Chapter 20
Closing his eyes to protect himself from the sudden bright light, Tsuskishima slashed down and felt his blade slide through flesh. He stepped back as the ground began shake, doing his best to keep his balance, "Hahahahahaha" he laughed sounding like a madman as he felt the light fade away, opening his eyes he saw that dust from the explosion that went off had covered his vision but he could see a figure slumping behind the dust. "I won't ever allow Ginjo to get taken to soul society," he said as the dist began to clear, "Specially by someone who doesn't even know," he stopped, eyes widening and shook his head.
"G-ginjo," he said as he watched his friend stood, his clutching his left shoulder as it bled out. "W-why? Why would you protect him? You barely know him and your throwing away your life just because he understands how feel?"
Breathing heavily as he looked back at Tsukishima, "H-honestly," he gasped out, "I don't know, there is something about Ichigo t-that draws people to h-him." panted as he talked. "Even though It was all my idea, after spending so little time with him I wanted to call him my friend, he reminds me a lot of you Tsukishima."
"Me?" he questioned as Ginjo began to fall back, "Ginjo," he move forward to help his friend and reached him just when Ichigo did and they stopped him from falling. "Ginjo we have to get out here, soul society is already on its"
"My my," a voice called out from across the room. "Looks like were late!" turning their heads to look, they saw a group of shinigami enter the room with through a wall with Rurika and Jackie at their side.
"Please somebody," Tsukishima called out to the shinigami desperate for there help. "Please you have to help Ginjo!" but non moved to help as he help his dying friend.
"Rukia!" Ichigo called out to her, "Please you've got to help!"
Rukia looked surprised for a second, at Ichigo's request, 'He wants me to help even though he was the one who started all this?' she thought to herself. Shaking herself from her thoughts; she grabbed the sword on her back and turned to Isshin, "Isshin-san," she said as she handed the sword to him. "Hold on to this, I'm going to help Ichigo." turning she ran forward, heading for the trio.
"Kuchiki!/Rukia!" Hitsugaya and Renji called out at her sudden decision to help the criminal they came to apprehend, glancing at each other they sighed, before following along.
"Well what are you two waiting for?" Isshin asked Rurika and Jackie as he saw the worried looks on their face.
With no more prompting needed, Jackie and Rurika followed after the shinigami, glad to know that Ginjo was going to get the help he needed. Once they reached Ginjo, Rukia order them to place him on the ground; kneeling beside him she began emergency first aid to his wound, "This is bad," she said as she worked. "His heart got cut, the most I can do is make him stable enough to bring to soul society for emergency surgery." told them as she poured her reiatsu into Ginjo's wounds.
"Understood," Hitsugaya spoke up, "I'll call soul society and tell them to have the 4th devision on alert, Abarai get to work on opening the senkaimon." pulling out his soul phone, he moved back several steps as dialed the 12th division and relayed his orders to them.
"That's it?" Rurika asked, "Your just gonna take him away, you're not even gonna try to kill him here while your here?"
"We didn't come here to kill anybody," Renji answered as he walked away from the group. "We came to apprehend Kugo Ginjo for stealing the powers of a shinigami, the only reason we would have to kill him would be if he resisted and put up a fight." he explained as he drew he Zanpakutou and stabbed it in the air, opening a Senkaimon.
"Alright, everything's been set to transport the Captain Unohana will be waiting for us at the other end." Hitsugaya spoke as he walked back to the group, looking over his shoulder he called out to Kenpachi who was looking disgruntled and Ikkaku who was giving his captain a nervous look, "Kenpachi, Madarame is time to go back come over here and help Abarai carry Kugo."
"Grr, I came all this way for a fight and I'm not leaving till I get one!" Kenpachi said as he glared at the Trunks who was standing with Tatsuki and Ishida keeping the other two fullbringers.
"Kenpachi, the commanders orders where to return as soon as we finished up here. Since there is nothing else to do is time to head back."
"Che, Fine fine!" he answered back as he and Ikkaku made their way towards the others.
"Kuchiki, How far along are you with his treatment?" he asked as he turned back to look.
"I'm done!" she told him as she got to her feet. "I've manage to stop the bleeding and most of his outer wounds but everything else is up to the 4th squad."
"Good," he nodded. "Abarai, Madarame each of you move to Kugo's sides and pick him up. I'll lead the way, Kenpachi you bring up rear and Kuchiki you stay behind and finish the rest of the mission."
"Sir," all the shinigami but Kenpachi answered as they move in to place. "Let's move out." Hitsugaya said as he sent his Jigokucho forward and followed after it, Renji and Ikkaku with Ginjo between them followed with Kenpachi glaring at Trunks over his shoulder brought up the rear. Once they were through the Senkaimon closed disappearing from the human world, standing there Tsukishima didn't move as he stared at the last place he saw the senkaimon disappeared, where he saw his friend the last time.
