Here's Chapter 2! For the moment, Mirarame's mind talking will be in bold cause it could kind of confusing. Read and Review, Please ^^
Disclaimer: Still don't own, but I do own Miyuki :)
Miyuki looked upon the scene with a mix of hate, despair, and happiness. She was happy for him, but hated what he was doing, and was despairing over the loss she was suffering for his decision. How could he do such a thing to her? What did she ever do to deserve the pain he didn't even know he was inflicting upon her? Why her? "Miyuki-taicho." Ukitake greeted her as he sat down beside her. She was silent, simply glaring at her hands. "I heard the accepted your promotion."
"Yes." Miyuki said curtly, her voice tight.
"When will you be leaving us?" Ukitake asked with a hint of sadness.
"Tonight is my last night here. I will be leaving before sunrise tomorrow morning." Miyuki replied, her face free of expression and her voice emotionless.
"Ah... I see you still have not taken off the stone." Ukitake observed, and Miyuki reached up to touch the beautiful amethyst butterfly that sat just above her bust.
"No, I haven't. Nor will I ever... Excuse me, Ukitake. The ceremony is complete, and I need to prepare for my new life." Miyuki said as she stood.
"Miyuki." Ukitake called calmly as she walked away, and she paused with her back to him. "You don't need to hide your emotions."
"No... But I am incapable of correctly expressing them." She said, her voice breaking with sorrow, the first emotion she'd shown during the conversation. Without another word, she flashstepped away.
Miyuki woke up with her body covered by a thin sheet of sweat due to the pain in her body. She panted heavily, pain lancing her body. Miyuki...Mirarame whined in her mind.
I shouldn't have used Bankai more then once... I shouldn't have even used it once. Miyuki scolded herself as she sat in the bed, trembling. After several minutes, she finally stood up and changed into her shinigami robes.
What do you think, Miyuki? About being here again. Mirarame asked in her mind as she left the estate.
I think we need to be on guard. Aizen may be gone, but we still have enemies within Seireitei. Well, I do anyways. Especially since your abilities are so similar to Aizen's Zanpakuto's... Miyuki said with a mental sigh as she walked calmly through the paths of Seireitei.
Do you think anyone would try to hurt us? Mirarame asked curiously.
It isn't likely that they would try anything within these walls, but they might if we leave. Miyuki replied thoughtfully.
Miyuki thought as she passed a graveyard. When regular souls died, thier bodies dissapeared so there was nothing to bury. However, Shinigami were different. Their bodies didn't fade, so they were actually buried. Finally Miyuki reached her desination. A pond hidden within the trees. I really hate staying with my family again. Being part of a noble family is extremely tiring, especially since I'm supposed to be the next leader of it.
Just be glad your father isn't dead yet, or you'd already be the Head of it, and then what would you do? Mirarame pointed out.
Stab myself in the forehead. Miyuki answered seriously and without missing a beat as she sat down on one of the large rocks that surrounded the large pond. She stared into the water as though it held the answers to all her problems.
Do you remember the first time we came here? Mirarame asked suddenly, her voice amused. Miyuki closed her eyes and let the memories that Mirarame were showing her fill her mind.
"Byakuya, look!"
Miyuki had called excitedly. Her dark purple hair was shorter and tied up in a high ponytail."What is it now, Miyuki?" Byakuya asked, and Miyuki grinned as he called her by her name. She had to badger him into it, since he kept wanted to add -sama to her name. She insisted that since they were both going to become the Head of their Noble Families, they were equals. Both of them were teenagers, about fifteen or sixteen.
"Look at what I just found!" Miyuki exclaimed excitedly as she grabbed Byakuya's hand and tugged him after her.
"Hey! Don't pull on me." Byakuya scolded her, but Miyuki ignored him. Finally, she dragged him over some bracken and stopped in front of a large pond.
"Isn't it beautiful, Byakuya?" Miyuki asked excitedly as she released his hand and bounced forward.
"Yes. Now stop bouncing on the rocks, or else you'll sl-" Byakuya cut himself off as Miyuki slipped and fell into the pond with a yelp of alarm. He let out an exhasperated sigh, flash stepping onto the rock. "You look like a wet dog." He said coldly, and Miyuki scowled at him. She was completely soaked, laying in the water with her arms propping her up. He sighed again, offering her his hand. She gratefully took it, but then tugged on it hard enough to pull Byakuya, who was caught by surprise, into the water with her.
