A/N
Thank you everyone for the reviews for chapter twelve! I'm glad that you haven't given up on this story. I promise that I won't let you down. Or, well, I'll try not to. You don't really plan to let someone down after all, do you?
YT: Thanks for the review. I'm glad that you seemed to like the chapter, and, as I said above, that you haven't given up on it yet. Cheers!
There isn't much left to say here, apart from another thank you to everyone who reviewed, and I hope I replied to all of you. Onwards with Chapter Thirteen!
Oh, actually there is one more thing for me to mention. I understand that Senbonzakura appears as a male in the Zanpakutou filler arc in the anime. Unfortunately, at the time I started this story, the arc had not yet begun, and therefore, I made Senbonzakura a female in this story. I thought about changing it after watching the anime, but decided against it.
Um, yeah, I just wanted to clarify that. Let's move on now, shall we?
Disclaimer: Kubo Tite. Enough said.
Chapter Thirteen: Similarities, Differences and an Impulsive Promise
There was a lot on the noble's mind as he made his way out of the 1st Division offices. He had just been informed by Sasakibe-fukutaichou that a missive had been sent to Rukia, in Karakura, detailing how she should remain in the living world for a bit longer. The missive had also refused her request for two days' leave to return to Seireitei, and that was what had the noble troubled.
He had known that it would happen, sooner or later. All Shinigami sent to the living world were allowed to request for a day or two of leave to return to Seireitei, during which time the other Shinigami in the living world would handle their duties for them.
He had also known that Rukia would put in such a request sooner or later, for it was almost four months since she had last been to Seireitei.
According to Sasakibe-fukutaichou, the request had been put in the day before, and he would admit his surprise at how the news reached the 1st Division. It was, after all, standard procedure for Shinigami in the living world to request their own Captain for a...few days off, and for said Captain to run the request by the Captain-Commander only if needed.
Of course, this procedure was made all the more interesting by the fact that Rukia was a part of the 13th Division, whose Captain was bedridden, and whose paperwork was being handled by Kotetsu Kiyone and Kotsubaki Sentarou.
So the two...jesters of the 13th Division are capable of functioning in a sensible manner, he had thought when the 1st Division's Vice-captain had told him of it –and the twinkling in said Vice-captain's eyes had given him the disconcerting feeling that the other man knew what he was thinking.
Despite this...enlightening thought, he was slightly alarmed at the action taken by the 1st Division in promptly denying his sister's request. Despite being an unseated officer, and...often involving herself in matters she should not be, Rukia was no fool. (Of course she was not; she was a Kuchiki after all)
If what he knew of her was right, she would be surprised at the denial of her request to return to Seireitei, and this surprise would later turn to a niggling suspicion.
And of course, if she had any suspicions whatsoever, her next step would be to speak to someone in Seireitei about it. Abarai would be out of the question, for it would seem strange for her to request a video-call with the 6th Division's Vice-captain, and she would not request clarification from Ukitake-taichou, not wishing to disturb his rest.
But that left only one person whom she could logically turn to, without needing a fool-proof reason to give those in charge of handling the communications.
Aren't I lucky? he mused, wryly, as he continued walking, expertly ignoring the failed discreet glances sent his way by a group of unseated female Shinigami. (They were probably recent graduates from the Academy –he had observed over the years that they were the ones who usually lacked the experience to perfect secretive glances)
He wished Sasakibe-fukutaichou had spoken to the 13th Division, or to him, before sending any missive back to the living world. It would not change the fact that Rukia's request for leave would have been denied, of course, for he knew that no one wanted any of the humans and Shinigami in Karakura to know of their friend's current status.
But it could still have been handled better.
Perhaps it was a good thing that he was quite accustomed to keeping things from his sister, for he was certain that he would be lying to her soon.
Pulled from his thoughts when he felt a continuing set of gazes on his back, he let out an inward sigh when he realised that the group of young women from earlier were still standing in place.
One would think, after narrowly emerging victorious from a devastating war, that they would have other things to occupy their minds with, he thought, nothing in his gait or facial expression showing his mild irritation at the admiring glances.
He was, after all, quite used to them. That was one of the first things his grandfather had had the good sense to alert him to, before he left the safe confines of the Kuchiki estate to attend the academy.
Yet, he was not in the mood to deal with these glances today, and he definitely did not like the thought of dealing with them all the way back to the estate. So, walking calmly, with no quickening of his pace or any sign of tension in his shoulders, he continued on his way until he turned the corner, upon which he quickly switched to shunpou.
'Running away from pubescent girls, are you? How far the mighty have fallen...'
His shunpou momentarily faltered, causing him to land rather abruptly on the rooftop of one of the 3rd Division's buildings, and forcing him to quickly readjust his footing so as to maintain his balance.
...Senbonzakura?
