It's Only Love
By Ryukansen
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Chapter Three: Back Again
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Author's Note: Sorry for the delay!!! I was busy...with studies...and I failed:( I think I did.
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She stared at the people with boredom. It had been quite sometime since she had gotten deployed into the Tokyo district. In fact…it had been nearly three years since her brother actually approved of her to go back down to earth. He was a little, concerned over her; however, she did not know why.
Her body was sore from last night, and she rubbed her eyes with her left palm, while her right quickly attached itself to her zanpakuto. A tired sigh escaped her lips, and she slumped against a pole trying to rest a little. Last night had been a tragedy after she had let Renji take control over Tokyo, she always wondered why he had become fukutaichou and not her. "Honestly…three menos grande!" She fumed, rubbing her temples. "And he thought he could take care of it himself." The girl grumbled and then stared at the light blue skies.
A hint of unknown melancholy had taken over her angry state, and she just stared at the skies….trying to think of something that would comfort her.
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"I tell you I forget faces and names!" Ichigo grumbled as he walked with Ishida back home. "If they're not my friend, I don't know them." He added rubbing the back of his head and marching towards his apartment.
"Exactly why I'm worried over you." Ishida blurted out a little disappointed in the fact that Ichigo had forgotten all about her. "She was your friend!" He stated while whacking the orange-head with a piece of notebook paper. "In fact, I'd say she was more of a friend!" He shifted his glasses and gazed at the scowling man with a little bit of frustration.
"Rukia, was it?" Ichigo sputtered, Ishida nodded. "Nope. Don't know her." He ended the conversation quickly and turned to his apartment. "If I did know her, then it's all in the past." He called after the Quincy as he opened his door and closed it with a large bang.
Ishida let out a defeated sigh and walked to his apartment. "I should've known it wouldn't have faded away." He murmured in utter depression. He felt Ichigo and Orihime's reiatsu quickly vanish three years ago, and at first he thought it was just a temporary state as he heard Soul Society was doing something about their powers; however, his ideas were nothing like that of Yamamoto.
He thought that Soul Society would just temporarily weaken their reiatsu to a point in which no one could find them. Well, he was completely wrong. So wrong, he was afraid of any more miscalculations.
What was also bothering him, aside from just the mysterious Ichigo and Orihime incident, was the fact that he could not go back to Soul Society. It had appeared that Yamamoto had banned any humans, whether they be heroes or comrades, to enter Seireitei alive. Though this rule was enforced before Ichigo and company infiltrated the area to get Rukia back.
Rukia…And there was Rukia, aside from his problems. What was she doing? Sure he had seen Renji and Matsumoto, and even Hitsugaya (who had rarely appeared these days), but he expected Rukia, most, to show up. "…I wonder what happened." He murmured quietly, and then felt someone's reiatsu slowly dim up. His eyes widened, and he turned around to find the said Shinigami walking down the street casually. "You!" Ishida shouted with hope.
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As he called out to her, it took her a while to register who he was speaking to. "Me?" She pointed at herself with confusion. Ishida just stared at her blankly. "…How do you know my name?" She murmured with disbelief and walked straight towards him. Ishida looked at her painfully. Well…at least he got one thing right. Whatever Ichigo did, Rukia would have done something to ease herself.
"…Oh…I thought I heard her voice." He murmured, pretending to have not seen the Shinigami in the first place. Rukia stared at the man with a small grin. Yep…it was just his imagination. No human could see a Shinigami! It would have been impossible, and it would have defied all rules! Yep….defy…everything.
Defy….everything….
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The past three years was a pain the neck for him. Ichigo had been constantly nagged by Chad and Ishida about her. Whoever she was. It never occurred to him that someone unknown would cause his life to crumble. When he had arrived home the last day of school, alone…his father seemed to have acted a little more different towards him. No more kicking and fussing like a child…while Yuzu and Karin seemed to be a little more…distant. They knew something…he knew they knew, but he never wanted to bring her up as a topic. What was her name? Oh…Rukia…
"Damn…Rukia." He grumbled angrily as he stared blankly at the worksheet in front of him. He rubbed his temples as he concentrated hard on one of the problems, but he failed miserably. That name…that name, seemed to always take a hold of his mental capacity when he needed it the least. He sighed defeated, and decided to cook up an early dinner as he would be spending the whole night with all of those algorithms.
Walking down to the kitchen, his cell phone rung, and he grabbed it with annoyance. Not a day when she didn't call him. "Hey? What's up?" Ichigo tried being polite, but ended up just blurting everything he thought out.
"Don't 'What's up' me!" He heard Tatsuki shout at him with a squealing Orihime. "You were supposed to be here, TEN minutes ago!" The'lady' grumbled with dissatisfaction and ordered him to get his ass out of his complex and head straight to their hotel room. "NOW!" Was the last thing he heard, before he grumpily decided to just eat take-out after meeting up with those two.
