I don't own Bleach. I don't own the song "Time is Running Out."
Title: Time is Running Out
Rating: T
Description: The mission was supposed to be like every other. Instead, everything is ruined from the 'almost' death of one boy. ( Halloween oneshot! )
A/N: No update since July. I'm so sorry! I've been so busy! Of course, you all probably know the feeling with school/work. BUT! Alas, I have returned, even if it's just a oneshot. So, this one is named after 'Time is Running Out' by Muse. Excellent song; fits very well with this oneshot and Edward and Bella from Twilight as well!
It was twilight when she appeared swiftly atop a tall lamppost. The air, full of joyous laughter and shrieks of terror, violated her ears as she strained to listen. There was a spirit she could sense … one that needed help.
Looking below her feet, the children below were dressed oddly; more so than usual. She saw a few dressed like herself — with added pointy hats and useless brooms — but others were in clothing she could not identify.
Some had horns on their heads, while others had halos. Some of the young girls wore crowns and pink dresses; most boys were in combat books and held toy guns. They were all giggling, collecting sticky candy, and running throughout the 'safe' streets of their neighborhoods.
She scoffed. Safe … if only they knew what was keeping them safe on this particular night. This night … was the night in which the dead rose from their graves and haunted the streets. Even more so than they did any other day of the year.
Today was the day of the dead. Today was the day in which monsters, spirits, ghosts, ascend from their graves in order to see the love ones they missed or never even met. Most of the spirits were harmless. Others though …
AHHHH!
Too high-pitched for any normal human's ears, she looked over, her black hair flowing in the sharp breeze. She could smell just the small hint of herbs; her violet eyes pierced the black night. Leaping off of the lamppost she jumped in the moon's light.
From below someone yelled, "Mommy, look! A witch!"
"Come on, Ichigo!" yelled said man's useless friend, Keigo. He grabbed Ichigo roughly by the arm and pulled throughout a large crowd of people, dressed as vampires, princesses, playboy bunnies, soldiers, and, of course, the undead.
Ichigo had managed to buy a pair of fake teeth at the local gas station, put on a plaid shirt and borrowed his dad's cowboy boots ( why he had them was way beyond him ). He came as a hillbilly. Not that anyone really could tell he was wearing a costume … the only thing he didn't wear normally was the bubba teeth and boots.
Sighing as Keigo, — who was dressed as, what else, but the undead? — pulled up to a table that sat along a wall occupied by losers who didn't bring dates or druggies that were forced to come to clean up afterward and the guys who hated everything … and just stood there, hating everything. The table held eight different punches and a variety of chips and cookies.
Ah, so this is where he'd be spending the night.
Okay, just for the record, he didn't want a date. So, that immediately put him out of the 'loser' category. He had never done drugs in his life — despite the roomers — because he thought it was kind of a sucky way to die … if he died ( which he didn't plan on doing too soon ), he'd want to go out with a bang. So, he supposed he was one of those guys who hated everything and just stood there … hating everything.
Keigo was already off to the dance floor, hoping to pick up some random chick. Ichigo shrugged as his 'friend' attempted to woo a girl with a date; she slapped him and then her boyfriend punched him in the gut. Then punch in hand, he walked up next to Chad and Ishida, two of the other kids in his category.
"Sup' Ichigo?" Chad offered, looking down at him. Sado Chad was well over six feet tall, wearing a Hawaiian shirt ( not different from the norm ) with khaki shorts and a lay around his neck. He must have come as someone from the tropic area. Ishida Uryuu was wearing what he usually wore: his school uniform.
"What'd you guys come as?" he asked dully.
"Tourist," Chad replied dryly.
"Myself."
Smart ass, Ichigo thought then sighed again. He only needed to be here for a few more minutes … just a few more until he could go home, greet his sisters, eat a couple Snickers, and then go to bed … or work on Math … but most likely go to bed.
