(Just reposting the chapters with the paragraph breaks that had misteriously vanished)
Many thanks to all you people who reviewed and favored my story!
Special thanks to Rukiashirou who helped me get the name suffixes right. As a thank you, I sent Rukia on a mission to your country!
I know it took me some time, but did you notice how freaking long is this chapter ?!
IMPORTANT: The events in the following chapter happen BEFORE those in the 1st chapter.
CHAPTER 2
***THE MORNING OF THE SAME DAY***
First period. Math Test.
Ichigo was staring at his paper. Not that he hadn't studied, but today he just couldn't concentrate.
His eyes kept sliding to the empty desk beside his. Where the hell are you, midget ? She should've been back yesterday from her mission in the Philippines.
Since becoming 13th Division's Fukutaicho, she was responsible for the supervision of Easthern and South-Easthern Asia, which meant that every time the local Shinigamis in that area weren't able to deal with their Hollows, she was called to lead a small group of fighters from her Division to take care of the threat. (1)
Most of the times he went with her claiming that otherwise he would get rusty, since the number of Hollows in Karakura had dwindled down after the War, but this last time he'd stayed behind.
Why the hell did I let her go alone? Ichigo argued with himself.
Oh right ! It's because she's the most stubborn, annoying and sadistic bitch in the Universe who enjoys twisting the meaning of my words then kicking me for it ! he glowered at Rukia's desk as if it was the girl herself.
She even dared to accuse ME that I think she's weak ! Which is just STUPID ! I mean, she killed a freaking Espada all by herself ! he continued his inner rant.
In truth, he was really proud of her, of how brave she'd shown herself to be during those difficult months. After her near-death experience, she'd stubbornly decided to go back to battle even though she wasn't fully recovered yet, and that had been just the beginning of their trials.
Many other clashes had followed and she had fought valiantly, but after Aaroniero Arruruerie, he'd decided to stick by her as much as it was possible, given the circumstances.
On the other hand, he seriously didn't know how he would have made it to the end if she hadn't been there to kick his ass every time he started doubting himself.
Unfortunately, these things that he considered 'facts', had somehow got lost during their arguement.
Why won't she get it that I just need to know she's safe ? She's may nakama ! he sulked. Only that, when Rukia had asked 'why' he wasn't checking as often on, say, Orihime or Tatsuki – they too still fought Hollows from time to time – , he'd started stuttering and spluttering.
It had ended with a mean kick to his gut and a furious Rukia jumping out of his bedroom window.
That had been three days ago.
Since then Ichigo had been constantly drifting between anger and worry, though today he was leaning more towards the latter. I could contact Soul Society and ask about her, but if she's OK and still mad – a very likely possibility – she's gonna flail me alive!
SLAM !
The class door slid – well, 'slammed' – open interrupting his train of thoughts. A familiar red-haired boy stood on the doorstep.
The boy scanned the faces of the present, then made eye-contact with Ichigo and some of his friends. "The boss wants all of you at the shop ASAP"
Ichigo cocked an eyebrow "What-" but Jinta was already out of view and running down the corridor.
The teacher blinked "Who was that ?"
Orihime, Tatsuki and Sado looked at Ichigo questioningly, but he shook his head. "No idea" he mouthed.
He turned to Uryu whispering "Do you feel anything ?"
The Quincy took a moment, then he too shook his head.
Ichigo huffed in aggravation but stood up just the same, followed by his friends.
"Just where do you think you are going ?" Fukuda-sensei addressed them icily. "You have a math test going on. Especially you Arisawa-san" the teacher pierced the girl with his gaze.
Tatsuki stiffened. As if I could forget this is my make-up test !
"I'm sorry Fukuda-sensei" she bowed deeply "I hope you will be so understanding and give me another chance, but this is an emergency". With that Tatsuki turned on her heel and run after the others, who had used the distraction to slip out of class – Traitors !
Damn you Urahara ! She scowled in a way rivaling her orange-haired friend, If this is about anything less than a reincarnate Aizen, I'm gonna tear you limb from limb!
