One Tin Soldier

Chapter 3: Written Long Ago

Ichigo whirled around to the kid. "You can see me?" he asked in Japanese.

"Huh? Can you like, uh...speak English?" the kid asked while pointing a stick at him.

"Sorry," Ichigo switched to heavily accented English. Thankfully, he had been taking English as a second language since primary school. His accent was a bit thick, but he could be understood.

The kid asked, "Why shouldn't I see you?"

Ichigo rested Zangetsu casually on his shoulder and sighed. This reminded him when he first met Rukia. "Spirit energy. So who are you, kid?"

"Harry Potter." The messy-haired kid was watching him closely for some reason.

So! This must be the kid his old man wanted to meet. According to the file the old man made him read on the plane, this kid was supposed to be the savior of the Wizarding World. How Goat Face found out that tidbit Ichigo didn't want to know. He suspected Geta Boshi.

Just as the 'Substitute Soul Reaper' was about to introduce himself, he felt it. A pulse. Muramasa spoke in his mind.

"Can you not feel it, Kurosaki Ichigo?" the soft spoken spirit said in his mind. "He looks and feels like Koga. He might be the one I'm waiting for."

"Are you sure?" he asked silently.

"Tell him what a Zanpakuto is, and why he needs to learn my name. Give him the choice."

~~

Harry couldn't believe it! This bloke had the ability to destroy dementors! And what did he mean, could Harry see him?

When he said his name, he waited for the orange-haired man's reaction. There was some but at least he didn't look at the scar.

Harry frowned. "So, what's going on? Who are you, and how did you destroy those dementors?"

"Kurosaki, er gomen. Ichigo Kurosaki," Ichigo said as he stepped closer with his sword still resting on his shoulder. Harry eyed the huge weapon with caution, but decided to lower his wand, for now.

They went over to a park bench. Harry watched as the taller teen re-wrapped his sword and placed it back on his back.

"My English fair," Ichigo said. "I did study in school but..."

Harry listened as Ichigo told him his story – how he, at age fifteen, was attacked by a hollow and how he became a living Soul Reaper Representative. He explained how a hollow was created, and why it was important to purify them before they do too much damage. Then he went on to explain what a Zanpakuto was.

Harry asked a few questions for clarification, but the story sounded as strange as when Hagrid told him he was a wizard.

"I never regret it," Ichigo told him. "Zangetsu is my Zanpakuto, born of my soul. He is more than my partner. He is my everything." Ichigo looked over his shoulder to his Zanpakuto fondly.

Harry listened and wished he had someone, or something, like that. It had been his deepest wish to have someone there for him, for Harry, not the boy-who-lived, not the savior, a wish that had yet to be fulfilled.

"Wait, Kurosaki? As in Masaki Kurosaki?" Harry asked, starting to connect the dots.

"She was my mom. She died when I was nine," Ichigo said sadly. "She was killed by a hollow. I was my fault that she died."

"I understand. My parents died because of me too," Harry said, with a wistful look on his face. "I was fifteen months old when they were murdered. They died to stop the nutcase from killing me."