Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ The Memories Long Forgotten ❯ Even in Death ( Chapter 2 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: TheSorrowfulVampress 
Chapter 2:
Life isn't all daisies and roses. But it's not all bad, as Ichigo comes to realize.
This is our first 'sight' of Byakuya!
Anime/Manga: Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Comedy | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 01.24.2009 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 487 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 2:
Life isn't all daisies and roses. But it's not all bad, as Ichigo comes to realize.
This is our first 'sight' of Byakuya!
Anime/Manga: Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Comedy | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 01.24.2009 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 487 | Status: Work In Progress
Here's the next chapter! I hope you like it!
The Memories Long Forgotten
Chapter Two
Even in Death
-
Ichigo nimbly dodged Ganju and his green-clad companion when he returned to K’s shoe-shaped home. He ignored the older man’s attempts at getting him to stop and slipped into his room, blocking the sliding door with a pole as soon as he closed it. He really didn’t want to have to deal with whatever weird person Ganju had brought over now.
“Stupid,” he muttered. “He’s really stupid. They’re all stupid!”
“I’m hurt, Ichigo!” a familiar feminine voice whined.
He whirled, his eyes widening. “How the hell’d you get in here?!” he demanded, irritated.
“Through the door. I got here a minute ago,” the purple haired woman answered.
He glared and opened the door. “Scram. I don’t want to have anything to do with you weirdoes,” he professed.
“Ichi-kun’s so cruel!” someone announced. The man in green that had been with Ganju earlier stepped in, shooting Yoruichi a fond look. “How could you be so mean?!” he whined.
“Easily. Beat it. Both of you. I don’t want you here; I never said you could come, so go. Bother. Ganju… -san.”
Yoruichi snickered. “What manners!”
Ichigo sighed. “Please. Just go,” he muttered, really wishing they would just leave.
He didn’t expect both of them to freeze with his words, turning toward him in tandem. Yoruichi blinked and the man stared at him strangely. “Ganju-kun was right, then. You have changed,” he commented.
“The old you would have picked a fight,” Yoruichi added, blinking several times.
“Well, I’m not the same guy you two supposedly knew. I’m not some rough and tumble guy as Ganju-san seems to think, and I sure as hell don’t appreciate you people bugging me day in and day out.” He pointed to the door again, glaring at them. “Go. I don’t want to see you ever again.”
Yoruichi sighed and rose from her seat on his futon, bringing him to notice that she was clothed this time. “Alright, Kisuke. Let’s go, as he wishes. Don’t wanna scare him off, right?” She walked to the door and stopped, placing a hand on his shoulder. “If you ever need anything, anything at all, just let us know. Okay, Ichigo?”
He made a noncommittal noise and jerked his head toward the door. They left and he collapsed on his futon, closing his eyes. He didn’t want to have to deal with this.
“Ichi-nii! Watch this!” Karin cried.
He turned and gaped as his sister balanced herself on top of a swing-set, teetering precariously. “Karin! You idiot!” he shouted, running forward.
She slipped on the rain-wet bar and fell. He got to her in a matter of seconds. “Karin. Are you okay?” he asked.
“Ich-Ichi-nii?” she whispered, looking up at him. Tears were pooling in her eyes and she winced when he touched her ankle.
“You hurt it, didn’t you? Stupid.” He lifted her and started toward the clinic. “Goat-face’s gonna be mad, Karin. Don’t do something so stupid, okay?”
She nodded and buried her head in his jacket. “Y-yes, Ichi-nii,” she mumbled.
“Karin...” He shook his head and tightened his grip on the little girl.
Ichigo sat up straight, pouring sweat. It was sometime in the middle of the night and deathly silent. He was hungry. Had he missed dinner? He didn’t remember eating, so he must have.
Karin… Who was Karin?
He shook off the thought and wandered down to the kitchen. It was pitch black and the cooks seemed to have left for the night. He rummaged around and made a sandwich of turkey slices and pickles, munching on it absently. He didn’t feel like dealing with all these weird people anymore. All they did was come up to him and say “Ichigo! Ichigo! You forgot me! I’ve known you!” It annoyed him. With a sigh, he made a decision.
He was going to leave.
-
Ichigo slipped out the door in the wee hours of the morning, leaving only a note behind.
Shiba-san,
Forgive my abrupt departure. However, I’m not comfortable living under your roof and I have set off to find my own way. I thank you for keeping me for however long you did.
-Kurosaki Ichigo
They’d find it in the morning.
-
Two days later found Ichigo sleeping in an alleyway of Rukongai district forty two. Well, sleeping was an exaggeration. He wasn’t comfortable enough to sleep. Of course, he didn’t regret leaving the Shiba house one bit. He was helping people left and right. In fact, an old couple had given him some money – which he’d initially denied but ended up keeping anyway – the day before.
A lonely young woman had offered to let him live with her the first night, but he’d turned her down, saying he was searching for something. When asked what, he didn’t have an answer for her. He didn't have an answer for any questions anymore. He didn't know anything. It was stupid, lonely and pointless and he didn't exactly know how to deal with it.
Ichigo sighed, wishing he had some form of protection, and went to sleep.
-
“Hey, hey! Wake up, Sutorenja-san!”
Ichigo groaned and opened his eyes, blinking at the doe-eyed, brown haired girl leaning over him. “What?” he moaned, sitting up.
She grinned down at him. “Hiya! Sutorenja-san? Could you give me a hand? My little brother’s stuck!” She pointed above them where a tree towered above the buildings. A little boy was staring down at them in sheer terror near the very top. The slender arm of wood was bending dangerously, seeming about to break.
Ichigo sighed. “Yeah. I got it,” he agreed, standing. He walked over to the tree and looked up at the kid. “You okay up there?” he asked.
The boy whimpered. “Help me, Sutorenja-sama!”
