yo! sorry it took me so long to upload, but here it is!
disclaimer: i do not own bleach, but i do own eris, rikka, zombie ninjas and i think i forgot what else i own.
anyways, got nothing up here to say, so tada! enjoy!
Chapter 20: Two Weeks
Ichigo really didn't want to wake up. He was comfortable, not too hot, not too cold, and his bed was oddly perfect. It wasn't a bright morning. Actually, it seemed like it might storm outside, which was probably why the shining sun hadn't woken him up yet. But however comfy he was, if he didn't get up soon, he was either going to get his father catapulted at him, or Eris was going to slap him awake. Why do the people I know have to be so weird? He wondered. He sighed, and started to try to open his unwilling eye. A hand on his arm nearly jerked him awake. Nearly.
"You don't have to get up yet." A feminine voice assured him. He yawned and turned over.
"Thanks." He muttered, sliding his hand under his pillow and head. A silky blanket was pulled onto him. It felt nice against his skin. In fact, if sleep hadn't been clinging to him, he felt great. Better than he had in a while. He yawned again, keeping his eyes shut as a hand gently stroked through his hair, brushing it off his face. He'd never known Eris to be so nice to him in the mornings. If she wasn't screwing with his head, she was hitting him. When a nail ran across his forehead, he was quickly hit with the realization, that this wasn't Eris. Eris kept her nails shorter and blunter than a hammer, as she often got annoyed with them. T
his sure as hell wasn't Rukia, the voice was too old to be Yuzu and Karin, so what other female would be in his bedroom? He shot up immediately, eyes wide as he turned his gaze onto an incredibly beautiful woman with dark, wildly curly hair, sun-kissed skin, thick eyelashes, and half-lidded dark eyes. Her lips were a dark red, and she was wearing a slinky black dress. He nearly had a heart attack.
"WHOAA!" He scrambled away from her, her long nail nicking the side of his face in the process. She covered her mouth as she giggled at his reactions. What was with the female sex always screwing around with his head? "What the hell are you doing here?" He demanded. Then he realized he wasn't in his room.
This bedroom was much larger, with soft, black carpet, a little bit of hardwood, dark red walls, and sets of french doors that probably led out to a balcony. Black curtains were drawn over them though. There was dark mahogany furniture all around the room. The bed was large, and sort of circular, with crimson silk sheets and blankets. The room was elegantly gorgeous, in a dark way.
"Uh, strike that." He said. "What the hell am I doing here?" The woman giggled again.
"This is your bedroom, silly." He blinked at her.
"Huh?" She rolled her eyes.
"It is now, I mean." He nodded like he understood why he'd ever have a bedrom like this.
"Ya-huh. And what am I doing here?"
"Sleeping." She answered promptly. "Or you were. How'd you sleep?"
"Um, I never knew you could sleep that well." He said truthfully. "But you know what I'm asking. Where am I and why am I here?" She smiled at him.
"You'll find out where you are soon enough, along with why you're here. Don't give me that scary look, it's nothing sinister. God, you watch too many movies." His eyes narrowed.
"You couldn't be more wrong." Hers widened.
"Huh?" She stuttered. He stood up, swinging his legs over the side of his bed, cracking his neck. He was still wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, though he was shoeless. He walked over towards the mahogany french doors. He glanced back at the woman.
"Can I open these?" She rolled her eyes, having recovered.
"It's your bedroom." He gave a sharp nod, and opened them, stepping out onto the balcony. It was huge, spreading out rather far. What he saw outside though, was even more incredible. The sky was cloudy, but where he could see it, it was a burnt red. Rivers of lava ran down black rock, though there still seemed to be plant life, however sinister it appeared. He could see a lake of water in the distance, but he knew it must be steaming hot. Strange creatures dotted the landscape, and he realized he was in a tower of a medieval-like castle. Lightning crackled on the underside of the thick, dark grey clouds. Despite how terrible it seemed, he knew exactly where he was, and it all felt kind of...homey. He twisted to glance in at the woman, who had now stood up.
"I'm in Hell, aren't I?" He asked. She nodded. "I've never seen this level before. I didn't know there was anything below where the Sinners reside."
"You've seen Hell before?" She asked, confused. "That's impossible. I thought you were human."
"It's a long story." He admitted. "I'll explain to you later, I guess." It didn't seem like anyone was trying to harm him, but he truly wanted to know why he was in Hell and being taken care of so well.
"Any personal information I should know?" He paused.
"I'm prone to an occasional psychotic outburst." He offered. Then he narrowed his eyes. "You got a problem with that?" She shook her head quickly. He turned back around and walked into the room, leaving the french doors open. He stuck out a hand. "Kurosaki Ichigo." He wasn't sure what he knew about her, so he didn't want to mention his title. It wouldn't do well to find out that everyone here hated Shinigami. He remembered his clash with Ganju very well.
"Scarlet. Think of me as your caretaker. I show you around, explain everything to you, protect you, and get you everything you need." He scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"What makes you think I need protecting?"
"If someone tries to harm you." She said with a shrug. "You wouldn't be able to take them." She said dismissively, waving her hand. Arashi nor Ichigo liked that comment, and when they spoke, their minds united for one second, to double-tone his voice.
"Woman, you have no idea what I've been through. I am much more difficult to handle than you might think." She stumbled backwards in surprise.
"Y-your voice. That's a hollow voice! You've been infected!" She declared. He sighed and shook his head.
"I haven't been infected by anything. It's a long story, alright? But I'm not like those hollow-humans." He promised. She held a finger at him accusingly.
"Your life seems to be made up of a lot of long stories." She pointed out. He sighed again and nodded.
"It is." He agreed. "I'll explain sometime." There was a soft knock at the double doors, which seemed far away.
"Come in!" She called, and what was obviously a servant stepped in, head bowed.
"I see that you are up, sir. I hope to serve you well." He said, dropping to one knee. Ichigo had no idea what was going on, but he knew he didn't like people bowing to him.
"Uh, you can get up." He said. The man shook his head.
"No, that would not be my place, sir, but thank you very much." Ichigo sighed.
