Rukia and Renji both had to dodge and protect themself from the debris that was raining on them. Everything happened so fast, that Rukia needed a moment to realize that it was the ceiling that was crushing down on her and Renji, who throw himself over her to protect her...
A loud roar... a heavy windblow... and it was over. As suddenly as it started it was over and all present Shinigami realized that there was a big hole in the roof and that Keigo was gone!
In shock Rukia, Renji and all other present Shinigami saw the big hole Keigo (or the Hollow inside of him) punched into the roof and Keigo literally flying away.
"SET THE ALERTS..." someone screamed and the sirens start to howl over the Sereitei.
In the provisional studio in Keigo's former penthouse, Ichigo, Orihime and Tatsuki had a mental breakdown... They didn't endure it anymore. They knew, Makoto was not intend to expose them again (she didn't remember any Shinigami related stuff anymore), she was here to reveal the truth about Keigo's so called 'accident'. Not because of the ratings. She wanted justice. Ichigo couldn't anymore. Honestly, he would confront his friend's presumed killers, too. Maybe it was time to confront himself...
"You were here, that evening? Weren't you? You were here and something happened!" Makoto continued talking in a threatening manor.
"We... I... it..." Ichigo stuttered, trying to find the right words. Should he tell her the truth? At least the truth that doesn't expose him again? He knew he couldn't lie. She already knew more than she should know... "...I didn't hate him... I didn't enjoyed to beat him..."
"But you did!" Makoto interfered.
"Listen, I am not proud what happened between us. And now that I know more about him and how he thought about us, I would really like to slap myself for hurting him... Physically and mentally...! I was too stern and dumb to not to realize that I pushed everyone who cares for me away. Yeah, I jinxed Keigo, by letting him feel to be our friend at first and than pushing him away like a not wanted jerk. And I also didn't prevent them from beeing pulled into... 'my mess'... And to make everything worse I even dared to let them beeing pulled in. I DIDN'T WANT ANYONE OF THEM GETTING HURT... AND I FAILED COMPLETELY!"
Ichigo breathed hardly. His face turned more and more red while sweat was running down his face, his arms and his back. Suddenly he felt so hot, like he was sitting in an oven. Makoto watched him interested. First she didn't want to do this with Kurosaki alone. She wanted the whole group. But with Kojima beeing in Moldova and Chad beeing in Mexico right now, there were only these three left. Orihime seemed the most harmless of them, despite the criminal family she came from... She decided to went on the next step. She already had a confession. Now she needed the motive!
"Does one of you has connections to Slovenia?"
"Slovenia?!" Ichigo suddenly remembered the man in Slovenia, the whole Soul Society was discussing about. He already guessed that this man remembers him. No, it was obvious that this man has enough spiritual powers to remember everything. "There... there is that young man, right? He told you something... about me..."
"Just answer my question!"
"Ichigo, there is no way to deny it." Orihime suddenly interfered. "We never met him in person... we just heared about him in TV... That he was... treated very badly and send to the psychatry without reason... Whatever he told you, there is an explanation for it!"
"I am very interrested to hear it."
"Well… you know…" now Orihime worsened everything. That was the moment she and the others realized that they don't even know the Slovenian's name. "…ehem, there… it was…ehm… I think he can explain you better…"
"The Slovenian is dead, Kurosaki!" Makoto said, shocking the three present humans much more. "When the police arrived to arrest him and to bring him back to the psychatry again, he ran away and throw himself in front of a train... Loudly screaming your name and than: 'Roke stran od moje duse!' before the train hit him. That's Slovenian for: Hands off my soul! What did he mean with that?"
"Oh my gosh... He killed himself?" Ichigo was shocked. He thought that the Soul-Society would compensate him for what he was forced to endure. He strictly ordered them. This was just a reminder that Ichigo had actually no influence in the Soul Society. No matter what he did for them in the past...
"Don't act dumb! The Slovenian police found various recordings and a diary full with photos of you. I still wait for more informations from my colleagues in Slovenia but this young man found a connection between you and Keigo. And now two of you confessed that you killed him? What really happened? All witnesses said that Keigo looked like he tried to flee from someone, before he got hit by the van... What did he did before, that you got so mad on him that he is forced to flee..."
