A/N: Bweeee! My first ever Bleach fic! I think I did well, but that's probably because I wrote it.
Nothing whatsoever has been planned out, all of the chapters you will read just poured out of me like text vomit.
I obviously don't own Bleach, if I did, Orihime would be dead...
'Once a Rukon Rat, always a Rukon Rat.' It was kind of their motto. In a way, it was true. Everyone they met who had come from the higher numbered districts of the Rukongai was much more different from the 'Bluebloods' like Byakuya Kuchiki.
'The Rukon Rats' were a small, group consisting of Gin Ichimaru and Rangiku Matsumoto, Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai, and Niche Tatami and Tegami Bachi. They were a family, whether they liked each other or not, they were a family. Gin was the feared father and Niche was the caring mother, because they were the oldest. Next it was Rangiku and Tegami, the 'paradox twins' exactly alike, but completely different. Renji and Rukia were the unloved stepchildren.
Niche and Tegami were inseparable, even becoming captain and assistant captain of 13th Company, respectively. The duo had come to the Soul Society within a year of each other, and found themselves teaming up to stay alive. Niche was the oldest of the pair, chronologically and mentally. She had built them a home, got them food, and even took care of the younger Tegami like a mother.
Scared, alone and hungry she wandered through the streets looking for something to eat. With no recollection of who she was, she instantly fashioned a new name; Niche Tatami, she thought it sounded pretty. The people around her were suffering horribly; the life she was now being forced to live was no way for a child to be raised, especially an orphaned child. No one cared if she cried from hunger, because people were just like that.
She heard stories of the 'Shinigami' the people that never worried about food, shelter, or food. These people were the heroes, the ones everyone wanted to be, but becoming one was far from easy. Apparently, they were stronger, faster, and smarter than anyone she had ever seen. She didn't care how, but she was going to be one, she would have plenty of food, a roof over her head, and people who bowed to her every whim, like bringing her food.
After three weeks of cunningly taking panels off building, she built herself a shanty as far away from the population as she could. She was making quite a name for herself, stealing food that didn't need cooking, and then stashing it in an undisclosed location.
Month after month flew by, and she grew lonely quickly. Having food, shelter, and even extra clothing that she stole from still warm dead bodies were great, but she wanted someone to talk to, someone that would understand her. She saw how the other children usually worked in teams of two or three, and each time she would try to talk to anyone, the just ignored her.
Exactly ten years to the date, she was on her way home with the rarest of treats: apples. She managed to steal a whole bushel from a couple of tough looking men without them even noticing. Being slow was the same thing as being dead, but she wasn't slow, in fact, her speed was what had kept her well hidden. It was that day that she celebrated her 'birthday,' the day she woke up in this place that even some Shinigami avoided.
She heard a twig break and decided to start running, even with her load of stolen apples she was fast. Fast, but not strong enough to fend off an attacker. Whatever it was that broke the twig was chasing her, until it stumbled and fell to the ground with a light 'Thud.'
"Please, -hic- at l-least give me an apple, -hic- I'm hungry too!" a small, terrified voice called to her and she stopped. Turning her head toward the voice, she saw a little girl lying in an awkward position in the dirt. The look on this little girl's obviously tear-stained face mirrored that of her own on her first day in the Soul Society.
"Get up and come here!" Niche ordered, the little girl obeyed and was by her side in a matter of seconds. Niche looked her up and down, looking for any sign of deceit. The little girl shifted uncomfortably and looked up at Niche.
"May I ask why you're looking at me like that? It's really scary." Niche looked the little girl in the eyes with her version of a glare she had gotten from a big Shinigami. Niche finally saw what she was looking for, and her gaze softened substantially.
"You got a name kiddo?" Niche asked as she tucked the basket of apples under one arm, smiled, and wiped the little girl's cheek with her thumb. Taking her hand, Niche began walking home, the little girl walked beside Niche in awe.
"No, at least, I don't know what it is. What about you, what's your name?" Niche looked down at the little girl in shock. In Niche's first few minutes, she had at least come up with her own name.
"Niche Tatami, but you can just call me Niche. How long have you been here in this horrible town?" The little girl cocked her head to the side and thought.
"I'm not sure, I woke up this morning and I was here. When I tried to ask anybody anything, they gave me mean looks and said mean things to me. When I started to cry, a bunch of people yelled at me, I don't like this place, everybody hates each other." Niche remembered that the little girl had pretty much just described her own first day.
