Silver and Gold: Past to Future

A Bleach fanfiction

By Lycanwolff

Authors Note: Ok! So this is my first time posting in a different fandom, other than ME so um... Be nice? Maybe? Besides that, this is pretty AU-ish so just enjoy it for what it is. I did enjoy writing it ^_^. So um... Yeah... Enjoy! Also, to square up the timeline, up until the time skip, Byakuya still wears his scarf, kenseikan and regular captain's coat. After that, it's the custom haori with the silver hair piece. Sorry if it got confusing!

Part 1

Chapter 1

The sun was high, shining brightly against the purest of blue that was painted with sweeping strokes of white. The air rustled with a gentle breeze that was not unlike the softest of whispers, spreading the aroma of freshly bloomed cherry blossoms that filled the large garden.

It was this breeze that delicately tore the pink petals from their places, swirling them in dances through the air until they touched down without a single sound on top of the long pond that teamed, or at least had been, with the giant koi that had been apart of the Kuchiki family for eons.

In the young afternoon and modest heat, content with tea and a small plate of crackers, the 28th head of that very family sat at a small table with a book in hand. His jet black hair, as dark as a moonless sky, hung softly around his neck and shoulders, with several locks gently fluttering over the left side of his expressionless, yet handsome face. His silver eyes traced over each page of his book as he lifted his cup to take a sip of tea, having been a gift from his fellow captain, Jūshirō Ukitake, for his last birthday only a few months prior. Though he would never admit it out loud, he praised the Captain's infallible ability to always have the best of teas.

He turned the page and began to read, taking another modest sip of the hot brew and allowing it a moment to rest on his tongue, if at all to savor the subtle white flower flavor. He released the flood gates to let the liquid slide down his throat, the aftertaste being subtly sweet, but not so much so as to invoke his distaste for sweet things. It was a rather pleasant sensation that did not overstay its welcome.

The moment the aftertaste had taken its leave, he went to take another sip, but as the porcelain cup touched his stoic lips, the entire estate of the Kuchiki manor rumbled and shook violently. The jarring only lasted for a moment before beginning its echo through the entirety of the Seireitei, no doubt drawing attention.

The tea, as well as its vessel, clattered to the floor, spilling over the white captain's haori, and his book, to burn for the barest of moments against his hand that had been in the way as it fell. He stood and brushed off what he could from his clothes, but to no avail, as the liquid had molded into the cloth as nearly as soon as it had touched it. The man sighed and began to wonder what in all of Soul Society could cause such a ruckus and he had two theories; Renji Abarai, or Ichigo Kurosaki.

But when he opened the elegant sliding doors of his chosen room, both of his explanations had fallen flat. Despite the sun, which was clearly still visible in the blue embrace of the sky, it appeared to be raining.

His face remained unreadable as he studied the sight of the water falling down over the gardens, and it was then that he realized where the water had come from, as it was not the sky that had born the rain, but his prized koi pond that did.

As he stepped out into the garden, not caring about the water sprinkling over his clothes, which was the last remains of the unholy splash, he took in the sight of his pond being nearly entirely emptied of the water that had been so beautifully dancing only a moment before. The garden was littered with small koi, flopping and flailing to be returned to their watery heaven and it was then that he breathed a silent thank you to the small, pink haired thief whom had grown an addiction to stealing his more prized fish to place them in the lake at the Ugendo.

With another sigh, he closed his eyes and used the time to bring the building frustration back under his control. For someone on the outside looking in, he was simply standing there in the middle of his garden, enjoying the Spring air, but there was one, singular clue that betrayed the stoic, aristocratic stance of Lord Byakuya Kuchiki. It was his tightly clenched fists that hung at his sides and shook from the sheer amount of strength he was using to make them.

"Lord Byakuya! My Lord! Are you all right?" An older man exclaimed as he ran as best he could across the gardens, dressed in gray robes that trailed over the ground that indicated the man was Byakuya's attendant.

At the calling of his name and title, Byakuya opened his eyes and looked at the approaching man out of the corner of his eye, "I'm fine." He said simply, releasing the tightness of his clenched fists.

"What happened, My Lord?" The man gasped with aged eyes scanning the young head of the clan for any sign of injury, only to see none.

Without a word, Byakuya simply stepped forward to the edge of the pond and peered down at what remained. Only the last few inches of water had returned to the bottom, not nearly enough to spare any of the koi from a slow, suffocating death. However, it wasn't the ailing plight of the fish that caused the lord to express moderate shock, but rather the unconscious woman laying propped against the pond's liner, adorned with patchwork and tattered rags that caught his breath in his elegant throat.

"Retrieve Captain Unohana immediately." He ordered calmly and in his deep voice.

Byakuya jumped down into the pond with a shallow splash that soaked through his white socks in the same instant. He crouched down by the woman's side with eyes scanning her for any injuries. There was a smeared trail of blood that had been partially washed away by the water that stemmed from a gash in her forehead. The cut was deep, tattered as if made by claws instead of a sword, and indeed, he had seen enough of these wounds to know that it had been caused by a Hollow.

His eyes narrowed for the briefest of moments as he reached for her, intent on at least hoisting her from the confines of his ruined pond. But the second, the very moment his fingertips grazed over her partially exposed shoulder, his breath was forced back into his lungs with malicious intent.

The massive amount of spiritual pressure that boomed from her was enough to cause the captain to begin to choke with the inability to breathe. His chest crushed from the weight, spasmed out of his control as he was forced down onto shaking hands and knees, gasping, choking and coughing. The sheer weight of it was enough to feel as if he had every single Shinigami standing on his back, stacked high to the heavens with the goal of crushing him alive.

