Fade to Black: I'm Still Here!
Chapter 7
By Ellabella1102
(A/N Isn't Isshin the Son of Yamamoto? Making Ichigo his Grandson?)
"Toshiro, you're back early." Noted Yamamoto as the white haired prodigy entered the meeting hall where he'd been called. The other captains stood in two orderly rows on either side of the main walkway, waiting for the news.
"I know. Things came up- Renji left many key points out of his report that would've saved us a lot of trouble…" He cast a quick glade at Byakuya, "But we managed to investigate a lot of what he hinted on. These beings, known to us as Blanks, are in fact lingering in Karakura town. They've been getting stronger, as well, eating Hollow's to gain power."
"Eating Hollows?" Yamamoto asked him to repeat it.
"Yes, sir." Toshiro replied confidently, "They've evolved, and could continue evolving, to heights that may even give the captains trouble." He held out his katana, barely a hint of a bend still trapped on the otherwise flawless metal. "One of them managed to dent my Zanpaktou, and totally trashed Ikkaku's katana."
"I see…" Yamamoto pondered this question as the captains awaited orders, "This is a serious matter indeed. As the Hollows are eaten, the cycle is broken in a way we have yet to know the consequences of." He muttered, closing his old eyes. "Is there a way to secure the Blanks within the Valley of Screams?" He inquired, looking at Mayuri.
"Sorry sir. Impossible even for my expertise…" He smiled, "But I'd love to dissect a Memory Rosary…"
"No." Yamamoto replied plainly. "And it is safe to assume the Blanks will continue evolving until they become immune to any and all kido we force upon them, maybe even the wraith of our Zanpaktou?"
"Quite possibly." Unohana clarified, "Evolution is a mysterious process, and at the rate these Blanks seem to go at it, it wouldn't be long, either."
"I understand." Yamamoto nodded, "So we have no other choice but to detain and destroy the Rosary, for the sake of all residents of Karakura, and for it's own mental state." He stood up, "All who agree to my plan, and condemn the Rosary to Death on Honorable Terms to sacrifice herself for the rest of Karakura and stop the evolution of the Blanks, Say I."
"I." Muttered Toshiro, knowing that he might see the poor soul, but he didn't know him or her. It was for the best- a worthy sacrifice.
"I… Think I should be allowed the body afterward!" Mayuri smiled psychotically.
"I." Stated Soifon, knowing that it was worthwhile. "I'll detain it myself- no one incapable will be allowed to join me."
The word echoed around the room, Unohana remaining silent until Yamamoto nodded,
"All who oppose this plan, and believe that it should be allowed to live, causing the Blanks to evolve and create a much more difficult threat and letting its awareness lead it to madness, say 'I'."
"…" Unohana remained quiet, "I believe there is another way." She said, trying to be the optimistic one. "I."
"The Vote to Sacrifice the Memory Rosary on Honorable Terms has been taken into account." Yamamoto stated firmly, "Soifon, I want it detained and transported here before nightfall, understand?" He turned to Unohana, "I want you to prepare a holding room for it- not a cell, a room."
"Yes, Sir!" replied Soifon, using Shunpo to disappear into the early morning light.
"Hai." Said Unohana, walking out with a rather sad air about her. Death wasn't something she was used to, but not fond of.
Day 10
Real World
Karakura
Ichigo and Senna were on the verge of fever sickness, but that word 'verge' was enough to get them to school. They weren't really showing bad symptoms after taking some wicked cold medicine.
Ichigo was carrying Senna on his shoulders, which had become his usual morning habit a few day earlier. She had almost capsized the operation twice that morning, the first time seeing a white butterfly, the second time, a pure black one. This is what caught all attention in the area- a black butterfly. When Rukia listened in to it's specific shinigami only message, her eyes widened,
"It's a message alerting us that Soifon is going to be in the area today, so if we feel heavy reiatsu, it's just her." She repeated the message as the messenger floated away.
Senna was oblivious to the imminent thread, and hopped off of Ichigo's shoulders before running infront of him. "Who?"
"Soifon. She's the commander of the special ops." Ichigo told her his attention drifting causing him to mess with her unusually pointy hair. "How do you do that?" He asked, flicking one of the spikes.
"Your hair gel." She replied, batting his hand away. "Special ops? What's that?"
"Like…" He didn't know how to put it- they were like… How would she understand? "…Like Ninja Shinigami." He clarified, knowing she'd get that.
"Oh! Like, ninja ninjas?" She asked, looking hopeful.
