10 years ago (Age 6)

"Mommy, when are they done?"

Outside the doors of a small dojo, upon a bench made of wood as old as that which made up the dojo itself, sat a woman and her daughter. The pair would appear as normal as any other, if not for the girl's striking red hair, set aflame by the late spring sun rays. She stared up at her mother through yellow-green eyes, hopeful that the answer to her question was something along the lines of 'soon' and 'very soon'.

Her mother glanced up from her book and replied a little tiredly, as if she had already been asked that same question multiple times, "Your cousin won't be done for another ten minutes, Akane. Why don't you go play in the playground, while we wait?"

"There's no kids over there!" Her daughter complained.

"Then be patient," Her mother scolded before turning her attention back to her novel.

Akane huffed. She eyed the dojo doors impatiently, silently urging her cousin to walk out at that very moment, despite knowing he hardly ever finished class early. If anything, he was more likely to finish class late.

To her surprise, the dojo doors did slide open, and the young girl took in an excited breath. Her face fell just as fast, however, when a young boy she did not recognize stepped out with his mom, rather than her cousin. Akane watched as the two ventured towards the playground. Her eyes were trained on the boy's spiky, orange hair. She had never seen someone with that hair color before. It piqued her curiosity - especially since her hair color was just as unusual. However, she thought it even stranger that, although he was covered in bruises, the boy had the broadest grin plastered across his face.

"Why don't you ask that boy if he will play with you?" Akane's mom offered.

Akane immediately perked up at the idea.

"OK!"

She leaped from her seat and rushed over at her chance to make a new friend.

"HI!"

The boy started at the sound of the girl's overly cheerful, and rather loud greeting. He shuffled behind his mother, shyly peeking around her leg to eye the red-head.

The girl tilted her head, wondering if perhaps the boy hadn't heard her.

"Uh, hellooo?"

"Say hi, Ichigo," His mother softly prompted.

The boy managed to mumble out a timid, "H-Hello."

"I'm Akane!"

"Um...I'm Ichigo."

"I like your hair!"

The boy's ears turned pink, and his gaze instantly fell to the ground.

"T-thanks. I...I like yours too."

"Do you want to play together?"

Ichigo glanced up at his mother. She gave him an encouraging nod.

He released his mother's hand and stepped forward.

"O-okay," He agreed.

"YAY! Let's go on the slide!"

Akane grabbed the boy's hand and rushed him up the aging metal steps.

2 Years Later (Age 8)

"Quick, Ichi! The dark overlord PHANTOM MASMA will destroy the world if we do not defeat him!" Akane exclaimed raising her plastic katana.

Ichigo sprinted up the grassy hill to stand in front of his friend. He held us arm out in front of her, shielding the girl from some invisible force.

"Don't worry, Akane, I will protect you from him!" He declared.

Akane frowned.

"Ichigo! I don't need protected!" She argued, maneuvering around his arm so that she stood right beside her friend rather than behind him. "I'm going to help fight!"

Ichigo looked over at her, his face falling. "B-but, my dad says a real man protects the women around him!"

"Yeah well your dad's a weirdo!" She criticized in return.

"Hey!" Ichigo whirled around to face her, offended on behalf of his father.

"Ack! The dinosaurs!" Akane screeched, pointing at the empty field in front of them. She got into a fighting stance, holding her sword in both hands. "C'mon! They are closing in on us!"

"Oh! Right!" Ichigo moved into the same stance, bravely wielding his own matching katana. "You won't win today! Phan..phanto..."

"Phantom-masma," Akane whispered.

"PHANTOM MASMA!" Ichigo shouted. Then muttered, "Next time, I'M picking the bad guys name."

1 Year Later (Age 9)

"Ichigo?"

Akane peeked into the darkened room. A streak of light spilled through the crack in the doorway, illuminating Ichigo's small frame. He was sitting at the back of the room, his head in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

The young girl gingerly made her way over to her friend.

"Ichi, are you ok?" She asked softly. Her own cheeks were stained with dried tears.

