Greetings: Hello and welcome to my first posted story on this lovely site! Now, I realize that this is an AU story (that will also contain OCs), but I am asking you to at least give it a try. This is what I like to call a background chapter, to explain everything that’s going on. I love dialogue, I love descriptions, and I love taking the time to fully develop my OCs. I’m not going to thrust some unknown character into a wacky storyline and tell you to just make sense of it all. That ain’t my style. I am going to do my hardest to keep the canon characters in character, to a certain degree. It is an AU story, after all. Look, it came to me in a dream and I woke up with stars in my eyes. My fingers say that I must write, so I write! I want to say, in advance, thank you to anyone willing to give this a try. It warms my little cold heart. If anyone has a question about anything, please feel free to ask. I love running my mouth, as you can probably tell by now. So, with that being said, here’s the story!
Warnings: For this chapter...NONE!
01: Let’s Run Away To Gangsta Town!
Once upon a time, everyone was ruled by idiots. It’s a fact that most people don’t like owning up to, but it doesn’t stop it from being true. Not too long after the start of the twenty-first century, war ravaged the land. Nations began attacking their allies as those at the time raced to prove who he was more powerful, and everyone suffered for their greed. The land was destroyed under missiles and bombs, and so many innocent lives were lost that a proper burial was no longer an option. All of the dead were burned, to try and stop the build-up. Eventually, there was nearly nothing left. The majority of the landmasses were torn apart under the worldwide war, and a tyrannical ruler rose to the top.
Had the tyrannical ruler paid attention in history class, he wouldn’t have been surprised at the rebellion. Those that remained after The Great War were only the ragged remains of the people who had once walked the world. The War had destroyed all of the cities and flattened the land, and the people were not allowed to erect any kind of facilities. There were no hospitals, no schools…nothing. Homes were allowed, but that was all. Violence coated the air like a thick smog, prostitution was a promising career, and drugs were used to escape the fucked up world that was left standing. It wasn’t uncommon to get shot just for the shoes on your feet, and there was no such thing as law enforcement. The last bit of civilization was ruled by the laws of the jungle; only the strong survived. Sadly, not even the children were spared.
Forces gathered against the darkness, and a new gang was quickly assembled. At the head of this new gang was Genreyusi Yamamoto, with his longtime friend Chojiro Sasakibe at his side. The new gang made a name for themselves, and whispers of the Shinigami reached even the rulers’s ears. Every force that was sent to destroy them find themselves destroyed instead. They were simply too strong, and too smart. In the year 2276, the ruler was finally disposed of. Genreyusi stepped in to take his place, but it quickly became obvious that he didn’t plan on being a singular leader like his predecessor. Genreyusi chose his strongest fighters, despite their ages, and assigned them territories. The newly dubbed “captains” took their jobs seriously, and a new world was slowly put together.
All of the horrible things that had once haunted the world were greatly diminished, although everyone knew that it would never be eradicated completely. Violence will always exist, prostitution will continue to exist in its many forms, and drugs will be used by those that believe they need them. The more violent gangs that existed under the old ruler’s reign were forced to split into several, smaller gangs and were thus less of a threat. Where only small homes had existed before, now towns and even cities began to spring up. Hospitals and schools were built, and modernization was once against established. It took time and effort, but it was done. While Yamamoto did get the final say in all decisions, he always listened to his captains before reaching a decision. The years passed by, and the times changed…
“Now is not the time for your jokes, Shunsui.” Yamamoto looked down at the man currently sitting on his couch and playing with his youngest granddaughter. Yamamoto lost his Fiona several years ago, but his oldest son now had a family of his own. Little Kimmy was his second granddaughter, and she was just now learning to walk.
“Do you really think I would joke about something like this?” Warm gray eyes lifted to meet Yamamoto’s own, and the older man noticed the lack of usual mischievousness.
“The woman, she has agreed to marry you?”
“Nope. Turned me down right off the bat. She did say she’d live with me though, so I can take care of her and the little one.” Shunsui smiled as the small child curled up in his lap, and he ran his fingers through her dark brown hair. His mind turned to his own child’s hair…Would it wavy and a deep brown, like his own? Or would it be straight and blonde, like Mari’s?
“The child, will you bring her to visit?”
“You kiddin’? Jushiro and Retsu would have my head if I didn’t bring her for a look-see,” Shunsui said with a deep laugh. Jushiro and Retsu were Shunsui’s oldest friends, and Yamamoto sometimes blamed himself for making the three youths grow up so fast. The three of them had only been twelve years old when they joined the Shinigami and helped him fix what was left of their world, but they were all extraordinary in their own ways. Sixteen years had passed since then though, and Shunsui was now twenty-eight and expecting his first child.
“Take care of yourself, Shunsui,” Yamamoto said as he the younger man slowly got to his feet. Shunsui’s territory was on the West Coast, whereas Yamamoto remained on the East Coast. It was also, on the West Coast, where he would remain for his retirement.
