Luhy
01-27-2008, 05:37 AM
It was a long war... a very long war... but Aizen had finally been defeated by his own lust for power, putting the Hougyoku in the hands of the one person who could manipulate it better than even he could... Inoue had used the Hougyoku to drain Aizens power, weakening him to a level where he wasn't even a threat to anyone... Life goes on, and promises must be kept...
*Rukias body feels heavy... her legs are aching and her feet feel sore as she runs through the passageway from underneath Uraharas shop into Heuco Mundo... it took several weeks after the end of the war for her to get permission to leave... though her excuse was a bit less personal of course~ As she finally makes her way into the desolate cold hell that is Heuco Mundo, Rukia finds herself stopping short... she watches the grains of sand slide down the hill from the impact of her small footstep...*
Rukia: (Oh I wish I could just get a sign... Ichigo, why couldn't you just admit how you felt to me!? And then the other day I see you holding hands with Inoue... maybe it's for the best...) Ashido...
*Rukia starts her trek through the sandstorms and cold breezes, the random pathetic hollows trying to make a snack out of her... all whilst wondering if she's making a mistake... maybe she should have fought for Ichigo more?... maybe she should have been nicer to him... but no, then she would just be trying to mimic Inoue wouldn't she? maybe it's because Ichigo reminds her so much of Kaien... If they were meant to be together, he would be the one looking for her right now... and not her looking for Ashido... Ashido... the sand is beating her in the face as she covers up a little better, the wind nearly knocking down her petite frame at times as she pushes onward... Ashido... that man really something... but he needs to forgive himself... he deserves to... even with the offer to be taken back to Soul Society, he continues his endless fight to protect his deseased friends... he needs to know the threat is over...*
Rukia: (I'll lie to him! I'll tell him the hollows stopped appearing!) *she falls to her knees in the sand... lost... in about every way a person can be lost... she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, recalling her first meeting with Ashido... when he first took off his mask and spoke to her about his vows... when he took that cero for her... a complete stranger practically, and yet-*
*Suddenly the ground turns to mush! quicksand! Rukia fights with it, about to release her shikai to freeze the sand and break free before it hits her... Ashido! that's how they first got to the Menos Forest... she wraps her face with her cape as she takes a deep breath, allowing herself to be consumed into the emptiness... emptiness...*
Rukia: Puaah! *spitting sand, some still leaking out of her hair as she drops down into the black woods of the Menos Forest... the familiar cries of the Gillian seem to be lessened... definitely not as loud as it once was...* Hmm... *she fixates her view on a very large cracked stump... looking at every ring in the stump, counting them to find out how old the great tree once was... as she tries to find the reiatsu of the strange man that twice saved her life... this stump has definitely far out-survived itself as a full-grown tree... moss and decay... maybe it was alive a good 1,500 years... dead for 2,000... her heart suddenly jumps! Ashido! It's definitely Ashido... he's fighting... of course...* Ashido! *her emotions take over her common sense as she calls out his name into the Menos Forest... realizing she probably called just about every Gillian in existance as she tries to hide her reiatsu, running towards where she senses him*
*Rukia rushes through the woods as fast as she can, using Shunpo as she flies through the woods, completely hidden from detection... wanting to get to Ashido as fast as she can... like a little girl seperated from her parents in a thick crowd... It's Ashido!*
Ashido: You... never... learn! *a swarm of Gillian gathers around him, seeming to have trapped him... and in instant... they all fall to the ground and disappear*
Rukia: *hiding behind a tree as she tries to straighten up a bit* (I really hope he didn't see me yet...)
Ashido: You came back... Rukia Kuchiki
Rukia: *her eyes widen as the familiar stranger Shunpos behind her, the open claw of her fingers gripping the front of her scarf tight as she trembles for a moment, not turning around* I made a promise Ashido...
Ashido: *taking a small step forward, hardly touching the ground with his step* Believe it or not... you weren't the first to make such a promise... but you ARE the first to keep it... Rukia Kuchiki... *taking another, even lighter step... not even the sharpest ears in the world could hear his footsteps, but it was deafening to Rukia who felt the ground shake*
Rukia: *turning around, as she looks down at the floor, her eyes only seeing the trailing of his cape... which has several new rips in it... his outfit seems a bit torn as well, just by looking at the bottom of his pant-legs* The hollows are disappearing Ashido...
