A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed-
Aastha, Goddess of Night Eternal faith, alice hattercandy, D U A L I T Y x2, Turtle-chan666, Ayame0217, Wulf 4 Life, xXsnowfeltXx, , acidor, nypsyanam, Caellach Tiger Eye, Neha, yoyogigi125, Alienes, ChaosChronicler, mosspaw, Leslie23, shivani, Somerli ! Thank you, please continue to support my story!
I was ecstatic...Especially when yoyogigi125 told me that reading this made their day...If something I write can bring people happiness, even a little bit, I'll never stop.
As for the sword- I wanted a blue one, cuz of the hairpins, of course, so the third book of the Inheritence Trilogy-'Brisingr'-Chapter: 'A Rider in Full', really helped me out.
With this chapter, I am eligible to become a beta! I'm gonna soon start accepting requests, if anybody needs me~~~
This chapter is completely different from what happens in canon. Read carefully.
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CHAPTER 3 : TO PROTECT
Ichigo woke up.
"What the hell? No old man trying to kick me awake?" Sitting up in bed, he looked around. It was time for school.
He got ready quickly, changing into his school uniform and grabbing his bag. He was climbing down the stairs when it suddenly hit him.
Last night...
He froze in horror. What had happened?
His sisters had been teribly injured...His father lying in a pool of blood...The living room wrecked...
That girl..she had given him her powers...He thought he would die..
But.. he had survived. More than survived, he had emerged as a Soul Reaper, complete with a black outfit and a huge sword.
He remembered how strange the sword felt in his grip.
How the girl had looked, sitting on the ground, her attire being only a white kimono. Gazing at him with lifeless eyes... She had collapsed seconds later.
He remembered slicing through the hollow. It disentigrating into nothingness...
But...then what?
Ichigo stood deadly still, realizing that his memory failed him after that point.
What had happened to his family?
Were they dead?
He ran down as fast as he could. He came to a stop in the kitchen. "Dad! Yuzu! Karin!"
Three faces stared back at him.
"Good morning, Ichigo!" Yuzu said. "Breakfast is ready!"
Confused, Ichigo looked around. The hole in the living room wall was still there, but it had been boarded up. Everything had been tidied up, and the previous night's damaged suddenly didn't seem too bad.
His father caught him looking at the wreck. "Oh, last night, a spaceship crashed into the living room," His voice was completely neutral. He shook his head. "Can't believe you slept through it, Ichigo."
Now Ichigo was thoroughly confused. "Spaceship?" He said, his voice wavering in the ridiculousness of the story.
"Yes, It flew away when we got there," said Yuzu, who was wearing an apron and cooking, just as she did every morning. Ichigo was glad to see that she didn't have so much as a scratch on her. Neither did Karin. "Come on now, breakfast is ready!"
Ichigo sat down and ate.
It couldn't have been a nightmare, could it? It had felt so real...
And the girl. He doubted he could have just...dreamed her up. Somehow, his family had forgotten everything. And remembered something else.
Which was not the truth.
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"Class, we'll be having a new student joining us today..."
The door slides open on cue and the aforementioned walks in. Ichigo doesn't bother looking up, his mind is engrossed in other things.
There is instant chatter. The boys ogle and ah, the girls snort with jealousy.
"Pleased to meet you!" Her voice rings out like a bell. Ichigo's ears prick up. Sounds familiar...
"My name is Orihime Inoue," His head snaps up to look at her. It is indeed the crazy chick from the previous night, now clad in his school's uniform and smiling at everyone. "Please take care of me!"
He jumped up, hands on his desk, leaning forward. "You!"
Everyone turned to look at this sudden outburst.
"Huh? Kurosaki knows her?"
"I'm jealous..."
"A girl like her...How the hell does he-?"
Even Ochi-sensei was surprised. "Oh? You two know each other?" She looked at Ichigo's scowling face and Orihime's smiling one. "Then, Inoue, you can go take the seat next to him."
Orihime made her way over to where he stood, looking at her with disbeleif. She sat down on the seat to his right. Turning to him, she winked.
Ichigo snorted and sat back down. He would get answers from her, whatever it took!
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All through first period, Ichigo couldn't concentrate on his books.
He could see Keigo eyeing him with jealousy and checking out Orihime at the same time.
Chad had been silent the whole time. The dark-haired Mexican had watched Orihime and Ichigo's exchange at the beginning of class, but hadn't shown any reaction to it.
Mizuro was checking his text messages. He had raised an eyebrow when Orihime has walked in, but Ichigo knew that his interest lay...elsewhere. A different age group, anyway. But then again, hadn't she said she was way older than Ichigo himself? Suddenly, Mizuro seemed a lot more dangerous. Ichigo resolved to warn her about him.
Wait, why should he care?
The lesbian, Chizuru, was bothering him the most, Ichigo figured. Even from the other side of the classroom, her gaze was fixated on Orihime and her...assets. Then again, that was the area most of the other guys in class had their eyes on...
