Updated September 9, 2007
-Sureness of the Strawberry, Chapter II-
He walked a brisk stride, intentionally going faster to make the kid following him have to work to keep up. He noticed however, that she was not taking his bait. In fact, her pace had decreased.
Maybe it had something to do with their meeting this morning? Yeah, he laughed inwardly, it definitely had to be that.
So it had been that she had woken up to himself looming over her; but to his credit he had made an effort to undo the naturally occurring furrow in his brow for her sake.
It had not worked, obviously she had still been startled judging by the right hook she had attempted to bestow upon him.
Not that it had made connection…he wouldn't have been much of a third-seat rank if he had allowed some first-year academy student to strike him. He had cushioned her fist, and felt his eyes widen. She had done it, and only in her second chance…impressed him.
"Who are you?" she had demanded as she pulled her wrist, her eyes ablaze with suspicion. He found he liked this side of the girl, he hadn't expected it, that was for sure. "So there is another side to you other than shy and faint-y," he had mocked, challenging her to speak.
Yes, his impression of her yesterday hadn't been a very good one - he had seen her then as a girl who was ...weak maybe? Definitely could use some confidence lessons from his vice captain, for sure. 'But I think I'd like to be proven a bit more wrong on that,' he idly thought to himself as her glower became a tad more icy. 'Seeing as you do have some guts.'
But he had to let the teasing moment back, and in a second reverted back to seriousness. He cleared his throat and released her hand. "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo," he introduced himself. "I'll explain what's going down on the way there, so get your bony butt out of bed and follow me," he ordered. With that said he deepened his scowl so she knew he mean it, then turned on his heels and walked slowly to the door.
He stopped. "I don't tend to repeat myself," he called back when he realized she hadn't moved. His hand gripped the knob of the door, "And I'm not about to hand you special treatment," he enlightened. He looked back to see her reaction.
She eyed him skeptically, apparently deciding whether she should follow him or not. "Kurosaki san?" she had questioned.
He had frowned a bit more heavily. "What?" he had growled, impatient, and not liking the over-formality.
"It depends on where you intend to take me, whether I'll follow you completely or not that is," she had informed.
Ichigo had scoffed, "Then hurry the heck up."
She had followed him out the door when she had recovered her shoes, and he couldn't have been more amused.
He inwardly laughed as he sped up once more, and this time she also met his tempo. Soon she was only a few feet's distance behind him. This change encouraged his efforts to tell her what she was to be doing today. But he waited a few moments to see if she would ask herself.
'But I guess not,' he thought when she didn't. "We're going to the human world," he voiced. "Hisagi Shuuhei, your sempai, will be coming along with us, as well as my superior, Shiba Kaien."
He received no response. Irately he tilted his head to the side, "You hear me back there!" he called out.
"Yes Kurosaki san," she affirmed loudly. His eyebrow twitched at the formality, "Doesn't seem like it…move faster…shrimp."
If he had turned he would have met with a glare that would have frozen hell over, 'Not that I can't tell it's there,' he though, grinning to himself as he led the way to the courtyard at the back of the academy.
'Kaien's going to have a field day with this kid,' he though absentmindedly. 'But I'm sure he'll be able to get rid off that stiff attitude.'
They continued walking, and an idea occurred to him. 'Why do I have to leave her to Kaien? I can just try and do it myself,' he thought.
'Yeah, I'll give it a try!' He looked back to the girl, and realized that he didn't know her name. "You have pretty bad manners," he pointed out while walking steadily. "Not even introducing yourself. Where'd you grow up, amongst a dung heap of savages?" he mocked, not able to help himself.
He stopped. Realizing that he knew exactly where she had come from. From Inuzuri, that might as well have been called a place of savages.
He cupped the back of his head with his palm and turned to her. "Hey, sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean that personally, you know?"
She had stopped too. Her eyes were wide, looking at him in surprise, which quickly changed as her brow creased and she looked away. Her lips trembled as if sighting something.
He took a step towards her, suddenly aware that he might have hurt her more than he had thought so. "I say stupid things like that sometimes," he said, "But I didn't mean it, okay kid?"
She would not look at him. "Liar," she accused softly. "You're exactly like everyone here, you mean it too."
