A/N: This is my first time at attempting fanfiction. Ever. I don't think writing is my strongest point, but I've always wanted to write a full-length story that I can be content with. I hope you will be able to enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm still not finished with the whole story - I still don't know which direction to take it. All suggestions and comments (as long as they're not flaming) are appreciated! Thank you for choosing to read this, and if the reception is good, I will update this on a much faster and regular basis. ^_^
I do not own any copyrighted material unless stated. Only the story is mine.
Chapter One: Spring
"Onii-Chan, rise and shine!"
"Ugh… still sleepy…"
"Ichi-nii, you're not eating breakfast?"
"I'll eat some toast on the way. I'm late!"
"Our stupid boy is already late on the first day of school! Oh, Masaki, have I been raising him wrong this whole time?"
Slam. Ichigo took in the fresh April air as he took a bite of his toast and hurried his steps along. He glanced around at the colorful jasmine flowers, marigolds, and the looming sakura trees that reminded him so much of someone he used to despise. Hm, April just seems to get nicer each year.
"Ichigo!" Mizuiro waved as Ichigo hastened to catch up with him. "Yo, Mizuiro. You ready for the new semester?"
Kurosaki Ichigo. Hair color: Orange. Eye color: Brown.
"I think so. Just study like always, right?"
Age: Seventeen. Occupation: Third-year high school senior.
"Yeah," Ichigo sighed. "I just hope this year goes by quick."
Formerly a substitute shinigami who defeated the biggest threat to the human and the spirit world.
Formerly.
"Oi, Ichigo, just how much do you make off of just standing there next to the goal?" Keigo pouted as Ichigo put away his soccer uniform and started the walk home. He scratched his head.
"Well, it's a secret."
"Awwww, come on man!" Keigo let out a cry. "6000 yen? 7000? How come they never ask me to join?! I mean, I'm capable…"
Ichigo shook his head and chuckled at his stupid friend. It had been almost two years since the defeat of Aizen. Two years since he lost his powers. Two years since he last laid eyes on a spirit. Two years since he last saw his shinigami friends. Two years since Rukia left…
"Oi, do you miss her?"
Ichigo was caught off guard. "Huh?"
Keigo's smile stretched from ear to ear as he poked Ichigo in the rib. "You know exactly who I mean. Rukia-chan. You miss her, huh?"
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Why would I miss that annoying midget? All she ever did was abuse me with her punches and pester me with her crappy drawings…" Ichigo paused in his tracks for a second before continuing his route. "Besides, she has a duty to fulfill. She belongs in soul society."
But yeah, I miss her. A little bit. No, a lot.
"Ichigo, you're so cold hearted," Keigo pouted. "I miss those lovely violet eyes of hers… and how our school uniform looked so great on her petite body… and her sweet, sugary voice…" Keigo gave a serious look to Ichigo. "You sure you're not gay?"
Ichigo smacked him in the head. "Go home."
Keigo rubbed his head and waved goodbye. "See ya tomorrow, Ichigo~!"
Ichigo rubbed his eyes. Damn that Keigo, putting unnecessary thoughts into my head. He had twenty pages of homework to do, not to mention he had to clean his room because his dad had officially declared that day "Spring Cleaning Day" years ago. The last thing he needed on his mind was a mental image of Rukia in her school uniform looking straight into his soul with those huge violet eyes of hers. Damn those huge violet eyes of hers.
Ichigo knelt down and fixed some flowers that mourned a recently passed boy. He remembered reading in the local paper that the boy had some type of life-threatening disease ever since he was little, and modern medicine could do no more to keep him alive any longer. Ichigo wondered if the boy was looking at him now. Would he be thankful that he's keeping his flowers clean? Or would he question this tall orange-haired stranger that needed to mind his own business? Ichigo waved to the air just in case the boy was looking, and turned the corner into his neighborhood when he heard a girl scream from a nearby alleyway. His reflexes acted immediately and he began to run towards the growing commotion.
"Shh! Don't make so much noise, girl!" Ichigo heard a gruff voice from just around the building.
"Asshole! You'll pay for this!"
Ichigo's ears perked up. Was that… no, it couldn't be. But the voice sounds just like…
"I was planning on just taking your money, but on second thought, you're kinda cute," the grungy man smirked.
"Touch me and you will regret it."
"Oh yeah? We'll just have to see about tha-" The man was cut off short as Ichigo's foot met his face.
"Go home, fucker, before I do some real damage to you," Ichigo scowled as he snatched the purse the man was holding. "and don't even think to attempt to pick on another girl around here ever again, or it'll be the last thing you ever do."
The man seemed annoyed at first by this cocky teenage boy who seemed at least a decade younger than him, but when he saw the color of his hair, he jolted – never in his five years of robbery did he think he would actually come face to face with the Kurosaki Ichigo; a name that made petty criminals tremble in fear. He must have been new, Ichigo thought. Anyone who lives in this neighborhood wouldn't even think of doing shit like that while I'm still healthy and breathing.
"Thank you," the feminine voice came from behind him. Ichigo slowly turned around, expecting to face yet another girl who only sounded like Rukia. Either his mind just took a new interest in messing with him these past two years, or he actually…. Misses her. He was met with a petite girl wearing an oversized pink hoodie with the hood over her head. She was facing the ground.
