Sunset Thoughts

"Why do your thoughts at sunset bring both happiness and sadness? Does the vibrant glow of the setting sun give you thoughts of melancholy because you know the night will come? Do you feel relieved that the day is over and look forward to the morning?"

Rukia opened her eyes. She was never going to get back to bed. She thought too much at night. Plus, the room was always so bright. She rolled herself out of bed slowly and made her way over to the curtain. She looked around the room. "Why do rooms have to be so big?" She wondered. "Why do all the studio apartments these days have such tall ceilings, large open areas, and windows that take up an entire wall? We have not grown in size, why should the apartments?" Rukia sighed as she walked over to the window. She gazed out at the city in front of her. She was up on the 27th floor, so she could see pretty far out. All she could see were the city lights, the hologram billboards flashing the newest gadget or body product. The flashing lights could be seen illuminating the carpet below her. She looked down and almost wondered if closing the curtain will do anything. Just then, she felt the warmth of arms being wrapped around her. She smiled and sat back into his lap as they both gazed out into the night.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"No. I was thinking too much again."

"Save your intense thoughts for the morning. The night is for relaxing."

"Yeah, you're right." Rukia yawned and blinked a few times. "Oh wow, I guess I am tired." She pushed her head against his chest. "Can we stay here a little longer Renji?"

Renji smiled. "Of course. Much better than sleeping alone." He stared out into the city and held Rukia closer.

"What would these years have been like without you by my side as my loving boyfriend?"

Renji chuckled. "They would suck."

Rukia laughed. "You're right. Nice one." Her eyes felt heavy, but she kept them open and looked out at the billboards.

"Say Rukia, I was thinking of going on a time trip soon. Guess where I'm going?"

"Saturn."

"Be serious. Guess."

"I don't know."

"You're no fun. I'm going to the American West of the 1870s. The wild west baby."

Rukia shifted. "There were a lot of gun fights then? From what we've learned, that time is filled with nothing but greed, lust, violence, and anything else you can think of. Why would you want to go there?"

"Why wouldn't I? Come on, as long as I keep my nose clean, I shouldn't have a problem, should I?"

"Renji, the men of back then I'm sure would kill someone for just looking at them funny. I don't like it. I have a bad feeling." She shifted closer to him.

"Relax Rukia. It'll be fine. I'm just going for a few days. I'll be back before your birthday. Don't worry."

Rukia shifted again. "Now I'm really worried."

"Rukia."

"Renji I don't like it, but you're an adult. You can make your own decisions. At least bring me back something."

"No problem." Renji could hardly contain his excitement. His boring job had no real adventure, and this would surely help him get his adventure fix before he had to return to his regular life. He looked down and felt Rukia's steady breathing. She had fallen asleep. Renji picked her up gently and laid her down on the bed. He closed the large curtains and slipped in bed next to her.

"Good night baby. I love you."

Rukia made a noise and rolled over. Renji smirked and rolled over on to his back. This was going to be the best birthday present he was going to give her ever. He had read about a master jewelery maker that would make the most beautiful jewelry. So much so that it was still written about 600 years later. He was going to get Rukia a necklace, earring, and bracelet set. He was even going to bring extra money from the time period and see what else he can find. All he could think about was finding John Smith and showing him a picture of Rukia. He even had a co-worker age the picture so it actually looked of that time. He needed to fit in after all. A helicopter could be heard flying overhead. He could hear the noise of the city out there with the window open, so he got up to close one of the massive windows. He looked out one last time. "Goodbye 2427." He said as he closed the window, lowering his eyes to contemplate what he said. He moved back to the bed and looked at Rukia. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodbye for now."

