Ichigo sighed. It was another boring day at Karakura High school. There hadn't been any hollows about ever since he had defeated the Menos Grande. He sat at his desk, his gaze traveling back and forth from the window to the classroom. Rukia sat next to him, bored and twirling strands of her short black hair through her fingers. An overexcited brown haired boy and a tall tan boy then approached them.
"Ichiiiigooooooo!" The brown haired boy said as he glomped his friend "I have WONDERFUL news!"
Rukia and Ichigo looked up at the two with sudden interest.
"What news is that?" Ichigo asked,
"We have a hot new exchange student coming into THIS CLASS!!!"
The interest left Ichigo's face.
"Do you think about anything other than women, Keigo?"
"But Ichigo!" Keigo spazzed, "think about it! A new cutie in this class is exciting! Isn't that right, Chad?"
He turned to the tall boy with an eerie smirk about his face.
Chad peered through the hair in his eyes.
"I guess so." He responded in a deep and almost emotionless voice.
Miss Ito then entered the classroom. "Everyone take your seats."
The boys rushed to their desks.
"Class, today we have with us a transfer student, please welcome Miss Furiae Asato."
The class leaned forward eagerly in their seats searching for this 'mysterious exchange student'. A few seconds passed by, then the seconds slowly morphed into minutes.
"Um…Teacher, there is no one here." Stated a miscellaneous student.
"I am aware that there is no-one present in the classroom." The Female teacher grossed, she then turned to the door and placed the hand holding the roll on her hip saucily.
" Miss Asato, please enter the classroom and introduce yourself to your classmates"
The Class jumped as they heard heavy breathing on the other side of the sliding door.
A hunched figure wearily entered the room she was a girl of about average height with dark red hair pulled back into a ponytail. The colour of her eyes remained a mystery since it seemed the texture of her shiny black shoes had captured their attention.
"My Name is Furiae Asato."
The class leaned forward as a collective whole to hear her voice that continued to get smaller and smaller.
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.
"You can call me Furiae, or if-f you want Fuu-chan…"
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.
" I like to-"
The class jerked their heads to the right sharply as the sliding door opened with a slam.
Everyone, except Furiae who looked agitated, stared, astonished at the figure that busted through it.
"Waiiit Pweaase! I'm in this class too!" The figure marched up to the teacher and thrust a note at her and promptly bowed.
"Teacher, forgive me for being late. I was held in my morning prayers to my rice god."
The teacher dropped the roll as a cold wind blew through the class. " Excuse me?"
The figure turned to the class and pointed to his chest dramatically. "I AM UMOMOTO YAE and I am honored to study with you this year." He placed his right hand over his heart as if pledging his undying loyalty. "From this day forward I promise to serve and honor class F-3 with all my heart."
"However," Yae wrapped his left arm around Furiae. "Any of you lay your hands on my precious Fuu-chan and I will kill you." Yae narrowed his pitch black eyes.
The sigh of the class was a sign that he had already created himself a prominent fan-base.
Miss Ito pulled herself out of her shock and scanned the contents of the student roster again before approaching Yae sternly.
"Yae, you are not on the roll for this class.
"B-but" he bit his lip and released Furiae so that he could instead poke his two pointer fingers together." I am destined to be in this class."
Yae took his right hand and dug through his pocket pulling out the crumbs of the fortune cookie. "My fortune says so."
The teacher snatched the fortune away and read it aloud,
"You can not give a man a fish, you must first teach him how to fish. Your lucky numbers are 4,7,3,5,18."
Miss Ito crumbled the cookie in her hand. "This does not say-"
"Um, Teacher, where do I sit?" the teacher blinked her face losing all of it's contours of rage fell.
" Oh Miss Asato, you can sit by Mister Ishida."
Furiae looked up and caught the eyes of the raven-haired boy. She blushed heavily and glanced down as she made
her way through the isles.
"Now Yae I can't make any promises but I'll discuss this matter over lunch with you. For now please-"
"How about right here Teacher?" The class started once more as Yae appeared in the seat behind Furiae.
Then the bell rangYae Skipped merrily through the door until the claw of the teacher pulled him back roughly.
"Ack!"
"Now, I know you weren't trying to escape when we have some serious issues to discuss, Mister Umomoto." Miss Ito glared, a flame spluttering in the pits of her eyes.
Yae held out his hand and sobbed." Run Fuu-chan, save yourself!"
Furiae scoffed and turned her back on the eccentric teenager.
" It's your fault. If you would just have let me go to class by myself…" Furiae whipped her head around a jaunted down the hall.