Ichigo nodded and hopped up, his fingers wrapping easily around the lowest branch. He hoisted his body up onto that branch and reached for the next one. Soon enough, he was two or three branches below the boy. He stood up and reached out for him. “Come on! I’ve got you!” he said calmly.
The boy gulped and nodded, then dropped from his branch. He landed in Ichigo’s arms, but the jarring movements caused Ichigo’s branch to break with a clean, loud ‘snap’. The two plummeted. Ichigo caught a branch and tossed them so that they wouldn’t land on the fallen limb and injure themselves. He distantly heard several screams. The orange-haired man sailed through the air and landed on his feet in the alleyway, bending his knees as he made impact to prevent himself from breaking a bone, though he did twist his ankle.
After sitting still for a moment, the boy broke the tense silence as he started to sob, wrapping his arms around Ichigo’s neck. A crowd gathered around Ichigo as the man stood, holding the boy close as he tried to calm him down.
“We’re fine. Okay? You’re safe,” he murmured, bouncing the kid gently in his arms.
“’Nii-chan?” a voice called out. The girl from before was standing beside Ichigo, a concerned look on her face.
“He’s fine. Just a little spooked,” he reassured her.
“Oh. Okay,” she agreed. “Give him to me. I’ve gotta bring him home,” she said, reaching out to take the much smaller boy.
Ichigo handed him over without further coercion. “Here. Be good,” he said. He patted her on the head and ruffled the boy’s hair before motioning for them to take off. Once they were gone, he dodged the numerous questions and slipped into a nearby tea shop.
A woman showed him to a seat and asked for his order, then bustled off to fill it. He dropped his head into his hands and blew out a long, slow breath of relief. His heart was just barely starting to slow. When he’d fallen, the only thing on his mind had been saving them. He’d acted purely on instinct when he’d caught onto the branch and vaulted himself to safety. It was like a fail-safe or something.
“Here’s your tea, sir!” the waitress chirped, placing the pot down on a coaster in front of him and the cup on a plate between him and the pot. “It’s already paid for!”
He blinked and looked up at her. “Wha…? Who?” he asked, disoriented.
She giggled. “The man over there! I think he’s a captain of the Gotei 13. My, he’s handsome!” With a jerk of her head, she indicated a man sitting in the very farthest seat from the door, in the corner.
He was staring down at his tea, not paying any apparent attention to anything else. He wore a shihakusho like the woman and the redhead he’d seen a few days ago. Except he had a white open haori on over it, the lettering for ‘roku’ on the shoulder and back, as far as Ichigo could see. His long hair tumbled over his shoulders in a flawless river of black, several pieces of what looked like cardboard holding out of his face, and a white scarf was wrapped loosely around his neck and shoulders.
After a moment, he looked up and met Ichigo’s gaze, then incline his head in greeting. Unlike the others, he didn’t seem interested in confronting Ichigo directly, making the boy wonder if they’d even known each other when he was alive. It was possible. Maybe they just weren’t friends or something.
“Tell him I said thanks,” Ichigo informed the patiently waiting waitress.
She beamed. “I’m sure he’ll be delighted!”
He didn’t even spare her a glance as she flitted off to Kami-knows-where. Staring down at his tea, he started to feel annoyingly depressed. He didn’t really know anyone and he seriously didn’t care. It would be nice to have a friend, but he didn’t really want some annoyingly eccentric person hanging off of him, trying to get him to meet people he didn’t care to know again. He didn’t want his memories back.
He didn’t want to know the people he dreamed about. Karin… Or Yuzu. And especially not ‘Goat-face’, though he doubted that that was the man’s real name. It didn’t really matter to him, either way. Those people were part of the past and he was in the present.
He didn’t want to be in the past.
“Excuse me, sir?” the waitress said, stepping up next to him.
He looked up to see her blushing, pale blonde tresses tied up in a messy bun. “Yeah?”
“Um…” She bit her lip and tapped her fingers together. “I’m Saya…”
“Ichigo,” he answered automatically. “You wanna have tea with me?”
She blinked and smiled, obviously pleased with the question. “Yes,” she said.
“What’s your full name?”
“Mitsuki. I’m Mitsuki Saya!”
“Kurosaki Ichigo.” He flashed her a grin and leaned forward, the strange man in the corner already forgotten. “Well, Saya-chan. I heard there’s a festival in town tonight. You wanna go with me?”
She beamed. “Yes! I’d love to, Kurosaki-kun!”
“Great. When do you finish work?”
“Ten minutes ago, actually.” She blushed. “I stayed on, ‘cause… I thought… you were cute.”
Ichigo laughed. “Well, I guess that’s good, huh?” He winked. “You’re cute too, Saya-chan.”
“Kurosaki-kun!” She blushed prettily.
Ichigo wouldn’t dwell on the past or the people he dreamed about. He’d focus solely on the present. And maybe the future… a little. “Really cute.” He leaned forward even more.
-
Twenty weeks. He was going on twenty weeks since he’d met Saya and they’d started dating. He’d stayed in the town and learned the siblings’ names. The little girl was Sakura and the boy was Yuusuke. Both were orphans and hung around him more often than not. Sakura seemed to have a tiny crush on Ichigo.
And Yuusuke followed him around with something close to hero worship. He’d even been asked by one of the town’s elders to take care of them and keep them out of trouble. It seemed to be working out so far.
“Sakura! Yuusuke!” Ichigo called as he entered the small house the three had been staying in. Saya still lived with her father, step-mother and adopted older brother, choosing to stay there rather than uproot. Ichigo didn’t really mind. It was Saya’s choice.
“Here!” two voices chorused. Sakura and Yuusuke dashed into the foyer to meet him, both wrapping their arms around his waist.
“Hey, guys! What’s up?” he asked, chuckling as he patted their heads.
Sakura lifted her head. “We have a visitor,” she said.
