Fragments of little memories, life is fragile but can be so beautiful. As the wind blows softly so does time move fast. As fire and water kiss so does it consume….
Ichigo's Dream World (Echoes of the Mind)
"Oh Ichigo, I love you baby boy." A soft as downy feathers, a voice of a mother calls out to her baby boy.
"I love you too Momma!" He says back, voice as bright as summer sun rays.
The same little boy is shown staring blankly into a mirror as several others float about surrounding him from all angles and the mirrors crack slightly.
"Oh Ichigo, look it's your new baby sister's… you'll take good care and protect them right?" Her voice, so sweet and gentle, rushes like a sweet echo through the boys memories.
"Yes Momma, I will! Wow, Momma they're so pretty just like you!" Misaki giggles softly at her son while eye smiling gently and caressing Ichigo's hair at the back of his head with utmost care.
"Hi Karin, Yuzu, I'm your big brother Ichigo. I'll always keep you safe." Ichigo's small voice says with a hard resolve of true passion to keep them safe from any and all harm.
"Haha, that's my boy!" Isshin says a goofy grin stretching across his face as he ruffles the orange hair on top the boys head. Ichigo puts his hands up to his father's larger hand and grins just as wide with his eyes closed. "Love you dad!" He says voice full of happiness. "I love you too son, I love you all." Masaki smiles when Yuzu makes a face and Karin almost starts to cry but Ichigo puts a finger in each of their tiny palms and they instantly calm.
"My Ichi." Masaki says, hand now running through Ichigo's hair in a soft caress, her voice full of pure love as it echoes through Ichigo's mind.
The boy inside the mirror's starts to shed tears down his cheeks and the mirrors crack even more this time as if fists were shooting out and crashing into them, glass spewing out but the boy stays still unmoving and expression unchanging.
"They're my perfect little balls of sunshine, just like you're my beacon in the night. All of you are so precious to me, I'll protect you with my life."
"Nuh… mother?" Ichigo mumbled in his sleep before turning over.
The mirror begin to shatter and bloody cuts mar the little boy's face as he starts to cry harder expression one of pure agony but still he does not run.
"Momma? Momma, please get up! Mommy?! Please, please don't die." The little boy begs, eyes full of unshed tears. Blood covering mostly his entire body. He had been wounded as well as his mother but her wounds were fatal his were only shyly debilitating.
"Don't worry, I'll be with you always dear." Her voice echoes her hand touching the little boy's soft cheek. Memories switching rapidly, tossing and turning with cold sweat beading up on the teen boy's forehead and the mirrors burst and the little boy screams before the world he's in envelopes him in darkness.
"Wake up, Ichi. Or you'll be late!" A far away voice shouts, stirring the teen boy from his dreams ever so slightly but not fully. Knowing it was Karin and she wouldn't be as bad as her father when waking him…
He thought too soon...
Alarm Clock Sounding
"GOOD MORNING!!!!! Iiii-CHI-GOOOO!! Wake up it's time for school!" Ichigo rolls out of the way just in time to kick his father in the stomach and send him hurtling almost through the wall before sitting up and groaning then stretching widely with a deep yawn.
"Shut up old man, I was already awake and enjoying the silence until you ruined it!" He says face deadpanned as he stands and stretches again before leaving his father in a heap on the floor of his room. "...get up, you're embarrassing." He says and ignores his father's whining, grabs one of his sets clean uniforms and goes to shower and change before rushing down to his younger sister's. One cooking and the other reading a book.
"Good morning big brother." A small voice says ever cheerfully.
"Morning Yuzu, what smells so good?" Ichigo asks his sister that was cooking. Her dirty ash blonde hair contrasting to that of her twin sister, Karin's, jet black hair.
"Oh, I was cooking Tamagoyaki and Okayu!" [Rolled Omelet's and Rice Porridge]. She replies eye smiling and hands together as if in prayer.
"Sounds great." He says as she sets it down in front of him. "Thanks Yuzu." He says. Karin was already eating her rice porridge and as expected, Ichigo, with his eyes closed and an irritated expression etched across his face, had to shove his fist into his dad's face as he came for yet another attack. "Sit down and eat old man! Don't mess up your own daughter's cooking!" He shouts at the downed man who was whining about his children hating him.
"You brought it on yourself, if you'd actually act like a normal father and stopped your childish attacks you wouldn't feel so bummed. Now get up off the floor and eat… The food's going to get cold." Karin says sounding bored of her big brother and father's usual morning fight routine. To be honest it was amusing but she wouldn't tell them that. Normally she'd ignore or tell Yuzu to not bother with them and let them continue their boisterous shenanigans but man was their old man getting on her last nerve this morning.
Isshin stands and drapes himself across a picture of their late mother and his late wife, "Dear Masaki! Look how your children treat me! They're so mean and hate me!" He whines.
