Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ The Memories Long Forgotten ❯ Thirty Lashes ( Chapter 4 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: TheSorrowfulVampress 
The Memories Long Forgotten
Chapter Four
Thirty Lashes
Anime/Manga: Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Comedy | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 06.24.2009 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 438 | Status: Work In Progress
The Memories Long Forgotten
Chapter Four
Thirty Lashes
Anime/Manga: Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Comedy | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 06.24.2009 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 438 | Status: Work In Progress
Bleach isn't mine! -breathes in relief at her random disclaimer- Anyway, sorry for the wait, people.
Disclaimer: Look up. Further, just a bit more... there! It's the clouds! Are they mine? No? Than do you really think Bleach is mine, either? If you are still unconvinced, go read a dictionary. Why? 'Cause you annoy me...
The Memories Long Forgotten
Chapter Four
Thirty Lashes
-
The next week found Ichigo still at Shiba-san's house. Rukia-san had come over whenever she could find time, occasionally accompanied by Abarai-san, who had since relaxed his tenseness in Ichigo's presence. Everything remained peaceful after the confrontation. And Ichigo preferred it that way. He'd help out around the house and Ganju-san would help him chase the kids around whenever they could.
Ichigo was rather fond of both of his foundlings and Shiba-san seemed to share his sentiment.
Yuusuke's shunpo was getting better. He could now almost outrun Ganju-san, though no one else. His sister seemed content to pick flowers and study Shiba-san's strange books, most on the history of Seireitei. More often than not, you could find the two in some room, sprawled out reading a book together.
So, when there was a commotion outside the house, Ichigo was surprised. He headed that way and watched as an argument between some man and Ganju-san escalated. Ganju-san was screaming in the man's face, and the man was screaming back.
"Ichigo..."
Ichigo looked down, over the railing of the steps, and found that both Yuusuke, who had been the one to call out to him, and Sakura were huddled in the corner between the steps and the edge of the house. He frowned. "What happened?" he asked, something twisting inside of him.
Yusuke shuddered. "That guy's accusing 'nee-chan of killing his son," he muttered, looking down. "It... It wasn't 'nee-chan's fault. It was an accident, Ichigo!"
"Hey, you!" a voice shouted. "I demand retribution!"
Ichigo turned, his gaze landing on the man who was stomping over, Ganju-san right behind him. The strawberry man frowned. "What happened?" he asked, trying not to yell. He didn't want to scare the children any more than they already were.
"That bitch killed my son! It's her fault and I want her to take responsibility for it!" the man retorted.
Ichigo frowned, his eyes roving over the man. His clothes were dusty and torn, though they must have once been very nice; the shirt was now faded, as were the hakama, but they must have once been a deep, rich brown color, with some sort of crescent mark dyed into the left sleeve of the shirt. His sandles were also worn, and looked in desperate need of replacing. Long, dirty brown hair hid several minor injuries; scrapes and cuts, gashes and scabs, a broken nose and a deep pockmark in the right cheek. Dark blue eyes stared furiously at Ichigo as he waited for the orange-haired man's response.
"You'll have your repayment," Ichigo decided, racking a hand through his hair. He heard both Sakura and Yuusuke suck in breaths of shock, even as he met Ganju-san's gaze. The man frowned at him and shook his head; no, he shouldn't do it. "I'll pay it myself, since she's my daughter. Tell me what exactly happened."
Some measure of relief entered the man's eyes, though he still looked both greatly fatigued and honestly sad. "She drew a hollow to them, and it ate my son! She didn't even try to save him."
"What the hell'd you expect?!" Ganju-san shouted at the man. "She's a little girl!"
"Ganju-san," Ichigo said in a warning tone, and the Shiba scowled but fell silent. "Very well. What is it you want?" he asked the man.
"Thirty lashings," the man said immediately.
Ganju gaped. "What are you, nuts?!" shouted the Shiba, his eyes blazing. "No way a normal man can take that sort of crap!"
"Ganju-san, please," Ichigo snapped. "It's fine, I'll take it."
"Ichigo, no!" Kuukaku said from behind him. "We're leaving!"
