A/N: Hey, y'all! Next chapter is up! "So quick!" I know, I know. Save your applause until after the chapter is finished. First, Review Responses:
ExorcistWhite: Thanks. Well, here it is!
skylark dragonstar: It's amazing when a hunch is right, huh?
550: Thanks for the compliment.
PartyPony2: I don't know either, but I think being cut by Tobiume would hurt twice as bad. And no, Momo will not need to be rescued too. Just Toushirou.
Shiro Neko: I'm really glad you like this story.
Espadakatsukreuz XIII: Yeah, one of my favorite non-romantic pairings is the friendship between Ichigo and Toushirou. I think it's really sweet.
The Endless Hourglass: Don't worry. I will change it up. This is probably the last chapter with a lot of anime/manga references to it. But I understand. And that's what I was afraid of. I'm trying to make it a lot different.
Musical Ninja: I love their brother bond too. It makes me happy and sad all at the same time. ^^
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.
~11~11~11~11~
Chapter 11: The Oath Between Friends
When Ichigo went to school on the last day before Summer Break, no one had went up to Ichigo and asked where Toushirou was, which caught Ichigo completely off guard. He had guessed that Urahara was right, that Toushirou really didn't belong in this world and that he was nothing more than a memory, like he was Ichigo's imaginary friend.
After class and school were out for the entire summer, Keigo had put a blindfold around Ichigo and made him shop a watermelon, but Ichigo got Keigo's head, who then invited everyone to the beach with him. Unfortunately, everyone said they already had plans, and Ichigo said the same thing.
As he walked back home, he reflected on the night Toushirou left and his family's reaction when Ichigo told them that Toushirou had run away. Yuzu had cried like a baby, saying "Shirou-chan" over and over. She refused to eat anything that night. Karin was unusually quiet, which reminded Ichigo of Toushirou, who was unusually silent whenever he was upset, just like Karin was at that moment. His father, instead of making jokes and always taking hits at Ichigo, merely comforted his two daughters and after dinner, comforted Ichigo like a father was always meant to.
On the way, he ran into Orihime, who asked where Toushirou and Momo were. That caught him off guard too. After telling her what was really going on, she gave him the same pep talk that Urahara had given him, only Orihime-style. With new determination, he ran to Urahara Shouten instead of his house, where Urahara had helped him reclaim his Shinigami powers, in very weird ways.
After he had succeeded, Urahara trained him for a week and then trained him for another three days secretly.
Little to his knowledge, Orihime, Chad, and uryuu were also training in their own ways, Uryuu by himself, and Orihime and Chad with Yoruichi the cat. And all three had discovered that the cat could talk. Orihime had gotten used to it, but Uryuu and Chad were still having problems accepting it.
August 14 6:30 PM
"Hey, Dad?" The Kurosaki's were getting ready for the Fireworks Festival.
"Yeah, Son?"
"I'm going on a trip, for two weeks. It may be longer than that. I don't know that for sure, but I'll be gone for at least a week or two," Ichigo said. "I'm leaving tonight at around 1:00 AM."
"Alright."
Ichigo stopped. "What do you mean 'alright'?!"
"I mean 'alright', that is, if finding Toushirou is what this trip is for..."
Ichigo paused. "...Yeah...it is..."
"Well, then...good luck. And here, take this."
Isshin handed Ichigo a Protection Charm.
"What's this?"
"It's a charm. I got it from your mother." Ichigo looked up at his father and smiled.
"Thanks."
"And when you find Toushirou, give him this one. It's also from your mother." It was a charm bracelet. "She meant to give it to him for his birthday the same year she died, but she never got the chance. And I meant to give it to him on your last day of school, but again, there was never the chance to. There's a charm on it already. See?"
"Yeah...it's a dragon."
"Yep."
"Why a dragon?"
"Because a dragon seems to represent Toushirou the most..."
"I...never really thought about it, but yeah. That works. Don't worry, Dad. When I find him, I'll definitely give it to him."
"You didn't say 'if', Son."
"Yeah, what's your point?"
"Why?"
"Because there's no doubt about it, Dad. I will find Toushirou. I'll do it for you and Yuzu and Karin, for all of us, if not just for me."
Isshin gently smiled. "Well, then, Son, I give you my prayers. You and Toushirou both..."
Ichigo smiled too. "Thanks, Dad."
August 15 1:00AM
Ichigo opened his window, on Urahara's orders.
'At 1:00 AM on Monday, be ready with your window open.'
"I have a bad feeling about this," Ichigo muttered. He turned to look out his window. "At least there's a nice breeze tonight."
Ichigo suddenly felt something shoot past his head. He turned around, surprised at what had hit his closet door.
'Urgent! Meet me outside the Urahara Shouten in ten minutes!'
"Holy crap! Who the hell contacts people like that?! This is like a crime scene where it's written in the victim's own blood! And it better not stain my wall!" Ichigo stopped his rant. "What now? A PS?"
