WARNING
This chapter includes: minor self-harm tendencies (pinching, hitting yourself, etc.), implied self-harm (self-starvation, overworking, forcing oneself awake, etc.) minor depictions of blood, body horror (I think), somewhat descriptive of severe injuries.
Please read the warnings and thank you!
It is hot; too hot for spring, even with the sun beginning to set. It didn't feel hot, but Ichigo knew it was hot. She's always cold; simply another curse, yet one others are somehow jealous of.
Unsteady feet gracefully make their way through the desolate street. The worn out rubber of her shoes still shone under the scarlet sunset and her black tights sucked any light to begin with. Her skirt was already at an unusual knee-length, but went a few inches below with how big it was on her, and her shirt was wrinkled and untucked beneath her sweater.
Dull eyes, dark and lifeless like burnt caramel, glances around aimlessly. A breeze blows past long orange hair, lightened into the same shade as a beautiful sunset, and makes the strands fall in clumps over sunken eyes and gaunt cheeks. A small breath is huffed out, moving the hair to the side while Ichigo continues to walk forward.
A small girl, with blood covering the side of her head and a broken chain coming out of her chest, squeaks in fear and hides behind the lamppost she had died near. Ichigo blinks before her cracked lips spread into a soft, but ghostly smile. She stops in the middle of the street and doesn't walk further, messing with the worn sleeves of her oversized sweater.
"...y-you... wh-what are you doing here?" The little girl asks eventually, peeking her head out from behind the lamppost.
Ichigo continues to smile as she opens up her bag and takes out a carefully wrapped bouquet of flowers; white orchids. "I've... I brought you... flowers..."
It's been a while since she's spoken. Ichigo expertly hides a wince and patiently waits for the spirit to allow her to get closer.
The little girl blinks before flushing. She hides behind the lamppost again with another squeak. Ichigo feels her cracked lips start to tear open when her smile grows. She sighs softly and walks towards the lamppost.
"...thank you..." The little girl speaks quietly, making the 15 year old teenager hum quietly.
"...Tats–Tats told me how those... idiots ruined your flowers a couple of minutes ago..." Ichigo murmurs, voice hoarse and breaking in places. She crouches in front of the lamppost and fixes the vase. Stupid boys... at least Tatsuki scared them off while Ichigo went to get flowers. But...
Ice crawls down her spine and a whistling hiss blows right into her ear. Ichigo doesn't even flinch when deep indentations on her wrist suddenly show up.
"Don't. Tats, you've already scared her..." Ichigo mutters quietly. The bouquet is quickly and carefully set down in front of the lamppost before Ichigo stands up, almost stumbling backwards from her sudden imbalance.
Ichigo walks past the lamppost, giving the little girl a small wave. "It's time for you to pass on... okay?"
"Ichi..." Ichigo flinches at the howling whine as a black liquid seems to appear around her neck and right shoulder. "Ichi, I wanna say hi! Can I?"
"No. You scare her. You scare a lot of people, Tats." You scare me.
Ichigo keeps herself facing forward. Tatsuki growls and leans, what feels like a head, over Ichigo's shoulder and hugs Ichigo's neck in a chokehold.
"You scare people too! We scare people together!" Tatsuki laughs in some form of screech, making Ichigo laugh brokenly.
"Yeah... yeah. I guess so!" Ichigo swallows the burning in the back of her throat.
She doesn't want to scare people. She doesn't want Tatsuki to scare people.
Ichigo doesn't bother to pay attention to the people around her. They either completely turned around to avoid her, or they practically barged into the houses around them to avoid her... and Tatsuki, even though they can't see her right now... unless Tatsuki is letting everyone see her.
"Dinner?" Tatsuki questions as she fades from Ichigo's sight, but her presence still suffocates the teenager.
"'m not... hungry." Ichigo shrugs with a slight grimace. Food... even the thought is making her stomach lurch.
"Dinner. You need to eat," Tatsuki hisses, making her best friend flinch. She doesn't flinch again when claws press against both sides of her neck.
Ichigo's eyes turn completely lifeless as the sun starts to lower beneath the horizon. Oh... She's out past curfew, again.
Kurosaki Ichigo; the cursed freak. Everyone and their mother knows about Ichigo.
She did some kind of ritual after the death of her mother... and used her best friend as a sacrifice. Don't anger the freak if you don't want her curse to rip off your arms. Don't attack the freak or you'll be missing your entire jaw come morning. Don't stare into the eyes of the freak or you'll be cursed blind.
Arisawa Tatsuki: the girl turned monster. Everyone in the Tokyo Prefecture knows about Tatsuki.
She's bound by the freak that killed her. Don't look at the monster or you'll be marked for death. If you attack the freak, the monster will hunt you down... no matter how far you run. Don't have ill intentions towards the freak or you'll never be found again.
