Hi there.

Croix de l'Chrysalis

By

Raining Sky Guy


"So kid, how old are you?" Ichigo asked, shifting his feet along the fire, a tiredness underlining his voice as Diapers was getting used to hear. Still, the man had been asking so many questions to him and it had been so much fun lately. Diapers grinned elated, bouncing back and forth while his bum remained connected to the ground as he hurried to answer.

"I'm like…. One-fifty!"

Ichigo honestly had no idea what to make out of that. Spirits were old as fuck. This tiny sprout was already older than he was for more than five times his age. He decided to just ignore it, if the kid looked like ten years old, he'd be treated as much. He behaved like that, so it was fine, he concluded as the child continued to rock back and forth.

But what he now knew was that he had spent a little more than a century isolated. Less paranoid people, or even more tactful people, would leave it at that but Ichigo needed to know. "And you've always been alone?"

Diapers stopped on his motions, curled up and eyes downcast. He clenched and unclenched his fists as he mumbled. "Not always."

Ichigo froze. He had not expected… "What do you mean?" He asked with mock-nonchalance.

"A long time ago, I had… I had friends. Not many. Not too smart either, but we liked to play together. We stole water and played in Rukongai."

"And why aren't you with them?"

"I killed them." He whispered in a heartbroken voice. Ichigo barely suppressed the impulse to stab the kid right then and there. Aizen picked up at least a little of it as he flinched away from the man before he lifted his hands to wave in the air, frantically, "no! It wasn't on purpose!"

"How did it happen?" The warrior barked out, hand still poised on his sword. Diapers started trembling as he tried to stammer a reply, words flowing easily once he began.

"… I-I don't-don't know…. But they started getting s-sick. One after another. And they started dying even though we gave them water and food even though they say they don't really need it. Suzuki survived. She survived because she had a family and they took her away from us. And while she was away she got better, but she said she didn't feel good when she was with me. I wasn't allowed near her after that."

Unhelpfully as always, Ichigo's mind procured him the memory of Aizen waltzing into some city in Europe, gloating and taking in the sight of several hundreds of unknowing humans collapsing and dissolving into thin air due to the mere pressure of Aizen's reiatsu.

Shiro smacked it away by swearing viciously and demanding that he wasn't going to serve a wielder who couldn't 'fucking put attention and keeps zoning out, making us look stupid in front of the brat.'

"Kid…" he paused, this was probably a similar case, but how could he determine how strong Aizen was? Ichigo had never had these sort of problems despite his strength, though at first he was dealing with humans, which were far less sensitive to reiatsu, and then he was constantly surrounded by strong people. Although… there had been instances where-

Don't lose focus.

Anyway, he should have picked up…

No. Ichigo frowned again. He had probably ignored it. Aizen may have a big reiatsu reserve, but it was still below the threat level. For Ichigo. Aizen's current reiatsu was less than one hundredth of Ichigo's current power. They both had been given clear proof as to who was the strongest (provided that there were no illusions involved). This time he truly focused on the signal of the kid in front of him, his hairs standing on end at recognizing it, but his scowl eased a little. At least this was no mystery.

"Kid…" how to phrase this? Rather, should he tell him? This early on he didn't feel like handing over any sort of information in case… in case anything went awry. His lips thinned. He would save this for later. Not like it mattered now that he would keep him company.

"What's wrong, Shinigami-san?" Diapers inquired, looking curious despite his quivering and Ichigo once again realized he had trailed off. He shuttered his expression as he got his mind back on track.

"No… nothing. I'm sorry to hear about that."

The trembling subsided as Diapers looked at him with wonder.

"It doesn't bother you?"

"Well I'm not feeling very sick, so no." Ichigo lied, looking away from him, missing how Diaper's grin just continued on growing, as he raised his fists to the air.

"That's because you're so strong, Shinigami-san!"

He would not die by accident. Is this why the kid insisted on being with him? Ichigo was his indestructible toy?

Ignorant of the happiness irradiating from the little soul, the Hybrid stared at a point just beside his face as he forged on. "You didn't try to make friends again?"

"I… I did… but… there was a rumor and they didn't want me to get close anymore. They grew scared of me." Baby Aizen muttered suddenly sullen, arms dropped and smile erased, this Ichigo did notice. The man was struck with a memory of Aizen gloating. He had always loved frightening people. Being superior to them. Was this really who would demand the world bow to him?

It seemed hard to assimilate.

"Is this why you began wearing glasses?" Ichigo found himself asking, remembering the forsaken object.

