Okay and this is the part where all of my Desert Rose and W.I.T.S. fans come and stone me to death! Please listen before you do so! I've been REALLY wanting to type this story and I know I should be updating D.S. with all the Gaara/Mako goodness, but I had to write this story! I just had to! I'm sorry… But anyways this is my first try at a BLEACH -X- Sailor Moon crossover, so please be gentle with reviews my darlings! Hehe, well here are the wonderful pairings:
Mako/Ichigo
Hotaru/Toshiro (HOTTY)
Rei/Byakuya
This story takes place right after Rukia is taken back to the Soul Society and after the Stars series.
I dedicate this story to- Moi Fah, for her help and support for this story to be published and you can thank her for all of the Hotaru goodness! JPandS, because she is always so kind and leaves great reviews! And last but not least; BlueShadowStar, because she has kept me going through many of my stories now and always inspires me to write when she leaves me wonderful reviews (too bad she's M.I.A. at the moment TTTT) Thanks you guys, hugs!! Lol! And without further ado, my new story!
The Ties of Fate
Chapter One- Kurosaki Ichigo, Predetermined Hotty
She looked down her eyes spilling with the tears of defeat as sweat dripped from her furrowed brow. She couldn't believe that her body was even able to quiver in fear at such a weakened state she was in… But none of that mattered. Her sage green eyes flamed with grievance and hostility, tears still falling. She had to get up, she had to move… She had to do something! She pressed her bloody hands against the gritty sandpaper like ground beneath her. The small pebbles implanted themselves under her nails as she pushed with any bit of strength that she could attempt to expel from her haggard form. She was almost standing now; her mouth was dry as she licked her cracked lips.
"I won't give up on you…" She whispered tears falling faster to the ground now as her brow furrowed once more and she looked up her livid eyes pouring into the ones that she intended to kill.
"You can't and won't win Princess. You're too weak to even stand. You'd best forget about your comrades, because you won't see them again." His condescending voice penetrated her ears. Those were the kind of words that she needed to fuel her body with more strength.
"I won't give up!" She screamed giving herself one final push to stand and attacked the man, lightning splurging out of her whole body. All she could think as she ran towards the man was to keep her legs moving and hit him, just once! Just one time was all that she needed! Ten feet closer, seven, five, three, two…
"Ahhhhhhh!" She screamed and threw the lightning packed punch towards his head, but missed, just what she wanted to happen. She smirked malevolently waiting for him to attack and hit her back and as he did she sent lightning throughout her whole body. The light that it illuminated from his touch of a finger on her arm lit up the moonless sky, enough so that she saw his face. And as fast as she did, he was gone… Just like the two Senshi.
"No…." She whispered, her body shaking once more as the tears revealed themselves to her eyes again.
"No!" She screamed and felt her body unwillingly crash to the ground. The last thing she remembered before passing out was Haruka shouting down to her half conscious body pleading for something…
"I'm sorry… Rei… Hotaru…I'm sorry…" She whimpered and her eyes slowly pulled themselves into a slumber.
-:-
She heard quiet voices coming from the room she was in. They were calm and made her relax, she felt safe and at home… Everything was okay.
"Setsuna, please!? You must know something about this so called Soul Society! Isn't there someone that you know who is able to stop them from coming into other worlds and taking people like that!?" A normally calm and collected voice of Michiru rang out, making Makoto's eyes shoot open. How could she forget!? How could she not remember her friends!? Her body shot up out of the bed feeling a straining pain against her side as she winced, but that wasn't enough to stop her.
"Mako-Chan…" She heard Usagi whisper softly in a concerned voice next her.
"Where are they Setsuna?" Makoto demanded, looking around to see that they were in the Outers apartment.
"They're in another world called the Soul Society. It is a place where the dead pass on to and where they can keep prisoners… Such as Hotaru and Rei." She replied and Makoto looked around the room to see everyone was here but those two, and everyone's expression voiced the same thing: regret and failure.
"Then we have to go and get them!" Makoto shouted angrily, slamming her fist into the bed beneath her.
"It's not that simple Makoto! Don't you think we haven't already thought of that!? This is another world where we aren't able to run things and tell them how it is!" Setsuna replied forcefully, but that wasn't going to make Makoto back down.
"Then why the God damn hell are they allowed to come into OUR world and tell US like it is!? I have half a mind to go kick all of their asses right now!" Makoto screamed feeling prickles of tears about to pour into her eyes… She hated that feeling, the stinging needle like pain that brought back too many memories. The room was completely silent as Makoto's tears began to fall.
"We can't leave them there… Hotaru, is the youngest and most inexperienced for Lord's sake!... And without those two Senshi, we all know that Crystal Tokyo will never come!... Setsuna, there has to be someone…" Makoto pressed on, looking into the Senshi of Time's red eyes as she cast her gaze to the floor.
"There is no one, Mako-" Suddenly a small, fragile and mournful voice interrupted her.
"Don't lie to them anymore Setsuna… I can't tolerate to watch them go through this any longer…" Luna spoke up and Setsuna turned quickly to the small creature.
"Luna, you can't expect me to do this. It's against the Queen's orders! To send someone there and expect to have that person help her, is almost no chance at all!" Setsuna replied all of the Senshi daring not to interrupt the two.
"Even though it's against the Queen, I'm sure Selenity would understand that this is something that needs to be done especially if the fate of Crystal Tokyo is in danger. And you know she's the only one that can do this… Setsuna, you know you can't turn your back on this… She has to go." Artemis spoke up agreeing with his lover.
