Bad Shield 2
Ichigo was leaving again. He was always leaving. Ever since that fateful summer, Ichigo came and went like the autumn wind. They never really understood why. He never explained. Whenever something happened, Ichigo would come back wearing that horrible mask. That mask of bitterness and terror and silence. The shield that protected him and kept them out. He never told them anything; he only looked at the ground and muttered a few apologies. They hated it. It wasn't Ichigo. It was just a… a stranger.
While everybody else was saying their goodbyes to Ichigo, Inoue-san, Chad, and Ishida-san, Keigo and Mizuiro were walking along Tsubakidai Park. Goodbyes were useless. Goodbyes wouldn't bring Ichigo back to them. Ichigo was gone, and he wasn't coming back.
Keigo
As they walked along in silence, Keigo reflected on his past with Ichigo. They hadn't been friends as long as he'd been friends with Tatsuki, but soon after Ichigo started school, he quickly became friends with Keigo and Mizuiro. Keigo took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His vision of the maple trees above faded into a different view altogether.
"Hey, can I sit with you? Mizuiro's being annoying and I want to talk to you!"
The startled boy looked up from his lunch. He saw one of his classmates staring down at him. His name was Asano-san, wasn't it? He couldn't remember his first name. "Uh, sure. I don't mind."
Little Keigo clumsily plopped himself beside little Ichigo. "Cool! My name's Keigo! You're Ichigo, right? I seen you in class, but I never got a chance to talk to you! Why are you eating alone? What do you have for lunch?"
The strawberry-haired boy blinked in surprise. This kid was talking a mile a minute! He explained that he usually ate lunch with Tatsu, but she was sick that day. Then he opened up his lunch for his new friend to admire.
"Bento! My mom made me bento too!" Keigo exclaimed excitedly. However, he frowned upon closer inspection. 'Hey, there's no onigiri! Your mom must have forgot to put it in!" The other boy looked upset, and he looked as if he was about to burst into tears. Keigo laughed, oblivious. "Don't worry! I have two! I'll give you one!"
After he handed the onigiri to the other boy, he suddenly jumped up. "I know! We should make a vow of friendship! From now on, we'll share everything: food, crayons, secrets! Yeah! Let's do it!"
Ichigo jumped up as well, laughing. "Yeah!" he echoed, a huge grin speading across his chubby face. That day, a brand new friendship formed.
How could Ichigo forget their promise? How could he forget their friendship? It seemed that their friendship weakened with every passing year. After Ichigo's mother died a few years later, Ichigo and Tatsuki trained at the dojo more than ever. He no longer had time for ordinary kids like Keigo and Mizuiro. Then, in their eighth year, Ichigo met Chad. He formed a new friendship vow and spent even less time with the other boys.
By the time they entered high school, Ichigo met some weird midget girl. He really changed after that. That was when he began to leave all the time for undisclosed reasons. The bond they once shared soon deteriorated. This was the final goodbye. What went wrong, Ichigo?
Another memory formed in Keigo's mind, but he pushed it out. Keigo bought the Bad Shield 2 DVD just because Ichigo said he wanted to see it! He spent valuable money on that movie! Ichigo never did watch it. Ichigo's such an idiot! Keigo thought, clenching his fists. Baka baka baka baka baka!
Mizuiro
While Keigo was doing what Keigo does, Mizuiro was deep in thought. He was upset about the whole situation, but was powerless to turn it around. He didn't want to think it, but Ichigo really wasn't their friend anymore. Too much had happened, and after the Karakura Town incident, Mizuiro was at a loss. The more time passed, the more him and Keigo were pushed into the background of Ichigo's heart. A memory of long ago took form in Mizuiro's mind.
"Mizuiro, what's your biggest wish?" Ichigo asked his friend suddenly one sunny day. Mizuiro, who was dreaming of sexy young women, looked up at Ichigo, startled.
"Um…" Mizuiro racked his brain. "All the women I can handle. Money. Fame. What about you?"
His serious friend stared up at the sky for a few moments without answering. "I want to protect everybody. My family, my friends, people on the streets. I have to get stronger. I can't give up…"
Mizuiro didn't really understand it then. He knew that Ichigo was protective, but he didn't comprehend how much that meant to his companion. Now that he finally understood, it was useless.
As Ichigo's world grew larger, the number of people he needed to protect also increased. Somewhere along the way, his Karakura friends ceased to be friends and became more victims he had to protect.
Mizuiro bit his lip as he stared at the park's pond. Ichigo couldn't do his job of protecting if he held such strong bonds to this world. They had to let Ichigo go. Mizuiro knew his best friend was thinking the exact same thoughts beside him.
So sorry, Ichigo. It's over.
"It's almost time for us to go, Ichigo. What are you waiting for?" Uryu pushed his glasses up and glanced at the orange-haired boy.
Ichigo wouldn't take his gaze off the door. "Just a little longer. Keigo and Mizuiro haven't come yet…" he replied absently, feeling panic and worry.
"Y'know, we really can't wait-" Just then, Uryu was cut off by Orihime.
"Kurosaki-kun, I found something on the windowsill. I think it's for you." Ichigo found a brown package and silently opened it. Inside was the Bad Shield 2 DVD that Keigo had. Attached was a note that said, "Don't forget us." At that moment, the boy felt an overwhelming rush of sadness.
I won't forget you guys. I could never forget you.
The End.
Disclaimer: I am not Kubo Tite, and therefore, I do not own Bleach. However, I do own a broken webcam!
Author's Notes: Keigo and Mizuiro need a few more stories of their own. So I made one! Yes, Bad Shield 2 really is a DVD Keigo had once in the manga, and yes, Tsubakidai Park is a real park in Karakura Town. It's short, but functional. Also, I dropped a few Blink 182 lyrics in the story! Tell me what you think! Be honest!