Ichigo's heard it all; sometimes, she almost cares about what people say about the entire situation. It's not like their words have any kind of truth... well, most of them anyway.
She is at fault for whatever had happened–whatever had made Tatsuki turn into this... thing. If someone tries to attack Ichigo, Tatsuki does hunt them down. Well, not much anymore. Ichigo's been trying to get her to leave her fights be, unless it's one she cannot handle.
It's a lot harder than it looks, even though Tatsuki listens to Ichigo for most other things. But, Ichigo is making–extremely slow–progress.
Ichigo enters the house on unsteady feet. She closes the door behind her as she slides off her shoes.
"'m home!" Ichigo calls out softly.
"Ichi-nē! Welcome home!" Yuzu turns around with a pot of rice in her hands. "I was just about to make you a plate!"
Ichigo tries to smile at her younger sister. She tugs at the sleeves of her‒stolen‒sweater when her cracked lips start to bleed.
"I'll eat it later... thank you," Ichigo states while walking forward.
"Eh? Ichi-nē! You'll get blood all over the floors again!" Karin exclaims from her seat at the dining table. Ichigo brings up one of her sleeves and wipes away the blood before it could fall past her chin.
"Sorry, sorry..."
Tatsuki laughs again, making the twin girls jump. Ichigo thankfully has her mouth still covered by her sweater to hide her wince.
"Ah, Tatsuki-chan! Hello to you too!" Yuzu greets the cursed being in genuine cheer.
"Hi~!" Tatsuki sings, forming around Ichigo's head. The white needles making up her teeth are stretched into a widened grin.
Ichigo huffs out a breath of air to move her hair out of her eyes. "Where's Goat Face?"
"Where do you think?" Karin sneers with an eye roll and a scowl. "He's been in the clinic for the entire day."
Ichigo hums, not really surprised by the answer. Asking each other where their–almost constantly–absent father is was just part of their usual routine.
"...got some homework to do. Call me if you need anything. Tats, stay with the girls," Ichigo speaks quietly, slowly trudging up the stairs.
"Eh? Ichi-nē, wait! You haven't–"
"Just let her go, Yuzu. Ichi-nē's stressed. She'll eat later." Karin leans back with her arms behind her head.
"Mm... but Karin-chan..." Yuzu frowns before facing the stairs.
Tatsuki laughs loudly and swirls around the foot of the stairs before shooting towards Yuzu. "Fix her plate! Fix her plate! I'll take it up to her!"
Yuzu squeaks in fright when Tatsuki wraps around her tightly before she smiles. "Okie dokie!"
"She doesn't want you to bother her, Tatsuki. You've stressed Ichi-nē out enough for the day," Karin states unapologetically with her head tilted back to give the cursed spirit an unamused expression.
Tatsuki seems to pout, her liquid-like form sagging to the ground. Karin rolls her eyes with a scowl and red ears.
"Don't make that face at me! I'm right an' you know it!" Karin crosses her arms with a harrumph.
Ichigo smiles softly at the muffled shouts she hears below her before she stumbles into her room. She blinks slowly, taking in her unnervingly clean room, before kicking the door closed.
There was a bare desk, a closet, a bed with only a single pillow and a thin blanket, and a bookshelf filled with all of Shakespeare's works and a few medical textbooks. That was it. Nothing of personal value besides the books and nothing of personality.
Ichigo starts to tug off the oversized sweater she stole from Chad, revealing her much too big school uniform and the black karate belt tied tightly around her torso; both to keep her skirt up and to never forget the treasured item. She plops her bag down on top of her desk before collapsing into the chair and slamming her head on top of the wooden surface.
She's so tired... more so than usual, which is saying something. Damn spirits. Even though Tatsuki scares them off–even more so than the living–they try to hover around Ichigo like bees to honey. It's fucking exhausting.
Ichigo lifts her head and stares at the 57-beaded mala wrapped around her right wrist. She sighs quietly and closes her eyes.
"...I'll visit the shrine tomorrow morning," Ichigo murmurs as she messes with the beads made from human bone. She'll have enough time–or, she should.
"Someone is coming..." Ichigo whispers without thought or notice.
Dull eyes are snapped wide open and glance over towards the closed window. Ichigo blinks slowly when a black swallowtail butterfly lands on her nose. She blinks again and watches a figure suddenly fall gracefully onto her bed.
"What...?!" Ichigo stands up from her desk with a gasp.
Striking violet eyes open as a delicate hand rests on top of a hilt of a katana. "It is near..."
"What‒what's near?" Ichigo asks, incredibly alarmed. Who is she? How did she get into Ichigo's room? How did she appear? What is happening?
The woman doesn't even spare Ichigo a glance. Ichigo scowls and stalks forward.
"Hey!" Ichigo raises her foot and kicks the woman off of her bed. "I'm fuckin' talking to you!"
She much rather prefers the disdain and terror-made hatred of others than being ignored as if she didn't even exist. Maybe if her absent father had been less of a coward, she might have preferred the ignorance.
