Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in any shape or form. I merely own Maya.
Thank you to all my readers. I thank those who have followed and favorited this story. I don't want to make Maya seem Mary Sue and was wondering if you could tell me if she's becoming one. Well enough said, I hope you enjoy the chapter and review.
Maya found herself staring at the path ahead of her, her eyebrows pushed together as she had an inner debate whether she should tell Ichigo the truth or not.
She thought about using the memory modifier but had a gut feeling that it wouldn't work. She didn't dare tell Kisuke that she was involved with the Hollow attack and bluntly replied when he had asked if she was there, "I don't know what your talking about. How could I have been there if I was at school?" She knew that he didn't buy her excuse but he also knew not to call her a liar, even if she was one.
She knew that sneaking out was stupid, but she didn't have another option. It was either sneaking out or face a whole load of questions and demands from Kisuke and she was so not in the mood for a confrontation.
She already had one with Ichigo, one that she so badly wanted to avoid but thinking back, "I promise I'll explain everything. Just keep your window open. I don't like doing front door entrances." She remembered the frown adorned on his forehead but he had reluctantly agreed.
And this was how Maya found herself walking towards the Kurosaki Clinic. "You got yourself into this mess and now you gotta get yourself out of it." She muttered to herself before finally finding herself in front of the Kurosaki Clinic.
Glancing at the only open window, Maya assumed that it was Ichigo's room and sighed. "Well let's just get this over with before Kisuke finds out I'm missing."
After using Sonído, Maya found herself standing in a medium sized room, and raised a eyebrow. "Wow. Who would have thought someone like Ichigo could keep his room clean, well considering that this is a Clinic, I'm sure its suppose to stay clean." She mumbled but found Ichigo to be absent from the room."
"Well then," she stated with a shrug before sitting down at the desk beside his bed and crossed her arms. "I'm sure he would be delighted to know that I'm here."
It didn't take long before she heard footsteps approach the door and said door being opened. She hid a grin as Ichigo stumbled into his room, his hand fumbling for the switch. "You know, you shouldn't leave your window open. What if I was a burglar?" She didn't know if was the shrill yelp that escaped his throat or how he jumped at her voice but Maya couldn't help but snicker at his expression.
Switching on the light, Ichigo stared at the silver haired girl in disbelief and shock, his eyes wide. "H-how the hell did you get in here? You know what nevermind. Just forget it." He grumbled and she raised a eyebrow.
"Hmm." She said nothing as he fell back unto his bed, intently focusing on the ceiling with his arms behind his head.
"So are you going to explain what the hell happened out there today? I keep thinking back to whoever that girl was. I can't make any sense on what happened." He replied and glanced at her.
She sighed and opened her mouth but both fell silent when a familiar black butterfly fluttered into the room, Maya's eyes widened as she stumbled from her seat as that same Soul Reaper from this morning walked through Ichigo's wall, standing silently on his desk.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Ichigo all but demanded as the raven haired Soul Reaper merely stared ahead before grabbing the hilt of her zanpakutō, all the while freaking the orange haired teen. His eyes widened and he scooted backwards. "Put that thing away! You ain't slicing me up." He yelled but she once again ignored him before landing gracefully on the ground.
She then proceeded to glance around the room, and Maya's confusion grew. "I feel it," she muttered under her breath but a yelp escaped the raven haired girl's lips as Ichigo lunged towards her, his foot raised as he kicked her, sending the girl sprawling to the ground.
"Who are you and what do you want?" He yelled as Maya walked towards the switch and flipped the lights on, Ichigo pointing a accusing finger at the knocked over Soul Reaper who had question marks flickering on and off around her head.
"If you think your a burglar, your not a very good one. For starters, you shouldn't talk to yourself."
She turned to face him in disbelief, her eyes wide. "You kicked me. But I can't be seen by odinary humans. Are you saying you can see me?" She questioned and Maya placed her hands behind her back.
"Well considering that was his foot he planted on your behind, you tell us?" She said and the girl stood up and approached them.
"Your those two I saw in town earlier," the girl confessed. "I remember."
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Boy nothing gets by you." He said with sarcasm lacing his voice.
[A/N: Since everyone knows that its Rukia, I'm going to start calling the mysterious girl as Rukia but just so you know, Ichigo and Maya don't know her name yet.]
Ichigo took a step back as Rukia peered up at him. "How very strange-", he blinked as she now grasped his face, tilting it from side to side. "You look normal, but you must be defective in some way", she muttered and he narrowed his eyes at her.
"I'll show you defective." He growled raising his leg to kick her but Rukia merely jumped over his kick and jumped over his head, this action sending the boy tumbling towards the ground.
He growled and sat up before glaring at her. "Who the hell are you?" He questioned as Rukia then glanced at them both.
"Do you two really want to know? Then I'll tell you. I'm a Soul Reaper."
