The Other One

by I've got Rhythm in my Soul

Enter Mai Li, new student, non-conformist, social retard and all around doomed teen. Meeting Ichigo Kurosaki just made it worse...

2. End of SoCalled Normalcy Part 1

Chapter 1:

End of (So-Called) Normalcy Part 1:

A Series of Odd Events

The relative normalcy of my life was something I was quite used to.

The kind of life where I went to school and was annoyed by my family AKA Uncle Jihi and Aunt Chiyu. The everyday routine of receiving an education was all that truly mattered to me. Where I considered boring to be necessary. And if that life was threatened I'd be as inherently selfish as most teenagers are and do any and all in my power to keep it safe because I didn't know of any other life. Of a life with friends (if I where lucky enough to find them), of new possibilities… of places and people I never dared dream to be real forcing themselves into my perfectly ordinary existence.

Well, seemingly ordinary anyway.

I didn't know anything else… but I really should have known that there is no such thing as no such thing.

…Because then something happened. Something that shook the very foundations of everything I thought I knew, that caused me to change everything I believed in, that caused a colossal change in myself. And I was given a choice, faced with an option that was both incredibly harsh and insanely simple. Could I risk my soul for the good of all mankind, give my life for the ideals of someone whose destiny was so much greater than my own?

What happened to me? Well…

I met a boy with vivid orange hair…and he opened a door to a world I never knew existed and never would have believed in had I not experienced it myself.

---

Subject: Mai Li

Her parents were not the most creative of people, which was something she often wondered about seeing as how one was a Construction Worker/Building designer and the other a Musician.

They named her what she considered to be the most boring and unimaginative name on the planet. Mai Li. The whole name was barely two syllables. They must have been having an off day; it didn't even have a long duration. Even with all this though she didn't hate it… because it was hers.

It was her name and therefore she loved it.

But what's in a name anyway?

Quite a bit as she would soon learn.

To describe her physically you could say that well… she isn't that bad really. For future reference (since this is my story and you may want to know) she looks nothing like her parents. Her father had light brown hair, her mother deep black. Hers falls somewhat between the two; thick, unruly, dark mahogany brown hair, which eats sunlight and changes colour slightly depending on the time of day and weather in juxtaposition with one another. Her eyes are an unusual contradiction of about 3 different pale greens and a lining of a soft gold.

Her built is fairly athletic, honed by hours of mindless physical activity. Her skin is 'normal' coloured. No tan, fake or otherwise, no perfect olive coloured skin or incredibly fair and soft to touch skin. Just normal skin with a decent potential to colour in the sun or under emotional pressure – She doesn't blush easily but when she does there's a noticeable difference.

Figure wise er, -ahem. Well she didn't have one… until recently that is, bloody sweet sixteen's and all that, not that she's model status or anything.

Unfortunately for her she'd developed into quite the curvaceous teenager.

It was a bother; she was used to being the flat-chested one with no hips and small bottom. And it was efficient since she never cared about looking feminine or being the natural opposite to the male sex. It was comfortable. But now, oh now she was forced to wear (because her body secretly hated her) a size c, for her sake I repeat for emphasis: A FREAKING SIZE C BRA to hold her new and natural thrice grown breasts of which she was still unaccustomed to… and she'd gone up a size in clothes. Not that she'd ever been petit but it was a shock for her to suddenly have to go shopping with Chiyu to buy clothes a size bigger than the majority of the teenage girls in her school year. After all muscle + newly acquired boobs and hips = next size up. The travesty of it all…

So after that massive description of herself (there so I have no need to repeat these facts) we can begin the story of when her life changed forever, or more specifically, when it truly began.

The prequel commenced when she first moved to Karakura town.

---

A Little Over Five Weeks before the Night in Which Everything Altered…

In the short time I've been alive I had often been plagued by dreams. Plagued in that I suffer them almost every night. Fortunately I rarely remembered them…

But they could be a little exhausting.

Like tonight's dream… More than anything I was probably anxious about the move. Moving to a whole new town and not just moving a few miles down the road… towards the other side of Tokyo. It was a pretty big change.

But was it big enough, really, to warrant darkness personified into shapeless grey blobs that descended from the sky only to fall to earth transforming into white monsters that are constantly starving no matter how much they devour… ?

Hmmm… what charming imagery. I needed to see this the night before a big move.

Maybe I was reading too much. I read a lot.

A year ago I could have tried to blame it on the machinations of my Uncle. He could be a bit of a horror story at times. The man is slightly eccentric; he used to be a wrestler and was quite famous at one time. He retired three years ago but he is in no way out of shape. My Aunt too, personality wise is bipolar at best, she likes to screw around with people's love lives (as does my uncle), she's incredibly nosy (as is my uncle), she's handsome and she knows it (as does my uncle)… and she's her husband's advocate.

It could be a little… dramatic living with them… yeah dramatic. Good word.

But they genuinely love me and they were kind… to me anyway.

Let's just say they have no problem informing others of their opinions no matter how awkward.

Chiyu owned an Onsen; it was one of the main reasons for her moving over to Karakura. In fact she owns a large branch of them; she even has shares in Beppu.

In the small town where I am moving from there's barely any reason for there to be an Onsen in the first place. It isn't known for its entertainment or relaxation facilities. Chiyu was more or less bored stiff with the area and had a refreshingly low opinion of the people living there but not only that, she felt that I should have a change of scenery.

I actually live alone and had done so for almost a year. Prior to this my Aunt and Uncle detested any thought of the idea of me living alone but when they wished to move I'd wanted to stay and complete middle school.

It was the only thing in this God forsaken place that I would regret not doing before leaving.

When my Uncle chose to retire early he took some relaxation time off and decided to take charge over his own daughter's education. Her name is Pei and she's home schooled. She's a year older than me and Chiyu had more or less taught her all she needed to learn about middle school life.

But when her Onsen in Karakura started to flourish Chiyu had no choice but to move to where it was situated. She would have to manage the business which meant she couldn't tutor Pei. Uncle Jihi was completely fine with the change and also completely fine with working at her Onsen, which pleased Chiyu ("If anything he'd be eye candy!") she said, however…

I would have to move with them.

When I'd said no to this well… they weren't pleased.

They'd worried about me being lonesome and about me being alone… here, in this town.

And they had every right to be.

I had a bad history with the town folk.

But they'd also understood my goal so they trusted me and let me stay on the condition that I came to live with them when I finished middle school.

At the time when the plan was proposed I couldn't really have cared any less. I'd just nodded in agreement. Though not apathetic I was focused. Sure I'd miss them… much more than I thought I would actually. We kept in correspondence every week and telephoned each other but it wasn't the same. Nevertheless it was education I was used to not relaxing my days away in a mud bath or mineral spa.

What else would I do with my time?

Though after a while I realised that Chiyu had a point… During the final few months of my middle school life I'd felt more at odds with myself than at any other time in my life.

I would suffer through bouts of irrational humour, not knowing if I was even remotely witty in person I'd be disturbed at the manic laughter, pranks and insulting jokes I seemed predisposed to making on random citizens, or even myself. It was completely out of character for me. And if it wasn't absurdities it was fits of… well…

…Loss.

I felt a little empty.

Like I was missing an old friend, like a constant ache…

…As though I really wasn't suppose to be in this dead town anyway.

I referred to it as dead because of the decidedly low and constant attitudes of the residents who live here. Once their opinion forms it ceases to alter.

Myself and Pei, Jihi and Chiyu delight in our open minds and love the fact that we're all a little odd.

But odd in this town was just begging for negative attention… and we'd had our fair share.

The citizens were all so shallow and single minded that it had become a little oppressing… not to mention depressing.

Chiyu had always said that she missed the atmosphere of a lively Onsen, of the smell of all the different kinds of herbs, minerals etc that are used there and most of all she missed where she flourished.

But even more amazingly she seemed to think I would flourish too.

It was Pei that would manage the Onsen some day for which I was truly thankful. I may have only been a niece but the Sohma's were closer to me than that, much closer. They treated me as a second daughter, albeit one with more independence, and a sister to Pei. They understood my need for space but Chiyu thought living at an Onsen would inspire me to try to communicate in some way or form with living organisms rather than books. My uncle had mysteriously thought that Karakura would fit to me like a glove.

I knew that they thought that me leaving this hick town would help to awaken the real me. The Mai Li trapped beneath layers of well… layers. The girl who had once had more sunshine in her than the sun itself instead of a hermit of an adolescent… and it had been done by choice too which was and is kind of depressing really.

So I was moving to make a change, to (as the old cliché goes) start a new life. It was a phrase I'd come to love… it's so flimsy yet covers a whole spectrum of possible reasons to move from one place to the next; also putting a stopper to further questioning on the matter.

Lying here for what would be the last time in a bed that could have been military issued I smiled at the traitorous shot of excitement coursing through me and wondered at just how smart my relatives really were. It had been a while since I'd felt anything close to enthusiasm.

I. Was. Leaving.

I had no friends to leave behind, no grievances to worship, no old haunts to miss… I definitely wouldn't miss my teachers except maybe my art teacher. It was a new slate.

And it was exciting… refreshing, appealing. It was as if I could feel a whole new chapter in life beckoning me forward.

I could try to be myself once more, I hadn't been in such a long time that I think I've forgotten how, and in some place new…and perhaps things would change…

…Where my past would hopefully not follow me.

Packing for an Onsen was an even more tiring prospect than expected.

It's surprising the things that you pick up over time. Finding for example the old flute I used to play with, the chess set I thought I'd lost, the odd photo here and there.

No one came to see me off, not that I'd told anyone.

Then of course there was crazy Uncle Jihi, ex-wrestler extraordinaire who arrived at dawn, incognito (because apparently he was still soooo famous that he'd be recognised unless he wore a wig, Hawaiian t-shirt and shades- loon), and who insisted on carrying the bulk of the load himself (though it really wasn't much), which of course made him stand out like a sore thumb.

I had missed him terribly. I practically flattened him the moment I saw him through my peephole standing outside my apartment door and he'd more or less crushed me to death laughing raucously all the while.

"Never again! Never will I agree to one of your hair brained schemes of being an independent teen again if it means missing you THISSSS MUUUCCCHHH!" He said loud enough to wake the next door neighbour who came out to interrupt us or rather to shout at me before being chased off by a single menacing glare from Jihi.

Yeah I'd definitely missed him.

Then he'd stepped back and taken hold of my shoulders as he looked me over.

"…You've grown again… and you've changed a little…GAH!" His eyes went wide and his mouth agape as he came to some conclusion.

His hands slapped against his cheeks dramatically and he shouted out.

"You're turning into a woman and you're only 15! WHAT'S THE WORLD COMING TO I ASK YOU? WAHAHAHAHA! TOO FAST! YOU'RE GROWING TOO FAST!"

Panicked at the noise I went to grab his arms. "Uncle calm down!"

He quieted eventually when I was finally able to pull him down to my height. I may have grown somewhat but me Uncle was a good foot taller than me.

Freaking giant.

To condense a long story short I'm not actually related to my aunt, uncle or Pei. Not even a little, I just call them aunt and uncle out of circumstance… and because they insist upon it, weirdoes.

Anyway, as Jihi put my things in the back of his car I contemplated on how little there was to pack away. It had taken me hours to get everything sorted and yet when it came down to it all I really amounted to as a person was a small suitcase and two large black bin liners. Yeah, sometimes I felt a little like garbage, like something thrown away but then Chiyu and Jihi would be there to remind me… that I was in fact an idiot of epic proportions and in need of a brain bath.

And then we were on our way, down the main road and past the town's sign.

I didn't look back, not once except to stick my middle finger out of the roof window and towards the small town and scream "SAYONARA!" as we left. Jihi's boisterous laugh trailed for over a quarter of a mile before he looked over at his proclaimed niece out of the corner of his eye. For the first time in a long time I genuinely smiled.

The content look on his face made me feel warm inside.

I had frequently worried about how much the Sohma's had to pay for my education, for my room, food, expenses etc. Every time I brought it up they all looked at me as if I'd flown over a cuckoo's nest.

The same guilt found its way into my oesophagus the moment Jihi told me that I wouldn't need any of my old apartment furniture because he'd personally bought me some. 'Everything new' he told me. He wanted me to have a fresh start in the literal sense too.