He wasn't sure what exactly she meant, but he formed a vague picture. He guessed it made sense, that she looked so gloomy if she meant that everyone here treated her like she had grown amongst savages. Like she was trash because she came from Inuzuri.
He had attended this school once as well and remembered enough to know that those that came from the lower numbered districts weren't singled out as the ones that came from places like the kid.
"No," he said. "I don't believe myself to be like those you speak of, because I didn't mean what I said, and I didn't say it to hurt you," he defended.
She shook her head. "You are the worst liar of all! At least the others don't deny it!" He walked to her and grabbed her wrist, to this she reacted by finally meeting his eyes. "I don't lie, kid," he said, steel in his tone, anger rising at her biased verdicts.
She tore herself from him and back away a shaky step. "I," she said, her eyes very wide, as if confused and surprised. "I don't want to do this anymore!"
"Don't want to do what?" he asked, confused, but it only lasted a second as she had turned from him and ran back to the school. His anger had faded at the look on her face, and now wondered if he should follow her as he watched her clumsy retreat. In the end it was just that which made him go after her, the fact that she had run away like some frightened animal.
She ran into one of the dorm buildings, and he hesitated. It was a girl's dorm, he decided to just not get caught and followed her inside, he came in just in time to see her turn to the right at the end of the hallway.
She led him up the stairs, to what he supposed was her room. He walked in, as she had left the door open. The room was dark and he found her sitting on her desk, hastily writing.
"What are you doing, kid?" he asked, concerned and yet annoyed that she had led him on a chase. She was silent.
"I'm writing a letter," she said after a while.
"To whom?" he asked as he walked from her doorway, he shut the door behind him and sat down on the bed, facing away from her, his eyes on the closet parallel to him.
"To Renji," she replied. "To tell him that I don't want to do this anymore."
He was silent, and finally understood what it was that she no longer wanted to pursue. "You want to leave the academy, right?"
"Yes," she said, continuing to write.
"And you'll go where?" he inquired. "Back to Inuzuri?"
"That is the plan," she responded.
"How long do you think you'll survive, do you even think you'll last a day now that you've lived in a place like this?" he asked, half-mockingly.
She folded the letter. "If you're trying to ask if I can survive without Renji, or if now that I've lived comfortably for some time do I have the guts to go back to the streets, then the answer is yes. I've done it before, it shouldn't be very different, and it will probably be easier now."
"Your friend," said Ichigo, "That Abarai kid, aren't you going to tell him yourself? Or is that letter supposed to do that?"
She got up from her chair and pushed it back in. "The letter will suffice," she said coldly. "Besides, Renji has no reason to leave this place, he likes it and fits in here...it's me that doesn't."
"You don't belong here, kid?" he asked sarcastically. "Why's that?"
"That is none of your concern," she said stiffly, as she made her way to the door. Ichigo sprung from her bed and blocked her way. "Like hell it's not my concern! As of when you woke up you became my subordinate for the day, that means you're my responsibility." He scoffed. "As well, since you were last seen in my company, naturally I'm going to be questioned. And really, all you're leaving as an answer is 'I don't belong here' are you demented?"
She was gaping. "Please get out of my way," she demanded, outraged and angry. He frowned heavily. "Not until you agree to give me a proper answer, and a chance to change your mind."
She did not answer immediately, and he did not expect her too. In the meanwhile she glared deeply, while he stood his ground.
She tore her gaze from his. "You would listen to me?" she asked, at last. "Yeah, I would," he said, "If it stops you from making a dumb decision…I'm supposed to do that you know. Be all mentor-like an stuff since I rank a seated position," he shrugged.
She still looked unsure. "I won't say anything," said Ichigo. "I won't utter a single word until you're finished, do we have a deal?"
She considered the offer, meeting his eyes, then nodded, "I accept your terms," she said. Hearing this he broke into a grin, "Good choice," he congratulated, "Now let's get out of here, I think I heard the bell ring, girl's will come back in here right?"
"Yes," she said. "But where shall we go?" He hesitated, but quickly made up his mind, "How about my old hideout, I used to go there when I couldn't stand being here any longer, will that do?"
He clasped his hand around her wrist as soon as she approved. "C'mon then, I can't get caught in here, just think of what Yama-jii would say," he snorted.
