Chapter 37:
Ichigo stared at Mayuri. Those words were like a slap in the face. "Wh… what?" He couldn't wrap his head around it. "Y-you mean… Victor and Cedric are… Linnette's… Zanpakuto?"
"At least that's what the data's telling me. It's not exact, but it's the closest thing they could be."
Ichigo started to pace the floor. It didn't make any sense. Maybe Mayuri did it wrong. How could they be Zanpakuto? "But… How… But how could that be? She's not a Soul Reaper. She's human. Even you admitted that. And they're not swords. How could they be Zanpakuto?"
"Somehow they were able to manifest themselves into the form they're in now. Linnette wanted them to be by her side so they came. That's what Victor told me. She wished for them. But come on, a child's wish? This isn't a fairytale. This makes much more sense."
"How? How does it make sense?" Ichigo's voice was just shy of shouting. "She's human! Humans don't have Zanpakuto."
"True… But they also don't have hairpins that have powers either. Or an arm that changes and has the power of a rocket."
Ichigo blinked. "You… You're talking about Orihime and Chad..?"
He nodded. "I haven't had the opportunity to study them very much. But it's strange that they should have power like that as humans, don't you think?" Mayuri tapped the pile of papers with his fingernails. "I've had a theory that maybe, just maybe, those are their Zanpakuto powers taking on a different form due to them still being human. Who's to say that it's not possible? When they die, they might have what it takes to become Soul Reapers… and those abilities are their Zanpakuto powers. Linnette might be the same way. Those two men might be her Zanpakuto taking on a physical form."
"But there's two of them."
"So what? Shunsui has two as well. She might be the same." Mayuri looked at the notes again. "Besides, I've looked over these several times. Their instincts match what a Zanpakuto would have. They live to protect her. They fight for her. When the time comes, they become her sword and her shield. They're always by her side and know what she needs and how she feels. They always come when they're called and they don't want her to get hurt. They were born from her and have love only for her. Sounds like a Zanpakuto to me. There's several other things but it would take hours to explain it to you."
Ichigo leaned against the table, letting it all soak in. "So… Linnette… and them… They're…"
"She may have what it takes to become a Soul Reaper some day. If she chooses it."
"So… so, wait…" Ichigo remembered a concern that the two had for Linnette and themselves. "When Linnette dies… When that happens, what will happen to them?"
Mayuri shrugged. "It would make logical sense that they would follow her into death. But if this theory is correct, then they would then transform into her Zanpakuto form and stay with her forever. The physical forms might just be the Zanpakuto spirits manifesting in the real world." He chuckled. "I mean, if they were born from her and were in her mind when she was thinking them up just before they became real, what else could they be? It makes sense."
It did. It did make sense. Still, it was hard to grasp. It was a comforting feeling that they would follow her into death and be by her side forever. It was also nice to think that one day she might become a Soul Reaper and be with the other Soul Reapers here and live in the Soul Society with her new friends. It was a nice thought. But now Ichigo was also thinking about his friends. Chad and Orihime might become Soul Reapers, too, one day. Those powers might be their Zanpakuto taking on another form like Mayuri said. But this was only a theory. It might not be true. Then again, it might.
After being sealed away in a private room, Ukitake was finally allowed to have visitors. Linnette waited anxiously outside his door. She was allowed to see him but only briefly. He still needed to rest. She wondered what he would be like. If he wasn't allowed to have anyone in the room there must have been something wrong. For a time, she thought that it was because he was dying. She was very worried about him. But now allowed to visit made her feel much better. He must have been doing fine if they were allowed to see him now.
The door opened and Shunsui stood there without his hat, smiling down at her. "Well, well, there you are." He stood off to one side, allowing her to enter. "Come on in. He's right over there."
Linnette entered slowly, looking around. There was a table piled high with medical equipment and there were machines lining the wall behind a single bed which she guessed were used to monitor vital signs. Ukitake was laying in the lone bed, propped up on pillows so he was able to see her enter while still reclining. He smiled at her weakly. "Hey, there."
She hadn't heard his voice for so long. She rushed to his bedside and grabbed his hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze. "I was so worried about you!"
"Sorry I made you worry," he said. "I heard what you did from Unohana. You brought back the medicine. That was very brave of you. It's too bad you weren't able to use it when you got back. I'm sorry."
She held his hand tightly. "Your hand's cold."
He chuckled. "Yeah… Sorry about that. I should really keep them under the covers." He squeezed her hand, causing her to look up at him. "I'm feeling much better. Thank you for helping."
"But…" She stepped back slightly. "I didn't make it in time. You were gone when I…"
"Maybe so, but you did give them to Unohana. When she treated me, she had them with her making it easier. She was able to treat me quickly because everything was already there. Maybe it didn't work out the way you expected but you ended up helping me in the long run. Thank you for that."
She nodded and squeezed his hand back.
Ukitake chuckled and looked at Shunsui. "This is a familiar scene, huh?"
"You mean having girls surrounding your bedside? Oh, yeah." Shunsui laughed. "I'm so jealous. What I wouldn't give for that. You're a lucky man, Jushiro. Why do they like you so much? What's your lure?"
"Maybe women find sick, feeble men appealing. But it's not just women. Men visit me, too."
"Well, them I don't care about. I'd want pretty women surrounding my bed. You can take the men."
"Oh, I'm sure Nanao was at your side the last time you were injured."
"Yeah, but she left quickly… and not before she clubbed me over the head with the bedpan."
"You shouldn't have grabbed her butt."
"I dropped my hat and asked her to pick it up for me and while she was down there… I figured…"
"You figured you'd stay in the sickbay an extra few days, huh?"
"It turned out ok. Unohana kept me company."
"She also gave you a drug that caused paralysis to keep you from doing it again."
"She knows me too well."
The two men had a good laugh while Linnette watched them go back and forth, not fully understanding their humor but smiling none the less. She was happy that they were having a nice time.
"By the way," Ukitake said, his laughter slowing. "Shunsui informed me that you played quite a big roll today on the final battle. He tells me that you're the one who stopped the Hollow Reapers from attacking anyone else and even used them to combat the enemy."
She nodded. "That's right."
"You must have been scared. Were you?"
"Not really."
He smiled. "He also tells me that I gave you a ride. I was a Hollow with wings."
"Do you remember that?"
He shook his head. "Not much, I'm afraid. But maybe it's for the best." He moved closer to her. "But I flew with you on my back. How was that? Was it your first time flying?"
"No. Victor and Cedric do things like that to me all the time so I'm used to it. But they don't have wings so that was new."
He nodded slowly. "I'm glad I was able to help you help the others. Tell me how you did it. I'd love to hear it."
"The whole thing?"
"Of course. You can sit right there and tell me the whole story. How did you find the Arrancar? Tell me what you did in the fight."