It wasn't as though my aunt and uncle couldn't afford it. They were extremely wealthy and knew how to spend wisely since their childhood was a story of true frugal living.

But still the gesture troubled me. He slapped the back of my head the moment he saw the change in my expression though.

"None of that." He muttered.

I was a pretty lucky girl.

The drive to Karakura was loooonnnnggggg…

Hours…

The train would have been quicker but more cumbersome. Or at least that's what Jihi had explained to me. We took three small stops along the way for gas, food, bathroom etc and sped as fast as possible and yet it still took the whole day for us to reach home. Understandably, we got a little cranky towards the end of it.

"Step on it Jihi!"

"No car's going to get the best of me!"

"You're driving the wrong way!"

"WHAT!"

"Crap, police sirens! Why did you have to turn so fast at the corner?"

"You wanted to get home as much as I did!"

"What do we do? THEY'RE GAINING ON US! CLOSE ENOUGH TO READ THE LICENSE PLATE!"

"AH SCREW THIS, I'M GOING TO LOOSE THEM!"

"WHAT? …JIHI! SLOW DOOOOWWWWWNNN!"

"SO LONG SUCCERS! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Yeah, it was like that most of the time. We were almost stopped twice times by the cops. I have to say, though my uncle was nuts he's an awesome driver.

Karakura is a suburb near the centre of Tokyo but away from the hustle and noise of the city.

When we saw the approaching town sign we let out a euphoric cry of relief.

It already felt like home.

KARAKURA TOWN

The moment the car drove past the sign however I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach.

The atmosphere felt heavy and full of… energy. What the…?

I felt as though I were being called to by something, as though hundreds of voices were whispering to me and yet I couldn't hear a single murmur. But even though the feeling was far from pleasant something on my spine and in my head relaxed. It felt as though my body had just sighed.

Home.

I didn't notice Jihi watching me as we drove closer.

---

One Minute Ago Somewhere Close By…

Wearing hats carries with it the useful function of covering half your emotional jargon with the only outlet being the expressions on ones face.

The man sitting casually on the tatami mat, watching as the world slowly turns on its axis is one such man who needn't carry such a tool though he wears one constantly.

He is a master of guising his sentimentality.

Such physical decoration can create useful barriers however.

Through his lazy posture and aloof facial expression you would never know that the man underneath it all will set the score for things to come. The man who knows it all, whose genius lies beyond the realm of-

"ACCHHHOOOWWWWEEEEPPPP! …Ah… allergies, poor, poor me. Boo hoo… I need a tissue."

…Never mind.

The man sniffled pathetically and leaned his already sitting form to reach his greenish tea. His subordinate, a man with enough pure muscle to put Arnold Schwarzenegger to shame, a man named Tessai had made this tea especially for him. However the man had a history of making disastrous concoctions more often than not putting the hat fitted thespian through rather hellish episodes of the runs. With some hesitancy the green kimono clad man sipped the drink.

…then stilled with an air of someone long used to remaining hidden amongst a sightless throng.

A small pressure pitter pattered its way up his spinal cord like fingers barely gracing his skin before settling lightly on his shoulders like mist.

It's an unusual sensation to feel so pulled to such a foreign object. The air around him seemed to change. It tingled and tensed before relaxing.

It was a very minor occurrence… something that shouldn't even be concerned about.

Except that it wasn't quite the same kind of 'feeling' expected to be 'sensed' within the border of Karakura town.

And finally… he exhaled. Something was there that hadn't been around 2 seconds ago.

The rim of the hat covering low over his eyes tilted upwards slightly. Darkness dwelled under the tip of the material as the man's eyes focused on nothing in particular. He frowned, pausing in his intake of tea and a whisper reverberated in his mind.

What was that?

Silence rained for a moment in the gloom of night.

For a full ten minutes he remained unmoving.

…And he mulled for a few moments…

…What with the future being kind of vague and their chances of survival existing within the single digits… and though indistinct their destinies lay on one of the many roads that would most likely end in pain and possible sorrow…

With the tea placed carefully at his side he stared deeply into the night, a pointed contrast to the lazy attitude he normally displayed. His eyes concentrated so intensely as if doing so would unveil the mysteries of life…

…Of the new comer within the town.

There was a … familiarity to it that went beyond his memory scope.

Then he sighed and stretched. No point worrying over a slight discharge of energy.

He yawned… then sneezed again.

Or he could keep with his reputation and go to bed at an unpredictably early hour.

At least the tea hadn't been bad.

---

Karakura was huge.

I wasn't able to see much through the car windows as it was evening hours outside but if I strained my eyes I could just see the town's outline. It should have been named a city; it was twice the size of my previous home.

There was a loneliness to it though that I almost choked on.

I was already suffering the anxiety about the obvious amount of investigating I would have to do to actually find my new school: Karakura High. I had to attend the entrance ceremony in 2 days.

"It's just here around the corner." Jihi said to me before smirking. "…It's big."

Chiyu and Jihi lived in Karakura old town; near the Karasu River, around the corner from Karakura General Hospital and a few minutes away from the train station.

The car turned into what I thought was quite a small street but my eyes widened and almost popped out when I instead realised it was actually a huge house, mansion, Onsen, hotel…

There were some trees behind it and the leaves played tunes on the windows.

The house was actually to the side of the Onsen, connected to both the reception area and kitchen.

Excitement and nerves hit me like a hurricane as I stepped out of the car. I wanted to run in and shout out to Chiyu, to hug Pei. I wanted to stay outside and wonder if I would be alright in this strange place.

Jihi strolled past me and opened the front doors of the Onsen.

Warm light bathed the gravel outside, the contrast to the darkness compelling and I could smell something welcoming from inside. I gulped at the homey feel of it. It had been a while since I had felt part of a family. Chiyu had written to me that sometimes the customers felt like family too and she knew many of them personally. I wondered briefly what that would feel like. Would they welcome me? Jihi winked affectionately in my direction before he strolled inside leaving the door open.

Placing a hesitant foot in front of the other slowly I heard a gleeful shout and a flurry of movement inside that stopped all movement from me and something blitzed out of the open door knocking the breath out of my form as it rammed into my chest and I staggered.

"You're here! You're finally here- OH SHIT!"

Both of us toppled over and fell onto the concrete giggling.

Pei.

"Language Pei!"

I looked over Pei's shoulder from the ground and saw Chiyu smiling broadly at me with eyes a little too emotional for me to be use to.

Ah, who cares…

I smiled back, the first true smile that erupted on my face in… I didn't know how long… the smile of a child who missed her family and I was promptly glomped again by Pei, Chiyu and Jihi who joined us seconds later.

"Family hug!" He shouted and practically squeezed us all to death.

Chiyu sighed blissfully as the rest of us were crushed. "We haven't had one of these in ages."

One year to be precise.

"Dad, I can't breathe!" Wheezed Pei as she tried and failed to pull her head from under her fathers arm.

Jihi ignored her and whispered at me. "There's the smile I haven't seen in ages."

I blushed and squeezed back even though I wasn't use to hugs. I felt better already, as if I'd returned just in time… accept I'd never once been to Karakura. Hmm, better examine this feeling later.

Chiyu pulled me back to look me over once with a critical eye. She shook her head.

I felt a moment of De Ja' vu.

"You've changed so much. If you grow any taller you'll be a giant. Stop. Now." Chiyu glared at me.

Isn't 'giant' what I call Jihi?

Aunt Chiyu was a decent 5 foot four inches but I had just recently reached that very same mark. The last I'd checked was 4 months ago. I figured I'd be towering over her within a year; I always grew fast during the summer.

I rubbed my head sheepishly. "Er, I'll try… but I can honestly say I have little control over how tall I grow. I'll probably stop now anyway."

Pei hooked her arm across my shoulders and smiled fabulously. "Famous last words."

Jihi's large arms stretched across both mine and Pei's shoulders and he pulled us into his sides. I blinked calmly and Pei shouted. "Dad!"

"All my girls are finally together again." He said peacefully and Chiyu smiled softly at her husband.

Then Pei groaned as she slumped into her father's side. "Yeah, three years of high school for Mai and two years of dad shouting stupid questions at me in his fake classroom while mum steals my mornings to help her manage the Onsen where I get to see naked old guys prancing around and drinking sake… let the good times roll people!" She ended sardonically with a thumb up gesture.

Jihi jumped back scandalised and I took the opening to duck away from him.

"Since when did you hate my lessons Sohma?"

Pei looked at her dad in confused defiance. "Since when did you call me by our last name dad?"

He pointed at her before shouting out. "You must raise your hand and call me teacher at all times!"

"But we're not even in class anymore!" Her small hands fisted. "And what's with the ridiculous outfit? You look like an Elvis reject! WITH BLOND HAIR!"

"I'll have you know that Elvis was the king of cool!"

Chiyu just started laughing as she dragged me inside leaving the other two to scream at each other nonsensically. She more or less pushed me into the warm reception area of the Onsen and took my jacket in her arms before linking my arm with her own. "It must have been a long drive Mai. Welcome home."

I gave a small smile back feeling like I'd smiled more today than I had in a year.

Chiyu kissed my cheek and gave a girlish sound of joy. "Oh girl, you've been missed. Pei's been so sullen and Jihi's missed your input… and your attitude. He has a lot of hopes for you in Karakura."

My eyes bored into hers as I waited for what they might be but Chiyu just smiled again and shook her head. "I've missed having another girl around- oh sorry woman." She added suggestively and I raised an eyebrow.

"…What do you mean?"

Chiyu sighed and looked at me as though appalled at my sightlessness. "Mai, when we left a year ago, something I have been regretting daily, you were a quiet little skinny thing. Now, well you've filled out like Pei did but a little differently." She looked down at me speculating. "…Longer legs." She looked back up at me. "Brighter, more defined eyes, fuller lips. Hah! You'll be beating them off with a stick!"

I frowned at her. "I highly doubt it." Obviously Chiyu had been drinking sake too. "I'm only 15."

"You'll be sixteen in just two weeks!" Her eyes narrowed at me. "Mark my words. You'll be beating them away."

Sure.

Thankfully she left it at that.

She took me through to the house instead of the hotel. We passed through a comfortable looking office first before entering into a wide open area disconnected from the Onsen, a combination of living room and dining room. It was rather large and the furniture was comfortable and expensive. The TV had two large sofas with throw rugs over the backs in front of it, a traditional floor table (like a Kotetsu) with them. A larger dinner/breakfast table stood in front of an even greater kitchen area linked by an open space in the wall. Farthest from the main room was a small corridor that Chiyu ignored and a set of delightfully twisting stairs.

She led me up these and I was surprised to find a further set of stairs on the second floor.

"There's an extra room at the top. We thought you might like that one."

My head tilted in question and Chiyu smiled at me again, a little knowingly this time. "You've lived on your own for a year now; we thought you might want a little extra privacy."

I just nodded and said thank you beyond grateful.

My new room rocked.

It was huge, the bed already to one side. The corner window overlooked a part of Karakura town that appeared quite gothic at night, but what intrigued me was the window seat and the curtains that surrounded it about six feet away from the window itself. Dark mahogany wardrobes similar in colour to my hair and a desk had been placed in strategic areas around the room as well as a cream fluffy rug at the end of my new rather large bed.

Jihi really did know how I liked my furniture; my aesthetic sense was always a little more masculine than most girls. There were a few ornaments here and there too. Panthers and wolves, one large dragon and a red/black statue of a bull.

I sighed happily and looked back at Chiyu who'd been watching for my reaction. She blinked at the honest appreciation in my eyes.

"Thank you so much. I have no idea how I'm ever going to repay you for any of-"

Her hand slashed through the air as she cut me off.

"Think nothing of it. Just live Mai, live a full life. It doesn't matter how you live, or even how long, just as long as you live it to the max. Make each day count."

---

Dinner had been a blissful affair.

Watching Jihi and Pei squabble over food, him telling her the best food for practicing mothers, she telling him she wouldn't ever be a mother, him having an almost stroke from the insanity of her statement, stuff like that…

Chiyu asked me a few questions about my final year at a place I would never again refer to as home. I told her the simple truths leaving out any unwanted specifics, they didn't matter anyway, and I'd handled myself well at the time.

