Pre-Note

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. This is for creative purposes. I do own this plot.

There are Images for this Chapter.

Warning: Do not take the cheesiness of this as it. It begins to make sense around Chapter 14 and onwards.

Reminder: Mature-rating. Mystery-themed. Light sexual content. Crucial to remain attentive to detail. This is for Rukia and her relationships.

First Encounter

They froze. Motionless and muted, they stood.

Wind whispered in the air, breathing and caressing their cheeks with a crimson memory. A surge of cold air slithered through their spines before dividing to the other parts of their numbed bodies.

Their lungs clenched—suffocating silently as the effects of the disappeared reiatsu tortured them.

"H-How?" Rukia questioned in perplexity she stared at the emptiness ahead of her.

Blackness engulfed them as the torches of fire barely constructed a flame. The aftermath of his reiatsu was more than strong or dominant, it was not the kind that was left by a mere Captain of the Gotei 13.

This was deadly, chilling, and exotically poisonous. She felt her lungs gasp for air as she stared breathlessly into the dark.

"I don't know..." Rangiku replied as she stared at the vacant path before her.

A layer of scintillating ice that resembled her eyes mantled each and every object ahead of her. It was the only thing that could be seen in the absence of his murderous reiatsu. Any trace of the ryoka's reiatsu seemed absolutely unattainable in their position. His strength was too overwhelming—something that couldn't be described, only felt.

"The aftermath of his power...it's so strong. I don't understand how he could even possess such an immortal force." Rukia said as her hand left the hilt of Sode No Shirayuki.

The traces of his reiatsu had faded quicker than the suffocation of her own lungs. And strangely, she was glad. Her body no longer felt weighted with pressure, instead it felt as light as a feather that soared through the sky. As for Rangiku, the abnormal frailty that had seemed to crush her bones had replaced itself with the—strength that her body had always possessed triggering a sigh of relief from both women.

"We should report this to my Captain and the others immediately. They need to know that his reiatsu from a distance alone is enough to immobilize them." Rangiku said, signaling a jigokuchō.

"Send a message to the 6th Division as well, it's faint but I can definitely feel his presence traveling north-east." Rukia added before the jigokuchō flew away—off to transfer the message she and Rangiku had conducted to all the divisions, specifically the 6th in terms of Rukia's suspicion.

Lieutenant Abarai walked several steps behind his Captain as the rest of the division followed. He tried carefully not to slip on the ice beneath him to avoid any type of embarrassment in front of his Captain.

His skin was numb—bitter and surfaced with goosebumps running up his neck and arms. He was freezing—possibly dying and yet, he couldn't utter a single word under his Captain's watch.

The red-haired Lieutenant stared deep-in-thought at the icy ground, thinking of none other than his childhood friend who was somehow associated with the ryoka.

Tracing his memories, he never once met someone by the name Shiegeari Jushirmai in the Shin'ō Academy. And if he had, he would've remembered. Most importantly, if Rukia had, wouldn't he know? It was blatantly obvious that their friendship was beyond the classification of what human's called 'best friends'. They were family—and theoretically lovers in his mind. And if he was honest with himself, Rukia was the only woman he ever cared for. As kids, he knew the chance of his feelings being requited were positively high. But after her adoption, he knew he had made the biggest mistake of his life by letting her go. And now he stood as her friend—best friend, but even with that position he yearned for more as he always had.

The only question was, would he ever get it?

"Renji." Byakuya's voice called as he took notice of his Lieutenant's posture and distant face.

"Renji." He repeated again with a hint of annoyance in his raspy voice. He stopped walking, his body was now turned to his Lieutenant who seemed too lost in his own world to notice the division had stopped.

"Renji." He repeated for the final time as he waited for a reply.

"Lieutenant Abarai, Captain Kuchiki's calling you." A member from the 6th Division said that caught his attention. He instantly looked up at his Captain, taking notice that everyone had stopped.

"Yes, Captain?" Renji replied.

"Do not get distracted by your thoughts, you must prepare yourself for anything." Captain Kuchiki advised before turning around.

"Right, sorry Captain." Renji apologized.

Suddenly, a jigokuchō was spotted flying wildly in the sky—struggling to suppress the cold air that challenged its strength. Captain Kuchiki extended his index finger for the butterfly to gently land on his skin. He silently listened to the message the insect had transferred before voicing a message that was inaudible for Renji to hear. The jigokuchō listened patiently before flying away, leaving Lieutenant Abarai and the 6th Division clueless.

