Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of the Bleach characters, I do own the OC in this story though (ie Rain).
Chapter 1 : Rebirth
Rain hung in the stasis tank, black hair falling down as a curtain either side of his skull. He had no organs, no skin, no muscles. All that was left was bone. Was this how Captain Kurosutchi treated all his subordinates? Rain couldn't move his body in the stasis tank, his hair the only part with any free movement and it was only ever disturbed by the occasional oxygen bubble floating up from the agitator wand at the bottom of the tank. Soon those bubbles too would stop as time progressed, he'd seen these tanks a million times before. His zanpakuto sat in a cabinet in front of him. He watched as the years progressed, within the first year half the staff never returned to his room. After fifteen years, there were but three men observing him, after thirty years a mere one watched. Finally the day came when he left.
Nemu was the next person he saw, his skeletal body dropping slowly with the green stasis liquid. Finally he lay on the floor of the tank. He sat up slowly, bones clicking as they moved. He knelt and finally stood. The door hissed as it was released and swung outwards, Nemu stood there watching him silently. He dropped to the ground in a bow and tilted his head questioningly.
"The Captain sees no reason to keep you." she said quietly, "You're uninteresting."
"Uninteresting?" He said, his voice more hoarse than he remembered, which was probably reasonable seeing as he no longer had any throat to speak of.
"You're to be destroyed tomorrow."
"Why are you releasing me then?" He asked turning to look at his zanpakuto as he returned to his feet.
"Because your life isn't over yet."
Rain's head snapped back to stare at her, "Compassion." he said quietly, he'd have smiled if he'd had skin, "Thank you Miss Kurosutchi." he whispered. Then his arm lashed out, the glass case around his zanpakuto shattering, his hand closing around the handle. He lifted it from the cradle and tucked it under his arm.
"Your clothes are in the lockers." she said raising a finger to point to a large set of lockers to his left.
He nodded, "You should leave Vice-Captain." he said quietly.
She nodded and turned on her heel.
Rain sighed and walked to locker 13, retrieving his boots, jeans, shirt and leather overcoat. He threw them on hurriedly cursing himself mentally for picking a business shirt, damned buttons take too long. Finally he had everything on, though he did have to tie his shirt tails to his jeans to hold them up. His shoes were loose too but he tied the laces to his shin bones and slipped from the room.
He was on the roofs and racing along, he had to leave this place, if he stayed in soul society Captain Kurosutchi would find him. There was a flash ahead, he knew where he was, Soul Society hadn't changed much in the last thirty years. He rocketed off the last building and used his shunpo to move to the gate. He watched as it began to close. The gap began to shrink, then closed.
Rain skidded to a halt in the real world, there were a group of shinigami around him, he flicked off to one side and sidled along beneath the trees, watching them for a moment. He'd cloaked his reiatsu to the best of his abilities but he was hoping it was enough. He recognised the other shinigami as the walked away from him, Abarai Renji, Hanatarou ... something, he could never remember Hanatarou's full name, there were also two from the eleventh squad that he'd never met before. What were they here for? He shook off his curiosity and slipped backwards into the trees.
He felt the reiatsu before he saw it, he stepped into the clearing, searching the area for people, he was still a shinigami even if he was here illegally. He tilted his head back and watched the black cracks appear in the sky, a hollow's mask appeared as it pulled itself through into the real world dropping to the ground in a cloud of dust.
The hollow screeched its ungodly screech and then turned to him.
"Protect them and release my reiatsu or run away?" he paused for a moment and then sighed, "Sometimes I really hate this honour stuff." He drew the zanpakuto from its sheath, he moved then, his reiatsu flaring immediately as he let his concentration waver from the cloaking of his spirit power to focus on the battle. It was a short battle, three slashes downed the hollow. He slid his zanpakuto back into his sheath and turned to leave before the others arrived. He froze as he saw two people step into the clearing, one was wearing shinigami gear, the other was dressed in a flowery shirt and had a strange red and black arm.
Rain stepped back and considered his options yet again.
"Oi, what are you?" the orange haired shinigami asked bluntly.
Rain was silent as he re-drew his zanpakuto.
"Is he an arrancar?" the other figure asked quietly.
"He's not a shinigami." the carrot top muttered, "His reiatsu is all wrong."
"Kurosutchi sent you didn't he?" Rain spat suddenly, "I won't let you take me back just to be destroyed."
The orange haired boy's eyes narrowed as Rain pointed his zanpakuto at him.
"Fracture Hone Nokogiri!" Rain hissed, his zanpakuto flashing as it morphed, handle turning into a bone, blade shortening and deepening as it formed a jagged, oversized meat cleaver.
Neither of the two moved, Rain took a slow breath and tossed his zanpakuto into the air, catching it as he dropped to one knee, he slammed the blade into the ground, cleaving a thick chunk from the earth.
"BANKAI!" he roared.
The orange haired shinigami watched in horror as the dead bodies began to reform, bones tearing themselves from the ground, eye sockets of the undead skeletons glowing with a strange red light, they were heavily armed, some with swords, others with maces and axes. A group with shields positioned themselves around Rain. Then the skeleton army fell into ranks behind him, positioning themselves for an attack. His reiatsu peaked as he screamed, "ATTACK!"
