Bleached Fantasy!
I. Sudden Intrusion
The air was filled with grasshoppers chirping and crickets calling during the crisp night in the Soul Society. Traditional Japanese styled buildings were dim with absence of light, save for the night lanterns that were lit across the otherwise pitch black cobblestone streets. Its been quite peaceful since the final battle between the traitorous Aizen, his Arrancars, and with the Soul Society's 13 Court Guard Squads and the Human Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki. The Soul Society was in a state of rebuilding, returning back to the business of sending souls to the Soul Society and slaying Hollows, the evil turned souls that devour human souls.
At this present time, only a few people were out and about, guarding the streets of the Seireitei, or walking back home from a party from the Rukon District. Which was exactly happening to one such citizen as he was shaking off his drunken stupor on the way back from a party, still celebrating the victory of both the world of the Living and the Soul Society. This man worried little for he was a man of great martial skill and was respected enough not to goad him in a fight, especially while drunk. This man was not expecting what would happened next. There was a bright turquoise swirling tendrils coming straight out of the earth, from the street not ten feet in front of him. Startled, the man was knocked himself on the head while jumping backwards rather ungracefully. Rubbing his head from the sudden throbbing from his clumsiness, he suddenly the light get brighter and brighter. Suddenly, the light vanished and all that remained of the bizarre phenomenon was a young blonde man, garbed in strange black garments.
Instinctively on his guard, the man approached the bizarre newcomer with caution, slowly moving forward, sliding his tower clogs across the dirt toward the newcomer. Once he observed he wasn't moving a muscle, the man rushed up to him and placed his head to his chest. There was a soft rhythm of a heartbeat relieving the man that he was indeed alive. The man did indeed looked young, making the citizen wonder what fate could've caused his arrival. Scooping the stranger up in his arms, he looked over his shoulders to check if anyone was watching as well. The faint shouts of jubilee indicated everyone nearby was still enjoying the party, relieving himself once more as he rushed to secure this man in a safe place before he awakens.
"Alert! Alert! There's been a breach within the Seireitei! I repeat, there's been a breach within the Soul Society!" Shouted an alarm signal throughout every hell butterfly nearby. Then another message alerted the captains and vice-captains of the thirteen court guard squads,
"All Captains, this is an order for an emergency meeting with all Captains! Come here at once!" As soon as that, every captain sped toward the meeting hall as fast as possible! The reason for a meeting with all court guard squad captains was not always a good thing, and the captains were about to be informed why.
With all the Captains present, Head Captain Genryuusai Yamamoto knocked his cane against the immaculate floor gathering everyone's attention.
"I assume everyone has been briefed and alert to the fact that a Ryouka has entered the Soul Society?" the muted silence that followed that they were aware but not willing to comment. After overlooking every captain's composure and cool he continued in his gravely aged voice,
"I've already ordered the Stealth force to contain the threat to as small a place as possible. With that in mind, we have information that the Ryouka is located in the Rukon District. No collateral damage is necessary, understood?" All of the captains of the thirteen court guard squads nodded there heads in affirmation.
"This meeting is officially over!" Said the Head Captain Yamamoto, declaring the presence in the Rukon District to be treated with the utmost caution.
'Where am I', Cloud asked himself. One moment, Cloud was floating in the Lifestream, and the next was waking up wrapped up in a smelly, but warm blanket made of fur from some animal. Cloud felt groggy, as if waking up after a long sleep and your body felt numb all over. He could barely move, and found sitting up to be a difficult task.
"Easy there stranger," said a voice from appeared to be the kitchen of the dwelling. From where Cloud was sitting, there was a part of the ceiling that angled from six feet above his head to two feet above his feet in a sort of triangle shaped fashion. He gazed over the humble dwelling, comprised of one living room with a table of elegantly carved design with two modest sitting mats also made out of fur. The ceiling above the living room and kitchen were slanted irregularly, angling towards the center of the house. The walls were made from remodded scrap wood, and a variety of weapons and scrolls were hung up for display, though the scrolls were behind bamboo cages.
The man of the house then revealed himself from his fur-curtained kitchen. He was strongly built man, about 5'6 feet, had clean shaven face with a fair complexion with a crop of wild long dark hair with bright blue eyes. He was wearing iron tower shoes with a black yakama. He was smiling a toothy grin as he held up two bowls of what looked to cloud to be noodle soup of some kind.
