"Captain, you mustn't leave the barracks alone!" Lieutenant Shuhei adviced with a concerned frown on his face. "It's a trap to capture you!"
"Lieutenant Hisagi," Ora started with a small smile. "I must go, but they didn't write that I should go alone." She approached her lieutenant.
"Captain Kuchiki, I shall protect you!" He said. "I'm going with y-" Shuhei felt something thin and sharp piercing his neck. He felt drowsy right away and fell on the ground, only being able to look at his captain, who had a small needle in her hands. "C-Captain Kuchiki, why?"
"I'm sorry Shuhei, but you must stay here to protect the headquarters in my place." She smiled kindly at him. She walked towards a chest and grabbed her zanpakuto.
"Time to work, Sesshoumaru." Ora clenched her hand around the sword.
'As you wish, my lady.'
The moon was full that night. The view of Rukongai was slowly fading behind Ora as she made her way to her destination. Not only that, she felt her blood boiling of excitement as she got closer to the North Hill, the hill used to dispose the bodies of the slaughtered Hollows that were able to get closer to Seireitei, or at least, the ones that didn't make it to Twelfth Squad's laboratories. It was common for children to be scared of that place because they believed it was haunted. Ora heard that story a long time ago with the other children at Rukongai when she visited it with her grandfather - she used to sneak up to Rukongai sometimes and every time she was caught by the First Squad's Lieutenant. A small smile charmed Ora's face with the silly memory of her grandfather sloppily scolding her - and feeling bad for it afterwards, he would come up with a training session where they would just sit around and talk about what Ora has seen in town.
However, the Hill that was in front of her looked nothing more than a hill. A place that would be the stage of a meaningless fight. As she stepped further, she sensed the reiatsu of multiple soul reapers. She knew that she wasn't accepted at the quarters by a small amount of retainers, but somehow she felt that they wouldn't go this far just to make sure she was able to lead them. It just didn't sound right.
So there she was, in the middle of a small meadow, surrounded by six, no, seven, soul reapers hiding in the shadows. She felt that it was pointless, but since they were so serious about this, she had to play her part too.
"Come along now," she said loudly, "what kind of warriors hide from their own captain?"
Slowly, their reiatsu moved closer, enlightening the seven silhouettes through the moonlight. Ora knew that something was odd about their ambush, like it wasn't totally organized or even structured to be considered an actual ambush. She took a quick look at her retainers, all walking towards her with swords in hand. "You're not our Captain", one of them had said, "You're merely a replacement while Captain Tosen is missing."
Ora chuckled. "Fool, do you still think he's coming back? He's with Aizen now, that makes him a traitor."
One of them dashed towards Ora, but she effortlessly dodged him and smashed the hilt of her sword in his head, knocking him out instantly. "You should be ashamed of yourselves, lurking around your captain and trying to do something disloyal to Seireitei. What do you think it's going to happen now?", she flash-stepped before two of her retainers and knocked them out with a swift movement of her palm.
"I suppose you already know. By law, the lot of you will be punished according to my terms."
"That's only if you get out alive," one of them burst out, "And we won't let you get away from us!". He ran towards Ora with sword pointing towards her, his eyes were oddly apatic and hollow, as if he wasn't the one fighting.
It's near, hiding in the trees, my lady.
Ora drew her sword, she wasn't going to waste time around with them, not when another reiatsu - perhaps the one behind this futile ambush - was just ahead.
"Show yourself, these guys won't do your dirty work." She said after she knock them all out. "It's a shame that you've used their rage towards me, but as you can see, they can't even touch me."
A distorted laugh came out from one of the defeated warriors. Slightly, the man started shaking, pushing out a rotten aura from inside. The aura took shape in the shadows, revealing only its big red glowing eyes, squinting as it observed Ora.
"You must be so proud of yourself, little girl," the creature said, "becoming a Captain soon after you were so close to be executed."
"Is that why you're coming after me?" Ora slided her sword towards the creature. "Or did these guys released you just to get rid of me?"
The silhouette moved closer, towards the moonlight, revealing its white mask with red fangs painted around its face. The hole in its chest confirmed what Ora already knew, it was one of the Hollows that might have escaped the sealing spells, probably from the academy. The Hollow looked at Ora and smiled cruelly.
"You smell delicious, captain." It purred. "Nothing like those oogers, too sweaty for my taste."
"It'll be over soon," Ora drew her zanpakuto towards the side, where a whirlpool of lilac light engulfed the blade. The creature stood there, watching her every move with a venomous amusement.
"Your sword cannot touch me, girl." The creature said, "Is it made of venomous poison?" It laughed lowly, with cruelty in every word. "It's no match for my abilities."
"Melt, Sesshoumaru."
Ora withdrew her hand from the lilac void, just as the creature dashed towards her with a insane speed. However, Ora dodged the attack effortlessly and hit the creature hard in the chest. With that strong impact, the monster was sent flying across the hill, where it hit a couple of trees before collapsing on the ground. It coughed blood as it got up and looked at Ora with fury.
"How dare you touch me with those filthy hands!?" It roared as it dashed once again towards Ora. "You'll die screaming for mercy!"
"Puh-lease," Ora rolled her eyes. "You're not even able to get to me, less kill me."
