Chapter Seven: Alliances
Ichigo, Anna, Renji, Chad, Orihime, Uryu and Rukia arrived back at Kisuke's shop, they briefed Kisuke on what they saw. "I'm glad you guys are okay, but I'm impressed you didn't need the necklace. Anna can I talk to you for a minute?" She nodded and Kisuke lead her away from the group. He had her necklace. "Even though you might be able to see what's going on now, I would still like to find out why whoever wore your necklace could see the enemy. Anna why didn't you tell me what this was? There are other ways to separate your soul from your body." He handed her something that looked like a wolf Pez dispenser. "Take this if you need to go to the soul reaper form."
"Thank you," Anna responded slightly confused.
"I now understand why you felt defenseless, but why did you not tell anyone? Another thing I don't understand if you knew almost everyone in that room and you seemed to work fine with them when fighting hollows, why were you so scared?" Kisuke questioned.
Anna became quiet and distant; before she could answer Yoruichi chastised Kisuke, "I told you not to ask her those questions." She looked at Anna, "you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
Anna looked at Yoruichi and answered in a quiet voice, "I'm not sure I have an answer, I just get really scared in crowds or if I get trapped. I don't know why, I just have a panic attack."
"To have a reaction like that, maybe its better you don't remember why." Yoruichi said softly. Anna wondered what she meant by that.
They went back to the group, Kisuke asked Rukia to explain about the soul candy to Anna. "You're kidding right? I've had it with this! Why do you people keep treating her like she's part of this group? She's not! She's an outsider we know nothing about! For all we know she's been causing these problems to begin with! No! I won't help her!" Rukia yelled as she stormed off and went outside.
Everyone was shocked by her outburst. Ichigo quickly followed her outside, Anna could see them through the window, the way they were arguing it almost looked like a lovers quarrel. "No wonder she hates me, she thinks I'm trying to steal her boyfriend." Thought Anna.
"What the hell is wrong with you? That was uncalled for to say the least Rukia!" Ichigo yelled at her.
"Figures you would take her side! You've been a completely different person since you met her, I don't even recognize you! And of all the people you could have picked, you choose to sleep with someone that could pose a danger to your friends! Of all the selfish, arrogant, pigheaded... Oh, I can't deal with you right now!" Rukia bellowed as she turned her back on him.
"Rukia, you have completely lost me. I'm not even sure why you are mad at me!" What she said had finally hit him, "Wait a minute, you think we're dating? You think were sleeping together? Heavens, no! Rukia. Why would you even think that? She's like a little sister. We have things in common, personal things, I kinda think of her as a friend but more so someone who needs my protection. She acts tough and confident but emotionally, because of what's happened to her, she is very fragile and emotionally immature. She's even forgotten almost all of her katana training; she mostly goes on instinct. Most of all, she needed a friend, she's been kicked in the teeth her whole life, I was just trying to show and not everyone is an ass." Ichigo explained.
"But the way you two act towards each other, holding hands, the way you caress her shoulders, the way your face lights up when you look at her, the way you smile at her, how can you not be a couple?" Rukia questioned.
"Rukia, I honestly never even thought of her that way. I do like spending time with her, this is going to sound strange, but I feel a connection to my mother when I am with her." His voice lowered to just above a whisper, "Rukia, her sister was killed by a hollow."
Rukia ignored his last comment, "Are you interested in her, let me be clear, do you want to date her?"
"Oh man, that's what Uryu meant." Ichigo said. Rukia gave him a confused look. "That first day when Anna and I had lunch together, Uryu was asking me strange questions, I think he was trying to see if I liked her to." He sighed in frustration, "what is it with you people and my love life, or better description, lack thereof? I don't have time for something like that."
"So you're not interested in her?" Rukia asked.
"Like that, absolutely not, she's a nice girl but that's it." Ichigo affirmed.
Rukia had finally calmed down. She thought to herself, "her spiritual pressure has changed, maybe it felt off just because it was so erratic, but…" That was it, her spiritual pressure was strange but seemed very familiar, it was just like Ichigo's, rather Ichigo's hollow.
