Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Where Cherry Blossoms Fall ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Shiroiyuki 
Anime/Manga: Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.17.2011 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.0K | Visits: 445 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.17.2011 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.0K | Visits: 445 | Status: Work In Progress
Where Cherry Blossoms Fall
Chapter Two
When a soul dies, it is taken to Heaven.
But what place is there to go, should it die again?
It was a question he often thought on, sitting alone in the confines of his office, a question many in the Soul Society asked. It was common belief that the soul would simply be reincarnated to the Human world. Some, that it would be reborn into this one.
Others believed the soul would be lost, forever.
Byakuya Kuchiki was one for the first school of thought; a sentiment only recently adapted since the passing of his wife. It was his dearest and most private wish to be reunited with Hisana one day, somewhere, to see her smiling face and breathe in her scent of flowers once more.
These past fifty years had been somewhat of a struggle for Byakuya. He'd never found her, not in all his secret wanderings of the Human world.
So many faces, so many spiritual markers, none familiar. None Hisana.
He stared out into his courtyard of camellia and cherry trees, watching the pink sun set on Seireitei. Perhaps his wife truly was lost to him forever.
No, not entirely.
Heaving a great sigh, the man's eyes locked onto another face, so much like the first, as it came into view. The girl crossed the courtyard below with an air of trepidation. Rukia, his adopted sister. Rukia, forever the source of his pain.
So much like her sister in looks, the opposite in personality.
At first he'd honored his wife's wishes by taking this girl in, keeping a close watch over the sister she'd never found, the sister which had haunted his beautiful bride until her death bed. It was a promise he'd kept out of love.
But the decision had cost much more for the man.
All those years ago when Byakuya had glimpsed this woman at the Shin? Academy, he'd mistaken her for Hisana. How raw a pain to find it was the sister. How hard it was to live with this woman day in and day out, a rebellious heart hoping that one day she could be her.
A knock on his door sometime later did not surprise the man. Nor did her hasty apology for interrupting his work. After a studied moment gazing out the window, the man finally met her worried eyes.
"Brother," she said, the title so awkward for a woman with his late wife's face, "My Captain requested I share my report of a recent trip to the Human Realm, sir."
So succinct. So organized. Her words held respect but nothing more. Pure torture to be so close to this woman and not hear Hisana's gentle voice.
"Perhaps the Captain should call upon me himself?" A simple question, eyes discreetly searching for any traces of a woman long gone. Byakuya often tested this girl, to be met with disappointment.
Rukia flustered. Clearly she was uncomfortable. She so often was. But her duty was to Ukitake, her job important. "I'm sorry, Brother, but my Captain is...somewhat disposed, sir."
Ah. So the man's illness kept him to his bed again. It happened every so often.
The sudden worry in this girl's eyes spoke volumes for the love of another man. Why couldn't they hold such love for Byakuya? Why couldn't she have been Hisana all those years ago, the day he stumbled upon her at Shin??
Anger at a cruel world chipped away the man's soul.
"Very well," he simply replied, not sparing this woman another glance.
The sun had almost set completely outside, setting ablaze the pink and white trees, carving paths on the stone below. A few shinigami gathered into groups of twos and threes, chatting amongst friends. They peppered his courtyard.
Byakuya stared at them, stared at a life he could no longer afford. What would it be like to laugh and take the world in stride? So carefree?
"Sir, Ichigo and I were separated during a routine sweep of Karakura Town. A powerful Hollow was plaguing the souls in the area and while chasing it, Ichigo stumbled upon...someone he mistook for myself."
Byakuya froze. His eyes had been scanning the carpets of gold and pink below his window, but now they saw nothing. Nothing but the past. His pulse quickened. Could this woman hear the way it pounded in his chest?
The man said nothing, adapting a false indifference.
"Upon further inspection, sir, it was clear this woman was not me after all. But," Rukia suddenly became very aware of how crazy she sounded. The word drifted off into silence.
She was so mad at her Captain for ordering her to tell her brother this. Why was it so important? That human girl fainted as soon as she saw Rukia; she had no spiritual prowess. Even when Ichigo had Kon carry her back to the temple it was clear the woman posed no danger.
"But she saw Ichigo, sir. She saw the Hollow."
Byakuya said nothing, a cold statue looking out his window. Feeling the need to fill the silence, Rukia continued.
"Brother, my Captain wishes to inform you of her location, so that you may check on the status of this woman yourself. Make sure she offers no threat."
"Where?" The word was too quiet, too forced. Rukia noticed the sudden dip in atmosphere.
"Hisakawa Temple."
The man barely registered Rukia as she bowed and quit the room.
His heart beat rapidly for several long minutes afterward, even as the small form of Rukia danced between the drifting masses below, even as his eyes lost sight of her past the tree line of his courtyard.
