Supernova

By Willow Athena

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters, but Rien and this story are definitely mine

Author's note: Many readers have been PMing me about when I'm gonna update, and why its been so long…its ONLY been a month, and like I said – New job, and studies etc, just give me some time to adjust to the work load. When I was on holiday, I used to update at least one chapter every two days, BUT I'm so not on holiday anymore. I will try to update once every two weeks, and sometimes more than one chapter at a time.

Stop worrying guys, I do LOVE this story, above all my other stories…those are more like one-shots anyway. I'm doing them to improve my writing before I get to more awesomeness in this story. I hope the improvement in my writing shows – you be the judge…wrote chapter 17 and both my Final Fantasy stories at the same time at the end of last year, I think it really helped me to make that chapter good.

I hope you like this one.

Chapter 18 – Midnight

Ishida and Jyuushiro ran into the room a few moments later. They were shocked and overjoyed to see her big blue eyes looking back at them. They were both speechless at first, but then Ishida just melted onto her and held her tight. She felt the same, he thought, stealthily trying to ascertain her pulse. They told her about how worried they had been, and the whole situation with Byakuya, and how he had obviously saved her.

She began to cry. It was a deep, intense, echoing cry that rippled through them both. Her tears gushed like a limitless hot spring down her beautiful face. Ishida hypothesised that she must be in some sort of pain, and began to check her vital signs and body for damage. Her heavy limbs still refused to willingly move, to hold him to her, to gain some comfort from his warmth, his affection.

"She's just in shock," Ukitake assured him. Ishida let go, trusting the taichou's judgement.

"I'll call Yoruichi-san and the others," Ishida brightly offered, not realising he would have to pelt through the sudden rain to do it. A weight had been lifted off of his shoulders – his plan had worked! She was alive – and he wasn't the reason she died! Although this was not the only reason for his relief – his guilt about being saved by her because he let his guard down that night. It had become a crushing heavy weight that he bore with great difficulty and silence – self-loathing, self-pity, and any other negative, self-doubting emotion one could imagine, had plagued him since that night. But now he felt lighter, with every breath she took, he felt lighter – more like himself.

"It's going to be ok, Rien." Jyuushiro brushed a tear form her cheek. They were alone now. Her tears slowly turned into silent sobs. He knew she had thought she was dead, in heaven perhaps – he had had similar thoughts after waking up from long bouts of his illness.

"He'll come back," he tried to comfort her, knowing what she wanted to hear, though he wasn't sure how true his words were – he just did not want to watch her cry any longer, and he would have given anything to be able to make her happy again. "Don't worry so much – you don't want to make Yoruichi sad do you?" he smiled warmly at her. Resigned that Byakuya, who didn't even want to play, had won this round. How typical of him, Jyuushiro thought.

He got up to close the open window from the rain, but she grabbed his hand, looking pleadingly into his eyes. He sat back down next to her.

"Jyuu…" she said, before throwing her arms around his neck and resting her head in his long hair.

He felt her enchant his heart, weave her little fingers around his hair and ensnare him forever. He knew he would never leave her now, he could feel it. And, although he realised how she was affecting him, he was powerless to stop it – he didn't want to stop it – he wanted to belong to her forever.

He hugged her back in defeat, breathing the strawberry scent of her hair in.

Though they had known Yoruichi for hundreds of years, none of them had ever seen her cry, but, when she saw Rien sitting up in bed, she began to wail as she flung herself at the girl. Yoruichi, Kisuke, Ishida, Ichigo, and Inoue were all overjoyed that Rien was awake – alive! The elders of the Shihouin Clan were also soon in her room, hugging her and making plans for celebrations and charitable donations to the poor, and prayers to God for sparing her.

Rein could not join in their elation. The harsh reality of the waking world was still settling in on her – her only tie to sanity was Jyuushiro. Even though she saw his discomfort at the breaking of etiquette, and his willingness to 'leave her to celebrate with her family', she would not hear of it, would not let go of his hand. So, Jyuushiro stood there next to the bed, as she held his hand through all the congratulations and half-hugs. Ishida would have been jealous at Ukitake's sudden elevated postion, but he was too busy comforting Inoue's joyful, teary outbursts. Ishida could see Ukitake's unease, but he could not find it in his heart to feel sorry for him.

"Maybe I could come back later and check on you, when all your relatives have worn themselves out," he warmly beamed at Rien.

