I Won't Say She's in Love!
Karin grabbed her keys off the counter. It was almost midnight; He was sure to be home.
"Karin-chan?" A small voice squeaked. Karin turned swiftly, and her eyes locked with Sakura's. "Yeah, what is it?" Karin asked coldly. It wasn't that she didn't like Sakura, no, she loved the girl like a sister. It was just... Sakura acted way too much like Karin's dead twin, Yuzu.
"Is something wrong with Ichigo?" Sakura asked quizzically, tilting her head to the side. God, she even talked like Yuzu!
"What's today?" Karin sighed. Sakura furrowed her brows. "Um... January fifteenth," Sakura said. "Why? What happened on this day?" She sounded almost desperate.
Karin looked at the clock. It was eleven fifty five. "It's not today, but tomorrow. The sixteenth. He... Died, on that day, so to speak." Sakura still didn't get it. "What do you mean? He's very much... Oh. You mean the day he became... Supernatural." She tried to keep it as sensitive as possible.
Karin nodded, a grim look on her face. She sighed. "Yes. It's also the day he killed his first human. Our father, Isshin Kurosaki. Did he tell you it would snow tomorrow?"
Sakura nodded, "He did. Why would he say that? It's highly improbable."
Karin looked outside blankly, the first flakes of snow finally falling. "Because... It always snows on this day."
It was midnight.
"Toshirou!" Karin gasped as she embraced the white-haired Vampire.
"How long has it been, thirty, forty years?" She asked as he hugged her tighter.
"Fifty." He responded quietly.
"Where's the Slayer?" She asked eagerly as he let her go. He smiled bitterly at her reaction. Is this what he sounded like? Is this really what his kind sounded like? He had only just recently realized how bloodthirsty and evil he sounded at the mention of human blood, but Karin was like that, too?
"She's downstairs. And remember Karin, I'm only doing this because I promised you once I caught her, you could convert her. No killing tonight." He reminded, his voice calm, but laced with worry. Karin had ruined many a good conversions by getting carried away with the pleasure of mortal blood. She couldn't do that tonight. He couldn't afford the screw up. After all, it wasn't every day you caught a Slayer. Kill one, and the rest of them would be coming in stampedes, ready to kill the first Vampire they laid eyes on.
They descended the wooden steps, and as they reached the final, creaky step, Karin smirked.
Mitsuki was a mess. Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were wide with fright and a bit of insanity. "H-Hitsu-? Where's Michiru?" Miichiru had been her partner for this case. She was planning on moving up a rank, thus moving in on a higher rank mission. They had been scoping out different areas of the park when Mitsuki spotted Toshirou. Her voice shook with fear as she flinched under his pitying gaze that just screamed, "I'm sorry".
Karin shook her head. "So this is the famous Silver Phantom that everybody was so afraid of?" She scoffed, referring to her peers back in the underworld.
"Don't be surprised, she's very strong in hand-to-hand combat." Hitsugaya cut in, discreetly trying to defend the Slayer. "And she knows her way around a gun."
"Really?" She sounded intregued. Was this girl really that strong? Karin wasted no time lunging forward, her fangs sinking through the flesh of Mitsuki's neck. "Hitsugaya!" Karin yelped, and started draining the young Slayer of her blood. Her deep gray eyes suddenly felt extremely heavy.
"Decumbo nox noctis. Barba illa lacuna , audite meus vox , quod crux crucis ut ceterus pars. Permissum vestri cruor adficio , quod may is exsisto restituo per eternus poena. Fio , Lamia. Hitsugaya chanted in Latin, and watched as Mitsuki slumped forward, eyes barely open.
He gasped. "Karin, stop! It's enough!" He pulled Karin off Mitsuki, the Vampire's fangs bared.
"But-" Karin started, but Hitsugaya quickly cut her off. "No." He said firmly. "Stop. Don't. Kill. Her." He let go of his comrade, and turned to Mitsuki. "Mitsuki?"
Red eyes snapped open, full of blood lust.
[With Ichigo]
Ichigo's POV
I can remember that day clearly... It was just as haunting as the day my mother died. Gin... Gin Ichimaru was his name, made us, Karin and I, into monsters. Into Vampires. It was snowing... Karin, Yuzu and I were riding our horses, and somehow got lost. Our father, Isshin, was the only doctor in the town of Rukongai. He was one of the richer residents of the village, so my family practically lived like royalty.
I can remember that day all to well...
"Ichi-nii! Hurry up, or else I'm gonna leave without ya!" Yuzu shouted impatiently. It was a blisteringly cold winter day, and she had wanted to get to the lake as quickly as possible, thinking that it had frozen over already. She loved skating on the ice, nothing but thin white socks shielding her feet.
"Don't do that!" I called back, annoyed. She didn't know her way around the forest half as well as Karin and I did, and would most certainly get lost, ready to be picked up by some creep wandering the woods, or be killed by the gray wolves that usually patrolled the surrounding area.
