Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in any way, shape, or form. (Insert some witty comment for today).
Summary: Refer to previous chapters for it.
The Bridge Of Silence
+---+
+Dancing Shinny Petals+
The silence was heavy on Toushiro as he looked at his former friend, the one who wanted to protect the traitor Aizen. He clenched his jaw tightly, his teeth grinding against each other tightly--he was beyond anger and fury. If there was actually a level that existed pretty high above those words, perhaps he could loath her. The white haired captain didn't understand, didn't even want to at all because it only made him want to stab that bastard over and over again.
"I hate you!" She spat angrily, despite her injuries. "You broke your promises!" The venom to her words didn't made him react.
"I told you Hinamori that there was nothing that I could do." Hitsugaya sneered, it took a lot for anyone to make him truly angry--not the kind of anger he showed towards Matsumoto for being lazy.
"You betrayed my trust, how could you? And, after that you dare to see that stupid Kurosaki girl." A hysterical laughter escaped her lips, but anger obviously showing in her eyes. "Go back to her. You shouldn't be here feeling sorry for me or apologizing for this accident at all. Go screw her, kiss her or whatever the hell it is that you do with her. I don't want for you to worry over me, its not your place."
Words were never allowed to be taken back, Toushiro knew that and had learned to take it without getting hurt. He turned, his back against her as he slid the door open to the room. There was nothing else to say to her, even if anyone wanted too--there was no way to change her mind. He was tired of thinking about the past and everything that involved it, therefore, burying deep was the best for him.
"I won't worry over you, and I want for you to remember that we are no longer friends." He said bitterly, unhurt and uncaring. "You're position as a fukutaichou has been terminated starting from tomorrow. Kurosaki Isshin-taichou will return all of your private possessions." He didn't look at her. "Yamamoto-soutaichou wants this to go as smoothly as it can get. Good bye, Hinamori-san."
+---+
The summer night air was crisp, filled with a honey scent coming from the night blooming flowers on the small garden. Karin's eyes shifted as the small breeze swept by, the night was peaceful despite the long day back in the human world. The time seemed to only go by like a sprinter, without stopping or rewinding at all--that was good though. August was going to roll around just next week, the ending to summer would come soon, and everything would continue moving.
The eerie night did not depict the quietness at all, it seemed to be only increasing the suspense to something greater, something bigger. The chills suddenly crept into her, slowly tantalizing her skin as if eyes watched her carefully, but why was that fear appearing like that?
"Karin!" She jumped as Toushiro stepped out of the room and taking a seat besides her. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Shit, you fucking scared me." She hissed under her breath, clutching to her chest to try to stop her heart from actually popping out of her chest.
The white haired captain said nothing, merely looking at whatever it was that his future wife was staring at in the distance of their house. His emerald green eyes glowed in the night, the moonlight radiating from his skin making it glow softly, while his hair was shinning silver. Karin looked at him, carefully wanting to make the strange feeling from going away.
"What were you thinking so deeply about?" He turned, his gaze was intense as she fought the urge to not be succumbed to that stare.
"It was nothing." She muttered, tearing her eyes from his and looking down at her hands. "I--I felt like thinking."
"There's something bothering you, so out with it." Toushiro grumbled, grasping her hand and making her look at him again. "Please." She sighed, being weak against him was like a sin.
"I have a bad feeling about when we go up to the real world for our wedding." The dark haired shinigami revealed, lacing her fingers against his. "I don't know what it is, but I just feel it. Something that makes me feel cold despite the fact that it is warm at the moment, but I can't put my finger into that feeling at the moment. You shouldn't worry though, it is simply a feeling."
He nodded and continued to stare at whatever it was, not feeling completely sure about her words at all. The feeling was mutual though, it had been for a while since their last captain's meeting. The white haired captain sighed, relentlessly fighting the urge to actually say something out loud and expressing his own worry about whatever it was that would happen next.
"We should go back to sleep, we have work tomorrow." Hitsugaya stood up and dusted his sleeping robes. He stretched out his hand for Karin to take, willingly she did and he pulled her up.
