Here's another chapter... and remember to REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He was looking his sister. She had taken her paperwork at the manor, and she had been doing it in his garden, and when the night came down, she stayed out, looking at the sky, the breeze gently caressing her hair, a serene expression on her face. How different had she become. After her stay in the leaving world, her feature had softened and sometimes, he had caught her with a human-like expression on her face. What a shame for the Kuchikis, but how refreshing it was... to have back a new Hisana. How miserable he had made her sister's life. And now, she glowed just like his late wife. He could see the relaxed air around her, the light in her eyes and the worry in her features. She was in love. And just like every other person in love, she was worried about the well being of her lover, about the reaction her family could have, about their future. Because being in love, makes you think to the future. Something Shinigami don't usually have.

But she had. And in the past, he had had it too.

"Rukia!" Here he comes, that buffoon of a fuku-taicho, bothering his sister peace. "How are you?" the man asked. And hearing she wasn't alone anymore, the Taicho was retreating, but found himself unable to do it. He found himself wanting to know the answer escaping her lips. She wouldn't lie to Renji, right? And if she did, he would had known.

"Renji... uhm... I'm fine." she replied with a smile, a little to wide to be real.

But that buffon just grinned. "Glad to be at home?"

At that, she lowered her gaze, a strange expression on her face. "Yes, of course." she replied, even if her body language screamed NO!

A pang of guilt hit Byakuya. "And you? Is everything fine?" asked his sister, remembering good manners.

"Yep!" the man replied. "The hell are you doing here? It's fucking freezing!"

He cringed, such a language... in his home! Inadmissible!

"What out your words! If Nii-sama hears you, you'll find cherry petals hunt you down! And they'll find you!" she scolded him.

"Ah, I just love danger!" he replied. Oh, how much he'll pay for that later! "So, her honor Kuchiki-sama, could I, a lowly peasant, ask you what may you doing here?" he asked theatrically.

"Oh, you look so gay!" she teased him. "However, I'm doing nothing, just looking up at the sky." she stated.

"Oh... all this stars." the man replied, looking up. "Don't they make you thing about our Rukongai nights? When everything was so simple... We were lucky."

The noble watched as her sisted nodded hesitantly.

"What's on your mind, Rukia?" the man asked bluntly.

"Nothing... I... nothing." she stuttered.

"Rukia..." he repeated gravely.

"I'm... I'm just wondering... if this is the same sky with the same stars. You know... here and in the living world." his sister admitted, feeling uneasy.

"Why?"

"Why?" she frowned. "Do I need a reason?"

"You changed. A lot." the man sighted. "The Rukia I knew wasn't the type to look the stars and spend nights wondering if she and her friend were under the same sky. It just wasn't in her style. What does it matter? If you two share a sky?"

"What are you trying to say, Renji?" she spatted. "that the human world made me a weak sentimental fool? Well, you're a little too late for that! But who knows... maybe you talk big about knowing me, but you don't know a damn thing!"

"Rukia..." he started, taken aback.

"I'm here, Renji. I'm here and he's there, who knows doing what. Maybe fighting, maybe studying in his room, or spending time with his family. But he's there. And I'm here. We belong to different worlds. That means I don't get to know all this things. I don't know if he needs my help. And I know I shouldn't, because I'm a shinigami and he's a human. I'm dead and he's alive. I know we don't have a chance. Because we have nothing in common and our lifes are not meant to intertwine. So I'm sorry if I need something." she panted for her outburst. "I need to know that even if we're in two different worlds, we still have something in common. That we're looking at the same thing."

The redhead shook his head gently, as Byakuya had a very surprised expression on his face. "Before... you would have looked the sky and thought about our childhood years. Together. We spent decades there, on the street, the sky our roof. And it took you less than a year to forget all about that for a mere human. I don't know who you are anymore. What's going on with you?"

A bitter smile touched her features. "I thought the exact thing about you the day you loose your chance and gave up on our friendship."

"It was for your well being! For your future!" he yelled in anger.

"No, you were just a coward! You were scared and you just..." she stopped, taking a deep breathe. "Leave me alone, Renji. This time I'm asking you to."

Byakuya watched as his fuku-taicho stormed away. His sister stayed there, devoid of any emotion, like a perfect Kuchiki. Was this? Was her unhappiness that had made of her a fine Kuchiki? It wasn't sense of duty and justice, nor the-shinigami-can't-feel-emotion rules that made her like that. It was just... unhappiness.

Then, his thoughts began shifting toward his newly acquisted acquaintance. Was she unhappy? Had he been too hard with her, too? He shook his head. It's not like there was something he could really do about it. Time will fix everything, he told himself. Being a noble often meant to know how to wait other people make the right choice and the right thing. Leave to others the dirty work.

The flying dragon chuckled "Thanks."

The girl grinned. He was indeed amazing. His water blue body was long and overshadowing, a flaming red and orange mane ran along his length, he hadn't got wings or anything, he just swam in the air like it was the depths of the ocean. His eyes, bright violet, shifting to magenta from time to time. He seemed a huge snake, but his skin wasn't reptile-like, but feathers covered his body. His expression was caring and warm. Nothing like she expected. Nothing like her inner world. Nothing like her life.

"Now, what are you doing there? Come up here." he said, cocking his head, like he really couldn't understand why the girl was on the ground.

"I can't fly." she simply stated.

The dragon snorted. "Aim for the sky or die in the ice." he replied in a I-don't-really-care-what-you-do tone.

I looked around me. Ice was covering everything. The previously dark green meadow was now pitch black, the plants were withering around her feet for the cold and the thick layer of ice reflected the darkness of the night sky mixing up and down, ground and sky. Aim for the sky, uh? Well... she thought the first step is... JUMP!!!

The moment her feet left the ground, everything was a blur. It was like falling but in reverse. She felt like couldn't go down again even if she wanted. She felt light and a mysterious force took her higher. It felt good falling this way. Then it was like she was swimming against the waves. "What the hell is happening?" she shouted.

"Don't be afraid girl. If you loose faith, everything is gonna be more difficult. Find the strenght to come to me. Come and I'll give you my power. Fight for it." he replied.

She gritted her teeth. "I'm coming! Then you're going to stop with this shit talk!" she yelled in reply. "Just give me a minute!"

Two hours later she was on his back.

She grinned. "It's beautiful from here." she stated amazed, looking down at the brilliant meadow. The ice had melt, leaving dewdrops on the grass which glistened at the light of the full moon and starry sky. She had never felt this calm and untroubled. She leaned against his body.

"Are you tired, girl? Two hours moving around have taken their toll on you..." he replied with a little of irony.

"I was trying to get here, you big snake."

"You said you needed a minute... not two hours..."

She frowned. "You didn't stop moving!"

"At least, do you remember my name?" he asked. "I don't like repeating it."

"Of course I remember it. I'll always remember it." she replied, sounding hurt.

"Hope so..." he said. "Now go back, girl. I'll help you to get what is yours. Just promise me something."

"What?" she asked curious.

"When you go back to Seireitei..." he started, and she could hear a smile in his voice. "... make an unforgettable entry!"

She found herself laughting, on the floor in the shower, alone. Two blades in her hands. She grinned. She had a promise to keep!

REVIEWWWWWWWWWWWW REVIEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW REVIEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW