And here is the next chapter. I hope that more reviews will start coming in. So, without further adieu…

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach.

CLAIMER: I do own my OCs and any plot twists.

Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism.

Chapter 6: Strange

"When I stand before God at the end of my life,

I would hope that I not have a single

Bit of talent left, and could say,

"I used everything you gave me"."

-Erma Bombeck

My legs moved as I frantically sprinted through the darkness, screaming for my mother. I had the feeling that I was being followed. The thought…frightened me. I wanted my parents, but they were nowhere to be found. Tears streaked my cheeks as I cried out for my mother once more, only to be denied of her help. A strange, eardrum splitting sound filled my ears. I stopped, and covered my ears, wondering what the sound was…

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My numbed body retrieved the feeling that had been lost. My body shot upright, only for my forehead to smack into something flat and hard. "Ow!" I fell back onto what felt like a soft pillow. I glanced around, and found myself in what appeared to be a darkened closet. I was wrapped in a cocoon of soft blankets, and wearing nothing but a tank-top and sweat pants. A suitcase was propped up behind me.

"Hinata, are you alright?" I looked up, and found Rukia leaning over the ledge of the white ceiling above me. She was wearing her school uniform, brushing her hair.

I rolled out from under it, and found that it was a shelf with a makeshift bed on it.

"Rukia? Where am I?" Memories from yesterday returned to my mind, and I realized that I was sleeping inside Ichigo's closet. I grabbed the knob and threw the door open, finding sunlight spilling in through the window, illuminating Ichigo's bedroom. The little mod-soul was still inside of his stuffed body, lying on the floor and shaking his head.

Ichigo was sitting upright on his bed, glaring at the little animal, "You can't start the day acting like a retard. Act like a real stuffed animal and shut-up, Kon," he looked at me, "Morning, Hinata." I merely waved at him.

The mod-soul got to his feet and glared at the taller male, "Kon? What kind of name is that!?"

"I've named you Kon because it's short for Mod Kanpoku; it's another name for a mod-soul like you." I thought the idea was really creative.

Of course, Kon did not agree with me. "You're not the boss of me!" he cheered up immediately and looked up at Ichigo hopefully, "Please call me Mod, it sounds cooler."

"No."

His reply displeased Kon, "Why not!?"

"Your right, Mod does sound cool, but there's nothing cool about you." Ichigo replied as he slid off of his bed.

Rukia slammed her foot against the floor beside me, and rose to her feet, "I will not stand for all this commotion! I like getting dressed in peace." What she did not realize, is that she landed on Kon. That gave the latter a clear view up her skirt.

He gave her thumbs up, smiling as he did, "I was just telling Ichigo that my name should be Mod. What do 'ya think?" She responded by stomping on him. I sighed and laid back on my pillow. What a lively morning this is. I miss the peace and quiet known as Orihime's house. My heart skipped a beat when Yuzu's voice rang from the other side of his door. I sat up, only to lay back when I smacked my head against the shelf again. I need to remember that thing is there. I calmed when Ichigo lunged at us and shoved both Rukia and Kon into the closet with me, slamming the door shut. Luckily, I was injured the process.

Silently, we listened as Ichigo and his younger sister spoke. I sighed with relief as the blonde female exited the room. So I go from living with biological family, to living with my kind-of foster sister, and then to living in a boy's closet. Where will I be moving next?

I grabbed the crack in the closet door and slid it open, only to shut it again. "Something wrong?" Rukia was brushing her hair, smoothing the spots that were ruined by the redhead's rough treatment.

"I got a glimpse of Ichigo in his boxer shorts." I decided to attempt to change into my uniform at the bottom of the closet, despite the cramped space.

It was easier then I thought, but still a pain nonetheless. When I was finished, I climbed out of the closet, finding a fully dressed Ichigo standing by the window. My appearance was a little disheveled, so I took the time to smooth my clothes out and brush my hair a little longer. I tied it up, leaving my bangs hanging free. Rukia was waiting for me, standing with her back pressed against the wall. Apparently, Keigo and Mizuiro were waiting for the orange haired male outside, so Rukia and I had to wait until the coast was clear. She told me that yesterday, she replaced their memories. It was as if Kon had never been there.

"Ichigo," He was still standing by the window, starring into the outside world beyond. I was starting to think that he zoned out, and was losing track of time. "You need to leave first so that we can without being caught."

