This is my entry for the Bleach Asylum IchiRuki Halloween Contest! Theme: Ichigo meets Rukia, a witch. Hm. Now my ff account is up and running, I'll have to start uploading things other than Bleach...

Thou Shalt Not Suffer

Ichigo's scowl deepened as he trudged once again towards Karakura village's makeshift jail. Until yesterday, the place had been just another outbuilding of the church; a storehouse and root cellar, filled with tubers, wheat and dried fish. Today, it had become the one thing the village never thought it would need—a prison.

This was Ichigo's fourth time passing the church in as many hours. The roars of terrified debate still rang from the main chapel, drifting away on the chilly sea breeze. Villagers, angry and scared, screamed for what each of them thought to be justice.

"Burn her!"

"She commands Demon Wolves! A monster summoning monsters!"

"Death's too good a punishment!"

"You promised God would keep us safe, Father!"

"Forget witnesses! Shoot her now!"

Ichigo made sure to duck as he passed the leaded windows. Despite the thick, colored glass, someone might recognize him. He couldn't risk being seen. A few dozen feet behind the church the storehouse loomed ominously despite it's simple, squat structure.

He reached the end of the huge shadow cast by the church. The darkness had shrunk considerably since his first attempt to approach the jail—half the day had passed. The boy clenched his fists a little tighter, readying to step into the weak sunlight. Would it happen again?

Despite his burning determination, an odd sensation overcame him each time he walked towards the storehouse. With every step closer, his apprehension would intensify into fear and from fear to terror, a terror so intense he had nearly vomited. The hideous feeling had driven him home over and over. However, the gaping hole scarring his house and the spatters of gore yet to be cleaned up from his yard sent Ichigo back the five miles to the church again. He had to know the truth. This try, he would do it.

One step forward. Another. A third. The moment he left the shade, he felt it—a buzzing warning raising the hair on his neck. As he neared, the palms of his hands began to sweat. Fighting the urge to turn back a fifth time, Ichigo walked unsteadily forward. The dusty churchyard clearly displayed his cowardice; four sets of tracks, each progressively nearer his goal, each reversing direction. As always, the sun shone without warmth. Karakura was far enough north to be chilly all year round and the coming winter crisped the air. Still, he felt the sweat spread all over his body. The pale sun glared at him, daring him to go against Father Aizen's warning.

Swallowing back bile, Ichigo peered through the door. There was only one guard standing over the trapdoor gleaming with new chains. His back was to the entrance. After all, he wasn't there to Iprotect/I the prisoner. Ichigo hung back, careful not to let his shadow fall into the room. Lights began to dance before his eyes—his body was so clenched with fear he could barely breathe. There was a reason the chains were new, a reason the whole village was consumed by panic.

The prisoner was a witch.

Ichigo hadn't planned exactly what he would do once getting this far. It was all he could do just to stand upright; he reached out to the doorway to steady himself as his knees sagged.

"I don't know why you're so scared." The guard drawled. Ichigo's whole body jerked in surprise. There was no chance the man had noticed him! A soft answer, muffled by the thick stone, sounded from the floor.

"I'm not scared, Renji." The moment she spoke, turning around was no longer an option; her voice rooted Ichigo to the ground. "I am not afraid of dying."

"You'd like me to think that." Renji laughed, looking down at his feet. "I saw your face when we came for you."

"Anybody would be frightened if your face was the first thing they saw in the morning."

"Shut up!" The guard barked, banging the butt of his musket against the trap door. The chains clattered noisily, making the following silence all the more uncomfortable. "But really…they can't execute you. They need three witnesses and right now there's only one." More silence. "And the one witness is that Gin fellow, and everyone knows you can't trust him anyway.

"There will be enough witnesses, Renji, you can count on that." Her reply was fierce, bitter, and a little sad.

"Are you kidding? I'm sure your brother will pay mounds to anyone—"

"I would have thought you worked for us long enough to realize that person—"

"He's your BROTHER!"

