is getting interesting, don't ya think?"
"The hell it isn't, this is too confusing!"
"Hey, so is she taken or not? It's hard to believe that little squirt and her are engaged so young already."
"What? You're interested in her?"
"It's not like she's bad-looking. Just her height…"
Ichigo's mouth would have twitched at the last sentence, but in the current situation, no, pandemonium, he couldn't bring himself to. This was just too absurd.
As the audience broke out in their own separate conversations, one Kurosaki Ichigo still stood standing aghast at the spectacle on stage, his mind racing.
His school's vice-captain's proposal.
The pint-sized new 10th Captain, and a kid at that.
The "new female mystery" has said Captain as her official fiancé.
Too much information. His knees and legs finally gave out, and he collapsed into his comfortable seat, and continued to stare in front of him. What had become of his school in these few short minutes? Everything had been just going along as usual until Kuchiki Rukia had stepped in the spotlight, literally.
No, even before that. His normal, uneventful world had been screwed over with just a bump with her. Then that bump had escalated into finding out that she wasn't even supposed to be at his school, and… He continued to stare numbly into space.
What the hell is going on here?
Had Ishida Uryu heard what Kurosaki Ichigo had been thinking at that moment, he most likely would have replied with an agitated "That's my line!" As it was, it was all he could do to not spontaneously combust on stage, whip out his archery kit, and shoot everyone. What a mess. How would the school and Captains think of the student council now?
He pushed his glasses up his nose again, which were sliding down from the sweat accumulating on his face, and continued to analyze the entire situation. The audience wasn't the biggest problem at the moment. The crowd was currently acting like a mob, and mobs for the most part had basic emotions and actions, and therefore were predictable and easy to deal with. No, the problem at the moment was the Captains. While the only Captains he could see were the Captain Commander and the new 10th Captain, Hitsugaya Toshiro, he couldn't rule out the fact the remaining Captains were watching this with disapproval somewhere.
By now, the mysterious transfer, Kuchiki Rukia, was stiff and rigid like a pole, her face paling and her mouth flapping but making no sound. Captain Hitsugaya who was now ignoring the audience in favor of watching her was slightly concerned, but made no move to comfort her. Shuhei (The fool, thought Uryu bitterly, proposing in a place and manner like that, how's the council going to clean this up?) seemed bewildered and was staring at the two short people with as much shock as Rukia was staring at Captain Hitsugaya. Renji, being Renji, seemed to be simply content with watching the whole thing unfold in front of him, making no move to clean up the phlegm from before.
Uryu sighed. As the student council school treasurer and secretary, he decided he deserved a pay raise after all this was resolved.
Rukia couldn't believe her luck today. While she was an atheist, the amount of things that had happened to her today could have only come from some otherworldly power. All she had wanted was to try to please her nii-sama by accepting his request to go to an all-girls school, but what was this? Apparently her cool and organized brother had finally lost his senses by enrolling her as a boy in the very type of school he had not wanted her to attend, she had met Kurosaki Ichigo, had been proposed to by the school vice-captain suddenly, and had discovered herself to have an official fiancé. Since when did she ever have a fiancé?
Speaking of which, right now she must look like a dismal prospective wife to Hitsugaya Toshiro, what with her stiff posture, her scrunched up face, and her lips that seemed to be powered to move for no apparent reason except to make her look stupid. She glanced at the audience, and winced, finally realizing the increased volume. Her eyes raked over nameless and unfamiliar faces and rested upon one of the few faces she knew in this vortex of chaos.
The Captain Commander sat in the front row to the left, his upper body leaning on his upright cane, and seemed unperturbed, which was ridiculous to her. It was true that he hardly interacted with anyone except Captains, but with all this commotion and his authority, shouldn't he be able to do something? The aged Captain watched with squinted eyes as usual, but she couldn't tell where he was looking, or if he was even paying attention to the chaotic scene before him from her position upstage.
Desperate, her eyes slid over to rest on Ichigo, who was now slumped in his seat. She noted his eyes seemed somewhat dazed and blank, and wondered at the reason. All of a sudden, his eyes cleared and snapped up to her face, looking more than annoyed.
She flinched and turned her gaze back to Toshiro. What was she doing? She wasn't scared of punks, much less an orange-haired one. So why had she looked away then?
It was because she felt guilty, she realized afterwards. It was the guilt of dragging his school into such a mess, even if it wasn't her fault for ending up in this school. It was the guilt of treating him that way at the school gates earlier, kicking and yelling at him when she really had no right to.