The woman barely manages to stop her head from slamming against the window sill, her foot hanging over the bed. She blinks rapidly and stares at the ginger with wide eyes.
"You–you can see me?" The woman scowls when she finally realizes what had just happened. "Wait–did you just kick me off of the bed?!"
"Don't ignore me! I asked you what's near!" Ichigo ignores the large cracks in her voice from shouting. Damn, Chizuru's right. She really needs to speak more, at least just to keep her voice from cracking so much.
The woman blinks again. "You really can see me..."
Ichigo scowls and crosses her arms with a huff. A spirit, huh?
"I don't like admitting it, but I can see ghosts. Don't you recognize me? The other spirits should have told you about me..." Ichigo states calmly, sounding more exhausted than angry.
"I-I am no ordinary ghost! I am a Shinigami! And why would I recognize a human like you?" The spirit–the Shinigami–states with a heated glare.
Ichigo raises an eyebrow before rolling her eyes. "I don't think seeing ghosts is a normal human thing. What are you anyway? The ghosts always warn each other about me."
"A Shinigami, you fool! I already told you!"
"And I have no idea what a damn Shinigami is. So, what the fuck are you?" Ichigo asks again.
"I am way too tired to deal with this," Ichigo thinks as she leans against her desk. She glances down at her floor and narrows her eyes.
Tatsuki... don't come up here.
It was hard most days to see Ichi-nē like she is today. It was worse when it rained, but Yuzu doesn't think about those days. She refuses to.
It's been hard to have a constant reminder that something or someone had made Tatsuki-chan into this–this monster. It makes Yuzu's blood boil; something wishes so much horror and hardship on her big sister when she doesn't deserve it... it makes her want to take a page out of Karin-chan's book and kick the first person she sees!
Ichi-nē is kind–too kind-hearted for this torture. Tatsuki-chan is–was too innocent and kind, in her own way, for this to happen to her.
"Yuzu..." Karin's voice snaps Yuzu out of her stupor with a squeak and a jump. Yuzu turns her head, staring wide-eyed at her younger twin.
"O-oh! Karin-chan, did you say something?" She asks innocently and brightly. Silly Yuzu! Thinking about things that she can't even hope to change.
Karin continues to simply stare at the light blonde before she sighs quietly. "It's nothing. Aren't you gonna make Ichi-nē's plate?"
Yuzu smiles brightly in forced cheer and hums. She quickly finishes up piling as much food as she could possibly put on the plate she had reserved for their big sister. Ichi-nē hasn't eaten in days and needs to make up for it! Tatsuki-chan will help her!
Yuzu stares down at the overflowing plate, her smile slowly fading. Ichi-nē hasn't eaten in days... the same as always.
Mama had died. Yuzu barely remembers that time–she and Karin-chan had only been five years old after all. What she does remember... she wishes she could forget forever.
Ichi-nē wouldn't sleep. Ichi-nē wouldn't eat. Oyaji had disappeared and Ichi-nē could barely keep herself together for her and Karin-chan.
Tatsuki-chan had been there. Tatsuki-chan helped Ichi-nē heal, until she had been killed too. That day... that horrible, horrible day...
"...it's... it's getting worse..." Yuzu worries her bottom lip as teardrops land on her shaking hands "...isn't it, Karin-chan?"
Yuzu desperately ignores the cold wrongness of Tatsuki-chan's presence surrounding her neck like a noose. She ignores the physical indentations she can feel in both of her shoulders.
"...I don't know anymore..." Karin whispers in the silence.
Three years have passed. Tatsuki-chan is stronger... and Ichi-nē has gotten more haggard and even more obsessed to find a way to get Tatsuki-chan to pass on.
Yuzu's terrified. Tatsuki-chan is the scariest thing she's ever seen or known about. Oyaji still doesn't pay any attention to any of them other than handing them money for bills or groceries. Ichi-nē is slowly killing herself in her obsession to help her best friend.
"It–it doesn't matter... Ichi-nē will save Tatsuki."
Yuzu giggles through her tears, unable to feel any hope for this situation her younger twin is clearly trying to convince her, is real. She knows Ichi-nē will save Tatsuki-chan... but at what cost?
"I... I don't want her to die because of it, Karin-chan!" Yuzu whispers through her tears before she places the plate of food on the table.
"She won't die because of Tatsuki." Karin wraps her arms around her gentle, yet obstinate, twin sister. "Ichi-nē won't die because of Tatsuki."
Yuzu wipes away the tears, but they continue to fall. She sobs quietly, hoping Ichi-nē won't hear her. Ichi-nē deserves her rest.
Neither girl pays any attention to the loud crash from the clinic, nor do they pay any attention to Tatsuki's sudden growling; they don't pay attention to her suddenly wrapping around both of them like a shield formed from a black liquid-like substance.