Urahara's Shoten doors slid open revealing Jinta who yelled "They're here !" then disappeared back outside.
The five high-school students stepped inside where the jovial shop-owner greeted them. "Goodmorning everybody ! How are you ?"
The responses varied from Orihime's cheerful "Goodmorning Urahara-san !" to Ichigo's grunt.
"So where's the fire ?" the orange-haired teen asked in an annoyed tone, but Mr. Hat'n'Clogs blissfully ignored him – as usual.
"Please, sit everybody !"
They did, then they all gave Urahara an expectant look.
A moment later Tessai brought a steaming pot and some cups.
"Would you like some tea ? But of course you would ! A cup of Ban-Cha in the morning is the best way to start your day !" the shop-owner rambled on.
A vein popped on Tatsuki's forehead. "Cut the crap Urahara ! What's going on ?"
Her friends gave her a weird look, while Orihime looked at her worriedly.
"My my, aren't we nervous !" Urahara commented with one of his infamous grins, but then he tipped his striped hat revealing serious eyes that belied his playful tone.
So something really did happen, Ichigo thought. He glanced at his friends and saw them tense up ever so slightly. Yep, they too, by now, knew how to read the crazy ex-captain .
Urahara's face turned somehow solemn and he finally started explaining. "I've just received confirmation that Central 46 has released the order to seal all of your Spiritual Powers and erase all of your memories that have anything to do with the Spiritual World.
"Very soon, maybe even today, they are going to send several squads from the Kido Corps to carry out the orders".
A stunned silence filled the room.
Ichigo was the first to recover. "The hell they are !" he barked, slamming a fist on the table and making the cups jump on the spot.
"I'm so NOT going to let them do that !" Tatsuki growled "I was the last one to get my powers and I'm going to keep them !"
Uryuu narrowed his eyes. "They can't seal the powers of a Quincy", he stated flatly. (2)
"That's right, Ishida-kun" Kisouke replied "but your memories are fair game".
The Quincy scowled.
"But, why are they doing that ?" Orihime piped up.
"Well" Urahara tilted his head "officially it's so that you can go back to living your normal human lives".
Ichigo scoffed and even the others didn't look very convinced, but Inoue got thoughtful. Back to a normal life… no more monsters, no more blood and pain… but then, she glanced at Ichigo wistfully, I would forget all those times with Kurosaki-kun.
Tatsuki noticed the faraway look on her friend. "You OK, 'Hime ?"
"Uh ? Ah, of course !" the other girl gave her a wide smile. Ichigo remained clueless, as usual.
"Since you are telling us" the Substitute said "I suppose you've prepared some countermeasure".
The shop-owner chuckled deviously. "You know me too well !" he said, then turned to the ex-captain of the Kido Corps who was sitting next to him "Tessai-san, explain to them, please."
The other man nodded. "The Bakudo they are going to use is supposed to bury your reiryoku deep inside your soul at least until the time you die and part from your mortal bodies.
"In order to avoid Central 46 getting suspicious, we're going to let the Kido work, but I'm putting a seal on you so it can be easily broken – if you know how to do that" Tessai finished with a smirk.
"What about our memories ?" Ishida asked, folding his arms.
"Well" Kisouke intervened "since I've 'casually' found out what kind of Memory Modifier they're using, I've prepared these" he reached inside his pocket and showed them…
"Huh ? Pink lentils ?" Orihime blinked "How cute !!!" but the guys eyed the things doubtfully.
"These 'lentils'" the scientist explained "are supposed to interfere with the Memory Modifier. All you'll have to do is apply one behind each ear !"
Ichigo and Uryuu sweatdropped.
"So we won't be losing our memories ?" Sado asked taking a couple of lentils. Hmm…they really are cute.
"Not exactly" Urahara replied "as with the Bakudo, we'll let it do its job, but thanks to these devices the effect will be only temporary !" he finished with a proud smile.
"What's your idea of 'temporary' ?" Ichigo asked suspicious.
"It means until they are deactivated, that is a few years–"
everybody gasped,
"– if nobody touches them, or as soon as 'somebody' " he pointed with his fan at himself and Tessai "deactivates them".