"Who has to go!?" Haruka shouted desperately, she would give anything to help her daughter and now longtime companion. Setsuna turned and looked at her sadly then down at the ground.
"Tell them, Setsuna… We only have so much time." Luna pressed on.
Setsuna said nothing as she still looked at the ground, it seemed that she was fighting with herself to agree or not to agree and most likely weighing the pro's and con's of the matter.
"Please, Setsuna… If we can help them, even if it's just one of us… At least that is better than no one." Ami spoke softly as Minako added in desperately,
"Hai, Ami-Chan and Mako-Chan are right… We can't just leave them there and hope for the best! They need someone… Anyone at all." Setsuna sighed looking up and then spoke softly,
"…Only one person is allowed to enter this world without there permission and long ago, they chose the Senshi of Jupiter… That was the treaty that Selenity set up with them centuries before this era, and only one of them is allowed to enter our world for any reason they wish… If anyone else was to enter their world, without the consent of the leader of the Soul Society, whom runs both the world of the living and dead, they would kill them on the spot and they would extract their Sailor Crystals and never be reborn again…" Setsuna finished and looked to see Makoto's face. Her expression was mixed between both fear and hate… two horrible mixtures.
"Wh-What!?" Haruka shouted as her head snapped in Makoto's direction.
"We can't just send her into that world and hope for the best! It's suicide!" Haruka yelled to Setsuna who looked the other way.
"If Sailor Senshi are to enter their world, they fear our powers. The Soul Society cannot control us like they control many of the powers that flow through and about their worlds. I believe I know the reason they took Rei, but I fear that Hotaru will be used for reasons to keep their world from annihilation." Setsuna spoke softly.
"So, in other words they feel threatened by us." Ami interjected.
"Yes. In their world, they measure power by spirit energy, but here we only have raw power. But if we are to enter their world and mix spirit energy with our raw power, that can cause a deadly destruction." Setsuna replied as Ami piped up again.
"So that means, if they enter our world and if they're strong enough they can cause the same problems for us, correct?" She asked while the Senshi of Time nodded her head positively.
"Soul Reapers are what make that world stay running. They defeat Hollow's which are tainted souls and they are much like exorcists and they either will send them to Hell or send them to the Soul Society which provides a good afterlife for any of those souls. A Soul Reaper is what took Rei and Hotaru last night. He was the one that was allowed to enter our world when we made the Treaty. But they went back on their word and sent someone to our world to retrieve the Senshi. It was said in the Treaty that none of the Sailor Senshi were to be harmed and the only reason for that person to enter our world would be to send us word from the leader of the Soul Society on anything that may hinder our existence."
"The need for this Treaty in the first place was to stop them from entering our world and trying to become involved in matters that they didn't belong to as well as trying to understand the Sailor Senshi." Setsuna finished.
"Understand the Sailor Senshi?... What's there to understand?" Minako asked thinking that was the most unheard of thing.
"They can't grasp the concept that each person, human and Sailor Senshi alike possesses a Star Seed. They don't understand that if one is to be so bright like all of yours that it has the potential of becoming a Sailor Crystal. They wish to know what it is that makes the Crystals that way, and how it is that the Crystals obtain such diverse powers from one being death to the other being life."
"There are some Soul Reapers there, which have the ability to destroy our world with simply one move... That is why the treaty between the two worlds was created so long ago; to keep from anything like this from happening. I'm guessing that since we were forced to travel out of our Solar System to defeat Galaxia they felt threatened that we might decide to go against the treaty and after their world seeing as there are many secrets there that the Moon Kingdom had always dreamed of knowing."
"So why is it that they chose Mako-chan to be the one that entered and not one of us?" Michiru asked and Setsuna stiffened, she had hoped they wouldn't ask that question. The room was silent for a few moments as she thought of an easy way to say it.
"Setsuna." Makoto growled knowing that her silence was a bad sign.
"They asked for Jupiter because they thought that she would have the least potential of causing any destruction to their world." Setsuna replied and everyone quickly cast their gaze to anywhere but Makoto, whose body was quivering in loathing.
"Is that what they think?... Is that what they really think!?" Makoto shouted as she stood up, still feeling the pain in her side from the wound.
"They think that I won't be able to do anything when they fear us already!?" Makoto screamed but Setsuna didn't reply. Taking her silence as a yes she continued,
"Well, if that's the truth then I guess that I'm going to have to kick their asses!" Makoto shouted and felt a hand grab her clenched fist.
"Mako-Chan." Usagi whispered as she held her hand.
"Mako-Chan… You can do this. I know you can, and even though you're going by yourself, we'll all still be with you in spirit. And you can call us on the communicator anytime you want to if you g-get lo-lonely-" Suddenly Usagi through herself onto Makoto.
"Mako-Chan! I don't want you to leave! You'll be all alone! And I'll miss your amazing cooking!" Usagi cried as Makoto sweatdropped and smiled down at her.
"You liar, you just want me to stay for my cooking." Makoto laughed as Usagi looked up with a hurtful but oh-so fake expression.
"Mako-Chan, that's so mean…" She replied as Makoto giggled then looked over to Setsuna.
"When do I leave, Setsuna?"
"Right now, if you are ready… Too much time has been wasted already…" She replied and Makoto nodded realizing that all she must really need is her henshin wand.