Ashido: I thought so... there are very few gatherings like you just saw anymore... there are so few Hollow to keep me company anymore *laughing a bit*
Rukia: *looking up at his face, taking in every feature and smiling back at his smile as she nervously stutters* W-we should... go back to the Soul Society... will you come back w-with... me... Ashido?
Ashido: *still smiling as his eyes drop down to the floor for the moment, then back at the soft smile on Rukias face* Rukia... I don't know if I can ever go back...
Rukia: Ashido! *raising her voice... it's obviously out of frustration from the disappointment* Ashido, the Arrancar, the Vasto-Lordes, the Adjuchas... they're all gone! We fought for months and stopped the threat, and the Gillian aren't able to enter the real world anymore! How can you!... how can you... *slowly turning from anger into just disappointment, thinking maybe she didn't mean enough to him either as she presses her fists and cheek against his chest* how can you just stay here!? don't you know how much you worry me?... don't... you care?
Ashido: Rukia... *looking at her with concern as he feels his heart sink a bit... something he hasn't felt in far so long as he clenches he laces one of her fists with his fingers, holding it against him before taking a step back and holding her hand* I want to show you something... promise me it won't scare you?
Rukia: *nodding slightly as she tries to keep her face strong, suppressing the tears from forming* Of course...
Ashido: *lifting Rukias petite frame under one arm as he starts to Shunpo through the Menos Forest* It's not far
Rukia: *her eyes go blank...* Ashido! Not again! I'm not a baby! Put me down, I can follow... *she goes silent... something has caught her eye...* I can follow... myself... Ashido! *in an enthusiastic whipser* how did you find this!?
Ashido: *setting her down as he stands at her side, fixing her cape to better cover her* I made this place... after I met you...
*Truly the diamond in the rough of Heuco Mundo... Ashido has taken Rukia to a large cavernous passageway... much more spaceous than the living quarters he had taken her to when they first met... the cave seems like an upside-down crater, the center is a huge sparkling luminous pond... theres a pathway of stone with a canopy of vines and and marble in the center of the pond... the walls are decorated with phalaenopsis and lilacs made with Kidou as they sparkle wildly... the water shines, though obviously not really water, it doesn't matter... it's perfect*
Rukia: After you met me? *gripping onto Ashidos uniform at his hips as she looks up at him* You made this all... for me?
Ashido: I did *he whispers, hardly even speaking the words as he gazes deep into Rukias eyes* I wanted to show you this... then it would be up to you... to bring me back with you or stay here with me...
Rukia: *thrusting herself at Ashido on her tip-toes, kissing him passionately as her mouth presses into his, nearly knocking him over as shes overcome with a feeling of euphoria*
Ashido: *his eyes open wide before closing them... feeling his whole body grow warm as he wraps his arms around her, holding her close before breaking her kiss... noticing a tear on her cheek as he tries to brush it off* It's frozen... *looking into her eyes in surprise*
Rukia: *blushing a bright red, the reflection of her frozen tear illuminated by the sparkle and light of the flowers and pond as she giggles* I guess I'm just a little emotional...
*The light emitted from the cavern starts to fade, Rukia and Ashido entwined under the marble canopy inside as the howl of Gillians echo across the dead silence of the Menos Forest as a blanket of ice covers the cavern... Rukia and Ashido are sitting outside, gazing at the nightsky of Heuco Mundo as they hold hands*
Rukia: I want to stay here with you Ashido... and raise our child together... *looking down at his grip on her hand, then at the profile of his face as he stares off in the distance*
Ashido: I don't want you to lose everyone close to you Rukia...
Rukia: I can always go back from time to time... this is what I want... we can turn all of the Menos Forest into a frozen, illuminated, sparkling paradise for our family...
