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Never Let Me Fall	By : shadoesong Category: Bleach > General Views: 1394 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, nor do I profit from this story.

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Chapter 3

"Rina-chan! Get up!"

Rin was jolted awake when Yoruichi dug her foot into her ribs. The same ribs that still ached after being bruised in her last fight. She hissed in irritation and pain and flipped onto her side in a pitiful attempt to avoid the annoying woman.

"No... Go away," she muttered groggily.

She could feel Daisuke shift beside her and sigh deeply. Yoruichi was not one to give up so easily, however. She was promptly dragged out of the futon. Rin let her drag her out of the room and down the hall before she grew tired of the game. She struggled away and stood, giving Yoruichi a look that could kill.

"I better get a good breakfast out of this," she snapped, holding her aching head and sighing deeply.

"You say that like I wouldn't!" Yoruichi laughed. "Now, hurry up! I have someone I want you to meet."

"What? Who?" The brown haired woman said in confusion.

But her friend trotted off without answering. Rin blinked in confusion. She then turned and went back to the room to collect Daisuke, who had gotten away without being woken up.

Later, after getting lost and having a servant show them the way, Rin and Daisuke came to the throne room. Yoruichi, after teasing them about sleeping in the same bed, then led them to the Kuchiki mansion after having a small breakfast. They met Byakuya in the yard while he was training. He scowled when he saw Rin.

"You again. What are you doing here?" He asked grumpily. He was still moping after being shown up by Rin the day before.

"Should you really be looking somewhere else now?"

The speaker was a dark skinned young woman who was training with the noble heir. She had light purple eyes and she was wearing the uniform of the Kuchiki guard. She had long black hair with dark purple highlights when the light hit it right. It was pulled into a braided ponytail. She jabbed her practice sword into Byakuya's gut, winding him. She then performed a sweeping kick, knocking him onto the ground.

"What?! No fair!" Byakuya protested once he was able.

"Do you honestly think that, if this was real, your opponent would be so courteous to help you up, and then try to kill you?" His training partner chided, standing over him with one hand resting on her hip.

"I wasn't joking when I said you were inexperienced," Rin growled as she drew close. She had a small smirk on her face, though. She couldn't help but feel an appreciation for the small woman. "Looking away from your foe. What a rookie mistake."

"I'm sure he's used to it. This happens often!" Yoruichi purred. "Nice shot, Aika-chan!"

"Thank you, Yoruichi-sama." Aika smiled.

"Is this the person you wanted me to meet, Yoruichi?" Rin asked, studying the small woman. From the little she had seen, it was obvious that she was well-trained.

"Yes. This is Kawasuzu Aika, Byakuya-bo's personal bodyguard. Aika-chan, this is Asaje Rina," the Captain introduced the two women.

"Rin. I told you to call me Rin, Yoruichi," the woman corrected irritably.

"It's a pleasure, Asaje-san." Aika bowed, clearly recognizing her name. Rin sighed, not bothering to correct someone a second time.

"You seem well-trained. This is Yoruichi's doing?" She asked instead, casting a sidelong glance at her old friend.

"Yes. Yoruichi-sama trained me," Aika confirmed.

"I see." She nodded once before glancing at her student. "This is Esaki Daisuke, a student of mine."

"Greetings." He held out his hand for the tiny woman to shake. She smiled as she did. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kawasuzu-san."

"As it is for me, Esaki-san," she replied politely. During their exchange, Rin spoke to Yoruichi.

"That woman, Kawasuzu... How did she obtain this position of bodyguard?"

"Her grandfather is Ginrei's head advisor. Also, the Kawasuzu family has served the family for many generations. Out of all the families that serve their clan, the Kawasuzu family is probably the most trusted."

"The name did sound a bit familiar. And her parents?" Rin asked.

"Her mother died soon after her birth. She was raised by her grandfather afterwards," Yoruichi said, frowning slightly.

"Is that so?" The other murmured. She noticed that Yoruichi said nothing about her father, so she assumed that she didn't know anything or that the man had suffered a similar fate. "She's a bit young for a personal bodyguard. She must be talented, though. Especially if you took the initiative to train her."

"She's not much younger than you are." The older woman smirked at her friend. "Don't tell me you wish to challenge her?"

"No. I think I've beaten up enough children as of late. And I don't feel like it. Ugh, I don't have time for this," Rin sighed, looking up. "Esaki and I have business in Rukon. We will need to go as soon as possible. I do have a few questions, though, since I am here."

"You're underestimating her, Rina-chan. You should spar with her before making such assumptions." Yoruichi gave Rin a teasing smile. "You'll have plenty of time, you are in no danger here. Your father will think twice before coming around again."

"Only if you stop bugging me about it," Rin snapped.

She was still reluctant. She was in no way underestimating the woman, she just wasn't up to sparring at the moment. She was tired, hungry, and sore. However, Yoruichi wanted to see her improvement.