"So", Arisawa glared and folded her arms "we are dependant on you to get both our powers and memories back. I don't like it and I think the others agree".
The worried looks on the others' faces confirmed her words.
"But you see, Tatsuki-chan" Urahara countered "we must play it safe and this is the best way. They will be monitoring all of you, and if they uncover the truth, they won't give me the chance to do anything before sealing you powers and memories for good.
"In Soul Society permanent means permanent" he added with grave emphasis, his eyes hidden by his hat, but a second later he was back to his cheery self "and if something happens to either me, Tessai-san or Yoruichi-san, there's always our hero !" he pointed at Ichigo "I'll teach him what to do to break the Bakudo and deactivate the lentils !"
"What ?!" said hero's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed. What are you planning Geta-Boushi ?
Orihime looked at her school-mate intrigued, but Tatsuki paled. My powers depending on Kurosaki-kun doing Kido ?! Immediately after, another thought struck her. Wait–
but Ishida was even quicker on the uptake "Wait, does this mean Kurosaki gets to keep his powers and his memories ? Why ?" he bored his eyes first into the ex-captain's then into Ichigo's, who stiffened, returned the glare, but stayed unusually silent.
"Well…" Kisouke twirled his fan and studied first the orange-haired teen, then his friends "it really is just a technical problem, you know ?" he smiled. "Remember that, unlike you, Kurosaki-kun has the get out of his body to access his powers, so we can't use the same procedures on him".
Ishida didn't look convinced. He was no expert in Kido, but something was missing in that explanation. "Wha–",
but Ichigo cut him off "You still haven't told us what you think are the real reasons behind Central 46's decision, Urahara-san".
He's even changing the subject ?! the Quincy got even more suspicious. He glanced at the others and saw that Inoue, Arisawa and Sado had noticed as well. What are you hiding, Kurosaki ?
"As you've probably guessed, this decision is quite in line with Central 46's usual Modus Operandi" Kisouke said " What really has me and others in Soul Society think there's something more to it is their timing".
"Meaning ?" Tatsuki asked, quickly forgetting about her thoughts about Ichigo.
"Mening that it's been just a year, and there are still powerful Arrancars around" Kurosaki scowled and clenched his jaw.
"Exactly !" Urahara nodded in approval "Soul Society is currently short of powerful fighters. Why get rid of some of your best resources ?" he gave them a meaningful look. "And let's not forget the Hogyoku was lost, not destroyed".
"And it has the bad habit of turning up at the most inconvenient of times" Ichigo added bitterly, remembering how Aizen had surprised them with a second wave of even more powerful Arrancars thanks to that cursed device.
Many faces frowned in thought.
Sado was the first to ask what was on everybody's mind. "Who do you think is behind this ?"
"We don't know yet" Urahara replied "but, since the order they've given doesn't 'remove' you for good, this person, or group of people, is either really cunning and doesn't want to attract any attention, or doesn't have enough influence inside Central 46".
"So" Ichigo knittend his eyebrows "you're saying this could be the work of a bunch of whiny aristocrats ?"
"It's one of the possibilities, but" Kisouke looked at them from under his hat "as we don't know, we too have to move very carefully"
A heavy silence descended on the room.
"Argh !" Inoue put both hands in her hair "All this talk of conspiracies is making my head spin !"
"You're so right, Orihime-chan !" the ex-captain sighed dramatically, then glanced at the clock. "I think we should hurry with the Kido seals. Who's going first ?"
Sado stood up and Tessai motioned for him to follow him in one of the back rooms.
Ichigo sat on a rock in Urahara's basement. He was in his shinigami form, Zangetsu propped against a leg, and observing Tessai with a frown while the Kido expert worked on his body a few feet away.
Tessai appeared to be 'drawing' some weird lines with his reiatsu on his body, which shook every so often as if hit by a seizure.
"What's he doing, exactly ?" he asked his menthor, who was standing next to him.
"He's tracing force lines that will deflect the Spiritual Energy of the Bakudo"
"Ah, I see"
They watched in silence for some more time, then Kisouke spoke "You haven't told them, have you ?"