"Byuakuya wouldn't lift a finger to—"

"They've found a second witness!" Ichigo suddenly blurted out, taking the final step into the jail. Upon entering the room, every trace of horror evaporated. The absolute shock of the instant release nearly made him gasp. The panic that had threatened to overwhelm him vanished instantly…like magic. Being so surprised by his newfound relief, it took Ichigo a few seconds to realize the guard's musket was now pointed at his head.

"What are you doing in here?" Renji growled. Ichigo could only stare down the barrel of the gun aiming towards him. "I asked you a question!"

"I…uh…"

"You said there's a second witness come up. Who is it?" Renji shifted the gun slightly, threateningly. Ichigo found his voice again.

"Urahara."

"The tinker? When did he come back to town?"

"Last night. He was on the witness stand a few hours ago." Ichigo jerked a thumb towards the church. "Said he was passing on the cliff road at the time of the…well, last night." Renji glared at him for a few more seconds before putting the gun down.

"You're one of the Kurosaki children, aren't you?" He grinned sympathetically. "Sorry about your house."

"Yes." Ichigo glared at him. Renji was only two years his senior. 'Child' was insulting. "You're one of the Kuchiki servants, aren't you? Sorry about your life." Renji's smile disappeared.

"What do you want?" He demanded. It wasn't until Renji asked the question that Ichigo knew. And in the same moment, he knew it was also very foolish.

"I want to talk to her."

"Beg pardon?" Renji's hands tightened on his musket, but the gun stayed down.

"I want to talk to her." It didn't surprise him when Renji started laughing.

"I know Father Aizen told us to pity you in your time of trial, but if you think I'm going to listen to a request like that—"

"Renji." Both of the boys froze as the witch's voice interrupted. "Renji, let me talk to him."

"As if I'd just leave you alone—"

"Renji, please." She took in a deep breath. "I swear I will ask nothing else of you for the rest of--" Renji cursed loudly, drowning out her last words as he kicked the chains covering the door.

"Alright!" He glared at Ichigo, who returned the glower with twice the venom. Renji stomped towards the door. "You only have until Lord Kuchiki arrives, then get out. That's when Father Aizen will announce the final decision." Turning his back on Renji, Ichigo slowly walked to the center of the room. Rings fastened into the ground around the trap door were crisscrossed with the thick chains that Sado the Blacksmith usually sold for logging expeditions. The man had refused to outfit the jail, and of course Father Aizen had not pressed him. However, word had it that the Lord Kuchiki had purchased the chains himself and paid three men the wages of fifteen to secure the door. On his last trip to the church, Ichigo had seen Sado packing all his belongings, readying to move away from Karakura village, a silent protest to today's turn of events.

"Well, boy?" The witch demanded. "You wish to speak to me. What is it you want to say?"

Ichigo stared at the small door, vainly trying to imagine the face behind it. "I'm sorry." He laughed nervously. "I have to confess, I don't even know what you look like." The witch's silence sounded stunned. He laughed a little louder to fill the quiet. "I've seen your feet a few fair times, I'll admit. I've always been forced to bow whenever you pass us."

"Surely at church you've—"

"Watched the back of your head as you sit in the Kuchiki pew? You may get a cushioned seat up front, but us commoners stand in the rear balcony. I can probably describe every pair of shoes you own, and all of the fancy hats you wear to church. And I'd bet you've never seen my face before. Ever."

"Is there a point to all of this?" She sighed wearily.

"Yeah. You don't know my family, who we are. Fishers like us are below the Lord Kuchiki's sister. My whole life, I've been taught people like you take no more notice of us than you do the dust on the road. So why?"

"Oh, haven't you heard? You were the blood sacrifice I needed to enter the first circle of Hell." Her tone was clipped, factual. The phrasing sounded rehearsed. "Clearly, I was ordered to torment a good and simple family in order to—"

"I want to know why you saved us, and who from."

"— my initiation into…" Her flippant explanation trailed off. "I beg your pardon?"

"Why did you save us?" Ichigo bent closer to the floor. "Why did you save me?" There was no answer. "Last night…last night is the reason I'll be afraid to fall asleep for the rest of my life. Watching my father, my sisters slashed open before my eyes…it's not something I will ever forget…"

"Ah, and I must admit, that was good for a laugh." She laughed now, much too brashly for the loud snigger to be genuine.

