A/N: Chapter 8! At last! To me, I don't know about you, it feels as though this couldn't have taken longer. But perhaps that's because all I wanted to do was write, and instead I had to read book that bored me to death! Alas, what are you going to do?
This chapter is long, for me at least. I'm scared it rushes, though. I hope it's all right.
If anyone notced I changed the genre. It was "Romance" as a main category, but I'm having trouble adding that, so I changed it to "Humor". I feel there is more humor than romance, despite the corny scene at the end of the chapter.
Dedication: This goes to with a thanks to every person who has reviewed this story. I really, really, really, really appreciate the reviews, alerts and favorites. They make my day, and inspire me to write more! You guys all rock!
Anyway, I gotta post this quick, so... Everyone enjoy! Leave me a review please! They are all appreciated! Without further ado:
Chapter 8: Of Agreements and the Senkai-Mon
Ichigo stopped short at the door to his house. He refused to move an inch and Rukia almost ran into him.
"Why'd you stop?" Rukia demanded angrily.
The orange-haired Shinigami took about five steps back and offered the door to one of the other three. "The minute I open that door my father is going o come flying at me," he told them. "I'm not in the mood to stop any sort of projectile."
Uryuu laughed. "You're father's an idiot, Kurosaki," he pointed out.
"Ya think?" Ichigo asked.
"I'll open it," Rukia offered. "You're father wouldn't attack me."
Ichigo let out a bitter laugh. "Unless he thinks you're me," he said sensibly.
She shook his head. "Of course he won't. How could anyone confuse me with you?" she asked in a slightly stuck up tone.
He glared at her. "Be my guest." He let her move in front of him.
Rukia gripped the door handle, but faltered. "Scared?" Ichigo taunted.
"Of course not."
She turned the knob.
"ICHIIIGOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Rukia squealed and ducked.
Isshin flew into his son.
"DAMN IT!" Ichigo shouted and kicked the dark haired man off of him. "WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DO THAT?!?!?!"
Isshin groaned. "Why do you hurt me so, my boy?" he asked from the ground.
His son proceeded to kick him again. Isshin rose and threw his arms around Ichigo's mother, sobbing. "Masakiiiii…. our son hurts mee…" he whined.
Ichigo glared at his father as Masaki patted Isshin on the back awkwardly. "You're an idiot," Ichigo growled, rolling his eyes at him.
"Kurosaki," Hitsugaya said coldly, rising from the place at the table where he had sat. "Why the hell did you run off like that?" he demanded.
Ichigo shrugged. "Because I was confused and annoyed, and…. who the hells knows?"
Rukia reached over and slapped the orange haired boy on the arm. "What were we talking about before Strawberry ran off?" she asked the group of Shinigami.
'Must not kill the midget…must not kill the midget,' Ichigo chanted mentally.
'Ne, can I just kill them all, King' Hichigo moaned from the back of Ichigo's mind.
'Go the hell away!' Ichigo responded angrily.
'But Kiiiiiinnnngggg…'
"…Ichigo?"
The orange haired teen brought his gaze down to meet Rukia's. "What?" he asked, distracted.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Yoruichi-sama asked if we had agreed to train at this "Academy" place," she told him, using air quotes on 'Academy'. "Weren't you listening?" she asked.
He glared at her. 'No I was trying to drive an obnoxious Hollow away who wanted to kill things,' he growled mentally.
'Kiiinng, that's not nice…'
Ichigo ignored this. "Sorry," he muttered to Yoruichi. This comment received stares, which he pointedly ignored. "Yeah, the Academy…" he glanced at his mother, who smiled sadly. "Why not go to this school place?"
Urahara clapped his hands. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed. "The two of you will leave in an hour or so, through the Senkai-Mon!"
Ichigo and Rukia shared a look. "The…what?" Rukia asked, forcing herself not to glare and growl at the sandal and hat wearing blond man.
'Damn, damn, damn, damn.' Ichigo shouted mentally.
"The Senkia-Mon," Urahara said, "Will take you both to the Seireitei, where you will meet up with some Shinigami who will take you to the Academy."
'Force a smile, Ichigo.' "All right," he forced out.
Rukia managed a smile as well. "I'm going to have to go talk to my sister and tell her what is going on."
"Already taken care of, Rukia-chan!" Isshin exclaimed.
"Oh, it is?" she asked, slowly, her anger fighting its way into her words. She was beginning to see Ichigo side of this whole situation.
"Yep!"
Orihime spoke up from her place beside Uryuu, who stood behind Ichigo. "What about Uryuu-kun and I?" she asked.
"How could we have forgotten to explain about you two?" Urahara exclaimed, shocked. "Orihime-chan, Yoruichi-sama will stay here in the Living World to teach you of your powers and how to control them," he continued.
Rukia frowned. "If you don't mind me asking, how are you going to teach Orihime-chan if you're a cat, Yoruichi-sama?"
