Hyouhakuzai: sono Iya Aijin ひょうはくざいそのいやあい
Prologue
痛烈 別れ
Tsuuretsu Wakare
"A single flower petal brushes against my skin.
I don't want to believe our romance was a mistake…"
—Stereo Pony; Hitohira no Hanabira
Bleach Ending 17
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, but I do own any OCs lucky enough to appear. ^-^
Seven years ago…
"Nii-sama, please don't go!"
"I'm sorry, but I don't have a choice! Look, please don't cry, Yuzu…"
"Come along, dear."
"Thanks, Mom, I can't stand to see her cry."
"I know…"
"Ichi-nii, you idiot! Why do you have to go?"
"I told you and Yuzu, Karin, I have no choice! The King…"
"I don't give a damn about the king! I…I j…just want my brother to be safe at home!"
"I don't want to leave either, but the King needs me in this war with…"
"I DON'T CARE!!!"
"K…Karin!"
"I…I…don't want you to d…die, Ichigo…"
"Karin, please! Please stop crying! I need you to be strong and look after Mom, Dad and Yuzu. Be strong, Karin, they need you, and…so do I…"
"Ichi-nii…"
"Shh…I must leave now. Remember, Karin, be strong…be strong…"
"Be strong…" That's what Ichi-nii said before he left. It's been seven years since I last saw him, and I wonder each day if he'll ever come home. Please, nii-san, hurry...
Karin Kurosaki sighed while gazing out the window of her comfortable, medieval home in the village of Karakura Towne. "Damn it," she cursed, anger flaring in her blood. When will this stupid war ever end? She closed the book she was pretending to read and stood up. Man, she needed to play some soccer to relieve her pent-up stress! She quickly walked up the stairs to the bedroom she shared with her twin sister, Yuzu, and started to change into her soccer clothes.
Karin was relieved to get out of the horrid dress her mother made her wear today. Sure, it was simple, but she still always felt the need to wear thin pants underneath so she wouldn't be embarrassed while enjoying her day. After all, it was rather awkward to jump over a fence and flash the whole village. Let's just say she learned that from experience and had to go through a week of wolf-whistles from the local Lotharios. Karin shuddered at the memory and quickly made her way out the door and towards her secret soccer pitch.
When she arrived at the hidden glen outside of town, Karin immediately started kicking around her soccer ball. She relished in the exertion she brought upon herself and soon forgot about the earlier, painful flashback. Soon it began to rain. Karin didn't know why, but she hated the rain. Maybe it's because it happened during the rain.
Water poured from the heavens like crystalline teardrops as eleven year old Karin Kurosaki kicked her worn, leather ball about the yard of a large, yet comfortable, house. Inside, her family sat in the parlor discussing something that the young girl was trying not to think about at the moment.
"I'm telling you to think of your sisters, Ichigo," came a woman's voice.
"I know, Mother, but I can't," responded her desperate son.
"But why, Ichigo, why can't you stay here safe and sound!?"
"I just can't…"
"I'll believe that when you give me a better reason than 'I just can't'!"
"Look, I can't stay because he is telling me to go fight in this damn war!"
"H…him!?"
"Yes, him…"
"No...it…it's not true!"
"Yes, Mother, it is…"
"I…Isshin!"
"I know, Masaki, I know, but there is nothing I can do. What he says goes."
"Oh no…" Karin paused in her dribbling as she heard her mother start sobbing. Rage filled her. Sure, she didn't know who "he" was, but whoever "he" is, "he" was going to pay for hurting her parents and brother! Suddenly, she heard her father call.
"Karin, Yuzu, please come here, we have something urgent to discuss!" Karin sighed; she knew that the news was not good at all. Dread filled her stomach as she entered, dripping, into the parlor. Yep not good; her mother was sobbing, her usually cheerful father was sullen, and her older brother was grave. Silently, they waited for Yuzu to join them.
When her twin finally showed, Karin gulped in nervous anticipation of the bad news. Once Yuzu was seated next to her mother and trying to comfort her, Isshin began to relate Ichigo's information.
"Karin, Yuzu, your brother will be gone for a little while" Isshin started out slowly, trying to word this carefully, "and we don't know when he'll be back."
"Where's Onii-san going?" Yuzu asked worriedly.
"Well he's…"
"He's going to fight in the war," Karin cut in angrily, clenching her teeth.
"What? No!"
"I'm sorry, Yuzu, but I…"
"Nii-sama, please don't go!"
Karin loosed a frustrated, feral scream, and kicked the soccer ball with every ounce of strength she had stored after seven frustrating years of war. However, she missed the ratty old net she was aiming at, and the ball went soaring off into the woods, crashing through the brushwood. A variety of many song birds took flight in terror of the speeding demon as is tore through the brambles. Karin cursed violently. Not only did she miss the net, but she lost the stupid ball too! This really was not her day.
Karin took a deep, calming breath, and took off after her wayward sphere. This was tricky because every single branch was trying to grab at her onyx hair and simple clothing. At least she didn't have to wear a dress in her sanctuary, or she would never get anywhere.
Karin cursed again after about ten minutes of careful searching, but no ball. The rain was really picking up now, pouring buckets in fact, and it was getting dark quickly. What the hell happened to the daylight? It wasn't even noon yet! Aha! Finally, she found the black and white soccer ball at the base of some tree being strangled by thorny vines. She gingerly picked it up from its nest amongst the razor sharp briars, and headed back to the pitch. Karin knew she'd have to go home now because it was too dark and wet to play some more. So much for venting, she realized grumpily as she plodded through the growing muck towards home. What a lousy day, but, little did she realize, this would be her best day for a long, long time.
For as long as anyone can remember, the nation of Hyouhakuzai has been torn asunder. For one hundred years, Seireitei and Hueco Mundo, Hyouhakuzai's two strongest countries, have been at each other's throats. In between these two titans, the peaceful little country of Rukongai is situated. The gentle Humans of this agricultural-based nation would side with neither the vicious Arrancar of Hueco Mundo, nor the proud Shinigami of Seireitei, preferring to merely trade with both. However, these two Leviathans did not want to trade with Rukongai's weak economy. No, they wanted its lush, fertile farmlands for themselves.
The people of Rukongai were given a choice. Either they would join the bloodthirsty barbarians of Hueco Mundo, or they would join the corrupt bureaucracy known as Seireitei. The people decided that they wanted nothing to do with either nation, for they deemed neither as good as the other; they refused to comply with any negotiations/demands. Thus, Seireitei and Hueco Mundo decided that the winner of a war would be the one to get Rukongai, and they've been at a bloody feud ever since. Rukongai has also been split in two, with half being occupied by Seireitei, and the other half by Hueco Mundo. However, the current King of Hueco Mundo, King Barrigan, has been negotiating with the King of Seireitei, King Yamamoto, in order to make an alliance. This alliance is to be formed by the marriage of one of King Yamamoto's thirteen lords to one of King Barrigan's many nobles. Finally, there will be peace in Hyouhakuzai, but at whose cost? What cost?
And so, our story begins…
A/N: Woohoo, first chappie! I know, I should be working on my other stories, but I've been dying to do a Hitsukarin! I hope ya'll enjoy this one, despite it being AU and all. I've had this little baby floating around me noggin for a while so I hope it turns out okay. ^-^ And sorry that this is so darned short, but, hey, it's the prologue!
