Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D

Chapter 12: Memories or The Beginning of the End, part 2

I sit down next to Urahara as Rukia begins to question him about Quincies. I definitely have things that I want to ask him, but the Quincy mystery seems more pressing. And I don't really want anyone else around when I do talk to Urahara.

Tessai slips in and mentions that he hasn't heard the word 'Quincy' in 200 years and Urahara launches into his explanation. I watch Rukia carefully as he talks and she seems surprised. Clearly she has never heard this history before. I haven't heard it either, but it all seems very familiar. It disturbs me that I don't know why.

Urahara explains who the Quincies were and what they did. And then he says that the Quincies were destroyed. I stiffen as he explains that the Soul Reapers annihilated them in order to preserve balance in the universe. It makes sense, of course it does. Urahara explained to me a while ago the vital role that Soul Reapers play in maintaining the balance of souls between the World of the Living and the Soul Society.

But…but… The images of flashing steel and crimson blood play out again before my eyes. Just because I understand why it happened doesn't explain why I have memories of it! My hands clench tightly into fists and I begin to tremble. These memories…I don't want to see any more of these horrible memories!

My reverie is broken by the sound of Rukia's Soul Pager beeping. As I come back to myself I notice the presence of Hollows emerging. To my dismay there is not one, but several, and I can sense the presences of many more that will emerge soon. My trepidation growing I glance over at Urahara and see that he has noticed as well.

"The message is gone? So soon?"* Rukia seems puzzled. As she goes to put the Soul Pager back into her pocket it starts beeping again. The beeping stops again quickly and then starts up again, this time constant and insistent. Rukia quickly becomes agitated.

I'm only half paying attention, however. I'm trembling again, but this time it's because of fear. The number of Hollows that I'm sensing is ridiculous. I can sense Ichigo's spiritual pressure and that guy, Uryuu's, as they fight but there are just too many Hollows. Someone is going to get hurt, I realize, my dread suffocating me. A cold sweat trickles down the back of my neck.

Rukia has run outside and is now shouting something about the sky. She then disappears yelling that she's going to find Ichigo. I rise, but I'm not really paying attention to what I'm doing as my senses are overwhelmed by the presence of the Hollows. I reach the edge of the shop's porch and my stomach lurches with horror, a chill running down my spine. Cracks have appeared in the fabric of reality that is the sky. I only have a vague idea of what this means, but I'm certain that it's very, very bad.

As I pull my gikongan from my pocket I turn back to Urahara. He meets my eye steadily, an air of resignation about him. "Clearly we can't talk right now," I begin, my voice somehow remaining even. "But once this is all over we need to have a nice long talk about why I have memories of things that happened 200 years ago."

Urahara inclines his head in acceptance and I turn away. Swallowing the gikongan my soul leaps from my body and I draw my zanpakuto to enter the fray.

…

As I run I hack and slash, cutting down Hollows left and right. However, for every one I cut down and two more appear in its place, their numbers seemingly endless. Of course it doesn't help that I'm expanding my spiritual pressure as much as I can in an attempt to attract them and keep them from hurting innocent people.

Distantly I can feel Ichigo's massive spiritual pressure moving towards his house, undoubtedly to make sure his family is safe. I can also feel Uryuu's more subtle pressure, but it is worrying that he seems to slowly be weakening. What the hell happened to have this many Hollows here? I've got the sneaking suspicion that it has to do with the two of them.

I seem to have found a break in the Hollows and I begin to run as fast as I can, heading towards Ichigo. I come to a screeching halt as an unfamiliar spiritual pressure suddenly spikes. Frowning I close my eyes. There is something familiar about it, but I don't know whose it is. It feels human, like Uryuu's. I am just about to set off again when another unfamiliar pressure spikes. This one is even more familiar and it is also human.

My death sense twinges again, distracting me. I look up and my stomach lurches. The cracks in the sky are beginning to converge on one point and many Hollows are beginning to surround it. Fear burns strong in my gut as I look at the enormous crack. This is really bad, I know it is, but I can't explain why I know it. What the hell is going on? I begin to run again, heading towards Ichigo. The urge to hurry is strong.

