A/N: Hey guys. I know, I know. Here I am, staring a new story, and I haven't even finished my other one. Don't worry. I promise to work on them both diligently. This isn't a continuation of Kiss the Sky, but more like a prequel. Actually, it is a prequel in every sense of the word. I think that the other story is a little confusing to some people, so I'm writing this in hopes of clearing things up. It's a good thing, too, because I have had this idea stuck in my head forever. Ideas in my head don't go away. They just tend to float around up there and make a mess. So…any who, here we go.
And--I'm sure this will shock you--I don't own Bleach. Damn. That makes me sad. But it probably makes the rest of you very happy.
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Prologue--
No one saw it coming. It was suddenly upon us in full force, engulfing all of our lives in a sea of frivolity, gaiety, and disporting grandiloquence. We were swept away in the affair of the season. For the next few months, it consumed our drab lives. The glitz and glamour of it all. Suddenly, it was one party after another; this shower and that shower. Something was always being celebrated. It is astounding that one marriage could cause so much celebration.
They were very couth about it; they did not thrust it in our faces. They did not make their happiness our misery. It was his family that made it so glamorous, such an event. It should not have shocked us; they were always a flamboyant group. It was always about them; run for cover if the spotlight ever shown on someone else.
It truly did shock us all. As far as we knew, they had never crossed paths before. He was everything any woman would love. Tall, gorgeous, dark and money out the ears. He was absolutely perfect. But, he was reserved; as far as we knew, he only had one close friend. He had a few acquaintances, perhaps, but one true friend. He was quiet, dedicated, and faithful to his job. He served his grandfather with disciplined obedience. He was haute couture, money, power, influence, nobility.
He was everything she was not.
She was quietly opinionated, diligent, and beautiful. He followed the rules; she bent hem. She made messes and he cleaned them up. She was friendly, he was reserved. They were opposites. She was intelligent, brainy, and obstinate. She was skittish, and she learned to live life without regrets. I sometimes wondered if he knew how to live at all. I think that they were good for each other, and they would have found each other. I'm not sure how long that would take, though. They both were rather dense back then.
"Excuse me?" I blinked. "What did you just say?"
I was sitting across from Hisana at a small cafe. My dear friend has requested to meet me earlier that morning. She said it was urgent. I do not know why she was surprised when I showed up fifteen minutes early, forehead wrinkled, and furiously pacing. I had attacked her, shaking her arm, demanding to know what was wrong. She gave me a weird look, and then let out a peal of laughter. Your sister had the most beautiful voice that I have ever heard, Rukia. It was darkly melodious. Every word, ever laugh hung in their air, haunting your memory. Everything about your sister was haunting, my dear girl. And please forgive the first of many, many tangents. Hisana demanded that we sit down, and order before she told me.
The news was not at all what I expected. You see, Rukia, your sister, as dear as she was to my heart, had a knack for misfortune. Just the week before, she had blown up the Thirteenth Division when she gave Captain Ukitake a package for Captain Urahara. She had not realized it was a prank when she handed it to the captain himself, and was caught in the cross fire. As she gave me her joyous news, her skin was a light purple from the color bomb.
"You heard me," she said in her deep voice.
"You're engaged!" I shrieked loudly. Heads turned, but I didn't care. We were in the middle of the Third Division courtyards, eating. She still worked for Captain Isshin Kurosaki as his lieutenant. She did not transfer to Kisuke Urahara's division for another few weeks. I truly believe that her engagement prompted Kurosaki's withdrawal from the Soul Society.
"Yupyup," she sipped her fruity drink. "To Byakuya Kuchiki." She held out her hand. I grabbed it, and pulled it forward. On her third finger rested a large diamond ring. It was square cut, set in a white old bad, and encased by two, slightly smaller diamonds. It was magnificent, Rukia, and I knew it was a fortune. You see, Rukia, engagement rings were all the rage during that time. They had recently been introduced to the Seireitei from the world of the living. It was the must have of the season for anyone, married or engaged. Your brother always followed fashion to the letter.
