I messed up some stuff from the previous chapter and I hope you guys will overlook it. I'm sorry.
First of all, the '*' on the word 'boob' was supposed to mean = I got this from Drake and Josh. Megan always says that to her brothers and so I figured it would be cool to put that in. Also, there was supposed to be a line separating Renji and Ichigo's scene and when Ichigo called out "Rukia." So that's it.
I'm sorry. Thanks for reading.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Duh...
I cursed Soul Society and all those who inhabit it. How dare they....
To barely acknowledge our existence is something but to have stolen from us....
We will get what is ours back. Time has come to fully show those idiotic Shinigamis that they weren't the only ones capable of reaping out someone else's soul. We too have that privilege and in a more satisfying way to do it too.
To start a war is easy but to end it is difficult. They should have thought of that before they stole it from us.
But the question still remains. Where was it? Perhaps starting a war is much unnecessary but if they are unwilling to co-operate, then the alternatives left are narrowed down to pretty limited. Our kind isn't the ones who enjoy bloodshed. But if they are too stubborn....
I stopped myself and opened my eyes. With my smooth and silky voice, I called for Jasmine.
Her slender figure stepped out and asked for my request. I didn't need to tell her and so she simply nodded and closed her eyes.
By using one of her many talents, she had found what I've been trying to search all this while.
It is... uncertain, she said, biting her lips. Even though she was by far the strongest telepath I know, her powers were pretty weak compared to what the elders could do. But even so, by asking the help of the Elders it would mean total annihilation for us. This was supposed to be kept a secret. Friends among friends and friends among enemies unite in order to bring back what was stolen.
We must have it back.
We must.
I nodded and without time to spare, crossed the portal that had been opened by Jasmine, telling her I would be in touch.
We tend to keep a spiritual link, similar to the shinigamis but much more advanced. Telepathy is in our blood.
And by using telepathy.... and all the other abilities we possess, we will take back what is rightfully ours.
"Will you be okay?" Rukia asked.
Ichigo snorted. He scrutinized her features and could have thrown fitful insults if not for the fact that guilt was weighing him down a ton into the ground.
Her hair was tied up messily and she was wearing loose fitting robes. Her whole torso was still heavily bandaged and her face was still bruised. She sighed. "Okay, bad question. But still," she muttered, twisting her delicate fingers. He couldn't help rolling his eyes. As if it was her fault that he would have to go to this stupid trial.
News travelled fast. By the time Renji managed to catch up with his captain to vouch for Ichigo upon Rukia's request, Byakuya had already received the information regarding the fact that Kurosaki Ichigo was, in fact, with his sister right at the moment. And he was far from complacent. Hell, he was furious. Renji gulped and was told he'd receive his punishment later on to which he nodded hastily and fled, thinking to himself that he would just have to tell Rukia the truth. That sent more shivers down his spine.
Byakuya was informed to bring Ichigo to Yamamoto almost immediately which he was more than agreeable to comply. He had stormed in the fourth division critical unit with blazing midnight eyes, pursed thin lips and Senbonzakura in his hands uttering only two words.
Kurosaki Ichigo.
"Don't worry about me, okay midget? The main thing is, I'm here now, and we're all here. Hell, I even spoke to Urahara just now. Finally we'll be able to solve everything that's been going on lately." Ichigo said, scratching the back of his head.
Rukia looked up at him. "How're the headaches?" she asked. "Have they gone away yet?"
He shook his head. "Worse. I paid a visit to the old man and he... and my Hollow said that there was something inside me. Something... primal. According to them, the day I..." Ichigo faltered, not being able to continue. Rukia tugged at his sleeve almost forcefully and he met her eyes. Without a word, he nodded. "Well, that... day, the thing had given off a burst of reiatsu, almost enough to kill me from the inside out. It was excited somehow by the fact that I was fighting that Anon so zealously."
A minute passed and Ichigo looked at the midget walking beside him. "Hmm." Was all she said before she slowed down her pace. "I'm... sorry." She whispered.
Well, that was certainly something. He never expected her to say THAT. "What for?" he asked, his eyebrows rising up in shock.
