BREATH OF LIFE


Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Tokyo Ghoul. Or the songs mentioned from this point onwards. Kudos to people who recognize the songs, though.

Shout Out: As I was editing the Fire And Ice (yes, yes, new chapter will be out soon), I couldn't help myself not to poke at this little project of mine some more. R.A Cross, one more into the Quincy breach, along with Arima. RazNeirohDiLacrihm, you will just have to wait and see, but Ken-chan is still alive... mostly.

Warnings: AU-verse, SLASH; a certain Quincy may have bitten off more than he could chew. Ah, yes. Some of you asked me which version of Arima I meant. Most of you are familiar with the grown-up, white-haired one. I am working with the teenage, blue-haired one. If you want to see how he looked when he was young, search the pics on the internet for 'young Arima'. And yes, young Arima is a canon. Hope that cleared the confusion.


006 - Pompeii

Ishida Uryuu didn't know what to think anymore. There he was, wasting the last dregs of his power after he performed Letzt Still, and there was nothing that could have stopped that Mayuri monster from coming and making him his very own experiment a la Quincy.

He shook with the pain and effort that took of him to stand upright.

'Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit! I was too cocky!'

He swallowed harshly, feeling the bitter tang of iron slid down his throat.

"He, he, he. Thank you for delivering yourself to me, mister Last Quincy." Mayuri's cocky words caused his heart to burn with regrets. "I will be sure to appreciate you as my special specimen. Isn't that a wonderful conclusion of our little battle?"

"Go to hell, Mayuri." He hissed as his knees finally gave out.

All that training and for what?

To become a specimen to a madman that helped in genocide of his people?

Uryuu's eyesight blurred.

How pitiful.

Mayuri's gloating was interrupted. "Oh? There are two of you? Splendid!"

Uryuu's body jolted.

Arima!

"Get - away!" He choked out.

The slow, measured steps halted beside him. Something black was swimming in Uryuu's eyes - and he hastily rubbed at his eyes, only to recognize the blackness as the guitar case Kurosaki's friend was toting around.

"What, you want to serenade him?" He snarked, a corner of his mouth twitching downward bitterly at the guy's insanity.

"No need." Arima's soft voice replied to him evenly. He opened the case, and Ishida blinked dumbly at the three cylinders that resided in the case, before his eyes widened with recognition.

"You are - !"

Slender hands reached in the case and retrieved two of the three cylinders, igniting them.

"I am."

And then, he sprang forward, leaving behind one hapless Quincy archer who was just now beginning to comprehend that he may have waded into something just a tad bit too deep for his tastes.

The strange baby/caterpillar hybrid screeched with pain as it was sliced in half for the second time this day.

"Ooh. You are not normal, Arima-kun. Want to become my specimen? I promise I will take a very good care of you." Ishida shuddered at Mayuri's slick tones.

Platinum colored eyes of his attacker were emotionless, causing the one Kurotsuchi Mayuri to involuntarily step back. He had stared death in the face on a regular basis, but this was like staring into abyss.

And no matter how depraved Mayuri was, even he could become uncomfortable in front of this… boy.

Not even Yamamoto-soutaicho managed to evoke feelings of dread in the pit of his stomach, and yet –

"I'll have to respectfully decline." Arima murmured, and then, there was a shriek when his blade was broken in half, causing the Captain of 12th division screech with fury, before the sound was cut short by the sword's blade cutting in his gut and the pain spread through his body like fiery acid.

Gurgling an incomprehensible curse at the brat, Mayuri turned into his liquid form and quickly slunk away.

Just what was that brat?


Dazed, Uryuu watched Arima placing one of those strange swords back into the case and closing it, before heaving it on his back again.

"Are you able to walk, Ishida-kun?" Arima's soft voice muttered to him, causing him to blink.

"You're CCG." He instead blurted out.

Arima nodded. "Yes. Shall we move on?"

Uryuu swallowed. "How did Kurosaki get someone like you here?" He pressed on, even when he grabbed the offered hand, and exhaled a hiss of pain when Arima hauled him upwards, supporting his body the best he could while he had the sword, now in the form of deactivated cylinder, in his left hand.

"We're friends."

He felt Uryuu's disbelieving glare at his person.

"It can't be that simple." Uryuu protested, glaring.

Arima felt his lips twitch in a facsimile of smile.

"But it is."


/To Be Continued/