Ichigo choked on his sobs, and shook his head, unable to speak - though the answer was clear. He was not ok. He was far from it.

Akane smoothed out the skirt of her black dress and sat down beside him. Her voice was nearly a whisper.

"Your dad is looking for you Ichigo. Everyone's almost gone."

Ichigo still didn't respond. Akane swallowed hard, unsure of what else to say. All she could think to do was wrap her arms around her friend and pull him in for a hug. Almost instantly, he threw his arms around her in return, gripping the back of her dress as he continued to bawl.

"She's gone," He sniffled, "I-I couldn't protect her...Dad said I had to protect her! I didn't do it...I couldn't."

Akane felt fresh tears start to stream down her cheeks.

"It's gonna be okay, Ichi. It's gonna be okay."

3 years Later (Age 12)

"What!?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"I'm moving to America," Akane repeated despondently.

It was an incredibly hot summer's day. Not a single cloud hung in the sky. Both Akane and Ichigo were spending a day at the park when Akane had delivered some rather shocking news. The two friends sat under a big oak tree, sheltered from the sun's sweltering rays.

"You can't be serious," Ichigo denied, shaking his head profusely, "Tell me you're joking."

"I wish I was," Akane answered softly, "I told them I didn't want to but...My dad says he has a new job now, so we have to move."

"No way..." He breathed.

He couldn't believe it. He and Akane had been friends for like...forever! She was the closest friend he had. He never thought that there might come a time when he wouldn't get to be with her as often as he was. Realizing that there would be no more seeing her after karate class, no more pretending they were ninjas in the park, no more climbing trees, no more summer picnics together...it was a lot to take all at once.

"We are leaving a couple days from now," She stated.

Her expression was vacant and her tone was even, but Ichigo knew better. He saw how tightly balled her fists were and how stiffly she sat. He heard the shaky exhales, and noticed her blinking back tears. Ichigo had known Akane too long to not know when she was about to cry.

"Will you ever...come back?" He asked.

"I don't know," She bit her lip. "I don't think so."

A car horn honked nearby. The two looked up and saw Akane's mom, sitting in her red Chevy, motioning for her daughter to hurry over.

Akane rose to her feet. "Shoot, I have to go."

"Already!?" Ichigo stumbled after her.

In the same moment he heard his father, calling his name from the park entrance.

He gritted his teeth. "Argh, I gotta go too."

"I'll ask my mom if we can play together tomorrow," Akane offered, sounding a little hopeful. She gave a weak smile.

"Right after karate come over and we'll watch the new Power Rangers episode!" Ichigo responded, forcing a smile as well.

Akane suddenly threw her arms around her friend, pulling him into a tight hug. He hugged her back. Akane's mom honked her horn again, breaking the two apart.

"Well, I'll see you later, Ichi." Akane turned to leave.

"W-wait!" Ichigo stopped her, suddenly remembering something. He reached into his pockets and pulled out two little key chains. He handed one to her. "Here."

"What is it?" Akane asked, turning the item in her hands.

It was Yang, only instead of the black dot on the end it had the Japanese symbol for her name in black.

"I almost forgot to give it to you. I was going to give it to you as a gift since I missed your birthday. I have my name on mine." He pulled out his Yin key chain with the symbols for Ichigo on it. "It took forever to convince my dad to get them. I had to do like...a hundred chores! But, it was worth it. Look! They attach!" Ichigo held his up to Akane's and the two clicked together.

"Ichigo..." Akane smiled up at her friend, for real this time, tears brimming her eyes, "This is the nicest thing you've ever given me."

Ichigo felt his cheeks grow a bit warm.

"W-well I wanted to give you something you would really like," He explained, looking down bashfully.

Akane's mother honked the car horn a third time.

"Ah, I've really gotta go!" Akane disconnected her keychain from his and gave him another quick hug, "I'll see you tomorrow! Thank you so much Ichigo!"

She rushed to the car still yelling goodbyes as she left.

"I promise to always treasure this!" She called out from the car, waving the key chain in the air.

