[A/N: I can no longer remember if I was updating this on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, but I just remembered now, so here it is. School's out and for once I'm not taking summer classes, so, hopefully (between Cons because I've got several lined up this summer), I'll be able to get this story finished! Don't forget to review!]
Chapter Eight: I'm Sadder, but I'm Wiser Too
"Okay. . ." I said, after the situation had been fully explained to me. "Let me just make sure I've got all of this right. . . So there's this key thing called the Ouken, which is used to open up another dimension where the Soul King is and the only person who knows where it is would the Captain Commander because you don't write it down, you just tell the head Captain because paper trails are bad."
"Correct," Toshiro said. I could already feel him getting annoyed with me.
"But Aizen has discovered that if you use 100,000 souls and the Jureichi, which is the one place in all of the Living World where there is the highest concentration of Spiritual Beings, and have a place with an area of half a spirit mile—whatever made up system of measurement that is—you can create your very own Ouken and gain passage to the Soul King's Palace?" I asked.
"Yes," he said.
"And the one place on the entire planet with 100,000 people that also happens to be the Living World's current Jureichi, and has an area of half a Spirit Mile is Karakura Town?" I asked.
Toshiro nodded.
"Wow," I said.
"What?" Rangiku asked.
"Nothing. I just realized I still really hate this fucking town," I said. "So Aizen's going to just wipe Karakura Town off the face of the planet to get to the Soul King's Palace. That's awesome. I'm glad I took my old job back to immediately have to deal with this nonsense. And let's not forget that he's got those Arrancar now."
"Were you expecting this to be a simple task, Detective?" Toshiro asked.
"No, but for once I'd like it to be," I said.
Toshiro shook his head. "I think that's a mindset you'll have to leave behind you, Detective."
"You know, I know you're just trying to be polite and address me formally, but every time you call me Detective, it sounds very condescending, Captain," I said. He frowned at me. "Yeah, that inflection just makes me sound like an asshole, but it's the same one you're using. Imagine how I feel. You've called me detective like five times since I've been here."
"Kairi," he started through clenched teeth.
"Wow, it sounds even worse when you use her name," Rangiku said. I nodded in agreement.
"Will you two focus?" Toshiro scolded us.
"Sorry, Captain," we said in unison.
"All you need from me is to keep people as safe as I can because with my Spiritual abilities I'm pretty awful with hollows, right?" I asked.
"Actually, Kisuke needs you," Toshiro said. "I don't know what for, but the Captain Commander said you'd be useful to him."
I huffed. "I never got special assignments like this before I quit."
"You've never worked with the Soul Society before. We like to keep things organized," Toshiro said. "From what we've been able to ascertain from your previous assignments, it's a concept you're unfamiliar with."
"And on that note, I'm leaving," I said. "You, sir, are incredibly rude and I do not appreciate it."
"We'll be in touch, Detective," Toshiro said.
"You know how to reach me, Toshiro."
888
Just as I reached Kisuke's shop, Orihime was leaving, and she was looking rather upset.
"Yo, what's up?" I asked.
She shook her head. "It's nothing."
I sighed. "Orihime, I have spent the better part of two weeks pretending not to be depressed and miserable. I can kind of tell that you are lying to me right now."
Orihime sighed. "Mister Urahara. . . He told me. . . He told me to stay out of the way."
I paused for a long moment. "To stay out of the way?"
She nodded. She reached up and pulled one of her clips from her hair. I knew that's how she manifested her powers, and during the attack at the park one of them had been broken. She showed it to me.
"I haven't been able to fix Tsubaki since that day in the park, and he says that even if I could that. . . I'd just be in the way. . . That I should just leave this fight to everyone else," Orihime said.
I was officially done with Kisuke Urahara.
"I'm going to give that guy a piece of my mind," I said.
"You don't have to do that," she replied.
I nodded. "Yes I do. He can't just tell you that you can't help us. You're the white mage. Nobody fucks with the white mage. Why is everyone being so dumb right now?"
"I think you're just angry and you're looking for someone to take it out on," Orihime said.
I shrugged. "That doesn't change the fact that he's being a dick. He is the perfect target for my anger."
Orihime sighed. "There's no stopping you is there?"
"Nope," I said. "I'm gonna go yell at him now."
"Before you go," Orihime started, "You. . . Do you know where Ichigo has disappeared to?"
Orihime was madly in love with Ichigo. This had been obvious since Rangiku had pointed it out to me on the Look Out. Since we'd broken up, I'd become kind of keen on the idea of them being together. I didn't tell Orihime that I knew about her feelings for Ichigo. I especially wouldn't tell her now considering what had happened between us.