The very idea that it could be her was nothing short of ridiculous, if not for the fact that he knew that voice.
He was only answered with silence, and, even as he gripped the hilt of his Zanpakutou, he could not say that he was surprised. It had been that way for a while now, after all.
But why had she-?
'You might want to return to your estate, instead of standing foolishly on rooftops analysing matters that are of no importance to you.'
It was Senbonzakura, but that that did not make matters less surprising—
Steely eyes narrowed. Wait, had she just-?
She had said to return to the estate, hadn't she?
'My, my, you are rather slow on the uptake are you not? Yes, that is what I said. Start moving.'
He might have wished to question her further –or give her a lesson in respect-, if he had not known of the...tense relationship he shared with his Zanpakutou spirit. As such, he could only guess that something must be wrong for her to speak to him once more. Something that she knew would affect him, either directly or not—
His eyes widened a fraction as realisation hit him in the gut.
A moment later, he was gone.
At the Relief Station:
"Kyouraku-taichou, I understand if you have finished your Division's paperwork and have nothing else to occupy your time with, but I would ask that you cease your attempts at flirting with my officers."
The brown haired Captain stiffened, letting his hand drop from the shoulder of a pretty, unseated 4th Division officer. There was a sheepish smile on his face as he turned around to see his colleague standing behind him, a tea laden tray held in her hands. "You are distracting them, Kyouraku-taichou," added the healer, polite smile still on her face, "and they have duties that cannot allow such distractions."
"Ahaha, I meant no harm by it, Unohana-taichou," said the 8th Division's Captain with a laugh. "Cute little Asami-chan over here was looking a little depressed, so I simply thought that I'd brighten up her day a little, you know?"
His colleague offered him another smile.
"It does not take too long for a messenger to reach the 8th Division from here, Kyouraku-taichou," she said. "How fast would you wish Ise-fukutaichou to arrive here?"
The smile froze on Kyouraku's lips before he let out another laugh, holding his hands up as though in defence.
"Okay, okay, I understand sempai," he said, turning back around to face the young woman he had been speaking to. "My apologies, Asami-chan. It was awfully insensible of me to stop you from carrying out your duties." He smiled at her. "I hope your day turns out well, my dear!"
He watched as the rather frightened woman turned to her own Captain before she all but ran out of the room with her supplies. Kyouraku let out a sigh as he watched her. "Ahhhh...she was good to talk to, sempai," he groaned, as he turned back around to face the smiling woman. "And she did seem depressed, you know."
Unohana smiled as she moved past him, still carrying the tray in her hands.
"That would be because her fiancé was brought here yesterday with hollow-related injuries," she said easily, not noticing his jaw dropping.
"Fiancé?!"
"Yes, fiancé."
"Oh dear..." She heard him sigh. "But she never said anything..." There was a brief pause. "Oops. I hope Fiancé-san doesn't get too mad..."
Smiling, the 4th Division's Captain stopped outside the door leading to her office, pushing it open but pausing when she stepped inside.
"Join me for tea, Shunsui-kun?"
"Eh? Oh. Oh. Of course! I have nothing else to do anyway, so...why not?"
"Ise-san will come here sooner or later, Shunsui-kun, so you might as well enjoy this while it lasts," said the healer as she set the tea tray on her desk, gesturing for her friend to take a seat opposite hers.
When he was settled in his seat, and had a mug of tea in his hands, he chanced a glance at his colleague.
"Am I in trouble, sempai?" he asked, after a moment's pause, not at all reassured by the smile he received.
"Why would you think that, Shunsui-kun?"
"Er...not that I don't find this tea enjoyable... but...it's rather...bitter, sempai. Very bitter."
"Oh?" He could have sworn that her smile widened. "Forgive me, Shunsui-kun. Would you like it sweetened, then? Where's the –ah, here it is." When she held out her hand for his mug of tea, he gave it to her without a moment's hesitation, although he blanched as she dipped a fresh spoon into a small white pot on the tray, dumping spoonful after spoonful...after spoonful of sugar in his mug.
Five, six...sev –eigh- nin –ten-! I am in trouble, thought the easy going Captain, I'm going to die! Juu-kun, my dearest friend, it's been fun, the last couple hundred decades. I'll miss you, but make sure to take care of my lovely Nanao-chan, okay? She-
Snapped out of his thoughts when his mug was returned to him, he took it from the healer. "It should be better now, Shunsui-kun."
"Ah –y-yes..." he managed, smiling at her but doing nothing to raise the mug to his lips.
"Do you not like the tea, Shunsui-kun?" pressed the healer, politely, and it was all her colleague could do to repress the shivers threatening to run down his spine.
I don't want to risk indigestion, sempai, thought the Captain, morosely.
"Sempai, if this is about Juu-kun," he started, carefully, "It wasn't meant to end with him getting...an attack again. Really."
