And now.... the conclusion.
-------------------------
Tatsuki stormed into the courtyard, her anger at Rukia beginning to
reach a fever pitch. Bad enough that the twerp was once again
trying to steal her man, she had allowed herself to fall for the oldest
trick in the damn book!
Oh she was soooo gonna kill that little bitch.
When she spotted her boyfriend, she was surprised to find him alone.
Squatting and doing warm up stretches. Her eyes narrowed, Not like
Berry-tan is making matters better, she thought.
"Hey Ichigo!"
'Ichigo' fell down on his bottom and looked around
startled, "Hah?!? Wha?!?"
Tatsuki walked up to him, her arms crossed and glared down at
him, "So... what did the little slut want with you?"
'Ichigo' winced as he rubbed his head and looked up towards Tatsuki.
He sighed internally. If she wasn't so pissed at this guy he was in,
she'd probably be a real cutie. Quite a waste of anger, "Hm? Slut?"
Tatsuki frowned, "Yeah, Kuchiki. Remember her? Little whore
constantly after you?"
'Ichigo' blinked. Oh yeah, the grade schooler. He shrugged, "Dunno.
She had to somewhere with some guy to do some thing."
Tatsuki frowned deepened. She didn't know why, but something
felt... off here, "Really?"
'Ichigo' pushed himself back onto his feet and dusted off his
pants, "Yeah. Why?"
She shrugged, "Well, considering she to the trouble of distracting
me with Queen Pervo, I thought she was about to seduce you or something."
"Queen Pervo?", he asked, a grin touching his lips.
"What's with that smirk?"
He wagged her eyes at her, "Queen Pervo, huh?"
"Well, it seems to fit Chizuru to a T and all."
'Ichigo' continued to smirk at the thought of this Queen Pervo.
Now if she had the fun bags to go with the title...
"....Babe, you're drooling."
'Ichigo' blinked, "Oh, sorry 'bout that." He wiped this mouth
with an arm.
"IIIIIIICHIIIIIIIIIIGOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Tatsuki sighed. Oh man, now what? "What is Keigo?"
Keigo wrapped an arm around 'Ichigo's' shoulder, "Back from
another wild lunch so soon?"
"Wild lunch?", 'Ichigo' asked.
"Oh you know man!" He then waggled his eyebrows in knowing and
lowered his lips to his friends ear, "A main course of Tatsuki
with a healthy side of Rukia."
It took a moment for what kind of implications Keigo was insinuating,
however once the connection was made, only one word came to mind.
SCORE!
'Ichigo's' eye's glazed over and his tongue hung out of his mouth, causing
Keigo's grin to raise a few notches. "Oh man, for real dude?"
BAM!
BAM!
Keigo and 'Ichigo' both grabbed their faces in pain as Tatsuki
retracted her fist, "Get your minds outtaÆ the gutter."
She frowned at Ichigo. Oh yes, there was something wrong here.
Her Ichigo shouldn't be having THOSE kind of thoughts unless is
was just her and him!
The rest of the walk back to the classroom was a surprisingly quiet
affair. Tatsuki still feeling something was off, yen not able to put
her finger on it. 'Ichigo', deciding that silence might be golden at
this point, was content to let himself be led back to the classroom.
As Kon followed both Tatsuki and Keigo his eyes traveled south and
smiled at the hypnotic rhythem of Tatsuki's behind moving back and
forth. Coming to a stop, presumably to their class they entered.
Kon stopped in the doorway, eyes roving over the first group of girls
to catch his eye, 'Cute, cute, decent rack, nice legs....' he grinned.
An eyebrow raised as he leaned beside the door to the classroom,
'Not a bad group of ladies here....' His eyebrow raised even
further as he caught sight of Chizuru talking to Mai, 'Even the
bookworm's a cutie pie. And I do love me some readheads.'
"Ah! Tatsuki-chan!! Kurosaki-kun!!"
Ichigo' turned to the sweet, feminine voice and caught sight of Orihime.
'Oh maaaan, she's the cutest one in this room,' he thought. His eyes then
turned downward towards, "SWEET MOTHER OF MAMMARIES!!"
The silence was so long, you would think someone had died.
Or was about to at any rate.
Every eye in the room, save three, were fixated on 'Ichigo'.
Tatsuki's jaw was hanging limply from her mouth, eyes bugged out as
she slowly turned to 'Ichigo', He... he didn't just say that, right?
Now I know the shrimp has stressed me out...I'm hearing things..'
Then she saw that 'Ichigo's' eyes were still rather fixated on
Orihime's chest.
'...............Damn, I'm seeing things too.'
Orihime blinked, "Ummm.... Kurosaki-kun?"
'Ichigo' blinked in surprise, "Holy crap you guys can talk.
Yes my tender ones, it is I. But you may call me master."
Suddenly, he disappeared from Tatsuki's vision, "Wha?"
She looked around and found him at Orihime's desk, holding the
girl's hand, "Now then.... might I ask you your name, my dear?"
"Wha... how'd he move so fast?!?"
"Didn't even see him move!!"
"Wow... when'd Ichigo become such a Casanova?"
'Ichigo' allowed himself a small smirk as he heard the comments,
'Heh, I'm awesome, he thought. He leaned down to kiss Orihime's
hand, 'And this'll make it the piece de resistance...'
He was startled out of his thoughts as he felt 'his' arms pulled
apart, "Huh?"
Tatsuki grunted as she locked in a full nelson on her boyfriend, "Ok
Ichigo, quit it!! This joke ain't funny and it never was funny!!
Snap outta it already!!"
"Don't worry, your next after this cutie."
snap!
That, dear reader, is the sound of one Arisawa Tatsuki's reason giving out.
Several veins popped on Tatsuki's forehead, "......I'm.... next....huh?" she
growled.
Say hello to anger and scorn.
They're not very nice
As 'Ichigo' would soon find out.
