Chapter 3
Kisuke Urahara walked quietly through the Seireitei within the Soul Society, observing the halls as he traveled to the grand hall. It had been so many years since he had traversed these buildings, and yet nothing had seemed to change. The former soul reaper who now was exiled to the world of the living wondered if the Soul Society would ever update their fashion? Gates that opened themselves, or would it be too much to ask for indoor plumbing?
So many faces within the walls of the Seiretitei didn't recognize Urahara, and he preferred the anonymity. Occasionally some of the "middle aged" shingami would give Kisuke a second look, perhaps coming to the conclusion that he looked familiar or maybe like someone they once studied in a history book in the Soul Academy. Occasionally, as he moved through the grand keep of the Soul Society, the candy shop owner would pass someone who actually knew him. For some, it was a look of utter disdain. Captain Kuchki, for example, at one point silently passed Urahara and gave him a look that suggested the strongest member of the royal clan wanted hurl upon glancing at the former captain. Many of the older folks simply blankly stared at Kisuke because all who recognized him wondered the same thing. Why would someone who had gone out of his way to stay out of the Soul Society for so long decide to return?
The doors to the grand hall opened slowly and rather loudly. Kisuke entered and noticed that apart from the man he scheduled a visit with, he was alone. The captains were not summoned, nor were their lieutenants around to protect the Soul Society Captain Commander. Urahara tilted his hat down as he grinned. Despite the differences they may have had in the past, old man Yamamoto was still a decent person.
"Captain Commander," the earth dweller said casually, as if he was meeting a friend for coffee. "Thanks so much for seeing me!"
"My, how the mighty have fallen." Head Captain Yamamoto sat in his large wooden chair holding his wooden cane which masked his Zanpakuto. "Centuries ago, Kisuke Urahara, you walked these halls an honored captain and respected shingami to the highest caliber. Now look at you, dressed in rags like a commoner with no real purpose. Tell me, what is going on in the land of the living that brought you all the way back here and gave you enough gusto to ask a private audience with the Head Captain himself?"
"Recently there was a power surge in Karakura town that was so powerful and unusual that I am certain it was noticed on the Soul Society's radar." Urahara responded, his voice sounding much more serious as he ignored the condescending comments from his former leader. "While that's perplexing, it isn't at all the reason I came to visit you…but the same time that power spike occurred, I believe our substitute soul reaper laid eyes on a man carrying one of the forbidden Zanpakutos."
"Impossible!" Captain Commander Yamamoto responded quickly and brashly. "There is no way such a power would be seen in the world of the living! Of the three forbidden weapons, one is imprisoned in Hell, the other as you know is kept safely here in the Soul Society, and the other is exile to Hueco Mundo."
"Interesting…" Kisuke said with a smile, already noticing the flaw in the captain's logic. "Tell me about that last one, please. I am sure you can't deny the possibility that someone trapped in the world of the Hollows could escape Hueco Mundo to the world of the living, as we all have left and entered there many times before."
"While the two other Zanpakutos are forbidden due to their immense and evil power," Yamamoto began explaining, "The Zanpakuto, Osafu is forbidden due to the nature of the blade's spirit. Osafu is an unruly spirit, who is against the ideal behind Zanpakuto's lending their fighting spirit and powers to soul reapers who use them to keep order in our society. The sword's nickname is, "The enemy to the Soul Society" and when we learned of Osafu's rebellious nature, a thousand years ago, we banished the blade and its master to the farthest reaches of Hueco Mundo."
"Tell me about the last wielder of the wind Zanpakuto, Osafu?" Kisuke asked with a wry smile, as he intentionally showed his cards to the Captain Commander that he knew the nature of the sword's powers based off of Ichigo's report.
The Head Captain eyes opened a little more, as he was shocked that the blade's nature was correctly assumed by Urahara. Within a moment, his composure was reset, and the old man responded calmly and authoritatively. "The soul reaper's name was Cedric Ares. He was such a free and mischievous spirit that is was no surprise to me that the Zanpakuto revealed itself to him. He was not a high ranking soul reaper, because his lack of respect to the higher ranks. He was also known as a trickster, always using his abilities which were enhanced by his weapon to sneak around the soul society and stir up trouble. When we discovered that he had reached Shinkai with the forbidden Zanpakuto we quickly identified it as a revival of Osafu, whose owner was defeated a long time ago. Cedric Ares was asked to part with his blade and he refused. Due to his insubordination and the nature of his forbidden weapon, both were banished to a highly ranked prison in Hueco Mundo."
"I see…" Urahara spoke, reflecting on the response he had just heard. "I have one more question and then I will bother you no more about this topic. Were there any objects that were ingrained into human souls in the soul society's history as I once did with Rukia Kuchki and the Hōgyoku?"
Captain Commander Yamamoto looked down with disdain towards the exiled soul reaper. "Enough of your questions, Kisuke Urahara! I will not discuss the inner workings of the Soul Society with a man who is not welcome in it! Return to the world of the living now, or prepare yourself for immediate imprisonment!"
"Whatever you say, old man." Urahara said with a wry smile as he turned away to leave the room. As he walked out he spoke once more, "But that was definitely not a No."