"I think you got the strength to sit with me and entertain your host if you can sit up so soon after your…arrival," the host said, with a little hesitation mentioning Cloud's appearance. 'Apparently my way of getting here must've been unorthodox. I can't blame him really, I totally look out of place here,' Cloud contemplated as he looked down at himself. He then made the effort to get out of bed, which was like the host said should've been easy. It was for the most part like moving your whole body with needles pressing into you, but Cloud didn't give in. He moved the fur blanket off of him, and lowered his feet to the cold floor feeling shivers run up to his spine. He then wobbled on his feet before feeling was returning to them, then awkwardly walked to the soft fur mat and sat on his knees. Looking up back at his host seeing a praising smile he then swiftly discarded his tower shoes and sat cross legged in his own mat.
He then set both bowls down in front of them both and threw a pair chopsticks which Cloud caught easily. He then said appraisingly, "Good to see you have your reflexes back too. And now, we eat!" He then began scarfing down the soup before him with glee. Cloud tried to gauge how the man was eating with the pair of sticks he was given. After a few clumsy attempts, Cloud managed to get some meager portions of food into his mouth before he too began to succumb to his revived sense of hunger.
After finishing his bowl he found that his host was long done and claimed Cloud's dish along with his before setting it to the side of the table. Cloud saw that the man's face settled to a positive neutral as far as he could tell, a thin line formed from his lips and a querying look and an arched eyebrow in surprise.
"Stranger, you impress me. I only know soldiers who eat as fast as I do, but you finished only mere seconds before I did. Whatever ordeal that caused your transportation here, has certainly not inhibited your appetite."
Cloud nodded lightly before bowing his head, "Thank you for your hospitality. I am truly thankful for your kindness."
The host waved his hands dismissively, "Nah, you're fine. If I hadn't grabbed you, let's just say your accommodations would've been most…unpleasant to wake up to." The man didn't even want to think what horrible things the guard squads would've done before.
Cloud slightly gasped in alarm before raising his head suddenly asking in a seriously worried tone, "I came through the…wrong way? I thought…what's going on here? Who are you?"
There was a slight smirk that crossed the man's features. "You catch on quick don't you? That's got to take quick thinking and instinct ; something that has to be drilled into your head from training," then the man sighed before continuing, "but before we go into anything on what I said, I think its fair that we introduce ourselves, eh?"
The man then slammed his hands suddenly on the table startling Cloud a bit before the man started speaking with a enthusiastic tone, "I am Takashi Tsuba! What is your name?" Cloud hesitated a bit from the energy change from the man's demeanor before he spoke in a slightly confused voice, "M-my name? Its Cloud. Cloud Strife."
"Eh? Really?" the host, now dubbed as Takashi, looked kind of confused hearing such a unusual name.
"Is that an unusual name? For a place like this?" Cloud asked, a little bit unsure if he said the right thing or not.
Scratching the back of his head, Takashi tried to explain, "Well you see, if hadn't noticed how my name sounded, it was Japanese. You look Japanese but you have a name called Cloud?"
With a little indignation Cloud spat back, "Why is Cloud such bad name, huh?"
"I don't know," continuing to fiddle around by rocking back and forth on his haunches, "its just that a more…traditional name would sound better around here, help you fit in, yeah."
Cloud felt his eye twitch, something he thought he would never do over something so trivial but taken so personally. "What? My name is not traditional so you want to change it, huh? Where I came from, no one thought my name was weird, so why should I care how it sounds now?"
Slamming his fist into his palm, Takashi suddenly said with much inspiration, "I got it! You say you're name is Cloud, yes? Why not you call yourself, Kumo*1*?"
A second twitch joined his already irritated one when Cloud heard the sound of the name, "KU-MO? You want me to sound ridiculous? No way am I E-VER going to call myself that!"
Takashi waved his hands in mock surrender, "Ok, ok, ok, I get it. You can be called Cloud if you want to be, sheesh!" Cloud sighed knowing dealing with this man was going to be irritating.
Takashi then crossed his arms and then spoke in a serious tone, "Cloud. You are in a place called the Soul Society." Cloud was silent nodding solemnly accepting his mortal life has ended. Seeing as he was not speaking, Takashi continued explaining about where he was, the etiquette involved with people, what the 13 Court Guard Squads was and their role in the world of the living and slaying Hollows. Then he explained the short version of what has transpired recently, with Aizen's insane plan and the terrible battle that was fought between Arrancars and Soul Reapers. Then he began to explain the tightened security and their tense attitude between Ryouka lately.
