Disclaimer: Is my name Tite Kubo? No? Then no, I don't own Bleach(:
Summary:
A/N: I know I have no excuse for not updating. *dodges potatoes and eggs. But I was losing inspiration for the story as I did not know if I should continue or just start all over again. I have written many chapters to boot, and changed them all over again. Please forgive me! This may be a bit confusing now that I have decided that I will show glimpses of the future at certain points of the story. My writing style may have changed a little too. Thanks so much, and minna, gomenasai!
One can't die twice right? But in the world of the Shinigami, Toshiro witnessed her death twice. The first time, he was determined to not fail her in death; but was keeping his distance really the right thing to do? Because the next thing he knew, she was dead. Again. Or was she? Then why was this person appearing in front of him, only with a different name?
The strings of fate drawing them in closer
Then suddenly pulling them apart, entangling them.
Stringed along like a puppet, by all they say
Like marionettes, they would be put into play
They just watch on. Silently.
Two years into the future
She was running, running so hard that she could feel her heart battering against her chest. She plunged through the dense landscape, trying to ignore the sharp pains shooting through her bare feet.
She was almost there, a bit more, she told herself, just a bit more. She could not fail again; if they caught her, it will be, oh god, she couldn't bear to think about it.
Just as she was beginning to hope, a dark and sensual laughter rumbled through the eerie silence of the forest. A familiar chilling voice rang throughout the forest, smooth and baritone, "You never do learn, do you, my little lioness."
She almost froze at the sound of his voice. "No no no," she chastised herself, "continue running" She shook herself, picking up her pace, determined to make it out this time."Tsk, looks like I have to teach you your place." he seemed faintly annoyed as he chastised her.
Oh no! It never boded well for her when he was annoyed. She was caught off guard when a figure flashed past her. She was suddenly paralyzed as a familiar sort of dizziness overwhelmed her senses.
She could feel her mind slipping as she desperately tried to cling to vestiges of awareness. As a strong pair of arms enveloped her, she heard him purring, "You know can't run from us"
The last thing she saw before succumbing to the cold and familiar darkness was a heated pair of cruel eyes.
Present
As the doors of the first division's headquarters creaked slowly to a stop, Toshiro turned to face his fellow captains.
All were present surprisingly, including Kenpachi who was usually sleeping and Kurotsuchi who was usually walled up in his laboratory doing weird experiments (that everybody would be better off not knowing)
Kyōraku Shunsui, the 8th division captain seemed flamboyant as usual, with his pink flowery kimono draped over under his usual crude jokes and dry humour, Toshiro could detect a battle hardened and most of all, weary captain.
Well, it was not like the captains weren't used to fighting battles before the winter war. They all had their fair share of experiences, but the decades of peace leading up to the Winter War, with only a few tiffs here and there, had definitely caused them to let down their guard.
They had all escaped permanent bodily harm from this all-out war, but the same couldn't be said for their minds. This war had indeed drained most of them out.
Even as he looked around, he could detect chilling yet familiar hints of steel in each of the captains' eyes; something he could recognize every time he looked into the mirror.
Yes, this war had changed them, for the good or the worse, only time will tell.
He was brought out of his thoughts when Yamamoto cleared his throat. He quickly straightened his body as he took on a more alert stance.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the other captains doing the same as well.
Even though the Captain Commander had lost his left arm in the fight with Aizen, he did not become weaker, instead he looked as regal and powerful as in the past, if not more.
Although he seemed to be the least affected out of them all, Toshiro knew that this was probably the opposite. This was something that he greatly respected about the Soutaicho.
Yamamoto's booming voice filled the entire room. "As you all know, now that substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo is gradually losing his shinigami powers, Karakura town is now left unprotected."
He paused as he rumbled on. "Being situated on the current jūreichi, it has the greatest amount of reiatsu concentrated there, and it would be best if we send a captain level shinigami to protect the place for the time being."
At this, Kurotsuchi Mayuri unfurled one of his parchments. "There have definitely been abnormal levels of reiatsu and a rising number of hollows in Karakura town." He sneered a bit, "I would have thought that after Kurosaki Ichigo lost his powers, there would be less of such a hassle for us."
Many captains visibly bristled at this, and Toshiro was about to cut in, when a smooth voice rang out, effectively cutting the twelfth division captain off.
