Prologue

*Merry Christmas to all! :D It's the dawning of a new fanfic era! Alright dramatics aside I'm so stoked for this story and I hope you guys are too. So please review and tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Ayame, or Seirin. Just a bunch of OC's, that's all folks.*

(Japan, March 1946)

With the last gentle stroke of her brush the young lady set it down and looked at her three page handiwork. Everything she had every wanted to say to her mother was right there on paper. Only because I'm too cowardly to say it to her face. She thought gloomily.

The sliding doors that led to her room opened and one of the maids, a hardy young lady, brought in a partially packed trunk. The white kimono grabbed lady folded her letter, after making sure the ink was dry, and placed it in an already addressed envelope.

"What else would you like me to pack for you Lady Tsukiume?" The maid asked.

The young Quincy lady stood and strode to the trunk, "It's alright Akiko I can pack the rest myself, thank you though."

The maid was always caught off guard by her younger mistress's kindness to her and the rest of the help. It was a bit of a shame to see someone so kind being married off. She bowed nonetheless and left her presence. Tsukiume may have appeared to be alone but she could feel the presence of another behind her.

She smiled and spoke before turning around, "Your Hirenkyaku may have become much more silent and you've improved on suppressing your reiatsu but I can still tell when you're right behind me Soken."

Said young man could only smile at her as she turned to face him. He had grown quite a bit from being a scrawny teenager to a strapping young man. The bride-to-be had also matured, she was once a frail doll and now a healthy, if not a bit athletic, woman. She was dressed in a beautiful pristine white wedding kimono; the only thing missing was the headwear.

He gently gripped her arms, "Setsuna are you really sure you want to do this? You could easily turn back..."

"And then what? Live an empty and meaningless life? I'd rather be poor and happy then rich and depressed. I want to live with meaning." She slipped her arms around his waist, "I want to live with you."

Soken wrapped his arms around her, "I probably won't be able to give you the...rich lifestyle you deserve. Setsuna, my princess, you deserve all of life's fineries and I don't want to deprive you of any of that."

The noble lady leaned back to look at him, "The truly fine things in life can never be bought with money. Please...stop trying to talk me out of this. I've made up my mind."

"And that's when I really know I'm not going to win this, given how stubborn you are. Very well my princess, then everything has been completed on my end of this plan for now." Her guard said with his positive attitude.

Setsuna strode over to her closet and started picking up stacks of clothing and placing them in the trunk, "Good, one less thing to worry about. Now the really tricky parts come."

While she was packing she didn't notice that the letter she was holding slipped from her hand and into the folds of one of the kimonos. Feeling satisfied that the trunk was packed she shut it and locked it.

Setsuna took a deep breath before looking back at him, "This is the part where we kill Tsukiume Fukumoto."

(Present Day)

The rather loud hum of the jet engines of the airplane made Naoko's ears feel like they were plugged up, it didn't help that she had to keep swallowing to make them pop. Honestly it wasn't this bad the last time she traveled a few months ago. She rubbed her temples with one hand and continued to stare frustrated at the open diary in front of her.

Ever since she had found it Naoko had poured over it as often as she could, absorbing every speck of detail from her grandmother's past. But there were still some minor and annoying major gaps in some of the entries and some were months apart.

Naoko spent most of her free time in the Soul Society interviewing people she thought might have some connection to her family. She repeatedly went to Kyoraku and Ukitake until she was positive she had everything they could offer. Naoko didn't have nearly enough courage to go up to Unohana, so the Quincy princess didn't even try. That smile of hers is scary for a reason...she thought with a slight shudder.

She then tried the Vizards but the only people she briefly got into contact with were Shinji and Hiyori and she's yet to hear anything back from them. Next was the Head Captain but he refused to speak about anything about the subject. I'll have to ask Naomi to needle him for me, she is his granddaughter after all and not many grandfathers can resist when their granddaughters ask them for something.

Uryu had told her to stop running herself ragged and be happy with what information she has. But there were five things Naoko does not handle well: being stuck in small/tight places, being weak or sick, being used and leaving things unfinished. The fifth thing was quite private that she didn't like to disclose, even mentally to herself.

There were gaps in her grandmother's past, in their family's past as a whole even. Naoko knew that those gaps were eating at her brother too. She was going to fill in the blanks, that was her goal. That and survive whatever Hell Himmel Feld tries to throw at them.

