Bleach 1. Ordinary Life

**An AU Bleach fanfic featuring Rukia Kuchiki/Toshiro Hitsugaya. Written for a fanfiction commission request.**

**Rukia is a wealthy girl living in a small town that worships a powerful deity, the Ice Dragon. When the townspeople force Rukia into being a sacrifice to appease the Ice Dragon's wrath, she is exiled into the dragon's forest where she stumbles upon the Ice Dragon's castle. Much to her surprise, the Ice Dragon isn't as vicious as he seems; not to mention he's actually a handsome young man named Toshiro Hitsugaya! **

**RukiaxHitsugaya/ AU/ Rated M for violence, dark themes, and possible lemon in future chapters**

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><p>The kiss of the last autumn breeze signified the beginning of winter as the final maple leaf fell from a tree branch. It was going to be another harsh winter; even colder than last year, the weather reporter had said. Rukia, however, had never particularly minded the cold weather and was looking forward to it. The fresh smell of pine always relaxed her nerves and the refreshing taste of hot chocolate on a cold winter's night made the chilly season all the more enjoyable.<p>

Ah, yes, she had definitely been looking forward to the winter months all year long. What other time of the year could she wear her adorable bunny ear muffs? Or her fluffy pink sweater featuring her favorite cartoon mascot, Chappy? In just a few weeks, her beautiful home in Karakura Town would be shimmering with snow and made into a beautiful Winter Wonderland as the trees of the forest surrounding her town would be glistening with icicles. If she could just be a little more patient, she would soon be able to make snowmen and have snowball fights with her classmates.

"Good morning, Kuchiki-san! How are you on this lovely day?"

A chipper voice tore the raven haired girl from her happy thoughts as she turned her head to see who was calling out to her. "Oh, hello there, Orihime. Sorry, I guess I was lost in my own thoughts," Rukia replied to the orange haired girl skipping beside her. She had been so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed her classmate approach her as she made her way towards the school.

Rukia had lived in Karakura Town her whole life and had rarely traveled outside of it. It was a quaint little town where everyone knew everyone. Every neighbor got along well and the crime rate was practically nonexistent. Her town was located far in the mountains and due to its vast distance from any main city, it was the perfect vacation spot for tourists looking for an escape from their busy lives. Although she was curious about life beyond her happy little hometown, Rukia never really had a desire to leave this place.

"Did you do last night's homework? I stayed up all night trying to finish it," Orihime whimpered lightly before letting out a long, exaggerated yawn. Rukia simply nodded in response as she strode alongside her friend, "With graduation right around the corner, we can't afford to make any slip-ups."

The redhead nodded vigorously in excitement, practically throwing her arms up in the air to convey her happiness. "Ohhhhhhhh yeah! We're FINALLY about to graduate!" Orihime was a bright and animated girl who always wore her heart on her sleeve. She was almost the complete opposite of the quiet and reserved Rukia Kuchiki. Despite the stark contrast of their personalities, the two of them had grown quite close over the years after being enrolled in the same school since elementary school.

"Oh, I can't wait to graduate! I'm thinking about applying to some colleges in Tokyo and Osaka. I want to finally move to a big city where I can spread my wings! What about you? Where do you think you'll apply for college?" The cheerful Orihime continued as a huge, goofy smile stretched across her attractive face.

The shorter girl turned her attention away from her friend for a moment as she bit her lower lip in thought. With her grades, she could have easily gotten into any college of her choosing. There were so many prestigious universities in Tokyo that her teachers had tried talking her into applying for but Rukia had politely declined their suggestions. Sure, attending a big, fancy college would have been nice but she had a duty as the daughter of the Kuchiki family that required her attention.

"I actually don't think I'm going to be attending college," Rukia finally answered after a moment of silence. Her friend's shocked expression was enough to make Rukia let out a short laugh before continuing. "My older brother wants me to take over the family business alongside him. Ever since my mother and father passed away two years ago, I think he's had a rough time trying to manage everything on his own. Instead of going to college, I would like to help him run the Kuchiki Inn."

Orihime's face immediately changed from an expression of astonishment into a look of sympathy and understanding once she realized that Rukia was forcing herself to smile. Rukia's parents had passed away in a tragic car accident nearly two years ago, leaving their entire fortune and business to Rukia and her older brother, Byakuya. The Kuchiki's had made a fancy name for themselves over the years for running Karakura Town's most distinguished inn. The Kuchiki Inn was a hotspot for tourists and the high-quality service that the inn provided had made quite an impression on wealthy visitors. Byakuya Kuchiki was the current owner of the inn but Rukia was itching to graduate soon so she, too, could help carry on their parents' dreams of hosting a luxurious vacation getaway for treasured guests. Once she finished school, she'd be able to dedicate all her time and energy to helping her brother instead of only being able to offer her assistance after school and on the weekends.

"Is that…really what you want to do, Kuchiki-san?" Orihime asked softly, searching for any signs of reluctance upon Rukia's face. When her question was met with a warm and comforting smile from Rukia, Orihime figured it would be best to not pry any further. Rukia was a secretive girl and rarely conveyed her concerns to her friends. Although she was well-liked amongst her classmates for her witty sense of humor and her quirky personality, it was very rare to see Rukia come to them for aid if she had any personal problems. Even after the loss of her parents, Rukia still never showed that she was suffering from the raging storm within her heart. She had simply continued going to school and pretended that nothing had ever happened. If someone had asked her about her parents, she would quickly change the subject or direct their attention elsewhere.

Once again, Rukia found it best to change the subject as she pointed her finger in the direction of the school gates. "Hey, look, isn't that Ichigo over there? I think he's looking in this direction." In seconds, Orihime's cheeks began to flare up as she frantically began combing her fingers through her bright, orange locks, trying to tame the strands that had been tussled by the heavy blow of the wind. "R-Really?! Where?!"

Rukia simply laughed at her friend's amusing reaction. It was quite fun teasing the ditzy girl about her crush on their fellow classmate, Ichigo Kurosaki, and her responses never failed to bring a smile to her face. Orihime's shoulders quickly slumped forward when she realized that Ichigo was nowhere in sight and that she had gotten herself into a frenzy for no reason.

"Kuchiki-saaaaaaaaaaaaan! That wasn't very nice! How would you like it if I teased you about _your _crush?" the busty girl whined as she folded her arms over her chest in a pouty manner.

Rukia glanced over her shoulder at Orihime, amethyst eyes sparkling in mild amusement, "Well, that would never happen so I guess I don't have to worry about it."

"Oh?" Orihime asked, cocking her head to the side as she looked at her friend in bewilderment. "And why is that?"

"Because I have no desire to get a crush on _anybody." _With that being said, Rukia dropped the conversation as she made her way towards her first class.

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><p>The funny thing about seniors in high school was that even though they were <em>so <em>close to graduating and being done with high school forever, it was hard for them to keep pressing on and remain diligent with their studies through their final month. Naturally, Rukia always made time to study for the upcoming final exams but it was just _so _hard to give the teacher her undivided attention as he lectured about historical events. While doodling pictures of cute rabbits and baby chicks in her notebook, she found her mind wandering back towards the conversation she and her friend, Orihime, had shared that morning on their way to school.

"_Is that…really what you want to do, Kuchiki-san?"_

That question kept repeating itself over and over in her mind. Of course that's what she wanted to do! Nothing would make her happier than to remain in this peaceful town and work alongside her beloved older brother as head of the Kuchiki Inn. She knew that was what her parents had always wanted her to do so it was only fitting that she carried on that dream and did her best as a respectable member of the Kuchiki family. If she chose to follow in her parents' footsteps, she would have never have any financial woes and she could live a tranquil, comfortable life in Karakura Town for as long as she lived.

Nothing would make her happier than that…_right?_

Rukia propped her elbow on her desk as she leaned her chin into the palm of her hand. Her violet eyes wandered from the adorable doodles in her notebook towards the gray sky outside her classroom's window. Tiny drops of snow began to fall from the sky, bathing the atmosphere in a soft veil of white powder.

"_That's strange," _Rukia thought to herself as she watched the falling snow, "_I thought that the weatherman said it wasn't going to snow just yet."_

The weather was very unpredictable in her town but winter had just started and it wasn't nearly cold enough for snowfall yet. Apparently everyone else in her history class had been wondering the same thing as they all erupted into a loud chatter.

"Snow?! Why is it snowing?!" one guy blurted out.

"It wasn't anywhere near this cold this morning! I only brought a light sweater today," another girl whimpered out.

"Did someone piss off the _Ice Dragon _again?!" chuckled out a voice that Rukia would have recognized from anywhere.

Rukia sharply turned her head to the guy sitting beside her, eyes narrowing to slits as she glared at the spiky-haired male beside her. "Shut up, Ichigo. That isn't funny," Rukia hissed as she watched him let out a low chuckle from where he sat. Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia had been neighbors ever since they were small children and to say that they were close friends would have been an understatement. They were close, all right. Close enough for Ichigo to get on Rukia's nerves each and every time he opened his mouth to say something snarky.

"Oh, pleeeeeeeeease, Rukia. Everyone knows that the Ice Dragon is just a myth! It's just a stupid superstition that the elders of the town came up with to scare all the little boys and girls of Karakura Town. Everyone knows that," Ichigo scoffed as he leaned back in his seat.

"That's not true! You don't know if he's real or not!" the irritated girl snapped back as she stretched out her foot to roughly kick at the legs of Ichigo's seat, knocking his chair right out from underneath him. The orange haired boy toppled over and crashed down to the hard floor with a heavy thud.

A few of their classmates chuckled at their bickering as Ichigo quickly leapt to his feet, raising his voice at Rukia as he towered over her. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?! Who cares if the damned Ice Dragon is real?! If he is, I bet he's nothing more than a wimpy worm that crawls around in the girl's locker room to get a sneak peak at them while they change!"

Rukia fumed in her seat as she clenched her fists tightly, resisting the urge to clobber his cheek with her knuckles and wipe that smug look right off his face. However, the teacher quickly slammed his hands down on his desk which made the classroom fall into a dead silence.

"Ichigo Kurosaki! Rukia Kuchiki! That's enough! If I hear one more word out of either of you then you get detention!" the teacher yelled at the top of his lungs to the point that his cheeks began to turn purple.

Ichigo grumbled a few things under his breath before he slouched back down in his seat. After giving Rukia one final glare for knocking his chair over, he finally dropped the subject as the teacher began lecturing once again.

"_Damn it, I didn't mean to get so worked up like that… Why do I even care what he thinks about the Ice Dragon?" _the petite girl wondered to herself as she slid her eyes away from Ichigo to stare out the window once again. The snow was beginning to fall harder than it had been only moments ago and now the entire courtyard of the school was covered in a blanket of white frost.

The Ice Dragon was a prominent figure in Karakura Town's history. When she was younger, Rukia's parents had often told her fanciful stories about the dragon's existence. According to the legends, the Ice Dragon was a powerful deity that protected the residents of Karakura Town. He was also supposedly responsible for bringing winter to the town and the duration of wintertime solely depended on the dragon's will. The dragon, allegedly peaceful by nature, helped preserve the natural order of the seasons as long as no one in the town evoked his wrath. However, if the townspeople did not follow the dragon's commands then the town as a whole would be punished by forcing to endure a long, unrelenting winter or terrible, catastrophic storms.

