The next day rolled around quickly. It was Sunday and Ichigo and Rukia decided to go out to do something to keep them busy…and to also somehow find the cause to the event that took place last night.
“ Ichigo. We might be in the presence of another spirit being…”
“ What? Another soul reaper?”
“ No not quit another soul reaper….but a soul tamer..”
Ichigo paused for a second. He thought about this and then looked down at Rukia. His eyebrows arched high. He questioned this theory of hers.
“ What the heck is a soul tamer?”
“ They go around calming lost souls to over to the soul society by using special instruments. They can even tell if an innocent spirit has been forced into become a hallow and change them back before the reapers take them to the soul society. That way they have a better chance of passing off to a better place. But if a evil soul was transformed into a hallow tormenting innocent people, they also can immediately send them to the underworld.”
Ichigo laughed some as he stuck his hands into his pockets as they walked. He was starting to put the events of last night and Rukia’s information together. It was slowly starting to make sense to him.
“ Well I can see how the two are the same. So it was a tamer who got to the hallow before us huh? They sound pretty harmless…unless they decided to turn on us suddenly…”
“ The thing that bothers me is…there hasn’t been any signs of soul tamers for over 10 years now. While I was still in the soul society, I was told that they were all killed by a pack of hallows. Well all but one, but they figured that that one was already killed some point in time, since that one that survived was only a child, no more than 6 years old. So I wonder if that child really did die…or if somehow someone manage to recover an instrument…”
“That’s weird. So it was just some random person who played that melody and destroyed that hallow? Or could that tamer actually still be alive?”
“ I really don’t know Ichigo…”
As the two continued to walk along the shops, Ichigo looked up to see a familiar face bowing and leaving a store. Ichigo froze then. It was Maya coming out of the store holding a bag of groceries in her hands, she was thanking the storeowner. Ichigo could feel his body growing tense. He didn’t know why he felt the way he did suddenly, but it was strange to Rukia that he had suddenly stopped. She followed his gaze without question and when she say that he was looking at Maya she snickered at him.
“ Well aren’t you a sucker for a pretty face! I’m guessing that she’s the new student at your school?”
Ichigo blushed at her comment and looked down at her. He frowned then looked away not responding to Rukia’s question. Rukia laughed some, slowly sneaking away from Ichigo so he could be alone with Maya. When Ichigo looked back down he noticed that Rukia was no longer with him. He blinked growling lowly, knowing that she had set him up.
“ Rukia…”
“Oh! Ichigo what a surprise!”
Ichigo’s hair stood on end when he heard Maya. He turned around and looked at her as she smiled at him. He couldn’t help but blush softly at her smile, she had such a cute smile to him that it almost drove him crazy.
“ Um…yeah nice to see you again Maya. What are you up to?”
“ Oh nothing really. Just getting some things for home. It really is a nice day and all, so I thought I would get something done.”
Maya smiled. It was nice running into Ichigo. She had hoped to see him again sometime soon. Ichigo smiled back at Maya. She really was a cute girl and really seemed to have enjoyed meeting Ichigo. It was strange though…he was actually happy to have gotten to known her, even though they just met.
“ Well I must be going. I have a lot of things to take care of at home…so I will see you later…”
Maya bowed to Ichigo, which was strange for him, but he didn’t mind it too much. Maya turned around to leave for home then. Ichigo, doing the same, was heading back home and couldn’t help but look back at Maya. He blinked when he noticed that she was standing in the same place looking around as if she was lost. Ichigo went back and tapped her on the shoulder.
“ Hey Maya…are you ok? You seem a little lost?”
Maya looked around and blushed suddenly, laughing some and rubbing the back of her head.
“ Is it that obvious? I can’t really figure out how I got here…and how I can get back home…just moving here and all…I’m pretty lost. I don’t know my way around…”
“ I figured. Here let me help you home…if you don’t mind too much…I’ll walk with you and you can tell me what you remember…ok?”
Maya smiled happily. Ichigo couldn’t help but laugh at her while she smiled. As they walked he offered to hold her bags, again not being something that Ichigo did for others, unless it was for his sisters. He didn’t really mind walking her home, but he noticed that Maya was no good at remembering where things were. They finally manage to find her house some hours later. Ichigo handed Maya her bags. Maya sighed heavily and shook her head as she faced Ichigo.
“ I swear if my head wasn’t screwed on…I’d probably never find my way back home…sorry that I have the worse possible memory. I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble….”
“ No it was no trouble at all. I’m just glad we manage to find the place. How could you have gotten a telephone pole and a tree mixed up?”
Ichigo laughed then as Maya blushed, but laughed as well. Ichigo looked up at her house. It was rather big and the lights were all off. He wondered if anyone else was home.
“ Hey Maya. Why is it so dark? Aren’t your parents home yet?”
Ichigo noticed that Maya stopped laughing. She looked at him for a moment and then looked to the side. He noticed that her appearance changed quickly. Maya bit her lower lip some and sighed closing her eyes. Ichigo paused at the sudden silence. He realized he hit a soft spot.