"Shinigami... Soul Society... Hollows..." Ichigo slowly opens her eyes and stares blankly up at the ceiling.
She shouldn't be... as surprised as she is. If there are ghosts, there should be a place for them to pass over, and there should be evil spirits; her instincts have never been wrong, even when she couldn't see what was making them urge her to run. But...
"I'm sorry... but I can't believe in the existence of Shinigami." Ichigo tilts her head forward and blinks at the Shinigami and her... passionately–and horribly–drawn drawings.
"What?! B-but you can see spirits! How can you not–"
"Because you would have already helped with–with–" Ichigo swallows back the hot charcoals in her throat. She pinches the bridge of her nose with her nails and shakily releases her breath.
Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. There's no need to cry, so don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.
"...it does make sense," Ichigo ignores how her voice cracks in despair, "but I can't believe in you... not–not with Tats–not with her being this monster."
"Monster? A Hollow? Have you been in contact with a Hollow?" The Shinigami speaks quickly and full of alarm, suddenly appearing in front of Ichigo.
Ichigo jumps back with wide eyes, almost similar to a cat, and wraps her arms around herself as if to keep herself from harming anyone.
The Shinigami takes another step forward, undeterred. "I shouldn't be surprised Hollows have started to scent your reiatsu. Where is this Hollow you speak of? I have to kill it before it eats your soul–or others."
Ichigo feels all the air leave her lungs. She almost collapses to the ground as a crack forms in her heart. What...
The Shinigami... she's going to kill Tatsuki? She–she can't... she can't kill Tatsuki. Tatsuki isn't–she's a monster, but she–she isn't–she's not–
"No... no!" Ichigo shouts loudly, almost shrill in her terror. The Shinigami stumbles back with wide eyes and a harsh breath. Such strong reiatsu!
"You will not–not kill... you won't kill Tatsuki! I won't–won't let you! She isn't–whatever she is–she's not a Hollow! She is not a Hollow!" Ichigo's breathing gets faster and her vision grows fuzzy. She reaches back and to her desk as a brace.
This won't help Tatsuki. This won't! If it did–if killing her helped her pass on... then why? When they tried to do it last time, why did she kill–
Ichigo shakes her head and repeatedly hits her own forehead. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it! Stop it!
"Foolish girl! A Hollow can't help but eat the souls of those they care about! Where is she?" The woman berates with a harsh coldness in her tone.
Ichigo shakes her head and stifles a sob before it could escape. "I don't want her to kill you! She isn't a Hollow! She‒"
DEATHDEATHDEATHDEATHDANGERDANGER
Ichigo snaps her head up as a bloodcurdling howl reverberates through her body and soul. Tatsuki screeches from downstairs and Yuzu screams.
"YUZU! KARIN!" Ichigo sprints towards her door.
A flash of white. A scream. Blood, blood everywhere. The rain was so cold. Mama–Mama... why wasn't Mama moving? Why isn't Mama breathing?
"Wait!" The Shinigami reaches out for Ichigo as she rips open the door.
DANGERDANGERDANGERDANGERDANGERDANGER
Ichigo stumbles into the hallway, rolling over herself gracefully before she leaps towards the staircase. She practically falls down the stairs, the Shinigami quickly catching up behind her.
"Wait!"
"Yuzu! Karin!" Ichigo screams in pure terror, jumping down the last couple of steps and landing gracefully on one foot. She leaps into the living room and everything freezes.
Something... monstrous-looking shakes its head with a growl before howling. Red–and purple–blood had splattered across the thing's body and the wooden floor. It looked like what a monster should look like.
Oh. So, that's a Hollow.
"Onēchan!" Yuzu falls in her attempt to run towards the teenager. Blood fell down her head and she had gripped her shoulder where claws had slashed completely through.
Ichigo snaps out of her stupor and slides onto her knees, stopping next to the 11 year old. She whips her head up with an almost animalistic snarl towards the‒the Hollow that had attacked her sisters and Tatsuki.
Tatsuki screeches again and Ichigo snaps her eyes to the left. Ichigo can't stop the wheezing gasp from being ripped from her throat.
Tatsuki was in a solid form. Her arms were stretched out to each wall of the living room, twisted around with red blood dripping off of her claws. Her legs were wrapped around an unconscious and bleeding Karin in a tight hold beneath her solid form. Her needle-like teeth had grown into sharp icicles and purple blood fell to the floor in small waterfalls from her mouth.
"Tats...?" Ichigo feels just as small as her voice sounds.
Tatsuki releases a whimpering growl when she moves her almost completely severed arm. Ichigo feels her throat start to burn as if hellfire had been forced down into her lungs.
Tatsuki... is hurt...
What a fucking disaster. This is a fucking disaster. How can such a simple mission become so catastrophic?
