A/N: GOMEN GOMEN GOMEN! I'm so so sorry this took me forever to update! I finally got the time to post a new chapter! I should be updating fairly regularly now so yeah. Sorry again I hope you all enjoy it! Rukia is a child again! oops X The next chapter will be pretty funny so stay turned. Leave me comments!
This is sort of what Ichigo's bracelet looks like - [link]
~Cream, Sugar and a Little Poison~
"Ururu! Throw the ball already! My fans are waiting for my famous home run!" The red haired boy swung his broom over his shoulder in preparation. The older, shyer girl stood a few feet away, holding a worn out baseball bat in her hand.
"You don't have any fans, Jinta." She replied, her voice soft and gentle with only a hint of teasing.
"I would if you'd throw the ball! Just thr-" His voice was cut off as Jinta was lifted 5 feet of the ground by his baseball bat.
"I'll be your biggest fan when the boss yells at you two for not sweeping." Tessai's reflective glasses flashed. He heard Jinta gulp and slowly set him down. "Take this bottle and put it in the basement in the container labeled "Ichigo Kurosaki, Youth Serum". Then finish sweeping." He handed Jinta the full bottle, straightening as he saw someone approach the shop. "Miss Kuchiki! A delight to see you as always." He bowed slightly.
Rukia smiled, seeing the remnants of the chaos Tessai probably just stopped. "Ohaiyo, Tessai. Is Urahara inside? We have business to discuss."
The tall man nodded, leading her into the shop. Jinta definitely wanted to hear what business this shinigami had with the boss. It was usually dangerous and exciting. "Come on Ururu. Let's go in!" He grabbed the girl's hand and raced after them, already forgetting the previous task in his excitement. Without thinking, Jinta set the bottle on the counter, next to the coffee pot, as they ran past the shop and into the inner rooms.
"Miss Kuchiki. Always a pleasure to see you." Urahara bowed, motioning for her to sit. "I believe everything should be in order." He handed her a small box, along with an invoice.
"You may bill that to my brother. He will know what it is for." Rukia opened the box delicately, sliding out the item inside and holding it up. The circular object was made of different metals, black with decorative silver in the center. A small engraving of a soul reaper's skull in the center of the bracelet. It was simple, sturdy and still masculine enough that Ichigo would wear it. ""It's beautiful. Perfect for Ichigo. Thank you, Kisuke."
"Only the highest quality for you, Miss Kuchiki!" The shop keeper flashed his fan, fluttering it in front of his face. "It did cost quite a bit though. Mark up prices, you see."
Rukia only rolled her eyes. "You may charge the full price to Ni-sama. I guarantee money is not an issue." She smiled softly again. "This really is beautiful."
"Of course, there is still something missing. You will have to infuse your reistsu in it. Just hold it in your palm and concentrate your spiritual pressure into the metal. It will start to feel warm and then cool down. Once it's cold, you're done!" Rukia nodded, doing as he instructed. The metal began to feel hot against her skin, making Rukia question if she was putting too much. Just as she was about to pull back, the metal began to cool back to normal. "Perfect! It is complete. The metal inside the bracelet is specially made to retain the infused reistsu, allowing the wearer to feel and locate a person by their spiritual pressure even if they have trouble concentrating on it with their own skill. It will amplify it on its own!"
"And you're sure this will enable Ichigo to feel my reistsu easier from distances, since we both know his skill in this area is lacking?" Rukia raised an eyebrow, wanting further confirmation.
"Of course! Would I ever lie to you?" Gray eyes widened in mock surprise. Rukia's eye twitched slightly in annoyance, opening her mouth to speak but stopping as the shopkeeper raised his hand. "It will work exactly as promised, Rukia. I guarantee it." His tone was serious now, not wanting to risk another beating from the small shinigami. "However, since Kurosaki is up for an officer seat upon his arrival in the soul society, we will want to keep this legal. That will require registering it with Squad 12 so Kurosutchi can keep a record of it." He began looking around, putting his hands in his pockets. "Well, I'm not sure where the copy of the paperwork I had went. I'll just request a copy from Nemu. I'll be right back. Please, help yourself to some coffee or tea in the shop." He bowed, leaving Rukia in the room alone. The sound of two small children scurrying away caused Rukia to chuckle softly. She replaced the bracelet in the box, smiling softly as she imagined the look Ichigo's face would have when she gave it to him. He'd argue that she shouldn't have spent any money but after she explained its purpose, he would relent; probably kiss her until she was out of breath. This bracelet killed two birds with one stone. It would serve as her marker on him as well as help him search out her reistsu when she was away. The look in those amber eyes whenever she had to leave was like a small knife twisting in her heart.
