Chapter Text
A diagonal horizon of a crimson starry sky in broad daylight is what Ichigo first sees when she opens her eyes. She stays laying across the overgrown glass, staring at the swirling clouds.
She blinks once before sitting up, hands brushing against the weeds that grew out from the cracks of the glass. Skyscrapers of varying stages of decay protruded out of dense forests, Ichigo herself sitting on the side of one.
"This is one weird fever dream..." Ichigo mumbles, looking around for anything remotely familiar, or sane.
"It would be one, if you were sick in the first place." Ichigo startles at the baritone voice, scrambling into a crouch. She stares at the man she didn't notice standing in front of her.
Her head tilts in confusion. "...I know you."
The man looked vaguely familiar. Long brown hair blowing in a non-existent wind, eyes covered by a tinted visor, and ragged black cloak.
A silence passes over them before Ichigo tilts her head even further. Her eyes dilate as she stares at the man.
"You are a part of my soul. Where is the other part?" Ichigo asks, slowly standing up from her crouch. She looks down when she notices that she was still wearing the flowing black hakama pants.
She also wore a black kosode, a white shitagi underneath the kosode, and white athletic tape wrapped around her hands and arms. Her feet were clad in tabi socks and a pair of waraji, peeking out from beneath the silky fabric of her hakama.
Attached to her left hip was a katana and a wakizashi paired in daishō. The hilts were wrapped in white cord with white ribbons falling from each end and the scabbards were ebony with different designs on each. The wakizashi was aligned with white crosses, shaped exactly the same as her family's Tatzenkreuz. The katana was aligned with a white star burst pattern, like fireworks.
"Resting. Forcing the Kuchiki's powers to stop before it could infect us more took the majority of his energy," The man speaks calmly, making Ichigo frown.
"This is my inner world."
The man nods at the statement. "Yes."
"What's your name?"
"A name holds power for Shinigami," The man speaks vaguely. Ichigo tilts her head, a hand placed on her hip.
"Kuro-ossan then." Ichigo feels smug at the man's lips twitching into a flickering smile before fading back to an indifferent expression.
"It would be best to discuss what has happened with Yasuki and Sun-mi. Time is not on your side in these Shinigami matters," Kuro-ossan starts as he nods towards the daishō. "The parasitic powers have awakened us, but you are still not in sync with your Shinigami blood."
"Can training help?" Ichigo asks, glancing down at her swords. Kuro-ossan shakes his head, staying silent at the question.
"We will talk another time when the other has finished resting. Follow what the Kuchiki says for the time being," Kuro-ossan speaks as Ichigo feels herself wake up. Ichigo looks around one more time before smiling.
"Okay. We'll talk later." Ichigo smiles even brighter. "I'm happy I could finally meet you."
___
Ichigo feels her hair stand on the back of her neck before she forces herself to roll onto the floor. She kicks out her feet with a snarl, making Isshin fly right out of her window. Damnit! She'll need to order a new window.
"You damn old bastard! I've told you to stop waking me up like that!" Ichigo shouts loudly, standing up while rolling her shoulder.
A sense of wrongness is the immediate feeling after she fully wakes from her instinctual panic. Her entire body flinches at the sudden realization and she immediately races out of her room.
"Yuzu?! Karin! Shit!" Ichigo trips on her own feet, falling down the stairs. She easily maneuvers her body to only hit her side.
"Ichi-nē! Are you okay?! What's wrong?" Yuzu rushes out of the kitchen with a plate and a spatula. Ichigo scrambles up to her knees and grabs Yuzu's face, looking for any injuries.
"Are you hurt? Where's Karin? Where's the... the spirit?" Ichigo asks rapidly. Yuzu blinks in surprise before smiling softly.
"Ichi-nē, I'm fine. So's Karin-chan. The truck didn't even wake us up," The blonde girl reassures before glancing back with a furrowed pout. Ichigo follows her gaze and stares at the giant hole in their house.
"We're lucky the insurance is paying for the damages, but it's still gonna be hard to fix." Something beeps in the kitchen, startling Yuzu. "Oh! Breakfast! Karin-chan is still getting ready for school, but I think the bathroom's free!"
Ichigo stays kneeling on the floor, watching her little sister walk back into the kitchen. She goes back to staring at the hole before scowling.
Why didn't they remember? Where was the spirit? Why didn't she hurt?
