The snow had already begun accumulating and the ground was now completely covered underneath a veil of white. Although it was a beautiful sight, there was still much to be done. It would be impossible for him to be satisfied until the entire mountain had frozen over. Not a single tree would go unvarnished with snow and not a single blade of grass would be visible once he had completed his task. He was the Ice Dragon, after all, and it was his fundamental duty as the winter deity to see to it that climate bend to his will each and every December.
Toshiro gazed out the large window pane of his bedroom, cerulean eyes sweeping across the frosty forest beyond his mansion. Altering the weather often required a great deal of spiritual energy and his stamina was beginning to run low. Nevertheless, the stubborn male was determined to keep advancing with this actions. With one quick pull, he lifted the large window above his head, greeting the chilly breeze as it drifted into the warmth of his room. Over the past century, Toshiro had grown a strong liking to residing in his human form. It was smaller than his reptilian body and it allowed him to conceal his true identity to any lost souls who accidentally stumbled into his forest domain. Fortunately, his human body was completely numb to the cold and that suited him just fine. As the Ice Dragon, he couldn't allow such trivial things like goosebumps and chills to hinder his responsibilities.
Drops of snow landed in his white hair as he leaned his head further outside. He closed his eyes before inhaling a breath of cold air, focusing all of his attention on altering the atmospheric pressure of the region. He could feel his mystical essence pulsing within his soul as his powers began to flow from his body and disseminate into the air around him. Toshiro remained still for a few moments, concentrating on his steady breathing as the temperature began to rapidly drop all around him. The snow began to fall harder and harder until it began descending at brisk, stable pace. Toshiro opened his eyes to admire the beauty of his work, smirking triumphantly at his execution before closing the window once again. Soon Karakura Town would be enshrouded in nothing but snow, just the way he liked it.
The shorter male braced his shoulder up against a nearby wall as a sharp pain erupted inside his head. His heart began racing which made it difficult for him to stand and the darkening of his vision only furthered the hindering of his balance. The whole room looked like it was spinning but it was just one of the many symptoms that he encountered whenever he used his Ice Dragon powers. It would soon pass like it always did but Toshiro would just have to rest for the remainder of the day if he wanted to maintain his health.
"My, my, my, a little hasty this year, aren't we?" rang out a smooth voice from the doorway of his chambers.
"Ukitake-san, how many times have I told you to not interrupt me while I perform my ethereal duties?" Toshiro retorted as he trying to regain his posture, aiming his attention towards the slender male intruding into his room. Jushiro Ukitake was the head servant of the Ice Dragon's estate and had dedicated his services to Toshiro for many years. He was a good bit taller than Toshiro and had milky white hair that mirrored the color his own. The black vest and matching pants was the custom uniform for the Ice Dragon's servants and although Toshiro had informed his servants that he couldn't have cared less what they wore in his presence, Ukitake had insisted that all the maids and butlers needed wear the proper attire to symbolize their allegiance to him.
The taller male simply smiled in response at his master's rebuttal as he pushed a rolling cart into the bedroom. "I just thought you might enjoy a nice cup of tea after using your powers." Despite the fact that he was just a mere servant to the Ice Dragon, Ukitake tended to worry about his lord's health more so than the other servants of the estate. Controlling the weather always took a great deal of strength and Toshiro was always left mentally and physically exhausted after accomplishing his goals.
Although Toshiro was irritated at his servant for not even bothering to knock, his pounding headache urged him to accept the tea and save any arguments for later. He slowly and carefully took a seat on a nearby sofa before his legs decided to give out on him. He had been in charge of controlling the winter season for hundreds of years but the dexterity he once had was slowly dwindling away. In the past, all he had to do was snap his fingers and the lakes would harden and freeze within seconds. Nowadays it seemed to drain every ounce of his vitality each time he made the degrees drop by a single digit.
Ukitake quickly poured Toshiro a cup of herbal tea before offering it to him. Toshiro was looking paler than usual; his skin was practically turning as white as his hair. Not even a powerful deity like Toshiro Hitsugaya was immune to physical tension. "It's not like you to stir up a heavy snowfall so early in the winter. Is there something troubling you, my lord?" the butler asked as he looked down at his master.
