Bulldozing Thru Canon One Arc At a Time

“How exactly,” Ichigo stares at Hoshiko from below her, “did you manage to get stuck there?”

“It just happened!” She whines from above him, “Please, help me?”

“In a minute,” Ichigo responds, looking her over, “I just… I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around it.”

“Ichigo Marianne Kurosaki!” Hoshiko shouts, “If you don’t help me out this goddamn fence, I will—“

“My middle name is not Marianne, so stop saying that. Some of the kids at school think you’re serious.” Ichigo snaps, “And if you’re going to continue being rude to me, I’m going to leave you there to rot. Girlfriend or not, I won’t tolerate this.”

“N-No! Please! Please, I’m sorry.” Hoshiko immediately backpedals on her words, “Ichigo the great, please.”

“That’s more like it.” Ichigo chuckles, “How did you even do this, lady?” He comes up the steps to get a better look at the girl, “And why can’t you just bend it with your super-human monster strength?”

“It’s not super-human monster strength. It’s just reiatsu-enhanced strength! And… Ah… well,” Hoshiko chuckled nervously, “See, I’m..” She bangs her hand against the railing, “Uh, stuck all the way.”

“Even your hands? I gotta tell you,” Ichigo squats next to her, “I’m not normally into this. But for you, I’ll consider.”

“Augh, jus—just—shut up and help—um, please.” Hoshiko’s face burns as she looks down at the sidewalk below. How she managed to get tangled up in the railing right outside her apartment, she would never know. “Are you hel—don’t touch!”

“Look, I’m just trying to find a good grip.” Ichigo says from behind her, “I have to pull your hands out and then I can pull your head out.”

“Be gentle with me,” Hoshiko says as demure as she can, batting her eyelashes, though Ichigo can’t see.

“I was,” Ichigo says, his breath on the back of Hoshiko’s neck. She freezes a bit, staying completely still as he speaks again, “And I am.”

“Don’t tell everyone! Oh my god…” Hoshiko groans, “This is where I will die.”

“Dramatic as always,” Ichigo sighs, “Just hold on, I’ll get you free.”

“Ah! Ow! Ichigo, that hurts!” Hoshiko whines, “S-Slow down, I’m not ready.”

“You had every moment before I came up here and before I started pulling to get ready.” Ichigo replied, “I can’t wait anymore. If I wait on you to be ready, nothing’s going to get done.”

“Yeah, but… I’m scared.”

“Not to sound like an asshole, but this isn’t the worst thing you’ve had to do.” Ichigo sighs, “I’m trying to be as gentle as I can.”

“Maybe try a little harder!” Hoshiko yelps, “Hey!”

“I’m trying to take your mind off of it,” Ichigo replies, “And see, I got one arm out.”

“I-I guess…” Hoshiko mumbles, “Okay, hurry up, I don’t want anyone to—haH!“

“Kurosaki Ichigo!”

“Oh fuck.”

“You owe me,” Ichigo says, over the phone while Hoshiko sits in the backyard at Urahara Shoten, watching Jinta practice his batting. “You owe me big time.”

“I’m sorry,” Hoshiko looks down at her sandal-covered feet. “I mean… at least it was… no, it was still pretty bad.”

“I got hit with a bat and then had a metal fucking sandal thrown at me… So, yeah,” Ichigo raises his voice, “I think it was still pretty fucking bad.”

“I’m sorry…” Hoshiko winces, “I mean… I guess it did look pretty bad from an outside perspective. I’m sorry.”

“Tell that to my black eye.” Ichigo sighs, “It’s fine. I guess it’s good that you got out unharmed. Even though I was harmed.”

“I’ll make it up to you.”

“…I’m listening.”

Uryū and Hoshiko are not so much on the outskirts, but holding down the line that these hollows must absolutely not pass, for some reason or another of Urahara’s. Frankly, they don’t really care. Hoshiko slams another hollow with Tsubaki, slicing it in half Sith hardly any goopy residue left. “Not to see all this as a metaphor for my life.”