....Pray for him.
----------==========----------
Ichigo shuddered a bit as the hollow he finished dissipated from the area.
"Something wrong?" Rukia questioned.
Ichigo turned to look at her, "Did ya ever get the feeling that you where neck deep
in crap for something you didn't even do?"
Rukia shrugged, "Can't say that I- hey, where are you going?"
Ichigo was taking off at a full sprint as Rukia began to run as fast
as she could to catch up. "To do damage control!" he responded.
"I told you it's not a problem! There's no need to hurry, Ichigo!"
He frowned to himself, "Somehow, I doubt that."
----------==========----------
As Keigo hid behind his desk, unbuttoning his shirt as the room's
temperature began to rise to uncomfortable levels, An epiphany stuck him.
"Y'know somethin' Mizuro?"
Mizuro turned to Keigo from behind his own desk, eeping as a piece of metal from a
desk's leg zoomed by his desk and embedded it's self into the wall, "Yeah Keigo?"
"Pimpin' ain't easy, huh?"
Mizuro gave Keigo an odd look, "Huh? where'd that thought come from?"
Keigo shrugged as the wanton acts of destruction continued around the classroom,
"Well, look at Ichigo. First he had Tatsuki all nice and locked up right?"
Mizuro nodded.
"Then he gets the new transfer student, and starts with all the threesomes and such, y'know?"
Mizuro nodded again, wondering where this was going.
"And now he's making moves on Orihime in broad daylight! You think he leveled up or something?"
Mizuro gave him a flat look, "Where do you come up with this stuff Keigo?"
Keigo pointed to his skull, ôNatural deduction my man. Natural deduction."
Mizuro jerked a thumb back to the carnage going on behind him, "Then what do you call this?"
Keigo shrugged, "Someone not laying down their pimp hand?"
Mizuro eyed the escalating fight warily, "Though it looks like it's going to be the other way around."
Keigo shrugged, "Hey like I said, pimpin ain't easy man."
----------==========----------
"Can't you relax Ichigo? How many times do I have to tell you everything is all right?"
Ichigo turned behind him to frown at Rukia, never breaking his stride, ôForgive me if
your vote of confidence doesn't exactly fill me with reassurance!"
Rukia frowned as she struggled to keep pace, "Anyone ever tell you to relax more?
I mean for goodness sake, that hollow was super easy as well! Don't you think that's a
GOOD sign?"
"We'll see... I've had a bad feeling ever since I killed that thing," His pace
increased as the school building entered his sight. "And I've learned to trust
my gut!"
"Hey wait!" Rukia cried out in vain as Ichigo. She groaned as she continued to run as
fast as she could in her gigai, 'Damn this stupid gigai! It's all I can do to keep him in
my sights! I'm barely stronger than a normal schoolgirl in this thing! Just wait till
I get my hands on the R&D guys! They're all about tits and ass when I need muscle!'
CRASH!
Rukia's thoughts paused as she looked up at the building to find a desk flying out of the window
of a classroom.
Ichigo's classroom.
She frowned as she caught up to Ichigo who was looking on stunned, "Looks like I owe you an
apology, Ichigo."
Ichigo then scowled and broke out into a full sprint towards his classroom. Rukia
blinked and scowled at he charge, "Damnit, Ichigo! Wait up!"
----------==========----------
"I know I said pimpin wasn't easy," Keigo began. Taking off his undershirt and
wiping the never ending sweat from his brow, "But this is getting ridiculous!"
Mizuro frowned as he wiped the sweat from his brow, "Why's it so dang hot in
here anyways?"
Keigo shrugged, "Beats me..." he looked over the desk he and Mizuro where hiding behind
to see Tatsuki and 'Ichigo' still ducking it out. He blinked as it looked as though
a fiery aura was surrounding the young martial artist. He ducked back behind the desk,
"But I think it's making me hallucinate somethin' fierce."
Behind another desk sat Chizuru and Mai, huddling in a corner and hugging each other for
dear life. Mai turned to the school lesbian, tears flowing in her eyes. "Hey, Chizuru...
can't you do something?"
Chizuru looked down at Mai, shock and fear etched on her face, "M-M-M-M-ME?!?! Do you want
me to die?! I'm not freakin' Bruce Willis over here, y'know!"
"I know but...." she looked down shyly, "I just figured that if you went after Orihime
right now..."
Chizuru frowned, "....So you want me to sacrifice myself to end a lover's squabble?"
Mai gave her a flat look, "One life to save countless others... seems like a fair
deal to me."
".....You're vicious."
"I prefer to think of myself as a survivalist."
And in the center ring, 'Ichigo' managed to dodge another desk from Tatsuki, "Goddamn,
ya crazy bitch! What's your freakin' problem?"
"What's my problem? What's my problem? WHAT'S MY PROBLEM?!? MY BOYFRIEND'S CHEATING
ON ME RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FACE!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!?"
'Ichigo' frowned, "...Ever think it was your fault?"
Tatsuki paused and growled, "....Ok... I'll bite. Tell me how this is my fault?"
'Ichigo' shrugged, "Well... if you had a bigger chest and werenÆt so violent to me..."
Tatsuki's eyebrow twitched, "Is... is that so?" She then tossed the desk back
at soon-to-be-dead boyfriend, "Sorry for being flat chested!!!!"
'Ichigo' dodged again, "Shit, girl! I was joking! Y'know, not serious?"
"Then get serious and explain yourself!" She cried as she charged him, "Or
keep being funny and get creamed!"
'Ichigo' eeped and shut his eyes. There was no way to dodge her fist in time, 'Oh crap,
this is gonna hurt,' he thought.
"Hold it!!"
Tatsuki's fist froze in front of 'Ichigo's' face, and he tentatively opened his eyes
to find it hovering a mere inch from his nose. He let out a sigh of relief.
Tatsuki frowned at the new intruder, "What do you want, bitch?!? I'm busy!"
'Ichigo' then turned to see Rukia looking coolly at him and he gulped
deeply, "Oh shit, the fuzz!"
Tatsuki could only blink as 'Ichigo' hauled ass away from the girls, bowling
over any desks that were in his way as he charged to the open window.
She growled again, chasing after him. "Hold it!
"Cut him off Ichigo!"
Tatsuki blinked, 'The hell is that shorty talking 'bout?'
She turned back to the window and got her answer. As 'Ichigo' was cut off...
By Ichigo.
Dressed in a black hakama and with a huge ass sword strapped to his back.
Familiar scowl in place. He glared at his body, "I gotÆcha sucker!"
'Ichigo' gave Ichigo a dark smirk, "Y'think so?"
The substitute shinigami could only look on in shock as his body
jumped past him and out the window. He turned around in a panic,
"Stop ya jerk! That's my body you're about to total!"
The mod soul obviously didn't realize this as he landed upon
he nailed a perfect landing on the school's track field. Ichigo could
do nothing but watch as his body then took off from the school grounds
at speeds beyond normal human possibility. He glared and jumped down
from the window, "Fuck!!" he swore as he chased after his body once again.
Rukia frowned as she heard Ichigo's curse. She turned and left the classroom
deep in thought, 'To do that... it's gotta be a mod konpaku... this could be
trouble."
Meanwhile, forgotten in all the chaos stood Tatsuki. Shell shocked at what
she had just witnessed. "...what the hell was that just now?"
It was impossible to believe, yet she had no choice to do so after seeing
two Ichigo's as plain as day. Considering no one else was reacting
to such a sight meant that she was the only one who had seen the black
Ichigo. But for that to be possible...
She frowned and walked towards the classroom door. She needed answers, and she
was going to get them. Come hell or high water, this would make sense. Pausing
as she caught sight of the cowering Chizuru and Mai, she frowned and glanced at
Chizuru. "Hey."
The girls squeaked and Chizuru looked up at Tatsuki fearfully, "Y-yes?"
"Do me a favor, would ya?" she asked, "When the teachers ask what happened
in here, tell them it was a random act of God huh? Thanks."
She walked out of the classroom, Chizuru fearfully eyeing the martial artist
every step of the way. She let out a breath of relief as she disappeared
from sight, "....So that's a woman scorned, eh?"
Mai shook her head at that, "That wasn't a woman. That was a demon. A demon
unleashed."
Chizuru nodded, "May god have mercy on us all."
----------==========----------
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" Ichigo shouted.
"We lost 'em! I mean me! I mean..." He groaned and clutched
his head. "Shit this is confusing."
"You're under a moratorium." Rukia sighed. Crossing her arms
as she stared at her charge.
"If you're gonna speak, say somethin' useful at least, damnit!"
Ichigo retorted. "Bad enough he hijacked my body... if what the
class said was true... if that's true he... he..."
"He kissed Inoue-san." Rukia finished. She shrugged, "So
what?"
"So what? SO WHAT?!? He did that in front of MY GIRLFRIEND!"
Ichigo shuttered, "I can already feel the knife on my throat."
"I thought that your generation was so oversexed that a kiss
was like a handshake."
"BZZ! WRONG!" Ichigo corrected, making an X with his arms
for emphasis. "It's a really big freakin' deal! Especially
when you're taken!" He moaned again, falling to his knees,
"Ohh... my image... my love life... all shot to hell by some
candy with a sex drive! How the heck am I gonna go back to
school tomorrow?"
"We can worry about that later," Rukia crouched down to Ichigo.
The boy frowned at her, but she ignored it as she continued.
"We still have to find that Mod Soul and get you back into your
body. Who knows what he could be concocting now that he has
flesh?"
"True..." He stood up and looked in the direction of his school,
"But still, goin' to school tomorrowÆs gonna suck hard."
"About that..." Rukia gave Ichigo a pensive look. Causing the
substitute shinigami to raise an eyebrow, "Do you remember that talk
we had last week about your lover? That she can see sprits as well
as you can?"
"Yeah... what about it?"
"I think she saw you. Both of you."
Ichigo paused for a moment before he frowned deeper than normal,
"You're sure?"
"I think it's a fair assumption since she was right there behind your
body when you lumped in front of it."
He surprised her by letting off a chuckle, "It's almost as if someone's
determined to tell her about this."
----------==========----------
-Michigan-
"Gehchoo! Stupid freakin' fourth walls..."
----------==========----------
"So... how do you want to deal with this?" Rukia asked. Her arms tightened
slightly, lips forming a thin line as she coolly eyed her charge.
Ichigo simply grunted, turning to Rukia as he responded, "We'll deal with it
later. *After* I get my body back. Hopefully I'll figure something out by then."
Rukia sighed, "You're just delaying the inevitable."
Ichigo shrugged, "It's all I can do for now."
"In any case, we're wasting time," She turned away from Ichigo and began
walking. "We need to keep looking for that Mod before the trail grows
even colder."
Ichigo frowned at her retreating figure, "Just what the hell are those
things anyway?"
Rukia continued, never breaking her stride, "Just follow me.
It will be easier to look and explain."
Ichigo nodded and followed the shinigami. 'Why do I have the feeling
I'm not gonna like this?'
----------==========----------
Tatsuki's legs pumped as she continued forward, quick short breaths
coming from her mouth. She continued onward, weaving in and out of
the midday crowds of Karakura, not mindful of the odd looks she was
getting as some double checked their watches. She herself was not
mindful of the time either, only taking stock of it to time the
lights of the intersection, mumbling in frustration at the time lost
when she needed to come to a stop at a corner. That frustration,
however, could not compare to what she had felt not an hour ago,
after one of the most bizarre experiences she ever had in a fight
with her boyfriend happened.