Cloud then asked in a worriedly, "Won't I be in danger, since the Soul Society can detect intrusions or phenomenon that don't fit with a coming from the Senkaimon gate?"
Takashi waved his right hand dismissively, "Nah, they won't find you here. Sure they might have a good start from where you first appeared but my home is a good few miles from here and only the tough guys live here so they usually try to avoid trouble with the Rukon district folk here. There's a slight chance of them ever finding us here." Even so, Cloud felt as if a wave of danger tickled his spine, a form of battle precognition he learned in his days of being a SOLDIER. He stood up abruptly when he heard faint running outside of the house that Takashi seemed to be only now catching on to. Cloud then began searching the room for something, and then reached for his back clawing for something that wasn't there anymore.
"Looking for this, eh?" Takashi stated the question not in a unknowing gesture as he produced Cloud's sheath pack. Cloud was a little shocked knowing his host had willingly taken an armed man inside his home. Then again, Cloud was wondering how he could've missed his giant buster sword sheath to begin with.
"This is a pretty big weapon for a small fry like you. I can barely hold it up in the air with one hand let alone two. I'll end up hurting myself," he said jocularly while handing over the buster sword sheath along with its contents. When Cloud grabbed the sheathed sword he felt as if part of him had been restored, the numbness burned away and he was whole again. He protected so many of his friends and fought countless time with his sword. But it definitely felt different, as if the sword was giving off vibes or something. Cloud was about to question Takashi on where he hid it then Takashi stood up abruptly as well.
"Stay here, Cloud. I'll go out and deal with the Soul Reapers. There's a back door hidden in behind the bed over there," Takashi said pointing to the recessed wall behind him. Cloud rushed to the bed and began to feel around the wall till he press a hollow spaced part and lifted up to see a ladder leading downwards.
"What's down there?" Cloud asks, uncertainty clearly in his voice. The ladder looked rusty and old, clearly used many times before. There was also a foul odor coming from the opening.
"It leads straight into the sewers," Takashi announced, all humor was removed from his earlier bravado, "it'll take you to the outskirts of the Soul Society. You should be safe there."
Cloud looked up with worry to his host, "What about you? Won't the Soul Reapers interrogate you for information on me?"
Takashi laughed humorlessly, "Ha ha! Let them try! After all, I can't let my guest be interrogated by them. It wouldn't be…courteous of me. Now go!" Cloud hesitated for a moment then nodded his head with thanks before passing into the secret room down to the sewers.
Takashi chuckled to himself before speaking aloud to himself, "Well you've done it now haven't you, eh Takashi? You hadn't had a good fight for a while, so let's hope you're not rusty, eh?" Takashi then went to a cabinet about as tall as he was, with beautiful hand carved dragons laced around the borders. He opened with care of dragon fang door handles revealing its contents on dragon headed hooks. He grasped two metal gauntlets strapping them in place immediately. He then ferreted out a pair of shin guards identical design from his gauntlets, and fastened them on hurriedly. Then he grasped a sword, one of which he thought he would never have to use again.
"Its been awhile, old friend," Takashi said as he took the red hilted and scabbard katana and feeling its grip in his hand. The sword in the sheath was approximately with its hilt, was about five feet long. The man then strapped it vertically on his back before slipping on his iron tower sandals.
Takashi then walked calmly outside to greet the enemy, each step made an awkward click-clack sound. With both hands firmly planted on either of his hips, he gave a hearty laugh to the seemingly empty street.
"Come out now, Soul Reapers. I could sense your presence a mile away. Better skip the sneaking part and tell me what this is all about." The street suddenly shimmered with the presence of black garbed men, armed with katanas slung behind their back. Not even their faces were seen, with the exception of cold calculating eyes. Takashi was the first make a move, taking a weighted stomp of his right iron tower sandal.
"Alright lets cut out the staring, its hurting my eyes. Which one of you is in charge?"
"You don't get privilege of questioning us!" Shouted one of the garbed men. Takashi already knew they were from the Stealth Force so they meant to end this as quickly and quietly as possible.
