Fate's Twisted Whims

a Bleach fanfiction

Written by: Sakura Onna

A/N: Here we are chapter 2. Things start to look up a bit for our little noble turned peasant, but for how long? Well read and see.

disclaimer:

Sakura-Hime: Please?

Byakuya: NO! I am not going to do the disclaimer! It's beneath me as a nobleman!

Sakura-Hime: (puppy dog eyes) Please? Do you want me to get banned from this site and get in deep trouble with the law?

Byakuya: -_-" No? Why not ask Kaien?! He's in this d*** chapter!

Sakura-Hime: O.o Did you just swear at me? The author?

Byakuya: :( Yes! Now leave me the h*** alone! I have work to attend to, woman!

Sakura-Hime: (narrows eyes and reaches for hair-dye) Looks like I'm going to have to make your hair the same shade as Yachiru's to teach you some respect for us mortal authors. I'm sure she'll enjoy that.

Byakuya: O.o" NO! SAKURA! A LITTLE HELP HERE!

Sakura: Sorry, Captain Kuchiki, but I can't raise a finger to Sakura-Hime this chapter or she'll do something equally mean to me. My suggestion is do the stupid disclaimer since you're the one she wants to do it this time.

Byakuya: :( Fine d*** it! This author that loves to torture us and make us seem more like you mortals doesn't own any of us real Bleach characters! She does however own Sakura because she created her! NOW PUT THAT STUFF AWAY!

Sakura-Hime: ^_^ (Lets go of hair dye) Thank you, Byakuya! Was that so hard?

Byakuya: :( Leave me alone for the rest of this chapter.

Sakura-Hime: No guaranties! Now on to the story!

Byakuya: :( Just get the h*** out of my office then! (shoves author out the door and slams it)

Sakura: O.o" I think you really p. him today.

Sakura-Hime: O.o" agreed . . .

Chapter 2: Changes

When I regain consciousness I am inside a building, though what one I have no idea. Someone had put me in a real bed, the kind I haven't seen since that night of fire, and done something that I can no longer comprehend. Someone had tended to the injures I got earlier when I was attacked by another group of orphan kids and my feet that had reopened in my running from that man. I knew they had reopened from how badly they hurt. Where am I? Why did someone do this? In the Rukongai, especially in the higher numbered districts like #79 in any of the four directions, everyone was out to make sure of their own survival. It didn't matter to most if they had to kill to do so, even if it was just a kid like me . . . I look around the room the bed is in sitting up a bit on one elbow. The walls seem bare of decoration or anything else to add to their look besides blank whiteness. The ceiling is also kinda white and bland. So I turn my eyes to the floor. That is somewhat more interesting with the wood grains to it but other than that it's blank and bland too. It almost seemed like the room was lifeless and had never received the personal touch of anyone since it was built however long ago that was. As I turn to stare disinterested to the ceiling again laying back onto my bruised back, I hear voices coming closer: two voices, a man and a woman based on the tone difference. When the voices are close enough that I can make out some of the words the shoji screen slides open.

"Oh! You're awake!" says a handsome, not going to call her beautiful or pretty because those are words I would use to describe my mother and sister, woman as she enters the room carrying a tray laden with food.

My mouth waters at the smell of the food and I eye it for a moment before I raise them to look at her suspiciously. What was she trying to pull? I say nothing as I sit back up.

"We were a little worried that you would never awaken again with how long you were unconscious, little one. To think you could use Hado # 4 Byakurai, also known as Pale Lightning, without the incantation in your weakened state!" she says in what sounds like genuine admiration as she set the tray beside the bed. "Usually only high ranked and powerful shinigami can do a feat such as that."

I inch away from her even though I want to pounce on that food so badly. My stomach rumbles in protest of me distancing myself from such good smelling food. How long had it been since I actually ate anything cooked and hot? I can't remember. Still no words leave my mouth.

The woman notices my retreat and puts her hands on her hips."That's enough of that, little one! If we wanted you dead or hurt we would have just done so while you were defenseless. What would we gain from such action anyways?"

"I take it she's finally awake, Miyako?" The man from earlier asked as he enters the room. His spiky black hair seems to be standing even more on end than before. Or is that just me? Either way, I stiffen at the sight of him and move further back on the bed almost to the point of half hanging off the far edge.