"Okay!" Ichigo called back, waving until he saw the car disappear down the next street.

Ichigo yanked on his dad's arm. "Hurry up dad! We gotta go!"

He was eager to leave the dojo today. The new Power Rangers episode would be on in half an hour, and he had to spend as much time as he could with Akane before she left for America.

"Ichigo, I'm talking to Mr. Karane, don't be rude," Mr. Kurosaki responded sternly.

Mr. Karane, chuckled, "Ha ha, what's the rush, kiddo?"

"I'm hanging out with my friend, Akane today," Ichigo responded quickly, then continued to press his father, "C'mon dad!"

Mr. Kurosaki scolded his son, "Don't worry the Ishii's don't leave till friday!"

"Wait a second, you don't mean Haru Ishii's family, do you?" Mr. Karane suddenly asked.

Mr. Kurosaki gave the man a confused look, "Yes, actually. Why?"

"Their nephew takes karate with my son. Oh, he was so upset when they heard they were moving all the way to America! But, I just heard from my son that plans changed so they had to leave early. They flew out this morning."

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock and he stopped tugging on his father's arm. His heart seemed to drop down to his stomach.

"Akane...already left?"

Now (Age 16)

"ICHIGO!"

Ichigo almost lost his balance when he felt something heavy leap onto his back.

"Dammit Keigo get off of me!" Ichigo protested angrily.

"Aw, come on Ichigo we're friends aren't we?" Keigo asked pouting.

"No."

"WHAT?! Ichigo, you're so mean!" Keigo declared with an exaggerated gasp, falling off of his friend's back.

"Stop being so over dramatic you idiot," Ichigo criticized as took his seat at his desk.

"You two are as boisterous as ever."

Ichigo turned and saw his other, less obnoxious friend Mizuiro walking over.

"Hey, Mizuiro."

"Morning Ichigo," Mizuiro bowed and then looked around the room, "Where's Rukia today? Usually she arrives with you."

"Hm? Oh, she said she had something important to do today," He answered simply.

"Really? How do you know?"

Ichigo froze, realizing he had spoken without thinking.

"Uh...she told me yesterday after school," He quickly covered.

In truth she had told him that morning - mentioning something about meeting with Urahara - and then proceeded to jump out his window as usual. But, no one knew she was living with him so he had to be careful what he said.

"Oh ok then," Mizuiro nodded, oblivious to Ichigo's little lie.

He then turned around to take his usual seat, but instead collided with a rather stocky figure who had just entered the classroom.

"Ow!"

"Oh...sorry," Chad apologized, though his voice held its usual monotonous tone.

"You don't sound very sorry," Mizuiro sighed rubbing his forehead.

"Hey, do know what this is?" Chad asked, ignoring Mizuiro's comment. He held up a small key-chain.

"Looks like Yin," Keigo offered, holding his eye closer to the item than necessary.

"No shit, smart one," Ichigo answered irritably.

"Ichigo...so cruel," Keigo sobbed.

Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Does anyone know who it belongs to?" Chad asked.

Ichigo snatched the key chain from Chad's hand. "Yeah, it's mine."

"Wow Ichigo, I didn't know you liked that stuff," Mizuiro commented.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well you seem the least likely person to be carrying around trinkets like that."

"Trinkets like what? What are you talking about?"

"OH NO! ICHIGO!" Keigo gasped with horror, "OUR ICHIGO? Carrying around KEY CHAINS? Next you'll be carrying around cell phone charms! Or worse! Collecting cute stuffed animals!"

"Shut up you dumbass, I am not gonna start collecting stuffed animals, OR cell phone charms."

"I don't know...I think I remember seeing some stuffed animals on your floor last time I came over," Mizuiro noted aloud.

Ichigo's cheeks flushed. "Th-Those were my sisters!"

"I don't think there is anything wrong with a guy having stuffed animals," A voice stated from behind.

The quartet turned around to see who spoke.

Ichigo's expression went from annoyed to shocked when his eyes landed on a girl with familiar, striking red hair.