"Please…Jyuu…shiro," she managed to get out, though it seared her throat to speak. Her voice was still lyrical, but sounded deeper, untuned due to unuse. Looking at her pleading face, and how she was about to open her mouth to explain her reason – he pushed her chin up with his free right hand, stopping her intended, but obviously painful speech.

"Fine, I won't go. But, at least let me get you some hot tea for your throat. Come to think of it, you must be famished – I know for a fact that vitamins fed through an IV doesn't really satisfy any hunger." Ukitake knew everything about being sick, he had been sick all his life, but thanks to Rien somehow, he would never be sick again. He felt immeasurable gratitude to her and immense guilt at the same time. That crushing, suffocating guilt felt different now that she was awake, it felt…wrong.

"I'll get the tea," Ichigo offered.

"No, I'll do it," Yoruichi squabbled. "And, I'll arrange for some dinner for us all – it is my house after all. I don't know about you guys, but I feel like I've barely eaten for a month," she beamed, in her obviously good mood.

"Here?" Rien spoke for the third time, this time with a smile, even though the effort had cost her.

"Of course. I don't see any reason why we can't eat here." Yoruichi smiled through her fatigued-filled face. She understood Rien didn't want to be alone. Some the Elders burning incense and muttering prayers in the room began to protest, Yoruichi silenced them and led them all out.

"Rien!" Renji had shunpo'ed to the middle of the crowded room, a little out of breath. "You're okay…I thought…" he added. "When I smelled you on…I thought he'd – you're okay?"

"Is he okay? Is something wrong with him? Did he send you?" Rien began to cough uncontrollably due to the sharp stabbing pain. She had hoped that Byakuya had sent Renji, that he himself would come soon.

"He doesn't know I'm here. I thought he might have hurt you." Renji eyes were downcast. "He seemed fine – he just looked a little strange." Renji noticed Byakuya's scarf and gloves lying on one of the bed's corners – he could not fathom what that might mean.

Rien had known it since the moment he left, since the moment she had understood why he had kissed her – that he would not be coming back. She did not want to believe it at first, but it was slowly becoming undeniable. She had stopped coughing, but her heart continued to ache. She wanted to scream out from the pain, but she didn't want to alarm anyone, so she held it in and smiled.

"Ooh, Free-loader-san, I see you're here just in time for dinner," Urahara joked as he walked in with a tray of hot tea. Renji blushed a little at the suggestion.

Jyuushiro tried to let go of Rien's hand to pour her some tea, but she would not let him go; her sudden strength surprised him. Kisuke noticed Jyuushiro's defeat. "I hope you can learn to eat with one hand," Kisuke joked while pouring Rien's tea himself.

Everyone sat down for an extremely talkative dinner. Jyuushiro attempted to look nonchalant while he ate, as Rien continued to hold his hand. It was extremely fortunate that he was ambidextrous, he thought. Rien however, was not. Jyuushiro saw her struggle to hold the chopsticks in her left hand and sighed. "Guess my fine motor control hasn't returned yet," she attempted to justify her clumsiness with the utensils.

"You're right handed," Jyuushiro softly stated, with an expression which clearly communicated 'let go of my hand and eat'. Rien recognised his meaning, she knew she was being selfish by holding him hostage. She let go of his hand and sighed, too softly for anyone but him to hear.

Jyuushiro had not expected it – his heart sank as she let go of his hand. Her soft sigh made him feel empty. He watched her pretend to eat, but all she now did was push her food around. Her right hand was still a bit clumsy, but capable enough, however, she looked as though she no longer possessed any enthusiasm for the meal. Jyuushiro was unsure of what to do, he could see her new pain, but there were so many other people in the room. He decided he would just wait until he found a moment alone with her to comfort her.

To Jyuushiro, it felt like an eternity before they all left, but in reality it was just over an hour. As everyone got up to leave and wish her a good night, assuring her that they would be back the next day, Jyuushior also got up to leave, but she did not stop him as he had expected her to. Everyone had left, no one had noticed his still lingering presence. He went up to her and took her hand once more – it felt so cold.

If you really want me to stay, I will. I just thought…that it would probably be better if you tried things on your own." He spoke in his most concerned voice.

"No, you're right. I'm on my own, and its about time I face up to that and stop hurting other people with my weakness." He voice was distant and empty now, but sounded less painful.

"That's not what I meant…" Jyuushiro began, cursing his earlier choice of words.

