Chapter II

Death and the Strawberry

There's an old saying about how things fade to black; It's wrong. Every time my skull gets cracked, my vision blurs to white. Waking up on the ground, I grabbed the back of my now throbbing head while my eyes readjusted, my ears ringing like an alarm clock. Through the ringing, however, I could hear gasps and whispers around me, as well as a familiar voice calling out.

"Ichigo? Hey Ichigo! Are you alright?!" the voice called out. Following it back to consciousness, I slowly turned left to see Karin crouching next to me.

"Yeah, I'm alright," I lied. Subconsciously checking for any blood or bruises on my head, I noticed that the presence I felt earlier was gone. Turning to Karin, I blurted out, "Did you see where that girl went?"

"What girl?" she replied, much to my disappointment.

"Nevermind," I sighed as I rose to my feet, checking my watch before my heart suddenly sank. I didn't know how long I was out, but it was long enough for there to only be ten minutes before class began. Grabbing my bag as quickly as possible, I raced into another sprint, leaving my sister confused and possibly still worried. However, my speed was impaired once again, courtesy of my throbbing headache and burning lungs, but I didn't care. My homeroom teacher, Ochi-sensei, would have my ass if I was late again, and I couldn't afford that.

The crowds looked at me with surprise and possibly disgust as I pounded the pavement, wind roaring in my face as my vision formed a tunnel. All I could see was the crowded path in front of me, and I all cared about at the moment was going forward in any way I could. At least until I got to the grounds, that is. I didn't know why, but there was pressure in the air that day. It was light, mysterious, familiar, and smothering all at once.

When I reached the door to the building, only two minutes were left, which would've put me neck-deep in shit if I were the one setting the classroom. Fortunately, I wasn't that day, so I didn't hear any complaints as I sat my ass in my chair at the last second, even though I was gasping for breath.

"Alright, can everyone settle down now?" Ochi-sensei rang out as she readjusted her glasses, "Before class begins, we have two new transfer students joining our class, so please give them your full attention. You can come in now."

There was silence for a moment as my unsteady breath started to relax. Then, the sound of shoes marched against the floor. But as I opened my eyes to look at these new students, I reflexively stood up from my desk and pointed at the short-haired girl at the front of the class.

"Y-You!" I shouted out, earning several sets of staring eyes and a few giggles from my classmates, but I didn't care. Right in front of me stood the samurai girl, but she looked different this time. Her black kimono was replaced by a uniform that hugged a much thinner build than I first thought, her previously ice-cold eyes feigned a sense of friendliness, and most importantly, her transparency turned solid.

"What's wrong, Kurosaki-san?" Ochi-sensei asked, pulling me back to reality, "Do you two know each other?"

"Oh no, this is our first time meeting," the petite brunette lied with her eyes closed. While she said the right words, there was this out of place formality in her tone and an accent I couldn't quite place. It was all too obvious that she was lying, but since I couldn't prove anything, I sat my ass back down in annoyance as she continued with, "My name is Rukia Kuchiki. I'm sixteen years old and happy to be here."

"And my name is Yatustora Sado. I'm fifteen years old. It's nice to meet you all," the other student chimed in rough, weirdly accented Japanese. To be honest, I wasn't sure if it was a student at first. This guy looked like a grown-ass man from Okinawa, making him a prime target for the seniors. His dark skin and large body would make him stand out from the crowd in almost any given place in town. He seemed to keep his wavy brown bangs over his eyes, which meant they wouldn't have to look him in the eye while assaulting him. There was something familiar I couldn't quite place, but before I could figure it out, Ochi-sensei spoke up again.

"Now then, since Kurosaki-san pointed out the empty desk next to him by standing up, I think it would be easiest to have one of you take that seat," but before she could say another word, Rukia walked to the desk and sat down next to me. Nodding slightly at this, Ochi-sensei turned to the big guy with, "Sado-san, I think there's another one for you over by Asano-san."

