A bright humming tune leaves Ichigo's mouth as he finishes straightening his hair. He reaches down and grabs his bright blue butterfly clip, lightly caressing the faded red stain on the back of one of the wings.

"How should I wear my hair today? A braid? Ponytail? The bun?" Ichigo continues to hum as he grabs the hairspray.

"Nīsan? You'll have to skip breakfast if you don't–oh! Nīsan! There you are!" Yuzu exclaims, walking past the open bathroom door. Ichigo smiles down at his little sister before he starts to spray his hair.

"Moshi moshi, Yuzu! Did you sleep well?" Ichigo sets down the hairspray before grabbing his brush.

"You came home late last night. Did you get any sleep?" Yuzu asks instead of answering herself. Ichigo gives her a small look through the mirror before he starts to brush his hair into his hand.

"I'll make you something to help you to sleep tonight." Ichigo quickly pulls his hair into a high ponytail, clipping in the butterfly clip to hold it in place.

"Did you get any sleep?" Yuzu asks again, making Ichigo smile. He stays quiet as he leaves the bathroom.

"Nīsan!" Yuzu follows after him with a frown.

"Rukia-san and I will be heading to the Butterfly Estate after school." Ichigo walks into his room to grab his haori.

Yuzu sighs heavily and crosses her arms, blocking Ichigo from leaving. "Sleep is very important for every growing teenager, including yourself, Nīsan!"

"I think I've done enough growing. I'm already almost six feet." Hopefully. He's already 5 feet, 11 inches tall–and he does hope he completely misses the second growth spurt teenage boys usually have in the next few years.

"Hmph. That doesn't matter! Nīsan! You still need sleep!" The blonde girl exclaims, pouting heavily at Ichigo. The orange haired teenager smiles softly and pats Yuzu on her head. She huffs loudly and turns around, her fishtail braid falling off her shoulder.

"Stupid Nīsan... you're already busy as it is. Why are you messing with this spirit stuff now?" Yuzu mutters under her breath, unheard by Ichigo.

"Hm? Yuzu? Did you say something?" Yuzu continues walking away, giving her big brother the cold shoulder. "Y-Yuzu? Are–are you mad? Yuzu?"


Tatsuki stares out of the window, sighing heavily. She leans back against her chair to check if her tantō was still hidden underneath her shirt, tucked into her skirt. She has a bad feeling about today.

"–tsuki-chan... Tatsuki-chan!" Tatsuki startles with her hand reaching back to grab her tantō. She barely stops herself from unsheathing it when she sees Orihime in front of her.

"O-Orihime! What's up?" Tatsuki asks with a smile, quickly hiding the tantō before anyone could see it.

Orihime blinks before she starts to frown. "Tatsuki-chan, it's lunch! Didn't you hear the bell?"

Tatsuki glances around, finally noticing their class slowly congregating to their lunch cliques. Tatsuki still doesn't see Ichigo. He and Rukia definitely should have returned by now.

"I have a really bad feeling. This is just like that night... Ichigo... where are you?" Tatsuki thinks back on the night she can't quite remember well. She told the story, so has Orihime, but... Tatsuki knows that's not what truly happened.

"Tatsuki... I'm here. Rest."

"Inoue-san is no one's! You do not have right to harm her!"

"O-oh... yeah! What–what did you bring for lunch this time?" The black haired teenager asks brightly while turning to focus on her best friend.

"Bread and honey!" Orihime exclaims cheerfully, holding up a full loaf of bread and a jar of honey. "What did you bring, Tatsuki-chan?"

"Just a normal lunch, unfortunately," Tatsuki answers, giving Orihime a head pat.

"I know what I heard, and I know what I saw. Ichigo... what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Tatsuki can't help, but feel even worse about the day.

"Hime~! Let's eat together!" Honshō Chizuru, a good friend and self-proclaimed Ichigo's wingman, states brightly, bounding towards the table with her own bento.

"Yeah! Okay!" Orihime smiles brightly up at the red haired teenager, making her squeal.

"So cute! Eating a whole loaf of bread and smiling with crumbs on her mouth. Only Ichi-chan can replicate this cuteness! This girl has stolen my heart!" Chizuru gushes over the orange haired teenager, hugging her tightly.

"That reminds me!" Chizuru looks over at Tatsuki, resting her head on Orihime's chest. "Where is Ichi-chan? He promised to let me play with his hair today!"

