Chapter 25: Lelouch Takes a Seat on the Sideline

(A/N: I'm gonna try something a little different with this chapter than the last 24. Please, please, PLEASE look at the pov declaration down below before reading so you're not lost)

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite

3rd Person pov

Sayuri Hisana had always been a dutiful and loyal Soul Reaper. She constantly walked with her held high and never took crap from anyone she didn't have to. A certain, yet to be born, orange haired Soul Reaper would find Hisana's sister to be very similar.

Rukia. Hisana sighed. Hisana's greatest, perhaps her only regret, was abandoning Rukia out in Inzuri. She had ventured out into that district so many times over the last 50 years, but strangely never found Rukia once. In the last ten years she heard sightings from friends she had made in the slums as a result of her frequent visits. Rukia had gotten in with a little misfit gang from the sound of it and was fighting for her survival. However, Hisana wanted to take Rukia away from that need to survive. She'd drag her sister to the Seireitei kicking and screaming if she had to.

Hisana never went to Inzuri in her Shihakusho, at least the times when she wasn't in Aizen's division, no time to change. She would always change into royal purple garments, clean versions of the rags she had worn when she used to live in Inzuri. She always frizzed her hair to make her stand out less amongst the foul smelling and poorly dressed members of the Rukongai.

As the fifth seat made her way to Inzuri, she couldn't help but feel as if she was being followed. She couldn't sense any reiatsu close behind her, but she couldn't help the nagging feeling tugging at the corner of her mind that someone was tailing her.

Something wrong Hisana? Her Zanpakuto asked her.

It's nothing. Hisana lied and used Shunpo to decrease her travel time to Inzuri. She ducked into the closest saloon and sat down at the bar. She cleared her throat to get the bartender's attention.

He turned around. "Hisana, how are you? What can I get you?" The bartender, a short, bald man with a wide girth and a large chin, had been Hisana's prime source of information for as long as the black haired Soul Reaper could remember.

"Just the usual." Hisana responded as she put 15 kan on the table.

As the bartender poured her drink he said. "Sorry to say I got nothing new to tell you since the last time you were here."

Hisana sighed in disappointment and just decided to sit and have her drink. She had come all the way out here so she might as well have her drink and go.

As she was drinking her beverage a drinking glass, full of sake, sailed towards her. Without turning around, Hisana swatted it away and it shattered on the wall nearby. She was used to things like this in the Inzuri bars. As she took another sip of her Black Russian a burly, dark-skinned man, with full mustache and beard, sat next to her. Hisana expected the usual crummy pick up line, but this experience was different.

"Hey, I couldn't help but notice how much of a resemblance you have to this other gal I saw wandering the streets the other day." The man said to her.

Hisana nearly choked and began to cough. "You've," she coughed again, "You saw my sister?"

"Oh, so there's the resemblance. You looking for her?" the man asked her.

"For the last fifty years. Where did you see her?" Hisana asked.

"Just how much is that information worth to you?" the man asked her with a toothy grin. His teeth were all yellow from lack of proper brushing.

"I'll pay anything you want." Hisana stated.

"I was thinking of something other than money." The man ran a hand up Hisana's upper leg.

"No way." She swatted the man's hand away. "No information is worth that."

"Oh, but your sister hasn't seen you in fifty years, surely you'd do anything to find her." The man goaded.

"No means no, now get lost. Surely five hundred kan is much more valuable than an evening with me." Hisana stated.

"Nope sorry." The man answered.

"A pity." Hisana got up and began to get up, but the man put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey don't be like that sweetheart. We've only just met." The man told her.

"Get your hands off me!" Hisana exclaimed pushing the man's hand off her shoulder. "And don't call me sweetheart."

"Do you have any idea who you're messing with?" the man grumbled.

"Do you have any idea who you're messing with?" Hisana turned back at the man, not the least bit afraid, considering her status.

The patron couldn't take Hisana's haughty attitude and took a swing at her. Hisana stopped his massive fist with her palm and then pushed lightly, well what for her was lightly, with force and sent the man careening into the wall where the drinking glass had shattered earlier.

