Heyy everyone! Second chapter! YAY! It's finally here! I'm sorry it took so long! I nearly lost interest with this story, but then I started writing it again and everything's all good! I don't own Bleach or the songs that are in this story.
Songs: "Aesthetics and Identity", "Quincy no Hokori ni Kakete", and "My Blade as My Pride"
CD: Bleach Beat Collection
Sung By: Ishida's and Ichigo's voice actors (YAY!)
BEFORE YOU START READING!!! IMPORTANT!!!!
When you see "--" It means the song is being sung. See it again "--" It means the song has stopped for a moment for writing and details.
--s2--
Ichigo stood in the middle of the stage, staring at the audience. The crowd was cheering and hopping up and down like a bunch of grasshoppers. Lights made the stage bright and shining. Ichigo almost felt like smiling, but not yet.
Renji Abarai, the bass player, got ready to play and looked over at Ikkaku Madarame the drummer. Ikkaku smirked and gave a dumb looking thumb's up. Toshiro Hitsugaya, the guitar player, stared at the crowd. He didn't feel like playing, but he knew he couldn't let the band down. He looked down at himself clothed in black leather like the rest of the band. The top of his shirt was unbuttoned down to the middle of his chest and his pants were so low that, if the pants weren't so tight he would be afraid of them falling off. He gritted his teeth as he thought of when Ayasegawa Yumichika, the mixer, brought in the costumes. He will have to kill Yumichika later.
Ichigo was still having a staring contest with the audience. He finally broke the eye contact and looked back at his band. Everyone nodded to say that they were ready. Ichigo nodded back and took the microphone in front of him off its stand.
Ikkaku started playing the drums and Yumichika mixed the sound up to make a better sound. Toshiro and Renji played a simple tune that sounded a bit dark to begin. The lights of the stage flashed about with red and white. It was then Ichigo started singing.
--Arashi ga satte mo (Even if the storm passed by,)
Me no mae wa (before my eyes)
Munashii shouri to kage mo nai tamashii ga ugomeiteru
(The meaningless victory and spirits without shadows squirm about)--
Ichigo then started to smile.
--Kibou ga moteru no wa (The reason one can have hope)
Shi ga me ni mienu kara (is because one cannot see death before their eyes)
Yodonderu shuraba wo kirisaku dake sa (Only cut through the stagnated pandemonium's)--
The lights flashed again and Ichigo started walking up closer to the autience.
--Hokori wo hitotsu suteru Sono tabi chikazuku (Every time I throw away a pride, I get closer)
Kemono e to Hito ashizutsu chikazuku (One step at a time, I get closer to becoming a beast)
Hikari no gotoku sekai tsuranuku shinken (The true sword that pierces the world like the light)
My blade, as my pride Kishimu kishimu (My blade, as my pride creaking and creaking)
Ikizamono Shirushi (The mark of the way to live)--
The crowd cheered loudly. Ichigo's smile grew wider as he listened to the sound of the screaming.
--Kyoufu to muchi to ni Nomi komare (Engulfed by fear and being without knowledge)
Ashi wo fumihazusumono dake ga Unmei ga nagasere yuku
(Those who step out are the ones who get washed away by destiny)
Sabitsukeba nido to wa Mou tsukitaterarezu (One it's rusted, there is no way to stick it back up)
Tsukami soko nau nara Wa ga mi wa sakeru (If you miss the grab, my body will tear)--
Ichigo pounded his fist into the air and he sang. As he said his next verse he wiped his arm to the side.
--Kokoro wo hitotsu korosu Sono tabi toonoku (Every time I kill a heart, I get further away)
Kemono kara hito ashizutsu toonoku (One step at a time, I get further away from becoming a beast)
Ochite yuku no wa Bokura ka sora ka yaiba ka (What falls is us or the sky or the blade)
My blade, as my pride Yureru yureru (My blade, as my pride shaking and shaking)
Ikiteiru Akashi (The proof of living)--
Toshiro stepped forward and played the melody of the song. Yumichika mixed the sound to make it slightly higher. He played the notes perfectly with ease. He stared at the cords as he played. A feeling inside him tickled his stomach and made him smile softly. He was actually having fun. When he finished his solo he stepped back.
--Hokori wo hitotsu suteru Sono tabi chikazuku (Every time I throw away a pride, I get closer)
Kemono e to Hito ashizutsu chikazuku (One step at a time, I get closer to becoming a beast)
Hikari no gotoku sekai tsuranuku shinken (The true sword that pierces the world like the light)
My blade, as my pride Kishimu kishimu (My blade, as my pride creaking and creaking)
Ikizamono Shirushi (The mark of the way to live)--
Yumichika made Ichigo's last note hold as Ichigo sang the last verse.