"Don't hold Orihime like that, you pervert! And I don't know where he is!" Tatsuki punches Chizuru on the head, making her release Orihime to grab her own head.

"Tatsuki! That hurt!" Chizuru whines loudly before turning to Orihime for comfort.

Tatsuki looks over at the window at the same time that Orihime stands up, suddenly looking serious. Ichigo... Ichigo's right outside the school.

"Ichigo?" Tatsuki mutters under her breath, standing up too.

Orihime smiles brightly, turning towards her best friend. "Did you smell Kurosaki-kun too?!"

"Smell? What are you a dog? Ichigo's only outside of the school and we're on the third–" Tatsuki freezes when Ichigo suddenly lands on the windowsill.

"This... is Class 1-3, isn't it?" Ichigo asks with a smile completely different from his usual one. He felt like a young burning flame, flickering and eager to burn and live... unlike the stinging nettle being constantly brushed against her senses that she had grown up with.

"That isn't... that isn't Ichigo." Tatsuki's hand reaches back for her tantō, grabbing it tightly.

"You... who are you?" Tatsuki asks coldly, pulling Orihime behind her.

"Demons cannot walk during the day. Their bodies start to disintegrate the moment they take a step outside."

"I'm Ichigo! Are you that surprised that you forgot who I was?" The imposter states with a grin. Tatsuki immediately unsheathes her tantō, causing many people to cry out in surprise.

"This isn't a demon copying Ichigo's face... can demons take over bodies?"

"Arisawa-san?! Where did you get a knife?"

"Oh my God! Arisawa, put it down!"

"Tatsuki?! That's Ichi-chan, what the fuck are you doing?!"

"We have to go get a teacher!"

"...did Arisawa-san always have that on her?"

"Scary!"

"T-Tatsuki-chan... you're scaring our class," Orihime speaks quietly, shaking slightly from her fear and worry.

Tatsuki glances back at her, eyes hard with resolve. "Sorry, Orihime... but this isn't Ichigo. I'm not letting this person get any closer."

"Hm... you know, up close you're actually pretty cute," The Ichigo imposter suddenly appears right before Tatsuki, making her lean back in shock.

She narrows her eyes and flips her tantō around before swinging it towards the imposter's neck. The imposter's eyes go icy as he stops Tatsuki's swing with his arm against her wrist. Both ignore the screams and shouts of the spectators.

He leans forward, twisting Tatsuki's hand to make her let go of the weapon. "I refuse to kill anything. I refuse to sit back as people do the same."

"That's enough!" Rukia's voice resonates throughout the entire room. The Ichigo imposter curses under his breath before breaking out into a sprint towards the window.

"There he goes, Ichigo!"

Tatsuki breathes out sharply at the sudden sting against her senses. She rubs her wrist as if she had brushed it against some nettle. The imposter jumps out of the window, something black flickering through the butterfly haori.

"Ichi...go..." Tatsuki stares at the open space of the window. She watches detached as Rukia rushes over to the window, leaning out to watch the imposter.

"Could he be...? Yes, there's no doubt about it. He is a Mod-Soul!" Rukia hisses under her breath. Tatsuki blinks at the name before recalling what Ichigo had said.

"Rukia-san is... on a side I didn't know existed." Tatsuki takes a step forward, glancing back at the empty space.

"Kuchiki-san..." The transfer student startles at the call of her name and turns around.

"O-oh, Arisawa-san! I-I must apologize, but I really need to be somewhere!" Rukia exclaims with a nervous smile before she sprints out of the classroom.

"Hey–wait! Where is–" Tatsuki closes her mouth with a click, watching Rukia leave.

She sighs heavily before scratching the back of her head. "Man, I knew something bad was gonna happen today... Ichigo, what have you gotten yourself into now?"

"Tatsuki-chan! What was that?!" Orihime's question makes the black haired teenager jump. She turns around and stares at her friends and classmates as they stare at her with wide eyes.

"How the fuck did you hide that knife?!"

"Why were you attacking Kurosaki-san?"

"How dare you attack the beautiful king of this school, Arisawa Tatsuki!"

"Tatsuki, did Ichi-chan cheat at one of your bets again? Why did you attack him?!"

Tatsuki slouches at the bombardment of questions. Shit... what has she gotten herself into now?


"Ara, ara! Seems like we lost him... or should we say myself?" Ichigo states with a tight smile and a sweatdrop.

"That's a paradox," Rukia jokes with a straight face, making Ichigo laugh sheepishly as he turns to face her.

