Chapter 9: Giant Heart

Verena yawned as she sat in math class listening to the teacher drone on. Ichigo looked like he was about to pass out himself as Uryu was busy taking notes behind him. Grinning, Verena couldn't believe that those two had teamed up together over the last two years of their training. Since Quincy training was easier for her than it was for Ichigo, she supposed it made sense. It also gave Ichigo a male family member to pick on other than herself. The two bickered like an old married couple some days. It was fine with her though, after all, it allowed her to focus on her own training.

Suddenly the door to the classroom opened to reveal a tall kid that looked to be sixteen or perhaps older. The teacher turned towards the young man and took the paper he handed to him. The teacher gave a sigh. "Students it would seem we have received a new transfer student." he looked at the boy. "Go ahead, introduce yourself."

"I'm Yasutora Sado." he said as he stood there towering over everyone. "I've been living in Mexico and only just returned."

Couple of the boys behind Verena began talking about inviting Sado to play on the basketball team or see if he was any good at soccer. She nodded at their choice of a teammate. Their team would definitely have an advantage if he was any good. She watched the darker skinned boy walk by with his chocolate colored hair. He was a cutie, but she wished she could see his eyes better. Verena blushed at those thoughts before grasping her text book and avoiding any eye contact with anyone until after class was over. She really needed to beat something up.

A week later Verena came across a scene after school that had her smiling. Ichigo was laying on his back holding something up at Sado, who was tied up. Walking over to the two boys just as Ichigo was undoing the ropes around the new student, Verena saw the group of thugs that were beat up and unconscious. "Looks like you've been having all the fun Ichi." she joked at him.

"Chad, this is my twin sister Verena." he said before glaring at her. "You know I don't go out looking for trouble."

Verena waved her hand at him. "Of course not, it just comes finding you."

"Exactly." he agreed with a grin on his face.

"Sister?" they both heard Sado question.

"Yeah. We look exactly alike; except he has a penis." she pointed at Ichigo who began sputtering.

"Don't say that out loud!" he yelled feeling embarrassed as his cheeks flushed.

"What?" she asked confused. "Its not like you have-"

He slapped a hand over her mouth. "Don't. Say. It." he growled.

Verena stuck her tongue out to lick his hand and grinned loudly as he yanked it away. "You're too easy to rile up Ichi." she giggled. Turning away she looked over her shoulder. "You two coming?"

"Sure." Ichigo said as he wiped his hand on his jacket just as the ambulances began arriving with the police.

"You'd think the gangs would learn to stop picking fights with you." she stated as the passed them by. "You're always kicking their asses."

Ichigo grinned. "Well this time I didn't start it." he said with a shrug. "I couldn't let them hurt Chad."

"My name-" Sado begun to correct them.

"Well perhaps Chad needs to learn when to hop into a fight if you're gonna be protecting him." she said.

Ichigo laughed. "We just made an agreement. I'll use my fists to protect his back as long as he does the same."

Verena looked at Sado. "Do you even know how to fight Chad?" she inquired when she saw him give a sigh.

"Yes." he told her, feeling insulted she'd think otherwise.

Verena grinned. "Great. Then you can come to Urahara's shoten with us." as she turned down the road towards the shopkeepers store.

"Eh?" Ichigo questioned as Sado looked between them questioningly.

"What?" she asked Ichigo.

"I don't think-" he began.

"Then don't." she grinned as he glared at her.

Is this how all siblings act with each other? Sado thought to himself before smiling at how Verena teased Ichigo who always seemed to take the bait. They seem to enjoy teasing each other. He continued to walk silently behind them as the two siblings picked and teased each other.

Urahara scratched his head as he looked between the two pre-teens to the giant of a boy that stood between them. "So, you want to train with them?" he asked the boy.

Before Sado could answer Verena spoke. "He says he's going to watch Ichi's back from now on as Ichi is going to watch his back." she explained before pointing at Ichigo. "He kicked the butts of a dozen grown ass men. Albeit they were just a bunch of gangsters trying ta hassle Chad, but still...look at him!"

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "Okay, they got a few lucky strikes in." he admitted. "But it's not like I'm I'm laying on the ground in pain moaning for my Mama." he told her.

Sado sighed. "I want to help Ichigo." he said causing Urahara to smirk. He could definitely sense something from this young man, but what that something was, he wasn't quite certain.