According to the stories passed down from generation to generation, the townspeople have angered the Ice Dragon many times in the past. Approximately one hundred and fifty years ago, the townspeople refused to comply with the dragon's commands. In response, the dragon destroyed most of their village by creating a treacherous snow storm that covered people's homes in layers of ice and snow. Many people died from the tenacious storm and those that survived suffered from long-lasting trauma. If that incident wasn't bad enough, roughly fifty years after the first snow storm occurred, the town had another major incident.

Another snow storm had wreaked havoc upon Karakura Town and due to the town's location high up in the mountains, a horrible avalanche occurred near the town's borders. Residents were stranded in Karakura Town and couldn't escape the turmoil of the snowstorm for several long days. Food was scarce and many people died of starvation or illness during that time.

For many winters to come, there had been numerous grave occurrences that the townsfolk blamed on the Ice Dragon's wrath. Although a lot of the instances could have been blamed on the town's location in the harsh, alpine environment, many of the town's residents found themselves believing in the Ice Dragon. Even to this day, there were still many shrines dedicated to the Ice Dragon and the town often held festivals celebrating the Ice Dragon as a mighty and powerful God. He was a major part of Karakura Town's history and culture. It had always irked Rukia to hear others badmouth him, whether he was simply a mythological creature or not.

Her mother had always believed in the Ice Dragon. Her mother was the one to read her the exciting stories about the Ice Dragon and had always reminded Rukia to be cautious during the winter so as to not accidentally anger the dragon. The dragon could be kept content as long as his people provided his temples with offerings and sent celebratory prayers of thanks in his honor. It didn't seem to take much to keep the Ice Dragon happy but there were a few legends that claimed that he, in all actuality, required a human sacrifice every year to keep him satisfied.

"If the dragon needs a sacrifice then he can just have Ichigo," Rukia nonchalantly mumbled to herself under her breath as she began sketching an image of the dragon onto her notebook. Many illustrations depicted the dragon to have sparkling ice crystals for skin and long, sharp icicles for wings. If he was indeed real then he would no doubt be a beautiful sight. Whether he was responsible for the brutal winter storms or not, Rukia was actually happy that Karakura Town had such a strong symbol representing their town. The Ice Dragon always had a discreet way of bringing people together, whether it was by celebrating him through extravagant festivals or by people sharing exciting tales of him by the campfire.

Ichigo was a fool. Of course the dragon was real! The dragon was real because he lived in the hearts of the town's citizens. Anyone who spoke ill of such an endearing symbol of their town's unity deserved to slip on an ice patch and fall on their ass!

The chiming of the bell awoke Rukia from her daydreaming state as it signaled the end of another school day. Each of the students began to gather their bags and head out of the classroom—all except Ichigo Kurosaki.

The taller male stood up from his desk to stand beside Rukia, an irritated scowl planted on his face as his chocolate eyes bored down at the girl below him. "Look, Rukia," Ichigo began as he shoved his hands in pockets, "about what I said earlier…"

She pretended to ignore him as she closed her notebook before stuffing it into her bag. When she didn't show any signs of acknowledging him, Ichigo quickly bowed his head in an apologetic manner. "I didn't mean to piss you off earlier. I know how important the Ice Dragon stories are to you. Hell, you've got the damned thing's statues plastered all over the Kuchiki Inn…"

"Are you apologizing for being such an insensitive jerk?" Rukia asked as she regarded him with a tiny smirk. Her words were met with a huffish growl before Ichigo lifted his head to lock gazes with her.

"You don't have to say it like that, but yeah, I guess I am apologizing for being an insensitive jerk. I remember your mom would always bring you and me to the Ice Dragon Winter Festival every year. You would always beg me to win you a dragon toy from one of the booths and you would tug at my hair until I won you something," the orange haired boy replied as the annoyance in his voice faded into a soft, lighthearted tone.

Ah, yes, those were such lovely memories. They had always had so much fun at the winter festival. There were always so many exciting booths full of all different kinds of foods while brightly colored lanterns decorated the pathways, illuminating the many lively activities the festival offered. The whole town would be filled with happy music and dancing individuals as they sang songs celebrating the Ice Dragon's good fortune. The festival had always brought nothing but joy to Rukia's life but she hadn't bothered visiting again since her parents' deaths…

As if he could hear her thoughts, Ichigo turned his face to look away from her as he stared down at his shoes. "Hey, Rukia, if you're not busy this weekend, would you like to come with me to the festival? I noticed you haven't gone these past two years. Maybe I could try winning you another dragon toy—"

His words were interrupted by Rukia abruptly pushing her chair back and standing up. "Sorry, Ichigo…I can't. Why don't you ask Orihime-chan instead?" she muttered before swinging her bag over her shoulder. She hastily pushed past him as she maneuvered her way towards the door.

"H-hey! Wait!" her childhood friend called back to her, a solemn look in his eyes as he watched her turn her back to him.

She didn't bother to stop as she closed the classroom door behind her. A bit of guilt rose in her chest at her sudden dismissal of his kindness but there was no way she could ever attend the festival again. There were just too many memories there. All it made her think about was her mother's smiling face and the fact that she would never be able to experience the warmth she felt from her mother's hand as they used to walk through the festival together, admiring all the beautiful decorations and colorful lanterns. The festival only served to be a painful reminder that she would never see her mother again. Ichigo had only been trying to be nice but he just didn't understand…

Tears were beginning to sting at the corners of her eyes but she fought against them, refusing to allow them to fall at a time like this. This was no time to having a pity party for herself. She needed to hurry back to the inn and begin making preparations for the massive influx of guests that would be staying at their inn during the upcoming weekend of the festival. Karakura Town was a popular tourist location and the Ice Dragon Winter Festival was a famous attraction that often drew in a big crowd during the winter season. Many rooms would need to be cleaned and the bath house would need extra care to accommodate the heavy flow of people.

As Rukia stepped into the courtyard of her school, many snowflakes began to kiss her soft skin. It was a little baffling to think it had grown _this _cold since the morning but such was the life of those living in the lofty regions of the mountains. Rukia pulled her pink sweater tighter around her slender body as she began to trudge through the snow, making her way to her family's inn.


	2. Choice

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 _hates_parties 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 _obi_wrapped 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 someone_just _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_."


	3. Ceremony

Being offered the position of the _Dragon Priestess _had seemed like the proposal of a lifetime at first.

Urahara Kisuke had made it seem like the job of the Dragon Priestess was going to be a piece of cake for Rukia. Her ears had been filled with promises of fancy clothing, extravagant feasts, and tranquil ceremonies that would help ease the tension of her fragile soul. What Urahara chose to _not_ fill her in was the actual labor that was involved in being the Dragon Priestess.

She really should have known it wasn't going to be _that _easy.

After having her sign a few papers as a formal acceptance of her newly appointed title, Urahara had escorted Rukia to a fancy temple where she was to spend the remainder of her week. The temple was a large settlement where many monks lived and it was a popular establishment for soul-seeking individuals in need of spiritual enlightenment.

"_Only when you're properly sanctified can you truly become a prophet of the Ice Dragon. You'll need to reside hereat Koori Temple and follow the instructions that I and the other members of the city council provide you with_," Urahara had told her when they arrived at the site.

He had wasted no time in cutting straight to the chase. "_From now on, you're going to have a pretty tight schedule that you'll have to follow. But don't worry! It won't be too bad! The monks living here will make sure your stay at their temple is quite comfortable and I'm going to arrange to have another member of the city council stay here with you as well_."

It was rather fortunate that she had been excused from school that current week to focus on her new duties since Rukia's agenda had been filled to the top from the moment she stepped foot on the temple grounds. On her first day, she had been expected to meet each and every member of the city council as well as all of the other influential people that assisted in the Winter Dragon Festival. There were so many names, so many faces… Yoruichi Shihoin, Retsu Unohana, Shunsui Kyoraku, and Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto were the only names she had been able to halfway memorize. It was a little intimidating at first but Rukia soon discovered that the town's delegates were actually charismatic, amicable people.

The Ice Dragon Winter Festival was almost entirely run by the fifteen members of the city council. Rukia had soon learned that the city council was solely responsible for the town's prosperity and they were almost entirely in control of the city as a whole. They monitored everything, Urahara had explained to her, and the winter festival was their favorite event since it was the one time of the year where they could truly relax and enjoy themselves. Urahara had advised Rukia to follow each of their instructions carefully and not to provoke them in any manner. Although they had all seemed welcoming and personable during their introductions, Rukia couldn't help but wonder if the city council were all secretly overbearing control freaks.

Yoruichi Shihoin, for example, had been the one that was under obligation to assist Rukia in the process of purifying her soul. She looked to be in her mid-twenties and her olive skin tone and radiant, orchid hair easily made her stand out from the rest of the delegates. Although a little eccentric, Yoruichi was a kind person with a bit of a fiery flare to her personality. Even though the two women found themselves getting along for the most part, Yoruichi had provided Rukia with lots of strenuous tasks.

For the remainder of the week, Yoruichi had requested that Rukia prepare a speech that was going to be broadcast all across the nation during the winter festival that glorified the name of the Ice Dragon. When she wasn't stressing over what she should say to the people of Japan, Rukia was expected to hit the books and study up on the formal lore of the Ice Dragon. There was a also a large performance each night of the festival that required the Dragon Priestess to enact a ceremonial dance. During her stay at the Koori Temple, Rukia's nights were exclusively dedicated to rehearsing her dance and perfecting each of the intricate moves. Writing, reading, dancing, praying… There was no end to the hard work!

If that hadn't been as exasperating enough, Rukia had also been forced to attend religious services in the Ice Dragon's name every morning at four o'clock sharp. There were quite a few devoted individuals in Karakura Town that prayed to the Ice Dragon on a daily basis but Rukia had assumed that only the town's monks were zealous inpraying to the deity so wholeheartedly. Much to her bewilderment, many of the prominent figures in town had dedicated themselves to attending the daily ceremonies located in Koori Temple. There were doctors, lawyers, business owners, and even teachers that flooded the dragon's holy chambers each morning. How did Rukia not notice the extreme loyalty of the townspeople to the dragon? Was she and the rest of the younger generation blind to the strict allegiance many of the adults had to their idol?

_I guess I'm just like the adults for the time being_, Rukia had thought to herself one morning as she bowed in front of an engraved altar sitting in the middle of the sanctuary. It was a little mind boggling that so many people were this devoted to the dragon. Were her parents just the same? Did they constantly pray to the dragon for guidance and for peace while they were still alive?

In addition to prayer, Rukia had also been commanded to cleanse her soul by engaging in many ceremonial rituals. During each morning ritual, Yoruichi would lightly skim Rukia's finger with a dagger and add a few drops of her blood to a golden goblet that sat neatly upon the main altar.

Never before had Rukia questioned the practices of the devout citizens but offering her blood to the dragon seemed to be a little extreme, to say the least.

"_Adding your blood to this chalice signifies the surrendering of your free will to the dragon. It will help sanitize your soul_," Yoruichi had told Rukia during their first ritual. It was only natural for Rukia to be reluctant to jump into all these abnormal, traditional practices but she eventually became compliant after much urging and pushing.

