A/N: Hello!~
I DO NOT OWN RWBY OR BLEACH
Arc 1: Karakura Arc
Chapter 1: Little Red Shinigami
The soft chirping of birds was the first thing that reached the ears of the young girl, her ears twitching at the sound as she smoothly returned to consciousness. Short black hair curved inwards to frame her young round face, the tips a more dark red shade than black. Morning sunlight was cast upon her pale skin, half-lidded eyes fluttering open, revealing a pair of gunmetal silver eyes. They dimly stared at the painted red ceiling above for several long minutes, before she finally mustered the energy to move out of the bed she laid in, black covers pushed aside and red pillows shifting as she moved.
Ruby Rose let out a cute yawn as she stretched, her feet coming to rest upon the soft scarlet carpet. The black walls were adorned with beautiful flowery designs in red, adding to the black and red theme. The room wasn't massive by any means, but it was certainly larger than the average room, with several rectangular windows lining a wall, one of them unlocked like a mini-door, letting in the morning breeze and noise of the birds filling the room. A quick glance at the clock on her small bedside table indicated it was just a little past seven, not an unusual time for her to wake up, if anything it was a normal time.
A sharp knocking at the midnight-black wooden door drew her attention, followed by a soft but firm voice, ''Are you awake, Rose-sama?''
''Mm.'' Ruby sleepily hummed, the door clicking open as the original speaker entered. Dressed in a maid outfit consisting of black and red, one of the many maids of the family entered the bedroom quietly. Long midnight black hair cascaded down her back with her fringe a snow white colour, her jade green eyes alight with calm amusement and her lips curved upwards in a light smile.
''Did you just awaken?''
Mumbling a sleepy affirmative, her personal maid - Mono - gave a smile as she approached the girl, gently grasping her shoulders and directing her towards the other door in the room, connected to the adjoining bathroom. It was, like the bedroom, a few sizes bigger than the average bathroom. Turning the shower on and setting it to the optimal temperature, the maid set about getting the shower and accessories ready whilst Ruby dazedly sat before the mirror, splashing water on her face and succeeding in waking herself up faster.
Content the water was at optimal temperature for her royal superior, Mono informed, ''I will be waiting outside for you, Rose-sama.''
''Thanks Mono.'' Ruby yawned, stretching her nimble arms as the maid left the bathroom and allowed her privacy. Undressing from her crimson yukata, she stepped under the shower of warm water, sighing in relief at the warm water running down her pale form, her thoughts beginning to wander as she recalled the reason as to why she had been woken so early.
Her mother, Summer Rose, had been given a mission from the Council that was given down to her. Nothing special, just a noteworthy amount of Hollows consistently appearing in one of the few small outpost towns nearby. Given the amount of Hollows was significant the Council deemed a third seat to be sent, thus she was selected. She was all too happy to accept, as the chance to stretch her legs and get away from her Division's titanic paperwork, which had seemed to be increasing as of late.
The Twelve Divisions protected The Vale, the last standing city of mankind, and the several outpost towns that were slowly being built around the giant city. Her Division, the Red Division, held the duty of Hollow extermination. As the name implied it was a simple matter of being assigned an area and keeping an eye out for any Hollows, before exterminating them. If they proved too tough or rarely were of Menos-class, then back-up was supplied until the threat was dealt with. It was uncommon for anyone above fourth seat to be sent out to deal with a group of Hollows that could potentially be perfectly weak, but she supposed she hadn't gone out on a mission for a while so they chose her.
'What do you think, Bara-chan?' She mused internally, speaking directly to her spiritual companion, her Zanpakuto.
''I am uncertain.'' Came a soft feminine voice from within her own head, ''It is likely a mere routine mission, but be cautious, we will be unaware of the Hollow's strength level.''
Rolling her eyes, a light smile tugged at her lips, 'Yeah, yeah, I'll be careful.'
Turning off the shower, she slipped out and swiftly dried herself off before getting changed into her uniform. Like everyone below the rank of Lieutenant in the Twelve Divisions, her Shihakusho was a simple black colour, the only signification of her Red Division status being the crimson obi sash around her waist. Walking out back into her bedroom she found her Zanpakuto resting against the wall, prompting her to pick it up and attach it to her obi, completing her uniform.
