The Second Chapter of "White Sun & Black Moon", Its following the Original Bleach storyline fairly closely but with some minor... and major alterations. by the way "Introducing Lord Ichigo Kurosaki" now has over 2000 views! If you haven't read it. I highly recommend it, as I have absolutely NO stake in it whatsoever "Chuckle" But now onto the Story.
Disclaimer: Bleach isn't mine.
White Sun & Black Moon
Chapter 2: To Be a Shinigami.
"Why didn't you save us Ichigo?" Yuzu asked "Aren't you a Shinigami now?". Ichigo stumbled back from her in this world of darkness, in the distance he heard Karin and Isshin shouting the same thing. Then before him was the Shinigami Rukia, and she said "It's too late, It's far too late". Before he could respond he felt himself flung back and in the distance he saw Rukia break away into dust, and just as he was about to turn around.
"GOOD MORNING ICHIGOOO" Isshin Kurosaki yelled as he drop kicked his son in bed.
Ichigo rocked back from the impact and slugged his father in the face, before looking confused and asking, "Why aren't you injured?".
"Injured?" Isshin asked curiously.
"Oh you must mean from last night! get dressed and come down stairs" Isshin finally said.
Ichigo showered and changed before going down stairs thinking last night was a dream, but stopped when he saw the massive hole in the dining room wall opposite the staircase, "What happened?" Ichigo asked.
Yuzu serving breakfast looked up at him and said "A truck came through the wall last night, Lucky none of us were hurt or even woke up!".
"Yeah that's a little strange!" Karin responded.
Isshin laughed "Well eventually the driver will come back and apologize!".
"No he won't" Karin shouted, obviously this wasn't the first time Isshin had said that.
Ichigo shook his head and wondered, "Why don't they remember anything that happened last night? And I wonder what happened to that girl, maybe she went back to that 'Soul Society' of hers" He shook his head again and started to help clean up after eating breakfast.
Karakura High School, Lunch Time.
Orihime Inoue a girl with waist long Burnt-orange hair, brown eyes, Two star-shaped hair clips on either side of her face and a curvaceous figure, and Tatsuki Arisawa a black haired, blue eyed girl with a lean fit frame that makes her look kind of boyish, are walking down the corridor between classes, Tatsuki turns to Orihime and asks "What do you have for lunch, Orihime?".
Orihime happily replies "Leftover Taiyaki style ramen with honey and wasabi." Tatsuki turns a little green imagining this in her head. Orihime continues without noticing "It's really nice! Would you like some?".
Tatsuki rapidly shakes her head and says "No that's quite alright".
Orihime pouts and walks in to the intersection of two corridors only to be knocked back when Ichigo runs into her. "Oh, It's you, Hey Orihime" Ichigo comments.
"Oh no I'm sor-" Orihime begins.
"Ichigo! you knock her down and that's all you say! What the hell's the matter with you!" Tatsuki interrupts pushing Ichigo back.
Ichigo nervously replies "Sorry about that! You going to be alright?"
"Uh-huh" Orihime says as she nods.
"Here" says Ichigo as he puts his hand out to help Orihime up.
Orihime looks up at Ichigo's face confused and then jumps up. "Oh no that's alright really, I-I-I have-have-v-v Volleyball practice, That's right" Orihime stutters as she turns around and runs off.
"What's wrong with her?" Ichigo asks.
"What could it be? Maybe it was your ugly mug?" Tatsuki jokes, She then straightens up and asks "By the way, Why are you so late? I mean it's time for lunch already".
"Yeah, don't worry about it, I'll tell you later" Ichigo responds as he walks off. Tatsuki looks after him in disbelief.
Class 1-3
Ichigo is sitting in class with Mizuiro Kojima and Keigo Asano standing near his desk. Keigo is brown-haired and has brown eyes, as well as a stupid expression on his face most of the time, currently he is uncharacteristically somber as he discusses things with Ichigo, Next to him is Mizuiro a black-haired teenager with green eyes, he is often called a playboy by his friends Ichigo and Keigo due to his uncanny skill at seducing older women.
"Hey Ichigo, I heard a truck crashed into your house last night dude" Keigo says to Ichigo.
"Yeah, pretty much" Ichigo sighs.
"So did you clean it all up yet" Mizuiro asks.