She sat down and told him the whole story. He never interrupted once and listened to the whole thing, reacting quietly to all the scary and surprising details. Shunsui listened as well at the foot of Ukitake's bed. He glanced over at the door and noticed a tall man with brown hair watching them. Shunsui nodded to Cedric who nodded back and watched Linnette retell her adventure to Ukitake. After a few minutes, Cedric was called away and left them alone.
When she was finished, Ukitake gave her an odd request. "What was the song you used to control the Hollow Reapers? Would you sing it to me?"
She looked from side to side nervously. "I… I'm not sure…"
"The virus should be gone. This would be a good way to test it. Please? You can do it quietly if you like."
Shunsui made sure the door was shut and nodded to her. "Go ahead. I'd like to hear it, too."
She found her voice after a minute and started to sing softly to them. Ukitake listened quietly, showing no signs of change. When she was finished he smiled at her. "You have a lovely voice. You're a talented girl."
"Thanks."
"And I mean that for more than just your voice. Singing may be your skill, but it's not your only talent. There's a lot more to you than that. You're very brave and you're a bright young girl. I mean that."
She started blushing. "Thank you…"
Ukitake took her hand and started to move it up and down playfully. She started laughing and he moved her arm faster, swinging her arm around. She giggled and the two of them laughed together playfully.
Cedric listened outside the door with a smile.
Ichigo walked back to the sickbay in a daze. He still couldn't believe what Mayuri told him. Victor and Cedric were Zanpakuto? It didn't seem so, yet it made a bit of sense. There was room for doubt but it was hard to argue against the Captain of Squad 12. But the data wasn't conclusive. There was always the possibility that he was wrong. It wouldn't be too bad if he were right, however. They would always be with her and fight for her. It wasn't bad news, just surprising to say the least.
He passed by several rooms on his way back to his bed. It was evening now though things were weren't any less hectic. He passed by Hitsugaya's room where he was struggling to use his crutches to walk. His legs still wouldn't work for him. He couldn't move them. Momo was there to coach him as they both went through rehabilitation. She was able to stand on her own but she was having trouble walking, same as him. Rangiku helped support Hitsugaya as he rose off the bed and took a shaky step towards Momo. He clung to Rangiku's arm as she guided him over to his friend.
He passed by the room where Ikkaku and Yumichika were talking and sharing a drink he had smuggled in, hoping to calm his friend after seeing his mangled mess of hair. As soon as Yumichika was able, he took a long bath, desperate to clean himself. The sponge baths simply weren't doing it for him. It was an awkward moment when he found that he could not leave the bath and needed someone to come in and help him out. Ikkaku hated being that person.
Ichigo then passed the open door leading to Hisagi's room were he was talking with Kira and laughing. They didn't notice anyone walking by the room and went on talking.
Upstairs, Renji sat with Rukia, finally able to leave his room and shared a hot bowl of soup with his Captain. Byakuya remained quiet while they ate, only speaking once to tell Rukia to eat something as well. She hardly ate anything from what he saw. She helped herself to some soup and continued talking with Renji, who was doing most of the talking. Mostly, he was complaining. Byakuya looked out the window at the starry sky and relaxed. Things were getting tranquil at last. With so many people recovering, he had a feeling that it would be quiet for the most part. At least that's what he had hoped for. With his lieutenant complaining so much that didn't seem possible.
Ichigo returned to his room and sat down on the bed, setting the crutch aside. He looked over at his sword. It was hard to imagine that one day perhaps Victor and Cedric would look the same way. It was only a theory. Though they weren't his family and they had started out hating each other, Ichigo had grown to like them. Now he realized that he would mess them if they did turn into sword form and were no longer able to stand before him in their current form. They would be just like Zangetsu. Only able to be seen by Linnette. She alone would be able to speak and see them in her inner world. Ichigo would miss them if that were the case. He may never hear their voices again.
He shook his thoughts away. "What am I worried about? They belong to Linnette. It shouldn't effect me." He looked down. "I wonder what their powers would be in sword form. Would they still have the same powers? Would they be able to stand beside her in the form they're in now? Or maybe… What if Linnette's singing will be in the swords then? Or would that be a power all her own? I don't know…" Even Mayuri couldn't answer that.
Ichigo flopped down on the bed, stretching out. There was no sense in getting worked up about this.
"But you are, aren't you?" said a voice in his head. "You are getting worked up. Right, Your Majesty?"
Ichigo sighed. "You've been quiet for a while. I was kind of hoping it would stay that way."
"Aww… Don't be like that. I was just popping in. That's all," said his Hollow. "Since she's been singing so much lately, I'm full of energy and felt like making you aware of that fact. Where is she anyway?"
"How should I know? I haven't seen her for a while. Maybe she's visiting someone. And no, you can't have a song."
"Why not? That's not really your call, now is it?"
"Why would she sing? It's over now."
His Hollow gave a low hiss and his energy grew slightly stronger. "Come on. I was a good boy. I think I deserve a reward, don't you?"
"Forget it. Not happening."
He snorted. "And after everything I've done for you… This is the thanks I get. Screw you, King. Next time you need me, I'll just take over and you can watch. How's that? I was nice to you this time. Don't get used to it. That's the last time I do anything for you if this is how you're going to be."
Ichigo crawled into bed, pulled back the covers and laying on his side. "Oh, shut up. I'll think about it. Ok? I'll ask her the first thing in the morning."
"Morning? Sheesh. Not too eager, are we? Lazy."
"I'll ask her the first chance I get as long as you're quiet now. Deal?"
His Hollow paused then agreed. "Alright, fine. I could use some more rest myself."
After that his Hollow didn't speak anymore and Ichigo felt his dark energy leave him, returning to his inner world to lie in wait. Ichigo covered himself with the white sheets and put his head on the pillow. He could still hear people talking and laughing outside his window. Everything was getting back to normal.
He looked at the corner of the table by his bedside. "I should really contact home and see how everyone's doing. I have to make sure Kisuke is alright. Yuzu and Karin as well. And dad, too. And the others at school…" He closed his eyes, trying to rest. "I'm sure they're ok. But still…"
"Your problem is you care too much."
Ichigo squeezed his eyes tighter and pressed his head into the pillow. "Maybe I do… So what?"
So what if he cared? He didn't want to bring it up now that he was trying to rest, but his Hollow had recently started caring about someone as well. His Hollow actually had feelings for a little human girl. He would never let his Hollow live that down. Not since the horse has become her lapdog.
The next morning, Ichigo awoke to the sounds of laughter and lively footsteps. He opened his eyes and squinted in the sunlight, which cast yellow squares on the wall through the window frames. He sat up stretching and looked around the room. There was a glass of water on the table by his bed next to a bowl of rice. He must have slept through breakfast. He looked to make sure his sword was where he left it. It was. And there were his crutches. Waiting for him. He pushed the sheets off his legs and set his foot on the cold tiled floor. There wasn't any pain. His injury must have been healed. He stood up slowly, testing his legs. They were a little wobbly, but that might have been due to him just waking up.
