Chapter Text
Ah, crap.
A certain highschool girl who happens to be leaning against a shaded part on top of the school rooftop, is now checking her wristwatch. And what she sees is not pretty...
It's so late already? She stretches her limbs and yawns loudly since she is sure that no one is around. Heck, no one is even at school anymore, so why worry? I haven't even planned what to eat for dinner.
The (h/c)-haired girl stands from her spot and starts to pop the bones on her back. A satisfied sigh leaves her lips when her back makes the exact sound she wants to hear.
Should I just buy something at the convenience store? But I'm almost out of money right now... She groans as she bends down to pick up her school bag on the floor. Should I just go to sleep without eating like every other busy nights?
She makes her way downstairs, across long hallways and corridors, and finally reach the ground floor where she bumps into a baffled male student who just arrived a few seconds prior.She pays no mind to the boy's stare and continues on her walk home.
I can't believe I slept for that long... Her fingers are left to run through her hair in distress. Last night's patrol really took a toll on me today, huh? Guess it's the right decision to finish all my scholl work in between classes.
Her eyes stray upwards, searching the sky. Then, she lets them wander all around her carefully, as her ears strain to hear anything out of the norm.
Nothing, hm? Soul Reaper-san is truly not someone to be trifled with.
Dull (e/c) orbs close as she walks past the river. She loves the sound of running water, and in the moment of silence at dusk, she wants to drink it all in. She finds this a form of meditation, thus why she opts to go home late every evening to wait until no one is around to disturb her walk.
Her feet lead her into a convenience store not long after, where she finally opens her eyes. Not many people are inside, only around two or three, counting her and save for the cashier. Eager to go home, she quickly grabs a packet of (p/f)*-flavoured bread and a large bottle of plain water from the fridge. Wordlessly and expressionlessly, she pays for them and hurries out of the store. By then, the sun has set and the street lamps are the only guidance she has.
It's quiet tonight. She closes her eyes as she walks along an alley. Did Soul Reaper-san kill those Hollows already? With those injuries...
Well, fate seems to want to prove her wrong... Because she suddenly senses a huge presence in a certain direction, and surprisingly, said Soul Reaper is there as well. She halts in her steps.
Well, fate seems to want to prove her wrong... Because she suddenly senses a huge presence in a certain direction, and surprisingly, said Soul Reaper is there as well. She halts in her steps.
Do I go or not go...? Soul Reaper-san is there already... She runs a hand through her (h/l) (h/c) hair, ruffling it out of the neat (h/s) she made earlier that morning. But if I leave her be, my conscience is going to suffer for the rest of the night and perhaps tomorrow as well...
A groan then leaves her lips, before she changes her direction towards the presences. The further down she goes, the more she recognizes this route...
Hold up... Her brows crease. Isn't this...the way to Kurosaki-san's house...?
She speeds up as she remembers a crucial detail to his family. He has younger sisters, damnit.
As she gets closer, the pressure becomes stronger, to the point that she struggles to keep her breath steady. She promptly pulls up the sleeve of her school uniform, and from her bag, takes out a pocket knife. As she runs, she brings the blade of the knife towards the underside of her arm where a small, blood red tattoo of a phoenix can be seen, and pierces said tattoo to the point of drawing blood.
"O soul lit aflame," she chants. "Lend me the burning embers of the reborn."
A dim reddish-orange light covers her torso and all the way down to the tips of her fingers and toes. When it disappears, the girl is revealed to be wearing a red battle dress that settles just above her knee, with a black sash tied around her middle. Underneath it, she wears a black pair of tights for better mobility and a pair of knee-high black boots. On her waist hangs a katana, which she places a hand on as she runs, just in case.
"You want my soul, don't you?!"
That's... Her eyebrow twitches. Is he shouting at the Hollow?
"If that's the case, come and fight me one on one!"
He is challenging it, how great...
By now, she is already in the same alley as the Hollow, the Soul Reaper and her classmate. Despite the darkness lit only by street lamps, she can make out the silhouette of the Hollow, and boy, is it huge...
Unsurprisingly, after his taunting, the Hollow lunges in for the attack. And his classmate stands there, frozen, not knowing what to do now that danger is closing in. Only the Soul Reaper moves, she saw, but the woman can't possibly protect him without injuring herself as well. So, she herself jumps in with a speed as fast as lightning.
Pushing the Soul Reaper aside, she lets her katana clash against the chin of the Hollow, to which she slashes it from that point upwards, leaving it stumbling backwards with a loud screech. Flames erupt from the slash mark on its chin. She isn't using her utmost power since they are within a neighborhood, so it is expected that the Hollow does not disintegrate away despite the effect her attack has on it. But it is enough to stall time until her classmate can escape and the Soul Reaper to take it down.
Once she lands on the ground, however, a sharp pain runs through her right shoulder blade. Upon checking it, she sees blood gushing out of a wound she doesn't realize she received from the Hollow.