'Its my fault,' he thought to himself, 'If I hand been stronger, faster, smarter I could have saved Ginjo.' turning to look at his friends he saw the concern look on their faces, clenching his fist he nodded to himself. 'I won't ever let my friends be taken from me again, so I have to become stronger so that nothing like this ever happens again.'
"Yukio," he called out to the youngest member of their group, looking at him Tsukishima could tell he was absolutely exhausted, "deactivate your fullbring, you've used it for to long now."
"H-hai Tsukishima-san," Yukio answered and began to press buttons on his game system not worrying about the people holding him hostage. The room around them got covered in a black digital shadow, as the shadow faded the room had shrunk into and entrance hall, with the doors leading outside on one end and a set of stairs at the other.
Out of the corner of his eye Tsukishima saw something turning his head he saw Shishigawara, still unconscious from his collision with Ichigo, shaking his head he walked towards him and smacked in on the head, "Shishigawara wake up!" he yelled causing the younger man to jump while rubbing his head.
"Owowowow- WHAT WAS," he stopped as he saw who was the person who hit. "Ah Tsukishima-san?" he questioned and took a look around seeing everyone in the room he got confused. "What's going on?"
"We lost." Tsukishima answered simply turning and walking towards Ichigo, before turning leaving him wide-eyed and shock.
"B-but,"
"No but's, we lost so just accept it."
"Hai Tsukishima-san!"
"Kurosaki," he said as he stopped in front of Ichigo. "Take me to Orihima and Chad, I need to restore their memories as well."
"Ah!" Ichigo answered with a smile.
Arriving at the Urahara Shoten with Ichigo and his friends, Tsukishima followed after them as they headed inside. At the front of the store they were greeted by Tessai, who had spared him a curious look before greeting everyone.
"Welcome back everyone," he greeted, "I take it everything went well?"
"It went better than expect Tessia-san," Urahara greeted with a smile. "There were no casualties and we may have made some new friends." he explained as he glanced toward Tsukishima. "How are things on your end? Have Inoue-san and Sado-san awoken yet?" he asked as they walked into the living area of the store.
"I've already gotten started on dinner so we should will be eating soon." he answered as he lead the group towards the living room were they were keeping the two. " As for Orihime-dono and Sado-dono, they haven't woken up yet."
"That's good," Tsukishima spoke up as he brought up the rear. "This way I can pull myself from their memories before they can feel like I betrayed them."
"Glad to hear it," Isshing said as Tessai opened the screen doors to the living room.
"Ah! Ichigo welcome back I," Keigo said before he stopped and pointing to Tsukishima who was standing to Ichigo's left screamed. "What's he doing here?"
"Huh?" Ichigo asked looking to Tsukishima, he blinked once and looked back at Keigo, "Oh, well we won and he's here to help Orihime and Chad." he answered sounding like it was an every day occurence.
"Right of course, what was I thinking." Keigo said with smile. Jumping to his feet suddenly, he glared at Ichigo while pointing his finger at him. "That makes absolutely no sense damn it!" he yelled.
"If you must know, I;m doing this because it's what Ginjo would have wanted."Tsukishima answered as he walked into the living room ahead of the others, causing Keigo to jump back with squeak and throw his arms up. "Now if you would excuse me." pulling out his bookmark he held it to his side, "Book Of The End!" he called out its name, transforming it into a katana.
"See I knew it! He's actually here to turn us all into super friendly zombies!" Keigo exclaimed as he put himself up against the and closed his eyes. Looking at the younger man, Tsukishima shook his head with a look of disbelief on his face. 'I feel kind of relieve I never got to implant my self in his memories.' he thought, aloud he said. "Actually I'm going to remove myself from Orihime and Chad's past, to do that I need to cut them again with my fullbring." with that said, he walked towards the two people laying on the futon's on the other side of the room. As he approached the Kurosaki sisters who had been sitting closer to the two back away to give him room, holding his sword in hand he slashed down once cutting through Orihime's body without leaving a mark and repeated the process with Chad.
Turning to the door where the others had waited, he transformed his sword back into a book mark and put it way, "They should wake up with all their memories back to normal," he said and watched as the faces of everyone in the room lit up a little at the news. "I'm gonna be heading back to the mansion, but do me a favor and tell them that I'm sorry when they wake up."
"We will," Ichigo answered, as Tsukishima walked past him to head for the door he called out to him. "Tsukishima, I promise I won't let Ginjo die." he said when he turned look at him over his shoulder, nodding he turned and headed out of the store.
Orihime felt as though she was moving though molasses, as she tried to open her eyes, around her she could hear the voices of people talking. She couldn't make out what they were saying but she could tell by their tone that they were talking in a lively manner, groaning she forced her eyes open as the smell of food hit her and her stomach growled.
