Author's Note:

This was more or less spawned from obsessing over Bleach while trying to keep myself entertained in Vietnam. Multi-chaptered fics with an actual plot have never really been my strong point (I don't think I've ever gotten passed chapter five...), but hey, I'll try again. (Because the question, my friends, is not "why," but "why not.")

Though this will include canon pairings (rather, pairings I think should be canon), this will mostly be an OC-centered fic. If she ever starts looking like a Mary-Sue, pelt Gobstoppers at me, 'cause God knows this site has enough of those. Anyways, as always, comments and criticism are appreciated and looooved. (And rewarded with virtual candy, which, despite being virtual, is a real gift, for I can be rather stingy with it.)


Castle in the Clouds
a Bleach (© Kubo Tite) fanfiction

Chapter One
enter the princess's kingdom

Opening Song: "Poker Face" - Lady Gaga


"Akon, report on the status of XXX-93A"

"Stabilized, Taichou."

"XXX-93B."

"Stabilized."

"XXX-93C."

"Stabilized."

"XXX-93D."

"Stabilized."

"Excellent." A grin stretched across a palely illuminated face as the tall, looming figure leaned towards the glass. Dark eyes lit up with excitement as he gave the final command: "Begin." Four white-cloaked men nodded their heads at the order before typing in their respective commands. A low hum resonated through the underground room as all the lights dimmed, save for the four beams of light casted upon the subjects. Kurotsuchi Mayuri grinned triumphantly when the body of the first subject began to glow, and reiatsu gathered and morphed in front of him. Soon, reiatsu had gathered in front of the other three figures, each one shifting and morphing into a different form.

The glass separating the testers from the subjects suddenly cracked, and the room was bathed in flashing red lights. "What the hell is going on!?" Kurotsuchi cried over the the wail of the sirens. "Akon, status report!"

The normally cool composure of the scientist was replaced with panic as he rushed over to the computers and began typing. "Something's gone wrong. The zanpakutou aren't stabilizing; there's been a bad reaction between the chemicals we injected and the original product."

"Dammit." Kurotsuchi fisted his hands at his side before banging one on the nearest computer. "Shut it down. This project's a failure."

"But Taichou, if we do that, the subjects will"

"I know, dammit, but does it look like we have much of a choice!?" Akon, though he still looked reluctant, nodded before hurriedly typing in the command. The red lights stopped flashing and the sirens stopped, shrouding the entire room in darkness and silence.

"Daitokuji, pull that huge head of yours out of your little dreamworld castle and back into my classroom."

Arisu winced at the laughter and chortling that greeted her upon her return from her daydream. Tokudome Ran glared down at her through her moon-shaped spectacles, causing the auburn-haired female to sink further down into her seat. "Your parents don't pay countless amounts of yen for you to learn how to fall asleep with your eyes open!" She slapped her desk with a ruler and, with a final huff, the dark-haired teacher returned to the front of the class.

The redhead glared at the retreating back of her composition teacher as she pulled herself up in her seat. "My mom and dad don't pay countless amounts of yen for me to be scolded by loveless hags either," she thought indignantly.

"If you glare at her any harder she'll drop dead," her friend Natsu teasingly warned.

She snorted. "Don't get my hopes up."

Kaihin High School might have been the ideal learning environment for every rich kid, what with the overly waxed floors, the too-large classrooms, and the cafeteria that outshined any five-star restaurant, but the staff was just like that of any other high school. Some teachers were pushovers, some teachers were kind but strict, and some teachers were just jerks. Unfortunately for Daitokuji Arisu, her homeroom and composition teacher happened to belong to the latter category.

So maybe the uptight stick of a woman wouldn't have been so livid with Arisu if she weren't always so demanding and high-maintenance. Yes, she interrupted class a couple of times to alert everyone of the new designer bag her oldest brother bought for her, and yes, sometimes was a bit snippy, but her parents were paying a lot of money for her to go here, and she deserved respect! Tokudome Ran might have been a single, middle-aged woman who hated everyone who wasn't her pet cat, but that gave her no right to constantly harass her in front of the other students. Arisu had rights (and money), and she would not stand for this inexcusable treatment!