"Please get up, and please don't call me sir. My name is Ichigo." He offered. Scarlet set a hand on his shoulder as the servant glanced up at him in disbelief, before quickly putting his hand down.
"It would be out of line for him, Kurosaki-dono." She said quietly. Ichigo scowled.
"I get the feeling that you have to listen to what I say, right?" She nodded. "Well, then both of you call me Ichigo, and please, stop with the kneeling. If you feel like you have to bow, fine, I can stand that, but look up at me when you're talking to me."
"Something he should not even be doing." Scarlet muttered. The man slowly stood up, forcing himself to look at Ichigo, his eyes filled with fear.
"Th-thank you...Ichigo."
"Strawberry, huh?" Scarlet asked. Ichigo sighed.
"Don't start with me." He warned. She shot him a teasing smirk.
"Oh, come on, Ichi, I'm just teasing ya." He scowled, thinking, If you call me Strawberry or Ichi again, Bankai is going to look like child's play. Ichigo turned to the servant.
"So, you came here for something?" The servant flushed.
"Yes, I was sent to inform Lady Scarlet that the King will be seeing both of you in about an hour." Ichigo had many questions, but he could wait until he was alone with Scarlet to ask.
"Uh, thanks. You can go if that's all, I guess." The servant flushed, and after giving a deep bow, rushed out of the room, closing the door behind him. Scarlet immediately bounded over to Ichigo.
"You should go bathe, sweetheart." She said. He blinked at her, and she sighed, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards a door on the other side of the room. She opened it, to show a giant pool, in stone floor, with vines that looked like sakura trees twisting all around the room. It was dimly lit by candles, and there was a case of soap in one corner. Ichigo blinked at the giant cavern.
"Holy crap." He said.
"Wondering how it seems small on the outside but big on the inside?" Scarlet asked cheerfully.
"Not really." She spluttered, obviously disappointed.
"What?!"
"Spatial distortment, right?" She sighed.
"Damned kid." She muttered. "Ruining my fun." Suddenly, Ichigo realized something. He'd had his badge in his jacket pocket, which he had passed out wearing. He quickly turned to Scarlet, barking out,
"I was wearing a jacket when you took me here, right?" She nodded. "Where is it?" She winked at him, and disappeared. When she came back, she had it in her hands. He quickly snatched it from her, and checked for his badge, which was, thankfully, there. He sighed in relief and slung it over one shoulder casually. "So I just bathe here?" He asked, eyeing the pool carefully. She bobbed her head.
"It's private, solely for your purposes. Of course, you could always bring a lady friend with you, if you so desired." She teased. When his face remained stoic, she arched an eyebrow. "Gentlemen friend?" He rolled his eyes.
"Neither. I don't date."
"Date?"
"Court, woo, have a thing for someone, be interested in someone, crush." He explained. She blinked at him.
"Why not?" She asked. "You're an attractive boy. Surely you could find someone." He shrugged.
"According to my friends, I'm chronically blind when it comes to anyone's interest in me, but evidently, there have been more than too many girls with a thing for me. I just don't date. It's useless, pointless. They're just..." He couldn't explain how unaware and miniscule they seemed in his eyes, after fighting a war. He waved a hand. "Any of the girls I wouldn't have a problem dating aren't interested in me, too old for me anyways, I don't feel that way about them, or they like or are dating someone else." He paused. "Or they're Rangiku." He snickered inwardly at the thought. Scarlet viewed him. "Anyways, dating's just not a big thing to me. I have more important things to worry about. It's the least important thing on my list." Scarlet shrugged.
"Well, I'll bring over a towel, you can just get in the water. Watch out; it gets hotter towards the center. It's pretty shallow, four feet I'd say, at the edges, but about eight feet at the middle." She said, shrugging again. "I'll go get you your towel. You can strip. I won't look. Just call me when you're in the water." She headed out of the room, and it wasn't long before Ichigo had pulled some soap by the edge and slipped into the water. It was pleasantly warm, verging on hot, but he liked it.
"Safe?" She called out. He nodded.
"Yes." She walked in and set his towel by the pile of clothes he'd instinctively folded. Evidently, not all of his instincts were for fighting. She snorted when she saw it, and he started protesting at her expression. "Hey! My little sister yells at me when I don't fold it! It's automatic!" She rolled her eyes.
"You're a neat person, aren't you?" She asked, sitting by the edge. He noticed how she was careful not to look in, and appreciated the privacy, though he didn't really care what she saw. He nodded.
"Yeah, I guess. I'm not obsessive about it, but it's just more convenient for me." He admitted. "Besides, my friends have a habit of coming in through my window at all hours, so I usually keep my room relatively clean." He decided not to mention the girl hijacking his bed, or the girl sleeping in his closet. "Scarlet, please, tell me, what am I here for? My friends and family must be going out of their minds worrying for me." Ichigo asked carefully. Scarlet sighed.
"First thing you should know; these lower levels of Hell are where demons live. We usually don't leave Hell, because we like it here, and have remained neutral to everyone. The King of Hell has put you under protection here. He says that there's something big coming, and that you play a key role. He wants to protect you, because he thinks you're important somehow. He hasn't given us specifics, but we will not harm you." He considered something.
"It doesn't count as harming if I get into a fight with someone, right?" The look of horror on her face almost sent him into a fit of laughter.
"We would never be so rude." She declared.
"I have a short temper." He warned her. "Besides, it's alright. I'm used to it. People always want to fight me. They want to fight me because I'm different, because I "stand out"." He pointed at his hair. "The color's more trouble than it's worth, but I won't ever dye it because it's the people that's the problem. They feel like they've got something to prove, and it just makes them weak." Scarlet looked quietly off to the side.
"You've been in many fights, I've taken?"
"Too many to count." He said quietly. "Some were worth it. Others weren't."
"Worth it for what?"
"I'll tell you eventually." He finished. She took it as her cue to leave. When he came out, towel wrapped around his waist, he found that Scarlet was no longer in the room, and there was a black kimono on his bed. A voice called through the door,
"Please put it on." He considered asking for a shihakusho, but didn't, instead choosing to put on the kimono, and slipped his substitute badge into it. After allowing her to come back in, her eyes brightened as she viewed him. "You look good in black." She assured him. He burst out laughing. She gave him a confused look, and he just shook his head.
