Angels are only a myth.
He - Kurosaki Ichigo - did not believe angels existed. He had never seen one – the description of the angel he always read in books.
The pages were filled with illustrations that showed what angels looked like. Golden locks of hair, fair skin unblemished and flawless, with wings made of feathers from a pure white bird. The angels had radiant halos that hovered above them, the same color as their hair.
Ichigo was able to see spirits of the departed, but he never saw any spirit similar to the drawings of an angel. None of the spirits he met had flawless skin, the curling, long hair, or wore heavenly expressions.
The closest he found the image of the guardians to anyone was his mother.
He remembered how she always smiled at him when he was younger; she made him feel secure with her, happy.
As a young child filled with foolish dreams, he wondered if she became an actual angel after her death.
If she had, wouldn’t he be able to see her? Ichigo refused the ridiculous notions of angels ever since her death, never seeing a spirit that could compete to his mother’s image or the pictures in paintings.
Until that evening.
—
Angels were not to be seen or interact with living souls.
She - Kuchiki Rukia - was an obedient angel, following all the strict rules placed on each angel. They were ordained everywhere, to remind each one of the forbidden acts an angel should not do.
It was the truth that angels were real.
But, angels were to be kept a secret from the living souls on Earth until they died and came to either the lands of the angels or the fields of the demons.
Only some living souls in humanity met angels during their mortal lives- many drew what they could remember of the angel.
But what they drew of angels were false memories they replaced in the soul’s mind. Once a man had seen Rukia and was soon to draw her, not before she altered his memories. Instead of her raven tendrils and large, icy, violet eyes, the man drew Rukia with yellow locks, and small, soft blue irises- not to mention her body was far from that of the large women they drew. It was small and frail, almost like a child’s.
Every living soul had a distorted image on what an angel was, from those who draw of the distorted image they gained.
This was another law; having each angel avoid being seen by a special human that could actually sense them, see and interact with them.
If the angel was caught, they could easily alter the man’s memory to the place holder image. It was all lies.
But every lie held some truth.
Rukia gasped in pain, keeping her wings frozen in place so no pain would shoot up her spine from any movement. Her hands grasped the grass as her arms trembled.
All the laws were placed to protect angels and living souls, and punishment for breaking the laws was lethal, as breaking any of the laws was severe.
She collapsed onto the cool ground, moaning. Her wings felt like they were being ripped off from her back. Her whole front was down in the damp ground, as she felt the cold seep through all the way to her core.
This was punishment.
Punishment for disobeying the laws set for angels.
Because they knew it always ended like how she was now.
Broken.
She lay on the grass in the mortal world like a broken doll.
She was paying the consequences, writhing in agony in the rain.
Because she disobeyed the first law of the line that was not to be crossed.
Angels must not share feelings with a living soul.
—
Ichigo was walking home that evening.
The skies above were clouded, but you could tell that the sun was just setting over the horizon line. It was past the wet season and close to the summer break from school, yet there were still many storms. His eyes scanned around, as no one was outside on the empty street. He was surprised when he noticed an old shop, looking worn by many years of hardship.
Something was odd about it, seeing the sign mounted on the front.
“Urahara’s Shouten…?” He muttered to himself. It was a store, but it looked close with no one inside. He stared up at the building for another moment before backing away, ready to get pack on the trail home. He turned his head and could see behind the store a large hill with a single tree at the peak. It then did he stop in his tracks.
It wasn’t the tree that caught Ichigo’s attention, but the figure that he could see under it. His eyes widened when he could see a small figure of a person, something large protruding from their back. His feet carried him quietly up the tree, staring as the silhouette became clearer and focused.
One of the first things he noticed was her short hair wasn’t a shining gold- instead; his orange hair was a sharp contrast to her midnight locks that fell sharply to her shoulders. One strand fell in her face, but she showed no sign of irritation from her hair.
He stifled a gasp when he saw the wings that lay limp behind her. The bird feathers looked pure white, with the soft curve at the end. His hand reached out, if he could touch the soft wings…
But he froze when the color red attacked his sight. The liquid stained in blotches everywhere on her wings.
Ichigo finally noticed something was wrong with this image of the supposed angel.
Bloody wings, lying dead on the grass.
The white dress she wore was soaked and stained with mud and grass, obvious from the ground she was sitting on.
Her dark eyes that looked captivating were dull, glazed. She didn’t even see him right in front of her - if she did, she remained still, not acknowledging his existance.
One trait similar was her skin. Her skin was pale, almost a sickly white. It glowed in the darkening sky, as the sun was probably saying good bye while it disappeared in between the clouds.
But her skin was still smooth, with no scar or freckle.
His heart froze seeing the sight.
This wasn’t what an angel was.
This was… a dead being.
But then, angels technically were dead-yet looked wonderfully alive.
