Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Bleach characters. They belong to the great Tite Kubo.
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Chapter One - The Moon's Sonata
"What are you doing by the window?" A very forceful voice said.
A young Rukia snapped her indigo gaze away. "Nothing."
Her mother slammed the shutters, Rukia's eyes blinking nervously. "Time and again I tell you to stay away from the windows."
Rukia spoke before she could stop her young impulsive self. "I just wanted to look outside."
"What?"
This time, she knew she had done it. Rukia stepped back, her mother looming overhead. Tall and astute, a nose wrinkled in displeasure, her mother was the very embodiment of strict. Today was far from being Rukia's luckiest day, her mother pointing towards the black piano waiting silently in the sitting room.
Not questioning her mother, she sat herself on the stool.
"Play."
Her little hands struggled throughout her piece, her cheeks losing color. The back of her neck felt clammy, her insides churned in fear.
"Stop." She did.
"Get up." On her two feet, facing down in front of her mother, she felt so small.
"Hands." Her thin hands quivered as she held them in front of her.
Her eyes shut themselves, Rukia bracing herself for the pain of a ruler making contact with flesh.
WHACK.
10 years later...
Beautiful, smooth hands played a grand piano with expertise Ludwig Van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Her back, straight and tall; one could see the education that had been implemented on the young girl. Her long bangs fell over her face, shielding her eyes, shielding them in their indigo mystery.
"Inappropriate choice of piece, Rukia." Mrs. Kuchiki critized her, finding fault in something. Long ago had her mother found fault in her playing, opting to criticizing her choices.
"I think its beautiful," she replied carefully.
"That better not be what you will play at your piano recital," her mother warned her.
"Mrs. Kuchiki," a voice rang from somewhere inside the two story house, taking her mother away. Rukia could finally breathe.
Rukia peeked through the small crack of the door, hoping that the occupant inside would be awake. "Hisana?" she whispered.
"Come on in." Hisana's voice, raspy from her being ill, still managed to sound coated in sweetness. "Your piano playing gets better and better everyday."
Rukia blushed at her sister's praise. "I will never be as good as you."
"Nonsense," Hisana spoke. "You have surpassed me."
"What is wrong?" Perceptive as always, Hisana could see Rukia was not happy by any means. Those indigo eyes spoke volumes.
"Mother wont let me play what I wish for the recital," Rukia answered sadly.
Hisana coughed momentarily, waving off Rukia's concern. Recalling her sister's previous statement, she chuckled. "Ludwig Van Beethoven is a bit too much for a girl your age, don't you think?"
Rukia's eyes turned to disbelief, questioning Hisana's comment. "Hisana, I'm seventeen."
"I know, I know," Hisana giggled. "But you are still the same little Rukia to me."
Rukia's eyes sparkled, her small lips turning into a smile. "Enough about piano. I heard the doctor tell mother that you will be walking soon."
"Shoot! I wanted it to be a secret."
"You can't keep a secret from me Hisana."
"Rukia!" Mother. The sisters meeting was cut short. Rukia, who had been sitting on Hisana's bed stood up immediately. Her hands smoothed the place where she had sat, clasping her hands in front of her once done.
"You are supposed to be downstairs." Her mother's footsteps echoed menacingly.
"I wanted to see Hisana."
"You could have done that later." Rukia nodded solemnly. "Go."
"Excuse me," Rukia bowed down, shutting the door quietly behind her.
Hisana shook her head disapprovingly at the exchange between her mother and her younger sister. "Mother, you are too strict with-"
Mrs. Kuchiki hushed her eldest daughter, running a hand on her daughter's forehead. "Hisana. Lets not start." Her mother moved across the room to the nightable beside her bed, her hand shaking a white tablet from an orange container.
"Besides, its not your place for you to tell me how to raise my daughter."
Hisana nodded, though she still could not understand. She did not disapprove of the way their mother had raised them, only their mother had been too cold. Very rare had she shown affection to both. Hisana could not deny that mother had shown more affection to her the most while Rukia stood by to watch, a beggar of affection, hoping to receive at least a morsel of it.
"I just think you are too cold with Rukia." Hisana muttered.
Mrs. Kuchiki avoided Hisana's statement, bringing to attention Hisana's medication. For now, Hisana let it go.