It's not long before I get there. Ichigo's spiritual pressure has joined Uryuu's. I pass Ichigo's body lying prostrate on the ground and groaning. Up a staircase and I'm standing next to Rukia. I'm frozen, just as she is, by the sight before me.

"Taylor!" she exclaims surprised.

"What's going on?" I ask her.

Rukia turns back to the scene before her, her voice hard. "It seems that Uryuu challenged Ichigo to a contest to see who could kill the most Hollows."

"Is he insane?" I interrupt, instantly incensed by Uryuu's recklessness.

"It seems that he wants to prove that Quincies are superior to Soul Reapers."

"Idiot…" I growl, turning back to watch as Ichigo and Uryuu fight back-to-back. They're in trouble though as they are surrounded by a ring of countless Hollows. Growling curses under my breath I leap forward.

…

Ichigo and Uryuu were fighting hard and while they were keeping the Hollows at bay it was quickly becoming clear that they were fighting a losing battle. Ichigo panted hard, finding it harder and harder for him to catch his breath after each attack. Uryuu silently cursed as blood dripped from the fingers of the hand he used to draw his bow. He was getting tired.

A sudden eruption of growling and snarling to the side drew Ichigo's and Uryuu's attention. The source of the disturbance quickly became clear as sunlight glinted off steel. Taylor was carving a path through the Hollow's towards them, her bright hair fanning out behind her in a golden wave.

Taylor cut down the last Hollow between her and the center of the circle and landed with easy grace. Ichigo was momentarily stunned. That had been…amazing. And he couldn't help thinking, as he struggled to pull himself out of his daze, she was beautiful. She was rather…distracting. Uryuu was surprised as well. She was just as reckless as Ichigo, charging into the middle of a bunch of Hollows like that. Honestly wouldn't it have been better to stay outside and help them from there?

Uryuu never got the chance to question Taylor about her motivations as she took two quick strides to cover the space between them, pulled back her fist, and punched him square in the jaw with enforce to send him stumbling backwards.

"Taylor!" Ichigo exclaimed, taken aback again.

"What?" she asked briskly, turning to him. "Don't tell me you didn't want to do that too."

Ichigo found himself grinning. He knew there was a reason why he liked her.

"What the hell was that for!" Uryuu shouted, clearly not amused.

"For being an idiot!" Taylor turned to Uryuu now, her expression livid. "Was satisfying your damn ego really more important than the lives of the people in this town?"

Uryuu sighed irritably and adjusted his glasses. "As I was telling Ichigo I'm not doing this because of some grudge because of what happened to the Quincies. I'm doing this because Soul Reapers—!"

"It doesn't matter what your reasons are!" Taylor interrupted. "You're smart aren't you? Then you should be using that knowledge and your powers to help save people not put them in danger! I'm sure you felt those other people fighting! Did you really think that you could bring this many Hollows to Karakura and no one would get hurt?" Taylor waved her arms wide, her expansive gesture taking in all the Hollows around them.

Uryuu was momentarily speechless. Sure Ichigo had berated him for his plan, and if he was honest with himself he now agreed that it had been a horrible idea. Not only that must she must have sensed the spiritual pressures of Orihime and Chad earlier. She kept surprising him, Uryuu admitted to himself ruefully.

As Ichigo listened to Taylor's words something akin to pride welled up within his affection for her. Her words, he realized, were very much like what he had said to her the night her mother had nearly died. She had learned this from him, he thought a little dazed. Despite the horrible situation they were in a little ball of happiness burned brightly within him.

"I'll admit it was a stupid idea alright?" Uryuu said lowly. "But can we discuss this later? We've got rather more important things to deal with right now."

Taylor watched him for a moment with her eyebrow raised, as if carefully considering him, and then she grinned. "Fair eno—…"

Taylor's voice died in the middle of her sentence. Uryuu hadn't noticed as he had turned back around to face the Hollows. Ichigo did, however. "Taylor?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

She didn't reply. Her eyes had gone wide and strangely blank, like they did when she was sensing Hollows. Suddenly she blinked, but she still didn't respond. Instead she turned, eyes wide with fear and tracks of sweat running down her face. "Taylor?" Ichigo questioned again, concern turning to worry and tightening in his chest.

