A/N: Does anybody even read these?
A million thanks to Caellach Tiger Eye, who alerted me about the CRAP I did by publishing the 1st AND 2nd chapters together as the 2nd Chapter. Huh, I guess this is where my inexperience in ff is GLARINGLY obvious.
Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm on a roll! Or, like Taka-san from Prince of Tennis would say every time he picked up a racket, "I'M ON FIYAH!"
Well, it's "BURNING!" in the jap version, but whatever...
Is there anybody who doesn't know that Ichigo means Strawberry? But this Ichigo's name is written in such a way that it means...guardian, or something.
Chips!
CHAPTER 2 : Explain Yourself
As soon as his father ambled out of his room, Ichigo turned to the woman in front of him. Despite the sword on her back and her claims of being some sort of a reaper, she looks no more menacing than a kitten. He knows not where to start. Luckily(?) for him, she speaks up first.
"I like strawberries!"
If he had been angry before, then his current state was positively lucid. The thought of explaining the origin of his name to her crossed his mind, but he had to know who exactly she was and what the hell she was doing in his bedroom, cosplaying.
Ichigo took a deep breath and spoke.
"You better fucking explain yourself, soul reaper."
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She ran as fast as she could, but it was not enough.
It caught up to her.
She is scared to look behind her, at that hellish monster who wants to have her for dinner. He feasts on souls, and she is one.
A crashing pain down her spine. She is pinned on the ground, blood splattered everywhere. She has lost hope for herself, but she prays that the orange-haired boy who helped her have a little peace will be able to avoid confrontation with this monster.
She is devoured.
The lip-licking monster has a hole where it's heart should be, and an appetite which has not even been tickled by the young soul he has just had.
"Closer..." The voice is that of a demon, with needles down the it's throat. "Stronger...soul..."
The girl had been the entree, and now it was time for the main course. It moaned with hunger.
"So...close..."
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"So let me get this straight," Ichigo said, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. "You're a soul reaper, and you come from a place called Soul Society, to exterminate an evil spirit." He sighed. "OK. I'll believe you!"
The woman breathed a sigh of relief. "Ehehehe, thank God you did. I thought you would brush it aside like everybody else does when I talk about the little blue men-"
"LIKE HELL I'D BELIEVE THAT!" Ichigo yelled, a vein pulsing at his temple. The vein seemed to pop up a lot these days...
Her face dropped. "I'm sorry...It was rude of me to expect you to believe something like that so easily..." She turned away, looking depressed. "I'll be going now...sorry to waste your time..."
She climbed onto his window.
Ichigo was surprised that she didn't try harder to convince him. Maybe he should hear her out a little more? After all, the old man couldn't see her, so she obviously wasn't human...
"Wait."
She back onto his bedroom floor in one quick movement, with a huge grin on her face. "Yes, Ichigo-san?"
Ichigo sweat dropped. Had she known he wouldn't let her go so easily? What the hell went on in this girl's head? "What would you say if, and I say if, I believed you?"
She plonked herself down on his bed. "Let me give you a demonstration!" She reached over her shoulder and grabbed the tasseled hilt of her sword. In one smooth movement she withdrew it.
Ichigo stared.
It was blue.
The glossy scabbard had been blue, and certainly pleasant to look at, but couldn't even be compared to the sword itself.
The curved blade gleamed iridescently, the many shades of blue seemingly melting into one another.
The crossguard was midnight blue, and looked magnificent with the gleaming silver hilt, the only part of the entire sword which was a color other than blue. The woven tassel on the hilt was a Celtic cross.
The soul reaper turned to face the wall against Ichigo's bed, her back facing him. She grasped the hilt with both hands.
Ichigo panicked. "What the hell? Don't just go slicing up other people's -" A brooding young man appeared through the wall.
A soul.
He brightened up at the sight of an attractive young woman with a sword. Raising an eyebrow, he eyed her shamelessly. "You can drag me to hell anytime you like." He held out his wrists. "Bring on the shackles, baby. I'm your slave."
Ichigo peered around to see how she would reply to the pervert. She was smiling. "Mister, you aren't going to hell! I'm sending you to a place known as Soul Society. It's very peaceful there!"
The soul looked heartbroken. He began to sob. "So this is where the star-crossed lovers part...no matter, babe! I'll definitely see you again! I swear this upon my manhood!"
Ichigo sweat dropped.. Should he really be risking his manhood on such a thing?