"I... I think, I just caused him to do what every human in his situation would do..." Ichigo realized in shock. But actually that thought let him feel a little bit better and remembered him that it was propably not fully because of thier troubled relationship to each other. "Every other human on this planet would had react in the same way. Keigo feared his life. And every human has an inherent escape reflex that activates as soon as his life is in danger. Ogawa would had done the same. Every other person, too..."
Ichigo realized that he said the last sentenses loudly and hold his mouth. Makoto became more curious than before.
"Kurosaki, if you are insisting that you were his friend you have to prove it. Tell me, the whole story!" Ichigo became pale after Makoto's words. "We are alone! Nobody is watching us..."
The last sentence was a lie. They were filmed by hidden cameras and recorded on tape by the hidden microphones. Ichigo took a deep breath and start telling his version of his 'friendship' to Keigo, from the day they first met, till today... (but without the supernatural-parts).
In the Soul Society meanwhile, chaos and unrest spread. The news about a soul with a 'parasital-hollow' inside of him caused everyone to prepare to fight. While Isshin took care of the pregnant Karin, Yuzu tried to persuade others to not to hurt Keigo. She still believed that there was hope that Keigo would be able to win over the Hollow inside him. While everyone else was sure that it was just a matter of hours before the last remaining rest of Keigo would be devoured and gone forever...
Yuzu was not able to convince anyone. Everyone told her to forget it, hide at a safe place and wait for further advice. But Yuzu was not willing to accept this. She had to find someone willing to help her...
"AFTER ALL THE HUMILIATING THINGS HE SAID ABOUT ME IN TV YOU WANT ME TO HELP HIM!?" Ikkaku screamed angrilly after Yuzu aproached him. He still couldn't forget all the terrible things Keigo said about him in his interview. She realized that this was a mistake. "I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SLICE THAT BASTARD INTO LITTLE PIECES, FOR WHAT HE SAID ABOUT ME..."
"DON'T EVEN DARE TO TOUCH HIM!" Yuzu screamed back. Now she was really mad. "AGHH... FORGET IT... I BETTER ASK A SHINIGAMI WHO HAS MORE HUMANITY..."
"HE HUMILIATED ME! I AM THE LAUGHING STOCK OF MY DEVISION..." Ikkaku ranted back before suddenly 'something' crashed threw the wall right next to them...
Yuzu and Ikkaku dodged away from the blast, that blew a big hole into the stone wall. They were covered in dust. And both felt a presence… Keigo!
Keigo breathed hardly when he daggered closer to them. The skin in his face was as white as chalk.
Blood was dropping from his mouth and his eyes were glowing. Instinctively, Ikkaku took his Zanpakutou to attack him. Not only because of the Hollow inside him, but also for the humilliation. But what followed, not only shocked Yuzu. Ikkaku was also so much shocked, that he was too upset to react like he would normally do.
Before Ikkaku was able to hit him, his blade was suddenly stopped. Keigo didn't even look on it. But much to Ikkaku's surprise (or better horror), Keigo, whom he always saw as too weak to fight, was able to block his attack and stop his blade with only two fingers…
"HOW DID YOU…" Ikkaku was screaming in shock right before 'Keigo' grabbled him by his throat and lift him from the ground. Yuzu screamed in fear and shock to stop and tried to reason him.
"You… are a Hollow…" Ikkaku stammered out of breath and full of shock. He dropped his Zanpakutou and snapped for air.
"KEIGO… NOOO…" Yuzu screamed feared.
"BALD HEAD…" Keigo roared with a foreign voice.
