Thanks To Inception
"What's the most resilient parasite? An idea."
Ichigo Kurosaki is a substitute soul-reaper who is currently enrolled at Karakura High School. Rukia Kuchki a soul reaper stationed in Karakura Town who stays in the Kurosaki home. They fight along side each other, killing hollows and protecting those they care for. Ishiin Kurosaki, Ichigo's father, is the biggest wannabe matchmaker for his son. He currently wants his son to fall in love with Rukia, and he knows that Rukia has feelings for Ichigo. It is for this reason that Ishiin has hired the help of the Dom Cobb, the world's greatest dream-espionage expert.
"So, Mr. Kurosaki, I understand you want me to plant something into your own son's mind." Cobb said, slightly confused.
"That is correct. I want to plant a powerful emotion." Ishiin replied.
"The more powerful the emotion, the more difficult it is to plant. What's the emotion?"
"Love."
"What type of love?"
"The type that makes a man want to make a woman his wife."
"Is this a particular woman we are discussing?"
"It is."
"That will be a very difficult job, Mr. Kurosaki."
"First, call me Ishiin. Second, I have spared you the trouble of finding a capable team, minus the architect and you."
"The team makes things simpler, but we'll still need four dream levels to discover who he really loves plus another to plant your love, and six hours in the real world to do it all."
"I am a doctor. I can knock out my son with some drug, and then hook him up to an IV with a sedative to keep him out."
"Make it as mild a sedative as possible, so if we die in the dream we won't go into limbo."
"Understood."
Ishiin and Cobb closed the deal to place love in Ichigo's mind: a love for Rukia. Ishiin used his connections in the Seretei to form a team of specialized individuals. He recruited Kisuke, who jumped at the chance to screw with Ichigo's head, Yoruichi, who came to keep Kisuke in check, Toshiro, who just wanted a break from Matsumoto, and Kenpachi, who was looking for the fight of his life in a world where imagination was the limit. The next morning, after Karin and Yuzu had left for school, Ishiin stopped Ichigo in the hall. Ichigo told Rukia to go onto school. When Rukia was gone, Ishiin gave Ichigo a cup with red liquid in it and told his son to drink. When questioned for the reason, Ishiin told his son that during Ichigo's routine check-up he had detected a slight vitamin deficiency, and that this would help. Ichigo rolled his eyes and drank the mixture. A few seconds later, Ichigo fell to the floor and was carried to a hospital bed by his father. Ishiin hooked up the IV to Ichigo, and then heard a knock on the door. He let Cobb and the team inside. Cobb brought his favorite architect, Ariadne, along with him. The others followed him in. Cobb started up the machine that would link their minds to Ichigo's and then they went under.
They looked around at their first destination. It seemed to be a more modern version of the Seretei with roads and a lack of poverty. The team tried to be discrete as they looked for Ichigo. They found Ichigo eating lunch in a restaurant they was almost identical to his late mother's favorite restaurant. That was how the subconscious worked. They waited for an ideal moment to surprise Ichigo, so they could get into the second dream level. Then they would use the "Mr. Walter" tactic to enter the third. Ichigo finished his meal and exited he restaurant. They followed him until they arrived at the place by the river where his mother had died.
"His thoughts appear to be on his mother." Kisuke observed.
"Oh really? I hadn't noticed." Kenpachi retorted. "He needs to stops dreaming of mommy and get ready to fight."
When Ichigo sat down on a bench near the river, Ariadne went and sat beside him. Ichigo, thinking it was a normal dream began to speak to her. While Ichigo was distracted, Cobb snuck up behind him and gave him a more powerful drug to keep him out in the dream. Once again, the team hooked up the machine, and they entered the second dream level. Unfortunately, there was a glitch and Kenpachi arrived before anyone else. He arrived a week ahead in terms of dreamtime. He used this week to hunt down Ichigo's stronger memories, which took the forms of people, and battle them. None of them could satisfy his bloodlust, but he knew he couldn't fight Ichigo yet. When the others arrived they found a post-apocalyptic wasteland of a city with few people wandering around. Then they saw Kenpachi being chased by memories with firearms.
"Kenpachi upset Ichigo's internal balance. Now he's being chased by Ichigo's memories, and they'll recognize us as foreign ideas as well… just great." Cobb complained.
