(A/N: I keep telling myself I need to stop starting new stories or I'll never finish the others...but this one wouldn't get out of my head, so I had to write it down. ^^' The inspiration came from an rp I did with a friend. :3 I'm not completely certain on pairings yet, but even though I adore the female oc with Byakuya, after you guys read about Byakuya's interactions with the male oc, you'll probably want me to have the two of them end up together instead, lol! xD
I also decided to try something different and used a lot of Japanese terms since with Bleach, it seems like they fit better with the setting. Kind of like with Naruto. But if its too confusing or you want me to put what certain terms mean at the end of the chapter, just let me know. I only hope I used most of them correctly. ^_^')
A young teen who looked to be around the age of thirteen or perhaps fourteen, stood tossing a dagger up and down in his hand. His large grey orbs held a look of mischief within them, a small smirk on his pale features as he observed the brown haired teen, who looked to be close to his age, before him.
"Ano, Byakuya…Just what are you planning to do with that kunai knife…?"
"I told you to be quiet and still, Ren. I need to concentrate," Byakuya replied back curtly, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the shiny red apple that set a top the boy's head.
Before Ren could say anything else, a rather feminine "eep!" left his parted lips when the kunai was suddenly flung at him.
"Perfect shot," young Byakuya commented smugly as his weapon had pierced straight through the fruits middle. He didn't even seem troubled that his companion had lost all his color while tears were streaming down his face.
"T-teme!" Ren managed to shriek out despite his shaken up nerves, his finger pointed accusingly at the black haired male. "How dare you use me for target practice!"
"What else are you good for besides target practice." Byakuya stated more than asked, an indifferent look on his face.
Ren's still maturing form shook from anger, and he picked up a wooden practice sword that lay nearby.
"I'll show you who's only good for target practice!" the brown eyed male growled out, rushing forward.
Byakuya merely rolled his eyes, swiftly picking up his own wooden sword and stopping Ren's frontal assault.
"You'll never land a hit on your opponent if you attack in such a brash way," Byakuya warned, easily blocking each of Ren's aggressive strikes.
He sighed when the wavy haired teen continued to attack in the same manner, completely ignoring him. Stepping in a rather lazy manner to the side, Byakuya extended out his leg which caused Ren to yelp as he ended up tripping and falling flat on his face.
"T-that was a dirty trick, Byakuya!" Ren whined, tears once again in his eyes.
"Anything goes in a fight, baka. You'd do well to remember that before you get yourself killed."
The sound of a gentle laugh caused both Ren and Byakuya to turn where their focus landed on a pretty woman, who looked to be in her early thirties, standing near the door that led into the garden where the two boys currently were.
"Are you children still training? You've been at it for nearly three hours," she mused, bouncing the small girl she held in her arms and making her giggle.
"And Ren is still helpless even after all that training," Byakuya voiced with a smirk. Though he smiled when the toddler waved at him, giving her a small wave back.
"Urusai! Don't insult me in front of my own mother!" Ren huffed, trying to kick his smug friend who merely used shunpo to get away from him. Hearing his little sister laughing, Ren pouted and ran up to her. "Misaki! You shouldn't laugh at mean old Byakuya tormenting your Onii-chan!"
Misaki merely blinked her light brown eyes, smiling as she reached out to pat her brothers head. "Funny!"
"Heh! Even your own sister thinks you're a complete buffoon." Byakuya snorted out, while tapping his sword on his shoulder.
Fire was literally in Ren's eyes as he jerked his neck around so fast, amazingly not giving himself whiplash, to glower at Byakuya. Before he could charge at the grey eyed male, he felt a hand grab his wooden sword, and he glanced up, a sheepish smile forming on his face when seeing his father.
"What have I told you about allowing that temper of yours to get the better of you, Ren?" a man with the same dark brown hair as the boy he spoke to questioned with a raised brow.
"That it causes one to become reckless and unfocused during battle…"
The onyx eyed male nodded, releasing his son's blade as an elderly gentleman with long white hair and the same slate grey eyes as Byakuya approached beside his fellow Shinigami with a stern look on his wrinkled face.