The woman, Miyako, rounds on the man and glares at him in clear disapproval, "Now look what you've done, Kaien! She was clearly about to come for the food and you come here and spook her off!"

The man, Kaien, scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment and looks at me," I'm sorry about earlier, little one. If I'd known it was hunger that made you try to steal from us I wouldn't have acted like that."

'Like that makes much of a difference.' I think as I continue to eye the pair distrustfully.

"It's obvious you have a lot of untapped power within you and a lot of potential. You being able to use real Kido at your age is proof of that. Most Rukongai kids in your age group are able to form orbs of their spirit energy at most, but there are still a lot more that can't do anything with their spirit energy because it's so weak." He continues to say as he ignores my distrustful gaze.

'So what?! Stop toying with me and leave me alone already!' I silently scream at him, my gaze slowly becoming a glare.

"Anyways . . . Eat up, rest and regain your strength. When you're well enough there's something I wanta ask ya." He says as he moves to leave. Before he walks out the door he turns back and says, "The food isn't poisoned or anything like that. A Shiba would never stoop that low to harm or kill someone, especially when they're as young as you."

I remain silent as I watch him leave, and for some reason I find myself believing his words. I slowly inch forward on the bed now toward the food and Miyako, watching her to see if she would be as cruel as some people in the past and snatch the food away the moment I go to take it. She does nothing though but smile in encouragement. After I got to it and started to carefully munch on it she starts telling me a bunch of stories about various things. I listen as I eat but stay silent. Her voice is gentle and she only tells tales that are nice and sweet, the kind told to small children everywhere. The type of stories that don't prepare anyone for the harsh reality of the real world, but for whatever reason hearing those stories told in that gentle voice was soothing for me. It almost made me fell like I was back before the night of the fire and listening to Yume, my older sister, when she told me stories like that. I put down the soup and the chopsticks as tears start to silently roll down my cheeks. Miyako stays in the room with me until I fall asleep. She kept a distance from me the entire time as if she read my desire to not be touched in my mind.

A few days pass in similar style before it feels like I've healed enough to be able to be up and about. It's as I'm exploring the house that I ran into a boy close to Ranmaru's age, or I should say the age he would be if he'd survived the fire. I have to say he kinda reminded me of a monkey already with his appearance. He took one look at me in the clothes I had gotten from Miyako, and ran in the opposite direction yelling some one's name I didn't recognize. I had no idea what to do when that happened. I'm always the one doing the running away not someone else. To put it plainly I just stand there in the corridor looking flat out confused for a good twenty minutes. The next day I spoke my first words to Kaien and Miyako to ask about the monkey boy as I dubbed him. They seem amused by that as they explain that was Kaien's younger brother Ganju. Then they told me about Kaien's younger sister Kukaku as well and her fireworks. Later that day I explore again and find a weird room that smells like black powder and other things I can't name til later. Sitting at a work bench in that room is a woman older than me, but maybe a little younger than Yume, who is hunched over working on something that looked like a bunch of powders. She doesn't look up from her work until I'm practically standing looking over her shoulders.

"What do you want brat?" she snaps as she looks away from her work that seemed like mixing different powders together.

I clamp my mouth shut and back away at her tone which was the same one adults in the Rukongai used before they tried to beat me for coming too close to them or sometimes even just looking at them. My eyes widen and my legs tense preparing to run at the smallest sign of a threat.

She notices and lets out a groan and face palms, "You're the kid Big Brother caught stealing from the store house, the one who can already use Kido and he won't shut up about. The only other person I've ever heard him talk about so d*** much was his wife Miyako when they were courting. Ugh! Nothing like your older brother coming to you constantly asking for advice on women."

"Miyako and Kaien are married?" For some reason that thought had never crossed my mind before.

She slowly removed her hand from her face to look at me and gave me a small smile." Yeah. What they didn't tell you that?"

I shook my head.

She started laughing then and smiled more widely, "I bet you haven't hear much about me either then. I'm Kukaku Shiba and I'm gonna be the best pyrotechnic specialist in west Rukongai!"

This was the sister I was told about just yesterday. "Sakura. What are you doing?"

"Sakura? What no family name?"

I'm silent for a while as I think. My trust level in these strangers is still not high enough that it feels safe to say anything about my family. "It's best I don't say it."