Ichigo's hands fisted at his sides and he had to take a deep breath to keep from losing his temper in front of the children. "No I'm not!" he growled finally, spinning to face her. "I'm staying and paying for this. I won't be a coward and I won't be a liar, Shiba-san, so leave if you want, and take the kids with you, but I'm staying. End of discussion."
Kuukak pressed her lips together, almost looking as if she were counting in her head, before speaking. "Fine. You're right; something has to be done. However, I can't allow Sakura and Yuusuke to remain and see, so I'm taking them on a trip to the real world with me. We'll visit Kisuke for a bit, and be back later." Her eyes bore into his, her face stone-blank. "Don't die."
"I don't plan to," was his only response, before he watched her turn away and usher the children inside the house. He turned around to face the man again. "What now?"
"There's a man in charge of law enforcement in town. I'll bring you to him and we'll explain the situation," the man answered, finally seeming to have calmed down, though grief still made his shoulders sag and his lashes flutter, as if to keep from crying.
-
The lashing was to be held publicly a week after the confrontation, and Ichigo found that the week beforehand went by way too fast. He sat alone in a dirty cell and was given three meals of bread and water a day, not to be let out for fear that he'd attempt to escape, not that he would or cared if they believed he would. He whiled the time away talking to Ossan and ignoring 'Shirosaki', who insisted above all that they should escape and punish their captors. Ichigo didn't care to do so.
So the week went by like this, repetitively, and finally the day of the punishment had come. They brought him some water and a fresh change of clothes and ordered him to change - of which he was grateful - though they didn't feed him. When he asked why, he was told that he'd just lose it during the lashings anyway, so he was glad that they didn't let him eat; he was sure the humiliation would be too much anyway. They brought him out and tied his arms to two posts, forcing him into a kneeling position, so that he wouldn't squirm too much and possibly injure himself more than necessary.
"Name," the man in charge of the lashing demanded once he was tied, bending down to look in his face.
Ichigo stared right back, his gaze unwavering. "Kurosaki Ichigo," he replied, glad to find that his voice was steady. In truth, he felt like he'd start to throw up his insides from the anxiety. What if he died anyway? What then? If he died, he wouldn't be able to see Yuusuke and Sakura again, and he'd never be able to find out who Karin and Yuzu were, he'd never again see Kuchiki-chan or Kuchiki-san, and he didn't doubt that the former would cry at his passing. At least that was the impression she gave him.
The man smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll live. We were informed that you have excessive reiatsu, so we have someone here especially to take care of the punishment for your case. He's good at what he does, so you don't need to be concerned about him missing." He straightened. "As for afterward, you'll be allowed to go free once it's taken care of."
Ichigo swallowed nervously and nodded. "Yeah, thanks," he muttered.
"Then let the punishment commence!" the man announced, stepping back, and the chattering around them that Ichigo hadn't noticed stopped, falling deathly quiet.
The first strike stung, but Ichigo found that it wasn't as bad as he'd been fearing. He could bear it. However, he began to rethink this as the tenth strike landed, and Ichigo was sure the skin had broken this time. He gritted his teeth and grunted when the elevanth and then the twelfth strikes landed. Thirteen, and he felt his nails break the skin on his palms, warm blood running down from the minor wounds. Fourteen; Ichigo's teeth were hurting from gritting them, he noted distantly, trying to distract himself from the burning pain on his back. Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen... by the time strike number twenty three fell, little dots were dancing in Ichigo's vision and he was trying to both stay conscious and keep from crying out, though with each strike, his grunts became louder.
However, despite his best efforts, as twenty nine and then thirty fell, he lost consciousness, his reiatsu swirling in a mad vortex around him, and the last thing he remembered was looking up into the surrounding crowd and meeting Kuchiki-san's gaze.
Crap...
-
"But why not?"
"Kurosaki is still not well, Yuusuke-chan. I can't allow you to wake him. Please leave."
"Aw, but I'm sure he'd be happy to see me!"
"I'm sure he would, but please leave."
"Man, nobles are so mean..."
There was a click and a sigh. "Kurosaki, I know you're awake," came a soft voice.