"Yeah, I have a day off though." She informed him as the two re-entered their room. "Ichi-nii is taking Kazuki and Amaya up to visit oyaji, even though I see no point to it since he's due to return this week."
"There are a lot of things that have no point." He expressed as he stumbled into his side of the bed, and laid back down hoping to fall asleep fast.
Karin laid down and scooted closer to him, putting her head on his chest and feeling content about the moment at hand. Hitsugaya wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him and feeling her warmth next to her as he liked it to be. They laid there in silence for what seemed hours, neither of them actually falling asleep or even feeling slightly tired at all.
Slowly, the dark haired shinigami snuggled against the white haired shinigami and closed her eyes to sleep. His heart beating made it sound like a lullaby, succumbing to that sound was the last thing she could remember of the night as she wanted to forget that frightening feeling at the back of her head.
On the other hand, the 10th squad captain could not fall asleep at all. The suspicions were growing at a rapid rate unlike no other, even his future wife was aware that something was going to happen soon just as the reports from the 12th squad research apartment were predicting. A power ten times greater then the Hougyoku, enough for it to--he couldn't bare to think of that sole thing alone at the moment. He leaned his head against the pillow, and closed his eyes and slowly fell into a deep sleep.
+---+
Ichigo stared out the window of his office, carefully noting the fact that his squad was improving for the past few years since when he first had taken over after Tousen had betrayed them. He found it interesting how all of them were able to trust him, someone who became a shinigami willingly, and then was made into a noble. He found it hard to understand that logic whatsoever, but then again, nothing in Soul Society failed to amaze him at all.
They were stronger and extremely adaptive to their surroundings, their progress was amazing and well noted by the other squads. The orange haired captain was also content with his fukutaichou, who was soon to be brother-in-law as well. Hisagi Shuuhei was a dependable man, strong willed, and a believer in justice as well. His fairness was great for the job, understanding and comprehending of others was also a good point about him--all in all--Ichigo was content with the 9th squad.
"Kurosaki-taichou." Hisagi entered the room, carrying papers on his hands.
"Ah, those papers from the 5th squad?" He turned around and walked over towards the other desk of his vice-captain.
"Yes, sir. Kurosaki-fukutaichou made sure all of them were organized, ready for you to sign." He inquired, handing the thick folder to the orange haired shinigami.
"Thanks, Hisagi." Ichigo gave him a nod, and then returned to his own desk to start signing the paperwork. Hopefully soon his idiotic father would show up at once, and regain back his duties because he was getting sick of doing all the paperwork and having to deal with the lot of them.
The dark haired vice-captain sat there, staring at his scowling captain while he muttered to himself softly and signing papers. He wondered sometimes how someone so young like him was able to handle someone else's squad, and his own. Hisagi was amazed at first when the former shinigami representative was made into a captain, the way the haori with the nine number on his back reflected and the strength that the young shinigami carried with him.
At the beginning, the vice-captain felt rather unconnected with his new captain with the obvious that he still felt angry at the fact that the former 9th squad captain had betrayed everyone. Hisagi found it hard to fully trust Kurosaki at first, but at a demonstration of the new captain's bankai--that managed to change his view on him. Now, after all those years now, the 9th squad fukutaichou seemed content with the taichou.
"Hisagi, you should take a break and go have lunch." Ichigo spoke, breaking the long silence and standing up while putting away the brush on his hands. "When you finish, make sure that you make your daily evaluation of the squad, sign it and leave it on my desk. I'll finish my own work, and review your evaluation and sign it myself to turn in."
"Hai, Kurosaki-taichou." The vice-captain stood up and followed him behind.
"Good afternoon, Kurosaki-taichou and Hisagi-fukutaichou." A few members of their squad greeted them on the way out of the 9th squad barracks and off to the 4th squad to have lunch.
Ichigo broke off and headed to the line, carefully being granted access by the lower seats because everyone feared being reported to their own captains and being punished. Technically, Ichigo couldn't careless about other shinigamis and their thoughts about him, and his still infamous orange hair. Public opinions didn't bother him in either life nor death, so he wasn't about to actually go around and care for the opinions of others.
