A/N: I'm not too sure about this chapter but I hope you still like this. This one goes a bit more detail about the first few years with Mirai than what the previous chapter did but I'm not sure if this is deep enough... Or something. Oh, just ignore my ramblings...

Created Life in Death 4
Kurosaki Ichigo

Ichigo wasn't sure what to make of Kotobuki Mirai. It had always been like that. Since the day he met her at his first Shichi-go-san and got named 'daylily-colored' to the day after his mother's death when she dragged him to her house and showed a photo of her own mother that she told to have killed the monster and taken his mother safely to heaven… she was an enigma. Maybe a friend like Tatsuki, maybe a sister like Karin and Yuzu but older, or maybe something else entirely. But she was there and despite everything he knew about her, Mirai was still a mystery.

After meeting the girl for a first time, Ichigo only occasionally saw her at park as they went to different kindergartens and once the twins were born, Masaki was usually occupied by them with Ichigo helping.

Once elementary school began, they were both delighted to find each other from the same class and later from karate practice. And at school Mirai gained the reputation to have the 'miracle hair'. It was because of the numerous black wigs she liked to wear, some even having full maiko-decorations and some being short cropped like boys. The thing was… apart from Ichigo and Tatsuki from dojo, no one at the new school knew about Mirai's real hair color. And not even on P.E. lessons did the wigs fall.

Mirai loved to dress up. It was evident from her mother's occupation at the theater and the way she always found some way to break the dress-code at school without being reprimanded. Probably possible because the wigs drew so much of the teachers' attention.

At karate dojo Mirai didn't wear wigs. Instead she wrapped her hair inside a colorful scarf. Ichigo didn't understand it. He asked, once. Mirai simply smiled and explained.

"It's like a pranking the entire Karakura." The girl had said. "It's fun. And when I go outside without them, it's like no one recognizes me."

"Do you think I should try it too?" Ichigo had asked then. Because there was some bullies that didn't like his hair color and some teachers whispered about it when thought Ichigo couldn't hear and then gave disapproving glances at his and his mother's direction.

Mirai was quiet for a while and shrugged.

"In the end it's your choice. But I doubt you could keep them on the whole day." She smirked.

"Okay." Ichigo shrugged back and then they were going through the karate katas. It was nice to have someone to learn with.

Next quirk he noticed from Mirai was when the girl picked a violin to play. She was good. Really good but usually didn't show the full extent of her ability to adults.

"I don't want to be pushed. I don't want to take part in competitions. I just play for fun." She replied when he asked her.

And Ichigo noticed that she also got frustrated easily then practicing. Like she knew how to play the song and how to make it sound right but her fingers and the arm holding the violin bow refused to cooperate.

She was really good though. And seemed to be playing only for him when they were at the park together. When her eyes closed and the music seemed to envelope them into their own private world.

Yes, they had a meeting spot. The park was close enough that they could go there on their own. They knew how to cross the road and Karakura was quite safe for children to move freely about. And it was at the secluded corner of that park where Mirai played her more difficult songs for Ichigo and where the practiced katas (Occasionally Tatsuki joined them too with the latter but not that much. She had other friends too.). Sometimes Ichigo was distracted by the ghosts wandering in the park but usually the music Mirai produced (at least during her good moods when she wasn't messing every second note) kept him captivated.

Once a man with long blonde flowing hair, stopped by and complimented Mirai's playing. The girl blushed and stammered at the compliment. It was the first time Ichigo saw her act like it and had to admit it was cute. And nice. Like the time she said he was pretty.

Then the man left, giving a white rose to the girl and ruffling Ichigo's hair.

But the strangest thing about him… He seemed like a ghost. But more solid than a ghost.

He made Mirai smile even if the smile was sad and that was important. (Melancholic, Ichigo learned to call the expression later.) Mirai did smile and laugh a lot but not for many. For example Ichigo's father never managed to make her smile no matter how much Dina-basan chuckled and Kenji-jisan snorted at the same antics.

