The Story of Bleach told through the eyes of one Hara Setsuna, Captain of the 14th. As a Captain do not expect her to be all sunshine and roses. Eventual Byakuya/OC although not for a long time, the only other paring is OC/OC. All Manga Spoilers are Now Live.
[] = denotes flashback*
*Flashbacks not in Order
Not Mine
Lull
A shiver ran up Setsuna's spine and she wrapped her long cape tightly around her body. The whole area was glittering covered in a thin sheet of ice. Now while Setsuna may have enjoyed people with ice like personalities she had never liked the actual cold. Something about it had always eaten away at the core of her and left her shivering and cold for days. This expanse of land, now a desolate ice wasteland was no different. Behind her Miya sneezed and held Gaki closer to his body, attempting to provide the young shinigami girl with warmth. Seeing them huddled together inspired Setsuna and she moved a bit of reishi from her arms and legs, which were not so cold and centered it in her core. Having done this she sparked it into a huge frenzy of reiryoku, and pushed the warmth that came from that into her limbs. Warmth flooded her body and she sighed happily.
In the center of the huge ice tableau As Nodt's body towered in front of them. But he had stopped moving, and instead his whole body was covered in a thick sheet of ice. Cracked and splintering his body was slowly falling apart. As they got closer Byakuya looked up and held up his hand. Setsuna stopped and watched as the man moved over to where Rukia was standing still like a living statue. A cracking sound reached Setsuna's ears and she realized that it had come from Rikku's frozen body. Byakuya touched her hand, and spoke softly, "Melt slowly Rukia, slowly." he paused, "It was a splendid bankai."
Ah, so that explained the world looking like had entered the next ice age. Bit by Bit they watched as Rukia slowly begin to move again, her body starting to show signs of life once more. Finally a small puff of air escaped Rukia's lips and she looked up at Byakuya, "However it is also difficult. The slightest mistake could kill you. It is a dangerous bankai. Handle it carefully, never be rash. Remember that a sword held by someone who is about to die - will never be able to protect anyone."
Finally the rest of the ice shattered away and Setsuna and Miya moved closer forward and Rukia looked up at the two of them, "Nee-sama! Did you see?" she stopped and took in the bundle in Miya's arms, "What is that?"
The small girl turned to look at Rukia and the older girl let out a shill cry of delight, "That is Gaki Rukia. And I must admit I only caught the tail end of your bankai." Setsuna said.
But it was too late, she could clearly see that Rukia had become enchanted by the smaller girl, "So cuttteeee!" Rukia said.
Gaki blushed and Rukia rushed over to Miya to play with the child making cooing sounds as she did so. Gaki seemed a bit affronted by this, after all she was a bit older than perhaps Rukia assumed but eventually she ended up giggling as Rukia made funny faces. As their charges bonded Byakuya sild up beside her, "I apologize for halting your approach. I could feel the heat from your body and feared it would make Rukia melt prematurely."
"Don't be. You were protecting our sister. I would do the same for her or Miya as well." she smiled up at him softly, "It truly was a splendid bankai wasn't it. I'm not fond of ice or cold, but even I can admit the beauty in this."
A loud sounding excited cry altered them to their charges. Rukia had gone from making funny faces to tickling and Gaki was wiggling in Miya's arms attempting to escape the onslaught, "Stop! Stop! Mommy help!" Gaki said looking up at Miya for help.
Miya only laughed, "Can't stand a bit of tickling Gaki?"
"No. No. No. Pleassseeee." she giggled weakly.
Hearing how out of breath she was, Rukia eventually stopped and grinned. Putting her hands on her hips Setsuna was struck by how Rukia looked, and the longer she stared the more the picture changed. In her vision Rukia was older, taller and more refined. She sucked in her breath and wondered if she would get to see this vision at all, if she would live to make it a reality - if any of them would. A hand on her shoulder woke her slowly, "You let him keep the child?" Byakuya asked.
"I could never deny him anything, not if he really wanted it. So the child stays." she told him.
"I do hope you know what you are doing." he cautioned.
"Do any of us really ever know what we are doing?" she asked him.
"Humph."
At his displeased reply she laughed a little bit. Truthfully she knew that he wished just like she did that life would move smoothly. But life wasn't like that, life was harsh and cold and ever evolving. There was no respite, no time to stop and pause, you had to keep moving keep reaching for something better or you would fall to the depression that gripped so many. Ice would litter the ground, snow would fall, rain would descend from the sky and flood the earth, fire would ravage lands. But if you found something warm, something comforting in the middle of it all - it was worth it. Life was worth it, she knocked his arm with her shoulder and then squeezed his hand softly, "Don't be so depressing." she told him.
