The Iced Moon Arc Bleach

by tending

Lieutenant Kuchiki has a secret. A variety of secrets that the Gotei 13 do not know until a figure of her past and present tips them off and then a story is told, a past. A past connected to the very creation of the Soul Society from the Soul King to zanpakutos. Soul reapers are not the utmost rulers after all.

24. Rarity Fades Into Nothingness

Pre-Note

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

There are Images for this Chapter.

Note: There's a particular scene in this chapter that is stretched out throughout the whole thing but takes place at the same time (you'll know which one when you start reading).

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

---

Rarity Fades Into Nothingness

"Tell me." The younger Rukia urged with her arms crossed.

The most she knew about her future self was that for about fifty-two years she had been living as a Kuchiki member, a soul reaper—who now served as a Lieutenant oddly enough—and had severed connections with everyone she knew in her time including Sensei Okasake.

Even something as simple as to why the Kuchiki clan even adopted her was something being kept from her. She didn't understand why she had to be shoved so far in the dark, she needed to know why these terrible things happened to her.

The only positive of it all was that she found a blood family member being Jushirmai. That was the only silver lining and perhaps the human friend that the older her spoke highly of. Otherwise, everything had quite literally turned into a mess and now something even as simple as explaining why that woman was dangerous couldn't be explained to her.

Why?

"Tell me." She urged again. "Captain, I need to know something. Ever since I got here, no one has told me a thing. What's so wrong about her? What did she do?"

The Captain's silence which followed after told her that this was going to be difficult.

She slouched her shoulders a bit, "I need to know. Ever since I got here, you and the older me have been keeping me in the dark. I wanna know—how did I end up in this mess? Why would I stop speaking to Sensei? Why is that lady suddenly evil? Why did I become a soul reaper? And more importantly, why am I with him?"

Out of all places, why the Kuchiki clan?

She waited for him to string words together.

"It is not that bad." She maintained her disapproval at his words immediately. "It has only been a little over 50 years."

She could see through those hard eyes that he was trying to make the situation appear lighter but it wasn't working.

"50 years is a long time, Captain." Rukia argued. "A lot. Earlier, at the beginning I mean, you told me not to mention a lot of things—why? Why do I have to keep these things a secret? I want to be frustrated but on top of not understanding I—"

"I would like to ask you to hold on for a bit longer."

"Why?" She questioned firmly. "If I'm going to hold on, I think I deserve to at least know something else, don't I? Can't you tell me why your clan wanted to adopt me? That's weird to say the least. I don't understand why they would even do that."

Him aside. There were still the rest of the Kuchiki elders to make sense of who had seen her before and knew who she was so, why? There was also still the Common Kuchiki Law which existed and she did fall under that category so how could they accept her there?

"Your grandson said that he couldn't tell me because apparently you and the older me don't want me to remember my human life but, the older me told me before that it was hard for her human memory to resurface so I doubt I'm going to remember it in an instant." Rukia tried to reason.

She couldn't believe that even he knew his own reasoning for adopting her and she didn't. At this point she was pleading for information here that she didn't think she'd ever need to do.

"I cannot."

She stepped forward, "Captain—"

He cut her off. "I understand your frustration though it is quite hard to reflect on how the past fifty years came to be."

Rukia lowered her eyes, "is it really that bad?"

A long pause came before he answered, "there are a lot of actions that could have been done to prevent this outcome but were ignored."

"By who?" Again silence.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Did it have to do with that woman?"

"Oddly enough, she is not involved." Somehow Rukia found it a bit redeeming that he referred to her as a 'she' rather than 'it'.

"So then who is?" Rukia inquired. "Who would do something that terrible to me? Enough for me to leave Sensei and become a soul reaper and a member of the Kuchiki clan?"

She suddenly fixed her expression—apologetic. "No offense."

She had never—not once—imagined she'd end up there, it was still hard to believe even now.

"There is a bright side." The Captain responded to her and she was itching to find out what exactly he would conjure up and deem a 'bright side'.

His head lowered a bit forward. "You did not enter the house of a stranger."

Her jaws dropped and closed before she eyed him, unimpressed. "That's supposed to be a bright side?"

"Well," he raised up his right hand and tilted it to the side. "Imagine if you had entered a clan where most of the members had passed and you did not know them. You would feel an unprecedented amount of pressure given that they did not know you—nor would you know if they would accept you. In this case, you had already known Sojun, my dear, and myself therefore, it is not as bad in comparison."

Rukia frowned, understanding his point but also disagreeing with the fact that being a member of the Kuchiki clan was easier in comparison.

"But that doesn't change the fact that none of you were there so I at least know somebody. The reasoning behind my adoption on both sides still doesn't make sense to me. I can't think of any reason as to why that would even be a thing that happened. You passed before I was adopted, Lieutenant and Lady Kuchiki passed long before, I have nobody."

"That is a part of the negative." He noted.

"That being said, isn't that like entering a stranger's home then? Yeah, I might've been there before but if you all aren't there, I have no other connection."

"You have a point." He agreed.

She then looked at him with almost-pleading eyes, "so why did I end up there? Tell me why I did. What could be my reason?"

Those sharp, consistently impassive eyes stared at her for a while. She too wanted to know what he was thinking and in that moment, perhaps she could see the restraint. He really did understand her feelings but he was abstaining from telling her for a reason.

It was easy for her to succumb to his wishes if he really, really wanted her to stop pressing though, she still wanted to know something.

"Can't you annul my adoption now?" Rukia asked in the midst of this excruciating hopefulness which somehow told her that it would be that simple. His eyes already told her—he wasn't going to do it.

"I told you that is between the older versions. I will not intervene in their matter." He reasoned with her as she removed her hands from his arm.

Her gaze temporarily fell to the ground before working their way up again to ask in a somewhat angered curiosity. "Why'd they start talking?"

The Captain just stared at her.

She shrugged her shoulders slightly, "I don't get it. If we didn't speak for fifty years, what changed? Why did things have to change? If we still didn't like each other, this would've been easy. I could've just had my adoption terminated and left but instead, here I am."

"I understand you are redirecting the anger you feel towards the younger version of my boy to your present self's situation however, in present time, things are quite different between you and the older version. I cannot intervene."

She felt her heart pinch at the mention of her anger. There was a lot of truth to that—she just couldn't find the means to like him now or even understand how the older her could care so much about him.

For that reason, Rukia didn't say a word, allowing the cutting anger to reflect in her facial expression.

"And what if she wants to leave?" She asked with her voice just barely over a whisper.

"It is their decision and though I understand your revolt, that will be up to them. I cannot tell them what to feel."

She released a breath of frustration. Why did the older her have to care about him? Something must have transpired but what?

Rukia just couldn't see why she had to feel anything at all.

She pressed her lips together.

"I tried."

"You did." Ginrei acknowledged. "And I commend you for that."

"I'm sorry for making this uncomfortable." She apologized.

"That is not your fault." He responded. "You are justified in your feelings. I will not ask you to accept an apology you are not ready or willing to accept. That is how you always have been."

"Really?" Rukia asked, a warm smile forming on her face.

"I cannot ask you to disregard your own feelings though I would recommend expressing them."

She arched a brow. "Meaning?"

"He does understand his own wrongdoings though that is conducted by his own thoughts. I am merely suggesting you explain from your end why those particular words triggered you though it is already obvious."

"Hmmmm." She tapped her right foot in the air. "Sounds like you're pushing for an interaction."

He put his arm back to it's crossed formation. "It is a suggestion."

"A suggestion you say."

"My dear."

"'A suggestion?'" She scrunched her nose with a smile.

"You know yourself better."

"Still sounds like an indirect plea to me but I understand where you're coming from. He is your grandson at the end of the day." Rukia said, understanding. "I just...can't do that for you right now. Frankly, it feels odd to be angry at one of your family members. I just...I get he's a noble, I really do, and that's why believing someone like me could even be associated with a noble clan is hard to do but I guess, I was basing my friendship with all of you on him."

"He was wrong in his behavior though communication is key. It will not make him any less wrong or you any less valid in your feelings. It is merely an act to deepen your understanding of each other's perspective."

And that did make a lot of sense but Rukia was still reluctant to sit down and have some heart-to-heart with the Kuchiki heir, especially when her anger was still boiling in her chest at the mention.

"How else did the older versions of you come to speak?" The Captain suddenly said which made her eyes perk up.

"You mean…" her eyes averted to the left where the present Kuchiki heir's body was and back. "They had some sort of disagreement or something? And they talked it out?"

A few seconds of silence came before an answer, "precisely."

Rukia waited for more details. "If they had not communicated, annulling your adoption would not be as difficult."

"So you mean, they had some sort of disagreement, they talked it out, and suddenly they started liking each other?" For some reason, Rukia didn't think it was so simple.

"It was a process. Though that does not mean there aren't many flaws. I believe their problem is that one person grew to communicate while the other did not."

Rukia absentmindedly nodded her head before his last sentence hit, "—Wait, that other person being me?"

"You shared what you could." Ginrei explained. "However, you did not share anything that was against the law nor are you comfortable sharing anything to that extent. The matter is too complicated."

The mention of the law dragged her back to their initial topic, "what happened to the Common Kuchiki Law anyways?"

"If I really did run or something, I didn't need to become a noble. If I had no relation to this clan, I wouldn't even need to speak to your grandson in the first place. What happened to the law? I still fall under that."

"The elders did not execute my instructions correctly." Ginrei replied before relaying what was supposed to occur following the mention of Jushirmai. "He was supposed to be barred from involvement as soon as it invaded the Seireitei. They would have been able to sense his sheatsu presence but didn't. It seems that by the time they found out, it was too late."

She let the information sink in.

"As for your adoption, you used a different serial number and the elders for some odd reason did not recognize you."

She leaned forward with slightly widened eyes, "really?"

He did a nod. "They could not tell. I commend your acting abilities."

"That means that not even the Kuchiki elders knew who I was. I was really living there as—"

"A member of the family, yes."

"Captain—"

"You're worried over Hirosuke however, it has only been a little over fifty years."

"That doesn't change a thing. Why'd I get adopted? Please tell me. If I became a soul reaper, I didn't need to be associated with any noble. I'm from the Rukongai!"

"I cannot." She slouched her shoulders in mid defeat. "Hold on for a bit longer. It will all make sense soon."

Their locked gaze convinced her.

Rukia raised up her right hand and pointy finger, "one thing. Tell me something—anything. I'd prefer you tell me about my adoption but…" she sighed, "if that's too hard then tell me about that lady so I can avoid seeing her."

"One thing." She urged. "I just want to know something. Isn't that why you brought me here?"

His silver eyes then said he'd give in.

"She was once its ally." He informed her which instantaneously made her move her head forward, intrigued. "She wanted you to contaminate the heart as much as it."

"Why?" Rukia inquired. "I met her on—"

"The same day you came to the Rukongai." He finished for her. "She had interest in you for quite a long time."

"Wait. Is that why she stuck around me so much? In the Rukongai—I mean. She was always watching me from far but never talked to me." She couldn't believe the woman was his ally all along. She was so strange.

"What was the point of watching me?"

"To scare you."

She pointed a finger to her chest. "To scare me?"

"But you were not frightened. In fact, given that you welcomed her into your space, she continued to watch you in an attempt to incite fear."

"Soooooo basically, that woman somehow knew I had died and came into the Rukongai and—" she gasped, "she was the one who told me my name and my birthday! You know how I told you the teller refused to tell me that stuff because apparently she'd seen me before? She was the one who stopped me and told me my name—I thought she was one of them too but...I guess she isn't."

And then it hit. "But wait—doesn't that make her worse than Jushirmai? It was like she was expecting me to come to the Soul Society, like she knew that I had died. What are the chances she knew me in my…." Human life?

The Captain's eyes alone confirmed her assumption. "So, she knew me as a human?"

He gave her a nod and Rukia found herself in a pool of confusion again because that woman had been interested in her since then?

"So she's been staring at me since then, wow…" Rukia sighed. "It just makes it all seem more fated. But—how'd she know I would be the one who would have a connection to the Soul King let alone the Okasake clan?"

"Instinct." The Captain's answer wasn't enough. "You have always been different. That same rarity as a human is the same rarity you brought to the Soul Society with you."

Rukia didn't think she was anything special.

"Forget being extraordinary, if I got rid of that rarity, would they leave me alone?" Rukia quietly questioned, a weird feeling forming inside her stomach. Not only was Jushirmai after her but there was also another woman who had some fixation on her and wanted her to contaminate the heart too.

Was she psychic or something? Rukia has mistaken her for a mere teller in the Rukongai—tellers were elder ladies donned in black that new people from the human world went for basic information being their name and their birthdate. On that day, she was redirected to a teller who rudely shoved her away for lying before she saw this woman who told her those very crucial things and then just began watching her.

"That rarity is a part of you. There is no separating it from you, it's just what you are—who you are."

Rukia played with her sleeve—she had quietly transformed into the longer version of her uniform which was folded back, near her elbows, to reveal her black gloves.

"I never asked to be extraordinary." Rukia mumbled. If anything, she just wanted a normal life.

"But you accepted it. The only reason you are like this now is because what happened with your older self." She got caught.

"If my rarity comes to this then I rather stay without it." She muttered.

"But there is nothing to separate. It is just you." She looked at him with eyes full of emotion.

"If that rarity didn't exist, I probably wouldn't have even met the Okasake clan or have any relation to the Soul King to begin with. I could've lived normally, couldn't I?"

"Your rarity is not a separate entity that exists within you—it is you."

She waited a few moments before voicing her next set of questions, carefully and quietly.

"And what is that rarity, Captain? It can't be my face—Jushirmai looks exactly like me and it can't be my personality, there's dozens like me—even thousands—with some similarity, height? Of course not. There is nothing remotely special about me as a person so how can this rarity not be an entity? That thing can easily be separated from me when it wants to, so tell me, what's rare?"

---

The silence only worsened her fears. It was astonishing that she managed to even voice a word to him.

Selfishly, she had wanted an immediate response. Fifty years suddenly felt like fifty centuries to her, the mere thought only confirmed it. Sensei was still Sensei—fifty years was nothing here. And yet, although fifty years could easily be denounced as nothing here, these particular fifty years felt so long and horrid; hollow, especially.

This manor was more than warmth to her—it was the closest thing she could ever imagine a home to be. It was so lively even with the least amount of people occupying it.

The morning canary yellows and the sinking sun's magical fairy lavenders and cantaloupe peaches always gleamed so brightly over the Okasake manor. The sparkling light would twinkle amongst the many flowers buried in the pavilion and the life she dreamed of would slowly come into fruition.

It was the best place to be but she had left it—left him. Abandoned the wonderful life she lived up until then because of something...someone who ruined everything. The closest figure to family in her heart now was here—in front of her—and after all they had been through together, they couldn't even utter a word.

She could've really done anything in these past few years to reach out to him and yet she didn't.

A cool gust entered the room.

"So you've come."

And there came the chills.

Those three words were said almost as if he had let the words out in the midst of an exhausting breath.

She heard the crumple of paper coming from a page he leisurely turned after speaking.

What did she say to that?

I have..."It's...been awhile."

"It has." Another page turned, dead silence followed right after that. She couldn't find the means to speak afterwards. Nevertheless, she'd have to—it was her turn.

"I…" she couldn't find the words to say. "...know I...don't have the right to ask this but…"

"The time has come." He serenely interrupted her.

How you've been?

"There will be numerous tasks that will need to be dealt with. I suggest you write your list." He continued.

"Sensei…" she called, almost disapproving in her head. He was intentionally discussing the matters of outside to deter from what needed to be spoken about—about this.

