When Byakuya and Semina both arrived at the Kuchiki manner it was early evening.
Semina went straight to her room and changed into her normal attire . She felt a little tired.
Byakuya was already in his own room lying on his bed taking a rest, when he thought he'd inspect the Soul Candy just to see how his body would behave with this type of candy in it. He swallowed the dark pink pill. The savory taste of wild cherry that felt somewhat creamy filled his mouth. Byakuya awaited for his soul to be replaced by the false one but to his surprise nothing happened. He waited for the candy to at least leave his body . Still nothing!
"How very peculiar! He murmured.
Suddenly he felt quite weak. His body felt heavy .He lay down on his bed and shut his eyes. Before he knew it he was asleep.
Semina was in her room hugging her tube of Soul Candy. She shut her eyes and pretended that she was hugging Ichigo.
"Goodnight my Strawberry boy!" She giggled and shut her eyes.
The next day Byakuya woke up quite refreshed. He stretched and yawned. His body felt somewhat lighter than yesterday night! Not to mention younger! Yet his clothes felt strangely larger than usual. Oh well…He ought not to have fallen asleep in his shihakoushou anyway! He slowly made his way over to his mirror and!
"Aaaaaaaa!"
Semina jumped up frightened. She burst into Byakuya's room.
"Nii-sama? Is everything alright? Why did you scream like that?"Semina stopped dead .
Now it was her turn to scream .
"What the hell?" She shouted "Who the heck are you?"
"It's me nitwit !" Byakuya said angrily.
Semina walked briskly close to him and circled him curiously.
"What in the world are you doing now?" Byakuya said.
"You…you shrunk!" Semina said still shocked. "And your voice has changed" "And your all girly looking" "And your reiatsu has disappeared!"
"I know that ,you….WHAT DID YOU SAY?"
"I said your reiatsu has disappeared. I…OH MY GOD YOUR REIATSU HAS DISSAPEARED!" Shouted Semina shaking Byakuya up and down.
"B-but why?" Byakuya said shocked.
"How should I know ?" Semina said. "Hold on! Did you do anything yesterday?"
"I…I can't remember doing anything!"
"Think! It's important!"
"I came in here…I took my clothes of…I lay down on my bed and then I decided to test the Soul Candies…"
"Did you say test the Soul Candies?"
Semina ran over the small table and picked up the tube:
"These aren't Soul Candies!" She cried out "These are humanification candies!"
"What in the world is?" Byakuya started.
Semina read the fine print:
Ningen (Human)Candies:
The best humanification candies in the world!
Caution: Causes reiatsu to leak from shinigami until he is reduced to perfect, younger human state! Takes twenty four hours time to take effect .
Semina turned to Byakuya.
"Dumbass ! Why didn't you frigin read the fine print before eating them!"
"Why? What are they?"
"They candies that turn you into a human! A reiatsu-less human!"
Byakuya was utterly shocked.
He sat down .
"What do I do?"
"Cmon let's go!" Semina said grabbing the miserable teen aged Byakuya by the arm.
"Wait! Were to?"
"To someone who can help"
(At the 6th Squad Office)
"A fine mess you've gotten yourself into Taichou!" Renji exclaimed looking at the teen aged kid.
"Shut up Abarai!" Byakuya huffed.
Semina sat down .
"Great! This is just great! That science freak Mayuri can't help! Plus the Senkai Gate won't be ready for at least another two hours"
"Cheer up! It could be worse! He could have been turned into a baby!" Renji joked.
"Go to hell Abarai!" Byakuya shouted angrily.
Renji looked at the annoying teen .
"Shut up! Your annoying !" He said carelessly.
"You just wait till I turn back into my usual self again !" Byakuya snapped.
"What? You're going to kick my butt taichou?" Renji scoffed. "Maybe this time I will surpass you!"
"Not in your dreams!"
"Oh! Yeah? Talk to my Zabimaru then!"
"You'll get Senbonzakura to deal with!"
"Oh? I don't see him anywhere now ? What happened? Did you turn human by mistake?"
Semina was beginning to get more and more angry.