Ichigo becomes agitated and looks over at his father, "Stop rubbing up all over that memorial picture of mom, that's just weird, damnit!" He shouts and then quickly finishes his breakfast and stands. Putting away his plate in the sink he sighs and bends down to hug his sisters one by one, "I've gotta go you two, knock the old goat face out if he annoys you before you get off to school yourselves alright?" He says smiling a soft and sweet genuine smile. "...I should be home by seven, don't kill any patients today goat face!" He calls out in a joking manner behind him as he leaves out the front door and walks towards the school. Today was the day before his mother's death… he'd smile today, because today would be the last day he'd see his friends before summer break then they wouldn't see each other until after that which was quite a while. It was okay though, he had his sister's to take care of and they would all be going with their father to his mother's grave tomorrow. He wondered why he smiled, maybe it was so nobody would think he wasn't okay. Even though he knew his family knew when he smiled, he definitely wasn't okay.
Time SkipKarakura HighKarakura Town
Ichigo had his bag flung up over his shoulder and was walking with his head tilted down slightly with his eyes closed in deep thought until he heard someone shouting his name behind him, "Good morning Ichigo!" Tatsuki shouted pulling an orange haired girl along behind her. He had talked with the orange haired girl a few times but only brief hellos. He smiled a bright yet fake smile, "Good morning Tatsuki… Uh, it's Inoue Orihime, right?" He asks the other girl.
"Oh, yes… good morning Kurosaki-kun." Orihime stutters while bowing two fast bows at the waist. Ichigo blinked a couple times and then chuckled, "Did you just... laugh?" Chad asks voice deep and low as he walked up beside Ichigo from the school entrance.
"Oh, hey Chad. Nice of you to join us. We were just going inside, how's everything this morning?" Ichigo asks faking happiness. Tatsuki frowns then perks up, 'I was afraid this would happen. Tomorrow is the day Ichigo's mother was killed… Poor Ichi, he's trying really hard to hide it but I can tell he's being fake right now. He usually never smiles and he's usually always in a bad mood.' Tatsuki thinks as they turn and head into the school and towards their class. They all shared the same home room and so they didn't break off into separate ways as they went towards their classroom.
Later On - Same Day
The last bell of the day tolled, Ichigo shut his copy of Hamlet and sighed before standing up and handing in the book and his last test of the day. It was amusing, Kiego was all worried about failing but Ichigo wasn't worried. "Like the teachers all always say Kiego, study if you want to succeed." He says then walks away from a screaming Kiego with Chad following. "Hey Chad, you want to come over for dinner tonight? Yuzu might be making homemade Curry and she's pretty good at it." Ichigo offers.
"I've gotta be home early tonight or I'd say yes, I'll see you tomorrow if you want to hang out then?" Chad says voice deep but his words he'd spoken had been soft.
Ichigo smiles another fake smile, "Sure, sounds like fun. See yuh." He says waves and starts walking towards home. On his way he had to beat up a few skateboarding idiot's who had knocked over a child spirits flower vase put up at the site where he'd died. He had told the spirit it wasn't good to stick around and to hurry up and move on after he had apologized for the desecration of the soul's pretty flowers as he picked it up and rearranged the vase and flowers before leaving. Annoyed when the soul of a man in business attire with a briefcase followed him all the way home begging for his help. Ichigo was trying really hard to ignore the ghost when his dad flew out of nowhere and kicked him in the side of the face making him somersault into the wall. "What the hell was that for old man!" Ichigo shouts and they start to fight one another. "It's almost an hour and a half past your 7:30 curfew, Ichigo! You know supper is at 7:30! Isn't your family important to you?" His father makes a fuss. Ichigo wins while yelling at his father about teenagers shouldn't have to be home at or before 7:30 pm every night, the ghost warily follows Ichigo who was now heading into the kitchen.
"Ichigo, you brought another one home again." Karin says not bothering to look up at this point while doing her school work she'd been given to complete before the start up after break. Yuzu had already finished hers at school and was smiling while chuckling because she could see only the thin outline of the ghost Karin was talking about but too ignored it in favor of finishing up cooking for her family. Ichigo sighs and turns to the ghost, "I already told you I can't help. I see ghosts yes but I'm no God! Why don't you try going to the light or something?" Ichigo says sternly but the ghost starts rambling on and on so Ichigo tries his best to ignore him.
"You know Ichigo, if you just ignored them they'd go away. That's what I do and they leave me alone just fine." Karin says rolling her pencil about between her fingers.
"I try to ignore them, you make it look easier than it really is." Ichigo defends himself. Karin rolls her eyes, "Whatever you say big brother."
Karakura Down Town Area
"Awwwggghhhhh!" The loud howl of a gigantic hollow masked monster was heard.
"Help!" The little ghost boy Ichigo had helped earlier was now running and the monster was giving chase while damaging things in its path through the downtown area. The ghost was crying and running for his life down the left side sidewalk just as the scary monster stopped and sniffed the air before it suddenly changed course heading for the large amounts of reiryoku it was now locked on to that matched the scent that was coming off the ghost but in larger more uncontrolled waves of it.
"Are you okay? That monster was chasing you wasn't it?" A short black haired female shinigami asks appearing beside the small ghost that was trembling and now on the ground from being in such shock.
