Fallen Angel
Oh, I wanna tell you a tale, a tale untold, lost over the ocean of the legends of the Knights of Rounds and the lore of the God of Death, forgotten by all but one, which is precisely, myself.
Now, it’s time for the story of a Fallen Angel.
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It was many and many a year ago, in a kingdom by the sea. There a little town was seated, at the foot of the lonely Faith Hill, which few ever knew its real name. The residents lived in peace and love, always waiting patiently for things to come, and the maids were blessed with the wings of light, curved by the wind and colored by the rain. The place, was thus named Angel Town.
And our story began on this day, Rukia’s 18th birthday.
There she wandered, upon the top of Faith Hill, beneath the willow. Her eyes were fair and clear like the amethyst, bright as if the naughty boy of Cupid had lost his bowl of Galaxy, spreading tiny stars all inside. A strand of hair raven-black covered her little nose, the tips of her white wings, purer than the snow, vibrating gently in the breeze, as she held her hands together as if praying, closing her eyes. The old watch dangled silently at the end of a long golden chain that hung at her neck. It was the only thing Rukia inherited from her family.

‘There you are. Hey, Rukia!’
She blinked, suprised, turned and saw a stong man with appealing fire-colored hair, shouting and waving his arms, running up to her.
‘Renji!’ Rukia called back, smiling. She’d known Abarai Renji for over 6 years, and they’d been the best ever since, hanging around always together.
‘Ha-happy birthday, Rukia!’ Still panting heavily, Renji pat her on the shoulder. ‘Thanks, Renji.’ Rukia grinned.
‘Well, you look fair today.’ Renji eyed her snow-white dress with intense affection, then smirked.’Ah, ‘hard to believe you’re 18 now… See? Still this short… ‘Wonder if you’ve stopped growing 3 years ago…’
A hard blow on his belly was her only response.
‘Fine, fine. Just a laugh.’ Renji moaned in pain, and put his hand into a pocket. ‘Er… Well, Rukia? Guess what I’ve got… For your birthday…’ Rukia lowered her gaze from his reddening face, and saw a little box lying on his palm. ‘What’s that, Renji?’
‘Just… O-open it and see for yourself!’ He said as if impatiently, refusing to look at her. Rukia lifted the lid carefully, and froze in shock at the sight of the object inside.

‘It’s called Starlit… From the Fallen Angel.’ Renji muttered in embarrassment. Suddenly he gripped Rukia’s withdrawing hand. ’Rukia, I…’
The white wings stretched out and carried her away from him, the lipstick dropping onto the ground. Their eyes met. ’Renji, I’m sorry.’
‘But, I thought…’
‘You’re like my family, but it’s not…’ She shook her head, avoiding his staring eyes. ’I’m sorry if you’ve taken it wrong… Sorry…’
‘Wait!’ Renji yelled as she started to fly away, ’Rukia! Is… Is there anyone else?’
She stopped and turned to face him. Renji could see the light brush upon her cheeks, her expression somehow thoughtful.
‘Maybe…’
Renji was silent for a minute, then following an outburst. ’For God’s sake, not that guy… He loves you not!’
But Rukia seemed to have missed his words. Gliding through the shadows of the clouds up in the sky, she vanished.
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Who was she waiting for?
Rukia put an end to this thought the instant her mind came up with an answer ever so clear. She pat herself on the cheek and shook her head, somehow violently.
‘He loves you not!’
Had she lost her mind? She’d known it was a mere fantasy for years!
Yet here she stood, dragging a desperate shadow along her way, as if pulling the last straw of hope. She did not allow herself time to imagine the ending of the story.
She’d better not.
And just as she was humming herself a little song, she heard someone approach, and turned around to see Kurosaki Ichigo – one of her best friend coming up to her, his orange hair flooding the warmth of sunshine.
‘Rukia.’ He smiled at her sight, ‘You’re here for what? Are you not going to work today?’
‘You idiot, Ichigo. Today is my birthday, and I’m going to take a day off.’ She sat down on the meadow, ’’Think I’d deserve a break.’
‘Sure you do, and to tell you the truth, I did not forget that today was your birthday.’
Rukia raised her eyes to look at his face, but he avoided her gaze and sat down next to her.

