1 - Time

Ticking away,

Ticking time ...

Come and fly,

Tickling the time ...

Age and die,

Cricking the time ...

Circle around,

Ticking time ...

Ticking away,

Fading to fly ...

Taking out her most precious katana sheathed in an elegant sheet with a dragon imprinted on it the raven haired female pulled the dark blade out slowly.

"Please don't do this." she said staring at her friend saddened, distraught and disappointed. Never had she thought that she would have to use this blade against a loved one, but she had been warned many times when she decided to walk down this path. A sword isn't to protect. Fire won't blaze of another fire and so she wasn't fated to be able to protect anyone with the sword in her hands.

"Beg all you can, the time to apologize is over." the brunette smiled, half-hearted, wicked, sarcastic. She was looking down on her friend. "But know," she followed raising up her sword as well after that she had cut of the bonds between the two, "know that there is no choice. No option for either of us." she said, smiling that gentle smile of hers that had them befriended as the two former friends clashed.

It had always been known by the two of them that either had to die at each others sword. What day it would happen was unknown and how soon along with the consequences all depended on what the outcome of their tragic friendship would be. Soul Society had tried to keep them apart, tried to have either of them to shine out. But none of the two had survived it, while Mahahiro, the brunette friend had left and given up after she lost, Akaku, the raven haired female had rejoiced for a price. Losing her best friend to meet the power she tried to grasp, only to follow the steps of her ancestors into the branches of the Gotei thirteen. Inside of the archives the battle was described to the details, but no one ever spoke about the events, knowing that the scars were too much for either to bear. Akaku was accepted inside of the divisions, given a great head start and blessing for she had talent and a name to be proud of while on the other side her friend was left alone and abused for her powers, confronted daily about her failure to make it into a real soul reaper.

"Tokutaku." the girl called upon her sword as she was meditating inside of her private rooms, back in her elderly houses. It had been two decades since she had been assigned as a member of the thirteen divisions as well as to be a seated member of one specific squad lead by the Kuchiki family. The noble family Masa as well as Kuchiki had maintained a terrific relationship over the generations and even she was befriend with the still young Byakuya whose future as the next head of the family was bright. "Tokutaku." she called to her sword again laying in front of her as she held her hands inside of her lap folded.

"What is it Akaku?" a voice called to her, finally deciding to show themselves to their wielder, but aware of the question to be asked next.

"Why did you choose me as you wielder? Why had it be the two of us?" the raven haired female asked, her shoulders low as her eyes glittered a sadness that she so often hid from her friends and leaders. The sword didn't answer and just looked away, not knowing how to answer as the noble female narrowed her eyes a little before getting up and picking the sword up. Getting out of her room for a walk. She knew she wasn't ready for the answer.

Time had made her bitter towards the sword, they had leveled up to the stage of attaining shikai, the first form. But farther than that they hadn't gone, even though the time they had spent had been long. Everyone was expecting to see the first signs of bankai to come forward, but it never came. Instead of that she was fuming at herself, drowning away from the grief of her loss and at the same time pushing everyone away from her.

"Byakuya!" the girl called as she was standing in front of his house, of course she would come here, they were best friends. The hot-tempered Byukuya Kuchiki and the cheerful Akaku, both of noble stance and both grew up next to eachother. They were forced to cope with eachother and that had grown out to a friendship that rivaled along with their competitive nature to beat each other in anything that was possible. Though their relationship had cooled down over the twenty years, for Akaku had thought on her own and Byakuya spending more time outside of his house for unknown reasons the girl wished to see her friend again.

"Yoho!" she called as she opened the door to his room, but realized that she was disturbing the moment as she saw, to her own surprise, another woman there with him. One with raven coloured hair such as she had herself, but a face unknown to her as she cocked her head a little. "Did I miss a chapter?" she asked wondering what she was doing here, judging from her clothes she was most certainly not from noble stance as she wondered since when did Byakuya mingle himself with commoners? The woman merely smiled at her as she got up from her place, reaching out for her to introduce herself. And to her great horror she introduced herself as the fiancée of her best friend. Hisana and soon the name of Kuchiki would be plastered behind her name as well.