The rituals didn't stop there. Supplementary to the blood offering, Rukia was to bathe in freezing, purified water three times a day while only being allowed to wear elegant, white kimonos during the day to promote purity on the inside and on the outside. There were so many strict rules that bound Rukia to the Ice Dragon and Yoruichiremained by her side to enforce those rules. Vegetables were the only foods to be consumed-meat was strictly prohibited. The Dragon Priestess must refrain from using electronics unless given permission to do. Deep meditation must be performed once every two hours for at least twenty minutes at a time. The Dragon Priestess must not speak unless spoken to directly or given permission by a city council member. The Dragon Priestess must refrain from any actions that could cause the soul to be tainted with sinful desires. The Dragon Priestess must not have any contact with the outside world until her purification process was complete on the first day of the festival.

Her Dragon Priestess duties were endless and each passing day forced her body to grow weak and weary. Her nights were long and restless and band-aids decorated her fingers from where Yoruichi had carved into her flesh with the blade. All of these tiresome rituals felt so unreasonable and unconventional. Did she _really _need to follow all these rules to find favor in the Ice Dragon's eyes? The more she pondered on those matters, the more unsettled she became inside the walls of Koori Temple.

While she had spent her week cooped up inside like a caged bird, snow was beginning to thicken in Karakura Town. The steps of Koori Temple had been completely iced over and the windows had been adorned with icicles, enabling it nearly impossible to see out of them. Roads had been shut down throughout the city and the schools had even been closed for the remainder of the week due to the snowy blockages.

One morning, Rukia had made her way towards the dining hall to retrieve some warm tea to subdue her relentless chills. On her way, she had accidentally overheard Yoruichi talking with a monk about how the winter festival might have to be cancelled.

"_Some one's angered the Ice Dragon_," the monk whispered to Yoruichi as they sauntered over to another altar to offer their daily respects to the dragon. "_This is the worst the snow's been in the past twelve years_!"

_"All the more reason why we need a Dragon Priestess this year. We have to appease him with no more mistakes_," the young woman replied as the purple locks of her long pony tail swayed behind her. She kept her voice low as she glanced back over her shoulder to steal a peak at the curious girl who followed them quietly.

_No more mistakes? _Rukia silently thought to herself as she nonchalantly turned her gaze away from Yoruichi and the gossiping monk. For the rest of the week, she never heard anyone mention anything else about the Ice Dragon's wrath. Snow continued to fall for the next few days but stopped late Thursday evening; the festival was to continue as planned.

If she had only known how much trouble this role would have caused her, Rukia would have _never_ agreed to do it. She constantly reeked of incense and so many oils had been rubbed into her skin that she felt like a greased up pig. The meals were hardly worth mentioning, what with their bland salad and uncooked bean sprouts. Not to mention she had to sleep on the cold, hard floor each night with out a blanket. The monks had preached to her that the followers of the dragon must always try to remain as spiritually close to their deity as possible, even as the slept. Apparently, the monks believed that they felt the dragon's presence most when they were shivering to the bone. Shivers and goosebumps were supposedly symbolized as the Ice Dragon's manner of _embracing _them.

This religion was almost too much for her to handle.

Everyone was just _too _absorbed in the religion of the Ice Dragon. On the night before the first day of the festival, Rukia lay wide awake while unable to escape the bitter cold of her empty bed chambers. She truly regretted ever accepting Urahara's proposition but her brother's proclamation of her bringing pride and honor to the Kuchiki name had been the deciding factor of her choice. She couldn't help but wonder if the former Dragon Priests and Priestesses of previous years felt the same way as she. She wondered if they, too, had been skeptical of the bizarre and uncanny religious practices or if they were just simply proud of being chosen.

Come to think of it, she never really got to talk to any of the former priests or priestesses after their coronation ceremonies. Six years ago, her neighbor had been chosen as the Dragon Priest. She remembered accompanying her mother to the festival shrine to offer thanks to the dragon but that was the last time she ever saw him. Perhaps he grew cynical of the town's religion and thought it would be in his best interest to move as far away from Karakura Town as he could. Smiling at the thought, Rukia couldn't bring herself to blame him for leaving his honorary position in the past and start a life anew.

She only had one more day left to endure this horrible chapter in her life. Tomorrow, the festival would be starting and she could finally escape Koori Temple. The festival only lasted three days and after Sunday, she would never have to bathe in icy cold water again or drench her body in putrid bath oils. Her hands would be free from any more scathing and she would never have to wake up for morning prayer at four a.m. She would be able to go home and have her fill of delicious pork dumplings and steamed buns. She would never have to pray to the Ice Dragon again and she could put all of this behind her as one bad memory.

* * *

><p>Friday, the first day of the Ice Dragon Winter Festival, had been even busier than her days of preparation. Her entire morning had been mapped out by the city council but she had finally been able to rid herself of that awfulKoori Temple. The festival was held in the central park located right in the heart of Karakura Town; a perfect spot to lure in tourists and sight-seers. It had felt incredibly refreshing to finally step outside and get a nice breath of that fresh, crisp air but Rukia hand't realized just how much it had snowed during the past five days.<p>

Snow trucks busied themselves as they plowed through the snow blocking the streets. Although there were only a few snowflakes falling from above by the time sun had risen high up in the sky, Rukia had to practically hike through the thick snow for a few blocks to even get to the festival. Yoruichi and Urahara both had accompanied her on her walk to the festival, trying their best to hype her up for the festivities that lied ahead.

"Now, Rukia-chan, the real fun begins!" the mayor said in an exuberant tone as he flipped open his notebook. "First, you'll need to practice your speech for the television broadcast a few times because we'll be shooting today at noon. And then you'll need to be ready to perform the ceremonial dance on stage-just as we rehearsed. That's very important! After the dance, we'll need to get you washed up so you can be presentable at the shrine. Lots of people are going to be handing you offerings and tribute but you can just hand it all over to me and the other city council members at the end of the day and we'll place them in the Koori Temple—"

Exhausted from the week's prior events, Rukia couldn't help but tune out Urahara's voice as she tracked through the snow. The city council had been kind enough to provide her with white boots and a white, heavy coat to keep her from freezing to death but the bitter cold kept nipping at her cheeks, shivering her to the bone.

It was only a few days ago that Rukia Kuchiki was no more than an ordinary high school student who wished she could spend her days frolicking in the snow and having fun with her classmates. And yet, all she wished for_now_ was for all the snow and ice to melt away. It would be nice if the Ice Dragon could simply melt along with the snow, in addition to all the problems the religion had caused her over the week.

She could only hope that after the festival, she would never have to hear the horrid name of the Ice Dragon ever again.

The sun began to fade away, melting the sky into deep shades of oranges and pink. All things eventually came to an end, the Ice Dragon Winter Festival being no exception to the rule. Astonishingly enough, the weekend passed quicker than Rukia had anticipated. Time flies when you're being worked to the bone, she supposed, but it wasn't as if she was complaining either.

Rukia sat perched upon a crystallized throne at a small shrine resting at the center of the festival. Many vendors were already packing up their booths and Rukia couldn't help but exude a dejected sigh as she realized she missed her chance to sample the savory _takoyaki _and shaved ice of the festival booths.

Save for the traditional dances she had to perform in front of the attendees, Rukia had spent most of her weekend sitting at the shrine, accepting gifts and prayers from the various townspeople that had wanted to express their gratitude towards the Ice Dragon. The heavy snowfall hadn't put a damper on the festival at all and the faithful worshipers of the dragon wanted to display their deepest thanks to him by bowing to Rukia and delivering their words of praise to him through her.

Did she truly think she was a messenger of the dragon? Far from it. Not once did Rukia have a mystic revelation that directly proved to her that the Ice Dragon was spiritually communicating with her. She had lied, of course, when the city council had constantly nagged her about whether or not she felt the dragon's presence within her soul.

As a child, Rukia had been interested in the dragon. But as a young woman blossoming into adulthood, she was just now realizing how far-fetched it all was. How lamentable it was that being the Dragon Priestess had turned her a bit skeptical towards the town's deity but she was just simply ready to relinquish her title and return to her life as an ordinary teenager.

"Yo! Rukia! Long time, no see!" A voice awoke Rukia from her cynical thoughts as she saw a familiar face approach her.

Normally the sight of Ichigo Kurosaki wouldn't even elicit so much as a tiny smile from Rukia but she was just so relieved to finally see a friendly face that she instantly perked up when her gaze met with his. "Ichigo!" Rukia beamed, waving excitedly at her friend.

A bob of vibrant, orange hair peeked out from behind Ichigo's back as he made his way over to her. Following behind him was none other than a very bashful Orihime Inoue who's face immediately lit up at the sight of Rukia. Ichigo had heeded Rukia's advice on inviting Orihime to accompany him to the festival, it seemed, and the rosy gleam on Orihime's cheeks had proved that things were going well between them.

"It's so great to see you, Kuchiki-san!" the redheaded girl said as she bounced over to where Rukia sat, stepping over the many gifts that rested neatly beside the priestess's feet.

Rukia responded with a friendly smile, her chest fluttering at the sounds of her friends' voices. "Likewise! You have no idea how much I've missed being at school! Oh, and that kimono looks lovely on you, Orihime!"

The compliment had only served to broaden Orihime's smile as she giggled lightly, leaning in to whisper in her friend's ear. "Kurosaki-kun asked me to go with him to the festival so I tried to look my best! But you? You look so elegant, Kuchiki-san!"

_So he really did ask her out? That's great, _Rukia thought to herself as she flicked her gaze from the chipper female to the scowling male a few feet away.

"I never thought some one our age would ever be the Dragon Priest. Or, uh, _Priestess_. I knew you liked the Ice Dragon but I never thought you'd get sucked in to all the religious crap. Not to mention, that outfit isn't really your style," Ichigo snorted as he wrinkled up his nose at her appearance. He was never the type to stifle his opinion, especially when it came to matters concerning his childhood friend.

"Did you come all the way out here just to insult me? Don't you have anything better to do?" Rukia retorted with just as much bitterness that he had shot at her. The excitement she had felt over seeing him moments ago had instantly evaporated. There was no denying that he was right, though; the outfit really didn't suit her. The satin fabric of the alabaster kimono only served to make her look pale and sickly while the golden, gaudy headpiece that had been placed upon her head like a crown looked to be no more than a cheap decoration for a six year old's birthday party.

"What? You really think I'd skip out and miss the chance to see you humiliate yourself in front of the entire city? Don't think I didn't see you trip over your feet during your stupid dance!" Ichigo tried to choke back some laughter that threatened to erupt in the middle of his sentence.

Rukia simply glared back at him as she bent down to remove one of her sandals from her feet, threatening to chunk it at his head without further notice. How dare that insolent asshole berate her dancing! She had spent all week practicing and it wasn't _her _fault she just happened to trip during her musical number!

Before she even had a chance to release her shoe at him, a chilling voice crept up behind her and halted her movements completely.

"What do you think you're doing? Resorting to violence, I see?" Yoruichi grunted out from behind Rukia with a tone that would make any grown man cower in fear. "That's not very becoming of a righteous figure as yourself, Kuchiki-san."

With her head dropped in shame, Rukia obediently lowered her hand before sliding her foot back into her sandal. She hadn't realized Yoruichi was close-by but it was still pretty thoughtless to act in such an abrasive manner while she sat on her throne. "My apologies, Shihoin-san," Rukia replied before casting an indignant glare in Ichigo's direction for pushing her buttons.

