A/N: So I'm not dead. Hooray. Sorry for the long wait, to be completely honest the formatting for is a nightmare for me which is why I post more on AO3 than here. If you wanted to just keep reading I'd suggest going to the AO3 version but be warned, these chapters are at least somewhat revised a bit, the other chapters aren't. But it is still the same story. Continue to read here if you'd like, I promise that I'll update here more often. I'd also like to thank the people who are giving my fanfic a chance, I know it's a bit slow-going and it is going to get worse before it gets better but please put up with it for a bit. Anyway, enough of this boring chatter, enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: ... You already know what I'm going to say here but I'll say it again. I, by no means, own Bleach. Carry on.
It was a sunny morning, perfect weather for a stroll in Kaien's opinion. He took his usual route and walked along the freshwater stream leading from the manor into the forest. Sunlight glinting off the slight waves in the river, he admired the sight around him. This was one of his favorite places to be, away from the paperwork his Captain and Clan piled him with. Away from the responsibilities of being an older brother, Clan Head, and new Fukutaicho of the 13th. Away from reality itself. It was a guilty pleasure so his visits were few and far between. As Kaien marveled at the thriving landscape, he noticed something that was never there before.
After visiting this place every so often, Kaien knew that even if the forest was hit by the pelting rain, chilling frost, or forceful wind, the woods would stay the same. It was part of the reason Kaien was so fond of it. Which is why when he spotted a shrub of bright orange near the trunk of a tree nearby, Kaien immediately went to investigate.
Nearing the spruce tree, Kaien noticed it was not a shrub but hair. Which was then connected to a head and a body. The fukutaicho nearly jumped out of his skin when he'd noticed. Upon closer inspection, the Shiba noticed that the stranger was fast-asleep, or at least that's what he thought at first. Until he noticed the still-bleeding fatal wounds that were slowly leeching the boy's reiryoku.
In a flash, the kind-hearted Clan Head quickly brought the boy, who looked no older than 17, bridal style back to the manor. Not even noticing the startling resemblance the two carried.
When Ichigo was finally roused into consciousness, he noticed that he was comfortably placed into a soft bed with cushions and blankets surrounding him. The man's half-awake brain relished in the warmth, having not slept in a proper bed in years. (It may be a desert in Hueco Mundo, but its sand was always freezing.) A split-second later, Ichigo's rationality reconnected and went into overdrive.
Jumping out of the small futon, he scanned the room for Zangetsu. Relief flooded the features of his still stoic face though to an outsider his eyes are the only tell. He shunpoed across the room and sheathed his swords that glowed slightly in gratitude. Like Ichigo, they didn't like being separated. 14 years of hardships and oppression would do that to anyone though he couldn't complain, he'd lost that privilege after what he'd done. The hybrid then scanned his surroundings, knowing better than to let his guard down in an unfamiliar place.
However, there were none in his vicinity. He was in a blank room with little furniture and styled after feudal Japan. Polished wood across the floor with open windows that showed the garden his captors had flourished. Favoring an open terrain, Ichigo threw himself out the open window and landed gracefully.
The garden itself was truly a sight to see. All assortments of flowers, some he had never seen before, were gathered in an array of beautiful colors. It was something you would see out of a picture book. There were daffodils, tulips, lilies, daisies, and orchids surrounded him. 'Is this the afterlife?', was the hybrid's first thought but he soon dispelled it because he knew what the afterlife was like, and it was no fantasy like this. But it didn't solve the fact that he was in a place that was untarnished by war and bloodshed. The garden was thriving as if it didn't ever experience the droughts and wildfires that destroyed most of the land in Soul Society and the Living World.
'Do not let yourself be fooled Ichigo. This could easily be a trick from Kyoka Suigetsu. I know that we killed him long ago but it is the only possible reason for this. You've felt how realistic that Arsch's illusions could be. I've taught you better than to let your guard down in an unfamiliar situation.', Ossan reverberated in his mindscape. Ignoring the choice word his spirit used to describe the megalomaniac, Ichigo kept up his guard. The white-knuckled grip on his khyber blade not relenting.
One of the best ways to sense if there was an illusion was to test the reiastu around him. When you fight an enemy for so long, their reiatsu becomes imprinted upon one's mind forever. Before, figuring out if it was an illusion was the main problem. (Something he learned how to do after being tricked into killing his own comrade, Kami did that memory claw at him unrelentingly when he'd let it.) Now, it was figuring out where the bastard was. Once Aizen realized that the orange-haired shinigami could figure out if the illusion was real or not, he learned to spread out his reiatsu out thin so Ichigo couldn't pinpoint a location. It goes without saying that after so much practice in this field, his reikaku skills improved drastically.
