Updateee!
xxxbribriturnerxxx: Thank you for being my stalker!
jinxbadluck012: Akira and Aonami aren't Shinigami. Honestly, even I don't know yet what to call their kind of power. I'll get down to it...someday...
evewolf123: Toshiro has a candy hangover...
Ichigo's mine! MINE! BACK OFF FROM THE CARROT HEAD!
AKIRA POV
Stirring my tea absently, I thought worriedly whether to confront Ichigo about this or not. Did all that even happen yesterday? I looked out of the window and saw the gaping hole in the Kurosaki's house, shivering as I remembered that skull faced monster looking at me.
It definitely happened.
Soon, all the members came out one by one to inspect the damage done. There was a black haired girl who was more mature looking than Yuzu standing there as well. She must be Karin. Ichigo was there as well in his school uniform, but he looked rather stupefied at whatever his family was talking about.
I decided to go there as well and snatched my bag from the chair, quickly running out. As I walked across the street, I gasped, feigning ignorance "What the hell happened here?!"
Ichigo gave a start and was agitated on seeing me there "Oh hey Michi! Well uh, over here, what happened you see-"
"A truck plowed into the house and amazingly, none of us woke up!" Yuzu exclaimed. Oh, so that's what's got Ichigo so shocked. Karin was looking at me curiously and finally asked "You're Akira Michi?"
"Yep, you must be Karin." I replied and shook hands with her. Ichigo's dad looked at me and he started elbowing Ichigo with a grin on his face.
Ichigo merely shook a fist at him and before his dad could open his mouth, Ichigo said loudly "Oh look! We're getting late for school! See you!" and dragged me off by my arm.
"Ouch! Kurosaki! Let go, damn it!" I yanked my arm out and rubbed it, feeling it get sore already.
"Sorry, but it's for your own good that you didn't stick around there." He replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. "So…what was with your sister yesterday? Is she always like this?" a grin came onto his face.
I flushed angrily and said "She's annoying sometime and I suspect that she's bipolar. Let's leave it at that."
"Naw, this is too good to let go." He retorted, grinning at the scowl I retaliated with.
"Shucks, don't you have other things to worry about? Like the gaping hole in your house?" I snapped, but immediately regretted it as his grin disappeared and he seemed to go off into deep thought.
Frowning, I opened my mouth to say something, but paused. 'I have to get this over with.'
"Ichigo." I spoke and he gave a small start, turning to me with surprise in his eyes. Brushing off his reaction, I dropped the bomb "What really happened yesterday?"
His eyes went wide and his arms dropped to the side.
ICHIGO POV
That shinigami, Rukia, I guess she said her name was, she said that we'd see her again. I'm a bit worried about the fact under what circumstances would we meet again.
"Ichigo." Akira's voice brought me out of my thoughts and I realized with a shock that it was only the second time she had called me by my name. But her question made my stomach drop to my feet. "What really happened yesterday?"
My mind ran a thousand miles in a minute as I considered this. Shit, I forgot she could see spirits too. Could she have seen the entire spectacle yesterday? It is possible as her house is just across the street.
Should I tell her? Could I tell her? Would she believe me?
The ringing of the school bell interrupted my thoughts and I realized that we had already reached our classroom. I heard Mizuiro discussing why I might not come to school today as a truck supposedly rammed into my house.
Tatsuki took it one step further by insinuating that I was dead and freaked out. I hit her head with my bag and deadpanned "I'm not dead, Tatsuki."
AKIRA POV
I kept my eyes on Ichigo's face, patiently waiting for an answer. His face seemed to be torn between worry and confusion. However, the bell rang and I gave a sigh of frustration on seeing the entrance of our classroom.
The others had been discussing about the accident when Ichigo whacked Tatsuki with his bag much like how he had done to me on the first day. Orihime looked at him and starting tittering while greeting him. I'll never understand that girl…
"It's fine if you don't want to tell me, Kurosaki." I spoke, drawing his attention. "Just…be safe." I said unsurely before going to my seat. His face held hesitance for a moment, before Mizuiro asked him something else.
"Are you Kurosaki-kun?" a voice asked politely. When I turned to look at her, my eyes widened. But that was nothing compared to Ichigo's reaction. He shot out of his seat and pointed dramatically at her, yelling "YOU!"
I almost face palmed at that and had the sense to hide my surprise. It was the same girl whom I had seen fighting the skull monster yesterday. The one who stabbed Ichigo with her sword, causing him to get powers too somehow…
Frowning, I observed them while Mizuiro spoke about her, introducing her as Rukia Kuchiki. Kuchiki? So she must have been the one in the candy shop that day! I punched my open palm as realization dawned upon me. Rukia was in the candy shop, hence the candy shop owner must be somehow connected to all this. That guy seemed a little shady from the start…
However, when I looked up, having missed what happened due to my mulling, I saw Ichigo dragging Rukia out. Oh well, if Ichigo won't tell me then might as well ask her.
