Title: Excluded
Characters: Rukia, Byakuya, mentions of Renji
Warnings: none
Sakura petals danced across the blue sky, as graceful and beautiful as any ballerinas. Within a moment the wind gave a deep sigh, and just like ballerinas, the petals took a bow. In the center of the stage, completely out of place with such magnificent performance was a girl, struggling with all her might to fit in. Her name was Rukia- the poor girl from the worst district of Rukongai.
She didn't have those accentuating features that the other girls had and she didn't dress her hair with ribbons or golden combs. Rukia was short and skinny with hardly any curves. Her lips were thin, her eyelids heavy and her skin somewhat pale. She didn't smile and giggle as often, instead there was always a straight line on her lips. Other people simply dismissed her as weird for acting and talking like such a boy.
"Why can't I get this right!" she shouted, flushed and sweaty. She had risen bright and early this Sunday to practice kidou spells, but already it was past noon and she still hadn't progressed as much as she had hoped.
Back in Roukongai, she had believed she was the best in regards to spiritual energy- after all who was there to compare with, but Renji? Yet when she practiced and studied spells for hours at a time, Rukia was simply mediocre. Despite all her hard work, her efforts were simply frugal. Everyone in the academy was just so advanced- having hired private tutors and growing up with books- that she would always be so drastically behind.
Rukia dropped onto the soft green grass, tightly shutting her eyes in an attempt to hide her tears of frustration.
All of Soul Society's best was gathered within these walls- sons and daughters of rich merchants and nobleman who could afford the best of tutors and books. Indeed many of the incoming students already know how to perfect mold their spiritual energy for extended periods of time, how to recite kidou spells, or how to wield a sword. Frankly, everything that she and Renji learned in Rounkongai was all a joke! These students had proper training and environment for harvesting and growing spiritual energy, unlike her who thought that spiritual energy was nothing but a cool game to beat Renji at.
Perhaps what bothered her was that she felt alone.
It was absurd to think, since there were hundreds of students currently enrolled, but she had never felt so lonely. Renji had been enrolled into the more advanced classes, and constantly went on field trips and study sessions with his new friends. She would never admit to Renji that she missed his company- she would never forgive herself if she held Renji back from a seated position within the Gotei-13.
There were other people she could talk to, but she had never learned how to socialized, if that could even be taught.
Eventually she fell into an uneasy sleep, awaking just as it was becoming dark. Cursing herself, she jumped to her feet, running to her dorm on the far end of the campus. Rukia sprinted past sakura trees, her mind already making plans to wake early in the morning to continue her kidou practice. In her haste, she didn't notice the person that shinpo in front of her.
Unable to stop, Rukia crashed onto the stranger. Because of her petite body, she fell backwards, abruptly landing on the ground.
"Sorry," she muttered quickly. "I should have paid—"
Her speech faded her, as she stared at the stranger standing unfazed in front of her. He was tall and handsome, dressed in elegant robes that signaled a higher birth, a noble.
"I humbly apologize to one of a greater rank and superiority than myself—"
"Please rise," the stranger interrupted, his voice echoed with the firmness that was to be expected.
She raised her head, looking nervously up at him. She waited a scowling, perhaps a report to one of her instructors for being so careless, however she was met with shock when the stranger gently lifted her chin as though to better observe her. His gray eyes gazed directly within her own violet eyes, bringing about a strange sort of nostalgia over his features.
For a moment, his hard gray eyes softened and he seemed like a complete different person- not the intimidating noble that he projected himself to be, rather a different person... someone who was young and in love.
"What is your name?" he whispered, his eyes still staring directly at hers.
"R-Rukia," she stuttered.
Disappointment settled over her face, briefly Rukia considered apologizing to him, but the noble turned his head, closing his eyes. "I found you at last Rukia."
He shunpoed in a flash, leaving Rukia utterly speechless.
It wasn't until a few days later that the noble returned again with a bewildering proposition.
She will be his sister, and he will be her brother.
Initial Rukia was skeptical to the idea, but the noble's entourage promised that she would be well provided for- she would have the best of everything and never experience the pains of poverty again.
"Will I fit into this new family?" she asked finally voicing out her skeptical thoughts, but somehow she already knew the answer to her question.
The entourage paused.
"Of course you will," he lied.