"Good, now let me explain this to you. You are going to travel to the land of the Living, and before you protest listen to me. There, you are going to need to find a boy named Kurosaki Ichigo; he will most likely be with you throughout this whole ordeal if all goes well. He will then take you to a man named Urahara Kisuke and he will train you so that you are able to enter the Soul Society in the Spirit World and bring Hotaru and Rei back… You must do this as quickly as possible, because I fear if you wait too long… If you wait too long the two of them will be too wrapped up in that world for me to diminish the memories they left in people, understood?" Setsuna asked as Makoto nodded her head positively.
"Good, now you will meet people along the way, some to be trusted, some not to be… But I'm sure you'll be able to tell, you've always been one to read people well Makoto-Chan…" Setsuna added with a kind smile.
"Right…" Makoto replied as she looked at the time.
"Come, say your goodbye's girls." Setsuna pushed.
Mina and Usagi both glomped poor defenseless Makoto as they cried.
"We'll miss you Mako-Chan!" They both wailed obnoxiously in unison.
"Heh, I'll miss you both too." She replied and hugged them back. Ami then walked up smiling kindly and hugged her friend.
"Good luck Mako-Chan, and please be careful not to hurt yourself, remember I'm not going to be there to heal your wounds for you." Ami smiled kindly always thinking of the best for her friends.
"Sure, Ami-Chan…" Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around to face her dear friend and idol.
"Koto, don't you let them kick your ass like they did last night, you got it? It's your turn to show them what I taught you. Be careful and don't make me come in there and save you…" Haruka said turning her around as Makoto smiled up at her.
"I won't Ruka." Then suddenly, Haruka pulled her into a hug surprising Makoto, since Haruka was never one to do such a thing.
"Please…" She whispered.
"Bring back Firefly safely, do you promise me?" She whispered in Makoto's ear as the brunette felt her eyes tear up once again and whispered back softly,
"Sure, Ruka… I promise you I will."
"Thank you, Blossom." She replied as Makoto giggled at the name she used to call her by as Haruka pulled away and just as soon as she did Michiru embraced her.
"Please be careful and come home safely with both of them… I know you'll be fine if Haruka has so much confidence in you, Makoto-chan."
"Thank you, Michiru…" Makoto replied and looked down to see Luna and Artemis.
"Makoto… This world is very dangerous. You need to be ready for an attack around every corner," Luna spoke softly to the girl she trained so long ago when she was fourteen.
"There are things that lurk in both of those worlds that are far worse than any Youma you've defeated… Don't forget anything that you've learned here, got it?" Artemis added with a smile.
"Alright you two. I won't and don't worry, I'll be back soon!" Makoto replied trying to put on the best confident face she could for her Senshi.
"Are you ready, Mako-chan?" Setsuna asked as Makoto turned around to see that she had already transformed.
"Should I go in as Sailor Jupiter?" Makoto asked getting her henshin wand out and ready.
"No, you'll do fine in the clothes you have on now. You're going to the human world, remember... It is just like here, but more dangerous and on a higher level." Setsuna replied as Makoto looked at her school uniform that she had on.
"Alright, whatever you say, Suna… Then I guess I am ready then…" Makoto replied and turned back around to look at her Senshi.
"I promise you guys… I won't fail you like I did last night. They were both with me and I should have been able to protect them and I couldn't…" Makoto replied as Usagi spoke up.
"Mako, that's not your fault! That guy was insanely powerful, and he sneaked up on you… We all sensed him as soon as he set foot into our world! I'm not even sure if we all together could have defeated him… But if you're going to be more powerful in that world… Then you're sure to come back safely!" Usagi finished with her trademark smile and Makoto gave her a reflection of her princess's face.
"Yes, Usa-chan…" Makoto replied and turned around to face Setsuna.
"I'm ready Setsuna." Makoto spoke; her voice couldn't have been anymore serious.
"I have one last thing to give you before you leave, Mako-Chan." Setsuna spoke and walked over to her and hugged her.
"Please keep safe… I will be fearing for your life throughout this whole time until you return… If you make one false step and everything could go wrong… Just follow your heart, Mako." Setsuna spoke as Makoto smiled against her embrace and nodded her head. Setsuna was always the closest thing Makoto had to a mother… Or any parental supervision at all… She would miss her words of wisdom. As Setsuna pulled away a look of realization flooded her expression.
"I almost forgot." She spoke, mostly likely berating herself for forgetting and pulled out a picture and handed it to Makoto.
"This is the boy, Kurosaki Ichigo." She spoke as Makoto's eyes blew up to the size of melons and she began to drool.
"SUNA! You-"
"Thank me later, Mako. Right now you need to go and find him." Setsuna spoke as Makoto nodded but didn't look up from the picture.
"I wanna see, wait Suna!" Mina yelled running towards Makoto.
"Yeah! Me too!" Usagi screamed and they jumped towards the girl, but it was too late. Makoto was glowing Pluto's respective shade of purple and the two looked up to see Makoto holding the picture out showing them the boy and winking as she stuck her tongue out. In a blink, she was gone.
"NOT FAIR! WE WANNA FIND THE HOTTY!" The two blonde twins screamed in unison. Setsuna looked up to the sky her eyes searching, almost thinking she might see the brunette disappearing above her, and sighed as she looked down.
"Good luck Makoto… May the ties of fate keep you safe and unharmed." Setsuna spoke softly to herself, the emerald eyed brunette already plaguing her apprehensive mind.
-:-
Two onyx haired vixens were slowly walking down a porcelain hallway. Each was secured tightly by a man. The shorter female held by none other than Hitsugaya Toushiro himself while the taller and more livid looking woman was restrained by Kuchiki Byakuya.
