My Land

Warnings: OOCness, crappy grammar and mention of AizenIchimaru.

Disclaimer: Me own nothing, or get no money. Angst.

Author's note: Writing this took me forever! Do you still remember this story? If you don't, read it again (mwe he hee). You should be better, after all this time! I don't like you! #pokes the chapter#

In this chapter will be some Ichimaru. You may find him OOC (I do) but you have been warned. Please tell me what your think. I eat reviews, feed the hungry author. Thank you.

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Part Six:

Click. "There, it's done. Good job, ma'am! You got an absolutely wonderful smile. It's joy to photograph you."

Woman blushed and her smile, beautiful indeed, spread all over her face and shined from her eyes. "Thank you, Ichimaru-san. You do always amazing job. My daughter needs a new picture in her passport, and I would love you to take it."

Man smiled. His fox like face was handsome, his daily look carefree. Who would suspect him to be a betrayer of Soul Society? No one. "It will be pleasure, ma'am, especially if your daughter has as beautiful smile as you have."

Woman's face was practically burning. She turned with hurry and stepped outside. Ichimaru just had that effect on women.

Ichimaru Gin's life was running well nowadays. He was a photographer, and loved his job. He had a habit of making people smile, especially children.

Wonder why that is.

Past was falling to past, as it seemed to be in his case. Memories haunted him only in dreams, and scarves were only part of his body.

Passing a mirror, he showed 'thumbs up' for himself. Looking good, Ichimaru.

In the end, he was happy. He had a job, he had a life. Even if he missed Aizen at the times, everyone had their heartaches.

In that day, he left the studio and headed home. Streets were full of people, sweet smell of pollution in the summer air. Ah, the life in the city. Ichimaru really loved it, the feeling of being only a drop in the sea. He hummed a catchy tune while walking, his cheery mood passing on the trespassers.

His senses caught a weird reiatsu. Happy whistling died when the ex-captain looked around. There were some hollows time to time, and there were shinigami to kill them. Ichimaru didn't pay attention to them, usually trying to be like he saw nothing.

There was something different now. It was a hollow, and... Still, it wasn't.

After a while, he saw a white robed man wobbling in the crowd. He looked like a drunk, not staying on his legs. As Ichimaru looked at him, he collapsed to the street.

Thinking of it, he looked very familiar.

Photographer walked next to him, lifting him up from his shoulder. "Keep going, only couple minutes and we are at my apartment", he hissed to the dead looking figure. "Up! People can't see you, so I'm talking with air right now."

Hollow stood up, but didn't answer. He was almost unconscious, but whit Ichimaru's help he would make it. Hopefully.

The strange hollow looked exactly like Kurosaki Ichigo. Ichimaru wondered, what the hell had happened.

---

Shiro opened his eyes. Dark. He was laying in a warm bed, sheet wrapped around his body. Where was he? Where was Ichigo?

Hungry. Oh, he had left Ichigo. Nice to remember these kinds of things.

He didn't remember what he had done in last couple weeks. What if they had turned to months, even years without him noticing?

Hungry.

Hollow had no idea, how long he had wondered alone on the streets. Probably since Grimmjow had first time reached out his hand and touched Ichigo. Shirosaki shifted in guilt: he had left his lover alone.

When he left his lovers body, he was no different than any other hollow. Hollows eat human souls. Shirosaki felt like he could pass out in any moment.

Hungry. Nice, he would die alone.

From the direction which was probably a kitchen, walked man bearing a cup filled with hot chocolate. "Here, drink this. It won't take away the dizziness, but it will make you feel better."

Shiro took a good look for his saviour for a first time. He had a friendly smile on his narrow face, not enough to be creepy one, but it went really close.

Without saying a word Shiro took the cup from man's hands and started sipping the hot liquid. It tasted sweet, and made him again remember the months that he and Ichigo had spent together. Shame that their time had been so short.

Silver haired man hadn't gone anywhere. Tilting his head, he held a rare, serious expression. "What are you thinking about?"