There was no reply. "Ichigo?" He remained silent.

One of my eyebrows arched. I crossed the room and shook his shoulder. He jumped and snapped his head in my direction, "Huh? What?"

"You need to leave before Rukia and me, remember?"

"Oh yeah, sorry." He walked away from the window and left his bedroom.

There, Rukia and I waited until the orange haired teen began walking down the street with Keigo and Mizuiro at his side. Once the coast was clear, Rukia helped me climb down the ladder, and drop down into the yard. She followed, and then the two of us began making our way to the school grounds.

Ichigo… The look in his eyes. A flurry of emotions filled his dark brown irises, and I could see a hint of pain in them. What was going through your mind, Ichigo? I paused while Rukia and I were walking on the sidewalk, a sudden thought occurring to me.

"Rukia…what's tomorrow?"

The raven-haired girl paused, and looked at me, "June Seventeenth, why?"

That time again.

"Nothing." I continued on, feeling that answering questions would be unnecessary.

A few minutes later, we arrived at school. I followed the usual routine and went to my desk, where Tatsuki, Chizuru, Michiru, and Orihime were.

"Hinata!" the orange haired female called as I sat down.

I looked at her, "Hm?"

"How is everything going at the clinic? You look really tired, have you gotten any sleep?" she was worried about me.

"I'm fine. We've got it pretty rough there, though. I stayed up pretty late." Lying was not a very good habit, but I had to. Rukia made it perfectly clear that I was not to tell anyone. It was still hard to believe that I was in danger and just because of some strange spiritual aura.

"Hey Tatsuki, your in art class, right?" Michiru was looking at her, a sheepish expression on her face.

The raven-haired girl, who was standing beside me, turned her attention to her, "Yeah."

"Then could you tell me how you did that project? The one where we predict our future in a drawing?"

Tatsuki returned to her desk and grabbed her folder, pulling a piece of parchment out. She proudly flashed it before us, allowing us to see her work. Her artistic skills were amazing. It was an image of her standing in the middle of a wrestling ring, holding up a golden belt that glimmered in the light. A crowd was cheering around her. "It's a picture depicting me as a wrestling champion."

"That's really good Tatsuki." And I was being serious about that.

Michiru seemed to agree, "It's wonderful! But, now I'm so embarrassed I don't even want to show my drawing," she looked at the other female, "Hey Orihime, what did you draw?" I was not in that class, so I did not participate in the project.

"I'd loved to. I'm actually happy you asked, but I'm really proud of what I drew," she opened her own folder and pulled a picture out. It was a cartoony drawing of her as a cyborg, a robot-human of doom. She was blasting a city apart and fighting what appeared to be made up villains. "I'll have a velocity of two-hundred forty miles per hour, and twenty degree Celsius flame will shoot from my mouth, and my eyes will project destruction beams!"

I shook my head, laughing at my friend's wild imagination, "That future sounds…interesting." Hopefully that teacher can appreciate her vivid imagination, because it looks like she put a lot of work into it.

"Oh, Orihime, it's all wrong!" Michiru cried, looking a little creeped out.

The door opened, and Ichigo entered the classroom, followed by his friends. Wait, how'd he get here after me when he left first? I decided that it would be best not to ask.

"Hi, Ichigo!" Orihime chirped merrily, waving at him as she did.

The orange haired teen stopped and smiled back at her, "Hi Orihime." And continued on to his desk.

My jaw fell slightly. Ichigo? Something was up. Ichigo would have replied in a bored tone or simply waved. Why was in such a good mood this morning? Even as Keigo gave Rukia another one of his strange greetings, and said something dumb enough to earn a sarcastic remark from Ichigo, the boy never said a word. He merely laughed at his idiot friend's statement.

"Michiru, what's the date today?" Tatsuki asked, wearing the same expression that was plastered on my face.

She checked her watch, "June Sixteenth."

"I knew it," her words caught my attention. I listed to Tatsuki as she went on, "He usually hides his feelings, and he maybe acting nice, but right now he's really tense. You guys shouldn't worry about it, 'kay?" She rose to her feet, and prepared to head to her desk, "I know why he's acting like this. And I bet that tomorrow, he's going to skip school altogether."

