Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters or settings which Tite Kubo created.

Important Note: This story is being written on xSnowflakesx's polite request. The original character concept for the oc, Kuroiyami Likara, the title, summary, and the overall plot outline has been kindly supplied to me from her. She is also patient enough to answer any questions I have about Kuroiyami . . . I'm very thankful!

So, onto the story itself, I hope this all turns out well and please enjoy!

Eternal Winter Love

Prologue: White Foreshadowing

Running one hand through his untidy white hair, the young captain made his way into the barracks of his Division. There was more noise echoing through the air than he'd have liked, but trying to shut any of those drunkards up was just a losing battle right from the start.

Consequently, he'd have to use the earmuffs a certain infuriating and strawberry blonde haired someone had purchased a while ago in the World of the Living, presumably just so he wouldn't go and interrupt her 'secret' drinking parties. It wasn't like he didn't appreciate the gift of sorts, but he'd rather not have to use anything to get a good night's sleep. It seemed ridiculous, especially since he supposedly had complete authority over the actions of the men and women in his Division. 'Complete authority' . . . with a Lieutenant like his, that impressive phrase didn't always work out as well as it sounded like it should.

Entering his dark room, and not bothering to try and create any sort of light, however easy it might've been, he wandered over to his bed, flopping down ungraciously and pulling on the fluffy earmuffs. Yes, unfortunately, due to that same someone's liking of 'cute and fuzzy' things, they were fluffy. It was good that no one came inside of his room without asking permission first, or else he'd never hear the end of it.

Glaring habitually at his perfectly innocent ceiling, the white haired shinigami sighed before rolling over and tucking his knees to his chest, ignoring the fact that he was still in uniform, haori and all. This position was one he rarely found himself in anymore, usually preferring to lie out straight on his back, or side, the whole night, but sometimes it was the only one he'd be able to get any sleep in. Usually after a particularly stressful or aggravating day, which generally meant that woman had been in one of her 'better' moods.

Feeling blurry sleepiness pulling at the edges of his mind, the tense muscles straining themselves in his body finally relaxed and the captain drifted into a light sleep, still not completely at ease with all of the thoughts in his head.

Bright teal eyes blinked in the even brighter morning sunlight. Sitting up, the young boy realised he must've fallen asleep on the rōka, which thankfully had a roof, outside the house he lived in with Granny. Despite the cool weather, he hadn't been bothered during the night, and even the chilly breeze blowing through the air right at that moment didn't make him shiver at all.

'Perhaps it's a good thing that I forgot to go inside,' falling asleep abruptly was something that sometimes occurred to him after a busy day, especially if he'd missed his afternoon nap, so there was nothing that new about the current situation, 'Granny looks a bit sick lately . . . I wonder if it's because of me,' his usually expressionless face shifted into a slight anxious frown, and he continued to glare at the door before him, imagining the tiny old woman sitting somewhere inside, 'I think maybe I'm-,'

'You're what?'

The sudden question made the boy flinch violently, and he turned around quickly, glaring crossly at the source of the interruption to his melancholy monologue. As suspected, although he hadn't sensed her approach at all, not that he ever really did, there was a girl sitting on the edge of the low wooden platform behind him, staring out over the lush green grass, the faintest of grins playing on her lips. Her voice was soft, only because she never revealed her presence to his Granny, and it was clear she was making sure no one except him knew she was there at all.

She was probably the only one who didn't run away or chatter behind their hands at him, but he didn't really understand her that well, even if they'd become the closest of friends and spent a lot of time together now.

'Do you always have to sneak up like that?' at least no one else was able to execute such an act while in his presence. He was going to say more, probably to complain about her behaviour and then about the lack of watermelon at that present time of year, or the fact that there hadn't been any visitors from the Academy lately, but she wasn't the type to listen to such talk. Or at least, she didn't unless it suited her to hear pessimism.

'Don't start,' leaning back so far that she was staring at him upside down, the girl shook her head, sending her black, silver streaked hair whipping through the air around her, and her turquoise ribbons fluttering in a self-created breeze, 'You never tell her you'd rather she visit more often, so what's your problem? Sometimes I wonder if there's really no reason that the others keep away from you . . .' trailing off, she blinked her shining turquoise eyes at him innocently, discarding her usually cold and indifferent demeanour for one that only he ever saw. Compared to the wary girl he'd first met by accident, she was so much more open. Still, somehow, she was able to retain a level of secrecy and indifferent cool . . .

