The Other One Chapter 3: End of S0called Normalcy Part 2, a bleach fanfic

I can't believe I forogot to do a Disclaimer on the first chapter! I shall make amends.

Disclaimer: There is no way in hell that I own Bleach. I do own tboth the original characters and parts of the plot story.

There. Now I feel better. Still I was a little shocked to see how many hits my story recieved in the first week alone. I don't know what the average rate is for a new story but I was pleased. Anyway just one or two things. This story is rated T, but as it progresses I'll have to push it up a notch. I put friendship and adventure down as its genres but there's a lot more to it than that. It's comedic (or at least I hope it is), dramatic, epic, horrific, violent... possible relationship avenues etc. Don't count on romance just yet. I plan the get all my characters personally connected to each other in some way first. Last thing...

Pretty please will someone review what I've put down so far. You don't have to, I just need to know whether or not I'm a decent enough writer to keep going. I don't want to bore people to tears. If you have any questions too I'll answer them. And if you do review could soemone please explain to me what a 'cookie' is in relation to fanfic? I'm currently in the middle of my uni exams and don't have the time to search. This chapter has been sitting in my comuter and collecting dust for a while.

Please be kind.

Chapter 2:

End of (So-Called) Normalcy Part 2:

Enter Rukia Kuchiki

I prayed that the peaceful atmosphere would stay but it was wishful thinking on my part.

Things started to speed into dangerous territory after the first two weeks. My birthday came and went without much enthusiasm not that Jihi didn't try to make it spectacular; he ended it with a huge fireworks display that I had to admit was worth a single birthday.

My birthday represents a part of my past I would defiantly love to forget. Where once it was a source of joviality, now it was a cause for painful remembrance.

A few days after my birthday I would bury the sensation.

Like I was right now.

Besides I had more pressing problems to concern myself with.

I had been correct in my initial assumption about the upper class men. They really didn't like me and like all sources of malcontent it stemmed from a number of small reasons from my eyes (colour and gaze), my style of dress (the pants, how DARE I wear them), and my attitude towards my peers (non-existent respect). It didn't help that I started to associate with members of the student population who were notorious for standing out in a crowd.

Ichigo Kurosaki and Yasutora Sado were slowly building themselves solid reputations as the two strongest trouble makers in the past decade. Tatsuki might have joined the list but she became the head of this year's student disciplinary board within the first week of school. Even though none of them were jerks in or outside the classroom, Kurosaki especially was watched by both student and assistants alike. Though several teachers did seem to think this funny.

For example Miss Ochi, one of our main teachers thought Kurosaki rocked, from his hair colour to his attitude. She taught Japanese and literature, from the language to its history.

Michiru was a little afraid of him. I suppose most people might find his physical appearance somewhat upsetting. But I figured he was alright really. Certainly interesting at the very least and… kind. I could sense that about him from our very few one on one moments.

I didn't get to spend much time talking to Yasutora or Kurosaki during those first few weeks. I spent most of the time hanging around the thoroughly disturbed yet sweet as honey Orihime and Tatsuki who looked at me differently now. It seemed I was always either running from overzealous students who envisioned me joining their clubs or I was dodging the seniors.

But sometimes opportunities cropped up where I would gleam titbits of info. For instance…

One time during a Literature class I'd sat down furtively next to Kurosaki in the only available seat. He'd said 'Hey' and I asked him whether what other people thought of him bothered him much.

He'd sat back in his seat, not slouched, hands burrowed inside his pockets and his head tilted to the side glancing at the black board with clear eyes. "The instructors can think what they like and I haven't cared for the opinion of the other students in a long time."

The apathetic tone of his voice during his utterance of the word 'instructor' rather than 'teacher' made me swallow. Okay then…He didn't look offended, it was more like he was used to the idea.

That didn't sit right with me. But it felt familiar.

But what I really needed to be worried about now was the sudden and exponential increase in spiritual activity within Karakura.

For the first time in a long time I was followed home by a rather curious and absent minded ghost. All the way there I'd sweated as to what to do about it. I couldn't exactly ignore the loud and obnoxiously daft questions he shouted at me and I'd momentarily forgotten that nobody could hear him anyway and ended up shouting back to get him to quieten. Not my brightest moment.

And again today as I walked to school.

I passed the elementary school playground along the way and caught glimpse of a lonely looking boy staring at his laces, sitting on the roundabout.

Of course he was a ghost.

The sight stopped me for a moment. It can be difficult to forget that the dead are well, solitary.

I could have just left him alone but something made me wait and before I knew it I was granted with his stare. They'd been doing that kind of thing recently. All I would have to do is look at them long enough and before I knew it they'd notice me back.

It's easy to ignore one's skills. I'd ignored my extra abilities until now but living in Karakura can make anyone change their mind.

The boy looked at me like he wasn't quite sure what he was looking at.

There was fear on his face that made me pause… but there was also interest and hope.

I passed him a small wave and a kind smile. He did a cute little look around with his eyes as if making sure it was really him I was looking at before timidly returning the gesture.

I made a promise to go talk with him after school.

Ichigo

"Oh, Ichigo?"

His eyes dulled. And it starts…

"!"

Then his eyes closed in irritation.

Aw man… he's never going to shut up… maybe I should just say yes and get it over with…

Keigo nudged his elbow into Ichigo's ribcage and winked at him as his eyes snapped back open. To his right Mizuiro roll his eyes behind his phone. It didn't take long for this orange haired bundle of attitude self (hey, I know it and I like it) to suss out Mizuiro's secret… not that the guy had tried to hide it or anything.

And Keigo just wouldn't shut up about movie night.

"So… are you coming? Are you coming Ichigo? Are you? ! Oh buddy oh pal!"

"FINE! I'LL COME TO THE STUPID MOVIE NIGHT! ARE YOU HAPPY?"

"ESTATIC! THAT MAKES FOUR!"

Ichigo blinked. "Four?"

Keigo nodded with much happiness. "Mmm hmm! Chad said he would only come if you came too!"

With a sinking feeling Ichigo turned to look down to the back of the classroom where Chad was now sitting with an expression of reluctant acceptance. He sent him an apologetic stare and sweatdropped.

Sorry dude.

It wasn't that movie night was bad but they'd all suffered through three now and each time Keigo monopolised the movie screen during which he commented on each and every scene.

"You know this time do you think you guys could, you know, chose the film for once?"

Kurosaki twisted back to look at Keigo. "Wha…?"

Keigo had on his thinking face. "Well I always end up choosing the film because no one else does." He shrugged. "It gets kind of boring."

…Did not see that one coming…

Thoroughly chastised… by Keigo… he resorted to staring out of the window towards the quad…

…And then jumped when he saw yet another ghost. The third this week alone.

Come on! Give me a break here! They can't seriously be looking for…

The thoughts in his head came to a resolute stop as the ghost looked up at his window and waved cheerily once it saw him

Slouching in his seat, his furrowed eyebrows and nose peering atop of his desk he wondered how he could possibly get out of this without being further harassed.

…Until the nuisance came floating in the window towards him.

You've got to be freaking kidding me!

His forehead twitched as this ghost, a woman in her thirties, moved straight for his seat passing through students and desks along the way.

Mizuiro looked at him in a puzzled kind of way as he put away his phone.

"Are you alright Ichigo?"

What could I say? "W-what are you talking about? I'm fine. Couldn't be better really." He finished in a panicked state and began to sweat.

This was going to be along class.

I've got to get out of here!

Mai

…So yeah.

I was currently in the boy's bathroom.

Sitting sandwiched in one of the cubicles, on a toilet seat with the lid down…

It had been that kind of morning.

And then, just because it's me here, guess who has to come stomping in?

"What the? HEY! YOU CAN'T COME IN HERE! THIS IS THE MENS'! GO AWAY! FOR FIVE MINUTES! JUST GIVE ME FIVE MINUTES!"

Ichigo Kurosaki.

I heard him mumble. "Damn pest…" As he closed the exit door with a loud bang and locket it. You weren't really supposed to, it was a public bathroom but obviously he needed his five minutes.

I wonder who was aggravating him. It was in the middle of a lesson too.

But I had more pressing things to currently worry about.

Like making sure my feet weren't seen from under the door. I jumped onto the toilet seat moments before he called out.

"Hello? …Anyone in here?"

The other cubicles were closed too, not locket but they all looked the same so he didn't try any doors. Even though it was more than likely I prayed to god that he hadn't come in here to do his… er, business. God came through for me as I heard the tap in the sink running.

Should I shout out? I mean… the truth was just too embarrassing. I started to sweat.

"…I mean at my school. In class… never happened before…"

Oh no…

This was really intrusive of me. I was listening to his private thoughts…

"…She should go bother her husband… see how he likes it!"

Er… what?

"She's going to want me to do it after school too… I'll be late for Yuzu's cooking… again."

If I tell him I'm here now things are going to get even more awkward then they already are.

All movement that I could hear stopped from him for a moment and I vainly hoped he'd decided that his five minutes were over three minutes early.

But then he sighed and I imagined an image of him staring at his own reflection in the mirror.

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki… 15 years old… high school student… and…" His tone turned no nonsense with an almost concealed bit of irritation I could barely hear leaking through.

"…And I can see ghosts… for real. Welcome to my life."

My bag dropped out of my hands and clanged loudly on the bathroom floor.

Silence.

Oh shit.

"…Is someone there?"

He sounded dead serious… a little pissed and… kind of spooked too. And I would have laughed had I not been cowering on a toilet seat.

"…No?"

God, why? Why even open my mouth? I'm an utter dumbshit.

"Huh?"

Yeah, I'd be weirded out too.

Except he'd just told the air around him that he could see spirits. Which had to have been a joke right? …Because I'd been told there were no on else who could. No one but me that is.

"Hey! Come out of there!"

…No thank you.

I heard quick footsteps march towards my cubicle door and a flash of intuition crossed over my vision.

"No wait!"

His foot crashed into my door; the inside lock broke off its hinges and slammed into the side of the cubicle with a resounding clang. I had a crystal clear view of the sole of his shoe and he had a brilliant unambiguous shot of me crouched on top of the toilet seat with wide eyes; my hands held out as if to stop him from entering.

He blinked, his determined expression wiped clear form his face. I blinked, my humiliation replaced with shock.

Then I took a breath. "Was that really necessary?"

He seemed to remember that his foot was hovering in the air and he brought it back down quickly. Then his eyebrows knitted back together again. "Hell yes it was necessary." He shook his head in bemused surprise.

"What the hell are you doing in the guy's bathroom? Took a wrong turn?" Then he looked me up and down with raised brows. "Were you that desperate?"

My forehead twitched. "Eww… no, of course not!" Yep, the embarrassment had returned.

"Okay. Then why are you in here? Oh and you could have said something when I was locking the door." He said superciliously.

My face was growing red again. "Look I'm sorry! I didn't want to say anything at first because you know… I'm a girl in the guy's bathroom!"

He nodded as if in understanding when really I knew he was making fun.

"Good point. Continue."

My eyes narrowed at his and I saw his jaw twitch. God, it just had to be him, again! Every little embarrassing moment of my life so far at this school presented right in front of his face for judgement.

"…And then you locked the door…" I whined as I gestured to the exit. "…And you were talking to yourself…" He stiffened in my peripheral vision. "…and it all sounded very personal and then it spun out of control…"

"And you heard me say that I see ghosts… right?"

I glanced at him and saw him focus rigidly back on me waiting for my answer.

Jesus… he really wasn't kidding was he?

I slowly nodded and he sighed and shoved his fingers through his hair. Already I could see the excuses whirling through his head as he chewed on his tongue and suddenly it just clicked.

…Kurosaki really could see ghosts. Or at least he thought he did.

I saw him start to open his mouth but I spoke before he did resolutely staring at him through the mirror rather than at him directly.

"You see spirits?" My voice was a little firmer than I'd aimed for.

I saw him scoff. The perfect act. "Of course I don't."

I frowned. "But you said…"

He cut me off. "I know what I said and it was nothing… It's just been a long day… I talk crap when I'm tired."

"No you don't. You're not the type."

His eyes flashed at me. "Oh and you know me so well huh? Mai?"

Ouch… he got me there.

I ducked my head down, my eyes shaded behind the fallen pieces of my hair.

I heard him sigh. "Look, it's just…"

"You don't have to say anything. You were right. I shouldn't have even been in here."

Yes, when in doubt change the subject! Classic right?

