A.C.: Sometimes I begin to wonder why I write things that I write. Then I realize that life has a funny way of inspiring you... of course it could just be that I'm practicing... for something. I'm pretty sure I butchered the characters somewhat... ok... a lot.
–Bows in apology-
You know, I've always wanted to write a fic like this... but we'll see how it goes. I might take it off if it gets too much for me. (Don't I have like... four, five other fics to take care of?)
In this way I realize that I'm not single
I'm f-ing married to my fan fics.
-Groans-
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach –yeah, nothing fancy this time.
Warnings: No clue, your definition of warnings largely differs from mine. Read and find out.
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It was dark, damp and cold with the winter at its peak. Where water used to drip down endlessly, icicles formed and pierced the ground. The room looked like an ice room used to preserve meat and other perishable goods during high summer. She looked towards her companions, a blonde one and a black haired one. The black haired girl dropped her head in shame; the blonde looked away in a silent apology.
As she went further down the tall stair case –taking care not to slip on the ice-, the scent of snow and the familiar tang of drying blood reached her delicate nostrils. Suppressing the urge to run she made it down the stairs at a fast pace, furious at herself for being so soft, so careful when there were greater things at risk. Her attendants followed, hers steps echoed by theirs as she finally reached her destination.
There was not even a door to call it a room she thought bitterly as she pushed away the straw mat covering the entrance. The child inside jerked up, he must have been fighting sleep waiting for her to come. Through the barred window she saw that it was midnight, the moon too high in the air to be seen at that angle. There wasn't enough light for a anyone to cross the room safely without stumbling but her swirling cat like violet eyes told the world of her parentage and of his as he looked up to greet her with similarly shaped eyes.
She let out a small cry, knocking away the bowls littering the floor as she knelt down in front of him. She couldn't even form a coherent sentence as she drew him into her perfumed kimono, stroking his hair gently as he murmured greetings at her throat. Behind her two figures stood, one dark and one light, at a respectful distance away as the woman embraced her son for the first time and the last time in a year. Her touches were like those of a dancing butterfly –not, that he knew what that was in the first place- as she checked the skeletal wrist, thin almost girlish fingers and paper-like skin. When she got to the familiar cat-like green eyes, she smothered her sobs in his whispery silver hair.
"Dry your tears haha-ue," the boy spoke softly as he clumsily tried to stem the flow of tears. Tears he knew his constant companion during his imprisonment underground. His mother didn't deserve to be plagued by them as he had. "We only get to see each other once a year; I wish to see you at your best." His voice was high and childish from disuse, as if he had blowing his words through a flute. She pressed her wet cheeks with the back of her hands and smiled tearfully at her son.
"How strong you are," she praised, holding his fragile hands in her elegant fingers. "How strong you've grown." These she kissed and blew her breath softly upon them while the boy watched in mild curiosity. She pressed them to her breast, transferring warmth.
"Haha-ue should be stronger," the boy smiled warmly. "It is far too cold of a night for you to be down here, you should return to the house." At this she only wept freely as she undid the haori around her shoulders to cover her child with it. The child accepted the cloth calmly, luxuriating the fading heat as the two other women came to escort his mother up the stairs. "Goodnight haha-ue." They would see each other again and for a moment the green eyed child wanted to say 'goodbye' though he didn't know why he would feel that. The woman looked back at her son; fondness, love and warmth conveyed through just one teary glance.
"Goodnight my son."
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Rukia returned alone to find the boy looking out the barred window. There was a steady stream of tears down his bony cheeks. At her entrance, he started but settled down when Rukia pressed his face against the groove of her shoulder.
"You just told your mother to be strong you idiot, you shouldn't be crying either."
"You won't tell her will you?" Rukia shook her head.
Honestly, what was it with men and their pride?
"It's your birthday, can I get you anything? Winter Solstice is tomorrow and a party is to be held in thirteenth house's honor, there should be more than enough food to go around."
"The thirteenth house...?" Rukia paused, wondering how much of it was allowed for her to tell her. Finally she brushed the stubborn bang away with her hand noting with relief that no new tears were pouring from his eyes.
"The head has been replaced... one of Shiba clan's closest friends I believe. It is not a good time for the Shiba clan this year." Hitsugaya nodded absentmindedly at her answer, fingers brushing against the silken fabric of the pale blue haori.
"Will Hinamori be there?" Rukia nodded; Hitsugaya had grown attached to the brown girl as some sort of a surrogate sister since she had been placed to attend to him long ago. Now she was gone and was like one of them, dark-eyed like her sire. "Something warm? No more chicken blood." He nudged the empty bowl with his feet.
"It will upset your stomach since you're not used to it." He shrugged and Rukia smiled. "idiot."
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"Ran-chan's filled me in on the details but eh... ya got me in a pickle here that ya do." Remarked the man lazily as they walked across the snowy paths of the Hitsugaya compound. The woman stared ruefully at the frozen gardens, wishing that her son could be out here walking with her. The chilly breeze wove through her clothing but she did not feel it for nothing could be as cold and as desolate as her heart felt.
"Ichimaru-dono, the child has to live."
Ichimaru caught a twig in one hand, twirled it around his fingers and looked at it before letting it go in the wind. The twig bounced, once or twice on the ground and rolled, coming to a stop by the laughing Buddha statue. Servants scurried about, watchful of the horizon and the coming sun. This, the two did not have to worry about; they were far too old to be brought down to their knees by the sun. Just a little act or two so that the humans would leave them alone.
"Even though he's a progeny of the Hitsugaya clan...?" Ichimaru replied finally as he gazed calculatingly at the woman, watching the vein on her neck pulse in cadence with her heartbeat. She turned, few stray locks of graying black hair falling in her blue-violet eyes.
"He's an innocent, I wish for him to see the world."
Ichimaru shrugged, accepting the reply for what it was.
"We will attack at the Dongzi celebration(1) tomorrow, our men are eager and ya might not survive..." he trailed off carefully looking for any reaction that might give away the woman's position. There was nothing, just determination and something else he couldn't quite discern. Love perhaps, for the word was as foreign to him as the starry skies above them.
"It does not matter, there is no place out there for the second wife of the Hitsugaya clan." The darkness was fading, the footsteps of others faster. The light swallowed the stars and soon they could see the faint lavender behind the mountains that bordered the 10th house. "Ichimaru-dono, I wish for my house to be restored to its former glory. I wish for my husband's death to be avenged."
"...Ya sure Miya?"
"Yes..." she took a deep breath. "I am sure."
"So be it then."
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(1) Dongzi Celebration- literally a Winter Solstice celebration
A.C.: So how was it? As always, read and review x3