Sighing in frustration Hisana got up and turned to leave only to see a bunch of patrons snarling their teeth and looking to inflict bodily harm upon her.

A gang leader. Hisana realized the type of man she had beaten down. Could've seen that coming. She stepped off the platform to the open bar and put a hand on her sword. "You know boys." She said. "This sword isn't just for show." She drew it out and held it out in front of her. "Sing," little whirlwinds began to form around Hisana's sword, "Kaze no Irokoe!" (Colored Voice of the Wind) Hisana swung her sword out at her side as it transformed into a long, black leather whip. It was a little over three meters in length. She whapped a few of her attackers, but they didn't stay down for long. On her next assault Hisanan's whip was grabbed by one of her attackers. Using her battle toned strength, Hisana pulled the thug towards her like a fish caught on a line and then blasted him in the face with Sokatsui.

Hisana knew these jokers were no match for her. She could easily take them out with her Hakuda skill if they weren't in a large group. Maintaining her distance was essential. If she was caught off guard she'd be grappled by her attackers large arms, held down and gang raped for sure. To avoid that, she was using her trusted partner to keep her safe.

Hisana let loose her whip again, knocking down her attackers and then retracted the weapon back to her and gripped a segment between her hands, pulling it taut so that it made a snapping noise. "Some no Uta." (The First Song) Hisana pulled back on her whip and lashed it at the ground. "Midori Menuetto!" (Green Minuet) As she whapped the ground a small tornado rose up from the ground and spiraled out in a controlled motion by Hisana's free hand as if she were the conductor of an orchestra. She gathered up all of her attackers and directed her tornado outside the pub where she scattered the bodies. The men fell to the ground in pain, groaning. Hisana sighed and sealed her sword before pulling out her change purse from her pocket and pulled out 250 kan and placing it on the bar table. "I think this should cover the damage." Hisana then headed for the door.

A cloaked figure had bared witness to the events occurring inside the bar and as Hisana walked out, ducked around the side of the building to avoid being seen. He followed her with his eyes before watching her head towards the village limits. He then sauntered after her, tracing her reiatsu in order to not lose her. The cloaked person was in no rush to reveal himself to Hisana. He'd play a little more reconnaissance and wait for her to be alone. Then he would make his move.

Hisana, after leaving the village, unable to sense the cloaked figure, unaware of his presence, but still assured that someone was following her, made her way to a clearing in the woods. She stopped and unsheathed her Zanpakuto again. "Sing, Kaze no Irokoe." Hisana unleashed her long black whip again. "I think we're far away. Right here is fine." She spoke aloud. Green spirit energy gathered in her whip before seeping out into the open air a small distance from Hisana's standing point. A figure materialized. It was a woman with long navy blue hair and pointy, elf-like ears. She was wearing long green parachute pants with white pinstripes and a grape purple, sleeveless shirt that hugged tightly to her skin, which was rather tan in complexion. The woman also had two large, raven colored wings on her back and wore two yellow bracelets on each of her wrists. Her finger nails each were of a different color: her pinky was green, her ring finger was red, her middle finger was blue, her index finger was orange and her thumb was lavender. The figure also had two pea-green irises. The figure was the manifestation of Hisana's Zanpakuto: Kaze no Irokoe

"Yes, you're right. This area is sufficient to continue where we last left off." the winged spirit noted. She pointed over Hisana's shoulder. "However, you have company."

Hisana turned to see a cloaked figure walk into the area. "You know there are areas closer to the Seireitei to practice Bankai training." The figured pulled down their hood and opened up their cloak to reveal one: Lelouch vi Britannia, but was known to the Soul Society as Lamperouge Lelouch.

"Lelouch? What are you doing here?" Hisana asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." Lelouch responded. "Your direct subordinate, Karasu-senpai, said you were out. Unfortunately for you not only do I have some paperwork for you to sign back at the division, but I've also been curious about your little trips to Inzuri for the longest time. I also didn't know you were even working to master Bankai, Hisana. You sure keep a lot of secrets from the division." The irony of Lelouch's statement was lost on Hisana. As far as anyone in the Gotei knew, Lelouch had nothing to hide.