"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled from an empty table in the far back of the large room.
"Oi, Rukia." He smiled as he grabbed his food and headed off to that table. "You're fairly early? Playing hooky again?" His wife frowned slightly at the comment, stuffing her mouth with a bean bun and chewed.
"I wouldn't do something like that, besides there is absolutely anything to do." The petite shinigami complained, wiping the corners of her mouth. "Your father is not around at all, without him there is nothing else to do but complete the stupid paperwork and all of that."
"Then again, its better then to have his loud mouth around." The orange haired captain frowned, thinking of that crazy oyaji of his was a horrid thought. "Soul Society is much more quieter without his stupidity around, then again Kazuki and Amaya want to see my old man."
Rukia smiled as she drank some water from her cup, and continued eating her noodles that were extra delicious today for some reason. Being with Ichigo changed her world, bringing emotions and memories that which could never be replaced by someone else at all. Marrying him was a dream, being with him was beyond her wildest imagination because Rukia had never actually thought that she had fallen for a guy like him at all.
He was driven, smart, caring, understanding--too many other things that she actually had never expected coming from her husband at all. Kurosaki Ichigo had given up a lot of things in order to be with her, which she still felt guilty about and still did, but he often reminded her that there was no way in hell that he actually regretted anything at all.
"Ichigo, what do you think of what was said on the captain's meeting?" Her voice was in a low whisper, but loud enough for Ichigo to hear it only.
"I don't." The orange haired shinigami replied, looking down at his wife and eyeing her closely. "I don't let it bother me at the moment, even though I do question how someone is actually wanting to make something more powerful then its original."
Rukia nodded absentmindedly as she tried to absorb all of that information at once, it was a little bit too much and unexpected to say the least. She wanted not to believe in the truth, only wanting to go back to the time in which everyone got along fine--but that seemed hard now since Inoue Orihime had betrayed them all and decided to save the 4th Espada from being killed.
In the beginning, only a few days after the war, the petite shinigami wanted to believe that their former friend would actually return and say that it was all a mistake. Those long days and nights turned to months, years--and successively up until now. She had known for a while now that her husband felt slightly angry at that, wasting all his energies and will in order to save someone who didn't want to be saved.
Rukia understood a little bit, believing on him was enough to obscure her own worries about anything at all, and she trusted the fact that he too couldn't count on getting her back at all.
"I am worried that we'll met her soon, Ichigo." She didn't want to think of that scenario, but there was no helping it at all. "What will happen? No one knows the reasons why she save that Espada, why she disappeared with him."
Ichigo stopped eating and set his chopsticks down on the table. "Inoue was my friend, someone who I put my outmost trust during the time she spent with us. After everything that happen between us, to me she's nothing but part of the enemies that we have to go against with." He looked at her watching her expression, but it seemed as though she felt the same way. "I wouldn't want to meet her in this type of situation, but there's no way in hell that we can change the situation at all."
The black haired shinigami nodded and returned back to her eating, mind slowly becoming busily with thoughts of meeting her once acclaimed friend. Knowing that she had to confront the woman that held feelings towards her husband would be difficult, but not as much since she was a traitor and enemy. She chewed on her food, but a sour taste coming inside of her.
+---+
The 6th squad was busily today, everyone coming in and out of the barracks as their captain Kuchiki Byakuya was extremely in a horrid mood due to--unspoken reasons. Abarai Renji was the only one who had to feel the wrath of the stoic captain, the cold glares and monotone words coming from the noble captain were hard to fully comprehend at once.
"Abarai." The monotone voice of the captain came, his gaze never leaving the paper in front of him.
"Yes, Kuchiki-taichou?" The red headed shinigami replied, swallowing hard as he held his son close to him and taking the brush away from his tiny hands.
"Get out of the office, and take that child as far away as you can." The captain stated icily, still keeping his gaze away and swiftly removing the ink from his cheek. "It is not play time Abarai."