"Oh, I know that," said the healer with a smile, as she leaned back into her chair.
"You do?" She nodded again. "Oh, okay then. Just checking."
A comfortable silence fell upon them, and Kyouraku was sure that there were waves of pure smugness rolling off his colleague. She really was good at what she did.
And she was scary too, he couldn't forget that.
"Would you like a new cup of tea, Shunsui-kun?" asked Unohana, breaking the silence to be answered with a relieved grin.
"Please, sempai. I think you might've gone a little overboard with the sugar," said Kyouraku, with a laugh. "Nice going." When he had a fresh mug of tea in his hands, he let out a sigh of relief as he sipped it slowly.
"It would help with your hangover if you were to drink it bitter," commented Unohana, watching as his eyes widened in horror.
"Sempai, that's just rude," he protested, shaking his head. "I never get hangovers."
"Is that right? Perhaps I should mention this to Ise-san, then. Did you know that she seems to entertain the belief that she should handle all the paperwork, especially on the days after you go drinking? She seems to feel as though you suffer from such bad, painful—"
"-I said I was sorry already, sempai! I won't let Juu-kun get so drunk next time, I swear!"
Unohana merely hummed in reply, smile still on her lips as she sipped her tea, and for a moment, neither of the pair spoke as they chose to enjoy the comfortable silence that had once more descended upon them. "Ah, I've been meaning to ask... how is Inoue-chan, sempai?"
Looking up at her friend, the healer tilted her head to a side.
"She is not with us at the Relief Station anymore, Shunsui-kun...I thought you knew that?"
The 8th Division's Captain nodded.
"I did," he confirmed, "but I figured that you would probably be the best person to ask, seeing how she's still receiving treatment."
"You could always ask Kuchiki-tai... on second thought, perhaps it is best that you do not ask him," said the healer in reply, earning an amused look from across the table.
"Byakuya-kun can be so harsh sometimes, sempai. I already have permanent scarring in my delicate little heart because of that..."
"I am certain you will pull through," replied Unohana, only barely refraining from rolling her eyes.
"So? How is Inoue-chan?"
The 4th Division's Captain took another sip of her tea before answering.
"She seems..." she paused, shaking her head slightly. "There seems to be no change in her behaviour, from what I have heard from Isane and Hanatarou-kun." For once, her mouth was set in something other than a smile, and her colleague was quick to pick it up.
"But surely you did not expect her to change so soon, sempai?" he queried. "It's only been...what, three days since she left the Relief Station?" The healer nodded. "Well then, there you have it. It's too soon for anything to happen. She's probably trying to get used to the change herself."
"Yes, that is true. But...it seems that she has not been eating. According to Isane, while she has not lost any weight per se, she does not look very healthy either."
"But she didn't eat much while she was here either," reminded Kyouraku, causing his friend to look at him.
"I am not saying that she is not in good hands at the Kuchiki estate, Shunsui-kun –far from it, actually." She sighed. "I just fear that she might get lonely, that is all. But then, I knew of this possibility before she left the Relief Station, so I should not be surprised."
"Ah." Kyouraku nodded sagely. "Byakuya-kun isn't exactly the bright little ray of sunshine he was when he was younger, is he? Er, not that he ever really was..." He stared at the cup of tea in his hands. "Has he said anything about this to you?"
Unohana shook her head.
"Not to me, but he has questioned Isane as to what he should do concerning her food intake. He was not above suggesting forcefully forcing her to eat –but, of course, I don't think he will actually carry it out. That might not be the best option, given my patient's recent experiences."
Kyouraku blinked.
"That's...good to hear," he muttered, and there must have been a note of surprise in his voice, for his friend sent him a questioning glance. "I'm just...pleased that Byakuya-kun's taken some interest in the matter," he confessed, answering her unvoiced question.
The healer quirked her eyebrows at him.
"I would not travel too far down that path, Shunsui-kun. I don't quite think that Kuchiki-taichou has forgiven you your last attempt at 'setting him up' with someone." There was a definite note of amusement in her voice as she spoke. "It could not have been a pleasant experience for him to have a Rukongai resident challenging him for...what was it? Ah, yes, for 'daring to sully the reputation of his wife of fifteen years'..."
The 8th Division's Captain grimaced at the memory.
"In my defence," he started, "I was desperate to find him someone and was just checking out all my options." He smiled suddenly. "And I learnt that he doesn't quite go for the mature, married women...so that narrows it down, you know."
Unohana nodded.
"I am sure it does," she said politely, "but I would ask that you refrain from another matchmaking scheme for a while." Her friend pouted.
"You're no fun, sempai," he grumbled, raising the mug of tea back to his lips.
Meanwhile:
Striding down the hallways, he quickly made his way towards the guest quarters, frowning slightly as he noticed the servants lingering in the corridor.
Servants who should not be in this part of the manor, in such numbers.
