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Chapter 33: Visitor
Her arms wrapped around her stomach, Kirara was almost doubled over with laughter as the Vizards were torn between staring at her, and their intruder.
"Oh god...I'm gonna die...this is amazing," tears stung at Kirara's eyes as she continued to laugh.
"What the hell is up with you, Kirara?" Kensei scowled at her as Kirara tried to stop her laughter, to no avail. Hearing a loud explosion nearby, they all looked around as Hiyori let out an angry yell.
"What are you doing Ichigo?!" she demanded as he groaned on the ground.
"Ichigo, it's you!" Orihime spotted him, looking relieved as he looked up in surprise.
"Orihime?" he asked, unsure if he was really seeing her.
"Okay..." Love frowned when Ichigo took a break – despite Hiyori yelling and refusing to let him – to speak with Orihime. "So Ichigo knows this girl?" he asked.
"She's his friend, one of the four who went to the Soul Society to save the Kuchiki girl," Kirara explained, still giggling. She couldn't get over how funny it was.
"Just how the hell did a human get through Hachi's barrier?" Kensei grunted, looking irritated that she was sitting talking to Ichigo instead of explaining herself.
"Who knows?" Kirara shrugged, coughing as she finally managed to calm her giggles.
"You're helpful," Kensei muttered.
"Knew more than you did, didn't I?" Kirara retorted, earning a glare from him.
"Please, don't start fighting," Hachi pleaded with them, raising his hands in a way to try and calm them.
"Yes, there really is no need for it," Rose agreed with him. When Ichigo then got to his feet and walked away from her, Kirara got up.
"Hey, Orihime!" she called, walking over. The red-haired girl looked around, her eyes growing wide.
"Oh, Kirara!"
"Kirara, she knows you?!" Kensei yelled, but Kirara didn't reply, just walking over to Orihime.
"Come on, away from the crazies," Kirara grinned, guiding Orihime away as Hiyori and Ichigo resumed training.
"Huh? Uh...okay..." Orihime blinked rapidly, and they began walking up the stairs back to the warehouse.
"I wanted to say sorry," Kirara spoke softly, making Orihime look around so quickly that she overbalanced, and would have fallen back down the stairs, had Kirara not caught her wrist, laughing. "You alright?" she asked.
"Ye-yeah," Orihime blushed in embarrassment as Kirara released her. They reached the top of the stairs, and Kirara turned to Orihime, her hands behind her back. Orihime blinked multiple times at her, before Kirara bowed.
"I'm sorry, Orihime," she apologised. "I said some horrible things, the last few times we met. You didn't deserve that," she kept her eyes on the ground.
"Oh! You don't have to-"
"Yes I do," Kirara interrupted. "You, Tatsuki, even Mizuiro and Keigo, you've all been kind to me from when I met you. And the entire time, I was..."
"You were looking out for Ichigo, right?" Orihime's words made Kirara look up in surprise. She stared up at the girl, who was smiling at her. "You don't have to apologise, I understand," she told Kirara.
"You are..." Kirara straightened up, tilting her head. "A very strange one, you know that?" she smiled back at her, and Orihime gave a small laugh.
"Besides, you helped us before, didn't you?" Orihime asked. "When your friend wanted to kill us for interfering," she added.
"Uh, don't say it too loud. Hiyori is still mad at me," Kirara looked around awkwardly.
"Kirara, we're still friends, right?" she looked back at Orihime in surprise. The red-haired girl looked worriedly at her.
"Orihime..." Kirara murmured.
"You know, when we first met, I was kinda scared of you," Orihime admitted. Kirara didn't speak, already knowing that. "But then I saw you outside of school. You looked...sad," she told Kirara, who looked away. "I knew you weren't bad, not really," Orihime smiled, but it faltered a little when she saw the glimmer of pain in her eyes.
"Of...of course we're still friends, Orihime," Kirara then lifted her head and smiled at her.
"Oh, good," Orihime sighed with relief. "I better go," she decided.
"Sure thing," Kirara chuckled, waving as Orihime left the warehouse, passing through the barrier as if it wasn't even there. As she watched her leave, Kirara's smile faded, and her hand fell to her side.