Yoruichi nodded in approval at Rukia's response before folding her arms over her chest. "You know you're not supposed to speak with outsiders unless they're here to offer praise to the dragon but I'll let it slide this time. In any case, the final fireworks will be starting soon and we'll need you for one final ceremony."

Rukia's violet eyes widened in shock as she turned around to face Yoruichi. "What? I thought I was done being the Dragon Priestess when the festival ended!" She tried to mask the disappointment in her voice but her strong desire to return home was unable to be repressed any longer. Ichigo and Orihime exchanged uncomfortable glances as they listened to the discussion between the two women.

"You _will _be done once the festival is _over_. We still have the fireworks finale and during that time you will have your last duty as the Dragon Priestess," Yoruichi answered with a straight face before turning her back on Rukia.

"And then I can go home?" Rukia asked with hopefulness rising in her voice. All she wanted was to be rid of this horrid crown and never see the faces of the city council again.

"You will be done after this final ceremony. Kisuke and I will be back in fifteen minutes to deliver you back to Koori Temple," was all Yoruichi said as she took her exit to head off into the streets of the festival.

Rukia's shoulders slumped forward in gloominess at those final words. Once Yoruichi had completely vanished out of sight, Ichigo was the first one to speak up. "I don't like her. In fact, I don't like anyone from the city council. Hell, I don't like _anything _about the way this city is run."

"Don't say things like that, Kurosaki-kun! The city council works very hard to maintain the stability of this town," Orihime butted in, nudging his shoulder softly.

With a quick roll of his eyes, Ichigo folded his arms over his chest before turning his attention back to the sulking girl in white. "Everything smells fishy. Have you ever noticed just how sneaky they are about things?! Things are too damn orderly in this town and all this Ice Dragon business is creepy as fuck."

Normally, Rukia would have snapped at him for daring to speak lowly of the dragon, but for once she actually found herself agreeing with the bastard. The city council had been nothing but devious from the start. They tricked her, they lied to her, they bossed her around... Sure, they had tried to deceive her with fake smiles of politeness when she had first met them but something had just never quite sat right with her.

Especially the mayor, Urahara Kisuke.

"All the adults in this city act like brainwashed cultists. They worship a stupid dragon although there sure as hell ain't proof of his existence. So what if it snowed like crazy this past week? There's no angry _dragon_behind it! They're all bat-shit crazy!" Ichigo continued, not bothering to hold back his true feelings.

"K-Kurosaki-kun, I really wouldn't say things like that so loudly," Orihime advised him as she timidly glanced around at some curious bystanders who had turned their attention towards the loud-mouthed teenager. "We should leave Kuchiki-san alone for now. We don't want to cause her any more trouble..."

Rukia had chosen to remain silent but had fundamentally agreed with Ichigo's words. This city was peaceful; almost _too _peaceful. Criminal activity was never documented and even the media was selective with what it chose to broadcast. Symbols representing the Ice Dragon rested at almost every corner of every street and no one ever really discussed any religions outside of the belief in the Ice Dragon. Rukia had once enjoyed the tight-knit community of her hometown but was just now realizing how _strange _it was.

"How did you get roped into this Dragon Priestess crap, anyways?" Ichigo asked, ignoring Orihime's pleas to end the conversation. "Lemme guess...Your brother convinced you, didn't he?"

No words were needed to reaffirm his suspicions; Rukia's frown completely gave it away.

"You know, I'm starting to think the Ice Dragon junk is nothing more than a scam. The city council uses this religious crap into scaring the people of our town into being good, holy citizens. They use it to bring in tourists so they can bring in money. Hell, I bet they even use the offering money to help fund all their fancy houses and shit. It's nothing more than a big, fat hoax to help control the people of Karakura Town!" Ichigo knew no filter as he continued prattling on with his opinions.

Rukia never once dared to stop him, in fact, she was even a little proud of him for forming his own opinion on the way the town was run. Never in her life had she ever heard someone speak so negatively of the Ice Dragon and it was rather reassuring to know that not everyone had fallen into the city council's trap.

"You're right, Ichigo," Rukia whispered as she stared down at the offerings by her feet. There were gold coins, flowers, and even small presents that adults and children alike had brought her throughout the weekend. Rukia had been just like them at one point, eager to believe in anything that would bring her comfort. Even after the death of her parents, Rukia always believed that everything would be okay as long as the Ice Dragon watched over her.

_It's just empty lies._

She didn't want to be the Dragon Priestess. The Ice Dragon, the center of her childhood fantasies, was nothing more than a false god that the city council used to exert their authority over the townspeople. After the final ceremony, she was going to turn her back on the Ice Dragon and never think about the foolish cult behind him ever again.

Orihime frowned at crestfallen expression upon her friend's face. Rukia had always been quick to defend the dragon before Ichigo but now she simply looked like she was about to break down and cry. Why did Ichigo's words lay so heavily on her heart this time in contrast to all the other times he spat on the dragon's name?

A heavy silence swept across the friends that not even a cricket's chirp could penetrate. "You and Orihime-chan should go see the fireworks," Rukia said after a long, drawn out pause. "The elders will be back soon and I don't want to get in any more trouble."

The redheaded pair quietly agreed to leave Rukia be for the time being. "We'll be sure to grab you some cotton candy if any booths are still open!" Orihime piped out as she waved to Rukia. "We should all hang out after you're done with that last ceremony!"

Rukia granted them a quick farewell before the two departed from her. The image of their backs facing her caused her chest to tighten in pain for a quick moment. She couldn't extinguish the fretful palpitations of her heart as they left her to her solitude but soon her anxiety subsided just as quickly as it had emerged.

It was probably just her imagination but why did she get the feeling that she wouldn't be able to hang out with them after the ceremony?

* * *

><p>Yoruichi and Urahara had soon arrived to pick up Rukia and take her back to the Koori Temple, just as Yoruichi had promised. Although she wanted nothing more than to return home, Rukia had decided to humor the city council and attend the final ceremony while the fireworks crackled in the sky above. She had signed a contract and despite her newly formed dislike towards the contemptuous city council, she figured it would cause her more trouble in the long run if she didn't comply with their final instructions.<p>

_After this, you're done with it all. Just see it out til' the end. Your brother-and your parents-will be proud_, Rukia encouraged herself as Urahara lead her back into the main chambers of Koori Temple.

The sanctuary had never been filled with so many people. Rows and rows of people sat in the pews, ranging from monks to shopkeepers, and not a single space was left empty. There were even some people standing up in the back of the room, filling in all the available space. Despite the overflow of the town's residents, the room was as silent as it would have been if it were completely empty.

Neither Urahara nor Yoruichi had bothered to explain the details of this particular ceremony to Rukia and she couldn't help but grow rather irritated at them for failing to mention the amount of spectators that were going to be watching. She shuddered to think that they may have expected her to come up with an inspirational speech on the spot or even another ceremonial dance.

The members of the city council sat in the first two rows, their heads bowed in respect as Urahara escorted the Dragon Priestess to the front of the room. Amongst the many faces of the crowd sat a very grim Byakuya Kuchiki. Rukia was quite shocked to see him sitting with the other adults of the town but she could only assume that he had been notified of the final ceremony and invited to attend as well. Something about his somber disposition made Rukia a little concerned but her older brother was the type to grow agitated in crowded rooms. He probably just didn't like sitting so close to complete strangers.

There were no children nor teenagers sitting in the audience; only adults. Only the soft glow of various candles illuminated the sanctum and the crimson coloring of the walls emanated an eerie vibe throughout the room. Rukia began to grow uneasy underneath the stares of the witnesses and this did not go unnoticed by Yoruichi.

The young woman reached out to seize Rukia's hand, squeezing her hand gently in encouragement. When Rukia's eyes slid up to meet hers, Yoruichi sent her a quick wink. "Don't worry. You're about to reach enlightenment."

_Enlightenment? _What on Earth did she mean by that?

"My brothers and sisters, the time of retribution is now!" Urahara declared as he stood at the front of the room, arms spread out wide for emphasis. "The purification of our Dragon Priestess has been completed! It is time for her to ascend into the heavens and meet with our beloved god!"

Something was not right. What was Urahara-san talking about? Sirens were going off inside her head, alerting her of imminent danger. Cautionary goosebumps formed along her arms as her heart began to slam against her chest. She had a horrible, sinking feeling that caused her entire body to react with tension. And yet, everything in her body was urging her to run except her legs; they just wouldn't budge.

"As many of you may know, the Ice Dragon has been recently angered. The amount of believers in him has drastically declined over the past ten years and this is causing a great disturbance in the stability of the town. We must alienate anyone who dares to go against the faith in the Ice Dragon! We cannot allow any more blasphemous statements of his name or he shall smite us with his frosty rage!" Urahara's words produced many nods and claps throughout the room.

Rukia continued to skim the audience for any signs of disagreement but none came into her line of vision. Ichigo was right! This whole Ice Dragon charade was the work of conspiring cultists! The city council was trying to brainwash its citizens into worshiping the Ice Dragon so they could control their citizens!

Rukia's palms grew sweaty as the back of her throat grew as dry as a desert. Nonetheless, Urahara continued on with his dramatic speech. "This year's Dragon Priestess will make a fine sacrifice. There is no way our beloved god will punish us if we offer him the soul of Rukia Kuchiki!" Urahara's decree had caused the elders to explode into a loud applause and no cries of objection could be heard from anyone.

"_Sacrifice_?" Rukia blurted out as she whipped her to head to the right to get a good luck at Urahara. Was he joking? Surely he was joking. That same stupid grin from her first meeting with him was still plastered on his face so he most certainly had to be jesting about using her as a _sacrifice_.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a few tall and burly men in police uniforms guarding every exit. Their faces showed no signs of finding hilarity in Urahara's words as they locked gazes with Rukia.

_This...This is all some kind of a sick joke...It has to be!_

Rukia remained perfectly still as she waited for the punchline. Any moment now, Urahara would start laughing and then shake Rukia's hand for being such a good sport about everything. Then, he would let her go home with her brother and she could forget about this whole Dragon Priestess ordeal.

But the punchline never came.

"My fellow brethren, let us offer thanks to the dragon for sparing us from certain death this year! Let us show our gratitude towards him through the blood of our priestess! Her death shall not be in vain!" the blonde male shouted, his voice rising to a crescendo. The cheering of the congregation rose in sync with Urahara's voice and some people even stood up to applaud.

"What the hell are you talking about?! What do you mean _death?!_" Rukia shouted as she jerked her hand away from Yoruichi but the echoes of the clapping had drowned out the clamor of her voice.

"Rukia, please, calm down-" Yoruichi pleaded but Rukia was already taking a few steps away from her.

"NO! You're all crazy! I don't want to be a part of this anymore!" the petite woman shrieked in a shaky voice. She quickly surveyed the room for any signs of unguarded doors but each one was shielded by an officer with narrowed eyes that urged Rukia to not even think about attempting to flee the monastery.

Urahara, noticing the spiraling fear within the priestess's eyes, raised his hand to silence the bustling audience. Once the applause subsided, Urahara took a slow step towards the nervous girl.

"It seems our Dragon Priestess is afraid. That's okay-it's natural to be scared of the unknown! But I promise that there is nothing to be afraid of where you're going. Your blood will be the key in saving this town from a deadly blizzard. Without you, our town would fall victim to the dragon's wrath," he consoled her in a silky smooth voice that would even make a squalling baby cease their cries just by hearing his words. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes and Rukia knew better than to believe that there was nothing to be fearful of.

