Memories of a Shinigami (BLEACH Club Members only)

[Xeim]

The rickety school bus bounced over the unpaved road leading up to Mt. Fuji. It’d been a long trip, and all the children riding inside were anxious to get out and stretch their aching legs. A young girl with black and red hair had had it with all their complaining.

“How much longer!”

“I’m hungry!”

It was endless! She just wanted to shake them all to death.

Haruka looked around her. She was sitting next to Satine, on the right side of the bus, three seats from the back, next to the window. As she peered out of it, she saw countless trees and shrubs slowly march their way past the bus. She wished it would stop. Haruka didn’t even know why she came on the trip. She much would’ve much rather stayed back and ditched school, maybe watch some TV, maybe annoy the neighbors with some loud music. But here she was, sitting on an old rickety school bus on its way to Mt. Fuji.

Haruka pulled her head away from the window and strained her black eyes around the bus. She found all of the people that she knew the names of: Otonashi, Hasaki, Mugen, Hawokuishibaru, Yuki and Stephen. These names she remembered as the ones who stared her down that day at the beginning of the year when she transferred schools.

<><><><><>

“Haruka, why don’t you come and introduce yourself to the class?” the teacher had asked.

“Nah, I’ll pass,” I had replied.

“Haruka, you will introduce yourself!”

“Really, it’s-”

“Do you want to go to the principal’s office young lady?!’

“Fine, whatever, I’ll do it...”

“Good.”

I got had gotten up in front of the class, and started in on a traditional introduction:

“Hey, I’m Haruka, I live here in Karakura Town-” I kept on like this for several minutes saying everything about myself that meant nothing. The kids just stared me down and gave me looks that said, “Would you shut up now?!” All the kids, that is, except Satine. That’s how we had become friends. Satine had listened faithfully, drinking in every little detail. The rest of the kids just fidgeted.
<><><><><>

A huge bump in the road brought Haruka back to the present.

“Ugh, I can’t take all this much longer...I need to get away from these whiners!” she mumbled under her breath. Satine didn’t seem to hear.
Haruka decided it best to just relax the rest of the way, and not think too much.

But of course, that was impossible. Thinking was the only thing one could do on a bus with a bunch of people who hated you and you hated right back. What will it be? She asked herself. Should I predict what happens next in my favorite show? Should I wonder what the name of my favorite band’s next album is going to be? Should I come up for an idea on that essay due next week? Nah, why would I do that essay anyway? It’s just a nuisance.

“Hey, Hyourin!” yelled a boy sitting two seats behind her. She turned her slender, pale head around to face him. He had brown hair, grey eyes, and rather large front teeth. The tan color of his skin was almost hidden by the huge mass of freckles that had apparently taken over his face.

“Excuse me?” she said rather politely, her deep black eyes boring a hole in that annoying freckled face.

“I said, ‘Hey Hyourin! What’s up with you today? You look like there’s nothing to say!” The boys around him started laughing hysterically at this, despite the fact that the sentence made not a strand of sense.

“Hmm...,” she said calmly, “you might do well to remember that my name is Haruka, and if you see fit to fail to remember that one more time, then I’ll overlook the fact that we’re on a moving school bus, and break your sorry, scrawny, annoying little excuse of a neck so fast that you won’t know what happened.” With that, she righted herself in her seat again and continued to stare calmly out the bus window.

Hyourin...

Haruka-Hyourin Tokoyami

Hyourin...

Asahi...

Chikai-Asahi Tokoyami

Asahi....

Brother...

...why?
<><><><><>

“Hyourin! Dinner’s ready!”

“Coming, *aniki!”

Haruka’s thoughts had led her back to the night her brother had been killed. The night the only one she had ever allowed to call her Hyourin was taken from her forever.

I ran into the dining room and sat down at our small table. I remembered every detail of my brother’s face. He had long black hair, like me, that he pulled into a neat ponytail that ran down his back straight to his waist. His dress was always conservative: a tan t-shirt and jeans. He had smiling green eyes that seemed to make everything alright, as long as you stared into them. His skin was pale, just like the skin of the rest of my family members, dead or living. And, his nose and mouth were delicate, almost feminine, but still masculine enough to make him devilishly handsome.