"What are you kidding? It's going to take forever!" Ichigo comments.
Sado Yasutora AKA Chad, is a 197cm (A/N 6 Feet 5 1/2 Inches) tall teenager with brown hair and eyes, due to his Mexican ancestry his skin in darker in color then those around him, he is generally a very silent man, he is very good friends with Ichigo. He is standing to Ichigo's right opposite Mizuiro, He asks "Need any help?".
Ichigo looks nervous and replies looking up at Chad's face "Huh, That's okay".
Keigo jokes "Yeah Chad, I mean you could end up brining the whole house down! You know".
Ichigo looks at Mizuiro and asks "Hey what have we got next?".
"Language lab" Mizuiro answers.
Before Ichigo can respond a sweet girl's voice from behind him says "Hello, your Ichigo Kurosaki aren't you?".
Ichigo turns around and recoils in surprise because standing there in the school uniform is the Shinigami Rukia Kuchiki. Surprised Ichigo asks "What?".
Rukia continues in the sweet schoolgirls voice "I'll be sitting next to you from now on! My name is Rukia".
Ichigo jumps out of his seat crying "It's-It's you!" pointing at Rukia.
Keigo behind him looks surprised and asked "Hey Ichigo what's wrong with you?".
Chad asks "You two know each other?".
Rukia responds "Of course not!, We've never met before isn't that right Ichigo?".
Mizuiro explains "Rukia's a brand new transfer student!".
Keigo says "Nice to meet ya".
"It's a pleasure!" Rukia says extending her hand to Ichigo, when she turns it over written on the palm is "Make a scene and you're so DEAD!" Ichigo recoils from this, Rukia smirks and laughs under her breath.
Outside in the schoolyard, in a deserted area.
"Alright you freaky little nut-job! What the hell do you think you're doing!" Ichigo shouts.
"How scary you big brute! Jeepers I hope you don't hurt me!" Rukia replies in a sickly sweet schoolgirl's voice.
"First of all You can knock it off with that goody two-shoes act, okay!" Ichigo responds.
"Well I think it's pretty good considering I learned it over night!" Rukia responds in her normal voice.
Ichigo sighs and says "Alright! forget it! So tell me just what you're doing here anyway? Weren't you supposed to go back to your 'Soul Society' or whatever it was!".
Rukia's shoulders drop and she replies "I can't! Only Shinigami can go back to the Soul Society, I haven't the power to return anymore".
Ichigo turns to face her "What do you mean?".
Rukia looks down, "Last Night, I lost almost all of my powers as a Shinigami, I'm afraid they were all absorbed into you. Ichigo" when she finishes she looks up at Ichigo again.
Ichigo looks over his shoulder away from Rukia "Huh, I wouldn't know what you're talking about.".
Rukia turns towards Ichigo more completely "Thanks to you, for the time being I'm stuck in this ridiculous Gigai form!".
Ichigo turns back to face her "What do you mean by 'Gigai'".
Rukia points to her chest, not noticing Ichigo's attention on where she is pointing, "It's a temporary body that serves as a vessel in an emergency, If a Shinigami is drastically weakened they reside inside of a Gigai until their powers return." Rukia drops her hand from her chest.
Ichigo stops focusing on her chest and replies "Oh now I get it! That's why the other were able to see you right?".
Rukia nods "Precisely... and so until all of my powers come back it's up to you, Ichigo to perform the duties of a Shinigami." Ichigo starts back confused as Rukia continues "It's only natural, you now possess the strength of a Shinigami, you don't have the right to refus-".
"I REFUSE" Ichigo cuts in.
"WHAT" Rukia says stunned.
Ichigo elaborates "My monster fighting days are over, that was a onetime deal!".
Rukia replies "Don't be ridiculous, Ichigo you did just fine yesterday! You didn't even use both of your Zanpakutō."
Ichigo looked confused at what she said, "Both of my..., Anyway! That was only because I was protecting my family, I'm not selfless enough to fight monsters for total strangers! go find somebody else." and Ichigo starts to walk away.
Rukia puts on a strange red glove with a blue flame and skull in the middle of the palm and pensively says "I see, Guess there's no other choice then. Hey Ichigo!" As Ichigo turns around to look at her she slaps the palm of the glove to his forehead. Ichigo's soul dressed in the Shihakusho and with the two zanpakutō on his back and waist is pulled out of his body by the strange glove on her right hand.
