Chapter Two
Today (I Know Better)
That bridge comes very fast, which is weird to say considering I spent an entire year convincing myself I had plenty of time to sort things out.
Turns out, I did not have enough time to sort anything out.
And… well…
Ichigo's mum is dead.
It's… There wasn't anything I could have done. I mean, hell, I haven't even seen a hollow before. But I still feel a little responsible.
I could have talked to Ichigo. Maybe I should have told him that I could see ghosts too. I could have warned him or something.
But I didn't. I didn't want to change the plot too much, and saving Masaki would not only have changed the plot, but would have directly impacted the development of the protagonist.
I didn't really expect it to take so long for Ichigo to get over his mother's death though. It's been months now, and he hasn't been back to the dojo even once. He goes to the river and walks up and down and back up again. Over and over. I think he's hoping to see Masaki's ghost.
She's not there, I know. Sometimes Tatsuki or I join him. We can't bring her back, but we can remind him that other people still care about him and want him to get his shit together.
Is that harsh of me? It sounds like it's a bit harsh.
Whatever, he really needs to start going to classes again or he's going to end up a year behind us.
And I really need a plan to keep everyone alive in this upcoming war.
It's fine though, I still have six more years to come up with something.
MAYDAY! MAYDAY! I DO NOT HAVE SIX YEARS!
I FUCKED UP!
I FUCKED UP SO BADLY, HOLY SHIT, WHERE DID MY SIX YEARS DISAPPEAR TO!
OOOOOOOOOH, FUCK!
"H-Hello, Kuchiki-san… Nice to meet you…" I plaster my best fake smile onto my face as I greet the Shinigami.
"Oh! It's so nice to meet you to, uh…"
"Arisawa Tomoe," I bow slightly. Manners are important, my mum always said.
"Ah, Arisawa-san! Please treat me well!" She simpers.
Fuck me, I am so screwed. "Tomoe-san is fine, Kuchiki-san, there are two Arisawa's in this class after all," I offer, practically on autopilot.
Kuchiki Rukia isn't exactly what I was expecting. She's very pretty, for one, with long dark eyelashes and inhumanly violet eyes that could pass for grey under minimal scrutiny. Her silky hair curls at her shoulders, and I can tell, even through her uniform that she is very fit. Like, she could probably deadlift me as easily as I could deadlift her. Which is saying a lot considering she's nearly five inches shorter than I am. And her grip strength is crazy, no wonder Ichigo blanched so hard when they shook hands, she probably crushed his dainty little fingers (don't let his delinquent looks fool you, he's a baby).
Behind her, Ichigo fumes quietly. His face is screwed up in a grimace (which is an expression only mildly different from his usual scowl) and his ears have turned pink. If I didn't know better, I would have though Ichigo had a crush. But I do, and this shinigami has made my friend very uncomfortable.
Probably not as uncomfortable as I am because I am fucking terrified. I mean how did I manage to blow six years without coming up with a plan?! Ok, ok, rapid planning sesh needs to happen, stat.
Still shell-shocked, I step around her and past Ichigo toward my seat near the window. "You look constipated," I tell him. He scowls at my insult, and leaves to introduce Rukia to the others.
I need a game plan, and I needed it yesterday. I mean, I still don't even have a method of fighting hollows! I haven't even seen a hollow!
Oh, well that's not quite true. I've seen the little hollows, the lizards, birds, and other small animal-like ones that seem to end up in Kurakara. They are mostly harmless and get out of the way when I'm around. And if they don't scram fast enough a good kick typically destroys them, but they are nothing like the monsters I sometime hear roaming the streets at night.
Rukia finishes introducing herself to the other students sitting around Ichigo before dragging the ginger out of the room. Poor boy, he doesn't even know his life is about to go to shit. Wow.
I really should just avoid all this if I can. Hmm. Maybe I can get Tatsuki and I expelled. It won't be great for my university prospects but it would get us out of harm's way. Or maybe a year studying abroad?
I shake my head and sit down hard in my seat, ignoring Mizoru's chatter about the new girl. I shouldn't leave everyone behind though. Tatsuki would never forgive me if I let anything bad happen to Orihime. Ah. I guess I'll have to include her in my plans.
Damn, what a pain.
"Tomoe-chan?" Orihime knocks a cheerfully beat on my desk, "What do you think of Kuchiki-san?"
"Hmm?" I rest my cheek in my palm and shrug lightly. "She seems aright. She sure moves quick, though."
Keigo laughs at my slight.
Orihime cocks her head at me in confusion. "Moves pretty quick? I don't know. She looked like she walks at a normal pace to me."
"I was referring to her accosting poor boys in the hallway. Better move quicker, Orihime, or Ichigo might end up off the market before you get a shot," I tease, only slightly in mockery.
Tatsuki swats me on the back of the head. "Don't be rude."
I shrug again, before extending an apologetic hand to Orihime and ruffling her hair slightly, "I mean: I'm sure you can woo him, Hime-chan."
Orihime flushes in embarrassment, but doesn't get the chance to stutter out a retort before the teacher calls the class to attention.