''Where's Okaa-san at the moment?'' Ruby asked, directing her gaze to Mono, who waited dutifully by the door.
Opening the door for her, Mono replied, ''I believe she is currently in her study. Do you wish to visit her prior to breakfast, Rose-sama?''
''Mm, I can make it on my own.'' She smiled politely at the servant, who in turn bowed her head before excusing herself.
Waiting a few moments to check herself over, she then set out towards her mother's study, just down the hall. The same style of neo-gothic architecture with black and red colour theme persisted throughout the entirety of their home, with tall paned windows letting in plenty of light. A few other servants were passing through, who gave her a respectful greeting which she returned in kind. When she reached her mothers study she knocked lightly on the smooth wood before waiting, only entering after she heard the soft 'come in'.
Summer Rose sat at her desk, a pen in hand as she went through paperwork of some kind. She looked immensely similar to Ruby, or rather the other way around, given Ruby took after her mother. Her dark hair was slightly longer, just reaching her neck with the same crimson tips, the hereditary silver eyes also present. Her pale skin contrasted with the black Shihakusho and dark red obi sash, her Zanpakuto nowhere in sight yet probably in reach if needed. However as Captain of the Red Division she also bore a white haori over it, the insignia of a crimson rose head on the back standing out against the white - the symbol of the Red Division.
Noticing her, Summer turned slightly to face her, a gentle smile gracing her face, ''Good morning Ruby. Did you sleep well?''
''Mm.'' She smiled brightly, ''I just wanted to ask about my mission.''
Summer said nothing, but gestured for her to continue.
''I'm going alone for a month so... uh...'' She scratched the back of her head sheepishly, ''What am I supposed to do for most the time? Hollows don't appear that frequently...''
''Simply watch over the area.'' Summer smiled, ''Even if you eliminate the Hollows, it's entirely possible more will be drawn in now that the dominant hunters were eliminated. By the end of the month if no more erratic patterns are shown, then we'll assume everything is back to normal.''
''Right.'' Ruby nodded, before another thought occurred, ''What about the Grimm?''
''They shouldn't prove to be a problem, anymore than they normally are, at least.'' Summer assured.
''Okay...'' She inhaled deeply, ''I think I'm ready then.''
''I'm sure you are, if only to escape your more mundane duties.'' Summer replied, an amused twinkle in her eyes.
''Hehe... maybe...''
Shaking her head, her mother smiled exasperatedly, ''Regardless, let's have breakfast, shall we?''
''Mm!''
Walking through the central of The Vale was always a muddling experience for newbies, even ones who had been in the folds of the Shinigami for several months, if not years. The intersection was divided into four paths, which in turn split into three more paths with the northern one splitting into four. Given the amount of signs was few and far between and many low-ranked Shinigami were running about frequently, it was easy to get lost or be swallowed by the tide. For anyone who was capable of using Shunpo reliably, however, it was easy to just hop over the rooftops of buildings to get to your destination quicker.
Her destination was Silver Division, in charge of Research and Development. Every Shinigami who had to leave the walls of The Vale was required to be equipped with a Kido that monitored the persons Reiryoku levels, thus allowing the Division to react if they were to suddenly plummet or vanish - likely when they were attacked, be it Grimm or Hollow. They were also provided with a Hell Butterfly, a tiny insect that was designed to communicate with the person that user desired to. It allowed for relatively quick, private information transfer.
Approaching the large complexes of building, she began to wander towards the 'Deployment Office'. The tall buildings around her were the most modern out of all the Divisions, usually to contain dangerous chemical reactions or because the previous walls were destroyed from the aforementioned chemical reactions. Sleek grey walls were occasionally donning silver banners with the Division's emblem on it; a brain in a dark grey shade, standing out against the background. The walls surrounding the Division's area was bare of any loiterers, most of them undoubtedly fixated on their passion projects.
The Silver Division was filled with passionate people, if nothing else.
Also some crazy ones, but that was besides the point.