But what really annoyed him was that Orihime herself didn't seem to mind at all. She looked happy, and Ichigo thought how she was completely unaware of the male attention focused on her.
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As soon as the bell rang, Ichigo stood up and made toward her desk, which was right next to his- but quite a lot of people have beaten him there.
"So, Inoue-san, where are you from?"
"Are you single?"
"HIME-CHAN! What are your three sizes?"
"CHIZURU, stop harassing her!"
Most of the boys in class had surrounded the auburn-haired girl's desk, trying to talk to her. Chizuru fit right in with them, pushing her way to the front. Ichigo hurried to beat her to it. He couldn't possibly lose to a lesbian, could he?
Soon he was standing right in front of Orihime's desk, and the constant chatter of the guys died away. They look at him angrily, regarding him as yet another(but quite unexpected) rival.
Ichigo ignored their glares. He lookes down at Orihime, who stared right back at him. She was no longer smiling, and a defiant look had crossed her face.
"You," His tone was harsh, probably more than he intended. "Come with me."
Slowly, she rose from her seat.
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They are on the roof, Orihime gripping the railing and looking at the view outside. Ichigo is watching her.
"What the hell are you doing here? Isn't your job here over?" he blurted out.
She turned to face him. "I can't go back there anymore," she said, her eyes melancholic.
Ichigo crossed his arms. "Huh? What do you..."
She gave him a look. "Because, I lost my powers!"
Huh?
"But I'm not a Soul Reaper anymore!" He tugged on the sleeve of his school shirt."See? No kimomo! Where did your powers go?"
"Inside of you, Kurosaki-kun," she said patiently. "It's your soul that is a Soul Reaper, not your body. Anyway, the point is, Kurosaki-kun, you must take over my Soul Reaper duties until my powers come back!"
Ichigo took a step back. "Are you crazy? Why should I do something like that?" He gave a snort. "Protecting random people? People I don't even know?" He backed away. "If you think that I'm going to do something like that, you've got another one coming. See ya."
So quickly, she ran toward him and slapped him, right on the face. The pain lasted for barely a second. He fell on the ground. "HEY! What the hell did you do that for?"
On her hand was a blue glove with an image of a skull. He hadn't even noticed her putting it on her hand.
Then, he realized. His body lay next to him on the ground, unconscious. He was wearing the Soul Reaper outfit. On his back was a sword, the same one as last night.
He was a Soul Reaper again.
"What is it, Kurosaki-kun," her gaze was constant, her eyes fixed on him. "That you want to protect?"
What I want to protect?
Images flashed in his head. His mother- the one person he had sworn to protect but had failed.
His family- Karin, Yuzu, and his old man- injured, lying in blood, telling him to save himself.
He couldn't even save the person who was most important to him. But here she was, telling him that he would have to protect every single soul who was in danger.
What did it mean, really?
To protect?
In front of him she stood, her gaze searching. She could see his cowardice, he knew. She didn't know the reason behind it. She probably thought him a simple coward who ran away. Someone who was incapable of protecting.
She was right, he knew.
"Are you afaid, Kurosaki-kun?" Her eyes were now softer. Understanding. Kind. "Don't be."
He made a strange sound. "How-"
"I can fell your fear, Kurosaki-kun."
She walked over to him. Bending low, she reached out her hand. "I'll help you."
In his anger and embarressment, he knocked her hand away. "W-when the hell did I say I was scared? And don't say stuff like that! You barely know me!"
Orihime withdrew her hand. She didn't look angry. In fact, Ichigo could practically feel her sympathy surrounding him. "You're not alone."
Ichigo didn't reply to this statement. This girl...she knew nothing.
He stood up himself. "Well then, why don't you tell me?" He leered at her. "What do you want to protect?"
She was surprised at his question. Raising her head to look at the sky, she smiled. "What I want...to protect?" Still smiling, she closed her eyes. The wind began to blow, and her hair fluttered gently in the breeze. "Everything."
Ichigo watched her. Everything?
Suddenly, he felt selfish.
"For as long as I can," she continued. "Until the very end."
He thought she was a fool. This girl, suddenly so powerless, wanted to protect everything? She was frail. Without her sword, she looked as though she might break any moment.
Dammit, she wasn't capable of protecting anything, let alone herself! Somebody would have to do that for her...
Who would...
Realization hit him.
Could he do it? He had those Soul Reaper powers now, didn't he? Then he should be able-
Wait.
He was worthless, wasn't he?
He had watched his mother die at his feet. He couldn't do anything back then.
But now?
He had power.
And he had a new person he wanted to protect.
"So, Kurosaki-kun, you have to try to protect everything too!" Now she was looking at him in a determined way, hands curled into fists at her sides. "You're about to do my job, aren't you, Kurosaki-kun? So you have to do it the way I want you to!"
"Fine."
She was shocked. Recoiling a little, she stutered, "W-what did you-"
"I said I'll do it, dammit!" He was yelling now. He just wanted to get this...interrogation over with.
Who the hell was she, anyway?
She could see hesitation he tried so hard to hide.
She made him accept a job he would never have dreamed up.
