Chapter 42

End of Hypnosis V - Sweet Sorrow

"Can you come with me for a little bit, Aaron? This is important."

Aaron wasn't sure why Kana's request made him so apprehensive. She was the very last person that would lead him to harm. Knowing this did little to stop him from making his way toward her gingerly.

"Y-Yeah. Of course," he eventually answered. "Where are we going though?"

Rather than explaining, Kana turned around. Aaron took that a sign to follow along.

"Sasune…"

"Don't worry about me," the Quincy said with a wave. "Just take care of her, alright? I'll keep looking around for that Kuchiki girl while you're gone."

"I owe you one. I guess even a guy like you can be useful every now and then."

Sasune gave him a toothy grin. "All the time for your information. Go on."

Saluting, Aaron made haste to catch up to Kana. She wasn't moving all that fast, so it wasn't a difficult task. He stared at her back as they made their way through Rukongai. He felt as if there was an invisible barrier separating them. For whatever reason, he didn't have the nerve to walk side-by-side with her.

"I wonder what's up?" he asked himself quietly. He kept getting this nagging sensation that there was something important he was forgetting. "Kana."

She didn't respond.

"Kana. I need to ask you something."

He again received silence.

"Hey, Kana! I'm talking to you!" he declared. He placed his hand on her frail shoulder and flipped her around forcefully. The face that entered his sight didn't resemble Kana's whatsoever. It was dead, lifeless. She seemed to be in some sort of trance. Now thoroughly alarmed, Aaron shook her for dear life. "Hey! Kana! What's the matter?!"

She had been acting strange all day. This took the cake, however.

Kana shook her head and pressed forward. It was a silent command for him to shut up and continue to follow along. Frustrated, Aaron decided to be patient for a little longer.

They traveled through many districts of Rukongai. The farther they went, the worse things got. Poorly constructed home. People wearing little more than tattered rags. A bevy of cutthroats he wouldn't want to encounter in a dark alley. It didn't make any sense to Aaron.

"What's going on?" he asked.

He was surprised to hear Kana speak at last. Her tone, line her overall demeanor, was weary. "...This is how Rukongai works. All the districts are numbered. The higher the number, the farther you are from the Seireitei, and thus, the worse the conditions are. Where we are now, Shinigami don't really venture unless they're on a mission. It's too dangerous even for them. When you arrive in Soul Society after dying, it's pretty much a dice roll where you'll end up. Better pray that fate is on your side."

"That...doesn't seem right."

"No, it isn't."

The indignant gazes he received from the district's inhabitants made Aaron wish Unohana had given him back his Zanpakutou. He could understand why a Shinigami would want to steer clear of the place.

After what felt like ages of more walking, Kana suddenly stopped. It prompted Aaron to search around. The new district wasn't any less decrepit than the last. He could instinctively tell they were in a particularly dangerous neighborhood though. There were a number of shops selling assorted goods. There were also far too many people laying out on the streets for his liking. None of them were even wearing sandals.

"Don't they have anywhere to go?"

"No," said Kana, shaking her head. "You either build a house around here...or steal one. Otherwise, you're on your own. Down here."

She motioned him further down the street. Almost everyone was staring at him. He blamed his black robes. Besides being a rare sight, Shinigami were also an unwelcome one in his estimation.

"Where are we now?"

"This is the Mitarashi district. Soul Society refers to it as the seventy-seventh district of Rukongai. Needless to say, we're a long ways from proper civilization."

Seventy-seven. They had started at one. Aaron leered over his shoulder and could hardly fathom how anyone could survive so far out in the slums.

Let alone three orphans.

"Heishiro named Arashi and I 'Mitarashi' after he adopted us. I never understood why until I graduated from the Shinigami Academy and came back here. Life is good in the Seireitei. I mean, it probably wouldn't be all that impressive to you, but...it was nice having a warm bed to sleep in every night and three meals a day. ...It was also nice knowing someone wouldn't break and kill me in my sleep.