... So was her justification anyways.

Twenty minutes into class, just as Arisu was about to give into sleep yet again, the classroom door slid open. Tokudome looked towards the opening with a look of exasperation and irritation, though it was quickly masked with a look of pleasant shock when the school principal walked in. The stout man paid no attention to the students, who in turn paid no real attention to him, and instead walked right over to Tokudome. He had to stand up on his toes to whisper into her ear (some students allowed a couple chuckles and giggles to escape), and she uncharacteristically blinked in surprise. The surprise was swapped with a smile, an action that resulted in the shock of all her students.

"And here I thought she was born with that ugly grimace," Arisu thought with a snort.

"Students, it seems as though we have a new arrival." Disregarding the fact that the tone of her voice was so sickeningly sweet that it had to be fake, the students of class 2-E, for the second time in two minutes, were shocked. Kaihin High, as renown as it was for its prestige and excellence in both academics and athletics, was very small and exclusive. It was rare to have someone enter the high school when they didn't already attend the brother elementary and middle schools, and it was even rarer to have someone enter after the school year had already started. There was even a famous rumor that the administration purposefully made the entrance exam near impossible to pass because they wanted to keep outsiders out. Thus, you needed to be incredibly rich and/or incredibly intelligent just to make it in.

"I wonder what he's like," the girl to Arisu's left murmured once Tokudome and the principal had gone outside.

"You automatically assume it's a he?" the boy in front of her asked.

She shrugged. "A girl can dream. I wonder what kind of company he owns. Ooo, I hope his parents aren't in the electronics business... Poppa wouldn't even let me talk to him."

"Assuming he'd even want to associate himself with someone as obnoxious as you."

"Oh, shut up, Shuuji!"

When the door slid open again, Tokudome walked in with a less ecstatic look on her face, though she was still wearing a smile. The corner of her lips twitched, as though wearing it was becoming very painful. "I'd like to introduce you to your new classmate. His parents are working overseas, so he'll be with us for the rest of the school year. He's new to Karakura, so please be kind to him." Some snorted, but then they were too overcome with shock to make a comment about the hypocrisy of her request.

The new student walked in with his shoulders back, his head held high, and his hands shoved nonchalantly into the pockets of his khaki uniform pants. His face, marked by three scars and a small tattoo, bore a look of indifference.

"What a weirdo." That was the first thought to run through Arisu's mind.

"Isn't he too old to be a high school student?" was the second.

"His name is Hisagi Shuuhei. I hope everyone welcomes you warmly." Tokudome smiled, though it was so strongly forced that it looked as though she was really suffering. It didn't take a genius to figure out why. Tokudome Ran was one of the most, if not the most, ill-tempered teachers at Kaihin High, and she prided herself on the way she strictly enforced school rules. She was big on punctuality, tidiness, and appearance, to a point where it was almost considered obsessive compulsive. She didn't take kindly to hiked skirts, untucked shirts, or undone ties, and she was always screeching about excessive makeup and jewelry. She probably only had to glance at Shuuhei to decide she didn't like him.

Shuuji turned in his seat to grin slyly at the girl behind him. "Looks like you won't have to worry about him being in the electronics business after all, Suzume. Instead, you'll be marrying into the yakuza; your poppa will be so proud of you."

"Shut up, asshole," she hissed, though it was evident that she was just as disgruntled as Tokudome.

One of the twins near Arisu sighed dramatically. "Aiiiiyaa~ It looks like we were getting excited for nothing." Nageri shrugged and shook her head in disappointment. "Although..." She shifted her cobalt eyes to Shuuhei, closely observing him. "... We could have a little fun."

Arisu frowned when Nageri's contemplative gaze landed on her. "Whatever you're planning, I don't want anything to do with it."

"None at all?" her older twin asked with a grin.

"No," she replied adamantly, this time glaring at Shikatsu. The Bakin twins were fun when she was feeling particularly sadistic and felt like harassing someone, but otherwise it was best to avoid them. Like everyone else, the Bakin siblings trusted no one ― aside from themselves. Sure, they associated themselves with others, but it was only a matter of time before they used them for their own amusement. She had had her fun with them, and now they were probably planning on using her, too. Arisu knew that if she didn't want to suffer a horrible social death, she wouldn't agree to what they were planning now.