And then of course there was Ichigo whose relationship with Orihime reminded me a lot of Yusuke's relationship with Keiko—except Ichigo was less of an idiot and also clearly in denial in about his feelings for her, if not completely oblivious to them.
There was not a thing about this whole situation that didn't suck.
"I know that he's somewhere important, getting that whole hollow thing under control, but I don't know where he is," I said. "But, if it means anything, if he were here, he'd probably be first in line to tell Kisuke that he's being a dick."
A slight smile came across his face.
"I mean, I know he's an idiot and he's always wanting you to stay safe and out of trouble and the idea of you taking a sideline this time might be appealing to him," I started, "but he respects you way too much to tell you how to live your life. And I know he likes having you around. So, if you want some advice, prove Kisuke wrong, get stronger, and impress the pants off Ichigo and make Kisuke eat his words."
She nodded.
"I'm still going to go yell at him for being a dick though," I said.
"I knew you would," she said.
"And if you happen upon Ichigo and repeat what Kisuke said back to him, don't let him be an over protective butthole," I said.
"I got it," she said with a laugh.
I sighed. "Thank goodness. I wondered how much more motivational shit I was going to have to pull out my ass before I finally got you to smile again."
"Are you doing okay?" Orihime asked.
"Me?" I asked.
"It's just, when I saw you last time on Friday," Orihime started, "you were really upset with Ichigo."
I walked up to her, put my hands on her shoulders. I knew I should just let it go, but I couldn't. All the guilt I felt from before was back and I had to deal with it. No more bottling things up.
"I'm going to tell you something and it's the last and only time I'm ever going to tell you this, and if you bring it up to me later on down the line, I'm going to smack you upside your head because if you ever doubt what I'm going to tell you right now, you deserve a good smack," I said. She nodded. "Ichigo is an idiot. And I am an idiot. And I know that you know whathappened between us, but it only happened because, as I said before we are both idiots. He's an awesome amazing guy. And yes, we did have feelings for each other, once upon a time, but not anymore. Whatever was between us is over. Anything that has happened between us since we broke up that might give the appearance that we do still have feelings for each other was a really, really, huge dumb mistake."
"Why are you telling me-?"
I shushed her. "Ichigo and I are, like, kindred spirits, soul mates—but in a friend way. We are platonic soul mates. But you. . . When those arrancar came and attacked everyone, no matter how much he likes Chad and Tatsuki and Yukina, it's the fact that he couldn't protect you that set him off. You're the only one he apologized to because he couldn't keep you safe. . ."
Orihime was silent.
"Orihime, you are his sweet, precious, beautiful cinnamon bun who is too good for this world, too pure, and he needs you. He isn't consciously aware of it because he's a moron, but he needs you. He needs you more than anyone," I said. "Got it?"
She nodded. "Got it."
"Good," I said. I brought my hands down from her shoulders. "Now, I'm going to go finally go yell at Kisuke. You go be the white mage I know you can be."
888
I finally made my way down into Kisuke's underground training facility where I got to witness Renji's bankai again, attacking Chad and his arm. Kisuke was observing them, standing with his cane looking pleased with himself.
"I didn't know you were so emotionally invested in Orihime and Ichigo. It's cute," Kisuke said.
"Don't try to be all friendly like with me, Tool Bag," I said. "How could you tell her to stay out of the way and that we don't need her help? What kind of jerk says that?"
"Orihime's powers are good for healing, but she can't really defend herself. It's too dangerous. If she wants to help, she should stay out of the way," Kisuke said.
"Stop talking or I'm going to hit you," I said.
"What does it matter? If you don't talk her into ignoring me, someone else will," Kisuke said. "I just hope nothing bad comes of it."
I stared at him hard. "Do you know something we don't know? Is she in danger?"
Kisuke shrugged. "I don't know. I just think, Orihime's powers are strange aren't they."
"Damn right they are," I said.
"Might attract the wrong kind of attention if she's not careful," Kisuke said.
I groaned. "You old people and your riddles and your withholding information. How am I supposed to do my job, which is protecting people, if you don't ever tell me what I'm supposed to be protecting people from?"
"I'm sure your psychic intuition will guide you," he said.
I shook my head. "You are a tool."
"So, Ichigo's been missing for a few days now. I guess you guys had a chat about Shinji finally," Kisuke said.
