Back to Square One

Chapter 3 – Lots of Suprises

'Rukia. What are you doing here?' Ichigo asked a rather shocked petit, raven haired Soul Reaper. Said Soul Reaper was wearing a white plain kimomo, and a red collar.

'Ichigo, is that you.' She asked back. Still in shock, she bagan to close the gap between the two of them. (A distance of eight feet)

'Yes it's me.' Ichigo replied, Rukia now stand right in front of him, lifed her hand to his shoulders, just making sure that he is really there. (Or atleast, that's what she kept telling herself.)

'Rukia, what are you doing?' Ichigo asked her. He knew that this was strange behaviour coming from her. The last time he came to save her, she was calling him an idiot, and saying that he should not have come. But this was completly new.

When Rukia put her hand up to his long orange hair, she finally snapped out of it. By kicking his shin. Expecting the impact to bring pain, he prepared for the pain to come. Only to find Rukia hoping around on one foot screaming many profanities.

'What the hell Ichigo?' She screamed at him. 'What did you do to yourself?'

'You alright?' He asked.

'NO! I'm not alright! Dam Ichigo, what did you do to your self? I mean, when I hit you, it felt like kicking a brick wall.'

'Do you want the long, or short version?' He asked, with a blank look.

'The short version. Your Zanpakuto told me alot about what happened in the future, so I know about most of the important battles, but not about what happened to Aizen.'

'Wait. You knew about Aizen!'

'Of cause I do. I even know about the Hogyoku that Kisuke put in me.'

'Well you can kick him later. You said that you whated to know how I became like this?'

'Yes I do. What happened in the future, and how far back have you come?' Concern sounding though her voice.

Ichigo sighed. This was going to take awhile.

'So you don't know how you came back for the future, do you.' Rukia asked sometime later.

'No I don't, and don't ask me if Urahara-san has said anything about how this happened, because he has not said anything.'

They were sitting down, side by side, on the side of one of the buildings, looking out into the distance.

'Ichigo I-' She stopped herself, considering her next move. She had been thinking about it for sometime now. Ever since she felt Ichigo's Spirit Energy vanish than morning, after she cried. She realised something, realised the real reason that that had been hurting her badly since she left. Since she left him dieing on that street in the rain. It may have been a few months ago for him, but she knew. He had forgiven her, and had come back for her. He may not have said it out right, but he had.

'It's ok Rukia. You don't have to say it.' Compassion showing it's way though his voice, his Spiritial Pressure, enveloping her in it's warmth. A small smile seeping across his face. 'I never abandonded you the first time, I even learnt bankai so I could fight Byakuya on even terms. So this time, while I can't do so right away, but when the time comes. I WILL SAVE YOU!' His promise echoing though out the side ways world. Reslove shining like a becon in his warm brown eyes.

'Ichigo-' That was the only word she could make out. She felt tears in her eyes. She knew. She knew how he felt. He may not realise it himself, but she knew. Looking right at her, she could see it in his eyes. She could see his heart.

She lent forward, toward him. She could not speak right now, she knew what she had to do. His eyes were closed, he didn't know what was coming. She lent forward still, their faces only an inch apart. she closed her eyes.

Their lips met.

Rukia pulled away. Admiaring her handy work. Ichigo's eyes wide as wide as dinner plates, shock and suprise evident in his face.

Closing her eyes and liting up her hand to her mouth, she couldn't help but let out a little giggle.

'Rukia, wh-'

'Thank you.' Rukia interputed, letting out a small smile of her own.

Smiling back, his orange hair covering half of his right eye, Ichigo replied, 'Don't mention it. Miget.'

To those you did not knew or understand the two of them. They would have the retort as an insult, but to Rukia, there was no ill meaning behind the insult. Only affection.

Then laughter could be heard. Ichigo and Rukia shared a look of confustion. Looking back toward Zangetsu, who had had been standing behind them the whole time, just gave them a knowing look. It was then that Rukia paled.

'Oh no, if she- I'll never hear the end of this.' She cried in a panic.

'Why, whats wrong.' Ichigo asked her, concern showing though his voice.

'She is refering to her zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayiki.'

'Wait, do mean. She can come into this place as well?' Ichigo asked.

'Oh Zangetsu-kun, why do you have to go a ruin my fun?' A distinctly female voice relied, at this Rukia paled evern more.

'Yup. Shes here.' Ichigo thought to himself.

'Shirayiki-hime,' Zangetsu called out. 'you should show your self, your welder looks as if she is about to fall.'

