Return to Halcyon Arc

A/N: It's been a long time coming... x.x I only just regained the will to start writing this again. The new Panic at the Disco CD helped a lot in that respect... Shiny new arc, and I really need to keep this up, but then university is getting in the way rather, and then I got distracted by shiny new stuff I wanted to write. Thanks to all who reviewed o3o

Theme music: Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

"Kurosaki."

The taller teen blinked. "Ishida. I didn't know you were coming here."

"Wait – " The brunette who had been talking to Ichigo gaped. "The two of you know each other?"

"Obviously you didn't pay attention to the class listings," Uryuu pointed out mildly. "Or perhaps you might have noticed."

The ghost of a smile twitched at the corner of Ichigo's lips.

"Sado Yasutora." The taller Mexican spoke.

"Mizuiro Kojima." The boy extended his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Heh… thought you could get away so easily, Kurosaki? Chad?"

A tall boy – more of a thug in appearance, really, thought Uryuu dispassionately – approached, surrounded by a group of other boys.

Uryuu raised an eyebrow. "Still picking up trouble, Kurosaki?"

He scowled. "Tch. It wasn't as if I went looking for it."

"You're with him?" growled one of the larger-looking members of the gang.

"I've never seen them before in my life!" Keigo started backing away towards the Quincy.

"I wouldn't refer so familiarly to a complete and utter stranger, obviously."

Keigo turned around, and finally realised there was someone behind him.

The other's eyes narrowed.

"You guys can deal with Kurosaki and Chad." He cracked his knuckles. "I'll take care of these smartmouths here."

"Shit! T-that's Reichi Oushima from Togata Junior High! We're screwed!" Keigo looked terrified.

This is barely even a warmup compared to Tatsuki Arisawa. Or some of the hollows I've faced over the years. Compared to them… this man… is barely worth the effort of moving.

Oushima lunged –

And tripped over. Quite spectacularly so, landing flat on his face.

The silence was deafening as the boy got up, his glower daring anyone to say something about the incident.

"Don't expect me to fight someone who doesn't even have the good fortune to walk towards me without falling over."

Keigo stared at Uryuu, stunned, as he turned around and began walking away.

With a growl, Oushima got up and sprinted for Uryuu's turned back –

"Ishida!" Keigo yelled, just as Oushima snarled and his fist drew back to deal a devastating punch –

And suddenly, Uryuu's hands were placed at either side of the boy's head, holding the boy up with his fingertips at the temples. Oushima slumped as his eyes rolled back in his head with a groan, before Uryuu let go and allowed the boy to hit the floor, unconscious.

Pandemonium broke loose as the rest of the gang noticed their leader's defeat, instantly piling in to slaughter, punch, kick, maim, suffocate or crush the person responsible.

The fight itself lasted about twenty seconds. It took three seconds for Ichigo and Chad to haul in and lend a hand, six for Tatsuki to notice, two more for her to bridge the distance between them and another eleven for the four of them to lay out the rest of the gang cleanly. Ten seconds later, the teacher finally turned up.

"And what exactly is this?"

The teacher raised an eyebrow at the scene.

"Kurosaki, would you care to explain?"

"Ah… well…" He reached up to scratch his head. "That is…"

"I was responsible."

Everyone stared at Uryuu, Ichigo in particular with a 'what the hell' expression on his face.

"They took unprovoked offense to my conversation with Kurosaki-san, for some reason I'm not entirely sure of, and refused to step back and take a more rational look at their actions. As a result, I was forced to knock them out temporarily. There shouldn't be too much bruising."

The teacher blinked, eyes drifting over Uryuu's slender form before shifting to the rather more muscular boys currently comatose on the ground.

"Ishida-san is telling the truth, sensei," added Mizuiro helpfully.

She shut her mouth. "All of them?" she asked faintly.

"Not quite all of them. Some of my classmates decided to assist… although I was responsible for quite a few of them. They should be conscious in about thirty minutes, I believe," he added helpfully. Maybe a little more. I was somewhat heavy-handed with the pressure points on the skull…

"Yes." She took a deep breath. "Well, that does not mitigate the fact that violence is not acceptable in this school. I want you all at the principal's office where you can explain what happened to him. Now."

Keigo looked as if he was about to argue, but stopped at the expression on the teacher's face.

"…thanks."

Uryuu glanced at Ichigo. "Your track record is worse than mine. Besides, you didn't actually need to pile in in the first place."

"I didn't need to – ?" Ichigo spluttered. "They would've kicked your skinny ass! I wasn't about to let you die!"

"I love your complete and utter confidence in me, Kurosaki." Uryuu adjusted his glasses slightly. "I have improved since we took karate lessons together at the age of six. It's not as if I wasn't training… although I appreciate your concern over my 'skinny ass', as you put it."

"You were the one who vanished without a trace! How the hell was I meant to know what happened to you?" Ichigo yelled.

"It was hardly my decision," Uryuu muttered.

After all, it wasn't as if Ryuuken asked me what I wanted when he decided I should go to private school… and Mother –

He swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. No. It wouldn't do to think of that here.

"Yeah, well… just don't make me worry about you again, idiot. Alright?"

He glanced up at the other boy, before his lips pulled upwards slightly into something of a smile. "That's my line."

"…Ishida, right?"

Uryuu turned to face Keigo, startled.

"Thanks. I… would've probably been pulped if it wasn't for you," he said awkwardly.

"It was nothing." He turned to face the wall instead.

"Eeh? What's with that expression? If someone thanks you you're not supposed to say something like that!"

The boy tuned out.

Was it really necessary to use your abilities for something like that?

Not particularly… but you did say I needed the practise for finer control of your abilities, after all.

There was a slight chuckle in his head.

And so the inevitable blade of Fate swings downwards, once more.

For the sake of one person… the world will be changed… but for the better?