Bleach: A Time to Remember
I own the three new taichous. Nothing else.
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Chapter 1
Karakura Town
"Well, Sato-san, you can that empty seat over there." Ochi-sensei said.
"Thank you."
The seat she was talking about was the seat that always seemed empty, the one next to Ichigo. He believed someone did sit there, he just couldn't remember who it was. Senna walked over and took her seat. Ichigo could sense something familiar about her, but couldn't quite recall what it was. Still, he introduced himself like all the other students do.
"Hey, I'm-" he started.
"Ichigo Kurosaki. I know." she said, completing his sentence.
'Wait, how does she know my name?' he thought.
"Alright class, let's start." Ochi-sensei said.
* *
When lunch time rolled around, Senna was the first out of the class. Ichigo met up with his friends Yasutoru "Chad" Sado, Orihime Inoue, and Uryu Ishida and they headed up for the roof, which was where they typically ate lunch together. Not only because of the fresh air and sun, but if a Hollow or Arrancar attacked, they wouldn't be seen.
When they got there, they set up by the fence and heard a voice.
"Wow, I didn't think anyone would come up here, too!"
When they looked around, no one was there.
"Up here!"
They looked and saw Senna swinging her legs over the side over the doorway.
"What are you doing up here?" Ichigo asked.
"Nothing. I just like being up high." she said. She jumped down and walked over to them. "What are you guys doing here?"
"We usually eat up here."
"Oh, I can leave..."
"No, that's not necessary. We don't mind, right?" Orihime asked.
"Whatever, it's a free roof." Uryu said. Chad simply nodded and sat down.
"See?" Orihime said.
"Okay." Senna said as she jumped back to where she had jumped from.
Everyone sat and with an "Itadakimasu" began eating..
They talked about random, unimportant things, mostly Orihime's weird taste in food seeing as she was eating something that looked alive, just like most days when they had time off from fighting. About halfway through lunch, Ichigo's attention waned and wound up on Senna, who was still sitting atop the doorway construct.
It wasn't her that seemed to draw his attention though, for some reason, he couldn't take his eyes off of her hair ribbon. It was a long red ribbon holding up her purple hair. She just happened to look toward him and saw he was staring at her. She got a big smile on her face as she jumped down.
"Do you remember?" she asked.
"Remember what?"
"The ribbon. Do you remember?"
"Why would I remember your ribbon?"
"Because you bought it for me, duh."
"Huh? When did that happen?"
Her smile seemed to fade away.
"You really don't remember me, do you?" she asked.
"What are you-"
At that moment, Ichigo's Substitute Soul Reaper badge went off with the sound of "HOLLOW,HOLLOW,HOLLOW." He immediately forgot what they were talking about and got serious. He took out his badge.
"Stay here." Ichigo said. He pressed the badge against his chest. His spirit form left his body as it collapsed. He rushed off followed by Uryu, Chad, and Orihime.
* *
An Arrancar had broken in from Hueco Mundo and had started reeking havoc amongst the local souls. Ichigo & co. had arrived right before it was about to eat another soul. Ichigo came in, sword first like always, and the Arrancar blocked it with it's own sword.
"Orihime, get them out of here!"
"Right!"
Chad summoned the First Form of his Brazo Derecha de Gigante and Uryu summoned his bow, Lone Sparrow on a Silver Cliff, and head in to backup Ichigo.
The Arrancar itself was a large hulking thing, with a line of spikes on either arm and one on each of the knuckles of his fists. His mask looked like a bull's head, and it was pushed back slightly, where his eyes could be seen from the open mouth of his mask.
Ichigo reared back and kept slashing at his sword while Uryu and Chad concentrated on his back. This caused the Arrancar to be getting hit from all angles. Instead of continuing to take damage, he reared back one of his fists and slammed it into Ichigo, the spikes stabbing into his body, forcing him back.
"Ichigo!" Uryu yelled
"I'm fine!" Ichigo said as he tried to get up, blood flowing from his chest. "Just kill this guy already!"
Uryu kept firing on the Arrancar who had started to go after Chad, who had switched to his Second form. "This is taking too long." Uryu said as he reached around his back. He pulled out a Seele Schneider and prepped it. Chad saw this and prepped an El Directo.
Both the Arrancar and Chad charged at the same time, and they collided fists, sending a large blast around the Arrancar, at which point Uryu fired.
The dust was thick around where the Arrancar had been standing and no one could see anything. Suddenly, something fired toward Uryu, too fast for him to dodge it. It was a large, black spike. Uryu tried to block it, but his bow gave out and it impaled him and he fell to the ground.
Chad switched to his Third form just in time to block the hulking fist of the Arrancar, but the spikes still pierced the shield. Chad saw this, but not the large Zampakuto coming down on him. It passed through his blind zone, and sliced off his arm, to which Chad just paled. Then, the Arrancar's fist punched Chad, the spikes on his knuckles then lengthened, and pierced all the way through him. He fell in a puddle of his own blood.
