Last chapter has had the most reviews so far. I loved every bit of your encouragement and kind words. I hope that you continue to like this story.
Neross: Was the update fast enough?! Of course, all in due time... *Grins* Thanks.
I present to you...with the cordial editing of my beta...
*=A Hope=*
Rukia awoke very early in the morning in order to organize around the house, as dishes and clothes were piled up due to her being bedridden for the last few days. After dusting through the majority of her quarters, the living room proved to still be occupied by a certain sleeping shopkeeper, so she decided to hang the clothes outside.
"Does Captain Kuchiki not have any clothing to send for cleaning? Perhaps I should enquire," Rukia mused upon realizing there was no other unfamiliar clothing apart from a spare set of green attire, whose owner was not so hard to figure out.
When she stepped out into the dawn with her clothes basket, it seemed entirely too fine a day not to bask in it for a while. The young woman set her laundry down and walked a few steps towards the edge of the cliff to view the morning shore.
"Ah! I could never grow tired of the sea." She exhaled an air of contentment.
"Indeed."
This startled her. She turned her head to see the noble captain standing by her side, scrutinizing the glorious beauty far ahead.
"Good morning," Rukia acknowledged him.
"Likewise." Seeing that his host still had something more to say he added, "Yes?"
"Oh! I was wondering if you have any clothing of yours that required cleaning."
"I am afraid I do not have any spare set of clothes." He felt much degraded for admitting to it, but when he saw Rukia being attacked on that night, clothing was not exactly on his mind. Nonetheless, he had been switching between his shinigami form and gigai; right now, he was in his country gentleman look.
"I would happily lend you my spare set, Kuchiki-dono!"
It was that jovial tone irritating the living daylights out of him again. Turning to spy the speaker, Byakuya glowered. "Your sartorial sense is disturbing."
Kisuke brushed his hand over the opening of his green haori as he approached them. "Green is a lovely colour – it also traditionally stands for 'restful and fresh'."
"Not the exact embodiment of my nature."
"Oh, Kuchiki-dono! If I didn't know you any better, I would have thought of you as an 'ice puzzle'." He sat down on the grass, fanning himself negligently.
"Ice puzzle. Interesting." People had called him 'heartless' and even 'higher-up stuck-up', but no one had the creativity of calling him by that perplexing phrase before.
"Haven't seen anything so cold as snow since the last time I was in Central Forty-six." Urahara slid off his hat and ruffled his hair as his eyes reflected something more than sorrow. Revenge?
"I suggest you take a hold of your tongue, Kisuke Urahara."
The exile dismissed this threat quite casually and continued nattering joyfully, which Byakuya did not expect after his brief reflection on a dark memory known only to a select few. "Add 'mysteriously terrifying'. You are, indeed, the infamous stoic captain we have come to know about."
"And the last time you were in Soul Society was in which century, if I may ask?"
Seeing that the two of them were having yet another go at each other in an unusually polite fashion, Rukia waved in protest. "I suppose a nice cup of tea would really do us some good. I hope to see you in the tearoom soon." She began to stroll towards the house after sending a glare of warning towards both men.
While Urahara was already used to witnessing it, Byakuya was truly taken aback after viewing her daring expression.
"Would I be too presumptuous if I said she is turning out to be just like you?" Kisuke grinned.
"I suppose not."
* * *
He watched Rukia leave a cup of tea on the front deck as Urahara retreated for reasons known only to him before following towards the tearoom to join his erstwhile ally.
How could any bonding ever be possible when the other person holds no memory of having known you?
That thought had been spinning in his mind as his stormy grey eyes followed the swirling on the surface of his morning tea. As the ascending steam from the cup hit him, he found Rukia gazing at his meditative absorption.
Before Byakuya took a sip, a sudden bomb of surprise shattered his collected façade.
"Do you miss her still?"
The troubled soul sneaked a peak at Rukia to see her waiting expectantly, yet guilt was clearly evident from the way she kept clutching onto her mug. She had not forgotten to breathe, had she?
He would forgive her.
"Very much so." If she was the old Rukia, he would have gladly responded with his taciturn nod, but right now he hoped for a miracle to arise out of any goodness that he decided to pour out of his restless heart. Byakuya even found himself reaching further, possibly digging his own hole even deeper. But it seemed appropriate for the time being. "Would you be interested in learning about her?"
"Very much so." She was smiling as she mimicked his earlier reply. His usual frown turned into a thin almost-smile.
"She resembled a woman I treasure. With the passing of time, I have come to lose them both." He was surprised at how he was opening himself up to her and went on to take another sip; his eyes remained shut, possibly to fight back any urge to shed tears. The comfort of the sea was to be blamed for this.
His attentive listener recalled the captain's words from the previous night: "How can I be fond of something that reminds me of what I no longer possess?" She reached a conclusion. "I suppose both of them were very dear to him."
