A/N: This is about an eighteen year old girl who dies and is reincarnated as Ichigo. The catch is that the part that remembers this and maintains its original mindset is the zanpakuto spirit, not Ichigo himself.

Kurosaki Ichigo isn't normal.

(~)

"Ichigo? Who are you talking to?" The six year old startles and turns around to find his father behind him.

Ichigo, too young to see the considering look in Isshin's eyes or the tenseness to his shoulders, smiles broadly in response. "The obaa-san from across the street," he says, as if the answer should be obvious. The petite, elderly woman stands just beside him, her white hair pulled into a neat bun and her favorite shall draped over her shoulders. "Mom said she went away, but she didn't," he tells his dad. "She's right here!" He gestures to the woman in question and then looks back at his dad. "Why'd Mom think she left?"

Isshin sighs and rubs the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I'm sure she was just confused," he says after a long moment. "Nakahara-san is moving away soon. You're Mom probably got the dates mixed up."

Ichigo nods uncertainly. He doesn't know why both his dad and the obaa-san from across the street look so sad all of a sudden. He says goodbye to his obaa-san and wishes her luck on her move. She says goodbye back and wishes him luck at school in turn. Then, he turns and follows his dad inside for dinner.

"Come on son, let's go help your mother set the table," Isshin announces with forced cheerfulness as soon as the door shuts behind them. Ichigo knows something is wrong, knows something is making his father sad, suspects he has something to do with it, but in the end, he's only six and he doesn't know how to fix things, not yet. Fortunately, he knows someone who does.

"Mom!" Ichigo calls. "Come fix your husband - he's being weird!"

Isshin splutters, "What - Ichigo!"

Masaki enters before the man can articulate whatever it is he wants to say in response. She has a dish towel over one shoulder and flour smeared across her cheek. She's smiling cheerfully at them both and Ichigo doesn't waste anymore time worrying about his dad. His Mom makes everything better.

(~)

He's never quite fit in. Talking to ghosts no one else can see didn't really endear him to his peers in his youth and doing so as he gets older casts him as some sort of freak. People who look beyond his quirks and see him for who he his are rare, so Ichigo learns very early on to appreciate the few who do.

When his mother dies, he tries to shut them out. If he doesn't have friends, he won't have to feel the pain of their loss when they inevitably leave him. He really doesn't think he can handle something like that a second time - not when his mother's death is still tearing him up inside.

(~)

"Mom? Mom! Wake up! MOM!"

(~)

Tatsuki changes his mind pretty quickly. All it take is eye contact with his first friend for his resolve to crumble. Just the thought of pushing her away, of not being there to protect her, sends a chill down Ichigo's spine. Rather than giving her the cold shoulder, as he'd originally planned, the sight of his friend gives him a new resolution. He decides to protect her, like he wants to protect his sisters. Ichigo knows he's not strong enough, not just then, but he will be. He'll make it so he never has to lose anyone again. If he has to widen the circle under his protection to do that, he will. If he has to become stronger than anyone else, he will.

Because losing his Mom was too steep a price for being weak. So Ichigo won't be weak. He won't allow himself to be weak. Not again.

(~)

Ichigo is still grieving, but it's been a little over a month since he decided to get stronger and he has no plans to back down. He trains at the dojo, picks fights with bullies, and cares for his sisters in his free time. All this keeps him too busy to dwell very long on negative emotions. Lately, he's been so exhausted that he doesn't even dream after crawling into bed each night.

That's probably why he's so surprised to find himself on a rooftop overlooking a deserted city. The last thing Ichigo remembers is settling in for bed, so it must be a dream, even if it doesn't feel like one.

"So you've finally decided to pay me a visit?" A female voice asks, sounding amused.

Ichigo spins around, freezing when he catches sight of the figure. A young woman in her mid to late teens is casually seated on the edge of the rooftop with a frankly enormous blade propped beside her. Dark, golden blonde hair cut in an angled bob obscures her face until she shakes it back, revealing the most intense pair of eyes Ichigo has ever seen.

"Who are you?" Ichigo finds himself asking.

The girl laughs brightly. "I'm your partner silly," she says before gesturing around them. "Welcome to your soul."

(~)

It's a good thing Ichigo thinks being normal is so overrated. Otherwise, he'd have a serious problem on his hands.