Disclaimer:The characters and everything from Bleach isn't mine and all credits should go to Tite Kubo. The only thing I own is the plot, though the story will follow the anime. Don't worry, things start changing up when the actual change happens.
i means crimsonteresa. I just kept her disclaimer. And ending author notes.
Saving Gone Wrong
Being Ichigo Kurosaki can be terribly boring. Maybe not in the beginning, when one would freak out about seeing a bunch of spirits and the like, but it gets old. As I am that person, I can tell you with full assurance. It actually gets annoying sometimes.
This day was just a little different, and it was regular old humans that were getting on my nerves.
"Oi, what do you think you're doing?" I asked irritatedly.
A group of thugs stood in front of me, one in front of the others like a leader. They all had skateboards, either in hand or underfoot, and disgruntled faces.
"More like what do you think you're doing, hmm?" one growled out, lip curled back in a sneer. His dark shaggy hair was pulled back by a headband, and his clothes were girly (more like uni-sex, but whatever) so I decided to dub him Girl.
Directly to Girl's left was a man with a punk attitude. He totally fit the image, cracking his knuckles, veins throbbing and all. It was quickly decided he was Punk. To his left was a kid that had tried way too hard to fit in as a thug. His head was shaved, he had several piercings, his hood was up, his pants were sagging; this kid deserved the name Thug. Finally, the leader in front had an orange bandanna holding up scraggly brown hair and a strange mustache with a severe twitching problem. It took me a second to come up with something for him, but I am the master of nicknames. He was called Stachio. (A/N: No idea if that's how it would be spelled, but oh well...)
"Who do you think you are?" Stachio bit out rather rudely.
My eyes squinting was the only warning he received before he got a face full of foot. (Mind you, I had less warning then that as, though I am flexible, I was standing right in front of him)
"Why, you..!" Thug burst out, but I held up a hand to stop him, and, weird enough, he complied.
"What is that?" I questioned in a low, dangerous voice. I pointed over to a fallen vase of flowers by a telephone pole. Girl, Punk, and Thug stood a bit straighter with confused expressions. Seeing that none were going to answer, I picked on Punk. "You, in the middle!"
Like the dutiful punk he was, he phrased the answer as a question. "Uh, the flowers set out for the kid that died?"
"Bravo," I grunted as I punched him down. Girl and Thug gasped. "You," I pointed to Girl, "Why are they positioned that way?"
"We knocked 'em over while we was skateboarding," he said with narrowed eyes.
"Correct!" I shouted as he was knocked down as well.
"I oughtta..!" Thug brought his fist back but my murderous glare was quite enough to silence him after having brought down the rest of the group.
I squeezed their heads, one by one, 'till their eyes started tearing up. "You better never do it again or I'll make sure it's you needing the flowers in honor of," I growled darkly.
They ran, splitting up, and I just then noticed that Stachio had disappeared from his space on the concrete ground.
"Durn," I murmured softly before turned to where the vase sat on its side. "Well, they should be scared enough to not bother you again."
A girl shimmered into existence, leaning on the pole and peeking after the group that had run away. "Thank you," she smiled up at me with relief. Her hair was tied up, and colored a red that could rival my own orange. Her eyes were green, a shade darker than the green font on her white tee. I guessed that her outfit was what she had worn when she died, but I brushed that thought aside.
I leaned over to put that vase of flowers upright again and she whispered, "I can go in peace now."
With a smile, I stood and answered, "Have fun."
She nodded, then faded away, although I still sensed her presence. My ability to see spirits is basically that, I guess. A sense.
As far as I know, I've been able to sense spirits from the beginning, the power has just...developed, I suppose. Now I can see, communicate with, and touch them. Additionally, they're drawn to me now, which is why it's getting annoying.