Ikkaku suddenly could feel that he was falling. He got flashbacks and felt like he was forced to see all the bad memories Keigo had on him. Slowly he ran out of air and realized that the Hollow inside Keigo used latters bad memories…
"If it is about… the… incident… on Kurosaki's… wedding… I didn't… know… that they… really invited you…"
"SO IT WAS YOUR FAULT…" Yuzu screamed now angrilly and for a very brief moment she forgot the danger she was in now. But than she remembered that Keigo was still not himself. "Keigo, you have to remember. Please… AGHHHHHH…"
Yuzu's loud scream echoed threw the narrow alleys of the Seireitei. Allerting every present Shinigami and her family and friends. Isshin thought the worst and left Karin alone to go and 'safe' Yuzu. He and some others saw an object flying over the houses…
At first, some thought that it was Keigo. But after looking closer, the shocked witnesses saw that it was actually the unconscious Ikkaku, who got a punch from Hollow-Keigo, that was so hard, that he was thrown over several houses. With a loud noise, Ikkaku's unconscious body crashed threw the roof of the warehouse of the twelth division and shattered the just recently rebuild shelves inside.
Yuzu was horrified. She couldn't believe what she just had to witness. She was very mad on Ikkaku, too. There was no doubt. But that was no reason to punch him so hard to let him fly. 'Keigo' turned around to face her now. She was totally scared, but still convinced that 'the real Keigo' was still in there.
"Keigo please, I know that you are somewhere in there. This is not you… Ichigo was an Idiot, yeah but there are other ways to… AGHHH…"
Yuzu stopped begging when 'Keigo' grabbled her by her throat, too and lift the sitting young woman up, too…
Yuzu felt his strong grip. She rang for air. But suddenly his grip became weaker… and suddenly Yuzu fell on the ground again. Her knees hit the ground, violently. But she was okay. Than she saw Keigo starting to shake and roar again. For 'Keigo' it was different. Keigo had actually no bad memories on Yuzu. So when 'Keigo' attacked her, he found nothing negative…
"Keigo…?"
"Yuzu…?" suddenly Keigo's voice sound normal again. "…RUN…"
"Keigo… resist! I know you can…" Yuzu screamed full of hope.
Keigo fell on his knees too. Holding his head and roaring in pain before he lost controll again… "RUN AWAY YUZU… IT WANTS MY…AGGHHH…!"
"KEIGO!" Yuzu screamed before suddenly a whole crowd of Shinigami surrounded them. Ready to end it. But before anyone could act, Keigo jumped away… leaving the stunned crowd and the shocked Yuzu behind…
"Miss Yuzu-san… are you hurt?" a female Shinigami asked politely.
Before Yuzu could respond her father dashed threw the crowd to reach her. "YUZU! YUZU, ARE YOU ALLRIGHT?"
"I am…" she said when her father caught her in a tight and quite painful hug. "…But please stop strangle me!"
"Oh, sorry…" Isshin said and calmed down.
Douzens of curious Shinigami asked a lot of questions at once. Yuzu was not able to understand everything. Angrilly she raised her arms and screamed: "SILENCE!"
The crowd muted down imediately. Looking on Yuzu with big eyes.
"LISTEN TO ME!" Yuzu continued screaming so loud that her throat start to hurt. She continued more quietly but still louder than usuall for her. "He is still in there. I just saw it... There is a chance to safe him without killing him. No matter what he did or how much he offended you... Nobody kills him! And if anyone hurts him, the next one who you should be afraid from will be me! I will handle this..."
Yuzu's outburst shocked many present Shinigami. Angrilly Yuzu picked up Ikkaku's Zanpakutou, he dropped, from the ground and fought her way threw the crowd and the debris. Isshin followed her quietly, watched by the curious crowd.
"Beeing dead seems to have inproved your grit..." Isshin murmured abashed, following his dauther. Yuzu had an idea. And she was happy to have her father on her side.
"Daddy,... when Keigo was able to talk again he said that the Hollow is looking for someone specific."
"Who? Ichigo? Arisawa?"
"I don't think so... The Hollow wants something that is conected to Keigo... Something... something that seems really important to Keigo..." Yuzu realized that it had to be something really big. "Where is that Ochi? I have some questions!"
Together they head to the twelth division...