She walked away from me, returning to her desk. Orihime flashed me a curious look, but I returned it with a shrug. With that, she went to her own table. I remained in my place, starring at the desk. What is she talking about? What could be happening to Ichigo that is so important…on the same day that my… I was tapping my pencil against my desk when I noticed the rip on my sleeve.

"Oh crap, not my jacket," I groaned, shaking my head.

Chizuru cocked her head so that she was looking at me, "What happened?"

"There's a rip in the sleeve, dammit." I sighed and smacked my palm against my forehead. I hated it when my clothes tore.

"Where is it?"

I jumped and looked up. A fifteen-year-old boy, with short black hair was standing beside my desk. His long bangs were parted, so I could see his dark blue irises. His skin was pale, and his body was very lean. H was wearing the boy's uniform, only without the jacket. Glasses aided his impaired vision.

"What?" I blinked, starring at him.

He held up a needle with some thread in it, "Where is the rip?" I blinked again, and held my arm up. He gabbed my arm gently, and held it close. I watched as he began working on the fabric, closing the rip in a matter of seconds. "There."

I examined my arm, finding that it was perfect, "Thanks…um?"

"Ishida Uryu," The boy said with a small bow, "And you're welcome."

"Inoue Hinata." My lips curled into a polite smile as he returned to his desk near the center of the room. That was nice.

The teacher arrived a few moments later, and called all of us to order. We started on our work, even though I had trouble paying attention to it. I was more focused on Ichigo and Tatsuki's cryptic words. How could tomorrow be important to the both of us? And he managed to retain his overly cheerful attitude, causing some of my friends to feel a little worried for him. At lunch, he actually offered to share his food when Mizuiro forgot his. In gym class, he was extremely helpful to others, when normally he would keep to himself.

After school, Ichigo, Rukia, and I headed to the clinic in the exact opposite of silence. The orange haired male was talking up a storm with the raven-haired girl, while I took his place remained the silent one. Strange indeed.

Rukia snuck inside while Ichigo and I entered through the front door.

As soon as I entered the clinic, Mr. Kurosaki stomped up to me, causing me to stop near the front door.

"I'm sorry Hinata, but you have tonight and tomorrow off." He announced loudly.

I looked up at him strangely, but then remembered why. That's why! The Kurosaki family always go somewhere on June Seventeenth, although why and where remained a mystery to everyone.

I faked a smile, "Oh yeah, I forgot. Well, see you guys later." I turned and left the clinic. When his father was no longer paying attention, I made a sharp turn and ran around the building. I scaled the ladder and climbed into Ichigo's bedroom, where Rukia and Kon were hiding.

"You early." She said as she sat on the floor.

Kon leapt off of Ichigo's bed and into my arms, "Yay, its Hinata!"

"Hey there," I stroked his artificial fur and sat on the foot of the bed. "I always have a day off on June Seventeenth and Sixteenth."

"Why?"

"Because the Kurosaki family goes on a trip on the Seventeenth, and they prepare on the Sixteenth. Now, be quiet so I can listen. I want to know why." I moved to the floor and laid down, listening carefully.

Guessing from their voices, they were in the kitchen. "Time for our meeting! As chairman, I shall be making all decisions!" That was Isshin speaking.

"As if!" Karin shouted, "Who made you chairman?"

"Hey, hey! You must raise your hand if you wish to speak, Chief of Staff!"

"I'm…Chief of Staff?" she seemed to like her position.

"Yuzu, you shall be security of lunch! Karin, you will load our packs!"

"I thought I was Chief of Staff!"

"Did I say Chief of Staff?"

"Yeah."

"I meant Chief of Stuff!"

"Stuff!?"

"Stuffing our packs, that is."

"Oh come on!"

"Back to bed, that's an order!"

I sat up, and shook my head. Okay, that was pointless. I just found how they planned to get to their destination tomorrow, but I don't know where they're going, or why. And how come Ichigo wasn't given a job? I could hear the sound of heavy footfalls, realizing that it was the boy himself. A door shut, and after a few moments of silence, I heard running water. Ichigo was taking a shower.

"Any idea why he's been acting so strange?" Rukia asked as she moved to sit beside me.

I shook my head, "No," That flicker of pain re-entered my mind. But…it must be really important. A strange sound rang from above. I glanced out of the window, and found that the sky was darkened by rain clouds. It rains every June Sixteenth… "Hey Rukia."

"Hm?"