Ichigo freaks "Ah Crap! What happened to my body? What in the world did you do to me?".
Rukia turns to leave saying "Follow me".
Twenty Minutes later Karakura Central Park.
"Hey you going to tell me where we're going." Ichigo complains.
Rukia pulls out what looks like a mobile phone, "We're getting close!".
"Close to what?" is Ichigo's reply.
"Our latest order!" is Rukia's response.
Rukia shows Ichigo the phone's display.
Karakura.
Central Park 12:00.
+/- 15 Minutes.
"From the Soul Society" Rukia finishes.
Rukia continues "It about the spirit of a boy that dwells here in this park is likely to come under attack from a hollow" They both stop as they hear a young boy's shout.
More shouts are heard and they see several pieces of playground equipment in the park get destroyed by the hollow as it chases the boy. the hollow has a elongated body with six legs, like all hollows It has a white mask and a hole through its chest. Ichigo jumps over a pole and starts running towards the hollow to protect the little boy's spirit. as he is running Rukia shouts "Wait! hold on".
Ichigo turns towards her and asks "What is it?".
"Just we're you going, That boys a complete stranger isn't he?" Rukia asks.
Ichigo clenches his teeth and shouts, "So what! I just can't stand by and let this happen. You expect me to watch him die?".
"Don't be such a fool" Rukia shouts. "In the eyes of a Shinigami, all souls are equal getting involved simply because spirits are nearby or they need help, isn't how it works" The child stumbles and Ichigo hand goes to the zanpakutō at his waist. "Leave him be! If you intend to help this child, then commit yourself to saving every spirit, you must be willing to go to any length! Even to sacrifice your own life!".
Ichigo struggles with indecision at Rukia's words watching the child get hunted by the hollow. Just as the child trips and the hollow is about to attack he unsheathes the zanpakutō at his waist and severs the arm about to strike the child's back. He then turns the katana around and slices the other front arm off as well. Rukia gasps as she watches, The hollow falls on its back and disappears but isn't defeated. Rukia asks "Have you made your decision? Ichigo?".
Ichigo growls "Like hell I have".
"Huh" Rukia responds.
Ichigo continues "I haven't decided to do squat, I saved this kid because I wanted to! You hear me! What about you?"
"Me?" Rukia asks
"I seem to remember you putting your life on the line to save me last night! Tell me were you really thinking about your duty when you rushed to help me? Of course not! That's the last thing on your mind when you save someone!" Behind Ichigo the hollow reappears. Rukia starts on seeing this and Ichigo continues "But I'm Not so scum that can leave a debt unfulfilled, so I'll do it" as he says this Ichigo's left hand pulls the large sword from its sheath on his back and slices it effortlessly through the hollow's mask and head. He then sheathes the large blade and walks over to the kid holding just the katana in his right hand. "You okay" He asks and the kid jumps back. "Hey kid! if you don't want to go through all that again you'd better hurry up and pass on already!" and he taps the end of his hilt to the kid's forehead leaving a Konsō mark behind. Rukia gasps as she never taught Ichigo how to perform Konsō on spirits. The kid sinks into the ground leaving behind a hell butterfly, which flies off into the sky.
Rukia walks up to Ichigo and says "You did that quite beautifully"
Ichigo turns around saying "I'm Gone" and walks off.
Nighttime, Karakura town, Outside an apartment building.
Outside the building floating in the air is the spirit of a middle aged man in a suit, through a window he's watching Orihime Inoue work on her homework, after thinking she shuts the curtains and the man sighs. He then jumps and turns around to see two hollows jump at him. He screams as they drag him to Hueco-Mundo. Orihime is puzzled by the noise but doesn't open her curtains.
Ichigo's dream
Ichigo wakes up and discovers he's standing on the side of a skyscraper, there is snow falling gently upon him and in small piles over the side of the building, in front of him are two people, A man with black hair wearing sunglasses dressed in a strange black cloak which seems to rustle as if being blown even though there is no wind, as he watches hints of red appear and fade all over the cloak at different intervals, the man looks to be in his thirties and quite weather beaten. The woman standing next to him is a stark contrast, She has silvery white hair, pale blue eyes and is wearing a pure white kimono with blue highlights and a silver Obi sash. they see him watching and say in unison "Ichigo" before they can say anything else Ichigo falls from the building as normal gravity reasserts itself. As he falling towards the ground out the corner of his eye he sees Rukia in her Shihakusho falling next to him, But before he can do anything...
