Chapter 2: Death and Strawbe- Ichi-nii.
Hana POV
Today is a nice day, Ichi-nii and I were walking together as normal when we noticed some skate boarders knock over flowers meant for someone who passed. I frowned, how could people be so mean? Ichi-nii kicked the skateboarder in the face and made him fall. I am not one for violence but these people deserved it for disturbing the dead. "What the?! You two suddenly appear and you kick over Yama-Bro, plus you want us to get out of here!?" "What are you thinking? You wanna die? Huh!?" Ichi-nii glared at the man, my eyes narrowed the slightest at him. "Say something, you…" I tugged on Ichi-nii's sleeve and he kicked the man in the face without trying. "Toshi-Bro's down!" I smiled up at my "big" brother and kept my hands around his arm. "D-don't know what's going on but this is dangerous… I've never seen such irrational violence…" One of the man's friends said, frowned and pouted. You're the ones that caused it in the first place. "That guy's definitely one of those… If we fight with him, we'll be killed for sure….!" Ichi-nii pushed the one who was speaking to the ground with his foot, "Shut up already! All of you guys look over there!" I walked over and kneeled next to the spilled flowers. "Question 1! What the heck can that be!? Ok you over there, the stinky looking one!" The man Ichi-nii was addressing mumbled something like "Who me?" before he went to answer. "U…Umm… An offering to the kid who died here recently…" Ichi-nii kicked him in the face and he fell over backwards, I slowly began to pick up the flowers. "Question 2! Then why is the vase… knocked over?" "Th… That's cuz we knocked it over… skateboarding…?" I finished rearranging the flowers, "I see… Then shouldn't you apologize to her!?" I stood and walked up behind the ghost of a little girl that had pigtails. "I'm sorry I'm sorry!" "I'm sorry, I won't do it anymore. I'm sorryyy!" The two began screaming and running away, I have to say that it was annoying, I didn't show it though. In some cases emotions could be weaknesses. Ichi-nii and I turned to the little girl, "If we scare them this much they probably won't come around here anymore." I nodded and smiled at her, the dear was awfully cute despite the blood. "Sorry 'bout that, using you this way." "Nah I'm the one who asked you two to chase them away, I have to cooperate at least this much." She turned her attention to me, "Thank you for fixing the flowers." I nodded, "Well then, bye we'll bring you new flowers soon." "… Ok thanks you two. Now I can spend my time quietly." Ichi-nii began waving over his shoulder and I began walking backwards so that I could wave at her. "You're welcome hurry up and go to heaven." Ichi-nii and I walked home together. "You're very nice, Ichi-nii." He smiled down at me and put a hand on my head, "Yeah yeah, whatever. It's been a while since you've talked, even to me." I sighed and did a little twirl for the fun of it, "Oh well, I prefer not to use my voice when I don't have to but if I don't speak to you then you get worried about me." He huffed and smirked, "Pretty big words, "little" sis." I blinked and made sure to turn my back to him. "If you want, you can put some flowers from my garden out for her…." Instead of walking inside I walked out to my garden, Otousan was going to be mad at Ichi-nii for being late. I began to water and fertilize the plants in my garden and noticed a strange new flower. It was beautiful, a black rose with a type of aqua green at the tips of each petal. "Wow…." Next to it was a baby blue and white daisy. I had never seen flowers like this before. "So strange…." I lightly touched the petals of each flower and smiled. The rose was so much softer than the daisy. I sat down and took a sketchbook out of the bag I always carried with me so that I could begin drawing the flowers. I smiled at my sketches and took out my markers so that I could color them. Things like these flowers have been appearing more often lately and often disappear just as I finish drawing them. I finished my coloring and looked up, as was now normal the flowers were gone. What do these things mean? It must have something to do with my "psychic ability". I lay back on the grass and looked up at the sky, so pretty… What would it feel like to glide through it on wings like a bird does? What would it feel like to be free of the chains of life like a ghost? I giggled a little at my thoughts; Ichi-nii didn't very much like my random questions like this at times. I walked inside as Otousan began speaking to a large portrait of Okasan again; I smiled and walked up to Ichi-nii's room. "Jeez… Why's everyone in our family like that…" "Not everyone is, Ichi-nii." He just sighed at me and something flew past the two of us, it was a butterfly that looked like the one I drew a few nights ago. "…? A black swallowtail butterfly…? What is this? Where'd it come in from-" The butterfly turned into a pretty girl, I jumped up and held onto Ichi-nii's arm. "…Wha…" The woman didn't seem to notice us, she stepped forward, "It is near…!" Ichi-nii kicked her so that she flew to the wall. ""It is near…" My ass, retard!" The woman seemed surprised. "Eh!? You're a pretty confident burglar. By "It is near…!" do you mean that like the safe is near or something!?" I hugged Ichi-nii's arm, I'm not the best with strangers. "Y… you… can see me…? I mean to say, did you just kick…" "Huh? What the heck are you talking about? Of course I can see…. Hana can see you too…" Ichi-nii was kicked by Otousan; I blinked in surprise though I should have seen it coming. "Be quiet Ichigo! Don't make a ruckus on the 2nd floor!" Ichi-nii fought back and kicked Otousan in the face, which seemed to be one of his favorite things to do. "You be quiet! How can I not make a ruckus! Look at this guy! What the heck is going on with the security in this house!?" Otousan seemed confused; could he not see the girl? "Hmm? What do you mean look… Look at what?" Maybe he couldn't see her… Ichi-nii jabbed his thumb in her direction. "Huh? I'm talking about this samurai-costumed…" "It is useless. It is not possible for ordinary men to see me. I am….. A "shinigami.""