With that thought, I ran out of the class after them. Following them silently, I caught bits and pieces of the conversation. I was a bit confused when she started jabbering in old English.
"…Why didn't you go back to that Soul Society place?!" Ichigo yelled at her.
"Fool! Only Shinigami can go there and I'm not one anymore!" Rukia yelled back. Hmm, this was different from her airy-fairy personality. She then went on a rant about how almost all her powers had been transferred to Ichigo.
So that's what happened…and she said she was a shinigami? I thought they existed only in fairy tales? This is getting a little hard to believe…I sighed and sank against the tank I was hiding behind. Is it better to ask them? Well, I suppose things would be clearer…
"Since you know more than hot head here…" I revealed myself by speaking loudly and heard Rukia and Ichigo give synchronized gasps. "You can probably tell me what happened yesterday."
Ichigo's face was overcome with nervousness while Rukia gave a fake laugh "Why, whatever are you talking about?"
"Kuchiki, was it?" I asked the tiny girl and said bluntly "Cut the crap. I saw everything yesterday with both of you fighting the skull faced monster."
Her face changed to shock and then asked seriously "How? You can see spirits too?"
"Yup, and the answer to your previous question is that I live across the street from Ichigo. So, however could I not see it?" I said.
"Well, you do have quite a significant reiatsu…" she mused, giving me a once-over.
"You saw everything?" Ichigo asked me quietly. I turned to him and nodded "What was that thing anyways?" I asked.
"Something called a hollow." He muttered and continued after seeing my confused expression. "I'll explain everything later."
Rukia spoke up "That's it! You'll take over my Shinigami duties for now!" Ichigo's jaw dropped and I had to laugh at his expression.
Rukia went on saying what he'd have to do when Ichigo cut her off by saying bluntly "I refuse." And crossed his hands in an 'X' shape. "You refuse someone like that, Kurosaki?" I mocked, imitating his pose.
"Shut up, Michi." He snapped and turned to Rukia "I refuse to do it."
Rukia gave him a hard stare and he didn't back down an inch. "Well, I guess there's no choice then." She said. I took a step back warily, knowing she had something up her sleeve.
She put on a curious looking glove-a red one with a skull's illustration on it- and gave a hard push to Ichigo's head with the hand. My jaw dropped as another Ichigo fell out of his original body, only it was dressed in the same black robes I saw yesterday.
The original body flopped to the ground lifelessly while the Ichigo in black started yelling "What the hell did you do?! Hey, body! Snap out of it!"
"You're dead, Kurosaki. Stop yelling at a dead body. How's this possible?" the last sentence was meant for Rukia as I turned to her.
"He's not dead…" Rukia said with a grin. "Follow me!" she said to Ichigo. He stopped suddenly and turned to me with an irritated look on his face and said very deliberately "Michi, stop that."
"What?" I grinned widely. "You mean this?" and I poked his prone body again. "This is fun." I giggled and poked Ichigo's real body in the cheek.
"Michi." He growled a little.
"Don't give me that look, hot head. I was going to volunteer looking after your body while you go, but I guess not…Your classmates will find you unconscious and call the hospital, the your dad and sisters will come to visit you and I can just imagine what your dad will start yelling-" He interrupted me and said "Fine! Okay! Stop it already!"
He sighed slowly, trying to regain his patience and said "You can look after my body, just…no poking, ok?"
My grin grew wider "What are the magic words?"
He gritted his teeth "Please."
"Gotcha, hot head. Go and hunt some hollows." I waved to him, settling down beside the unconscious Ichigo.
When they were gone, my face fell a little as I recalled the harsh 'Shut up' he had snapped at me. True that he was irritated and he was short tempered as well, but it still hurt. Why? I had absolutely no idea. It was an irritating trait of mine that I was easily hurt by statements that could have been said in just passing. I brooded for a while before smacking myself across the face.
"Ugh, stop becoming emo. Think of a good excuse for this dead body now." I shook my head vigorously and looked at the prone figure of Ichigo. He looked oddly peaceful and I stifled a laugh at that. Peaceful and Ichigo don't exactly go together.
After some time, Ichigo's friends came looking for him and yelled out in surprise, seeing him practically dead. "Shhhh!" I said fiercely. "He's meditating!" They all gave me unsure looks, but retreated when I glared. "He's trying to attain nirvana!"
Needless to say, he was surprised when Tatsuki came up to him the next day with a very concerned expression "So Ichigo…did you…er…attain nirvana?"