"You two asses!" She choked out, a murderous aura around her! I'm killing you both!" She shouted getting ready to pounce on them .
Just then a hell butterfly flew in through the window and sat on Semina's hand.
"Right! You are lucky! This saved your asses from certain death!" Semina said. "Nii-sama ! We have to go to a Captain's meeting in the 1st Squad building"
Byakuya nodded and staggered to follow after Semina.
She walked on.
"What's keeping you?"
Byakuya lifted his massive shihakousou .
"My clothes are!" He exclaimed puling the mass of black and white up and tightening the sash around his waist.
Semina walked over to him and picked him up. He was light as a feather.
"Hold on tight Nii-sama! This is going to be a fast ride!" She said.
"No! No! Don't shunpo!" The frightened teen shouted. But before he could protest further Semina was already flash stepping at full speed.
"Aaaaaa!" Byakuya grabbed Semina hips tight and closed his eyes. He had never been carried by a girl before! Such embarrassment indeed! He felt himself growing hotter and he started feeling quite uncomfortable in a place he wasn't meant to be feeling anything at all! It took the teen quite a long time to realize that he had his head resting on Semina's chest!
They arrived at the Building and Semina put Byakuya down.
"Hope you enjoyed the ride!" She laughed.
Byakuya narrowed his eyes at her.
They both walked inside and in the meeting hall of the Captains.
"Kuchiki Taichou! I see what happened is true!" Yamamoto Sou-Taichou said thoughtfully.
"Yamamoto Sou-Taichou. If I may speak the candies that were the cause of this hassle were given to us as said to be Soul Candies! By Urahara Kisuke!"
"Now now! Don't pin this on me Semina-chan!" Urahara said walking up to them.
"But it's your fault!"
"I simply mixed up the merchandise ! Do forgive me!"
"Why you lazy good for nothing mad scientist !" Byakuya hissed.
"I doesn't matter! As long as it can be undone!" Semina said .
"Hmmm… I'm afraid that dear Kuchiki Taichou will be like this for at least a couple of weeks…" Urahara said fanning himself.
"How many!" Both Semina and Byakuya demaned in unison.
"About seven or eight!"
"Naniiiiii?" Both Semina and Byakuya said in unison.
"Kuchiki Taichou! However if you remain close to someone who has a powerful reiatsu the process will be slightly quickened !" Yamamoto Sou Taichou said . "Therefore you are to remain by the side of your sister and perhaps Kurosaki Ichigo".
"No! Not the rotten ryoka strawberry" Byakuya wailed.
"Heh! He's still a brat!" Koyraku Taichou said.
"That he is"Ukitake Taichou said.
"You are both to depart for the human world in about an hour! That will be all!" Yamamoto Sou Taichou said waving his hand.
"Nicely done aristo-boy ! Ya had to get yourself in another mess!" Zaraki Taichou said .
"I don't expect for a commoner like yourself to understand that this unfortunate situation was none of my doing!" Byakuya said mortified.
"Zaraki Taichou! Please don't pick on Nii-sama! He's kind of having it ruff right now!" Semina said softly bobbing her eyes at Kenpachi and smiling sweetly at the barbarian Taichou.
"Ts! Oi! Aristo boy! You may be a total looser but your sis is one persuasive chick !" Kenpachi said winking at Byakuya.
Byakuya almost fainted. If he wasn't so young he would have suffered a heart attack this very minute!
"That's what I'm afraid of…" He mumbled miserably.
The two teen agers walked out of the building mortified.
"Weeks…" Wailed Semina.
"The puny strawberry" Wailed Byakuya.
Semina sighed and pulled her shihakousou sleeves up.
"Here…I'm guessing it's hard to see" She said handing Byakuya a black hair band.
"Thank you" Byakuya said pulling his hair up into a stiff, tall ponytail. Semina did the same whipping the sweat from her forehead.
"Let's look at this positively…It can't get any worse can it?"
Semina said trying to be cheerful.
"Can't get any worse? Of course not! How much more could happen to me? I could turn into a baby !" Byakuya shouted .
