It's me again, this time with a multi-chapter fanfiction. It's based on the movie City of Angels (Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan) which was based on the movie Wings of Desire. It's a very sweet romance flick, but I figured there should be some action if I was going to write a Bleach fic about it. So here it is! My brain child City of Shinigami! I want lots of reviews so that I feel the need to update. And by the way...I took a lot of liberties when writing this bad boy...so first disclaimer I do not own City of Angels or Wings of Desire or Bleach...and I changed a lot of things...which you will see in later chapters...Enjoy the fic!
Shinigami only appear when death is concerned. They roam the world, unseen and unheard by the people, observing and listening to the diverse thoughts of others. Though they are not completely forgotten, only the eyes of children can see them and those associated with death. They are not angels, they are not human, but once long ago they were. They have always existed; they existed in the world before it came into being, and in fact they were the first humans. Their life is to ensure the dead souls' safe passage into the next life, through use of their zanpakuto, and to protect the souls of the living from creatures called hollows. They separate yet entwined with the fate of the living; though they are only spiritually there, and lack the physicality of mortals. Shinigami were once spoken of greatly and now have fallen into the shadows of time, forgotten and few believers... but some things are true whether you believe in them or not.
"Look at her...she's so...big..."
"She'spregnantduh...idiot..."
"Oh..."
A young man and woman stood and stared at the pregnant woman as she pleaded with a little boy in a sandbox. Her brown hair fell loose from her bun, her brow gathered beads of sweat, and she was getting nowhere.
"Come on honey! It's time to go!" the mother cried to her son.
"No! I wanna stay!" the little boy shouted back, dark bangs covering his angered eyes.
"But sweetie! Don't you want to go home and play with your toys?" she tried again.
"No! I wanna play in the sand!" he shouted again as she sighed in distress.
The young woman sighed, "We should help her..."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because...we can..." she hissed as she stomped over to the pair. Her black bangs fell in her eyes as she approached and smiled happily at the little boy. She crouched down next to the pregnant woman, her hakama pooling at her small sandaled feet. "Hello, what's your name?" she asked, her smile widening.
"I'm Jun!" Jun said happily, his smile missing a front tooth.
"I'm Rukia," Rukia said as she pointed over her shoulder. "And the tall red-headed grump is Renji!" She smiled again. "Jun, can you do me a favor?"
"What is it?" Jun asked curiously.
"Can you listen to your Mommy and go home?" Rukia asked. "She looks really tired..."
"But-!"
"I know, you want to play right? But, she'll probably take you back again soon...so why don't you go home now, so Mommy can rest...so your little sister can rest...you want to be a good big brother right?" Rukia said as she stood up.
"Ok..." Jun sighed as he turned to his mother and picked up his pail. "Ok Mommy...we can go..." he said as he took his mother's hand in his own and led her away.
"Why the sudden change of heart?" the pregnant woman asked as she turned back to Rukia.
"This lady named Rukia said you were tired and-and I want to be a good big brother and-!" Jun started.
"OhRukia eh? So what did this Rukia look like?" his mother asked with a chuckle.
"You saw her! She had black hair and she had a friend named Renji and he had red hair!" Jun said as he turned around to look back at Renji and Rukia. "See they're right there!"
"Oh...I remember my first imaginary friend! His name was Mr. Pickles and he was...!" the mother laughed as she told her son the story, a gentle hand resting on her swollen stomach, the other holding her son's tiny hand.
"Nice job Mighty Mouse..." Renji laughed as he smirked down at Rukia.
"Shut up you-you big ape!" Rukia shouted as she punched Renji in the gut, making him double over wheezing.
"Wha-what was that-for?!" he panted as he clutched his middle.
"Come on...let's go." she said airily as she started to walk away.
"Hey! Wait for me Rukia!" Renji called as he ran after her.
