Hiyo! I hope you are all enjoying this fanfic! In this chapter we are going to have two Original Characters introduced! I apologize for their structure.. Because they'll only be seen in this and the next chapter in this fanfic only (They might be shown in the fanfic finale though) they are pretty bland.. Though I hope you understand them.. Also, when I read the manga, I couldn't get one thing straight. When the aliens used to live on the earth, I wondered if Kish and the others lived there too, or whether it was their descendants.. If anybody knows please tell me! But for this fanfic, Kish and co. have lived upon the earth before humans drove them out. So he's about 14 earth years and I'm not sure how many alien years though... Well, please tell me what you think...

O.c Characters introduced are:

Female: Hotaru Katana (Firefly sword) Red hair to waist, fiery amber eyes.

Uses fire attacks, as well as sword attacks, and can channel fire through her sword. She was appointed as one of the protectors of the Crystal Life. She used to have a crush on Kish, but spending all her time with Nanashi, has made her realise how much she loves him. Though with her playful antics, she pretended to still love Kish when she had seen him for the first time in a long time. She's quite demanding, petty, as well as quite the troublemaker, but also

passionate and sometimes quite lady-like.

Male: Nanashi (without name) Dull blue hair, cerulean eyes. Uses magic with his staff, and is quite unknown. He is only known as the protector of the Crystal Life. As well, he has a crush on Hotaru. What happened to his parents were unknown (they may have been killed) and he soon was adopted (by some unimportant anonymous alien for the moment) and lived in the same town as Kish and Hotaru.. He believed his parents betrayed and abandoned him, which is why he is fragile with his trust. If one breaks his trust, it is almost impossible to gain it back. Though Hotaru and Kish are his best of friends for looking to him like family. (Though none of them are related)

That is a little bio on both characters. And if you are wondering, did I screw up his age? I shall say, I guess so. I don't really know how old Kish really is, but I'm saying for this fanfic, he's 14 earth years (two years older then Ichigo) and some many hundred years, because he's not just a descendant, he actually LIVED on the earth for a while before the humans began to live on earth.. His friends are around the same age.

I hope you enjoy this, anyway, Let's get started!

DISCLAIMER: I DUN OWN TMM SO PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!

Chapter 7: A Duel over Hotaru

Kish took a step forward, and felt the ground shift slightly. "JUMP!" He held onto Ichigo and Jumped up, landing on the other side of the cracked ground, as soon as they stepped on, it cracked and crumbled beneath their feet, and they were sent plummeting down into an abyss of darkness...

Ichigo felt something beneath her, and she felt at it, she found an opening and pulled at it. "OW! HEY? WHAT THE HECK ARE U DOIN'? LEAF MY MOUF ALONE!!" "OH! Sorry," Ichigo released Kish's mouth and got off of him. "You didn't have to get off," he commented, sitting up. Ichigo could see the perverted smirk upon his face. She lightly kicked his side. "YOU PERV! I know what position we were in! And I know YOU liked it, but I DIDN'T!" Kish rubbed at his side chuckling.

"Where are we?" asked Ichigo as Kish stood up. "I'm not sure, but it's easier to see here." They walked forward, and Ichigo looked to see that she had linked hands with Kish. She blushed and slowly took her hand away. Seeing this, Kish just walked about closer to her. Ichigo gasped, and Kish stopped walking. He put a hand to his lips. "Shh, stop. Listen..."

Ichigo stopped confused, and then closed her eyes and mouth. Indeed, she could hear something rumbling. When she opened her eyes, she was pushed back, and heard a soft growl as Kish was struck. KIREMA ANIMAS! "KISH!"

Kish got back up, and let out a ball of energy. "Ichigo! Fight!"

"Ah!" Ichigo Jumped up. "Sutoro BELL BELL! RIBBON! STRAWBERRY! CHECK!" She blasted through a couple of animas. Both looked like a good couple, blasting through anima after anima after anima, back to back like a tag team. Kish saw Ichigo's exposed back, and an anima head for it, he quickly destroyed the one he fought with then sped off. Ichigo felt heat and raw power whiz by, and as she destroyed the last anima, and she looked back to see a ball of light head for and destroy an anima. She looked over to Kish who smiled, then blew smoke from his hands. "I said I was going to protect you didn't I? I always keep a promise." Ichigo smiled, and Kish turned around. "LET'S MOVE ON!"

They both ran on, the path getting brighter. "We should be there soon!" shouted Kish, Ichigo nodded then tripped as she heard a large booming voice. Kish came over and helped her up. They looked round, but couldn't find the owner of the voice. The place suddenly went dark, and a large fire burst through the ground, and disappeared, before spinning in from above straight at the couple. Kish pushed Ichigo to one side and he jumped to the other.