It had been two years since Lelouch's killing of Ichinose Maki. As he had figured, the new captain, Zaraki Kenpachi, suggested to Kuchiki Ginrei to give Lelouch a higher seat in accreditation for having defeated a higher ranked officer. Lelouch was subsequently promoted to 7th seat a little over two months after he was discharged from fourth division.

"So you stalked me, while using a reiatsu concealing cloak, all the way out here?" Hisana was rather ticked off with her former teacher.

"Well I didn't follow you so closely; I just tracked your reiatsu. By the time I caught up with you, the first thing I witnessed going on in that bar was you sending that big guy flying. What's all the way out here that you would discard your uniform? Does Byakuya-fukutaicho even know about these trips of yours?"

"You wouldn't understand Lelouch, and the only one who knows is Ukitake-taicho." Hisana said. "I made him promise not to tell anyone else, but he wouldn't let me come out here, unattended unless he knew."

"So why can't I know?" Lelouch inquired.

"Like I said, you wouldn't understand." Hisana repeated.

"Try me." Lelouch said as he shouldered his reiatsu concealing cloak.

"Go on Hisana, Lelouch's is a friend of yours isn't he? Why is it so hard to tell people? Are you that regretful of what you've done?" Kaze no Irokoe asked her.

"You may as well tell me…and Byakuya-fukutaicho too. Your significant other doesn't deserve to have secrets kept from him, especially something like this. Without knowing all the details, do you know what he might speculate if he knew you were constantly going all the way out here?" Lelouch asked Hisana.

"Okay!" Hisana exclaimed in anguish. There was a pause as both Hisana's Zanpakuto and Lelouch looked at her for a moment, waiting for a continuation. Hisana sighed and then told her story. "When I first came to the Soul Society, I didn't arrive alone. I came here with my younger sister, Rukia. However, Inzuri is a very unforgiving place and I was eventually left with a choice: I could continue this life of hardship and raise my infantile sister, or I could leave her behind and survive." Hisana began to tear up. "So many souls arrive in the Soul Society every day, separated from their family. I didn't realize at the time how fortunate I was to have Rukia with me, and I selfishly cast her aside, leaving her crying in an alleyway."

"You don't realize what you have until it's gone." Lelouch recited the old, cliché proverb.

"I…I became a Soul Reaper, with every intention of getting strong so that I could defend myself. It was when I learned that becoming a Soul Reaper was a one way deal that I felt ashamed of myself. Rather than show my shame I hid it and trained to better myself. You, as my teacher, recognized my talent and helped me become strong and Byakuya-dono became the closest friend I have. Every day when I got up at the academy, I felt comfort in knowing that I could always look forward to your teaching expertise and Byakya-dono's kindness. After graduation, we were both accepted into the Thirteenth Division, as you probably no doubt know. I succeeded in sneaking out of the Seireitei a few times while I was there until Ukitake-taicho caught wind of my actions. He said he observed two of my comings and goings in and out of the Seireitei and wanted to know what was constantly sending me out there."

"Why did you tell him?" Lelouch asked.

"He's my captain and he was questioning me…I just felt obligated I guess. Ukitake-taicho was incredibly understanding of my situation. He was the only one who knew until I began telling all of this to you." Hisana said to her friend.

"Why go out there? You left Rukia crying in an alleyway. Don't you think the chances of her being alive were slim?" Lelouch asked.

"If she was dead then I wanted proof of such, but no proof was to be found. I kept going back, clinging to the hope that she was still alive. And then, one day, about eighteen years ago, an old woman at a clothing store accidentally called me Rukia by mistake." Hisana brought a clenched hand up to her chin and squeezed her eyes shut. "She apologized, realizing I was much taller than my sister, and a Soul Reaper to boot, since I was in Aizen-taicho's squad at the time and never took the time to change out of my Shihakusho when I would visit during that era. I remember running over to the woman asking about Rukia. She said 'she didn't know where the little girl came from, but she just came by every now and then and helped the woman wash clothes in exchange for something to eat'." Tears fell from Hisana's face. "I was so happy. Rukia was alive, now all I had to do was find her."

"And you've continued to search for her ever since. Does that about sum it up?" Lelouch asked.

