A Passing Dream Chapter 9, a bleach fanfic

Chapter 9.

After the misty night, Byakuya-sama told Master Kuchiki that he wanted to marry me. I remember crouching down beside the door, listening to the argument that stretched far pass the morning hours and into the night. I didn't wish to barge in or Master Kuchiki would get even madder...

"Byakuya-sama, you know that you can not just marry a peasant! You must marry someone of noble status!"

"What does it matter as long as the Kuchikis have an heir? Besides, if I had to marry anyone, it would be her."

"You fool...we can not mix noble and commoner blood. It is against the rules. Of all people, you should know that we nobles are strict in enforcing these rules. What will people think of you?"

"Let them think what they want. I would rather marry a poor woman I love than a noble stranger."

"Fool, Byakuya-sama. Central 46 would not approve of this. Your parents would not have approved. From the start they wanted you marry someone like...someone like Chan Rena."

"She was a friend, that was all," he tried to calm down. "And my parents, you knew didn't you?"

"What?"

"You knew that my mother was originally from Rukongai as well. You all kept it a secret and burned her past. Mixing blood? It was already mixed to begin with."

"Byakuya-sama."

I heard his footsteps come towards the door so I got up and met Byakuya in the eye. He walked in front of me while I tailed behind. I'm sorry for all the trouble I have caused, thought in my mind. I'm sorry you have to defy the rules for me.

"Hisana."

"Byakuya-sama?"

"We will get married. I promise you." He continued walking. I stood there dumbly as I watched his scarf bounce against his back.

"Yes...Byakuya-sama."

Byakuya didn't get good comments from the others. The only people that appreciated his will were some of the shinigami who were once part of the scum of Rukongai, but even they gossiped about my fiancé. Byakuya searched the calendar and scheduled our wedding on the 21st of April, some months from now. He wasn't at ease throughout the whole time because of the verbal abuse from the other lesser noble families. Late at night he would stay up, praying to his parents for guidance and I would often stay up with him to keep him company. It's sad since I always fall asleep before him and I would find myself in my bed with another nice blanket wrapped around me.

"Please raise your arm."

I raised my arm as the maids put my shiromaku on me, meaning "pure white". Of course it was all white and it was my wedding kimono. They wrapped my hair neatly and stuck ornaments and combs into my hair. They were beautiful and sparkled in the morning sunlight. I looked in the mirror. I looked...beautiful. They already painted my skin a thin layer of white, making my skin light-peach colored. I couldn't help noticing that my skin seemed to glow in the mirror.

"We are done, miss. Please stay seated as we will bring you the news of Kuchiki-sama. We have prepared a hakama skirt in this box."

I nodded and looked out the window, feeling the ribbon on the silk wrapped box. Since I couldn't buy one of my own, Unohana-sama bought a hakama skirt for me to give to Byakuya. It was a sign of fidelity. It was strange since I didn't have any family members...except for Rukia, but she's gone. All I could invite were the 4th division and well, not much else. Byakuya said he would bring some relatives and some of the Gotei 13, but not too much. They would have to fill the empty seats of the shinto chapel.

The maids returned with an umbrella and bowed towards me.

"Miss Hisana, we are ready to commence the procedure. Please let us escort you to the marriage site."

"Thank you."

They took me by the hand and placed it on top of theirs. I felt strange as the woman shielded me from the sun and others picked up the trailing end of my kimono. In front of me, I saw the sanctuary and people already gathered inside. I heard a playing of the flutes in both sides of the room and on the altar, there stood the priest and Byakuya-sama. He was dressed in a montsuki kimono with a short haori bearing the Kuchiki family crest. Some of his family members gave their presents to me and I gave them to Unohana-sama. The priest cleared his throat and started to purify us. I looked at Byakuya-sama and he seemed happy for the first time in months. The priest shook his staff around us and the guests and proceeded in the ceremony.

"May I have the favor of the audience for this marriage?"

I cringed at the thought of many screaming their denials. Byakuya put his hand on my shoulder and I turned around. None of his family members spoke a word, but they grimaced at us. Some of them said quietly they approved while my friends shouted out their approval. I smiled at their ignoble shouts.

"Now we may serve the sake for the couple."

