100situations Prompt 38 – Flame
Title: Flame
Fandom: Bleach
Table: Four
Prompt: 38 - Flame
Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters belong to Kubo Tite, not me.
A/N: I'm looking for a beta to beta future Bleach fics! Drop me a review or a message if you're interested :)
His father had always told him that when he met the woman he truly loved, he should light a flame on the Kuchiki mantle.
Byakuya, as a child, had always awoken and saw the flame on the mantle lovingly lit by his father, and maintained by his father, for all of these years. It danced in the sunlight, battling the rays for brightness. It crackled at night, hissing and spitting on the candle it was eternally lit on.
But the flame never, ever, went out.
It stayed like this for 300 years; every single day, the flame was there.
And then, Byakuya's mother died.
Byakuya had seen his mother fall ill. His father had rushed to her side, but nothing could be done.
Slowly and painfully, Byakuya waited outside his mother's room, his eyes riveted on the flame.
At midnight, in a soft breeze, Byakuya saw the flame extinguished.
And that was when Byakuya knew his mother was dead.
After the death of Byakuya's father, Byakuya took up the role as the 28th head of the noble house of Kuchiki. He was well trained for the role, he was sure, but Byakuya wondered if he would ever be able to light a flame on the mantle where his father had once placed a flame.
Senbonzakura told him he was being foolish to search for a woman to love when he could be training, battling, and getting stronger.
This was the only time when Byakuya ever ignored Senbonzakura's words.
And then, one day, Hisana came into his life.
Hisana, with her large violet eyes that laughed so easily.
Hisana, whose carefree expression differed so greatly from Byakuya's.
Hisana, who captivated Byakuya.
Byakuya's proposal had to be, perhaps, one of the most harrowing experiences he had ever endured.
But when Hisana smiled through her tears of joy and accepted, Byakuya let out a sigh of relief.
He went home that night, with Hisana, and lit a flame on the mantle.
Time passed so quickly.
It seemed like one day Hisana was there, laughing at the slightest things, scolding Byakuya, and talking to him. Her soft voice always comforted him.
It had seemed like only a breath had passed since he had last held her tight, his arms around her small body, hers pressed against him. It had seemed like only a breath had passed since Byakuya had thought he could stay like this, with Hisana, forever.
And then, in one final breath, Hisana died.
Byakuya watched in silent pain as the flame he had lit on the mantle, for Hisana, went out.
When Rukia came into the Kuchiki household, Byakuya's first thought was that she looked nothing like Hisana. She didn't even act like Hisana.
But then, after Aizen's rebellion, after Byakuya took the wound from Ichimaru, he realized that Rukia was so much like Hisana in all the little ways Byakuya overlooked.
How Rukia's brow furrowed just so when she concentrated, just like Hisana's.
How Rukia's smile was so wide and so eager, just like Hisana's.
And how Rukia's hand, lithe and petite, reminded Byakuya of all those times when he had grasped Hisana's hand.
Byakuya stood in front of the Kuchiki mantle, his head bowed. The Kuchiki mantle was once again devoid of a flame.
But Byakuya was going to change that.
He set a new candle onto the mantle, and lit a flame.
"For you, Hisana…and how you live on each day in…
…Rukia."
-fin-
A/N: I rather liked how that came out, although the opinions of the general populace would be nice too :D Review!