How can a human be so foolish? Why is that foolish girl protecting a Hollow? Why does she not understand the danger she is putting so many souls in? How does she not realize this Tatsuki–wherever the hell it is–will eat every soul that it sees?
"It wasn't the Hollow I was tracking... but I have to save that foolish girl! Hurry!" Kuchiki Rukia scowls at the thought in her dread and worry.
She races down the stairs while she unsheathes her zanpakutō. "You foolish girl! That Hollow will–"
DANGERDANGERDANGERDANGERDANGERDANGER
A purple substance is splattered across the entire room. An arm, much too long with too many elbow joints to even be a facsimile of a human arm, reaches out and twists around the Hollow Rukia had originally tracked.
"What in the Soul King's name?!" Rukia cries out, completely and utterly blindsided by the inhuman... thing.
The twisted arm squeezes, like some kind of demented version of a snake, and the Hollow howls in sheer agony. The‒the thing holding it screeches and makes Rukia drop her own zanpakutō to clasp her hands over her ears. Rukia is unsure if she truly feels blood dripping out of her ears or if the ringing is causing the feeling.
"Oh Gods‒what is that?!"
That is no Hollow; that is no spirit; that is no living creature! That is‒that is a‒
"‒monster!" Rukia presses a hand to her mouth as she gags.
The Hollow howls again before clawing through that disgusting arm restraining it. The monster screams in pain and pulls back its arm.
"TATSUKI!" The foolish girl that can see ghosts practically screams in terror.
The monster growls loudly as it protectively hovers over a living child. "Don't... don't hurt Ichi's sisters! I'LL KILL YOU!"
Rukia takes a step back, almost falling back onto her own butt in her terror. She wheezes for breath as she stares at the abomination with wide eyes. What is that?! What is that monster?! That‒that shouldn't be alive‒it shouldn't exist. This monster shouldn't exist!
The Shinigami crouches down and grabs her zanpakutō. She charges forward with a war cry, making the foolish girl snap her head up.
It has to be a Hollow. It has to be! And as a Shinigami, Rukia will kill it!
The girl turns completely ashen before she leaps forward with an arm outstretched. "Don't hurt her! She'll kill you!"
"Shit!" Rukia quickly pulls her blade to the side, the tip barely slicing through the girl's bicep. The girl doesn't even wince as she continues her momentum to tackle Rukia to the ground.
"DON'T HURT ICHI!" Rukia watches the other arm of the monster shoot forward with claws longer than the Shinigami's own arm. The foolish girl hugs Rukia to her chest and curls over her, protecting her from the claws that stop right before her back.
The girl turns her head to glare at the monster. "Stop it! Stop it, Tatsuki! She didn't‒"
"Watch out!" Rukia kicks the foolish girl off of her before she is suddenly swiped by the enraged Hollow. A cry gets stuck in her throat as she's thrown out of the house and right into a lamppost before suddenly crashing into a stone fence.
Rukia tries to get any amount of air in her lungs as she coughs. She rolls onto her side, falling from the fence.
The world spins as blood falls into her eyes and onto the ground like a waterfall. She tries to wipe the blood out of her eyes, only to smudge it further until all of her vision is covered by a red film.
What a fucking disaster... will Nīsama grieve when he gets word of her death? Probably not... he'll probably regret the moment he had allowed such a weak woman to be a part of his family.
"Shinigami!" The foolish girl sprints out of the hole in her house and heads directly towards her.
"Foolish girl... she'll get herself killed!" Rukia slowly adjusts herself to lean back against the broken fence, one hand loosely holding her zanpakutō and the other pressed against her ribs.
Fuck, she can feel two poking out from her skin. What an idiot she is! She released her reiatsu in her horror at seeing that–that monster... damn it!
What is this girl? Who is she? She has such strong reiatsu... and she's human? That's impossible! How does she know that monster? Why does she care for it? What is going on?!
"Shinigami!" The foolish girl stumbles and falls to her knees in front of Rukia with her hands outstretched, but not touching. "Are you okay?!"
"Foolish... girl..." Rukia coughs up blood before she hisses in pain. She leans her head back to look past the girl who can see ghosts, watching the monster throw the Hollow through the hole in the wall. The Hollow disappears into a Garganta, likely going back to Hueco Mundo to heal.
Rukia closes her eyes with a choked whine when the foolish girl presses her own hands against her broken ribs. She whispers out an apology as she quickly takes back her hands.
"You... you were right..." Rukia slowly blinks her eyes open. "That monster of yours... s'not a Hollow."
"Is–is there anything I can do? Do you have any–any kind of back up?" The girl rattles off her questions, barely any fear in her trembling voice for this entire situation.
Does she not realize the danger they are all in? Or does she accept the fact that not all of them will make it out alive? With a monster like that... the foolish girl probably can't be scared by something like this.
Rukia shakes her head, moving her arm holding her zanpakutō. There is no back-up for such an easy mission like this. Though, Soul Society should have gotten an alert of a high-level Hollow showing up... back-up won't get here in time.
