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Never Let Me Fall	By : shadoesong Category: Bleach > General Views: 1393 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, nor do I profit from this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
Chapter 1

A young woman leaned against the wall opposite that in which the lists had been posted, her icy, blue gaze scanning the crowd. Long, messy, brown hair cascaded down her shoulders to her lower back, curling slightly at the ends with shorter bangs framing her face. Three simple, blue beads hung off an earring on her left ear, hidden among her hair where only one with a keen eye may see it. A permanent frown pulled at the corners of her lips.
She wore the usual academy uniform. In blue rather than red, after fighting tooth and nail with the higher ups to obtain it. At her left hip were two zanpakuto; a red one and a blue. She also wore black, fingerless, gloves that ended just past her elbows. She stood with her arms folded across her chest and a faraway look etched into her features. Only the sound of another voice calling to her broke her of her trance.
“Hey, Rin! Have you seen which squad you're in, yet?”
The woman glanced over at a man as he came to a halt before her. He had dark, brown skin and even darker, almost black, hair that was done up in neat dreadlocks that were pulled into a ponytail. His smile was warm, a contrast to Rin's cold glare, and reached his brown eyes easily. He was much taller than the other, towering at least half a foot above her and maybe more. Like her, he wore the academy uniform. Unlike her, he only had one katana by his hip. In reply, Rin snorted with laughter.
“You say that like I'm actually stupid enough to try and force my way through.” Her tone was almost cold, holding little of the humour that her words implied. “I'm good, Daisuke, but not that good. I wouldn't get anything but a few broken bones and a cracked skull. We'll just have to wait till it clears,” she told him with a smirk. Frowning, he rubbed the back of his neck. He looked dubious.
“If it clears. It seems like more and more people keep on coming. Makes me think that they do this rather than announce it or something just to kill off the weaker ones. Or the ones dumb enough to try and shove their way through.” Amusement danced in his gaze. “Actually, I'm surprised that you haven't tried yet.”
“Shut up,” she snapped. “I don't want to know what squad I'm in as bad as you, dumbass.” She pushed herself off the wall. “Though, I think I'll try now. Just to get away from you...”
“Good luck,” Daisuke said as she slipped into the mass of people. It took a few minutes, but she finally re-emerged. By then, he had taken her place leaning against the wall.
“You're in Squad 2...” He jumped when she spoke, having been deep in thought and not focusing on his surroundings.
“Jeez, you scared me!” He remarked. “That was fast. And they say the Asaje family doesn't excel in Hoho!”
Though he meant it as a joke, he knew that it is was the wrong thing to say when a dark scowl crossed her face. He usually knew what things would bring him over the line. It seemed he had caught his friend when she was in a particularly bad mood, though.
“They aren't my family anymore,” she growled.
“I'm sorry, Rin,” he quickly apologized, but the damage had been done. The woman turned on the heel and strode away. Daisuke scrambled to catch up, falling into step beside her.
“Hey, you never told me what squad you're in.” Attempting to take her mind off things. It worked.
“Squad 6. That's with the big time noble, right?” She asked him. He nodded.
“Captain Kuchiki Byakuya-sama.”
“Kuchiki? Really...” She murmured, a thoughtful look on her face.
“Well, on another note, are we going to visit your mother? We haven't seen Hana-sama in a while.” Daisuke had dismissed it quickly.
Rin followed suit and replied, “We'd see her more if that bastard didn't make a fucking scene every time.”
The Asaje clan was one of the four great noble clans. Rin had once been their heir. She was disowned after running away to avoid being betrothed. Kasamiji Keiji, the one whom she had originally been set up with, was instead promised to Junko, Rin's younger sibling by a year. Rin had lived in Rukongai ever since she had.
Yet, despite having been disowned, Rin and her mother still enjoyed each others' company. Hana had grown ill not long after her daughter had left, though. Daisuke often tagged along to make sure her father, Hatori, didn't try anything. But even when he was there, the confrontations between Rin and Hatori rarely ended on a good note.
“It can't be avoided. If you stayed calm and didn't start fighting with him, we'd have an easier time, you know,” he pointed out.
