AN: To those who have requested I write an IchiRuki – here's a short one for you. AU, OCC, time line: after Aizen's defeat.

Again, I tried for a one shot, but my ideas are refusing to shrink down that small. Anyway – not sure how long this will go. I really hope you like it.

To everyone else familiar with my work, I posted the final chapter of Life Love Loss and will be posting the first chapter of my next HitsuRuki story next week.

ALSO – I have been given the honor of adopting xXxMiserableLoveFairyxXx, "By Myself" so I'll be working on that as well. So, a lot in the works from me… I hope you enjoy…


Dreamscape

By: Abarai Starsha

Ichigo slowly regained consciousness as his memories came crashing back. Aizen, Tensa, his father… He slowly opened his eyes. He saw white. White sheets, white blanket, white walls. He was in a hospital. Not just any hospital, Ishida's hospital. He was in the world of the living. He checked himself over and sat up. Apparently he was there long enough for his wounds to have healed.

"Just how long have I been here?" He asked.

"Quite a while," said a nurse with long orange hair and big grey eyes as she came in. "It's good to see you awake. You know, you had us really worried for a while." She said as she smiled warmly at him.

"Inoue," Ichigo said. He was confused as to why she was in a nurse's outfit.

"You remember my name?" She asked a bit shocked.

"Of course I do." He replied.

"I'll have to inform the doctor then, he will be so pleased!" She said, smiling as she brought her hands together in front of her face.

"Inoue, you said 'quite a while'. How long have I been unconscious?"

Her eyes darkened a bit, "You've been unconscious for almost three months."

"I see," he said as he pushed the button to raise his bed so he could lay back and still sit up. His back muscles bothered him. "How are the others?"

"Others?"

"Yeah, Ishida, Chad, Tatsuki…," he said as he began to get frustrated.

"They're all fine."

"Do you know if everyone in Soul Society is ok?"

"I'm sorry, where?"

"In Soul Society…You know, Rukia, Renji, Byakuya, old man Yamamoto?"

A look of confusion crossed her face as Ichigo's heart started to pound.

"I'm afraid I don't know who or where you're talking about. There's no Soul Society around here. Is it a club or something?"

"Inoue, don't you remember our friends on the other side?"

"Other side?" She asked, the confusion was replaced with concern.

"Rukia, Renji, they're Shinigami."

Her eyes grew wide for a minute, and then she smiled. Then she started to laugh.

"Oh! Oh! You got me!" she managed between fits of laughter, "Kurosaki-san, you got me! Shinigami? Really? I'll go tell Ishida-sensei you're awake." She said as she laughed her way out of the door leaving a very confused Ichigo.

He sat back and closed his eyes. He remembered his fight with Aizen. He remembered Kisuke right after it was all over. Then his friends as they ran towards him. Voices, some clear, some not clear. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he knew they were talking about him. He sighed out of frustration. He opened his eyes. Kurosaki-san? What happened to –kun?

"What the hell? Did they erase everyone's memory?" He asked out loud.

"And who would 'they' be?" Ishida asked as he walked into the room pushing his glasses up on his nose. He was dressed in a white outfit, similar to his Quincy garb minus the cape.

"The Shinigami, I think they erased Inoue's memory as she doesn't seem to remember them. You do, don't you? I mean, considering your family history and all."

"What does my family have to do with it?" He asked as he moved closer to the bed. He picked up a chart that was attached to the foot of the bed and quickly scanned the top page.

"You know, being a Quincy and having a long standing hatred for Shinigami."

"I'm sorry, but did you say Quincy?"

"Yes."

"What is a Quincy, exactly?" He asked as he pulled out a steno notebook from his jacket pocket. He flipped through a few pages and started writing.

"Ishida? What's going on?"

"I thought you were going to tell me." He pushed up his glasses and sat down. He crossed his legs as if preparing himself for a long conversation.

It had to be the memory modifier.

"Ishida, do you know who Rukia is?" Ichigo asked, trying a different approach.

"No, should I?" He asked, "Is she one of these Quincy people?"

"Never mind," he said as he slouched down in the bed. What was going on?

"Kurosaki-san, do you remember the day you got here?" Ishida asked.

"No."

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Ishida," he said. Then he a thought occurred to him, "Urohara Kisuke, do you know him?"

"Of course I do, he's-"

"I need to see him!" Ichigo exclaimed, fire in his eyes as he about jumped off the bed.

"I'm not sure that that's possible today, but we'll see about tomorrow, ok?" Ishida responded in the same easy, quiet tone he's been using since he entered.

