Blue Skies and Black Hearts

Chapter 1 –

I walked through the halls of Karakura High once more, loathing the stares I was receiving. One group of girls was whispering while staring and it really pissed me off.

"What the hell are you staring at!" I snapped at them.

Three of them cowered under my glare. However one of them decided to be bold. I thought her name was Masaki.

"You, Jaylen, who else has purple hair in this school? Natural purple hair, really? Why don't you just dye it, freak?" she questioned.

Before I could say anything a certain head of orange hair stopped behind her.

"Hey!" he growled. "Why don't you take your bitchy comments elsewhere?"

Masaki turned to face the idiot. "And if I don't, Ichigo? What are you gonna do? You can't hit a girl. Or are you gonna send your girlfriend there at me?" she asked pointing to the black haired girl next to him.

"She's not my ––!"

"I am not his girlfriend."

"Oh? So you've just been glued to his side ever since you got here for no reason, Rukia?" Masaki asked.

Rukia took a step closed to her. "My reasons are my own and none of your business, got that you insolent, childish brat? Now I suggest you take you and your friends here and leave before something bad happens," she hinted in both a sweet and threatening voice.

Masaki trembled a little before wordlessly leaving with her group.

"You alright?" Ichigo asked me a moment later.

I glared at him. "How many times do I have to tell you I don't need your rescuing, Ichigo."

"A simple 'thanks' would be nice," he said.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically.

"Those girls shouldn't bother you anymore," Rukia chimed in, no longer having the dark note in her voice.

"No offense, Rukia, but I don't need your help either. I can take care of myself, as I have for some time now," I said looking at Ichigo.

Three others came to stand behind them. Yasutora Sado, known by everyone as Chad. His wavy brown hair falling past his eyes. He towered over everyone; he was the giant of the school. Next to him came Orihime Inoue, looking as dense as ever, and Uryu Ishida, looking as arrogant and nerdy as ever.

I had no real care for any of them, save for Chad. I didn't mind him. He actually saved me from getting raped a few months ago by some guy. Now that I think about it I actually liked him.

I turned away from them and walked away just as Orihime tried to wave hello at me. To tell the truth (and state the obvious) I wasn't really good with people. I didn't have any friends, Ichigo and his crew was the only ones who ever tried to make conversation with me or invite me places. Of course, I never really returned the conversing or went with them anywhere. I didn't fit in and I knew it.

People, ever since I can remember, have shunned me. Not just because of my long, purple hair, but because of my abilities. I can heal things, from little scratches to bringing people from the edge of death. I can't cure diseases like cancer or Alzheimer's, not the terminal ones anyway. I can also move things with my mind and cause illusions. However, using my powers was extremely draining. So I barely used them at all. Sometimes, though, I felt like I had untapped power that I longed for. Oh! Let's not forget, I can also see ghosts.

"Jaylen!" an annoying voice called loudly.

I groaned as a tall, transparent boy appeared beside me. "Go away, Ichiru."

"Aww! Jaylen Strife, my dear, are you really gonna be mean to me on my deathday?" he asked.

"Why the hell do you even celebrate your deathday?" I asked.

"Well, I can't celebrate my birthday anymore so I improvise with my deathday," he said cheerfully.

I rolled my eyes. "Why can't you celebrate somewhere else with someone else?"

"Because Ichigo scares me and nobody else can see me."

"I don't scare you? I scare everybody else."

"You don't scare me the slightest bit." He smiled.

He continued to follow me to class and took the seat next to me. The same place he sat in life before he died.

Alive, Ichiru was a boy that liked me and constantly followed me around, much like he does now. Girls were attracted to him but he always had a liking for me. I asked him why once and he told me it was because I was different from the other girls he knew. A year ago today, he was killed by a thug with a knife right in front of me. I ended up wounding the guy pretty bad and he took off. I didn't know or care if he lived. I had awoken in the middle of the night when he returned as a spirit. I me him back in elementary school and I haven't been able to shake him since.

Also, three years ago my sister was killed by a monster that only I and one other person could see. Ichigo . Which was why I was alone. My parents died when I was five so I only had my sister to care for me and she was my best friend. She, Mayumi, died when I was 13. She was only 22. Not caring if I got hurt I tried to save her but Ichigo wouldn't let me. Because of him I couldn't save my sister, or die trying. That was why I was so bitter towards him. I didn't really find out about my abilities until that night when I saw it. I tried to bring her back but she was already gone. I felt so useless.

