Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.
Quincy Craft
...I'm sorry I was late...
"...higo...! Ichigo...!"
Ichigo's eyes snapped open, and with a heavy breath, he lifted himself up. Glancing around, he noticed the pale-blue curtains of the room and the sky-blue sheets of his own bed... He was still dressed in his track clothing from the other day, which was a pair of white jogging pants and a sky blue shirt.
Wait...how did he get back home? Wasn't he...supposed to be dead?
...Don't think of this as the end... It's just the beginning...
"...Man, I heard you got fucked up last night...! I can't believe you went out to party alone and left me to go to that lame ass shit Kojima called a 'party'... The only people there were our old classmates!"
Looking to his left, Ichigo finally noticed that his roommate was kicked back in his computer chair, twirling around a chain on his finger. With narrowed, confused eyes, Ichigo glanced around the entire room, as if waiting to wake up from a dream. He turned back to his roommate and asked, "...What are you talking about, Momohara?"
The guy stopped dangling the chain on his finger and raised an eyebrow at Ichigo before a knowing look crossed his face.
"Dude, you got hammered at a bar... I'm talkin' shit-faced! I heard from Mijo, you know, from down the hall, that a couple of guys saw you passed out in front of a bar and had to carry you back!"
Ichigo continued to blink away the bliss of sleep as he shook his head in disbelief at Tetsuo's explanation. Sighing, he looked over to his clock, noticing that it was fifteen minutes till eleven o'clock.
"...It's Saturday, right?"
Tetsuo shrugged and replied, "More or less... We got practice later on today... You know Ryo's gonna kick your ass for havin' a hangover before practice, right?"
"...Yeah, yeah..."
He swung his legs over the side of his bed and sat there with his hands against his pounding forehead... He knew that guy had thrown him over the side of that building...so how is he alive...? As a matter of fact...how the hell is his back still working? The bastard definitely misaligned his spine...
He briefly heard the sound of something catching wind, and looked up to notice that Tetsuo had resumed his twirling of the chain.
"...I thought you hated jewelry?"
Tetsuo blinked and looked at the chain in his hand.
"Actually, I found it on your desk when I was searching for some mone- I mean, I...uhh...didn't know you were a hippie..."
Ichigo raised an eyebrow before holding his hand up. Tetsuo tossed it at him, which he caught it and began studying it.
It was an odd chain that was made of a cold, steel-like material and was molded into the shape of a swastika. He stared at it for a moment.
'I don't have any jewelry... How did he find this on my desk?'
There was something off about it... Even though he hated jewelry...it felt comfortable in his hand...and it looked familiar to him... As a matter of fact, he recognized it entirely.
'...But how did it get back here...? I left this...in my room before I left!'
He stared at it for a moment before holding his hand out and ordering, "...Now give me back my money."
"All hail his Majesty!"
A tall man covered in a dark cloak swept through the chilly palace that was his headquarters, and he parted through many of his soldiers as they saluted him. He raised a hand in slight acknowledgment and continued his trek to his throne room. At the end of the alignment of soldiers, the last one called out, "...So you have sought him out, Your Majesty?"
Continuing to walk, he motioned to a man off to the side of him to follow. The man nodded and followed him as they traversed through the palace.
"...I've been to see him, Haschwalth."
Jugram Haschwalth, the most loyal of all his Stern Ritter, sauntered behind him. He, like himself, was dressed in a white military uniform. He, however, had on a white cloak emblazoned with the Wandenreich symbol. He had long, blonde hair.
"...Is he what you expected?"
The man closed his eyes as he hummed in amusement and commented, "I'd be lying if I said he was... For a man who has all but given up, he sure seemed to put up quite the fight...or chase, rather."
"...When do we bring him here?"
The man smiled and said, "Patience, Haschwalth... We have all the time in the world... He will come when he is ready... For now, the Stern Ritter are to standby for further orders... And I want you to return to your position."
Haschwalth nodded before disappearing, leaving the man to enter his throne room alone.
