3-24-07
A/N: Hello! I am here once again to start a new story! This time I'm using my creativity skills to write about…you may have guessed it, the Shiba family! Yes, this story is all about Kaien, Kukaku, and Ganju Shiba before they met Ichigo Kurosaki.
I don't know when I'll be able to post the next chapter, as I am in stage crew and must stay after school till late at night for musical practice. Hopefully this will tide you over until I am able to update! Thank you for your time, now on to the story! Read & Review, please!
Swirl Descent
Chapter One: Start to the Finish"Kaien."
"Kaien, you have to wake up."
"Kaien…"
A powerful smack met Kaien Shiba's face as his father woke him up.
"What the hell dad!" Kaien screamed as he rubbed the side of his face while sitting up in his bed.
Nobu Shiba beamed down at his son. His short graying hair matched Kaien's and his warm dark brown eyes sparkled with joy. Kaien simply glared death at his old man.
"I just felt like waking you up before I go off to work!" He smiled again. Kaien's eyes dilated.
"What the hell!" Kaien jumped at his father and attempted to punch him. Nobu smiled and dodged every failing attempt to knock him senseless.
"Now, now Kaien, you should get used to waking up so early now, it's almost time for you to leave regular school and go into the official shinigami academy!"
Kaien stopped suddenly. He glared at his father then passed him on his way to the kitchen.
As he entered the large dining area he noticed his mother cooking breakfast. Tears of joy ran down his face. His mother's cooking was the best in all of Seireitei!
Shizuka Shiba looked over her shoulder to see her oldest son drooling. She flipped her long black hair over her shoulder, as she looked him over with sea-green eyes that matched his. She batted the infamous eyelashes that every Shiba in their household possessed.
"Did your father wake you up early, Kaien?" His mother asked carefully. He snapped out of his drooling faze and looked over at her.
"Yeah. Next time, tell him I'll kill him if he ever does that again!" He angrily stated as he sat himself down to wait for breakfast.
"He'll probably do it every day when you start going to the shinigami academy." She hummed a tune. He rolled his eyes as she planted a full plate of food before him. He said a word of thanks and then immediately stuffed his face full of food.
"Geez, Kaien, don't take your time."
Kaien stopped eating to look over at his little sister. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with both of her tiny hands.
"Hurry up, or there won't be any food left Ganju!" Kukaku yelled back down the hallway to their bedrooms. The young boy desperately ran down the hallway gasping for air. He arrived and ran to his mother's side, anxiously pulling on his mother's skirt. Shizuka plucked the tiny boy off the ground and hugged him in her dainty arms.
"Stop being a momma's boy, Ganju!" Kukaku said as she sat herself down next to her older brother. She too dug into the amazing pile of food for breakfast just like how her brother had done.
Their mother set Ganju back on his feet as she turned to the two.
"I almost forgot! You two need to take care of yourselves today! Your father and I are going to go out to Rukongai today."
"What for?" Kaien asked curiously.
"We're looking for a great spot to have a family vacation!" She smiled as the three children cheered with excitement.
Nobu entered the kitchen and noted his children celebrating.
"You told them the news already?" He asked with a half-smile and kissed his wife on the cheek.
"Yes, now we can go!" She smiled also.
"You three be good while we're gone! I'll have our maid Tokio look after Ganju. Kaien, Kukaku, don't get into trouble!" Their father ordered as he and their mother left the house early that morning.
The three children sat in silence.
"Yeah! No parents! Ganju! We can do whatever we want!" Kukaku screamed like a child as she swung her poor little brother around by the arms.
"Kukaku, you heard dad. Just don't get into trouble." Kaien restated as he rose from his seat.
"Where are you going?" Ganju spoke with a finger to his lips in wonder.
Kaien smiled and ruffled Ganju's hair.
"I'm going to go hang out with a few friends, you be good to Tokio, y'hear?" Kaien changed his clothes and left the house.
Kukaku turned to her little brother.
"Want me to tell you a story until Tokio gets here?" She asked. Ganju clapped his hands together excitedly.
"Okay! How about the one with the fireworks in it! Or what about the dragons?" She asked with a sparkle in her eye. Those had been her favorite stories as a child. Ganju shook his head with a sick look on his face.
