Byakuya wiped the sweat off his forehead and grabbed the cup of water that he'd set nearby. He drank greedily, letting some of the water splash onto his face to cool it. Training outside like this was harsh sometimes, but it was far more realistic than training in the dojo. Here, a misplaced rock could twist your ankle, or a bird flying past could distract you at a crucial moment.
Byakuya wanted his training to be as realistic as possible; after all, he was the heir to the Kuchiki clan, and before long he would be joining the Shinou Academy and training to be a Shinigami. He figured that if he got the basics of combat down before his entrance, he would be able to concentrate on the more advanced aspects of Shinigami work once he got there. Training like this was long, hard work, but he knew that it would pay off someday.
Turning, he picked his bokken up again and started the sequence over. Swing down, swing up, dodge to the side and sweep in...
An unexpected noise nearby nearly made him lose his footing; he cursed quietly and whipped around to see where it had come from, ready to defend himself at a moment's notice.
He knew he'd heard a nyan from somewhere in the bushes.
Creeping closer, he readied himself to attack. Yoruichi was fast, he knew, but today would be the day he would finally surpass her speed, taking away her title of "Goddess of Flash".
He heard the sound again, and his head swivelled toward the bush it came from. Almost there...
He leapt, shoving the branches out of the way. "Ha! Got you at last, Demon-"
He stopped, startled. Instead of his arch-nemesis, he saw a small black form huddled in the shadows. Curiously, he leaned in closer.
It appeared to be a kitten, thin and hungry, but with bright eyes. Looking up at him, it meowed pitifully.
Byakuya glared at it. "I hope you know, kitten, that I'm not fond of cats. Especially black ones."
It uncurled itself and crept forward, sniffing his foot and then nuzzling it gently with its nose. He sighed.
"Come here, you. You look hungry. How long have you been in our bushes?" He spoke gently to the kitten, crouching down and holding out his hand.
Startled, it turned and darted off into the bushes.
Byakuya watched it go, perplexed. Cats were extremely odd creatures.
xx
Byakuya reminded himself for the fifth time that he really, really didn't like cats. They were vain, selfish creatures who did nothing for anyone but themselves.
So why was he out here when he should have been training, holding out a small saucer of milk and a piece of fish?
Setting the food on the ground by the bushes, he crouched to wait. It didn't take long; less than five minutes later, he saw the leaves shift as the little black kitten slipped toward him, sniffing gently. Spotting the fish, it headed over and began licking it, then ripped off a small piece and chewed it. It considered the food for a moment, then began to eat in earnest.
Once it had hungrily devoured the rest of the fish, it moved over to the saucer, dunking its nose into the milk and then pulling back with a surprised look on its face. It sneezed, and Byakuya smiled.
The kitten began to lap at the milk, splashing it all over its face. Once the milk was gone, it licked the saucer clean, then began to wash its face. Now noticeably rounder, it curled up in the sun and fell asleep.
Byakuya carefully slipped his hands around the kitten and picked it up, cradling it against his chest and carrying it into the house. Blearily, it awoke; finding itself someplace unfamiliar, it reacted instinctively by hissing and smacking his hand with its sharp little claws.
He scowled, sliding the door to his room closed and setting the kitten on the floor. It huddled there, looking terrified. Carefully, he leaned in and started petting it.
It arched its back, then relaxed, closing its eyes. A small rumbly purr came from the little bundle of fur, and it fell back to sleep.
Byakuya smiled. At least it seemed that he had tamed one cat.
xx
Byakuya was feeding the kitten two days later when he felt a familiar presence nearby. Cursing quietly, he scooped the kitten up and set it in its box, then used a quick shun'po to get to the courtyard, one hand on his bokken and the other on his hair-tie.
Sensing movement just behind him, Byakuya dodged out of the way just as a foot flew past his head.
"Bakeneko!" he yelled, turning to face Yoruichi, who was now standing off to his right and giggling. "What are you trying to pull now!"
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, smirking. "Your pretty long hair, that's what."
Byakuya fumed. Why did she insist on tormenting him every chance she got? He knew that she was also heir to a noble family, and it was possible that the elders of their houses would arrange for the two of them to be married someday, especially since they both displayed captain-class reiatsu and abilities. What he couldn't figure out was if Yoruichi continually teased him because she liked him and wanted to marry him, or because she wanted to keep him from liking her in hopes of preventing such an occurence. Girls were weird like that.
