Title: Once Human

Part: 1 of 2

Pairing: GrimmRuki

Rating: T (to be safe)

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach! All hail Kubo-sensei!

Summary: It didn't matter that she was a Shinigami or that he was an Arrancar. For a very long, long time ago, they were both very much human.

It was in the mid-1800s, a time when Japan was not the technological powerhouse it is known today. Back then, modernization had just reached its shores as it opened itself to the world around it like a fledgeling peeking out of its shell cautiously.

On this particular day, the afternoon sun was slowly withering away, its hot rays turning cool as the day gradually surrendered control of the clear sky to the night. One by one, streetlamps stirred to life in this quiet neighborhood at the easternmost part of Yoshida, a coastal town in the Shizuoka prefecture. The streets were filled with students on their way home from school, unmindful of the looming political and economic crisis that was about to befall the nation because of the west's intrusion.

The pleasant buzzing of bicycle chains in motion drifted through the air as young lads in bicycles carried their goods to the night market near the shore. Families greeted each other on the streets and stopped to talk about the weather, the town's welfare and how their children were all growing up too fast. Everybody knew everyone else in this small town and neighbors were considered "family".

The neighborhood was the epitome of traditional Japanese culture. Most of the houses were still built from wood, with cypress bark roofing. They had yet to trade in sliding doors, wooden floored passages and fusuma walls for concrete, steel and porcelain. However, one house stood out from the rest, not only because it was located at the end of the residential block and was two stories tall – it also proudly showed-off its clearly European roots, from its Gothic arches to its stucco walls.

The house belonged to the Norwegian ambassador, and though nobody had actually met the ambassador himself, they were all familiar with his 5-year old son. The little runt was a troublemaker in these parts; stealing fish, vandalizing the houses and once even set fire to a small, wooden doghouse. He was always smug about his mischief, knowing fully well he'd never get punished due to his father's position.

The same boy was now hidden away at the back gardens of the dark, gloomy house. A lone lantern illuminated his youthful, yet glum face as he knelt down on the grass, and with a trowel, started digging a small hole in front of him. Beside him was a large shoebox that was sealed firmly with duct tape. After 5 minutes of digging, tears started to well up in his eyes. Growling in frustration, he wiped the tears away with his soiled hands, his face getting grimy in the process. He didn't seem to mind as he started digging again, carefully avoiding eye contact with the box next to him.

Inside the box was his best friend in the whole wide world. The only one who had truly loved him. The only one who was there for him. Maybe his father was right; he was useless and utterly evil. After all, how could he kill the only things that's ever showed him compassion?

Pantera had been a very loving cat. It shared his passion for adventure, and was wise enough to sense when the boy was feeling down. Every time he got into trouble, the cat would always be there, giving him a look that told him at least someone was still on his side.

And how did he repay Pantera's kindness and loyalty? By wringing its neck and squeezing its chest until it had stopped clawing at him desperately, falling limp in his hands. It had been an accident, he kept telling himself. All he could remember was that he was trying to dye his and Pantera's hair blue using bubblegum-flavored Kool-Aid that his father got from the visiting US navy forces. He had been satisfied with his handiwork when he looked at the mirror and saw his usual light blonde hair stained with blue. He wanted to try it on Pantera, but the white feline was extremely against it. What started as simple child's play turned into something more violent as he gripped Pantera's neck in one hand, with his other hand gripping the cat's chest. He dunked the cat into the Kool-aid filled bucket, which drove the cat into a frenzy for his life. He had struggled to keep the cat from getting away, not knowing that he had put too much force until he looked at his cat, limp and lifeless, dripping in blue liquid.

When he decided that the hole was deep enough, he took the box in his hands and placed it into the crude grave he had dug. He stood up and, using his sneakered foot, shoved dirt over the box. He watched as the box slowly disappeared from view as the dirt covered it entirely. He then stepped on the dirt lightly to even it out, though the patch of brown soil still stood out amidst the green grass.