"And Byakuya, I believe I told you that a member of the Kuchiki clan must always remain composed and not allow his pride to get the better of him,"
"…Hai, Ojii-sama…"
Masamune Naoki, while his house didn't stand on the same prestigious grounds as the Kuchiki clan, his own family was well respected and had been friends with Ginrei and his household for generations. This was one of the main reasons Byakuya and Ren were often together despite the fact that they had very little in common with one another.
The Naoki clan was known for one main reason. A special orb that had come into their possession which could cause massive trouble for both the spiritual and living world. The Orb of Time. Not only was the small black orb capable of freezing time, but reversing it as well. Anyone could change the past if they so wanted, yet these actions could have devastating effects, no matter how small.
And the orb appeared to be completely indestructible, even to the most powerful of attacks, so there were no means in which to dispose of it. Therefore all members of the Naoki clan had to be born with strong reiatsu, capable of defending such a dangerous item. Those who were too weak in the eyes of the head captain were normally killed, in fear they would allow the orb to fall into the wrong hands…
This very thought caused Masamune's wife, Setsuka, to feel like an icy dagger had pierced through her heart. While Ren had been blessed with a strong reiatsu at a young age, Misaki's was very faint and barely seemed to be developing at all. And if she remained weak when she was old enough to hold a sword…
"I hope you'll help Ren protect Misaki, Byakuya-san. After all, you've already graduated from the academy," Setsuka spoke up with a kind smile, trying to push back the thoughts that troubled her and not realizing her words had caused a dark storm cloud to form over Ren's head as he was still attending.
"Hai. Since Ren needs to be protected himself." Byakuya replied with a proud grin.
Blinking as he felt his hair tie being removed from his ponytail, Byakuya slowly turned to see a fox-faced Ren standing on the wall that surrounded his house, swinging the tie back and forth.
"You sure about that? My shunpo and sneak attacks have always been better than yours~ Yoroichi-san even said so!" Ren taunted, slapping his bottom and giving it a little wiggle before he dashed off.
"Kisama…Copying were-cat like that," Byakuya said lowly, his entire frame twitching. "If that's how you want it…then I'll show you who's skills are far superior!"
Watching Byakuya disappear after Ren, Masamune and Ginrei both hung their heads and unleashed heavy sighs, equally worrying about the future states of their clans.
"Well, at least they're both spirited," Setsuka spoke up in mild amusement, her daughter clapping her small hands together in delight. "So then, shall we head inside for tea? I imagine it will be some time before those two return."
The sun now setting, Byakuya and Ren were once again in the Kuchiki's large garden, laying on their backs and staring up at the sky.
"Man…I hope things are always peaceful like this…" Ren hummed out, wincing though from the numerous bruises he had obtained when Byakuya had finally managed to catch up with him.
Byakuya didn't say anything, glancing over at Misaki who seemed to be amusing herself with some colorful flowers.
"You know things can't always be like this," Byakuya muttered, his attention turning back to the orange and pink sky. "Your mother was trying to hide it, but she seemed upset…I imagine its because of your sister. If her reiryoku doesn't develop, she'll never be able to become a Shinigami."
Ren frowned at this and sat up. "Misaki's still a baby, she has plenty of time to grow stronger. It's not like everyone can become a prodigy like you…"
"But you know what'll happen if she doesn't show improvement, don't you…?"
Biting at his bottom lip, Ren started to speak, but paused when Misaki toddled over toward them with an innocent smile on her face and a sunflower in her hand.
"Pretty!" she cooed out, placing the flower in a startled Byakuya's hair.
Byakuya gave Ren a dark look hearing him snorting behind his hand, sitting up to take the yellow bud out of his dark tresses. "Very…But boys don't wear flowers in their hair, Misaki."
Byakuya was about to throw the sunflower away, but noticing tears starting to form in the child's eyes, he groaned and placed the flower that looked so much like the sun back behind his ear. And when the girl squealed happily and hugged him, a light pinkness dusted his cheeks, despite his twitching frame.
"So mister tough guy has a soft spot after all! Who would have guessed that it would be for the girls~"
"Urusai! You're the only one here that's weak when it comes to girls!" Byakuya retorted irritably as he fell back onto the grass after gently pushing the confused girl away from him. "You might actually graduate from the academy if you didn't always hold back simply because of a pretty face."
