THREE BLADES

(Jesper Kyd's Aphelion plays)

"At last, I feel your blade run deep through my ribs. I see the tears in your eyes as you pull back.

I know how hard it was for you to make this choice, but do not grieve.

I have lived a long time. Far too long, even for my own good. A curse, if used properly, can be a blessing, but there is always a limit. A limit to how long one should live on this shattered world.

I've gone past it over a century ago, but my own weakness prevented me from making that choice.

Do I regret it?

Do I regret the fact that I would have left long before you, my daughter, came into my life? And your brother, my son? I still wish for another moment of life, just to reassure you that even though I appear to be fighting against you now, I'm proud of you, of all of you.

Sometimes, to break your own curses, you have to make a decision that tears you apart, that makes you question your own self, a choice that causes your image, your very reputation to collapse.

Know this, I wished for death long before you found me. And now, as I fall before you, I can't see a more fitting end to my journey.

My sword is yours now. Wield her with the same strength, determination and compassion that you have always possessed. Do not grieve for me.

I hope with all my heart that someday, we will meet again, when I can finally tell you why I did what I did.

My eyes are fading now, and all I can do is smile up at you one last time as I finally go, to a far, far better rest than I have ever known. It is the end for me, now, you will be the ones to forge your own legacies.

Goodbye."

He could still hear Justine's dry sobs as his senses dulled slowly, his last thoughts, unsaid, lingering within his mind.

"Did you hear?" came the voice, shaking Fireheart out of his reverie. The tall 3rd seat shook his head, looking up to see Shuuhei Hisagi, his lieutenant, holding a bottle of sake and 2 cups, standing over him.

"You've been brooding again." The lieutenant stated, clearly seeing the half-shocked, half-sad look on the face of the older Shinigami, something he only saw when Fireheart had one of his periods of introspective self-deprecation, though he usually covered it up with some quiet humour. "You should talk to Isane about this, you know. She came over last week to talk after Thursday's lieutenants' meeting, asking me to try and get you to open up a bit."

Fireheart smiled slightly. The two 9th division members were an odd sort of pair, with Hisagi's punkish spiked black hair, scars, quiet nature and "69" tattoo on his left cheek being as different to the much taller Fireheart's long blonde mane, friendly, calm, sometimes-affectionate demeanor and seemingly stern, bearded face as chalk and cheese. That didn't stop them from being close friends though, with the two of them working so closely together that had Fireheart and Isane not gone public about their relationship the previous year, rumours about the two secretly being a couple could very possibly have started flying about.

"Is it about one of those flashbacks again?" asked Shuuhei. Fireheart internalized a groan. Ever since he had told Shuuhei about the first time he had had a flashback after the release of the Sokyoku, the lieutenant seemed to have had become exceptionally perceptive with regard to his brooding silences, often guessing the cause right off the bat. However, Shuuhei was the one who had supported him throughout his rise in the Gotei, from his early days as the fourth seat, being instrumental in his rise to the third seated position, proofreading his column every month and being one of the very few not ridiculing him for his forgoing the release of his Zanpakuto in a combat situation (That had mostly shut up when he was witnessed in serious combat for the first time, though a couple of stubborn people would always be there), so he owed it to Hisagi to be honest with him.

"Yes. My death, in fact." Came the deep-toned reply, but Fireheart refused to add anything more, brushing off Shuuhei's half-concerned, half-curious questions with a quick "Don't think Kensei-taicho would like to see us slackers enjoying drinks while he's the one cooking for squad dinner tonight," to which Shuuhei had responded with a grin and a not-inaccurate impression of Kensei- "Manly men aren't afraid to be seen in the kitchen!" as the two friends and colleagues parted laughing.

Despite his seemingly rough and bloodthirsty nature, Kenpachi Zaraki was a man who could be extremely perceptive when needed, and far from incapable of kinder feeling. While not many people knew the fierce captain's softer side, and even fewer who knew his actual thoughts.

It was one of the latter, in fact, whom Kenpachi had just left after a long talk and now, he was on his way to visit another.

It had been a colossal shock to the Sereitei when Kenpachi had gone public about his relationship with Captain Unohana, as hardly anyone could even have thought that the captains of the 2 divisions that were most often at loggerheads with each other would end up finding love in each other. Only a few knew the truth.

Ever since Fireheart's birthday, he had noticed how the younger Shinigami had seemed preoccupied and out of sorts, especially after receiving the sculpture that Isane had made him.

"Why in the whole wide world would some pansy-ass sculpture cause someone as tough as him to get ants in his pants?" wondered Kenpachi.

"Brooding again, Ken-chan?" came the voice of his adoptive daughter and lieutenant as Kenpachi suddenly felt a warm weight latch onto his shoulder. "You know, Braid Lady and Tall-chan were both talking about how Wolfie-kun hasn't been himself lately. They didn't tell me why, though."

"Che, brat. That's what I'm planning on getting out of him. Why don't you go see if Kuchiki or Ukitake have something for you?"

"Can't. I have a WSRA meeting in 5 minutes. Later, Ken-chan!" chirped the little gumball, before zipping away in a burst of Shunpo.

"Heh." Kenpachi grinned. He knew the exact way to make Fireheart spill whatever it was that was affecting him.

A/N- Fireheart's lone-wolf style of combat and generally reserved, but friendly personality are what led me to set up Wolfie as his nickname by Yachiru.

Read, review and follow if you like folks! Will update next month!

A few short drabbles might arrive soon!