Never Let Me Fall

Chapter 5

Present

The next day, Rin wandered the streets of Sereitei dressed in her new shinigami uniform. She was trying to find the Asaje grounds, which had eluded her so far. No matter how much she denied it, she could get lost in a two room house. It annoyed her to no end whenever Daisuke decided it would be a good idea to make her sense of direction the butt of his jokes.

I have a great sense of direction! She thought defiantly. Everyone gets lost once in a while. Today's just not my day. If I could find that damned cat, she would help and I'd be just fine.

But as the minutes ticked by Rin's frustration only grew. Finally, she stubbornly planted her feet on to the ground and yelled.

"Where the hell is it?!"

This display earned many stares from passersby. They all stopped a second before moving away at a quicker pace than before, with parents quietly urging their giggling children to move quicker.

Smooth move, dipshit. Now we've got every fucking creep in the goddamn place staring at us because of you! Akuma, one of her zanpakuto spirits, snapped angrily.

She is merely frustrated. You can not say you would not do the same thing... Her second gently told their partner off. Rin's shoulders slumped and she let out a defeated sigh, not really caring what anyone said at that moment. She froze when someone tapped on her shoulder from behind.

"Excuse me, miss, are you from the Asaje clan?"

The woman spun around, her hands automatically reaching for her zanpakuto, which were absent from her hip due to the strict rules of Sereitei. She had no need for them, fortunately, since it was only the Squad 3 Lieutenant, Kira Izuru. Her sudden movements seemed to have spooked him, though.

"What's it to you?" She growled irritably, not in the mood to be answering questions. He quickly regained his composure.

"Well, I recognized the earring as I am from the Kira clan myself and you looked lost, so I assumed that you were a member. If you're looking for the Asaje grounds, they're that way." He pointed in the opposite direction she had been walking the whole time. She stared at him with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

"I-I knew that... I was merely testing you," she muttered, brushing past him without a single word of thanks. He watched her go with a look a bemusement on his face.

Fortunately, the blond haired man had not led her astray. Though it had taken a while and left her with sore feet, she finally made it to the mansion. However, she started to have second thoughts and she carefully weighed her options to see if it was even worth it. Finally, she trudged inside, a dark aura hanging around her. Any servants she met quickened their pace or went the other way to avoid her silent warpath. Her brooding was interrupted when a callous tone cut through the air.

"Rina..." The use of her old name made her flinch and stop dead in her tracks. Her eyes flashed with anger, but she didn't bother to turn when she spoke to Hatori, her father.

"That isn't my name. You should know that by now. I thought repetition was the best way to teach, but apparently I thought wrong because you still can't seem to grasp it after more than two centuries," she snarl viciously. She could feel his cold, amber eyes boring into her back.

"Why you insist on using such a ridiculous nickname is beyond me. Your name is Rina, and that is all it will ever be. Not something you decided to adopt during a tantrum. You insult your mother by using that name," he replied. She rounded on him, her hands balled into fists.

"Oka-chan doesn't give a shit! She likes it just fine! You have no right to decide what I'm called after disowning me!" She yelled.

"I have every right! I am both your superior and your father! I will not tolerate-" The woman cut him off, her voice rising in volume just as swiftly as his.

"Fuck you! You weren't ever a father to me even before you decided I was no longer a part of this family! You abuse your power-" He promptly interjected with his own scathing admonishment.

"Do not interrupt me, Rina!"

"No, Hatori, you're the one who shouldn't interrupt me!"

"R-Rin...?"

Both stopped, their argument ceasing, at the sound of a weak voice, barely audible over their yells. The brown haired woman looked up to see a sickly woman leaning heavily against the wall. She was practically Rin's twin, with the exception of a few key features. Her hair was well brushed and wavy, and she had skin whiter than snow. She had dark circles under her eyes, making it look like someone had given her two black eyes. She was wearing a white kimono, and many beads that were much like Rin's were on her earrings.

"Oka-chan! You shouldn't be out of bed!" Rin immediately rushed to her mother's side, gathering her into an embrace. "You're going to make yourself even more sick, if you keep doing this," she soothed, her tone uncharacteristically soft.

"I was fine yesterday," Hana protested. "And I heard you and Hatori-kun fighting. I didn't want anything bad to happen like the last time..."

She trailed off into a coughing fit. Rin took the chance to glance over her shoulder, but her father had already disappeared rather than aid his wife. She wrinkled her nose, disgusted by his callous nature.

