Gifts and Curses

Summary: She is either gifted or cursed. He was doomed by fate until he met her and changed his destiny forever. Rukia as a mermaid and Ichigo as -. What were they before Bleach? IchiRuki. AU.

A/N: This was actually a story I thought of long long time ago for Flame of Recca with TokiFuuRai love triangle. But since I lost the spark in them, and am currently obsessed with IchiRuki, I'm writing this down for them. :D

This part can be skipped. I guess. XD

Prologue

A few milleniums before, the Earth was the most beautiful, colorful and mystical planet of all. There existed other worlds that burned hot in flames or just worlds consumed by darkness but it was Earth that was favored by the Gods, given abundance and blessings to the lands and its bodies of water. Earth was a world enveloped with mystery and magic and the Gods loved to watch over their people make a living.

There was a rumor at the middle age that Gods protected them. People started to gain knowledge of creating tools out of clays and stones. Soon, they started to make tools that would please their Gods. The Gods descended and blessed the people in the East. The West's jealousy made them wage war. Upon seeing this event, the God of Peace decided to descend.

"Let those who want peace, live in peace!"

The God of Thunder descended with its flay and terrifying power and said, "Let those who want bloodshed, shed their own blood."

And then the God of Darkness arrived. "Let the darkness consume the hearts of these evil men!"

And so, men became more evil, aggressive and hungry for strength and power. Those who fought, lost their lives. Those who stayed, lived in peace. But for those that had survived fighting, their souls were consumed. They were cursed. They transformed into beasts, hiding in the night and forever separated from their families. They served as examples to those that defy the Gods' natural order. Peace reigned once again unto the land.

In the next age, people started to wonder and question the power of the Gods. Wanting to be more powerful, some of them created weapons that could reach the sky. They have acquired such technology level that they were able to build castles and walls from stones. The cursed beasts lingered only once the sun lost its shine and by that time, all people should be safe inside their house. People started to want power even more. They were able to use and wield magic and started with their exploration of the sea. Unknown to them, they were harming nature. The God of Water and Ice saw this and didn't want it all to be this way so he cursed all those who dared to harm his domain. The few cursed people became what is known as the 'merman'. Half human, half fish. They were stolen from their homes and family and became inhabitants of the sea.

"Instead of harming, you shall protect!" commanded the God of Water and Ice.

The people started to become more evil than before. They hurt each other to make living easier. They stole other's lives to satisfy themselves. A red flag started to wave in their hearts. The Gods who are said to live in the sky became enraged. They held a meeting to determine the fate of humankind.

"We must stop them! Such a scene below is disheartening", suggested the God of Peace.

"We must not meddle with their affairs. They have a body, mind and heart of their own. This is their life, let them live it the way they want it to", said the Goddess of Independence. "Let us see what they can do without our guidance."

The others nod in agreement, especially the God of Darkness, Death.

"She is right. Let us watch how they will struggle to live without us blessing their land, food and things. This should be exciting!" he said.

The God of Knowledge agreed as well. "Let us see what our disciples have learned and what they will learn."

The other Gods and Goddesses were convinced to leave man be. The only Gods disagreeing were the God of Peace and the Goddess of Harmony.

"I do not want to hear the cries and screams of men." reasoned the Goddess of Harmony.

"But if you want to hear and receive good ones, humankind must be happy. And as I see now, they are hungry and never satisfied with their life." said the God of Happiness. "In order to be happy, they must be contented. They must learn things alone. Learn to depend on their own. That is when they will feel success and happiness."

"As far as I can see, majority wins." said the Goddess of Victory. "We will leave man with their own."

"And when things get worse, " said the God of Destruction, "Ragnarok will come and we will start again..."

With this decision, the Gods stopped their interference and lived only to watch humankind struggle with their lives. People lived their life the hard way since then.

Rukia's POV

I was born at this time. It was called the Era of Forsakening because people thought they were forsaken by the Gods. Even I thought I am forsaken. I was born a mermaid, protector of the sea...

A/N: And so... the story of their previous destiny begins. XD I really find it cheesy when Ichigo or Rukia or other people say 'changed his life/destiny forever'. It's just... so cheesy for my fangirl ears. lol XD

Errors? OOC? Ideas? Suggestions? Please R&R. Thanks. :)