"…Why were you? Really?" Despite the situation he sounded genuinely interested.

I sighed this time and looked up at him, the real Kurosaki, not his reflection. He was leaning against the sink with a hand bracing on each side behind him.

I allowed a small smile to raise one side of my mouth. "I was hiding."

De ja vu…

He smirked too, not quite a smile, as if he were in on a joke I was sharing. "Oh yeah?"

I nodded uncomfortable.

"Who from?"

"A group of upper class men."

"…Why?"

I shrugged. "Apparently something about me provokes them."

His already knitted brows furrowed deeper as he glanced at the wall. "I know the feeling."

"Yeah… I suppose you do don't you." I said softly.

He looked at me.

"Where do you come from?"

I blinked. "Pardon?"

He gestured at my person. "Before you came to Karakura, where did you live?"

"Oh… I came from the other side of Tokyo… a small town just outside the city."

"Why come here?" His head was tilted as he observed me.

That was definitely a loaded question. The answer to which I didn't want to give.

"…My family lives here." I said quietly, silently begging him not to ask anything else about it.

He just stared at me; my eyes, my non-existent smile…

"You know hiding from your problems is just going to make them worse?"

I rolled my eyes. "The upper class men?"

He nodded.

"And what would you suggest I do?" I asked with a delicately raised eyebrow.

"Confront them." He said decisively.

I shook my head with a small smile. "…Not a good idea." I breathed as I brushed my hair away from my eyes.

"…Are you afraid?"

His tone was rather compelling for a teenage attitude dispenser.

"…Yes." I said seriously.

He didn't do anything except look at me. I mean really look, it was all he did.

I swallowed and continued. "…I'm afraid that it'll get… physical…" Why was I telling him this? All I knew was that we were having this conversation in the boy's bathroom and somehow Kurosaki was pulling this emotional tangent from deep inside my chest… a dark place to be, believe me.

"…and that once I start I won't be able to stop."

I expected his eyes to widen or for him to blink in surprise or even for him to look at me with disdain echoing in his features. What I didn't expect and yet received was the understanding in his eyes that gently brushed against me and though the lines on his face hardened at my confession he continued to look at me.

"You hid so that you wouldn't hurt them." He concluded, quiet for a moment before shaking his head. "You're more than what you seem, Mai Li." Intrigue graced his masculine voice.

Well… for a 15 year old, his voice was pretty… ahem, nice.

I smiled at him and felt myself relax. "So are you ghost boy." I made my way to the locked door.

"HEY! DON'T CALL ME GHOST BOY! I TOLD YOU I WAS KIDDING!" He freaked.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I cupped my hand to my ear and saw him glower at me. "…Can't hear you…" I sang.

I saw Kurosaki's hand twitch. "I am going to end you!" He said savagely.

But there was a hell of a lot of playfulness to his tone too.

Glancing at him I opened the door. "Hah! You'd have to catch me first." My manner suggested that he wasn't up to the task.

He blinked. Then his forehead twitched. Stepping out of room with Kurosaki still clear in view and saw a maniacal grin manifest on his features. I frowned.

"Oh really?" He said dangerously.

Honestly I hadn't wanted him to rise to the bait. I wasn't trying to provoke a reaction… so this was kind of unexpected.

"Er…"

I saw him push off the sink and my eyes widened.

Crap.

And the moment the door swung shut behind me I shot off down the hallway laughing like mad, in a way I hadn't remembered ever doing when I heard the same door swing back open and bang close. His footsteps slammed into the ground as he tore after me.

"GET BACK HERE!"

I looked back. "NO WAY! YOU'LL KILL ME! AND THEN YOU'LL BOAST ABOUT IT!"

Cheerfully forgetting we were inside the school grounds during lesson time we hollered.

"I'M NOT GOING TO KILL YOU!" He shouted as I tore down a flight of stairs and he jumped down them in one go.

I yelped as he landed close to me and swung myself over the banisters.

Two can play at that game.

"NO WAIT!"

I landed perfectly two flights down. Being physically fit and flexible, it really wasn't such a difficult thing to accomplish. I looked up at him and saw his face morph from fearful angst to appreciation.

"Not bad!"

Then he was after me again.

A teacher whose name I didn't know opened a door form the inside of a classroom just as we passed the corner towards him. "Students are not allowed to run in the halls! AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE IN CLASS?"

"SORRY!" We yelled.

"STOP YELLING! IT'S UNSEEMLY!"

"YOU'RE YELLING TOO!" Shouted Kurosaki.

The man stuttered. "I-I… TO STOP YOU FROM DOING IT!"

"AND FROM WHAT PLANET DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?" Bellowed Kurosaki as we passed him.

"I AM A TEACHER!"

"SO THAT MEANS YOU HAVE YOUR VERY OWN BULLSHIT BADGE!"

We rounded the corner and we left the man a lone, an irritated twitch thumping in his cheek.

I looked back at Kurosaki who didn't look to be tiring at all.

"WHAT ARE YOU EVEN CHASING ME FOR ANYWAY?"

"NO FREAKING CLUE!"

I laughed again when neither of us stopped.

We were reaching the entrance when a woman appeared in front of me so suddenly I had no choice but to fall backwards…

…Straight into Kurosaki who had been closing in on me much faster than I thought he was.

He grabbed my arm, victorious. "GOT YA! Wait why did you stop?" He frowned and followed my eyes…

Then he saw her.

A ghost.

She was standing with her arms crossed and her foot tapping the ground in an irritated rhythm as if she'd been kept waiting.

She was looking at Kurosaki.

"Oh great…" I heard him mutter.

Holy crap… He wasn't lying… he really could see ghosts. Shocked wasn't the word for it.

I turned my head slowly to look at him at my side and I saw his own eyes blink and lighten with epiphany as he came to the same conclusion I had. I'd been looking at the ghost too. His head snapped towards me and we looked at each other in shock.

Then quick as a flash we pointed at each other.

"YOU REALLY CAN SEE GHOSTS!" I shouted.

He yelled back at the same time. "YOU CAN SEE THEM TOO!"

"I'M STILL WAITING!"

We both blinked to look back at the ghost. She smiled frostily.

"…Have been. For more than five minutes." She glared pointedly at Kurosaki who rolled his eyes.

"I said I'd help and I will so stop glaring at me."

Was this really happening?

Kurosaki was taking to a ghost… which probably meant that he could both touch and channel them too. This had most likely been going on for some time if his casual manner was anything to go by. Did every town have one person who was connected to the supernatural?

Now call me a wimp, I don't care, but for as long as I can remember I've diligently tried to keep this part of me secret. So the fact that I was now exposed in such a way made me want to hide.

It was a dangerous secret to be in possession of. Things happen to people like me, things happen around us.

What if he looked at me like I'm a freak? What if he found out… things about me and ran away in opposite direction? Retarded though it may sound to be afraid of the response of a person who is actually more similar to you than you previously thought but I could feel it…

Both of us can see, hear, talk to, touch, and channel spirits.

But in two very different ways.

I cleared my throat. "So yeah… I've got to go."

Kurosaki who'd been arguing with the woman turned sharply in my direction.

"Hey! You can't leave!"

Startled I whipped around. "What? Why?

The nosey ghost nudged Kurosaki. "Trust me honey. I know the type. This one's going to run."

"Hey!" I growled.

The ghost flinched and recoiled behind Kurosaki.

…Wait.

She looked so…Her expression was so similar to that of the young boy's I'd seen this morning. He'd feared me too until I'd waved at him. But why? I'm nice!

Kurosaki stepped forward and I gulped. You know he actually isn't that tall; just two or three inches more than me, but his presence was… imposing. Yeah, imposing.

"You just told me that you can see spirits! Don't you think we should, oh I don't know, TALK about it?" He fumed.

Unsettled I looked around then back at him. "What is there to talk about?"

He blinked before his expression morphed into incredulous annoyance. "You're kidding me, right?" He shook his head in exasperation. "I've never met another person who can see spirits like I can." Great, now I felt a tiny bit empathetic. "I thought I was the-"

"…The only one?" I finished for him.

He stopped in mid flight and sighed before nodding his head. "…Yeah."

I half smiled; it was a cheerless thing. "So did I." I admitted.

"Wait… this is great!"

In unison we blinked and turned to look at the ghost who was beaming.

"What's great?" Kurosaki asked.

She pointed at us with both hands. "Now there are two of you to help me!"

"Oi, don't drag her into this!" Kurosaki yelled.

The ghost woman pouted. "Why not?"

"Because-!"

"Aren't you afraid of me?" I asked before Kurosaki could explode.

Both of them turned to look at me; one confused the other careful.

The older woman took a long look at me before clasping her hands together and shaking her head. "Afraid isn't the term I'd use… maybe… unsure?"

I tilted my head in an effort to gage her. "In what way?"

She gestured towards Kurosaki. "You don't smell like him… it's something… strange. And…" She took a minute to ponder before clicking her fingers. "…It's commanding! And it's dark. And light! …Scary… and yet comforting. Loving, cruel… Cold and warm. Kno-"

"Okay, alright, I get it!" I held my hands out in the 'stop sign' to bring to an end her speech.

She shrugged. "You asked."

My hand slapped against my forehead. "I know, thank you."

"I don't have a clue what she just said." Muttered Kurosaki.

"Join the club."

Anyway after that the ghost woman beseeched us… or rather she yelled as us until we took notice; Kurosaki with a vein pumping madly on his forehead and me with a genuine headache.

"So…" Kurosaki asked after a few minutes of explanation, his forehead still twitching. "…You want us to help find your husband?"

"How did you loose your husband?" I asked frowning.

"Oh well, you know, I DIED!" She shouted at me.

"…Sorry." Yeah, that was a bit dim of me.

"Is your husband… er, living?" Kurosaki asked hopeful.

The woman nodded.

Thank God. Now this would be much easier.

I stretched my arms and took a few deep breaths. "Alright then! This'll just take a few minutes."

Kurosaki blinked. "What are you doing?"

Difficult part: explanation time. "I'm going to search for his… energy. If I can locate it we can just send her there."

"…What?" He looked super confused.

"Would you rather go looking all around Karakura? It would take all night!" I looked at him as he started to look awkward. "Wait… is that what you usually do?"

His cheek twitched and I blinked. "…Oh." That sucked. My ability was at least useful for tracking even if it was exhausting.

I pressed my lips together as I saw the ghost give Kurosaki an unhelpful, sympathetic look that made him glower. Sighing I walked past him to perform my little experiment but as I passed I patted his shoulder. It wasn't pity, honest, and he wasn't quick enough to stop me.

"HEY!" He shouted, and even though I hadn't touched it, ruffled his hair back into its spiky place.

I stood still, my feet apart and my hands by my side, in front of the ghost.

"Where you with or near your husband prior to your death?"

She nodded again and looked at me apprehensively.

I nodded and smiled to put her at ease. "Then this should be easy."

Basically a small print or smudge of her living energy should still be on her husband's person. She'd been dead 24 hours. Hopefully he was still in Karakura.

Closing my eyes I ignored the stares of Kurosaki and the ghost and concentrated. Her signature was already covering the area so I knew its scent as I traced it throughout Karakura.

And for just a moment I felt my dormant half clink and quiver as it tried to open.

With a push I sent my inner energy out in all directions. The wind around my person picked up blowing my hair gently as the clothes on my body swayed…

…There was Kurosaki behind me. His energy was so rich and unfocused that I couldn't help but brush by it with my own and saw him briefly shiver as his power reflexively reached out to meet me.

But it was too slow. I was already past him and out of the school, over east Karakura… the west… then south…

Ichigo

What… was she doing?

She just stopped and closed her eyes, her hands down by her sides as they just stared at her.

What would be easy?

He couldn't help the tingle of something roll through his body as the area around them started to quietly hum.

And a breeze picked up around him that didn't feel… natural. Created.

By her.

It was coming from her.

The tingling turned to warmth and it felt like it was seeking something… He frowned at himself; it was seeking something? I sound like a cheap ass TV spook.

And then, as if she were surrounded by an invisible force, it pushed out past him and the ghost who disappeared momentarily. It was unlike anything he'd felt so far.

His body tensed and something deep within him… something unrecognisable pushed out to connect with the rapidly passing phenomenon.

But it was too slow. With a disappointed impression it too vanished.

…Leaving him reeling.

What the hell…?

Then Mai's eyes opened and he forced himself not to swallow.