Byakuya's back remained turned to Renji and his division as he spoke. "Lieutenant Matsumoto wanted to inform us that the ryoka's reiatsu can cause immobilization within a far distance."

"Is that all?" Renji questioned as he stared at the back of his Captain.

Byakuya had voiced a reply—which was highly unusual since Lieutenant Matsumoto was not necessarily on Captain Kuchiki's bad or good side nor did she hold any significance to him. Byakuya paused. He mentally contemplated whether he should alert his Lieutenant that his sister sensed the reiatsu in their direction or leave the responsibility to Lieutenant Matsumoto. With such little time, he spoke the truth.

"Rukia sensed the presence of the ryoka's reiatsu heading in this direction. Along with Lieutenant Matsumoto, she wanted us to take caution since his reiatsu can immobilize our body." Byakuya said causing a certain spark to shine in his Lieutenant's eyes.

So, she was worried about me.

"Oh—is she—you know, alright?" Renji asked unsure on what to say in his response.

Byakuya slightly turned his head so he could view his Lieutenant from the corner of his right eye. "Rukia is fine. She simply wanted to inform us to be careful—that is all."

The Captain looked forward and began to walk, evaluating the new information delivered by Lieutenant Matsumoto and Rukia along with a silent death threat upon his red-haired Lieutenant. He had immediately voiced a message in return to Rukia, fully aware that she was without a barrier-type blanket and was left alone with the unfavorable Lieutenant Matsumoto.

His message was something along the lines of safety and precaution.

He knew she could survive in this climate–it was a part of her very soul—Sode No Shirayuki, an ice and snow zanpakutō—however, precaution was necessary.

The ryoka was already proven to produce unusual ice that could not simply be challenged with its weakness, fire. He feared that depending on her reiatsu alone would lead to catastrophe if the cold climate was somehow able to slip past it. Not to mention, the ryoka's reiatsu was proven to be beyond the Captains of the Gotei 13.

Based on her interaction with his reiatsu, it seemed that her capabilities of ice were limited in comparison to the ryoka's. Byakuya took note of everything—his concern for her could not be ignored, but it could be hidden as he wished.

"T-Tōshirō?" The meek voice of Lieutenant Hinamori Momo called in the cold room that was illuminated by an electric blue light from the glass window.

Her white barrier-type blanket warmed her petite frame as she peaked through the door. Captain Hitsugaya had his back faced to her, staring at what seemed like his inner world. Hearing the sound of his childhood friend summoned his turquoise eyes and a look of concern.

"Momo, you shouldn't be here—Hirako told you to stay with the 5th Division." Captain Hitsugaya said as he took a glance at her appearance.

She's cold, Captain Hitsugaya acknowledged as she walked into the room. The blanket protected her arms and upper body from the cold, but was hardly any aid to her legs or her frosted face.

"Why are you here, Tōshirō?" She asked, causing a small wave of surprise to gleam in his eyes.

He immediately looked away causing the Lieutenant to step forward in an attempt to receive a realistic answer. Her voice sounded frail, but her eyes were challenging. That simple feature of challenge and recovery made Tōshirō's heart feel weighted with guilt to not respond truthfully. He turned around—unable to face her.

"That's not important. Staying close to me is only going to make you colder, you should return to your division." Tōshirō said. He kept his eyes on the scene in front of him, unable to meet her eyes that bore into his back.

"But, Tōshirō—"

"Please, return...I—I don't want to talk about it right now, that's all." His tone got softer towards the end of his reply.

In the end, she had surrendered to his wishes just as he had surrendered to her voice. She looked at him longingly as he continued to stare at the Seireitei before him.

"The 11th Division...they have confirmed that the ryoka is Shiegeari Jushirmai." Momo said, filling the silence softly.

She didn't want to leave, but in respect to his wishes she knew her departure was necessary. She didn't know if saying the recent news was a proper farewell, but she wanted a response from him—one that was truthful enough for her to leave in peace.

"I know, Hisagi informed me before he left with his division." Tōshirō responded.

"O—Oh, aren't you going to join Rangiku-san?" Momo asked in an attempt to continue their conversation.