"Then hurry!" She whined. I sighed. Yuzu was usually so grown up. What happened?
She laughed a little, then ran, farther into the forest. "Yuzu!" Karin called, and started running, too. "Karin, Yuzu!" I called after my sisters, and sprinted after them.
I found myself about a mile away from the lake, and I looked around. My blood ran cold. Yuzu lay unmoving on the ground, her eyes frozen in fright. She wasn't breathing. Karin, however, looked disturbingly calm. Almost like she was sleeping. I looked up, and growled at the man before me.
Gin Ichimaru.
Ichimaru was one of the only rich men in Rukongai, making even more than my father. He was a merchant, who sold things such as silk and jewelry.
"What the hell did you do to them?"
He smiled sickly. "Oh, nothing, really. Karin just killed the sandy-haired one. Don't worry, though, I didn't put much of a strain on the conversion. She'll make it."
The rest of it was just one big blur. I yelled, he remained calm, that sickly smile still plastered on his face. And then, out of nowhere, he lunged forward. I felt a stinging in my neck, and then, everything went dark. When I awoke, my vision was blurred, and Karin was a few feet away, wide awake.
Flashback Over
I never knew that the second I woke up, my destiny was sealed.
Three Days Later...
"I remember, the stormy weather, the way the sky looks when it's cold..."
"What got you so depressed?" Orihime giggled, as she bounded inside the apartment she shared with Rukia.
Rukia sighed. "Nothing, really. Mitsuki-nee still hasn't come back, though. Good thing is, I don't have to take the language sessions. Bad thing is, she was gonna teach me how to use the saintrix!" The saintrix was a high powered machine gun, especially designed for the extermination of Demons, especially Scourge. Rukia grouchily put her guitar down.
Orihime laughed. "I'm sure she'll be back by tomorrow. Don't worry." As soon as the words left her mouth, the phone on the table nearest to the couch rang. "Hello?" Orihime answered with a smile.
"Hey, Inoue. It's Urahara. Can you put Rukia on?"
Orihime looked at her ebony-haired friend. "Of course. Rukia, it's Kisuke-san."
Rukia, confused, took the phone. "Urahara?"
"Hello, Rukia-chan! I have bad news, good news, and more bad news. The good news is, we've located Michiru-san! She's somewhere in Eastern Karakura. The bad news is, we can't seem to actually... Find her. She is, for some reason, being hunted by Turok-Han. And then the other bad news is Mitsuki-chan is in a coma."
"WHAT?" Rukia screeched. Mitsuki was in a fucking coma? She never went into a coma. Sure, she had been knocked out cold a few times on missions, but never a coma!
"Uh... Yes, Rukia-chan. So, I need you and Inoue-san to go and look for Michiru-san, and bring her back safely."
Rukia, still a bit shaken up, nodded weakly. "Alright..." And then, she hung up. She looked at Orihime.
"Looks like we've got a mission."
"Michiru!" Orihime called lazily. She had that 'Why-the-hell-am-I-here-when-I-don't-even-like-this-person' look again.
Rukia glared at her. "At least pretend like you care, Orihime."
Orihime shrugged. "Hey, be grateful I'm actually looking. I could be at home right now, thinking up new red bean paste recipies." She smiled. "That remindes me, I've got some chicken defrosting back at home. Can we pick up some chocolate syrup on our way back?"
Rukia mentally cringed, but nodded nonetheless. Looks like our favorite Kuchiki Slayer was going to miss out on dinner... Again.
"Michiru!" Rukia called out loudly, then sighed. "We're never gonna find..." She was cut off by a loud shriek.
"Michiru!" Orihime and Rukia yelled in unison, Rukia out of worry, Orihime out of complete shock. The Kuchiki woman at Orihime's side quickly took out a saintrix.
"You took a saintrix!" Orihime asked incredulously as Rukia loaded the gun.
"It's Mitsuki's. I thought... Ya know, maybe she wouldn't mind!" Rukia smiled sheepishly at her friend as they kept running.
"But you don't even know how to use... Oh! There!" Orihime cried suddenly, pointing to a gruesome-looking creature, who was bent over a bloody body that could only be described as the remains of Michiru Hanazaki. The creature looked up, and Rukia immediatly recognized it as a Turok-Han. She lifted the gun in her hands, and fired.
After it was dead, Rukia looked at Michiru's body.
"Rukia...?" Orihime asked nervously, looking at her friend. Said Slayer's eyes were wide, and her bottom lip was quivering. She mouthed some incoherant words, and then fell to her knees, staring blankly ahead. Only three words escaped her lips.
"Oh. My. God..."
And then, she cried.
It was Kaien's death all over again.
Rukia still wasn't strong enough to protect her friends.
She wasn't strong enough.
By the time Rukia and Orihime got back to Kaze, Rukia had recovered from her mini-meltdown.