He knew he was going to get in trouble for the hair later on. His father might slap him around for a bit, but right now he found himself almost welcoming it. The sharp pain that would spread over his cheek is better than the dull pain throbbing in his chest right now. He bit his lip, trying to quell the tears that were threatening to fall.

The comfort brought by the semi-darkness around him was shattered, when suddenly their next door neighbors turned on their lights, bathing the back gardens with bright, yellow light.

"Huh," he huffed, staring at the sliding window made of paper that belonged to his neighbor. "They must be home now," he murmured under his breath.

He had woken up yesterday to the sounds of yelling and frantic voices coming from the neighbor's house. After a few minutes of that dreadful racket, the house fell silent. He briefly wondered if a burglar had found his way in and killed the entire family. It shocked him that such a thought actually amused him. Yesterday and today, there was no movement from the house, as if nobody was home. This was highly unusual, and he found himself uncharacteristically curious about his neighbor's whereabouts. Then, he had heard the maids talking during lunch today and it seemed that Mrs. Ikizawa had been taken to the hospital and had given birth.

He heard laughter emanating from the house next door and for a brief moment, he felt another pang of sadness nip at his chest. Here he was, lonely and dejected after losing the only friend he had, and they were happy celebrating the coming of a new life. Fate was really ironic, it seemed.

He turned his attention back to the grave he had just made for his cat. "I guess I can just find another cat," he mused, although the idea did not please him at all.

"Grimmjow?"

He heard his name being called by a soft and gentle voice. He turned towards the fence that separated his house from his neighbor's house. A girl's head was peeking out from the top of the fence and was waving at him enthusiastically.

"Ahhh," Grimmjow started awkwardly. Although they were neighbors, they didn't really talk and hang out much. He was too busy being mischievous, and she was very sickly and didn't go out of the house very often. At seven years old, she was two years older than him, but her delicate frame and her equally delicate constitution made her look smaller in comparison to him. But here she was talking to him, waving for him to come closer. Grimmjow took two steps in her direction. "What's up Hisana?"

Hisana smiled at him, her indigo eyes twinkling. "Is your dad home?"

Grimmjow shook his head. She didn't even have to ask; he was barely home anyways. The only times he was home, he was either screaming at Grimmjow or slapping him around for some small transgression.

"Well then, come over to our house. We're celebrating. I have a little sister now!" she announced enthusiastically. Grimmjow felt a bit guilty that he couldn't share her enthusiasm, but decided that he had nothing better to do.

"Sure, why not?"

"She doesn't have any eyes!"

Grimmjow's remark elicited chuckles from the Ikizawa family. This made him feel a bit embarrassed and annoyed. Well, it was true, the little thing was making a fuss in her mother's arms, but she didn't even open her eyes – if she had any under those delicate lids.

"Well Grimmjow," Mrs. Ikizawa explained, "She's just a day old so it's natural that she hasn't opened her eyes yet."

"Really? That's... boring," Grimmjow said, sticking a finger into his ear. He had thought that looking at a newborn baby would be fascinating, but all the little runt did was stretch, cry out in that small voice and move about in her mother's embrace. Pantera was way more interesting than this. He sat beside the low table and helped himself to some food.

Oh well, at least there was food, and for some reason Grimmjow found that the food here tasted better, even if the chefs at his house were more professional and used the best ingredients. He couldn't put his finger on it, but each bite made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, as if the person who made these wanted the person eating it to be happy, instead of just full.

He caught Hisana smiling at him and he smiled back tentatively. He had to admit, he was jealous of his neighbors because they were always laughing and always hugging each other. Even if he didn't have anything else to do, he found himself wanting to stay. The dark, gloomy house now seemed deplorable to him, as if it was some stranger's house, and not his home.

His thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Ikizawa's voice. "Grimmjow come quick!" she said excitedly. "Little Rukia is opening her eyes!" He stood up and quickly approached her, finding himself getting a bit excited without realizing it.