“ Maya….I didn’t…”
“ No, no. It’s ok Ichigo…really it is. Both of my parents are dead…they died a long time ago. I was still little at the time…I’ve been by myself for 10 years now…”
Maya sighed and looked up at the dark and empty house. She sighed again and turned back to Ichigo. She smiled, but Ichigo knew that her smile was her way a covering it up. Ichigo felt a sudden sadness in his heart as he watched her smile.
“ Well…it’s getting late. Please be safe on your way home…and thank you again.”
Ichigo shook his head, telling her it was fine and waited till she got into the house before turning and leaving for home. Ichigo could tell Maya was trying her best not to cry, especially in front of him. As he walked back home, Maya closed the curtain after she watched Ichigo leave. She leaned against the wall some setting her groceries on the ground. She was silent for a few moments, closing her eyes some, thinking back…
“ Mama…”
Maya had been only 6 at the time. She had been playing near a small pond with her flute that she had just gotten from her mother. She was playing all sorts of different notes that her mother had taught her as she watched large fish swim around in the pond. The small pond not to far from her own house at the time. Maya looked down into the pond and noticed tiny ripples. She paused in her playing, studying the ripples in the pond. The fish began swimming frantically around in the pond. There was a sudden harsh wind that blew passed Maya, easily knocking her down. The trees around sway back and forth harshly as the wind picks up even more. Maya remembered how scared she was, being little and all, not knowing what was going on. She tried to lift up her head some, but when she did something sharp cut her cheek some. It stung, she remembered, but only for a moment. The wind eased down suddenly and Maya stood up. Everything around seemed to have been destroyed. The large fish in the pond were now outside of the water, holding on for dear life. Maya got up and started running towards the fish, quickly sticking them back into the pond. She looked around, seeing trees sliced in half and on the ground. Some trees were even split down the middle, leaves and broken branches everywhere. Maya gazed at everything, she had never been so scared in her life. Suddenly a woman screamed. Maya looked up towards her house. It was the only house that was closest to the pond and in hearing range. Maya blinked some.
“Mama?”
Maya slowly started walking towards her house. She paused when she got closer, looking around. Nothing seemed to be wrong. She stood right outside of the porch. She blinked and held her flute tightly, close to her chest.
“ Mama? Mama…was that you? Mama? Are you ok? Mama…Mama…Mama…why aren’t you answering me? Mama?….Mama!?”
No matter how many times Maya called to her mother, there was no answer. Maya didn’t know what to do then. She could feel her little hands shaking in worry for her mother. Why wasn’t she answering her? What was going on? Then there was another scream…this time it was clear to Maya that something was wrong. She took off running into the house, crying out to her mother, and still not getting any response. She remembered running down the hallways and looking into the rooms. As she ran further down towards her mother’s room, she saw that the walls had large scratch marks on them. The beautiful art that hung from their walls were damaged and laying in pieces on the floor. Vases and tables were also destroyed in the halls and as Maya was running she cut her little foot on a piece of glass. She didn’t bother to stop though, she knew she had to reach her mother. She knew that something was wrong.
“ Mama! Mama! Mama!”
Maya finally made it to her mother’s room. The door was smashed in some and it was hard for Maya, being small and not at all strong, to pull it open. She gripped her tiny hands in a open space and pulled as hard as she could. She managed to pull it open suddenly and ran into the room. There was another door in her mother’s room, a door for her studies. Maya ran towards the door as fast as she could. She noticed two shadows in the room. A feminine shadow, leaning against the door to the study room, and a large more beastly looking shadow in front of her. Maya slowly walked towards the second door. As she slowly took her steps, she noticed that she was stepping in something on the floor. She looked down and saw a puddle of something red seeping from under the crack of the door. She looked up and saw that it was also seeping though the door. Maya froze then, her little heart beating widely in fear. She reached out for the handle on the door, sliding it open slowly. She could see the back of her mother’s head as she slide open the door. It brought Maya some relief, her mother was here…she was just resting against the door.
“ Mama…Mama…you’re ok…Mama…I was so scared…I heard you screaming and all…Mama…I’m so glad you’re…”
There was a small thud sound when Maya finished opening the door. She looked forward for a moment. Not seeing her mother anymore. All she saw now was a large, black beast with a white mask over its face. It was licking its fingers as it turned around and looked at Maya. Maya blinked and looked down. Her eyes filled with horror and tears. She remembered she could hardly breath. Her little body shook all over as she dropped her flute on the ground, grasping onto her dead mother…
Maya remembered…she remembered how she screamed in terror. How she shook her mother as hard as she could to wake her up. How she held onto her mother as if she was going to somehow jump up and comfort her and tell it was all a bad dream. That she would suddenly wake up and that horrid beast would no longer be there. That she was only dreaming…She remembered how that beast gazed at her with his red eyes through his white mask…how he laughed, taunting Maya at her efforts of trying to wake up her mother…
She remembered it all too well…
Maya found herself sitting on the floor. She hated thinking back to that day. How she wished she could have saved her mother. How she wished she could have gotten herself to run and warn everyone else in her village about the hallows invading. But she couldn’t…and it all ended up as her mother and her whole village being slaughtered that same day. Maya put a hand over her eyes, sitting in silence for a moment. Maya could feel hot tears running down her cheeks as she sat there alone in silence.