"Never mind." He said.
After a little bit longer, he was led down corridors, staircases, large rooms. It was all stone, arches, and intricate designs. They didn't pass many people, just the servants, who kept their heads bowed. Eventually, she showed him to two especially huge doors.
"This is the throne room." She informed him. "Everyone in there is royalty." He got the message; Watch how you act. He would watch how he acted when hell froze over. When the giant doors opened, they stepped inside. There were plenty of nobles lining the middle hall, but at the center, a man with long dark hair and green eyes stared back, dressed in hakama pants and an open robe, showing his bare chest. He had a crown hung crookedly on his head and his feet slung the arm rest of his thrown. He looked lazy and cocky.
Now that's a king. It took all of Ichigo's willpower to keep a straight face.
Uh-huh.
You could take some notes from him, King. Ichigo ignored Arashi. On the right side of the king, in a slightly smaller thrown, sat what Ichigo assumed to be the Prince of Hell. He had a less extravagant crown, permanent stick-up-his-ass kind of face, and beady rat eyes that were trained on Ichigo. Ichigo crossed his arms and snorted, even though Scarlet fell to one knee, bowing her head.
"My liege." She said. Ichigo glanced down distastefully. She looked up, a horrified look on her face. "Get down here!" She hissed.
"It's alright." The King of Hell said. "I don't expect him to bow. He is a Prince of Hell after all." Ichigo didn't even bother to freak out, unflinching. His father had kept so many secrets from him, that he just wasn't surprised anymore. The King cocked his head to the side. "You don't seem surprised."
"I learned to stop being surprised two years ago." Ichigo said in a flat tone. "So mind explaining my heritage to me?" the King grinned.
"Abilities from Hell aren't like high reiatsu, where every kid gets it. Your mother, Kurosaki Masaki, was my daughter, though she was given to a good home in the living world because she was born without any abilities. But she was still a carrier, so you seem to have received an inclination towards Hell. You are a high-class demon and a Prince of Hell." The King explained. Ichigo sighed.
"Figures." The other prince immediately shot to his feet.
"Don't talk to my father like that!" He shouted. Ichigo walked down the line, to get a little closer, to hear a little better. He glanced at the prince.
"So who's the whiny brat? Another one of your kids?" Ichigo asked the King, who blinked. The prince started to simmer where he stood.
"LEARN YOUR PLACE, HUMAN!" Ichigo gave him a sideways look.
"Ya-hah. You let me know how that goes."
"You are weak, human scum with no place here." The boy hissed. "I don't even know why my father brought you here, which is obviously a mistake on your part. You don't have the right to stand here in front of us and speak to me like that. Don't you dare insult me or you will-," The boy was silenced by a foot in his mouth, that knocked him flying into his throne, nearly tiping it over. He stared at Ichigo for a second, much like the other nobles. The King burst out laughing. Ichigo shrugged, still scowling.
"You were spewing nonsense. That sort of thing seems to work most of the time." The boy pulled out a katana and held it at Ichigo's throat. Ichigo refused to flinch.
"Are you challenging me, peasant?" The boy hissed. "With your watered-down bloodline?" Ichigo pushed the katana away from his throat with his fingers.
"Please. You couldn't beat me if I blindfolded myself, tied one hand behind my back, and used my other hand to help you." The boy looked to his father, who was ready to start howling with laughter.
"Father, may I challenge this human for his right to princehood?" King glanced to Ichigo.
"I believe it is his choice." Ichigo shrugged.
"Come at me, rat-boy. You choose the rules to the fight." Ichigo said simply. The boy grinned.
"No rules." Ichigo grinned back.
"You're going to regret that. Prepare to be maimed." He said, stepping a little bit further away from the throne. The boy jumped down a few steps, getting into a Kendo position. He hissed at Ichigo again. Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Where I come from, when you start a fight, you ask their name, to know who it is that you are going to defeat or get beaten by. Introduce yourself." Ichigo maintained a calm demeanor. The boy jutted his chin out.
"Kai, Prince of Hell." Ichigo grinned, and pulled the badge out of his kimono.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, Substitute Shinigami." The boy's eyes widened as he slammed the badge into his chest, and got knocked out of his body. He set down, enjoying the feeling of being unlinked. Everyone blinked hard and jumped to their feet, even the King of Hell.
"You're a Shinigami!" The King exclaimed. Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck.
"I sort of thought you knew that."
"I can take on a fucking Shinigami!" Kai yelled, rushing at Ichigo. Ichigo pulled Zangetsu off his back, hardly noticing he had stayed in Shikai. He easily blocked the first blow, and the fight settled into a dance of Shunpo and Sonido for him. Kai was good, and he kept blasting these little energy rays at him, which he found annoying. Finally, after he'd gotten his uniform torn, Kai sneered, "Weak, aren't we?" Ichigo grinned at him.
"You're slow." Suddenly, he disappeared, and then reappeared. Blood dripped down Kai's cheek, and his eyes widened as he touched it. "Honestly, I'd try to fight you, but Grimmjow had more bite than you. However, perhaps I should show you why you'll never beat me?" Kai was speechless. Ichigo let go of control of his reiatsu, and Kai dropped to the floor, gasping, unable to breathe against it. Most of the other demons had dropped too, and only the King remained standing, grinning wildly, eyes dancing with mirth.
"This is what happens when I don't focus on absorbing all of my reiatsu, Kai. And I'm only in Shikai." He pulled it back, and the ground be blown apart by his silvery blue-gold reiatsu, Kai being able to get to his feet. Ichigo swung his arm in front of him, and put on hand against it. "BANKAI!" He yelled. Kai's eyes widened as he ducked for cover against the reiatsu. When it was over, everyone stared at him. Suddenly, Ichigo reached up and ripped his mask over his face. Kai tried to scramble away, bloodied from simply the explosion. He fell across the steps, eyes wide with fear. "What's wrong? Haven't you ever felt reiatsu like this before, Kai?" Kai gasped.
"You're a hollow!" He exclaimed. Ichigo sighed.