"So, when I came back here, I had...forgotten how awful things were. That's why my last name is Mitarashi. Heishiro never wanted us to forget where we came from, what we survived. It put everything into perspective. That's why I've been trying to live the best life I can. We were lucky. Arashi, Akira, and I. All of us had the aptitude to become Shinigami. That's one of the few ways you can escape this place. But all these people...they're stuck here for the rest of their lives. Or...until they get killed."

Kana again gestured for Aaron to come along. Their final destination, a dilapidated building that was mostly crumbling rocks at this point, made Aaron raise an eyebrow. There was nothing special about. That was why he was so vexed at Kana gazing at it longingly.

"This," said said. She pressed her fingers on the cold stone, "was our home."

"W-Wait. You're telling me…?"

"Yes. Akira. Arashi. Heishiro. And me. This is where we lived. This is where I grew up."

Lost for words, Aaron surveyed the remains again. Someone had torn them down quite recently.

"Remember when I said it's a dice roll on which district you'll end up in?" said Kana. "That goes for family members too. It doesn't matter if you and your brother died at the same time. If the ticket they give you has a different number on it, you get sent to different places. That's why I was lucky. Somehow, the gods gave me Arashi."

Aaron bit his bottom lip.

"But I guess as tribute, they stuck us here."

A group of kids came running past. An elderly man was in hot pursuit.

"Thieves! Get back here, you rotten punks!"

They all dashed around a corner, one Aaron couldn't take his eyes off.

"B-But all they had was water. Are you telling me…?"

"Yes, Aaron. Even water is that precious of a resource around here. I can't even begin to remember how many times Arashi and I had to do that to get by. Food. Medicine. Clothes. Strength is the only law around here. If you can't get the things you need, you die. Simple as that."

'Grim' didn't even begin to describe that explanation. Aaron was sick to his stomach.

"There are a lot of orphans around here. They help each other, so it's not so bad."

"...What happened to their parents?" Aaron asked.

"Some get seperated from them. Some kids are just unlucky enough to die before their folks, so they come here on their own. Others...are just abandoned. It's hard taking care of yourself in a place like this. Imagine having two or three mouths to feed. In a sad sort of way, I...don't blame them."

Aaron didn't have the courage to ask something else that had been bothering him. It didn't matter. Kana could tell exactly what was on his mind.

"I don't know what happened to our parents. I don't remember them. It doesn't really matter." Kana set her sights back on what was left her of her home. "Heishiro is the only parent I've ever known. And this place...was all we had."

The tears had been coming for awhile. Kana, burying her face into her arm, couldn't fight them back any longer.

"This street...Akira and I used to...play through it all the time. We'd get in trouble if we wandered too far or stumbled into someone's property. Of course, we kept on getting our noses dirty. Heishiro always gave us one hell of a fussing, but…"

She sniffled.

"Um...t-that bread stand over there. It's overpriced as hell. That's how you make money around here—selling everything at extortionist prices. And it's not like anyone is going to give you crap for it when that's all that's available.

"Heishiro didn't care though. He knew how much we loved the bread from there. Whenever he ran into some money, he would buy a whole handful and then cook up a storm. We...had the best smelling house on the block whenever that happened."

Sobbing a bit harder, Kana feared she was too choked up to continue.

"The reason we all became Shinigami was to get out of this place. But mostly, we...just wanted to take care of Heishiro. He sacrificed everything for us. We owed him. No matter what it took, we were going to get him out of here too. But...that didn't happen. We made a lot of mistakes and maybe forgot the struggle we went through here. Maybe he'd still be alive if we just didn't…"

She couldn't take it any longer. Sinking to her knees, she cried into her hands.

"We didn't know how good we had it! Selfish!" She slammed her fists into the dirt. "That's what we were! Just a bunch of stupid, spoiled brats who thought the world would be easy if we swung a sword around and killed a Hollow or two! Now look at us!"

She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold in spite of the balmy heat. Aaron saw that she was shivering.

"I'm...all alone now! Everyone is gone! Heishiro, Arashi, and now Akira! My entire family has been taken away from me!"

"W-What are you talking about? Akira isn't…"

"She is! Akira is gone too! They threw her in jail! I don't know for how long, but just look what they did to Captain Aizen! S-She's...she'll be…!"

She was making any sense to Aaron. "Is...that what she and that Unohana woman were talking about this morning? But, why? Why would they…?"