Ignoring their surprise as he breezed past them, he came to a halt before the room that held his temporary guest, and frowned when he saw the elderly head of the staff kneeling before the doors.
"What is going on here?" he asked quickly, drawing the attention of the elderly man and the other servants who had yet to notice him.
"Byakuya-sama," said the elderly servant, surprise flitting quickly across his face. "I-" Holding a hand up, Byakuya silenced him before he could continue.
"The rest of you have no purpose here, I believe," he said curtly, not once taking his eyes off the trusted head of his household staff. "Go back to your work at once."
There was a flurry of hurried bows and murmured apologies before they departed, slightly easing the tense atmosphere that hung about the corridor. When he was certain that they had left, or at least were not within hearing distance, the noble raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the man. "What has happened?"
For something certainly had happened.
The faint reiatsu that he could sense from the other side of the door was conflicted, and what had him mildly concerned was the thought that this...conflict could just as easily turn into panic. The last thing that anyone –much the less the human herself- needed was to have to deal with a panic attack.
"Forgive me, Byakuya-sama," murmured the elderly servant, turning around so that he could bow down to his master. "Two days ago, you asked me to ensure that the guest had three proper meals, despite her desire to refrain from doing so, and I was attempting to-"
"Did you use force?"
"Byakuya-sama?"
Steely eyes narrowed.
"Did you use force?" repeated Byakuya, voice devoid of any particular emotion. The other man shook his head, a somewhat affronted expression crossing his face.
"Of course not, Byakuya-sama. Forgive me if it might seem impertinent of me to say so, but I believe that that is the last thing the girl needs at this point in time. She is frail and...frightened enough as it is." The noble nodded, gesturing for him to continue. "The guards alerted me to a foreign presence in the east gardens, so I left my post to see to it, instructing one of the other servants to try and get her to eat."
"Foreign presence?" echoed Byakuya, as the elderly man nodded. Brilliant. This was just what he needed to make his day even better.
"It was only Kusajishi-fukutaichou," explained the servant. "Attempting to build some sort of...tunnel to get through the property, Byakuya-sama," he added, seeing the look on the noble's face.
Why that little... Briefly closing his eyes, Byakuya forced himself to focus on the matter at hand.
He didn't want to know how the pink haired menace, devoid of her eyesight as she was, had made it to the estate –considering her usual lodgings in the 11th Division were quite a distance away from his home.
"I will...deal with that at a later time," he said at last, before nodding at the closed door before them. "But that does not explain what happened here."
The older man shook his head, a wary expression crossing his face.
"The servant that I left with your guest, Byakuya-sama, took my words a little...too seriously, I fear, and..." Seeing the noble's eyes fixed on him, the man sighed inwardly. "I do not think she was gentle with the human, Byakuya-sama."
Silence filled the air after his words, as the elderly man stared at the floor.
"She used force?"
"She attempted to."
"Did she raise a hand to her?"
"From what I gathered, she threatened to, but did not actually carry the threat out."
Byakuya nodded, eyes moving from the other man to rest on the closed door. It was a good thing that the girl's reiatsu was still so faint, for the negative emotion radiating from it would have been picked up immediately by those in Seireitei who knew her well.
His mouth was set in a grim line at the female servant's actions.
"I believe I gave the staff specific instructions as to the handling of this guest," he said slowly.
"You did, Byakuya-sama," agreed the elderly man. "I fear that it was my irresponsibility that caused-" He was cut off when the noble held up his hand once more.
"You are going to deal with this servant?" he inquired.
"Of course, Byakuya-sama. I had already sent her to her quarters, so what is left is to-"
"-See to it that she is dealt with properly. You are certain that she did not lay a hand on the human?"
"I am certain," supplied the man, causing the noble to nod.
"How fortunate for her," he commented, dryly. "She will be used as an example, for I do not wish to hear of any such incidents in the future," cut in Byakuya, dismissively. "Whatever the staff's personal opinions might be, she is a guest in the manor, and as such, will be treated with the courtesy given to guests. Do I make myself clear? I will not tolerate having to repeat this a third time."
"Yes, Byakuya-sama." There was a pause. "Forgive me, I should not have left my post as I did."
Byakuya shook his head slowly.
"As head of the household staff, it is natural for you to have other duties to attend to. You cannot always be expected to remain outside her room," he commented, reasonably. "But, if such a situation arises again, perhaps it would be best to leave her in the hands of one of the...older servants? They would, at least, have more sense and experience when it comes to handling guests."
"Yes, Byakuya-sama."
"You may leave." With a hurried bow, the elderly servant stood, walking down the corridor and leaving Byakuya standing outside the human's room, staring at the door as though it was responsible for his troubles.
I should have known that three days of undisturbed peace was too much to ask for, he thought, somewhat morosely, resisting the urge to sigh.