She tried to slink away from the blonde male, eyes full of distrust and terror as a few other guards began to inch towards her with slow, threatening steps.

_"_N-no! Stay back! You've taken this Ice Dragon business too far! What about the other Priests and Priestesses before me?! Did you kill them, too?!" Rukia cried out in protest as she kept her eyes focused on the approaching guards, careful as to not make any sudden movements that would cause them to lunge at her.

The emptiness in Urahara's eyes left no room for remorse as his hands clenched tightly into a fist. "Sacrifices must be made to protect the town, Rukia. The town has continued to exist through the sheer mercy of the dragon and by the preservation of traditions. If we were to ever refuse to offer him the blood of a priest or priestess, we would lose a lot more than just one citizen."

"What are you even talking about?! There is _no _dragon! It's all a myth! Are you even listening to yourself?! You're killing innocent people in the name of some mythical creature!" Rukia tried to defend herself as she shouted in a tone much louder than Urahara's honeyed voice. A profound silence wafted throughout the sanctuary as no one in the congregation dared to speak.

"Rukia, please don't be so rash. The dragon is indeed real. Even if you don't believe in him now, you will soon come to realize the truth," Urahara responded in a hushed tone as he scratched at the stubble on his chin. Why did the Dragon Priests and Priestesses always have to be so stubborn when it came to being sacrificed? Didn't they _want _to be heroes that prevented the Ice Dragon from destroying their town?

"And _you _all," Rukia harshly snapped as she pointed an accusing finger at the silent townspeople, directing her anger towards them now. "How can you all just sit back while the mayor kills off your Dragon Priestess?! Don't you think killing an adolescent is wrong?! Don't you think killing _anyone _in your town for the sake of some stupid cult is wrong?!"

Her body quivered in anger and fear but part of her still hoped that this was some kind of a prank. Mixed emotions crossed over the congregation's faces. Some people looked ashamed while others look frightened. A few even looked like they agreed with Rukia while others appeared to be appalled by her uproar. But none of them-not _one _of them-looked like they were going to stand up for her.

Not even Byakuya.

"We've all been over this a million times, Rukia. We do this once a year," Urahara muttered as he stared down at his feet. "Once a member of society turns eighteen, they learn the truth being the Ice Dragon's wrath. Those that oppose our town's traditions are punished for treason against the Ice Dragon. Trust me-this isn't something we like doing."

Judging by the roaring applause moments ago, it was impossible to believe they didn't enjoy this whole "noble sacrifice" business.

"But it's something us adults have grown accustomed to. Every year, we send off one of our own into the _Hallowed Forest. _Once they step foot into the dragon's territory, it is no longer in our hands as the dragon embraces them as his prey; as his _sacrifice," _Urahara continued, no longer bothering to sugarcoat his words anymore. There was nothing he could say that would persuade Rukia to willingly surrender herself.

The spiel had been the same every year. He had only been mayor for the past six years but the responsibility of choosing a sacrifice had been placed into his hands. It wasn't easy but he grew less and less remorseful of his actions every passing year.

This was a job that needed to be done no matter how _dirty _it was.

"Enough talking. The girl is too childish to understand. Let's just knock her out and dump her in the forest," Yoruichi retaliated, interrupting Rukia before she could even attempt to defend herself once again.

Rukia's gaze quickly assessed the room as she desperately searched for an opening to escape. Much to her dismay, the guards began to encircle her until they had her completely surrounded. She was such a tiny woman-was it really necessary to have so many guards standing by to prevent her from running?

Rukia bit her lip, her heart racing a thousand miles per second. This was it. This was the end. She was going to be killed by a bunch of religious lunatics. She cast one last look into the congregation until her eyes locked with the cold, unwavering stare of her brother. He showed no signs of getting up to rescue her and his empty, expressionless face only further showed that he had no concern for her current predicament. Her own brother was allowing such a tyrannical thing to happen! He was just going to idly sit by and watch the townspeople murder her for their own self-interest!

"Don't fight with us, Rukia. Just think about how many people will die if we don't use you as a sacrifice," Urahara said in a pleading tone as he took another step towards her.

_This was it. _She was going to die here. She was going to die for the greater good of this sick, twisted little town.

A large painting of the Ice Dragon hovered overhead on the wall facing her. The image of his crystal scales and glowing eyes was the last memory burned into Rukia's mind as something hard and rough collided with her skull, shattering her consciousness.

Then there was nothing but darkness.


	4. Farewell

Rukia remained trapped in her unconscious state until the darkness began to finally dissolve around her. Her vision returned, albeit a little blurry at first, and she tried to lift her head a little but a sudden rush of pain tore through her senses and urged her to remain as still as possible. Her whole body ached as if she had just been trampled by a stampede of horses and her wrists felt uncomfortably raw as if they had been rubbed together with sandpaper. However, none of the aches on her body could compare to the powerful throbbing of her head.

Rukia's limp body was slumped over the muscular shoulder of a tall, robust man in a police uniform. The irritation of her wrists, Rukia realized, was caused by a tight rope that had both hands tightly bound to one another behind her back. Perplexed by her surroundings, she winced from the pressure in her stomach as she stared at the footprints the man's feet had left on the snow-covered ground. Why was she tied up and hoisted over a man's shoulder like she was nothing more than a sack of potatoes?!

Memories from the day's earlier events finally managed to creep their way back into Rukia's consciousness as she suddenly became aware of her current predicament.

_She was going to be sacrificed to the Ice Dragon. _

She quickly tried to shake off her lethargic disposition as she tried to yank her wrists free from the rope but her attempts at breaking away were futile. A hand harshly gripped her rear as the rugged voice of an irritated man growled at her.

"Quit yer' movin'," the policeman snorted as his teal colored eyes narrowed at the girl slung over his shoulder. Even though she weighed about as much as a small child, the girl was still tiny and nimble enough to slip between his hands if he didn't keep his guard up.

Realizing that she was being held as a prisoner, she began to fight against the hands that held her in place. "Unhand me this instant, you filthy dirtbag!" Rukia shouted as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp. He was far superior to her in strength and height but her violent squirming caused him to nearly lose his footing and drop her in the snow.

"I said quit movin', you crazy bitch!" the officer shouted again, this time with more ferocity in his voice, as he struggled to keep himself steady.

"LET ME GO! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Rukia howled back, her legs ferociously kicking in the air. One particular kick managed to collide with the man's cheek, causing him to detonate in a fury of curse words and threats. If Rukia could manage to land another direct kick to his jaw, she just might be able to break free of him long enough for her to dash away.

All of the commotion caught the attention of Kisuke Urahara as he lead a small crowd of people towards a large forest that awaited them a few feet ahead. With a heavy sigh, he shook his head in disappointment as he stepped away from his followers to take matters into his own hands. "Is there a problem, Officer Grimmjow?" the mayor asked calmly as he approached the boisterous officer and the feisty woman.

Urahara's chilling voice not only caught the attention of the police officer but it also stunned Rukia, too, as her jaw clenched tightly in anger at the very sight of the despicable blonde man with the stupid, green-striped hat. "N-No, your honor! It's just that this little brat won't quit tryin' to get away. She fuckin' kicked me!" Officer Grimmjow quickly replied as he took advantage of her stupefied reaction to reach up and use both arms to restrain her. Trying to hold her was almost as hard as trying to hold onto to a wiggling fish—she just kept trying to slip away out of his fingers like the grimy beast she was!

Urahara watched the blue haired policeman scramble to keep the fierce girl trapped within his grasp. It was a rather silly sight to see the tall and brawny Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez desperately try to subdue such a small, scrawny woman. That Rukia Kuchiki was certainly putting up a good fight! He had to commend her on her efforts but this was no time to be dawdling around.

With a quick thrust of his arm, Urahara jabbed his fist into Rukia's solar plexus. All of the air was instantly knocked out of Rukia's lungs as nothing more than a mere grunt was expelled from her lips. Pain surged through her as her vision began to be shrouded in another cloud of black mist. All the fight in her was instantly sucked away as she crumpled down into Officer Grimmjow's arms, falling completely limp and helpless.

"It doesn't take much to restrain a child, Officer Grimmjow. You should know that by now," Urahara chimed in with a playful grin upon his lips. His smile; however, didn't quite reach the cold, threatening glare that urged Grimmjow to quit fooling around for possibility that he, too, might receive a firm beating.

The officer with the cobalt hair simply gawked at the mayor for ruthlessly punching the Dragon Priestess in the gut without thinking twice about it. "Y-yes sir," Grimmjow grumbled as he looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms, almost feeling sorry for her. _Almost_. That rough kick to his jaw kept him from presenting her with any real pity but she was still just a kid…

"We're finally at _Hallowed Forest_," Urahara said quietly as he walked alongside Grimmjow, keeping a close eye on Rukia in case she decided to wake up with much vigor once again. His mahogany eyes gazed out at the tall trees marking the entrance of the town's famous forest. Endless acres of woods surrounded the corners of Karakura Town and very few hikers dared to venture into them too deep.

Hallowed Forest had coined its name amongst the townspeople of Karakura Town for being the final resting place of the yearly sacrifices. The ritual of offering the Ice Dragon a human sacrifice had existed for centuries since the early ages of the town's establishment in the late 1700's. According to the elders, the dragon used to retrieve the sacrifice himself and reveal his godly form to his followers. No one had seen the Ice Dragon in the past seventy years and Urahara couldn't help but curse his young age.

Oh, how he would have loved to revel in the majestic gleam of the dragon's scales and gaze upon his incandescent wings in person. As mayor, he could only hope that he would someday be granted the chance to be graced by the dragon's physical presence, just as his ancestors before him did.

It truly was discouraging that the dragon had gone into hiding for nearly seventy-two years. No one knew why he decided to remain out of sight and it made it all the more difficult to conceal the secret operations going on within the walls of Karakura Town from the rest of the world. The younger generation was far too imprudent when it came to preserving the religious traditions of dragon-worshipping and if any outsiders caught wind that human sacrifices were being made, it would undoubtedly be catastrophic for the town. Luckily, Hallowed Forest was the perfect place to offer tribute to the dragon. According to the prophecies passed down from the elders of the town, the dragon was said to have taken refuge deep within the depths of the woods.

For the past seventy years, the city council has banished their divine sacrifice into the woods in hopes that the Ice Dragon would find favor in their offering and humbly accept it. Year after year, the sacrifices had accepted their fates and spent the rest of their short days in the Hallowed Forest. Bodies have never been found and there was even a special unit designed specifically to patrol the edges of the forest to ensure that the tributes never escaped the clutches of the dragon. The sacrifices were left at the dragon's mercy so that the town as a whole could be spared from calamity for another year. The elderly or newborn infants often made the most ideal choices as an offering to keep any suspicions at bay about any yearly disappearances of Karakura Town residents but the city council had grown fearful that the dragon would eventually grow bored with such mundane offerings. The idea of having a Dragon Priest or Priestess was a newer phenomenon that had started in the early 1980's and it provided the dragon with a wider diversity in human oblation. The only down side to it was that it had been rather difficult to conceal the death records of the priests/priestesses to the rest of the world…

Keeping the secret of the sacrifice had been of the utmost importance for all of Karakura Town's residents. Strict rules had been put into place for centuries and as times progressed, the rules had to be enforced even tighter. Residents were not permitted to move away under any circumstance; should they try, execution was inevitable. When a child reached the age of eighteen, they were to be taught the truth behind the Ice Dragon lore; those who showed signs of opposition were to be punished as criminals. Outsiders were permitted into the town but revealing any dire information to them was punishable by death for both parties.