After all, she was indebted to him and his family already, even if he didn't remember who she was.
She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the sudden silence. It made her uneasy to hear such a complete quiet when before, it had been as if the Super Bowl, the World Cup, and the Olympics had been jammed into the theater room. She whirled around on the spot, looking for the source, and was forced to correct herself.
Sources.
Rukia stared at the people behind her, forgetting all rules of etiquette. Renji and Shuhei had moved to the left of the stage and were staring straight ahead properly, and she noted Uryu who was walking up to her quickly. She had not noticed it, but during her musings, Toshiro had moved to the back as well with the new people. Uryu reached her and grabbed her shoulder, urging in a low whisper, "Hurry up and come with me."
Too stunned, she let the student secretary and treasurer drag her to the right side of the stage, still staring at the people in the back, who had now stepped closer to the front.
The Captains. Rukia recognized all of them, having met some of them when she was younger under Byakuya's care, but when they were all younger. The Captains' vast difference in appearance from when they were younger accounted for why Rukia was unsure of the portraits' subjects in Secretary Nanao's office.
The first in line from the right was a small and petite woman, who was clothed in a tight, black sleeveless top and a black hakama with the ends tucked into light slippers. Her hair was mostly short, but she had two long braids which were wrapped in cloth and ended with a ring. Her face was stern and Rukia could make out cold eyes under her bangs.
Sui-Feng, her mind supplied, was known as the cold and fierce 2nd Captain, whose disposition was on par with Kuchiki Byakuya. She had the highest degree of black belt in all forms of martial arts, won all the major competitions there were, and owned several successful businesses that sold martial arts weapons and gear, as well as a large number of internationally acclaimed dojos. She also held much influence and sway in the world's top spy and intelligence networks, including the CIA and the FBI. She held a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and Criminology.
Next to Sui-Feng was another woman, who Rukia was able to identify more easily: Unohana Retsu. The gentle blue-eyed 4th Captain clothed in a standard doctor's uniform had a motherly air around her, and the large braid that rested in front of her drew attention to her astonishingly youthful face. Retsu held a Ph.D. degree in numerous medical fields and was a top-notch doctor, surgeon, and more. Celebrities, CEOs, and various wealthy people paid fortunes just to be on her waiting list, for it was said short of terminal diseases and those with unknown cures, she could treat just about anything. Much of the progressing research on the cure for diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's was due to her work. She was head of medical staff for many hospitals and owned several youth beauty product companies.
They were the only two women Captains, Rukia remembered, but their skills were no less than that of the males. She gazed upon the next Captain in line, wondering where her brother was. He was the 6th Captain after all, and as busy as he was, she doubted he would miss a meeting of this sort. It was said that when all the Captains gathered, it was due to something of utmost importance, after all.
Her mind supplied the space between Unohana Retsu and the next captain with an image of her nii-sama, before she paid attention to the 7th Captain. The 7th Captain, Komamura Sajin, was a mystery. Hardly anyone had ever seen him in public, and when they did, he would always have a bucket-like mask of sorts over his head. He always wore gloves and clothes that did not reveal any skin, even in the hottest of weather. Even now, he was wearing a black custom tuxedo with a turtleneck and his customary mask. That was not to say, he wasn't sociable or successful. He was a certified veterinarian with a Ph.D. in Veterinary Medicine to back him. He owned many vet hospitals, was compassionate to animals, and was known for his incredible strength and huge body. Rukia remembered asking Byakuya how Sajin had looked like, and all her brother had replied with was that though he had seen his face once before, it was not his place to describe it.
Rukia had to stop herself from busting out laughing when her eyes alighted upon the next Captain's choice of wear: a pink colorful woman's haori draped over his white business suit, and patterned with flowers. And she had reason to. Though 8th Captain Kyoraku Shunsui mostly presented himself as a carefree womanizing middle-aged man, he was one of the most accomplished and oldest of the Gotei 13. Extremely perceptive, wise, and frank, he was valued in his field of expertise, law. Many aspiring lawyers' dreams were to work under his tutelage, obtain a Ph.D. in Civil Law and Law and Policy, as well as to own the extensive number of law firms under his control.
When she reached the 10th Captain, she shuddered. Well, she thought wryly, normally, she wouldn't have known his background anyways, but then again, these weren't normal circumstances. If she was in a normal situation, she would have been in an elite society ladies' prep academy by now, blissfully unaware for a little longer of this strange Karakura Institute for Boy's and the fact that Hitsugaya Toshiro was her fiancé.