She raised her sword, but the soul sobbed louder. "Before we part...I have one last request! After that, I'll burn in hell peacefully!"
"Mister, you're not going to burn in hell!" she said reproachfully. Lowering her sword, she asked, "But, what is it? I'll still try to help you."
"Tell me your name, oh armed goddess."
"Ehh..." She was disappointed. "Is that all?" She smiled suddenly, and raised her sword once more. "My name, is Orihime." She brought it down on his head. Ichigo was surprised to see that instead of the blade, she struck the soul's forehead with the pommel. A kanji appeared on it's forehead. A bright blue light shone, and within a matter of seconds, the soul disappeared. A black butterfly, not unlike the one Ichigo had seen before, took it's place.
It flew away.
She reached over her back and sheathed her sword. Jumping off the bed and turning to Ichigo, she said, "That is called a Soul Burial."
It dawned on Ichigo that this soul reaper was not completely unattractive. But who knew, maybe this Soul Society place was full of perfect-looking weirdos?
"How old are you, anyway?" He blurted out. She didn't look older than himself, and certainly acted ten times more childish. On top of that, she ran around with a sword, turning ghosts into butterflies!
"Ichigo-san, it's rude to ask a lady's age!" She thought about it for a moment, and said, "All I can tell you is, I'm older than I look!"
Ichigo looked away and mumbled, "Lady, my ass...and isn't it rude to not answer one's question properly?"
Orihime looks at him questioningly. "I'm sorry, Ichigo-san, I didn't catch that."
He palms his face. "Nothing at all, Soul Reaper."
Her face fell. "It's not Soul Reaper...It's Orihime Inoue."
Ichigo didn't know what to say. "Ichigo Kurosaki," he finally said, gruffly.
"Kurosaki...kun? You are younger than me, so it is appropriate, right?"
"I guess..." Personally, he thought that 'Kurosaki-kun' was much too long, but who was he to judge?
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"So, there are two types of spirits," Orihime told Ichigo. She was wearing spectacles and had done her hair into a professional-looking bun. In one hand was her sword. She had unstrapped it from her back, and the scabbard and strap lay in a corner of his room. Ichigo sat Indian-style in front of her, scowling more than usual. He was angry at being treated as the young apprentice, while she filled the role of the knowledgeable Sensei.
More than that, he was annoyed at the two... socks in front of him.
"Hey, don't go through my stuff!" He had yelled at her when she went searching in his drawers. Orihime had a determined look on her face, going through a drawer at a time. She had pumped her fist in the air when she opened the right one. Ichigo looked. It was his sock drawer. He couldn't deny the relief he felt when he saw that it wasn't his underwear one. "Success!"
Now he sat in front of her, looking queasily at the socks on the floor in front of him.
One was badly torn and discolored. She had withdrawn this from the very depths of the drawer, at the back.
The other was new, Orihime had opened the still-packed pair and put the other one away.
"Attention!" She brought down the flat side of her blade on the floor. The socks jumped as though in fear.
His temper was getter hotter by the second. "Dammit! Are you trying to destroy my house? And what the hell is up with the socks?"
She slammed the sword on the floor again. "Don't question your Sensei's teaching methods!"
Ichigo held his face in his hands. She was crazy!
She smiled sweetly now. "Lets get back to the subject, shall we?" She pointed her sword at the socks. "There are two types of spirits," she said seriously. Pointing at the new sock, she said, "The most common spirits are generally called Wholes. They are newly dead spirits. Just like your newly opened socks!" she looked pleased with herself. "So, my job in this case is to send them to soul society through the soul burial you just witnessed, where they have lots of other souls...or socks to play with! They won't be lonely anymore! Any questions so far?"
"Yeah. How come your analogy sucks so much?"
"Kyaa! Kurosaki-kun is so mean..." Her face fell. "I'll be going then..." She picked up her scabbard and climbed onto the window. She put one foot forward when-
"HEY! Don't just go leaving midway through a lecture!"
She jumped back into the room and dropped her scabbard. She smiled brightly. "So, the other types of spirits are call Hollows. They're evil!" She slammed the sword down on the torn sock. "They eat Wholes and living beings alike! They're evil!" She poked the poor sock with the tip of her blade. "In their case, my job is to..." She paused and looked at Ichigo. "What do you do with socks you can't wear anymore?"
"Err...you...throw them away?"
