The room was unlike anything Ichigo had been in before. It was split level and an odd mishmash of different styles and stuff. It was a semicircle room, with a raised walkway flanked by overstuffed chairs and sofas. Behind them, the curving wall was a continuous shelf stuffed full of books. Three closed doors stood out among the books and a rotating staircase rose up to the side. Ichigo glanced to the side and saw a beyond a threshold in the corner.
Consul controllers littered the floor, along with books. Ichigo felt the heat of a fire behind him. He quickly glanced behind to see a large hearth. Turning back, the Tscheapwhetzar lounged in one of the sofas, with a heavy tome in his hands. Ichigo caught a glimpse of a woman with a silvery sword on the cover, but it was difficult to make out.
"There's something I have found out after reading many books, Ichigo. A long story is potentially the best and the worst thing to enjoy. A long story allows you to explore so much more about a world, about its people, about the intricacies that make up a plot. That immersion makes it feel like you are swept away into another world. You come to love it. You want to be there. The people you read about become your friends. It becomes your second home. It's where you heart is."
He then raised a finger. "But if the story is poorly done, then it becomes torturous. You struggle through, hoping for something better. For the story to redeem itself! You refuse to believe that you've wasted so much time, heart, and emotion in that tale. If it lets you down, it's as if a someone who should have been your friend has just spat in your face and kneed you in the groin.
"That is the danger of long stories."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean," Ichigo asked, frowning and crossing his arms.
"I love a good story," the hood man said, closing the book and setting it aside. Ichigo observed the red lettering a knight with a long sword. "I journey for world to world across the Realms, seeking out the best stories to acquire. I want to be a part of them. I want them to be a a part of me. I have found that I am particularly gravitated to the stories with the most heart, with the highest stakes involved for its people. Sometimes those stories are brief, like the falling of stars. But the ones that have time and again proven themselves have been the long ones.
"And yours has been a very long story, and one that I have invested a lot of time and effort in, even if you haven't noticed it. And I think that from there come the best rewards."
Ichigo rolled his eyes and strode over to the Tscheapwhetzar. "What do you want? Why have you brought me here?"
Two cans of soda zoomed from out of the kitchen One flew right into the Tscheapwhetzar's waiting hand. Ichigo caught his right out of the air. He noticed it as an American brand. 7-UP. He cracked it open and took a tentative sip.
"Don't worry, I haven't poisoned it," the other man laughed. "I am impressed that you made it out as well as you did. That Kasumioji Rebellion had the potential to be really nasty!"
"It was really nasty," Ichigo snapped.
"I gather that it was, but it could have been worse. The bakotos have the ability to become exponentially powerful depending on how they're used. That is why I worked to unlock your powers and gave you a failsafe."
"A failsafe?"
"That red ribbon. The ribbon that you have unconsciously held in your pocket this entire time. Like a forgotten memory."
Ichigo reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out the red ribbon that had held the message the Tscheapwhetzar had given him what felt like an eternity ago. The man smiled from underneath his hood.
"That is the failsafe. I took this from a story that you long ago forgot. The story that brought me to you. I acquired it and wove into it the Grave Chain I forged. It is meant to help you reclaim those you have lost," the Tscheapwhetzar explained. "If you concentrate on it, you'll be able to reach out to those, close to you whom you have lost."
"What are you talking about," Ichigo asked.
"Try. See what happens."
Feeling foolish, Ichigo gripped the ribbon and concentrated. He felt that his spiritual energy did not grate on this room or world as it had back in the Soul Society. In fact, he felt very calm. His power flowed easily into the ribbon. It was as if a light burst in his mind, and his eyes flew open.
Before him stood a young girl, with spiky black hair pulled back in a ponytail. She had big, bright eyes and a playful demeanor. She was also see-through, the Tscheapwhetzar clearly visible behind her. He felt like he should know her, but he didn't quite recall. A very weak memory of going somewhere… In the Dangai… To rescue a girl.
"Who are you?"
A name. Long forgotten. But he couldn't quite grasp it, and the image soon faded.
With a shrug, the hooded man said, "Well, you'll have time to practice. But with that ribbon, your newly formed Squad 14 will soon have even more recruits and help."
"Who was she?"
"Senna."
Ichigo did not recognize the name, and the Tscheapwhetzar did not act as if he should. He looked down at the red ribbon for a moment and then tucked it away again.
"What is this Grave Chain you mentioned?"
The Tscheapwhetzar smiled broadly, a twinge of insanity in his eyes, and answered, "It might become my crowning experiment. But I'm not sure how well it will work. Your ribbon is part of what I am doing for it. I'll be very interested in seeing what you make of it."
Ichigo nodded. He was not a fan of becoming someone else's experiment. This guy and Mayuri would have probably have gotten along. When they were not trying to kill one another.
