Two Souls, One Story

Chapter 14

apan was absolutely pouring when Rukia and Izuru entered the World of the Living. The second they entered, they were soaked to the bone before even entering their gigais. Without rain gear, having dressed for the sunny weather the Seireitei presented, it was a wonder why the duo even tried.

Izuru looked up at the sky. His eyes flinched closed on instinct. "Ichigo turns ten next month..."

"Yep!" Rukia chirped happily. "I can't wait to plan a nice, big birthday party. There's going to be cake and ice cream and-"

"Doesn't it rain when Masaki dies?" Izuru interrupted. "Didn't you once say Ichigo was 9 when he lost his mom?"

Rukia paused and looked up at Izuru. "Oh, shit... We better hurry then."

Izuru was already running up ahead. "The canals!"

Rukia was running as fast as she could in a human's body. "We should ditch the gigai..." She breathed. "We'd run faster!"

Izuru was already popping a candy. "Find Isshin or that blond shinigami with the bucket hat! I can't remember names!"

The smiling gigai ran off in a different direction.

"Kisuke Urahara!" Rukia shouted loudly. Popping her own soul candy. "Go make sure the girls are okay!" She knew they'd be fine but she couldn't help but feel worried. The gigai nodded with a bright smile and saluted her before running off in the direction of the girls, or so Rukia assumed. After that was settled, she started shunpoing in the direction of the canals.

"I can sense Ichigo!" Izuru called out, leading Rukia. "Doesn't Masaki have her Quincy powers taken by... fudge, what's his name? Ya-witch?"

"Ee-wock?" She asked, "I know who you're talking about but I've never figured out how to pronounce his stupid name!" She yelped as she nearly slipped on a slippery patch of concrete. "How did I slip?!" She shouted, "There!" She pointed to the hollow's lure and a 9-year-old Ichigo who had yet to notice. "Fuck..." She groaned, she really wanted to take out the hollow now but knew she couldn't quite interfere just yet.

Yeah, tell that to Izuru who was already crossing the nearby bridge.

Rukia yelped and followed after the blond. "Wait!" She said loudly. "Our plan!" She moved to grab his shihakusho.

"Fuck the plans, you should have considered I'd get emotionally attached!" Panic was oozing from his entire soul, his eyes almost white and breath heavy. "You're the one that introduced me to her! I was fine only knowing about her in the background. Then you had- you had to make me care about her! I don't want her to die!

"I don't want her to die either- but she can't live without her Quincy powers! Uryu's mom couldn't! But we planned to save her soul! Remember? She may die on this plane but we'll keep her from disappearing!" She dragged her feet to slow him down. "We can't fuck up the plot any more than that!"

The look Izuru gave Rukia would have set her ablaze in another world. "You'll be the one telling Ichigo then... Because the plot isn't worth the pain he's going to endure, you know this better than anyone." His eyes snapped to the left. "Shit."

Izuru shunpoed out of her grasp, Wabizuke diving onto the Fisher hollow at the same time his claws drove deeply into Masaki's back.

Rukia whimpered softly as she watched from a distance. She gripped the hilt of Yuki tightly and let Izuru handle the hollow as she moved to kneel next to an unconscious Ichigo, for how else would he stay awake after hitting his head like that. She knew he'd soon wake up but for now, she needed to talk to Masaki who sat next to her body with wide eyes.

"Masaki..." She whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Masaki asked, still in shock from what just happened. Her body was just lying there, her chain of fate having been severed as soon as her body hit the ground.