He briefly turned his eyes onto the Zanpakutou strapped to his waist, his hand rising to grasp its hilt.
He was quite sure, now, that Senbonzakura had broken her vow to never speak to him again for this...and it only served to confuse him further. Of all the times for the Zanpakutou spirit to interact with him, why now?
Why was it that every time he did see the Zanpakutou spirit, it was somehow in relation to the troubled human on the other side of the door?
With the practiced ease of a man who knew how to sort out his priorities, he banished the thoughts from his head. There would be time for reflection –later.
The President of the Shinigami Research Institute was not in a good mood, and it wasn't hard for those working under him to realise this. They were used to the muttering under his breath, for that was something that the Captain usually did, but there was a new, troubled air around him that had his subordinates scurrying out of his way as he made his way around the 12th Division.
And if Kurotsuchi Mayuri noticed this behaviour, he made no comment on it, choosing instead to walk into his laboratory, slamming the doors shut behind him.
Continuing to walk through the dimly-lit rooms of his prized laboratory, Kurotsuchi eventually came to a halt before a set of rather foreboding steel doors. Turning his attention to the keypad fixed to the wall next to them, he swiftly entered in the access code, and only found himself waiting a moment before the doors opened, allowing him to step inside.
The cause of his ire was contained in a glass display case, and as he stopped in front of it, he found his hands clenching into fists.
Didn't they look so innocent, lying there on the metal stand.
He still found it difficult to believe that two flimsy, ugly hairclips had once contained powers that had had him intrigued from the first moment he had seen them. It would have been far more impressive if they had been...well, anything else.
As he felt a well of frustration surge within him, he quickly turned his back on the display case and headed further into the room. God forbid he accidentally break the blasted hairclips before he was able to glean the secrets held within them.
When he reached the rather disorganised table, he immediately reached for the stack of papers to his left, glancing briefly at the date and time printed on the topmost sheet. It seemed as though his good for nothing Vice-captain had sensed his...frustration, he mused, for she could not have processed the data gleaned by the most recent tests on the hairclips unless she had remained in the laboratory the night before.
Good girl, he thought, dryly, before refocusing his attention on the neatly written data.
He made it to the fourth page, before he slammed the whole pile back down on the table, not the least bit bothered as the furniture rattled in protest. Momentarily allowing his surging frustration to get the better of him, he slammed his fist into the table, his eyes narrowed as he glared at nothing in particular.
This was not good.
The fact that the interesting human had 'lost' her powers was not surprising, not when he gathered the facts surrounding her experiences –or what he knew of her experiences- from the time he had first seen her in Seireitei. He had seen a similar thing happening to many Shinigami too, particularly those who were only just out of the Academy, and who had completed their first proper mission.
What he had expected, was to have some clue, or hint, stored in the hairclips that apparently gave the human's power its true form. It was only natural, after all, especially when he saw the similarities between the hairclips and a Zanpakutou.
But to have only the faintest traces of the girl's reiatsu and nothing else?
That was just too much.
Although, if he was being honest, he had not particularly expected to find too many answers in the hairclips themselves –no, the answers he required would come from the girl herself. But of course, as it usually happened, the Goteijusantai opposed his offer to run some tests on the girl.
Foolish people, he thought with a disdainful snort. They claim they wish to maintain peace and establish order, but balk like little children at the prospect of experimentation, which would, quite possibly, give them the means to maintain this peace and establish order.
No matter how much he might want to, he knew that sauntering outside the 12th Division to 'borrow' the girl from her current place of residence was firmly out of the question. At least for the moment. He could care less about Unohana-taichou's disapproval if he were to do so, but rather, he didn't want to be making enemies, so soon after the war.
Besides, if he were to borrow the girl, it would involve sneaking her out of the Kuchiki estate. And while that may not be too difficult, he'd probably have to deal with a persistent noble tagging after him, intent on rectifying the scratch he had made on his pride by kidnapping a 'guest'.
...Or something like that. It was hard to tell what made the young upstar –the young noble tick, but he knew that he could do without having him on his back. For now.
But that only left him with one option, and that was to continue gathering data on the hairclips. He shot the items in question a glare over his shoulder. What more tests could he possibly run on them? He had already gone through every possible angle that was available, and every bit of data was, more or less, the same.
His eyes narrowed as a sudden thought came to him; he had another option. It was up to him as to whether he wanted to use it or not, but...he really did have a third option.
Urahara Kisuke.
The mere mention of the name, in his head, had a surge of fierce, stubborn competitiveness spark to life within him, but he was used to it. He had had to deal with it for a good many centuries after all, even after the man had fallen from grace and escaped to the living world, he still haunted the 2nd president of the Research Institute.
No, he thought after a moment's pause, no. I will not go to him. I will find something, I am sure. And if that fails... his eyes narrowed again, then I will find another way. Urahara Kisuke will be the last of my last resorts, and that is that.
