Here it is, Chapter 3! I want to give my thanks to TheKingJingles for reviewing! So this chapter is dedicated to her I'm not sure if I like how this chapter turned out yet. Well, I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think of it! Enjoy!
I awoke the next morning with a start as the closet door slammed open. Rukia rubbed her eyes sleepily as she stepped out, making a beeline for the bathroom. I dropped my head back down unceremoniously, trying to go back to sleep. I was almost there when I was once again awoken with a start as Ichigo's father came flying through the doorway, landing on Ichigo. Said boy awoke with a start and punched his father in the face. My eyes widened slightly at their display. My head turned as Rukia walked into the room dressed in what I guessed was her school uniform. She seemed unaffected by the two guy's exchange, so I figured this happened often. Ichigo was soon dressed and ready for school as well as they both headed for the door.
I trotted behind them, ready to follow them to school, only to be stopped by Ichigo's hand in front of my face.
"You need to stay here for the day. You hear me? Stay." He commanded, before closing the door in front of me. I sat there, in slight shock that he actually had the nerve to give me a command. He didn't own me!
…Actually I guess under the new circumstances, he did own me. I sighed at the thought, before heading over to the nearest window. What? You didn't think I'd actually stay, did you?
I managed to open the window with a lot of effort. I nimbly jumped through, landing softly on all four paws. My nose lifted to the air, and I soon caught a whiff of Ichigo and Rukia's scent. Wherever people went, they always left a faint scent trail behind them. If I could catch it before it blew away, I could find just about anyone. My feet followed my nose as I took off in the direction they went. It was awhile before I finally reached a school. I lied down near the entrance and waited for them to get out of class.
Several hours passed until I smelt Ichigo and Rukia go outside. My body picked itself up as I raised my nose once again to find out exactly where they were. My nose led me to the roof, where I found Ichigo and Rukia sitting with a large group of people. I slowly approached them with my tail wagging. The first person to spot me was a rather well endowed girl with long auburn hair.
"Look at the cute doggie!" She happily announced as she jumped up and headed towards me. I was surprised as a few other girls followed her and began to shower me with praise and affection. My tail wagged as I soaked up all the attention I was getting.
"Kai? How did you get here?" Rukia questioned. She got up from her spot and walked over to me as well. She scratched behind my ear as she observed me curiously.
"Didn't I tell you to stay home?" Ichigo remarked, the scowl on his face slightly worse than usual. My ears flattened against my head and my tail drooped with it. I was in trouble.
"Kurosaki-kun, is this your dog?" The girl with auburn hair questioned. He nodded in response.
"I didn't know you had a dog." A boy with brown unruly hair stated.
"I didn't until last night, Keigo." Ichigo muttered, "I ran into it a few days ago, but thought it would go back to its owner. Last night it was sitting out in the rain so I brought her inside." He lied, seeming even more put out than usual. I couldn't help but wonder if something happened.
"That's so sweet of you Kurosaki-kun! She probably followed your scent to school. Border Collies have a great sense of smell!" The same girl spoke. "So that's what she is. Thanks for telling me Inoue-san." Ichigo spoke thoughtfully. Inoue blushed before waving her arms frantically in front of her, muttering that it was no problem. I watched carefully as one of Ichigo's friends picked up a stick off of the roof. He had almost shoulder length wavy brown hair, and had a very tan complexion. He tossed the stick, and before I could even decide if I wanted to go after it, my Border Collie instincts kicked in and my body took off after it. I picked it up gently with my teeth before running back over to the group. The boy held out his hand expectantly, waiting for me to give the stick back. Seeing this, I stopped about 4 feet away, and dropped the stick there before finishing my trip back to the group. If he wanted the stick back, he could go get it himself. I lied down next to Rukia and set my head down on my front paws. The boy just looked at me strangely, but made no move to go get the stick again.
"Well, it doesn't look like she'll be heading home any time soon. We might as well have her wait here until we get out of school." Rukia spoke while her hand absentmindedly found its way back to my ear. She knew just how to make me relax.
"I guess we really don't have much of a choice." Ichigo sighed as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch time.
"Don't forget Ichigo! Make it next Wednesday or you might as well be dead!" Keigo shouted before running off to class. I glanced up to Ichigo to see his scowl become even bigger, if that was possible. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on next Wednesday.
As they said, I waited until they got out of school before walking home with them. The next week flew by. Every day I would follow them to school, visit with their group at lunch, wait for them to get out, and then walk home with them afterwards. There was the occasional hollow interruption, during which I was forced to stay home. After listening to various conversations between Rukia and Ichigo, I eventually got an idea of the whole Soul Society and Shinigami concept. Rukia was by far my favorite of the two. She always gave me attention, and treated me more like a person than a dog. She often spoke to me about things that were bothering her, while I looked at her as if trying to convey that I understood. I didn't know what to think of Ichigo. I wasn't sure if I liked him or not. His constant scowl made me feel slightly uncomfortable, and I couldn't help thinking he would look a lot better if he would just smile. Either way, I felt indebted to him for taking me in. For some reason this filled me with a strange want to protect him, even though I knew I was the one who would probably need protecting in the end. I absolutely loved his two siblings, Yuzu and Karin. They would always sneak food under the table at dinner, and always made sure to play with me every night. I had grown used to their father, although his loud antics still hurt my sensitive ears. There was also the mod soul named Kon. At first I didn't like him, but we seemed to form a small connection whenever we were left home alone together while Rukia and Ichigo were out fighting hollows. I guess you could say it was more of an understanding. Of course, that still didn't stop me from occasionally using him as a chew toy.