"You're welcome," he replied as-a-matter-of-factly as he handed her the purse. The girl didn't budge. "Uh, this is yours right? Well hurry and take it, I have places to be…"
"Yes, it is mine, you fool!" the girl snapped at him, straightening her stance and looking him in the eye. Her stray black bang fell across her face, and her violet eyes were dancing with emotion. If he wasn't in initial shock from the fact Rukia stood before him after two years, he would have noticed the huge trail of nose boogers running down from her right nostril to her chin.
"Rukia…? What… how?" he stuttered to himself. He grabbed her shoulders. "Rukia, why are you here?"
She immediately slapped his hands off of her. "Although I am grateful that you have rescued my possessions, you do not get a free pass to touch me. And also, can't you see I'm indecent?!" she pointed at her nose. "I thought you'd take a hint and just take your heroic silent leave, but now I've embarrassed myself as well. Hmph. And my name isn't Rukia."
Ichigo's sight never left her eyes even when she reached into her purse to blow her nose. He stared at her in disbelief. "What is this, is old man Yamamoto ordering you to pretend to not know me or something? What's going on Rukia? What… why did you come back now?"
The girl finished wiping her nose and gave him a confused yet cold stare. "I have no idea what you are talking about. Who is Yamamto? And I've already said it once, my name is not Rukia. I don't know you. You've mistaken me for someone else. I've already thanked you for your good deed. I'm taking my leave now." She started to walk away from him, until she was almost completely out of sight.
A million things were running through Ichigo's mind. Is this some secret mission I'm not supposed to know about? Why is she insisting that she doesn't know me? And why did she come back now? Does this mean… my powers are coming back? When it registered to Ichigo he was standing alone, he frantically looked around for any sign of the Rukia doppelganger, only to realize she was long gone.
"Shit," he spat. I guess I'm making a surprise visit to Urahara's.
As soon as he approached the front yard of Urahara's shop, he noticed Karin exiting with a plastic bag. "Karin?" he called out. The younger girl darted her head and immediately hid the bag behind her.
"Ichi-nii? What are you doing here?" she asked almost accusingly.
"Me? I could say the same for you. You know Urahara? And don't even attempt to hide that from me, Karin. I'm not stupid."
Karin rolled her eyes in defeat and relaxed her stance. "Relax, it's not drugs or some shit like that. I need them for something I'm working on. And yeah, I kind of know him. Are you really that surprised? I can see spirits too, you know."
"Whatever, you don't have to tell me what's in your bag. And I'm just surprised, that's all. Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"
Karin shrugged. "I didn't think it was important." She looked at her watch. "Whatever business you have here, you better be home in an hour. Yuzu's making curry tonight and I am not going to wait for your ass to show up while my delicious curry cools."
"Love you too, sis." Ichigo waved as he opened the door to Urahara's shop. He felt the familiar scent of bamboo wood and herbs hit his senses as he briefly reminisced about the last time he was here. That was over two years ago. I hope I'm not being rude asking him a favor after pretty much no contact in two years… but then again, this concerns Rukia. To hell with manners. Something is up and I don't like it. Ichigo made sure his scowl softened a bit before stepping inside.
"Hello?" he called out. "Urahara-san, it's me, Ichigo." Almost immediately, he was greeted by the man behind the familiar paper fan.
"Why hello, Kurosaki-San! I was just saying my farewell to another younger and prettier Kurosaki-San. My my, you have grown. What brings you to my shop today, older and masculine Kurosaki-San?" he spoke cheerfully. Ichigo would have played along somewhat and gave him a reaction, but his face remained stoic. Urahara cleared his throat. "How can I help you?"
"I need to know why Rukia is in Karakura Town," he spoke. "Since she's pretending like she never even knew me, I assume her being here has something to do with me."
Urahara's face suddenly lost all traces of playfulness. "Are you talking about Kuchiki Rukia, Kurosaki-San? You have seen her recently?"
Ichigo nodded. "I saw someone who looked and acted exactly like her earlier today. If I wasn't so caught up in my own thoughts, I would have probably dragged her here with me." He sighed. "She was having trouble fending off some punk who took her purse. She might have hit her head on something and lost her memory for a bit. That's my biggest lead right now. But I wanted your word on that."
Urahara shifted his eyes to the floor as Ichigo kept talking. "Sorry for showing up so unexpectedly, by the way. I know it's rude of me to ask something of you after such a long time of not talking, but you're the only person I trust with this matter. Oh, and thanks for taking care of my sister while she comes here. She comes here a lot, doesn't she?"
Urahara's eyes remained dark but he nodded. "Yes, she does visit often. She seems to be very interested in learning about spirits."
They sat in silence for a few seconds before a raindrop outside alerted Ichigo he had to be home soon. "So, about Rukia…?"
Urahara closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. "Kurosaki-san… I'm not sure how to tell you this."
Ichigo sighed in exasperation. "I knew it. It's some top secret mission that old man Yama gave her and since I have no shinigami powers, she is not to make contact with a human in any way. Or she could be put on death sentence again." He paused to think. "Wait… she totally made contact with that sleazy robber. Why didn't she use her memory modifier on him before she left? Oh, she could get in trouble for that…"
"Kurosaki-san."
"Eh?"
"It is impossible for her to be in either the living world or the spirit world," Urahara spoke firmly. "Kuchiki Rukia passed away one year ago in battle."