Disclaimer: I, in no way, own bleach or its characters. They're intellectual property of Tite Kubo.

Soundtrack for this chapter is "Break the spell" from the album "Break the spell" by "Daughtry". I think this songs captures the essence of this chapter entirely. Do listen to it.

Test: Narration.

Test: Author notes.

"Test": Normal talking.

"Test": Thoughts.


Chapter 9: Aurora

The moonlight attacked Ichigo's face as he opened eyes from his semi-peaceful slumber. He was at the roof, he looked at the Moon nostalgically and ikumi's face suddenly flashed into his mind. He closed his eyes and tried to remember all of her, but she was fading... Like how you would want to hold onto the water into your cupped palm, but it just keeps slipping away. He smiled as he remembered how she tested, how her lips tasted, soft and submissive against his own. How unlike her personality, he thought she would be more ferocious in these matter, but she was the exact opposite. How she so easily submitted to him made him rethink everything he knew about her. Was she also trying to hide from the pain? Was she also in pain? He opened his eyes and corner of his eyes glistened... He thought,

"Do you miss me as I miss you?... Do you think of me every waking moment of your life as I think of you?… Do you long for me as I long for you?..."

Ichigo bitterly laughed out loud and thought how she would never do such a thing, she was the epitome of toughness, or so he thought so. She did have a feminine side and he had the utmost pleasure to experience it up close. And why should she miss him? Did he even matter to her? When he asked her the question that his heart wanted answered the most, she stuttered. Had she replied confidently affirmative, he would've left everything, dropped everything and defied everyone to be with her. He thought somberly,

"You can hate me Ikumi-san... if you want to, maybe you already do. I do deserve it, but you need to understand that..."

He said the last part aloud,

"You're mine.. "

He melancholically laughed at his own presumption, his? She might kill him the next time she sees him... if she sees him. He wasn't sure if he should go back, he was quite settled here. Nice environment, good friends, okay food. What more a man could want? But something felt amiss, his heart demanded something that he knew was not quite possible, it demand for her and then he knew what he wanted, he wanted that demon of a woman beside him, he wanted to wake up everyday seeing that face and he wanted her face to be the last thing he remembered before the sweet slumber took hold of him. He wanted to encircle his arm around her waist and dive into that valley of her neck, where that maddening scent of lavender resided. He wanted to kiss her for no other reason than he wanted to kiss her. He wanted her kiss when he left for work and came back from it. And after everything when they would resign to their bedroom, he wanted to make sweet sweet love to her till she mewled beneath him and screamed his name and then some. He wanted to share things with her, and wanted to know things about her. He wanted to...

He sighed, here he was again, carried away in his internal monologue. He decided far ago that he wouldn't go back, he didn't belong there. Feeling helplessness from everybody around him, he was quite sick of it. He wanted to run away, he couldn't take it anymore. But he didn't have the courage to do it. He wanted something... Anything that would anchor him to reality and make him forget everything. He finally thought with her, he could forget the things he wanted to forget bit alas, she didn't want him anymore than anybody wants a stray dog.

He looked at the Moon again, it was quite beautiful. Today was full moon and it was quite a spectacle. He looked at the Moon and felt calmness invading him. He closed his eyes and started to think of her again, the more pleasant memories. On the train, her house... He really had shortage of good memories about her. He imagined she'll be quite furious that he's spending this almost winter night out in the open, or would she? Would she even care? Did she care? She did care, he could feel it from everything she did for him. Last day before his departure, he thought of going to her house and say goodbye but then he thought she wouldn't want to see him. Or rather if he was honest with himself, he wasn't sure if he wanted to see her, she made it quite clear of what she thought of him. When he pleaded her to give him one last memory of her, she indulged him and provided. He really got carried away, after the kiss and after seeing her response he thought he might have a shot at this but it was predestined.

He opened his eyes again and thought it really was getting late, he should head back to his apartment, but it was so beautiful... He didn't want to go...

"Cring...cring...cring"

Ichigo looked at his phone annoyingly and sighed but picked up,

"What do you want?" He asked, annoyed.

