Dark Moon CH.29 *Alternate ending* Children of the Night

Rukia screamed at them to let her go. The building was swaying already with the weight of the energies contained inside it, it wouldn't hold for much longer.

"I have to go to him!"

She saw Yoruichi make a two-fingered gesture, words silent as the binding spell was woven. She stared around at the deathly calm faces of the slayers and fought anew.

No-No-No-No-

"Ms. Kuchiki, I once made a promise to Byakuya that I would protect you and keep you from the night." Urahara said, looking a little banged up but not the worst for wear. Her eyes turned to him, widening.

"But, I also made a decision to honor whatever it was, you, as a human wished." He looked at her steadily, his eyes no longer shadowed, but soft green gazing into hers. "What is it you wish?"

Rukia never broke his gaze. "To be with the one I love... forever."

They let her go.

She ran past Kiyone's sorrow-filled eyes, past the heirs of the newest Generation of slayers, Momo, Lisa, Hiyori, there was never condemnation in their eyes, only sadness.

This was her choice.

Rukia made the leap across the abyss as the ice broke, the ceiling crashing down all around her, obscuring the slayers and salvation from sight. She clung on desperately to the warm body of the boy, hugging him fiercely as the walls closed around them.

Ichigo snorted softly, "you little fool. I only wanted you safe."

"You're the baka. If you love me...then never say goodbye." she whispered, closing her eyes.

The darkness became absolute.

...

There was no ashes to be buried.

Rukia as well as the main student body of Karakura High was reported dead or missing. It was the worst tragedy to hit the Nagano region in over fifty years.

Tears were shed by Retsu who was by blood, Rukia's father's half-sister. Her mother had, had her before marrying into the Kuchiki clan; none of the precious bloodline survived. As it should've been, Urahara thought, tapping his walking cane against the cement. Kiyone hurried and stood up, wiping tears away with the back of her hand.

Sunset was falling, Spring was coming.

It had been six months since the destruction of the school.

He had made sure none of the slayers were indicated as blame was passed around the School Board's table. He had reopened the bookstore in downtown Tokyo, hiring Kiyone much to the delight of Mrs. Kotetsu, and there the girl spent many hours training with the blade and deadly arts. It seemed that the prolonged contact with someone of stronger blood, had awoken the dormant bacillus in Kiyone. She would never be as powerful as even one of the Hinamori; but Urahara had the feeling that dealing with the smaller vampire clans and the shapeshifters, true obliteration wasn't far off in the future.

Yet still something bothered him, niggling at the back of his mind...

"Mr. Urahara." Kiyone spoke up, solemnly gazing back at the stone marker and empty grave below it. "Will we...be forced to hunt her...one day?"

His eyes closed. Ah. That's what it was.

Rukia's body had never been found.

After a long moment he answered, "perhaps. I cannot say what the future will hold. What I believe however...is that Ms. Kuchiki perished with the one she loved. Let's just leave it that." He gently patted her shoulder. "C'mon. Yoruichi's waiting at home with dinner!" Kiyone smiled and allowed herself to be lead away from the graves of the Kuchikis.

Evening was falling; on a lower tier, he let Kiyone go ahead, skipping happily on down. He glanced up, seeing the shadows thickening, he had sensed them there. Watching. Waiting. Two of them.

One incredibly powerful, the other lesser.

He reached up, smiling, knowing they could see him. "I wish the best to you, Ms. Kuchiki." He tipped his green-striped hat to the silence. Then, after another moment of Kiyone's calling, turned and went down with the last of daylight fading behind him.

They waited.

One wore a slight, soft smile on her face.

...

The hours passed.

Midnight fell.

At the deepest part of night, two shadows made of blackness thicker than what surrounded them, stepped forward into the moonlight.

"Sister..."

She laid down a withered rose on the base of Hisana Kuchiki's grave.

"Brother..."

She touched a cold kiss to the stone of Byakuya Kuchiki's grave.

The taller form sighed in impatience, his crimson shirt buttoned carelessly revealed a deep tan to his chiseled torso. He ran a hand through thick vivid orange locks. "May I move now?"

Her lips pursed but she refused to deign a comment on his rudeness before her family. After all she was the Master vampire now, her purer blood gave her command over all vampires regardless of their makers. "Yes, come now." she tried to keep the testiness from her voice.

Released from the invisible constraints, Ichigo made a face at her smile, stopping to stand beside her, "you know they're no longer here..right?"

"I believe my sister and brother are watching down on me.." she remembered her and Yoruichi's conversation from what seemed like years before. "Always."

He rolled his amber ochre eyes. "That's stupid."

She slugged him in the gut in response. When he had doubled over, she turned back to the graves, smiling again, "Hisana, Byakuya...this, he is my choice. And I-"

"You sadistic..bitch!" he cut her off with a yell.

"Yeah-yeah. You love it, baka." she retorted, shoving him with a single pressure of her hand, sending him flying toward the stairs. A torrent of curses echoed throughout the night.

She giggled under her breath, "what can I say...I love him."

-Fin-

AN: and this concludes Dark Moon, my oldest posted story. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as I have in the past enjoyed writing it. *bows for the curtain call* see y'all on the next story!

:)