Hotaru looked down and gulped, thinking of someway that she and Rei would be able to leave this place! They didn't even know why they were here! That's it, Rei was pissed and obviously she wasn't about to speak and tell them anything, but the Senshi of Silence wanted her answers.
She slowly looked at the boy that held her arm tightly in his grip, his snow white hair and stunning green eyes would forever be burned into her memory. He was rather handsome as well, and looked about her age. But those eyes of his were what struck her… For some eccentric and peculiar reason, they reminded her of Christmas. They were an evergreen green, she reasoned… Maybe that was it.
"Excuse me… But please, could you tell me why we were taken from our homes?" She questioned him; her soft and timid voice rang out in the echoing hallways they walked down. His eyes quickly looked to hers and met saddened and fearful lilac orbs.
"Don't speak to them Hotaru. I will deal with this, and I won't let you become wrapped up in something that you shouldn't be." Rei spoke for the first time since they had been taken.
"B-but Rei-" Hotaru stuttered looking at the Fire Senshi.
"No, Hotaru! Think of what Haruka would say! I can't let anything happen to you here… I will get you home and away from these bastards who can't seem to loosen their grip on my damned arm!" She screamed jerking her arm looser from Byakuya's steel grip, her eyes flaming. Hotaru looked down and nodded.
"Rei, I'm sorry that you have to worry about me… I-I…I hope Mako-chan is alright…" Hotaru spoke, her voice dripping with anguish as Rei's simmering temper subsided when she looked down at Hotaru, whose eyes were beginning to fill with tears.
"Don't worry about Makoto, Firefly…. I know she'll be just fine, she's tough remember? And I think she wil-" Suddenly Rei stopped in mid-sentence her body shaking and Byakuya looked down at her.
"Keep walking, Hino-San." He demanded in bitterly stern tone. She didn't move, but her mouth opened slightly.
"Sh-she's here…" She whispered softly, both Toushiro and Byakuya catching it, their eyes connecting.
"Come, we must go now." Byakuya commanded hurriedly and pulled Rei along as Hotaru looked up at her fellow Senshi.
"Rei-chan…" She thought with concern.
-:-
"Ahhhhhhhhhh-umph!" Makoto screamed as she landed roughly on the ground below her.
"Oh my Lord, that hurt like hell, Suna…." Mako whispered to herself as she pushed herself up and looked around. She was sitting on a sidewalk near a small river that flowed next to her. She looked around and at the direction of the Sun.
"It must be near later afternoon… four, maybe five o'clock?" She questioned herself aloud. She looked down at the ground and picked up the picture of the boy.
"Gezz…. I wouldn't want to forget that… although, that face is a little hard to forget…" She spoke softly to herself looking at the orange haired boy with cocoa eyes that made her blush.
"This may turn out to be a fun mission after all!" She whispered to herself once again.
"Kurosaki Ichigo…. Strawberry?...hehehe, kind of a funny name for a guy…" She smiled looking down at the picture. While lost in thought, abruptly the picture was ripped from her grasp.
"What the Hell-" Makoto screamed and looked up to meet the faces of a group of guys, each looking like they wanted a fight. Well, damn… God forbid she get any peace whether she was on Earth, Earth or well…whatever 'Earth' this was…
-:-
"Stupid dad… Why couldn't he send Karin or Yuzu to pick up the groceries? I have homework to do!" Ichigo audibly complained to himself as he walked down the street heading back to his house, large brown paper bags in hand. He was getting ready to turn the corner then heard, "What the Hell!" screamed by an obviously pissed off girl. He poked his head around the corner, not wanting to interrupt but at the same time know what was going on… Was he ever glad that he did.
-:-
She looked up at the guy who took the picture from her and sneered.
"Look guys, she's got a boyfriend… And it looks like it's the Kurosaki kid. Hehehe, I'm sure after all the times he's pissed us off, he won't mind if we ruffle his girl up a bit, right?" The boy with the shoulder length brown hair spoke to his friends as they laughed eyeing her up and down.
"I'm here for two God damn minutes and I'm already going to have to kick some ass." She growled closing her eyes and rubbing her temples.
"My, my. Is that such a way for a lady to talk, and such an adorable one at that? And, is that what you think cutie? You really think your pretty little self can handle all four of us?" He asked her as she looked up, smirking menacingly.
"No…." She replied then stood up standing level to him.
"I could take ten of each of you. From the looks you've got on your face, it seems like someone's knocked a load of shit outta your face because when I first saw you, I wasn't even sure if you were men." Makoto smirked and watched their faces sneer and Ichigo smirked as he watched from behind the corner. He had to admit, the girl was amusing, but quite stupid.
"Fine, if that's what you want, then so be it." The obvious 'leader' sneered and walked up to Makoto and put his arm around her waist.
"This is your last chance to- Argh!!" He screamed as her fist slammed into his gut and she swung her leg around to kick the side of his head and sent him flying into a pole.
"Pardon; I couldn't quite hear you over the sound of your jaw breaking!" She screamed in a sickeningly sweet voice and turned around just in time to duck from a punch the bigger guy threw at her. Just as she evaded that punch, another was sent towards her. She grabbed his hand and leaned back, quickly spun around in a circle and threw him at the approaching guy knocking them into a fence breaking the wood.
"One left…" She spoke catching her breath and moved into her fighting stance watching every move this guy made, the next thing she new she was off the ground and was being picked up by her collar and slammed against a tree.
"How did he move so damn fast!?" She screamed in her thoughts and grimaced.
"What are you going to do now, little blossom?" He asked as her eye twitched at the name, only Haruka was allowed to call her that.
