Chapter 9 – Divinations
Day Zero
"Wake up, mister Quincy..." Ichigo said, poking Uryū in the face. The Quincy groaned.
"Oi, wake up." Uryu groaned once more. Ichigo tilted his head.
"Wake up," he said, delivering a heavy open-palmed slap to the face. Uryū jumped up, in shock.
"Huh...What happened?" he asked.
"You got your ass kicked, so I had to save you. Again."
"Again? When was the first time you saved me?"
"With the Menos, you summoned, you moron. If you had a girlfriend, she would owe me a handy."
"You sick pig! Don't you have any nondisgusting thoughts!?" Uryū shouted. Ichigo shrugged.
"I dunno. But still, I think I'm a little too old for handjobs anyway."
"Completely vile."
"Stop being such a prude. You'll live longer, and have a much more fulfilling life."
"Are you saying that you have a problem with me showing respect to women."
"Not at all. I do, however, have a problem with you being a punk that I constantly have to save," Ichigo said, "Poor excuse of a man you are, I say."
"Do you have a problem with me?"
"Do you?"
"No need to fight, Kurosaki-san, Ishida-san," Urahara said, coming into the room. Uryu narrowed his eyes.
"Why am I here?" he growled.
"Hey, I was nearby and decided to make a quick stop. No fault in that," Ichigo said, shrugging his shoulders, "You need to cease with the complaining, and be grateful that I even bothered to save you."
"I didn't need to be saved by a Shinigami..."
"You looked like you did, seeing that you were put to sleep by those two Shinigami. Which was hilarious."
"YOU WATCHED THE FIGHT!" Uryū roared, understandably pissed, wounds reopening, "AND DID NOTHING ABOUT IT!"
"Yes to both counts. I had to time my dramatic entry properly. Those things just don't happen naturally," Ichigo said, smirking, "Style, over substance, ya know what I mean?"
"I hate you so much..."
"Now now, can we get back to the main point?" Urahara interjected, really his presence in the room fade.
"Whatever," Ichigo said, sitting down while crossing his legs.
"Well, as you know, Kuchiki-san was taking back to the Soul Society, for her illegal activities in the world of the living..." Urahara said, "Such a shame."
"Not really," Ichigo said, leaning back, "It's her own fault. I did successfully rid her of her takers."
"Do you understand the ramifications of actions, though."
"I dunno. Execution probably if you are trying to make us give a shit about this."
"You don't seem to be distraught by this, Kurosaki-san."
"That's because I'm not. Again, it's her own fault. I had her saved."
"Selfish prick," Uryū said.
"Selfish prick, with a point."
"Anyway," Urahara continued, "You do understand this, though?"
"Yeah, yeah. She's going to be executed, and it's up to me to save her. I heard this tale hundreds of times."
"Your lack of care is a bit concerning," Urahara said, with a laugh.
"Again, it's her fault. So, what are we going to do, to get stronger?" Ichigo asked. With a flip of his cane, he plunged it deep into the chest of the substitute. The shihakusho he wore faded away, and the clothes his human body wore dressed him, but with one major, and quite sudden change.
In the center of his chest, Ichigo had a hole, with a chain sealing it. Urahara laughed.
"To make you stronger, we must build you back up..." Urahara said. Ichigo's old Zanpakutō, to reflect this sentiment, shattered.
"You know that I did not like doing this..."
"..."
"I was just following orders..."
"...I understand that..."
"I'm sure Captain Kuchiki is trying everything he can. Just wait..."
"...One can only hope..."
"What the hell are you trying here?" Ichigo asked in which Urahara responded with a smile.
"Like I said, I am going to rebuild you. And this is step one on the list," he said, gleefully."
"This seems dangerous," Uryu said, "How is this going to help?"
"Easily! In fact, we're going to stat right now!"
"With what?" Ichigo said, confused.
A fucking hole.
A. Fucking. Hole.
And Ichigo was stuck in the bottom of it, bound by kido, in a powerless vessel. And to make matters worse, his Chain of Fate was rapidly depleting.
"Better hurry up, Kurosaki-san! We wouldn't want to kill you!" Urahara shouted down, as two children, and his assistant stood guard. Uryu looked down, in interest.
"How do you expect me to move, when I'm tied down?" Ichigo asked, rather calmly.
"Use your head!" Urahara suggested. Ichigo blinked.
"...I can not believe I am doing all of this for Rukia...Whatever..." Ichigo closed his eyes and thought. He thought long and hard and looked into himself...
