Hello, my dear readers. This is just a little tidbit I did because I have made Raine's birthday today, April 23rd, so as a special treat, I decided that I would write a little side story concerning their wedding. I really kinda wanted to do this as part of Steadfast Maiden, but I also really liked where it ended. I apologize for any OOC-ness. Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: All I own is Raine. The Shinigami and Visoreds- well just the Bleach universe in general- belongs to Tite Kubo. 'A Thousand Years' belongs to Christina Perri.
Lorraine Delacroix smiled to herself once more. She supposed she had no one to blame but herself for letting Byakuya Kuchiki completely take over plans for her and Shinji's wedding.
It had been a pleasant afternoon when Rukia invited Raine over for tea. The two of them had exchanged pleasant chatter. Rukia did indeed seem a lot happier, especially after having Ichigo back. Raine had shortly met the Substitute Shinigami after his powers had been restored. Needless to say, the two of them hit it off very well, being of similar backgrounds. That afternoon, the Lieutenant gushed over the youngest Visored's engagement ring. Raine smiled with pride.
'What're you two going to do for your wedding?' Rukia had asked.
'I was thinking we'd probably just get married by a judge.' Raine replied with a nonchalant shrug. 'Nothing fancy or overly complicated.'
'Inexcusable.' murmured Byakuya, who had just entered the room. Both girls nearly jumped out of their skin. Neither of them had felt him come in. 'You two are Soul-Reapers, after all.'
'Well I don't know how Shinji feels about getting married with the whole rigmarole. None of the Visoreds have ever been married, so I don't know of any traditional customs or anything like that. However,' At this, she trailed off of her statement with a light blush.
'What?' Byakuya asked. Rukia also leaned forward eagerly.
'The thought did cross my mind… of having our wedding here in the Soul Society.'
'That goes without saying.' Byakuya replied. Raine looked at him curiously.
'Oh, that's right.' Rukia said in realization. 'I forgot all about that.'
'What?' Raine asked.
'Well, Soul-Reaper weddings have a tradition that sets them apart from regular human weddings.'
'The Zanpakuto are bound together eternally. They are, after all, an extension of our souls, which we give faithfully to our betrothed, along with our hearts and bodies. Unless this is done, a marriage is not considered official by the Soul-Society's standards.' Byakuya explained.
'That's beautiful.' Raine said. 'Well I guess if I want to do things properly, I will have to do them the Soul-Reaper way. I just don't know… where to start with that…'
'Then allow me to be of some assistance to you.' Byakuya said. The look he sent Raine said that he would not take no for an answer on this one. Meekly, the Visored nodded. From then on, the only things she really had a say in was her dress and Shinji's wedding band.
That is not to say she was ungrateful for the Sixth Division Captain's help. It was, after all, thanks to him that everything was arranged. Head-Captain Yamamoto had graciously not only opened up the First Division barracks, with the Captain's meeting room to be the venue, but had also not taken no for an answer about being the one to marry them. One of his squad members had opened up her room for Raine, insisting that it be used for the bridal chamber.
Raine openly groaned at how many volunteers she had helping her pick out her dress: Lisa, Mashiro, and Hiyori- if you could call her presence voluntary, as the smallest Visored had been dragged along- as well as Rangiku, Yachiru, Nemu Kurotsuchi, and the Kotetsu sisters. She felt like the hours of trying on and modeling dresses would never end. If she ever went dress-shopping again, it would be too soon. Finally, the ladies found one that spoke volumes about Raine and helped her slide into it. Raine knew the moment she found it to be a perfect fit that it was her dress, something that was created solely for her. It was a long, simple dress of stark white silk that fell like gracious petals to her feet. The upper half of the bodice was made of lace and adorned the skin of her shoulders and upper chest in delicate, white, floral designs.
All of the ladies pooled together their earnings to get Raine the dress, calling it their wedding present. She returned to find Otome Fūdo sharpened and polished to shining quality. The note read that it was a gift from Ikkaku and Yumichika. She smiled to herself; Ikkaku would want the weapon to look like it was battle ready, and Yumichika would want it to sparkle when it was being shown to the company of Captains and Lieutenants. Apparently Sakanade had gone through the same treatment, because Raine found Shinji admiring how sharp- no pun intended- it looked now.
