Chapter Three


The rest of the year passes without that much trouble - I fell a few times that had me crying over the cuts and bruises I received - and Sora along with myself spending Christmas in our new home. Our aunt had even sent a few gifts for us along with a letter asking of our well beings while also hoping that we weren't causing too much trouble. She wasn't necessarily a bad woman - after all, she did help us and still is -, but she didn't go too much out of her way for us. After all, she had to look after her family first so I couldn't blame her.

We spent New Year going to the temple where we met up with Ichigo and his parents. We bought omamori which are actually charms and ate noodles, my fortune even stated I had great blessings this year while Ichigo pouted over receiving only middle blessings which has everyone laughing. Sora and myself spent the rest of the days he had off cleaning our home.

Storing away my very first otoshidama in hopes of someday having enough money to buy something cool later on, I had decided to get my notebook hidden away in the small storage room in a box with the money. I had even gone so far as to tell Sora to promise never to go into my 'money box', which he had agreed to with amusement. Not trusting him, I made him do our traditional pick-promise just to make sure.

When school starts again, our first project was to do describe our vacation. The twins supposedly spent time in Hiroshima with their grandparents and even went to a hot springs - this has everyone 'oooh'ing and 'ahhh'ing at, me included - while Hikari said she and her mother made pretty dresses like the one she drew for us to see, Daisuke went fishing with his father and Ichigo spent it taking care of his mommy who was going to give him a baby sibling.

"I finally went around Karakura." I said when my turn came up. When everyone asked me which places were my favorite, and did I really spend all my time with my brother, and what was it like, I answered accordingly. We had then asked our teachers about their holidays and it was fun, just like the rest of the days there. I became close to Ichigo and the twins - they were very forceful in their request to be my friends, and I actually did like them - over time, but I still had the other kids that I talked to.

When it was their fourth birthday, Ichigo and I were invited over to their home to a small party along with some of our classmates. It was fun playing with them and eating cake - chocolate really is my favorite thing in the world -, it was fun acting like a normal three year old. Something I had no intention of departing from for a long time, is the chance to act like a kid.

In my old life, I had wanted so badly to grow up and get to do the things adults did. Although I only got a little chance to taste the supposed 'freedom' a near twenty year old gets, I found myself regretting not enjoying these years I now have once more.

Let's just ignore the fact that I had some 'knowledge' for the future I needed to be responsible for, and look at the glaring fact that I had a chance to be a kid again. In a way, this was a blessing and a curse.

There were times when I had mistakenly thought of this world as my old one, and would often get a glaring reminder that it isn't anything like it.

One such reminder would be when I had caught Ichigo staring out the window at school one day. It wasn't like he was dazed or anything, but looked to be staring at something in particular. Upon asking him what he was looking at, he had pointed at the tree and proclaimed that a woman was sitting in it. Of course no one was there, but he had been sure there was.

It wasn't until later that I realized what exactly Ichigo had seen and my stomach had rolled in discomfort and I had felt uneasy.

Ichigo had seen a ghost, and from what I remembered, he had always been able to.

I had made him promise not to tell anyone except his parents about it, which had made him frowned. He had wondered why which I had stupidly stated that everyone would think he was crazy and wouldn't want to be around him. That of course had upset him and Ichigo didn't speak to me for the rest of the day.

Apologizing the next day, I was forgiven and we had fallen back into her friendship like nothing happened. Supposedly, he had told his father but he didn't go into what happened later.

Another reminder had been one that I didn't realize until much later what it was. Or more precisely, who it was.

"Hello, little one. Are you lost?" A very pregnant Masaki asks the young girl who sits at the curb in front of her home.

Ichigo and I had asked to have a sleepover at his home, and although my brother was a little reluctant at first to leave me he had finally agreed when I had basically badgered him for two days straight.

"Promise not to cause any trouble?" he holds out his pink finger, which I grasp with my smaller one in a hurry.

"Promise!"

After my brother and Isshin had dropped me off along with Ichigo after school on Friday, Masaki had asked if we had wanted to follow her to the convenience store just a few blocks away. Ichigo of course jumped up at the thought of helping his mother, and I wanted to see more of Ichigo's neighborhood as well. She had even bought us ice pops for our trouble.

