Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does. So don't sue.
Song Suggestion: Trapt – Ready When You Are
Author's Note - I made this chapter a little longer as requested. I'm in the process of working on new chapters for four other stories, so hopefully I will be able to update again within the next few months.
After spending nearly an hour arguing and laughing over ice cream, Ichigo announced that it was time to get back to work. Ignoring the collective groan, he reluctantly paid the bill, and herded the entire group back to the park for more sparring practice.
"Come on guys!" He pushed, commandeering everyone to move faster. "There's only a few weeks left to the sports festival, and we've got a lot to do!"
"Sports festival?" Orihime repeated, stunned. Surely he didn't expect…
"That's right!" Her spiky haired advocate announced, punching a finger in the air and striking a pose. "I'm entering you into the sports festival under every category possible!"
"But – But-"
"Of course that means you'll be competing against every other girl in the school to make it to the district finals. But I believe you have what it takes!" He continued cheering.
Once again Orihime tried to explain his mistake, but Ichigo was having none of it. Worse yet, the others were starting to notice that she hadn't exactly been informed of these arrangements ahead of time.
"Go easy on her Ichigo!" Momo warned, realizing the poor girl was trying her best not to panic.
"You mean you're just NOW telling her?" Rangiku exclaimed, ignoring Momo altogether.
"It's not my fault!" The stubborn fighter persisted. "You try making up excuses to get away from Rukia and her friends on the weekends. They're relentless! Anyways, I couldn't let them know what I was up to, could I?! Besides, there just never seemed a good time to bring it up."
"That's no excuse!" The buxom beauty shouted. "Orihime's got enough on her plate as it is! How could you be so thoughtless?"
"Relax!" Ichigo argued back. "I happen to know what I'm doing, and I'm telling you now, she'll be ready!"
"Of course she'll be ready! She has US to train her!" Rangiku grumbled. "But you could have at least prepared her before telling her she has less than two weeks to get ready to fight every girl who's ever made her life a living hell!"
"Guys knock it off! If she didn't know before, she knows now thanks to you two yelling so much. I think we'd be better off making a plan instead of going back and forth over nothing." Nell reasoned.
"Yeah!" It was the first time Chad had opened his mouth since they'd left the ice cream parlor. Although he was uncharacteristically quiet, he was always quick to come to the defense of his friends.
With Rangiku pacified, Ichigo once again took control of the situation. "Okay, Orihime, you've shown us what you can do when you put your mind to it. Now it's time for us to show you what we know."
"What do you expect me to do exactly?"
Thankfully, Momo spoke up before Ichigo could open his big mouth again.
"We want to teach you three things: reitsu, kido, and the use of a Zanpakuto.
"What is all that stuff?"" Orihime asked, not really sure she wanted to know.
Rangiku glared at Ichigo while she once again tried to explain what he had not.
"Reitsu is another word for spirit energy. It's harnessed through a spiritual weapon – called a Zanpakuto. Most of us use swords or body armor, but your Zanpakuto is specific to you and the way you channel your reitsu. Kido, on the other hand, is reitsu that is channeled without a weapon, using your body's natural chi."
"You'll get the idea once you watch us practice." Momo added. "But you have to become good enough to compete against the five of us so we can enter you in every event possible. It's the only way you'll make it to the finals."
"And teach those nasty girls a lesson while you're at it." Rangiku finished, as Nell looked on, nodding in agreement.
"But I've never used a weapon before." Orihime pointed out. "How am I supposed to make it to the finals when I don't have any experience with one?"
"But you do have experience." Ichigo interrupted, refusing to let her bow out. "I've seen you use a Zanpakuto once before - when we were really little. Don't you remember?" He searched, his voice dropping to just below a whisper.
"Remember what?" The startled girl parroted. "How can I remember something that never happened?"
"Think back Orihime. Think back really hard. Back when we were just two kids on the playground."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" She cried, growing so frustrated that tears began pooling in the corners of her eyes.
Still, Ichigo wouldn't give up.
"You do remember." He pressed, taking hold of her shoulders and making it so she couldn't look away. "We went to recess every day together. We played with Uryu. Remember him?"
"I do remember Uryu. The one who liked to sew. He always got picked on because of it."
"You know he had a crush on you." Ichigo grinned.
"A…a…crush?" Orihime stammered, more confused more than ever.
"Yeah. A crush." The determined boy affirmed. "He never did have the courage to tell you though. But ever since you saved him from those jerky upperclassmen, he worshiped the ground you walked on."
"But nothing actually happened! He moved before I really got the chance to know him!"
"And do you remember why he moved, Orihime?"
"No….not really…" She admitted, still feeling quite foolish.
"Well, of course you don't!" The idiot boy suddenly realized, kicking himself for his carelessness. "You expended so much energy, you passed out that day. They had to take you to the infirmary. It was hours before you woke up."
"What happened Ichigo? And why can't I remember?" The poor girl wondered aloud.
Ichigo tried his best to relay the story without frightening her any further.
"It was just after summer vacation. We all decided to go to the playground. Only a few upperclassmen were there ahead of us, just standing around and looking to make trouble. Uryu was so brave, acting like they couldn't hurt him. He headed straight for the jungle gym and started climbing. But they did hurt him Orhime. They pushed him off and he broke his arm."
The orange haired girl gasped. She was only starting to put the pieces together. But Ichigo could tell she was beginning to see what he had, all those years ago.
"You were so mad at the guys that pushed him you were practically glowing. That's when I saw something leave your body. It happened so quickly I'm surprised I saw it at all – but it wasn't a mistake Orihime. It did happen. You created energy blasts. I couldn't tell where they were coming from at the time, but I see it so clearly now. You used kido to knock those guys out. And then you went over to where Uryu had fallen and made his wounds disappear! You used reitsu to heal him."
Before Orihime could try and react to this new information, Ichigo went up and gently brushed his fingers into her hair, tucking it just behind her ear. He hoped to reassure her so she wouldn't run screaming for the hills when he told her what he had known for years now.
"And as for your spiritual weapon…" He paused - settling his palm loosely around one of her barrettes. "You've had them all along. They're the same ones you've worn since grade school. That's where all your energy stays concentrated."
Although Orihime still didn't know quite what to say – her eyes betrayed everything she was feeling. They sparkled in amazement as she struggled to understand how Ichigo had managed to remember something she couldn't even fathom.
"I can't believe I never noticed it before." He mused, so quietly only she could hear him. "I've always remembered that day, but I could never put my finger on why. Then I saw you in the park today, and it all fell into place. Orihime, I've seen powers you never even knew you had. That's why I want to train you. Please do me the honor of letting me."
Breathing heavily at Ichigo's presence being so near to her person, Orihime forced herself to take a step back. Ichigo realized the effect he was having, and was soon embarrassed to learn she was having one on him too.
Immediately he reminded himself why he was there, and assumed a different stance more befitting of teacher and student. He was there to help his friend be the best person she could be. To act on anything else would be taking advantage.
As such, an unspoken agreement passed between the two of them, and Ichigo knew he had won their first battle.
Meaning the real training could now begin.