"She'll be fine, Kuchiki and the 13th Division are with her along with mine." Captain Hitsugaya said as the moon mirrored itself in his eyes. "And...I'm afraid I am of no use to them as of right now."

Momo stared at him as she tried to voice a response to his confession. Unfortunately, nothing came out so she prepared herself to say goodbye instead of going on any further.

"Return to your division and keep warm, Hinamori." Captain Hitsugaya said.

She exited the room.

Lost in his inner world, the Captain glanced at the hilt of his zanpakutō, Hyōrinmaru.

The strongest ice and snow zanpakutō before Captain Hitsugaya's.

The words of his fellow ice and snow zanpakutō user repeated themselves in his mind.

Immersing himself into his zanpakutō's inner world was proving to be quite difficult. He called for his zanpakutō's name yet he was not transferred into the world he once saw in his dreams.

He was confused.

In need of the assistance of the manifested form of Hyōrinmaru but was left in disorientation. He wanted to connect with his zanpakutō, enter his inner world to ask the lingering questions that remained in his mind. But unfortunately at this time, his mind was too troubled to enter his internal realm—it was useless to even try.

"I see. Shiegeari Jushirmai isn't going to go down without a proper fight. I don't know what his motive for doing this is, but I'm glad you both returned unharmed." Captain Ukitake said as he sat on his office chair. The Captain stared at the outdated report as the image of the ryoka remained blurred in his mind.

"His reiatsu...I just can't explain it. It's—poisonous. Every time I'm near it I feel like someone's suffocating me, as if my lungs aren't...there. Do you think it's possible for the ryoka to have another source of power? His reiatsu is clearly beyond the power of an average soul reaper." Rukia said as her arms crossed.

"I don't know, but there's definitely something abnormal about it. That feeling of emptiness and frailty is just...strange. Not even a hollow feels so frightening." Rangiku said as her powder blue orbs met Rukia's and relocated to the green irises of the 13th Division's Captain.

"I agree. His reiatsu is far too strange to belong to a soul reaper. For that reason, I am calling our division back. It's too dangerous to risk our division alone, even if it is conjoined. Captain Hitsugaya may have other things planned for your division, Lieutenant Matsumoto. You should return to him." Captain Ukitake ordered as he put the papers down.

"Right." Lieutenant Matsumoto said before leaving the room.

"I'll go tell them." Lieutenant Kuchiki said, preparing herself to alert the division that they were retreating until further notice. With her back turned, she walked to the door before being stopped by the voice of her Captain.

"Rukia, you should return to the Kuchiki Manor until further notice as well. You are the only person who appears to be associated with this soul reaper. I don't want to risk you too if you are somehow involved with this." Captain Ukitake spoke in concern as the voice of Captain Kuchiki replayed itself in his head.

To protect his beloved.

Who was that beloved he spoke of? And why was Rukia's name involved? Rukia nodded her head and left.

She casually strolled down the hall before making a right turn to see her division.

"We are retreating until further notice." She said, causing a wave of relief to wash over the faces of the division. They all appeared content that they weren't going to expose themselves to the cold air again, but the warrior instinct in their hearts told them it was wrong.

"The ryoka's reiatsu has proven itself to be beyond the Captains of the Gotei 13, we should all rest and stay alert until further instructions are provided." Lieutenant Kuchiki said in preparation for her departure.

"Where will you be staying, Lieutenant?" A member of the 13th Division questioned as her body was slightly turned to the opposite way.

"The Kuchiki Manor." Rukia simply said before flashing a small smile and departing in the opposite direction.

Stepping outside, her feet easily slipped on the icy path—causing her to flush in embarrassment as she looked to see if anyone had noticed. Her barracks remained evacuated on the outside, with the blaring noises of her subordinates on the inside. Thankfully, no one was outside to notice her lost balance.

Turning her attention to the left, she headed towards the crystal path that lead to the direction of her home—ignoring the reiatsu that was expanding in the air.

That miniature feeling of suffocation slightly troubled her as she tried to walk—mentally choking her and physically bruising her throat. Her breathing was hastily slowing down, leaving her to pant for air, even if her body was moving in a slow pace.

She was alone—an easy target who could not counter her opponent's ice because of her own ice capabilities. The clash of Ice vs. Ice wouldn't work as well since her capabilities were based on the alteration of her own body and were unfortunately the same.

Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Kuchiki were of no use to the Gotei 13 as of right now. Captain Hitsugaya had acknowledged it but Lieutenant Kuchiki refused to back down. They were equally mourning the fact that they were burdening the Gotei 13. And neither one could afford to be tested of their icy soul.

As she walked, a beautiful black creature soared in the sky—suppressing the forceful wind and landing on her index finger. Byakuya had voiced a message—advising her to stay cautious and return to the manor, with a promise of returning to join her.

She didn't bother replying. Surely Byakuya would be aware of her answer. The butterfly employed its wings before flying off. Leaving her to stare at the Scandinavian blue sky, tinged with a hint of violet and grey.

She flash stepped to an area closer to the manor—near a region where the wilderness' presence was everywhere. A series of flowers decorated the lush green land—tsubaki, sumire, and asagao flowers coloured the land, but were visibly facing their death with icicles forming from the trees.

The scent was refreshing—natural and pleasant but was nothing in comparison to the cherry blossom trees that grew in the Kuchiki gardens.

Now that she was in open air, the wind was stronger—capable of pushing her petite figure down a mountain with its challenging force.

She tried to balance her body as she made her way down a miniature hill—oblivious to the fact that everything in the wilderness was turning into ice with a hint of blue.

The tsubaki flowers she had spotted before were nothing more than ice—glistening with a speck of blue. The green grass beneath her was nothing more than ice along with the bark of the trees and the flowers behind her.

Rukia was visibly urging herself to get home, she had decided on this distant path to separate herself from the others who were still searching for the ryoka. Her desire to reach home, lead to her oblivious state, which unfortunately would lead her to never returning as the same person she walked as today.

Suddenly, a tree branch snapped after being enclosed with ice, grabbing her attention and instantly alerting her right arm to touch the hilt of Sode No Shirayuki.

"Who's there?"

"Captain." Renji's voice said in a stern and warning tone as the reiatsu Rukia had spoken of, appeared.

His hand touched the hilt of Zabimaru, preparing himself for anything as the Captain had ordered. His division followed, observing their atmosphere carefully as the feeling of suffocation engulfed them.

Byakuya's grey eyes observed silently. His hand refused to touch the hilt of his sword as he searched for the figure of the man. His division crumbled to their knees, breathing heavily at the loss of air. Fighting for oxygen.

Byakuya suppressed the feeling with his reiatsu that challenged his strength—forcefully trying to slip into the air that he breathed and somehow close off his oxygen circulation.

His reiatsu was here—but his body wasn't. The Captain took note of that as the presence of Shiegeari Jushirmai grew even more murderous at Byakuya's release of his reiatsu. Truly it was challenging, the ryoka's reiatsu was dominant enough to obliterate a division and disperse its presence around the Seireitei. But Byakuya's was nothing more than a Captain level reiatsu—pure and strong, but unable to defeat such a large amount.

Lieutenant Abarai stared in confusion at his Captain's sudden retreat and instantly questioned it.

"Captain?" Renji called as he breathed heavily, causing the Captain to stop.

"He is not here, that was simply just the presence of his reiatsu. His body is somewhere else, therefore we are not needed here." The Captain casually responded before walking away. Renji arched his right eyebrow at his Captain as he continued to walk.

Did the Captain...just retreat from battle?

"Right." Renji said. "Let's get out of here." He gestured at his division as he began to walk.

Zabimaru was released—casually resting over his left shoulder with his hand resting on the hilt. The suffocation was present like a lump in his throat—clenching his lungs and slowing down his oxygen circulation.

But to Renji, it strangely felt like nothing. But as he walked, he couldn't help but feel something different...something very strange, and it wasn't coming from the reiatsu surrounding him. The red-haired Lieutenant felt as if something was missing. A presence, or preferably presences—but who?

He turned around to view his division as he tried to shift the outrageous thought away. The usual chatter or heavy breathing of his subordinates seemed almost nonexistent since the division retreated from fighting the reiatsu of the ryoka.

In an attempt to see if they were, jokingly, alive, he turned around—only to come face to face with an unexpected view—his division was completely...gone.

It took a few breaths and a few glances for the perception to register in his brain. But even registered, he still didn't understand what laid in front of him. He stared at the empty space before his eyes locked with an ocean of faded blue bodies—scattered and pleading for oxygen as deoxygenated blood coursed through their bodies.