"People are coming up the stairs," she said. "What do you intend to do?"
He huffed, "A window, then. Is there a window in your room?" She said yes, and he walked forward, back into the room, while she backed away to give him space. He closed the door behind him and continued to the curtain shielded window.
"We're gonna jump, you okay with that?" he asked of her. "That is fine with me," she answered, so he pulled the curtains to the side, opened the window, and removed the spring. "All right, I'm going first, then you, I'll catch you if something goes wrong," he promised.
He climbed swiftly onto the ledge and grinned at her, "See ya in a bit!" She walked to the window after his descent, "Idiot," she said to herself as she too hopped onto the ledge.
She peered down to find him staring up at her, and glared when he extended his arms out, a gesture to catch her. She dismounted on her own as well and landed a few feet behind him. "Shall we go then?" he asked, a bit put out at her rejection.
"Lead the way," she said curtly.
--
When he first came to the academy he found he didn't quite fit in, which was just like he expected. Oh, sure the noble kids sucked up to him like always…but he didn't find friends that were of the real sort.
So he preferred being alone, that was how he felt more at ease, and it gave him time to think and do other things.
One of those other things was creating a place to be alone. Especially when he couldn't stand the dorm rooms that didn't give much privacy anyway. That and he was adamant not to ask for special treatment, which meant getting his own room unlike the rest of his peers.
So he built one of his own, on the edge of the forest that encircled the academy. He bought the wood, and the materials and succeeded in making it all himself. It was sheltered by leaves and was suspended high off the ground by the strong branches of a very high tree that stood clustered among many counterparts.
Sure it wasn't perfect, but it was his and that was all that counted.
He spent most of his nights there and before he knew it had practically moved in entirely. He did his homework, napped, ate his lunch, read, and slept his nights there. He might as well have lived in the place, but there was the fact that he needed to shower, and he wasn't going to risk doing that in the river. That was overstepping it in his opinion.
He did have clothes in there however, and housed all his books on cramped shelves. So needless to say the tree house of sorts wasn't miniature. He could stretch to his full height and expand his arms and they would barely brush against the wooden walls.
But now, in the present, there was not one, but two people in the enclosed space. The second person looking like she would like nothing better than to hightail it out of the vicinity.
"--all cold and confident one second, and then next jittery to the point you look like a caged animal that wants to run," he drawled, "I'm not a rapist, kid, so stop looking at the entrance like it's escapism."
She managed to glare through her blush, which he found amazingly funny, "Maybe if you would be so kind as to remove yourself from the doorway, then I wouldn't feel so cornered," she snapped.
He scoffed, "No chance in hell." Like he would let her escape, when she most likely make her way back to Inuzuri if he did.
He found himself in a staring bout soon after that comment, to which he was loosing badly. His eyes had begun to water, whereas she looked as if she could go on for about an eternity. "You probably cheated," he accused when he gave up, "Or else have spent countless ages perfecting yourself to this game."
She rubbed her palms against her closed eyelids. "I did," she said nonchalantly. "So do not be a pansy and admit you lost to me, a girl."
He raised an eyebrow. "What the hell. Why would you do that, practice for this game?"
He watched her settle herself more comfortably against the wood of the wall, "Win, lose contests," she said. "To play for water and food in Inuzuri," she clarified.
"Ah," he said, pushing himself from the door to lay on his back. "So that's how it was for you as a kid, win food and water. Or steal it, I'm assuming?"
"Yes, we usually resorted to stealing," she agreed bluntly. "It was usually the older kids that bet, we only joined in when we had to, being so we couldn't afford to lose."
"I get it," he said, "You had to bet something, and if you lost it then you and Abarai would be left with nothing."
She nodded. "Yes, but it wasn't that easy. It wasn't just Renji and I, there...there were others too."
He glanced in her direction, she had lifted her legs to wrap them in her arms embrace, leaned her cheek on one knee. He could not see her expression as her hair hung to curtain her features. "What happened to them?" he asked, slowly, cautiously, he wanted to be tactful.
"They didn't have reiatsu like Renji and I, which is how I think we survived," she began. "They died one by one, each illness that struck killed one off until myself and Renji were the only remnants."
He wondered how it was possible to change moods so fast. "Did you become ill too?" he asked, still amazed, but curious.