"Yeah. Have you talked to Shinji before? He's a sketchy one. Also, I'm pretty sure he tried to hit on me once so, you understand why it took so long for me to send Ichigo his way. I don't really trust people like that," I said. "Ichigo could be lying dead in a ditch somewhere for all I know."
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see if his body turns up," Kisuke said.
"I am touched by your concern for his well-being," I said.
"In the meantime, I'm guessing Captain Histugaya sent you here," Kisuke continued.
"Yes. He does not like me very much," I said.
"Have you met you before?" he asked.
I nodded. "Touché."
"So he gave you the basic run down on what's happening, good," Kisuke said.
"Yep. Karakura Town is just, literally, the world's biggest Spiritual target," I said. "Too bad we can't take Karakura Town and push it somewhere else, like another dimension where no one has to see it or look at it or deal with it at all. And then Aizen couldn't wipe it out because he couldn't reach it. Everyone wins."
"I'll keep that idea in mind," Kisuke said. "But what I needed you for—I'm going to need your help with something, and you're going to have to work very fast."
"What is it?" I asked.
"I need you to go to Spirit World and convince King Yemma to let me have a conversation with one his prisoners," Kisuke said.
I scoffed. "One of the terms of me coming back as Detective was that I wasn't going to have to speak to him, especially so you can have parley with a criminal."
"I understand that," he said.
"Besides, the Soul Society has got to have more pull with him than I do. I'm as equally on his shit list as he is on mine," I said.
"Well, how about you think of it this way, is holding an eternal grudge against King Yemma worth putting people in danger?" Kisuke asked.
I frowned. "Always with the guilt trips, you people. Can't I ever be selfish?"
"Being Spirit Detective is all about not being selfish," Kisuke said.
I sighed. "Well who do you want? And why do you want them?"
Kisuke smiled at me. "We're going to need to dig a special tunnel."
888
Shiori's wedding was the first time I saw Kurama since he'd left, and I was relieved that he'd comeback just like he' promised.
I wanted to be angry, but more than anything I was just glad he was back. As soon as I got the chance to talk to him at the reception, I hugged him.
"See, Kairi, I told you that you were gonna wimp out," Kuwabara teased. "She swore she was gonna smack you right in the face, but I knew she wasn't up for it."
"Shut up, Kuwabara, you are ruining my cousin hug," I said.
"You're actually kind of suffocating me," Kurama said.
"Sorry," I said, letting him go.
"Thank you for coming, Kuwabara," Kurama said.
"Like I was gonna say no to your mom," Kuwabara said.
"You look lovely, Kairi," Kurama said.
"Thanks," I said. "I almost didn't wear this. Hiei kind of help me pick it out."
"Hiei helped you pick out a dress?" Kuwabara asked.
"Yeah. I have a ton of them because my mom buys them for me as if I have an occasion or desire to wear one, so I tried a bunch of them on and this is the one he liked best," I said. "Anyway, that's shitty and depressing to think about, so let's talk about something else."
"I heard you took back your job as Spirit Detective," Kurama said.
I nodded. "You have Ichigo and Yukina to thank for that one."
"I've heard there's a lot going on with the Soul Society," Kurama said.
"Yeah. Some guy's trying to wipe out all of Karakura Town," Kuwabara said.
"And he's got back up of at least ten arrancar—hollows with Soul Reaper powers," I said. "So naturally I'm useless on the combat front this time because they're like hella strong."
"I can imagine," Kurama replied.
"Ichigo got his ass whooped twice. He did not take it well. Especially the first time," I said.
"I hear he's gone off the grid and that you're withholding information about his location," Kurama said.
"Someone's a liar because I've told everyone a thousand times that I have no idea where that boy is," I said.
"Odd that everyone should know that you were the last person he spoke to before he disappeared because they also say the two of you weren't speaking before," he added. "What was that about?"
"Nothing," I said.
"She's lying. She came over to my house crying about it but she won't tell me what happened either," Kuwabara said.
"That's because it doesn't matter," I said. "It's water under the bridge." Kurama stared down at me. "How's Demon World? What's Yomi like? I heard he's actually a reasonable fellow."
Kurama chuckled. "Actually I think he's a dangerous psychopath who's basically built his entire empire because I tried to have him killed one time forever ago. It's no big deal," Kurama said. "But he definitely needs an eye kept on him because he's definitely insane."
"Wait, you tried to have him killed?" Kuwabara asked.
"Many, many centuries ago, when I was in my prime and at the height of my arrogance, a young Yomi was. . . How do I explain it?" Kurama pondered.