“Shut up,” she snapped. “I'll visit tomorrow. Alone,” she added when his face lit up.
“Why alone?” He questioned. He enjoyed visiting his friend's mother. She was like a calmer version of her daughter and pleasant to just stand beside. If they didn't look so similar, he would wonder how they could possibly be related.
“You'll be busy. I'm sure my Captain won't be happy, as it is, that I'm going. Might as well spare you that. Plus, I'll have Gilepsi with me! Well, if I can find her,” she added beneath her breath. Gilepsi was a cat. The Asaje family kept the animals around for company. Gilepsi belonged to Rin, and had gone with her when she had left for Rukongai.
Seeing that Rin was ending the conversation, Daisuke didn't say anything else. He instead took the lead as they walked through Sereitei. He didn't feel like getting lost because of his friend's non-existent sense of direction. To ensure that she actually made it to her squad, he planned on dropping her off there first and then going to his.
Once at Squad 6, Rin nodded and absentmindedly waved farewell and walked into the courtyard. Few others were there, she noticed. She also noted the fact that most were medium to high ranking nobles or goody two shoes and teacher's pets. Students who followed the rules to the letter. Students she had fought with countless times, and proud members of her baka list.
When she took her place in line, most of them shuffled away from her, casting suspicious glares her way. She scowled deeply, but didn't feel like yelling. The only person who seemed unconcerned by her presence was the Lieutenant, a red haired tattooed man whom she had never met. He gave her a nod, and a friendly smile that she couldn't bring herself to return. What really surprised her was when he spoke to her.
“You're from the Asaje clan?” Nodding towards the earring.
“It's complicated.” She shrugged, looking away.
“Adopted?” He asked with a tiny frown on his face, as if it meant something.
“No... Just not on good terms, you could say. Asaje Rin. You?”
“Abarai Renji.”
“So what are the tattoos for, Abarai?” She asked with a smirk. “You impressing someone?”
“Uh... No... Just decoration,” he said. Then he shrugged. “I like them.”
Their conversation was cut off when the Captain showed up. He came to stand before them, his stoic expression betraying nothing. However, when his gaze passed over the woman, recognition flashed in their grey depths. Rin felt the same. Grey eyes met blue briefly before the latter broke eye contact.
“Assign their rooms, Abarai. Their strength will be tested tomorrow,” he ordered. Everyone was shocked when the brown haired woman spoke up.
“Oi, why the hell are we doing that tomorrow? That's just a stupid waste of time.” She glanced up at the sky, which was painted in shades of gold and pink as the sun set. “I expected to be tested today.”
“You will wait like everyone else,” he replied, his tone hard. But she continued to insist.
“Let me have mine now. I've got things to do tomorrow and I can't be bothered to come here for a little test. I wish to visit my Oka-chan.” Her tone easily hid the concern she felt over her mother's health. Just as the noble Captain was about to tell her off for lack of respect, Renji spoke up in her defence.
“Isn't the Asaje head ill?” He murmured. “I heard that she may pass any day now.”
Taking a second to mull it over, Byakuya nodded once.
“Very well. You will fight Abarai. If you possess Shikai, you may use it,” he informed her. She smirked when she saw that she had gotten her way.
“Thanks, Kuchiki,” she said before taking her place across from the Lieutenant.
“No one expects you to win,” Renji assured her, though there was a hint of smug superiority in his tone that Rin didn't like at all. “So no pressure.”
“I wasn't worried. Let's see what you got, Abarai,” the woman shot back, drawing her twin zanpakuto once the bout had started.
Renji drew his weapon, blocking her right handed attack and dodging the jab with the left. He slipped to the side and swung, catching her above the eye and partially blinding her with her own blood. She retaliated by giving him a shallow cut across the stomach.
“You're fast for an Asaje woman!” He commented, leaping away. They lunged at each other once more, struggling to overpower one another.
“Shut your face,” she snarled, surprising him. “I'm done being insulted today.”
She pushed him away and swung, catching his upper arm. He countered with a blow to her chest before they separated once more.
