Hello everyone, I finally have the time to post this chapter. You see, my wholesome of exams are finally done, with me cowering in fear as I wait for the results to come (7th of May). Well, enough with my rambling, scroll down everyone! Enjoy the eighth chapter!
Disclaimer: Bleach © Kubo Tite. If it was mine, the 4th movie of Bleach would be a compilation of all ever-existing yaoi IchiXHichi fic we fangirl made, which, sad but true, is slim to none ;P
Rukia, noticed by no one, was standing outside the small bedroom of Ichigo, her sharp ears hearing every single word the Kurosakis had said inside.
'So, he was indeed had an amnesia back then,' thought the raven-haired girl as her brows creased a little more than usual. 'Not just any normal amnesia too.'
She crossed the both of her hands at her chest, feeling morose—no, rage—to anyone who had induced this made-up amnesia to her best friend that made him forgetting his—his most important person for goodness' sake! Of course this was a made-up amnesia; anyone who had the intelligent more than a monkey would know this right away (to be said, a little knowledge of shinigami's equipment should be included too). Not any normal amnesia could sweep the memory of a single person in one's mind as easy as flipping a hand.
And, considering the circumstances 4 years ago (she assumed Ichigo lost his memory at that time, looking back at his twin's death year, which was 1997), especially looking back when the redheaded Kurosaki said that he hadn't met a single shinigami in his life, there's only one person who could be the suspect.
Only one who could be the suspect, one who had had the technology of a shinigami since long time ago and one who had lived in the real world and knew about Karakura Town deeply.
Rukia's hand quickly reached into the inside of his dress' pocket, producing what seemed to be a white-coloured phone. She flapped the phone open roughly, before typing into the phone's keypad in an incredible speed while the poor machine struggled to display the numbers which the vigorous girl had typed at once. She brought the phone to her right ear after she finished typing the numbers. When she was waiting for the damn shopkeeper to answer her call, Rukia heard four familiar voices rang from the inside of Ichigo's room.
"…I can explain this." It was Kurosaki Isshin's. In a rather gloomy voice too.
"Then explain it now!!" And of course, this was the rough voice of Ichigo.
A deep sigh, then "Yuzu, Karin…,"
"We know, dad."
"…please don't fight with daddy, Ichi-nii…,"
There was a moment of silence, but the reply from the oldest brother of the Kurosaki Rukia had been waiting for never came. (She figured that he was shooting a look of guilt in his face to his blonde sister which read 'I'm sorry'. She thought that he just not had the strength to say it)
Then Rukia saw the fraternal twins got out from the room, a feeling of worry clearly written on the girls' face. Karin then took the chance of their departure to close the door, leaving the only men in the Kurosaki household in private. She looked at Rukia who was still standing beside her, looking back at Karin's dull eyes with the same tension as the younger girl's.
"Rukia-san," said Karin, catching Yuzu's attention when she was going to take a step down the stair. She was reluctant at first, her hands buckled into a tight fist as she gazed at the wooden door she had closed before with her black eyes. In the end, she sighed a little, trying to let out all of her worry in that invisible cloud of breath, before looking back at Rukia again with a hopeful gaze.
"Please help my brother," resumed the black-haired Kurosaki. "He's an idiot; always so close-minded towards anyone with his problems. No matter how much I tried to make him spill the beans, he would never budge. I know I can't get him going anywhere, but, you, Rukia-san…,"
Not waiting for Karin to continue her dangling speech, Rukia smiled meekly, before putting her free hand on the younger girl's shoulder and said, "I'll try, okay? You're right, your brother is an idiot." with a reassuring voice.
Karin giggled a little at Rukia approval of his brother's idiocy (she also heard her blonde's twin chuckle). Well, it's indeed a common knowledge to anyone who was close to Ichigo, though. His brother was just so-so…
The boisterous girl quickly stopped her giggle, and she turned around, glancing at Rukia's face once again in a pleading look, before walking down the stairs with her sister, leaving the raven-haired shinigami alone in the quiet corridor.