"It has been fifty-two years…"

"I know." Rukia softly whispered. "It's…" she gulped, "been a while I—"

"And you chose to come now?"

Her eyes frantically lowered, gaze shooting to various different spots before falling back to the number one. The hidden disappointment in his tone triggered every single emotional cord in her body to unleash.

"I…" her chest sank, "have no justification for my actions...none...none at all."

He just let her continue. Forcing confidence into her feet, she took one step forward, the floorboard creaked.

"I'm terrible for leaving you...I'm terrible for not seeing you...and no amount of apologies will ever—" her eyes burnt, "—make up for those actions. I won't even attempt to ask…." for forgiveness.

Another step. "I'm just…" she breathed. "I knew this day would come and eventually...I would have to own up for my actions but...even now, standing in front of you, I'm not ready."

Coolly, he then asked. "And why is that?"

She couldn't identify any emotion in it, only hushed words.

"I'm…" she murmured.

"Do not bother with words that will have no meaning to me."

The sentence immediately forced silence down her throat as her already trembling eyes became coated in remorse. If anything, it just made her feel even more ashamed. Her knees were starting to wilt and as her body vibrated, they hit the floor.

Putting her two hands out, she bowed—shutting her eyes tightly as parallel rivers of tears streamed down. It took everything in her to press down the sob and compose herself.

She felt so terrible. Her entire being just felt sinful—ungrateful for what he had given to her. She didn't need to stop speaking with him, she didn't need to pretend he didn't exist. But she did and now...this was her punishment.

This was how she'd pay for her sin as if her losses at the beginning weren't enough.

If it weren't for the Soul King heart, her body should've long been thrown in Hell for doing this to him.

---

Nanao couldn't believe it but the sight was more than promising. The stained light led her out of the dingy carmine area she and Hanatarō had been lost in for a while.

Once they passed the half oval-shaped opening, Nanao felt beyond relieved that she found others. It had been too long—she had begun to lose hope a while back. It felt like they had been wandering for years.

"L-Lieutenant Ise, l-look!" Hanatarō called while trembling. Nanao turned around to follow the direction of where his wobbly finger was pointing.

The flood of relief she had washed herself in was replaced with dread. The Gotei 13 were all here but unconscious—lying down on hospital beds.

Urahara Kisuke was fast asleep on a chair next to a bed with his employees and some Bount plushies. No one else was here from the looks of it but Nanao knew there had to be more.

The Head Captain had left her a note to find Lieutenant Kuchiki. And though there was no sight or sense of her being here, she had an inkling that she had been for some time or maybe all along.

---

"I already told you. It is you." Ginrei responded to her and she immediately sighed—closing her eyes in defeat.

She walked to the spot beside him where the older her had been sitting and sat. Her head braced against the cool rock, exhausted with her own pleading.

Met with a sepia tinted darkness, she then heard his voice again. "You will have to make a decision."

Her eyes popped open.

"You can remain in your normal form or stay hidden with sheatsu." He continued, prompting Rukia to straighten her back and look around before spotting them to her far left.

There were two soul reapers approaching the opening.

"I'll stay hidden." Rukia decided before hopping off the elevated rock yet again and standing in midair. "Besides, won't they be after me too? I did run away from them."

"That is true." She spun around to look at him. "We will need to gather the others and inform them of this immediately."

Rukia nodded her head in agreement before she met his cutting glare. "You will need to find Byakuya and tell him to return hidden away as well."

Her violets grew in size before crumbling.

"He was with Yoruichi an hour ago."

"Captain, he could be anywhere. Are they still racing?" She asked, too irritated to mask it.

"Most likely."

"And the older me?" Rukia inquired. What if the older her came back and they caught her?

"She will not be back for days. By then, we will have this situation resolved."

He then added. "I will go speak with Dr. Oswald."

Rukia was about to move, following the Kuchiki heir's reiatsu before she stopped—Wait a minute.

"Wait, why am I finding your cranky grandson while you're speaking to my younger brother? Shouldn't it be the other way around? I can tell Jushirmai about this and you can find the Kuchiki heir. It doesn't make sense."

"It does not." He agreed before flash-stepping away.

---

"Urahara Kisuke." Nanao sternly called upon the snoring store owner. "Wake up. This is urgent."

He remained snoring. "Urahara Kisuke."

"M-Maybe you should shake him, Lieutenant Ise." A wide-eyed Hanatarō suggested with tiny hands clutched onto the back of her uniform.

"Very well." She groaned in agreement before shaking him a bit. "Urahara Kisuke. Wake up."

Frustration coursed through her veins, lending her the energy to shout. "Urahara!"

Mouth still parted wide, his eyes fluttered open. He tried to rid the sour taste coming from his mouth as his vision became clear. By default, a greeting came out as if it was just a regular day.

"Well, well, well—what do we have here? Lieutenant Ise and 7th Seat Yamada!"

"Urahara Kisuke." Nanao voiced earnestly. "What happened to the Gotei 13? Why are they like this?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to your question, Lieutenant but I can help you get a drin—"

"Quit it, Urahara. Is Lieutenant Kuchiki here? How long have they been in this position?"

"It's been about two months. But they're getting better, at least their bodies are." Kisuke explained.

"And Lieutenant Kuchiki?" She inquired.

"Believe me, I have no idea where she is."

Nanao loomed over him, lips pressed onto a straight line. "I don't believe you. She has to be here with you all. Yoruichi-san is most likely here as well."

"Well if they're here, where are they?" Kisuke asked as her eyes slightly loosened its tight expression. His head moved side to side before it looked up at her.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki i-isn't h-here, Lieutenant." Hanatarō said while scanning the area.

"Well she was." Nanao narrowed her eyes at the shopkeeper. "And she'll be back."

Hanatarō peered some more but couldn't even sense her. "B-But how do you know t-that?"

"She escaped with a quincy. They were probably here as well." Nanao explained. "I'm sure of it."

She returned her gaze to Kisuke. "What happened to them? Did they intentionally put us in this position?"

"I'm not really sure who you're talking about."

Nanao clenched her right fist. "Lieutenant Kuchiki and the quincy."

Hanatarō felt a rush of worry. "W-Wait, Lieutenant. I don't think Lieutenant Kuchiki would do that."

"Yamada."

"L-Look!" He urged her, pointing towards the 6th Division Captain. "C-Captain Kuchiki and I-Ichigo-san are here!"

Nanao followed his pointed finger yet again and fell on the pair technically beside each other on individual stretchers.

"A-Are they hurt?" Hanatarō asked to particularly no one.

Kisuke stood up and stretched. "Not really. They're sort of in a comatose state."

"And how did that happen?"

"Well, Lieutenant if we figured it out, I would've told you." Kisuke responded before her troubled eyes fell on her Captain.

She approached him.

Leaning down, she noticed that he was very still—a bit stiff but he was breathing just fine. He looked like he was asleep which brought some relief to her however, the shopkeeper's words couldn't hide.

The Gotei 13...were stuck in a somewhat comatose state and though she wanted to thoroughly question the shopkeeper, her mind became stuck on the image in front of her.

It had been two months.

She turned to Hanatarō beside her. "Check Kurosaki Ichigo or Captain Kuchiki for her reiatsu."

Hanatarō bulged his eyes. "H-Huh? B-But why?"

"I need to know if she was here." Nanao muttered with her hardened stare at Captain Kyōraku.

"Lieutenant, i-if I may, I really don't think Lieutenant Kuch—"

Nanao didn't let him finish. "Just hurry up and do it."

"Before the others get here." She added. "Just check to see if any of them have her reiatsu on them."

And though Hanatarō mustered enough courage to protest, he retreated—seeing that she was very distressed. Meekly, he approached Ichigo's stretcher first—feeling a bit too tense to approach the 6th Division's Captain—and touched him, trying to identify any of her reiatsu on him but there weren't any.

He tried harder but the human was squeaky clean.

Nervously, he then approached Captain Kuchiki and for some reason, he felt chilly. It made him jittery enough to avoid touching him and just scan for her presence but again, there was none.

"L-Lieutenant Ise!" Hanatarō shouted from his spot but she didn't move. Slouching his shoulders, he went to her—she was now sitting.

"Lieutenant, there's really nothing! I-I-I checked but there really wasn't anything. Not on Ichigo-san or C-Captain Kuchiki."

"Are you sure?" She questioned thunderously.

He hastily nodded his head. "I-I'm sure, Lieutenant Ise! You can check yourself!"

"Huh." She remarked in faux impression. "She's good at hiding reiatsu but she can also remove it when she feels like it to make her presence untraceable. She did it back in the Seireitei and she did it here as well."

"What are you talking a-about?"

"Yamada." She leaned in to him. "You're close with Lieutenant Kuchiki, right?"

His skin got pink. "H-Huh? C-Close? Well Rukia-san is really nice and k-kind to me! And every time she sees me she's always telling me h-how adorable she finds me but—"

"When she comes back, you will have to be the one to interrogate her."

"I-Interrogate? Me?" Hanatarō stepped back. "But Lieutenant Kuchiki is my friend I can't—"

"You're a soul reaper before you're anything else, Yamada." She reminded. "I could do it but she won't admit a thing. But you on the other hand are very close with her. This should be easy."

"It's an opportunity to figure out what she's been hiding for so long and could give us new information on those assassin breeds. I'm counting on you, 7th seat Yamada." Nanao said with her back to him. "We have to solve this mystery on our own."

---

The younger Rukia moved down a rather tight corridor as she called for him. This was definitely his reiatsu though it was troubling how many doses he had left behind. She really hoped the cleaner didn't come on again. Ever since that day when he got angry at her about it, the cleaner served as a reminder of it.

Who told him to come searching for her anyways?

Rukia still didn't understand what was the need to do that. They had already agreed they wanted to be no more than temporary acquaintances and even agreed that they wanted her out of there. Surely Captain Kuchiki wasn't enough to send him running into a pit of bats for her.

And yet he did and almost got himself killed. It must've hurt his pride to know that she was okay and viewed the cleaner as no more than a small vacuum of things.

She mentally scoffed.

How her life became so entangled with his was a story she was dying to know.

It was crazy to think how enticing Sensei's adoption proposal was looking now. If only she could change time—she'd accept it and that way, she could prevent whatever this was. Though in reflecting on the outcome of her future, she realized that it wasn't the only issue there was to solve. Her adoption into the Kuchiki clan was a fraction but what about everything else?

There was still that woman to think about. Donned in all black, that long lace veil shielding her face—the only distinct feature being those marvellously bright red eyes. She had spent two weeks with her. The woman made her meals and barely spoke to her however, in that time she had never particularly felt at risk of anything.

By no means, did she look like a saint but her actions portrayed her differently. Rukia thought of her as a reserved woman—someone who could easily be misunderstood through her appearance but in truth, had endured a life filled with misfortunes.

There was a polished ambience to her however, she spoke more like a commoner. And though Rukia had long been intrigued with her and the stories she hid behind those scarlets, little did she know that woman had been his ally all along.

It stunned her.

And yet the woman had been with her since her human days, watching her from afar—waiting—for the day death came upon her and stole her.

Rukia felt suffocated. The mere thought of it made her feel weary and sick. What did they want from her? This rarity left her as a prize that everyone wanted to chew on. At what point in her life had she ever been free from watchful eyes?

He never left her and she never left her.

It was sickening to think that her life had been a stage for them. And for what? What was so immensely special about her for them to want her to this degree? To punish her with their gazes and strip her of her freedom?

She had never felt more invisible shackles on her arms than she did right now. It was almost as if she was binded to a force that had clung onto her since birth and refused to let her see the light of day without permission.

Rukia wasn't free. It had been an illusion of having flexibility, moving from the noble life to the one where she belonged. In truth, there was no control on her part—she was living on a stage and the whole world was her audience, waiting for the signals to laugh or applaud.

---

It had taken a minute and a half to compose herself. He wasn't going to speak unless she initiated the conversation though by no means, was she ready to continue. It seemed that there was still a very great distance between them that she hadn't covered in the slightest by being here.

"Listen…" her voice went through all kinds of heights. "...I never meant to hurt you...it hurt me too. I wanted to be here...with you more than anything."

She took bolder steps, back more straighter now. "This isn't entirely my fault."

A sentence which bore from truth.

"But what is my fault is choosing not to see you. And I admit that—I'm a terrible person but that doesn't change what I feel. I think about you," she inhaled, "every single day. My choices don't just disappear. Even in pain I persevered and made it so that I can see you now."

"I did you wrong by not coming, I know...I...just…" her eyes caught the polished wood ground. "...couldn't do it."

Quietly, she added, "it'd make the suffering worse."

Her head shot up. "But that has nothing to do with you. It's my feelings which stopped me, it's my weakness which stopped me, you didn't deserve any of this."

They stood a metre away. The pages had long stopped turning and now she stuck behind him. A step closer and the length would be enough for her to place her hand on his right shoulder. Swept with fear, the vision of him dodging her hand played like a psychic telling. It only made her choose her next set of words carefully, he was yet to see the shame baked into her face.

Her fingers cycled a bit in the ice cold air, reaching out to touch the cloth of his haori on his right shoulder. She let them settle there—just barely—as a way of seeking permission. It took a few seconds to pass for her to grip it loosely with her left hand, still cautious of her actions.

When the hand was accepted onto his shoulders, she knelt down on one leg. The stillness of his body indicated he would not move. Her next move was a dangerous one. She was sure that if her hand wasn't what it took to be rejected, it'd be another part—her face. The shift was subtle. It was barely an inch but she aborted it so hastily, the sleek floor squeaked.

Fear had been her greatest enemy for some time now but cowardice had not been.

She did it again. This time moving in a moderate manner. She lifted herself from the ground again and moved to stand in front of him with her hand never leaving the space on his shoulder blade—it simply rotated with her.

Rukia knelt down again with one leg. For the first time in over fifty-two years, she met him—his face that is, up close. The last time she had even dared to invade his space was his birthday last year when she had urged herself to see him once from afar.

Now she could see the face she hid from up close and though he wasn't staring at her—gaze lowered towards the opened book he had leafed through shortly before she arrived—she took her time to look at the right side of his face to the left.

Nothing changed.

Perhaps there were more wrinkles added to his face, carved as light lines following a pattern but otherwise, those cutting lavender eyes were still the same. Hair as grey as the insides of a dragon fruit still ran down like a mane, though a bit shorter than she remembered it. The skin over his hands was still thin as ever, she remembered playing with it often, using her thumb to swish the skin, having been amazed that she could feel his bones so sharply.

He was very much the same and her? Well she still did. Though she had cut her hair in her soul reaper form, it did little to her normal hair except adding a few messy cuts to the bottom. As for her attire, it looked exactly like how she had looked on their last day spent together.

Won't you look at me?

Trembling eyes begging for a glance waited. She didn't say anything or do anything, just waited to be spared a glance—not that she deserved it but selfishly that desire was still there.

The hands on the stained glass clock, designed with caramel and hazel pieces, chartreuse leaves, and maroon berries, moved past a few dragging seconds. Rukia watched her hope overflow as his left hand rose and it took everything within her not to leap into his arms.

It covered her own left hand on his right shoulder blade. It felt so good—her heart skipped numerous beats, her stomach dropped, appalled before the grip tightened and she was thrusted into relief before it was harshly ripped off his shoulder and put to the ground.

---

"Finally." The younger Rukia said, sensing the pair before they even got close to her.

Instinct told her that he'd brush past her rather quickly, so she timed it. Just enough for her to reach out her hand and catch the cloth of his uniform and squeeze it between her fingers to slow him down.

