Finnaly, i could get this trough..

yes, i am so very late on this one, but ever since i over taxed my brain on doing the story for the competition so i could be completed in 5 days, my brain can no longer write anything else =.=...

XD thank you so much for the reviews, i am glad that there is at least someone who reads my story

DISCLAIMER: I do not own BLEACH, if i were to own it, it would be on hold right now

Chapter 5, Sinking Memories

She looked around as she arrived in front of a two storey apartment where Inoue lives. She sighed. Nothing has changed. It was just as she remember two years ago, when both of them was rushing to save Inoue from her brother's hollow spirit. Again another wave of guilt cross over her. Rukia shakes her head. She seriously have to get over this. She must focus on the current task at hand.

Kuchiki Rukia was hesitating. Here she is, standing in front of an apartment door. Hand stretched as she was about to knock the hard wooden door. she wanted to knock but, it would be rude to bother her this early on the morning.. But she has to know.

after a deep breath, she steeled herself to meet her joyous bubbly friend. Before she was able to knock, however, the door swung back. Revealing a busty girl with a bright long hair behind it. She was wearing the karakura grey uniform, ready to head for school.

"ah! Just like I thought! It's Kuchiki San!" inoue said happily, having to meet one of her old shinigami friends. "it's been long time!" she said as she hugged Rukia, suffocates the petite shinigami with her, rather huge assets.

Rukia was quite taken aback, both from the suffocating and from the sudden assault. "I... Inoue... I... " she stammers as she was losing her breath quick as she was buried in her extra large bust.

Inoue loses her hold on rukia as she noticed her raged breath. Immediately, Rukia stumbled back and gasped. She turned and grab a hold to the railings as she was trying to get more air. She was trying to take as many oxygen she can to satisfy her lung.

"ah! Kuchiki san! Are you alright?" inoue asked innocently. Rukia sweat dropped at the question. After she experience this, she gives her sympathizes to the white haired short captain back on soul society. To think he was able to live after being crushed like this every single day...

The shinigami lieutenant sighed as she calm her raged breath. "yes, i'm fine" she said as tried to regain her posture

"oh, thank goodness" inoue said on relief. Completely unaware of the situation.

After the short suffocating meeting, rukia was seated on the comfy seating inside the house. Once again, she took time on apprehending the familiar sight before her. This place hasn't changed at all, even though inoue had change so much from how she remember her about two years ago. She has grown taller, which made her a little envious, her bangs was now styled differently and surprisingly, her asset are even bigger than how it used to be, as she was quite close to it a while ago.

"here you go" inoue said as she serve rukia the japanese green tea.

"aa.. Thank you" the raven haired girl said as she took a sip at the recently brewed tea. The hot drink seeped through her throat and sent comfortable warmth through out her body, calming her whole senses.

"so, kuchiki san" the busty girl called "how long will you stay?" she asked as she took her place across rukia before the wooden table, waiting excitedly for an answer.

"um.. For a while I guess..." she answered reluctantly. In truth, she had no idea how long she will be stationed here. She was under the order to protect karakura while they search for other shinigami that was appropriate to replace kurumadani zenosuke, the shinigami that was assigned to this town. She didn't know how long but, seeing that she is a lieutenant, probably, they would take haste on appointing one.

"oh, I see... So, is there something that I can help with?"

Upon the question she was given, her mind was snapped back to the reason why she was here in the first place. she looked down to the green tea the inoue served. She watched as the thin smoke danced happily above the cup. the shinigami was hesitant to ask her about ichigo since she know that the girl took his death really badly, but there is a chance she might know.

"actually, there is something that I want to ask" she said "it's abo-" then it hit her. Her senses tingled as she felt a sudden appearance of a dark energy. Her eyes widened in terror. She recognize this felling, it's the dark pressure of a hollow.

She cursed as she stood and scrambled to leave the apartment. she slam the front door revealing a darkened sky, filled with dark clouds that ready to pour out the rain at any given moment. As soon as she was out, she directed her reiatsu to her feet and flash steps as fast as she could to the source of the abomidable reiatsu. She flashed from roof to roof, straining her self as she felt the hollow reiatsu even stronger. Out of all times why now? Stupid idiotic hollows!

Ray lightstone is not a pessimist type of person, he will never assume the worse. Howevever, he is not that naive to disregard if something was wrong either, and right now, of this moment, he knows that something has happened. Ichiru was late, too damn late! He should not be taking this long just to buy something in a supermarket that was just 10 minutes from here, he should be here already! but no, he was nowhere to be seen.

Ray grited his teeth. He wasn't mad at ichiru for being late, but he was worried sick if his friend has encounter some problems on his way. Not to mention this dreadfull felling that he had felt. He knows that something is wrong, but he didn't know what. That felling has pissed him off more than anything else.

That was it. He will go out there and drag that stupid dandelion back here. If he found him loitering around on some place, he will recive the most painfull punishment ever.

Ray cursed colorfully as he was putting on his shoe. He banged the front door open and ran off toward the empty road without even bothering to close the door behind him.

Rukia can't believe her eyes. The hollow has just throw the orange haired teen to the ground, leaving a deep clawed gash on his upper body. Her eyes wide with fear, The steam of dark red blood making her heart sank. She can't breath as she registered what just happened in front of her. The desperation she felt two years ago threatened to crush her once more. She knows that she was considerably faster than how she was two years ago, but right now, she never have felt so damn slow. Why can't she be faster, why after all this time, she was still as powerless as she was before. She never felt so useless before. She was desperate as she took one last push to her feet.

"ICHIGO!" she shouted as the teen lay uselessly on the road with a pool of blood beneath him.

Fueled by rage, she charged to the hollow with a roar. She take out her sword, ready to strike. The hollow howled once more as he noticed the delicious shinigami in front of it, the scent that it has tracked from the teen. The hollow was ravenous from hunger, the monster stretched its hand, it extends further and uses it's claws to attack its prey, the petite shinigami infront of it. rukia couldn't care less with the injuries she got from it, all she cared is to kill the damn hollow who dares to attack the living, ichigo, no less. Her eyes is sharp with fury, giving daggers to the hollow. Despite all of the attack it gives her, she preses on with only one thing in mind, to destroy it.

With a quick flash, she bring her zanpaktou through the hard red skin of the hollow and slashed upwards, efectively cutting the mask into two.

Immediately, she ran back, towards the dying orange head. She didn't even stand around to see the hollow disintegrate, ichigo is the only thing on her head right now. Fear was apparent on her violet eyes, looking at the teen desperately while trying not to break on the sight of his blood.

Quickly, she hold the unconscious teen on her lap, trying to heal him with her kido. "oy! Hang in there! Don't go dying on me dammit!" she shouted. Even when her kido was at work, the damage was simply too big to be healed with her kido alone. Tears threatened to fall as she hold him tightly. No! Please don't! Not again! This can't be happening she tought desperately. "please..." she wishpered, her voice wavers in agony as she tightened her grip on the dying teen "please... don't go..." she sobbed, the tears started to fall as the rain came falling from the darkened sky. "no don't.. Don't leave me alone...don't leave me again..." ichigo...

Slowly, his consciousness was returning. Vaguely, he felt it, the freezing cold that engulf his body. He recognize it, this felling.. It was water, cold freezing water that drenched his whole body. He shivers as the wave washed over him. Waves? Is he underwater? Why was he under water? He was sure that moments ago he was struck by something invisible which turns out to be a monster with white mask and leave him to death... And now, he was submerged on a sea somewhere?

This doesn't make any sense.. Getting attacked by an invisible monster, bleeding to death because of it, and somehow, being thrown into the sea? Yeah, this is far too weird to be true, Ray will never believe it if he had told him about this when he got back, that is, even if he could get out of here alive.

Where is he anyway, he's sure that he was drowning but, he could breathe, as if he has grown some gills or something, either way, he got to find out where is he and how to get out of this mess. Then again, he wasn't even sure that he was still alive, he could be dead for all he knows. It is still a possibility.

Slowly he started to open his heavy eyelids, a blur is all he got until his eyes started to focus.

If what happened before is weird, then this would be even weirder.

He was flying, well... Actually, more like falling, falling from the sky. Buildings, tall and proud, skyscrapers which challenged the sky. That's all he sees. Each has different models and height. The glittering window panes, the empty huge billboard spaces.. It certainly reminds him of megapolis cities on America, albeit a little less crowded, and how this city is submerged.

Never in his live he were stunned as badly as he is now, his head couldn't even think something coherent to say as he keep looking at his surroundings in awe. Yet, he couldn't help but to think that this place has changed, If ever so slightly. Although, how he knows that he had no idea, he was sure that this was his very first visit on this strange place...