"I don't think it's a good time to make complicated jokes, Rukia-san," Ichigo retorts before sighing heavily. "We need to hurry and catch him–or me, or... ara, ara this is quite confusing!"

"It seems like Arisawa-san tried to kill him. I didn't even know she carries a tantō around," Rukia comments, making Ichigo chuckle.

"I am the Demon Slayer Corps' main doctor. When the demons find out, they will probably go after my friends. I gave Tatsuki a nichirin tantō just in case she was attacked because of me, or just in case a demon targets her." Ichigo sighs once more, his smile disappearing. "I didn't want to. Tatsuki is a normal human... she shouldn't have to worry about this."

"She thought it was a demon?" Rukia asks, crossing her arms.

Ichigo nods his head with a slight shrug. "Most likely. I didn't tell her about you... other than you being on a side I didn't know existed. She probably thought a demon had taken over my body. Demons can't walk in the sunlight."

Ichigo looks up at the sky, watching the clouds roll by. It'll probably rain later today...

"You called him a Mod-Soul... what is that?"

"Once, Soul Society had an operation called Spearhead. To insert souls created for combat into dead human bodies that lost their souls. Then use that as a soldier to fight Hollows. It was a foolish plan," Rukia begins explaining, looking off into the distance. Ichigo looks down at her, expression completely blank.

"The one in my body is one of those?" Ichigo asks as he crosses his arms. He has a feeling where this is going.

"Yes. Mod-Souls were created to be battle-type artificial spirits that–depending on which one is used–strengthens one part of the body to superhuman levels. From what I saw, he seems to have enhanced leg strength... an Under-Pod type," Rukia continues to explain calmly.

"...did he escape then? From Soul Society?" Ichigo questions, carefully watching Rukia's body language.

"...no." Rukia faces Ichigo with a carefully held blankness in her expression. "Spearhead, and its distasteful plan to make corpses fight, was cancelled before it was put in place. With the cancellation order, all Mod-Souls that were already created were ordered to be destroyed, but it seems–"

"So, your government had decided to murder living souls without a second thought when they were established as worthless. Souls that bear no ill will or malicious intent to you or humanity," The orange haired teenager cuts in, voice completely dead.

"The Mod-Souls must be destroyed! That is the rule of Soul Society! Do not forget, Ichigo... the rules of Soul Society are created to protect you Human spirits."

Ichigo closes his eyes, silently taking in a deep breath. He releases it, his shoulders relaxing from the sudden tension.

"Rules that only seem to apply when it threatens to reveal the existence of Soul Society, or threatens Soul Society itself," He clarifies, making Rukia turn to face him.

"That's not–"

"Rukia-san. You, nor Soul Society, had any knowledge that demons existed. The monsters that had been threatening the survival of humanity for over a millennium. Do you honestly think that your "rules" for humanity would actually apply?" Rukia snaps her mouth shut, reeling back at Ichigo's glare. Ichigo turns around with a sigh as he reaches back to touch the faded stain on his butterfly clip.

He turns around, facing away from Rukia. "Let's go, Rukia-san. I'd like to get my body back with as little attention as possible."

Rukia stares after him as he starts running. She closes her eyes with a sigh, brushing back her hair when the wind blows it into her face.

"Is life that sacred to you, Ichigo?" Rukia opens her eyes and follows after the orange haired teenager.


"Mama, why don't we ever try to be friends with demons?" Eight year old Ichigo asks, crouched next to the bloodstained clothes of the demon he had just killed.

Masaki looks up as she flicks the blood off of her blade, turning to face her son. She blinks before a soft smile appears on her face.

"We try with some of them. You met Yushirō-san and Chachamaru-chan, remember?" Masaki states before she crouches down next to Ichigo. "Though, their circumstances are a bit different."

Ichigo pokes at the clothes with the tip of his sword, frowning in thought. "Yushirō-san and Chacha-chan hate demons too. Why?"

"The creation of demons is not the work of the Gods, Ichigo. Kibutsuji Muzan uses science and his own selfishness to create demons. All demons are created to be obedient to him. If not, he kills them. There have only been three demons to have severed the connection Kibutsuji has over all demons." Masaki rests her chin on her hand and stares at her son.

"Yushirō-san, Tamayo-san, and Nezuko-san... but to convince the Hashira, Nezuko-san had to be stabbed and Tamayo-san had been in hiding from Kibutsuji and the Demon Slayer Corps for centuries... until Kagaya-sama had convinced her to join forces," Ichigo answers, looking up at Masaki.

