FireSamurai: Konnichiwa everyone! Well, my beta reader (Dragon and Sword Master) and myself have been talking recently about Bleach and we have decided to Co-write this bleach story together! I dunno about Master but I myself never really used original characters but I will try my best to make sure I dun mess the characters to much on my parts...
ANYWAY! On with the story!
Disclaimer: We do not own bleach or any of its characters.
Chapter 1 Childhood Memories
She ran as she heard the news, that terrible, horrible news.
'How could this have happened,' she thought, 'How could something as terrible as that happen to someone like him?' She then turned a corner, and then another corner, running even quicker through the winding streets of Karakura. She knew exactly where she was heading but only hoped that the one she was looking for wasn't there. Now, Tatsuki would never admit this, being somewhat of a tomboy, but the news she just heard shocked her to the very core…
It was a normal day at the dojo. Everyone was walking in, duffle bags ready for their lesson. A small nine year old girl with black hair and brown eyes sat ready on a nearby bench, every once and a while looking over to the door, waiting for a certain orange haired boy to walk through. She could only grin as she tightened her karate gloves, hoping to get a change to get that boy back for that win he got on her last time. Oh, boy was she going to pay him back. Minutes passed and still no sign of the bright haired youth. She was actually starting to worry. She knew that he would never miss karate unless something bad had happen. 'I hope nothing had happened to him.' Tatsuki thought, her eyes still on the doorway.
"Alright class," She heard her sensei yell. "Everyone gather around." Tatsuki frowned when she heard this. Her friend was never really the one to be late. As she and the other students gathered around their Sensei, she had a bit of worry fill her as she saw the look on their Sensei's face. "Class," He started. "I am sorry to say but Kurosaki Ichigo will not be joining us in the dojo for quite sometime." The moment Sensei finished, gasps and whispers started going through the small group of students.
Random things like "I wonder why he isn't coming?" "He probably got fed up with Tatsuki beating him up," "Yeah, any guy would quit karate if they kept getting beat up by a girl." This earned a few laughs but Tatsuki wouldn't hear any of it. "ENOUGH!" She yelled, standing up and glaring at all the other students. She then turned to the Sensei, bowing when she did. "Sensei, please tell us why Ichigo isn't coming anymore." She asked. The Sensei only smiled a warm, sad smile as he looked down at Tatsuki.
"I am sorry to say, but Ichigo's mother was killed. As for how it had happened, I am not sure. I do not have all the details." The Sensei said, shocking everyone, especially Tatsuki.
'Ichigo's…mother…dead,' she thought. 'That just can't be!' She can't accept that fact! She won't accept it! One of her best friend's (she would never admit that either) mother had just been killed. She had to find him! Without warning, Tatsuki ran out of the door, looking for the orange haired youth…
As she kept running, she kept that thought in her head, including the thought, 'Please let what sensei said be wrong. He didn't deserve something like that' as she kept running towards the one spot she knew he would be, the riverside. Once there, she knew right away that her thoughts and prayers wouldn't be answered as she saw the orange-haired boy walking back and forth along the river. A small smile crept on her face as she was about to yell "Ichigo!" but stopped when he turned slightly. What she saw made her smile completely vanish.
Now, normally, if someone looked at Ichigo right now, that person would think nothing was wrong with him. Tatsuki, however, was not a normal person. She knew Ichigo and this was not Ichigo. This was not the Ichigo that she knew. Where was the Ichigo that always had a small glint in his eye? Where was the Ichigo whose bright sun like hair made people around him happy? The Ichigo whose smile was so infectious that even she could help but smile after she lost to him that one time? The Ichigo before her was not this Ichigo. His eyes seemed dull and lifeless, as his hair didn't have that normal shine that it usually had. Even his once infectious smile was replaced with not a frown, but with…well Tatsuki didn't know but she didn't like it.
With a small gulp, Tatsuki approached the orange haired youth. "Ichigo?" She whispered. She got no response as the boy before her just continued to stare off into space. Tatsuki then decided to approach him a little closer.
"Hello, Ichigo?" She asked again but still got no response. She then stood right next to the boy, his eyes still looking lifeless.
"You there Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked, but was still getting no response. Anger started to grow inside her with a little hint of worry. She decided to take another approach.
"Come on Ichigo, it's not the end of the world!" she said, saying anything to get the Ichigo she knew back, and for this...this thing to go away.
"It was my fault. If only I didn't go near the river..." Ichigo started to say before crying again.
"What do you mean?" Tatsuki asked, but Ichigo ignored her. Usually she didn't mind when people ignored her, but her one friend that was presently ignoring her, well that ticked her off. After trying for over 10 minutes to get him to talk, she finally lost it. With one mighty blow, Tatsuki slapped Ichigo across the face.
"Damn it, Ichigo!" She cried, some tears stinging the corner of her eyes.
"Why won't you talk to me?" She then quickly embraced him in a tight hug.
"Please talk to me." She whispered into his shirt, her tears making a wet spot on her friend's shoulder.
