And History Repeats Itself

Chapter 1

Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia came back to the 5th division after their "visit" in the living world. Rukia hasn't spoken up a single word ever since; Ichigo has been waiting in silence, anxious. He was expecting Rukia to be angry for some reason, or to be confused at the least. Turns out, he was the one confused now. She wasn't angry—she smiled. And it was not a fake one to mask whatever she felt, it was genuine and showed happiness...was that gratitude? Was she happy that Toushirou, or rather Yuki, was in love with someone else, and that someone else has the same name as hers? Ichigo didn't quite understand the whole "promise" thing she told him about. He merely nodded in reply when she explained.

"Ichigo..."

"Huh?"

"I was thinking...now that Toushirou is in a good state...maybe, I should...stop visiting him."

Ichigo just shrugged. "If that's what you want. It's not as if it'll change his life drastically considering he doesn't even see you."

Okaaay, so he didn't mean his words to come out as they did, and he was so sure he'll get hit for that.

'Good job, Ichigo. You just managed to remind her that Toushirou has not even the slightest idea of who she is, or her existence for that matter. Rub it in more on her face, why don't ya?' Ichigo's perpetual scowl deepened, a sign that he was really pissed--at himself.

"Yeah, you're right."

Okaaay, she didn't hit him. She agreed with him. Something is totally wrong today. Did you manage to check if the sun rose in the west today?

"I'm hoping your daughter isn't like you, Ichigo. Or at least in the brain department."

"Why you little—"

"Rukia..."

"Toushirou..." The raven-haired woman called out.

"Rukia..." He did not know why he called this woman 'Rukia', it just felt as if it was the right thing to say.

"Toushirou...not even death...not even death could—"

"YUKI!!"

Takuya Yuki instantly sat up and turned to the source of the noise, err, voice that snatched him from dreamland. He slowly got up and peered through his window, only to see a black-haired girl waving enthusiastically up at him.

"Come on, Yuki! It's your first day at my school! You shouldn't be late! That wouldn't leave a good impression!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just a moment." He immediately got dressed and prepared his things for school.

His family just moved to Karakura Cho a little over two months ago. His parents, both being in the medical field, were devoted members of a certain charitable institution that roams around Japan and all over the world offering their free services to the needy. Having been assigned to Africa (and Yuki sternly refusing to come with them), the couple had no choice but to entrust their son to a friend, who also happened to be in the medical field and a member of the said institution. The couple has met this man during their internship at his humble hospital and became good friends. He was a good man, humble despite his achievements; goofy yet undeniably witty. His name? Kurosaki Isshin.

Yes, his little clinic has finally evolved into a hospital a year after the Winter War. With both daughters (and his son, before he died) in the medical field to give assistance, the hospital has become one of Karakura's best, even rivaling the Ishida Hospital, although it was unintentional. Only the people of the town make up rumors about the competition of the two—one, the most high class and advanced; the other, the warmest and most efficient.

Going back to the present, this friendship between the couple and Isshin led to Yuki's current predicament—living next to the Kurosaki's. Upon hearing about the couple's trip to Africa, Isshin cheerfully suggested that they let their son stay with him. Yuki disagreed, of course, as it was embarrassing for someone his age to live with people he barely knew (plus he was informed that three girls were living with Isshin). Yuki's parents, however, only gave him two choice—to go with them to Africa, or to be taken in by Isshin. The young lad had no choice. Luckily, the house next to the Kurosaki's was vacant, so the couple bought it and voila! Yuki is now the boy-next-door.

Of course, Isshin's motives weren't solely based on his friendship with the lad's parents. He also wanted to look after one of his son's former friends, or rather his nakama, Hitsugaya Toushirou.

Yuki climbed down the stairs, took is bag, put on his shoes and got out of the door.

As soon as he did, though, he immediately regretted it.

"YUUUUUKIIIIII!"

Yuki was caught in a bone-crushing hug by the man who volunteered to look after him while his parents were gone.

"MY ALMOST SON!"

"Grandpa! Let Yuki go! And stop making a ruckus! The neighbors might see!"

"Oh, my lovely Rukia-chan, please don't call me grandpa. I feel so old." Isshin said to his granddaughter with fake tears.

"You ARE old, old man." A new voice joined the trio.

"Aww, Karin-chan. Don't be mean to Papa!"

Karin just rolled her eyes. His dad never changed, even after all these years. She is 30 for crying out loud!

"Uhm, ohayou, Isshin-san, Karin-san, Rukia." An uncomfortable Yuki greeted the weird family

Karin eyed the boy. Of course, she knew who he is. How could she forget that white-haired, emerald-eyed guy who helped her team win a soccer game 20 years ago?

Yuki purposely avoided the older woman's gaze. Ever since he was introduce by Isshin to his family, he couldn't help but feel weird when around them, especially with this woman whose gaze seemed to penetrate his very soul.

The first day of class was boring, as the teachers opted to not discuss but rather left their students on their own, masking their laziness by saying it's better for the students to get to know each other first to make sure the year would go by smoothly. Yuki though tit's a waste of time. He might as well not have gone to school that day since he wasn't going to miss anything. He wasn't the friendly type—not that he didn't want to have friends, genius!—he just isn't one to do the first move.

He found himself thinking about the dream he had this morning. It was the same dream he's been having since he was a kid. He had no idea who the woman in his dreams was. if her back wasn't facing him, that hair in front of her face was obscuring her appearance so he never got a good view of her face. What bothers him more was how it seemed to be an automatic response for him to call her 'Rukia". Since he fisrt dreamt of her, he has been looking for this 'Rukia'. He even asked his parents if they knew someone of that name. It wasn't until he transferred to Karakura that he met Kurosaki Rukia. He thought his search was finally over. But no. The dream was still persistent. It even changed a bit. Before, it was just her, calling someone by the name 'Toushirou', and he calling her 'Rukia'. But now, the woman was saying something else. Something along the lines of "not even death could--" but never seemed to finish it. He always woke up at that part of the dream.

And speaking of dreams, he's been having one more weird kind since he transferred in Karakura. And like the first, its occurrence seems...regular. His dream takes place in a winter wonderland—a plain of pure ice, where the ground, the mountains, even the lake were all covered in frosted water. And there, always standing gloriously in front of him was a blue, winged, Chinese dragon. He always asks Yuki if he knows its name. Yuki always finds himself shaking his head, as he has no clue to what this creature's name was. The blue dragon silently whispers something to him—something he couldn't seem to comprehend.

"What?" He would always ask.

"Why do you not hear me? Wake up. Let us sit upon the frozen heavens once more. I am--"

Hyourinmaru.

Okay so first chap is up. It was kind of boring, but I can't put too much on the first chap now, can I? This will be a short story so please bear with me. Plus, I am not sure if I should go on with it. You tell me. I'll wait for a certain amount of review, perhaps 10? I just need assurance that at least ten people would be willing to go with me through this, alright? And I've got another HitsuRuki AU fic coming. I just don't have much time to type it yet. Watch out for that!