In Keigo's penthouse, Ichigo just finished his statement. He told about the guilt he feels since he figured out what happened. About how he sucessfully ruined everything with his friends he didn't ever deserved. About that he fears that he will never ever see Kojima, too again. Or Arisawa, who was realy about to leave for good but now realized how sorry Ichigo was. And about the possible future of Keigo he ruined.
"…I never, never ever wanted Keigo to change. And I was not angry that he became sucessful. No… I was happy for him that he was able to leave Karakura. That's a place, that should normally be surrounded by a high fence with big warning-signs… I was neglective and unapproachable. Keigo is not supposed to be in Sou…" Ichigo bit on his tongue to not to bust himself. "…in the afterlife now. No! Keigo is supposed to be in Chile now to screen this Telenovela. He was supposed to get his own Sitcom with his voice… He was supposed to win the fight against his sister and his parents. So they learn that he was not the deadbeat they… and propably we, too wanted him to be… I don't want him to change just to fit in… I want him to be just himself. And I want to apologize to him, as soon as he… well… as soon as I get the chance to…"
Makoto was stunned. Maybe Kurosaki was not the sadistic monster, his classmates described him as. But there was still no answer to his and Tatsuki's confessions. So she asked directly: "How did you kill him? You already confessed it…"
Ichigo took a deep breath, closed his eyes that filled with tears again…
"I wrongfully acussed him for… something terrible that happened to me and my family two months ago. But... I figured out that he was actually innocent. So, I went to him, to see him. I realized that I lied to much to him and the others. I lied… I lied to everyone. To everyone who cared for me. I wanted to reconcile with him. That evening… Keigo was still suffering from the aftermath of… what happened during the interview…"
Officially, Keigo never gave an Interview. Keigo's 'Horror-performance' was a teaser for an upcomming horror-movie that was 'accidentally' aired on midday. So Makoto was surprised. Ichigo just continued telling everything.
"… he was not willing to talk to me. He was hurt, tired, sad… he tried to send me away. And I was willing to follow his order. I didn't want to leave him alone. Not in his condition. But I was willing to accept his wish. I never did before, so I thought it was overdue… but… than he changed his mind and allowed us to visit him. We talked a little bit and… and…"
"Let me guess… he demanded the truth about something. Something you were not willing to share with him. Or something that caused some trouble in past he got pulled into?" Makoto asked. Ichigo only nooded. "But you were not willing to tell him the full truth, right?"
"I... we... we wanted to wait until he calmed down or feels better..."
"Or until what? Until he changes his testament?" Makoto asked with a raised eyebrow.
"GOSH NO... That has nothing to do with money! How dare you to say that?" Orihime said shocked. She would never kill someone. Especially not for money.
"Keigo's whole possession, his fortune and the future royalties go to an foundation that helps abused and neglected children!" Makoto told proudly. Ichigo, Orihime and Tatsuki were astonished. "Keigo's last will was that his sister and parents get nothing. Everything goes to that foundation. But... there were some discrepancys... So I ask you now, Kurosaki: Who or what is the Soul Society?"
Ichigo became pale again...
Right there, in the Soul Society, everyone was still hunting Keigo. Yuzu still looked for someone to join her side. After a lot of grousing, yelling and crying finally Rukia and Renji believed her, too. So they joined her search. Thier daughter was not happy when she was ordered to stay at home to be safe...
"BUT I WANT TO HELP!" Ichika yelled disappointed, while her parents prepared to leave again. "SHALL I WARN KAZUI, MAYBE?"
Rukia frozed when she heared that name. Ichika was right: Kazui was in danger, too but they had to handle Keigo, who was propably hunting down everyone who once hurt him! And Ichika would have been kept busy: "Okay, you are allowed to go to Karakura and look after Kazui. He is propably with his friend there. And remember the procedure we talked about..."
"I will..." Ichika screamed before she left.
The procedure was actually a trick to lure the kids away from the action and to remain safe. Just good that Ichika haven't realized that by now...
What nobody know, was that Keigo already left the Seiretei and got pulled into the void between the Soul-Society and the world of the living... getting closer and closer to Ichigo...
Yuzu and her father arrived at the twelth division just when the severly injured and unconsious Ikkaku was brought away by two members of the fourth division.