"Oh…my…gawd…" I fumbled out. I could not help myself. It was a hunk of rock sitting on her finger, glittering in the sunlight in a tantalizing way. I could not help but be enraptured by the sight of it. It was truly awe-inspiring. "How?…When…? Why?" I shrieked.
Hisana quirked her eyebrows. "What kind of question is that?" she asked me.
"Hisana, I am one of your best friends, and I had no idea that you were dating Lieutenant Kuchiki. I didn't even know that you knew him. To the rest of the world, this will be out of the blue. Just like it is to me, and, again here, I am your best friend."
"What do you mean, I didn't know him? Sweet pea, we work together. My captain and his captain correspond daily. We've met." She let out a quiet giggle. Taking her cup in her both of her heads, she lifted it up. She did not drink from it, however, but chose to stare off into space. A soft, dreamy expression drifted on to her face, and I felt nauseous. Even I had my limits. She was so obviously in love with your brother than it permeated all of her thoughts and features.
"You're such a sap," I laughed. I picked up my chopsticks and threw them at her. She flinched when they hit her. She let out a peal of irked laughter.
"Hey!" she squealed as she stabbed her edimame. "That was unnecessary,"
"I don't know," I shrugged. "You seemed to be lost in translation for a moment."
"I was not!" she cried indignantly. She pouted her round, mauve lips, and scowled at me with her dull, doe-like eyes. I feel that I should tell you that your sister was not an outstanding beauty. Her face was round at the top, and pointy at the bottom. Her eyes were large, and too far apart to be considered classic. Her nose was too little for the rest of her face, and her lips were large, but very round, and almost squished together. "I was just reminiscing."
I snorted. "I'm sure that's what it was. So," I leaned forward slightly. I smiled as I demanded, "Spill,"
Your sister blinked. "No, thank you," she said. Her grip on her cup tightened. "I would rather finish drinking it,"
"I meant, tell me how it happened."
"Oh," she let out the most beautiful smile that I had ever seen. I always wanted to know how your sister managed to get her teeth so white. "He was walking me home last night after the lieutenants meeting last night. He said that he didn't want anything to happen to me." She flushed at the memory. It was adorable how smitten she seemed to be with him. I could not believe that I had missed it somehow. I am normally a fairly intuitive person, and for me to miss such a drastic change in my dear friend was absurd.
She shook her head, clearing it of the foggy memory. "We got to my door, and he gave me a light kiss." Here she bit her lip, as if she were tasting the memory. "Then he told me that I had brought such a change to his life, that he loved me, and that he wanted me to be by his side forever. He slipped the ring on my finger and while I was busy staring at it confoundedly, he asked me to marry him."
"Bit presumptuous of him to put it on you before he asked, wouldn't you agree?" I mused. Your sister was an opinionated thing. It was never good to make assumptions around your sister; she would change her entire philosophy on life just to prove you wrong. It was both endearing and aggravating.
"Really?" she chimed, "I thought it was rather sweet. I guess it was like his way of saying that he knows me really well." She gave me her most beautiful smile. Again, I say, your sister had the most beautiful smile. She positively glowed, Rukia. I had never seen her so happy, and her happiness warmed my heart. I let her joy wash away all of my fears and doubts. I trusted her; I trusted him. I thought it was a Cinderella story.
I am so sorry, Rukia. Maybe…just maybe…if I had listened to the little nagging voice in my ear, none of it would have happened. Who knows? Your sister still might be alive because of me.
All I know is that when it came, no one expected a thing. The engagement of Byakuya Kuchiki and Hisana Reiko shocked the entire world for months to come.
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A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed it. I had fun writing it, which is good. So I hope you guys review it. I love hearing what you all think. Anything: raves or flames. It all helps me grow as a writer. Don't worry. It is all told from Nanao's POV, but she isn't a major character in the story. Shocking, I know. But it will work. I promise.
