Once homeroom was over, Rukia snatched Ichigo's arm, and dragged him out to the hallway. She demanded, "What are you doing here?! You're a shinigami! How come everyone else can see you?!"
Ichigo sighed, and ran a hand through his bright orange hair. "I guess I'll have to explain…" he began. "Well, I was supposed to go back to Soul Society, but I can't, considering the fact that you took all my shinigami powers, when I was trying to lend you only part of it…" Rukia appeared to be stunned, and her eyes were wide with surprise. Ichigo continued, "And everyone else can see me because I'm in a gigai, a faux body, right now. It's your fault that I have to use this stupid gigai!"
"Uh…what do you mean by gigai? Faux body? What…?" Rukia questioned.
"It's a temporary body for emergency use only," Ichigo explained a bit impatiently. "If shinigami are extremely weakened, they enter these to wait for their powers to return."
"Oh."
"Since you are basically the cause of me losing my powers, then you have to take your role as a substitute shinigami seriously. You have to use your powers to fight Hollows."
"Don't I need training or something?!" Rukia exclaimed. She had taken karate lessons, and stuff like that, but she had never actually wielded a sword before… until the night before, that is.
"You did fine last night," Ichigo said with a roll of his eyes. "No need for any extra training." Without a word, Ichigo took out a silver-tone cell phone that was beeping. "A hollow!" he shouted.
"What?! Right now?!" Rukia cried out. "But…"
Ichigo yanked her away, down the hallway, and out into the sidewalks. He pulled out a red glove, and then seemed to run into Rukia, and Rukia hollered, "What are you doing?!"
Then, before she knew it, Rukia was out of her body…in her spirit form. She was clad in the traditional black robes, and the awkward sandals of a shinigami. She looked at her body, which was on the sidewalk, and it came as a bit of a shock to see, just like when she first attained her shinigami powers.
"Come on!" Ichigo tugged on Rukia's sleeve roughly, and she nodded, falling into step alongside him. "The damn Hollow should be near here somewhere…" he muttered as he looked at his cell phone's screen.
Then, there was a loud crash, and a couple of trees crumpled down under the weight of a Hollow. A little boy's spirit was running away from the Hollow, crying and screaming for help. This Hollow had a spider-like body, and seemed intent on devouring the little spirit.
Rukia gasped, "I have to help him!"
Ichigo nodded as if confirming her statement, and noted, "You're taking the job as a substitute shinigami seriously." He obviously approved. It's easier if she already wants to do it; that way I don't have to talk her into helping the kid.
Rukia whipped out her zanpakuto from its sheath, and then sprinted towards the Hollow, slicing off the multiple limbs, and then finishing the attack with a cut down the center of its white mask. The Hollow fell backwards, and then disintegrated into nothingness.
"Now, you have to conduct the soul burial," Ichigo instructed, pointing at the quivering kid.
"Hey, there," Rukia said gently, kneeling down on one knee. "I guess I have to get you to Heaven, eh? …Well, it's called Soul Society. Those scary monsters won't be chasing you anymore, okay?" She smiled softly, and then tapped the hilt of her zanpakuto onto the spirit boy's forehead. He started to glow, and then he turned into a little butterfly, going off on his way to Soul Society.
Rukia and Ichigo watched for a little moment, before Rukia stood up and brushed off her miniskirt. "I'm going home now," she declared simply. Then, she started heading back to the sidewalk where she had left her body.
Ichigo followed Rukia as she walked down the sidewalk. A girl was lying toward the side of the street. "Oh my God, are you okay?!" Rukia ran over to her, helping her up. It was Orihime, and she seemed okay. She giggled, and nodded enthusiastically. "Did a car hit you?!"
"…Probably," she said with a cheery smile.
"Who the hell are you?" Ichigo asked.
Rukia hissed in his ear, "Inoue Orihime! You know; the one who was introducing everybody else this morning. How the hell do you not remember that?!"
"Oh," Ichigo showed a bit of annoyance on his face, but didn't say anything else. He suddenly noticed a large, dark spot on Orihime's leg. "What's that big bruise from?" he asked.
"Oh? Did that just appear when the car hit me?" Orihime seemed slightly confused.
"It looks terrible! Does it hurt?" Rukia said.
"A little…" Orihime replied. "But I feel fine!"
"You sure?" Rukia didn't look convinced. Ichigo was kneeling on the ground, examining the bruise.
"What's wrong, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked. "You have a serious look on your face!"
"Uh…nothing's wrong!" Ichigo stood up hastily.
Orihime waved good-bye to Ichigo and Rukia, and then crossed the street.
"She makes me worry sometimes…" Rukia mumbled with a fluttering sigh.
Ichigo was thinking about something; he seemed to know something that Rukia didn't know. That bruise… could it be a Hollow?
As the sun was setting, it cast a glorious orange glow upon the skies. The skies were a big blend of beautiful colors – gold, red, pink, orange, and soft, mellow yellow. Ichigo was asking questions about Orihime, and Rukia was answering them.
"Her older brother…took his last breath about three years ago," Rukia explained. "Apparently, he was her only blood relative. It was a car accident. But, I only found out recently."
"How was your spirit power at that time?" Ichigo asked.
"Not at all like right now! It was just recently when I could see and talk to ghosts so clearly," Rukia answered. "And what's with all these questions?"
"Nothing," Ichigo said as he picked up his walking pace.
"Where are you going?!" Rukia exclaimed.
"Home."
"Which is…?" Rukia stopped her question. "You know what? I don't want to know."
"Then don't ask, damn it!"
"Hey, I didn't actually ask the question yet!" Rukia called out after him.
A/N: I apologize for not having a Chapter Title. I couldn't think of one, but if anyone thinks of one, please let me know. Also, I would love for people to give me their input on what they want to see in this fanfiction. I am not sure which parts I should skip, or which parts I should make up and add in myself.