"I'm a Vizard. I have an insane inner hollow in my soul. I'm a lot nicer than he is though. Trust me. He wants to eat you."
Damn right I do.
"Perhaps I should show you my Resurreccion?" Ichigo mused. The smile faded from the King's face as he stood up.
"I didn't know Vizards could have Resurreccion." Ichigo removed his mask. Not, crushing it, but just taking it off his face and looking at it.
"Vizards aren't supposed to exist. Besides, I'm not the same as the rest of them. They had a hollow forced into your soul. Mine was born out of my soul. I'm not half and half. I'm a hollow. I'm a Shinigami." The King seemed to understand.
"There is no division in your soul. You're not split in half. You're both at the same time." Ichigo nodded.
"Very few people seem to get that. Now, I don't know what you want me here for, but unless you explain fast, I'm leaving. Don't you dare treat me like anything less than an equal either. I don't care what the hell your status is. My power level may not be equal to yours, but my growth rate is unholy." The King of Hell raised an eyebrow.
"How can your growth rate be unholy?" Kai spat out. Ichigo grinned.
"You'll see soon enough." Ichigo said. "Here's a hint; I learned Bankai in two and a half days and mastered it in one afternoon." the King of Hell looked intrigued."I fought in a war. I watched people die. I've killed people, to protect a friend. Everything I've done, all the times that I've died, all the pain that I've gone through. Just because you say you're King doesn't mean anything. You get to a point where titles mean nothing." Ichigo finished. Everyone was silent, until finally, a sly smile spread across the King's face.
"You were exactly what I was hoping for, Kurosaki Ichigo."
XXXX
(TWO WEEKS LATER)
This time, no one bothered to keep it quiet. When Ichigo disappeared, even the police were informed. Students at school were scouring for him, and even Ochi-sensei looked nauseous when anyone mentioned his name. Today, a lot of the Gotei 14 were meeting up at the warehouse, discussing how they were going to look for the poor boy next. They had all taken seats.
"Urahara, are you any closer to a breakthrough on nullifying the effects of the miasma?" Toshiro asked quietly. Urahara shook his head, looking broken. Some people were grieving so badly that they were completely unable to speak about Ichigo. The only one of Ichigo's close friends that was holding up well was Eris, who seemed completely unconcerned. That had earned her dark hatred from several people, but Toshiro had a feeling that she wouldn't be acting like this without a reason.
Today, finally, Renji sprang from his seat, red-hot with anger.
"HE'S BEEN THERE FOR TWO FREAKING WEEKS!" He roared. "WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF HE'S DEAD OR ALIVE ANYMORE!"
"Abarai-fukutaicho." Byakuya said, though his cold voice was only half-hearted. "We understand how frustrating this must be for his friends. But there is simply nothing we can do. We have no way of reaching him."
"Why don't we capture a Sinner and make them help us?"
"I could always test on them." Mayuri suggested. "I would love to dissect one." Urahara sighed.
"Mayuri, not even the sinners can survive down there." Mayuri sighed.
"Well then the boy's as good as dead."
"I'm as good as WHAT?!" The startled voice asked, and everyone twisted immediately to see Ichigo leaning against the wall of the warehouse. He was in his human body, with his DON'T FEAR THE REAPER t-shirt, torn jeans, ratty sneakers and jacket. The black pendant was sitting out, on a silver chain. However, his hair had grown even more. His skin was sun-kissed, and his amber eyes warm. He had long eyelashes that most girls would be jealous of, an angular face, perfect cheekbones, and full lips. Everyone could estimate that he was about two years older, and everyone admitted that he looked like an angel among people. Everything about him was light and open, attractive, and inviting, disguising the fact that he was deadly.
"ICHIGO!" People shrieked. Ichigo grinned.
"Hey guys." He said. "Sorry I'm late."
"LATE?!" Eris shrieked, springing out of her chair and whacking him on the head. "TWO HOURS, IS LATE. TWO WEEKS, IS A MISSING PERSON'S REPORT!" When she tried to hit him again, he easily caught her hand, and shot her a level look, pulling her slightly closer and forcing her to look him straight in the eyes.
"Two weeks for you. Five months for me." He said quietly, releasing her. She flung her arms around his neck immediately, hugging him.
"NO WONDER YOU'RE SO GORGEOUS!" She shrieked excitedly. He pulled back.
"WHAT?!" Eris burst out laughing.
"You haven't changed. Say, what did they do to you while you were there for five months? Did they hurt you?" He grinned.
"Only when I goaded one of them into a fight." Eris narrowed her eyes.
"With who?"
"The Prince of Hell." She pretty much spittaked.
"JESUS CHRIST BOY, I FUCKING LOVE YOU!" After she hugged him again, happy danced, and smooched him loudly on the cheek, she asked, "Who won?"
"I did."
"GOOD MAN!" She clapped him on the shoulder. Suddenly, there was a loud yell of,
"IIIIIICHIIIIGOOOOO!" And his dad came flying at him from the side. Ichigo's reaction was not unexpected. Faster than lightning, he grabbed his old man's foot and in a second slammed him into the ground. Before anyone could blink, he had both of the man's hands behind his back and his foot at his neck.
"Damn man," Ichigo muttered. "Will you quit doing that?!"
"ICHIGO I'M SO GLAD YOU ARE ALIVE AND WELL! AND YOUR REFLEXES HAVE IMPROVED! I HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO TEACH YOU!" He yelled into the dirt.
"Yeah, yeah." Ichigo muttered. He turned to everyone, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "So yeah, sorry if I scared the hell out of you guys, I really was kidnapped in my sleep and I nearly had a heart attack when I woke up in Hell. But I'm fine and I would have come back sooner but I was physically not allowed to." A look of annoyance flitted across his face. "Anyways, uh, it would be better if I didn't give you the specifics." He admitted.
"WHAT?!" Rukia yelled angrily. "You disappear for TWO WEEKS and you won't tell us what you've been doing? Why the hell did they kidnap you in the first place?" Everyone took a step back as his eyes turned yellow, like it did when he hollowfied, but there was no black sclera this time. His reiatsu flared darkly and everyone took a step back fearfully. They had never felt this before.