She looked busted.
He reached out and touched her arm, and could feel her skin was creamy smooth, but freezing cold.
“H-hey…!” He muttered, hesitant but gently shook her arm. She did not look up at him much to his disappointment. He kneeled there, holding her arm questioningly. He jumped slightly when he heard a voice- it was hers. It didn’t sound high like a girl’s, but still held the harmony of a woman. It didn’t sound like a voice of an angel’s, which was described as silk and a harp playing words in books.
“You…can see me?” She questioned, but her face was still pointed forward. Her arm twitched, making him release the skin.
“Of course I can. Why wouldn’t I…?” He asked.
She remained silent- it looked like she was mulling over his answer. He stared at the top of her head, waiting in patient silence- but he decided to break it with another question.
“What happened to your wings…? What happened to you?” He asked urgently. He heard a pained gasp, and reached for her arm again, in case she was hurting. “What’s wrong?” He asked, feeling the cold skin again under his hand.
“You… must leave at once. If you stay any longer, you could…” Her voice sounded strangled; as she looked up to the foolish boy she was talking to.
Her eyes weren’t dull anymore- in fact, he was surprised to see so much life in her eyes so quickly- if only her eyes weren’t lit by anxiousness and worry. He stared at her dumbly, taken aback for a moment before retorting.
“What do you mean ‘leave’? I can’t just leave you like this..!” He argued. He stared at her defiantly. She looked almost dumbfounded as she stared back at him, but her face was composed once again, looking indifferent.
“What do you think you’re doing, trying to save someone? When you see some pathetic creature, you take pity on it and act humble? You have no business if I’m in pain or not- and I’m not. I’m fine.” She lashed. Ichigo stood up, shocked at her outburst, speechless. Her voice was suddenly loud, yet icy. It sounded hard, more like a trumpet than a harp. He didn’t know how to answer her assumption on him.
“-But I still want to know why you’re lying here with dead weight on your back!” He replied in sharp voice, looking pointedly at the wings. She looked away, a pained expression washed over her face.
“This is just what the wings on an angel looks like…” she paused before adding, “Usually without the blood, of course. This is old blood anyway, I’m perfectly fine.” She said.
“…Why is there even blood on your wings?” He asked.
“It’s nothing of concern to you.” She told him once more, icily. Ichigo glared at the defiant figure, but then noticed the rising moon behind him. It was a full moon tonight, he noted for no reason.
“Whatever then- I have to go.” He retorted, annoyed at her rude behavior. Still, he was reluctant to stand up from the ground next to her. When had he sit down next to her? He turned and started walking, but stopped. She turned her head and looked at his still figure, wondering why he was still there.
“…Are you really an angel?” He asked out loud, not turning back to her. Even he could hear the his hesitance and disbelief, asking such a question.
“… That is one term you could call.” It was all she said. He took her answer with no objections and started walking away.
He remembered all the stories his mother read to him about angels, and the textbooks he read about them. The same definition of angel in each one of them.
She wasn’t the textbook definition- she was the exact opposite. She was not humble, as far as he could tell. She was not some well-endowed woman with long, radiant hair. Her voice wasn’t soft like a harp. Her attire of blood-stained wings and a dirty dress screamed of some sort of devil in disguise, or an angel that fell into mud.
But despite the appearance, she held an air of independence; almost to the point of ignorance- she had a small body of a girl his age or even younger, yet the maturity of a woman decades old with experience. Along with her shadow hair, her voice was loud and blunt- he didn’t doubt it could be silky, though.
Despite how everything seemed to yell that she was some hideous creature, how she was nothing like his mother-
He, Kurosaki Ichigo, met an angel.
Angels were real.
A/N: I brought this out earlier, because I’ll be leaving tomorrow for Independence Day and won’t be back until Sunday. These chapters will be short because it was intended to be a one-shot. Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: Bleach characters by Kubo. This chapter has some death, focused more on Rukia.
She felt a strange sensation when the boy had touched her. He had a gentle but firm grip on her arm that overwhelmed her senses, if only for a moment. She never had any soul- living or not- touch her like that, a touch that only held the emotion of concern, worry, and strange curiosity.
She understood how all living souls searched to know everything they could, being the curious creatures they were. But in the living world, angels were to be imaginary. Many people still believed they were real- few ever saw one.
And he was able to see her.
She couldn’t alter his memory like most angels did when they met those special living souls, she couldn’t at all.
Not without her graces from Society Above.
As punishment, the head angels had stripped her of all her graces- her ability to alter memories, and living in Society Above. They even destroyed her wings so she could never fly, making the ordeal as painful as possible for her. They now hung on her back dead, the sign that marked a fallen angel.
Becoming a fallen angel was the first degree of punishment. If any other law is broken again, the final blow was fatal.