Pushing open the metal doors she was immediately greeted to the scent of exploded Kido spells and burnt metal. It wasn't that bad, and the flowery spray covering it worked well enough, although for any first-timer here it was probably pretty bad. The colouring of the room was easy on the eyes though; a nice mix of silver and white with little to catch the eye. Sitting behind the only desk was a bored looking Shinigami, lazily reading a magazine and completely ignoring the distant curses coming from deeper within the office. He wore the same black Shihakusho, but with a silver obi and a white lab coat over it, as per usual of the dress code.
''Ruby Rose, Third Seat of the Red Division, here for basic mission equipment.'' She stated the moment she reached the desk. The members of the Silver Division liked it like that; quick, informative and clear of unnecessary chatter. They didn't care for idle chat or wasted time, even if they were off-duty, so she had learned (the hard way) to not waste their time any more than possible.
The man's eyes flickered up to her, before he released a quiet sigh and nodded, putting his magazine away in his jacket and beckoning her to follow him into a side room. It wasn't anything special; just a simple room with a few tools if the need arose, and a seat for the patient to sit while the Kido was applied. It hardly took a minute, and getting a Hell Butterfly from the terrarium only took a minute more. With her stuff gathered all she had left to do was sign a small form, indicating she had been the one to be given the equipment and was allowed to do so.
As she was signing however, a voice drew her attention, ''You going on a mission, Ruby?''
Turning her gaze, she smiled warmly at the sight of one of her closest friends. Blonde hair cascaded down her back freely, her lilac eyes alight with cheerfulness and upbeat smile plastered across her heart-shaped face. Yang Xiao Long, Lieutenant of the Yellow Division stood before her, dressed in her attire of a black Shihakusho with a yellow obi sash. Due to her rank her outfit was joined by a wooden badge on her bicep, although Yang had taken the liberty of wearing a stylish orange infinity scarf, and got away with it because she was of higher rank.
''Yep.'' Ruby smiled, ''Going for a month to one of the outpost towns, weird Hollow activity and stuff.''
''Same here.'' Yang grinned, ''Out southward to Naruki.''
Ruby pouted, ''Aw, only you get the big cool places...''
''Eh, it isn't that fun... not when it just means more ground to cover...''
She smiled at Yang's dry response. Yang, while a lieutenant, was a little lacking in Shunpo. Not massively or anything, but she was slightly below the grade of a lieutenant in that regard, even if she made up for it in sheer combat prowess.
''Still, hopefully something interesting will happen. Missions tend to be boring otherwise.'' Yang shrugged, before her eyes locked onto something behind Ruby, a gleam entering her eyes, ''Hey, Toshiro!''
Ruby glanced over her shoulder, finding the aforementioned person across the room, an annoyed scowl already forming on his face. Toshiro Hitsugaya, Lieutenant of the Silver Division. His snow-white hair was in it's usual style; spiking upwards with a small portion hanging forwards, though whether that was intended or not was unknown. His icy blue eyes were as frigid as winter itself, with his Zanpakuto strapped over his back due to his short height. The black Shihakusho was joined by a silver obi sash and a wooden badge to signify his position, equal to Yang's own.
''What do you want, Yang?''
And he clearly wasn't overly pleased to see her, even if they were good friends. Probably just an off-day.
''Nothin', just wanted to say hi.'' Yang said with a grin, knowing full well he wasn't keen on small talk. If the way his scowl deepened was any indication, he was fully aware of that.
He grumbled something incoherent, before sighing tiredly and nodding at them, ''Regardless, good luck on your missions.''
''Aw, gonna miss me Toshiro?'' Yang teased with a playful smile.
''Don't flatter yourself.'' Toshiro deadpanned, causing Yang to comically collapse with a pitiful moan.
Giggling, Ruby quietly excused herself as the two continued their little bickering. Once she was outside the excitement really started to get to her, buzzing through her at the prospect of adventure. With a wide grin, she took off into a burst of Shunpo.
Off towards a town called Karakura.
If there was anything Ruby loved more about becoming a Shinigami, it was Shunpo.
