Chapter 1

"When you're up high, all the stuff that looks confusing and messed up... suddenly becomes crystal clear."…"Wh-wh-what does the gravestone say?"…Ichigo looked but nowhere did it say the name he was looking for, but he couldn't remember the name. Ichigo replies, but he can't make out what he is saying. Then a feeling overcomes him, like a growing pit in the bottom of his gut, like he has forgotten something very important.

"Will I ever see you again?" …

"Of course you will" Ichigo said without knowing for sure "I promise"

Ichigo awoke with a startle. What was that? He thought. I think it was a dream, but…that was way too vivid-

"Ichigo!" Ichigo jumps and looks to see where the voice is coming from. It's Rukia, already dressed and ready for school "Get ready! You don't want to be late for school do you?"

Ichigo replied, "What do you know? You live in a closet!", and got himself a well-deserved slap on the face.

On their way to school, Rukia's phone started beeping with the alert of a hollow. "This one's strong, let's go." Rukia ordered. Ichigo grabs Kon out of Rukia's backpack, when the beeping stops suddenly. "That's strange" Rukia says

"Eh, it's probably just Chad or Uryuu" said Ichigo as he returned Kon, who was hurling complaints at Ichigo and his "Nee-san".

Ichigo and Rukia arrived at school to see Chad and Orihime, but no Uryuu. They exchanged pleasantries and made their way to their classroom as the warning bell rang.

Once they all got seated, Ichigo realized that Uyruu wasn't at his seat. That's not unlike him to not show up. He thought. Except, Uryuu walked in several minutes late. Now that's strange. As the teacher was distracted by Uryuu's tardy, Rukia's phone went off again. Her eyes bulged as she saw how big its reiatsu was. But Ichigo didn't have to ask, he soon felt the reiatsu also, nearly at the level of a lieutenant. He asked to go to the bathroom and bolted out of the classroom. He gracefully exited his body in mid-stride and left it in the hall for Rukia to attend to as he made his way to the hollow.

Halfway there, the reiatsu vanished just like in the morning. Again? Something must be happening, a reiatsu like that doesn't just vanish. Something catches his eye, a girl. She was walking on a telephone wire and was wearing his school uniform, she had medium-length, somewhat messy dark hair. As he got distracted, he and Ishida collided. "AH! What's your problem?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Why don't YOU watch where you are going?" replied Uryuu.

"Come to think of it what are you doing here, Ishida?"

"I came to take care of the hollow. That's what you're here for, isn't it?"

"So you got it?"

"No, it's spiritual pressure vanished before I got here. We should go check it out."

They arrived at the area where they felt the reiatsu from. Some damage could be seen, but there were no casualties. "Looks like someone did take care of it, though." Commented Ichigo. "Are you sure it wasn't you?"

"Don't ask stupid questions, Ichigo….That's strange…" said Uryuu

"What is it?" questioned Ichigo.

"I went to check out the large spiritual pressure from this morning but when I got there it was gone. I spent some time investigating the area, which is why I was late today. It was perfectly fine, except for one thing, these leaves" Uryuu pointed at some brown leaves on the floor.

"So what?" said Ichigo "They're just a bunch of leaves."

"Don't be so simple Ichigo! Since when do leaves fall in the spring?" Ishida demanded

Just then, Ichigo seemed to remember something, these same leaves, moving in a graceful, merciless passion. A warm wind winding through his hair, a mass uneasiness combined with great comfort and relief at seeing these leaves. And then a face, a small nose, big orange-red eyes, and dark, fiery hair up in a red bow "Bring them to the twilight! Mirokumaru!" and countless faceless white figures were washed away.

"Blanks…" he whispered to himself

"What was that?" Ishida asked

"Nothing, let's get back to class."

"One more thing," added Ishida "I would've left these hollow to you, but this morning and now, I felt another spiritual pressure, unlike a hollows, and more like a…soul reapers'"

Uryuu and Ichigo went back to class for an uneventful 10 minutes, then the teacher made an announcement: "Class, we have a new student. Would you like to introduce yourself?"

Then Ichigo saw "Hi" the fiery dark hair "I'm Rotwood" the orange-red eyes "Senna Rotwood"

Chapter 1 End