EDIT (10/9/2006): I thought it was only appropriate that I would start editing here, considering this is the longest chapter in the story. But I'm afraid to do it. Sure I say this now, but I can understand how tedious it can be to read such elaborate works when it should really be much simpler and concise, so with great sympathy for my readers and myself, I will tear this bloody block of typing apart until it makes sense in fewer words. It a dirty job, but someone's got to do it (logically me, because I wrote it.) I any case, it should be easier, now that I have put the writing of the story behind me and now I can look at it with different eyes and through a different perspective and see change instead of creation. It's rather thrilling to be able to read my own work and not feel stressed. But this is only the first step. Wish me luck. (I take this way too seriously.)
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Thanks for all the great comments. Never thought I'd have such success with this story. But hey, we've got to support the shipping!
Chapter 237 made me cry. I feel like an idiot. But that's how good Kubotite is. I can only aspire to be half as good as he is. I haven't read chapter 238, but I promised I wouldn't until I posted this chapter. I'm late with it. So sorry. I've been busy this weekend, I'm having some friends and family visiting for vacations, and I've got errands to run. And anyway, I read somewhere 238 was a double issue, and there was no manga last week, so I'm kind of stretching it, so as not to go crazy with expectation.
Another reason for my tardiness is the fact that I started this chapter, and then along the way new ideas came, and I mixed things up a bit, and I didn't like how this chapter came out the first time around, so I had to start over again. Then when I was done, I didn't feel like posting it because I wanted to make sure the next one would come out fine in spite of the changes and rearranging. I swear, I get on my own nerves sometimes.
To make up for the long wait, this chapter is longer. It's mostly a lot of talk (which I felt was necessary to clear things up, and to give depth to my views of the characters), but the second half of it brings a few, long-overdue revelations that will surely spice things up a bit. Hope you like it.
Music: "Breathe" Ann Nalick, "El mañana" by Gorillaz (which is also the title of the story, because it means "tomorrow" as in "the next day" and I think it's fitting, and because it follows in Kubotite's string of random Spanish words and titles like "Conquistadores" and "Arrancar". Knowing quite a lot of Spanish, I think it's funny but cool how he does that.), "Call me when you're sober" by Evanescence, "Maybe tomorrow" by Stereophonics, "Shut your eyes" by Snow Patrol, "Coming undone" by Korn.
Disclaimer: It would be awesome if I owned any of this. But I don't. Isn't that a shame?
---
Coming Undone – by Deathberry15
6: El mañana
"Soutaichou…?"
Yamamoto, the first division captain and head commander of the Gotei 13, looked up from the paper in his hands and acknowledged his lieutenant's presence. He sighed.
"Gather all the captains and vice-captains for an emergency meeting. This situation must be dealt with right now. We must understand the latest occurrences and be ready to take the necessary measures," he said before Sasakibe could speak. "As soon as a decision is made, we will establish communication with Hitsugaya-taichou, to inform the shinigami dispatched to the living world. There is no time to waste."
The vice-captain bowed his head in agreement and turned around to do as Yamamoto had told him.
Yamamoto was once again left alone with his thoughts. He stroked his beard absentmindedly as he reread the brief urgent report Hitsugaya had sent. He had only received it moments ago, and every second that passed felt like too long. It felt almost like time stood still, for things were already on the move, and he was frozen to his chair, still disbelieving.
He sighed again to himself. Everything was beginning to unravel once again. Aizen was ready.
It was only a matter of time.
"He must be stopped," he said to himself sadly, as he got up and exited his office, ready to join the meeting as soon as they were all ready. There was no time to waste now.
---
Ishida had been the first one to leave, just before Renji and Rukia returned with Ichigo; he didn't excuse himself. Chad shortly followed. Yumichika and Ikkaku feared their artificial souls were too weird and their hosts would notice something was odd (more than usual), so they heading back to the Asano residence. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto returned to Orihime's flat after all; Hitsugaya had to write a report, and wait for Soul Society to get in touch by the transmission screen.
In the end, only Rukia and Renji were left, besides the store's staff and Yoruichi. Ichigo had gone home, by himself. He returned to his body, took Kon with him and left, asking to be by himself; in other words, he wanted Rukia to stay put and leave him alone.
"He'll be fine."
"Of course he won't."
"He's a grown man... well, not really. But he's tough and he's mature enough. He can take care of himself, Rukia. He'll be fine."
"You know it's not about that, Renji."
She worried that her artificial soul would behave embarrassingly, and Yuzu and Karin would have to deal with it on their own. But mainly, she was concerned about Ichigo; he was not in a right state. He wasn't mad at her at all; but it didn't stop her from feeling terrible, fully responsible for everything gone wrong. She wanted to go with him and make sure he'd be alright. It was still raining, and he was noticeably distressed.
But secretly, she was glad he made a point of going home by himself. Unlike him, Rukia didn't want to be alone tonight. And if she had gone back with him, that's exactly how she would've felt.
"What, are you afraid he'll stray and head off to the riverbank again? I think he's had enough of that place," Renji said.
Rukia didn't say so, but she considered that very likely. "I'm afraid he'll catch another cold," she said instead. "He's bad enough as he is, weak and only just recovering from those wounds. It's not good for him."
"He's had worse, you know."
Rukia tucked one arm behind her head and sighed. Yes, she couldn't bear to be alone tonight. She wished she could just relax and sleep, but there was too much going around in her head.
"Rukia, go to sleep."
"You go to sleep!" Rukia retorted moodily, in a rather loud tone.
"Shh!" Yoruichi hissed from the next room, sliding the door open a crack to glare at them. She had been catty all night (A/N: pun not totally intended), and was now simply in a very ill and tired mood. Renji ignored her before turning to Rukia.
"What is the matter with you?" he whispered. Rukia snapped her head in his direction and frowned in annoyance.
"Me? You're being patronizing; that is the matter with me. You keep telling me to go to sleep. I don't want to go to sleep! You go to sleep, why don't you? Maybe it's because you yourself can't either. So stop bugging me already and go to sleep!"
"Oh, for crying out loud! Shh!" Yoruichi hissed again. Renji and Rukia ignored her again.
"This is unlike you, Rukia. I'm not used to seeing you… well, like this. Like you're losing your cool, which is odd."
Rukia was about to ask something along the line of "who do you think you are to tell me what I'm like", but Renji continued before she could speak. "I understand why you can't sleep. I'm just trying to help you relax," he said, trying his best not to sound condescending at all, lest she would snap at him again.
"Well, it's not working," Rukia said, trying very hard to keep her voice down. She was not losing her cool.
"Then tell me what's wrong," Renji insisted.
Rukia sighed loudly, a wordless exasperation the only answer she gave, and laid back down on the futon, rolling onto her side, with her back to Renji. She pulled the covers up to her neck and shut her eyes tight, trying to block every thought out, and listened. Eventually, she heard the ruffling of sheets and light creaking of old tatami mats beneath the neighboring futon, and a long, exhausted sigh from Renji, and then silence.
She really tried to sleep; but her head was a mess. She couldn't stop worrying about tonight, couldn't stop thinking how everything had gone horribly wrong, and somehow she could've stopped it. She could have saved her.
But if she felt terrible, then she couldn't fathom how Ichigo must feel. And that is what worried her the most. She wasn't there for him. He wanted to be alone. But he was already alone. He was in a dark place, where she couldn't reach him. It scared her to think of it.