Despite her blatant refusal, the two exchanged a grin. There was no escape, was there? "Oh good God."

"Hmmm... Take that free seat next to Daitokuji. Daitokuji, do something useful for once in your life and raise your hand." Tokudome and Arisu exchanged a glare, though the former also bore a sly smile.

Arisu raised her hand despite her own feelings of uneasiness towards the stranger. This was the kind of guy you saw on those over-dramatized cop shows, the kind of guy who was stealing money from banks, getting into bar fights, and committing grand theft auto all in one night. Well, that was the kind of guy he was according to his appearance, and while many claim it's what's on the inside that counts, appearance was just as important at Kaihin High. These kids decided who would be their future business partners and their future spouses based on outward appearances, and people like Hisagi Shuuhei rarely made the cut. They were a shallow bunch, and they prided themselves in their exclusive tastes.

Needless to say, Arisu was no exception.

Shuuhei didn't seem to pay any mind to the condescending stares or the poorly hushed whispers, as he walked to his desk with the same look of difference he had when he entered. He took his seat next to Arisu without so much as a glance in her direction, and she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Class resumed, and ten minutes later, a pastel pink paper crane landed on her desk. Arisu blinked at it, then at its sender, who only looked forward with feigned innocence. Frowning, she carefully undid the folds of the crane to read Nageri's letter.

We have a proposition for you.

That definitely didn't mean anything good. Unfortunately, ignoring the Bakin twins would be a poor choice. Their father was a high-ranking politician with powerful connections, who also happened to be wrapped tightly around their fingers. Anything that upset them would prove to be troublesome for both her and her family, and if there was anything Arisu upheld, it was loyalty to her family.

Arisu was weary as she wrote down a reply and gave the simply folded note back to Nageri.

yeah?

We think it'd only be polite to introduce ourselves to Hisagi-san. Unfortunately, since we don't have very much information on him, we're not sure if Father would approve.

... you want me to be your spy. It wasn't a question, really. Arisu knew what they wanted; they wanted another toy in their toybox, someone to play around with once they got bored and someone to toss aside once they were done.

Spy is such an ugly way of putting it. That meant yes.

what's in it for me?

We won't tell Father that you hacked into his system to dig up information. She tensed. So it wasn't really a request or a command; it was blackmail. Last year one girl kept bothering her, so she thought she'd ask the twins for a little help in finding dirt on her. Now that she thought about it, she had more or less blackmailed the girl, and though it had gotten her to admit defeat, the whole thing seemed to backfire on Arisu. Sure, the twins were just as much at fault as her (for they had given her access to the system), but they had their father so whipped he'd believe any story they dished out.

ugh, whatever.

It's always a pleasure doing business with you, Daitokuji-san.

"Tch." Arisu scowled as she crumpled up the note and shoved it into her bag. She stole a quick glance in Shuuhei's direction, and fortunately his own eyes were focused (though with boredom) on the chalkboard. "So all I have to do is gather information on him. No biggie." Despite her attempts to calm and reassure herself, she couldn't help the feeling of unease gathering in the pit of her stomach. She might have been particularly skilled at harassing and embarrassing those of her own social standing, but this stranger was a complete mystery to her. As much of an enigma as he was, however, Arisu knew he wouldn't be as easy as the others, which was irritating in and of itself.

She wracked through her brain for the rest of the class, trying to figure out a way to confront her new classmate. Unfortunately, by the time the bell rang, she ended up with the same amount she had at the beginning of her brainstorming session: nothing.

"Remember, Daitokuji-san," Shikatsu called from in front of her. She wearily glanced in his direction, in which she found that he and Nageri were already standing together with their book bags in hand. They wore identical expressions of amusement and satisfaction.

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled as she began gathering her own books.

