A/N: Well, it's short, but I think it also moves the plot along more than any other chapter. And I think I got the ball rolling again! Plus, more characters are introduced!!! Wow, I have a lot of the little buggers to keep track of…

Cruel to be Kind: Chapter 6: The Awakening of Truth

XXXXXXXXXXXX—Nine Days Previous—XXXXXXXXXXXX

"As I've already said," Urahara reiterated to the room full of shinigami, "Kurosaki-kun can have no contact with beings of high reiatsu that he can't easily compartmentalize to fit into his old life."

"But I don't get it. If you're already doing all this, why don't you seal his power too? It'll make him a lot less interesting to a lot of bad shit." Renji looked off to the side, "And make him less sensitive to our presence. I mean, maybe then we could at least check up on him."

The shopkeeper looked vaguely frustrated, "It would be for the best. However, due to Kurosaki-kun's…unique power, sealing it is impossible without causing lasting damage."

Rukia, fists tight and shaking in her lap, finally cried out, "So we're just supposed to never see Ichigo again? We can't even—"

Urahara cut her off with a deadly quiet voice, "If you really care about him at all, you will leave him alone."

XXXXXXXXXXXX—Present—XXXXXXXXXXXX

"What," Isshin demanded through gritted teeth, "were you just doing to my son?"

Isshin hadn't wanted to believe it. When Kon had run panting into the house and started raving about Kisuke saying disturbing things, threatening Kon and Ichigo, he hadn't wanted to believe it. He had refused to believe it. Not after everything he had put his boy through on his friends word. But just the mention of a hollow attack on his son had had him running all the same. And thank god it had.

"I think it was pretty clear what I was doing." The response came calmly, at least from someone dangling on his toes at the angry hands of an outraged father.

And it was clear. When Isshin had marched into the room, it was to find Kisuke leaning over his son's body—one hand firmly covering the nose and mouth. The reminder did nothing to still the tremors of rage coursing through Isshin's form.

"Kurosaki-san…he's already dead. The hollow ate his soul; what's left of your son is just a mass of tissue—"

"Don't give me that!" he raged, fist clenching tighter in the other man's collar, "Kon told me he was fine!"

"Did he now…" Kisuke smiled sadly and met his eyes, "Well, that one's never been overly bright, has he?" And something in the way he said it made it clear that Kisuke wasn't really talking about the mod soul's ability to tell if a soul was still inhabiting its body.

"Whatever the fuck you did to Ichigo, I want you to fix it. Now."

Kisuke placed a hand over the father's fist and forced it down to his side. "It's too late, Isshin. He's gone."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

A sudden overpowering heaviness in the air stopped the argument between the two aspects of Ichigo's soul cold.

The red haired boy visibly flinched before looking around himself cautiously, but nothing seemed to have changed: the clouds still drifted lazily up the horizon, the world was just as silent as ever, but… something was different. He just had no idea as to what.

He turned nervously back to the Other. He at least seemed to have a vague idea of what had been happening lately…

"Ah, damni'. Nothin' can eve' be simple, can i'?" The hollow let out a long breath then turned to his companion, "Well, par'ner, the crap has jus' abou' hit th' fan." Ichigo blinked hard, unsure what response would be appropriate to that little tidbit of information. "Nah, King, I mean it now. Ya gotta get outta here."

"What are you talking about? If I'm here, then aren't I just sleeping? What could be going—"

"Yeah an' ya damn well ove'slept! The body ain't doin' so great, if ya follow me."

Rearing up in alarm, Ichigo yelped, "What do you mean 'the body isn't doing so great'! I need that body! I… I live in there!"

Hichigo paused in his tirade long enough to give his Other an odd look. But before he could give a verbal response, the atmosphere shifted again. A chill raised up both of their spines before severe vertigo overtook them. Hichigo shook it off quickly, but Ichigo stumbled and fell heavily to his knees.

Though…he couldn't understand why he would have fallen. It seemed more like he should be floating really… Everything was so…light. Bouncy almost. The world rippled in Ichigo's vision and it only occurred to him peripherally that that might just be a bad thing.

He felt a vague impression of hands on his shoulders, shaking him, but he really couldn't be bothered to care. It was just so bright all of a sudden. And sort of soft around the edges.

Hmm…that was weird. The clouds were on sideways. He tilted his head to study them; wouldn't it make more sense if they were right-ways-up?

The world went quiet. The air stilled. Then, with sudden energy, wind rushed passed his ears. In a moment Everything had brightened, it must have been his eyes that had brightened, and the sky started to turn on its axis. And, it seemed after a moment's indecision, the floor turned right along with it.

The ground jerking and shifting beneath his feet, Ichigo smiled with lazily satisfaction.

Ah, the hands were back. Rougher than before too. And far away he could just make out a voice…

You Bastard! Wake th' hell up! Ya gotta wake up! What th' hell are ya doin—

Just before the light stole his vision, a stark white hand came careening towards his face.

XXXXXXXXXX

Eyes popping open, Ichigo gasped desperately for air. After a panicked moment he collapsed back into the warm bed he was laid out in. As his breath calmed, he slowly became aware of the stinging pain in his left cheek. He raised a tired arm and rubbed at the spot; it was warm, as if a new bruise was forming.

This had not been his day. First getting lost, then meeting those weirdoes, then the wall blowing up and that big, giant, ugly…

The redhead sprung up from the bed and nearly tripped over the trailing blankets. After a moment of stumbling ineptitude, he twisted around wildly to assess his surroundings. Goddamnit, why did things like this keep happening to him?! He just couldn't get a break!

He was in a bedroom, by the looks of it. A really… upscale one. And everything from the walls, to the lush bedding, to the wall hangs (of which there were many) were in shades of blinding white and gold. It all came together to form a rather eerie effect. "…Where the fuck am I now?"

"You are safely in the our care, Kurosaki-sama."

Ichigo whipped around to face the voice and nearly had a heart attack when he realized that there were not one, but two people standing quietly behind him. How had he missed them standing there? It's not like they blended in wearing those funny, black robes…

The one who had spoken, a man of medium height and stocky build, was watching him with an easy smile on his face and sharp, dark eyes. The small woman at his side concerned him more though. Her stern face said plainly that she wasn't someone he wanted to mess with.

But, fuck, this was the second time in a week he had woken up in a bed he didn't immediately recognize, and it hadn't exactly worked out well for him the last time.

"Who are you two?" He demanded hotly, "Why am I here?"

The woman spoke, voice stern, "Be calm, Kurosaki-sama. As Jun said, you are safe here." A pause. "I am called Rikiko."

"I'm Jun," The man put in with a jaunty wave, as if he could be anyone else.

"Yeah, well…" Seriously, why did this crap always happen to him, "How did I end up here then? And how do you know my name."

"You will find that we know much. Now I must insist that you come along with us. You have been through an ordeal and should eat to regain your strength." As Jun took him by the shoulders and half led, half dragged him from the room, Ichigo overlooked the fact that they had not answered the first part of his question.

"I really don't know what you're talking about, but…" He let out a sigh. They didn't seem like bad people, just odd as hell, "Anything is good news at this point. After that thing attacked me I thought I was a dead man."

The two strangers looked to each other for a brief moment before Rikiko stepped forward and spoke gently, "But, Kurosaki-sama… you are dead."

XXXXXXXX

A/N: Dun dundun! And so you meet my first two OCs. Ever. In the history of the universe. I hope you come to like them.