It was useless. On such a long, difficult night, she wouldn't rest at all during what was left of it.
"It's just that," she began, and she heard the distinct sound of Renji lifting his head to pay attention, "it's just… Ichigo's just so… passionate… Who knows what he is capable of doing. I'm scared to think of what he could do."
"Rukia," Renji began. She toyed nervously with the sheets.
"I'm afraid of what he might do to try to save her."
"Hey," he called again.
"He's desperate, you know, he might do something desperate. We can't leave him alone. I have to go find him." She sat up and pushed the sheets off to stand up.
"Rukia."
Rukia froze at the sound of her name; the firmness in his voice is what got her attention. He too sat up. "You can't keep doing that."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"You can't keep comparing him to Kaien."
Rukia was silent. Renji probably couldn't see her, but she frowned, annoyed rather than confused. "What are you talking about? I have never done such a thing!"
"Anyone would. They have, in fact, the shinigami who knew Kaien and who recently met Ichigo," Renji explained. "But I never thought you would let it affect you so much. It was obvious, when we took you back to Soul Society, that your time on earth, the time you spent with Ichigo, had changed you a lot. I realized then how greatly you allowed yourself to be influenced by it, and even your judgment had become impaired by it."
Rukia swallowed hard. "By what, exactly?"
"By how much of Kaien you see in Ichigo."
He paused, as if expecting her to say something, maybe deny it or try to explain herself. But she said nothing. So he continued. "They are similar in many aspects. But they're not the same. He and Inoue are not the same as Kaien and Miyako-san."
"They just might be," Rukia said very quietly after a pause. She bowed her head.
Renji blinked in surprise. "Why would you think that?"
There was a longer silence before she answered. "It's just… I can't help but feel… that somehow, history is repeating."
Renji shook his head. It's not that he didn't regard Rukia's concern as realistic, but the mere idea was enough to give him chills. It was too messed up to consider, for anyone to want to think about it. In any case, there was no way to be certain how true that possibility could become; not if they didn't know exactly what Aizen's plans were. Anything could happen from then on. And that's what was so scary.
"I understand why you would feel that way. But it doesn't have to be like that," he said.
"I know."
Renji blinked again, puzzled. Rukia lifted her head. "Because this time I won't let it happen. I won't let history repeat itself," she said firmly.
He grinned in relief. Now that sounded more like the Rukia he knew. Strong, willful, determined.
"Good. Then I hate to tell you this, but you won't be able to turn history around if you don't get rest, so I suggest you do as I say and sleep. It's been a long night. Tomorrow –well, today, actually— we can think better. I'm sure Hitsugaya will have news from Soul Society by then, and we can figure out what to do."
She nodded. Renji once again lay down on the futon and pulled the covers up to his chin, sighing relaxingly. In an instant he would be sound asleep. But he suddenly heard Rukia draw in a sharp breath. He frowned and listened intently.
"Are you… crying?"
Rukia was quiet for a moment. But then she sniffed. Again and again. And she sobbed. Renji sat up again and stared at her. He could see her silhouette clearly in the faint light coming from outside, and saw her body shaking with quiet sobs, although she seemed to be trying to stop.
"Rukia…"
"I…" she began, and her voice broke. "I just don't know… what to do."
Renji was shocked, to witness a breakdown like this, from her. He had watched her in the most perilous of situations; he had known her as they both grew up. She was strong and serene and tenacious, but she was also frail. He knew this; he had known her his whole life. And he wasn't used to seeing her like this; feeling helpless and scared. But he could relate to that.
Without another word, he pushed the sheets off and crawled off his futon toward hers. He wrapped his arms gently around her, holding her close, as she cried quietly. She wrapped her own arms around his torso, burying her face into his chest, her shuddering breaths muffled, and stopped trying to calm herself down. Instead, she just let it all out.
Renji didn't know what to say. But maybe he didn't need to say anything. He lay back against the pillows, trying to be comfortable; she settled next to him, laying her head on his chest, close to his heart, and slowly quieted down. There was something about the nearness of him, the warmth of his body, which relaxed her.
Eventually Rukia stopped crying altogether, almost dozing off. Renji kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back comfortingly, and they stayed like that, holding each other, until they both drifted off to sleep.
---
Yoruichi tried to block out the sound of Renji and Rukia arguing quietly outside. She turned on her side and saw the clear silhouette of Urahara's profile, a black shadow cast against the wall beyond, illuminated by the faint light pouring in through the large window. She could see his face outlined clearly. His eyes were narrow slits, an expression he adopted a lot, often concealed by his hat. It was convenient; that way nobody would know what he was thinking.
"Hey, aren't you tired?" she asked him. He sat rigidly, legs crossed, eyebrows knitted together in deep thought.
"I can't sleep," he answered quietly.
"If you need me to shut them up, I can go over and knock them out cold. They're really getting on my nerves too. They argue like a married couple."
"You're getting on my nerves," Urahara said.
Yoruichi scoffed indignant. "What did I do? I'm not the one making all that racket."
"Just leave me alone," he snapped. Yoruichi recoiled very slightly, almost as if he had made a gesture to strike her.
"What the hell is the matter with you?" she demanded, now very upset about his attitude.
Urahara turned very slowly in her direction, facing her but not really looking at her. His eyes were still narrowed, and he was looking beyond her. Was he trying to see Rukia and Renji outside, through the door? He couldn't really do that, but one could almost believe he would be able to.
"They will come for the other hairpin," he said cryptically.
"I believe you already mentioned that. Or maybe I'm just assuming you did, considering I wasn't here for your explanation and I had to catch up with the others, who wouldn't say much to me, by the way."
"Yoruichi."
Yoruichi stopped ranting. Something about the way he said her name just then.
"She did exactly what I thought she would. It's all going according to plan."
"What are you talking about?"
"I have developed a theory," he began. "Inoue-san's powers manifested after prolonged exposure to Kurosaki's reiatsu, which is so strong that it has affected a lot of people around her. In Inoue's case, her desire to protect those around her from those Hollows was the trigger to those powers growing inside her. And afterwards, she was able to summon those powers again because of her desire to protect and help Kurosaki." He paused rather dramatically. "But her powers were already in her, and may have been there long before that day the Quincy used the Hollow bait."
"So you think that Ichigo is not really the source of those powers?" Yoruichi asked when Urahara paused.
"Not the only one at least. But Kurosaki's powerful spiritual pressure has strengthened hers, anyway."
"And what exactly might be the other source, then?"
"Her brother, of course."
Yoruichi's eyes widened slightly with surprise. Urahara continued. "If I'm not mistaken, after Inoue Sora died in that car accident, Inoue-san started wearing the flower-shaped hairpins that had been a gift from him, which she had refused to wear for fear of drawing attention at school to her already unusual hair. She has worn them all the time since then."
Yoruichi couldn't understand what Inoue's brother could possibly have to do with the powers Aizen was after. But she listened quietly.
"I believe there's a great chance Inoue Sora's spirit could be somehow manifesting through the hairpins he gave his sister. When he became a Hollow and came after her, Kurosaki is the one who came to her rescue. That is when Inoue-kun realized his sister wore the hairpins everyday, in honor of his memory, and he realized she hadn't forgotten him at all. He was able to become cleansed, and went on to Soul Society."