Karakura Town. Hisakawa Temple. Sudden the man's path was clear.
Converting /tmp/phpTkN74u to /dev/stdout
Chapter Two
When a soul dies, it is taken to Heaven.
But what place is there to go, should it die again?
It was a question he often thought on, sitting alone in the confines of his office, a question many in the Soul Society asked. It was common belief that the soul would simply be reincarnated to the Human world. Some, that it would be reborn into this one.
Others believed the soul would be lost, forever.
Byakuya Kuchiki was one for the first school of thought; a sentiment only recently adapted since the passing of his wife. It was his dearest and most private wish to be reunited with Hisana one day, somewhere, to see her smiling face and breathe in her scent of flowers once more.
These past fifty years had been somewhat of a struggle for Byakuya. He'd never found her, not in all his secret wanderings of the Human world.
So many faces, so many spiritual markers, none familiar. None Hisana.
He stared out into his courtyard of camellia and cherry trees, watching the pink sun set on Seireitei. Perhaps his wife truly was lost to him forever.
No, not entirely.
Heaving a great sigh, the man's eyes locked onto another face, so much like the first, as it came into view. The girl crossed the courtyard below with an air of trepidation. Rukia, his adopted sister. Rukia, forever the source of his pain.
So much like her sister in looks, the opposite in personality.
At first he'd honored his wife's wishes by taking this girl in, keeping a close watch over the sister she'd never found, the sister which had haunted his beautiful bride until her death bed. It was a promise he'd kept out of love.
But the decision had cost much more for the man.
All those years ago when Byakuya had glimpsed this woman at the Shin? Academy, he'd mistaken her for Hisana. How raw a pain to find it was the sister. How hard it was to live with this woman day in and day out, a rebellious heart hoping that one day she could be her.
A knock on his door sometime later did not surprise the man. Nor did her hasty apology for interrupting his work. After a studied moment gazing out the window, the man finally met her worried eyes.
"Brother," she said, the title so awkward for a woman with his late wife's face, "My Captain requested I share my report of a recent trip to the Human Realm, sir."
So succinct. So organized. Her words held respect but nothing more. Pure torture to be so close to this woman and not hear Hisana's gentle voice.
"Perhaps the Captain should call upon me himself?" A simple question, eyes discreetly searching for any traces of a woman long gone. Byakuya often tested this girl, to be met with disappointment.
Rukia flustered. Clearly she was uncomfortable. She so often was. But her duty was to Ukitake, her job important. "I'm sorry, Brother, but my Captain is...somewhat disposed, sir."
Ah. So the man's illness kept him to his bed again. It happened every so often.
The sudden worry in this girl's eyes spoke volumes for the love of another man. Why couldn't they hold such love for Byakuya? Why couldn't she have been Hisana all those years ago, the day he stumbled upon her at Shin??
Anger at a cruel world chipped away the man's soul.
"Very well," he simply replied, not sparing this woman another glance.
The sun had almost set completely outside, setting ablaze the pink and white trees, carving paths on the stone below. A few shinigami gathered into groups of twos and threes, chatting amongst friends. They peppered his courtyard.
Byakuya stared at them, stared at a life he could no longer afford. What would it be like to laugh and take the world in stride? So carefree?
"Sir, Ichigo and I were separated during a routine sweep of Karakura Town. A powerful Hollow was plaguing the souls in the area and while chasing it, Ichigo stumbled upon...someone he mistook for myself."
Byakuya froze. His eyes had been scanning the carpets of gold and pink below his window, but now they saw nothing. Nothing but the past. His pulse quickened. Could this woman hear the way it pounded in his chest?
The man said nothing, adapting a false indifference.
"Upon further inspection, sir, it was clear this woman was not me after all. But," Rukia suddenly became very aware of how crazy she sounded. The word drifted off into silence.
She was so mad at her Captain for ordering her to tell her brother this. Why was it so important? That human girl fainted as soon as she saw Rukia; she had no spiritual prowess. Even when Ichigo had Kon carry her back to the temple it was clear the woman posed no danger.
"But she saw Ichigo, sir. She saw the Hollow."
Byakuya said nothing, a cold statue looking out his window. Feeling the need to fill the silence, Rukia continued.
"Brother, my Captain wishes to inform you of her location, so that you may check on the status of this woman yourself. Make sure she offers no threat."
"Where?" The word was too quiet, too forced. Rukia noticed the sudden dip in atmosphere.
"Hisakawa Temple."
The man barely registered Rukia as she bowed and quit the room.
His heart beat rapidly for several long minutes afterward, even as the small form of Rukia danced between the drifting masses below, even as his eyes lost sight of her past the tree line of his courtyard.
Karakura Town. Hisakawa Temple. Sudden the man's path was clear.
Converting /tmp/phpTkN74u to /dev/stdout