"Why can't I see him now?" He had to know everyone was ok. He had to know she was ok.

"Because he's not available now. He's a very busy man. Like I said, I will put the request in and you can see him possibly tomorrow. Now, how about my question? What is the last thing you remember?"

If Soul Society blanked out everyone's memory then there's no point in telling him the last thing I remember is defeating Aizen. He won't know who he is either. Ichigo sighed.

"I don't know."

"Nothing about how you came to be here?"

"I was hurt, wasn't I? This is a hospital."

"This isn't a normal hospital, Kurosaki-san."

"What do you mean?"

"During our last conversation before you blacked out, you were telling me about Aizen-sama and how he had plans to drive out the dead souls and take over heaven. Do you remember that conversation?"

"What about it?" Ichigo said, playing along trying to gain information.

"You blacked out shortly after when Aizen-sama came in for a floor visit."

"Please, what the hell is going on? If this isn't a hospital, where am I?" He said as his impatience grew.

"Kurosaki-san, this is a mental hospital."

"A mental hospital?" He repeated slowly. "How?"

"It started out slowly. After your mother's death you told your father that you could see ghosts. A few years later you were talking to them. At first he thought it was a coping mechanism. A way for you to get over her death, but as the years went on, you were getting worse. He brought you here three years ago when you tried to stab your sister with a kitchen knife. You kept insisting she was being attacked by a…" he paused to check his notes, "A Hollow, which according to you is a bad spirit.

"As we delved into your mind the worse things became. You started placing several people you knew into a story line your mind had to play out. Aizen-sama is the director of the mental hospital; so naturally, he would be the bad guy in your minds play. His assistant, Ichimaru-sama only added to the characters in your mind. Your night nurse, Orihime Inoue was the damsel in distress you had to rescue. I was hoping that since you blacked out that your mind would be able to end the story and reset itself and you would return to normal, free from these delusions."

"Delusions?" He asked, shocked. "You mean to tell me it was all a dream?"

"Not necessarily a dream, as you believed in what you were seeing. It was more like a living fantasy. One that gripped your mind so tight everything and everyone incorporated itself into it."

Ichigo was shocked. He shook his head. Rukia was only a dream? His hollow…a dream? Old man Zangetsu, Renji and the rest in Soul Society…only a dream?

"I'm going to assume the reason you want to talk to Urahara Kisuke is because you want him to confirm what I've told you." He checked his notes again, "Apparently in your fantasy, he played the part of an ex-captain, one who was able to travel between the living and the dead." Ishida pushed up his glasses and looked at Ichigo. He drew up the corner of his mouth, "Urahara Kisuke is your physical therapist."

"No…" Ichigo whispered.

"Your best friend Chad is the activities director here."

"No…" Ichigo said louder.

"Tatsuki is your day nurse."

"Stop this!" Ichigo said as he places his hands over his ears.

"I understand that this is quite a shock. It will take some time for you to get used to your surroundings again, but I believe we have made a major break though here." He said as he stood up. He placed his notebook back in his jacket pocket and made a note on Ichigo's chart at the foot of his bed. "I'm giving the order for Chad to set you up with some outdoor time. I think some fresh air will help you sort through your memories." Ishida said as he opened the door and left.

Ichigo lay back on his bed. His hand covered his eyes. He couldn't believe it. Maybe he didn't defeat Aizen and this was one big illusion. Maybe Soul Society did a massive mind wipe. Maybe he was just crazy. He sighed at the last thought.

A knock at the door broke his thoughts as he saw Chad and Tatsuki enter with a wheel chair.

"Good morning, Kurosaki-san! I am so glad to see that you're awake now!" Tatsuki said as she set up the wheel chair beside his bed.

"We weren't sure when you would wake up. How are you feeling?" Chad asked him.

Ichigo looked from one to the other. His mind was still skeptical.

"I'm…fine."

"Are you ready for a little sunshine?" Tatsuki asked as she removed some of the wires and tubes that were attached to various parts of his body. "Keep breathing, this will be over soon," she said as she gently pulled out the catheter.

"Did you want to try to stand on your own or do you want some help?"

Ichigo let out the breath he was holding through the pain. "I'll do it on my own." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly let them drop to the cold hard tiled floor beneath him. Ichigo took a deep breath and stood up.

His legs were a bit shaky due to the inactivity but he managed to take a few steps before sitting down in the chair. Chad wheeled him out while Tatsuki stayed behind to clean up his room.