--Kokoro wo hitotsu korosu Sono tabi toonoku (Every time I kill a heart, I get further away)
Kemono kara hito ashizutsu toonoku (One step at a time, I get further away from becoming a beast)
Ochite yuku no wa Bokura ka sora ka yaiba ka (What falls is us or the sky or the blade)
My blade, as my pride Yureru yureru (My blade, as my pride shaking and shaking)
Ikiteiru Akashi (The proof of living)--
The band played for a bit longer and finally stopped. The crowd screamed an ear peircing sound that echoed throughout the giant room. The band smiled and placed everything back where it was before they came on stage. With that they left the stage.
--s2--
"Whoa…" Soku stared at the television with wide eyes.
"Yeah… whoa…" Tadao agreed. "Are we going to be able to defeat that?"
"I don't know…" Makoto answered. The three band players gazed back at Ishida and Kumi.
Kumi sniffed. "Of course we can defeat them!" He told them. "W came here to win and that's just what we're going to do!"
Ishida stared at the TV in awe. Ichigo Kurosaki was amazing and Ishida couldn't stop thinking of his perfect look. It was like a dream to him as Ichigo sang.
Kumi noticed Ishida daydreaming. "Hey, Ishida-san?" He waved his hand in front of Ishida's face and the singer woke up from his thoughts.
"Huh…" Ishida looked around at the band. Seeing the look on their face made him realize that he was staring at Kurosaki for too long. He pretended he didn't know what they where thinking. "What...?"
"Don't play dumb!" Soku smiled. "We all know you like him."
"I said I wasn't going to get interested!" Ishida reminded them.
"Ishida-san," Tadao stood up as he spoke. "You have a crush!"
The band closed in on Ishida that was still on the couch. Ishida retreated and jumped up and over the back of the couch. "I do not!" He exclaimed. "Quit acting like a bunch high school girls, particularly Tadao!"
"Ah, come on, Ishida-san." Kumi straightened his green uniform. "Just admit you like him and we'll leave you alone."
Ishida back up to a door and searched blindly for the knob. "No way, I don't like him!" He found the knob and opened the door. He didn't expect the door to open so quickly and fell over.
The singer groaned as his backend met the hard floor. He glared up at the band and noticed, at the corner of his eye, black leather. He looked over at the stranger and saw an all too familiar orange top. The leather uniform surprised him. 'I thought that he was wearing dress pants and shirt! Not this… this…' Ishida's face turned a crimson colour.
"Oi…" Ishida was kicked out of his thoughts when Ichigo Kurosaki spoke. He got up and gazed up at him. He was only slightly taller than him.
"Y-yes…?" Ishida responded. His band came up behind him to see who he was talking to. Their expression brightened when they saw 'Blades Pride'.
"You're…" Ichigo studied the man in front of him. "Uryuu Ishida?"
Ishida nodded slowly. "Yes, I-I am…"
Ichigo smiled. "I saw your band; 'Pride's Fate' was it? On the TV…" He chuckled a bit. "You're pretty good."
Ishida thanked him. "You're good too." Ichigo smirked.
"Just one thing," Ikkaku jumped into the conversation. "What's with the outfits?" He pointed to Kumi.
"What's wrong with them?!" Makoto asked loudly stepping forward.
"They're disgusting…" Yumichika told him. "The colour of green you used makes people want to puke…"
"How dare you!!" Makoto yelled. "Pale green matched the colour of their hair! So that's what we went with!"
"It still doesn't look good!" Yumichika came back glaring at Makoto. "If you just went with what matched it looks like you didn't put any effort into the outfit!"
The two mixers glared at each other. Fire was in their eyes. Both were daring the other to be the first to blink.
Ikkaku snickered. "I just realized something!"
"And that would be…?" Tadao questioned.
"You guys look like Christmas!" Ikkaku answered bursting out laughing.
"Well at least we can play!" Tadao bragged crossing his arms.
"What was that?" Ikkaku glared.
The two drummers took out their drum sticks and twirled them around. They glared and attacked each other with their drum sticks. They clashed and both pressed against their drum sticks trying to get the other to pull back.
Toshiro was the next to step in. "I don't think it was the drums that brought down the band. It was the guitar."
Kumi snarled. "Now you're going to start something?"
"I never said I wanted to fight." Toshiro shoved his hands in the pockets of the black leather jacket that he put on after the performance. "I'm just stating the obvious. Everyone could tell that you didn't practice your part."
Kumi didn't say anything. Instead he stared angrily at the white haired guitar player. He didn't want to start a fight like the others had.
Soku looked around and saw Renji just standing behind Ichigo watching the drummers fight. "Hey, you!" He called.