The voice at the other end sounded no less distressed by his tone and said in a normal voice,

"Talking, are we? You are such an asshole , you know that?" Replied the voice, smoothly.

"Is that it?, I don't have time for this..." Replied Ichigo, tiredly.

"You're lucky you're hot, if any other boy did something like this to me he would be licking the dirt by now." Replied the voice at the other end haughtily.

"Hardy har har..." Ichigo said, paying no attention.

"Where are you? When are you going to home?" Asked the voice at the other end.

"You don't need to know." Ichigo replied coldly.

Some silence at the other end and then the line ended.

Ichigo looked at his phone and then put that number into the blocked list and just as he was about to put the phone in his pocket, it rang again. He looked at the screen in astonishment and his lips curved into a half-smile and he picked up and other end responded,

"Hey kid! How are you?" The man on the other end asked lightly.

"Seen better days, what 'bout you old man?" Ichigo replied in kind.

"That accent is really showing... And you dad's an old man, you brat! Respect your elders!" The man mockingly said.

"Yeah, not sorry 'bout the accent thing and the old man remark, you're an old man, own up to it." Ichigo replied nonchalantly.

"Looks like I have to beat you up once more and this time I ain't holding back either!" The man replied.

"In your dreams baldie! I didn't lose then and I won't lose now!" Ichigo replied haughtily.

"Hah? Well who showed up and tried to take on a whole dojo alone and got his ass handed to him? Hah?! Cat got your tongue berry-boy?" The man asked smugly

Ichigo would've replied but he heard someone else talking and he tried to listen.

"Hey Hiro! Stop bullying him! I haven't talked to him since forever! Here...give...me...the...phone..." Sounded like the woman was wrestling for the phone.

"Ichigo?..." A new voice, a woman's.

"Yeah Aya... I'm here, how are you?" Ichigo returned to his normal demeanor.

"How am I? You don't call for months, I haven't seen you in like... Forever! And you ask how am I? you got a lot of nerve Berry!" Aya muttered dangerously.

"Oh come on! Don't tell me my sweet Aunt Aya is infected by that brutish Oghirou's nature?!" Ichigo wailed comically.

"It's not him, if you visited once in a while..." She slowly trailed down.

"You know why I can't Aya.. You know very well..." Ichigo suddenly serious.

Aya sighed solemnly and said, "Isn't your penance done yet? How many years will you live like this? Come home Berry... We all miss you very much..." Aya pleaded.

Ichigo gave a mirthless laugh to hide his collapsing voice and said, "Come on! Don't get all emotional on me! I want my sweet and loving Aunt Aya back!" Ichigo said mockingly but secretly hoping that she would take the hint and drop the subject.

Aya took the hint and said, "Hiro's sulking, here, talk to him..." She handed Oghirou the phone.

"Ichigo... I know you're not particularly fond of hearing this... But, please hear me out." Oghirou said seriously.

"Oghirou...I know what you're about to say... I beg of you... Please, leave it alone..." Ichigo said distantly.

Oghirou sighed and said, "You know if you confront it, it'd be a lot easier to get over it or at least you get to have some closure..."

"For the past year and half, I've never hid anything from you... You know what I've been through, you know how I've spent my days, you of all people would know what I've been through..." Ichigo said flatly.

"And that is the reason I'm telling you to confront it, its not healthy Ichigo... This... Unusual obsession that you have for her, its not healthy..." Oghirou said sagely.

"Tell me Oghirou, what you feel for Aya, is that not obsession?" Ichigo asked, challenging him to refute his logic. When he couldn't hear any answer from the other end, he started again.

"You're lucky Oghirou... The woman you love, loves you back the same or even more. The woman I love, even refuses to acknowledge it..." Ichigo trailed off, his voice starting to break and the emotions that he carefully hid under his icy persona for nearly half a year, was threatening to break.