We ate in silence that night, though now, I wish we had talked more. After everything had been put away, he announced he was going to get us ice cream for dessert. He never came home.
<><><><><>
Haruka looked down at her thin, pale hands. Her black cargo pants made them seem even whiter. She then stared at her reflection in the bus window. Pale, thin face, pale, thin arms, all the more accented by her complete black attire. But, Haruka was proud of her complexion. It made her a true Tokoyami.

Satine then nudged her to let her know they were getting close to their destination.
















*aniki means “elder” or “older brother”

[Evangel]

Mugen sat all the way in the back seat on the right side. He sat alone, he liked being alone except with his sister, Aoi. She couldn't make it today because she was sick and had to stay home. He stared glumly out the window down the mountain side. He was deep in thought, only some of the other children's laughs and tanuts at Haruka crept into his mind. Mugen was thinking about the last thing Aoi said before he left for the trip.

She said: "Mugen," her voice was a little raspy from coughing and she was weak. He sat next to her on her bed as he brought some food to her and medicine. "I don't want you to go! I have a bad feeling, brother." Mugen at the time didn't want to admit it but he felt it too. It was the same he felt when the Hollow that called itself Bear Claw, attacked his family and took their mother and younger sister away from them forever. He will always remember that night...

"Mama!" His own voice echoed in his ears as he flashbacked to the night. "Mama! Please wake up! Mama!" His twin sister sat in the corner, sobbing, she had witnessed the whole ordeal. Their younger sister's body was missing, but the police found a torn piece of her shirt and some of her hair... both covered with blood.

He came back to reality when the bus hit a bump and made him fly up into the air. The other kids laughed but he didn't. He found himself all teared up and on the verge of crying. He wiped away his tears and sniffled. Mugen rested his head in his hand and stared outside.

It was all my fault. He thought. I should have been there, but I wasn't and I couldn't even protect my family. He sniffled again and wiped more tears away from his eyes. "I'm sorry..." He said quietly. "I'm sorry...."

[Mr. Sandman]

As the bus continued rambling, Hasaki all of sudden thought of his sister who died about 2 weeks ago and how he regrets not being able to save her from her illness.

Hasaki then looked deep into his own thoughts to clearly picture what happened in that frightful night.
Deep breaths are heard in the shallowness of the room.

"Sister! No, what's happenening to you!? Please.... just... don't die on me... Huh?"

"Hasaki, be strong for me, you did everything you could to help and for that I am thankful, don't be too hard on yourself."

"I don't want you to go, with mother gone, life has been hard enough... with mother's death, father changed. If you go, everything will soon fall apart, I can't take it!!!" Hasaki tries to calm himself down but the moment is just too much for him to handle.

"Hasaki, before I go... I want you to have this pendant of mine with your mother's picture in it. It even has the rose enscribed on the front of it..." She then coughed up some blood.

"Sis, you've always loved the rose, I... can't possibly take this from you... Sis, SIS!?" Nothing was heard as Hasaki's sister's hand drops to the side of the bed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
A few minutes later passes as Hasaki finally calms down.

"My whole life.... has fallen apart... my name... I will wipe it off existence," Hasaki quietly says as he grips his pendant from his hand tightly.

The bus hits a rock on the road causing Hasaki to come back to Earth as the other students leap up a little. "Stupid bus driver, he needs to pay attention," Hasaki grumbles to himself. Hasaki then reaches into his collar and pulls out his pendant. He catches another student confronting him.

The guy grins, "Nice pendent you got there Hasaki, mind if I take a look?"

Annoyed by the student's incorrect mannerism of the word "pendant" and calling him "Hasaki" he merely stays silent for a minute... then a few seconds later hooks in the face causing a big bruise to appear on his left cheek.

"Don't ever call me Hasaki, my sister who's now dead is the only want who may refer to me by that name, only other elders or my friends will I allow them to call me Hasaki and one more thing, the one thing I can't stand more than people like you is incorrect grammar." All of the students laughed as he heard other students say, "Way to go Van, that's showing that punk who's boss."

The bus driver looked back at us for a moment and shouted, "Stop with the violence you hear me!?" Everybody nodded except Hasaki. "Hasaki, that goes double for you!"