Renji swallowed hard again and stood up, not really wanting to actually deal with another wrath from the 6th squad captain at all. He bowed stupidly as he shut the door, carefully glancing the other subordinates that walked by snickering at him.
"Tachoo!" Takehiko smiled at his father and stretched out his tiny hand to brush it against his father.
"Come on, we have to find your mommy." He grinned sheepishly at his son, and walked off before regretting on standing on the spot.
All of the 6th squad actually had seen how much their captain was building a hate for the small baby, even though others believed that he actually liked having children around him--neither of the theories were actually accurate at all. The fukutaichou knew well that his taichou only liked his nephews, Amaya and Kazuki because they were his adoptive sister's children--though sometimes he disliked the two because they were so much like their father.
The red headed didn't get it much, nor did he question at all because it wasn't worth asking much about it. Leaving it a mystery was better in order to not have thoughts in his head, for now he only wanted to see his wife and hand the child to her.
He walked towards the dojo area where he knew that his wife was going to be at, probably torturing other members of their squad by using brute antics against them. Spartan could be a possible descriptive word for her training sessions, but that was going a little bit overboard with the whole 'strong' stuff.
"Renji, what brings you here?" Tatsuki asked as she landed a hit to another lower seat member. "Everyone, lets take a break."
The rest of those that were there shuffled around the floor and hung up their swords, and leaving quietly because they feared how she oftentimes yelled at them for being so loud.
Tatsuki dried of her sweat with the towel, and smiled at the sight of her son as he smiled brightly at her and opened his arms for her to take him in her arms.
"Come here, Takehiko." She took him in her arms, and began to rock him back and forth. "So, what trouble did you two gentlemen get in--again?" This time, the dark haired shinigami looked up at the red headed shinigami, whom looked utterly outraged at the fact that he was reminded often about the trouble.
"I behaved, only the little one." Renji fought so hard on trying not to argue with her. So, he smiled at her and his son. "So, dinner at Ichigo's or we go out?"
Tatsuki smiled at him, and then kissed Takehiko's cheek softly. "Ichigo's, I feel like this little guy isn't done with Kuchiki-taichou just yet."
Renji nearly chocked on that one because his wife would be so evil, but never get into trouble at all so he envied her on that part.
"Come on, lets just go before he comes around here and hears you say that." He grumbled, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling his family to him as the three left the dojo. "Heh, Ichigo's going to be surprised."
"Eh, that strawberry never gets surprised now days. I actually find that to be odd from him, but he's a captain after all." She mused and grinned. "Besides, there's nothing to be surprised about pineapple so just drop it."
The two argued all their way to the large house that was out close to where their friend and former noble, Shiba Kukkaku lived. The pineapple nickname being drop at each step they took, but Renji nor Tatsuki ever actually argued a useless matter such a silly nickname at all.
+---+
"Karin-chan, quit squirming or I'll prick you with the needle." The golden haired woman said, while pinning the dress to fit more properly around the body of Karin.
"I can't stand still Yuzu, its annoying." Karin grumbled, while staring at herself in the length mirror.
The wedding gown was fitting on her top part and her waist rather tightly, but it didn't feel like it which made her head spin a little on that part that involved being a bride or some fashion lover. She groaned loudly as she stepped off the pedestal and sat down on a chair groaning again.
"What's wrong?" Yuzu asked, noticing the frustration that was coming from her twin sister. For a while now she had noticed that Karin had been under a lot of stress, the unknown stress was perhaps becoming a little too heavy for her.
Karin was tired a lot, tired of trying to find a way to fit in more among the whole nobility pricks that ran around looking as though they still didn't accept her. Well, then again they hadn't because she was an unwed mother, living under the same roof with her lover--that made it sound a though she was some whore. The dark haired shinigami groaned again, vehemently trying not to go off suddenly and curse their asses to the doors of Hell.
"Its just this Yuzu, nothing more." Karin smiled, trying so hard not to become so angry with herself at all. "All I want is for this wedding in the real world to be over, and I am nervous as hell."