"So, you know about Squad 14," Ichigo said. "How?"
"I've been keeping a very close eye on you."
"And you know that I can no longer live peacefully in my own world," Ichigo said in a clipped tone.
"Yes. I am sorry for that. But it was kind of essential for my plan," the Tscheapwhetzar said with a wave of his free hand before taking a sip of his drink.
"And I gather you could fix that," Ichigo said evenly.
"Yes. Yes, I can. But you don't want my help, do you?"
Ichigo shook his head. "I've had enough of your help."
"And all for the better, I think," the Accursed replied, taking a full swig now from his can. "Kisuke will enjoy this challenge. Here, I have the plans for your gateway to the Realms. I think it will give the R&D department some fun and chills."
One book danced off the shelf and flapped over to Ichigo. It spat out a small stack of papers tied together into at his feet. Ichigo hesitated and then picked it up.
"Before I send you back Ichigo, I have something else I want to give you," the Tscheapwhetzar said, getting up. "You will have 15 years to live your life. Have adventures, make babies, raise a family. Defend, fight, and go where you please. Just keep yourself alive, and in fifteen years of your peace, I will come back for you, and I will reveal what you could have had if I did not intervene. And from there, I will require your full-time effort in my cause."
Ichigo gave the man a calculating look.
"How about it? Fifteen years without any meddling from me, and then I come to collect. How does that sound?"
"Do I have much of a choice?"
"I say you do," was the answer, after the Tscheapwhetzar took another drink. "You always have a choice. And it's not just your power that makes it so. Every human is free to do what they want and strive against the powers and wills of others."
"And then there's you," Ichigo replied dryly.
Chuckling, the man said, "Yes, I am a forced to be reckoned with. We'll see what happens in fifteen years. That is, if you take my deal."
Ichigo thought for a moment. He still wanted to resist this crazy, strange man, but he had seen what he had seen. He had experienced what he had. And he needed a rest. The course seemed perfectly clear.
"You have a deal," Ichigo finally answered.
"Very good-"
"But one thing," Ichigo said, before downing his can's contents. "I am only doing this to protect my friends and the people who have relied on me. That means not just one but three different worlds. Countless people. I feel the weight of that duty. But I will shoulder it! And no matter what, even if that means having to kill you, I will find a way. I swear to protect everyone!"
"I would say that you are sounding like a broken record, but I love that promise," the Tscheapwhetzar said. "I accept that oath. Now then, unless you use that portal to come and visit me sometime, I'll see you in fifteen years. Goodbye, Ichigo."
He snapped his fingers and Ichigo blinked. He found himself suddenly in front of his house. It was broken. He could feel the lingering spiritual pressure from his dad and Rurichiyo's bodyguards. It was clear immediately what had happened here. He walked through the doorway and found his family waiting there. And Rukia, too.
"R-Rukia! You're here?"
"Of course I am, you idiot! I knew you would be making your way here, but after the state you were in, I needed to make sure your family was ready," Rukia said crossly.
"It's all right Ichigo," Isshin said, stepping up to his son's side. "I had not expected you to come back to after us the war with the Quincy. You had so much power inside of you, and I feared it would all be released, making it impossible for you to come home. But you returned then. And you came back now. We'll make this work."
"Kisuke," Ichigo sighed. "I should have been the one to tell you guys."
"It's for the best, Ichigo. Everyone knows you terrible at communication," Karin said, looking away slightly.
"Don't say that," Yuzu chided her sister, tears in her eyes.
Ichigo smiled sadly and allowed himself to be led further inside. There, he sat with his family and talked. They did not talk about the battle. They did not talk about any of the past. Instead, they looked forward to the future. Ichigo planned to finish up high school, then go to Hueco Mundo to take care of some business. He would then return to the Soul Society to see that the portal would be built and officially organize Squad 14. From there he would finally set his sights on the Realms and learn what he could before returning.
There was a war waiting for them, after all. One he needed to see with his own eyes.
He became progressively more exhausted, but he stayed with them long into the night. They needed him there. He needed his family. After so long fighting, he had not realized just how much he needed home. How comforting and familiar it was. He would miss it.
Finally, Rukia led him upstairs.
"You didn't them," she said softly.
"About what?"
She slapped him lightly over the head. "That we are going to be expecting!"
"So you caught that. During the battle?"
"Of course," she huffed. She then leaned in a kissed him on the cheek. "And I saw how you planned everything out as well. So you'll be there."
Ichigo looked away. "I'm still figuring this stuff out. I have a hard time expressing those kinds of feelings. And I am still just a high school student after all."
Rukia's fingers intertwined with his own. She led him into his, and onto his bed. He felt ready to pass out. It felt so good to be held by her. This was peace.
"No, Ichigo. You are our hero."