Toshiro blew a sigh from his lips as he brought the rim of the teacup to his lips, lightly sipping on the restorative brew. Ukitake had bestowed upon himself the role of the Ice Dragon's caretaker and was always poking his nose into his business. "Nothing is troubling me," Toshiro answered as he rested his head against the back of the sofa, "I just simply wanted to bring the cold weather to the mountain early this year so I wouldn't have to worry about it later."
The butler's smile widened ever so lightly at Toshiro's words as he continued to probe his master's thoughts. "Oh, is that so? Thank you for clearing that up for me, my lord. You see, I was worried that maybe the real reason you were making it snow heavily was so you could stop the Ice Dragon Winter Festival from happening this weekend. If too much snow piles up than the townspeople of Karakura Town couldn't possibly throw a party in your honor."
The light twitching of his hand as he held his tea cup indicated that Ukitake's assumption had been spot-on as usual.
"It's a shame that the people of Karakura Town don't realize just how much their guardian spirit hatesparties and festivals," Ukitake continued as he proceeded to pour Toshiro another glass. "After all, the truth of the matter is that the Ice Dragon has a strong dislike towards the residents of Karakura Town and he would love nothing more than to spoil all of their fun. But only I, a humble servant, knows the truth about the Ice Dragon's childishness and how he's just disappointed he can't physically attend his own honorary ceremony—"
"ENOUGH!" Toshiro barked as he shot his butler a cold glare with eyes as cold as icicles. How was it that Ukitake could always read his mind? None of the other servants ever dared to speak against their master but Ukitake bore no fear towards the Ice Dragon. Ukitake seemed to think of Toshiro as more of a younger sibling than a god. Toshiro would never admit it but he was grateful to have someone who treated him as if he were just a simple, ordinary soul rather than an almighty beast. No one else understood Toshiro like Ukitake did but it was quite bothersome to have someone always nagging at him for the most trivial of things.
"Forgive me, my lord. I spoke out of place," Ukitake replied as he bowed his head in apology. He always loved the annoyed expressions Toshiro would supply him with whenever he analyzed his master's true thoughts or actions. Toshiro was such a stubborn individual and always had a hard time conveying his true self and yet that only served to make him appear more human.
Toshiro finished off his tea before he rubbed his sensitive temples. "I have no desire to mingle with any mere humans. They do nothing but corrupt the world with their greed and selfishness. At least nowadays they aren't as atrocious as they once were. They used to kill and torture their own, claiming it to be a divine ritual in my name. Just what kind of monster do they take me for?"
All he wanted was for the humans to leave him alone. He didn't care about offerings, prayers, or sacrifices. Peace and solitude was all he required of the humans but they continued to spread false stories about him and his wondrous powers of destruction. Truthfully, he didn't give a damn about the humans. They could all freeze to death, for all he cared, but it would simply be too much trouble to submerge their little town in snow. He'd rather they just stop believing in him and go about their business. No more festivals, no more sacrifices, no more celebration, no more interaction.
He just wanted to be left alone.
For all eternity.
The Ice Dragon Winter Festival was still a few days away and already the Kuchiki Inn was bustling with customers. It wasn't unexpected, considering the fact that travelers flocked from all over the country to stay at their ostentatious resort so that they could bask in the beauty of the serene mountains. By the time Rukia had made it to the inn after school, one of the maids had already begun ushering her into one of the staff rooms so she could change into her uniform.
"Rukia-chan! We really need your help assisting the patrons at the dining area! Please be prepared to take their orders and pour them drinks in a timely manner!" the maid had instructed Rukia to do as she took her to leave so Rukia could change clothes in peace.