On our way back, we had found the young girl sitting just on the pavement in front of the Kurosaki clinic. Upon hearing Masaki's voice, the girl had looked up and her dark eyes first met with mine from my place beside the pregnant mother before they looked up at Masaki. Ichigo had long ago hidden himself behind me, hand still in mine.

He was bit of a shy guy that didn't like to be the center of everyone's attention, and would often use me as a shield when dealing with persons we did not know of. It was something I often teased him about that usually got us into little mock fights.

"Y-yes." Her voice, although small was firm and the girl clutched the blue ball in her hands tighter.

"It's alright. Would you let me help you?" Her nod as an affirmative was all the answer Masaki got but the woman smiled and held out her hand. Masaki had somehow coaxed the young child to come in with us where we learned her story.

It seemed that she was playing and lost her ball on the street and had ventured out to look for it, not telling her mom. Masaki had been patient in collecting little details like her name - Tatsuki Arisawa -, her parent's name - Hiashi and Tsubaki - and if she knew what her house looked like.

Luckily, the young woman didn't need much seeing as she knew where the young girl lived and that it wasn't far from here. Soon, we were waving goodbye to the spiky haired girl who waves right back as her mother took her inside after giving Masaki her thanks.

Much of our sleepover had been uneventful afterwards, and I never saw Tatsuki afterwards although Ichigo said he sees her from time to time. It really hit me that she was actually someone important until much later, with me slapping a hand to face in exasperation for my lapse.

February, March and April passed without much trouble with my brother and myself receiving letters from our aunt, and Sora receiving a promotion from work which we celebrated with a late night movie and junk food.

On his birthday in late April, we baked a cake together and I tried my hand at a home-made card. Although my writing was almost too terrible to even look at, my brother had proclaimed he would be keeping it for all eternity.

There was actually another reminder that came late into May, that had me once again realizing just what was to take place in years to come. The birth of Ichigo's sisters.

"Congratulations, Ichigo." I gave him a smile that he returns with a brighter one.

"Thanks, Ori-tan!" He was more than excited to tell me of how small and pretty they were, how his dad wouldn't stop crying and how his mother had said he would be the best big brother ever.

It really was endearing just how happy he was over it and how much he wanted to challenge Sora to see who was the greatest older brother.

Looking at him now as we begin our second year in Kindergarten, I find myself wavering in my decision of not trying to help him out - of not getting involved. This is the boy who has been with me for a year now - that I have grown attached to - and I just couldn't leave him to the fate that was set out for him.

The question is, how do I even go about helping?


Ichigo begins attending karate classes at a dojo near his home. Supposedly Tatsuki also trained there, which wasn't so surprising for me - she was a fighter in the series, right? He had declared on his birthday that he would be a protector for his sisters and so he needed to become strong. He had even invited me to join, which I told him I would think about.

"I think it's a lovely idea." Sora says when I told him of Ichigo's invitation. "I actually used to do a little self defense when I was little."

"Really?" This is actually news to me and I jump at the chance to know more of a younger Sora. "How old were you?"

"Mm, about ten. I only lasted for two years though." He laughs, scratching the back of his head. "I had to start a part time job during middle school so I had to quit."

I don't dare ask why he needed to do such a thing or why he even had to learn self defense. The forbidden memories I have of our time with our parents is reason enough to believe they are the answer. It still surprised me they are actually people alive who treated their children in such a way. I still can't believe Sora had to go through all of that, and then he came out of it as the kind and strong person he is now.

I surprise him by wrapping my arms around his feet - my head nuzzling into his knees - and he lets out a startled gasp before he chuckles. "Everything okay, Hime-chan?"

"I'll get strong for me and you." My words are a bit muffled by my mouth being blocked by his pants, but I know he hears me. "I'll join the dojo and get strong. No more bad parents."

His hands rest on my head before I find myself being lifted up to meet his eyes. Being held mid-air, I let my hands find his face which I caress and he lets out a sigh closing his eyes.

