Over seventeen months passed and everything changed. The battles with the Fullbringers had ended and Ichigo was back to visiting the Soul Society once he had regained his soul reaper powers. The Captains for third, fifth and ninth were replaced and peace came back to the Soul Society. Tsuki's condition however, stayed the same.
"How's Tsuki doing?" Renji asked Rukia as the two of them walked around the Seireitei.
In the course of two years, Renji grew his hair longer but it was still up in a ponytail. Instead of a white sash tied around his head, it was a maroon colored bandana. Stuck in the pony tail was a long black stick and on his arms were long black strips and bandages.
Rukia cut her hair short so it framed her face and she wore tekkou much like her brother's except they went up to above her elbows. She was now the lieutenant of thirteenth division, and wore her emblem with pride on her upper arm which also held up her left sleeve.
"She's still in a coma. Nothing has changed." Rukia replied solemnly. "I've just left so nii-sama could be alone with her. He's been spending every free moment with her."
"You think he's become more concerned for her over the past few months?" Renji pondered half to himself.
Rukia nodded and suddenly she realized something. "It's almost Tsuki's birthday, isn't it?" she stated with a smile.
"Already?" Renji said with surprise. "My time flies quickly. What do you have planned?"
"Nothing yet," Rukia answered. "But only close friends will be invited this time. It was too cramped in that small room to even move."
"You're right…" Renji agreed with a tired look on his face. "I wish we could have the party somewhere else but I don't think it'll be good to move Tsuki."
Rukia nodded in agreement and the two of them continued their walk.
Meanwhile, Byakuya was still with Tsuki in her room at fourth division barracks.
"The autumn leaves have started to fall. I know how much you love the colors. They seem more vibrant this year…" he said to her while looking out the window. He faced her and continued, "You know how I used to say that you annoyed me when you started kicking the leaves in the street? I lied. I loved to see you smile and enjoy yourself…" – he sat in the chair next to her bed – "I'd give anything to see you smile again…"
He gazed at the woman who slept in the bed. She slept peacefully and her hair had grown longer and faded to silver over the past few months. She had also grown a couple inches taller too. Byakuya reached up his hand to her face and brushed away her bangs, which stopped at her chin. At that moment, someone opened the door and walked into the room.
Byakuya quickly withdrew his hand and looked up just as the person was saying, "Oh, sorry. I didn't know anyone else was in here. I'll leave."
"That's okay. I'm nearly done." Byakuya stated in response, sitting back in the chair and faced the one who came in.
Natsuki approached the bed and gazed at Tsuki. "Oh, someone needs to trim her hair. It's getting a little too long." She commented while fixing up the covers and making sure everything was okay. "She's like a sister to me you know… We were actually supposed to become sister in laws but…" She trailed off with sadness and the captain knew who she was.
"You're Kioku Shimazaki's sister." He stated simply and the woman he was talking to nodded.
"Tsuki and Kioku's marriage was supposed to benefit the Kishin family and the Shimazaki family. After we learned he was dead, we decided to offer Tsuki and her grandfather our support." She explained to him. "But she politely turned us down because she said that we needed to support ourselves so we wouldn't fall like her family did. She was always concerned for us. Did you know that she's had suitors ever since Kioku passed away? Some guys never learn to leave a woman alone…" – she trailed off and realized that she was potentially boring the man to death – "Oh! Sorry about my rambling..."
"What of the suitors?" Byakuya asked, intrigued and slightly annoyed, though he tried to keep his composure.
"Ah! You're interested in that?" Natsuki stated in response with surprise. "Well, as soon as Kioku passed on, the men flocked to her like crazy. Some wanted her because she was beautiful, others for piggish reasons. But all of them came to ask for her hand in marriage. She's turned them all down though…"
"Why?" the captain questioned further.
"She's told me that she's waiting for someone in particular to ask her to marry him…" Tsuki's friend replied as she pondered to herself. "She hasn't told me or anyone who it is, but one thing that's interesting… Ever since you've started coming to visit every day, the number of the suitors' visits has decreased…" – she paused for a moment – "I've been talking your ear off haven't I? And it's time for me to return to my rounds. Good bye, Captain." She then left the room and soon after Byakuya said his goodbyes to the sleeping Tsuki and left as well to continue with his duties.
Nearly a week later, something peculiar and shocking happened. Byakuya was currently in his office doing his usual paperwork, monitoring Tsuki's spiritual pressure like he did every day since she went into a coma. Suddenly it fluttered a little and suddenly it was gone, like a puff of smoke. Surprised by what had just happened, Byakuya shot up from his chair and at that moment Renji ran into the office.