Oghirou sighed sadly and said, "I know kid, I'm lucky, you don't have to remind me. But you know when you suffer, you don't suffer alone. The people close to you also get burn from the fire you're harboring. I'm not taking about me and Aya, we both worry about you... But you've got real family here, your dad, twin sisters... Don't you want to see them?" Oghirou asked.

"Godamnit! What do you think?! I don't want to see them?" Ichigo finally having enough of it, broke down.

"I want nothing more than waking up to see my beautiful sisters, hell! I even miss my crazy father! But... But..." Ichigo couldn't continue.

Oghirou patiently waited at the other line with a painful face. He waited and at one point he thought Ichigo ended the call, just as he was about to check, Ichigo spoke again.

"But I can't go back... Knowing that I can never be with her, as hard as it is here, I'm barely managing... Without seeing here, all I have is her memories. I don't think I can survive seeing her everyday and knowing that I can't have her." Ichigo said lying down, looking at Moon, his eyes glistering with unshed tears.

"If you want... I can talk to her, you know? She's in a different area but it wouldn't be too hard..." Oghirou offered.

"No! I don't want you to go, please don't go, okay? I think she would prefer it, if even my shadow doesn't cross her way..." Ichigo said alarmingly.

"That bad, huh?" Oghirou asked, trying to pry information from him.

"You know everything, baldie. Don't you even go near her, you hear?" Ichigo ordered.

"Yes sir!" Oghirou mockingly agreed.

"You better hear baldie or I'm gonna kick your ass again!" Ichigo haughtily said.

"We'll see Berry boy, we'll see." Oghirou said enigmatically.

"Oh! Wait, Aya wants to talk to you, here." Oghirou handed Aya the phone.

"Ichigo, listen, I know you don't want to come here, but we've got our marriage anniversary coming up in a few months and we want you here, no excuses!" Aya commanded.

"But..." Ichigo was about to start.

"No" Aya sternly refused.

"Listen..." Ichigo was about to start again.

"No" Aya shot him down again.

"Please..." Ichigo was about to beg.

"No, I'm not hearing anything, .COMING" One could hear the capitals in her voice.

"... Fine" after a long pause he gave in.

"Now you're taking like a good boy! Here Hiro wants to talk to you." Aya quipped and handed Oghirou the phone.

"You wife is dangerous, old man..." Ichigo said quietly.

"You're telling me? I'm a sixth level black belt and even I cower before her Sometimes." Oghirou muttered quietly.

Ichigo heard Aya taking, "why do I get the feeling that you're bad mouthing me?" She said in a sticky sweet voice that promised pain.

Oghirou replied quickly, "NO! Honey! We're just discussing Ichigo's traveling plan! I swear honey! I swear!" Sounding quite panicky.

"Looks like you've got your job cut out for you old man..." Ichigo said, laughing.

"She's chopping pork and looking at me, I... I Got to go Ichigo. Take care."

"Yeah you too, I'll call you next Friday to see if you're alive." Ichigo reassured.

"I might be minced meat by then, but thanks anyway" Oghirou muttered.

"Give Aya my best and take care of yourself old man." Ichigo said sincerely.

"Yeah, bye kid." Oghirou said.

Ichigo could hear Aya threatening him again, "You better be here for my anniversary! Or I'm gonna come down there and drag you out of there myself!"

Ichigo ended the line with a smile and dropped down again on the roof and looked at the Moon and muttered to himself,

"Karakura... Here I come..."


Ikumi woke up at crack of dawn, she stretched like a cat,

"Ummmhhmmmmm..."

She looked around herself and found the clock, it showed 6:00am. She flopped down on her bed with her arms at each side and stretched some more. She began to thought what had she planned for the day, it was weekday, so some deliveries, some office work and of course Karou's breakfast and lunch. She suddenly remembered that today Karou was starting middle school, and her eyes snapped open and she sat on the bed wide eyed. Her boy was starting middle school... She basked in that for some moments. She should make him something special, it was a special occasion after all. She decided to go with his favorite, she got up from her bed and made her way to the washroom.

Karou woke up feeling groggy but managed to open an eye and looked at the clock,

"Shit! It's already 8:30 ! I'm gonna be late!" He thought incredulously.

