Bleach Episode 10: June 17, Memories in the Rain

The Next Morning

The Kurosaki family and I left the house and started to walk towards the cemetery.

"Uh! Boy we're never going to get towards the top." Yuzu said while shading her eyes.

"Speak for yourself, this hill's no problem." Karin said. "And please don't let dad hear you say that.

Isshin did a handstand, "You can do it Yuzu! Hang in there! You see! Dad's on your side."

Karin, "Now you did it. Just ignore him, or else he'll never stop." She started to walk faster, "Giving guys like him attention will only encourage them."

Isshin got a weird look in his eyes and started to run towards the girls while he was on his hands, "You're wrong about that. I'm going to manically encourage even if you ignore me!"

"Watch out Yuzu!"

"HAAAAH! Father Slide attack says this way to the top."

I saw Karin rear back and kick him in the head, "and daughter says get back to the bottom!"

Isshin fell back towards Ichigo and I, Ichigo stepped to the side while I just jumped over his flinging body. I turned and watched him roll to a stop at the bottom of the hill.

"Mmhm. Now we can walk in peace for a while."

Karin and Yuzu turned and kept walking towards the top of the hill, while Ichigo and I stopped and just caught our breath. Ichigo said, "man it's hot. Even for the middle of June this kind of heat is a little unusual." I turned and said, "Come on Ichigo let's catch up to Yuzu and Karin." Then I turned and started walking putting my hands in my pockets and speeding up. As I caught up to them I heard Karin say,

"Someone's up there already."

Yuzu replied, "Wow, she had to climb up there pretty early to beat us to the top"

I looked up to see Rukia waving at us and I groaned thinking to myself, not today of all days. I sighed and kept walking. While Karin and Yuzu kept talking

"Uh-huh. But isn't she awfully happy for someone visiting a grave?" Karin said with a questioning look on her face. While Yuzu called to Ichigo and I, "She's waving like she knows you ." I answered Yuzu, "She must be one of those crazy people because I don't know her, but what I do know is that we need to keep heading towards the top." I turned and left Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin behind to continue climbing the hill ahead of us. They kept talking as I got closer to Rukia, I stopped beside her and said, "You're making a fool of yourself check your surrounding s before you act next time." Then I kept walking forward.

Later

I was leaning against a tree across from Rukia and Ichigo, where Ichigo was scolding Rukia, "What are you doing following us here Rukia?"

She replied smartly, "Isn't it obvious? I'm here in case a hollow shows up you certainly can't handle it yourself."

Ichigo got in her face and pointed his finger, "Hey! Way to keep a low profile in front of my family! Why were you waving at me like that?

She replied, "I suppose I could've been more discreet , I just didn't think of it."

I turned my head and ignored her

"That's Ok. So what are you upset about?"

"Actually I'm not upset about anything." Rukia looked down for a little bit, "Listen about your mother, I heard you mention that someone killed her."

I gritted my teeth as I listened to the conversation

" I didn't say that."

Rukia was pressing the issue, "But you never said who killed her-"

Ichigo was trying to placate Rukia, "Listen, just drop it ok?"

Rukia continued, "When I first met you, you said that you've been able to see spirits since you were very young. Ichigo, I need you to answer one more question: you're mother could she have been killed by a hollow?"

I snapped my eyes open from where they were originally.

"Do you think that is possible? If you're spiritual capabilities were that high as a child, then there may have been a hollow who sensed you. And when it came after you it could have-"

I looked over and saw Ichigo snap,

"Just Shut UP! Why does everything have to be about hollows with you anyways? There was no freaking hollow that day alright? You'll never understand the pain and suffering that I have to live with every single day."

There was a strained silence, and then Ichigo started to walk past Rukia,

"So, sorry to wreck your theory but all the usual suspects: like hollows, serial killers, thugs; they're not to blame. I am."

Ichigo then took off running, and I got up from the tree and looked at Rukia

"Today was not the day to meddle Rukia, please don't bother us for the rest of the day."

