Notes: Here is Chapter two. This one took me quite a deal less longer to write. Enjoy~!
Disclaimer: Still don't won Bleach.
Warnings: Violence, cursing, the usual.
Ichigo looked around at the rubble everywhere. She could see the ghosts of Yuzu and her father, battered and bloody from the fight with the hollow. Both were saying they were hurting and that they thought she was supposed to save them. She then turned and saw Rukia standing in the background. Rukia waved and told Ichigo she was too late. Ichigo by then was creeped out as hell and asking if all that fighting was for nothing.
Ichigo, somehow, thought she heard a trace of something along the lines of 'Good morning' in the background before she was rudely awaken by her father, Isshin attacking her as per usual in the morning to which started off their daily ritual of wrestling around on the ground until Ichigo had a hold of her father's face and had him pinned to the ground.
"What kind of sick freak attacks their own daughter while she sleeps", Ichigo growled in annoyance at her idiot father.
"That's my girl", Isshin said, muffled by Ichigo's hand on his face and reveling in the fact Ichigo had actually referred to herself as a girl for a change, "I have nothing left to teach you!"
Ichigo stared down at her father in annoyance before noticing something. "Hey", she said in confusion, "Where are your wounds?"
Isshin looked at her in confusion as she loosened her grip on his face. "Wounds", he asked, "What wounds? Did I get hurt?"
Ichigo blinked in confusion. "Say what", she asked. She soon followed her dad downstairs and is given a full story of what must have happened last night, consisting of a trick plowing into the side of the house. The orange haired teen simply stared at the hole in the wall as the story was explained.
"What a miracle", Isshin said with a hammer in hand, ready to start fixing up their home where there was a giant hole, "A truck crashes into our house and nobody gets a scratch!"
"Double miracle, none of us even woke up", Yuzu said as she was preparing breakfast outside for the family, "Breakfast is ready, Ichigo."
"Some miracle", Karin said with a snort as she turned away, "The jerk left us with the repair bills. This family, jeez..."
'What's going on', Ichigo thought to herself as her family argued about the truck driver in the background, 'Their wounds are gone, vanished. They think it was a truck. Some sort of soul reaper triage service?' Her thoughts drifted to Rukia. 'Did she... go back to that soul society place?'
---
Later on in the morning Karakura High sat with many of its students within their respective classes. In one class in particular, there sat a young woman with bright orange hair much like Ichigo's, sitting in a chair by the window. She wore her regular school uniform and two matching blue flower clips in her hair. She had a book in her lap that was titled the Encyclopedia of the Stars. She let out a long sigh, her thoughts occupied by a certain redhead who was absent for some reason she knew not of. She wondered where in fact he, or she as the girl knew otherwise, was.
"Don't do that", another girl in the class said as she stood beside the girl causing the redhead to jump and hold her book to her face, "Don't waste your life away daydreaming!" The girl had black spunky short hair and wore a uniform like the girl she stood beside.
"Tatsuki", the orange haired girl exclaimed as she set down her book with a smile on her face.
"Ichigo's late", Tatsuki commented to her friend as she pulled up a chair beside her.
"Huh", the orange haired girl said blinking a few times.
"Weren't you just thinking about him", Tatsuki asked with a light grin.
"Uh, no", the girl answered quickly, lightly blushing as she waved her hands in front of herself. Tatsuki could always read her too well.
Tatsuki stared at her friend with a serious expression for a moment. "What's so great about him, Orihime", she asked curiously, "He's got tweaked out hair, he's rude, immature, short-tempered... A girl with boobs like yours could do a lot better."
Orihime blushed at the comment about her nicely developed chest. "I told you, Tatsuki-chan, I'm not into Ichigo-kun like that", she said quickly, "We're simply friends! And besides, he's nice once you get to know him!"
"Nice my ass", Tatsuki said rolling her eyes, not believing her friend. Nice was not a word that described Ichigo, and that was a fact.
"He may be absent today", a voice commented from beside the two. It came from a young man with dark brown hair, "Ichigo."
"Mizuiro", Orihime greeted softly.
"How come", Tatsuki asked nosily, "You normally come to school with him."
"Yeah", Mizuiro said with a nod, "I stopped by his place this morning and there was a big hole in his house. They said a truck plowed into it in the middle of the night. So his dad says."