"Seriously." He replied a little aggravated at the fact that he wouldn't be sleeping at all.
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"…Breathe in and out, Orihime!" Tatsuki reassured her friend that she would be perfectly fine, and there was no way in hell that Ichigo would just deny her.
The said girl loudly inhaled and exhaled, and got ready for his arrival. "…I hope so." She breathed and blushed wildly.
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Ishida gazed outside, still staring at the same place in which he had finally seen Rukia. It was an empty spot now, but her silhouette was traced carefully into his brain. He pondered for several solutions onto which had happened during Soul Society. "I shouldn't have let them go alone…" He murmured guiltily and got up to find Rukia once more. He found it his responsibility to get those two to reacquaint once more.
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"…No! I won't let you." Renji said defiantly as he pulled Rukia behind him. Ishida had asked for his help, and apparently the red-head Shinigami was jealous as ever. Rukia stared at Ishida rather strangely, never in her life has she had a mere human looking down upon her. It was strange.
"Renji…please just-"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I said so!"
"What the hell?! That's not a good reason."
Rukia stared at the two arguing over what she should be doing. A little vein popped with annoyance as they started pulling her arms, like a tug-o-war game. "That's enough!" She shouted, after punching both of the men on the chests. She then started dusting her outfit. "Fine. I'll go. But just for a while." She murmured with curiosity. Ishida thanked the heavens that Rukia was one of such innocence and child-like manner. Renji on the other hand pouted, miserably
"Thank you!" The Quincy exclaimed with pride and asked her to get in a gigai.
"Fine." She grumbled, and left her Shinigami form with Chappy. Renji had a hard time getting the bouncy thing off of him, and wished her good luck for some reason.
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"Hey. Sorry I'm late." Ichigo knocked several times and an angry Tatsuki opened the door. He swore there was a mirage of a devil right behind her, luckily for him Orihime had begged the young martial artist to allow him in and forget everything. "Yeah, just forget it." He grumbled slumping down on the couch. "So what do you need?" He asked taking out a hamburger and unwrapping the aluminum foil. Tatsuki and Orihime looked at each other.
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"…Rukia, hurry!" Ishida muttered with exhaustion. She glared at him. Telling her to hurry when he was tired, huh? "Fine…just walk!" He murmured while sighing and started up the steps. He swore they ran at least a mile to where he thought Ichigo was.
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"Ano…for a long time…" Orihime replied weakly and shyly at the scowling Ichigo. "I…have always…" Tatsuki nudged her with a goofy smile. "…had a crush on you." She bowed her head and blushed wildly. Ichigo gazed at her with soft meaningful eyes. He had placed the hamburger away carefully back into the plastic bag. He just gazed at her. Confused…and amazed at her courage.
"Inoue…"
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They ran and ran, and yet never could find him after they realized he wasn't at his complex. Ishida was perplexed and furious of the outcome while Rukia was worn down and sleepy. "Just a little further, Kuchiki-san." Ishida honeyed his words and lent her a hand. She willingly accepted it, and bent down for one more big breath. She sighed, and wanted to give up, but Ishida's eyes held so much confidence, she didn't want to break it.
"Hurry and take me away." She replied with sarcasm and Ishida quickly started running trying to find that strawberry idiot while dragging Rukia behind him. "Geez…what did I get myself into?" She asked while staring at the sky. She closed her eyes and found such a strange sensation overcoming her.
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"I…" Ichigo was speechless as he stood up to face Orihime whom gazed at him with hope in her eyes. "I don't know what to say." He murmured with surprise, Tatsuki could have punched the living hell out of him, but that would only cause more grief to her best friend.
"So…." The tomboyish girl gritted her teeth while clutching her hands against Orihime with protective arms. Ichigo stared at her strange pose and smirked.
"I….guess I've always liked you too." He whispered sheepishly, yet that feeling felt so wrong.
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"YAMAMOTO-SAMA are you alright?!" Unohana had entered after several calls for the fourth division were made by Hitsugaya who had stumbled against the struggling elder.
"Doesn't look like he'll make it." The ice boy replied staring at the old man who seemed to be in extreme pain. "…Do you have anything to ease his…"
"Hitsugaya-Taichou…" Unohana muttered. "Kurosaki's reiatsu is too powerful for him…" She felt the pulse of the first captain and was praying for permission to give Ichigo his powers and memories back. "It is necessary to remove his reiatsu from Ichigo's overwhelming one!"
Hitsugaya's eyes widened as he looked at Unohana. "…..we'll need a meeting with all the other captains and ask for the-"
"-We have no time…" The woman replied quietly. She was asking for his permission, and luckily for her Matsumoto was around to cheer her captain on.
"GIVE THEIR MEMORIES BACK!" The orange-haired Shinigami shouted with her arms waving with excitement. "PLEEEEASE!" She cried. Hitsugaya sighed.
"Commence the operation."