Chapter One

Author's Note: written in 2011 under the pen name "Hotaru10join". hotaru kurosaki was originally a joke mary sue then i got attached to her welp.

My name is Hotaru Kurosaki, I am fifteen years old. I was born on July 15 th , same day as my twin brother…

My parents said that they would have named him Ichigo, as in "Number One Hero/Warrior" not like "strawberry."

Ichigo died before we came out of the womb, so I constantly feel that emptiness in my life. I miss someone that isn't really there… My parents obviously miss him, but I don't think they feel the pain that I do. I can't help but feel jealous of my little sisters, Karin and Yuzu… both are twins… and they still have each other.

I wonder what Ichigo is like, and if he's happy up there in heaven… with my mother. I hope he is, and I look forward to meeting him up there one day.

I love you brother.

xxx

It was just another day for Hotaru; wake up, wash face, put on the old' school uniform, punch dad for calling her cute and getting uncomfortably… cuddly with her, eat, then go to school.

Another pattern would begin once she got to school, talk about jack all with Keigo and Mizuiro before class starts, fall asleep during Sciences, borrow Tatsuki's notes, get felt up by Chizuru, eat lunch with the guys on the roof, sleep through Japanese, borrow Inoue's notes, stare at *him* during English, and a bunch of other crap she couldn't be bothered to remember.

"Kurosaki-san!"

This was new.

Inoue ran up to Hotaru, her round face was bright red as she squirmed in her spot. "H-how are you?"

Hotaru blinked, running a hand through her short orange hair, "Okay. What's up with you Inoue?"

The shorter girl blushed furiously, her body fidgeting in her place; Hotaru couldn't help but notice how Orihime's large breasts jiggled slightly, which made her blush. "Ahh… Ummm…. Are you in any clubs or teams, Kurosaki-san?"

"No…"

"Ah! O-of course you aren't… I-I would've noticed you staying after school…"

"Is there anything in particular you wanted to tell me, Inoue? I kinda… need to… go to the sewing club room…"

"Ah! You're interested in the sewing club."

"Err… you could say that."

"M-my friend is in the sewing club!"

Hotaru smiled, placing her hand on Orihime's head, taking note of how soft and luxurious it felt, and then ruffled it. "You're cute, Inoue." She cooed, patting the buxom girl on the head before stuffing her hands into her skirt pockets and running awkwardly in the direction of the sewing club room.

Orihime sighed, pouting a little as she squeezed the note in her slender hands. "I-I wanted to give you this!" She shouted, shoving the crumpled paper in front of her, as if she was practicing.

"!"

Orihime looked up, blinking before gasping at who she saw in front of her. "Ahhh! I'm sorry!"

xxx

Ever since I could remember, I could always feel some weird energy or something. It's really weird; it was some sort of pressure or something when… a ghost or something like that was nearby. I could also see ghosts… but… I never knew if it was just a ghost or a real person.

Karin and Yuzu don't have any powers like that, my dad seems to encourage it, and from what I remember… my mom didn't have it either.

I hate it. I hate it so much.

I wonder how mom is doing.

And I wonder if Ichigo was born, would he be able to see and feel ghostly things too.

I feel that weird pressure again.

I miss you both.

xxx

Hotaru glanced into the classroom, her brown eyes staring at the slender boy sitting alone at the desk. She stared in awe at how quick his fingers were, wondering how he didn't stab himself in the fingers with each swift movement. Her knees buckled before she dropped down to the ground, thinking that he had seen her.

She peeked into the class again, seeing one of Inoue's friends, the one with the short brown hair; give the boy a torn pink doll. Hotaru's chocolate eyes widened, her eyes sparkling with wonder as his hands flew through the air and the doll was instantly fixed.

She saw him blink, their eyes catching with each other, she felt her heart and bones melt before another girl whispered into his ear, making the orange haired girl's face burn with jealousy.

"HE DOES IT TO GET CHICKS, DONCHA KNOW HOTARU-CHAN~"

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Hotaru screamed, jumping onto her feet, turning towards the owner of the voice. It was that mother fucker Keigo. "NO HE DOESN'T I'M SURE THAT AHHHHHHH WHY DID YOU FUUUUU."

"Then he's gay."

"I-I don't think he is?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"I'M NOT ASKING HIM IF HE'S GAY!"

"I'm not. And I'm behind you, Kurosaki and Asano." A new, prettier sounding voice called, sounding obviously annoyed.