Though she was flabbergasted Akaku was never the one to show her surprise, instead of that she just beamed up and smiled brightly at her. "Oh, really!" she exclaimed as she eyed Byakuya curiously. "I never thought Bakakuya could get himself a woman." she grinned as she shook her hand. "I'm Akaku Masa." she nodded as realization hit the other party that she must be the famed friend of her husband-to-be and it didn't matter how hard Akaku tried to, she could never dislike Hisana for grabbing the heart of her crush first. After all she was the one who had pushed him aside for over two decades. It was to occur and it had been her own fault.

It was months later when the marriage took place, enough time for Akaku to get over her feelings, if she hadn't already and to get closer to Hisana who was soon to be the wife of her best friend. "You look beautiful, congratulations on your marriage." Akaku hugged the female as she handed over her present to the bride and the groom. "May all the blessings be in your favor." she smiled brightly as she then watched how the lovely wheather was blowing ever so lightly in between the trees, making them lose their flowers and flying all over them. It was beautiful just as the day was supposed to be.

The captains of the divisions had come to congratulate the head of the Kuchiki on the marriage of his heir, the lieutenants had also showed up at their side and a lot of other close friends of the noble family had turned up. But no sign of Hisana's friends or family's and it saddened Akaku that she and neither the groom could ever meet them, though she guessed that outsiders weren't allowed to enter the division department let alone the houses of the noble, even on a day as special as today.

And although the day seemed perfect just as their relationships with each other, perfection never stopped searching for more ...

She knew what it was like to lose your best friend, your closest relationship. She knew how painful life could be when that one person left your side or you left theirs. But to stand so close to it again in more ways than one was too painful for her to bear.

"I beg you, Hisana, please.. Let me search for your sister. Let me fill in your place as you rest." Akaku mumbled against the woman as she pushed her back into the bed that had her caged for days. The wife of her best friend had weakened over time, going out until late to search for her sister she had left alone so long ago. At first Akaku hadn't cared too much about the matter, knowing that her friend would be just fine with Byakuya looking after her, but after that her health had worsened she had tried desperately to help the young only for herself, but also for her friend her husband. Though she felt rivalry for Hisana, picking away the one she loved she never had despised her or looked down on her for they were friends and she granted her the happiness, even though only for a short amount of time she saw. "Please.. Please." the red eyes of the pale skinned young woman were tainted with tears as she was begging her friend to please look after her health. "I promise, I will go out and not only find a way for you to heal, but to find your sister as well." Akaku breathed in her promise, her heart screaming out in pain as she knew, Hisana was to be gone from her's and that of Byakuya's side soon enough. Closing her eyes she felt how the wind was blowing trough her room, the petals flying ever so cheerfully around just like on the day of their marriage, but now the view wasn't as bright as it all had seemed to her. Not while she knew that her friend was to leave her again. Yet again.

A/N : Yet another story.. Well, well.. This time it if for Bleach and while still fresh in my mind I'm going to write for it as much as I can as well as I continue that of man and perhaps the try out for Harvest Moon? Perhaps?.. Harvest Moon was meant to be only a one shot, but can continue if enough attention is given, D. Gray man will continue, so don't worry about that. As for this story. This one will continue as well for as long as I like.. Please enjoy and see you around sometimes again, mail me some good fan fictions to read about if there are any.. I love to read about them.

For now I took another approach for this story than I usually do. This time I dig into the past and lead it to the present, wich will be the next chapter to have you all up to date and follow Akaku's struggles and thoughts as well as her feelings instead of kicking it all onto you at once. Pairing here will be Byakuya X OC though it is and will be at first Byakuya X Hisana and perhaps another pairing with the OC if I feel like.. You will find that out in the next chapter... For now, bye!

P.S: Poem at the start of the story is 'Ticking time' written by me. [Wawa / IcecreamOtaku] So do not use it unless asking for permission from me, it really pains me to see people pose the work of others as their own. Just. Don't. Do. It. I hate plagiarism and will not bother to be nice to you if I find you to be doing such a thing.

Byakuya, Hisana and the characters as well as the world of Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo and his co-workers. I'm just a mere fanfic writer who owns Akaku Masa as her very own character and the vague friend at the start called Mahahiro.