The boy, about two-three inches taller than her came to a stop. She could tell it surprised him she caught him in time as his neck leaned back and eyes popped a bit before turning.

"You need to conceal yourself with your grandfather's sheatsu." Rukia informed him before releasing the cloth and having him turn around.

"How did you stop me?" He inquired.

"Instinct. Now, did you hear? You have to conceal yourself with the Captain's sheatsu. We have guests—soul reapers."

"Are they the remaining members of the Gotei 13?"

Rukia shrugged. "I don't know, it seems like. Captain suggested we hide in our sheatsu form so we can still move around there until they leave or whatever."

"And...you came to tell me this?" He asked for clarification.

Rukia gritted her teeth. "It wasn't me! Captain told me to find you. Before I could say anything, he left me."

"What'd they look like?" A voice belonging to Yoruichi asked behind her, she turned.

"Uh well there was a woman and a boy. The woman had her hair clipped up at the back and glasses. I think her eyes were blue? Or maybe purple. I didn't look at her long enough to tell. But she's a Lieutenant, I saw her badge. The boy was short with blue hair? He looked really...jumpy. Oh! And he wore a knapsack type of thing over his shoulders." Rukia detailed.

"So Lieutenant Ise and Yamada Hanatarō are fine." Yoruichi said more to herself than them in front of her. "Did they say anything about where they were or anything?"

"I don't really know. We sort of left the moment they came in, I think they were talking to Urahara-san."

A heavy voice then came from behind her. "What will they do when they find her?"

His question was directed to Yoruichi.

"Knowing Lieutenant Ise, she might interrogate her but it's no big deal. She can just stay hidden with sheatsu." Yoruichi brushed aside. "Relax, Byakuya-bo."

He pronounced each word carefully. "I am calm."

"Are they gonna be mad at me for lying and what not?" Rukia asked her.

"Probably." Yoruichi answered. "But you don't have to worry, they aren't gonna see you anyways."

"Unless." She then added. "You're up for it. But you're gonna have to admit the truth."

"Do not." Byakuya ordered from behind her.

Rukia turned around. "Mind if I make my own decision please? These people probably think I'm a liar and what not. I don't want them having dumb impressions of me and Jushirmai. Who knows what they think? They probably think I'm his ally or something."

"Then I will do it." He announced, Rukia stepped back.

"No, why would you do it?"

"It is unwise to have you answer these questions yourself. You do not know what you're allowed to reveal to her." Byakuya explained and with that explanation, Rukia felt every fiber of her being become ablaze. He was speaking as if he knew her.

"Oh? And you do?" Rukia asked, flares of fury fresh in her eyes.

"W-Well." He quickly regained his composure. "I know a decent amount."

She scoffed at his response. "'Decent amount'. How do you know that? What if you say something that the older me doesn't want them to know? You don't know anything but the basics."

"And that is exactly why I should be the one to be interrogated. I do only know the basics therefore I will be able to act accordingly."

"Ohhhh...so you think that I won't be able to lie as well and conceal myself? Well haven't I been able to lie to you and the others without suspicion?" She watched his eyes lit up in animosity.

"You are correct." He agreed bitterly. "However, it does not change the fact that your current state of mind will not be able to execute it as flawlessly as the older you did it."

"I think I have the right to speak on behalf of the older me. I am her—you're nothing more but a...but a…" she couldn't find a cohesive word. "...I don't know a person? Who I'm only gonna know for a little while?"

"Nonsense."

"You know nothing about me." Rukia argued. "You won't be able to defend me."

"That is a lie—"

"You might agree with her for all I know. I'm not gonna let my name get dragged through the mud just because everybody thinks I'm the bad guy!"

"I already apologized for my actions." He sternly mentioned. "Besides, I am aware enough to know that you're not responsible for this."

"You say that now but look how easy it was for you to switch on me the moment you saw that picture. If that Lieutenant happens to mention the older you again, you might tell her I was a whore who snuck into noble cla—"

He cut her off, taken aback at her accusation. "I would never think of you in that manner."

"You thought I tricked your grandfather and the Sensei Okasakes to take pity on me by 'faking' my situation and had them chase me so that they weren't suspicious of me meeting both of them individually! Surely you're capable of accusing me of more." Rukia shouted fiercely.

He closed his eyes. "I already told you. I did not mean i—"

She stepped backwards. "You disgust me."

Moving further back, she continued. "I won't have anyone look down on me like that or drag my name through the mud just because they think they know it all. I only came here to find you 'cause the Captain wanted me to let you know to stay hidden. I have no interest in having you take things over for me when you'll just turn on me."

Before he could say another word, she flash-stepped away to a location furthest away from this one in the red-rocked dimension.

---

"I know you are growing impatient however, you must give her time." Ginrei advised the younger Byakuya who sat on the chair beside his present self's stretcher.

"She is digesting a lot. That is particularly why I did not want her to discover anything about her human life." He added, focused on the newspaper he was reading.

"I understand, grandfather however, she is being too stubborn. She will not allow me even next to her." Byakuya said determinedly. He could not believe she was still being this resistant. Who knew anger could live for so long?

"She has trouble opening up to people. If it is not herself, she will not say a thing." Ginrei informed him. "That is the reason for her distancing."

"It is not like we are just anyone."

"I understand your frustration however, that is simply how she is. Provoking her with your presence will only make matters worse. She will come around." Ginrei assured him though Byakuya still had his doubts that would be the case.

"And if she does not?" Byakuya questioned immediately.

"She will." The paper lowered to unveil his leaden eyes. "She is just having difficulty processing things as it is. I know you think that her life did not turn out as bad as she is making it seem however, I will tell you honestly….I can see why she is disappointed."

And though he didn't understand her disappointment, his grandfather confirming it himself made him recede from further doubting it.

He resumed his reading. "Hirosuke is someone who means a great deal to her. Neither you or I can imagine how much it is troubling her to know that she has not spoken to him in more than fifty years."

"He is her grandfather." Byakuya reiterated. "Would you not forgive her if she did the same?"

"Hirosuke and I are two different people." He answered. "Nonetheless, no one can refuse their own grandchild."

He released a breath of relief. "That means she will be okay."

"Hirosuke and her are quite similar. They are very amiable and understanding. Not even Hirosuke in anger could turn her away even if he tried."

"You are sure of that?"

He grunted in response. "She is still fixated on the fact she left him in the first place. It is difficult for her to accept that in addition to the fact—"

"She ended up with us." Byakuya finished for him.

"Do not take it as offense."

He crossed his arms, defiant. "I understand if she is upset with her future however, she seems particularly irritated with it being this clan for whatever reason, I do not know."

"Bear with her, it is just odd for her."

"But I do not see the difference. Both of our clans are old and prestige. It is not the clan that should bother her."

"Hirosuke wanted to adopt her and she declined." Ginrei reminded. "Having come from the past, it bothers her that she accepted this adoption proposal and did not end up in his clan. Legally or not, that is still her clan to her."

"Well," he paused. "She does not need to act as if it is the worst thing that could happen to her. Besides, it is not like she ended up in a clan that she did not know before."

"I have already explained that to her though she brought up a fair point and that is that no one knew of her identity while living there. She was a completely different person nor was I around at the time of her adoption. For that reason, it is no different than living with a stranger."

Byakuya stayed silent for a few seconds, unsure of what to say.

Not being able to form a proper response, he went with a lamer one. "Well...it is different now."

"That is why I am asking you to give her time. It is natural for her to be troubled by her current predicament. It has nothing to do with our clan."

With that, an old question came to mind.

"By any chance, are you aware then?" A precautious tone and aura took over. He pulled out the smooth leather journal adorned with a spider lily stamp on the right corner with a single strand of velvety red marking the last place he left off.

The drawings.

"These," he turned the book to show the pages. "I am aware she has been through a lot however, I do not understand why she would draw any of this. Does the younger her know of this too? If not, we must keep it from her for the time being. These are incredibly disturbing."

"I do. If you are aware of that, you should come to understand their side." He merely replied with his concentration on the tiny font on the paper.

"'Their side?'" He immediately asked, not liking what he was implying. "You mean...the younger her draws these too?"

"It is as I said before, they have been through a lot."

"I do not understand. Why would they draw something like this?" Byakuya asked eagerly before flipping to the graphic page with the former Sensei Okasake. "Didn't you mention that Sensei Okasake Gureta had a child that died in infancy? She drew her bleeding from her stomach. I do not believe they would draw such a thing."

"You are right, they did not by will." Byakuya waited for him to elaborate. "There is something you are yet to understand about it and that is the control it has over minds."

"What do you mean?"

"It existed shortly before the split happened. Since then, it has had a specific fixation with preying on its obsessions."

"Rukia isn't the first?"

"No. Its specific ability is latching onto the side of their minds which activates during temptation. It uses its ability to lure them into reciprocating his own fixation but differently; using a child form."

"A child form? You mean...like how he…" appeared to the Okasake clan?

"That is correct. The child form it uses alternates between two different versions. There is a form which exists that is different from its true form. Using that, it lures its obsessions into becoming infatuated with that appearance until it gains access to their mind. From there on, its target will input it in all stages of their lives. They will either resist or fall submissive to it. Either response will result in mental aggression. It will not let its memory leave the minds of its obsessions, it will show them things—themselves doing something or so often, the death of others that they will draw in an attempt to rid themselves of the torment."

Before Byakuya could input a reaction, his interest shifted from the paper to him. "I have been made aware that it approached the older you when you were trying to find my dear."

"What?" He voiced hastily. "Me?"

"Or rather, it compelled you." Ginrei corrected. "It seems that with the invasion, the older you explained to her that he had found her whereabouts after an encounter with it as a child (AN: Element Zanpakutō & First Encounter). Though that was no incident. You did not walk down that path on your own, your subconscious was drawn to its presence without realizing it."

"But why? Why would he aid me in finding Rukia? He does not like our clan."

"It had used you to find her." Ginrei explained. "Once you began your inquiry to find her, he followed your research to avoid wasting time. She had disappeared from its radar too suddenly for it to track her so it left the matters to you. Once it discovered your planned inquiry into the Shin'Ō Academy, it went ahead with the investigation and found her there before you. To return the favor, it merely informed you of her whereabouts to save you time; however, it did not expect her to accept your proposal."

Byakuya let the information digest as it was plentiful indeed. If it wasn't his intention for Rukia to agree, did that mean…

"So is that the reason?" He lifted his head a bit higher. "She joined because she knew he would not want her to accept it?"

"No, she did not know it sent you there. She found out recently through you that you had encountered a boy dressed in an academy uniform who was speaking to a zanpakutō—that zanpakutō belonging to Hiroshima that it stole from confinement."

"I see." His shoulders slouched for a moment—a rare occurrence given his upbringing. "Does that not mean I aided him then? What if she could have escaped him?"

"Either way, it would have eventually found her. It only used you as an expressway given that you both were after the same thing." Ginrei said. "That thing is latched onto her existence."

His attention fell to the graphic drawings again.

"So he torments her with these visions and she draws them out to try and get rid of them." He repeated to himself as a way of confirmation while staring at them.

"Under his compulsion." Ginrei reminded. "She does not see the gravity of what she is drawing nor does she have any memory of her abnormal behaviour when she cannot stop herself from drawing. These images will only get more gruesome, I suggest you avoid them."

"It hadn't been my intention." He quietly responded, attention stuck to the image of Okasake Gureta lying down while bleeding from her stomach, a split image of herself hanging over her with a rope appeared also. "Are...there any truth to these drawings?"

It took awhile for him to answer. The pages were left open for him to see though he never saw his head raise once.

"No."

Byakuya doubted it immediately but chose not to bother him further. All he knew was that there was something disturbingly precise about these drawings that he did not like and for the first time, ever since arriving in the future, he did not wish to know the truth behind them.

---

The moment her hand flew off his shoulder, she grew stiff. Her hand rested on the edge of the designed rug beneath his kneeling legs. Rukia stared at before retracting it slowly.

"Oh…" she whispered, the delayed reaction left her mouth without warning. She hadn't planned to say anything at all.

"I understand." She then said, eyes still to the rug.

The stillness continued. Leisurely, her stare transported from the edge of the rug where her hand had been left behind to his face again. She was resilient to move.

"I'm responsible for a lot I know." Her only choice was to speak. "There's a lot on my hands too however, the events of fifty-two years ago are ones I can't change, Sensei. It happened and ever since then, I haven't been the same."

"Then what are you doing now?" He slowly asked in a rough, barely audible voice.

Her lips pressed into a straight line before her head tilted down to the rug again. She had no response to that question—there wasn't an answer and she couldn't lie about one either.

She stood up.

Even if her chest ached and cried out for her to stay and fix what had long been broken, she knew the damage was irreversible.

"You should know your sorry will not change the events of the last fifty-two years. You wish to know of what is left here after all these years…"

Rukia waited for those final words.

"...there is noth—"

"That's a lie!" Rukia exclaimed in an outburst she didn't see coming. She collapsed onto the floor with her knees now on the edge of the rug—she was closer now.

Her hand flew back to the spot on his shoulder blade and with awakened eyes.

"You don't mean that." Her words were stern.

"I know I don't deserve even an inch of your kindness but my place will always be here. With you. And even if I leave for a hundred years or more, I will come back to you."

"These last fifty-two years have given me something. I've learnt something from the experience and that is I'm a mess. I'm a terrible mess—probably beyond fixing at this point but that doesn't change a thing."

"I know you enough to know that you understand me but I did you wrong by refusing to visit or acknowledge your presence. And I admit that I was too reluctant to do that. I didn't want too—I didn't want to acknowledge what I left behind, I wanted nothing to do with it. This manor and everything that came with it was something I refused to face because I didn't want to be that person anymore because being that person caused me so much pain. I could no longer think happily about the past because of him. He ruined it all."

The second hand of the clock moved five spaces as she composed herself again. "If it meant leaving to get rid of that pain, I had to do it but I failed 'cause it still lived inside of me and got worse and worse. Eventually, there wasn't much to do with it anymore."

"And that's what stopped me." Rukia finished. "And even when the time came to own up to my actions it was already too late. I was ashamed—I didn't deserve to even look you in your eyes. But here I am...because as much as I know I don't deserve it, there's still a place for me here."

"A place for you here?" He asked, from his tone, Rukia could tell he was repeating the words unable to grasp the absurdity.

"Yes!" She shouted with even wider eyes.

"And what did I do to deserve that punishment?" His eyes locked with the fireplace not too far from them. The question was asked earnestly.

"This isn't meant to be a punishment." Rukia argued. "You can't just—"

"I can." He cut her off so harshly, she was afraid to breath after. "There comes a time when actions must have consequences."

"You're being ridiculous—" she tried to catch his eyes again and with luck—following her commentary—his head shot to the right immediately and that's when they met.

---

"It is Hirosuke. The moment he looks into her eyes, he will forgive her." Ginrei assured him, still fixated on the article he was reading.

Byakuya leaned back. "If you're so sure, then why is she so worried?"

"She believes that Hirosuke can be angry with her when that is far from true."

"However, she did leave him…"

Ginrei's low voice released a deep hum. "She bears no responsibility for that."

Byakuya's eyes perked. "Really?"

"She is too hard on herself."

"If I wasn't hard on myself, I wouldn't be able to do a lot of things." The younger Rukia replied from afar.

She came walking into the space between the two stretchers quietly. Byakuya observed the slight grey area beneath her eyes, she was tired. Though he didn't show it, surprise took him when she pulled up a chair a bit behind to the right of his grandfather.

His eyes never left the paper. "That is true however, you are over excessive with your blame."