"What… Did you call me?" She seethed keeping her head hanging low.
"And this is where I come-…In… Damn that girl can fight!" Ichigo whispered to himself and watched in utter shock at her unexpected fighting movements.
"I called you-Ahh!" Makoto had slammed her head into his and grabbed a hold of his collar so that her palms were parallel with his chest and swung her legs forward and then ran her legs backwards up the tree pushing herself over his head and used her momentum to throw him forward about thirty feet away.
"HA! I've been DIEING to try that move on someone for almost a month!" She hissed dusting herself off.
"Not exactly the day to be wearing a skirt is it Mako?" She asked herself then looked around at the damage she had caused.
"Man! I kicked your asses and handed them to you didn-" Makoto's victory dance was cut short by a swift kick on her side, which, God forbid anymore irony, to be the side that was cut open last night by the sword wielding man of the Soul Society. She fell to the ground, the familiar crimson liquid already seeping through her school fuku as she tried to catch her breath.
"It seems like you forgot about me, toots." She heard the man say as she looked up to see his leg swinging back in slow motion to kick her. She tried to move but her side forbad it, and watched as it grew closer and she braced herself to feel the pain but instead heard a body crash around.
"And it seems like YOU don't know how to shut the hell up! Didn't your mother's ever tell you not to hit girls?" She heard another male voice yell and she looked up to see the mans' body crashing to the ground.
Her breathing was still labored and she looked around for her savior and then felt a tight grip on her shoulder. Out of complete reflex and panic, she threw her fist into the person's face and swept her leg across their ankles sending them crashing to the ground. She grabbed their collar and pulled their face close to hers.
"I swear to God I'm going to kill you-"
"What the HELL is your problem!? I just saved your life!" Ichigo screamed and Makoto's face was bright red as her mouth dropped and she let go of his collar. She silently stood, flabbergasted and walked over to the unconscious 'Leader', grabbed her picture and looked back and forth between Ichigo, who was now standing up, and the picture.
"Well… This was simpler than I thought it would be…" She said to herself as Ichigo yelled to her while walking over,
"I asked you a question!"
"Are you Kurosaki Ichigo, by any chance?" She asked ignoring his question with her own, and he was now only a few feet away from her. He looked down at the picture and back at her.
"That's the other thing, why do you have a picture of me?" He asked in a disgusted manner, as if she was come lunatic stalker of some sort. She ignored the attitude at which he spoke to her and distracted herself by looking at him, seeing the bruise on his face beginning to become prominent.
"I need your help Ichigo-San to… to…" She began to feel her body sway back and forth.
"No, no! Not now, just hold on for a few more seconds!" She thought to herself and placed her hand on his shoulder for support.
"Hey… Um, you don't look too good, maybe you should-"
"No, please listen, Ichigo! This is important, you must- you must help… me save my friends…. From the…" She spoke and felt her knees buckle from underneath her and him hold onto her shoulders.
"Hey, girl! Can you hear me!?... Aw, damn it to hell!" He yelled and picked her up rushing back to get the groceries, and heard her whisper,
"The Soul… Society…" He almost tripped over the nonexistent object as he ran when he heard those words fall from her lips. He glanced down at her as he ran to his houses clinic.
"Shit… She's bleeding… That wound, there's no slash mark on her clothing… It has to be from a different fight, but recent." He spoke and ran faster to his house.
-:-
Everything was so soft… Soft and warm, it was so relaxing and tranquil… Her body felt like a stiff board and refused to bend. She sighed and turned over in the bed trying as best as she could to not howl in pain at the slightest movement. She began to hear distant voices.
"But why would the wound be from a sword?... Do you even have any idea who she is?" She heard a male voice speak. Her eyes shot open and she quickly sat up in the bed. Everything was rushing back to her. Hotaru, Rei, the fight, and…
"Ichigo." She whispered and threw the covers off of her body. She tried to stand but fell back onto the bed holding her side in pain.
"Shit… That hurts…" She whispered holding her side gingerly and lifted up her shirt to see a tight bandage around her torso.
"You were lucky that Ichigo got you here when he did. If he was a minute later you would have been dead… are you feeling alright? You were cut pretty deep when we got you…" A diminutive and kind voice asked her as she looked up to see a small little girl with honey blonde hair and eyes the identical color of Ichigo's. Makoto was stunned at first to see such a small girl who looked only to be about eleven or maybe twelve.
"Um… yeah, I'm okay, really. I should be fine in about a day, I guarantee it." Makoto smiled down at the girl and tried to get up more slowly this time but was stopped.
"Please! I don't want you to hurt yourself! That wound was horrible, and if you move too much, you'll reopen it once again." The girl cried holding onto Makoto's arm as she looked down at her with a confused look. Well it wasn't everyday that you met such a caring person out of nowhere! She smiled kindly as she sighed and then lowered herself to the bed.
"Fine… I'm Kino Makoto, who are you?" Makoto asked kindly sitting on the edge of the bed smiling at the girl.
"Kurosaki Yuzu, it's nice to meet you Kino-San." She smiled back.
"Please, just call me Makoto... So, you're Ichigo's sibling? Please tell me, is he here? I must speak with him immediately." Makoto spoke sternly.
"I was just going to tell you the same thing." She heard a voice say from behind and turned to see Ichigo standing in the doorway.
"Yuzu, let me talk to her alone okay?" Ichigo asked as Yuzu stood up and smiled,
"As long as you don't let her stand… I can't have her getting hurt when dad left her in my care, Ichigo." Yuzu lectured and walked out of the room.