I closed my eyes and walked towards where Ichigo ran to.

Later

I still haven't caught up to Ichigo yet, but was starting to remember some long forgotten memories.

Flashback

A younger (cuter) version of Ichigo said,"Goodbye Tatsuki!"

"Goodbye, Ichigo! Bye Akane!"

I peeked out from behind Ichigo's mother;s leg and shyly waved. She patted my head and sweetly said, "Use your words Akane." I softly said, "Bye Tatsuki." Then I immediately put my head behind her leg again, blushing bright red. She softly laughed and turned to lead Ichigo and I out. Ichigo and his mother had umbrellas, but I quickly turned to her and said "Up." She looked down at me and replied, "Now, Akane, you know that big girls walk on their own." I turned and pouted at her choice, then I felt myself be lifted and I immediately started to giggle because I knew that I got my way. She said, "Just don't tell Isshin, you know that he wants you at the dojo like Ichigo is, so you can protect yourself." As we walked along a car went past Ichigo and sprayed him in the face with water.

"Oh! That careless driver! Come here honey are you alright?"

His mother put me on the ground right next to her, while she grabbed a hankercheif and wiped off the water from his face. "Let me switch places with you and walk next to the street so that doesn't happen again." Ichigo refused, "You don't have to do that. I'm the one with the raincoat on so I don't mind. Let me protect you from stuff like that, OK?" His mother laughed, "What a brave boy. That is very sweet, but before you worry about protecting me I think you should work on protecting yourself and Akane." Ichigo looked at me and replied, "Akane can protect herself she just needs to have some help in bringing that out." I shyly looked away and tugged on her skirt in order for her to pick me up; Ichigo interrupted, "Akane why don't you hold my hand , and mom can I- can I hold your hand please?" She laughed and held her hand out, "Why of course you can."

I went to Ichigo's left side and took the umbrella to hold even though I was shorter than him, he didn't mind while he took his mother's hand with his right hand.

Later

As we all walked over the bridge I saw a girl with a short black hair cut sitting on the ledge, I instantly tugged on Ichigo's hand to get his attention. "What's that girl doing?" When the girl went to step off the ledge Ichigo dropped both of our hands and ran towards the girl, "I'll be right back!" While his mother called out his name, "Ichigo! Where are you going?" As he got closer to the water she turned to me and quickly said, "Akane, stay here." Then she turned and ran after Ichigo, "Ichigo! Stop!"

End Flashback

I came back to reality when I remembered watching Ichigo cry over his mother's lifeless body while I stood there doing nothing. Being useless. A waste of space. I looked up and noticed that Ichigo was stopped on a set of stairs with Kon on his neck, I sped up to hear what they were saying to each other. Ichigo stood up, "I am really not in the mood for you right now." He snatched Kon up, "Kon!"

Kon pleaded with Ichigo, "Rukia's in trouble." He said this with tears in his eyes, I muttered underneath my breath, "Shit."

Back in the Woods

Ichigo and I ran up to Rukia who was standing across from a dude with a hat. Ichigo yelled, "Are you alright?!" We both stopped while Ichigo said, "Who are you? And what do you want here?"

The guy replied, "Well, it's spiky head, and his little girlfriend. Am I really visible to you lover boy?"

I replied with a, "What did you call me, old man?!"

While Ichigo interrupted me, "Kon, who is this clown?"

Kon quickly said, "I don't know. Beats me."

Ichigo sighed and picked Kon up, "You brought me here in a panic because you said that it was an emergency, you fur ball."

The unknown man interrupted their little spat, "Nevermind about me about me right now. Tell me about yourself son. Just what do you do?"

Rukia yelled out, "Don't say it."

Ichigo cried out, "I'm a substitute soul reaper!"

I face palmed and yelled at Ichigo, "Didn't Rukia just say not to yell it out loud?!"

The guy was shocked, "A soul reaper? Is that right? I'm still waiting for the punchline, because that has to be a joke." He tugged his hat down lower, "Mmhm, Rukia that is a big mistake. What you've done is considered a serious crime."