Minutes passed by slowly. The songs changed from upbeat to upbeat and then, finally, as a slow one started to play, he decided it was time for him to exit. Keigo had managed to find some freshman girl to dance with — he would say "poor girl" but she was smiling contently.
She must not know who the hell she was dancing with. The mask sure did help, Ichigo decided. She probably didn't even know who Keigo was at this moment.
Sneaking out the back of the school, Ichigo put his hands in his jeans pockets and huffed, seeing his breath in the icy weather. It was getting too damn cold, especially for this early in fall. Of course, it always seemed unnaturally cold the night that people would have to go out and 'trick or treat' for candy from strangers.
Ah, the irony.
Ichigo was nearly out of the school parking lot and on his way home when he smelled the herbs. It was powerful and strong and he fell flat on his stomach and covered his mouth with his shirt … the smell was suffocating. What was it? He'd only smelled such a scent a few times in his life — usually around this time, he realized later — and it had always left him feeling sick and … helpless?
Was that the right word?
He coughed and stood up again. He took off running; the smell wasn't dying down. Instead, it seemed to be getting stronger and it was making Ichigo dizzy and light-headed. He felt like he was going to hurl, and then hurl some more.
That's when he saw … her.
And he knew his life would never be the same.
She tried and tried and yet there was not an award. She kept trying to stick him without avail. He was dodging and disappearing … sooner or later, he'd reach his grave and then … well, she did not want to think of what would happen if even more spirits got loose tonight.
He jumped up high and his body was hardly visible. She squinted her eyes and then jumped up after him … she smirked and held out her wand. "Of heavens," she started to chant, but he disappeared again.
Groaning, she looked around and that was when she spotted … him.
I think I'm drowning
Asphyxiated
I wanna break this spell
That you've created
He looked to be a teenager … maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. He was wearing a blue and white plaid shirt with light colored jeans that looked rather nice on him. He had the ugliest mug though … it was bright orange, clashing with his outfit severely.
And there was the spirit, headed right toward him.
You're something beautiful
A contradiction
I wanna play the game
I want the friction
Her mind raced with what could happen. The only thing worse than a spirit reaching his own grave — with her being unable to stop him, seeing as graveyards would kill her if she stepped upon one — was if that spirit got a hold a possessed that boy.
Not only would that boy die, but, the spirit would be stronger and he would start running amuck around the city … and what's worse? There would not be a damn thing she could do. She'd get in trouble with the Others and then they'd have to take care of it.
You will be the death of me
You will be the death of me
She got up faster and then disappeared, reappearing right in front of him. She held out her wand and started chanting incoherently. For a brief moment she wondered why this kid was on the ground … it was as if he tripped yet he wouldn't get up. Instead, he was writhing in pain and moaning from something.
Bury it
I won't let you bury it
I won't let you smother it
I won't let you murder it
Maybe it was the smell of herbs that was causing him to feel this. They were what distinguished witches and warlocks from regular humans, and, spirits especially, reeked of it. If any human could actually smell it, they'd probably die from how strong it was.
Oh, shit, she thought. He's going to die!
Glancing back, just to see if he was breathing, she saw his back move up and down rapidly … he was still alive, but barely. He was losing oxygen; soon he'd suffocate.
Our time is running out
Our time is running out
You can't push it underground
You can't stop it screaming out
And, for some strange reason, she wasn't going to let that happen. She wasn't going to let her 150 years of being a witch, her 150 years of perfection was not going to be wasted on this boy, who seemed to be oblivious to the fact that she was standing there, protecting him.
I wanted freedom
Bound and restricted
I tried to give you up
But I'm addicted
Of course, most humans were that way. They couldn't see, hear, or smell that spirits, witches, or the Others existed. But this boy … he seemed to smell the spirits — the spicy herb with pepper scent — and, if he looked, he could probably see her to.
"W-who are you?"
Ah, the irony, she thought.
Now that you know I'm trapped sense of elation
You'd never dream of
Breaking this fixation
Her voice was crisp, cold and his eyes widened when she spoke. "Stay down. If you move, I will not hesitate to kill you." She could hear him swallow, and she could smell the fear that encased him. "Good. Now, let me ju — oof!"