"Sorry Karin-chan, but it would be over in only 24 hours." Her sister smiled, and stood up again while dusting her dress from invisible dust. "You must admit though, this dress is so pretty in your body. I remember that Rukia-nee had trouble fitting in her dress perfectly due to her--well you know. Except, you seem to fit well in this dress."
Now, Karin stared at herself in the mirror and looked at the dress carefully. There was a black sash tied around her waist, the rest of the dress was long and was made out of soft ruffles--it literally cascaded down her body and it looked amazing.
Slowly though, she was accepting the fact that she was going to be married soon to a wonderful man who loved her dearly. Even if they fought about rather senseless stuff, Karin couldn't be happier to spend her entire life with Hitsugaya Toshiro and their son. Though, she really hoped that she could have another child in order to have a complete family.
"I--I am actually going get marry." Karin turned to look at Yuzu, and smiled widely whilst grabbing her hands. "I'm going to get married Yuzu to the best man I have ever met in my life--and--and I--am so happy."
Both sisters began to jump up and down, as their father stood behind the closed door with a huge happy grin on his face. Surely, having three wonderful children was a gift that he hadn't expected to have in his life at all, but was grateful to have nevertheless.
"Masaki, you would be so proud of our children." Isshin expressed, as he continued off to his room and shut the door behind him quietly.
The wedding was set for tomorrow in the afternoon, during the twilight and nearly under the stars in Urahara's store. All the guests had been given proper gigais and accommodates for them, but there weren't going to be so many guests due to the fact that neither bride or groom wanted so many people there.
+---+
Chapter 9 everyone, thanks for sticking around still. I'll like to thank happygirl24, rose-of-alabaster, realityfling18, and Kida Ookami (also for favouring) for their reviews, ChidoriSakura112 for favouring my story. You guys are awesome and amazing for reviewing and all of that good stuff. I can't believe that I am up to nine chapters already--bloody hell! Honestly I couldn't be happier, so enough of that for now. Not much happens on this chapter seeing that its sort of like a filler in a way, not so much because there's some important stuff here that needed to be put on this chapter. So, I did say that I was going to put a bloody wedding, but damn it I couldn't do it at all even though I have to. I'm terrible at the wedding rubbish, mainly because its hard to actually put it in words. Maybe I should get married--nah. Woah, off the bloody subject here.
+happygirl24- 'I haven't found the song yet, but I am still looking. Sighs, okay how do you like Yozora no kiri (it means mist of the night sky), or Yoru no Hana (bloom of the night). Those are for Karin, for Yuzu I have yet to find something fitting. Let me know what you think of either names. And, thanks for your review!'
+rose-of-alabaster- 'I liked the Renji/Tatsuki pair--had for a while now and I thought I'd put them here. Somehow I can see them together, even if it may never happen but that's why we create fanfics for it XD. And, I know it was so OOC, but it couldn't be helped since he was a bit angst because of the situation. So, thanks for the review.'
+realityfling18- 'Aw, I'm sorry you had a bad day. Hopefully it was fixed though, I tend to have them a lot and I hate them because then I get extremely irritated and it turns into a big mess. Anyhow--but I am happy to hear my story made you feel better. Oh, that's true because its a very traumatizing thing and its not so easily dealt with so easily. Hope you liked this chapter.'
+Kida Ookami- 'Ah, thank you very much for the kind words. I thought I was doing too much of a depressing thing with all of those emotions, but I guess they turned out well then I expected. Emotional is totally the proper term for those chapters--I made a few people cry I believe because of that. Hollow pain like that is so hard to write, so it was difficult not to sit in front of my computer and write since most of it only comes from my brain without having it planned out. Sighs, but I do hope that you enjoy this chapter! Thanks again!'
Alright, well a few important facts I think. So, before anyone starts to question--yes time is moving rather fast but I seriously needed to get off the summer season since Toushiro would very much appreciate that. Another one, so Tatsuya was born in March 13 and Takehiko was born on April 19th. The wedding is going to take place on the next chapter, I hope (crosses fingers). We'll see what forms in my brain for the next few days before I post the new chapter. Like it? Review it. Hate it? That's alright.