I uploaded the wrong version the first time (Feels incompetent) so this one should have fewer errors in it. By the way, thanks Picttus for the help!

I do not own Bleach

It just wasn't fair.

Life just wasn't fair.

Well, this coming from Rukia's point of view as she ran for her life, as per usual. Through alleyways and passageways, she could navigate them all, but that's what became necessary when you lived in the ghetto of Tokyo.

Running for ones life was a natural occurrence, though, completing the run and escaping was not. The rules of the game were simple; run, and run fast. It was a wonder that in such an easy game, there could be so many who failed.

Her dainty footsteps contrasted those of heavier ones pounding behind her. Her feet worked furiously as she attempted to outrun her possible murderers. The rain soaked ground nipped at and chilled her bare feet. They were close, but she could still go faster. Regardless of her tiny appearance, she was one heck of speed demon. Besides, she had also mastered many forms of martial arts, but against many men with weapons, she would fight to no avail.

So, her sass often got her into trouble, but it wasn't like she was going to sit there and take all of their sick comments and prodding. So naturally she had taken the most logical course of action. Stomped up to the guy, slapped him across the face, elbowed his mid-section, and ran.

How many years had she been completing the same routine? Mouthing off to a man with a weapon and then running until she lost her pursuer. How many years had she been asking whatever greater power that tortured her, to cease His persecution. But, nothing had changed despite all the nights she had spent torn and bleeding, lying in a gutter, begging Him to make it all better.

Nothing ever changed.

But hey, she hadn't counted on turning a sharp corner and running full tilt into an… orange… thing? Gravity worked its magic as the two were hurtled backwards. But surely enough as a strangled groan caught her attention as she observed the man beneath her and the orange thing that appeared to be his spiky hair. He wore relatively unscathed clothes, nice running shoes and a very nice watch. Nice facial features, no visible scars, mesmerizing hazel eyes and a frown that said "Hey, I'm trying to cover the teenage angst look here! Get lost or I'll beat the living daylights outta ya". Needless to say, he wasn't from around here… and with hair like that, he wasn't going to last long either.

And apparently neither would she, as someone grabbed her hair and dragged off of the newly encountered man who appeared to be eighteen or nineteen. If he didn't get out of here quick, he may never live past that age. She screamed in pain as her back slid up a brick wall, scraping it and no doubt opening previous wounds. Her hair felt like it would be ripped from her scalp as the offender dragged her off her feet and pinned her against the wall, one hand still gripping her inky tresses and the other held a dagger near her throat. With a snicker he placed his face inches from hers and licked his lips. His name, she had heard it before, but it couldn't have been Japanese, 'Snake', they called him. It must have been an American term of sorts.

So, this would be the end of her seventeen years huh? She couldn't really say that she had imagined dying any other way, besides a few fantasies here and there that would no doubt, never be fulfilled. Regardless, only one should die tonight.

"Get out of here! Run!"

The stranger sat up scrutinizing her and her enemies. She was small and very slight. She wore tattered jeans and a tank top that was torn in revealing areas, so badly tattered that it might have fallen off of her starved body at any moment. She had cropped and dirtied hair, black as night, a nice face and the most mesmerizing violet eyes he had ever seen.

He confusedly stared at the other, the man that was poised to take the life of the stranger that had so rudely crashed down atop of him. Snake, a tall and threatening man with a mess of brown hair and cold, dead, black eyes, that aside, the fact that his clothes were nearly as torn as hers was rather unwelcoming. His red tinted dagger was held to her throat and he glared at her with the most bloodthirsty look he had ever seen.

The other two men, now they were staring at him, their hands dwindling near their back pockets as if deciding whether or not he was worth dulling their blades any more than they already had.

"Are you an idiot?! I said RUN!" His attention was refocused onto the woman (she couldn't have been any older than seventeen) as she screamed at him.

"Listen to the little lady, boy," Snake finally spoke, and his voice dripped with venom, "She may be savin' ya from a good thrashin', or maybe ya wanna be taught a lesson! Toshi! Mitch! Give 'im a good wallop! " The addressed man stood from his spot on the ground, rain cascaded down his face and soaked his clothes. He took a breath and ran head on towards the two men who had yet to unleash their weaponry. He ducked as the one called 'Toshi' threw a punch, and with inhuman agility planted the heel of his hand into Toshi's stomach, causing the man to stumble back while he ran towards him again and did a spinning kick to the side of the poor lackey's head. Sending his attacker face first into a wall and then to a heap on the concrete floor.

"I'd have to be stupid to listen to you!" He retorted.

He winced as he felt a cold blade being plunged into his back, staggering as the one named 'Mitch' ran around him and gave him a heavy blow to the face. There were sounds of tussling as Rukia began pushing against her own attacker, screaming at the man who was now, after an attempt at rescue, a bleeding heap on the floor.

"SHUT UP!" Rukia screeched as the blade was forced into her stomach and then ripped upwards through her chest. She crumpled to the ground, the blade still lodged in her skin, her eyes glazed over and darkness circled her vision. So, once again she would let someone die because of her huh? No, no… she wouldn't, she could save him and he could go back to whatever district, teeming with cash, he lived in and get on with the rest of his life.

While the menace was preoccupied with observing her 'savior' she quietly staggered to her feet and tore the dagger from her body with a wince that Snake seemed noticed. He whirled and threw a punch, aimed at her face, but she ducked and leapt up onto his arm, bringing her heel into his skull with uncanny force. There was a crack as he fell to the floor. She had no time to deal with the trivial matters of whether he was breathing or not, she had to help this stranger!

The 'orange' man had already managed to stand and had taken a great deal of blood loss. With knife cuts from his shoulder to his chest and another slash across his stomach, it was a wonder that he could stand, but then again, a gaping hole in her stomach and up through her chest was nothing to marvel at either. The two men stood parallel to each other, the enemy, 'Mitch', had back nearest to her. Without hesitating she shrunk low to the ground and proceeded to quickly cover the distance between the two. She stood up behind him and brought her arms up to both sides of his face, and then turned it violently; the man sank to the ground with a thud.

Rukia stared at the man across from her. He looked so much like him. Maybe… maybe, now she could see him, again…

The adrenaline drained from her body and the pain began to set in, she fell to her knees and coughed blood, the deep crimson liquid splattering all over the concrete and stained what was left of her clothes. Her breathing was labored and her world was spinning. So this was it… she gave a small smile as she realized that she wouldn't be dragging anyone down with her tonight. Not ever again.

Her eyelids fluttered closed as she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and a gentle voice calling her to open her eyes, nearly begging her as he shook her carefully. She thought that maybe she could be selfish for her last moments and ask for something. All she wanted was: to know his name.

"I-I'm… Ru-uki…a," She hoped he had heard her; it was taking all the strength she had left to whisper those few strained syllables. But maybe the rain would drown out her final wish. Because that's all it was: a wish. And in her life wishes were only granted in fairy tale story books. And if she could be a princess, one who could twiddle her thumbs and everything would be okay, and then maybe she would stay behind, maybe she would keep on living. But, she was no royalty and she never would be granted her heart's desires.

Because life just wasn't fair.

She felt two; well-toned arms come around her body and the feeling of cold and wet concrete disappeared as she felt shielded from the downpour. Her life was slipping and she knew it was only a matter of time. Her breathing became shallow and the man's frown only deepened. The last word that she heard was… "Strawberry".

Then it all faded to gray.