Origins: What if, The Rambler Sadistic!


THE SHINGAMI GAMES
Original Concept and Original Storyline by Susan Collins
Original Characters by Kubo Tite
Story by Akke Andringa

The Hunger Games: Bleach style! Rukia Kuchiki and Ichigo are residents of District Twelve- and complete social opposites. Rukia is the younger sibling of a rich government peacekeeper noble and Ichigo is the son poor owner of a small clinic in the slums of the District- the Seam. They live in the country of Rukongai, where the Seireitei Capitol rules. Many decades ago the districts of Rukongai rebelled against the Seireitei Capitol, and every year punishment and a reminder of the Seireitei's power, two tributes from each district must fight other tributes to the death in the Shinigami Games. If one wins the games, they will become as shinigami- a supposed immortal who is flourished with fame, fortune, and adored by the citizens of the Seireitei. What will become of Rukia and Ichigo when they are chosen as tributes, and will they discover there is more to being a tribute than advertized? Find out in the Shinigami Games!

Chapter 1


"Isn't it exciting?" I squealed, dancing around my brother Byakuya was we watched the television, every channel reminding us that the Shinigami Games were only weeks away. "I can't wait to watch!"
This Shinigami Games was very special- it was 49th anniversary of the Great War, which meant that there would be extra surprises in the coming years' Games. "Oh how I wish I could be a tribute~"
"No you don't and you won't. I won't allow that."
My brother was always had been very protective of me around the time of the Games. I'm sure he had something to do with it- I'm mean likely making sure my name was not on any of the drawing strips at ever reaping since I was 12.
"God, Byakuya, I was just trying to cheer you up..." I muttered under my breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!"
Byakuya was numb at the time of the Games, even though it had always ran through my birthtime. It way to be expected, his wife, my sister-in-law, had died many years ago on the last day of the games. She was, after all, a girl from the Seam. Seam girls didn't have long life expectantly. Most of them died young prostitutes or were killed for selling themselves for money.
The dark cloud that hung over our house at Games time always threatened to ruin the mood on my birthday. This being said, it was my mission to turn Byakuya's frown upside-down. It was my job after all, he had taken me off the streets of the worst of the worst slums of the Seam- Karakurachou when I was only a child If not for him, I would've ended up dead as one of those prostitutes. For this. I owe him my life.
I hummed and poured tea as my brother's assistant and my childhood friend, Renji Abarai, entered the room. "Renji! You're back!" I grinned as Renji blushed and Byakuya sighed. Byakuya cleared his throat. "Oh!..H-Here's those papers you needed." Renji handed the papers to him.
Before Byakuya had taken me in, Renji and I had lived together in the slums of Karakura. We were both homeless and starving and wouldn't have survived without each other. Him too, I owed my life. Even so, he and I had grown distant since I had moved into Kuchiki stronghold and he had been appointed to a peacekeeper official.
But there was no time to waste with Renji. It was time to sneak out now. Sneak into the woods. Where danger lurked behind every tree and Reigaitwel go missing. To meet with my true love.
Kaien Shiba. He was my former classmate and first love. Every afternoon I meet him beyond the 80ft wall that guarded Reigaitwel from the outside world, and kept them on the inside. The primary purpose of the fence was that tales of people going missing in these woods and finding only the carcass remaining had circulated to the Seireitei, so they made it illegal to trespass beyond the safety of the fence. And of course, beyond those woods, were the ruins of the fabled District 13...
That didn't stop me though. Rumor has it that grotesque beasts with skull-like masses- nicknamed Hollows by people of the underground smuggling unit, the UraharaHob. I was careful. I would do anything to see Kaien.
I quickly shimmied under the whole in th fence that Kaien had showed me years earlier, careful not to dirty a purple kimono he had given me. I wore it every day just for this occasion. I was careful not to stray from the wall, following the familiar path to out meeting spot. Kaien's figure came into view. "Kaien!" I ran into his arms, almost tripping but getting back up immediately in my gate. "Kaaaaien!"
"Shhhh, Rukia." I froze then. The tone of Kaien's voice was /not/ familiar. "K-Kaien?" I looked at his face. He looked away. "Rukia. We can't do this any longer." He pushed me off him. "I-I don't understand? Why can't we meet?" I grabbed for him like a child; his grip was too firm. "K-Kaien, y-you're hurting me." the tear began to fall. "Rukia. I'm engaged." I just stared at him. "What?" "I getting married to a woman from the seventh district. I'm leaving tomorrow." I fell to my knees. He reached to grab my arm, but his hand fell. "This is goodbye. Arigato, Rukia." "But.." "It was an arranged marriage." he kissed my forehead. I relaxed. "Y-You're just /kidding/, right? Haha, so funny, Kai-" "Rukia."
And he left me there to sob my heart out.