Three red and white dressed maids scurried to us as we kneeled down. I sipped the three cups of sake three times each, thrice. Byakuya did the same. We then stood up and Byakuya received a parchment from a servant. I cleared his throat and looked at me with his blue-gray eyes.

Hisana,
We have known each other for a long time and through the years, feeling have risen and escalated. I am pleased that you accepted my proposal and hope that you do not regret it. I sincerely promise that I will be faithful to you as long as you are to me and I promise to support you when the times are rough...I hope that we can share our life together and live happily with one another. I wish us both long life and luck so that we can strive through the adversity that will come at us, but never between us because of our strong bond that is held by love.

I smiled at him as he put away the scroll, his face red pink. It was a long time since I heard him say more than three sentences at once and never have I seen him so...mushy? The priest nodded and hit his staff on the ground to end the ceremony. Byakuya-sama took my hand and led me to the tables where we would drink sake and I would meet my in-laws...

The night after the wedding, we sat in the mansion in his room. We sat on the edge of his bed, next to each other. I placed my tired head on his shoulder and started removing the combs by myself. I assumed that Byakuya bought them for me go I placed them at the table by his bedside. He removed his kenseikan and placed them with my ornaments and used his free hands to hold my head.

"Byakuya-sama...What will become of us?"

"Become of us..." He repeated. "We'll be happy, won't...we...?"

"I wish that it wasn't so hard. There were too much hateful eyes this morning. Their eyes seemed like they were driving into my life and wishing that I would perish on the spot."

He patted my hand and closed his eyes. I didn't want to disturb him so I laid him down on his bed. I wondered if it was appropriate to...No, I mustn't. I tried to step outside but I heard Byakuya whisper my name out. I sat on the bed and touched his cheek and dragged my finger right down to the jaw.

"Byakuya-sama, thank you."

He placed his arm around my neck and pulled me in so I was resting on his chest. At first I yelped at his action and prepared myself, but...He didn't even try pulling any kimonos or obis off but just wrapped the blanket around us and he then closed his eyes. I smiled. He wasn't the type to start "going" anywhere on the first day, nor did he seem like a person who would try to create heirs without warning. I buried my face in his kimono and let my eyelids droop down.

"Byakuya...sama, I love you."

He was already asleep.

A week after our marriage, Byakuya-sama was speaking with Yama-jii about something concerning me. Every time I passed his headquarters, I wanted to take a peek at what they were doing, but the door was always closed and the vice-captain would look at me suspiciously. Finally after some time, my husband came out and walked to me. He held a parchment and gave it to me.

"Byakuya-sama, what were you doing with Yama-jii?"

"Another request, you should read the paper."

"Okay, let's see. Dear Kuchiki Hisana, recently, Kuchiki Byakuya has requested an exception of duty from you and he has requested your removal from the Gotei 13. In this, you are released from 4th division and you will have the decision in whether you will keep your zanpaktou or not, but it is recommended that we receive it back. Your uniform must be returned though. Along with your removal of the Gotei 13, no punishment will ensue and you may continue on with living in Seireitei and communicating with the members of Gotei 13 and the Mobile Corps and Correction Officers. If you approve of these terms, sign below."

"I hope that is okay with you."

"Byakuya-sama, why do you want me to leave the Gotei 13?"

"I told you before our proposal that you needed more time to search for your sister. Your job infringes with your search so I thought it would e better if you quit. It's your decision if you sign or not," he told me.

"Let's see...I"

I read the paper again. I could still talk with Unohana-sama and visit them and I could keep my zanpaktou too. It was hard, I didn't know why, to choose because a part of me wanted to search for Rukia and another part of me...the selfish part wanted to stay with my 4th division family. I told myself that changed. Byakuya is my husband now and I'm going to find Rukia. I had to make a real family of my own.

"Thank you for going through the trouble. I'll sign it."

With a small brush I scribbled down my name on the line and smiled at Byakuya-sama. He rolled it up and tucked it into his kimono, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"I hope that...Byakuya-sama, you could still help me without quitting your division. Everyone says you're going to be a well-known shinigami someday and well you are now. I don't want to end your reputation because of me...maybe."