"Do–do you want to save your family?" Rukia asks, already fighting to stay awake from the blood loss.
What a fucking disaster this mission became. And what a calamity Rukia's about to turn it into.
"Yes. Yes! Yuzu, Karin, Tatsuki–yes!" The foolish girl shuffles forward on her knees.
If she hadn't been bleeding so badly, and the concussion hadn't been as bad as it was, Rukia would probably be a bit unnerved by the almost obsessive determination the girl who can see ghosts speaks with. Rukia stops holding her ribs to grab her zanpakutō with both hands, slowly raising it in front of her.
"We'll–we'll die anyways if this doesn't work, but I'll give y' half–my powers... stab yourself with my zanpakutō." Rukia struggles to get the words out as she faintly hears a Hollow's howl.
Ah, it's back already?
"DON'T HURT ICHI!" That damned monster screams again before it attacks the Hollow, only for it to be thrown back into the house. The Hollow howls in pain as its arm is taken with the monster.
"Do it, Shinigami! We don't–we don't–Tats won't last long, and I–just do it!" The foolish girl stumbles over her words, reaching down and wrapping her hands over Rukia's.
"They feel so dry... the callouses on her trembling hands feel so rough." Maybe she is scared... but not of the Hollow.
"Kuchiki–Kuchiki Rukia... th-that is my name, foolish girl. Not–not Shinigami," Rukia speaks through the pain and the blood loss. They have to hurry. Hurry!
Even through the red film over her eyes, Rukia can clearly see the shaky and teary-eyed smile that grows on the foolish girl's face. She sniffs loudly, almost like she was crying for the Shinigami.
"I-it's Kurosaki Ichigo... not foolish girl... nice to meet you," The foolish girl–Ichigo–introduces herself before shoving Rukia's zanpakutō through her chest without a single ounce of hesitation.
The only thing Rukia knows next is white.
Gracious Lord, You are our Loving Father who grants our protection and guides our actions.
It's cold... colder than anything she's ever felt before...
I come before You to ask for my family's safekeeping.
Ichigo can't feel anything. Only the cold. It bites and slices at her skin like talons.
I pray You will guard our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being at all times.
No... she can feel something else. She can feel water all around her. She's underwater... and it's fucking cold.
Let not the enemy gain a foothold in any aspect of our lives.
Where is she? Did she die? What about the Hollow? Her sisters? The Shinigami. Tatsuki.
Help each of us to keep trusting You, recognizing Your victory over the devil and acknowledging the strength you give us to resist him. Amen.
Ichigo opens her eyes at the final words of her prayer. All she finds is a desolate and ruined city surrounded by crimson water above her and a blood red moon below.
She can breathe, but why is she underwater? Did it work? Did she kill the Hollow? Did she save her sisters–did she save... did she save Tatsuki?
"You know the prayers never work... so why do you pray?" A voice, low and solemn echoes throughout the entire upside-down city. Ichigo whirls around with a hand reaching over her right shoulder. She stills; at both who she sees and why she reacted that way.
Ichigo glances over her shoulder and blinks at the hilt of a sword staring back at her. Her eyes slowly glide back over to the man floating a few feet away from her.
His dark hair blew in an impossible wind, along with the shadows that shrouded his person. A visor hid his eyes, but did not hide his piercing gaze. He is... familiar to her, but not known... who is he?
Ichigo blinks as the question catches up with her. "I... pray for Tats..."
Tatsuki is not some ghost; she's definitely not a Hollow, and clearly this Soul Society and their Shinigami don't know that such a monster can exist. There's only so much Ichigo can do... and all that she can do is search every single way possible to cleanse Tatsuki and help–or force–her to pass on.
"Maybe... maybe one of them will work," Ichigo continues in a soft whisper. She doesn't even believe her own words... but there still might be a chance her prayers will work. Maybe. Hopefully.
"Maybe they never will..." The man sighs, not in exasperation, "but you will find a way to help Arisawa Tatsuki... and I will be with you every step of the way."
The water crushed Ichigo's lungs from the inside-out–or, that's what her despair makes her feel. Ichigo clenches her eyes shut as a sob escapes her throat.
The water surrounds her and all she sees is black.
"Ichi-nē! Ichi-nē! Get up or you'll be late for school!" Yuzu's shout startles Ichigo so badly, she falls out of her bed. A loud yelp escapes Ichigo's throat when she lands on her upper back and shoulders with her legs tangled in her blanket.
Ichigo stares up at her ceiling and blinks. School? Oh, shit–school!
"I-I'm up! I'm up!" Ichigo scrambles off the floor, tripping over the blanket with another yelp. "Use my breakfast for–"
"I did that already! Are you feeling okay? You never sleep so deeply," Yuzu calls out, already knowing what Ichigo would ask. Ichigo blinks again, staring at her slightly rumpled uniform hanging over her chair. She finally notices the weird warmth on her cheeks and raises a hand to wipe one.