He trembles and the girl takes out a sword, "My name is Rukia Kuchiki, I'm here to take you to a better place. A place where you won't have to worry about monsters or anything scary. It's a wonderful place, it's called the Soul Society but some call it heaven, you'll face no hunger there and you'll meet new friends there as well." She smiles gently and the boy stands with her help. "You promise?" He asks and she nods happily, "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it young soul." She says and presses the butt of her sword to his forehead performing a konso. Light emits and the soul smiles and thanks her calmly before vanishing. Rukia looks up, eyes now harsh again… "I've got to find that hollow before it does any more damage to the world of the living." She says to herself then vanishes using shunpo.
Kurosaki HouseholdHalf Hour Passes
Ichigo helped Yuzu wash dishes and then went upstairs after telling them goodnight. He pulled out a book from his night stand, the playwrights of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. He was a huge fan of W. Shakespeare and thus read most of the famous play writers works. He loved them all no matter what the work was about, if it were happiness or tragedy, you name it. If it was by William Shakespeare, Ichigo had a copy. He'd finished Hamlet twice already and Julius Caesar and Othello were probably his favorites along with Macbeth, The Tempest, Midsummer Night's Dream and the Merchant of Venice. Though he leaned more towards tragedy and comedy and very little towards the history playwrights such as Henry the IV and King John he simply loved them all. Ichigo eventually grew tired and put the book on his desk before turning off the light, laying down in bed only to be rudely interrupted by Rukia going right through his closed window as if she hadn't any actual flesh and bone and walked around his room as if she thought she were invincible.
Ichigo wakes with a start at seeing her looking like a miniature death god all in black and white with a katana at her side. He glares and asks who she is but she simply ignores him thinking he wasn't speaking to her, "It has to be here somewhere." She mumbles only to be kicked into the farthest side of the room's wall.
"Hey!" Rukia shouts, coughing then sitting up with a surprised look on her face. "Answer me damn it! I asked who in the hell you are and why you're in my room at this late at night when I don't even know you!" Ichigo shouts. Rukia blinks then looks at Ichigo dumbfoundedly, "Wait, you can see me?" She asks sounding awestruck.
"Of course I can see you! Who the hell else is there around here besides you and me, you weirdo!" Ichigo shouts then looks at Rukia with wide eyes when she starts chanting.
"Bakudo #1: Sai!" Rukia shouts and suddenly his arms are chained tightly bound behind his back, a smug look appears on Rukia's face.
"What the hell did you just do to me?" Ichigo shouts attempting to get out of the restraints but fails. Rukia giggles, "I put you in what they call a restraint so you wouldn't interfere with my investigation." She says amused. "Don't even try, you won't be able to break those without high reiatsu...it's a mute point." She says.
"Damn it, answer me! Why are you in my room in the middle of the evening?" He says through barred teeth. "Shush, I'm trying to listen for it." She says expression serious.
"Listen for what?" Ichigo asks eyes widening as he strains to hear what she is trying to.
Rukia turns back to him, "I shouldn't be telling you any of this, humans don't usually see us at all much less the monsters we kill. I'm a shinigami and you need to be quiet! I'm listening for the roar of a hollow and I tracked him to this location but I can't seem to hear him or detect him anym-" Just as she was about to finish telling him he hears a loud wailing noise. "You mean you can't hear that? Open your damn ears and listen it's really close!" He shouts. Just as a blast occurs Rukia hears the howling and gasps looking up as a little girl runs into Ichigo's room from the stairwells. "Big brother, there's a big monster and it hurt dad and has Karin! I… please save them…" Yuzu begs before passing out. "Stay here." Rukia says.
"To hell with staying here, he's got my sister! Yuzu, can you hear me? Are you hurt?" Ichigo shouts using his knees to go over to the little girl just as a blast shatters his window to his bedroom and the howling of the hollow intensifies. Ichigo looks up just as the Hollow passes by the window and starts to speak. "Your soul is what I want, you who has such high spiritual pressure. You will indeed taste good, human." He shouts and reaches in.
Ichigo attempts to move but fails when he forgets the bindings and falls to his face before being dragged out of the room by his lower half of his body. "Yuzu, Karin, dad!" He shouts seeing Rukia trying to protect Yuzu from falling debris while Karin is being held in the monsters other hand and his father is on the ground unconscious and bleeding out. "Dad, get up! You have to help me save…" He was about to say help him save Yuzu and Karin when a heavy force was slammed down on his body as the Hollow attempted to crush him. "Hado #33: Sokatsui!" Ichigo hears the familiar voice of the girl as a blue blast rockets into the monster's arm and easily severs it. Rukia grabs Karin and sets her beside her father, both unconscious yet still alive. Rukia's eyes widen when the Hollow shoves the orange haired teen into his mouth and crushes the binding kido along with Ichigo's Soul with it but he hasn't killed him yet as he chomps down again and this time blood from crushed organs and ripped flesh splatters from its mouth. Ichigo goes silent and Rukia remembers how she'd let Kaien a man who looked identical to Ichigo, die as well. She angrily chops at the monster and frees Ichigo when it howls out in pain then sets him down. The hollow the bites in to her then bats her across the shoulder, sending her flying. She glares at it and with nobody in the way, releases her Shikai and splits the hollow named fishbone d into two sending it onward.