Ichigo looks down at herself. Not even a hint of scarring, like it didn't even happen... did it even happen?
The light catches on a faint line on her hands as she lowers them. She freezes and stares down at the faint scars lining her hands.
Ichigo smiles sharply, her dark eyes tracing over the wounds. Almost no scarring.
She takes a deep breath and stands back up, ignoring the scars for now. She has a new window to order and a uniform to get dressed in.
_____
"Hey, Ichigo!" The orange haired teenager turns her head at the shout, watching as her oldest best friend catches up with her. Ichigo slows to a stop, hands shoved into the sewn pockets of her long skirt.
She had slicked back her hair and and let it fall over her shoulders. Her grey school jacket was tied around her waist, covering her exposed midriff. Her shirt was slightly frayed around the edges that she had cut off while her long sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and her skirt reached all the way down to her calves. Her worn red converse stood out against the pink patterned socks that Orihime had gifted her a few months ago.
Overall, she looked like what everyone in Karakura Town assumed she was. The average sukeban going to school.
"I saw the hole in your house. Are the twins okay? Are you okay?" Arisawa Tatsuki asks worriedly, stopping next to the taller female. Ichigo smiles and starts walking again, quickly followed by her friend.
"Yeah. The twins didn't even wake up," Ichigo says, looking off to the side. Tatsuki narrows her eyes, walking in step with Ichigo.
"It wasn't a truck," Ichigo says, the nearly non-existent scars on her hands burning at the memory. "I don't know what to make of it yet. The twins are still safe..."
Tatsuki sighs and adjusts her hold on her bag. Hand shoved into her own long skirt pockets. Her skirt was the same color and length as Ichigo's and the sleeves of her button up shirt was cut off at her shoulders. A purple and blue flower patterned fabric was sewn to the inside of the unbuttoned collar of her shirt. She wore a pair of purple cat socks gifted to her from Orihime and white converse.
Her short hair loosely hung over her face and ears, spiked up near the ends, but still hiding the silver gages in her ears. She brushes her fingerless gloved hand through her hair, nails roughly painted a dark blue.
"Does Aneki-san and Aniki-san know?" Tatsuki asks with a frown. Ichigo sighs before shaking her head.
"I'll talk with them after school. There's something I need to–" Ichigo stops talking when she sees a familiar face turn the corner towards the school. She blinks rapidly before scowling.
"Hey! HEY!" The orange haired teenager shouts loudly, breaking out into a run. The short young looking female turns around with a confused stare before her eyes go wide.
"Wait, Ichigo!" Tatsuki chases after her best friend, both running across the street without looking. A car honks at them as it passes by in between the two teenagers.
"You–" the Shinigami clears her throat and forces a bright smile on her face "–did you need something, miss?"
"What the hell happened last night? What did you do to my sisters?" Ichigo asks in a hiss, stopping in front of the shorter female. Rukia narrows her eyes and leans forward with a scowl.
"Not here!" She hisses back before smiling brightly as Tatsuki catches up. Ichigo narrows her eyes with a deepening scowl, a hand on her hip.
"What the hell, Ichigo?! Don't go running off randomly!" Tatsuki scolds halfheartedly, already too used to Ichigo's spontaneous impulses. Ichigo turns and gives her a small look with her head tilted. Tatsuki tenses just the slightest amount, glancing at the black haired female in front of them.
"Sorry. She was just walking by when the thing happened last night. She disappeared before anyone arrived," Ichigo states vaguely, making Tatsuki fully turn to stare down at the Shinigami. Rukia continues smiling cheerfully, her eyebrow twitching slightly.
"I do apologize, Ichigo! Something had come up at home. Did everything turn out alright?" Rukia asks cheerfully, clasping her hands behind her back.
Ichigo stares down at her with a hard gaze before slowly nodding. "Almost felt like it never happened. If it weren't for a few bumps and bruises, I would have thought it was a dream. Tatsuki, this is Kuchiki Rukia. Rukia, this is one of my best friends."
"It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance!" Rukia gives a perfect curtsey and a bright smile.
"Arisawa Tatsuki," The black haired teenager greets coldly, eyes still narrowed. Ichigo casually nudges her arm without even looking at her, forcing a small smile on her face.
"...you transferred to Karakura High School." Ichigo points at the normal school uniform of her school. Rukia blinks, looking down at it before forcing her smile even brighter.