Growling, he swiped toward her with his bokken; she dodged easily, laughing at him and making another grab for his hair. He swept his free arm up, trying to grasp her wrist, but she slipped away and flipped over his head, landing behind him and reaching toward his head. He flinched and spun, barely avoiding her, but her gaze had landed on something else.
"What's with the scratches on your hand?" she asked, sounding amused. "Got into a fight with the bushes? Or," she appeared in front of him, smirking, "did you find yourself another little kitty to play with?"
He snarled, feeling heat rise in his cheeks, and she laughed again.
"Awww, and here I thought you hated cats!"
"Shut up!" he said, starting to lose his temper. "He was little and hungry and I couldn't just leave him there!"
Yoruichi was suddenly in his face. "How cute!" she cooed, then leapt backward and sprang onto the fence as he took another swing at her. Waving, she yelled, "I'll leave you alone with your new friend!"
Before Byakuya could come up with a good retort, she was already gone, her laughter fading in the breeze.
Byakuya stormed inside, glaring at anything that moved, and went back to feeding the kitten. It, at least, didn't talk back, laugh at him, or try to pull his hair.
xx
Several days later, Byakuya was in the courtyard again, dangling a piece of string in front of the kitten, who was trying desperately to catch it and chew on it. The string was already slightly damp from several successful attempts.
Suddenly, from behind him, he heard the bushes rustling again. He stilled, concentrating hard, and felt the slight, subtle hum of reiatsu coming from somewhere nearby. It didn't feel like Yoruichi; as far as he could tell, she was still at the Shihouin manor. This presence felt softer, and much weaker.
Scooping up the kitten, he turned to face the bushes. Narrowing his eyes, he slipped over to the wall and crouched down.
He found himself face-to-face with a small, black-haired girl.
Startled, he yelped and fell backward, landing hard on the dirt. The girl's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth.
"I'm so sorry!" she whispered. "I didn't mean to intrude, I'll go now." She turned, seeming slightly panicked, and made to run away; he noticed now that there was a gap in the wall, just large enough for a small person to slip through. And, he supposed, plenty large for a kitten to fit into.
Byakuya lunged forward and grabbed one slender wrist, cradling the kitten with the other. "Wait!" he hissed. "What are you doing here?"
She turned to look at him, frightened. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I was just looking for-Tamae!" She reached for the kitten unthinkingly, then withdrew her hand, looking uncertain.
Byakuya stared at her for a moment. She seemed older than his first impression of her had implied; she might be nearly his own age. Her hair was shoulder-length, curling outward at the ends, and her eyes were large, deep blue-almost purple-and frightened. Her yukata was rough and worn, and she was barefoot and dirty. Still, he couldn't deny that she had a special quality about her, something that made him curious to find out more.
Slowly, he shifted his grip on the kitten and held it out to her. "Tamae?"
She blushed, reaching out hesitantly as if afraid he would suddenly snatch the kitten away again. "It's because he always curls up into a little ball," she said softly. "When I lost him, I was so afraid I'd never see him again." She looked up at him. "Thank you so much for taking care of him!"
He nodded mutely, entranced by her gentle voice; it was nothing like Yoruichi's brash, loud tones. Everything about her seemed softened, as if she were a painting in charcoal or watercolour. It felt like she could fade away at any moment.
She stared at him for a few seconds longer, then slipped her hand out of his loose grasp. "I should go now," she whispered, turning to slip back under the bush.
"Wait!" he said again. She turned back toward him, looking worried.
He couldn't think of what to say for a moment, so he settled on something simple. "What's your name?"
She smiled for a moment, dazzlingly. "Hisana," she said, then slipped back through the wall and out of sight.
"Hisana," he said to himself. It was a beautiful name.
Feeling slightly lost, he turned and headed back into the manor; grabbing a bowl of rice and some fish, he headed back outside and placed them into the niche.
After all, he thought, it had worked for the kitten. And since Yoruichi was a girl, and also a cat, it might just work for this Hisana as well.
A boy could hope, at least.
xx
I had way too much fun with little Byakuya. I'm still not sure I characterized him properly, but it was the best I could do with the limited information we have.
Hope you enjoyed it.
Translations:
Shinou Academy: Spirit Technique Academy, where shinigami train
bokken: wooden sword
nyan: meow
shun'po: flash step
bakeneko: monster cat, demon cat; Byakuya's nickname for Yoruichi
reiatsu: spiritual pressure
Tamae: ball
yukata: short kimono-like garment, usually cotton, for everyday summer wear