Through It All
Hueco Mundo
It was bright and sunny outside. The school bell rang and all the students got up and were all in a hurry to go home or hang out with their friends.
"Hey I can't walk you home today, I have to stay for the karate club. Is that okay with you?"
"Yeah, don't worry about it Tatsuki-chan, I'll be fine on my own."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Don't worry about it."
"Okay I'll see you later."
"Bye Tasuki-chan!"
Tatsuki left the classroom with a smile. Inoue gathered her things and stood up when someone stopped right in front of her.
"Ishida-kun?" she asked.
"Ano …Inoue-san, are you free right now?" he asked.
"Sure why? What's up?"
"Um I was thinking, let's go for a walk."
"Oh…okay." Inoue smiled at Ishida, Ishida grabbed her book bag as she began to protest but walked ahead any ways.
'Strange, Ishida-kun is acting weird.' Inoue thought
They walked to the park and hung around the swings. After that Inoue gasped, "Ice cream!" she turned her head to Ishida , "Ishida-kun …" Ishida knew she wanted some so he smiled and walked with her to the man selling the ice cream.
Inoue was going to pay but then she saw Ishida already receiving the change from the man.
"Mou …Ishida-kun you didn't have to pay," she pouted. Ishida just smiled and said it was alright. They then walked back to the swings and sat on them eating their ice cream.
Ishida broke the silence between them, "Thank you for coming with me."
"No, thank you!" Inoue said.
They smiled at each other and continued to talk. Soon Inoue was babbling about all kinds of random things like how it would be cool to drive in a race car and press a button on it that will let her fly and time travel to see her future self as a robot 3000 years later.
Ishida smiled and just laughed at the things she came up with. Surprisingly he was rather talkative also. He talked mostly about life and a little bit about his past. He told her about his father and grandfather. He glanced up to see if Inoue was listening and found himself staring at Inoue who was now near tears.
"What's wrong Inoue-san?" Suddenly she threw her arms around him.
"Oh Ishida-kun, that's so sad. I'm so sorry."
"Uh…its alright, that happened a long time ago."
"But still! I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" she asked
"Um …nothing really… I'm just glad that you listened to me and went for a walk with me."
"Are you sure?" she asked again.
"I'm sure."
"Ne, Ishida-kun, you should smile more you look good like that. I had a great time with you and maybe we can just go for a walk again ne?"
"H... hai... we should." She smiled at Ishida making him blush.
Later that day Inoue and Ishida silently walked to her house.
'Something is weird. Ishida-kun is …he smiled and laughed today. He was talking a lot too. Maybe I'm thinking too much. Still, it was really nice to see him how should I say this, happy? Yes happy. It was nice to see him happy.'
Inoue stopped what she was thinking when she saw that Ishida stopped walking. She realized that they were standing in front of her apartment.
"Arigatou, Inoue for accompanying me today." Ishida stared at Inoue, he knew she was going to ask him what was wrong, but he quickly pulled her into a hug. Inoue didn't ask him what was wrong for she was too shocked about Ishida hugging her now.
When Inoue finally realized what was going on she saw that Ishida was already 20 feet away from her. Too shocked to even move she continued to watch him walk away. She couldn't speak or even move. Her heart sped up at the thought about what just happen.
'Ishida-kun, what's wrong?'
Inoue shot up from her bed.
"It was a dream." Inoue stepped out the bed and saw that she was in a different room.
How long have I been her now?
She hoped to wake up in her own room, back in Karakura getting ready to go to school to see Ichigo and the others. But she knew that wasn't going to happen. She looked around her 'new' room.
The door opened and Ulquiorra walked in. He stopped and stared at her. He wasn't expecting her to be awake. Suddenly he felt worried about her. The look on her face made him somewhat afraid.
She looked distressed and was close to crying.
"Ulquiorra… ," Inoue walked up to him. She didn't want to worry him so she smiled brightly.
Ulquiorra knew better. He knew she didn't want him to be upset about her so she put on a fake smile. Ulquiorra walked up to Inoue and held her to him.
Inoue just melted into his arms. As the months went by and still no sign of Ichigo and the others, the only person she could really depend on now was Ulquiorra. It saddened her. She knew the Winter War was drawing near and that eventually Ulquiorra and her will have to choose sides. He would be with Aizen while she would be with Ichigo.
Why? She thought. She finally gained a new friend in the last five months and now in less then three weeks they would be enemies once again.
They just stood there hugging each other. Finally, Ulquiorra asked her if she was alright. Inoue just nodded but he knew better so he tried one more time. This time, Inoue finally told him what was on her mind.
"…like I said, I'm not going to change my mind…Ulquiorra, I wish it wasn't like this. Why couldn't I have met you in a different situation?"
"…I don't know… but until then, can we just stay like this?" Inoue saw the sadness that he tried to hide from everyone. She nodded and remained still in his arms.
Deep in her heart she wished for them to come for her but it killed her to know that Ulquiorra will no longer be friends with her. Then her heart skipped a beat when she thought about the hug that Ishida gave her.