Rukia falls to her knees and holds her bloody shoulder then gasps and rushes to the family behind her. The girls were fine and so was the older male so she used a simple kido spell on them to heal their wounds and then made them forget what had happened but she had to pick up Ichigo and take him to the only man she knew that may be able to help him, Kisuke Urahara. Ichigo was floating in darkness, nothing but silence and pain then numbness and a bright light before him.
"Will he be okay?" Rukia asks Urahara, an old yet still young looking mad scientist shinigami who'd been exiled from Soul Society but still had his means and ways. He owned a little shoten candy shop in Karakura that soul reapers also came too for equipment and help while in need within the many places of the world of the living.
"I don't think we can save him Rukia, he's far beyond help now. That binding kido was forcefully ripped off by a hollow and that tore his soul up, not to mention he was chomped down on several times and his organs were crushed under the weight of the hollows bite and mask. The boy simply can't take all that, after all he's just a human. Even now he's trembling from the pain and his respirations are way too shallow and way too high in number." Urahara says.
"You mean you're just going to let him die!" Rukia shouts but indeed she could hear his wet sounding intakes and outtakes of breath. She could hear the death rattle and the sound of blood that was in his damaged lungs. Every now and then he sounded like he was in severe pain when he tried to get away from it all in his unconscious human body. Rukia held onto Ichigo's larger hand and let tears roll out, "He's only a teenager, Urahara! He's just a boy that hasn't lived his life at all! What if he's Kaien's reincarnation! You can't just let him die, no! Not a second time!" She shouted eyes and face soaked in overrunning tears.
Ichigo opened his dual eyes, no real signs of life flowing through them. "It hurts." He whispers then gasps and let's out several severe wet and bloody coughs. The only thing Ichigo had really heard or understood from their conversation was when Rukia was shouting the name, Urahara before he faded back into unconsciousness.
Urahara puts his bucket hat down so it was shadowing his eyes and covers the lower half of face with his infamous fan, "You should take him back to his family. There's simply nothing I can do for this kid, we were too late. I suppose you'll have to report the death of a human while you were in his presence to the Head Captain… go on now, I'll take him back to his family for you. You have lived through enough torment."
Rukia looks at Urahara with horrified eyes, "You know this boys family?" She asks.
Urahara nods his head and picks Ichigo up, "The boys mother died ten years ago today. His father is actually someone I've known for a very long time but I'm not going to get into specifics. The man loves his family and this is going to be a big blow to his heart. Don't worry Rukia, I'll handle the family… you handle the crazy soul reapers that fret upon their every move and law." Kisuke tells her smiling a small smile at his jive towards Soul Society. Rukia nods still crying and enters a senkaimon with her hell butterfly and heads towards Soul Society while Urahara takes Ichigo towards the Kurosaki Home and Clinic.
Soul Society
Rukia made it through to the Sierietie, she rushed through the walkways and passed building after building until she made it to where she knew her Captain would be located. She sat down in front of his door to the Ugendo and knocked still spilling tears, "Rukia Kuchiki reporting… In, Ca-Captain." She says voice sluggish.
"Yes Lieutenant, you may open the door." Ukitake says but Rukia accidentally let out a sad burst of air before finally opening the sliding somewhat clear yet clouded door. Ukitake sat up while coughing then looked at Rukia, his eyes widening when he saw her face full of tears. "What ever is the matter Kuchiki? Why are you in such a state, please explain." He asks weakly.
Rukia wipes at her face, "I killed him…" She says voice soft.
Ukitake sits up even further then sits up onto his knees, "You killed who Rukia? If you don't make your words clearer I cannot help you. I need a full explanation." He says hands now on her shoulders.
She cringes, her shoulder still sore from the wound the hollow had caused. Ukitake notes this and reaches for her shihakusho and moves it aside. "A hollow?" Ukitake asks examining the bite marks that looked like they'd been half healed with crude kido. Captain Ukitake squinted, 'If I didn't know any better, I'd say this is the work of Urahara.' Ukitake thinks but doesn't say it out loud. Rukia covers her exposed shoulder and nods, "Kaien…" She says tears spilling out of her eyes again.
"What are you saying Rukia, Kaien is long dead. It's been a frightening 49 years now! Snap out of it, what happened Lieutenant!" Ukitake says voice going up a few octaves.
Rukia starts trembling, "The human boy I killed looked identical to Kaien-dono! He was crushed by a hollow because I wasn't fast enough to save all of his family plus him! I restrained him but that wasn't enough, he tried to protect his little sister and was crushed bite by bite… he was murdered right before my eyes and there was nothing I could do about it!" She shouted and Ukitake pulled her in close, holding her distraught form to his own emaciated one as his eyes widened in horror. 'A human that looks identical to my former lieutenant? Could it have been that Kaien had been reincarnated and killed way too early in his new life as a human just as when he was a soul reaper?' Ukitake thinks then puts a hand to the back of Rukia's head, "It wasn't your fault, what of the hollow?" He asks letting her move away and seat herself yet again on her knees before him.
"I sent it off, it is no longer." She reports head bowed in despair.
"I will discuss this matter with the other Captain's at today's Captain's meeting, until then please go home and file your report on this incident and the interception of the Hollow Fishbone D." Ukitake replies. Rukia bows forward a bit then gives her goodbye before closing the Ugendo's door and standing to rush off towards the Kuchiki Manor. Ukitake listened for her footsteps to disappear and then stood to make his way to the meeting hall.