She looked disappointed. "No, that's not right either..." She thought for a moment. "I know! You exterminate them!"
Exterminate your socks?
Orihime was nodding to herself. "Yes, and in exactly the same way, I exterminate Hollows! Got that?"
"Well, that depends-"
A hellish voice interrupts him. It is a long scream, like King Kong moaning in hunger.
Ichigo froze in horror. "What the hell was that?"
The Soul Reaper stared at him blankly. "What was what?"
"Don't you 'what was what' me! You know damn well what I'm talking about! That huge voice just now-"
Orihime gives him a strange look. "What voice? I didn't-"
It came again.
This time, she heard it.
"Oh no...A hollow..." Her spectacles were thrown away, and her sword suddenly rigid. She was in battle mode.
"KYAAAA!"'
Ichigo swore loudly. "That's Yuzu's voice!" He jumped up and made a movement in the direction of the bedroom door.
FWIP
His way was blocked by her sword. Her hand outstretched, Orihime showed a different side of herself. "You aren't going anywhere, Kurosaki-kun," She said, her eyes determined, her features tight. "I'll take care of it."
"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!" He roared. "THIS IS MY FAMILY WHO'S IN DANGER HERE!" In a rage, he knocked her sword away. "DON'T GET IN MY WAY!" He ran across the room and through the door. He came to a sudden stop when he was met with the sight of his sister Karin, soaked in blood and dragging herself across the floor. "Ichi...go?" She was in pain, but she looked immensely relieved when she saw her brother safe and sound. "Thank God you're okay..."
"KARIN!" He rushed to her side.
She coughed a little. "So suddenly...blood started pouring out of dad's back...Yuzu and I were attacked by something huge...I came...to warn you...I don't know what it is...I could see it, a little...Dad and Yuzu couldn't see it at all..." She coughed again. "Ichigo...before it sees you...you have to get away..."
"KARIN!" He watched in horror as her eyes closed and her body went limp.
Orihime watched these proceeding with anguish. She had failed at her job. She was supposed to protect these people, and here she was, watching them getting hurt before her very eyes. She bent down to examine Karin. "She's only unconscious. Her soul is still-" She raised her head to catch a glimpse of Ichigo running down the stairs. "NO! KUROSAKI-KUN!"
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The living room was wrecked. There was a huge hole in the wall. His father lay in a pool of blood in one corner.
And outside, through the wreckage of the wall, he could see a monster. Over twelve feet tall it stood, with dark skin and a white mask covering it's face.
So this is...a Hollow!
The monster was not was Ichigo had expected. Who could blame him, after all it had been compared to his old and torn sock...
But then, he noticed his other sister clutched tightly in the monster's hand. "YUZU!" He roared, his eyes shifting through the wrecked living room for a weapon. He took a deep gulp and tried to calm down. His mind wasn't working.
He looked at Yuzu again. Her face was covered with blood and tears. She saw him arrive. "Ichi...go..."
Ichigo couldn't take anymore. Pushing his fear at the back of his mind, he grabbed a baseball bat and ran at the monster who held his sister captive.
The monster simply raised it's empty hand and knocked him away. Ichigo flew though the air and landed on the floor. He couldn't move. The Hollow came closer, each step resounding in the house. He could do nothing but watch.
It raised the hand which clutched Yuzu.
Ichigo's heart skipped a beat.
SLICE
Orihime had cut the hand. Blood splattered everywhere.
Yuzu was released. Her limp body dropped down and was caught by Ichigo, while the Hollow smashed it's surroundings in pain.
Ichigo poked his sister frantically. "Yuzu! Are you okay?"
"Be alert, Kurosaki-kun! None of your family members have had their soul eaten yet!" She moved in front of Ichigo, a shield between him and the Hollow. She grasped her sword in both her hands, spread her legs and leaned forward.
"W-wait a minute! Don't Hollows attack people to eat their souls?" Ichigo was confused. "Then what did it attack my family for?"
She gave him a sidelong glance. "Do you really want to know, kurosaki-kun?" She said, her voice suggesting he was better off not knowing. "Hollows wander searching for souls with high spiritual concentration. Because of that, humans are sometimes attacked."
Ichigo's pupils dilated. "What the hell do you mean..."
She turned to face him, dropping her stance.
"Its target...is you, kurosaki-kun."
While Orihime and Ichigo are engrossed in their discoveries, the Hollow has regained it's arm through regeneration. It is chuckling, but both Orihime and Ichigo do not notice.