Even so, I was the happiest I had been in a long time. Although I knew all good things must come to an end, I couldn't help wishing that things would stay the same forever. My musings over my good fortune were interrupted as Ichigo spoke,
"C'mon Kai, we're leaving." My head cocked to the side, questioning where we were going. He let out a sigh as he grumbled under his breath.
"I'm being forced to go to the airing of some stupid TV show at the old hospital. If I'm being forced to go, then you're going to." He muttered as he walked down the stairs with me right on his heels. His family was downstairs waiting for us. When his father questioned where Rukia was, he told him that she had already gone on ahead. We all left together for the hospital.
It wasn't long until we arrived, only to be greeted by Orihime, Keigo, and Mizuiro shouting 'BOHAHAHA!' with their arms crossed over their chest. Chad stayed silent but still had his arms crossed in front of him. Tatsuki just stood there looking rather out of place while Rukia stood smiling next to her. I glanced up at Ichigo's face to see his scowl bigger than ever. He must really not want to be here.
"You came!" Keigo and Mizuiro shouted simultaneously.
"Shut up! Be quiet or I'll kill you!" Ichigo shouted, clearly not in the mood for their antics.
"Oh no he says he'll kill us." "Oh my, the young people these days." Keigo and Mizurio muttered off to the side. I rolled my eyes at their reaction. Those two were horribly overdramatic.
I watched curiously as Orihime came up and apologized to Ichigo for something that happened a week ago. It was obvious even to me that she liked him a lot; however the fool seemed to be oblivious. He finished his conversation with her and proceeded to pull a magazine from seemingly nowhere. I lied down on the ground and rest my head on his feet, wishing I had something to occupy myself with. I dozed off lightly just as Rukia appeared to talk with Ichigo. I was resting peacefully until a horrible voice rang throughout the area. My feet scrambled to pull my body up as I let out a yelp. Rukia glanced over at me questioningly, wondering if I had heard the voice as well. There was a strange reiatsu in the area, and the voice sounded like a hollow. Over the past week, I had learned that reiatsu was the power I had been sensing in hollows and Ichigo. I had gotten better at sensing it, and was now able to locate people by locating their reiatsu instead of tracking their scent.
The noise got louder as I heard Rukia explain that it was a Jibaku, an earth bound spirit in the process of becoming a hollow. Both Ichigo and I visibly shuttered as we spotted a Konpaku chained to the ground in front of the hospital. I glanced around at my surroundings and noticed that Tatsuki, Chad, Karin, and Orihime all seemed to hear it as well.
The Jibaku continued to scream about the hospital belonging to him as I attempted to flatten my ears against my head as much as possible. Just when I felt as if my ears were about to bleed, a voice sounded out through the area.
"Attention everyone! The broadcast will now begin in 5! 4! 3! 2! …Good evening everyone!" The announcer shouted as everyone focused their attention on him. I proceeded to drown out his introduction, focusing on the small dot in the sky. What was that? I heard the announcer shout a name, and everyone turned their attention to the sky. Upon further observation, it turned out to be a man.
"How's it going Babies!? Spirits are!! Always!! With!! YOU!!" The obnoxiously dressed man shouted as he fell from the sky. The crowd erupted into cheers. Rukia seemed fascinated with the whole thing, while Ichigo was scowling more than I'd ever seen him scowl before. I felt my mouth slightly open in mild shock. Was this guy serious? Ichigo and I seemed to share mutual feelings as Rukia complimented his entrance as he opened his parachute.
"Don't give me that!" Ichigo scolded her, "You sure it's okay? Shouldn't we Konso this guy? Won't he become a hollow?"
"Don't worry. Essentially, it takes months, even years, to turn into a Hollow. He won't suddenly become a Hollow in the time space of an hour," Rukia explained, "Exposed in the open like this, it would mean trouble if there's a struggle and people get hurt. We will give it a soul burial after the festival." Ichigo started to protest, "Yeah, but-" Ichigo was cut off as a loud 'Smells like mean spirits!' was shouted, and the crowd roared behind him.
"….shit." Ichigo cursed as Rukia chastised him for worrying too much.
"The eve of becoming a Hollow is longer and more painful. That is when it gets so awful, the cries elevate. Does it look to you like he's at the point of suffering?" She explained as we watched the Jibaku scream in Don Kanonji's face.
