Thank you so much to Icicleriver22, Sakurakitty2, Litari Hatake, Asagiri
Calm and collected as she was always known for, the Queen of Ice, Rukia walked the velvet covered road towards Soul city and finally she would be rid of this world. These people and their ways, she'd return home.
Coming into the small village the raven haired girl asked around, one question: the King.
"He lives up in the palace just up there" pointing up at the mountains, Rukia saw the castle, her destination high up on the edges of the cliffside between the two mountains, protected by Mother Nature herself.
"You planning on going up there?"
"Yes"
"Well dream on girl, no ones allowed up there"
"Why not?"
"Are you a Royal?"
"No"
"Are you a Noble?"
"No"
"Then you're not getting in, we may be the most richest and well populated village in these parts of Soul Society but even we can't get into that place" turning to his business the man left Rukia to ponder
If she couldn't get in…how was she to see the King? Looking once more back at the castle, hovering over the clouds high above the land it watches over, Rukia knew this problem wasn't going to be solved within a day.
Giving some of the money Toushirou had left her, the young teen rented a small room and in a long while, plopped herself onto the bed. Enjoying the fine comfort of a real place to sleep on- instead of the ground and the smell of the woods.
"Toushirou…." thinking back to the smaller teen who saved her twice, how could he just up and disappear like that?! And how could she not feel it? Just before his smiles…. His eyes…. Everything about him seemed duller, dim…hurt.
It wasn't as if she expected him to follow her until the very end! She asked him to take her to this town and he did, he left her money to survive on and- and….so why did it hurt so much?
Why did she think they could be anything more? Why did his memory hurt her? Why did she care about any of this!
"This God-forsaken place….I hate it!" clutching her pillows Rukia closed her eyes, she wanted to shut it all out, the pain, the fear, the anxiety- everything. Just make it all disappear.
Who cares about these people! Who cares about the fields and the skies, the smells and the sights! Damn it all to hell! Once she was home……
Once Rukia returned home, all of this will be forgotten. She would never remember anyone- she'd make sure to forget.
Sitting up in her bed, the girl thought of her situation, her very bad situation
"No one under the blood of a Noble or rich person can get in hmm…." looking at the bag on her desk and the town under her window, Rukia placed herself in her friends shoes.
Were she Ichigo, he'd act like he didn't give a damn about it and sneak in.
Were she Renji, he'd screw it all to hell and crash the party.
Were she Rangiku, she'd play the part….!
"That's it! I'll buy a dress and look like I'm from Royalty not the best plan but it's better than nothing" grabbing the small bag, Rukia left her room. Walking around the village, she realized each city she passed had a land mark of some sort- each one where people would go to. The fountain in the middle of the town by her host's house, the lake residing protectively beside the blue city, and now the large garden of desert roses where children played through and men and women met.
Looking around for a dress, nothing fit her form of Nobility, and so Rukia was left with buying a white dress with too little design and too much fabric on her small bodice.
Entering her room once more with her new article of clothing, much to the curiosity of the seller- compared to her purchase and her current choice of purple and black clothing. Rukia was left with little money and no dress.
"What am I going to do now! I have nothing left! Nothing…." falling backward onto her bed, the girl closed her eyes and felt only trouble- with no solution in sight. When…
"Problem Rukia?"
"AH! eh? Senpai! Ukitake-senpai!" jumping off her bed, the petite girl ran up to the taller male just about to hug him- she remembered
"What's wrong?"
"You're not really my senpai"
"I am Rukia-"
"And at the same time you're not, I've heard it a million of times before"
"I know, Kotsu and Tsubaki right?"
"H-how" looking at the man from the other side of her bed, purple orbs widened
"I'm your guardian angel Rukia, I know everything"
"Really. If you know everything…why didn't you help me when that hollow almost killed me!" finding anything she could to take out her frustration of the whole thing, Rukia screamed at the man, his face tired and crestfallen
"I'm sorry Rukia but I couldn't help then"
"Some guardian angel"
"If I had you'd have never met Toushirou" at the mention of his name, Rukia felt her face flush with blush or anger- even she didn't know.