Hotaru hesitantly turned, her face cherry red from embarrassment and frustration. She bit her lip, almost to the point where she would break the skin, when she saw the owner of the voice;

Ishida Uryu, looking more pissed and aloof than usual, and at Hotaru Kurosaki. She felt her heart shrinking and breaking into tiny bite sized pieces from one quick glance at those hard blue eyes glaring at her. She looked away from those eyes, seeing his fingers bleeding.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Hotaru then ran in the direction to the shoe lockers, not wanting to look at those eyes anymore.

xxx

What the hell is Ishida's problem?

I mean… he never smiles. He's always alone; when I was partnered up with him for a day… he refused to let me do anything and didn't want to talk. At all.

I understand that I hardly smile… But! At least I talk to people! And not be a complete asshole to them!

Oh god why do I keep staring at him. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck. He's so pretty and smart and oh fuck…

…Not that I like him or anything. Honest.

I wonder if I'm compatible with Scorpios… and whatever his blood type is…

xxx

"Hotaru."

Hotaru moved her arms away from her face, then looked up from the ground; her eyes still a little teary from the sewing club incident. She gave a smile to the tall young man standing in front of her. "Hey."

"Inoue gave this to me; I think this was supposed to be for you." Chad mumbled, reaching into his pocket and giving her the crumpled peachy-pink envelope.

Hotaru blinked; her hand shaking as she took the paper and opened it. Her brown eyes squinted as she read the cutesy writing. She laughed awkwardly blushing, "I-I think she's kidding…"

"What did it say?"

"N-nothing! Come on! I'll walk you home!"

"…Okay."

Hotaru and Chad walked out in silence, the girl was still pretty awkward thanks to Ishida and Orihime's letter sure didn't help. "So… how've… you been?"

"Okay. You?"

"Ummm…"

"did you talk to Ishida like you said you would?"

"….No."

"Why not?"

"…" Hotaru touched the back of her neck, grabbing at her orange locks before she started to pout. "Keigo kinda came in…"

"Oh."

"I-I will talk to him… J-just a lot… later."

"Why later?"

"…He doesn't want to talk to me."

"That's too bad…"

"B-but! I-I will… "

"That's good." Chad said with a smile, "I'm sure that he'd understand… whatever you did to upset him so much."

"…I hope so. Thanks."

xxx

Chad is probably my best friend; apparently it's weird for girls to be friends with boys. It's even worse because I'm supposed to be sweet and lady like… like Inoue. I can't be Inoue.

The reason why I say this, the way me and Chad became friends, it isn't sweet and lady like. It wasn't like in those shoujo manga I used to read; where we were friends ever since we could remember or we were both alone in the hallway and we had the same bento and we started to talk.

No, he was being hassled by some punks. He wasn't fighting back, which… was strange. He was so big and tall and HUGE… he could've easily taken on those little pricks.

I was on my way home from baseball practice, something I wish that I would get back into, and I hear noises and laughter. Not the nice laughter you get when you're all having fun, it was the "HAHAHA I LIKE IT WHEN HE FELL HAHAHA YOU'RE SO FUCKING STUPID." Thing you hear bullies do.

I turn into an alleyway, Chad is being fucking beaten the shit out of… though he doesn't show any signs of pain or whatever.

I don't know why but I joined the fight, I really should've used my baseball bat to scare them off… but knowing me I would've beaten the shit out of them with the bat.

You know how people say that they wouldn't hit a girl? It's complete and utter bullshit, they said something along the lines of "Get out of here freak/girlie/cutie/girl etc. or we'll bust every bone in your body."

I was surprised they didn't try to rape me, what with the messed up porn we have here. But I'm honestly glad they didn't.

I ignored their threats; I punched the lead guy in the throat then in the dick. Then someone grabbed me from behind and another one punched me in the gut. He kept at it before I kicked him in the jaw, I would've pulled a Tatsuki and flipped the guy holding me back, but I'm not in karate anymore.

So then I tried pushing the guy into a wall or something, it didn't work that well either.

Chad got the guy off my back, and punched him.

The rest of the fight was glorious.

And, it turns out; it was all over just a little coin. The coin must have been very special; I think I can understand that.

I think my brother might have gotten along with him, if Ichigo was anything like me.

xxx

"I'm home." Hotaru shouted, flinging her bag across the floor before taking off her shoes. She heard quick and heavy footsteps running towards the door, she let out a sigh, squeezing her eyes shut as she kept her arms open for the person who was running.

"HOTARU~ WELCOME HOME~!" Isshin Kurosaki shouted, his eyes sparkling with sheer happiness as he flung his arms open and hugged his daughter tightly, until she turned black and blue from the lack of air.

"C-ca-can't… b-breathe…" she stammered, struggling to move her arms to try to beat some sense into her father.