Diapers shrunk in on himself, looking even more dejected than before. "Yes."

"And what clued you in?"

"What?" Diapers asked as if he couldn't pick up the underlying meaning behind Ichigo's words –something that made him almost snarl in frustration, as if that was even possible.

But, he had already decided to give the child the benefit of a doubt. He rephrased. "What made you think glasses would help?"

"Tamaki used glasses and he was teased for it." Diapers mumbled, eyes distant. "They teased him with names and calling him a weakling. But we weren't mean to him. And those who bullied him… we made them stop."

"How did you do that?"

"We scared them." The child said, toying with his hands as he remembered the distant memories, apparently unaware that he had dodged another bullet. Or more accurately, a sword to his heart.

"Did that made them stop?"

"Well, not at first, but we persevered."

It was then that Diapers sneezed, breaking the clinical distance Ichigo had finally fallen into. The logical sequence of questions he had been crafting was interrupted as he finally took notice of the child's clothes –or what remained of them. He had completely forgotten this child's clothes were basically tatters, his full back exposed. Or rather, he had forgotten he should do anything about it.

"Kid. I need to get you clothes, alright? Otherwise you're going to get sick."

(And also, this was the perfect excuse to stay away from him for some hours, Ichigo mused, focusing more on where he was going to go scavenge for clothes than on the child with the hesitant hope in front of him.)

"But…"

"I will be back."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Alright,"

"Perfect, see you in a while."


No matter how impartial he was trying to become, Ichigo still relished in being away from the child. So he took his sweet time to give the outskirts of Rukongai a long walk before entering the shopping district. He really should have expected it this time.

Ichigo looked up with alarm, a distinctive reiatsu snapping him out of his daydreaming harder than a slap would have. The figure that had sprung up from fucking nowhere grinned at him, white teeth flashing. "Yaho!"

Ichigo's mind went on overdrive. What was she doing here? Fuck how had she found him?

Sort of pissed and a lot panicked, the man made a wild dash to take cover in the surrounding forest.

"My, you aren't happy that the Shihoin heiress has come such a long way to visit you?" Not-Yoruichi exclaimed with mock surprise, mirth still on her face as she drew level with him, having chased him the whole way. Ichigo did his utmost best to relax and compose his features even while he cursed at himself for not taking off in a mad shunpo sprint. He could not let her see any sort of panic or heartbreak on his face.

"Why are you here?" He managed to hash out.

"Reports came in for the Shihoin. There was a weird, strong release of reiatsu in the vicinities of the southern forest. Call it a hunch, but I figured it might be you." The Princess said with a cheeky grin even as amber eyes assessed his response.

Fuuuck. How many people had been notified of Ichigo's night activities? He would have to be more careful from now on. His Quincy told him with a sour tone that he alongside with his charge would have to move locations unless they wanted Shinigami descending on them. Even worse, Shihoins.

"That doesn't explain what you're doing here."

Yoruichi's face turned serious for about a second before her toothy grin was back. "I want you to teach me how to be as fast as you are."

Ichigo couldn't help but gape. Zangetsu was similarly flabbergasted. He blinked several times before pointing at her like a caveman. "You." He said, then pointed at himself. "Learn shunpo… from me."

The spindly teen frowned dubiously.

Ichigo still wasn't sure if this was some sort of joke.

"I can't teach you!" He exclaimed, not sure what to reply. The Flash Step Goddess, learning shunpo from him?

The kid of course took it as an offense. "What! Why not!?" She asked, indignation in every line of her body.

Shit. He shouldn't have phrased it like that, hell he shouldn't have said anything at all. Thankfully his Quincy was the smartest out of the three of them and quickly supplied him an excuse.

"I mean… you're a Shihoin! Don't you have like prestigious private teachers or something?"

"Yes. But they aren't as fast as you! I am as fast as most of them, and those – few, mind you—that are faster than me I can at least follow with my eyes! Which is something I couldn't do with you!"

"Then train yourself or something! Get yourself a better teacher!"

"I can't believe I hadn't thought about that." Yoruichi deadpanned, making Ichigo bristle subtly. She then pounded her palm with her fist. "Oh, I know. Kon-san, be my teacher!"

Who the fuck was Kon-san?

Ichigo inwardly cringed at the hideous name, taking a moment to recognize it, before he scowled. "I didn't know we were already on first-name basis, Shihouin-san."

"Seeing as how you've yet to address me as Shihoin-dono or Yoruichi-dono, I think we are."