I'd passed my final year top… in every subject area, or at least everyone that mattered anyway.

After all that had been my intention.

As long as my reputation didn't follow me I could go to this new school worry free.

I'd had no boy trouble, or at least not that kind of trouble.

And… I'd been given the chance to say goodbye to my dojo instructor.

Yeah, I did a little martial arts, the reason why I was so fit in the first place. I wasn't brilliant… I wasn't terrible. In fact I wasn't even sure at what level I truly was but there was a reason in the first place that made me join up.

Or rather Jihi had joined me up.

It was necessary at the time.

The dojo was closing down anyway when I'd left and the old man who taught me had given me a certificate and a medal made of pure gold. This medal he himself had won about 40 years before and gave to me as a reminder of what willpower alone can bring you when against serious opposition. He'd been proud of me and was probably the only person who was sorry to see the back of me.

I didn't have a black belt or anything… I wasn't that cool.

Jihi wanted me to join a club at the school I was going to; something in athleticism, apparently they even had their own martial arts team. Jihi was the boxing/kickboxing teacher there just three days a week and he told me in an overly enthusiastic whisper, loud enough to be heard by everybody at the table (why do adults even do that anyway?) that there was some serious talent in the my first year group alone.

Chiyu wanted me to join an academic group, probably some sort of scholastic membership or even the chess club.

Of course neither adult would force me to do either as I wasn't their daughter to boss around but they gave very compelling arguments that lasted far too long into my much needed sleep time.

Pei wanted me to introduce her to some boys ASAP. She was a year older than me after all and a little deprived in that arena what with being home schooled and all. I promised her I'd try away from the ears of Pei's father who would kill me (probably crying hysterically while he was at it) and the ears of her mother who would plot to get me a boyfriend too.

I wouldn't even know what to do with a boy; I was extremely deficient in any knowledge of such things and therefore never thought about it all that much.

Nor did I care; until recently I was all about education.

I figured that maybe this year that should change; promoting hermit hood is practically maltreatment for your soul. People need feedback in order to improve socially.

I wasn't lying before about my complete lack of friends. Extenuating circumstances prevented any and all accumulation sadly.

I'd lost the will to try too.

And it wasn't just my past that prevented it either.

When I said I was odd earlier well… you don't know the half of it.

I… see things.

Have always seen things, ever since I was a child around seven years old.

I used to tell Jihi and Chiyu about it but I stopped when I was thirteen and they didn't mention it again either. They probably don't know how to handle it.

The things I see are everywhere, all the time…

…And they are real no matter how many times I was bullied for talking to myself, or no matter the worried looks on the faces of my aunt and uncle.

I sometimes feel things too.

The feelings started as odd anxiety flashes or shivers and shudders. They turned into full on moments of pure intuition and revelation. Sometimes I wouldn't comprehend the feelings I felt.

Like when I arrived in Karakura.

In the other town I lived in the empty feeling had spurned other nauseating feelings into action, improving the ever increasing sensation that I wasn't supposed to be there.

That feeling left me the moment Jihi drove past the town sign and into my new home.

It was replaced by a cacophony of confused emotions, from anxiety to a sense of purpose I didn't understand, loneliness and yet a deep feeling of peace.

And another feeling… one that I didn't recognise that lay on the edge of my other emotions and thoughts. It wasn't a necessary notion just yet but it was a feeling that made my stomach churn… and made me quiver in excitement.

Oh… and then there was fear. Big stinking pile of fear, right down my oesophagus and into my stomach.

I lay in my new bed that night, tired and glad of it. I'd gone up to my room a little later than intended having listened to Jihi have kittens about decorating my room. He actually liked painting, something the two of us had in common. I was fine with keeping it the neutral white it was but Jihi wanted something that gave it character, Chiyu wanted something that showed I was in fact female.

As if my newly grown breasts didn't more or less confirm my sex.

He wanted jade and gold…

…she wanted violet or peach.

I really didn't give a crap but Pei sorted it out in the end.

She decided and I agreed that I should have a misty, pale lilac.

She knew me well.

And that was that.

They were all going shopping the next day for paint and school ware.

Pei would lead me on a tour to the new high school; Jihi would buy the paint, Chiyu the school ware. I was already tense.

I just hoped that nothing went wrong in the coming weeks. I was like a magnate for the unexpected even if they were just small things and recently those small things had…changed somewhat… and not necessarily in my favour.

---

I should have known I would dream.

It was the same as the night before only this time it was in detail, more vivid and even more perplexing.

The white monsters were chasing lucent children.

…And from the shadows they created on the floor came creatures of the dark who pulled themselves out of whatever abyss that they had been held into.

Cracks seemed to form in the sky and torturous screams echoed in the din of…

…War cries?

The sound of blade upon blade… the sounds travelled growing evermore quiet until silence rained.

It ended with a view of a throne seated in front of a pillar of stone, once beautiful but now corrupted. A place so amazingly white it seemed untouched and unreal.

I stepped closer towards it…

…A black claw slashed out to grab at my throat as a bestial snarl ripped at a high pitch across the wasteland…

My eyes snapped wide open as I woke amidst the beating drum of my heartbeat.

What… the hell… had that been about?

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUD.

Footsteps… or maybe a stampede.

"MAI! MAI! MAI!"

My bedroom door crashed open and Pei flew right through it as she bombed onto her adopted sister's bed and hugged me tighter than I remembered Jihi doing the night before.

"THANK GOD!" She screamed in my ear. "I thought last night might have been a dream! You really did arrive."

Pei sighed happily and rolled on her back to stare up at the ceiling with me.

"Anything up there of interest Mai?" She asked dryly. "Earth to Mai?"

I pushed her head into the side of the pillow with my palm and smiled inside at the giggle it brought.

"Nah, I'm just… thinking."

She glanced at me. "Yeah, this is probably a big change for you huh?"

I did a half hearted shrug in response. "It doesn't matter. I'm just glad I'm here instead of… there. Know what I mean?" I felt her nod. After a moment I frowned. "Wait a second…"

I turned my head in Pei's direction and saw her staring at one of the wolf ornaments.

"You seem a little… overenthusiastic about me being home." Home… I already thought of this place as home, I'd been there barely 5 minutes.

i saw Pei's lips quirk at my slip (admission) and I nudged her with my elbow. "Seriously. What's so great about me being here… other than the obvious." I added quickly when Pei's eyes narrowed at me; she was like her mother in that regard.

"Other than the fact that we all missed you, idiot…" She started with a poke to my ribs that didn't hurt at all. "…It's …been a little quiet around here." I raised an eyebrow which made Pei sit up bringing me with her.

She used her hands to gesticulate when she talked, something she'd done since she was about five years old. She hadn't changed at all.

"Well, it's just me, mum, and dad here. Mum works all day next door and dad hammers me with stupidly difficult questions that no girl my age could possibly answer. I haven't had much chance to meet new people." She smiled wistfully. "I've missed having my sister around."

I smiled and mussed up my already messed up hair while I stretched and yawned.

I stopped still however when I found Pei's eyes drawn to various places along my seated body, an analytical expression breaking across her face.

"Er, Pei? W-what is it?"

She looked back at me and I couldn't tell if she was actually angry or not.

Then Pei huffed and folded her arms.

"Typical. You just had to grow into a female the moment my back was turned." She unfolded her arms and pointed at me drastically, her eyes large and bloodshot. "We have some serious shopping time to get caught up on!"

Then she pointed her hand to the ceiling in a theatrical pose. "GET DRESSED, NOW! TIME TO SHOP TILL WE DROP!"

Wha…? Was she on something? Suffering from withdrawal maybe?

She stopped at the door and turned back before leaving.

Her eyes narrowed again and I swore I saw a sparkle. "Meet me downstairs in an hour… or else I'll come find you." Then her face turned evil in mischief. "Your shopping allowance will be huge and I can't spend any more than I have already this month." Her hands covered her mouth in sheer excitement and a waterfall cascaded behind her. "I WILL get that cashmere sweater from the new western department store! THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN! I FEEL SOOO ALIVE!"

On second thought, I wondered as she watched Pei speed down the stairs hollering, she really is her father's daughter after all.

Sometimes it was surprising to hear the same crap spew from her mouth that Jihi harps on about.

I shook my head exasperatedly and got up to shower, too use to Pei's personality to care anyway.

Pei, like me, looked nothing like her parents. She had cropped silky black hair and almost black eyes. Pretty and petit but don't let that fool you. She was like a whirlwind at times, a bit oppressed, almost completely insane but very caring, affectionate and considerate.

Maybe it was because we were so different that we got a long so well. I needed to reaffirm my opinion of my personality but what I knew so far was that…

When Pei carried on about something I listened… when I talked however briefly she listened back. Sometimes I could see it on her face; Pei took me very seriously and valued my opinion. I gave my opinion readily and would make Pei laugh when I wasn't even trying to be funny.

Sometimes Pei would pull out pieces of my personality I thought were buried; my fun side, my insane teenager side but it would all involuntarily go back under lock and key afterwards.

And Pei understood.

She was a romantic, a vibrant flower that for some reason inexplicable reason liked spending time with me, the little lost girl in shades of grey.

We were sisters in anything but blood. She may have been a year older but that made no difference whatsoever to me. Though I would never admit it, Pei made me giggle… and I made her careful.

Pei could be a bit of a danger magnate too sometimes…

---

Shopping with my relatives…

…How should one describe it?

…Freaking exhausting?

…More fun than I'd planned?

…Revealing?

Chiyu had tried her hardest to make me wear a purple dress she'd bought for me only days before. I had simply stared at her until she backed down with an eye roll.

Never in a million years would I wear a dress.

Instead I put on my black jeans and buttoned shirt, two open at the top, two at the bottom. Then I put on my calf boots that could kick down doors and put my hair up in a high ponytail.

They were normal clothes but the moment I stepped into the front room (with boots in hand) all heads whipped towards me making me sweatdrop.

"What?" My eyebrow twitched.

Tears slid down Jihi's face which contradicted heavily with his conflicted scowl. "I don't know what to do! She's gone so… so… womanly! And I'm happy she's blossoming, I am! But now she'll have boys chasing after her! I will not stand for such scandalous behaviour! Chiyu!"

He ran to his wife and flung his arms around her. "WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO CHIYU?"

She just patted his back and shook her head, exasperated. "Honey, didn't you say just last night that you were annoyed at not having the chance to beat the boys away from your dear Princess Pei-Pei?"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Pei howled from the sofa, pulled out of her gazing.

Jihi ignored her and looked down at his wife. "Huh?"

Chiyu shrugged with an innocent smile. "Now's your chance."

For a moment all was quiet.

Then Jihi started to chuckle and it was really rather sinister too. The obligatory black horns protruded from his scalp and his eyes darkened.

He grinned sadistically. "Of course Mai, of course bring boys home. Bring them… yes bring them back… to be tested. They'll wish they've never been born once I'm through with them HAHAHAHA!"

All I could see was the inside of his mouth as he laughed manically to the sky above.

"I think it's a little too early to be thinking about that just yet Uncle."

He didn't hear me, he was still giggling uncontrollably.

Sigh.

"So what was wrong with my outfit?" I asked the room at large.

Chiyu side stepped around her zoned out husband. "It was just unexpected. You made simple clothes look, er… what's that word?" Her head tilted in thought.

"Cool." Added Pei with a nod. "I couldn't pull that off." She added.

"But I can pull off this!" She stepped from behind the couch and showed off her miniskirt that revealed a good forty feet of leg. I blinked and raised my eyebrows. "What do you think Mai? Like flies to the honey? It really should be bees now that I think about it…" She pondered.

"TAKE THAT OFF THIS INSTANT!" Roared Jihi who was brought back to earth with a bang.

"NO WAY, I'M GOING OUT WITH MAI TODAY! SHOPPING!"

"IT'S TOO SHORT!"

"I'LL BE SEVENTEEN IN FOUR MONTHS!"

"STILL TOO SHORT! YOU ARE NOT GOING OUT WITH US DRESSED LIKE THAT! OFF! NOW!"

We left about 20 minutes later. It took that long to persuade Pei to wear a skirt with a bit more length. It still looked good but nonetheless she glared at her father as we walked into the busier parts of town.