"I-its only because I can't stand to see a woman crying is all!" Ren stammered, poking his index fingers together. When Misaki left them once again, seeming content, Ren gave her a faint smile before sighing. "But I have to get stronger for her sake. If I'm powerful enough to protect the orb on my own, Misaki can live a normal life…Maybe marry some rich nobleman and get away from all of this…"
"…If that's some suggestion you're making toward me, then I refuse. Your sister is almost as annoying as you,"
"Baka aho! As if I'd give my sweet sister to a prick like you!" Ren yelled with bold white eyes while holding up a fist. He let out a huff, yanking some grass out of the ground, rubbing his thumb across the blades before letting it fall back to the earth. "All I'm saying is the Orb of Time only needs one protector…And I'll take on that burden and then pass it down onto my own child…"
"…You'd never be able to become a captain like you wanted. No matter how strong a member of the Naoki clan might be, if their a protector, they can never have the life of a normal Shinigami for they must always be close to the Orb of Time," Byakuya brought up quietly. "You'd really give all that up?"
"If it means keeping Misaki alive and from suffering herself, then yeah…I mean, if you had a younger sibling, wouldn't you try to do all that you could for them? Even if you had to sacrifice everything in the end?"
Byakuya stared quietly up at the sky, pondering this himself. In truth, he had always been just a little jealous of Ren. Not only did he still have his parents, but a sibling as well…Someone who he could protect, yet always encouraged him to become stronger.
As a shooting star shot by in the darkening sky, Byakuya closed his eyes; the nighttime breeze making him faintly smile.
"I suppose…I would…"
Many years passed by and unfortunately, numerous events that transpired in the Soul Society kept it from remaining peaceful like the once two young boys had hoped. An incident occurred where not only did various souls from the Rukongai distract disappear, but numerous captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 had been subjected to horrible experiments of Hollowfication.
The perpetrator was found to be Kisuke Urahara, the captain of the Twelfth Division. However, he had escaped along with all those subjected to the Hollowfication process. This tragic event had left a large weakness in the Gotei 13's ranks, yet this wasn't the only tragic occurrence to take place…
Ginrei had unfortunately passed away, leaving Byakuya alone and as the new head of the Kuchiki clan. Ren had noticed that Ginrei's recent departure had turned his friend into a more calm, yet cold person who he found even more difficult to read most of time…Yet he still stuck by Byakuya's side, merely brushing off the fears many others expressed toward the newly appointed 6th division's captain.
Though it seemed that one person managed to break through Byakuya's cold shell, and while greatly shocked, Ren was happy that his friend had found someone special to love and love him back in a kind and beautiful, yet fragile woman who went by the name of Hisana.
Ren really prayed that things would remain perfect for the two of them, yet fate had truly been cruel for Hisana had ended up succumbing to her illness...Leaving Byakuya with a final message to find her sister and a broken heart…After such a loss, Ren could understand why Byakuya's heart had become even more encased by ice, yet he hoped one day maybe he could see his friend smile once more.
For now, despite so much sadness, things were once again calm. Yet as Ren feared, Misaki's reiryoku remained weak. She could barely form even a simple kido spell while her combat skills were poor. Not to mention with her disposition, it was clear she wouldn't be suited for combat in the aftermath.
He couldn't seem to get the concerned voices of his parents out of his head. Misaki's evaluation day would be happening soon, and if she didn't show any progress, her fate remained unclear…Yet Ren was positive he would be able to convince Yamamoto-taichou that he could protect the Time Orb solely in her stead. He was confident that he now had the strength to become a captain himself if he so wanted.
"You're more quiet than usual," Byakuya spoke up coolly, his focus on the documents upon his table. "If you're having dirty thoughts about that woman again, go somewhere else…"
Ren blinked multiple times having no clue what the raven haired male was talking about, nearly choking on his own saliva when realization hit him. "W-why would I have perverted thoughts on someone so young…Just because Momo-chan was so sweet when she helped heal me after that psycho cat attacked me…"
Byakuya stared at the dreamy smile that had formed on Ren's face with a blank expression, knowing ever since Ren had met this Momo girl, the man had been completely smitten. Though he supposed he could understand the sentiment…
"Oi, did my nee-chan make you another flower crown?" Ren mused out of the blue, walking over to the table and picking up the colorful and fragrant head wear that lay next to the many papers Byakuya had scattered about. "I don't know why she keeps giving these to you…Unless she thinks you're a woman."