He peered at the tiny thing bundled in a soft pink blanket. The baby did open her eyes slightly, but her lids were filled with eye gunk, and instead of being fascinated, it made Grimmjow go "eeew."

He heard Hisana giggle behind him as Mrs. Ikizawa took a small piece of cloth that was resting on her shoulder. "Ooops, here let me fix that." She gently wiped the gunk from the baby's eyes so that the next time Grimmjow stepped closer, he could now clearly see her deep purple orbs. The baby's eyes widened when she saw him and her eyes seemed to dance at the sight of him. It made the purple in her eyes stand out more and Grimmjow couldn't help but be transfixed by it.

"Heya squirt!" Grimmjow greeted, when she finally blinked. "Nice to see you decided to do something that's not so boring this time." He grinned at the baby, hoping it would make her smile as well.

The baby blinked twice, as if assessing what he just said, then seemed to narrow her eyes at him. 'Do babies glare?' Grimmjow wondered. He didn't think so, but he could swear that's what the baby was doing right now. He held out his finger and tapped the baby's hand with it. She immediately grasped his finger in her tiny hand and it seemed like she had no intention of letting it go. Grimmjow felt warmth spreading through his chest, acting like a salve to the deep hurt he had been feeling mere moments ago.

"The baby's name is Rukia, right?" he said, bobbing his finger up and down lightly, seeing if she would let go. She doesn't release his finger and stares at him unblinking. Seeing Mrs. Ikizawa nod, he continued, "She looks just like you."

It was true, in fact both girls took after their mother. All three women had black hair and extremely expressive eyes. Grimmjow snickered at the tufts of black hair that protruded from the baby's head. "It's decided then!" he announced cheerfully.

"What's decided, Grimmjow?" Hisana asked, thankful that the young boy had lighten up. When she'd found him standing alone in the back gardens of their house, he looked really lonely.

"Oi Rukia," Grimmjow said as he peered at the tiny baby closely. "When we grow up I'm going to marry you."

Both Mrs. Ikizawa and Hisana giggled at his proclamation. Rukia on the other hand, simply shook his finger slightly as if giving her consent.

From that day forth, Grimmjow became a frequent visitor at the Ikizawa household. The house staff didn't seem to mind that on most days, he would run off to the neighbor's house immediately after breakfast, still chewing on his toast, and only return shortly before bedtime. It seemed to keep him out of mischief, as they now received no complaints from the neighbors regarding Grimmjow's antics. The staff welcomed the peace and quiet and they were happy to note that their young master now had a genuine smile on his face.

"She still ain't walkin'," Grimmjow complained as he watched Rukia sleeping on a makeshift crib. The oval basket had two ropes at each end, with each rope tied to a wooden post. The young boy was rocking the basket to and fro gently. "When will she walk?"

Mrs. Ikizawa was trying to sift through some rice, making sure it was free from small bits of rock and dirt. "Well Grimmjow, she's only a few days old. She won't be walking today."

"Tomorrow then?" His blue eyes were hopeful.

Mrs. Ikizawa laughed. "Hmm...not tomorrow either."

Grimmjow frowned. "She does nothing but poop, sleep, pee and drink milk all day. How boring." He crossed his arms over his chest, as if moping about it was going to convince Rukia to do something new.

"But still, Grimmjow comes every single day to see Rukia, ne?"

"W-well, I..." Grimmjow broke off, his cheeks turning red. "I have nothing better to do anyways. Rukia should appreciate that I'm spending time with her. I'm an important person, you know."

Mrs. Ikizawa giggled at this. "Yes, When she's all grown up, I'm sure she'll treasure all the time you two spend together."

"She won't even remember this, I bet. Babies are dumb and can't remember anything."

"That's not true Grimmjow," Mrs. Ikizawa explained. "Even if she may have no memories of it, there are other ways of remembering."

This earned Grimmjow's curiosity. "Other ways?"

"Yes," Mrs. Ikizawa nodded. "Let's say you two get separated and live different lives after this. When you two grow up, if you see each other, you may not remember the other person, but you'll always have this feeling that you met before."