Their eyes were wide open—shocked and dilated. Frost was visible at the tips of their fingers as slender lines went into their skin. Their skin was translucent—blue lines were visibly slithering all over their skin.

"C-Captain!" Renji yelled before unleashing his zanpakutō. "Now roar, Zabimaru!"

His zanpakutō sliced the remaining lines that were left outside the pool of his division's bodies. However, it served no real aid to his subordinates as they gasped for air. Captain Kuchiki's grey irises slightly widened at the perception, but his expression was quick to hide as his hand finally touched the hilt of Senbonzakura.

He analyzed his atmosphere, closing his mind and immersing himself into silence so he could concentrate. Shiegeari Jushirmai's reiatsu was lingering everywhere. There wasn't an inch of the Seireitei that wasn't already covered with his ice and chilling presence.

His physical body was intently hiding—waiting for the perfect moment to unveil his physical form, much to Byakuya's irritation. An image of the Seireitei appeared in his mind as he tried to concentrate on the ryoka's physical form. All the locations of the divisions displayed itself like a map in his mind—displaying the outline of Captains, Lieutenants, and 3rd seats that were leading their respective divisions. His eyebrows furrowed as he searched for a physical body—some type of figure that didn't belong.

The 10th Division were on their way back to their barracks, the 11th Division were being medically treated in the 4th Division's barracks, the 12th Division were in the Research and Development Institute, and the 13th Division were back in their barracks. Nothing appeared too strange for Byakuya to flash-step his way to a specific location. Every thing appeared ordinary—the divisions, Captains, Lieutenants, and 3rd seats were all the same, but it also felt different.

A memory suddenly flashed itself in his mind, replaying the night he met Shiegeari Jushirmai.

Flashback

Several weeks had gone by since he made a promise to his late wife, Hisana.

The search for her sister—who he had recently discovered was named Rukia—continued. According to the villagers, there was no one remotely similar to the features of Hisana that lived in the Rukongai District.

Fortunately, he had gotten a name however, she was nowhere to be found—lost, or possibly dead from starvation. He only wished to stay true to his promise and adopt her as his sister if she was alive.

He was growing impatient, but he wasn't ready to come to the conclusion that she was dead. He would search for eternity if he had too, to honor his wife's final wish.

Heading across a bridge, he entered a path into the forest—that was usually dark but tonight, was illuminated by a bright light. He decided to investigate, allowing his curiosity to get the better of him.

As he got closer to the speck of light, he realized that it was fire—burning brightly on pieces of wood. He immediately lost interest in going any further, but continued anyways.

He could hear the fire crackling against the wood as his body got closer to the area. And soon, he could see the perception quite clearly. The fire was placed in the middle of a medium-sized circular space, with a large log in front of it and a boy occupying the seat.

He appeared to be talking to someone, or possibly, something. Byakuya couldn't sense the presence of any other being but him—strange, but he could care less. He turned his grey eyes away from the perception and continued to walk—trying to block out the boy's voice as he moved. It was proving to be rather difficult, especially since they were close in range.

"I promise, I will train long and hard to do so. I promise, I will stop at nothing to achieve all that I have planned. I promise, I will fight—take any pain or wound the universe has to offer. I promise, I will surrender my own soul to burn in Hell if she is ever in danger. But to do so, you must become my sword—fight with me, allow me to show you true power, become apart of my soul. You will not regret a single thing once we are conjoined."

Byakuya listened attentively as the image of the boy became clear. He was a student—from the Shin'ō Academy. Thick ink tresses framed his face and were illuminated by the moonlight, the standard uniform covered his figure along with a strange tattoo chiseled on his right wrist, and rich indigo eyes molded into electrifying blue whenever he gazed at the full moon.

A zanpakutō was held in his left hand, he stared at it intensely as the rusty katana stood straight.

"You are an ice-and-snow zanpakutō—powerful but in need of more. If I become your wielder I can offer you something much more greater to increase your abilities. Together, we will fight to protect her, to avenge the death of others, and to build our empire."

The boy clutched the sword tightly, visibly allowing his veins to pop on his right wrist. Byakuya mentally questioned everything the boy had said. Thinking he was nothing more than a foolish being who visibly could not understand the way a zanpakutō worked. He was more delusional than he was determined.

"We will fight to protect her—I will fight to protect her. But in order to do so, I need you to lend me your strength. I promise, in return, I will offer you anything you wish. But...I need her. We've been in the academy for almost two months now, and I promise you I will talk to her and we will run."