Rukia was used to helping out around the inn by doing various tasks. Although she was in line to be the next co-head of the Kuchiki Inn, many of the staff members treated her as if she was simply another regular employee. Not that she minded, of course. It always made her uncomfortable when people referred to her as "Kuchiki-sama" or "Rukia-dono" so it never particularly bothered her when the other employees commanded her to do menial tasks. They were all workers there with a common goal: to make the inn run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
A yukata the color of a clear, blue sky lay folded on a table nearby as Rukia wasted no time in stripping off her school uniform. It was custom for all the maids to wear vibrantly colored yukata's with lovely floral prints to help add to the elegant atmosphere of the inn. Although it wasn't in her particular tastes, she pulled back her short, black hair and adorned her ponytail with a flower hairpin. A purple obiwrapped around her waist was the perfect, final touch to her fancy ensemble. Satisfied with her appearance, Rukia stepped out of the room and made her way towards the dining hall.
The inn had a traditional Japanese ambiance to it as paintings of sakura blossoms decorated the interior and fancy lanterns provided a soft, warm lighting to promote relaxation. In the dining hall, guests were seated on cushions at various tables and it was clear by the impatient expressions on their faces that the inn's staff was rather shorthanded this evening. No wonder the maid had been very urgent with her; the place was packed! Rukia instantly got to work and began taking customer's orders while serving them glasses of tea and sake. She would have never considered herself much of a "people person" due to her quiet and reserved nature but she had a natural born talent for putting on a very convincing act of friendliness towards customers. She took pride in her skills of an actress since she was quite the expert at putting on a believable façade. All of the customers fell for her charming and sweet smile to the point that they were even able to forgive the fact that they had been forced to wait a great deal of time for service.
It was incredible at how quickly time flowed whenever she was hard at work. Many hours had passed and her entire evening had been spent catering to the hungry guests but luckily the resort's dining hallwould be closing soon for the evening. Although it was late, she would probably be able to squeeze in an hour or two of studying before she went to bed. Many of the guests had already retreated back to their rooms for the evening to either prepare for bedtime or to relax in one of the hot springs the inn offered. Only one customer remained in the dining hall as he gradually sipped at his cup of warm sake, aloof to the maids cleaning up around him.
Even though she inwardly wished he would hurry up and leave so that she could start closing up the dining hall, Rukia approached the young man with a friendly smile. "Excuse me, sir, would you like another refill of your drink?" Her voice was so sugary sweet that even she would have been fooled by her own charismatic disguise.
The young man looked up at her and returned her smile with a wide, goofy grin of his own. "Ah, another cup of sake would be wonderful! Thank you, miss," he answered as he tipped his green and white striped hat in her direction. He looked to be in his late twenties and his blonde hair gave rise to the suspicion that he was probably a foreigner. There was something peculiar about the man, almost as if he was completely out of place as he sat slouched over the table. His unshaven stubble on his chin and raggedy clothes gave her the impression that he wasn't exactly from the upper-class. Rukia had never seen the young man at the inn before but she couldn't shake off the feeling that she had seen his face somewhere else before.
Eager to have him leave, the hardworking girl went to fetch some more sake for him from the kitchen in hopes that he would be satiated after one last drink. When she returned, she was shocked to see her older brother sitting at the same table with the mysterious customer, exchanging light conversation as if they knew each other. With a pitcher of sake in her hand, Rukia timidly approached the two conversing males.
"Onii-sama?" Rukia uttered out in a soft voice when she was within earshot of the two.
"Ah, Rukia. I have been searching everywhere for you. There is someone here who wants to discuss some very important matters with you," a young man with hair the color of the midnight sky said as he heard Rukia's approaching footsteps. Byakuya, Rukia's older brother, always presented himself in a courtly manner and always spoke in a formal tone. There wasn't a wrinkle in sight on his traditional, black yukata and his long hair was combed back neatly out of his face. He was everything Rukia wanted to be: elegant, polite, confident, and sophisticated.
"No need to rush into the topic so quickly, Byakuya, my friend! I still haven't finished my drink," the personable young man said as he raised his empty cup. He sent a quick wink in Rukia's direction which made her suddenly grow uncomfortable underneath his gaze as she filled his drink with another round of sake.
"What is it, onii-sama?" the violet eyed girl asked as she situated herself on the soft cushion beside Byakuya. A strange tingling of uneasiness began stirring in the pits of her stomach. Who was this strange customer and why did he want to talk to her?