The ability to dash about at incredibly fast speed was exhilarating in more than a few ways. The rushing of wind, the cool air, the brief lack of sound, it was blissful to her. It made her, for even just a moment, forget about her worries as a noble or Third Seat, and just take a second to enjoy the peacefulness. Of course, said peacefulness generally lasted only a second before she exited out of Shunpo, but she had a habit of jumping into another burst so quickly you wouldn't be able to tell she ever stopped. She was one of the fastest non-Captains in all the Twelve Divisions, something she was proud of.
It also made the trip to Karakura swift, the time flying by in just an hour, a journey that would normally take a regular Shinigami several, and only if they constantly used Shunpo. When the town came into sight she dropped out of it, content to walk the rest of the way there through the fields via the dirt pathways. It was relaxing in the morning sun, with an accompanying cool breeze; her type of weather. She didn't sense any Hollows anyway, so she had no reason to worry.
Karakura wasn't an overly large place, but it was certainly one of the bigger outpost settlements. Being on the eastern side of The Vale, it wasn't close to the water where Grimm could be lurking and had a few mountain ranges nearby, which could be used for evacuation. Karakura was, like all other outpost towns, surrounded by a tall wall made with a mix of Sekkiseki stone and other materials. It would've been completely made out of Sekkiseki, like the wall surrounding The Vale, but the cost of the enchanted stone would've been immense, not to mentioned there wasn't even that much Sekkiseki currently in existence, yet at least.
The Rose family was in charge of production of Sekkiseki, given how the first head of the Rose clan was the one to discover how to produce it. However it wasn't an easy or quick process, thus the amount was always limited and quickly used up in either construction or experimentation. Sekkiseki was almost unbreakable to even massive Grimm, while it was impervious to any Hollow beneath Vasto Lorde tier, and there hadn't been a sighting of a Vasto Lorde for decades. While a mix of Sekkiseki and other materials would no longer be unbreakable to Grimm, it would certainly take an entire army of old Grimm to break it down, and by that time the Shinigami would arrive to eliminate them. Hollows were more of a problem however, hence why Shinigami were deployed to deal with them.
Shaking her head to dispel her thoughts, she caught sight of the grand walls that surrounded the town, the pale beige Sekkiseki mixed with darker grey metal alloys, making up for the smaller amount of Reiryoku-resistant stone with durable metal. It wasn't patrolled by guards in lieu of having cameras mounted on the walls, and due to the fact the entire town was now in her jurisdiction she had free reign on what she was allowed to do. No need to sign in or confirm she was there; she could just wander around doing her job as she pleased without being asked questions - it was normal for Shinigami to be deployed without the public being informed, after all.
'Hm... I don't sense any Hollows...' She mused, not that she expected to.
''It is possible they will arrive in the evening, given the natural benefit of darkness hiding them.'' Her Zanpakuto supplied in a hum, ''I'm sure you can find something to entertain yourself for now.''
'How about some sparring?' Ruby asked, happy to take the chance to fight with her Zanpakuto in her Inner World once more. If the pleased hum was any indicating, her eternal companion was equally excited.
''If you wish.''
Hours upon hours had passed since she arrived at Karakura, and no sign of Hollows had shown up as of yet, to both her disappointment and boredom. She had sparred with her Zanpakuto for a majority of the time, but had to eventually leave her Inner World in order to grab some dinner before heading off to find a place to rest. On her way, however, a small store caught her eye. It wasn't anything special, all things said, but there was something... odd, about it.
It was quite a few years older than the other buildings, taking on an old wooden store design with shoji doors. The design of it was distinct in that it heavily resembled the structures built two or three centuries ago, back when most housing was built with wood and the 'Old Language' was more predominant, before said language was assimilated into the Common Language.
'Urahara Shoten' it was called. Weird name.
Sliding open the ricepaper door she was treated to the sight of rows and rows of shelves containing all manners of sweets. Some of them she was familiar with, a lot of them she wasn't, but that didn't stop her wandering around looking at each one. With the amount the shop had it wasn't wrong to suggest it held every type of sweet out there. She took her time picking out the ones she wanted, before bringing them to the empty counter. Glancing around she found a small bell and rung it, the soft jingle radiating through the whole store, causing a rustling to come from the back of the store.