"A truck", Tatsuki exclaimed, an incredulous look on her face, "So?! Is he hurt?! Or maybe... dead."
"Alive", an annoyed voice said behind Tatsuki as she was hit in the head by a book bag. She turned slightly to meet the sight of Ichigo behind her. "Sorry to disappoint you, we all survived."
"Ichigo", Orihime said with a grin, "Good morning!"
Ichigo gave a half hearted wave. "Morning, Orihime", she, or he as known around school, said idly as she took her seat. She was back to using the deeper voice she used while pretending to be a boy.
"Ah, you're here", Mizuiro said as he turned to face Ichigo, who sat behind him, "Weren't you fixing your house?"
"Yeah, what's third period", Ichigo asked as she began to sit down.
"Contemporary arts", Mizuiro answered.
"Good", Ichigo said, "That's Miss Ochi. She won't ask annoying questions."
Just as Ichigo was about to sit, she was stopped by a familiar voice. "Son of a", the person began in a quiet tone before speaking louder, "Are you Kurosaki?"
Ichigo slowly turned to face the voice and sure enough, there sat Rukia, dressed in the school's female uniform. "Nice to meet you", Rukia greeted with a fake smile.
"Oh, this is Rukia Kuchiki", Mizuiro explained pointing to Rukia, "She started yesterday. It's an unusual time to transfer, but her family just had to move."
Ichigo gained a look of confusion. "Why are you", she began but trailed off to which Mizuiro blinked in confusion at his friend's odd behavior.
"Ichigo", Rukia said with a smile as she turned to him, "I don't have any textbooks yet. Do you mind sharing yours with me?" She held out her hand which held a message scrawled in ink. 'Don't tell my secret and I won't tell yours.'
Ichigo's eyes widened as she stared at the raven haired woman in terror. 'What's', she began to think, 'Is she out of her mind?!'
Later, Ichigo managed to drag Rukia outside after making a hasty excuse and promptly dragged her around back.
"Is there a reason we're back here", Rukia asked with a curious tone.
Ichigo then rounded on her and started her assault of questions. "Why the hell are you still here", she asked flat out, "You're work is done, isn't it?! If so, then why are you still here instead of going back to that soul society place?!"
"Shush", Rukia said, not wanting any passerby the hear them speaking, "Because I'd have to be a soul reaper to return to the soul society... I can't go back..."
"Why's that", Ichigo asked blinking.
"Because", Rukia replied placing a hand on her chest, "I lost all of my dark force..."
Ichigo blinked in surprise. "You lost your powers", she asked incredulously, "What are they, socks?! Where did they go?"
"They're inside you", Rukia said, pointing to Ichigo who froze in shock, "They've been fused with your soul and you've become a soul reaper... Last night you took my powers from me... I can only do a few demonic spells now... And I have to rely on this Gigai."
Ichigo blinked a few times. "Gigai", she asked.
"It's a temporary body we soul reapers use in emergencies", Rukia explained, "Disempowered soul reapers inhabit Gigais until their powers return."
"It looks human", Ichigo commented.
"It has too", Rukia stated in an obvious tone, "I'd be easy prey for a hollow without my powers... So I have to disguise myself as a human..."
'So that's why everyone can see her', Ichigo thought to herself.
"But, before I answer any more questions of yours, it's only fair you answer some of mine", Rukia said with a firm nod.
Ichigo nodded hesitantly, already knowing the first questions coming to her mind. "No", she stated simply, "The others don't know I'm a woman... except two of our classmates... Other than that, everyone thinks I'm a boy... Though I have a guess another one of my classmates has a hunch... And yes, the voice you heard last night was my actual voice... I created this one so I could pull off my façade of being a boy..."
Rukia nodded. "That knocks off two of my main questions", she commented, "Now the other one is why?"
Ichigo frowned as she gave a snort of annoyance. "You know what its like to be a woman", she said, "Men always look down on us and think we're weaker... I'll prove to the world that women are strong and that gender doesn't matter... Besides, I have a family to protect... My name means 'one who protects'. And I'll live up to that name. For my sisters, my father... and most certainly for my mother... I'll be as strong as I can be so I can show them I'm someone to be proud of..."