"Put him together, again and keep sure that he is awake when we come back with Keigo. Madarame still needs to apologize to him." Yuzu said demanding, shocking everyone present.
Both stormed into the building and right to the destroyed warehouse. Many Shinigami from the twelth were not happy that all the work to rebuild the warehouse were for nothing. Kaneda Ochi, who was among the cleanup party, was still in trouble. After his affair with Ogawa, he was still waiting for his final hearing. He still didn't know how far his penalty will go. It all depend on what happened to Ogawa. According to some documents they found, Ogawa was infertile. But she was exposed to Orihime's healing-powers... what if she got pregnant? Than he would be in really big trouble...
Kaneda's problems just became bigger when Yuzu and her father stormed into the warehouse, both grabbled him on his arms and pulled him outside to talk to him at a quiet place... Kaneda was too surprised to resist or even to say something. But his captain, who witnessed everything tried to interfere.
"Where do you think, you are going?" Mayuri Kurotsotchi, the rigorous and scary captain of the twelth division asked.
"SHUT UP, HORROR-FACE!" Yuzu yelled upset. Stunning not only Mayuri, but also all present Shinigami. Nobody ever dared to talk to Kurotsotchi like that, without becoming a 'test-subject' after. But Mayuri was too stunned about that reaction to think about it.
"I ever thought that she is so kind..." he murmured.
Yuzu and her father pulled Kaneda threw the corridor. His feet scratching over the ground. They found an empty room, entered it, forced Kaneda to sit down and settled down in front of him. Kaneda feared the worst. He heared what happened to Keigo and feared that they blame him now. But Yuzu suddenly burst out into tears to tell him what happened and that it had to do with something Keigo was worried about...
"It is this secret, right?" Isshin continued. "The one you didn't want to tell Ichigo because Keigo trusted you..."
"He was too tired and to exhausted to avoid telling me. He doesn't want any Shinigami to know because he fears it will endanger..."
"OCHI, PLEASE..." Yuzu was crying again. "That might be the key to safe Keigo. The Hollow is after Keigo's secret..."
Hearing this, Kaneda knew that there was no chance to hide it anymore. He was ashamed and full of regret, to tell the Kurosaki's Keigo's secret now. But if the baby was in danger now, there was no other choise. And so Kaneda told Yuzu and Isshin about Akira's pregnancy and Keigo's baby...
Ichigo meanwhile, tried to stay calm, after Makoto asked him for the Soul Society. When he didn't respond, Makoto asked again. This time more demanding: "What kind of organisation is the Soul-Society?"
Ichigo start to sweat. He couldn't tell her... she could remember everything if he does. Makoto was much more upset and urged for the truth.
"The man in Slovenia collected a lot of evidence over the years. The Soul Society was responsible for his horrific life and it was responsible for trouble of countless of other people. Including Keigo. Keigo was the first friend I had when I was able to get this job. He was the one who encouranged me to fight against the lies my previous employer spread about me to prevent that I get better chances for a career... And now with him beeing dead, I feel like I am the one who put him on the Soul Society's radar again..." a tear ran down her face.
Suddenly all three realized what was really going on: Makoto blamed herself, too! She blamed herself for pulling Keigo into it, without her permission. She didn't remember everything. But enough to remember that she pulled Keigo into something, he tried to forget and leave behind. Ichigo also mentioned that she thought the Soul Society was something that is located in the world of the living...
"So tell me, the truth... What is the Soul Society!" Makoto yelled, now crying much more. "Is it some kind of Yakuza-subsidary? A secret society that secretly rules Karakura? A foreign world-wide criminal organisation?"
"What... no..." Ichigo realized that Makoto believed that the Soul Society was really some kind of Yakuza club, Keigo was once pulled into but left it to safe himself. "Keigo had nothing to do with them..."
"And why you said that he got pulled into just a couple of minutes ago..." Makoto said mad. "I know you are hiding something. The Soul Society is responsible for douzens of crimes on innocent humans all over the world... And you are obviously a part of it! Miss Arisawa and your wife not as much as you but they are also involved. So tell the truth..."