"But you think… that maybe he left some sort of imprint of himself behind."
"Just because someone dies and goes on to Soul Society, does not mean that a part of them cannot stay with their loved ones. There are different kinds of imprints. Some are more powerful than others."
Yoruichi nodded thoughtfully, mulling over his words. "Orihime's brother gives her the power. Ichigo gives her the strength," she said out loud.
"There is a dark side to her powers too. In spite of their uniqueness, one of her abilities resembles that of one of the Vizards. It is because of both Ichigo's and her brother's influence," Urahara said, seemingly more to himself than to Yoruichi.
"Vizards?" she asked. Urahara just looked at her, his gaze clearly stating he would explain later.
"Inoue-san knows her powers don't work without the hairpins. The hairpins are like a zanpakutou," he continued, and out of his sleeve he pulled the hairpin, twirling it between his fingers. "Without the weapon, there is no medium to channel the powers."
"Are you saying…"
"Exactly like I expected," he said with a knowing grin. "Kuchiki-san told Inoue-san the Arrancar were after her for her powers. Inoue intended to remove the hairpins; at least one of them. Without them both, they wouldn't be able to make her do anything."
"Clever girl," Yoruichi smiled, but it quickly faded. "But they still have her, and as you said, now they will probably come retrieve the missing hairpin. Or did you expect them to let her go because of that?"
It was Urahara's turn to smile, a sly, mysterious smile. "Not at all. I know they will come," he said coolly. "And we will be waiting."
---
It was nearly two in the morning now, and Matsumoto was having trouble falling sleep. It felt wrong to try to relax, try to get some rest, when somewhere out there, out of their reach, their friend was a hostage in the hands of a traitor.
She felt very strange going back to Orihime's flat to sleep, as if nothing had happened. She and Hitsugaya got back, only to find the door wide open. The kitchen was a mess, with splatters of food all over the countertops and pantry doors and floor tiles –obviously it had artificial soul written all over it—, and the telly had been left on. They sensed a strange reiatsu; Matsumoto had no idea who it might be.
"That girl… Inoue-san's friend, from their school," Hitsugaya said thoughtfully. "She was here."
"Who?" Matsumoto asked, trying to recall the person.
"Her," Histugaya said, and he pointed to a framed picture sitting on a shelf. It showed Orihime and a black-haired girl, hugging and smiling. "Arisawa Tatsuki."
"How do you even remember her?" Matsumoto asked, astonished.
"What does it matter?" he replied. "She was here. And Inoue-san wasn't."
Matsumoto bit her lip. "Do you think she saw… anything?"
Hitsugaya didn't respond, and instead walked into the kitchen. It was very late, and he was clearly tired and stressed; but he grabbed the paper towels and the rubbish bin, and got down on his hands and knees to clean up the floor. She watched him work, serene and patient, eyebrows knitted together in both worry and deep concentration. After a moment, she picked up a rag from the sink and started cleaning the countertops.
This was their home now; at least during their stay in the material world. Orihime had made it their home. But it wasn't as homey without her around. Matsumoto felt like an unwanted guest.
It was almost as if she had died; the place was full of her things, and yet it felt like she was gone forever. There were pictures of her everywhere, her personal belongings, a notepad stuck to the refrigerator door with strange shopping lists, odd to-dos and random notes and doodles only someone as whimsical as Orihime could write. The altar was still in the corner, near the window; Orihime's brother smiled at them from the framed picture, handsome and good-natured. Matsumoto wondered if he might be somewhere in Rukongai, collecting vague memories of his life on earth, and of his little sister.
What would Sora do if he knew Orihime had been taken to Hueco Mundo? What would he do if he still were alive?
Matsumoto turned over onto her right side on her futon. A faint glow came from the giant screen at one end of Orihime's cramped flat, where it occupied the whole wall. The couch on that end was tossed aside, as the screen flickered to life and static interrupted the silence of the dark, empty apartment. Hitsugaya sat on his own futon, facing the screen, watching it intently as if there were something besides the static. Matsumoto stared at his back, silhouetted clearly against the bright screen.
He probably couldn't sleep either; not after what happened, especially at Urahara Shouten. It had taken long enough for everyone to calm down after Ichigo stormed out with Rukia and Renji in tow. Hitsugaya had actually lost it, nearly getting into a fistfight with Urahara, but Yoruichi sprung up in her friend's defense. They started a row, and Tessai had to restrain Hitsugaya, Ikkaku and Yumichika on his own. Yoruichi then got into another argument with Matsumoto, who berated her for siding with the traitor. Urahara, meanwhile, sneaked away to fix the damaged gigai and Ichigo's body. By the time he was done, everyone outside had new flesh wounds and were even in a worse mood.
They were glad to leave; nothing would be resolved by fighting. They needed to establish communication with Soul Society. Hopefully they would know what to do; Hitsugaya was too weary and stressed to come up with anything himself. It was especially difficult for him, when it came to Aizen; when he had to think about everything that led up to this new situation. Matsumoto could pretend, but it affected her as much as it did him.
She thought of Ichimaru briefly. She wondered if she had gone wrong with him somewhere; if there was something she had done, or hadn't done, that had made him turn his back on everything and everyone he once knew, those whom he called friends and comrades. She wondered if there was something she could've done to stop him; something she could do to bring him back.
"Captain?" she called, squinting through the darkness. He didn't move or respond. For a moment she thought he might have fallen asleep. "Captain," she repeated.
"I'm busy," he said.
"You're just sitting there."
"I'm thinking."
"About what?"
He was silent, not in the mood to talk. He just wanted to speak to Yamamoto. He was sure he'd get a response to his report, so he turned on the screen in hopes that the general commander would get in touch very soon. He would be alert, no matter how long he had to wait.
"I need a plan."
"I'm sure the general commander will call soon. You don't have to sit there. You must be tired," Matsumoto said.
"Maybe he doesn't understand how they work Maybe he hasn't fully grasped the extent of her powers. After all, he wouldn't make a mistake such as leaving one hairpin behind if he knew it was essential for her powers to work."
Matsumoto frowned in confusion. Was he talking to himself? "Captain?"
"It has to be. Or he needs something else from her. But what would it be? As much as I hate to admit it, Urahara may be right most of the time, but that is because he alone understands perfectly how the Hougyoku functions. He created it. So he must be right this time too. He should be. If Aizen didn't take Inoue because of that, then… Yamamoto-taichou might know something. Soul Society must be investigating right now, Kurotsuchi is probably on it, and they have resources we do not possess here in the living world…"
Matsumoto just listened to him rant, muttering very fast under his breath, as if he were thinking too many things at once to actually keep it inside. She could feel how tense he was; she sensed his preoccupation, his strain, his struggle. It was like he carried so much on his shoulders all the time, not because he was forced to, but because he forced himself. He always did. Always pushing himself, feeling like he needed to live up to his name: Hitsugaya Toushirou, captain of the 10th division, the youngest captain in the Gotei 13, the genius captain, the prodigious shinigami. She didn't approve of it, of his impending need to be like that. But recent events only pushed him one step closer to the edge.
He had warned them from the very beginning; he knew something was off all along. From the minute Rukia was brought back to Soul Society for execution as punishment for her crimes. He had known all along. But everyone else was too blind.
Hinamori had nearly died. He himself had nearly died. Rukia could've died. Ichigo, Renji, the whole Seiretei. And now Orihime might die too. Along with the entire population of the living world.
