Reunited
Circa 2006 - 2008
This was also meant to be added into my 'Past Time' archive, but was never finished
Summary: In a twist of fate they were torn apart, their love shattered in an instant. Now, however, fifteen years later, he finds out that she has not been dead, but upon her return remembers nothing of him or Soul Society. [Byakuya x Kagome]
Genre: General ?
Rating: T ?
The main story line for this takes place roughly 20-25 years before the main Bleach story line.
"No!" he shouted, jumping forward on impulse, but she was already gone, disappearing over the side as the Hollow chuckled darkly. He watched, suddenly struggling against his captain as he tried to rush forward, but unable to.
"No one could have survived that fall!"
"I won't let her die!" he shouted back, struggling harder. "I won't leave her to that fate!"
His captain's face darkened slightly, his grip tightening. "You're going to have to! Damn it, if she couldn't have survived the fall, then what chance do you have?"
A single tear slid from his eye, his chest clenching painfully, while the wound on his arm became harder to ignore. "No," he whispered, his voice lowering.
His captain yanked on his shoulder, the seriousness of the situation affecting him greatly. However, he noticed that his captain's were still settled onto the Hollow that had turned toward them, having sent it's previous victim to the death and now wanting to feed on them since it could not have the female. "I know how hard it must be for you," his captain sighed, "but there are better things you can do for her and for yourself then jumping over that ledge. If you have to, take out your anger on the one that caused her death."
His eyes lowered, and then he nodded, anger filling his chest. His captain's grip loosened on him, and he moved away, his hand finally grabbing a hold of the Zanpak-to at his side. He muttered almost silently under his breath, before he said, "Senbonzakura." His face turned slightly dark from its emotionless state, his eyes hardening, as he envisioned her going over the edge once more. He moved almost instantly afterward, ready to take the life of the Hollow that had taken so much from him.
He stiffened, and asked, "What?"
"Honesutsuri Kagome is alive," he said again.
He turned, his eyes narrowing a bit further, his lips thinning into a straight line. "Where?" he demanded. "When was this discovered?"
"Just a few hours ago, captain," he replied. "Word has finally traveled here, and it was said that at o-six-hundred hours a shinigami patrolling her sector went to investigate the tremendous amount of spiritual pressure that suddenly appeared in the area. Apparently, she released a large amount of spiritual energy, for reasons still unknown, when being released from her… gigai."
"She has been within a gigai these last fifteen years?" he asked, his voice showing his disbelief. "Tell me, if that is the case, then why did she not return here when she found herself at the bottom of the…?"
"I understand, captain," he dipped his head a bit, remembering stories and knowing why his captain did not wish to speak of such things. "According to what was reported, she was transported to a body similar to a gigai, but in the shape of a human child, and it grew as if she had been reborn into the Human Realm, in a mortal body." He paused for a moment, and then said, "She apparently has no memory of Soul Society, just as she wouldn't if she had been reborn."
"How is that possible?" he asked.
"I… I don't know, captain. I apologize, but according to the report, the shinigami was not able to find any evidence that her memory had been tampered with. It was as if she had simply forgotten and started over," he replied. "She displayed a great amount of wonder at her shinigami form, and had no knowledge of anything that may have suggested she knew something, even the simplest amount of information, about Soul Society."
"So she knows nothing?" he questioned.
"Nothing, captain," he nodded. "The shinigami who was patrolling her sector reported that he had mentioned your name, trying to see if he could unlock her memory, but she did not respond to anything—the name of her Zanpakuto; her mother, father, siblings; her rank or the division she was in; not even your name."
"I see," he said. "Tell me, will she be returning here?"
"The shinigami reported that she wished to return her gigai, to the family she's known for the last fifteen years, but the gigai rejected her," he gulped. "She ran, thinking that her family may be able to detect or see her, and the shinigami managed to find her trying to communicate with the woman she believed to be her mother. He was able to convince her that she might be able to find answers to the questions she has in Soul Society, so they are currently on their way here."
"You may go," he said.
"Yes, captain," he nodded, bowing his head.
His hand rested lightly on his desk, his other hanging at his side, as he stared at the wall. It was hard to believe. Fifteen years had gone by and now she suddenly turns up in the Human Realm, almost as if it had all been planned out. When he had been vice-captain, his captain had told him that no one could have survived that fall, and he had known that, so how had she survived? She had always had a large amount of spiritual energy, but that drop had been so far, and he had known that there was a likely chance that if she had survived a Hollow would have come for her. So, how had she not only survived, but gotten past any Hollows that may have come for her, and ended up in some strange type of gigai? How?
Kuchiki Byakuya narrowed his eyes, continuing to stare almost blankly at the spot he had chosen. She had told him he had meant so much to her, so why had she not returned before her memory could be alerted or taken from her? Had she merely forgotten in the fall? If that was possible, how had she ended up in a gigai like no other? Things did not add up, and he had a feeling that they would continue to do so in the near future. Either someone would have her executed for running off, even if she did not remember anything, or she would never remember what they had had between them.