"Nothing bad will happen. Come on, let's get you back to bed."

Once she was settled, Rin sat at the edge of the bed and asked, "Did anyone visit today, Oka-chan?"

"N-not today... Jushiro-san came by for tea yesterday, since I was feeling so good. He hasn't been feeling well either, though," the sickly woman murmured.

"I see. I haven't visited him in a while. I hope he gets better soon," her daughter replied, her expression softening slightly. Hana nodded in agreement and raised her hand to caress Rin's cheek.

"You would make a good mother. When you marry, that is. You love children, and you get along with them so well. You're such a caring person, too," she said out of the blue, making her daughter blush profusely.

"Uh... That's, uh, not at the top of my priority list, at the moment. I don't plan on doing that for a long time, Oka-chan. You know I don't want that, yet. I'm sorry. I knew how much you wanted me to marry Kasamiji and succeed you as head..."

"It doesn't matter, hun, as long as you're happy." But the woman knew that her daughter rarely smiled genuinely anymore. "Make sure you marry someone you love. Don't try and force something because you want to impress me." She paused before adding, "But make it quick so he can knock you up! Give me grand kids!" Flustered, Rin shook her head frantically.

"Oka-chan!" She cried. Hana laughed, a teasing laugh that made her blue eyes sparkle. It made Rin smile, hearing her mother sound this healthy for once.

"I'm only kidding, luv. I know you want to wait, but I'm afraid I may not last so long..." Both her and Rin's smile faded. The younger woman immediately protested.

"Don't be like that! I promise, you'll get better! You'll live long enough to get great grand kids!" She was trying to cheer up her mother and take her mind off the possibility at the same time, but she was having trouble convincing herself of that.

"I'll do my best, hun," she agreed, nodding.

"You better," Rin murmured. "You better, because then I'd have no excuse to skip out on work to come and see you," she said, forcing a fake grin for her mother.

"You're here during work time? That's not good, hun. It's your first day, after all..."

"Whatever. In any case, I'd better get going now. The Captain said that he wanted me at his office as soon as I finished here. I got into Squad 6. You know, with that noble Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Ah~! I knew his grandfather. A pleasant man he was, if a bit quiet. Very serene, a perfect example of any good noble! I haven't met his grandson, though. What's he like?"

"A stick in the mud," Rin muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, don't be like that. I'm sure he's a pleasant, young man, just like his grandfather. Bring him by some time for tea, I want to meet him myself! And come soon, there's no entertainment to be had. All your father does is bore me to sleep!" Hana said rather happily. The younger woman smiled. This time, it was genuine.

"Okay, as soon as I can. And if I can't get Kuchiki, I'll bring Daisuke," she promised, waving as she left. Hana called after her, making her pause at the doorway.

"By the way, hun, happy birthday. I wanted to get you something, but Hatori-kun won't let me leave. I'll take you out for birthday dinner on one of my good days."

"Ha... Sounds like a plan. But only if you're feeling really good. And if we can sneak you past Hatori somehow," Rin joked before slipping away.

---

"Enter."

Rin did as she was ordered and slid the door open, closing it behind her. Her Captain's office was of average size, with bookcases on either wall and a desk in the centre across from the door. Behind it was a large window, giving a view of the area behind the division. Overall, the place looked neat and tidy. She expected nothing less of a noble. Especially a noble like him.

"You called?" She purred, making a phone beside her ear and shaking it a little. Byakuya ignored the childish gesture and went on with what he had to say.

"Due to your considerable show of skill, you will be assigned as a 7th seat. I will also need your room number. Here is a list of rules and regulations you will need to know as a member of my division." He handed her a piece of paper, which she stared at.

Only 7th seat? I should be as good as Lieutenant! I nearly beat Abarai, after all... She thought indignantly. However, it was better than nothing.

"Yeah... I'll throw this out- I mean read this later or something," she muttered, folding the paper and tucking it into her robes. "Any other assignments you have for me? I have nothing better to do, after all."

"No. You are dismissed."

"Well, fine," she growled, turning and stomping out of the office.

She turned and walked down the hall, deciding she would go and find Daisuke instead. She paused when she heard a meow. When she turned, she saw Gilepsi trotting towards her. The creature quickened its pace and leapt onto her shoulder before she continued.