"...Because she was working with Arashi."

"T-That shouldn't matter! She saved my life. If it wasn't for her…"

"DO YOU THINK THEY GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THAT, AARON?!"

Time seemed to stand still. By that point, those nearby realized something was amiss and couldn't help but listen in.

"...I'm sorry." Aaron lowered his head. Enough guilt fell over him to crush him. "You're right. You're...absolutely right."

"No, I...shouldn't have snapped at you. Please, forgive me. That…" Kana wiped her reddened face to the best of her ability. The tears wouldn't stop flowing. "My brother...has been branded a co-conspirator of Captain Aizen's. If it weren't for him being dead...he'd be in Muken too."

Aaron supposed it didn't matter to Soul Society that Arashi, no matter how questionable his methods, had tried to stop Aizen in his own way. He had sacrificed his life in an attempt to do so. Just lumping him together with the others was evidently Soul Society's brand of justice.

"...Why did this happen, Aaron? What did we do wrong? Why did our family have break apart?! Why...did Arashi and Heishiro have to die?!"

A crowd had formed around Aaron and Kana. Even the kids who had stolen the water and their purser had stopped to find out what was happening.

"Why can't things just go back to the way they were?!"

Decades worth of emotions were finally bubbling to the surface. Kana felt like just lying there and joining her brother and adoptive father if meant mending her broken heart. She hugged herself even tighter, feeling like she was about to suffocate.

And then, she could breathe again.

The pair of arms that had wrapped themselves around her were the source.

"You're not alone!" Aaron roared. "Don't you ever let me catch you saying that again!"

Kana's eyes were wide and full of confusion. "A-Aaron…?"

"I don't know why this is happening to you, but it's not because you did anything wrong! You changed my entire world, Kana! WIthout you...I'd be nothing! It's thanks to you that I have the power to change things, the power to protect the people I love! I owe everything to you, so…"

Aaron got lost in his own speech. He felt like he was rambling.

"This is selfish," he said in a much calmer tone, "but I promise you that I no matter what happens, you can always lean on me. It doesn't matter how trivial the problem. I will always be there."

Quiet for a good while, Kana finally whispered, "...What if you disappear too?"

"I won't."

"...That isn't something you should promise. You can't..."

"Too bad. That's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm never leaving you, Kana."

"...Okay."

They weren't sure how long they remained embracing one another. The only reason they didn't sit there all night was because everyone around them began clapping.

"Now that's exactly what a man is supposed to say!" said an elderly woman.

"That was awesome!" exclaimed one of the water thieves. "You gotta marry him now, Miss!"

Aaron and Kana weren't sure how long they had an audience. Frankly, they didn't care. They both got up and ran for the hills, ignoring even more clapping in their wake.

"L-Lovely weather, huh?" Aaron said for no reason. Anything was better than having to focus on how hot his face was.

"Uh...y-yeah…" replied Kana, hiding her flushed visage behind her hands. "Sure is…"

The fact that it was as dark as sin and about to rain was never brought up.

#

"Sorry for the wait. The Senkaimon is ready now."

Juushirou Ukitake led the Ryoka to the gate that would take them home.

"This one is the real deal," he told them. "It even has a converter so that you'll have your human bodies once you return. Oh, and please tell Kisuke Urahara not to send any more of you without permission. I realize everything is fine now that Aizen has been captured, but you don't understand the amount of paperwork we Captains are going to have to file for all of this."

"Sorry," Aaron felt compelled to say. Ukitake smiled.

"So, that's it, huh?" Sasuke peered up at the giant Senkaimon and whistled. "You Shinigami have some nice tech considering everything else looks like it's from the Stone Age. I could use one of these in my living room."

"Maybe don't talk shit about these guys," Konoka suggested. "Because I'll be damned if they decide to kill us after all because of your smart mouth."

"But it is smart though, right?"

The only thing that smarted was his stomach after Konoka drove her elbow into it.

"Should've seen that one coming," he wheezed.

"Can you at least wait until we get back before you start acting like an idiot again?" asked Uryuu.