He just merely nodded and mumbled, "Whatever."

Satine shouted out, "Watch out!!!" The bus driver had driven his attention off the road. He quickly steered as he almost drove off a cliff, making Hasaki nearly lose his balance and hitting his head against Haruka's. The near death-incident reminded Hasaki of his sister's death as he looks at himself with his bangs blocking part of his vision.

The bus hit another ledge on the ground that surprised Hasaki and really started to drive him mad at the bus driver's carelessness. "What the heck man!? What are you trying to do get us killed? Pay attention, stupid bus driver!" Hasaki directed towards him with a pissed off voice. For some reason, the bus driver didn't answer... Hasaki slowly walked up to him to see what was going on. He was just sitting there, motionlessly with his eyes open but it felt as if no life was inside his eyes. It felt as if they were just staring blankly to space.

Hasaki didn't want to have anybody start panicking so he just walked back to his seat and thought of what just happened. "It was scary, scary to think that he was dead? No, no, that can't be it... is it?" Hasaki even wonders why he joined the field trip to go to Mt. Fuji in the first place. What made him go to the trip? It felt as if Hasaki was trapped, frozen in place, with no escape. His heart was pulsing, but he couldn't even lift a finger at that point. The sheer thought of one being dead right in front of your eyes was too much, but this time, it isn't a thought... it was real.

[Lady Rika]

Satine longed to press her hand against the window desired to feel the cold pressure kiss the burning intensity of her sweaty palms. But she couldn't.
The reason, Haruka, her best friend since youth sat there gazing for a while and maybe even the occasional mind wandering. And she of course, would never ask her to move for such a small request.
The girl didn't know why her hands were suddenly grief stricken with sweat but the thought of it being a bad omen did cross her mind at least once or twice. But thinking negatively only brings out the negative, Satine told herself with a small nod of her head.

Smoothing down her black and white Lolita skirt, Satine found slight humor in fingering the soft lace ruffles that decorated her hand made skirt. Though the look of the Gothic Lolita wasn't very popular at her school, neither was she.
'But that’s nothing to get upset about, I mean...we all have opinions.' Satine told herself, as the bus ran over a rough stone that lay trapped in the dirt.
Forcing the bus to have a seizure of rough shakes and trembles.
"Ah..." she gasped lightly as she was lightly thrown into the front part of her dark brown seat. Knocking the small silk top hat that rested so gently on the left side of her head to slide off its pins; and roll under the seat in front of her.

Satine bit her bottom lip with angst and embarrassment, she could hear a couple of the other students giggling at the falling of her tiny hat.
She felt a light blush run across her face, 'I knew I shouldn't of worn that hat.' she scolded herself, 'It would just get in the way...or worse, taken.'

Satine tried to lean down and get it but it was just too close to the other student’s feet. Her stretching pale arms couldn't reach, 'Oh no!'
Looking quickly over to Haruka and back she felt like asking her for help, but imposing on her thoughts would be rude and she didn't like to bother her friend with silly requests. Like retrieving her hat.
Leaning over a little she tried to see if it was someone she knew, Satine hoped it wasn't one of her many bullies. Then she'd never see her little hat again. But a smile came to her face when she noticed that it was someone she had class with, the small flash of brilliant white teeth made her feel like blushing again.

'I really do know how to embarrass myself.' she thought, laughing it off.
The boy sitting in front of her was definitely a classmate of hers, Hasaki Ichijin. Satine reached her hand out to get his attention but recoiled her reach. He had recently had death come visit his home taking the life of at least two family members. Though she wasn't sure who and it really wasn't her business being that she didn't know him well enough to even say his whole name without an honorific on the end.

'Should I ask him for my hat? What if he says no? And he did just hit another guy in his face...should I?' Satine looked down at her hands, her long nails were painted black; a little smiling skull was airbrushed on her pinky fingers.
It was sad really that Haruka was the only one who she ever really felt comfortable talking too. Even looking at another person could make her get tongue tied, or become her usual silent, shy self.
Taking a deep breath she reached her hand out for the second time, watching it tremble as she very gently tapped Hasaki on his shoulder.

"Um excuse me...Ichijin-kun, c-can you hand me my hand, please?"