It had been decided by Raine that Lieutenant would be allowed to attend alongside their Captains, otherwise the Third, Fifth and Ninth Divisions would not be represented- that and she would never hear the end of it from either Yachiru or Rangiku.
The night before the wedding, Raine found Shinji back in his old Division Barracks, watching the sky slowly drift into twilight. He smiled to himself as he felt her warm, welcoming arms wrap around his torso. One hand twined around him, pulling him close, the other went up to the area over his heart. She rested her forehead between his shoulder blades and took in that wonderful smell of his- a smell of papyrus and something very earthy. She loved it, always had and always would. He held to him the hand over his heart, a signal to her that she would always own it.
"Je t'aime." she said softly. Shinji smiled his famous grin at that and turned to look at her.
'Ya nervous about tomorrow, darlin?' he asked.
'Why should I be?' she replied. 'Tomorrow will be the first day of an eternity at your side. If anything, I'm excited.' Shinji could tell that she wasn't lying because of the wide grin and the loving sparkle in her eyes. He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.
Their eyes snapped open as they felt three massive pinpoints of spiritual pressure come straight for them. Shinji barely had any time to turn before he was seized by the arms by both Love and Rose.
'What the hell?' he asked. Kensei appeared in front of him.
'Everything's been arranged. Apparently, we're spending the night in the world of the living; Raine's staying here for the night.' he explained.
'What?' Shinji asked.
'The Shinigami Women's Association is taking care of her tonight.' Kensei said, gripping onto the back of his collar. 'You'll see her in the morning.'
'Now wait just a second, Kensei!' Shinji protested. 'Can't I at least say goodnight to her?'
'Make it quick.' Love replied. Undignified, Shinji broke free from his captors and strode up to Raine.
'Sleep well, darlin'.' he said gently, kissing her on the head. Raine smiled warmly.
'Next you see me, I will look the most beautiful that I will ever in my life.' Shinji smiled and then shook his head.
'How many times must I tell ya? Yer beautiful to me no matter what, Raine.'
'Alright, loverboy, let's go.' Kensei said. Shinji pulled away from her before Love and Rose made a move to grab him. Raine watched the image of his back as he left before they disappeared.
She lifted her head to the clear summer sky outside. All was calm and pleasant, not a cloud in the sky. She clenched her hands into fists, assuring that her dress would not get creased by her grasping it out of nerves. This was the day she had been dreaming of… much like how they say that every little girl dreams of her wedding day. Smiling to herself, Lorraine Christine Delacroix took a few silent moments to say goodbye officially to the little budding bloom that was her old, mortal human self. In a matter of minutes- be they long or short, she would be Shinji's wife. She reveled in this; she clutched at her heart, trying not to let the emotions overtake her, even if they were good emotions.
Her reverie was broken when she heard a knock at the door. She turned away from it to take a calming breath of air. She felt a familiar spiritual pressure and spun around to find Lieutenant Chojiro Sasakibe at the door. She smiled at him, to which he broke his usual professional barrier to return.
"They're waiting for you." he said in his usual quiet manner.
"Thank you." she said with a nod. The dress flitted in every direction as the bride made her way to the door.
"He will be lucky to have such an independent, kind and spirited beauty for a wife." he said. "A man would be daft to think otherwise." Raine blushed.
"You're very kind, Lieutenant Sasakibe." she said as she picked up the bouquet of white roses and lily of the valley, tied together with a white ribbon. It had been a request of Lieutenant Hinamori to have a flower so significant to Shinji's former Division, to which she happily agreed. With a light smile, she left the room.
Heart beats fast
Colors and promises-
How to be brave,
How can I love
When I'm afraid to fall?
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt
Suddenly goes away somehow…
One step closer…
Raine felt her heart beat loudly in her chest as she neared the chamber. The air smelled sweeter than it ever did here in the Soul Society, creating a wonderful fragrance that lifted her soul impossibly higher. Everything was as she hoped it would be.