"I want to hear the one about the Shiba's!" He stated. Kukaku rolled her eyes.
"But I tell that one to you all the time!" She groaned. Ganju stood his ground and she let a sigh escape her lips.
"Fine! Dad told this story to me, and dad knows everything so this story is 100 true! Once upon the time, about eleventy hundred years or so, there once was a noble clan called the Shiba!"
"Yay, Shiba!" Ganju yelled.
"The Shiba were a great and mighty noble clan of Seireitei. They protected the city from intruders day and night and were the most courageous of fighters! Unfortunately, the Shiba were so brave that they got into too many fights, and the clan started dying off of members. Eventually, all that remained of the Shiba clan was us! But that's okay, 'cuz one day, all of us will get married and the Shiba clan will revive with us, our children, and our children's children!"
"Hurray!" Ganju clapped as the story ended. Kukaku smiled and patted Ganju's head with her hand. She listened to the footsteps of their maid entering the house and then smiled.
"That's all for today, Ganju! I'm gonna go head off to play with Yoruichi and Byaku-bo! Catch ya later!" Kukaku waved goodbye as she left also.
Ganju stared at his sister's disappearing form. Suddenly an older woman picked him up. It was Tokio, the Shiba houses' only maid.
"Ready for a bath, Ganju?" She asked with a smile.
"Nooooooo!!!!" Ganju's screams went unnoticed as Tokio led him along with a firm grip.
Away from the house was Kukaku. She was hanging out with her best friends from the other noble houses. They were Yoruichi Shihouen and Byakuya Kuchiki. The three were known as the pranksters of soul society, but Byakuya was usually the one to get them out of trouble.
Kaien, on the other hand, was out training with a bokuto. He was anxiously awaiting the day he would be accepted into the academy. He could've entered sooner, but his parents wanted him to wait until he was mature enough.
Several hours later, Kaien and Kukaku returned home, greeted by Ganju standing at the front of their small estate, compared to all the other noble houses that is. Tokio was allowed to leave by Kaien's permission and he strolled on into the house. Their parents had not returned home yet and all their tummies were growling so Kaien forced himself to make supper.
As the three finished eating their meal a sharp loud knock came at the front door.
Kaien stood, followed by his siblings, and walked over to the front of their house. He slid the door open and saw a kneeling messenger with several shinigami. He looked at their faces. All of them looked grim.
"May I help you?" Kaien spoke outright.
The messenger looked up into Kaien's face with anticipation and stood to read the message held in his hands.
"From Captain Yamamoto Genryusai of 1st Company. We regret to inform the noble house of Shiba that, approximately three hours ago, Nobu and Shizuka Shiba were killed in the line of duty whilst patrolling in the Rukon district by a fiendish hollow attack. Our deepest sympathy goes out to the loved ones' family."
The messenger stood and left promptly while the colleagues of Kaien's father bowed with their apologies as well.
Kukaku let out a high-pitched scream. In an almost inhuman way she latched onto Kaien's waist with both arms and held him tightly. Ganju also started wailing as he grabbed his brother's leg. Kaien fell to his knees and the three siblings held each other in their sorrow.
"Why? Why?" Kukaku sniffed as she kept chanting the question that no one could answer.
"Mommy! Mommy, where are you?" Ganju screamed. His lungs were ready to give out.
"No…" Kaien moaned as hot tears fell down his cheeks. This was the worst thing that could've possibly happened.
"Kaien." One of his father's friends called his name. He held out his father's zanpakuto. Kaien reached out to grab it whilst sniffing. He held it close to his heart. It was his father's prized possession and his last memento.
All the noble houses had been informed. Yoruichi and Byakuya, along with both their families' immediately rushed over to the Shiba estate.
"Kukaku?" Yoruichi quietly spoke as she ran up the steps to comfort her best friend. Byakuya followed and let Ganju sob into his noble robes.
Byakuya's father walked up the stairs and placed a comforting hand on Kaien's unsteady shoulder.
"We will cover the costs for the funeral, Kaien. I am truly sorry for your loss." The old Kuchiki head spoke as he then released his hold on Kaien and took his son away back to their home.
"Don't worry, Kukaku! I'll do something! You can't live like this anymore, that's for sure!" Yoruichi said as she comforted her friend. Kukaku nodded and gulped as she tried to wipe away her tears. She croaked out a goodbye as she watched her friend leave.