Her fingers pause at the wet surface. Tears? Was she crying in her sleep?
Ichigo blinks before her arms twitch. Last night!
"Yuzu!" Ichigo sprints out of her room and stumbles over her own feet, almost flipping over herself when she stops in front of her younger sisters' bedroom.
"Ichi-nē?! What's wrong?!" Ichigo almost barrels into the girl when she runs out of the bedroom.
Ichigo grabs Yuzu's shoulders as she stumbles back before she raises a hand to cup Yuzu's cheek. "Yuzu, are you okay? Your shoulder–is your shoulder alright? Did you cook breakfast while you were injured?!"
"Ichi–Ichi-nē, what are you talking about?!" Yuzu asks worriedly, letting her big sister tug her shirt collar down to inspect her shoulder.
Ichigo blinks when she doesn't see any bandages... nor any kind of wound; no slash, no cut, not even a bruise. She looks up and rests a cold hand on Yuzu's forehead, pushing up her bangs. No wounds there either. What's happening?
"You were... you were injured... Where...?" Ichigo slides her thumb across Yuzu's forehead. This... this was where the blood fell from, so why...?
"Ichi-nē... are you... did you have another nightmare again?" Yuzu asks quietly, reaching her hands up to grab the teenager's on her forehead. Ichigo blinks and stares at the small, warm hands grabbing her rough, cold ones.
Ichigo slowly glances down, staring into such familiar amber eyes that make her want to cry. Yuzu... wasn't lying, she doesn't remember. Or...
"...nothing... it's... nothing." Ichigo brushes her thumb across Yuzu's forehead. She tries to smile, but it only comes out as a grimace.
"But... are you feeling okay? Does–does anything hurt?" Ichigo continues, just to make sure. She has to make sure.
Yuzu blinks before smiling, just a bit strained, but still so genuine. "I'm okay, Ichi-nē. Promise!"
"Hey, Ichi-nē! Your friends are here, making sure you aren't dead! Get up already!" Karin shouts from the stairs. Ichigo jumps and steps away from Yuzu at the reminder.
"...I'm getting ready now! Be down in a minute..." Ichigo shouts back half-heartedly before wincing. It hurts to shout.
"Why the fuck is there a giant hole in the wall?! Did Tatsuki do this?!" Ichigo winces at the extremely loud–and extremely familiar–yell.
"Friends! Friends!" Ichigo flinches at Tatsuki's sudden squeal. Her head whips around with a loud crack as the black mass shoots towards the wall of the hallway before zooming towards the stairs.
"Wait, Tatsuki! Y-you know they don't–"
Ichigo winces when she hears the familiar scream coming from downstairs; it sounds like it's coming from the front door, actually.
"–they don't like you suddenly... appearing... Tats," Ichigo finishes her sentence weakly once she hears Tatsuki's screeching laughter.
"Tatsuki~! You almost gave Hime a heart attack!" The loud whine echoes throughout the entire house. Ichigo shakes her head and walks back to her room. She needs to get ready... wait... there's a giant hole in the wall downstairs?
Stars danced across dulled vision like a Ferris wheel. Ichigo can't hear anything past the warbling screams in her ears. She opens her mouth with a wheezing gasp and feels different sensations explode across her taste buds.
angershockawedeathdangerdangerdeathdeathdeathdeath
Ichigo reaches a hand back and wraps a calloused hand around something long and thin. Her callouses burn from how hard she gripped the stick‒no, the hilt‒before she pulls it forward.
There's a howl and a gleam of silver before Ichigo leaps forward and slashes through something white and soulless. Ichigo lands on one unsteady foot, tilting to the side before she places her other foot to slightly turn and fix her center of gravity.
The stars slowly fade into a pale silver light all around her. Ichigo slowly blinks and stares down at the huge ass sword in her hands. Everything tunnels in; Ichigo falls to her knees.
It is not familiar to her... but it is known. What is this?
Ichigo watches each foot step in front of each other, unsteady and silent. Ichigo blinks slowly and glances up at the clear sky.
"...meeting someone important..." The words slip past her mouth without any notice.
"Important? Who?" The question makes Ichigo jump slightly. Tatsuki makes some kind of huffing noise, tightening her invisible hold around Ichigo's neck for a moment. Ichigo smiles down at where she can sense Tatsuki's... eyes to ease her worry.
"Hm?" Ichigo wordlessly questions, making a red-haired teenager roll her eyes with a smile.
"Nevermind, Ichihime!" Honshō Chizuru,Karakura High School's resident lesbian and Ichigo's second worst headache to deal with, exclaims before she wraps her arms around Ichigo's shoulders. Ichigo doesn't even stumble backwards even when her feet trip over themselves from the sudden weight hanging off of her.