'I'll try, Karin-chan. I'll try…,' thought Rukia in her mind, trying to reassure herself more than she reassured the black-haired Kurosaki who had gone into the first floor with her blonde twin with her incessant chanting. 'I'll try…, Karin-chan. I'll try, if I knew what happened to Ichigo and his brother—,'
'Click!'
'Finally,' said Rukia in her mind when the other person at the other side finally answered, pausing her chanting in an abrupt halt as she returned to her usual solemn voice.
"Urahara Shōten here, may I help you with anything?"
"Urahara, it's me."
"Ooh~! Kuchiki-san!" cried the former captain of the 12th squad in his seemed to be a forceful sing-song voice, as Rukia noticed how it was slightly wavered. "How unusual for you to be calling us in such a strange time! Ooh, or may you be trying to postpone Kurosaki-san's—examination—?"
Rukia's mind clicked a little at the tone of Urahara's last word.
Got him.
It was obvious how the blonde shopkeeper's breath hitched a little when he mentioned about Ichigo.
'He knows something,' thought Rukia. 'Something important that is.'
"Urahara, explain." Said the Kuchiki girl in a creepily sternful voice, triggering a dead silence at the other side of the phone. "Explain about what you know about Ichigo's made-up amnesia and his deceased brother now, in full detail no less. And about his magically healed wounds too." Heck, given that she was pretty skilled with her kidou skill, she knew, that even with the captain of the 4th squad's healing ability, a wound that extreme wouldn't healed in a matter of day—hours, even more. Truth to be said, she knew that all of his redhead friend's wounds were all healed since she had checked him before when she found Ichigo's unconscious body during their little 'trip' at the graveyard (and was dumbstrucked when she saw Hichigo –Ichigo's twin brother-'s tombstone in front of the both of them). Countless possibilities struck her head when she tried to find what had gone wrong to Ichigo that made him lay unconscious—'Maybe he was off-guard and a hollow attacked him again?'—'The wounds are open again and brought him great pain?'—'His (already) idiot head got hit by something and resulting in a concussion or what?'—but, no; there's no wound at all, not in his mortal body, not in his shinigami (soul) body. There's not even a single scab that hinted there was a wound there at all.
It's like it was never there.
"Why did you hide him from me?! Do you have no heart for your son?!" a hoarse voice of someone's familiar brought her back from her contemplating, eyes slightly narrowed when she realized that the voice came from the inside of the room. It was Ichigo's.
"I did that to save you!" came a rushed reply from the head of the Kurosaki family. "You think I would gladly trash Hichigo as easy as you were saying?!"
"What, so you were saying that I could stand right here and right now because my brother is dead? Because Hichigo is dead now that I can be…'saved' as you said it?! Then I'd better not live at all!!"
'Slap!!'
'He really snaps,' thought Rukia in her mind as she bit her lips when she heard the sound of the father (she thought) slapping his son (she thought). Her face was worried, and slightly guilty, for not being able—no, not being allowed to interfere the fight that currently was on. She couldn't. Of course, it was their family's business after all, something she shouldn't take part in. A half of her seemed to scream like 'I shouldn't be here at all,', but the other half, the other one that had promised to Karin-chan (and to herself) to try her best helping Ichi-nii from his current ordeal, begged to differ. Being a Rukia she was, of course she chose the other side who begged to differ, planting her naked feet deeper on the floor.
Promptly sighing, remembering that she was currently on the phone with the (strangely) dead silent Urahara (it was also uncanny how he hadn't hung up already, or was he hearing all of the fuss that was happening inside the room? Their voices –as a man- were loud, after all), she resumed her question (or more, like, demand), "Urahara."
A cough at the other side of the phone, before rang the words, "It's going to be a long story,"
"Then make it short." Replied Rukia with sarcasm.
Urahara merely sighed, knowing that the Kuchiki wouldn't hang up until she got some information from him at the least. Reluctant he was, as he always felt uncomfortable and guilty when he was forced to said all the things he had hidden to the others. The all things and information he had hidden were hidden for a reason, a reason that was people better off not knowing at all. It was for the best for them (or at least it was what he thought), yet when he needed to let the truth spill from his mouth, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt stabbed him. Just like this time.