I have died everyday
Waiting for you…
Darling don't be afraid,
I have loved you
For a thousand years.
I'll love you for a thousand more…
Shinji fidgeted with the sleeve of his robe, mainly out of nerves. He reached to mess with it once more before Head-Captain Yamamoto intervened.
"You start fidgeting with that sleeve once more, Hirako-san…" He didn't even bother to finish his threat, because Shinji stopped. Even the Visored leader knew when it wasn't in his best interests to anger the Head-Captain. "For the life of me, I cannot remember the last time that two Soul Reapers were married here."
"Well maybe we'll start a trend." Shinji said with a wry smile. The Head-Captain turned to him. For a second, Shinji was slightly intimidated by the stern look he was receiving.
"You treat her well, Hirako." he said threateningly.
"Okay!" Shinji said, slightly put off by the threatening tone in his voice. "What's all this about?"
"When I look at that girl, I am reminded of what it is that I am supposed to be protecting. She reminds me that there is goodness in people, we merely need to search for it."
"Right." Shinji said. His attention was then brought to the doors, for at that moment, they opened. He found himself taken aback by this beauty- there were no words for her. The only way Shinji knew it was the girl he was more than determined to spend the rest of his days with was because of her curly, rose-red hair. The dress was a work of art itself, complemented even more so because she was wearing it. Her blue eyes shone with love and pride.
Almost everyone in that room smiled upon her entrance. It was something different to see the somewhat timid and docile-to-a-fault Raine walking confidently, without fear, shining like a jewel lifted to the sun. His heartbeat quickened as she slowly made her way up the aisle.
Time stands still,
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything
Take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath, every hour
Has come to this…
One step closer…
Raine finally reached them, breathing a sigh of relief at not having tripped over her dress. Shinji smiled at her in adoration before joining her hands with his to face Head-Captain Yamamoto. The words that the Head-Captain used were not the typical 'dearly beloved' speech, but they made Raine tear up nonetheless. He spoke of how life was seldom easy, but if one found the right people, which they both had, it was worth living. He spoke of how after today, their souls would become one, two halves would become the same whole.
"May I see the Zanpakuto Otome Fūdo and Sakanade?" he asked.
I have died everyday,
Waiting for you…
Darling don't be afraid
I have loved you for
A thousand years,
I'll love you for
A thousand more
When both swords were handed to him, he murmured to himself what sounded to Shinji like an incantation for a Bakudo spell. Indeed it was. A thick ribbon of light wove its way around the blades and then joined at the ends. It started spinning rapidly around the blades, glowing bright and nearly blinding everyone in the vicinity. When the lights died down, the Head-Captain returned their swords to their proper owners. "The bond now established between these Zanpakuto will never break. Time and distance mean nothing to them; no matter where they go, they will always be bound to one another, as will you two." Raine smiled in an attempt to hold back her tears.
And all along I believed
I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for
A thousand years
I'll love you for
A thousand more…
"May I have the bands?" the Head-Captain requested. Rose cleared his throat from where he stood and pulled them from his jacket pocket, handing them to Shinji. Raine watched the light as it was caught secondarily in the silver and gold bands. It seemed perfect for them, those who were so different, yet so alike, too.
Shinji repeated the vows that were dictated by Head-Captain Yamamoto flawlessly, slowly and gently sliding the ring onto her finger, where it would remain for the rest of her days.
One step closer…
She looked into his eyes as he pronounced every promise to her- the promises to be faithful to her, to cherish and love her- no matter what befell them. Raine repeated the vows with- to her- a surprising amount of clarity, as she was trying to hold back her tears, at least until after the ceremony. Gently, she slid the ring onto his finger and then returned to holding his hands.
One step closer…
I have died everyday
Waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid
I have loved yo
For a thousand years.