"No… Like secret army Shinigami." Ichigo replied, walking on. "Why is she coming? Did it say?" Ichigo asked Rukia, who was trotting next to them.
"No. Seem's like we aren't involved, but if I had to guess…" Rukia trailed off, knowing they'd figure out the rest.
Senna, however, was running slow that morning. "What?"
"They'll be coming for you, Senna." She informed her, poking her shoulder. "I'd bet my life they're after you."
Ichigo smirked to himself, "Like they'll get us if we don't want them to." he bragged confidently. "I beat Aizen, and he beat all of those guys. Easy."
Suddenly, something red whizzed by Rukia from behind, making both Senna and Ichigo fall forward with a slight thud. Ichigo's reiatsu disappeared instantly, but Senna's meager stores continued to flow.
Soifon appeared in front of both of them, looking down and blocking the sun, "In the name of Soul Society, I have- Ichigo?" She asked, leaning down to get a better look. The red, reiatsu blocking bands were wrapped tightly around his wrist, making any movement there impossible. Senna was in a similar position, her reiatsu flowing. "…Sorry- I could've sworn…that I felt… the reiatsu coming from both….?" She looked down, observing both of their energies closely, "What's going on?"
"Let us go!" Demanded Senna, kicking out and striking Soifon in the shin.
'Baka!' Thought Ichigo, managing to get up onto his knees. "Soifon, what's going on?" He asked, struggling under the bands pressure and force. "Let us go!" He demanded in a much more respectful way than Senna had.
"You tell me…" She muttered before getting Senna up on her feet, "In the Name of Soul Society, I hereby detain your Soul in regards of Honorable and Official Safety Concerns." She continued her official spiel, "Follow quietly and quickly." She ordered, a gate opening up behind her. Senna just gave her a blank look, which matched Ichigo's. Soifon sweatdropped.
"…Yeah," Said Senna,
"No." Senna and Ichigo responded in union.
"I have the authorization to force you." Soifon explained, waiting at the gate. "Now."
"You've got the authorization...but not the guts!" Senna replied, thinking back to Ichigo's memories of fighting Aizen- he was a terrible force at times.
"…" Ichigo turned and gave her the deadpanned look. "You really don't know when to stop."
"Never!" She jumped, trying to raise her fist in defiance, only to be caught by the binding bands.
Rukia stood on the side for a moment longer, before standing next to Ichigo. "These detainment terms, explain them."
"Don't teat me this way." Soifon replied, her emotionless facade firm. "We are allies, but Soul Society has business with The Memory Rosary, not the Kuchiki Clan. Step aside, Rukia."
"I'm not moving." Rukia stated firmly, standing her ground.
"You will be detained as well for interrupting an arrest."
"So? I doubt you'll catch up." Rukia said as she undid Senna's shackles with some simple kido- they hadn't prepared for a high level shinigami to be involved. Soifon Shunpo'ed behind Ichigo, blocking her from freeing him as well.
"I don't doubt it one bit." Soifon said, quickly binding Rukia as well and catching Senna flawlessly.
"…Nice." Ichigo grumbled as he watched Soifon lead them back. "What did we do?"
"I don't really know yet…" Soifon admitted, "Ichigo, why is it your the center of everything…" she complained under her breath before grabbing his ear and yanking him inside the gate with a resulting 'Ow!' Senna followed suit, and Rukia joined them on her own free will- Soifon could pull really hard- and plus, what's the worst that they could give a war hero and a Kuchiki?
Right.
Death.
After a long walk that was made even longer by Ichigo, Senna, and Rukia's attempts to escape, they arrived in the paradise that was Soul Society. Unohana kept her usual smile on, but it lessened a bit when Ichigo appeared, and even moreso when Rukia stepped out behind him. Senna was looking around with awe at everything, and was promptly elbowed by Ichigo, telling her she was making him dizzy again.
"Kurosaki, what are you doing here?" She asked, noticing the bands around his wrist- Ichigo couldn't be…
"I'm with stupid." He pointed overt Senna, who was sniffling a flower.
"Is that the Memory Rosary?" Unohana asked, looking the girl over. "She's quite pretty- I understand why you-"
"NOT LIKE THAT!" Ichigo and Senna yelled at the same time, Senna having been listening subconsciously the entire while. "I need to speak with the Captain commander." She said suddenly, pointing to a random shinigami nearby, "Take these three to holding room A-4." she instructed, walking off briskly. "Arigato!"