"I just love you so much~!"

"I-I l-love you too… p-please!"

Isshin then let go of the gasping Hotaru whose banged up body hit the floor. He apologized with a laugh, as Hotaru's chocolaty eyes glared icy daggers up at him. "You came home late again."

"Y-yeah…"

"Did you get into any fights again?"

"N-no… it wasn't…that."

"DID SOME BOY SEDUCE YOU? STEALING MY PRECIOUS HOTARU-CHAN!"

"…"

"THEY DID!"

"N-no! I-I didn't get seduced! I-I was j-just…"

"YOU HESITATED!"

"NO I DIDN'T YOU JUST TOOK ME BY SURPRISE!"

Isshin stared hard at his daughter, who was sweating and shaking nervously. "You were watching some boy again weren't you?"

"N-NO! I-I WASN'T! "

This continued for a few more minutes, which ended with Isshin on the ground and Hotaru stomping off to her room. She slammed the door shut, slumping down against the closed door with a loud sigh. She closed her eyes as she slowly tugged off her black and red stockings off her slim legs.

She blinked, swearing that she saw something in her room. She looked up, jumping onto her bare feet and pointed at the figure on her bed.

"WHO ARE YOU? A ROBBER?" she shouted, grabbing the baseball bat under her desk.

"…I am no such thing."

"DON'T DENY IT! THERE'S NOTHING TO ROB!"

"…How are you even able to see me, human?"

"…Eh?"

"I asked how you're able to see me."

"…What do you mean? You're RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME!"

"… Humans shouldn't be able to see me."

Hotaru narrowed her eyes, pointing the aluminum bat at the strange man standing on her bed. He sighed, flipping his ebony black locks back, as he delicately and gracefully jumped off the bed. "Strange. It can't be helped; do you know what a Shinigami is, child?"

"I-I'm not a child! I'm fifteen! And I highly fucking doubt that you're a Shinigami! Get out of my house! Or I'll kick your ass, pretty boy!"

The man glared at the orange haired girl, sighing heavily and saying something that Hotaru could've sworn been an insult to her and her family, then he pointed two fingers at him. Hotaru wouldn't have any of that crap and went to hit the strange man, before she fell to the floor with a bang and she felt something wrap around her narrow wrists.

"What the fuck!"

"Kido."

"…What?"

"A spell, if you will."

"Well! Take it off me!"

"I will once you stop being an idiotic child."

"I'M NOT A KID AND GO FUCK YOURSELF JUST LET ME GO TAKE WHATEVER YOU WANT IN THIS ROOM!"

Suddenly, Isshin opened the door, "WHAT'S WITH ALL THIS RACKET?"

"THERE'S A ROBBER!"

Isshin squinted, looking in the direction that Hotaru was before he came in. "I don't see anyone. And why are you on the ground?"

"N-never mind that! W-wait? You can't see him? He's right there!"

Isshin looked in the direction again, seeing absolutely nothing, "I don't see anything, Hotaru-chan. OH COULD IT BE A GHOST!" he said, suddenly excited. Hotaru blinked, glancing over at her father then at the so called Shinigami who was now right in front of her.

"G-ghost? O-okay… I…. GET OUT!" Hotaru stuttered before screaming when she saw her dad giggling, realizing that her flower printed panties were showing thanks to the position she seemed to be locked in. The mysterious man rolled his eyes as he watched the daughter and father continue to argue, he gently tapped the girl's chin with his foot before pushing her onto her side in boredom.

Isshin sighed before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him, "NOW LET ME FUCKING GO, WHATEVER YOU ARE!"

"I told you child, I'm a Shinigami."

"T-tell me your name!"

"Humans are really impolite these days aren't they?" the man said; his voice still flat and void of any sort of emotion. "But, I suppose I should tell you who I am anyways… Kuchiki Byakuya."

"…Lame name. Lemme guess, the kanji is 'Decaying log of the white night' isn't it?"

Byakuya's face twisted in anger for a split second, "I could just leave you like this… It's amusing."

"Fuck off."

"And what is your name, child?"

"…Kurosaki Hotaru."

"…Firefly."

"Better than yours."

Byakuya smirked, "You're amusing."

"You're annoying."

"I'm going to leave you like this."

"N-no! Let me go first! Whatever the hell you're doing with your ghostly powers!"

Hotaru sighed as she felt the pressure around her wrists ease into nothing; she let out a groan as she got onto all fours before sitting upright, her body stinging slightly from the uncomfortable position.

Something told her that life wasn't going to be a boring routine anymore after this.