It was a rough way to live but it was how the town managed to survive. People were oddly compliant with the way things were run; too many _accidents_ in the past had warned the citizens against attempting to rise against the city council. Plus, it wasn't as if the city council was flat-out _cruel _to their beloved natives. As gratitude for following the rules, the city council safeguarded its people by ensuring that everyone had an adequate job and that the town's finances were distributed evenly amongst the townspeople so that no one faced financial hardship. Every single person in the town had food, shelter, and a comfortable lifestyle.

As long as they didn't step out of line, the city council would continue to provide them with everything they could possibly need to spend their days happily within the walls of Karakura Town.

A female voice tore Urarahara from his thoughts. "Urahara-san, the child is waking up again," interrupted a very calm Yoruichi as she stood beside him, her violent hair whipping around her face in the wind's current.

He had been so occupied in mulling over thoughts of the town's erratic ways of praising their deity that he had almost entirely forgotten the matter at hand. His gaze slid over to the dazed Rukia who was still detained by the arms of Officer Grimmjow. Urahara felt a little guilty for punching her so roughly to silence her; her expression of utter defeat and surrender was quite pitiful. After all, he didn't want to bruise the dragon's meat in case the dragon was picky about how presentable his food was.

"Ah, yes," Urahara replied to his comrade with a malicious smirk. "Let's send her off with a prayer of good fortune to the town. May we continue to find our place in the dragon's good graces!"

Officer Grimmjow released his tight grip on the frail girl and set her down. Her feet were instantly met with the cold kiss of the snow on the ground as it graced her sandals and seeped into her thin socks. Rukia staggered a bit like a wobbly fawn learning how to walk and her tremors made it even more difficult to stand. Her stomach swelled with clambering pain and her head was spinning faster than before. She felt like a battered up rugby player who had been knocked down one too many times during the game and was now on his last leg. Everything around her was blurry and even the blue haired officer standing guard beside her looked to be nothing more than a blob of floating colors. It literally took everything she had to keep herself from vomiting on Officer Grimmjow's polished black boots.

Kisuke signaled for the crowd of people following him to stay where they were at a safe distance in case things got ugly. He took his sweet, precious time in advancing towards Rukia with his chin held high in a pompous manner. Rukia tried focus her eyesight on the mayor while struggling to ignore the dizziness that threatened to swallow her body whole.

Even though every fiber of her being seared with agonizing pain, the ireful woman still succeeded in directing a cold glare at the heartless man. Not even the snow beneath her feet was as icy as the stare she shot at him as she compiled all the anger and hatred she could muster into those piercing eyes of hers.

"You…You bastard," she grunted, wishing for nothing more than to return that ghastly punch to the gut that he had so graciously inflicted on her only moments ago. "You won't get away with this!"

Amused by her fiery spirit, Urahara quirked a slender brow on his forehead as a smirk crept its way along his chapped lips. "Oh? I do believe that there is no crime here for me to get away with. By offering you to the dragon, Karakura Town will be peaceful for yet another year. I can guarantee that everyone in the whole city is grateful for your humble sacrifice and no one will protest against your valiant death."

If her wrists hadn't been tightly bound by the ropes, Rukia would have lunged herself at him and clawed out his eyeballs with her fingernails. He really didn't think there was anything wrong with killing her to appease some false god! He really thought that murdering her was the answer to their little weather problem!

"Just you wait, Urahara," Rukia hissed with a voice so deep and low that it could even make the ground quiver beneath her. "You will get what's coming to you. Even if I have to come back from the grave and yank your soul to Hell with me, I will not let you get away with this."

Her words didn't even evoke so much as a smile from Urahara as his expression suddenly dropped. He tilted his chin towards the sky as he averted her penetrating glare. The clouds were gray and dreary; it would only be a matter of time until it snowed again. The air was frightfully cold and the temperature would drop even further as nightfall commenced once again, bringing ice and snow along with it.

"I'm sorry, Rukia-chan," Urahara uttered breathlessly as he continued to turn his face towards the heavens. "This is how it must be. Just because times have changed does not mean that we as humans need to change with it. As long as the Ice Dragon lives, he will require the blood of humans to remain healthy and prosper. He watches over us and guides us through everything we do. He is the reason that all of us are able to live long, healthy lives. It is by his benevolence that we haven't been entirely consumed by snow. In fact, we should be grateful that the only thing he requires is _one_ sacrifice each year. Other dragons require a lot more than that and for that reason alone, we should all be grateful to him."

Rukia's shoulders fell forward as her death glare melted into a look of devastation. There was no point in fighting him. There was just no getting through to him. He actually believed dragons existed and he had the townspeople so far up his ass than even they, too, believed in mythical creatures.

Tears began to well up in her eyes, partially from the jabbing pain in her stomach and head and partially from the vanishing hope within her spirit. The blue haired officer grabbed Rukia gently by the arm as he escorted her over to the edge of the trees. Rukia couldn't find the strength to fight against him anymore; her tiny arm muscles just couldn't compare to the girth of his burly arms and the last thing Rukia wanted was to be pummeled by another fist.

"That's a good girl," Urahara said with a rueful gleam in his eyes as Rukia passed by him. "We're all indebted to you."

She had no words to say to him. He was an insane man and not even years of therapy could cure the illness of his mind. As Rukia neared the edge of the woods, she noted just how tall the trees were. As a child, she used to look out at the boundless sea of trees from her bedroom window at the Kuchiki Inn. She had always wondered why it was forbidden for children to go near the Hallowed Forest and even tourists were advised to steer clear from it. Her classmates had always joked that there were monsters living in the forest, ready to snatch away any wandering soul that dared to enter the woods.

And now here she was, about to be devoured by the maze of the trees that she had been taught to fear as a child.

Simply standing by the entrance was enough to make her knees tremble as all the breath in her lungs grew stagnant.

"What're you waitin' for? Get going, kid."

The impatient grunt of Grimmjow from behind her did little to quell the rising terror within her as she gawked at the forest, unable to move her legs as her mind screamed for her to run as far away from the woods as her scrawny legs could carry her. She couldn't calm the terror within her; the fear that death lurked right beyond the borders of the forest and that if she dared to take even so much as one tiny step into Hallowed Forest, she would be greeted by the Grim Reaper.

_Don't be frightened, Rukia. This is much better than being stabbed to death. In fact, this could really play out in your favor! Just find a place to hide in the woods and then escape to the nearest town before dawn_. Rukia tried to comfort herself by devising a plan of survival in her head but the officer beside her placed a rough hand on her shoulder.

"Don't even think about running away, kid. We've got security cameras lined up on all the edges of these woods. If you even think of trying to sneak away, we'll shoot you down and find another _live_ sacrifice to feed to the dragon." His gruff voice led her to believe that there was nothing but truth to his words. With a little closer inspection, Rukia could see a tiny camera hanging on one of the nearby tree limbs on a particularly tall tree. The lens was pointed directly at Rukia, recording her every movement as she stared up at it in disgust.

"If you guys are that concerned then why don't you just kill me now?" Rukia scoffed as she chewed on the inside of her cheek. Surely not every inch of ground was covered by surveillance cameras. Maybe if she got far enough, she could find an opening that wasn't under the watchful eyes of the cameras.

Grimmjow simply shrugged before expectorating a glob of spit on the snowy grass by Rukia's feet. "If it was my choice, I'd shoot your ass right now and dump your body in the middle of the forest for the dragon to eat. Too bad the elders think the dragon only wants live offerings. But we can easily replace ya' if you decide you'd rather have a ton of bullets in your chest than be swallowed up whole by an ice-breathing beast."

Judging by his tone, he wasn't joking. She would just have to come up with another plan of escape… Maybe there were campers out there in the middle of the forest! Maybe they had a cell phone and she could call someone for help! Surely only Karakura Town residents were sucked up into all this religious, Ice-Dragon bullcrap! Surely someone from the outside would be willing to help her!

"I know what you're thinking, kiddo'," Grimmjow snorted as he leaned in close to the tiny woman, his mouth only inches from her ears. His breath smelled strongly of cigarettes and Rukia held her breath to avoid the stench. "Give it up. Don't come up with any stupid plan of escape. You're better off dead than being stuck in this hellhole of a town. Urahara's doing you a favor by killing you _now_ so you don't spend your whole life wondering if you or your family is going to be chosen to die next. No one makes it out of Hallowed Forest alive. Just accept your fate and maybe the dragon will eat you quickly."

Was he trying to comfort her? Because it clearly wasn't working. Apparently the whole town was okay with _her_ being the next sacrifice because they were just glad it wasn't _them_. If she hadn't been chosen as the Dragon Priestess this year, she would have learned about the town's secrets when she came of age. Would she, too, have simply complied with the town's laws and accepted it as their culture? Would she, too, have continued to live peacefully in her town while wondering who was going to be the next honorary guest in the Ice Dragon's tummy?

"The city council is full of nothing but raving lunatics," Rukia whispered to him, careful as to not to raise her voice in case other ears were in tune to their conversation. "You and the rest of the town could easily unload a few rounds of bullets into their skulls and this whole Ice Dragon nonsense would get washed down the drain along with them. Why don't you guys revolt against them?"

Rukia's suggestion caused a deep chuckle to escape from the back of Grimmjow's throat. The man shook his head before folding his arms over his chest. "They're more than just a few raving lunatics. They've got a whole army behind them and there are not enough people willing to go against them. Trust me—I've seen what happens to those that oppose them and it ain't pretty. Besides, I don't know about you but I'd rather not have the Ice Dragon smite me for blasphemy."

"I might have found you to be a sensible guy, Officer Grimmjow, but it seems like you believe in the Ice Dragon just as much as those psychopaths do. You're no better than them," Rukia mumbled as she stared down at the frosty ground. A few blades of grass could be seen poking their heads out from the thin layer of snow but they would soon be bathed in another thick blanket of ice soon only to be forced into hiding once again. Droplets of snow were already beginning to flurry down from the sky. Grimmjow took notice of the snow, too, and decided to drop his little chit-chat with the priestess and continue on with his mission.

"No more yacking. You better get going," the man with the aqua hair snapped as he shoved her forward.

Rukia could only wish that roots would somehow magically sprout from her feet so she didn't have to take even one step into that forest. It was dark and scary, like something out of a horror movie, and the very thought that this place was going to be her grave made her shiver from something other than the chilly wind.

"P-Please! No!" Rukia shouted as she turned on her heels to run. Grimmjow's arm shot out quicker than a bullet and seized her arm tightly to halt her movements.

"NO! I don't want to die! Please! Don't make me go!" She pleaded once again, giving one last shot at attempting to get out of this situation by crying. Had they no pity on a poor, defenseless girl?! She looked over the officer's shoulder at the small crowd of onlookers that had been watching the departure ceremony from a safe distance. "Don't let them kill me! Please! This is all insanity! You can't murder someone over some crazy cult! Please! Come to your senses!"