And her kindness...it was unnatural.
Could such a person really exist?
He started walking back inside. Turning back to look at her, he grinned. "Orihime- hurry up or I'll change my mind!"
She remained fixed on the spot. "Kurosaki-kun called me...by my first name..."
A red tinge appeared on his face as he realized what he had been doing all this time. He looked away. "H-hey, don't take this the wrong way! I just..forgot your surname, that's all!"
Truth was, he had been thinking of her as Orihime ever since she first told the soul her name.
Orihime smiled. "Kurosaki-kun...I don't have a problem with it..."
"Well, what about you, Inoue? You've been calling me Kurosaki-kun since you came to school!" He looked frustrated. "What happened to 'Ichigo-san'?"
Orihime blushed a little. "W-well, I thought it would be more appropriate!" She looked defensive. "Um, but Kurosaki-kun, please call me by my name!"
Taken aback at her request, he started. "Why?" before she could answer, he grinned. "No way, Inoue."
"Ah! But why not?"
Ichigo made his way back to the door. Not bothering to look back at her, he called out, "The wind's too loud. I can't hear you." He went back inside.
Orihime stood there, watching him leave. Once he was gone, she sighed. For so long, she had been all alone...she had forgotten what it had been like, to be around other people, for someone to speak her name...for someone to look into her eyes...
This boy...who was he?
As a human, he could see souls. He took all her powers away, rendering her nearly defenseless.
He teased her.
He yelled, but he was not angry- he was afraid.
His eyes screamed of pain and suffering. He masked it well, but she just...knew.
But he was kind.
He would help those who needed it.
And he could- no, he would- protect. She knew he would.
Sparing one last glance at the blue sky, she too started walking back inside.
Could such a person really exist?
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After school had ended, Ichigo walked home with Orihime. They were getting a lot of odd looks from the other students. Ichigo looked to see if this was bothering her, but his auburn-haired companion was just chattering on, most of which he didn't understand.
"And Arisawa-san-no, I mean Tatsuki-chan- is such a nice person! Everybody is so nice...by the way, Kurosaki-kun, we have to stick together! I mean, I tell you where the hollows are, and you kill them! Sounds good, right! Gosh, I really feel like eating wasabi right now...Oh, and you can't tell anybody about you being a Soul Reaper who stole my powers! By the way, is your family okay? I healed them the best that I could, but I was worried. It was hard to drag everyone into bed, you know! And I replaced their memories, too! Ohh, I almost forgot, Kurosaki-kun, I rented an apartment!"
Ichigo had been thinking of other things while she had talked, but after hearing the last sentence, he stopped walking and spun to look at her. "You did what?"
"Ehh?" Orihime turns to look at him, slightly confused. "Its quite close to your home, actually...and my things are supposed to arrive after a couple of days..."
Ichigo wondered how she was supposed to receive her stuff, she was from another world after all. Inter-dimensional mail service? Not likely.
"Anyway, Kurosaki-kun, I still might have to sleep over at your place."
"You can't be serious!" Ichigo was flabbergasted.
Orihime, not quite noticing his surprise, went on. "Well, as soon as I get the location of a Hollow from Soul Society, I have to immediately run to that place. Tardiness can mean that someone gets hurt, or worse. So that's also why I came to your school!"
"...and your apartment?"
"Well, I have to have an address, don't I?"
Ichigo didn't even try to reason with this illogical reply.
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Giving Ichigo her powers had taken its toll on Orihime.
Her head was throbbing.
She lay on the road, clad in her white kimono.
He had taken all her powers.
His sword was humongous, bigger than any other she had ever seen.
But she didn't feel very well.
Her eyesight was going. Blurry, then gone. She felt blood rush...she couldn't even feel where it was heading anymore. She couldn't move.
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She couldn't see, she couldn't hear.
She couldn't do anything.
She was pathetic.
Weak.
The last thing she felt was something rolling down her cheek. A tear?
She didn't know.
And then, she fainted.
Her powers had kept her alive all this time, and there were no more.
She should have died.
But no, after Ichigo fainted after destroying the Hollow, she was saved by no other than a certain Kisuke Urahara.
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A/N: I hope you liked it.
Please review?
People who have put me on story alert and even on their favorites list but didn't leave a review - I know who you are, so REVIEW!
A bit of mystery there on the end- what exactly does Orihime mean when she thinks that ' her powers kept her alive'? GYAHAHAHAHA! You'll find out soon- and that means that theres gonna be a lil bit of ANGST in here.
A lot of people are asking me where I'm planning to go with this fic.
I don't want to give too much away, but I CAN say that this will be wrapped up in 15-20 chapters.
And, ah, there won't be a huge fighting arc in which he goes to rescue her. I have something more dramatic, romantic and fluffalitic, involving Uryu Ishida, planned instead of that.
THIS FIC SHALL HAVE NO Ocs!
Why?
BECAUSE I DETEST THEM!
No, seriously, even the best fics are ruined by Ocs.
There are very few exceptions, not that I'm naming any...