"Rukia, what is it?" Ichigo asked concerned with her rection.
"Nothing." her mind was racing, who the hell is she? She's not a soul reaper, how does she have the powers? And a hollow? But Ichigo controls his; could that be why they're so close? Does he know this about her already? What side is she really on?
Ichigo could tell there was something wrong, but he thought better of asking her about it. He would just try to change the subject, "Rukia, does everyone think we're dating?"
Rukia looked at him in surprise, with everything they just discussed and that is what's worrying him? "I don't know what to do with you Ichigo." She was finally smiling.
"Are you going to come back in?" Ichigo asked.
"In a bit, I just want to collect my thoughts." Rukia answered.
Ichigo nodded at her and went back inside the building. The rest of the group watched him return wondering what was said. They could hear them shouting but they could not hear what was being said. "Were you able to calm her down?" Uryu asked.
"Yeah, hey, can I talk to you alone?" Ichigo asked Uryu. He nodded and followed Ichigo. When they were away from the group Ichigo asked, "Do you think Anna and I are sleeping together or dating or something like that?"
Uryu laughed, "So you finally figured it out that everybody already knows?"
"You're kidding me? This is why Rukia has been mad at me. I'm not even interested in Anna! She's like a little sister, you guys have dirty minds." Ichigo stated in exasperation.
Uryu looked at him in surprise, "you two are not a couple?"
"Good heavens, NO!" Ichigo affirmed.
Meanwhile, Anna had slipped away from the group. She went outside to talk with Rukia. "I'm sorry Rukia." She said softly.
"For what?" Rukia was wondering what Anna's response would be.
"For getting between you and Ichigo. I didn't realize you two were a couple. I'm sorry." Anna apologized.
"Wait a minute, why do you think we are couple? Aren't you two?" Rukia questioned.
"Why would you think we are a couple?" Anna asked confused.
"The way you two act towards each other? Good heavens, a blind person could see you two flirt." Rukia replied.
"I didn't realize we were, I guess it's just how we act towards each other." Anna answered.
"Anna, I am going to ask you two questions, if you ever want me to trust you, be honest. Are you in love with Ichigo?" Rukia questioned.
Anna took a deep breath, "Rukia, being and doing are two different things, one is instinct and the other is a conscious choice. Do I have feelings for Ichigo? Yes. If things were different, would I act on it, maybe. But with circumstances being what they are, it is not possible and I refuse to pursue it." Anna stated.
"He does not like you like that, I hope you know." Rukia remarked.
"That's good to hear." Anna answered honestly.
Rukia was surprised at her answer, "you're not upset he is not interested in you romantically."
"Actually, it's a relief. I know I can get flirty and I was afraid I'd given him the wrong impression. It looks like I didn't, so all is well." Anna looked at Rukia, "what was your second question?"
Rukia debated even asking it, but she had to know who was Anna and was she a danger. "Anna, the reason I've had a problem with you from the beginning is something just felt off about you. I just couldn't put my finger on it but something Ichigo said made me realize what I was sensing. Anna…" Rukia was still wondering should she ask this, "you know never mind, I guess the second thing is all moot point after all."
"You can ask me, Rukia, no matter what it is, I'll tell you the truth, even if it causes more problems." Anna told her.
Rukia looked at Anna, "you are part hollow aren't you?" She blurted out before she had a chance to stop herself.
Anna looked horrified; she closed her eyes and leaned against the railing. She sighed deeply. "Not part hollow per se, I was young, scared, and alone. I was just starting to excise hollows when I found this weak one being attacked by other stronger hollows. It begged for me to help it, it told me it could help make me stronger so I made a deal with it. It exists in my soul space with Benifenikkusu. Who was not happy about sharing, I might add. I do use him from time to time, either asking for intel or physical strength, but I rarely to the latter unless it is absolutely necessary because I'm always afraid I'm not going to come back from it. The power is to tempting."