"It was five months, damnit, where I was. So by this point, I really don't give a damn what you think about it. I just wanted to come home and see everyone again, alright?" He snapped. "So don't start with me, Rukia." Rukia went silent.
"A-are you alright?" She asked quietly. Ichigo nodded.
"I'm fine, though I find myself missing the air quality." He admitted. Eris jumped straight onto his back. "WAAAH!" He shifted her so she was piggyback, glaring up at her. "Could you give me some warning?" He inquired. She snorted.
"We actually have to head back over to school; we skipped lunch to meet here. You wanna come with us?" She said. He rolled his eyes.
"Nope. It would give Ochi-sensei a heart attack."
"Touche. Why don't we head back to school and you get reacquainted with everyone?" Before he could say anything, she patted him on the head, pecked him on the cheek, and slithered off his back. He caught her arm, and looked at everyone who was going to go back to school.
"If you feel like mentioning that I'm back, feel free to. But make the official story that I was drugged a lot and can't remember most of it. I'll work on my "escaped, drugged kidnappee" appearance later."
"Can I help?!" Eris asked cheerfully. Ichigo snorted.
"I don't think you'd like to help with what I have in mind."
"No, I get to dirty your clothes." Everyone paused.
"I think that might have been suggestive." Ichigo informed her. She poked him in the nose.
"Well, it wasn't supposed to be."
"Aw, is someone embarrassed?"
"Hell no." She said shortly.
"I can see it in your eyes."
"Stop it!"
"Stop what?" He asked innocently. She made a frustrated noise.
"You know what! Teasing me, damnit! Usually I'm the one who's teasing you!" She said angrily. He shrugged at her.
"Through the entire uh, little "trip", I have confirmed that the female gender just likes to screw with my head for whatever reason. It doesn't really bother me anymore."
"Damn kid."
"I'm a legal adult." He pointed out. She blinked and he sighed.
"What are you going to do then?" He shrugged.
"Maybe get my GED early." He admitted. Toshiro tapped Eris on the shoulder.
"Not that I want to interrupt your conversation, but we should get back." Eris nodded, and hugged Ichigo again.
"Bye bye Ichi!" She cackled, speeding away. Toshiro glanced at Ichigo, giving the young man a brief smile.
"It's nice to have you back, Kurosaki." He said. Rukia, Hinamori, and Inoue hugged him on the way out, sobbing their eyes out. Renji clapped him on the back, eyes looking a little watery while he joked about too many crying girls, and Ishida pushed up his glasses, pretending to be indifferent, but Ichigo spotted the tears in his eyes. Chad and Ichigo didn't hug or anything, but they shared an understanding look, and Ichigo gave one of his rare smiles, the deep, genuine kind that lit up his face and made your knees knock. Chad gave a sharp nod before leaving to. When he turned back to everyone, Kyoraku tipped his hat.
"I see you're doing well, Kurosaki. Hell truly was healthy for you, wasn't it?" Ichigo nodded.
"What kind of kido did they use to nullify the effects of the miasma?" Soi Fon asked curiously. Ichigo shrugged.
"I was unconscious at the time, so I don't really know. Besides, I'm not a kido genius." He admitted. Abruptly, he turned to Urahara and Isshin. "Can you two come here?" He inquired. They exchanged confused looks and stepped forward. He grabbed them by their collars, ignoring their protests and dragged them out of the room.
"What's he doing?" Ukitake wondered. There was a loud bang! and a unified wail of,
"WE'RE SORRY, WE'RE SORRY!" There were some more smashes and clatters, the noise of a fist hitting a face (several times) and yelps of pain. When Ichigo came back, he was dragging Isshin and Urahara on the ground. They were smoking, with bruises and scrapes all along their body. A small fire burned on Isshin's collar. Their eyes were wide and they looked a little charred. Ichigo tossed them onto the ground, crossing his arms and smirking.
"Understand?" He asked them. They quickly nodded, Isshin trying to pay out the fire.
"What was that about?" Yoruichi asked incredulously. Ichigo shot her a murderous look.
"You don't want to know." He promised her. "Now has anyone seen that blue-haired prick? I need to go bug him about something."
"Grimmjow?" Soi Fon asked. Ichigo rolled his eyes.
"Do you know another blue-haired prick?" Everyone went silent. "Thought so. And tell me now, or I'll start yelling out Grimmy-kitty and sic him on you." He threatened.
"Like you could do that." Yoruichi said. The crazy grin that lit up his face was enough to assure every single person in the room that Ichigo could, in fact, do that.
"We don't know." Urahara groaned out, getting to his feet. Ichigo sighed.
"GRIMMYKITTY!" The Arrancar flashed next to Ichigo.
"What?" He demanded scowling. Ichigo grinned.
"I need your help with something."
"Why should I do that?" He snarled. Ichigo tilted his head to the side.
"Tsk, tsk. Have some faith." Grimmjow didn't change. He sighed. "Fine. I learned Bankai in three days. What do you think I learned in five months?" Grimmjow's eyes widened, as did everyone else's, as the chilling revelation settled over them. "Ah, there's the spirit. Now, come along, Grimmy-kitty. You need to test something." Ichigo grabbed Grimmjow by the shoulder and practically hauled him off his feet as he towed the Arrancar off. Once he was gone, everyone exchanged looks. Isshin sat down, eyes wide.
"He seems...different." Gin concluded. "Ichigo, I mean. More mature."
"He's eighteen." The hoarse voice of his father was unmistakable. Everyone looked at Isshin, who repeated it again, staring at the ground. "He's eighteen." Shinji slapped Isshin on the back.
"They grow up so fast, huh?" But his smile quickly faded as he thought about it.
"Looks like Ichigo-kun is all grown up and we missed the last bit of his childhood." Urahara said, shaking his head.
"He's gonna wanna move out soon." Isshin realized. "And to get his GED as fast as possible, to go to college. Hell, I don't even know what he wants to do in life."
"Isshin, if he's an adult, you know that means he gets all the money in the account you and Masaki set up for him." Yoruichi pointed out. "Jesus Christ, that kid can live in a friggin' castle if he wants to."
"What do you mean?" Soi Fon asked. Yoruichi glanced back at her.