"But it's not your fault," she said to him, although she hadn't meant to say that out loud. But he gave no sign of having heard her, though she was sure he did.
He still pushes himself so hard, like he's responsible for making things work all the time. Like he's the only one to blame if things go wrong.
But we're all to blame.
"Captain, please…"
"Matsumoto, you should rest. We have much to do tomorrow," he said curtly, his voice forcibly neutral.
Matsumoto just stared. He was not going to sleep. She, obviously, wouldn't be able to sleep either, knowing that he was awake, dealing with everything on his own. She was supposed to be his lieutenant, someone who worked beside him, his right hand. But he never accepted her help, or anyone else's. She admired him for that, for his strength and determination. But she felt idle and worthless. And she felt sorry for him.
With a long sigh, she lay onto her left side, turning away from the glare of the screen. After a few minutes of staring at the opposite wall, at Hitsugaya's and her own shadow cast upon it, she finally fell into a deep but restless sleep.
---
"Rukia-chan, where were you?"
Rukia froze at Yuzu's voice. It was morning, and she was sneaking back into the Kurosaki residence, hoping no one would see her. But the twins were already up, having breakfast in the kitchen. She would be hard to miss. She should've used Ichigo's window.
Suddenly she spotted herself, or someone who looked just like her, coming downstairs wearing a Karakura High School uniform. Her double sat at the table across from Karin. Rukia had to laugh. Of course: her artificial soul spent the night there in her stead. Yuzu was talking to her gigai. Still, Rukia hid behind the wall. These were Ichigo's sisters; it just occurred to her that they might be able to see her, especially Karin. What would they think if they saw two Rukias in the house?
Mod-Rukia grinned. "Sorry. It took me longer than usual to figure out which sock goes on which foot," she replied. Yuzu and Karin looked at each other puzzled. The real Rukia slapped a hand to her forehead and shook her head.
The girls ate breakfast nonchalantly, while Rukia made wild gestures from where she hid, trying to get her mod soul's attention. She needed her gigai back. The artificial soul looked up once and saw her, but made no move to follow, and continued to eat. Bloody thing really has got a mind of its own, and I don't like her, Rukia thought, glaring daggers.
"Something's wrong with Onii-chan," Yuzu said.
Rukia stopped making rude gestures at her artificial soul and listened.
"What is it this time?" Karin asked, pouring herself some tea.
"He won't get out of bed. And he won't tell me what's wrong. He just pretends to be asleep," Yuzu replied.
"Maybe he's still sick," Karin said. "It was raining last night."
"Did he go out last night?"
"Ask Rukia-san."
They both looked at mod-Rukia, who got that deer-in-headlights look when she realized they were talking to her. She turned to Rukia, who nodded vigorously.
"Yes," mod-Rukia said, following Rukia's charade as to what she should say. Unfortunately Rukia pulled out her notebook and began "drawing", in an attempt to depict the actions more clearly. Mod-Rukia had to keep herself from laughing at the "drawings" and stare long and hard to figure them out. "We both were… reading, er, studying… at a friend's house. We have a test today. And it… showered –no—, rained on us when we left. So yeah, maybe he is… um, coughing—he's got a cough—oh, he's sick. Yeah, sick… Again."
The twins shared another confused look; mod-Rukia just smiled happily and took a bite of her toast. Promptly the girls continued talking normally. Rukia sighed in relief and tucked her drawing book away.
"I told daddy not to bother him or wake him up like he usually does. Onii-chan seems to be in a bad enough mood already without getting knocked out of bed with a flying kung-fu kick," Yuzu added.
"He's probably just feeling sick," Karin replied. "It's not like he would magically recover. And if he got caught in the rain last night, he might feel bad again."
Yuzu didn't look convinced. "Rukia-chan, would you please try waking him? Maybe you can get a word or two out of him."
Mod-Rukia blinked several times. "Huh? Me?"
But it's not like she had a choice. Rukia gave her mod soul a look of warning. So as soon as she was done, mod-Rukia got up and headed back upstairs, closely followed by the real Rukia. When they reached the hallway, Rukia popped the soul candy out of her gigai and got back in it. Troublesome and rebellious things, these mod souls. They have no respect for us shinigami.
Rukia entered Ichigo's room. The curtains were closed, making the room quite dark. Ichigo was in his bed, still and quiet, blankets pulled up to his chin, his bright head popping out from underneath. He was facing the wall, so she couldn't tell if he was awake or not.
"Ichigo?" she called.
There was no response. She approached the bed.
"Ichigo, get up."
Still no response.
"Come on. Time to go to school."
"I'm not going."
She was surprised how quickly he answered. She expected him to ignore her at least a bit longer.
"I'm sorry?" she asked.
"I said I'm not going," he replied in a groggy, barely audible voice. Rukia sat on the edge of the mattress. He didn't budge. Rukia still couldn't see his face, but judging from his voice, he was fully awake.
"You're supposed to go to school, whether you like it or not," she began saying. She had to say something, anything to get him to talk. Somehow she had to get him out of bed. "It's what a teenager is supposed to do. I mean, I'm not even a teenager, or a real school student, and I'm going, without complaints. So, unless you're sick again or something, you need to get up and get ready."
"Shut up, would you?"
Rukia scowled. How dare he tell her to shut up? "Just what the hell is wrong with you, huh? We're going to be late."
"I don't care."
"I do, and so do your sisters. They're worried that you're sick or depressed or something. So you get up right now because you're fine and we're going to school."
"I told you I'm not going."
"And why the hell not?"
"Because she won't be there!" Ichigo finally snapped, sitting up very fast and facing Rukia; he looked so upset, she thought he would strangle her or something. "She's not here anymore! They came and they took her and now she's gone. She could be dead, or who knows what they might be doing to her. And I should've stopped them, but I didn't. I failed her again. I made a promise to protect her, and I broke that promise. Now she's in Hueco Mundo, and it's my fault."
Rukia swallowed hard. Now she got a good look at his face. His eyes were bloodshot, with dark circles underneath. It could mean either he hadn't had a blink of sleep last night or he had been crying. Either way, it made Rukia anxious. She couldn't bear to see him like this. Of course she had expected him to be restless; but she wasn't used to seeing Ichigo broken like this. She didn't like it.
"I don't know what to do now, but whether I go about my insipid life pretending that nothing happened, that everything's fine, and whether I do nothing at all, it makes no difference. So what's the point?" he added sourly. "Do you still want me to go to school so badly?"
Rukia gulped again and didn't respond. Ichigo sniffed and shook his head. "Didn't think so," he said, and lay down again, staring blankly at the wall and pretending to sleep. Rukia sighed dejectedly.
"So you're just going to lay here and do nothing?" she asked after a silence. "That's very unlike you. The Ichigo I know doesn't allow himself be consumed by misery and wallows in self-pity. This isn't you. What's wrong with you?"
"I know it's bad. Really bad. But we knew what we were up against," she continued. "They were too powerful for me, too. I might have not made any promise to her to protect her, but I didn't want them to take her either, and I feel terrible that I couldn't stop them, but I won't beat myself up over it. It's just not the solution. And lying around sulking is not the solution either."
She forced the covers out of his hands and pulled them back. "You're getting up and we're going to school and meet the others, because hopefully someone has already come up with a real solution. And because nothing good ever comes out of lying around feeling sorry for yourself."