Rukia could not believe her honesty, she was just like Ichigo, hollow and all. "Anna…"
"You think I'm a danger to the group and you want me to leave. I understand, I'm always afraid of that myself. That is why I cannot let anything happen between Ichigo and I. I couldn't keep a secret like that from him if we were together and he would not want me if he knew. Just let me get my necklace back from Kisuke. I can make up a reason like I regained my memories and am going home." Anna responded sadly.
"That wasn't what I was going to say, Anna. I'm surprised you were completely honest with me, under the circumstances I think even I would have made up something. Have you ever lost control of the hollow before?" questioned Rukia.
"No, he's actually quite passive." Anna answered.
"He's not trying to take control?" Rukia asked surprised.
"No, why would he? The deal I made with it was when I die, it gets my soul." Anna stated quietly.
"What, Anna?! Do you realize the deal you made with that thing?" Rukia questioned in surprise.
"I do, unfortunately. At the time I didn't care, but circumstances have changed and now I wish I could take it back. But, that's life isn't it? Living with the consequences of our choices?" Anna stated quietly.
"Anna, you don't have to leave. You've been an important part of our group recently, and I think we are still going to need you." Rukia told her.
Ichigo and Uryu had returned to the group. Ichigo noticed Anna was missing; he looked around for her and saw her talking outside with Rukia. He rushed outside; the girls were just standing there talking. He had a shocked look on his face.
"So do you want me to show you how to use the soul candy?" Rukia asked.
"Yes please." Anna answered. She followed Rukia back inside past a shocked Ichigo. Rukia started explaining about the soul candy and how it worked. "So it's just like my necklace then, except I swallow this?" Anna questioned as she looked at the pale green pill that came out of the pez dispenser.
"Yes, you just have to swallow it." Rukia told her.
"I hope this doesn't have any unintended consequences, oh well, bottoms up." She took the pill with a drink of water. Rukia understood what she meant by that, there shouldn't be a problem since her necklace does the same thing. Her soul separated from her body. Strange thing was instead of her body collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut, it was still animated. "Well this is kinda creepy." Stated Anna as she looked at her body.
"Hello Anna." Anna's body said to her.
"I revise my previous statement, this is EXTREMELY creepy!" exclaimed Anna as she started to quickly back away from her body.
"Your body stays animated so the people in the world the living won't find what looks like a dead body lying around." Rukia explained.
Anna laughed, "Yeah, I think I put a few coroners in the next town over in therapy. I can't count the times that I have woken up in the morgue. Well, with the injuries I sustain, I probably looked like I was mauled by an animal, it in retrospect, it's not far from the truth."
"I never even thought about that." Renji said.
"The morgue? You're kidding?" Ichigo asked.
"Glad I never woke up with Y-incision. Yeah…" Anna said jokingly, the images of all the things that could have happened running through her mind. She addressed the soul in her body, "Don't go outside or be seen by others that don't know what you are. Any injury I receive in soul form, my body also receives, it works the other way as well, if you get hurt, the injury will affect me too."
"How do you know that?" Rukia asked.
Anna laughed, "well it wasn't funny at the time, however, not sure exactly how, but my arm had gotten broken on my body and subsequently on me, luckily it was my left arm so I could still hold my katana."
"Your left side takes a beating, doesn't it?" Uryu asked thinking about her recent injury.
"I never thought about it." Stated Anna.
"You are right handed; you give up your left side so you can protect the limb you need." Uryu explained.
"You are the nerd of the group, aren't you?" Anna asked jokingly. He glared at her and shook his head. He thought about it, she was right. The rest of the group was all laughing at her comment. "Okay, Rukia, how do I get my body back?"
She looked at the animated Anna, "okay… Cough it up." It did and Anna's body fell to the floor. Rukia handed Anna back the soul candy.
"Are you kidding? We reuse this? That's disgusting!" Anna said in shock, "Kisuke, give me my damn necklace back!" she demanded. The whole group had lost it by this point. They were all hysterically laughing. It was a good note to end the evening on.
Story edit version 4 - 1/16/2014