"She's always so bossy…" She heard him mumble as he walked over to her and leaned against the wall.
"Who are you, and what do you want with me?" He demanded a bit too callously than she wanted and sneered.
"Kino Makoto, and I need you to take me to a man named Urahara Kisuke and he will train me to be able to enter the Soul Society to save my friends who were taken as prisoners there…" She watched him pause for a minute, his mouth dangling open a small bit. She probably shouldn't have sprung it on him like that so quickly…
"And if I refuse?" He asked and she stood up growling.
"Why would you even say that!? It's not like I'm asking you to rip off your own arm for me! We're talking about saving innocent lives and keeping the destruction of a world from coming!" She screamed flailing her arms about and stopped in mid swing, almost like someone froze her in time.
"Adhh." She gasped and collapsed on the bed breathing heavily. His expression softened somewhat and looked at her holding her side, face distorted into a painful cringe.
"That wound's from one of the Soul Reapers isn't it?" He asked as she looked up and nodded glumly. She bit her lip and smirked mockingly as she began remembering the happenings of two nights ago.
"He came out of nowhere… I didn't have a chance." She answered and looked up at the orange haired boy she needed the assistance of.
"So… Will you help me or not?" She trying to sound stern but ended up looking at him with a pleading expression. She watched him for a while and then he answered,
"Tell me… Where are you from? And what exactly are you?" He asked and watched her stiffen.
"Heh, I could sense you as soon as you entered this world… Your aura is massive and I'm sure I'm not the only one that felt it." He smirked and watched her calm down and then reach for something in her pocket. He watched curiously and attentively as she grabbed a small wristwatch with a strange symbol on the front and flipped it open. He was shocked to hear a voice come from it.
"Mako-chan! Are you alright!? Are you okay!? You should have called sooner! I was so worried that you were hurt! I-"
"Usagi… I need to talk to Setsuna. And I… I'm fine.." She replied smiling at her princess, she would always lie through her teeth to make the golden-haired teen happy.
"Hai, Mako-chan! SUNA! IT'S MAKO; SHE'S ALRIGHT AND WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!" Ichigo and Makoto both sweat dropped at the obnoxiousness of her voice.
"Makoto, what is it? What's wrong?" A more mature voice came from the small device.
"I found Kurosaki Ichigo… He wants to know." She replied and he raised an eyebrow at her statement.
"You may tell him and his friends, they will assist you in your battle, but other than them and Urahara, no one else it to be informed, understood Makoto?" The voice asked and just as she was about to reply the communicator was pulled out of her hand.
"Who the Hell do you think you are to think that I was going to tell her yes?! What if I said no, huh!?" He shouted at the beautiful green haired woman as she smiled.
"Kurosaki-San, I know the past of your mother the present of Kuchiki Rukia, and future of your struggles to save her with Makoto by your side. Good luck on your travels." And then the screen went blank and he stared in awe at the static on the screen.
"Give me that!... I didn't even get to tell her goodbye." Makoto spoke sullenly and went to grab the communicator from him but he caught her hand in a tight grip.
"How did she know all of that about me?" He seethed and she pulled her hand out of his grip as well as the communicator.
"Well, if you'd let me talk, I'd tell you!" She shouted and closed her communicator placing it inside of her pocket; its usual living space.
"Have you heard of the legend of the Sailor Senshi, Ichigo?" She asked and watched as he nodded his head.
"Good, this makes my life simpler. I am Kino Makoto, third in command of the Sailor Senshi, crowned Princess of Jupiter and Sailor Jupiter: Senshi of lightning, nature and protection." She replied and watched his expression change to disbelief.
"Hahahahahaha! That's good! The Sailor Senshi are myths, legends, and even if they did exist they were all killed over a thousand years ago on the moon! The moon you idiot, it's physically impossible!" He replied and looked down at her simmering expression.
"That would be the help of our Sailor Crystals, and are you going to keep talking or listen to what I have to tell you?" She snapped and he looked down at her.
"You're really serious aren't you, you psychotic chick?" He asked her as she nodded, to the response, not his damned name calling. Ignoring his prepubescent ways, she waved him on to continue.
"Fine, tell me what you have to say, but I'm not saying that I'll believe you." Ichigo replied and leaned against the wall as she began telling him everything all the way up to present point.
"I was walking home with Rei and Hotaru… I had promised them that we would go to a movie for Taru's fourteenth birthday and Rei tagged along saying that she needed to get away from the Shrine… We were coming home from the movie and all of the sudden my sight went black and I heard Hotaru scream and Rei shout for me to move… By the time I stood up, they were both gone, but the man was still there. I couldn't see him, but all that I knew was that he had taken them away. I fought like my own life was on the line… but that wasn't enough in the end. I hit him once and got a quick glimpse of his face but it wasn't enough. All I know is throughout the battle; I heard the sound of bells. I will never give up on them, I will get them back and I am the only one that can do it. That is why I need your help… What do you have to say?" She asked and looked at him, and he looked like he was in deep thought. Suddenly he was kicked to the floor and being stepped on. Makoto fell back on the bed trying to keep away from the brawl and watched as a man with dark brown, spiky hair attacked Ichigo and knocked him to the floor.
"I told you to leave the patient alone, and go make dinner!" The man shouted as Ichigo kicked him off and stood up dusting himself off.
"And I said tell Yuzu! I have things to deal with!" Ichigo shouted as the man stood up to see Makoto with large eyes and a huge sweat drop. The man smiled and walked over to her and placed a thumb on her wrist.