Yae hung his head. "Look what you've done. Fuu-chan…my darling baby."
A solitary tear glittered the splashed gently onto the floor.
Furiae gripped the railing as she slowly ascended the stairs to the roof. The shy girl opened the door and squinted as the bright sunlight fell on her face. Furiae was disappointed when she saw that her classmates Ichigo, Ishida, Chad, Rukia, and Keigo already occupied the roof.
"Umm, I'm sorry I was just leaving."
The whole group looked at the petite girl. They heard a quiet voice say something then she backed away closing the door. Keigo sprang to his feet and ran to her.
" WAIT! Pretty laaady, please don't leave us alone."
Furiae whipped her head back and forth as if looking for something.
" Pretty lady?"
Keigo gave thumbs up and smiled charmingly. "Yes you're very nice."
"Keigo stop being a freak." Ichigo looked up from his sprawled position on the roof and took a sip from his juice box.
"But Ichigo!" the brown haired boy whined, "She's so pretty! Can't she stay?"
Ichigo ran his fingers through his messy orange hair.
"I don't care I-."
Rukia who was smiling had cut him off. "Why hello there!" She walked up to the shy girl in greeting. "I'm Rukia Kuchiki."
"Oh, umm, nice to meet you Miss Kuchiki." Furiae bowed politely. "I'm Furiae Asato."
Rukia had an expression of amusement on her face. She turned around to the rest of the group.
"Well, aren't you going to introduce yourselves?"
Keigo suddenly grabbed the coy redhead's hand and kissed it gently making her blush.
"I'm Keigo Asano. I could possibly be the man of your dre-"
The orange haired punk stood up and conked the manic brunette on the head.
"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. Ignore my friend Keigo. He's just a creep who flirts with every woman he sees."
"Ichiiiiigoooo," Keigo whined "how can you be so cruel to your best frieeeeend?"
Ichigo ignored Keigo's pleas and continued.
"That guy over there is Chad," he pointed to a buff, tan, and rather tall, boy whose hair shaded his eyes. The boy silently held his hand up in a charming and welcoming manner.
"And he," Ichigo pointed toward a secluded boy with glasses, "is-"
"Uryu Ishida" the boy said coldly. He turned to Furiae with an icy stare
"You should know my name by now since we sit next to each other in class."
"O-oh, yes." She replied, somewhat intimidated by Ishida's cold eyes. "It's very nice to meet all of you, really but I don't want to be a bother so I'll just be on my way."
She shyly began to back away from them until her back was against the door.
"Oh nonsense!" Rukia said dragging Furiae by the hand back toward them, with a smile still plastered on her face.
"Come and join us for lunch!"
Furiae looked warily at the group.
"But, I don't even have a lunch."
Ichigo took sip of his juice and then stopped as he felt glares on his back.
"What?"
"Ichigo, why don't you offer her some of your lunch?" Rukia answered Ichigo's glare with one of her own.
"Fine." A little bead of sweat ran down ichigo's face as Rukia's eyes hardened resembling two simering coals.
" All I have is this spare bento."
Ichigo produced the lunch box lazily.
'WHAT THE HELL DOES HE MEAN THAT'S ALL HE HAS?!' was everyone, minus Furiae and Chad's, collective thought.
The bento had three levels stacked one on top of the other, and the outside surface sweated from the condensed steam
of the inside goods.
Furiae rubbed the back of her head.
"Um, it's okay, really. I usually don't eat lunch."
The group looked intently at the nervous redhead. Rukia then snatched the bento box and offered it to her.
"Oh please, there's no need to be shy. Eat all you want!"
"Wha? Hey! That's MY lunch you're talking about!" Ichigo scowled
"N-no I must really insist tha-Mmffm" She was suddenly muffled with a dumpling. Ishida had force fed it to her mouth
with his chopsticks.
"Your lack of confidence is annoying, it's polite to accept a gift when it's offered." He stared hard into the girl's light blue
eyes.
Furiae nodded her heads hesitantly and took the chopsticks after she chewed and swallowed the food.
"O-okay "
She bowed deeply to the stern boy, partly so no-one could see her eyes welling up with tears.
WHAMP
"Oh dearest Fuu-chan where be you!"
Everyone turned nervously away from the scene between Fuu-chan and Ishida and wearily watched as the happy figure
of Yae merrily skipped on the roof, his black hair bouncing excitedly." Fuu-chan guess what I can stay in the-" Yae stopped
dead and the roof became quiet.
"I smell tears."
Yae brought his head up and narrowed his eyes at the still bowing Furiae, then his eyes pratically
melted off his face as he glared at the person that she was bowing to.