Ichigo and Rukia only return to class a period later and that certainly sends the gossip wheel spinning. "Ooh," I whisper in Orihime's ear, "They're already having quickies in a broom closet."
Hmm. Maybe I can convince them to elope and leave Kurakara and all its accompanying nonsense can leave with them. Ha. That'll be the day.
"Where do you think Kuchiki-san goes every day for lunch?" Orihime asks, holding her bento out towards me. "Want to try, Tomoe-chan?" The smell wafting sends my eyes watering.
"Thanks, but no thanks, Orihime. I don't really like spicy food very much," I turn down her offer. "And I'm pretty sure she's gone and broken into the boys' club. She probably sits on the roof with Ichigo and stuff. We can check it out tomorrow." I suggest, taking a bite of my own lunch. I can't avoid Ichigo forever, after all… Uh. And as for my plan… Well… Imma wing it.
"Yosh!" Tatsuki pumps her fist in the air, "Let's break up the boys' club!"
Chizaru shudders, "I'll pass. Thanks. Some of those guys are too intimidating for me. After Sado-san had all those accidents, I can't help but think that they must be trouble magnets."
Michiru nods in agreement, "Plus I heard they got in a fight with Oshima-san again. Kurosaki-san is scary. I don't know why you'd want to spend any time with him at all." She shoots a look at me Tatsuki, "ah, not that I'm judging your friendship with him or anything, you guys knew each other since you were little. I'm sure he's nice to you…" She trails off.
Tatsuki tries to wave her off but Chizaru cut in, "Yeah, Sado-san even has a tattoo! Is that even legal?"
"Chad's a cool guy, Chizaru," Tatsuki says, "you shouldn't be so harsh. And if Kuchiki-san gets along with them all, I don't see a problem with it."
Chizaru rolls her eyes, unapologetic. "Don't you usually go sit with them, Tomoe-chan? Why have you been hanging out with us, recently."
"Rukia has replaced me," I joke.
"Speaking of," Orihime rushes to the classroom window, "I smell Ichigo," she says.
"What are you, a bloodhound?" Tatsuki asks.
Orihime puts her foot on the windowsill for better leverage.
"Stop flashing the quad!" Tatsuki adds, "And this is the third floor, even if you could smell him, he's not going to come in through–"
She cuts off in a small scream when Ichigo appears in the window. On the third floor. Oh Tatsuki already pointed that out? Yeah, just driving it home. We're on the third floor and he "jumped, it's no big deal for me," he says.
He looks at the cluster of girls around the desks, it clicks suddenly. Duh, this is Kon. He hops off the window ledge and lands on my table, a hand around Orihime's shoulders. "Hello lovely lady," he moves to press his lips against her knuckles but I interrupt.
My hand fists into the back of his shirt and I pull him off the table and away from Orihime. "Oi, Ichigo. Didn't you go have lunch with Rukia? Don't tell me you ditched her, she'd be upset if you didn't wait for her." I try to subtly get him to back off.
"Oh, you're pretty cute too," he says, completely bulldozing over me, and his face was way too close. It's moments like this when I'm reminded that Ichigo is just on the puberty cusp of being really really good looking. Which is a thought I need to not be having ever, it'll be better for my mental health. Butgod could that boys' jaw could cut glass.
I stare at him, caught off guard, "Uuuuh."
Ichigo's body jolts backwards, dodging a desk. My sister stands fuming, already reaching for her next piece of furniture ammo. "Back off, why don't you!"
Orihime cowers behind Tatsuki, but the look on her face tells me that she too has realized something is off about Ichigo.
"Comedy gold," I say, watching Ichigo dodge another piece of furniture, "someone should film this for posterity purposes. Bust it out for his 21st."
Orihime giggles from her safe space behind my furious sister. Her ability to see the light in any situation is almost a redeeming feature.
Not-Ichigo jumps over another desk which joins the growing pile of abused furniture by the window. Shouldn't Rukia be here by now? She's really taking her sweet time and – Tatsuki sends a desk through the window.
That's going to be a black mark on her record for sure. Well… I tried to stick to canon but…
"Oi! You Mod Soul, stop antagonizing Tatsuki!" I snap, and almost immediately regret my word choice. Not-Ichigo is glaring at me and suddenly I am slung over Not-Ichigo's shoulder and watching the 3rd floor window disappears above my line of sight as we plummet to the concrete below. Orihime screeches from somewhere above me, and Tatsuki is leaning hallway out the window, eyes blow wide.
"Shit!" We hit the ground and Not-Ichigo's shoulder drives into my stomach, knocking the wind and what little lunch I ate out of me. I hope it got on his fucking shirt. He mightn't have felt the drop but I am definitely going to be bruised tomorrow.
"Hey, hey, put me down!" I rasp out, pounding a fist on Not-Ichigo's back and thrash.
"Put you down?" He asks, jostling me, elbowing me again. "Not a chance, Shinigami."
I pause in my struggle to get free, "Shinigami? I'm a human, you asshole! Not some mythical monster!" I protest. Shoot, I shouldn't have called him a mod soul. I was just trying to scare him off but this isn't a good situation for me. How the hell do I get out of this.