“You smell like tea,” Yuusuke added.
“I work at a tea shop,” Ichigo reminded the boy. He looked at Sakura, switching gears without too much difficulty. “A visitor? What kind of visitor?”
“He’s pretty! Like a princess!” Yuusuke chirped happily, beaming up at his more-or-less adopted father.
“You moron! He’s a captain, I said! He said it too!” Sakura objected, pulling on her brother’s ear.
“Hey, hey!” Ichigo protested, pulling them apart. “That’s enough of that. Show me to this visitor,” he ordered, smiling slightly when Sakura snapped to attention and tugged her little brother off into another room.
Ichigo followed and stepped in to find the man from his first day in the tea shop. He sat ramrod-straight on a cushion, hands folded in his lap, and his face carefully blank. Upon seeing Ichigo, however, he seemed a bit relieved.
“Uh, hey,” the orange-haired man said softly. “Can I help you with something?”
The man tilted his head slightly to the side. “That depends. I doubt you would want to, but I’ve been pestered to make an appearance.”
Ichigo blinked. “Pestered? By who?”
“KShihouin-san, and my sister, to name a few,” he stated dryly. “I am Kuchiki Byakuya-taicho of the sixth division, Gotei 13. Forgive my intruding. However, my sister is quite… persuasive.” He managed a faintly chagrined look.
Ichigo cracked a smile. “Is she the annoying one that hangs around that redhead? Er… Rukia? Was it Rukia?” His eyes found the ceiling as he tried to remember. He idly scratched his stomach, hungry.
“That would be correct. And the redhead you mentioned is my fukutaicho, Abarai Renji,” Byakuya answered.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Kuchiki-san,” Ichigo replied. “I don’t much care to contact anyone I knew ‘before’, if you don’t mind,” he said, making air quotes with his fingers.
“That is fine. At least Rukia cannot say that I did not try.” He stood and inclined his head. “I will go, then, Kurosaki.”
“Hey, I didn’t say you had to leave!” Ichigo protested, laughing. “After all, I should repay you for the tea, right?”
Byakuya seemed surprised for a moment. But then he tipped his head slightly in a manner that Ichigo took as consent. “That is fine.”
Sakura and Yuusuke, who’d been silent up until now, cheered.
-
Saya came over a little after dark. She greeted Sakura and Yuusuke in the hallway and meandered into the sitting room. Her face filled with surprise when her eyes landed on Ichigo and Byakuya playing Mah-Jongg. “Ichigo? Who… Who’s this?” she asked.
He looked up and smiled. “Saya! Hey! I didn’t expect you over today! Um, this is Kuchiki Byakuya-san. He’s paying a visit.” He stood and reached out for her.
She took a step back and lowered her gaze. “Ichigo… I… Wanted to tell you something. We… I can’t see you anymore.”
His arm dropped and the smile fell from his face. “What do you mean?” he asked uncertainly, refraining from wringing his hands.
“My father betrothed me to a minor noble in Rukon 54. Shinichi or something. I’m sorry, Ichigo. Really. But I can’t screw this up. If I do, father will get angry. And he’ll lose this chance, so… You understand, don’t you?” She looked back up at him, desperate.
“Yeah. That’s fine.” He smiled. “Go on. If you ever need a friend, I’ll find you."
She smiled in relief. "Thank you so much, Kurosaki-kun!" She bowed, hugged the children, and left.
Sakura looked up at Ichigo. "Does this mean we won't see her again?" she asked sadly.
He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm leaving in the morning, if you guys wanna come with, you can," he said with a shrug before turning to Byakuya. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Kuchiki-san. I must get packed, now, though, so I'll be seeing you."
"May I ask a favor, first?" Byakuya asked, some unnamed emotion flitting through his eyes.
Ichigo blinked, in the middle of turning away, and looked at the noble. "Uh... Sure, I guess."
"Hold up your hand."
Ichigo obliged, slightly confused, his palm facing out. "Now what?"
"Palm up." When Ichigo complied, he continued. "Now, focus all of your anger, frustration, sadness, happiness and everything else. Imagine that you're putting it all in your hand, all balled up and ready for use as you see fit."
Ichigo, still a bit bemused, obeyed. A flicker of movement caught his attention and he looked down at his hand. A small ball of blue was starting to form, growing bigger by the second. He gasped in surprise and it vanished. The strawberry man looked up at Byakuya, stunned.
"It is as I thought," Kuchiki murmured, almost to himself. "You still have your shinigami powers. You should think about joining the academy, though it's your choice." He inclined his head and started to the door. "Thank you for showing me that, Kurosaki-san, I will leave as you wish now."
Ichigo watched him go.
-
Ichigo and the children left early the next morning. While Yuusuke seemed ecstatic for the change, Sakura didn't appear to be too sure, trailing along behind them quietly. She cast the village she'd come to call home longing looks, often enough that Ichigo stopped just past the last house and turned to her, kneeling down to be eye-to-eye with his adopted companion.
"Sakura, go back. I don't want to force you to come," he said softly, encouragingly.
Her eyes widened as she looked at him. "But-"
"Go back, Sakura-chan," he insisted. "This village is your home. It has been since you came here, and I didn't mean to make you think that you had an obligation to come with me. Okay?" He glanced over his shoulder at where Yuusuke was waiting anxiously. "The same goes for you, Yuu," he added, ignoring the pun. "You don't have to come either."
Yuusuke's response wasn't really a surprise. "Are you kidding?!" the boy shouted in exasperation. "This is the adventure of a lifetime, and you're telling me to go home like some scared little girl?! No way!"
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Honestly," he muttered. From the boy's reaction, you could almost think Ichigo had demanded something rediculous like him actually being a girl in disguise. "Fine, fine, you can come." He switched his attention back to Sakura only to find that she had a determined look in her doe-like brown eyes.
