Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or any of the Bleach characters used in this fic. They all belong to Tite Kubo: the genius behind the captivating manga that started it all. I only own any of my original characters that I choose to include, as well as any of my own original plot ideas.
Feather Trail
Prompt: Tablet...
A/N: Written for a friendly challenge between myself and St. Harridan.
He'd never liked kids.
Noisy little bastards, the lot of them. Always wandering about in the streets, pleading for food and money every chance they had. He'd been there once, but had hated every moment of it. From the time he'd found himself alone, Kenpachi had worked to perfect himself, choosing to go off hunting rather than begging like a dirty little street rat.
Upon arriving in a new place, the first thing he did, when hounded, was scare the living tar out of the feculent little maggots. They would scream and run in every direction, sometimes slamming into each other amidst the fear and confusion. That was always good for a laugh. But in this dusty town, there was one child, a scrawny little brat with lavender eyes, who just stared at him. He'd tried several times to shake the boy, but he just stood there in silence.
Only once had he managed to get the kid to run, but the brat had looked back once covered in the distant bushes.
Having forgotten all about the pest, Kenpachi found himself on the prowl, seeking out his meal for the evening. Storming through the underbrush was a surefire way to frighten off any potential prey items, but he was quick enough to find and catch something if it chose to run. He glanced down, a slew of colored feathers at his feet. They were nothing short of fantastic, glimmering like gold in the warm light of dusk. He peered through the shrubbery, spying a colored trail on the ground.
A molting bird wouldn't do much to fill him, but it would have to do.
He slipped further into the woods as the sun continued to sink, soon forcing him to rely upon sound alone. Pushing through a thick mass of woven branches, he spotted a faint light in the distance, probably a campfire of some sort. He drew closer, peering through the veil of green, setting his eyes upon the very same boy who'd practically clung to him since his arrival. The child was crouched beside a gentle flame and a shallow hole in the dirt, fingers of one hand sliding gently through a moist tablet that he'd likely made with spit and mud.
From the looks of things, it was a memorial of some sort. He didn't really give a damn, but he was intrigued. Sitting in silence, he watched the boy as he finished and stood, right arm held tightly to his chest. The man's eyes widened as the boy stretched out his hand, uncurling his fingers so as to allow a slew of bright feathers to fall upon the tablet, sticking to it. He rolled his eyes, irritated that he'd followed a trail left by some snot-nosed brat.
He turned, muttering to himself as the boy's fire died out. He'd likely spend the rest of the night hunting something down.
I imagine it would be interesting if Kenpachi and Yumichika had met somewhere else first.