'Where the hell is he?!' she thought as she continued to barrel
through the busy streets of Karakura. Nothing that had happened
an hour ago made a lick of sense and there was only one person who
could answer her questions.
Or was it two people now? There's no way what she saw could be
real, right? The scene replayed itself again, as it had since she
first hopped the school fence, doing what she could to follow Ichigo
and his near constant shadow, Rukia. Ichigo was chasing Ichigo. Or
was Ichigo running from Ichigo? How the hell had he managed to become
two people at once? And why was Rukia accompanying him in this?
What the hell did that little tram know about this?
She hopped in place as she waited for the traffic signal to turn, allowing
her to continue her mad dash forward. The thought of that girl yet *again*
by his side continued to feed the adrenaline that was surging through her,
'She didn't even look surprised that he split into two different people.'
Her fist clenched at the thought. That meant she knew something about what
was going on. Why? Why was Ichigo keeping her out of the loop? You'd think
you would tell your girlfriend you had the ability to split into two different
people at will or something like that.
"What if she did this?" she whispered to herself as she shoved past a
college-aged man. She snorted at that. No way. She might as well call
her a witch if that was the case.
And then there was that fight she and 'Ichigo' had had. If you could
call it that. He had been so...strange. Even his speech and mannerisms.....
it was like he was someone else. And the way he moved... avoided all of her
attacks.. that was not how Ichigo moved. He couldn't move that fast to save
his life last she checked.
She growled and screamed to the heavens, startling all those around her.
"Damnit, there's just to many freakin' questions!" She scowled and broke
into a full fledged run once more. After all, when you have questions you
get answers. That was one of the few things her father managed to instill in her.
Even if you had to bust a few heads to get them.
----------==========----------
"A while back.... there was a project in Soul Society called 'Spearhead'."
Ichigo blinked as he followed Rukia, "Spearhead?"
"Yes," Rukia confirmed, "The idea was to inject special fighting sprits
into the bodies of dead humans. It was thought that they could be used
as soldiers against the hollows."
Ichigo frowned, but said nothing as Rukia continued. "What they developed
were combat-ready Konpaku that could supercharge a portion of the corpseÆs
body. Be it speed, strength, intelligence, their singing voice..."
"Singing voice?" Ichigo deadpanned.
"I know," Rukia responded, "But that is a mod soul. And the one we're
after has clearly enhanced your legs. It's called an underpod type."
"Ok...so what happened? Obviously these guys aren't supposed to be around anymore."
"One of the experiments got away. And ultimately the project was scrapped
because many felt it was wrong to use the dead like that. And all the mod
souls... even the ones in development were destroyed. I have no idea how
this one survived. But..."
Ichigo stopped running, eying Rukia oddly. "Hold up..."
Rukia passed, looking at her ward curiously, "Yes?"
"Lemmie get this straight... he was created by the Soul Society... and
condemned by the Soul Society for coming out just as he was designed to be?"
Rukia sighed, crossing her arms across her chest, "Basically... yes."
"And that's all right with you?"
She shrugged and turned away from him, "Whether I'm fine with it or not
is irrelevant. The law condemned them. And you would be wise to remember,"
she turned back to look at him, and Ichigo was taken back by the hardness of
her gaze, "That those laws exist to protect Humanity and their souls!"
Ichigo looked away from her gaze. Rukia turned back around, "Let's go,
Ichigo.... or do you not want your body back?"
"I'm coming chibi-gami," Ichigo muttered. He broke out into a dead
run, managing to keep up stride for stride with Rukia. His eyes grew
distant as his mind digested the information he was given, 'He stole
my body... but... but can I really be all that mad with him? He
didn't ask to be created... nor did he do a thing to deserve the death
penalty...and somehow the wheel of fate turned in his favor for him to
exist long enough to find a body.'
'How... how does that feel?'
----------==========----------
"THIS IS AWESOME!"
'Ichigo' leaped throughout the crowds, goofy grin plastered
on his face as people stopped and stared in stone cold shock at
the sight of the young man leaping fifteen feet high into the
air as if he were just skipping along in place, "These people can't
believe what their seeing! The living embodiment of awesomeness!"
The mod soul then jumped off a light post and landed on the back of
a car and leapt off it to cross the road, leaving a large dent in the
cars roof and more dazed citizens in his wake, "I know we mods had
special skills, but I got tons of animal magnetism too! I'm just
too awesome for words!"
He leapt high again into the air, momentum timed with his jump making
it appear that he was floating midair. Relishing in the wind in his
face he spread his arms upward and yelled again, loving the feeling of
having a body again. "Hahahahhahaahahahaha!!!! I'm NEVER leavin' this
body! That's a promise!"
At that moment, the local Katakura Elementary School students were outside.
It was for a fairly tedious thing, just physical education. However, a verily
tedious thing can cause people's eyes to wander. And in the case of one Kurosaki
Yuzu, it caused her to see a sight so odd she had to rub her eyes in disbelief to
make sure what she saw was not an illusion.
When she saw it once more, her face broke out in a grin and she waved to
the sight "HEY ICHI-NII!"
Karin blinked and eyed her sister oddly, walking up behind her.
"Oy, Yuzu. What're you doing?"
"Oh, Karin-chan! I just saw Ichi-ni!"
"Hah?" Karin looked around the yard, "Where?"
Yuzu pointed over the wall of their school ,"There! He jumped over the wall!"
Karin let out an exasperated sigh and chucked, "Man Yuzu, I never thought
you had such an imagination. There's no way Ichigo could do that. The
wall's over eight feet high!"
"But he did. I know it was him"
"Ok, humor me. How'd you know it was him."
"His hair was Ichi-ni's and he was wearing the high school uniform", she explained.
"Still doesn't explain how he can leap eight feet high. No human can do that!
Do you need to lie down?"
Yuzu turned and pointed, "I don't need to lie down! See?"