"Why ya'll always wanna gang up on me? And how come none of you are dejected? We're about to part after a heart pounding adventure full of twists and turns, but most importantly, the power of love!"

"...If you could hit him one more time, Mitsumi."

"Hey! Don't remember which one of us still has their Quincy powers, dear brother! I can mess you up whenever I please!"

Gritting his teeth, Uryuu replied, "Is that so?! Go ahead and show me then! I don't need Quincy powers to handle the likes of you!"

"You wanna go, toothpick?!"

"Are they...always like this?" Ichigo whispered in Aaron's direction. The latter merely shrugged.

Ukitake, also puzzled, stepped around the sibling rivalry and over to Aaron. "Take this."

"Eh?"

Before he could ask about the weird badge he received, Ukitake moved on to Ichigo and presumably handed him the same thing.

"Well, take care, Kuchiki," said Chad with a wave.

"Yes, be...s-safe...Miss Kuchiki!" Uryuu yelled as he dodge Sasune's uppercut.

"Ah! I almost forgot!" Orihime rushed over and presented Uryuu's handmade dress to Rukia. "Here! This is from Ishida."

"For me?"

Orihime, beaming, leaned in and said. "Make sure to take extra special care of this!"

"Um...okay?"

Orihime winked at Kana, who flashed a thumbs up in return.

"W-Wait!" Kana only just realized something. "How come I didn't get any clothes?!"

In unison, everyone turned to Uryuu.

"What? I-I mean, I don't really even know you, so…"

That wasn't a good enough explanation for Kana to spare his life. "Oh, come on! Even that big guy over there got something!"

Chad pointed to himself and wasn't sure why she was again singling him out.

Rolling up her sleeves, Kana was about to pound somebody black and blue unless she got something. Izumi was quick to cut off her path.

"Hold out your hand."

Kana didn't have a choice. Opening it for her, Izumi stuffed something into it. Kana's mouth opened in shock at the glittering pearls between her fingertips.

"They're...beautiful!" A hug was an order, and she gave Izumi the biggest one she could muster. "Where in the world did you get these from? They must've cost a fortune!"

"Maybe." Izumi rubbed her nose and grinned. "Actually, my mother gave these to me. They were a gift from my father, a wedding gift."

"I-I can't accept this then! It's your...!"

Izumi closed Kana's hand. "No. They're yours. I was supposed to give them to my daughter, assuming I ever had one, but I think they'd rather stay with you. Besides, this jewelry stuff isn't really my thing. My brother is an idiot. He would've been lost without you."

Irked at her taking a shot him, Aaron could concede that she had a point.

"And me too. You're like a sister to me, Kana. Just consider those pearls a small token of our gratitude for everything you've done for us. And come back soon, alright? I could use some more of those blueberry pancakes."

Kana could count the number of times she had been rendered speechless on one hand.

She would have to start using two from now on.

"Thank you so much!" Bowing sharply, her brown hair draped over her face. She was glad—it hid her tears. "I will cherish them always! You have my word!"

"You don't have to go that far," replied Izumi, amused. "Sorry, Bro. Looks like you can't give them to her as a wedding gift now."

Aaron spat out the water he had been drinking.

"So," Sasune slid over and threw his arm around Aaron's shoulder. "I'm your best man, right?"

The Quincy was on the ground seconds later, holding his bloody and smoldering nose.

"S-So that's a no then?" he wanted to clarify.

"Well, I don't have any fancy jewelry for you, but…" Ichigo turned to Rukia with a smile. "See ya, Rukia."

Returning the gesture, Rukia simply said, "Yeah. Thanks, Ichigo."

Ichigo felt that was his line. "Oh, and take care as well, Mitarashi. We didn't really get a chance to talk, but…"

His face wrinkled in confusion. The moment he laid eyes on her, Kana scrambled behind an equally baffled Ukitake.

"S-Stay away from me, maniac!" she shrieked. "Just go! Shoo! Shoo!"

"...Alright then."

A hand fell atop her head. Then, a chastising voice said, "That was pretty rude. Thank Kurosaki properly for saving you."

She gave Aaron a pleading look, begging him to reconsider. He wagged his finger and pushed her toward Ichigo. She stumbled but reached her destination in one piece.

