By the frozen koi pond (ByaRen, Byakuya<3Renji)

Nobility

Byakuya stood in front of the Elders, his gaze frantic, not sure where to look, moving quickly. A hectic feeling shaking the inside of the man's fragile heart -even though he didn't show it, he was incredibly sensitive-. "Do you know why we called this meeting, Byakuya?" asked the head elder. Byakuya looked down, he had an idea, it was because of Renji. Other then Rukia and Ichigo nobody else knew...or so he thought, he thought that their plan to keep it secret for a while worked. "We cannot allow this" Another of the elders spoke, (their faced hidden from view, even though Byakuya was the head of the family, not even he could look upon the faces of his clan's elders). "if you carry on, Byakuya, we will force you to resign from your post as clan head, and we will drag you down from being a captain" a voice slashed through his heart, crushing it, into a thousand unrepairable pieces. "how dare you Byakuya, how dare you spoil our clan's name like this" a voice yelled from behind the thin wall. The man clenched his hands and then looked at his hand. He couldn't speak...his whole body was shaken. "You have failed us Byakuya..." But he couldn't, he still couldn't speak, he didn't listen to the words. He blocked his heart off. His clan was this bad? He thought that the Elders would understand, for the first time in 50 years had Byakuya smiled at someone else but his sister, he seemed genuinely happy.

He reached up, his pale, sword roughened hand touched the kenseikan that kept his hair tidy and perfect, that symbolized his clan. Gripping it he ripped the three porcelain kenseikan on top of his head out, then the ones on the side, letting them fall, shattering on impact with the wooden floor, next followed his scarf, he had drawn his zanpakuto his Senbonzakura and cut through the soft fabric. It fell, almost silently, like leaves on an autumn day, slowly, calmly; pooling beneath his feet, he was giving this up, he couldn't stand the pain of being without Renji. He knew that Rukia would pay as well an he knew that Rukia would come with him...or would she? Would she chose to stay? Would they banish her, or would they make her clan head? He let out a silent sigh, the tears threatening to spill from his beautiful gun metal orbs. But he held them back, and it hurt, his throat burnt, it felt like there was something there, a knot of pain trying to set free.

Then finally, came his captain's Haori, he let it fall of his graceful shoulders. The scene was perfect, just like everything else about the man, was perfect. "I will not...I will not break apart...I refuse to feel such pain again..." he said before walking out, he didn't look back, he just walked, his feet carrying him away. To where Renji would be meeting him, however he didn't yet know what would await him when he did go there...to the Senkaimon, they wouldn't let him through...they wouldn't let him wait for Renji.

Trying in vein to summon a hell butterfly. He looked at his hands and closed his eyes. "Gomen Rukia" he whispered. "Gomen Renji, my love" he whispered, softly, he couldn't stand anymore. He didn't know how to it was as if everything was taken from him, even his Senbonzakura was taken. Ropes bound his hands, the rough material dug into his wrists, he showed no emotion on his beautiful, elegant face. He felt kido tie his arms, his legs, there was some sort of kido put around him so that nobody could see the traitor to the Kuchiki clan. That was it...he knew it...he knew that now he'd never see Renji again. He would never see his love, his beautiful face, the painful knot in his throat returned and burnt even more then before. But he didn't allow himself to cry, he would wait until he was alone, alone with nobody around. Coughing a little as a rope was bound to his neck, his eyes, his ears. He was robbed of everything he knew.

Byakuya's mind slowly went blank, he lost all consciousness. It was bliss, he felt at peace for a brief moment, the feeling of being completely out of the world, it was completely blissful. This oblivion he could slip into, but he knew it was only temporary. This feeling would never last and before long he would return to face the disturbing, twisted truth...this is what Nobility cost him...he hated being a noble, he always hated it. Now it cost him everything; and there was no way for him to get it back...

The red head walked slowly to the Senkaimon where he would meet Byakuya soon, he was humming some sound that he didn't even know he knew until now. Is it even a song? Thought the man with crimson locks as he sat down, leaning against one of the pillars of the gate. "Abarai Renji, I presume" came a voice from behind him, he was a little startled, he didn't recognize this voice. It was soft, almost too soft for a man, but the deepness of the voice made it obvious that it was a man's voice. He looked up to see a man with black hair, a small Kenseikan in the front, making a single, thick strand of hair fall down the center of his perfect face. His ever, they...they made his heart seek refuge, they were menacing. A scarf tied loosely around his neck, it fell down and was tied in a loose knot on the bottom and a porcelain bead was keeping the knot in place. What startled him most was the 6th division captain's Haori.

Renji stood to his feet and bowed. "Yes, um...who are you?" he asked the man, he wanted to know where Byakuya was, why was he wearing Byakuya's Haori. "um, where is Kuchiki-Taichou?" he asked the man. "I am standing in front of you" the emotionless man informed. "no...I mean Byakuya...where is Byakuya?" Renji said, a little louder this time, his reiatsu spiked. "I do not know, and a peasant like you has no right to even know where he is" there was a sword at his neck, his heart was beating really fast, he didn't know what was happening. Where are you, Byakuya? he thought. Renji was lost at words, his heart hurt, it hurt so much, he was in physical pain. He wanted to be sick, he wanted to fall to his knees and cry. It felt as if Byakuya has died and left him, where was he, where was his love?

His heart tightened over and over, the pain wouldn't stop, they were moving now, he didn't even know when he started walking, has he lost consciousness? No, no it was impossible, he was walking. The man who's name he did not know was following the butterfly, and Renji noticed he was too. The light around him was maddening, it was so bright, too bright, he wanted to envelope himself in darkness. Darkness was what he needed, he needed too cry. Then he remembered...he was going to the real world...that's right...he could see Ichigo...he didn't have to see this captain he didn't know...this person he already despised from the bottom of his heart. He couldn't describe how much he hated this man, and it didn't matter, he wanted to get rid of him, but he knew he'd be fine when he went to Ichigo...right? Ichigo would understand his pain...he would help get Byakuya back...right? Right?

...He hoped he would...