'P.S. If you think is like some 'Written-in-the-victim's-own-blood' cliche from some tv show, you obviously have no sense of humor.'
"OH, SHUT UP!" Ichigo threw his pillow at his closet door. He could almost hear Urahara say that as if he were perched on his open windowsill.
Outside the shop, he saw Urahara in the doorway and sitting on a box near the door was...Chad?
"Chad? What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked him.
"Toushirou saved my life once. I want to return to favor," Chad said.
Ichigo looked wordlessly at him. Chad wanted to save Toushirou too...
"Are you seriously that deaf, Kurosaki?" Ichigo turned to see Uryuu, in his Quincy outfit. "Oh course he wants to save Toushirou. And I'm here because I don't take defeat very well, especially by the hands of a Shinigami. And besides, I also owe Toushirou a couple of favors."
"Well, I guess we're all here and accounted for," Orihime said on the other side of him.
"Inoue?!"
"Yes, I got the message too."
Ichigo paused and then: "What the hell is going on here?!"
"Don't tell me you didn't notice strong spiritual powers in these three friends of yours?" Ichigo turned to see a black cat. "While you were training to regain her Shinigami powers, these three were also training in their own way. Instead of questioning them, you should be thanking them."
"A...A FREAKIN' CAT JUST SPOKE TO ME!" Ichigo freaked out.
"He's not just a cat. His name is Yoruichi."
"It is pretty hard to get used to."
"I'm still adjusting to it myself."
Urahara clapped his hands. "I suggest you take this little party inside. There are things that we can't discuss out here in the open."
Everyone was going inside.
"Inoue..."
Orihime turned around. "Yes, Kurosaki-kun?"
"What is your reason for being here?"
"I want to save Toushirou because...I know Momo-chan would have wanted us to if she couldn't..." Orihime then went inside to shop.
Ichigo paused. There was truth in Orihime's words.
He had seen Momo arrive at the scene that night with fire blazing in her eyes. She even fought that Renji guy because he was hurting Toushirou. She would have wanted Ichigo to come along and join her rebellion.
That settled it then. He would let them come along. Because that's what Momo would have wanted...
Renji walked down the hallway of the Sixth Division. he passed by a few officers, who bowed and told him 'Good Morning, Lieutenant Abarai', but he just said 'At ease'.
He turned to key to the Sixth Division Prison door. He entered and walked down to a cell.
"Are you still sulking, Hitsugaya?"
"I am not sulking and nor am I a Hitsugaya. For the thousandth time, my name is Kurosaki! Ku-ro-sa-ki. Get it right, for God's sake!" Toushirou retorted.
"It's not my fault that you were adopted by that carrot top. He found you, not me. But...I'm not trying to be your enemy, kid. I'm trying to be your friend again."
"You...were my friend?"
"Not a best friend, but a friend. You only met me through Momo."
"Hinamori...how is she?"
"She'll be fine. She's in a highly guarded ward in the Fourth Division. She hasn't woken up yet, but according to Unohana-taichou, she should wake up around noon today."
"Why the tight security?" Toushirou asked, curious.
"Rebellion. Treason. Call it whatever you want. But all in all, she turned her blade on us. We had strict orders to come and get you by the Soutaichou, but had interfered, so we had to lock her up for a while because of it."
"When will she be released?"
"In about four to five days or so. Why?"
"Just wondering. Oh...how's Kuchiki?"
"Taichou?"
"No...Kuchiki Rukia."
"Oh...she's on house arrest for a month."
"What for?"
"She stayed to long in the World of the Living. She won't tell us why."
"I'm glad. And...the Soutaichou...he's the one in charge?"
"In a nutshell, pretty much..."
Toushirou narrowed his eyes sadly. "Tell me something else, Abarai. Not as an authority figure, but as a friend."
"Sure..."
"Am I going to die?"
Renji paused. As a friend, not as authority...
"I'm sorry, kid...I don't know that for sure..."
"Then why am I here?"
Renji paused again. Why had the Soutaichou given them the order to retrieve this kid from the World of the Living?
"I don't know that either, kid. I'm sorry...I was just following orders..."
Before entering the Gate, Ichigo turned to his friends.
"Let's make an oath, you guys, to not come back home until we have Toushirou."
Orihime nodded. So did Chad.
Uryuu smirked and said, "Works for me."
"Alright! Never give up!" Orihime said.
Chad nodded.
"Alright. Let's go. I have a brother to save."
~11~11~11~11~
A/N: This is where my storyline starts to completely take over the original storyline. You're all in for a treat next chapter.
Poor Ichigo…finding out that cats can talk is a pretty big thing to get used to…
The type of charm bracelet I'm talking about is the one with the metal square charms that you can get at the mall and keep adding on. Anyone have one of those?
And I chose the dragon charm because it's the form of Hyourinmaru and his shikai.