"Part of your demon posse, helping you steal cool stuff?" I asked.
". . . Sure," he said.
"What'd he do to make you mad?" Kuwabara asked.
"He kept getting my men killed so I sent some after him to kill him. It didn't work and instead he was blinded for the rest of his life," Kurama said. "So obviously, when he saw me again, he told me he knew all this and it turns out he had the assassin who I'd sent after him locked in his basement and he was torturing him as revenge."
"What the actual fuck? How do you pick your friends?" I asked.
"He wasn't my friend. He was a subordinate and reckless and expendable," Kurama said.
"And insane," I said. "What does he want you for anyway?"
"Raizen," Kurama started.
"Yusuke's great, great grandpappy?" I said.
Kurama nodded. "Evidently he hasn't eaten in about 3000 years and that is why he's on death's door."
"Holy shit," I said.
"When he dies, both Yomi and Mukuro are going to take advantage of the power vacuum and make a push to take over all of Demon World," Kurama said.
"And you, with all your power and infinite genius would make an awesome addition to his team. And also, I'm sure he's getting some weird satisfaction of you working for him instead of the other way around," I said.
He nodded.
"Naturally, Mukuro wants Hiei for the same thing, and Raizen wants Yusuke because who better to prevent a power vacuum than his only living heir," Kurama said.
"Three weeks with Yusuke and I bet he's only just started to realize his mistake," I said. "But hopefully with you three there you can stop an all-out war from breaking out, because that sounds like the kind of thing that might spill over to the Living World and that's kind of on my list of things that I don't want to deal with."
"Or you're just avoiding any situation where you might see Hiei," Kuwabara said.
"That too," I said. "I've accepted that."
"Are you doing okay, with Hiei gone I mean?" Kurama asked.
"Now that she's not so repressed she can't use her Spirit Energy anymore," Kuwabara said.
"I am going to smack you, boy," I threatened him.
"You know you're going to be okay, right? I promise," Kurama said.
"I'm not okay, but I'm okay with being not okay," I said. "I still think you and Yusuke suck for leaving too. But you're right, I will be okay."
"Good," Kuwabara said patting my head. Across the room, Goten called out to him. "I'll let you guys catch up."
Kuwabara ran over to my brother leaving me there with Kurama.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened with Ichigo or am I going to have to guess?" Kurama asked.
I shook my head. "I just want to forget about it. It was dumb."
Kurama nodded. ". . . I was going to give you the benefit of the doubt and not jump to the conclusion that you slept him, but I can see how ashamed you are written across your face."
"It was dumb. And irresponsible. We're friends. He's my ex-boyfriend. It shouldn't have happened," I said.
"Does he still have feelings for you?" Kurama asked.
"No," I answered. "It was just wrong. I was sick about it afterward, and I tried calling him and texting him and got nothing. He even ditched school for almost a whole week to avoid me and when he showed back up he still didn't talk to me."
"So you weren't speaking because he was avoiding you?" Kurama asked.
"And because when he finally did bother to speak to me I was so blinded by rage that I didn't want to talk to him. I just felt like, why can't people just tell me things. Why couldn't he just suck it up and say 'we're friends and we shouldn't have slept together 'cause that was dumb.' Why didn't Spirit World just tell me they had some concerns about my mental state and Yusuke's existence? Why didn't Hiei just fucking tell me he wanted to leave instead of just leaving me? Am I right?" I asked.
The tears started coming back and I quickly started wiping them away before my mother or one of my brothers or Kuwabara saw me and decided to interrogate me.
"I just. . . I didn't know," I said.
"You didn't know what?" Kurama asked.
"That this was possible. That people can actually feel this way on the inside. Like, how can I be so pissed off and angry and filled with nearly blinding rage, but still miss him like crazy?" I asked. "I feel like I could've used some warning about being able to feel like this."
"I don't think anyone would ever fall in love if they knew this is how it felt to get their heartbroken, Kairi," Kurama said.
I collapsed down into a chair. Kurama sat down with me. "And you know what sucks even more about this? He's probably fine. Just off in Demon World totally fine."
Kurama shook his head at me. "I promise he's not fine."
"How can you know that?" I asked.
Kurama paused and thought something over for a moment. "I think your problem is that you doubt how much he really cared about you."
"Is that so surprising?" I asked.
"I guess not," Kurama said. "But you trust me don't you?"
"Of course I do," I said.
"So trust me about this," Kurama said. He patted me on the head. "He's not fine."
