When the Plum Blossoms Fall

by Jellisoup

When Byakuya Kuchiki, noble son of the Kuchiki house falls in love with Hisana, a poor girl from the Rukon district, his life is forever changed. Can Byakuya be with Hisana and still keep his family's name? Or will he have to decide between two futures?

1. Prologue

When the Plum Blossoms Fall

Memoirs of Byakuya Kuchiki

Prologue:

The old branch blossoms in the snow,
pink lips on a low brown bough.
I see your face in the whitewashed hall
I remember.

The sunset grew pink as another day ended in the Soul Society. Wandering Souls trudged lightly through the streets of the Rukon district, sending their weary feet home. Shopkeepers packed their unbought wares wistfully into large sacs, swinging the items over their backs and starting on their long journey home. Pans of sizzling food cooked over fires as mothers and children waited patiently for their loved ones to return home for the evening. The air smelled of fried fish and cooking rice, encouraging the workers to return home swiftly. One by one the souls made their way home, embracing in the arms of their families before settling down for dinner and resting their tired bones in bed. The shadows of the buildings in the Rukon District grew longer as the lights of the houses were put out. The moon shone brightly in the midnight sky when all was quiet as the world rested peacefully in bed, dreaming of the events of the new day. Suddenly, a disturbance occurred in the streets of the Rukongai, shattering the peaceful silence. The souls arose, grumbling as they crept over to the windows of their houses and looked out into the black night. The shining white of a silk kimono met their tired eyes as they saw something of most unusual proportions. A Soul Reaper ran through the streets of their city, clad in ghostly white clashing against the dark night. Travelling so far away from the Seretei, in one of the poorest parts of the Soul Society, the young man stood out like a sore thumb. So much, in fact, that every pair of eyes in the district were on him, watching silently as he ran through the empty streets. Every pair of eyes held the same curious expression, bearing the same exasperated question:

What is he doing here?

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