"Now you do too!" She laughed as she stumbled to her feet. As she tried to run away from the recovered Byakuya, she felt him grab her wrist and pull her back into the water. She laughed happily as she fell back into the water, shoving her hand through it so she splashed Byakuya. He scowled at her as he got even more wet and splashed her back, only to get an even larger splash to the face. Miyuki burst into even more laughter, completely uncaring about how they were acting. Byakuya was about to yell at her for not acting like the next Head of a Noble Family, but paused when he saw the joy on Miyuki's face as she laughed.
After a moment, he allowed a smile on his face, and Miyuki smiled back at him through her laughter.
Miyuki opened her eyes, sighing sadly. But all that's changed now. Ever since his parents died... Miyuki thought sadly. She smiled at the memories, but it was a sad smile. "Don't you have work you could be doing? Surely you must be busy." Miyuki narrowed her eyes at the sound of Byakuya's voice.
"No. If I go near any of those barbaric fools again, I may hurt one of them. By accident, of course." Miyuki added as she turned her head to look at Byakuya, still sitting calmy on the rock.
"Of course." Byakuya agrees emotionlessly.
"Tch." Miyuki scoffs angrily, snapping her head away from Byakuya and towards the pond.
"What?" Byakuya inquired without emotion.
"Oh nothing. The sound of your voice just makes me want to strangle an unsuspecting Arrancar." She growled out. "Do you ever show any emotion anymore, Kuchiki-sama?" She demanded, looking back at him.
"Why would I allow those who are unworthy to see what I feel?" Byakuya asked stoicly, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes.
"So now I'm unworthy, hm?" She asked coldly.
"Yes." Byakuya stated simply.
"And why is that?"
"My reasoning is none of your concern." He said emotionlessly, and Miyuki growled in frustration.
"Unbelievable. I'm here a week and a half, and you've already pissed me off so much that Mirarame wants to kill you." Miyuki hissed angrily.
"That is unsurprising. You lack control." Byakuya said coldly, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes. "How many times have you used Bankai in the past years?" He demanded, and Miyuki followed his gaze to her hands, which were trembling still.
"That is none of your concern." Miyuki sneered, throwing his words back at him. "After all, I mean nothing to you any longer." She stood up, ignoring the fact that her entire body was shaking with both anger and from using her Bankai. "You know, it's a shame, Kuchiki-sama." Miyuki said as she walked away from him.
"What is?" He narrowed his eyes, and Miyuki glared at him over her shoulder.
"That you let your family turn you into such a bastard." She said simply before flash stepping away. I've never been happier in my life with the fact that Byakuya and I flash stepped together so often. Other wise I would have been too slow to make a good escape. Miyuki thought with a harsh laugh.
Hm? There's a Hell Butterfly... Mirarame said suddenly, and Miyuki dropped onto a rooftop and ceased running. A few moments later, a Hell Butterfly flittered over to her and landed on her fingertip.
"Maruyama Miyuki, you are to go to the Human World immediatly and speak with Urahara about the offer." The Hell Butterfly said, and Miyuki blinked. I guess Yamamoto was too lazy to call me to his office and give the orders in person. Oh well. And with that thought, Miyuki opened a Sekei Gate and stepped into it.
Miyuki rubbed her foot as she pressed it against Urahara's face. "Ouchies!" Urahara whined as she pulled her foot away.
"Urahara, why is it that you are so incapable of replying 'Yes' or 'No' to a simple message, and I had to come all the way here just to get an answer from you?" Miyuki demanded icily.
"Because I'm incapable of replying 'yes' or 'no' to a simple message." Urahara replied cheekily as he sat up. She smacked him on the back of the head, sending him face first into the table. "Ack!"
"Stop abusing the baka." The deep voice of Yoruichi in her cat form sounded from the doorway. Miyuki looked over her shoulder to smile at the black cat.
"Hey, Yoruichi... But I'm being serious. We need to know your answer." Miyuki said, narrowing her eyes.
"No." Urahara said immediatly, actually serious for a change, and Miyuki blinked at him. "We refuse."
"We're just fine where we are, and I have no wish to settle in Soul Society again." Yoruichi said as she jumped onto the table and sat beside Urahara.
"I don't either." Urahara agreed, and Miyuki sighed.
"Are you guys kidding me? Seriously?" She growled in irritation. "We have no one else to become the two Captains."
"Well, you could become one." Urahara suggested teasingly, and Miyuki glared at him.
"Well, I'm going to be nagged until either I accept the position, or we find two others to take them. Damn it..." Miyuki cursed, and Yoruichi sighed softly.
"Why don't you talk to Isshin?" She suggested.