Rukia woke up later than what she normally does. She had vacation for the next week, so she really wanted to get some housework done and maybe go shopping, but when she woke to find Renji not in bed, her week's plans suddenly consisted solely of being with him. She got out of bed quickly and called out to him. After some time, she concluded he wasn't home. As she looked around for clues, she remembered he was going on a time trip. She groaned and threw a nearby pillow, cursing Renji for doing something so risky. She left quickly heading for the Time Trip center. As she walked briskly towards the tall building, she could only think about Renji and what he was doing at that moment. Her mind flashed to images of bar fights, boozing, and the women. She stopped briefly at the last thought. Those shapely women with their top half practically hanging out and a liquor tolerance that would pass most men these days, she practically ran for the last block. As she arrived, she saw more people signing in for trips. She was glad that the center had special software that prevents any events from happening that would dramatically alter the future. She thought the technology was just meant to keep the less intelligent people from ruining the future. She approached the clerk and realized she didn't know what to say.

"Can I help you miss?"

She paused for a moment, then spoke softly. "My boyfriend took a trip and I'd like to surprise him. We have a joint account. It's under Rukia Kuchiki."

The woman typed away and found the file.

"Ah yes, Renji Abarai. He came in at 7:14 this morning and took our Old West Package."

"What's in that package?"

"It includes a 5 night stay in northwest Arizona in 1871. It's complete with period attire, spending money in the local currency, and a K.I.D. (Knowledge Implant Device) containing information on local news, horseback riding, and weapon management."

Rukia pretended to smile. "Am I able to get the same package for the same time so I can meet him?"

The clerk typed again. "Yes, it looks like we have 2 slots left. That will be 3,045. Rukia paid and frowned at the price she had to pay to get to spend time with her boyfriend. She was led down a gray hallway to a room marked with a 27. She walked in the entryway and placed all of her possessions in the lock box. As she entered, she saw the two technicians who were going to send her back. They looked tired.

"Welcome. Looks like you chose the Old West Package Miss Kuchiki?"

"Yes I did. The notes should say that I need to be synced up with my boyfriend's profile so that I can meet him there."

The one leaned back in his chair. "Making sure he stays behaved in the wild west?"

Rukia shrugged. "I trust him. I just don't want to spend my week's vacation alone." She felt the lie dig into her stomach. Both men smiled briefly and led her into the chamber.

"Alright Miss Kuchiki. We will send you back now. Please stay still. In exactly 5 days, we will send you back. Have fun."

Rukia nodded and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath as she felt the warm particles of air around her become statically charged and the familiar sting of her body being sent back. She felt the roar of the machine and the constant humming that was playing in her head. She never opened her eyes during the jump. She was too afraid to see what was between her destination in time. As the final clicks could be heard, she held her breath, then she felt the static go away and she exhaled slowly. She then inhaled and could smell an earthy smell that she hardly could smell anymore. She opened her eyes to see the rising sun in front of her. It was brilliant and filled the sky with oranges and yellows mixed with blues. She breathed in deep and exhaled in a victorious cheer. She jumped up and down and then looked down as her clothes felt quite familiar.

"Lazy techs!" She yelled as she realized she was still in her normal clothes. The sleek clothes would definitely stand out. She looked in her pockets but found no cash and as she thought about it, she realized her K.I.D. was not installed. She crouched down feeling very vulnerable. As she looked around, she could see a house in the distance and a field of tall grasses and shrubs between the house and what looked to be the town. She looked around her and only found more grasses and in the distance could see various rock formations and cacti. She heard what sounded like voices and ran behind a rock. She looked over and saw three men riding horses towards the town. As they passed, she saw one with bright red hair.