Maya pushed her fingers together as she listened to Rukia's explanation of what a Soul Reaper was, and all though she already knew, it was somehow funny to hear the raven haired girl explain it to Ichigo.
"Alright, so you're something called a Soul Reaper," Ichigo started as he contemplated her story, his eyes closed as he sat on the chair. Rukia nodded her head in confirmation.
"And you're telling me that you were sent here on a mission by something called the Soul Society...," another nod, "to deal with demons like the one we saw on the street today," another nod, "-which was chasing after that girl's soul." Rukia nodded for another time as Maya stared at Ichigo.
"That's all believable to me...", a tick mark appeared on his head as he stood up, throwing aside a small table in a comical fashion. "Along with flying pigs and the tooth fairy!" He yelled and Rukia stared at him in disbelief.
"How dare you? How can you not believe in Soul Reapers when you just admitted you can see spirits?" She asked and Maya simply stared at Ichigo, her eyebrows pushed together before looking back to Rukia.
"I believe you," Ichigo and Rukia turned their heads towards her, disbelief showing in Ichigo's eyes and a small flicker of respect in Rukia's. "I mean she's got the sword. I don't think she'd go through so much trouble to make that stuff up. So I believe her. Why don't you Ichigo?" He stared at her for a moment and scoffed.
"I've never seen or heard of Soul Reapers before and franctly, your whole story just sounds to incredible. I don't believe in anything I can't see." Rukia stood up and peered at him.
"Well you see me, don't you?" She questioned and Ichigo merely shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Well that's true and I'd agree with the fact that your not human. But why don't you go and play your Soul Reaper game somewhere else," he placed a hand on Rukia's head and Maya couldn't help but facepalm. "Okay you little brat. Now run along."
A grin appeared on Rukia's lips. "I'm a brat, am I?" she questioned before pointing her pointer and forefinger together and thrusted her palm forward. "Bakudō #1. Sai." Maya watched in slight amusment as the Kidō spell bound Ichigo's arms together, his eyes widening as he fell towards the floor.
"I-I can't move! What did you do to me?!" Ichigo asked as he struggled against the spell and Maya had to hide a grin.
"Paralysis. I've used what's called a Kidō on you. It's a high level incantation only we Soul Reapers can cast."
A small smile appeared on Maya's lips. 'Hmm I wonder how I can do Kidō? Since she just said only Soul Reapers can use it. So how can I, an Arrancar, perform Kidō?'
"It's useless to struggle against it. You're just wasting your energy. I may appear young to you, but I have lived nearly ten of your life times. I would kill you on the spot for your insults if it were not against my orders, so you, little brat, be grateful!"
"You've got nerve." Ichigo growled, with a glare.
"And now." Rukia began as she drew the sword at her side. Ichigo's eyes widened, as did Maya's.
"No!" Maya exclaimed as she began to swing her sword down and Ichigo closed his eyes. Maya stopped when the hilt of her sword hit a spirit of an business man instead of the blade hitting Ichigo. Ichigo opened his eyes as he realized he wasn't being attacked.
"It's that ghost from yesterday." Ichigo said as he looked at the spirit of the business man.
"No. Please no. I don't want to be sent ot the underworld." the man said with tears brimming his eyes.
"You needn't worry because you are destined for a better place, the Soul Society." Rukia with a soft smile. "There, your soul will be at peace." she said as she removed the hilt of her blade from the man's forehead, revealing a glowing mark where her sword hilt had been. The mark glowed and the man went into the floor, a black butterfly sprouting from where he disappeared and flew out Ichigo's window.
'Wow.' Maya thought with wide eyes. 'That's the first time I've seen someone doing Konsō. That's one thing I can't do.'
"Where'd he go? What did you do to him?" Ichigo questioned.
Rukia sheathed her sword before saying, "I sent his soul to the Soul Society. It's one of the main responsiblities of a Soul Reaper. People here sometimes call it, passing on. Now, I'll explain to you why I'm here and I'll use small words so you can understand it." She then reached in her top and pulled out a notebook. "There are two types of spirits in this world." Maya blanched and Ichigo looked surprised at the choice of drawings.
"The first kind are the normal spirits, called Wholes. The ghosts that you two normally see are this kind," pointing at an atrocious drawing of a bunny with a typical bunny smile and terribly drawn hearts around it. Apparently the smile and the hearts were supposed to indicate it was good.
'It seems she's infatuated with Chappy,' Maya observed.
"The second kind are evil spirit, known as Hollows." Maya's eyes closed as she clenched her fists.
"The Hollows attack people, living or dead, in order to devour their souls." Rukia finished as she pointed at another bunny, signature white, which was supposedly representing evil with its eyebrows. The background was horribly colored black with lightning bolts dancing around behind the menacing rabbit.
'Even though I'm use to hearing it, it still hurts everytime I hear it because I know that I took lives only to devour their souls.'
"Any questions before I go on?" Rukia asked.