Byakuya said nothing, calmly and silently standing up and making Ren yelp when he punched him right in the face, sending him crashing straight out of the sliding screen door. Nonchalantly walking out onto his porch where he drowned out Ren's loud swears, Byakuya noticed the moon in the distance, and its coloring was the same as blood. He couldn't help but furrow his thin brows at this. Though he normally wasn't the superstitious type, there was something ominous about it.
Tossing in her bed, Misaki found that she couldn't sleep. Her mind was far too consumed with regret, and she gripped at her pillow, trying to urge herself not to break down. She felt like she was a complete and utter disgrace to her parents. No matter how much she tried and truly wanted to live up to their expectations, it seemed like she could do nothing but mess up.
She had reached the same age Ren was when he obtained his Zanpakuto, but her soul remained too weak to produce one. Her mother reassured her that in time, her Zanpakuto would come to her, she only needed to remain patient. Yet Misaki really wondered if she was truly deserving of such a precious item? She really was pathetic just like all the other children she trained with said…
Squeezing her eyes shut even tighter, the brown haired girl tried to will herself to go to sleep, but the sound of someone singing was now what kept her from doing so. Sitting up on her bed, she tilted her head, feeling more confused than frightened by the odd situation.
"Whoever it is, they have such a pretty voice…" Misaki said softly, feeling completely mesmerized by the melodious tone. It was almost like the female it belonged to was trying to pull Misaki toward them, and she unconsciously found herself stepping out from her bed.
Silent as a mouse, Misaki headed straight for the room where the Orb of Time was kept, taking it from the pedestal and soft pillow it rested upon. She paused a moment to see if anyone would come for her, leaving the room once the girl knew she was safe.
Heading outside, though the singing had sounded so close, the figure it belonged to was actually quite far away and Misaki had found herself heading to a cliff side. There, a beautiful midnight haired woman, who wore nothing more than a emerald green bustier and matching skirt that was slit on both sides exposing her long creamy legs, stood.
"Come, sweet child. Bring me the orb," she continued to sing out instead of speaking, her hand extending for Misaki to place the small artifact in. A smile appeared on the woman's ruby red lips once the item was in her possession, and she felt a shiver of excitement pass through her body from the power she could feel emanating from it.
Leaning down to whisper in Misaki's ear she told her in a sickeningly sweet voice, "Now, be a good girl and walk off the cliff, won't you?"
Her brown orbs having an almost dead look to them, Misaki started to do as the mysterious woman commanded. Her right foot stepping over the edge, the girl would have plummeted to her death, if it weren't for the figure who had not only snatched her up, but slashed at the raven haired female, causing her to scream in pain and drop the Orb of Time.
Holding onto her heavily bleeding arm, the woman turned to glare at her attacker, her eyes widening for she recognized the figure. "You…?! I don't understand…Why are you…?"
Aizen merely frowned at the red eyed female, extending out his sword while easily holding onto Misaki. "I assume you were able to control this child due to her weak reiatsu? I'm afraid that won't work on me, so I suggest you turn yourself over…"
The woman let out a "tch!" disappearing and making Aizen sigh before he sheathed his blade. He turned his attention on the girl, noticing she was blinking multiple times, as if trying to wake herself up from a deep sleep.
Realizing she wasn't in her bed, but shockingly in the arms of one of the Captain's of all people, Misaki let out a small "eek!", looking up at him timidly despite the kind smile he wore. "T-Taichou? How did I e-end up out here…?"
"Then you don't remember?"
Misaki gave a small shake of her head. "No…I remember being in my bed and hearing this really beautiful voice, but that's it…"
Aizen just gave an understanding nod, placing Misaki on the ground when hearing voices calling her name; his attention turning on the item that was about the size of a marble and picking it up.
"Misaki? Oh thank goodness! You're alright!" Setsuka cried out breathlessly, scooping her daughter up into her arms when she ran over to her.
