Bleach
Requiem of the Forgotten
Prologue
Ichigo Kurosaki stood on the bank by the river where he and his mother had been walking the night of her death as the sun set. Over his shoulder, his school bag hung by his finger tips. His orange hair had grown since the battle with Aizen nearly 14 months ago. He considered getting it cut as he stood overlooking the peaceful waterway where his mother had been murdered by a hollow.
As he considered this style change, he looked towards the downtown portion of Karakura Town, noticing the bridge he had to walk over occasionally to get to school or go to see some of his friends. He remembered one day, many months before, a red ribbon that had floated in the breeze toward him. He had caught it and seen a girl he thought he'd recognized. He had kept the ribbon but no longer remembered what he'd done with it.
He suddenly furrowed his brow as he asked himself why he was even thinking of anything like that. Why had he kept the ribbon? He usually hates to cling to the past. He couldn't understand it.
Suddenly, a voice behind him caught his attention, distracting him from his recollection.
"Hey Ichigo," she called from down the street.
He turned to see Tatsuki's smiling face and Orihime beside her blushing brilliantly. She looked like a dog that had just been caught.
"What's up Tatsuki?" he answered. "Hey Orihime."
"Hi Ichigo," Orihime said.
"Oh, I just caught Orihime staring at you again," Tatsuki said, causing Orihime to jump and try to silence her.
"What do you mean, again?" Ichigo asked, confusion written on his face.
"She's always watching you from a distance, especially when you come here," Tatsuki said calmly. "She worries about you, Ichigo. She just doesn't have the courage to ever tell you that."
Ichigo smiled at Orihime.
"No need to worry about me, Orihime," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I'm fine."
Orihime looked down at the ground, doubtfully.
"I'm telling the truth."
"Ok," she said, folding her arms beneath her bosom.
"Look, you don't have to watch me. If you're concerned just tell me, and I'll tell you if anything is wrong."
Orihime looked up at him, staring into his deep brown eyes.
"Promise you won't hide anything from me?"
"Orihime," Ichigo said, "why would I lie to you? We're friends aren't we?"
She blushed slightly and nodded lightly, using one hand to brush her hair behind her ear as she looked down.
"Anyway, shouldn't you two be headed home? I mean, it's getting late."
Tatsuki nodded, her face showing Ichigo she was slightly annoyed with him. He looked back at her quizzically and she gave him a look, clearly meaning, "I'll talk to you about it later."
As the two young ladies walked away, Ichigo once again stared off toward the water, trying to recall the thoughts he'd been grasping for before they'd interrupted him. After a few more moments, he decided he'd lost the thought and continued to walk toward his house.
==================================Bleach===================================================================
"Orihime," Tatsuki said as the two young ladies walked down the street, "you're going to have to tell Ichigo how you feel sooner or later."
"I know, Tatsuki," she replied. "I just can't... I couldn't even say it when I had the best chance..."
Tatsuki looked at her friend, slight concern showing on her face. She decided that she would have to talk to Ichigo about it later.
As they reached a four-way intersection, they parted ways with a pleasant farewell.
"I'll see ya at school tomorrow," Tatsuki said as she walked away.
Orihime waved with a smile and walked on.
Tatsuki walked for a while before looking back to ensure Orihime wasn't looking. She back-tracked to the point they'd parted and continued to walk to Ichigo's house from that point. Her concern for Orihime drove her to talk to Ichigo immediately. She was worried that Orihime hadn't told her everything about Ichigo and his power.
================================================Bleach=====================================================
Ichigo lay sprawled out on his bed, his hands behind his head, his eyes glued to some fixed point in space as he tried to recall what he'd been thinking about by the river when Tatsuki and Orihime had interrupted. He closed his eyes, wandering into the depths of his own mind. He vaguely remembered a red ribbon flying into his hand as he crossed a bridge...
"Ichigo!" came his fathers call from downstairs.
Ichigo bolted upright in frustration.
"What? I'm trying to think up here!"
As he said that, the figure of Tatsuki appeared in his bedroom door, her hand on her hip in a gesture of annoyance.
"Jeez," she said. "Way to great a friend."
"Tatsuki?" Ichigo stated, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I haven't been over to your house since we were kids," she said, looking around his room. "Ever since..."
Ichigo felt the unease of her mentioning his mother's death.
"I know," he said, "but what are you doing here?"
She sat down in his rolling chair in front of his desk.
"I came to talk to you about something."
Ichigo laid back down, staring off into space, once again.
"Ichigo-" Tatsuki began.
"Is this about me being a shingami?"
She looked surprised.
"Yes but-"
"I could tell by the way you've been acting since Orihime told you. Also, Orihime has been acting very concerned around me lately. You are probably wondering what she is concerned about aren't you?"
"Yes," Tatsuki said.
"What did she tell you?"