Ichigo, having been awoken by Yuusuke's protests, finally opened his eyes. He was laying on a futon, on his stomach, with bandages and something cool on his back, and his head turned to the side so that he wouldn't smother himself in his sleep. His gaze focused on Kuchiki-san, and he blinked.
"Were you at the-"
"Yes," Kuchiki-san answered, saving him from having to finish when he hesitated. "I was called by Kuukaku. She told me what happened, so I went to provide medical support after it was finished."
Ichigo closed his eyes and nodded. "Thanks," he muttered.
"No thanks is needed, I was simply doing my duty as a noble of the Soul Societ-"
"Kuchiki?" Ichigo interrupted with a sigh. "Just take my thanks and leave it at that." He opened one eye and looked at the noble, who seem both a little annoyed and slightly surprised. "Okay?"
Kuchiki frowned and gave him a curt nod. "Very well," he agreed.
Ichigo chuckled and shook his head. "Man, you sure are a very... reserved man, aren't you?"
Kuchiki quirked a brow at this before nodding. "Yes. One man even went so far as to call me a 'selfish, stuffy, prissy bastard'," he quoted, eyes glinting oddly, though for the life of him, Ichigo couldn't fathom why.
“Really? Sounds like a real jerk,” Ichigo mused thoughtfully, but Kuchiki surprised him by shaking his head.
“No. He was right, actually,” the noble murmured with a sigh. “I did some things that I am not proud of, and the only reason no one died was because he was there to clean up after me.” He smiled bitterly. “As you can imagine, we weren't exactly best friends, but after a while, we managed to tolerate each other.”
Ichigo nodded, searching the man's face. Was that... regret? “What happened to him?”
That something unidentifiable flickered in the noble's gaze again as he looked at Ichigo, but he closed his eyes and shook his head. “He is... Missing, for the moment. I hope he can find his way back.”
Ichigo snorted, and the noble looked at him in surprise. “Well, it sounds like this jackass didn't know a thing about jack shit,” he said matter-of-factly. “I, for one, think you're an okay guy, Kuchiki-san, and this guy's an idiot for not realizing it.”
Kuchiki chuckled. “I'd have to agree with you,” he murmured, eyes dancing in amusement. “I find you much more agreeable than he.”
Ichigo nodded. “I'd hope so.”
-
I know it's short, but... It's something, right? R&R!
Disclaimer: Look up. Further, just a bit more... there! It's the clouds! Are they mine? No? Than do you really think Bleach is mine, either? If you are still unconvinced, go read a dictionary. Why? 'Cause you annoy me...
The Memories Long Forgotten
Chapter Four
Thirty Lashes
-
The next week found Ichigo still at Shiba-san's house. Rukia-san had come over whenever she could find time, occasionally accompanied by Abarai-san, who had since relaxed his tenseness in Ichigo's presence. Everything remained peaceful after the confrontation. And Ichigo preferred it that way. He'd help out around the house and Ganju-san would help him chase the kids around whenever they could.
Ichigo was rather fond of both of his foundlings and Shiba-san seemed to share his sentiment.
Yuusuke's shunpo was getting better. He could now almost outrun Ganju-san, though no one else. His sister seemed content to pick flowers and study Shiba-san's strange books, most on the history of Seireitei. More often than not, you could find the two in some room, sprawled out reading a book together.
So, when there was a commotion outside the house, Ichigo was surprised. He headed that way and watched as an argument between some man and Ganju-san escalated. Ganju-san was screaming in the man's face, and the man was screaming back.
"Ichigo..."
Ichigo looked down, over the railing of the steps, and found that both Yuusuke, who had been the one to call out to him, and Sakura were huddled in the corner between the steps and the edge of the house. He frowned. "What happened?" he asked, something twisting inside of him.
Yusuke shuddered. "That guy's accusing 'nee-chan of killing his son," he muttered, looking down. "It... It wasn't 'nee-chan's fault. It was an accident, Ichigo!"
"Hey, you!" a voice shouted. "I demand retribution!"
Ichigo turned, his gaze landing on the man who was stomping over, Ganju-san right behind him. The strawberry man frowned. "What happened?" he asked, trying not to yell. He didn't want to scare the children any more than they already were.