"Did you know him?" Ichigo asked when they were on their way home. Mirai was holding the rose that wasn't ghost-like.

"Hm? Bara-san you mean? Maybe from other life." She hummed deep in her thoughts.

Ichigo didn't press. That answer was enough.

Tatsuki and Mirai both stepped between him and bullies if it was too much for him. Ichigo could fight back though. He just didn't want to. When he'd talked about it to his mother, she had said that he should defend himself and fight back in order to protect. That starting fights was never an option but ending them was important.

The three of them practiced together even when it became obvious that Tatsuki's drive and talent was way above the other two's.

Then came the fateful day in June. Ichigo was nine, Mirai was ten. Masaki had come to pick them up from karate practice. It was raining but it wasn't dampening the spirits of either of the children. At least the rain wasn't.

"Masaki-basan? What day is it?" Mirai asked when they were pulling on their raincoats.

"Day? Why, it's Thursday, don't you remember? You and Ichigo have karate classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And you have your violin lessons on Fridays." Masaki smiled as she reminded Ichigo's… friend? Yes, he supposed she was a friend. But sometimes it felt like Mirai was more. Tatsuki was a friend but she wasn't more.

"I mean what date is it." Mirai replied. Was she nervous? She sounded nervous. Why?

"It's June 17th. Now, put on a jacket and let's go before the rain becomes any worse."

Ichigo remembered color draining from Mirai's face and not even the bright pink scarf managed to bring it back. He also remembered her clutching tightly onto his mother's hand.

Afterwards it was a blur but he remembered waking up on the ground and Mirai hugging him and apologizing. And the weight of his mother's body on his legs.

"Don't look. I'm sorry, I couldn't do anything. It's alright. She's beyond now. She's safe. But please don't look. It's not your fault. It's mine…"

Ichigo didn't understand why Mirai was saying all those things. But considering the distress she was in, he thought even she didn't even know what she was saying. It was all so very messy and strange. But he obeyed Mirai's plea and closed his eyes again and didn't look until the police and Dina-basan arrived.

His mother was dead. And it was his fault. But Mirai said it was hers. Why did she say so? She wasn't the one to run towards that girl and the monster. He had to ask about it some time.

But now he wanted to go home and see his sisters.

Karin and Yuzu didn't take the news of their mother's passing well. They cried and hugged each other. They didn't understand the concept of death but they were told that their mother was gone and they wouldn't see her again and that was enough in their comprehension.

"The monster is dead you know…" Mirai said as they sat by the river. It was two days after the funeral. Ichigo had taken to sit at the place where he'd seen the ghost girl. The first time he'd come there, Tatsuki had found him. And afterwards either she or Mirai came to keep him company.

"How?" Ichigo asked dully, staring into the deep waters.

"Kaachan killed it. Then she took your mother's ghost to the other side. I saw it all."

"Dina-basan did?" Ichigo frowned.

"No. Dina is my mama but I got kaachan too. She is a special ghost that helps other ghosts. I can show you." The blonde girl got on her feet and dusted her pants. Ground was still wet from the rain of the previous days.

Ichigo stared at the hand Mirai offered him but allowed her to pull him up on his feet. She held onto his hand the entire way her home.

"Tadaima!" Mirai called from the door.

"Okaeri!" Dina smiled, looking up from a costume she was sewing. Ichigo stared. Why wasn't she at the theater? And as if reading his mind, Dina answered. "We have better air conditioning here so I decided to work on these few costumes. And Kenji is at the dojo running his students to the ground so it's more peaceful here too."

"What about me, mama?" Mirai pouted.

"Ah, but Mirai-chan is either quiet like a little mouse or then plays so beautifully with her violin that it doesn't bother my working at all." Dina smiled. She had pretty smile. Not as nice as Ichigo's mother's in his opinion but…

"Mama? Can I tell Ichigo about kaachan?" Mirai asked then. And Ichigo was surprised to hear her using his own name and not the nickname. And vaguely Ichigo wondered who 'kaachan' was. He'd hear Mirai mention her only once before, at the hospital when Yuzu and Karin had been born.