We split a little while later and entered the school clothes shop to get me measured. The woman at the counter looked up at us and blinked. "For a first year student you're a tall one."

No shit Sherlock.

Come on, I wasn't that tall. I was only an inch taller than Pei.

It took a while to get me the right equipment and while we waited I noticed one obvious problem with the whole situation.

I realised it when Chiyu started fawning over the school skirts and my eyes widened comically.

They were tiny… almost as revealing as Pei's miniskirt… they were a freaking belt! Hell no!

An obvious lure for perverted freshmen, juniors, seniors, whatever… teachers, eww.

Chiyu looked back at me with a smile a mile long and a twinkle in her eye. She was envisioning me wearing a skirt after a year of not seeing me in one.

Wasn't going to happen.

"I am not wearing that." I said firmly.

It's funny how Chiyu can turn form loving aunt to carnivorous tiger.

Her eyes turned squinty and her aura darkened. "You're a girl, you will wear it."

"Not a chance, forget it." I said indifferently.

"All girl's wear them!"

"Not this one. I'll wear pants."

"The pants are for boys!" She screeched and I swear her hair crackled with static energy.

We were head to head now, with me looking down at her, a vein on my forehead throbbing. "There are some for girls too!"

"Don't lie to get out of wearing the skirt!"

We heard a polite cough. "Er, Actually…"

Our heads whipped around to the polite shop assistant. I tried to ignore Pei as she laughed herself hoarse at me.

"There are pants for females, it's just… none of them are worn. The skirts are surprisingly popular." The timid shop girl added with a nervous laugh as she showed us wear the women's pants were kept.

I watched Pei eye up the skirt with a forlorn look on her face. "I'd definitely wear them," she sighed.

"Of course you would… and use them as allure for oversexed boys."

Chiyu patted her daughter's shoulder. "At least someone's got their priorities straight."

Her eyes narrowed at me and huffed at my completely unimpressed expression.

The pants were almost the same as the males except on the hip and waist line. They left room for womanly growth.

"Your butt's going to look so good in them."

Pei wasn't prompted to say anything more when I looked at her. I ignored Chiyu as she sobbed at my lack of femininity.

After that we went sight seeing… or rather Pei took me to all her favourite stores so that we could both get a whole new wardrobe for the summer. The guilt I felt on being a monetary burden the previous evening came back in full but I wasn't even allowed to talk to Chiyu… because Chiyu was cheering us on.

It was our girl day apparently… whatever that was suppose to be.

But now I know that a girly day entails shopping until you're pulling your hair out (quite literally in my case), eating copious amounts of desert until we puke (in Pei's case) and spying on my new school (in all our cases; I hadn't wanted a manicure) since Pei had never been to a school, Chiyu wanted to see if there were any cute boys for the both of us (as if there would be anyone there now) and me… I wanted to compare it to what I was used to.

It was bigger and brighter than I was use to… cleaner, more welcoming.

We only passed the place, we didn't investigate the area.

It was over on the east side of Karakura; basically it was a bit of a stretch. They left me for a little while after that to rendezvous with Jihi, letting me get use to the streets and roads around the school. We'd been walking for a while before Pei started to complain about getting tired, she wasn't use to the exercise so I told Chiyu it would be completely fine to go without me for a while.

I walked.

Around the school, through roads and streets, back into town where I ended up on a small hill overlooking east Karakura.

I inhaled and slowly exhaled.

There was something so… strange about this town.

The whole time I was moving I'd felt as though I was walking through the ocean.

Life existed within every wall and fixture and yet I couldn't see it. I could just feel the different frequencies.

I'd deliberately focused on the strange feeling I received yesterday so the unusual heaviness of the atmosphere was much more present. The ambience surrounded the town.

It felt like a curious tentative pressure, one that doesn't bear down on you in weight but rather relates the feeling that there are layers to Karakura town. Layers that withhold secrets and life unknown. That Karakura town is one of the most (if not the most) verve filled areas on the planet.

I wasn't sure if this was supposed to mean something or whether it was an extremely negative characteristic for a town to have but…

…the feeling had also welcomed me.

It also made me want to try something that I haven't tried in years.

I closed my eyes, my hands by my sides and I relaxed. A weak breeze blew my ponytail and the hair on my arms rose as I focused. Then I opened up that sense I have, the one I've tried to ignore but until recently had been getting too hard to resist.

I pushed it out of me like a pulse and I searched…

At first it was difficult.

My minds eye travelled silently through the various blocks nearby…

Ah… there they are.

I found Jihi, Chiyu and Pei waiting for me about ten minutes away…

I couldn't see them, not really but I could feel their presence…

…But if I was with them in person and if I actually tried I would also be able to see their life force, or better yet their aura.

People have an energy that exists within us and all around us. Even with the dead. This energy can't be quantified or explained in any way. It just exists. A universal phenomenon.

It was this ability that first allowed me to see… them.

Ghosts.

When I was a child (about 4 years old) I would follow the 'pretty lights' around as if they were fireflies in the summer air… because that's all they were at first. Lights. Glowing figures of various kinds of energy; each displaying a different attitude of tone, some strong, some weak.

Now that I don't need to always use it to sense them anymore, it… well it's as if it dissolved back into my consciousness the moment the ability became unnecessary. But sometimes it would activate all by itself as if it had its own instinctive switch.

I slowly opened my eyes and almost gasped.

In front of me stood a young woman… her clothes and hair were drenched as if drowned…

…Which she probably had been…

The area around us seemed to darken and no words could work their way out of my mouth; it was too dry, the atmosphere to heavy.

She wasn't in colour; just a dank grey…black…white…

Her wet hair covered her eyes as her hand stretched out towards me…

Her body flickered…

The vision vanished a moment later.

Had that been a… ghost?

I tried to breathe normally as I searched my eyes over the area.

No one else had seen it.

I put my hands in my pockets and shuffled off to find my second family, keeping my head down the whole way there.

---

I could ignore it… I would ignore it.

It would be okay if I chose to pay no attention to the things that only I could see… right?

I mean at least until I'm settled in at school.

I didn't want to have the image painted of myself by others coloured so early on. Of course it really didn't matter what other people thought of me, I made my opinion on that very clear years ago. But I just wanted my time in high school to not be like my time in middle school.

And yet…

Crap.

I really could not ignore a vision.

For one thing I hadn't received one in years.

Dreams are one thing, seeing a ghost is another but visions…

They appear when you least expect, often bringing with them a message or warning.

And always… ALWAYS… they are followed by unnatural phenomena. The type that didn't usually mean good things for me… Oh awesome.

This really didn't help things. I was difficult enough to get to know as it is. My personality has the natural propensity to piss people off… or at least it did in middle school…

And if I tell the absolute truth I purposely fanned those flames daily. Not much, I just gave people little pushes that's all.

But that finished after my first year in middle school. It didn't stop people from hating me forever afterwards and it meant little to me until recently when the loneliness kicked in. It's strange… You don't know you're lonely until its smacking you in the face.

No… now I was just worried about the ominous apparition. You know the one with the drowned dead girl reaching out to me with her corpse hands…

It had been precisely 4 years since I'd last had a vision.

Beautiful.

I'm screwed aren't I?

Definitely.

I have never been able to help… helping people. Whether they are living or dead it made no difference. Did that make me a good person or was I just nosey? I wasn't sure, but I felt that it was in my nature to do so.

Plus, you know, realising you're not completely useless has its advantages.

I walked home with my surrogate family in silence casting furtive glances in all directions, noticing not for the first time how odd this town was.

There were ghosts here there and everywhere. The whole place was lit up. Alight with energy.

I saw Pei glance at me to my right and I pushed back the surrounding noise.

"Are you o.k. there Mai?" Great, I'd made her concerned with my silence.

I gave a small smile. "Yeah… just taking it all in." I gestured at the small city encircling us. "It's bigger than I thought it would be."

Pei smiled at me and I breathed a sigh of relief that I'd fooled her. She wasn't anywhere near ready to hear about the other side of my life. "Yeah well, I bet any place is better than the last huh?"

"Yeah…" I sighed.

Better? Definitely.

More trouble? …Without a doubt.

"Bet you're looking forward to school though right? You better make tons of friends otherwise I'll be coming down there to see what their problem is!"

Pei really did worry too much about me.

---

My room, smelling of fresh paint (Jihi did the honours) was covered in shadows. I lay in my bed the next night, the night before my High School inauguration and could only manage a sort of stare at the ceiling in an anxiety filled half doze.

I really do gaze up a lot.

Images flickered there, shapes formed from the light of the silver moon through my open curtained window.

The pictures were of such a precise manner that I had to wonder if they had been pilfered from my dream memory core. And why would I see so many samurai like beings dressed in various and slightly exaggerated versions of the Edo era fashions, in particular noble samurai and the battle of Sekigahara warrior outfits.

Hmmm… illuminating. What was the point of dreaming about black kimono clad samurai? Or red armoured warriors?

It's this town it has to be.

The vision… the woman's appeal for… help?

How could I feel so completely at home and yet so disturbingly altered and exposed in a town that I felt had many watchful eyes?

Comfortable but afraid. Was this an even remotely reconcilable combination?

I couldn't even pinpoint the focus of my fear either. And the energy? Could it perhaps pertain to the energy of the inhabitants of Karakura? That wouldn't be at all strange but still… I've never felt it in such a strong and vivacious quantity.

The best way to describe what I was feeling would be to say that some part of my brain, an area that had once been only half awake was opening its other eye. Very slowly.

Anyway I have other more important things to worry about.

Like school.

Tomorrow.

Lots of lively, robust, confusing and downright intimidating teenagers my age hoping for the opportunity to fit in.

The perfect chance to outcast the outcast.

I groaned inwardly, turned over and shoved my face into my pillow.

Pei's hope for future male contacts quickly diminishing in a wave of smoke as I realised the chances of me finding or having any of the other girls and boys even look at me in a friendly manner never mind outright befriending me was decreasing along with the downward spiral of my thoughts.

I don't know, maybe I'm biased. I have no idea what I'm going to be like tomorrow.

If anyone up there likes me, please allow me to succeed where I have failed these past 4 years; help me to fit in. And if I must stand out, have it be in such a way that maybe just maybe it's for a perfectly good and honest reason.

Let it be for someone other than myself.

---

The morning came with the blaring of my new CD player and alarm radio. My favourite bands making me jump out of bed in a flash of noise only to search the room for the imaginary intruder or a broken window.

Sighing and shaking my thick head of hair at my stupidity I strolled into the bathroom to wash my face: I shower at night. Sometimes music helps quieten my nerves and plus: bedroom come bathroom! I have my own shower, toilet, sink, window, phone etc. Heaven and pure luxury I felt I didn't deserve.

Passing the other rooms on my way downstairs; my school bag already with me, my hair tied quite complicatedly in a plat that looked even better when it was a little messed up; strands of my hair (more like a fringe) sweeping into my face and falling into my eyes, onto my cheeks etc. My pants where on and my shirt was under an unbuttoned school girl blazer. I was just attempting to fasten on my wristwatch when I heard clanging and water being sloshed about. I stepped closer to the noise and ended up in front of Pei's open bedroom door.

She was sat in her pj's on her cream carpet (her room was floral pink…eww) and was shaking what was once a large jar of pickled onions.

Now however, there was what looked like two straw like effigy dolls in the pickled juice with bits of string to differentiate between male and female. A book lay open next to her leg: Voodoo - How to curse and punish people using household items.

Huh?

She shook the jar again and then slowly turned her head in my direction; her eyes too big and her voice toned with a deliberate monotonous glaze. I hid a smirk.

"…My parents need to be punished." She said, deadpan.

Eyebrows raised I looked at her for a moment before nodding and peered back down at my watch as I finished fastening it and spoke with total indifference. "Good luck with that." She nodded back; just one head bob as I walked downstairs.

My aunt and uncle had rowed with her the previous evening when she had all but begged to attend the same school as me. The 'no' that came was final and though it wasn't anything to do with me I had to wonder if they were being somewhat harsh.

Leaving the house I reminisced a little on the conversation I'd had with Jihi earlier.