I don't know how long I was out, but
It felt like I had been still for hours judging by the aching if my muscles I rubbed my eyes. I must of cried myself to sleep. "Finally awake, sleepyhead?" I shot up. Kaien? "You're not.." "Yeah, I'm not your precious 'Kaien, Kaien!'. You were so noisy with your screeching, you scared all my game away!" "Game?..You hunt here?" "Yep. 'Game 'round here make a fine meal." "You trade at the Hob. You hunt...the Hollows?" "Hell no! They're deadly!"
Awkward silence.
"Oh. But it's illegal to hunt." "Yeah it's illegal to jump the fence and stir the whole forest too. Would you rather starve, oh wait, you're one of those rich girls. You don't know the meaning of the word starve." "that's not true! And I crawled under, I didn't jump it!"
"Heh, if you jumped that wall, you'd damn crack your spine right down the middle..." He looked up at the sky through a break in the foliage. "you're a whole lot o trouble, yknow? Layin' i a middle a the forest, just waitin ti' be a Hollow's dinner. They nearly got u throat.' " "Y-You saved me from a hollow?" He grinned and looked back at me, then sighed. "Y' a hole lot a troubl' Miss Kuch-I-ki." I stood. "How do y' know my name?" "Y' the daughter of that Kuchiki guy. He's with the Peacekeepers'. They make our lives hell, y'know?" "..He's..He's my brother..About..They...Thank you for..You kno'. By the way.." "..No problem. Well actually, it's kind of a bother, don't do it again. Kurosaki Ichigo." I start my gait. "I won't do it again, Kyuyasari Isago!" "Its Kurosaki Ichigo! And keep it down!" he yelled after me. But i don't hear. My heart is beating too fast. Hell to the o, Ichiho Kirisako.
I run home and barely notice my screaming brother, screeching about my unexplained disappearance. When I'm up in my room, I'm not sure whether to cry or laugh about Kaien. For some reason, thinking about the orange haired boy I met in the woods today makes me tingle inside. He was hawt. Why hadn't I run into him before? ..He most likely kept his distance from me beyond the wall for my habit of scaring game, and we didn't socialize at school- school? He did about my age, then again I am very short. But I can't recall his face now- then I realize something. Byakuya- he's smart, he knows when I sneak out I go to Kaien, lord know what he'd do if he found out we met under the wall. So his first impulse would be to blame my extended absence on the blue-eyed Shiba- he'll go strait to castrate- dont tell him i learned such terms at the hob- the man. I don't have much time. But I think, and Byakuya will most likely know of Kaien's predicament (should I really can it that?) before i did; or before Kaien told me. Maybe he could even stop the engagement...So that must of delayed his worrying over my lateness, giving us some to numb. Then again, I didn't know how long I'd been gone. And the kimono was filthy. Curiousor and Curiouser.

PART I: THE TRIBUTE

Its reaping day. That's the first thing that comes to mind when I wake. I can barely contain my excitement as I shoot out of bed, slip my nicest kimono on, and fly down the stairs, nearly blasting through Renji as I speed past him. I throw open the door and shout "Its Reaping Day!" The residents of the Towne Square can only sigh. They are not roused by my enthusiasm.
Tonight there will be a great feast that the Government will throw for the tributes of our district before their departure to the Seireitei. Aside from the Mayor, aka Ye Ol' Genriyusai, Byakuya and Renji, Executive of the District 12 and Vice Executive of the District 12, are in charge of the Reaping celebrations. I assist thoroughly with preparations joyfully in anticipation. This feast only happens every 10 years, and the last time I was merely 6, so I am dancing on my toes.
It is time for the Reaping. I stand beside my brother on the right of the stage with Renji. The same monotone announcer -Teissai I think his name is- as every year is drawing the name for the girl-ladies first- I lean forward. "And the female tribute for District 12 in these 49th Games is-" Faster, I think. The giant couldn't rustle his hand any longer in there! "-is- Yuzu Kurosaki!" I freeze. That surname is familiar- too familiar. Then I instantly know. It's his name. The boy in the woods. The boy who cheered...me up after Kaien left. Is that what he was doing? I cover my mouth with my hands as he plows through the crowd, to the age group where "Yuzu" stands. Ichigo yells "I volunteer to take the place of Kurosaki Yuzu!" Ichigo climes onto stage, his face pale focused. "Hmm, I guess it's okay for a boy to take the place of a girl, as long as another girl is chosen. Your name, boy?" "Ichigo Kurosaki.." Confirmed. It's definitely him, how could anyone not recognize that orange hair? "Okay then, now the female tribute," Ichigo stands on the male tributes' platform. Silence. "And the female tribute for this years Games is- Rukia Kuchiki!" gasps emanated throughout the Towne Square. I hear myself squeal. And I watch my feet as they cross the stage and I stand across from Ichigo. I don't dare look at the look back at my brother. I see Ichigo wince, the pain in his face when his glances at me, which is otherwise twisted, anguished, blank. I look to the faces of the crowd- on them I see confusion, shock, but some look monotone, smug, happy even. I don't understand. I was so excited in the previous years. My dream to represent my little District Twelve. Now a huge weight bears my shoulders. But realization rises to the surface. Byakuya didn't let me watch the battles of the games. Violent. Too violent. Violence. I must fight for my life- in these Games, that is the objective. To entertain the bloodthirsty Capitol. Is be dead in A week...

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