"Um…" she had to peer up at the orange-haired Shinigami considering how much taller he was. "You have a few screws loose, but thank you for not letting the Soukyoku roast me! And thank you for not letting Rukia die! She's awesome, so..."

She bowed again, forcing Ichigo to back up a little so they didn't collide.

"While I appreciate the sentiment," he said, "I think there's someone way more deserving."

Kana put her finger on her chin. After some musing, she pointed it at Rukia.

"I'm afraid not," Rukia replied with a chuckle. "Try again."

Sasune stepped into the frame, flexing his nonexistent muscles. Konoka smacked him on the back of his head before dragging him away.

That allowed Kana's amber eyes to rest on Aaron.

"You…don't have to thank me," he said awkwardly, scratching at his face. "I said I wouldn't leave your side. That's a promise I…"

It was hard to talk with a pair of soft lips pressing against his. The kiss didn't last all that long, but to all the unwitting observers, it might as well have been centuries.

"I-I'm not old enough to see this!" cried Sasune, throwing his hands over his eyes.

"The one time where I agree with you…" replied Uryuu, scarlet-faced.

Kana broke away from Aaron, grinning with her eyes closed. "When we meet again, you can have the rest of me as well."

"Okay, I'm definitely not old enough to hear this!" Sasune howled, falling into his brother's arms. All his strength had left him at once. "Call a doctor!"

Aaron was in the same boat. Steam would have shot out of his ears if it could. "W-Wha..?"

"Just kidding!" Kana proclaimed with glee. "Still...I really do want to thank you, Aaron. You changed my life too. Don't go dying on me now, okay? You promised."

"...You're a real piece of work." Aaron pressed his fingers against his lips, faintly remember the taste of Kana's. "Take care now. I'll see you real soon."

The Ryoka stepped through the Senkaimon at last. Aaron opted not to take one final glimpse at Kana. He didn't need to.

Even if they were seperated, their hearts would remain connected.

"That…was certainly something, Mitarashi." Rukia cleared her throat, blushing a tad bit. "I wonder if that was okay."

Kana nodded. "Well, CT has something to brag about to his school friends now."

Rukia had to laugh at her friend's carefree way of thinking.

"Excuse me, Mitarashi." Ukitake's expression was grave. "I didn't want to say this in front of your friends, but...there's something important we need to discuss. It concerns your brother."

"...Arashi?"

#

Aaron and his friends were out of Soul Society alright.

Unfortunately, they found themselves in an even less desirable locale.
"Why the hell do we have to go through this place again?!" screamed Ichigo, running for his life through the Dangai like the others. "Didn't we use an official Senkaimon from Soul Society?!"

"It's because we don't have a Hell Butterfly!" Yoruichi shouted back at him. Being a cat had its advantages in terms of moving quickly.

"W-What kind of incompetent idiots are we working with here?!" yelled Sasune. He was already winded.

"It wouldn't have mattered. None of you know how to control a Hell Butterfly. Quit your whining before you bite your tongue."

"Hey! Don't start with me again, dumb cat! Just because you're actually one of the hottest chicks I've ever seen doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do!"

"...I'll take the compliment," Yoruichi said with a devilish grin.

"G-God dammit! I can't help but praise beautiful women, even when they're pissing me off!"

Konoka stated, "Shut up for a sec, Pretty Boy. Ain't that the exit up ahead?"

There was indeed a light at the end of the tunnel. Aaron had to squint, but it was true. "Let's just hope it actually takes us back to our world and not somewhere even worse."

Konoka didn't answer him. If he wasn't mistaken, she was going out of her way to pretend he wasn't dashing right beside her. He grimaced, able to sense the killing intent coming from her.

"So," she said, finally speaking up, "what was all that about back there?"

Aaron wasn't sure what she was referring to.

...Until he remembered the kiss he and Kana exchanged.

"N-Nothing…" he replied in haste.

They way he blushed only made Konoka more irate. "Nothing, huh?! That sure didn't look like 'nothing!'"

"W-What do you want me to say?!"

"Not a damn thing! In fact, shut the hell up!"

"Huh…?"