Karin looked at where her sister pointed...
To find her brother leaping well over the wall, grinning like an idiot.
'What the heck?!' she thought in shock.
"I told you! Hey Ichi-"
Karin slapped her hand over her sister's mouth, "Don't wave at him you idiot!
That's not Ichigo! He can't jump that high!"
"But he is right now".
"That an imposter! It's gotta be!"
She then grabbed her sisters arm and drug her back to the track field, "You know what,
it was probably a figment of your imagination! What you need is some exercise to
keep your mind busy!"
"But we both saw the same thing", Yuzu reasoned to Karin's frustration.
"Your imagination just infected mine! And don't mention this to anyone! They'll
think we're both nuts!"
"But..."
"No buts! Exercise now!"
----------==========----------
Meanwhile, 'Ichigo' blinked as he caught sight of two boys huddling together.
He leaped onto the wall behind them, eyeing them curiously. "What're they doing?"
He whispered to himself.
"God, P.E. sucks." A bespectacled boy complained.
"No kiddin'" the other boy, a heavyset child agreed. "I mean, every time I do
one little thing wrong, that Kurosaki chick goes nuts."
"Yeah, Kurosaki's a jerk." his friend agreed, "But her sister's cute."
"Yep. Got that right." He grinned at his friend, "Hey you brought that game of
yours, right?"
"Pfft, no. That guy I made last time sucks. I'm taking a break from it now."
"Aww... lame. Why don't ya just delete him anyways?"
The boy shrugged, "I dunno. I really should. I mean, characters who don't obey
their masters should just die, right?"
His friend nodded, "Heck yeah, man. I can make you a better one if ya want."
At that, the mod soul frowned. DEEPLY. "Deleted....huh?" he growled, causing
the boys to notice him. "And what about them?", he snarled. "Any thoughts on
how they may feel? Of how hard they worked only to be tossed away!"
"W-w-w-who the heck is that?" The bespectacled boy asked. Backing away in
shock and fear.
"Do you have any idea what that's like?!" he snarled again as he stomped
towards them.
"Are you crazy?" The chubby boy asked. "It's just a game, man!"
His eyes twitched at the thought of his lost 'siblings'. "ITS NOT A GAME!"
"He is crazy! Dude, let's get outta here!"
His friend nodded and the boys ran off back to the school track. The mod soul's
eyes widened in an anger. "It's not a game," he whispered to himself. He leaped
off the wall and punched it, leaving a sizeable dent as he retracted his fist.
"Obedience... just eliminating something because it doesn't work for out anymore...
people are just.... Just-!"
"Found you."
'Ichigo' found as he turned to find Tatsuki leaned against the wall. She panted
slightly as she walked up to the mod soul, "Ok you. I got questions and you got
answers. So you better spill. NOW."
"You again?"
"Yes. Me again. Now Ichigo you better explain what the hell just happen and..."
Her eyes widened at the crater near 'Ichigo', "Did you do that?"
"Yeah, what of it?" he said nonchalantly.
"What of it? What of it? How the hell did you do that?!"
"Like this", he said and demonstrated for her, creating another crater.
"Cool, right?"
Tatsuki's jaw dropped at the sight, "B-b-b-but..."
He grinned and walked up to her, "That was cool right? C'mon admit it."
Tatsuki took a step back, not quite believing what she was seeing.
The mod rose an eyebrow at this, "Oh, what's this? Are you afraid of me now?"
"You-you're not Ichigo, are you?", she asked, shaken.
He smirked, "I can be if ya want me to, babe."
"Stay away!", she screamed, taking a stance.
"Oh come on now, babe. I ain't gonna hurt ya. It'd be a waste to hurt a cutie
like you, ya know."
"I said stay away!", she screamed, anger now pushing aside her earlier fear.
"I'll leave if ya give me a kiss." He said as he puckered his lips.
"I'll give you a kiss you!" she snarled as she swung at him.
She growled as he sidestepped her punch, "Now that's not nice. I jus-" He then frowned,
eyes darting around franticly, "Get outta here. Now." he growled.
Noticing his eyes darting back and forth she risked taking a look around as well and
found nothing. "Why?"
"Just do as I say and go! NOW!"
"Not until you tell me what's goin' on!!"
"I said," He shoved her roughly away, and Tatsuki gasped as a large crater appeared
where she was standing. Her eyes widened as she saw something in the crater that
looked like a rather large black caterpillar. "Get outta here!"
"W-w-w-what the hell is that?" She barely managed to roll out of the way as something
shot out at her. "Wha... was that a tentacle?"
"YES, 'Ichigo' screamed at her. "NOW GET OUT OF HERE!" He gasped in pain as another
tentacle shot out and clipped his shoulder. He clenched it tightly as it began to
bleed, "Damnit." he growled.
"Ichigo!" Tatsuki cried out as he collapsed to her knees.
She paled slightly as she caught a glimpse of the creatures skull-face. It was grinning
slightly as it looked at Ichigo, "Heh... so you think you're gonna stop me from gettin'
my lunch? Well, you can be my appetizer instead!"
Tatsuki's mind was racing as she watched the scene unfolding before her. What the hell
was that monster? Why was it trying to eat her and Ichigo? And was she going to die in
a place like this? Sniveling like a damned coward?
Hell. No.
She wanted... needed answers. And dead men tell no tales. She frowned and stood up,
"HEY UGLY!" she shouted.
The hollow turned to her, with what Tatsuki assumed was a scowl on it's face,
"Ugly?" it asked.
She smirked defiantly, "Did I stutter?"
The hollow looked at her and for a second appeared as if the glow of it's eyes intensified.
"You... how dare you!! I'll eat you first girlie!"
It shot out a tentacle so fast, Tatsuki was stunned she was able to roll out of it's way.
She smirked defiantly as she managed to run up to Ichigo and shield him with her body,
"Is that all you got ugly?" She cried defiantly, "You probably should just leave and go
run on a treadmill or something fatty!"