She smiles softly with a hum before she reaches over to pet Ichigo's head. "Listen well, my peony. Humanity, spirits, life–all life is sacred. Demons are tragic creatures, but they destroy that sanctity and in turn must die. Even so, you must protect the sanctity of their own souls by sending them to their judgement. They've lost their humanity, but they at least deserve that for they will receive no sympathy in Hell."


Ichigo leaps up to vault over the railing of the school building. He crouches on top before using his momentum to pounce towards the Hollow. He unsheathes his nagamaki and quickly slices one of the Hollow's arms before it could attack his physical body.

"You–you saved me?!" The Mod-Soul in Ichigo's body stutters under his breath as Ichigo straightens up. He whirls around glaring at the imposter in his body, leaning forward with his finger jabbing into his own chest.

"If you're going to fight in the bodies you invade, be careful with them, or don't fight at all! Humans don't heal as fast as you spirits!" Ichigo scolds loudly, his other hand resting against his hip.

The imposter blinks before he scowls at Ichigo. "What are you talking about? You were taking too long, so I had to fight! If I didn't... those kids would have–"

"Damn, you bastards...!" The Hollow rushes forward with its jaw open. "I'll kill both of you!"

"Shut it, Hollow! I'm scolding my patient!" Ichigo shouts loudly, voice going a bit shrill in his anger, as he slashes upwards through the Hollow's mask. The Hollow flies backwards with a screech and starts to disintegrate.

The Mod-Soul suddenly charges forward, making Ichigo whirl around. "Idiot! What are you–"

The Mod-Soul kicks the Hollow upwards as he flies over the roof railing. Ichigo moves forward without thinking, time slowing down.

"Ah..." The Mod-Soul opens his mouth, suddenly realizing what he had done. He starts to fall before both sides of his haori are grabbed together by Ichigo.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! You shouldn't be aggravating that wound by moving around that fast! What were you even doing?! Hollows disintegrate–" Ichigo glances down in the middle of his tirade, cutting himself off at what he sees. A line of ants...

Ichigo slowly lifts the Mod-Soul over the railing and gently places him on the roof. He crouches down in front of his physical body and stares at his own eyes.

"You didn't want them squished," Ichigo speaks softly in complete understanding. The Mod-Soul glares at the orange haired teenager skeptically before slowly nodding his head, averting his face as he hugs his legs to his chest.

"...right after I was born, Soul Society ordered the Mod-Souls to be destroyed... the day after I was born, I was already chosen to die! Everyday, while I was in that pill, I was afraid. As I watched my friends disappear each day. Even after I got lucky and escaped the storage among other pills, I feared being discovered and killed," The Mod-Soul starts quietly, fisting his hands around Ichigo's haori.

"Life is sacred. All life is sacred." The Mod-Soul snaps his eyes up at Ichigo, watching the teenager stare up at the cloudy sky. "Humanity, spirits, Hollows, even demons. Those that destroy that sanctity must be ready for the consequences or they must face judgement."

"You..." The Mod-Soul trails off as Ichigo looks back at him with a soft smile. He reaches up and places his hand on top of his own head.

"But please... next time you have to fight, don't hold back. I'd rather not have my physical body severely injured every day of the week, okay?" Ichigo states with a closed eyed smile. The Mod-Soul stares wide-eyed at Ichigo before smiling.

"Oka–"

"My, my! We finally found you, and you're all roughed up. This makes all the equipment we brought... totally useless." Ichigo almost turns around before the end of a cane suddenly goes through Ichigo's forehead. A pill falls to the ground, rolling to a stop next to the line of ants before a fair skinned hand reaches down to grab it.

Ichigo turns around with a hand on his sword hilt. He freezes when he sees a barely taller man standing behind him with a quirky smirk on his face. He wore a green and white striped bucket hat on top of messy pale blonde hair, a black haori over a dark green samue, and geta sandals.

"Well, mission complete. Let's go home, guys!" The man exclaims cheerfully as he tosses the pill up in the air and catches it.

"Huh?! I thought we were going to see some action for the first time in a while!" A fiery boy with flaming red hair to match his attitude shouts angrily.

"...what are you going to do with him?" Ichigo asks quietly, slowly standing up. The man turns and stares at the orange haired teenager with stormy grey eyes from underneath his hat. Chills suddenly crawl down Ichigo's spine at the almost complete lack of the man's presence.