She kept shouting over and over in hopes that her cries would reach even one person. If at least one individual would stand against this cruelty then she could maybe get herself out of this situation and reason with the city council. Grimmjow's strong arms tried to hold her steady once again as he demanded her to shut her mouth but Rukia struggled all the more, continuing to try to reach the hearts of the townspeople as she desperately cried for help.

A couple of natives whispered amongst themselves but none dared to step out of line. Standing to the side of the small crowd were more guards of a similar ranking to Grimmjow. Unlike the officer that was holding Rukia still, these guards were fully armed with shot guns. _Fully loaded _shotguns.

_Of course no one is going to step in. If I don't become the sacrifice then someone else would have to. They're only looking out for themselves_, Rukia thought to herself as pained tears cascaded down her cheek. It was so cruel of them to idly stand by and watch a young girl get exiled into a dark and dreary forest but Rukia could hardly blame them. They probably knew that if they dared to defend her, then they would risk getting pelted with bullets.

Or maybe they would even be forced to take her place.

"Give. It. Up. If you keep making a scene, they're just going to shoot you and find another person to take your place," Grimmjow grunted dangerously as his nails dug into her arm, piercing her skin until a few drops of blood rose to the surface. Rukia cringed from the pain but she still struggled to free herself from his grasp.

She wanted to run as far from those woods as possible. Deep down she knew that the moment she stepped into Hallowed Forest, she would never be able to return. She would never be able to poke fun at Ichigo Kurosaki or enjoy chatting the days away with Orihime Inoue. She would never return to the Kuchiki Inn and she would never be able to take over the family business. She would die cold, hungry, and alone. It was the worst death imaginable…

"Please! Just shoot me already! I don't care! Just don't send me into those woods!" the petite woman screamed, her lungs burning as the frigid air dove into them. Her voice grew hoarse until her cries were nothing more than heavy sobs.

"**ENOUGH!" **

A loud voice boomed through the crowd, silencing the distressed whispers of the villagers. Rukia's cries also came to an abrupt halt as a figure pushed his way through the crowd, taking slow and careful steps towards the imprisoned priestess.

"_Byakuya_," Rukia murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

What was he doing? Why was he coming towards her? Of all the people in Karakura Town, Byakuya was the very last person she wanted to see. He betrayed her and allowed the townspeople to tie her up like some kind of criminal and deliver her as the main entrée for an imaginary dragon.

"Kuchiki-san, what are you doing?" Urahara questioned in a calm voice as he took a quick step to block the man's path to his sister. "You know you can't take her place. You're not a virgin so you're not a worthy sacrifice for the dragon."

The black haired male slowly turned to face the mayor, an apologetic expression taking over his usual bleak and empty façade. "My sister is causing a bit of a ruckus. I only wish to find a way to calm her down. It would be extremely troublesome for everyone if she refused to offer herself to the dragon and tried to run."

Urahara, perplexed by Byakuya's soft voice and worried eyes, simply nodded his head. "If she keeps struggling and tries to run, we'll have no choice but to kill her. We can't risk her causing an uproar outside the city but sacrifices are no good to the dragon if they're already dead. If you think you can find a way to calm her down then be my guest." He stepped aside to let Byakuya pass and with a quick wave of his hand, he signaled to the nearby guards to lower their weapons.

Byakuya approached his shaking sister before calmly instructing Grimmjow to release her. "Give me a few moments alone with my sister. I will see to it that she calms down and causes no more problems for anyone," the head of the Kuchiki clan stated to the officer. With a roll of his eyes, Grimmjow shrugged and set off to stand next to the mayor. He wasn't sure if it would be all right for him to leave the girl's side but if Rukia didn't calm down after talking to her elder brother, they'd have no choice but to shoot her anyways. Why did teenage girls always cause the most problems during their final ceremony?

Rukia's hands flew up in defense as she took a step away from her older brother. "Stay back," she hissed while desperately refusing to allow her brother to see any more pitiful tears escape without her consent. "You're one of them! You knowingly gave me up and convinced me to be the Dragon Priestess! You sacrificed your own sister—_your own flesh and blood_—so that the Kuchiki name would be honored! You have no right to speak to me!" Her voice quaked with every syllable but she stood her ground firmly as her brother continued to stalk towards her.

In one swift movement, her brother scooped up the tiny woman in his arms and embraced her soundly. She wasn't even granted a moment's notice before his arms wrapped tightly around her shivering form but now that he was holding her, she could see that he, too, was trembling in his shoes as well.

"I'm so sorry, Rukia," he mumbled into her ear. "I'm…so sorry that it had to happen this way but I had no other choice."

His voice, cracking at the edges and full of heartfelt sorrow, was unlike anything she had ever heard from her dear brother before. The ever apathetic Byakuya never let any emotions leak into his voice but now here he was crying and dramatically holding her in his arms as tight as he could. All of this was enough to push Rukia over the edge as she broke down and wept into her brother's chest, her tears soaking his clothes. She returned the embrace and gripped onto the light fabric of his black coat.

"Please! Please don't let them send me away! I don't want to die!" she whimpered into his chest, her voice muffled by his clothing.

Instead of offering her words of solace over her death, Byakuya leaned in closer and whispered something unexpected into her delicate ear.

"I need you to listen to me, Rukia. I need you to go far into the woods. Go as deep as you can and don't stop for anything; not even for a short break. In the heart of the woods lays a mansion that not even the city council knows about," Byakuya said very quietly, continuing to press her frail body against his chest.

"W-what? I don't understand," Rukia replied but was instantly hushed as her brother continued on with his instructions.

"Look for a man named _Toshiro Hitsugaya_. He's the owner of the mansion. Once you find his home, tell him that you are the younger sister of Byakuya Kuchiki. He'll see to it that no harm will come to you. But you must go now! It's already getting dark and it will be far too cold for you to walk for too long and you'll freeze to death before you even reach his home." With that statement, Byakuya released his tight embrace and stood up before removing his black coat off his shoulders.

"_Toshiro Hitsugaya_?" Rukia repeated softly as if she was testing the name upon her lips.

With a short nod, Byakuya slipped out of his jacket and wrapped it around his sister's shoulders. "He's an old friend and he owes me a favor. Just make sure you never return to Karakura Town! If you do, nothing but death surely awaits you. In the meantime, I will work on trying to fix things here in Karakura Town and put an end to this sacrificial nonsense." He reached out to take hold of her hand gently before bringing it to his lips and presenting her with a gentle, reassuring kiss.

Rukia smiled at the soft feeling of his lips upon her hand before she drew her arm back, wiping away some of her tears and snuggling into the warmth of the coat he offered her. "Onii-sama…" she mumbled softly, trying to hold back from crying once again. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

"We will meet again, Rukia. Fear not for I will one day come for you when I find a way to sever the chains of the city council. But for now, there's no more time to waste. There's a small flashlight in one of the pockets and a letter to Toshiro Hitsugaya. Use the light to guide your path and make sure you deliver the letter to him as swiftly as you can. Please go now," Byakuya implored her as the sound of approaching footsteps crunching through the snow reached his ears. Officer Grimmjow must have been given the order to break up their little "farewell party" and wrap things up. Either Rukia was going to be exiled into Hallowed Forest or she was going to be killed on the spot to make way for a more _willing_ subject.

"But, Onii-sama! Where do I—" Rukia tried to probe him for more answers but quick shove to the shoulder towards the woods was all she needed to know that the conversation was over.

She cast one final look at her brother, eyes watering with all the gratitude and sorrow within her heart, and then she pivoted her feet and began to charge into the forest. She ignored the looming feeling of doom that strangled her heart as she pushed her way through the trees. She could feel danger and death licking at her heels but she suppressed her fears and continued on.

It was getting colder and colder by the moment. The sky was darkening and snow was falling at a quicker rate than before. She needed to find this mansion; to find this Toshiro Hitsugaya and seek his help. Byakuya must have done something extraordinarily nice for him if this man was to return such an awfully large favor to him. Her curiosity would just have to be put on hold until she could ask this Toshiro Hitsugaya herself once she located his mansion.

Although it pained her greatly to flee from the town she once loved, she at least had a sliver of hope to help her get through this large trial. She should have never doubted her brother. She should have known he wouldn't let anyone kill her and that he had a plan up his sleeve the entire time! She had to have faith that he would find a way to crush the elders of Karakura Town and put an end to the Ice Dragon lore.

She looked over her shoulder one more time to see if she could catch a glimpse of her brother's shadow but the trees and foliage were already too thick for her to see beyond more than a few feet. "Don't worry, Onii-sama. I will find this Hitsugaya and we will make sure the city council pays for what they have done!" Rukia grumbled to herself as her tears evaporated into the winter sky and a strong resolve replaced her sorrow.

"So, Kuchiki-san, you seemed to have cheered your sister up quite a bit," Urahara said to Byakuya after Rukia made a daring leap into the forest. "What on Earth did you say to her that made her change her mind about being afraid?"

Rukia had been fighting against the police officer the entire time and not even threats could ease her thrashing. Urahara's mouth twisted into a bemused grin as he placed a hand on the other male's shoulder.

Byakuya glanced at the hand touching him before he turned his gaze to face the quirky man beside him. "Nothing important. If fear alone did not work on persuading Rukia to commence with her Dragon Priestess duty, then I figured a little _hope_ might ignite a flare within her." He reached up to remove the hand from his shoulder as he walked past the mayor and back towards the dispersing crowd.

"Hope? That's ingenious," Urahara responded as his eyes sparkled in awe at the cleverness of the other man. "Hey, come to think of it, Kuchiki-san, I hear that there might be an open slot in the city council this upcoming year. Yamamoto-san is about to retire and we need a good, strong-willed man to be a part of the team. We know you'd be a good candidate—I mean, you threw your own sister to the wolves to help keep this town safe—so what do you say?"

Byakuya regarded the blonde man with feigned interest as he smiled lightly. "I think that sounds plausible."

* * *

><p>Toshiro paced around his room, the heels of his black boots clicking along the hardwood floor as he roamed the vicinity in circles. He probably wouldn't have bothered to cease his pointless trotting for another hour or so but a loud, impatient knock at the door brought him back to his senses.<p>

Oh, how he hated being interrupted whenever he was lost in thought. He grinded his teeth together in irritation as he shot a glare at the door as if it were to blame. "Who dares to disturb my peace?" He knew exactly who it was; there was only one servant who was foolish enough to knock on his door after he deliberately told every one of those damn servants to not bother him for the remainder of the evening under any circumstance.

"It's me, my lord," Ukitake replied from the other side of the door. "May I come in? I need to speak with you immediately." The urgency in voice made it clear that dismissing him would be more trouble than it was worth. With a loud groan, Toshiro gave up and opened the door.

"Damn it, Ukitake, I thought I told you to not—"

"Disturb you, yes, I know, my lord. But I think you know why I'm here."

Toshiro paused and shut the door behind his servant as the tall, slender male stepped into his quarters. The soft glow of the fireplace kept the room nice and warm and Ukitake couldn't help but wonder why the Ice Dragon would even permit something as hot as fire in his room. He liked his mansion cold and musky and normally warm things appalled him. He hated eating hot food and he never even slept with blankets on. Perhaps that human body of his finally needed to be tended to? Human bodies needed to be kept at proper temperatures at all times.

"And why, pray tell, is that?" Toshiro snapped as he found himself in a worse mood than normal.