Ulquiorra stared down at Inoue and saw the many expressions that were playing on her face. He wanted to know what she was thinking. However, he didn't ask her. He just ran his right hand through her hair and played with it. It didn't bother Inoue at all. In fact she enjoyed it. Soon she grew tire and went back to sleep. Ulquiorra carried her and put her in her bed and was about to leave when her hand grasped his.
"Please stay a little bit longer?"
Ulquiorra just nodded and took a chair and sat next to her, holding her hand.
Karin's Room
It wasn't long when Rukia caught hold of Ichigo once again. Ichigo snapped out of his dazed look and looked at Karin.
"How long?" he asked her.
"Right after you left." She replied.
"Karin, you do know the consequences –
"I know! … I know. I just wanted, Ichi-nii you aren't mad at me are you?" she asked.
"I … I'm half and half."
Hitsugaya stood up and closed the door to Karin's room and spoke. "If you are wondering, we all knew. Karin decided to make the decision on her own."
"Let's get this straight, I want to know everything." Ichigo looked at every single person in the room.
Karin and Hitsugaya explained about everything. They talked about when he just left her hanging, when they both met each other, to training with Urahara, and going to Soul Society.
Ichigo gaped at them.
"All of this happened in five months?"
They all just nodded. Soon the door opened and in came Isshin with a happy smile on his face. "Kids! Dinner is set lets all –
Before anyone could do anything Ichigo pinned his otou-san up a wall. Karin ran up to Ichigo and tried to pull him off but then stopped when she saw Isshin frown and become serious.
"How long were you planning to hide this?!" Ichigo screamed at his otou-san.
Isshin looked away. "Ichigo release him! You won't solve anything like this if you keep lashing out on everyone!" Rukia yelled.
Ichigo let go of Isshin and stood before him glaring at Isshin and clenching his fist. Karin looked at Isshin and he saw that she was angry with him also.
Yuzu walked in the room with a smile, which vanished when she saw everyone in her room, and Ichigo and Karin were pissed.
In a soft voice, she said that dinner was ready and quickly walked downstairs. Deciding that now wasn't the time to argue they all filed downstairs and ate dinner silently.
Yuzu couldn't help but feel the tension between everyone. She tried to strike up a conversation but everyone would end up being quiet again. So she gave up. Once dinner was done, she took care of everything while the rest of them went to Ichigo's room.
Yuzu didn't know what was wrong but whatever it was she knew that she wasn't really allowed to know so she took her time with the dishes and decided to wait until they all left Ichigo's room.
Back in Ichigo's room Isshin stood staring at his two kids. Karin couldn't stand the silence and wait, she wanted to know what the hell was going on right now. So she asked, "Otou-san, who are you really?"
Ichigo looked at Karin knowing that she too wanted to know desperately what is going on right now.
Isshin looked at Hitsugaya and Rukia, they didn't say anything while Ishida and Chad just looked away and waited for him to say something.
"I'm your otou-san –
"Otou-san! I'm not joking with you! Who are you really?! Are you … are you really a …shinigami?" Karin asked.
Isshin thought about what Urahara said to him he last time they talked. He knew that it would one day come to this.
It looks like I can't hide it anymore.
"Karin-chan, Ichigo. There is a lot that you don't know about me. Yes, I am a shinigami. In fact, I was at captain level too. The reason I never told you, I didn't want you to follow my path and become a shinigami. However, now I know that I can't stop that. Yes, I knew all along what you both have been doing. Ichigo, I know that you finally have control of your hollow. Karin I know that you've never left Karakura Town to go with a club. I knew the whole time that you both were training for the Winter War just as I knew that you Ishida are a Quincy and you are having issues with Ryuken and Chad you have been with Urahara training. I also know that Rukia-chan and Shiro-chan are also shinigamis."
Everyone stared at him in shock and speechless. After about an hour of explaining everything, everyone now knew everything. There were no more secrets. There was also no more tension in the air. Ichigo and Karin are still slightly angry with Isshin but other than that, everything went well. Ishida was surprised to know that his father and Ichigo's father are rivals, where as Ichigo and him were friends.
For the rest of the week they all decided to act as if nothing happened so that Yuzu wouldn't worry about anything.
It was the last day for Karin to stay with her family.
"You're leaving again Karin-chan?" Yuzu asked..
"Hai, gomen Yuzu but don't worry next time I come back I'll have something for you. Well ready Toshiro, Ichi-nii?
Both of the boys nodded and said their final goodbyes to Yuzu and Isshin.
Rukia had already left a few days earlier since Soul Society was looking for her. Matsumoto was already at Urahara's house with Chad and Ishida.
The two Kurosakis and Hitsugaya said one last goodbye but Isshin glomped the three of them. He also managed to tell Hitsugaya to come back with a wedding ring before Karin whammed his face to the sidewalk. The three of them now walked to Urahara's Shop to meet up with everyone and prepare to meet with Rukia in Soul Society. They knew that they won't be seeing Karakura for a while.
Somewhere away from Karakura, a man with brown hair sitting on a throne stared at his minions and said, "It's almost time."
Then he laughed maniacally which echoed throughout Hueco Mundo, sending chills down Inoue's back as she stood there her hands chained while Ulquiorra tried to remain passive until the meeting was over and he was back in Inoue's room with her.
From this day on, everyone prepared to count down the days stressing on the Winter War as their time limit was thinning.