"Raphael-san! Are you better?"
Raphael gave Yuzu a small smile as he stepped into the hotel suite. "I swear you keep askin' me that same question every time we see each other, kid. Ya worry too much, ya know that?" Not waiting for an answer, Raphael looked around the main room of the suite. "Is your brother home?"
He flinched when he heard an all-too familiar voice sweetly call out, "Raphael-san!" Turning around, he saw Urahara emerge from one of the bedrooms, just placing his green-and-white striped hat onto his head. "My, what an unexpected surprise! Yuzu, go fix our guest some tea, would you, please?"
"Hai!" Yuzu answered enthusiastically, heading towards another portion of the suite.
Raphael waited until the girl was out of earshot before crossing his arms over his chest and staring grimly at Urahara. "What are you doin' here, blondie? I coulda sworn this hotel don't take in pets."
"Precisely!" Urahara responded cheerfully, holding up a finger as though proving a valid point. "And that is why the lovely Yoruichi transforms into human form in case the manager should ever be about. But I doubt you came here to talk about hotel policies, unless you're planning on becoming an entrepreneur like myself. Won't you have a seat?"
"No, I won't," Raphael answered tersely. "I don't sit down and chat with people I don't like."
"You don't like me?" Urahara asked, feigning shock and disappointment as he sat down on the sofa. "Why, Raphael-san, I'm most surprised. It's quite upsetting for a teacher to discover his pupil doesn't like him. What have I ever done to you?"
"I left my list in my other shell," the turtle answered sarcastically. "But let's start off with the fact that ya knew I was the Alma Roja, and ya didn't tell me squat about it. Then, after everyone from my brothers to the shinigami shrimp I had fought off came after me, you and Yoruichi decided to sit back and down a couple 'a margaritas, or whatever it was that ya were doin'. We coulda used ya in that fight, y'know. Leo wouldn't've gotten himself stuck like a pig if Yoruichi coulda used her super speed to push 'im away, and from what I've heard, you know a thing or two about portals. Ya coulda closed that thing up after I went through to Hueco Mundo, and then Kaname's sword wouldn't have cut everybody up like that."
"And then the Alma Roja would have gone off in Hueco Mundo, imbuing Aizen and all of his Espada with even more power than they already possess," came the reply. "And I highly doubt they would have treated you as a respected houseguest."
"What happened was all for the best, sure," Raphael argued. "But that don't mean that ya knew how it was gonna turn out, so the way ya acted was pretty crummy." After a brief pause, he asked, "Did ya know how it was gonna turn out?"
With a small chuckle, Urahara remarked, "My dear boy, if I knew half of the things people give me credit for knowing, I'd be on top of the world. As it is, I already know half of the things that people don't give me credit for knowing, so can you imagine what my grand omnipotence would be like?"
"A simple 'no' would work just fine," Raphael muttered.
At that moment, Ichigo came out from the bathroom, his wet hair indicative of a recent shower. "Hey," he said upon seeing Raphael. "I thought I heard your voice. Is Urahara giving you problems again?"
"My, my," Urahara coyly proclaimed. "You'd think I'm such a troublemaker."
"He's just bossin' your sister around, havin' her make me a cup 'a tea," Raphael answered, finally sitting down in an easy chair upon seeing Ichigo sit on the arm of the sofa. "Not like I need it. Splinter's been givin' me more tea than I can stand... which ain't saying much, considerin' I prefer a Coke."
"He probably doesn't want you getting drugged by sugar and caffeine," Ichigo commented. "Considering that we're lucky you didn't turn out to be a... what was that word? We just saw a movie about them the other night."
"Zombie?" Urahara offered.
"That's right, a zombie," Ichigo continued. "I mean, basically, your soul just...."
He trailed off again, both because the word "dissipated" eluded him and because he caught the expression on Raphael's face and decided it wasn't a prime conversational topic. After several hours of examinations in Sereitei, it was discovered that Leonardo and Splinter's assessment had been correct. When the Alma Roja dissolved, it took Raphael's soul with it, and that soul was combined with the primal energy of the dying Alma Roja and forced into those present. A small bit of Raphael's original soul remained in his body and allowed him to live, but it was the bit that controlled instinct, habit, and primary life functions; higher processes and the reincarnation cycle were effectively obliterated.
In short, Raphael had given his family and friends more power than he even knew he had, and was left slower, weaker, and with no hope of life after this one. He knew for certain that his death would be final and he wouldn't come back, not as a reptile or a human being, nor even as a spirit in Soul Society. He'd simply cease to be.
At length, Yuzu returned with a mug of tea for Raphael, but she also saw the look on his face and decided against saying anything as she placed it on the coffee table. Deciding it best to leave her brother to talk with his strange friends, she went to the bedroom that she shared with Karin, knowing full well that her sister would probably be listening at the door during the entire discussion.