"Yes! I guess I forgot to mention which school I transferred to last night! Do you go to Karakura High School, Ichigo? Arisawa-san?" Rukia lies right through her teeth. Ichigo hums with a nod, shoving her hands into her pockets.
"Yeah. Which class are you in?" Ichigo asks as they all slowly start walking again.
Rukia continues to smile annoyingly bright. "Ochi-sensei's class, I'm pretty sure!"
"We're in her class too. We can show you around if you'd like. Since you met Ichigo," Tatsuki says as she finally looks away from the Shinigami.
Rukia blinks at the weird statement before nodding her head. Tatsuki glances at Ichigo, watching her walk with tense shoulders. She nudges her side, making the orange haired teenager startle.
Ichigo turns and stares down at her friend. She smiles tiredly and grabs Tatsuki's wrist. She squeezes it before focusing back on Rukia.
Tatsuki sighs and nods her head, taking out her phone. She has a feeling she'll be heading over to The Den with Ichigo after school.
_____
This entire day was fucking weird. Weirder than a normal day in Ichigo's life. Unfortunately, that means it put her in a paranoid mood.
Since she was in a paranoid mood, it made Tatsuki paranoid, which in turn made Orihime worried and frantic. Chad immediately followed with his own form of paranoia and worry, hovering around Ichigo's side in case something happened, and because of his mood, it brought Mizuiro and Keigo into it as well, constantly watching for anything out of place.
All because of the Shinigami disguising herself as a Human teenager assigned next to Ichigo's seat and Ichigo couldn't even talk about anything that happened the night before. It didn't help that Ichigo couldn't stop thinking about her sisters not being able to remember anything from last night.
By the time school had ended, everyone outside of Ichigo's group was avoiding them like the plague. Ichigo's completely sure that their teachers were barely stopping themselves from calling the police because of their behavior.
Ichigo glances over at where Rukia stood near the entrance to the school, appearing so normal that it was abnormal. Ichigo sighs heavily before glancing around her friends forming a loose circle around her.
"Head to The Den. I gotta deal with something," Ichigo says, shoving her hands into her pockets to try and ignore her urge to scratch her knuckles. Tatsuki frowns and faces Ichigo with her eyes narrowed.
"It's about last night. I'll be fine. Now go." Ichigo doesn't take no for an answer. Tatsuki sighs quietly before nodding her head.
"Text us when you're on your way." Tatsuki leads their reluctant friend group off of the school grounds. Ichigo smiles slightly when Orihime grabs her wrist. She gives her fellow ginger a nod, making the worried female relax slightly.
Ichigo watches her friends turn the corner. Her smile disappears as she tilts her head to the side, Rukia suddenly standing next to her.
"I'm glad they don't remember seeing my body laying like a corpse, but why did you get rid of my sisters' memories in the first place?" Ichigo asks without looking at the Shinigami.
"They're Human. It would have been dangerous for them to remember," Rukia answers almost immediately, her tone taking a cold edge. Ichigo frowns and tilts her head towards the black haired female. Dark brown with golden hues stare into icy amethyst.
"And I'm not?"
"You took half of my powers and stopped the transfer before you could take too much. You controlled your own reiatsu, but you're Human," Rukia answers with a confused scowl. "You fought a Hollow with just a crowbar as a Human. That doesn't happen."
Ichigo stays quiet, straightening her head. She sighs and starts to walk. She snaps her fingers and points towards the street. Rukia scowls, but starts following the orange haired teenager.
"Why are you pretending to be a Human? Don't you have to go back to Soul Society?" Ichigo asks casually, glancing around the empty street.
"While you only took half of my powers, it was still half. I can handle the usual Hollow, but if I fight any like last night, I'm dead. I need to stay in this gigai to recuperate," Rukia admits coldly, staying in step with Ichigo.
"...they'll ask questions if you go back with only half of your powers." Ichigo watches as the Shinigami startles at the correct realization. She stares up at the teenager with wide eyes before it flickers back into her cold expression.
Rukia swallows before nodding. "It's forbidden for a Shinigami to give a Human their powers. There are exceptions... but I still have a mission. It can still be avoided."
"You saved my life. You saved my sisters lives. That's not a good enough reason?" Ichigo asks incredulously. Rukia slowly nods her head once more, staring ahead.
"Humans should not be aware of Soul Society let alone be allowed to have powers."