He heard people running past his room and decided to investigate. Leaving his crutches behind, he made for the door. As soon as it opened, several Soul Reapers were racing down the hall, laughing and talking excitedly. "What's going on?" he asked, but no one answered him. He ventured out into the hall and followed after them at a much slower speed.
Every room he passed had Soul Reapers, wide awake and talking happily, surrounded by their friends. A man with a locket around his neck passed Ichigo in the hall, laughing with a woman by his side, a matching bracelet on her left arm. They were followed by four other Soul Reapers, all laughing and joking with each other. Ichigo poked his head into a room where Hitsugaya was walking on crutches toward a sink, Rangiku not far behind, making sure he was steady. Momo was smiling and clapping her hands, cheering him on as he moved without aid.
Then Ichigo reached the door leading to the courtyard which was also full of lively Soul Reapers. Shunsui was in the center of the action, tossing a girl up in the air Ichigo recognized as Linnette. Wearing the captain's straw hat, she was repeatedly tossed over his head, laughing all the while. Several Soul Reapers were watching them and smiling. Shunsui grabbed her hands and swung her around, playing the helicopter game. Soul Reapers began to nudge each other, pointing and reminiscing about old times when they played similar games. Ukitake watched from his window, waving at them when they looked his way. He wasn't recovered enough to venture outside just yet.
Soul Reapers began cheering and clapping off to the side so Ichigo moved further outside to see what was happening. Cedric had just lifted up a sheet of metal and leaned it into place, bending the edges to overlap the side of the building, eliminating the need for welding. Much of the Seireitei had been damaged during Veneno's rampage so there was a lot of clean up to do. Most of the Soul Reapers weren't able to start repairs so it was put on hold until they recovered. However, Victor and Cedric were more than capable of helping out. Now that most of the Soul Reapers were up and about, they used their time to help repair damaged buildings and doing several odd jobs for the Soul Reapers. Victor carried away large pieces of building and stone and hammered hoofs while Cedric took care of the larger, heavier jobs. It seemed that Victor was no longer helping with the roof and was off doing something else now, leaving Cedric to do it in his place. With their kind of power and speed, the work was getting done in less than half the time it would normally take. One of the demolished buildings had been completely rebuilt from the ground up by Cedric, resulting in more applause. These two had gotten on everyone's good side, so it seemed.
Perhaps not everyone's. Ichigo looked to his left and found Ikkaku watching the scene in the shadow of a tall pillar under the roof of the sickbay. When he wasn't watching Cedric, he was watching Linnette playing with the Captain of Squad 8.
"Something wrong?" Ichigo asked him quietly.
Ikkaku shrugged. "Nothing." He leaned against the pillar. "I'm just trying to wrap my head around this."
"Around what?"
He nodded towards Linnette. "Everyone's treating her like she's family. I don't get it. The battle's over. The Hollow Reapers are a thing of the past and the Arrancar's dead. Why bother? Her usefulness is over."
Ichigo turned. "What are you talking about?"
"Back in the sewer," he said. "When you and Hisagi left. Those two guys were acting all worried so I told them the truth. The only reason why people care what happens to her is because of her abilities. Controlling Hollows… It's a useful thing to have. If she didn't have that power, no one would give a damn."
"And how did those two react when you said that to them?"
"Put me up against the wall and crushed my windpipe."
Ichigo snorted with laughter. He knew that was inevitable. Then he got serious again. "Do you really feel that way?"
Ikkaku nodded. "Of course I do. Her power's important. That's why she matters. Without it, she's just another person. Why bother?"
"She's a nice girl. Friendly, willing to help, innocent…"
"Good for her. But I don't care crap about her. If not for that power she has, I wouldn't say two words to her."
"She's just looking for friends."
"Just because you're nice doesn't mean people will be your friend. I don't consider her a friend and never will." Ikkaku faced Ichigo wearing a scowl. "I don't like her. That simple. This battle changes nothing. You think I would sit down and play tea party with her after all this? No way. Now that there's no longer a need for her to sing, I don't need to be with her or anything."
Ichigo didn't know what to say to that. It wasn't like he could convince him different. Hearing Linnette's laughter and applause, Ichigo looked off to the side. She and Shunsui were taking their bows before the crowd after a dance they just did together.
Ikkaku lifted himself away from the pillar and leaned close to Ichigo's ear. "See, I don't get why everyone's being nice to her. It's over. We don't need her anymore. The two men I get. They're strong and they can help us rebuild faster, but her… When we need a Hollow serenade, I'll know who to call." He started to pull away. "Trust me. Back when she ran off down in that sewer, if it wasn't for her power, no one would have gone looking for her. Better her than them, right? No way they would risk their skin for her otherwise."
Linnette spotted Ichigo and came running. "Ichigo! Hi, Ichigo!"
Ikkaku pushed past her without a word and kept going, ignoring her. Ichigo took note of the sad look on her face and shot Ikkaku a dirty look which he also ignored.
Linnette looked at Ichigo then at Ikkaku then back at Ichigo. "He doesn't like me, does he?"
He flinched. "Uh… No. That's not… He's just…"
She shook her head. "It's ok. Lots of people don't. You get used to it. Believe me, I know. I grew up with no one liking me at all. I was always being bullied. Even the adults didn't care. Victor and Cedric were the only ones who were ever nice to me. I figured that they would be the only ones." She smiled brightly up at him. "Then I met you, and you like me fine. You were even worried about me and wanted to help."
For a moment, Ichigo was speechless.
"You were my first friend. The only person who I didn't create who liked me. Then I got to know Rukia and Hanataro and Ukitake and Shunsui and Rin and lots of other people. And I even have my friends back home. So it's ok if people don't like me. And it's even ok if most people don't no matter what I do to try to win their friendship. It doesn't matter to me anymore. Because now I have friends who like me for who I am and I never had to try with them. You guys just like me. I have human friends back home and now I even have Soul Reaper friends and I have you, too, and you're a great pen pal. And no matter what happens, I'll always have Victor and Cedric."
It was heartwarming to hear it. She was right. She didn't have to make up friends. She had real ones. And no matter what happened, Victor and Cedric would always be there for her. They were always by her side. She was right. It didn't matter if one person or a hundred didn't like her. She had friends who did and if she was ever sad about it, her true friends would be there to cheer her up.
No one could live without friendship. It was an integral part of life. Even if someone didn't like her, there was someone else who did.
Which made it even sadder to know that Veneno had missed out on it. The one thing he wanted most and could not have. As Ichigo looked at the bright smiling face looking up at him, eyes twinkling like a thousand stars, he couldn't help but wonder if Veneno would have the same look on his face if he got to experience what she had.
Just one friend.
Ichigo's heart began to ache. Just like Linnette, Veneno desperately wanted Ichigo to be his friend. Ichigo opened doors for Linnette to take but she had to choose to go through them. He managed to change her for the better. But he ended up failing Veneno who was really no different.
The pain was back.
