A Promise To Keep [Ichigo Kurosaki] (DISCONTINUED)

[The Loss Of Brothers] oo3

The banging had stopped so suddenly I didn’t know what to think. Was it gone? It couldn't be. I was a Soul Reaper and Hollows were attracted to our spiritual pressures, so it was all the more reason for them to stick around; Orihime and Tatsuki were human, however their spiritual energy was too low to even attract a Hollow. So, what did this Hollow exactly want? If he wanted me he would have gone and attacked already. What was this Hollow waiting for? Orihime and Tatsuki didn’t seem to have heard the roar of the Hollow earlier and dismissed the banging from it and were now happily chatting about like nothing had even happened. However, I was tense and alert.

I had checked my bag earlier to make sure I had my Gokon Tekko glove in my bag and it wasn’t there. In a rush to beat Urahara's face in, I had forgotten the glove that was in my school messenger bag. I didn’t know what I was going to do if a Hollow attacked Orihime's apartment. I had no means of protecting them and I doubt my karate skills in hand-to-hand combat was going to work very well on a Hollow. For now, I could only hope Ichigo and Rukia would show up soon.

"So, Orihime, you got any dessert?" Tatsuki suddenly asked. 

"Well, I'm out of ice cream, but I do have some bean sprouts and some jelly we can pour over with it!" the busty girl answered with an innocent grin.

Tatsuki and I made disgusted faces. I waved a polite dismissive hand at her offer. "No, thank you, I think we'll pass."

Just then there was another bang from outside and I shuddered, meanwhile a pink teddy bear fell off of Orihime's TV stand. Tearfully, Orihime crawled over to it and cradled it in her arms. "Enruka fell down! Look at this bring rip in his head!"

Tatsuki and I peered over Orihime's shoulder to see a large rip in its face, stuffing flowing out of it. "Its okay, Orihime. It can easily be sewn back together." I reassured with a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You think?"

That insistent banging began once more before I could answer her. We looked around, but didn’t see anything. I began to silently curse myself and my forgetfulness until I seen blood and a claw struck through Orihime's being. I stared down at Orihime's form in wide eyed shock as her eyes glazed over.

But I didn’t sense a Hollow in this apartment! I whipped around just in time to see Tatsuki being sent towards a wall, shoulder bleeding. And the next thing I knew, I was sent flying into a bookcase and it falling on top of me. I winced at the impact and quickly sat up and pushed the bookcase off my body, holding a hand to my bleeding forehead.

I never realized how weak I was without my powers, I was just an ordinary human and I hated it. So weak and pathetic; I wanted to protect! I knew way deep down inside me that I was born to protect people, my friends! But now they were liable to get killed because of me!

"There's no need to put the blame all on yourself you know; ugh, how annoying…" a voice spoke with an irritated groan.

I blinked in confusion, I could hear the voice in my mind clearly. I didn’t know whether I should be concerned or not. However, I ignored the voice and set my hands on the floor in front of me and squeezed my eyes shut. What should I do? What can I do? 

I shivered as a brisk, cold breeze caressed against my exposed face and go right through my dress sleeves and to my arms. The temperature in the room dropped significantly. I snapped my eyes open and was shocked to see the room enveloped in white ice. Startled, I lifted my hands from the floor and the ice receded slowly and melted away.

It was strange. Did I do that? How did I conjure up all the ice just through my hands alone?

"Just don’t sit there! You know how to control it, don’t worry; just let it come naturally~"  The voice from inside me coached, an undertone of sarcasm mixed within his words.