"Isshin had adequate funds from being a captain and Masaki's parents were loaded. Considering all the interest the account has been gaining over the years, there's probably more than two million dollars in there." She explained. Everyone's eyes widened. Suddenly, Ichigo's head popped into the room, as he was peering around the corner,
"Oi, you talking about the account? 'Cause apparently Mom had some far-off relatives who chose to donate about another four million. The interest of a million sitting in there would be about sixty bucks a day. S'pose I'll do the math later. And stop talking about me when I'm not around!" He snapped, before flashing away. Everyone was taken aback by his blunt attitude.
XXXX
Ochi-sensei had her hands full at school by a group of cheerful students. She glared at them.
"How can you be acting like this, when one of your friends is missing?!" She roared angrily. Eris jumped straight onto her desk.
"They found him!" She shrieked. "And he's okay! Little bit drugged-up with a fuzzy memory of what the hell's been happening to him for the past two weeks, but he's okay!" Ochi-sensei dropped her pointer.
"Ichigo's back?" She asked in disbelief. Eris nodded.
"Yup! Don't know anything about whoever dragged him off yet, or why, but he's fine!"
"He's unharmed? Does he remember who attacked him?" Ochi-sensei demanded, the rest of the class also riveted.
"Few bruises, like maybe they punched him a few times, but he's had worse. Other than that, nope, not a scratch. And no, he doesn't know who attacked him. Like I said, they kept him drugged for most of the time, and those few moments of clarity in between he was either unconscious, or nothing distinctive happened and they just kind of blended in with the rest of the haze. He might remember in a few weeks, or start dreaming about it, but other than that, he probably won't remember much for now." Tatsuki, who hadn't been told Ichigo had been dragged to Hell (she would have only panicked), let out a sigh of relief, along with his other friends.
"Can we see him?" She asked Eris, who had settled into a criss-cross position on her desk. Eris shook her head.
"Nah, probably not for a few days, unless his father says otherwise, but give him a call. I'm sure he'd love to here from you. And just to be on the safe side. His definition of fine is usually a bit skewed." Tatsuki nodded fervently.
"Is he in any pain now?" She demanded to know. Eris shook her head.
"He was kind of cheerful, actually. It was weird. He was like a happy bunny. His dad said that it was just an effect of the drugs his captors used, and it would wear off in a few hours. I'm sure that scowling, moody teenager will come back soon enough. But if you want to meet the Ichi-bunny, call now, while drugs last." Ochi-sensei didn't even bother to stop the students from whipping out their cell phones.
XXXX
"Yes, Tatsuki. I'm fine. Who was it that called me a damn bunny? Was it Eris?" He demanded into the phone, pacing up and down the length of the warehouse.
XXXX
Back in the classroom, they were taking turns calling the Vizard, putting him on speaker phone so everyone could hear.
"It wasn't Eris, Ichigo. Why do you just assume it was her?" Tatsuki said, trying not to laugh.
"Because it was." He stated dully. "I am not a happy bunny!"
"Aw, does the little strawberry not like being a bunny?"
"It reminds me too much of Rukia's obession with Chappy, and especially that stupid pyoning gikongan. So no. Chappy freaks the hell out of me by this point. Especially since Grimmjow stole one of her bunnies and turned it into a Hell Bunny. It looks like a demented puppet." It took everyone wrestling Rukia to the ground to keep her silent.
"Gikongan?" Tatsuki asked, confused.
"Talking doll. You can record it to say stuff, but after every sentence, it says pyon. She left it on for like, eighteen hours straight. I almost decapitated it." Tatsuki laughed.
"So, how are you holding up, like emotionally?"
"Never had any-Grimmjow, will you stop puppetmastering that thing?"
"Aw, is the big, bad Vizard afraid of a widdle bunny?" The teasing voice belonged to Grimmjow. Ichigo growled, and suddenly there was a loud crack. "SHIT MY ARM'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BEND THAT WAY, YOU BASTARD!"
"Sorry about that, what were you saying?" Tatsuki howled with laughter. "Hey, um give me a second. My dad's coming by me."
"IIIICHIIIGOOOO!" The loud shot belonging to Isshin blared through the phone. "FLYING PUNISHMENT KICK, STERN FATHER STYLE!"
"HOLY CRAP YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ATTACK YOUR OWN SON!" There was a shout, and a loud thump.
"Ugghh...where did you learn that?" The dizzy voice asked.
"Hell. Now shut up and go away."
"Can't do that. You need to be under observation for twenty four hours, which means relaxing. Lie in bed, on the couch, I don't care."
"Wow, are you actually speaking to me sanely?"
"Relax. Now." The voice came through.
"Come on, I'm fine. I'm just talking to a friend-,"
"DOCTOR KUROSAKI STYLE; UNRULY PATIENT TAKEDOWN!"
"HOLY CRAP!" There was a loud slam, and the noise of, "Ugh...Get off me, you lunatic. You're trying to subdue me, not to injure me."
"It's only a small fracture." The voice maintained. "Sorry Tatsuki, Ichigo can't come to the phone right now, would you like to leave a mess-WAAAAH!" There was another loud thump.
"Sorry you had to hear all that." Ichigo's voice came on again. "He should leave me alone for a few more minutes before he comes back with Urahara to try again."
"They gonna break out the kido?" Eris inquired.
"Unfortunately yes-hey wait a minute! Damnit, you have me on speaker phone, don't you Tatsuki?" Tatsuki giggled. "Son of a-"
"SAI!"
"WAAAH!" There were a few more thumps, a loud crack, and a yelp of pain.
"SORRY, SORRY, SORRY!" Urahara yelled as he scampered away, dodging various Byakurai. Tatsuki, along with many others, wasn't quite sure what was going on, on the other end of the line, but they found it hysterical.
"What the hell is going on there, Ichigo?" Tatsuki finally managed to ask. Ichigo sighed.
"To put it shortly, my nutty father, my whacky uncle, and my completely insane aunt are trying to put me under observation. I refuse."
"Wait a second, who's your uncle? And your aunt?" Tatsuki asked, confused.