Ichigo felt uneasy. He didn't expect his audience to be so unresponsive. She was innocent, he was sure of it. Why was she acting this way?

"I heard you scream when they killed me." It was burned into his memory—the screaming streak of white as she flew towards them out of the sky.

"Killed you? Odd. You seem quite lively."

"I know you were watching!" Frustration made it harder and harder to keep his voice steady. "I lost an arm, half my face…"

"Really?" She scoffed at him. "I doubt you have proof." Ichigo glanced towards Renji, making sure the guard wasn't looking. Ichigo did have proof, but not the sort of evidence anyone would believe. The villagers would call his miracle the handiwork of a devil.

"There's chinks in this door." He squatted to the ground, quickly unbuttoning his shirt. "Can you look at this?"

"Fool. They've blindfolded me of course." Ichigo paused, his arm already out of the sleeve. Everyone knew witches ensnared you with their eyes. He stared stupidly at the not-scars covering his torso and arm. Where the Demon Wolves had ripped him open, there was simply white skin, pale and soft. It stood out dramatically against his skin tanned from shirtless labor. The marks ribboned across him from neck to navel.

"Heh. A fool. Right." Ichigo closed his eyes, grimacing. He had known it was idiotic, pointless to try and get between the monsters and the bodies of his slaughtered family. Everything inside of him had screamed to run back to the sea, hide in the tide caves, drown his scent in the ocean. But instead he chose to be slain alongside the broken, decapitated forms of his father and sisters.

This morning, his family was alive. The girl who had resurrected them was to be killed.

"Time's up, Kurosaki." Renji stepped back inside. "The Kuchiki carriage is on the cliff side road." Ichigo stood slowly. The final word would come anytime, but he knew the verdict already. The one who really attacked his family was clearly working hard to ensure her death. She wouldn't answer his question, wouldn't accept his thanks—he had come for nothing. He glanced down once more. There was no sound from below. Ichigo stomped away. From this angle, it seemed the air outside the jail was shimmering…

"I'm not sorry!" The girl blurted out as he neared the door. Again, her voice made him freeze. "I can't tell you my reasons for acting. I won't! But for the rest of my life, I will not regret saving you." Ichigo felt his stomach clench tightly; his throat constricted with a sudden rush of agony.

"I will." He whispered.

The sun seemed too bright as he walked through the door. The moment he stepped outside, he braced himself against the strange fear. To his surprise, nothing happened. Ichigo squinted against the chilling breeze. It looked like heat waves were rising out of the ground…but a circle around the jail's entrance was clear and untroubled.

Renji, leaning casually against the building, cupped a match in his hands to light a pipe, apparently oblivious to the supernatural occurrence.

"And that's that." He sighed, pointing. Ichigo looked beyond the odd shimmer. The Kuchiki carriage rattled ominously out of sight, towards the church's front doors. Ichigo glumly watched Renji's smoke drift upwards. It was clear the moment the Lord Kuchiki entered the church. The arguing cut off as if sliced with a blade. An uneasy quiet followed. It was impossible to hear, but they knew the Lord Kuchiki was having his say.

"Renji." Ichigo cleared his throat. "You know she's innocent. Why?"

"As if it matters anymore." He took another drag on his pipe, blowing his smoke towards the church. Something about Renji seemed…off. The exact problem, however, Ichigo could not spot. "Won't change anything."

"I deserve to know, Renji." The guard only laughed at him again.

"You don't deserve anything."

"And she doesn't deserve to die!" Ichigo pointed angrily towards the chained trap door. "If you could tell me anything, anything that might—"

"She used magic last night, no matter what for, and she let people like you see it! That's death however you look at it. Your poking around will only kill someone else!" Renji's angry face was the same red as his hair.

"Yeah! The someone else who killed four people last night!" Ichigo hollered back. Then, he realized the full meaning of what Renji had yelled at him. "People…like me?"

"What?"

"You said 'People like you'. Does that make you…people like her?" No sooner was the idea planted in his mind then he realized what what off about Renji. His pipe smoke, lazily curling towards the sky, was floating against the breeze. Renji pulled the pipe from his mouth and slowly turned to face Ichigo.