"Memories? Memories of who, exactly? I don't recognize any of these people."
"Memories of nobody. To be more specific, random thoughts taking material form in the dream world." Cobb replied.
At that moment they were surrounded by hundreds of memories with everything from katanas, but not zanpakutos, to RPG's. The team split up to take them out. Kisuke guarded everyone with his Blood Mist Shield, while Yoruichi knocked a few out with Shunpo. Cobb and Ariadne stuck with Ishiin who used Getsuga Tenshou to eliminate more of the enemy forces. Toshiro used Hyoinmaru to freeze the rest of them. When they regrouped, everyone glared at Kenpachi for a few moments. Then the looked for Ichigo began. Ishiin used the spirit threads to track him down. They found Ichigo training in a cave similar to Kisuke's subterranean cavern. When they approached him, he point Zangetsu at them.
"Stay back! I will not be killed by you as well!" Ichigo yelled.
Finally, it was Cobb's turn to step up. "Ichigo, don't you recognize me? It's me Mr. Walter." Cobb said kindly.
"Mr. Walter? Sorry, not ringing any bells yet."
"I'm the head of dream security. I am the dream that appears if some tries to invade your mind to steal your ideas."
"Then why are you with him?" Ichigo demanded, pointing at Kenpachi.
"Ironically, he's part of my team. He's been attacking those who are targeting you."
"They were targeting me? I guess I misjudged you then. Anyway, why are you here?"
"There is a problem with your inner mind. Someone is trying to plant an idea inside your head instead of steal one."
"What idea?"
"That you love someone."
"What? How are we supposed to stop that?"
"By killing them and showing you who you really love going deeper into your mind and letting you discover it for yourself."
"Alright, let's kill those little creeps."
Ichigo willingly went under the influence of the machine this time. When they arrived at the fourth level of the dream, Cobb explained to the team that this would be a setting where Ichigo would be with who he really loves. They would already be the targets of attack by memories, so they would just fight them off, saying they were the "Dream Planters." Then, they would go to the fifth level and let Ariadne plant the wanted love. Although, when they arrived, something totally unexpected happened. They looked around the new level, and saw a wide valet of grass with violet flowers surrounding them. In the distance, there was a hill where another Ichigo was sitting at the top…he was already sitting with Rukia. They were having a private picnic, just the two of them. They drank red wine, and ate such expensive food that it wasn't realistic for it to be there, but this wasn't reality.
"Is this the planted love?" Ichigo questioned.
"We don't know yet. We may be in time to stop the infiltrators." Cobb responded, trying not to appear surprised.
When the memories attacked, Kenpachi and Toshiro fought back and then they killed all but one: the memory that looked like Chad.
"We're going to need to interrogate him to find out if he planted the idea yet. You shouldn't see this, Ichigo."
"Wait! Wait, that's Chad why would he want to do this?" Ichigo asked, totally confused.
"Infiltrators often take the form of the people closest to you."
Ariadne set up a small interrogation room. Then Kisuke went in saying interrogation was his specialty. About thirty minutes later, hat and clogs himself pulled an unconscious Chad out behind him.
"Well from all I can gather, he's not lying about not planting the idea yet. We beat 'em to it guys." Kisuke said, smirking behind his fan.
"So what does that mean?"
"Well it means you really are in love with Rukia." Cobb said. "So my job is done here."
"So what happens now?"
"You'll wake up. You'll remember what you've discovered, but you won't remember how."
"Well… now I know."
"Yes you do. Farewell, Ichigo."
"Yeah, bye Walter."
Ichigo woke up in his own bed; he couldn't remember anything except his dad giving him some vitamin water. Although, he felt as if he had discovered a new love while he was out: a love for Rukia. Ishiin came into the room, and explained that Ichigo had been passed out all day. Ishiin had "diagnosed a small virus" and let Ichigo sleep it out, but he should be okay now. A few minutes later Rukia walked into the room, and saw Ichigo lying on the bed with a wet cloth on his head. Rukia rushed to his side, trampling Ishiin, to check to see if he was all right.
"Ichigo, what's wrong? You weren't at school today. Are you all right?" Rukia asked.
"I'll be fine, but Rukia there's something I have to tell you." Ichigo said, almost desperately.
"What is it?"
"I love you…so much."