"Daitokuji, Hisagi-san, please join me for a moment." Arisu couldn't help but notice the animosity Tokudome used only with her name. Cursing the she-demon under her breath, along with all of today's horrible luck, Arisu put away the rest of her belongings and trudged up to the front of the room. Shuuhei stood by her side, though she was too busy shooting daggers at her teacher to really notice. "You probably didn't hear a thing I said earlier because you only use your ears to listen to yourself talk," (Arisu's eye twitched, and she could have sworn she saw Shuuhei smirking), "but Hisagi-san is fairly new to Karakura. I'm assigning you as his guide for the next couple of days."

Momentarily forgetting her deal with the twins, Arisu responded with an irate, "Eh!? Why me!?"

"Because you're a selfish brat, and by having you help someone, maybe I can save your soul from the depths of hell," Tokudome replied with a condescending smirk. "If you stop your obnoxious outbursts here, I'll forgive you and revoke the detention I'm about to give you for talking back to me."

As much as she might have hated Tokudome, Arisu hated spending her afternoons with her even more, and thus managed to keep her mouth shut.

"Now, it looks like the two of you have four minutes to get to your next class. I suggest you hurry so that you're not late." And in Tokudome language, that meant Arisu should take her time so that she'd be scolded and punished for being late. "Have a lovely rest of the day, Hisagi-san." Anyone could have sensed the insincerity behind her words, but rather than commenting like everyone else would have, Shuuhei smiled politely and nodded his head.

"Thank you."

"Ah, what manners! Perhaps Daitokuji will learn something from you; it'd be nice if the first information she retained in high school were manners."

"Alright, we're leaving," Arisu grumbled through gritted teeth, storming passed Tokudome and Shuuhei with her hands curled into fists. Both Tokudome and Shuuhei wore smirks, though Tokudome's was more of triumph while Shuuhei's was more of amusement. The dark-haired student bowed to his homeroom teacher before following his guide, unaware of the chuckling twins watching him from the corner of the room.

"That woman makes me want to punch a baby. By the time I graduate, I'm going to publicly humiliate her, get her fired, and have her evicted from her house. ... And then I'll sell her cat to China." Arisu was too busy plotting the demise of her teacher to remember that she had someone she needed to escort to class.

Shuuhei managed to catch up with her in several long, quick strides; for someone with such skinny legs, she sure could walk quickly. He cleared his throat, and that seemed to pull her back down to their current setting. She stopped for a moment, remembering that she had no idea where her next destination was, and once again cursed Tokudome, blaming her for her embarrassment. "Uh, what's your next class?"

"Physics."

Her face contorted in disgust. "Gross." Being a hater of math and sciences alike (and really anything that wasn't fun), Arisu could never understand how someone would choose to take a class like physics. It was a combination of both math and science ― it was a disgusting child of disgusting parents. Unfortunately, as much as she might have wanted to avoid the science building, she really had no choice, because now she not only had two people watching her, but three. "Alright, it's this way," she said with a sigh.

He walked next to her as they headed towards the science building, something she wasn't too used to. Most people, save for those she chose to acquaint herself with and those who thought themselves to be better than her, chose to walk behind her. That's the way things worked at Kaihin High; the higher you were on the social ladder, the more respect you received, and the more people feared you. Fortunately for Arisu, she was very high on that ladder. Though that also made situations like this very awkward and uncomfortable.

Trying to brush aside the weary feeling, Arisu used this time to observe her new classmate more closely. He was tall, at least a head taller than her, and it looked like he had a fairly lean body. He wore the uniform nicely, though it wasn't as pristine as Tokudome would have liked: the khaki pants were neatly ironed, the short-sleeved white button-down was untucked and the first couple of buttons were undone, the sleeves of his shirt were rolled a couple of times, and the red tie was loosely done. He wore his uniform as casually as most of the other males in the school, so the only thing that really distinguished him from the others were his facial features.

His dark hair was slightly spiky and cropped short, and his black eyes seemed far too calculating for someone his age (though he still looked older than a second year high school student). Three scars ran vertically down the right side of his face, though they didn't seem to effect the vision in his right eye. A silver bandage stretched from the left side of his face over the bridge of his nose, stopping just short of his scars under his right eye. Printed underneath this was a bold '69' in plain black ink.

