Chapter 01: Old Friends

The crisp spring wind blew across the newly greening damp grass and through a Sakura tree's blossoms causing hundreds of delicate pink petals to fall gracefully upon the damp ground. It was very quiet and peaceful throughout Soul Society. The war with Aizen was long and hard, but it was finally over, and the Shinigami wanted nothing more than peace among themselves. The cool gentle breeze still went on, whizzing past the wet silk kimonos hanging on a laundry line in the Kuchiki Estate courtyard. The servants talked animatedly as they hung the newly washed clothes. The war was over, and it was celebrated all over the Soul Society, but of course, work around the house still had to be done.

The head of the noble clan sipped his tea as he gazed out the window from inside the mansion. His raven hair flowing freely down his back without his Keynesian on his day off. He was not in has captain attire either, but wore a midnight blue kimono. And it oddly felt good just as Rukia suggested, and as much as he hated that she was right, just to take things…casual. He had trusted her enough, and told her of what he intended on doing today. After all, their relationship had become very close. At first Rukia was surprised, and she had doubted it, but Byakuya knew what he had to do. And so he had invited a very old friend over for tea to discuss the matter. He wondered on how he was going to tell her…

Would she even remember the arrangement that would decide her and Byakuya's fate when they were only children? It was so long ago…

Over two weeks ago, the elders of the Kuchiki clan had tried to make Byakuya reconsider on remarrying, so he could produce a successor of the family. Byakuya was astounded that they would even mention something like that to him, and so he refused. He hated the thought of betraying Hisana. How could he possibly marry? Replace his beloved wife? But the more Byakuya thought about it, the more he thought of how he failed to have children. And if he didn't have a family to carry out his clan's name, then it would surely fall. He knew there was no possible way that the elders would call Rukia one of there own again, especially when she was now dating Renji. And they would never accept their child if they were to have one. It was up to Byakuya to produce an heir. And so after a week of trying to get past the thought of marrying Hisana, Byakuya invited a woman over for tea. The woman he was once betrothed to long ago.

There was a sudden knock on the door, interrupting his thoughts. Byakuya placed his tea down before saying, "Enter." The door slid open to reveal one of his servants bowing, and the attractive woman next to her with a smirk on her face as her eyes fixed on Byakuya.

"Your requested visitor, Kuchiki-sama", the servant spoke. Byakuya then nodded, dismissing the servant, and she bowed before closing the door behind her, leaving Byakuya and his visitor alone.

"Please, take a seat", he said, indicating to the cushion across from his seat. The woman grinned and she slowly walked over to him.

"Well well well…" she said as she took seat. "I do believe that I haven't seen you since the war with Aizen. Although, we haven't been alone like this in a very long time…It's been a while…Hasn't it Byakuya-bo?" Byakuya's eyes traced over her. Her tall, but curved stature. Her smooth golden brown skin. Her long dark hair. He closed his eyes in irritation at the old name she had once called him.

"Yoruichi Shihouin. Yes indeed, it has been a while." Yoruichi nodded and poured herself a cup of tea. She sat there happily as she drank, but she then noticed Byakuya across from her looking uneasy. Yoruichi frowned. This was probably the first calm meetings they had by themselves since…since before she left the Soul Society.

"Hey", she said quietly. Byakuya's blue eyes, deep as a midnight sky then met with Yoruichi's amber.

"Is something bothering you, Byakuya?" He didn't answer.

"Why did you ask me to come here?" Yoruichi went on. "I doubt it's because you heard I was here and called me to have tea and not say anything to me right?" Byakuya gazed at her, his face emotionless as always.

"No I didn't", he replied. "I need to ask something important of you Yoruichi", he said, his voice becoming more firm.

"What's up?" Yoruichi asked flipping her long ponytail behind her back. Byakuya sighed and started on what he had practiced to say for the past three days.

"You are well aware that we are the two heads of the Kuchiki and Shihouin clans. Two of the four noble clans of Soul Society. It is up to carry out our clans' names."

"Uh huh", Yoruichi said nodding.

"We're the heads of our clans and yet…"

"And yet?"

"And yet, we failed to have children of our own. What is to happen when we are gone? If our names are to fall, then what is to become?" Yoruichi sat there taking in his words.

"First of all…and don't think we'll be dead for a while. I don't know about you, but I plan on living for at least another century. Second of all, that's all that's bothering you?"

"Pardon?" Byakuya said taken aback.

"You're afraid that we'll be the last of our clans. And it will be the last of our clan's names, right?"

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." Byakuya answered. Yoruichi's bottom lip then quivered, and she began to laugh. Byakuya stared at her, this time angry that she wasn't taking this seriously."

"Oh man… Have you talked to Kuukaku about this too?" Yoruichi said, wiping her eyes.

"I don't understand how you can find this a laughing matter, Yoruichi", Byakuya said slowly.

"Oh relax Byakuya-bo", Yoruichi said waving her hand. "You have Rukia don't you? She's a Kuchiki. And from what I heard, Rukia and Renji is quite the item now--"

"Yoruichi, you and I both know that the elders will not allow her to be head of this clan. Nor will they accept my lieutenant."

"Gah, who cares what the elders will or will not allow! You ignored their opinions a couple times now, haven't you?" Byakuya blinked.

"I have. But…I agree with this." Yoruichi rolled her eyes and sighed. She was getting bored of all this nobility talk. It always bored her, even when she was a child.

"Why does the Shihouin name concern you though?" Yoruichi asked. Byakuya sighed. He knew this was when he would have to tell her. But the thought made him so uneasy.

"Our great families have a pact. My father and yours formed an alliance long ago."

"They did huh?"

"Yes."

"Sooo we have an alliance. It still shouldn't concern you if I have a kid or not."

"You don't remember, do you?" Byakuya asked softly. "Why we first played tag together in the first place?" Yoruichi crossed her arms and thought. She and Byakuya were so little then.

"Well…I just remember that our parents always set up play dates for us so we'd no each other better. That way when we were mar--" She then stopped talking and her eyes bulged like a deer in a headlight.

"Married", she whispered. Yoruichi gawked at him. He couldn't possibly expect…

"So that's the pact you're talking about?" she whispered. Byakuya nodded.

"The alliance they formed with a marriage of the eldest son and daughter of the two clans." He then grabbed a roll of old parchment from his sleeve, and set it upon the table.

"The document was still kept." The two sat there in silence. Byakuya's face still bland, Yoruichi's in complete shock. Her amber eyes then rested on the piece of parchment and she balled her hands into fists.