I walked home with my school bag in my hand over my shoulder. My other hand was in my grey uniform pocket. The walk took five-or-so minutes, but knowing what awaited me it seemed much too short. A glance beforehand at my watch told me it was 7:03, and that meant my dad was going to pitch a fit. You'd think that someone running a clinic would be a bit more gentle, but I don't think anyone in my family could be classified as gentle.
I opened the door reluctantly, half considering climbing in through my bedroom window, and was promptly greeted with a blow to the face I barely managed to block.
"The one tradition we have in this house is to eat together at 7:00!" my dad's gruff voice shouted out. "You're late!"
I advanced a little as we threw punches and kicked the door shut behind me. "I was helping a spirit pass on," I yelled, "I should be excused!"
Yuzu and Karin, my little sisters, sat at the table eating dinner, pretty much disregarding the fight since it was a daily thing. Yuzu did look over with her soft brown eyes and ask us to stop and come eat, but Karin just told her flat out it was a useless endeavor. Yep, that's my average night.
Eventually I overcame my dad and went upstairs with an "I'm going to bed" while he wept over his rebellious children. (Note the sarcasm)
Not even bothering to change I just laid down on my bed with the wind blowing my curtains and the moon reflecting on the glass of my window. I went to sleep like that, shoes on and everything.
[~_•_~]
I woke up with stiff clothes but figured that since I was already dressed, I might as well stay dressed. Downstairs Yuzu, the cook of the family, was making breakfast for everyone. Karin was watching the news while she waited.
"Dad's attending a meeting," Karin mentioned, black eyes still trained to the small TV screen.
"Alright," I said in acknowledgement, then I moved over to help Yuzu with the food.
When I was situated on a chair with a bowl of warm oatmeal I finally looked to see what was on the news. It showed a wrecked building, and the reporter at the scene talked about witnesses and the like.
"Hey, that's near here," I said with a hint of worry for my family. Indeed, the site was somewhere I walked by daily on my way to school.
After I finished eating I kissed both my sisters on the cheek, received and gave a "Have a good day," and walked out the door with my school bag.
It was when I passed a building with a bunch of fuss, and police tape, that I first felt the very strong and evil presence. A second later I heard an inhuman howl that chilled my bones, and I had to run against a tide of people going the opposite direction to reach it. I had no idea what a monster like that could be classified as, only that it was a spirit of some sort. It had a white mask-like face and head, and a centipede sort of body. In front of it was the girl I had helped out the other day; it seemed to be chasing her.
"Oi," I called out to her, helping her along as soon as I reached her.
"Help me," she cried fearfully, with good reason. The monstrous spirit had opened its huge mouth in a way that told of its intentions to devour her.
I grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her along, but a loud screech behind us made me stop. Turning, I found another girl in a black yukata slicing with a long, slim sword at the spirit. She cut its stomach area first, and then flipped up to swing her weapon through the spirit's head. Surprisingly, the creature disintegrated after that, going from a black fuzz to pure white before it had fully vanished.
"Who are you?" I shouted, more than a little confused at what was going on. She completely ignored me and just ran off somewhere, leaving me to gape at her.
"Thank goodness," the spirit beside me breathed out in relief. She had been really scared, so I decided the best I could do was just comfort her.
"Hey, you be careful, alright?" I nodded to her slightly. "If you're ever in trouble again, call out 'Kurosaki Ichigo', and I'll definitely come," I promised solemnly.
"Thank you so much," she said with a sweet smile, and then we parted ways. Unfortunately, school is a mandatory part of a tenth graders life.
I walked on to school and went throughout that day struggling to not just zone out of the classroom and into the morning's battle. Ever since I turned fifteen, it's like stuff started happening. A book character would say it was because fifteen was an important age or something, like how with humans eighteen marks your becoming an adult. Actually, I'm fairly sure it used to be fifteen, long, loooong ago. Funny that the human race has gotten more immature as we progress.