His voice was gradually growing quieter as Byakuya walked further away. He didn't want to listen to the boy's foolish motive or his desperation. It was saddening that he would resort to 'begging' for strength instead of attaining it. One last step and his voice would become completely inaudible to Byakuya's ears. He urged for the atmosphere of peace as he prepared himself to enter an intersection at the end of the path.

"And no one will be able to stop us because Rukia belongs to me."

Byakuya froze.

His movement, his breathing, and his heart all stopped at once as the name registered itself in his head.

That name...Rukia. That was the name of Hisana's sister.

That was the name told by the orphanage in the Rukongai District.

She was here...and alive.

At the academy.

Byakuya immediately turned around to intake a detailed description of the boy before he prepared himself to leave.

His hair—black and left down with thick strands framing his face. His eyes—rich indigo framed with thick lashes with the ability to alter at the sight of the moon. His skin—snow-like and clear, with the exception of a tattoo sculpted on his right wrist and blue veins. A red string—encircled above his tattoo—stacked in four before being knotted at the top.

She was here.

And she was alive.

Those were all the words he needed to hear before flash-stepping away.

Flashback End

Suddenly, Byakuya released the hilt of Senbonzakura as he came to the grim realization of what the ryoka truly wanted. The memories he had temporarily lost were finally coming back—the woods, the stolen zanpakutō, the execution date, his disappearance...they were all coming back and every motive had to do with the same person. Rukia.

"Take them to the 4th Division barracks and do not leave until you are instructed to do." Byakuya said with a serious tone—a tone even Renji, grudgingly, feared.

"Yes, Captain." Renji said as he picked up a member of his division from the ground. Before Renji could say anything else, Captain Kuchiki disappeared.

It was evident that the speed of Renji's words alone would never be able to outrun the Captain—especially if flash-step was involved.

"Who's there?" She voiced again as her hand tightly clutched the hilt of Sode No Shirayuki.

Her plum eyes glimmered in the moonlight as she analyzed her atmosphere. Everything she had seen while walking were nothing more than ice. And suddenly, she felt as if she had immersed herself into her inner world—searching for the manifested form of her zanpakutō as icicles grew. Ice leaves danced in the air as the wind breathed on her supple skin.

She took slow, but deep breaths as the same forceful reiatsu challenged her lungs. But something was different about his reiatsu—it wasn't being released at its full extent. It was almost like he was suppressing it—just for her—allowing her to breathe without feeling suffocated.

The grass crumbled behind her—telling her his physical body was here. His distance was far, but the sound of the grass shattering beneath his feet told her he was coming. She took short breaths as she prepared herself to turn around—hand still clutched around the hilt of her zanpakutō.

The sound of his footsteps had stopped. It told her he was waiting for her to turn around and that's exactly what she did.

Her cold pale skin matched his snow-like skin that looked numb, but unbothered as the wind's breath contacted it. The moon above them, illuminated both their figures as the strands that framed both of their faces blew.

This was Shiegeari Jushirmai—the ryoka that somehow knew her. She scanned his face, calling upon every memory she had but she could not remember him.

She stared at his figure, taking note of his clothing just as he was doing to her.

"Who are you?" Rukia voiced, valiantly—scanning the figure of the man, Shiegeari Jushirmai.

The ryoka smirked.

He made sure to choose his words carefully as he prepared himself to voice a reply.

"You haven't changed at all." He said as he took a few steps closer so they were in an audible range.

"I asked, who are you?" Rukia repeated as fury built itself in her eyes.

"Weren't you the one to discover the name of the ryoka that was covering the Seireitei with ice? You know my name, Rukia. So say it." He urged with his tone getting serious towards the end.

"And why should I?"

"Because you want to hear it out loud." He answered.

"Answer the question! Who are you? And how do you know my name?" She questioned.

His voice was smooth and raspy—deep and casual. It was the type of voice people feared the most because of how dangerously calm it sounded. It reminded her of something that she was not ready to admit too.

"I know your name because you are exactly the person I've been looking for."

His response caught her off guard. But she was quick to regain her stance. "And why would you be looking for me?"

"Reasons, Rukia. Reasons."

"What reasons?"

"Patience is a virtue."

