Blah Blah Blah:
I know that Ichigo's chapters are more like filler chapters in length, but they do have information that you might not necessarily get in Tora's chapters. Besides, I enjoy doing both PoVs because it's always fun trying to get into Ichigo's mind~ Happy reading~

.:3:.
.:Ichigo:.

"We're like stalkers," I muttered as I jumped on the tree branch Rukia stood on.

"We wouldn't have to do this if someone would think with the head on his shoulders instead of the other one," she hissed.

I rolled my eyes. "I already told you that it had nothing to do with the way she looks—aside from the fact that she looked exhausted, and you were being bossy as hell."

"Well, excuse me if I want to get to the bottom of this, Ichigo. We can't very well let some Arrancar roam through Karakura Town, can we?"

"But she's obviously a human," I stated.

She turned to me, eyes sharp. "Can you honestly say that after seeing how she took out that Vasto Lorde? With her fist, Ichigo. She punched it. Once. And her spiritual pressure spiked through the roof."

"I saw, Rukia, but then everything settled and her spiritual pressure was back to normal. Besides, her spiritual pressure didn't even reach half of mine, so stop making it seem like she's a monster."

It was Rukia's turn to roll her eyes. "It's hardly fair to determine that she's normal simply because she couldn't reach your spiritual pressure. You're in your own category, but she… Ichigo, if you didn't exist, she would be considered the anomaly."

"But I do exist," I point out, "and you didn't say I wasn't human."

"That's because you were changed into half Soul Reaper! She didn't even use a zanpakuto."

I sighed. "Look. I get that there's something weird going on, but accusing her when she was already worn out wasn't the way to go about it."

"Coming from the hot-head," she muttered. Before I could retort, she sighed too. "I understand that now, which is why we're gathering information before we do anything else."

"And the only way to gather information that you could think of was to follow her home and spy on her?"

"It's a start," Rukia said. "At least until someone from the Seireitei gets back to me."

"Fine," I said, giving in. It was too much trouble to argue with her when she was this dedicated.

"We need to get closer," she said, jumping from the tree branch across the fence to the roof of the girl's house.

I sighed again and followed her. "If we get caught, I'm throwing you under the bus," I warned.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just shut up and listen."

"Is it done yet?" we heard Tora demand as she walked out of the house.

I snickered when the old woman, who Rukia figured was her grandmother, tried to hit her with a spatula. "It'll be ready in a minute, you impatient child. Didn't you eat at school?"

"The food didn't look edible," she whined.

"Well, don't complain when it's your own fault," the old woman snapped. "I told you to pack a bento just in case."

"Aren't grandmothers supposed to be cute and kind and spoil their grandchildren?" she grumbled.

The woman laughed. "Maybe, but they're also not supposed to believe their crazy, simple-minded grandchildren when they say they have conversations with ghost."

"So, she tells her grandmother everything…" Rukia mused, a finger to her lip as she thought.

"What's so weird about that?"

"Nothing, really. You would just think that she'd be closer to her parents, like her mother or father."

I shrugged. "Maybe there are problems at home. Could explain why she lives with her grandmother."

"I guess," Rukia said, still thinking. She snapped out of it, though, when an orange puffball appeared with a pop.

"What is that?" I wondered.

She blinked, staring at it hard before answering me. "I believe they're known as hogosha, or guardians. They usually appear in front of children who are dying, as protectors to help them as they try to find a way to move on… Soul Reapers have used them to help the scared souls of children pass on, but we don't anymore because they're going extinct."

"Extinct?"

She nodded. "They're pure spirits who tend to get attached to one human soul since humans are typically helpless against the spirit world. The problem is that they end up protecting them with their lives. Most don't make it, and their numbers have only declined since the Arrancars appeared."

"Then why… why is one with the girl?"

"I'm not really sure," she stated. "Unless…"

"Unless?" I wondered, but she was already listening to the girl's conversation with her grandmother.

I could barely hear the old woman say, "You know that that day is tomorrow, right?"

Rukia and I shared a look as the girl sighed. "Yeah. I know."

"Are you going?" the woman asked. "I know it'll only be your second day, but I think it'll be okay to leave halfway through."

There were a few beats of silence as the girl stared up at the sky. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

Rukia nodded, like she figured something out. "I think her parents are dead."

I blinked. "That's a hell'ava conclusion to come to."

"Well, hogosha have been known to come to the living's defense in specific instances, and since the emerge of Aizen's Arrancar Army—" her eyes hardened, disgusted at even the thought of Aizen "—they've been doing it more and more as of late. If Tora had been in some life-threatening situation with her parents while a hogosha was wondering around, it would only make sense that that, combined with her strong spiritual pressure, would attract it. It also explains why she's living with her grandmother and close enough to her to tell her about seeing spirits."

"Seems like a leap to me," I muttered.

"It's only a theory," she admitted. "One of many."

I ruffled my hair. "Let's just leave her alone, Rukia. She's clearly human, especially if that hodosha—"

"Hogosha," she corrected.

"—whatever. Because that thing is around, there's no reason to doubt she's a human, is there?"

"No, I guess not," she said. "But it doesn't explain the immense pressure."

"No, it doesn't, but if we come on too strong, she'll never trust us."

She humphed. "I don't know if I care whether she trusts us or not."

I rolled my eyes. "That's only because you're mad that she got her little hodosha friend to bite you."

"Hogosha," she said, exasperated. "And that has nothing to do with it. Her attitude is horrible."

"Then you two should get along just fine."

She glared at me. "What are you trying to say, Ichigo?"

I smirked. "Nothing. Let's get back. We have school tomorrow."

She grumbled, probably called me an asshole under her breath, but stood up nonetheless.