Heroes

Chapter Thirty-Two

TARA’S POV (A/N: I know, right? I’m just as surprised!!!)

Dragging Rukia into the woods was harder than I thought. For one, she was kinda heavy. Not to call her fat or anything. Second, she was incredibly stubborn, so I knew dragging her would be very much like the time I had to pull Adel with me to see the new Twilight movie. Yeah, flame all you want; I think they’re cute. Sue me.

Once we got in deep enough, I let go of the back of her collar and allowed her to stand. She looked at me, obviously a bit pissed that I’d just dragged her, and crossed her arms annoyingly. “What is it?”

I ignored her attitude and tried to stay positive. Taking a deep breath and cracking a crooked smile, I spoke. “Look, I know you wanted to talk to Ichigo. But I think it might be better if you just have this conversation with me. Please. And leave nothing out; I know all about your little Soul Reaper stuff, and I’ve even tolerated the fact that you and Kon sleep in Ichigo’s room while I’m next door. But please, It’ll be much easier for Ichigo if you don’t interfere today. He’s not his normal self: his emotions are haywire, he’s been getting angry at nothing, and I’ve even seen him shed a tear when he thought he was alone. So let’s just get the heavy stuff over with, mono et mono.”

Her eyes were moons. “W-what? How do you know about Shinigami?”

I huffed, making my lacy skirt bounce a bit with my curled hair. “Is that all you got of that? How I know isn’t important. What you know is the subject. So please elaborate on the subject of current discussion.” I smirked to myself as I realized how Adel-like I was behaving. 

She frowned, something that made her face even worse to look at. I’m sorry, but sitting here as Ichigo’s girlfriend and talking to his supposed “love interest,” I wasn’t planning on being all happy-go-lucky with her. When it came to Rukia, it meant business. 

“Okay,” she sighed. “So I guess since you know all that, you know about Ichigo’s late mother.”

I grinned inside; finally, she’s cooperating. “I’m aware. What about Ms. Masaki?”

“Ichigo said, last night--”

“No he didn’t.” I interrupted. Shit. I’d let my emotions get in the way again. But did she have to say “last night?” I mean, really?

She coughed awkwardly. “Ichigo said his mother was killed--”

“She wasn’t.” I knew Ichigo’s side on this, as it was one of the things we’d talked about after becoming a couple. I knew how sensitive he was to the subject, so when he decided to speak about it I was elated that he was finally opening up. But the fact that he was so sensitive about his mother was one of the many reasons that I’d decided to talk to Rukia instead of Ichigo doing it. “She just…died.”

“Look,” Rukia sighed. “I don’t like you and you don’t like me, so can we just get this over with?”

I steadied my emotions again, at least to the best extent possible. “Sorry. Continue.”

“So…who killed her?” 

I froze. How was I supposed to answer that? “Um…I honestly have no idea….”

“Hmm…” she speculated. “I have reason to believe that you’re lying, (with that I wanted to punch her) but I’ll drop it. Ichigo’s seen spirits ever since he was very young. So just answer one thing for me.” She paused dramatically. “Do you think that it’s possible that…Masaki Kurosaki was killed by a Hollow?” 

I gasped. Was she serious? As her observation and expert evaluation of my boyfriend continued in her smart-ass tone, anger welled up in me. An anger that rarely--if ever--welled up in me. Before I knew it I’d grabbed Rukia by the collar and slammed her against the nearest tree.

Very well done, Tara, my subconcious told me. Badass, especially for you.

‘Shut up,’ I thought. But I kept pinning Rukia to the sakura. 

“It…it’s possible!” she choked out. I realized that I was hurting her and, no matter how good it felt inside, I knew I had to let her go. So, as an internal compromise, I just loosened my grip as Rukia continued.

“If he had enough spirit energy as a child to be able to see ghosts…maybe a Hollow tracked the energy and came after him, only to mistake his energy for his mother’s…”

“No!” I cried. “Does freaking everything have to be about a damn Hollow with you? To blame it on--you don’t know the entire situation…so just shut the hell up!” I suddenly collapsed in anger and sadness, and clutched my fists to my face, doing my best to hide my tears, an attempt that ended poorly. “Do you know,” I sobbed. “That Ichigo--the best guy in the world, the guy that doesn’t deserve any of your shit--thinks that he was the one that killed his own mother? He thinks he was the killer.” 

I could tell Rukia could barely understand me, as my voice was weak and broken between my coughs and tears. It was just such a horrible thought to me that Ichigo was holding this blame--this burden--for almost seven years, with no one to releive him. No comfort to run to. His comfort had died all those years ago, its death placed solely on his little back. 

But as soon as Rukia understood the full gravity (it took a while, since she’s such a dumbass) of the situation, her eyes widened to saucers and she backed up a bit. “W-what?” she whispered. 

“You see?!?!” I said. “You have no sensitivity and don’t know when to shut your damn mouth, so that’s why I had to keep you away from him!! You would’ve completely broken his heart!!! You’re such a…a-a…monster!!!” With that I could handle the pain no longer, and started to walk out of the woods and towards the gravesite. But I stopped for a moment, my back facing Rukia. “So just--God, I hate it that you still have to interact with him, but--when you speak to him, think about what you say before you open your stupid mouth, ‘kay?” I walked away, fighting back tears with everything I could. 

I reached the grave, my eyes still a bit sore from my tears. Ichigo automatically came to my side, slinging an arm aroung my shoulders. “What’s wrong?” he said worriedly. “Were you crying?”

I laughed a bit through my drying tears. “I…I’m fine.” I quicky kissed Ichigo on the lips before he could protest, saying that we were in public or something dumb like that, and hugged him tightly. “I…I-I’m here for you, okay? Don’t hide anything from me, it makes me worried.”

I could tell he was surprised by that statement (and the kiss out of nowhere *wink*), but he said nothing and just hugged me closer. 

“Okay,” he eventually whispered. 

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Okay!! This chapter we saw a new side of little Prissy-Pants!! :) This was so fun to write, I hope you guys enjoy it just as much as I did! But no worries, if you didn't, we're gonna be back to Adel next chap!!! 

So yeah...my extreme distaste for Rukia exposed itself in this chapter, sorry to any fangirls (or boys)...she just kinda grates on my nerves. Gomen.

BAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIII!~

-Maycee-chan!