I'd just finished breakfast when Jihi came strolling in wearing a perfectly ironed three piece suit. When I asked what it was for he'd looked at me as if I were the dumb one and told me he was teaching Pei this morning. "Do I look like a teacher? I look good right?"

I should stop expecting serious answers or at least one's that I understand.

Then I'd asked a question as he read the morning newspaper.

"Jihi?"

"Mmm?"

"Is it… bad… that I haven't had a friend in well…" I did the math. "About four years?"

"…No. No it isn't bad Mai."

I nodded relieved.

Then he sighed and shook his head.

"It's sad, that's what it is!"

"…Thanks Jihi."

"No seriously! You need to gain some new perspectives, get out there! If you don't have five new numbers on your phone by the end of next week-"

"Alright! I get it! I promise! Five new numbers!"

Geez.

Then Chiyu cornered me as I left the house through the Onsen.

"Are you sure you don't need a lift to school Mai?"

I thought for a moment on how it would for me to be driven to school knowing full well that the majority of students took themselves or rode the bus. It was a perfect recipe for wedges to be seen being taken to school by my substitute parents.

I quickly shook my head. "No, that's alright Chiyu."

Chiyu cocked her head at me as she folded extra towels. She looked at me again with a contemplative expression and I looked back, my face blank. She was worrying about me.

"Are you sure? This isn't a 'hey I'm so cool, like a cucumber and do everything solo' act is it?"

I shook my head at her. "I'm not cool."

School was a little disconcerting.

Seeing it empty was completely different to seeing it teeming with hyperactive students. Busy didn't come close to describing it.

I stood at the gates and the reams of students passed me as the wind made the loose strands of my hair fly this way and that. The palms of my hands were sweating and my throat was dry.

Why was this so difficult?

And I could sense the strange ambience again in the air; it probably had something to do with having the building now jam packed but the school seemed to have suddenly adopted what appeared to be close to 1000 bright lights all with differing strengths of verve. The town's 'lights' were strongest in the student population.

I forced my brain to ignore it and I took out my day plan. There was a ceremony after which all students were to then meet up in their dorm class rooms for a lengthy meeting before a short introduction, which was to be given by the elderly headmaster… whose hairdo looked completely 'out-there'. Pretty cool for an old man.

My nose was buried in the roster when I heard a loud squeal followed by a cry. I whipped around thinking there was some young girl in trouble and trying in vain to force down the almost overwhelming need to both intervene and run when I saw…a guy…crying; big fat canals of pearly tears streaming down his face as he all but screamed at someone who was looking at him as though he were simultaneously wondering how on earth he was friends with the guy and what the hell he was yelling about.

I was about fifteen feet from them. They were stood in front of the board that was placed on the side of the main building were each pupil was supposed to register; I'd already seen several do so.

The one who was crying had brown hair that reached his collarbone and the look of a guy who accepted everything he'd ever seen in over-the-top cinematic Technicolor.

His friend had bobbed black hair and an innocent face briefly marred by the cunning yet candid glint in his eyes.

The first started whimpering. "Kurosaki and Yasutora! I heard they're attending the same high school as us man!"

"Yeah, so?" His friend didn't seem so interested.

"This is serious! They have the worst reputations! Apparently they start fights, drink, smoke and read porn magazines for hours and hours on end! We're SCREWED MIZUIRO! THIS KUROSAKI GUY EVEN BLEACHES HIS HAIR!"

This… Mizuiro? …He finally looked up at his friend and shrugged. "We don't really know what they'll be like until we get to know them… huh?"

Something seemed to catch his eye as his friend's jaw dropped at the idea of becoming friends with the reputed trouble makers.

Trouble makers… I knew better than anyone not to believe rumours. And that there's usually a lot more going on behind the masks we wear then we may ever know.

I tilted my head and wondered what I would do if I were forced into the very situation I had tried to avoid for the past two years. Then I frowned when I realised I hadn't thought about it.

A little silly of me really.

Curious though, I watched as the shorter of the two (black hair) pointed at the board and the hysterical one moved his head towards it and blinked twice with a dramatic pause between blinks.

Then he started to shake as a trembling finger sought out a name on the white leaflet. I could just hear him mumble. "W-what? B-both of them! I-I…Ich…"

He took a breath and before he could utter a girlish scream of terror and foreboding the wall a foot above their heads burst open. I mean bits of brick and plaster raining all over the place as a group of boys fighting were shoved through it…

Or rather forced through.

I caught an impressive glimpse of two first years (my year) kicking and punching two guys, their expressions of total nonchalance as they flew over the heads of the other two first years to land a few metres away from them. They stood straight backed and… tall (way taller than me… or at least they looked that way) as they examined the group that had formed around them; boys who looked a little too old to be first years.

I knew the type. Rough nuts and punks who think they own people by beating them into submission. It would have been miserable and kind of scary to have that happen in front of you on your first day but as I stood there and watched the two first years being surrounded all I could do was admire.

Their passive expressions contradicting the situation they'd been forced into made the whole thing seem like a comic book scene.

They must be used to this kind of treatment and had it sown into their everyday routines as something that had to be dealt with; a chore. Routine.

Just by looking at them I could tell that they could more than hold their own. I felt sort of out of place too. You know the feeling right? …When a girl who doesn't know anything about being popular is confronted by other teenagers, especially boys, who are so obviously 'popular material' that you feel that you shouldn't even be standing in their presence.

And yet I didn't move.

I watched knowing the scene having had it play out in front of me so many times in the past. Just different people, different faces…

I blinked when I focused on the world outside of the inevitable fight ring. The students were going haywire and the brown haired kid was spazing. I mean seriously, he was crying and shouting with his hands on his head as if he were on fire. I could hear him again.

"Oh my God! This is actually happening! Both Kurosaki and Yasutora are actually attending the same high school as us! And there's a fight! They're fighting! With other people of suspicious character! OUR HIGH SCHOOL DAYS ARE OVER BEFORE THEY EVEN BEGAN!"

His friend sweatdropped but more or less let him vent his fears.

Then one of the guys, the biggest, ugliest one stepped up behind the freak-out brown headed boy and said something I didn't hear.

Unbeknownst to him his friend had already walked over to the two so called delinquents and had started introducing himself. The big guy looked perversely pleased about this as he cracked his knuckles together and his laugh turned sadistic (though kind of funny, the guy had a bit of a lisp) as he said and hummed words in a rhyme of his own making… to which the crying smaller one whimpered and started to shout out for his friend only to find that he wasn't there anymore.

The big guy punched brown head in the stomach. Brown head went down and the big guy stepped on him as he stared over at the trio, his face a contortion of… just plain… yuck. He looked retarded; it was difficult for me to fear.

But when the brown head yelped in pain my fist clenched by its own accord. I swallowed down the urge in my gut but found myself stepping forward anyway bumping into some second year girls who looked like they'd claw me if I came any where near them again.

Oh God…What the hell was I doing?

---

Mizuiro

The somewhat fearless (or extremely dumb) group of notorious delinquents drove a ring around Yasutora and Kurosaki as they waited for their boss to signal them into action.

But to Mizuiro they were just background noise.

He suffered from Ataraxia: a condition characterised from freedom of worry or any other preoccupation.

It made it relatively easy to do certain things in his life because of this… when at other times it made him feel somewhat too detached for his own good.

…Something that would change today.

He'd gone right up to the two apparent terrors that Keigo seemed to fear so much and introduced himself.

They both looked pretty light really, none of that aggressively macho aura that bullies seemed to seep. The orange haired one just looked at him with the same expression of total calm that had remained on his face since he'd burst through the wall. Except this time with clear, curious eyes.

He'd poked a thumb behind him at his ridiculously tall Mexican friend and said, "Class 1-3 huh? Well I'm Ichigo Kurosaki and this is Yasutora Sado."

Mizuiro nodded with a polite smile and pointed at Keigo. "That's my friend Keigo Asano."

Keigo was being stomped on and was wheezing at Mizuiro.

"…Is he alright?" Kurosaki asked dubiously.

"Yeah… he's just a little over the top. He may act like an idiot but he's really smart. He's actually much nicer than I am."

He'd said it all with such an expression of candid honesty.

And it surprised Ichigo Kurosaki.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Huh… most people don't speak about their friends like that. Hey Mizuiro? How good are you at making up excuses?" This he asked as he walked by Mizuiro and began to stretch.

Mizuiro just stared and wondered why. "…Pathologically so."

A grin as Yasutora joined him. "Good… because I'm going to need a great excuse for when I save your friend."

And Kurosaki shot off like a bullet, well not really but it is fun to be imaginative, and slammed into Ooshima with a spin kick to his side. The dude soared like a bird before crashing like a rock into the same wall Kurosaki and Yasutora had burst clear through…

…And in the process he almost flattened a modest looking brunette who was currently clinging to the wall, stiff and shocked in reaction as the body landed less than two inches to her right.

Both Yasutora and Kurosaki blinked as everyone looked on and sweatdropped.

"Huh?"

Yeah… 'Huh' would be a very good expletive to use here… she could have died…woops!

The girl let out a sound that was halfway between a strangled laugh and a surprised yelp as her arms dropped out of her silly wall-crawl pose. Paper fluttered the area around her; probably knocked out of her hands by Oshima.

Kurosaki scratched the back of his head. "I could have sworn she wasn't there a second ago." Then he shrugged, cool as a cucumber and dodged dude number two… oh yeah there was a whole group of the nutters.

Mizuiro smiled on the inside, that being perhaps not the best apology on the face of the earth. He backed off as the fighting started to enter a whole other level of serious and began to mentally concoct his next glorious excuse.

The rest of the gang had yelled for their boss and scurried forward to his defence but most were flattened by Yasutora's punches and Kurosaki's impressive martial arts play. The guy hadn't broken a sweat.

Mizuiro watched serenely as Keigo more or less curled into the foetal position with his arms over his head as he waited for the fight to end. He had a few cuts and bruises on his face and Mizuiro figured he'd go one about it for days few days at least.

Then Mizuiro started.

The girl who had been backed into a corner had somehow navigated her way through the pandemonium to Keigo's side and was trying to get him to move out of the way of the heavy bodies fighting for supremacy. The only problem with this was that his friend thought that she was one of the attackers… an assailant whose primary attack was to gently nudge obviously, but it didn't make a difference to Keigo.

"Ahh another one! STOP ATTACKING ME!"

Right…

The girl looked down at him bewildered for a moment as if she wasn't sure of how to respond to that before biting down on her lower lip.

The vulnerability of the gesture was heightened when Mizuiro, Yasutora and Kurosaki all saw from their peripheral vision one of the hoodlums run at her from the side like a rabid ape and before even one of them could shout, go to her aid, throw something, cause a diversion by running around in a tutu (you never know) she'd grabbed the left side of her school bag that had been hanging loosely from her arm and propelled it into the guys gut. He doubled over, gasping. Then, with grace, the girl had calmly retrieved her book bag and raised it in the air in both hands bringing it down swiftly on his head. He went down with a thump.

She turned back to Keigo and bent over to check on him.

Whoa…

…hmm…

…Er…

The resounding thoughts of the 3 good guys; guess who was who.

---

Mai

I'd almost blown it. My whole plan nearly blown to smithereens over one moment of weak control. And it was my first day at school, my first hour.

I'd gotten behind the head gang member or whoever he was before my brain had finally understood that what I was about to do would probably get me expelled quicker than being fired out of a cannon.

My body had stepped several steps back to hit the wall next to the announcement board and I took a deep breath… followed by another as I closed my eyes and willed my hands to cease fisting. Swallow and reduce my heart rate. Try to calm. I wasn't being attacked, this wasn't my old school and no one here had even noticed my existence yet. If I were a bit careful I could escape before that changed.

When my eyes opened I saw a body flying hard and fast towards me.

"WHA!"

More or less all I could achieve was that useless gesture that most people carry out in defence of flying objects on an inbound course for your face. My arms flew up and one of my legs braced the side of the wall as the body cracked to my right, the sheet of papers in my arms going everywhere. I looked like a complete idiot as the most moronic of sounds escaped my lips like a dying animal.

Well, I was a little stunned. That body could have knocked me right out for the count.

But then I heard someone speak and I wasn't sure if I should be offended or not.

"I could have sworn she wasn't there a second ago."