“How do you mean?” Uryū says from beside her, his bow drawn with two glowing arrows straining against it. He shoots, both of them slamming into two different targets and they move, Hoshiko dipping while Uryū ducks and Sado slams forward.

“Well, everything,” Hoshiko tries to elaborate, “I mean, Kurosaki slamming into a wall? I feel like this happens to me a lot.”

“I mean, it does. Like almost regularly.” Uryū concedes, “But how is it a metaphor for your life? It’s just something that happens to you a lot that seems more like bad luck than a coincidence at this point.”

“It’s kind of saying,” Hoshiko throws up a shield, stopping something like acid from eating at Uryū. He stops for a moment too, watching her think, “Your life is an attractive teenage boy hurtling towards his demise at high speeds from a dangerous monster and there’s nothing you can do about it until the last minute. Well, that is if you can do anything about it.”

“Barring the fact that you just said Kurosaki is attractive—which will be revisited later,” Uryū promised, “You did do something about it. You stopped him from having a rather terrible concussion or dying. Though neither seems as likely because it’s Kurosaki.”

“Okay, but,” Hoshiko continues, dropping the shield and directing Tsubaki once more, “In simpler terms, I guess I’m saying my life is a piece of shit? I don’t know? Everything’s a mess sounds more like it. Just like this whole hollow attack, which, thank you by the way. Loving the fact that you still decide to carry around Hollow bait, despite what happened all those months ago.” Uryū grunts, rolling his eyes, “Anyway, it’s fast, it’s not that glamorous and it eats a ton of my energy and food.”

“You eat all my food, Inoue! And I’m the one losing energy trying to keep your stupid ass out of trouble!” Ichigo chimes in, “And stop talking so much, we need to end this!”

“You think that’s attractive?” Uryū snorts, readying his bow. “And I thought Sado was a little odd.”

It was supposed to be a simple assignment. There was a vampire causing some trouble down near the docks, something about baiting people and biting them. Some were near dead, some were turned, some lost memories. Either way, all negative. And Hoshiko’s assignment, simple as it was, was to catch this vampire in the act and bring them in. Simple. Really.

Only, it wasn’t.

Hoshiko turned the corner, breathing hard as she slammed herself against the wall of the building. Breathing heavy, she tried to calm herself. She couldn’t let him fin—Hoshiko ducked just as the area where her head had been caved in, the metallic crunch sickening as she spun out of the way and into the open. “Shit, shit fuck.” She didn’t want to use her power here—it was one hard to control, best saved for missions on the other side. “Yer still after me? E’en after we said we was gonna stay outta th’ light?”

“Well you’re not doing a good job holding up your end of the bargain, Gin.” Hoshiko stared at him, “And what the fuck? Really? You’re gonna try to hit me? That’s not making this any better for you.”

“Force-a habit. But I had th’ faith that you’d-a dodged.” Gin shrugged, grinning as usual. “I ain’t as bad as ol’ Aizen. Least I won’t keep ya captive unwillin’ an’all.” He responded, tilting his head. “I thought we had somethin’, Hoshi. An’ you wanna turn me in? I’m in pain.”

“Yeah, well so are the twenty-five people you drained of nearly all the blood they had. Then the seven that lost their memory... the three you turned...” Hoshiko responded, “I mean, seriously? Why not just end their suffering.”

“Iff’n I did that, they’d have covered it up.” Gin replied, stepping closer. Hoshiko brought her guard up, bright wings flaring at her sides. “Aw, dun get so defensive, Hanabi. Yer hurtin’ me.”

“Are you trying to get Rangiku mad? Cause it’s working. She was too pissed to handle this, so I had to come.”

“I was hopin’ it’d be you.” Gin replied, his grin a little more genuine than before. He steps closer, and Hoshiko steps back once more.

“Really? Cause you know I wouldn’t hold back?”

“Cause yer always so nice to me. Shouldn’t be, since yer a cop n’ all.” He flashed his teeth at her, then lunged. Caught by surprise, Hoshiko’s back slammed unevenly against the ground, her bright wings dissipating and she heard a whizzing sound above her head. “Y’gotta be more careful, Hanabi. Pay more attention t’ what’s around ya.”