Shirosaki watched how drink sailed inside of the cup. Why he should answer to this stranger? Why he should even talk from this day on? Everything felt sad and empty. He knew that if he wouldn't die, he would turn into a real hollow. Like the ones who ate human's souls.

Hungry.

No, that was bad. Ichigo killed hollows. Hollows were not needed.

"Hey. Answer, please."

"My lover", white one muttered, without looking up.

"I see. Where is he? Why are you here, all alone?"

There wasn't answer. Somehow silver haired man seemed to know there wouldn't be one. "Okay. I want to tell a story for you. Are you willing the listen?"

Silent nod.

The story was about a man, whose lover had great dreams. So great, that some would think he was mad. He wanted to make the world better place, in his own way.

The other man had always been with him, and even if he sometimes thought that his lover's dreams were silly, he never said a bad word about them. Years went past, and the man hoped his lover would forget his ambition.

That did never happen. When people started to laugh at the man's lover, he learned to keep his opinions hidden. He learned to be manipulative and turned to bitter. He started to think that everybody was his enemy; no one was worth of his trust.

The man's lover did a lot of evil things; he killed many innocent people and tortured even more.

The man was at loss. Parting ways with his lover was not an option. They had always been together and would always be together. So, after a while the man stopped thinking such things as 'good' and 'evil'. There were only things that were funny to do and things which were not. In a way, he was thinking like a child.

Then, out from nowhere came a boy who wanted to kill his lover. The man thought nothing of it at first, the boy was only insect among others. But insects come in crowds, and they can be dangerous. In the end, the boy ended up destroying the man's lover.

First the man was in shock. He didn't believe that his beloved really was dead. He was angry and wanted revenge.

After some time, the man saw first time the world without his lover ordering him what to see. He thought, that even if some bad things happened, world was fine on it's own. His lover had been stupid trying to fix something that hadn't been broken in the first place.

And the man thought: if I had known this, I would have killed him before he turned to be so bitter. So the world could remember him as the dreamer he was, not a crazy murderer.

Story ended.

Keep in mind what yo have heard today

You might find that you are not so brave

Shirosaki smiled sadly. "What happened to the man after that? Is he happy?"

Ichimaru shrugged his shoulders. "He learned a new way to look at the world. I guess he is happy. He likes his job, and he often helps strangers without even a word for thanks."

The hollow blushed. Colour was amusingly visible on his pale cheeks. "I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me."

Ichimaru chuckled. "Aww, aren't you cute. That is okay. Now, would you tell me your story?"

And Shirosaki told him, as honestly as other had told his tale. He told how hw and Ichigo became lovers in the first place. He told about Urahara, about Grimmjow. About his lonely wandering in the streets.

Ichimaru grimaced. "Soul Society is full of idiots. They acted just like Grimmjow wanted them to act. But what are you going to do now? Are you going to give up?"

Hollow looked down to his hands. "What else I'm supposed to do? Grimmjow is stronger than me, especially when I'm like this. And Ichigo did it to protect people in Soul Society! He risked his life for their safety! If I do some stupid rampage attack, his sacrifice will only go to waste."

Ichimaru was silent for a long time. "Tell me, are you good at playing chess?"

"No. What is chess?"

Silver haired man laughed. "I see. Anyway, it is an old strategy game. It has many similarities with life." Smiling, man lifted one finger. "First, the biggest mistake is to do what your opponent wants. No matter how clever some move seems to be, if your opponent knows what you are going to do he can prepare himself for it. Sometimes, it is better do a stupid and unexpected move than a clever and expected."

He lifted up another finger. "Second, if you give up incomplete game, you will never see how it would have ended. Miracles do happen in this world, you can win the master with beginner's luck."

Shiro looked up to him with teary eyes. "You think so?" He asked hopefully.

Ichimaru smiled. "Third, you must give everything you have, so you don't need to regret anything. When game is done it's done, crying doesn't turn back time."

Are you man enough, carry the load all alone

when other's have your own?

First time during their meeting Shirosaki smiled. "Thank you. I see what you mean. There is one more thing I would ask you to do for me."

Ichimaru's smiled, as always. "Happy to help you."

"Can you give me a hug?"

"Aww."

"Shut up."