"Renji!" She called out. The men slowed down and pulled out their guns. She hid behind the rock and put herself in a ball. The thought of Renji just pulling out a gun without looking at her made her stomach turn. She could hear the hooves of the horses continue to move and after a moment, she peeked out to see the men had passed and were almost in town. She sighed in relief and ran towards the house. She knew that language has changed over the years and sincerely hoped that the automatic translator that was in her ear would still work. If it didn't, she decided she was going to hunt wild animals and live under a rock for 5 days. She moved steadily towards the house, and as she got closer, realized that there were clothes hanging out to dry. She stealthily crept up to the house and pressed herself against it. She peered into the window and saw no one in the small space. She glanced around all corners and decided that no one was home. She looked up at the clothes and decided to try the dress that was flowing in the breeze. She took it down and tried it on over her clothes. She came to the conclusion quickly that the lady of the household was much larger than her. So much that the dress wrapped around her twice. Rukia sighed in disappointment and hung it back up. She looked around in hopes the family had a daughter, but all she saw were men's clothes. She then found at the end that there were some smaller clothes. She groaned as she realized they were boy's. She still needed clothes, so she took the shirt and put it over her. It was nearly a perfect fit. She took the shirt off and tried the pants. The pants were a little big, but they should do with the suspenders she found. She looked around quickly and then took off her clothes. She made a hole near the porch and buried her clothes there. She finished dressing and used the reflection of the window to see herself.

"I really look boyish." She said to herself. She kept her shoes as they were very basic and of course her undergarments. She kicked at the ground for a while to dirty her shoes. Feeling proud of herself, she made a mental note of where the house was so she could return in 5 days to put the clothes back and get her own. She walked briskly through the yard and entered the tall grass. The area was in an early morning haze and the warm breeze felt so refreshing. She began to pick up speed until she was jogging through the grasses. She laughed at how carefree she felt for a moment. She felt like a kid again. She stopped abruptly as the grass ended and the town began. She walked slowly behind the buildings. They were all so different than what she was used to that she found herself touching the sides of the buildings and just taking in the whole situation. She rounded a corner and saw a sign that said saloon. She figured it'd be a good place to start, so she walked over. There were a few people in town, but they paid no attention to her. As she neared the saloon, she could smell the unmistakable smells of spilled alcohol, urine, and probably something rotting. She almost gagged, but eventually got used to it and continued into the saloon. The barkeep looked at her once, then continued to clean the glass in his hand.

"Excuse me sir. I'm looking for a man named Renji Abarai."

The man looked at her. "Ain't nobody here by that name."

Rukia was so relieved she could understand him and he could understand her. That meant her automatic translator still worked. She thought for a moment. "Maybe I should describe him. He's about as tall as you with bright red hair and tattoos."

The barkeep stopped and put the glass down. "What business ya got with him?"

She was startled by the man's sudden change of tone. "I just need to talk to him. Do you know where he is?"

"Kid, you don't wanna be messin' with the likes of him. You better get on home now." Rukia was confused. How could he have made such a problem if he'd been there only a few hours? Rukia was about to ask about it when the barkeep looked out the door. "Well, ya ain't gotta look very far cause here he is."

Rukia looked over and saw Renji with two other men walk through the doors. The bar became silent and Rukia looked around as she saw the customers all sit and stare at them. She looked back at Renji and saw the men he was with grab a seat at a nearby table. Rukia had since grabbed a seat at the bar and watch as Renji walked over to the barkeep. His attire was that of the era. She looked down and saw that he had a holster on. She looked closer and saw the handle of a gun. She gulped and froze. Renji walked right past her without even a look and leaned on the bar.

"Mornin' Horace. Bottle of Jim's."

Renji placed a few coins on the counter and the barkeep took them quickly. He then took out a bottle and three glasses and handed them to Renji carefully.

"Thanks Horace."

Renji turned and walked to the table where the men were and placed everything down. The other men grabbed the bottle and began pouring. Renji stayed standing up and took a few shots. He then talked with them for a moment and headed back up to the bar. He pulled up a seat a few seats over from Rukia's glazed over eyes and ordered something else and sat at the bar drinking the dark liquid. Rukia hopped out of her chair and pulled up a chair next to Renji.

"Nice to see you again. You could have left me a note or something. I had to steal a poor boy's clothes just so I wouldn't stand out. I'm here for 5 days too. Where are you staying?"

Renji had his glass midway to his mouth when he dropped in to the counter. He looked right at her and with a strange look in his eyes, said the words Rukia never expected to hear.

"Who the hell are you?"