The guy who said it wasn't looking at me directly, he was more interested in the sight of whoever it was he'd just laid out next to me. The danger was his top priority not the girl who had just happened to be passing by. He scratched his head and shrugged.

Okay then.

I hadn't been concentrating on him either until this moment anyway but was gratified when he turned because as soon as he did I began to stare, no gape.

At his hair.

His hair was the most beautifully audacious shade of the colour orange I'd ever seen.

And then I had to snap out of whatever funk that was as all hell broke loose.

The rest of the ring of bad guys charged both the orange head and his dark friend whose skin colour was also stunning beyond compare. They both stood out like sore thumbs amongst the midst of gang rejects… and then I realised that maybe this was why they were being targeted.

I tiptoed around the edge of the fight ring stumbling on a fallen senior and jumping around two guys who were trying and failing miserably to tackle the tanned Mexican.

I was trying to make it over to the fallen boy; for some odd reason, instead of trying to run away from the middle of the fight zone he'd curled into a ball and was mumbling what sounded like his own version of a prayer to whatever god existed out there.

When I tried to nudge him and get his attention he'd screamed at me.

"Ahh another one! STOP ATTACKING ME!"

O-okay… right, got you. Won't do it again. I was a wus. I didn't know how to deal with people; I didn't have a lot of experience in that field. Remember my impressive lack of friends?

Biting my lip I tried to think of a way to move him before we both got trampled and without scaring him into thinking I'm insane and therefore start another set of rumours about me.

And then some class clown attempted to trounce me to my left. Obviously he didn't care about the whole male/female disparities as his fist came up… So I'd acted on instinct. I swerved my bag around into his gut as hard as I could (this guy wasn't by any means an athlete) and he'd doubled over in the shock of having air punched out of his lungs. Then before he could recover I simply slammed my backpack on top of his head.

He'd wake up soon enough. No permanent damage.

And I'd made sure to not use my fists. For someone like me… it can prove an unhealthy habit.

I'll tell you some other time.

I went back to check on Keigo who hadn't moved an inch. And then a thought of unmitigated inspiration hit me as my head served up a useful memory: Pei did something the other day, something I wasn't used to and my response was hilarious even from my point of view.

I bent over him and bit my lip again hoping the boy wouldn't take offence and praying that the dancing feet of fighting drawing steadily closer would wait a minute.

I put my hands on his side and pressed my digits into the more cushy fat deposits that 15 year old boys haven't managed to drop quite yet. Then I moved my fingers in a similar cadence that Pei used against me and I felt him squirm before he shot up giggling like a school girl (wait I just insulted myself!). His eyes were still wide as they locked onto my own.

He blinked at me. "Huh… What are you…?" Then his eyes flickered behind me and he jumped. "OH CRAP!"

He tried to point in warning but it was useless.

I was hit hard in the back and I went down the same way. Someone else rolled with me as if they'd just decided to plough me into the ground without first working out the mechanics of such an action.

I 'ooffed' as I hit dirt. I should have pushed at the guy, or stopped my own fall but I waited for some reason.

Actually I was just surprised more than anything that I'd been jumped.

By 'Chicken Head'.

The bully who'd started the fight in the first place had me pinned down to the floor. I couldn't tell what grade he was in as he looked down at me puzzled; his face practically spelled 'moron' in big capital letters.

"H-hey! Leave her alone Oshima! She didn't do anything!"

Wow… the brown headed boy was actually trying to help me.

But Chicken Head (I like my name for him better) just glared at him until he whimpered. "Piss off Kwego… She inter-in- ta uh! She got in my way! She has to pay!"

Wait… Kwego?

I tried, I really did to muffled the giggle that slipped out of me and saw 'Kwego's' lip twitch too.

Chicken Head rounded on me. "Got something to sway dead beat? You'll be deader fhan fhat copy cat Kurosaki by fhe time I'm done with you."

I suppressed the disgusted shiver at the images my mind played out for me as to what being 'done with me' might entail.

As polite as possible and without any remote hint of condescension I spoke.

"Do you have a lisp? Because if you do I would avoid saying… er, what's your name?" I looked over at Keigo from my comfortable position on the floor and saw him looking at me totally bemused. "Sorry I didn't catch it. It obviously isn't 'Kwego'." I waited… And ignored the growing agitation on Oshima's face as he slowly started to understand that I was in fact insulting him.

Still confused the brown haired one spoke slowly. "…It's Keigo." His eyes flickered to Chicken Head and back to me. He still cowered and I could tell he was waiting for some assistance from another male. My position on the floor was probably making him feel more helpless and I figured I should stop playing the weak little girl and get up.

But at least I had a name to a face. I brightened. "Nice to meet you!-"

"Hey, I'm talking to you bitch!"

Okay… now I really wanted to kick his ass. Screw my internal promise; I was already close to snapping.

Chicken Head had had enough of me apparently and grabbed the back of my neck in one of his large fumbling hands to pull me up off the ground. I pretended to wince and I heard Keigo shout out again.

Then I pivoted on one foot, forcing him to drop his hold and aimed a blow to the side of his neck using the right side of my right forearm. He staggered and coughed as I retreated to Keigo's side who was looking at me as though I'd just sprouted wings and I fought to control the urge to beat Chicken Head into submission.

"What was that?" Keigo whispered as he freaked at me.

I raised my eyebrows and shrugged.

I couldn't even explain my actions the majority of the time why start now. Keigo just stared at me. And then his eyes trailed down and he jumped again.

"You're wearing pants? But you're a girl!"

Was this really the time to discuss this?

Then Chicken Head yelled at us, probably his very own version of a war cry except it sounded more like a crying caveman, and came at me; he was bigger than I realised.

As Keigo screamed and I wondered how I could furtively break Chicken Head's nose a foot came out of nowhere impaling Oshima in the stomach. Seriously, the guy was in the air balancing on a single left foot. When the guy's eyes were rolling back in his head the foot flung him to the side.

…And I was stunned yet again as I became the focus of a pair of tawny eyes too intense for any normal teenager, his furrowed eyebrows darkening the intrigue displayed there.

And then my body…just… reacted. My insides seemed to squirm and I swore that the cells of my body pulsed in a rhythm foreign to me.

He was so light. His aura radiant to the core…

…And powerful too. He probably didn't even know it.

I was incredibly intimidated… and inquisitive beyond belief.

No other human had an aura like that, or at least not one I had come across.

And I had the decency to try to look away, 'try' being the operative word. Great I got caught up because he's beautiful…

If I said that to him… I'd be a laughing stock.

Still he was just an ordinary teenager… with a constant scowl on his face and an intimidating jaw line. His face was full of awkward angles that most teenagers get as they begin to mature. Suddenly I felt much better about my lapse.

And he was asking me a question.

"Are you alright?"

His head was tilted to the side and one of his frowning eyebrows had risen up. He didn't have a mark on his clothes and it looked as if he hadn't been hit back. Impressive.

Before I could work through a reasonable answer Keigo replied for me.

"SHE SAVED MY LIFE MAN!"

Huh? I did not.

"Hi. How are you doing?" The one called Mizuiro was already there in front of me holding out a hand and I moved forward to reciprocate when I heard-.

!

The school bell.

The tall Mexican appeared behind his friend and nodded over to the doors on a parallel building.

"Trouble."

That was all he uttered. And I could see why. Teachers made their way out of it and towards us. Keigo groaned, Mizuiro nodded at the vivid orange head and made his way over to the teachers and…

I nodded and waved shyly to Mexican dude.

It took him a moment but he nodded back too.

---

Keigo

Normally on full standby for females the ruckus of today's events may have momentarily rustled the perfect antenna of female presence signalling that was Keigo Asano.

Still his pervy-sense began to tingle at the unknown female in close vicinity!

All of the males surrounding her like an animal at the zoo were surprised by the pants she wore. They noticed her thick, dark brown hair tied in that slightly messy plat that seemed to eat the sunlight cast upon her. Not bad.

Keigo however noticed her figure, decent bosom of which his imagination, of course, supplied seeing how she was covered up in the school's jacket and pants. Not bad at all... by a long shot…

Yeah, a word about the pants.

They looked good.

All the girls should wear these exact pants… except it would hinder my view of their very fine appendages…hmmm, tough decision.

Keigo watched her talk with Mizuiro and decided to take another look for good measure.

Whoa…barrier.

It's like there's this area around her that shouts 'tough to touch…must have decent resolve'. But she seems nice enough. Nice smile. I guess having another friend doesn't hurt (as you can see my resolve is absolute crap).

Whatever, she looks nice… friendly, a little shy maybe… I did the gentlemanly thing (hah, right, me a gentleman) and introduced myself.

---

Mai

"Mai Li?"

Blank stare. That happens so much it barely bothers me anymore.

"Yes it's… I know my name's really dull and easily forgotten." I shook my head and smiled for the first time to make myself feel more at ease in the presence of boys who were obviously the 'popular' type. "It doesn't matter really." I was waiting for them to loose interest in me.

This was my second smile but on both occasions they would all watch my mouth for a moment. Did I have something in my teeth? Even the orange haired one seemed to do it.

After a moment Keigo snapped out of his stare and did a little strange excited dance and said "No it's just I swear I heard that name on one of my computer games."

Mizuiro frowned at him. "You're thinking of Chun Li doofus."

"Am not! I swear I heard that name somewhere. Probably some badass lesbian Kung Fu chick."

I sweatdropped, what lovely descriptive imagery. "…I'll take that as a compliment."

"You're welcome my new friend Mai!"

Right. "…That's the first time I've received that kind of reaction before."

Mizuiro looked at me again. He hadn't looked at his phone or at anyone else for a full five minutes. I felt privileged.

"But your name isn't actually all that boring Li san. Just efficient. Makes signature writing easy anyway."

"You practice writing signatures a lot?" I was joking.

"Oh yes, useful hobby to have when escaping- I mean vacating school premises in times of emergency and needing signatures for special privileges to help in the course of our education."

I translated that myself to mean 'needing handy excuses ready by using your parents hand to get out of punishment situations'. Geez for such a nice looking kid he was awfully ready to break the rules. Made me smile at the faces people used in front of others. I was vaguely surprised that he'd told me all that actually.

I smiled at him. "Call me Mai, please."

He smiled back. "Only if you call me Mizuiro".

"AND you can call me the-"

"The perverted freakasaurus."

"The perverted fre- MIZUIRO COME ON, YOUR SUPPOSED TO BE MY FRIEND!"

"Friend? Oh is that what they call this?" He vaguely waved his finger between him and Keigo. "Of course I'm your friend… But you're first impression on Mai isn't exactly a positive one Mr. Asano."

"You're so cold Mizuiro! You should call best friends by their first name!

Mizuiro looked mildly surprised, "Best friends? Is that what we are?"

The teachers had already done their bit and had escorted several of the trouble makers into their esteemed offices. I was actually taken aback. The teachers had made sure to deal with the true trouble makers instead of making their own assumptions no matter how false the allegation. I wasn't use to justice from my old school. True, some of them did look at the orange haired one with slight disapproval but other than that everything was smooth sailing.

I wondered though what he could have possibly done to receive such a response.

"I didn't know that the school sold trousers for girls… never seen them worn, that's for sure."

I looked up hearing the voice of the brightest light in the goddamn universe. If he shone any brighter I'd be blind by now. His aura just wouldn't stop… pulsating. You know he wasn't exactly glowing; his energy didn't actually have a colour but it enhanced the brightness of the residual signature waves.

I wondered if I really did look stupid, or if I looked as if I were trying to make some kind of statement by deliberately being the only girl to wear pants.

Mizuiro smiled at him. "Nope, just super short skirts in view."

"Ah yes… the skirts." Keigo drooled.

"Belts."

I blinked as the Mexican spoke; even his friend looked a little startled but he nodded, agreeing but not certain of how to comment. "Uh, sure."

"…So I don't look foolish?" I asked tentatively.

All of them stared at me.

Then it hit me.

I was asking four guys to tell me whether or not I looked alright. Worse still I probably did sound foolish and I would never be able to wear a skirt again with their comments in mind. And last but definitely worse they would all probably realise that I wasn't worth talking to.

Now that didn't bother me. What did bother me was the idea of dealing with their indifference for the next 3 years.