"I'm coming," she said softly, smiling at Ichigo. "And don't try to convince me to stay, 'cause there's nothing else left for me. Not here."
Ichigo sighed, grumbling under his breath about stubborn kids. "Fine, fine." He stood and smiled down at the little girl. "You can come, but don't complain about it sometime down the road," he warned. "It's gonna be uncomfortable. It'll be dangerous, and oftentimes, it'll seem like the entire world is out to get us, but we just gotta keep going. Keep moving on." He patted her head. "Let's go."
-
"Ichigo-chan," Yuusuke shouted over the wind rushing in their ears. "Would this be one of those times that the world seems out to get us?" he asked.
Ichigo gritted his teeth and hefted both children, one in each arm. It had probably been a bad idea to cross through Zaraki. Okay, scratch that, it had been a bad idea. Though it was only a minor part of Zaraki, and he had figured it wouldn't be too much of a problem, it turned out to be more dangerous than he initially thought. "Yeah, Yuu, that's right," he muttered.
The strawberry man suddenly felt an immense surge of power a little ways to his right.
"Shit."
"Watch your mouth, idiot!" Sakura shouted, attempting to hit her brother. Really, it was amazing the things the little girl heard.
"Don't swear, Yuusuke," Ichigo muttered, picking up the pace. "Keep your eyes out for a cave or something, guys."
Sakura nodded, though you couldn't really tell with the amount of bouncing she was doing. Yuusuke didn't answer, instead choosing to look over his shoulder at the group of men chasing after them. "Yanno, this is your fault, Saku-chan," he stated blithely.
She gasped in outrage. "Is not! How was I to know his mother died?" she shouted.
"Enough," Ichigo snapped before it got any worse. "Are we getting away, Yuu?" he asked the little boy, not wanting to chance looking behind on the off chance that they weren't.
"Nope."
"Great."
"Over there!" Sakura and Yuusuke suddenly shouted in tandem, the little girl pointing to a small hole in the side of a nearby cliff.
Ichigo veered toward it and pushed the children inside, turning to face the group of men as they caught up. There was about twenty in all, not including that monster power surge still heading in their direction. Judging by the group's nervous shifting, they knew who it was, and he wasn't one of them. Ichigo gulped.
And then, he broke the tree-line. His size fit nicely with his power and the blood-thirsty grin on his face. On his shoulder sat a happily grinning pink-haired little girl. On either side of him were two men, who both promptly flitted to either side of Ichigo. The bald man grinned at the orange-haired man, holding up a rather large sword.
"This is yers, Ichigo," he said, holding it out for Ichigo to take.
Hesitantly, Ichigo took it. The second his fingers wrapped around the bandage-covered hilt, he felt a sense of peace swim through him like nothing he'd ever known. It was like a piece of him he hadn't known was there had suddenly awoken, making him more sure of himself and more powerful than ever.
Two presenses awoke in his mind, one brighter than the sun, the other as dark as a moonless night. But both were undoubtably on his side. Both were unmistakably him, but not. As if he had three different souls living in his rather average body, all the same of mind, but different in spirit.
"Ossan," he whispered, the title coming to him out of nowhere.
Ichigo. It has been too long, a voice whispered inside his mind.
Before he could reply further, something heavy and wholly unwelcome landed on his shoulders. One look revealed the little girl that had previously adorned the large man who was now fighting the group of thugs single-handedly, laughing as if he were having the most fun of his life.
"Hiya, Ichi!" the child chirped, grinning.
Ichigo stared at her. "Do I know you?"
Unperturbed, she nodded and giggled. "Yep! I'm Yachiru! Look at Ken-chan!" She pointed toward the big man, grinning happily. "Doesn't he look like he's havin' fuuuuuuun?!" she cheered, starting to bounce on Ichigo's shoulder.
Ichigo could feel a headache coming on, and from the look on the others' faces, he wasn't alone. "Right..."
And then, before Ichigo really had a chance to adjust himself to the presence of these strangers, the big man - 'Ken-chan', if he recalled correctly - finished off the last one, leaving behind a pile of mush and blood. He walked to the small group, taking his time, grin growing on his scarred face. "Heya, Ichi," he rumbled once he stopped in front of the smaller man. "Feel like a fight?"
Ichigo took a step back, horror crossing his face. "No way! Are you nuts?!"
The man snickered. "Even withou' those mem'ries o' yers, ya still have th' same reaction."
Ichigo shook his head. "Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded, his brow drawing together as a scowl formed on his face.
The man shrugged. "I'm Kenpachi. This is Yachiru, Yumichika, and Ikkaku," he said, motioning boredly to each person as he said their names.
Yumichika smiled, and one could almost see little sparkles around his head. "We were on a patrol with some others of our squad when we felt your reiatsu," he explained, distractedly trying to beckon Yachiru off of Ichigo's shoulders.
She didn't budge and he gave up.
"My what?" Ichigo wondered. "What a 'reiatsu'?"
Yumichika was about to explain when Yachiru suddenly caught sight of Sakura, who was peeking out of the small cave, and dove down to talk to her. When things started getting a little too rough for the otherwise tomboyish little girl, Ichigo snagged Yachiru up and held her out to Kenpachi.
"This is yours," he stated, looking straight into the big man's eyes. "Take her, your friends, and go."
Yuusuke protested instantly, bringing the focus of the group onto him. "No! He seems cool! Why don't we just hang with them for a night!"
Yumichika nodded and winked at Kenpachi, who shifted nervously at the action. "Give us the night to explain some things, and then if you still feel like leaving in the morning, we won't stop you. Okay?"
Ichigo was about to say no when he happened to look at Sakura and Yuusuke. They were both staring up at him hopefully, silently pleading with him to agree. And damn him if he couldn't just say no. He was damned. "Fine. One night." He plugged his ears at the resulting childish cheering, wincing at their volume.