We had now been explained to what the girl was and why she was here. "… I see. So you're a shinigami… And you came from a place called the soul society to exterminate an evil spirit. Ok! I'll believe you! What about you Hana?" I put a finger to my lip and shrugged but Ichi-nii stood up and flipped the table over. "… Yeah right, like I could believe that, retard!" I flinched; Ichi-nii was sometimes too much for me. "You... You can see ghosts but you do not believe in the existence of Shinigami!" "Of course not! Unfortunately, I've never seen a shinigami I don't believe in things I can't see." Oh Ichi-nii, sometimes he's just too stubborn. "Dad couldn't see you so I'll acknowledge the fact that you're not human however, quit the shinigami crap. Got it, you little brat?" He pushed her head forward and I raised my hands ready to stop him. "You have spewed nonsense…" She pointed two fingers at him, "First restraint! Obstruction!" Ichi-nii's hands seemed to become trapped behind his back; I squeaked and flinched away from him in fear. "Ow ow ow ouch!" She was standing up with her foot pushing him down, I stared on in fear. "Y… You… What'd you do…!" "Fufu… You cannot move! This is called Demon Form and it is an advanced incantation only shinigami's can use!" I gulped, okay I believe her now. "Even though I look like this I have been alive almost 10 times longer than the two of you have. And you dare call me a little brat? Usually, I would kill fellows like you," I gulped again and inched closer so I could grab onto Ichi-nii if I needed to. "But spiritual law states that one cannot kill humans they have not been ordered to kill. I will have to be content with just sealing your movements, give thanks you little brat and…"She pulled out a sword and stabbed it downwards; I wanted to scream but stopped myself. There was a man beside Ichi-nii and her sword had pierced his forehead. "Wha…?" I crawled a little bit closer and looked at the man. "N… no… I… Don't want to go to hell yet…!" She pulled the blade from the man, "Do not fear the place you are headed to is not hell it is Soul society. Unlike hell, it is a peaceful place." The man began to sink into a vortex kind of thing. I couldn't help but smile at the way she spoke; doesn't everyone want to go to a peaceful place? I can't think of one person that I know who would willingly go to hell. (Melody: Except me! Author: Go back to your own story Melody! This is Hana's story not yours and isn't Sebastian worried about you? Melody: *Gasp* you're right! I'm coming Sebastian! *Runs off.*) The last thing to disappear of the ghost was his foot and two butterflies like the one from before appeared from it. Ichi-nii looked over his shoulder nervously, "… Wh…. What happened to that ghost…?" I put my hands on Ichi-nii's shoulder and looked down at the spot in the floor. "I sent him to the Soul Society it is called Soul Burial. In your language I believe you call it "going to heaven" it is one of a shinigami's duties." I looked up at the girl and smiled, she's not too bad after all. "I guess I shouldn't even ask if you finally believe me or not." I shook my head and whispered in Ichi-nii's ear, he sighed and spoke for me. "Hana believes you…." "Good but to you I will kindly explain with illustrations so that even a brat like you can understand. Shut up and listen." I giggled, normally it was Ichi-nii giving orders to others but now he was getting them. "Now, in this world there are 2 types of spirits." I began paying close attention, this could be very interesting, "One is called Plus and is the most common spirit, you can say that the "ghosts" you two usually see are these." I smiled at the bunny drawing that I thought was cute. "And the other type is called Hollows and these attack living beings and dead beings alike and eat their souls. These are what you call "evil spirits."" The teddy bear drawing was cute too, "Do either of you have any questions so far?" I shook my head, "Uhmmm can I start by asking why your drawings abnormally suck?" The girl drew a moustache on his face with a marker and I whacked him over the head with my sketchbook. "Aah! Dammit! Just cuz I can't move!" "I will continue the explanation your highness, Mr. Baron. We shinigami's have two duties; one is to guide Pluses to Soul Society using Soul Burial as you have seen and the second is to extinguish Hollows. My current mission is this." Ichi-nii was wiping his new moustache off on the floor. "…? Wait a minute, if you came here on your mission does that mean the