Rukia grabbed his arms and pulled him to a sitting position. He just looked at her with an empty gaze. She just hoped he hadn't completely given up.
"For crying out loud, Ichigo, it's Inoue! Are you going to just take for granted that she might be dead? What's the matter with you? Whenever have I known you to just give up on your friends? I thought she was your friend. I thought you liked her as even more than just a friend."
Ichigo looked down at his lap. Without a word, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and got up very slowly. He grabbed his clothes and headed toward the bathroom. Rukia fell back onto the mattress, staring at the ceiling. She sighed, realizing she had been holding her breath. This wasn't going to be a good day.
She woke up that morning, still tired and sore, hoping she'd just had a very bad dream. Finding herself lying so close to Renji –no, not so much close as practically on top of him, her head nestled on his chest, his arms surrounding her small body—, did little to ease her distress, although her embarrassment caused by their compromising position wouldn't compare to the funny flip-flop her stomach did when she realized the proximity of their bodies. Honestly, she wished she could've stayed like that; she wished to have the chance to be with him like that again, not worrying about anything. But that was not the case. As the memory of last night flooded back to her mind, she was worrying about Ichigo once again.
Renji said he'd get in touch with Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, see if there were any news from Soul Society. Until then, the shinigami were on hold for orders. There was nothing left to do now but to wait.
Rukia realized she had dozing off when Ichigo came back into the room, the sound of the door waking her. She sat up and saw him drag himself back in, dressed in his uniform, wet orange hair flattened and a towel around his shoulders. He rummaged through a drawer full of socks, but stopped suddenly, shoulders slumped.
"I can't go," he said softly, bowing his head. "If I go, then I'll just confirm that she's really gone. If I… there are two possibilities, and I don't know which one's worse: people will either realize that she's missing and wonder where she's gone, or we might find that their memories have somehow been modified and they don't remember her at all… I don't think I can stand either one."
Rukia took a deep breath. She recalled the day she came back to Karakura town, with Renji and the others: Ichigo had been really down, after Orihime had been hurt so badly by the Arrancar; he felt he couldn't protect his friends. Now it was even worse. Orihime was gone, and whatever feelings Ichigo had for her only made it harder for him to get it together.
It just hadn't occurred to them that something of this magnitude could happen, something so out of their control. But they couldn't just leave things as they were.
"You're going because you won't accomplish anything positive just lying around in a funk," Rukia said, standing up and approaching him. "Going to school or not won't make a difference, I know. But you need to get out of here, leave this emotional hole you've dug for yourself, and join the rest of us into thinking up a plan, because something must be done. How else do you expect to accomplish anything?"
Ichigo nodded, but didn't say anything. And he didn't say anything again for the rest of the morning, until they reached the school. Rukia would occasionally say something to try to cheer him up, but it wasn't working. If he wasn't ever in a good mood, then today especially wouldn't be any different.
---
"What's wrong with him?"
"What's wrong with who?"
"Kurosaki. He seems upset."
"You mean more than usual?"
"Usually he's his normal, cranky self. Today he looks… I don't know. Depressed."
"Depressed?"
"Maybe he had a fight with Inoue."
"A fight?"
"Wait, why would he fight with Inoue and be depressed?
"You mean you haven't noticed?"
"Yeah, he walked her home the other day."
"And those rumors. Apparently they were true."
"And that's how he got sick, too."
"She brought him cookies when he was sick."
"I think someone said they saw them kissing."
"What?! My Hime would never go out with such a jerk."
"Whatever. I'm just telling you what I know."
"Where is Inoue anyway?"
Ishida pretended to read while he listened to a group of girls gossiping inside the classroom. Among which, of course, was Chizuru, Mahana, Michiru and –surprisingly— Ryou. They stood near the door, glancing across the classroom at Ichigo, sitting near the windows. Yes, he did indeed look down.
With a sigh, Ishida closed his book, as students continued to file in, minutes before the bell would ring. He had been somewhat expecting people in class to not notice that Orihime was gone. In fact, he even considered the possibility of people not remembering her at all. Just like it had happened when Rukia went back to Soul Society; they erased any traces of her from the living world.
But would Hueco Mundo actually be concerned with such things? He guessed not. People did remember Orihime, and they noticed she was missing. Soon enough, Tatsuki would wonder where her friend was, call her home to check on her, and realize Orihime was not home, and then what would happen?
He had no time to think of that, when Tatsuki came in. She walked to her seat and looked around. Ishida watched her out of the corner of his eye, as she glanced briefly at Orihime's empty seat, a fleeting look of worry crossing her face, before she sat down and pretended to be busy flipping through a textbook. Ishida was nonplussed; clearly she was pretending, because he caught her stealing glances back and forth between Ichigo and the place where Orihime usually sat. He frowned in confusion. Could she perhaps know something?
"Settle down, everyone. I'm here now. Stop making such a racket and pretend for a brief moment that you're mature high school students, alright?" Ochi-sensei announced as she walked in, ushering students in. The laughter and talk died down as everyone sat down. The teacher pulled out her notebook to do roll call.
When she called Orihime, there was a general murmur. She skipped a whole week when she was sick. What could it be this time? It was unlike her to skip.
"Hmm, has anyone seen Inoue? Is she sick again or something?" Ochi-sensei asked, looking around at the group. She looked at Tatsuki. "Arisawa?"
Tatsuki lifted her gaze and looked disoriented. "Huh, wha—?" she asked.
"Do you know why Inoue didn't come to school today?" Ochi-sensei asked, pretending to care. She was never much concerned with her students' attendance.
Tatsuki cast a fleeting glance again at Orihime's usual desk, then at Ichigo, before shaking her head. "N-no, sensei… I don't."
Her classmates were probably wondering if she had gotten into a row with Orihime. Maybe they were not speaking to each other. Tatsuki just lowered her gaze.
"Ochi-sensei, may I go out for a bit?"
Ishida looked over his shoulder at Ichigo, who stood up very quickly and, without even waiting for a response, walked out the door. Ishida stared after him. Obviously, he already knew what was bothering Ichigo, and where he was probably going.
He looked once again over his shoulder, catching Rukia's eye for a brief moment, before she raised her hand.
"Sensei, I need to use the lavatory, please," she said. Ochi-sensei rolled her eyes and gestured for her to go on. Rukia got up and left.
"Me, too," Chad said suddenly, and he followed Rukia. The students started complaining. Clearly Ochi-sensei didn't give a damn, and she allowed Chad, Rukia and Ichigo to go out without too many questions (or none at all, really). Ishida shook his head.
He knew Rukia and Chad were going after Ichigo, and that Ichigo was in a funk. He was actually surprised to see him at school. Judging from how he had been affected by Orihime's abduction, Ishida expected him to be either holed up in bed, or beating Urahara some more until he found out how to get to Hueco Mundo. The latter was more like it.
Then what is he doing here?
As much as he hated the idea, after swearing he wouldn't mingle with shinigami again, he knew he'd somehow end up involved, whether he had no choice or if he made the choice on his own. Orihime is my friend, too. And she's not a shinigami.
"Excuse me, sensei, I need to go out too," he said, approaching the teacher's desk. Ochi-sensei looked up from her notebook and gave him a questioning look.
"And why, exactly?" she asked.
There was no point in lying to her. In any case, she would say yes anyway, because that was just like her.