"While I may not relate to you in any way, I assure you that your presence is warmly welcomed in our family. You may pay a visit whenever a problem troubles you, Taichou."
"But you do relate to me, and that is my only problem as of this moment." But Byakuya only nodded in acknowledgement.
"Thank you."
* * *
"Lose your Kenseikan!" Urahara peeked from the front door.
"My attire is not your concern."
"Apparently." He sighed to himself, earning a glare from Byakuya. "Lose the negativity while you're at it, Kuchiki-dono. You are the only captain who bears such a sign of rank; therefore, it will cause you to stand out on the shore. Don't make it so easy for Mayuri's poison web!"
"It is not my wish to leave matters in your inept care while lunacy nests in your hat." The captain went back to his coiffure.
"Why, thank you. I have never been better complimented except by Yoruichi. Ah, but what are soul-mates for?" His pretence of daydreaming came to a halt as the Kuchiki prince made his way towards the house on silent steps.
"Without a doubt, a worthy…" Urahara's remarks became fainter as he approached her room. A knock followed soon.
"Come in," came Rukia's voice.
"I was considering if you could grant my Kenseikan a secure place to shelter, Rukia."
She had been finding it odd how he did not add any honorific after her name. In Soul Society, for that matter even in the living world, people referred to someone by their first name only if they were closely affiliated. Seeing his detached expression right before her very eyes, Rukia quickly dismissed any such thoughts. She attributed his manner of addressing her to his high status, just like that white Kenseikan served to convey the glory of its wearer.
"Oh! Are you heading somewhere?" But her tone did not reveal any of her conflicting thoughts.
"Just by the shore for a walk." Byakuya slid off his headpiece and handed it over to Rukia.
"Are you sure about this, Captain? After all-"
"I am never wrong in my judgement."
Rukia became flustered at his indirect compliment of whose provenance she was not so sure about. "Well, in that case, be assured of its safety. Although…"
"Hmm?"
"There is a very nice valley down the eastern coast where off-seasonal flowers are artificially cultivated, even the rare ones. They also accommodate the Western flowers from time to time. If you would like, I could arrange for us to pay a visit there. Miki is very fond of that area and I am sure you would be, too."
"Very well. If it would not be too much trouble for you, that is."
"Well, you are my guest and a tourist of this area. I would not do a good job as a host otherwise. Have a safe walk, Captain Kuchiki."
He flinched at her manner of address, but bowed all the same.
* * *
Byakuya was wearing a bluish-grey kimono with a deep grey hakama as he felt it was comfortable under the summer sun. For the purpose of evading recognition, he was persuaded to wear reading glasses, making him seem like a traditional novelist. He looked around to see some children running in the distance. Hanabi excitement was still heavy in the air.
He felt bare without his scarf or Kenseikan.
Instinctively, Byakuya looked in the direction of the bungalow to spot a faint figure.
"Could it be that she fears I might get lost?" His hand shot up without a second thought, in an attempt to assure her.
A small waive responded back to his gesture. She was… smiling.
Anything to get his sister back. But this Rukia was, so far, open to his interpretation. Like an unknown sea, outstretching its rhythm of waves to any awestruck beholder.
He felt awkward being watched by her. To Rukia, he was a guest, which in fact was no different than being a freeloader. A noble freeloader at that. What an irony! It still did not make things any more favourable. He quite missed being called 'Nii-sama'. He was never anyone's 'Nii-sama'.
A family.
A bond.
On the brink of demise.
Kuchiki Rukia.
Byakuya decided he would let one of his talents rescue the moment as he stripped out of his gigai. He unsheathed Senbonzakura and held it in his signature fashion. "Scatter, Senbonzakura."
The steely grey sword dissipated into a cloud of sakura petals under the noon sun, swirling gently around him before brushing closer to the ground. The colour of the petals was the most intense during noon due to the maximum amount of light being reflected off the countless blades. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts travel back into the past.
Strangely, she had never liked the spring. It had been a week since that season had bloomed in the atmosphere around them, adorning the once empty trees with their identifying colourful flowers. Most of all, the sakuras were in reign.
They sat silently on the quiet veranda, Hisana leaning against the wooden pole, her eyes closed in deep somberness.
"Why is it that you do not take a liking to spring, Hisana?" He had asked a while ago.
He watched her take a deep breath which worried him for a second. Then a smile shone out from her solemn face, puzzling him. Hisana's emotions came without warning, like the lightning flashes playing across a stormy sky. It had been years since he had first met her but she always had a way of catching him on the hop.
"Hisana?"
"You know, Byakuya-sama, ever since I can first remember, I always yearned for happiness…like a duckling who desperately wishes to fly." Her night-blue eyes took in the view in front of them; he could see the falling petals being faintly reflected in their depths. It soon began to blur… because tears were forming. Instinctively, he wiped away a teardrop from the corner of her eye before it could lay a stain on Hisana's cheek.