The awkward tension between Rukia and me continued as Ochi-sensei's lesson went on. Rukia had done something to knock me out this morning, but what did she do to the kid? Why was she acting as if nothing happened? But with one action from her, the questions became more confusing. While Ochi-sensei was answering another student's question, Rukia leaned over a bit and whispered, "So you're Kurosaki, huh? It looks like I'll be sitting next to you from now on."

Rolling my eyes at her cheesy acting, something out in the corner of my gaze caught my attention. Under her desk, Rukia displayed a note with a simple message written in bold ink; 'Make another scene, and I'll kill you.'

"Okay then, Kuchiki-san. Nice to meet you," I whispered back nervously. For the rest of the class, we said nothing to each other, only giving occasional glances while her little note etched itself into my head. Rukia barely looked up from her desk, pretending to take notes, but from the few glances she gave me, it was all too obvious she was on her phone the whole time. When she wasn't paying attention, I noticed her eyes were as cold and distant as they were this morning. Seeing that, I knew she could follow through with her threat in a heartbeat, making my other questions foreboding. If I asked her any of them without anyone else around, would she kill me? It was a risk, but I needed answers.

After the bell rang, everyone poured out of the classrooms as almost everyone struggled to get to their next class. However, Rukia headed toward the football field outside before leaning against a column, never taking her eyes off her phone and texting vigorously. Seeing no one else around, I marched up to her and barked, "Hey, Kuchiki-san! Just what the hell are you thinking?!"

"My, how scary! You're not going to do something to me, are you?" She responded with a cheesy, cutesy, scared, and innocent girl routine, putting her hand over her lips for effect. Her little act was so juvenile sent a spark down my throat as my breath grew hot, my eyebrows descended, and my scowl deepened.

"Okay, quit talking like that! No one's buying that crap!"

"Oh?" She gasped, the colder tone she had from earlier returning as her expression began to reflect mine, "I thought it was pretty good considering I learned it overnight."

"Don't give me that shit. What happened to the girl?" I growled as anger mixed with the fear of her earlier threat. Did she honestly expect me to believe this idiotic performance of hers after she showed her true colors?

"I think it's called 'passing over' in your language," She replied in a deadpan tone.

"Real cute," my sarcastic side growled before I could stop, then adding, "And what about the monster and the samurai business?"

Rukia's eyes then shifted, her breathing becoming shallow, and the air around her got cold. Darting her gaze side to side for a moment, it as if something she feared had walked right behind her, ready to kill. Her eyes then returned to me as her gaze became solemn and cold like stone, an ounce of menace gleaming just beyond the surface. A part of my heart began to tense up as she started speaking again; only this time, her tone matched her eyes.

"Very well, I will tell you," She spoke slowly, tension rising with each passing second. She darted her eyes once more before focusing entirely on what was in front of her, her breath finally stopping as she whispered, "I'm a Shinigami."

Just like that, the tension dropped with my eyelids as my scowl went from a curious and worried one to deadpan annoyance. It seemed my mouth agreed with me, remarking, "Shinigami? Yeah, right."

"So you're saying, although you see ghosts, you don't believe in Shinigami?" Rukia's demeanor remained unchanged despite cocking an eyebrow. Sure, anyone who knows even a little about Japanese folklore or pop culture has heard of Shinigami, a spirit who leads others to their deaths. On the other hand, I had some pretty good reasons not to believe in them.

"Of course not! I've seen ghosts since I was a little kid, but I've never seen Shinigami before," I retorted while folding my arms, "Besides, everyone in the class could see you even though they can't see spirits, so explain that, Shinigami."

As Rukia opened her mouth to respond, her phone began ringing, turning Rukia's attention away from me as she flipped it open and started texting again. Curious about who this supposed Shinigami was texting, I snuck behind her before she abruptly snapped her phone shut, glaring at me right in the eye with the same gleam she gave earlier.

"I no longer have time to indulge in your foolishness," With a flick of her wrist, a plastic container emerged from her pocket. A silly, cartoonish rabbit head sat on the top as the English words' Soul Candy' emblazoned the side. Pressing her finger to smash the rabbit's head, Rukia opened her mouth in sync with the rabbit as a pale jawbreaker entered her mouth. But instead of chewing or sucking on the candy, she swallowed it whole with a loud gulp before strange blue light sparked around her body. Suddenly, another version of Rukia jumped out from that light, ghostly transparent and donning the same black kimono from this morning. Turning to look at me, the other Rukia gave another threat, "Just stay quiet and out of my way, or I'll kill you."

