Hello all! Thank you for taking the time to read my Fanfiction of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Bleach.
Just a quick intro; This story will be taking Buffy and putting her into the story of bleach. I'm afraid Ichigo Kurosaki and his classmates will not be featuring in this story, their places will be filled by the scooby gang. I plan for Buffy to take much the same path as Ichigo as the story goes on, although I may change around some events to make it more interesting (and hopefully keep it consistent with the BTVS universe as well).
I have not planned for any pairings or romances yet. If you have any preferences, let me know and I'll take them into consideration (but no promises, I'm afraid. Wee'll see how it goes.)
Enjoy, please leave a review telling me what you think!
Chapter 1: The Soul Reaper
"... which is why the crossbow is the far more... Buffy? Buffy are you listening?"
Upon hearing her name, Buffy Summers sat bolt upright.
"Uh- Yes! Yeah! Of course. That's me! Attention girl!"
Giles sighed with exasperation. "Is that so? The facts that your eyes were closed and you were snoring seemed to suggest otherwise."
Buffy looked affronted. "Hey, I wasn't snoring! I wasn't even asleep, I was... dozing."
"Rather noisily, I might add."
Buffy opened her mouth for an angry retort, but before she could do so the door opened and a familiar figure bounced happily into the room.
Willow smiled cheerfully. "Hey guys! Everything going well?"
A slight frown appeared on Giles' face. "Ah, yes! Swimmingly. Buffy appears very well rested. I expect, therefore, she would be happy to spend the evening on patrol."
"Aw, Giles..." Buffy moaned. "No. We agreed not tonight. Please?"
"We also agreed you would focus on your studies, but, alas, no such luck."
"Oh, but, but... The Bronze?"
"Interesting that you managed to mispronounce 'homework' so badly."
"Aw..."
Willow sidled up to Buffy. "Come on, Buff, It's not so bad. Hey, I'll come too! I could do with honing my own slayage skills."
Buffy smiled, grateful for the attempt to cheer her up. "Na, don't worry about it. You and Xand can go dancing without me, it's fine. Besides, don't you have homework of your own to do?"
"Just a little."
Willow glanced sideways at Giles, who had since turned and walked off to a different section of the library. She lowered her voice.
"Doesn't seem like you'll have much time yourself. Want me to do your history assignment?"
Buffy's eyes shone with relief.
"You would do that? Really? I mean, I don't want to be that person who gets other people to do her homework..."
"Hey. You've already got a full time job saving the world every other week, it's the least I can do. Besides, it might help keep Snyder off your case for a bit."
Buffy grinned and threw her arms around Willow. "You're a lifesaver. I promise I'll make it up to you."
Just then, the door opened a second time and Xander strolled in, bag slung over his shoulder.
"All right! School's out for the weekend, and now's the time for party! Race ya to the bronze!"
Buffy smiled sadly. "Sorry Xand. Some last minute slayage has just come up. Looks like you two will have to do without me this evening."
Xander stopped in his tracks with exaggerated shock. "What? What about our pre weekend dance party?"
"I should be free tomorrow, how about I come down with you guys then?"
"Ooh! Oz's band is playing tomorrow."
Xander shook his head. "But that won't be pre weekend party, that's a mid weekend party. It's a very important distinction!"
"Nothing I can do about it." Buffy picked up her bag from the corner of the room, and headed towards the door.
"I should go home and get ready. You know, sharpen stakes, gather crucifixes, raid churches for holy water. Well. Maybe not that last one. I'll see you guys later."
Later that evening, Buffy was trudging around the Sunnydale graveyard. The sun had only just set.
Plonking herself down on a gravestone, Buffy sighed. This was the boring part. The waiting around. It sometimes took hours for a vampire to rise, time she had to spend doing... nothing. She groaned. There had to be an easier way to get them to rise so she could just go home and get some sleep for once. Maybe she could ask Willow or Giles about the possibility.
"Buffy." Said a familiar voice. Buffy turned, and saw Angel standing a few feet away.
"Hey," She said, "I didn't know you were going to be here."
"I wasn't. I went to the bronze to check on you, but Willow told me that you had to patrol. I just came to see if you needed any help."
"Oh. Just that? Help?" She smiled weakly.
Angel glanced away awkwardly. It wasn't just that, but neither of them dared to admit the real reason. It was too hard.
A growling from nearby jolted them from their conversation.
"Wow, already?" Buffy muttered. "Impatient little demons."
Three vampires rounded the side of a crypt, and charged towards them. Buffy sprang to her feet and lashed out at the closest one as the approached. As they tried to surround her, Angel ran forwards and tackled one to the ground.