Confusion travelled across his face while I was trying to keep myself from laughing. With realization, he turned to me with a menacing glare and said "What the hell did you tell them yesterday?!"
With a straight face, I rattled off "I told them that you recently discovered yourself to be the reincarnation of an all-powerful sage who has the duty to save the world!"
Within a few seconds, Ichigo was chasing me across the school, spitting death threats vehemently with me howling with laughter all the way.
Being a faster runner, he caught up with me easily and tackled me into the grass. My breath was knocked out of me as his entire weight fell on my back. Laughter exploded from my lips as he tickled me mercilessly. "Ahahaha! Ow! Stop it Kurosaki! I'm sorryyy ahahahahaha!"
"I knew I was going to regret trusting you!" He growled and pushed me to the side. "Now my image is spoilt." Unknown to him, I had stopped laughing and was now facing the other way.
"So you only care about your image…?" I spoke in a quiet voice. My chest hurt by those words, however little meaning they may have. It hurt so much when someone says it to your face. "It was a harmless joke! That made you question my trust?!" I burst out angrily, jumping to my feet. "Everyone's the same…they betray you in the end…" I whispered to myself and yelled "I should have known that I was going to regret making friends with you!"
I ran, not looking back so as to reveal the tears leaking out of my eyes.
THIRD PERSON
Ichigo gaped as Akira yelled at him and ran away. "Wa-wait! Akira! I didn't mean it!" He called after her when moisture suddenly hit his face. Wiping it with his finger, he realized 'I made her cry…'
When he looked up again, she was already gone. "Damn it…" he cursed himself. 'I didn't mean all that at all! How can she be that touchy?!' Oddly enough, he was reminded of a scene from his own childhood.
"Oy Tatsuki-chan! What's wrong?" A young Ichigo bounded up to his friend and rival at the dojo. She looked like she had been crying.
"Nothing." She said shortly, turning away from him. He frowned as it hurt to have his concern rejected.
"No! Tell me what's wrong!" he insisted, shaking her shoulder.
"Shut up Ichigo! Don't talk of things you don't know about!" she yelled at him and ran away.
Ichigo, shocked and hurt, refused to speak to anybody for two days until Tatsuki had come and apologized to him. "I'm sorry Ichigo…I had got bad marks in my test paper and was scared of showing it to my mom…I didn't mean to take it out on you."
A smile broke out on his face "It's fine Tatsuki-chan!"
'She…definitely reminds me of myself…' Ichigo thought with a jolt. 'And what did she mean by 'everyone betrays you in the end'? Has she been betrayed before?' With each passing thought, Ichigo felt more and more guilty until he grabbed his bag and took off hunting for Akira.
After nearly an hour, he came to a stop in front of her house. Ringing the bell, he waited and lit up expectantly as the door open. "Kurosaki? What is it?" Aonami enquired to see the panting boy outside her home.
"Is Akira…there?"
"No, didn't she come with you?"
"No…I…" Ichigo hesitated. "I said something to her that made her feel bad…now she's run off."
Aonami nodded understandingly and spoke "If that's the case then…look for water."
"Huh?"
"Whenever she's upset or angry, she goes to a water body to calm her down. Water always soothes her. Make amends soon, Kurosaki." With that, she shut the door.
With a place in mind, Ichigo raced off towards the bridge where he and Chad had formed their friendship. 'Why…why am I going so far for her?' he thought with a scowl deeper than his usual expression. '…I don't want to see her sad.'
There she was. Huddled in a ball with a legs wrapped around her staring at the river with half closed eyes. He could make out the tear tracks on her cheeks all too easily. As he approached her, she looked up and her eyes widened.
Her almond shaped eyes then narrowed and she began to get up when Ichigo sat down and yanked her back in place. "Look…I didn't mean all that…just look at me, will you?!" he yelled out in frustration as she turned away from him.
"Why?! So you can yell at me again?!" she snapped back, snatching her arm back. Ichigo looked down, scratching his head.
"I'm not good at this stuff…I have a short temper, you know that. I tend to say stuff without thinking. So…I'm really sorry." He looked up at the last sentence, his brown eyes shining with sincerity.
Just like that, just like the first day, Akira felt her anger for him ebb away like the water before them. "I…I'm sorry I yelled at you too." She spoke in a watery voice. "I'm stupid, aren't I? Getting so touchy over small stuff…" she laughed awkwardly.
"Nah, it's fine." He said comfortingly, wiping her face with his hands. "It's fine to be touchy." Just like Akira, he too missed the content smile on her face as she closed her eyes. Really, they're more alike than they think.
I hope you don't think that this is one of those fics where it's like BAM! And Ichigo falls in love, they date and live happily ever after.
Let's face it, he's kinda dense in these matters or else he would be avoiding Orihime long back.
BLuKage~