As he was decending, down to the land beneath him, he could hear it. a wishper. He focused his mind as he tried to hear it clearly. Soon, he was able to hear the voice as it echoed throughout the submerged empty world.

"Eversince that day, i've always wanted to protect them"

ichiru was stunned. That voice... It resembles his own voice, yet, it was not him who said it... Not to metion the very smooth japanese that the voice used... he looked araound, searching for the source of the sound. no matter how hard he try, he didn't find anyone. The fact that the voice seems to came from every single corner of this... Place... Doesn't help either. Where did that come from? Protect who?

"i want to protect my family, my friends, everyone that is important to me"

Ichiru frowned as something keeps on bothering him, nagging him, something that he should know yet he doesn't. The word seems so familiar, yet so foreign at the same time.

"No" the voice continued "that's not enough, I want to protect everyone, so that they won't suffer like I did"

The voice wavers, giving out a hint of sadness and regret on the tone. He could feel a lurch on his heart. The unbidden, dreary, felling that he had felt.. This saddnes... Ichiru wondered what had made him fell this way.. Was it because of the voice?

"all these times, I longed for a sword to grasp, to be stronger and stronger, and even stronger so that I could protect them without fail!" ichiru felt a rush of determination seeped into the words.

"otherwise, I won't be able to meet her..."

Her... Ichiru didn't know what the voice mean by her but, for some reason, he knew she was important.. And that pain he felt earlier.. It was.. Somehow, connected to her...

Ichiru scowled even harder. She is important to him, yet he can't remember, who is she?

His thought was cut short as he spotted the ground. Gracefully, he shifted his position upright in preparation for his landing. As the sole of his sneakers touched the pavement, a tremor blossomed beneath the ground. It started up slow but it was getting harder every second.

He gasped at the sudden calamity, however, the earth quake was the least of his worries. His eyes widened as he saw the beholding sight above him. The great tall skyscrapers he saw earlier started to form cracks, it creeps trough out the building and shattered the glass of the window pane. Shards of sharp glass twinkling in the sunlight started to fall along with large chunk of the crumbling building.

Naturally, he did what anyone would do on this kind of situation. He ran. He forced his muscle as he move trough the deep water, avoiding the giant off a debris falling from the sky

He was aware of his ragged breath as he jumped forward, barely avoiding a huge chunk from crushing him to nothingness. He cursed. Out of all the things that he has to face, facing Armageddon while running from huge chunks and debris for dear life on a lonely submerged city full of sky scrappers which was crumbling to the ground with a sense of impeding doom' is surely not on the list of trials he has on mind.

Another part of the building falling towards him, threatening to flatten him as the giant shadow looms before him. Not wanting to get any chances, he jumped back and watch as the chunk crashed to the foundation of the sky scraper beside him.

Much to his horror, that sky scraper is the tallest one around. And now, it began to crumble, much like the others. But this time, the tower topples and come crashing at him.

His eye wide with terror as he looked at the tower getting closer and closer. He took several steps back before turning and sprinted full speed trying to run away from all of this catastrophe.

All of this was so familiar and clichéd for him. After all of that movies he saw on the theater, he should know, great cities with towering skyscrapers crumbling down and created huge calamity. A typical climax. Ironically, he actually enjoyed the show. All of that stunning effects and the heart pounding anticipation as the heroine fought his way out of death's grip. Not really enjoyable now when he was the one who was on the life and death situation.

He felt the push of the wave getting stronger as the falling skyscraper is closing in to the ground. He would hate to stand on it's way as the impact would kill him for sure, squashed like a bug. Suddenly, he didn't felt so bad to be killed by that monster, at least, his body won't be squished and spluttered like some useless meat. He turned green on the thought.

He forced his body to go even further. He knows that he only got a few second to find a way, the shadow looming over him jus got even wider, covering more of the sunlight than he would have liked. Not like he could see the sun underneath all this water anyways..

a few meters. That's all he got. If he wasn't out of its way then, he would be a victim of all this madness.

20 meters, he pushed his leg even harder, making him gasp out of the deteriorating oxygen.

10 metes, he brave himself to take a peek on his back. His eyes widened on the alarming sight. It looked so close that he had a hard time processing the fact that he was going to be done if he didn't find a way.

5 meters, this is his limit, he got to find something fast. he looked around to see if he could do something.

The tower fall in a deafening crush as gravity pull it down, destroying it self and everything below it.