A sideways skyscraper...Ichigo stood, rather content with the weirdness that his life has just taken. He looked around, only to see nothing.
"I guess this is the way to my powers..." Ichigo said, confused, "But there's nothing here..."
"I am here," a tall figure, with long, black hair said, looking down at the fallen substitute, who glared back at him.
"And who might you be?" Ichigo asked, cautiously.
"I am your Zanpakutō's spirit."
"My Zanpakutō? Wouldn't that mean that I had Shinigami powers of my own?"
"Indeed."
"Well, that just gives me more questions..."
"There is no time to explain."
"Then how do I know that I can trust you?"
"You just will..."
"Sound logic."
"Somewhere in this city, is the path to your latent Shinigami powers. If you want to save yourself, it would be in your best interests to seek them out."
"Save myself? From what?"
"Hollowification. When your Chain of Fate, represented by the city, evaporates away, you will become a Hollow, and will be condemned to death." Ichigo offered a mere shrug of indifference.
"That sounds like it sucks...Anything else, Zanpakutō spirit?" The spirit blinked, in confusion.
"What do you mean?" Ichigo smirked, as a flash of light escaped his hands, flying at the spirit. The city started to evaporate faster.
"What are you doing!?" the Zanpakutō spirit shouted.
"Just speeding up the process," Ichigo said, arm aglow in a blue glow.
"Whoa, he's in a deep focus!" the red haired child shouted, looking down at the substitute, in a bit of amazement. Uryū looked down the hole, confused.
"It's been two hours, and he hasn't moved at all," he said, "Is he even doing it properly?"
"He's doing it properly," Urahara said, suddenly appearing next to him, much to the shock of the Quincy, "...But that's not a good sign..." He pointed down to the boy in the hole, and much to their amazement, saw as his Chain of Fate was rapidly disappearing.
"What's going on!?" Uryū shouted, "He's only been down there for two hours! His Chain of Fate shouldn't be that short!"
"Kurosaki-san is forcing his Chain to expire faster," Urahara explained, "For what purpose, we'll just wait to find out..."
"Are you risking your life, just to force my name?" the Zanpakutō spirit said, enraged.
"Of course," Ichigo said, with a grin, "My life is rather unimportant. Nothing to lose, in this little wager."
"What!? Are you fooling!?"
"Sure, buddy," Ichigo said, readying his stance, "Now, if you don't want to die with thou, give up your name."
"You fail to understand that a Shinigami's bond with their Zanpakutō is an important step to their development. To utilize my full powers, you must work with me."
"Unfortunately, you fail to understand that I have no interest in forming a bond with a weapon. You do realize that I completely fail in having bonds with other humans, right?"
"I refuse to give you my power."
"Then I shall take it."
The Chain of Fate in Ichigo's chest snapped, and a black aura rose from the hole. The group of overseers stepped back.
"Is he going under Hollowification?" Uryū asked. Urahara shook his head.
"I...I don't know what's happening..."
Three minutes had passed, and the black explosion had subsided, leaving nothing but pure, terrifying silence. No one had moved, to check on the substitute, and what his current condition was.
Then laughter. A deep, rumbling torrent of laughter rose from the hole in the earth. Uryū armed himself.
"Hold," Urahara commanded, "Be patient. No one needs to fight yet. Kurosaki-san can still be saved." A black sword, resembling a massive butcher's knife flew through the air, and landed on the dirt floor, with a thud.
"Is that a Zanpakutō?" Uryū asked.
"Yes, Quincy," Ichigo's voice boomed, still in the hole, "That is a Zanpakutō..." He rose from the hole, wearing a simple white mask, decorated with three red slashes on the left side of it.
"Kurosaki-san, are you still in control?" Urahara asked, seriously.
"Clean and serene," Ichigo answered, moving the mask over his head, "What's the matter? You act like I died down there."
"You came awfully close," Uryū fired back.
"Whatever, Quincy. I'm here. I have this stupid sword. Let's rock."
"Don't you think that you need to train?"
"Whatever, Quincy. So, Urahara, what are we doing?"
"I guess I can open a way into the Soul Society..." he replied, a bit shocked on what just happened.
"Killer."
"It will take about seven days. But you are free to train down here, while you wait, I guess."
"Cool. I'm going to bed. See ya..." Ichigo, grabbing his new sword, wrapped it around his torso, and walked toward the exit. Uryū began to follow him but was halted by Urahara.