For a split second he swore that her eyes were glowing; highlighted and emboldening the green and gold of her irises.

And then it faded.

Oookkaaaaayyyy… thoroughly confused, bemused, irritated, out of his comfort zone; he looked at her, unsettled.

…And just a pinch curious.

Mai could see spirits and do some weird and eerie locator thing that made him shiver.

That still doesn't mean that I understand what just happened.

Mai blinked then opened her mouth and the ghost who'd reappeared just as her eyes had opened gulped and almost took a step back. Like he said… a little eerie.

"He's in the south of Karakura; just outside of Sakurabashi… he's perfectly safe from harm there. I think he's… thinking." She added with lopsided frown as she weren't sure what it was she'd seen.

The ghost nearly wept in relief and though Ichigo couldn't say he'd be disappointed if she left he felt a tad guilty at how he'd tried to postpone helping her for as long as he could.

But… she was just so annoying.

"Do you want us to come with you?" He asked and he saw Mai raise an innocent eyebrow at him for the 'us' part. There was no way he was going with the woman alone. Not now.

The ghost shook her head and smiled. "No, it'll be quicker if I just go alone. I… I only need to see that he's doing alright. I think then I'll be able to move on."

He nodded at her. "Good Luck then."

The ghost woman walked off… or drifted off or whatever it is ghosts do.

Running his fingers through his hair he sighed and turned towards Mai… who was nowhere to be seen.

Wait where did she…? He looked around. That little…he growled.

She snuck off on him right when he hadn't been paying attention.

Dammit!

What had all that been about anyway?

Well… it wasn't like she could hide at school. He'd talk to her tomorrow.

And if she didn't let him… then this time when he caught her he would make her talk.

Heh.

Mai

Well that went swell.

I'd just blown my secret in front of Kurosaki. Epic fail.

Come what may.

It had been a long day. I'd stress about it tomorrow.

I was slightly late but I still went to a local convenience store to buy a ball. One you could kick, throw, pass etc. I figured the boy would like it. Twirling it in my fingers I walked whistling a merry tune.

I neared the park hopeful to help make one lonely ghost a little less so. The sun was already starting to set and a chill in the air picked up around me so I pulled my blazer closer and fastened the buttons.

I rounded the corner towards the monkey bars…

…There was no one there.

I wondered for a moment if the boy had decided to go explore someplace else when I remembered that ghosts tend to hang around areas and people that meant something to them in life. He should be there.

…The roundabout was slowly spinning as if someone had given it a casual push… recently.

Very recently, there was no wind today.

Drawing nearer I had to quell a sick feeling prominent in my stomach with each moment I neared the turntable.

Pausing I didn't stop it as it circled around. It creaked as it slowed and in the quietness of the area it sounded really creepy.

And it was added to by the flash of red I glimpsed as it rounded again… and again.

Drops of it in a long line that led to a small puddle underneath the ride.

Blood.

It flashed in my mind in rhythms of black, white and grey with the blood a vibrant red; colourful and energetic compared to the lifeless surroundings. Camera shots that went BANG! BANG! BANG! And with each I jumped slightly.

I didn't need to look around. Somehow I knew the ghost boy had been killed. Mere minutes before I'd even arrived. Too late for him… and for me.

Whatever had killed the boy wasn't a human being… humans can't kill the already dead.

…But the residue of something totally unfamiliar and odorous in the worst possible way reached me.

It smelt like stolen innocence.

Twisted and spoiled, ripped at the seams followed by a ravenous hunger and a conscienceless grotesque like instinct… something to be abhorred. And then I was struck by the similarity it had with the dreams I'd been having.

The creatures had been huge and monstrous… and they'd chased children.

What the hell could I do against something like that?

Standing there my hand fisted and the ball fell from my arms were I'd been cradling it.

It rolled away trailing down the park into the crevices of the surroundings…

…And a clogged foot that went past my notice stopped its course before pulling it into the shadows with him.

The following days…

Kurosaki?

He could be really sneaky when he wanted to be.

It started off simple.

I'd be sitting in class and since we had similar class schedules I figured, without a high-flying sense of self importance, he'd be given the opportunity to try something. But he never did.

And it bugged me.

At first anyway.

For the first three days he'd just watched me as if he was trying to figure out an equation. He'd chew down on a pencil end as he'd stare at me, looking closely at the nuances in my behaviour.

Every now and then I'd turn to tell him off for gazing trying very hard not to blush as I had been doing quite a lot lately thanks to him. In reaction he'd merely shrug, lift up his hands or eyebrows (it varied) and say, "What? What did I do?"

That's when I broke my first pen.

And he'd grinned. A full grin. Full of immature mischief. The fact that I'd gone red afterwards probably made him feel like a winner.

I knew he was curious and probably fractious. I'd told him I could see spirits just like he could and he'd been rewarded by my absence.

Fear prevented me from opening up again.

And then there was the boy in the playground. The one I hadn't been able to save. That night I'd been plagued again by vivid nightmares and visions.

Something, somewhere, had cracked.

And the boy was a rudimentary example of the fallout.

I felt like such a failure.

Instead of moving on to heaven he'd been taken.

And there was nothing I could do but squeeze my hands into fists until they bled.

That night I'd wanted to confront Jihi and Chiyu, the people who told me that no one else but me could see spirits.

But I hadn't said a word.

…Because that would have incriminated Kurosaki…

Who wasn't like me. Not a freak or a failure. I could see it in his aura. He was someone born with an exceptionally high level of spiritual particles and it allowed him to do all the spirit channelling he did.

I didn't have spiritual particles. I had no idea who or what I was.

So anyway…

Back to Ichigo's bold face stares with a pen in his mouth and a thoughtful scowl on his face.

Our friend's reactions to the staring Kurosaki proved amusing… at my expense.

When Keigo had found Kurosaki doing his thing on the afternoon of the second day he thought that the orange head had a crush on me.

The image of Kurosaki 'crushing' on anyone made me laugh till my sides hurt. Tatsuki joined me there, though our reasons were opposite.

And when Keigo attempted to question Kurosaki about it… it went a little something like this.

"Ichigo! Hey buddy listen… do you have a thing for Mai because well… you're totally staring at her dude!"

"Mm."

Was 'Mm' even a word? He was just sat at his desk in the middle of the room and was looking at me with a pen in his hand. I really hope that the pen is not symbolic.

Undeterred Keigo plodded on. "And, you know, since she's my hero and all… if I lost her to you… I just want you to know… it would be cool."

The act of camaraderie went completely unnoticed as Kurosaki lent his chin on one hand sending his thoughtful scowl in my direction and never… ever… sodding ceasing!

That's when Keigo began to twitch with nerves. This was indeed bizarre behaviour; Ichigo Kurosaki would normally rise to such bait as this given his temperament.

Keigo gulped and rubbed his hands together sending looks requesting for aid off of Mizuiro and Tatsuki who shook their heads in unison. They probably didn't give a crap.

"Soooo…er w-well, Ichigo? …You're really starting to freak me out man! Come on!"

To this there was the smallest of movements on the part of Kurosaki as he switched hands. Keigo almost bounced with joy. Without looking away form me however and as I began to sweat and shake with annoyance he spoke dully.

"Keigo…I'm trying to concentrate here."

His friend froze in shock as his eyes popped. I whirled around to stare equally stunned at Kurosaki whose left eyebrow rose when he saw my face. Tatsuki and Mizuiro blinked, even Orihime and Chizuru looked up from their books.

What could he possibly be trying to concentrate on that hard?

After three seconds of silence, Kurosaki seemingly oblivious raised his pen occupied hand off of the table in a small quick wave at me. "Hey."

I sent him a look that clearly said he was insane. He shrugged. My face slammed down on my desk and I stayed like that throughout the rest of the lesson.

When the bell rang I bolted.

And things only got worse. Once rumours started out that Kurosaki liked me, no matter how laughable it was, I became the negative focus of a group of girls, mixed years who fancied the pants off him. Knowing that he was as intimidating as they come however prevented them from upping their game to gain his attention. Unfortunately it also meant that any other poor bugger who took a remote liking to him was punished. Add these girls to the other group that hates me and I'm priority number one at Karakura High. Fortunately their threats were kind of lame; it involved sharpie pencils on lockers etc. It was fine. I got back at them… with acrylic pant.

And just as I was packing away my paint (four days later) I saw Kurosaki come in through the entrance doors.

He looked at me with his bag in one hand over his shoulder all devil may care as I looked back at him, yet again frozen

"…You can't avoid me forever you know."

For the past four days he'd upped the performance or whatever the hell he was doing. He'd pop up at random and purposely yell, "Hey!" Or "Mai!" in an uncharacteristically cheerful voice that caused everyone to turn. Sometimes he'd show up outside of my classes just to catch me off guard.

Then the messages in class started, which was exactly what got me in trouble with his fans.

It was such a small thing too… well not really, but nothing for them to worry over.

The paper had landed on my desk without sound but I'd felt the air brush over my hand as it did. I looked to my right and saw Kurosaki scowling at me again but this time his eyes were challenging. He was serious and for once he deserved that I take him as such.

The note had said: So, are you going to talk to me at all this year Mai?

I sent one back: As long as it's not about ghosts, sure.

Then back to him: What's the big deal about it? You see them. I see them. It's not like I'm going to think you're weird or anything.

…That's not the point Kurosaki. I'm… trouble.

So am I.

I'm serious.

So am I.

Not like me, I'm worse.

…Somehow I doubt that.

You don't know me.

I think I pointed that out in the bathroom last week. That can change you know. Again, what's the problem? You see ghosts and so do I. We should be able to talk about it. Not hide behind it.

…What if things get worse… or you don't like what you hear?

I'll take that as it comes. That's what friends do, if you want one.

…The last friend that I had tried to kill me.

…

Exactly.

…What happened? Tell me.

It wasn't anything serious. I didn't even like the person all that much. But I was lured into a false sense of security that he took advantage of.

…Wasn't anything serious? He tried to kill you and it wasn't anything serious?

Nope. I beat the crap out of him. He's still in a coma.

…Oh.

I'm kidding… sort of. He woke up about a year ago. But he'll probably be in physical therapy for the rest of his life.

…Right.

Like I said… I'm not a nice person.

How incredibly honest.

Look being my friend for the sake of school is one thing, but putting your trust in me is another.

…I'm willing to take that risk.

I didn't answer back and luckily the bell rang for seventh period.

Why was he so interested? I mean genuinely too.

And now with him standing there at the double doors in the second week of May my will was crumbling.

…He wasn't the only one intrigued. He was just the only one not afraid to understand.

My shoulders slumped and I sighed.

"…I'm not trying to avoid you."

He scoffed, I couldn't blame him. "You could have fooled me."

My eyes closed. "I just…" I put down the can of paint and I saw his eyebrows almost comically point towards them and he looked back at me with a question mark on his face. In answer I gestured at the back row of lockers all previously pink and girly. Now however they were decorated black and purple with a slew of skulls, the painting 'The Scream' inspiring several parts and other nasty things. I'd come to school deliberately early for my revenge. The Barbie dolls where going to flip.

I saw him sweatdrop. "…Not bad." Then he focused. "Actually that is pretty good. I think you've found your calling."

"Art?"

"Pissing off chicks."

The laugh that tore out of me reverberated off the walls and a look of quiet triumph echoed in his eyes as he watched me. First, Kurosaki had said 'chicks'; it sounded so American and unexpected coming out of his mouth it tickled me. Second… I really was good at pissing off girls… at least compared to making friends with them.

I quieted and saw people gathering to the doors behind him as the first bell of the day drew closer. He looked back at them too and sighed. Then he started walking past me.

"If you change your mind today let me know… but if you really don't want to I'll understand and… I won't bother you again."

He left me in the hall as he continued towards his locker.

I stayed standing still as the crowd of students rushed in from the wind, all laughing, red faced and talking with enthusiasm.

…I felt sick with myself. He'd offered me his hand countless times over the past week and a half and all I'd done was turn away. Like a coward. Like a…

…a waste.

My eyes widened and the memory trespassed into my vision, the sound of the students slamming lockers echoing in the background.

…Such a waste of perfectly good breathing space. Why are you even alive anyway? What's your purpose… except being a total freak of course? You're worth nothing. You're a disease… a curse. And everybody, us and your family would be better off without you here.

And you know it too don't you?

You know what you did. What you keep doing. All you do is hurt people… you bring forth darkness.