"Yeah, Urahara's related to my family by marriage, as it turns out. He's not technically my uncle, but it's a lot less confusing than his relation to me. And my aunt is Yoruichi. Why are they all crazy?"
"Ichigo, you were drugged for just about two weeks straight. Why do you sound so okay?" She demanded.
"I recover quickly?" He offered. "I feel fine. My head is clear for the first time in a while, and considering I've been mostly immobile for about two weeks, I have too much energy to sit around and do nothing."
"He's a resilient kid." Eris chirped.
"Is that Eris?" Ichigo's voice crackled off. Eris rolled her eyes.
"How dare you not recognize my lovely voice, baka."
"I'm just not even going to argue." He said, sounding defeated. She crossed her arms and pouted. "Stop pouting." She froze, eyes widening.
"I wasn't pouting." She scoffed.
"Liar."
"How did you even know?!"
"I know you. You pout when I don't fight back."
"Go to H- Never mind." She corrected herself. She could hear him laughing on the other end.
"So, can anyone bring me school work? 'Cause I'm probably be going to be out for another weak and I'm already behind-,"
"HAINAWA!"
"SHIT!" There was a loud thump, and Ichigo started to yell out, "LET ME GO, GODDAMNIT!"
"HAKUFUKU!" There was a small sigh and another thump, as the kido-users knew that Ichigo had passed out. There was a clapping noise. "Works everytime. Sorry Tatsuki-chan, and whoever else happens to be listening, but Ichigo-kun decided to take a little "nap." I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to call back later, and you should be able to visit Ichigo-kun in a few days."
"Um, who is this?" Ochi-sensei asked carefully.
"Urahara Kiske!" The voice said cheerfully. "As you may have heard, Ichigo-kun's whacky uncle." Ochi-sensei nodded, narrowing her eyes.
"Tell me, Urahara-san, did you just knock Kurosaki out?"
"Well, yes." Urahara admitted, hardly deterred by the question.
"Isn't that, I don't know, assault?" Ochi-sensei inquired.
"His father gave me full permission." Urahara maintained. There was a roar of laughter in the background. "Grimmjow-kun, I'm on the phone!" The voice hissed.
"Like I give a fuck." Grimmjow sneered.
"That lovely girl you are obsessed with is listening. I'm sure Eris-chan would not prefer you use that sort of language."
"I'M NOT OBSESSED WITH HER, YOU DAMN SHOPKEEPER!" The voice roared.
"I beg to differ." Eris called out into the phone, snickering.
"Wait, wha-?" A sleepy voice asked, something Eris recognized as Ichigo's. There was a loud smacking noise, and Ichigo groaned. "Hey, that hurt! I'm only half awake, don't attack me!"
"Damnit, it was supposed to knock you out! When did you get so durable, Ichigo-kun?"
"Go to Hell."
"HAKUFUKU!" Another small breath and a muffled thump. "Now, Grimmjow-kun, I believe that you were the one to wake Ichigo-kun up. We've put a lot of effort into restraining him, and it would be best if you settled down."
"THAT'S IT! I'M GOING BACK TO HUECO MUNDO!"
"HAKUFUKU!" There was a much louder thump. "Tsk, tsk, so troublesome Grimmjow-kun." Eris let a crazy grin spread across her face.
"And you thought Ichigo was joking when he said "whacky uncle." She said to Tatsuki. Tatsuki snorted.
"I apologize for the disturbance, but I really must hide Grimmjow's body. Don't worry, he'll be completely fine when he wakes up." The shopkeeper chatted. "Goodbye!" The phone went silent as Urahara hung up. Everyone exchanged looks.
"Ichigo has an interesting family." Mizuiro finally said. Eris sighed.
"That wasn't all of them. They can never all be in the same place at once or things take a turn for the worse." Rukia admitted.
"It's hysterical." Eris offered. "Especially when the rest of the Shihouins get involved."
"Shihouins?" Ochi-sensei asked. Eris gave a sharp nod.
"Hai. That's Ichigo's family name. His grandfather was the Soshu, but then his father decided to leave the family for whatever reason and took Ichigo's mother's name when they got married. The Shihouins were more than thrilled to find that they had another member."
"Especially one like Ichigo." Rukia added in. Ochi-sensei gave her a confused look.
"What do you mean?"
"A fighter." Eris answered promptly. "The Shihouins don't like talk unless you have something to back it up. They have a history of martial arts, ninjas, and samurai. Considering that Ichigo's fighting skills are far more than superb, he was welcomed with open arms, though I don't believe he'll change his last name." Ochi-sensei blinked at her.
"You mean his name should be Shihouin Ichigo?" She asked.
"I still prefer Kurosaki Ichigo." Eris said.
"It sounds better." Chad admitted.
"Actually, sometimes the Shihouins use a westernized style so his name would be Ichigo Kurosaki." Rukia informed them. One of the boys in the class with a hatred for Ichigo demaded to know,
"How come he got kidnapped if he's such a good fighter?" The boy snarled.
"Tranquilizers probably. They could have always shot him from a distance." Ishida said, pushing up his glasses. Eris nodded.
"Ranged weapons aren't exactly his forte." She explained. "If they shot him from a hundred yards away from behind, he can't really react."
"Things would have been different if he'd had a weapon on him." Chad stated slowly. The boy sniffed.
"You're all acting like he's this super-dangerous guy, but it's just all talk!" They all looked at each other, and let out a bitter laugh. "What?" He demanded. Eris shrugged.
"You think that we're just saying that he's dangerous, but that's hardly true. He is dangerous, when he wants to be. Honestly, a nice guy otherwise, but the moment you threaten something that matters to him, you don't attack. You don't fight back. You run. Because if he was ever driven to a breaking point, I believe that he would kill you."
"He wouldn't half-ass it." Renji added off-handedly. Everyone looked alarmed. Hinamori tried to help the situation.
"On a different note, he would die for his friends too."
"That makes me feel so much better." The boy said sarcastically. Eris grinned.
XXXX
It had been a few hours since the whole phone call incident, and Ichigo was groggily climbing out of bed. Just as he was scraping back thick orange locks, Urahara barged into his room and the strawberry nearly had a heart attack.
