Title: Fated Souls
Rating: T
DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!
MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: So here is another quick update of Fated Souls. Now I have some sad news. My winter break is coming to an end with only one week left before I return to college. Now...I do have some good news but it depends on some stuff. I can and possibly will update during this spring semester of college but (if you have read my important note on my bio, you know what I am about to say) many authors and I on this page have talked to each other and how much of our motivation has gone down to update due to the lack of reviews.
Now do not get me wrong. I love to write and update and will continue but updates will take longer for stories because it shows that not many people are wanting to read them. I am not saying this for my sake but for many other authors who have even decided to take hiatus from this website in order to take a break and see if people will review.
I want to say thank you to those who continue to review each and every chapter of mine. I greatly appreciate it! I love you all! But the large decrease in reviews does get me down.
So with one week left of break, I will see if I will update during college or take a four month hiatus (because I only have four months left).
So anyways, thank you!
Made this extra long for all of my reviewers and readers!
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
KaeterinaRomanov, starmienight, Joker2113, Stephanie, Nixie the Bloody Pixie, Anime hotty lover.18, anissa, . , and FleurSuoh!
Enjoy!
Chapter 35: Cold Nightmare Chase
"Are you ready?" whispered Kagome, her aim on the Menos having no hold on confidence. How could she be sure that the arrow would even pierce? Never in her life had she held a bow and arrow, at least not that she could remember. But whoever this Midoriko woman was, she knew her and better than herself. Bigger question was, could she trust her.
Ichigo tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword and began to prepare his strength while his ears picked up the sound of Kagome's barrier cracking. Both Shinigami teens eyed the last stand of the barrier before it officially broke into pieces with both Ichigo using his Zanpakuto to push back the Menos' attack and Kagome releasing the arrow in the middle of the attack.
Kagome's eyes widened slightly, watching as the arrow was suddenly encircled by a pink glow that held mystery to her. Had she been the one to do that? If she did, how or even why?
All eyes remained glued on the partnered attack. The arrow scraped against the side of the Menos' mask lightly along with the returned blow from Ichigo. A screech echoed throughout the area along with strong winds making everyone cover themselves with their arms. Rukia took a peek through her arms at the small wound both Ichigo and Kagome created on the hollow. She noticed a smoke slowly seeping out from the open cut.
'Wait…this is not the work of reiatsu. There is no way reiatsu leaves a trace like that even if it is a shallow cut! Why…is it reacting that way?' her eyes fell back down onto her black haired Shinigami. 'Kagome-chan released an arrow but it was not just a regular arrow…'
"Higurashi-san sure holds mystery," Rukia turned her head, catching Urahara's voice. Urahara smirked, revealing his eyes under his stripped hat. "That girl is no regular Shinigami."
Rukia remained silent under his words. She did not like to admit it, but the shop owner was right. Kagome was a mystery that even she herself could not answer. Her attention was grabbed by the Menos reversing back from its attackers.
"The Menos is…," she whispered, "retreating!?"
The Menos began to cloak itself with the sky as the sky's crack healed itself on its own as if nothing had happened. With a smirk, the orange head Shinigami turned around towards his audience and quickly raised his hand up in a 'V'.
"Victory!" he exclaimed with arrogance.
Uryuu gulped nervously, taken back by the performance both the female and male Shinigami gave. "What…what are they? They both chased away that behemoth…but Higurashi released an arrow. It looked like a normal arrow…"
Kagome's cerulean eyes glided from the male beside her down to the bow in her hands. Her own vision began to blur slowly. 'W-What is going on…?'
"Hmm, well done," spoke Tessai as he watched the duo. "No wonder the boss has his eyes on them. He thinks highly of both."
"He is not such a loser, I guess."
Tessai's head inched down to see Jinta holding his weapon over his smaller shoulders. His eyes intently paying attention to the orange head and long haired Shinigami.
"He is pretty tough, huh? Tessai?" he questioned.
"Perhaps," he replied, returning his observant gaze towards the two. "Maybe both will be…in time if he and she can learn to control whatever power they might have inside of them."
"Well, Kagome-onee-san sure is strong too!" smirked Jinta. "I had no idea she had that in her to fight a Menos! Most Shinigami run in fear!"
"Hey…," glared Ichigo, sending it to the Quincy across them.