"Rukia, oh my god, are you alright?" Mitsuki asked as she appeared from an open door. Rukia nodded weakly, and took in her sister's appearence. "You're up? Kisuke told us you were in a coma!" Orihime giggled.
Mitsuki laughed sheepishly. "No way! You know Kisuke-kun, he always over exaggerates. Now, what's the matter with her?" She pointed at Rukia.
"Ah, just a little shaken up." Orihime spoke softly, and grinned sheepishly. Rukia was silent, before she spoke to Mitsuki.
"Are you okay? You look... Pale." Her voice was weak, and she noted Mitsuki's ghostly white complexion. Mitsuki had always been a little pale, but it was always a healthy snow-white colour. Not this sickly shade she was donning now.
Orihime turned her attention back to the veteran Slayer in front of her. "Oh... You really do. Are you sick or something?"
"Huh? Oh, no no! Of course not! Well... Its probably nothing serious. Maybe just a cold or a mild case of the flu... Haha..." Mitsuki shook her head wildly, and grinned, making Rukia notice something.
Her canines... One was longer and sharper, more fang-like than the other. Amethyst eyes narrowed dangerously. "Right... Well, goodbye Mitsuki, we have to go report to Yoruichi-san and Urahara." Rukia cleared her throat, and sped past her sister in law.
"W-Wait! Rukia!" Orihime cried at being left behind, quickly running after her friend.
Mitsuki watched them leave with cold eyes.
How could I be so careless? Rukia's one of the most observant people I know, she'll figure it out eventually. Mitsuki sighed, and looked outside. I guess I should look at the bright side. At least I'm not full. Toshirou stopped Karin just in time.
But... Why me?
"R-Rukia!" Orihime whined, catching up with the ebony-haired Slayer. "What's with you?"
Rukia sighed. "Nothing... It's just," She looked at Orihime, and smiled, almost sadly. "Never mind."
Present Day, July 15, 2009
"Ichiru, what's that?" Luchia asked her daughter curiously.
Ichiru looked up with a smile. "A really nice woman named Misuzu gave it to me! I told her I wanted to know about Karakura Town, so she gave this to me!" She held up the old, torn book.
Luchia's smile faltered. "Misuzu? Misuzu who?"
January 14, 1944
"Happy birthday, Rukia!" Orihime cherred as she held out a cupcake. It actually looked... Normal. "I know you're not big on the whole 'Happy Birthday' thing, but I have to celebrate it in one way or another. So make a wish!"
Rukia stared at Orihime blankly. "I wish we all don't die in a blazing inferno. There. Now, goodbye."
Orihime pouted. "Don't say it out loud, dummy! Now it won't come true!" She sighed. "Rukia. I'm your friend. Isn't it my job to make sure you're not sad on your birthday?"
"Well it's kind of late for that don't you think?" Rukia snapped. "I lost another one. I mean, first Kaien, then Hisaku, now Michiru? I'm cursed!"
Orihime looked at her friend sympathetically. "Is that what this is all about? Kaien?"
"Just... Just stay out of it, Orihime..."
Mitsuki looked at her reflection in her vanity mirror. Thank God, I can still see my reflection. Yoruichi would definatly ask if she walked into my room and found me without a reflection. She laughed to herself, and picked at her new fang. "Damn this is annoying..."
"You'll get used to it."
Mitsuki whirled around, and scowled. "Hitsugaya. You may be my new master, but that dosen't mean I have to like you." She glared at him for a few seconds, "...Or kill you, for that matter. I'm still human. Half, but still human. And if I'm human, I'm still technically a Slayer, which means I can kill you." She smiled in satisfaction. She knew she couldn't get away from her new 'Master', but she still had to get in the final word.
"No. You can't and we both know it. Mitsuki, you and I are bound by blood. Just like Karin and I. Like Rangiku, too."
She sighed, and sat down. "I know that. It's just one big game for you, isn't it? Karin's your mistress, just like Matsumoto, neh?" Matsumoto was Hitsugaya's first servent, his first victim. Karin was his second. Originally, she was bound to Gin, but Hitsugaya had helped her escape, then he made her one of his own. That was another rule. Any servent who drank mortal blood would add another servent for their master.
"Why me, though?" Mitsuki asked, her voice cracking slightly.
He knew. She knew he knew. But he still decided to play dumb. "Some things are just meant to happen."
And as he left, jumping out her window, she smiled bitterly, letting the tears she had kept in for nearly seven years slip through. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and whispered...
"It just wasn't meant to happen like this."
A/N: I'm sorry, but I had to end it here. I know, crappy ending, but my computer's been glitching lately. Hopefully I can get it fixed in a month's time, but just know it will be a while before the next update!
I'm so sorry, everyone! But don't worry, I'm not giving this fic up just yet!
Please, review so I have something to look forward to!
-TMU (Again, I'm so sorry!)
 | Review this Chapter |
No comments:
Post a Comment