"Dispose of it. Why?" A dark scowl flickers across Ichigo's face before he quickly smiles.

"Oh! Are you the one Rukia-san had bought the Mod-Soul from for me? Is that why you can see me?" Ichigo asks cheerfully, hiding his hands in the sleeves of his shihakushō.

"Oh, how should I answer that–"

"He's a greedy salesman," Rukia answers for the mysterious man as she grabs the pill when the man tosses it up again. She then tosses it to Ichigo, expression carefully closed off.

"K-Kuchiki-san! Don't take that!" The man exclaims in surprise, turning to face the Shinigami. Ichigo giggles, hiding his mouth with his hand.

"Ara, ara! I'm quite surprised that a shopkeeper would so shamelessly take back their product they had already sold it! You must be trying to scam us... geta-bōshi-san," Ichigo states, smiling brightly.

"Oh? Scam you? I would never do such a thing! I am just a humble shopkeeper just looking out for my customers!" The man retorts before he opens a fan to hide his mouth.

Ichigo hums, smiling with his eyes closed. "Oh? Apologies, geta-bōshi-san, but I find that hard to believe when you are currently trying to take back what Rukia-san bought for me without even any compensation! I must say, not a great way to conduct business."

"Oh. Well then, I'll pay–"

"Ara, ara! You're quite silly! I wasn't propositioning you to offer compensation! I'm satisfied with the Mod-Soul!" Ichigo interrupts in an irritatingly polite tone.

"Apologies, but the Mod-Soul is quite dangerous. I am obligated to take back the product if it is harmful to my customers," The man attempts to convince Ichigo, his cheery persona being replaced with a solemn one.

"And when was the product reported to be harmful to me, geta-bōshi-san? I don't recall ever coming to you, or even meeting you for that matter, nor do I recall Rukia-san ever telling me she would head your way to report the alleged harm this product could cause." Ichigo hums and turns around, looking up at the sky. "You must be a new store owner if you didn't even know that simple fact!"

"Well, I don't think that's how it works... but if you're satisfied with the product, then we're not responsible. But, if trouble comes your way, we'll play dumb," The man states with his cheery persona back on his face.

Ichigo turns to face the group of people once more. He smiles softly as the wind blows through the loose strands of his hair.

"You really must be new to Karakura Town if you've never heard of what people talk about when it's about me. Where Kurosaki Ichigo goes, the Devil runs away." Ichigo brushes back some of his hair before he starts walking away. "Let's get going, Rukia-san! We're going to the Butterfly Estate after school, remember?"

"Oh–yes!" Rukia rushes to catch up with the tall teenager, not sparing the shopkeeper and his entourage another glance.


Dozens of butterflies flutter around Ichigo as he relaxes on the engawa of the Butterfly Estate. He leans back on his hands, eyes closed and head tilted back. The crimson rays of the setting sun washes over him like a warm hug.

"Having a nice rest?" Ichigo asks softly when he feels something landing lightly on his nose. He opens his eyes, crossing them to stare at the butterfly that was resting on his nose. A red-spotted purple.

He smiles softly and raises one of his fingers for the butterfly. It gently flutters its wings before walking onto his finger.

"I don't know. I hope they get along, but Eda-kun and Kon-kun have similar personalities," Ichigo answers the butterfly's silent question. He leans his head back when he hears soft footsteps from the open shoji doors.

"Do you really train in this? It seems a bit... impractical," Rukia asks as she tugs at the simple lavender yukata Ichigo had given her to borrow.

"No. Normally, demon slayers wear the uniform issued to them, or casual clothing when undergoing harsher training. Guests and patients of the Butterfly Estate are given these yukata to wear when off duty. The fabric is soaked in boiled wisteria water before being made into yukata," Ichigo explains while he stands from the engawa.

Rukia startles at the information, quickly releasing the yukata from her hands. "It's infused with wisteria?!"

"Yes. Demons can't stand wisteria." Ichigo blinks at Rukia's sudden panic. "Is something wrong?"

"W-wisteria... Spirits, both Shinigami, Pluses, and even Hollows, are... sensitive to the flower. It's not a big deal most of the time. It–it usually just causes headaches from the smell–and if someone were to ingest it, it would make them moderately sick... but it's best to just avoid it even if you can avoid smelling or ingesting it," Rukia clarifies, reluctantly stopping herself from ripping the entire yukata off of herself.