It was Ichigo and Linnette's last night in the Soul Society. Linnette wanted to make the most of it. Most of the buildings had been repaired but there was still work to be done. But Victor and Cedric were asked to take a break from doing work and join them that evening. The Soul Reapers had gotten together and decided to throw a small party in celebration of everyone's recovery and victory. Food had been gathered and prepared for the celebration by Victor and several other people, which explained where he had disappeared to that morning. Cedric carried tables into the yard and helped string lights up and gathered wood for the big bonfire they would have.
Ichigo watched everyone prepare for the party, smiling. Cedric passed him by carrying a table, Linnette riding on top of it laughing. Victor stepped passed Ichigo, carrying a large pot in one hand and a tray of food in the other. With his speed, the table was already set and waiting. Ichigo moved out of the way as more people came his way carrying steaming plates and bowls over to the tables. Ukitake was out of bed but sat on a bench, watching everyone else work while he continued to rest. Byakuya was up and about, though he still wasn't able to walk without help. Hitsugaya along with Momo shuffled over to one of the tables and sat down. Rangiku followed them, taking longing glances over at Shunsui who was carrying the sake supply.
Within the hour, everyone was celebrating under the colored lamps having a great time. Hisagi helped roast thick cuts of meat on the grill, trying and failing to keep Rangiku from adding her version of spice to the mix. Thankfully there was plenty of sake to go around which helped distract her for the most part while encouraging her to pester more people. Shunsui sat under a tree with Ukitake sharing a bottle of sake, though one of them was having more than the other. Nanao kept a watchful eye on her captain, knowing she would have to cut him off at some point. Hitsugaya shared one of his kabobs with Momo. For the first time ever, Ichigo saw Hitsugaya laughing hysterically at Rangiku's drunken actions, resulting in just about every head turning his way. Though he refused to admit it out loud, he had missed this. It was a sure sign that things were indeed back to normal.
Soon, even Kira and Hisagi and joined Rangiku, holding each other up as they danced in the grass while Soul Reapers clapped their hands in time to an unheard tune. This gave Victor an idea. He leaned over to Unohana, asking her a question. She pointed behind a building and he nodded, walking away. Cedric followed him. When they returned, they were each carrying several instruments, one of which was Hisagi's guitar. They passed them off the Soul Reapers who wanted to play, Victor keeping the guitar for himself. He strummed it, tuning it on his lap then began to play a lively tune, leading the band. Linnette was on her feet and dragging Rin and Hanataro to the dance floor. The boys looked worriedly at each other, neither one knowing how to dance. When they saw Linnette jumping around doing her own style, they each felt a little better and joined her. Linnette took their hands and danced in a circle while the Soul Reapers cheered them on. Hanataro looked nervous but was clearly having fun. Minutes later, another Soul Reaper had joined them. Akon started dancing out of rhythm with the music but didn't care. He seemed to be making it up as he went along. This sparked several Soul Reapers to join them, not caring if they could dance well or not. Some could dance very well and others were very sloppy.
The song changed and Linnette grabbed Cedric's hand, leading him to the lively crowd and stood on his feet while he danced, holding one of her hands in his and placing her other around his waist. Now Rin and Hanataro were dancing with each other, laughing at Akon who was doing the disco. Rukia went to stand by Ichigo and nodded toward Akon. "How much do you think he had to drink?"
"Too much," Ichigo said.
Akon's face was starting to turn bright red as more Soul Reapers began to spot him in the crowd. Now that he got people to start dancing so the others wouldn't feel embarrassed, he turned and walked off the dance floor, sitting at the table, hiding his face in his raised cup. He glanced up at Shunsui who was mimicking his dance moves under the tree. "Staying alive? That it?"
He shut his eyes in horror and lowered his head. "Shut up."
Rukia gestured toward the crowd with her head. "Want to join them?"
Ichigo shook his head. "I'm fine here."
"Suit yourself." Rukia stepped onto the floor and tapped Linnette's on the shoulder. "May I cut in?" Linnette stepped off Cedric's feet and started to dance with Rukia instead. They sidestepped into the crowd, dancing and spinning each other around.
Ichigo looked to the side and saw Cedric's new partner was a very drunk Hisagi. His eyes pleaded with Ichigo's as if to say 'help me' while Hisagi kept tripping over his own feet and into Cedric's chest and stepping on his toes.
As the night went on, the band started to slow. Rin and Hanataro were still dancing with each other having a great time. Now feeling better, Ukitake got up and started to dance a slow song with Linnette. Shunsui tried to convince Nanao to dance with him but she refused. Hitsugaya was also refusing to dance, no matter how many times Momo begged. Kira and Rangiku were dancing together to a much faster song than was playing. Victor set aside the guitar and cut in on Linnette's dance with Ukitake, allowing him a break before his condition worsened. Like a father and child, the two ballroom danced to the center of the floor. Tired Soul Reapers stopped to watch them. Linnette wasn't perfect at the dance but Victor's movements were flawless. He was leading her. Being so much bigger than she was, Linnette had a hard time keeping up but somehow she managed to stay off his feet. Victor was closer to her size than Cedric who towered over her an many other people. He was a better dance partner to have.
"Can you do that?"
Ichigo turned. Cedric was standing beside him. "Do what?"
"Dance." He nodded toward the couples on the floor. "Can you ballroom dance?"
"No way. And I don't plan on learning so forget it."
Cedric shrugged. "Suit yourself." He glanced over to Rukia. "Your friend looks lonely, though."
Rukia was standing by herself, looking around for a dance partner. No one came her way.
"Then you dance with her."
After a short pause, "Ok, I will." Cedric went up to Rukia and took her hand. They started dancing, but Cedric being so much larger made it hard for her to match his movements. They started to come Ichigo's way. Cedric spun Rukia once and continued the dance. He spun her again. This time, he spun her right into Ichigo's chest. Ichigo caught her and looked at Cedric. "Oops."
"Oops my…" Ichigo felt a tug and found himself on the dance floor with Rukia. He looked down realizing that she was leading him.
"Just follow my lead and try to keep up."
He pulled against her grip. "I don't dance. Stop it."
"You do now."
After a very awkward moment, the music ended and Ichigo thanked his lucky stars for that and pulled away from Rukia. He didn't dance. Ever. Especially not in public.
The crowd clapped and the band lowered their instruments. Linnette bounced in place, cheering and asking for more. She wasn't done having fun yet. There was still food to eat and stars to light in the sky. It was still early. Hanataro and Rin sat where they were to catch their breath. They hadn't realized how much they had been dancing until the music ended. Akon turned around, looked at Rin and turned back around again shaking his head.
"A toast!" yelled Rangiku from the head of the table. "Come on, people! Toast! The night is young!"
Hitsugaya slumped in his seat, trying to avoid looking at his drunk lieutenant. She kept spilling her drink on his shoulder. Nanao grabbed Rangiku and pulled her away from the table, cutting her off. Kira was sitting with his head on the table looking very pink. He kept asking for the room to stop spinning.
