"Ngh… Good morning, Kish…" I muttered lazily; sleep fading swiftly from my grasps.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" he greeted cheerily, the feel of movement all around me being the only sign that I was no longer standing still.

It was this thought that brought me to fully awaken, however. "Kish?"

"What is it, Kitty?" he replied calmly, glancing back over his shoulder…WAIT, his shoulder?!

"Are we, by any chance, moving?"

"You catch on quickly, Kitty!" he chuckled, his hands steady beneath my thighs as he carried me on his back.

"I'm not stupid, baka. Now, put me down so I can walk!" I demanded sharply, not necessarily meaning for it to sound so angry.

"No." was his single worded reply as he continued walking, brilliant golden eyes, as smooth as the sweetest honey, fixed intently forward.

"Why not?" I pouted indignantly, making as best a pouting face as I could manage.

"It's because you haven't eaten anything yet, Kitty. Your fish got cold and turned bad while you slept, so I had to toss it away." He explained bluntly, still refusing to look me in the eyes.

"Oh… I guess…I am kind of hungry. Have we traveled very far?" I asked timidly, holding my stomach tenderly as it grumbled its pleas for nourishment.

"Well, let's see now… We're off the mountainside now, and we're in the forest hills of the western region. We're not very far away from my home city, so don't worry about it. It's right past these groves of trees here, so hold tight." He instructed calmly, his pace never faltering as he made his way through the dense walls of greenery around us.

"The west… You're family, they own this land?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"So, it really is the same as Agatha described it…" I muttered, remembering the many times when Agatha would tell of such a land as bountiful and plentiful as this.

"Ichigo, can I ask you something?" it took me by surprise, the words that escaped his lips. However, it seemed that it was more the way he said it, the fact that he actually used my real name that startled me.

"What is it, Kish?" I asked blankly, still mildly confused as to what was going on with him right then.

"Do you… like it here?" and yet again his eyes never once met mine. However he did blush, which was new, throwing me further off from where I'd begun.

"Of course I do, Kish. I mean, it's so beautiful and full of life… The green, lush leaves and resilient blossoming wildflowers… it's as if this place is welcoming, safe, and alive on its own." I knew I was trailing off into the distance as I spoke, yet it seemed that Kish didn't care.

"Amazing…" he muttered, eyes somewhat downcast at what he'd heard.

"W-what's wrong? I'm sorry for trailing off like that, but it sometimes happens." I apologized frantically, thinking I'd annoyed him.

However, as his face twisted some, his eyes lighting up happily, it seemed that he'd transformed.

Once saddened and unsure, he was now quite alive, just like the forest, humor and laughter shimmering within his golden eyes.

"Oh, Kitty, you've done no wrong… I simply find it amazing, the way you speak so fondly of a place you've not seen before. It's quite poetic, from the heart. You truly do love life, don't you?" eyes now meeting mine for what seemed like the very first time he smiled tenderly, fondly, comfortably at me.

"Yeah, I guess… I just never thought Agatha was serious about the way she described this land… But now I realize she wasn't kidding at all." I muttered, my grip on his shoulders tightening little by little.

"Well, little Kitty, this'll be your new home!" he exclaimed lightly, his grip on my thighs tightening as well.

"So, I'm supposed to guard you?" I asked in mild disbelief, not realizing just how tightly I was holding his shoulders.

"Yup, pretty much." He shrugged, not minding the fact that I was now wrapped around his neck almost.

"And… how do you know I CAN protect you?" tilting my head to the side, I was now a bit worried.

"You took down that bastard who did that to Agatha, didn't you? You're capable of more than you think, Kitty." He replied, as if it were obvious.

"Sure… I guess. To be honest though I can't normally do what I did then… I guess you could say I have to be pretty angry or upset to do that." I informed him, flashbacks of crimson staining my normally pale thin fingers, my grip on the dagger loosening until it hit the cold, hard cement of the warehouse floor beneath me.

There, before my eyes, covered in his own blood, a hole in his chest, was that horrid man, the one who did the unthinkable to my sister before ending her life.

However, deep down within my chest I felt no remorse; I felt no regret at what I'd done or the consequences that would soon follow.

It may sound odd, but that thought, the one in which the man lay dying at my hand, made my insides tingle a bit. I smiled deviously to myself, not realizing that Kish's eyes were focused solely upon me, a knowing look sparkling there.

"Kitty, I think we should get moving now." He suggested calmly, slipping easily into my thoughts, so as to not disrupt my moment.

"Oh, sure, I guess." I muttered blankly, tearing myself forcefully away from my darker, more destructive personality.

And on we went in silence, the both of us taking in the vastness of the scenery, awe-ing and oo-ing to ourselves at all the many small creatures that scurried about around us as we went.

Hanging fresh within the air lay a faint, yet lingering scent… Morning Mist, placing dew upon the individual blades of grass, filled my nose with a pleasant smell, calming me greatly from all of my previous troubles.

Through the dense treetop canopy of the forest shone tiny rays of brilliant sunlight, warming the forest just enough to be comfortable to walk in. As we went I basked silently under each beam of sunlight, relishing its gentle caress against my cheeks.

This truly was magnificent, being surrounded on all sides by such a glorious atmosphere of calm, welcoming warmth. For but a moment my stomach ceased its rumbles and my head was clear once more.