"I have something I need to ask Kurosaki," he replied.
---
"Ichigo, slow down! Where are you going?" Rukia called out, hurrying after Ichigo, Chad in tow. They knew Ichigo fairly well to predict he would storm out of class, but in his current state he would probably just wander around aimlessly. They needed to calm him down, or he would be impossible to deal with.
"Get back here! Where are you—"
"I DON'T KNOW!" Ichigo shouted, finally rounding and facing them, clearly distressed. They stopped in their tracks. Even Chad seemed intimidated.
"I don't know where I'm going! I don't care! I have to do something!" he added, and he started pacing. Rukia and Chad exchanged a look; they probably couldn't convince him to come back to school with them, and what would be the point of that anyway? But they had no idea what to say or do to get him to calm down.
"Ichigo," Chad began in his low, deep voice. "Calm down."
Rukia cocked an eyebrow. Yeah, like that's going to work, she thought. Surprisingly enough, it did. Ichigo stopped pacing, and stood in front of them. At least, it seemed like he would stop shouting.
"You told me to get up and get out of bed because nothing good would come out of lying around and being miserable," he started. "Well, I'm here and we're actually doing nothing! I can't do nothing! I can't just stay here!"
"Well, where do you intend to go?" Rukia asked.
"I don't know! I don't know what I'm supposed to do! I don't know where to go!" Ichigo sputtered, speaking very fast, and sat on the curb, putting his head on his hands. Rukia took a deep breath, hoping if she seemed calm then he'd be calm.
"Ichigo, I understand you're desperate, but you need to get a grip. I told you to be patient and we would find a solution. We have to wait for Soul Society to—"
"Wait?! I can't wait any longer!" Ichigo got up again and paced in front of her. Rukia rolled her eyes in exasperation. Chad looked on, serene as always.
"Do you know what will happen if we keep waiting? If we just sit here and do nothing?" Ichigo continued. "I'm never going to see her again," he said. It took him a moment to realize what he had said and how he had said it. The other two noticed, though.
"We'll never see her again," Ichigo added quickly.
"Does this mean you would do absolutely anything to get Inoue back?"
The trio turned at the new voice, and found Ishida approaching very slowly, as if he were making a suspenseful entrance. "Even going to Hueco Mundo to find her? Because that's what I imagined you'd be trying to do right now, instead of having this ridiculous argument," Ishida added once he was closer.
"Is there something important you'd like to say?" Rukia asked moodily, annoyed that he showed up uninvited, acting cocky and calling their argument "ridiculous".
Ishida shrugged. "I'm just saying it's not just anyone that would make the decision of going there. I'm not an expert in Hueco Mundo, but something tells me going there wouldn't be nearly as easy as going to Soul Society."
"But what would a Quincy know?" Rukia retorted.
Ishida ignored her and continued. "Stopping the shinigami from executing Kuchiki-san was one thing. But Aizen is certainly not going to give Inoue up. He wants something from her, he needs her, and he won't let her go until he gets it. How do you plan on getting her back?"
Ichigo took some time to think, sitting back down on the curb. "I don't know yet," he replied.
"How do you intend to fight anyone you might face in there? They're Arrancar and top level shinigami. And Hollows. Lots of Hollows."
"I—I don't know, I—"
"Do you realize there are about a thousand ways you could die before even getting there and finding Inoue?"
"I know that, but—"
Rukia looked horrified and shook her head. "Ichigo, you can't do this alone! You could die!"
Ichigo shook his head back at her, standing up again. "I don't care!"
"But you can't risk your life like that!"
"But I love—"
He stopped, suddenly aware of what he had been about to say. The others stared, aware of his words too, before he abruptly stopped. His face reflected the realization that had just hit him. This was the realization Urahara had hoped he would come to; how far he was willing to go to save Orihime, how much he was willing to risk. Because this was a battle where he would risk everything, and lose everything if he were to fail. So he needed to be sure. Right now, he finally was.
"I can't… leave her. I can't let her die," he said very slowly. "I love her."
There was a long silence, his own words sinking in. The others had already known, and it was about time he did too. Orihime had come to mean the world to him.
Rukia felt relieved. She was sure Ichigo had known how he truly felt all along. But he was too scared to face it. He had to come to terms with his feelings eventually, though. No matter how painful it was. She knew it pained him to feel this way about Orihime, knowing that she was in danger, not knowing how to save her.
Love is pain, she thought. But it's a good pain, a liberating kind of pain. She remembered having felt something a lot like love, at least once in her lifetime.
Rukia smiled. Ishida smiled. Chad lifted one hand and patted Ichigo's shoulder, as if congratulating him. Ichigo blinked several times, frozen for a long time, before taking off down the street, running as fast as he could.
The others, stunned at first, promptly snapped out of it and tried to catch up.
"Hey, wait! Where are we going?" Rukia asked breathlessly.
"Urahara Shouten!" Ichigo yelled over his shoulder, and kept running.
---
Tatsuki, who had been watching and listening in on the whole thing from behind a nearby tree, could barely believe her ears.
She had told Ochi-sensei she would look for them and bring them back. But she sensed something was off. She felt she needed to do something.
"I can't take this anymore," she said to herself. Without a glance around, she took a deep breath and ran away from the school.
---
"Maybe there was interference and the report didn't arrive."
"There was confirmation of the receipt. And even if they didn't get it, they'd know something by now. Yoruichi told us: there was a huge holdup due to the attack."
"But maybe… they don't know all the details."
Hitsugaya gave his vice-captain a skeptical look. If by "details" she meant Orihime's kidnapping by the Arrancar, then it was highly unlikely Soul Society wouldn't know about it. They supervised and monitored all supernatural activity on Earth. How would they miss that?
Still, he couldn't be absolutely sure of his own allegations, either. He spent the whole night vigilant in front of the screen, waiting for a message from Yamamoto, or anyone in Soul Society. But it never came. And now he was tired and cranky. And Matsumoto made him feel no better. The minute she woke up she started scolding him for not resting at all, knowing how much he needed it after the battle, and that Yamamoto would understand if he took a break for at least a few hours, since he had been working very hard and they'd had an awful night. Hitsugaya pretended to listen. His headache was bad enough without having to put up with her.
"Even if, by any remote chance, they didn't know," Hitsugaya began, emphasizing every word properly, "any Arrancar attack is enough for Soul Society to request an update from us. They sent us here for a reason. If they don't know what's going on, they should trust us to be able to inform them."
"Well then, what's taking so long?" Matsumoto asked, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently.
"The general commander is likely in a meeting making a decision on this," Hitsugaya replied, shaking his head. "Honestly, Matsumoto, you have no patience at all."
"And you have too much of it," she snapped. "How much longer is this going to take?" It was more of a rhetorical question. She began pacing, back and forth in front of him, the fabric of her black kimono rustling. "Do you know what will happen if we keep waiting like this, and do nothing in the meantime?"
Hitsugaya sighed, crossing his arms. "No, and neither do you."
"Exactly! But we can't stay here, staring at a screen with arms crossed, hoping Soul Society will have the answer to everything! Did it ever occur to you that they might not know what to do? Do you think they will? Because as much as I hate to admit it too, Urahara seems to know much more about this than anyone else."