Furiae erected herself quickly. "Yae, you see it's not-" she blinked in shock as Yae suddenly appeared with an arm
around Ishida's shoulder.
"Ahhh, I see Fuu-chan's making friends." Yae smiled happily with an almost insane edge to it .
"Fuu-chan you outdid yourself this time! This girl is the prettiest one I've ever seen. But I do not understand why she wears a boy's uniform." Yae squeezed Ishida's shoulders tightly.
Ishida smacked off Yae's hands. " You'd do well not to insult me or my honor. I am a man."
Yae scoffed holding his injured hand. "Are you sure about that? With your prissy manner I definitely had you pegged as a girl." He grinned."A girl that can't dress but one none the less."
"What is it with males and their egos?" Rukia asked herself while shaking her head as she watched from the sidelines.
"Hmmm, maybe when this is over I can get my bento back." Ichigo grabbed his head in pain as Rukia smacked him.
"What the hell was that for?!"
"Moron." Rukia crossed her arms and turned away.
"Kukkukuku, maybe Yae and Ishida can kill each other off and I can have the lovely Fuu-chan all to myself! Yes, very nice."
Keigo rubbed his hands and laughed evilly.
Ishida gritted his teeth." You should be one to talk. With your hair and physical stature you make an example of the ideal woman."
Furiae stiffened.
"WOW! Really? Thanks!" Yae clasped his hands together excitedly. "Fuu-chan, forget whatever I said. This person is super nice. You two must get married straight away!"
Ishida lunged forward and lifted Yae by the scruff of his shirt."Stop playing around!" he yelled. His glasses glinted
ominously.
"Wow, man calm down." Ichigo ran to his friend "No bento is worth this...well some are."
Chad almost made a move to intervene, however everyone stopped dead as they heard a resounding smack echo
along the chain link fence.
"Stupid! Why do you have to act like this! Ishida did nothing to me. I was being impolite and refused a gift. Stop jumping
to conclusions." Furiae's eyes watered and her bottom lip trembled as she stared down at the sprawled figure of Yae.
Yae rubbed his cheek tenderly, his eyes betraying his heart before he rose to his feet and promptly kneeled down in front of
Ishida.
"What the hell?" Ichigo reached Ishida's side and stared down at the flamboyant figure.
Furiae glared back at Yae as she walked to the door that led back into the school.
"I'm...I'm tired. I'm going home." She whispered
Keigo followed her to the door.
"Wait! You can't leave, its still school hours!"
Furiae pushed him out of the way and made her way through the door. Yae looked up from his position on the ground and
realized Furiae's disappearance.
"Oh no! My Fuu-chan is MISSING!" Yae flailed about worriedly.
"Wha-what am I gunna dooooo!?!?"
Ishida adjusted his glasses and turned his back on him.
"Hm. You should've treated her with more respect." He looked back at Yae who now had a frightened look on his face.
"She could be hurt, or dead, or even..." Yae's thoughts trailed into the darkest gutter imaginable. He suddenly sprang to
his feet.
He sprinted towards the door, but then stopped as he faced everyone on the roof and bowed.
"Sorry for the touble but I must go find Furiae now." with that he ran down the stairs.
Rukia outstretched her hand.
"Wai-"
However she dropped it seeing as Yae was already gone. A silence fell over everyone, most just trying to come to grips with what happened. Keigo shifted uncomfortably before balling his fists and jumping up.
"Hey what are we standing around for, we should help Yae search for Fuu-chan."
Ichigo shrugged his shoulders nochalantly. Rukia bit her lip worringly for a minute before looking up and nodding her head in comfirmation, Chad agreed and Ishida-
"No."
"B-but Ishi-chaaaan!" Keigo flew over to Ishida to try and glomp his arm, however he was held at bay by Ishida's hand.
"No, they came up here and disturbed us." Ishida used his free hand to push up his sliding glasses. "Further more we don't know them. Why must we extend them any services of help?"
Rukia marched up to him and started to poked him in the chest. "I think the right thing would be to help them."
He released Keigo and making him fall to the floor.
"Once again, it's not any of my business."
Rukia scowled her features hardening sharply.
"Well, I didn't know it was a part of your honor code to make little girls cry."
Ishida's eyes widened slightly before relaxing again, and moment of silence passed.
"Fine, I will help search for the fool and his pet."
Keigo sprang to his feet
"ALRIGHT! search party!."
Ichigo rolled his eyes and sighed, " Keigo you need to go back to class and make up an excuse for us."
Keigo visibly crumpled,"Bu-t-b-uttttt, I wanted to search for the pretty lady too!"