Semina looked at her brother thoughtfully .
"Okay…That was completely out of your character…Did you forget take your humanification candies today?" She sneered.
Byakuya glared at her murderously.
"Well when we go to the human world you can stay at my place…Aunt Ohatsu won't have a problem" Semina added thoughtfully .
"Semina…I…I don't think I want to see…" Byakuya said meekly.
Semina looked at him.
"I understand how you feel…But please give it a try…She loves you as much as she loves me you know…"
"I know but…Am I okay with it?"
Seminas' eyes widened. Had Byakuya just opened up to her?
"Nii-sama…I…I'm here with you" She said winking at him. "But…how do we tell Rukia?"
Byakuya shrugged :
"I am entrusting the explanations to you…" He said typically.
Semina looked at the scrawny teen who looked more like a girl than a boy. He was even skinnier than her! She had few memories of how Byakuya used to look as a child…Or even no memories at all. She was happy to see him in this form deep down. His warm large eyes had returned. The cold grey eyes were gone…gone for at least eight weeks!
Just then known figure ran up to them.
"Semina-chan! So nice to see you! And congrats about your promotion" Rangiku chirruped hugging Semina to death.
"Your killing me…" Semina managed to choke out .
Rangiku stopped and giggled.
"Woops…they did it again! They once almost suffocated me too" She said pointing to her chest.
Byakuya had blushed to much that he looked like a rose. Rangiku turned her attention to the young boy.
"Is this your boy friend Semi Semi –chan? Oh he's totally cute."
"Um actually Rangiku, he's…" Semina started uncomfortably.
"Oh! Don't worry love I understand…Your shy about it! Don't worry I won't tell your hot brother anything!" Rangiku said.
"My hot brother?" Semina whimpered beginning to shrink.
"Oh you must admit he's soo hot! I know a bunch of girls in the S.W.A (Shinigami Women's Association) that are dying to see him naked! I saw him shirtless once you know…" Rangiku said turning red.
Semina had shrunk to chibi size and was in a state of shock.
"Have you Matsumoto fukutaichou ?" Byakuya inquired getting ready to murder the perky blonde.
Rangiku nodded with an ear to ear smile on her face.
"I swear my nose bled that moment! I felt like there would be a super Rangiku explosion in my chest!"
Semina of course had long departed from the world of the living and was now lying in chibi form with utter emptiness in her eyes.
"I'm sorry if my chest caused you such harassment" Byakuya hissed.
Rangiku stopped dead and circled the teen aged boy. Then she exploded with laughter.
"Nice one honey…Sorry but I ain't attracted to girly looking boys" She said patting Byakuya's head.
"Rangiku…" Semina wailed "He is Kuchiki Byakuya"
The perky blonde looked at Byakuya who was truly about to explode.
"Heh…hehehe…GOTTA RUN!" She said shunpoing as far away from the ten aged noble as possible.
"Why you little…" Byakuya said waving his fist in the air.
Semina sighed with relief and glanced at Byakuya.
"You won't be able to go into a gigai…You know that don't you"
Byakuya huffed:
"Of course I comprehend that! Humans don't need gigais!"
Semina hoisted Byakuya once more in her arms.
"Don't shunpo again…I don't want touch your chest agai…" Byakuya started.
"Hold on tight" Was the reply.
Once again Byakuya endured the embarrassing journey to the Kuchiki manner.
Semina carried the noble all the way to her room and put him down as if were was a dolly.
She went to her wardrobe and started rummaging around inside it.
"Now where did I put those jeans…Damn it!" She mumbled.
"Um..What are you doing?" Byakuya asked. Of course he knew he would regret it..
"I'm trying to find some clothes for you.." Was the reply.
"In case you haven't noticed I prefer wearing male's clothes." Byakuya said stiffly.
"Baka! Jeans are both for girls and boys! The particular pair I'm looking for don't fit me anymore …I'm too big for them. You on the other hand probably wear the smallest size ever in this form!"
Byakuya thumped down on a sitting cushion and covered his head with his hands.