She felt something tear through her flesh and stop just before it hit something fatal. She gasped but that hurt so she tried to breathe softly, and not to move her diaphragm too much. She heard yet another gasp, just a second after her own.
You will squeeze the life out of me
Bury it
I won't let you bury it
I won't let you smother it
I won't let you murder it
She looked down and saw that it was her own wand sticking out of her … that spirit bastard must have grabbed it while she wasn't looking! She could feel her energy weaken as her life was drawing closer and closer to the end.
Her wand was designed to suck the life out of any spirit being with just a touch … this included witches, warlocks, and, of course, spirits.
Ichigo watched from the ground. Suddenly, the smell of herbs lessened. The … woman dressed in all black with black hair and the most beautiful violet eyes was stabbed by something … he couldn't quite see. It looked like a spirit, but with glowing red eyes and a hole in its chest.
Our time is running out
Our time is running out
You can't push it underground
You can't stop it screaming out
How did it come to this?
He could see blue veins pop out on her forehead and neck. She was dying … he didn't know how, but she was dying. And if she died, he'd die. "M-miss, is there something I can do?! Tell me! Let me help you!"
She fell and he caught her in his arms. "Y-you must …" she started, wheezing in pain. "You must … promise me that, n-no matter what happens, y-you'll try your … best. To save us."
He nodded rapidly.
"Okay," she seemed to sigh contently. "You need to grab the end of my wand … now."
He did as he was told. She nodded and her eyes closed. Then, she started chanting again. "Oh, Father, I, Kuchiki Rukia, pass thy powers from thyself to that of …"
"Kurosaki Ichigo."
You will suck the life out of me
She opened her eyes and looked at him curiously. And then, there was a flash of brilliant light and Ichigo couldn't smell the herbs and he felt stronger … more powerful. His blood felt like ice was running throughout and his body became very cold. Ichigo looked down at his hand and felt a wand — around three feet long — was heavy and pulled, like a magnet, to the spirit struggling to regain sight.
He laid the girl, Kuchiki Rukia, on the concrete. She moaned and then her eyes fluttered open. She was breathing very shallowly, but, hey, she was still breathing. "G-go," she managed. "Stab him through the hole in his chest and speak the words that come to your mind … he'll disappear."
Ichigo nodded and, while the spirit was still blind, stabbed him.
Oh heavens, I offer you this spirit for your humble needs … protect him and love him, just as you've loved him his entire life. Go, go to the Others, a place that you need to be.
The voice was deep and masculine. Ichigo whispered, "Oh heavens, I offer you this spirit for your humble needs … protect him and love him, just as you've loved him his entire life … Go, go to the Others, a place that you need to be."
Bury it
I won't let you bury it
I won't let you smother it
I won't let you murder it
The spirit erupted into flames and then disappeared.
Ichigo fell to the ground, exhausted. The girl crawled over to him and smacked him over the head. "You stupid human. What do you think you've gotten yourself into!? You've taken my power! Now what do you think the Others are going to do about it? They're going to kill me!?"
Bitch, he thought bitterly. "I just saved your life!" he retorted. "You should be kissing my feet, thanking me! Not yelling and smacking at me! You dumbass!"
She scoffed. "You stole my power … so technically, I saved you, dumbass."
And then, she grinned when he passed out.
Our time is running out
Our time is running out
You can't push it underground
You can't stop it screaming out
Yep, using that much magic when you just turned into a warlock would drain your body. He was already going through the physical changes — blood was turning cold, magic running throughout his body, the wand, a part of his own body now — and, soon, he'd be just like her … only a little bit more human.
So, what was going to happen now?
She had no idea. But, right now, she needed some sleep. She felt drained and her blood was oddly warm — like she was human or something. Now, she just had to wait for a little while and then her power would be returned back to her …
Oh, how wrong Kuchiki Rukia would be.
How did it come to this?