"Are you alright?" she looked up when Rose stood beside her.
"She still wants to be friends," Kirara turned and looked up at the blonde, a wry smile on her face. "We've been living in this world for a hundred years, Rose, and still humans baffle me," she told him.
"Oh Kirara, my dear," Rose chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "Everyone baffles you," he teased her.
"Funny, Rose," Kirara rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. "Thanks. You're a good friend," she told him.
"Of course I am," Rose sniffed, and they turned, walking back towards the stairs. "It's about time someone realised," he muttered, making Kirara laugh.
"Oh Rose, you know you're my best friend, right?" she elbowed him.
"I know, my dear," Rose put a hand on her shoulder, smiling softly, touched by her admission.
"Hey Kirara!" they looked down to where Lisa was standing, looking up at him. "Shinji's being an idiot again!" she told her. The blond in question had his back to them, but stiffened at her words.
"Oh?" Kirara walked towards them, confused by her words, before realising what she meant. "He's talking about Orihime being a hottie again, isn't he?" she asked with a laugh.
"What the hell is wrong with you people?!" Kensei demanded when Rose gave her a slightly concerned look.
"He's calling her his first love," Lisa told her.
"Oh, really?" Kirara walked around Shinji, still grinning. He shot Lisa an irritated look, and she smirked back at him. "Cause I've told you before, you've got no chance with a cutie like Orihime, she's way too pretty for you," she taunted Shinji, poking his chest and making him look down at her.
"Then how'd I get you?" his voice was quiet, but Kirara went bright red. "How about you stop telling on me, and mind your own business?" he asked, tilting his head to glare at Lisa.
"Where's the fun in that?" she answered shamelessly.
"And you," Shinji turned back to Kirara. "Behave yourself," he poked her nose, and glanced over to where Ichigo was tossed through the air.
"Dumbass...I'm not..." Kirara muttered, making him glance to her again to see her frowning at the ground. "I'm not like..." she stopped when he put a hand on her head.
"You shouldn't put yourself down, idiot," he told her quietly, ruffling her hair. Kirara reached up and took his hand silently, still blushing as she determinedly focused on Ichigo and Hiyori. Shinji gave a small chuckle, and took a seat, pulling her down with him as Kensei rolled his eyes in irritation at them.
"Ichigo's reactions really are the worst," Kirara mused as she watched Ichigo smash into another rock.
"At this rate I think Hiyori is going to kill him, not teach him," Shinji mused, his head back on her lap as he stretched.
"I've seen that coming for a while," Kirara snorted. Hiyori's shrieks of anger echoed towards them, and she sighed. "She loves to shout..." she murmured.
"You expect anything less of the harpy?" Shinji asked her, and Kirara smiled slightly.
"You deserve every beating she gives you," she told him.
"I do not," Shinji was affronted by her words, which made her giggle.
"You absolutely do," she looked down at him as he looked up at her with a frown. Kirara smiled innocently back at him, and he reached up, touching his fingertips to her cheek, brushing the scar by her chin and making her giggle again at the soft touch. "You're so weird," she told him, catching his hand to kiss his slender fingers.
"You're gonna hurt my feelings," he hummed, but didn't look too put out.
"Doubt that," Kirara scoffed. Shinji just watched her, continuing to trail his fingers across her face. Occasionally she'd twitch, unable to hide the giggles that betrayed her ticklish spots. He just smiled very slightly. Kirara smiled down at him, unable to hide her true feelings about her laid-back idiot, who always seemed to know what she was thinking, before she even thought it. "Hey, Shinji," she started, her smile fading.
"Uhuh?" Shinji just kept trailing his fingers across her face, lingering briefly on the scar that marred her nose. When he did, she twitched, and giggled again, too ticklish for her own good. She smiled again, tilting her head slightly.
"I-"
"Kirara?" she looked up in surprise as Hachi approached her.
"What's up Hachi?" she smiled up at him as Shinji frowned up at the giant, dropping his hand.
"It's about that girl, Orihime," Hachi told her. "I was wondering if I'd be able to talk to her about her abilities. They're very similar to my own barrier techniques," he explained.