I was taken from my thoughts when Ichiru spoke. "Alright! Time for gym class," he said.

I stood and headed towards the girl's locker room. When I noticed Ichiru try to follow me in I faced him with my scariest look.

"Don't you dare follow me in here," I growled.

"Oh, Jaylen. I won't watch you; I can find other things to look at. They can't see me and you know what they say; 'What they don't know won't hurt 'em'." He put on a fake philosopher's look.

I slammed the door in his face. "Idiot."

He stuck his head through it, smiling. "I can still walk through the door. Ghost, remember?"

"You sick bastard!" I punched him across the face and he flew back. I huffed a little and clenched my jaw trying to control my temper. I had to use my power to be able to make physical contact with him too.

I went to my locker and changed, knowing Ichiru was lurking around somewhere. I left and heard laughing behind me. The perv came to my side.

"Do I want to know?" I asked.

"No, probably not, but let's just say I started a riot in there," he answered chuckling.

"Don't say anymore," I ordered. As soon as we entered the gym I noticed Ichiru was leaving. I shot him a questioning look.

"Oh, it pains me to say this, but I must take my leave. Don't cry dear Jaylen, for I will return to your side. I have other things to attend to." He slipped away.

Translation: I'm leaving and I'll be back soon. I'm gonna go terrorize unsuspecting women.

I rolled my eyes and noticed the Badminton nets were up. Ugh. I hated Badminton. After attendance we were all paired up. In may class was Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime, Chad, and Uryu along with other kids I never interacted with.

"Ishida! You're with Inoue!" the teacher shouted.

Uryu and Orihime paired up, grabbing rackets and a birdie.

"Sado! You're with Kuchiki!" Chad and Rukia followed Uryu and Orihime.

"Kurosaki! You're with Strife!"

I groaned and we followed procedure. "Don't get in my way, Ichigo."

"I was about to say the same thing to you, Jaylen."

One thing I could say about our similarities, other than the ghost-seeing thing and people ridiculing us because of our hair color, was our intense competitive natures. The need to be better than each other.

We began to play against two other boys and it really bugged me when Ichigo kept hogging the birdie. After the first ten times, I shoved him over, making him fall flat on his face. I started laughing and he got up with a large, red splotch on his face. I laughed harder and he snapped.

"What the hell was that for!" he demanded.

I stopped laughing. "What do you think? You kept hogging the birdie!"

"You're too slow!"

"And you're an idiot!"

Our argument was interrupted by a loud screech outside. Me and Ichigo heard it and I thought we were the only ones who did. We tore out to find the source. I heard Rukia shout for us and the teacher too, but we kept running.

About five blocks away we stopped. Rukia, Orihime, Chad, and Uryu were just behind us. I saw Ichiru getting attacked by a masked beast that looked so familiar.

"Ichiru!" I cried out.

"A Hollow," Ichigo stated. "Rukia!"

She put on a red glove and pushed on his forehead. He split in two; his gym-clothed body fell to the ground while the body wearing black robes stood holding a large blade. Ichigo raised it and attacked the large monster.

Suddenly I noticed a yellow teddy bear fall, flailing, from Orihime's back. I couldn't tell which was more insane, a moving plush toy or Ichigo having two bodies.

"Dammit! I hate gravity!" the toy cried.

Okay… the TALKING, moving plush toy was more insane.

"You talk!" I asked shocked.

"Yeah, get used to it sister," it said.

Normally I would've beaten the thing to a pulp for saying that, but I was too freaked out at the moment.

"Kon! Get over here!" Rukia shouted.

"Yes, miss Rukia," the toy replied.

I watched Ichigo fight the monster and Ichiru ran towards us. He cowered behind me. The monster, or Hollow, or whatever it was' tail flung at us and we were sent flying. I felt like I was being absorbed into something then I landed on harsh ground. I looked up and saw a portal showing the houses of Karakura Town. The Hollow came through it and both of Ichigo's bodies followed.

"Hey! You Hollow freak!" Ichigo shouted.

The monster faced him and roared. Ichigo's blade came down upon the beast's mask. It cried out and disappeared.

"NO!" Rukia cried suddenly. I followed her eyes and saw that the portal had closed.

Ichigo spun and swore.

"What the hell is going on! What was that thing! And where are we!" I demanded exasperated.

Rukia looked at me saddened. "We're in Heuco Muendo."

"Heuco Muendo?" I asked.