"That bitch killed my son! It's her fault and I want her to take responsibility for it!" the man retorted.
Ichigo frowned, his eyes roving over the man. His clothes were dusty and torn, though they must have once been very nice; the shirt was now faded, as were the hakama, but they must have once been a deep, rich brown color, with some sort of crescent mark dyed into the left sleeve of the shirt. His sandles were also worn, and looked in desperate need of replacing. Long, dirty brown hair hid several minor injuries; scrapes and cuts, gashes and scabs, a broken nose and a deep pockmark in the right cheek. Dark blue eyes stared furiously at Ichigo as he waited for the orange-haired man's response.
"You'll have your repayment," Ichigo decided, racking a hand through his hair. He heard both Sakura and Yuusuke suck in breaths of shock, even as he met Ganju-san's gaze. The man frowned at him and shook his head; no, he shouldn't do it. "I'll pay it myself, since she's my daughter. Tell me what exactly happened."
Some measure of relief entered the man's eyes, though he still looked both greatly fatigued and honestly sad. "She drew a hollow to them, and it ate my son! She didn't even try to save him."
"What the hell'd you expect?!" Ganju-san shouted at the man. "She's a little girl!"
"Ganju-san," Ichigo said in a warning tone, and the Shiba scowled but fell silent. "Very well. What is it you want?" he asked the man.
"Thirty lashings," the man said immediately.
Ganju gaped. "What are you, nuts?!" shouted the Shiba, his eyes blazing. "No way a normal man can take that sort of crap!"
"Ganju-san, please," Ichigo snapped. "It's fine, I'll take it."
"Ichigo, no!" Kuukaku said from behind him. "We're leaving!"
Ichigo's hands fisted at his sides and he had to take a deep breath to keep from losing his temper in front of the children. "No I'm not!" he growled finally, spinning to face her. "I'm staying and paying for this. I won't be a coward and I won't be a liar, Shiba-san, so leave if you want, and take the kids with you, but I'm staying. End of discussion."
Kuukak pressed her lips together, almost looking as if she were counting in her head, before speaking. "Fine. You're right; something has to be done. However, I can't allow Sakura and Yuusuke to remain and see, so I'm taking them on a trip to the real world with me. We'll visit Kisuke for a bit, and be back later." Her eyes bore into his, her face stone-blank. "Don't die."
"I don't plan to," was his only response, before he watched her turn away and usher the children inside the house. He turned around to face the man again. "What now?"
"There's a man in charge of law enforcement in town. I'll bring you to him and we'll explain the situation," the man answered, finally seeming to have calmed down, though grief still made his shoulders sag and his lashes flutter, as if to keep from crying.
-
The lashing was to be held publicly a week after the confrontation, and Ichigo found that the week beforehand went by way too fast. He sat alone in a dirty cell and was given three meals of bread and water a day, not to be let out for fear that he'd attempt to escape, not that he would or cared if they believed he would. He whiled the time away talking to Ossan and ignoring 'Shirosaki', who insisted above all that they should escape and punish their captors. Ichigo didn't care to do so.
So the week went by like this, repetitively, and finally the day of the punishment had come. They brought him some water and a fresh change of clothes and ordered him to change - of which he was grateful - though they didn't feed him. When he asked why, he was told that he'd just lose it during the lashings anyway, so he was glad that they didn't let him eat; he was sure the humiliation would be too much anyway. They brought him out and tied his arms to two posts, forcing him into a kneeling position, so that he wouldn't squirm too much and possibly injure himself more than necessary.
"Name," the man in charge of the lashing demanded once he was tied, bending down to look in his face.
Ichigo stared right back, his gaze unwavering. "Kurosaki Ichigo," he replied, glad to find that his voice was steady. In truth, he felt like he'd start to throw up his insides from the anxiety. What if he died anyway? What then? If he died, he wouldn't be able to see Yuusuke and Sakura again, and he'd never be able to find out who Karin and Yuzu were, he'd never again see Kuchiki-chan or Kuchiki-san, and he didn't doubt that the former would cry at his passing. At least that was the impression she gave him.