Kenpachi grinned. "It's gonna be a fun night."
Yumichika shot down the bigger man's bloodthirsty grin with a wink in his direction. Kenpachi shuddered and Ichigo decided he liked Yumichika.
-
Blah, that was terrible. I didn't think this would be so popular, but thank you all so much for reading and reviewing.
The Memories Long Forgotten
Chapter Two
Even in Death
-
Ichigo nimbly dodged Ganju and his green-clad companion when he returned to K’s shoe-shaped home. He ignored the older man’s attempts at getting him to stop and slipped into his room, blocking the sliding door with a pole as soon as he closed it. He really didn’t want to have to deal with whatever weird person Ganju had brought over now.
“Stupid,” he muttered. “He’s really stupid. They’re all stupid!”
“I’m hurt, Ichigo!” a familiar feminine voice whined.
He whirled, his eyes widening. “How the hell’d you get in here?!” he demanded, irritated.
“Through the door. I got here a minute ago,” the purple haired woman answered.
He glared and opened the door. “Scram. I don’t want to have anything to do with you weirdoes,” he professed.
“Ichi-kun’s so cruel!” someone announced. The man in green that had been with Ganju earlier stepped in, shooting Yoruichi a fond look. “How could you be so mean?!” he whined.
“Easily. Beat it. Both of you. I don’t want you here; I never said you could come, so go. Bother. Ganju… -san.”
Yoruichi snickered. “What manners!”
Ichigo sighed. “Please. Just go,” he muttered, really wishing they would just leave.
He didn’t expect both of them to freeze with his words, turning toward him in tandem. Yoruichi blinked and the man stared at him strangely. “Ganju-kun was right, then. You have changed,” he commented.
“The old you would have picked a fight,” Yoruichi added, blinking several times.
“Well, I’m not the same guy you two supposedly knew. I’m not some rough and tumble guy as Ganju-san seems to think, and I sure as hell don’t appreciate you people bugging me day in and day out.” He pointed to the door again, glaring at them. “Go. I don’t want to see you ever again.”
Yoruichi sighed and rose from her seat on his futon, bringing him to notice that she was clothed this time. “Alright, Kisuke. Let’s go, as he wishes. Don’t wanna scare him off, right?” She walked to the door and stopped, placing a hand on his shoulder. “If you ever need anything, anything at all, just let us know. Okay, Ichigo?”
He made a noncommittal noise and jerked his head toward the door. They left and he collapsed on his futon, closing his eyes. He didn’t want to have to deal with this.
“Ichi-nii! Watch this!” Karin cried.
He turned and gaped as his sister balanced herself on top of a swing-set, teetering precariously. “Karin! You idiot!” he shouted, running forward.
She slipped on the rain-wet bar and fell. He got to her in a matter of seconds. “Karin. Are you okay?” he asked.
“Ich-Ichi-nii?” she whispered, looking up at him. Tears were pooling in her eyes and she winced when he touched her ankle.
“You hurt it, didn’t you? Stupid.” He lifted her and started toward the clinic. “Goat-face’s gonna be mad, Karin. Don’t do something so stupid, okay?”
She nodded and buried her head in his jacket. “Y-yes, Ichi-nii,” she mumbled.
“Karin...” He shook his head and tightened his grip on the little girl.
Ichigo sat up straight, pouring sweat. It was sometime in the middle of the night and deathly silent. He was hungry. Had he missed dinner? He didn’t remember eating, so he must have.
Karin… Who was Karin?
He shook off the thought and wandered down to the kitchen. It was pitch black and the cooks seemed to have left for the night. He rummaged around and made a sandwich of turkey slices and pickles, munching on it absently. He didn’t feel like dealing with all these weird people anymore. All they did was come up to him and say “Ichigo! Ichigo! You forgot me! I’ve known you!” It annoyed him. With a sigh, he made a decision.
He was going to leave.
-
Ichigo slipped out the door in the wee hours of the morning, leaving only a note behind.
Shiba-san,
Forgive my abrupt departure. However, I’m not comfortable living under your roof and I have set off to find my own way. I thank you for keeping me for however long you did.
-Kurosaki Ichigo
They’d find it in the morning.
-
Two days later found Ichigo sleeping in an alleyway of Rukongai district forty two. Well, sleeping was an exaggeration. He wasn’t comfortable enough to sleep. Of course, he didn’t regret leaving the Shiba house one bit. He was helping people left and right. In fact, an old couple had given him some money – which he’d initially denied but ended up keeping anyway – the day before.
A lonely young woman had offered to let him live with her the first night, but he’d turned her down, saying he was searching for something. When asked what, he didn’t have an answer for her. He didn't have an answer for any questions anymore. He didn't know anything. It was stupid, lonely and pointless and he didn't exactly know how to deal with it.
Ichigo sighed, wishing he had some form of protection, and went to sleep.
-
“Hey, hey! Wake up, Sutorenja-san!”
Ichigo groaned and opened his eyes, blinking at the doe-eyed, brown haired girl leaning over him. “What?” he moaned, sitting up.
She grinned down at him. “Hiya! Sutorenja-san? Could you give me a hand? My little brother’s stuck!” She pointed above them where a tree towered above the buildings. A little boy was staring down at them in sheer terror near the very top. The slender arm of wood was bending dangerously, seeming about to break.
Ichigo sighed. “Yeah. I got it,” he agreed, standing. He walked over to the tree and looked up at the kid. “You okay up there?” he asked.
The boy whimpered. “Help me, Sutorenja-sama!”
Ichigo nodded and hopped up, his fingers wrapping easily around the lowest branch. He hoisted his body up onto that branch and reached for the next one. Soon enough, he was two or three branches below the boy. He stood up and reached out for him. “Come on! I’ve got you!” he said calmly.