"She told me that you were a shinigami and that you had become one so you could protect all those people you care about. She also told me how many times you've saved a lot of people from monsters who would seek to destroy or devour all of humanity and a place called the Soul Society where the souls of we humans go when we die. She also told me that you'd been so powerful that you stopped that guy who was about to kill me, Keigo and the others. She wouldn't tell me any more about what was going on with your outfit, hair, height, or any of that stuff changing."
Ichigo closed his eyes as he listened to her, trying to think of a way to put her at ease without telling her the truth.
"Sounds like she told you pretty much everything."
He heard no response from Tatsuki for a few moments so he looked over to her in the chair. She had an honestly hurt look on her face.
"What?"
"Am I not your friend, Ichigo?"
"Tatsuki, I-"
"No! Tell me why Orihime is so worried about you, right now!"
"Tatsuki-"
"Ichigo!" Tatsuki screamed, grabbing him by the front of his shirt with one hand and cocking the other back to punch him in the face.
He stared into her eyes as tears started to flow down her face. As he watched, she began sobbing uncontrollably.
"Ever since you started this whole soul reaper nonsense, you've kept me, one of your oldest friends, at least an arm's length away at all times! I just want to know!"
She grabbed his shirt with the other hand and sobbed, pulling herself close to him.
His eyes, wide with shock, stared at the girl below him. That strong Tatsuki he knew was absent from her at the moment. What was going on?
"Tatsuki," he said calmly, "I didn't realize. I'm sorry..."
"Please, Ichigo," she sobbed, "don't apologize. Just tell me the truth."
As she calmed down and sat back on the chair, wiping her eyes.
"Tatsuki, the truth is, I'm losing my shinigami powers..."
"What? How?"
"The battle with Aizen, where I looked older? I had to use a technique that, after using that technique, I'd begin to lose all my shinigami powers. Orihime panicked when I collapsed immediately following the battle. That was one of two stages of spirit pressure loss. The second will be much more violent and painful."
Tatsuki's eyes widened.
"When will this second stage happen?"
"I don't know. It could be today or it could be a year from now..."
The silence between them slowly stagnated, causing both of them unease with the situation.
As Tatsuki was about to say something to Ichigo, he looked towards the door.
"Orihime," he said aloud. "You can come in any time now."
Tatsuki immediately ran to the door, looking out to find Orihime leaning against the door frame, her cheeks still wet from tears.
"Orihime, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she replied as she entered the room.
"What's up, Orihime?" Ichigo asked nonchalantly.
"I just brought some things over for you that I thought you'd like," she answered, setting a small baggy on the desk. She began to walk out, when Tatsuki, grabbed her wrist.
"Orihime," she said quietly, "you should tell him now. I'll leave you two alone."
"I can't do it," Orihime said, tears filling her eyes.
"Why not?"
"I just can't," Orihime nearly sobbed.
Tatsuki was about to rebuke when, suddenly, Ichigo stood bolt-upright on his bed, holding his wooden combat pass to his chest. She watched his shinigami form and body separate, his body falling to the floor. As it fell, she caught it, laying it on the bed.
"Orihime," she said, turning to the door.
"Yeah?"
"You have to tell him. He knows already and I know he feels the same."
Orihime looked down at her feet.
"Alright. I'll tell him."
"Good, now let's go help him out!"
==================================================Bleach=====================================================
The hollow was massive. It stood tall enough to look into the 6th floor of any building, easily. It's mask looked like a strange version of the Easter Island heads. Its yellow eyes scanned the streets for a soul as it lumbered through the town, occasionally roaring.
Ichigo watched the hollow for a moment as he ran through the air toward it. As he approached, he grabbed the hilt of Zangetsu, feeling the linen unravel, he aimed the blade down at the hollow, slicing it's mask clean in half.
He slung Zangetsu over his shoulder as he watched the hollow's being fade through its exorcism.
He eased himself to the ground, where he found Tatsuki and Orihime there waiting.
"What are you guys doing here? It's dangerous here."
"I know, but we'll always be here for you, Ichigo," Tatsuki replied.
He smiled slightly.
"Well, do you two need a lift home? I can carry ya."
They looked at each other with excitement and nodded.
"Hop on. Mind Zangetsu back there. He may be wrapped in linen but he can still cut you."
The two young ladies hopped on his back, each grabbing a shoulder.
As he knelt to take off, a sudden pain shot through his head and the image of a girl he thought he'd seen before flashed before his eyes. He yelled out in pain, grasping his head and curling into the fetal position on the ground.
As he continued to yell in agony, Tatsuki and Orihime panicked.
"Ichigo? Ichigo, are you alright? Ichigo?!" Tatsuki screamed.
Orihime grabbed her hair pins.
"Santen Kesshun I reject!"
Tatsuki backed off slightly, staring at Ichigo, who lay on the ground writhing in agony beneath Orihime's healing shield.
"What should I do?" she asked Orihime.
"Call Urahara. I'll handle Ichigo."