"So," Kojima Mizuiro, a womanizer and usually only a minor headache on his mischievous days, leans forward with a much too innocent smile, "what happened?"
Ichigo slowly blinks before her dull eyes slide back towards what was in front of her–not that she paid any attention. The only one out of Ichigo's group who never gave her any kind of headache, Sado Yasutora–aptly nicknamed Chad by Ichigo herself–easily picks her, and Chizuru, up before she walks into a pole and sets her down next to him. Ichigo doesn't even notice.
Tatsuki growls loudly and shows herself, including the needle-like teeth. Chad twitches, Chizuru and Mizuiro wince, and Asano Keigo, bullshitter extraordinaire and Ichigo's worst headache to deal with, flinches; Inoue Orihime, Tatsuki's friend from before and the named the nicest girl at Karakura High School, screams in terror.
"Monster! Monster showed up! Hurt Ichi's sisters... hurt me! I was gonna kill it! Then the sword lady showed up. She tried to attack me! I wanted to kill her... but Ichi didn't let me. The sword lady saved Ichi from the monster and Ichi went after her. Got stabbed with a sword and became a sword lady herself! Killed the monster. Good Ichi! Good Ichi!" Tatsuki praises gleefully, using a horribly formed hand to pet Ichigo's head.
"...what?" Chizuru blinks before letting go of Ichigo's shoulders to turn her around. "What did Tatsuki just say?!"
Ichigo winces and closes her eyes when Chizuru starts to shake her. Ah... this is making her dizzy.
"Ichihime, what the fuck happened?!"
Ichigo steps away from Chizuru, almost slipping off of the curb. "It wasn't... a monster like Tats... it was something called a Hollow... an evil spirit. The sword lady is a... Shinigami. A spirit that hunts Hollows... and helps other spirits pass on."
"Are Yu-tan and Rin-tan okay?! They got hurt! Are you–are you okay?! Wait–you got stabbed by a–why are you walking?! Why are you going to school?!" Chizuru grabs Ichigo by her shoulders again, this time checking for any kind of injuries. Ichigo feels her cheeks burn when the red-haired teenager yanks up her sweater and uniform shirt.
"Chizuru!" Ichigo slaps Chizuru's hands away and pulls her shirt and sweater back down. Mizuiro, Keigo, and Chad have the decency to look away... a few seconds too late, but Ichigo doesn't notice.
"Did you get Tatsuki-chan hurt?" Orihime asks worriedly, stepping forward with a soft pout.
Ichigo sighs heavily and rubs her face. She tugs at the strands of hair that fell out of her messy bun before she sighs again.
"...we'll be late for school. I'll explain on the way. And no, Inoue-san," Ichigo mutters quietly, more exasperated than upset by the unspoken fact that Chizuru would strip her bare right there to check for any injuries should she not explain.
Trying to teach personal boundaries to Chizuru was like teaching a bull not to chase after red capes. It's not exactly working, but Ichigo knows she's making some progress... Chizuru actually spoke before even starting to tear Ichigo's clothes off in her well-intentioned, but incredibly horrible and humiliating way to check for injuries.
Chizuru will probably go ahead and tear open her shirt anyway when Ichigo tells them all about how she had stabbed herself with a sword. Ichigo hunches over at the sudden realization. Great.
Hey! I hope you all like the official first chapter! Sorry for not updating last Friday, I had been so fucking busy. Like seriously busy. Ugh, being an adult is hard. But I'm still trying to give you all more chapters!
Am I giving the human friends more screentime? Yep. Have I decided how deep they'll be pulled into Soul Society and its bullshit? Nope.
Honestly, Chizuru, Keigo, and Mizuiro need more screentime. So underrated, to be honest. And technically speaking (same with Tatsuki in canon), Chizuru (and Tatsuki) should have eventually gained powers after being attacked by the Hollow when Orihime awakened her powers.
Obviously nothing right then (though Tatsuki DEFINITELY should have. She's been around Ichigo longer than even Chad!!!) but definitely something eventually! And same with Keigo and Mizuiro they started to see spirits pretty early on!
Anyways, I am most likely going to give those three powers, so if any of you have any ideas, feel free to comment! ALTHOUGH, I did say most likely. So, if I decide not to give them powers (which is HIGHLY unlikely) please don't be upset.
REMEMBER! If any chapter needs any warnings, they will be at the beginning for each one. It saves me tag space and doesn't spoil too much for you all. :)
By the way! The prayer as well as the mala beads are NOT an implication of Ichigo being religious. I am not writing her character to be religious, but if you wish to see her as someone religious, then I cannot stop you (obviously). As it is implied, Ichigo is trying to find any kind of way to help Tatsuki pass on and that includes using different forms of prayer and purification rites of different kinds of religions.
I am NOT intending or trying to offend anyone. Please and thank you for listening to my TED talk.
I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! Bye.
WhovianWhoudini