"Still pouring over that dingy little book?" The person sitting next to her asked.

Her sapphire blue eyes slide over to Yumichika who was resting his chin in his hand on the armrest. It was the two of them, Uryu and Nemu who'd be spending three months at the most in Germany and perhaps a week or two in Paris. Naoko was glad he came, merely as a friend, and for now, nothing more.

"Yes I am. This little book has the recordings of my grandmother's thoughts, feelings and biggest milestones in her life. This book speaks volumes of her, volumes I never learned just by living with her most my life." Naoko said as she closed the book and leaned back in her seat.

"Diaries and journals can be much more informative then history text books. But like with all books you can only glean so much from a person before having to find another source." Yumichika said sagely.

"You speak as though from experience. Don't tell me you've snooped through other people's personal logs." Naoko said wryly.

Yumichika faked being hurt, "Naoko who do you take me for? Rangiku? Please even I have boundaries and I can honestly say that I've never gone through people's personal items or private lives."

"Which means that he has and he'll probably do it to you too Naoko," Uryu remarked from behind them.

The feathered Reaper turned around to face him, "I do not and I would never! I swear you—"

Before either could escalate into an argument Naoko cut the off, "Don't either of you dare start fighting on me. Can't you two come to some kind of truce, if only temporary?"

Her brother and "friend who is just that and not her boy friend" had been falling into small fits of aggression and arguing with each other. Naoko and Nemu both knew this wasn't just the usual "male dominance" thing going on but rather the "big brother instinct" kicking in for Uryu. That was where a big brother saw any other male who was not a relative making advances, even just harmless friendship, on his little sister.

The two men glared at each other before Yumichika turned around and sat back down. Another testosterone caused incident avoided.

"Aysegawa, I've been meaning to ask but have you or have you not accepted Captain Flynn's proposal?" Nemu asked quietly.

Yumichika sighed and crossed his arms loosely over his chest, "I haven't given him an answer yet. I told him I would tell him what I decide when I come back from this vacation of ours. Frankly I have no idea if I even want this or not."

The Third Division Captain, Stanly Marcus Flynn, had lost his lieutenant Izuru Kira when Kira defected from the Gotei 13 with Momo Hinamori almost three months ago. Naomi Yamamoto had been named the lieutenant of the Fifth Division after it was clear that Hinamori was dead. No one had even found Kira's body so he was either still AWOL or dead.

Later Flynn had asked Yumichika if he wanted to take Kira's place and be the new lieutenant of the Third Division. At first Yumichika had refused but Flynn kept bugging him and pressing him to take it.

"Look the only person I can think of right off the bat that should be a lieutenant is you. You've been a fifth seat for way too long and I know you know your Shikai and all, so you'd be perfect. Before you say anything the only reason I didn't go to your friend Ikkaku first was because I knew he'd turn me down because he's so set on following Zaraki. So please...just think about it." The American russet haired captain had said or rather pleaded.

So Yumichika said he'd think about while in Germany and tell him when he got back. The feathered Reaper was at a loss at what to do. On the one hand he'd be in the Third (his favorite number) Division and a lieutenant. The title did have a nice ring to it and it's not like he's never thought of becoming one. But on the other hand he'd be leaving the Eleventh Division, his home, his friends, and those he sees as his family.

Ikkaku told him to do what would make him happy. It was his life to live and he should live it the way he wants. He said he'd be behind him all the way no matter what he chose. Surprisingly that didn't help Yumichika come any closer to making a decision.

He rubbed the side of his head and sighed. Naoko gently laid her hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry about it too much. You're supposed to be on vacation right now, enjoy yourself."

Because I have the strongest feeling that I won't be able to. She thought quietly.

In four other countries, in four separate cities there were five teens who were about to have their lives changed by a pair of Japanese Quincies.

Looking out her rain splattered window after the light rain shower had passed a pastel orange haired girl smirked to herself. This was going to be a very interesting summer indeed; she could feel it thrumming in her bones and heart. Her cousin sitting behind her felt the same thrum of excitement that came with a challenge.

In the three other cities each young lady there felt the winds of their fates change but whether for better or not was yet to be seen.

*Well...are you guys anxious for more? I did have to do a lot of telling/explaining of things but it was mostly stuff from the previous story for those who haven't read it (shame on you go read it now).

So please review and Happy Holidays!