"I promised you we'll get through this together, didn't I? I didn't keep that promise and I'm sorry." She muttered. Ichigo felt something inside him melt; literally. He smiled at her. Sometimes she could be such a naive child.
"You're such a dimwit, you know? You didn't break any promise." I did. I promised you guys a long time ago I'd never hurt any of you but I did... again. Ichigo thought silently. "Look," he rounded on her, gripping her shoulders. "When the trial's over, we'll really make a plan. I told Urahara pretty much most of my story and he promised me he'd find something out to help. He'll be in my trial later. Yoruichi said she'd be dropping by to check up on you. Just take care."
Rukia smirked. She gave a short laugh and gripped his arms, squeezing them briefly. "I suppose so. I owe you that much." Ichigo just rolled his eyes and let her go. "I'll see you later, Ichigo. Good luck."
"I accept full responsibility for my attack against Kuchiki Rukia." Ichigo said, bowing his head. Six captains namely Soi Fon, Kyoraku, Ukitake, Byakuya and the head captain stood before Ichigo who was waiting to be judged. They looked at him each with grim faces apart from Shunsui and Ukitake who, for some apparent reason, looked absolutely complacent. Urahara stood in the shadows just behind them, smirking.
A little over fifteen minutes have passed and finally Shunsui spoke up. "Let the boy go, Yama-Jii, he meant no harm. Kuchiki's recovering now, ain't she, Byakuya?"
Kuchiki Byakuya looked murderous. He was about to retort when Ichigo spoke up. "Look, I'm ready to take any form of punishment you guys are going to give me. But think about the people in Seireitei. Think about them if Anon decides to show up again."
The look on their faces was immediately set to grim. They pondered the fact for a long while.
"Kurosaki-san has a point." Urahara spoke up, breaking their concentration. "You know that too, Sou-Taichou."
Yamamoto finally voiced out their decisions. "Kurosaki Ichigo, your actions were unwise and reckless. Though you have committed a terrible offense by injuring a Noble, your punishments will be postponed for the moment." He said. "At least until everything is solved."
Ichigo let out a breath of relief.
Thank God.
"If I may, I'd like to return to the Bureau for a little while, just to lend a helping hand." Urahara spoke up. Both Shunsui and Ukitake beamed.
"Kurotsuchi taichou would be happy to see you." Shunsui chuckled. Yamamoto Sou-Taichou dismissed them. Ichigo lunged for the double door to meet up with Rukia but was stopped by Urahara.
"Be careful, Kurosaki-san. What you told me isn't something to be taken lightly of." He said, gripping Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo merely nodded. "We'll figure out something. There's no need to tell Ukitake anymore since I'll be the one telling him."
Ichigo let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. A part of him was thankful that Urahara wasn't questioning his request but merely going along with it. At least he was feeling a bit better knowing that Urahara was doing something about it.
And he was glad of that.
I set my eyes upon Soul Society and finally at Seireitei. Despite my feeling of loathe for it, I couldn't help marvel at its complexity, at its beauty. Its pure white surroundings, the white buildings erected perfectly without a hint of a smudge or a stain on it. It was pure.
But people like me knew better than to be fooled by its charm. Inside laid so many dark secrets. It lay so many ugly pasts that one could only ever guess.
I stood atop the spiritualized dome and smiled. The SekkiSeki was still functioning perfectly. According to my ancestors, the walls had been built since the early days and hadn't been changed ever since. I snorted. Apparently they could keep out any form of being with reiatsu; even Quincys. But I was neither.
I slipped inside the barrier like it was nothing and peered down. Everyone looked so calm, so happy. I descended towards the only source of power so strong that I felt I was sucked into its swirling mass of strength.
I thanked Jasmine for her powers that she lent me. I found it.
The possessor.
And my, what orange hair he has.
Ichigo and Rukia made their way to Renji's office where Inoue, Ishida and Sado were waiting.
They knocked on the door and Inoue answered it. "Kuchiki-san!" she gasped and engulfed Rukia in a bone-crushing hug. Rukia choked on her own spit when she tried to yell due to the pain Inoue was inflicting. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she said and set the petite girl down. Rukia gasped for air and clutched her abdomen. Ichigo could have laughed but she sent him a freezing glare. So he merely snorted and gave her his arm to lean on.