"I don't see why not. Ichigo-kun is old enough to understand your circumstances. Just ask me for clarification and think carefully what is safe to be said."

With the permission received, Mirai lead Ichigo to the home altar behind Dina and they sat down before it. The altar had photos of both Dina's and Kenji's parents but separated from them…

"This is kaachan. Her name is Nakatomi Tomo. She is a special ghost who helps other ghosts and kills bad monsters like the one that attacked Masaki-basan and you. Well, really it was a bad ghost but they look monstrous so it's easier to think of them as monsters." Mirai explained. Ichigo looked at the black and white photo. Tomo was beautiful but apparently the only feature that she had similar to Mirai was the eyes and nose.

"What about your touchan? Is he a special ghost too?" Ichigo asked quietly. Mirai blinked at the question but shrugged.

"Maybe. I think so but I've never met him."

"Are you a special ghost then?" The boy frowned.

"I don't know. I think of myself as human. I'm alive I think." They fell quiet again after that. Dina went to the kitchen to prepare some snacks for the children.

"Masaki-bachan said she'd wait for you once you've lived a long and fulfilling life." Mirai said then. "So you better stop blaming yourself and start living."

"Back then… why did you say it was your fault? I'm the one that went after that ghost girl."

"Because I know she'd die that day." Mirai smiled sadly. "I don't know how but I knew. And when I tried to say it, to warn her, it felt like I was choking…"

Ichigo remained quiet. He didn't understand the universal workings or the spiritual stuff Mirai was introducing him into and didn't like the concept of Fate but he did forgive her. Anger would do nothing in this case.

"I need to start figuring out which people are ghosts and which are not." He stated then. He couldn't let anyone else get hurt because he was being stupid.

"And try not to talk to the ghosts when in public since not all people can see them." Mirai added.

Silence stretched again.

"Don't worry. Kaachan made sure Masaki-bachan made it safely to the afterlife."

"Why couldn't she wait?"

"Because of the chain. All ghosts have chains in their chest after they die. They are usually attached to the places where they died or a memorial or something similar. But eventually the chain starts to eat itself away. The eating speed depends on the length of the chain and the emotional trauma the soul went through."

"What happens when the chain's not there anymore?"

"They become bad ghosts full of angry emotions and start eating other ghost and even living humans. That's why special ghosts come to get the ghosts to the afterlife. So they won't hurt anyone. And Masaki-bachan's chain was cut really close so they were in hurry." Mirai told him.

Ichigo mulled over the information but accepted it then. He was a smart boy, he did understand. He didn't like it but he understood. And that was better than nothing.

Ichigo and Mirai played their Dead-or-Alive game whenever possible but always with hushed whispers. It's their secret. Dina and Kenji knew of it as they both could see ghosts when they put special glasses on their nose (Tomo's inventions) but Isshin wasn't told. His ridiculous behavior and recently acquired notion of training Ichigo put off both of the children. So they didn't tell.

A year after Masaki's death, they roped Karin and Yuzu into the game too. The two girls made a good team and the game was good practice for them in the future. With Yuzu stopping Karin from greeting a ghost in public and Karin 'translating' for Yuzu when needed. (Sometimes the ghost had good stories to tell and could give directions to one place or another.)

Ichigo still went to dojo but only once a week. Instead he rather sparred with Mirai and Tatsuki outside of it. Or went to Kotobuki's were Kenji taught him to cook with Yuzu occasionally with them, helping.

Mirai spent her time playing her violin at the park, usually at different spots from where she could be heard from but not seen. She'd improved a lot during the years and got frustrated less often. And occasionally 'Bara-san' joined her too. Ichigo saw him a couple of times in passing.