She remembered what her friend had told her when she was being exiled. She had hoped he would give her comforting words that would be useless, but he wouldn’t try to fool her.
“If you fall even more, it is said an angel turns into a demon, taken to live in purgatory.” Renji warned her. She could only look at him, cold fear running through her veins.
A demon in purgatory.
“So please, Rukia… They’ll welcome you back after a while, and I’ll wait.” She saw something different in his eyes, but couldn’t quite place what it was.
But can her dead wings bring her back to Society Above? The hope she felt after his words were ripped as she fell onto the soft ground of Earth, her bleeding wings. He was wrong- they would never bring her back.
A fallen angel remained exiled.
Rukia watched as the drops of water fell from the clouds over head. It was raining once again, as she watched from the same spot under the protective tree. Her eyes roamed around her surroundings once again, her eyes hovering on the large, abandoned house right behind her.
This was where he lived.
This was where he died, and where he was buried.
They were under the same tree, where she sat in the same place since she dropped to the Earth, after her wings were torn. She wouldn’t leave his side, she didn’t want to.
When she first met him, she was so much younger, naïve. She was assigned to stay down in the living souls lived, waiting for any soul that was destined to go to The Realm and become an angel.
She remembered of being tired flying around the large area and had alighted onto the ground where they first met.
—
Years ago
“Oh, what is this here?” She turned around and froze. A living soul was standing there, looking at her curiously. She backed away a few steps, nervous. No living soul had noticed her while she had been there. Was he one of the exceptions she was told…?
“I must be one lucky man; I don’t see that many women with beautiful wings, though.” He gave a warm smile, making her eyes widen, her stoic expression disappearing. She cursed for faltering.
“Relax- I seem to be the only one who has been seeing you perching everywhere like a little bird around town.” He told her. She stayed wary, but he made no sudden movements.
“Well, you may stay if you want- you’re an angel right, so it really doesn’t matter I guess!” He grinned at his own joke, and started walking towards the large house. Rukia could only stand there surprised, before snapping out of her stupor and calling out to him.
“Wait!” She called. She appeared in front of him the second he turned as two of her finger touched his forehead. This was how angels altered a soul’s memory, as they automatically received the information of the living soul and using their graces to modify it. When she lifted her fingers from him, she disappeared.
His name was Shiba Kaien.
She returned to the tree that afternoon. Unsurprisingly, he still remembered her when he saw her again. He stayed longer, talking to her. Again, she didn’t alter his memory.
“So what are ‘ya, my guardian angel?” He joked around once as he looked down at her with soft eyes.
“G-guardian angel…?” She mumbled.
“Yeah, an angel that watches over someone. I used to be like that with my wife- Miyako would always laugh when I fell or did something stupid just so she didn’t fall or hurt herself.” He sighed. Rukia could see a different smile on his face that she had not seen before.
She clenched her hands.
That day ended with him falling asleep under the tree with her right next to him. She relaxed her shoulders for the first time coming onto Earth.
She soon stood outside his home, looking solemn.
“What’s wrong, Kuchiki?” He always called her Kuchiki after she told him her name, but it still held closeness of knowing the angel.
“…I’ll be leaving.” She mumbled.
“Leaving already, I see…” Kaien mumbled, disappointed. She stared at the ground, not wanting him to see she was obviously upset. She gasped when a large hand took her chin and gently raised her head up to stare back at him.
“Don’t look so sad. A beautiful face like yours isn’t suit for unhappiness.” He whispered. It calmed her, and they had a proper good bye. She lifted her two fingers up to alter his memories this time when he grasped her wrist in a gentle hold. She couldn’t help but gasp as she felt his warmth just from his hand.
“Please don’t. I’d rather remember the way you are, Kuchiki.” He said. Shocked, she could only nod. He released her and her hand dropped to her side. She then left Earth, not looking back.
The head angels didn’t find out about her encounter meeting a living soul. They did not find out about how she left him with untouched memories of her.
She did not tell any soul-living or not- of the law she had broke, as she harbored something heavy deep in her heart, not letting it out.
She felt the happiest, until the day she returned to the area, expecting him to greet her once again.
She and another angel came down to suppress a possessed soul that was not a problem until recently, when it became demonic. When they arrived to the familiar tree and house, they were horrified at the scene.
There were corpses everywhere, blood- the demonic soul had already caused quite a few casualties. Rukia roamed the blank faces of the shells when she noticed one was still alive. Every inch of her body turned cold when she recognized who it was, as he called her name out.
“K-Kuchiki…” His strangled breath called out. Without hesitating, she rushed towards him, forgetting of the other angel and everything else. Only his bloody appearance was in her sight.
“Kaien!” She yelled and kneeled down towards him. He gave her a smile, but it looked gruesome with blood on his face.