"... I guess he's attractive in that weird, rugged, "badass" way that Natsu's obsessed with," she admitted, though grudgingly. Her eyes drifted towards the rolled sleeves of his shirt. "... He has nice arms, though."

When she caught herself staring, she physically slapped herself, an action that brought her both a red cheek and Shuuhei's attention. "Um..." He seemed unsure how to respond. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she mumbled, trying to conceal her red face with her red hair.

Before she could find anymore ways to thoroughly embarrass herself, they had arrived at their destination. "This is it," she said with a bored tone. It was then, standing in front of the dreaded door, that she recalled the mission given to her by Nageri and Shikatsu. She was supposed to gather information on this guy, and in order to do that, she needed to be at least civil with him. Once again cursing her luck, Arisu sucked in any pride she might have had and extended her hand towards him. Shuuhei's eyebrows raised in surprise; clearly he hadn't been expecting it either. She forced a small smile, and realized that she hadn't given Tokudome enough credit; it really did hurt. "I guess I never really introduced myself. I'm Daitokuji Arisu."

He managed a small smile, though she was unsure as to whether or not he could sense the falseness behind hers. "Hisagi Shuuhei."

He reached out to shake her hand, and the moment his hand clasped around hers, she felt as though she were hit by a whirlwind. Everything began to spin, and she felt something like nausea rise in her stomach. She stumbled on her feet as she pulled her hand out of his, and he looked at her questioningly. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine... I just got really dizzy..." she mumbled as she raised a shaking hand to her head. "Um, you should get to class. I'll come get you afterwards." He nodded and headed into the classroom, though with obvious reluctance as glanced at her over his shoulder.

Once he was out of sight, Arisu rushed into the nearest bathroom and threw herself into the closest stall, locking it behind her. She pressed her back up against the cold surface of the door and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. Even in darkness everything seemed to be spinning, but it was beginning to slow down. She didn't move when the tardy bell rang, choosing instead to slump to the ground with her head between her knees.

Arisu slowly opened her eyes, and once again everything was still. Her head was throbbing, though, and there was still a knot in her stomach. She raised a hand to her head, though she felt no signs of a fever. "It all happened when I touched him, but... But that's just stupid. It was just a coincidence." She shook her head and slowly stood up. "I didn't have breakfast this morning, and the whole thing with Nageri and Shikatsu just got to me." Though there was a part of her that was still unconvinced, Arisu pushed aside her doubts and exited the bathroom on shaky legs.

...

When Hisagi Shuuhei had been assigned to a mission in Karakura with Matsumoto Rangiku, he was ecstatic. When he had been informed that they'd have to pose as high school students, he was a little disgruntled, but was willing to do it. When he had been told that he and Rangiku would be attending different high schools, however, he was livid.

Just when he thought fate was smiling upon him, it ripped apart his hopes and dreams yet again. Fate really had no mercy for a certain 9th Division vice captain, did it?

"Oh, don't worry about it, Shuuhei!" Rangiku had said, slapping a reassuring hand on his back as she laughed. "I bet it'll be lots of fun!"

"Easy for you to say," he wanted to say. While Rangiku returned to Karakura High, Shuuhei would be working undercover on the other side of town, in a high school filled with rich snobs who hadn't worked a day in their lives. Shuuhei wasn't saying that out of personal prejudice either; Kurosaki told him when Rangiku dragged him along to go uniform shopping.

Unfortunately, splitting up was the most efficient way to do this mission. According to Yamamoto-soutaichou, there were strange readings coming from Karakura. Large clusters of reiatsu gathered together, though they were quick to appear and disappear. They never stayed in the same place, and it was impossible to pinpoint them from Soul Society. Shuuhei and Rangiku had been ordered to find the source of the reiatsu and carry through with whatever procedure was necessary. If it was a Hollow, they were to purify it; if it was a lost soul, they were to send it; if it were something else, they were to bring it back to Soul Society for further investigation. All in all, it was a fairly simple mission.

"Simple... but annoying," he thought as he stood outside the pristine, polished gates of Kaihin High. Students dressed in perfectly dry cleaned and pressed clothes were dropped off in stretch limousines, while teachers rolled into their parking spaces in million dollar cars. Shuuhei was beginning to wonder if this was worth strategizing with Rangiku for a whole ten minutes.