"Well then, that means that today's your birthday, welcome to the Soul Society. Today is also the ten year anniversary of the day I came here too." the little girl looked up at Niche and smiled, they shared a birthday. Niche stopped in front of her little shanty and opened the door. The little girl looked at the home in awe.
"Is this your home? Do you live here by yourself? Don't you get lonely?" Niche looked at the little girl and smiled again. She sat down on her makeshift bed and patted the spot next to her. The little girl sat down and waited for the answer.
"Yeah, it's my home; I built it with my own two hands during my first few weeks here. I'm not going to be living alone if you want to stay with me. Yeah, it can get very lonely here at night. Here, have an apple." Niche explained and handed the little girl an apple.
"You're going to let me live here, but why, you don't even know me." the little girl accepted the apple and devoured it. Niche laughed and ruffled her hair, taking an apple for herself.
"I sure could use the company, and besides, I like you kiddo. I see a whole lot of myself in you." the little girl smiled and began crying again. She threw herself across the bed and wrapped her skinny arms around Niche's neck.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'll be the best housemate I can, I promise!" Niche returned the hug and it felt good. It was the first time she had ever hugged someone other than herself.
"It's no problem, you're just going to have to watch our home when I go out for food," Niche said as she rubbed the little girls back. They went back to devouring apples, and after a few minutes, they were all gone. So Niche pushed the basket of apple cores away and lay down, with the little girl lying on her chest. "We'll come up with a name for you after a nap." the little girl just nodded as they drifted into a comfortable sleep.
Some time later, a knock woke them. Niche pressed her finger to her lips and stood up; she grabbed a large, sharp piece of metal from under her bed. Whoever it was knocked again. Silently, Niche rushed to the front of her house and hid in a corner. They knocked again. She carefully peered out one of the hole in the curtain in her window. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding; it was just some Shinigami.
"Welcome to my home, you gave me quite a scare, how may I help you this evening?" Niche pulled the ragged old blanket aside from the entryway. The three Shinigami looked down at her in surprise, mainly because she was still holding the piece of metal. She noticed it and tossed it into a corner.
"My name is Kisuke Urahara, I'm a part of the thirteenth Company and these are my colleagues. Would you and your little friend please step outside?" Niche paled as she held up her index finger and ran toward her housemate.
"Come on kiddo, Shinigami want to talk to us!" Niche grinned.
"What's a Shinigami Niche?" she asked with a hint of worry in her voice. Niche noticed it and placed her hand on her heart.
"It's what we're gonna be, I just know it!" Niche pulled her to her feet and the two walked outside.
"You two little girls are the only ones who live here?" the female Shinigami asked in disbelief. Niche nodded and puffed out her chest in pride.
"I made this place with my own two hands!" the three Shinigami looked at each other, then back to Niche and the little girl clenching and unclenching her fists in nervousness. Niche noticed and put her hands on her hips.
"Maybe we have the wrong place." the other Shinigami stated flatly, Kisuke shook his head.
"This is definitely the place, Captain Yamamoto said so himself." the three Shinigami were still in disbelief.
"What are your names?" the female asked. "My name is Yoruichi, Kisuke already introduced himself, and the creepy blond is Shinji."
"I'm Niche Tatami, and this is my little sister Tegami Bachi. Are you here to take us to Shinigami academy?" Niche asked with wide eyes. The female nodded and sighed. Niche hugged the woman in excitement. When she pulled away, she hugged the newly named Tegami.
"So, if you two are sisters why don't you share a last name?" Shinji asked with a smirk. Niche's smile faltered a bit as she looked at the three Shinigami.
"We just met today! It's actually my first day here; I didn't have a name until just now. Niche just made it up, she's really clever!" Tegami warmed up to the Shinji fellow instantly. Niche groaned and comically ran her hand down her face.
"There's no way it's your first day here! Kisuke, Yoruichi, I know you guys can feel the spiritual pressure just pouring off of these two!" Shinji was starting to freak out. Niche pulled Tegami back into the house and over to the bed.
"Tegami, you can't go around telling people that, it could ruin our chance of going to the academy! If we get to go, we'll get food and shelter and clean clothes and food! Shinigami get all the food they can eat!" Niche began trembling. Yoruichi poked her head into their home.
"Can I come in?" She asked. Niche and Tegami nodded and Yoruichi sat on the floor. She looked to her left and saw three stacks of the neatly folded clothes Niche stripped off those who died. Against the wall opposite of the door, there was a bunch of blankets shaped into a bed, at the foot of the bed there was a box full of more blankets. But what was on Yoruichi's right amazed her, there was a basket full of browning apple cores, a large cloth bag with corn and other assorted food poking from the top, and a clean bucket filled with clean water.