She paused behind a young man, a painter, his brush paused in mid air as if his train of creativity had stopped. He sighed and set the brush down and buried his face in his paint stained hands in defeat. His shoulders shook as soft sobs escaped. Rukia stepped up and placed gentle hands on his shoulders and looked at the painting. It was incredibly realistic, as if the subject could step out and be alive. Tall, slender frame, bright, blue eyes that stared hauntingly out, long, obsidian hair that blew in an invisible wind, and a mysterious smile, she was beautiful. Her thin wrist was held out as if she was asking the viewer to follow, her head tilted to the side, as if wondering what was taking so long, and her pale, blue dress blew lightly in the wind.
"Hi-hitomi..." he whispered sadly to himself as he raised a hand to the picture tracing the curve of her face, a tear sliding down his own. "I'm-I'm so sorry..." Rukia's grip tightened lightly as she watched the young man. He laughed lightly, 'No-no matter how much I-I practice...' he dropped his hand back down to his side. 'I can't make drawings of you pretty enough...' He started to pack up and mumbled to himself. 'All I have left of you are these paintings, that don't even do you justice...' He walked out of the park the painting now tucked under his arm.
"She died..." Renji said quietly as he watched the man walk away.
"Yes...she must have been very precious to him..." Rukia whispered.
"Did you see how she died?" Renji asked as they started walking again.
"She was very...ill...but she wanted to have a baby, and-and she died giving birth..." Rukia said quietly as she wrapped her kimono covered arms around her.
"And the child?"
"A beautiful baby girl...with blue eyes like her mother...her name is Aoi...she's five this winter..."
"He's lucky then...he still has a part of his love, in the form of their child..."
"I'm sure he doesn't feel lucky..."
"He's luckier than most! He still has his daughter! What about all those children that die! Those babies! He's selfish..." Renji shouted angrily.
"I would be selfish then..." Rukia answered, as Renji turned to look at her. "Because...if I ever found out you were dead...I think I might...never mind..." she said as she lightly shook her head and ran on ahead.
'What...what was she trying to say...' Renji thought as he jogged to catch up. He then looked to his side and watched a man jog.
'She doesn't love me...' the man grimaced as he looked ahead. 'I mean she's beautiful and smart and kind and-and everything I'm not...why did I ever think she would fall for someone like me...' he glanced at his watch. 'She still isn't home from her mother's...she probably isn't even at her mother's...probably with some lawyer or professor...she deserves a lawyer or a professor...I mean she's a doctor! And what am I...a out of work engineer...living off my girlfriend...' He picked up pace. 'She doesn't love me anymore...I should just leave so that she can find someone better...'
Renji stopped and watched him jog away, his head spinning, his heart in pain. He turned and saw Rukia waiting at the exit of the park, waving him over. He ran over and looked down at her, "What?"
"We should probably go find Ichigo...see if he's had any luck..." Rukia said as she crossed her small arms and glared up at him. "Something wrong Renji?"
"Huh? No, let's go find strawberry then!" he said as he led the way out of the park.
"Yeah, ok..." she answered as she walked out, following after her red-haired hot tempered companion.
Each character (non-Bleach ones) was given a specific name...here they are in order that they appeared...setsu, jun, takumi, hitomi, tsuneo, ayako...Setsu (the pregnant woman) means temperate which I think could be another word for patient, which is obvious in the fact when she is dealing with her son. Jun (the little boy) mean obedient, an oxymoron! Takumi (the painter) means artisan, and Hitomi (the subject of the painting/ Takumi's girlfriend/wife/lover) means pupil of the eye and is a name given to Japanese girls with beautiful eyes, Hitomi's eyes were blue an uncommon color among the Japanese, therefore beautiful. Tsuneo (jogger) means common man, he felt himself to be a lower class than his girlfriend and lastly Ayako (Tsuneo's girlfriend) means scholarly child, she was well educated and from a wealthier family. That was fun! Now REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I want to make sure it's good...and YES I know it's short...