Uncrossing his arms –slightly blushing as he did—, Hitsugaya eyed Matsumoto as if she had gone crazy. She couldn't possibly be suggesting that they disregard Soul Society and try something on their own, could she?
"Hitsugaya-taichou," she said very seriously, because she didn't usually call him that, and whenever she did, he knew she was being very serious indeed. "Clock's ticking. They now have what they wanted, they have Orihime-chan. Whatever it is they need her for, they already have her in their grasp. And if what Urahara said is true, it's only a matter of time before they come for the other hairpin. We need to be ready. We can't stand around waiting much longer."
"We don't have the resources. We need backup. We need to be better prepared before taking action," Hitsugaya said. "Only Soul Society can provide that to us."
"Then why did they send us here in the first place? Why did he send you?"
Hitsugaya opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out. Matsumoto sighed.
"You're captain. And not just any captain, but probably the best in the Gotei 13. You have better judgment than any of us put together; you have instinct. You didn't trust Gin from the start, and you were right not to. You knew something was off all along, but no one listened. I was too blind because he was my friend."
She placed a hand on his shoulder. "When we're all going mad, you alone seem to know what to do, at least most of the time. Don't you trust your instinct this time too? Wouldn't you say you know what needs to be done now?"
Hitsugaya didn't say anything. Even after letting it sink in, he still couldn't speak, for fear of doubting his own words. Matsumoto dropped her hand to her side.
"I don't think Ichigo will want to wait either," she continued. "In any case, people will soon notice Orihime-chan is missing, and they'll want to know where she is."
There was a knock on the door just then. Matsumoto and Hitsugaya turned simultaneously toward it, looking intently at it.
"Exhibit A," Matsumoto whispered with a nod toward the door.
"Obviously, we're not here," he whispered back, gesturing her to be silent with a finger to his lips. In any case, neither one was wearing a gigai, so unless it was someone with high spiritual pressure, they wouldn't be seen or heard. But it was a rather strong human reiatsu standing just outside. Hitsugaya thought briefly it could be Ichigo, Chad or Ishida, but they should know no one else besides himself or Matsumoto would be in the flat. Besides, this reiatsu did not belong to any of them; although Hitsugaya could swear he had felt it before.
"Who do you think it is?" Matsumoto asked.
Hitsugaya thought for a moment. Yes, he remembered whose reiatsu that was. Before he could say it, though, they heard the distinctive sound of a key sliding into a lock and turning, and they turned in time to see the doorknob turning slowly, and froze.
Arisawa Tatsuki, Orihime's best friend, the girl with spiky black hair who appeared in quite a lot of pictures around Orihime's flat, poked her head in and looked around. For a moment, Hitsugaya was sure she hadn't seen them, or rather couldn't see them; but then her eyes met his, and they stared at each other blankly.
They stayed like this for the longest time, as if neither one could believe their eyes. Matsumoto looked from one to the other in utter disbelief, and the silence bore into their ears as no one moved, as if afraid to disturb the stillness in the room.
Finally, Hitsugaya felt the need to speak, more to end the awkward moment than to prove if he was right and she could really see him. He cleared his throat. "Inoue is… not here," he said very slowly, tentatively. "She's… um…"
He looked at Matsumoto, who seemed to be trying to keep as still as she could, maybe hoping that Tatsuki still wouldn't see her, but what was the point anyway?
"Er, you're Arisawa Tatsuki, right? Inoue-san's friend?" he asked.
Tatsuki quietly entered and closed the door, and she continued to look around the living room, as if making absolutely sure there was no one else there. Hitsugaya frowned curiously. "You already know she's not here, don't you?"
Once again, Tatsuki seemed to ignore him, or maybe she was ignoring his question. Which made Hitsugaya wonder if she could really see him after all, or had she been looking at him by mere coincidence and she was really seeing through him?
"You can see us?" he asked. This time, she really looked straight at him.
"Of course I can see you! Both of you! You go to my school, or at least pretend to go, but you look too old to be a high school student," and she pointed at Matsumoto, "and you look too young to be in my class," she added, pointing this time at Hitsugaya. "I know neither one of you is who you claim to be, though no one seems to give a damn about that. Still, I haven't got a clue who you are, what you are, why you dress in black kimono and carry swords, what the bloody hell you are doing in Orihime's flat, or why I am not supposed to be able to see you. But that doesn't matter right now."
"How did you get in if we didn't buzz you up?" Matsumoto asked. Hitsugaya gave her a strange look. That's what she was concerned about right now?
Tatsuki gave her a very similar look. "That doesn't matter right now either. But if you must know, Orihime is my best friend, and she lives alone, so logically, she gave me a key into her building and another one to her flat. It's so I can get inside in case of an emergency, which, by the way, is what I came to do last night, when she wouldn't answer her phone all night. I came around midnight, and she was gone, and her door was wide open. And I find Ichigo and Kuchiki and that red-haired guy standing around in the rain, also wearing black kimono and carrying swords, and they're all talking about Orihime, and I just know something bad happened to her. Am I right?"
Both shinigami were too stunned to speak. It was surprising to see how much she knew, and how cool she reacted too, especially realizing that she could see them when most people probably couldn't. She was relieved to confirm she wasn't having hallucinations of people in black kimono and swords, but maybe it would have been better after all if she hadn't, if she still thought it was all in her head.
"I know strange things have been happening lately," she continued after taking a deep breath. "I feel like I'm one of the few who notices. And I know it has something to do with you, or you're involved in some way. And Ichigo and Kuchiki-san seem to be involved in a way I can't even imagine. And I haven't asked or done anything before because I'm not the type of person who meddles in other people's business. But right now, my friend is missing, and for some reason you two are living in her flat, and running around in strange black kimono, and weird creatures are showing up all over town, and my friend is still missing. So now I think it's finally appropriate for me to ask what the hell is going on."
She looked at each in turn, eyes pleading. "I don't care how strange you may think it could sound to me, I want the truth. I want you to tell me what's happening, what you're doing here, and most importantly, where is Orihime?"
There was a long pause; Hitsugaya and Matsumoto exchanged a long look, trying to decide what to do. Tatsuki waited silently as they weighted the situation.
"She has a right to know," Matsumoto said very quietly.
"Matsumoto…" Hitsugaya began with a groan.
"She's her best friend. She knows what's going on, or at least part of it. Maybe she doesn't need to know everything, maybe she can't help at all, but we can't deny her the right to know what happened to her friend," Matsumoto argued, so firmly that Hitsugaya doubted he could say anything to change her mind. There would be no point; he knew she was right. He gave a deep sigh.
"Alright," he said, slowly and carefully, and looked at Tatsuki. "I guess it's only fair."
Matsumoto smiled reassuringly. She grabbed Tatsuki by the arm and led her to the couch, which they placed in front of the screen like one would place a couch in front of the telly. Except this wasn't a regular telly. Tatsuki seemed to take notice of it for the first time and stared at it curiously, at how big and strange it was.
"Take a seat, Arisawa-san. This may take a while, but we'll explain as best as we can," Matsumoto said.
Just then, the faint noise of the static from the screen was silenced. Hitsugaya turned, as Yamamoto's weathered face came onscreen, the faulty signal giving off glitches to the live feed. But they could see him and hear him clearly enough, and they guessed he could see them and hear them very clearly too. Including Tatsuki.
"Okay, actually we'll all take a seat, I guess. This may take longer than I thought," Matsumoto said, nervously sitting next to Tatsuki. Hitsugaya remained standing.