"This is going to sound strange, Chad, but we didn't go to high school together, did we?"

The big man smiled. "Not unless you were in New Mexico in the United States a few years back."

Ichigo dropped his head, "How did you end up in Japan?" He asked quietly.

"My Grandfather got a job out here. I met a woman, fell in love and decided to stay."

"What's her name?"

"Neliel. You've met her once when you first got here."

Ichigo slapped his forehead. Nel, Chad and Nel were married. He shook his head.

"Here we are, Kurosaki-san," Chad said as he opened a set of double doors. A path led out to a beautiful garden. Ichigo was again shocked. It was Byakuya's garden. He looked further out and saw the entire place was surrounded by a 20 foot metal wall. Ichigo looked at Chad questioningly. "It's to keep you guys safe. We've had many break ins and outs before we built it."

Ichigo nodded.

Chad's phone rang. He set the brake on the wheel chair and excused himself as he walked away. Ichigo looked around the garden. His mind was slowly wrapping around the idea that he made everything up. Defense mechanism against his mother's death, Ishida said. It sounded plausible. She had died protecting him when it was he who so desperately needed to protect her. Life without her was unbearable. The way his sisters looked at him. The way his dad treated him. They blamed him for her death as much as he blamed himself. He shook his head and looked over at the koi pond.

Two fish one black, one white swam together in perfect harmony.

"Ichigo!" He heard a fierce whisper coming from the behind the Sakura tree. He looked up in time to see someone with raven hair peek out.

"Ru-Rukia!" Ichigo said as he attempted to stand.

"Ichigo! I'm so glad you're ok!" She said as tears formed in her eyes. She walked over to him so he would not have to stand and knelt in front of him. She took his hands in hers. "It's been so long, I thought…I thought…"

"Rukia, I don't understand what's going on! I had this crazy dream and then –"

"No! No! It's not a dream, it wasn't a dream! Aizen, it's all his doing. He-"

"Hey! You're not supposed to be out of your room!" Chad said as he ran over to the two. Rukia's eyes grew wide.

"No! No! Don't make me go back! Ichigo! Help me! I can't go back there!" She screamed as she backed away. Chad just smiled at her as he picked her up kicking and screaming. A very confused Ichigo stood up and made his way towards the struggling woman.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Ichigo."

Ichigo stopped moving and turned around.

"Dad?"

He smiled a sad smile and watched as Chad quickly overcame the small woman.

"Ichigo!" Chad put his hand over her mouth.

"Come on now, Kuchiki-san. You know you're not allowed out here. You're privileges were taken away for trying to escape last week."

"I told you! I needed to find Ichigo! You bastards wouldn't let me see him!" She screamed through his hand.

"Hey! Maybe you should – "

"Ichigo," his father said again as he put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder. He firmly pressed down, forcing Ichigo to sit back.

"Rukia…" he said. "No! What the hell is going on? Chad, put her down!" He said as he tossed his father's hand aside and stood up.

"Ichigo! Rukia is a patient here, just like you. She's mentally unstable and is one of the causes of your own mental breakdown."

"What?"

"No! It's them!" Rukia pleaded.

"I'm sorry son," his father said. Just as Ichigo made his move towards Rukia, Isshin plunged a needle into the side of his son's neck and caught him as he quickly passed out.

"What did you do to him? What did you do?" Rukia yelled as she continued to struggle. She bit, she clawed, she kicked but she was no match for Chad's strength.

Isshin looked at Rukia and gave her another sad smile. He turned to Chad, "Take care of her. I'm sure Aizen-sama would like to know she's been found."

"No! NO!" she yelled as she fought more. Chad took two of his fingers and pinched the side of her neck. Rukia fell limp in his arms. He picked her up and looked at Isshin. He gave him a nod before leaving.

"That was close, son." Isshin said as he wheeled his son back to his room.


Hours later Ichigo again, woke up.

"Rukia!" He said as he sat up. He pushed aside the blankets and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"Hold on there a minute!" Isshin said as he stood up from the chair beside the bed and pushed Ichigo back down.

"But Rukia! Chad was…"

"I know what Chad was doing. Ichigo, you need to remember, this isn't your fantasy anymore. Rukia is a mental patient here that you've met before. Since you've met her, it's only natural that she was a part of your fantasy."

"But…"

"Let it go, Ichigo. Now, your sisters send you their love. They were very happy to get the call this morning that you woke up."

"That's why you're here?"