"Hey," he replied boredly.
"What, no 'thank you'?" his glare tightened, annoyed that the Quincy had such an egoistic aura around to not even say his thanks for saving not only his ass but the town as well.
"What!?" exclaimed Uryuu, his eyebrow twitching.
"I cleaned up your mess for you! I think a thank you would suffice!" he argued.
Uryuu got closer to the orange head Shinigami, only adding fuel to the argument. Kagome sighed quietly, watching and hearing the yelling. Shaking her head she gave a stop at staring at the ground. Her eyes slowly widened and quickly placed her hand in front of her face, feeling a pain strike in her head. A sudden and clear image of a male with long silver hair appeared wearing a red haori. The image clearly showed the questioning ears on top of his head and for the first time in these flashes, Kagome heard his voice calling her name.
Both the Quincy and male Shinigami looked over at Kagome and watched as her body weight slowly took her down to the ground. In quick reflex, Ichigo caught her by his arms and dropped onto one knee. His eyes remained on the female in his arms, confused and worried over his childhood friend.
"Kagome! Kagome! Wake up!" he exclaimed, overly worried that something must have happened. His eyes widened, feeling something heavy within him release. Falling to both knees, he looked to his other free arm holding his Zanpakuto suddenly and uncontrollably releasing spiritual energy. His eyes tightened: "What the…!? I can't…move…"
Uryuu's eyes expanded, realizing what was going on: 'The shape…the Zanpakuto is losing its integrity! All that spirit energy released at once during the attack…is it out of control!?' He clenched his teeth, knowing that this was not going to be a problem to easily solve. 'I have better do something!' He ran forward: "Kurosaki!"
He was taken aback by Ichigo's reaitsu only for his own Quincy abilities to react and grow in tremendous size. He looked at his own Quincy bow enlarge, surprised by the effect of Ichigo's spiritual energy.
'I have not even touched it and it is reacting! The energy is flowing in! It is even greater than before! I cannot maintain its weapon form! It is going to explode!' His eyes realized on what he had to do and aimed an arrow to the sky, tightening his focus: "I know…this can work!"
'Kurosaki's excess spirit energy…I will steal it, focus it, and release it! Over and over until his energy level stabilizes!' Uryuu quickly felt sharp cuts being made onto his shoulder and arms and being given eyes by the orange head.
Ichigo's head turned in question confused on what the Quincy was even doing. "What are you doing!?" he exclaimed.
"Shut up!" he retorted back.
"What!? I do not know what you are doing, but stop it! Your arms are getting torn to shreds!" he shouted back, hoping to get sense back into the Quincy.
"Shut up!" he repeated. "I told you! I hate Shinigami! You said to me if we do not both survive, we cannot fight each other! Then you a wanted me to thank you!? You are crazy! Live…so I can beat you up! Kurosaki Ichigo! And you can hit me too! Okay!?"
Uryuu released his attack, letting all the spiritual energy free and fingers only receiving minor wounds. He fell down onto his knees while his eyes remained glued onto the blue canvas painted above him. Ichigo noticed the sorrowful look on his face, making him sigh and he himself turn to stare at the clear calm sky.
"Hmph…how can I punch someone who looks so miserable? Rats…," he whispered to himself and looked back down to the unconscious Kagome in his arm.
Ichigo carefully placed his sword behind his back in its place before carrying Kagome bridal style and full standing onto his legs. Looking down at the fainted Shinigami in his arms, he heard a faint whisper leaving her lips. He inched closer to hear whatever it was that she was saying
"I-Inu…yasha…"
He blinked confused.
'Inuyasha? Who is that?'
"Kagome-chan…Ichigo…," Rukia was finally released from the bind spell but remained on the ground. Her own mind processing of the events that had been performed live. She blinked and sighed: "Menos appeared and was defeated. This information will not take long to reach the Soul Society…," her eye sight tightened in both worry and fear.
"They will come here and do an investigation and it will not take long for them to sense me…no matter who was sent.
"Come on! Time to clean up, Ururu!" shouted Tessai as he ran to clear some of the destroyed debris. Jinta followed behind the young girl only for his attention to he caught by a buzzing fly. Looking to his side, he began to swing his weapon in determination to kill it.