Ichigo jumps up in bed, not noticing a muffled thump from his closet. he shakes his head and goes back to sleep as it's 1 in the morning.
Thursday May 17th Karakura Town, Random Park by the river 4:30 PM.
Rukia is reading from a book in the park while nearby Ichigo is hitting baseballs launched from a pitching machine with a bat, every so often one of the balls contains pepper.
As Rukia's reading gets loader it annoys Ichigo. "Oh Lord, you have forsaken me, hear my cries and -".
"HEY" Ichigo shouts interrupting Rukia's reading.
"What's the matter with you? Can't you see I'm studying contemporary language?" Rukia shouts.
Ichigo snorts replying "Well you're off by a couple of centuries at least! and anyway I'm done hitting the 100 pepper balls."
Rukia looks at him "You're done? You fool only the wrong balls had pepper in them!".
Ichigo looks confused "Wrong Balls?".
Rukia nods holding up two balls for reference "The wrong balls had a picture of a hand on them, while the correct balls had a picture of a mask." As she said this she held up the two to demonstrate. The drawing's on both look nearly identical and you couldn't see the difference from more than a foot away.
Ichigo growled "They both look the same from a distance, Maybe you should improve your crappy drawing skills!".
Before Rukia can respond a voice cuts across them "Ichigo" and Ichigo jumps from the voice behind him before he recognizes it as Orihime's voice.
Orihime is about to continue when she notices Rukia "Kuchiki?".
Rukia looks at her and says "That's right, who the hell are you?".
Ichigo snaps at her "You idiot, She's Orihime Inoue she's in our class."
In our class Rukia thinks and then "Orihime! Pleased to meet you! I'm Rukia" She says in the schoolgirl voice while doing a curtsy.
Ichigo thinks She's going to act that way in front of our classmates?. When Orihime curtseys back. SHE'S GOING ALONG WITH IT He screams in his mind.
Ichigo notices the bandage on Orihime's arm and asks "Hey, Orihime what did you do to your arm?".
Orihime looks at the bandage and says "Oh this, Last night I was hit by a car!".
Ichigo jumps "Hit by a CAR".
Orihime nods "Don't worry It was just a bump on my noggin I'm okay really I am."
Ichigo asks "What happened to the car?".
Orihime thinks and says "It drove off".
"ORIHIME" Ichigo shouts.
Rukia asks in her normal voice "Does she get injured often?".
Ichigo nods "More like every day!".
Orihime giggles "I tend to daydream he-he".
Ichigo scowls "No he-he, you could have been seriously hurt and don't act like it's inevitable".
Rukia thinks She's just an Airhead then notices a mark on her leg that looks suspiciously like and oversized hand had grabbed her hard enough to bruise the skin! "Can I look at the mark on your leg Orihime?".
"Huh, Oh sure" Orihime replies and holds her left leg out.
"This looks like it hurts" Rukia says.
Orihime gasps and says "That's right it even hurts more than the wound on my arm. How did you know?".
Rukia shrugs letting go of her leg and replies "Just a hunch".
Ichigo meanwhile panics a little and asks "Are you alright? Should we take you to a doctor?".
Orihime shakes her head and says "No that's quite alright, it's fine now, Oh look at the time I'm going to be late." She says looking at her watch. "Laugh hour will be over if I don't go soon"
Ichigo asks "Want me to walk you home?"
Orihime stutters "N-no that's quite alright, I'm okay really"
Ichigo nods "Okay then, See you tomorrow!"
Orihime stutters back "S-See you T-Tomorrow Ichigo."
As she walks off she mutter to herself "Damn, he surprised me so I turned him down, But he could have pushed more!"
Ichigo shakes his head as Orihime walks off and Rukia comes up to him and asks him "Do you know that girl well?"
Ichigo shrugs "Sort of, She's best friends with one of my friends from karate practice"
Rukia nods and asks "Does she have any family"
Ichigo nods and says "Yeah, she had a brother"
Rukia frowns "Had?"