"F-f-f-fatty?!?!?"
"What're you so mad about ugly?" She asked. She grew a smirk up at the monster in an
act of defiance, "You could go on a diet as far as I can see. He did ya a favor."
"Nee-san..." 'Ichigo' whispered in awe.
The hollow growled in rage at her, "Got a smart mouth, huh? Let's
see how smart you are... IN MY BELLY,GIRL!!"
That said, the hollow extended it's tendril toward Tatsuki, and all she
could do was gasp at how fast it was coming towards her body.
'Is... is this how I'm... I'm gonna die?'
As the tendril continued to make it's way toward her body, her mind
couldn't help but wonder at how things turned out like this.
'Ichigo...'
"TATSUKI!"
Tatsuki gasped in shock as the black robed Ichigo appeared in front of her, slicing the
tendril that was racing towards her. "Ichigo?" she whispered in surprise.
"You all right?" he asked as he stood in front of her protectively.
"Ich-Ichigo", she breathed at what she was watching. Her eyes widened as she remembered
that he should be behind her. Darting her head back, there 'Ichigo' was, looking at her...
almost reverently? No, no time. Whipping her head back to the one in front of her,
she asked, "H-how?!"
"I'll explain later," He dismissed. Glaring at the hollow in front of him, "Right now,
I gotta send ugly to meet his maker."
"You goddamned shinigami!!" The hollow cried as he shot out another tendril, "Don't
get in the way of my lunch!"
"C'mon fatso," Ichigo grinned cockily, "Time for you to sweat it off!"
Tatsuki then gasped as Ichigo managed to dodge another attack from the hollow and
swing at his tentacle. Chopping the appendage off and causing the creature to shriek
in pain. That...was a very *big* sword she noted, "This is... insane," she muttered.
"Don't be so sloppy!"
Tatsuki blinked and turned to find the clingy new girl with her arms crossed and
looking at Ichigo sternly.
"Oh shut up, chibi-gami! This is no problem!"
"Less lip," she pointed to another tentacle making it's way toward him ,"and look out!"
Ichigo managed to avoid that attack and lop off yet another tentacle, "Man are you trying
to make me help you lose weight or somethin'?"
"What are you waiting for Ichigo! Make way towards the mask!" Rukia directed him.
"You think I'm not trying to?!" He cried back.
Tatsuki looked back and forth throughout Ichigo and Rukia's discussion. Listened to their
conversation. Her mind thought back to Rukia's reluctance in parting from Ichigo. Her
demanding talk. Ichigo reluctantly obeying her commands and her frazzled mind made a rather
rash conclusion she would later realize.
"Oh dear god no....", she deadpanned. "My boyfriend's become a Pokemon..." She chucked
softly.
"This is it!" The hollow cried out as it charged Ichigo at full steam, "I've had enough
of you shinigami!!"
Ichigo simply smirked in response, "Gottcha stupid."
Instead of charging back at the hollow, he simply stood in place. Smirking defiantly at
the beast.
"Ichigo!" Tatsuki and Rukia cried out.
"YOU'RE MINE!!" The hollow roared as his jaws opened to eat the substitute shinigami.
The hollow was so sure that he had won, one could almost feel sorry for what happened next.
The hollow then gasped as Ichigo put his zampakuto in front of him. Far to late for him
to stop his charge. "NOOOOOOOooooooo!!" it cried as his charge managed to split him in two
on Ichigo's blade. Ichigo sheathed his blade as the last of the hollow dissolved.
"And that's that." He finished calmly before turning around to find Tatsuki staring
at him in shock once more and the mod soul was still looking at her in awe. 'And now
comes the hard part...'
"Um...hey babe", he said.
"Hey...babe? Hey babe?! What the hell was all that? What's up with your clothes?
Why're there two of you?! How the hell did you get that huge ass sword? WHAT THE FUCK
IS GOING ON?!?!"
"You sure you don't regret trashing the memory wiper?" Rukia asked, low enough for
Tatsuki not to overhear.
"Shut up, shorty." he growled. He looked up at Tatsuki and gave her an apologetic smile,
"Babe, relax I can explain."
"Then start talking. NOW."
Ichigo chucked nervously, "Sure thing but there's one more thing I gotta take care of first."
He then walked up to his body and roughly grabbed it and brought the mod soul up to his face, "Wha-?"
"LOOK AT THIS!" He pointed to the wound on his shoulder, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO, YOU MOD
SOUL?! THAT'S MY BODY YOU'RE FUCKING UP!!"
The mod soul looked at Ichigo, stunned ,"What I did? What I did?! I had to
fight that thing 'cause you took your sweet time gettin' here!! If I hadnÆt
held 'im off your girl would be dead right now!"
"Your... body?" Tatsuki asked, clearly confused.
Ichigo frowned at the mod soul, "Is that true?"
"Hell yeah, now could you put me down. Your shoulder's killing me."
Rukia smirked, "And stop trying to dodge your lover's questions."
The couple blushed at that as Ichigo rounded back to Rukia, "I told you we're not like that!"
"And I think I told you to stop skirting the issue and answer the girl's questions. You
can't avoid this anymore you know."
"Traitor." he muttered. Tatsuki cleared her throat. And Ichigo gulped slightly as he
turned to her, "It's... a long story."
"I got time." Tatsuki growled, "Start talking."
"Ah... were to begin?"
"The beginning helps", Tatsuki prodded.
"Ahehe..." He scratched his shoulder nervously ,"You remember that big hole that
was in the clinic a few weeks ago?"
She nodded, "Go on."
"Well.... apparently a hollow, that monster thing that I just killed, was
after me. Rukia was a shinigami charged with looking after the area for
things like that and sending souls off to Soul Society."
"Soul society?"