She's faster than I would have expected, the man thought, throwing up his sword and connecting with both of Rin's. He gasped when she landed a swift kick to his gut. Slightly winded, he leapt onto the wall surrounding the courtyard.
“Roar, Zabimaru!” He called out the name of his weapon.
It turned into a long, 6-part segmented blade. Each was wider than the last, and each had its own pick-like protrusion on the front edge of each segment. When he swung it, it expanded. Using it like a whip, the front of the weapon slammed into the woman's two swords, quickly sending her to the other end of the courtyard.
Right before slamming into the wall, she managed to spin away. She charged Renji, her weapons at the ready. She leapt upwards when he swung the weapon, sweeping it sideways and nearly catching her in the side. She landed on thin air and resumed her charge without a single pause in step.
She gracefully avoided his next attack, surprising the Lieutenant. Having used up its attack combo, Zabimaru retracted back to its original form, leaving him open. Using this to her advantage, Rin aimed to slice open his shoulder. Caught off guard by her skill, Renji was unable to dodge as the weapon drew ever closer...
...Until someone swept in between them and blocked the attack with their own weapon. Her guard immediately went up and she readied herself for a real attack. When she saw her Captain, she pulled away in surprise and glared at him. The focus she had while attacking was lost as frustration took its place.
“Why did you stop me?!” She snapped.
“This fight is finished. Abarai will show you to your room.” Ignoring her question and returning his weapon to its sheath. However, Renji didn't seem impressed either as he sealed and sheathed his weapon.
“You didn't need to stop the fight. I was fine!” He protested.
“I did not do it for your benefit,” the noble Captain retorted, glaring at the taller man. “Now, take Asaje to her room.”
All the other recruits were already gone, sent away by the stoic Captain. Byakuya turned to Rin, who frowned at him.
“Asaje, I wish to see you in my office upon your return tomorrow.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” she muttered sarcastically. She then leapt off the wall of the courtyard and began making her way to the barracks. Renji quickly caught up and fell into step beside her.
“Stuck up bastard, isn't he?” Rin said. He sighed.
“It seems like he doesn't care about any of his subordinates. And if he does, he would never admit it,” Renji replied.
“You don't like him much,” she stated bluntly.
“He's my rival, and I'll surpass him one day. I don't need to like him to beat him,” Renji said, determination in his tone. He turned and led her into the barracks and down the hall as he spoke.
“True. Good luck with beating him, I suppose,” she said absently.
“Thanks. Hey, maybe we could go out drinking some time with some buddies of mine? It'd help you get to know people, in the least. That is, if you drink at all,” he suggested.
“Give me a date and I'll give you confirmation or not,” she replied. He stopped in front of a door and gestured to it.
“I'll call you when something comes up, then. Here's your room.”
“Ugh. I'm so tired I could sleep anywhere...” She growled beneath her breath as she slipped inside.
Within, it was relatively bare. Very boring, and it felt nothing like home. She sighed deeply. It had been years since there had been one place that felt like home to her. This was no exception. She almost missed the Asaje mansion at that moment. Almost. Hatori had made sure that it would never be a home to her.
She strode across the small room and opened the window, letting the summer breeze cool the stuffy room. As she began to change out of her academy uniform for the last time, a meow at the window caught her attention. It was her cat, Gilepsi. The animal leapt from the sill and trotted up to Rin, purring and meowing.
“What do you think of this?” The woman asked as she started putting on her night robes. In response, her familiar growled. Rin rolled her eyes.
“Sucks to be you, then. We're going to have to get used to this, no matter how much you don't like it. It'll be like this for the next...who knows how long. Months, years, decades...”
She sat on her bed, leaning her back against the wall and closing her eyes. Gilepsi crawled into her lap, begging to for attention. Rin obliged her, running her hand across her fur.
“I didn't expect Kuchiki here,” she spoke. “Though I can't say I'm surprised. Typical that I got a brat like him as my Captain,” she muttered. “I remember the first time I met him. What an ass...”
It took her a second to realize that Gilepsi had fallen asleep, and that she was talking to herself. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. The woman lay down on the bed, letting sleep claim her as well.
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Never Let Me Fall