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-- Chapter 10 – Of Sunflowers and Confusion --

„Hey, Ichi. We have no time to play around."

„Wha...?"

Ichigo blinked. He could not recognize the voice.

„Take hold of the second red string."

Wait a second?

Before his inner eye he saw the red string leading him to Zangetsu. He stared at it. One string became two. Puzzled Ichigo picked up the other string that belonged to an unknown presence.

„That's it, Ichi!"

The youth felt a familiar weight in his hands. The blade settling into his hands was of the same size as Zangetsu but had a different shape. Two very long ribbons emanated from the hilt, almost glowing colorful in blue and orange. It composed a sharp contrast to the gray and black of the dimension. The blade itself was light-silver and maybe as long as Ichigo was tall. It was sharp on both sides. Like a Roman gladius.

„Fight! Let's save explanations for later!"

His eyes shot open and fixed on the chimera in front of him.

„My turn, you King Kong-wannabe!"

Ichigo jumped forward, dodging another punch of the ugly beast. His new blade vibrated happily. It was perfectly balanced. He countered the attacking claw. He wielded the sword with both hands.

„Here we go!"

Ichigo shouted and attacked.

A cry of pain echoed through the black night. And it was not Ichigo's.

A long and deep cut now graced the paw. Ichigo smirked.

„Farewell!"

He dashed forward. With one powerful stroke he sliced the chimera. Blood covered everything. Black and slimy blood. Ichigo panted heavily. He had exhausted both his body and his reiatsu. He sank down to his knees, the sword still in a tight grip.

„Meow?"

„Yes, Cabu. It's over."

„Meow?"

„Yeah, I'm fine."

„Meow meow?"

„If you can find something to eat, that would be very helpful."

„Meow!"

Ichigo blinked as Cabu crawled out from under his hood and flew away.

Did I just understand what it wanted to tell me?

He straightened and left the corpse of the beast behind him. He didn't come too far. Using the first opportunity he collapsed against a tree and closed his eyes.

-- Ichigo's Inner World --

„ICHI!"

Ichigo was attacked by a blur of white and gold.

„My poor Ichi!!"

He could not move. He saw only white. He felt someone stroking his hair. Ichigo was stunned. He could not comprehend what was happening. The presence was cuddling with him. Although he had no idea what was going on, the touches were comforting and soothing.

„Er..."

The person chuckled and let go of him.

„Sorry, Ichi. Couldn't help it."

In front of him stood a beautiful woman. She was a little bit taller than him. Bright blue eyes, glowing like gemstones, were staring at him. She had long slightly curled hair. Colorful ribbons were weaved through the golden-blond strands. They were similar to the orange and blue ribbons of the sword. Her fighting gear was snow-white. She wore white, knee-length boots. Patiently she waited for Ichigo to finally acknowledge her. She smiled at him warmly.

„Like what you see, Ichi?"

She winked. Ichigo blushed, a deep red that would have made any tomato jealous.

„S-sorry... but who are you?"

She glomped him again.

„Isn't it obvious? Your second zanpakutou!"

„My second...?"

The woman chuckled again. She started to stroke his hair. Ichigo was too shocked to do anything against it.

„I'm not patient as Zangetsu, so I'll make it short. My name is Himawari. You can release my shikai form with „Himawari shine!" Do you get it?"

Ichigo was stunned, still letting her cuddle him. She smiled again.

„What do you think? Ready to go to find my counterpart?"

„...I guess...?"

„Very well. You go and sleep!"

She was still smiling. Ichigo was overwhelmed. He shook his head and left his inner world.

„Do you think that was wise?" Sora asked quietly.

The five elementaries were greeting the female zanpakutou.

„Don't you think it would be better to explain everything in more detail and answer his questions instead of just bombarding him with only the most important facts?"

„He will survive! Right now he needs his sleep!"

„..."

„..."

„..."

„..."

„... poor onii-sama..."

-- Inner World End --

Renji stared at the portal. Pleading silently that it was not Ichigo's reiatsu that he had felt. The others of his team cursed loudly.

„We must go back!"

„What's up?"

„Well, we have good news and bad news..."

„Good news first, please. We have had enough bad news lately."

„Kurosaki is alive!"

„Hey, that's great news, but why..."

„In the second we left, we could feel his reiatsu."

„But the udp can connect to a dimension only once."

„We can't get back?"

Renji did not pay attention to the chaos behind him. He was still staring at the portal. Slowly he realized that the discussion around him only served to strengthen his fears. Ichigo was in that gray dimension. It had been his reiatsu...

„Urahara, is there any chance that you can modify the dimension portal?"

„Well.. now that I have the data... but it could take a while."

