A Strange Turn of Events

Ch. 2 Back on Schedule

7 Years after his return

Well it's that day, the day she appears and changes my life for the better. She who taught me to be a Shinigami. Currently, I'm walking down the road when I see the three stooges and the vase with flowers that they had knocked over. I sigh before approaching with only one thought. This'll be fun.

I stand next to the vase when one of the three finally notices me. "Hey, who the hell are you?" the tall and skinny one asks. After a few seconds pass he gets closer. "I SAID, who the hell…..." He doesn't finish due to the foot I planted in his face. "Who I am isn't important." I point to the tipped vase. "Now I have three simple questions. What is that? Who did it? And why did you do it?" The two that remained standing, the one that face planted my foot is now on his back holding his face, look terrified as they shake, trying to answer between their stuttering. "we—well you see we was riding by on our boards and thought it would be fun to knock it over." The one to answer was shorter than the first, blonde and a little on the chubby side. "Correct, now since you seem to know so much, tell me what it is for." The shortest yet the skinniest, matching that espada with a spoon looking hood whose name escapes me, responds to my question. "it is supposed to be a memorial for a kid that was killed last Sunday." I then punch them both at once, directly in the face. "Correct, now you owe this girl an apology." They look under the space my hand is hovering giving confused looks. "What girl?" They say in unison. "I SAID APOLIGIES!" they drop to their knees and once again say in unison. "W'ERE SORRY, IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!" I stomp my foot, sending vibrations throughout their body and watch as they scatter away. "Thank you mister." I smile down at the girl. "it's no problem. You know I can help you cross over if you want." She smiles and jumps slightly. "Really?" I ruffle her hair and continue smiling. "Yea, really. So do you want to go?" She nodes and giggles. "Yea I'm ready to see mommy again." I summon the handle of zangetsu and put the pommel of if on her forehead. The glow radiates from her as she turns into the butterfly and goes to the sky. "Be safe up there." Once she is gone I continue to school.

Later on in the day I'm walking home, when I reach the door I open and hear my father yelling my name as usual and then quickly slam it shut. Shortly after I hear the sound of body meeting door. I reopen the door and step through. "Hey goat chin." I look at mom and smile. "Hey mom." I then give them both a serious look and nod my head giving the single that it was finally time. I go to my room and site on my bed, waiting for her.

Several hours pass and she finally comes through the door. "It's near." Is all she says, I then do as I did in my past and kick her square in the middle of her back. "Ya know, you're not a very good bugler. First they are silent." I smile when she turns and gives me a look that is similar to that of a fish. Thinking back to that day it is pretty funny. When I chuckle she glares and jumps onto her feet. "Yo…. You can see me?" I give a look that says it's obvious. "I just planted my foot in your back didn't I midget?" She gains an evil glare/ grin which only succeeds in making her look that much cuter, causing me to laugh a little. "Bakudo 1, Sai." She calls out, the spell hits home and causes my arms to lock behind my back and me to fall to my knees. I struggle for a bit to let her think that I'm still human. "Hahaha, see what you got yourself into now boy?" She mocks, deciding that enough is enough I raise my spirit energy enough to easily break the kidou and stand up. "What was that midget?" She gives a dumb found expression on her face. "Ho-how did you do that? Your still human you shouldn't be able to see me let alone…." I smile, knowing where this is going. Deciding it's is best to just go ahead and tell her everything I say. "Break the kidou? Look, you don't know me just yet so let me explain….." Ten minutes later everything is said and done. "Now, Rukia, do you understand?" I say a little down cast. "Yes…. I understand. And for what it's worth I'm sorry Ichigo." She goes silent and I place a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok, I'm not alone and that's what I wanted so I'm happy." I give a comforting smile.

A few minutes have passed as we chatted and got the friendship that we had in my past back. But it is interrupted by the sound of a hungry hollow. I stand and look at her. "Want to see me work?" She nodes and stands with me. I then proceed outside with her on my tail. I stand in the middle of the road, waiting for It to come to me. It lunges and goes to bite me. Rukia jumps into its path and takes the bite. "You fool, I wanted to see what you can do not commit suicide." She cringes as she is let loose from the jaws of the beast. "Bakudo unknown: Buraindoraito." I hold my hand out releasing a blinding white light, after I quickly pull her to safety, leaning her up against a light pole. "Now be patient and watch. You'll understand my methods soon enough." When the hollow recovers from the kidou, he charges once again. Standing completely still I wait last minute to summon the two zangetsus together. A spirit string forms from tip to tip, I pull it and manifest an arrow, after that I let it loose. The arrow drills through the mask as if It was made of paper, killing it instantly. I then let the blade dissipate and go a shell-shocked Rukia. Kneeling down I pick her up bridal style and turn to walk to kisukes. "Well, you're in quite the pickle Ms. Kuchiki, wouldn't you agree with me Kurosaki?" I look up to see the man I was heading to. "Hehehe, yea just a little, you mind patching her up? She is drained of her spirit energy and will need a gigai." He smiles and waves for me to follow. "Sure thing, this way please."

After we get to the shop he gets to work on the gigai while Tessai goes to healing the wounded reaper. Half an hour passes when they both finish, Rukia and I are standing at the entrance. "Thanks guys, I owe you one." They wave to me as I leave, getting things put up. We turn to leave the 'humble shop' going to my home. Rukia not being able to stand the silence askes me a question. "So what was it like?... To be alone I mean?" She gives a curious and innocent look. I sigh and look her in the eye. "Well, to start, it hurt to know that I was the soul survivor, no pun intended, and that I was the cause. Then there is the obvious emotion, guilt, depression, and all of it goes through you in seconds. To sum it up though? It was total hell." Finally we reach the door and I walk in, gesturing for Rukia to follow. Once we reach my room I slide open the closet and set up a futon for her to go to sleep. Leaving a small fan for air circulation. "Here you go, you can either sleep here or on the floor with the futon." She gives a smile. "The closet will be fine, you've already done so much." I poke her cheek with a smile. "Hey, I take care of my friends, no matter the situation." We bid the other good night and lay down. Finding sleep rather quickly.

AN

For information on my up dates please see my page, there are different things I'm trying to figure out.