Bringing out his paper fan he chuckled. "You're in luck!" he said cheerfully. "I'm willing to take on more students. The more the merrier!" he then looked at the young man with a serious look. "I just hope you understand what it means to be their friend." This caused the twins to grin at the shopkeeper.

Uryu climbed the last stone boulder to the clearing where he was meeting his grandfather for some special training when he heard a sudden noise. Reaching out his senses he felt a disturbance ahead of him. Running forward, pulling his Quincy cross out he prepared himself for whatever was ahead of him. Hollows were attacking his grandfather who was outnumbered by the monsters. Fear crippled the young boy. He couldn't move, let alone create a bow to help in protecting his grandfather. He watched in borrow as Soken fell to the ground dead.

Hiding himself behind a tree, Uryu prayed for the monsters to leave. Screeches were heard along with death cries. Peering around a tree he saw some men in lab coats and wearing Shinigami clothes. On the ground was his grandfather, bleeding out. Nausea hit him as he placed a hand over his mouth to stop himself from making any noise. His grandfather was dead. Why hadn't those men shown up sooner? he wondered. They could've saved his life! Fisting his hand, Uryu felt anger unlike anything before slam into him. Grandfather. He watched them pick up his grandfather's body and leave through a Senkaimon.

Uryu felt his legs give out from under him, as he slid down the tree he'd been hiding behind. His shoulders began to shake uncontrollably. Ever since his mother's sudden death he'd lost a connection with his father. He had nobody now that his grandfather was dead. I'm alone. he thought as tears threatened to fall down his cheeks. I can't let them get away with this. He fisted his hands once again. I'll get stronger, then I'll kill the Shinigami! An image of Ichigo and Verena appeared in his mind. His fisted slackened. I can't hurt them. They've done nothing to deserve that. He then recalled the red ribbon wrapped around both of them. They're Quincies, but they're also Shinigami. He leaned his head back against the tree trunk. What do I do?

The wind began to blow around him causing Uryu to feel the cold come over him. "I'll have to tell Ryoken." he said to nobody but himself. "He won't do nothing. He never does." Standing, Uryu began the long trek back to the city, all the while thinking of how he'd get his revenge for his grandfather's death.

Ichigo woke up in the sideways world that he Now knew was his inner world. On one of the skyscrapers not too far away he could see his white doppelganger standing looking off into the distance. Jumping from his own perch and running towards the other, he came to a sudden stop.

"Been awhile King." the pale version of himself said. On his back was a sword that was wrapped in bandages.

That's new. Ichigo thought as he looked at it.

Noticing what Ichigo was looking at, the hollow doppelganger laughed, his voice echoing creepily. "Like it King?" he asked. "Yer not ready to use it yet, but yer gettin' close." he smiled. "Wanna play?"

"Tch." Ichigo snorted. "You'll cheat again." he complained as he placed his arms over his chest.

The hollow laughed once again. "When's piano mouth coming back?" he asked as he changed the subject.

Ichigo grinned at the doppelganger's nickname for Shinji. "Not sure, but he said he was bringing a friend this time."

The hollow's got wider, if possible. "This is gonna be fun King."

Ichigo grinned as he too thought that whoever Shinji was bringing would make training even more fun. "I agree."

In the distance a black cloaked, man watched the two talk from his perch on a pole. His eyes were covered by dark sunglasses even though the sun barely shone in the inner world of his young master. He stayed silent as he watched the boy interact with the white haired hollow. Even though most saw hollows as monsters this boy saw his hollow as a friend and ally. He wondered how his young master was going to react when that once longtime ally would one day attack him in order to make their master stronger. It was something he looked forward to witnessing.

M-Angel: So this chapter could've been longer but I really want to get to bringing in Rukia and if I had done a huge hollow battlescene between Soken and the hollows I may have not gotten to doing Sado meeting the Kurosaki twins in this chapter. Also, I wasn't certain when Soken died because it really never said in the anime or manga. So if he was younger than twelve, sorry. I just know Uryu was young when Soken died. Also, who thinks it'd be cool for Tatsuki to get some powers like Orihime did? I'm thinking she may gain two short sword daggers. What does everyone think of this?

Now to answer a question by Mike. Yes Ichigo is recalling his past/future. These are like premonition memories where he can see what's going to possibly happen in his future and he can change what occurs to a certain degree.