Behind her, the other two are staring at her with shocked expressions on their faces. If she chooses to turn around then, she would have seen their wide eyes and gaping mouths.
"You're-?!" mutters the Soul Reaper.
"(S/N)?!"
Only then does she turn around while trying to bandage her shoulder to the best of her abilities with only one hand.
"Oyasumi-nasai, Soul Reaper-san, Kurosaki-san," (Y/N) replies with a grunt as she pulls the cloth tightly over her wound. "It is a pleasure to meet you here."
"What- You're-" The male shakes his head. "Huh?!"
"Shhh." She brings a finger to her mouth. "Focus on the Hollow, you two."
"But you're-"
Yet again, she interrupts her concerned and confused classmate with a finger to his lips next. "I am fine. I am all right. And I will continue to be all right, Kurosaki-san."
"Idiot!" the Soul Reaper shouts at the male. "You're no match for it! Or did you think everything will be over simply if you give it your soul?! At this rate, we will all become food for it! Even her, who has nothing to do with this from the start!"
The Soul Reaper points at (Y/N) who is still struggling with the cloth that has somehow moved and presses awkwardly against her wound. Then, she rounds on said girl.
"And you! You can't just jump in front of the line of fire like that! You aren't supposed to be here!"
"But I thought that you are not in a state fit for fighting, Soul Reaper-san," replies the (h/c)-haired girl. Her left hand is still trying to place the cloth properly on her injury. "Don't you remember your injury from a few nights ago?"
At this, Rukia, the Soul Reaper, gingerly places a hand over her torso. A frown crosses her visage before she returns her gaze upon the frustrated expression of the girl's.
"Soul Reaper-san, I know that you are actually hurting right now," the girl continues. "What little healing my abilities had done can't cover for an actual recovery and treatment. Please try and see sense, and stand down for now."
Are these guys seriously holding a conversation right now? To the side stands our beloved main character Ichigo, utterly confused as to how the two females can still calmly converse with one another. That doesn't even count his astonishment when his classmate suddenly jumps into the fight, clad in complete battle-gear.
But what also bewilders him is the fact that the Hollow is not moving at all after (Y/N)'s attack, unlike when he saw Rukia attack the Hollow earlier that morning. This one isn't disintegrating like the previous one.
"The paralyzing effect my flames have on the Hollow will wear off shortly, Soul Reaper-san," (Y/N) states. "You must get to safety for now with Kurosaki-san, and let me finish the Hollow off."
But the flames around the Hollow suddenly dies down, surprising (Y/N) and all the others in the vicinity. It roars in frustration, and let's its eyes search for its assailant. They land on the figure of the (t/o/b)* girl, who is staring at it with pure bafflement on her face. Another roar, this time of anger, rings in the air.
That's not how it usually is, the girl thinks. It's too short a time. Are my...are my powers weakening?
"Soul Reaper-san?"
"Hm?"
(Y/N) turns her head to look at the woman. "What say you we work together again to take the Hollow down?"
A determined smile spreads across her lips at the suggestion. "I have no qualms about that."
True to their words, they rush at the Hollow in perfect sync of each other before they split up to the right and left each as they close the distance between the enemy and themselves.
Yet, the Hollow targets Rukia first, despite the bright red attire (Y/N) is in. The girl panics when she sees, as if in slow motion, the moment when the Hollow swings its arm down on the woman. She knows that she can't dodge it so easily because of her injury. And...she can only watch when the Hollow tears a new wound on her torso before she can do anything.
But she won't let it do anything else to her. (Y/N) rushes to Rukia's aid instead as the Hollow yet again targets the woman. She throws her body towards Ichigo, just in time for her to bring out her katana and defend herself against the Hollow. A grunt leaves her lips when the weight falls on her.
Her hand squeezes tightly on the hilt of her katana until flames light up around the blade. She throws the arm off of her with great effort while her blade burns the Hollow yet again. This buys time for her to jump backwards and take a breather. She refuses to look at the burning wound on her shoulder, instead opting to place pressure on the steadily reddening fabric covering her injury.
How close can I get to deliver the final blow? Can I actually deliver the final blow? She kneels to the ground as her breaths come out in erratic shudders. With only one arm, I won't be strong enough. Can I paralyze it? But the effects wear off quickly than I anticipated. Soul Reaper-san is injured. Kurosaki-san can't fight it head on.
Her worries are put to a stop when she senses a different aura...and a powerful one at that, coming from behind her. She finds herself familiar with the aura, yet she can't quite point out whose it is.
All the thoughts circling her mind makes her lose concentration on the enemy in front of her, to the point she doesn't notice the incoming attack. However, the arm that threatens to kill her is cut off at the same moment she notices a flash of black passing beside her.
What the...
The word shock cannot even describe what (Y/N) is feeling right now when she sees her friend clad in the standard Soul Reaper uniform with a huge sword in his hand. That doesn't even count when she sees Rukia in a pure white yukata instead. And when she tries to focus her aura detection on the woman, there is nothing. It's as if she has completely lost her powers.