"Hmm??" Renji looked over at Soku. "What do you want?"
"Aren't you going to start something?" Soku asked.
Renji shrugged his shoulders. "No… I don't see a point to it."
"Well, now there's a point!"
"And that would be…?"
Soku yelled as he ran up to the bass player and tackled him to the ground. Renji grunted and started yelling at the kid. "Hey! What the-- You just want to start something like everyone else!"
"Exactly!!!"
Ichigo and Ishida watched as the two bands fought each other. Ichigo sighed. "Sorry… my band is always a little rough."
Ishida stared at all the fighting. He's never seen Makoto so angry before. He decided to look up at Ichigo who seemed closer.
"You know…" Ichigo whispered with a small smirk. He leaned his head down and pressed his right cheek on Ishida's so lightly that Ishida almost didn't notice; almost. "You do look like an angel in that costume. You look…" Ishida shivered when he felt Ichigo's hot breath brush by his ear. "…cute..."
Ishida blushed softly. Ichigo's body was slightly pushed up against him and Ishida couldn't help but lean against him a bit. He could feel Ichigo's smirk lightly on his cheek. There was no escape; he had fallen for the carrot top.
"Excuse me?" A man dressed in a tuxedo walked up to the two bands calmly. "Are you two bands 'Blade's Pride' and 'Pride's Fate'?"
All the fighting stopped and Ichigo backed away from Ishida. "Yes we are." Ichigo answered.
"Good." The man smiled. "Then I'm pleased to inform you that you two bands have made it to the finals."
Soku gasped. "Did you hear that? WE'RE IN!!!!!!" He jumped in the air with an extremely happy expression.
Everyone joined in the cheering until Renji stepped towards the man in the tux. "Hold on, hold on…" Everybody looked over at the red head. "You said that both of us are in?"
"Yes, sir." The Man answered with a smile. "I'll be going now; I still have lots of things to do." With that he left.
Ikkaku snapped into realization. "Hey! That means these people are…"
"….our rivals." Ichigo finished. The two bands started glaring at each other again.
Ishida's was shocked. He couldn't believe that they made it to the finals. An announcement was heard through out the hallway.
"Will all finalists come to the stage?! I repeat, will all finalists please come to the stage?!"
"I guess we were the last to be informed." Yumichika stated.
"Alright, let's go!" Ichigo told his band.
"YEAH!" 'Blade's Pride' cheered.
Ichigo looked at Ishida again. "Good luck, kawaii kurisumasu tenshi (1)."
Ishida blushed and turned his head away. "You too…" he whispered.
Blade's Pride walked away towards the stage. Pride's Fate gathered around in a circle. "Man, those guys will be hard to defeat." Soku mussed.
"Don't worry about them too much." Kumi told him. "It's best that we don't go neat them. That band is trouble." They all nodded in agreement except for Ishida who was still blushing.
Tadao nudged Kumi's arm. "I think Ishida-san would disagree."
Kumi smirked. "Ishida-san," Ishida jumped and stared at Kumi.
Ishida crossed his arms knowing what Kumi was going to say. "Fine, fine, I like him… happy?"
"Yes." The band said all at the same time.
Ishida glared and started walking in the direction Blade's Pride did. "Let's go on stage." He grumbled. The band followed smiling.
--s2--
Ishida pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he waited to the announcer to stop talking. The crowd "wooted" and called some names of the people on stage. Ichigo and Ishida were called about four or five times.
"Now," the announcer finally said. "We have one last challenge for our bands." The four bands all started to pay attention. Orihime and Rangiku's all girls band was there and so was Yoruichi Shihouin's all girls band.
The announcer continued. "We're going to put these four wonderful bands together. The all boys' bands together and the all girls' band in the other." The bands all gasped in shock. "So in order to win this they will have to work together to make a new song and perform together as well!"
Blade's Pride glared at Pride's Fate. Ichigo, on the other hand, smiled. Pride's Fate glared back as Ishida's eyes went wide. He blushed at the thought of having to work with Ichigo. He didn't dare look over at the other band.
"The bands will have a month to come up with something. Good luck bands and all of you good people have a nice day!!"
The curtains of the stage closed and the bands all started to whisper to each other. Ishida collected some courage to look over at Blade's Pride. When he did he saw Ichigo staring at him with a small smirk.
--s2--
HOW WAS THAT!!! HA! THEY HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER! NOW WHAT?! I DON'T KNOW!! HAHAHA! REVIEW OR ELSE IKKAKU WILL THROW A DRUM STICK AT YOUR HEAD!!! Hehe
(1) Ichigo called Ishida a "Cute Christmas Angel" ;)