"Dono my ass, you're a brat who's like half my height. Want respect, earn it! Or rather, just go away, you're annoying!"

She was just as vivacious young, he couldn't help but think, high-spirited and as curious as a cat, but there was no way he was getting mixed up with her. He'd break down crying at some point or something similar. Or he'd let something slip or or anything could happen when it involved Yoruichi or Kisuke-

And just then, he realized he was not alone and an incensed Ichigo disappeared from the spot the girl was hotly reprimanding to stand a couple feet behind a tree from which a young dirty-blond teen was crouching behind. "Hello there." He said friendly enough.

The teen spun around and promptly toppled backwards from the fright (Ichigo was hard-pressed to stay where he was, but he wasn't sure if what his body wanted was to help him up or blast away from them). The teen smiled nervously, "…hi."

"And what is your business?"

"I don't have any." He shrugged rather calmly, sitting up straight. "I just tagged along with her."

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation, to hide the expression he couldn't really suppress at the thought of Yoruichi and Kisuke, inseparable, unbreakable, and who swore they would protect each other and Ichigo and Tessai to the end of the world. And they had proven as much, time and time again and-

Shit, this is why he didn't want to be with them. Besides, no matter how much he longed to see them, these were not his. It wasn't Kisuke who was staring at him and it wasn't Yoruichi who had realized she had been left talking alone and had started yelling for him. But at the same time they looked so familiar and they actually were…

"Um…" a voice broke him out of his depression party and Ichigo prepared his scowl when he looked back up. The teen seemed to be wanting to ask something but Ichigo beat him to it.

"Don't tell me your other friend is hiding in the bushes somewhere."

He smiled sheepishly, making Ichigo feel like stabbing himself. "No, Tessai is at home, studying like always. He rolled his eyes and called us nosy. Which we are, in all honesty. But we both are intrigued by you, Kon-san."

"What the fuck, why are you both calling me Kon-san? And the fuck you mean by intrigued? I'm not a party clown and I have better things to do than stand temper tantrums." He paused. "And you shouldn't be intrigued. You should be scared."

"Ah don't worry about that, I am." Not-Kisuke said with a wave of his hand. "But I am more intrigued than scared."

"Not scared enough to be calling me Kon-san, for fucks sake."

"Then, if I called you Shirosaki-san, would you be more inclined to listen to us?"

Why?

Why had he thought up such a fucking stupid name?

Why?

"Don't call me anything and go home already, fuck!"

"So what is your division?" The youth forged on relentlessly, and Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the way slender limbs trembled softly. He stared back into achingly familiar storm-colored eyes and forced himself to answer light-heartedly.

"So you can hound me even there? Like hell I'm telling!"

"You're no fun- "At that moment, Ichigo felt a hostile intention and without thinking he hurtled forward, scooping up the startled kid in one arm, Zangetsu in the other as he darted away from there, seeking out higher ground so he could defend properly– barely a heart-beat after noticing the hostility and five before he realized it was just hissy princess who had missed his gut yet again and was standing there, indignation blossoming in her face.

"You can't dodge that!" She yelled at him once more, but Ichigo paid her no mind, tension easing away from him in an instant, clumsily letting go of the teen he had haphazardly picked up with a muttered apology. The teen stumbled to his feet, a bit put off, but storm eyes even more curious.

"Kon-san… have you-?" the question hung in the air, but eventually the genius decided not to ask. He shook his head. "No, never mind. Thank you for the save."

Wow, my shining hero! Thanks, Ichigo-kun, that was close-

Last mission, Ichigo. Go back. Go back and-

He needed to get away from them.

"Shut up. Don't come looking for me, I won't play nice next time, "he threatened darkly, blade glistening in the light before it was sheathed. It was in a sealed state, but the intricate pattern of the hilt, was a big hint that he had a pretty good hold in its name. He disappeared on the spot, probably suppressing his reiatsu like last time, in a way that not even Tessai had been able to pick up.

Kisuke couldn't help but hum in thought as his friend continued yelling threats to a man that was no longer there.

"Kon-san, if you want to threaten people, don't save them beforehand."

They had a cranky war veteran in their hands. The last war of Soul Society had been at the beginnings of the Gotei Thirteen. Kon couldn't be older than eight hundred, one thousand tops.

Questions and more questions.

Such an interesting man.


Ichigo had once more startled his charge by irrupting in the space where they set up a fire at nights, too distracted with muttering profanities with a sour face, clothes hanging on his shoulder and reiatsu once more imperceptible. The man didn't give Diapers much time to process the situation before he tossed the clothes over to him, ordering him to change as he started destroying all evidence of their stay there, untying another strip of cloth that Diapers hadn't noticed, to make a satchel where he dumped all the food he could get his hands on.

