MORE THAN WHAT MEETS THE EYE
"Prologue"
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and any of the characters. Some of the characters in this fanfiction are created for the purpose of creating a deeper plot. There may be some violent scenarios during the entire story. There is no yaoi, shounen-ai, or yuri in this story. Keep and open mind and read at your own risk.
The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live
- Elbert Howard -
The moon was shining brightly during the night similar to a spot light in a theater. It was round and bright; almost like a small sun during the dark of the night. The cherry blossoms fell from the tree as if they were dancing in the wind. Their movement was so random, so unique, so ethereal against the moon's luminous smile. They appear like tiny star dusts falling from the sky. It makes everything so unreal…
…so heavenly
Heaven? Where indeed was heaven?
She lived her entire 150 years in the place where some people may refer to as heaven. Where time seems to slow down… Where immortality through an eternity of youth is present… Where power is within your reach… Where death is the option that you bring…
Where indeed was heaven?
Maybe it was this place—this place where everything seems to fall into place. Where there is night and there is day. Where there is rain and there is shine. Where people go to work during the time that the sun was up and go to their families during the night. It's ironic to think that someone like her would think that the place most people refer to as hell is synonymous to the term heaven.
Indeed, a century and a half in the soul society makes her appreciate the human world more than anyone alive does. This privilege that Urahara Kisuke gave her as a token of his apology was very helpful in her reflective moments. After the Aizen incident and the faux body, he gave her a pass through the western gate in order for her to easily move from one dimension to another. According to him…
"Here…a token of my apology to you." Urahara Kisuke handed over to Rukia a necklace.
"Huh? What do I do with this?" Rukia speculated looking at the foreign object as if it was some kind of evil thing.
"That my dear is something that would connect you easily to this world from that other world you belong to." Urahara Kisuke replied pointing at the small red gem at the pendant.
"Oh…you make it sound as if I belong from some alien area." Rukia's eyes squinted.
"Well, it is somewhat alien. Thinking of all the people there, yeah, I guess it's safe to assume that kind of logic." He laughed while holding his hat to prevent it from flying away.
Rukia smiled, "heh, yeah, I can agree with that too…"
Kisuke took the necklace and inspected it for a while. He swung it around and rotated it around his hand until only the pendant remained loose. He knelt down and showed Rukia the pendant.
"This gem is powerful. I recently invented this gem for the purpose of traveling from one dimension to another. I realized that you have indeed spent a lot more time here in the human world more than you thought was apt."
Oh yeah, she knew that quite well…
"You've gained so much more…um…acquaintances here than you could imagine. That's why I want to share this with you."
Rukia's eyes widened even a fraction. She inwardly thanked her rigorous nobility training.
"I know that place you come from is hard." Kisuke paused while adding to himself…and so is the Kuchiki Household. He continued, "That's why, if ever you want to go somewhere, just to ease up your mind, to relax and embrace the feeling of being even the slightest bit human…just use this."
To Rukia's mind…it was a great gift.
It was an escape…
It was a refuge…
She took the necklace slowly and gazed at the red gem that appeared to her as the flame of peace. The fire of hope… She looked up to Urahara Kisuke and for once genuinely smiled at him…
"Thank you."
Some people just don't realize how fortunate they are that they are alive -- that they are with their families—that they could actually enjoy a life where the thrill of living is there.
The thrill of living
Family…
Her lips slightly curved up as a smile begins to form. She was not really the emotional type, nor was she the type that actually wanted to dwell on such frivolous things. And yet, sometimes, even the tough ones get soft. Sometimes, they want to take the well deserved break from being such a strong persona into becoming quite the opposite.
She extended her hand out and waited for one petal to rest on her palm. She watched it land gracefully and appear as if it belongs on her hand. She stared at it for a few seconds before her smile slowly disappeared. Her brows creased and she felt herself quiver. There was only one memory that flashed into her mind whenever she saw a cherry blossom tree. To be specific, there was only one person who flashed into her mind whenever she saw a cherry blossom tree.
Kuchiki Byakuya
Even though she did not tell it to anyone, she did feel a bit ostracized in the Kuchiki Household. She already told everyone in the Gotei 13 that she felt at home and everything in the household improved. But truth be told, everything was relatively the same. Except that sometimes her brother would spare her a glace or two. Before, their relationship has been very platonic and to say the least cold. She seldom saw him at home, and when she does, he simply sits down to eat and then goes to the dojo to meditate. He rarely talks to her. If he does his only purpose is to scold her by reminding her of the rules of the house, to point out her ridiculous mistakes, and to reiterate that she should be thankful that she's in the Kuchiki family. It did nothing to help her or to make her feel as if she really was in a family. Not to mention everyone in the Kuchiki clan seems to have the habit of repeating her brother's messages to her.
"That's great Rukia, you finally now have a family!"
Renji's words just keep on echoing to her everytime she reflects on her family, or rather on her household. That household was never home for her. She felt as if the headquarters was even more of a home than that. She felt at home buried under her papers. She felt at home whenever her groupmates teased her and made her eat cucumbers and eggs thrice a day, and most of all, she felt even more at home staying in that measly cabinet in Ichigo's home.
The wind suddenly blew. Her white kimono embraced her slender figure. She relaxed her back on the trunk of the tree that she was resting on. There was no disturbance. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she decided to take her well deserved rest. There was nothing except her and the cherry blossom petals that fell over her, teasing her to dance, singing her soft hymns by the tune of the breeze…there was no one, except her.
Peace
He looked at her from afar. He had known this activity of hers for quite some time. He knew she went out to the human world at times just to take a break. True enough it was against the rules, but he never knew that whenever it came to her, he could easily break them, whether he liked it or not. He did not like breaking the rules either. He never did.
He did not like the idea that he always followed her whenever she left home in the middle of the night to sneak out and rest in the human world. He did not like the idea that he always hid in the shadows to simply watch over her as she rested in this same cherry blossom tree every night.
And most of all…
He did not like the idea that was crawling in his mind not to mention seems to grasp into his heart that Rukia…
Was not happy…
TBC