Ichigo tilts his head, staring at the Shinigami in thought. Interesting...

"...I didn't want you to ruin your school uniform with our training. Would you like me to go get something else? I have some spare clothes for when I stay overnight or during the weekends."

Rukia looks up at Ichigo and narrows her eyes in her confusion. "Why is it interesting?"

Ichigo smiles softly and turns towards the setting sun. He hums softly as the butterflies continue to flutter around him. A kaleidoscope of butterflies gently lands on his head without him noticing.

"Like I said, demons can't stand wisteria. We don't truly know why, but they despise the flower to the point that they actively avoid it. My great-great aunt created a poison made from wisteria so potent that she created a new way of killing demons. A strong enough potency can even dissolve demons," Ichigo answers as he hides his hands inside his newly fixed haori. "The spirits I have met around here... they don't seem to be bothered by the wisteria, or I guess they don't show their discomfort. That's why I find it interesting."

Rukia stays quiet at the information, staring down at the engawa in thought. She looks back up with a nod of her head.

"You're right. It would be too bothersome to come up with an excuse every time I ruined my uniform. I'll be fine in this. Thank you for your generosity," Rukia states, giving the orange haired teenager a polite bow. Ichigo's ears start to turn pink as he takes a step forward.

"R-Rukia-san! No need to bow! You're a friend! And as the one to train you, I have to make sure you're prepared for training!" Ichigo exclaims, gently helping Rukia stand back up.

"Ichi-go~! Rukia-nēsan!" Kon's voice is their only warning before he crashes into the back of Ichigo's head. Ichigo stumbles forward before he grabs the stuffed crow plushie, pulling him forward.

"Kon-kun, I see you're back!" Ichigo greets the plushie, keeping a tight grip on it. Kon glares at him, flapping his wings.

"Ichigo, why is this place covered in wisteria?! And your little pet keeps trying to kill me!" Kon shouts loudly, using his wings to grab Ichigo's face. "Make him stop! How am I meant to get any of those girls if I'm dead?!"

"Eda-kun is just a bit protective! He's not trying to kill you!" Ichigo blinks rapidly when Kon is suddenly flown out of his hands by a black blur. Kon screams loudly as Eda almost stabs him with the knife held in his beak.

"Ara, ara! Eda-kun sure is excited for a playmate!" Ichigo clasps his hands with a bright smile.

"THIS ISN'T PLAYING!! I'M ABOUT TO BE KILLED!" Kon screeches loudly as he attempts to run away.

"Imposter! Imposter! Imposter!" Eda caws loudly, attempting to stab Kon once more. Rukia steps away before Kon could run into her.

"Ichigo... I don't think Eda wants to play with Kon." Ichigo tilts his head at the statement, making Rukia sweatdrop. "Nevermind... are we going to get started with training?"

"Oh! Yes, yes! I hope you're ready! It's going to be hell!"


"Mama, Mama! Look! Look, I finished it!" Nine year old Ichigo stumbles down the stairs, protectively and gently holding the flower crown of orange calla lilies to his chest. Masaki looks over her shoulder as she puts on one of her heels.

She smiles brightly and rests her hands on her knees. "Wow! Ichigo, it looks so pretty!"

"Since I finished it, can I go with you? Please?" Ichigo jumps up and down with a pleading look. Masaki hums in thought, tapping her chin with her finger.

"Hmm... I don't know... I don't think you can put on your raincoat fast enough," Masaki states, making Ichigo frown in determination.

"I can! I promise I can!"

Masaki laughs lightly and rests her hand on Ichigo's hair. She runs her fingers through the orange locks as she smiles down at her son.

"Alright then. Go get your raincoat, my peony, and place the flowers over on the table. We'll show Yuzu and Karin once we come back, okay?"

"'kay!"


Ichigo tries to gasp for air as he's wrenched from his sleep. He instinctively grips the foot pressing into his abdomen and wrenches it away. He barely hears the slight curse as he throws whoever had kicked him through his closed window, too focused on his spasming breath.

He can't–he can't breathe. What–how–his diaphragm.

Ichigo falls out of his bed, trying to take in a deep breath. He rests his forehead against his bedroom floor as his breathing slowly fades to a slight stutter.

"–chigo?! Are you okay? What happened?" A soft touch of ice brushes against his senses before a gentle hand is placed on Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo tilts his head to rest his temple on the floor and opens his eyes, not realizing he closed them.

