Childhood
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"That kid is creepy, look at how he smiles."
"Yeah, that's Ichimaru. A bad, bad apple. Heard he killed his whole family in the living world and was stoned to death by the villagers."
"I would believe that. Does he live in this town?"
"No, no one here would take that little creep in. He lives out there somewhere."
"Alone?"
"Of course alone. Who would live with a grinning demon like him?"
"Grinning demon, good description. Really good description."
"Thanks. I try."
Actually it is a good description. I mus' remember that. I'm sure those folks think I would be mighty upset at the stuff they're say'n but I ain't. I know the truth so I don' care what trash like 'em think and they are trash. Not a drop of spirit power between 'em. Me, I got tons. It' a bless'n and a curse. Bless'n cause it gives me power. Power these heap of trash can never imagine. Curse cause it makes me hungry. Seems all I do, day after day, night after night, is go search'n fer food. It gets a bit tier'n, but that' the price ya pay fer power. Life ain't bad. I have an arm full'a hoshigaki, I'm head'n home ta a dry house far from these trash and my li'l fox is all neatly mended and ready ta be cuddled.
Ya, I'm alone. All alone. Have been since I came ta soul society. Don' mind it though. Just dur'n winter. It's so cold! I miss my mom. She was warm. She used ta cuddle me, but she was eaten by a hollow. My father actually. He wasn't a good man when he was alive, turned in ta a hollow after he died. Killed and ate my mom. Tried the kill and eat me. I manage ta run away, only ta die. Can' really remember how. Probably a good th'n. I sometimes wonder what happened ta 'im. Not that I care about 'im but if he's killed by a shinigami, then my mom can come ta Soul Society and maybe I could see 'er again. I would like that. I would really like that.
"But it' ain't so bad, is it Foxy?" I said ta my little stuffed fox that's in my pocket, "I have ya ta cuddle. That' good enough. I wouldn' want ta cuddle with some powerless trash anyway. More trouble then they are worth. The trash."
Maybe I'm deluding myself. Maybe I'm really lonely and I guess it's kinda sad that I'm talk'n ta a stuffed fox and the stuffed fox is all I have fer company bu' ya know what, screw it, screw it all. If I say I'm happy: I'm happy. If I say it ain't sad ta only have a stuffed fox fer talk'n and cuddl'n: it ain't sad. I don' care what anyone else thinks, so it only matter what I think. I... what's that sound. A sigh, it sounded like a sigh. What the... there's someone ly'n in the middle of the road. No, no, there's someone collapsed in the middle of the road. A girl, a pretty girl, a very pretty girl, a very, very, very pretty girl and she has power. I can feel it, it's oozing off of 'er. She's like... she's like me!
I wonder if she collapsed cause of hunger. I did that a few times. Had ta lie there, wait'n and wait'n. Think'n this was it. It was all over. I was gone ta die, but then I got lucky and some bugs would come my way. If I was real lucky a rat or a mice would come ta gnaw on me, think'n I was dead. In the end I was the one who ended up gnawing on them. Ain't the worlds most delicious meal, raw rat, mice or bugs fer that matter but ta survive, ya have ta eat shit sometimes. Although, someth'n tell me that girl ain't will'n ta eat shit ta survive. She's ly'n all wrong. Ya can't lie on ya back. Noth'n will crawl in ta your mouth if ya lie like that. An how would a watch fer bugs or critters? Nay, she's wait'n ta die. I could leave her ta do it, but where would be the fun in tha'.
"Eat up," I said as I held out a piece of hoshigaki, "If ya can collapse due ta hunger, then ya must have spiritual power," I told 'er.
"You... too..." she whispered. 'er voice was so weak but so nice.
"Yep. Me, too. Ichimaru Gin, nice ta meet ya."
"Gin... that's a weird name."
Yeah, it is a weird name, "It's after my hair, at least I think. Don' have anyone I can ask ya know," I told 'er, "Now eat!" she took a bite and chewed slowly. It looked like it hurt 'er ta swallow. When had she last eat'n? I sighed, looks like I might have ta feed 'er, "Yer gonna be a handful ain't ya."
"What's yer name?" I asked after a bit.
"Matsumoto Rangiku."
"Rangiku... that's a nice name. So wha' ya do'n here all alone?"
"I am always alone..." Yeah, I figured as much.
I kept feed'n 'er till she was strong enough ta sit-up and take the food in ta 'er hands. What ta do with 'er now? I couldn' just leave her. That would be a real waste of food cause that girl wasn' someone who could survive on 'er own ferever. I wonder how she survived this long. Nay, I fed 'er food and helped 'er survive the day. If I don' keep 'er with me, I might as well have thrown the food in ta the river, "If ya got no place ta go, ya can come with me. I ain't got much, but I wouldn't mind share'n with ya."
"Really?" 'er face just lit up with a smile. She had a pretty smile. Smile'n suits 'er.
"Yep. Ya ain't trash and ya are the most beautiful thing I have seen around here. I can' leave ya alone, ya would just get hur and it'll all end up being a sad story and I hate sad stories," I told 'er before tak'n 'er hand, they are soft, soft and gentle. I think she's gonna be fun ta cuddle with and that makes me happy. I really am lucky ta find someone like 'er just ly'n on the ground. Life just got real good. No, I don' envy those trash in the town. They don' have my power, they don' have my Rangiku, they don' have anything I wan' bu' I have everything they would wan'.
Author's note: Thanks for reading. Please consider leaving a review. I did make a poster that goes with this fic. You can find it at http:// pics. livejournal. com / tinni / pic / 0004ed7g / g60 It's kind of sappy but I like it.