His eyes narrowed further. Neither option was acceptable.
She had come into his life not long after he had lost Hisana and had helped him discover that it was possible to love again. She had been his friend, a person that he could easily confine in if he needed to. She had been a commoner, though, as Hisana had been, and he had refused to break the promise he had made to his parents' graves by admitting that he had had feelings for her until she had told him that she loved him. Then, not soon after, she had been taken from him, just as Hisana had been.
She had not died, though.
And she was coming back to Soul Society, which meant that he had another chance. He was not sure if he would be able to break the promise he had made, but he would show her that he loved her. He would not lose her like he had lost Hisana. He refused to lose her, even if he was not positive if he would be able to break the rules by allowing her into his noble family as he had done with Hisana. He felt so torn—she was returning and he did not wish to lose her, he wanted to prove above all else that he loved her, but he was not sure if he could once again break the rules set.
She felt so lost. She did not know where these shinigami had dragged her, but she did not like it. There was a strange feeling of home that washed over her, one that she did not understand because this was not her home, and she did not like it. She should not feel at home in a place she had never been before, nor had any desire to ever see, yet she felt as if she had walked this path before.
Sighing, she wished that that damn weirdo had kept his cane to himself. It was his fault, because he had slammed her in the forehead with the thing when that strange demon had attacked her. Of course, she knew that the creature had not been a demon because it had not felt right, as if it were not even apart of the living world. And she had felt the presence of dead creatures before—whether it was souls, demons that took souls, or people that decided to rise from the dead with the help of a blasted weapon. So, she knew almost instantly that that strange man and the creature he had left her to face were dead in a sense.
She just wanted this bad, bad dream to be over with. She had spent the last eight months traveling through time, and had hoped that she could go back to her normal life when Inuyasha told her he could not love her the way she wanted him to. The Shikon no Tama was gone, so there was absolutely no reason for these things to keep happening to her. Without the magic of the well, which decided it just did not want to work anymore, or the Shikon no Tama, she did not understand even why that creature had attacked her. She had not provoked it, yet it just seemed to decide to make her terrible dream of wanting a normal life—she knew she would never love it as much as she loved things un-normal—turn to dust.
Not only that, but she had not appreciated being ripped from her body. That strange man with the large hat had done something to her, because she had not been able to go back. And then that blasted shinigami showed up, yelling about a large amount of spiritual pressure and how they needed to defeat the Hollow, as they called the creature that attacked her. Afterward he had seemed to recognize her, becoming quite excited and calling her name time and again. She had tried to run for it, hoping that her family would be able to see her, but without her body they did not even seem to know she was there. Her brother, with his growing spiritual powers, had not even felt her presence, and it was in that moment that she felt utterly and completely alone.
Resting her hand onto the sword at her side, she supposed that that was the single good thing about the experience. She was not sure what to think about having a sword that contained so much power, and was basically an extension of herself that appeared in the form of a tall, regal man that reminded her of Sesshoumaru. Ironic, too, that she somehow knew the name of the sword was the same as Sesshoumaru's healing blade, yet knew that it was not the Tenseiga she had known. She was happy to have something that felt familiar, though she knew it was not the same blade, even if she found it all a bit strange.
Because really, what were the chances that her blade was named Tenseiga? Very low, she knew that, which made it even funnier when she realized that that was indeed the blade's name. Though, she had found that the man it took the form of when speaking with her did not find the same humor in the situation. In fact, it seemed to prefer not hearing about it, muttering about how it had been sealed away for such a long time. The blade seemed bitter in a small way, but did not blame her as she thought it might.
Sighing, Kagome decided that for now it was best to probably follow the shinigami before her. The man was a little odd, seeming to want to do nothing but fight and prattling on about how the eleventh division was the best division. However, she supposed that he was not as odd as many of the other people she had met in the past, and she was slightly glad that he did not want to fight with her. The skill he had shown was not something she wanted to go up against when she felt so out of place.
She had effectively tuned him out by the time he went on about where they were headed. She already knew that she was going to see the highest-ranking shinigami, who she assumed must run the first division. She already knew that she was not allowed to go anywhere else, and if she tried she was going to be restrained and dragged there. She already knew a lot of stuff that he was talking about just from experience, and she really did not care about anything he or anyone else had to say at the moment.
She just wanted to go back to the place she knew as home. She did not want to continue to walk the path that she felt she knew, yet knew that she did not. She did not want to see anyone or anything, and she certainly did not want to continue fighting anymore.
Though caught up in her thoughts, Kagome was not one to dismiss her surroundings so easily after so many months of being chased by demons. Her senses alerted her to a single presence almost immediately, and she blinked in surprise. Her body relaxed a little, something telling her that she had felt the energy before, and she frowned at the strange reactions that she continued to get in this strange place. However, she took the piece of information and tucked it away, while sliding her eyes over to the person that had caught her attention.