Rukia set the box down on the table, deciding she was rather thirsty and made her way to the shop. Hmm I haven't had coffee in a while. But last time, Ichigo said I had to mix the cream and sugar to make it taste good…I wonder if I should give it another try. Although why humans make a drink that you have to add things to is beyond me. She shook her head, pouring some of the black liquid into a mug that was nearby. She looked around, seeing a container labeled 'sugar' beside an unmarked bottle. There's the sugar! This must be the cream Ichigo mentioned. Humming softly to herself, Rukia began to scoop sugar into her coffee, deciding a lot of cream would be necessary too. She poured half the bottle's contents into her mug and stirred it. A small frown tugged at her lips. Why isn't it mixing very well? Hearing footsteps down the hall, Rukia began to sip her drink. She did not want to appear improper in front of Urahara. He had a rather loose tongue and careless words spoken in front of Byakuya were sure to elicit a scolding. Refusing to drink something she had made herself would be classified as rude as well as a sting to her pride. Bringing the mug back to her lips, Rukia forced down the mixture and prayed Urahara would be delayed a few more minutes. Her prayers were answered as his phone rang and he retreated back into his office, allowing Rukia to finish her 'coffee' in peace. Violet eyes closed in a grimace as she set the mug back down. How awful. I think I shall stick to juice and tea from now on. That tasted gross! The small shinigami began walking back toward the room when she felt a strange sensation throughout her body. "Oh no…"
"Miss Kuchiki, my apologies about the wait. I recei-" The sandy haired shop keeper blinked, seeing no one in the room. The box with the bracelet lay untouched on the table but his feisty customer was gone. "This doesn't seem right." Two small pairs of feet ran past the room as Kisuke stepped out. "Jinta, Ururu!" He called, stopping the children in their tracks. "Have you seen Miss Kuchiki?" Ururu shook her head. "No sir, I haven't seen her since you brought her inside." Jinta frowned. "I think she got up to get some coffee or somethin' but I didn't see her after that."
Urahara scratched his head, walking towards the shop and seeing an empty mug. "Well, she did have some coffee it seems." Gray eyes narrowed as he picked up the unmarked bottle now half full from the counter. "Tessai!" He called out, a deep frown on his face as the tall man ran into the room, bowing. "Yes boss?"
"What did you do with the bottle of the youth serum we used on Ichigo Kurosaki?"
"I gave it to Jinta to put away in the basement in the container you specified." He replied immediately, glancing up at Jinta. The small boy swallowed hard and started to back away. "The bottle was full when I gave it to him." Tessai reached down, his fingers pulling the smaller boy up by his red locks. "You DID put the bottle in the basement, right?"
"Let him go Tessai. We have a bigger problem on our hands." Urahara, pressed his hat further onto his head. He lifted his gaze to look up at his friend. "It seems Miss Kuchiki has mistaken the bottle for a coffee accent…and Kurosaki will not be very forgiving."
Ichigo growled, throwing his phone onto the couch in frustration. He closed his eyes, pacing in front of the television set. The screen was frozen on the title of Rukia's favorite horror movie. A bowl of untouched popcorn and two juice boxes abandoned on the coffee table. "Where the hell is she? She said it would only be a few minutes…so why isn't she answering her phone after an hour?!" He suddenly stopped, smacking himself in the face. "I'll call Urahara! Maybe she just left or somethin' like that." He picked up his phone, a sinking feeling in his chest. I don't know why I'm so panicked. Hell, so what if she's running a bit late. Rukia will probably just yell at me for worrying too much. But I just have this bad feeling. Damn, I wish I could feel her reistsu clearer… He sighed, running his hand through his hair as Urahara answered the phone. "Yo, Hat n' Clogs! Where's Rukia? She was supposed to be home a while ago after stopping at your shop."