‘Well, I told myself to wait here and see if you’d come. This is the place we first met, remember?’
Yes, Rukia remembered. That day when he was being bullied by a few boys for the unusual color of his hair, she stood up for him and defended him.
‘You were the only one other than my mother to say that the color of my hair is warm as the sun.’ Ichigo said with a light laugh.
‘Yes, I…’
‘Sorry, I was talking nonsense.’ Ichigo straightened and held out his hand to Rukia awkwardly. ‘So, here it is…’
Rukia didn’t have to look down to know what it was. Nevertheless, she saw the package of the little thing read:’ Moonbeam, from Fallen Angel’.
‘I cannot accept this, Ichigo.’ Rukia jumped up.
‘Oh,’ Ichigo seemed pretty calm about it, and he just stared at her for a while. ‘Fine… ‘Guess I’m not really surprised…’ He stood up to leave. As Rukia was looking silently, he turned around to smile at her.
‘Still best friends, right?’
‘Right, Ichigo.’
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She examined the pocket watch with a yellow brown gemstone pinned to its surface. It was about noon.
Oh, maybe she should give up. Should have, long ago.
She’d been a fool, a daydreaming idiot, to condemn herself to a waiting for someone that would never come, only to torment herself.
Perhaps…… Now it’s time to leave out the fantasy and face the reality.
She walked slowly back, dragging her legs along like a dead body as she felt so weak now, ‘till she entered the glamorous ancient house of the Fallen Angel Store.
‘You’re late today, Miss Rukia.’
The old housekeeper of the Kuchiki family was sitting in the doorway, looking slightly annoyed. Rukia bowed and apologized three times before she resumed walking towards the hall where she worked. The door cracked open. She picked up the cloth on the floor with a sigh, and went to clean the shelves. It was then when she noticed a delicate silver locket resting outside the glass case.

It was not something that belonged to this room as she realized. Rukia put a finger to feel its complicated patterns.
‘Take it if you like.’
The deep male voice seemed to be coming out of nowhere. Rukia jumped, her hand accidentally sweeping the locket down to the floor. The figure came out of darkness, and she was able to recognize him as the owner of the store of Fallen Angel ---- Kuchiki Byakuya.
‘I… I’m sorry, Sir!’ Rukia could feel her face begin to burn and dared not to face him, to look into his eyes, the very ocean that was going to drown her thoughts. She stooped to retrieve the locket.
Yet he was faster. In a swift moment, he was standing over her, holding the thing open on his palm.
‘No need to apologize.’     He said softly.
Rukia’s eyes widened.
On the dark blue velvet inside the locket, rested a pure white lipstick, which somehow seemed to glitter in dim light. ‘White Dew’, as the label besides it read.
Rukia dazed at it for a long time before picking it up, rather unaware of what her fingers were doing, her beautiful purple eyes strangely unfocused as if enjoying a daydream. She traced over the smooth surface of the little thing. It felt cool and comfortable in her hand.
Inside it was semi-transparent, the color white as pearl, floating like the essence of the dew. She put it on, and smiled a little at the distant fragrance of sakura that seemed to be coming off from her lips.
Their eyes met.
And time stopped, for only the two of them knew how long.

He started to lean in slowly. And she watched as his beautiful face become nearer and nearer, perfect as a young god. Something strong yet unfathomable shone in his dark irises that killed her thoughts and took her breathe away. Her eyes began to water, so she shut them and figured that it was because of the intrigue of the hotness of his breathe swiping over her face.
It was first a shallow kiss he planted on her lips, so tender as if afraid to scare her away. She opened her eyes to see his eyes as well as his lips glimmering like dark crystal. They gazed at each other for a while, and kissed again.
It was gentle, barely touching at the beginning. Then she parted her lips to inhale deeply, and he took the chance. This was a completely new experience for the both of them, yet they knew how out of nowhere. He had one of his hands on her waist to draw her closer, the other on the back of her head, and hers on his cheeks. Their souls were soaring in accord, and should never be parted again.
Rukia broke the kiss with a start, gasping for air. And both turned to look at her back.

The splendid white wings of her were beginning to vanish from the tips as they watched in silence. The air seemed to be filled with millions of tiny stars where the wings had once existed. And when all was gone, Kuchiki Byakuya asked quietly:’ Regret this, would you?’
Rukia fell into his arms and buried her face on his chest. Feeling his hand stroking her hair gently, she stammered:’ No, not with you here.’
They both smiled.
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Here our story ends. And as once a resident of the Angel Town, I’d say that Kuchiki Rukia was, and always would be, our favorite angel girl. A fallen one she became, she’d found her own paradise.
===========================TheEnd===============================

谨以此文，献给我在U Michigan和Tufts U 之间纠结徘徊的惆怅时光，同时向USC和UW和UIUC致以我最诚挚的感激和敬意~
P.S.水水抱歉鸟……这里恋次君是炮灰……【捂脸逃走

太长了，只看了开头几段和结尾

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