“Seriously, what the fuck is going on?” Hoshiko struggles to get the man’s weight off of her, but Gin presses down, almost forcing her into the ground. Not yet, she tells herself, just a few more minutes.

“Sssh…” Gin presses his hand to her mouth. “S’ all good, boss.” Gin looks to his left as someone materializes there. Some ringing sound fills the air and Hoshiko screws her eyes shut to try and block it out. “Ya, jus’ a li’l fly. Nothin’ big. I got it.” The Thing stares at Hoshiko, who is slowly losing oxygen and then nods, disappearing similarly to the way it came. “C’mon, Hanabi.” Gin finally lifts off of her, sitting up.

Hoshiko gasps out, sitting up immediately. “Seriou—Gin! Where are you going?”

“I’m leavin’.” He says, “I saved ya, so I should get a free pass for tonight, hm? Unless ya wantin’ somethin’ else?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah, to take you in! Who was that?” Hoshiko gets up, a little wobbly. “What was that sound?”

“When I can tell ya all that, I’ll tell ya. Fer now, don’t come t’ me unless I seek ya out.” He winks, “Yer th’ only one I can trust anyway.”

At the admission, Hoshiko doesn’t know what comes over her to allow him to walk away. There’s a ghost of a touch on her cheek and then the man is gone, as if he’d never been there.

From a young age, whenever Rukia went to visit her grandfather in the summer, she knew never to go to the Urahara Manor. It was just something that you didn’t do. When she was allowed out to play with the other children, they would always dare each other to go and touch the front gate of the Urahara Manor, and some would report back saying they heard a noise or saw a figure, and that would cement Rukia’s fear even more.

There was something about that place that made her senses act up. And it was on her way home, so she would pass by it. Normally, she would uphold the Kuchiki Ideals. Walk, not run, through anything that scared you. But now, she only ran. She knew Renji wouldn’t tell on her. They would make a game of it—whoever ran past the Manor the fastest had to by the other ice cream next time.

Rukia hadn’t bought Renji one single ice cream.

But today, Renji and the other kids couldn’t play something about summer homework. And Grandpa Ginrei had given Rukia money to buy ice cream on that hot summer day for them both, hoping that she’d hurry before his son got back and scolded them for not doing any of Rukia’s extravagant list of activities. Rukia had the two ice creams—an ice cream sandwich for her grandfather and a weird looking character ice cream for herself—in hand as she walked by the house, excited to eat, when she heard it.

“I-I-Is someone there?” Her little voice quaked with fear. She was across the street, but the cries sounded like they were only a foot or so away from her. Despite everything, Rukia took slow steps across the empty street and stood in front of the house. “H-H-Hello?”

The street in front of the Urahara Manor was mostly deserted. The town was about a mile in the direction Rukia came and her own home was about a quarter mile away from this place. All the other houses were rundown around it.

“Why won’t anybody play with me?” The voice, much clearer, cried. Rukia peered in through the gates. A young girl, about her age stood there, hands rubbing against her eyes as she cried.

“You have a scary house.” Rukia blurted out before she could stop herself, then slapped her hand against her mouth. The girl pauses, looking up at Rukia. Her eyes are red and puffy, but lighter than her bright red hair. “U-Uh, I’m… I gotta go.”

“Wait!” The girl reaches out, running towards the gate and slams into it. The look on her face is pleading. “Y-You can hear me?”

Rukia tilts her head. “Y-Yeah?” She says, blinking. “You’re talkin’ real loud. Crying loud too.”

“D-Do you wanna play with me?” The girl asks, hope filling her silver eyes and Rukia almost says yes, then she feels the ice cream dripping down her hand.

“I can’t!” She yelps, which startles the girl into falling back. “B-But, tomorrow! Tomorrow I’ll come back!”

“You promise?” The girl stands again. Rukia nods, sticking her pinky through the bars of the gate.

