DISCLAIMER: I do not own BLEACH or any of its characters

Beta by- DeviantHollow

A story rated M for LEMON Explicit LEMON

for fanfic and non-fanfic smexiness please visit me - http : / trixipixi dot wordpress dot com / (just take out the spaces)

chapter 6 – Hindsight pt2

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Ichigo sat in his apartment, his body slumped over, his hands on either side of his head. His eyes were wide and panicked. His head was pounding like someone was hitting him in the temples with a baseball bat. He had taken 4 of his migraine pills but nothing had calmed or dulled the pain.

The pain was about to drive him insane.

He kept seeing her lying there unconscious.

Rukia. Rukia. Rukia.

Her name was playing in his head like a mantra. He couldn't stop saying it or hearing it or even seeing her.

His heart was beating against his chest like a drum. He could almost see his chest thumping when he saw her laying there. Why couldn't he go to her? Why should he?

His mind was at war. He couldn't do anything to stop it. And where was Orihime? Rukia was out of danger now. Ichigo had felt her reiatsu grow stronger the moment Orihime was at her side. Why wasn't she back yet?

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Rukia's hands were shaking as she held her tea cup. Everything that had happened over the last three weeks was flooding back to her clear as day. She looked down at her last few sips of tea in her cup, her eyes squinting trying to comprehend how the fog had been lifted so easily and completely from her mind. She looked up at Urahara who smiled innocently at her.

She finished the tea off and looked back around at the room. Taking a deep breath as if to brace herself, she continued her story.

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Rukia and Renji recklessly headed out through the gaping hole in the wall of the Seireitei as the dust filled the air. People in the Rukongai were yelling and crying as they had barely just been missed by the flying debris. Rukia hesitated for a minute thinking if she should stop and guard the hole in the wall, but she couldn't leave Renji to fight that guy alone not when he was able to demolish Sekkiseki so easily.

Only for an instant did they lose site of the culprit but cries and shouts from the streets led the two shinigami in the right direction.

They wanted to keep their distance so he wouldn't pull out his Zanpakutou again and cause more destruction and loss of life.

Their chase took them through the west side of the Rukongai further and further out through the districts. Any place that may not have been safe for the shinigami to go didn't matter, as Rukia and Renji were only there for a few fleeting moments, as she shunpoed from street to rooftop, through rooms and over carts all in pursuit of the masked intruder.

They would try to surround or corral him but he always broke through or lifted his Zanpakutou as if he would "fire" it causing Rukia or Renji to retreat for the moment when too many innocent souls were around.

They continued pursuing him all through the day, finally arriving in district north 80. They were frowned upon and watched closely by the seemly souls that inhabited the area.

"Watch yourself." Renji said seeing that they were outnumbered with new enemies. People in the farther districts didn't take kindly to shinigami presences.

Rukia tried to avoid eye contact while focusing on following the fleeing warrior.

"What are you damned high and mighty shinigami doing out here?" A tall thick man with a crew cut said positioning himself in-front of Rukia and Renji as they made their way down the street.

"Move aside. We have no business with you." Renji said stepping in front of Rukia.

"Well, I got business with you." the man said snarling at Renji.

"And this little one." Another district 80 resident said sidling up next to Rukia. He was medium height, rail thin and the top of his head was bald. Though what little hair he had was cut very close around the sides. He had bright blue eyes that seemed in great contrast to his ruddy skin and five o'clock shadow.

"Don't touch me!" Rukia scowled pointing her Zanpakutou at him.

"Or what?" More men seemed to crawl out from the shadows as the fist man spoke. Rukia tried to look between the emerging bodies to see where the culprit had gone.

He had stopped for a moment to look back and observe the commotion, his eyes smiling as he disappeared into the crowd.

"He's getting away, Renji…"

"I see that." Renji said annoyed while watching the advancing men.

"We don't have time for this," Rukia moved in front of Renji. "Hado 33, Soukatsui

!" She lifted her arm as if to fire the kido spell directly at the many forces of men in front of her but instead she aimed at the ground in front of them. And then she hollered, "Tenran!"