"The Hollows are acting strange. They're looking up at the sky…as if they're praying…"** Uryuu's voice was contemplative.

That was when an almighty cracking noise echoed around them. Ichigo and Uryuu both spun towards the sound and that was when Ichigo realized that was where Taylor was looking. All three gaped as one ghostly white hand, and then another, appeared from a crack in the sky. Like a crack that went into the sky. It was like the fabric of reality had been broken, Ichigo thought aghast. Slowly the hands pulled the crack wider and an enormous face appeared, its nose ridiculously long and pointed and its eyes glowing yellow.

"I-is that a Hollow?" Ichigo shouted, as a thrill of fear unlike any he had felt before shot through him.

"How the hell should I know?" Uryuu shot back, unable to keep the shudder out of his voice.

"Menos Grande." Ichigo and Uryuu both turned towards Taylor.

"What?" Ichigo prompted her.

"It's a Menos Grande." Ichigo frowned. He had no idea what that meant. But the look on Taylor's face alarmed him. Pure, unadulterated terror was in every line of her expression. She hadn't even looked like that the night her mother was attacked.

"How do you know that?" Uryuu asked, rounding on her.

Taylor turned terrified eyes to him. "I don't know."

…

Uryuu blinks at me confused for a moment before Ichigo shouts at him and they begin to argue. I can't draw my eyes away from the massive Hollow emerging in front of us. The fact that I don't know the reason why I know what it is…it's almost as horrifying as the Menos itself.

I'm drawn out of my musings and Ichigo's and Uryuu's argument is interrupted by the sound of gunfire and the Hollows around us falling. We all turn to see a little dark-haired girl holding a massive object that is smoking from one end.

"Ururu?" I ask, taken aback.

She nods her head to me. "Hello."

"Helloooo! We thought you might need some help!" This cheerful call comes from Urahara who is waving his open fan, followed by Jinta and Tessai.

"Mr. Hat-and-Clogs?" Ichigo questions.

I frown, suspicious. Urahara is up to something, which usually means nothing good.

"Correct!" Urahara exclaims, snapping his fan shut. Around him Jinta, Ururu, and Tessai begin to fight quickly taking out the Hollows. Ichigo and Uryuu seem stunned.

"Anyways, why don't you let us take care of the Hollows here? I'll leave him," Urahara points back over his shoulder towards the Menos that is slowly widening the crack and coming through, "to you guys!"

What the hell is he playing at? Ichigo and Uryuu merely gape at Urahara as I open my mouth to protest. However, before I can even begin to make a sound the edges of my vision become fuzzy and everything starts to spin. No! Not now! Why now?

My vision clears again to reveal an entirely different scene. I'm standing in a hallway and I'm holding several books that appear to be textbooks in my arms. To my right stands the younger Urahara. He is talking to a pretty woman who has dark skin and purple hair to my left. Suddenly the woman turns away gives us a wave and a cheeky smile, and literally disappears from sight. The slight wind that rustles my hair is the only evidence of her passing.

Could this memory be from the Spirit Academy that trains Soul Reapers Urahara told me about? Who was that woman? She seems familiar… And why the hell did have to get one of my "visions" now?

Before I can ponder my questions any further or get more frustrated I blink and I'm suddenly back to myself. In front of me Ichigo has gone charging towards the Menos Grande, Uryuu hot on his heels.

"Ichigo, wait!" I shout. I go to take a step so that I can stop them and find that I'm frozen. What the hell? I try to yell again only to find that my mouth is just as frozen as the rest of me. This is…kido? Damn it!

Gathering all my spiritual energy around me I try and fight the kido spell. It's strong though and there is little that I can do. There's only one person that I know that could have cast this level of kido and if he's casting kido on me it's probably a bad thing.