"You're on the verge of passing out, Kira. Go to bed."
"I don' wanna!" he whined. "I'm fi-hic-ine…"
"If you're going to vomit, do it over there."
"I to'd ya I'm fi…" He went cross-eyed for a moment. "Hang on. Hold that thought."
Though some people had partied harder than others early on, most of the Soul Reapers were still ready for more.
Ichigo felt something warm inside him bubble up, sending a chill down his spine. It was long passed morning and Ichigo was overdue on his promise. Even he deserved a little reward. Sighing, Ichigo walked over to where Linnette sat with Hanataro and bit his lip. "Um… Linnette."
She looked up. "Yeah?"
"Could… Do you think you could…" He swallowed. He couldn't believe he was asking this. "Could you please sing for me. Just once."
This was very surprising. "Why?" she asked looking confused.
"I…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I sort of owe someone for helping me before."
She moved closer and whispered to him. "Is it your Hollow?"
"Yeah," he whispered back. "He wants a song. It's his reward. I promised him I'd ask you."
She looked down. "Do you think I should?"
He knew what it meant. He knew what would happen. But he wasn't afraid. He felt like this would make them even. "I think it would be nice for him. Go ahead." He looked over his shoulder. "Besides… I think these people would want to hear the voice that saved them."
Linnette didn't move. She looked nervous. Then she started to smile. "Ok."
He nodded to her. "Ok." He stood up and took a seat next to Rukia at the table and waited. Linnette got up and went over to Victor, whispering something to him. His eyebrows raised in surprised. Then he smiled. He nodded and picked her up. He carried her over to the head of the table and stood her on the table Cedric had brought over, making her a small stage to sing from.
"Everyone," Victor said in a loud voice. "May I have your attention please?"
The Soul Reapers settled down. Victor waited until Kira was finished retching before he continued.
"As I'm sure most of you are aware, those of you who were transformed into Hollow Reapers possessed Hollow powers and instincts. Linnette has the ability to control Hollows. It's because of her that you did not attack your surviving friends and aided us in the final battle against the enemy who transformed you. Would you like to hear the voice that helped save you?"
The Soul Reapers looked at each other. They started nodding and focused on Linnette.
"This would also be a great way to see if the virus is no longer in effect. If no one reacts, you're all cured." Cedric added quietly. It would be a good way to test it.
Ukitake clapped encouraging others to do the same. Once the captains and lieutenants started clapping the others followed, cheering for her.
Feeling confident, Linnette took her spot and cleared her throat. The applause died down and they waited.
Ichigo shut his eyes, taking in a deep breath. Hopefully his Hollow would be satisfied with this.
Linnette started singing.
All eyes were on her as she sang. Her song filled the air and spread over all who listened. Every note flowed like the wind. No one spoke while she sang, listening. Even Kira managed to stop retching to listen, though he still hunched over in case another wave of sickness came.
Rukia turned her head, hearing a strange sound behind her. Ichigo was twitching in his seat. He opened his eyes, the usual brown eyes now golden. He hissed and squirmed in his seat, listening. Ichigo's Hollow had taken over, the master of the body putting up no fight against him. Not that he could.
As her song grew stronger, the Hollow found it difficult to stay put. The music was flowing through him like an electric current. He slumped down, rolling on the ground like a cat high off catnip. He started to gnaw on the edge of the table, moans of pleasure escaping from his open mouth. He took no notice of anyone there. All this attention was focused on Linnette's song. He clawed the ground and squirmed happily, filled with energy. He couldn't contain himself.
Rukia looked around at the other Soul Reapers, none of whom were reacting in this manner. The only Hollow present was Ichigo's. The virus was completely gone.
After a week of horror at the Soul Society, it was time to go home. Ichigo didn't remember how he had gotten back to his bed. After Linnette started singing last night, everything went black. Rukia told him that his Hollow stuck around for a while fawning over Linnette, never venturing more than two feet away from her at any given time. After a while he had tired himself out, lulled by her songs and needed to be carried back inside. No one was sure if it was the Hollow who was asleep or Ichigo, the Hollow retreating back into his inner world when the songs were over. But Ichigo didn't open his eyes again until morning.
Everyone was there to see them off. But Ichigo wasn't leaving just yet. He had one final piece of business to take care of with a certain captain. While Linnette got ready to leave, Ichigo took advantage of the hectic morning rush to see Mayuri one last time. He had a few questions he wanted answered.
He didn't have to travel to the 12th Division to find him. As luck would have it, he was leaving the sickbay after visiting Unohana and exchanging notes from the entire ordeal. "Hey, Mayuri!"
He turned around. As soon as he saw Ichigo he groaned. "Oh, what now? What is it?"
Ichigo pulled him aside. "I wanted to ask you something about Veneno."
"Who?"
"The Arrancar you created in your lab that did all this."
"Oh, him. See, I never gave him that name."
"I know he named himself. I want you to tell me some things about him."
"What? Make it quick."
Ichigo already knew what he was going to ask. He thought of them after he had seen Linnette yesterday after Ikkaku left. "Rukia told me that I was found beside him in the street. She said that you took his body back to the lab with you. Is that right?"
"Of course. He's still my property. I was the one who created him… more or less." Mayuri sighed, leaning his shoulder against the wall. "The strange thing is Hollows don't usually leave behind a body after they die. Arrancars should be the same. Only their bodies last a while longer than Hollows. I had him brought to my lab and he was there for at least an hour and never vanished. His body lingered."
This was strange news to hear. "So… he's still there?"
"Nah," Mayuri said. "His body is gone now. But while he lingered, I took a few samples from him. You know, for analysis. I still have a few tests to run. But after I was able to take what I wanted from him, his body disappeared like it should have."
So Veneno really was gone now. There was nothing left. Ichigo wanted to have a small grave made for him if possible just so he could have some closure, but that was no longer possible. He felt the urge to do something nice for him. Just one little thing.
"So you were running tests on him?"
"Sort of. I haven't finished them yet. There's still plenty of work to do," Mayuri told him. "I got my samples so that's a start."
"From the data you have on him, can you tell me a few things?"
He shrugged, not knowing whether he would be able to answer him or not.
"How was he able to clone himself?"
"How the hell should I know?"
"Why didn't he seem to have Spiritual Pressure?"
"Not a clue."
"And the virus, what about that?"
"No idea. Any of those could have been a side effect from what I gave him. I had no idea what it would do to him. That's what experimenting is all about. Finding out."
"Then how did he get to the World of the Living?"
"Again, I have no idea."
"Also, how did you not notice him in the lab?"
Mayuri rolled his eyes. "Have you seen how large the lab is? You could easily get lost if you don't know where you're going and he's one man in the place. No idea. Not a clue."
Ichigo felt discouraged by this. Did Mayuri not know anything about his experiment? "So you knew nothing about him? At all?"
"I would have to look at the notes we took on him. I couldn't even tell you what we injected him with. Not that I would tell you anyway. That's my business."
