WAHOO next chappie!! I got 10 reviews, and I am expecting 8 reviews again to post the next chapter.

Be warned, readers, that I start eighth grade tomorrow and therefore probably won't update as quickly. But, I'll do my best. n.n

Bloom Momomiya: You have sais?? Where'd you get them?? I have been looking for a real pair of sais to buy for years now!! Lucky person!!

mewpurin-chan: Hmm...you have raised a valid point, my friend. How exactly IS Ichigo getting over this so quickly? I am going to say that because she has these newfound powers and she can technically 'see', she is consoled by this fact and is not spazzing about being blind. Cookie for you for being an in-depth reader!!

pinky strawberry angel: Yes, her enemies did help her. And, knowing Pai, he's not too happy about this, but he still technically owes Ichigo for making her blind, and this will come up in a later chapter. Shh! Don't tell anyone!! XD

Suuz112: Sushi-chan!! Always good to get a review from you. Haha. It is pretty gross that he lost a finger, but it is essential that that happened for one of the later chapters to fit in. You just have to wait and see!!

ForeverxKatie: Taruto was the one who couldn't pass level thirteen. And I think Ichigo is just having fun with the fact that she can fight just as well, if not better, then when she could see. That's part of the reason she's not completely spazzing about the fact that she's blind.

Spiritcharm: Thankies!! I hope you like this chappie!

TazzybizzyNya: Lol. Copying and pasting is always a good way to get and authoress' attention. XD

TaraneePheonix: I will. And thankies. People seem to really like this story. n.n

Safaia Bara: No, Taruto never does know when to stop talking. But, if he did, I have a suspicion that Purin-chan wouldn't like him as much. XD

kajoo: The fluff starts here!! Fear not!!


15

"This is really good, koneko-chan! It took a while, but at least they're edible."

Ichigo laughed. She had had a difficult time explaining to him how to mix the batter, how to pour it, how too cook it; all to get the perfect pancakes.

She ate the last bite of hers, and Kisshu took their plates to the kitchen, returning a moment later.

"So," he said, after an impending silence, "what do you want to do today?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe...could you tell me a bit more about yourself?"

Kisshu blinked in surprise, and then he looked at her, confused. "What do you want to know?"

"I don't know...like, just, what your planet is like, your culture...stuff like that."

"Uh...okay...as of a few months ago, which was when I last saw my planet, it resembled a gigantic ice cube, with everyone huddled underground for warmth and shelter. Our houses aren't really that great: sometimes they're just wooden shacks or something.

"We don't really have a ruler, but we all believe in the Deus, the Gods. Ventus, God of wind, Unda, God of water, Terra, God of Earth and Incendia, God of fire. It's not a very strict religion or anything, but we do have chants and stuff to help people in birth, or enter another stage of life, or to help someone enter the afterlife, or to help them heal. You know; the basics."

Ichigo blinked. "To…heal?"

Kisshu shrugged. "You know…like if you're sick or something, we have chants that are supposed to help you feel better."

Ichigo smiled. "Oh…how do they go? Do you remember any of them?"

Kisshu struggled to remember what he had been taught in the orphanage so long ago. "I'm a little rusty...I'll see if I remember it, though." He took a deep breath. "You cross your fingers, and the people surrounding the person who is sick say, 'Ventus, Unda, Terra quod Incendia, caput capitis meus dico. Servo animus de…' It translates pretty roughly as, 'Wind, Water, Earth and Fire, heed my call. Save the soul of…'."

"Cool! Is that in your language?"

"Yep."

Ichigo tried to remember what he had said, her tongue fumbling with the unfamiliar words. "Vemdus...Hoonda, Terra...kod Insendia?"

Kisshu laughed. "I'll teach it to you, if you like..."

Ichigo nodded and he reached out, taking her hand. She blushed.

The alien smiled. "Repeat after me... Ventus, Unda..."

"Ventus…Unda…"

--

Kisshu rolled over on the floor and looked up at Ichigo. Her face was the definition of beauty, of peace. Her long lashes covered chocolate eyes, and a few stray wisps of ruby red hair moved as she breathed in and out.

As he watched her, he renewed the silent pledge he had made to himself when she had confessed to him the day before. Even though she only had tomorrow and the day after with him before she had to return to her friends, he felt his thoughts sink into his very bones, and he whispered them to the night.

"I will protect you."

16

"Yes!" Ichigo shouted, punching the air.