"You seem to have no intention of fighting me, yet you claim you've been searching for me. What exactly can I offer you?" She asked in turmoil as goosebumps layered her skin. Her question remained. What could she possibly offer him?

"It's not about what you can offer to me but what I can offer to you." Jushirmai said, causing Rukia to arch one of her eyebrows.

"And what exactly do you have to offer?" She said bitterly.

And in response, she was given silence.

All he did was stare at her. Stare, with those beautiful indigo eyes. His face was so neutral, but his eyes said more than a thousand words. He allowed his eyes to rake her figure as she stood—as a soul reaper.

"You've been hiding." He stated seriously before he allowed his gaze to intensify.

"What are you talking about?" She replied as she uncomfortably looked down at her body, following his stripping stare, before looking up. There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice. She could hear it and so could he. But she refused to give in to his dilated eyes. After all, she wasn't guilty for anything.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Rukia. There's no reason for you to deny it." Jushirmai said as frustration slowly built itself in his mind.

"And what could you possibly know about me?" She questioned the man, avoiding the statement he had voiced before.

He was silent. Again. Torturing her with his silence before his eyes spoke the words he didn't want to say.

His eyes darkened. Not by a shade or colour—it was just black. His aura was almost possessive—threatening, as those same dark eyes glared.

She didn't like them.

"Everything." He replied, causing her body to flinch in response. "You're Kuchiki Rukia, Lieutenant of the 13th Division and adoptive sister of the Head of the Kuchiki Clan and Captain of the 6th Division, Kuchiki Byakuya. Initially, you were from the 78th District of the Rukongai before you entered the Shin'ō Academy and were adopted into the Kuchiki clan."

She was silent and it only encouraged him to say more.

"You died in the World of the Living and was sent to the 78th District of Rukongai with your sister, Kuchiki Hisana—who then abandoned you and later on, died. You spent your early childhood years alone before meeting the Lieutenant of the 6th Division, Abarai Renji and his friends. You then became a family with them and lived with each other for ten years before you and Abarai Renji entered the Shin'ō Academy. But isn't that the past you've been fooling yourself that only exists?"

"How do you know so much about me?" She retorted to his short biography of her life.

"How, you ask? If only you could remember." He hissed.

"Remember what? Tell me, why can't no one from the Gotei 13 remember your face? What did you do to our memories?" Rukia questioned as she mentally reminded herself about Captain Ukitake's and Byakuya's altered memories.

"I've done nothing to your memories or there's." Her ability to not remember him was her own fault and partly his. He would never resort to something as simplistic as altering people's memories.

"Then why can't we remember?" Rukia asked.

"Because I've simply never been there." He whispered, with his strong and threatening demeanor remaining. His shoulders lowered slightly as he saw her lips part.

"Shiegeari Jushirmai—a former soul reaper who was convicted for the theft of a Captain's zanpakutō." She stated, causing a wave of surprise to flash in his eyes. "You were sentenced to death, 47 years ago, but were never executed due to fact that you had disappeared."

He scanned her thoroughly, realizing that explaining his full history would be a necessity. The Gotei 13 didn't know him. They knew nothing but his simple crime of stealing a zanpakutō. Clearly, he would have to explain everything.

Rukia knew everything, but the Gotei 13...were something else.

"My name is no longer Shiegeari Jushirmai." He informed shortly before continuing. "That name is nothing more but a disappointment to me."

"A disappointment?"

The Kuchiki Manor was silent.

Cherry blossoms danced in the air and the wind whispered as it breathed, but the only liveliness that occupied the Manor was not there.

Byakuya headed towards her room—hoping that she was just concealing her reiatsu and that she was safely awaiting his arrival. His footsteps were at a faster pace than usual, but it couldn't be helped. He was the one who ordered her to return home and wait for him. And if she wasn't here, that only meant one thing.

His assumption was correct.

Her room was left just the way it was before the cold had seeped in.

A book with a bookmark rested in the middle of the desk. Byakuya stared at it until a figure entered the room being Rukia's maid, Chiyo.

Her pale green eyes slightly trembled as she looked up and spotted him. "Kuchiki-sama! F-Forgive me for intruding, I-I was just bringing Rukia-sama her new kimono."

"Place it over there." He commanded with a low tone as the woman shook. She bowed her head as she trembled before hastily placing the kimono on the byōbu. She prepared herself to leave the room, but was suddenly stopped by Byakuya's voice.