"You don't need to worry about that anymore, Hime-chan. I won't let them hurt you anymore." My eyes burn, and I close them as he brings me close swallowing me up in his large sweater. I find myself to be rather close to Sora - something I don't remember being with any of my past self's siblings. No doubt we were siblings, yes but I was not nearly as touchy-feely with them as I am with Sora.

Maybe it has something to do with me having knowledge of him dying.

It could be that or the fact that in this life I didn't have the luxury of being with loving parents and more than one sibling.

Thinking of my past life is of course always there with me - of my life as Josephine and the what ifs along with how were things there - and I know for a fact that it will always be. I don't think I'll ever get over it fully; me dying and being here with Sora - being a different person. Hopefully in the future I could find closure or something close to it.

Back to things - Sora did get around to registering me to the dojo and to say Ichigo was ecstatic would be an understatement.

"So you're really coming with me today?" I refrain from laughing at the look of clear excitement on the four year old and instead stick a carrot piece into my mouth.

"I am. Sora-nii is gonna carry me today." His smile is infectious and I find myself also smiling even with the carton of milk to my mouth.

"I wish we could go." Haruka pouts while Haruna nods with a sigh. The four of us currently sit beside each other at the long table for lunch. Our other classmates are as loud as ever and I'm a but surprised that the the twins don't join in on the eating contest between Jun Hajime and Hotaru Kosuke. News of Ichigo's starting of Karate had made the two curious enough to forgo their usual competitiveness with the two other mischief doers.

"Maybe when you get older?" Ichigo tries to comfort the two girls which works a bit and soon our conversation turns to the impending summer vacation and our plans.

When the day at school comes to an end, I'm surprised to find my brother to be early as he stands having a conversation with Ichigo's dad. I don't hesitate in running and wrapping my arms around his legs which puts their talk to pause at my interruption.

"You're early." I state, looking up and meeting his gaze.

"I didn't want to make you late for your first day." Is his answer, a small smile hints at the corner of his lips. Releasing him from my hold, I turn to Isshin who has been watching us with a soft look.

"I hear you're joining Ichigo at the dojo, Orihime-chan." I nod my head and he chuckles. Ichigo appears, tugging on his school bag.

Ichigo and myself walk in front of the two males, with the orange haired boy excitedly telling me of everything he knew of the dojo from his week there.

"We only do katas now, but soon we'll be able to do fights." His excitement over learning to fight is a bit confusing as I know the young boy to be quite a softie. He wasn't anything like our male classmates Jun or Tanaka who didn't cry as much when they got hurt. Him being a child, this was okay but his attitude toward wanting to fight someone...

Maybe it was just me. I've never fought once in my life, and as Josephine had no intentions to. But as Orihime I didn't quite have a choice as I needed to be strong for what was to come in the future.

Furin Hall is a bit away from our home, but not too far from where Ichigo lives. The building although old, looked to be in good shape with glass windows up front and a sign hanging up displaying the name of the dojo.

"I'll be sure to come pick you up on time, alright?" Sora says, kneeling in front of me. Nodding my head, I let him place a kiss to my forehead and soon he along with Isshin are gone.

"Hello again, Orihime-san." The instructor, Kaname Kotaru, is a man of average height and features. His build shows of his profession with his muscular frame, but the soft smile shows he is not as scary as his image states. "I hope you're ready?"

"I am." Changed into the white uniform, I follow the instructor into the hall where I spot Ichigo already changed in line with a few other children that look around our age. I also spot Tatsuki a row behind Ichigo, looking right to the boy with a frown on her face.

Kaname's teachings are easy to follow, and even though I was separated from Ichigo being two rows behind him, I didn't feel out of place. Kaname's voice is strong and firm, carrying out across the room effectively as he orders our next position.

In a way, it is exciting learning something like this.

Maybe in the future I'll be able to pull off cool moves like Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee.

"Orihime, pay attention." Startled out of my thoughts, my face turns bright red meeting the dark eyes of Kaname.

"Right!"

But now I need to pay attention.


A bit short, but I'm a bit wary of adding more to this chapter.

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