Huh? That troubled me? Well that sure is different to how I felt months ago when I preferred casual apathy to anger and spite. I'd changed.

"The pants look better anyway."

The tawny eyed one spoke and his Mexican friend gave me a 'thumbs up' expression that he probably thought was cool when it in fact was not.

Keigo just laughed, happy and manic with plasters on his face and arms. "Yeah they look great!"

I nodded and tried not blush in mortification. Fabulous responses though I'd received I'd actually asked them to comment on my appearance. Though it was for very different reasons I was for a moment there channelling Pei.

Then I remembered that my arms were empty and I was in fact late for dorm. We were all late for dorm period.

I looked over at the wall to see my papers lying everywhere, dirty and ripped with footprints on them. Running over to pick them up I heard Mizuiro comment that they'd better get going.

I heard footsteps behind me.

Orange filled my view for a second as he too stooped to pick up my things.

"You really don't need to do that." I said quickly.

He shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"…Sorry." God… I'm such a loser. That's all I could think of to say? Really?

He looked perplexed. "Why are you saying sorry? I'm the one that knocked your books over."

"…Sorry." Dammit.

A twitch on the side of his head started to take shape.

Trying not to be 'me' was really difficult. Maybe I really should just let go.

We stood up together so he could pass me my things and as he turned back to his friend I found myself speaking. I mean what the hell right? I'd already made a prat of myself, why not take a risk and be 'me'.

He was turning away.

"What's your name?" I asked curious. "It's not like I can just call you 'orange head' forever."

His head turned towards mine, scowl and everything forced on me. I swear he looked as surprised as I felt at myself for even asking in the first place.

I stared directly back at him. I'd always been able to look people right in the eye without becoming uncomfortable, always making the other person turn away first.

It was never intentional, or a competitive game nor was it an intimidation tactic. It's just that I find people's eyes interesting. They can either shut you out or tell a story.

And his eyes were very captivating… again I was surprised by their power. Though his looks were still in the developing stages of his adolescence his eyes had an impact. They homed in on you and stayed locked on until satisfied.

He was a strong one alright.

But for some strange reason…

…It felt like I was being tested. Whether he was aware he was doing it or not I felt as though if I looked away I'd be considered the weak one. Maybe my insecurity was just coming through a tad strong I wasn't sure, but just in case I was right I held my own and continued to pierce through him as much as he was me. I kept my gaze passive but strong and waited for him to finish.

When he saw the slight defiant streak surface in my eyes he raised an eyebrow before the same streak slithered through his own. So we stood there staring and refusing to back down, measuring each others strength of character, wondering why this was taking so long.

I'd only asked for his name for god sakes.

Then he blinked and the spell had broken. I cleared my throat.

He spoke. "…It's Ichigo Kurosaki." Then he turned his head and looked over his shoulder. "Hey Chad! Get over here!"

Wait, he was calling his Mexican friend over now?

The big guy stood next to him and blocked out the morning sun.

"This is Yasutora Sado. I just call him Chad." Kurosaki finished.

I smiled. "Hi Sado." I held out a hand.

And one of his big ones enveloped mine in beautiful brown skin. These two were poster boys for super models.

"W-WOAH, HEY GUYS!"

I frowned as Keigo pointed dramatically at the board on the wall. Somehow it had avoided being scuffed to death. I followed his finger and found… my name.

"Mmm hmm… yep that's my name Keigo."

He shook his head spastically and he practically came apart in excitement.

"We're all in the same class! Class 1-3! THIS IS GREAT!"

I just smiled again.

---

Ichigo

He'd been distracted.

Oshima, Karakura High's leading bully figured he'd try to take him for a ride… somewhere quiet where he and his guys could take him down. Jerk-off.

Not noticing her till the last possible moment, he was side-tracked by her soft smile.

They'd all been diverted.

It was… it was… comforting? Infectious? He couldn't find a word for it but the reactions from the other guys were the same as his.

He'd looked her over. His dad being a doctor allowed him to inherit the ability to pick up a lot of information about a person from a single cursory glance… even if he did suck when it came to medicine.

His eyes had trailed down to her neckline were she had on the red school tie, loosened with three buttons open; not quite school regulation. Snapping his eyes down before travelling any further he'd seen with some shock that she wore… trousers.

Her shirt was pulled out of the pants, the last two buttons undone. Her posture was decently disciplined and confident in its movement, her bag slung over her shoulder; head tilted slightly observing her new babbling friends.

There was no air of cocky bravado around her person either.

She looked… kind of… cool… for a girl.

Girls didn't usually talk to him.

I mean, I'm 15, this didn't exactly upset me.

His personality wouldn't allow for that anyway. For most guys, if the opposite sex were xenomorphic, romance was in another galaxy far, far away…

But yeah girls… they never looked at him in the eye like she had. He had a reputation after all.

And what had that been about?

The whole minute where he'd just stared at her for no understandable reason.

…Why did I do that?

He'd looked at her at first like he'd look at any girl, at any stranger… but figured with what happened next that maybe he shouldn't have…

It had felt like he was searching for something inside of her… he only began to feel uncomfortable the moment he actually realised they were staring at each another.

It wasn't necessarily a big deal either just not what he was used to, which was why the incident was forgotten the moment he'd left school grounds.

Though Keigo and Mizuiro had forced on him and Chad their mobile numbers so he wouldn't be able to forget them.

It was an odd first day at High school. Hopefully it wouldn't set the scene for the future… But he pretty much knew he was screwed.

That and he had a ghost to go cheer up.

Work, work, work.

---

Mai

The day had been a weird one.

As would the next month be… the next year…

I'd been so worried about the energies surrounding me, about whether or not I would actually fit in at this school so unlike the last and I'd actually come of out of the school with four numbers.

I'd given my contact details to a Tatsuki Arisawa, Keigo and Mizuiro after they had demanded it during second period claiming that if I didn't they would stalk me home.

By the end of the day I was ready for bed, never mind dinner.

Most of the students knew each other from their previous middle schools and those that didn't found friends quickly through associates.

Not so surprisingly I'd instantly made enemies with several of the upper class men simply by existing or looking at them the wrong way.

Before I'd realised it I'd actually been doing something I'd refrained from doing for two years.

When I don't like someone or disapprove of their actions or even if I'm just being incredibly nosey it becomes utterly obvious. Not my facial expression but my eyes. They never lie.

Then when I'd finally stumbled into class Keigo Asano and Mizuiro hollered me over, dragging me towards their side of the classroom. I noticed briefly how the guys and girls were mostly separated. Segregation based on sex. Gotta love it. Or at least be amused by it.

It was a futile dream of some pompous school preacher teacher.

Sitting in the classroom I'd been forced yet again to feel that sensation. The one of walking through the ocean. Waves of energy flowing through and around my form, some brighter than others. The atmosphere of the town seemed to be… more obvious here at school.

About halfway through the day a girl with short and layered black hair stood at the front of my desk.

"So you're the new girl huh?"

Rhetorical question. I frowned, weren't we all new girls? What was I suppose to say after that? "Oh I know I am" or "I'm sorry was there something this newbie could do for you?" Both sounded pretty sarcastic. Better not ruin possible alliance opportunities in a new school on the first day. So I just looked up and said "Hi" with a brief smile.

"Nervous huh." …A little. "Don't worry about it, first day always stinks."

Again I frowned. "Isn't it supposed to be your first day too?"

She nodded with a smirk. "Well yeah but I know most of the people in class so it doesn't feel all that scary. You however don't know a soul… except those two of course." She added darkly and I glanced back to see Keigo and Mizuiro. One was on the phone; the other looked like he was imitating a Chimpanzee. Guess who was who. I think she felt sorry for me. She shook her head. "I'm-"

"Tatsuki Arisawa. I remember it from registration", I added after her look of surprise.

"Good memory".

"…Well I try".

Again she smirked at that and the next day I found myself being introduced to half of the female members of the math class who were all oddly needy of new gossip information.

"Come on, come have lunch with us", "were do you come from?" "What's your family like?" "What's your favourite colour?"(From a sweet looking, EXTREMELY curvaceous girl with long, brown/orange hair) "Any deep dark secrets you'd care to share?" This came from a girl with light red, chin length hair and feline looking glasses named Chizuru.

The girl had an obvious excess of energy which she utilized 24/7 and the look on her face practically screamed 'stay away from this one'. I tried to comply believe me, but over the next three weeks I would find myself the object of her staring and ogling, her never ending intrusive and sometimes dirty Q&A sessions and her comparison on my changing figure to Orihime's, the brown/orange haired girl. There wasn't really a comparison; she was beautiful in both mind and body and, pardon my crude language, her magnificent rack was in an orbit of its own. Pei would agree with me there. Half of the male student body had their eye on her but they were kept carefully in place by the ever present body guard that is Tatsuki. Who I found was also a student of a Martial Art called Vale Tudo.

Other than the obvious lesbian that was Chizuru, the bodyguard Tatsuki, the innocent princess Orihime, I found myself also making friends with bookworm and 100 metre sprint athlete Ryo, boy-magnate/man-eater Mahana, and shy Michiru.

None of these girls were similar so I found myself fitting right in with my own laid back demeanour and strange behaviour.

It seems I may actually have a place here.

Tatsuki seemed to be one who made sure each and every girl in the class wasn't alone.

And it wasn't out of pity either. I suspect that this maybe the result of several of her own harsh past experiences. That made me a little sad. Everyone suffered for their personality quirks too didn't they?

Chiyu and Jihi were ecstatic to see I'd made new friends the moment I'd staggered dazed through the Onsen door. I was in such a state of disbelief that I hadn't a) made the teachers hate me, b) had actually made friends, c) met acquaintances with similar problems, and finally d)… I had smiled today… a lot.

The first day had been hectic enough that I'd barely had a chance to speak to my new friends and wondered whilst trying not to care, whether or not they would change their minds by the next morning.

They hadn't.

That night as I made my bed and changed into my pj's, Pei had flown in and danced a cute little jig in the middle of my room, humming a tune and moving to her own rhythm.

I'd waited on my bed for her to finish with a straight face and she finally took a breath.

"YOU GOT MAIL!"

"Huh?" Was my oh so expressive response.

She 'squeed', a new word, somewhere between a squeal and a squeak and jumped next to me on my bed making me bounce.

"Look!"

She thrust at me my new mobile with my new mobile numbers on it. I opened my inbox. The first was from Keigo.

Mai, I'm thinking of a campaign strategy for the 'pants'. The girl's need 2 be awakened to the world of school pants. They looked gr8 on ur… er… well u figure it out. Don't worry I don't perv on my friends. My hero Mai.

"I knew the pants would look good on you!" Pei said smugly.

I opened the next text.

Much. He doesn't perv much on his friends. It was nice meeting u today by the way. And making friends with Tatsuki? Good tactic. Can never have 2 many friends in class. …How did u take that guy down this morning? Oh wait, I got a message, talk 2 u 2morrow?

Mizuiro.

I tired not to look at Pei as she said. "You took down a guy? There was a guy? Mai, spill, share with me! FEED ME GOSSIP, I'M DEPRIVED!"

I ignored her as Tatsuki came next on the list.

Hey Mai, Miz told me u took down a guy. U good at MA? If u interested cm tlk 2 me kay. Btw, d u have free time this week? And cn u paint? As in cn u hold a brush without dropping it?

Pei frowned this time as I shut the mobile.

"MA? What's MA?"

I sighed, not sure if I appreciated where this was going. "I think she means martial arts."

"Hmmm… so you took down a guy? Was he hot? Oh!" She gasped as her eyes grew wide and I worried what I'd done to upset her. But then she shouted out her problem and my eyes rolled.

"DID HE OFFEND YOU? HARASS YOU? DID SOMEONE ATTACK YOU MAI? DO YOU NEED A WHITE KNIGHT ON A WHITE STEED TO CARRY YOU TO SAFETY? DO YOU? JUST SAY THE WORD MAI! DAD WILL BE HERE IN A FLASH!"

"No! No I'm fine Pei, I promise." I soothed, praying she'd stop screaming at me.

"Okay… so what was the problem?"

I shrugged. "There was a fight at school and I happened to be there. It was nothing to do with me." For once, I wanted to add.

