Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. It would not be near so awesome if I did! Go Tite!
This is my first attempt at fan fiction, or really any type of storytelling. I am actually a science geek, so typically what I write about is biological systems. I am hoping that I am creative enough to finish this story with all the glory that I picture it in my mind
First off this is set about 15 years after the Aizen/Arrancar war. I have always really liked Kuchiki Byakuyas character and wanted to use him as my main focus. This was hard because I could not think of a romantic interest for him that hasn't already been way over done. Then I thought about how Zaraki took over the eleventh division. He killed the previous captain under witness of the squad. Obviously we all know that his adorable pink haired side kick became the new vice-captain. So what happened to the previous vice captain….
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Her ears must be deceiving her. Did she really hear his voice? Did this strange person in front of her, really just say her name? How many years had it been since she had heard her name spoken out loud? Had it ever drifted on the same freezing winds that whipped her hair about her face?
"Fuko- taicho Ryuu Akai"
The man before her was average enough; he was dressed in the same uniform as every other shinigami. But exactly how many years had it been since she had even laid eyes on that uniform?
Her eyes slid to the side, glancing at the vast ice sheet that lay behind her. At the moment she and the intruder stood high in the sky above the frigid ocean that occupied the southern part of the globe. It registered to her that he had spoken her name again, although the sound of it sounded like some foreign tongue.
"Ryuu Akai… that is my name. That is who I am." She thought as she stood motionless before the stranger.
"Ah" is all that could fall from her lips in the surreal moment.
"I was sent to deliver your orders, former fuko-taicho Ryuu Akai, you are to report immediately to the sao-taicho of the Gotei 13 in the soul society. Your replacement has been found and is taking your place in the southern realm."
He did not look her in the eyes; he did not acknowledge her personally in any way. As a matter of fact, nothing about him stood out at all.
"Does he even know that he is ending my sentence? He is the first person to speak my name in well over 80 years!" Her thoughts drifted out into whiteness that made up her world. Everywhere around her existed nothing. She had been here for so long that she had forgotten how her name sounded, maybe even forgotten what her name was to begin with.
Awkwardness set in as she realized she had to reply to this person, "Ah".
"'Ah'! I replied to a direct order with an insignificant slang term! I had imagined this day for so long, and it had always been full of glorious speeches of honor!" She sighed and cast her eyes to the side again. Too many years, too much time had passed.
The unnamed man turned and thrust his zanpakuto into thin air causing the formation of the gate-way to the Soul Society. Her eyes turned back to the brightening light before her. It seemed so easy to form the gate, but it was a privilege that had been removed from her with her sentence to this region of the Living World. No matter how unreal it all seemed in her tired grey eyes, she was finally going home.
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Scene: Soul Society
Location: Division one: Captains Meeting.
Point of View: Kurosaki Ichigo
He hated captains meetings. All of the egos in this room could cause the next ice age or the end of the world all together. It had been ten years since he had taken the vacant captains seat in division five, but he had never come to enjoy the impromptu meetings called by so-taicho Yamamoto. It did not matter that this meeting was relatively important, it was still insufferable. Ichigo could consent however, that a new captain was not named every day. The vacancy of division three had stood desolate for far too long and it was time to put the war and the traitors involved behind them. Captain Ichimaru had caused a huge uproar with his deflecting to the other side, only to prove that his treason was to defeat the ultimate traitor. He was considered a war hero, and replacing him would take much more than the promotion of a promising underling.
The doors swung open as they all waited to finally see the new captain of division three. Ichigo certainly knew nothing about this person, and could only assume that nobody else knew either. As she walked in he observed the new captain. Especially higher up in the ranks, shinigami had "quirks" that set them apart from their comrades. This specific person was no different. She was tall for a woman, standing about 5'7". Her hair was a mixture of white and blonde with a majority of it falling in three thick braids down her back. Long golden bangs framed her face with a chunk of crimson red hair falling over her left grey eye. While not extremely feminine her face was not unattractive with full lips, and grey eyes shining from beneath her brow. Over her right eye a thin, barely noticeable pink scar stretched from her forehead to the middle of her pale cheek. Draping over the shoulders of her haori to hang about her collar bone was a thick string of teeth and claws giving her an ancient look. About her small waist hung a belt of red fur with twin tassels hanging right below the scarlet hilt of her zanpakuto.
"Captain of the third division, Ryuu Akai! After evaluation from myself and three other captains she has been found more than capable of handling the third division and will do so pending the acceptance of the remaining eight captains." Yamamoto's voice cut into Ichigo's thoughts.
Her face showed very little emotion, and she stood without diverting her glance from straight forward.
"Great, another icy personality", thought Ichigo,"Exactly what we needed."
He looked cautiously about the room to see the reactions of his fellow captains. The only one that drew his attention was the master of the poker face himself, Kuchiki Byakuya. While his eyes where in their typical position, glued to the floor, his brows where knit together in a look that could only be described as anger.
"Taicho Ryuu Akai will be spending a day with each of the captains of the Gotei 13 to train for her new position. I expect each of you to show your strengths and techniques to assist her in the reshaping of the third division." Commanded Yamamoto
Ichigo smirked to himself. He knew what it was like to stand in her shoes. He was the newest captain standing here tonight; luckily he had fought side by side with most of the shinigami in the room. The special training days had not been easy on him however, as each captain attempted to overcome him in banter, mind games, or in Zaraki's case, physical battle.
"There is nothing that Ryuu can learn in my division" the typical level voice of Byakuya was punctuated by a frosty emphasis on the womans name.
Ichigo looked up in shock, only to see both Ryuu and Kuchiki glaring at each other in nothing short of hatred.
'Well this could be interesting,' thought Ichigo as he looked between the two. 'It appears that Byakuya dislikes somebody more than me.' Ichigo once again looked down with a smirk; Byakuya had taken an even more serious dislike in him since he had requested his permission to court his sister. Whatever had caused Byakuya to dislike this woman certainly took some heat off of Ichigo, and his relationship with Kuchiki Rukia.
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Okay, so my first chapter is a bit short and rough. As I get into this story more, I may come back and change it. We have lift off and introduction of main characters! A majority of this story will probably be seen from the point of view of Ryuu. That way I don't risk taking any of the characters we all know and love to far out of character by assuming I know how their thought processes work.
I use music to inspire my writing. For this chapter it as follows:
"Here I am on the phone again and...
Awkward silences on the other end
I used to know the sound of a smile in your voice
But right now (right now ) all I feel (all I feel) is the pain of fighting starting up again
Some say that time changes,
best friends can become strangers
But I don't want that, no not for you
If you just stay with me we can make it through
So here we are again the same old argument
Now I'm wondering if things will ever change
When will you laugh again,
laugh like you did back when
We'd make noise 'til 3 am,
And the neighbors would complain
All the things we talk about
You know they stay on my mind, on my mind
All the things we laugh about
they'll bring us through it every time,
After time, after time"
"Say Anything" By Good Charlotte (The Young and the Restless Album)