Soraya the All Speaker - Ahahaha... thanks, Soraya-san! :D Don't worry - the Tatsuki thing is explained over time. But.. for now.. it's all mystery, mystery, and more mystery! XD

Hisanachan - Thanks! :D I'm glad you liked the Tatsuki part - I enjoyed writing it too! XD The whole Ichigo-Rukia relationship will smoothen out - just gimme a bit of time! :D

BrazeRancor - Tatsuki's only going to get worse from here, though, Rancor-san! D: Well.. if it's any consolation, it'll get better for Tatsuki later on! I promise! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. D: Waaaaaaah!!!!!

xTeam Ichigox

"… I hate this place…" The statement was declared with hostility. "Isn't there a better path to the meeting location?"

The orange-haired captain rolled his eyes. "You really shouldn't say that, Ishida… You might hurt its feelings…" he muttered sarcastically.

"Tch." Rukia scoffed. "Even if we were to "hurt its feelings"... Ishida's right. Isn't there a better path?"

"To put it bluntly, there is one path…" Ichigo called. "There, you don't have to cross the piranha river... Heck, I think that that path even has a water fountain!" he exclaimed. "But... too bad. We're gonna go through this path."

Two consecutive groans were heard in response to the Kurosaki's statement. He laughed lowly at their predicament.

"… And why exactly do you insist on needlessly torturing us?" Rukia called, irritated. She skipped a step lightly across a fallen tree, her nose wrinkling at the odor spewing from the rotting wood.

"Well... Just consider this as additional endurance training," Ichigo murmured, shrugging. "I mean... What kind of a teacher would I be if I didn't keep you guys alert all the time?"

"You'd actually be a responsible teacher if you did that," Ishida replied logically. "Because you'd recognize that even students need breaks."

"Which is why I insist on pointlessly torturing you two," Ichigo concluded. The two apprentices sighed, noticing the heavy flow of pure joy radiating from the captain.

"...Did I ever tell you that your hatred of me is mutual to mine of you?" Ishida inquired.

"Yes... if you count the last few hundred times you've bothered to say 'I hate you' to me today..." Ichigo called. A smirk spread across his features. "Ain't that right, Ishida?"

"Forget it," Ishida muttered, darkly. "You really are a persistent Shinigami…"

"I'm glad to hear it! Now... if only I can find that memory modifier…so that's all done and forgotten truly –"

"Ne, Kurosaki-kun…?" Rukia interrupted, hesitantly. "I was pondering about this for a while... but doesn't 'apprenticeship' qualify the apprentice to master the sensei's skills?"

Ichigo sighed, turning back to the Kuchiki briefly. "Yeah, I reckon so. What for, Kuchiki?"

"So... Doesn't that mean that we're supposed to use techniques and fighting methods similar to the master's?"

"I guess... I'm not so sure about Quincy-san here…" Kurosaki murmured, glancing at the glaring Quincy. "I'd rather jump off a cliff than show him my amazing skills…" he called, smirking.

"The feeling's mutual, Shinigami." Ishida snapped back. He crossed his arms, scoffing.

"...Going back to my question... So doesn't that indicate we should see how you fight and bend reiatsu and everything, too?" Rukia asked.

"...Well... Actually, I did. It was when I was telling you guys to shoot Kido into trees, I showed you both –"

"On one occasion," Ishida interjected.

"But, I actually did show you both on that one occas –"

"Only because I asked you to," Rukia reminded.

"...Do you both plan to interrupt me between every single word I say?"

Silence…

The captain scowled. "Ah, whatever. So... let me rephrase your request. You both want me to show off more?"

"'Showing off' would be a bit exaggerated... I'd prefer the term 'give us an example' a better –"

"...But you both want me to show off my skills so you can copy them, righ –"

"… Ishida-san's right. We're not asking you to show off," the Kuchiki called. "You don't have to 'show off' a lot of your skills or anything; all we want is a little demonstra –"

"... Both of you are failures at apprenticeship. Anything I show you – anything at all, really – would be construed as 'showing off' by you both –"

"Oi! We're not failures!" the Kuchiki called, her face shaded with a light red of irritation. "You're just a ridiculous excuse for a teacher, Kurosaki-san!"