"I highly doubt some high and mighty boss who owns and controls Soul Society is also calling the shots for the Living World," Ichigo sneers almost immediately, irritation flickering in her chest. That isn't a decision for some ghosts to make for living beings.
"It's just how it is. Humans can't comprehend our duty to uphold the balance between worlds," Rukia says, not unkindly. Ichigo narrows her eyes before scoffing silently.
"It doesn't matter. What's done is done. Now, we must focus on you." Rukia sighs, abruptly stopping her stride. Ichigo takes a few more steps before stopping as well, slowly turning around with her hands stuffed in her skirt pockets.
"We don't have to do anything. You have a mission to complete and I have a life to get back to," Ichigo says in a cold tone.
Rukia tenses, blinking rapidly before she frowns. "Yes we do. Like it or not, when you took half of my powers, you became a Shinigami. Even if it's temporary. Your reiatsu is practically a beacon to Hollows. Not only would it put you and your family in danger, this entire town would be threatened if I don't help you learn the ways of Shinigami. I am the one to bring you into this and I refuse to just allow you to foolishly kill yourself by going back to your life."
Ichigo stares down at the Shinigami, towering over her. Rukia doesn't break eye contact, standing her ground and taking no refusals.
Ichigo releases a bark of loud laughter, a bright smile full of teeth growing on her face. Her dimples are fully revealed to the world along with the small crow's feet that were clearly only just starting to appear. She shakes her head and takes out one of her hands to rest it on her hip.
"I like you! Even if your thoughts on Humans are incredibly misguided and misinformed," Ichigo states, still grinning.
The wind breezed past, slightly moving Ichigo's frayed shirt. Rukia's gaze flickers to the shock of color she spots underneath the shirt before the wind dies down, blocking whatever she saw.
"Okay. I've been wanting to know more shit about spirits anyways. Okāsan would have wanted me to start learning at some point," The orange haired teenager continues as the sharpness of her smile softens by a margin. "We're telling my friends though. And we're going to explain some things to my sisters."
"They're Humans. It'll bring more danger to–"
"Karin can see spirits just as well as me, even if she denies it. Yuzu can give me a run for my money with how well she can sense them. They don't need to know everything, but I don't want them to be left unprotected," Ichigo interrupts with a small shrug and pride festering in her chest. Her girls were getting stronger, but Ichigo still hopes she'll continue to be their protector for just a little bit longer.
"And your friends? None of them are able to see spirits. They'll just be dragged into danger they would not be able to protect themselves against," Rukia points out with a small scowl. Ichigo snorts and playfully rolls her eyes.
"Doesn't matter. If I don't drag them into this, they'll find some way to force themselves in. They don't like it when I do things alone. Tatsuki says that I need constant supervision or my chaotic impulses will destroy society in three hours." Ichigo tilts her head, smirking slightly at the thought. "I bet that I'd destroy it in less than one."
Rukia raises an eyebrow before staring right into the Human's eyes. She stays silent for a long minute before quietly sighing.
"I've barely known you for less than a day and I already have a feeling that if your friends are anything like you, they'll try and fight a Hollow with a crowbar or their fists," Rukia says with a slight smile.
Ichigo laughs again, eyes bright with amusement. "Oh, don't worry. They have better self-control than me. They'll try and fight a Hollow from a distance first."
"If the worst happens, they'll do just fine then. But, they are your responsibility, Ichigo," Rukia continues solemnly. Ichigo nods, her smile turning sharper.
"They've been my responsibility for years. What's one more life threatening thing?" The orange haired teenager shrugs before turning around. She continues walking, leaving a slightly shocked Rukia frozen on the sidewalk. Ichigo blinks and turns around with her casual frown.
"Are you coming or what? If we're explaining all this shit to my friends, I've gotta explain my whole deal to you too," She states while pointing her thumb down the street. Rukia shakes herself out of her stupor and jogs over to catch up.
"Your whole deal? What are you talking about?"
Ichigo raises an eyebrow, momentarily shocked. "Has anyone warned you about me?"
"You mean the rumors? That you're a sukeban–a delinquent?" The black haired female asks, making Ichigo stare down at her with a deadpan. Rukia stares, completely stupefied and incredibly confused at Ichigo's next statement.
"I'm not in some sukeban. I'm in a yakuza. Well actually, I run one. How backwards is Soul Society's information that you don't know what a yakuza is?"
"Eh?"