DISCLAIMER:
The anime BLEACH is ellithea's favorite anime, but it is definitely not hers.
"She is Demoted"
by:
ellithea
7th ACT:Haru- chan and Bya-kun's confusion
It is 2:00am and Harusame, since the last 7 hours is staring at her ceiling.
Processing everything that had happened.
She had been engaged again to him.
They had laugh together like old times.
She tried to remember what happened last night. But the last thing she remembered is when she was removing the kenseikan from Byakuya. Then blank.
What could have erased her memory?
'Maybe your activity last night, is so mind blowing it screwed your brain' a cocky man's voice said
Harusame was surprised upon hearing this; it's been a while since she had heard that voice.
"I thought we are not on speaking terms?" she said.
Suddenly a silvery reiatsu started emitting from her zanpakutou.
Her sword had materialized.
There stood on the side of her bed was a man with long silver hair. He is wearing a pure white kimono touching the ground. The sleeves concealing his hands. He was handsome. Out of this world to be exact. He looked like a celestial guardian or something.
His ash colored eyes looked at her with amusement.
"What is it Ginryuu(silver dragon)?" she asked while closing her eyes.
"Can't I come out and see you?" he asked
"I thought you are angry at me" she said.
Ginryuu sat on the bedside and placed his hands on the sides of her waist, and then leaned closer.
"How can I be angry at my princess?" he said with a grin.
Harusame opened her eyes and looked at her zanpakutou, "Well I basically refused to talk to you in the past 2 months, you must be angry" she said
"Such childish provocations" he said while caressing her cheek.
"You are against of me going back here in Seiretei" she muttered.
"No, I'm against of you returning here with your heart and head so messed up." He replied withdrawing his hand from her face.
Harusame, suddenly sat up and hugged Ginryuu tightly.
"Ryuu, what am I gonna do?
She said a she buried her face on his neck.
"Follow your heart this time" he said.
He then pulled away and cupped her face with his hands and pressed his forehead against her.
"Yeah right.." was Harusame's weak reply.
Ginryuu smiled and pressed his lips on her. Her eyes widen for a second but softened then closed completely.
"Think about it tomorrow, sleep for now" he said as he laid her on her pillows and tucking the covers around her.
"What troublesome masters we have" a female voice said.
"Sure is Senbonzakura, sure is" he replied to the gorgeous girl behind him.
-80 years ago-
"What?" the 23rd Shihouin princess exclaimed
"Yes, we will call off your engagement" Her father said
"But father, why?" Harusame asked.
"Your sister's abandonment of her duty had also lead to the cancellation of her marriage.
The head of the clan must be married to a noble who is not the heir, Byakuya- sama is the head of his clan, he can't marry you because you are the head of our clan now" Shihouin Daisuke said.
"But how about you and mother? Isn't she the head of the Shiba clan?" she asked.
She can't accept it, the fact that she will be married to someone else.
"Chigusa and I have no one else. There is no available person of the same prestige who can be engaged to us, so the council had decided to marry the two of us." Her father said, he looked at her daughter. She is now on the verge of crying.
"I--- refuse, if it is not Byakuya, then forget that I have consented in marrying!" she yelled then dashed out of the room.
Leaving her father shocked at his daughter's outburst.
-PRESENT TIME-
What do think about Harusame? ………..
A female voice asked
"What about her?" Byakuya said stopping the stroke of his brush.
Do you still love her?………
She inquired
"You know the answer to that," he said while continuing his paperwork.
Would I ask if I know…
She asked in an oblivious tone.
"………" Byakuya heed no reply, of course he is disturbed by the recent events. She is back. Harusame is back after she had left, 80 years ago. How is he supposed to react? After all that happened, he doesn't know anymore.
How about Hisana, 60 years is long enough….
Sen said. The truth is she doesn't want to bring up this name, but she knew that it couldn't be helped.
Byakuya stiffen upon hearing her name.
"Don't bring her into this" he said coldly.
Being in the wrong place causes all suffering. If you're unhappy where you are move…
She said.
"If you want to say something, say it clearly, Senbonzakura" his cold reply
You perfectly know what I'm talking about…
She whispered before her voice vanished.
9th division barracks.
Love is something we can't live without, that's why human souls needs it and craves for it…
Her zanpakutou whispered in her head.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Harusame said in annoyance.
Hime(princess), do you think 80 years is long enough?….
He stated.
"For what Ryuu?"
She is quite guessing where this conversation will go.
For denying yourself of happiness….
He said
"It's just…not for me, that is all"
Absurd…you are just a coward back then…
He continued
"What are you implying?" she said with a raised eyebrow.
Get what you want…
"It is too late for us, I've decided to let go of him on that day, 80 years ago" she paused then sighed, "You know that"
But you are not that successful…
He teased.