“Yeah, pinky promise. You do it like this.” Rukia gestures for the girl to copy her, which she does, “I pinky promise to come back tomorrow or I’ll stick a thousand needles in my armpits! Or that’s what Renji says anyway.” The girl giggles, wiping excess tears from her eyes.

“Then it’s a promise.” The girl grins.

“I’m Rukia.” Rukia finally says, pulling away.

“Hoshiko.”

Rukia awakes with a jolt, sitting up and startling her maid. Momo jumps, almost dropping the tea tray she had been carrying. “L-Lady Rukia!” She yelps, her eyes wide, “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” Rukia replies, her voice breathless, “I just… I had a dream—more like a memory, I guess.”

“Oh?” Momo puts the tea try down on the cart, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Is it the nerves?”

“Maybe,” She replies, “I dreamt about the summer home, when we would visit Grandfather Ginrei. And my friends from that town.”

“Hm,” Momo hummed, “Your husband-to-be is from that town, so maybe it resurfaced some memories. It has been some time since you’ve been there, right?”

“Yes,” Rukia finally pushed back the duvet and swung her feet over the edge, “Grandfather became too sick to live on his own when I turned sixteen. We haven’t been there since, now I am twenty-one.”

Momo pours Rukia’s tea while Rukia herself moves around the room, opening the curtains and windows, letting in the fresh air. “Well, today is a happy day, is it not?”

“It’s certainly a sunny one.” Rukia replies. Her fingers pause on the back of her sitting chair. “Momo,” Momo looks up, setting down the tea pot. “Do you think I’ll like him?”

“He seems very likable.” Momo replied, “From all the stories I’ve heard… it seems he has an easy time befriending people.”

Rukia feels a ghost of a touch on her skin, and in her mind, she sees red hair and a bright smile. Somehow, she doesn’t think she’ll like her suitor much.

Her dress is large, nearly taking up more room than it should as she stares out the window for the tenth time. Her grandfather chuckles, sipping at his mid-morning tea while Rukia huffs, sitting down on the sofa. “Are you hoping, perhaps, they’ve gotten lost?”

“If I said that, Byakuya-nii-sama would surely had my head.” Rukia replies, “So instead of saying it, I shall think it and think it loudly.” At this, Ginrei laughs, and one of the attendants enters the room, “They’re pulling their carriage around to the front!”

Rukia tenses, her hands freezing where they are and her eyes go wide. “I was just as nervous,” Ginrei says, “Meeting your grandmother. Though, we did come to love each other.”

“I’m already in love.” Rukia blurts out, then slaps her hands against her mouth. Ginrei chuckles.

“I know. As was I, at that time.” Ginrei sounds wistful, and the look on his face is far off. “Maybe you should make yours eternal.”

Byakuya is already outside when Ginrei and Rukia arrive. The carriage pulls to a stop and it’s quiet for a moment, before the door is slammed open and a boy flies out, landing right at Rukia’s feet.

“Guys, we’re supposed to be making a good first impression.” Another voice says. Rukia notes that the horses aren’t startled and the driver looks bored.

“My son should be more prepared to meet his new fiancé! Instead he’s playing around!” At this, two more people come falling out of the carriage. A large man with facial hair and a much younger man with glasses, dressed in white. Two girls follow him, then another man, much larger and tanner than the rest. And then finally, another girl.

Before she can get a clear look at the girl, the boy on the ground finally stands up, blocking Rukia’s view of her. He is tall and well-built and his bright orange hair is exactly as she’d imagined it and Rukia blinks. He acts as if he hadn’t been tossed five feet from a carriage. Really, the only thing noting he had been tossed was probably the dirt marks on his clothing. “Sorry about this lot. I’m Ichigo Kurosaki. You’re Rukia?”

“Yes.” Rukia finally says, “R-Rukia…. Um, Kuchiki. Please to make your acquaintance.” She bows and he laughs.

“We’re to be married, but you act so distant. I hope we’ll be good friends.” Ichigo then says, “I brought my entourage, I hope this is alright?” He turns to Byakuya who merely nods. “That’s my dad and sisters, that’s Uryu, and that’s Sado, and the girl is—“

“Hoshiko.” Rukia breathes out, startling Ichigo.