"No questions from you, eh?" Takashi said, moving his left foot behind him, the sound of grinding cobblestone meeting metal was heard in the air. He raised his hands into a fighting stance in front of him before finishing, "I guess I have to beat all of you down in order to find him, now don't I?"
With that all of the Stealth Force Soul Reapers vanished from sight. Takashi breathed in and out slowly, letting old training sink back into senses and getting attuned to his surroundings. Just as a blade descended behind him, he deftly if not with little effort, blocked the blade with his left gauntlet. He then proceeded in rapid motion to grabbing the sword with his right hand, and throwing the Soul Reaper hard into the ground with a resounding crash.
Two more Soul Reapers appeared in front of him attempting to decapitate him which he simply ducked and somersaulted underneath their attacks. He then struck both of them in the chins knocking off their feet and out cold.
Another Soul Reaper came from behind to strike his back diagonally to the right. Takashi spun around and grabbed the sword and pulled the Soul Reaper downwards using his momentum against him. As the Soul Reaper was being pulled to the ground a solid kick from Takashi's right tower sandals sent him flying into his house with a resounding crash.
Three more Soul Reapers tried to take him on from all sides. Takashi allowed a faint smile before shimmering out of sight, right before the Stealth Force Soul Reapers eyes. All of them gasped from shock that a mere Rukon District citizen managed to evade them so thoroughly. It was all the time they had to ponder briefly before Takashi adeptly struck from above them, two tower clogs smashing heads while a hammer-fist strike to another head sent all three Soul Reapers to the ground.
After Takashi stepped over the last of the bodies of the Stealth Force, he cried out in an amused tone, "Is this it? That's all you send contain the situation? What is it that you're really after, Soul Reapers? Explain!"
"Fair enough," a cool and collected voice that gave shivers up Takashi's spine. A man garbed in black garments of the 13 Court Guard Squads' Stealth Force walked not ten paces from Takashi. Takashi could see his face was not covered like traditional Stealth Force Soul Reapers and was wearing the arm badge of a Vice Captain. His eyes were silver and cold, something that was common for Stealth Force members but his eyes were inhumanly indifferent of him. As if he didn't exist at all in his eyes. Takashi was reminded of a specific Captain that treated people the same way. His hair had the color thick fog of an early morning and was fitted into a braided ponytail that ran past his shoulder blades with a black ring holding the last few inches together. He wore his Zanpaktou on his left hip which was dyed black from hilt to scabbard.
"Tell me your name," the Vice-Captain spoke impassively as he addressed Takashi.
Takashi pointed his thumb at himself and said with volumes louder than necessary, "They call me the terror of the Rukon District! The crazed cage fighter of the underworld! The drunken sage of wisdom! But you can call me, Takashi Tsuba, Battle Monk Wonder!" There was a resounding silence after his act, and Takashi started to twitch with anger.
Noticing that he was waiting for an answer from himself, the Vice Captain responded to him explaining bluntly, "I never heard of you." Takashi then threw a fit.
"NEVER HEARD OF ME? What kind of thing to say! I'm respected, feared, and loved from the ends of all Rukon District!"
"An insect may be the mightiest of his kind, but still remains as it is, an insect," the Vice Captain coldly explained to Takashi. Takashi then chuckled before he leaned down to unclasp his tower clogs.
After that was done while he was still on top his shoes Takashi says, "Think I'm insect is that it? Because I'm stuck in the Rukon District I'm a lowly lowlife that shouldn't be seen or heard? Well I'm going to show you," Takashi then shimmered out of view leaving only his sandals behind before appearing behind the startled Vice Captain, "what an insect like me is capable of!" Takashi landed a kick on the Vice Captains shoulder sending him hurtling into a building with an explosion of debris. Smirking Takashi said to himself, "That'll teach you a lesson!"
"Then allow me to teach you one," the Vice Captain said as shimmered behind a now shocked Takashi. Takashi whirled around striking a roundhouse kick which the Vice Captain easily blocked with one hand effortlessly. Takashi withdrew his leg and launched a series of fast paced punches, each blocked with skill and precise timing. Takashi was struck in the ribs with a double kick by the Vice Captain, knocking the wind out of him, before delivering a mid-air corkscrew spinning kick to his face into the street. After breath filled his lungs, Takashi coughed with a mixture of pride and fear inside himself.