It was a long time before Raphael quietly reached out and took hold of the mug, simply wrapping his hand around it for a moment before picking it up and sitting back in his seat. He didn't like the silence, but he found himself being too sluggish to keep up his loud tirades or animated conversations for long. "Sluggish" wasn't a word he'd use to describe himself until after... well, until after a piece of his soul was literally torn away.
"It's not so bad, really," Raphael finally said, choosing to look into the steaming amber liquid in his cup rather than at the two men sitting opposite him. "When ya boil it down, I'm just normal now. Things always felt more intense before: the anger, the pain, the... y'know, everything. Now I'm just your regular Joe, and you sorry saps are the ones that gotta experience everything with that kinda feeling. Hell, I bet Ichigo can't even hold this mug cuz it's too hot for his delicate fingers now. Heh." His short chuckle was a half-hearted one, as he knew it was quite obvious that he was reaching.
Putting the mug down, he looked up at them resolutely and stated, "I want it back. All of it. There are times when I can't sleep, cuz I want to feel all that again, especially now that I know what it was burnin' beneath my skin. And at the same time... now I can sleep, most 'a the time. I'm calm. I can meditate for more than ten seconds. That restlessness wasn't me, even though it was. And now that it ain't here... I just gotta adjust." Looking down again, he breathed, "Why didn't nobody tell me adjusting was so hard?"
Ichigo didn't know what to say, and so Urahara allowed for a moment of quiet to pass before cheerfully stating, "Well then, there's a simple way to solve this! Don't adjust!"
Both Ichigo and Raphael whirled around to gape at him. "I knew you was a whackjob, sandal man," Raphael remarked, "but I thought the wackiness took a vacation every couple 'a minutes."
With a small smile, Urahara's voice mellowed out slightly as he replied, "Just as Kurosaki is a stranger in your land, you're now learning how to walk in his shoes. Before he became a substitute shinigami, Kurosaki did his homework, ate his vegetables, and watched his television programs, all without ever thinking about saving the world. And yet, even this 'regular Joe' managed to rise above that just because his family needed him one night. A part of you is elsewhere, Raphael-san. That doesn't mean you can't get it back when you need it."
"The Alma Roja is gone," Raphael reminded him. "Finished, kaput, outta here. It don't matter how bad I need it, it ain't gonna come back just because-" He was cut off by a sharp whack on the knee by Urahara's cane. "Ow! What the-?"
"Who told you that the Alma Roja is gone forever?" Urahara queried.
"The brains at Soul Society!" Raphael exclaimed.
"They're also the ones who thought that the Alma Roja would kill us all," came the response. "I'm willing to bet that, where they're wrong once, they can be wrong again." Leaning forward, Urahara continued, "A part of the Alma Roja is still alive, Raphael. It's inside Kurosaki. It's inside Lieutenant Matsumoto and Captain Hitsugaya. And it's inside of every member of your family. But it was inside of you for all of these years. If you need it, it will know. If you call to it, it will answer."
Raphael narrowed his eyes at the man before asking, "Do you really believe that?"
With a smile, Urahara replied, "If nothing else, it will give you something to focus on during your meditations, no?" Rising to his feet, he declared, "The only way you can lose the war isn't by not fighting well enough. It's by not fighting at all. You above all others should know that, I would think."
His serious tone of voice gone, he resorted to being irritatingly cheery as he announced, "And now that Kurosaki-kun's stopped hogging the shower, I think I'll see to my personal hygiene, thank you!" Tipping his hat in Raphael's direction as he headed towards the bathroom, he stated, "Raphael, always a pleasure!"
After Urahara left the room, Raphael looked to Ichigo and asked, "Is he schizophrenic or somethin'?"
"I'm not sure what that means," Ichigo answered. "But if it means crazy, then I'll say definitely." The pair fell silent once again, unsure of how to continue after Raphael's heartfelt admittance. Finally, Ichigo inquired, "How's Leonardo?"
Nodding, Raphael replied, "Good. Real good. Them healers patched him up pretty nice. Not even a scar." Ichigo nodded in response. Before the quiet could loom over them yet again, Raphael brought up, "I heard you was goin' back to Japan tomorrow."
"Who told you that?" Ichigo asked, surprised.
With a smirk, Raphael told him, "A little cat told me. Anyway, I just wanted ya to know, what I... I mean, what the Alma Roja said, to Ichimaru about tellin' Aizen never to go near ya again... I meant it. If stuff comes up, if Aizen causes anymore trouble or anythin'... lemme know. I'm not sure what I can do with the way I am now, but if crazy sandal man's right, I've still got a couple 'a surprises up my sleeve."
Ichigo said nothing for a moment before releasing a small smile. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
Not knowing what else to say, Raphael rose to his feet. "Right. So, uh, that's it. Oh, and have a nice trip, I guess. Jetlag's gonna be brutal."