Ichigo sighs and replies "Yeah He passed away three years ago, I know because I was the one that opened the door..."
Flashback
Ichigo age 12 is about to go to school when he hears a knock at the door, He opens it to see a young girl with brown-orange hair about his age carrying a man over her shoulders saying "You've got to help him, He's my brother he's injured."
Even though Isshin tries his best Sora Inoue dies before he can be transferred to a major hospital, Orihime cries next to the gurney taking her brother's body away. "Please don't leave me brother, Please."
End Flashback
"... I only found out recently that the little girl was Orihime." Ichigo finished.
Rukia asks "How in-tune were you to the spirit world?"
Ichigo shrugs and says "Huh. not as much I've only been able to communicate with spirits in the past year or so."
Just As I Thought Rukia thinks.
Ichigo looks at her and asks "Why? What's up! What are you thinking?"
"Nothing" She replies "See you later"
"Huh, Hey! Where are you going?" Ichigo asks.
"Back Home" Was the reply from Rukia.
"Where's that?" Ichigo inquires.
"You really want to know?" Rukia counters.
"Not really" Ichigo responds.
"Then don't ask" Rukia says as she walks off leaving a seething Ichigo.
Condescending little Bi-.
That Night, Orihime's Apartment. 7:50 PM
A doorbell is heard ringing, "Coming" Orihime calls as she walks to the door.
"Oh! Hi Tatsuki" She says when she opens the door.
"My Mom thought that I should bring this over for you, It's stewed beef and potatoes" Tatsuki says holding out a bowl.
"Wow, homemade beef and potatoes stew"
Inside Orihime's apartment at the dining table
"Oh Boy this is really delicious!" Orihime cries.
"I swear if I don't bring meals over to you, you always eat the both bizarre things!" Tatsuki says.
"I never thought about it, you really think so?" Orihime asks.
"Um, Yeah I mean what is this stuff?" Tatsuki asks and Orihime giggles.
Kurosaki Residence, 8:00 PM
"Hey, Ichi-nii you haven't seen my pajamas have you?" Yuzu asks opening the door into Ichigo's room.
"Geez Yuzu, Knock before coming in." Ichigo grumbles.
"Well, I'm sorry I asked! You've become such a grouch since you've entered high school" Yuzu replies.
"Have not! and I don't know where your pajamas are" Ichigo deadpanned.
"That is just so odd, One of my dresses has gone missing as well!" Yuzu comments.
"Why do you feel the need to ask me about every little thing! Do you think I'm wearing them?" Ichigo snaps at Yuzu.
"Okay, Good-night" Yuzu says as she slams the door.
Rukia's in a dark room when suddenly her phone starts beeping! she pulls it out and looks at it and jumps up.
Ichigo hears beeping and starts looking around for the source. "Huh? What's that sound?"
"ICHIGO" Rukia yells as she opens the closet door.
"What the what are you doing in my closet and are those my sisters PJ's you've got on?" Ichigo begins to say.
"No time, I just got an order from Soul Society about a hollow" Rukia says as she pulls on the soul removal glove.
"Time and location" She says as she hits him with the glove "Here and now" she pushes him down as the hollow appears from the wall above his headboard and slams his hand down on Ichigo's bed.
"Why are you standing there? Do something!" Rukia cries as the hollow weight breaks Ichigo's bed.
They dodge the hollows attack The upper body of the hollow looks human just slightly larger than normal, but the lower body is like that of a snake.
"You have to aim for its head" Rukia yells.
Ichigo swings out the zanpakutō from his waist and strikes the hollows mask.
Too Shallow Rukia observes watching part of the hollows mask fall off.
The hollow pulls back into the rippling energy where it came from and disappears. Ichigo stands in the centre of the room looking conflicted.
"Ichigo! We have to go after it. Come on!" Rukia shouts.
"Hold it, What's going on, I saw the hollows face, It was Orihime's dead brother!" Ichigo shouts.
"Remember when I told you to attack hollows from behind and you said it was cowardly?" Rukia asks.
"Yeah" Ichigo replies wondering where this is going.
"I told you it was to reduce the chances of injury, but that's not the only reason, the other one is... to never find out the hollows true identity. You see Ichigo all Hollows were once Human beings!" Rukia says quietly.
