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

Setting: AU, in other words, there are no shinigami or Hollows, just slightly different from normal people who lead slightly different from average lives. Actually, wait . . . if you count games played by a trio of self-proclaimed 'shinigami' fighting with rulers, then yes, there are 'Hollows' and 'katanas'.

Note: The story will mainly be told from Kuchiki Rukia's perspective, although it's not in first person, however some chapters might told by Kurosaki Ichigo, or even Ukitake Jushiro. We'll see . . .

Red Ribbon ties Me to You

Prologue: Beginnings of a Story

She was in a perfect white room, the pale colour only replaced occasionally by a faded, icy blue. The air was fresh and crisp, and it smelled faintly of clean snow. Looking around, she couldn't work out why she should be in such a lovely and tranquil place. Indigo eyes scanned her surroundings, but apart from the fact that nothing was adding up, all she could see was tasteful furniture, and simple but fine decorations.

'Kuchiki Rukia,'

The sudden sound made the petite teenager turn around, lightly confused eyes falling on a beautiful looking young woman with a kind, but strangely sorrowful, smile on her perfect lips. Soft lavender hair fell in smooth straight lines beside her pale face, and dark blue eyes surveyed Rukia carefully. As the graceful woman walked forwards, the fabric of her kimono making little noise, despite the serene quiet, the teenager couldn't help but feel a little worried that she mightn't be wearing something appropriate. But then, looking down at herself, she realised she was wearing a traditional kimono too, and a blood red ribbon wrapped around her fingers and up her right arm.

'Who are you? And where is this?' Rukia wondered how she'd gotten there without realising it. She couldn't remember why she would be in such a place at all, or why she'd be wearing such an outfit.

'I'm . . . someone you can talk to,' strangely enough, despite the woman's words, she didn't seem to be like a psychiatrist. There was nothing clinical about the way she spoke, or the soft look in her eyes . . . it seemed like she really did care.

Rukia found herself laughing lightly, 'That's good then, I need someone to talk to,'

It was true, there were so many thoughts in her head that she somehow knew would only settle if she spoke them aloud, shared them with someone else apart from herself.

'Speak you mind,' the woman settled down on the chair opposite Rukia, folding her hands neatly before her, and gazing tranquilly at the black haired teenager, 'Do not withhold anything, no matter how sad, or angry the feelings you have might be. You can only move on once these thoughts have been dealt with,'

Indigo eyes sparkling with a mixture of hidden tears and more laughter, Rukia straightened, 'Did you know . . . love is such a strange thing. It holds the unwary the closest, and plays with people's thoughts. Fate, also, is a mischievous thing. I do not think I would have such experiences if it weren't for those two things,' she sighed slightly, still in an amused way, 'So . . .' she raised a pale hand and touched her head lightly, 'What would you do if the person who'd become your world, was taken away from you forever, and the person you thought hated you with everything he had, loved you more than anything else? But what if that was all wrong anyway? And you'd been living in a dream ever since you were separated from reality?'

The woman's delicate brow creased slightly, 'You must have experience with such things,'

'That's right. I can recall more now, things are straightening out. Please . . . if you'll listen, I'll tell you my story. About how I lost something, found something else, and then . . .' Rukia's eyes glazed over slightly, and a faint pain shot through her head, 'And then . . . how I lost,' her voice was breaking, 'Lost-,'

'Just start from the beginning,' taking the teenager's attention from what she was clearly unable to say without causing herself tragic pain, the lavender haired woman smiled softly and reached out to touch Rukia's forehead lightly, 'The words will come when they are meant to,'

'Okay,' closing her eyes again, Rukia took a deep breath, 'I'll start from the beginning . . . with my own introduction,'

I am Kuchiki Rukia, a seventeen year old girl living in Karakura Town, Japan. For the last six years, I have resided in the Kuchiki Mansion, an archetypal series of buildings on the Kuchiki Estate, a vast property near the southern edges of the town. I live in the second main house with Ukitake Jushiro, the man who is generally in charge of me, although occasionally I return to the main house to visit my deceased sister, Hisana's, husband Kuchiki Byakuya, who is primarily responsible for my care.

Originally, when I was very young, I lived in an orphanage in Tokyo. The only person I really knew there was Abarai Renji, and we were good friends. Eventually, after a few years, we were both sent to a boarding school, where we were separated into different grades due to the fact that Renji was, is, older than me. During my time there, I was approached by Kuchiki Byakuya, and adopted into his family, although at the time I didn't know it was because my sister had asked him to find me, while on her death bed, as she'd been the one to leave me at the orphanage so many years before. Renji urged me to go, and I did, but it would be a long time before I was able to get in contact with him again.

Anyway, when I moved to Karakura, and first set foot inside the Estate, I was nervous and wary of everything. I met Ukitake on that first day, and he was so kind that I can remember relaxing just a bit. Then he introduced me to his ward, Shiba Kaien, a boy just a few years older than me, whose family had been killed in a house fire some years earlier. He said we were to be privately tutored together, as he was unable to do so himself because of his ill health.

Kaien was such an easy person to get to know, and half the time he was more help than some of the tutors that came over. He was also very positive, although suitably critical, when it came to my artwork, and he'd always sit still long enough for me to paint him the way I wanted, only to change poses halfway through. That was always a problem, but it didn't stop me making up pictures that would take life under the soft bristles of my brush.

I was always so happy and ready to accompany him on whatever crazy scheme he'd thought up. Whether it was to chase my Nii-sama, Byakuya's koi, or just skip tutoring and run off into the grounds to the places where no one could find us, and have picnics.

Apart from school and fun, we also helped to care for Ukitake when he got sick, which was often, and he'd always thank us both with real sincerity, saying that together we made a great team.

Consequently, when I was fifteen and a half, and Kaien had finished his studies, he was going to leave for a while in order to continue his schooling. Going to the airport with Ukitake was one of the hardest things I've ever done, and I think I even cried a bit. He was going away for quite a long time, after all, but he said he'd return for holidays.

After that, well, I can't remember that time properly, but the next thing I knew, I was seventeen and being sent to the local high school. Karakura High School, to be exact.

And, as you might have guessed, that's where this tale really begins . . . with a teenage girl waiting for her childhood friend to return, and trying to recall the year and a half that, for her, is filled only with a painful, empty blackness . . .

Author's Note:

This story, along with Blade of Rain, rests in uncertainty. I'm not sure which one I should focus on writing, so if you'd let me know what you think, then I might be able to concentrate better.

Also, updating might be really slow, as I haven't really started either story apart for the prologues. And either one might be dropped if I don't have suitable inspiration to continue, or if I think the plot has gone completely wrong . . .

So I'm sorry if one of them gets halfway finished and then is discontinued, although I doubt Red Ribbon ties Me to You will be . . . just a thought.

Anyhow, thank you for reading, and I hope you'll continue to do so