When the school bell finally rang, I walked at a fairly slow pace, bumped into by all the kids eager to get away. Sadly, I lacked that enthusiasm currently and excused myself with a forced smile from hanging out with my friends. Upon reaching my house I went straight up to my room fully prepared to begin brooding. Somehow I managed to finish my homework before I collapsed on my bed.
That thing was a spirit, I thought. But how would that work? It chased that girl, but why? And then there was that other girl that fought it. She didn't even respond to me, how rude was that?!
My thought process went something like that until a black butterfly and a barely familiar form showed up. I briefly took that time to actually look at the girl, to see her black hair, dark purple eyes, and furrowed brows. She looked very grim, with her hand on the hilt of her sword.
"Who are you?" I asked accusingly. After all, technically this was breaking and entering; even if she was a spirit.
My only answer was silence. The shorty had the nerve to ignore me in my own room!
"Hey!" I barked. "I asked you a question." Still no response. I had had enough.
Bringing my right leg up with just enough force to stun, I whacked the spirit in the head. By the surprise on her face, I figured she either had not noticed me or had not thought I would do anything.
"Who are you!?" I asked again with irritation in my voice.
"Y-you can see me?" she sputtered out, looking like a child caught in the act of doing something she wasn't supposed to.
"Of course, now respond!" If I hadn't been subconsciously aware of family in the house, I may have done more than yell, but as it was I didn't need them getting false ideas about me.
"Kuchiki Rukia," she said with shock still evident in her expression and posture. "Wait," she started, a faint look of recognition on her face, "aren't you the boy from earlier.
Aha, she remembers!
"Yeah, now would ya mind explaining?"
Five minutes and an explanation later saw me sitting backwards on a chair and Rukia sitting formally on the floor in front of me.
"So," I stated, "you are a Soul Reaper (shinigami)." She nodded with serious eyes. "And you're here to defeat evil spirits like the one that showed up earlier." Another nod. "To protect the other spirits and send them on to Soul Society."
"Yes."
"I understand," I nodded grimly, then switched quickly to an angry expression. "Do you really expect me to believe that?!" I thundered, standing up and knocking the chair over.
"What?" she stood as well with an incredulous expression. "You mean to say that you see spirits and yet you won't believe in Soul Reapers?!"
"I've never seem a shinigami before, and I only believe in what I see! And you are not one, so scurry on home, Pipsqueak."
Revealing my nickname for her was my biggest mistake, and she exploded at the comment, obviously not on good terms with being short.
"Bakudo Number One: Sai!" she shouted, jutting her small hands out toward me.
Instantly I regretted my actions as I found myself immobilized on the floor with my hands pulled by an unseen force behind my back.
Come on, really?!
While I sulked, Rukia continued on with her explanation. This time, she used a sketch pad to display a chart and her terrible artistic skills. Someone needed to stop encouraging her!
One half of the paper was black with a bad bear face, and lightning bolts, labeled "Hollow". The other side was white with a good bear face, hearts, and a cursive "Whole".
"There are two kinds of spirits in this world, Earth," she said plainly, gesturing to the picture. "The good spirits are called Whole, and Soul Reapers send them over to Soul Society. The evil spirits are called Hollow, like the one you saw me fight earlier. They devour Whole, and also spirits from still alive humans."
My head started pounding and I could sense a spirit nearby.
"Why are you here?" I asked, writhing on the floor in another effort to get up.
"There is a Hollow I'm tracking, but it has been eluding me for some reason. I can't sense it."
In the distance I heard a terrible, inhuman scream like the one from the Hollow earlier on.
"Can't you hear it?" I gasped out. "Can't you hear the howls? It's close."
A crash sounded at the front of the house, and I heard my sisters scream.
"Yuzu! Karin!" I yelled, struggling even harder to stand.
"It's useless, just stay here," Rukia barked, moving her hand to the hilt of her sword.
Yuzu opened the door, and her appearance made me inhale quickly. There were scratches all over her face, she looked beaten.
"Nii-chan," she gasped out, falling against the hard floor of the hallway. "It has Karin-nee-chan... You have to save her..."