"You're joking ne, Obaa-san?"

"No, it's true!" Mrs. Ikizawa waved a finger at him. "There are memories that we keep in our minds, but there are also memories we keep in our hearts. And those that we keep in our hearts are stronger."

"Oka-san, you're too melodramatic."

The two turned their attention towards Hisana, who had just arrived from school. She kissed her mom on the cheek and went to check on her baby sister. "Grimmjow's a great babysitter ne, oka-san?"

"That he is," Mrs. Ikizawa agreed wholeheartedly, making Grimmjow feel embarrassed. "How was school, Hisana?"

"Good," Hisana looked at Grimmjow. "Don't you have school?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "My dad hired a tutor. He's coming over tomorrow. Dad says I'll just cause too much trouble if I go with kids my age."

"That's true," Hisana said, giggling. Mrs. Ikizawa smiled and tried to keep herself from joining in by concentrating on her task. Grimmjow frowned and turned his attention away from them, choosing instead to look at Rukia. She was awake now and seemed to like listening intently to people's conversations.

"Oi, Rukia, I'm not a troublemaker, right?" Grimmjow asked, gently tapping her fist with his finger. She immediately grabbed his finger and started at him.

"Seems like she's taken a liking to you," Hisana observed.

"Of course!" Grimmjow said proudly, puffing out his chest. "What's not to like about me?"

This elicited another round of giggling from the Ikizawa women, and for a moment Grimmjow thought he saw Rukia smile.

It was around noon when the rumbling started. It began as a faint tremor, which gradually increased in intensity. Grimmjow had been in the study with his tutor when suddenly the earth beneath him started to move.

"Under the table Young Master, now!" his tutor commanded and Grimmjow crawled under the table, his heart beating rapidly in fear. The books on the shelves tumbled down before the shelves themselves came crashing down seconds later, creating a cloud of dust that made Grimmjow cough several times. The dirt stung at his eyes and he rubbed at them desperately. At first he thought his tutor was in trouble, but when he opened his eyes again he saw that the shelves had formed a tent above them, and his tutor was safe and sound, though slightly dazed. He could hear shouting all over the house, plus a couple of screams from the maids. Was someone hurt? Because if they were -

"Rukia!" Grimmjow's eyes widened as he thought about her fragile and tiny body. Was she okay? She was so small, what if something fell on her-

Slowly he peeked out from under the table and after deciding that it was relatively safe to come out, he slowly crawled out from underneath the now dusty table and started navigating through the fallen shelves, books and broken vases towards the door. He was nearly there when suddenly his tutor grabbed the back of his collar, reeling him back into the room.

"Young master it's dangerous to go out there!" his tutor cried out. Grimmjow kept struggling against his bewildered mentor until some of the household help arrived and he realized he was outnumbered. They were coaxing him to calm down and against his will, he stopped trying to squirm out of his mentor's grasp.

"Are you hurt young master?" asked Kaoru, his personal maid, as she shoved her way through the crowd that had gathered to get to him. She looked at him and examined his arms and legs for any bruises. Behind her, his father's messenger boy appeared, all dusty and sweaty from running.

"S-sir Jaegerjaquez is helping p-people evacuate towards the shrine. They...they said the earthquake was r-really strong and might cause a Tsu-tsunami so everybody's going to higher g-ground." the messenger boy said between gasps for air.

There was silence in the room and Grimmjow felt himself getting angry. His father was out there playing hero, but he didn't care what happened to his help and his son? His fists were closed so tightly that he could feel his nails digging into his palms. He gritted his teeth and felt abandoned by his father for what seemed like the nth time during his short lifetime.

Kaoru saw this and hugged him. "Young master it's okay. The house has three floors and an attic above the third floor. This is a very sturdy house, we'll be safe here. And I'm sure everyone's been evacuated, including the Ikizawas next door." She knew how close Grimmjow had gotten to the family and wanted to ease his worries. She stood up and held her hand out to him. "Let's go up then okay? We'll build a fort up in the attic. It will be fun, I promise."