"I know you are hurting. Please let me help you." If she looked up at that moment, she would have seen the small glint come back in his warm brown eyes.
"Tatsuki..."
3 years later…
Tatsuki was late to her karate class. This statement within itself usually was a mistake since she was always the first one there. However, this time, several people who wanted to get back at her for losing to her caught up to her.
'Damn idiots, didn't they learn the first time that I could kick their butts halfway to next year?' She thought to herself as she kept running. However, she stopped as she heard a scream in the near distance.
"Stop, please stop," was all that Tatsuki heard, but she knew that whoever it was, needed help. Investigating the incident, she saw a group of girls with scissors in their hands, huddled around a girl, with long strands of orange hair.
"That will teach you not to grow your hair again Orihime," one of the girls said, as Inoue just kept crying and asking them to stop.
'Of all the nerve...' She thought to herself as she turned towards the entrance of where she first heard the screams. She tapped one of the girl's shoulders and when the girl turned around, she received a vicious left punch, breaking her jaw. Once the other girls saw that, they ran like the cowards they were. Tatsuki noticed the crying girl in the middle, and extended her hand.
"Here, let me help." She said as the girl grabbed her hand.
"Thank you."
"No problem. I hate seeing people gang up on a person to hurt a weaker person. My name is Arisawa Tatsuki."
"Thank you Arisawa-san, my name is Orihime Inoue, but you can call me Inoue."
"Alright, but only if you call me Tatsuki"
"Deal" Inoue said, as she heard footsteps in the distance.
During this, Tatsuki heard footsteps from the way that the remaining girls left. Standing in front of her protectively just in case the girls wanted more punishment or not. However, she saw orange hair and the face of Ichigo as he arrived at the park.
"So that's where you were. Sensei was worried since you didn't show up. Who's that behind you?"
"Her name is Inoue. Inoue this is Kurosaki Ichigo." Tatsuki said to Ichigo as she relaxed. Ichigo noticed the girl sprawled out with a broken jaw.
"I assume that was your handy work."
"Yeah, apparently her friends and she thought that Inoue had too much hair so they thought it beneficial of them to cut it for her, and you know me about people ganging up on weaker people."
"Indeed I do Tatsuki, indeed I do."
1 year later…
'Damn that Ichigo,' Tatsuki thought as she raced down the streets once more. 'He just had to stick his nose into where it doesn't belong.'
Well, if you are wondering how this all happened, here goes. It was a Sunday when Tatsuki and Ichigo are supposed to meet up; making it a tradition to meet up every Sunday to hang out at the park and just really hang out and have some fun. When she was five minutes away, she got a call on her cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Tatsuki, its Ichigo." She heard.
"Hey Ichigo, What's up?"
"I think I might not be able to make," She heard a grunt, "Today." She heard another grunt. "Something important came," grunt, "up."
"Like What Ichigo?"
"I'll tell you once I'm done helping a friend." He said before closing the phone.
"Grr...He's going to get a piece of my mind when he sees me." She said as she started running. (In truth though, she wanted to make sure that he was all right). Judging by the background noise, it seemed that there were car horns above his position. That must mean that they were under a bridge.
'That must mean….' Tatsuki thought and she took a sharp turn towards the riverside. She quickly ran along the river to come to a strange sight.
Ichigo looked beat up as he laid there on his back looking up at Chad, around him the six gang members laid beaten up as well.
"Why are you helping me Ichigo?"
"It's because you don't want to fight for yourself Sado." Ichigo then took out the gold coin that meant so much to the bronze giant before him. "How about this Chad? You can just not hit people for your own sake as you've done 'til now. In exchange, you hit for my sake. And I'll hit for your sake. If it's something that you'll risk your life to protect, I'll risk my life to protect it, too. It's a promise man." Ichigo said, grinning with one eye open.
"Yeah," Sado responded. It was then that Tatsuki appears as she sees him on his back. It was then that Ichigo noticed a figure coming closer towards them. He could only blink in surprise at the figure that he saw.
"Tatsuki, what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to give you a piece of my mind for cutting that call short and telling me that something more important came up." She yelled. Ichigo could only scowl at her.
"Well this was important! Chad was getting his ass handed to him and he needed my help!" Ichigo said. Tatsuki could only sigh at this.
"I will never understand the gender known as males," she mumbled as she helped her male friends…………
Dragon and Sword Master: And that as we say is the opening bell, so let the games begin, as we conspire together to write a multi-chapter story of Tatsuki and Ichigo! Besides, even though they seem to look as a great couple, I only saw three one-shots on the topic!
FireSamurai: Here here!
Phoenix and Staff Master: So that means the two of you will be making history?
Dragon and Sword Master: It seems so.
FireSamurai: (sighs) Better get more sake...
Dragon and Sword Master: seems like a good idea, especially with her here
FireSamurai: lol (goes off to get the sake)
Dragon and Sword Master: (sweatdrops) Everyone, Ja Ne.