Hello everyone!

Thank you TheQueenofGoodbyes for reviewing!

Thank you to Azura Knight, FictionalAffluency19, HarunaOno, OtakuLuver441, papertowel1564, Yazmin Mosqueda and gabi4427 for following/favoring the story! I didn't expect so many favorites/followers only two chapters in, so this makes me very happy! Thank you again!

Happy reading and please review!

Chapter 2

After the Fact

Byakuya laid his brush down after he signed the last document. His day was filled with dealing with his division members, and several training seminars topped with a mountain of paperwork that was in dire need of his review and elegant signature. The crescent moon had long traded shifts with the sun. He had dismissed Renji a while ago and the barracks were now quiet. Byakuya was in the mood for one more cup of green tea, but decided to postpone the desire until after dinner. After sliding his chair under his desk and shutting his lamp off for the night, he left the barracks to return to the Kuchiki manor.

The cool evening summer air and soft moonlight gently kissed his pale skin as he walked back to the manor. Normally, he preferred to shunpo back, but he wanted to enjoy the peace while it was still available.

The pathway to the Kuchiki Manor was a dirt road that was squeezed in between a hill and a lush forest. When he was nearing closer to his home, he felt a slither of reiatsu coming from the forest. He shrugged the reiatsu away, as it wasn't anything he felt like that needed his attention. Moments later, he felt the same reiatsu again, but it was calm, yet intense. The opposing energies forced him to stop walking.

'Who does that reiatsu belong to? Is it Rukia? Did she return already?'

Another wave greeted him again soon afterwards and he analyzed the energy. 'No...I'm certain that it's not Rukia. Her reiatsu is sharp and cold, yet elegant.' he reasoned with himself. One again, another wave came by, officially piquing his interest; he postponed his return home in order to discover who that particular unique reiatsu signature belonged to.

Minutes later, Byakuya found himself staring into a clearing in the forest. A waterfall was in the distance, giving way to a sizable river that flowed downward towards the Seireitei. The beauty of the waterfall and its surroundings wasn't what caught his attention; someone was dancing diligently above the river's surface.

He quickly discerned that the person in question was a female; her long ponytail and water ribbon danced around her curvy figure, moving diligently with her quick and sharp movements that soon changed into sly and sharp movements. The girl seemed to be in her own world, completely oblivious to his presence.

Byakuya was captivated by her dance and wondered who she was. The moonlight was bright enough for him to note that she was wearing the Shinoureijutsuin robes and she had her back facing him. Intrigued even more that a student was training in the forest with a shikai, he found himself stepping closer to observe her next move. Unfortunately for him, he inadvertently stepped on a lone branch two steps later, its snap ringing in their ears.

"Hado #4: Byakurai!"

Byakuya quickly snapped back into reality and dodged the white laser. The kido spell missed Byakuya by a hair, shocking him to the point that his slate eyes were quickly reduced to a pale grey.

The girl still had her finger pointed towards the sixth division captain. A wisp of smoke fled from her index finger; her eyes glaring fierce and sharp at her intended target. Fear was instantly slapped onto her face once she saw who was standing in the brush. Byakuya heard her let out a gasp and she quickly commanded her zanpakuto to revert back into its sealed form.

In a blink of an eye, she was gone. Although her body was physically gone, her face was present in Byakuya's mind, more specifically her eyes. It was unmistakable: those fierce eyes, more notably their color.

'Those golden eyes…' Irritation ensued as he narrowed his eyes; many memories started coming back to him.

"You…" he grumbled.

Miyako found herself at the front gate of her home moments later. The girl's heart was still beating a million miles a minute and panic was still in her eyes as she tried to prop herself against the stone gate. She held her chest in pain; the mix of panic and exhaustion was akin to a roundhouse kick in the teeth at that point in time.

'Shit shit shit shit shit!' she panicked. 'I shot a Byakurai at Byakuya Kuchiki! He's going to kill me once he finds me and my family will maim me once they find out!'

"Lady Miyako?" a feminine voice called.

Miyako suppressed the desire to scream and looked behind her. The cast iron gate had opened and revealed an elderly lady whose head met with Miyako's shoulder. Her long silver hair was tied back into a thick braid and it shined subtly in the moonlight. She was sporting a grey servant's yukata and gave a smile to the young girl. She was like a grandmother to her.

"Kimura! You startled me!"

"I apologize Lady Miyako. I was getting worried when you didn't return home on time, so I've been out here waiting for you to arrive." she replied.

Miyako gasped. "I lost track of time! I'm so sorry Kimura! Please forgive my tardiness. I sincerely hope that I didn't waste dinner…"

"Oh no, Lady Miyako. I asked the chefs to postpone your dinner until I knew that you were close by."

Miyako sniffed and tried to calm her breathing now that she was at home. She blushed in embarrassment when she heard her stomach growl, prompting a chuckle from the elderly servant.

"Come now, Lady Miyako." Kimura said. "Let's get you inside and cleaned up for dinner. I requested on your behalf for the chef to prepare your favorite dinner." she said with a smile.

A little of her discomfort melted away. "Is that so? Thank you, Kimura! I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I hope that I'm not too tardy. Did mother and father have dinner already?" she asked as they started walking up the stone pathway.

"They're currently having dinner with the Shiba clan tonight, so I'm afraid that you'll be dining alone tonight."

A mix of disappointment and relief washed over her. 'Although my parents are busy tonight and I can't have dinner with them, I'm grateful that I won't have to hide my discomfort around them concerning my encounter with Byakuya.'

"Is that so? I wasn't aware that they'd be away tonight."

"It was a last minute invitation." Kimura replied.

"I see…"

As they approached the manor, Miyako started the feel the after effects of her impromptu training. '

Ugh…' she thought. She didn't care to smell like nature and sweat, on top of being sore.

"Kimura, would you mind if I have dinner in my room tonight? I would really like to take a bath right now."

"Oh yes Lady Miyako, I understand. I'll have it sent to your room as soon as it's finished. In the meantime, I'll get your bath started while you unwind from your long day."

Miyako sighed. "Thank you so much! I really appreciate it."

The two finally reached the entrance and Kimura had instructed the other servants to inform the chef of Miyako's arrival and to prepare her bath while she attended to other household manners. Miyako made her way to her room in the west wing. She quickly slid the shoji door shut behind her and let out a large sigh. The servants were quick to leave her bathing essentials on her bed. Seeing those items relaxed her tense muscles a bit.

'Hopefully I can relax in the bath and take my mind off of my current predicament for a moment…'

Miyako placed her zanpakuto beside her bed and was quick to undress and bathe. After spending half an hour in the bath, she helped herself to a freshly cooked dinner of shrimp tempura, steamed rice and miso soup. Munching down on her favorite dinner after a relaxing bath took her mind off of Byakuya; she was grateful for the escape. After dinner, she decided to turn in early. Tomorrow would arrive before she knew it and would end her temporary escape. It wouldn't be long until she crossed paths with Byakuya again.