“You too,” Shunsui said with a dip of his large straw hat. He was gone moments later, and Yamamoto was left with his thoughts.
As the years went by, and more of his first captains retired for more peaceful lives, Yamamoto realized that a time would come when he would need to retire. He also realized that with cities and more productive lives, it was harder to keep track of everything going on with just one ruling gang. He knew that a truly peaceful life would never exist, but he would strive to keep the balance. Something needed to be done, and quickly. With the aid of his most trusted advisors, those that had helped him during the rebellion, a solution was determined. Three more gangs would be created to rule alongside the Shinigami, and together they would do what they could to maintain order and peace. The only hard part was deciding who should run these gangs, and who should take over the Shinigami when Yamamoto decided to step down. Finally, a decision was reached.
The East Coast would become the main Shinigami Territory, because Yamamoto did not want to leave his home just so another gang could take it over. Not even if the gang was one of his own choosing. At one time, Yamamoto had thought that maybe Shunsui or Jushiro would take over in his stead since Retsu had made it clear that she did not want to lead a gang. Shunsui and Jushiro had both retired though, so Yamamoto set his sights on someone of a younger generation. He needed someone that he could teach and who would actually listen, and it was preferable if the person chosen already had a name for himself and was well-respected. The man he chose was perfect for the job, even if he seemed a little young at age twenty. He had been brash as a younger male, but his rebellious ways calmed after the deaths of his parents. His father owned a small chain of hotels, and the two were killed for the change in their pockets. Their son was forever changed, but he did get revenge for what happened. The boy changed into a man overnight. He took on the responsibilities of a business, was in the process of expanding it, and had started raising his sister when she was nine. Yes, Byakuya Kuchiki was more than perfect for the job. When it was announced that he was being groomed to take over the Shinigami, no one objected.
The West Coast was given to Kisuke Urahara, even though he was only sixteen at the time. Despite his young age, the boy was a genius. Yamamoto knew that there might be some that would consider his appointment of a teenager to an entire section of land a little reckless, but Yamamoto had faith in Kisuke’s vast intellect. Also, Shunsui and Jushiro were both on the West Coast if the young Kisuke had any problems. He was allowed to take whoever he wanted with him, and it wasn’t long before he set out. The current captains retreated from the area to make room for the new gang, and the Visoreds were born. The smaller gangs tried to challenge them at first, but they were quickly put down. The Visoreds took to wearing masks when they patrolled or fought, to better protect their identities. Before long, violence in the area went down. Yes, captains had been stationed in the area, but captains were stretched thin and there was only so much ground they could cover. Kisuke set up a system so that all of his strongest, and smartest, fighters were given territories to protect and report on. With less ground to cover, the system worked beautifully.
The North was given to Sosuke Aizen, a brilliant man the same age as Byakuya. He was smart and strong, but that wasn’t why Yamamoto chose him. Aizen was chosen because he was quietly strict and had a knack for putting others at ease. Of all the territories, the North was the calmest. They had their problems like everyone else, but they were mostly well-tamed. Aizen took very few people with him from the Shinigami and opted instead to try something different. He established his place in the North and then sent out requests to the smaller gangs. He personally visited all of the smaller gangs and invited their strongest members to join his ranks, to help him keep the peace. Those that he chose already had a well-known reputation, and he chose the ten most capable fighters to stand at his side. So, the Espada were formed.
After much deliberation, Yamamoto sent Gin Ichimaru to the South. The South had been a constant problem area and was always ravaged by smaller gangs. Gin was the same age as Byakuya and Aizen, but he had Kisuke’s genius. Whereas Kisuke’s intellect favored the scientific side of things, Gin’s was more tactical. And sneaky. Gin was as sly as a fox, but Yamamoto knew he was the best man for the job. He would be able to reign in the kind of violence needed to put an end to the viciousness of the smaller gang, and Yamamoto felt that he would be able to rule them all fairly. The smaller gangs learned in no time at all to fear the Hollows as Gin’s gang rushed to put an end to their ways. After some time, the violence in the South died down. It didn’t disappear, not by a long shot, but people could leave their homes without fear. There were those that tried to stir up chaos during the times of peace, but rebellions were quickly squashed. Nothing could slip past Gin.
As it is wont to do, time continued to pass…The Shinigami continued to guard the East, the Visoreds protected the West, the Espada controlled the North, and the Hollows kept the South in check. Time passed, and lives moved on…
Farewell: A little boring, I’ll admit. My, my…I haven’t even introduced the main characters yet! Like I said in the greetings section, this is mostly just a background chapter. Boring yet necessary. Oh well…
In The Next Chapter: The two main characters are introduced and some familiar faces are spotted. Also, the question of life is pondered…kind of.