Once he conceded with the fact that he had no choice but to go in, Shuuhei entered the main building with his shoulders back and his head held high. He ignored the unashamed stares and the looks of awe he received from his soon-to-be classmates, though he did show slight irritation when the principal's secretary threatened to call security on him if he didn't leave the premises. The awkward encounter with the lovely lady aside, the meeting with the principal of Kaihin High passed smoothly. A slight memory alteration was all that was needed to ensure Shuuhei's place in the institute.

"I'm sure you'll come to love Kaihin as much as everyone else. The students and faculty here are all very kind and welcoming." The condescending stares directed towards him made him think otherwise. "Now, this will be your homeroom. Wait just a moment as I bring out your teacher." The woman the principal brought out was wearing a bright, cheerful smile, yet it instantly dropped the moment she set her eyes on him.

"Yes, very welcoming," he thought sarcastically, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

She managed to pull it back on, though with some obvious difficulty. "Hisagi Shuuhei-san, is it? I am Tokudome Ran, your homeroom and composition teacher. I do hope you enjoy your stay here."

"Liar."

"Now, if you step into the classroom, I'll introduce you to your new classmates." He could only hope they were as kind and sincere as her. Sure enough, as soon as he entered the room he could deduce that they were. "I'd like to introduce you to your new classmate." And he shut her out from there.

While he was at the front of the classroom, he took the opportunity to look around, searching for anyone who could be a possible target. His body suddenly tensed, and his dark eyes instantly darted towards the back of the room. Whatever he had felt had already disappeared (had it even existed in the first place), though his eyes lingered on one auburn-haired girl in the second-to-last row. A frown tugged at his lips. "What was that?"

"Take that free seat next to Daitokuji," Tokudome's command cut through his thoughts. "Daitokuji, do something useful for once in your life and raise your hand." Sure enough, the very same girl raised her hand, though with obvious reluctance and disdain.

Shuuhei nodded and headed down the row before taking a seat next to the girl. He kept his eyes directed towards the front of the room, but he focused his attention on the slender female beside him. "I definitely felt something. If that really was reiatsu, then it fits Yamamoto-soutaichou's description perfectly. Appearing and disappearing sequentially... This might be the one."

Class went on without any resurgence of reiatsu, much to his disdain. Fortunately, fate seemed to finally understand its cruelty towards him, and managed to make his life a little easier through one Tokudome Ran. As he walked alongside his new "guide," however, he sensed nothing more from her. She did look rather... nervous, though. Being the polite gentleman he was, Shuuhei asked, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," was her curt reply. Obviously she had no intention of sharing anything with him.

He bit back a sigh. Maybe he would be better off if she wasn't the target; he'd been with her for five minutes and already she was being difficult. Thus, it was only natural that he showed shock when she suddenly grinned up at him and offered him her hand to shake. The grin was probably fake (for he had seen enough of those in his lifetime to pinpoint them on site), but it was better than nothing. "I guess I never really introduced myself," she said. "I'm Daitokuji Arisu."

He smiled in return, though he'd be lying if he said it wasn't forced as well. "Hisagi Shuuhei."

When he grasped her smaller hand in his, he felt a shock shoot up his arm, momentarily stunning him. Arisu, on the other hand, instantly pulled away, and her face was as white as a sheet. Shuuhei managed to mask his surprise, of both his and her reactions, and once again asked if she was alright. She told him she was fine, but the shivering of her body told her otherwise. Nevertheless, he nodded and walked into his next classroom so that he could decide what to do next.

"What was that? I didn't sense any reiatsu, but..." He looked down at his hand and recalled the shock that resulted from their contact. "It looks like I'll have to keep a close eye on Daitokuji Arisu for a while."


Closing Song: "Northern Downpour" - Panic! At the Disco


I know I didn't really get to go into Shuuhei's character here, but I wanted this chapter to focus mostly on Arisu. I promise you that we'll delve deeper into his character within the next couple of chapters. :3

Reviews always make an author haaapppyyyy~ -wink wink nudge nudge-