The Black Side of the Moon~ Questions and Answers…and hope?


True, we don't have anything such as 'fate'.

It's only those who drink in ignorance and fear

and stumble over their own feet

that fall and disappear within the muddy river

known as 'fate'.

~Urahara Kisuke


Ichigo rose abruptly from his sleep, the first good rest he had in a long time. He ruffled his hair with his right hand in a foolhardy attempt to tame it. He yawned and glanced over at the alarm clock next to him.

It read 1:12 PM.

"Shit," he yelped. "I overslept."

He quickly jumped out of bed and tossed on his clothes as fast as possible. He had a lot to do today.

He didn't have a clue where he was to begin.

Without pause he went downstairs to the kitchen and opened the fridge. It was pretty much empty save for a couple snacks. He took some milk and noodles out and shut the fridge. It was then he noticed a note taped to the front door of the refrigerator. It was addressed to him, from his father.

It read:

"If you ever read this son, and I know you probably will, Karin and Yuzu will be staying at Urahara's from now on. I must do something very important. No, I am not going to tell you what it is. You do what you have to do, and I will do what I have to do. I'm sorry for not being able to tell you anything more. Always remember, live well, age well, and go bald well, die after me, and if you can, die smiling. You're still too young to shoulder sadness like I did. Goodbye, Ichigo, I'm sorry for everything."

Ichigo grabbed the note off of the fridge and stared at it in his hand. He crumpled it up and sighed briefly to himself. What the hell was his old man thinking? How could he die smiling knowing he had failed everyone?

He walked over to the microwave and threw the noodles in and set the timer.

His father was a mystery to him. The fool who could never be serious ended up being an all-powerful Shinigami that could even go head to head with Aizen himself. Even still, his father hasn't opened up to him about his past. When he told him that he could tell him at the right time, he didn't mean his father didn't ever have to tell him.

The microwave beeped.

Ichigo massaged his temples slowly and took the hot noodles from the microwave. Picking up two chopsticks, he devoured it in seconds. It was his first meal in weeks. He guzzled the milk down in its entirety in record timing.

Wiping his mouth, he thought to himself. "Urahara will probably know what that idiot is doing."

He put on some shoes and walked out the front door. Looking out in front of him, he stared passively at the life that was all too normal.

The life that felt lifeless to him.

It was a beautiful day out, but even so, he felt no attraction to it. He couldn't feel reiatsu. It was almost like he not being able to breathe.

He had to get to the Urahara Shouten, but he couldn't shunpo there. He was only human after all. Another inconvenience of having no powers.

He motioned for a taxi and it stopped abruptly in front of him. Getting into the car he handed the driver some money from his wallet.

"Please take me to the Urahara Shoten." Ichigo requested. "It's on the east side of town."

The taxi driver took the money and nodded. The taxi picked up speed.

Ichigo stared pensively out the window at the passing blur of scenery.

Urahara always had the answers he needed. He had to know why his father had vanished. He had to know why his father had been labeled an enemy of Soul Society. Ichigo had so many questions, and so few answers. He had little time too. One month, or so Yhwach declared. That was very little time to understand so much.

Green blurs were mixing with shades of brown and red. It was fall, and the trees were beginning to change their respected shades of color into something more vibrant.

This season now reminded him of the days before Rukia had left him. The days where their relationship grew ever so slightly. Those beautiful days before everything changed. Before his heart was torn and his life twisted. Before he lost his power.

He had regained his power, and his hope. Yet now he was powerless once again.

He turned his gaze from the passing scenery and closed his eyes, sighing ever slightly.

After some time, the taxi began to come to a halt, before finally stopping in front of an old building with the sign "Urahara Shoten".

They were here.

Ichigo waved to the taxi driver and got out of the car, which sped off without warning.

He breathed deeply and took the first step toward the entrance. Just before he walked into the shoten, Urahara himself came out. He was dressed in his usual oddly green garb, bucket hat and all.

"Ah, Kurosaki-san! Whatever brings you to my humble shop?" The shopkeeper jubilantly greeted. "Do you wish to come inside?"

"Cut the shit Urahara," Ichigo replied angrily, his voice raising with every word. "You and I both know why I am here. Where is my old man, and where is Karin and Yuzu?"

Urahara deftly pulled out his paper fan and opened it up. He covered his mouth with it and hid his eyes under his hat.