You're evil.

And evil… it has to be sterilized… and then executed.

Wouldn't you prefer to die Mai, knowing what you've done?

Are you afraid Mai?

Are you going to run like the coward you are?

Like a punch I forced the memory back under its original lock and key.

Yeah… the guy had really deserved to get laid out in the hospital…

Even if a part of me still wonders at the truth of his words.

I looked down the hall to where Kurosaki had gone and made my decision.

"Alright class! Onwards in contemporary Literature! The connections between cultures!"

Miss Ochi as always arrived into her classes with double the energy of any student. She was an odd one who allowed allowances towards certain pupils because, in my opinion, her eyes saw more than we thought they did.

As she went off on a tangent about how she met an old boyfriend whilst studying literature (and as Keigo asked far too personal, intrusive and all out shameful questions about said affair) I looked at Kurosaki who was behind me, to my left looking out of the window.

I threw him a note. He blinked and looked around finding my face. I looked away towards Ochi. Curious, I saw him open the note out of the corner of my eye.

…You're not a bother.

That's all I put.

Ten long seconds later…

I know.

Oh so it was going to be like this huh? I looked back over my shoulder at his nonchalant self looking at his finger nails.

Well at least I know you hold yourself in such high esteem.

And it started again.

I wasn't the one who was being difficult.

No you were just the one who wouldn't. Stop. Staring. At. Me. You didn't say a word; you just stared.

Hey, it did the job.

Huh?

It made you look back.

…I see.

I was trying something my dad once told me. He said if you stare at a person's back hard enough they'll turn round. It didn't matter if it worked or not, as long as it annoyed you.

You little…

Plus… I was trying something out.

Something?

…I wanted to see if I could sense you the same way you did that woman's husband.

Have any luck?

…Not sure yet.

That was decidedly ambiguous.

So I'm mysterious, sue me.

If you mean suspicious, infuriating, stubborn, big headed and annoyingly persistent then yeah you're mysterious.

Do you want to know what I think of you?

No.

Tough! You too are stubborn and you really are secretive and mysterious. You're also nosy, bottled up, maddening… and too intriguing for your own good.

Uh… wow… Was that a compliment?

You're also vulnerable and terrified.

Okay, now I'm feeling a little… I'm not sure I want to be talking about what seems so inconspicuous to the others and yet so obvious to you.

Then tell me after school. I'll walk you home.

Do you even know where I live?

I asked Mizuiro who hacked into the school's computer and stole your details.

…How persistent of you.

I was bored.

Uh huh.

So… is the ghost topic still out of the question?

Ask me any question Kurosaki. I'll answer.

When I looked back at him a few minutes later I noticed an incredibly small but still present up-turn to his mouth as he looked out the window to his left.

I'd made the right decision.

"You find Kurosaki scary Michiru?"

It was lunch and the girls including yours truly were sitting in an unused classroom.

Being the shy girl she is when the topic of the schools reputed 'lookers', 'trouble makers' and 'bad boys' were brought into question she immediately told us that Sado Yastoda was too tall and that every time she looked up at him she couldn't meet his face fully out of fear. Ichigo Kurosaki's face was apparently daunting in its own right; the rumours about his so called delinquency egging the irrational fear.

"Do you think maybe he scowls all the time because he thinks bad thoughts?" Michiru Ogawa asked tentatively.

Er, what? Oh brother…

Tatsuki waved a dismissive hand towards her. "That's just attitude Michiru."

"Well…" Ryo said as she peeked at us from over her manga. "…He is kind of intimidating. Not that I care." She turned a page.

Tatsuki nodded in thought. "He'd be good looking if he didn't scowl all the time."

"That orange hair of his should be made illegal!" Pushed Chizuru as she intently watched Orihime's lips descend over her straw.

Then Mahana spoke up. "Actually… I think his hair is pretty hot." So said the man eater.

"What, really?" Yelled Michiru, eyes wide in astonishment.

Mahana nodded. "Think about it. In two years that boy's going to be a hottie!"

Tatsuki chomped on her sandwich. "I concur." She spoke as if they were talking about maths.

By now I was in serious frown mode myself.

What did I think of Ichigo Kurosaki?

We all heard Orihime sigh and looked at her as she gazed dreamily into space. I had to smile. "Actually recently… I think he's… I mean his face is so… so… heheheheHAHAHAHAHAA! IT'S SO FUNNY!"

Her hands flashed over her mouth as she laughed out of her shoes. Seriously, she literally fell out of them as she landed on her butt.

Afraid for her health I looked over towards an unconcerned looking Tatsuki with a dead pan expression. "Translation if you please."

The martial arts student sighed. "Orihime has vivid daydreams."

And that was that.

"I saw you passing notes in class."

Of course the ever present Ryo Kuneida would notice such a (not quite so) covert exchange between us.

I shrugged casually. "We were talking about Tatsuki's club." Lying came alarmingly easy to me.

Said tomboy raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Really? Why?"

"…He said I used too much orange in its promotional campaign."

Mahana's face fell. "…That's it? That's what you were smirking about in class?"

I'd smirked in class? …Okay. Nodding I answered. "Yes… What's the problem?"

Noticing their changed faces I hesitatingly asked. "Wait, where you all watching us?" What?

Furtively they looked at each other as Orihime tilted her head at me without shame, Michiru fidgeted and Tatsuki had an incredibly curious look on her face.

"How did he know about the promotional banners? He didn't show up for club signing or orientation." She said aloud to the room.

I didn't see the harm of explaining. "Oh, he came in the gym when I was painting."

Tatsuki blinked as Chizuru and Mahana leaned forwards. "Really?"

For a second Tatsuki actually looked hopeful and I didn't understand why. "What is it?" I asked her.

She scratched her head. "No I just… I thought he might be interested in joining." She was telling the truth but only in part.

"Did you use to practice karate together?"

She looked up at me then grinned in enthusiasm. "Yeah! We started when we were four years old. I used to love fighting him. I beat him all the time… until middle school."

"…And he hasn't asked to spar since?" I deduced.

The forced nonchalance in her shrug made me swallow.

Chizuru patted her shoulder and Tatsuki visibly shuddered as the alleged lesbian breezed by. "It's his loss Tatsuki. Rough housing with a girl would be considered by most hot blooded men as close to heaven as can be… and some hot blooded women too!" She added as her glasses sparkled and she focused her gaze on Orihime who was stuffing her little face in.

She was rewarded with a face full of floor.

"Get your mind out of the gutter!" Yelled Tatsuki whose foot was still in the air having tripped the vivacious red head.

"It's my mind!" She shouted back from the floor.

The rest of us ignored the sounds of Tatsuki beating the crap out of Chizuru as Ryo spoke to me again.

"You need to watch yourself today Mai, the fan girls are out for blood this time."

"I'll keep that in mind." I wasn't exactly quivering in fear.

She smiled and took off her glasses rubbing her fingers over her eyes. "Seriously… apparently they've upped their game, especially after that little prank you did on their lockers. Thought I'd give you a heads up. I was going to do something but…" She yawned putting her glasses back on and went back to her book. "…I thought you could handle them yourself."

Was her faith in me real or was she just incredibly apathetic… or lazy?

Even so I agreed to pay attention to my surroundings.

Saying one thing and doing it? Two very different things…

The moment I'd stepped out the doors of the science building after the second to last lesson post lunch, the aficionado bunnies who had impeccable timing this afternoon somehow chose the one and only moment where my mind had wandered off somewhere past the stratosphere.

It only came back down to earth once I felt the freezing cold water slap my back, soak me to the bone and give me brain freeze.

The hair that had fallen out of my loose plat was plastered to my face as I dripped and I heard laughter and jokes being reverberated around the small crowd that had begun to gather.

Shaking myself like a wet dog I forced myself to look up at the building behind me and was just able to sneak a peak at a group of girl's four stories up pulling a large bucket back into the classroom and locking the window.

Luckily it wasn't cold out.

Still… I was… kind of… kind of mad.

I waved good naturedly at the crowd and shuffled off over to the sports closet in the yard. Paper towels. Where are the paper towels?

My blazer was soaked. My pants were soaked. My white shirt was soaked so I couldn't take my blazer off to dry without supreme embarrassment on my part.

And again… because the universe has it written in stone… guess who just had to show!

"Why are you all wet?"

BINGO! Kurosaki! How predictable! You're timing is faultless!

I closed my eyes for a moment at his derisive tone before turning slowly back to look at him as my clothes leaked water.

Then I blinked. He wasn't alone, Sado was there with him. Better and better! Let's add to the mortification shall we?

The water slid into my eyes as I said. "I felt like taking a shower outside. Surprisingly refreshing." I added with a thoughtful raise of my eyebrows.

Kurosaki didn't find this amusing however. "Right."

In fact his lips under turned in annoyance with the scowl threatening his features for the evident explosion that would probably burst out of him in 2015. Sado didn't pull any expression.

But he did speak.

"The second years got you… didn't they?"

How did he know… well it was close I guess.

"Hole in one." I affirmed.

Kurosaki's face grew to a whole knew level of seriousness as his eyebrows furrowed.

"Why?"

I shrugged. "Neh."

"Neh?"

I nodded. "Neh."

His temple throbbed. "What the…? Neh isn't a word!" He shouted at me as I passed him.

"It is now, and I'm using it. Excuse me for a minute."

His eyes followed me. "What are you doing?"

I frowned for a second as I reached for the outside tap. "Aren't you two supposed to be in class?

They both shrugged in indifference and I sweatdropped.

The water ran into the ground and I watched it for a moment.

"You're wasting perfectly good water." Kurosaki's patronising tone reached me and I resisted the urge to pull at my hair.

"Who died and made you king of water resources?"

"Emperor of the Universe. It says so on my birth certificate." He said seriously and I smiled appreciatively, trying to hide it behind my fallen hair but knowing he could still see the expression and knowing that it would make him that much more infuriating.

I ignored him and pointed at a bucket inside the sports closet. "Could you pass me that please Sado?"

He did so immediately and without making a sound.

"Why don't you call him Chad?" Kurosaki asked.

"Sado's his name after all." I said and looked at the Mexican. "What would you prefer?"

"Either's fine."

I looked at Kurosaki. "See?"

He just rolled his eyes… then question marks begun to sprout up all over his fore head as he watched me fill up the bucked with the water.

"Er… what are you…" He hesitated.

I heaved the now heavy bucket up into my arms, nodded at the two dudes and walked away. They watched me go, expressions of bewilderment on their mugs and question marks popping up over their heads.

And the sad thing? I waited for a full hour for the final bell to ring.

Lamely I'd used my ability to find the specific trio of nutters. There were more than them but these three obviously had issues in security. This is why I decided I'd go easy on them.

My self control was twanging. It hadn't snapped or even cracked but it had bended and I was itching to do something.

So when the group of pom pom-less cheerleaders stepped out of the front doors they were met with a body full of freezing cold water.

Of course they screamed obligatorily and spastically jumped up and down… and whinged.

They saw me through their drowned hair and screamed. "YOU!"

I didn't smile, but remained passive as everybody else around them laughed their asses off.

Normally I'd feel bad for them but… they'd brought this down on themselves.

"That should cool you off… refreshing isn't it?"

My uniform was still damp. But surprisingly my mood was quite high in the sky.

"WE'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!" One of them shrieked and the people around them covered their ears.

I shoved my hands in my pockets. "Try it. The worst you can do is get me suspended and I can weave a story as good as the best of them. By the time I'm through you'll have the reputation of the worst kind of student."

They looked at me with silent daggers that slowly turned to fearful ones as my eyes bored holes into their corneas.

I threw the bucket at the middle one who jumped; the remaining water sloshed on her shoes.

This time I really did smirk "You can have that back. Normally I'd have countered at least twice as strong but…" I shrugged and my smirk dropped as my energy pulsed of its own accord darkening my stare. "…I had reservations about whether or not you could actually handle that."

Though the girls couldn't see ghosts or sense energy they still felt the unrelenting pull in the air and the threatening aura that enacted their own instincts for self preservation… no matter how crappy they may be.

Then they jumped stupidly when I smiled cheerily at them. "Adios!" I looked around noticing that some of the stares from the students were admiring… some of them. "…This was fun."

I turned around and walked towards where I'd placed my bag at the gates.

"Way to step on their toes Mai."

Kurosaki was waiting around the other side of the gate. Then I remembered: he wanted to talk.