"Hollows are human souls that were missed by shinigami, abandoned and confused they wonder alone eventually turning into hollows like the ones you have been fighting." Rukia reveals.
"So does that mean all this time I've been killing... Humans" Ichigo whispers.
"NO" Rukia shouts and Ichigo looks at her. "They're humans no longer and if you leave this one alive he will devour Orihime's soul!" Rukia lectures.
"What" Ichigo says as he jumps into the night with Rukia on his shoulders. "Why, I thought hollows were hungry for souls with strong reiatsu"
"You heard, Hollow may attack souls with strong reiatsu, but only after they've devoured their family!" Rukia continues.
"Also, you're wrong! Hollows don't eat because they are hungry, They eat to fill the emptiness in their hearts, You've heard of widows that follow their husbands to the grave? That's because they were eaten by the hollows their husbands became!" Rukia explains. "So if you're not fast enough, Orihime's soul will be devoured!."
Orihime's Apartment. Two minutes earlier.
"WHAT" Tatsuki shouted, "Ichigo offered to walk you home and you didn't take it are you an idiot?"
"I'm not an idiot! And what do you mean?" Orihime cries.
"Don't you know what to do in that sort of situation, first you accept his offer to walk you home and then using your leg as an excuse you lean on his shoulder and then cry you need to rest and lead him into an alleyway" As Tatsuki talks Orihime drinks from her cup of soda, "Then you... THROW HIM TO THE GROUND!" as Tatsuki shouts this Orihime spits out all the soda she had in her mouth.
'Tatsuki?" She cries terrified and confused.
Tatsuki looks at her with an appraising eye and says "Actually you should just grab his hand and touch it your breasts and he'll attack you, then it will be his fault." Breasts Orihime thinks confused. Tatsuki continues "You said that he was with the new girl? Damn him I didn't know Ichigo was such a smooth operator, when'd he get the time?"
"It's really not that important" Orihime begins.
"When has he ever taken you to the park" Tatsuki asks. Orihime begins daydreaming and then suddenly
"I'm warning you champ I'll fight you- Rowr" Orihime suddenly shouts clawing at invisible enemies.
Tatsuki watches this confused and then wonders Wasn't It a Date Fantasy?. Before she can say anything they both hear a strange sound and look around to see what happened, suddenly Orihime shouts "Oh! Enraku fell down, poor Enraku!" as she runs over to a stuffed bear that has fallen down, with a tear in its head in the exact same location Ichigo cut the hollow.
"Geez! Enraku? What's that even mean?" Tatsuki says.
Orihime notice a think red fluid coming from the bear, "Is this blood?", then before she can react the hollows scaly arm shoot out of Enraku knocking her body backwards and pushing her soul out.
"Orihime" Tatsuki shouts as she runs over to her fallen friend and tries to figure out what happened to her. Before she can check Orihime's body out for injuries, She's blown back by an invisible force and pinned to the ground slowly being chocked by an arm she cannot see, "What's going on?" Tatsuki asks as her brain tries to figure out how this impossible situation came about.
Orihime watching from nearby feels faint and notices a chain on her chest connecting her to something, She can barely breathe, she tries pulling the chain out when she notices the monster choking Tatsuki. "Tatsuki" She cries as she gets shakily to her feet, she runs at the monster and body slams into its arm freeing Tatsuki "Tatsuki! What's wrong? you've got to run" Orihime cries to her friend.
"It's useless Orihime, She can't hear you" comes the voice from behind her.
"How-How do you know my name" Orihime asks.
The hollow roars "That saddens me Orihime, have you forgotten even my voice? How sad Orihime!"
Suddenly the hollow charges forward to attack Orihime, Orihime closes her eyes and waits for the end!.
And I'll leave a cliffhanger, though you should all know how this turns out anyway. 4,540 words for my second chapter. and the longest chapter I have ever written. so far. I hope you all enjoy my second chapter of "White Sun & Black Moon" by the way Phantom Claire If you are reading this I like you Shikai Idea for Ishida, But it's too close to his Quincy nature, also I'm fairly certain I can't have a bow and arrows as a Zanpakutō release. But Thanks for the idea they're real good names.
Well I rambled long enough, Keep an eye out for further updates.
Signing out from Australia - dragonsong2795.