"It's like heaven," Ichigo simplified. "Anyway it attacked us and wounded
Rukia really bad. Long story short, I got her powers and now I'm doing her
job for her until she get them back."
'...............", was the response that they got from Tatsuki. After a
moment, she blinked hard and turned her head downwards as she did it. When
she brought it up again to look at her boyfriend she managed to get out.
"You...have her powers", she said slowly, grasping what she was told.
"And now you're doing her job?"
"Basically." He nodded.
"For how long?"
He shrugged, "I dunno. As long as it takes I guess."
"And how long could that be?"
"I dunno! I don't know how this works either!"
"But you jumped in with both feet?"
"Considering you, dad, and my sister's lives were in danger, I didn't have a
choice in the matter."
Tatsuki sighed, knowing and not wanting to argue with that logic. She then
turned to Rukia. "How long are you going to let him do this?"
Rukia shrugged, "Like he said as long as it takes. It's taking a bit
longer than I'd like though. But he's needed to keep the peace in my
place."
Tatsuki grimaced realizing that her boyfriend's new side job wasn't
going away soon. Speaking of which...."Why didn't you tell me"?
He blinked, "Hah?"
She looked at him with half lidded eyes and drawn down eyebrows and
he found himself shuffling. "Why didn't you tell me about all this?"
"I... I was just trying to protect you."
"Protect me?"
"Yeah...I...I didn't want you getting hurt, y know?"
Her lips formed a thin line, "So... you were coddling me?"
"Nononononoonono!" he waived his hands franticly in denial, "I was just
trying to keep you safe, that's all! I didn't want you getting hurt
'cause of me!"
She frowned, "But If you had told me, I would've been able to avoid those
hollow things! And I don't need you to protect me! I can take care of
myself!! I'm a District champion, remember?!? I can't *believe* how
stupid you're being!!!" yelled Tatsuki.
"Stupid?! How is it stupid when the only thing that can harm these things
is one of these?!", he said, holding out his Zanpakuto.
"It's stupid in that you didn't trust me enough to be upfront and honest
with me at least that you're risking your life 'cause you have to pay off
a debt!"
"I just don't want you getting hurt!"
"And that might have been avoided if you were honest with me!"
He sighed, "Ok, fine. Maybe that's true. But don't you think I thought
it was for the best because... because I *care* about you?! Because I
*LOVE* you?!?! What am I going to do if something *happens* to you,
Tatsuki?!?!?!"
Tatsuki looked at him in the eye, and he nearly recoiled at the emotion
in them. "What am I going to do if something happens to you?"
All he could do was lower his head in shame. "....I'm sorry."
She sighed in response, "Idiot."
"I don't mean to break this up," Rukia said suddenly. "But what are you
going to do with him?" she asked, pointing at his body.
"Allow me to answer that."
Ichigo and Tatsuki turned at the voice to find a strange man in hat and clogs,
"Who're you?" Tatsuki asked.
"Just a simple passer-by," The man shrugged, "Who happened to sell Ms.
Kuchiki this defective merchandise."
'Ichigo' gulped, "Uh-oh."
"Uh-oh is right," The man agreed as he held up the end of his cane, "And
we lugged all this stuff up here for nothing." That said he placed the end
of his cane on 'Ichigo's' forehead and pushed slightly, sending the mod soul
out of Ichigo's body as it collapsed like a lifeless husk.
Ichigo blinked and looked at the man in confusion, "What the hell?
How'd he do that?!"
"Is that what was in you," Tatsuki asked.
He nodded, "But how'd he do that? Only Rukia's been able to 'kill' me."
"Like I said," Urahara continued as he smiled at Ichigo, "I'm just a
simple passerby. Nothing more."
Ichigo frowned, "Like hell you are. You can see me, can't you?"
He smiled and shrugged non chalantly in response, "Can I?"
Ichigo huffed, "Fine, whatever. Can you at least tell me what you're
gonna do with that guy?"
"I'm going to destroy it. I don't have much of a choice I'm afraid."
"Wha?" The man sighed again, "I said I'm afraid I have to destroy it.
It's the rules."
"But that's... that's not right!"
Tatsuki blinked, "Ichigo?"
"He didn't ask to be created! He didnÆt do anything to deserve
death, and he survived a doomsday just to die like this? He was
created by those Soul Society guys and now he's gotta die for
coming out just like they designed him? That ain't right!"
"No," The man agreed, "But it is what it is."
"But what right do we have in saying that?!"
"Shouldn't he have the right in deciding when he lives or dies?"
"He would know better in this case, Ichigo. It may be best to let it
be", Rukia spoke up.
"I don't care!" He shouted. "It's my purchase right? Well, I don't want
to return him!"
Rukia opened her mouth to reply that it was actually her purchase but
Ichigo's glare killed any response as it reached her lips.
"You hear that gettabojin," he asked as he stuck his hand out, "Now gimmie
back what's mine."
He sighed, "You're sure about this?" Ichigo nodded and he turned to
Rukia, "And you? Understand I won't take the fall for you on this."
Rukia shrugged, "It'll be fine. You guys are operating outside of the
law anyways. It's not your job to recall him."
He sighed once again and handed Ichigo the mod soul, "Just be careful
then, alright?"
He turned to his entourage, "Let's go home,folks. We're done here."
A boy with a shock of red hair looked shocked, "What? But I wanted
to fight!"
"Maybe next time." he smiled as they walked off into the distance.
Ichigo frowned as the group disappeared," Who was that guy anyway?"
"Someone who's managed to help me on certain things. To be honest we
should be grateful", Rukia replied.
"I am. But that still doesn't answer all of my questions."
"It will have to do for now." Rukia said as she walked to
Ichigo's body, "We should leave. I'll heal you before you
get back into your body."
"You can do that", Tatsuki asked, surprised.
"Watch me." She replied as she bathed Ichigo's shoulder in
a soft light.