Ukitake turned his attention away from the gleaming fire and back to his white haired master. "There is a disturbance in the force," Ukitake said with a straight face. "Er, I mean, there is a disturbance in the _forest_."

Toshiro rolled his eyes as he brought up two fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Ukitake, you know I hate it when you make pop culture references. I thought I told you that watching excessive amounts of television was bad for your mind?"

Although he hated most human inventions, he must have been watching a good bit of television himself to catch that sneaky _Star Wars_ insertion Ukitake had so cleverly used in an appropriate manner. "Ah, well, you see, my lord," Ukitake chimed in as the edges of his mouth pulled up into a chipper grin, "it gets awfully boring here in the mansion after all the chores have been done. I have reread almost all the books in the entire library at least two or three times and it's the same stories over and over. Oh, but television is constantly changing and provides so much entertainment—"

"Enough! Just tell me why you've so boldly dared to disturb my quiet evening…" Toshiro grumbled, trying his best to cool his augmenting temper.

"As I said before, something has disturbed the stability of Hallowed Forest. I can only assume that someone has trespassed into our woods but that is highly strange considering the fact that I placed a warding spell over all the entrances to the woods. The spell should have inflicted a great sense of fear and panic to anyone who dared to cross the border and it should have prevented any explorer from mindlessly wandering into our territory," the taller male answered, his expression growing stern as he searched his master's face for any signs of reaction.

An unsettling silence wafted between the two men until Toshiro finally decided to speak up. "That could only mean one thing then."

Ukitake nodded once. "Yes, my lord. I fear that the residents of Karakura Town have tried to offer you yet another human sacrifice and have left them to die within Hallowed Forest."

Toshiro remained still for a moment, his eyes closing as he buried himself in his thoughts. After a moment, he quickly jerked his hand in the direction of the fireplace before growling in anger. In seconds, the flames of the fireplace were obliterated and the firewood was frozen solid as spiked icicles formed around the furnace. The room instantaneously grew dim as the flames disappeared and Toshiro grinded his heel into the floor, cursing all the while.

"I thought I was clear in my demands for no more sacrifices," the Ice Dragon roared, "and they still don't fucking listen!"

Ukitake simply watched his master as he vented out his frustration on the innocent fireplace. Speaking up now would only add to his fuming anger but the butler decided to take his chances anyways. "I understand your anger; the humans are indeed murderous, insolent creatures. However, getting angry will not fix the current issue at hand."

Toshiro's sapphire eyes were as sharp as daggers as they glared at his servant through the darkness of the room. He remained motionless for a moment before straightening himself up and undoing the top button of his black, button-down shirt. Sweat was beginning to form along his throat and his tight collar was making it hard to breathe. "I know that, Ukitake. Before you barged in here like the rude vagabond that you are, I had already felt the human's presence the moment she stepped into our territory. I've been contemplating on how we should deal with this matter…"

"You needn't worry yourself over such a trivial matter, my lord. I will handle this situation myself. There is no way she will discover the mansion; I have placed far too strong of spells over this estate so that it will remain hidden to any human eyes," Ukitake reassured the other man as he bowed his head deeply in respect.

Toshiro snorted before plopping down in a nearby chair, breathing furiously through his nostrils as he thought long and hard at what the best course of action would be. It had been seventy-two years since he accepted his last offering—his last human sacrifice—and he thought he had made himself quite clear to the townspeople that he would no longer be devouring humans. He had gone seventy-two years without even so much as a nibble on human flesh and they still couldn't get it through their thick skulls that he was no longer their deity; that he was no longer their Ice Dragon.

"I hate humans so much, Ukitake," he grumbled, sinking lower into his chair.

"I know, my lord."

"They just don't listen to anything."

"I know, my lord."

"We go through this every goddamn year. Why haven't they learned anything? It's almost as if they _enjoy _killing eachother. Do I have to use my mighty ice powers and smite them to teach them a lesson? No, because they _still_ wouldn't quit. They'd still try to give me some beautiful virgin to selfishly try to save themselves. They're all pathetic… It'd be better if the human race was just wiped out entirely," Toshiro sighed as he folded his hands neatly in his lap as he leaned his head against the back of his red, velvet chair.

Ukitake allowed his master to vent out his feelings for a moment before he lifted his head to speak. "My lord, those humans need you. They will keep bringing you sacrifices so you will continue to protect them. It's true, you haven't tasted human flesh in seventy-two years. I know that you swore to never even so much as sample a taste of human blood but perhaps it is time that you've reconsidered your morals. Your body is growing weak and if you don't regain your strength soon then—"

"I know!" Toshiro barked, silencing his minion as he bolted up from his chair. "I…I know. Trust me, I know." His voice softened with every word as he flicked his wrist in the direction of the fire. In seconds, the ice crystals that had solidified over the flames melted and with the snap of his fingers, the flames of the fire flickered back into existence. The spiky haired male stared down at the palm of his hand as the fire lit up the room once more, casting shadows of the two men upon the walls.

His strength had definitely dwindled over the years. Before, he could cause the strongest of blizzards to sweep across the whole country with just a quick puff of his breath. Although that was centuries ago, Toshiro could almost still feel the frost resting in his lungs. He could still make icicles form just by channeling his energy but even something as little as that drained his stamina and he was beginning to regret his little show for Ukitake as a throbbing headache reminded him to be more careful with using magic as a means to blow off steam. Not to mention the fact that he had wasted a good bit of his energy trying to cause a small snowstorm in the city large enough to disrupt the Ice Dragon festival. As upsetting as it was, he didn't have enough power to continue the snowstorm through the weekend but he had been determined to try again.

Even a tiny drop of human blood would be enough to restore an adequate amount of his power to envelop the town in a harsh winter for weeks. A small chunk of human skin would give him enough power to make it snow for months. Ah, but if he chose to eat something as precious as an organ or even the whole body, he'd be strong enough to revert back to his original, dragon form.

He missed the feeling of the wind fluttering through his wings as he flew overhead. He missed how his crystal scales glistened in the sunlight or how heavy his tail felt when he beat it against the wind's current. He missed his former body; his former _self_…

But he threw it all away. He was no longer the Ice Dragon of Japan. He had relished that title a long time ago along with his dragon scales.

He was nothing more than a beast trapped in human's clothing. It was better for everyone this way…

"My lord?" Ukitake spoke softly as he watched his master get lost in his thoughts once again.

"If you're telling me to eat the sacrifice that the humans offered me, I will do no such thing," Toshiro declared through gritted teeth.

"But…But you're incredibly weak. Seventy-two years is far too long for a dragon to go without eating humans! It is in your nature to chew their bones and drain their blood—it's how you sustain your vitality! I understand your feelings for not wanting to eat humans anymore but this is getting out of hand. What if you die—" Ukitake tried to persuade his master but Toshiro would have none of it.

He slammed his foot on the ground before stomping over to the large window of his bedroom. He motioned his hand to the outside, displaying the icy window for his servant to see. "I don't need to eat humans to live. I made it snow earlier and it's just now picking up. Do you see now? I'm plenty strong without preserving the dragon traditions!"

He was trying so hard to prove a point to his butler but Ukitake simply stared back at him with a skeptical frown upon his lips. His master, Toshiro Hitsugaya, was normally a man of very few words. He spent most of his time cooped up in his chambers and preferred to be left alone. He never said more than two words to his servants on a daily basis and Ukitake couldn't help but feel relieved that Toshiro was comfortable enough around him to divulge his humanistic behavior in times like these. The Ice Dragon would rather his skin melt right off his bones than to allow anyone to see him act so childish but apparently he didn't care how much of his true personality Ukitake got to witness firsthand.

"You're absolutely correct. It seems I was mistaken; you are plenty strong and there's no reason for you to listen to the advice of an old man like me," Ukitake disrespectfully answered as he didn't even bother trying to mask the sarcasm of his words.

Toshiro made a mental note to himself that he would cut Ukitake's pay in half for that comment. Then again, it wasn't as if he paid him anything anyways…

"You're fired," Toshiro grunted as he turned his back on his minion only to stare out the window once again.

"There's no way you could honestly mean that, sir," Ukitake grinned.

"Just get out of here already. Leave me be," Toshiro grumbled, anxious to end this conversation with his meddling servant and resume his frantic pacing in circles around the room in silence.

The commands were clear and precise but the man with the long white hair continued to stand in the room with an unfaltering gaze that remained locked onto the back of his master's head. Realizing that Ukitake had made no attempt to leave the room, Toshiro slowly turned his head in the man's direction with a scowl. "Didn't you hear me? I told you to leave."

"What about the girl?" the butler inquired as he cleared his throat and straightened up his shoulders.

"Girl? What girl?" Toshiro asked himself as his mind went completely blank for a moment as to who Ukitake was referring to.

_Oh, right. The girl that wandered into my forest. The sacrifice. _

"You seem to be very forgetful these days, my lord. Perhaps you need to drink some human blood and regain your youth," Ukitake teased but instantly snapped his mouth shut after a sharp glare from the other side of the room demanded he cease his childish antics.

Choosing to ignore his servant's former statement, Toshiro remained quiet for a moment as he pondered on what he should do about the sacrifice. It would be easier if he just left her out there to freeze; it wasn't as if she was his problem. He never asked for the townspeople to donate her body to satisfy his appetite and he hadn't even spoken to them in over seventy years. Everything that correlated to the sacrificing of random villagers was none of his concern anymore; if they were bloodthirsty enough to murder their own people once a year then that was their own problem they needed to resolve—not his.

"Shall I take care of this matter once again, my lord?" Ukitake asked as he broke the silence between them.

Toshiro refused to meet the eyes of his butler as he focused on the falling snow outside his mansion. His plans to ruin the winter festival had fallen through; he just wasn't strong enough to make a snowstorm last throughout the week. But perhaps if he tried hard enough again, he could make the current snow flurry thicken into a blizzard strong enough to knock out their electricity and block the roads. If he could somehow prove to them that he had no desire for any trivial offerings then maybe they would stop sentencing their people to death in his name. Both hands gripped tightly onto the window sill until his knuckles began to grow whiter than the hair on his head.

_Such a sadistic race of people aren't worthy enough to live on my mountain. _

He continued to seethe in silence until he decided to address the patient butler awaiting his orders.

"I'm going to freeze the town; make them suffer for a little while. I have just enough strength to make a blizzard strong enough to make them understand my wrath," Toshiro proclaimed as a smirk made its way upon his thin lips. "As for the girl, you may do whatever you wish. Kill her, save her, eat her…I couldn't care less."

Those were just the commands he wanted to hear. Ukitake bowed his head so low that a curtain of white hair fell over his face as he did so. "Then I shall handle the matter of this sacrifice in the same way that I have done to the others in the past seventy-two years."

"Fine," was all Toshiro needed to say to signal that no more words were going to be exchanged between them for the time being. Ukitake politely took his leave and left Toshiro to be once again enveloped in the silence of his bedroom. The crackling of the fire provided the only sounds in the room as the wind began to pick up outside.

There was no denying that Ukitake was right; he was horribly weak for a dragon. And still, something burned within his soul that gleamed brighter than the flames of his fireplace and was twice as scorching: his hatred towards the people of Karakura Town.

If they wanted their precious Ice Dragon to listen to their prayers then he would gladly oblige to their request and prove that he was, in fact, listening to them.

He would show them a blizzard like no other.


End file.
