See Who I Am
By: Yami Rasui
Well here's the next one in my Within Temptation Series. I want to send out a special thanks to Scarlett Foxie for reviewing to several of the pieces to this series. This one is the longest of them so far and I hope everyone is enjoying them. I own nothing of the Bleach series, other than my box sets and giant Ichigo wall scroll. Let me know what you think.
Is it true what they say?
Are we too blind to find a way?
Fear of the unknown
Clouds our hearts today.
Ichigo took his first breath of air in the Seireitei after being gone for years. It had been long for his soul since he had been there and he was anxious to see how much it had changed. He was especially anxious to see his lover, would Toshirou even recognize him anymore. He sighed and then made his way to his old room in the squad 11 barracks. "We left it the way you left it since we figured that eventually you would be back," Ikkaku said. Ichigo turned and smiled at him. "Well it's nice to see some things don't change around here baldy," he said. Ikkaku rolled his eyes and then left Ichigo to begin settling in.
Come into my world,
See through my eyes.
Try to understand,
Don't want to lose what we have.
We've been dreaming
But who can deny?
It's the best way of living
Between the truth and the lies.
"So have you seen him?" Rangiku asked. Toshirou looked up from his mountain of paperwork and studied his Lieutenant. "Have I seen who?" Toshirou asked. Rangiku rolled her eyes and sighed. It was just like her Captain to get lost in his work and not know what was going on around him. Then again with the influx of people into the 13 Court Guard squads she couldn't really blame him. Their own squad had received no less than three dozen new members in the course of three days so Toshirou had been working on their orders and processing them into the squad records. "Ichigo, he just got here this morning. I'm surprised you didn't go rushing out to see him." Rangiku said.
"You're spouting nonsense again Rangiku," Toshriou said, "Ichigo is dead and not returning here."
Rangiku sighed and knew that her Captain just wasn't going to listen unless he saw Ichigo himself.
See who I am,
Break through the surface.
Reach for my hand,
Let's show them that we can
Free our minds and find a way.
The world is in our hands,
This is not the end.
Ichigo was taking his time and relearning his way around the seireitei, but even though he couldn't remember everything he could still remember his way to the squad ten barracks. As he stood outside the barracks he smirked and let his spiritual pressure flare briefly as greeting. It was the normal greeting between him and his lover, and he was waiting for an answering flare, but it didn't come. "He won't answer Ichigo, he doesn't believe it possible for you to be back. And it doesn't help that he's so exhausted that he doesn't react to spiritual pressure right now," Rangiku said. Ichigo turned and looked at her. "Well then I guess I'll just have to go see him won't I," Ichigo said.
Fear is withering the soul
At the point of no return.
We must be the change we wish to see.
I'll come into your world,
See through your eyes.
I'll try to understand,
Before we lose what we have.
Getting himself to Toshirou's office was harder than it usually was since most of Squad 10 wanted to say hi and ask him how he was doing. It was frustrating to say the least but he was used to the odd things around there. He inhaled deeply as he found himself outside of Toshirou's office at last, though he was nervous about walking in and seeing his lover for the first time. He was afraid that Toshirou would still hate him for dying so suddenly like he had in the first place, especially after promising to come back. He hesitated and rubbed the back of his head as he debated actually walking into the office. Then the memory of Yuki and Toshirou standing across from each other in the park came to mind. He could still see the look on Toshirou's face as if it was yesterday, the pain as he had stared at the boy who looked like him but was obviously not him. 'It must have hurt so bad that I kept my changed reincarnation cycle away from him, but I knew that I would be needed here much sooner than my original cycle would allow. Especially for his sake,' he thought. Strapping some mental steel against his spine he knocked and then let himself into the office.
We just can't stop believing
Because we have to try.
We can rise above their truth and their lies.
See who I am,
Break through the surface.
Reach for my hand,
Let's show them that we can
Free our minds and find a way.
The world is in our hands.
"I told you Rangiku that I didn't want anymore tea, just go away and leave me to finish since you're not going to help." Toshirou said. He didn't bother to look up, knowing that his lieutenant was just there to bother him once again. It was frustrating that she was willing to be a nuisance to him but she wasn't willing to be a helpful nuisance. "Well it's good to know that Rangiku has been taking care of you, but sad to know that you would think that she would come back after you basically tossed her out the window to get her out of here last time," a new voice said. It was deep and obviously a males, not at ll like his lieutenant's voice. And it sounded so familiar, but again the memory slipped from him like the snow melting in spring. He raised his eyes from his paperwork and his eyes widened. It was impossible, impossible that Ichigo could be standing in front of him. He had discretely checked on Yuki just the week before and the boy seemed just fine. "Who are you and why do you take the form of Ichigo?" Toshirou asked, standing up with his hand on Hyorinmaru. Ichigo frowned at Toshriou and pushed away from the wall. "What are you talking about Toshirou, it's me. Have you really forgotten me since I've been gone?" Ichigo asked. Toshirou growled at the insolent man standing in front of him. "Get out of my sight and never return, there is no way you're my Ichigo and I will not accept an imposter standing there like he's really him." Toshriou growled.
See who I am,
Break through the surface.
Reach for my hand,
Let's show them that we can
Free our minds and find a way.
The world is in our hands.
This is not the end.
I hear their silence
Preaching my blame.
Will our strength remain
If their power reigns?
Ichigo frowned and mentally flinched at the harsh words coming from Toshirou. He hadn't imagined that Toshirou would deny his existence so vehemently, or that it would hurt so much to be told that he wasn't Toshirou's lover. He studied Toshirou's blue eyes with a flash of pain before he allowed his eyes to harden. "Well I can see where I'm not needed. Next time you decide to lie to yourself Toshirou think of the people that you hurt in that process and try to remember you're not the only one who is hurt by your actions," Ichigo growled. He turned and began walking out of the office, passing Rangiku as she entered. "Remind your Captain that the wounds he inflicts can't always be healed by simple words at a later time, since it seems he can't see past his own pain to see what's right in front of his fucking face," he growled before storming out, his spiritual pressure flaring dangerously around him as he left.
See who I am,
Break through the surface.
Reach for my hand,
And show them that we can
Free our minds and find a way.
The world is in our hands.
Rangiku watched Ichigo walk away and then turned to her Captain. She couldn't understand what she was hearing. It seemed that her Captain was more foolish than she had thought. She turned a glare on her Captain as she seethed in anger. "How could you do that to him? Do you realize what it took for him to come here before he was truly ready to face you, and now you're just sitting there like he isn't who he really is. He's right, think next time before you suddenly spout off your own nonsense." She growled before storming out of the office.
See who I am,
Break through the surface.
Reach for my hand,
Let's show them that we can
Free our minds and find a way.
The world is in our hands.
Toshriou collapsed into his chair, the residual presence of Ichigo's spiritual pressure knocking some sense into him. He had just accused his lover of not being his lover, that Ichigo wasn't really who he expected. It was unheard of for him not to recognize Ichigo's presence but even in the face of proof he had denied it. He stared at where his lover had been. "What have I done?" He whispered.
This is not the end.
AN: Well please press the little button down there that says review. I'd really like to know what you think of things.