Ichigo sighed. After he reached his house, he forgot how much of an irritating excuse of a father he had. No, that didn't mean he hated his father or anything, Isshin was just a different sort of father who loved to…test his son's skills as a man. He changed into casuals, and handed the stained short to Yuzu, who happily took it from him. His thoughts returned to Misaki, and how that stain came on to his shirt in the first place. His face heated up, as he recalled her hands on his chest, and how her eyes looked up at him. Those green orbs. He sat on his bed, and sighed. Whatever was going on, Ichigo didn't want Misaki to be involved. He wondered what Urahara would be telling them, and Rukia obviously, would return and tell him what the real deal with everything is.
Misaki wasn't convinced. She frowned and grunted loudly. "My mother was a Mage? That's ridiculous!" She didn't want to believe her mother was a supernatural being. This Urahara man was obviously playing with her. But Misaki's heart dropped as she looked at the man's gaze, so hard, and she knew right then that he was being serious. "So, Misaki's mother was a Mage, and she wore the amulet at all time's right?" Kisuke nodded. "That pretty much means it." He said, nodding. "But Misaki told me, that back in Osaka, hollows never attacked her or her mother. Right Misaki?" Rukia asked, and Misaki nodded. Kisuke stayed quiet, for he didn't know the answer to that. The reason why these hollows were attacking her, and the reason the amulet protected someone other than its owner, was shocking. Even if Misaki was the original owner's daughter, the amulet wouldn't naturally protect her. But this made no sense, and Kisuke knew there was something more to it.
But Misaki couldn't know more than she knew now. Ichigo made a big mistake by telling the girl about the Soul Society, and about hollows. Of course, she did have spiritual pressure, but it wasn't large, and this girl needn't be involved in anything. He had to investigate about this without her knowing, and for that he needed her out of the way. He knew just what to do. He turned to Tessai, and "Tessai, could you bring the girl's some tea?" He gave Tessai a cold look, and Tessai nodded curtly. Tessai scurried to the kitchen, and that left Kisuke, Rukia and Misaki alone in the Shoten.
Rukia understood that Kisuke was avoiding the questions that were being thrown at him, but she frowned as she realized why. Kisuke was always the sort of man who put gathering information in front of personal obligations. Misaki had every right to know what was going on, but Kisuke felt otherwise. Rukia never heard of Magi before. They seemed too unnatural to believe in, but then again, she was a Soul Reaper. Kisuke smiled at Misaki and said, "Misaki! Tell me about yourself! It'll help in gathering info." He said the last part in a much softer tone. Misaki was startled, and said, "I uh…what do you want to know Mr. Urahara?" "Please, call me Kisuke! I'm not much older than you, you can see that can't you?" Kisuke winked at the girl, and Rukia rolled her eyes. "Tell me, do you have siblings?" Misaki nodded. "One, elder brother, he's a university fresher. Minato." Misaki said, as she smiled at the sound of her brother's name. "Ah nice, and what are your hobbies?" Misaki didn't quite understand how this would help. "How is this going to help in gathering information Mr. - um…Kisuke?" "Nah, I'm asking this because I'm bored." Misaki sighed.
"Ow! Please J-Jinta, stop it! It hurts!" Came a girl's voice. Misaki perked up and looked at Kisuke who sighed. "Rukia, could you please go and control them for me?" Rukia sighed and got out of the room. A second later, Tessai entered, holding two tea cups in a tray. Misaki thanked him and took a sip. Kisuke and Tessai were both staring at her. "W-What's wrong?" Misaki asked, as she felt dizzy. Her vision blurred, and she dropped the tea glass, pouring tea in the ground, and she fell right on Kisuke, who held her protectively. "Boss, you think whether this girl might also be a Mage?" Kisuke looked at the unconscious girl in front of him, and "We can't say for sure now. But if we need to keep her out of trouble, she needs to stay away from the amulet. And now, thanks to you Tessai, she won't remember about it." Kisuke smiled and Tessai chuckled.
Rukia came back inside to find Misaki asleep on Kisuke. She panicked and yelled, "What the hell?" "Relax. Rukia, I want you to go get Ichigo. Go, now." Kisuke said, his voice stern. "Kisuke! You tell me what's going on first!" Rukia demanded. Kisuke sighed, "I'll explain everything once you get Ichigo here. Go, now and don't waste time." Rukia grunted and walked out.
Kisuke grabbed the amulet and observed it. A green jewel placed in the middle, held in place by what seemed like gold linings. The jewel emitted spiritual energy, and Kisuke could bet his life on the fact that a Mage possessed this. He gave the necklace to Tessai and waited for Ichigo to get here. He laid Misaki next to him on the ground carefully, and took a look at her. She didn't seem like a Mage, or she too would have had a massive spiritual pressure. Even if she was half a Mage, that wouldn't make it any different. He sighed, and wondered how long it had been since he ever saw another Mage.