He had one final thing to ask. "Veneno was convinced that you guys were the enemy. The way you treated him only made his hatred stronger against Soul Reapers. How could you do that to him? He was being tortured. Surely you knew that."
Mayuri sighed. "Of course I knew he was in pain. I knew he was suffering. But so what? He's a Hollow. It was either that or kill him with the others."
"That would have been faster."
He sighed again, tired of the conversation already. "Look, it's nice that you feel pity towards him, but lighten up. I had no idea all this would happen. No one foresaw this." He stepped aside, allowing a passerby moved past them. "I don't see why you should care so much. He was just a Hollow. He was the enemy from the start if you go by what they teach you at the academy. This was all a learning experience. I wanted to see what would happen and I did. So what if the Hollow turned into an Arrancar and so what if you had to kill him? What's the issue?"
"The issue is that I didn't want to," Ichigo snapped. "But I had no choice." He looked at the ground, seeing Veneno's green eyes looking straight into his as he died. "I killed him. I knew I had to do it but…" The look on Veneno's face was crushing his chest. He looked back at Mayuri. "All he wanted was a friend so he wouldn't be lonely. That's all he wanted. Does that make him a bad guy?"
Mayuri looked away, thinking. Then he looked back. "Whatever he said, whatever he did, it's all irrelevant now. What is friendship anyway? What does that have to do with anything? Why would that matter so much to one person?"
"Because having a friend is important. It can make you a better person. It changes you. It changes everything."
The captain chuckled. "Oh, please… He was a Hollow. Like having a single friend would ever change that."
It might have. It changed Linnette and the two weren't that different. Maybe if Veneno knew someone, maybe if he had someone by his side, things would have been different. Maybe it wouldn't have had to come to this.
Tired of the conversation, Mayuri turned around and walked away.
"Wait a minute!" Ichigo called after him.
"Forget it. I'm done." Mayuri gave him a wave over his shoulder and left.
It was time to go home. Linnette finished saying good-bye to Ukitake who was resting in bed again after the night of celebration and to Shunsui who was keeping Ukitake company. She thanked Unohana for all her help and said her good-byes to the others in the sickbay. Victor and Cedric were trying to coax her toward the way home but she wouldn't release Hanataro from her grip. She kept him in a tight hug, refusing to let him go until she was all hugged-out.
"Please come visit me, Hanataro," she whined into his ear as she hugged him. "I'll miss you so much!"
He pulled her arm out of his mouth as his face was pressed into her chest. "I… I'm not sure if I can… You live really far away from Karakura Town… And I'm in Squad 4... We rarely get to leave on missions to the World of the Living. I've never been to New York before, though. It would be nice. But I don't know if I'm allowed to…"
"Then I'll come visit you." She turned and looked at Cedric. "Can I?"
He looked at Victor who shrugged. "We have no means of getting here on our own."
"Oh." She held Hanataro tighter, feeling as though this was the last time they would ever see each other. "I am never ever going to see you again, am I?"
"Anything is possible," said Rukia. "Everyone in the Soul Society is indebted to you, Linnette, for your help. You never know when we'll need your help again, either." She smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I have a feeling that we'll be seeing each other again no matter what. We are allies and very good friends."
Hanataro gasped for air as Linnette's grip grew tighter.
"And who knows? The next time you're in Karakura Town we might pass each other by."
Linnette squeezed Hanataro tighter still, choking him.
"Linnette, sweetie," Victor said, putting a hand on her arm and gently pulling her away from the boy. "He can't breathe."
"Oh!" She dropped him and Hanataro fell to his knees, gasping. "Sorry!"
"That's ok…" he wheezed. "No problem."
She looked back at Rukia and smiled. "But we will see each other again, right?"
"I'm sure we will. You never know what might happen in the future. The next time we get a vacation, we might decide to come to your city and hang out with you. And if you ever need help, you can always call us."
Rukia was almost knocked off her feet as Linnette launched herself into her arms, hugging her now. "I'll miss you, too, Rukia!"
Rukia hugged her back and motioned for Cedric to come and take her away. For such a small person, Linnette was surprisingly strong. "We'll be seeing you, Linnette. Good bye. Safe trip."
Linnette was lifted onto Cedric's shoulders and carried toward their way home. "I'll write you, ok?"
"I don't think our mail would reach them, sweetie," Victor told her.
"Oh…" Unable to think of anything else, she waved her final good-byes to them. "Good bye, everyone! I'll miss you! See you!"
The small group of Soul Reapers around them waved and said their final farewells to her as they moved towards the Senkaimon. The arrangements were made that they would be taken to Karakura Town along with Ichigo so they could finish their business and then catch their plane ride home. Ichigo questioned why they didn't simply go back to New York directly from here but Victor told him that Linnette wanted to check up on the students at the school and with Kisuke before they left. If there was any issue at all, she would be there to help. In that regard, it made good sense.
Ichigo turned around, faced the Soul Reapers waving to them and said his good-byes quickly and followed the trio into the Senkaimon. He looked over his shoulder and nodded to Rukia who nodded back smiling at him. The doors closed and they started back to the World of the Living.
Linnette kept looking over her shoulder as if expecting to see them following after her. As they got further and further away, her face grew sadder. A hand reached up and touched hers. Looking down she saw Ichigo smiling up at her, nodding his head. Smile forming on her face, she nodded back. Cedric stroked her hand with his thumb as he held her on his shoulders and marched on.
She wasn't lonely. Her new friends might have been left behind in another world but they were still with her. There was nothing for her to worry about. No matter where she went, she would always have someone there to help her. It was like having friends all over the world. Friends in the Would of the Living, which included Ichigo and the others in Karakura Town, Victor and Cedric at home with her other friends and now Soul Reapers in the Soul Society. What could have been better than that?
Once the Senkaimon opened above Karakura Town, Ichigo was greeted by the familiar scent of his home. Things didn't look too different which was very reassuring. Ichigo was very worried when he heard Kisuke on the other end of that device and wondered what had become of the rest of the town.
Carrying Linnette on his shoulders, Cedric turned and looked at Ichigo. "We're going to the shop. Are you coming?"
"In a minute," he answered. "I just have to check something real quick."
"Ok. We'll wait there for you. Come find us when you're done."
"Yeah, sure." Ichigo parted ways with them, heading toward his house up the street from where they were dropped off. He had to check up on his family. He couldn't rest easy until he knew that his sisters were safe and sound.
He hopped from roof to roof until he reached his house. Standing in the middle of the road, he looked up at his bedroom window. It was open. Easy access. After all, he couldn't walk through the front door as a Soul Reaper. Whether anyone could see him or not, Kon was still using his body. Seeing two Ichigos would be very strange, even in this town. He jumped up and landed on the windowsill. The door was shut, the closet door was open, his bed was empty.
"Kon?" he called in a whisper. He wasn't sure what to expect. "Kon? Are you in there?"