Was this another discussion…about an arranged marriage?!
In the past year, the subject of a possible arranged marriage for Rukia had come up several times. Byakuya had informed Rukia that it would be beneficial to the Kuchiki family if she married a young, wealthy businessman to help flourish the Kuchiki Inn. The thought of being forced to marry someonejust for the sake of the family business had never sat well with her but when she had attempted to dismiss the idea, her brother had been quick to anger at her words. According to Byakuya, Rukia had no idea what was best for her and that she should place the prosperity of her family's name above her own selfish needs. He had made it seem like her marrying a prosperous and reputable man would be the key to embellishing their family's business.
Normally Rukia wouldn't dare go against her brother's wishes. After all, they were the only ones left in the Kuchiki family and her brother was the most important person to her. Byakuya wouldn't do anything to purposefully hurt her but to marry off his sister to some rich stranger for such pragmatic reasons seemed so unfair and heartless.
"This is Kisuke Urahara," Byakuya said as he introduced the young man, "and he has something important to discuss with you."
All of the hairs on the back of Rukia's neck began to stand as her nerves fell into a frenzy. This certainly was about a marriage proposal, wasn't it?! This man was probably from a noble family and he wanted to ask for her hand in marriage! No, no, no! This couldn't possibly be happening right now!Sure, this guy was kind of attractive in his own way, per se, but there was something about him that just didn't seem right. Was it the way his lips pulled back into a silly grin? Or maybe it was the way he kept looking at her as if she was an interesting specimen? Either way, he was absolutely not the kind of guy she wanted to marry.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rukia. I've been wanting to meet you for a long time now," the man calledUrahara said in a sprightly manner as he tilted his chin up to get a better look at her. A dry lump formed in the back of Rukia's throat as she struggled to find the proper words to say.
This was too sudden! Why didn't Byakuya talk to her about it first instead of springing it up on her out of the blue? He could have still been angry over the previous time he had attempted to bring up the subject of an arranged marriage. He knew she didn't like the idea of being forced to marry someone but she was still just so young! She hadn't even graduated high school yet and she never had much of an interest in boys. How could he possibly expect her to just give her hand in marriage to some weird stranger and make her promise to love him until the day she died?
This was definitely not good. Although she respected her brother and didn't want him to think that she didn't value his judgement, there were just some decisions Rukia needed to make on her own. She couldn't marry this man and she wasn't about to let Byakuya make every important life decision for her.
"Onii-sama," Rukia stated as she set the pitcher of sake down on the table. She absolutely refused to allow the two men to decide her fate for her without even caring about her feelings on the matter. "I appreciate you trying to arrange a marriage for me with a suitable gentleman but I'm afraid I must decline."
Shocked by her sudden outburst, Byakuya stared at her out of the corner of his eye. "Rukia—"
She wasn't about to allow him to finish. "I know you're only looking out for my best interest but please know that I am just not ready to get married to anyone. Yes, Urahara-san is handsome and I am sure he is very kind. I don't doubt that he would treat me with respect but I just have no interest in marrying someone just for the sake of family business!" She placed both hands firmly on the table to emphasize her passionate feelings before she leapt up out of her seat and onto her feet.
Byakuya tried to urge her to sit back down but he never lost his composure. "Rukia, please listen—"
"No, onii-sama! I will not listen!" the raven haired girl cried out as her hands began to ball up into fistsat her sides. "You are the most important person to me and I treasure you dearly! Even so, I just cannotmarry a stranger! If I do marry some one, I want it to be because I love them with all my heart! Money, power, tradition…all of it means nothing if there is no love between a couple!" She was no longer able to stop the words from flowing out of her mouth. All of the built up stress over having to worry about an arranged marriage was finally bringing Rukia past her breaking point. There was no holding back anymore! She needed to make her brother understand her feelings! It was now or never!
The look of confusion upon Urahara's face was priceless as he stared up at the fiery young woman before him. "M-marriage?" he asked inquisitively as he slid his attention back over to the stoic male sitting across from him. "Byakuya, what is she talking about? Does she think I'm here to propose to her?"