Deciding to finally tell Kuchiki-san after the moment that seemed to be like forever, Urahara said, "Fine, I'll start with the easier one. Does Kuchiki-san remember about Kurosaki-san's fatal injuries?"
"Yes, yes. Of course I know, that's what I was asking you about." Replied Rukia morosely.
"Then, do you remember about hollow—especially the high-class one—'s regenerative ability?"
The raven-haired shinigami frowned a bit at the shopkeeper's out-of-context question. But she replied nonetheless, given that she was a very diligent student back in the academy, "Well, yes, I remember, but what does it have to do with this?"
"Well, to be said, Kurosaki-san's body developes said ability, making his injuries quickly healed." Said Urahara immediately, making Rukia's purple eyes twitched ever so slightly.
What?
What?
…What?
Was the mad scientist (not as mad as the current 12th squad's captain, but still…) had finally lost his mind?
"…I thought you clearly stated that it is a hollow's ability, or have my ears fooled me?" asked the exasperated shinigami, rubbing her temple as she did so.
"Well~ Yes, I did say hollow there, Kuchiki-san~! Although I'd not mind if you want to have an ear check-up at my place. I'll even give you discount!" cheered Urahara back in his usual annoying voice (Rukia could see –think- him grinning mischievously at the other side of the phone, hands gripping the edge of the poor white phone in an attempt to hold her building anger), hoping for an easy big fat money.
"Hey! I am talking about important matter here!" shouted Rukia in a low tone, trying not to disturb Ichigo and his father inside.
"Woops~ Aah, yeah, anyway, I meant what I said; it's a hollow's ability, yet Kurosaki-san was able to develop such thing." Resumed the blonde shopkeeper, back to his unusual serious voice.
"But—how? It's not possi—,"
"It is possible, given with the right subject and material and all."
Rukia's purple eyes widened when Urahara cut her objection. Realization dawned on her, as she finally understood what the enigmatic shinigami was implying all along. It didn't take long for anyone (even Renji) when he had started talking about subject and material and—and… She chose not to finish the words, and quickly whispered into the phone in a very angry tone, "…Are you saying, you turned Ichigo into a hollow?!"
"No, no, not hollow," Urahara abruptly cut the Kuchiki girl's accusation, but then he continued, "The more correct term would be a Vizard, but it's not a correct name either."
Rukia frowned at what Urahara said, her building anger quickly replaced with sheer confusion, "Wait, what is a Vizard?"
"I thought you're asking 'what happened to Kurosaki-san', not 'what is a Vizard', Kuchiki-san?" asked the blonde shopkeeper in his mischievous tone, trying to pry the question Rukia had asked out of curiosity, in fear of explaining another truth only he and a handful of shinigami knew of. Beside, "It's too much question at once, Kuchiki-san~! I'd prefer a question a time, please?"
Gritting her teeth, Rukia nearly wanted to throw the damn thing she was clutching to her ear upon the wall. Dear, how much time she'd need to just hear a bloody explanation from the annoying sing-song voice of that former captain of 12th squad?! Or did all of the captains in that crazy squad was as mad as a mad person can be?!
"Urahara, please, I need you to tell me now." Continued the raven-haired girl, trying to sound as polite as she could without adding a force in her voice (she'd tried her best, if you're wondering). "I don't have all day."
There was an exasperated sigh at the other side of the phone (and Rukia realized that the older man had been prying those questions all along. But, there's no need for more anger, right? He's finally going to tell her, and anger would only waste more of her time), and Urahara said with a stern voice, "Well, about 4 years ago—,"
"Get off!! Get off of me!!" a scream from someone familiar abruptly cut Urahara's words, in the same time as the small head of Kuchiki Rukia turned around to see an orange-headed man barging out from the room, with the other man's hand clinging to his wrist with a scary look Rukia couldn't fathom coming from the oldest man of the Kurosaki household. She quickly took a step back, in fear of getting caught in their fight, hand still clutching to her phone with the man in the other side's voice no longer coherent.