A figure crawled out of the closet. It was his body. Kon turned around and smiled when he saw Ichigo. "You're back!" he breathed a sigh of relief.
Ichigo climbed into his room. "What were you doing in there?"
He shrugged. "Nothing. Just looking around…" He peered out the window as if he expected someone else to come through it. "I take that it's all over."
"Yup." Ichigo looked around the room. Everything seemed to be in its place, except for a few minor changes like the pile of dirty clothes on the floor and his books had been rearranged. "Did anything happen here? How are Yuzu and Karin? Are they ok?"
Kon nodded. "Yeah, they're fine. Everyone's fine."
"They didn't change at all?"
"Nope. We never left the house. Not even me. Not that they'd let me. They kept clinging to me non-stop. They were really scared."
"What about the neighborhood? Anything?"
"Uh… A couple people kept walking up and down the street but no one tried to come in. Don't worry. We're safe. Nothing happened."
It was Ichigo's turn to sigh in relief. They were ok. "Thanks for looking out for them, Kon."
"Not a problem." He tugged on the shirt he was wearing. "This has been quite a week. I'm exhausted."
"That explains why you're not yelling at me like you usually are." Ichigo held up his Soul Badge. "Come on, let me have my body back."
Kon didn't complain. He seemed to welcome the idea and walked forward, accepting the badge on his forehead. A small green ball popped out of his mouth and fell to the floor, rolling under the bed. Ichigo caught his body in his chest and entered it.
"Feels good to be back." He cracked his neck and crawled under the bed to retrieve Kon. He picked up the small ball and put it in his desk drawer next to the plush lion. He looked over at his unmade bed wanting to collapse on top of it but this wasn't the time to do it. He wanted to see his sisters with his own eyes. He opened his door and went down stairs. "Yuzu? Karin?"
They were both in the living room watching TV. Even though he had been gone all week, they never knew he left. The moment they saw him, they smiled and faced forward again. To the best of their knowledge, their brother had just gone upstairs a moment ago.
To keep up that appearance, Ichigo stood beside the couch and glanced over at the television. "What's up? Anything?"
"Nothing much," said Karin.
Yuzu gave a relieved smile. "I'm so glad everything's taken care of. It's all over. Now things can get back to normal around here."
Ichigo peered at the television. "Anything about this on the news?"
"Of course. Remember? You were watching it with us."
Actually Kon was watching it with them but Ichigo couldn't tell them that. "I meant anything new since then."
"No, not really."
"So everyone's saying the same thing?" Ichigo asked, trying to pry information out of them.
"Yup," Karin said, flipping channels. "They all said that it was a massive prank that went out of control. Something about PCP or something like that. So I guess those kids at school were right. And I thought they were just rumors."
So that was the conclusion everyone came up with? It wasn't like anyone would buy that it was an Arrancar's doing, so this was the best thing they could come up with. It worked.
He looked around the room. "Where's dad?"
"No idea."
"Oh." He looked at the front door. He should really pay Kisuke a visit. He turned back to his sisters. "Mind if I head out for a bit?"
They looked at each other. Yuzu looked a little concerned but Karin didn't seem to mind the idea at all. "Go ahead."
"Be careful, Ichigo."
"Don't worry." He patted Yuzu on the head. "I'll be back soon."
He went out the door and into the sunlight. Birds were chirping, neighbors were talking. Everything appeared normal. He turned right onto the street, heading straight for the Urahara Shop. He passed by many people on the street, none of whom were violent or acting out of the ordinary. He took his time getting there. Women were shopping and walking their dogs, a couple were having lunch at a café on the corner and some little kids were chasing each other on the sidewalk behind an old woman. Ichigo smiled. This was all very normal. He missed this. Everything was so peaceful now.
The sun was hot on his head as he walked to the shop. Finally there, Ichigo couldn't wait to get out of the sun and inside. Still, this was better than the sewer. He walked up to the shop doors and knocked. "Hello? Hat-and-Clogs! It's me! You in?"
Tessai answered his calls and welcomed him into the shop, which was closed for the day for obvious reasons. He showed Ichigo inside and into a room where Kisuke was sitting and talking with Victor around a small table. He waved when he saw Ichigo. "Hey, there. Welcome back. How did things go?"
"Never mind that. Are you ok? When I called you, you sounded like you got infected, too, somehow."
"Oh, yeah…" He chuckled. "Guess that's what happens when you try rounding up Hollow people and… yeah…" He rubbed the back of his head. "Victor was just filling me in on a couple of things. Arrancar, huh? That's interesting. Well, I had a feeling it was more involved than that. I knew a little rock couldn't have caused all this. But it was a good theory while it lasted. Not calling you out on that or anything."
Ichigo sat down next to Kisuke at the table. "Where is everyone? What happened to all the people you had below the shop?"
"I handled that with Tessai. Once the virus was gone everyone sort of passed out. I did, myself, for a while. When I got up and realized what had happened I asked Tessai to help me get rid of everyone before they came to. We dumped them off in different locations. We tired to place people where we had initially found them. For those we couldn't, we dropped them off at the hospital." He poured himself another cup of tea. "Oh, yes. We returned your friend, Keigo, to his home. He was beginning to wake up by the time we got to him. I ran a few final tests on him before that just to be sure of everything. He's clean."
"What about Uryu?"
He pointed out the door into the hallway. "You can see for yourself. He's still here."
Ichigo looked out into the hall but wasn't able to see into the room Kisuke was pointing at. "Why? Is he ok?"
"He's fine. Just pouting."
"Pouting?"
"That's what I call it." He took a sip of tea. "But then again, how would you feel if you were a Quincy and this happened to you? A Quincy becoming a Hollow or showing any kind of Hollow powers or nature."
Ichigo sat back down with a sigh. "That's typical of him."
"Linnette's in there with him right now if you wanted to talk to either of them."
"That's fine."
Sensing the tension in Ichigo, Victor stood up, excusing himself from the table and left the room.
Kisuke looked at Ichigo now sensing it himself. "Is something bothering you?"
Ichigo looked at him quickly then looked down again.
"Your family is safe, your friends are back to normal and the Soul Society has been saved. You did what you set out to do. What's the problem? You should feel good about yourself."
"I should, but I don't," Ichigo said. "I mean, I do… But at the same time… I don't know!"
Veneno was still on his mind and he couldn't shake him out no matter what he did.
He turned to Kisuke. He was watching him, eyes holding no judgment. "See… The Arrancar… Veneno… He…"
"Was created in the lab by Mayuri, right? Victor told me."
That saved him some time explaining. "But… Veneno…" He looked Kisuke in the eye. "When he died… the look on his face…"
"Like someone who had everything to live for but didn't have the freedom to do it? Like he was tortured all his life and someone finally put him out of his misery? But at the same time, it was like you were confirming everything he believed about Soul Reapers killing Hollows no matter what and the fact that the two could never be friends? That kind of look?"