Rukia flinched for a moment before her eyes reflected the mortification that slowly began to swell up in her chest. "You mean…this isn't about…an arranged marriage?"
Byakuya simply blew a heavy sigh from between his lips as he glanced up at his fool for a sister. "No, Rukia, this discussion has nothing to do with marriage. Why on Earth would you have assumed that?"
Her cheeks immediately began to flare up into a bright, rosy color as the shame of her sudden outburstfinally began to settle in. Mortified at her tantrum, Rukia's knees buckled as she slumped back onto the cushion of her seat. "It's just that…I thought that…Wasn't this…Uhhhhhhh….." Losing the ability to string together coherent sentences, Rukia promptly bowed her head in apology while refusing to meet the cold gaze of her brother.
"Are you finished yet, Rukia?" Byakuya asked in a monotone voice. If he was feeling irritated, annoyed, or embarrassed by her unrefined actions, he didn't let on as he simply folded his arms over his chest.
Rukia nodded her head slowly, unable to shake off the extreme embarrassment that was conquering her mind. How could she have been so reckless?! Byakuya must have been so ashamed of her childish behavior at that very moment…
Urahara relieved some of the tension in the room by letting out a deep rumble of laughter. He set his glass onto the table as he used his hand to stifle his uncontrollable chuckling. "My apologies, Rukia! This is my fault! I was the one that gave you the wrong impression. I'm not here to ask for your hand in marriage. Heavens, no! Allow me to properly introduce myself."
The flustered girl slowly raised her head to look up at the snickering man. A few seconds later, Uraharastraightened himself up before running a hand through his golden strands of thin hair. "Rukia Kuchiki, it's a pleasure to meet you," he began as he politely bowed his head, "I am Kisuke Urahara. I am the mayor of Karakura Town."
Rukia froze for a moment as she stared up at the quirky man, an awkward smile of disbelief tugging at the corners of her lips. Was he joking? Judging by his humble expression, there was a slight chance that he was joking. His introduction did little to quell the anxiety she felt due to her impolite eruption moments before. He was the mayor?! No wonder he looked so familiar! "It's a pl-pleasure to meet you, too, s-sir!" Rukia managed to stammer out after a moment of agitated trembling.
"There's no need to be so nervous, Rukia-chan," Urahara reassured her before taking another sip of his sake, "The pleasure is all mine! But I'm sure you're wondering why the mayor of Karakura Town wants to meet you, am I right?"
She timidly watched the man as he chugged down every last drop of the sake in his glass. After reaching for the pitcher of sake, she poured the honorable guest another glass. Once again, the drink was gone in seconds. For a mayor, Urahara seemed to be a bit irresponsible with his drinking as he practically inhaled the pungent liquid.
"As you may know, the Ice Dragon Winter Festival is nearly upon us. It's the one time of year that we throw a massive celebration for our powerful and merciful god, the Ice Dragon," the blonde male informed her as he raised his hand to decline another serving of alcohol before Rukia could pour him another cup.
Lavender eyes regarded him with interest as Rukia fiddled with the hems of her yukata sleeves. So the mayor was a firm believer in the Ice Dragon? Many important delegates of Karakura Town were said to be strong believers in the Ice Dragon lore which is why they all encouraged the residents to frequently visit the shrines and offer prayers to the dragon.
"As you may recall, a very special member of society is selected each year to be the Dragon Priest. It is huge honor to be chosen as the Dragon Priest and that person is said to be the harbinger of good fortune for the upcoming year," the scraggy man continued as he scratched at the stubble on his chin. "This person plays an important role in the vitality of our town and they are an important symbol of the town's devotion to the Ice Dragon. However, not just anyone can be nominated for such an important role. That person must come from a noble bloodline and demonstrate the qualities necessary to be awarded the title."
The Dragon Priest was far from an obscure term in Karakura Town. Everybody in the town had always thought highly of the people who had been chosen for that position, whether they were true believers of the dragon or not. To have the role of the honorary priest bestowed upon them was an achievement that many Karakura Town residents could only dream of acquiring. It was better than being nominated Prom King or Queen, better than receiving a gold medal…Even better than being elected mayor! Rukia's eyes began to sparkle with enthusiasm as she turned her attention towards her brother, a look of sheer adoration crossing over her features as she ogled at him.