They also met a friend of Bara-san's. At least Mirai said that 'Kamenozoki' was his friend. Him they met at Kenji's kendo dojo. He had silvery grey hair but didn't look that old. Kamenozoki was a good name for him in Ichigo's opinion once he got a bit more educated in colors that Mirai used for nicknames.

Her nicknames were strange. The way they were given depended on what she thought of them. If she gave a nick-name at all. Tatsuki didn't have a nickname and most of the adults didn't have either. Yuzu and Karin were called respectively Ukon-iro and Sumi-iro, tumeric-colored and ink-colored. Bara-san probably got the name from the white rose he gave to Mirai. Otherwise she probably would've called him shironeri (unbleached silk) or something similar. Oh, and she also called Goat-face by the name Ichigo and Karin used.

Overall life with Mirai was strange with all her quirks and smiles and knowledge. But it was so very interesting too. She pulled him forward until he could walk on his own pace once more and stayed by his side even then.

She was family.

A/N: Mirai takes up a role of telling Ichigo about things a bit beforehand but in a childlike way. Later she'll instruct him: "When with Shinigami, play dumb. Ask questions and repeat terms. They like to think themselves high and mighty and won't think about it too much." Considering how conceding some shinigami are, it'll work just fine. And calling Pluses, Hollows and Shinigami all ghosts will put them all on an equal line. For story purposes.

Mirai's nicknames are taken from traditional Japanese colors. The picture that I've been using to pick the colors can be found at pinterest.

pinterest pin/ 170222060893773789/

I think you can guess who Bara-san and Kamenozoki are. More are to come too. :)

Was Mirai alright in this chapter? I hope she was. Next chapter will be from her point of view finally. I'm not sure which time-span will be covered but it will reach at least a year onwards form Masaki's death.

Replies to Reviews:

-XIV - La Temperanza:
Thank you. I got the burst of inspiration where I wrote these four and then kept a break while finishing school work whilst updating.
Mitzi? But yeah, they are weird but cute. I try to discover quirks for characters that are unique but not too irritating for readers.

-God Emperor Terra Bornstellar:
Thank you. I know. Old Man is a good character but the Quincy Arc revelations ruined him for me. And when I watched the Zanpakuto Arc of anime I noticed that all the Zanpakuto of the other Shinigami at least somewhat reflected their wielders' appearance. Old Man doesn't unlike Hollow who is literally Ichigo's mirror. I might keep Old Man as mentor like reflection in Ichigo's inner world but maybe have Hollow as Zangetsu since beginning. Dunno yet. Thankfully I have a lot of time until then.
Pairings... When writing this chapter I entertained the idea of pairing up Ichigo with Mirai but in the other hand I don't want to tie them together either. Yuri pairing for Mirai would be interesting but I have no idea who it could be... Ichigo in the other hand... anyone but his human friends or Rukia or Renji. Or Kisuke. I love UraIchi pairing but in this fic it would be plain weird since Urahara is Mirai's father however unknowingly it is.

-CallMeCrazylol:
Ah, they are Asagi and Kanzo-iro. It won't change unless the situation is dire.
Thank you!

-nanox876:
Thank you for the suggestions. I'll keep these in mind. I plan to extend the story arc with Anime so the Winter War should take place a year later and thus give Ichigo and Mirai both time to grow.

-Silverlined Phoenix:
Thank you. There is ridiculously few SI-OC fics of Bleach considering how popular this fandom is.
You got Ichigo right here! He will have one or two later on, depending how I introduce characters. Mirai will still have most chapters.

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Alright. I got last school thing to write and then I need to see which fic to update. On other note... Do you have any idea when Zanpakuto Arc is supposed to take place? Because some stuff that is said there makes one think of it before Hueco Mundo Arc yet some stuff (like Ikkaku's bankai and Rukia killing Aaroniero) makes one place it after war. Latter doesn't make sense because of how Ichigo lost his powers and Fullbring Arc so... Or should I just think of it as a filler and be done with it?