Darn that selfish part of me. That part, the piece of my soul wanted Byakuya to quit his squad and join me in my search. I shook my head and looked away.

"Don't quit Byakuya-sama."

"Alright."

It was true, my search expanded and I could go deep into Rukongai without worrying about getting back to Unohana-taichou. Honestly, I pleaded to Byakuya to help me whenever he could and in result, he had to lose his lunch break and search with me after the sun dropped from the sky. I tried to make up for it by asking him if he wanted to go back home, but he said he would rather keep me company.

"I'm sorry for being so selfish of my own needs when you need your sleep."

"It's alright, finding your sister is more important than anything else to you right now, so I'll help."

"No, Byakuya-sama...I'm truly sorry, for being so weak."

"Don't say those things. You'll remind me of Rena's complaining."

So I tried not to tell him to go back to Seireitei. I thought that maybe, with his rising rank, he'll start to have more work hence making him to busy to search. This was true. As he rose higher in his division, he began to come with me less and less. I tried to smile at this, but inside I wanted to selfishly take him back with me. I felt selfish, I felt like he had to go with me, but I stopped myself from thinking these things.

Byakuya-sama was scheduled to fight a new and strange hollow that appeared in the real world. They called it the "Grand Fisher". The Grand Fisher was a new hollow that killed already three shinigamis who tried to kill it. They said it uses your own weaknesses against you and manipulates your mind.

"Byakuya-sama, you have to be careful. I can't be a widow in my first years with you."

"You just take care of yourself, Hisana. I know you are starting to have a cough," he scolded me.

"That's nothing compared to a shinigami-killing hollow. You should research more about that thing."

"There hasn't been many reports of the people who fought it. Those who stayed in the battle long enough know what it can do, but they would die. Those that can report something don't fight it enough to get any good info. I just have to test my luck Hisana..."

Since he was so much taller than me, he had to bend down a bit until my lips could reach his cheek.

"Don't die, I'm depending on you."

He nodded and jumped out of the 13th division headquarters. A gate stood in front of him and he went inside, looking back as he did. I waved goodbye and clutched the collar of my kimono.

"Please be safe." I had a coughing fit afterwards and wiped a sweat-drop off my forehead.

That night, Byakuya-sama came back with the help of some shinigamis. He was bloody and had a huge wound in his stomach. Blood dripped from his head and arms, making a trail that led up to his fingertips. Drops fell from his hands and landed on the floorboards below. I went to 4th division and helped the captain heal his wounds. His bloody hand clutched mine and his blood slowly dripped from my fingernails.

"Byakuya...sama...!" I choked. He was grinding his teeth and he looked at me sadly.

"Hisana, it's you."

"You're making me worry...Byakuya-sama, don't...don't die!"

Unohana-taichou gave me a face to tell me to stop worrying. I looked at his arm wound and started to wipe up the blood with a towel and I followed by healing that section by myself. Not being a shinigami didn't mean I couldn't heal so without bothering the others, I healed that one arm so that I knew I was helping.

"Byakuya-sama."

He was treated and was sent to the relief center. The wounds were bad, but the shinigamis saved him in time to repair the wounds. I held his hand and with my other hand, used my fingers to rub the back of it.

"You scared me."

"I wouldn't die so easily, Hisana."

"Still..." I coughed. "I worried. That Grand Fisher, what did he do to you?"

"He...we were fighting in an abandoned suburban area and at first I thought I was going to finish him easily. He gave me some wounds, but when I was about to finish him off, his "bait" transformed into...I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"...someone I couldn't cut."

"Was it me...?"

He nodded and sighed.

"You couldn't cut him, could you...?"

"No, I couldn't, but I was able to hurt him badly so he attacked slow. My division, they saved me before we could do anything with each other. I'm sorry Hisana. Because I was so foolish into thinking that was you, I didn't' finish him. I got beat by that damn hairy thing instead."

"You didn't get beat, Byakuya-sama. You lived. Thank you..." I cried silently. "You didn't die like the rest."

I pulled myself close to him and held onto his sleeve. He didn't die...I told myself, he didn't leave me here to rot... I smiled at him and rested with him like a good wife should. I had to keep him company so he'll do the same.