'You really are no fun Zangetsu-kun.' The being known as Sode no Shirayiki finaly showed herself, by walking out from behind Zangetsu. She was wearing a white and light blue furisode kimono, with a large pale purple bow tied to her back a the waist, shaped similer to a butterfly, attached to a pale yellow obi. While the buttom part of her kimono reaches to ground and covers her feet, her long pale lavender hair is tied in to partial bun at the back of her head. She also had a lengh of hair on her left side, that ran down to her waist on both sides of her shoulder, while the right was cut about eight inches shorter than the left, but only the front was cut. Her skin was pale, and she had a pair of beautiful dark blue eyes.

'Shirayiki-hime, it is good to see you again.' Zangetsu may not have been smiling, but you could just hear his smile in his voice.

'As to you, Zangetsu-kun.' Sode no Shirayiki replied. 'But it has been longer for you, hasn't it. Three months in fact, right.' Now walking toward him.

Rukia was shocked.

'Wait. Three months, THREE MONTHS.' She screamed inside her head. 'The old man said before, that in his timeline, his welder had completed training for bankai and something he called, hollowfication. I thought he came from a few years into the future, not a few months!'

Ichigo was having diffierent thoughts.

'I knew that coming to the past would be diffierent compared to the first run, but I never expected things to be THIS diffierent.

While the two Soul Reaper's minds were on melt down. The two Zanpukuto continued their conversation. Convently forgeting that their welders are standing only ten feet away.

'Yes, Shirayiki-hime three months. Although, I'm proud that Ichigo mastered bankai in three months, and dispite everything that has happened, Ichigo has been able to put trust, in myself, and to push himself to go beyond the limits that bind normal Soul Reapers down.'

'You should be.' She replied, now standing right infront of him. The soft natured, and kind white haired young woman, standing infront and looking up at the tall, proud and dark haired male. Who, dispite his rough and wethered apparence, was not unhandsome.

'Though, I must ask.' Her voice becoming playful, and a smile creeping across her face. 'Were you like this with the "Shirayiki-hime" of your timeline,' Her smile now in full force. 'or are you trying to show off.'

'And why would I do that?' He asked.

'I'm not sure, but maybe I would like to see your true form for myself.'

'And why should I show you that?' Not backing down.

Shirayiki, moving so that her face was only inches away from Zangetsu's face relied in a clam voice.

'Who said you have a choice in the matter.' And with that, Her lips meet his.

At the same time, two pairs of eyes shot into their hair lines, but their shock was nothing compeared to what was happening to Zangetsu. Aside from the storm of emotions running rampant within him, and the suprise he felt over an unexpected move, he closed his eyes, and dissolved into the kiss. It was at that point that he felt himself changing. The feeling only lasted a second as he felt himself return to normal. Only now he felt, shorter. Gone was the man with the unkept facial hair, and yellow shades. In his place was a teenage version of himself, with a mop of ragged black hair that ran down to his shoulders, and a pair of piercing blue eyes. He now wears a black hooded overcoat, now slightly more form-fitting on the troso and sleeves. The ends of his coat now now even more flared out and ragged compaired to his origanal form.

Ichigo and Rukia who were still getting over the shock of the kiss, were rejuiced to a gaping mess after Zangetsu's transformation into Tenza Zangetsu.

'That's better, don't you think.' Sode no Shiraiki cried out happily.

'I do feel better now that I'm it my true from.'

'Good.' She cried out, but now her smile returing. 'But do you know what the best this about your new from is?' She asked innocently.

'Whats good about?' Tenza Zangetsu asked. Almost fearing the answer.

Sode no Shiraiki's eyes went wide. Then she cried out with a speal. 'You are CUTE!'

And with that. She procced to glomp him.

AN: Not expecting that now are you!

The reason for that was, well, why not. The idea just popped into my head, so I gave it a shot. There maybe more Zangetsu/Shiraiki Romance, just dependes on how I feel, or you guys review and say that you want it. I also tryed my hand at IchiRukia, so please tell me what you think. This was my first try at Romance of ANY kind, so constructive critisim is welcome and apprecated.

Ichigo's friends have some knowlage of the future so things well turn out diffierently this time around, and if you guys wait to put in requests for fight matchups, then fell free to PM me or review and let me know.

Just so you guys know, I will be using Japanise honorifics in this fic. So if you don't know them or get a bit confused about why someone calls this person this and that person that, that is why. If your still not sure, you should look them up. It will help. Though I should have put that At the end of chapter one.

See you all soon. XD