"Not really…" Ichigo muttered in reluctant defeat.
"Am I right? Unless someone goes as far as to aggravate the open whole in his chest, he still has half a year more until he becomes a Hollow…" As soon as Rukia finished her sentence, Don Kanonji slammed the end of his staff into the growing hole. Rukia and Ichigo's eyes widened in alarm at his foolish actions. An even louder scream than before erupted from the Jibaku's lips sending chills down the spines of everyone who could hear it.
"Hey! Don't worry! It only hurts at first!! I'll send you to heaven real soon, baby!" The supposed spiritual medium shouted, shoving his staff even farther into the whole.
"Wha…What is that guy doing!?" Ichigo shouted in alarm. We watched in horror as Rukia explained that at this rate, he was going to become a hollow there and now. I had to do something. Without giving my idea any rational thought, my legs scrambled to get myself to Don Kanonji. I quickly jumped over the rope separating the crowd and barked a warning at the source of the danger. It's times like these I cursed the fact that I couldn't speak. Unfortunately, the only thing the bark seemed to do was attract the attention of the security guards and the announcer.
"Oh my! It appears a wild dog has found its way into the arena, and looks as if it's going to attack Don Kanonji!" The large man shouted into his microphone. I picked up the pace as I glanced at the pack of security guards chasing after me.
"KAI!" Ichigo's voice managed to break through the noise of the crowd and the cries of the hollow. I paused to glance back at Ichigo as he jumped over the rope as well. My ears perked up at his assistance, but they quickly pinned themselves down as I spotted the security guards in mid-air. I barked to warn him of the danger, but it was too late. Ichigo was quickly dog-piled under the security guards, forcing Rukia to run over to assist him. Ichigo's outburst distracted me just long enough for the security guards to tackle me as well. I felt the wind be forced from my lungs as Ichigo and Rukia disappeared from view.
'Alright, no more nice dog.' I growled mentally. Fortunately, the guards had only piled onto me, not really making an effort to pin me to the ground. I managed to wiggle myself out from underneath them without any of the mindless men figuring out I had escaped. Without wasting any more time, I continued my journey towards the idiot who caused all of this. Only a few seconds passed before I finally reached him. With a final burst of energy, I jumped into his side, knocking him to the ground.
"It appears Don Kanonji has been thrown the floor by the wild dog!" The announcer narrated animatedly. I stood on his chest with my paws on his shoulders, pinning him to the ground. My lip curled up, showing off my sharp canine teeth as I snarled to express my displeasure. Before I could find a way to reprimand him for his actions, I was tackled to the ground as well. It only took a few seconds for me to realize Ichigo was the one who had tackled me.
"What's this!? It seems the dog was thrown off of Kanonji by a mysterious invisible force!" If that announcer shouted something one more time, I swear I was going to rip his throat out.
"Wha…what's with you two!? Why do you interfere!? You're just a ghost and a dog!" Kanonji expressed in alarm. I rolled my eyes at his behavior.
"…You can see me too…?" Ichigo questioned.
"Of course!! Who do you think I am!? The charismatic spirit medium of the new…" he trailed off the end as if a thought had just struck him, "I see! So you are still my fan even in death, boy!?"
"I'm gonna kill ya." Ichigo glowered, grabbing Kanonji's chin forcefully. Their conversation was ended as the Jibaku let out an ear-piercing scream. I visibly winced at the volume and intensity of the scream. Even Ichigo was having a hard time with the noise, and he didn't have the sensitive ears I had. The Jibaku writhed as it let out tortured screams of pain. The chains holding it to the hospital slowly cracked while his face took on an expression that looked inhuman.
"No way…it's too late!?" Ichigo exclaimed, but was drowned out by the screams. There was an explosion of dust and air as the screams came to a stop. When the dust cleared, there was nothing there. I looked at the scene in confusion. Wasn't it supposed to turn into a Hollow? Ichigo seemed to be thinking the same thing as he glanced around at his surroundings.
"YEAH!! MISSION COMPLETE!!" Kanonji shouted to the crowd with a flourish of his arms.
"Seriously? He really took care of it with that?" The substitute shinigami questioned. I nodded my head in agreement. Surely it was not that easy, was it? I kept my eyes open for anything unusual as Ichigo questioned Don Kanonji.
"You're a wandering soul ghost too, boy? You must have come back for your canine friend. Relax! I'll exorcise you later and find your pet a good home! No performance fee needed!" Kanonji announced, thinking he had everything figured out.
"ABOVE YOU ICHIGO!! LOOK UP!!" Rukia's voice shouted from the crowd, grabbing both Ichigo and Don Kanonji's attention. All three of us gazed upward to watch as a hollow slowly appeared.
I knew it couldn't be that easy.
That's it for this chapter! Sorry to kinda leave it on a cliffhanger note, but I feared it was getting too long. Look out for Chapter 4, coming soon! Please review and let me know if you'd like me to continue posting here. It'd be greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading! :3