She swept her hand across her face, removing the obstacle of dark hair, "I did," she said. "Every time something made us sick I became ill as well."
"And Abarai?" he questioned, "Did he fall ill like you too?"
She shook her head, and huddled more, "Renji was never sick," she said. "He was the one who took care of us."
He moved around a bit until he settled himself on his side, his arm on the ground for support. "When did you meet those kids?" he asked.
"When I had lived in Inuzuri for about five years," she answered. "I stayed with them there for ten."
"So that makes you how old, like seventeen at least, right?"
She raised her head from her knee to look at him properly, she looked surprised. "How do you know that?" she asked.
"That's easy," he scoffed. "You're a first year, lived in Inuzuri for fifteen years, and since you age normally there..." He trailed off, she knew what he was talking about. "I'm fifteen," she corrected before leaning back on her knee. I'll be sixteen next January."
"I thought you came to Soul Society as a baby…and alone. How do you know your birthday?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I don't actually. Not my real date of birth."
He raised an eyebrow, "How'd you pick January 14th then?" he asked.
She smiled a little. "That was the day that I was found. By this kind old lady that took care of me until she died."
She fell silent, and he couldn't think of what to say, not when she looked so wistful. But after a moment she met his eyes and asked her own question. "How did you know that I…"
He cut her off, already knowing what she was going to ask. "Hisagi told me," he interjected. When he and I met up before I went to get you."
She surveyed him quizzically then looked again to the doorway that he blocked.
He became tired of laying on his side, so he sat again, legs crossed like a Turk. "Wanna guess how old I am?" he asked. She looked to him, "Five-hundred," she chanced.
He shook his head, "Yeah, right. Try again."
Her forehead creased, he supposed he was annoying her. "One hundred," she said. He smiled widely, "Good guess, I'm actually one hundred and fifty."
"Wow," she said. "You're old."
He shot her his trademark scowl. "I am not. I'll have you know I'm young, for a seated officer, especially a third seat."
"Really?" she asked. "When did you take that position anyway?"
He thought about it. "Hmm, in the midst of the war against Aizen...hmm, around ninety-nine years ago." He nodded to himself, "Yeah, when I was fifty-one," he declared.
She sat on her legs, interested. "You fought in the war then," she said. "What was it like?"
He shook his head. "I aint telling ya," he said.
"No?" she voiced. "Nope," he answered.
"Why?" She looked put out and angry at the same time.
He scoffed. "What is this? Because I'm telling you about me, and in the process neglecting the whole purpose of why we're here!"
She sat in the same way as he, "It's making me more trusting of you, however," she pointed out. To that he smiled, "Really?"
"Yes."
"Then hurry up and tell me why you're running from here," he said. "I'll listen without a word." She was silent at his urging, and looked away from him. "You have a nice tree house," she spoke.
He wasn't sure he heard correctly, "Come again?" he asked. "Did you just compliment my tree house?"
She nodded. "Hell no!" he exclaimed, pointing at her accusatorily. "We didn't come here to avoid the subject, so cut the tree house crap and start blabbing!"
She stayed silent again, until she voiced that she didn't know what to say. He sighed, running a hand trough his tousled hair. "Then start with Abarai, tell me about him," he offered.
She had trouble speaking about him too, leaving him to ask specific questions of him. "Is he your age too?" To which she responded, "No, he is nineteen."
He asked if he had been the leader of their little group. "There was no leader," she snapped. "We all looked out for each other."
"Did he always take care of everyone when you were sick?" he asked. "Yes," she said. "He brought us water and food, and found us shelter."
"And did you always rely on him for that?" She nodded sharply, "Who else would have done it," she said.
He found it was questions of Renji, that concerned the kid relying on him, that put her on guard. He mulled it over and theorized that perhaps the kid had become to sure of his protection...that now that they were apart, and she no longer had him to lean on...
"Abarai fits in here, right, that's what you said?" he began. "Yes," she answered.
"And you don't?"
"No."
"Isn't there something else thought?"
"Like what?" she scoffed.
"Maybe," he said. "Maybe you just feel lost without him? That he's not around to defend you or take care of you anymore?"
He had struck the nerve, he found, as she had looked to him finally, those hooded eyes open as wide as they could go. "That," she gasped, "That is...!"
