Prologue: Recurring Dreams
The dream always starts off the same. I am lying on my back, looking up at a clear blue sky. I feel no pain, although I know that I should. Instead I feel at peace knowing that I have left everything whole. I know that everyone that I care for and love will be safe and free from harm. I turn my head to the right and I see flames subsiding and my name being shouted. "Rukia", some unseen person shouts. I see a tall figure running up to me, but their features are clouded. I can feel myself smile up to this unknown person and feel their tears washing over my face. They gather me up in their arms and whisper in my ear, "I love you", and I smile up at this faceless person and tell them how sorry I am that this is how we will part and that I have always loved them. Then the lights fade away and everything becomes black.
Rukia wakes up with a start. She has had this dream now for many years, in fact she recalls it even from her childhood in the Rukongia District In the soul society. She looks around her small room, which happens to be a closet. She has been living in this closet now for several years now. The closet is in the bedroom of Ichigo Kurosaki, substitute soul reaper. Rukia gazes at Ichigo thinking how comfortable they have become with their odd relationship. In the early years he always saved and defended her, but as she slowly got her powers back and they became a team. Rukia smiles wistfully to herself knowing that no matter what Ichigo will always be her protector in black armor.
Ichigo opens his eyes and notices that Rukia is staring over at him again as she does every morning at this time. "Rukia what the hell are you looking at, it is 3am some of us are trying to sleep." Rukia glowers at him, "I know that some of us are trying to sleep asshole, maybe if you would not snore so much, I wouldn't have to wake up." Ichigo with a rather perturbed look on his face balks at this idea, "I may snore, but you talk in your sleep. Do you know how many nights I have heard you crying and have had to wake you up because you sounded so sad? Yet when you wake up in the morning, you don't remember…what do you dream of anyways Rukia…" Rukia stares at Ichigo with a look of shock on her face. She has no idea what he is talking about. Is there more to her dream than the part she always remembers? Rukia is quite for a moment; should she tell Ichigo about this dream or should she let it slide. She looks at Ichigo, though never meeting his eyes and whispers, "I don't remember." Ichigo looks at her with a look on his face that says I don't believe you, in a hurry to change the subject Rukia tells Ichigo, "We have to get up in 4 hours for school go to sleep, we don't want to be late." Ichigo looks at Rukia wanting to tell her that she is full of shit, but decides to let it drop for now. "Goodnight Rukia, pleasant dreams", says Ichigo and Rukia responds "goodnight Ichigo."