"Do you have anything you wish to keep?" Ichigo finally asked the kid, the motions having calmed him down some (also not sensing the irritating trio helped).

Diapers looked up from tenderly fixing the new clothes to not rub his recently-healed back and inquire eloquently, "Huh?"

Ichigo asked for patience from above. Like the Soul King gave two shits about what he felt though. "We're moving. I mean, I'm moving, and I suppose you'd like to tag along as well."

The young soul's face glowed, Ichigo looked away. "Yes!" Diapers exclaimed, but confusion set once more on his features. "But… why?"

"Don't know about you, but I need to keep on moving." Ichigo lied smoothly as he finished tying the satchel. He stood up. More like he had the spy family locking on his reiatsu and he was having none of that. Not to mention the three abso-fucking-lutely insane kids that seemed to find him amusing.

"Shinigami-san!"

"Yeah?" Ichigo turned around to give him half a glance. Diapers looked mildly concerned. Instinctively, he focused on his senses, trying to find out an enemy or a trap – Zangetsu couldn't sense anything amiss, no foreign reiatsu.

"Is this something to do with… being so strong? Do you need to keep on the move? Not to damage things?"

"What?" Ichigo stopped in his motions to stare at the child, sure to have heard wrong.

"I mean, I mean, if I got people sick just by being near them… what about you?"

"…It has never been an issue for me." Ichigo said after a pause. No harm in saying this. Diapers looked dubious. Even worried, but fortunately he did not press the subject. Instead, Ichigo told him, "I'm done packing my stuff. I'm leaving in five minutes, so you better be ready by then or I'm leaving you behind."

This effectively set Diapers into a panicked frenzy, making sure he did not forget anything (even if he barely owned anything at all), tripping over himself as he picked up an extra stash of berries he had hidden and he clutched his new pairs of glasses he had yet to wear. Ichigo allowed himself a sideways smile at the sight of a hurried kid saluting at him, not even two minutes after.


Ichigo set off in a soft shunpo, distracted thoughts trying to pick up any sort of foreign signal – which now that he paid attention, was dangerously close to their location. He was immediately sidetracked by the way Aizen's track signal started fading slowly. With the rasp of metal over leather, Ichigo wiped out Zangetsu, ready for some ambush, for his world to collapse as the illusion finally broke and he was so dead, he had no idea where he would appear even-

Nothing.

What was this? Nothing was happening. It made no sense. Surely, by now…

'Ya need to start accepting this is reality, aibou.' Zangetsu murmured soothingly at him, his hollow side subdued completely for once. 'Ya're hella fast. Obviously the kid couldn't follow.'

" It's Aizen we're talking about. There's no way he isn't- "Ichigo began, cold drops of sweat dotting his forehead, his face pulsing in sympathy. "I mean, if this is real, the kid would have to be fast-"

'Of course you're right,' his sword agreed easily, voice still soft and agreeable. 'But Ichigo, saying that ya are fast would be a big-assed understatement. You're still the second fastest- no, at this point in time, you probably are the fastest Shinigami alive… or sort-of-alive.' Zangetsu gave a mental shrug. 'Semantics. Re-dead people complicate everything.'

"I'm not supposed to be." Ichigo allowed himself the words, misery lurking behind every crease in his face but he didn't give his spirits any chance to respond to that before he was hurrying back towards the signal of the child.

No blood had been shed this time, Zangetsu couldn't help but rejoice. But he wouldn't be so foolish as to think his wielder was healing.

Not yet.


"Wow, yer slow." Ichigo commented offhandedly once he found his charge, who had been going at a panicked dash so he was gasping for breath as he stared wide-eyed at the apparition. "Pick up the pace or we'll be getting nowhere, Diap-kid."

Oops. It probably wouldn't be a good idea if the kid knew how Ichigo had been calling him all along (when he stopped with murderer at least).

"You…came…back…for me." Diapers gasped out, wide eyes glowing faintly in a way that made Ichigo uncomfortable. "I'm sorry… I'm slow…I'm going… going as fast as I can."

Ichigo massaged a scar he had over his left shoulder (Hueco Mundo, some jackass' Völlstandig; he had gotten lucky, Ichigo had messed up and instead of avoiding the flashing attack he had tried to parry it, it diffracted and gouged its way into his shoulder, but Hanatarou had time to collect the injured Arrancar and leave-), a little distracted and ready to assure the kid that, whatever, it wasn't like it they were in a hurry when the disgusting whiff of a spy tickled his senses.