„We don't have that much time! Ichi-nii doesn't have the time. It's only a matter of days until his body will be too weak to even move." Karin interrupted the discussion harshly.

The twins had been visiting the rescue team. Yuzu had even cooked a few snacks for the team. The blond twin sobbed.

„Hey, don't cry. Your big brother is still alive. So there's still hope and we now know his location."

Kira tried to calm her down, not giving up hope himself.

„Try to think positively: We don't have to visit more dimensions now. All of you can return to your duties and I'll call you when the udp is modified."

„There is nothing we can do? Only waiting?"

Nobody liked this thought. But they could not change the facts. Currently the udp could only connect to a dimension once. Never twice.

„Ichi-nii. Don't give up!" Yuzu whispered, glancing at the dimension portal.

-.-.-

„Meow meow trill?"

Ichigo blinked. His eyes fluttered open. He groaned.

„No, Cabu. I'm not mad that you woke me up. Could you find anything edible?"

„Meow!"

Cabu landed on Ichigo's stomach, uncurling its legs and tail. It threw a few tiny fruits to him and meowed sadly.

„Don't be sad, fluffy. This is better than nothing. Good thing that you don't need that much to eat."

He sat up. The teen looked at the fruits. They seemed to be some kind of small apples. They ate the fruits silently. The boy took his time with his food. He swallowed the last bite and used his elemental powers to call for some water. Cabu drank a bit as did Ichigo. The little creature yawned and curled up on Ichigo's lap. Its wings folded. It looked like a black ball of fur again.

„Sorry, Cabu. We need to seize the da..."

-- Ichigo's Inner World --

„Don't even think of it!"

Ichigo stared at the angry zanpakutou. Himawari was not pleased. That much was obvious.

„You'll try to get more sleep. NOW! Don't suppress your reiatsu all the time, it isn't healthy and you are weak enough!"

Ichigo blinked still not used to his new zanpakutou.

„Yes, ma'am?" He tried tentatively. Suddenly she smiled again.

„My sweet Ichi! Honestly, you should care for yourself more."

Any response was prevented by another crushing cuddle-attack.

„You have enough problems, you should not add any more."

She sat down, pulling the boy down with her to the ground. She kept him in a soft embrace.

„Do you have to cuddle me every freakin' time we meet?" Ichigo asked resignedly. Himawari giggled in answer.

„But she's right, onii-sama!"

Ichigo raised his head. In front of him stood all of his elemental spirits.

„Why do I have the feeling that this will get out of hand into group-cuddling?"

„Are we allowed to do so, onii-sama?"

His water ghost Amaya looked eager, while the other girl of his elementaries Sora looked shyly to the ground. Ichigo sighed and spread his arms as far as Himawari's hug him allowed. Immediately his arms were full of elementaries.

„Uff..."

„When will this torture be over, onii-sama?"

Ichigo needed a moment to locate the speaker. It was Riku, who was sitting on his left side.

„I hope soon, Riku. I think Zangetsu isn't far away anymore. The trace becomes clearer with every step."

„And then we can go home?"

Ichigo nodded.

„And what are you going to do about the closed door over here, Ichi?"

The teen grimaced. Himawari ruffled his hair.

„Just kidding. That's a problem for tomorrow. Time to sleep, my sweet Ichi."

-- Inner World End --

In his dream he felt a familiar presence. Like a memory of better times. Like an embrace. Like a kiss. Red strands and black ink lulled him into his sleep, accompanied by a soft voice and gentle touches. Not real. Not there. Nothing more than memories of a dream fading away into the darkness of sleep.

-.-.-.-

He could not sleep. Whatever he tried it didn't work.

Meditation – nope.

Warm milk? No success. Maybe he should not have drunk the whole bottle.

Valerian? Didn't work.

Breathing practices. No.

He tried practicing until he was completely exhausted.

His body was numb as was his mind. But he could not sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Ichigo, the gray world and the huge chimeras. A dimension without enough food and water to keep someone healthy. It was a dangerous dimension. Too many monsters. The green grassland with the lake had to be one of his dreams. There was no way that such an oasis could exist in the gray and black world. Which meant that the earliest of his dreams might be true. The dreams about the shadows, the pain, the darkness. Renji closed his eyes, remembering the teen without his zanpakutou.

Please tell me that was only a bad dream.

„Either you reduce all of your past dreams to dreams or you accept them all as reality. What are you going to do? Deny Ichigo or deny the possible danger?"

Renji grimaced and got to his feet. Zabimaru was no help sometimes. He walked through the dark house. It was almost frightening how familiar Urahara's shop had become. His target was the liquor cabinet in the living room.