I manage to turn my head a bit and part my lips just enough to hiss, "You…What…the hell…are you doing?"

Urahara who has appeared next to me simply smiles. "I'm afraid that I cannot allow to interfere this time."

"You…bastard! They…can't handle…the Menos…They're going…to die!" I practically throw the last two words at him.

"Taylor!" Urahara exclaims in mock surprise. "Do you really have so little faith?" I glower at him and he drops the act. "This battle is very important." He tells me, serious now. "For Ichigo and for…others."

I narrow my eyes at him and fighting the kido I manage to turn some more. Behind me I can see Rukia also frozen in a kido spell her eyes wide with anxiety. I look to my left and see with a start faces in the window of a nearby building that I recognize. One is Ichigo's friend called Chad and the other is Orihime. And by the looks on their faces they can see what's going.

I turn, slowly, back to Urahara. "What…are you…playing at?"

The small smirk that he was wearing fades. "You'll see."

Fighting the urge to scream in frustration I face forward again to watch Ichigo. My heart is pounding frantically in my chest from anger at Urahara and fear for Ichigo. I watch as Ichigo charges towards the Menos and slashes its leg only to be thrown back as it takes another step forward. He lands hard.

"Ichigo!" I try to scream, fighting against the kido as hard as I can. But, it's useless. There's nothing I can do. Damn it! Damn Urahara! My heart is beating in my throat as Ichigo finally stands again.

As I watch Ichigo and Uryuu I'm torn between the desire to laugh and the need to cry. Uryuu comes up with the ridiculous plan of tying Ichigo's zanapkuto to his head in an effort to boost his bow's power. And all the while neither of them have any idea how much danger they're in. I continue to struggle against Urahara's kido despite knowing that it's useless, because I can't not do anything.

Suddenly there is a shift in the atmosphere and the Menos Grande's spiritual pressure begins to rise. Cold dread collects in my gut as a small sphere of red energy begins to form in front of the Menos's mouth, slowly growing. A cero? It's going to fire a cero? Here?

"Ichigo! Come back you idiot!" Uryuu's shout draws my attention back to the ground and my heart jumps into my throat like it's trying to exit through my mouth. Ichigo has reclaimed his sword and is charging towards the Menos.

"Ichi…go!" I try to scream, but it comes out as barely more than a whisper. I struggle as hard as I can against the kido.

"I'd stop fighting it so much if I were you. You're going to hurt yourself," Urahara comments mildly. I turn my harshest glare on him. Urahara merely shrugs. "Just watch," he tells me.

I don't want to watch. I don't want to see someone who has come to be so important to me die in front of my eyes while I do nothing. But like a train wreck it's impossible to look away.

The Menos fires its cero. Ichigo pauses in his charge and raises his zanpakuto. I close my eyes against the glare, glad that I won't have to see Ichigo get annihilated. But…something's wrong. I open my eyes as a high-pitched keening noise echoes around me. If I wasn't frozen solid my jaw would have dropped. Ichigo, miraculously, stands there holding off the Hollow's cero with his sword braced against his wrist.

I watch, too stunned to try and speak or even think, as Ichigo fights the cero. I can feel his spiritual pressure building, pushing back against the Menos's and slowly growing. Finally it seems to hit a breaking point. Ichigo lifts his zanpakuto and swings it, the massive amount of spiritual pressure that he has built up sending a long cut all the way up the Menos Grande's body.

With a mighty howl that whips up the wind all around me the Menos Grande retreats pulling the fabric of reality back around itself. And suddenly the sky is smooth again with nothing but a small crack to hint at what has happened here. Everything is still for a moment and then Ichigo turns, holds his hand up with his fingers in a 'V', and shouts, "VICTORY!"***.

I'm in utter disbelief for a moment. Ichigo did it. He really did it! He made a Menos Grande retreat all on his own. Relief colors my disbelief and I feel the urge to sit down. To my surprise I can and I fall more than sit as I realize the kido has been released. I look up at Urahara and he gives me a kind of 'I-told-you-so' smile. I grimace at him in return and look back towards Ichigo.