Grimmjow stayed silent for a while before taking the hand Kaoru was holding out for him. He didn't really know what was happening, but Kaoru was someone he trusted dearly. And if she said the Ikizawa's will be okay, he's sure they will be.

"Hisana, stay close to me," Mrs. Ikizawa called out, trying to hold on to her eldest daughter with one hand while the other clasped Rukia against her chest.

"Here," Mr. Ikizawa took Hisana's hand and hoisted her up, giving her a piggyback ride. From her new vantage point, Hisana now had a better view of what was happening. People, in a panic for their lives, started running up the mountain road towards the Shinto shrine on top. They said there was going to be a huge tidal wave that would swallow the whole town and they had to go up higher in order to avoid it. The road was filled with people pushing against each other, trying to get to the top first. Hisana, with her weak constitution, had felt ill when they passed by people who were wounded or had fainted because of the restless crowd.

Thankfully, Rukia was blissfully unaware of the commotion, and as long as she was nestled against her mother's heartbeat, everything was okay in the world.

Suddenly, she felt her father's step falter and he swayed slightly as he tried to regain his balance. Hisana thought at first that her father was growing tired, but then she saw mostly everyone had trouble keeping their balance. The ground was shaking again.

"An aftershock!" someone screamed up ahead.

"It's too strong!" another person cried out.

"Run for your lives!"

Mrs. Ikizawa cried out as people started pushing and shoving around them. Mr. Ikizawa told Hisana to hold on tightly as he put one arm around his wife and youngest daughter, to protect them from the stampede. Suddenly, someone knocked into them, and Hisana felt herself falling to the ground. She fell on top of somebody and she cried out as she felt someone stepping on her back. She coughed violently and tried to breathe, even as she felt herself suffocating. Then suddenly, the pressure was gone. It seemed that suddenly, everyone stopped moving.

Then the screams came.

Hisana looked up and gasped in horror as she saw a huge part of the mountainside crumbling and was now falling towards them.

"Landslide!" she heard someone shriek.

She could vaguely hear her parents crying out for her when the pressure on her chest returned and the surroundings faded into a hazy blur.

Hisana was walking along the muddied road, barefoot, carrying her younger sister Rukia, who was bundled in a dirty blanket. She couldn't remember how she found Rukia, or where her parents were, but her mind was still in a daze. She knew she was bleeding profusely; something was lodged against her side, something sharp that was causing pain with every step she took. She didn't want to look at it and she knew she didn't have to. She could feel the blood dripping down her leg.

The road before her moved in and out of focus. She felt like she was growing weaker by the second. "H-help," she croaked in a hoarse voice. She needed to find someone to help her little sister. It didn't matter what happened to her, just as long as Rukia was safe.

"Ah!" she cried out as her foot slid against a rock jutting out from the mud. She fell sideways and she screamed as the pain on her side intensified when she hit the ground. She could feel something metallic and coppery rising at the back of her throat and she tried to hold back tears as fear started to overwhelm her. She needed to be strong. Her parents were nowhere in sight so she had to be strong for Rukia.

Rukia. Hisana looked down at the baby she carried in her arms. She didn't wake or cry out during the fall. The fear in Hisana's heart increased tenfold. "Rukia?" she tentatively shook the baby. Nothing.

"N-no!" Hisana wailed as she shook her younger sister harder. She pressed her hand against Rukia's tiny chest. Nothing. She placed a finger underneath the baby's nose. She wasn't breathing. She held her sister close to her face. Rukia's lips were pale and had a mild bluish tint to them.

Hisana choked back a sob. "S-somebody! H-help!" she managed to cry out, even as it became harder and harder for her to breathe. She coughed and the metallic taste seemed to spread over her entire mouth. "H—help!" she continued crying out, "My baby sister! She needs a d-doctor!"

Only silence and the sound of her labored breathing answered her cries for help.