"First of all, why do your drawings suck so bad?" Ichigo questioned and Rukia drew a curly mustache on Ichigo and capped the marker and began tossing the marker up and catching it repeatedly.
"You'll pay for this!" Ichigo exclaimed as Rukia sat down again.
"Let us continue with our lesson, monsueir. There are two main jobs for Soul Reapers. First, to lead Wholes to the Soul Society through Konsō, as I just did. Second, to exercise the Hollows, wherever we may find them." Rukia explained.
"The Hollow with the bug body this afternoon, why was it chasing that girl?" Ichigo asked.
"That I don't know. We have yet to fully understand what motivates the Hollows to do the things they do." Rukia answered and Maya's head snapped up when she heard a crash.
"What was that?!" Ichigo asked but seemingly Rukia didn't hear it and continued on with her explanation.
"What we do know is that there is a second Hollow hiding somewhere nearby."
"Then what the hell are you waiting for? Go out and kill it." Ichigo said.
"I would, but I can't seem to detect its location," she frowned, head lowered, seemingly embarrassed, "Usually, I have no trouble finding a Hollow that's close by. But here, it seems like my senses are being jammed by some powerful forc-"
Maya rolled her eyes. "I thought you Soul Reapers were suppose to be good at sensing these things. What are you, deaf?" She snapped and Rukia frowned.
"There's something huge howling out there!" Ichigo exclaimed again, "That sound has to be a Hollow!"
"Something howling? What do you mean?" Rukia questioned and Maya would have facepalmed if it wasn't for the situation.
Another howl thundered outside. Rukia lifted her face, realization dawning on her. She had finally heard it and her blood froze.
She got up quickly, hand on hilt, stance defensive, wide violet eyes scanning around her, while Ichigo was still a heap on the floor. "Now, I hear it! Definitely a Hollow!" she said, stating the obvious.
"That's what I've been telling you!" Ichigo growled from the floor, his eyes suddenly widening when he heard a scream. "That's Yuzu!"
Maya stood from the bed as Rukia rushed towards the door, suddenly stopping, her violet eyes wide as a tremendous wave of energy stopped her in her tracks. It was so powerful, she could hardly move.
"Hey wait! Untie me!" Ichigo yelled, furiously as he struggled against the Kidō that was binding him.
"Ichigo…" Hearing pained moans, Maya watched as Yuzu heaved, every breath aching with pain, body bruised and weak. She limped towards her brother's room collapsing forward as her legs gave way.
Maya's eyes widened ans she rushed towards the girl, managing to catch her before Yuzu hit the ground and gently settled the girl down. "Yuzu! What happened?" Ichigo gasped from inside, concern edging his voice roughly.
His younger sister struggled to sit up, eyes bruised and swollen as she looked at her brother, "I-Ichigo, Karin's been…" she struggled to continue, voice shaking. "Ichigo, you've gotta save her…" Yuzu said, pleading as the last of her energy was consumed and she collapsed again.
He growled viciously as the chains refused to yield, frustration and anger contorting his face. "Hey!" he snarled at the Rukia, "You've gotta let me go!"
A scream rang loud and clear through the night and Maya's head snapped to the side as Rukia stood up quickly, ignoring Ichigo's yells and in a flash she was gone.
"Hey! I've gotta break free!" Desperation racked Ichigo's brain, thundered in his blood, and sped the pace of his heart. His muscles endlessly strained against invisible binds as he snapped at the ground with his teeth, ferociously attempting to escape. Slowly, struggling, Ichigo managed to bring two of his feet up under him so he was now balanced on top of them.
'That's impossible,' Maya thought as she stared at what was happening before her. 'What kind of a human being is he?' She wondered before blinking. 'What the hell am I doing?'
Standing up, the girl quickly searched for her Gikongan before popping the Mod Pill into her mouth, a familiar feeling washing over her. "Watch over Yuzu."
Thankful that she wasn't wearing her revealing Arrancar uniform, she was clad in a simple shihakushō, but instead of white obi sash, she wore a crimson one instead.
"Hop!" With that, Maya quickly rushed down the stairs, her feet barely touching the steps, her clothing billowing behind her. Time was of the essence, as she very well knew, it stood in the way of life and death. Leaping into a room, and glimpsing through the broken mess of a wall, Maya stood next to a wide-eyed Rukia.
"Yo-your a Soul Reaper?" Maya glanced at Rukia and frowned.
"No time for questions," she snapped and turned back towards the Hollow that held Karin in its grasp and she couldn't help but think back to the time when she was in the same position.
"Put me down!" Karin screeched at the creature that held her trapped. Maya gritted her teeth and unsheathed her katana, ready to charge but something tumbled down the stairs and she glanced at it and watched as Ichigo came into view.
"Stay out of it!" Rukia warned him, eyes ablaze.
Ichigo, arms still fastened behind him, crawled towards the armed woman, legs struggling against her incantation. "Damn it," he muttered as his legs refused to move under him.
"Ichigo..."
…..To be Continued...