"Tessai, fix that crack in the sky that the other hollows left, okay?" Urahara ordered politely before turning around to leave the area. His ears quickly caught the sound of someone slamming a huge bat against the floor.
Looking over his shoulder, he noticed the fly dead on the ground and turned back around to continue his task in walk. He knew what that fly was and he knew only trouble would be arriving.
Night fully had taken over claim of the sky with nothing but gray shadows stroking across ominously. Light wind blew across with no echo left of existence.
"Where is the target axis?"
"It is not confirmed."
A tall male walked ahead of another with both wearing black garments that lightly lifted with the breeze. The moon gave a bit of outline to their existence as they walked on top of the house rooftops.
"We are moving out," spoke a voice with no emotion and full of strictness. "Release the hell butterflies."
Two black swallowtail butterflies flew and were given light by the full moon as they flew with grace.
A folded paper was opened by the much taller male as he took off his mask made by fabric. His brown eyes landed on the picture of a Shinigami with short licorice hair. "Capture or kill…," he looked ahead of him, seeing his partner continuing in his path. "This is not a job for a Shinigami, is it?"
"It may be," the other replied. His eyes landed on his own folded paper and the picture of Kagome. The report read of a 'Run away Shinigami'. His eyes tightened in anger: "We are here for Kuchiki Rukia, but there is a high chance that Higurashi Kagome will be with her. If so…we capture or kill both. Punishment is to be given to these run away Shinigami."
"Ishida-kun? What happened to you?" the teacher asked as she was cut off from her lecture and she herself surprised to see all the bandages wrapped around Uryuu's arms and neck.
Pushing his glasses in, he gave his normal unemotional look: "I…fell down the stairs."
Students began to share their whispered thoughts to each other as they saw the act between their teacher and the smartest student in their class.
"Hmm…okay," she replied. "Sit down and we will continue on with the lecture."
Uryuu gave a small nod and walked to his assigned desk and sat. Ichigo could only stare at his back as he sat a few desks away. He himself thought the excuse was lame. There was no way someone falling from stairs would receive those bandages and seem okay. If anything…they would have to be hospitalized.
"Do not be too concerned. It was not your fault," spoke Rukia lightly, catching Ichigo by surprise. "He brought those wounds on himself."
Ichigo turned his attention away from the petite Shinigami: "What do I care? He is not hurt bad enough to worry about!"
"Huh?" she smirked, turning away from the small text book she read. "Who said you were worried? I told you not to be concerned."
He quickly turned back to face her with a glare: "What?"
She giggled behind the book but stopped at hearing his question.
"How is Kagome…?"
She sighed and slowly dropped the book from her lips.
"I know last night we left her at that Hat-and-Clogs' place, but can we trust him?" he asked. After she had been unconscious, Urahara had offered his service to heal her. Even Rukia had told him that if would have been a bad scene to his family to bring a fainted Kagome. Questions would have surely been brought out.
"At our current condition…he is the only person we can trust," she whispered to him.
Ichigo blinked with wide eyes: "What do you mean?"
She looked down at her desk and remained silent feeling that trouble was coming.
Eyes widened in fear as the area around screamed terror and battle. Nothing but puddles of blood laid on the ground with a dark sky making them the only pure and bright color around to see. Her hands shook as her body froze in place seeing a female laying on the ground along with a man on top almost as if he had been protecting the woman.
In fear, her own body took a step back watching the male in front of her with silver hair fall onto his knees after protecting her from a tentacle. The male wearing red fell on his knees and shouted to the ground: "Run! Kagome, run! Protect the jewel! Do not let Naraku get his hands on it!"
She shook her head in response: "No! I cannot leave you here and my friends!"
"I said run!" he shouted back angrily. Coughing out blood, he fell on all fours. "You have a duty to protect the Shikon no Tama! Now do it!"
Her eyes dropped to the round innocently looking pink jewel. Clutching it in her hands, she brought it close to her chest and opened her mouth to protest again.
"I said go!" he cut her off.
With fear shaking her sight and her body covered with the same feel, she hesitated in moving but watched as the enemy slowly walked towards her. Seeing that it was the only thing she could do for her friends, her body quickly turned and headed into the dark forest.
Heavy drops of water slapped against her skin and hair as the sky angrily let the rain go. 'I have to run! I have to make it out alive! I could not protect them! I was weak! I am weak!' She was unsure if tears were coming out from her eyes or the rain drops camouflaged her feelings of sorrow and despair.