He instantly woke up, all grogginess disappearing like fog and he switched to scramble mode, he washed up and and put his old uniform and half buttoned jacket on, he bolted out of his room and was about to say goodbye to his mother but at the sight of her, he stopped.

She was beautiful, Karou knew his mother was beautiful but it was one thing knowing and seeing and witnessing with your own eyes. She was standing, wearing a yellow sundress and a pair of slippers. It was not an ideal outfit for winter. He found her looking at him with a smile that made her entire face lighten up, she looked at him and said,

"And where are you off to?" Ikumi asked lightly.

"Mom, its nearly 9, my school is about to start. I don't have time for breakfast, if I don't reach the school by first period..." He was unable to finish sentence.

"Did you forget what today is?" Ikumi quipped.

"Hah?..." Karou was flabbergasted.

"Silly! Today you start middle school, and your class starts at 10!" Ikumi said laughing.

"Ooh!" Karou was suddenly aware that he was wearing his old uniform.

"And that uniform won't do, you've got new dress. Now go and lose that, I've got something special for you!" Ikumi said excitedly.

Karou gave a experimental whif and found his nostrils invaded by, butter, egg and various other ingredients. He instantly knew what surprise she was talking about, his eyes became large as saucers and he slowly said,

"Cake?" Karou asked.

"Oh, bugger! You figured it out! Now go wash up or I'm gonna eat it all!" Ikumi gave an mocking ultimatum.

Karou immediately bolted but now towards his room and got rid of his old uniform and put on some casual wear and quickly returned to the kitchen, and found his mother sitting on the opposite chair of him and in front his chair, a large three layer black forest cake with chocolate soil and chocolate pudding. His mouth started salivating. He quickly flopped down on that chair that started devouring everything with zest.

Ikumi smiled at the scene, it seemed only yesterday she held her little boy in her arms and now he was going to middle school. Corner of eyes glistened but she quickly wiped it and put her smile back on, she shouldn't spoil his day. She kept looking at his face now stuffed with everything she made and looking at her curiously. She gave a laugh and told him to continue and right he went to that pile of cake, soil and pudding mix. She kept her head over her hands and looked at the scene.

Eventually the time came for his school and Ikumi rushed him out of the door, she didn't want him to be late in his first day, and he obeyed. After he was gone, Ikumi changed into work clothes, which consisted of a rugged Jeans, her hair tied into a ponytail and a normal bicolor t-shirt with a jacket over with a pair of boots. She completed her attire and went into the makeshift office and retrieved the diary and called the first number,

"Mr. Hashimoto, yes, are we on schedule?..." She asked for confirmation.

That went on for a while and then she put the phone down and gather the deliveries into the van one by one. And when everything was complete, she locked the door to her house and shifted the gear on her van and put a foot on the gas, and off she went.

She came back late, she feared Karou would ask question but she found him asleep and a note on the dining counter.

"Mom, I ate the leftover from this morning and left something for you"

Ikumi laughed at the note, she thought he would devour everything, but he left something for her. That warmed her heart. But she wasn't about to eat those, they were for him. So she put on her apron and put the pan on the stove and started cooking some stir fried vegetables and rice for her. When she finished cooking, she hanged the apron by the door and covered everything so that it'll be warm when she's back. She made her way to her bedroom and put her clothes on her bed and grabbed a clean towel and stepped into the washroom. She let the warm water wash away her daily worries and rinsed herself primly. When she stepped outside, she felt rejuvenated. She put on her night gown and made her way to the kitchen and sat on the chair in front of the kitchen counter and started eating lazily. She finished her meal and then washed the dishes and made her way to her bed.

She flopped down on the bed and turned the bedside lamp on and with blanket covered till her waist. She opened the top drawer in the bedside table and tried to retrieve the book she was reading, but she was unable as something was stuck. Making an annoying huff, she got up and tried to see what that was. Her eyes stuck to see what it was...