He still stood before the closed door, hands hanging limp at his sides as he sent the aforementioned door a look that would have killed it, had it been alive. Really, this was getting more and more ridiculous by the minute.
Had he not faced more dire situations?
Had he not been on the brink of death? Not once, but twice in the recent past?
Perhaps that was not a good example to use, he thought with a cringe, as his thoughts wondered back to that day, in Hueco Mundo.
Compared to everything that he had been through during his career as a Shinigami, this should, in all honesty, be a...what was the phrase that was used in the living world?... ah, 'a piece of cake'.
Yet he was still hesitating. Heck, it seemed as though that was all he did when it came to this matter; hesitate and then hesitate some more.
Scowling inwardly at his behaviour, he shook his head before stepping forward, his shoulders set.
Raising a hand to the doors, he rapped his knuckles lightly on the delicate, rice-paper covered frame.
I cannot very well stand here all afternoon, until she sees fit to answer, he thought, absently adjusting the heirloom scarf wrapped around his neck when he didn't receive any answer.
"I am coming inside," he said at last, resting his hand against the door and slowly sliding it open after enough of a pause to allow her to make herself decent if she was not.
The first thing that he saw as he stood in the doorway to the room, was the tray of food that had been placed on the low table that had been moved next to the futon in the centre of the room.
From what he could see of the uncovered tray, the food was, more or less, the same as what was usually given to patients in the Relief Station –and, of course, it was untouched.
The next thing that he noticed was that the futon was unoccupied. In fact, it was almost as though it had not been slept in at all. A glance to his left showed the girl huddled in the corner of the room, her back leaning against the wall while her knees were drawn up to her chest.
He could not see her face, for it was covered by strands of her bright hair while the rest of it was pressed into her knees; but he could tell that she was shaking. Quite violently at that.
As he stood still, head turned towards her, a wave of something close to uncertainty coursed through him –the first of many, he was sure, given the way things were progressing.
Steeling himself against the sudden urge to turn on his heel and request one of the elderly female servants –perhaps one of those who were used to handling children- to deal with the situation, he stepped inside the room, only to pause and step back into the corridor outside.
Once his sandals were removed and placed neatly outside, he moved forward once more, stopping when he was a few feet away from the shaking, bright haired figure.
If she noticed his presence, she did not show it, and he would admit that it was not a reaction he was used to. "...Are you alright?" He was beginning to grow increasingly frustrated with the lengthy silences he seemed to be greeted with by everyone around him. Or...by his Zanpakutou and his guest, if he was to be honest.
Perhaps this was how his subordinates felt when he refused to speak with them? He quickly shook his head. "Inoue," he called, a sharp note unintentionally entering his voice, causing her to cringe visibly. "Are you alright?"
She still did not reply, and that left him at a loss as to what to do next. He was, in no way, shape or form, good at comforting others, or even at making them feel at ease –there were a great many things he excelled in, but this was not one of them.
Staring somewhat awkwardly down at her, he considered his options. As it was, he could send for one of the elderly servants or he could send someone to the Relief Station. Perhaps Kotetsu-fukutaichou would be able to set the girl at ease, or even the 7th Seat, Yamada Hanatarou.
Members of the Kuchiki Clan do not run from anything.
Oh, of course his pride would add its own two cents in such a situation.
Shifting his feet on the floor, he lowered himself to a seated position on his knees, taking care to keep a reasonable distance between himself and the girl. It would not do to invade her personal space after all.
And to think that I managed to avoid incidents like this since her arrival here, he thought with an inward sigh.
"Inoue," he started, telling himself to picture the girl before him as a frightened child, if it would help at all, "I-"
"S...orry."
He stared at her bowed head for a moment before averting his eyes to his knees.
"I am fairly certain that you have no need to apologise-"
"-But...but please, don't...don't..." her voice trailed off and he could not help but watch as the hands around her legs tightened their grip. Her shaking seemed to have increased if he was to judge by the more violent tremors that racked her body.
"Inoue," he repeated, lowering his voice to as reassuring a pitch as he could. "You have done nothing that requires an apology." But the tremors did not stop. He continued to stare at his knees for a moment longer before hesitantly reached out towards her with his hand. "I said, you have not-"
He stopped when he caught sight of a partially hidden grey eye through the strands of hair that fell over her face, and could only watch as she let out a muffled cry before pressing herself further against the wall, not seeming to realise that she could not possibly go any further unless she went through the wall.
"P-Please don't –don't touch me-!" she exclaimed, her knees falling away from her chest as she pressed her back harder against the wall, hands placed on the floor on either side of her as she stared at him through horrified, glazed, grey eyes.
He froze at the cry, hand still stretched out.
What...? Opening his mouth, he quickly snapped it shut before lowering his hand.