“Heh, you really are like a guardian angel Kuchiki, thanks for coming again before…” She didn’t want to hear the end of his sentence; her heart feeling like it was ripping.
“No, stop! It’s not your time to die!” She stifled a small sob, but the tears were welling under her eyes.
“It might not have been… But I’m one lucky guy to see such an angel before a death like this. I wonder if I’ll see Miyako after this again…” He muttered, a wistful look overcoming his face.
“Kaien…” Rukia whispered.
“Thanks.” He muttered, touching her hand. She grasped his between her own, squeezing tightly. His eyes fell off of her as they glazed over.
She stared at his cold body, feeling the warm liquid falling down her cheeks.
That morning, all of the bodies were gone- either perished by fire that was lit, or buried under ground by the same demon.
She had failed as an angel- and he was dead.
But it still became worse.
“Kuchiki Rukia. We have received word that you are suspected of violating one of the laws set for angels. Our report says you broke Law One of the commandments of showing emotion and feeling towards a living soul.” The voice boomed, the true wrath of an angel making her knees shake. She flinched away from the authoritative voice, but she could not run away- they had surrounded her. She remained silent, listening to the voice continue on.
“How do you plead to this report?” It asked. Rukia could only shake her head, unable to speak without her voice shaking from intimidation.
“Until we can confirm if this statement is false or not, you will remain inside the Central Realm, where you are to stay in confinement. In the Central Realm, your graces will be stripped as an angel of question. You are dismissed.” Rukia quickly left and headed toward Central Realm before getting persecuted of not following orders, her mind still going through what had happened.
She was isolated in the Central Realm for the next several years, as everything else that was not ruined went downhill.
—
Now she was here, on Earth once again.
She raised her head and looked out towards the direction the boy left, suddenly remembering him.
It was very surprising as he had suddenly appeared next to her, talking to her. No one had been able to see her for the months she had already been here, which she was grateful for.
But the living boy seemed different.
She tried to remain indifferent to his several questions, but she couldn’t help start getting annoyed at his concern. She didn’t need some strange, human adolescent trying to help her, for there was nothing he could help her with.
She even went to lie to him to send him on his way, but something inside her stopped herself from finishing the sentence.
When his hand met with her skin- His hand shot warmth through her whole body with one touch.
He had only asked her if she was an angel only once.
Of course, Kaien was correct without even asking- but the boy seemed not as surprised to meet an angel- although he seemed very distraught at the sight of her wings.
Rukia focused back on the rain that was still pounding the ground, and then looked over her shoulder at her bloody wings.
She sighed, thinking once more of the orange-headed boy. She looked back forward, and hesitantly stood up. Her feet wobbled- she hadn’t stood on her feet for a while. She took a step forward from under the canopy of the tree and could feel the rain drops pelt her skin. She spread her wings manually behind her hands as the water hit her wings.
This would wash the blood stains, she thought. That, plus it felt soothing.
Chapter three: Laws
Ichigo went on through the day as he usually did; greeting his friends and staying out of any trouble at school- walking back home alone.
But he couldn’t stop the image of the angel popping into his mind. Despite the memory of her only lasted for a few minutes, it stretched in his mind to all day.
Before he knew it, he was walking down that same barren street, passing the same shop.
‘An angel wouldn’t stay in one place for so long…’ He thought, but he still craned his neck to look around the shop, into the yard behind. He froze in amazement at that site before he hurried over to the tree when he had seen the same figure again. He came in closer, as the sight of her became clear enough to see her back was on him.
The wings still lay on the ground only being held by her back, but the blood from before was gone.
He could now see the pure white feathers perfectly.
“Those blood stains are gone.” He commented out loud, gaining her attention. At first he could see the slight surprise when she turned to see him, but quickly relaxed again when she saw it was only him.
“The rain actually washed it out.” She said, sounding cool.
It had started raining when he left her and went home, not stopping until late that night- Ichigo remembered. It only reminded him of the day his mother died, where it was raining heavily.
“…Why do you just sit here, don’t angels have important things to do?” He asked, starting a conversation. He didn’t know much of angels, not trusting of the information from the books he had read now.
“I have no duties, so I’ll just sit here.” She answered.
“Angels have duties? What are those?” He asked, becoming interested.
“Angels serve as soldiers for souls- living or dead- throughout the world and outward. One specific job an angel will do is come down to the living souls, and guides the dying away.” She explained.
“Do all people see angels when they’re dying?” Ichigo asked. He leaned onto the tree as he continued listening.
“Not necessarily- We will help any peacefully dying soul to where they are to go. Most souls go to the Realm of the Dead, but some souls are special where we will personally take them up to a place called Society Above, if they are qualified to become angels. Some living souls are just able to see angels-like you can- when they are nowhere near their deathbed.” She stood up and looked up at him with indifferent eyes. His warm amber eyes could have fooled her.