He stares up at an incredibly worried Rukia. "G-Goat Face... 'm okay... Just–just out of breath."

Rukia scowls with a narrowed gaze, looking up to stare at the shattered window. She looks back down and reaches down with her other hand.

"It would be better if you sit up. Do you need any ice?" Rukia says as she helps Ichigo sit up from the floor. Ichigo stares at her with wide eyes, his breathing slowly calming into deep breaths, while Rukia carefully touches where Isshin had dropkicked him.

He stays silent, making the Shinigami look up. Ichigo snaps out of his stupor and smiles with a head tilt and his eyes closed.

"I'm fine now, Rukia-san. I just needed to take some deep breaths." Ichigo leans forward and kisses Rukia on the cheek before he starts to stand up. Rukia stays stockstill, eyes frozen on where Ichigo once sat.

"We should get ready for school," Ichigo starts as he glances at his alarm clock. "We only have–"

June 16, 2001. 0600.

Ichigo thinks back on his dream–the memory. His hands clench to his sides before he forces himself to look away from the alarm clock.

"Ichigo?" Rukia calls out softly, standing up from the floor. Ichigo stays silent for a few moments in an attempt to unclench his fists.

"...it's nothing, Rukia." Rukia tenses at the lack of an honorific following her name. She takes a step forward with her mouth open to speak before Ichigo turns around.

"Rukia, do you have any preferences for breakfast? I'll be cooking today!" Ichigo asks curiously, a bright, toothy smile plastered on his face.

"Uh–no. No, anything's fine..." The Shinigami trails off hesitantly. Ichigo hums brightly and turns back around.

"What should I cook then? Maybe I should stick with a traditional breakfast... oh, but Chad gave me a recipe to try..." The orange haired teenager talks to himself as he starts to walk out of his bedroom. He leaves Rukia alone to worry over the sudden despair and guilt she could feel from him.

Rukia glances back at the clock Ichigo had on his desk. "Is today significant to him? What happened?"

Her questions are left unanswered in the hollow silence of Ichigo's bedroom.


Rukia forces her gaze back towards her textbook, silently cursing herself for being so distracted. She sighs heavily and rereads the same line for the nth time.

Her eyes unconsciously slide back over to Ichigo. He was talking with Mizuiro and Keigo while Chizuru brushes through his hair with her fingers.

He wore the school uniform impeccably, his hair not straightened nor pulled into any kind of hairstyle, cascading down his back in loose waves. He actually wore his–what he had previously called angel bites–piercings, even though it was against the rules, and continued to wear a toothy smile on his face.

"K-Kurosaki-san..." Ichigo turns towards the incredibly shy girl that had walked up to his desk.

"Hm? Did you need something?" Ichigo asks cheerfully, smiling at the girl with his eyes closed. She blushes even more and starts to tug at her long hair.

"K-Kurosaki-san, can–can I take a picture with–with you?" She asks quietly while holding up a camera.

Mizuiro suddenly leans forward with a closed eye smile of his own. "Ishimoto-san, you know Ichigo doesn't like to take pictures!"

"O-oh. S-sorry, Kurosaki-san, I–"

"It's okay, Ishimoto. If it's just one picture, I won't mind taking one with you." Ichigo continues to smile at the girl. She brightens up considerably, holding up her camera.

"Kojima-kun, can you take the picture for us?" She asks brightly. Mizuiro stares at Ichigo as he reaches for the camera.

Ichigo laughs lightly and gives his friend a close-eyed smile. "I'm fine with it, Mizuiro. I promise."

"No you're not..." Rukia thinks with a slight frown.

"...is Kurosaki-kun alright? He's really tense..." Orihime states softly, mostly to herself. Rukia turns her head to stare at the other orange haired teenager.

"Orihime, you're really amazing... It took me three years to realize 'that'." Tatsuki stands up, looking closed off and worried.

"Tatsuki-chan?"

"If you have any urgent business with Ichigo, finish it today. He'll be taking tomorrow off," Tatsuki continues quietly. Rukia glances back towards Ichigo and bites the inside of her cheek.

"Ichigo... what's going on?" Despair seems to crawl up Rukia's throat, forming a lump and a burn behind her eyes. She clears her throat and goes back to staring at her textbook.


"And now, I will open the meeting to decide tomorrow's duties! To be honest, since the chairman is Dad, then Dad has final say in everything!" Isshin shouts loudly from inside the house. Ichigo can almost hear Karin's eye roll and Yuzu's frown.