The man smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll live. We were informed that you have excessive reiatsu, so we have someone here especially to take care of the punishment for your case. He's good at what he does, so you don't need to be concerned about him missing." He straightened. "As for afterward, you'll be allowed to go free once it's taken care of."
Ichigo swallowed nervously and nodded. "Yeah, thanks," he muttered.
"Then let the punishment commence!" the man announced, stepping back, and the chattering around them that Ichigo hadn't noticed stopped, falling deathly quiet.
The first strike stung, but Ichigo found that it wasn't as bad as he'd been fearing. He could bear it. However, he began to rethink this as the tenth strike landed, and Ichigo was sure the skin had broken this time. He gritted his teeth and grunted when the elevanth and then the twelfth strikes landed. Thirteen, and he felt his nails break the skin on his palms, warm blood running down from the minor wounds. Fourteen; Ichigo's teeth were hurting from gritting them, he noted distantly, trying to distract himself from the burning pain on his back. Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen... by the time strike number twenty three fell, little dots were dancing in Ichigo's vision and he was trying to both stay conscious and keep from crying out, though with each strike, his grunts became louder.
However, despite his best efforts, as twenty nine and then thirty fell, he lost consciousness, his reiatsu swirling in a mad vortex around him, and the last thing he remembered was looking up into the surrounding crowd and meeting Kuchiki-san's gaze.
Crap...
-
"But why not?"
"Kurosaki is still not well, Yuusuke-chan. I can't allow you to wake him. Please leave."
"Aw, but I'm sure he'd be happy to see me!"
"I'm sure he would, but please leave."
"Man, nobles are so mean..."
There was a click and a sigh. "Kurosaki, I know you're awake," came a soft voice.
Ichigo, having been awoken by Yuusuke's protests, finally opened his eyes. He was laying on a futon, on his stomach, with bandages and something cool on his back, and his head turned to the side so that he wouldn't smother himself in his sleep. His gaze focused on Kuchiki-san, and he blinked.
"Were you at the-"
"Yes," Kuchiki-san answered, saving him from having to finish when he hesitated. "I was called by Kuukaku. She told me what happened, so I went to provide medical support after it was finished."
Ichigo closed his eyes and nodded. "Thanks," he muttered.
"No thanks is needed, I was simply doing my duty as a noble of the Soul Societ-"
"Kuchiki?" Ichigo interrupted with a sigh. "Just take my thanks and leave it at that." He opened one eye and looked at the noble, who seem both a little annoyed and slightly surprised. "Okay?"
Kuchiki frowned and gave him a curt nod. "Very well," he agreed.
Ichigo chuckled and shook his head. "Man, you sure are a very... reserved man, aren't you?"
Kuchiki quirked a brow at this before nodding. "Yes. One man even went so far as to call me a 'selfish, stuffy, prissy bastard'," he quoted, eyes glinting oddly, though for the life of him, Ichigo couldn't fathom why.
“Really? Sounds like a real jerk,” Ichigo mused thoughtfully, but Kuchiki surprised him by shaking his head.
“No. He was right, actually,” the noble murmured with a sigh. “I did some things that I am not proud of, and the only reason no one died was because he was there to clean up after me.” He smiled bitterly. “As you can imagine, we weren't exactly best friends, but after a while, we managed to tolerate each other.”
Ichigo nodded, searching the man's face. Was that... regret? “What happened to him?”
That something unidentifiable flickered in the noble's gaze again as he looked at Ichigo, but he closed his eyes and shook his head. “He is... Missing, for the moment. I hope he can find his way back.”
Ichigo snorted, and the noble looked at him in surprise. “Well, it sounds like this jackass didn't know a thing about jack shit,” he said matter-of-factly. “I, for one, think you're an okay guy, Kuchiki-san, and this guy's an idiot for not realizing it.”
Kuchiki chuckled. “I'd have to agree with you,” he murmured, eyes dancing in amusement. “I find you much more agreeable than he.”
Ichigo nodded. “I'd hope so.”
-
I know it's short, but... It's something, right? R&R!