Captain's Meeting Hall
All Captains stood in two lines on opposite sides of the hall, when the Head Captain walked in and stood at the helm, they all looked up as he slammed his cane against the floor for their undivided attention. "The meeting has commenced, I need status reports from all Captains today." Head Captain Genryusai Yamamoto says sternly eyes squinted nearly completely shut and hands resting on top of one another on the head of his cane.
"Sir, the fourth division has a very good outlook this week. We've been able to keep casualties at a bare minimum. Only five of two hundred severe cases have been untreatable." Unohana states.
"What is the status of the ones out in the field?" The Head Captain asks voice less aggressive with said good news.
"The department of research and development has been having good luck in all experiments besides one this week. It seems that the reishi convergence device we've been working on isn't quite ready yet but several of our planned works have been very well successful." Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi says.
"Reishi Convergence Device? What is that supposed to be used for?" Captain Kyoraku asks eyes slightly wider in wonder.
"It's none of your business Shunsui!" Mayuri snaps.
"No need to be so violent Captain Kurotsuchi, I'm sure everyone is quite intrigued by such a device." Ukitake says.
Toshiro explained that his team had intercepted all the hollows and Menos Grande they'd encountered with only a few injured bodies. Aizen wasn't very happy to hear that, he'd wanted a diversion and in creating one he still hadn't gotten anywhere in his tests. He thought more would die than there were and that made him wonder, was Gin and Tousen really doing their damned jobs correctly?! He'd sent out several hollows and all of them dead and only five deaths out of two hundred shinigami?! Aizen was scowling and Gin was smiling ear to ear like the weirdo he was. Tousen was quiet and observing, listening and annoyed that the hollows weren't working as sufficiently as they were supposed to have been.
"Captain Ukitake, you have yet to give your report. Tell me, what are you not letting on?" Yamamoto asks and all turn towards him. Ukitake looks at a few of the Captain's, watching Captain Sajin Komamura in his usual headgear turn his way as well. "Oh I, I didn't know I hadn't…" He looks at the Head Captain then looks down in defeat. "What is it Ukitake?" Yamamoto asks sternly.
"Is there something the matter Jushiro?" Shunsui asks. Ukitake looks up and takes in a deep breath, "My Lieutenant was attacked and injured by a hollow in Karakura Town. Along with a family of humans with high spiritual pressure present being injured as well. The hollow was most likely attracted to the high spiritual pressure which lead him to chase after them. Kuchiki reported the Hollow severely injured the three with less reiryoku and attempted to eat and murder the ome it had honed in on. Kuchiki states that the human will most likely not survive but at the moment is still clinging to his life force." Ukitake stops talking then and turns his head away.
"What is it Jushiro, I know when you do that that means there's something you're not telling us." Shunsui says shifting his now squinted eyes. Jushiro looks up and sighs, "He is similar to that of Kaien Shiba." He mumbles.
"Speak up, speak up! Nobody can hear you when you mumble like that old man!" Mayuri shouts.
Ukitake looks up, "He is similar to that of Kaien Shiba." He says louder his voice sticking in his throat. Yamamoto cracks one eye open at the mention of that name. "What do you mean Captain Ukitake, speak more clearly with your words!" Yama says voice clear and steady.
"Lieutenant Kuchiki has reported that this human was nearly identical to that of former Lieutenant Kaien Shiba, so similar that the only features that kept her from believing he was resurrected was that he had a different color hair and eyes. This leads me to believe that the boy could possibly either be related to him or be his reincarnation." Ukitake says.
"Impossible." Shunsui says flabbergasted, eyes even more open than before, if that were possible.
"We must get this boy's body for experimentation, he could be the key to future knowle-." Mayuri responds intrigued.
"Silence!" Yamamoto's voice echoes throughout the meeting hall. "There will be no such studies, humans can't be passed through a senkaimon to begin with and you will Not use defenseless beings, that is a crime in and of itself Captain Kurotsuchi. If that is all this meeting is adjourned, you are all dismissed back to what you were doing before all of this."
Jushiro turned and started walking out of the meeting hall, he felt dizzy and stumbled, Shunsui catching him and pulling him back to a straightened position. "Woah there, you feeling okay Jushiro? You looked like you were collapsing." He says as Jushiro starts to cough harshly and blood coats his face and the hand that he used to cover his mouth, blood sploshing over the floor.
"What's the matter Captain Ukitake?" Yamamoto asks looking up as the other Captain's do the same in unison.
"Oh dear, let's get you to squad four barracks." Unohana says rushing over and putting a hand to Jushiro's forehead then humming. "You've definitely over exerted yourself, you have a fever Captain Ukitake."
Jushiro smiles faintly, "I'm fine but thank y-" before Jushiro could finish his sentence he started coughing again. Shunsui patted his friend lightly on the back, "Come on, a check up won't be so bad Ju-chan." He says and helps him exit the meeting hall and walk with Unohana towards squad four medical center.