"Oh," Kirara blinked in surprise. "I can grab her if you want," she offered, and looked down at Shinji, and smiled brightly as he continued to frown at Hachi. "You're cute," she told him, making his eyes widen.
"The hell is wrong with you?" he demanded, sitting up abruptly to glare at her. "I ain't cute Kirara," he told her, insulted. With a laugh, Kirara leaned in, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
"You shouldn't put yourself down, idiot," she teased him, enjoying the shade of red his face was turning. Kirara then got to her feet, grinning. "See you in a bit," she called as she walked away from the two, heading back up the stairs.
As soon as she passed through the barrier, Kirara closed her eyes, feeling out for Orihime's Reiatsu. Night had fallen, and the temperature had dropped, making her shiver as a cold breeze hit her bare legs.
"I think...she's by the school," Kirara realised. "With...urgh, Kuchiki?" she groaned irritably, before crouching and pushing up, leaping into the air. "Ah well, the Shinigami know I'm here, may as well make a grand entrance!" she laughed, leaping through the air.
Rukia and Orihime were sitting on the roof of the school, talking as Rukia comforted an upset Orihime. However, their touching moment was shattered when Kirara cleared her throat, making them look up sharply to see her sitting on the railings. "Hey," she raised a hand in greeting.
"Kirara?"
"What on earth?" the two girls gasped. "How'd you get up there?" Rukia demanded in shock, getting to her feet. Kirara didn't answer her, instead jumping down and landing lightly. She turned to Orihime, and gave a dramatic bow.
"Oh fair Orihime, Hachigen has requested an audience with you," she announced. Orihime blinked rapidly.
"Uh...who's Hachigen?" she asked slowly. Kirara grinned, straightening up.
"You'll see. Come on," she took Orihime's hand, and the submissive girl found herself on Kirara's back, hanging on by wrapping her arms around Kirara's neck. "Hold on tight," Kirara told her brightly. Rukia took a step, finding her voice.
"Hey, wait, you can't-"
"Too late," Kirara sang, and leapt into the air as Orihime shrieked in alarm. Rukia stared at them, baffled as Orihime's wails of terror were accompanied by Kirara's laughter.
"Isn't she...from Ichigo's class?" Rukia wondered, baffled by what had just happened.
"Uh...Kirara?" Orihime called as she clung to the other girl tightly. "What are we doing? Where are we going?" she asked.
"I told you," Kirara called, taking another leap. Every time she did, sailing through the air, Orihime's grip tightened. "We're going to see Hachi," she explained.
"Who's Hachi? And why does he want to talk to me?" Orihime called.
"Just wait and see," Kirara told her, still laughing. "Hold on, we're going down!" she called, and Orihime let out another wail of terror as they hurtled towards the ground, only to land lightly. "We're here," Kirara announced, still laughing as she walked inside, still carrying a very shaky human on her back. Sensing that Orihime wouldn't be able to walk just yet, Kirara carried her down the stairs.
"Back already, Kirara?" Rose shot her an amused look, but it faded when she saw the look on Orihime's face. "Oh dear, you weren't too rough with the girl were you? She's only human Kirara," he pointed out.
"She's fine," Kirara chuckled, reaching Hachi and finally setting her down. Orihime's legs immediately gave out. "Mostly," Kirara added. "Hachi, I got what you ordered," she laughed.
"Orihime?" Ichigo, who was standing nearby, glanced around.
"Hey, who said you could take a break?!" Hiyori demanded, and Ichigo was sent flying by one of her sandals. Kirara shook her head, and as Hachi approached Orihime, Kirara leapt up onto the rock Hiyori was on. "What do you want?" Hiyori frowned up at her.
"Mind if I give it a shot?" her question took the blonde by surprise.
"You wanna teach Ichigo?" Hiyori folded her arms, frowning up at her. "Are you crazy, Kirara?" she asked.
"You're always telling me I am," Kirara pointed out.
"Yeah, cause only someone insane would be gross enough to wanna go near the dumb baldy," Hiyori pointed out. Kirara just grinned and winked at her. "You're gross," Hiyori muttered. "Fine, suit yourself," she shrugged, leaping down as Ichigo finally emerged from the rubble.