"Hey, I –"

"I mean... you've hardly taught us whatever you were going to teach us! All you did was say "I'm gonna teach you two reiatsu-bending!" and told us to try it without even showing us what –"

"That's not true!" Ichigo retorted. "I thoroughly explained the concept of reiatsu-bending to you, so you wouldn't need examples –"

"Liar! You hardly explained a thing!" shouted the Kuchiki, her tone sharp and cold.

"K-Kuchiki-san… Please calm down…" Ishida called weakly.

Rukia took a deep breath, slowly exhaling.

"But, Kuchiki-san's right, Kurosaki," he agreed. "We probably could have learned faster if you demonstrated reiatsu-bending to us."

"...Will everyone just please take a deep breath and please stop interrupting?" Ichigo inquired. "...Just take a deep breath... hold that breath for about 30 minutes... and exhale."

"We'd perish from suffocation before we reach 10 minutes," Rukia replied, dryly. "But... still... Kurosaki-san... All that we're asking are more demonstrations from now on."

"Oh... Fine. I'll take better care of your lessons from now on," Ichigo murmured. "Does that satisfy you both?"

"Very much, actually," Rukia replied, smiling brightly up at the Kurosaki, serving to further aggravate him.

"It does, really," Ishida replied. "Immensely."

Ichigo let out a fastidious grunt. "'Tch."

~*~*~

xTeam Tatsukix

"Are you alright, Tatsuki-san…?" A concerned voice called from the stone pathway to the forestry.

"I'm fine…" Tatsuki reassured, waving her hand absently. "Is something wrong, Inoue-san?"

"Not really," Orihime replied. Her shoulders lifted in a casual shrug. "You seem a bit... pale…" Her expression seemed worried.

"I'm fine, really… I guess that the technique just brought up some memories I forgot that existed." A short, weak laughter accompanied the awkward statement. "I'm pretty old, see…"

"You don't look old," Inoue remarked, only partly out of amusement, and more of sympathy than anything else.

"I'm about as old as Ichigo. That's pretty old, isn't it?" Tatsuki smiled.

"Hm… But you two still don't look old…" Inoue insisted. "Anyways, what was the memory that you recalled?"

"The memory that you conjured up for me was this one time in Rukongai...." A hesitant pause filled the atmosphere. "… See, this one time, there was…"Her voice faded away, transparent as the wind as her words failed her.

"If the memories are bothering you..." Inoue's voice interrupted Tatsuki's train of thoughts. "I don't have to learn the technique, because that technique needs to be performed on a subject," she explained. "I don't think I want to learn the technique, either…"

"No," Tatsuki called. "The technique's very useful in war and fighting. It consumes very little reiatsu, but has astounding effects," Tatsuki paused. "I... knew what I signed up for when I introduced the technique to you. I'm just going through the motions," Tatsuki managed a small smile as she glanced back at Inoue.

"I see…" Her voice was thoughtful – before she decided to move onto a lighter subject. "Ano… Tatsuki-san? What did you mean that you and Kurosaki-kun were old?"

"Oh… That?" Tatsuki laughed. "You wouldn't imagine how old we really were."

"But you look like teenagers... I'm assuming that age doesn't matter among Shinigami…? A sudden, deeper voice intruded in the awkward conversation.

Tatsuki blinked before replying to Sado's question. "Ah… You're right, actually, Sado-san. How did you know?"

"The way you speak and act," Sado stated, before simplifying. "It reminds me of the people I met back in Okinawa."

"Hard times, huh…?"

"Yes," Sado silently sighed. "So then... How old are you and Ichigo?"

"I'm one hundred and seven years old," A small smile framed her features. "Ichigo's one hundred thirteen, though."

The small sound of disbelief graced her ears before the inevitable questions.

"One hundred and seven?" Orihime gaped at the unexpected answer.

"One hundred and thirteen?" Sado also gaped at their teenage appearance and their age.

"That would explain things quite easily," Sado stated. "By the way you act the knowledge that you possess…" he paused. "Most teenagers wouldn't know what you know – it's logical."

"Wow, is it that obvious?" Tatsuki called – a small chuckle escaping her lips.

Sado shrugged in a noncommittal response. He had never seen Tatsuki or Ichigo before the apprenticeship… had he?

"It must've been a long time, then," Inoue's voice was wistful.

"Huh…? What do you mean?" Tatsuki asked, puzzled.