It's easy to put two and two together from then on.
Kurosaki-san took Soul Reaper-san's powers... A tired chuckle leaves her lips as her legs give out, leaving her to sit on her bum on the ground. Ever since I knew he can see spirits, I've known he won't be an ordinary teen. But to think he has associations to Soul Reapers...
This is a fascinating find...
A long-lost shine appears in her eyes.
"You're gonna pay for hurting my family!" The girl observes as her classmate swings his sword upwards. "You fish face!"
And brings it down upon the Hollow. His attack disintegrates and defeats it once and for all, thus leaving the alley in a ringing silence.
Ichigo straightens up with a huff. "Well, that worked well... This sword's kinda big, though. Is this normal?"
Rukia approaches the male in staggers. "By Soul Reaper standards? As far as I know, it's not normal. But you're not an actual Soul Reaper. You are using my powers, so perhaps that's the reason."
At least, that is what she tells herself. She is going to have to meet a certain shopkeeper later on for confirmation, nevertheless.
And there is the matter of the girl who seems to know Ichigo. She met her a mere three weeks ago, right around the time she arrived in Karakura Town for her assigned task of protecting it. For a few nights, by some kind of coincidence, every time she is on the hunt for Hollows, the girl will also be outside. 'To patrol the area', so she said.
Rukia assumes that she has already been guarding the whole town for a while, so why does she only get to know about her now? If there is already someone getting rid of the Hollows, why don't the Soul Society know about her?
This girl has an abundant amount of foreign-ish Spiritual Energy that she utilizes to fight Hollows and Hollows only. Her style of fighting is questionable as well, to say the least. She usually paralyzes her enemies first with her flaming katana before plunging her blade deep into them after standing on top of them to simply gaze into their eyes. Right after the last ashes disappear, she will slightly bow her head, close her eyes and place a hand over her heart as if to pay her respects to the Hollows.
She doesn't seem to be able to do anything for the other roaming spirits, however, despite being able to interact with them. But every interaction is always with good intentions. She plays with the younger spirits, she comforts the mourning ones, she keeps the lonely ones company. All of this until she knows that a Soul Reaper is near before she excuses herself with the last words, "I hope you find happiness no matter where you go."
And to Rukia, who is a witness to every single one of those occurrences, this seemingly normal highschool girl is an enigma.
After the answer that the female Soul Reaper gives him, Ichigo only lets out a comprehending 'oh'. But whether or not he actually understands is a mystery.
"Oi, (S/N)!" he suddenly calls out. "Where are you going?!"
Behind them is (Y/N) who is walking away from the spot, not minding her shaky legs, as she supports herself by keeping close to the walls. At the call of her name, she turns her head slightly.
"Home, of course, Kurosaki-san," she replies in a low voice. "It is late, after all."
"Are you all right, though?" The two are now approaching her. "That looks pretty bad."
A low chuckle leaves her lips. "I will be fine, Kurosaki-san. Soul Reaper-san, what about your injury?"
"It's all right," Rukia says. "I will tend to this on my own."
"Are you sure that you don't want my aid?"
"You are already tired as is. But thank you for your offer."
(Y/N) nods. "Good night, then, you two. See you at school tomorrow, Kurosaki-san."
"Are you sure you should be going to school with that wound?" asks her classmate sceptically.
"This is nothing that I am unfamiliar with. Take care now, all right? I'll be taking my leave."
Creeeak...
The sound of the door opening and closing, and the soft 'Tadaima' fill the entrance to the house. Nobody answers her, of course. (Y/N) takes off her shoes and flicks the lights open.
Past the pictures hanging on the walls, holding memories of time long gone.
Past the dining room that will never again hear the laughter of a peaceful family.
Past the living room that will never again hear the sound of music being played or the television playing the family's favourite show.
Up the stairs.
Past the dark, empty bedrooms.
Until she reaches a room at the very end of the hallway, bearing her name on the door. The door creaks open, revealing a tidy room consisting of a bed, a desk, a side-table, a book shelf and other things that a normal teenager should have.
After changing into her night clothes, she folds her school uniform and places it beside the door. She will wash and hang it tomorrow before going to school. She has another pair, after all.
The light meal she bought for herself that evening is left untouched in her bag. She will eat them tomorrow as breakfast, however.
Reaching for her headphones that she hangs on her bedpost every morning, she turns it on. Soothing music reaches her ears, calming the turbulence of the storm in her heart. And with this, she places her head on the pillow, and wills herself to drift off to sleep.
Done with the first chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Updates may be inconsistent because of my currently busy schedule. But I'll try to find time to update! Thank you for reading!
(p/f) = preferred flavour
(t/o/b) = type of body
(h/c) = hair colour
(h/s) = hair style
(h/l) = hair length
(e/c) = eye colour