"Aha! Found them!" Semina said handing Byakuya a pair of dark blue jeans. "Oh and here's a t-shirt" She said handing Byakuya a black t-shirt with the painting of a cherry on it. Below the cherry was the word Juicy in bald red letters.
Byakuya sighed and turned to undress himself.
"You mind?" He asked…
"No…Oh! I mean yeah…uh…I'll be waiting in the hall way…Nii-sama" Semina said smiling uncomfortably. She knew that she couldn't , under no circumstances forget that the young teen was Kuchiki Byakuya her cold big brother.
(Semina's thoughts)
Damn it! Focus! He isn't what you think he is! Just because his physical appearance is different…Uh! Seriously! How lame can you be? Your falling in love with your own frigin brother! Yuck! Grows! Semina you hentai freak!..Seriously!
Semina slapped herself hoping she'd stop having utterly improper thoughts.
"And why exactly are you slapping yourself Semina?" Byakuya said in his usual stoic tone emerging from the room.
"I…Ehm..No reason, Nii-sama" Said Semina somewhat embarrassed.
Byakuya nodded coldly.
"I see…" He said.
Semina sighed. That 'I see' of his was clearly Byakuya saying 'Shall I begin worrying now or later?' Semina got up and looked at him.
"Those kind of suit you…" She said softly.
Byakuya looked at her:
"…Than you" He said carelessly.
Semina entered her room and started emptying her human clothes into her suitcase. She saw school uniform and thought for a moment.
"I'm going back to the real world sooner than I thought…I wander if me and Ichigo will…"
Semina looked at her school uniform and sighed.
(Flashback)
"Semina it was only a joke"
"You suck big time Ichigo!"
(End of Flashback)
"Those were the last words I said to him before I left for the Sould Society…Oh…This is going to be tougher than I thought!" She remarked finishing her packing up and sitting down softly on her bed.
Suddenly she jumped up giving a little scream.
"Grrrrr!" A small round nose peeped out of the covers and started to twitch around.
Semina lifted the little dog and hugged it.
"Almost forgot you were sleeping here baka inu! I bet you don't have boy problems in your life do you?"
Luna yawned and licked Semina's face carelessly.
A soft woof served as the reply.
"Yeah…Yeah…Woof to you too! Semina said kissing Luna on the nose. Were going home crazy inu! Were going back to your nice fluffy favorite sleeping place…My bed! Were going back to my diary and my awesome anime posters and my desktop and my best friend next door and…Aunt Ohatsu!"
Semina lay down on her bed and shut her eyes briefly…Just to dream of the real world for a while…
Soon after passing through the Senkai Gate Semina and Byakuya both made their way down the known curb to Semina's home. She walked briskly ahead of Byakuya and opened the front gate . She slowly stepped towards the door followed by a silent Byakuya.
She rang the door-bell.
The door slowly opened to reveal the tall beautiful figure of Tsukishiro Ohatsu…Semina's dear aunt.
"Semina?"
"Hey aunty! I'm home!" Said Semina softly.
Ohatsu's eyes filled with tears as she rushed forward to hug Semina.
"My sweetheart…I thought I'd never be able to see you again! My Semina! How I've missed your presence in my life!"
Semina hugged her aunt back.
"I missed you too! And your chocolate cake!" She added laughing.
Ohatsu hugged her tightly.
"I'm so proud of you! My dear shinigami princess"
Semina stopped suddenly and glance behind her at Byakuya. He was sitting on her suitcase gazing at the opposite direction.
"Aunty…Nii-sama came with me…" Semina said uneasily.
Ohatsu let go of her and gasped.
She walked towards Byakuya who tried his best to avoid eye contact with her.
"Byakuya? Is that really you? My…You haven't changed at all!" Ohatsu remarked looking at the boy.
"This isn't my true form…" Byakuya said stiffly.
Ohatsu looked at him puzzled.
Byakuya pulled out a picture from his jeans pocket and handed it to Ohatsu.
It was a photo of the Gotei 13 protection Squad's Captains.