Ichigo fought ever instinct to turn and smack Rukia across the back of the head. Yoruichi had turned to face him with a look on her face something akin to mischief. 'Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn,' his mental chant started up again.
"I'll show you," the cat responded, with a smirk.
Ichigo resisted the urge to glare at Rukia and attempted to look at Yoruichi, who had, transformed into her bare human self. Ichigo colored and yanked of his jacket and handed it to her. He averted his eyes to the ground and growled, "Gain some decency."
Yoruichi took the offered coat, with a laugh. "As modest as ever, Kurosaki," she chuckled.
Uryuu, who's eyes had long since averted themselves to the floor, hazarded a look up. "You've said how you are going to teach Orihime-chan. What about me?" he asked. He lifted his head up, but stared at the wall behind Yoruichi.
She laughed. "Your father, has offered to work with you," she told him, with a smirk.
His face became completely devoid of color. "My…my father…?" he asked slowly.
Isshin grinned as well. "Yep, Uryuu-kun! Ryuuken is going to be teaching you. You see, your family is last in the Quincy line, and seeing as you don't remember, your father is going to teach you, so that the line continues," he said nearly the entire line in one breath.
Uryuu fought the urge to scream. Ichigo sent the Quincy a sympathetic look, but he continued to look pale.
Urahara clapped his hands together. "Your training needs to begin as soon as possible, Orihime-cha, Quincy-kun! Yoruichi-sama will take you home, Ishida-kun and will begin your training right away, Orihime-chan! Perhaps it would be best if the four of you said your goodbyes right now, and then we can all be on our separate ways!"
"Masaki and I will wait outside. Everyone else; leave," Yoruichi told them, still clad only in Ichigo's jacket.
Everyone did as they were told by the Flash goddess, and left Ichigo, Uryuu, Orihime and Rukia alone. They were silent and still for mere seconds and then Rukia and Orihime were embracing, sobbing onto the other's shoulder.
Uryuu turned to Ichigo, still pale, and attempted a smirk. "Our girlfriends are weird," he told the aptly dubbed strawberry.
"Yeah, they- Wait!" he exclaimed angrily, "The midget's not my girlfriend!"
The Quincy smirked; this time, it wasn't forced. "I beg to differ," he responded.
"Hey-"
The orange haired hybrid was interrupted as the girls broke apart from each other and latched themselves onto the boys: Rukia on Uryuu and Orihime on Ichigo.
"What are-?" Ishida started.
"Orihime," choke "you're" cough "strangling" choke "me!" Ichigo forced out.
The girls let go of them. "I can't believe they're separating us!" Rukia exploded.
"I can't believe we have to go to the Academy!" Ichigo said, mocking her voice.
She slapped him.
"If you think you guys have it bad, at least you don't have my father teaching you," Uryuu said with a sigh.
"You're dad's scary!" Orihime agreed.
Rukia plopped down on the table. "So we're all still up for pretending?" she asked.
Ichigo shrugged. "I say we make it as difficult as possible for them," he said vehemently.
"I can't pretend," Ishida pointed out. "Ryuuken knows that I know, remember?"
"It won't take long for Yoruichi-san to realize I remember, I think," Orihime added.
Ichigo grinned evilly. "I'm going to purposely fail every class. Just to frustrate them."
"You don't need any help failing Kidou," Rukia smirked.
"Shut up, midget!"
"Strawberry!"
Uryuu looked at Orihime. "They do that too much, don't you think?" he asked her.
She nodded. "Rukia-chan, Kurosaki-kun, perhaps we'd best go. We don't want them getting suspicious," Orihime pointed out.
Rukia and Ichigo stopped, each with a respective sigh. "You're probably right, Inoue-san," Rukia muttered.
"We're off to the excitement that is the Seireitei!" Ichigo drawled with false enthusiasm.
With more tears, at least on Rukia and Orihime's part, the foursome said their goodbyes, and parted ways. Rukia and Ichigo were herded off towards Urahara's Shoten, and Orihime and Uryuu to their respective homes.
Ichigo nudged Rukia' shoulder, when they were out of earshot of anyone but his mother. "Hey Rukia, you know what?"
"Hm?" she asked.
"You get to go through the Senkai-Mon," he pointed out.
She frowned as if pondering this as a newly learned fact, and then shook her head. "No I don't," she answered.
Ichigo turned a frown to face her. "Yes you do, why wouldn't you?"
"I've got a hell butterfly," she responded.
"You had one," he retorted. "It was probably assigned to someone new when you died."
Rukia shook her head. "They wouldn't make me go through that tun-"
She was interrupted by their arrival at the store. Her elder sister, Hisana, stood outside, her arms crossed, looking sad. "Hisana!" she exclaimed and ran toward her.