"Hrm..." Hisana groaned as she opened her eyes slowly. The mountainside road swam into view as she blinked several times, until she could see everything around them. For a second or two, she forgot where she was and what happened, but the scene in front of her quickly jolted her back to reality.

She could see an arm jutting out limply from the thick layers of mud on the road. The smell of death mixed with blood and dirt was too strong and it made Hisana reel back in disgust. She wanted to vomit so badly.

Then it suddenly dawned to her. If the smell was too strong, it meant she was breathing properly. Curiously, she placed a hand against her chest to see if it rose and fell normally. To her surprise, she felt something metallic against her chest. At first she thought it was the thing that pierced through her before, but then she remembered the wound was at her left side.

Looking down, she was shocked to see a chain protruding from the middle of her chest. Even more strange was the fact that her clothes were clean and she wasn't bleeding.

The sound of crying alerted her to the bundle she carried in her arms. Rukia had woken up and was now making quite a fuss. "Rukia-chan!" Hisana gasped. "You're okay!"

Rukia looked more than okay; it seemed as if she had not just undergone a tragedy and was just out for a leisurely walk with her older sister. Rukia's cheeks were pink, and so was her lips. Her eyes were wide enough that Hisana could see the purple in her irises.

Although she was glad Rukia was okay, it puzzled Hisana immensely. She could still remember shaking Rukia, trying to rouse her. She could still recall her heart breaking as she realized her younger sister was dead. She knew she had called for help and didn't stop shouting until her last breath left her.

Was it all just a dream?

Suddenly, a man appeared before them. Hisana looked at him intently – he had messy brown hair, a beard and was a little on the heavy side. At first she thought maybe he was one of the shrine guards because he was wearing a black kimono. She was about to beg him to help her and Rukia when she noticed he was carrying a sword.

When the man unsheathed the sword that was tied to his obi sash, fear gripped Hisana and she instinctively held Rukia closer. What was going on?

The man took no notice of this and instead surveyed the surrounding area. He frowned. "Maa, this is going to take some time to clean up." He looked back at Hisana and he tried his best to give her a friendly smile. "Hey there kid, don't be afraid, I'm a Shinigami."

Shinigami. Death God. Hisana's eyes widened and she wished this was just another dream she would wake up from. She knew what a Shinigami was, but they were just characters in stories and legends. "Please, we don't have any money," Hisana begged. "But please help me and my sister. Please take us to a doctor."

The man looked at them, a tinge of pity passing through his carefree features. "I'm afraid I can't do that kid. You're already dead."

Hisana didn't have time to process the gravity of his words because at the next moment he knelt down next to her. "Listen, I'm going to perform Konso on you and your sister. A lot of people died, and I'm sure not all of them are going to be pure souls. Some of them may turn into hollows and attack you so I need to send you to Soul Society now."

"W—what?" Hisana didn't know what was happening. She had stopped trying to understand him when he said Konso and simply comforted herself in the thought that this was too surreal and was probably just a dream.

"It's okay, it won't hurt and Soul Society is a nice place. I'm going to send you and your sister together so you don't get separated okay? You'll be safe there."

Hisana brightened at the word 'safe'. Anywhere but here was good enough for her. She looked at her baby sister, who was sucking her thumb contentedly, and nodded at the Shinigami.

"Okay," he took his sword and held it with the blade facing away from Hisana. She looked at the base of the hilt, which started to glow. A character started to materialize on the base, but before Hisana could make out what it was, the man tapped the base against her forehead.

Suddenly, she was blinded by a bright light. At first Hisana felt afraid, but then she could feel herself slowly relaxing against the feeling of warmth that came rushing in from all directions. She could no longer smell death, and it felt like a huge weight on her shoulders was suddenly lifted.

She never felt this free her entire life.

She felt as if she had finally come home at last.

Author's Notes: Re-edited the fic and the pacing of the chapters. So now it's back to a 2-shot. I really should stop estimating how long my fics are going to be because they all fail. LOL. I was typing out the third and last chapter when I realized that the third chapter was as long as chapters 1 and 2 combined so... yeah .