"I'm sorry, I'm such a mess. I don't mean to burden the two of you." Jushiro says head down as they walked, if possible his skin seemed even more pale than usual.
"Na, don't sweat it. It gets us out of doing paperwork." Shunsui jokes trying to lighten the mood. Jushiro eye smiles and Unohana chuckles lightly, "Like Captain Kyoraku does his paperwork in the first place." She chastises then eye smiles. Jushiro chuckles then starts to cough and bends forward, Shunsui puts a hand to his back frowning and feeling like he was useless not being able to help his friend. Unohana puts her fingers to the side of Jushiro's neck near to his jaw and is silent for a moment, "Captain Ukitake, were you not feeling well even before you received such information earlier?" She asks crossing her arms and making an annoyed face. Jushiro stands straight and holds his forehead, "I must admit I was a bit under the weather." He says voice soft almost non existent if you didn't have trained ears to listen for whispered words. Unohana huffs and drags him along, "You should've come the moment you weren't feeling well! Now it is worse because you chose to wait! Your pulse is erratic and you're as pale as a sheet of unused ivory paper. Why is it that the sick hate coming to me until it's…" Unohana stopped talking, a man dressed in the standard shinigami shihakusho with a standard asauchi was off to the side, he was walking ahead of them and leaving a blood trail. His crest read 5th division. Unohana pushed Jushiro against Shunsui and rushed over only for the man to collapse. "Hey, are you alright? What happened? Why are you so bloody and hurt? Please come to the fourth division and let me heal your wounds." The man looks up with eyes filled with horror, he whispers something to her and she gets down to his level to hear what he's saying. "Ca… Captain Ai, Captain Aizen… don't trust him." He whispers and falls forward. Unohana shakes his shoulder slightly then feels for a pulse, "Is he alright?" Jushiro asks from afar. Unohana's eyes widen when white goop starts to smother around the unconscious shinigami's face and he attempts to cry out in severe pain muffled by the forming hollow mask. She stands and backs away opening her eyes and glaring while putting her hand to her Zanpakuto, "We must kill him, his spiritual pressure! Can't you feel it? He's turning into some sort of half hollow being!" She shouts.
Suddenly the alarms start to sound throughout the Seireitei, "Alert! Alert! All soul reapers be on the lookout! Several shinigami are exhibiting hollow like features and unmatched strength, throughout the Seireitei! I repeat! There is some sort of hollow like manifestation occur- Ahhhhhh! Run awayyyyy!" The alarm continued but the voice of the announcer cut out with the sound of something howling behind her voice. Jushiro looks at Shunsui and Unohana and they all three chain down the hollow like shinigami with high level bakudo restraints.
"It's just like the incident over one hundred years ago. Someone's experimenting with hollow powers again." Jushiro says eyes watching the shinigami who was still struggling, not to get out of the chains but because of the change from Soul reaper to visord.
World of the Living:Kurosaki Clinic and Household:Third Person POV:
The doorbell rang, Yuzu rushed to answer it. "Hello?" She asks looking about but nobody was there. "Hey it's not funny! Who rang the doorbell!" She shouts stepping out and turning to look only to fall over something in her way but land on a soft lap. "Ouch." She says having skinned her elbow. Sitting up she rubs at her elbow, "Uhh, what did I trip over that felt so soft?" She asks mainly to herself. Kisuke watched, hiding any trace of his presence. He wanted to make sure the kid would be brought inside before he left. A shrill scream from the young girl is heard so he fastly puts his hat down and shunpos away. "Daddy! Ichigo! No, Ichi-nii! Please wake up! Ichigo! ICHIIIII!" Yuzu screams her lungs out, tears blocking her vision as she shakes her brother's large shoulders. He opens his eyes a bit and she crushes herself to him, "Ichi, Ichi please be okay! Ichiiii!" She cries out.
"Yuzu?!" She hears her father's voice and large heavy quick steps coming towards them. A smaller step running behind the larger gated steps.
Ichigo takes in a difficult and shaky breath, "Yuzu." He whispers, his next breath catching and he coughs a few times blood running down his chin from his mouth. "Yuzu-channnn. What's wrong? Why are y- uhh…" Isshin's eyes widen when he sees what Yuzu was screaming about. He checks if she's alright and pulls her over to Karin. "Get inside, you don't need to see this." He says voice deep meaning he was serious. "But Dad, Ichigo-nii-chan! Ichigo! He's hurt!" Yuzu shouts tears still gushing down her cheeks Karin holding onto her twin who was trying to get back to Ichigo's side. "I said get inside, now!" Isshin says loudly eyeing his younger children with sadness but determination to get them inside and not seeing their big brother the way he was.
Once they go back inside, Isshin watches the door for a few more seconds then bends down to his knees and puts his hands to Ichigo's temples and opens his eyes using the small pen light that he places between his teeth for a moment so he could examine the boy's pupil dilation. "Ichigo, can you hear me son?" He asks and Ichigo takes in a breath trying to open his eyes. "Ichigo, can you hear me?" He asks voice again, louder this time but still calm. Inside he felt like he was a raging storm, 'Did a hollow do this?!' He thought inwardly.
