Chapter 1: No one lasts forever

Part 1 of 5: Death, a natural part of life

By: Bob Lowry

Location: Soul Society Senkai Gate

As the gate opened, the gate keepers fell to the ground gasping for air. Ichigo suppressed his immense reiatsu to compensate for the lower strength of the gate keepers, or else they'd die. Rukia chuckled watching the men struggle. Ichigo looked around for a few mere seconds before he got an 'I'm home' look on his face.

"Rukia," he started, "been a while since we've been here, hasn't it?"

"Two years Ichigo, too long to be away from home." She said helping the gate keepers to their feet, "I wonder why we've been called here today. Maybe Kisuke or your father did something," she laughed, "that'd be a riot." Ichigo knew she was wrong but couldn't help but realize there was a small chance Kisuke screwed up again. "In either case, we have to get to the fourth squad quarters, quickly."

"Let's go," he said as his shunpo carried him off.

"Damn it Ichigo, you know I can't keep up with you!" She yelled out at the top of her lungs, then vanished hoping the extra shunpo practice would pay off. It didn't.

"Hey, that reiatsu that orange haired kid was letting off wasn't normal. It was way too big," one guard said to the other. "Even Captain Commander Genryuusai's reiatsu never got that high around us." He put his head into his hands. "What on soul society is he?"

"It's not our job to know." The other replied as he took his place next to the gate and replaced the soul chains.

Ichigo slowed to accommodate Rukia's relatively slow speed. They passed squads eleven, three, nine, and six before reaching the fourth squads quartering area. Three vice-captains unknown to Ichigo and Rukia were standing guard. Ichigo approached and pronounced the word 'strawberry.' They let him through immediately; they wouldn't allow Rukia and questioned her.

"Rukia Kuchiki is with me. That's her, let her pass." When they didn't release their grip he pushed his reiatsu up to the point they were suffocating, like the Senkai Gate guards. "Rukia, come in here."

They walked down the long hallway to a flight of stairs. They proceeded up. And there was a large curtained off area with Captain Kurotsuchi in front. His eyes scanned Ichigo for a brief minute. "Ah, Ichigo, it's been a while."

"Captain Kurotsuchi, a pleasure."

"Not captain anymore. When Captain Kisuke returned I returned the position to him. No use in keeping something that won't let me do my experiments now is there. I have loads more free time without that title." He smiled, and looked at the new sword on his belt.

"Modify your zanpaktou?" Ichigo asked wondrously, after all it was illegal to do such a thing.

"Of course not, mines at the bureau. I copied it and tested some experiments on the clone." Cloning a zanpaktou? Is that even possible, legal or anything? It's unheard of, ridiculous to even think such a thing. He poked his head through the curtain, "Kurosaki is here," he pulled it back out.

"Send him in Kurotsuchi!" Captain Hitsugaya commanded form the other room.

"Damn these captains thinking they are the boss of me." He shrugged and opened the curtain, Ichigo and Rukia entered the room to find Captain Commander Yamamoto on the examination table in the middle of the room.

"Ah," he started coughing as if he really did have a frog in his throat. "Kurosaki-san; a pleasure it is to finally see you. Once again, in person, instead of listening to stories from your father, who is doing a wonderful job as captain of the third squad, and Hinamori is doing a beautiful job as fifth squad captain. Not to mention Renji and Ikkaku both succeeding their captains," he coughed even harder. Already being short of breathe Ichigo was sure he would be quiet.

"Please Captain Commander, quiet yourself before you cause too much strain to your body," stressed captain Unohana. As he quieted he rested his breath for one second to say something.

"Ichigo, in my desk, in the top drawer is a key," he coughed again, "only a key you can use, it's for," he continued coughing. And as he drew his last breath he couldn't complete his thought. His eyes closed as he drifted away. It was done, captain commander Yamamoto, was dead.

Captain Unohana crashed to the ground writhing in agony, screaming and crying, 'Yama, please Yama come back!' but he didn't, couldn't, he was gone.

Chapter 1, part 2: Where's the key!?

Projected completion date: 10/10/2009