Maybe one ...

„Oi, Renji. What are you doing?"

The light was switched on. Renji jumped slightly in surprise and turned around.

„Rukia...you're still here?"

„Couldn't sleep, so I went on patrol. Slow night, not one little hollow out there..."

She looked at him thoughtfully.

„And you?"

Renji grimaced.

„Same as you. Sleepless night..."

„Want a drink?"

Rukia held up two glasses and a bottle. He barely saw the thin smirk.

„You can read minds, can't you?"

-.-.-

It was still dark. Rain poured out of giant black clouds. Ichigo was only a bit surprised that he could already tell the different shades of black and gray apart. But he was drenched with rain by now. Depressed, he mused if he would ever become dry again. It was not a nice feeling to wake up completely soaked. He stared up into the sky. Rain dripped into his eyes.

Slowly he pushed himself up. He faltered.

Damn...

His vision was blurry. That was definitively not a good sign.

„Meow? Meow?"

Cabu nuzzled his chin. Even the little creature was wet although it had stayed under his hood all the time.

„It'll do...Don't worry. I can keep walking... I think..."

He stopped dead in his tracks.

He blinked.

He blinked again.

Something was missing.

He looked to the right. Nothing.

He looked to the left. Nothing.

He looked onto the ground. Nothing.

He reached to his back. NOTHING.

HIMAWARI!!

„Hey Ichi! Don't panic! I'll be there if you need me. Calm down. You don't need to add a heart attack to your fever."

But where...how...?

„Relax! You can't keep up your appearances, carrying me on your back. Think yourself as my scabbard."

Scabbard...

„Yup!"

I can see ghosts. Became a fucking shinigami with an oversized zanpakutou even got a hollow inside of me. Lost the latter. Got elementaries and a second zanpakutou. And now I'm a freaking scabbard for you? How could I survive this shit?

„You're doing a pretty good job so far. But I don't think that you'll be able to keep this up if you don't move finally. Your time is getting short. You need rest, food, warmth and your body."

Ichigo sighed and straightened. Cabu nuzzled him again. Absently he patted the fist sized chimera.

He headed forward. His red string leading him. He used his reiatsu to ignore the effects of the fever.

„Your reiatsu won't be able to sustain you forever, Ichi."

I know, Himawari. I know...

-.-.-.-

Rukia eyed Renji, thinking over her next steps. She had drunk only a bit of the two bottles and had given the most to Renji. He was awfully quiet. The redhead stared depressively into his glass. She decided it was time for the last move.

„There's been something wrong with you for quite some time now. Spill it Renji, this is about Ichigo isn't it? You're missing him a lot more than you're willing to let on."

Rukia had expect denial. Anger. Even horror and confusion. But Renji... --tock--

He put his head on the table, missing his glas only by a couple of millimeters.

„Ren..."

„I saw him, Rukia. I knew how the dimension looks like. I already knew where he was. All the time."

„Renji, you're talking nonsense. There's no way you could have known..."

„I dreamt of him... nearly every night...the darkness...the chimera. Rukia, I saw him. How he fought against huge shings... Without...zan...zangessu..."

He stopped and Rukia waited for him to continue.

„Renji?"

A snore was the response. She sighed deeply. This was more complicated as supposed. But Renji did not affirm her suspicion neither did he negate it.

„You fool..."

-.-.-

Rukia had just left the living room when the light was switched on... in the adjoining room. Two shadows sitting on opposite ends of the table could be seen. They were drinking tea.

„My my, isn't this interesting, old friend?"

„Indeed. A lot of problems are waiting for Ichigo here. Not to mention the ones he already has. Perhaps the dreams are keeping him sane in the loneliness."

„Or he doesn't trust them. Do you know what this means for them?"

„Yes, I know. But I doubt Abarai would know, it's very rare. And Ichigo never had the chance to learn these things."

„That means we have to make plans?"

„A lot of plans."

„Would you prefer to borrow the book?"

„Sure. If needs be, I could throw it at his head."

A chuckle.

„ Poor freeloader-san...How will the rest of your family react?"

„I think Yuzu and Karin will be fine with it. I wish Masaki could witness this. She would be happy and sad at the same time..."

„We'll rescue him. We'll make it."

„I hope so...or else we will lose these two."

-- Chapter 10 end --

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Mysticarchangel: I just opened up my forum, if you want to know more about the future of df, please take a look and tell me what you think about the possible ending for this story.

http /www. fanfiction .net/myforums/Mysticerzengel/1294758/

Of course without spaces.

And you can find a link to a picture of Himawari in my user profile. I'm not that good with drawings but I had fun making this.