Ichigo opens his eyes, "...Dad." He slurs out then starts choking on a large blood clot. When Isshin helps him pass the clot he breathes in and out sharply and raggedly. He opens his eyes, hardly able to but looks at his father, "U-Urahara." He's able to get out.
Isshin freezes up then he glares while looking around and of course, he could just barely sense the faint reiryoku of the former twelfth captain. "Shit." He says. Ichigo starts to gasp and attempts to breathe, panicking when he can't seem too. "Ichigo, you have to calm down, slow down your breathing for me." When the teen tries to do as told he sighs, "I need to get you inside." Isshin says picking up the unexplainably light weight teen. He shoves passed the door and passes the two younger girls swiftly. Karin was trying to comfort Yuzu who had her hands in her face and crying spastically, "Ichigo is strong like father, he'll be fine Yuzu. Believe in him okay?" She was telling her twin and pulled her in to hold onto her and try to fight away her own tears at the same time. She had promised in prayer to her mother that she'd never cry again after her mother had been murdered.
Ichigo looked up after a bit and his vision swam with hallucinations, he clutched at his gut so Isshin cut off the shirt and sweater in one swift movement. "Hollow marks… When? This is… illegal kido… Kisuke, you son of a- so it was you." Isshin says under his breath. He listens to Ichigo's stomach and lungs while taking his vitals and glares, Ichigo's system is rapidly crushing itself and he can't fix it.
Isshin looked at his son and then pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, clenching his fists and trying not to shed tears but failing. "My son… No, don't you dare take my son too, damnit!" He shouts voice hoarse from the sudden yell. Ichigo opens his eyes and looks at his father, "You're yelling again, old man." He whispers trying to smile but his facial muscles just wouldn't work the way he wanted them too as he tried to breathe in harsh amounts of air. "Ichigo…" He says back voice gentle, smiling sadly. His son was still there, he was being tact even when he was in severe pain, dying from the inside out.
Ichigo huffed, "I'm sorry, Dad." He says voice coming out almost, clearly as he wheezed his breath.
"Sorry for what?" Isshin asks, pushing up his sleeves and pulling an oxygen mask over Ichigo's nose and mouth after turning on the equipment and then trying to find the heaviest injuries so he can go in and operate. He wasn't going to lose his son! No! He lost his wife on the same day as this one no less! Not Ichigo too, damn it all to hell! Ichigo puts a hand to Isshin's arm and Isshin looks down at him, "Why don't you hate me? For what I did. It was all my fault, I couldn't save her. I let my own mother die." He says eyes shining with unshed tears of agony.
Isshin looks at Ichigo more seriously, "Your mother would have beat me from the other side if I ever chose to blame you for her death. The woman would've died no matter what, for the sake of her children. She loved you so much, all of you. I could never hate somebody that was loved so deeply by the woman I loved the same way. Especially not our children, so stop thinking you killed her Ichigo. She died so you could live." He says and Ichigo closes his eyes respiration coming too fast and too shallow to be of any benefit to the human body, his mouth open then he attempted to swallow and cracked one eye open just barely. "I… I'm so glad that you're my fa...father and that she is my mother." He whispers. Isshin turns him onto his side fast when he starts choking on more blood. Isshin knew he shouldn't operate on Ichigo, he could lose his medical practice license for doing such a thing. When Ichigo goes in and out of unconsciousness, Isshin sighs. 'I could ask Ryuken to come here or risk losing Ichigo by moving him even more to take him to the other man's hospital… or I can do my best and risk my license for my dying child.' Isshin thinks. He grabs the portable oxygen tank and starts it up and attaches the oxygen wires to the tank before opening the airflow to an appropriate level for his breathing conditions and looking to see that Ichigo's breathing clouds up the mask with every breath. He picks him up and yells for the girls, putting Ichigo in the back seat of his car he tells Karin to keep his head elevated and for Yuzu to talk to him.
"Dad, where are we going? Is Ichigo going to…" Karin asked then was interrupted by Isshin, "We're taking him to the hospital where they have more equipment for things like this. Just make sure he keeps breathing. Can you do that for me honey?" Isshin asks looking back through the visor mirror, Karin nods and Yuzu starts speaking to her brother smiling a sad smile and crying when his unfocused eyes open adn look at her.
Karakura Hospital
Isshin let the girls out then pulled Ichigo out gently and into his arms. The teen was limp, head going to the side and arms weighted. 'He's still breathing at least…' Isshin thinks and moves to rush into the hospital. "I need some help." He says seeing a male nurse with a clipboard and a female nurse walking beside him. They waste no time, rushing to his aide in putting the limp teen onto a gurney and wheeling him into an examination room.
"What happened?" The male nurse asks putting a stethoscope to Ichigo's chest to hear his heart and lungs while taking his pulse and respiration rate simultaneously.
"I'm not sure, he was like this when he I found him outside on our front porch. I think he was attacked by something." Isshin says. The nurses look up at each other and the male nurse nods at the female and she rushes out of the room to find Dr. Ishida.
"His lungs sound like they've collapsed and his vitals are almost so low I can barely get a reading. Please, if you know something I also need to know." The man says staring Isshin right in his face.