My lady, let me end this farce.
As you wish, Sesshoumaru.
The blade vanished into thin air and, in a matter of seconds, the creature lied lifeless on the ground, eyes darting in pure horror towards Ora.
Shuhei, who got conscious in the mean time perhaps, appeared moments after with the third in command behind him. They stood there as Ora gathered the remains of the creature and burnt it. The horrified expression of the Hollow sent shivers down their spine, even though they didn't see clearly what just had happened. Their captain was not someone who should be messed with, that's more than assured.
"Captain..." Shuhei started, voice failing, "what should we do to the members of the squad?"
"Take them to the quarters, we'll question them and get to the bottom of this." She plainly said as she stared at the flames.
---
The other captains knew about the incident in the following morning. All the leaders were gathered in the hall as Ora approached the center. She noticed Byakuya looking at her, yet she paid no time to it, not when she stood in front of her grandfather.
"Tell me Captain Kuchiki," Yamamoto said, "How did this incident happen?"
"I gathered the information from the soul reapers of my squad." She started, "The journal was created by them in order to get the squad to dislike me. When they noticed it wouldn't resolve in my demission, they released one of the hollows kept for research at Squad Twelve in exchange of my death."
"This is unspeakable!" Captain Soi Fon stated, "They must pay for this treason!"
"They already have their punishment," Ora looked at her grandfather, "I want them banished to Hueco Mundo."
The hall fell into murmurs.
"Hueco Mundo is not a place to send a soul reaper, much less an exiled one." Captain Komamura said, "They will be slaughtered in the moment they go there."
"They gave up being soul reapers the minute they released a Hollow in Seireitei, putting in danger not only their comrades, but also the village below us. They couldn't control it, nor give him orders. It used them to get out, and smelled their hatred for me." Ora clenched her hand into a fist. "They dishonored themselves by betraying our oaths, which is something I cannot forgive."
"Very well then," Yamamoto rose from his seat, "Banish them."
---
As soon as Ora left the Council, she noticed the presence of Byakuya behind her. With a small nod, Byakuya followed her to the lake where she used to go. It was strange to go there, with so many ambiguous memories in that place. She averted her eyes from Byakuya as she calmly walked towards the lake and sat as near as the grass allowed it.
Observing the place now, Byakuya knew that it was wrong of him, all those months ago, to spoil it for her. To ruin her safe haven, one could say. He could feel her presence all around, small particles of a strong bond over the lake, right across from where he stood. The guilt he felt for damaging such a bond was unbearable.
As if Ora could sense his guilt, she looked at him calmly and gave him a small sad smile. "This lake is where my mother and I used to come when she had the chance," she said, "To get a nice whiff of fresh mountain air before returning to Seireitei. It became our rendez-vous place when I started at the Academy, for both of us were too busy to actually spend an entire week here.."
Byakuya sat beside her, looking at the water in front of him. "I deeply regret the things I did to you," he said, "I came here soon after you left, and I truly saw just how much you treasure this place. It was unbefitting of me to insult you and humiliate you the way I did." He looked at Ora, just to see her surprised expression as he went on, "I was a complete prune for hurting you, and for that, I ask you not to forgive me, but simply to hear these words."
Ora was perplexed. Never in her wildest dreams would she ever get Byakuya to actually say he was sorry for what he did to her, she thought that day would never come. However, there he was, apologizing to her, truly. She didn't know what to say. They simply stood there, admiring the lake as the sun set up high in the sky, the light reflecting on the lake and the gentle breeze that swept over the grass and the leafs on the trees. All those insults, all those humiliations that she was obliged to accept. The cold stares, the non-existent relationship with Byakuya. After all those months that had she cried and suffered in silence... she was here, with him apologizing for what he did.
She didn't feel the tears running down her face until Byakuya ran a finger over her cheek to wipe them. She jerked away from him slightly, she needed to recompose herself, but the tears wouldn't stop. "I'm sorry," she said in a strangled voice, "I'm sorry..."
He embraced her tightly, passing his fingers through her hair to soothe her down. "I'm so sorry," he too said in a whisper, "I'm so sorry for what I did, I was blind in my own grief. To shut you out that way... it was not honorable of me. Not for you. You didn't deserve that treatment."
Ora sobbed and held on to Byakuya's scent for what it seems to be for hours. Byakuya kept soothing her until her eyes had no tears left to cry.
"I..." Ora started with a sore voice, "I never thought that I would hear those words from you... I... I'm so happy..."
Byakuya smiled, yes, smiled.
"I won't do that to you ever again," He said, "I promise you that."
"And I promise you, the moment you do that, I'll kill you."Ora said.
There was a silence that went on through a few moments, just Byakuya looking at Ora with surprise and shock written all over his face. Then, a contained chuckle came out of his mouth and soon it was set free into a loud laugh that Ora accompanied with her own. That was the start of something new, something great.
They both could feel it.
--- Author's Note ---
It's been 4 years.
Four years since the last chapter.
It's something that I can't even begin to discuss, but HOW THE HELL DID I STOP WRITING FOR FOUR YEARS?!
I'm so sorry for the long wait, I feel like George R. R. Martin right now.
But expect some more chapters soon - I promise you!
See you then!