Uryuu has approached him and they are talking when Ichigo suddenly collapses. I'm on my feet running to him before I even have time to think.

"Ichigo!" I skid to a stop next to him and crouch down, barely able to contain my anxiety.

He looks up at me, a cocky grin on his face. There's blood oozing down his forehead. "I'm pretty cool, huh?"

Squashing the urge to punch him I manage a weak smile in return. "I'd be lying if I said that wasn't amazing," I tell him, unable to keep the warmth out of my voice. "But you're still an idiot." Even there my disapproval is weak. Ichigo's smile softens at my words and a tender look in his eyes appears that makes my heart thunder in my chest.

"Come on," I say to cover my sudden feeling of bashfulness. "Let's get out of here." I reach down to grab Ichigo's arm and help him up when his spiritual pressure abruptly explodes, sending me flying backwards head-over-heels.

I come to a stop about ten feet and when my head finally stops spinning I see Ichigo's spiritual pressure going completely out of control, his zanpakuto losing its shape and writhing wildly in his hand.

"Ichigo!" I scream and stand. Before I can do anything else, however, Uryuu steps forward. As soon as he gets within the range of Ichigo's spiritual pressure his bow bursts into existence in his right hand lager than ever. Uryuu stares at it for a moment, confused, and then begins to fire arrows into the sky.

With each arrow Uryuu fires Ichigo's spiritual pressure calms. Finally Uryuu collapses to his knees and his bow disappears, Ichigo's spiritual pressure finally under control again. I heave a sight of relief. It's over.

…

I follow Urahara and the others back to the shop afterwards: my body is there after all. When we get back Urahara leads me to the dining and shuts the door behind us. I'm both glad and nervous that I can finally talk to him alone.

"So," he begins, sitting down and indicating that I should do the same. "What do you want to ask me?"

I pause once I'm settled. Where do I even start? Well sitting here and twiddling my thumbs sure as hell isn't going to get me anywhere. I take a deep breath. "Well…for as long as I can remember I've been able to sense ghosts. And I have- well I had- these dreams," I begin, talking quickly so that I won't lose my nerve before I'm finished. "For a long time it was like I was watching an old movie. But they've gotten stronger, clearer, since I moved here and I started seeing ghosts. The dreams were…weird. I would see Soul Reapers and a place that I guess is the Soul Society."

I pause here and lower my gaze, unable to work up the nerve to maintain eye contact with Urahara. "I saw you. But, like, a younger version of you. And then…the night of the Spirit Hunter filming…I had a waking dream…some kind of vision." I close my eyes as I remember.

"We were on the roof fighting the Hollow and then my vision went funny and it was like one of my dreams except was in it. I was living it. And it was…so clear. Since then I haven't had any more dreams, but I keep getting the visions. I had one today after the Menos arrived and yesterday too…"

I look up at Urahara now. Speaking to him has given me strength and I no longer feel nervous. "I want to know why. Why do I have memories of things that I couldn't possibly have experienced? Why have I seen a younger version of you, why have I seen myself killing Quincies? Where did my power and these memories come from?" My last question is half shout and half plea.

Urahara looks at me for a long moment his expression impenetrable. Then he lets out a long, low, weary sigh as though he has known that this moment has been coming for a long time. He removes his hat, exposing his sandy blonde hair, and lays it on the table.

"Taylor," he begins. "What I'm about to tell you is nothing more than supposition since I was not there I cannot say exactly what happened. However, my theories are usually correct," he adds with a small chuckle. His expression remains serious, however.

"Tell me…do you know why I was expelled from the Soul Society?" There is a cold glint in Urahara's eye that makes me shiver. I shake my head.

"I see…Well a long time ago, about 100 years ago or so now, there was an…incident. Myself, Tessai, a woman named Yoruichi, and nine others were expelled from the Soul Society. Tessai and I were accused of conducting horrible experiments, the nine were the victims of those experiments, and Yoruichi was banished for helping us all escape. Since then we have all been living in the World of the Living. I have been looking for a way to reverse the effects of those experiments and the nine, now eight, have been doing their best to cope until I can come up with a solution."