"Ichigo! Just the person I wanted to talk to!" Urahara sounded chipper on the phone although his expression was anything but. "There's been a bit of a mishap and I'm going to need you to come down here." The shouting on the other end of the phone was so loud, Jinta could hear it all the way across the room. Urahara moved the phone away from his ear. "I"ll discuss all the details with you when you get here! See you soon!"
"Wait a minute! I want to talk to Rukia! Why isn't she answering her phone? What mishap? Damn it Urahara! Answer me!" Ichigo shouted, hearing a click on phone indicating the line was dead. "Shit!" He grabbed his wallet and keys, running the whole way. When I get my hands on the stupid shop keeper…He's dead if he hurt Rukia, I swear! If he turned her into a frog or somethin', I'll just make him turn her back. Why couldn't he just have one afternoon where it was just the two of them?
"Sir! I found her phone." Ururu walked back in, holding Rukia's soul pager in her hand as the chappy charm swung precariously from the antenna.
The sandy haired man nodded, sensing Ichigo's approach. "Tessai, you'd better take Jinta out of here. I don't want Ichigo to kill him by mistake." The red haired boy's eyes were wide as Tessai nodded, carrying Jinta over his shoulder and removing him from the scene. Ichigo burst straight through the door, his combat badge in his hand. "Where's Rukia?!"
"Ichigo! Such timely manner! Have a seat, please!" It couldn't hurt to at least try to diffuse the situation now could it?
"Cut the crap, Urahara! Tell me where my fiancé is, god damn it!"
Oh well…I tried "Well, to be honest, I'm not sure. " Urahara indicated the pillows placed on the ground. "Please, let me explain…"
"So let me get this straight…you're telling me that you were stupid enough to leave the damned bottle laying around where ANYONE could have grabbed it by accident and now you think Rukia drank it and is running around somewhere…as a child?!" Ichigo's vein bulged dangerously as he felt his reistsu increase. He needed to punch someone. Badly.
"Now now Ichigo. It's not as bad as you think! We just need to find our dear Rukia and mix her an antidote." The look on Ichigo's face indicated that he was not amused. "You should go out and look for Rukia. Bring her home. I'm sure she's scared and doesn't recognize this place at all. If the effects are the same, she is probably around the age you were. Be gentle with her Ichigo. Her mindset is the same as it was when she lived in the Rukon district. You're going to have to coax her. She's not like you were when you were a kid." The shopkeeper adjusted his hat on his head. "I need to go collect a few ingredients I'm low on in the soul society. Find her and keep her safe until I return. I'll mix up the antidote again with her reistsu and change her back."
Ichigo really wanted to punch him. The urge was almost overwhelming. But, as usual, Kisuke was right. Finding Rukia was his top priority. She could be anywhere…Something could have happened to her…she could be- his heart clenched as he forced his thought to stop. "How can I find her?" He breathed out through clenched teeth.
"Well actually…" The shop keeper handed him a small box. Ichigo raised an eyebrow before opening it. "Wow…" Amber eyes widened at the sight of the bracelet. "This is…wow.."
"Handsome, isn't it? Rukia had the special ordered just for you. I'm sure she would have preferred to give it to you herself but considering the circumstances…" He waved his fan. "This is no ordinary bracelet. It has her reistsu infused inside and the metals help amplify it so those soul reapers who…let's say can't really focus their spiritual pressure for things like kido, they can still use this to feel and track another souls reistsu."
Understanding reflected in the orange haired soul reaper's eyes. "She really does know me, huh?" He put the bracelet on, still admiring the craftsman ship. The moment his fingertips touched the silver metal, he felt his reistsu surge and then immediately sensed Rukia's. It was far. She had probably been running for hours. Her reistsu felt tired, lonely and scared. His heart bled as he stood up, letting her spiritual pressure wash over him. "I'll be on my way. Call me the instant you have the antidote."
"Of course, my dear boy. Now go get your little girl. Oh and if you need back up, don't hesitate to give Abarai a call. He did grow up on the same streets as her. You may know her best now but he knew her better back then." Ichigo nodded, inhaling before taking off at full speed down the street. Her reistsu was definitely farther than he thought a little girl could wander. He remembered his own clothes not fitting and groaned internally at the thought of a naked little Rukia running through the streets of Karakura. She's going to kill Urahara for this.