"True?" he interrupted.
"No!" she exclaimed, huddling again. "Yes, but no."
"Eh? Explain."
"I, yes, I think I became too dependent on him, I suppose. I didn't mind the words before, not when we were still close. But he's been disappearing from my life, and I feel so alone now. I can't stand it sometimes, knowing that he's not by my side, that he doesn't care about me anymore because he has other people now."
She was biting her lip, and he could see tears swimming in her eyes, vying for freedom, to spill, to fall as salty trails down her cheeks. "He doesn't get the same treatment as you?" he asked. She shook her head, "There is no reason, or there isn't anymore since he has gained recognition as a talented student," she said, and he felt something beginning to grow inside of him. Hate, he recognized, hate for this boy who had abandoned this kid who was willing to run from him for his sake. She knew that Abarai would follow, and she didn't want that, even though Ichigo could see that she loved him.
"I," she whispered. "I wasn't like this before. I didn't take insults or being treated like garbage before. I hate this person I've become. This weak, selfish person, who's only solution is to run away."
"You weren't like this before?" he asked. She shook her head harshly, "No, I wasn't."
He sighed. "I'm still not sure I understand completely. She looked up, "What exactly is so different between you and Abarai, what's the river between you two?"
"River?" she asked, confused. 'Do you mean why he isn't treated like I am?"
"Yeah," said Ichigo. "Why's that?"
She scoffed. "Because he's so confident, he does well...and he doesn't have a demon after him."
"Demon," he said. "A demon?"
She looked away, "Not a real one, more like this girl who torments me at every chance she gets." He frowned. "What's the girl go by?"
The kid shook her head, "That doesn't matter," she said. "What does is that I can't stand it anymore. Because of her, it's her doing, that I'm treated like a, a savage, in my class."
"You want to run away because you're being teased?" he asked, then felt like hitting himself for saying it like that...this tact thing was kind of hard to get used to.
She met his eyes, and for once that fake indifference wasn't present. She had opened up to him, and with that came the sad eyes. "I feel alone," she whispered. "I feel like I was tossed aside, used up."
"The teasin' just adds to it," he commented. She nodded slowly.
He sighed heavily. "Instead of dropping out, why don't you do what I did?" She blinked, "That is?"
He grinned, "You advance, in a year you can be out of here."
She gazed at him with a look that questioned his sanity. "Don't be foolish. I couldn't possibly-"
"With my help, you can," he interjected. "I'll train you and stuff, all you have to do is promise that you won't drop out."
"That's insane," she said. "If it were possible, then why haven't I ever heard of it?"
He rolled his eyes. "Because, kid. It takes hard work... and money for trainers and stuff."
She shook her head. "Most kids here are some sort of nobility," she pointed out.
Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, but the hard work thing isn't exactly appealing. And besides, I only did it because I couldn't wait to get out. But most of these kids have the time of their lives here, away from their parents and noble duties, they're in no hurry to leave."
"I'm not sure what you mean," she said. Ichigo sighed. "Well, you know about Soul Society's Natural Law, right?" he asked. She nodded, so he continued. "Then you know that for the kids that were born in Sereitei, they slow in aging in their late teens, right?" She nodded again. "Well, when that happens they don't immediately enroll into the academy. Instead they stay home and continue to learn their duties. For boys its memorizing rules, passing rituals, and learning to fight in theory. For girls its essentially the same. This is why actual combat starts off in the beginning level here, as well as learning about kidou spells and their elements."
He breathed in deep and resumed. "So you see, all the kids here have spent their lives learning how to honor their family name, or the branch of a higher ranking family that they are attached to. Its pretty boring, and the academy becomes something to look forward too. Now do you get it?"
She nodded slowly. "Yes I see."
"Good," he said. "Now about my offer…"
"I see," she said again, but still looked skeptical. "But why would you do that for me then, you'll get nothing out of it. In fact, I still don't comprehend why you're listening to me, much less have offered to."
He raised an eyebrow, "I'm nice when I want to be," he said. "Besides, I don't like the idea of you doing something as stupid as going back to Inuzuri after you escaped it, especially if I could have done something to stop it."
"Ah, I see," she said. "You're doing this to keep your conscience straight." He rolled his eyes. "If you want to put it that way."