He looked to his left, though it was too dark to see. He might have lost Ichigo! Kish cursed, then Called out her name. "ICHIGO!"

He could hear her voice call out an attack, and then the sound of something flare, as well soon after, a scream. "ICHIGO!"

"You're not going anywhere!" The ground below Kish split up in its own column, and Kish jumped down, only to feel a gust of wind against him, in an incredible force that slammed him to the ground. He struggled to get up, the wind keeping him down. "Damn it...." He heard Ichigo scream again.. "NO!" He slowly, but surely tried getting up, but so far only managed to get to a kneeling position. A whole lot of mini bright lights fluttered before him, before forming into the shape of a person.

He looked at him surprised, his Cerulean eyes softening and twinkling. He had slightly long bangs, and short hair in a dull blue colour with two elfin like ears poking through. He wore a large royal blue over coat and golden lining. Inside he wore no sleeved (He wore overcoat in a lazy fashion) royal blue and golden trimmed shirt and trousers. The end of his trousers were puffed out and tucked into his large blue boots. He stood tall and proud with his ice blue staff that held an orb at the end.

Kish blinked, and the wind was released, he got up slowly. "Na.. Nanashi?" he asked slowly. He nodded then grinned. "Hey! It's been a long time old friend, how's it hanging?" Both smiled and went over. Nanashi patted Kish on the back. "What brings you down here? Eh? You haven't been here in like forever! If you were gonna visit, then you should've done it sooner!" Kish smiled and looked down. "Sorry.. But anyway, that means Hotaru is here right? We've got to stop her before she defeats Ichigo!"

"Whatta whatta now? Who's this Ichi-go?"

"She's..... A friend of mine. And her friend is dying, only the Crystal Life will save him!" "AH! Well, let's not waste time then!" He picked up his staff end, and stamped it back down on the floor...

"I'm just playing with you dear." that smooth but slightly high-pitched voice came from a girl who was about Ichigo's age. She had blazing red hair that flowed to her waist, it was thick, but elfin ears managed to poke out. Her eyes were piercing amber, and she wore armour like costume, made from fabric, that was a blood red, lined in gold. "You must be weak to fall so easily, when I'm not even at half my strength! Oh well.. I think I'll end the game now..."

"HOTARU! STOP!" She stopped, her blade in the air, she looked over to Nanashi. "Why?" she complained. "We know we are supposed to protect the Crystal Life! And I'm doing my job!"

"You can't Hotaru," came a familiar voice, she whirled round to see an all too familiar face, despite the time period that passed. "KISH! KISH IT'S BEEN TOO LONG!!" She squealed, running over to Kish, and then jumping up to glomp him. Kish struggled to get her off. "Yeah, A very long time," he managed to choke, before prying her off his arm. Nanashi walked over to a broken down and scorched Ichigo, who was trembling.

Kish came up behind him and gasped. "Ichigo.." Kish was unable to say anything. Nanashi placed a palm at Ichigo's head, and silently chanted. She stopped moaning, and calmed down a bit, Kish watched as slowly every cut closed up, from inside (flesh) to outside (skin). As well as burns which slowly disappeared to nothing. Ichigo slowly opened her eyes.

She stood up cautiously, and found that there was no pain. Ichigo looked up curiously at Nanashi, and he chuckled. "Any friend of Kish is a friend of ours!"

"EH? Kish? What does she have to do with you?" cut in Hotaru with a serious, yet clearly playful voice. Before Ichigo could say anything, Kish had hugged her, holding her close. "I'm so sorry Ichigo! I promised to look after you, and if I didn't know these people, then we would have both been killed, and no one could care for Masaya. I promise, I'll be more careful next time, I don't want to lose you." He kissed the side of her head, and then released Ichigo. She looked into Kish's mesmerizing eyes, almost getting lost in them, before she was cut in.

"Who do you think you are? Don't you know? I'm Kish's childhood love. You can't hang around him like that!" came the high-pitched voice of Hotaru. Nanashi shook his head and sighed as she draped herself seductively around Kish.

"Kish. Is this... true?" mumbled Ichigo, some hint of worry and heart ache in her voice.

"NO!" Shouted Nanashi. "She's always like this. She's had a crush on Kish ever since she first saw him as a child. Truth be told, Kish was always running away from her, and she was forcing him to like him" he chuckled.

Hotaru growled and picked herself off. She crossed her arms and pouted.