"Ha ha ha ha! Too easy!" the Arrancar yelled.
"Oi!"
The Arrancar turned to see Ichigo, fully recovered.
"But, but how?!"
"It helps to have a medic on the field. Now then, Orihime, take care of them."
"Right!"
She ran to Chad, who had the worst injuries. Ichigo held out his Zampakuto and charged his reiatsu.
"You hurt my friends, and that pisses me off! Getsuga Tensho!"
Ichigo fires the Tensho and the Arrancar tries to block it with his Zampakuto. Surprisingly, to everyone, he actually staved off the Tensho, and then cut through it.
'What? That's not supposed to happen.' Ichigo thought, 'If he releases his Zampakuto, I might have to use Bankai.'
"Is that all you've got!" the Arrancar yelled. "You're boring me!"
The Arrancar then held out his Zampakuto.
"Obliterate, Explosion!"
The Zampakuto disappeared and the spikes on the Arrancars' body grew. The mask shut over his face and extended down his back. He stood on all fours and looked just like a large bull.
'Shit.' Ichigo thought. He held out his Zampakuto." Bankai!"
His Zampakuto shrank and he charged. Orihime was still busy with Chad, so he wasn't going to have any help on this. 'This Arrancar is stronger than it should be, but why? It didn't look much stronger than an Adjuchas, but its' taking down people left and right. What is going on?' "Kuroi Getsuga!"
He fired the black Tensho, injuring the Arrancar, but not enough to slow him down any. He stood up and aimed a punch at Ichigo, but he dodged it and started slashing at the Arrancar at all angles. But it was like the Arrancar could see him, and delivered a crushing blow right where he went next. His fist exploded, sending Ichigo flying back, into the ground.
He tried to get up, but couldn't coordinate his body. The ground shook as the Arrancar walked over to him to deliver the final blow.
"Poor little Shinigami, your friends are dying or proving useless, and you lay here, beaten. Let me end your misery."
He raised up his fist, but when he tried to bring it down, it wouldn't move. Ichigo saw why. Something was wrapped around it. It looked like a mixture of red and white concrete.
"What the hell is this?!"
"Man, Ichigo. You've gotten weaker since I left."
Ichigo looked to where that voice was coming from. At the top of the crater, was Senna.
"Senna! Get out of here!"
"No can do. Can't have you dying on me now, can I?"
"What are you talking about?! Get out of here!"
Senna just turned toward the Arrancar. You could hear electricity crackle, and then Senna disappeared in a rush of fall leaves. Well, she didn't really disappear, but her gigai did. Standing there, was Senna, wearing a Shinigami's shihakusho.
"Oi! Bull-face!"
"What did you call me?!"
"You heard me! You see that guy down there, he's one of my friends." As she talked, the wind started howling. "And when my friends get hurt, I do this!"
She drew a Zampakuto from its sheath.
"Call forth the twilight, Mirokumaru!"
The sword changed shape, into a long spear with priest rings at the top. Ichigo saw this, and a memory flashed in his head. A series of memories. Blanks, Ganryu, the Valley of Screams, everything.
"Senna..." he said with his voice in awe.
"Remember now?"
She jumped into the air, with the spear point aimed at the Arrancar.
"Soudai Kiminari Gufuu!(Grand Lightning Hurricane)"
Wind whirled around the blade of the spear, turning it into a lance, and struck the mask of the Arrancar. It pushed back the Arrancar, but didn't look to be damaging it. She pulled back her Zampakuto and pushed again.
"Sakashima Gufuu!(Reverse Hurricane)"
This time when it struck, a small crack appeared. The harder she pushed, the bigger the crack got. She pulled back one more time, spun the staff and pushed again.
"Kyouraku Gufuu!(Ultimate Hurricane)"
The staff destroyed the mask and sailed through the Arrancar's skull. The red and white restraints the Arrancar was trapped in disappeared into the ground. Ichigo managed to get out of the crater with Senna's help. Orihime finished up with Uryu and started on Ichigo. His wounds were a few broken bones and some burns, so he was healed up in a few minutes.
Senna stood by, back in her gigai, and waiting for Ichigo. He sent everyone back to school while he talked to Senna.
"So, you okay?" She asked him.
"Yeah, Orihime's healing really comes in handy."
"That's good."
Ichigo took a spot on the chain-link fence Senna was sitting on.
"So, how are you back? I thought...I thought you were gone."
"Baka, did you already forget our promise?"
"No, no, that's not it, it's just..."
"Yeah, I know. Honestly, I haven't a clue as to why I'm back either. I just woke up at the cemetery. Oh, yeah, that reminds me."
She jumps off the fence and punches Ichigo's arm.
"What was that for?!"
"You lied to me, my name wasn't there."