“MAYA!”
Ichigo woke up suddenly. He sat up in bed, breathing heavily. It was the middle of the night and something had woken him up. He had Maya on the mind…and for some strange reason while he slept…he had a dream about a little girl. Her mother was killed by a hallow. He wasn’t sure, but the little girl looked just like Maya. Ichigo sighed heavily as he sat there for a moment, wondering if his question to Maya made a horrible memory come back to her. He could just see her now. Sitting by herself…crying alone…
“ Good job Ichigo. Now you’ve gone and made her cry…”
He sighed to himself again as his closet door slid open once more. He found himself again in the late hour running towards another hallow. Rukia had sent him by himself this time so that she could figure out what was going on with the newly appearing soul tamer. Ichigo managed to find himself at a park, the hallow was already in sight, but it was talking to somebody. He paused, standing there unnoticed by the hallow and who ever he was talking to. He noticed that it was a girl he was talking to. His heart fell when he realized that it was Maya. He wasn’t sure if Maya realized that she was in danger, or that the hallow was even talking to her. The hallow suddenly leaped and began running towards her, shouting at her and was ready to kill her. Ichigo didn’t hesitate for a second. He too was running towards Maya, calling out to her, wanting her to see him, but he knew that she probably couldn’t.
“ Maya! Get out of the way! Run! Can’t you see that you’re in danger?! Move!”
As loud as he could yell, she still did not here him. He noticed that she was drawing out something from her strange outfit that she was wearing. It was the flute she had used a few days ago to calm the little spirit down. Ichigo didn’t have time to try to put the pieces together, he had one thing and one thing only on his mind. He had to save her…
“ MAYA!!”
There was a suddenly flash of blue light and everything seemed to slow down. Ichigo looked up as he got closer to Maya. The hallow was being destroyed, at least that’s what he thought. When the light disappeared there was a little boy’s spirit that clung onto Maya, crying into her stomach. Maya smiled and gently patted the boy on the head as he cried.
“ I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean to try to hurt you honest!”
“ It’s ok. You’re safe now…and besides…Ichigo’s here to make sure that you go into a peaceful place now…so that those nasty hallows won’t try to come after you anymore…”
Ichigo blinked. Maya could see him. She heard him calling out to her to move, but she didn’t. She wanted to turn the hallow back into a spirit. She knew that Ichigo was a soul reaper, but how? Maya looked over and smiled to Ichigo, Ichigo most confused, but he nodded as the little boy’s spirit looked up at him. Ichigo stamped his forehead with the back on his Zanbakuto and watched the boy’s spirit fly away in the form of a butterfly. There was silence between the two for a moment, then Ichigo turned to face Maya.
“ All that time you were standing there…you knew I was here…didn’t you?”
“ Yes…I did. I heard you loud and clear, but I couldn’t let this little boy be tormented anymore…he was forced into becoming a hallow. He was scared…I had to change him back…”
“ So you’re the soul tamer from 10 years ago…you’re…you’re the only that’s left of the whole entire village of Soul Tamers….aren’t you?”
Maya looked up at Ichigo and nodded. She watched him sheath his Zanbakuto and walk towards her quietly. Ichigo paused for a moment and didn’t speak to Maya. He was still trying to figure out this whole thing.
“So…you knew about me…I mean, me being a soul reaper and all…”
“ You and Rukia. I knew that there were reapers living here in the world. I figured that you might have needed help with all the hallows running about. I hope you aren’t mad…or think little of me now. I wasn’t sure if I could trust you…”
“ Is that why you came up to the roof top? You knew I was up there…you could sense me…my spirit energy. You knew exactly where to find me.”
Maya nodded and looked the other way some. She sighed softly in thought before turning back to Ichigo. She knew now she would have to answer all of his questions…and feared that this new discovery would ruin any chance of her actually being able to stay in this world.
“ Yes. All you say is true…”
“ So then why didn’t you just come out and say…”
“ Its hard for me to trust people…in a world that is not my own…”
“ I see…”
Ichigo paused some in thought. Making connections and all. He would have to agree with Maya, it would be hard for anyone to trust anybody or anything in a place that they are not too comfortable or familiar with. In a way he was glad that he was able to figure everything out now. The strange flute, the sudden appearance, being able to get to hallows quicker than he, it all made sense now. Ichigo smiled and looked up at Maya, walking towards her. He watched as Maya looked up at him, blushing softly when he got close to her.
“ Well…I hope you can at least trust me…and Rukia…and the other students at the school. We’re pretty much all harmless you know. So there’s no reason too not to trust us. After all…we’re friends now right?”
Maya looked up at Ichigo for a moment. She could tell in his voice that he was glad to know the truth about her. Even though she wasn’t so sure about the others, it seemed that Ichigo wanted her to trust them…if not all of them then at least himself. Maya smiled some and nodded. The thought of being able to live with him…in his world and be accepted as his friend made her feel happy.
“ Yes…we’re friends…”