'You're both equally annoying,' frown deepening, he barely refrained from snapping, 'And you're not one to talk about a reason why they keep away from us. And I do not have any sort of problem and I have no idea why they avoid me. You, though, I think I could almost understand,' crossing his arms in defiance, he glared fiercely with his oddly coloured eyes, a slightly darker shade than hers.

Apparently ignoring him now, the girl straightened again and continued to watch the fluffy white clouds drifting across the blue sky. Her expression, usually so complicated and almost troubled, somehow, was peaceful and she seemed to be hovering on the edge of a happy dream. One that he thought she probably wouldn't share with anyone except those she'd come to trust and understand completely . . .

There were so many images in his head of her now, gathered together over the time since they'd first met. Different scenery backing each and every one . . . grassy fields, the inside of the cave where she lived, the leaves of a tree that she somehow managed to climb into . . . so many different views that came as a result of a single meeting of gazes, not really that long ago.

She was different from most, although how so, apart from the fact that she wasn't afraid of him, he wasn't sure at all. Different even from the kind woman he called 'Granny'. It was a complicated and confusing thing, something that most adults wouldn't be able to comprehend, let alone a young boy, but he couldn't help but think that, someday, he'd like to know exactly what set her apart from the others. Perhaps it was the secrecy in her gaze or the expression that would pass over her face whenever she thought no one was watching her, or maybe something completely different, something he hadn't even thought of . . . but whatever the reason might be, he wanted her to share that someday. Even if it was painful, even if it hurt . . . he could share that suffering, he was sure of it. That's what friends were for . . . right?

'What are you thinking about?' her voice, carrying the icy breeze of a coming winter, broke through the jumble of thoughts in his head, and he looked up to meet her curious stare.

'Nothing,' not willing to admit to have been thinking of her, even if it was in a rather different way to the usual veil of annoyance, he moved over to swing his legs off the edge of the wooden platform too, 'Don't get all worried, I'm completely fine,'

But maybe she wasn't . . . maybe, behind that image of nonchalance and prideful coolness . . . she wasn't as alright as she appeared to be, as she made out she was.

And, forever since that day, the troubling question of her true feelings often consumed his mind, taking his thoughts for hours without end . . . forever until he was suddenly leaving for the Shino Academy, leaving both her and Granny behind . . . because after that, he didn't think of that question ever.

It hurt too much . . . to think of her at all . . .

'Why aren't you coming too? I'm sure you could become a shinigami easy,' he feigned nonchalance, even as he wondered about why her expression was so cold and her manner so harsh, 'From what I can see,' he pondered his other friend, and the strange woman with the pale blue eyes, 'They seem to accept all sorts of people, and age doesn't seem to matter much,'

By 'age', of course, he meant physical appearance, as it was rather difficult to guess the actual number of years any of the people around the place had lived, since most hardly changed. And, in truth, he was concerned about her, as he'd come to worry over her health and safety quite a lot.

But the iciness of her gaze and the stiffness of her shoulders was an image that would, for quite a long time, haunt his drowsy moments and keep him awake at night.

As she said not a word, and simply turned away abruptly, the briskness of her pace indicating she didn't want to be followed, or called after. There was something in her rigid posture that screamed hatred louder than any voice could possibly manage, and the same emotion threatened to break her perfect control . . . to allow the surrounding area to be inundated in a wave of bitter, icy cold.

It was a clear message . . . to stay away from her now, to keep from stepping into her sight again, to refrain from speaking a word where she might hear . . . it was an unforgiving breaking of any bonds they'd formed, any promises they'd made. There was no regret, just a freezing message of animosity, a warning of sorts.

And it was more painful than anything he'd ever experienced before, as from that point of a broken forever, he never met her direct gaze again, never heard her indifferent voice, never felt that jolt of surprise whenever she appeared without warning, unable to be sensed at all.

It really was a confusing, cutting way to disappear from someone's life . . . with no explanation, no apology, no nothing. Not a single reason for them to give up and walk away, but no means of removing the clear hostility either.