"I'd stop that line of questions right there. You're heading for dangerous ground, Kurosaki."

"Right." He snorted. "Compared to the hell I went through yesterday, this is nothing."

"Ichigo, do you remember the last time the wolves ransacked Karakura?"

"Of course." Ichigo glared at him. "I lost my mother."

"Well, I lost everyone." Renji replaced his pipe with deliberate casualness and reached for the high collar of his coat. "Devoured in front of me. The wolves didn't touch me, though." He quickly undid the top clasp. "They don't like how we taste." Renji pulled the front of his shirt open. Ichigo inadvertently stepped back, which turned out to be a mistake. What he saw would have scared him even if he weren't touching the ominously shimmering air.

The fear consumed him again, nearly overwhelming his anger and shock. He stared at the ring of light around Renji's neck, a bright collar, spinning and pulsing gently. Ichigo tried to shout, but once again the terror cut off his air. Renji reached out a hand—Ichigo tried to shy away but the guard grabbed his flapping shirtfront.

The collar flared. White light flashed down Renji's arm, wrapping around Ichigo. Ichigo struggled to pull back, but only ended up falling to his knees.

"I don't know who attacked you, or why, but all of us know that if someone betrays our existence, they're on their own." Renji leaned over Ichigo, gripping tighter. The magic swirled around his face forming glowing tattoos. As the energy swarmed into him, Ichigo could feel the devastating panic being slowly pushed away.

"All of us?" He gasped, "How many—"

"Listen, boy, if you had any idea how many hypocrites lived in your tiny religious town, you'd never step outside."

"You people don't scare me." Ichigo got back on his feet. His breathing was still heavy, but the alarm was gone.

"Really?" Renji hissed. He pointed to the church. "I know that at least thirteen of those demanding the death of the witch are magic users themselves. That sort of viciousness doesn't scare you?"

"I only think it's disgusting you're going along with it." Ichigo spat. "She's you're friend, isn't she? If you have evidence to save her why not use it?"

"You want proof of her innocence? This," He pointed to the ring of light, "marks each of us for what we are. Rukia's is gone. She used all of it on you. No need for her to hide it under scarves and fancy hats anymore."

"Why--why are you telling me all of this?

"You were dead. She brought you back. No one is exposed to that sort of power and walks away unchanged. Someone's got to explain the rules now that you're probably one of—"

The sudden roar of voices from the church made them both jump. Renji swore again, quickly re-buttoning his shirt. He spun away from the church, on the pretense of stomping out his pipe. "No point in keeping them away now." Ichigo watched Renji closely. He could barely see the white glow under his coat. Around them, the quivering air stilled.

"Get out of here." Renji grunted. "You can't be seen. They'll be coming out to—" It was too late. However, the mob streaming from the huge building didn't seem very intent on them. Their focus was the dark inside of the storehouse.

"Bring her out!"

"Begin the test!"

"The cliffs near the Kurosaki home! Let her die at the site of her crime!"

They crowded around quickly. Ichigo spotted his friend Keigo in the swarm and shoved his way over. The rattling of chains hissed out above the clamor.

"Keigo!" He shouted, "What is it?"

"There's a third witness!"

"Who?!" Ichigo couldn't imagine anyone else could have been near his home last night.

"Her brother! The Lord Kuchiki just confessed to all of us his sister IS a witch!"

"NO!" Ichigo roared, grabbing Keigo roughly by the shoulders. His friend stared at him open mouthed. "Why? NO, he can't DO that!" His last sentence rang out in the sudden silence. Father Aizen had just raised his hands for quiet. A few neighbors glanced at Ichigo reproachfully. He glared at the necks of everyone surrounding him, noticing for the first time just how many wore scarves or high collars.

"Good people, I must once again caution you against letting your prejudice cloud your sense of judgement!" Father Aizen pleaded with the crowd.

"However," Deacon Tosen smoothly broke in. "The Holy Word does indeed proclaim 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.'" He nodded deeply towards Aizen before turning back to the villagers and continuing. "Despite the presence of three witnesses, further conformation is needed. The suspect must be thrown into the sea. If she does indeed posses magic, the salt in the water will reject her. If she floats, she is a witch and will be burned."