"Don't bother me the next time that girlfriend of yours need savin'! Do it your damn self!"

Frightened half to death, Aaron was utterly lost on why she was so upset.

"Come on, CT. I know you're not the sharpest tool in the shed, but it's so obvious. She's jealous," said Sasune.

"I AM NOT!"

The speed in which she replied didn't convince anyone.

They didn't get a chance to confirm the theory though because Yoruichi abruptly shouted, "I'm going to need all of you to get your hormones under control! We're here!"

With a blinding flash, they were on the other side of the Dangai. A blue sky greeted them along with the welcome sight of Karakura Town.

They were home.

...And also floating about fifty feet above solid ground. With nothing to hold them up, gravity dragged their shrieking forms downward.

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT INCOMPETENT IDIOTS?!" cried Sasune.

"Being one of them, maybe you should shut up so I can think!" Uryuu replied.

"Unless you know how to suddenly grow wings, you better…!"

"Wind conditions...mapped. Targets...sighted. Beginning firing sequence."

Ururu Tsumugiya had her trusty rocket launcher slung over her shoulder. It wasn't a missile she fired but a giant sheet of cloth. It balled itself around the new arrivals, muffling their cries of bewilderment.

"It's mine!" With his back to the sun, Jinta Hanakari licked his lips and readied his club. "Here it comes!"

"Did you guys just hear someone?!" asked Sasune fearfully.

"G-Get your arm out of my legs, Pretty Boy!" hollered Konoka. "You're doin' it on purpose!"

"Actually, that's my arm," Aaron reluctantly admitted. "S-Sorry…"

"Um...is that your other arm on my…?" Orihime chose not to finish her statement.

"Okay. That one actually is my hand," Sasune was all too eager to remark.

"JINTA HO-OOOOOOO-OME RUN!"

Ready to knock the cloth out of the ballpark, Jinta was instead smothered by the large man who caught it between his massive arms.

"Tessai Death Catch!" exclaimed Tessai Tsukabishi. Though he had a firm grip on the ball, he couldn't halt its momentum. As such, he, Jinta, and the unfortunate souls trapped between the sheet began spinning around and around.

"I-I'm gonna puke!" Sasune cried. "Somebody stop this crazy thing!"

"No! No! Get away from me if you're going to do that!" shouted a horrified Uryuu. "I said no, dammit! Get away!"

He was about to beat his brother into an unrecognizable pulp when Tessai finally got the cloth unfurled. He and the others discovered that instead of spinning, they were now flying across the city below them.

"Welcome back, everyone!" said the cheery voice of Kisuke Urahara. He sat at the head of the makeshift plane. "How was the return trip through the Dangai?"

"H-How the…?" Izumi blinked. "Weren't you with us in Soul Society?"

Urahara tipped his bucket hat at her. "Greetings, Miss Higuchi. To answer your question, I arrived back here a day or two before you all. There had to be someone to welcome you home, of course!"

"...Is that so?"

"Indeed. Now then…" A much more somber Urahara whirled around to everyone. "I believe I promised you an explanation back on Soukyoku Hill, Miss Higuchi. No, all of you deserve one. I am a man of my word."

He first removed his hat before dropping his head.

"I'm really sorry!"

Everyone was caught off guard. It was an odd sight—the man who had helped to defeat Sousuke Aizen was groveling at their feet.

"I-I mean, if you're going to be that pathetic…" Izumi rubbed the back of her head and felt a tad bit guilty. "I guess...you don't have to say anything if you don't really want to. It's fine."

Mild surprise painted Urahara's countenance.

"She's right." Ichigo spoke up next. "It's not like any of us are mad. You didn't do anything wrong. You probably think otherwise, but if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have gotten stronger or made it to Soul Society. We're grateful for your help!"

"I don't think I'd be able to articular it that well." Izumi had a newfound opinion of Ichigo. "Er...but that's pretty much how I feel too. If you're really sorry, old man, you'll lift that pitiful face of yours. You're starting to depress me."

Urahara, with a thin smile, felt that was an easy request to honor. "...I understand."

"Mind if I ask you one thing though?" mused Ichigo. "I think I have a pretty good idea already, but...you didn't tell us the truth because you thought we would run away, right?"