"Are you here to tell me that my own dear brother was elected to be the Dragon Priest for this year?!" Rukia blurted out, unable to contain the excitement and appreciation for her brother.
Urahara let out another short chuckle as he quickly shook his head. Boy, did that girl have a knack for jumping to conclusions. "Actually, Rukia-chan, it's not your brother that the town's officials think would be a good fit for the part this year…It's you."
Her entire body immobilized itself as those words left Urahara's lips.
"Congratulations, Rukia-chan! You're going to be the new Dragon Priest for this year! Or, uh, Dragon Priestess, I should say. We've only had a few girls selected over the past few decades but I think it's high time we got more, don't you agree?" the blonde male continued as his eyes gleamed with excitement.
She was the one who was selected to play the part?! To say she was shocked beyond belief would have been an understatement as she gawked at Urahara as if he was completely out of his mind. "M-me? You want me!? There must be some mistake!"
"I assure you," Urahara said with a toothy grin, "it's no mistake. I've talked this over with the other members of the city council and we've decided that there's no better fit for the role than you. We need someone intelligent, responsible, caring, and pure-hearted. Also, one of the requirements needed for the Dragon Priest/Priestess is to have a strong belief in the Ice Dragon. That's kind of hard to find these days with the younger generation but it's a known fact that the members of the Kuchiki household have always been diligent worshippers of the dragon."
Rukia was unable to believe what the mayor was telling her. Was he serious? Did she truly possess the proper qualities needed for the role? Byakuya would have been better suited for such an important job than she! She was nothing more than a mere highschool student who was searching for her own place in the world. She had never achieved any outstanding awards for anything and her grades were average, to say the least. As for Byakuya, he was well-known throughout Karakura Town for being an upstanding citizen. Not only did he offer his entire being to the prosperity of the Kuchiki Inn but he also helped with many volunteer projects around the city and he even helped construct a few Ice Dragon shrines to help preserve the rich culture of the town.
Why were they choosing her over her brother?
Her face must have given away her inner conflict as Urahara's gaze softened. "There's a particular reason why we are choosing you over your brother," he admitted after a short moment of silence. "The Dragon Priest/Priestess has a few other particular qualifications that your brother does not meet but you do. Sure, he's of a noble bloodline in this town and he's done some pretty notable things. If it wasn't for Byakuya, then the large Ice Dragon temple resting in the southern district of the town wouldn't have had the funds to be built. But…"
Urahara shifted his eyes from the impassive man to his younger sister. He had already discussed these matters with Byakuya earlier that week once the decision to elect a member of the Kuchiki household had been made. After the tragic deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Kuchiki two years ago, there were no other living members of the Kuchiki family besides Byakuya and Rukia. Byakuya would have made a fine choice as the advocate but there was one deciding factor that would not enable him to be a suitable candidate for such an honorable position.
"I am not a virgin," Byakuya interrupted just before Urahara opened his mouth to divulge the secret.
"O-Onii-sama?!" Rukia's jaw flew open as her cheeks began to darken once more. "W-what does that have to do with anything?!"
Byakuya's expression remained empty and unreadable; the way he usually kept it. He was always impossible to read since he never allowed himself to let his thoughts or feelings reflect upon his face. "Only virgins can be acceptable suitors for the role as the Dragon Priest. I am not a virgin but you are, Rukia."
"What a way to be blunt, Byakuya," the blonde said before helping himself to the pitcher of sake. Whether it was rude or not, he drank straight out of the pitcher to consume another mouthful of the strong sake. He would definitely need to load himself up with this stuff if he wanted to get through the rest of the night! The Kuchiki's were certainly an odd bunch.
