-Reina is dead and the outcome is far different from what she had expected. She meets a strange man, a strange man with red hair and black robes, and she has no choice but to trust him.-
Reina leaned against the railing of the Karakura Bridge, watching as the sunset slowly faded to orange and red in the distance. She stifled a sigh; being frustrated would do her no good in this situation.
It had only been a few days since she had taken her dive off the bridge and every passing minute felt like a bad dream that she couldn't wake up from.
She had watched as the happy couple on a morning stroll found her body washed-up on the river banks. She witnessed the detectives scouring the area with their equipment and saw as the reporters pulled up to the scene.
Maybe I made it on the news after all she thought with a light snort.
At least in death she hadn't lost her sarcasm.
She was sure that someone, maybe Yukke or her mother, would have showed up at the scene to identify her body, but she never spotted a familiar face in the crowd of curious onlookers.
The only person that had shown some sort of grief for her passing was her dance partner Satoru. He arrived with a somber face and a bundle of flowers that he set by the river where her body was found. While the action warmed her heart, it didn't ease her mind.
It was hard not be frustrated, especially when she was expecting so much more from her own demise.
She had expected to be transcended to some magical place where her worries were gone and her sufferings were long forgotten. The reality she was facing now couldn't be more opposite. She just ended up in the same spot that she had been last, with all of her unwanted memories still vibrant in her mind.
She felt far from transcended; she felt nothing more than a purposeless ghost.
The wind blew, but she couldn't feel it brush through her hair. The cars rushed by her at alarming speeds and people walked by chatting happily amongst themselves, but no one ever noticed her. She was unseen and unheard and she had no way of letting anyone know what had happened to her.
The only other thing that had changed was the presence of a giant metal chain that now jutted from her sternum. She was a spirit now, so she wasn't quite sure how it was possible to feel it. But she could. It was heavy and stifling, and served as a constant reminder of her actions that she had to carry with her.
The thought had come up that this could be her punishment for taking her own life. She had always heard stories about those who committed suicide; they were sent to hell, forbidden to join in the wondrous reincarnation of life.
She guessed there was no room for quitters in life or in death.
If that's true, then why am I still here?
She couldn't help but ponder that question relentlessly.
Was she already in hell? Or was she in some kind of purgatory, waiting for her own personal escort to the underworld? Could an Angel of Death be on their way now to break the news to her? The news that her soul was forever damned?
Reina had not been afraid of dying. She wasn't scared at the sight of her pale, dead body as the coroner zipped it into a black bag. And she wasn't afraid of the thought of hell; if it was her fate to be sent there, she would accept that she deserved it.
What truly frightened her was the unknown.
She had no idea what was going to happen to her soul and waiting around to find out was taking entirely too long. It was this fear that kept her firmly planted where she was, too afraid to go looking for answers she was sure she wasn't ready to find.
To make matters worse, Reina had developed a fear of the dark over the past few days. It was as if the night sky had a completely different aura in death than it had in life. All around her was a humming threat and a feeling that she was being watched.
And then there were the noises that came in the night.
They were nothing like noises she had ever heard…they were screams, howls of pain and sorrow that reverberated off the city buildings and out onto the water below her. They were loud enough to cause ripples in the placid river and each one made her hair stand on end.
The source of these noises was unknown, and that terrified her as well.
Reina watched anxiously as the last rays of light disappeared under the horizon. As if on a timed schedule, the eerie feeling immediately washed over her, making her feel trapped, frozen and confined despite the open space around her.
A shriek split through the night air, pulling her attention to the city skyline. It sounded close; close enough to force her hands to cuff her sensitive eardrums.
A deep, erratic rumbling followed the noise. It began as a low tremor, but grew in intensity as it closed in on her surroundings. It vibrated through the suspension wires of the bridge and she could hear the wound fibers humming their warning.
Reina also heard the high-pitched sound of metal clinking against itself, reminding her of the heavy chain she now donned. Whatever was causing the earth to shake was strong enough to rattle the links in the chain. She noted the obscure feeling as the metal strained against the anchor embedded in her chest.
What the hell is causing this?
The booming sound of rubble falling to the ground startled her, drawing her eyes to the row of office buildings near the mouth of the bridge. Chunks of stonework sprayed the street, filing the air with white ash. The haze gradually cleared, revealing the source of the chaos.
Reina's eyes grew wide and the feeling of fear solidified, led-heavy in the pit of her stomach. She was stunned, held in place by the image of the hellish creature emerging from the rubble.
The monster caught in her sight was something straight out of a horror movie.
She had no idea how big the creature was, but it was at least double the size of the utility truck parked nearby, if not bigger. It was a dull, reddish brown color that reminded her of dried blood, and the texture of its skin was unlike anything she had ever seen.
The body was long and grouped in rounded sections that gradually decreased in size down to an oblong shaped tail. It mimicked a centipede with its many legs, but its curved front two arms resembled more of a praying mantis.
The razor sharp appendages it wielded were frightening, but its white, expressionless face was what shocked her the most. It seemed to be made out of bone and was long and pointed with a terrifying mouth set in the shape of a black half-circle. It had no nose or ears and from its slanted eye sockets, a yellow glow beamed out like a traffic light.
From its simple face leaked the black aura of evil, and Reina had no doubt that it had been the cause of the ominous feelings she had lately. Its mere presence was unnerving, and when its empty eyes locked with hers, she felt the terror pierce her soul.
She knew then what this creature was here to do…
It was going to take her soul to hell, the place she now feared that she belonged.
The monster opened its mouth to screech at Reina, as if to celebrate the successful hunt for its prey. It reared up to attack before barreling towards her, kicking up dust as its heavy legs pounded repeatedly into the concrete.