The crowd died away and still the remaining Shiba's stood still upon their front porch.
"Kaien? What do we do now?" Kukaku spoke out all of a sudden. Ganju had fallen asleep from wearing himself out with all the crying. Kaien held him in his lap.
"I don't know, Kukaku."
"What are we going to do without mom…or dad?" Kukaku spoke as her eyes welled up with more tears. She sniffed and started to sob into her knees once again while hugging herself.
"I don't know." Kaien spoke wearily. All he knew was that things would be changing rapidly around them now.
The funeral was held the next day. As promised, the Kuchiki family had paid for all the expenses. Kaien, Kukaku, and Ganju did not say one word that day. Their parent's bodies were buried closed casket, because of the horrible wounds inflicted upon them. Every person paid their respects and then left.
Tokio regrettably announced to the children that she could no longer work for them any more. She needed the money, and the Shiba children had no way to pay her without any income now. Kaien could not join the academy and expect to be able to earn any money. Kukaku was not even in her teenage years, and Ganju needed looking after as well.
One week later, the whole Shiba family was to appear before one of the captain's. It was their father's captain in the 13th division, Ukitake Jyuushiro. The blonde haired man smiled sadly at the three as they walked into his large office.
"I am sorry for your loss, children. But we must all lose something in our lives. Unfortunately for you, it was your parents. I am sorry to inform you that there is more bad news to bestow upon you."
Kaien looked up. The captain stared into his eyes. Nothing could faze these children any more than their parents' death.
"The Shiba clan is from this day forward no longer one of the noble houses of Seireitei. You children are now no longer nobility and must return to Rukongai."
"What!?" Kukaku stood angrily. Kaien looked angry as well, but he held a hand around Ganju as the boy started to cry.
"What is the meaning of this? Can't we stay with another family? We've already had offers from both the Shihouen's and the Kuchiki's!" Kaien shouted. Ukitake stared down at the boy with a cold look in his eyes.
"I'm afraid it was a Central 46 Chamber room decision. If you want to have it repealed, then you'll have to have a lot of money to take it up with the court."
Kaien knew that no one dared defy the Chamber of 46's rulings. He bit his lip in anger and drew blood.
"Thank you." Kaien bowed and Kukaku looked shocked as she watched her brother be submissive.
"But Kaien-" She started.
"Shut up, Kukaku." Kaien shouted down at her. She looked frightened and started to cry silent tears.
"We'll leave as soon as possible." Kaien bowed again.
"You are permitted to take any belongings you can carry." Ukitake mentioned for the family's own sake. Kaien nodded and set off holding both his siblings' hands.
The family stood before their house hours later. Each carried a small pack of food, along with Ganju's teddy bear. Kaien held his father's zanpakuto and then turned around to march off toward the west gate.
A random shinigami had the gate gigantic gate lifted and Kaien started off marching toward his new home in west Rukongai.
"Kukaku!" A high voice cried. Kukaku turned and was suddenly hugged by Yoruichi. Her friend held her tightly in her slender arms. Tears slid down her face and Kukaku started to cry too.
"I begged for you to stay!" Yoruichi admitted.
"I know you would have." Kukaku sniffed.
"I don't want you to go!" Yoruichi cried.
"I don't want to go either!" Kukaku cried as well.
The two sobbed on the other's shoulders. As the tears subsided they parted holding each other's hands. The two knew that they would probably not be able to see each other for a very long time.
Suddenly, Yoruichi held out a silver bracelet with the Shihouen symbol on it.
"I want you to keep it. To remember me bye."
"I'll keep it forever!" Kukaku cried as she hugged her best friend one last time.
As the gate closed behind them, Kukaku looked back to see Yoruichi waving her arms.
"I promise to see you again!" She heard the cry of her friend.
"Me too."
"Come on, Kukaku. We have a long way ahead of us." Kaien called back over his shoulder.
Kukaku ran to catch up to her brothers'.
The sun dimmed as night overtook the banished noble family. A new life would await them in the coming days.
A/N: Well, that's all for the first chapter! Love it, hate it? Then review! Thanks for reading! I'll post the next chapter after I'm done with all this stage crew work! I promise! Until next time!
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