"Why do they have to be a virgin?" the girl reluctantly asked as she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Urahara was the one to answer this time as he exhaled a nervous laugh. "Well, there's lots of ceremonial rituals involving the divine suitor up until the festival. The whole purpose of even having a Dragon Priest/Priestess is to anoint an outstanding citizen to be a peace offering to the dragon. Think of it as being recognized as an official reverend for the dragon. All you have to do is show up to a few ceremonies leading up to the festival. You'll be conducting a lot of prayers to the dragon and the rituals will help cleanse your soul. Only a virgin possesses innocent blood so that is why Byakuya cannot be the chosen one for this year."
Rukia wasn't quite sure what startled her more: the fact that she was chosen to hold such a high position in the town or the fact that her brother wasn't a virgin. It was a lot to take in and she was finding it rather difficult to wrap her head around the whole situation.
"So all the Dragon Priestess have to do is attend a few ceremonies?" she asked the mayor. Although she tried to conceal the reluctance to accept such an important title, her quivering voice revealed her hesitance. It just seemed to be big shoes to fill…Was she really fit for such a job?
Urahara tried to ease her anxiety by delivering her a small, reassuring smile. "I'll be honest with you, Rukia-chan. There's really not too much to being the Dragon Priestess. We mostly appoint someone every year to give the townspeople someone to look up to. Praying to the Ice Dragon really helps ease a lot of people's worries. All you have to do is attend a few religious services and be a representative at the Ice Dragon Winter Festival. It's more of a tradition than anything. We don't expect you to do a lot; just smile and tell everyone how much you adore the Ice Dragon."
She folded her hands in her lap as she stared at the ground. "Is that really are there is to it? Will I have to miss school for the rest of the week?"
"I'm pretty sure your teachers will understand you missing class for being the Dragon Priestess, Rukia-chan!" Urahara chuckled, "And yeah, that's all there is to it. After the festival, your job as the Dragon Priestess will be completed and things will continue on as they always have."
Usually, Rukia would have jumped at the chance to be apart of something as grand as the representative for the Ice Dragon. And yet, something at the back of her mind urged her to decline. They couldn't very well force her to accept the role, could they? She didn't want to neglect her duties at the inn to attend a few religious services nor did she want to be the center of attention at the festival. The Dragon Priest had always sat center stage at the festival, wearing fancy garments while sitting on a throne at the main shrine. Attendees would ask the Ice Dragon for blessings for the upcoming year through the priest. It was said that the priest had a direct, spiritual connection to the Ice Dragon and would be able to bless those that sought assistance.
It just seemed like it would be too much trouble. Yes, Rukia had always embraced the culture of the Ice Dragon but it would have been too imprudent to say that she was a dedicated follower of the Ice Dragon's religion. Surely there was someone else who would have made a much better representative than she.
"I know what you're thinking, Rukia," rang out Byakuya's cool voice as he glimpsed down at his sister. "I know you're thinking that you're not fit for the role. I know you're thinking that this may not be the best position for you to have. Even so, you should consider Urahara-san's offer. It is the highest honor you could ever receive in this town and it would bring great glory to the Kuchiki family."
Deep down Rukia knew that it would be foolish to decline such an award. It was a miracle she had been chosen in the first place and to refuse the title would certainly shame her family. Byakuya would no doubt be disappointed in her which made the pressure upon her grow all the more fierce.
"Furthermore, I think this is what our parents would want for you. They worshiped the Ice Dragon and it would bring them great happiness to know that you worshiped him, too," her brother continued before allowing a tiny yet visible smile to drape across his lips. It was uncommon to see him smile and the very sight of it was enough to make Rukia's heart flutter lightly.
She remained quiet for a moment as she mulled over the decision. Besides the fact that her instinct was telling her it was a bad idea, did she really have anything to lose? She would only be missing school for a few days to attend a few ceremonies. Plus, it wasn't as if Dragon Priestess had any tasks after the Ice Dragon Winter Festival—the mayor said so himself. It sounded like a fairly simple job and if it would make Byakuya feel proud of her than it was a decision worth considering.
"All right," she said after a moment before nodding at Urahara. "I'll do it. I'll become the Dragon Priestess. I am very grateful that you have offered me this position."
Once again, a kooky grin stretched across the mayor's face. "The pleasure's all mine, Rukia-chan."