The closer it came to her, the less control Reina had over her body. Her lungs constricted and her knees buckled, taking her to the ground. Her eyes fixated on the empty hole in the monster's chest and all she could do was stare as the demon came to take her.
It traversed the bridge with such speed and when it was only a mere second away, the reflex to close her eyes was triggered. She couldn't bear to watch its bladed arms tear through her skinless soul.
She inhaled and…
"Roar, Zabimaru!"
Reina opened her eyes, reacting to the sound of another's voice, to see a figure suddenly appear before the creature.
She could hardly see the outline of the person as it disappeared again, only to reappear from above in the blink of an eye. What looked to be a giant, segmented blade was swung down, slashing the monster's face down the middle.
The creature's last high-pitched shrieks echoed in her ears as its body began to disintegrate into a cloud of black smoke. Nothing was left where its enormous form once loomed over her and she felt the feeling of danger dissipate along with it.
"Tch damn pests are getting bigger around here."
The voice came from the man that had slayed the monster, the man that Reina was finally able to acknowledge. He was in front of her again, standing so close that she had to arch her neck to clearly see his face.
She had never seen this man before, but just by looking at him she knew that, like that monster, he was not from the world she had previously known.
She watched as the large, oddly shaped sword morphed into a traditional blade as he pushed it into the scabbard on his hip.
"That was a close one."
He looked down at her, his eyes were glaring, but his mouth formed an obligatory smile.
So he can see me?
She remained motionless as he turned to face her, squatting to get to her level.
She was sure that he was waiting for her to speak, but she didn't know the words to say. She studied his appearance, hoping it would give some clue as to where he came from.
He was tall and dressed in all black robes that bore no logo or insignia that she recognized. His hair was long, crimson red, and was tied up in a way that had it sticking out in every direction around his face. His features were handsome, but his skin was branded with thick, black lines of tattoos that stood out above his eyes, on his forehead, and even down the sides of his neck. They were both unusual and intimidating, and she had a rough assumption that he displayed even more of them underneath his robes.
All she could gather was that he was far from an ordinary man. She had no way of telling his age or where he had come from or what he was there to do. Aside from being a complete mystery, she could feel that he was not there to hurt her.
She became aware that his auburn eyes were still glaring into hers, but she couldn't tell whether his look was born from confusion or concern.
"You know those things are gonna' keep coming…"
His tattooed eyebrows lowered, and she felt his gaze shift to the metal chain dangling from her sternum.
Reina wrapped her arms around her chest, feeling shamed and exposed in his presence. Her voice felt thick in her throat as she attempted to speak. It had been so long since she had heard herself and the crackling pitch was off-putting.
"T-There's more of those monsters out there?"
The man scratched at the back of his head, averting his eyes from hers, "You haven't been dead very long, huh?"
She shook her head slowly and he heaved a sigh in response.
"Those monsters are called Hollows…and they're going to devour your soul if you stay in this place. It's my job to get rid of them. And to send you to the Soul Society, where it's safe."
Reina was sure her face twisted in confusion at his words
The Soul Society?
She had never heard of such a place. But then again, she had never heard of a monster called a Hollow before, and she had nearly had her soul stolen by one a minute ago.
"But I-…"
She looked to the side, still made nervous by his heavy, narrowed eyes.
"I thought I was supposed to go to hell."
Now it was the man's turn to react in confusion. He faltered for a quick second before returning to his serious stare. His mouth grimaced and she could sense a general unease in his features.
"Hell?" he asked. "And just why do you think you belong there?"
She nodded towards the railings of the bridge and he followed her gaze towards the edge.
"I died just a few days ago," she began.
Her words were slow and disassociated.
"I jumped over that railing. People who commit sins are sent to hell…isn't suicide a sin?"
Reina hated it, but she could hear the grief in her own voice. It made her feel pathetic, and was made all the worse by the look of sympathy that washed over his brown irises.
The man sighed again, breaking eye contact with her after a moment of silence.
"What's your name?"
His question was simple and direct, and she answered him in the same manner.
"Reina Kitamura."
His hand scratched the back of his head and he glanced to and from her face.
"Well, I don't know much about how the Gates of Hell work…but I know that if you deserved to be there, they would have swallowed you up already. As a Soul Reaper, I can't explain to you how this stuff works, but I can promise to send you somewhere where those hollows can't hurt you."
"It's nothing like Hell, I promise," he continued.
Their eyes met again and a reassuring smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but didn't quite form.
Reina knew that after everything she had been through she had the right to be wary of people. But as much as she wanted to question this man that she had just met, this nameless, strange man, she still felt that she could trust him. He had saved her from that hollow, and the light in his dark eyes was kind.
He had no reason to lie. And she had nothing left to lose.
She nodded her head,
"Ok."
The man that had called himself a Soul Reaper stood, and Reina flinched when he pulled his sword out from his belt. The moonlight caught the edge of the blade as he turned the katana around, exposing the bottom of the hilt to her.
The flat end glowed white and blue. Its aura was intoxicating and she didn't break her stare as he brought it inches away from her face.
She did not feel the hilt as it pressed against her forehead, all she could feel was the comforting warmth that emanated around the sword. It had been quite some time since she had felt what warmth was like. Since she had felt the feeling of such comfort.
Her vision became blurred with soft, white halos and she felt as if her body was weightless. Not just her physical body that had since become a spirit, but her emotional body. Her worries were being flooded from her brain, pushed out by white angelic light.
The man in front of her with the red hair and the black robes said something, but his words were lost to her ears.
"Thank you," she said, unsure whether or not her voice could even be heard.
His image slowly faded and for the first time in a very long time, Reina smiled.
-Again, thanks for reading! Next we get some Renji action from his point of view after a little bit of a time skip.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask and, of course, comments are appreciated ^_^ -