"Its commendable for you to Flash Step as fast you did, and I admit caught me off guard. However," Takashi gasped as he saw no real injury was inflicted upon the Vice Captain, "your efforts have been without fruit." Takashi pieced together in his mind his first sneak attack and the kick. Then he remembered the Vice Captain blocked the initial kick but was still forced across the battlefield.
"Don't…*cough*…underestimate…me…, Soul Reaper!" Takashi shouted as he got back up to his feet.
"Tell me where the intruder Ryouka is and I'll leave you to live out your miserable existence." Takashi laughed heartily though the Vice Captain clearly didn't get the joke.
"I thought you came after me, Soul Reaper. After all, isn't that what the Stealth Force is all about? Taking care of rogue Soul Reapers and whatnot?"
"Don't insult me. If I was assigned to take care of a rogue Soul Reaper it wouldn't certainly be you," the Vice Captain said coldly.
Takashi then reached behind himself and grabbed the hilt of his sword, clicking it out from its sheath. "You want proof of a capable Soul Reaper, Vice Captain? Then I'll show you one!" Takashi then Flash Stepped from the area he was to directly behind the Vice Captain drawing his sword into a strike horizontally to his mid-chest. The Vice Captain withdrew his own sword by inverting it to block it. He centered his gaze on Takashi's apparent weapon being a Zanpaktou. They were forced their sword lock from each other and exchanged a number of parrying blows. A side-swipe here, a flurry there, a vertical thrust there, and a number of Flash Steps to catch each other off guard.
Both then engaged in another sword lock when with one hand, Takashi surprises the Vice Captain by uttering some low-toned words, "Bakudo 1, Sai." the Vice Captain felt his body constrict itself before freezing momentarily. The Vice Captain knew it wouldn't hold him long but he was astounded as he heard another chant.
"Hado 11, Tsuzuri Raiden!" Takashi then sent a current of electricity from his sword hand into his blade then tapped the Vice Captain's sword sending the current of electricity through him. He cried out in pain before falling to his knees. Takashi then raised his blade intending to finish him off but then heard the Vice Captain whisper something he could barely hear.
"Hado 4, Byakurai!" A discharge of lightning that pierced directly through Takashi's left shoulder with a gaping hole. The pain was enough for him to fall to his knees, using his sword hand to clench his wound. When he looked to glare at the Vice Captain he Shadow Stepped behind him. He then felt his body rip open as a wide arc of blood gushed from a diagonal slash across his torso caused him to collapse on the ground. As blood began pooling on the ground Takashi fought to stay conscious, coughing up blood and saw red on the corners of his vision.
"I'll commend you for that last attack. It managed to hurt me. But with low-level Kidos like that, you'll never beat a Vice-Captain that way."
Takashi managed to gasp a few words out, "Curse…*cough*…you, Soul Reaper!"
The Vice Captain then said impassively, "Stubborn aren't you? I will allow you to die with some honor of knowing who killed you. It's a courtesy that most Stealth Force members rarely share but you gave a good fight." With one hand the Vice Captain raised his sword above Takashi's neck. "My name is Daisuke Hayate, Vice Captain of the 2nd Division, and head of the Punishment Force, and your executioner."
In a flash the blade came to claim its victim. Just as it was about halfway there, it met metal instead of flesh. The Vice Captain, Daisuke found himself surprised by the stealth this newcomer used to stop his strike, let alone his unusual manner of attire and large buster sword repelling his own, much smaller weapon. Daisuke allowed himself a small smile before speaking to the new opponent,
"Hello, Ryouka."
A/N: This was something I started awhile back and had fun entertaining myself with. I then decided, "What the heck, might as well share my enjoyment with the rest of you guys too!" So, that's how this revised Chapter 1 of Bleached Fantasy came into being.
BE WARNED! I did add some OC's to this to make things a little interesting, and yes, this guy who is Vice Captain of the 2nd Division, replaced Omaeda. So no fatty Stealth Force guy anymore! XD
2nd, this is already into the 6th Chapter. I will revise what I can to have things more entertaining or make more sense as I go, so just to let you know, any comments and reviews WILL BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY for those that are into the whole Constructive Criticism. So yeah, mostly this is for fun, but other than that, it does have a dark storyline, but its overall a Adventure like I described above.
Hope you guys leave reviews and comments on what you liked or want more out of this! XD