Buffy was easily overcoming her opponents, delivering powerful strikes and ducking out of reach in a smooth rhythm. Drawing a stake from her jacket, she shoved one of the vampires backwards, whirled around, and stabbed him in one clean motion. As he disintegrated, she turned to finish off the other one. She was just about to strike when she realised, to her horror, he had a knife in his hand. Momentum carrying her through, Buffy awkwardly twisted out of the way as the knife went slicing a hair's breadth from her neck. Adrenaline surged through her blood. Buffy's instincts taking over for a second while her mind panicked, she caught the creature's arm and delivered a staggering blow to the head. The creature dropped the knife as it fell backwards, snarling. Recovering quickly, it scrambled to it's feet and, deciding it was outmatched, turned and fled. Seeing Buffy hesitate, Angel, who had just finished off the other one, ran after it.
"Stay here, I'll take care of it."
Buffy watched them slowly dissappear from sight. Panting, she sat down and lifted a hand to her neck.
"That was too close." She mumbled. She had let her guard down. That vampire had been nothing special, she had let him surprise her. It was a very sobering realisation that no matter how good she was, if she relaxed or got too cocky, it could well be the end for her.
A roar reached her ears, but this wasn't the sound of a vampire or even a demon. Demons sounded angry, whereas this.. all she could hear was hunger. A chill ran up Buffy's spine; she had never heard anything like this before. It was animalistic, void of emotion and driven purely by instinct. The sound seemed to echo around the empty graveyard.
She turned her head to follow the sound of the roar. It was coming from the far side of the graveyard, in the opposite direction that Angel had run to.
The roar sounded a second time. She hesitated, but only for a second, before running over.
As she ran, something odd seemed to occur. Every now and again out of the corner of her eye she'd catch sight of someone, different people each whenever she turned to look at them, they'd vanish. After the first three times, she'd had enough. She stopped running and, clutching a stake firmly to her chest, stopped to look around.
..For a while, nothing happened...
There! A flash of red. Small, muddy shoes trampling the earth. Flailing arms. A child.
Buffy whipped her head around. For a moment, she could see him clearly. A little boy in a bright red coat, tears steaming down his face, running for his life.
"Hang on, wait-!"
He faded from sight.
Buffy took a step back. What the hell? What am I seeing?
Then, much louder this time, the creature roared again. Buffy turned in the direction the child had run from, her heart beating furiously. Was it invisible? It sounded as if it were right next to her!
Wait... what's that?
The air in front of her was blurred. It wasn't her vision that was the problem, it was the air. If she paid attention, she could see the blurred space made out the outline of a shape, something like a giant primate. It looked like it was about to -
Buffy flung herself out of the way just in time. A split second later, a large crater appeared in the ground where she had been stood with an ear - splitting crash. Buffy staggered back, her eyes straining to see her assailant, but it was too hard in the heat of battle. More angry than scared, she turned and ran. Trying to fend off invisible girl Marcie had been hard enough, but this guy was big, strong, and deadly. She was at a very large disadvantage.
As she ran, she turned and looked over her shoulder. The blurry outline was still there. In fact, it was becoming rapidly clearer. As Buffy watched, the creature slowly faded from transparent, to translucent. She could see the colours now. A large, purple-grey body and a bone white head. She stopped running. As luck would have it, she could now, somehow, see it clearly enough to fight. Even if she had no idea where to begin with a creature of this size.
It swung another fist at her, which she dodged. With a jolt she realised it hadn't been trying to hit her; it had been trying to grab her. As she danced around it she became more and more certain that it wasn't trying to kill her. At least, not right away.
The creature was now completely opaque. It was large and muscular, at least a storey high in hight. For a head, it had what seemed to be a skull like mask, and when it's mouth opened it revealed two sets of teeth instead of one. But, perhaps the most intriguing thing of all was the perfectly circular hole where it's heart should be.
So much for staking, Buffy thought grimly. The monster swung at her again. She dodged the grasping fingers, but instead swung up onto the arm and, in a real test of her balance, ran up it. As she neared the head she wondered for the first time what she actually planned to do. Stick it in the face with a stake? Well... maybe. She wondered if a stake would be strong enough to do the job. Too late to think of anything else now. It would have to do.
She landed lightly on the shoulder. Bracing herself, she swung with all her might, driving the stake, point first, into the mask.
The stake shattered.
"Ah... okay. Not that then." Buffy said through gritted teeth as she clutched at her hand which was now riddled with splinters. The creature turned it's head and swatted her off it's shoulder. Buffy was too distracted to avoid it, and she fell heavily to the ground.
"Oof!"