"When Ren informed us you weren't in your bed, we were worried something happened to you," Masamune murmured, placing a hand on his daughters head, his brows crinkled in worry.
It had actually been Byakuya that had mentioned Ren should return home. Though he thought the Kuchiki head was just trying to get rid of him, he was glad he had. Especially when discovering not only was his sister missing, but the Orb of Time as well.
"I'm not certain who the culprit was, but the woman was controlling your daughter. She made Misaki bring this to her," Aizen spoke up, walking over to the family and placing the orb in Masamune's hand. "It's just lucky I happened to spot her on my way home."
"Aizen-Taichou, arigato," Masamune expressed, giving a low bow before he bit down slightly hard on his bottom lip, staring down at the orb. "It's very lucky indeed…I don't want to imagine what might have happened if you hadn't intercepted…"
"Misaki-chan, daijoubu?" Ren asked gently, patting his sister on the head. "You must have been really scared?"
"I-I'm not really sure what even happened…" Misaki admitted sheepishly while gripping onto the front of her mother's kimono.
Aizen let out a troubled sigh, catching the family's attention. "I'm afraid we have bigger problems…You know its my duty to inform Yamamoto-Taichou about this incident…"
Ren's brown eyes widened before they narrowed at Aizen. "Y-your not serious?! If he learns that Misaki nearly handed the orb over to an enemy then-"
Seeing his father giving him a look, Ren bit back his tongue from saying anymore, but gripped his hands into tight fists at his sides.
"Your right. Allow me to head there with you…The fact that the orb was taken is truthfully my fault and mine alone…"
Masamune blinked surprised when Aizen held up a hand, a serene smile on his features. "There is another option that would possibly spare your family from receiving any form of punishment…How would you feel about leaving the Soul Society?"
"Leave the Soul Society? But if we were to do such a thing…" Setsuka gasped out, placing a hand over her mouth.
"You would become fugitives, and never be allowed to return to your home," Aizen said with a nod and small sad smile. When Aizen walked up and placed a light hand on her head, Misaki blinked in confusion. "If the head captain doesn't take drastic measures…That woman may take control of your daughter again. I couldn't sense the enemies reiatsu at all, which explains how she managed to sneak into the Sereitei without anyone noticing…"
Ren scowled, folding his arms across his chest. "An enemy that we can't detect…That's pretty troubling…I don't like the idea, but Aizen-Taichou is right. If we remain here, then both the orb and Misaki will be in constant danger…"
Masamune and Setsuka shared a look with each other, but both of them knew, even if they brought shame on their family, their once friends became enemies, this was the best choice they had. Protecting their children was more important than anything else.
"We can use our Senkaimon to pass into the human world to escape detection. The only question is where we should go..." Masamune muttered, closing his eyes while placing a closed fist underneath his chin.
"I believe I have an answer for that as well." Aizen spoke with a small chuckle, a knowing smile on his lips.
Exiting out of the shoji, the family found themselves standing in the middle of a deserted street. Though Misaki felt a little excited to be somewhere new, she tugged on Ren's hand, a sad look on her face.
"We didn't get to tell Byakuya-san goodbye…Do you think he'll be mad…?"
"Eh, Byakuya's usually irritated about something, but it'll be alright…I'm sure we'll see that sourpuss again," he chirped, ruffling his sisters hair and making her giggle. "But just think, you'll get to try a gigai for the first time. Should be exciting, ne?"
Though Ren inwardly sighed, in all truth, he felt guilty. His father said they were to make no contact with anyone, but he didn't feel right just abandoning his friend without a word. So he had sent a message to Byakuya, apologizing and saying this was goodbye, but he couldn't go into detail why…
"Well, you four are certainly far away from home~"
Masamune and Ren's hands instantly moved to the hilts of their Zanpakuto's, the figure that had been hidden by the darkness in the distance coming into view and shocking the two.
"Urahara Kisuke?! Is that really you?!" Masamune gasped out, not really sure what to make of the situation.
"Hai. I thought it was odd when so many spiritual energies appeared all at once, but I'm sure you have your reasons for being here. Same as I," Kisuke mused, tipping up his striped green and white bucket hat with a mysterious smile. "So why don't we go somewhere more comfortable to talk?"
