Sister's of the Soul Society
Chapter 1. A chance meetingA loud noise sounds through the sky as if to warn people that the Greek gods are still alive and were showing their anger. A flash of light warns all around that no one should be outdoors in case they are struck down just like the old stories that one would hear from an older adult in a nursing home one would volunteer at or that one would hear from grandfather when he would come to visit. Some story saying, "I was struck by lightning seven times, once just fixing the roof," and you would say, "Grandfather, how can someone survive from being struck by lightning?" Oh, yes! This day was no different from any other day, except that it was thundering and lightning pretty extremely. A small child is seen walking up and down the riverbank as if he was looking for something, maybe something he lost in the river. Every once in a while, the child would stop, crouch down, and rest for a couple of minutes then go back to searching again. People would walk by and just keep on walking leaving him be.
"Hello, my name is Airi. It means beloved jasmine. Jasmine is a flower, a really beautiful, white flower. Whatcha doin'?"
"Nothing just go away!"
"Oh! I am sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. Besides I know that look. It looks like you are searching for something. I know that is how I was when my father passed away. Now, it's just my brothers and sisters and mother and me. Anyways, bye."
The boy looked as the little girl, named Airi, walked away. She was a small little girl with long black hair and beautiful green eyes. As she skipped away in her bright lavender dress, the little boy thought, "What a nuisance. Acting like she knows my pain." Days would go by, and the little boy would still be found by the riverbank going up and down searching for what was lost. Each day the little girl would return talking to the boy. Each time the boy would reply to her like, "Please go away," or something like, "I want to be alone, go away." He would tell the little girl that each time she would come to talk with him.
Until one day when her reply was, "My father was my entire world too. Sometimes I blame myself, because I believe I am the one who killed him. I took him from my mother and my brothers and sister. All I wanted to do was be someone he could be proud of and help people. I just wanted to make a difference."
"My….my name is Ichigo. Was it really your fault?"
"Yes, I was born on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan. My mother was born in Mexico, and my father was born in Japan. I am half-Mexican and half-Japanese. One day, we were taking a walk outside on a cloudy evening just around a park near a lake. I like lakes. Water has always been my favorite element; it is soothing, calm, and tranquil. Anyways that's not the point. Back to the story, we were walking around the lake when I saw it!"
"Saw what?"
"It was a person looking like he wanted to jump off this bridge that was over the lake. I yelled at him to not do it. My father ran after me as I ran after the boy that wanted to jump. As I ran, my father called after me saying, 'Stop! Come back!' I didn't listen. I ran to the top of the bridge, but it had been raining all night the night before and all day just earlier. The bridge was still wet. I slipped as I grabbed the boy and fell in the lake with the boy. I felt something grab me and realized it was my father. I was somehow pulled out of the water and placed on the outskirts of the lake. My father was by my side. The only problem was he was not breathing, and blood was everywhere. Mother decided to move us from the city where father died, because I wouldn't go to school. I would go back to the place where he died, going all around the lake searching for him, begging that it was not true, and wishing he was still alive. I did the exact same thing you are doing now. Even though we moved, still when I see a lake, I will stop and search for my father."
"That is exactly what happened with me. My mother was beautiful and the sun of our world. I saw a woman looking like she was about to jump, and I also tried to save her. I am not sure what happened, but when I woke, the girl was gone and so was my mother. I just wanted to be someone that my mother could be proud of. I loved her a lot. I just keep thinking that I took everything away from my father and my sisters. I am the reason for our circumstances, our pain, and our sadness."
"Well, Ichigo, you have me, and I know what you're going through. Let us be friends." As the girl was saying this, she held out her hand in a gesture of friendship.
The little boy looked at her hand then he grabbed it. As he was shaking her hand he said, "I would like that very much. Two screwed up kids that are fated to doom."
As the days went on, the little boy, Ichigo, and the little girl, Airi, would meet every day after school by the lake where Ichigo would go back and forth searching for his deceased mother. They would talk every day and helping each other to be strong for their families. Airi would talk about her past, how it was with her father, and things she would do with her family. Ichigo would talk about his friends, school, when he used to go to the dojo. They talked about everything until the sun went down, and they would depart to their homes.
"Ichigo, you are very blunt aren't you."
"Yes, I am that is just how I have to be now to protect everyone that is important to me."
"I like this bluntness. It's a new and improved Ichigo. Different from his cry baby days, isn't he?" As the little girl said this, she was laughing with tears in her eyes.
"Hey! I knew I shouldn't have told you my past."
One rainy day, Airi came crying to Ichigo. "Ichigo, my brothers and my mother, they are gone."
"What happened? What do you mean they are gone?"
"Ichigo, I don't have a lot of time. I need to tell you the truth. My parents and my brothers are now dead, but at the same time, they are not dead. I also still have my sister with me."
"Wait! I don't understand?" What do you mean they are dead but not really?"
"Ichigo, listen to me." As Airi told Ichigo her story, a long story about her past and her true identity, Ichigo just could not believe her. She told him that she has no choice, but she must return to where she belongs. An escort has come from where she and her family are from to come and take her and her sister back to the Soul Society. She told him all that she could in two hours. Ichigo could not believe what he was hearing, but he decided to believe her. In the next minute, a man in a black and white yukata wearing glasses came with Airi's sister by his side. She cried and told Ichigo, "These past two years have been the greatest. Please don't forget me and be strong. Goodbye, Ichigo!"
As the little girl walk away, Ichigo yelled after her saying, "No matter what I won't forget you. I will find you someday, and you will be with me again and free to do what you want." As Ichigo said this, Airi cried and gave a peck kiss on Ichigo's cheek and whispered, "I will be waiting. Remember, you promised."
She walked away with her sister by her side and soon vanished from site. A couple years passed, and Ichigo woke up from sleeping in class thinking, "I wonder why I dreamt of that day." As he is staring outside at cloudy sky thinking about the fun times he had with Airi, he begins to wonder how he was going to keep his promise. Little did Ichigo know that in a couple of hours he would meet someone that could help him keep his promise he made so many years ago…..