Here's my second fanfic (though the other one is still in progress XD) but I had this great idea: What if Ichigo attended the Academy with Rukia?

As for the title, I think it just sounds cool, though maybe that's just me! How much relavance it has to the story, well you'll have to figure that out on your own.

Anyway... Thanks for reading! Please Enjoy!

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Rukongai, a place of hardship and struggle where violence was rampant and blood and death was common. It was a resting place for souls, yet a whole new journey of life after death were one would constantly have to watch out for danger. A place of supposed peace, rest, and hope, yet it was rare to see your families from the world of the living. It is place for the dead and yet so many die again.

Rukia placed the ring of flowers on each grave, as she offered her prayers. It was Rukongai and things like this had happened before but … that couldn't stop the heaviness of her heart. She had always feared that this would happen, but she had been too lucky and had foolishly thought that things would stay the same, finally finding a place that she felt she belonged. But, she was wrong.

Rukia stood and turned around to walk to the edge of the ledge where they had buried their friends, no… her family. Renji, the last survivor of her family, like a brother in so many ways, stepped toward the graves to pay his own respects.

Rukia let out a heavy sigh unable to completely convey how she felt; unable to cry. She had grown up surrounded by death and was use to it so no tears would flow. No, tears were a sign of weakness, and now was no time to afford be weak.

"Rukia…" came Renji's voice from behind her, trying to gather his own pent up grief.

She was silent for a moment, thinking, "Renji…"

"Yeah?" was the response.

"Let's become Shinigami." Renji gave his friend a look, trying to figure out what was going on in her mind."

"Let's become Shinigami," Rukia repeated this time more sure of herself. "Then we can live in the Seireitei. They say that life is better there."

Renji thought about what Rukia had just said. If they became Shinigami then life would defiantly better, that is if the made it. Once they became Shinigami then their basic needs would be met unlike here, but there was a lot of risk that came with the job but, then again staying in Rukongai was a pretty risky place itself especially when they lived in District 78. So I guess no matter where we go it really won't matter. But, one gave them more of an opportunity.

"Yeah," agreed Renji. Their friends were all gone; there wasn't any reason to stick around here. "Let's become Shinigami."

It was the first day of classes and the Shinigami Academy was alive with students both old and new. Students littered the front of the huge building, trying to find classes, trying to find dorms, finding friends, goofing off and really anything else that could be seen on the first day of school.

"Uh, Rukia are you sure about this?" Renji felt a little intimidated especially after seeing a bunch of guys walking around with swords at their waists while some others were performing kido spells.

"Oh come on Renji!" Rukia turned toward her friend her hands on her hips, looking serious. "You can't possibly be chickening out now!"

"I'm not chickening out!" yelled Renji, a little too loud, a few people turned to look at him, which immediately made him lower his voice.

"Sure…" said Rukia with a smirk on her face. She knew him way too well for him to try to lie to her.

Renji frowned. Now she was just making fun of him.

"Come on! We passed the entrance exams! Actually, we passed at with high scores. Why wouldn't we belong here?" Renji pointed to a group of pretty big and tough looking students all in their school uniforms and all of them holding swords looking about ready to hurt any unsuspecting newbie.

Rukia sighed, she understood how Renji felt. Growing up in Rukongai made you aware of danger and try to avoid it. But, Rukia was not going to let that happen this time, they weren't in Rukongai anymore. Instead she dragged him to administration office, with him protesting the entire way.

When they reached the office Rukia went up to the desk. (By now she had let go of Renji.) "Umm… excuse us, but we are looking for our schedules." Rukia said to the lady at the desk in her most pleasant voice.

"Oh! Of course dear! Are you new this semester?" Rukia nodded. "What are your names?"

"I'm Rukia and behind me is Renji," replied Rukia.

"Last names?"

"Renji Abarai," answered Renji, finally speaking. The woman reached in her folder to find his schedule and then handed it to him.

"Uh…I…um… I was really young…uh…when–"

"That's all right many who attend the Academy come in without a family name. Many were too young when they died to remember." She gave Rukia an understanding smile.

"But, don't worry, when you graduate you may choose a last name if you wish," said the lady as she handed Rukia her schedule.

Then she addressed both of them. "Well it looks like both of you have been accepted into the advanced classes. Wow! You must have done well on the entrance exams! And I bet you are going to be great Shinigami someday." Rukia gave Renji an I-told-you look which he pretended to ignore.

"Now," said the administrations lady. "Since you are in the more advanced classes, you start today while the regular classes start tomorrow. Since it is the first day, classes don't start until noon, but you need to make sure you're on time. If you're late then you'll be locked out of the class. But, on a lighter note you still have enough time to walk around, get to know the place, and check out your dorms. All the information is on the schedules I just gave you. Now, good luck!"

Rukia and Renji bowed to the helpful woman and said, "Thank you" before heading of the office.

Once they got out side they pulled out their schedules to compare.