"I know – but, I can see that being here with me hurts you, and I won't do it anymore." She sounded determined.

"It doesn't hurt me to…"

"You're lying," she confidently stated, cutting his lie off.

"Its just confusing," Jyuushiro corrected, not wanting to get into any more detail than that right now.

"I feel it too Jyuu – it is confusing." She softly sighed turning on her side, away form his concerned expression. "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow," she offered as an out for him to leave, as he had wanted to all night. An affirmative 'Mm' was all he could muster as his reluctant, sluggish steps, led him to the door and away.

Yoruichi found Rien asleep at 8 the next morning, and thought it best to leave her to rest, but at 1pm when she hadn't yet woken, Yoruichi began to worry. The truth was that Rien hadn't slept all night – she had not trusted herself to sleep, not until fatigue claimed her at 6am that morning. Rien had been terrified all night that if she fell asleep, she might wake up in a bed that was not her own – and with him so close now, she could not chance that disastrous outcome.

"Rien? Rien…Rieeeen" Yoruichi called softly, and then began to gently, and then vigorously shake the sleeping girl.

"I'm awake – I'm awake! Stop shaking me!" Although it slipped her notice, she sounded so much better this morning.

"Inoue, Rukia! She's awake now – you can come in," Yoruichi bellowed. They both scampered in. Rukia looked so happy – she began to cry and quickly turned away to wipe her tears.

"Nice to see you too, Rukia-chan," Rien smiled, pushing away the long tendrils of black hair that had been strangling her as she slept. Fatigue had claimed her so stealthily that morning that she hadn't even changed out of her clothes – her unused pyjamas had been neatly hung up by a maid.

"Hai. You look well." Rukia's voice was filled with restrained emotion.

"I know how much you like baths, perhaps a long hot bath would do you good before lunch. Rukia, Inoue, why don't you help her downstairs to the hot springs," Yoruichi suggested. "I'll bring you some new clothes, I've made them especially for you…well, okay, Ishida made them, but I designed them," she beamed excitedly.

Rien slowly stood up out of the bed, and found herself to be surprisingly steady…that was of course until she tried to walk.

"Wow! You look beautiful." Inoue gaped at the long, white silken kimono as Rien stood next to the bed.

"I hadn't noticed it yesterday, but you're right – it is beautiful," Rien noted.

"No, I mean, I don't think anyone could look as beautiful in it as you do." Inoue and Rukia both came close to touch the silk of the kimono.

"Of course not – it was made especially for her, for her birthday yesterday," Yoruichi added off-handedly. Rien had lost all sense of time, had it really been one year since she appeared in Soul Society? Yoruichi knew Rien hated her calling the day her birthday, but Rien also refused to choose a birthday, so Yoruichi felt she had no choice in the matter.

"It has platinum threaded embroidery outlining silver cherry blossom trees. It took 6months to harvest this much of the rare windflower silk, and 3 months of non-stop work to complete the details," Yoruichi boasted as she looked at her beautiful sister standing in the breathtaking kimono.

"It must be expensive," Rukia mused.

"It's priceless – the master tailor wept after he completed it and retired. Rien was supposed to wear it to her coronation ceremony, where she would be inducted as a princess of the Shihouin Clan…but, since we weren't sure if she was going to make it, I wanted her to at least wear it yesterday." Yoruichi's eyes began to tear, but she held her tears back. "Don't be too long, you have lots of visitors waiting to see you. Don't worry, I'll be subjected to them as well."

As Rien took her first step forward, she stumbled, but Rukia and Inoue caught her. "Lack of use I guess!" she smiled. "Just don't go telling Byakuya or Ishida about this," she smiled to them both, though it seared her heart to say his name.

The walking got easier as Inoue and Rukia helped her to the hot springs and she worked her unused muscles. As Rukia helped her get out of her delicate kimono, she noticed a familiar smell to the kimono, but she pushed the thought away. Both Rukia and Inoue heard about the gravity of the wound, but were surprised to find no scars, and no hair on Rien's entire body. Must be why she so cold all the time, Rukia thought. No insulation.

The hot springs was very soothing, and Rein emerged feeling much, much better than when she had gotten in. Yoruichi stood, holding Rien's new clothes and smiling broadly. "It's an all-purpose training outfit," she boasted. Rien put the long sleeved, cleavage bearing, black dress on, zipped it up as far as possible – which was just below her C-cup breasts. It made her look over to Inoue's large voluptuous breasts and wish hers were as big.