She turned towards him, smiling as if he had gone foolish. "You concern yourself too much, Byakuya-sama, and the fact that I have been blessed with such fortune is happiness enough. Not to mention, the thousand lifetimes in which it could abound."
His wife could not have been more correct because he, indeed, became concerned. "I fail to catch what you are implying, Hisana." He could not see how his worrying over her was a fortune, much less cause for smiles. It should be something to be taken for granted, as he was only doing his duty as her other half.
Soft laughter jingled in his ears, causing him to deliver a harmless poke to her cheek as a reprimand while he made sure no more tears were shed. "Hisana," he groaned. "I dislike being in the dark."
She forced herself to halt her sudden reaction, still stifling giggles. "Oh, of course! My apologies, Byakuya-sama."
"There is no need for an apology. Now if you would be so kind…" He stared at her tenderly, gently ordering his love to enlighten him on her little secret.
"Spring is all about sakura, isn't it? You could see them fall beneath the trees all day and yet yearn for more as you are glad that winter is finally over. Why? Because no one likes the depressing mood that the cold nestles within us…an unsettling fear." Her cheerful voice died soon with the lingering of pain.
"Is there anything you would like to tell me, Hisana?"
"The last four years of our being together have been like a spring, Byakuya-sama. I fear being in so much happiness. I fear that… I may crush it with my own hands without even willing it and it may become winter all over again…" Byakuya expected her to break into sobs, but he knew she was a strong woman inside despite how distressed she might appear at times.
"Say no such ill-fated things. Forgive me that I ever asked." He took her in a warm embrace as he briefly watched their gardener take care of the pond.
"Oh, no! Please don't." Hisana jumped in horror as if Byakuya Kuchiki apologizing to her was a crime. She was somewhat disappointed in herself for making him regret his loving act.
While her husband stared into the distance, she continued while holding onto his body to reassure him, more so than her. "But I am hopeful that I will find her before the next spring. Then I might come to enjoy it like you do."
Byakuya joined in her hope, for he was tired of keeping a large part of his soul hidden from her.
His Senbonzakura.
He opened his eyes to observe the product of his will, as he had been commanding his zanpakuto for the last few minutes.
There was some sort of sketch on the sandy ground.
A Summer Snowflake.
The symbolic flower of the Thirteenth Division which stood for-
Hope.
He retunred to his gigai and looked over to the bungalow… to find her gone. Byakuya felt an absence of emotion before a voice returned it to him in the most welcome way of all.
"It is beautiful, although someone might mistake it for a…um… what do you call them…yes…a spring snowflake."
One of his neat eyebrows arched in frustration. His art was being mocked.
"I believe it was meant to be a Summer Snowflake."
Rukia stared at him blankly. "Both are very much the same in feature, but my apologies."
"So Rukia-like." She respected all captains dearly, he knew that much. What he did not know was that she respected him the most.
His wayward sibling knelt down and observed this artwork further. "As expected of a captain, your work is admirable. How marvelous it would have been if you did it on a canvas which would remain forever."
"I have never purchased any art materials."
"I could easily take you down to an art goods dealer. There is one which is a few miles away, but the quality and the price is moderate."
There was another problem. "I do not have any human currency on me."
She smiled admonishingly in response. "Really, Captain, I am the one who requested that you paint something. Just inform me whenever you wish, I will accompany you. I would take Miki with us but the long walk would tire her out."
"Very well. I trust everything is well at home?"
"Oh yes. I gave in to curiosity when I saw you disappear from view and thought I would check up on you, as it is my duty as a host." Byakuya was relieved to see her grow up to be the fine lady he was fast becoming more protective over with every minute and every encounter.
A question lurked in his mind as he took a step towards the foam of the waves. Glancing over his shoulder he repeated the very same query he had asked someone else half a century ago. "Are you fond of the spring?"
He saw her start in shock and then gaze into the sea, deep in thought. Hisana would always close her eyes to think whereas Rukia would choose an interesting object to focus on.
"There are many aspects to her I am coming to know about gradually. Yet I doubt I will ever understand her completely."
She looked up at him, breaking his brief rumination. "Eh…erm… I never gave it much thought. Spring stimulates happiness in many, but I prefer if happiness is all year round rather than just one season."
"She's your sister after all." He smiled to himself.
"Uh, Captain? How about you?"
The head of the Kuchiki inclined his head gracefully. "I agree."
"We are more alike than we thought then, Captain."
"I suppose." Rukia smiled at that. "More than you will ever know, Rukia Kuchiki. I still have hope, though."
Both of them conversed for the rest of the afternoon as more and more revelations came to light about each other while a crucial truth remained unknown to her.
I hope that the little addition of ByaHisa was to your liking.
Thank you
~*~