The boy gulped and nodded, then dropped from his branch. He landed in Ichigo’s arms, but the jarring movements caused Ichigo’s branch to break with a clean, loud ‘snap’. The two plummeted. Ichigo caught a branch and tossed them so that they wouldn’t land on the fallen limb and injure themselves. He distantly heard several screams. The orange-haired man sailed through the air and landed on his feet in the alleyway, bending his knees as he made impact to prevent himself from breaking a bone, though he did twist his ankle.
After sitting still for a moment, the boy broke the tense silence as he started to sob, wrapping his arms around Ichigo’s neck. A crowd gathered around Ichigo as the man stood, holding the boy close as he tried to calm him down.
“We’re fine. Okay? You’re safe,” he murmured, bouncing the kid gently in his arms.
“’Nii-chan?” a voice called out. The girl from before was standing beside Ichigo, a concerned look on her face.
“He’s fine. Just a little spooked,” he reassured her.
“Oh. Okay,” she agreed. “Give him to me. I’ve gotta bring him home,” she said, reaching out to take the much smaller boy.
Ichigo handed him over without further coercion. “Here. Be good,” he said. He patted her on the head and ruffled the boy’s hair before motioning for them to take off. Once they were gone, he dodged the numerous questions and slipped into a nearby tea shop.
A woman showed him to a seat and asked for his order, then bustled off to fill it. He dropped his head into his hands and blew out a long, slow breath of relief. His heart was just barely starting to slow. When he’d fallen, the only thing on his mind had been saving them. He’d acted purely on instinct when he’d caught onto the branch and vaulted himself to safety. It was like a fail-safe or something.
“Here’s your tea, sir!” the waitress chirped, placing the pot down on a coaster in front of him and the cup on a plate between him and the pot. “It’s already paid for!”
He blinked and looked up at her. “Wha…? Who?” he asked, disoriented.
She giggled. “The man over there! I think he’s a captain of the Gotei 13. My, he’s handsome!” With a jerk of her head, she indicated a man sitting in the very farthest seat from the door, in the corner.
He was staring down at his tea, not paying any apparent attention to anything else. He wore a shihakusho like the woman and the redhead he’d seen a few days ago. Except he had a white open haori on over it, the lettering for ‘roku’ on the shoulder and back, as far as Ichigo could see. His long hair tumbled over his shoulders in a flawless river of black, several pieces of what looked like cardboard holding out of his face, and a white scarf was wrapped loosely around his neck and shoulders.
After a moment, he looked up and met Ichigo’s gaze, then incline his head in greeting. Unlike the others, he didn’t seem interested in confronting Ichigo directly, making the boy wonder if they’d even known each other when he was alive. It was possible. Maybe they just weren’t friends or something.
“Tell him I said thanks,” Ichigo informed the patiently waiting waitress.
She beamed. “I’m sure he’ll be delighted!”
He didn’t even spare her a glance as she flitted off to Kami-knows-where. Staring down at his tea, he started to feel annoyingly depressed. He didn’t really know anyone and he seriously didn’t care. It would be nice to have a friend, but he didn’t really want some annoyingly eccentric person hanging off of him, trying to get him to meet people he didn’t care to know again. He didn’t want his memories back.
He didn’t want to know the people he dreamed about. Karin… Or Yuzu. And especially not ‘Goat-face’, though he doubted that that was the man’s real name. It didn’t really matter to him, either way. Those people were part of the past and he was in the present.
He didn’t want to be in the past.
“Excuse me, sir?” the waitress said, stepping up next to him.
He looked up to see her blushing, pale blonde tresses tied up in a messy bun. “Yeah?”
“Um…” She bit her lip and tapped her fingers together. “I’m Saya…”
“Ichigo,” he answered automatically. “You wanna have tea with me?”
She blinked and smiled, obviously pleased with the question. “Yes,” she said.
“What’s your full name?”
“Mitsuki. I’m Mitsuki Saya!”
“Kurosaki Ichigo.” He flashed her a grin and leaned forward, the strange man in the corner already forgotten. “Well, Saya-chan. I heard there’s a festival in town tonight. You wanna go with me?”
She beamed. “Yes! I’d love to, Kurosaki-kun!”
“Great. When do you finish work?”
“Ten minutes ago, actually.” She blushed. “I stayed on, ‘cause… I thought… you were cute.”
Ichigo laughed. “Well, I guess that’s good, huh?” He winked. “You’re cute too, Saya-chan.”
“Kurosaki-kun!” She blushed prettily.
Ichigo wouldn’t dwell on the past or the people he dreamed about. He’d focus solely on the present. And maybe the future… a little. “Really cute.” He leaned forward even more.
-
Twenty weeks. He was going on twenty weeks since he’d met Saya and they’d started dating. He’d stayed in the town and learned the siblings’ names. The little girl was Sakura and the boy was Yuusuke. Both were orphans and hung around him more often than not. Sakura seemed to have a tiny crush on Ichigo.
And Yuusuke followed him around with something close to hero worship. He’d even been asked by one of the town’s elders to take care of them and keep them out of trouble. It seemed to be working out so far.
“Sakura! Yuusuke!” Ichigo called as he entered the small house the three had been staying in. Saya still lived with her father, step-mother and adopted older brother, choosing to stay there rather than uproot. Ichigo didn’t really mind. It was Saya’s choice.
“Here!” two voices chorused. Sakura and Yuusuke dashed into the foyer to meet him, both wrapping their arms around his waist.
“Hey, guys! What’s up?” he asked, chuckling as he patted their heads.
Sakura lifted her head. “We have a visitor,” she said.
“You smell like tea,” Yuusuke added.
“I work at a tea shop,” Ichigo reminded the boy. He looked at Sakura, switching gears without too much difficulty. “A visitor? What kind of visitor?”
“He’s pretty! Like a princess!” Yuusuke chirped happily, beaming up at his more-or-less adopted father.