Ohatsu recognized the tall handsome noble with the silvery windflower scarf…
"You've become as handsome as your father Byakuya…You look just like him I swear!"
"Aunty…" Semina said slowly.
"I apologize for the inconvenience Miss Tsukishiro…If I may be allowed to stay here until this state has worn off?" Byakuya said trying to maintain his composure.
Ohatsu hugged him shaking her head. It took a few minutes for Byakuya to realize that she was crying.
"Don't you dear talk to me as if I don't care about you Byakuya! I may not have known you long…But it was I that nursed and I that loved you as dearly as I love Semina. Byakuya you may not feel like we are related but know that I love you like a son! My door is always open for you and Semina! I love you both! I would never replace you with anything in the world! Do you understand young man?" Ohatsu said shaking Byakuya.
The teen shook his head alarmed. His eyes were beginning to water and fog.
"Yes…Aunt" He whispered trying to swallow his tears.
Semina couldn't hold hers. She was already crying.
"Aunty…I…" She stammered.
"Semina…Love your brother as dearly as you can! Your bond is stronger than you imagine! You share something beyond the grasp of humans, shinigami, hollows, ever the gods themselves! Do you hear me!" Ohatsu said firmly.
Semina shook her head frightened. She looked into Byakuya's equally teary eyes. She ran up to her room holding Luna in her arms…
"Semina…" Byakuya said softly. He made no attempt to follow her…
(Later that evening)
Semina took a bath and lay down on her bed. She felt confused once more…Byakuya rarely displayed any emotions at all! But now this! It was almost like destiny itself was toying with her life!
"Fuck!" She shouted digging her face into her pillow and remaining there until she had to rise for breath.
She felt her face growing hot and her eyes beginning to fog. She didn't want to be crying but she was…She didn't want to display emotions but she did! Why? Why didn't her heart obey her? Why couldn't she stop thinking about her bond with Byakuya? Was there more to uncover? What else? She wanted it to end! Now! She felt that she would explode if it didn't!
When Semina opened her eyes the room was blue and she had a splitting headache. She walked down to the kitchen table to have dinner. Aunt Ohatsu and Byakuya were sitting at the table chatting. Ohatsu looked up.
"Semina? Are you feeling alright?"
"No…I need an aspirin I have a headache…"
"Oh dear…would it help if you had a bite to eat?"
Semina sat at the table and held her stomach.
"I really don't feel all that hungry aunty…I just want some cereal and then I think I'll go to bed or something." Semina said.
Byakuya felt uncomfortable. He felt that if he talked to Semina now he'd be guilty for the rest of his life!
Semina ate her cereal slowly and felt better.
"I don't need the aspirin aunty…The headache's gone" She said slowly.
"That's good dear. Why don't you and Byakuya watch a nice movie while I go take a bath?"
Semina sighed. She couldn't avoid Byakuya for much longer…He would be staying in the house so there was no point.
"Alright…" She said nodding her head.
"Oh and Semina?"
"Yeah?"
"No horror movies!"
Semina laughed. It was a while since she had heard that !
She and Byakuya walked over to the couch.
Semina began to rummage through the DVDs .
"How bout this?" She said showing Byakuya a DVD.
Byakuya looked at the title.
"I can't read English" He said handing Semina the DVD.
"It said Scary Movie 4" Semina said .
Byakuya glared at her.
"I thought your aunt said no horror movies!"
Semina smiled evilly.
"First of all this is a comedy and second she's your aunt too!"
Byakuya decided to direct his gaze at the DVDs and avoid Semina's strict look of death.
Byakuya looked at the cover and then at Semina.
"Is it amusing?" He asked lowering his voice mischievously.
Semina nodded with the same look.
"I died laughing…"
Byakuya nodded.
"Shall we?"
Semina winked at him moved to the DVD player.
"Wow…wow…wow! Remember…If aunt Ohatsu sees us this is just as much your fault as it is mine!"
Byakuya nodded.
"Promise?" Semina said.
"Yes!"
"Strike you down if you tell a lie!"
"I swear to my pride as the 28th Head of the Kuchiki clan!"