"Good. Aika-chan!" The woman sang, stepping forward and making her student look over. "Rina-chan wants to spar. So how 'bout it?"

"I don't see why not. Is there any particular art you want to spar with, Asaje-san?" The shorter woman asked.

"You choose." Rin gestured towards her. She then smirked a little arrogantly. "It'll at least give you a bit of a chance. Just choose something you're good at, to make it a challenge for me."

"Oh? I'll choose Hakuda, then." Aika smirked.

The taller woman frowned. She hated Hakuda. Despite that, she shrugged off her haori and pulled her zanpakuto out of her sash before handing them to Daisuke. She then got into a fighting stance across from Aika and held out her fists.

"Let's get this over with-"

She was caught off guard when her opponent disappeared, far faster than she was. Rin spun just in time to block a powerful punch. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she landed a kick in the woman's side, sending her flying. She immediately appeared in front of her and slammed her fist into her shoulder. Rin gasped and leapt away, feeling her whole arm go numb. Her opponent had hit a pressure point. Aika spoke.

"You're slow." Now she was giving her opponent a cocky smirk.

"It can't be helped. Such is the curse of my family blood, it seems," she replied, shaking her numb hand and standing straight. However, she suddenly seemed a bit more eager.

The women leapt at each other, exchanging quick blows. It was obvious that Aika had the upper hand, due to her size and speed. Rin was barely able to block most attacks, much less launch a counter. She was also smirking, for even she was being affected by the excitement of the battle. Yoruichi knew that it had been a while since she'd had a new challenge.

Finally, Rin landed on the ground, Aika's fist centimetres from her face. She scowled at the other from the ground. The short woman stood straight, still standing above her, with a smirk on her face.

"By the way, I am no child," she announced.

"Pfft. I consider anyone younger than me to be a child. You have my respect, though. As I'd suspected, you're very well-trained," Rin shot back.

She noticed Byakuya was smirking at her defeat nearby, making her glare at him. Aika smiled her thanks at the fallen woman before she turned to him, letting Rin haul herself to her feet.

"You're next, Byakuya," she purred, making the teen pale. Rin resisted the urge to shoot him a smug look as she retrieved her things from her student.

"I like her. Can we take her home with us?" She said to Yoruichi. In response, she laughed.

"I knew you wouldn't regret it. You enjoyed that more than you're willing to admit!"

"She wouldn't have done so well if it'd been Zanjutsu," the other woman said. She cast a sidelong glance at Daisuke. "Or, maybe, if she had fought Esaki."

"I'm not that good..." Daisuke protested.

"Shut up," Rin snapped. "You excel at Hakuda more than anything else."

To herself, she thought, Perhaps he would benefit if we stayed with Yoruichi for a while... Though, with Hatori prowling around, that wouldn't be wise... Maybe I could-

"Rina-chan~! You came to visit!"

Rin was suddenly broken out of her thoughts when she was tackled to the ground by a pink blur. It was Shunsui, who had just been passing by with Ukitake when he spotted Rin. The woman promptly slapped her palm onto his face and pushed him away.

"Fucking hell! I didn't come to see you, Baka Ossan!" She yelled. "And I told you not to call me that. My name's Rin now."

"Ossan?! Rina-chan, that's so mean! I'm young and handsome! Young and handsome, and I get all the women! I haven't seen you in so long and now you're calling me names! I can't believe you!" Shunsui whined, his voice muffled by her hand. He was waving his arms as he spoke.

"You're drunk," she concluded, sighing in exasperation. Her eyes widened when Shunsui abruptly put his face so it was inches from hers, puckering his lips.

"Come on, Rina-chan! Just a little kiss to know that you still love me! Right here, on the lips!" He pointed to his lips as he came in closer. Rin slammed her fist into his face.

"In your dreams!" She snarled, scooting away from him. "Why do you drink in the middle of the day, dammit?! Every time you see me, you're not even close to sober! If you're going to visit while you're drunk, then you should at least bring some sake for me, too, you old coot!"

While Shunsui lay on the ground, dazed by the blow, Ukitake came in behind him, smiling at the young woman.

"Rina-chan. What brings you here?" He said before his friend could recover and drag her attention away once more. She huffed and got to her feet, dusting herself off.

"Don't call me that. And I was brought here because of a troublesome child. It's a long story, and I'm not going to retell it right now. We would have been gone by now, if Yoruichi hadn't decided that I meet Kawasuzu." She sighed as she stared into the distance absently. She hooked a stray bit of hair behind her ear before continuing, "It's nice to see you again, Jushiro."

"So you're staying for a bit? Will you have time to come over for tea, then? Some catching up would be nice."

She was tempted to decline the offer, but since Yoruichi seemed intent on making her stay in Sereitei for a while, she knew she'd have more than enough time.