She shook her head. "I don't want your help for free," she said. "You'll have to come up with some sort of condition for me. Payment"
He rolled his eyes. "Fine, I guess. I'll think of something."
She blinked, then nodded in approval.
"So," he said, extending his hand to her. "Do we have a deal, kid?" She eyed his appendage thoughtfully. "It's not kid," she said as she took his offer. They shook hands. "It's Rukia."
He smiled. "Rukia, then."
--
"Do you even remember how we got here?" she asked, a bit amused. "Have you gotten us lost, idiot?"
"You're so funny," he called from ahead. "I think I liked you more when you were jittery." She smiled to that, for some reason she suddenly felt like she could speak to him as if she had known him forever.
She told him that. "Why's that?" he asked, stopping as to let her catch up to him. He graced her with a contemplating look. "I think," she said. "Because you do as well."
He raised an eyebrow. "You think?" She nodded. "I guess that's why Byakuya doesn't like me...he's fond of formality," he said to himself, shrugging.
"Anyway," he said. "I think the school's just up ahead...yep! I was right, it's just on the other side of the river from this direction." She nodded and marked the path in her mind, just in case.
He balanced on the rocks that made a path across the river, crossing with ease. She found the feat was a bit different for her. "Hurry up shrimp," he called out, irritating her and knowing it.
She decided to omit the balancing and settled for leaping. She landed next to him and raised her eyebrow at the grin he wore. "What?" she demanded.
"Show off," he said. To this comment she puzzled. "What?" she asked. "Why show off?"
He rolled his eyes again and began walking. "Cuz' most people have problems with defying gravity. You either have to have good control of your reiatsu or have a lot of it."
"I'll take that as a compliment, since I don't a apply for the latter," said, catching up to him and keeping stride.
He laughed. "Whatever makes you happy," he said. He stopped suddenly, so she did as well. A black butterfly was circling up in the sky, and in a second fluttering towards them.
It circled around her, until Ichigo extended his hand to it, to which the creature flew and related it's message. She watched curiously as the butterfly did so, then left.
"A Hell Butterfly?" she asked.
"Yeah," he affirmed. "Anyway, I'm going to look for Hisagi when we get to the meeting place, he's not there yet. Odd, since I thought we'd be the late ones."
He began walking again and she followed. "Shall I go too?" she asked.
"Nah," said Ichigo, "I'm leaving you off to Shiba Kaien, my Vice Captain. He'll tell you what we're up too." He looked down as he felt her apprehension. "Hey," he laughed. "No worries, he won't eat you."
She found herself hoping that to be true.
--
--
--
My it has been a while, has it not? Well, I hope you guys found this installment worth the wait. To be truthful when I began working on it this was supposed to be part of the first chapter…at least that was how it was planned in my notes. But as can be seen, the chapters are turning out to be very long and a chapter over ten-thousand words would be not only frightful but a hassle to read and correct. Anyhow. Just to let you guys know, I will be finished with the third chapter somewhere within the next two weekends…and that is a promise that I would place my life on. That one will be longer than this one and the first chapter, it's already seven-thousand words, can you believe that?!
So please review, it encourages me. Every time I work on my stories I read the review for that work, and they just urge me on to write. So please, help me out and push me to update with your reviews…they make my day, really.
And now, here's a preview for next time, enjoy!
--
A shadow cast over them. "Am I interrupting?" questioned an un-amused voice from behind them, rendering Kaien to hastily scramble off Rukia.
Looking sheepish, he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "Not what it looks like, Ichigo," he laughed as he bent down slightly and offered his hand to Rukia who was pulling herself to a sitting position on the floor.
She took it and was immediately pulled to standing. "Thank you," she said and retrieved her hand from his abruptly.
Kaien smiled widely as Rukia dusted herself off, a deep blush evident on her creamy skin. "Well, I suppose we're almost leaving," he said, with a hint of question in his voice that Ichigo caught.
"Yeah," he affirmed, his eyes still glaring. "Hisagi will be here momentarily, and once he arrives we'll be on our way."
--
Sound good?
Don't forget to review. Even 'that was okay' will suffice!
And thank you for reading, hits although not really reliable are a nice variable.
-cf-
