A/N: Hola, my lovlies! Sorry to keep you all waiting sooo long for this to happen. This is the prologue, therefore it is short, as always, but I have some veerry interesting things in store for the future chapters. Also, TO ANYONE WHO HAS NOT READ WHITE FIRE, YOU HAVE TO OR THIS STORY WILL NOT MAKE VERY MUCH SENSE, but do as you will. I hope you all like it, though! More ByaKari (Ohhh, yes. I used their couple name XD) fluff in this story and much more. Rated for Kandace's potty mouth, among other things that she will be deciding to do. I feel very sorry for whoever her teachers will be.

Anyhoo, I'm starting to ramble, so I'll just shut up now.

Hasta la Pasta!

-B

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Kandace and any other OC's I decide to fling into this story.

C( '_' )C

KANDACE IS PRETTY AND OTHER SIGNS THAT THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END

"I look ridiculous," I told my unrecognizable reflection as I tried to find some semblance of myself in the girl in the mirror. Well, it was true.

My midnight hair had been brushed, - brushed I tell you! - my face had been cleared of all dirt and dust that had become like a second nature to me, my clothes were clean and new and I even had a small amount of makeup on. The only thing that had stayed the same was the thin scar across my cheek, and that was only because there was no way to get rid of it. I looked pretty, and to me, that was ridiculous.

I was tempted to point and laugh at my odd reflection in the mirror, but I restrained myself. The servants of the Kuchiki manor were already on to the fact that I was, well, let's just say . . . a bit off.

"Somehow I find that hard to believe."

I did not turn around, but still smiled at the sound of Byakuya Kuchiki's soft voice. I idly wondered how long he had been standing in the doorway of my room watching me glower at my reflection. I hadn't been paying the slightest bit of attention.

"Yes, well, you would say that," I sighed.

I was absolutely livid with the Head Captain when he had cheerfully informed me that I would be needing to take a year of lessons at the Shinigami Academy alongside the other seventh-year students. Honestly, I didn't see what the problem was. I had been doing perfectly fine with Naien, and I tried to convince Yammamoto that I did not particularly need a zanpakuto to do whatever it was that he needed me doing. But, of course, being the bow-down-and-do-what-I-say type of person that he was, the Head Captain had briefly informed me that it was not my decision to make.

Byakuya walked over from my doorway so quietly that I was tempted to call him twinkle toes and sat down in front of the vanity, right next to me. We didn't speak for a few moments. Not that he was much of a talker anyway. And he seemed perfectly content to watch me silently, so I let him. I looked back at him, holding the moment as still as I could. Finally, he broke the silence.

"It is not for that long."

Though I'm sure it was meant to be reassuring, I didn't feel all that convinced.

"Uh, huh," I said, fighting the urge to snort. How unladylike would that be? "Of course, when you're born and raised on the streets, a week is a long time."

"One year," Byakuya assured me, "Starting tomorrow, and then you'll have eternity to . . . not go to school."

"Unless I die," I amended, watching his reaction in the mirror. He gave me a rare half-irritated look back through the reflection. I grinned. "Or they kick me out of the academy." I imagined what little it would take to get me kicked out. Nothing I wasn't capable of, that was for sure. Even if I was now an official adopted Kuchiki, I could figure out some way to make the instructors want to quit.

"I am fairly certain that you will do neither," Byakuya replied, giving me a pointed look. I smiled sheepishly.

"Don't get your hopes up," I muttered, fidgeting with my now pink fingernails. Pink definitely was not my color but, sadly, the maids refused to paint my nails bright green. Byakuya sighed quietly. We sat in silence for a moment, listening as the laughter from the main room echoed through the halls. Hisaki had invited Yachiru and Hanataro over for some new game an academy friend had taught him.

Last I had seen, they were holding hands and skipping around Hanataro while singing some rhyme and poking him in the back.

"Come on," Byakuya said suddenly, standing up and touching my shoulder lightly. "We'll join your brother and his friends in Kagome, Kagome."

I looked up at him with a skeptical expression, imagining the 'great, dignified lord Byakuya' skipping in circles around Hanataro with Hisaki and Yachiru, then grinned. Definitely worth it.

"You're going down."

C( '_' )C

A/N: Before any of you get the wrong impression on that whole "official adopted Kuchiki" sentence, no, Kandace and Byakuya are not married. I repeat, KANDACE AND BYAKUYA ARE NOT MARRIED. That won't happen until later, hehe . . . I'll never tell!

Also, yes, my divider is now a monkey. Don't judge. I love that monkey.

Anyhoo, be sure to Read&Review, as always!