"I know it was balls-y and it might make me a target but…" I started as I turned towards him, "…I'm not the only one who stands out." My eyebrows rose as if daring him to say otherwise.

He didn't. Instead he and Sado (yeah he was there too) stepped towards me.

"Are you alright?" Sado asked me quietly.

I bobbed my head once.

Then he watched as my eyes trailed from him to Kurosaki's hair. It was glowing in the afternoon sun and I just stared. For no reason. It had been a long day.

His eyes narrowed and before he could pass an angered remark to what he thought was a snarky comment coming his way I spoke.

"Your hair, it's very… orange."

For a second he just stared at me. Then he rolled his eyes at my, oh so clever deduction. "…I know." Then he shook his head. "What is it with you and colour?"

I snapped out of my day dream. "What? I can't help it if you're both beautifully coloured can I?" Then I blanched. Oh good lord…

I'd said that out loud.

In apprehension I watched as Kurosaki looked like he was having some kind of asthma attack as a red hue worked its way over his cheek bones. Sado stood there and blinked as Kurosaki started to stutter.

"W-what's that about? You can't just go around saying things like-"

"Why not?" I tilted my head genuinely interested in his opinion of his own hair for a moment. "It's true and since you've both seen yourselves in the mirror everyday… I didn't think it would come as such a surprise." I shrugged. "You've got beautiful hair…" I gestured passed a shell shocked Kurosaki towards Sado. "…He's got beautiful skin. I don't get what's wrong?"

"!"

The red on his cheek slowly pooled down over his face as his brain did a full meltdown.

"Er… you alright there Kurosaki?"

Sado placed one large supporting hand on his shoulder (see guys can be dramatic too) and Kurosaki seemed to come back himself as he coughed. "It's…" He winced, his voice was all high pitched and he cleared his throat. "I-it's nothing."

I frowned. Was it something I said? What did I do wrong? It's a blatantly obvious scrutiny that both these guys have good colouring…

Then it clicked. "Oh…Oh you're embarrassed aren't you?"

He whirled on me still flushing furiously. "WHAT?"

"You're all red!"

"That's because you say stupid things!"

"How was that stupid? I was paying you a compliment!"

"Compliment my ass!"

"Wha…?"

"You don't go around telling guys they're beautiful!"

"I didn't say you were beautiful! I said your hair was!"

"It's the same thing!"

"No it isn't! God I wasn't wrong was I? You really do have a grandiose sense of self importance!"

"EXCUSE ME!"

"Take it like a man Kurosaki! You're hair is beautiful and that's that!" I rounded on Sado, thoroughly confused with myself and the incredible orange headed one and pointed at his arm. "And you! You have lovely skin! ALRIGHT?"

I stomped off around the gate, past the two idiot guys because boy's… are… just… ah!

Why didn't Pei warn me about them?

"OI, WAIT UP!"

For the love of…!

"WHAT?" I surprised myself… I rarely shout.

Then again… I've never had much to shout about… or anyone to shout at.

Kurosaki caught up with me, still red and grumbling but looking at me all the same. We started walking in a slightly awkwardly silence. Now I felt like an idiot for ever opening my mouth to him and kept glancing at him anxiously. What was he thinking?

"You know…"

I looked at him to see his eyes pondering my person and raised an eyebrow.

He shook his head as his blush subsided and he frowned at me as he finished his sentence.

"…You're really weird."

Well it could be a lot worse.

Wait…

"Where's Sado?" He wasn't walking with us.

"Chad's got some place to be." He answered.

"Oh."

"…Unless you want him to hear this conversation?"

I smiled and shook my head mutely.

"So…" He looked at me side on. "Are you going to run off or can I ask you some questions now?"

We walked slowly.

It was a fresh afternoon and sunset wasn't quite here yet. He'd shown me a few short cuts since I was new to the area. Still, his house was kind of far from the school.

After a few minutes the 'talk' started. At first it was about little things, things of no relevance but then they turned into something more inquisitive.

His shoes had quietly clopped on the side walk when he opened his mouth startling the silence.

"How old were you when you first started seeing ghosts?"

I blinked. "Oh, er… about three years old."

He looked at me surprised. "That young?" I nodded. "Oh… I was about six or seven when I began seeing them."

"Well… I didn't exactly see the same things that you saw…" I explained.

He frowned (not sure how you can frown over a scowl but it is indeed possible).

"What do you mean?" He prodded.

"Well… Could you differentiate between ghosts and the living at first?"

I could tell he was wondering where I was going with this.

He shook his head. "No, I often confused the two."

I continued. "Well I didn't even see ghosts at first… I saw lights."

"Huh?"

"I saw lights." I repeated. "When I was a toddler I use to see these figures of glowing energy that just looked like different kinds of light. 'Pretty lights' I use to say when I saw one. I even got taken to an optometrist to make sure that I wasn't seeing something on my retina." He nodded, listening with his ever present frown.

"I use to follow them around too. They drew me too them, I felt a pull which made me go after them. But sometimes having a three year old wandering around following lights could be kind of dangerous so I stopped doing it." I shrugged. "After a couple of years or so the 'lights' started to solidify and become clearer… and I began to see the soul underneath their own energy."

Now he looked confused again so I explained. "I see aura's; the energy that exists within the living, the dead etc. Physical energy… spiritual energy too…" I shook my head. "Strange though that I never questioned the transition. They were just like fire flies; sometimes you get confused by the light and you can't see the creature behind it."

"…Pretty big fire flies." Kurosaki said after a moment.

"Yeah… human sized." I agreed. "What do you see?" I asked tentatively.

"Not what you see. I don't see… energy. I just see the soul. As clear as day."

I wondered what that was like. Did it ever drain him? Did he ever get headaches?

And why wasn't I asking?

We walked in silence some more before he spoke again.

"So… that's you is it?"

I looked at him in question and he gauged me shrewdly. "That's all there is to you? I get the feeling there's more to it than that."

How did he…?

He waited patiently as I lifted my hand to rub the back of my neck. Then I smiled sheepishly and he looked at it.

"Yeah… I'm kind of… clairvoyant." I laughed insecurely at his widened eyes. "It's nothing really! It's just sometimes I dream… and stuff… so yeah."

His eyes were doing an almost too close for comfort examination of me and I couldn't read him. I'd fibbed a little but all in all it was also the truth. I just didn't know how to explain the rest.

Then the smallest of smiles graced his face and he shook his head. Why? He stared ahead.

"How does that work?" He asked quietly as we watched the traffic go by on the main road.

"Not sure really… but I can block most of it. Sometimes though they seep through and what I see isn't always easy to understand." I waited for a moment, holding my inhale as I worried over the next sentence. I saw his eyes flicker back to mine from the side and it blurted out of my mouth.

"I dream of monsters in Karakura. They attacked and… then there was nothing I could do."

He didn't say anything as we crossed a road and I figured he thought I was delirious or something.

So I changed the subject.

"What about you? Have ghosts always come to you for aid like they did the other day?"

It took him a minute before he slowly shook his head. "No… no this is different from before. They didn't use to bother me so much until recently."

…Me too. "How recent is recent?" I dared ask.

His tone turned to a self sardonic tenor. "Recent as in the start of High School… It's going to be one long ride."

I hummed in agreement and thought a little more as we walked through Kasazaki lower district.

"I feel like something's changed, gone out of alignment or… something…" I muttered.

Then I stiffened; now I really sounded moronic, or worse! Like one of those old gypsy fortune tellers. I sounded like an old bag with a black cat and a crystal ball at an amusement park, the kind you tried to ignore but humoured all the same out of some bent curiosity.

But Kurosaki just blinked my way and after a moment's pause nodded. "Yeah."

I relaxed in relief, thank God for his open mind.

"You see it as an annoyance don't you?" I asked.

His scowl softened but he didn't speak. It was like he didn't know what he thought.

I sighed. "I use to see it as a gift."

"Use to?" He asked.

I cocked my head to the side and pondered. "Use to?"

After a moment Kurosaki nodded.

He got it. He understood. I wasn't sure about it either… Was it an accidental gift? Or did it have a true purpose? Did it mean anything?

I think it did.

We were just passing Kasazaki supermarket and I did the spontaneous thing as my stomach quietly rumbled.

"I think… I need chocolate." I pointed at the large mart you couldn't possibly miss and he sweatdropped. "Love the choc stuff." I bit my lip and waited.

Kurosaki looked at me like I was on crack. Yep, I'm so random it hurts.

I tried smiling slightly. "Here, I'll buy you some too."

He waved a hand in dismissal but I spoke over him, embarrassed at my admittance.

"You need it! You're a growing guy, er boy- no lad! Man! …Sorry." I winced. I was going to need lessons in how to act socially around new friends.

With a slightly open mouth he stared as I hurried to the supermarket entrance doors that swished open at my presence. I looked back at him and saw a smirk that made me blink.

"I can't believe you just said that."

And my humiliation left me with a self-conscious smile. "Yeah, me neither… It made you blink though huh?"

We ended up sharing half a bar each; I wasn't the only chocoholic around.

"Hey Kurosaki?"

"Hmm." He was still munching.

"Do you actually have to walk this far everyday to get to school?"

He shrugged. "Give or take five minutes, yeah. Sometimes I take the bus though."

No wonder he was so lean.

Then of course (I'm thinking that both Kurosaki and me are like magnets) just as we neared a corner in a residential district of Minamikawase we were almost knocked down by some skater guys.

"Whoa!" I jumped to the side just in time to avoid one of them when he didn't notice me.

I got a good look at their clothes; they were 18 year old punks.

"OI!"

Kurosaki pushed me into the wall at the corner as another skate boarding loon rolled past hollering at his buddies and I blinked in surprise. Kurosaki barely grazed my shoulder and yet he'd been able to shove me. I really didn't need him to act the fearless protector but something in my gut told me to ride with this one.

"Not these guys again!" He complained and scratched the back of his neck. "Give me a sec…" He added as he walked around the corner.

"But…" I started…

…And immediately shut up when I saw Kurosaki passively deck an incoming skater. The guy hit the concrete quicker than the fist that felled him.

Whoa… I kept forgetting that the first time I saw this guy he was fighting a gang of seniors almost single handed and made them cry home to their mommies.

Alright-y then.

Bouncing on my feet I ignored my surroundings at first but after a while it just sounded too interesting to take no notice of.

So I poked my head around the corner, my eyes naive and wide when I witnessed the following.

"Li'l Yama's down! We've gotta help im!" One of them yelped as Kurosaki stood there making some huge guy's face eat dirt with the sole of his school shoe.

And like that first day at school, his face was completely cool.

The others though didn't look like they were up to the task however.

They cowered together and I practically heard them tremble. "This is messed up… Real messed up!" All three remaining skaters gulped as one and started to sweat when Kurosaki turned to look at them. "That's one bloodthirsty berry head. He's a stone-cold psycho! Mess with him and he'll kill you!"

"SHUT UP YOU CHIMPS!" Kurosaki's foot stayed positioned on the big guy's head as he pointed a finger behind him. "YOU SEE THAT?" All head's turned to look.

'That' being a fallen bottle of flowers next the side of a pole that featured a picture of a small girl.

They'd knocked over a memorial offering when they'd skated through.

Kurosaki's face had this manic glint in it and the barest hint of a sadistic smirk when he rounded on the group. Kind of freaky but it made me want to smirk too.

"FIRST QUESTION! WHAT IS THAT? YOU!" He pointed at the dude in the middle who jumped. "The smelling looking one! Answer!"

Smelly looking?

The guy pointed at himself with a shaking finger. "H-huh? Me? Is it an offering for some dead kid?"

Wow… tact.

A left foot slammed into the guys face, making him flip over backwards. "Check out the brain on smelly!" Kurosaki shouted.

"Li'l Mitch!" One of the remaining two cried.

What's with the Li'l?

Kurosaki stepped back. "QUESTION TWO!" He yelled and the two dudes checking on their friends stiffened. "Why is that vase lying on its side?"

They looked up fearfully.

"Dats cuz we knocked it over with… our…s-skateboards?"

"Is that so? Well…" Then his face morphed into manic fire as he pointed to his left. "THEN YOU'D BETTER APOLOGISE TO HER THEN HUH?"

'Her' being the ghost of the girl in the picture. And just for extra effect half of one side of her face was caked in blood… and she was floating.

Needless to say the group scarped out of there pretty quickly.