"I meant no harm," he said after a moment of silence, not averting his eyes from hers. "I meant no harm," he repeated firmly, holding her gaze despite watching her terror filled eyes roam his face, lingering for a moment on a spot above his eyes.
Hmm? What is she looking at?
Whatever it was that she had seen, he watched as her shoulders relaxed ever-so-slightly. A sign he would have missed if he had not been looking at her.
It took a painfully long time for her widened eyes to slowly, slowly, revert back to their normal size, and when they did, he watched as she blinked a few times.
"...By...Byakuya-san?" she whispered her voice a mix of uncertainty and hope.
"Yes?" he queried calmly, as though everything was perfectly fine; as though she was not looking ready to burrow a hole through the wall.
He watched as a relieved expression flashed across the open canvas that was her face.
"Byakuya-san," she repeated, her hands slowly unclenching from the fists they had curled into.
I do believe we already established this, thought the noble with an inward scowl.
"Yes," he replied, and it seemed that that was all he had needed to do, for a moment later, she was slumped against the wall, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
"Sorry."
His brow twitched before he could stop it, and he hoped that it had gone by unnoticed.
"I already said there was no need for you to apologise. Do not make me repeat myself once more," he said, a touch too sharply it seemed, for she cringed once more.
He did not let her speak, even as she opened her mouth. "...Do not apologise," he said, as firmly as he could without coming across as threatening. She glanced at him once more, and he held her gaze despite the discomfort that the lost, grey eyes brought out in him.
"Sorry," she said, before she could stop herself. A hand went flying to her mouth as she realised her mistake. "Sorry, I-I didn't..." Her eyes widened once more. "S-Sorry –" The pointed look he sent her way seemed to have worked, for she snapped her mouth shut quickly, her eyes shifting to gaze at something or the other to her side. "Sor...ah, I...I mean..."
He held up a hand, silencing her.
She really did not seem to understand, did she? Why else would she apologise three times after he had explicitly told her not to? He watched as her hands clutched at the pale yukata that fell over her legs. "I... I thought you..." she swallowed, "were some...someone else..."
Whoever this 'someone else' is, thought Byakuya as he observed her body language, he was someone she was frightened of.
His eyes narrowed in thought. Could it have been one of them? It would make sense; she had been with them in Las Noches, whether out of her own free will or not... and, if she had not betrayed her friends, then she would most certainly not have felt at ease in the enemy's white palace.
If he was offended at the possibility that she had thought he was one of Aizen's Espada, he did not show it.
"Who?" he asked, impulsively. "Who did you think I was?"
He wondered if that had been a smart move on his part as the girl seemed to fold in on herself once more, drawing her knees up again as she did so. He spoke up before she could bury her face into her knees once more. "It does not matter," he said quickly. "I am...not whoever you thougt-"
"He...he had that too," she mumbled, her eyes on his face once more.
He? Which 'he'? He tried to remember if any of the Espada he knew of had borne a similar appearance to his. The Espada he had met personally...he blanched inwardly, hoping she was not speaking of the likes of the Cero Espada. Or the pompous Septima Espada.
His eyes narrowed at the thought.
Zommari Leroux, he thought with a growl, abandoning that train of thought when he sensed the spark of fear in the faint reiatsu belonging to the human before him.
Quickly calming his own reiatsu with a faintly sheepish air, he refocused his attention on the girl.
"I did not mean any harm," he said quietly, beginning, once more, to wish that he did not have to be here. "I-"
"-His reiatsu w-was... w-was like that too. A... A little," she whispered, her gaze fixed on her knees. "I, I was..." Tears filled her eyes as he watched in mild dismay. "I was scared. S-So, so scared..."
Byakuya's eyes narrowed as he stared at her bowed head. He would not lie and say that he was not curious as to whom she was speaking of, but he also knew that it was a sense of curiosity that could easily be subdued. It was not vital to the Goteijusantai, or to Seireitei, to find out who he reminded her of.
But he could not help but recall what Unohana-taichou had said when he had last met with her, a few days ago. She had mentioned what the girl had told her while undergoing one of the Captain's check-ups, just as she had informed him that she would do something similar as her recuperation continued.
He grudgingly admitted that these little...insights would prove to be useful to them; in fact, he was certain that the Captain-Commander had known of this, and would want to know whatever he could of what she unintentionally revealed.
It could also, he supposed, help her when it came to questioning her allegiance.
But, all the same...
'She must speak.'
The familiar voice startled him, but he did not show it. Instead, he focused on the scent of cherry blossoms that slowly began to fill the room. Evidently, his Zanpakutou spirit was paying attention to what was happening.
Another glance at the teary-eyed girl had him shaking his head.
Even though she was not in any mortal danger, at least at the moment, she looked half a dozen steps away from death's door. Her skin was eerily pale, and her bright hair was lacking its usual lustre. Her yukata hung loose on her frame, and the dark circles under her eyes were easily noticeable.