"There's too many things happening all at once for me to not point fingers." She replied quietly.

Sunken eyes then moved from the seat of the chair to the Captain. "But that being said, even if there are too many things happening in my head, I still need to know the truth. That's why I want to ask you something."

For the first time in a little while, the news article lowered and she caught his silver eyes—a signal to go ahead, so she stepped closer.

"I know the answer is probably obvious but I still want to hear it from someone else." She started off slowly. "If...that woman has been stalking me since I lived in the human world, does that mean...Jushirmai already knew of me too? Did...we meet there too?"

Rukia could tell in a millisecond from the deep contact she kept with his eyes that it was true. She had first met Jushirmai in the living world which explained why he acted the way he did when he first saw her.

She stepped back. "I see."

Her head lowered a bit before she sat on the chair behind her and released an exhausted sigh.

"There is a reason why I did not want you to know of or remember your human life."

She nodded her head sluggishly. "So it started from then…"

"I do not get it." Byakuya voiced. "Were you not aware that you were one of his obsessions from before? Was that not already obvious?"

"No, it was different." Rukia said. "I didn't think I was just any one of his normal obsessions. I didn't think I could be one because there were clear differences between the way he acted with me and those who were his obsessions. I thought that it started the moment I got myself involved in the Okasake clan's business. Knowing this now just means that I was just a normal one from the beginning."

"Do not let it sway you."

"I'm not." She replied dully. "I'm just...having a hard time with adjusting to it."

She tilted her head up. "I was just a human then. He saw me from then and decided to name me as another one of his obsessions. Somehow that woman and him knew that I'd meet the Okasake clan and took watch over me. He knew I'd somehow be involved even before I died."

A breath of irritation left her mouth. "All this time, I've been investigating those cases as if I was just above them. Yes I've had visions, yes I've drawn things that people tell me are scary, yes, he's creepy and stalks me a lot and pursues me but even so, I've always felt like I've barely touched the surface of what those other people went through because I wasn't scared. I've never been scared nor have become equally infatuated or tormented by him mentally like they did, I thought I was different."

"You are." Ginrei answered. "Though that is working against you, not with you."

"You are saying that she is more than just an obsession to him?" Byakuya asked to clarify. "Is it because she protects his birthright?"

"Those prior obsessions have never met it personally in its true form. It only converses with them through visions or dreams. However, it had introduced itself and maintained a relationship with her outside of her brain which is unusual."

"What does he even want anymore?" Rukia asked in exhaustion. "Does the Soul King really matter at this point?"

"It is the one obsession it has barely touched. It does have its importance here." But…? Rukia asked in her head, expecting him to continue. "However, it is connected to you thus making you a stronger target."

"I can't believe this…" Rukia muttered.

"You should be cautious." Byakuya warned, barely earning a glance. "Do not allow yourself to be burdened alone with such information."

She didn't respond to him.

"It will take time to digest the new information we have been given over the years in relation to this situation. Process it slowly."

"If this is really my future...I want to change it. I need to change it and it all starts with Sensei Okasake. I have to have the older me speak with him again."

"I have tried to convince the older you to speak with him though she is still resilient."

"And that's why I'm afraid." Rukia admitted. "Knowing that the older me worries about meeting him face to face too...it makes me wonder."

"He will speak to you." Byakuya assured quietly. "You are clearly very special to him and...family so he will."

"There's no guarantee of that. If there was, the older me wouldn't be so afraid." She answered with her stare to the silver side of the stretcher. "Sensei and I have always been close. I don't see what could've stopped me from speaking to him in the first place. It doesn't matter what, even if I had to leave for whatever reason, I wouldn't need to stop speaking to him but I did. It makes me feel as if he won't forgive me."

"He will." For the first time, at least properly, her eyes met his—near the rock wall. He was handing her something, it was a can—a light pink one with a big strawberry. It was the strawberry milk drink she liked so much from the human world.

"Thanks." She muttered quietly while taking it. "I'd...like to believe that, believe me but if older me is this concerned, it makes me think...what if…"

"You did nothing wrong." Ginrei intervened. "Your only fault is not visiting him, however that is understandable."

"Understandable to him?" Rukia asked. "Or understandable to me? I don't think Sensei isn't understanding or anything but if he really doesn't forgive me, I don't know what I'll do."

"You can start by explaining who and exactly what you are." A stern, woman's voice suggested behind her chair. She could already tell it was the Lieutenant.

It was perfect timing to say the least. Though she had intervened while she was speaking about something personal, like it was planned, she acted as if she expected it—showing no surprise to the intervention.

Deliberately, she had revealed herself to her. And though it was a vast shift in character, she let her face abandon all the emotions she emitted whilst speaking about Sensei.

She stood up, walking to the Kuchiki heir before sitting on the high rock shelf beside him. It took him by surprise though she had grudgingly given in and accepted his help.

"Great, where do we start?"

---

Her mouth opened to say something, enough to make a sound before a coarse tone cut her off. "—Enough—"

"Sensei!"

"I said that was enough."

"But would you just—"

"Enough."

Rukia only bit back for a few seconds before she leaned forward again, "I—"

"Do not make me tell you that again." He warned.

This couldn't be it. She had to refuse it in spite of the warning.

But before she could make up her mind on what to say, he broke their contact and turned his head back to its straight position to the fireplace.

When he did, she brought out her plea. "If you could just—"

She watched his head turn back to her again, at a speed that could not be rivaled. Her own chest jumped at the sudden movement, a silent gasp leaving her own mouth—

"My dear." He ordered sternly.

Time froze.

She froze.

It had accidentally slipped and she knew it and so did he. He hadn't meant for it to come out but it did. She leaped into his arms, he remained as still as a statue but she didn't care.

Squeezing his body, she let the sobs she bit back from earlier come out as her tears formed a wet pool on his shoulder.

For the first time, in a very long while, she cried.

He still wasn't touching her.

It only motivated her to squeeze him further and let it all out.

"I-I'm...sorry." She squeaked after a brief problem with breathing as she couldn't control herself.

Shaking her head with agony, "so sorry…" the words came out as a whisper.

"I-If you're d-disappointed with m-me, Sensei…" tears filled her eyes in an instant at the start of it. "I-I'm so sorry."

"Enough." He ordered again though just as the beginning, it was released with a breath of exhaustion.

Rukia shook her head defiantly, the bridge of her nose sliding on and off the fabric of his indoor haori—shorter and much lighter.

"No." One 'no' led to a few crippling others. "No, no, no, no."

Each was delivered with a breath following it until the nos faded into nothingness and she was back to her sobbing.

Even amidst the crying and the spluttered words, his hand never once raised to touch her back and with that she knew his decision was sealed.

Something as rare and as beautiful as what they shared could fade into nothingness.

It was a done deal.

---

"Start with how you are an ally of the Okasake clan and are aiding the Okasake heir to triumph." Nanao demanded with crossed arms to the younger girl.

She had learned more than enough in the past few hours to conclude that the Lieutenant of the 13th Division was a great liar—enough to be an unofficial associate of the Okasake clan, literally bounded to the assassin's name at its core, the protector of the Okasake heir's birthright and yet she asked him for help and frequently visits him as if that is natural.

Nanao didn't trust her. The details she had learned was enough for her to doubt everything the woman was and present a new scenario.

Luckily, the younger child version of her was here—perfectly donned for the role of a traitor as she was wearing the standard assassin uniform.

It was long-sleeved, folded a bit upwards, according to her style, nearing her elbows but not quite to showcase those clan gloves—black and long and probably went all the way up to her shoulders like the white ones she wore.

It was a quick glance though she could spot the handles of the sai blades that ran up her spine and thick black bracelets on both wrists. She couldn't believe that they had been this fooled and even allowed her to be a ranking officer.

"Triumph?" Rukia leaned forward, repeating the word in amusement mixed with absurdity. These people were insane. "You think I'm aiding Okasake Jushirmai? In what world does that make sense?"

"In my world it makes perfect sense. Would you care to prove me otherwise?"

Rukia nodded her head, the absurdity of the accusation still humoring her. "Yes, I would. I'm not an ally of Okasake Jushirmai. We've always been on opposing sides from the beginning."

"I find that hard to believe given that nothing was done to seal him if he posed a threat from early on."

"You're not well-informed of what Okasake Jushirmai was like during those times now were you? He was never a child then, he had his abilities long before his adoption. He entered the Okasake clan with his plan long developed. Locking someone up isn't an easy task when they're that far gone."

"The Okasake clan bear responsibility for not taking care of the matter then. Or should I say, your clan bears responsibility for not taking care of that then. If he was that dangerous to the Soul Society and couldn't be locked up, do you admit to saying you were all unable too?"

Rukia scoffed. "If you think the soul reapers would even have a chance to subdue him then you're too far gone in your own conditioning to recognize the superiors."

"The same goes for you too then."

"Wrong." Rukia countered. "I don't think you all are incompetent. I recognize your abilities unlike most of the assassins over there. I just think you're taking this matter too lightly. Right now, you're accusing me without thinking. Instead of weeding out the inconsistencies based on what you heard, out of frustration and desperation to point blame at someone, you're choosing me even when there's no evidence to support your claim."

Nanao was rendered speechless. From the noble tone to the way her words were delivered with eyes as sharp as the tip of a knife. Though she had opened her mouth to reply, nothing came out.

The younger Byakuya beside her was surprised by her eloquent response. She really had grown up with noble influences to speak the way she did—it brought on some feelings of impressment.

"I can assure you, Lieutenant. I have no involvement with Okasake Jushirmai's plan or whatever his kind might be. The person you're talking about has been stalking me ever since I was human—long before I had any involvement with the Okasake clan or even knew them. I was an innocent child then but somehow I had taken his interest and became another name on his long list of obsessions—people he has tortured mentally till death. I came to the Rukongai with no knowledge of who this person was. I met him as the nephew of Sensei Okasake and from there, I was constantly pursued by him and silently watched over by his accomplice, a woman in the Rukongai who has been stalking me as well as a human. My involvement with the Okasake clan led me to be given an important role in the family and for that reason, he's always had a grudge on me. Just like his other obsessions, I've suffered from everything they've gone through. I've hated him from the start and felt uncomfortable with this presence. I never once liked him at all."

"For you to claim that I'm aiding him disgusts me but more importantly, insults me. I've never feared him before but he's done whatever he can to make me feel afraid. Okasake Jushirmai has gone after approximately 253 different obsessions. I'm number 254 and probably the only number that will never die. What makes me different is that I'm more than an obsession, I'm a hurdle he needs to get across but can't. Where there's infatuation, there's loath. But you didn't know that—of course you didn't, how could you?"

Byakuya, sitting on the chair atop the ground beside her, cleared his throat to throw an additional piece.

"Your accusation is baseless. He has mentally tormented every single one of his obsessions—her included to a much greater scale. She has suffered throughout her life to rid herself of the explicit visions, torment, and fear that has followed her throughout her life. She has not spent a single day alone in her life, not even in her own mind. In addition to enduring that much, she also keeps the Soul King heart pure—she is the only spark of light within it and thus the only being keeping the Soul Society from the brink of collapse."

From the corner of her eye, Rukia shot him a glance but he didn't look to her.

"Jushirmai and I are connected to that heart." Rukia informed her slowly. "Because of that connection, I have to be careful. There's only one spark of light left and given the location of the heart and the dominant darkness within it, I have to keep that light strong and existing or else the Soul Society loses its own purified air. It seems suspicious to you but I visit Jushirmai to ensure no harm is done to the Soul Society and so his anger doesn't amplify and challenge the light. The acquaintanceship you look down upon is what's keeping you alive."

That last sentence shook Nanao down to her core. She didn't expect such an alliance to be so crucial to the Soul Society's existence but she understood it immediately. It was enough for her stomach to heave at the thought of their situation.

Blood slithered away from her face briefly and she went pale. It was a lot to digest at once however, she had to stomach it. This was their reality as of now.

"She is his threat." The young teenage boy's voice earned him a glance. "But she is also his weakness. Given that she can survive death, he will never move on. Your accusation is far from true for she has been sacrificing herself for the sake of the Soul Society's existence as a pure state. She honourably took the responsibility and has fulfilled it in every sense so that you all could exist without troubles in regards to land. As the only hope left for the heart, you have greatly humiliated yourself for thinking that she has anything to do with his wrongdoings."

He was defending her and really well to say the least.

She didn't look at him this time. Instead, she kept her stare to the stunned woman in front of her—clearly very appalled and with slight defeat, apologetic.

Nanao didn't know what to say now. She looked at the two younger versions of the present Kuchikis with a bit of remorse stirring within her for the way she had approached the situation.

"I apologize for offending you." Nanao muttered before drawing a sharp breath. "I just feel odd in regards to our situation. I know very little and for that reason, I was too rash."

Rukia relaxed her shoulders, loosening the stiff expression on her face after the Lieutenant's apology.

"If you want to know something, ask. But please stop accusing me of things I didn't do." Rukia said. "I can answer your questions if you let me."

"Very well." Nanao agreed. "I would like to know the reason you came to the Seireitei and disguised yourself as a soul reaper."

"I don't know the answer to that one yet. The older me hasn't told me. The most I can answer about is the past where I'm from. I only know a bit of my future."

"T-Then shouldn't w-we just wait for Lieutenant Kuchiki, Lieutenant Ise?" Hanatarō, who had been standing next to her, asked. "W-We can find out everything then."

Rukia shot him a keen stare at that title again and that last name.

"I suppose." Nanao said in a breath of exhaustion. "However, you can help in explaining the history of our enemy, can you not, Lieutenant Kuchiki?"

It irked her so much to hear that name be associated with her.

It's just a name, she told herself.

"What do you want to know?"

"W-Well," the tiny soul reaper who seemed to stutter quite often stepped forward. "Is it true that he's the only heir to the heart? And that if he gets it the Soul Society will be finished? Is the Soul Society already in trouble? W-What about the bodies? What do we do if they can't get up? W-Will we have to move to the scary assassin side?"

It seemed that he lost the stutter when he spoke quickly. Either way, Rukia wouldn't be able to answer them all—he clearly was in too much panic.

From what she could remember, she answered.

"Just because he's heir to the heart doesn't mean it can absorb into him as easily. There's still that light—that light is a pure light, it won't enter him unless he gets rid of it which he won't. As for the Soul Society, you're right—the Soul Society has been in trouble for a long while. The land's falling apart, we've done our best to keep things quiet and hide the chandelier however, it's holding onto a thin thread and has been for a really long time."

"Chandelier?" Nanao repeated in curiosity. "What's that?"

The Captain shot her a look from his right eye. With that, she proceeded with caution.

"The chandelier is what's keeping the whole thing together. The Soul Society's land is crumbling—the pure reishi is being challenged by influences similar to that of Hell's environment. The chandelier isn't really a chandelier—just a name we use since it sort of looks like one now."

"But how does it keep us safe from impurity and land destruction?"

She shifted her gaze to the Captain who had resumed his reading though she sensed his aura. It was at that moment where she contemplated whether to be vague or intricate.

The tension thick in the air was enough to tell her that discussing this was very serious to him. For that, she chose vagueness—remembering her earlier promise to refrain from mentioning certain things as he had asked her when she first arrived.

"The chandelier," she began slowly, "is made up of the pure light which makes up the barrier in Hell along with a key weapon belonging to the House of Souls—chained fan blades. The chains suspend from all the corners and ends of the Soul Society from the middle of the Soul Society. It's a structure that was made to hold things together and to purify any reishi that fell from the darkness into the Soul Society. It's what keeps the Soul Society ideally pure."