"Goat Face, now's not the time for your stupidity." Ichigo can clearly imagine Karin's glare before she turns to her twin sister. "Yuzu, you'll be cooking Mama's favorite again, right?"

"Mmhmm! And Nīsan will be getting the flowers!" Yuzu exclaims brightly.

Isshin points towards Karin with his other hand on his hip. "That's no way to talk to the chairman, staff director!"

"We should make little flower crowns for Eda-chan, Koishi-chan, and Ha-chan!" Yuzu gasps in delight, completely ignoring Isshin. Ichigo laughs quietly as the conversation fades to the background.

Ichigo smiles softly as he rests his chin on his knees, watching the night sky. He doesn't say anything to Rukia as she quietly sits next to him.

"Is your father this overbearing?" Rukia asks in a low tone. Ichigo silently huffs out a laugh before he shakes his head.

"Where I go, the girls follow, so Goat Face hardly ever tries to make an effort to be around us. Especially for the past six years," Ichigo answers just as softly.

"What's this meeting all about? Are you going on a picnic and making flower crowns?"

Ichigo sighs quietly, releasing his legs so he can sit cross-legged on his bed. "Rukia... would it be possible for me to take tomorrow off from Shinigami work?"

"No. That's not possible. Why are you even asking?" Rukia turns to stare at Ichigo. Her confusion stalls for a moment when she sees utter grief and guilt swimming in Ichigo's eyes.

"It's Mama's anniversary," Ichigo speaks quietly, hands clenching in his lap, "the day Mama died. No... it was the day she was killed... by me."

"Ichigo..."

Ichigo covers his eyes with one of his hands, the other clenching so hard that his nails start to pierce his skin. He clenches his teeth with a shuttering breath.

"...I've always been able to see spirits. Ever since I could remember... Mama was more focused on keeping me and the girls alive with the living than teaching us about the dead."


Masaki hums softly as she rocks Ichigo back and forth in her lap. "We don't have time for me to teach you now, my peony... but I promise I'll teach you about the other side of my family... and of your Papa's, okay?"

"With the ghosts?"

"Yes, with the ghosts." Masaki giggles before kissing Ichigo's forehead. "And I'll teach my little Lily and Rose when they grow up too. Will you help me?"

"Mmhmm! Promise!"


"If only–If only I could have paid attention... If I listened to my instincts, Mama–Mama..." Ichigo tries to swallow back his guilt and roughly pulls at his hair. Rukia quickly reaches over with wide eyes, grabbing Ichigo's hand before he could tear out his own hair.

"Ichigo... Ichigo! Look at me," Rukia speaks softly as she crawls forward. She quickly entwines her hand with Ichigo's before he could try and pull at his hair again. Ichigo lowers his hand from his eyes, looking at the Shinigami with dead eyes. His tears didn't fall, but it was clear he was barely keeping it together.

"Ichigo... Listen to me." Rukia gently places her other hand in Ichigo's cheek. He practically buries his face into the touch, making Rukia stifle a scowl.

She glances between both eyes, tightening her grip on Ichigo's hand. "It is not your fault that your mother was killed. You were nine years old, already burdened with fighting for humanity's survival. I know for a fact that she chose to teach you about the most immediate danger to you and the twins."

"But–but I could tell–I could–" Ichigo's voice breaks off as the tears start to fall. He looks away with a stuttering breath and furiously tries to wipe them away.

"Ichigo." Rukia leans forward and rests her forehead on his. "I can promise you that your mother would absolutely never blame you for this. You were a child. Trust me, Ichigo."

"R-Rukia-san..." Ichigo starts to sniffle as the tears keep coming. Quiet sobs leave his mouth, his hand squeezing Rukia's. He shakes his head and falls forward into the Shinigami's arms, pressing his face into her shoulder.

The despair and grief overcome him as the soft moonlight shines through. Rukia holds him tightly, giving him the comfort he hasn't sought for himself. She runs her hand through his curly hair with a sad smile on her face.

Both are too distracted to notice a shadow outside the window flickering out of sight.


Hey! Hope you all like the new chapter! I was seriously trying so hard to finish it before it was midnight, so that I could get it to you all!

I hope you all like the ending! Finally some comfort to Ichigo's hurt! Woot woot!

Also, Kon is now a crow plushie! Fighting for his life. Against a living crow. And, Ichigo and Kisuke finally meet!

I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! Bye!

WhovianWhoudini