"I would have been happier if I didn't have met him"
"You still aren't a good liar Rukia, now tell me what's troubling you so much" looking at the things in her room Rukia watched with mild amusement, it was just like her upperclassman to be like this; never to be stuck on a bad situation. Or maybe his attention span on such things was uncannily short, either way
"…I need to get into the castle to talk to the King but I can't get in without being a Noble or something like that"
"Yes?"
"So I bought this dress but it looks nothing like a dress rich people would wear, and I'm short on money…."
"I see well then, when do you have to see the King?"
"The winter celebration isn't in four days"
"Even still I can't have my kouhai troubled for so long" looking at the white thing where it lay, Juushirou picked the dress up without moving from his spot from across the room and in a blinding burst of light, when her sight returned Rukia gasped in shock and awe.
Replacing the sad excuse of a dress was a lavender and pearl colored gown, worthy of a queen.
"It's beautiful"
"I thought you might like it, try it on"
"I will…." feeling the fabric of the soft cloth, Rukia couldn't believe just a thing wasn't silk. Looking up at the man, who in turn looked down at her
"What?"
"…I'm not changing in front of you"
"Ah right!" blushing and scratching the back of his head, just as he would do when embarrassed, the man turned giving the girl her privacy.
After changing, Rukia didn't tell the man to turn, instead she took the time to stare at his back. The way his long white hair stood against his pure black kimono, and his wings; large and angelic….pure white, like soft snow his wings fluttered lightly- as if just as embarrassed as him. Rukia felt an urge to touch them- just to see how soft they felt, she withheld that urge
"I'm done"
"Rukia! You look so stunning!"
"T-thanks" flushed with a deep pink along her cheeks, Rukia was the model of Juuhirou. The dress felt like a glove, perfect and so formfitting it felt made for her.
The long flowing of the train of the lavender gown precious gems real of opal and pearl woven into the cloth, tight and hugging her torso in an intricate design of deeper lilac made up her corset. Opening and blossoming her small chest, cupping her breasts without cleavage, sleeves of fine transparent white ran down her thin arms, clustering in the spot just above her elbow.
Covering the upper half of her face from sight was a opal and lilac butterfly mask, a light pin of a silver plum blossom, tinted ends of amethyst along the edges, hung in her midnight black locks- finished her gown.
"Now I think you look like a princess worthy of getting into that castle of yours"
"A princess? Gee thanks"
"It's a complement, last time I remembered you blushed when Ichigo, Renji and Rangiku called you beautiful during the dance at the beginning of the school year, you blushed just as red"
"I didn't even want to go to that dance, they made me"
"No one makes you Rukia, unless you want it"
"Shut up"
"Alright alright I get it" putting his hands up in surrender Juushirou took one last look at the girl and smiled "You've grown a bit Rukia"
"I have? I thought I stopped in middle-"
"No not that, I mean here" placing a hand over his heart
"How?"
"Slowly you're starting to see half of it, before long I know you'll understand it all"
"What do I understand?"
"When the time is right you'll know" patting her head as he would, the angel began to fade
"Wait! Senpai w-when can I see you again!"
"You'll know" with that he disappeared. Leaving Rukia alone yet again, looking at the space once filled by her upperclassmen.
Suddenly feeling very tired, the raven haired teen took off her dress- carefully placed it somewhere safe until she needed it, she got into her old clothes and crawled into bed.
Tomorrow she'd worry.
Day in and day out Rukia went over the plan in her mind, waiting for the fourth night to come when she could take her final steps out of this world.
And when the time came and men and women driven in their fine carriages pulled by full breed horses of distinct caliber, the girl felt butterflies in her stomach. Watching the rich pass below her window, Rukia gathered her courage and covered herself with her blanket- making sure to hide her gown. She snuck out of her room leaving her bag, now useless and empty and followed the carriages to the castle.
From a far Rukia kept her distance as she followed, making sure to catch her breath and keep away from sight until finally she could see the tips of palace. Disappearing into the maze of greenery, straying not too far into the structure she dropped her blanket and placed the mask on her face; calming her racing heart Rukia stepped forward and walked along the others- as one of them.
At the stairs, the doors were opened to her with a fluent bow of the doorman, a gleam of gold and white graced her sight in a blind motion of sound and smells.
Rukia entered the palace of the King.