Not-Ichigo laughs, "You can't lie to me, Shinigami!" He glances over his shoulder, a scowl on his face and dodges off the main road and launches himself on to the balcony of the nearby middle school.
I scramble to my feet and put some space between us, automatically sinking into a defensive position. I'm probably not stronger then Not-Ichigo, but hopefully my training gives me enough of an edge to even us out if he decides to attack.
"Why'd you drag me up here for," I ask, and scan the roof. The railing is to my back and the only visible way off the roof is through a door twenty paces behind Not-Ichigo.
Not-Ichigo cocked his head to the side, an unusual gesture for Ichigo. "You've put me in a tricky spot." I narrow my eyes. "You see, there were so many cute girls in that classroom! But you're going to get in my way of kissing any of-" I nail my foot into his jaw which klicks shut angrily and probably (hopefully) caught his tongue.
I take the chance to sprint for the door. 10 feet from the door I hear a crack over the sound of my pulse and find myself on the floor. I really should have expected a counter attack. Grey concrete fills my field of vision and a roaring fills my ears.
Huh.
Nope. That's not the rushing blood. That's an actual roar.
Oh fuck me. What a day to be alive.
I roll over onto my back and quickly to my feet, eyes tracking to find the source of the noise.
Fuck. She's ugly.
Too many legs and too many tongues. Dark chitin covers its millipede-like body and bone white mandibles protruded from the hollow's mask. From this distance I could tell that they were serrated and likely sharp as a razor, made more for shredding then slicing.
Oh my god. A stab of fear claws its way up my throat as the monsters' spiritual pressure prickles over my skin. I am going to die. Again. Never mind that in the pages of this story Ichigo arrives in the nick of time and even Kon can hold his own against a weakling –the word hisses through my mind- like this. But I can't feel Ichigo at all. His spiritual pressure is usually a constant buzz, so thick in the air around him I can taste it in the back of my throat.
Now all I can feel is Kon and the hollow.
"Oooooh~ what a treat have I found today!" The hollow trills, mandibles shivering. "Two tasty little morsels for me to munch on!"
And just like that, the feeling of fear crumbles. A morsel? Me? HA! Fuck that.
If I'm about to die I'm going to go out kicking and screaming. I could fight. I spent years learning how to throw a punch. I might not have powers, but I did have spiritual pressure. I had to if I could see the hollow.
I just had to use it. But my energy didn't work like Ichigo's. It just poured out of him effortlessly, fluctuating as he needed it. I felt like I was grasping at sand. No matter how hard I tried to grab it, it always fell through my fingers. But even throwing some sand in the eyes of this thing would help right now.
Kon is poised to my left, muscles tense and ready to defend himself. I slide into my own brace position and mentally grasp at my limited spiritual energy.
The giant hollow draws its heavy carapace fully over the terrace bannister, and I cringe when I realize that at the ends of each of the legs are human shaped hands. "Ooooh~" the hollow speaks again, "look at you go little girlie! So much POWER–" it lungs, dozens of fingers reaching for me.
I dive out of the way with a screech and Kon takes the opening offered by the hollows single-minded focus to drive a punishing heel into a crack between its armor. The hollow howls and a pair of hand wrap around his supporting ankle and launches him towards the terrace railing. His head collides with the metal and he slumps. Dazed. The creature's head whipped towards him to charge and its tail end whipped around into my ribs.
I stumble and grab at its back legs, dinging my heels in and throwing my whole body behind the weight of it, trying to sow it down as it barrels towards the downed mod soul. He's not getting up.
And for a brief moment, the sand hardens to glass and I pull.
The cement tiles crack under my heels and the hollow jerks to a stop in my grip before my fingers slide through the chitin, slicing deep into the hollows body. It shrieks.
The mandibles slice through the air inches from my face and the glass turns back to sand. A tongue snakes out to grab me but Kon lands hard on its face, forcing its jaws to shut around its own appendage. The white bone easily severs the tongue and it writhes on the floor.
I feel drained and take a woozy step back as Kon launched into a barrage of attacks against the hollow. Something in the back of my mind is screaming but my vision is tunneling and my stomach cramps. My mouth waters so I spit.
Kon skids past me, screaming something but it sounds like it's underwater. All I can see is the hollow.
It roars, towering over me.
Vaguely, I hear myself roar back.
And suddenly a hand pulls me back and a bright flash of orange hair shoots past me, sunlight glinting off the blade in his hands. The millipede disintegrates like ash.
"Ichigo," I breathe, and take an unsteady step towards him. He's dark against the grey dust of the hollow but his reiatsu, a little colder than it used to be, draws a silver lining.
My mouth is still watering, oh god, am I about to throw up? Do I even have anything to throw up? No my stomach is empty, I didn't get to finish my lunch because of that rogue mod soul. And I threw it up already too. I'm famished now, all that running around and screaming.
I take another jerky step forward and my vision wavers a little. I feel lactic, like I've run a 5k at race pace.
"Arisawa-san!" A voice sounds too my left. Too close. Too loud. And his reiatsu- I whip around, "Look at Chappy!"
My vision fills with a flash-
-I wake up with my alarm blaring and Tatsuki banging on my door.