Satine hated being this way, really she did. She could remember the day she first came to class. She smiled and greeted everyone warmly being as polite as she could to all her new classmates.

Who is she trying to impress? One girl asked almost disgusted.

What the hell is she wearing? Lolita? Ha, don't make me laugh! Another jeered.

Look at her hair! Oh my god, look at that bad dye job. She must be an otaku!

Satine had attempted to let these words leave her mind but in truth it was more difficult that she would of ever guessed. They stung like flames spewing from the mouth of a dragon.
If it wasn't for Haruka then she would never talk. The only friend she had, she was also the only one who understood her.
She understood that she had been adopted and the white hair she had was very natural, just like her ice colored eyes. And that her favorite colors were black and white, that was one reason she was into the Gothic Lolita style.
Her entire life, her world was Haruka's friendship that was all she had. Her adoptive parents had a lot of money but they never really cared much for her when she got older. When she was a baby...then it was much different.

She was soon ripped apart from her memories and brought back to reality when the bus nearly slammed into a road sign. Satine collected herself quickly as she waited for the boy in front of her to respond either in kindness or hate.

[Andromeda]

The day was still early even though it had been a long road. The sun was still in the east horizon pulling up above the land. There were few clouds in the sky making the sun’s glare blinding at times. Then the windows seemed to magnify the heat making the seats unbearable. It did not help much that the entire bus was filled with bodies that did not want to stop moving around. Most of the windows were closed creating the greenhouse effect inside with surprising results.

Steph had kept his gaze at the window for most of the trip. It was easier that way than having to face the unrestrained words of his classmates. The teacher was largely unavailable making it difficult to prevent them from picking on him. Though it seemed to make them angrier at times that he just smiled or shrugged them off. There was little reason to be stressing over small things like this when he knew that he would not be staying with them for very long.

In the thirteen years that he had been alive, his parents had moved him at least fifteen times. A few times was actually within the states, but he was so young at the time that he did not remember them at all. He could not even remember the base that he was born on. There were pictures of course, but they were far more foreign to him than the countries that he visited. Though this time was definitely one of the longest lengths of time that he remained in one place.

It had been more than a year since he moved to Japan with his parents and he had actually been able to stay at a school for more than a term. Even though he had not started the previous year at the school it felt like he had actually completed a full year at the school. He was able to move on with people he recognized, rather than having to remember new faces and names. The hardest part was trying to learn the language; Japanese was unlike anything that he had to learn before. The closest he had to relate to was Korean, but he was only in Korea for three months. He never had the chance to learn more than a handful of words.

Though after a year he had been able to form simple sentences with confidence. He tried to expand his vocabulary and speech, but it usually came out broken. It provided a reason for the other students to laugh at him, but he understood what they were saying better than he could speak it. He kept that fact to himself most of the time, since they would try to talk behind his back in Japanese thinking he did not understand them. It was only difficult when they talked too fast or used slang words. Steph did not let it get to him though; while it was not always easy to remain smiling he had practice.

The route to their destination on Mt. Fuji was becoming rough as the bus jumped. He had been resting his chin on the narrow ledge of the window until it rammed his jaw. His teeth had nearly taken off the tip of his tongue leaving his teeth sore from impact. Steph pulled himself up from staring at the window to look forward. Due to his height he could not even see over the seat in front of him. So instead he turned to look across for a moment before returning to the window. He pushed back his hair from laying on his shoulders letting out a soft sigh.

He caught a part of the conversation of two students talking to each other across the aisle. Most of it translated to him eventually, as he had to think about a few of the words. It was about him as he quickly realized. Though it had thrown him off when they were speaking in terms of a girl. But after that realized the joke. They made a comment that he should be wearing a girl’s uniform rather than a boy’s. He did not pay it much mind and looked back at the window trying to not to become too warm.

The sun was becoming exhausting for him as the bus never seemed to leave its light for long enough. Steph was starting to sweat and his clothes became stifling for him to be in. He tried to loosen the collar around his neck a little while not unbuttoning it. After that he pulled out a hair band from his pocket and placed it between his teeth. Then he pulled his hair back picking it away from his neck. He carefully managed to tie his hair back away from his neck while the bus continued to bounce around. With his hair tied back now it was a little cooler for him.