Ichigo was speechless. "Uh… I… Uh…"
"I know. I understand. You pity him. It' understandable." Kisuke faced away, looking at his teacup. "But you had to do it. There was no other way. He didn't give you a lot of options."
"I just feel like I made a mistake. I regret doing it. I didn't want to kill him."
"I know you didn't. I had noticed that about you when we trained, remember? You show restraint. That's a good thing, but when someone's trying to kill you and are clearly the enemy, you have little choice."
"But I'm not sure he was the enemy!" Ichigo said, leaning forward. "That's just it. It's usually so clear to me, but with him…"
"You sympathized with him." Kisuke kept his eyes on his cup, stroking the rim with his thumb. "They poor guy, right? In that lab with Mayuri doing what he does best to him night and day, keeping him in isolation… It's understandable. With his kind of experience, it's no wonder he considers Soul Reapers the enemy. Every time he runs into one, they attack him on sight before he can even say 'hello'. That's just how they are. Ask questions later, show hostility now. Then he meets you, a Soul Reaper with Hollow Powers. He must have thought you were different but given his experience, wanted you to convert in order to trust you. That must have been it."
Ichigo looked at the table. "He said that he wanted a friend. He said… he wanted to live. When we spoke, he seemed kind. He helped me and what did I do? I killed him. I probably proved to him that all Soul Reapers are capable of is killing."
"Ichigo…" Kisuke set his cup aside and turned his body to face Ichigo. "Listen to me, ok? I know that you feel bad about killing him. But that means that you have a heart and you're a kind and good person."
"Rukia said that, too."
"Well, she's right. Maybe you need to hear it from someone else before it finally sinks in. But there's something else…" He moved closer. "Think of it this way. Even if you didn't kill him and made him surrender a different way and changed everyone back… You probably wouldn't have been able to stop them from punishing him. He might have gone back to the lab or been sentenced to death. You probably wouldn't have been able to prevent that. I mean, do you really think Yamamoto would show restraint towards an Arrancar after all that? He kind of calls the shots, you know…"
Ichigo hung his head. "Yeah… I know…" Still, he wanted to help him.
"You might have helped him in that you put him out of his misery. Living like that the way that he was… he would have gone insane at some point. No one can live in isolation like that. Even with others around, unless he can have a conversation with someone other than himself… he would have been really messed up."
Ichigo felt Kisuke put his hand on his shoulder and looked up.
"There's one other thing I want you to hear. Ok?"
Ichigo nodded slowly, listening.
"You gave him all the chances you could. He refused. I know that you wanted to save him… but Veneno must also want to be saved."
He blinked. Ichigo didn't know if that made him feel better. But it didn't make him feel worse.
"You can reason with him all night and day and talk to him from sunup to sundown and it wouldn't make a difference unless he chooses to listen. He had to listen for anything to happen. Understand, Ichigo? It's not your fault. He had to decide for himself. From the sound of things, he chose not to listen. That's no fault of yours."
Now he knew what that feeling was. Comfort. He did feel a little better about this now. Veneno chose this. Ichigo gave him plenty of chances but he never listened.
That was the difference between him and Linnette. She chose to listen whereas he did not. He refused to change. Linnette wanted to change. She knew what she was doing was wrong. Veneno either didn't see it or didn't care that his actions were wrong.
"Don't be so hard on yourself."
Ichigo lifted his head feeling much better and nodded his thanks to Kisuke. The shop owner patted Ichigo's shoulder and pulled away smiling.
"You're more sensitive than you let on, Ichigo."
"Shut up." He got up and went into the next room where Linnette was sitting beside Uryu on the floor playing with his glasses.
"Don't break those. I need them," Uryu was telling her.
She smiled, leaning over him. "You look cute without them on."
He flinched and turned away.
"Are you blushing?" she giggled.
"No, I'm not blushing. Give me back my glasses."
"But you're resting."
"Give!"
She pouted and set them down on his chest. He took them and set them on the other side of his bed. "See? You're not even wearing them."
He said nothing and burrowed under the covers. She started to pat his head and he pulled the covers over his head, hiding. She kept patting his head.
Smiling, Ichigo went over and sat at Uryu's pillow, reached down and started to pat Uryu's head as well.
"Knock it off!"
Linnette giggled. Uryu thought she was the one doing it. Not Ichigo. He didn't know he was in the room. Ichigo started to stroke Uryu's hair in an affectionate manner. Uryu moaned loudly and swatted at his hand. Ichigo kept at it.
"Stop it."
Giggling, Linnette answered, "You have to kiss my hand to get me to stop, Uryu."
Ichigo looked at her silently. She nodded her head, trying not to laugh too much. He shook his head back which only made her nod more. She wanted to see this. She thought it was funny. Ichigo kept petting Uryu.
Fed up, Uryu groaned and grabbed Ichigo's hand, thinking it was hers. "Fine. You win." He pulled the covers off his head and puckered his lips and planted them on Ichigo's knuckles.
"Why, Uryu," said Ichigo, playing along. "This is so sudden."
Uryu looked over his head and saw Ichigo sitting above him. "Uagh!" Uryu screamed and threw his hand away, retreating under the covers and cursing Ichigo. "How could you do that? Why? Have you nothing better to do, Ichigo?"
Linnette fell over laughing. Ichigo started laughing with her. He was enjoying this, too.
"Stop laughing!" Uryu yelled.
"Give me a kiss and I'll stop, Ichigo teased.
Uryu went back under the covers.
Linnette, still laughing, pointed at them. "Yeah! Yeah! Do it! Do it! Kiss!"
"No way!" Ichigo said, backing off. "We're not doing that."
"It'll be funny!"
"Not for me. I draw the line." Ichigo refused, no matter how many times she begged. Finally she gave up and started rolling around on the floor like a log. "Bored?"
"Uryu took his glasses back," she told him.
Cedric poked his head into the room at that moment and waved to Linnette. "Linnette, come on. We have to change your clothes. You've been wearing the same thing for days."
She got off the floor and went over to him. "Ok." He took her hand and led her down the hall. "Can I wear the purple jumper today?"
"Wear whatever's going to be comfortable on the plane ride home."
That's right. Linnette was going home to New York now that the danger was over. It seemed so soon. Ichigo would have thought they would settle down for a while here. Perhaps their settling down was done at the party last night.
Ichigo sat back and took in a deep breath. He sensed that his Hollow was calm now. Linnette must have mellowed him out. Either that or he was still recovering from the battle. Ichigo's body no longer ached, but he still wanted to rest at home with his family.
Uryu poked his head out from under the covers. "You still here?"
"Why?" Ichigo smirked. "Looking for another kiss now that she's gone?"
He hid under the covers again. "Shut up."
Ichigo chuckled and got up, leaving the room. He was in a much better mood now. Somehow seeing his family and friends safe and sound, listening to Kisuke's words and watching Linnette play had lifted his spirits.
If only this feeling lasted longer than he knew it would.
So enjoy it while it lasts.
The next one is the last chapter.
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