The skeletons moved, thundering forward in a wave, weapons drawn, bones cracking noisily in the still night air.
The larger of the two figures roared and sent a wave of blue energy firing from his fist, the orange haired shinigami bellowed his own battle cry, going to Bankai in an instant. The big one's attack flashed off the skeleton's shields and plummeted into the trees some distance away. Rain laughed in spite of himself, he knew he was vulnerable in Bankai form but would they figure that out before he killed them?
There was another blue bolt and then a bone shattering crack as two of the protecting skeletons fell. Rain stared into the cold eyes of the orange haired shinigami, but then he was gone again, more skeletons filling the gap that had been opened.
"Howl Zabimaru!" Renji roared, his extending sword slashing through a wave of skeletons.
Rain took a breath, when had Renji joined them? The others were attacking too, his army dwindling quickly. He had to take out the weakest ones first. He yanked the cleaver from the ground and flickered across to the weaker shinigami from the eleventh squad, they'd been fighting side by side. His cleaver crashed down on one's shin, the bones shattering forcing him to collapse. Another strike and the other's forearm went limp. Rain leapt for the orange haired shinigami, he knew how powerful Renji was, the orange haired one was a mystery though. A black blade parried his blow, Rain retreating hurriedly. But he wasn't prepared for another attack, a blue bolt crashing into his side. The big one had gotten him. His skeletal body crumpled to the ground and he shakily sat up. Before he could get up again though, Renji's Sword was at his throat.
"Ichigo, nice to see you." the redhead shinigami called happily.
"Yeah." Ichigo replied simply.
"Hone Nokogiri?" Renji asked turning his attention back to Rain.
Rain was silent, he was worried his facial expressions might give away his fear but then he remembered he didn't have facial expressions anymore.
"Is he a shinigami?" the orange haired one, Ichigo, asked.
Renji was silent for a moment, "He was, last time I saw him."
"Did Kurosutchi send you?" Rain hissed.
Renji shook his head, "No, ready to die defector?"
"Wait!" a voice called, Rain knew it was Hanatarou.
Renji glanced up, "Hanatarou, what is it?"
"He's still a shinigami!" Hanatarou panted as he jogged towards them.
"Hana, I don't know if you've noticed but he's a skeleton." Ichigo muttered.
Hanatarou stopped beside them, slightly out of breath, "He needs to be healed."
"How do you know Hanatarou?" Renji asked glancing at the black haired shinigami.
"I can feel it in his reiatsu, something made him this way but he's still a shinigami on the inside."
The gravel crunched as the big one joined their group.
"You alright Chad?" Ichigo asked.
The big one nodded in silence.
"Hanatarou?" Rain asked quietly, "Can you heal me?"
Hanatarou shook his head, "C-Capatain Unohana would be the only one strong enough." he muttered looking at the ground.
"What's with all this chummy stuff?" Ichigo asked raising an eyebrow, "He tried to kill us and he's not even dressed like a shinigami."
"He's the third seat of the twelveth division." Renji said quietly, "Or last I heard he was."
Rain shook his head, "I don't know if I still am, I became an experiment thirty years ago."
"An experiment?" Renji asked letting his shikai shrink back to his normal zanpakuto.
Rain nodded curling his skeletal hand into a fist, he stared at the clenched ball of ivory, "I never realised exactly how little Captain Mayuri cared about life."
Rain tried to push himself to his feet but his bones refused to co-operate and he collapsed to the ground again, Hanatarou bent down to help him.
"You better fix up the others first." Renji said jerking his thumb over the shoulder, "When you're finished with them you can take Rain back to Soul Society and get him healed or whatever."
Rain sighed and tilted his head to one side, hair flopping down across his face. He tried to blow it off but lack of lungs hindered his efforts.
"Ichigo, we'd better go take care of what we came here for." Renji said walking away, motioning for Ichigo to follow.
"Yeah." Ichigo muttered joining him as they stepped out into the trees. The big one, Chad had followed them silently.
Hanatarou carried him through the gate into the courtyard outside fourth division headquarters, Rain had worried he wouldn't be able to lift him but obviously his skeletal form was lighter than he realised.
"Hanatarou?" he asked quietly.
"Y-Yes?"
"Don't tell anybody that I'm here, please, Kurosutchi will kill me."
Hanatarou stared at him, "W-Why?"
"I'm a failed experiment, all failed experiments are terminated." Rain muttered bitterly as he stared up at the fourth division headquarters.
"Hanatarou!" a voice called as two shinigami rushed forward, "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yes, I'm fine, is the Captain here?" he asked.
"Yes." One said.
"Take us to her then." Rain muttered, Chad's punch still seemed to reverberate through his bones, a constant throbbing pain.
"W-Who is that?" the other asked.
"None of your business." Rain snapped angrily fingers clenching around his zanpakutou's sheath.
"Please, where is the captain?" Hanatarou asked rearranging Rain's arm over his shoulder. Even though Rain was being carried by Hanatarou his feet still slid along the ground, he was too tall to be carried this way.