As she made to slide her hand from his he pulled her forward into him and kissed the top of her head, before leaning into her and sighing. Setsuna reddened into a deep red color and try as she might to resist she found herself leaning into him and getting more comfortable. A clearing throat startled her. She turned to look and found both Rukia and Miya staring at them. Both of them were wearing massive grins on their faces, "My poor young eyes!" Rukia teased.
"Truly a blinding display. I may never be clean again." Miya piled upon them, adding to Rukia's ribbing.
Then, taking a page from her mother's book Gaki made a face, "Blech."
Taking that as their cue to leave this wasteland Setsuna let the smile drop from her face. Enough of the pleasantries. They had all reunited but there were more pressing matters, a greater challenge that lay ahead. One or two dead Quincy did not a defeated army make. As Nodt was powerful but he had only been letter "F" many other powerful Quincy blocked their path, and Setsuna had a feeling the worst was to come. She herself had only fought those without letters, and had yet to test her sword, "Let's go." she said.
Byakuya nodded in agreement, the two of them had reached them same thought at the same time it seemed, "Let's go protect Soul Society."
"Yes Nii-sama." "Yes Taichou." both Miya and Rukia spoke at the same time.
Together they all departed this bleak landscape that had acted as bastion of rest. More battles, and more fights awaited them. On her waist Setsuna's sword radiated warmth, curious if it's time had come. The answer of which Setsuna was still unsure.
[Setsuna slammed the book closed and looked over across the table at Byakuya. He was flipping through a book of poetry. As her book closed with a loud thump he turned to look at her his eyes narrowing. This was the first time the two of them had been alone since - she thought of Kenji caged away for eternity - and had to contain the anger that bubbled to the surface and made her almost see red. They were both on edge she realized sitting together almost as if they were strangers. But they were not strangers they were good friends. Not only were they good friends but they were good friends sitting together in public in one of Soul Society's' many libraries. It should have been a momentous occasion, that they were sitting where anyone could see them and speaking freely but it felt stilted, "They should have listened to me." she finally said.
"Oh?"
"Is it not my duty to inform The Central 46 into making the right decisions? Do I not know Ikeda-sama better than most?"
Byakuya's eyes blinked lazily at her, and she could see him contemplating something, "It is not the job of the Gotei 14 to judge nobility. It is one of the founding tenets."
It was something he had drilled into her from the start. Of course it was not their job to judge nobility, that fell to The Central 46 but that still didn't mean that they should hinder what was essentially the job of the fourteenth division - to judge those Shinigami who went against the law in The World of the Living. And Ikeda had been in her domain when he had killed her Captain and involuntarily forced her into actions that lead to his defeat and capture. The Central 46 at least owed it to her to consider her decision regarding him - and it had been the right decision. But they had chosen the lazy path, the cowards path, "And it is also not their job to listen to the one fraction of the Gotei 14 that was created solely to serve them?"
Something about what she said set Byakuya off. The side of his mouth ticked up in a sneer and she knew she had crossed a line. This is why the two of them rarely discussed politics together, outside of her lessons. She should have gone to Ukitake with these issues but she had missed Byakuya and had thought that maybe he would ease the pressure that was building in her. She had been wrong, "You serve them, not the other way around. It is their job to listen and then discard what they see as useless and baseless. Accept your place Setsuna Taichou."
His words cut into her core and her eyes narrowed, never had they fought like this; perhaps it was time. Now that she could speak more freely without fear of punishment from high above, that they had this out, "You didn't even like Ikeda-sama." she said raising her voice a bit, but not so much to draw attention to them.
"But I never once denied his nobility as you did when you chose to impose death upon him."
That was as low a blow as he could have gone and her hand curled into a fist, "You know I made the right call, he killed his noble house Kuchiki-sama. All of them, would you have not made same the same call?"
He stared at her for a moment, "You know I could have not."
At his words, spoken so softly in comparison to his earlier angry words she went silent. Of course he could have not, and would have not. He had broken the rules once and look at where that had gotten him. Had he not warned her after Hisana's death that she was chasing a dream? They had both wanted to escape the bonds that their places in the world had imposed upon them so much, but in the end their attempts had only ended in ruin. There was no freedom for them. She was still a Captain who had once been common and he was still a man whose fate had been imposed upon him by his noble birth. But maybe, just maybe she could find peace in the little things, "I'm sorry I didn't think."
Byakuya rubbed his temples, and seeing that made Setsuna's tense body relax a bit. He was angry at her to be sure, but he was also not as mad as he could have been. Rubbing his temples for Byakuya was almost never a sign of anger but one of frustration and stress, and maybe a little disappointment. Silence descended on the room for a moment, "No you did not. But perhaps I did not either. Your issues are not my issues, and your attacks on noble law were not attacks on me – you often do not forget your place so in this I will forgive you."