"Maybe so, but I left him, I chose my dream over him…"
Nonsense…you left him for someone else's dream…
"They loved each other…" she said weakly
So did you…
"Loved me?" she stated with indifference, "Hah, but he made no attempt to stop me"
He loved you enough to let you go…
He said then his voice vanished.
Ginryuu's word made sense, she thought.
Maybe he was right.
The wind is blowing gently on her face it is peaceful. Her talk with Ginryuu yesterday kept bugging her.
Harusame was alone sitting on her room's veranda while eating some pretzels; she then felt a familiar pulse,
"Byakuya??"
"Good evening Harusame" the 6th squad captain said as he landed in front of her.
Harusame eyed him; he is wearing his sleeping yukata. As if he had gotten out of bed just to see her,
"Good evening, what brings you here?" she asked
"I presume you are aware that the incident on our supposed engagement is all around Seiretei" he began while taking a seat next to her.
"I know, it's quite the news around here" Harusame said with a half smile.
Byakuya stared at the full moon and began,
"The Shihouin Clan, demands that I take full responsibility to what have I done to you"
Harusame raised her eyebrow,
"Done? But you didn't do anything" she ended while suppressing a blush.
"We can't be sure, besides, many saw the footage of me taking you away from the hall" he said while closing his eyes, praying that nothing happened that night.
"They have no proof!" Harusame said, well she can't be confident that nothing did happen, but she is still hopeful.
"The clothes on my office" he continued, that evidence is great, the elders of the Shihouin clan are pressuring him to be a man and take full responsibility.
Harusame just stared at him with mixed emotions.
"Also that lieutenant of mine's babbling is worsening it even more," he stated with annoyance
"I see, so it is for the preservation of your clan's dignity," she said with a hurt tone, so that's it, it is for upholding the rules.
"Don't worry, I don't mind the incident anymore, no harm is done"
"The damage is done, we need to prevent it from worsening." Byakuya stated
Harusame looked at him with anger and stood up,
"You talk as if everything is business," she paused gathering herself,
"Tell you what, I don't care if they think that I'm some loose woman, and I certainly don't want the pity marriage either" she exclaimed
"It's not pity marriage" he said firmly "And you know it"
"Oh really? Then what is it?" she said,
It is falling apart again like that day 80 years ago.
Byakuya stared at her,
"We are engaged since the day we are born, it was never cancelled…" he admitted and pulled some paper from his robe, "I saw the contract this morning"
"What? What do mean it was never cancelled" she asked in confusion, she then reached for the paper and scanned it,
"My father told me he will cancel it, that I'm to marry someone else" she said in disbelief, after all this years? What had initiated her to go is just a misunderstanding?
He looked at her, as if realizing the reason of her departure 80 years ago.
"Is that the reason why you ran away?"
"…" She just turned around fighting the tears back,
"Tell me Byakuya, what would have happened if I stayed?" she asked,
"Would you choose me over her?"
"I--" He was taken aback, that time he thought that Harusame was determined to go. She was the one who left.
'She left me' this is what he thought
"I knew it, I always knew, Hisana, you loved her, even though we are engaged" she said while turning around.
"How about you Harusame? You chose your career over me" He snapped back.
"Yes that is right, I'm not the type who will force herself on someone" she said while tears falling in her eyes
"Did you even loved me?" she asked while wiping her eyes with her sleeves." You didn't even stop me did you?"
"I loved you enough to let you go" he said
"Such words, shove them all to hell!!" she lashed to then turned to leave.
Byakuya held her arm and pulled her towards him,
"What? Running again?" he hissed
"Don't you go tell me about running, when you hide over that stupid mask of yours!!" she said while crying, she hated him for doing this to her. She hated the clan for messing up. But most of all, she hated herself for letting him go 80 years ago.
"Why did you leave me Harusame?" He asked, he hated it when she was crying, he wanted to kill whomever it is that is making her cry, but as usual it is he.
"You will leave me sooner or later, so I decided to leave first, at least I will still have my pride" she know it is a lie, a filthy lie of self preservation. She tried to jerk away but Byakuya held her and pulled her into a hug. She stopped struggling and hugged him back, clutching his robes, crying.
"Harusame, do you hate me?" he whispered against her ear.
"Yes" she sobbed "I ha—te you, You-- know that…?"
"Then let us not fall for each other again," he said while tightening his arms around her, quite ironic when he is asking her not to love him.
"Loving the same person twice is virtually impossible," she said
"I believe that too" but he knew that was a lie. As he was starting to feel something he hasn't felt for over 60 years. It feels like loving the same person twice is possible, it felt like he is falling for her again.
Baka…..
His zanpakutou interrupted
You never fall out of love; you still loved her in all these years…. and you know it….
Maybe she was right.
(A/N: Matchmaker zanpakutou!! Whahahahahah…. thank you and please drop me a review!!)