The sound of wood on wood echoed as footsteps drew near, before a middle-aged man came out of the back room. His light blonde hair peeked out from underneath a green-and-white bucket hat, his cool grey eyes peaking out from underneath. A faint stubble was present, one of his hands idly scratching his chin, the other within the folds of his dark coat, a lighter shade of green shirt and pants under it. The source of the wooden footfalls belonged to the pair of geta shoes, softly rapping on the ground as he approached the counter. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a cane in his hands, even though he didn't look like he needed any help walking. She even swore she sensed something strange about it...
Eh, probably nothing.
''Hello!~'' The man greeted jovially, eyes glancing to her candies, ''That'll be 6 Lien, Shinigami-san.''
Handing the money over, she scooped up her sweets and depositing them in the small backpack she was carrying before offering the man a polite smile, ''Thank you.''
He chuckled, ''It was a pleasure doing business. Watching over the town, are you?''
She hummed, ''Mm, for a month.''
''Well I wish you luck then, Karakura can be quite interesting.'' The man smiled mysteriously. She nodded and smiled in response, hiding her unease at his odd statement and exiting the store without delay.
So quick in her exit she failed to notice a black cat watching her, golden eyes glistening in interest.
''Hah~ I'm bored~''
Evening had now set in full, the sky a gradient of purple to orange and free of clouds. The air was beginning to cool pleasantly, a gentle breeze ruffling her hair ever so slightly. There was always something indescribably nice about being out of The Vale. Maybe it was because she was away from the troubles of work, or maybe because of the lack of anyone nearby to disturb the peace, or maybe it was simply the change of scenery. She loved The Vale, it was her home and she would never abandon it, but it could use a little more green. Well, more peaceful green opposed to the training ground the Black Division used.
Popping a cherry-flavoured gumball into her mouth, she folded her arms behind her head as she lied atop the wall surrounding Karakura. She wasn't being lazy, just enjoying the night sky. Either way it didn't matter, since no Hollows nor Grimm had shown up as of yet, so she had nothing to do. It was boring, but she did suppose it was better than risking Hollows attacking a town of civilians.
'I wonder how dad's doing...' She mused idly, rolling another gumball between her fingers.
''He did say he was bogged down with work as of late.'' Her Zanpakuto reminded, ''Having a dozen members of his division suddenly vanish is clearly something worth looking into.''
Humming, she responded, 'Do you think they defected?'
''To where?'' The voice in her head responded rhetorically, ''There is nowhere outside of The Vale and the outpost towns for them to hide. It is more likely they were overwhelmed by Grimm, or ambushed by Hollows.''
'Now I'm not sure which I'm hoping for more...' She sighed. On one hand they would be alive, but traitors, while on the other hand dead yet died in the line of duty. Neither was a pleasant thought.
She was about to pop another gumball in her mouth when she sensed something, tensing up at the signature. Hollow. Jumping to her feet she searched around, expanding her senses as she quickly zeroed in on the Reiatsu, not far from the town itself. Bending her knees she quickly took off into a burst of Shunpo, crossing the distance in seconds. In two short bursts she was halfway to the target, only for the Hollow to abruptly turn tail and flee. Narrowing her eyes in determination she took off in another burst of Shunpo, inevitably getting closer. Still it continued to run.
'That's weird.' She thought in confusion as she drew her blade. Hollows didn't tend to run unless in the presence of a much more powerful foe, and she was concealing her full power so a low-level Hollow wouldn't be able to tell she was a Third Seat.
''Indeed.'' Her Zanpakuto sounded equally troubled, ''This is odd behaviour for a Hollow. Unless it is a Menos, which it doesn't feel like, then it should not possess the sensing abilities it apparently does.''
She said nothing, as she took off in a final burst of Shunpo and landed in a clearing where the Hollow was waiting. It was shaped like a deformed lion, with massive front legs and huge shoulders with spikes coming out of it, yet with almost laughably tiny hind legs barley longer than her arm. With much less distance between them she got a solid reading on it's power; easily below a seated officer. Yet that made her all the more wary of it's unusual actions, given it shouldn't be that intelligent.