Still, she hadn't seen Ichigo in such a frightening state; a clearly-seen rage ornating his scowling face, with his limbs all kicking and hitting, trying to pry Isshin's glued hand in his hand with undescribeable anger. "Get your hand off of me!!" shouted Ichigo, not even recognizing Rukia was watching the entire scheme.
"Not until you calm down first!" replied Isshin with a loud voice, retaining his hard-headed nature towards his son.
"Why would I?! So that you can babble all you want, sermoning me with all talk about 'how I did that because I love you' and those bullshit, while in fact you throw your other son because of this so-called love?"
"Mind your words, Kurosaki Ichigo." shouted Isshin in an authoritive tone, making Ichigo flinched a little because of his unusual voice (making even Rukia to back off, hitting the white wall as she felt a strong reiraku vibrating around the corridor in the same time as Ichigo's dad scolded him. 'W-what with this strong pressure…? I-I can hardly breathe…'). "You're in my house. In the clinic, with your sisters downstairs, while you are babbling with how I throwing my son?"
'Aack—!' She nearly screamed but found out that her voice was blocked out while the strong reiatsu pressed her body like countless needle puncturing her skin that made her sliding down on the floor, both hands grasping her chest with the phone pressed against it, automatically shutting it down when the button of 'End Call' was hit.
But, as soon as it came, the strong pressure of reiraku in the corridor died down when she thought she was going to die because of out of breath, clearly giving Rukia a time to pumped air into her empty lungs as she wheezed in the corner of the corridor, cold sweat trailing down her forehead and cheeks. 'Was it…Ichigo? But, he can't! Or, was it that Kurosaki Isshin-san was controlling his reiatsu…? Is he a…?'
But her thought was completely shattered, as Ichigo quickly took the chance of silence to slap his dad's hand on his wrist, freeing his hand as he shot a vengeful glare towards his now silent father, not even attempting to catch his son's wrist again to hold him back.
"F-fine." Said Ichigo with a weary voice ('He felt the pressure, too.' Thought Rukia, seeing his face glistened with sweat, but he seemed to handle the pressure far better than Rukia). "In your house, right? Your house—huh… Fine, I'll move out from here. I'll vanish from here, just like as you hope Hichigo to be."
"Ichigo!!" Rukia abruptly shout, quickly forgetting her former thought as her feet trodded the wooden corridor, passing the still silent Isshin whose face was looking down to his feet, and grasped the taller man's shoulder, stopping Ichigo in his track. "Stop it! You're going to hurt yourself and your dad! Beside, you need to rest on the bed first!"
But he paid no attention, nor did he try to turn around to see Rukia with her widened purple eyes. Instead, the redheaded Kurosaki simply walk along the corridor, forcing Rukia's small hand to be released from his shoulder as he walked down the stairs. She only watched with guilt of being unable to stop his best friend as Ichigo's body was out of her sight, hearing the shouting of both the younger twins calling for their brother from downstair in a hopeless gaze ("O-oh, onii-chan, would you like to eat? I've prepared the food for you—ah? A-are you going somewhere, nii-chan?"—"H-hey! Where are you going? Hey! Ichigo! Answer me! Hey!").
When Rukia turned around to see Isshin, in hope of him stopping his idiot son as she was unable to,
She found that he was still standing on the same spot with a trail of tears streaming on his cheek.
The once-blue sky had turned to grey, with a sound of brewing storm coming from the far-end of the world. Not within a minute more to go by, the heavy rain had started pouring down, each droplets of water clattering as it hit against the window-pane, breaking the silence that was ruling the once-peaceful world.
But he paid attention, nor did he try to find a shelter to protect his albino body from the raging rain (hell, there's not even a single shelter –let alone house- to be seen in this twisted world to protect him should a rain come –like this time-. Sometimes, he was grateful that he lived most of his 4 years of life trapped in his brother's subconscious mind, where there were only darkness and darkness and…darkness. It still sucks so badly though. But once he stepped out –finally!- from that forsaken world…, he was promptly greeted by a storm? Was he that unwelcomed by that idiot redhead? –before he knew the truth, of course- Heck, Ichigo was seriously in need to redecorate his inner world, really. Preferably some shelter or house or mansion with green scenery and pure-breed dogs).