As if being asked the meaning of life, it took some time before Urahara had an answer ready.

"That's correct! Very astute, Mister Kurosaki!" he said jubilantly.

Ichigo wasn't so enthusiastic. He rammed his elbow square into Urahara's nose. There was an audible crunching that made the others grimace. "I thought so! What I don't get is why the hell you're so happy about it!"

"N-No! That's my arm! Please, I need my arm!" Urahara pleaded when Izumi got aboard the pain train by putting one of his precious limbs in an armbar. "Forgive me!"

"You son of a…!" she snarled. "Do you know how much bullshit we could've avoided if you had just been upfront from the start?! Dragging me here and there just because it was funny, huh?!"

"Hold him down!" Ichigo put the poor shopkeeper in a headlock. "I said I wasn't mad, but I think I changed my mind!"
"UNCLE! UNCLE!"

Urahara tapped. Ichigo and Izumi didn't see him do so or didn't care. Aaron, grimacing, thought they made a strangely good team.

"I'll let you go," said Ichigo, "but you have to promise to apologize to Rukia and that Mitarashi girl as soon as possible."

Another light punishment, Urahara thought. "I-I see. You have my word then."

Ichigo nodded at Izumi, though she was reluctant to free Urahara's arm.

"Fine…" she grumbled.

"Goodness…" Urahara dusted himself off and made sure his shoulder and arm were still attached. "You're far too pretty, Miss Higuchi, to be so brutish."

Aaron had to hold his sister back from strangling him.

"I've been wondering about something," said Uryuu, shifting all attention to him. "What did that Captain give you two before we left?"

Having forgotten all about them, Ichigo and Aaron pulled out the badges gifted to them by Ukitake.
"Eh?" Aaron hadn't bothered to study the badge when he first got, but now that he was, he couldn't help but be creeped out by the skull in the center. "I wonder what this is for..."

"Ukitake didn't say anything to you?" said Ichigo. Aaron shook his head. "Guess I'll explain. Erm...Ukitake said it's a 'Seal of Approval for Substitute Shinigami.' Something like that. There are apparently rules for 'peculiar people like us' but that 'our existence is beneficial to Soul Society.' He said that it can be useful for a lot of situations, so we should carry it around at all times."

"Really now?" Aaron flipped the badge over and back, sensing nothing special about it. "If you say so…"

Sasune noticed Uryuu in deep thought as he leered at Ichigo's badge. "Something wrong?"

"Eh?" Uryuu's head shot up. "Oh...no. Nothing. It's probably just my imagination."

"Cryptic much?"

"...Be quiet. I said it was nothing."

Chad helped himself to the alleged 'Seal of Approval.' "It seems more like a Seal of Disapproval looking at whatever this skull is."

"Don't say that!" said Ichigo, snatching it back. "It really is creepy when you put it like that…"

"You can say that again…"

Aaron couldn't shake the sensation that something about the badge was 'off.' Still, he pocketed it, hoping it really would come in handy one day. The last thing he wanted to do after escaping Soul Society was anger those in charge.

"Hey! We're over Ishida's house," announced Orihime. "Erm...I-I mean, that Ishida! Not this Ishida! Erm…!"

Uryuu stood. "It's alright! We got it! Please stop this...sheet or...whatever it is, Urahara!"

"You don't have to yell…"

As Uryuu was about to say goodbye to everyone, he stumbled upon a bloodcurdling sight.
"W-What do you think you're doing?!" he asked Sasune, who was also standing.

"Hmm? What do you mean? I'm about to hang out with you for the rest of the day."

"No! No way! Go to our own damn home! I've had enough of your antics for an entire lifetime!"

"Yeah. Go ahead and drop us off here, Urahara. Thanks." Sasune gave Orihime a ten-karat smile. "You know, you should come with us. We can play party games. You know, strip poker is a personal favorite of mine and…"

"She isn't interested," said Uryuu, shoving his brother off.

"CALL ME!" everyone heard Sasune scream. Any concern they felt for him went out the window.

That weirdness aside, Ichigo said, "Thanks for your help, Ishida. If we need you again, we'll holler."