"I wouldn't say that. If not for him, Soul Society, and you, may be dead." It was Kuchiki Byakuya.
Toshiro certainly couldn't remember Byakuya being so vocal, he always so silent, preferring to watch on from the side-lines; he allowed himself a wry grin, maybe the war had done some good.
Kurotsuchi was about to retort when Yamamoto thundered, "Silence. How shameful of captains to be squabbling like kids. The issue here is on which one of you to send to Karakura town?"
The hall immediately fell silent, as captains looked at each other.
"I will," Toshiro was shocked to hear himself volunteer.
Just what was he thinking exactly, or not. Was it because he was tired of holing up in Seireitei, or was it because… Either way, he could not back out. "Very well, Hitsugaya Taichou, be prepared to leave in two days' time. You will be briefed later on."
As the meeting continued to proceed to mundane matters, Toshiro closed his eyes when a certain black haired Kurosaki flashed past his mind eye. How long has it been since he met her, sarcasm and all.
Karin. He sighed.
"Beep beep" the hollow detector rang. Kurosaki Ichigo looked up as he was woken up by the shrill ringing.
In the end, he had decided that he will continue to protect Karakura Town.
He was given a choice then, to resume his life as a normal human or to continue his duties as the substitute shinigami till he… Well it was not much of a choice for him, being a shinigami was what shaped him to be the Kurosaki Ichigo of today.
If he had never been a shinigami, he wouldn't have been able to protect his family and friends, meet Renji, Ikkaku and even Kenpachi. He wouldn't have been able to meet her. Rukia.
He was not regretting his choice back then at the Winter war; Aizen had to be defeated, he just did not know how badly this would affect him.
He would continue being a substitute shinigami till his time ran out.
He smiled fondly at Rukia who was curled up on his couch asleep as he reached out to wake her. Rukia, the person who had never once left his side after the war.
It pained him to remember that what they had together would cease to exist the day his powers fade.
They were only living on borrowed time, as time ticked past relentlessly.
He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple, before rearranging his features, trying to mask his sorrow, swatting her awake.
"Oi wake up, you baka midget! Time to get rid of the hollow!" She was never to know that he had fallen irrevocably and irresistibly in love with her.
He knew Rukia felt the same, to a certain extent, but he knew he couldn't lead her on. Before that, they had seemed possible; a substitute shinigami and a shinigami.
But now, a human and a shinigami, they can never be together. He just couldn't see them sharing a future. Not anymore.
She deserved better.
He could only hope that she would be happy. Without him.
Meanwhile, a blast of reiatsu in the distant west jolted Karin from her reverie. She shot a glance at Jinta who seemed to have noticed as well. She was about to bolt out from her chair, before it disappeared.
"Ichi-nii probably has gotten to it" she muttered to herself as she relaxed again; when she felt another blast of reiatsu from the North , before it disappeared again. As another blast came, she widened her senses as she tried to concentrate on the core of the abnormal levels of reiatsu.
The blasts of reiatsu were not fading away slowly like what will happen if the hollow was killed. It was there and not there suddenly, leaving no traces nor vestiges of it. Everything was just appearing and disappearing too fast, something was very wrong.
When Ichigo and Rukia reached the place where the hollow detector had indicated, there was no hollow in sight.
Suddenly, the detector rang again, signifying the presence of a hollow in the far North. Something was definitely off here. Ichigo thought grimly as they shunpoed to the North.
When they reached there, they caught a glimpse of a tall figure stepping into a portal greatly resembling a garganta. It was neither hollow nor shinigami, or anything they know.
It seemed to radiate evil, as its heavy and slimy feeling reiatsu permeated the air, causing a chill to run up their spines.
"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo shouted as a last measure to prevent the figure from disappearing, but it simply bounced off the figure as it slowly turned to look at them.
All they could see as the dark enveloped the figure was the mouth forming the four dreaded words, "We will meet again", before everything vanished.
It was something they have never encountered before. And for the first time, Ichigo felt something he had never experienced fully before even when battling Ulquoirria or Aizen.
It was the sense of utter despair and doom.
And this time, he wouldn't be there to protect all of them.
How do you find the chapter? More suspense is building and Toshiro and Karin would be meeting. Like finally. Review please! :D