Ichigo looked up and rised an eyebrow "About ?"
Urahara pointed his fan at the body, that was currently experiencing another seizure.
Ichigo's expression hardened. "It wasn't necessary".
Urahara shrugged. "If you say so".
"And I'm sure you've told my old man ages ago" the Substitute added drily. It wasn't really a question.
The former captain smirked, his eyes hidden by the shade of his hat.
"Sooner or later they will start noticing you're not aging".
"I know".
After the War, when things had finally calmed down, Urahara had taken the time to explain to him something he'd already suspected.
He was dead.
Plain and simple.
Actually, if you stopped to think about it, it was quite obvious. You're alive as long your Chain of Fate is linked to your body. When it's broken the body dies very soon, while you become first a plus, then a Hollow or you go to Soul Society where you can become a Shinigami: his life story – though maybe not exactly in that order. (3)
That time, two and a half years ago, Urahara had had to make his body into a gigai, otherwise it would have deteriorated. The only difference between his and what the shop-owner usually sold was that it, being his original body, fit him perfectly. As with every other gigai, it couldn't age, unless you used the kind that sucked your powers and turned you back into a Human, and that wasn't an option.
He'd often wondered why nobody questioned that he could get in and out of his body as he pleased. No Human could do that, not even his super-powered friends.
Speaking of…"Does Soul Society know ?"
"Well" Kisouke tipped his hat with his fan "considering the kind of Bakudo they're going to use on you, no"
The Substitute strightened his back in surprise. "How is that even possible ? The 12th Division is not busy with Aizen anymore"
"First, they still don't know how you got back your shinigami powers. Second, don't forget that Kurotsuchi-taicho is dead".
"What about his fukutaicho ?"
"Ah yes, Nemu-san, such a nice girl, isn't she ?" Kisouke grinned.
Ichigo scowled. "What are you not telling me ?" but Urahara just retained his enigmatic smile.
The teen's left eye twitched. He considered shaking the info out of the scheming Shinigami, but just then Tessai called that he was finished with the seal.
Ichigo was about to exit the shoten, when he stopped on the doorstep as a thought struck him. "Urahara-san, if we're not supposed to kill the Hollows for the time, who's gonna protect the town ?"
Kisouke shrugged. "There's still Zennosuke-san"
"That incompetent ?! No, no way !" Ichigo glared at the other. "I don't care about Central -fucking- 46 if it means letting the Hollows snack on Karakura's souls !" he finished getting into Urahara's face.
"Allright allright" Kisouke waved his hands in a defensive manner "I'll have somebody protect Karakura until this story isn't over. Is that OK ?"
Ichigo stepped back. "Thank you, Urahara-san".
The teen stepped outside, but the shop-owner stopped him. "I almost forgot, Kurosaki-kun, these are your 'lentils'"
Ichigo took the tiny devices and blinked. Orange, huh? he smirked. A much better color.
***TBC***
NEXT CHAPTER: Rukia comes to town & we finally get to see some action !
A/N:
Oh Kami, this chap is finally over ! *waves herself*. I can't believe it got SO long, and I couldn't even break it in two!
I expect many many reviews for the effort ! ^_-
- I really needed to explain some things and didn't want to dismiss the Humans just like that, but I think there are some parts that are actually boring: which ones? I need to know for future reference.
-About that bit of romance: too corny? too slow? too fast? I still haven't decided how fast I'm going to go with that, so YOU get to influnce my decisions!
(1) As far as I know, it was never stated what 13th Division's specific duties are, but I noticed that the Shinigamis that take care of day to day patrolling in the Living World are unseated officers of the 13th, so I expanded on that idea.
(2) If SS could, they would have done that when the "Quincy problem" arose centuries before.
(3) I don't care that '' says Ichigo is alive. All the evidence points to the opposite ! Here's another fic on the subject: "Already dead" by Ori.
YOU MAY WONDER why Ichigo talked so little among his friends: it's because, since Urahara mentioned the "until you die" part, he knew most of what followed didn't concern him.