"WE'RE SOOOORRRRRRYYYYYY!

Kurosaki crossed his arms and watched them go. "I don't think they'll be back." Then he turned his head towards where I was and sweatdropped when he saw my bug eyed face poking around the corner.

"Er…Mai, get over here."

He turned towards the ghost as I moved forward. "Sorry about that. I forgot about those guys." He glanced at me full scowl, "It's been a hectic day." I stared stonily back and he ignored me.

The ghost shook her head. "Its o.k., I asked you to get rid of them yesterday, I was glad I could help."

He nodded. "I'll bring you some new flowers tomorrow."

The girl smiled sweetly. "Thank you. I think now I can rest in peace."

He fell into an easy walk beside me and waved back at her without looking. "Yeah, after all you deserve to rest in peace."

We'd passed the next street before I said. "Do you do that a lot?"

He shrugged. "Meh."

"Meh?"

"Meh."

"Meh isn't a word."

His eyes glanced towards me from the side. "It is now… and I'm using it."

I rolled my eyes.

He was so nonchalant about it but whatever he likes to think he just provided an unusual form of justice for the dead.

He'd protected the ghost.

That's what he did best.

"My family owns a clinic." He said after several minutes of daydreaming.

I thought for a second considering the absolute paradox of the whole situation. "So… they are entrusted with the lives of the living and you the…"

"Dead?" He added helpfully.

I nodded. "Kind of ironic huh?"

He was deep in thought so what he said next came out as more of an absent minded remark than anything else.

"I've thought about it."

I stopped when I noticed the building next to me.

"Er, Kurosaki?"

"Yep?"

"…Isn't this where you live?"

The building was a nice sized house linked up to a health centre with the words: Kurosaki Clinic highlighted on the side. Hard to miss.

He stopped short and frowned.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

He looked back towards the way we came. "I thought your house was before mine?"

I moved my fingers in a flipping action. "Other way around. I live in Karakura old town. That's almost 10 minutes that way." I pointed north behind him.

He made a face at himself. "I'll walk you home."

I held out my hands. "I can walk home on my own. So… go on."

I gestured towards his house and he looked at me like I was a dumbass. His arms folded; his stubborn resolve to be a gentleman shinning through. Right now though I didn't need it.

"Kurosaki, seriously, it's fine. In fact, I'll walk you to your door!" I was being playful now?

His arms unfolded fast. "What?"

I smirked at him as I reached the Kurosaki house gate. "Relax. Nobody will know a girl walked you to your door."

In a flash he was there in front of me bracing himself against the front side of the back entrance/ front entrance (I couldn't tell). He looked petrified.

"If you go in there or even if you knock, my dad will never let it go!" He spazzed, looking a bit like a wet noodle.

"Oookay …I'll go home." Strange boy.

I got what I wanted anyway… and I knew he knew that by the way his scowl exacerbated.

I waved at him.

"…See ya." He replied grudgingly.

His eyes watched my back until I'd rounded the corner of his street… and then slowly they widened with bewilderment as he saw me rush back towards him. He sweat dropped as I barged back through his gate with a determined blush on my cheeks.

"Change your mind or something?"

His question stopped me for a moment. "Er…change my mind?"

An irritated expression rose on his face as his eyebrow twitched "I meant… do you want me to walk you home after all?"

"…No."

"Thought so." He sighed as if to think: typical of her. "So what is it?" He asked inquiringly.

I shoved a small piece of paper in front of his face and tried not to look at him as he pulled it away and stared at its contents with his usual scowl.

"…What's this?"

"It's a phone number."

He carried on peering at it.

"It's a mobile number."

"It's my mobile number."

Then he looked at me with a raised brow and I gulped.

"…Why?" He said slowly and suddenly I felt like the worst moron in the world.

"I-it's just…" I fumbled and his other eyebrow rose. "I-it's nothing alright! I just thought that you could put it in your drawer or something in case you need help with a ghost or something! Alright? You don't have to even keep it!"

He stayed scowling at me and I reddened. "Whatever!"

I stomped away from him, through the garden gate and almost crashed it behind me in an embarrassed huff before remembering what Kurosaki mentioned about his father and seeing the guy's eyes widen in panic, slapped my hand out in time for the gate to tap against my hand instead.

I let out an exhale and ignored him as Kurosaki looked at me patronisingly.

"Good job."

"Shut up!" I whispered.

"Whatever!"

I ran around the corner of the street before he could say anything else.

This side of Karakura looked oddly peaceful at night; compelling in the desolate kind of sense that gives you the same feelings you get from walking through mist.

It was also darker.

I was a few minutes south of the bright lights of Karakura Old town and in a moment of brainless contemplation chose to take a more unoccupied route home.

Or was fate choosing my actions for me.

The only sound on the gravel was the light slaps of my feet.

So it was pretty easy to hear the clear roll of a tin can as it breezed slowly in my direction across the road. Something had nudged it.

This not being anything strange it didn't exactly make me pause, however…

It brought with it a smell; burnt and sharp.

And a feeling.

One that stopped my casual walk, rooting me in place and made my lashes lift from my eyes to gaze 100 metres up and to the right of my position.

I could have sworn I saw something standing there in the shadows.

There was barely enough light coming from the one street lamp I was stood under to make out what looked like a shady humanoid silhouette. But there was something about it, something dark and unnatural that screamed at me that whatever it was wasn't …normal, wasn't human. It wasn't to be conversed with nor show compassion towards.

It was sinister… and thankfully it wasn't looking at me, it was staring ahead at something.

I could hear the tinkling of laughter up in front; some kind of party was being held and the echo of it seemed to distract this creature.

I wouldn't move, not couldn't. If I did then I would distract this creature…

…And my gut told me that that was something I didn't want happening.

It shifted in the shadows.

And then I heard a noise; one that made bile rise in throat from fear.

It sounded like it was sucking in air and the exhale was fiendish. Drawn out and heartless.

It was predatorily instinctive.

And then without so much as a whirr it vanished from sight.

And before I could breathe again in respite I was knocked for a six-er. I wasn't physically attacked but my senses had suddenly gone haywire ramming into my occipital and auditory pathways forcing my eyes open. My head whammed back from the resounding pain of what felt like a nuke going off in my skull only to see…

…Black and white.

And a dark as night creature running towards the sounds of a lively, warm bodied party.

Filled chock full with inebriated youths all willing to gather round in dark corners; to split apart for that last drag of a cigarette… for that final, lustful moment with the object of your affection before morning when they sober up and forget all about what they did with the class nerd…

And there's always a straggler.

The thought deep with hidden meaning made me want to vomit as my vision began to blur.

I needed to stop it… I… I had to get up. Now. But what the hell could I do? …Who cares if I can't do anything? I knew whatever it was… its intentions were purely malignant. Move! My head hurt too much… if it would just stop pounding…

I dropped my face in my hands as my sight died on me and my forehead cracked open. There had to be blood, there had to be a drill forcing its way into the recesses of my mind not knowing about the dark half that awaits me there.

My hands covered my ears and my mouth opened in a soundless scream as I hit the ground.

I figured I blacked out.

One second the pain was so intense I thought I was dieing and the next… clarity.

I had a side on view of the road from my position on the floor. There was no bad smell, no eerie darkness… no strange black and white world…

No creature.

Had that even happened just now?

Slowly and unsteadily I pushed myself up off the pavement noting how clear and yet slightly tipsy everything was. If I came home in this state Jihi would think me drunk…

…Jihi!

I checked my watch ignoring myself as I stumbled in my haste…

I'd only been er… 'out of it' for about ten minutes.

And because tonight was obviously the night that god had chosen for my mind to be completely and utterly messed with I heard the second sound that filled me with a different kind of dread than the first.

A roar so chilling that it made the hair on the back of my neck stand on edge and my stomach clench.

A haunting, despairing cry of the damned.

And the same sense of tortured innocence; of slaved souls and abandoned spirits that hit me in the park, a time that seemed so long ago travelled through the area from afar.

My head whipped towards the sound coming from a distance behind me. A weakening bluish kind of light covered an area before almost immediately vanishing. The roar itself had been far-off and it sounded as if it were already fading.

…Which was excellent giving that I had almost forced myself into a sprint back in the direction of Kurosaki's house.

I was almost completely certain that it had originated there.

Another dizzy spell washed over me and I staggered forwards towards home. My body and mind were unsettled and my soul was aching. Reaching out for something. That eye slowly opening in my dormant self had fully unlocked and I was feeling the effects, desperate for once for someone to come and tell me what was happening to me…

What was happening to me?

Chiyu's Onsen

Being late would normally cost me several minutes of uninterrupted 'Jihi time': AKA an interrogation.

Unfortunately the moment I stepped through the doors…

"…I'm home…" I'd breathed to a shocked Chiyu before crashing onto the wooden floor.

Her face, stark with worry and fear told me how dreadful I must have appeared to her. Well… I certainly didn't feel up to competing in any races any time soon.

I didn't fall unconscious straight away so I had the immeasurably painful honour of witnessing just how much I really affected the Sohma's.

"Mai? MAI!" Chiyu kicked her clogs off as she ran over to my side. She bent down to check my face half pressed into the floor and saw my eyes weakly open. "What is it sweetie? What happened?" She asked taking control of a situation most would have been frantic over. She stroked my cheek before checking my forehead. "Your temperature's normal." The worry in her voice only augmented.

In her fluffy rabbit slippers Pei quietly padded into the vestibule of the Onsen from a side door leading to the house and I knew that she would be the exact opposite of her mother. My eyes closed; too tired to keep them open.

"Mom? Did I hear…?" She looked over at us and shrieked. Shrieked.

"MAI! MOM WHAT HAPPENED?" By the sound of her footsteps she'd dropped whatever book she was holding on the floor and had skidded to my side. "WHY IS SHE ON THE FLOOR? WHAT'S WRONG WITH HER MOM?"

For some weird reason she reminded me of Keigo. Huge over-reactor.

Chiyu moved Pei's panicked hands away from me. "Pei, calm down! Now go get your father, we need to move her off the floor to somewhere more comfortable."

Nodding at the order (and maybe because it made her feel less useless) Pei sprinted back into the house yelling for Jihi.

I was fading.

I heard a small pop and something offensive smelling was thrust under my nose and I gasped awake. My fuzzy vision revealed a bottle of smelling salts being stuffed back into Chiyu's flowery kimono.

"Mai, you need to stay awake for a little while longer alright?" She murmured to me and I nodded shakily. I felt unbelievably fragile.

Side on I both saw and heard Jihi's size 12 feet stampeding down the hall, Pei close behind.

"What happened?" He asked and for once the air headed lunatic was gone. There was no sign of the professional wrestler either. Just Uncle Jihi… and a little something more behind his eyes.

He bent on one knee to hold a hand over my hair as Chiyu started talking. "I'm not sure. She came home, looked at me and fell to the floor… She hasn't moved yet."

"Fever?" He asked quietly as he looked into my eyes.

"…No." Chiyu sounded surprised by that more than anything else.

I could feel something inside me, something that had always been there in secret slowly work its way through my body. I just wanted to throw up or anything to get rid of the sensation.

Jihi stared into my eyes looking for something. After a moment he nodded and moved.

"Come on, we need to get her to her room." He placed one of my arms over his shoulder lifting me up off the floor and started walking. Pei rushed to help but he shook his head at her and asked her to get some water and aspirin. Reluctantly she nodded and went to get them. Once out of sight Jihi did something that I wanted to frown at and subsequently brought all thought to a stop.

He bent down, keeping a steady hand around my back and gently tugged my legs off the floor, cradling me to him as if I were a precious commodity and kissed my forehead.

There was a… reverence in his actions

Chiyu, from the small sliver of vision I'd acquired, didn't seem remotely fazed at all by this. Instead she beckoned him forward and down another corridor leading to a hidden door by the side of the kitchen. At this time of night there was no staff to stare at us. I was carried up some stairs and before I knew it I was laid down on my back on the top of my covers. Jihi being tender was not something to be surprised about but he'd held me as If I mattered… as if I were more… important than…

And I heard my family whisper to each other. I only caught bits…

"…Awakening…"

"…it couldn't have, not now. There's no stimulus…"

"No fever… her eyes are in pain…"

"Do you feel that? This room, it's…"

"…Filled. Yeah I know."

"Whatever it may be we have to be prepared…"

"…help her? There's nothing we can do?"

