Hello, hello. This is my first chaptered story. I have no clue how quickly I'll update but as of right now I'm pretty excited to do this. ^^ I hope you enjoy reading future chapters! I'll try and remember to warn people about any violence or such.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to the awesomeness that is Kubo Tite. The idea, however, is mine.
Pairings: Ichigo x Rukia, possible mention of a couple others.
Prologue
The war was finally over. The casualties were numerous. Among the Captain-level Shinigami who gave up their lives in the line of duty were Captain-Commander Yamamoto, Captain Ukitake, and…Kurosaki Ichigo.
Ichigo had managed to defeat Aizen but the Hougyoku, in a last ditch effort to secure its continued existence, had fused with Ichigo. It was Urahara's belief that the Hougyoku didn't think the orange haired substitute Shinigami would go as far as sacrificing his own life to destroy it.
When the Hougyoku sensed Ichigo's intentions to destroy himself along with the orb that had caused so much pain it began to drain Ichigo of his reiryoku…and so his life force. Ichigo's very existence had become dependent on his reiryoku when he traded it for further enhanced physical strength. Though the method would not have saved the Hougyoku, it did give it the time to fuse with another soul being. The orange haired young man had instinctively known this and returned to his body in order to trap and destroy the Hougyoku.
Urahara sighed and put down his tea, staring into the green liquid. This was, he knew, what had ultimately cost Ichigo his memories when he died. There was the possibility that dying in his Shinigami form wouldn't have resulted in the loss of his memories but at the same time dying in that form might have resulted in an odd state of limbo for Ichigo's soul. In the end, Ichigo had gone with a route which guaranteed the safety of his family and friends. Perhaps things were better that way. Still, the ex-captain felt sorry for the friends who would have to deal with an Ichigo with no memory of them.
There was no doubt in the man's mind that Ichigo would once again become a Shinigami. "Heavy thoughts, Kisuke?" A feminine voice broke into the man's thoughts. He turned to look at his old friend and smiled weakly.
"Yoruichi. What gives you that idea?"
"I know you better than that, Kisuke," the princess of Shihouin replied.
"Mm. Just wondering when he'll make his way to this world." Kisuke took a sip of his tea, gazing at Yoruichi from underneath a green and white hat.
"Tch. You can feel it, too, can't you? Rukongai is restless."
Urahara Kisuke smiled coyly under his hat. There really was no fooling her. "I wonder if we shouldn't send someone to see how he's doing?" He chuckled softly at his own idea and stood up. "It may be difficult but I don't think his memory loss is permanent. Could you please go get Rukia-chan for me?"
"You can be so cruel, Kisuke," Yoruichi said, searching his face for something, some kind of sign that he knew what he was doing. She may be good at reading him but even she couldn't figure out why he wanted Rukia, of all people, to find Ichigo again. She sighed and nodded. "Fine. I do hope you know what you're doing, Captain-Commander." Then she disappeared using Shunpo. "So do I," Kisuke said after she left, moving to the porch to look at the night sky, the white haori of the Captain of the 1st squad shifting over his Shihakushou as he walked.