"So you survived after all, huh?" Urahara spoke, his voice now serious. "To be honest, I believe your father truly thought you wouldn't come back this time."

"Is that so?" Ichigo yelled. "Then you guys knew what kind of a trap I was walking into. Why didn't you guys warn me?"

"There is nothing we could do Kurosaki-san," Urahara spoke while holding his hands up defensively, trying to calm Ichigo down. "We could not predict that they would do what they had done. We did not know that they knew your relationship with your father."

Ichigo walked up to Urahara and looked him straight in the eye.

"Who are they, and why did they take my powers away from me, and try to kill me?" Ichigo asked desperately. "Tell me Urahara!"

Urahara raised his cane and pushed Ichigo back onto the ground with it, like he had done once before. It reminded him that he was powerless. Urahara stared him in the eye as he looked down upon him on the floor. His eyes were deadly serious.

"These answers are not meant for you now Ichigo," Urahara spoke evenly. "For even I can only answer who they are, and they are exactly who you think them to be."

On the ground, Ichigo looked up at Urahara with a puzzled face.

"So they really betrayed me then?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes." Urahara replied shortly.

"Is that all there is to it? Ichigo asked sadly. "I was betrayed by those who I thought to be my friends?"

"I'm afraid so Kurosaki-san, though I know not why." Urahara replied. "Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do now. I do not know where Isshin-san has fled to. He disappeared sometime last week after we had been deliberating on what to do about the current situation. Even together, we could not come to a certain conclusion."

Ichigo nodded solemnly. Urahara's features returned to a softer form at Ichigo's reaction.

"However, your sisters are safe and sound with us. They are currently out with Tessai shopping for clothes."

Urahara relieved the pressure of his cane on Ichigo and walked back toward the entrance of the shoten.

He looked back at Ichigo who was now sitting up.

"If you really want to find your answers Kurosaki-san, then you must look for them from your previous enemy." Urahara advised.

"Aizen?" Ichigo questioned, scratching his head slightly.

"Precisely." Urahara answered. "He knows more than he lets on, and I fear things are already unravelling far ahead of schedule, for all of us."

Ichigo looked at the ground for a second then looked back up to Urahara.

"The monk with the large beard somehow took my powers from me," he spoke. "Is there any way I can get them back?"

Urahara thought for a moment and shook his head solemnly.

"I'm very sorry Kurosaki-san." Urahara apologized. "That man's power is far beyond my comprehension and ability to counter. It's an ancient power, older than all of us."

Ichigo clenched his eyes and frowned hard hearing his words. He then looked into Urahara's eyes with both fragility and desperation.

"What can I do then, Urahara?" Ichigo pleaded.

Urahara once again hid his eyes under his bucket hat and frowned.

"There is nothing you can do Ichigo," Urahara spoke sadly. "Please, return to your home. I will send your sisters over with Tessai so they can once again stay with you."

Ichigo felt a pain shake his very being. It wasn't a physical pain.

"Is that it then?" Ichigo asked, seemingly to nobody, maybe to himself.

"I'm so sorry, Kurosaki-san," Urahara replied, his eyes not making contact with Ichigo's.

Ichigo sat there for a moment looking at the ground. Urahara stood silently over him, looking down at the boy.

Clouds were forming in the sky, seemingly in response to Ichigo's inner turmoil. Trickles of rain began to fall ever slowly. It pained Ichigo, the rain. It kept falling. There wasn't anything he could do. He was useless. Powerless. Lifeless.

Suddenly the rain ceased. Ichigo looked up. Urahara was standing over him, an umbrella in hand.

He extended his hand out to Ichigo.

"Take my hand, Kurosaki-san." He spoke softly

Ichigo looked up at his hand for a moment and nodded. He clutched his hand and Urahara pulled him up swiftly. Urahara then wrapped his arm around his shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"Come inside my shop." Urahara asked Ichigo. "We will talk over things some more, and maybe together we can come to some conclusions."

Ichigo nodded sadly, unable to speak.

They both walked into the shoten and Urahara motioned his hand over to the floor cushions.

"Please, sit." He requested kindly.

Ichigo sat down on the cushions and Urahara sat in front of him. Urahara's normal jubilancy was still replaced with an all too unnatural seriousness. A seriousness he hadn't seen since Aizen was sealed away.

"Okay, Kurosaki-san." Urahara began. "Please start from the beginning, and tell me exactly what happened. Do not leave any detail out."

He once again nodded, and began to relay to Urahara the story of his betrayal.

