Two Weeks Earlier

Ichigo woke abrubtly, his eyes snapping open. He had already rolled halfway out of bed, and snatched up the Shinigami badge from his desk, before he was able to take in his surroundings. Immediately, he collapsed back onto his bed, dropping the badge. It had only been the sun shining through the window onto his face that had woken him, not an incoming cero as his half-conscious mind had believed.

Groaning, he slung his arm over his eyes to block out the brightness. He was getting very frustrated with this. He'd never had any problems during the war of the past 3 years, whether it had been during the fighting itself or the periods of cease-fire that had occurred at odd intervals throughout. But now, months after the war had finally ended, he was starting to react as if he were constantly under threat. He'd come to the conclusion that it was the lack of danger, the sheer boring normalness of living, that was the cause. It was as if his mind had become addicted to adrenalin, and was going through a bizarre form of withdrawal now that there was no reason to produce more of the natural drug.

"Oi, Ichigo."

He jumped, and glanced over at his closet. Inside, a petite black-haired girl wearing a light blue sundress was sitting on the edge of a blanket-covered shelf, swinging her legs over the edge and munching happily on a rice ball. She shot him a glance full of superiority.

"It's about time you woke up. Did you forget you told Karin you would come to her soccer game today? It's almost noon, you fool. Do you want to disappoint her by being late?"

Ichigo just growled at her as he pulled himself up and grabbed some clothes from his dresser. That was the weirdest part of the whole thing, he decided, as he walked into the bathroom to change in privacy. While his mind was acting like the war was not only still happening but getting worse, his body was taking full advantage of having nothing to do. Even when he wanted to get up on time, he couldn't do it, and yet no matter how much sleep he got, he still felt tired.

"I'm really messed up, aren't I?" He muttered with a sigh of disgust.

He leaned wearily against the bathroom mirror, letting his eyes slide shut. He needed something to do, some purpose that he could focus on. Even schoolwork would have been welcome, but he had graduated, somehow, a full month before the end of the war. For so long he had had a specific goal to follow through to the end: save Rukia, master his Hollow, save Inoue, protect Karakura, destroy this espada, kill that traitor. Then Aizen had finally died and there had been nothing. No his mind whispered. There is something, or the possibility of something. A possibility that you finally saw on the day that Aizen died.

The day that Aizen died. Those words brought a memory unbidden into his mind. A memory of ice. Aching, freezing, burning, perfect ice flowing – living, breathing – within his veins. Ice that made his heart blaze and sing with wrenching, overwhelming need –. Ichigo jerked abruptly back to reality, slamming a mental door to shut away the memory. He didn't want to think about that day. Too many emotions had been present and swirling through his heart then. He wasn't ready to deal with them, not yet. Taking a deep breath, he pulled a normal expression onto his face and walked out.

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After Ichigo had left the bedroom, Kuchiki Rukia hopped down out of the closet, the smug look slipping off her face. She had been hoping to start an argument, since she knew Ichigo hated being mocked. His lack of a retort was disappointing. She hadn't missed his startled reaction upon awakening, and she had a good idea what had caused it. It was hard not to notice how jumpy Ichigo had become over the last few months. She was honestly beginning to get worried about him.

Rukia sighed, wishing Ichigo's father weren't so busy. Maybe his random attacks at all times of day would help in some bizarre way. But Isshin was now working long hours at the Ishida Hospital. Ishida Ryuuken had received a poisoned wound to his arm while saving his son's life, and to the surprise of everyone, including Ryuuken himself, he had asked Isshin to take over many of his duties at the hospital while he healed. Isshin had agreed, though he had teased Ryuuken mercilessly about it, and now spent almost all of his time at the hospital, covering for his injured friend.

"Oi, now you're the one who's making us late. Hurry up, Yuzu's waiting!" Ichigo's head poked around the door as he spoke. Rukia was surprised to find no trace of his earlier irritation in his voice, and his scowl was no deeper than usual. She crossed the room and walked out the door, punching Ichigo lightly across the top of the head when she reached him.

"Moron, I'm only in here waiting for you," she scoffed.

Ichigo smirked and asked slyly, "Why? Did you need something from the top shelves that a midget like you can't reach?"

This time the punch Rukia threw was not playful, and Ichigo followed Rukia downstairs rubbing his head and wincing. In the kitchen, they were met by Yuzu, whistling cheerfully as she packed the last of the bentos.

"Ah, Onii-chan, Rukia-nee-chan, you're finally up," she greeted them cheerfully. "I'm really excited! Can you believe Karin's team will be in the finals if they win today?"

Rukia opened her mouth to respond, but Ichigo beat her to it. "We'll all have to cheer really loudly, won't we?"

"Yeah!" Yuzu's enthusiasm was contagious, and Rukia found herself smiling. Her eyes widened as she looked at Ichigo and saw that he was too. It was a small smile, but genuine and warm, not at all like the smirks she had seen so many times before. He'd made a point, since the war had ended, to spend as much time with his sisters as he could. He'd helped Karin with her soccer practice, acting as a goalie while she practiced shooting. He'd taken over some of the cleaning chores, so Yuzu could have some time for fun activities of her own. And he had started taking them, and often Rukia as well, to various places around town on weekends. His aloof manner had softened a great deal as a result, at least when his sisters were around. It was amazing how much he had grown and changed from the cocky, standoffish fifteen year old she had first met three years before.

She took the bento Yuzu offered her with a distracted, "Thanks," then followed slightly behind as the three of them left the house. Ichigo and Yuzu were talking happily with each other, about Karin's soccer chances, and about the piano lessons Yuzu wanted to sign up for, and about the cute secretary at the Ishida hospital that had been eying their father the last few weeks.

The petite shinigami couldn't help but laugh quietly as Ichigo offered to help cook dinner if Isshin invited the secretary over. Yuzu frowned at him sternly, and said,"Otou-san deserves to be happy, Onii-chan. We don't want to drive her away."

Ichigo's response was indignant, "Hey! I'm not that bad a cook!"

"Of course not, Onii-chan. That's why you mixed up the salt and the sugar in those cookies two Christmases ago."

"That's baking, not cooking. It's totally different!"

Rukia's laughter was no longer quiet. Ichigo turned back, scowling. "Hey, you're the one who tried to cook canned soup by sticking the whole can, unopened, into the oven. You have no right to laugh!"

Yuzu's laughter joined Rukia's at that, and soon Ichigo couldn't help but follow. It wasn't until they were nearly at the soccer field that they finally got their breathing under control. Yuzu started jogging, calling over her shoulder, "I'm going on ahead. I'll find some good seats!"

Ichigo and Rukia watched as she disappeared around the corner, then started to follow. Almost immediately they stopped again, senses suddenly on alert, and turned to look behind them. Not more than five yards away, a round portal was appearing in mid-air. And when the door had fully materialized, out stepped a person dressed in the uniform of the messengers of the Central 46.

The messenger spoke, his face hidden under the hood of his uniform, "Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo. I come bearing a message for you."

To Be Continued.

Author's Note: I'll be posting this story on a regular schedule, with one new chapter coming up every third day. Chapter 2 will be coming on Tuesday morning!