Gifts and Curses
A/N: italics - thoughts; Beware the drama! XD Maybe a little. Consider this chapter as Chap00A and B of the Bleachverse. XD
Chapter 1: These Twisted Fates
Standing here against all odds,
Against fate, against the Gods
Enduring life's most harmful threat
I'll love you 'til death.
Rukia's POV
I was born at this time. It was called the Era of Forsakening because people thought they were forsaken by the Gods. Even I thought I am forsaken. I was born a mermaid, protector of the sea...
We are about a hundred feet below the surface. At this place, we cannot be touched by any human or any of their explosive weapons. At this depth is our kingdom. We govern the sea, we protect it, live with it, cherish it. My family rules it.
The staff which had the Kuchiki family's crest on it was passed down from generations to generations to successors of the throne. Now, it was my brother's time to succeed. We are amidst the crowd, a thousand mermen diving across us saying congratulations and wishing for a prosperous year and longevity for my brother. This however, was not something I nor my brother should be happy about. Succession of the throne meant death of the previous ruler, our father. A matter only I am to be blamed about.
Ichigo's POV
I sail from anywhere around the world, looking for something I didn't even know myself. All I know is, if I stop, there'll be a catastrophe. I need to keep looking somewhere beneath the water, somewhere under the sea. I've crossed great bodies of water, sailed across deep seas and vast oceans and swam lakes. I've trailed rivers and considered the possibility of giving up. The waters run so deep it's impossible to search a hundred feet under.
So I stopped looking and accepted my fate but my family, who knows so much of what I'm going through, decided to make me a hunter and a trader. That way, I can continue my search for it, the cure to my sickness.
Rukia's POV
Nii-sama? I opened my eyes as the shell from where I was sleeping opened. It was dark, a few feet underwater is of course a great realm of darkness but then our eyes have this night-vision capability, aside from that some of us have the capability to conjure light. We communicate through our minds.
Byakuya looked at me worriedly. You were having a nightmare…
Ah… It's nothing.
It wasn't nothing. Ever since our father died, I've been haunted by nightmares of his death. He died protecting me from his brother Aizen who attempted to kill me one fateful night. It was due to the fact that I am known as powerless. A princess who does not have unique abilities is a taboo in the royal family. Aizen wanted to banish me but my father bended the rules to protect me. Even when Byakuya-nii-sama is the successor, any family of the Royalty must follow the rules. They could not accept me. When my father died, Nii-sama immediately banished Aizen-sama.
If only I had left, that wouldn't have happened.
Truth be told, I am not powerless. I am not taboo. I have an ability that could destroy us all mermen. That is why it was hidden and I was declared powerless. Once everyone found out about my power, I would be sentenced to death and there'll be no law or rule to bend when their own destruction is at hand. I have the power to freeze. If I concentrate hard enough for a few days or weeks or months, I could freeze an entire lake. Such power is dangerous for us.
Alright, good night.
Goodnight to you too, Nii-sama.
With that, Nii-sama left and my sleeping shell closed. Many thoughts invaded my mind before I could drift off to sleep.
Ichigo's POV
"Ichi-nii!" called Yuzu Kurosaki as I twisted the doorknob to leave.
"What?" I asked and turned to look at her. We visit our home once in a while to check how my sisters are doing. They were actually living with our relatives, Urahara and Yorouichi.
"Take care and come back, okay?" she asked sweetly.
"Of course, Yuzu! Daddy here's going to take care of Ichi! Don't you miss daddy, Yuzu? Don't you want me to stay, Yuzu? Just say and I'll leave Ichigo alone in the ship!" said Isshin goofily. He tried to hug Yuzu but received a kick instead from Karin.
"Jeez… don't ever come back, ol' beardo!"
Right, nobody here knows the reason for my boarding a ship, only my dad. He was there when the incident happened.
"Take care Karin, Yuzu. We'll be back again." I waved to them goodbye, so did my dad. We left. It was the forty-second week of hunting for it, disguised as traders. The forty-second week of failure.
Rukia's POV
I'm banishing myself.
I was the start of this trifle between our families. Aizen-sama have rebelled against my brother. I'm a danger to my own kind and I'm a danger to nii-sama. I'm banishing myself. This was the way it should've been long before. I don't care if Nii-sama gets angry at me for leaving. Sooner or later, people will find out the nature of my power. I need to get away from everything that happened.
Ukitake-sama… I visited Ukitake, my sensei, before I could leave. If I may ask you to please tell my brother I am leaving. I know I am to blame for our father's death, I need some time alone, to forgive and forget. And I hope that he does too…
Ukitake looked at me sadly. I knew he would understand my decision to not confront my brother. I've felt I've taken someone very important from him. It's hard for me to face him without feeling this tinge of pain and sadness in my heart. It's not your fault Kuchiki. But if you feel like you need more time to get over, then please do so. Just make sure to stay safe and come back. If something happens, you know how to contact me.
Thank you.
In a few moments of waving my tail forward and gliding through the water, I've finally reached the surface.
A/N: Wooh! I finally get to use that poem. :D I made that for RaiFu but it fits IchiRuki better! :D It's now IchiRuki's poem for this story. =)
ROFL I made Aizen her uncle. XD
I hope I didn't go OOC on them. Please R&R and if there are errors, please kindly inform me. Thanks.