From what she could observe of him at first glance, he wasn't at all bad looking for his age. He wore the exact same outfit as the Captain Commander, in contrast to the modern outfits the Captains before him wore. His mature turquoise eyes stared straight ahead at the crowd, neither boastful nor humble. He knew what it meant to bear the title of a Captain of the Gotei 13. And he was proud of it.
Rukia winced when her eyes chanced upon the next Captain down the line, which she remembered to be the 12th Captain, despite his ever-shifting choice of appearance. It was his insane eyes that would always give him away, with a maniacal gleam that certain scientists, geniuses and charismatic people always had.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri was much like Retsu in the respect that his field of expertise included medicine, though his main interest and skill was in the sciences. He was known for creating many modern and innovative gadgets, but was a tricky boss to please and just as likely to promote one than to use one in his questionable experiments. His Ph.D.'s included Applied Science, Chemistry, Engineering Science, Medicine, and many more. He too, like Toshiro, was wearing the standard Captain attire, though his elaborate headdress that was reminiscent of a pharaoh, and his garish black and white face paint clashed with it.
She frowned as she realized that there were no more captains. She knew from Ichigo that Captains 3, 5, and 9 had left for a different school, and perhaps her brother was sick (mentally, she was convinced) so he couldn't make it, but that left the missing 11th and 13th Captains. So the Captains present were the result of the Gotei 13 minus the three that left for another school, probably for good, and another set of three: her brother, the 6th Captain, as well as the 11th and 13th Captains.
As Rukia was thinking this over, the Captain Commander had risen from his seat in the front row, and had tapped his way up the stage with his cane, and faced the audience behind the microphone.
"Well now, we shall now commence the introduction of the Captains!"
There were a few scattered claps, but they quickly faded into silence. Everyone was still into too much shock with had happened before the Captains' arrival.
The petite Kuchiki again glanced at Ichigo, who was now more composed in his seat and watching the new Captains warily. Good. At least he was calmer now, thought Rukia, before turning her attention to the Captain Commander. He was currently and simply stating the division number and name of each Captain, who would then step forward, before stepping back to allow other Captains their chance to step forward. There was a noticeable stillness of breath in the audience when the disturbed-looking 12th Division Captain stepped forward, but other than that, all 3,000 boys remained quiet.
"…and 12th Division Captain, Kurotsuchi Mayuri," concluded the aged Captain. "Now then, as for the 3rd, 5th, and 9th Division Captains, they will not be joining us today. The 13th Captain, Ukitake Jushiro, will introduce himself at a later point, as he is sick today. The 11th Captain, Zaraki Kenpachi, will also introduce himself later, as he is on urgent business."
Rukia listened to the last part of his speech intently, waiting to hear about her brother. From the corner of her eye, she noted that Ichigo was leaning forward slightly in his seat, elbows on his knees with his chin cupped in his hand. The posture made him look sleepy or disinterested, but she noticed how alert his eyes were.
"As for the 6th Captain-"
"He is here."
Several gasps of surprise gripped the audience at the sudden declaration from behind them, and several males turned their heads to see none other than Kuchiki Byakuya in all his glory, standing behind them and in front of the entryway doors.
Byakuya stood straight and tall as he walked down the set of stairs, then up again, this time on the stage stairs, then took his place between Unohana Retsu and Komamura Sajin. Ichigo watched his progress to the stage the whole while.
Rukia shook where she stood, relieved that Secretary Nanao had probably reached her brother and that her brother did not seem out of sorts. He seemed just as proud and elegant as ever, clad in a simple yet impressive black tuxedo. But even with her relief, she could feelings of frustration, annoyance, and slight anger boil over. He was the one who had enrolled her as a boy into an all-boy's school, after all, and the vexation that mistake gave her warranted a confrontation, Kuchiki pride be damned for the moment.
She ran out from Uryu's side to stand in front of her brother, back facing the audience.
"Nii-sama! Why are you he-! …No, why did you enroll me here? As a boy? It's a mistake, right, nii-sama?"
Said nii-sama stared at her, before ordering her, "Compose yourself, we have an audience of Captains."
Rukia flushed with embarrassment, and stopped hurling questions, but stood her ground in front of him.
"Say, Byakuya-kun," suggested Shunsui, "why don't you tell us what's going on? We're dying to know here," though the expressions of the Captains of the 2nd and 12th Divisions said otherwise. Retsu seemed mildly interested, Toshiro did not seem to be curious or apathetic and Sajin… no one could see his expression due to his mask.
