Chapter III
Light Up the Night Sky

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Ambling through the night while his eyes were focused heavenward Hitsugaya noticed the clear sky seemed too peaceful. There were many stars and no clouds to obstruct his view. He hadn't even noticed the full moon tonight. It was a glorious sight to behold, one had hadn't taken the time to admire for some time. The sounds of the river only a few feet away also helped set in a soothing atmosphere.

The two remained silent. He led the way to their destination; she followed behind in silence. All that echoed were their footsteps.

Hitsugaya's impulsive duty to escort Rukia to Urahara's shop was merely one of his own ways of repaying her kindness the other night. No one had stopped to truly talk to him in a long while. It had been refreshing to hear her say those words, how he shouldn't act on his own for everything and that he wasn't alone in the slightest. He had many people behind him in support.

Even his Vice-Captain, who was born only to thwart his plans, did her best to assure he had an easier time in the Human World.

Rukia's reminder eased him out of the slump he had fallen into concerning Hinamori's plea. Her presence was oddly comforting. The weight on his shoulders to 'save Aizen' had been burdening his mind, but now it was gone. He would do what he could to assess the situation. If he had no choice but to fight, then so be it. It was his duty to protect those weaker than himself.

If killing his so-called old comrade was part of said 'duty' then what other alternative did he have? Even though he favored her as a sibling, Hinamori's promise was not worth the sacrifice of multiple lives.

And in actuality, he saw no reason to forgive Aizen's treachery. Truthfully, that traitor deserved everything that was coming to him in the future.

Snapping from his malicious thoughts, the white-haired youth returned his eyes to earth, scanning out for any signs of a threat. He couldn't be distracted at a time like this. Looking out for his subordinates came before relaxation, meaning no sidetracking.

"Captain Hitsugaya," Rukia questioned from behind him. "You can head back now. The store is over there and I think I'll manage to get that far."

He turned to face her with drained eyes, only to be dazzled by an unexpected aura.

The young commander thought he had noticed everything else about her two nights ago, especially her blunt personality, but it was only now that he realized that…she was, beyond doubt, beautiful. Basking in this moonlight Rukia held an oddly ethereal beauty—a beauty special and dazzling all on its own.

It needed no help to be seen and had been blatantly present all along.

"I can't leave you alone," he admitted, there being a deeper meaning to his words.

"It's okay," she eased, not noticing the underlying message to the statement. "I'll be fine." The girl raced to jump in front of him, stumbling at her own sudden movements. Her gigai was unstable, even he could see that. The moment he reached to catch her, she steadied herself and smiled sheepishly. He retracted his hand, finding it to be an awkward situation. "See, I'm fine," she blurted out, pointing at herself to indicate her well being.

He shot her a look of disbelief and shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. She expected him to believe that spectacle? Still, even he had to admit that Urahara's shop was only a few feet away. If she were unlucky enough to get attack within that distance, surely he or the inhabitants of the store would notice in time. Nonetheless, it was time he let her go despite his feelings. "If I ignore that last happening, then I suppose you're right."

"I can take over from here." She showed her respects with a salute. He hadn't expected her tone to turn gentler. "Thank you for being my traveling companion. It was nice—spending time out like this on such a night." She sighed deeply, feeling refreshed from the peaceful journey.

"You're welcome," he replied flatly, trying not to show the enthusiasm he held after hearing her voiced appreciation. "Just be careful going back, all right? I won't be with you this time so stay out of trouble."

She laughed nervously before spinning on her heels and trotted off. He, in turn, dashed off in the opposite direction and rounded a corner to another street.

Hitsugaya stopped when he was out of her sight range, having made up a plan beforehand.

If she could be compared to light, then he was obviously the unsuspecting moth that was drawn to the brilliant illumination. Yes, he was definitely the moth, just passing through the vicinity when out of the blue a radiant light caught its eye. His attention was no longer on the destination, but the flame that had appeared along the way.

Once she had gone inside, he rounded the corner once more and flashed himself up to the roof of the shop, listening in on her raised voice as she comically fussed to see Urahara.

What was the harm in staying to make sure she got what she came for? She would have to return home, wouldn't she? He would make sure she got there too.

Then again, his actions appeared to resemble that of a stalker. Rukia barely knew him, and he hardly knew her either. His need to make sure she was all right could have been the protective captain within him, wanting to look out for its underlings.

He'd noticed the change within himself and knew what it meant. Even if it was just a little, Hitsugaya was growing fond of her.

Return of the Author (Drabblian Inputs): I've found that if I do short bursts of chapters, I'll write more for it. That's why I'm breaking up this thing even further, as you can see.

No posted chapter of MINE will EVER be less than one thousand words. That's terrible if it were. So yeah…Here's this part.

Guess what? I'll be putting up another chapter fairly soon (in my definition) as in today or tomorrow so...yeah! Surprise, surprise.

-Vincentre