"Not good enough! You have to swear to your manhood . If you lie you're not a man!"
Byakuya sighed.
"Fine! I swear to my manhood! Can you please proceed now?"
"Okay! Here we go!"
Semina leaped up on the couch next to Byakuya and they both began to watch.
By the time the movie was over Semina was laughing her head off.
"I love this movie!" She said.
Byakuya was trying to conceal his own laughter and he was succeeding!.
"It was utterly discussing! How very in appropriate for a girl your age!"
"Yea right like you didn't enjoy it? Come on don't play stiff! I saw you laughing to death!"
Byakuya's cheeks turned red and he looked away.
"The part with the pills…" Semina said enigmatically.
Byakuya couldn't hold himself any longer. He exploded in laughter.
The both were laughing so hard that once would get the feeling they'd fall over!
As the kept walking Byakuya tripped and landed on top of Semina. The stopped laughing…
Semina looked deep into Byakuya's tranquillizing gray eyes.
"Nii-sama…"
"Semina…I"
Before they knew it they began to move their faces closer to each other's. Their lips dangerously near.
"Byakuya!" Semina said alarmed by this sudden movement.
Byakuya abruptly staggered to rise . He glanced at Semina. She lay there with a hint of red on her cheeks.
Byakuya felt his blood boiling! Damn it! His teen ager side was truly beginning to take effect in more ways than one! He once again began to feel very uncomfortable in a place he wasn't meant to be ! And all because he just landed on top of his sister!
Byakuya swallowed hard. Just looking at her in this position made his teen age side go crazy! After all he wasn't thinking with his brain! Teen age boys never do in these circumstances!
Semina got up slowly and adjusted her night dress. It was quite short…
Byakuya found himself looking at her legs…
"Nii-sama? Is everything alright?"
Byakuya blushed furiously.
"I…I got to go!" He said sharply and ran towards the bathroom.
"I wander what got into him?" Semina said shrugging her shoulders. "Oh well…Boys will be boys…" She muttered walking towards her room.
Byakuya slammed the bathroom door shut and lowered himself on the floor. He was acting like a hentai freak for God sakes!
"How very un noble and perverted of me to think that way about her! No! It's her fault for wearing a short night gown!" He exclaimed trying to calm down a certain area of his that was annoying him immensely.
How could he get started so easily and over his own sister? Byakuya didn't want to admit it but his temper was short as a kid as well as endurance for a few other things. Furthermore Byakuya hated Yoruichi so much because she was the one who knew best about it! Always testing him and trying to make it known to others! That were-cat!
"Nii-sama?" Semina's concerned voice came from the other side of the door. "I want to brush my teeth may I come in?"
"Yes…Come" Byakuya said opening the door.
Semina walked to the washbasin and checked her reflection in the mirror above . She winked at her reflection and smiled.
"Looking sharp!" Said joked.
"Girls…" Muttered Byakuya sitting down on the floor.
Semina brushed her teeth and turned to Byakuya.
"Won't you brush yours?"
"What should I brush?"
"Your teeth ! What else?"
"I was under the impression that one can only brush hair…" Byakuya huffed.
"Uh! Man! Here!" Said Semina handing him a toothbrush with mint flavored toothpaste on it. "You put that in your mouth and brush your teeth left and right. Got it?"
Byakuya put the contraption in his mouth and began to slowly brush around. A minty green foam filled his mouth. He stopped brushing and started shouting at Semina.
"My moufff fis offfn fffrrrrreee…! Daaffffmn itf!" He mumbled with the foam in his mouth.
" I can't hear a word you it out ! Don't swallow dumbass!"
Byakuya glared at her and spat the demonic stuff out of his mouth!
"I said my mouth is on fire!" He said wiping the left over foam from the corners of his mouth"
"That means the germs are being killed! That's good!" Semina said giving Byakuya a glass of water. "Now just rinse and your okay!"
Byakuya rinsed making sure that no diabolic substance was left in his mouth.
"Let's go to sleep…" Semina said beckoning to Byakuya to follow.
Byakuya nodded and followed after her…