"Yes. I work out of the clinic downstairs now so I could be closer to you."

Ichigo looked at his father.

"Son, I know you think we blame you and before when I've tried to talk to you, you would shut me out. But believe me; no one blames you but you."

"Dad…"

Isshin sat down in the chair beside the bed and ran his hands through his hair. Ichigo noticed how some of it was starting to turn grey, the wrinkles on his face were more defined.

"Your sisters and I love you, very much, Ichigo. When Ishida-sensei called this morning and told me of your progress since you've woken up, we've all started to hope that we would be able to bring you home again. We all miss you."

"I don't understand, it all seemed so real. Even Rukia… Ishida said he didn't know Rukia."

"Rukia isn't his patient so I'm not surprised. This is a pretty big institution. You two were never meant to meet."

"What?"

"There are rules about patient interaction. Usually, if the doctor believes interaction would be beneficial to the patient, he will usually set up the meeting with another one of his patients. The doctors usually never mingle their patients. In the case of Rukia Kuchiki, she's been trying to escape this place since she was place here almost five years ago."

"She's been here for five years?"

"Yes. The night we brought you here she escaped her wing. While I was filling out the paperwork she snuck into the holding room and dragged you out with her. She filled your head with Shinigami talk and bad mouthed the owner of the facility, Sosuke Aizen to the point you believed her fantasy. It became so real to you; you took her delusions on as your own."

Ichigo's mouth hung open.

"What wing is she in?"

"She's a danger to herself and others around her. She's in the solitary wing."

"Her family?"

"She has only a brother, who works here as a gardener."

So in a way, the gardens do belong to her brother, how ironic, Ichigo thought.

"How is she a danger?"

"Ichigo, I really don't think that talking about her will-"

"Please…I need to know."

His father sighed and sat back in the chair. "After her sister died, she flipped out and went on a killing spree. When she was caught and brought in for questioning she was very incoherent. The most they could get out of her was that she was slaying hollows or bad spirits that were out to get her. When she learned she killed her lifelong friend in the process of her spree, she tried to kill herself. She was deemed mentally unstable and was locked up here."

"Her friend…was his name Kaien?"

"How did you know?"

"How long was I gone with her?"

"Only a few hours, why?"

"I feel like I know so much about her, but…I guess I learned what she told me and just made up the rest."

"The rest?"

"Her brother's name is Byakuya and is a rich noble. He married Rukia's sister and after she died he found Rukia and adopted her."

Isshin had a look of shock run across his face. "Wow that is pretty incredible."

"What?"

"What you just said. It's true except for the noble part. Byakuya Kuchiki is the hospitals gardener and is far from being rich." Isshin stood up. "I suppose you learned more than you thought you did in those few hours."

"I suppose so."

"Well, you rest now. There still a lot we need to talk about and I'm sure your therapist will be back." He made his way towards the door and turned, "It's good to have you back, son."

Their eyes met.

"Thanks, dad."


The days turned into weeks. Little by little Ichigo came to accept the fact that everything that happened from the moment he met Rukia was a delusion. While there were a few details that would nag at him every now and then, he did his best to push them aside. He wanted to get better, he wanted to leave the hospital and get back to his life.

"Kurosaki-san, here are your meds for the evening," Inoue said as she walked in to his room. She was carrying a tray with two cups, one with water and a smaller one with the medication. There was also a plate with a cookie. She smiled at him, "I was able to steal you an extra dessert tonight."

He smiled at her from his bed. "Thank you, Inoue." As she blushed, he realized his mistake. "I mean, Inoue-san. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about, Kurosaki-san. I'm flattered that I was a part of your fantasies and the familiarity doesn't bother me at all. You can even call me Orihime…if you'd like." She finished with a blush.

"Then you should call me Ichigo," he said, returning the smile.

Just then the lights went out and an alarm buzz sounded. The emergency generator kicked in and the room was bathed in red light.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Kurosaki-san, I need to go and help the others!" Inoue said as she put the tray down on his night stand by his bed.

"What's going on?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm not sure. The last time this happened a patient from another wing was trying to escape. I'm sorry; I need to go help the others lock everything down," she said as she backed out of the room. She shut the door, but did not lock it.

Ichigo frowned. A patient from another wing, eh? I wonder if it could be that Rukia girl again.

Rukia… The woman he knew a lot about yet it seemed like he knew nothing. He shook his head and got out of bed. He stood in front of his door, his hand on the handle. He debated for a few minutes until he heard a scream…

"Inoue!"