Title: The
Howling
Author: Sanada Sayuri
Summary: Blood can never justify
the sins of a Holy War, but when the War reaches Heaven's Gate,
difficult choices are made. Time passes, but the memory of old pain
remains, and all that is left is memory.
Pairings: Byaichi
Prompt
#32: Alone
Chapter 2: The Cross
As Byakuya passed on leadership of the Kuchiki family to Rukia, and the Captaincy of the Sixth Division to Renji, he felt a pang of grief cut his heart. It had been 300 years since his lover had left him and had Vanished without a trace. HE should be here today, Byakuya thought, HE would have been happy for me. the raven haired noble reached into the sleeve of has shihakusho and drew out a small bundle wrapped in silk. He carefully undid the knots allowing the pale colored cloth to fall away, revealing delicate red links shimmering in the light As Byakuya gently stroked the red links, he remembered how he had come into possession of his former lover's sword belt...
Byakuya had stood on Soukyouku Hill for what
seemed like a small eternity when a bell had rung, signaling the
start of an emergency senior Officer's meeting. The raven haired
noble swallowed hard, and composedhimself. Once he had his emotions
under control, he made his way toward the First Division
there, the gathered officers were introduced to
Hikifune, once the Twelfth Division Captain, but now a Royal
Guard. "The High King has gone to war," Hikifune
said. "He has sent for the Substitute Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo
to lead his forces into Hueco Mundo. The High King bids the Gotei 13
to continue to fulfilltheir normal duties and to remain outside of
Hueco Mundo so the Royal Twelfth Division can keep track of what
takes place." With her message delivered, Hikifune
vanished. The Sotaicho ordered that the High King's demands be
adhered to and dismissed the meeting. Byakuya had returned to his
home in a daze, and found in his room, the swordbelt neatly coiled
with a note that read, "I'm sorry." Time had passed
slowly, and then a year passed and Hikifune made a second
appearance. "The High King is dead." she said, "The
Crown Prince has ascended the throne and the Royal Grandson is now
Crown Prince. Las Noches has been razed to the ground and Tousen and
Ichimaru are dead." another year passed and Hikifune made
a third appearence. "The High King has passed away,"
she said. "His Majesty died killing the former Gotei 13 Fifth Division Captain, the Traitor Aizen Sousuke. The Crown Prince has
ascended the throne."
No word was spoken about Kurosaki Ichigo. All anyone could assume was that he was dead. Byakuya gently folded the cloth over the sword belt and slipped it back into his sleeve. As Byakuya dressed in the red uniform of the Royal Guard, he thought about the little gifts that had appeared in his room over the past 300 years. Byakuya couldn't help but think that this was how the High King was trying to make up to him for getting his lover killed. Byakuya scoffed. Ichigo's romantic notions were rubbing off on him if he we honestly thinking such ridiculous thoughts.
Byakuya glanced at the kenseikan and the scarf he'd worn for the better part of four hundred years. He sighed. He wished Ichigo was here Now that he was no longer a noble, and would be only Byakuya. He picked up a locket, one he had commissioned for Ichigo's eighteenth birthday, and slipped it over his head. It had been left on his desk in his office the day the news of Aizen's death had been broken. Byakuya sighed as he slipped Senbonzakura into his obi and moved toward the door. He paused and looked around the mostly empty room. His belongings were mostly in storage now and only the bare necessities and some things of sentimental value had been moved to his new quarters in the barracks of the Sky Palace. Byakuya sighed as he left the room. He could almost imagine that Ichigo was urging him to stop being silly and to take the next step into his new future. But it wasn't so, Byakuya thought as he made his way toward the Senkaimon. Ichigo wasn't there. He wouldn't ever be there again. He was alone. His lover had left him behind a long time ago. With no other choice, Byakuya could only move forward, and there was no one but him to care that Ichigo wasn't there, that he had to meet his new future alone.
tbc...