Uryuu leered over his shoulder. "I think you're forgetting something, Kurosaki—I'm a Quincy, and you're a Shinigami. If we do meet again, it will be as enemies. Goodbye..."

"YOU'RE NOT COOL! SHUT UP!"

Fuming, Uryuu jumped off the cloth and immediately went to work tracking down his idiotic sibling. "You'd better tell me what to etch onto your tombstone while you still have the chance, Sasune!"

"He's funny, huh?" said Orihime as the Urahara Express got rolling again. "Ishida says one thing but really means the other."

Aaron sighed. "Sasune is a lot easier to figure out—he just says exactly what's on his mind."

Orihime was the next to be dropped off.

"Good thing Sasune did go with his brother," Aaron said as she climbed onto the street.

"What do you mean?" Izumi asked.

Waving Orihime goodbye, he replied, "...Because that idiot would have been crying on the whole ride about her 'breathtaking visage leaving his side.'"
When they reached Chad's house, Konoka stopped him before he left.

"I...wanna apologize for givin' you such a hard time, Sado. You really watched my back out there. You're a pretty cool dude. Let's kick ass together again sometime."

She extended her fist. Smiling, Chad bumped it with his own. "...Later, Mitsumi."

The group headed toward the last stop in Karakura Town—Ichigo's house.

But not before a humored Ichigo asked Konoka, "Since when have you two been such good friends?"

Quiet as a mouse, she turned her head to an oddly-shaped cloud in the sky.

"Here we are, Mister Kurosaki!" Urahara announced in a singsong fashion. "The Kurosaki Clinic!"

"Stop trying to sound like some kind of overhyped train conductor," said Izumi, rolling her eyes.

"Guess it's time for me to go then." Ichigo got to his feet, prompting Aaron to do the same. They stood opposite one another for a few moments, the wind sweeping past them. "This has been a lot of fun, Higuchi."

"No, it hasn't," replied Aaron with a smirk. He extended his hand. "Let's never do this again. ...I gotta thank you though, Kurosaki. You're incredible. Kana and Kuchiki would be dead if you weren't there."

"Nah. You did good too, Higuchi. I could sense your spiritual pressure after you did your Bankai. You're pretty incredible yourself. Just have a little more confidence."

"...Right."

Aaron took those words to heart as Ichigo shook his hand. Like usual, his counterpart made everything sound so simple.

Then again, that was one of the things Aaron found so impressive about him.

"Just holler if you ever need my help, Higuchi. I'll be there in a flash!"

"Ah! K-Kurosaki!"

Ichigo had already dashed inside of his house by the time Aaron thought to make a similar vow.

I'm always one step behind…

"Ichigo?! You're back?!"

The shrill declaration came from inside of Ichigo's home. Urahara had already flown away, so Aaron didn't figure out who had delivered it.

In a weird sort of way, it reminded him of what was awaiting him at his own home. He wasn't sure how his mother would react to both him and Izumi disappearing for such a long stretch of time.

Ugh. She called the police. I know she did. They'll probably be on our doorstep when we get there.

"We are now headed for the city of Hino!" Urahara announced. "We might experience a bit of turbulence, so I'll ask all passengers to now buckle their seatbelts."

"I swear, if you somehow get us killed because after we've actually made it back to our world, I'm going to send you to Soul Society the hard way!"

Izumi cracked her knuckles to show that wasn't simply a threat.

Laughing nervously, Urahara replied, "I-I've already said a pretty, young woman such as yourself shouldn't behave in such a manner!"

"Just drive, old man! No amount of flattery is going to save you if you don't!"

Urahara yelped and beckoned the flying sheet to go faster. The sooner it did, the sooner Izumi Higuchi would be out of his hair.

"Your sister is pretty cool. She and I think alike."

Konoka soon saw she was speaking to the air. Having fallen asleep, Aaron was unknowingly resting his head on her shoulder. Her first instinct was to shove him off. Blushing up a storm, she decided he had earned the right to some rest.
' "Well, guess I was right about you having balls, Higuchi. ...Good job."

"Hey," said Izumi looking down at her home. "Are those...cops on our doorstep?"

END