"It 'isn't him. We would have known…"

…And that's when my body went into overdrive.

I shuddered and my back stiffened on the bed before my muscles fluxed. My body spasmed and I gasped causing a ripple of activity to whirl around me.

"Chiyu!"

"Hold her down, she could hurt herself!"

I felt hands grip my forearms firmly but without pain and heard Jihi whisper in my ear.

"It's alright… It's going to be alright… you're safe…"

My eyes snapped opened briefly and I heard him gasp.

"WHAT THE DEVIL?"

Through a series of flashes I witnessed in a detached area of my mind as Jihi was slammed across the room into a wall. I collapsed bodily back onto the bed, breathing in hurried gasps as my exhausted physique slowly won out over consciousness.

"Jihi! Are you alright?"

"…I'm fine."

"What was that?"

Silence.

" …Jihi?"

"Hey, guys where were you? I brought the aspirin… is she alright?"

"She'll be fine, she just needs to sleep. Let's give her some room."

"But dad…"

"No buts Pei, not this time."

Everything was distorted.

Even my dream world. I felt out of alignment as everything spiralled out of control in a series of pauses and flickers.

The 'crack' was being hammered on.

Not in my mind… in some place hidden.

And it meant the destruction of all.

So of course it had to be a dream, right?

And then as if in answer I travelled on in my sleep far from the crack and the room of pearl white pillars, of the dark plains of the home of ravenous monsters, twisted souls…

I was staring into the face of Ichigo Kurosaki.

I didn't know where we were; the area around his sleeping form was covered in darkness. He lay unburdened by the wear of time.

And then he spoke without opening his eyes, a voice nothing like his own sending me a message.

Brace yourself

I was careened; forced to move sideways as I was hit with a blinding light and saw…

…A flash of a woman, so petit and young yet her eyes were beautifully knowing eyes and with raven black hair…

She was crying. Desperate tears. Her kimono whiter than her perfect skin…

Her chest pulsated with a powerful obscurity, one that was pulled violently from her chest by a bloodied hand.

…By me.

I shot up out of bed a little disorientated but feeling much better than I had the previous night. My memory was blurry around the edges and I vaguely remember Jihi carrying me to bed… had I hurt him?

My heart rate that had soared when I awoke slowed down as I tried to gather myself.

I still felt somewhat delicate… whatever had started last night hadn't finished yet… and wouldn't because it wasn't an illness… it was transformation. And transformation needs a stimulus.

But something had changed alright.

Plus my vision was freaking me out. I've never had 20:20 eye sight before yet everything was so bloody crystal clear I actually fell over twice on my way to the bathroom to shower.

"Ow… crap." I whispered when my shin cracked against the side of my bed box. I hobbled over to the sink and glimpsed at my face in the small mirror placed there. I didn't look too bad. A little pale… my eyes…

They were bolder than before… brighter maybe?

I shook my head and stripped off to stand under hot water as it cascaded down onto my sore head.

Every time I'd look down at my skin I'd see power sparks and fluctuations in colours and rhythms I couldn't place. They were so distracting I avoided looking at myself altogether.

There was a party going on inside my body and I wasn't enjoying myself.

Making my way out of the bathroom I almost dropped my towel when I saw the time. It was only 6 o'clock in the morning. I usually set it for half past six; I was half an hour early already.

But what really got me was that I'd slept for about ten hours. I never sleep for so long.

Hurrying now despite my daze I forced my arms through the sleeves of my uniform and hopped on alternate feet as I slipped on my pants before bolting out the door and downstairs.

Wide eyed with worry I slid on the carpet at the entrance of the living room and saw Jihi and Chiyu's heads snap up from their chopping in the kitchen. Both blinked in shock.

Then it broke.

"Mai!" Jihi called out and he immediately dropped his dishcloth as he rushed over towards me with Chiyu hot on his heels.

His hands frantically patted my forehead, my cheeks, shoulders, my hair because apparently doing so can provide information on a persons health as he blubbered and babbled about how worried he was and by the time he'd finished I was wishing I'd never stepped downstairs to check on them.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT? MY SECOND DAUGHTER! DO YOU NEED A HUG? I CAN GIVE YOU A HUG! PEI NEVER HUGS ME ANYMORE! WAAAAAAHHH!"

He turned away and sobbed into his hands as Chiyu watched him with a sigh.

Since when did it become all about him?

It was official: lunatic Jihi was present and accounted for. Perhaps last night had really been a dream after all? It was difficult to imagine a serious Jihi… especially the way they'd talked in… my… room…

Wait… they said some things that didn't make sense. I didn't remember all of it.

I blinked back to my senses as Chiyu's fingers clicked crisply in front of my face.

"Mai? Are you alright? You had us concerned there for a while."

I nodded. Hell, I'd had me worried last night. "So… what happened?" I asked quietly.

Jihi turned back to face us and exchanged a perplexed look with Chiyu. "Well, we were hoping you could kind of tell us? I mean…" He shrugged. "All we know is that you came in, collapsed and spent the night tossing and turning." He lowered his arms as he peered at me.

There was no judgment or pressure to tell him anything; just patience.

But I did notice the overly anxious and cautious look in Chiyu's eyes as she smiled at me. She wasn't as efficient at faking emotions as Jihi was.

I frowned softly. "Did I… hurt you at all?" Looking at Jihi I could have sworn I did something.

His eyes enlarged as he blinked and then he laughed his head off all the while trying to dissuade this apparently extremely foolish notion with several exaggerated hand waves.

"You? Hurt Me? No way." He smiled affectionately and gave me a one armed hug. I couldn't see either of their faces now and got the sudden suspicion that they were exchanging secret looks. I hated thinking like this about my surrogate family. "What made you think you had?" He asked calmly.

I shrugged like the supposedly normal teen I was, the action lifting his arm up a tad. "Just a feeling I guess." I pulled away and glanced at Chiyu who was rummaging through one of the kitchen draws.

Didn't either of them remember or care that I was perfectly capable of physically hurting another human being?

Pushing the thought away and humming to myself I walked towards where the coffee was boiling. A little young, I know, to be hooked on coffee but the stuff was genius in a cup. I poured some and added milk.

I inhaled. "I dreamed last night. It was… disorientating." They knew what I really meant by dreams and I didn't look up at them as I sipped.

"Do you want to talk about them?" Chiyu asked gently.

I shook my head and gave her my best smile.

I kept everything about my expression from the exposed emotions of my eyes to any nuance in my features blank as Chiyu regarded me. Jihi was good at concealing emotion. I was better…

Too good.

A shot of loneliness wedged a sharp knife in my chest and I almost winced. This was the price I paid for lies.

And then a picture of orange flashed in my mind and the knife dulled. I could talk to him now couldn't I? Not about this; I wouldn't even know where to start explaining this situation, but as a person who can understand in some small way… it might be beneficiary to maybe become his… friend?

And again the alien fear of total rejection seeped its way into my bones. What if I weirded him out? And what about last night? Did he still want my friendship? Did giving him my mobile number out of some ridiculous concern leave him feeling as if he'd made a bad decision? When I see him at school should I talk to him first this time? Instigate the conversation maybe?

Oh yeah… I was the lamest girl on earth.

THUD THUD THUD THUD!

"MAI!"

"WHOA!"

I was tackled to the side by an over enthused Pei who wrapped me in a bear hug as we toppled onto the kitchen floor.

"You're alright! Yay! I was worried I'd be stuck alone with these two!" She ended savagely as she pointed to her parents, one of which rolled her eyes; the other stuck his nose up at her and snivelled.

"Gee Pei! Sniff… were not… that bad! I'm going to watch reruns of my most famous moments in my wrestling career. On TV Pei! And you… can't… STOP ME!"

I sighed and waited on the floor for Pei to want to move.

It turned out she was quite comfortable.

"So you thought I'd died?" I asked incredulously.

She shook her head as she leaned on my shoulder. "Nah, I was just messing with them." She gestured to her parents who ignored us; Chiyu continued cooking breakfast, stepping around us without problem and Jihi made an ass of himself by trying to regain our attention in re-enacting his own starlight-to-stardom precious moments all the while pretending he didn't care what we thought.

"Pei?"

"Yeah Mai?"

"…Are boys supposed to be so… infuriating?"

My question was innocent. I just wanted to discern the feeling; my little experience was confusing me.

As I saw it I currently knew 4 guys at school and only one of them annoyed me in such a way that made me want to spend more time with him. How did that work?

But my question sparked a different reaction to the casual one that I had hoped for.

First off, Pei slowly pulled away from me in an almost zombie like state as her eyes focused down on my face.

Jihi went ominously silent in the living room like a stone statue and Chiyu paused in her movement to reach a spatula.

"You… you made a friend Mai? A guy friend?" Pei asked breathlessly. I blinked and nodded looking to and forth at everyone. "W-what's the problem?" I asked. Didn't she already know that?

Then Pei laughed ecstatically and cadged me in yet another crushing hug.

"Mai's got herself a boyfriend!" She cheered.

I balked. "What? I didn't say that! I said are all guys supposed to-"

"…Supposed to be infuriating?" Chiyu smiled suddenly amused and more than a little nosey. "Yes we heard and you didn't say are all guys… you said are guys… and from that we can deduce our way through other possibilities and say it's safe to at least think that you've caught the eye of someone or that they've caught yours." She looked all hopeful and excited for me and I wasn't sure why.

"You mean assume?" I exhaled. "You know what they say about assumptions don't you?"

"What?" Both Pei and Chiyu asked with tilted heads.

I narrowed my eyes. "They make asses out of you and me."

They both sighed as their heads drooped.

"Pei, please get up, I've got to get ready for school…"

"AARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!"

"JIHI!"

"LOOK OUT!"

The coffee table came flying out of nowhere; me and Pei ducked under the kitchen counter; Pei clinging to me in shock and me sweatdropping at my stupid uncle.

Jihi's legs came hurrying around the corner.

"MAI'S GOT A BOYFRIEND? DO I GET TO TEST THE DEPLORABLE DEGENARATE?

I scurried form under the table somewhat insulted.

"Okay, if I did happen to get a boyfriend, and lets face it the odds are not high, why would hebe a deplorable degenerate?"

Jihi actually seemed a little speechless as his mouth popped open like a fish.

"And he's not my boyfriend. He's just a friend."

Pei was suddenly standing right there with a finger stroking her chin as her eyes glinted diabolically. "A friend whom you find… infuriating."

Chiyu grinned mischievously. "Yes, she did say that didn't she."

My eye twitched. "A friend among the many guy-friends that I've made at high school!"

Jihi choked as Pei sparkled. "Many guy friends? MANY! SHARE MAI!"

"You should introduce us to them sometime Mai." Said Chiyu graciously.

As if coming to some realisation Pei wilted and answered for me sardonically. "…You're kidding right? If she were to bring them here they'll get treated to Jihi's special brand of torture just for the possibility of being a potential candidate for boyfriend status… in so doing erasing any and all chances of that happening in the process." To this I gave the man in question a pointed look which he responded to surprisingly seriously.

"I wouldn't do that. Not to your friends. In this world friends are even more important than education."

Oh… well, that's fair.

Then Pei narrowed her eyes at her mother. "…And don't even get me going on what you'd do."

Chiyu looked at her; the image of innocence and Pei scoffed.

"Why were you asking anyway?" Pei questioned me afterwards as we ate breakfast.

I finished chewing. "No reason…"

She saw right through me and smiled. On this subject she'd always be more knowledgeable and I was grateful at how she made it completely comfortable for me.

She shook her head. "Some guys act differently to others Mai. Many give you the same feeling as the rest but then there are a few that stand out. If you make friends with someone who acts infuriating for you and yet without malice… it can be a… fun friendship. Try to keep it."

She may have been home schooled but back at our previous home Pei had still been able to find a rather large selection of friends even though she ended up loosing them in the end.

I looked to make sure her parents weren't listening. "Except I don't even know if I have his friendship or not." I said quietly. It was part true. Real friendship was different to something that would only last until the summer. And I found I actually wanted to be Kurosaki's friend because… well…

He made me think. And he pushed me. But it wasn't until today that I realised as well that…

…He was remarkable. Genuinely.

And against someone so grey like me he was a rather blinding light.

She watched me for a moment before asking, "Did he instigate first contact?"

A slow smirk worked its way on my face. "First contact?"

"Answer the question Mai Li." She poked me with her fork.

I laughed but nodded back at her.

