A Dose of Normal
Summary: While feeling sorry for himself, Ichigo realizes that being normal isn't so bad. Meanwhile, his family isn't as clueless as he seems to think they are.
Karakura Town was suddenly a strange place to be, Ichigo thought as he wandered around his hometown. He left flowers at the corner for the little girl's ghost even though he could no longer see her. He didn't know if she was even there, but it was something that was normal. He could barely stay around Chad and Orihime. Their eyes held traces of pity that soured his stomach. However, he had vowed to stand behind Chad whenever he needed it, so he couldn't distance himself from them. Uryuu was a different matter altogether. His eyes held not one trace of pity. He had lost his quincy powers once and even though they returned, he knew the effect pity had.
As the sun began to set, Ichigo looked up at the post Afro-dude Shinigami usually stood upon and wondered if he was there or was someone else there watching with more pity. He sighed. There was a restlessness about him that made him want to run, to escape, to scream…but to do so would be admitting that he needed to be pitied.
"Ichi-nii!"
"Huh? Yuzu? Shouldn't you be home now?" Ichigo asked.
He took the grocery bags from his little sister and held them both in one hand. Yuzu took the opportunity to grab his other hand.
"I needed some things for dinner. Karin had to go somewhere without me and Dad left a note saying he'd be late."
"Late? So much for dinner being promptly at seven. I think he should get punished."
"Yep! No dinner for Dad or Karin if they don't come home soon. It can be just the two of us, okay?"
Ichigo smiled at his sister's pout. "Sure Yuzu…just the two of us."
"And, I have a special desert planned too!"
"Really? Did something happen at school today?"
Yuzu nodded enthusiastically and Ichigo let her prattle on about her day. This was the reason he risked losing his shinigami powers. Just watching Yuzu brightened his day. There was nothing else worth thinking about. He faced Aizen for her, and for people like her. He couldn't feel sorry for himself. There was nothing to feel sorry for. He did the right thing.
"Ichigo! Are you listening?"
"Of course I am."
"Hmmph. Keep that up and no desert for you, either!"
"Aww, I was listening.
Kurosaki Karin followed her siblings home to ensure they were okay. It was her duty now to protect Ichigo just as she protected Yuzu. Her twin couldn't see hollows or shinigami and she could barely feel reiatsu. Thankfully, Yuzu could tell when something was near as she could see a vague outline but Ichigo was even more helpless now. He was just as ordinary as any human.
Karin listened to Yuzu all the way home. She rolled her eyes as her sister complained about her leaving abruptly after school.
"About that, Yuzu. Karin has things she needs to do on her own now." Ichigo said.
Karin frowned. She was sure she did a good job hiding her activities from Ichigo. Karin suspected her father knew about her duties, but she had thought Ichigo would have been clueless for a little while longer. She wanted to protect him not have him try to rescue her when he was unable to.
"But Ichigo…" Yuzu whined.
"Did you want to play soccer with Karin, then?"
Yuzu shook her head and looked over her shoulder before answering. "I don't think she's playing with the other kids anymore."
"Well, even if she isn't the two of you can't do everything together even though she is your twin."
"I don't want to do everything together. I like having the house to myself without you three making a mess all the time but I've walked home with Karin forever."
Ichigo looked down at Yuzu. "Maybe, you need another hobby instead of taking care of us. You know, I can make dinner too."
Karin stifled a laugh at the horror she could imagine on Yuzu's face. Ichigo wasn't a bad cook per say, but he was nowhere near their sister's standards.
"You burned the fish last week!"
"It was only two…and it wasn't that bad." Ichigo said.
Karin had given the burnt fish to the male members of their family rather than eat it.
"Thanks, but no, Ichi-nii."
"I still think the hobby is a good idea."
"I'll think about it…but I'm not sure if I could trust Dad by himself at all."
Karin sighed. That was true. Their father was more than just a little ridiculous. The man shouldn't be classified as an adult by any means.
"I think Dad could handle himself, Yuzu."
"Maybe."
Karin froze as she felt a hollow. She was new to the whole shinigami thing but she had her zanpakuto at the ready, just in case the hollow came near Yuzu and Ichigo. As she feared, neither of the two felt the hollow. Hopefully, Chad, Orihime, and Uryū had everything under control. Urahara had only agreed to train her if she didn't chase after the hollows. That was fine with her. She would do this for Ichigo.
Yuzu knew Karin was following them. She didn't know when Karin could become invisible like Ichigo did but there was no mistaking Karin. If there was only one person in the world Yuzu could know without having to see, smell, hear, or touch, it would be Karin. Of course, she made up some silly story for Ichigo and he bought it completely. Her brother could be so dense sometimes. Still, it was nice having Ichigo around. For a while, it seemed as if he were so distant. He was sneaking around and even going so far as to act so un-Ichigo that she was relieved to have him at her side.
She was making something special just for him because Ichigo was sad. It bothered her more than anything, but there was nothing she could do about Ichigo's lost abilities. Even though he always claimed to hate it, Yuzu knew it wasn't true. She never mentioned feeling a ghost anymore. Neither did Karin, but her father did keep picking fights with Ichigo.
Yuzu glanced up at her brother and thought about possible hobbies. That really wasn't possible either, especially if it meant Ichigo making dinner. Her brother may be awesome in everything but the kitchen was something he needed to be banned from at times. He was a disaster even when washing dishes.
A chill went down her spine, and Yuzu looked over her shoulder again.
"Are you cold, Yuzu?"
She nodded. "Yes, I think I'm getting a bit chilled, Ichi-nii. Let's hurry home so I can put something hot on."
"Alright."
"I hope Karin isn't out there alone."
"Her job right now is to look after Ichigo. He'll be fine soon enough if my plans work."
Isshin sighed. "For the short-term."
"You didn't worry this much when Ichigo became a shinigami."
"Ichigo has always had such a high level of spiritual power that it didn't bother me. I worried more when he couldn't protect himself. Karin, however, is nowhere near where Ichigo was, Kisuke."
"Karin will be fine. You know that Ririn, Noba and Kurōdo are constantly shadowing her and Ichigo to keep them out of trouble."
"Going through this training again makes me wonder if Karin can handle it all."
Kisuke smirked. "You are definitely more out of shape than your teenage daughter, Isshin."
"Nevermind that, now, Kisuke. Round two?"
"Sing, Benihime." Was all that Urahara Kisuke said, and Isshin attacked the man with everything he had. The clash of swords was like music to his ears and the battle made his blood boil. He didn't even try to use kidō because Urahara wouldn't have given him time to let the power build up. This wasn't the time to practice kidō anyway. This was a battle and any mistake could cost him his life.
Isshin grinned as he felt the intensity kick up one level. This was what he longed for.
Dinner was a noisy affair at the Kurosaki household. Ichigo hid a smile at his father's antics. The man was truly annoying, but this was a dose of normalcy that he desperately needed. Karin was her usual disciplinarian self while his father and Yuzu tried to pry into his business. Isshin moaned to his wife's photo and the three of them, Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu rolled their eyes.
This was everything he fought to keep. This was worth being powerless. Everyone else lived with whatever their handicaps were. There were still things he could do without his spiritual powers. Ichigo held back a sigh as he saw Karin's eyes focus on something…a ghost. Yuzu's eyes drifted to the same spot confirming the ghost's presence. He couldn't even feel it.
That was okay.
He hadn't wanted to see them in the first place.