"Don't you think the teacher will get supicious if we all disappear suddenly? someone needs to give her some excuse."
"But Ichigo! What do I say?" Keigo held up his hands and started to wiggle back and forth.
Rukia, Chad and Ishida started to make their way out of the door, Ichigo shifted his eyes to glance at them, then turned them back at Keigo. "I don't know tell her that my bento poisoned everyone or something."
With that he walked out of the door joining the search party for the shy girl and her eccentric guardian.
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"Aaachoo!" Orihime sneezed cutely, bringing the edge of her sleeve to cover her cheeks and watery eyes."Goodness, I just hate these colds."
She walked out of the store carrying her shopping bag full of Leeks, octipi, chocolate, and other miscellanious food stuffs.
Orihime glanced up at the stormy sky.
" Hmmmm. This is no good, it looks like it's going to rai-"
The bag fell onto the concrete spilling it's contents and Orihime landed on her butt.
"Owwie." she looked up to see who she bumped into.
Furiae blushed in embarrasment at the girl that she bumped into. She kneeled down and scrambled to gather all the spilled items." I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!!!"
Orihime smiled. "That's alright! Accidents happen." She began to recover her dropped items.
She looked up at the girl who had bumped into her. Orihime realized she was wearing the uniform of her school.
"Oh, you go to my school!" She exclaimed as she finished picking up her groceries and placing them back in their bags.
"Yeah, I just started going there today." the girl answered as she stood up.
"Well if you started school today then why aren't you there?"
"Well...I...needed some fresh air. And what about you? You're not in school either."
"I've got this nasty cold." Orihime sniffled. "But I needed to go shopping today so I'm trying to tough it out a little."
She sneezed lightly, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "So, I don't believe you've told me your name."
"Furiae Asato."
"Oh! That's a pretty name. My name is Orihime Inoue."
Furiae smiled a little. This girl seemed awfully nice.
"Nice to meet you Miss Inoue." She bowed politely.
Orhime grinned back. "Well I should be going now. I still have lots of shopping to do! It was nice meeting you!" She said as she walked away.
Furiae walked along for a few minutes. She looked at her surrounds and realized that she didn't know where she was, or where she was going.
"Oh no...I'm lost again." She sighed.
All of a sudden, a shiver ran down her spine. Furiae felt an immense pressure come over her body.
"N-no…not now..."
The sky became black as mask was formed around her face. Turning around the girl met face to face with a large black monster. It shared a similar mask as the one that had fashioned itself on her face.
"What do you want with me?" she growled at the beast, her eyes becoming a deep blood red that shone through the shell on her face.
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Ishida and Yae ran side by side, one looking down the alleyways the other looking into shops.
"I told you Ishida Furiae is more likely to go to the park, she doesn't like busy places." Yae growled angrily at him.
"And I keep telling you that the nearest park in to far for her to get to without her being spotted by a truent officer."
"So you think it's much less supicious if they see a highschool student walking around shops doing school hours?" Yae asked sarcastically.
"People would be more likely to believe that she is there with a mother or a father, having left the school early." Ishida stopped and asked a lady if she saw anyone that fit Furiae's description.
"Someone would have to have a family to lose them."
Yae looked up at the sky, and saw the dark clouds start to gather.
"That's not good, Fuu-chan doesn't do well in thunderstorms."
Ishida walked back to Yae's side.
"That lady hasn't seen Miss Furiae either."
"Ishida-Kun!"
Ishida whipped around to spot the person that called him, and he blushed heavily once he realized that it came from none other than Orihime Inoue.
"Ishida-Kun," Orihime jogged up to the both of them panting slightly as she tried to catch her breath."What brings you here today," she frowned slightly,"Hey, Ishida-kun aren't you suppose to be in class?"
Ishida coughed into his hand to try to hide the colour of his face," No miss Orihime, we are looking for someone." He gestured to himself and Yae.
"Oh!" Orihime stared at Yae like she just realized that he was there. "How rude of me I haven't introduced myself." She bowed,"my name is Orihime Inoue. What is your name?"
Yae dazedly looked at the cheery girl, "Hmm. Oh sorry, yes I am Umomoto, Yae Umomoto."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Yae-kun."
Yae smiled slightly at Orihime before looking at Ishida.
"Ishida we need to hurry up and find Furiae before the thunderstorm hits."
Orihime's eyes widened.
"Do you mean Furiae Asato?"
Yae looked at Orihime."Miss, how do you know Fuu-chan?"
Orihime put one finger on her chin.
"Well, I bumped into her by Miss Aikio's store, the one at the end of the district."