"Under no circumstances, do you tell anyone what happened tonight," he demanded, gravely. Uryū frowned.
"I have no intentions to do so. But, if you mind me asking, why not?" he said. Urahara sighed.
"Some things...Some things should just be left unrevealed..."
"How...odd..." Ichigo said, looking at his palm, feeling the new found power surge throughout his body.
"Well, while that explains why I could see spirits...But how did they get there in the first place?"
Bloodline, yes, but there is nothing to suggest that his mom or dad have any form of spiritual awareness...
"Shit man..." he said, shutting his eyes. After saving Rukia, he'll worry about this.
"Because I am such an awesome teacher," Ochi-sensei announced, with a wide smile, "I talked to the head of administration to give the students who did the extra work to be in the top fifty a little reward. I wonder if you guess can guess what it is..." Ichigo, holding a snarky grin, rose his hand slowly. Ochi-sensei narrowed her eyes.
"You do not get to answer, Kurosaki," she said, sharply. Ichigo lost his grin, and slowly put his arm back down. Ochi-sensei sighed.
"Those in the top fifty of the first year student class have been granted a full extra week off! How do you feel about that?"
"Underwhelmed," Ichigo said, leaning back in his chair. Ochi-sensei frowned.
"Ignoring the unneeded and unwanted outbursts of a certain red head, I would like to extend a congratulations to those who qualified." Ichigo, zoning out of the discussion, grabbed his books and waited for the final bell to ring.
"Of course, this would happen..." he whispered to himself, "This reeks of that shopkeeper. I'm pretty sure that this would never go by with any administration..."
"What to do, what to do..." Ichigo said, walking through an alley. He could go to his employers office, and tell her that he wants some vacation time, but that would probably require thought, scripting, and a well-executed plan. That could wait.
He could train, but he did not feel like dealing with Urahara right now. Maybe later.
"I really need something to do..." Ichigo said, sweeping his hand through his hair.
"Kurosaki-kun..." the soft voice of Inoue Orihime said, from behind him, "Are you okay?" Ichigo paused and turned around.
"I'm fine," he replied, "Why do you ask?" Orihime frowned.
"Well, uh...You seemed a bit distant today..."
"I was just trying to get readjusted with new circumstances in my life."
"New circumstances? What do you mean?"
"Well, it's a complicated issue...Turns out I had Shinigami powers the entire time."
"Really!?" Orihime replied, excitedly, "That's so cool!"
"...I think we have different definitions of cool..."
"Can I see them!?" Orihime shouted, bouncing in a state of joy. Ichigo blinked.
"...Sure..."
"Whoa, this is a deep hole..." Orihime said, looking down the hidden ladder well, "I wonder how it fit?" Ichigo hid his body in the back of the store and walked up beside her.
"You ready?" he said. Inoue did not reply.
"That looks like a deep climb. I hope I don't fall off..." she said, trying to prepare herself.
"You won't be climbing," Ichigo said, stretching his legs. Orihime tilted her head.
"Then how are we going to get down there?" Wordlessly, Ichigo lifted her up, bridal style, and prepared to jump. Orihime's face exploded in the brightest shade of red, as she began to sputter about.
"Don't worry. I got you," Ichigo said, smirking. Inoue looked down, before squealing out a simple, "Wait, Kurosaki-kun! I'm not ready!" Ichigo chuckled.
"Like I said. No need to worry," he said, "I got you." Orihime plunged her head into the chest of the substitute, as he jumped down the well. As they fell, Orihime bottled her fear nicely, and Ichigo had a nice fall down.
"Welcome back, Kurosaki-san," Urahara said, with his usual grin, "Ah, and I see that you brought a lovely guest with you."
"Tread lightly, old man," Ichigo said, "I don't like you leering at my friends like some old perv." Orihime dug her head deeper into Ichigo chest, something that he took much amusement out of.
"You know Inoue, we landed already." Orihime whimpered out a meek, "Eep..." which Ichigo chuckled, upon hearing it.
"Well, why is your little friend here today?" Urahara asked.
"She wanted to come down here. That's not a big deal." Urahara sighed, then shrugged.
"Whatever...Let's go Kurosaki-san. Let's get started..."
"And is that your final decision?" Kuchiki Byakuya said, in front of forty-six monoliths.
"Yes...Is there a problem, Captain Kuchiki?" one of the monoliths said, spitefully. Byakuya shook his head, sorrowfully.
"Not at all..." he said, sadly.
"Divinations" By Mastodon