He gasped as he crouched beneath the wreckage, not believing how lucky he is to have survived the fall. It seems that, the remnant of the debris he ducked beside acted as a pillar to the falling tower which spares him a small space for his life. With a determination, he crawl through the small gap and into the fresh air ahead of him. Although, instead of air, it was a mass accumulation of water which he could breath on. As he finally out of the suffocating rat hole, he took a greedy gulp of air, creating air bubbles from his gasping mouth.

On that moment, he cant think nothing other than thanking every gods out there for the last minute miracle.

He lays on the destroyed empty road, panting as he struggles to get more air to his system. His back met the rough texture of the concrete, it was un comfortable. Yet, he can't lift his body, it was so heavy and stiff, he felt as if he has drained ten years of his life on his last run. He looked up to the water filled sky, full of crumbling skyscrapers. He really can't get a grip of this sudden situation he has been plunged into, but one thing is clear. This place is tearing apart.

With all his power, he pulls up his body and stood up, looking the carnage around him. Soon, another earthquake followed. with a gasp, he struggled with his balance. He really have to get away from this place and fast, that is even if there is away to get out from this cursed world back to the city he once lived. He didn't even know how the hell he was here in the first place, he didn't even know how he had survived that fatal damage that monster has given him.

He ran as fast as he could, retracing his own steps. and ultimately, lead him to the spot where the highest tower used to stand. He was about to continue his run until something caught his eye.

He can't actually believe his eyes right now, there, right in front of him was a teen, chained to the wall behind him.

Even with all the catastrophe going on, he just can't lift his eyes.

Normally, he would just run off because, he is on a predicament of his own, yet, something about him really forcing him to help the teen. not to mention the eerie resemblance that the teen has with himself... That familiar unruly shocking orange hair, the lithe body, It's as if he was looking at him self. The only thing that has him certain it wasn't his doppelganger is the lifeless brown eyes... And that black robe he was wearing, for some reason it was familliar.. Although, he has no idea why it is so familiar.

He took a step forward, eyes locked to the teen in front of him. He has this weird pulsating feeling inside his vein. His whole body just screaming to help the helpless teen in front of him. He want to help him. More than anything else. He just can't understand why, why was that teen is important to him, why did he wanted to save him that badly. He didnt even know who he is..

He proceed, he took several step forward. It was then that the headache hit him. He groans painfully as the pain threaten to take away his consciousness. He fell down, his knees touched the ground as he clutched his head tightly, as if it could take away the pain. Flashes of blurry memories assaulted him, it was just random snippets with the smallest bit of information. He clutched his head even harder as he screamed on agony. The intense pain he was going trough is so agonizing that he was about to pounce his head off to the concrete beneath him.

the memories was incomprehensible, it was just a piece of a memory. He was seeing lots of different people, yet he never get their name. He also saw all of his new friends on it, tatsuki, keigo, mizuiro, inoue, chad, and the four eyes, then there are those people he never seen before who was wearing a black robe, there are also those that has an immaculate white uniform. The only one that he could make some sense out of all is a short transition with a woman, a woman with a blonde hair.

"no!" the boy, who supposedly be him, exclaimed "I'll be the one on the side ways, I'll protect you mom"

The woman smiled, she squat down with her umbrella on her shoulder. It was a rainy day, she wiped the dirt out of his face, who was standing with his own bright yellow rain jacket, covering him from head to tow, protecting the boy from the heavy rain.

"then, be stronger, okay, ichigo"

He nods happily, with the brightest smile he ever has done.

He gasped as he was brought back from the memory, he was bowing down with his head on the hard concrete. With a painful groan, he lifted himself back up, still disoriented with the vertigo that the flashes has caused. His eyes widen as he caught sight of his look a like infront of him. Now he knows who he is. "Kurosaki ichigo" the person that his friends mistook him of.

He stood up, and he began to run to him. His mission was clear. He have to save him, kurosaki ichigo.

He didn't know why but, he felt that, to free him was the only purpose of his existance. he ran as fast as he can, not wanting to spare any second he had. He extended his hand, it's just a little more before he was able to reach him.

And everything goes blank, the submerged world was engulfed in a bright light.

A bad chapter, yes?

i am so sorry, as i said earlier, i really cant write anything right now, so... i decided to take some vacation from ether writing or reading. not to mention that its 17 days from National Exam... X(

so, i dont really know how long it would be but... i suppose it depend on the review...

that being said, please review :D