After their practice had ended, Tetsuo had ran off with the excuse that he had to meet someone, leaving Ryo alone with Ichigo as they argued through the town while searching for a place to eat.
"Really, Ichigo...? You spent the evening getting wasted, knowing that we had early practice? And what's with that chain?"
Ichigo closed his eyes in agitation and yelled, "I don't know...! Stop reprimanding me like a child! Go bother your boyfriend or something!"
She grabbed Ichigo by his cheek, much to his displeasure, and growled, "I can't believe you abandoned your friends to get shit-faced drunk...!"
"I didn't get drunk! I got into a fight and lost!"
Obviously she didn't believe that, as she pinched his cheek tighter, enjoying the painful noise he was emitting as attempted to escape her grasp.
"And you expect me to believe that a well-known karate champion like yourself just got his ass kicked outside of a bar...!? I'm smarter than that, Ichigo!"
"It hurts! Stop it!"
When she finally let go, Ichigo used that opportunity to gather as much distance as possible from her. She huffed in annoyance before retrieving her usual book and began reading.
"You're going to tell me the truth before the day is over with, Ichigo."
Ichigo frowned and attempted to soothe his sore cheek as he protested, "There's nothing to tell...! I just told you-!"
"Quiet. This is the restaurant."
'It looks like it was designed in the Feudal Era or somethin'...'
It was an old, rundown place in Ichigo's opinion. It seemed as if the wooden walls of the large shack was going to collapse on them at any given moment. Ryo turned to Ichigo and angrily sighed when he voiced his opinion out loud.
"Stop overreacting, Ichigo. That's the theme of the restaurant."
Ichigo deadpanned, "I didn't know a homeless shelter could be a restaurant theme..."
"How rude... Hurry and check your wallet. Make sure you have enough for the both of us."
'Wait, what? When was I assigned as the fund-dispenser? If I didn't know any better, I'd say Ryo was forcing me on a date...and the fact that Tetsuo conveniently disappeared... Damnit...'
Sighing both in his head and outside, Ichigo reluctantly reached into his pocket for his wallet as the dark-haired waitress came over. After receiving his plate, he said a quick prayer before moving to devour his plate.
Across from him, Ryo aimless picked at her food, seemingly too distracted by something. She placed her hand on her jaw and watched her friend stuff himself. Realizing he was being watched, he briefly lowered his bowl to leer back at her with narrowed eyes.
"...So...about earlier... What really happened, anyways? I've known you since high school, and even though you were quite the delinquent, I know you aren't a drinker. Why won't you tell me what actually happened?"
Ichigo frowned and repeated, "I told you... I got roughed up in a little scuffle... No big deal...and I'm not a delinquent."
"And I meant what I said earlier... The only way someone would have beaten you is by killing you. From what your dorm residents told me, there were a few cuts on scrapes on you... The worst of which was on your back."
Ichigo blinked in surprise before quickly stating, "I meant I...uhh...had gotten hit by a car... I actually won, but the guy did a hit and run after getting back in his vehicle...," and, with a hand on his back, falsely groaning, "I can still feel that windshield..."
"Your spine was entirely misaligned... And someone said you fell from the rooftop... You shouldn't even be movi-"
As she kept going, Ichigo finally had enough and yelled, "Just drop it! I'm alive, so there is nothing to worry about!"
He noticed that she had flinched under his rage, so he calmed himself down and continued eating, albeit slower than before. After a moment of silence, Ryo finally spoke again.
"...So why haven't you told any of your friends and family?"
She knew she was reaching dangerous territory, but she, as well as Tetsuo and all of her friends in Karakura, really wanted to know. It really has bugged her for a long time that he refused to see his family and friends.
Ichigo's scowled deepened, as she was reaching dangerous territory. He looked down at his food and grumbled, "I just don't want to see them... I can't look at them the same- You know what... I'm outta here...! I don't wanna talk about this!"
Shaking his head, Ichigo jumped to his feet and knocked over the table as he turned to leave the restaurant. Still in shock, Ryo quickly protested, "Wait! No, Ichigo, come back!"