"You mean…" Nanao was stunned yet again. "...that's the only thing keeping us together then? Has the heart been poisoned that much?"

"I'm afraid so. But fortunately, it's the most powerful method we have right now and is a hundred percent guaranteed to hold the Soul Society up."

"B-But how c-come we've never seen it, Lieutenant?" Rukia hid her growing impatience and answered because she found him slightly adorable.

"The pure light is sheatsu-based. It's intentionally been hidden so that the Soul Society would appear as normal as it has been appearing."

Her previously lowered head deep in thought shot up. "Does the Head Captain know about this?"

"Yes. It's a joint agreement—between Sensei and the Head Captain—an agreement to keep it hidden."

---

"If that's the case, then," Tōshirō paused. "How did the Head Captain not know of Kuchiki?"

"Everything we've heard so far tells me he should've known but then..." Rangiku said.

"If the Head Captain knew so much of this situation and considering how involved she is in it, I still don't see how he wouldn't know about her from before." Uryū said, agreeing.

"Captain Sui-Feng, do you have anything to say about this?" Lieutenant Hisagi asked, almost jaded.

Sui-Feng still had her eyes closed as they had been ever since...the incident.

"I don't know if the Head Captain knows. She didn't say anything to me about that." Sui-Feng responded.

Nobody believed her.

"I wish we could see it." Jūshiro said. "I would like to know what exactly Hiro-sensei and Genryūsai-sensei have been hiding from us all these years."

"I knew they were doing something." Kensei said. "I knew the Soul Society couldn't just be fine and dandy if the Soul King's heart was on its way to dying."

"Dandy?" Captain Hirako repeated with a smirk.

"There's been...a lot of natural disasters…" the voice of the younger Rukia informed in the background. "There's been times where the Soul Society has gone through things that were kept secret or erased. Land breaking or moving apart, rising water, even hollows born from the darkness that broke free and entered without warning were handled in private. The assassins mainly manage that task as of now in addition to all the natural disasters that have occurred over the years."

"Seems like she's been breaking apart faster than we thought." Captain Kyōraku said.

"Natural disasters?" Ichigo repeated, a term he never thought he'd hear in relation to the Soul Society.

Natural disasters happened in the human world but here? He couldn't imagine the Soul Society being torn apart by tsunamis and earthquakes. The hollow things Rukia spoke of made more sense than anything.

"A different breed of hollows?" Mayuri asked out loud—intrigued.

Lowering his voice, he said to himself. "They must be the soul shadow beings they mentioned."

The words remained unnoticed to everybody except the keen ears of the 10th Division Lieutenant.

"What was that, Captain Kurotsuchi?" She purposely voiced it as loud as she could so that everyone would turn to him.

Mayuri cursed her immediately and then himself for being such a loud mouth—he was turning into Nemu, he thought to himself.

Eyes of various colours were stuck on him, waiting for a continuation.

With a stoic face, she stared at him coolly—acting as if it was no big deal. "Soul shadows?"

Mayuri wished he could erase the last thirty seconds as well as the Lieutenant from existence. With the light on him, he cleared his throat and broke her gaze.

"What's the difference?" Ichigo voiced.

He could tell from the human's eyes that he found him suspicious now and wouldn't let him loose. Especially after Captain Sui-Feng.

"If you're lying too, I'm not trusting none of you anymore." Kensei said immediately. "You're all suspects to me."

"Soul shadows," he started with his two hands holding each other—his left index finger lightly rubbing over his right knuckle. "They're a recent discovery of mine. They're hollows however, the hollowfication system is different when it comes to them."

"How so?" Lieutenant Kira asked.

"Well, unlike souls in the human world who stay behind and develop a chain, these particular hollows are born out of the despair from our world." He informed them. "Based on what I discovered, it seems that unsolving despair as a soul can give birth to this hollow. After death, the scale of the sorrow can either lead to resolve or resistance—resistance which leads to birth. They're called soul shadows because well, you'll see it when you see them, their faces are a bit different—they become no more than shadows of their existence, attached to the particular pain they endured while living as a soul here."

"Huh." Rangiku commented, faux interest written all over it. She was more interested in the 'they mentioned' part. He didn't discover them on his own—she knew that for sure. "So who are 'they'?"

Mayuri gave no immediate response or reaction.

"What are you talking about, Rangiku-san?" Momo questioned her though the taller Lieutenant's eyes remained on the Captain.

"I heard you, Captain Kurotsuchi. You said 'they must be the soul shadows they mentioned'. Who are 'they'? The assassins?" Rangiku paused. "Do you have relations with the assassins? You're not a noble nor are you a part of the 2nd Division so what's your reasoning for hiding it?"

Mayuri tried his best to lie though it was clear as glass that he had been caught red-handed.

"Do you have to assume everything is about those assassins?" He snapped. "I meant my division. When I was running my experiments on those samples of what we now know is sheatsu, Akon informed me that he saw one in the sky. Of course I didn't believe him given the situation however, he claimed in hysterics that he did but it disappeared."

If he got through this lie, he was never speaking again.

"Do you really think they of all people would tell me, a soul reaper, of their findings?" He asked. "If that were the case, I would've known more about our land breaking sooner and would have started investigating in order to find a method to stop it."

"Akon and a team I specifically designed to do more inquiries into hollows discovered this being and termed it 'soul shadows'." A lie. "I don't know what they call them over there but what I do know is that I didn't believe much of them existed anymore until now."

"And how are you so sure they're the same hollows the younger Lieutenant Kuchiki is talking about?" Rangiku asked. "All she said was that hollows born from the darkness were set free."

Mayuri gritted his teeth. "I just assumed that the soul shadow hollows that my team discovered were the ones she was alluding to. I said, 'they must be' and if I'm proven wrong then I'll gladly accept the responsibility for misleading you, will that make everyone happy?"

The Lieutenant seemed to be reading right through him unlike the others, they were thinking.

He could tell they were all critiquing his words carefully—trying to weed out any lies or inconsistencies however, the more he thought of it, it sounded quite legitimate.

A minor assumption due to his discovery shouldn't have this much doubt placed upon it. In his mind, it made sense.

Slowly, he watched each of them return their attention to the younger Lieutenant speaking—a drop of relief touching him each time one of them fell for his lie. But of course, the 10th Division just had to be dramatic and take the longest to turn.

It was clear that they were going to be the nuisances for the rest of this whole thing. The 10th Division Captain, who was placed further away from his Lieutenant near the stretcher, was clearly placing his bets on his Lieutenant's instinct.

He didn't turn until she did and that told him they were going to be much difficult to convince moving forward.

He'd have to continue with this lie to the best of his ability. Who would've thought he was meant for the stage.

---

Hanatarō gasped. "D-Does that mean you're unsafe, L-Lieutenant?"

Rukia mentally closed her eyes again. 'Lieutenant' and 'Kuchiki' was the only thing she could hear from his mouth. Though she was trying her very best to be patient, she wished that he could call her by her name.

She shrugged. "I don't know. He can't really kill me so."

"O-Oh, well that's good!" Hanatarō said. "It would be even more dangerous if he threatened your life, Kuchiki-san! I'm glad you're alright!"

"Though these visions of yours...how vivid are they?" Nanao inquired.

"Uh it usually depends." Rukia replied. "Some are gross and some are just mild terror. Sometimes I see myself in weird scenarios or I see deaths of others. The thing is that I can't really tell you how horrible they are because once I draw them, they become like a faint memory and while looking at them, I don't feel any remorse."

"And all his other victims went through this same process?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah, they've all drawn stuff like me—seen stuff like me but to each, their own."

"I see. And there's no correlation between you and any other of the victims?"

"None." Rukia answered. "If we find similarities in a few, the others don't have it. Nothing is completely consistent in any of the people he's messed with. The most we've found is a few relations between one person and another but it doesn't apply to any of the rest at all."

"I'm assuming you have all the records." She said.

"I don't have them but the present me does."

Hanatarō looked up at her. "Where is Lieutenant Kuchiki?"

"She….." Rukia tried to think of an excuse. "...went to get something."

She didn't want to explain the reason behind the older her's absence. Even if they did know she visited Jushirmai now for the sake of the Soul Society, she was still wary of how much they believed her.

"O-Oh! I understand." He said. "It'd be n-nice to see Lieutenant Kuchiki i-in person. It's been awhile since she left and I last saw her."

Rukia looked down at him from the high rock she was sitting on. She'd have to correct him if she wanted to cease that name being used in association with her.

"If you don't mind, Yamada—was it? Please call me Rukia." She asked him kindly.

"C-Call me, Hanatarō! And u-uh, sorry Lieutenant but how can I call you by your name now?"

"I'm...allowing it. Just…" she tried to hide her distaste. "Please don't call me that name."

"Lieutenant?"

Rukia nodded her head.

He opened his mouth though she rushed to add, "and…"

"Kuchiki?" He squeaked in disbelief.

"Yeah, just call me Rukia."

"Does it bother you that much?" Byakuya questioned beside her before she turned to him.

"Yes." Her gaze returned to Hanatarō.

"B-But you're a seated officer now, I can't j—"

"Rukia." She said again. "Just call me that. Please don't call me anything else."

"But Lieutenant—"

"Rukia."

"K-Kuchiki-san—"

"Rukia."

"Y-Yes but it feels very inappropriate to c-call you like that now, I can't—"

"Yes you can." Rukia encouraged. "Please...it makes me uncomfortable."

"Lieutenant?"

"Yes." Rukia said, this time more passionately. "And…"

"K-Kuchiki?" His eyes got a little wider. "B-But that's your surn—"

"Please don't say that. I want no association with it."

"No association?" Byakuya asked beside her. "How can you say you want 'no association' when you know grandfather…"

He then paused—realization striking through like lightning.

His arms crossed. "And father," he leaned in closer, "and Aunt Sugina," and closer, "and her husband."

Rukia let her eyes flicker in annoyance.

"You even—" His grandfather immediately shot him a cool glare to stop him. He knew what he was about to say or rather, reveal to her.

Had a sister who I was married to was the sentence.

He was glad she did not question it.

"Which makes it all, if not more, uncomfortable." Rukia argued before resuming her attention to Hanatarō.

"I-I understand, Lieutenant." He bowed his head.

"Rukia." She corrected.

"R-Right, Rukia-san! Sorry, Lieutenant—ah! Wait!"

"Rukia." She said slowly—emphasizing each syllable.

"I-I know, my apologies L-Lieutenant! I'm just so u-used to calling you Lieutenant Kuchiki I-I—"

Rukia snapped. "Do I look like the Lieutenant?"

Taken aback, he leaned backwards. "H-Huh? Oh well, n-no? Y-Yes? Maybe? I've n-never met the f-former Lieutenant before."

"So then why do you need to call me that over and over again?" Rukia asked in exhaustion. "I'm not the Lieutenant. So please stop calling me that, it's weird—really, really weird."

"I promise, I won't," Hanatarō said. "Lieutenant—WAIT! S-Sorry, Lieutenant—I-I mean Kuchiki-san—I mean!" He gasped. "Rukia-san!"

"Just stop it!" Rukia bawled. "Do you like him that much?"

"No—I don't know—"

"Do you want me to shoot his arrow into you or something?"

"H-Huh? No, Lieu—"

Rukia lost her patience. "Stop calling me that!"

She was not the Lieutenant.

She was not a Lieutenant.

And more importantly, she was not a Kuchiki.

She didn't belong to that family.

She didn't belong to any family.

Why was that so difficult to understand?

---

A hand had touched the back of her skull and now her breath was left to tremble after each inhale and exhale. Something shuddered within her at the touch.

The drowsiness snaked in so quickly at that moment. Her tired eyes begged to stay close and just escape into perpetual darkness until she was awake again. However, he brought them right out again.

"Silly child," he finally said, voice still low and lost in a breath. "You still think you're at fault for what happened that day."

Pulling herself away, she sniffed numerous times with her face lowered. She wiped her own tears in a sloppy fashion.

Two fingers—the index and the middle—belonging to his left hand daintily touched the right side of her face and wiped a tear.

She couldn't resist it then—she looked up.

"You should know by now who and what is responsible for that day." He said. "If you still burden yourself with blame, you have not changed."

"I haven't." Rukia whispered.

With restrained affection, she quietly observed his face again. "You still look the same."

"A line or two on my face."

"And…" she heaved. "Some weight. You have cheeks now."

"Blame all of Sasakibe's western custards."

"Nonsense, it's a good thing. Before you rarely ate—the only proper meal you ate was dinner."

"That is because dinner has the most,"

"Good food." They finished together and for the first time since coming here, a small smile drew on her face.

Her eyes fluttered and her head bent again.

"Why won't you look at me?"

"How can I?"

"What do you mean?"

She frowned. "You know what I mean."

"If this is about Ginrei then yes I condemn you." He said. "If this is about that incident, I do not condemn you. And if this is about your absence, I am neutral."

She raised her head a little. "You forgive me?"

He paused before correcting. "I condemn you..a bit."

"I'm sorry."

"I cannot say I do not feel some dissatisfaction with your behaviour or that would be a lie. You were so close and yet acted as if I was nonexistent in your life. For that, I harbor my share of hostility towards that decision."

"I didn't—"

"Nonetheless," he stopped her. "I cannot use that as a reason to dismiss you."

"I...will take some time to reflect on my behavior and—"

"There is no need. Despite my own feelings, you were also enduring a lot at the time. For me to judge you while you were enduring that much would be immoral. Though I cannot forgive you...yet."

Rukia nodded her head in agreement. That was a just punishment.

"I understand." Rukia said with a smile. "It would be wrong of me to ask anyways. Even if things were how they were, the last two years have been a real game changer for me and with Captain back, I had the opportunity but hid in cowardice."

"In a way," she added. "It only made me feel like I was more in the wrong. It didn't make sense at all—in fact, I felt like I was betraying good for evil."

His voice grew stern. "How have you been doing, my child?"

A loose bang out front suddenly went around her ear—he had put it aside.

"The matters of the heart have worn you out." He observed.

Rukia didn't want to think of how horrid she looked in front of him. The lack of sleep, the pressure, frustration, and the past all weighed on her at once.

"We will eat before you go." He announced. "And will discuss matters of the heart later."

Rukia watched him stand.

"I must return soon." He informed her. "Let us see how well you remember our traditional dishes."

---

"Naohira!" Inari called after her—bloodshot eyes ready to cause a fight. "Naohira!"

"What happened to him? Did she injure him?"

It was becoming difficult for her to have someone as continually suspicious and doubtful as Inari surround her. Her skepticism was exhausting and led to nowhere.

"That is not your concern." Naohira responded nonchalantly while holding onto her folders.

"I have the right to question him just like anybody else. Why did he leave the palace? According to As Nödt, he got injured by the pure light."

As Nödt wasn't one for keeping secrets, she should've expected that he'd run his mouth.

"Are you his assistant?" She really didn't care for the ruby guardian's concerns.

"If the others can accept it, why can't you?"

"They're fools."

"They're smart." Naohira countered. "They understand what they're up against. They understand that the mask our commander wears often differs from his true intentions. If he does something careless, there's a benefit coming out of it, you're just too dumb to recognize it all. You think the 'love' he has for that woman is enough to make him deter from his path and promises."

The mouth of the ruby guardian had gone dry.

"If everyone believed he was that much of a fool, he wouldn't have forged so many alliances. If he was that much of a fool, all those prior obsessions would've resulted in his downfall but he still stands and will stand. If you wish to be set free, I'll let you go but..." she approached the twin doors with gold vines slithering backwards to unlock.

Her head turned to meet the quiet ruby guardian. "I'll have to cut your tongue first."