My eyebrows rise. Nine, now eight? What does that mean? The corner of Urahara's mouth curves upward in a smirk as he notices my interest. "It's been a while," he continues, "But the last that I heard from them one of their number had left. It seems that she could no longer handle the conditions created by the experiment. This is where my knowledge breaks down." I sit up straighter, eager now to hear what Urahara has to say. Finally, finally, I'm going to get some answers.

"It is my guess that sometime when you very young that particular person ran into you. For some reason, and I honestly can't say why, she decided to give her powers, her life force itself to you. That woman was once a Soul Reaper and so some of her abilities managed to live on inside you, such as the ability to sense spirits. That is also why that sword I gave you became a Soul Reaper's zanpakuto. The dreams, I suspect, were her memories leaking through as her abilities have done. She has, in a sense, placed her essence in you." I nod to myself. This makes sense….sort of.

"As for everything growing stronger since you came here…well, as I'm sure you know Ichigo's spiritual pressure leaks from him all the time. It has also gotten significantly stronger since Rukia Kuchiki gave him her powers and made him a Soul Reaper. You were exposed to Ichigo's spiritual pressure when you moved here and your own spiritual pressure reacted, becoming stronger. It is the same thing that happened to your friends Chad and Orihime who have had their latent spiritual powers unlocked. As Ichigo has gotten stronger so have you, both because of his growth and your training with me. This is probably what has caused those memories to move from your dreams into a state where you see them when you are awake."

I stare at him waiting for more. Urahara simply smiles at me. "And that," he says, picking up his hat again and placing it on his head. "Is that." I stare at Urahara for a moment dumbfounded. And then…

"Huh? What? But!" I splutter, angry now, "That didn't explain anything! I've got even more question now!"

"Really? But I answered all your questions," Urahara replies, the picture of innocence.

"You! You!" I'm so irate now that I can't even form a coherent sentence. "Can't you at least tell me what her name was?"

"No." All traces of playfulness are now gone from Urahara's manner. Instantly I clam down and sit still. Though I'm still fuming I know better than to argue with Urahara when he's this serious. "You wouldn't understand the whole story if I told you right now anyways, and I have my reasons besides that. Things will work out for the best if you find out what happened on your own from her memories."

I frown at him. I really, really don't like this. But there's nothing I can do. Still aggravated I stand to leave. I freeze in the doorway, however, at the sound of Urahara's voice. His lighter tone has returned. "Tomorrow's your birthday isn't it?"

I respond with a stiff nod without turning around. "Good. Well, happy early birthday. I think I'll give you the day off as your gift. But Taylor…" Urahara's voice has gotten serious again and I can't help but turn to look at him. "Don't stay out too late tomorrow."

I search Urahara's face for a long moment looking for something, anything that will clue me on what his cryptic warning means. As usual I find nothing. I respond with a lazy wave and "Yea, sure." I feel his gaze on my back all the way to the front door and it makes me uneasy.

Author's Note:

Chapter 12! I must say I love this chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed writing and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Also the Word document for this story is now over a hundred pages, which is RIDICULOUS. It kinda blows my mind actually.

Two more chapters and then we'll be in the Soul Society Arc and I'm pretty excited. The next couple of chapters are going to be awesome too, and hopefully you all won't guess what's coming. Also there is more dialogue in this chapter than in anything else I've ever written (I think) so please review and let me know what worked and what didn't (technique wise specifically).

Citations

*English language Vol. 5, Ch. 38, by Viz

**English language Vol. 6, Ch. 47, by Viz

***English language Vol. 6, Ch. 50, by Viz

Reviews! A big fat thanks to pay backs a bitch sucker, Shaybo27, bored411 (who reviews like every chapter because they're awesome!), and Shannyrox101!

To pay backs a bitch sucker…yes Taylor will be spending more time as a Soul Reaper soon and the reason Uryuu didn't include Taylor was because he was talking to Ichigo at the time.

Thanks for reading!

imagination junkie