She said nothing as she took off in a burst of Shunpo, appearing directly beneath it before lunging upward, her Zanpakuto piercing through it's head effortlessly. She waited for a moment, before its body shuddered and blurred, before fading away into harmless particles. Frowning, she lowered her sword-
''BEHIND!''
She didn't hesitate, swinging around with both hands on her sword and slashing cleaning through the arm of a massive minotaur-like Hollow. She earned a pain-filled roar in response, before she ended it with a wordless Sokatsui. In the span of a few seconds her eyes flickered around her, worry pooling in her stomach at the sight of almost two dozen Hollows around her. All of them were equally as weak as the one who had ran from her, yet how they were able to conceal themselves was a complete and baffling mystery.
She had to take off in a burst of Shunpo to avoid the crashing hand of a large bear-like Hollow, firing off a wordless Sho to momentarily distract it. She weaved and bobbed between the small horde, lashing out with swift slashes where she could land them, weakening them. While the Hollow had previously been masking their presence, that skill did not translate into combat in the slightest, making them easy fodder that even a unranked Shinigami could handle. A swift burst of Shunpo allowed her to purify several at once, slicing through their masks with skilled precision, before ending two more with a penetrating Byakurai.
In only a short few minutes the majority of the Hollows were eliminated, leaving only a few stragglers, all of whom were injured. She took no pleasure in seeing a Hollow suffer, regardless of what some of her colleagues thought. Firing a Shakkaho at one, she appeared before it in a burst of Shunpo, before vertically slicing down and purifying it.
She turned to face the last remaining Hollow, a deer-like one, only to spot an odd glimmer in it's eyes. Glee.
She heard an odd sound behind her, like whoosh of air, before something struck her.
Then everything went black.
Translations:
Okaa-san = Mother.
Shunpo = Flash Steps.
Sokatsui = Blue Fire, Crash Down. (Hado #33)
Zanpakuto = Soul Cutter Sword/Soul Cutting Sword.
A/N: Welp, first chapter done, how'd you like it?
As you can see I've mixed both the Bleach and RWBY worlds a bit. The Gotei 13 is technically present in the form of The Twelve Divisions(going with the colour rule theme), although Soul Society doesn't exist. Vale, Atlas, Vacuo and Mistral don't exist either, instead all congregated in one massive kingdom; The Vale. I'll go more into detail about The Vale and the outpost towns in later chapters.
Both Grimm and Hollow exist, and this will transpire into something greater later on. However as a baseline just to establish a power level; the average Hollow is much more powerful than an average Grimm. I'd say a regular Hollow is on par with a Nevermore or Deathstalker, or maybe just below that depending on age. Menos will, obviously, be much more powerful.
Both Bleach and RWBY characters are present, although it leans more towards the RWBY characters since it wouldn't fit to have people like Kurotsuchi or Zaraki, given they'd generate negativity which feeds the Grimm (yeah, they ain't here, sorry).
Also, 'Division', 'Hollow', 'Council' and a few other capitalised words are intentionally capitalised. Just confirming this before anyone asks.
And yes, I'll be adding in a few Japanese words or phrases here and there. I personally just like the look of it. One thing though is a bit of an issue; the whole surname before forename thing in Japanese culture. That ain't happening. For one, it makes all the characters from RWBY look a bit odd (Rose Ruby, Rose Summer, Xiao Long Yang, etc.)
Because of this, all characters will be referred as in western culture (Ichigo Kurosaki, Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, etc.) but honorifics will still be in place. Moreover, strangers will still address new people surname first then forename. For example; 'Rose-san' is what a stranger would say, 'Ruby-san' as a friend and just 'Ruby' as a close friend. I don't think I need to explain how the whole honorifics system works, but yeah... there's a watered-down version for you.
Both Japanese and English words/phrases (Okaa-san/Mother) will be interchanged, as briefly explained in the chapter. That will have more meaning later on.
Welp that's all I needed to say, until next time~!
