This is my second fanfiction. I am starting it out as a project for NaNoWriMo 2011 but I hope to continue it beyond the 50,000 word limit. The story will follow along the timeline of the anime. I am recycling some things from my first fanfiction that I had discontinued. Some scenes are slight novelizations of the anime; in order to avoid trouble, I will not be writing dialogue from the anime word-for-word. I am going to try to write the Bleach canon characters as in-character as possible.
If you like Harry Potter fanfic, check out my friend VanityIre!
I do not own Bleach or its canon, only the non-canon in the fanfiction.
This entry has 2,042 words.
Chapter One: Her First Night
An old man in a white simple white kimono with a navy hakama tied just above his waistline hummed as he walked down a quiet street sidewalk. A high school girl in a knee-length blue skirt and a white shirt followed.
Ayame walked behind her grandfather with two full bags of vegetables in her hands. They had gone to the store for groceries for dinner. The sky was blue and spotted with white clouds then, but now the clouds were scarce against a fading orange-to-navy sky and stars started to come out for the night. She looked ahead of her, passed her grandfather's hunched stature, with a lot of things on her mind. Tomorrow, she would be starting her first day at Karakura High School after spending years learning at home. Ayame had been passed from family member to family member after her parents died, and ended up at her grandparents when she turned fifteen. She looked down to the old man's back and sighed.
Her melancholy thoughts were disrupted by a ripple. Not a physical one or a sound, but a ripple that disturbed her deep inside. It made her uneasy. Something was wrong, and the ripple came from far behind her. Ayame stopped and turned to look. Nothing was visible. Goose bumps crawled down her back as she scanned the area.
"Is everything all right, Ayame?"
His question did not shake her from her concentration. Even the loose strands of her hair did not disturb her. Her dark brown hair was held back and up by a clip, except for a small portion she had tied at the end with a yellow band and hung on the left side of her face. The wind picked up some dead leaves and made them dance across the ground at Ayame's feet. Light from the dying sun reflected off the silver Pisan cross dangling from a chain clasped around her neck. She blinked do prevent her eyes from drying out as the wind picked up.
There was a shriek that came from the direction she gazed toward. It sent another wave of chills down her spine. The grotesque screech did not sound human. As beastly and loud as it was, Ayame felt no reaction to it from her grandfather. Everything fell silent and the air became thick. The uneasy feeling disappeared in an instant when the wind died. When it was gone, the air felt light again as if a knife had cut through it to get rid of the pressure.
"Ayame, we're going to be late," her grandfather said. "Hurry up, child. I won't allow you to stand there and stare into space like some idiot."
Ayame turned back around in a rush. "Gomenasai!" She griped the bags tighter and jogged up to his side. There was an awkward silence between them as they continued their walk. Should she mention the strange feeling she had? And what about the shriek she heard – did he hear it, too? She calmly breathed in and out as the silence was lifted by the evening chirps of a swift and its friends. Accompanied by the bird song, crickets, and the shuffling of her grandfather's feet, Ayame eased into a quiet peace the rest of the way home.
By the time they reached the gated two-story house, Ayame's grandmother had already started dinner. Ayame and her grandfather left their shoes near the door inside the house. The entire place smelled of frying beef, and the sound of boiling water was heard from the kitchen. Her grandfather left Ayame to unpack the bags on the counter. She took out two big radishes, a couple of bell peppers, and tomatoes from one bag. The lettuce, onions, and cabbage came from a second bag. A few of the things they bought were left out to be cut as soon as possible, but Ayame was asked by her grandmother to put the remaining perishables into the fridge. She did as she was asked, and then picked up a knife to start slicing the vegetables left out on the kitchen counter. Ayame cut slowly and looked down at the radish with distant thoughts. What was that she had sensed earlier? It was more difficult than she imagined dismissing the animalistic screech from of her memory. Something was very familiar about it, too.
"Ayame-san?" The soft voice of the elderly woman next to her stirred her from her thoughts. "Is everything okay?"
Ayame lifted an arm and wiped her forehead with it. "I'm fine, obaa-san."
"Well, don't look so depressed, dear." She took some of the chopped radish and put it inside the wok. "You're too young to get wrinkles. Smile more often. Besides, I didn't make your favourite dessert just to see you stare off into the distance."
She grinned at her grandmother's words. "Really?" Ayame's eyes lit up. With her mind now set on something different, she went back to cutting the last of the radish with enthusiasm. Her grandmother chuckled as the younger woman sliced the white vegetable. "Do we have enough for me to make a lunch tomorrow?"
"Of course," her grandmother answered while she stirred the stir fry. "Plenty of rice and nori, and I've saved the last of our apples for you! You should have enough to keep you satiated." Ayame passed over the rest of the chopped radish. It was joined by some carrots, lettuce, onions, and mushrooms. The house smelled of delicious stir-fried vegetables with teriyaki beef.