.

o o o

.

Ichigo told Urahara of Aizen's escape, of the casualties of war that Soul Society suffered, of the subsequent arrival of the Royal Guard, and of the abrupt "meeting" with the Soul King. Urahara had listened very tentatively throughout the entire story, only nodding here and there. He let few emotions escape his grasp.

Finally, the story was over.

Urahara sat there for a moment, thinking silently to himself. His eyes widened a bit.

"And how exactly did you escape the shadow realm, Kurosaki-san?" Urahara questioned inquisitively. "Please explain that to me again one more time."

"I don't know." Ichigo answered, seemingly unsure of himself. "At one point, all I saw was blackness, and then I appeared alive and okay a little on the outskirts of Karakura Town."

Urahara looked Ichigo in the eye carefully, analyzing him deeply. He was rubbing the stubble on his chin pensively, as if in deep thought. His bucket hat was now off, which revealed his deep gray eyes.

Similarly, Ichigo's brown eyes narrowed sharply, receiving his interrogator with curiosity.

"Is that so?" Urahara questioned with a little doubt hinting his words.

Ichigo nodded sharply, sticking to his claim.

He didn't want to let Urahara know that Yhwach had saved him, and why he had saved him. It wasn't something he wanted to divulge to Urahara just yet. It was unclear who was a friend and who was a foe at this point. The lines of companionship needed to be drawn once again. In time, he will tell Urahara of Yhwach's proposition, but not now.

"Well then." Urahara finally concluded after a little thought. "That is some debacle you survived Kurosaki-san. You are a tough one indeed."

Ichigo smiled slightly to Urahara. It wasn't a real smile.

Urahara stood up and grabbed his cane once more, and paced around the room. Ichigo watched him for a moment and then he suddenly stopped, and turned around.

"Give me a few days to put everything we've established together, and I will let you know what I have decided." Urahara said. "Even with this new development with the Soul King, I still need some time to think all of this over. We must act very carefully Kurosaki-san. The pieces of the chess board are now moving. We must be extra cautious now, even more so than before. There is now another player on the battlefield. I feel that in the next few months, many lines of friend and foe will converge. "

"Okay." Ichigo replied simply. He didn't know much else to say.

"For now you must rest Kurosaki-san." Urahara advised. "There is not much you can do. Return to school and continue on with your normal life as best you can. Orihime-chan and Sado-san have even returned to their daily lives. Pay them a visit, I'm sure they will be very pleased to know you are alive and well. They have been very worried about your disappearance."

Ichigo perked up at the sound of this.

"How long was I gone for?" Ichigo questioned.

"Almost two and a half weeks." Urahara answered plainly, slightly tipping his bucket hat.

Ichigo stood up as well, standing just as tall as Urahara.

"It has been that long huh?" he asked himself. "I can't believe this. Rukia and the others must be worried sick about me."

"You would most likely be correct, Kurosaki-san." Urahara agreed, putting his bucket hat back on his head. "Kuchiki-san, would you like to see her?"

Ichigo eyes went wide.

"Yes!" Ichigo almost instantly replied, his eyes finally changing into something filled with life. "Please go to Soul Society and let her know I am okay!"

Urahara laughed softly to himself and smiled gleefully.

"There, there Kurosaki-san. Rest assured, I will notify little Kuchiki-san of your survival." He spoke softly. "I will even see if she can pay a visit to you. However, I must be very careful to not let anyone else know of your apparent escape. You are banished from Soul Society. You are not to return, and none other shall know that you live."

Hearing this, Ichigo wrapped Urahara in an uncharacteristic hug, embracing the surprised shop keep. Even though he wasn't allowed to return to Soul Society, seeing Rukia would be wonderful indeed. Many a happy thought ran through Ichigo's head at this moment.

"Thank you Urahara-san." He exclaimed, notably adding the honorific back. "This is the best news I have heard in ages."

And so it was.

Humbled, the shop keep slowly returned the hug to the happy human boy. He laughed to himself as he patted Ichigo on the back.

"Okay, okay, Kurosaki-san." He said, still patting him on the back. "You best let go before anyone sees you. Your reputation will be ruined for sure."

Ichigo concluded the embrace and bashfully looked around.

Urahara once again laughed to himself, flipping his fan up and down for dramatic effect.

Unbeknownst to Ichigo, there was a certain black cat in the window seal.

She will never let him live his down.