Hisana nodded and opened her eyes, tears continued to fall from her face, increasing in rate. "I have to find her. I want to apologize to her. I'd make her understand, even if she never forgives me, I just want her to know…that I love her."

"Well…I can certainly relate." Lelouch answered. "I would go to any lengths for my younger sister too."

"You…have a younger sister?" Hisana was confused. She thought Lelouch was a loner.

"My sister is still alive, in the World of the Living." Lelouch responded.

"Do you miss her?" Hisana asked.

"Every single day." Lelouch replied. "Do you want my help to look for her?"

"Would you?" Hisana asked.

"I have my own information network I can tap into." Lelouch stated.

Hisana felt moved. Lelouch didn't have to do anything. She had expected him to call her some form of derogatory term for abandoning her sister, but he was completely sympathetic, almost as if he understood exactly what she was going through. He was even offering to help her. Hisana was overcome with emotion and hugged Lelouch in gratitude, sobbing. She was so grateful for his kindness.

Lelouch soothed her as she cried. It was easy for him to place himself in Hisana's position. Given the course of events when he was alive, becoming Zero was sort of like abandoning Nunnally, but he did everything he could for her sake, just as Lelouch knew that Hisana became a Soul Reaper so she could one day tell Rukia all about as if it were a family anecdote. Lelouch knew that, if he had succeeded at the Black Rebellion and continued until his original plan had succeeded that he would've revealed himself to Nunnally and told her everything.

"I have to find her." Hisana sobbed as she grabbed at her friend's robe.

"I know." Lelouch soothed his former student turned superior. "I know."

6th Division

Lelouch kept his promise and asked Kukaku to please look into locating Hisana's sister. Since the matter wasn't too covert he spoke to her in person and discussed things with her right out in the open.

"You just leave it to me kid." Kukaku told him.

It had been approximately one year since Lelouch had found out about Hisana's secret. Currently he was busy in his office checking over some reports from routine missions he had authorized. Hisana was doing the same. The sun was starting to set and the 5th seat was just about finished with all her paperwork. As she gathered the papers in a nice neat pile she went to make her rounds to deliver the papers to their proper recipients. She started with Byakuya.

Two months after Lelouch learned about Hisana's sister, the 5th seat confessed to Byakuya about Rukia. Hisana expected Byakuya to, as she did with Lelouch, insult her for abandoning her sister, but Byakuya was just about as sympathetic as Lelouch had been. His only concern was why she didn't tell him sooner.

"I was scared that you might…reject me. What I did…was horrible." Hisana had told her crush.

"It is not my place to judge your actions. I was not in Inzuri so I don't know how dire the situation was. Human beings are very fickle in that we do everything to preserve our own lives when pushed to certain limits. If I am going to judge any of your actions then I will confess that I am disappointed in you. And I am disappointed only in that you didn't tell me sooner." Byakuya had responded. Hisana gave him a hug and a peck on his cheek for that one.

As she approached the office, she could hear discussion going on behind the door.

"So that's it then?" Byakuya said to the person he had been talking to.

"Yes, they're not fond of it, and I had to step on a few toes, but they've stopped being so darn obstinate about the whole thing. There's still plenty of resentment, but at least they're not shouting their heads off like a bunch of battle crazed eleventh division officers." It was Ginrei whom Byakuya had been talking to.

"Arigato, Jii-san." Byakuya thanked his grandfather. There was a long pause. "Am I ready?" Byakuya asked.

"Ah Byakuya," Ginrei replied, "The only man who can answer that is you. You have my support, but that alone does not make a leader. A leader is judged by his actions and his words…as well as the actions his words beget."

"I understand." Byakuya responded.

"Well then, I'm going to go tidy up in my office and go back to the manor, you do what you have to do." Byakuya's grandfather spoke to him. Footsteps approached the door and Ginrei nearly opened the door right into Hisana's face. "Oh. Sorry, Sayuri-san, I didn't see you there." He apologized to Hisana.

"N-no, the error is on my part taicho." Hisana bowed in reply. Ginrei acknowledged her statement and then walked away. Hisana knocked on the inside of the door to announce her presence. Byakuya looked up from his desk.