Kisshu pressed a button, causing the microphone to pop out of the table. "Awesome, Ichigo! You beat level seventeen! You might actually catch up to me!"

Ichigo put her hands on her knees and attempted to catch her breath. "Is that…a bet…Kisshu?"

The alien smirked. "What if it is, koneko-chan?"

"Fine, then. If I beat level twenty, I want you to…admit I'm a better fighter!"

Kisshu grinned. "And if you don't beat level twenty, you have to kiss me."

Ichigo shrugged. The idea didn't seem so bad anymore. "Bring it on!"

He smirked again and set the level to twenty, pressing 'go'.

A large, demon-like Chimera Anima with razor sharp claws appeared ten feet away from her, tense and ready to attack, which it proceeded to do with surprising swiftness. She flipped out of the way and slid down the Anima's back, whipping out one of Kisshu's swords and digging it in.

The creature screamed and threw her off; she flipped in the air and landed on her feet, brandishing the swords. The creature attacked again, slashing at Ichigo with its claws, and she leapt out of the way, the swords digging into the Anima's head and back again on her way down.

However, the creature had learned. It turned quickly, throwing her against the wall and cutting deep into her arm with its claws.

Kisshu stood up quickly, hitting another button and terminating the Chimera Anima himself. He teleported into the room, kneeling beside the fallen cat girl. "Ichigo! Are you alright?"

She sat up, leaning against the wall. She had a hand pressed to her upper arm, and blood was seeping through her fingers. "My arm hurts. Really...badly..."

Kisshu gently pried her fingers away, gasping when he saw the deep cut on her arm, a sliver of bone clearly seen.

He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking while she shivered from shock and pain, and then he reached up and took hold of Ichigo's chin.

"Kish? Wha—"

He pressed his lips against hers, a soft, golden, sparkling light slowly emitting from his mouth and entering her body. The sparks zeroed in on the cut, quickly sewing it up and replacing lost blood. They made their way down to her cut hand next, repeating the process.

When he pulled away, she was shocked to find that all the pain was gone, and when she reached up to touch the area where the cut had been, all she found was a slightly raised scar. She unwound the bandages on her hand and felt it, only to find that the cut from when she had stopped Kisshu's sword had vanished when she fingered her palm.

She turned to where she could hear Kisshu's labored breath coming from. "K-Kish? You can heal people?"

"Y-yeah, but it's used only as a last resort, usually, because if you give to much energy to heal yourself or the person, your body could consume itself in an attempt to replace lost energy and you could die."

"A-are you going to die?"

He grinned. "I will eventually, like everyone, but not now, no. It j-just took a lot out of me, and I need to...c-catch my breath."

She grinned. "That's good. Thank you. Hey, I just had a thought. Can you…is it possible for you heal my brain so I can see again?"

He frowned. "No. That injury is too extensive. Even if I gave you all of my energy and more and died, you would still be blind." He sighed and there were a few moments of silence, and then he mumbled, "I'm going to miss you."

"What?"

"I'm going to miss having you around, when you have to go back to Shirogane and…Aoyama tomorrow."

"Um, Kish, I've been meaning to talk to you about that..."

A great hope lifted Kisshu's soul. "You want to stay here?"

She shook her head. "No, I can't. I have to fight for the Earth and everyone is probably worrying about me. I was wondering, though...if I could be your girlfriend?"

Kisshu stared at her, dumbstruck.

"What?"

"I mean, do you have an illusion machine or something that an enable you to look human? We could be together in secret, and no-one would ever know, but if you don't want to..."

"Koneko-chan…Ichigo. Are you seriously asking me if you can be my girlfriend?"

She nodded, looking at the floor, even though she couldn't see his face.

He smiled, so happily, so lightly and ecstatically that he subconsciously began to float off the floor. Her eyes became alarmed when she found that she could no longer feel his vibrations clearly. "Kish? Where are you?"

He took her chin in his hand, looking into her eyes, which were now just about all white. "I'm right here," he said, and kissed her gently.

She pulled him closer, kissing him back, and they broke away smiling. Ichigo stared at his face. "Is that a 'yes'?"

He grinned and pulled her in for another kiss.

"That is a most definite 'yes', koneko-chan."

More fluff to come!! All it takes is 8 reviews!!

And yes, I know these may seem like filler chapters, but keep in mid that in every chapter that I write something is always in there that comes up later, no matter how small. So, yes.

Ja for now!!