With that, the transparent Rukia clutched her sword before taking off in a sprint and somehow leaping onto the awning before disappearing. Slowly turning my gaze to the solid Rukia, there was the same smile from earlier, only more earnest and naive. With a startling contrast in her voice, she cheered, "Let's get to class, pyon!"

As this cutesy persona hopped to class like a demented bunny, chirping out pyon with every bounce, my whiplash started to catch up to me. First, there was the rabbit thing going on with that girl, from the toy she knocked me out with to this disturbing sight. Next, what she said about the ghost girl set in. Did she pass over as Rukia said? Part of me settled on that question to avoid the chaotic crapfest sitting beside me, another part of me feeling relieved that she was finally able to rest in peace, and the third part of me wondering if Rukia had done something to her. Rukia called herself a shinigami, and she meant to do something after killing that monster. Wait, was killing even the right word? They're all spirits of some kind, so they had to be dead, right? How could you kill what's already dead?

Suddenly, the final bell yanked me away from the questions and permitted everyone to leave. Throwing my bag over my shoulder, what I was doing before I crossed Rukia's path came back to my head, guiding me back to the vase I left behind yesterday. The area was strangely quiet, and the wilting flowers were undisturbed. The silence churned in my stomach as Rukia's words pricked the back of my head, and after a moment, I started calling out. This time, however, there was no answer from anyone, no matter how much I shouted. After a while, a different voice scolded me from behind.

"Figured you'd be here," the familiar voice scoffed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Turning around to see my sister with her bag in one hand and the other on her hip, it was harder to bite back my growl than I care to admit. Her deadpan expression remained unphased, too familiar with me to even bat an eyelash.

"You're predictable," she answered while turning around, "Now come on. It's your turn to cook dinner."

But with her first step towards home, the air seemed to shake, my body tensing up in response. On instinct, I dived after Karin as the world around us blurred in a crash and cloud of smoke, adrenaline numbing the scathing pain from our landing. Once again, that terrible cry echoed around me, telling me to run.

"What the hell, Ichigo?!" Karin yelled, catching me off guard while I grabbed her before dragging her into a sprint

"Karin, don't you hear the terrible cries?!"

"Terrible cries? I don't-" was all she could get out before that gut-wrenching sound shut her up, causing her to start keeping pace with me.

After that, the pounding of feet, burning lungs, and my jumping heart from the booming behind us were all I felt as my gaze became blurry to the world. Turning the corner of the street, the roar of that monster grew louder, nastier. Within moments, there was a blast of dust and bricks choking me further as the wall behind us gave way to a giant hand reaching out, followed by friction in my hand as the hollow yanked Karin away from me.

"Karin!" I screamed before instinctively grabbing a brick and chucking it as hard as I could, slamming the bastard in its masked face. Looking straight at me, it was different from the one Rukia destroyed. This one looked like it was from an old fish story with the webbed fingers and dorsal fin. It had a roughly humanoid shape and purple streaks on the mask like the other, but yellow eyes matched its fishy mask shape. White fishbones plated its shoulders and arms while dark gray stripes that resembled scales stretched over its body.

As the bastard squeezed tighter, Karin's expression melted into pain as she choked out, "Ichigo… run!"

Karin's words rang out, a quaking within my soul rattling me. Turn my back and leave my sister to die so that I might live? I let someone down once, but never again. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed and chucked two more bricks as the bastard narrowed its eyes at me. But as I shuddered before sprinting, a voice yelled out, "Stay back!"

A glint rushed from above the beast in the grip of a silhouette. Within a second, what held Karin hostage bellowed in pain and rage, its arm gushing with blood. I continued to run on impulse, my objective changing as I dropped the bricks and leaped forward. With scuffs and more scraps against my sides, Karin was safely in my arms as Rukia stepped in front of us. I didn't care about the burning pain so long as Karin was safe, but Karin's flesh felt stiff, her expression pale and lifeless.