"Your heart rate is normal…" He then placed a hand on her forehead as she blushed at the attention.
"And your fever is gone as well. Now, let's check that wound of yours-" He said as he grabbed the bottom of her shirt and she fell off of the bed blushing.
"Hahahahaa… Um, you know that's okay!... I'm fine!" She yelled trying not to show that she really was in horrible pain right now as Ichigo rolled his eyes at her reaction.
"Well, if you say so, but you should stay over night tonight, just to make sure you're alright." He replied and walked over to Makoto and grabbed her hand, pulling her up.
"By the way, I am Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo's father. Are you two acquainted from school?" He asked and Makoto shook her head.
"No actually, I just came here…" She replied with a kind smile as he looked back at Ichigo and said,
"You should talk to her; she seems nice and looks like a keeper!" The man smiled with zest as Makoto blushed and turned away as Ichigo growled at his father's annoying and unless antics. You could almost see a small crimson tint present on his face.
"Okay, okay… Well Miss. Makoto, will you come and join us for dinner?" He asked then paused and turned to Ichigo.
"Oh wait, I forgot… We won't be having dinner since Ichigo decided he was too busy to make it!" He shouted at his son.
"Shut up dad! I said I-"
"I'll make it." Makoto interjected numbly, looking at the two as they stopped in mid rant and stared at her.
"What?" Isshin asked.
"I'll make dinner. I don't mind really." Makoto smiled kindly at the two bickering Kurosaki's as Isshin replied,
"No, there is no need for you to do that Makoto; you might even reopen your wound."
"Please, I'll be careful besides, I would like to repay you for your kindness…" She paused and looked at Ichigo and finished,
"…All of you." She grinned as Isshin looked at her.
"Fine." He replied and she smiled happily in victory. Isshin then turned and looked at Ichigo menacingly while adding,
"But Ichigo must help. You're not getting off that easily!" Ichigo sighed in pure frustrated annoyance.
"Fine." He grumbled and Makoto rolled her eyes at his childish immaturity. Isshin then walked out of the room and Makoto looked up at Ichigo.
"You know what I'm going to ask you." She answered not letting her eyes leave his. He replied by sticking out his hand, a smug look on his face. She smiled grabbing his hand.
"Kino Makoto."
"Kurosaki Ichigo."
"I swear to you Kurosaki Ichigo, that if you cover my back, I'll cover yours." She added as he replied,
"Deal." And so it was.
-:-
"Can you chop any slower; I mean if you can go ahead, I was just wondering if you could that is… I mean it's not like you HAVENT been on the same piece since we started or anything that's-"
"Oh shut up! You do your thing and I'll do mine!" He yelled as she stirred as bowl of batter and rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Well, I'm pretty sure you have to move to do 'your thing'!" Makoto shouted and turned around and booted him out of the way with her hip and took the knife.
"Move over and let me show you how to do this!" She grumbled and looked at the completely butchered potatoes and sighed irritably.
"Okay, look. You have to just peel around the edges, it's not about strength, you have to be gentle and not peel off too much of the insides." She spoke as he watched as she skillfully showed him that it was a piece of cake.
"You get it? Or do I have to show you again?" She asked teasingly as he blushed as she poked fun at his stupidity.
"Just give me the damn thing." He grumbled and took the half peeled potato and began doing it just as she had shown him how and smirked.
"Gezz, I didn't think someone named Strawberry could be so mean and bitter." She giggled and watched as he stiffened.
"For your information, Kino it's spelled "Ichi" as in one and "Go" as in guardian. And I swear if you were a guy, I'd kick your ass right now." He replied as she rolled her eyes.
"Oh, just shut up and peel you potato Strawberry-kun." She replied and giggled at his pissed off expression.
"Oh, come on! Lighten up! We're going to be spending enough time with each other so why not relax and take that constant scowl off of your face for once; it makes you look more welcoming if you do." She added as he scoffed.
"It's not like I can make fun of her name "sincerity of the wood" that's like the most girlish name I've ever heard of!" He thought bitterly to himself.
-:-
Finally, dinner had been accomplished and Makoto actually survived without being brutally batter with the potato knife. She set the food on the table and inhaled the aroma.
"This actually didn't turn out half bad… Ne, Strawberry-kun?" She asked and looked to see Ichigo simmering and sighed.
"Fine! If you're going to act like a baby then I won't call you Strawberry anymore!" She shouted and moved the plates to the table.
"You're the one that's being childish! Who the heck calls people 'Strawberry-kun'!? What kind of a name is that!?" He shouted and she giggled seeing the opportunity.
"Yours apparently." That was it. He was done.
"You know what Kino, I have ha-" Ichigo stopped when someone entered the room, interrupting him as they did so.
"What's your problem now Ichigo? You're always shouting about something." A girl scowled as she sat down at the table and looked at Makoto.
"You're the girl that was hurt aren't you? Are you okay now?" The girl with onyx hair and cocoa eyes asked.
"Um… Yeah, I'm better… Not totally, but I'm getting there." Makoto smiled and took a seat next to her and extended her hand.
"I'm Kino Makoto, so you're Ichigo's other sister I take it?" Makoto asked as the girl shook her hand and replied,
"Karin, and yeah, I am."
"So, is your brother always so melodramatic and angry?" Makoto asked and watched Karin smirk.
"Yeah, pretty much. He's always angry about something lately, though." She replied as Makoto laughed.
"Would you shut up and stop talking about me like I'm not even- Umph!" Ichigo screamed and was knocked to the floor again by his father.
