Winter War's Wrath
The smoke on the battlefield had at last cleared, and everything that Aizen, Gin, and Tousen had created had at last been eradicated and the hougyoku had been recaptured. They had at last won the great winter war. The bitter stench of war still hung in the air as the captains and vice-captains of the Gotei 13 surveyed their losses. Because even the best of soldiers were not immune from death. So much pain had been caused over such a small object. Kuchiki Rukia had found the body of her beloved captain beneath some rubble, blood pooled on the remains of the concrete as it dribbled out of his mouth. It seemed that his disease had finally claimed his life. Kira Izuru and Hisagi Shuuhei's bodies had been discovered by Hinamori Momo, who had barely recognized their mangled corpses which lay piled on top of each other. Even Yamamoto Sou Taichou, had seemed somber over so much loss. However, through all this pain there was still hope at the end of the tunnel and a sense of new beginning as they had accomplished what they had set out to do, and now it was time to return home to begin the long process of rebuilding shattered lives and buildings.
Rukia, it seemed, felt nothing but emptiness as her brother, and Sixth Division captain Kuchiki Byakuya carried the body of Kurosaki Ichigo back to Soul Society. Yamamoto Sou Taichou had insisted on giving the boy who saved Soul Society a proper funeral along with everyone else. Something Rukia was secretly grateful for. The Gotei 13 had returned to Seireitei not long after to survey the damage to their own squads. Byakuya sent Abarai Renji in his place and had gone with Rukia to see Yamamoto Sou Taichou and arrange the boy's funeral. Rukia felt entirely out of her own body as she listened to the elderly man speak. The elderly man's words seemed jumbled as they swirled around her vacant mind refusing to sink in. But she knew that there would be a proper time for grieve for him, but it was not now.
"Nii-sama, I-" Rukia said softly, trying in vain to find some way to express her feelings as the rain poured endlessly from the grey clouds in her heart.
"Have you forgotten about Hisana, Rukia?" Byakuya asked her in his usual cold and stoic tone. Rukia looked at him in a cautious manner. She had not forgotten about her sister since the day Byakuya had showed her her sister's grave, that was along side his parents. The siblings parted ways at the 6th division office and Rukia was forced to make the journey back to the Thirteenth Division alone under a suffocating black cloud of sadness.
The funeral for the fallen officers had gotten underway in just a matter of hours after their return as elegant caskets were placed next to freshly dug grave sites. The entire Gotei 13 stood at full attention as 2000 years worth of tradition was repeated four times over as each casket was carried through a long archway of swords and placed into the ground in synchronicity with the others. Intricately woven wreaths of pink and white Sakura flowers were placed on top of the headstones, and there those who lost their lives would lay forever entombed until they became part of the reishi of Soul Society.
After today, the long task of rebuilding began and the painful task of replacing those lost in the battle would begin, but today was a time for rest, relaxation and socialization. The mood in the Gotei 13 was so grim that even the air itself seemed cumbersome and nobody seemed to be in the mood to do much of anything. Even Yamamoto Sou Taichou's mood seemed grim, for he too had lost someone important. Thirteenth Division captain Ukitake Jyuushiro had been one of the first to graduate and become a captain. However, he could not dwell long on these thoughts, and he chose not to as a man entered his office. Kuchiki Byakuya stood before his Captain silently waiting for the elderly man to speak.
"You know why I have summoned you here." The elderly man sat down at his desk and surveyed the other man over the tips of his wrinkled fingers.
"I forbid it." Byakuya said simply. His purple grey eyes were cold and calculating. They had had this conversation long before they had left for the war, but things were different now, at least that was the Sou Taichou's hope. Byakuya knew from his own experience what the job of a captain required, and it was not a life for just anyone. He had not forgotten the promise he made to Hisana about protecting her sister with his power. He had not forgotten the fact that she had been seconds away from death not too long ago.
"She is worthy." Byakuya stayed silent for a moment longer. In that time, he also seemed to realize that he could no longer be so restrictive. He began an internal battle with himself as he pondered a response. Rukia was worthy, there was no doubt about that, yet the promise he made so long ago lived on in him like an eternally burning flame. He should have forbidden it, he knew, but to deny her an opportunity like this seemed selfish. The leash would at last come off her, and she would be free.