"Ichigo-kun!" Urahara exclaiemd enthusiastically. Ichigo took a deep breath.
"What do you want?" He snapped, still a little pissy about being knocked out earlier. Urahara flicked his fan up, looking wounded.
"Don't be so mean Ichigo-kun!" Ichigo looked at him expectantly, and Urahara sighed."I'm here because Yamamoto has plans for a fourteenth division in the Soul Society, and he had started them when you reinstated it. Since Fourteenth isn't official yet, he was wondering if you could change it to Fifteenth." Ichigo shrugged.
"Sure. I don't care." Now that he had woken up, he found that he was a little bit sleepy. Maybe he should go back to sleep. Urahara's face brightened.
"Thanks Ichigo-kun!" He chirped. "I'll pass on the message to Yamamoto!" He flitted off, and deciding it was high time to attempt changing in his human form, Ichigo shut his eyes and concentrated. Urahara had assured him that animal transformation in his human body was easily possible, but to be careful about changing in front of other people, because everyone would be able to see it, even those not spiritually aware. Before he knew it, he was in fox form and slipping out of his clothes as not to tear them. He settled down on his bed, and allowed himself to change into his smaller, cub form. Burying his face against the blankets, he quickly fell asleep.
XXXX
Eris pretty much exploded from cuteness when she entered Ichigo's room. She let out a loud squeal, and immediately clapped a hand over her mouth as not to wake him as she hopped around ecstatically. She collapsed to her knees, still squeaking, eyes rolling back into her head as she let herself fall back. When the itty bitty fox cub shifted, she shot to her feet, and gently sat down on the bed, stroking his fur and playing with his ears gently. When it seemed like he was dead asleep, she scooped him up, shifting him in her arms. He snuggled into her arm, unaware of mostly everything.
"Why are you so cute, huh?" She whispered, scratching his ears. "And you, of all people, are perfect for cuddling." He made a small noise, and his head drooped forward, sliding off her shoulder. She lifted it up gently on her arm, trying not to squeal. He was just so damn cute. Suddenly, there were loud voices and everyone barged into Ichigo's room, talking loudly. "SHHH!" They immediately shut up. Hinamori and Rukia fell to the ground twitching at the cuteness of it, while everyone else stared.
"Eris, what the-," Renji started. At a sharp glare, he dropped his voice. "Is Ichigo asleep?" He whispered. Eris nodded.
"Do you really think he'd let me do this if he was awake? I just came in and he was soooo cute that I couldn't resist." As if on cue, the small fox in her arms yawned very widely, before collapsing back against her, dead to the world. Hinamori, Rukia, and Eris let out a simultaneous squeal.
"Should we leave then, if he can wake up at any time?" Ishida wondered.
"Or should we just wake him up?" Toshiro asked. Eris shook her head.
"Nah, we should probably let him sleep. Hakufuku!" Ichigo didn't move, but his sleep would be much deeper. "I don't think you have to leave now. He shouldn't wake up for a while." She assured them. Rukia sat on the floor near Ichigo's bed. She and Hinamori reached up, petting him gently.
"Damnit Ichigo, why do you have to be so cute!" Rukia whispered. For the rest of the evening, they all talked quietly about useless things, not going to get into a serious conversation without their orange-headed fox friend, but not willing to wake him up. Even though Ichigo didn't have a social presence, it was comforting just knowing that he was there. Toshiro knew that he wasn't the only one who was nearly overwhelmed when Eris laid down on her side, and Ichigo crawled half asleep towards her, settling under her arm and nuzzling her neck.
XXXX
"So, Ichi's back?" Akira asked, slapping Byakuya on the back. Byakuya glared at him, forgetting that he was disrespecting his elder for a second, a man who had more power in his little finger than Byakuya would ever attain. Byakuya nodded. Kazuma sat down, sliding out mugs of tea to everyone. He folded his legs and held his own politely, looking lost in thought. Finally, the Fourth Seat glanced up at them, his voice quiet.
"Reckon he's ready to have it back yet?" Akira went strangely silent, confusing Byakuya even further.
"Maybe."
"You want to test him." Kazuma stated, in a manner similar to the Arrancar Ulquoirra's. Akira nodded sharply.
"If he gets it back, I don't want to kill him. I don't want to ruin his life." He admitted.
"Shouldn't you already know if he's ready or not? You should have seen it far beforehand, right?" Kazuma inquired. Akira shook his head.
"No. Not my power. It won't respond to me, and the threads it has lent me have been fleeting, weak, and unimportant. It's not the same. He would know though." Akira admitted. Kazuma tilted his head a little. "You saw what it did to him, Kazuma. That can't happen again, because he really will die this time."
"Why are you speaking like this in front of me?" Byakuya demanded. Akira gave him a withering look. "Obviously, this is information you don't want Kurosaki Ichigo to know. You assume that I will not tell him, do you not?"
"You won't." Kazuma said quietly. "He'll know soon enough, but you won't tell him." Kazuma was right; Byakuya did not plan on telling the boy.
"You said he will die this time. Whatever this power is, that you are discussing, it almost killed him?" Byakuya inquired. Akira nodded.
"When he was seven. It was terrifying. We tried to help him, medically, but everything we could possibly monitor...was off the charts. People can't survive at that level." Akira confirmed. "That power...would have killed him eventually."
"That wasn't the first time." Byakuya stated. Kazuma shook his head.
"That's why he was diagnosed with epilepsy from a young age, even though that's not a condition he has. We have reason to believe that his human form can handle it now."
"Will you tell me what this is?" Byakuya questioned.
"No."
"Very well."
XXXX
so...MHUAHAHAHAHAHAHA i'm always keeping things from ichigo! his past is shrouded in mystery, even more so his past lives! if you think that i'm just throwing random shit at him, as in terms of powers, that is not true. i haz a plan. and it all ties in.
but yes, i sort of adjust the plan and make it up as i go along.
so, usual...
REVIEW! seriously, i have like, over 60000 words, and i've got 27 reviews! you disappoint, random readers! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
THE...
TURTLE...
MONSTER...
SHALL...
EAT...
YOUR...
SOUL...
MHUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
stay tuned!