I'll love you for
a thousand more…
"I now declare these two, as dictated by Shinigami law, to be officially married. May I present to you Shinji and Lorraine Hirako." As if it would seem more official, the Head-Captain stamped the end of his staff down on the floor. "You may now kiss her, Hirako-san," he said, looking at Shinji, "she is yours." Shinji smiled his famous grin and then gently cupped Raine's face, leaned in slowly and pressed his lips to hers. There were cheers all about, but the newly married couple ignored them with little effort.
And all along, I believed
I would find you
Time has brought
Your heart to me
I have loved you for
a thousand years
I'll love you for
a thousand more…
The party for them was small, quiet and serene. The sun had set, casting those present in glorious shades of reds and yellows, while the sky overhead was dyed a beautiful orange-turned-purple and pink. A few tables had been set up, not that anyone was sitting tonight. Most of them were up and about either congratulating the new couple or mingling or dancing.
Excusing herself, Raine noticed all of the different people on the dance floor: Captain Kyoraku had somehow managed to get Nanao to dance with him. Truth be told, it was rather cute. She was clumsily trying to keep up with him; after all he was a good foot or so taller than her. Hanataro had timidly started dancing with Hiyori. She wasn't snapping at him, probably because Shinji and Raine both had made her swear that she would behave herself. Raine knew that Hiyori had an extremely short fuse with everything, but Hanataro always did his best to make sure she was at least moderately happy. Now, she looked content, at the very least. Captain Hitsugaya had been dragged out to the dance floor by Rangiku and was trying awkwardly to keep up with her. Ikkaku and Yumichika chortled at the small Captain's discomfort.
Finally, the grand finale arrived, just as the sun set, leaving the Seiretei in twilight. Captain Unohana oversaw the floating lanterns and had just lit them. It was Raine's idea, so that guests could send all of their well wishes for Shinji and Raine to the heavens, so that the spirits could watch over them. Raine leaned back against Shinji contentedly, her hand finding his. Even though she couldn't see it, she knew he was smiling.
"I love ya, darlin'." he whispered softly. He then proceeded to kiss into her hair.
"I believe congratulations are in order for you two." they heard a familiar voice say. They turned and saw the one guest who wasn't allowed to attend the ceremony.
"Kisuke," Raine greeted. She walked over and hugged him. Kisuke warmly hugged her back.
"You look beautiful, Mrs. Hirako." he said with a wide grin. Raine nodded her thanks and then Kisuke withdrew from his robes an envelope. "This is for you two." he said, handing it over Raine's head to Shinji. "Consider it a favor from both Yoruichi and myself." With a wink, he went to join the party. Raine looked at the envelope in her husband's hands.
"What could it be?" she asked.
"Only one way to find out." Shinji replied. "I have a feeling I'm not gonna like it, though." He opened it and found two thick pieces of paper.
"Plane tickets?" Raine asked. "Where's Kisuke sending us?" Shinji let his bride take a look. "T-The Carribean?" she asked, clearly a little more than astounded. "H-How?"
"I have a feeling…" Shinji said between his teeth.
"What?" Raine asked.
"It's nothin', darlin'. We'll worry about it later." he countered quickly. He pulled her by the hand back to the dance floor. "I haven't gotten to fully revel in my wife's beauty yet."
Raine rolled her eyes, but went with it with a good-natured smile still.
"If I haven't told ya that ya look like an angel before, ya definitely look like one now."
"Under normal circumstances, ma cher, I would say that you are biased, but today, I definitely feel beautiful."
"Good, because ya are, tenshi." he said. Anything that she was going to say was immediately silenced when he pressed his lips to hers.
Ta-da! There you have it, my dear readers. I did my best to keep it simple and to the point. The idea of binding the Zanpakuto was mine, and the lanterns were inspired by the movie 'Tangled'. I love that movie! So I really hope you enjoyed it. For those of you who are also fans of Little Firefly, please know that I am on a roll with a new chapter. Hopefully, depending on my schedule, I will have one out by the end of this week or the beginning of next week. Your patience is much appreciated, and I will make this chapter well-worth the wait, I promise. Until next time, my dear readers, I bid you adieu.