Though still not sure whether to trust someone who was known as a criminal in the Soul Society, Masamune found himself explaining their situation to the now shopkeeper when he admitted he may be able to help them.
"So your going to start your new lives here in the world of the living," Kisuke murmured with an understanding nod. "I can prepare special gigai for you. It'll allow you live and age like a normal human, so no one will be suspicious of you."
"Arigato…My main concern though is keeping the Orb of Time safe. Even a human with just a hint of reiatsu could accidentally trigger it without realizing," Masamune sighed out, displaying the orb which he had wrapped up in a napkin. He glanced over at Misaki who was looking over the items in the shop. "And also…I want to erase Misaki's memories of the Soul Society completely…"
Ren gawked, feeling like his father had lost his mind. "Erase…erase her memories?! But, otousan! The Soul Society is apart of who Misaki is…We can't just wipe that from her!"
"If she forgets that she has the potential to become a Shinigami, then she'll never try to unlock her reiatsu…And she'll never attract the unwanted attention of Hollow's," Masamune explained with furrowed brows. "In fact, none of us should ever leave our gigai's. It could be devastating if a Shinigami recognized us and decided to report us back to the head captain…"
"Your father has a point. Not to mention, your sister looks like the type who'd blame herself for her family having to give up their former life. And you wouldn't want Misaki to put that burden on herself, ne?" Kisuke brought up, his words causing Ren to scowl. "But lucky for you, I have a way to not only erase her memories, but a way for you to safely hide the orb."
Pointing his fan at Misaki when she came to sit beside her mother, the former captain shocked the family with his next words. "We'll place the orb inside of her," he spoke, holding up a hand before anyone could protest. "Her reiryoku is faint, therefore the risk of the orb ever activating within her is small. It would be the last place anyone would think to look. In a sense, it'll be like the orb no longer exists at all."
"There's still a chance the orb could go haywire, yeah? So put it in me instead of her!" Ren exclaimed, standing up from where he sat with a stern look on his face.
"That's an even worse idea. With that temper of yours, you'd no doubt cause the orb to activate and send yourself and anyone around you back into the Edo period," Kisuke brought up, grinning sheepishly and fanning himself when Ren gave him a rather ugly look and started to unsheathe his blade. "Now, now! There's no need for violence!"
"I don't mind having the orb placed in me," Misaki spoke up quietly, looking down when she felt her family's gazes on her. "I-I put the orb in danger once. So if I can keep it safe, I want to fix my mistakes in any way that I can…"
"I will warn you the process will be painful. Are you truly certain about this?" Kisuke questioned, a shadow over his grey eyes.
Misaki hesitated for only a moment before giving a firm nod, her mom squeezing her hand helping ease the slight fear she couldn't help but feel. Kisuke led her to a long table, where Tessai strapped the young girl down, informing her parents it was for her own good so she wouldn't further try to harm herself.
The orb was placed on her chest, and it wasn't long before Misaki was screaming and thrashing as it sunk into her form. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if she was going to die since it truly felt like the small jewel was trying to kill her. The pain soon became too much, and she ended up fainting; the bright glow that had been lighting up her body soon fading once the Orb of Time and fully submerged within her.
"Don't worry. She won't remember this either. If she wonders why her body aches, just tell her you were in a car accident," Kisuke voiced, pulling out a kikanshinki from inside his clothes. "Then again, it might be better to wipe both of your children's memories. Ren always was terrible at lying and keeping secrets…"
At the insult, Ren puffed up his cheek and childishly stomped his foot on the floor. "Rude much? Insulting me right here in my face!" he growled out. Crossing his arms over his chest, he peered at his unconscious sisters form that was now resting in their mothers protective arms. "I understand how bad this situation is…I'll do whatever it takes to make sure my sister never remembers who we once were…That's a promise."
(A/N: Byakuya was so cute when he was young, lol! But I know Misaki name is close to Ichigo's mom's, but I didn't know what her name was at the time I made my oc. ^^' Luckily Ichigo's mom's name is spelled Masaki, so they're not completely similar.)