"And if she drowns?" Ichigo shouted angrily. Deacon Tosen turned towards him as Father Aizen bowed his head in sorrow.

"Her innocence will be proved and God will welcome her to paradise." The dark skinned man announced levelly. Ichigo glared back at him, fully aware the blind Tosen could not see his scowl. Around them, the crowd continued to mutter. The clatter of the Kuchiki carriage made Ichigo turn—the Lord Kuchiki had ordered his driver to circle the building.

The same foolish anger that drove him to the jail began to burn hotter inside of Ichigo. He pushed Keigo aside, ignoring his friends startled stammers. Step by step, shoving away anyone in his way, Ichigo stormed towards the black carriage. He could hear the crowd's jeers and screams as the witch was led out of the jail. He was faintly aware of the tramp of feet as they began to hurry towards the cliffs his home. He did not care that in the next few moments, he would shatter every class distinction pounded into him since childhood.

The coachman saw him coming and clucked to the horses. The carriage began rolling off at a slow rattle. Ichigo began to run. Before the vehicle had cleared the church courtyard, he threw himself at the door. There was no glass in the window—the boy stuck his head in and sized a handful of Lord Kuchiki's robes.

"That's your sister they're taking!" He roared. The noble's face did not change; not even a flicker of surprise. This only served to infuriate Ichigo further. He tried to pull himself deeper into the carriage. Ichigo heard the driver hollering him and felt the sting of the crop across his back. He ignored it.

"I remember the last time the wolves came, Byakuya." Ichigo spat, trying to keep his voice steady as the carriage bounced along. "You lost your wife to them, but they didn't touch either you or your sister. Tell me, could your magic have saved her?"

"Magic?" Even in the face of such a serious claim, Lord Kuchiki merely raised one eyebrow. "You accuse me of witchcraft."

"Could you have done it?!" Ichigo shook him. Byakuya carefully plucked Ichigo's hand off.

"Driver?" He called out, "Stop." The carriage rolled to a stop. Ichigo jumped to the ground and glared balefully at the owner. To his surprise, Lord Kuchiki opened the door and beckoned to him. Ichigo stared up the road at the group of villagers surging far ahead. He couldn't see the girl—he remembered she had always been petit. Ichigo climbed into the carriage. Byakuya stared at him for a long moment before knocking twice on the roof. The driver started up the horses again and they rumbled slowly down the rough road.

"Now, boy, you seem as if there are more things you wish to ask me."

"Older brothers were supposed to protect their younger siblings." Ichigo growled. "Why did you testify against your own sister?"

"Duty. Of course, someone like you wouldn't understand—"

"You did nothing to save your wife and now you refuse to save your sister. What sort of coward places rules or duty over the life of someone he loves? Tell me the truth!"

"Boy, you know nothing." The dark hair spilling over the noble's brow cast black shadows on his calm face.

"I know I DIED for my family last night! I DIED trying to save them, and you're KILLING YOUR OWN--" Lord Kuchiki grabbed him by the neck so fast Ichigo choked off mid-sentance. Byakuya's free hand reached up to touch the pale green scarf he always wore. His placid expression never shifted.

"Our people are obligated to follow rules ordinary mortals like yourself could never comprehend." With a sudden jerk, Byakuya ripped off his scarf. "And the penalties for disobedience are more torturous then you can possibly imagine."

A horrific scar encircled the Lord Kuchiki's neck where Renji's glowing collar had been. Ropy, twisted and inflamed, it's dark color made it seem his throat had been slashed with a sword still hot from the forge. Byakuya leaned in even closer, stretching his head to one side. The scar twisted and stretched disgustingly in response.

"Boy, would you like to see some magic?" He whispered. Ichigo couldn't nod, couldn't look away from the gruesome wound. Byakuya held up two fingers and closed his eyes. The mark around his neck began to pulse, the red intensifying, brightening. The noble stretched out his hand, touching the not-scars on Ichigo's chest. Unlike Renji's smooth flow of power, Byakuya's magic sparked and crackled, arcing down the length of his arm until they jumped onto Ichigo.