"Nice of you to finally get your ass over to me. Could have been around earlier, when I needed to get to the damned mansion, but noooo. Instead, you let me wander around for who knows how long until some blond fucking idiot shows up and points me in the right fucking direction!" Gilepsi meowed innocently, as if asking why she was at fault.

"It's your fault because you're my scapegoat. Come on, show me how to get to Second Division and I might forgive you."

Luckily for Rin, Gilepsi knew the way and she soon made it to Second Division. Sensing her arrival, Daisuke met her at the gate. He smirked as she approached, immediately noticing her foul mood and deciding it was the perfect time to poke fun.

"Lost again?" He asked.

"Suck it, Daisuke," she growled, giving him the finger. Gilepsi meowed and leapt from her shoulder, deciding she had better places to be. The tall man folded her arms across his chest and shot back.

"Maybe later. Are you supposed to be somewhere?"

"No, I'm where I want to be. At least I think I am. I'm starting to have second thoughts," she muttered.

"Not a good day? Or did something happen at the mansion?" He probed, his expression softening. She glared at him.

"Nothing happened!" She snapped. "I wanted to know if you wanted lunch."

"So I could buy your meal? I don't think that would be very smart of me. You eat more than my Lieutenant."

"I'm not sure whether that's a compliment or an insult..." She hissed, not knowing who his Lieutenant was. "And I have money, I could pay."

"But you won't," he added for her.

"Hey, if you're willing to buy me food I'm not going to complain," she defended herself. He merely sighed.

"Yeah, I'll go to lunch with you. I don't have any assignments, so it's not like work's going to get in the way. Come on, let's go."

As they walked around in search of someplace good, Daisuke brought up an interesting topic.

"Did you hear about the strange people that tried to enter the Sereitei? Apparently, they tried coming in the gates after beating the gatekeeper there. Jidanbo-san, remember him? Captain Ichimaru came around just in time to repel them and send them back into Rukongai, though. They're stuck in the western districts for the time being," he told her.

"Huh, weird. Sereitei never gets invaders. You pick that up from your squad mates?" She asked.

"Yeah. One of the perks in this squad."

"Maybe, but you're only a recruit," she said, shooting him an accusing look.

"What can I say, everyone loves me." He grinned broadly. "And they'd love you, too, if you didn't act like such a grumpy, old man."

"I don't want love. And I'm not grumpy," Rin snapped. "But, on the other hand, is this really something you should be telling me?" She asked, casting a suspicious glare his way. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"No... But I trust you not to gossip. You don't have any friends to tell, anyways," he added, earning an irritated glare from the woman. He laughed before continuing, "That's not the only thing I've heard, though. Captain Kuchiki's adopted sister's to be executed."

"Heard about Kuchiki's sister already. Shit, I didn't even know he had one. Kuchiki Rukia is her name, right? I wonder what she did to earn such a high punishment, though. And with the Soukyoku, no less. That's things reserved for Captains and Lieutenants, and she doesn't even have a seat." The man merely shrugged.

"Those rumours have a tight lid on them. I've barely heard anything, though it happened in the World of the Living. I've heard stuff as serious as power transfer to a human, but I've also heard that she fell in love with one, which seems to be popular for obvious reasons. While I don't have a for sure idea of what's going on, the first one seems far more likely. Though, there are lots of different claims."

"Hm."

Rin was about to say more when a hell butterfly floated over to her. She held out her hand for it to land on and brought it closer to hear the message. It was telling her that she was to go to Meeting Room #7 to learn more about the Ryoka invasion. She scowled deeply as it fluttered away. Then turned to Daisuke with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"How about we go and confirm it? After all, if meetings for the seated officers are happening, then one must be happening with the Captains, too."

"Not one of your greatest ideas," he said warningly. "If we get caught, we'd get more than just an earful for it. We tried this before in the academy, remember? We got caught and got into a whole heap of trouble for it."

"I think it was worth it. Plus, we won't get caught this time. It's as simple as that. You just need to trust my mad sneaking skills better!" She protested.

What mad sneaking skills? He thought, rolling his eyes. He didn't say it out loud, though, and instead warned.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"What? This has nothing to do with cats! Come on," she snapped, not quite grasping the saying out of excitement. "We're going to go listen in on the Captain's meeting!"

It didn't take them long to get to where they wanted with Daisuke leading the way. They hid their reiatsu as best as they could and watched through a damaged spot in the barred window. Daisuke sighed.

"The only reason I came is because you would have come alone and gotten yourself in trouble otherwise," he whispered.