Ichigo is broken. "Wait a sec..." he starts shaking violently. "It came for me? Does that mean...it's all my fault? The reason my dad's almost dead...Yuzu and Karin are covered in blood...It's all-"
"Wait, I didn't mean- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Ichigo looks up at the sound of her scream. She went flying through the air and slammed into a wall nearby. "ORIHIME!" Her name feels strangely tender on his tongue. He stands up in rage. "That's ENOUGH!"
She lies defeated, her sword at her feet. Her mind is spinning, pain is all she can feel. Her eyes do not have the strength to remain open. Somewhere, in the part of her mind that is still functional, she knows she does not have the will to get up.
Then, like a ray of light, she hears her name.
It had been so long since someone called out to her...it felt like a dream. Who could it be? Oh, right...it was that orange-haired, scowling guy...he was funny...even in her state, she somehow managed to crack a small smile.
She opened her eyes.
"THAT'S ENOUGH ALREADY!" Ichigo roared at the Hollow. "You...want my Soul, right?" He points at himself. "THEN FIGHT ME FACE TO FACE! NOBODY ELSE HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT!"
"No... Kurosaki-kun..." She tried to pick herself up. He didn't know what the Hollow was capable of! She had to do something!
Ichigo went on provoking it. "TRY KILLING ME AND TAKING MY SOUL!" he yelled.
The Hollow laughed it's devilish laugh and it's long neck stretched out, it's mouth wide open.
It was about to eat him.
Ichigo waited to be eaten. He silently apologized to his family. He thought how all this was unfair to the Soul Reaper. He said his final prayers.
He didn't notice the human figure in front of him until it was too late.
The Hollow's mouth clamped down on Orihime, who had somehow managed to drag herself in front of Ichigo.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Her sword was in her hand, but it hadn't managed to do much good.
She collapsed.
Both her shoulders had deep gashes in them. She was in no condition to move, let alone fight.
She spoke. "You aren't any match for it..." she coughed. "Nothing would be solved even if you gave it your soul to eat..."
"I'm...sorry...I just..."
"I can't fight anymore..." Orihime let out a small laugh at her own incompetence. "There isn't anything we can do anymore..."
The Hollow is still loose, and could wipe them both out any moment now.
"Goddamit...all because...I..."
She sees the despair in his eyes, hears the helplessness in his voice.
"Kurosaki-kun...do you want to save your family?"
The result of these words is instantaneous. "Is there a way? A way to help them?" His voice is frantic. "Tell me!"
"Kurosaki-kun...You must become...a Soul Reaper!"
"Wha-? Is that even possible? "
She sat up with great difficulty. "Pierce the middle of your chest with my sword. I will temporarily insert half of my power into you."
Ichigo couldn't believe his ears. "Will that work?" he said with disbelief.
"Either it works..or you die, Kurosaki-kun..." She looked at him with steely eyes. "Are you willing to take the risk?"
"Ichigo..."
He turns in surprise at Yuzu's cry. She is on the ground, tears are slipping down her cheeks. "Don't come here...get away...it's dangerous!"
Why are all of them worried about me when they're about to die?
They're making me...who is scared for himself...look stupid!
He turns to Orihime, a grim smile on his face. "Come on, Orihime. Let's give your idea a try!"
She holds out her sword. He reaches out and grasps the hilt.
The sword goes through him...but there is no blood.
A bright blue light envelopes both of them.
A/N: I liked proofreading this one.
Sadly, the sword was not imagined by me. I totally ripped it off from...somewhere. Well, not the whole thing, but the scabbard and the blade. Iridescent blue...many shades...not constant...guess where?
A Celtic cross on her sword? Wonder where that came from... XD
Well, I want the focus to be on Ichigo and Orihime's relationship, so don't wait up for stuff like Aizen's betrayal. It won't come. Ever. Seriously.
Instead, I have completely different ideas for what happens in place of that. In fact, a lot of characters won't even have a mention in this fic. I'm aiming for a short love story that gets wrapped up without any major complications, so...
That, and I suck at fight scenes.
A mini-glossary of sorts...
SENSEI : Teacher
CROSSGUARD: That sticky-out part of the sword...you know, between the blade and the hilt. Hilt is handle, btw...
SCABBARD: The sheath of the blade.
POMMEL: The end of the hilt. You know, its the opposite of the tip of the blade...