'Oh, yeah, I forgot that.' he thought.
"It's okay though. I did find my grave. It was a few rows over." she said, her face softening with a look of a mixture of sadness and happiness.
"Well, that's good."
"Yeah."
It was silent, and Ichigo remembered something.
"Come on."
"Why? Where are we going?"
"That Arrancar was stronger than it should have been. I've got to tell Kisuke."
"Okay."
And they headed for Urahara Shoten,
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Seireitei
Momo Hinamori had just left 4th Division barracks on the way back to her own Division's barracks. She had just been discharged from the medical wing after another one of her "episodes" that ended with a large smoking hole in one of the walls. Since her barracks were fairly close, she decided to take a detour.
She found herself at a small pond near the 3rd Division's barracks. It was a nice tranquil place she spent most of her time when no filling out paperwork. She sat near a tree and watched the calm pond ripple with the breeze. But then, something broke the silence.
"But you told me it was this way!" a voice said.
Momo turned her head and saw a boy, not much older than herself, walking along the banks by himself. 'What's he doing here?' she thought.
"I swear, you are the worst at navigating. Orihime, I'm sorry, I should've listened to you.....Oh shut up, Hikoboshi! You were wrong, and now we're lost."
'Who's he talking to?' she thought.
He continued walking, but stumbled a bit. He didn't catch himself and fell into the pond. Momo ran over to make sure he was okay.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
The boy got up and started wringing out his shihakusho.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Hikoboshi just pushed me in."
"Pardon?"
"Nothin'. Hey, you look familiar. Do I know you?"
"I don't think so."
Momo mulled over in her head where she could have seen him before, but nothing came to mind.
"Oh, now I remember!" the boy said. "You the 5th Division's fukutaichou! Momo, right?"
"Yes, yes I am."
"Awesome! My luck is so good right now. Hey, listen, I'm kinda havin' trouble getting' to the 5th barracks, I'm new."
"Oh, you're a new recruit?"
"Somethin' like that, yeah. Could ya help me out?"
"Sure, I was heading that way anyway."
"Thanks, Momo-chan."
"No problem."
They walked the rest of the way, but the boy sometimes turned in the opposite direction Momo went, which was a bit odd, but she didn't mind, she liked the company. When they did finally get to the 5th Division, Toshiro Hitsugaya was waiting.
"Oh, Shiro-chan, what are you doing here?"
"It's Hitsugaya-taichou, Momo. Why can't you remember that?"
"But, I like calling you that."
"Fine, whatever."
"Hey, Toshiro." the boy said casually.
Toshiro just turned to him and nodded.
"Shiro-chan?" the boy asked.
"Don't even."
"Fine, fine."
"Well, I just came over to make sure you were okay, but I see you're busy, so I'll leave."
Before Momo could protest, Toshiro was gone. But then something popped in her head. 'He didn't correct him.' she thought. She turned to the boy, who was staring off into space with a smile on his face. 'Who is this guy?'
Momo began walking the boy around the barracks, giving him an introduction to everything that went on here, including the construction division that was set up near the far end of the barracks, and they enjoyed some small conversation.
"So, why didn't he correct you?" she finally asked him.
"Hmm? Why would he?"
"He corrects everyone. Even me."
"You two...together or somethin'?"
She frantically waved her arms in front of her. "No, no, it's nothing like that." She could tell she was blushing slightly.
"Uh-huh. Suuuure. Not like it matters, anyway. Private stuff should stay private. Who cares what people think. Oop, I think this is where we split ways, Momo-chan. This is where I was supposed to come once I got here. I'm actually kinda late."
Momo looked where they were. It was the old office of Aizen-taichou. Looking at it made her sad a little bit. 'But, wait, why would he need to be here?' she thought.
He opened the door and stepped inside.
"Whew, sure is dusty is here. Ah, there it is."
He reached for something. When he had it, he flipped it over his shoulders. When Momo saw it, she nearly blushed when thinking how formal she had been with him. What he had just put on had the 5th Division logo on it. It was a taichous' hoari.
He turned around and stuck his head out of the door. "By the way, the name's Tetsui. See ya around, Momo-chan." He closed the door with a smile.
Momo walked away in a slight daze. The smile he just gave her reminded her of Aizen-taichous' smile. 'He looks so much like him.' she thought.
End of Chapter 1
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Author's Note: I hope you liked this chapter, it took me a while to write, unlike some of the stuff I do. The whole Tetsui and Momo scene I thought was pretty funny so I thought you might enjoy it too. Yes, the 5th Division was never listed as what it actually does, so I thought it might be the construction division, since there seems to be a lot of collateral damage in this show and someone has to fix it. Who was Tetsui talking to? Weeeelllll....that's a plot-point. And yes, I realize in a normal fight, Ichigo would wipe the floor with a lower level Arrancar, but....that's another plot-point. Anyhow....til next time!