Steph looked around again trying to see if he could look over the seat in front. He was hoping to see a part of the mountain that they were driving on. It was always in the distance from where they lived, though he had hoped to have the chance to visit it up close. Though they were a lot closer to it than he was expecting to get. Going on this trip made him feel more like a tourist than a part of the class. Some of them had being to Mt. Fuji before and seemed uninterested in the idea other than getting out of school for a day. His excitement to see something new and different before he was gone made him stand out from rest of the group. They seemed accustomed to seeing it all the time. It was something that he did not understand too well. He had never been around long enough to become used to seeing and expecting something to always be there. Each day he would find something new that he had not seen before.

He was hoping that the bus would come to a stop soon so that he could see the mountain up close and not through a window. However, the trip was already fairly long making him wonder how far up the mountain they were driving. He doubted that this was going very far up. While he knew that it was not possible for them reach the top of the mountain, his mind wondered if they were actually going to get that far considering the trip so far. All he could do was wait though; he knew little of the area. He did not even get a chance to look at any books about mountain to know what to look for or expect when they were outside.

Steph returned himself back to looking out the window and waiting. The other students were keeping themselves entertained in one way or another. He barely knew most of them since they were all older than he was. There were a few from his class nearby, but most of them were in the front. It left him with older students making him feel even smaller than he already was. He watched the scenery go past the window wondering when the end of the road would come for them.

[Mr. Sandman]

Reaching for the hat and handing it back to Satine, Hasaki put his head near a window to try and calm himself down. The fresh air soothed his face and hair as the air felt so light and heavenly. Still worried that the driver, even if lifeless may drive off the road. It was like he was being possessed, but by what? Trying to keep his mind off the more complicated things, Hasaki looked all around him.

He spot two students on the bus probably gossiping again, so he didn't want to pay much attention. All of a sudden, Hasaki found himself thinking on what his father was doing after the death of his daughter and wife. His father became very strict and less sociable even to his own family. It was like talking to a hollow rock. Not even responding to a simple "hello."

The bus again hit a rock causing Hasaki to forget about his father. Being so frightened, nervous, and at the same time angry... Hasaki thought it would be best just for him to take a nap. As he does, he can faintly hear the other students talking making it irritably hard for him to take a nap. Trying to relax, Hasaki thought about his sister and afterwards gently fell asleep.

[abarai renji]

Oto sat in his seat, reading a manga. He had already been to Mt. Fuji on many occasions, because his grandpa lived there. He didn’t know why he even came on the trip today. ‘I suppose I just wanted to get away from school for the day,’ he told himself. Other than that, there really was no point of him coming with the class.

Normally, Oto would be chatting with his friends, but something felt weird today, and he didn’t feel too social. Instead, he just hung his head and continued reading.

A few minutes later, he heard the kids talking about Satine. He just listened to a little of there conversation, but he heard them saying very unkind things about her. He saw them get up and start walking over to Satine.

The first one said, “Hey Satine, try keeping your hat on next time.” His friend started laughing. After getting no reply from her, he spoke even louder, “HEY! Goth chick!”

At this, Oto couldn’t stand them anymore. Oto might not’ve been on friendly terms with Satine, but he couldn’t stand their bullying. While still sitting down, Oto threw his book at the kid, hitting him right in the eye. The kid swore “What the hell? You little retard! I’ll kill you!” He grabbed Oto by his shirt, and raised his hand to punch him. He swung his arm down violently, but Oto dodged his hand, and the kid’s arm hit the wall. Swearing, the he prepared a second punch. Before it went, the teacher grabbed his hand, and flung him away, into the next seat.
“Yusuke, get back to your seat! I’ll be seeing you in detention the next week. You too, Oto.”

[Evangel]

Mugen had unknowingly fallen asleep with his head on the window. He got woken up when the bus hit yet another rock and made him knock his head into the window. He groaned and rubbed the pain away.

He also had a nausiating feeling, like the one earlier but worse. "Mmmm..." he says weakly. "I hate bus rides." At that moment he catches a glimpse of, but could be anything, a Hollow, like the one that took his family. He shrugged it off. " 'Coulda' been anything ". He wasn't sure of what it was and even if it was real.