"We're lucky there's no scar," Yoruichi smiled, pulling Rien out of her momentary envy. Since Yoruichi knew Rien hated wearing clothes as much as she did, she had designed the dress to zip from below her breasts down to her hips in a v-like shape, but the dress was unsecured down the middle and also had slits down front, sides and the back. A cool wind blew the light fabric of the dress, and the parting breeze exposed her long bare legs beneath.

"I know we both don't like wearing clothes, but this is ridiculous." Rien could not guess why Yoruichi thought she would be able to wear this dress in public.

"You can wear it with these tights, if you really want to. Come put your socks on quickly." Yoruichi shoved a pair of durable, smooth matt-red tights and calf high semi-heeled black boots. The red tights matched the blood-red lining of the dress, visible only when the wind blew. The boots were comfortable, and not too high to walk in; but, Rien was still concerned with the propriety of the cleavage.

"I can see how well suited this outfit might be for training , but…" Rien flexibly, and without constriction from the dress, extended her leg into the air.

"Here." Yoruichi thrust a long, heavy looking red coat in her direction. "Ishida thought you might object, so he made you a red coat to go on top…He said you'd be cold anyway." She coughed, "And Kisuke got you these black fingerless gloves – he said they were special, but that you'd figure it out." The gloves were as soft as silk, but seemed more sturdy, they went half-way between her hand and her elbow, and only had a back part of the hand, ending in a 'V' with a finger loop. Rein placed the loops over her third fingers and carefully pulled her sleeves of her dress back over the length of the gloves. She noticed that they felt secure, but could feel nothing special beyond that.

The red coat also had a plunging neckline, and only slightly covered more of her cleavage. Though her black dress was layered with slits, it was light, but this coat had a heavier feeling – obviously not to be used when training. The embroidery on the coat was of traditional silver cherry blossoms, as well as black hell-butterflies on the blood-red of the silky fabric. The coat's press-studs buttoned form her hips to just below her breasts, exposing the beauty of the dress below it. "You're lucky Inoue, Ishida is a very talented man." Inoue pretended she didn't understand Rien's words, but could not stop her body from blushing.

"Its beautiful. Thank you," she said to them all. Rien felt overwhelmed by its beauty, as though it symbolised how much they cared about her. Gifts were an odd thing to receive, and she hadn't yet gotten used to it.

It was an almost endless day of nameless, faceless, visitors for Rien. Although, she had hoped that she could have dodged one group of over enthusiastic visitors in particular. Some of the Kuchiki Clan's Elders came to pay their respects to her and the Shihouin clan, and invite them, and her in particular, to a dinner at the Kuchiki estate on Friday.

"It will be a celebration in Shihouin Rien's honour. It would honour the Kuchiki House if you would attend," and old man had said to her, though she obviously had no authority to accept or reject the offer.

"It would be our pleasure to attend this celebration at the Kuchiki estate on Friday," one of the Shihouin elders had answered on behalf of Rien. Rien had by this time in the day, established that this was the protocol, and that she really had no say in any of the matters addressed to her – she was a Shihouin princess, and not the head of the family like Yoruichi was. Rien's opinion meant little if anything in these noble struggles.

The tension between the Kuchiki Elders and the Shihouin Elders was substantial enough to cut with a zanpakuto. After the Kuchiki Elders' departure, it became apparent to Rien that these two noble houses had been at war for dominance for centuries, and that Byakuya stabbing her through the heart, was just an excuse in a long line of excuses to ignite the rivalry between the two noble houses. Although the Kuchiki Clan, at the moment, seemed more powerful, the Shihouin Clan's control of the military and a division of the Gotei 13, would be a threat to that status quo if war broke out between the two clans.

Without any tutoring, Rien immediately grasped the importance of the dinner four days away. She knew she would have to attempt to quell this destructive tide. But, after the long day, all Rien could think of was lying alone in her room, silently, until morning when she knew she would trust herself to fall asleep.

She had to get her sluggish muscles back into working shape again. It had been three days of training in the afternoons, and staying up all night. This night was no different. Her lunchtimes had become filled with the bureaucracy of nobility – where she was required to sit-in on Clan meetings, in which she would not be allowed to express an opinion, even if she had one – which she didn't, not about that anyway. She usually spent these times trying to not to think of the impending dinner and his undoubted presence at it. She also attempted not to think of how close to her room he would venture every night, on what Yoruichi called 'his infamous midnight strolls'. It was such a distraction to feel his reiatsu move near her at night – as though she wasn't having a difficult enough time falling asleep. She tried not to think of him at all, and in so doing, thought about him constantly.