She opened the cream doors and entered the second largest hall of the Soul King Palace—its theme was based on the natural blonde colour of citrine and the commercial colour being a rich orange-brown.

Voices were reduced to echoes in a hall as big and tall. Shuffling the papers in her hands, Naohira walked to the long dinner table with paralleled lines of taper candles running till the end, all her members seated and ready with spider silk webs hosted upon each set of china as a decorative design.

Inari was still following close behind her, quiet until she reached the head of the table.

"Why would you cut it off?" Naohira was impressed by how courageous the woman was. She only had patience built for one man, anyone else was bound to leave her side in unfavorable conditions if they kept snipping at her.

Inari was on a slippery slope.

Naohira turned slowly this time, allowing her eyes to bloat with a thick pool of darkness before meeting her—her high dark brows doing the intimidating look for her.

She brought two of her fingers to the chin of the ruby guardian as if she was belittling a little girl.

"You know too much. You've been here for long. Who knows what you'd do with that knowledge." She tilted her head to get a finer look of the woman's face, sharp bottom teeth coming to light as her lips slightly opened.

"Remember, the day you swore to come in here as an ally, you made a pledge to our Soul King."

Whispered voices among those seated told her that they could hear and knew what was happening.

Naohira couldn't say she knew what the woman was thinking. Her gaze remained indecipherable.

From the corner of her eyes, she could spot the soul form of Shedsy, right-hand of the Leader of the Soul Shadows, pleading with her from a distance to shut up and come. It was evidently affecting her decision making as those ruby eyes shot left and right before she surrendered.

But she was stubborn.

Instead of admitting her defeat, headstrong eyes bore into hers before she moved around her and went to sit in her spot beside Shedsy.

Naohira knew she'd have to get rid of her soon.

"As you can all tell, our Head Commander has been busy. For that reason, I have assumed the role of acting Head Commander in the meanwhile. Take your glass and drink your blood—he prepared it for you all in his absence. You should all remember who your father is."

Each member picked up the silver chalice and downed the red liquid.

"I understand you've all been in shackles for a long while, longing to make contact with the outside world. Fortunately those shackles will be released today and you will seek who you've been wanting to once the clock strikes twelve with limitations."

"The Gotei 13 have been located though you will not pursue them further until they are out. They've lost themselves in the Interioreum World as reported by As Nödt. The Capital will be a different story—it's time to give them their warning, they're being too friendly with the soul reapers."

"I will have a specific amount of you dispatched to the Capital. Preferably our soul shadows as delegates for the message. As for the others, you will pursue a different crew and that is the remaining soul reapers in the Seireitei, there are assassin members there who you will need to warn. Finally, there is the other crew—a very special one. She is there with a few personnels who will interest a few of you. Do as you see fit with that batch, it doesn't concern me."

A breath of satisfaction left the mouth of Yamada Seinosuke. "It's been a while since I last saw him. To think, he doesn't know his own brother...they were smart in keeping him away."

The everlasting smirk soon faced the mother-daughter pair, Sei and Sako. "You entered the Seireitei without your daughter last time in hopes of seeing Shihōin Yoruichi, will it be the same when we go visit her down in that dimension?"

Eyebrows glossed with a chilling ice layer remained straight as gleaming twin suns cursed the man diagonally to her left for even uttering her name.

"She doesn't deserve to see her."

Seinosuke already knew how much the woman was cursing him on the insides for mentioning the name so flagrantly. Her little daughter must've felt the chills as she quietly stepped behind her and looped her arm around her upper arm.

"And you, Clareese?" Though it was blinding, he kept his eyes connected with the mother named Sei.

The Leader of the Soul Shadows released a deep roar which rumbled their bellies. "I have no interest. I'll see her in her dreams."

"You're not going?" His right-hand, Shedsy questioned across from him—still in her human form.

"It is useless." He responded with a deep tune following. "I know what I can control when I'm in her mind, I can avoid the introduction."

Naohira stared at the Leader of the Soul Shadows, Clareese.

He had the skeleton head of a lamb for a head with dusky crescent moon earrings hanging on the two sides of bones sticking out near his forehead. Horns curved above his head covered with wavy hair and a thick veil covering everything but the horns which stuck out of it.

"If I appear in front of her, she will grow even more resistant. She is already being difficult with sleep."

"She's not sleeping?" Naohira tried to act surprised but her voice came out too dull to fake it. Of course, she wanted to scoff.

"He had asked for me to invade her mind again—to have her dream about the former Sensei; however, she's being reluctant."

"She'll eventually succumb to it." Naohira said. "When she does, you should make it as difficult for her as she did for you."

"Granted. That is why I will avoid us meeting."

Shedy grinned wide with her sharp teeth showing, a giggle leaving her mouth. "Make her dream about Gureta again. Dream of her killing her son. And if you want, you can even throw her grandfather in there."

"You should be as graphic as possible." Naohira added. "Anything to make her uncomfortable enough to build the darkness. You should also use Kuchiki Ginrei to your advantage."

Yes, Naohira thought to herself. If she wanted to redeem herself in any way, she would have to make that woman much, much weaker in mind. Now was the time to take advantage with so many fears lodged in her brain.

"We have to remind ourselves that making that woman weaker works to our advantage." Naohira said. "We'll save you two for last."

Her gaze fell on the two elder soul shadows side by side in their soul form but they didn't speak to her or acknowledge her at all.

Naohira scanned the dining table. All members sat straight and stiff, to the right were the soul shadows, each of their heads were akin to the skeletal figure of animal heads or a decomposing human face. They all wore black and veils, their individual choice in styling and appearance is what made them differ from each other but more importantly, their reason for death.

The soul shadow named Clareese, the one with the skeletal lamb for a head, was the Leader of the Soul Shadows. Across from him sat his right-hand and assumed wife before they died, Shedsy who preferred to stay in her soul form as opposed to the hollow-like beast she now was.

On the left sat the soul-kind members, some were like Shedsy and chose to stay in their soul form while others like Yamada Seinosuke appeared the way they did naturally.

Rukia, the actress, sat quietly to her left still free of her clothes and ceremonious as Jushirmai had made her. Naohira didn't know why she even had to come, she hardly did anything that didn't involve her mouth and tongue.

Unlike everyone else, she never drank his blood like she was supposed too. Naohira figured it was due to her role—her only role for that matter. She often wondered if the woman ever attacked anyone in her life.

"As long as she doesn't sleep," Clareese's thunderous voice caught her attention again. "I won't be able to do anything."

"Nonsense, can't you—" Nothing but shock jolted through her when the seemingly absentminded actress beside her raised her right hand and clutched onto her wrist.

Pushing it off, she resumed speaking. "Very well. However, by my orders, ensure that whatever she dreams is vivid. Enough to disturb her immensely and weaken that pure grasp on the heart. Like Shedsy suggested, you will use Kuchiki Ginrei to your advantage."

"And me." A voice disclosed at the end of the table. Naohira recognized her immediately, her eyes were brighter than Inari's.

Dressed like a bride in black with hands near her lap, she tried to hide the displeasure in her face.

"I thought you severed ties." She voiced loudly.

She couldn't see the expression the woman's face was making in response to that. The lace veiled covered everything.

"Desperate fool, you need me."

---

Sensei had two very well known obsessions or interests as he liked to call them.

For one, he had an occasionally overwhelming love for intricate designs—royal intricate designs to be more specific. For that reason, the manor and even the Capital had its own respective grandeur to it all. Design was very important to him, he felt as if a place could not excel without it.

Number two seemed normal but had its own twist. It still bore a connection to his interest in design. He liked royal colours—velvet reds, cortez gold, but most importantly, plum purple.

For that reason, his traditional food choices all had to do with plum and royal shades.

Rukia couldn't help but giggle when she saw the arrangement. Even anything close to leafy green had a plum touch.

Though at first she started off slow, the familiar taste made her gobble everything up and made her realize how long it had been since she had a hot meal like this.

Even the soup she had eaten from Tessai had been cold when she finally got to it.

Perhaps the last time she had had a meal like this was with her brother before she left.

Something clicked in her chest as the memory came to mind. Though she ate with content, her mind still wandered onto the Kuchiki manor. When she ate there, everything felt cold even when the meal was hot.

But again, she was thinking of a time from long ago. Now was a bit different—of course, Byakuya was still silent and by no means transformed into the wildness that occurred in the Kurosaki home during dinner but small talk went a long way in between.

She still felt her limitations though. Right here, she could gobble down as much as she wanted and didn't feel the need to fit into the criteria.

Even now at the dinner table though loose, she still could never go on a full on eating spree like this. But in knowing that brought some sadness upon her. Those standards had been so woven into her, she couldn't break free.

Coincidentally they were the same standards taught here and yet she still felt free.

"When is the last time you ate?" He asked, across from her. They weren't eating in the main dining room but the same room which had a nice small table near the shōji which led to the outdoors.

"Not too long ago." Rukia responded. "But all that stuff is instant stuff from the human world."

"I see." He remarked. "How long has it been since you ate your plum?"

Rukia smiled into her spoon. "Actually, believe it or not, it was only two months ago. It had plum sauce on it!"

He hummed to that. "Kuchiki chefs I suppose."

She froze. A scarlet hue appearing as she caught his stare.

"Ah well…" her voice faded at that line.

"You will have to tell me your reason for that." He mentioned casually. "Or else I will believe it was a cruel act of revenge."

Rukia's bulged for a second. "Revenge? Sensei!"

"Revenge for what?" She then asked.

"I do not know. I am just curious as to what led you into that home."

Rukia sighed. "Is it that weird?"

"The fact that you are questioning it shows how accustomed you've become to it."

She shook her head. "Maybe to the last name. You know, saying 'hi, I'm Kuchiki Rukia' but, there will always be a gap between me and that clan. I just feel miles away, it was never my place to begin with."

After downing some of his tea, he moaned. "It seems you did not enter that clan by choice."

Rukia winked. "Semi-correct."

"It is interesting to see you associate with a last name. Have you been binded to limitations now?"

She nodded her head while downing her own, "a bit...actually, a lot but I get it I mean. The Kuchiki clan is the oldest clan in the Soul Society—obviously I expected them to live up to their reputation. Strict rules and teachings, evil eyes from nobles, and what not. It was nothing out of the ordinary but it's just not for me."

"You learned the same teachings here. It is astounding that you managed to hide all that while under their wing."

"I really did have to start from scratch there. I stumbled a few times—did what I had to do to make myself look less suspicious there. The surprise came when they didn't even recognize me though...I understand why."

"And what of your brother?" She knew he was dying to ask that question. The embarrassment showed for itself.

It was so odd talking about Byakuya in this setting as his sister. She couldn't believe how quickly times could change.

"And what of him?" She tried to deflect from the question.

He arched a brow. "So you will not speak of what is like to be living with Sojun's son?"

"Well...there's nothing to speak of." She answered with her eyes poking into the white grains. "Nii-sama is nice and competent. He's good at pretty much everything, especially art! He draws really well and sculpts really well too."

"Just like his father I suppose?"

Rukia shook her head.

"Nope. Captain Kuchiki's identical twin—in personality."

"Ah, as expected. Ginrei did raise him."

"So then why'd you mention…"

"I just wanted to bring up the subject." He admitted. Rukia stopped eating right then though her hand still held onto her sticks. "Have you visited Sojun's grave while staying there?"

With lowered eyes, she responded, "no. It felt too odd too nor did I find it necessary."

"I see."

"There is still—"

"I know." He dismissed her. "It makes sense. I was just wondering if you did."

"To be honest, it feels too weird to talk about it—them, specifically."

"You have forgotten about it."

"Ignored it." She corrected. "Too weird to think about while being there."

"Understandable."

"I spent the past fifty something years ignoring it—ignoring everything. Thinking of the past even once felt like a whole other life to me—nothing I had experienced, only had memories of. That's sort of how I continued before…"

"Before?"

"Twenty-two years ago."

"And what happened twenty-two years ago that brought you back to acknowledging the past?"

She smirked. "A gift—a little light that helped me bore the lost purity into the darkness and became the Soul Society's hope."

"I am curious to know what that is."

She contemplated how to introduce this.

"Jushirmai." She said with a smile.

He frowned. "Do not speak of that thing."

"More importantly," he added. "It brings me great discomfort to know that he of all people could incite that much light in you to bore something."

"Silly Sensei." She mimicked the way his voice had sounded earlier. A delightful touch was added to her tone as she asked, "when did I say I was talking about Okasake Jushirmai?"

---

10th Division

House of Discovery

Aquamarine / Needle Point

"Ingrim." Cang Du called. "Ingrim."

Impatience rang like bells.

"Ingrim."

He shut his lids.

"Ingrim."

"Ingrim."

"What do you want?" He replied, voice drunk in sickness.

His back was to him. The top of his night wear rolled up to show the coral sand skin of his waist. He made noises as he stretched his arms and moaned, unpleased, into the fabric of the sofa.

"I'm sleeping." He added.

Cang Du just stared at his back, taking notice of the cherry liquor bottle that rested beside the table near the sleeve of the sofa.

The fool had been drinking.

In fret, he made noises as he stretched out his legs and turned left to see the cool light glistening above him.

"I feel nauseous." He shared before a yawn tore his mouth open. Coughs followed, "and sick."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have been drinking."

Closing his eyes, he hummed in agreement before waving his left hand to translate his words—'yeah, I got it.'.

"How'd the meeting go?" He asked with a strained voice.

"You're asking me that, now?" Time had long passed since then.

"What? It's already over?" Cang Du wanted to slap him.

"Think again."

"I don't know. I'm sick, remember?"

"Sick." Cang Du repeated. "You're sick and still drinking."

"A shot doesn't hurt."

"The bottle's empty."

"Really?...Must've been a hard night."

"Take the medication and get up."

"I'm on leave until I'm healthy."

"If that's the case, you'll be in bed your entire life."

"What's with you?" Ingrim asked. "Not like anyone's invaded yet let me sleep."

"If that's the problem then it's already happened."

"...What?"

"The entirety of the 7th Division are ill. They were poisoned by that ice they encountered. A quarter went out and got it and now the entire division is sick except Sensei Seo, Major Abha and a few others. And I think," he prepared to lie. "You have it too."

"Me?"

"You went out, got drunk, probably had no idea what was happening to you so it was just a pinch. You got sick—you are sick and now you're bed ridden until we find a cure."

It was the only way to get him up.

"It was probably the cold, no big deal."

"If it's just a cold, get tested."

"I don't need it."

"Why? Afraid of how much alcohol they'll find in your system and realize your lying?"

He scoffed in response.

"It might be contagious. So if I were you, I'd get going." Cang Du advised.

Ingrim shook his head against his arms that were folded above his lids. "No need."

"You rather poison us all?"

Silence.

"If you're worried about the alcohol, be lucky everybody knows what kinda guy you are."

"Secretary Yuming around?"

"Of course she is, she's running the entire unit."

"Then we don't stand a chance."

"You should've expected that. Probably didn't even know there's a lockdown going on around here."

"I'm sick. Cut me some slack."

"Maybe if it was real, it'd concern me."

He raised his left hand and pointed his index finger. "Half dead but, didn't you just ask me to get tested for this?"

"I did in case it's real. Get up and get tested. Secretary Yuming should be the least of your worries right now."

Cang Du hit his chest as a last warning before moving though Ingrim caught his left wrist and held on.

He stopped and watched the half drunk Secretary open his sometimes lemon, sometimes emerald eyes lined with thick ink lashes which often made them look like the wings of a tiger swallowtail.

"Looks like you've been infected." A flirtatious smile on his lips revealed the sharp ends of his teeth like fangs.