“And what if you don’t die ‘peacefully’?” He asked in a low voice. She looked a bit hesitant, but stood her ground.
“There… are some occasions we cannot do anything about in helping souls. If they do not die in a peaceful manner, we cannot do anything for them.” She answered. They remained quiet, until she broke the silence.
“Why did you come back here?” She finally asked. Ichigo looked away as he folded his arms.
“I just was passing by again, and saw you were still here. It’s not every day I see an angel- although shorter than I ever expected.” He said. Rukia’s face turned red at the insult.
“Excuse me, how many angels have you seen to compare me to one?” She glared up at him, her voice dangerously low.
“…Jots in the books.” He muttered, looking away so he didn’t have to see her triumphant smirk- “You actually look different from every illustration in a book. Angels always are-”
“Tall with flowing golden hair and a halo. That’s because angels alter a living soul’s memory. Humans have always documented a demented image.” Rukia explained. Ichigo stared in shock at the information- all the paintings were based on memories of meeting angels. He could draw what the real angel look like, or she’d change his memory to meeting an angel completely different from the one that actually stood in front of him.
“…Why haven’t you altered my memory?” Ichigo asked, a bit nervous.
“Would you like your memory altered?” She offered. She had closed the gap between their bodies in a flash and lifted her hand and pointed her two fingers toward him. Ichigo, alarmed, snatched her hand. Her eyes widened at the sudden movement, staring up at Ichigo.
“No, I don’t.” He answered. They remained holding hands until Ichigo released hers, flustered. “S-sorry.”
“Kurosaki Ichigo.” She said. He stared at her in surprise, hearing his name. He was sure he had not told her his name.
“How did you know that?” He demanded.
“My fingers touched your skin- although I can’t alter your memory, your spirit can still be read, and especially how yours seems to announce everything about you.” Rukia explained. In her hand, a torn piece of red thread appeared in her hand.
“…Amazing.” Ichigo muttered. Her last statement was left unheard as he looked up to see her staring only at the thread, looking like she was opening the greatest book she had been waiting to read its words.
“…Then do you have a name? Or is that something angels do not do?” He asked her. She looked up at him. Her hand closed on the thread, and nodded. The thread disappeared, no proof of it existing.
“Yes. Kuchiki Rukia.” She said. Ichigo nodded, and looked over at the hazy sun for a few moments. He mentally cursed about his father would go crazy if he came home late and missed dinner.
“I better get going…” He muttered. He glanced back at Rukia, looking at her. She was wearing what must have been a pure white dress that flowed to her knees. It would have looked beautiful, if dirt wasn’t matted on the fabric, unless that’s what angels wore with their heavenly attire.
“Don’t you get cold out here in just that?” He questioned. She shook her head, sitting back down. Despite her wings looking heavy enough to throw her off balance, every movement she made was graceful.
“It’s always cold as an angel. That’s why sometimes we’re called shinigami.” Rukia answered.
“…Ah.” He wasn’t sure what to say, so kept quiet. They remained silent for a couple of minutes with Ichigo staring at her. He could get used to an image of a short-haired angel. He opened his messenger bag and took out a sandwich he left from lunch, and bit a piece off.
“Do you not have to eat or are you starving yourself?” He asked her. She shot a glare- even he could see she was perfectly healthy and not looking starved of hunger. He was making fun of the difference she had to the curvaceous and fuller figures in the fake images of angels.
“It’s not necessary. Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of being dead?” She asked him, but he only shrugged his shoulders. It was a good question to ponder on.
“Maybe, does it matter?” He took out a small box carton and held it out to her, as she looked at it with curiosity.
“What is it?” She asked, accepting the offer, but only stared at it.
“It’s juice.” He told her. She looked at him confused, so he simplified it even more. “A drink.”
“… I see.” She commented, but still stared at it. She glanced up at him with a questionable look, and he sighed.
“Jeez, let me.” He crouched down and took out a straw that appeared from the side of the box she hadn’t even noticed. He noticed she didn’t flinch or anything when he covered her hand over his as he held the straw in his left, punching it into the box.
“It’s delicious.” She said after taking a sip of it. He could only smirk at her as she continued drinking the juice.
Despite the curfew, he didn’t leave until later that night.
—
“You have quite a collection of books there on… angels?” Kurosaki Isshin looked up at his only son. “What’s all this about?” He asked. Ichigo only glanced at him before going back to the book.
“It’s just a …interesting topic. Even in history in Europe, they held similar appearances for so long.” He answered, wary of his father. At least the old man wasn’t pestering him with his stupid face and boisterous attitude.
After spending that night questioning Rukia about angels, Ichigo had borrowed several books on them, looking to see what information was similar to the information he received from a primary source.