Kurosaki Hichigo was laid sprawled on the side of the building, letting the rain splattering his white body, wetting his also white shihakushō. Although artificial, the rain was refreshing to his body, as he hadn't felt the rain for, like, 4 years who had been like forever.
4 years.
He spent 4 years of his life trapped in his brother inner world, unable to see his lovely Ichigo. Yet he was residing in his world. Hichigo thought it was ironic, on how he was so close to his most important person in his life, yet he was so far.
He sighed at the thought, seeing his breath reformed in a small puff of white (it was cold, mind you) before once again lost in the stream of rain. Rubbing his no longer protruding snowy hair (he actually preferred this style, although the bangs covering his eyes were annoying), Hichigo turned his head around to see Zangetsu-san still standing firmly on the small pole beyond the building he was currently sprawled on. Zangetsu-san was looking at the grey sky, the rain splattering his orange-tinted eyeglasses.
"It's raining." Said Zangetsu-san, with the voice seemed to resonate in the inner world, enabling Hichigo to hear his hoarse voice although the human-manifestation of zanpakutō was standing so far to him like a magic.
'No shit, Sherlock!' thought Hichigo as he deadpanned. Of course it was raining, couldn't he see that he was wet as hell like this? But, he chose not to voice his thought, as it'd come out rude (you thought he had no manners as a hollow? He'd be slapped by his mother) and better not make Zangetsu-san mad ('Was he capable of being mad, though?') at a time like this. And as another minute went by, there was only silence in the world except for the sound of splattering-water.
Zangetsu tore his gaze from the grey sky then, before looking at his master's brother who still hadn't moved from his sprawling position. He said, "What are you going to do? Now that Ichigo has known about your existence."
"Nothin' at 't momen'." Replied Hichigo simply. "Too tired ta move, blastin' a Cero after a nap is bad fer your health, I guess."
The zanpakutō did not reply, as he was still slightly angry to the white-skinned man before him from that 'little' incident sometime ago he mentioned, that luckily brought remembrance of Ichigo towards his twin –this boy who fired the blood-red Cero-. It was because the plan Hichigo had told him first-hand did not include killing his master ("Hey, of cour'e King wouldn't kick ta bucket by a Cero, would he? The Cero was jus' a tranquilizer!" that was what Hichigo's objection when he asked him a few minutes ago –with a glare, of course-. "Err, okay, maybe not a tranquilizer, but it'd still put 'im ta sleep at ta least!").
"But, I'm going to kick in once he realized about it," said Hichigo suddenly, bringing Zangetsu back from his contemplating as he noticed the change in his accent.
"That way, we'll be together back, right, Zangetsu-san?" He smiled what seemed to be coming from a psychopath, a face fueled with happy expression just as like as a child being given a chocolate. "We'll be together, forever! Only us three in one peaceful world…,"
He ended his wistful speech with a relieved smile, then…
"…with no one to separate us again anymore."
~to be continued
For anyone who's confused, the story took place before the Arrancar arc, so Rukia had no knowledge at all of a vizard (and~ I don't think they taught Vizard subject in the academy, nor did they tell it to the current Gotei 13. Arrancar maybe, given that it's a race of hollow. But, Vizard? When 8 captains/vice-captains getting turned into a hollow? That'll create a ruckus, won't it?).
And, yeah, poor Rukia. :P Had wasted her time, but still hadn't gotten the explanation of our dear Urahara. As I have said, I love to make Rukia suffer. Not in a bad way though~ But of course! As the time comes, we'll see Urahara spill the candies! I want orange-flavoured! (coughcompletelymissingthepointcough)
Last but not least, review everyone! Suggestion, opinion, critic are all welcomed! And lol, one word review too! (looking at LiquidObsidianEyes xD)