"Tell me about it," Ichigo muttered, also standing and placing his hands in his pockets. "And knowing my dad, he's not going to take it too easy on me, either. And then I have to be back at school on Monday... it won't be a fun week."
"At least you'll have plenty of stories to tell."
"What?" Ichigo asked. "I met a giant talking turtle and his three brothers and rat-sensei, and it turns out the turtle had a soul that we thought was going to destroy the world but ended up giving everyone in the room enhanced speed and strength?"
"Better than most 'What I Did During My Vacation' essays," Raphael told him. "And besides, ya can also say that you saw that Ichimaru bastard stabbed with a pair of super sai, or whatever those were called. I told that bastard I'd stab him in the back the first chance I'd get. Might not have been the back, but I still stabbed 'im."
Smirking, Ichigo complimented, "Nice. I'll have to tell Rukia about that. Apparently, he used to freak her out when she was a kid. Expect a long-distance phone call from a weird girl congratulating you on a job well done."
"I could use a fan club," Raphael remarked. He hesitated for a moment before holding his hand out to Ichigo. "Good times, man. Next time, though, try vacationing in Switzerland."
With a small laugh, Ichigo took the offered hand and shook it. "Right. It was fun. Though it would have been more fun if you didn't chase me around when there's a Menos on the loose. You cramp my style."
"Cramp your style?" Raphael chuckled. "Your English is gettin' too good if you're pickin' up expressions like that."
"HBO is a wonderful thing," Ichigo declared.
They lingered for a moment, two beings so different in appearance and yet so similar in behavior that it was almost uncanny. Raphael briefly thought back to their sparring match but quickly pushed the memory out of his mind when he realized that he probably wouldn't be able to fight like that in a long time, if ever again. Moving towards the door, he said, "So long, Ichigo."
"Raphael." The turtle stopped when he heard his name being called. He turned around to see Ichigo disappear into his bedroom before coming out with what looked like some kind of emblem on a chain. When he offered it to him, Raphael took it in his hand and saw the same skull design that was printed on the bottom of Urahara's cane, the one that had knocked his soul out of his body for that training session.
"It's not a shinigami badge," Ichigo told him. "Still, it should help you. Captain Kurotsuchi said he managed to give you a new chain of fate to keep you alive, so Toushiro gave this to me to give to you. Who knows? Maybe you'll find that you're a lot stronger than you think you are. Like you said, the abilities you had before separating from the Alma Roja weren't yours, but they were yours at the same time. Don't just give up."
"Don't stop fightin', huh?" Raphael murmured, looking down at the insignia in his hand.
Shrugging, Ichigo murmured, "Unless you want to lose the war." Seeing Raphael's small smile, Ichigo realized, "I don't think you do, though. Not if you're like me."
Looking up at the tall teenager, Raphael asked, "Yeah? And what are ya?"
"Just a tourist," Ichigo replied. "A tourist determined not to look stupid with a camera around his neck and a map in his hands. A stranger in a strange land, out to prove that there's no land so strange that you can't make it your own. That's what adjusting is all about, Raphael. It's not the same as accepting. It's knowing who you are, what you want, and what you need, and not being afraid to pursue it. Americans have that written down somewhere, don't they? 'Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.' You're not happy being just a normal John. So do all you can to be something else."
Raphael stared up at him, at a loss for words. Finally, he remembered that he was supposed to be determined not to look stupid, and so he swallowed back the lump of emotion in his throat and told Ichigo, "Joe."
"What?"
"The phrase is 'normal Joe,' not John. A john is somethin' completely different."
With a shrug of his shoulders, Ichigo remarked, "No one ever said my English was perfect." After a beat, he mentioned, "It won't get much better if I spend my next vacation in Switzerland, will it?"
"Are ya sayin' what I think you're sayin'?"
"Maybe," Ichigo replied. "What's the weather like in England in the summertime?"
Laughing, Raphael shook his head and responded with, "Good one, kid. Real nice." Holding his hand up for a high-five, he and Ichigo clapped hands one last time as he said, "You ever find yourself on this side 'a the planet again, look me up. Maybe I'll master this whole out-of-body experience thing yet."
"Will do," Ichigo agreed as he watched the turtle go down the corridor. Casting a wave as Raphael spared him one last glance before disappearing down a stairwell, Ichigo leaned on the doorway for a moment, his arms crossed over his chest.
A strange thought occurred to Ichigo. Tomorrow, he would cease to be a tourist as he headed back home to Karakura. And right now, at this very moment, Raphael's tourism into the realms of normalcy was just beginning. Ichigo had come back from his sightseeing all the stronger for it. He sincerely hoped that Raphael would come back at all. Because a normal Raphael seemed absolutely boring.
Hearing his sisters calling to him, Ichigo went back into his suite and closed the door behind him.
Author's Note: I apologize for the long delay between chapters, but it's finally finished! I hope you all enjoyed this crossover, as it really was a blast to write. Thanks for reading! :)