As the candy shop owner left the grand hall Yamamoto sighed as he considered the answer to Urahara's question. The answer was Yes, there was another object ingrained into a person's soul. If this was something that was connected to an escaped Cedric Ares, then Yamamoto needed to take immediate action. The Captain Commander resolved he would send some of his own to investigate more these strange events in Karakura Town. Renji Abari and Rukia Kuchki would be perfect for this covert operation.
Back in Karakura Town, as the sun began to set, Tatsuki Arisawa quietly stood still looking down at her best friend's grave. It had been two weeks since Orihime had been murdered but Tatsuki still thought of it every waking moment, and during the rare moments where she could sleep she was haunted with nightmares of the event.
The funeral was more surreal then a usual death ceremony. Tatsuki had been to her fair share of funerals growing up. Her mother dying of cancer, and her father taking his own life years after the event. Those were tragic funerals too, but this one seemed so different. On one hand there were some of Orihime's classmates like Chizuru Honosho that cried nonstop, mourning the sudden loss of their close friend. That was what Tatsuki would consider the "normal" reaction at a funeral. She saw the same terrible mourning at her mother and father's, it was what she expected. Some of Orihime's closer friends like Ichigo, Chad, and Uryu still showed signs of mourning, but they cried as if there was something they could have done to stop the tragic murder. Tatsuki knew that for years Ichigo and his pals, along with Orihime, were all part of something strange that involved the safety of Karakura Town. She didn't know what, and she knew they all tried to protect her from the truth, but she always knew that there was a great secret among those four that they never cared to share with anyone else in their class.
Finally, Tatsuki was stunned to see several people she would consider strangers at Orihime's funeral. Sure, they were in class for a very little bit, and all seemed very close to Rukia Kuchki, but were they really close enough to Orihime to be at her funeral? How did she know them anyway? Tatsuki considered the strangers that were there: There was a bald one, one with exceptionally big boobs and long flowing orange hair, a short one with spikey white hair that was definitely younger than the others, and a guy with spikey red hair and tattoos on his face. Who were these strangers, Tatsuki wondered? After the funeral she watched them all from behind a tree from afar. Ichigo, Chad, and Uyru were conversing with the flock of strangers that seemed closest to Rukia. What were they talking about? What did they know that she didn't? Did they know the identity of the assassin? All of them had to be connected with the secrets that Ichigo always kept from Tatsuki. And those secrets, seemed to be connected with the death of Orihime.
Tatsuki flashed back to reality as she stood staring at her best friend's grave. She quietly spoke, though she knew that nobody would hear her words.
"I am so sorry I wasn't able to protect you, Orihime." She said, tears beginning to fall on the green grass, "I always have been able to protect you. In middle school, when the kids made fun of you…I beat them up. And in high school, when the boys started chasing you, I gave them a reason to run the other way. Even when Chizuru was being to forward with you, I was always there to get you out of a potentially awkward situation. You never asked, and but I knew you needed me. That was just how we worked…you were my best friend. You always were there for me to talk to, and you made me feel like I belonged in this world. After my parents died I had nobody, and we just clicked. Our friendship was something that not many folks will ever have the gift of experiencing. Our bond, it was so beautiful, and that's why it hurts so much that you're not here anymore…And I know you wouldn't want me to, but I blame myself. When you needed me the most, I could do nothing to protect you! What's worse is that you were even trying to protect me! When did that happen? What did you, Ichigo and the others go through that brought you to the point where you felt like you needed to protect me, Orihime? I was always the protector…and you were the protected. That was our system, and you had to go and screw it up. If only I knew what was going on that night, then maybe I could have saved you! Maybe I could have gotten you away…I could have done something…"
Tatsuki was now in full sob mode as she spoke to the grave. Even though Orihime was dead it felt like she could still voice her emotions to her in a way that nobody else would understand. That was their connection, and she would never again be able to feel it in person again.
"Hey Tatsuki." Ichigo's voice was heard in the distance. Tatsuki said nothing, and stood still, trying to compose herself so her friend would not see her cry like this. She had been staying with Ichigo at his friend's house for the past two weeks. He asked her to, the orange haired youth said he didn't want her to stay alone. Though they stayed in the same building, Tatsuki had not spoken to Ichigo for two weeks, she didn't know what she could say to him.
"I know of all of us, you're hurting the most." Ichigo spoke softly and sincerely as he approached his friend since childhood. "The way she lit up when she was around you, it's clear that Orihime thought the world of you."
Finally, for the first time in two weeks Tatsuki responded to Ichigo. "Orihime was my world…she was my best friend, my soul sister. Ichigo, I want to know what's going on. I want to know who that man was that murdered her. I want to know what you, Orihime, and everyone else have been doing for the past two years that has gotten her into whatever she was in. I don't blame you for her death…I just…I know you're going after her killerwith all those weirdos that keep showing up with Rukia…and I want to come with you. Don't leave me in the dark Ichigo. You have answers, and I want them."
"Alright Tatsuki." Ichigo spoke as he put his hand on her arm, "Come with me, and I'll tell you everything."
A/N: Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone who has followed my story! Please keep reading and I treasure your opinions of my work. Just a reminder that I do not own Bleach. I did introduce an OC in this chapter that has appeared in chapter 1 and that is Cedric Ares. He and his Zanpakuto Osafu are original, though the blade's based loosely off of Final Fantasy 8's gunblade. Thank you again!