Cang Du jerked his hand away. "You're faking."

"Guess we'll figure out when you get infected. Nothing I can do on my side for you. You did allow yourself to get touched."

"If you're not out by ten, I'll bring Secretary Yuming."

As he walked away, he made sure to mention, "you'll miss your chance of sneaking in if I do."

Ingrim scowled before throwing the pillow in the air.

"Alright, I'm out." He announced tiredly as if Cang Du couldn't see.

Braced against the white wall of the corridor on Level 2 of their division barracks, Cang Du bounced up and headed left.

"Where we going?" He asked before rubbing his eyes—the light was too bright. "4th Division's that way."

"12th."

"Why?"

"I've got questions for Abarai."

Ingrim raised his brows, Abarai? "Am I the drunk one or you?"

"Hasn't it been," he pretended to count. "I don't know, fifty-something years since he hit the dust. Are you on something?"

"Wrong. He came back, apparently he's been stuck in the Inklin Mountains for years."

"Really?" The news sucked the drunkness right out of him. "Is he alright?"

"Fine as ever and that's the problem. I don't believe him." Cang Du said with his back to him. "He's lying about something. There's no way he was just stuck at the corner Inklin Mountains and didn't know how to find his way back."

Ingrim cleared his throat, now serious. "Are we gonna investigate him?"

"That's the other problem. Sensei wants to push off the investigation until later."

Ingrim shot him a bizarre look. "Why?"

"Sensei Kyōraku's in favor of it too. She's never into stalling investigations unless she knows something about it."

"So what are you saying? Higher ups are lying to us?" Ingrim asked before coughing into a tissue.

"Probably. But that isn't going to stop me from asking him questions." Cang Du said before turning around. "Are you?"

Ingrim swallowed and stared at him solemnly. With liquor still alive in his mind, he didn't know whether the right decision was to say 'yes' or 'no' but he did want to see Abarai too.

"No." Ingrim replied, "though you owe me two bottles for tricking me into getting tested for some illness."

"The sickness is real. The only thing I lied about was you having it."

"And the 7th Division?"

"Most are standing. That quarter is still stuck in the 4th Division."

Ingrim took a moment to think. "I find it hard to believe that Sensei would lie to us but, questioning Abarai if it's true should be a top priority if anything. His story doesn't make any sense."

"That's why we should get to him first before he figures out a better way to prove it. If we catch him without anything prepared, it'll be easier than waiting until he finds some way to prove his 'story'."

Casually, Ingrim walked past him and threw him the tissue he had coughed in. "Then let's get going."

---

3rd Division

House of Knowledge

Ruby / Shotel

"Prepare the liquids for the vaccine. You'll pack and dispatch these to Major Abha." Lynn said whilst writing out the drugs needed on the form stuck to her clipboard.

Her boyish Secretary of State sat on one of the boxes meant to be packed with his arms behind him, pressed onto the surface, and legs stretched far apart from each other.

"Make sure that he isn't around when you do." Lynn reminded him. "I mean it. Or else I'll have to endure another one of his talks of wisdom as if anything logical ever leaves his mouth."

Ripping out the slip, she then swirled to her SOS who appeared indifferent and lazy.

Honey skinned, scrawny, and short, the teenage boy's mind was far beyond his years in knowledge but his mannerism lacked every bit of evidence to believe it.

She threw it in the air and then blew it to him. "I want reports on all trials immediately after they're done. If there's any difficulties or concerns, they come to me."

"Are you forgetting the esteemed Sensei Seo?" He asked with his back braced against the box and a ukulele in his hands. He said the name as if he was reading it in the character of a love sick fool.

"Of course, there's no use in remembering him." She muttered as she brought up boxes.

"So what do you want meto do?"

"Can you kill him?" She asked earnestly as if she didn't already know the answer.

His lips moved forward to exaggerate. "No." Duh.

"Then I guess you're stuck with him. Hide it—he doesn't need to know."

His face morphed into a dumb expression.

"I don't care if he finds out what matters is that I solve it first." She reminded him. "If it's inevitable, he can know but by then, I'll be four steps ahead of him and safe."

Lynn walked up to him and pulled out a recorder. "Use this for live commentary of the trials. I want every detail to be recorded. If his division screws up, write it and record it."

"Yeah bu—"

"Just do it."

"I'm never gonna be able to hide it from him, alright? A guy like that won't be able to miss something like that. He's a Sensei for a reason."

"Are you calling yourself incompetent?" She questioned while stacking bottles.

"No." He brooded. "He's just a talented guy. He's gonna catch me."

"So you are incompetent. A shame Ri Ann can't be my Secretary of State."

"You're never gonna get the guy demoted ya know. His division's perfect."

Lynn scoffed. "Perfect enough to get easily infected by a virus."

"I meant the research side."

"I didn't know you were a 7th Division's fan. You should be transferred there instead. You should know how much I dislike that division to be praising it so boldly."

"You seem to be forgetting I don't like him either." He reminded her though Lynn wasn't paying attention. "I'm just sayin' the guy's too annoying. He'll catch me and that'll embarrass ya."

"As long as I'm five steps ahead, I don't care if he catches you."

"And what about me?!" He shrieked.

"Die for all I care." Lynn said. "Just do as you're told."

"That'll embarrass ya." He repeated before strumming more cords on the ukulele.

She sighed before letting out some truth. "True however, I'm willing to take the blame as long as I'm ahead."

He smirked. "Say you'd miss me. Fortunately, Sensei Seo isn't the type for wild executions."

"Of course, he isn't. He cares too much for his reputation to be brash. Only we know the truth."

"So this is our little secret, no?" She glared up at him and he winked. "Just askin'. Now that I know my Major would cry for me—"

"Stop playing and get to work." She ordered while hustling.

He laid on his belly with his feet up. "Or else?"

She walked past him and headed into the storage room guarded by two thin metal doors.

"You're fired."

Despite his demeanor, she couldn't hate him. He was a very useful partner.

And was very proud about arbitrary things that he carried precious or had. The coral-toned colour he had for hair—much like the insides of a pink grapefruit—was a possession he'd protect with his life if he could.

It was styled into a curly moustache with a little sharp chunk sticking straight, shaped like a leaf. A shape he took pride in.

"The guy's got talent but in only one field. You got talent in all kinds—that's why you're the prestige Major of the Research and Development Bureau-Q1 and the most awarded scientist in the Soul Society." He shouted to her on the table.

Lynn wasn't paying attention—he was too busy sugar-coating and doing less work.

"What'd you do to piss her off?" A voice asked in the shadows—the canary yellow light only bathed a few areas entirely.

Cecil recognized the voice immediately. It was Housely Ri Ann, 3rd Division's 3rd Seat and only high-ranking officer of the division who engaged regularly in battle alongside the division members.

She came into the circle of light with arms crossed.

"Nothing. She just admitted she'd cry for me if Sensei Seo ever—."

"Stop. You thought I cared." Ri Ann scoffed. She didn't like him either. "I came to give my reportings on the Lieutenant."

Lynn stopped what she was doing and turned. "You've found information on her."

"Yes." Ri Ann bowed on the floor before standing. "Permission to share?"

Cecil leaned back. "Oh what, now I can't be in the room? I'm the SOS of this division—"

Lynn raised her left hand up to silence him. "Permission granted. Go."

"She was promoted to Lieutenant twelve months ago—it's a recent promotion. She became a part of the Kuchiki clan a little over fifty-two years ago on March 12th, early spring. She was founded at the Shin'Ō Academy—talk from the time indicates she was adopted due to her resemblance to the deceased Lady of the Kuchiki clan, wife of the current Head. She wields an ice-type zanpakutō, Sode No Shirayuki—the abilities of the zanpakutō are yet to be known."

"Is there any account on her history prior to attending the Shin'Ō Academy?" Lynn questioned the golden-eyed 3rd Seat.

"None. I only know the district she came from and well…" her long dark lashes was all Lynn could see.

"Report it."

She looked up with a stiff back. "78th District of the Rukongai is her place of origin."

Cecil's mouth dropped while playing his ukulele. "Uh-ohhhh."

"78th District of the Rukongai?" Lynn repeated, trying to grasp the new information. "That's her location as well. Do you have a picture?"

"No. No soul reaper database has given me access to that. There are no available pictures to confirm her existence."

"And the deceased wife?"

"None. The Kuchiki clan have her personal records sealed."

"Sealed?" She furrowed her brows while moving closer. "All noble personnels must have their information listed in the database, deceased or alive. Why have they excluded her?"

"The reason listed is an early death thus making her illegible to qualify for the family log as a searchable family member. She was only Lady of the house for five years and produced no heir though, I have my suspicions that something else may have resulted in her records being sealed."

"Go on." Lynn urged while taking another step forward.

"The Head of the Kuchiki clan married out of customs."

The information caught Cecil's attention again and his eyes flickered in intrigue to the 3rd seat. "You're kidding me."

"I have my suspicions that she was a commoner and her early death granted the Kuchiki family permission to exclude her from the family log—less about her illegibility and more about their reputation. The current Lieutenant Kuchiki is listed in the family log as a member however, she has no picture to her name despite a profile."

"Yikes and she looks like the dead wife too? They're probably still angry." Cecil said.

"But what about the Gotei 13 database? You're alleging that they removed her photo from the profile or rather, never had it there to protect their honor however, would they truly go to the extent of keeping her off from a database related to her profession?" Lynn asked her.

"I don't know. It's an assumption—I have nothing to back it up except for the fact that the current Head's deceased wife was not a noble."

"I see. Is there anything else?"

Their eyes locked for a few seconds to fly by with an intense gaze that Ri Ann broke moments later.

"She was supposed to be executed about two years ago for breaking soul reaper law—she transferred her powers to a human who then came to save her. His name is Kurosaki Ichigo—he was also the soul reaper who dealt with the matters in regards to Aizen. They're close friends."

"How close?"

"Guess you could say, she's the one who changed his world."

Another long gaze of silence before Cecil broke the air.

"Sounds pretty romantic if you ask me."

"He's a human?" Lynn asked to clarify before Ri Ann gave a nod. "If that's the case, it's probably nothing."

"A human and soul reaper falling in love? C'mon, it's no different than Romeo and Juliet. Two different worlds? Coming together to one? They can do it."

"What else?"

"I'm not confident but if I look into Kurosaki Ichigo, I'm sure I'll find a picture."

"Then get on it."

"Right." She bowed with her hands holding each other near her lap.

"I'll…" Ri Ann slowly rose up. "...See you soon."

Lynn said nothing before she flash-stepped away.

With fingers lightly strumming his ukulele, he asked a question once Ri Ann disappeared.

"Why are you so into that Lieutenant anyways? Not like she'll be any use by the looks of it."

"Wrong." Lynn boldly said before resuming her work. "She will be of use."

"And you know this, how?"

"Because I have a feeling—a very strong feeling that that woman didn't die and that she's been living as the Lieutenant of the 13th Division." Cecil raised his brow, huh?

"Under the name, Kuchiki Rukia."

---

The antique top drawer made of black walnut pulled open and out came a box made of lacquer.

Rukia sat on the same table with a glass of tea as he approached her and set it down. She knew what it was—it held designed ornaments, Okasake heirlooms.

The first time she had laid eyes on it was the first day she ever got her hair done and styled with minuscule silver clips which scintillated like little stars in the night sky being her own hair.

She only owned one piece out of the collection and that piece was additionally added—a gift to add onto the seven clips of crafted ornaments.

He opened the box and the glimmers came to life instantaneously among catching even the slightest bit of honey light.

He pulled a particular one out—it was a brooch. His brooch, specifically. She recognized it from events in the past, it was gold—three circles coloured orange with a lush green leaf attached to each stem.

"This," he started before opening her left hand and placing it at the center of her palm. "Is for your friend. Kurosaki Ichigo."

She didn't know whether it was the lack of sleep or the Sensei's words but it took her longer than usual to grasp what had just been said—prompting a delayed reaction.

She jerked forward. "What?"

"Consider it my gift." He said. "For saving your life and reviving a spark."

"You….really want to give him this?" Rukia couldn't believe it. "Isn't this the first brooch you wore when you became Head Commander? Ichigo won't take this and I won't either."

"Take it, my child." He urged before enclosing her fingers over the brooch. "It is a gift, meant to reflect honor and courage. He did not just do a good deed for you but he did for many others. Only someone with a good heart shall wear this and the person I've chosen to carry it is him."

"But Ichig—"

"He does not need to know the significance of this brooch. I'd like you to give it to him as a gift from me. It would be best to avoid the politics behind it."

"Sensei...even so. Ichigo has a good heart, you're right but he won't accept this from you."

"Then make him. This is my gift. It'd bring me great pride if he were to wear this. I would like to extend a hand in gratitude."

"But this is your gemstone's broo—"

"And I am giving it to Kurosaki Ichigo." Sensei said. "Or rather, I'm awarding it to him. You are aware of the significance of our clan's brooches. I think it would be honourable for him to wear this as a token of my gratitude and respect."

"Are you sure about this?" Rukia asked with the brooch so close to her face, she could admire the rich honeysuckle colour in entirety. The circles round and akin to the skin on snake fruit with shamrock green leaves at the almost invisible stem.

It depicted an orange vine and given their last dispute with oranges, she was sure he'd notice it eventually.

"If I wasn't sure, would I give it?" He asked, distracted by the ornaments he set out.

Rukia put her two hands out. "If he pledges war, remember I had nothing to do with it."

"Of course." His distracted eyes wandered about. "Only participated in handing it off to him."

"He's my friend." Rukia lamely argued. "It makes more sense for me to do it than you."

Finally their eyes met. "That counts as aiding."

"It does not!" She protested before looking to the gold brooch in her left hand.

Aid or no aid, Ichigo deserved the reputation of this brooch more than anybody however, knowing him, protecting others wasn't a job to attain coins or even glamorous recognition from his peers.

Ichigo protected to protect and though she understood that greatly, she couldn't deny how much she wanted him to have this as a source of protection.

An Okasake ornament was everything. She could she feel at ease, knowing that he was safe under the guard of this stone.

---

3 Days Later

"Can I ask you another question?" Nanao asked her, the younger Rukia put down her drink while nodding her head.

"Sure." She swung her legs back and forth on the high ledge created by rock.

By now, it was normal to her. The Lieutenant was definitely something—she'd appear out of nowhere and would ask random questions and then disappear next to her Captain to reflect and think. Then she'd come back with another string of questions as if she was analyzing every part of her.

"What are those bands on your arms for?" There were two, one on each wrist. "I don't recall those being a part of the assassin uniform. You claimed that only sai blades were a part of the set up so what are those?"

The fact that she noticed them to begin with only confirmed her previous thought. They were black too.

Casually she closed her right hand into a quick fist and unclenched it. It came out as a long chain with a blade designed as a fan.

"My blades. Fan-chained." Rukia said before sucking from the straw again.

She cleared her throat and stiffened her posture. "I see."

A moment later and she followed up with another question. "You said the chandelier above the Soul Society is made up of fan-chain blades—"

Rukia mentally applauded her for her attentiveness to detail. "—are those yours?"

The younger Rukia shrugged. "Probably." A lie. She knew. "Wanna touch?"

Nanao extended her hand from a distance as if she was scared to come next to her. Come to think of it, Rukia realized that even the clumsy soul reaper she found adorable was hiding behind her and was also distancing.

The Lieutenant pulled the soul reaper from her and suggested he move forward but he didn't. When he didn't, she took a step forward—clearly shaking.

Rukia ignored it and gave her the left bracelet in her hand when she was close enough.

"So what do I do?"