thing called a hollow is around here?" I blinked; Hollows are supposed to be bad but if this girl was telling the truth then the one ghost that I had befriended a while back had been a hollow. "That would be the case." I just stared up at the girl not believing her; I wouldn't be able to "extinguish" Hollows because of my opinions and feelings. "A… Are you stupid!? Why are you loitering in a place like this? Hurry up and get rid of it!" I gasped down at my brother, "Well… you see… I do not know why but I cannot feel its presence anymore…" The girl seemed nervous now as she looked off to the side. "Wh… What the heck do you mean…" Something cried out in a frightening voice, "It is as if a great power is hindering my senses…" I grabbed Ichi-nii's restrained arm, if he was nervous then I was. "Hey! Hey shinigami!" "What?" Ichi-nii got a little angry, "What do you mean what! Didn't you hear that huge voice just now!?" "Huge voice? When did…" She was cut off when it sounded again. "I heard it! This is… Undoubtedly the voice of a Hollow!" She went into thought and looked at me. "Did you hear it too?" I nodded; a scream came from downstairs causing me to freeze. "It's Yuzu's voice…!" The girl took off running, leaving Ichi-nii still restrained on the floor. "Hey! Wait up, where are you going!? Was that voice from before a Hollow's!?" I looked up expectantly, "Yes! I will go and get rid of it! You two stay here!" She's going to kill it?! "Cut the crap! The one getting attacked is our family!" That's right, nothing is more important to me than my family and friends. Without them then I would be alone… "Release this spell! Hurry!" "What are you saying!? Even if you come, there is nothing you can do! The number of victims will just rise by one! Leave it to me and stay here quietly with your sister! Got it!?" The girl opened the door and Karin was on the floor. "I… Ichi… Hana… You two ok…?" She's worried about us? She looks like she just took a beating! "KARIN!" "Good… It hasn't come here…. It happened so suddenly… Blood suddenly started pouring out of Daddy's back and he fell…" I froze even more, Otousan is hurt? "Yuzu and I were attacked by something huge while we were still in shock… And I thought I had to… Warn you two…" I blinked and clutched harder to Ichi-nii, I wanted so bad to get up and go to Karin but I was frozen. "I wonder what that is… I could see it a little… It looked like Daddy and Yuzu couldn't see it… Ichi… Hana… Before it sees you two… Hurry… Get away…." Ichi-nii clenched his teeth when Karin passed out. The girl checked her, "… Do not worry. She is just unconscious. Her soul is still…" Ichi-nii and I both began fighting against the spell that was holding him down. "… Stop it! What are you doing!? Stop it! You cannot release that incantation with a human's power! If you force it, your soul will…" The both of us managed to get him free and we ran past the shocked girl. I don't care if I lose my life! My family and friends come first! "Wait!" We continued running despite her scream. "Yuzu! Dad!" We skidded to a stop at the end of the stairs and saw the mess; I froze again but shook my head so that I would be alert. I could see something large through a hole in the wall. It looked at us with the strangest face I had ever seen, if that was a Hollow then it was nothing like the one I met before! One of the creature's hands was wrapped around Yuzu; she was bleeding from a cut on her cheek. "Yuzu!" Ichi-nii and I both yelled. She looked over to us, "Ichigo…. Hana…!" Ichi-nii ran forward with a baseball bat in his hand and tried to attack the creature; I stood by and watched carefully. This may be a living thing in my opinion but no one hurts my family. Perhaps this Hollow had a weakness that I could use. Ichi-nii was thrown across the room by the Hollow who then prepared to smash him; I ran over and stood in front of him. The girl saved my life by cutting off the Hollow's arm. Yuzu began to fall and luckily Ichi-nii caught her. He began trying to see if she was awake but I wouldn't take my eyes off of the Hollow. "Yuzu! You ok? Hey!" The girl skidded to a stop in front of me. "Don't lose focus you two! None of your family members have had their souls eaten!" That relaxed me a little bit, they would live right? "None…" "Yes, even your father, lying over there!" "Wa… Wait a minute! Don't Hollow's attack people to eat their souls!? Then what did it attack our family for…" The girl hesitated before answering, "… Hollows wander searching for souls with high spiritual