"Are you insane, Yoruichi? He would be killed on sight in Soul Society. Besides, only you two and Tessei were forgiven of your crimes... Damn it." Miyuki was about to rant some more when all three of the shinigami in the room snapped their heads up to look to the south. "What the hell is that?" Miyuki demanded, having never felt a reiatsu like that.
"Hm... Strange. It's an Arrancar..." Urahara mused thoughtfully.
"Wasn't Soul Society supposed to send a group of Shinigami into Hueco Mundo and kill off the left overs?" Yoruichi inquired as Miyuki stood up quickly.
"Yes, but we haven't heard back from them yet. We weren't expecting any contact at all for at least a month, since there's no way to communicate back and forth between spacial gaps like the one seperating Hueco Mundo from everything... Besides, they are only supposed to kill the onces in Las Noches. No doubt Ichigo and Isshin are taking care of them. I'll go and help." Miyuki said as she felt a few more Arrancars suddenly appear, as well as Isshin and Ichigo's reiatsu.
"Don't get yourself killed." Yoruichi meowed as Miyuki dashed for the door.
"I'd hate to have to clean up the pieces." Urahara added, as Miyuki dissapeared. "Hm. She didn't even pause to beat me up. I guess being in the Zero Division has matured her a bit." He said thoughtfully.
"If only you would mature as well." Yoruichi growled, her tail twitching.
"So cruel!" Urahara whined.
Ichigo and Isshin hadn't needed much assistance, so Miyuki returned to Seireitei as soon as she finished helped them get rid of the Arrancars. She had to take on two by herself, and ended up getting a fairly bad injury in the process, since she was still recovering from using her Bankai previously. Immediatly after arriving in Seireitei, she went straight to the Captain meeting room. She arrived quickly, and was irritated to sense all the Captains were there for some reason. Likely, they gathered as soon as she returned to Seireitei due to the fact that she would hold news on Urahara and Yoruichi's decision.
"Miyuki, what happened?" Ukitake asked as he stared at the still bleeding wound in her chest.
"Oh, this?" At this point, all the Captain's had turned their heads to her. "Well, Arrancar's attacked while I was there. I suggest sending more people, perhaps a Captain and a few lieutenants, into Hueco Mundo. Few of the shinigami stationed in the Human World are capable of fighting off an Arrancar."
"It seems that would be necessary... However, first the matter at hand. What were their responses?" Yamamoto asked. That's hardly the most pressing matter.
"They said no, just as Ukitake-taicho guessed." Miyuki sighed in dissapointment, a feeling Soifon seemed to share.
"Well... One of my subordinate's has come forward and said they have achieved Bankai." Komamura said hesitantly.
"You don't seem too pleased about that." Shunsui noted.
"I'm not. He reminds me too much of Ichimaru." Komamura sighed.
"Can he be trusted?" Mayuri asked, narrowing his eyes. Miyuki tensed at the sound of his voice.
"He's shown no reason not to be..." Komamura sighed again.
"Well... Perhaps we ought to meet him when he comes to show us his Bankai." Ukitake suggested.
"A good idea." Unohana agreed in monotone.
"What about that suggestion I made?" Miyuki pressed, her chest wound no longer bleeding though it was still hurting.
"Who do you want to send, Miyuki?" Yamamoto questioned, and it was easy for her to tell it was a test.
"That's fairly obvious. Matsumoto, Hanataro for healing, I myself would like to go, and I suggest a Captain comes as well. Specifically one whom has already been there. I believe that would be a sufficient force to assist, yes?" Miyuki asked calmly, her voice emotionless as her face.
"Why Hanataro, Miyuki-san?" Unohana inquired curiously.
"He has already been to Hueco Mundo. And it would be foolish to go there without a healer." Miyuki pointed out calmly. "I also ask Matsumoto because she and I have experience working together, since she used to be my fukutaicho. I would have asked for Hitsugaya-taicho to be the Captain who comes, seeing as I want to take his lieutenant with me, but due to how little moisture is in the air there, I suspect it would prove difficult for him to use his Zanpakuto. After all, it draws moisture from the air and Hueco Mundo is greatly lacking in that regard." Miyuki explained emotionlessly.
"Hm... Kuchiki-taicho." Yamamoto said, and Byakuya looked at him expressionlessly. "You will join them, as you have experience within Hueco Mundo. Maruyama Miyuki and Kuchiki Byakuya will lead Yamada Hanataro and Matsumoto Rangiku into Hueco Mundo to aid the group already there."
...Shit.
Review, please. =) Miyuki means Beautiful Snow, by the way. Mi - Beautiful, Yuki - Snow.