The dinner was even more delicious than it looked. Sighs of satisfaction and chatter of tomorrow's possibilities filled the dining room. Ayame sat opposite her grandparents. She listened to them talk about things only old people cared about as she chewed on some of her vegetables. Her grandfather chortled at something her grandmother said, and asked for more drink. Ayame reflected on her previous family dinners before tonight; sometimes she had barely anything more than steamed rice to eat, and did not have anyone to eat with at all. She smiled gratefully for what she was experiencing now. Her cousins, the ones she lived with last, were too busy to take the time to eat and bond at the dinner table. Right now, she was where she felt she wanted to be: in a loving home with a positive, laid-back atmosphere.
"I heard you made Ayame a dessert special for tonight?" Her grandfather put his napkin on his empty plate. "I think we can bring it out now." He winked over to Ayame who was still eating her rice. She wanted to protest – wanted to finish her meal – but he insisted on moving the night's meal along. Ayame helped to clean dishes off the table while her grandfather waited for the dessert to be delivered to him. "Ayame, come back in here! It's a surprise for you, so you should sit back and be surprised!" He patted the chair her grandmother had been sitting in, and she took it without question. Once she was seated, her grandfather stood up and put his hands over her eyes.
"Ojii-san!" She gasped and put her hands on his.
"He he he," he laughed. "Just to make sure you don't peek."
Ayame forced an exhale and put her hands back in her lap. She sat for what felt like forever until the clink of ceramic hitting hardwood rang in her ears. Her nose picked up a familiar scent, something sweet and sugary. The taste buds on her tongue started tingling as her mouth began to water. "Can I see now?" What it could be was easy to take a guess at just by the scent. After a few seconds of waiting, the hands over her eyes were removed and she could see what was placed before her. At the sight of the delectable treat, Ayame squealed and jumped out of the chair. "Thank you so much! It looks delicious!"
On top of a round silver tray sat a round shortcake topped with strawberries and whipped cream. The layers were visible, showing off the two outer layers of yellow sponge cake, and the inner layer of chilled whipped cream and strawberry slices. Ayame hugged her grandparents before turning around to pluck a whole strawberry off the top. She bit into it just as her grandmother slapped her elbow. "Not so fast! We are going to make a prayer and then cut it!" The three of them smiled, and Ayame and her grandparents giggled. Her grandfather and she sat back down, Ayame licked some whipped cream off her thumb, and then proceeded to say a prayer once her grandmother was seated. They prayed that Ayame would enjoy her life here and have a wonderful first day of school tomorrow. Her grandfather quickly added in a wish to see her become top of her class before they finished.
After the shortcake was sliced, eaten slowly to savour the taste, and the unfinished portions packaged and placed in the fridge, Ayame wished her elderly guardians good night and sweet dreams. She skipped up the stairs to her second-floor bedroom with a smile on her face. Nothing could make her night go bad after eating her favourite dessert! Ayame gathered a pair of light blue pajama shorts and a matching camisole, and then headed to the bathroom next to her bedroom. She placed the clean clothes next to the sink, filled up the bathtub with warm water, and then undressed. Ayame untied the yellow band holding strands of her hair to the side, and unclasped the hair behind her head. The dark brown tussles cascaded just below her shoulders once everything was loose. She gazed at herself in the mirror, admiring her wisteria irises and the plainness of her face. There was nothing model-like about her; she had some curves where they were needed, but she never compared herself to the idols everyone admired and followed.
Ayame stepped one foot into the clear, warm bath water, and watched the goose bumps climb up her leg. She smiled in bliss as she dipped the rest of her body slowly into the water. Her dark brown hair faded to black after getting wet, and her pale beige skin glistened as steam rolled off the surface of the water. The bath relaxed her so much; she started to fall asleep after she reclined back. Ayame lifted a leg out of the water and rubbed a bar of soap she grabbed from the side of the bath tub along her calf to stay awake. The pleasant scent of her shampoo and conditioner made the bathroom smell of a flower garden of magnolias.
The relaxing wash had to be cut short for the sake of a healthy sleep. Ayame got out of the bath tub, dried herself off, and redressed in clean underwear and the light blue pajamas. She took one last look in the mirror. She puffed her left cheek, and then poked at it with her left pointer finger. The last thing to do was brush her teeth. The minty toothpaste was not her favourite: she made a face before spitting out the foam created by her brushing. When that was all done and the bathroom cleaned, Ayame left for her bedroom.
She sat with legs crossed on top of the yellow plaid comforter. The necklace unclasped with ease, but she did not place it on her desk immediately. Ayame held it before her. The Pisan cross reflected the light from her desk, flashing her eyes. Something told her it was important. Maybe it was just something she made up herself. For as long as she could remember, she had this charm with her. The only time she took it off was at bedtime. Tonight, however, she pondered whether or not she wanted to start wearing it permanently. She did take a bath with it on and nothing harmful happened to it.
Ayame clasped the chain back around her neck. She stretched before getting under her covers, and then turned off the desk lamp. When the room fell dark, she finally welcomed the sleep she fought off while in the bathroom. The only thoughts on her mind before closing her eyes were about her first day at Karakura High School.