"K-Karin! Hey-ey, Karin! Answer me!" I cried out, shuddering from adrenaline.

"Get a hold of yourself!" Rukia barked before she took in a tiny breath. As she exhaled, her expression and tone froze over, "That Hollow hasn't devoured her soul yet. Now stay back, fool. You'll get in the way."

My expression hardened and paled, my blood like icy water coursing through my veins as I sat there. Helpless. Meanwhile, there was a distortion in the air as it blackened around the Hollow. Rukia readied her blade, but instead of charging, the beast disappeared. Rukia glanced back and forth. Then side to side. Her breathing sharpened and shallower, with mine following. Adrenaline starting to settle, I opened my mouth as my throat tried to close, asking the obvious question, "Where'd it go?"

Rukia held her gaze outward, silent against the sirens and commotion gathering around the site, until, "It is seeking a soul with higher reiryoku."

"Reiryoku?"

"Moreover, it's clear now that the Hollow from this morning wasn't after that girl; It was after you."

"... They're after me?" I gasped as my thoughts began to spiral. The images from this morning crawled against my eyes, taunting me as I pictured what might've been without me. Then there was Karin, who only came out here to look for me. Rukia continued to ramble on as the turbulence in my skull continued its tailspin.

"I don't know how, but your reiryoku seems suppressed. I didn't sense anything about you earlier, and you said Hollows never attacked you until now. It's just conjecture, but perhaps your reiryoku began pouring out due to contact with all these souls. In other words, those two Hollows sensed the density of your soul through the others."

"It's here," she declared as another wave of sensations washed over us, followed by another roar. Rukia spun on her heel with her sword raised in front of her, ready to strike.

Sitting here holding Karin wasn't right. If those bastards were after me, I had to step up, which meant putting Karin down and leading it away from her. Gritting my teeth, there was a fresh stinging from the late-night winds as I stumbled to my feet. My knuckles cracked as I balled my fist, my gaze narrowing at what I could only describe as a thick black fog darker than oil-rich exhaust.

"Then let's hurry up and get rid of it!"

Rukia fired a sideways glare at me, her scowl deepening as she opened up to yap, "I will, but you are not going to get in my way,"

For a moment there, she sounded offended, like help was an insult. Lowering her sword, she raised a hand to me with her index and middle finger pointing upward. Her eyes narrowed as she yelled out, "Sai!"

With a wave of her hand, my arms jerked back before my knees buckled under me. It was the same as being grabbed by punks trying to get a clear shot at my gut and knock me to the ground. With a slight ringing in my ears, I yelled out, "What the hell?!"

"It's for your own good, human," Rukia turned back toward the ominous cloud as dusk yielded to twilight as the street lights unveiled the fishbone freak. She raised her sword, proclaiming, "This is the work of a Shinigami. So I will handle it."

With that, Rukia dashed to the side towards a building before casually leaping to the roof. With a roar, the fish-face returned to the scene, his bleeding stopped. Another glint as her sword tried to swing down. Suddenly, a red light appeared in the beast's mouth.

Fwhoosh!

Rukia shouted something incoherent to me over the noise as streams of red and blue light collided and burst forth explosions. Another roar came from the resulting smoke while Rukia's body fell back to the ground. She chose to leave me out of this and got hurt because of it. I was going to correct that mistake. Those bastards attacked Karin and that girl because of me! If it's my fault, then I won't let anyone get in my way of fixing it. Like a turtle knocked over, I rolled and squirmed until I was off my ass and on my feet. Then, the strain spread up to my cheeks as I forced my arms to move, earning a scream.

"Stop that!" Rukia yelled from afar, limping to avoid the blows of that monster. Stop? Like hell. I wasn't going to stop, no matter what. My arms were starting to holler, begging me not to snap them as the grip around me tightened.

"Human strength isn't enough to break a Kido. If you try to force it, your soul will-"

But with my yelling becoming a roar, a tinge of burning came around me before the grip shattered. With my freedom, I put my thumb right to my chest.