He lit on fire. At least, that was how it felt. Ichigo felt his back arc in agony as the burning sensation spread across the right half of his body. He jerked and spasmed, choking on screams that couldn't decide if they were trying to enter or exit his lungs. Ichigo's eyes bulged from his sockets as he stared at Byakuya. Was he being murdered?

But no—Lord Kuchiki looked just as bad. Veins stood out on his face, hideously outlined by the sparking red magic. His expression remained perfectly calm, but the noble's face twitched uncontrollably as he pushed harder on Ichigo's chest. Quickly as the tortuous spell had begun, it was over. Ichigo glanced down at his chest as Byakuya relaxed his blistered hand. The white marks, testaments to last nights horrors, were now perfectly matched with the rest of Ichigo's skin. Shocked, he looked up again at the man sitting across the carriage.

The red veins faded slowly, leaving Byakuya's face deathly pale. The chalky complexion only served to make the blood dripping from his mouth, nose, and ears all the more ghastly. His eyes, now ringed with dark bruises, were filled with a fiery agony that clashed with the calm set of the rest of his face. Byakyua's scar still pulsed with the sickly white light, casting horrifying shadows on his face. It fluttered in time with the noble's heart, beating so loudly Ichigo could hear it over Byakuya's short, painful gasps.

"You…want truth, boy? I…tried…to save my wife." Byakuya hissed, still miraculously maintaining his composure. "No. Not tried. I saved my wife. She was killed, oh yes, but not by the wolves." Despite his calm expression, the noble's eyes were filled with a fiery anguish. The mand seemed to burn from the inside. "I saved her. I saved the human woman I loved while she watched me betray every oath I had ever made. For that…" Byakuya paused. This was not the common hesitation used by those pondering what next to say. Years of soundless agony were poured into that moment of silence. "For my disobedience, she was executed. She had seen too much. By saving her, I showed her the very secret that killed her.

"But her death was not to be my only punishment, oh no." He laughed bitterly without smiling. "I had broken the strictest of laws and justice was demanded." Slowly, he loosened his hold on Ichigo, leaving behind a bloody handprint. "I live with the unimaginable agony of this punishment every day of my life, an eternal reminder of my responsibilities. If my sister…my Rukia is not executed today under your religion's laws, by ours she will also be subjugated to this torture. And I would rather kill her with my own hands before she ever underwent pain such as this." With that, the noble fell silent.

The carriage rattled on down the road at least mile before Ichigo found his voice again.

"I…I'm sorry." Ichigo stammered, realizing it wasn't enough. Nothing he said would be enough. What sort of horrible, cold world hid behind this simple, cold town? "You…I didn't know."

"Unsurprising." Byakuya sat back in his seat, using his scarf to mop blood and sweat from his face. "I'll repeat myself a final time. You know nothing."

The carriage jostled to a stop. Byakuya, pale but presentable, reached for the door handle. Carefully re-wrapping his scarf bloody side inward, he stepped out of the carriage, heading for the impromptu execution grounds.

"You've just entered a dangerous world, Kurosaki." Byakuya called a final remark over his shoulder. "And truth is no longer what you believe."

Ichigo still sat gasping inside, staring at the crowd beyond. They huddled around the cliff, blocking his view. The crisp breeze from the sea stirred the air surrounding him, but Ichigo still felt uncomfortably hot. He watched villagers stand aside, bowing, for Byakuya. As they parted, he caught a glimpse of the girl. Hooded and bound, she still stood tall and erect, facing towards the sun she would never see again. Tosen stood nearby, reading out her last rights. Ichigo could hear none of it.

I am not afraid of dying

That sort of viciousness doesn't scare you?

Byuakuya wouldn't lift a finger to—

…the penalties for disobedience are more torturous then you can possibly…

I'm not sorry! For the rest of my life, I will not regret saving you!