"Well… I remember Kurosaki-kun and you from my former life. It's possible that my reincarnation occurred with the memories of the past. I always thought that I came back quickly, but... it looks like I haven't been reincarnated in those 100 years…" A soft melancholic emotion overwhelmed Inoue. "It's kinda sad…"

"Inoue…" Tatsuki called. Inoue gave her a small smile, reassuring her that it's okay.

"Well, reincarnation is a long process," Sado called. "Sometimes, it's because something interfered with your reincarnation… Like how you gained the memories from your former life. It's only reasonable to assume that your reincarnation may have had taken so long, Inoue-san."

Purple-tinted gray eyes brightened at his words. "Ah… That could be true! I never thought of it that way!"

Sado nodded in acknowledgement before immersing himself in his own thoughts.

He'd never say it out loud to the world, but whenever Kurosaki was mentioned – a single phrase echoed throughout his own thoughts. Four simple words were spoken from a wavering voice, 'Is it… a promise…?'

But it was coincidence – a long-forgotten memory that has yet to reveal itself… It was probably from his bullying days, when a watery-eyed teen had thought that he could compromise a deal with the now gentle giant.

Wasn't it…?

"We're almost to the clearing, guys!" Tatsuki voice interrupted his train of thoughts.

"Alright!" Inoue called back, just as spirited and carefree as usual.

Sado simply confined himself to a small nod before walking on.

~*~*~

"There's… no… way…" a voice murmured in the dark. "How could…?" A stunned whisper echoed in the dark clearing. "How could this have happened…?"

"Ano… Kurosaki-kun?" Rukia nudged the Kurosaki. "What's wrong? I can't see that much in this darkness…"

"How could you not see...? Ishida-san... You have glasses," the Captain called. "Can you describe to Kuchiki-san what just happened?"

"Kurosaki-san, my glasses doesn't have night-vision installed into them…" Ishida called, sarcastically – slightly nudging his glass up his nose. "I don't even know what's happening either," Ishida replied curtly.

"How could you not see this?" Ichigo gawked at the two humans. "Let me simplify it for you two nitwits. What is not here right now?"

"What isn't there…?" Rukia paused. "Well…There's no hotel… No car… No food… Heck, even Tatsuki-san's team isn't here yet."

"Yes! That's my point!" Kurosaki exclaimed. "Tatsuki's team isn't here yet! We actually beat her on punctuality twice in a row!" he exhaled for a moment. "This is amazing, guys! You idiots might actually have a chance at becoming decent apprentices at this rate!"

"You... stirred me up like that for this?" Rukia growled.

"I don't think that you grasped this entirely yet. We beat Tatsuki on punctuality…" he stressed the word 'punctuality'. "Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Frankly…" Rukia paused. "No. Not at all."

"Was this revelation supposed to be spectacular and stunning for all of us?" Ishida inquired.

"Well, it was to me…" the Captain muttered.

"Okay, then…?" Rukia tried to muster up some enthusiasm. "Um.... Wow?" Apparently, she failed. Majorly. With a capital F.

Dead silence ensued before –

"… You two are the oddest people I've ever met."

"You're the weirdest person that I've ever met!" the Kuchiki exclaimed. "So… HA!"

"Bloody idiots, the two of you are," Ichigo grumbled. "… Come on. We have to wait for Tatsuki."

"Might as well make ourselves comfortable... Right?" Rukia inquired as she seated herself on a rock cropping.

"Do whatever you want…" Ichigo glanced up at the starry sky. "I don't really care…"

"Why not?" Ishida asked.

Ichigo blinked up at the night sky, immersed in memories of a happier time... How many years have passed since he watched the skies with his childhood friend...? How long would he have to wait to go star-watching again?

That lonely day, so many years ago.... He'd never noticed, but something had disappeared that day… faded and disappeared into oblivion.

Hazel eyes turned to the more distinct stars, ignoring the rest of the world... Choosing only to answer that one question.

"I'm waiting for Tatsuki."

~*~*~

You can't go back to the past, but there will be better memories in the future.

The first few words were a bit difficult to write... And then the rest of the chapter was just a gimme. XD

And, again. Thanks to Aiko HanaKai - my current beta. :D I want a big round of applause for her, everyone! XD

And tell me what you think, please? :D Preferably in... review-format? ...XD