It was the end of a simple, understanding world, and the opening of a jagged wound, one which even time could barely heal . . .

Haunted eyes snapped open, strands of pale hair were plastered to a damp forehead, breath came in harsh, uneven gasps, hands clenched tightly, blood welled up from a bitten lip. It was too stifling and hot in that damn room, too claustrophobic despite the open space.

Why that dream again?

It began as usual, a memory of a time where almost everything was shining and complete, hardly missing anything . . . and then it changed to that scene, where she turned away and walked off into the dark of the place she called home, into the past he could no longer return to, leaving only that silent, hate filled message behind.

After all the time that had passed, all of the years which flew by, why did that image still haunt him? And what was he doing even thinking of that now, when there had been nothing to cause such a recollection to surface from the depths of his mind where he'd hidden them carefully, unable to come to terms with that loss, even after everything that had occurred between then and now . . . ?

It was too confusing, too troubling, just like it always had been. But somehow, this time, there was something more behind the recollection, something which told him to prepare for whatever was inevitably hurtling towards him at a terrifyingly fast rate.

As he was on a collision course with an unavoidable event which he somehow knew would take him all the way to breaking point, possibly even past that moment of no turning back . . . all the way into his worst nightmares . . .

With shaking hands, the young captain removed the infuriatingly fluffy earmuffs and he stood, making his way over to the window where the moonlight streamed into the room, seeking to cast more shadows into his already chaotic mind.

'Whatever is happening now was always going to. So why do I feel such apprehension?' talking in an uncharacteristic tone, and staring unblinkingly at the bright white disc in the midnight black sky, the shinigami once again lost himself in the turmoil taking over his mind.

A flash of raven black hair, streaked artfully with misty silver, bright ribbons caught in the strong breeze, the glint of cold turquoise eyes, moonlight passing over a pale cheek, trailing along delicate fingers. The slight rustle of fabric, the metallic chink of a blade shifting in its sheath, the soft tapping of waraji on the solidness of a high wall. Gaze turned to the moon, piercing and cold, distant and calculating . . . filled with emotions that had not surfaced in quite some time . . . a barely concealed hatred and a bitter loathing.

What an odd thing is fate . . . to bring one such as myself to this place, in such a way, arousing those unrepentant thoughts, even after I released those feelings

The faintest of noises sounded out over the empty courtyard as the lone figure, formerly balanced easily on the edge of the wall, dropped to the ground below, landing easily, graceful as a cat, straightening immediately, moving forwards.

How interesting this will be, I think . . . perhaps there are still some emotions I will not relinquish so easily . . . or maybe this is really just what it appears to be

There were no further disturbances to the quiet of the darkness shrouding the whole of that land, cloaking that world in its gentle embrace. No expression passed over the face of the single soul moving deeper into the heart of that dimension. It was official, it was by the law, there was no reason why anyone should feel that what was to happen was wrong, but somehow, she knew her sudden appearance would cause more disturbance than one might assume.

So, in this new setting, in this new role, how will they respond to me? After all, in the past, it's not like I was charitable to these folks at all. I don't know whether to be amused or just to continue dwelling on my negative feelings. They're not ones to be ignored though, so it'll be hard to act like I don't still carry some of those harsh emotions with me

Sighing in annoyance at her own thoughts, she continued on her path, unhurried, but not lingering. Despite all of the time that had passed, she still carried a bit of that hatred, and, if she was to succeed and perform her job to the best of her abilities, then she really had to let go of those feelings. It wasn't a light responsibility, this one that she'd been given, so, as it was in her nature to do things well if she had to do them at all, she'd simply push through those barriers and continue on her way.

Sensing something which was unsurprisingly familiar, she turned her head, the black hair that completely concealed her right eye shifting further across her face, and considered this interesting sensation.

Well . . . this was never going to be a walk in the park, was it?

Author's Note:

How's the absolute beginning of this story? I hope it's alright, I really do . . .

Also, I thought I should say that the parts in bold are thoughts, but don't be surprised if later internal speech isn't highlighted like that. I'm not sure why exactly placing those words in bold appealed to me, but it did, and if there's more bold in chapters to come, then I must've felt like putting it that way too. Sometimes I do things with no reason other than 'because I felt like it' . . . sorry.

And thanks for reading!