It wasn't much later before he was escorted to a private room and Captain Unohana and Vice-Captain Isane joined Hanatarou and him. Hanatarou had already removed his clothes, a towel laid across his lower body so his modesty was preserved after the healing.
The Captain smiled at him, "Third seat, Rain, how nice to see you again."
"A pleasure as always Captain." Rain said respectfully. He stared at Isane for a moment, "Vice-Captain."
Isane nodded towards him as Unohana placed a hand over his forehead and closed her eyes. She paused for a moment before stepping back.
"Isane?" she asked quietly.
"Yes Captain!" Isane said quickly.
"I think you should heal Rain."
"C-Captain, wouldn't the healing go more smoothly if yo-"
"Isane, I trust you to do a thorough job." the Captain said smiling as she turned to leave, "Hanatarou, would you please join me?"
Hanatarou bowed his head, "Y-Yes C-Captain." he said shuffling hurriedly after her.
Rain was silent as he stared at Isane. The Vice-Captain shakily lowered a hand over his forehead and closed her eyes. A healing light spread across him and Rain almost cried out as his organs suddenly began to regrow, muscles creeping along his bones, reforming, skin stretching over that. He felt his stomach form, his lungs as his throat finished and he took the first breath of air in over thirty years. His vision was suddenly cut off as his eyes formed, the cartilage of his nose growing along with skin, thin muscles tracing across his face, skin racing across the top of them. Everything went fuzzy as his brain suddenly reformed. He wiggled his toes experimentally, he could feel everything coming back. His eyelids grew into place and his vision was cut off. Finally his heart began to beat and he felt the warmth of the healing stop.
THUMP THUMP.
His heart felt as though it was ramming the insides of his chest. He could feel the blood coursing through his veins, his muscles contracting and relaxing.
"Are you alright?" Isane asked quietly.
Rain's eyes snapped open suddenly and he froze, everything was so much cleared now, his vision was so much better. His eyes traced across her face, the silvery hair, her rich, dark pupils and lighter irises, her cautious smile.
"Beautiful." he whispered, the word escaping before he could stop it. Isane's caring smile faltered.
Rain sat up suddenly and bowed his head, "My apologies ma'am." he murmured. Then something rippled through his body, and he grunted suddenly as he realised it was pain from his reinstated flesh. He hissed as the pain seemed to burn his body.
Isane put a hand on his shoulder and laid him back down, "Try not to move too much, you're still recovering."
Rain stared at the concern on her face, It had been over thirty years since he'd seen an emotion like that. Nemu's face didn't even show an eigth as much emotion as Isane's did.
3 days later.
Isane slid the door to the room open and walked in carrying a mug of steaming liquid.
"How are you today Rain?" she asked quietly.
Rain tilted his head to one side and slid into sitting position, "Things still hurt but..." his voice trailed off as he tugged at the collar of his shirt, why was Isane here instead of one of her subordinates?
"Unohana asked for me to check on you." Isane explained as though the question had been written on his face.
Rain was silent for a moment as she handed him the mug and sat down on the chair beside his bed, "Vice-Captain?" he asked quietly staring into the green liquid as he tried to distract himself from her eyes, he'd already been asked what he was staring at three times in the last two days and he felt stupid telling her it was her eyes.
"Yes?" she replied quietly.
"Do you get asked to check on many injured?"
She nodded.
He was silent for a moment, "How many injured get rooms to themselves?"
Isane was silent, Rain had to cough quietly to get her to reply, "Usually only Captains and Vice-Captains have separate rooms."
Rain nodded, "Why am I being looked after so much better than anyone else?" he paused, "You healed me and you're being sent to check on me everyday..." his voice trailed off.
"Do you not want me to check on you?" Isane asked taken aback.
"N-No, no, it's nothing like that!" Rain said sitting up straighter, the green liquid spilling over the rim of the cup and dripping down the front of his shirt. He jumped and hurriedly started batting the hot liquid off.
Isane smiled at him, almost laughing.
"Maybe I should spill hot stuff on me more often..." Rain muttered to himself.
"Pardon?" Isane asked tilting her head.
Rain froze, "Did I say that out loud?" he asked glancing at her, his eyes locking with hers.
"Yes." she said. Rain was gone then, busy drifting through her beautiful eyes.
He was snapped back to reality by a knock on the door.
"Enter." Isane called, the door slid open and some hurried inside depositing a pair of blankets at the foot of Rain's bed.
"My apologies ma'am." the shinigami babbled quickly before retreating from the room.
Rain was quiet as Isane turned back to him, her long brained strands of hair swaying with the movement.
"Beautiful." Rain whispered.
Isane blushed slightly and stood, "I think you should be fit enough by the end of the week to start walking around again." she said quietly.
"Good night." she said sliding the door open, she slid it shut slowly behind her and Rain sighed to himself.
Ukitake stood next to Unohana, they watched as Isane departed from Rain's room and disappear down the walkway.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" the thirteenth squad Captain asked quietly.
Unohana nodded, "They both need somebody and I think they'd suit very well. She paused, "I could be wrong."
"Will she let him get close to her though?" Ukitake asked quietly.
Unohana sighed gently, "I hope so."