The Shinigami bowed before them, and then lead them to a nearby room. Soifon left promptly after that, leaving just Ichigo, Senna, and Rukia with a single guard. Ichigo sat down and began to rant about how his spiritual pressure alone could obliterate that wimp, and the guard began to get antsy. "Oh, look." Ichigo said, joking, "My reiatsu bands fell off!"
The guard screamed a bit and ran out the door, peering back in only slightly to a laughing Ichigo and cackling Senna. Rukia apologized for his behavior- he'd been acting so childish lately, and Senna was a bit more serious. Odd.
"How long are we gunna have to stay here?" Ichigo complained, leaning on the nearby wall, his hands unbound but his Reiatsu still blocked by the two bands. Soifon had actually knocked them both out of their bodies in the real world, he noticed, when she applied the binding. Thats why he'd fallen over.
"I'm bored." Senna grumbled, taking a place next to him. Rukia was amused by their impatience- it worked together. "So very, very bored."
2 hours of detainment later.
"SHUT UP!" Yelled Ichigo at Senna, who'd been thinking the same thing for the past two hours. 'I'm bored.' It was driving him crazy. " I GET IT! YOU'RE BORED. JUST SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" he ordered, taking a breather afterwards.
"Sorry." She muttered, giggling in a frightened way. "Forgot."
Rukia was jolted from her dazing, trying to nap state by this. It had been silent for the past two hours, and now she realized why. With her almost asleep, Ichigo and Senna only had each other to talk to, and they'd obviously used the silent link they shared. Until now, of course.
"I'm just really-"
"DON'T SAY IT AGAIN!" Ichigo demanded, "Here, look…" He pulled out his half of her original ribbon, "Take this and try to make it together again." He suggested, trying to entertain her with anything.
"That's impossible." She noted, trying to fit the two pieces together. "It's broken."
"Don't care. Do something with it." Ichigo insisted, sitting down all the way. A knock on the door interrupted their only conversation in hours,
"Who is it~?" Senna asked in a singsong voice. Yamamoto opened the door and stepped through- everyone became dead still and silent.
"Memory Rosary, is it true you split your entity between two individuals?" He asked roughly, looking only at Senna.
"Wha?" Senna replied.
"You broke the Code of Memory and used your empathy link with those you knew while you're time here wasn't spent to split your being and force rebirth?" Yamamoto asked her again, still resulting in confusion from Senna.
"He's asking you if you split yourself so you could come back." Rukia clarified, curious of the answer.
"…Well…" Senna thought about it, "I split myself, I guess…" She noted, "But I didn't want to come back. At first." She sat down right next to Ichigo. "Then I remembered Ichigo- and what we did together last fall!"
This produced an awkward silence from all Shinigami present. Yamamoto coughed, "What, exactly?"
"Fought off the Blanks-" She stood u quickly and made karate motions, "And he saved me from the Dark Ones, right?" She asked Ichigo, who nodded. "And then… then…"
"She…um…" Ichigo couldn't remember exactly how she'd gone either. Yamamoto silenced his comment with a stare,
"I am not addressing you, Ichigo."
"Okay, just trying to help old man-"
"I was not addressing you, Ichigo!" Yamamoto shouted at him. If he was the Memory Rosary, he had to be eliminated as well, regardless of the fact that Ichigo was his grandson. "Memory Rosary, it is true that you split yourself into two halves in order to spend more time with Ichigo?"
"…I guess." Senna said, thinking for a minute.
"Are you aware of the Code of Memory?" Yamamoto asked, continuing the never-ending questions. Senna shook her head slowly, but it rang out for Ichigo loud and clear.
1. You may not force your memories onto another to escape your time as the Rosary.
2. You may not acquire any abilities or memories from an outside source.
3. You may remain a Rosary after your time on Earth.
4. You may not extend your time on Earth.
"She didn't do any of that!" Ichigo defended her. "Ok, she's been on earth for a bit longer than she should have, but how is that hurting anyone?" He asked, annoyed and angry.
"I know that…" Senna muttered, remembering it when Ichigo did. Yamamoto looked at both of them, frowning slightly.
"The Blanks are growing stronger as a result of this. As Senna is the only one at fault for the division, she will be punished alone." Yamamoto decided, a Shinigami binding her hands together again and forcing her out of the room. Ichigo got up to follow her, but Yamamoto shut the door in his face. Ichigo could hear through the door, only the words that would decide her fate-
"Prepare a Blade. The execution will be private, in one hour from now- my grandson is to be plagued by this demon no more."