"Ready, Ichigo?" Kirara called down to him, and he frowned, looking up at her.
"For what?" he asked. Kirara suddenly appeared in front of him, making him jolt.
"We're gonna work on your reactions, cause face it, they're awful," she grinned at him.
"Oh yeah?" Ichigo growled at her, and lifted his Zanpakuto. "We'll see about that," his eyes gleamed with the challenge. Kirara's grin widened, enjoying the look.
"Okay, so it's easy," she decided. "All you have to do...is dodge my attacks!" Kirara suddenly punched Ichigo, and he stumbled backwards with a pained grunt.
"Hey, I wasn't re-"
"Oh please," Kirara reappeared in front of him. "Don't finish that sentence," she told him, swinging her leg. Ichigo went flying through the air, and she groaned. "Are you for real, Ichigo?" she called, resting a hand on her hip. With a growl, Ichigo launched at her, but Kirara easily sidestepped. "Hey, I told you, you're only supposed to stop my attacks!" she told him.
"What? But how can I win?" Ichigo demanded. Kirara looked at him incredulously. He stared back at the Vizard who up until recently he had seen as just a normal girl. But as he studied her now, he wondered how he'd not caught on earlier.
She held herself confidently, and despite the persona she held in the school of a delinquent who slept a great deal of the day, she wasn't skinny, but toned. Her hair was now more black than white again, and the scars on her face looked like they'd been made by a sword. She looked like a warrior.
"You dodge my attacks. That's how you win," she told him as this were obvious. "Now come on!" Kirara leapt at him with a great deal of speed, and Ichigo was knocked back several feet. Kirara let out another groan of irritation. "That was even slower! How were you trained by Yoruichi?" she demanded, and his eyes widened.
"How...how'd you know about that?" he asked, his heart hammering against his chest. Just how the hell did the Vizards seem to know everything about him? It was starting to piss him off.
"I'd recognise her trademark techniques anywhere, even if you are butchering them," Kirara shrugged, and gave a small smirk. "Does she really let you tell people that she trained you? I mean come on...that's just embarrassing," she commented.
"What the hell would you know? I gave Byakuya Kuchiki a run for his damn money thanks to her training!" Ichigo snapped, her insults just making him even angrier.
"Byakuya?" Kirara blinked, losing her smirk as she tilted her head. "You mean that hot-headed brat that was supposed to become the next head of the Kuchiki family?" she asked him.
"Uh...I wouldn't call Byakuya hot-headed...wait, you know him?" Ichigo blinked.
"Oops..." Kirara realised her slip. "Let's get back to work, shall we?" she grinned, and jumped at him again. This time, Ichigo saw her move, but before he could completely dodge it, her foot slammed into his side.
"What is the point of this?" Ichigo asked when he emerged from the rubble he had landed in.
"Like Hiyori said, your first move after you don your Mask is too slow. That should be the most important move you make, and if you make it too slow, it will cost you," Kirara warned him. "This is the best way to help improve your reaction time," she explained.
"Is this how you learned?" Ichigo growled back at her. Kirara gave a small laugh.
"It's how I learned to hone my reactions in the first place. You're not the only one to have been trained by the Flash Goddess," she told him. Ichigo's eyes widened, and raised his hands to try and block Kirara's punch, only for her to twist and kick him in the gut. "I'm gonna have to go even slower...how annoying," she sighed, watching as Ichigo sank to his knees, coughing.
Bruises lined Ichigo's body as he hurt in places he didn't know existed. After the beating he took from the midget with a short fuse, he'd then suffered another beating from Kirara, who insisted that it was all to help train up his reaction times. All he knew was, she was as sadistic as Yoruichi was when she trained him.
All the beatings made it very difficult to sleep in the spare room that had been set up for him. Not to mention, he still wasn't entirely comfortable with the group, even if they had helped him. He didn't know who they were, and from what he gathered from brief comments, they knew a lot more than he'd expect strangers to know.
Ichigo's stomach growled as he crept downstairs to the kitchen to grab something to eat. He was starving, not having eaten much so he could get back to training. He wanted to get as good as he could as soon as possible.