The curtain flies open and in storms a man with blue-white hair, wearing specticals and a medical coat with a name and picture identification tag and pens in his pocket and a stethoscope wrapped halfways around his neck. He stops, his eyes squinted and he pushes up his glasses, "Dr. Kurosaki, why are you herr and wearing your uniform no less." He asks checking him over, up and down.
Isshin looks at Ishida with cold calculative eyes and frowns deeply, "My son needs your help." He says looking back at the orange haired teenage boy. Ishida sighs and looks over at Karin and Yuzu, "Nurse, please take the children out of the room. They do not need to be here and in the way." He says voice emotionless. "Hey! We're Ichi's family!" Yuzu shouts.
"Yeah, you can't make us leave! What if our big brother needs us!" Karin says angrily. The nurse smiles and gets down on one knee, putting a hand to one of each of their shoulders and smiling sadly. "Look girls, the Dr needs room to help your big brother. How about we go wait outside the room, in the waiting room and your father will come out to join you once he's talked with the Dr. okay?" She says trying to be happy and make them less afraid.
Yuzu starts to cry but nods and Karin follows, not wanting her little sister to be left all alone with someone they didn't know. Isshin looks up when the other nurse leaves to find a hookup. "Now that we're all alone, tell me the problem so I can attempt to fix your son. I won't promise you anything, the boy looks like death warmed over." He says cooly.
"I examined him before coming here, it looks like a hollow attack and someone attempted to use illegal kido to heal what they could of the damage. Please, for Masaki's sake… try to heal our son, her son." Ishida glares but once again pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and nods, "If Masaki was here this never would've happened in the first place. Toriou! Get this boy to an OR and stat!" He shouts. The male nurse rushes back in and Ishida and Isshin help getting Ichigo onto a rolling gurney. The nurse nods and takes the patient down to the OR area opening up OR 2 and prepping the patient.
5 Hours LaterKarakura Hospital
Ishida slammed his fist against the wall after washing up from surgery, he'd tried to save the boy… it was just too late and too many injuries. "I'm sorry Masaki, I failed you yet again…" He whispers to the wall. The nurse walks into the prep room and up to Ishida, "It wasn't your fault Sir, you tried your best. His body just couldn't keep up with all it's injuries. You did your best Sir."
Ishida sighs and then walks off, "It wasn't my best if I lost him." He says and leaves the room after telling him to take the boy down to the morgue and get him cleaned up and ready for the morgue attendants.
Ishida walked with a heavy gate and slumped shoulders until he reached the waiting room, "Dr. Kurosaki… May I have a word with you in private please?" He says standing straight and keeping his face unreadable. Isshin stands and follows Ishida telling the girls to stay seated. "How's Ichigo, is he alright? Tell me the scope on his injuries." He asks as they round the glass door. Ishida stays turned hands in his pockets for a minute before turning back to Isshin.
"I'm sorry Isshin, I couldn't save him… He's passed on." Ishida says putting a hand to the other man's shoulder and squeezing it, "I tried but his injuries were just too great, I couldn't get passed one without another showing. He's been taken down to the morgue if you want to see him once more." He says and lowering his head, he walks away. Isshin stood in still silence before turning to look at Karin and Yuzu. He must've had a terrified look on his face because Yuzu put both her hands to her mouth and nose and collapsed to her knees while tears fell from her eyes. Karin patted her twin on the back and hung her head, Isshin felt his feet moving and was instantly on his knees beside his daughters and pulling them into a hug and crying himself. "No! No it's not true Dad! Ichigo, Ichigo can't be gone! Big brother promised to always protect us! He can't do that if he's not here! No, please!" Yuzu screamed.
A few people in the waiting room looked at the child with sad eyes a woman who had been crying over her own child's death offered her condolences and Yuzu hugged her out of nowhere. The both of them cried even harder and Karin just seemed stiff and unreadable.
"Karin…" Isshin says voice soft.
Karin stood and her whole body was shaking, "I promised mother that I wouldn't cry." She says eyes squeezed shut.
Isshin put his hand to her arm and his forehead over his hand, "It's okay to cry, don't ever think crying makes you look weak because it doesn't. You loved your mom and you loved your brother. Cry if you want baby girl." He whispers and suddenly she starts crying loudly and pulls her dad into a death grip. Once she started she couldn't stop, it got worse when they went to Ichigo's body that was already cleaned and under a zipped up bag on a gurney. The mortician unzipped the bag for them and the crying from the two girls began again. Yuzu stood on her tiptoes and kissed Ichigo's cold cheek then started to pray for his soul. Karin did the same, putting her small hand in her father's large hand as she shook silently in place. Isshin whispered something to Ichigo then took the girls home. He called for the director of the funeral home he worked with to please pick up Ichigo's body and they'd have the funeral in a few days after he had everything prepared. He was just confused because he hadn't seen his son's spirit after death. The boy was nowhere to be found in the hospital and he hadn't been at home either. The only other explanation would be that he had been happy enough to pass on without help. Did Isshin's talk with him really calm his soul that well? He smiled sadly then glared, "Urahara." He whispered.
Isshin checked on the girl's who were sleeping together in the same bed for comfort, before taking off towards Urahara Shoten anger burning like lava in the pit of his stomach.