Ichigo banged his hand on the door and swore as violently as he could at the others. "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" he screamed at them, kicking the solid door. Rukia could feel his Reiatsu in the slightest way possible- it was leaking through the bands in the smallest fraction of an ounce. Ichigo was really something else.
"Ichigo… maybe it's what needs to happen- she'll disappear and you'll forget her…"
"Are you kidding me, Rukia?" Ichigo yelled at her now, "You couldn't have just said that!"
"…Sorry, Ichigo… you haven't been the same Ichigo since she showed up, and the Blanks…" She was trying to ease the pain for both of them, trying to find the reason in the organization she was so faithful to.
"Let's just say that for you, huh?" Ichigo implied, speaking of the time when she was on the wire. "Oh, don't worry," He mocked, "She's a traitor, so we need to kill her! You'll forget her after she's dead, so don't worry." He grumbled. Rukia fell silent to his words- he didn't mean it, right? A loud crack was heard, and Rukia saw that his reiatsu was skyrocketing so fast and so hard that the bands were cracking and splintering. "She's Senna, ok? You didn't know her, you didn't even try since she got back!"
Rukia was mad now, "Well then, it's just a good thing you'll be here instead of watching it, you know, since you couldn't keep her out of harms way!"
"Shut up!" Ichigo yelled right back at her, "I didn't know they were going to kill her!" Ichigo defended himself. "And… and…" He didn't have anything else to vent, so he sat down right next to the door.
"She's messed you up, Ichigo." Rukia told him, sitting on the bed. "You've never yelled at me before like that."
"It's not her fault, Rukia- you're telling me her life doesn't matter… do you… even know how much she's like family?" Ichigo asked, coughing a bit. Now that Rukia looked at him, he looked pretty feverish- When had he taken that cough medicine this morning? Right before he left for school- it was a 6 hour cold medicine, so… 7,8, 9 when they were taken, 1 hour for the walking, 2 hours in here… It was wearing off. He was sick after that night in the rain.
"Sorry…" He grumbled closing his eyes. Senna's mind was barraged with fear and thoughts of the real world- it was rubbing off on him as well, making him violent and pretty impulsive- the fever that was coming on wasn't helping either, but it had already started to go down. Just a short, quick thing.
'I'm going to die!'
"Senna, you're not going to die.'
'Ichigo?'
"Yes?"
'How are you so calm?'
"Because I'm going to get you out of there.'
'…'
'Senna?'
'…'
Silence followed, her thoughts becoming quick and skittish once again. Ichigo's reiatsu was trying to break out much harder than before- he had to do something- she couldn't just get killed like that- four hours before, they were walking to school- now she was on the chopping block. It was all to fast. He heard the crack for himself this time, a large chunk breaking off and his Reiatsu seeping out in waves, equal to that of a low level shinigami. He used this to break the rest of the band off, keeping the one that had remained mostly in tact on, and looked over at Rukia. "I'm going to help her, Rukia." He decided, picking up Zangetsu which had actually been reduced to a Katana because of his low reiatsu level. "Besides…" he muttered, "If we can read eachother's thoughts, and share emotions… Then what says that when they chop her lifeline, mine will stay in tact?"
Rukia stood up, "I wont be much help." She admitted, "But I hope that you get to her in time. I'm sorry about what I said…"
"It was my fault." Ichigo replied, putting his hand on the stone door. "She's freaking out, and it's freaking me out, and then you said that…"
"That's what it was?" Rukia said out loud by accident. She hadn't taken into account the emotional connection they may have as well. "Well…"
Ichigo forced his reiatsu into the door, making it open flawlessly, "See you in a bit." He promised, getting out of the cell. "I'll be back with Senna- and I'll probably be somewhere where they can't get to us… but… I'll talk to you soon, ok?" he said, telling her the reality of the matter. Rukia nodded as he disappeared,
"Be safe, Baka."
SuperShort Chapter? I think YES! XD I don't have word count, so I had to guess on the words and such. Wrote it in one night, so I'm begging for maybe 2000 words? 3000 at most? Watch it be like 1500.
Sorry for the Shortness, but I've got to look into some other ideas ATM. Plus, this was a good place to stop. I know it's fast, and probably really sickish…
BUT
IF
YOU
READ
IT
TAKE
A
MERE
MINUTE
TO
REVEIW
IT.
I might rewrite this Chappy…
^,^;