"Hey, you fricking bastard! You want my sou, do ya?! Come and get it! I'm right here!" I shouted with a sprint, trying to get it away from the people. Looking over at it, the bastard understood what I said, or at least followed me like an animal. Within mere seconds, I was back to running from these things, but not without a plan. Reaching out in my sprint, I picked up another brick along the pavement before throwing it square at him. This time though, it was met with a hungrier roar when it bounced off one of his teeth. I quickened my pace, my heart racing faster and faster as it wanted to give out for rest, but the beast's breath smelled like blood and sand. With one glance back, there was a second set of teeth in the mask, and my heart stopped while my eyes clamped shut.

But then, I heard a clang, followed by dripping, moaning, groaning, and scraping. Opening my eyes, I saw the black kimono drenched in red. Rukia caught the beast's mouth with her sword. Those lights earlier burned her arms and part of her face, so being bitten was salt on the wound. Still, she saved me, clenching as she whimpered out, "Run you, idiot!"

"SHINIGAMI!" an eerily voice screamed out as the beast ripped its teeth out to escape her sword, a hollow sound following. But before the beast went in for a second bite, I grabbed Rukia from behind and ducked over to an alley, putting her arm around my shoulder as we limped to temporary safety. Rukia, however, didn't see fit to let my rescue go unpunished.

"Fool! Did you think that everything would be over if you gave him your soul? At this rate, he'll devour us all."

I agreed, but there's not much else I could do. I knew how to fight people. I was learning to fight disease and injury. But these frickin' monsters? If I knew what to do, I'd kick their asses. As soon as I put Rukia against a wall, I slammed my fist against the bricks. My breathing was deep and shaky, so adding more pain wasn't the best idea, but I didn't care. I ought to have more backbone than this, but all I could do was throw a few bricks and run. If I was stronger, or faster, or something, then it would be different.

"Do you want to save your sister?" Rukia struggled to get out as she gripped her sword in her bleeding hand, my breathing halting to a stop at her words.

"Of course I do! Is there a way?"

"Just one," she nodded while struggling to lift her sword. Taking a few ragged breathes, she managed to get out the condition, "You must become a Shinigami!"

My eyes widened as I blurted, "What?"

"Run the point of this Zanpakuto through the center of your being, and I will pour my power into you. I don't know if it will work, but there is nothing else we can do."

I paused at this. If I became a Shinigami, would I be dead? If I was dead, would Karin deny my presence too? But as my head pondered this, the glare of the fish-face as it held Karin appeared in my head, making up my mind.

"In that case, give me that sword, Shinigami," I clasped the blade with both hands, placing the tip right under my xiphoid process and towards my liver. With a thrust from her, the impact and shock hit first. Then there was the burning. My skin writhed as intense heat danced around me, pouring from my mouth and eye sockets as blue light erupted. Wind gushed and added to the heat in a maelstrom. My world went white, then blue. Then, it was gone, replaced by distortion as the air began to tingle. I was weightless. Looking down at my feet, I lay there on the ground, out cold, while still standing in a new black kimono. Clasped in my hand was an oversized odachi adorned with a golden tsuba and red grip on the handle. Rukia had done it. My body was on the ground while my spirit roamed on as a Shinigami.

The Hollow reached through the alley with a roar, reaching for Rukia, who was wearing only a white kimono and no shoes now. There was a rush within. A rising swing from my left. Then, its hand was cut open between the fingers. Rukia gazed at me in utter shock, and I couldn't tell if it was because her idea worked or what I had done. Honestly, I didn't care. All that mattered was that it did. My backbone stiffened with the fire in my eyes lighting up, fear making way for my usual anger. I placed the sword over my shoulder in defiance of the beast roaring in pain.

"Now you'll pay for hurting my sister, fish face!" I swung the blade overhead with a running start as he reached out to either grab or block me, and I responded by cutting straight through his arm in a furious charge. Blood spattered against me and the walls until I cut through to his mask, and with one more swing, the mask was cut right in half. His body burned into blackness as the other one did, and I could tell it was over. From that day forward, I was Ichigo Kurosaki, a fifteen-year-old high school student. And now, shinigami.