Reaching his reiatsu out, the hybrid nearly had a heart attack. 'I'm in Soul Society.', the war-hardened man blinked away the shock, 'This can't be, Soul Society never looked like this even when I first visited. (More like invaded) I can't sense even a bare strand of the Hogyoku's reiryoku. Could it be that he finally learned a way to block my sensing ability?'
Ichigo began to feel his breath quicken as memories of the past resurfaced. theylockedmeintoaroom,someonepleasehelpIcan'tTAKEIT. ipromisei'llbegoodjustpleaseletmesavethem. Nonononononononotheycan'tbegone. YOUKILLEDTHEM, HOWCOULDYOU! i'msorry,i'msorry,i'msorry,i'msorry. Whatwasmynameagain? It'sbeensomanyyears. ithink,ithinkitwas-
'ICHIGO, FOCUS! Your panic is blinding your senses. Don't bury yourself in memories of things far past. Or have you already forgotten our resolve? Retreat and you will age- ', ' Hesitate and I will die. I know Ossan, I just lost myself for a moment, I'll try to focus better this time. ' Cramming all the dark thoughts to the corner of his mind to deal with later, (Preferably in a soundproof room where he can scream and pull out his hair as the pain grounded him when he had yet another pathetic mental breakdown.) Ichigo decided to also explore the area to get an idea of where he was.
Cautiously making his way through the flowers, the orange-haired shinigami stretched his reiatsu out again with a more stable and precise mind. The shock earlier made him entirely forget how to use reikaku correctly. Pure black tendrils reached out and slinked through the air, as if they were searching for something, then suddenly stopped. Bloodshot eyes flew open and yet again Ichigo was too shocked to speak. He could feel their reiatsu, the reiatsu of his comrades. Shinji, Kisuke, Yoruichi, Shunsui, Ukitake, Byakuya, all of them. He could even sense Yamamoto's impressive reiatsu. The surprise and disbelief he felt melted away a second later.
'It's him, he is alive but-, but it can't be true. I killed him-', 'We did more than kill him Aibou. Mutilate and eviscerate is more accurate. And I would be more than glad to do even worse a second time if he somehow survived the first.', his hollow interrupted. 'But I made sure he couldn't be revived, I used a Gran Rey Cero on his corpse then- then I-, Shiro I saw his brain matter. Kisuke then sealed the Hogykou, there is just no way he could have survived that.', the hybrid retorted back to the spirit. 'Stop. The technicalities here aren't important. We are still within a compound captured, Ichigo. You need to figure out whether or not Aizen even though his reiatsu isn't even nearby. However, escaping should be the top priority.', Ossan scolded.
Deciding to leave the matter for another time, the man was about to head towards a side gate that led outside, (The no-longer substitute shinigami already made a list of possible escape routes on the way in. He wasn't a greenhorn after all.) until he heard a gasp behind him. While processing the information that was too much at once he failed to notice the small spark of reiryoku coming around the corner.
Internally berating himself for his mistake, while Shiro laughed his ass off at his demise, the hybrid turned around. Swords in hand and poised to slit the soul's throat, he glared at his maybe-enemy. That was until he got a good look at the man's face. Like his inner hollow, the man was almost identical in looks but this time the only things that were off-color were his eyes and hair. Dark raven spiked locks with startling aquamarine eyes that were currently staring at his own in shock. Bringing his sword back down to his waist, to Shiro's discontent, Ichigo stared back.
The shinigami (Once Ichigo got a good look at him, he recognized the shihakusho immediately) took a step back then nervously coughed into his hand and began to speak. "Um, hello. Nice to finally meet you, total stranger. I see you found Okaasan's garden. All the flowers are blooming this time of year and it's truly a sight to see.", the shinigami faced the garden a gentle smile on his face. "My favorite was always the waterlilies, though snowdrops have always been a close second."
Turning back to the orange-haired man he continued, "I know this is a shock and all. Waking up in a random bed, in a random house, and then listening to a stranger ramble on about flowers. So let's head inside in a better setting, then I can fill you in.", suddenly the raven-haired man's expression morphed from childish glee to a smile bearing more teeth and warning than before, "And after maybe you can enlighten me as to why you are wearing the Soutaicho's haori."
His captor suddenly wiped the expression and replaced it with his now signature grin. ('This man had as extreme mood swings as Shiro', he pondered inwardly.) The ravenette only motioned once in the manor's direction and walked back inside. After a split-second of deliberation, Ichigo stiffened and grim resolve filtered throughout his face as he followed the raven-headed man inside. Not looking forward to the conversation and the lies he'd have to tell.
A/N: And that's chapter two, my shortest up to date but don't worry I'll post again soon. BTW Ossan curses in German, bet you guys didn't expect that! Arsch means asshole FYI but I'm not fluent in German so people who are, please correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you for reading and reviews are appreciated.