A platinum necklace with burn marks all over them. She carefully brought it out and started inspecting it. How many months has it been, since she laid her eyes on his gift? She looked closer and found everything to be the same, the way it came. She started to remember that day,

Flashback

Ikumi woke up groggily, she always wakes up in an alert manner so it took some time to determine where she was, she found herself in her living room and she was tightly clutching something. She looked at those and everything came back, the pain, the sadness, the grief. She looked at the note and the necklace with vehement anger.

She got up and made her way to her backyard with the note and necklace crumpled into her hands. She got there and started a small fire and when it was big enough, she threw the note and the necklace into it. She watched with morbid satisfaction, the note catching fire and then slowly vanishing into ash. But the necklace wouldn't go, it was burning but it wouldn't break. She was watching it for quite some time. And it won't dissolve.

Her eyes pooled as she remembered that orange haired man, he really was despicable, giving her note and necklace after ignoring her for a year. She looked at the necklace and saw his innocent laughing face and she realized, she didn't want to let him go, she couldn't let him go. She put her hand into that fire and rescued that still burning necklace and cupped it into her hands and gave a soundless scream. She bounced it in her hands in hope to cool it down. When it did she could see some burn marks but no actual damage to the necklace. She clutched it to her chest once again and realised that she wouldn't be able to let him go.

Flashback end

Ikumi looked at the necklace nostalgically and gave a mirthless laugh to herself. She decided that she won't cry over him anymore. It was nearly two years, she had enough. She focused on the sun-moon motif and mused to herself,

"Sun and Moon... Huh? Is that what we are?" Ikumi quietly mused.

She found it strangely symbiotic, the metaphor goes with their relationship quite nicely. She was the sun, the driving energy behind their so called relationship and he was the Moon, the reflector. She illuminated the path and he walked it and when it came to an end they could only see each other through a medium. How strangely fitting.

She was still quite restless, so she made her way out of her bed and stood by the bedroom window. She looked out of the window and found the full Moon, it was quite beautiful. She looked at the necklace and laughed softly.

"Even when you're not here, you still annoy me, well... That was the specialty of yours" she laughed softly.

"Do you remember me? Am I still on your mind, or is it just a fragment now?" She asked the necklace.

"You sent me a gift, was it to annoy me or remind me of you?" She quietly asked.

"Even after everything you felt from me, you still ran. Am I lacking something? Or are we that much hopeless?" She looked at the Moon.

"You never understood me... You only wanted what you wanted, you only saw what you asked to see, you only felt what you wanted to feel. We could've talked about this Ichigo... We could've..." Her voice was starting to break.

She recomposed herself and wiped the stray tear out of her face and strung the necklace into her hand hand brought it up to her face, she gave the motif a small kiss and looked at the Moon.

"If only I could see you once more, if only I could hear your voice once more, if only you could hold me on your arms once more..." She trailed off.

"In another life, in another world, maybe we get together, maybe we have a happily ever after. Because it seems like in this life, you're only slipping away from me... I forgot the sound of your voice Ichigo, I forgot how your laugh sounded like... I don't want to... Really, I don't want to forget you..." She closed her eyes and hunched her head and shielded herself from the moonlight.

She looked at the Moon and after a long time, she pleaded is a hoarse whisper,

"Come back to me..."

If only she had known, at the same time, distanced by thousand miles, from afar an ocean, an orange haired man with a crooked half-smile on his face was looking at the same Moon with the same wish in his mind.

||"karakura, here I come..." ||

If only she had known that her wish was about to come true..

A/N: That's it for today lads and lasses, the way this story is progressing I'm tempted to mark this as "slice of life", the way I focus into their lives more than them annoys me to no end, but it has to be done. I want to get to the good and juicy stuff already! But alas, I think I won't do justice to their story if I just declare, "They're in love!" They've got to go through the tunnel to reach the light, ain't no way around it!

Meet my other OC, Aya Tanakawa! Wife to Tanakawa Oghirou.

To Harbinger Of Kaos: I've tried to trim down the size of each paragraphs. I hope this is enough.

Next chapter might come out a little late, real life calls…

Nothing more to say, enjoy!