Rukia smiled lightly at her determination. "Then, I suppose I'll get to my point", she said pointing at Ichigo, "Since I lost all of my Dark Force, until I regain it, you must perform the duties of a soul reaper."
"I have to what", Ichigo yelled, eye twitching in annoyance at the absurdity of it all.
"You'll be fine", Rukia said waving her hand, "You have soul reaper powers now! Besides, I'll help you. And you kind of don't have a choice since this is your fault and all..."
"You've honestly lost it", Ichigo cried, throwing up her hands in the air, "I can't do this! I know next to nothing about this kind of thing! Besides, I don't want to deal with those monsters again! The only reason I did what I did yesterday was because it was my family being hurt... I couldn't possibly protect complete strangers..."
"You can", Rukia said as she pulled out a fingerless glove and pulled it onto her hand, "And you will." She stepped forward and slammed her fist against Ichigo's forehead and expelled her soul out of her body.
Ichigo landed on her butt, cursing for a moment before realizing her body laid in front of her. "The hell", she exclaimed, "That's my body! Wake me up!"
"Come with me", Rukia said as she started to walk away, which Ichigo hastily followed after her, throwing a few glances over her shoulder at her body. They stopped soon enough in a small park for children, one Ichigo had been to numerous times as a child, and then took Karin and Yuzu to in turn.
"Why are we here", Ichigo asked quietly.
"It won't be long now", Rukia said softly.
"What won't be long", Ichigo asked sending her a confused look.
"Do ghosts come to this park", Rukia asked vaguely, ignoring Ichigo's question.
Ichigo nodded. "One does", she said, "He's about five years old, and tiny. He likes to play in the park around noon."
"A friend", Rukia asked.
"I've seen him, but I haven't ever spoken to him", Ichigo said quietly, "Why does it matter?"
Rukia handed a phone like device to Ichigo to look at. She read what was on the screen in confusion. "What's this", she asked.
"An order", Rukia answered looking at Ichigo, "From the soul society... 12:00 P.M., plus or minus fifteen minutes. Within a twenty mile radius of Yumizawa children's park, a hollow will appear... It will most likely attack the child."
Ichigo stared at her in alarm before the two turned their heads as a scream grazed the air. The child Ichigo had described was running away from a spider like hollow in terror. Ichigo took an unconscious step forward and moved automatically to grab her sword, but Rukia stopped her.
"Here is where you make your decision, Ichigo", Rukia said, eyes narrowing, "You said you didn't think you could help complete strangers... So stand there... And don't help him... because you can't just save him because you're here... That's not how it works. A soul reaper must be fair to all souls... So, you either do my job, or more souls like him will die..."
Ichigo stared at the terror stricken child as it ran, a twinge of hurt going through her. 'She's says this like it's so easy', she thought, 'But is it really... Can I really sacrifice myself?' She thought back to when Rukia saved her and put on a determined face. She stepped forward and stood in front of the hollow who was pinning down the child now while Rukia watched in the background in shock.
"What are you", the hollow hissed. Ichigo swiftly cut off the hollow's leg and it fell to the ground a few feet away.
"Ichigo, you made your decision", Rukia asked.
Ichigo stabbed her sword into the ground next the little child's ghost, scaring the poor thing. She turned to Rukia with a hard glare. "I don't know for sure whether or not I can do this", she admitted, "I may run away next time... And I don't know about this sacrificing myself thing either... I mean, when you saved me, was it just your duty as a soul reaper? Duty isn't a reason to sacrifice yourself... Not for me, anyways."
As Ichigo spoke, the hollow got up off the ground and charged at her, to which Ichigo slashed through the thing down the middle.
Ichigo turned once more to Rukia. "But, I do owe you a large debt for letting me save my family", she said, "And I'm not a total scumbag! So..." Ichigo held her hand out to Rukia with a determined look. "I suppose I'll help you with this soul reaper job of yours", she said, voice taking on the lighter feminine tone Ichigo tried to hide all the time.
Rukia smiled and took her hand. "Alright then", she said, "Good luck!"
Back at the school, calamity ensued as people found Ichigo's limp body outside on the ground unmoving.
Alright! Chapter two is up. I'll get started soon enough on chapter three. Read and Review~!