Her eyes glittered with tears, and I fought even harder to stand. Rukia ran out, but rather than feeling reassured I just felt more panicked. I used my head to push to my feet, arms still forced behind my back, and rushed out the door and down the stairs to where the Hollow was. It had Karin in its grip, was lifting her up to its mouth.
"Karin!" I shouted.
Rukia looked at me in surprise, then almost with fear when she saw me working to move my arms. "Don't," she cried out. "You'll only hurt yourself!"
Everything beyond that just kind of became background static. I could faintly see signs popping up around me, but mainly all I could see was Karin struggling against the Hollow's grip. All I could hear was the blood rushing through my ears. In a burst of pain, my arms were free. Heedless of Rukia's gasp I grabbed a fallen sign pole and ran to the Hollow.
It dropped Karin upon seeing me, which I was grateful for; my attempt to attack it ended with me flung back, hitting a brick wall with a sickening thud.
"Ichigo!" Rukia shouted. "Stop," she shook her head furiously when I stood to run at the Hollow again. This one was very big, taller than the other I had seen, though they shared the masked face and hole in their chest.
In front of it, I seemed so tiny, so insignificant. I saw its face coming at me, mouth open wide, but a dark figure jumped in front of me the moment it came down. Rukia, much smaller then myself, was held by her stomach from the Hollow, blood gushing out of her wound.
"Rukia," I gasped as she was released to the ground. I pulled her over to the side of a building.
"Ichigo," she said strongly, her glare firm. She seemed much bigger for that. "You cannot just give up and place yourself to be eaten. That proves no strength!" Her darks eyes squinted a bit from pain, but she might as well have been narrowing them in anger.
"I need to do something," I nearly begged. "I cannot stand by and watch this destruction happen to my family."
"There is a way." Rukia drew out her sword, brows furrowed. "I must drive my zanpukuto through your chest and transfer my powers, making you a substitute Soul Reaper."
I didn't even hesitate before saying, "Do it."
I leaned over her, as she was limited to sitting at the moment, and faced the silver weapon with steely determination. It was probably more my own strength than Rukia's that plunged the sword through my chest, and then there was a brilliant light. I felt... stronger, vitalized... It was almost like... like I had been given an energy boost, a cleanser of sorts.
Before I knew what I was doing, I whipped through the air with a huge sword of my own; the hilt alone was nearly the length of my forearm. I slashed through the Hollow, and it disappeared like the one in the morning had.
With that over, I had a chance to look myself over. I almost had a heart attack. That would have been a terrible thing to die from after all that had happened.
My hair had grown longer, and I was amazed I hadn't noticed it before. I wore a black yukata like Rukia had, although when I looked over to her I found she wasn't anymore. And there was one more tiny thing... I had boobs.
I'm not talking about man-boobs. No, I was still fit and well-muscled. I'm talking like a real, honest-to-goodness chest that belonged to a woman, not me.
"Rukia?" I started, and when my voice sounded feminine, I was down for hysterics as well. I dropped my sword and started panicking, swatting at myself, and get this: Rukia had the nerve to laugh.
({[\|-~•~-|/]})
Hahaha! Now you have to come back for more! JK, you don't, but endings like that usually leave one wanting more. At least, I sincerely hope that's what your reaction will be... Oh well, it's time to start something!
At the end of each chapter, Ichigo will have a rating for how she-used-to-be-he feels about girls and boys. Obviously, a switch of gender will not be enough to cause her to be girly and like males. So this will be like a status report. I may even decide to put how she feels about certain people, male or female. Alright, on to the report~
Kurosaki Ichigo's Feelings Report (KIFR)
Girls: I have a crush on someone, thank you very much.
Boys: Ew, that's nasty. No offense, but I'm not a homo. And I am a guy *glares at author*
Kuchiki Rukia: She may be cute, but she has been extremely rude. Although I'm sure that could change.