I thought to myself, what have you gotten yourself into Rukia?

Ichigo questioned the man, "What crime? What's he saying?"

The guy continued to talk, "Maybe its better. It'll be more fun to kill a soul reaper imposter than another dumb Geigai. Also there is the issue about your little friend over here." The guy was staring at me, "She is not a soul reaper yet, and she is not a normal human either. I suppose I could bring her back to the Soul Society for Mayuri to research on her." He took off his hat and threw it up in the air, "So let's do it!"

Ichigo cowered with Kon in front of him, "Do what?!"

The guy ran towards him with his sword above his head.

Ichigo dodged the first attack, and when the guy was getting ready to attack him again, I intervened by simply saying, "Open, Pandora." I flashed stepped and blocked his sword with my Nodachi sword in between himself and Ichigo. I looked the man in the eyes and said, "If anyone wants to kill Ichigo, they have to go through me first!" I pushed the man back and he skidded back and laughed

"Well girl, you are more that I expected. If you want a fight than you got one."

Ichigo stepped in between us, and the guy noticed that he was in Shinigami dress.

"Interesting your human yet you can transform, I'm interested in knowing how you got that ability."

Ichigo replied, "I don't give explanations to anyone who attacks me or my friends."

Rukia tried to intervene, "Wait Ichigo, just stay out of it. It's my battle not yours."

Ichigo just pushed Rukia off of him, "What can you do, you don't have your sword." Ichigo stepped up and yelled at Kon, "Move it, Kon!" Kon jumped away from the battleground while Ichigo charged at the guy.

While Ichigo and the guy was preoccupied, I stood beside Kon and Rukia who asked me, "Akane why aren't you fighting with Ichigo?"

I simply replied, "He doesn't need help right now, I will be able to tell when he needs it but for right now I'll let him defend himself."

I turned back to the battle in front of me and thought to myself Ichigo you can defeat him, just give it your all.

Ichigo was pushed onto his back

"You amateur. You're using your strength to try and cover for your weakness. But in fact you have no tactic and no skill at all."

I stood in front of Ichigo and said to the guy, "Then why don't you try to fight me instead." Ichigo tried to dissuade me but I said, "Ichigo. Shut up!"Right after that I yelled, "Open! Pandora!" My body was consumed by a red hue and Wrath spoke to me, Just when I thought that you were forgetting about me. I smirked and said, "I hope you're ready old man, because I'm giving it all I got." I charged at him and proceeded to attack him in a flurry of strikes, so much so that he was barely able to keep up.

"Haha! You're girlfriend is more of a challenge than you spiky head."

I instantly grit my teeth and said in a deadly voice, "You're focus should be on me! I'm your opponent now!" What I didn't notice was that my voice was starting to change into one that Ichigo and Rukia recognized. They both tried to call my attention away from the man, but I did not let up on him. Instead, I felt reenergized and had more stamina so I attacked him faster and harder than ever before.

While the man was struggling to keep up I said, "Aww, what's wrong?! You amateur!" With my last words I pushed him into the trees behind him. All of a sudden, Rukia's phone rang and I turned my head to listen to her say, "It's a hollow! It's close and it's big." She called Ichigo over, "The spirit energy reading is higher than usual." The man appeared behind them and said, "Yes way out of your league, well except for the girl she might have a chance against him."

I smirked at his comment, "Flattery will get you nowhere, old man."

But Rukia said, "There's no time for that now, Ichigo, your family might be in danger."

My smirk dropped and I got a solemn expression on my face and immediately took off with Rukia and Ichigo trailing behind me.

Hello Lovlies,

Sorry that I haven't updated a lot in the past couple of months, but I've been busy with school. I go back on the 11th and am trying to have at least 5 chapters done but they will be unedited for a little bit because I can't get in contact with my Beta. I am currently looking for a substitute Beta (If you have any suggestions please PM me), but I am going to post even though it is unedited. Please read and review.

Thank you guys

CollegeGirl