“You moron! He’s a captain, I said! He said it too!” Sakura objected, pulling on her brother’s ear.
“Hey, hey!” Ichigo protested, pulling them apart. “That’s enough of that. Show me to this visitor,” he ordered, smiling slightly when Sakura snapped to attention and tugged her little brother off into another room.
Ichigo followed and stepped in to find the man from his first day in the tea shop. He sat ramrod-straight on a cushion, hands folded in his lap, and his face carefully blank. Upon seeing Ichigo, however, he seemed a bit relieved.
“Uh, hey,” the orange-haired man said softly. “Can I help you with something?”
The man tilted his head slightly to the side. “That depends. I doubt you would want to, but I’ve been pestered to make an appearance.”
Ichigo blinked. “Pestered? By who?”
“KShihouin-san, and my sister, to name a few,” he stated dryly. “I am Kuchiki Byakuya-taicho of the sixth division, Gotei 13. Forgive my intruding. However, my sister is quite… persuasive.” He managed a faintly chagrined look.
Ichigo cracked a smile. “Is she the annoying one that hangs around that redhead? Er… Rukia? Was it Rukia?” His eyes found the ceiling as he tried to remember. He idly scratched his stomach, hungry.
“That would be correct. And the redhead you mentioned is my fukutaicho, Abarai Renji,” Byakuya answered.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Kuchiki-san,” Ichigo replied. “I don’t much care to contact anyone I knew ‘before’, if you don’t mind,” he said, making air quotes with his fingers.
“That is fine. At least Rukia cannot say that I did not try.” He stood and inclined his head. “I will go, then, Kurosaki.”
“Hey, I didn’t say you had to leave!” Ichigo protested, laughing. “After all, I should repay you for the tea, right?”
Byakuya seemed surprised for a moment. But then he tipped his head slightly in a manner that Ichigo took as consent. “That is fine.”
Sakura and Yuusuke, who’d been silent up until now, cheered.
-
Saya came over a little after dark. She greeted Sakura and Yuusuke in the hallway and meandered into the sitting room. Her face filled with surprise when her eyes landed on Ichigo and Byakuya playing Mah-Jongg. “Ichigo? Who… Who’s this?” she asked.
He looked up and smiled. “Saya! Hey! I didn’t expect you over today! Um, this is Kuchiki Byakuya-san. He’s paying a visit.” He stood and reached out for her.
She took a step back and lowered her gaze. “Ichigo… I… Wanted to tell you something. We… I can’t see you anymore.”
His arm dropped and the smile fell from his face. “What do you mean?” he asked uncertainly, refraining from wringing his hands.
“My father betrothed me to a minor noble in Rukon 54. Shinichi or something. I’m sorry, Ichigo. Really. But I can’t screw this up. If I do, father will get angry. And he’ll lose this chance, so… You understand, don’t you?” She looked back up at him, desperate.
“Yeah. That’s fine.” He smiled. “Go on. If you ever need a friend, I’ll find you."
She smiled in relief. "Thank you so much, Kurosaki-kun!" She bowed, hugged the children, and left.
Sakura looked up at Ichigo. "Does this mean we won't see her again?" she asked sadly.
He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm leaving in the morning, if you guys wanna come with, you can," he said with a shrug before turning to Byakuya. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Kuchiki-san. I must get packed, now, though, so I'll be seeing you."
"May I ask a favor, first?" Byakuya asked, some unnamed emotion flitting through his eyes.
Ichigo blinked, in the middle of turning away, and looked at the noble. "Uh... Sure, I guess."
"Hold up your hand."
Ichigo obliged, slightly confused, his palm facing out. "Now what?"
"Palm up." When Ichigo complied, he continued. "Now, focus all of your anger, frustration, sadness, happiness and everything else. Imagine that you're putting it all in your hand, all balled up and ready for use as you see fit."
Ichigo, still a bit bemused, obeyed. A flicker of movement caught his attention and he looked down at his hand. A small ball of blue was starting to form, growing bigger by the second. He gasped in surprise and it vanished. The strawberry man looked up at Byakuya, stunned.
"It is as I thought," Kuchiki murmured, almost to himself. "You still have your shinigami powers. You should think about joining the academy, though it's your choice." He inclined his head and started to the door. "Thank you for showing me that, Kurosaki-san, I will leave as you wish now."
Ichigo watched him go.
-
Ichigo and the children left early the next morning. While Yuusuke seemed ecstatic for the change, Sakura didn't appear to be too sure, trailing along behind them quietly. She cast the village she'd come to call home longing looks, often enough that Ichigo stopped just past the last house and turned to her, kneeling down to be eye-to-eye with his adopted companion.
"Sakura, go back. I don't want to force you to come," he said softly, encouragingly.
Her eyes widened as she looked at him. "But-"
"Go back, Sakura-chan," he insisted. "This village is your home. It has been since you came here, and I didn't mean to make you think that you had an obligation to come with me. Okay?" He glanced over his shoulder at where Yuusuke was waiting anxiously. "The same goes for you, Yuu," he added, ignoring the pun. "You don't have to come either."
Yuusuke's response wasn't really a surprise. "Are you kidding?!" the boy shouted in exasperation. "This is the adventure of a lifetime, and you're telling me to go home like some scared little girl?! No way!"
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Honestly," he muttered. From the boy's reaction, you could almost think Ichigo had demanded something rediculous like him actually being a girl in disguise. "Fine, fine, you can come." He switched his attention back to Sakura only to find that she had a determined look in her doe-like brown eyes.
"I'm coming," she said softly, smiling at Ichigo. "And don't try to convince me to stay, 'cause there's nothing else left for me. Not here."
Ichigo sighed, grumbling under his breath about stubborn kids. "Fine, fine." He stood and smiled down at the little girl. "You can come, but don't complain about it sometime down the road," he warned. "It's gonna be uncomfortable. It'll be dangerous, and oftentimes, it'll seem like the entire world is out to get us, but we just gotta keep going. Keep moving on." He patted her head. "Let's go."
