Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.

Test of Time

Prologue

"Oh, Ami, where are you; come out come out wherever you are," a voice called out in a singsong tone.

A little girl, who appeared about six years old, dressed in a light blue sundress, ran out from behind the bushes adorning the side of the wall and dove behind a large rock next to a bed of blooming flowers. A youth who, appeared to be in his late teens, was searching for her but turned away and pretended not to have seen her hide behind the rock. He continued his search, but instead of going toward her, he began searching the very bushes she had just vacated. The little girl, called Ami, giggled, proud that she was able to evade one who was so much older than she, and dashed across the garden to the small grove of flowering trees. Laughing, the boy ran to follow her.

"I saw that, Ami; you can't hide from me forever. I'm going to find you!"

Ami ducked behind the trunk of a cherry tree and waited until her pursuer had passed before dashing off deeper into the grove. The youth, sensing her movements, adjusted his path and followed her slowly, allowing her to gain a large head start. As she ran, Ami looked behind herself but was unable to see anything, and thinking she had lost her seeker, she came to a stop in the clearing. 'Ooooh, they're so pretty.'

When the youth came upon the clearing, he was forced to stop and gaze in wonder by the sheer beauty of the scene in front of him. The little girl, her dress flaring out around her, stood twirling in circles in the center of the clearing; she was reaching up into the air towards the assorted falling petals. He smiled as he listened to her pure and innocent laughter. But as her twirling sped up even more, her legs became unstable, and he ran forward, already able to predict what would happen next. He caught her just as she lost her footing and tumbled backwards. As she lay in his arms, she looked up at him with her shining, black eyes and beamed happily.

"You caught me, Kuya."

"I'll always catch you, Ami," he said tenderly, sitting down cross-legged and laying her in his lap before continuing, "But you should be more careful; this time, you would have fallen on grass, but next time you may not be so lucky. Do you understand me?"

For a second, he thought she was actually thinking on what he had said; she lay there perfectly content in his lap, her eyes, for once, serious as she stared up at the canopy of leaves and blossoms above them. But then, that illusion was completely shattered; she sprang up out of his lap and ran, laughing and giggling the entire way, across the clearing. He watched warily as she halted at the foot of one of the largest and oldest trees in their entire family garden. She stood on the roots and examined them and then its limbs. This quiet contemplation especially put him on edge; his sister was not known for being quiet or contemplative. A second later, his suspicions were realized as she abruptly stretched her arm up as far as it would go and began jumping up and down, as if trying to grab one of the tree limbs. He stood and hurried across the clearing to stop her before she managed to trip and injure herself upon the upraised tree roots. He scooped her up into his arms and held her firmly to prevent her squirming free.

"Ami, Rainflower, what are you doing?"

"Look at the flowers, big brother, aren't they pretty?"

"Yes, they are, but you haven't answered my question. What were you trying to do?"

"I wanted to get a flower, but I'm too little. Will you get it for me," she sighed as she asked.

Everyone that knew her well knew that her small stature was a constant source of annoyance for her. He only smiled.

"Ami, look at me."

As soon as he was sure he had her attention, he continued, "You are certainly not too small to get yourself a flower."

Holding her close, but still allowing her to see, he leapt skillfully into the tree. He went as high as he could without endangering them, and then sat down on the limb with his back against the trunk. He kept his hands securely around Ami's waist as he set her in his lap.

"You see? Now you can reach them ."

She laughed in delight before plucking several blossoms.

"What kind of tree is this, Kuya?"

"It's called a golden raintree."

"It's my favorite tree in the whole garden."

A few minutes passed in relative silence as Ami studied her flowers and her brother became lost in his own thoughts.

"I don't want you to go, Kuya."

He started, almost slipping off the limb. The announcement that he was going to the Academy had been made the night before, and ever since he had been awaiting her reaction, but it still somehow caught him off-guard. Their parents had died when Ami was young, so she was exceptionally attached to him, especially since being nobility resulted in a cold formality between her and other family members. He kept his gaze on the canopy above when he finally spoke.

"I have to, Ami, you know that. It's my duty as the Head of the clan. It won't be so long, only six years at most, and then I'll graduate."

"But then you'll have to fight."

"Yes, I will, but don't you think I can take care of myself?"

"Of course, it's just that I'll miss you."

"You shouldn't; I'll be back, and you know that. Don't waste time missing me; you should concentrate on your studies and training, so that when it's your turn to go, you'll be ready."

By the end, his tone was harsh and demanding. He looked down at her with hard eyes, and she looked up at him with equally hard and determined eyes.

"I promise, I'll be ready."

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