"Wow, you kids sure do have a lot of stuff for such a small place." Shinji's torso was hanging through the opening that Niche called a window. Kisuke let out a low whistle and peered in through the doorway.
"Thank you Kisuke-Sama, Shinji-Sama." Niche bowed her head and hid her blushing cheeks behind her curtain of long brown hair. Kisuke and Shinji looked at each other and grinned.
"Great, look girls, you don't have to call them anything other than just Kisuke and Shinji, otherwise it'll go to their already big heads." Yoruichi stated. Tegami giggled and walked over toward Shinji.
"You're right; Shin-Chan's head is kind of big." Niche, Yoruichi and Kisuke all started laughing. Tegami looked up at him and her smile made him blush and remove himself from the window.
"Shouldn't we be getting these kids to the academy now?" he asked hotly. Kisuke stood up and said something indistinct to Shinji.
"Well girls, why don't you two get anything you absolutely can't live without? The Shinigami academy will supply you with a fresh everything." Yoruichi said as she escaped the small shanty. Niche followed, carrying the piece of metal from earlier and Tegami holding Niche. Niche turned back toward the shanty and tossed the piece of metal on the roof.
"Alright Kisuke, would you care to do the honors?" Yoruichi asked. Niche and Tegami looked at each other before Tegami was off her feet and Shinji pulled her close to his chest.
"I got the little one, I call dibs." Shinji grinned, just his top teeth were showing and Niche instinctually grabbed Yoruichi's hand. Yoruichi sighed and picked up Niche, to both of their surprises, Kisuke took her.
"I'll get Niche, Yoruichi, you're fastest. Go straight to Captain Yamamoto and tell him about the girls." Yoruichi looked surprised, but nodded and vanished. Tegami clutched to Shinji tighter and looked around.
"It's called shunpo, hold on tight, because we're about to do it." Kisuke said. Niche gripped his top as tight as she could. After a few shunpos, they were standing in front of a very large man that Niche guessed to be the gatekeeper.
Shinji spoke, but neither Niche nor Tegami was paying attention to his words. Niche was too busy staring at the massive Shinigami and Tegami was asleep in Shinji's arms. The massive wall behind the gatekeeper opened and the four entered what would soon be the girl's home.
"Welcome girls, to the Seireitei." Kisuke smiled down at Niche, who was taking in her surroundings. "We better get you to the academy. I bet they're itching to meet you." After a few more shunpos, they arrived inside of a large building where a small group of people wearing clothes matching that of Kisuke and Shinji, but with white coats over them, were waiting.
"These two are responsible for the massive spiritual pressure that we've been feeling sir." Shinji stated while he looked down and saw Tegami drooling in his long hair. He tried to hand her off to Kisuke, but her grip was iron in his hair.
"Tegami wake up, we're here! We've made it to the Shinigami academy!" Niche prodded her partner in the side and spoke into her ear. Tegami just swatted blindly and buried her face in Shinji's chest. Niche just shrugged and looked at the elderly man standing in the middle of the group.
"Young lady, before we can let you join, you must take a simple test. Normally we don't do this, but you are a curious case." he spoke to her as if she was an adult, and not the child she was.
"Sir, in all respect, my young companion doesn't know how much about anything." Niche was on her knees with her head lowered. The old man, and a few others chuckled.
"Young lady, I was speaking solely to you. Your test won't be hard; it will just be so we can put you in the right class. I'm afraid your young friend here might not be able to start for another year or so."
"Sir no! I won't let my best friend get tossed back out into the 80th district; she won't be able to survive two days without me!" Niche was on her feet and shouting protests. Someone placed their hand in the top of her head, when she looked at them it was the old man. Shocked, she looked back to where he was just sitting; sure enough, the seat was empty.
"We will allow her to stay here, perhaps even put her in this year's class. Do not worry about your friend." His words were calming, and his voice was warm. As weird as this old man was, Niche liked him.
"Yes sir, forgive me." she apologized. He nodded and shunpo'd back to his place from earlier. It took Niche a second or two to turn around. "Sir, what exactly is my test?"
"Your test will have three parts, the first part will test your reaction time, the second part will test your ability to function under pressure, and your third test will be a quick written test." one of the other men spoke. Niche nodded.