Tonight she would wait for him.

It couldn't be helped, she told herself. He needed his scarf and gloves back before tomorrow. She was surprised he hadn't sent someone to collect them, and wondered at the sight he cast without his trademark items. Had anyone noticed, or said anything to him? Doubtful. No one ever questions his actions, regardless of how strange or divergent they may seem. But how could he possibly explain leaving them with her? He had probably thought it better to lose the items than have to admit to someone that he had forgotten them, and why.

Rein waited for his reiatsu to get close, anxiety building in her, heart racing with his approach, with her anticipation. She vowed to herself that it meant nothing, that she was just returning his things – that's how he would see it, right? She was tired of reading more into innocent things – a gaze that did not meet hers, a touch that was meaningless to him, a need to not let her die. That was all the kiss was – it was just him being human, compassionate – not the affection she had mistakenly read into their kiss. She was mistaken about him, she had tried to ram the thought into her head – but somehow, she could not bring herself to believe it.

When she felt him near, she ventured out, she knew where he would stop. He hadn't noticed her approach - and then, she was beside him. Though she knew he was surprised, he did not betray it. She stayed a safe arms length away from him, afraid that she would give in to her foolish desires and touch him. She drank the sight of him in – plainly dressed, in just the basic shinigami uniform, hair lacking the kenseikan, looking as disinterested and as beautiful as ever in the pale moonlight.

Though the night was still, she felt so cold standing next to him. She should have worn her red coat, she thought regretfully – not that it would have helped this type of cold. She could hardly force herself to breathe, to inhale enough air to speak.

She held out her hand with the gift bag – it was a pale blue with a butterfly print on it. He did not look at her, and continued his downcast stare into the mirror-like surface of the water-lily strewn pond. She knew he had seen the gesture. She let the bag drop. He caught it without turning, a mere reflex for him – a reflex he hadn't been able to stop at the time, or was it his curiosity that had gotten the better of him. He held the bag at his side, inwardly aching to peer inside at her gift, but resisting this temptation that would reveal more than he was willing to.

"It's your gloves and scarf – I thought you'd want them back." He couldn't have cared less about the items, though the scarf was admittedly a family heirloom. He wished she hadn't come, hadn't bothered him, hadn't worn that excessively distracting dress. There was no scar, he noticed with a peripheral glance, and would of blushed if he allowed himself to linger, but he had more control than that. She sounded different to him, thoughtful perhaps.

It was an odd meeting, he thought, she had been strangely silent. Byakuya had expected at least two declarations of love by now – he had thought her foolish enough to attempt this. But, she had barely looked at him, barely played her lyrical melody for him. He wanted to leave, but a part of him struggled to stay. Conflict raged within him as he stood, stealthily studying her reflection in the still pond.

"Thank you…for everything." She tried to be noble, to keep her traitor emotions out of her voice, but some had escaped. "I'm grateful for all you've done. If you should ever need anything…"Byakuya turned to look at her, as if he wanted to say something – but then he thought better of it, she guessed. "The kiss will be our secret, if that's what you want. I promise I won't tell anyone the truth." Rien let out a sigh.

And what exactly is 'the truth', Byakuya's expression read volumes.

"That you care," she whispered it on the smallest of winds as she turned. "Goodnight, Kuchiki-taichou." Her tone had changed completely in these words, became distant, as she walked away form him. He didn't know what to make of it, this change in her – had she finally adhered to his advice and given up on loving him? He didn't know how to feel about this, it was what he had wanted, he should have felt satisfied, happy even, but, all he felt was…nothing. He could feel nothing…Nothing but that kiss that haunted him.

Author's Note:

I hope everyone liked it. I'm not sure if I'm happy with this chapter, that's why I've been withholding it, but I decided to just let it go, and you can be the judge.

The next chapter…the one I have really been slaving away at, is called Noble, and its about the dinner at the Kuchiki estate. I know everyone will love that one, and I hope this chapter was not too slow, but it had to be done. That chapter should be up in two weeks, at the latest: 1) 'cause it's my mom's birthday this week…and those celebrations will be consuming my attention this weekend and; 2) because the next chapter is really long and I want to get everything just right.

I hope this chapter tides my wonderful reviewers over 'til the next one. Please R&R

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