Bleach: Cherry blossom (fan fiction)

Chapter 5- The reason...

Continuation of where Ping told Atsuko her real name..

200 years ago...

Atsuko's Pov

".. Erika. (Aka, Eri)." I froze in shock, while Eri tried to snap me out of it. I finally snapped out of it and gripped her shoulders. "Don't tell m-me--- your part of this group?" I stuttered.

She nodded and pulled out her sword. I stared amazed at the artwork of her sword-- but she is supposed to have a bow, like other quinces. "Why don't you have a bow like the other quincies?"

I asked out of curiosity. She smiled and patted my head though her smile was kind of sad. "I'm half shinigami and half quincy and half human. It's really complicated so... yeah." That's what she had told me before the next day, sensei had announced that Erika had transferred to another school. I wasn't surprised nor was I even sad because.. Eri was there when I had killed my parents as well as her's.

~ Story End ~

I return back to reality and I had a strange feeling. I felt Cheriaya's reiatsu get closer and closer to Division 13's head quarter. I quickly hid behind Riko and someone sliced open the doors with one swing of the blade. Riko stared carefully at the way Milora was swung by Cheriaya.

"My, my... It seems that Milora-dono has something decisive up her sleeves," Riko said casually. I peered over her shoulders and saw the flame red hair swaying with the motion of the fire. Milora was known as the Queen of Hell, but I thought that was just legends.. BUT I see Milora in person.

That almost gave me a heart attack. Cheriaya was always popular because of her crimson red hair and her crescent white eyes. She was like a maiden that had been blinded by the frenzied flames.

"Long time no see, Atsu-chin. Did you miss us?" Cheriaya swayed her hair out of her eyes. I stare, horrified of what I saw. It couldn't be-- Cheriaya's left eye was gone. Over it was a black eye patch with a huge scar sliced in between her eyeball. Riko gave a look of disgust while rasing her sword at Milora. Milora clucks her tongue "tch". "Let's go somewhere else, Riko-nee."

Riko hesitated then hands me one of her sword and flash steps after Milora. I never knew that Riko had various swords. But, instead of Cheriaya attacking me, she ran up to me and embraced me. I sort of.. uh.. reacted to it with a slap on Cheriaya's head. She yelped but still clung on to me like a panda.

"Hey? Why are you hugging me when you said you wanted to kill me?" I asked kind of afraid to hear what she was going to reply. She snickered and pulled something out of her pocket. It was the pendant that I gave to Eri before all the drama had happened. I pulled my side of the pendant to click on to the other piece.

Cheriaya said, "Ping knew that you would have killed her parents. That's why she never mentioned it to you until that day when you met.. him. You, back then, had no idea what kind of pain she went through with him. Everyday after class, she'd go and do her so called, Special Training but look at her now. Ping ended up with those disgusting quincies and now I'm stuck with her because she would've killed herself if I wasn't around to control her. Do you know what Ping and I have been through, huh?" 

I had no courage to reply back. I don't know what to say or what to do. If only Ping had listened to me when I was telling her that she should go with me to the Soul Society. But she refused my offer and left off without a single word said. Why should I get involved when it was all her fault? Cheriaya yanked my sleeve and I snapped back.

"So... what do you think about fighting me?" Cheriaya asked sinister. I glared at her and swung my sword at her. 

"Try me," I finally said.