All the books failed to mention several key parts of an angel’s life he guessed was unnecessary to tell humans- Society Above, the place where angels lived, an in-depth explanation of their duties, and the rules for angels. He heard his father let out a sigh of nostalgia, and glanced back at him.
“I remember when Yuzu had suggested your mother was now an angel, watching over us. It’s such a nice thought, to think Masaki is still with us.” Isshin muttered, a small smile spreading on his face in nostalgia. Ichigo stared at Isshin for a silent moment before he spoke out. Ichigo hesitated, as the thought of his mother popped into his mind.
“…Do you really think she is an angel?” His question floated as the room remained silent. His father turned toward him. His face was serious once more, staring back at his son.
“I believe, angel or not, she’ll always be watching over you three. Is it a sin to love as an angel?” Isshin asked, as he turned and left Ichigo’s room. Ichigo stared at him, silent in shock at the question.
“It’s always cold as an angel. That’s why sometimes we’re called shinigami…”
-
During that night
“Angels have a set of rules they must abide to and never violate those laws. If an angel did defy what was to protect both humanity and angels, the outcome is always fatal.” She explained as Ichigo sat by her, entranced by this life as angels.
“What is one of the laws?” He asked curiously. She stared at him with what looked like downtrodden, somber eyes. She did not answer until a few minutes of silence.
“Angels must not share feelings with a living soul. All relationships they had before with the living world are to be dropped with all ties severed. This will not cloud an angel’s mind with useless emotions that distract them from their new life.” She finally answered. Ichigo could only stare at her as they remained in silence under the tree.
-
Ichigo clenched his fists, fighting not to show any more emotion about it.
His mother couldn’t be an angel. She would never leave them and sever ties, when they thought of her all the time.
She’d rather become an ordinary soul, and watch over them.
But where was she now? Maybe… maybe Rukia knew the answer.
He stood up abruptly and walked out of the house into the gray sky, towards that tree where he would see her figure sit peacefully- and where his heart was bit lighter.
Chapter four: Demons
Kurosaki Ichigo was different from other living souls.
He had come back after their first encounter, and stayed with her asking so many questions.
Anyone else seeing an angel would go and announce to society, despite most never believing them and call them crazy. Very few actually believed, even little saw an angel before.
But those who met an angel never thought that everything they were sharing to the world was all a lie.
“Rukia.” His voice called behind her. She opened her eyes and looked up to see the boy again- walking up to the tree where she sat for a third time.
“Ichigo…” She answered him. She could feel the corners of her lips tug upwards in a ghost of a smile.
“What is it?” He asked, noticing the smile.
“It is nothing- you’re the one who called my name first.” She turned away, not noticing a pink tinge of his face. Both were silent for a minute before Ichigo started.
“…Rukia, I have a question.” She looked back at him to see a serious look on his face, something she had not seen from the boy.
“…” She said nothing, letting him continue. He remained silent for a couple of minutes, but she waited patiently.
“If someone is killed, do they have a choice of becoming an angel?” He asked her. Rukia gave him a questioning look.
“You wouldn’t become an angel.” She answered truthfully.
“Why?” Ichigo asked a second later. Her eyes widened, a little surprised.
“Why are you asking this?” Rukia asked, not answering him. Ichigo looked away from her, and remained silent. Rukia waited patiently until he started again.
“I used to have a mom.” He said out loud. Rukia stiffened, hearing something different in Ichigo’s voice, and she knew that tone of voice, remembering hearing that same tone from Kaien.
A voice of mourning for that loved one.
“When I was eight, we were walking home in the rain at night. We were almost to our street until we came down the street here.” Ichigo looked over at the street. Rukia remained silent, not interrupting with any comments or questions.
“This street is usually deserted since of some murder here years ago-” Rukia cringed inwardly of the mention, “-but it was the fastest way home. When we were walking, this man appeared out of the shadows. He threatened her for money. She told me to stay behind her, and all I could do was stand there, frozen to that spot all afraid. When she was handing him the money, he grabbed her wrist and was trying to drag her away. More men appeared, and she was yelling for me to run away. I wanted to, but I wouldn’t leave her alone, I wanted to protect her.”
Rukia’s eyes kept her focus ahead of her, not looking at Ichigo.
“Before I could do anything though, one of the bastards knocked me out. When I came back around, I was in the middle of the road still, soaked from the rain. I ran around for any sign of the guys or my mom until I came down the end of an alley and saw blood on the ground- her blood.” Ichigo had abruptly stood up and walked forward out of the shelter of the tree, where rain drops were threatening to fall now.
“They killed her for no reason, and I did nothing to protect her. It’s my fault.” He ground out.
“Ichigo, it wasn’t your fault.” Rukia was up from the grass and walked toward him, stopping a foot away. “Those men- they were all possessed.”