A shriek escapes me as Kukaku jumps up from the work bench and captures me in a head lock. Self-preservation instinct takes hold and I try to break free.

"Oi! Knock it off! I'm not gonna hurt ya kid."

Next thing I know I'm being plopped on the bench next to Kukaku as she sits back down. She releases me but shivers of fear still run through me. Kukaku goes back to mixing powders carefully reaching around me in a way that was meant to make it feel like I wasn't trapped by the taller girl. She starts to explain that she was making a new batch of powder to go in her newest firework. She explains each of the ingredients and its purpose: black powder for heat and propulsion, copper chloride for blue coloring, a bit in one spot of calcium chloride for orange, a strange ball shaped thing she calls a star filled with barium chloride for green. Now my eyes are wide in wonder and my fear was forgotten. Kukaku burned a few of the odd powders to show me the colors she was talking about and by the time Miyako came looking for me I was joining in on making the fireworks and having actual real fun for the first time in so long I couldn't even remember. Another time when I was exploring I ran into Shiroganehiko and Koganehiko, the giant twins that served the Shibas, and though their shear size intimidated me at first, I came to learn they were mostly gentle giants unless they caught me braking some rule then they'd throw a rather amusing to watch hissy fit.

Somehow Kukaku figured out what colors I like best from her little demonstration and from then on when I would go to her work room she would let me use the compounds that made those colors almost exclusively. A few accidents occurred now and than and Kaien would get on both our cases for it since there tended to big loud explosions, lots of smoke, weakening to the walls and foundation and a lot of other stuff. He-he, everyone knew every time one of us made a mistake because of that. Kukaku and I became friends over working with fireworks. Miyako treated me no different than Kukaku and as such, as a little sister. Ganju stayed afraid of me and tended to stare at me like a strange animal for a long time, almost a good six months. Kaien, Miyako, and Kukaku all got after him for staring at me like that so many times I lost count. I don't really blame him for it, I probably did look pretty feral in those early days, and I know it did feel like it in my mind. As I started to relearn that there really are kind hearted people in this world and how to interact with them in a civilized way, my psychological wounds began to close and heal, and I learned skills that have saved my life many times since.

A little over a year went by since my attempted thievery when Kaien finally asked the thing he had mentioned he wanted to ask the first time I woke up in the Shiba house. He called everyone into a meeting before dinner, and I mean everyone Shiroganehiko and Koganehiko were also there, so everyone would know what was up. Naturally I was the last to arrive. When I came into the room all eyes turned on me. Ganju's eyes have a look of disbelief in them and his jaw was slack, Miyako gave me one of her gentle smiles and seems pleased with something, Kukaku was grinning from ear to ear and had that look in her eyes that I associated with "I got a new idea for a fireworks recipe and I'm gonna try it out in the house", the twins looked like they were about to cry which kinda creeps me out since they were grown men, and Kaien looked the calmest but also most serious of the assembly. What was going on?

"Sakura, you look much better now than you did a year ago,"

"Yeah. That's 'cause I am better. I haven't felt this good since . . . For a while, and I haven't had this many people I felt I can trust in just as long." A wave of sadness rolls through me as I think of the night of the fire and the lose of my family causing me to pause before I had continued.

Kaien nods in understanding of the pain left unsaid and continues solemnly, "I have already asked everyone what they think of what I am going to ask you and none object. Sakura, would you like to be a Shiba?"

The meaning of his question eludes me for a few moments but as I recall some of the things Kukaku has said one possible meaning comes to my mind. "If you're asking me to become your second wife, you can go jump off the highest bridge in the soul society."

He hit me on the head the same way he does Kukaku and Ganju when they do something wrong or really stupid. "Idiot! I'm asking if you want to be my, Kukaku, and Ganju's sister! Besides you're too young for me and Miyako would severely injure me if I tried that."

Miyako hit Kaien in the arm making him rub that spot in mock pain before turning to me. "So what do ya say, Sakura? Do you want to join this crazy family?"

I was stunned. Sure Kaien, Kukaku, and Ganju were around the ages of my brothers and sister and I like the three of them and Miyako, but to actually call them my brothers and sisters feels odd even in my mind. Was it right? I want a family and a place to call home more than anything else, but it feels like if I become a Shiba and take that name that I'm casting off my blood family like an old, dirty, and torn beyond repair kimono. Like casting off the Hideyori name into the rubbish heap just like yesterday's trash and abandoning and disrespecting my ancestors. I am torn. I want to have living people here with me to call family but I didn't want to throw away what I really am. What do I do?