"There will be not fighting at the dinner table, Ichigo!" He shouted then sat down next to a plate that he deemed his own.
"Damn it dad!" Ichigo shouted angrily and plopped down in his chair.
"Ichigo, you really should calm down. It's not good for your health to always be so angry." Yuzu replied and took a seat next to him while he sweatdropped as his eye twitched.
"Let's just eat." He mumbled impatiently.
-:-
"That… Was amazing Makoto!" Isshin shouted happily as he practically licked the plate so much that Makoto began to worry that the ceramic paint might come off. Mako blushed and grabbed the empty plates and walked over to the sink.
"Makoto-san, you don't need to do that! You've done enough by making this wonderful dinner." Isshin protested as Yuzu chimed in,
"That's right, I'll do it."
Makoto ignored them and turned the water to the sink on.
"Really, it's my treat like I said! You guys have helped me, now it's my turn to help you." Makoto smiled and looked over at the steaming Ichigo and smiled as she turned back to the dishes.
"And you should thank Ichigo as well; he helped me out with everything." Makoto added smiling to herself and began scrubbing the plates.
"Not from what I heard… It sounded like he couldn't even boil a potato." Karin snickered while Ichigo fumed.
"Just shut up Karin! Who asked you anyway!?" Ichigo retorted with fury.
"So, where is it that you're staying, Makoto?" Isshin asked as Makoto stiffened and Ichigo had many things flying through his head on how to lie to his father.
"Um… Actually at the moment, I have… nowhere that I'm staying." She replied and began scrubbing the dishes.
"Well, what about your parents? Maybe you should call them to let them know where you are and that you're okay." Isshin protested holding up his finger and suddenly they heard the clanking of dishes in the sink and looked to see that Makoto had sat the dish down and turned around tears in her eyes as she spoke with a smile.
"Um… My, um parents were both killed in a plane crash when I was… When I was seven years old." She spoke and Ichigo along with everyone else in the room became silent out of utter shock.
"And um… I am an only child as well as my parents… And both of my grandparents passed away before I was born…. I've been living on my own ever since…" Makoto spoke and turned around, not wanting these people to see her cry or pity her like everyone else had. She silently cursed herself for letting them see this weakness in her and bit her lip trying to suppress her sobs and watched as her tears spilled down onto the few clean dishes.
"Both of her parents died when she was only seven?... How could she have survived on her own?" Ichigo thought as he watched her form shake and quiver as she tried to cover up her sobs. Abruptly Karin spoke up,
"You saw it didn't you?... You saw it happen right in front of you." She said as Makoto turned around and looked at them and smiled, like everything was okay and tears weren't spilling down her red face.
"Karin…" Yuzu and Isshin hissed but Makoto replied anyway.
"My seventh birthday was coming up and I told my parents that for my present I wanted to go to this amazing Karate school in Osaka… My father, always wanting to please me, said yes on the spot… but my mother told me that I shouldn't go and that I was too young to do something like that… It ended up she said yes and I flew down there by myself and what I didn't like along with my parents was that….. W-was that I would be spending my birthday there without them." Makoto spoke and paused to wipe some of the tears on her face and continued.
"So on the day of my birthday, one of the counselors told me that they needed to take me somewhere for a special birthday present… He ended up taking me to the airport and obviously I had figured out that my parents were coming to see me… A-and as their plane was landing we watched from the wind-dow and…" She stopped an bit her lip and looked up tears now spilling profoundly from her eyes
"And just as they were about to land, I watched something explode on the side of the plane, and then the whole plane exploded and – and fell to the ground right in front of m-my eyes!" She shouted and put her head in her hands and cried and then looked up,
"I-I-'m sorry… Exc-cuse me!" She shouted and ran out the door. For a few seconds no one moved then Ichigo snapped out of it and jumped up.
"Aw, damn it!" He growled and slammed his chair against the wall behind him as he dashed after her in the direction she was in pursuit of. He threw the door open and took off and looked both ways in the street and didn't see any sign of her.
"Shit!" He yelled and took off veering right.
-:-
Makoto didn't know where she was running to or how to get back but all she could think was 'keep running', as all the memories that she had made her self suppress and forget about to keep this from happening, were all coming back. She remembered her father tucking her into bed and kissing her goodnight, she remembered her mother and her fighting over stupid things and she remembered her teaching her the first time how to cook. She stopped and sat down on a bench and cried into her hands.
"Why is everything going so wrong!? We were fine for months then out of the blue this happens!" She cried into her hands then heard something inhale deeply right next to her neck. She froze, her body shaking and trembling while shivers danced along her spine.
"Well, well, well. The delicious soul I've been searching for all day belongs to a beautiful little girl who's crying… they always taste so much more delicious when they're emotional." The thing licked its lips as Makoto stood up and backed away.
"So, you can see me!? Well, this is going to make things more interesting now won't it?" It asked. The monster had to be thirty feet tall and had a spiteful looking mask on its face. Then something came back to her thoughts that Artemis had told her earlier
"There are things that lurk in both of those worlds that are far worse than any Youma you've defeated."
"You couldn't have been anymore right Artemis…" Makoto whispered to herself.
-:-
So, I hope this was up to standards for everyone! And I'm a bit of a newbie to BLEACH so if I messed up on anything, please let me know! I hope this wasn't too horrible for anyone, lol. I really hope you liked it, and I already have most of chapter two written, but it will probably be a while before I update since the next thing I have to update is Written in The Stars and then Desert Rose! You know what to do, review!! Lol! And please ignore my grammatical errors, as always! Love you guys!
-Kat