“What are you talking about?” Ichigo grunted, glancing over his shoulder at her. She sighed, preparing to explain the long-winded story.
“As there is Society Above with angels, there is a place with demons- souls that have done immoral crimes. It’s always a constant battle against the two, and the demons are always outnumbered. Because of that, they will come to the living world and possess living souls. Once possessed, those souls will cause harm until the body is to be disposed of, or taken back to Hades Terrain with the rest of the demon population. In short, those men were all possessed to ruin the world, and they did their job. ” She explained to him, her voice chilled.
“But I could’ve stopped them, possessed or not!” Ichigo’s voice rang with a sharp retort at her, making her wince slightly.
“Very few living souls can stop a possessed soul because demons are more powerful than any living soul can be. If they do stand a chance, they’d only die in the process.” Rukia replied with an icy voice. She regretted it as the retching feeling formed when she glanced over at his house. Ichigo remained silent, slightly taken aback by her bitter answer.
“But…” He started to testify, but Rukia turned around.
“It had happened, Ichigo. Thousands, millions of souls have been killed or affected by demons. Your mother’s death and the murder that took place here years ago the effects of the possessed. We angels try to do something, but we can only take on a demon lesser than us or we become demons ourselves, ending up in purgatory.” Rukia said. She turned towards the tree, ignoring Ichigo’s scrutiny.
“That’s bull shit! There has to be more to stop those things!” Ichigo yelled. Rukia remained silent, standing still. Silence again fell between the two as Ichigo calmed down a bit.
“Rukia, do you regret failing to save a life by a demon?” Ichigo asked, with a level tone. She stiffened to a board, her eyes set in front of his house.
“…Ah…” She murmured.
“‘Ah’ what?” Ichigo challenged, wanting a direct answer. Rukia looked over with a cold stare.
“Yes, I have. Every angel experiences a mission where they couldn’t help a soul, when it was out of their hands.” She muttered.
“Rukia…” He muttered- in anguish? She couldn’t tell as he said no more, and the two stayed in an awkward silence. Rukia dropped to the ground, tired. The silence loomed over them for a few moments until Ichigo spoke up again, sounding tense.
“Did you hear that?!” He questioned, shifting to look behind him.
“I heard nothing.” She answered curtly. She glanced back at him and noticed he was very agitated.
“What’s wrong-?” She asked, but froze when she heard alien footsteps and felt a threatening presence. She turned and saw a figure come out of the shadows, bringing the light to a haggard-looking man, with a deadly glint.
“I’m so lucky… A defenseless angel for my taking! It’s unbelievable to think you’ve been here for who knows how long without someone finding you.” He twisted his smile in a cynical image, with a homeless man’s appearance. Rukia jumped up in alarm, taking steps away from the man.
“Rukia, what’s going on?” Ichigo asked his voice laced with apprehension.
“Demon.” She hissed, having to say no more.
“Ooh, so you can still tell without any powers?” He giggled, still advancing towards her. Neither took notice of Ichigo, giving him an opportunity as he ran and punched the demon, sending him backwards onto the ground.
“Ichigo, get away from here!” Rukia yelled, running towards him. She didn’t see she had run out of the tree’s shelter. She grabbed his arm and pulled him away as the demon was staggering back up and trying to understand what had just happened. She tried to pull him, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Ichigo, get away-”
“No, I’m not going to leave you with him.” He spoke out, making Rukia freeze.
“Ichigo…” She murmured.
“Ne ne, are you two done having a moment?” Ichigo’s head snapped back at the demon, which was now standing up again, waiting to gain their attention. “How foolish- a stupid human thinks he can go up against a demon?” He laughed at Ichigo. “Let me just see how much you can handle wrath down in Hades Terrain!” Rukia gasped as he pulled out a knife from his worn jacket. He dashed towards the two as he held the knife to strike. Rukia released Ichigo and stepped back to avoid the attack, as Ichigo tried to dodge the knife. It caught onto his sleeve, cutting a slim opening in Ichigo’s arm.
He was caught off guard when he felt a painful shock go through his veins. He dropped to the ground, grating his teeth.
Anger pulsed through him.
“You feel the wrath? I only find the pathetic souls with the most anger, and inflict it upon others. Just a mere touch of the blade is still quite effective. I just need some of your blood to make it boil and send you down with the rest of them.” The demon laughed as he loomed over Ichigo. The knife glinted as it shook in his hands from his bellowing, Ichigo seeing his reflection in the blade for a second.
“Ichigo!” Rukia was by his side in an instant, squeezing his arm. Her hand felt chilling cold against his burning skin as Ichigo tried to control the anger of everything from his life. All he could think of was ripping everything to shreds
“All that anger you probably bottled up for years is all coming out now, isn’t it nostalgic?” The demon’s voice echoed through his head. “If you have no more, I’ll just make some more-!” He lurched forward to catch him, but Rukia pulled him back. He stared with a disgruntled look at the angel as she tried to snap Ichigo back from his trance.