"Would I have to give up the name of the family I was born to?"

Kaien did not look pleased at my question but apparently could see that I was thinking and wanted to know because it would affect my choice. He was silent for a long moment before he spoke, "If you would be happier carrying that name, you could keep it as long as you still call us family I suppose."

I brightened almost instantly making a choice. "I would like to call you my brothers and sisters, but I will keep the Hideyori name out of respect of my ancestors and lost family."

And so I become the fourth Shiba sibling but without the official name.

Years go by and every now and then Kaien sneaks me into Squad 13's barracks, which he could get in big trouble for if his captain wasn't so nice. I meet some of his fellow squad members as well as his captain, Jushiro Ukitake. Every one of the squad 13 members I meet are nice to me and are always like "so you're the little sister Vice-Captain Shiba is always talking about . . . " Ukitake and I become friends almost instantly when we meet for the first time. I watch and listen to the activities of the squad, ask questions about things I don't understand, and sometimes get involved with things going on like members training on one of the practice fields or something to that effect because of this interaction with people in a functioning squad I start learning about being a shinigami and their duties before I even enter the Academy. Often times when Kaien sneaks me into Squad 13's barracks I either tail Kaien most of the day or I tail Ukitake though when I can't follow either of them because of a captains meeting or vice-captains meeting I tend to sit on the edge of the lake Ukitake's house is in the middle of or on the bridge that leads to his house. One would think that with me almost drowning once in a koi pond would be enough to make me phobic of deep bodies of water but for some reason I'm not. . .

I enter the Academy after I pass the entrance exam with a bit less than flying colors about twentyish years after that night of fire I do my best not to think too deeply on. Later after I graduate I learn I entered the Academy either a year or two after Rukia Kuchiki, Renji Abari, Momo Hinamori, and Izuru Kira did. I am one of those students who pays attention, keeps quiet, and answers a question when asked something, but I still even with the good, nondisruptive behavior get picked on by the sons and daughters of noble families just like any of the other Rukongai students. I do my best to ignore them since they're right to a degree as I seem to carry a stronger scent of the Rukongai on me than my noble birth. Besides that I keep my blood as much of a secret as I can from everyone in case it was an enemy of the family or something to that effect that set the blaze. I do know some clans hate and fight against other clans constantly. I don't hang my head in shame at the taunts and jeers though. If anything they push me harder to prove myself without the dropping of names whether it's the Shiba name or my father's it don't matter. I want to pass, graduate, and become a member of the 13 courtguard squads on my own like my father did. Zanjutsu and Kido are my strongest classes. In Zanjutsu I can even take on the instructor and last over an hour by the time I am a third year and that is normally something only sixth years can do. I remember hearing tales of Renji almost blowing everything to smithereens the first time he tried doing one fire based Kido and Rukia's adoption to the Kuchiki family and stuff like that on a daily basis when I walk down the halls. I don't pay attention to the gossip much no matter who it is doing so usually. Somewhere along the line I made friends with one guy in my class whose really a wimp and gets picked on a lot named Ryuku Ryona. He can't use a Zanpakuto well for fighting purposes or offensive Kido, but he has really good and strong healing Kido. Ryuku would obviously be a member of Squad 4 after graduation. After we become friends though, he kinda starts following me around like a lost puppy and develops a bit of a habit of trying to use me as a bodyguard/human shield. Needless to say the guy gets on my nerves ever now and then . . .

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A/N: This feels like a good spot to cut this chapter. Next chapter well another big drop for Sakura and changes in her situation. Please review if you like it. Please review if you don't like it as well. I would like to hear the thoughts of those reading this story no matter what they are. Also as a side note this story was originally hand written out as one long document so I'm just going by feel for when to say a chapter starts and stops. Also feel free to suggest side characters to come up in situations with Sakura or a few filler events or anything like that. If you do I just might put your suggested person or subplot event into a later chapter. ;) And feel free to ask me to go in more detail over different things. 8 page chapter! Woot!

Til next chapter!

~Sakura-Hime