"Captain! It's Tsuki's reishi!" he shouted with urgency. "It's gone! I can't sense it anymore!"
"I know. I sensed it disappearing too." Byakuya stated in response, slightly annoyed by his vice-captain's intrusion, but was more worried about Tsuki's well-being. "I will go see what has happened."
Renji agreed and Byakuya headed over to the fourth division. Once he came to the corridor, he noticed Natsuki, looking panicked. He approached the door to Tsuki's room and heard a commotion going on inside.
"What happened to Tsuki?" he asked Natsuki.
For a moment she continued to gaze at the door with worry, but she eventually turned to him and said, "Oh, Captain Kuchiki. I didn't see you there… I'm guessing you sensed Tsuki's reishi disappearing…"
She trailed off and he repeated his question with urgency. Natsuki hesitated but nonetheless began to explain to the captain what had happened.
"Well I was talking with her, and suddenly her eyes fluttered for a split second," she began with worry in her voice. "I thought she was going to finally wake up but she suddenly stopped breathing and her spiritual pressure was gone…" – she trailed off again and he thought she was done but she continued instead – "I called someone for help. A few had gone in, including Captain Unohana, but I still can't feel her reishi…"
For a moment Byakuya thought the worst had befallen Tsuki and what Ai had told him had come true, but someone shouted from inside the room…
"NO, TSUYOI-AI, DON'T GO!" the two of them heard the familiar voice of Tsuki's resonate through the halls.
Natsuki was shocked and so was Byakuya, but he quickly regained his composure and opened the door, looking in. Unohana was standing beside the bed and a few other nurse shinigamis were present. Sitting up on the bed was Tsuki, very much awake and alive.
"Oh, she's…She's okay…" Natsuki mumbled, trailing off as joyful tears flowed down her face.
"All of you may go now. I can take care of the rest." Unohana stated gently but firmly to the others. They all left swiftly and she turned to Natsuki, continuing, "Natsuki, go dry your tears and continue your rounds. Tsuki is alright, you can see her later."
The girl she spoke to nodded her head and left with a smile on her face. Byakuya tried to come into the room, but Unohana held up a hand to stop him. The captain of fourth company then sat on the edge of the bed and faced Tsuki, who was now crying.
"Tsuki-chan. Tsuki-chan, can you hear me?" she asked gently. Tsuki looked up and said the captain's name with tears in her eyes. "Why do you cry my dear?" Unohana questioned further and the young woman shook her head sadly. "Can you not tell me?" – Tsuki said nothing, looking away – "Well I will not force you. Now I don't want you to be alarmed, but you've been in a coma for over seventeen months."
"Over…seventeen months?!" Tsuki stated with shock, facing the woman who spoke to her. "So you're saying the day I got attacked by that hollow and severely wounded…happened over seventeen months ago?!"
"Roughly." Unohana replied with a smile. "A lot of things have changed, but you will learn about what has happened soon. Right now you have a visitor."
She motioned for Byakuya to approach and Tsuki looked up, a surprised expression on her face. "Captain…Kuchiki?" she said as she gazed at him. "You look so different now…"
He was no longer wearing his trademark kenseikan, and instead wore different hairpieces on the back of his head, leaving his locks loose and slightly messy. His bangs were still parted on the right side of his face, slightly covering it. He didn't wear the scarf around his neck anymore either. He still wore the same shihakushô and tekkou, but his haori had changed slightly. It was still cut off at the shoulders, but had a high collar with light gold tassels attached to the corners and the same colored lining.
Unohana stood and left, and Byakuya sat in the chair next to her bed. "I'm not the only one who has changed my looks." He commented. "Many others have as well."
"How are Rukia and the others?" Tsuki asked, interested in how her friends were doing.
"You will soon find out. Everyone was worried about you." Byakuya answered going silent for a moment. "Why did you shout out your zanpaku-tô's name just now? And what is that ribbon you have in your hand?"
Tsuki looked down at her hand and sure enough there was a blue colored ribbon with silver bells tied to the ends, just like what was wound around the hilt of her zanpaku-tô. She gritted her teeth, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to pour out of her eyes.
She shook her head and looked up to her captain and childhood friend and said, "I'm sorry…I can't tell you. Not right now at least…"
And everything will be revealed in the next two chapters, still scheduled to come out Thursday! Just four more chapters to go, and since I've pretty much edited the rest of the chapters (minus the last one for now), I think I'll go ahead and submit the last four chapters then, just for you guys. After all, chapters 31 and 32 make a two parter, and I want to submit them both. So I think I'll do that.