Byakuya forced his eyes open to see the lavender aura that raged out of control from the unconscious woman and he knew then, that the sudden crush of spiritual pressure was a result of an unconscious desire to protect herself. He forced himself to move, still coughing, still choking, to reach forward and place his full hand against her shoulder where he unleashed his own torrent of spiritual pressure simply to hold hers back.

In an instant, relief from the weight showered over him, releasing its hold so he could breathe. The amount of time that this reprieve would bring was unknown, so without hesitation, he hoisted the woman into his arms and lifted her from the pond to place her on the dampened grass. He removed his captain's haori and placed it over her in an attempt to keep her warm, and the action seemed to calm the tsunami of spiritual pressure that had simply reacted out of desire to protect her from the unknown.

His chest heaved with breaths as if he had just finished with training that had lasted for days. His whole body ached, his head whirled, but despite that, he regained his stoic composure and brought his spiritual pressure back under control once the woman's had calmed to a tolerable degree. It was then that his attendant and Captain Retsu Unohana arrived.

"Captain Kuchiki? Are you all right?" She asked in her soothing voice as she hurried over and crouched down at his side.

"It is not I you must concern yourself with. It is her." Byakuya answered, the only evidence of his plight being that of his mild panting.

Captain Unohana, concern clear in her dark blue eyes, shifted her gaze to the woman at their feet with ebony hair that stretched down to her lower back.

"Who is she, Captain? Where did she come from?" Captain Unohana asked as she reached for the woman, only to be stopped when Byakuya quickly grabbed her wrists.

"I would not recommend that, Captain. This woman's spiritual pressure is enough to crush even me." Byakuya warned calmly.

"What? That can't be right. If that's the case, Captain, how do you suggest we transport her to the Squad 4 medical facility?" She asked, taking back her hands from his forced grasp.

"I will do it. Her pressure calmed once I covered her in my haori. Perhaps there is an unconscious understanding that I will not hurt her unless given reason." Byakuya said evenly as he slipped his arms beneath her with no violent reaction from the woman, proving his theory to be correct.

Captain Unohana began to lead the captain of the 6th division with his carried cargo towards her medical facility that was Squad 4. The woman's hair trailed towards the ground, swishing back and forth with each step in wet strands that had twisted into thick dreads from built up filth. Her pale white skin was scuffed with scratches and bruises from what he guessed was long hard days in one of the many, less than safe districts that were scattered throughout Soul Society. She was surely no child, evident in her moderately developed figure, but she had no muscle definition, no proof that she was strong, let alone healthy and he attributed this to that it had been hard for her to find something to eat.

They arrived at the Squad 4 medical facility where Captain Unohana guided him to an empty room where he could place the woman in the bed that rested against the wall, beneath the large window. He placed her down once Captain Unohana had pulled back the blankets, and he couldn't help but notice how gaunt her cheeks were and just how emaciated she appeared.

"She looks so frail." Captain Unohana said quietly as she removed the haori and handed it back to its rightful owner.

"I would agree. My guess is that she hails from one of the outer districts. How she came to crash land in my pond however, is a mystery." Byakuya said, letting the haori drape lazily over a forearm instead of putting it back on.

"Perhaps it is an answer you will be rewarded with once she wakes." She said softly, gently tucking the woman in whose spiritual pressure had yet to violently reawaken from the care.

"Perhaps." Was all Byakuya said before turning to leave.

As he left the room and shut the door with the quietest of wooden thunks, he was content to simply walk in silence back to his estate to begin the long process of restoring his koi pond back to its former glory. But as he walked, his still damp feet scuffing against the smooth and polished wood of the medical facility, his lieutenant came running down the hallway at a full and rather terrifying sprint.

"Captain! Captain! I just came from your estate! What the hell happened there? It looks like you got in a fight again with Captain Zaraki?" Boomed Renji Abarai, his cascade of bright red hair swishing back and forth as he ran.

"If it had been a mere spat with that barbarian, than I am sure my estate in its entirety would be leveled." Byakuya said with no reaction to the thought as the taller, red-headed and hot-headed male came to walk by his side.

"I'd pay to see that." Renji grinned.

Byakuya simply huffed, but made no attempt to entertain the lieutenant.

"Did you feel that spiritual pressure? It was... It was immense!" Renji continued, his voice far too loud for the confines of the hospital.

"This is a medical facility, Lieutenant Abarai. I recommend you keep your voice in check." Byakuya said with a sidelong, irritated glance at the man.

"Oh... Sorry, Captain." He rubbed the back of his tattooed neck.

"To answer your question. Yes, I felt it." Byakuya added.

"What was that?"

With a heavy sigh, Byakuya stopped his walk down the hallway and turned to face the taller lieutenant.

"Your task is to go to each captain and have them meet at Head-Captain Yamamoto's office immediately. There is a matter we must discuss. As soon as more answers become available, I will forward them to you should it be required that you know." Byakuya said with an air of officialism that made Renji stand up straighter than normal on his 6'2 frame.

"Yes, Captain!"

With no other words passed between them, Renji simply vanished, having flash stepped off to carry out his given order. Byakuya was grateful for the newfound silence as he resumed his walk to leave the hospital, still holding the stained captain's haori over his arm. Blood from the woman's wounds had trickled onto its white fabric, blotting the edges of the gold trimmed hem with bright red that he knew would take some effort in order to remove.

It wasn't just the haori that needed a cleaning however, as his black shihakushō was now scented with the dried aroma of what remained of his tea. He knew before meeting with the Head-Captain, that a change of clothes was in order, as no Kuchiki was going to attend a meeting looking disheveled.