"Hey! Warn me first!" Renji squealed trying to stay behind Rukia as the whirlwind blast went through her sword blowing the assailants miles away through the district.

"Lets go!"

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Rukia and Renji had caught up with the person almost instantly. He was a stranger in these parts as well seeing as he had been stopped by the local thugs. Although, from the looks of it, he had not been as gentle getting through them as Rukia had. Dead bodies littered the streets as they picked up the pursuit.

They found him face to face with another wild pack of thugs. His back to them.

"Hold it right there." Renji said angrily he was way too tired of chasing this guy. "It's either us or them."

"If you come with us you'll get a fair trial." Rukia added.

The offender slowly turned to face Rukia and Renji as the thugs behind him kept advancing.

"Who are you?"

"My, what a lot of questions you have. A fair trial you say…"

"Yes, just come with us quietly," Rukia said still watching the men behind him get closer.

"I think all take may chances with them," The man said his eyes smiling. "At least I know what I'm dealing with."

The men behind him stopped short just as they got right on him. "I mean, they're with me after all."

Rukia and Renji's eyes widened in shock as the men pulled their cloaks off, revealing what looked like odd military attire.

Xxxx The culprit pulled off his black disguise revealing the same uniform.

"W-What?"

Rukia and Renji took a step back looking behind them seeing the angry thugs of the district rousing and heading back toward them.

"Shit!"

"Head home little shinigami." The head guy said while taking off his mask revealing his long cobalt blue hair.

His mouth was turned up in a cruel smile.

"Like hell..."

"We're defiantly not going back with out you…Tenran!"

"Ahhh! Rrrukia! What did I say!" Renji said ducking behind Rukia as she shot off the kido spell again.

The cobalt-haired man pulled out the Zanpakutou and held it up, taking the full force of the kido spell, engulfing it into the sword.

Renji and Rukia, and even he himself, were surprised by the ability. Each looking at the sword in awe for a brief instant.

The man then smiled and turned the sword back to point at Rukia and Renji. They shunpoed just in time as the whirlwind blast once again went flying through the air.

"Let's go!" He waved his arm and the group rode away on horses.

Rukia and Renji were back in pursuit, going past District 80 to the edges of heaven's wilderness.

"Tengoku No Mugen Arano..." Renji said stopping short before they entered the wasteland. "We should go back, Rukia. Get some reinforcements."

"Are you insane, Renji? We've come way too far to turn back and by then they'll be long gone..." She paced at the edge of the wasteland, too.

Both hesitant to step foot inside its boundaries. The effects of the area were felt even before actually crossing the threshold but the enemies had gone in so easily and headstrong. Didn't they know what it could do? Besides being barren, hot, no rain ever hit this spot. Despair grabbed hold like hand around one's throat, draining life from bodies. It distorted time and space.

Everyone had heard of Tengoku No Mugen Arano. Rukia had first heard of it when she was living in Rukongai. It was told to little kids to keep them quiet and obedient. Shopkeepers would often tell them if they caught them stealing they would take them to Tengoku No Mugen Arano and leave them there to wander and rot.

Rukia remembered that Renji had always hated hearing stories about this place. The vast emptiness, the loneliness of it all. He had once confessed to her that this place was what scared him the most.

They had no choice. They both knew it. Rukia went to step past the barrier.

"Rukia!" Renji shouted her name as he lunged for her.

"What?"

He grabbed her shoulders, staring into her eyes. For the first time she saw uncertainty there. If he had ever been uncertain or afraid he had always been good at hiding it, but now that was all gone.

"I- I…"

"Renji…," She said feeling what may be coming. "We'll be fine together, you'll see." As a last effort to reassure him, she grabbed his hand giving it a squeeze. She smiled up at him trying to further reassure him. Whatever he was going to say was stuck in his throat. He pulled her close to embrace her while he gathered his senses.

His familiar cocky smile spread across his face again.

"Let's go."

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to be continued ….