Now that catching up with Motoko was done, I leaped from roof to roof towards Karakura High-School. Maybe I should have gotten a gigai...no, everyone at school knew I was dead. It would just freak people out. Landing on the roof of my school, I saw that all my friends were running track. Apparently, it was gym time. I was the peak of my gym class. I could run a lap faster than anyone else. Now nobody would even notice.
Gliding down from my perch, I lurked in the bushes, watching my old friends sprint along the asphalt. I saw Ichigo, puffing away at his 4th lap, as he slowed to a stop, finished. The bell resonated throughout the yard, making me jump. All the students filed inside, to their next class.
I climbed to the second floor and sat on a windowsill. I knew Ichigo's class was along this hallway, so I'd wait for him. All the students passed, sparing not even a glance in my direction. But what would be there to look at, but an open window? I saw Ichigo's orange head poke above the crowd, and a knot of doubt thumped into my stomach.
He slunk down the hallway, his binders and books under an arm. He turned his head and looked straight in my eyes. So he could see me after all, and it wasn't some freak hallucination. He stopped walking, and seemed to choke on his own air. His friends seemed generally concerned at his lack of respiration, but he waved them on as the hallway emptied.
"Urggllrrff..." he choked, trying to find the words.
"Hey, Strawberry." I said. He then seemed to recognise my face and tone of voice.
"Ulquiorra? But...what...how...what are you?" He screeched, back peddling to the other wall.
"For shame, Ichigo. I thought you missed me." I snipped, sticking m nose in the air.
"But...but I did, it's just...you're DEAD..." he wheezed, hyperventilating.
"Yes, good observation. I just happened to be in the vicinity, and thought I'd say hello." I said, generally taking this the way I'd take it if I were still alive.
"WAIT WAIT wait...how are you HERE?" he said, still doubtful at my existence.
"I'm on duty. Why else?" I chuckled. "Tell you what. You skip class, and I will tell you ANYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW. Mmk?" I whispered, making a rainbow motion with my hands.
He nodded after some thought, and started walking down the hallway, the invisible man in tow.
Strolling through the courtyard, he pelted me with question after question.
"Is there a heaven?" he started off with.
"Nope. You go straight to hell, no matter what."
He made a noise of surprise, and almost choked on his juice box. "SERIOUS?" he screeched.
"No, I'm joking. There are two directions: The Soul Society, or Weakomundo. I ended up in the later. The Soul Society is kind of like limbo, where Weakomundo is without a doubt hell." I explained. "When you die, these people known as 'Soul Reapers' will find you, and send you to the Soul Society. But if they don't get to you in time, you go to Weakomundo. When you saw me the first time, I had a chain on my chest. The chain slowly falls away, until there's a giant hole in your chest." I pulled back my robes to show him the hole I had received.
He gawked in wonder, as I continued. "If your chain falls away, you become a hollow, and they're like demons. They're giant, soul-eating monsters that live in Weakomundo. I used to be one of them. It wasn't fun. I eventually evolved into a high-class hollow known as an Arroncar. After that, the Soul Reapers accepted me into their Society as a testing subject. I eventually won them over with my good looks and charisma and I became one of them. Now, I destroy hollows and help the dead as a soul reaper. Is this all sinking in?" I finished.
"Uh-Huh...?" he nodded, looking confused.
"Hrm. Well, when you die, you'll know it all too well." I said. I punished myself for saying it so lightly to him. It was but a dinner table conversation to me. Other people, not so much.
"So...you're like...an ANGEL?" he howled, looking awed.
"Umm...I guess you could say that."
After strolling around some more, the ear splitting howls of a nearby hollow rang throughout the area, rattling the windows and smothering the grass.
"Oh, my God! What was that?" Ichigo cried, restless.
"Hm? Oh, Just a hollow. No big deal." I said, waving my hand through the air.
"But...aren't you going to kill it?" he screamed as more howls rolled through the air. "Jesus, how many of them are there?"
"Fine, if it bothers you so much, I'll go get them. But, I'm pretty sure when I get there, someone else would have probably dealt with it." I sneered. Gosh, humans sure worried about their well-being.
With Ichigo sprinting behind me, I whipped through the streets, pulling papers from their dirty piles, and stirring the dust occupying the streets. When I got to a clearing near the place I had heard the hollows, a massive cloud of Menos towered in front of me, howling and stomping around.
"WHAT THE FA-"Ichigo began, but was cut off by a red death beam melting the toes of his shoes.
"-CK?"
Smiling back at him, I called,"Hey, I used to be one of those, too!" I pointed at the beasts. One of them noticed my presence, and starting back peddling at the sight of an Arroncar. They all caught on and started fighting for a space in the giant rip in the sky.
"Hehehe! They're running awaaayyy! They're sooo cuuuttteee!" I squealed, marvelling at their beauty. But, alas, there are so many trapped souls in those things. I unsheathed my weapon, flying towards them.