Ichigo had already run to the edge of the crowd before realizing what he was doing. And this was perhaps his most foolish act of all, for now he understood what sort of treacherous savages were interspersed among the clueless villagers. He had no plan, and no hope. Still, he knew that if he didn't save her, or die trying as the case would be, her memory would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"STOP!" He cried, diving into the mass of people. No eye contact—that's all a witch needed. Or was it? Byakuya was right. He really did know nothing. But she was only a few dozen feet away from him! "Stop, you can't—" A hand grabbed his arm. Ichigo felt his world spin upside down and implode.

Whatever sensation had surrounded the jail was nothing compared to the havoc suddenly hammering on the inside of his skull. The side affects were much more intense than losing his breath—his heart began racing, pounding so hard he felt it thudding against his ribs. It was all he could do look up, searching for whatever magician has suddenly ensnared him.

It was Father Aizen.

"Now now, my son." The kindly smile, filled with familiarity and warm memories suddenly horrified Ichigo more than anything else he had experienced. "You must stay back. Soon, this will be over." A subtle glow surrounded his starched priest's collar.

Without his permission, Ichigo's head twisted to watch the girl who saved his life as she neared her own death step by step. His knees bent—he never told them to. Father Aizen was controlling him like a puppet.

She took one step further. Another. A third. Ichigo had never known despair before this moment. Disappointment from a day without food, grief from his mother's death, agony over the slaughter of his family—but this complete absence of any hope, coupled with the paralyzing spell of the man he trusted most…a burning sensation began in his throat.

Was he crying? No. It felt different. A buzzing tingle, raising the hair on his neck. As he watcher her go further, the palms of his hands also began to twinge. The rocky cliff top was a familiar sight; he had spent his boyhood playing here, exploring caves and crannies, discovering new miracles. Ichigo knew if he survived, he would never step on these shores again. Odd, the day he discovered magic in the world was the day all magic disappeared from his life. As always, the pale sun shone without warmth. It glared at him, daring him to break free of Father Aizen's spell. However, a warmth began to wash through him…he looked down. A white glow was rising from his neck.

You were dead. She brought you back. No one is exposed to that sort of power and walks away unchanged.

The glow pushed away Aizen's entrapment, shoved away the priest standing near him. Ichigo rose to his feet—

Just as Rukia stepped over the edge.

Ichigo jumped forward and roared. It seemed no one else stood on the cliffs—his entire field of sight was bleaching white. Inside of him, however, he felt as is everything he once knew, everything he once was faded to black.

A bound. A leap. A dive. Ichigo threw himself off of the cliff. Instinctively, he wrapped the glowing warmth around him and propelled himself faster towards the water. The witch crashed into the seething ocean, and was quickly swallowed. Ichigo sliced into the water bare seconds after, wrapping his arms around her instantly. The waves began to carry them towards the cliffs, just as he wanted. His family had wrestled a living from this ocean for generations. No one knew the coastline by his home better than he. And just feet below the water level, hidden from sight…

Ichigo tightened his grip around the girl's waist. He had taken a deep breath in preparation but he knew she was drowning. A few powerful kicks, and Ichigo's outstretched hand touched the cliff wall. Following the slick rocks down, he found the opening he had been looking for. The tide-caves, his tide caves were safe havens. No one could follow them here. No one else knew where "here" was. And if they did follow—the newfound power surging through him included a sudden wave of absolute confidence. He could save her, as she had him.

Ichigo broke the surface. Carefully pushing the witch up onto the bank first, he pulled himself up after her, ripping off her hood and brushing aside her wet, black hair. For the first time, he looked into her face. It was slightly blue.

He slung her slight body over his knee and began pounding on her back. It only took a few sharp thumps before she began choking out sea-water. Ichigo set her upright, but kept a hand near her shoulder in case she fainted. Sunlight, barely making it through the underwater entrance made dim snakes of light that writhed on the ceilings and walls of the cave. There was barely enough illumination to see, but as she turned her face towards him, the dim glow was more than enough to show the tears of either shock or gratitude welling up in her dark eyes. Her mouth opened and closed as she gasped in air, but she appeared too overwhelmed to speak. So, Ichigo decided introductions must be up to him.

"Lady Rukia, my name is Ichigo Kurosaki." He grinned, shaking water out of his hair. "It's a pleasure to meet you."