"Maybe, probably. Yoruichi insisted that we stay for lunch today, so another time. Preferably a time when the old fool is not so drunk," she added, glancing down at Shunsui. He had passed out.

"Captain Ukitake! You came to visit!" Aika gave him a hug as she joined the group. Byakuya trailed behind her sulkily. The white haired man smiled at the both of them.

"Hello, Byakuya-kun, hello, Aika-chan. How have you been?" He asked looking down at her with a smile on his face.

"I'm fine, but what about you? Have you been feeling any better?" He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yes! In fact, I was feeling so good that Kyouraku and I decided to go for a walk." He looked over at Rin. "So I heard you met Rina-chan?"

"You just missed a sparring match," Rin answered.

"Oh? And who won?"

"I did," Aika injected immediately. Rin rolled her eyes.

"Fucking hell, the only reason you were able to win is because I hate using Hakuda. If this match had been with Zanjutsu or Kido, I would have beaten you easily. So don't be so smug," she said it lightly, showing Aika that she meant no offence.

The short woman smiled, catching on to the fact that this woman was more bark than bite. Ukitake laughed, clearly seeing that the two women were already getting along.

"That's good! Well, I have to take Kyouraku back. Come by tomorrow after lunch, Rina-chan. It's my day off, I'll make us some tea and we'll talk," he said as he helped his friend to his feet.

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow, then." She glanced at her student out the corner of her eye. "You coming, Esaki?" Before he could reply, Yoruichi butt in.

"Actually, Rina-chan, if you don't mind... I'd like to take Esaki-kun and show him a few things. I know some tricks you don't. It'll be a good experience. And perhaps Aika-chan can join us?" She directed the question at the small woman.

"I would love to, Yoruichi-sama." Aika smiled.

"Yeah, I guess that's okay. You don't mind, Esaki?" Rin asked.

"No! Not at all! It'd be great to learn from a master such as yourself, Yoruichi-dono!" He said to the older woman, failing to contain his excitement.

"Guh! So formal! Just call me Yoruichi," she said before turning and walking. "Come on now. We don't want to keep Ginrei waiting."

They were met by the Kuchiki head in the dining hall. The older man nodded in greeting before his slate grey eyes rested on Rin.

"Rina. It has been quite a while since I have seen your face." His tone held no emotion, but the tension between the two was palpable.

"It has, Kuchiki." Her tone was just as impassive.

She narrowed her eyes. The last time she had seen the man had been hardly a day after she had fled her family home. He had spotted her watching from an alley as he passed through the Rukongai, scaring the wits out of her when he spoke. She had challenged him, thinking that he might give away her position. He had told her that he had no intention of implicating himself in other family's concerns.

She had been wary of the man ever since. The whole century and a half that she'd been in Rukon. She couldn't shake the feeling of distrust she felt with him around, even to this day. Before things could escalate, Yoruichi stepped between them, obviously sensing the air of mistrust.

"We're here for tea, as you requested, Ginrei. I hope you don't mind that I have brought along a few others."

"Hm." Without another word, he turned and led the way to the table with everyone following.

Byakuya had chosen to stay in the yard and train. While everyone was getting settled to wait for their food, Yoruichi asked Rin what she wanted to know. The woman paused, thinking, before answering in a low voice.

"I need to achieve Bankai. I've run into...troubles." The other woman's eyes widened with surprise.

"Bankai?" she whispered back. "Rina-chan, you said you didn't want Bankai."

"I know that, dammit. There's a man that I need to kill. To do that, I need Bankai," she insisted. Yoruichi frowned. She knew exactly who Rin was talking about.

"Okay. What type of troubles are we talking about?" Rin was relieved that she was co-operating.

"Troubles regarding the spirits themselves. One, Akuma, will help me. The other refuses."

I will not show you this technique if the only thing you will use it for is to go out and kill yourself! It nearly happened once. I will not allow it to happen again! The stubborn zanpakuto, Futago, suddenly spoke up.

Don't you realize how many innocents will lose their lives because of your stubbornness? Rin snarled inwardly.

A small price in return for your life, Rina.

"That is troublesome," Yoruichi said. "How far have you gotten, exactly?"

"It's nearly done. I fought Akuma, but Futago...won't even materialize now. I was able to before, but he's resisting it." Rin narrowed her eyes before asking, "Do you think Kisuke would be able to help?" Almost immediately, Yoruichi picked up on what she was thinking.

"You don't need to use that method, Rina-chan."

"I do if it will work. I can't waste anymore time knowing what that man could be doing. This isn't just about me now." She closed her eyes. "I have decided. I'll see Kisuke at Division 12 tomorrow after I have finished with Jushiro."

Futago Akuma: Rin's zanpakuto. It means 'Twin Devils'.
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Never Let Me Fall