Ichigo's face became pale again. He felt trapped... no chance to deny everything. They were alone with her now. Nobody was listening or watching them. And she would never give up before she learns the truth. They had a memory replacer with them... Maybe it will help when they tell her the truth, convince her to keep it for herself this time and than replace her memories with or without her approval.
Ichigo was just about to open his mouth before he suddenly felt something familiar. He could feel Rukia approaching them! First he thought that he just imagines it but he was right...
When Rukia stormed in, she was shocked to see Ichigo (totally devastated), Orihime (crying) and Tatsuki (crying much more) together with Makoto. When Rukia came in, Ichigo first didn't mentioned her. But than he saw the camera that was hidden behind the black curtain. It only became visible because Rukia was pushing the curtains away.
"ICHIGO, I... GOSH, WHAT'S HIRABATA..." Rukia began to scream but Ichigo cut her off.
"WHAT THE FUCK?! YOU FILMED US..." Ichigo screamed at the same time, when he realized that Makoto lied to them. "RUKIA... MEMORY REPLACER... NOW!"
"What is going on? Who do you scream on? And who is Rukia?" Makoto, who was not able to see Rukia, asked confused. But she mentioned that some kind of 'wind-gust' somehow opened the closed terrace-doors and exposed the camera that was hidden behind the curtains.
"RUKIA-CHAN, GET OUT BEFORE SHE SEES YOU!" Orihime screamed without thinking about it before.
"ORIHIME YOU BUST HER!" Tatsuki added before she hold her mouth with both hands.
"What's going on here?" now Rukia was confused. "Why do you talk to the woman that exposed you?"
"She lured us into a trap to film us and to force us to say that we killed Keigo on purpose..." Ichigo said.
"Keigo won't like to hear that, he is mad enough on you..."
"What? Did you find him?" Ichigo asked now much more excited.
"Yes! And I am afraid I have bad news..."
"Who is he talking to?" Makoto asked confused after seeing Ichigo talking to an 'invisible person'. "Looks like he talks to a ghost... ghost... you are able to see them, aren't you?"
Memories woke up in Makoto's head again, Ichigo was too upset to realize that Makoto's memories start to restore. He was shocked to hear Rukia's statement about Keigo beeing possesed and now on a vengeance campaign...
"How is that possible? Who put a Hollow into Keigo's soul?" Ichigo asked shocked.
"Hollow?" Makoto remembered a bit more... "Keigo, mentioned Hollows! Hollows... Shinigami... yeah... YEAH, KUROSAKI YOU ARE A SHINIGAMI!"
"OH NO! THANKS RUKIA! YOU DID IT!" Ichigo screamed angrilly on Rukia to let off some steam. Rukia became red, blaming herself for Ichigo's re-exposure. Orihime and Tatsuki shrieked loudly.
"And you..." Makoto turned to Orihime to point on her with her finger. "And you are some kind of witch?"
"I swear that I am a good witch!" Orihime said upset. Instead of defending herself, she surrendered immediately. Till today she had no clue what she really was. A human, or maybe really a witch?
"Orihime, stop talking before it get's worse..." Tatsuki tried to say.
The whole situation was escallating. Tatsuki really wished to run out with Orihime and to beat up that darn camera that was propably still running. She wanted to scream but was frozen...
The whole group and Makoto were all start to talk wildly. The fight was going to escallate more and more. Renji arrived a couple of seconds later and joined the fight. All were too busy to realize that Keigo was getting closer and closer...
"Hirabata, please... I know I am a liar, working for a supernatural force of antisocial bullys and egoists." Ichigo said, offending the Abarais who were shocked to hear that. "But I would do everything to get Keigo back to life again and tell him..."
"TELL ME WHAT?" suddenly Keigo's voice appeared.
"HIRABATA, STOPP THAT FUSS WITH THE TAPE!" Ichigo screamed angrilly. Thinking that it came from Makoto's tape again.
"That wasn't me!" Makoto said innoncently.
Everyone turned around shocked to see Keigo floating outside over the terrace...
Please review and keep well.