"Hey," he jumped, barely managing to stifle his shriek as he was greeted when he stepped into the kitchen. Kirara, who was standing in front of the cooker, turned her head to look at him. "You're up late, Ichigo," she commented. The kitchen was dark, except for a small lamp that barely provided any light at all, and she stood on the far side with her long hair down.
"Uh, yeah...couldn't sleep," he told her.
"Not hard to believe," Kirara turned back to what she was doing. "You took a lot of beatings today, not just from training. Plus, I imagine you're not finding it easy to sleep in a building of creeps like us," she chuckled. Ichigo didn't answer, surprised by how easily she'd figured him out. "Take a seat," Kirara told him, still not looking around. Feeling awkward, Ichigo did as he was told. "I need to apologise to you, Ichigo," Kirara's voice was soft.
"You do?" the orange-haired boy frowned at her back.
"Of course I do. What I said when you first came to us, about your friends, and all that. I never meant any of it you know," Kirara finally looked around at him again, her gaze guilty. "Orihime, Tatsuki, and the others, I did see them as friends too," she told him.
"I know," Ichigo's voice was quiet. "I kinda figured that afterwards. You were trying to get me to show my Hollow," he muttered.
"You're not alone, Ichigo," Kirara continued, her eyes glittering in the poor light. "We've all been there. We all have Hollows inside us," she said softly.
"Yeah..." part of Ichigo desperately wanted to ask why they had them too. To know that he wasn't the only one with the darkness within was a sort of comfort, but at the same time, he really had no idea who they really were.
"Here you go," he blinked when a plate was set in front of him, with a rice omelette still steaming. "You seemed hungry," Kirara smiled at him.
"I...thanks, Kirara," Ichigo muttered, and with a smile, she took a seat as well with her own. The two were quiet as they ate, before Ichigo looked up at her. "You said something earlier, about being trained by Yoruichi," he said softly, and Kirara paused. "You also said something about knowing Byakuya," he told her. Kirara didn't answer immediately, lowering her fork with a sigh.
"I've known Yoruichi a long time. I served under her, once upon a time," she told him in a quiet voice, her blue eyes glinting in the poor light. "I was the Corps Commander for the Patrol Corps of the Onmitsukido," Ichigo's eyes widened. He had heard all about the dangerous group that was run by Soi Fon. "But..." Kirara gave a heavy sigh. "That was another life," she continued eating.
"That doesn't really explain how you knew Byakuya, and why you said he was hot-headed," Ichigo couldn't help himself. Kirara gave a small laugh.
"You really are a glutton for knowledge, aren't you, Kurosaki?" she looked up in amusement. Ichigo blushed. "Yoruichi often visited the Kuchiki estate, and I joined her occasionally. Man, that kid had a temper," Kirara mused to herself, shaking her head.
"I guess there really is a lot I don't know," Ichigo murmured.
"You have no idea," Kirara agreed, finishing her food and getting up to wash her dish. "I have a favour to ask, Ichigo," she said, making him glance around.
"Yeah?" he frowned.
"Don't tell the others I can cook," she requested, taking Ichigo by surprise. "I've kept this hidden from them for a very long time, and I don't intend on sharing it anytime soon," Kirara chuckled.
"Uh..." Ichigo stared at her, baffled. "Okay, sure. I won't tell them," he agreed. Kirara broke into a bright smile.
"Thanks Ichigo. Well, I'm off to sleep," she decided, stretching and yawning loudly. "Night," she called.
"Hey, Kirara!" Ichigo called suddenly, and she looked around. "Isn't..." he hesitated for a moment. "Isn't that...Hirako's shirt?" he asked her curiously. Kirara looked down at the black shirt she was wearing, which was far too long on her, even if it was a little tight on the chest. The sleeves, also far too long, were rolled up, leaving her in what looked like a nightshirt.
"Oh Ichigo..." Kirara gave a small laugh, looking up at Ichigo with an amused smile. "Don't ask questions you really don't want answers to," she told him. Ichigo frowned, confused, as Kirara disappeared off to bed.
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