"Very well." Byakuya bid a silent apology to his departed wife before exiting the Captain-Commander's office. He was confident that he had made the right decision and that Hisana would forgive him for it.
For the next two days , Seireitei had been abuzz over who the new captains were going to be, but Yamamoto Sou Taichou had been as tight lipped about it as ever. Nobody seemed to be able to get anything out of the elderly man. He had however let it leak later in the day that four individuals had swiftly been found and everyone seemed mildly impressed that this had been done in such a short time span. Just who where these geniuses? Rumors had spread like wildfire and the chatter had seemed to get in the way of the task at hand. Rukia stared out of the window of her barracks. It was too beautiful a day to be stuck inside, but she still could not wrap her head around the news her brother had delivered to her last night at dinner.
The evening had been a quiet affair as usual as the crickets sang outside their open window. The warm spring breeze was thick with the scent of the sakura flowers that bloomed in all their glorious radiance. The two of them ate in their usual silence, which Rukia had become accustomed to. However, tonight was different. She could not quite pinpoint it, but tonight was different. Pressing the topic was not wise, she had learnt this long ago. She studied her brother from across the table. He seemed to be fighting some sort of internal battle with himself . She hesitated momentarily before breaking the silence.
"Nii-sama?" He did not answer her, but instead kept eating. Rukia sighed. She had not spoke to anyone much since Ichigo's death. The will to do this job was quickly wilting away as her inner world continued to pour. She lowered her eyes and went back to eating, but before she could shove that last bit of food in her mouth, her brother finally spoke.
"A captain, Rukia, Yamamoto Sou Taichou wants to make you a captain." he said. Rukia's violet eyes widened in shocked as her brain took in her brother's words. A captain? Her?
"But, I thought you said -" Rukia's brain automatically went back to almost a year ago. The night her brother came home and told her he had kept her name off the seated officer list permanently. She had automatically dismissed it as being a protective elderly brother, but rather, she soon felt as though she were being kept on an invisible leash.
"- Forget what I said, Rukia." Byakuya said in his stoic voice. He got up and swept out of the room, leaving Rukia completely alone with her thoughts. So much had happened in such a short space of time, that mourning Ichigo had suddenly got shoved to the back of her mind but now it seemed the floodgates had opened once again for her, and their memories came flooding back like a raging river.
Rukia lay in bed that night unable to sleep, thoughts of what Kaien-dono and Ichigo would say to her plagued her dreams like festering sores. She could not shake these thoughts as she walked under the sakura trees. The gentle, evening spring breeze blew silently, wrapping her in its invisible blanket. The atmospherestarted to clear away some her festering thoughts, and so there she would stay, under the moon, pink waves of sakura petals raining down like silent snow from the trees above. They seemed to light up the night sky in a hue of pink. The next thing she knew she felt a gentle arm on hers. She opened her eyes and slowly shook the sleep from her foggy brain, she only registered enough information to see a pair of familiar eyes looking back at her..
"Nii-sama?" Rukia stood and stretched her cramped muscles, realizing immediately that she had fallen asleep under the sakura trees.
"Come, let us go." He hurried off and she followed silently in his wake. This wasn't exactly how she wanted to start her day.
At last, the day had finally arrived, the day the questions everyone was asking would be answered. The air seemed rife with excitement, yet at the same time there was a hint of apprehension as they made their way down to the old training grounds. The chatter had come to a head until the dull thunk of a wooden cane on a platform instantly silenced the boisterous chatter. They stood at full attention in front of Yamamoto Sou Taichou, acknowledging him before sinking into a then rose and turned their attention to the left side where seven individuals marched out in single file and stood momentarily before their Captain-Commander before following in the footsteps of their new subordinates and kneeling before him where they would stay in that position.
"Arise and perform your duties to the best of your abilities." His sharp, commanding tone cut through the stagnant air.
They rose and one by one the four captains were assisted by the first division vice-captain as they slipped into their haoris. The vice-captains put their arm bands on and in one fluid motion, they turned to face the crowd that had erupted into thunderous applause. It was a quiet moment of reflection for everyone involved, yet the pride shone clearly on their faces as they let it all sink in. They had done it, and now the hard work would at last begin.
A/N: Hi everyone, we are the writer's fc over at bleachasylum this is our first commuity story, which has taken a lot of time and cordination between everyone involved in it. so please enjoy!