"As I said, the first part of your test is reaction time, you will be more or less attacked, and you must attempt to dodge said attacks and respond with attacks of your own. If you can pass all three tests, you will be in the same class as your opponent for the first round. His name is Gin Ichimaru and he's quite skilled in when it comes to fighting." around this time, Tegami began to stir. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at Shinji with the most adorable smile he had ever seen.
"Thank you Shin-Chan for carrying me, you smell really nice." Niche bit her lip to keep from laughing, but Kisuke didn't. He pointed to Shinji as he set Tegami on her feet laughing loudly. Shinji's face was pink with embarrassment over the nickname Tegami gave him.
"Tegami guess what! I'm going to be tested to see where I'm going to be placed, how cool is that?" Niche danced around in excitement. This was quite possibly the best day of her life.
"I WANNA BE TESTED TOO!" Tegami whined in a high-pitched voice that made everyone but Niche cringe.
"Very well, you will be put through the same tests as Tatami-San. Only your tests will be against someone who I believe is your equal." The old man said in a dull tone. Tegami smiled and thanked him.
"Ichimaru, good you made it." the man that had explained the tests to Niche spoke again. Niche looked over at the boy and smirked.
"Well, well, well, looks like Tegami and I ain't the only Rukon Rats crawlin 'round this place." Everything she knew about manners and respect vanished. The young man shot her a look that made her begin to tremble again.
"Shakin in fear, eh?" He even sounded like a Rukon Rat to Niche. She pulled her hair back and tied it with a piece of string she had around her wrist.
"Nah, I'm trembling, with excitement!" Her eyes went wild as she walked toward him. He just continued to grin that stupid, mocking grin.
"You two may not deal any killing blows, and if any of the captains believe you are going too far, one of us will intervene, understand? You may begin." He said with a faint smile.
Niche just stood there waiting for him to move. When he finally did, Niche was more than ready for him. He charged at her with great speed, but Niche just sidestepped and extended her arm, pushing him away. She yawned and let him charge again, this time she didn't dodge, but ducked down when he was mere centimeters from her face and drove her shoulder into his gut. Ichimaru staggered back a bit to catch his breath and noticed that Niche hadn't even broken a sweat.
"I can see right through you Gin, and you can't scare me in the slightest. What you're trying to do is see me flinch; see if I scare easy. Nevertheless, it won't happen and I'll tell you why. Either you grow up quick in Rukon 80 or you die in a matter of days. I was smart enough to figure this out my second day. Besides, you're stomping around on purpose. Getting me used to one fighting style just to change it up and fight like you normally do." Niche smirked as she spoke. The two of them knew it to be true. She could see right through him, but he couldn't read her in the slightest bit. Gin and Niche slowly walked toward each other and stood mere inches apart.
"Shall we do this the proper way, or the Rukon way?" Gin asked opening his eyes. They were a dark red, and Niche found them to be beautiful.
"Well, since I don't know the proper way, I say we play this the Rukon way." Their grins matched, and she knew that it was freaking people out. "I won't lie Gin; you've ruined my happy mood."
"I can fix that you know." he said, before delivering a harsh slap to her cheek. Niche fell on her backside and looked up with a shocked expression.
"What the hell was that for you asshole?" Niche was royally upset; her cheek was stinging as if a large bug just bit her.
"You said you weren't happy anymore. So I decided to slap the happy back into yah." Gin kept grinning. Niche blinked a few times.
"Did you just say you…slapped the happy back into me?" She asked and he nodded. Niche busted out laughing. Gin joined in while everyone stared at them. "That has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard!"
Niche used this distraction to sweep Gin's legs out from under him causing him to fall flat on his back. Niche sat down on his abdomen with his arms pinned under her legs. After counting to ten, she raised her hands in victory.
"I win, and the crowd goes wild!" Niche imitated the sound of a cheering crowd while Gin added in a few high-pitched 'We love you Niche!' and 'Way to go Niche, you're the best!' She got to her feet and extended her hand. Gin grabbed it and Niche helped pull him to his feet.
"Is Gin going to be my next opponent too?" Niche asked as she put her elbow on his shoulder and used him as an armrest.
"No, your next test will be testing your ability to function under pressure, which is why Sosuke Aizen will be your next challenge, you will not be allowed a weapon, so think wisely, Aizen is quite the swordsman." Niche's heart raced when she saw a young man walk in, he had a smile on his face, but it wasn't like Gin's smile. Sosuke's smile seemed friendly enough, and so did his eyes, but Niche couldn't help but feel that this young man would be the death of her someday.
Looks like some familiar faces have joined the party! I absolutely LOVE Shinji! He is the god of sex!!!!