She was in trouble. She had no idea what this thing was, no weapon, no idea how to kill it and an injured hand.
The creature turned, and regarded her curiously as she struggled to her feet. Buffy backed away slowly as the creature advanced...
A streak of black flashed across her vision. Someone leapt in front of her, and sprung impossibly high into the air. A girl. No.. a woman? It was hard to tell from the back . She wore a black martial arts robe, and a sword sheath hung at her hip. Her hair was pitch black to match her attire, and fell into a natural bob just above her shoulders.
The mystery woman seemed to hover in the air in front of the monster, before bringing her sword slicing down, splitting the bone cleanly from top to bottom. The thing howled one last time, before dissolving into nothing.
Buffy stared. The woman landed gracefully and sheathed her sword. She began to walk away.
"Hey, wait! How'd you do that?" The woman turned slightly and regarded Buffy for a second, but then kept walking. Buffy blinked. The woman was ignoring her?
"Hey, HEY! You! Swordy gal! Karate kid! Don't ignore me!"
The woman stopped and turned again, this time seeming very confused. She glanced around once.
"Uh- me?"
"Well, yeah. Y'see anyone else around?"
The woman stepped closer to Buffy. She seemed intrigued.
"You can see me?"
"...Should I not be able to? Sorry." Buffy was getting annoyed.
"Look, chitchat later, yeah? Can you tell me what the hell that thing was?"
The mysterious woman wasn't listening. She stepped uncomfortably close to Buffy and began examining her face critically.
"That's very odd. Humans shouldn't be able to see me. What's so special about you?" She muttered, almost to herself.
Buffy chuckled bitterly. "What isn't? Anyways, how come were all so wrapped up about me, what about you? You mean you're not human? Are you some sort of invisi-demon?"
The woman shook her head. "Demon? No. But I am no longer human. My name is Rukia Kuchiki, and I am a Soul Reaper."
Buffy stared blankly at her. "A... you mean, like the grim reaper?"
"It's a similar concept, yes. But there are many of us."
"Right... sure you are." Buffy replied dubiously. Rukia seemed to pick up on her doubt.
"Hey! I'm not lying." She said angrily. "You saw the creature. You must realise this can't fall inside your definition of 'normal'."
Buffy actually laughed out loud. This Rukia really had no idea. "Oh, sister. This was a walk in the park for me."
Rukia frowned. "Nearly getting killed by a supernatural monster is a 'walk in the park'? Really?"
"Yep. Occupational hazard."
"What? What insane sort of 'occupation' could possibly involve that?"
"Well, you're one to talk. I'm the vampire slayer, if you must know. My name is Buffy Summers."
"Vampires? I don't know if you're delusional or messing with me."
"Oh, come on! Says the woman claiming to be a grim reaper!"
"Soul reaper!"
"Buffy?" Rukia and Buffy turned at the voice. Angel stood leaning against a tombstone, looking terribly confused.
Buffy beamed. "Oh, Angel! You're back, good. No trouble with the vamp, right?"
"Uh... no, fine. I heard fighting, so I came back... Um, Buffy, who are you talking to?"
"Oh, this is Rukia. She kinda saved my ass, apparently she's a grim reaper -I'msorrySOULreaper- and... and... you look weird." Buffy squinted at Angel, whose expression was rapidly turning from confused to very worried.
"No, um. Buffy - there's no one there."
"What?" Buffy turned back to Rukia, who had a slightly smug expression resting on her face.
"Really? But she's right there! She's got a sword, she's smaller than me which is quite an achievement. She is wearing all black, which might make her a little harder to see in the dark, I suppose, but not invisib-" Buffy stopped. The creature that had attacked her had been almost entirely invisible to her at first. Could this be a similar case?
Angel scoured the seemingly empty space for any sign of this person Buffy was talking about. "...Is she really there? Are you sure? I mean, I suppose we have seen weirder things..."
Buffy looked at Rukia, suddenly doubtful. "I... I think so." She thought a moment, then punched her.
"Ergh!" Rukia staggered back, surprised by the blow. "Hey! That was uncalled for!"
Buffy flexed her wrist. "No, she's definitely there."
Angel nodded. "Yeah, I heard the impact."
"But you didn't hear her speak?"
"She spoke? No. I didn't hear that."
Rukia sighed. "As fun as this is, I don't have time for it. I have work to do, if you'll excuse me..."
"No, hang on!" Buffy caught her arm as Rukia tried to move away. "The creature that attacked me, what was it? Why couldn't I see it at first? Why can't Angel see you? Tell me!" Rukia considered her words with a thoughtful expression on her face. Finally, she relented.
"Very well, I suppose you have the right to know. I will tell you what I can."