"Oh!" cut in Nanashi, as Hotaru opened her mouth to speak. "How rude, we forgot to introduce ourselves. I am Nanashi, and this little imp here is Hotaru." He said while pointing at the both of them. "It's very nice to meet you," he said while bowing. Ichigo bowed back. "It's very nice to meet you too. My name is Ichigo."

"Oh! No you don't!" shouted Hotaru. "You best go before you get hurt, for me and Kish are in love! At least he DID start to like me before we ended up not seeing each other in like... forever.... See; I remember what you said." She said in a suspicious sounding voice.

"What was it then?" asked Kish raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you came to me, and you finally confessed that you loved me, but was just afraid because I kept on asking for your love. And I was really surprised, that was when you gave me this friendship ring." Hotaru flashed a golden ring upon her middle finger, a large sized amber on it.

"I said that people don't usually put amber on their rings, but you said it matched my eyes." She flashed a mischievous smile. "I said I promised not to forget you, same as you, and I didn't, neither did you. Oh Kish I'm really glad you came down here to this boring place to whisk me away!"

"WHAT??" Shouted Kish while desperately trying to pry her off. He looked over to a blank Ichigo and horrified Nanashi. Kish shook his head desperately. "NO! ICHIGO! It's not true! NANASHI! Please believe me! I didn't try to take her away! I did as you-"

"ENOUGH!" He roared. His cerulean eyes darkened and shimmered. He had trusted Kish long ago to give the ring to Hotaru and explain to her Nanashi's true feelings for her, he did this, because he was way too shy, and had him explain Nanashi's shy way of acting. Since his 'betrayal' his trust in people only came but once... And to Nanashi, he gave a world of trust to Kish to do something that meant the world to him.

"I loved her! I loved Hotaru, but I was too shy and quiet to so anything.. And I trusted you Kish! I trusted you to tell her for me! And what did you do? Take her away from me! I knew you were a little lustful, but I never knew you could go this far!" he held out his staff and magically changed it to a sword. He charged at Kish, and swung at him, his swing out of control in his fury, but Kish dodged, moving back.

He charged again, this time trying to get in a diagonal cut in from the left, then missing, hr twirled to his left and sliced, catching a bit of Kish, who flipped back and landed on his knees, his hand holding at the precious blood red liquid that fell freely from his torso.

( A/N: I'm sorry, I've never used a sword before, or anything, so I dun know much about how they attack or anything, so please bare with me. --'')

"I didn't! You have to believe me! You know how much of a joker she is!" shouted Kish, as he barely dodged the next two attacks thrown at him. Hotaru merely sat and watched, giggling. "Just like old times!" she squealed. "When something happens to me, and I make it seem like it was Kish, Nanashi would always kick his ass!" Ichigo stared at her in horror, her face pale from watching the blood slowly seep out of Kish. 'SO SHE DID LIE! KISH IS TELLING THE TRUTH!'

"Stop! NO! KISH IS TELLING THE TRUTH!" shouted Ichigo. "Please leave him be!" Nanashi stopped for a moment, and turned his head so she could see the deeply pained expression upon her face. "You don't understand, you won't be able to. I have to do this."

He turned back to Kish and both stood silently watching each other. Ichigo angrily turned to Hotaru, who was sitting down, holding her cheeks. "Aren't you going to do anything about this?" she demanded.

"Nope," replied Hotaru plainly. "Ah! I love that two cute guys are fighting over me! ME!" she giggled some more, and Ichigo bit her lip.

She turned to the two boys, and came rushing over. "STOP!" Ichigo halted her movement at the sound of Kish's voice. "I don't want you to get hurt, obviously, he's not going to listen." Tears began to spring from Ichigo's eyes. "But I don't want to see you get hurt," she whispered, but Kish heard.

"Neither do I," he replied. Kish turned back to Nanashi who put up a fighting stance, readying for an attack.

"I'm not going to fight you," said Kish plainly, standing up straight. "You are a fool if you don't! Now fight me, in a duel over Hotaru.."

Well.... Yes that's the seventh chapter.. Boring eh? Nanashi and Hotaru were supposed to be the last obstacle before retrieving the antidote. So read to see if someone dies in the duel!

NONONO! KISH ISN'T GONNA DIE! Dun worry. After all, he is the star of this fanfic! And he still needs Ichigo to come to him. Anyways. Yeah I know. My two characters were quite bland.. --'' I apologize for that, but this duel leads to a small fluffy part between Kish and Ichigo as well as I needed something not as stupid to be the last obstacle to the Crystal Life. Anyways.... Read the next chapter to hear how things turned out. Find out whether the two get to the antidote, and also what little 'fluffy' thing Ichigo and Kish goes through! Cough, well, more like sexual innuendo cough please read on.