concentration… For that, arbitrary humans are sometimes attacked." She went silent for a minute again, "I… Have never seen or heard of humans who can see shinigamis and defeat Demon Form on their own…Or humans with such high spiritual concentration…. Most probably, its targets… Are you two!" I flinched; it wanted to eat Ichi-nii and me? "… Wait a sec… He came for Hana and me…? So does that mean this is our fault…? The reason our dad's over there almost dead… the reason Karin and Yuzu are covered with blood… It's all…" I looked down; it is our fault isn't it? "Wait I did not mean…" The shinigami was thrown to the side by a strong blow. "…Shinigami…!" The Hollow was now in front of Ichi-nii and I, I took a deep breath. I see ghosts all the time; I've spent time with a Hollow before so I have no reason to be afraid. I have to fight for my family. "… That's enough… Already…!" We ground out together, "Hey… You…" "You want our souls, right…?" We spoke in sync, my voice sounded as emotionless as it did when I was young. It made me seem unafraid to stand up in front of this monstrous creature. "Then fight us face to face! No one else has anything to do with this! Try killing us and taking our souls!" Ah the wonder of twin minds, Ichi-nii and I could normally tell what the other of us wanted to say without even looking at each other. Our emotions were normally in sync too. "Fools!" The Hollow charged at us and we got ready as best we could. The shinigami stepped in front of the attack and got hurt, my eyes widened. "Wha… Shinigami!" "… You… Idiots… I already told you that your power is no match for it…! Or did you think that everything would be over if you gave him your souls to eat… Either way you are idiots…!" I felt like crying, "We're sorry…. We just…" She pushed her head up a bit off of the ground, "Do not worry about it… Is what I would like to say…" What this girl was saying made me feel awful. "Unfortunately I am no longer able to fight the Hollow…. Now all of us can only wait… Until we become its food…" 'It's our fault…! Everyone'll die…!' I began to cry a little and for the first time the indent above my heart began to hurt. "… Do you want to save your family…?" My head shot up, "! Is there a way!? A way to help them!? Tell us!" The shinigami sat up, "There is a way… No to be exact… I should say there is only one way…" She took out her sword and pointed it toward us. "You two… Become shinigamis!" "Wha… Wha… What are you saying… How can we…" "You can! One of you, pierce the middle of your chest with this Zanpakuto… And I will insert half of my shinigami power! That way, you will attain the power of a shinigami temporarily… And be able to fight the Hollow on equal terms!" THUMP THUMP! Oh no, what's going on with my heart?! I fell to my knees; Ichi-nii was so busy speaking with the shinigami that he didn't notice.
Everything is dark, am I dead? The area around me lit up with glowing flowers. "No, Silly Girl. You were born dead so how can you die now?" A woman's voice answered, I was born dead!? How!? "The indent above your heart, you're a hollow!" I clutched the area above my heart, I'm a Hollow? "But I'm not evil…" "Not all are you are a special kind who helps control how many humans that Hollows kill by awakening their hearts and sending them to the Soul Society." I sat down in the flowers, between some Gerbera Daisies and some roses. "You are a Heart Hollow and you will protect a powerful Hollow from dying at the hands of the shinigami." My eyes fell downward, "But if Hollows are bad, why am I going to protect one?" A warm wind blew and scattered petals around me. "A strange thing a Heart Hollow is… I can't tell you." I frowned but nodded, I suppose some things have to wait to be found out. "Who are you?" "What is my name?" "That's pretty much what I'm asking you!" The voice sighed and the wind blew again, "You know my name so say it." I was silent for what felt like forever, what is her name? "バラ…" (Pronounced Bara means rose.) "Yes, thank you Hana." A sword like the shinigami's began to appear in my hand. The base had petal shapes so that when I pointed it right at someone it would look like a flower. Then there was the end of the sword, it shaped its self into a heart and yet still looked amazingly sharp and beautiful. "Welcome to your new life, Hana…"
*END*
Strange huh? I randomly came up with the Hear Hollow thing the other day. Can you guess who Hana is going to fall in love with or who is going to fall in love with her? Any ideas what the rose and daisy meant?