"Just wear it and then clasp her hand like this and then release." Rukia instructed with a live demonstration.

Nanao slipped the sleek leather band onto her left hand and mimicked her actions before the blade came flying out and hit the ground while dragging the Lieutenant's arm with it.

"O-Oh, it's very heavy." The blade was supposed to be hanging but instead, it was lodged deep into the smooth rock ground.

"C-Can I try?" Hanatarō asked from far. Rukia nodded her head and gestured to him to come forward.

Nanao closed her fist and the blade jolted upwards back into the thick bracelet so quickly, it startled her. She took it over hurriedly and gave it to the shorter soul reaper.

"Be careful." She warned. "It's," she looked up at her, "quite heavy."

"D-Do I do it like this, Rukia-san?" Hanatarō asked her with wide eyes.

"Yeah, just close your fist and release and it'll come out." Rukia instructed again.

With her words, he followed and the blade bolted out again—this time bigger—and created an even deeper hole into the ground, a humongous one.

The blade sank six feet down with the short soul reaper moving with it. "W-WOAH-H!"

Rukia peered down into the hole from her spot. "Are you okay?"

"Yamada!" Nanao called in hysterics.

"Y-Yeah! I'm fine! J-Just a bit...dizzy." He was face down, mouth filled with dirt and rocks.

"I told you it's quite heavy." Again, the Lieutenant's azure blue eyes fluttered on her again with a gaze she couldn't identify.

The younger Rukia wanted to ask what it was for but decided against it.

---

Through the misty white portal, she was back to the stretchers. Life suddenly felt poured into the view as there were now colourful lily lights—bended like a withering flower near each stretcher.

She turned left to see a familiar yet unfamiliar face. It was Nanao, peering down a hole in front of her. The sight activated her reflexes and she quickly transferred into sheatsu's dimension before approaching them.

"Guests?" Rukia asked behind her. Only the Captain, the younger her and Byakuya could see her.

"She was asking about our fan blades." The younger her told her. "Hanatarō ended up trying it on and well…."

"Hanatarō?" Rukia asked her before looming over the hole herself. "Is he alright?"

"I think…?" She replied.

"Where have you been?" The younger Byakuya voiced. "You should have just removed the sai blade and returned."

"Here." Rukia said while taking out a plastic bag. "I picked up something on the way."

He picked it up with caution and looked inside. A spark twinkled as soon as he discovered it was Wakame Ambassador cookies.

"You should be asking her why she has that smile on her face after returning from there." Ginrei mentioned behind her.

She then turned to the Captain.

"I did it." She announced.

"What?"

"I did it."

"You talk about many 'its' yourself." He coolly commented with eyes to his newspaper.

"The it as in the thing I said I would do."

He finally glanced up at her.

"Hirosuke." He stated.

Silence.

"Really?" The Captain asked after a prolonged moment of silence.

She nodded her head.

"I am presuming that means you did not get the consort's hair."

She pulled out another thin zipper bag and handed it to him with a few strands. "I stopped by."

He resumed his reading. "Did it take one look?"

"Errr….around two." She said. "No—maybe three? I don't know."

"I say two. You were worrying over nothing."

Rukia emphasized her blinks. "What do you mean?"

"That was single handedly the worst moment of my life."

"I would not rank them just yet."

"Captain!"

"I also presume you will never do that again."

She grumbled before walking to the seat next to Ichigo's stretcher.

("Come on, you're almost there." The younger her said in the background to Hanatarō. "Just close your fist and release it to close the blade.")

"Did he stuff you with plums?"

"Yeah...a lot."

"Plums?" The younger Byakuya asked by the seat next to his own body's stretcher.

"It is Hirosuke's favourite fruit." Ginrei explained to him.

Rukia yawned while covering her mouth.

"Speaking of which—"

"You want your answer." Ginrei cut her off. "Oranges ensure a healthy immune system, manage your blood sugar, and provide a sufficient amount of vitamin C. They also aid in eyesight."

Rukia yawned again.

"Did Hirosuke keep you up all night?"

She shook her head. "No, I just...didn't want to sleep."

Jushirmai approached her with Roger slung around his neck. In his left hand, he held a gold cup.

"Here, it's medicine." Rukia didn't question it, she just took it.

"Did you eat?" He asked her.

Unable to speak, she just nodded her head. "You sure?"

It was like watching her own eyes scan her. He didn't believe her just yet.

"I did." She finally said.

"Is your condition still bothering you?" Byakuya voiced on the chair next to the younger her's body.

"Memories?" Rukia asked. "No, not quite. They haven't been as strong as they were before."

"So visions then." He clarified, Rukia's eyes perked at the mention—he already knew about those too.

"Yeah...I feel like I'm going to go through another set of dreams again and might—"

"Draw." Byakuya finished for her.

"Yeah." It came out as a whisper. "I want to avoid that as much as possible."

"If you'd like to test it, you can fall asleep tonight and see if you have one. If you do, you can try to avoid sleeping." Roger suggested and that did sound logical however, she was still reluctant.

"I don't know...I'll think about it. I just," she sighed. "Now that I've met Sensei, I have a feeling what kind of dream I'm going to see again and draw again."

"Did you remove the sai blade?" Jushirmai inquired.

"No, I left it there. I only went to get the woman's hair, apparently he's locked himself in the out house. The blade will return when it's ready. Why?"

"If he still has the sai blade in him, how would he be able to make you dream again? Isn't he the one who inserts those thoughts in your mind?"

"The sai blade may still be hurting him but it's not enough. It was never enough in the first place, given the time that has passed, though it's stuck there, the strength of that light decreases easily unless it's re-inserted. I don't believe that he's still feeling the way he did when it first went in. He's probably stuck there for another reason."

"Let me stay awake for awhile." She added. "I promise I'll think about it, I just don't want to…"

Dream about Sensei Okasake Gureta again.

---

Rukia pulled out the orange vine brooch with maple leaf-like flowers and slid it on the right side of Ichigo's shihakushō.

"This…is a gift. A very special one—actually. It's one you can never take off without telling me, alright?" She spoke to him as if he was actually listening while daintily touching the sharp ornament.

"It's important, so you shouldn't take it off." She advised. "It'll protect you. It'll keep you out of harm's way."

"This is actually a very important brooch—it's special and honestly speaking, I just know it's meant for you." Ichigo's face softened as he listened to her explain.

He glossed over the shimmering brooch—stuck on the illustration of the orange tree vine.

"It sort of has its own healing powers." She leaned in with crossed arms and swirled her right finger over it. "The stone citrine makes up those little circles for oranges here."

"That's the fire stone, right?" Ichigo responded as if she could hear him. "It's the one Sensei Okasake has."

"The general idea of it all is to protect you so you better not lose it." She warned.

"Protect me? Protect me how?"

"I like to think of these stones in a good light only because there's so much more to them than you think. For one, they also have healing powers like this stone, citrine."

"Citrine helps with negative energy, it guides you to remove it from your brain but it also helps with helplessness which….I know you went through a lot before you regained your powers." She relaxed her shoulders. "It helps you find resolve for these types of feelings may it be anger, helplessness, or the past and let it go so that you can enjoy things with ease. But more importantly, it acts like a guide to help you understand how to resolve these issues."

"I hope...wherever you are," her eyes fluttered to his face. "You can find your way back with this as your light and guide. It'd be nice if you could understand yourself a bit better along the way."

"I'm on my way." Ichigo responded while staring at her. "I'm coming, I promise."

"I'm just glad I was able to finally meet Sensei." A grin drew on her lips. "That was probably my biggest hurdle and I did it."

"I'm proud of you." Ichigo said to her. "Must've been hard but you got through it. Like you always do."

"I was so worried." She admitted softly. "At first, he refused to even look at me. I tried touching him but he pushed my hand off and I thought it was over. I can't tell you how scared I was at that moment….It made me wonder if it was that easy...if something like what we shared could just fade into nothingness and erase all those years. But when we spoke and talked things over, I felt so much relief. I was so happy, Ichigo. I felt the light get stronger—I was so…"

"...happy." So much light glistened on her face, Ichigo was starting to think of how much more it had glistened before she became a soul reaper.

"It just felt so surreal to me. It made me think of how stupid I was for not visiting him all along. Why'd I have to deny myself like that? Life as a soul reaper would've been so much better if I did. To spend my days with him would make my life so much warmer but...I just couldn't do it."

She bowed her head.

"And I know why." She grew serious. "It's...hard to explain without knowing all the details and truthfully, I promised myself a while back to never think of it again. But, meeting Sensei brought me back to reflecting and well...let's just say, I talked about a lot of things that weren't pretty. I didn't meet him because…"

He could tell she was having a hard time. She wanted to spit it out but for some reason, she was resisting—he didn't know what she was fighting.

Rukia sighed. "Let's just say, meeting Sensei felt like I was taking the efforts of someone else lightly and had no consideration for it. I guess that won't make sense but...as much as I appreciate the life he gave me, associating with it in any way felt like betrayal to that person."

Ichigo furrowed his brows but made a note to remember those words clearly for reference later. He didn't understand a whole lot from that part but he was sure he was going to need it later.

He now understood that nothing held her back but herself who decided that meeting him was going against someone else's efforts—someone he was yet to know—and that's why she didn't visit him.

"I was really happy there, Ichigo." She muttered. "It was nice...everything was nice. Going back made me feel so nostalgic. All the drawings in my room, the gardens, his study, I was really happy there—fortunate too. I had someone who liked me a lot, enough to give me so much without blood involved and yet...I couldn't hold onto it."

"You'd think those were my bad days because Jushirmai was involved but babysitting him was a small sacrifice for memories worthwhile." Rukia said.

Babysitting? Ichigo would've questioned it if she could hear him.

"Once that was over, even if I knew he could come after me whenever and even if she was there every time I went back to the Rukongai, it really didn't matter to me. I was happy and whatever feelings of negativity came during those times, I dealt with. The last strike didn't happen until fifty-two years ago."

By the sounds of it, it seemed that she had lived life normally even though she had two pairs of eyes on her.

He had a lot of questions about that woman though and this whole babysitting thing.

According to Ukitake, the Rukongai had people known as 'tellers' who each person brought to the Rukongai met, if they were at a sensible age, for their name and birthdate.

Rukia had mistaken her for a teller too when in truth, she already knew her. Ichigo knew Rukia was rare but he didn't know what she could've done to be harassed like this from the start.

If he had the opportunity, he would ask her these things. Starting with, at what age did she meet him? If she lived all her life like that, it only motivated him more to set her free.

"It was hard reflecting on the past with him. On one side, it felt wrong for coming back and embracing that side of life again and then on the other, it felt so good to be back. I missed him a lot and there he was right in front of me."

"I honestly don't know what to do now…" she then said. "I know I shouldn't worry about the future now, especially since I don't even know if I'm going to make it out but a part of me wants to…"

Ichigo arched a brow. "Live with him again?"

Rukia closed her eyes. "Never mind. Forget it."

"That's what you were gonna say."

"It doesn't matter." She was talking to herself now. "I'll end up with Jushirmai."

"I'd be okay with that." A voice said, belonging to the younger Rukia who came up behind her.

Rukia let her younger self brace against her arms.

"Really?"

She nodded her head. "If we don't end up living with Sensei, I'd be fine. As long as we don't end up with him."

Rukia couldn't help but crack a smile. "You're really against that happening, aren't you?"

"I feel like we've been cursed by that family." She grimaced. "I thought we promised."

Ichigo hoped she'd elaborate further so he could know exactly what this promise was and to who. It'd be nice if he was two steps ahead again.

"Weren't you just eating with him an hour ago?" Rukia asked, Ichigo immediately sensed she was avoiding the topic the younger her brought up. Why?

"Not by choice." The younger Rukia muttered. "Besides, I was expressing my gratitude for defending me earlier."

Rukia hummed. "Seems like he's growing on you."

The younger Rukia frowned. "He's not."

"He is so."

"Not." The younger her argued back. "How did we end up with the Kuchiki heir? We broke our promise."

Ichigo was glad she brought the topic back.

Rukia paused, her eyes lowering. "I know."

It came out barely audible.

The younger Rukia drew in closer. "We're living the exact same life."

The exact same life of who? Ichigo wondered.

Rukia grew meek and just nodded her head in response before weakly meeting the younger her's face.

She took her right hand and stroked the younger her's hair. "I know...I know."

"What are we gonna do?" The younger her asked in a quick response. "We can't just live like this."

"It's how we've been living but don't worry, after this, things will change. The truth will be out and after that, we can shape our lives however we want." Rukia promised her.

It was the younger Rukia's turn to say, "really?"

"Really. We just have to get through this." She held onto both of her arms and gave her a light squeeze.

"And what about him?" This time the younger her was pointing to him.

"Ichigo?" Rukia paused. "We're gonna know each other for a long while, don't worry."

"He's really...special to us, isn't he?" The younger her inquired.

"Yeah…" Rukia agreed before pulling her closer to her lap. "Not that I'd admit it to his face but he's the reason I even started to contemplate on whether to come back or not. These past two years have helped me out a lot. He's the one who helped me revive that light—he made it stronger. If it weren't for him, we probably wouldn't be at this stage, let alone ready to face the past."

Ichigo smirked. "Too late midget. I have you on file now."

"Wow…" The younger her said. "And him?"

Rukia tried to hide her laugh as the younger her pointed at Byakuya's stretcher.

"Uh well...Nii-sama….Let's just say, for two people who've suffered through similar things, we're terrible at communicating with each other. Coming to understand each other was difficult. I didn't get it at first, I thought he was just like any other noble but when I sat down and reflected on things, I realized how similar some of our situations had been all along. It was weird to find that connection. I didn't even notice it but somehow that brought me some weird comfort. I mean it when I say that the first fifty years between us weren't great and frankly, despite how I acted, I didn't really want to form a relationship with him anyways. In my world, we were too far apart and I wasn't willing."

"So what changed?" The younger her asked, now partially sitting on her lap. "Captain said you guys had a disagreement or something and talked it out."

Rukia mentally furrowed her brows but realized that the disagreement was her execution.

"It was...something like that. Regardless, it helped me understand his side a lot more and I guess that was the moment I made my decision to fight the Captain to tell him the truth. These past two years have changed a lot of things. I gained some comfort in past events knowing that there was someone I knew beside me who could sort of grasp it in some kind of way."

The younger her released a huff. "I can't believe we ended up in this mess."

"Believe me, I didn't plan on it."

"We really are cursed. We even broke our promise...and...disappointed Sensei."

"We'll redeem ourselves." Rukia reassured her. "I just want them to wake up, that's all. Once they do, we can move forward."

"And they will." A new voice entered the scene belonging to her brother, Jushirmai.

Both Rukias looked up at him. He was wearing a mask to cover his face.

Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Yūshirō were behind him too. Nanao and Hanatarō followed along with the zanpakutō spirits, the Bounts, Kla and Roger.

"I know where they are." Jushirmai announced. Ichigo felt his body come alive at the moment, watching him as he spoke. "I ran a few more tests. I now understand why their cells are moving the way they are. They're okay—they're just stuck."

Byakuya's grandfather and Byakuya's younger self appeared on the side.

"Stuck?" Rukia asked him. "Stuck where?"

"The Interioreum World." Jushirmai answered.

Ichigo stood up and shouted. "They found us!"

---

End Note

Images for this Chapter (byaruki.(tumblr.)com/theicedmoonimages)

Black bands (only difference is nothing is as defined)

Clock

Clareese's appearance based on a fantasy art piece by Vezonia

References

Crystal Valut (for citrine healing information)

Contact

byaruki / tumblr