Byakuya's diary: notes to Hisana

1. One spring after... peach blossoms and you

Dearest Hisana,

Have I told you how much I miss your presence, your smile…Every peach blossom that now blooms in our garden and dances on the wind reminds me of you. And the last thing you ever asked of me.

Missing you is an ache in my heart that I feel with every beat, one that never goes away. That you are not with me any more than your essence. But know this, that I loved enough for a lifetime in those five years…Do you know, my love, I have no regrets about my life, save one. We never had children of our own. Would that have eased your pain, do you think? I only wish the guilt hadn't consumed you so, taking you away from me before your time, before mine, before those peach blossoms you adored could bloom again and cheer you up…

I know you are here. But I wish you were right here so I could tell you I found her, the baby girl you lost. I found her, Hisana…your little sister. A quiet little thing with big eyes. And she looks just like you. She's a shinigami, a junior student at the Academy with great potential, according to the faculty. All those years you spent looking for her, and she decides to become a Shinigami, and our paths cross. Surely it was fate that led her there, all the way from Inuzuri, and now me to her.

I went to invite her into our family. She belongs here, with you and I…It is my duty, and my privilege to raise her, look after her. I took the elders with me to the Shino Academy, formally and with all respect let her know we wished to adopt her as my little sister. She has yet to reply,  but I can arrange for things. The Kuchiki clan certainly has the power and connections required. She would be allowed to graduate immediately, and I will arrange for her to be part of the 13th squad. Ukitake would ensure her safety while she is out of my sight. I will keep her safe, always.

The household is rebelling, as is expected. Once again, I am going against their rules and customs and laws. Some things never change…I understand where they are coming from. Perchance, they could see where I was coming from. I am head of the clan after all, so I have asked that there be no unseemly whispers or ripples in the fabric of the household when she comes. She wouldn't be a misfit, she wouldn't sully the family name. They will see. Her eyes hold wisdom and maturity beyond her age. Life in Rukongai must have done that for her. Was it the same with you? I wish we had found her sooner so she would not have had to suffer so much so early in life. And yet she carries herself with quiet grace.

I know, I am bringing her home. I promised you, and I will keep that promise. I will atone for my crimes against the family laws, but one way or other, your little girl is coming home…