"Well," said Rukia quickly looking over the papers. "It looks like we are pretty much in the same classes and looks like our main teacher is a man named Gengoro Ounabara."

"That's a weird name," commented Renji. "So which dorm are you in?" The dorms were separated a lot like Rukongai was. There were four, huge main dorm buildings each labeled North, South, East, and West. The buildings were all coed and completely mixed, though the actual rooms stay same sex.

"I'm in the Southern dorm," said Rukia. "Which looks like it's the farthest one from the classrooms. What about you?"

"I'm in the Northern dorm, on the opposite side of the Academy," answered Renji. "It looks like they really mix everyone up. It's probably so we get to meet new people."

"Yeah…" replied Rukia "Well at least we're in all of the same classes, so we'll still see each other."

"You're right. There's nothing we can really do about that," said Renji.

They spent most of the morning looking around the Academy, finding their classrooms and walking the grounds. They decided to spend the last hour to see their dorm rooms. They decided to split up for that since they were going to opposite sides of the campus.

After spending the first half hour walking to and searching for her dorm room, Rukia finally found hers. It was a relatively small and contained two beds, both unoccupied. It looked like her roommate still hadn't arrived yet.

Rukia threw herself down on the on the bed to the right and looked up at the ceiling letting out a sigh of relief. She had made it. She had passed the exams with high scores which earned her a seat in the advanced classes. Rukia smiled to herself, this was it. Maybe here she could start a new beginning. And with these thoughts in mind she slowly fell asleep.

When Renji, got to his dormitory, his roommate wasn't there either, but, one of the beds did have a bunch of belongings on it. It looked like they had come and then left. Renji threw his small bag of few belongings and also a bag that contained the uniforms that were distributed to them, onto the bed.

Renji looked at the clock: 11:40. He should probably get to class. He didn't want to be late on the first day, it would be better to get there early. So, he quickly changed into his uniform and left the room.

When Renji entered the room, he saw that it was set up in an auditorium style, with each row being higher than the one in front. In addition, the tables were set up so that two people sat at each desk.

The teacher Gengoro Ounabara was a rather large bald man who had huge glasses and thick, angry eyebrows. Ounabara looked to see the red headed student who had just walked in.

"Who are you?" he stated.

Renji turned toward the professor. "Uh…Renji Abarai…um sir."

"Renji Abarai," repeated Ounabara checking off the name on his list. "You may sit over there next Izuru Kira. He is the one with the blonde hair."

Renji immediately spotted said person and walked over to his new seat. Once he sat down they made their introductions.

"Hi I'm Izuru Kira," greeted Izuru putting out his hand.

Renji took his hand. "Renji Abarai."

After the introductions were made they became quiet and Izuru was returning to what he was doing before, which was evidently looking at some girl at the front of the class.

Renji looked at the girl who had caught his desk partner's attention. She was smaller, probably around Rukia's height and had dark hair that was pulled back into two short pony tails.

"Well, I guess she is pretty, though not really my type," said Renji.

Izuru jumped and turned the color of Renji's hair.

"Do you know her?" asked Renji.

"I…uh…no, not really," said Izuru. "I just saw her come in a few minutes before you did."

"Well why don't you go up to her and at least ask her what her name is?"

"It's not that easy!" he whispered loudly.

Renji smirked at what looked like a new friend. "Well you're going to have to do it sometime if you ever want to ask her out."

Izuru replied with a blush.

Rukia sat up groggily in bed as she woke up. She then, caught sight of the clock and her eyes went wide. It was eleven fifty which meant that she only had ten minutes to get to class.

Now awake, Rukia shot up and jumped out of bed. She ripped open her bag and pulled out her uniform, threw it on, grabbed her books, and dashed out the door.

As Rukia ran toward the classroom building, she became very thankful that she had always been a fast runner, but she cursed whatever idiot decided to build the Southern Dorm so far away.

She was coming around the back of the school running toward the front at top speed, getting closer as she went. Then as Rukia was rounding the corner towards the front then…CRASH!

Rukia went into a full on collision. She was thrown back on to the ground, books and papers flying everywhere. What idiot wasn't watching where they were going? Now she really was going to be late.

"Watch where you're going!" Rukia yelled looking up to glare at the person who had unceremoniously crashed into her.

When Rukia finally looked up, she got a good look at the person who was going to make her late. He was tall (though most people were taller than her) and dressed in the same uniform that she was now wearing. The most notable characteristic was his hair which was bright orange. On any other day she would have found his hair to be almost comically, but today she as late and getting mad and this boy was going to have to suffer her wrath for making her late.

"Me!?!" shouted the boy now looking up himself to glare at the petite girl with his brown eyes. "What the hell did I do?! You're the one who crashed into me!"

"Are you blaming me?!?" Now dark Rukia was coming out. This guy didn't know who he was dealing with. She stood up just to show him.

"And what if I am you freaking midget!" yelled the boy. He too, stood up, towering over her.

