A final blow was delivered to the monster; a single stab in the neck by one Sai. It shrunk back to the size of a normal, potentially harmless snake and slithered silently away.
Something cold fell on Ichigo's face, running slowly down her cheeks. She tried to open her eyes but the cold substance travelled into them, blurring her vision.
Rubbing her eyes with her fingertips, Ichigo came to her senses and realized that it was just water. She sat up and looked at her surroundings, not knowing where she was. A small creek flowed beside where Ichigo was sitting. The water was crystal-clear. The grass grew a healthy green and a few tiny flowers blossomed here and there. This was nothing like the Tokyo Ichigo knew... This was like...
Ichigo bent over the glass-like creek, mezmorized by her own reflection. It's beautiful... She dipped a hand in the water and felt the cool current. ...Like Heaven.
"Oh, you're awake," a familiar voice said behind her. Ichigo froze. She knew that voice; she knew it all too well. But... she thought he was...
Soft footsteps came closer to her and she still didn't move a muscle. "You okay, koneko-chan?" Kisshu squatted down behind Ichigo and waited a few seconds before tapping her on the shoulder.
"Eek!" Ichigo's cat ears and tail sprouted and she ran and hid behind a conveniently placed Sakura tree. "G-g-g-g-gh-gh..." she was trembling.
"What?" Kisshu looked slightly confused. He stood up and started walking towards Ichigo.
She peeked at him from behind the tree. "I-I-I'm sc-scared of... of... g-gh-ghosts!"
"Ghost? Where?" he was even more puzzled.
Ichigo pointed at Kisshu, her finger shaking. Kisshu looked over his shoulder to see if she may have been pointing at someone else, but no one was there. Laughing, he said, "Me? Oh no, no, koneko-chan. I'm not a ghost! See?" He gently grabbed both of her hands and she calmed down a little.
"Kisshu?"
"It's been a long time, Ichigo. You've grown into quite a pretty young lady," Kisshu wore that devilish smirk of his.
"U-um, uh... Thank you?" Ichigo blushed. She found herself getting lost in his cat-like amber eyes.
"My lips have been lonely," Kisshu teased. Ichigo's face turned beet-red. He hasn't changed one bit.
Kisshu held Ichigo's chin in his hand. She knew what he wanted, and part of her wanted to let him. She allowed her desire to take over and closed her eyes.
But then something crossed her mind. She was faithful to Aoyama-kun! If Ichigo willingly kissed another guy... She couldn't live with herself! Just when Ichigo felt Kisshu's breath on her face, she gently pushed him away.
"No. I, I can't..." Ichigo shook her head.
Kisshu frowned. "Why not?"
Ichigo turned her back towards him. "You know perfectly well 'why not.'"
"You're... still with Masaya," Kisshu sighed.
Ichigo turned around without answering. Instead she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "Maybe it just wasn't meant to be, Kisshu," she said. "But then again, you never know when the tables will turn."
The two of them stood in the hug for a long time. "Um... Ichigo?" Kisshu said. "Are you gonna get off of me now?" When Ichigo didn't reply, he realized she'd fallen asleep. She must be exhausted. Ah, well, might as well take her back to her home planet...
Kisshu picked Ichigo up and teleported to her bedroom and lay her down on the bed. Maybe I'll stay here for awhile; at least until Ichigo wakes up. He opened the bedroom window and sat comfortably on the window sill. The breeze is nice.
Maybe it just wasn't meant to be, Kisshu. He thought about that for a moment. As much as he loved Ichigo, maybe she was right. But then again, you never know when the tables will turn. What did she mean by that, exactly? She would always be with her "true love", Masaya Aoyama, right?. Was it even worth it for Kisshu to try to win her over? It had been three years, and Ichigo and Masaya were still together. Face it, Kisshu. You'll never get the girl. He thought. Sometimes he just wanted to give up.