“You think you can save the stupid boy from the deadly sins of the world? Look at you. You’re a fallen angel now- you yourself have sinned, that’s why you’re here like a rabbit with its leg in a trap. I’ll save you any more years of exile and punishment, and bring you to purgatory.” He tried to persuade, but Rukia could see the lust in his eyes, betraying his voice and words of comfort- if the thought of purgatory was at all comforting.
“Of course, souls will always sin- but the difference between the angels and demons is we do not indulge in it, and we apologize for it!” Rukia muttered darkly, squeezing Ichigo tightly.
“That doesn’t seem fair for you, then- if you apologized for whatever you did, why are you here with wings that can never take you back up to Society Above? It seems angels are quite vindictive.” He pointed at her wings that lay on the ground. Rukia could only glare at the demon, she couldn’t say anything else since what he had said was true.
“Are you done talking?” Rukia looked down in surprise as Ichigo spoke out. He slowly stood up with the help of Rukia, and then turned towards the demon.
“Oh, you heard our little conversation?” He questioned, surprised.
“Yeah, and are you done talking?” He demanded. He placed a hand in front of Rukia, who was about to protest. She closed her mouth and stepped back, wary of what was going to happen.
“Whenever you’re ready to face the wrath.” He chuckled. He brought knife back up, ready to attack again. He ran towards Ichigo once again, slicing the air as Ichigo evaded the blade. The demon continued missing Ichigo, making him peevish.
“Damn brat, you think just running away will work? I can just go find you anywhere- but first I’ll take the little trapped rabbit over there for myself back to Hades Terrain!” He barked. Ichigo stiffened at the last part, long enough for him to graze the blade on his arm again. Ichigo’s body convulsed as the shock went through once again. He couldn’t breathe as the anger choked him- The demons that killed his mother, the demons that corrupted the world. The memory made him want to keel over again, but he remained standing.
“Y-you f…fucking bastard!” He grounded out. The demon stared in disbelief that he was still standing. He turned toward the demon and punched him in his face.
“He’s using the wrath to fight back…” Rukia whispered, staring at Ichigo. She couldn’t help but be slightly awed by the ingenious move, if Ichigo actually realized his feat. The demon fell to the ground by the force as Ichigo followed. He smacked the knife out of the demon’s grasp, and landed another hiton the other side of the demon’s face.
“I wouldn’t hide from a piece of shit like you, because protecting someone like her would be completely useless!” Ichigo bellowed as he continued hitting the demon.
Rukia watched intently, waiting for the blow that would kill the body, rendering it useless and crushing the demon inside the shell. She saw with the last punch to the stomach, blood dripped from the body’s mouth. The demon’s lips moved, but couldn’t make a sound with Ichigo sending blood up out of the mouth. The hands that were trying to make Ichigo stopped dropped to the ground and the body lay still under Ichigo.
“Ichigo!” Rukia called, dashing towards him. He continued punching the body until Rukia grabbed his arm in mid swing. Her icy touch went through his boiling veins as he turned towards her, panting heavily.
“It’s enough- you finished it.” She said. He looked down and noticed the body wasn’t moving anymore.
“And the human that was…?” He muttered.
“The demon sent the soul to Hades Terrain a while ago; there was no saving the soul.” She answered. How strange her voice sounded softer than before as she talked about such a matter. Ichigo stared back at Rukia, noticing her angelic features seemed to shine brightly- especially her large irises.
“Rukia…” He couldn’t say anymore as he fell forward. His eyes closed in exhaustion, expecting to meet the cold body make contact, but he did not feel it. He opened one eye to see raven hair tickle his cheek. He heard a small grunt from the angel- an angel grunting, what a funny thing, he thought- as she pushed him back off her and the corpse and onto the grass.
“Just rest for a moment, Ichigo.” She instructed him.
“Rukia…” Ichigo muttered, staring at the small form above him.
“What is it?” She asked. She sat back to give him space as he continued panting, calming down.
“Why are your wings like that?” Even through blurred eyes, he could see her figure stiffen. She didn’t say anything at first but he heard her answer a moment later.
“I… was suspected of committing one of the laws.” She muttered.
“Did you really?” He asked. He tried to focus on her face, but everything was still hazy.
“No.” She answered straight. She did not say anymore, so he did not ask any further. His eyes slowly closed as he fell asleep. She lifted his head up onto her lap, leaving him to rest of a while.
She remained quiet, staring at his calm complexion. Only once did her eyes leave from the sleeping figure, when she glanced over to the tree several meters away, the tree she had sat under since she came down to Earth.
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