Rukia stared the tall boy down, giving him a cold, deadly stare which made him pull back a little, looking uncertain.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALL ME!?!" shouted Rukia, sending one of her most powerful kicks directly at his shin.

As she made her mark the boy let out a yell, "What the fuck!?!" Pain was shooting through his leg as he wondered how the hell he was still standing.

"Now," said Rukia a little calmer now that she had released some of that anger, yet her voice was still cool. She picked up her books. "Get out of my way," she finished, pushing by him causing him to fall back onto the ground as she picked up her speed again and raced to class.

Today was not a good day for Ichigo Kurosaki. First, he had the stupid entrance exams; the examiner took one look at him with his scowl and attitude and immediately put him in the regular classes not even paying attention to the results of his exam. Then, at the administration's office some lady which he found to be way to cheery gave him his schedule and then directed him to where to get his uniform. After that he ran into some students who were looking for trouble. They immediately came after Ichigo, even going for the swords at their belts. Fortunately, Ichigo was a lot faster than they were and even though he didn't know how to use a sword, he was first class when it came to martial arts.

Now, some midget decides to ram into him and then blame the entire thing on him. In fact, he was still on the ground and a little dazed at what had just happened. He would have to say though, his shin was still hurting. Damn it, he better be able to walk.

When Ichigo finally stood up, he still felt pain coming from his leg, but it wasn't as bad as it was before. He grumbled as he picked up his things that were scattered around him and then headed off to find his dorm.

Rukia ran down the halls, desperately trying to get to her class. The corridor was mostly empty which made her nervous; it meant that the classes would have most likely already started.

She finally spotted the classroom door which she could see was just closing. Rukia tried to speed up but, she was running out of energy. Then as she came up to the door, she saw it shut completely and heard the soft click of the lock. Rukia came to the front of the door and tried to open it.

The door didn't budge. She was breathing heavily trying to catch her breath while glaring at the door in frustration. Damn that stupid orange head! If it wasn't for him then maybe she could have made it to her class!

She sighed. I guess I might as well wait here. Maybe they'll open the door, she thought as she slumped against the wall and sank to the floor.

After what seemed like hours the classroom door opened. Rukia immediately stood up, but she was un able to enter because a bunch of students came out. They were all laughing and talking about class with new friends.

Then Rukia spotted Renji coming out. She was about to call out to him was she noticed that he was completely absorbed in a conversation with a blonde hair boy. Rukia was unable to hear what they were saying from where she was, but, she could see that Renji was laughing and smiling and looked like he was having a good time with his new friend.

Rukia's face fell. He hadn't even noticed her. She wasn't that short. Rukia watched them walk down the hall. Well at least he wasn't so nervous anymore; it looked like he was actually enjoying himself. She hadn't seen him like this since their friends were alive.

Rukia jumped when she heard a voice address her from behind.

"May I help you?" Rukia turned around to come face to face with who she assumed to be the teacher.

"Um…I-I was supposed to be in this class... um," said Rukia, she suddenly became very nervous.

"Then I presume that you are Rukia. Am I right?" He looked down at Rukia with a hard look.

"Yes, sir."

"Well then Rukia-san," said Ounabara. "Would you answer a question for me?"

"Um…sure." What was going to happen to her now?

"Rukia-san, could you tell me what is a shinigami's job?" questioned Ounabara.

"T-To kill hollows and to help souls get to the Soul Society," answered Rukia. Why was he asking her such a basic question?

"Now, Rukia-san," he continued. "Why must a Shinigami kill Hollows?"

"Uh…To protect other souls." Rukia was getting confused.

"So Rukia-san if you were a Shinigami and you were assigned to kill a hollow what would happen if you were late?"

Rukia tensed up, she knew were this was going now. "The hollow would eat the soul."

"Correct," said Ounabara. "Then you will understand why I will not let you into this class." Rukia looked up at him, her eyes wide. This is what she had feared.

"Now, please leave," the teacher said turning back toward his classroom.

"Wait! Ounabara-san!" Rukia yelled. She immediately shrunk back after she realized what she had said. Ounabara turned back towards her, obviously waiting for her to continue. "…um…what- what I am supposed to do now?"

Ounabara sighed. "Well I would suggest that you go to administration and get a new schedule which will put you in the regular class, maybe something that you could handle. I don't think they mind if you're late to those classes." And with that he turned around and shut the door.

Rukia just stood there for a moment, absorbing all that he had just told her. Then she hung her head in shame and disappointment as she turned around and slowly walked away.

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Okay. So what do you think about it so far? Please Review. Tell me what you think (positive reviews are prefered!)

Also, if you have any suggestions, just let me know, because though I did have an good idea of what I'm going to do, there are some places that I have some flexibility.

A/N: The whole thing with the last names. We all know Rukia isn't part of the Kuchiki Family yet, but with Renji lets just say the only thing he remembers about his previous life was his name, I didn't want too many people only using their given names, so it will probably just be Rukia who is like that.

Thanks for reading!

~StrawberryShinigami