Mugen moved over to the edge of the seat and put his legs in the isle, still rubbing head. "Oww, that really hurt." He looked up and found that chaos had broken out while he was asleep. "Hmph." Strangely, it all seemed to be centered around Satine. "Bunch'a jerks. Picking on a girl like that. Should be ashamed of yourselves." He said in a normal volume. Probably not loud enough for any to notice, but oh well. He thought.

[Fishie]

Hawokuishibaru kept to himself throughout the trip to Mt. Fuji. Thinking to himself and looking around the bus just glancing outside the window, made him think of his father. Just remembering about how much his father had beaten him the night before, made him shed a tear. Thinking to himself why his father puts him through so much pain and suffering, Hawokuishibaru wanted to really make his dad proud reguardless. A moment later, he started having a flashback of his dad calling him worthless and a useless kid, Hawokuishibaru just got more upset. Saddened and depressed, Hawokuishibaru took a deep breath and just sat back and started to close his eyes. As he was falling asleep, he heard students gossiping in front of him.

He heard Satine's name being mentioned by these group of kids on the bus and soon he saw Oto get out of his seat angrily, threw down his book he was reading, ran across the bus, and punched Yusuke in the face. Yusuke fought back, but it seemed Oto had gotten the best of him. Both of them started fighting and soon the teacher started scolding them and gave them detention.

After the fight, Hawokushibaru looked across as Oto went across the bus to go to his seat, Hawo wondered what was wrong with him. He didn't seem himself that day and the look on his face somewhat gave it away. Hawokushibaru went across the seat and went to talk to him and see if he was okay.

[Lady Rika]

Satine shuddered in angst at all that had happened behind her own back. Why did that boy defend me? She asked herself, what have I ever done for him...to make him act kind towards me?
As she placed the hat back on her head, tightening it rather forcefully she noticed the book lying near her. Looking back and forth, she found no harm in giving the book back to the boy who defended her.
'I don't know him very well?' she thought reaching over for the book, 'But im pretty sure his names Otonashi, I mean I’ve heard him be called Oto before.'

Her slender fingers trembled as they reached farther than she could stretch, being she was a little embarrassed to get up after the little 'incident' she figured she'd get it on pure healthy stretching.
As the bus jolted up, Satine found it hard to keep her balance well considering the position she was in. Gritting her teeth she finally felt her nails dig into the pine of the book and with that minimal grip she was able to pull it closer to her.

"Yes...got it!" she said to herself, a smile spreading across her face. Now came the real challenging part. Giving it back to him; she had got him detention, a hated thing for many teenagers. Though she had never been she had heard from others that it was awful. Nothing torturous but so deadly dull that you would fancy stabbing yourself with a ballpoint pen than lingering in they’re any more than you had too.
'And to think...I caused that to be put on him!' she bit her bottom lip in angst. This was a habit of hers, biting her soft lip to keep from saying, thinking, or even doing the wrong thing. A little reminder for her to be on her best behavior around people who seemed to not be on the best terms with her.

Sitting her small hand purse next to Haruka she readied herself to journey a seat or so back to Otonashi's seat. Smoothing her skirt, then fixing her stockings came next, she wasn't trying to impress him or anything. But she was never one to look like a slob, and being the bus was rather cramped and things could get out of place, especially when you had an insane bus driver who tended to hit every rock in the road.
Moving a silver bang from her view, Satine clutched the book to her breast and got up. Wandering eyes looked her up and down, from the bottom of her gothic heels to the tip of her silken miniature top hat.

"Um...hello Otonashi-sama..." she began, staring into his deep blue eyes. Satine tried not to pay attention to those around her but found it rather hard, especially keeping her balance with the moving bus. Then there was the trouble she could get into by standing, a teacher could get angered by this. Not to mention Otonashi, who might be mad he got detention on her part.
"I-Im sorry you got detention, my sincerest apologies...um...I brought your book back to you." she handed it out to him slowly; Satine felt a blush trying to force itself onto her pale face. 'Oh no...gotta keep myself from blushing!' She opened her mouth slowly biting down on her bottom lip once more, trying to keep it away.