"Thanks." She mumbled. "Where's Renji?" she asked, looking around. Rukia heard a muffled growl from behind three gigantic piles of paper. "Renji?" she called and he answered her with a 'shut up' to which she shrugged and took the seat beside Chad with Ichigo resting on the arm of the chair.
"Was this the punishment Nii-Sama was talking about?" she asked, smirking. Renji gave another growl. "I'm sorry." She said, chuckling.
"So how did everything go?" Ishida spoke up. Ichigo shrugged.
"They said they'd postpone my punishment. At least until Urahara finds out what's going on with me and we stop that Anon guy." He said. "If I hadn't brought up the whole Anon issue then they'd probably have decided to chop my head there and then." Ichigo sighed, thanking the fact that that Anon dude had interfered. But still, it was because of him that Ichigo had hurt Rukia. Man, wasn't this bittersweet?
"Don't you think they're hiding something from us?" Renji asked, appearing behind from his immense paperwork. "I mean if it were just an ordinary Gillian, they'd have chopped off Ichigo's head sooner." He said, smirking slightly, seeing the glare Ichigo sent him. "What? It's true."
"Well we haven't met this 'Anon' person so we wouldn't know. He fled just before you fainted, Kurosaki. Urahara arrived just in time when he saw..." Ishida stopped and cleared his throat. "Urahara arrived just in time with us. By the time we reached there he was gone and you had passed out."
Ichigo noticed that everything seemed to be revolving around the two incidents. Everything that had happened was linked to that incident and as much as he knew Rukia wanted to avoid talking about that, he felt that it was, in fact, unavoidable. They managed to steer their feelings out from that danger field but now Ichigo felt that it was hopeless to avoid it. He looked at the shinigami beside him who was talking rather seriously with the person sitting opposite them.
He found himself staring at her, immersed in the contours of her face to her eyes. He wasn't admiring it, he wasn't gushing over it because he never gushed before but that wasn't the point. He was just mesmerised by it. For some strange reason he wanted to hold it. No, not in a romantic way... well, at least he didn't think so. He just wanted to feel her face in his hands.
"Ichigo, were you listening?" Rukia asked, snapping him to reality. He blinked.
"Huh?" he asked dumbly, staring at them. Rukia sighed. "Sorry." He muttered, rubbing his nape.
"As I was saying, we – "
Rukia never got to finish her sentence when a loud but familiar boom echoed their eardrums. All six of them winced in pain.
"Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue screamed and both Ichigo and Renji dived for the door. The others hastily caught up with them but Ichigo's and Renji's arms snaked under Rukia's waist and flipped her back to the couch. She gasped in shock and anger.
"You didn't actually think I'd let you fight, did you?" Ichigo asked, his expression annoyed. Renji nodded.
"That makes the two of us." He agreed and crossed his arms. Rukia tried to protest but was cut short by Ichigo's glare. "Let's go, Ichigo." Renji said and took off on a head start.
"Stay here. We'll be back." He muttered and swiftly gripped Rukia's small hands and held them in his.
She felt a jolt of electricity. Honestly, what had gotten into him? Why was he being so...
"Okay, you're asking why I'm behaving this way. I'm asking me too. And the answer is... well, I dunno, and frankly I don't really care right now. I just want you safe. Stay here. And promise us you'll still be here when we come back." He said, squeezed her hands and gave her a brief smile before he caught up behind Renji to find out what the commotion was.
A/N: Phew, tenth chapter done. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the past chapter.
KuroKuchiki, HeadyZest, Zangetsu50, Hese Solstis, Amehoshi141, Snoara, Aizawa Ayumu and to the others who have reviewed a while back. Thank you very much, thanks a lot. You guys really did keep me from going insane. =')
And thanks HELLO I'M for 'approving' the fight scene. Yeah, none in here though, sorry. =P
I dunno why but I feel a bit too free and I think that's why I managed to publicly thank you guys. X) Thanks again! In some twisted way, your reviews really helped me get through this. x) I.O.U guys. 3
BTW is this Chapter too short? Review and tell me your opinions. I'd love some. Also, like always, tell me what I'm missing.