A tall, aristocratic man stood between a few of the buildings. She instantly recognized that his clothing was a bit different than the other shinigami around her, and she assumed from the power she felt that he must be a higher ranked shinigami. Obviously not the highest, considering she felt a much more powerful shinigami in the direction she was headed, but she recognized the power, and in a small way she respected him for keeping it so in check.
The feeling of recognition did not leave, however, and she turned her attention to the shinigami still going on about fighting techniques and whatnot. Really, she supposed it was one thing to enjoy fighting, but to like it that much was a little out of hand in her opinion. "Hey," she called to catch his attention. "Who is that over there?"
The shinigami glanced up, looking rather put out that she had stopped him from telling her about the wonders of the eleventh division. His eyes moved to where she was pointing so obviously, and he quickly replied, "Oh, that's Captain Kuchiki. He runs the sixth division."
"Kuchiki?" she asked, frowning at the name. Her hand rested on the blade at her side, noticing the way that it hummed at the name. It obviously knew something that she did not, which was not surprising, but she wanted to strangle it for not giving her the answer. Instead she heard the distant voice telling her to figure it out on her own.
The shinigami paused in step, coming to a stop at the young woman's thoughtful expression. He had heard that the patrolling shinigami had tried to get Honesutsuri Kagome to remember who she was by using Kuchiki Byakuya's name, yet it had been reported that she had not been fazed by the name. However, he supposed this could be a step in the right direction, as he nodded. "Yes, Captain Kuchiki Byakuya."
"Where have I heard that name?" she muttered. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers, the smile on her face seeming to confuse the shinigami a little. "Oh, I remember! That man in the strange hat said it, as well as that shinigami that found me afterward. I wonder what's so important about him?"
The shinigami blinked, before saying, "I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. But right now we need to get to the first division."
"Of course," Kagome smiled. "Lead the way!"
As they began to walk once more, Kagome cast a glance over her shoulder at the tall man watching them. The frown returned to her face, wondering why he felt so familiar. She had never met him, as far as she knew, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of her head that told her she was missing something. And she was positive she was, since she was not quite sure what to make of the look in his eyes as he watched her go.
She nodded, confused with most of the information that they were trying to pour into her head. Her hand instinctively sought out her Zanpak-to, feeling the familiar warmth that came with the contact. They insisted that because the first division captain, Yamamoto, had demanded she be reeducated in everything she had forgotten, and she had once been a master of kido, she should be able to do it with ease.
Yeah right.
"Honesutsuri-san! Honesutsuri-san, are you paying attention to me?"
"Higurashi," she reminded her once again. She did not see what was so hard about calling her by the name she wished to be known as, no matter what these shinigami said her name was. They might say she had lost her memories of Soul Society and her surname had once been Honesutsuri, but she wished to be called Higurashi, if not Kagome.
"Honesutsuri-san," the female shinigami sighed, "you cannot continue to dwell in the past. Your name might have been Higurashi Kagome for the last fifteen years, but that is not who you are. You are Honesutsuri Kagome, a master of kido and the brilliant Zanpak-to, Tenseiga. You are apart of the sixth division, originally the fourth seat."
Kagome glared a little, turning her slight fury on the female shinigami. The woman backed away a little, surprised with her change in attitude, but Kagome did not really care at the moment. She was not going to be told who and what she was, especially when she knew quite well who and what she was! "No," she growled, "I am Higurashi Kagome. Miko, friend, loving daughter to Higurashi Kun-Loon, and now apparently shinigami. I have been that person for fifteen years, and just because you people think you can change my mind with a few simple words, that is who I am."
The shinigami sighed, saying softly, "Please, Honesutsuri-san."
Annoyed and angry with the other shinigami, she spat, "Higurashi!"
"Fine," the female relented. "Higurashi-san, if you please try again."
Sighing, her anger dissipating within moments, she asked, "What were the words again?"
With the patience of a saint, the other shinigami told her the words again, before allowing her to try once more. Kagome was actually surprised with how normal it felt to be using the kido once it worked correctly, and she found that she quickly memorized the words as if somewhere she had learned them once before. She knew she must have, because from what Captain Yamamoto had showed her, she had indeed been a shinigami apart of the sixth division exactly fifteen years and eight months ago.
It was just so hard to believe.
She did not know how she could have forgotten so much of her life. How could she not remember rising through the Academy with the skill of a near prodigy? How could she not remember the friends that came to her, smiling, and trying to jar her memory a little? How could she not remember standing up against Hollows with her Zanpak-to shining brilliantly the moment she released its name? How could she forget so much?
Deciding it was best not to dwell on it, especially when a lot of her old friends told her she would remember eventually, Kagome returned to her kido lesson. She had learned the few she had been taught with a bit of difficulty, but she found that after she had gotten it right the first time, it came to her again and again with ease. And she liked that, since she actually thought the amount of words required to cast it the first time was ridiculously long. She had been certain she would not remember any of them, but it was a pleasant surprise.