"Wait." He said, immediately stopping her movement by the tone of his voice.

"I-Is something wrong, Kuchiki-sama?" Chiyo stuttered as she turned around.

"Where is Rukia?" He questioned.

"H-Huh? Rukia-sama isn't home, I-I thought she was with—"

"I told her to return to the manor, are you positive?"

"Y-Yes, I'm positive Kuchiki-sama. Rukia-sama isn't here." She confirmed, before worry suddenly washed over her face. "Is she h—"

Before Chiyo could finish her sentence of concern, Byakuya flash-stepped away.

"Shiegeari—my last name. That name is nothing more than a disappointment to me." He said, causing her to immediately question the reason behind his disappointment.

She couldn't deny it—she was curious.

"My father, he was nothing more than a criminal who abandoned his son because he loved killing more." Jushirmai explained. "But that's far from my disappointment. The name Shiegeari is a disappointment because the name, itself is weak. It's a curse, not a name."

She listened attentively, which told him she wanted to hear more.

"My father was a weakling. If he was strong, he wouldn't have abandoned me in the Rukongai District because killing was more pleasurable. I, myself have been cited as weak. By my father, the orphanage, the Shin'ō Academy, the 6th Division, and the Soul Society. They've all called me weak...and they will all suffer for it!"

His voice suddenly became louder as his reiatsu began to outline his figure and his indigo eyes became dilated. An unnerving expression suddenly appeared on his face as a sinister smirk danced upon his lips.

Every thing about their atmosphere had completely changed. He was no longer calmly explaining his biography as if they were new friends chatting over tea. Anger washed over his body as the countless memories of rejection and the term 'weak' repeated itself in his head.

"They will all suffer!" His voice grew louder.

"All of them!" He screamed as his lips smiled.

"They will all suffer!" He repeated again as he raised his arms and laughed. His suffocating reiatsu began to choke her. She coughed as her knees trembled from the pressure of his challenging force. Her hands flew to her throat as she tried to find air.

Thousands of lines immersed behind him as his laughter grew louder. She continued to cough as she could see her perception fading. The image was getting dimmer and her breathing was slowing down. The pressure of his reiatsu was trying to force her petite body down, but she wouldn't allow it—even in her current state.

The lines were beautiful. They connected with the pink cherry blossom tree graced with ice and the lake reflecting the blue of his reiatsu. It glistened and hissed as it grew.

She was suffocating. Her heart was pounding in search for air. She was struggling—mentally crying as her lungs clenched in her chest. It initiated a pain that she never thought could be felt as her legs trembled. She forced herself to speak as she tried to breathe.

I-I can't breathe.

Her heart pounded.

S-Stop p-please.

Her lungs clenched.

I-I can't...please.

Her vision blurred.

"P-Please, stop." She begged the bleary figure in front of her as his reiatsu grew with his laughter.

Her chest heavied.

"S-Stop it!" She pleaded as the force grew stronger.

And suddenly, his devouring lines headed towards her frame. Dashing in speed to latch onto her skin and devour her from the inside. Her faded eyes widened, but she couldn't bring herself to do anything as her mouth parted to receive air.

"S-Sode N-No Shirayuki." She called as she released her final gasp and her eyes rolled back.

S-Sode N-No S-Shirayuki...Please...Dance.

And with those final words, pink cherry blossom petals encircled her frame.

End Note

Again, don't take the cheesiness of this as it. It begins to make sense around Chapter 14 and onwards.

Rukia's Scent

I know the night flower named pipe cactus hardly sounds sweet or even attractive but, the flower itself is beautiful and its description matched Rukia completely. Its real name is Dutchman's pipe cactus and it's a rain forest plant. It is known as Queen of the Night and is very fragrant. They are large white flowers that only bloom at night, which symbolizes Rukia as the white moon and Queen of the Night. To view a picture of the flower, check Images For ThisChapter.

Images For This Chapter

Jūshirmai's Attire—Colour Palette (Blue and Purple)

Jūshirmai's Attire—Samurai Warrior Anatomy

Jūshirmai's Hair—Similar to Byakuya's hair when left down.

Rukia's Scent—Dutchman's Pipe Cactus Flower

Scenery—The Sakura Tree and The Blue-Reflected Lake

Jūshirmai's Voice

Naraku's voice from Inuyasha (Dub)

—NairaRains/kagomesangos