...Please, come back... We're all waiting for you...
His forehead began aching in agitation and rage. He gripped at his head and began flailing around the restaurant, scaring some of the nearby customers as he angrily crashed into their tables. Ryo quickly ran over to him and grabbed his arm to try and calm him down.
Ichigo roared and threw her away before charging out of the door, leaving Ryo behind in a shocked stupor as she watched him leave. Her instantly moved to her cheek where a cold, painful sensation was emitting.
'...What...was that just now...? Why did he...'flash' blue for a moment...?'
Glancing back at their table, she noticed that he had left his wallet there. She walked back over to it and picked it up. She was going to leave until she found something interesting near the yen.
Where the bills where placed, a slip of note paper rested between them.
"Ichigo must have accidentally pulled this out when he retrieved his money..."
She picked it up and prepared to place it back before she caught a small peek of the words. Knowing that Ichigo would be angry with her for reading it, if he ever found out that is, she completely unfolded the note.
...I will give you until your final week to make a decision... Understand what has been given to you, and do not take it lightly... The Wandenreich awaits you...
Ichigo slowly stumbled down the urbanized streets of Kagamino with no intended destination on his mind. He came upon a large bridge overhead a large river of water. Leaning on the wall, he stared into the reflection of the surface.
Big brother!? What are you doing!? Stop it!
...What kinda person are you, huh!? Ichigo, you're crazy!
And then those memories returned to him like a fist to his gut, causing him to slouch against the wall and rest his face on its edge. He stared into space as a feminine voice called out to him from behind him.
"...Ichigo...?"
Even though he had heard her, he made no movement to show that he did. Ryo stepped closer to him, though still keeping him in arms-length distance.
"...You...uh...you left your wallet...at the restaurant."
Ichigo slowly turned to her and absentmindedly grabbed it to put it in his pocket. He froze in the middle of his action, however, when he noticed Ryo's face. A large, swelling mark was there, consistently flashing blue every few seconds.
"...There's...there's a bruise...! Did...did I...!?"
She seemed to look everywhere but him, answering his question immediately. He placed his hands on his forehead and groaned loudly before collapsing back against the wall.
"Ryo, I'm so sorry...! I didn't...I didn't mean to...!
...What kinda person are you, huh!? Ichigo, you're crazy!
Ryo grabbed her other arm and turned her head to side as she mumbled, "...I was just roughed up a little... It's no big deal... I'm still alive, so it's nothing to worry about."
Even though she was trying to joke with Ichigo, he didn't see it that way and had retreated further into himself. He felt her hand rest on his shoulder as she whispered, "It's alright... Ichigo, don't worry about it... I just wanted to make sure you were okay..."
You're not good at protecting anybody, ya know? You cause more harm than good.
Ichigo gritted his teeth as he attempted to shake away the memories. Even worse, he felt Ryo's hands leave him, and her footsteps moving further and further away.
"...Ichigo, I'll see you at practice tomorrow, alright? I promise I won't tell anyone..."
He should have reached out to her, told that he wasn't up to feeling alone. Instead, he allowed her to gone her own way, leaving him behind.
...Ichigo, I'm so sorry...
Whenever he was alone, the memories came back, full force. It was like... he could never escape them, no matter how hard he tried... But something...something finally snapped him out...
...and it was the scream of the woman that just left him. His eyes widened as he could clearly see what was causing her to scream...even though he had not seen one in over a year.
"...Welcome back, Master Uryu... I've remade all of your things for you..."
A voice grunted back, "Thank you, Mrs. Shisui... You may go, now."
The red-haired maid nodded before stepping out of the boy's room and leaving him alone.
Uryu Ishida was a dark haired boy with bangs the rested on his right side. He wore a casual white suit with a black undershirt, along with a pair of glasses.
He closed the door behind the maid and walked past a set of pictures. Each frame featured a varying set of individuals, though one stood out the most, as it was the only picture that was when he was young.