-
"Ichigo-chan," Yuusuke shouted over the wind rushing in their ears. "Would this be one of those times that the world seems out to get us?" he asked.
Ichigo gritted his teeth and hefted both children, one in each arm. It had probably been a bad idea to cross through Zaraki. Okay, scratch that, it had been a bad idea. Though it was only a minor part of Zaraki, and he had figured it wouldn't be too much of a problem, it turned out to be more dangerous than he initially thought. "Yeah, Yuu, that's right," he muttered.
The strawberry man suddenly felt an immense surge of power a little ways to his right.
"Shit."
"Watch your mouth, idiot!" Sakura shouted, attempting to hit her brother. Really, it was amazing the things the little girl heard.
"Don't swear, Yuusuke," Ichigo muttered, picking up the pace. "Keep your eyes out for a cave or something, guys."
Sakura nodded, though you couldn't really tell with the amount of bouncing she was doing. Yuusuke didn't answer, instead choosing to look over his shoulder at the group of men chasing after them. "Yanno, this is your fault, Saku-chan," he stated blithely.
She gasped in outrage. "Is not! How was I to know his mother died?" she shouted.
"Enough," Ichigo snapped before it got any worse. "Are we getting away, Yuu?" he asked the little boy, not wanting to chance looking behind on the off chance that they weren't.
"Nope."
"Great."
"Over there!" Sakura and Yuusuke suddenly shouted in tandem, the little girl pointing to a small hole in the side of a nearby cliff.
Ichigo veered toward it and pushed the children inside, turning to face the group of men as they caught up. There was about twenty in all, not including that monster power surge still heading in their direction. Judging by the group's nervous shifting, they knew who it was, and he wasn't one of them. Ichigo gulped.
And then, he broke the tree-line. His size fit nicely with his power and the blood-thirsty grin on his face. On his shoulder sat a happily grinning pink-haired little girl. On either side of him were two men, who both promptly flitted to either side of Ichigo. The bald man grinned at the orange-haired man, holding up a rather large sword.
"This is yers, Ichigo," he said, holding it out for Ichigo to take.
Hesitantly, Ichigo took it. The second his fingers wrapped around the bandage-covered hilt, he felt a sense of peace swim through him like nothing he'd ever known. It was like a piece of him he hadn't known was there had suddenly awoken, making him more sure of himself and more powerful than ever.
Two presenses awoke in his mind, one brighter than the sun, the other as dark as a moonless night. But both were undoubtably on his side. Both were unmistakably him, but not. As if he had three different souls living in his rather average body, all the same of mind, but different in spirit.
"Ossan," he whispered, the title coming to him out of nowhere.
Ichigo. It has been too long, a voice whispered inside his mind.
Before he could reply further, something heavy and wholly unwelcome landed on his shoulders. One look revealed the little girl that had previously adorned the large man who was now fighting the group of thugs single-handedly, laughing as if he were having the most fun of his life.
"Hiya, Ichi!" the child chirped, grinning.
Ichigo stared at her. "Do I know you?"
Unperturbed, she nodded and giggled. "Yep! I'm Yachiru! Look at Ken-chan!" She pointed toward the big man, grinning happily. "Doesn't he look like he's havin' fuuuuuuun?!" she cheered, starting to bounce on Ichigo's shoulder.
Ichigo could feel a headache coming on, and from the look on the others' faces, he wasn't alone. "Right..."
And then, before Ichigo really had a chance to adjust himself to the presence of these strangers, the big man - 'Ken-chan', if he recalled correctly - finished off the last one, leaving behind a pile of mush and blood. He walked to the small group, taking his time, grin growing on his scarred face. "Heya, Ichi," he rumbled once he stopped in front of the smaller man. "Feel like a fight?"
Ichigo took a step back, horror crossing his face. "No way! Are you nuts?!"
The man snickered. "Even withou' those mem'ries o' yers, ya still have th' same reaction."
Ichigo shook his head. "Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded, his brow drawing together as a scowl formed on his face.
The man shrugged. "I'm Kenpachi. This is Yachiru, Yumichika, and Ikkaku," he said, motioning boredly to each person as he said their names.
Yumichika smiled, and one could almost see little sparkles around his head. "We were on a patrol with some others of our squad when we felt your reiatsu," he explained, distractedly trying to beckon Yachiru off of Ichigo's shoulders.
She didn't budge and he gave up.
"My what?" Ichigo wondered. "What a 'reiatsu'?"
Yumichika was about to explain when Yachiru suddenly caught sight of Sakura, who was peeking out of the small cave, and dove down to talk to her. When things started getting a little too rough for the otherwise tomboyish little girl, Ichigo snagged Yachiru up and held her out to Kenpachi.
"This is yours," he stated, looking straight into the big man's eyes. "Take her, your friends, and go."
Yuusuke protested instantly, bringing the focus of the group onto him. "No! He seems cool! Why don't we just hang with them for a night!"
Yumichika nodded and winked at Kenpachi, who shifted nervously at the action. "Give us the night to explain some things, and then if you still feel like leaving in the morning, we won't stop you. Okay?"
Ichigo was about to say no when he happened to look at Sakura and Yuusuke. They were both staring up at him hopefully, silently pleading with him to agree. And damn him if he couldn't just say no. He was damned. "Fine. One night." He plugged his ears at the resulting childish cheering, wincing at their volume.
Kenpachi grinned. "It's gonna be a fun night."
Yumichika shot down the bigger man's bloodthirsty grin with a wink in his direction. Kenpachi shuddered and Ichigo decided he liked Yumichika.
-
Blah, that was terrible. I didn't think this would be so popular, but thank you all so much for reading and reviewing.