*and they did exactly that... It was scarey at first for Rukia, raising her child in such a still-dangerous place, but theres nothing more dangerous than a mother trying to protect her child... they had 4 children, 2 girls, and 2 boys... the beginning of a whole new society... Rukia and Ashido slowly turned the fallen trees, the darkness, the filth... into a paradise... columns of crystal spiral up every tree, reflecting light, huge rings of ice and Kidou cover every inch of the canopies of the Forest... It's not a bright, illuminated place... many other ex-shinigami have retired here after hearing of Rukias story... the beginning of a new society forming... The Gillian and Hollow finally extinct... and the recognition of the once Menos Forest as now, The Shinigami Forest*
*Rukias body feels heavy... her legs are aching and her feet feel sore as she runs through the passageway from underneath Uraharas shop into Heuco Mundo... it took several weeks after the end of the war for her to get permission to leave... though her excuse was a bit less personal of course~ As she finally makes her way into the desolate cold hell that is Heuco Mundo, Rukia finds herself stopping short... she watches the grains of sand slide down the hill from the impact of her small footstep...*
Rukia: (Oh I wish I could just get a sign... Ichigo, why couldn't you just admit how you felt to me!? And then the other day I see you holding hands with Inoue... maybe it's for the best...) Ashido...
*Rukia starts her trek through the sandstorms and cold breezes, the random pathetic hollows trying to make a snack out of her... all whilst wondering if she's making a mistake... maybe she should have fought for Ichigo more?... maybe she should have been nicer to him... but no, then she would just be trying to mimic Inoue wouldn't she? maybe it's because Ichigo reminds her so much of Kaien... If they were meant to be together, he would be the one looking for her right now... and not her looking for Ashido... Ashido... the sand is beating her in the face as she covers up a little better, the wind nearly knocking down her petite frame at times as she pushes onward... Ashido... that man really something... but he needs to forgive himself... he deserves to... even with the offer to be taken back to Soul Society, he continues his endless fight to protect his deseased friends... he needs to know the threat is over...*
Rukia: (I'll lie to him! I'll tell him the hollows stopped appearing!) *she falls to her knees in the sand... lost... in about every way a person can be lost... she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, recalling her first meeting with Ashido... when he first took off his mask and spoke to her about his vows... when he took that cero for her... a complete stranger practically, and yet-*
*Suddenly the ground turns to mush! quicksand! Rukia fights with it, about to release her shikai to freeze the sand and break free before it hits her... Ashido! that's how they first got to the Menos Forest... she wraps her face with her cape as she takes a deep breath, allowing herself to be consumed into the emptiness... emptiness...*
Rukia: Puaah! *spitting sand, some still leaking out of her hair as she drops down into the black woods of the Menos Forest... the familiar cries of the Gillian seem to be lessened... definitely not as loud as it once was...* Hmm... *she fixates her view on a very large cracked stump... looking at every ring in the stump, counting them to find out how old the great tree once was... as she tries to find the reiatsu of the strange man that twice saved her life... this stump has definitely far out-survived itself as a full-grown tree... moss and decay... maybe it was alive a good 1,500 years... dead for 2,000... her heart suddenly jumps! Ashido! It's definitely Ashido... he's fighting... of course...* Ashido! *her emotions take over her common sense as she calls out his name into the Menos Forest... realizing she probably called just about every Gillian in existance as she tries to hide her reiatsu, running towards where she senses him*
*Rukia rushes through the woods as fast as she can, using Shunpo as she flies through the woods, completely hidden from detection... wanting to get to Ashido as fast as she can... like a little girl seperated from her parents in a thick crowd... It's Ashido!*
Ashido: You... never... learn! *a swarm of Gillian gathers around him, seeming to have trapped him... and in instant... they all fall to the ground and disappear*
Rukia: *hiding behind a tree as she tries to straighten up a bit* (I really hope he didn't see me yet...)
Ashido: You came back... Rukia Kuchiki
Rukia: *her eyes widen as the familiar stranger Shunpos behind her, the open claw of her fingers gripping the front of her scarf tight as she trembles for a moment, not turning around* I made a promise Ashido...
Ashido: *taking a small step forward, hardly touching the ground with his step* Believe it or not... you weren't the first to make such a promise... but you ARE the first to keep it... Rukia Kuchiki... *taking another, even lighter step... not even the sharpest ears in the world could hear his footsteps, but it was deafening to Rukia who felt the ground shake*
Rukia: *turning around, as she looks down at the floor, her eyes only seeing the trailing of his cape... which has several new rips in it... his outfit seems a bit torn as well, just by looking at the bottom of his pant-legs* The hollows are disappearing Ashido...