"So... now what," Tatsuki asked as she turned to her boyfriend.
"We go home, I guess", he offered, somewhat unsure himself. "And find
a body for this guy I guess," he surmised as he looked down at the mod
soul in his hand.
"You're gonna keep me in the loop from here on in, right?"
Ichigo shrugged, "Don't have much choice, do I?"
She punched him in the arm. "Don't sound so frustrated, 'babe'.
He chucked softly, "So you forgive me?"
"For the moment", she told him.
"That's good enough for me right now."
----------==========----------
"This... is soooo morbid."
Ichigo frowned at his girlfriend, "Your opinion is duly noted."
Tatsuki frowned at Ichigo, "While the idea's nice and all, waiting for road
kill isn't the most ideal thing we could do for Mr. pervo in your hand."
Rukia sighed, "That's why that man wanted you to give him back, Ichigo"
Tatsuki turned and glared at Rukia, "Don't be getting all familiar with my
boyfriend, shrimp."
Rukia glared right back, "So what if I am? We're in a partnership, you know."
"I really, really hate that word", Tatsuki muttered.
Rukia blinked, "Why is that? That's what we're involved in. Your lover's all
yours as far as I'm concerned."
Ichigo blushed and marched onwards. 'Why me?'
Tatsuki face turned bright red at the statement, "W-w-w-w-w-we're not lovers!
He's just my boyfriend!" She turned back to find Ichigo getting further away,
"Oy, Ichigo! come here and correct this chibi-gami!"
"Cadaver hunting!" Ichigo cried back in response, not really wanting to go
over this topic again.
"So what's the difference between a lover and a boyfriend?" Rukia inquired.
Tatsuki stopped and stared into the ground, for a moment lost in trying
to describe the difference. She could hear Rukia tapping her foot against
the ground as she thought it best to describe it. Moving her head back and
forth, practically cracking her neck a few times, she briskly marched
forward again and tried to keep her face hidden from Rukia.
"It-it just is. Me an' Ichigo haven't jumped that far ye-yet"
"That far?"
Tatsuki began turning even redder, "W-w-w-e haven't.... y'know done THAT... yet."
Rukia blinked, growing more confused, "That? What would that be?"
"W-w-we haven't had... Oh why am I even talking about this with you?" She turned away
from the girl embarrassed and frustrated, "Ichigo! You found something yet?!?"
Rukia blinked in confusion again. So there was a difference between being considered
boyfriend/girlfriend and lovers? Just another part of the living world that confused the
young shinigami. While she had been reading some magazines since the incident a few
days ago, she had yet to get that far in her research.
The living world was growing all the more complex by the day.
Ichigo meanwhile turned back to the girls, "Yeah, I think I got something here!"
Tatsuki frowned as he showed them what he had found. It was a large stuffed dog
that had seen better days quite frankly. It looked like it might have been based off a
German Sheppard. It was also missing an eye, was rather dirty and... was that
mold on it's stomach?
Tatsuki sighed, "It's not as morbid at least."
"Should be good after a good wash", Ichigo muttered. "Ok let's go!"
The girls watches as Ichigo put the toy down and slowly, painstakingly put the
mod soul into the toy's mouth. As soon as Ichigo had finished, the trio stood back,
gulped simultaneously, and waited. The animal blinked it's one good
eye and the trio jumped slightly in shock. The mod soul then rose up and looked
around, ".... Where am I?"
"In a body." Ichigo answered.
"...Why do I smell like moldy gym socks?" The soul asked after a moment.
"Strong nose?" Tatsuki guessed.
The soul turned back to them, "And why are ya'll so freakin' tall?!?"
"Luck of the draw?", Ichigo happenstance.
The soul then looked down saw his stubby legs. He raised a "paw" and got
a good look at it before pointing it at the trio in rage, "YOU PUT ME IN
A STUFFED ANIMAL?!? WHAT THE HELL?!?"
"You should be grateful. It's better then nothing," Rukia commented.
"But... but... I was supposed to be human... How am I supposed to get with girls
with... with huge tatas?!?"
Tatsuki gave the living stuffed animal a 'what the hell' look before turning to
her boyfriend, "... Great idea there, babe."
Ichigo sighed and then stared at Rukia with a "what now?" look.
She huffed and turned away from him in response, "Don't give me that look. This was
your idea."
Ichigo sighed as there was no help coming there. He put a hand to his temple as the soul
continued to bemoan to the heavens at the lost opportunities for mammary grabbing, "Would
you shut up? At least I gave you a body!"
"Oh yeah, a cursed body!!! Thanks allot, demon!" The soul turned away from the trio and
looked towards the sky, "Oh dear god, why do you make... meugh!"
Ichigo frowned slightly as he held the doll's mouth shut, "Oh shut it, ya drama queen.
You're lucky fortune's still smiling on you as it is."
The soul glared softly, but relented at that. Ichigo picked him up and looked back
at Tatsuki, "Ok, I'm getting this guy back home. You sure you're ok?"
She nodded, "As fine as can be expected anyway." She smirked as she looked at Ichigo's
shirt, "How're you gonna explain the blood on your shirt to Yuzu?"
He simply snorted in response, "I guess I'll think of somethin on the way. I'll call you
later ok?"
She nodded once more, causing Ichigo to smile softly as he turned and walked back to his home.
Tatsuki blinked as she noted that Rukia was still walking beside her boyfriend.
"Does she live close to you or something?"
Ichigo gulped loudly as Rukia looked at him quizzically, "Oh that's right we didn't tell her."
Tatsuki blinked and glared at her boyfriend, "What didn't you tell me now, Ichigo?" she
said icily.
Ichigo paled slightly as he turned to his girlfriend, "Oh, this is not gonna end well."
----------==========----------
End Chapter 4
-----------------------------------
Note: Kon's body isn't permenant. It's just a setup for a gag next chapter.