Isshin looked at Ichigo. "Say goodbye to your mother, while we set up the Senkai-Mon." He, along with the rest of the Shinigami had been waiting outside the shop, waiting for Masaki, Rukia and Ichigo. The eldest Kurosaki placed a kiss on his wife's cheek, whispered something in her ear, and entered the shop.
Rukia meanwhile, had given her sister a tight hug. "Take care of yourself with all those sword wielding buffoons, okay?" Hisana told her.
Rukia giggled tearfully. "You too. And take care of Chappy," she told the elder girl, referring to their bunny.
They broke from their embrace and Hisana looked at her sister seriously. "If you see Byakuya-sama…. Tell him I'd like to talk to him if it's possible."
"Alright."
Ichigo hugged his mother tightly. "Take care Mom," he told her.
"You too Ichigo. Don't do any unnecessary fighting, alright."
"I'll try, Mom."
Their embrace was broken when Renji ran up, panting. "I…" huff, "forgot to" pant "give you this." He handed her an envelope.
She frowned. "Um, thanks…"
"It's from your husband," he told her, standing up straight. "Sorry, I almost forgot."
Masaki frowned. "Um, thanks," she said again.
He nodded and walked off.
Ichigo turned back to his mother. "Okay then…"
She kissed his cheek. "I'm going to go. Take care Ichigo."
"Yeah, you too, Mom," he said again.
Ichigo and Rukia stood in front of the Senkia-Mon. Rukia slightly upset that she had to use the said device. She had been angered to discover that Ichigo had been correct and there was no longer a hell butterfly assigned to her.
To all the Shinigami present, it had been a shock to find, that when removed from their bodies, Rukia and Ichigo both possessed Shinigami forms. Only to Ichigo and Rukia themselves was it not a surprise. They had feigned confusion, and the others had been so surprised that they didn't seem to notice how fake it all was.Urahara had given both of them Academy outfits in the end, so at least they didn't have to explain it to anyone.
The other Shinigami, Urahara and Yoruichi excluded had traveled to the Soul Society already, and now only the four aforementioned people remained. "When you step through," Urahara started, "You are just going to run. Don't stop. Just run straight to the light."
Ichigo glared at the sandal and hat wearing man. This sounded clichéd.
"There, you go. Are you ready?"
Rukia's head bolted up. "That's all you're telling ussssssssssss-?!"
Her last word was cut off as Urahara pushed them through the gate. He grinned at the place where there forms had been. "Have fun!"
Ichigo and Rukia did as they were told. They ran.
And ran.
And ran.
And ran….
Rukia looked sideways at Ichigo. "This is the Senkai-Mon?!" she shouted. "Are we almost through?"
"Yes!" he called back. "I hope we're almost through!" he added.
"How many times did you go through this?" she asked.
"No idea! Too many!" he responded.
"This is cruel and unusual, and it-" Suddenly there was nothing beneath them. She let out an ear-piecing scream as they fell to the ground.
They landed on the ground; Rukia on her bottom and Ichigo, strangely enough, in the same position he had first entered the Soul Society in: On his back, legs over his head.
He groaned and let his legs fall down.
"That," Rukia said slowly, "Should be destroyed."
"You think?" he answered with a moan, as he stood up. He sighed, stretching. "Come on, we'd best go," he told her.
Rukia shook her head. "I'm not getting up from this spot," she answered.
"Yes you are."
"Am not."
"Are to."
"Am not."
"Are to."
"Am not."
Ichigo let out a growl. "Fine, if that's how you want to play…." he said through gritted teeth. He reached over to her, and grabbed her. She seemed light as a feather, and he threw her over his shoulder.
"Eek!" Rukia squealed. "Put me down Ichigo!" she flailed her arms in legs, surprising Ichigo.
The tall orange-haired hybrid fell over, but not before, Rukia slipped off his should first. Ichigo landed on top of her, knees on either side of her legs, and hands next to her shoulders, barely managing not to crush her under him.
Everything froze. Time seemed to stop. It was just like all those corny love stories Rukia had read, but real. She met his eyes and bit her tongue. He felt his head lowering on its own accord, closer and closer to hers.
They were inches away from each other, when-
"Could you two get a room, before you start doing something like that?"
End Chapter 8: Of Agreements and the Senkai-MonA/N: I even went and put a corny love scene in the end! it was really bad, but I felt like putting it in. Sorry. I hope the chapter was up to par! Its length certainly was. Forgive the severe lack of detail. I hope it was all right.
Frozen Shattered Roses pointed out something to me. It was suggested that I give Rukia and Ichigo Academy outfits prior to their travels through the Senkai-Mon. That has since been changed.
I don't know a great deal about the Senkai-Mon, so I didn't add anything. In fact, I hope the spelling's right! xD
Leave a review! Please! I'd really like everyone's opinions and input! Thanks!
Ambiguous Rose