If they thought they could bypass Ichigo and spy on them one more time-

'Stay put, ye' moth'fuckin' idiot.' Zangetsu practically growled, clearing his wielder's mind which allowed them to sense the spy ignoring them completely as whoever it was, relocated someplace else. Where to, Ichigo could only guess.

Why?

Regardless of what this person's mission was, surely they would at least pause at sensing their reiatsu, or noticing his uniform or… something.

'Maybe I should remind both of you that we are in a rather painful state of reiatsu suppression. I am well aware you lot are insufferable masochists and perhaps forgot about this fact, but the only reiatsu that can be sensed is … Diapers'. His Quincy spoke up, soothing baritone centering him at last. Shiro only bypassed the insult because he had successfully explained the situation and calmed their master quickly. 'Also, we have seen firsthand how blind these spies are oftentimes.'

"Shinigami-san, I'm ready-!" The kid's voice snapped Ichigo back to reality and he had a split second to decide his next words.

"Okay kid, how's this. I won't use shunpo but instead we're going to run at your fastest pace until this day's over." Ichigo proposed in a tone that brooked no arguments. Diaper's smile faded as he looked at the sun high in the sky and back to Ichigo with a pale face. He gulped nervously.

"O-okay, then-"

Ichigo gave the kid three hours before he collapsed.


The passed out kid was snoring opposite of him, but Ichigo felt even more awake than usual, as he stared at the patch of stars he could see between the shifting tree branches. This new place felt colder, for some reason. Also, it wasn't contaminated with Aizen's signature so it was like breathing crisp fresh air for the Shinigami hybrid.

But even with this slight change in surroundings, the young war hero couldn't help the thoughts bombarding his mind.

How easy would it be to replicate Yoruichi's and Kisuke's and Tessai's childhood? Ichigo had no idea how they had acted as actual kids, he might as well be projecting his hopes into the mimicries he had spoken to.

Would he ever wake up from the illusion, wake up once more to blood spraying the air, as friends and foe alike died all around him, unable to save them, unable to defeat them. Just strong enough to ward off the army, but not strong enough –never strong enough– to bring down Aizen and end this-

Like poison dripping into a city well, his mind and body kept on being contaminated.

How could he know what the fuck was going on? How could he know he was not in any illusion?

It would not be the first time he had thought he had broken out of one, only to be stuck in the actual illusion for days.

When had been the last time he had escaped…?

Last thing he remembered was losing to Aizen. Which could still be an illusion, more so because it made more sense for the narcissistic bastard.

And besides, why had Kisuke thought about time travel in the first place?

He never quite said it out loud but he had been sort of agreeing with Kurotsuchi when he had called the man 'delusional', and 'grasping at straws'.

To be honest it made much more sense to think this was an illusion than whatever magic-shit Kisuke had claimed to have managed to enable travelling to the past-

And suddenly Ichigo's lungs constrain, as fear kicks back in.

Five years ago he had thought the war had been over.

Back then he along with several thousand more people had been proven resoundingly, absolutely wrong.

Ichigo held the hilt of Zangetsu in both hands trying to feel reassured on the touch, so familiar, so worn, so fake and feeble and imitable-

Trying to breath through his panic did nothing but create black dancing dots in his vision. He was not breathing. Shoulders bunching up until they popped wetly, the Hybrid whimpered slightly before allowing his sword to descend on his forearm, viciously–even sighing in relief as blood spluttered and pain flared.

This was reality.

Now, Zangetsu did not say anything because it was painfully obvious Ichigo needed a tangible way to determine reality. Or he'd go insane. Already his memories plagued him and the barrier between the conscious mind and the shattered, injured part of him was starting to crumble.

If only the method was different.

(Had they been wrong to think their master had begun healing? Was it possible?)

To be continued


AN.

Holy shit it's done. Sorry for the delay, broke my right hand and stuff.

So, what do you think? Is Ichigo healing? Is he dealing with his paranoia or is his paranoia dealing with him?

Also, oh no, Kisuke is curious now. Ichigo's probably doomed. Lol

Additional note: I have 34 pages written for this story that won't crop up for at least 15 more chapters. This story is growing far beyond me; this is getting frightening. Not even sure if I'm ready for that commitment haha.

Lemme know what are your thoughts! What do you suppose is going to happen with the trio? With Diapers? With Ichigo? With the Worlds?