"Does he ask you questions about yourself or does he just sit there and talk about himself or sports or… something that sounds totally like blah blah blah?"

"The former, definitely."

She gave me a winning smile. "Well then you have nothing to worry about! He sounds like a good friend to have! I'm almost jealous." She gave a pitiful sigh.

"But not really seeing as how you want a boyfriend not a friend friend." I added.

She nodded forlornly.

I shook my head and stood up to leave. Chiyu hastened to my side like an 18th century geisha.

"Are you sure you're well enough to go to school today Mai? You still look a little peaky."

"I'm okay, I promise Chiyu."

Or at least I was until I reached East Karakura: College Town.

My home is actually only ten minutes, at most, closer to school then Kurosaki's was.

Good thing I'd left early; it had taken me more than twice as long to get there meaning I missed the first two periods.

God, my body really didn't like me today.

About a quarter the way there I'd started to shake and if I was pale earlier I was ghostly now. Every time I'd peer into a shop window I'd see the bleak colour of my face but the feature that stood out most were my eyes.

The pale greens stood quite effective against the stark contrast between my skin and their unusual quality. Though pale, they were clear and alive… deeper, and almost too awake.

And then there were the auras that I sometimes saw and ignored on a daily basis…

They were fractured and hectic.

One moment they were there pulsating the next they were in waves fading in and out of sight. Sometimes colourful, other times colourless and on occasion I couldn't see anything at all. Since I could already see ghosts this ability was rendered redundant and as such shouldn't even be in use in the first place. Now it flashed on an off in a headache of shades.

I was incapable of focus and my head was in a dissension: one part mushy and tired, the other far too awake. Neither side could find a way to reconcile with the other.

I arrived at school ten minutes before the third lesson and ended up having to wait outside of the appropriate classroom.

Chad found me sitting on the floor with my back to the wall and my eyes closed.

I felt him before I saw him.

I felt him.

Now I know I can see auras but to feel them? And not like the whole 'feel with my senses' thing but as an actually physical sensation… whole new territory here. I could feel it on my skin. Plus… when did Chad have higher than average levels of energy?

"Hey Sado." I muttered without opening my eyes.

If he was surprised at my intuitive leap he did nothing to show it.

"…Are you alright?" He said in his deep toned voice.

I swear his voice was like morning coffee and caramel with a Mexican twist.

Giving him a small smile in answer I stayed still with my eyes closed. I knew the moment they opened my vision would be drowned by obnoxious and precarious wave rings.

After a moment he shifted and I felt his bag fall near my legs. His body sliding down the wall caused a minor vibration to echo through me as he sat to my side.

Company.

"What are you humming?" He asked quietly.

I jumped and opened my eyes; colour immediately slamming into my vision. I'd been humming 'Numb' by Linkin Park: for me the chorus was the ultimate irony. I sing at random. "It's nothing. Anyway… why are you here so early?"

I tilted my head as I waited for his reply… and waited.

Then after more than long enough he spoke. "Ichigo didn't show up for class this morning… I was looking for him."

My chest grew tight.

"Is everything alright?" I asked concerned while keeping my thoughts to myself.

He shrugged and I sweatdropped.

"I came looking for you… you were the last to see him yesterday… so I wondered… if you knew anything."

Crap… crap, crap… crap.

And suddenly I was back in the corner of that side alley looking at the darkness; the creature as it scurried away, the flash of blue light coming from… Kurosaki's house.

Oh Mai, you idiot.

Why didn't you go back and check? You went home and slept when something could be seriously wrong with him!

I felt Sado's hand on my shoulder and realised he'd seen the flare of panic in my eyes.

He was saying everything was going to be fine.

I nodded in an effort to play along.

RRRIIINNNGGG!

We both got up to enter the classroom when all I really wanted to do was check on Kurosaki…

…God I was slow this morning.

Wasn't I supposed to be able to find people in the din of energy once I'd already felt their energy signatures?

I sat down; Chad a few seats behind me and, for some reason, watching my every move. Maybe I really had worried him; did I look that bad? I placed my book bag on the desk, sat down and buried my face in my hands. Then I closed my eyes; it seemed to help, it was harder to concentrate now because of the clashing auras, my more developed senses. The room was pulsing with different flavours of energy and most of it would normally and probably be stemming from Kurosaki, others from god knows were. Until I got used to it I would have to wait for the energy origins to be revealed.

I concentrated, focusing on the tiny ripples Kurosaki was making in Karakura with every action and every step that he took. I didn't completely believe it would work at first but after a minute I locked onto his signature… it was moving outside of his house.

But the 'look' had only been granted to me for a single moment because for a second time everything went haywire.

From my senses to my body; I could see everything. Everyone everywhere was highlighted in different shades and spectrums, from the classroom to my home.

It was too much information to retain, to allow access to my memory and sensory data core.

And it all came in a series of intense and painful flashes…

…That didn't go unnoticed.

I'd gripped the table hard and it had actually creaked under the pressure. The smallest of gasps escaped my throat as I tried to reign in the shock and my body shook.

I peeked out of the corner of my eye and saw that several members of the classroom were looking at me; some puzzled a few wary, one concerned… Sado, who had half risen from his seat but I just waved him down with a half hearted, affable gesture.

And one class mate was now openly staring at me; the expression on his face too cool and concealed to translate except for his eyes, that I could just make out through the blur that was my vision, had been covered with glasses.

…His eyes were calculating and intelligent.

They were focused on me as I stood up to run to the bathroom shouting something like 'headache' to the teacher who appeared too confused at my hasty exit to actually question me.

When I entered the bathroom I locked the door like Kurosaki once did.

Then I threw up.

And felt no better than before. The only good thing about this was that I didn't have a headache anymore.

When third period ended I trudged up the stairs towards forth, trailed by a faithful Sado who after my unusual escape from class had followed me and waited a full 15 minutes until I'd left the bathroom when I'd looked marginally better.

He was just as considerate in nature as Kurosaki was; both covered with layers of misunderstood teenage growth, of hard shells.

We made it to the classroom; I was more than happy to be away from the prying eyes of the glasses wearing guy (frankly that was the only thing I could remember about his appearance).

I graced Orihime with my presence.

Hah, right.

The girl was daydreaming again and had a book in her hand titled 'Encyclopdia of the stars'. Another book devoted to the life of comedians.

Her mouth was open and she was gazing into space.

I waved a tentative hand over her eyes and got nothing. The girl sighed. I scratched my head in an effort to think today; I even turned to Sado who looked put on the spot and completely unknowing of how to handle Orihime. Fortunately we were both saved.

"Hey, stop that!" Orihime's eyes snapped quickly to attention as Tatsuki came into view. "Don't waste your youth daydreaming!"

"Morning Tatsuki." I said as I watched Orihime duck behind her book.

The kick ass teen looked at me and blinked. "Whoa, Mai, what the hell happened to you?" That's when Orihime finally noticed me and let out a little gasp.

I grimaced as I fidgeted with my bag strap. "Is it that bad?"

"Hell yeah it's that bad!" She clonked me on the head and I didn't even wince. "Why did you come to school today you idiot?"

I shrugged. "It wasn't that bad this morning… I'm okay." I said indifferent to my own health and Tatsuki looked like she wanted to go another round.

I chanced half a glance at Sado who looked like he was wondering pretty much the same thing. Then I looked at the princess, my nickname for Orihime, trust me it's in an affectionate way: think about it she's beautiful, stacked (as Pei would put it), smarter than the majority of the class and as pure as the driven snow. Plus now she looked all concerned at my pasty face and darkened eyes. They weren't such that I looked like I hadn't slept; it was as if I'd put dark eyeliner on.

And I never wore makeup.

I didn't like the attention so I changed the subject.

"So Tatsuki, have you seen Kurosaki?"

She gave me a look that said she knew how slick I could be as she chewed on her tongue and I grinned at her like an idiot. She sighed.

"Haven't seen him."

Then she smirked mischievously at Orihime. "Weren't you thinking about him just now?"

I blinked. Wait, what?

The Princess blushed and started stuttering. "Um… n-no!"

Tatsuki shook her head and I tapped her on the shoulder. She looked at me then up at the huge orange question mark (not a word about the orange) above my head.

She scratched her head and gave a half smile that still reeked of her impish side.

"She digs him." She said simply. "Not that I know why." She continued with a bemused shrug.

I held back on this one; Tatsuki had been as equally as bummed as Orihime was dreamy when she realised Kurosaki wasn't going to join her club.

I felt a bump on my hip and looked around to see Mizuiro. He had the habit of bumping hips with me whenever he saw me for two reasons. One because I'd done it first and it had been completely by accident but he seemed to take it as a friendly gesture; one that he enjoyed. The second reason was more understandable; it upset Keigo who saw any display of physical affection not performed on him as an act wasted… especially when it concerned friends he laid a fanciful claim to. He didn't like me that way, or at least I think he didn't but he'd been quite taken with me on a friendly level since I'd first been introduced to the lovable yet irritating monkey.

And Mizuiro stole any chance that was thrown his way as a chance to aggravate his friend. Their relationship was an odd one… at times more like master and servant.

"Hi." I said simply.

For one single moment he glanced at me and I waited for the inevitable question of why I looked like crap.

It never came. Instead he started undoing his bag. "Ichigo might be absent today guys."

Tatsuki started. "What do you mean Mizuiro? Don't you two usually walk together?"

He pulled out some sort of energy drink out of his bag and gave it to me without a word and I blinked at the bottle. I gave it a quick one over and figured that it might actually help.

"Thank you… are you sure you don't need this?" I asked quietly.

He just rolled his eyes at me and told Tatsuki that when he went to go see Kurosaki this morning there was a huge hole in the side of his house. Then he said that-

Hold it! WHAT?

"A truck ploughed into his house in the middle of the night." Mizuiro explained as he moved to sit down.

This couldn't be some kind of weak coincidence…

Tatsuki jumped out of her seat. "So you mean he could be hurt or oh!" She gasped dramatically. "He could be dead-!"

A bag bashed into the side of her head and I saw Kurosaki standing behind it looking at Tatsuki with an expression of annoyance.

"We all survived. So sorry to disappoint you."

His eyes flickered over to me and he paused. Orihime who had been pushing herself through her embarrassment to actually open her mouth to say hello stopped to look at the expression of perturbed concern on his face. Something was working through his mind and I had a feeling that it related to last nights events.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

I nodded and tried to ignore the confusion of laced energy coming from him. Oh yeah something had definitely transpired last night. It was darker, with a more sinister texture.

"Are you alright?" I asked back and he frowned at me.

"She's talking about the hole in your house Ichigo." Mizuiro explained to him.

Kurosaki looked at my raised eyebrow and closed his eyes as he walked to his chair. "I'm fine. I was just fixing it up with my dad."

I went over to my seat, felt a small tug at my side and looked down just in time to catch Kurosaki's fingers slipping out of my pocket. Unnoticed by the rest of the class I was herded to my seat by Tatsuki; one up and two to the right of Kurosaki's.

He didn't look back to explain whatever that was and continued talking to Mizuiro and Sado who were soon joined by an obnoxiously amorous Keigo; apparently we were gaining a new student today.

I sat down and put my hand in to check my pocket finding a note.

I opened it, making sure to not be seen this time by girls with way to much time on their minds and hands.

You won't believe what happened to me last night.

What happened to you?

He sure wrote fast.

I was about to put pen to paper when…

"AH, IT'S YOU!"

He yelped and I swerved round to see him point at who I assumed was the new girl. She was giving him an eerily happy smile and his wide eyed expression screamed recognition.

"Ichigo, do you know her?" Keigo asked already jealous.

She was small in height.

"She just started school yesterday. It's an unusual time to transfer but her family had to move." Mizuiro explained to a profusely sweating Kurosaki.

Her hair was almost shoulder length and black.

Kurosaki started to stutter as if panicked all the while pointing at the new girl. "Why… are… you…"

Raven black.

The girl's smile grew even more cheery if that were possible. "Hi, I'm Rukia Kuchiki; it's a pleasure to meet you!"

I'm a #### ######...

…not who I say I am.

That's what I heard, like a whisper in my mind in a voice not my own.

She offered her hand to Kurosaki and whatever he saw there made him blanch.

…And I knew, somehow that she wasn't human.

I knew Kurosaki wouldn't send an explanation my way, not now and I also knew that things were about to change.

…Because she was the girl I saw in my dream last night.