Around nine-years old, the picture consisted of himself and the spiky, orange-haired enigma that was Ichigo Kurosaki.
He himself made no glance to it as he moved to his window and stared out of it blankly. He sighed to himself when he heard his door open and turned to say, "Mrs. Shisui, you've done a great job. There's no need to-"
"Boy, do not speak to me as if I'm the maid."
He frowned when he realized it was his father, Ryuken Ishida, standing at the door way.
Ryuken Ishida had white hair that spread across his forehead. He was dressed in a more formal suit, fitting for the head of the Karakura Hospital.
Uryu snarled and asked, "What is it that you want?"
Ryuken's eyes narrowed and he reprimanded, "Do not speak to me with that tone. Anyway, I'm here to tell you that I'm going to your aunt's house. If you wish to go, I'm leaving now."
He abruptly turned on his heels and walked away, leaving Uryu to his own devices. He sighed and quickly followed his father before he left the premises of their large home.
A monster is what he would have called if it he hadn't been informed about the afterlife... A large, dark-green Hollow with a goblin-like appearance and an Oni mask held Ryo in its hand, and Ichigo could only sit there and watch in shock as he hasn't seen one in ages.
"Ahhhhhh! Help!"
That immediately snapped him out of his stupor, causing him to search around the area for a weapon of some sort. The closest thing he could find was a pipe, which he picked up and began charging to the Hollow.
"Oi, put her down, you damned beast!"
The Hollow turned its attention towards the incoming teenager and simply smacked him away from its vicinity, sending Ichigo flying over the bridge and into the water. It was as if the world slowed down to him as he heard the screaming of the writhing girl in the grasp of the monstrous Soul, and he once again felt the woes of failure.
You're not good at protecting anybody, ya know? You cause more harm than good.
The waters below embraced him in its darkness as he felt himself sinking further into it.
Again, he wasn't any help to anybody...
His body began floating adrift, and he came to rise above the waters, though he was still on his back. He was mentally preparing himself for the blood-curling screams that would be the end of the Ryo Kunieda. When he opened his eyes, he was shocked into nearly sinking back into the water.
A tall blonde man with a white cloak stood gazing at him with a blank, condescending look... What was shocking was the fact that he was standing upside down, his feet glowing with the same sort of energy that the dark man from the other night used...
"...Is that it? You're going to simply give up? After His Majesty has given you such a gift?"
Gift? If he was talking about that man from before, the only gift he gave him was a hole in his chest and a broken spine.
"You know what it is, do not pretend... Not if you want to save that girl. Even you should now understand...what that chain represents."
He felt it pooling beneath, the feeling... The feeling of combat... His hand gripped the chain on his chest... He understood its basics...
'...So it was...a Quincy Cross all this time...and I never knew...'
"The Wandenreich has given you the key to the door in front of you... If you should choose not to open it, then farewell, Ichigo Kurosaki..." was the last words of the man before he disappeared from Ichigo's sight.
The basics...of the Quincy... Yes, he remembered Uryu and his techniques well... In his hand, he held the power to fight back once more...
When she watched Ichigo sink into the water, Ryo knew that the both of them were done. There was no way this...this blurred thing would let the two of them roam free. As if the thing knew what she was thinking, it began clicking its teeth together as it slowly moved her to its mouth. She screamed and screamed, though she knew it was definitely in vain...
...Until her face was splattered with blood, not from her own body, but from the bloody stump that was once the the monster's arm as a blue flash of light removed it.
She fell onto her backside as the monster above her roared in agony. It wasn't until she looked over the monster's shoulder that she had finally seen who had saved her.
Floating through the air as with his white jacket billowing in the wind was Ichigo Kurosaki, who brows furrowed in the presence of the monster. In his hand was a large, glowing hooked cross.
"Don't look so surprised, Mr. Hollow. We're just getting started."
Trivia:
-For this story, I'm using the proper wording of the Quincy names. (Wandenreich instead of Vandenreich, Yhwach instead of Juhabach, etc.)