"Orihime!" She heard her name be called out as she sat up, looking towards the person she saw Tatsuki smile at her, as she held out a bowl with some chop sticks. "Welcome back, I thought you would have slept till morning with how long it took you to wake up." her friend said as she took the bowl, as she started to eat; she looked around her and saw all her friends along with Urahara-san and Kurosaki-san.
While she ate she felt like she was forgetting something, "Orihime It's been while." she heard Rukia say to her, swallowing her food she answered. "Hm, I was beginning to think we wouldn't see you again with how long you've been gone." taking another bite of her plate she continued. "And with the whole events with Tsukishima we could have," she stopped, realizing that she was speaking with Rukia. "Rukia-chan you're here? Were all here together?" she said taking a look around the room she found herself in. "Huh," she exclaimed, "What happened at the mansion?"
"Well Orihime-san," Urahara said as he brought up his fan and opened with his usual flair, "While you and Sado-san, where brought back here to safety by Nova," as he went on explaining to her what happened and the reason for her memories being okay with some comments from Ishida every once in a while.
"Hey who's telling to the story here!"
"You are but I won't have you making things up when you weren't there."
Isshin smiled as he saw his chance, reaching over he put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder getting his attention. Turning to look at his father Ichigo saw him gesture towards the door before he looked towards Rukia and gesture for her as well. As Isshin got up from the table he headed for the door with the strange katana he had carried on in his hands, with Ichigo and Rukia following close behind. As the three left the room Karin who had ignored Urahara's story took notice and tapped Yuzu on her leg before gesturing towards the door, getting up the sisters followed their father and bother towards the training area of the Urahara shoten.
In the underground training area of the Urahara Shoten, Isshin stood across from his son and Rukia. In front of him he held the sword made completely of reiatsu, "Ichigo, during the last seventeen months I've watched as you struggled to get over loosing your powers." he said and held up a hand to stop Ichigo from talking. "During that time I've talked to Urahara to find away to completely restore powers, we came in contact with soul society and they agreed to help. This sword," holding up the sword for Ichigo to get a better look. "Is the result of everyone's effort to return your powers to you for everything that you have done for soul society." he finished with a smile.
Ichigo look on in astonishment, happily surprised at this news, his face suddenly broke out into a huge smile, "Really?" he asked getting a nodded in return. "That's great I figured I," he stopped suddenly remembering what Ginjo told him. "Wait second! Do I really need to use the sword to get my powers back? Ginjo said that now that I have my fullbring my powers would be restored eventually." he explained with a perplex about why he would need the sword.
"Ahou!" Rukia yelled at him as she jumped up and smacked him on the back of his head. "Your fullbring powers won't return your shinigami powers, the only thing that will do is help stimulate your reiatsu." she told him as she glared down at him after he hit the ground.
Rubbing the back of his head, Ichigo glared up at Rukia with an angry scowl. "I didn't know that!" he yelled as he jumped to his feet and pointed down at her. "You damn midget!"
"I'm not midget!" she yelled back at him slapping his hand away from her face. "You're just a bean pole!"
"Bean pole!" Ichigo exclaimed sounding insulted, "I'm not bean pole, your just a vertically challenged midget."
"And you're an over stretched bean pole!" she said as she leaned forward glaring up at him.
"Midget!" he responded lean down as he glared at her.
"Bean pole!" "Midget!" "Bean pole!" "Midget!" "Bean Pole!" "Midget!"
They insulted each other back and forth until they were face to face with one another, glaring into each others eyes. Suddenly they broke out into a smiles and began to laugh out loud, "Hahahahahaha," they laughed as they leaned on each other.
"I've missed this." Rukia said she pulled away looking up to her friend.
"Ah," Ichigo nodded down at her. "It's really been a long time since we talked. So how do we go about restoring my powers?" he asked her as he looked towards the sword.
"The same way I gave my powers two years." she answered as she walked towards Isshin, holding out her hand for the sword, only to stiffen as Isshin hugged with tears in his eyes. "W-what?" she asked.
"Oh Masaki-chan!" he called out as he cried. "Our third daughter is back in our sons life!" he said causing Rukia and Ichigo to blush.
"W-what are you saying old man?" Ichigo yelled as he clenched his fist.
Shaking in anger and embarrassment, Rukia pushed him off her and grabbed the reiatsu sword before putting a hand forward, "SHO!" she yelled pushing him back a dozen meters, turning to Ichigo she held the sword in her hands pointed towards him. "Ichigo are ready?" she asked her voice gentle and caring.
Grabbing the blade with both hands he pointed it towards his heart, "Ready as I'll ever be." he answered and at her nodded they drove the sword through his heart.