"Thank you Kuchiki-sama."
Yes the little things, like the fact that they were both alive. Like the fact that they were out here in the open for the first time, not as secret friends who needed to squirrel away their relationship but as Captains and friends who could discuss that day's events. This was a small step, and things would be lost in the process - such as some of the familiarity they shared when in private, she remembers pushing him in a pool once upon a time, but these frank conversations in public - these are things to be gained, "How are you finding it?" he asked her changing the conversation in a way that she isn't sure of.
"Elaborate." She told him.
"Being a Captain. Is it everything you thought it would be?"
She's not sure yet. It was the pinnacle of her life mission, the highest she could climb without help but it still feels empty. When she was made Captain she had always imagined that Ikeda would be by her side. That the two of them would celebrate together over sake. But that was not how it had happened. To become his equal she had been forced to do so by stepping over his body and leaving him behind. Although maybe that was the lesson to learn, that she could have not had both Ikeda and the position of Captain. The two could not meet because for as long as it was her job to upload laws that Ikeda never saw eye to eye with the two of them would have always been in conflict. In this moment it was good then to steel her heart, to turn it into a fortress until the time came when there was something worth fighting for again. Until then she would be glad of what she had: A wonderful lieutenant, a solid friendship with the man in front of her, and a growing relationship with the kind Ukitake, "It's not bad." She admitted.
And it wasn't.]
As their small band traveled onward they eventually reached a small open area covered in rubble. In the center Renji sat, his sword resting against his knee. As he saw them arrive he stood and stashed his sword in the sash around his waist and waved to them, "It's about time. Everyone is waiting for you."
Byakuya raised an eyebrow, "Everyone?"
Renji pushed his bandanna up and scratched under it, "Well not everyone Taichou. It's just Ikkaku, Yumichika, Hisagi-senpai, and me. We are all sort of sitting on our asses wondering what to do next. What with the lull in the fighting."
"Take us to them then." Setsuna interjected.
He nodded and led them through a large group of ruins to a hidden alcove where the other division leaders were sitting around talking. When they entered the area the three of them stood and bowed quickly before straightening into relaxed poses, "I heard congratulations are in order Kuchiki Taichou." Hisagi said turning to Setsuna.
"Hara Taichou, is just fine. Ichigo-kun is right, there are too many cooks in this Kuchiki kitchen and calling me anything but Hara will just add to the confusion." Both Ikkaku and Yumichika seemed to relax visibly at that. She was right, they had been a bit nervous, and she would do anything to help ease that tension. However, "That still doesn't change that status of who I am now."
Having gotten that out of the way she was rather at a loss of what to do. They could hunt down Quincy but honestly the Quincy would find them when they wanted to, so why go looking for trouble when they had time to rest and get ready for the next encounter. She glanced over to where Yumichika was standing staring at Miya as if he had never seen Miya before and it took her a moment to realize why. Miya gripped Gaki closer to his chest and glared at the man, "Yes, this is a child, yes I am keeping it and you would do well to keep your gross eyes away from her."
That got a rise out of Yumichika pretty quickly, "Are you implying that any of me is gross?"
Miya responded as was his wont, "I'm implying that I would rather die that sully my beauty with you."
The two of them glared at each other, "No woman will ever best me in beauty Miya-kun you'll do best to remember that."
"This woman has."
As if looking to inflame the passionate argument going on around her Gaki turned to look at Yumichika and after a quick once over narrowed her eyes. Then without further aplomb smacked Miya's chest, "Mama is prettier."
In hindsight Setsuna should have stopped the conversation before it got to this point, but the two of them up until Gaki had interjected had just been blowing off steam. Gaki's words changed that. Yumichika's face went from pale white to bright red, rage coloring his face, "I will not be insulted by a child."
Before Miya could reply Setsuna touched his arm lightly, "That's enough I think."
"But -"
"Enough." she said this with a bit more finality.
Byakuya coughed, "Thank you."
Setsuna was worried that Miya would argue back against her when they all felt it. As if the world around them had been rend in two by a powerful stroke of light. Setsuna's eyes moved to stare out the cave and into the ruins of the city in front of them. The energy rippled forward and she sucked in a breath. Ichigo was here. And not only was he here - he was already engaged in combat. Everyone else seemed to be looking in the same direction and Byakuya cleared his throat, "It's time."
None of them could argue with that.
A/N: This chapter afforded me the chance to write something I've always wanted to - Miya and Yumichika arguing like children. It also gave me a chance to show a very different side to Setsuna and Byakuya - one where they don't always agree. Both of these I was very excited to explore.