A shrewd smirk implanted itself on her features and she nodded. "Uh huh."

"What?"

"Oh nothing. I just wonder if it's wise to hide your talents for disrupting fights."

"Or causing chaos?" I interrupted.

"Mai, maybe you're real talent lies in helping people, and from time to time that means sometimes kicking butt!" She looked far too happy with this idea.

"I can't ever imagine a time where someone will want my help, never mind a time where my 'butt kicking' will be seen in a positive light." I muttered and sighed.

Pei just mussed up my hair.

Then uncle Jihi came thundering in with wide eyes and a large machete in hand.

"DID SOMEONE HARASS MY SECOND DAUGHTER? DID SOMEONE PAY WICKED ACTS UPON YOUR INNOCENT FLESH? I WILL HAVE JUSTICE! I AM YOUR WHITE KNIGHT! WHAT WILL YOU HAVE ME DO? I'LL CHOP HIM TO PIECES!"

I just turned to look at a nervous Pei. "This is all your fault." She nodded sheepishly.

---

It turned out Tatsuki wanted help to advertise her own martial arts club.

A few days after my uncle wielded a blade in my room she'd found me reading on the roof top of the main school building, had dragged me down the stairs, across the yard, through the field of short-clad football guys and towards a side building that hosted martial arts every day after school.

Karakura High school had a reputation for being a dominant in the sports league. If you were on any team that favoured some form of physical activity you were helping the school's rep.

"My sensei couldn't advertise a parking ticket, never mind a club." She explained to me all peppy like as she pulled me towards the front doors. "So he asked me to do it for him, you know to entice new members… Unfortunately… I suck at any form of self expression."

I sweatdropped. "Isn't martial arts a form of self expression?" Tatsuki's eyebrows rose.

She thought for a minute before nodding. "Except for that. I suck at expression in any area other than that."

"Other than kicking someone's ass?"

"Other than kicking someone's ass, I suck." She agreed.

"So why do you think I'll be any good at it?"

"A hunch!"

Superb.

She pushed me through the doors. "Actually… after hearing from Mizuiro about what happened the other day I decided that maybe you can sympathise with me. Plus you are kind of expressive and creative so, why not?" She shrugged.

"Oh I see. The hidden motive becomes clear."

"Uh huh."

I smiled. "Seriously I'm not some secret black belt or anything. I just know how to handle myself." Then I doubled back. "Wait a sec… how am I creative? Or good with idioms?"

Tatsuki looked at me side on. Then she took out some bandages for her hands and started wrapping them around her fingers. She already had on her obi and the way she looked at me made me made me want to back up… or sigh.

She spoke as she regarded her hands. "I've only known you for a few days so I can't comment on a lot. Apart from an odd reluctance you show in class sometimes and a kind of forced reserve to your physical actions you can be kind of insightful." I felt her eyes drift back to mine again as I was checked out the large gym room. "Plus I saw you in Art class yesterday and figured that if you can sketch that well you can probably paint too."

Still not looking at her I replied. "Two for the price of one?"

"Something like that."

So she'd noticed I was holding back already? I should have realised that she would; she focuses on physicality after all.

It had been easier for me to be more myself after spending time with people who were also social anomalies.

The building was pretty big and there were a few students at the other end of the large room that had been substituted for a genuine dojo practicing basic techniques on each other.

Next week would be opening week for the different clubs at the school for the newbie's.

I nodded absently. "I'd like to help and it would look good on my references and report sheets. But I'm not joining your club."

Finally I glimpsed at her, anxious and hoping that I hadn't upset her.

She frowned. "…Because you're afraid, because you're not interested… or because you don't need the help."

"The latter."

Nodding again Tatsuki sighed.

Then she rushed at me.

I had less than two seconds to think of what to do as her fist closed in for my face.

So she wanted me to prove it huh? Okay then…

Her fist was about an inch away from my face as my hand swiped upwards to lock around her arm and throw her over my shoulder to the ground. At the last possible second she twisted around in midair and made to sweep my legs from under me. I lifted one leg up; she wasn't in range for the other, and pivoted on the same foot to perform a roundhouse kick to her head as she righted.

She was good.

She blocked my foot and I saw the surprise on her face at the strength behind the kick. Then she grinned and used the leverage she had on me to try for a right hook to my face. I caught her fist enclosed in the fingers of one hand and used it to pull her close to me as I ducked under the same arm, twirled around behind her and pushed my arm in between her shoulder blades as my knee pressed into her legs from behind. I'd always been a flexible one.

She went down with a surprised grunt and swung her legs around to bring me down with her.

We both fell to the floor and just as she made to get back up I pushed my knuckles against the ground and forced myself into a sprint. Before she was even aware of it my knee was in her face and my hand in her hair.

I staid in that position; my right foot off the floor, knee one centimetre in front of her wide eyes, my left hand fisted in her short hair to prevent further movement. I was the epitome of still.

Her chest was moving faster than usual and I had to remind myself that I hadn't tried to be soft with her… I hadn't tried to be rough either…

…And we'd formed ourselves an audience.

The other obi clad students were all gazing open mouthed at the two of us.

Slowly and with absolute certainty in my ability I eased my foot back onto the floor and loosened my fingers away form her hair.

Then I gulped at the dumbfounded accusation in Tatsuki's eyes.

A nervous chuckle escaped me as I scratched the back of my head with one hand.

"S-sorry about that Tatsuki."

Said girl blinked and looked up at me.

Then a huge smirk spread across her features. "That was frickin unbelievable!"

"Come again?" Needless to say I was perturbed.

As Tatsuki's words echoed around the large room our small audience started clapping eagerly and my head started to shake from side to side to try and dissuade them.

This right here was why I didn't want Tatsuki to test me. I was secretly very passionate about the physical arts and I knew that if she decided to try me I would reciprocate… and I would beat her. Simply because… I had resolve.

Tatsuki was good, very good. But she'd held back as had I to prevent injury. I could now estimate what the outcome of a true match between us would come to… and it wasn't pretty. But she wouldn't win. And it wasn't because I was awesome or anything. It was simply because I thought outside the box where she had devoted herself to the rules of Vale Tudo.

Tatsuki ran over to me and slapped my back jovially as the rest of the students cheered. I grinned back shyly and whispered. "Do you think I need to join now?"

She laughed. "Hell no! I'll make sure these guys don't tell sensei about you… or anyone else for awhile." When she saw my raised eyebrow she elaborated in a somewhat embarrassed tone. "He has the… tendency to challenge pupils who are deemed more worthy." She sighed and shook her head. "He even challenged Ichigo once… it wasn't cute."

Oh really? "What happened?"

She smiled again more wickedly this time. "They sent each other to the hospital… that was only 3 months ago."

---

The Substitute Dojo

I'd been painting for an hour now and the school bell for lunch had been and gone. I'd taken off my blazer and rolled up my sleeves on the shirt I wore. My fingers were smudged with various paints but all in all I was proud of what I had accomplished.

The Vale Tudo logo was displayed in all its glory and surrounding it were the schools colours and… orange roses, plus vines, obis, and punching bags. I was a decent drawer.

And the colour orange wouldn't fade away from my brain. I'd more or less forgotten about meeting Ichigo Kurosaki four days before but his orange hair was a vivid and constant picture in my head.

The 'exercise' the day before had convinced the other pupils along with Tatsuki to allow me to promote their club. They'd gone out and brought me paper and paint and had looked at me with hopeful smiles. No pressure. Plus my stomach churned with the fact that I'd been asked, me, to help them out. It was a whole new experience for me.

In my previous school most people wouldn't even look at me.

But I think that I may have done an honest job. I'd even done a timetable spreadsheet for them providing the numerous details about class times and content.

Wiping my hand across my temple and blowing some hair off of my face I heard the door behind me click. Cool air breezed inside and I shivered aching to put my jacket on and knowing I couldn't because I didn't want Jihi and Chiyu to spend yet more money on me for a new blazer.

Then realising who it probably was I called out without looking. "I-it's almost done Tatsuki. You'll be able to put it up tomorrow."

"What's done?"

"WAAH!"

I spun around and saw Ichigo Kurosaki standing next to me. He blinked at my over reaction before eyeing the paint work again. My jaw stuck for a moment before I answered.

"Er… it's for Tatsuki. She doesn't have time to present her club so she asked me to help her out." What was he doing here?

He nodded still regarding my art work. A small snail of self doubt wormed its way inside me; I didn't like people looking over my projects, I always felt I was being judged.

He spoke again. "Yeah, I saw Tatsuki running around chasing after the other club members… what's with all the orange?"

I wondered momentarily if the scowl was an inherited trait or a purposely moulded facet.

"It goes well with the black." I said simply.

"So… what is it?" He said bluntly.

Was it really that bad that he couldn't distinguish between the items in it at all?"

I continued to work the brush over an unpainted area. "It's a banner. Tatsuki asked me to do one when she found out that I could hold a brush without dropping it."

"Unusual colour scheme."

Again, he was referring to the orange and I decidedly parked my face in neutral.

He hummed something and moved around the table looking down at the contents. Then without ceremony he dumped his bag on the only free space and said something that was so out of the blue that my neutral expression disappeared off my face like a slap.

"Mind if I eat my lunch here?"

I blinked and my mouth popped open imitating a dying fish. "Er, w-why?"

"…Because I'm hungry." He spoke as if I were a demented 3 year old.

My mouth shut with a snap and I nodded tersely. He sat and started munching on a sandwich, the smell of which forced me to remember that I hadn't eaten since breakfast. My stomach grumbled loudly and I saw him look up at me without shame as I blushed. I blushed. I never blushed. This school was going to ruin me. And of course I would do every possible humiliating thing a teenager could do in front of this guy.

With an anxious, self deprecating laugh I moved towards my bag and pulled out my own sandwich, not caring about the dried paint on my fingers. I took a huge bite and blushed again when my eyes connected with his over the top of my sandwich and saw him blink. Yeah, girls don't usually eat like a pig in front of guys.

A genuine embarrassed smile worked over my full mouth as I finished eating the bite. "…I forgot to eat anything."

He just shrugged and continued munching. "It's alright."

There was a few moments of semi-comfortable silence as we ate and I tried to calculate the reasons why he would want to eat here of all places, with an almost stranger.

And then it hit me. "Who are you avoiding?" I asked conversationally.

Jackpot! He scowled worse than ever and mumbled something under his breath but unfortunately for him I had excellent hearing. "Nobody." He said rigidly.

"You're hiding from Tatsuki's sensei huh?"

He blinked at me again and I suppressed the urge to laugh at my own insightfulness. Perhaps Tatsuki was right. Or maybe this guy was great at getting me to think clearly.

He recovered quickly. "It's nothing."

I placed my sandwich wrapper in my bag. "Tatsuki told me that her sensei has the nagging disposition to sometimes seek out worthy opponents to test and entice." I looked at him. "Is he trying to recruit you?"

He sighed. "You'd think he'd stop after what happened in the winter…" Then he scowled even further. "…But it just made him worse."

I nodded in understanding as I went back to the painting. "And you hid here because the last place you know he'll think you'll be is at his dojo?"

"I'm not hiding!"

…I'd hit a nerve.

"Well, what would you call it then?"

He huffed. "…Taking cover."

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it and I saw his scowl ease up.

I smiled and exhaled, then asked curious. "So… you used to do martial arts?"

He looked taken aback for a moment then shrugged. "Yeah I stopped a couple of months ago. I was too good to continue without having to teach or do competitions."

My hands stopped painting in total disbelief at the nonchalance in his voice. "You quit because you were getting too good? …Seriously?"

He shrugged again but his response was purely straight faced. "Yeah, I'm that good."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh please."

He actually smirked a little… on one side of his mouth. It made his eyes gleam.

This meant however that he was probably far more capable than Tatsuki.

And it didn't come to much of a surprise.

BBBBBRRRRIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGGG!

Lunch had ended as had my impromptu art class.

As I cleared away I noticed Ichigo get up and swing his bag over one shoulder. I ran into the back room to wash my hands and ended up having to use liberal amounts of washing up liquid. Then I fastened my blazer and grabbed my bag.

I stopped when I saw that he'd waited for me. He held out the door with an expression that said 'are you coming?'

I did as asked, bemused, and we walked towards homeroom.