"Why did you ask me if Ichigo's outfit was familiar, the one he wears when he's a spirit?"

There was a short pause, "No reason. Just curious." She was lying. But I could tell that she did not want to answer, so I did not push for the truth. She rose to her feet, and quickly changed into her bright yellow pajamas. Kon had moved from my lap and onto Rukia's bed in the closet.

Ichigo entered the room a moment later, his head covered by a white fluffy towel. He was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and black pants with dark blue designs on them. He crossed the room, stopping in front of the window. He stretched his arms and placed the towel across his head, a distant look in his eyes.

"That sounded like fun." Rukia said cheerfully as she climbed out of the closet.

He cocked his head so that he was facing the two of us, "What?"

"The family meeting," she said as if reminding him of what transpired only a few moments ago, "so you're skipping school and going on a family picnic? That sounds like fun!"

Lucky dog. I can't skip school just because of tomorrow. I thought as I climbed into the closet. I tossed Kon out before shutting the door, and began stripping off of my uniform.

"Hey Rukia, I know that I have responsibilities as a Soul Reaper…but, can I have the day off?"

That surprised me. I was slipped my tank-top on, shooting the door a strange look.

"Did you just ask me for a day off?" she did not sound like she was going to grant his request, "Are you crazy? First, you act strange the entire day, and now you're pulling this on me?" What, do Soul Reapers have something against vacations? I slipped my sweatpants on, waiting to hear Ichigo's reply.

There was a silence, and then his voice filled the room. "It's the anniversary…of my mom's death," my stomach felt heavy as soon as I heard the words, "Well; actually…it's the day she was killed." That caused my heart to skip a beat.

For some reason, Isshin had a gigantic picture hanging on one of the walls in their living room. It was a poster of a very beautiful woman, who was possibly in her mid to late twenties. She had long, wavy blonde hair. Her blue irises illuminated the room, making it feel at ease. She appeared to be of American decent. Whenever Isshin argued with his daughters, he would weep in front of the picture in a goofy and theatrical manner. I always wondered why. That is when it hit me. Ichigo's facial appearance was very similar to hers; he looked like the male version of that woman. And orange was a mutation of blonde, so he inherited his hair from her. That woman was his mother. I never asked him why his mother was not around. I simply assumed that she left, but now I knew the real reason.

It had to be a coincidence. My family was murdered the same day Ichigo's mother was killed.

No wonder. Rukia did not say another word. Instead, she silently opened the door and climbed onto her shelf. Kon laid beside me on the floor, while I tried to force myself to sleep. Ichigo was lying on his bed, unconscious. I gazed at the darkened shelf above me, and eventually shut my eyes. I tried to drift away from reality, but Ichigo's words continued to force me back. I grew sick of it, and left the closet.

I moved to stand in front of the window after I made sure that everyone was asleep. The house was silent, so it was safe to move around.

The rain was pouring outside, soaking the ground that had once been dry.

Why is, when Heaven weeps, I feel the urge to join? I mourn for those who had been lost in the dephs of time? I glanced at Ichigo, who was lying on his bed with the towel wrapped around his forehead. He appeared troubled. His pain… Without thinking, I approached the bed and knelt beside it. My hand lifted to his forehead. He was tossing and turning, muttering something in his sleep. I pressed my palm to his temple, and closed my eyes.

Please…Ichigo…calm dow-huh? My hand twitched, and pain throbbed in my own head.

Images of Karakura Town flashed before me. It was raining, just like tonight. Only it seemed different. There was a young Ichigo wearing a cute little raincoat, walking along the soaked sidewalk. He was holding the hand of a blonde woman. His mother. He curiously glanced at the river they were passing, seeing a girl with a long, ivory coat standing there. She was falling. The young Ichigo tried to stop her, with his mom following closely behind. She cried out for her son. Then, Ichigo passed out. When he woke, his mother's bloodied corpse was curled up beside him, holding him as if to protect him from some unseen force. The small boy wept for his mother, but she did not respond. She was dead.

I ripped my hand away from him, recoiling from the pain in my forehead. I massaged my temples, trying to dismiss what I saw. His mother's words haunted me. Screams that tried to stop her son from his reckless actions. Her last words to her beloved child. I sat on the floor, feeling the tears as they burned my eyes…

Okay, you just had a glimpse of Hinata's abilities. Those will be explained later. Please review and I shall update soon…