Hi everyone! This is my very first Bleach fanfic, entitled Unbound. I'm really excited about it because, of course, it's the first one I've ever written. But on the other hand, I'm kinda nervous as well, though I'm putting that off as my anxious anticipation to see what you guys think about it. Well, I hope you all enjoy it, and please review. Your reaction will decide the fate of this story. Alright, without further ado, here is the first chapter of my story…
A/N: I don't own Bleach, but I do own my created character.
Chapter One:
Unexpected Arrival
It was cold…very cold.
This was, at the moment, the only thought zooming through Grimmjow's mind at light speed. Not the heavy downpour of ice cold rain battering his broken body. Not the pain that he knew he should be feeling, but wasn't. Not the fact that he was lying on the ground…somewhere…in the world of the living, his bleary cerulean gaze fixed upon the thick red liquid that mixed in with the rain and painted the pavement in front of him. No…he thought nothing of these things. Just that it was cold. He lay there, shivering violently under the frozen downpour, welcoming the darkness now invading his vision, cradling a new thought that suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Sleep…
Takuya was extremely thankful for her large umbrella as she walked home from the grocery store. Rain poured relentlessly that evening, and would have surely drenched her to the bone had she come without it. She moved quickly down the sidewalk under dim street lights, anxious to escape the watery onslaught. Almost there…she mentally cheered herself on, pushing herself into a slight jog, finally reaching the lot housing her destination. Pausing only for a second to smile at the welcoming lights cast from the windows of Urahara's shop, she began her trek towards the building…and almost immediately tripped over an unexpected obstacle impeding her path, yelping as she fell to the wet ground.
"Ouch…" she whimpered, pulling herself up from the drenched ground and ungracefully dusting the grime from the front of her coat. With nothing short of a frown, she turned to glare at whatever it was that caused her to fall.
What she saw temporarily paralyzed her; a shuddering gasp passed her lips. "…What…is this…?"
A man lay there unmoving on the slightly cratered ground in a tattered white hakama, his bruised body shivering under the sting of the ice cold rain, thick blood slowly leaking from his wounds. Without thinking she reacted, dropping her plastic bag of groceries and her umbrella as she hurried over to the unconscious man. She draped his arm over her shoulder and, with all the strength she could muster, she lifted the man off the ground as much as her small frame would allow. Grunting with effort, she hauled the dead weight across the lot to the shop.
Urahara, Tessai, and Renji looked up when they here the shop door sliding up and the sound of something heavy being dragged across the floor approaching the living area at the back of the shop.
"What is that?" Renji asked curiously, moving to stand.
"Perhaps Ms. Takuya bought more than she intended at the market today." Tessai suggested.
"That's a possibility." Urahara replied, sipping his tea.
"Yeah…but I'm wondering what exactly it is that she bought if she has to drag it around like that." Renji said as he went to the door separating the living area from the shop on the other side.
Before his hand touched the door it slid open, revealing a drenched, wearied Takuya shouldering a man two times her size. Renji gasped, temporarily frozen in shock as he got a better look at him. "What the hell? A-"
"Renji, you and Tessai take him to the back room and have Hanataro take a look at him." Urahara instructed, abruptly cutting Renji off. "While you do that, I'll make contact with Ichigo and have him and the others come over immediately."
Tessai looked back at the shop owner, slightly concerned. "Sir, this man is a…"
"I'm well aware." Urahara said. "However, I'm afraid now is not the time to consider what he is."
Both men nodded in reluctant understanding. Renji then reached out and relieved Takuya of the added weight, anchoring the man to his side as he and Tessai headed for the back room.
"My grocery bag and umbrella are still outside." Takuya said quietly, drawing Urahara's attention. "I should go and retrieve them."
Urahara nodded, and Takuya disappeared from the doorway. He then turned to the phone sitting behind him, picking it up and quickly dialing a number.
Ichigo snapped awake at the sound of his cell phone ringing. He glared at the device for a moment before snatching it from his desk and flipping it open.
"Hello?" he answered hoarsely.
"Ichigo, it's Urahara."
"What is it?"
"I need you to gather Rukia and the others and get to my shop as soon as you can. We have a bit of a situation on our hands."
Ichigo's brow furrowed. "What situation?"
"I'll explain it to you when you arrive."
Before Ichigo could protest, the line went dead. Mumbling, he snapped the phone shut and shoved it into his pocket.
"What was that about?" Ichigo's head snapped towards his room door where Rukia now stood.
"Man, is there no such thing as privacy around here?" he muttered.
Rukia bristled slightly. "What was that?"
"Forget it, let's just get going. We've gotta get the others on the way."
Alright, Chapter One, done and done! So, what did you think? Did you like it? Hate it? ALL opinions are welcome. Thanks again for reading!
P.S. - Also as a side note, though it will become evident as it progresses that my story takes place after the appearance of Ulquiorra and Yammy, it does not follow the original storyline. Just thought I'd throw that little fact in there…
xLSx