She glared and clamped a hand over his mouth to silence him. He stifled another sigh and grasped her wrist to remove her hand.

All of the Captains were already there, minus the Squad 13 Captain. The last Captain to arrive was Ichimaru Gin, who stopped right in the middle of the room. He glanced around, grinning widely the whole time.

"What's goin' on?" He asked in an innocent tone mixed with mock surprise. "Is it really that serious to call everyone here?"

Rin and Daisuke recognized him as the Captain who had confronted the Ryoka, but failed to eliminate them. The young woman didn't like him; his creepy grin sent shivers down her spine.

"Did you all really come meet here just for me?" He purred sweetly. Before anyone could answer, he looked to the side and noticed Jushiro's absence. "What's this? The 13th Captain isn't here? What happened?"

"He is excused for illness," the 9th Captain, Tosen Kaname, said, his tone hard. Gin's grin faded, replaced by a tiny, worried frown.

"He hasn't recovered yet? Good luck to him..." He murmured.

"Stop wasting time," Kenpachi interrupted his fake concern. "No one came here to listen to this boring chit-chat." He glared at the sly Captain. "I heard what you did. You went to deal with the Ryoka out of your jurisdiction, but you didn't even bother killing them."

Gin grinned once more as he turned to gaze at the large Captain.

"So he didn't die? Hm..." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Strange... I was so sure that I had taken care of him! Have my senses grown dull?" He drawled lazily.

Another one of the Captains chuckled. It was the Captain of the 12th, Kurotsuchi Mayuri.

"Stop playing games," Mayuri snapped scornfully. "It is impossible for a Captain to be unable to tell if their opponent hasn't been exterminated. Could it be that you deliberately failed and are merely using 'carelessness' as an excuse?" He asked accusingly.

The Captain of the 10th, Hitsugaya Toshiro, huffed with irritation.

"Here we go again... Old men and their arguments. What a pain..."

Meanwhile, Gin spoke to Mayuri in a hurt tone, "Oh no, are ya sayin' that I planned all this?"

"Exactly," Kurotsuchi hissed.

With an irritated sigh and a roll of his eyes, Kenpachi snapped, "Shut up, Kurotsuchi. I was talking first, so get lost! Unless you want me to kill you... Then you can just go right on talking."

Daisuke's Captain, Soi-Fon, sighed out of annoyance.

"How dull..." She muttered.

The Squad 8 Captain, Kyouraku Shunsui, smiled and shook his head when he realized there was going to be another fight.

"Tsk, tsk," he murmured.

Rin's own Captain seemed disinterested. Clearly, he had other things on his mind and wasn't paying any attention to the bickering trio.

"Enough of this!" Yamamoto's booming voice ended the argument. "Stop it, all three of you! Zaraki, Kurotsuchi, stand down!" His tone was menacing. The old Captain then spoke to Gin. "You acted alone and without permission. Not only that, but you also failed to eliminate or even capture these Ryoka! I would like to hear your explanation for your actions. That is the only reason I have gathered all the Captains here."

Both eavesdropper's eyes widened when the Head-Captain's reiatsu pressed down heavily on their shoulders, meant as a warning to all Captains. But they weren't the only ones struggling against the weight. Most of the Captains looked a bit strained, as well.

"So... Do you have anything to say, Ichimaru?" The old Captain asked.

"I have nothin' to say!" He said. Rin and Daisuke's eyes widened. Even the Head-Captain was caught off-guard.

"What?!" He said, demanding an explanation.

"I have no excuse!" Gin continued sheepishly. "I won't try and justify my carelessness!"

Rin lunged forward, making to strangle the man. Daisuke acted quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her back. She fought, but relaxed upon realizing how irrational her actions were. She pushed her friend away and instead leaned in to listen when the Head-Captain spoke once more.

"Very well. You will be punished, however..."

"Hang on a second, Ichimaru," the Squad 5 Captain, Sosuke Aizen, spoke up. Just as he was about to continue, an alarm went off.

"ALERT! ALERT! Intruders in the city! All personnel should report to their stations!"

Before any of the Captains could react, Rin stumbled into the middle of the meeting hall, a wicked grin on her face.

"Yes!" She yelled. "I get to kill something! Finally, what a bore this place is!"

Byakuya's eyes snapped open immediately when he recognized her voice. The woman noticed his reaction and stepped away, her grin faltering. She then turned and dashed away, yelling over her shoulder.

"See you later, Captains!"