Ashido: I thought so... there are very few gatherings like you just saw anymore... there are so few Hollow to keep me company anymore *laughing a bit*
Rukia: *looking up at his face, taking in every feature and smiling back at his smile as she nervously stutters* W-we should... go back to the Soul Society... will you come back w-with... me... Ashido?
Ashido: *still smiling as his eyes drop down to the floor for the moment, then back at the soft smile on Rukias face* Rukia... I don't know if I can ever go back...
Rukia: Ashido! *raising her voice... it's obviously out of frustration from the disappointment* Ashido, the Arrancar, the Vasto-Lordes, the Adjuchas... they're all gone! We fought for months and stopped the threat, and the Gillian aren't able to enter the real world anymore! How can you!... how can you... *slowly turning from anger into just disappointment, thinking maybe she didn't mean enough to him either as she presses her fists and cheek against his chest* how can you just stay here!? don't you know how much you worry me?... don't... you care?
Ashido: Rukia... *looking at her with concern as he feels his heart sink a bit... something he hasn't felt in far so long as he clenches he laces one of her fists with his fingers, holding it against him before taking a step back and holding her hand* I want to show you something... promise me it won't scare you?
Rukia: *nodding slightly as she tries to keep her face strong, suppressing the tears from forming* Of course...
Ashido: *lifting Rukias petite frame under one arm as he starts to Shunpo through the Menos Forest* It's not far
Rukia: *her eyes go blank...* Ashido! Not again! I'm not a baby! Put me down, I can follow... *she goes silent... something has caught her eye...* I can follow... myself... Ashido! *in an enthusiastic whipser* how did you find this!?
Ashido: *setting her down as he stands at her side, fixing her cape to better cover her* I made this place... after I met you...
*Truly the diamond in the rough of Heuco Mundo... Ashido has taken Rukia to a large cavernous passageway... much more spaceous than the living quarters he had taken her to when they first met... the cave seems like an upside-down crater, the center is a huge sparkling luminous pond... theres a pathway of stone with a canopy of vines and and marble in the center of the pond... the walls are decorated with phalaenopsis and lilacs made with Kidou as they sparkle wildly... the water shines, though obviously not really water, it doesn't matter... it's perfect*
Rukia: After you met me? *gripping onto Ashidos uniform at his hips as she looks up at him* You made this all... for me?
Ashido: I did *he whispers, hardly even speaking the words as he gazes deep into Rukias eyes* I wanted to show you this... then it would be up to you... to bring me back with you or stay here with me...
Rukia: *thrusting herself at Ashido on her tip-toes, kissing him passionately as her mouth presses into his, nearly knocking him over as shes overcome with a feeling of euphoria*
Ashido: *his eyes open wide before closing them... feeling his whole body grow warm as he wraps his arms around her, holding her close before breaking her kiss... noticing a tear on her cheek as he tries to brush it off* It's frozen... *looking into her eyes in surprise*
Rukia: *blushing a bright red, the reflection of her frozen tear illuminated by the sparkle and light of the flowers and pond as she giggles* I guess I'm just a little emotional...
*The light emitted from the cavern starts to fade, Rukia and Ashido entwined under the marble canopy inside as the howl of Gillians echo across the dead silence of the Menos Forest as a blanket of ice covers the cavern... Rukia and Ashido are sitting outside, gazing at the nightsky of Heuco Mundo as they hold hands*
Rukia: I want to stay here with you Ashido... and raise our child together... *looking down at his grip on her hand, then at the profile of his face as he stares off in the distance*
Ashido: I don't want you to lose everyone close to you Rukia...
Rukia: I can always go back from time to time... this is what I want... we can turn all of the Menos Forest into a frozen, illuminated, sparkling paradise for our family...
*and they did exactly that... It was scarey at first for Rukia, raising her child in such a still-dangerous place, but theres nothing more dangerous than a mother trying to protect her child... they had 4 children, 2 girls, and 2 boys... the beginning of a whole new society... Rukia and Ashido slowly turned the fallen trees, the darkness, the filth... into a paradise... columns of crystal spiral up every tree, reflecting light, huge rings of ice and Kidou cover every inch of the canopies of the Forest... It's not a bright, illuminated place... many other ex-shinigami have retired here after hearing of Rukias story... the beginning of a new society forming... The Gillian and Hollow finally extinct... and the recognition of the once Menos Forest as now, The Shinigami Forest*