"My adopted sister," began Byakuya with his eyes closed, not noticing how his selection of words caused Rukia to flinch, "was enrolled here on purpose."
Dead silence and shock ringed throughout the audience. One could have heard even a feather gently scrape the ground. Rukia looked up to her brother, aghast.
Yup, she would need to consult with the Kuchiki healer, or ask the 4th Division Captain for a favor to cure her mentally ill brother. How could he say something like that? Maybe he drank too much on a business trip and was still feeling the side-effects?
"My adopted sister, was enrolled as a boy, on purpose."
Surprised murmurs rippled throughout the crowd. Right. Throughout the hullabaloo, Rukia had forgotten the only ones who knew that she had been mistakenly enrolled in this school mistakenly as a boy, were Secretary Nanao, herself, and Ichigo.
Finding her eyes being drawn to him more times today than for most people in a single day, she wondered what Ichigo was thinking about this. Was he perhaps in horror that the same little twerp who had kicked his shins and yelled at him was going to stay at the same school as him? But that would never happen, because this was all just a big mistake.
"And my adopted sister," stated Byakuya tonelessly again, and here Rukia perked up. What more could he bungle up?
"Was engaged to the new 10th Division Captain, Hitsugaya Toshiro, on purpose…"
Ichigo found himself jumping up from his seat the second time that day, and two times more than he had in his lifetime, but couldn't find it in himself to really care about a stupid detail like that. Rather, what was this cold prick implying? That he, 6th Division Captain and adoptive brother-in-law of Kuchiki Rukia, had actually done this…?
"…By my hand."
Super-long-author-note: Hey guys, as usual, thanks so much for all the visitors and hits to my stories! While I'd love to hear from you guys by review or messaging, your interest in my fics has made me quite happy!
PLEASE READ THIS. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. I don't know if any readers have learned this by now, but I am recovering from having lung and stomach cancer, diagnosed not too long ago, so updates might be slow. Plus, I have school. But I'll be sure to continue updating, so fear not!
I mentioned this on When It's Rukia, and I'll mention it here. It's important to read my author notes because I usually have important info. For anonymous reviewers (please sign in if you have an account or make one; usually doesn't take long, and you don't have to write stories), I might put a short reply in an author note. I also give update statuses and news.
ALSO IMPORTANT: This chapter has a lot more detail. The last chapter was short because my questionable "writer's instinct" wouldn't let me put any more details. It just had to be like that, and I found it ok. I hope you guys found it ok as well. I also tried a new perspective besides third-person Ichigo and Rukia. I've always liked Ishida, but making his observations too long wouldn't have fit with this chapter, so I made it short. I'll do other characters too as time goes on. It is my belief that unless absolutely necessary, fics should be neutral about religion. I'm atheist, but I didn't make Rukia one because of that. I think Rukia's kind of distrustful of anything but what seems realistic and in front of her, so I decided on atheism as her religious belief. So about the 3 missing captains… I think the part about Byakuya engaging Toshiro and Rukia was obvious, but it doesn't have to be a super suspenseful ending every single time. Yes, I actually am being serious about this fic. It will be long, I'll try to be detailed and connect some plot points in the manga with it. I'll leave a slew of characters out though. I am not confident or knowledgeable enough to write from many of their different perspectives.
Don't expect any new chapters tomorrow. Even authors need their breaks, hehe. For those that are starving for When It's Rukia, rest assured, even if it takes a while, I will update it. I'll put it on hold after reposting Chapter 6, though. If I get enough reviewers (thanks to you guys, that might happen), I'll put up a poll.
Some other things I'll mention here. I'm a big supporter of correct mechanics (spelling, punctuation, capitalization). If you see any mistakes in mechanics or grammar in my works, feel free to notify me. I won't get mad, in fact, I'd be glad if someone would help. I want to learn from my mistakes, and it's better if someone else points it out for you.
I'm not review-hungry, so I won't nag you guys for any. But I'd like to voice the opinions I think most authors on this site have: We don't always want reviews saying "Update, please!" or "That was sexy!", etc. Most of us want to know how we did, where we can improve on, and what elements to keep and expand upon. A lot of the authors' goals on this site are to have fun sharing and reading stories. So please, the next time you are moved or impressed enough to write a review, write a little bit more, no matter how short, like: "You have good humor!" It makes a lot of positive difference. :)
Before this review gets any longer, I'll end it. Please check my profile for more info. I might set up a poll in the near future.