Knowing she was full deep into the forest and lost, she continued to run, not caring where she would end. She wanted to escape this reality. Escape the truth that her friends had been killed in the battle. She saw the truth herself with nothing but blood clothing their bodies.
She immediately stopped in her tracks with her eyes expanding at the sight before her. A creature never in her life she had seen stood with a grin. A murderous grin of thirst. A thirst for blood.
"I found you."
She took a step back, seeing the full brown furred body of the monster. She had seen this creature somewhere…but where? That same white mask with markings and that puppet of a girl with short black hair- the memory clicked.
"Y-You…were there…when my otou-san died…," shaking her head, she continued to slowly take steps back. "What are you doing here!?"
"Come to kill you," he smirked even wider.
Knowing she had to escape, she turned the other way to run, clutching the jewel close to her chest. Her eyes widened, feeling a pain strike in her chest with the jewel dropping and hitting ground. Looking down, she noticed the creature's tongue having pierced through her body. Her own blood. Her real blood.
The creature's tongue slowly came out, leaving her weak body fall to the ground. Laying on her side, her eyes watched the jewel reflect the full moon's silver shine. Her hand slowly reached for the item – desperately.
'I…have to protect the jewel…I have to! It is my duty! I…have…to…'
Her vision began to blur only seeing the darkness of the area blend with the rest that she was able to see of the forest. Her faint hearing heard the sounds of walking and grass cracking under the heavy feet. With a blurred sight, her eyes slowly moved over to see a man with brown hair and glasses looking down at her with a smirk of his own.
She could not see clearly but heard his words that told her they were meant for her.
"Do not worry, miko. I will take good care of the Shikon no Tama." His hand slowly reached for the pink jewel between her bleeding body and himself. She tried to scream. Tried to fight back. Tried to reach. Tried to do something!
Only a tear escaped her emotions.
'No…no…no…no…No!"
Kagome's eyes quickly snapped open as she sat up from the futon. Sweat slowly trickled down her pale skin. Her sight looking down at her sweaty palms and realizing she was in a room. A small room.
"It…was a dream?" She looked at her clothing. Wearing a white kimono. Looking around once again, she slowly stood from her spot. Her body felt weak and heavy…just as she did in her dream. 'Was it even a dream? It all felt…too real.' Her mind clicked back to the people she saw. She remembered the silver haired male that she had come to realize his name was Inuyasha, but what made her shudder was the fact she saw Grand Fisher in her dream.
'But who was that man with glasses? Even in my dream…my eyesight was completely blurred out.'
Shaking her head, she slid the shoji doors open and realized that the hallway looked way too familiar to her. "This is…Urahara-san's shop. What am I doing here?" Hearing voices down the hall, she slowly made her way there, clutching the kimono by her chest.
Urahara stopped moving his fan and looked over his shoulder with a smile the moment he saw his 'patient' walking in with confusion.
"Kagome-chan…why the feared look? It is almost as if you have seen a ghost!" he chuckled lightly.
"I might have…," she whispered to herself. "Or worse." She looked around, seeing the main entrance doors slid open. "What am I doing here?"
"Well after our little event yesterday with the Menos, you fell unconscious. Why? We do not know," he replied, returning to his task of giving himself air. "But perhaps it has to do with your mysterious ability you demonstrated to all of us. Tell me, Kagome-chan," he turned again to her, showing his eyes under his hat, "what exactly was that?"
Kagome silent and only returning the stare.
"Are you hiding something, Kagome-chan?" he questioned to her again.
Silence.
"There is no sense in hiding it. I know you are-"
"Um…,"
Both of their attentions were driven to the smaller girl with black hair blushing in embarrassment that she had interrupted their talk – Kagome thankful in the favor.
"What is it, Ururu-chan?" he asked her.
"Kisuke-san…a kitty," she pointed behind her and moved to the side, revealing a black cat with gold eyes staring at the two Shinigami.
Kagome's eyes blinked once, watching the focused attention the cat gave her.
'That black cat…'
MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: Well, hope you all enjoyed! I have another chapter ready and hoping to update many of my stories by New Years but depends and we will see.
Again thank you! Love you all! Happy Holidays!
Ja~ne!