“Er, yeah, do you know each other?” He steps out of the way when Hoshiko comes barreling towards them and slams into Rukia, sending them both to the ground.

“Rukia! Rukia! I was so worried when you didn’t come back! I thought you hated me!” The girl cries, hands gripping onto Rukia’s dress.

“Of course I don’t hate you!” Rukia yelps back, “I could never! I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to you when we left.”

“I’m so glad we’re reunited!” Hoshiko cries, sitting up and pulling Rukia with her. She then hugs Rukia around the neck, “Don’t leave like that again!”

“Not to, um, break this up,” Ichigo cuts in, “But, Hoshiko, how do you know Rukia—er, Lady Rukia?” Hoshiko pulls away for a moment, standing and pulling Rukia with her, though she doesn’t let go of the girl at all.

‘Rukia’s a friend of mine from childhood. I met you guys the summer she stopped coming to Karakura Town.’ Rukia watched, puzzled at the hand movements Hoshiko made.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Lady Rukia, friend of Hoshiko.” Ichigo finally says, though it sounds a little odd to Rukia. Hoshiko looks at him, and Ichigo nods, “Let us have fun tonight.”

“I’m confused.” Rukia says at the banquet that night. She and Ichigo are dancing across the ballroom floor. “What was Hoshiko doing with her hands? All that.. stuff, and how you guys did it back or... just spoke.=”

“You don’t know?” Ichigo raises an eyebrow. “She was signing. It’s what people who can’t hear or speak—or don’t want to speak—do to communicate.”

“Hoshiko can speak just fine.” Rukia argues, her eyes gliding across the room to where Hoshiko dances with Ichigo’s father. The two laugh as he spins her around much more aggressively than any other dancing pair. “I’ve heard her voice, it’s lovely. She can sing as well, and that’s divine.”

“She can’t.” Ichigo says, “She had a disease at birth, which muted her for life. I don’t know how you manage to figure out everything she’s saying when she doesn’t speak.”

“Because she is speaking.” Rukia gets a little louder, before coughing and lowering her voice. Her cheeks tinge pink and she looks down.

“They say,” Ichigo changes the subject, “That how you know someone is your soulmate… you’re able to hear their voice even when they don’t speak. Like some kind of mind connection or something.”

Rukia hums, but Ichigo continues speaking, “When I saw you two in the garden earlier, all I heard was you speaking—and Hoshiko wasn’t signing. She was just sitting there, listening and nodding and making wild gestures. It made me really think about my decision tonight. I knew there was nothing else I could do.”

“Decision?” Rukia echoes. Ichigo nods and they stop near the middle of the dance floor, coincidentally near Hoshiko and Ichigo’s father. “What do you mean?”

“I’m breaking off the engagement.” Ichigo says loudly, and without preamble. The look of shock on Rukia’s face is enough to make Ichigo laugh. He motions Hoshiko over and breaks away from Rukia. “I’d very much rather not fight Hoshiko for your hand in marriage. So, it was nice meeting you, Lady Rukia, but I’ll take my chances elsewhere.”

Ichigo bows to her, before signing at Hoshiko and then walking away with his father. Hoshiko takes Rukia’s hands and they begin dancing as if they had never stopped. “Ichigo’s always like that, don’t mind him.” Hoshiko grins, “He’ll find someone someday. Did you know this was his third broken engagement? That’s why I was surprised when such a noble house sent a letter.”

“To be honest, it’s because I’ve had just as many broken engagements.” Rukia replies, “I must confess, Hoshiko, I have often thought about you and longed to return to you.” The words make both of the girls blush and Hoshiko looks away.

“I was supposed to be the one laying down all of these cheesy lines.” Hoshiko pouts, then laughs. “I wonder if your brother will allow this. If he is looking for benefits, House Urahara has much to offer. I handle business with many people from different lands and my father is a very bright inventor. We have many allies and much to offer.”

“I don’t care if he doesn’t.” Rukia surprised herself. What surprised her even more was that she meant it. “I want to be with you, I… I love you, Hoshiko.”