Ishida watched as Yae got directions from her, then his heart started to beat harder.
"No, I thought Ichigo and I took care of that tear." Ishida thought as he looked to where he felt the immense pressure.
'"That's the direction of Miss Aikio's store!"
He ran.
"Thank you miss Orihime--HEY wait Ishida!" Yae turned and yelled at the fleeing figure.
bum-bump
"No…" Yae's pulse raced as he began to run after Ishida
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Two masked figures stared at each other, until the larger one lunged toward the smaller one.
"Not today!" the smaller figure rolled to the right making the larger smash into the side of a small shop.
"If I stay here this hollow might put other's in danger. Come-on think Furiae, think!"
The smaller hollow, now identified as Furiae, spotted an old cemetary and made a mad dash toward it. The large Hollow quickly followed after her.
"Damnit! Of all times why does a hollow show up now." Ichigo frowned as he ran to where he sensed the creature.
Rukia frowned as she ran beside him.
"Why did you follow me anyway."
"Furiae is still missing. I can look while you go to defeat the hollow."
Ichigo shrugged and accepted the excuse.
"It's because I have a bad feeling about all of this."
Ishida skidded to a halt as he entered the cemetary.
"I know I felt it--aha!"
Ishida pulled back his arm and began to form his attack, straining slightly because he had not yet healed fully from fighting the Menos Grande.
The attack glowed a vibrant blue as it hit the large hollow's head. The hollow then howled before it dissolved completely. Ishida narrowed his eyes as he saw the smaller hollow, he pulled his arm back for another attack. Furiae's eyes widened behind her mask as the Quincy fired a bright charge of energy at her. She ran, dodging it, until she was backed against a tree. The hollow girl dove to the left as he fired another arrow at her. The attack hit the tree instead making smoke rise from the bark. Ishida chased after Furiae, firing an attack at her legs. His arms spasmed slightly making his attack's energy decrease. Furiae collapsed on the mulch covered ground. She turned and looked as his shadow fell upon her. Her heart beat even harder.
"No, this this is it. Mother….Father…Yae…I'm so sorry."
She closed her eyes tight not wanting to witness what was going to happen. Ishida stood over the hollow and pulled his arm back.
"This is it. Prepare to die you filthy beast." He said angrily before he releasing an arrow.
thump
Ichigo and Rukia stopped as they reached the cemetary.
"The Hollow is suppose to around here somewhere right Rukia?" Ichigo looked down at her. "Rukia?"
"N-no, somethings not right…" Rukia stared, eyes quivering in fear as she stared at one figure over the other.
"What...hey is that Ishida?" Ichigo brought his hand up to wave,"He-"
thump
Ichigo's eyes widened, his pulse going still. Rukia beside him tried to stiffle her sobs.
Furiae breathed heavily. "W-wait I'm not dead.."
She opened her left eye and saw the ground, "But, I thought I heard him release the attack."
Furiae opened her other eye.Her vision began to fill with tears, and her breathing became ragged and hot,
"N-no!".
Ishida held his arms infront of him, almost as if they were frozen in place. "Yae...why."
Yae smiled back at him blood spilling from his lips dripping down his chin to fall on the floor.
"WHY DID YOU SAVE IT!?" Ishida yelled bringing his hands down by his sides.
Yae tried to say something but gurgled on his own blood, he brought his hand to the hole in his chest, he collapsed infront of the hollow.
Furiae crawled to the figure of Yae,
"Dead, dead, DEAD!!!!"
Her body started to shake violently, Her hands coming to grasp the sides of yae's seemingly sleeping face.
all became quiet….before she screamed in rage. Her body began to grow, her skin blackening and filling with sinew. Her limbs began to grow longer and her hair became a violent white.
Ichigo and Rukia appeared beside Ishida, Ichigo grabbed Ishida's shoulder,"what did you do!" all three of them fell to the ground when the figure released an earpiercing howl, they watched as it lifted the limp body of Yae off the ground.
Ichigo struggled to stand under the oppressive weight of the hollow's power, he pulled out his sword and pointed it to the hollow.
"Hey ugly put him down!"
The hollow turned it's sorrowful red eyes on the group of three.
Ichigo moved as if he was about to attack, however he was stopped by Rukia's hand.
"No, Ichigo. Listen!"
Ishida stared at the creature that looked into his eyes.
Rukia sitffled her sobs.
"Its--she's saying Yae...guys that's Furiae."
Rukia stared behind the hollow.
"It's..."
"What's the matter. " Ichigo and Ishida looked to where Rukia pointed and stared wide eyed as a door appeared out of thin air.
"Soul Society!"