No, he thought, firmly. This is enough.
"Whoever he was," he said, breaking the silence that had fallen upon them, "he cannot harm you anymore." And that was true, for the Espada were all accounted for; they were either dead, or were close to it in their captivity. "You need not concern your-"
"But...b-but you're...not him," said the girl, softly. "Y-You're different."
All Byakuya could do was stare at her. "Y-You're n-not evil. Or cruel.." she swallowed visibly. "N-not like him. Not like A-A...Aizen-...sama."
The noble did not know which reaction to give into; the reaction that had him feeling a touch of sympathy for the human...or the reaction that had him horrified at the thought that Aizen Sousuke reminded her of him.
The fact that it was the first time she had spoken of the traitor seemed important too, although he could not quite tell what to make of it. "S-Sorry." The soft voice drew his attention back to her. "I –I'm..."
The tears falling from her eyes did not give her a chance to finish her statement, and a moment later, she had her head buried in her knees again. "So...rry, Byakuya-san..."
He continued to stare at her, and, if she had looked up, she would have seen the unusual uncertainty evident on his face.
How, wondered the noble, how did it get to this? Hadn't he only been here to see if she was...unharmed by the actions of a servant in the Kuchiki household? How had it gone from that to...this?
"I..." he trailed off just as quickly, glancing at her shaking figure before averting his eyes. "There is..." He frowned down at his knees. "You don't have to..."
Oh yes, that must sound very reassuring, he told himself a touch sarcastically, It's a wonder she has not calmed down yet.
Clearing his throat, he glanced at her once more. "Aizen Sousuke cannot reach you again," he said quietly, "Rest assured of that, Inoue." But he might as well have been speaking to a brick wall. "You will not come to...any harm while you are here," he continued, switching his gaze to his knees. "The Kuchiki estate is...a secure place..."
What else, he wondered, what else am I meant to say? I cannot very well do anything more. "The Espada cannot reach you either. You are...safe here, Inoue." For the time being, he added mentally, but she does not need to-
"P...promise?"
Looking up, he would have thought that he had imagined the query –if not for the shimmering grey eyes that peeked at him through strands of bright, sunset-hued hair.
"I...beg your pardon?"
The girl took a deep, shuddering breath.
"Do...do you pr...promise?"
His brows furrowed at that. Promise what-? Oh. Oh.
Later, he would furiously berate himself for his thoughtless actions, until he found himself in a foul mood accompanied by a headache that did nothing to improve it.
But now, seated before the girl who was peering hopelessly at him through an almost-barrier made up of her hair and her raised knees, he found that there was nothing else that he could do. Not when he seemed to have left the stoic mask he had expertly crafted for himself centuries ago in the corridor outside.
She just looked so... so...
Steadily meeting and holding her gaze, he gave her a small, curt nod.
It was foolish, so very foolish, and would surely be an invitation for disaster to drop by for a visit...but what else could he do?
"I promise," he said firmly. "I promise that you are safe here, Inoue."
He distractedly hoped that his parents and grandfather were not turning in their graves at the prospect of him making yet another promise that his status, as a Kuchiki who kept to his word, would force him to keep, no matter the cost.
Fool, he told himself, have you not yet learned to think before leaping into anything?
A feeling akin to nausea rose within him, and he clenched his hands into fists as he fought against it. This was...he was...
"Th...thank you, Byakuya-san."
When he looked back at her, there was no smile on her lips. Nor was there anything similar to it.
But he thought that the hope, the hope that was clear in her wide grey eyes, was far worse than a smile could have been.
As the almost-nauseous feeling surged intently once more inside him, he straightened before roughly pulling himself to his feet. Keeping his eyes averted from her, he turned and strode briskly towards the door, stepping outside and sliding the door shut behind him.
Standing in the corridor for a brief moment, he stared unseeingly ahead of him.
What have I done?
A/N
Lol, I should have known that the short chapters wouldn't last. On the one hand, I suppose it's a good thing, as it means that I'm getting more and more comfortable with picking up from where I left off in this story...but on the other hand...well. Ah well.
This was a pretty intense chapter –that was what I felt, at least. The scenes that had Byakuya in it were mostly from his point of view, and I hope I didn't mess it up too much. I needed to get this chapter (especially the last bit) out of the way, so I'm glad that that's done with. I only hope that it wasn't too rushed. I kind of wanted to portray Byakuya kind of...put on the spot, and to see how he'd react.
I was wondering if anyone could help me out with something though. You know the elderly man that's seen with Byakuya in some panels in the manga? (I can't quite remember which chapters they are, but it's when Byakuya's at home). I was wondering if anyone knew his name? I would really appreciate it if someone could tell me. Thanks!
Well, I'm going to stop my rambling here. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint too much.
Till next time,
Siriusgirl1