"Oh, Hisana, come in." he told her.

"I have paperwork for you." Hisana told him as she placed it on the desk. "Sorry if you thought you were almost done."

Byakuya looked at the dates marked at the top. Hmm, if I get up bright and early tomorrow I can finish this before it's due. A lack of sleep is worth it in this case. "I'll handle it tomorrow morning." He rose to his feet. "Hisana, would you take a walk with me?" he asked.

"Ah, sure." She responded.

"Follow me." Byakuya brushed past Hisana and the two walked together. Byakuya made Hisana follow him until both were on a walkway that stood high above the sixth division grounds. Both could easily see the sun setting from their location. "Will you watch the sunset with me?" Byakuya asked Hisana.

"Sure." Hisana answered. They didn't wait long; most of the setting had taken place during their walk.

When the stars came out and the moon appeared overhead, Byakuya spoke again. "Hisana." He called her name again. She looked at him as he spoke. "There is a reason I called you out here. We've been friends for more than fifty years. Some have speculated more than that, but I've never had the freedom to confirm or deny such things. I'd like to put an end to that speculation permanently. I also now know about your sister and how much finding her means to you and I don't want you to share that burden alone." Byakuya took a deep breath and pulled out a small jewelry box from his hakama as he got down on one knee. "I suppose what I'm trying to say is…Sayuri Hisana…" he opened the box in front of her, revealing a platinum ring with a sakura blossom shaped, rose colored, diamond jewel in the center. "…will you marry me?"

Hisana gave Byakuya a deer in headlights look. She had often fantasized about this moment, but never did she think it would actually happen. Many happy memories of her and Byakuya over the last 56 years flooded through her mind. She had known the man before her since before either of them hit puberty. She was overcome with emotion, completely speechless. She knew Byakuya cared about her a great deal, but to actually decide to marry her…not a noble, not a friend of the family, not anyone else. He wanted to marry her. "I…I don't know what to say." She managed to get out she was starting to tear up, touched by Byakuya's proposal.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Just accept it." Byakuya said to her. He was hoping she would at least agree to marry her. If she didn't it would make all his work for the last decade almost entirely pointless. He loved her, he knew he did. He wouldn't have gone to great lengths to make this moment possible otherwise.

Hisana threw herself at Byakuya and wrapped her arms around his neck. Small sobs could be heard escaping her lips.

"Why are you crying?" Byakuya asked his potential betrothed.

"I'm just so happy." Hisana wept. "I always hoped this moment would come. I accept! Of course I accept! I love you Byakuya-sama!" She cried out. With the closeness she now was with her longtime friend, Hisana felt comfortable with the change in honorific.

Byakuya got up off his knee and put the ring on Hisana's finger. He looked at her tear stained, violet eyes as she looked up at his gray ones. He leaned down and kissed Hisana's soft, lips. Hisana opened her mouth, reached up and placed her hand on the back of Byakuya's neck. The two shared a loving kiss; it was their first between them throughout the entire time they had known each other. Neither of them noticed a figure standing atop a rooftop at an even higher altitude, wearing a reiatsu concealing cape as it fluttered in the nightly breeze.

Lelouch smiled down at the couple. He had given Byakuya the suggestion of waiting until nighfall to propse to Hisana. The genius Soul Reaper had spent the last couple of months reading guidebooks to romance, and a couple of novels ever since he found out from his Vice-Captain that Ginrei was close to putting down the flames of justified defiance of the union between the man and woman Lelouch was observing from a higher altitude and considerable distance with a pair of binoculars.

He left his perch content with the fact that at least someone in this slightly twisted and corrupted world could find their happily ever after.

Chapter 25 End

(A/N: So like I said I took the focus away from Lelouch, mostly to just go for the big Crowning Moment of Heartwarming and to set up the next big event that would be less impactful without this chapter. With Byakuya and Hisana getting married we know that Hisana now has five years to live if things go as they did in canon. Can Lelouch find Rukia, reunite her with her sister and stop Hisana from getting sick thereby preventing her death? Find the answer to that in the next chapter of Soul Chess)