"Hitsugaya-taichou, Matsumoto-fukutaichou," Yamamoto saluted.
"General Commander," Hitsugaya and Matsumoto politely greeted him in unison. Tatsuki watched in awe.
"Your emergency report was received and reviewed," Yamamoto proceeded, "and a meeting has taken place among the captains present in Soul Society to analyze the situation and make a decision on what is to be done. What we must do."
---
"Kurosaki-san! Back so soon?"
Ichigo crossed the little shop, followed closely by Rukia, Chad and Ishida, and stood in front of Urahara, who eyed him with an air of curiosity and amusement. It's as if he knew already what Ichigo was going to say.
"I'm ready," Ichigo said.
Urahara blinked in surprise. "Ready?" he repeated.
"I'll do anything."
Tessai, Ururu and Jinta came up beside their employer, while Ishida, Rukia and Chad stood squarely with Ichigo. There was still a lot of tension in the air. But now was not the time. Nobody said anything, only watched the interaction between the two men.
"Anything?" Urahara said, once again repeating what Ichigo said. That clearly made Ichigo angry.
"She was captured because I couldn't do anything!" he yelled. "The Arrancar would have killed me if she hadn't agreed to go with him to Hueco Mundo. Her bargain was to let me live. She saved my life at the expense of her own. Now I have to save her."
Urahara nodded very slowly, as if weighing Ichigo's words. "And you'll do… anything?" he asked very emphatically.
Ichigo nodded too. "Anything."
"What's going on?"
Everyone turned to see Renji come in, wearing his shihakushou, carrying his mobile in his hand. He probably had been calling Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, or Rukia.
Rukia managed not to blush as he came to stand next to her. "Urahara is going to help us save Inoue," she said softly.
"Good," he said with a nod. Rukia was relieved; at least everyone agreed that Urahara was the only one who could help them, in spite of what he had done.
Urahara shook his head. "I'm not so sure."
"What?"
"Sometimes doing anything and going to any lengths, for love, is not the best thing to do. Love can blind reason," he said. But before anyone could utter any angry replies, he stood up and grinned. "Lucky for you, I'm still in full reason. And I have everything perfectly calculated."
"I'm sure you do," Ichigo said.
"Well, now that we've cleared up some doubts, I guess it's time to figure out what we will do," Urahara continued. "If it's necessary to go to Hueco Mundo, then we must be prepared, because that's the hardest part yet."
"How would you know? Have you ever been to Hueco Mundo?" Ishida asked.
"I cannot enter. I am a shinigami. I do not possess the qualities to be able to cross to that dimension," Urahara replied. "For one thing, only Hollows, or those with Hollow reiatsu should be able to enter, without being harmed by the negacion."
"What about Aizen and Ichimaru and Tousen? They aren't Hollows," Renji pointed out.
"They had a pact with the Menos and made an arrangement. That's how they got there. But besides that, only those with Hollow powers can cross harmlessly."
"Then I should be able to go in," Ichigo announced. Everyone stopped and stared. They stared until they made him uncomfortable and he had to ask.
"What?"
Rukia frowned. "Are you saying that you have… Hollow reiatsu?"
Ichigo shrugged. "How do you think I regained my shinigami powers after you were taken back to Soul Society?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Ishida asked, puzzled.
"It was part of Urahara's training. While you were off shooting pretty neon-blue arrows, I nearly turned into a Hollow. I had to die to get my powers back. Although a part of it has always been inside of me since."
There was a long silence. Ichigo felt uncomfortable again. "What?"
"What do you mean 'what'? Why didn't you ever tell us?" Renji demanded loudly.
"Well, I was training with Vizards, wasn't I? What more clues do you need?"
"Training with what?" Chad asked.
"I don't even know what you're saying!" Rukia shouted.
"You mean you can actually go into Hueco Mundo?" Ishida asked, stunned.
"When were you planning on telling us?" Renji yelled.
"Training with what?" Chad asked again.
"I can't believe you could actually go into Hueco Mundo," Ishida said, staring in awe at his friend.
"But how? It's not like the sky would open up for him and swallow him up, now would it?" Renji said.
"That's why this is so important," Urahara said, pulling out the flower-shaped hairpin. The others were awed, as if seeing it for the first time. Ichigo's face fell at the sight of it. Renji pointed a frightful finger at it. "You mean…"
"The Arrancar will come for it. And when they do, we will be ready," Urahara said in an eerily deep voice. "When they come, we will be waiting."
They all looked at one another. Urahara walked to the back of the store, and they followed him, wondering what else he had up his sleeve.
"Hold on," Ishida said. "You are implying that we fight Arrancar and then follow them to Hueco Mundo. I mean, you're actually implying that."
Urahara nodded. "Exactly."
"Does that even make sense? What makes you think it's going to work?" Ishida asked.
"Yeah, what makes you think they won't be ready for us too?" Rukia demanded.
Renji shook his head. "How are we even supposed to do that if only one of us can go to Hueco Mundo?"
"I don't care! I'm going to save her!" Ichigo shouted, causing everyone to jump. "I'm going there and I'm bringing her back. Even if I have to do it on my own."
Urahara chuckled. "I thought you would," he said.
"Which is why I already arranged for assistance." And he bent down to pull at a large brass handle, opening a trap door on the floor, the entrance to his large, underground training area. "I'm sure it will be greatly appreciated. It was going to come to it, anyway. Eventually."
Ichigo was confused, but as he looked down, inside the underground area, he understood. Gathered at the bottom was a group of people, or they looked like regular people. But Ichigo knew they were anything but regular. They were Ushouda Hachigen, Yadoumaru Riza, Ravu, Rozu, Mashiro, Mugurama Kensei, Sarugaki Hiyori and of course, Hirako Shinji.
"Hirako!" Ichigo exclaimed, half-shocked and half-annoyed. The others looked curiously at each in turn.
"I've seen this guy before, haven't I?" Ishida said, referring to Hirako.
"Me too," Chad said.
"Who are they, Ichigo?" Rukia asked, nonplussed.
He continued to stare for a moment before talking. "Vizards," he replied, realizing all at once what Urahara was planning.
"Hey, baldy's here! Are you ready?" Hiyori announced, and all the Vizards turned to look at the newcomers.
Hirako looked up and grinned. "Brace yourself, Ichigo-kun," he said. "This time, we're not holding back at all. We need to work hard and we need to do it fast."
---
Ha! I more than made up for the long wait, didn't I? This chapter is long enough to last me a lifetime. I don't ever want to do that again. But it was necessary.
Yay! Now I can go read the last chapter, 238, which I have been dying to read all week. It's killing me, really. I hope it's good. And this week's, too.
I guess you can pretty much tell already where I am headed with this. I brought in the Vizards! I waited so long to do that. Next chapter is going to have more action. And drama, lots of drama. And fighting. Plenty of fighting. And we might take a trip to Hueco Mundo at last. I don't know, we'll see. (I'm kidding. I do know, but you don't, so you'll see).
It's bloody late, and I'm tired. I have to wake up really soon. Not really a good time to do proof-reading, so forgive any major spelling or grammar mistakes. I'm tired and my mind is wired and I should be sleeping.
Good night, good morning, good afternoon, and see you again soon. Have a nice one.
-Nariko the Seer a.k.a Deathberry15