Rukia ran to Ichigo's house and climbed into his window easily, and found that he was asleep. She jumped on him and covered his mouth. He released it after a while, and he was wide eyed. "Come to Urahara's shop. Now." Rukia said, and Ichigo looked confused. "But why? And where's Misaki?" That question came out of nowhere, and even Ichigo didn't know where it came from. He blushed slightly, and looked at Rukia as she grabbed the talking stuffed bear, Kone. She took out the pill from its mouth, ignoring its pleas not to do so. "Misaki is asleep on top of Urahara and he was flirting with her before drugging her tea." Ichigo suddenly felt furious, "HE WHAT?" The boy took the pill from Rukia's hand and swallowed it, and Kone was inside Ichigo's body. "Behave." Ichigo ordered him and left with Rukia.
"Why the hell is Kisuke-?" Ichigo was asking when Rukia interrupted. "Don't worry, I exaggerated. He drugged her tea, but she's fine." Ichigo sighed out of relief. "Rukia, what's going on?" Ichigo asked, and the girl shrugged. "Whatever it is, I have a feeling Kisuke knows more than he's letting on."
Ichigo sprinted into Urahara's store to find Kisuke stroking Misaki's hair. She was unconscious, and she was on the floor, with him sitting right next to her. "What the hell Urahara!" Ichigo yelled. The blonde man laughed and ushered him and Rukia to sit for a minute. "Listen carefully Ichigo, I want you two to take her home, and leave her on her bed. Unseen by anyone. Her family, the neighbors, anyone." "But why?" Rukia asked. "The boss has given Misaki a drug, which will make her forget anything and everything that happened when she possessed the amulet. The information Ichigo gave her on hollows and Soul Society will be erased as well. Even meeting the boss and me." Tessai said.
"Why shouldn't she know anything? She has the right!" Rukia said, Kisuke then gave her an odd look. "You'd rather she know everything and endanger her life which she can't even protect on her own? She's needed Ichigo to save her twice, if I might add." Kisuke said, his voice uncompromising.
Ichigo immediately agreed with Urahara. "But why did you have to drug her? I mean, Rukia could've given her one of her memory replacement thingy, right?" Ichigo asked. Rukia shook her head. "That only works on humans without spiritual pressure. Misaki's been in contact with this amulet for over a week. Her spiritual pressure must've increased at least a little bit." Ichigo sighs. "What is she?" he whispers, and Urahara snickers. "Seems to me you're a little extra worried about Misa, why is that?" Ichigo's face turned beet red, and shook his head rapidly. "Let's go, Ichigo, carry her." Rukia said, as she stood up and exited the store. Ichigo picked a sleeping Misaki and stared at her face before Kisuke chuckled. "You owe me an explanation when I get back Urahara!" And Ichigo dashed off.
Minato was tired of waiting in front of the school gate. Misaki was nowhere to be seen, and she wasn't answering her phone calls. Minato grunted and drove home, and on his way he saw something. Even if it were for a second, he saw an orange haired boy, fully clad in a black clothing, carrying a girl, and another shorter black haired girl in the same uniform as his sister, running alongside him. He couldn't see the girl the orange haired boy was carrying and Minato thought to himself. 'That's strange, isn't that Rukia?' Minato shook his head, and drove off.
Rukia was at the lookout for anyone who was looking at them. If anyone saw them the way they are, they would see Rukia and Misaki floating in air, since Ichigo couldn't be seen by ordinary humans. So far, there weren't anyone who saw them, and the three neared Misaki's house. As soon as Rukia caught sight of the house, she stopped dead on her tracks. There was a car pulling over, and Rukia groaned. It was Misaki's elder brother, Minato. 'He mustn't see us!' Rukia thought as she sped toward the house. "Ichigo!" Rukia whispered, and said, "I'll distract her brother, you go up to her room." Ichigo nodded, and dashed away, while Rukia went up to Minato. "Hi!" Minato gave her a questioning look. "Where's Misaki?" He asked, and Rukia said, "Where were you Minato? She waited, and you um…weren't there, so she left! She must be home, asleep or something." Rukia said, smiling ear to ear. Minato didn't look convinced. "Alright, let's see." Minato said, and walked toward the door. Rukia prayed Ichigo finished his job. Right then, Rukia noticed something. Her eyes widened and she cussed internally for not noticing earlier. Minato had a fair amount of spiritual pressure. That meant that, he could see Ichigo in his soul form. 'Oh no, Ichigo!' She thought and raced toward Minato.
Ichigo lay the girl on her bed, and sighed. He crouched down next to her, and smiled. Even though Ichigo barely knew her, he wanted her safe. Ichigo blushed as he continued staring at her, and he muttered a 'be safe' to her, and got back up, only to realize Misaki's hand was clutching on his. Ichigo's heart skipped a beat, and he looked to see if she was awake, but thankfully, she wasn't. He sighed, and released her hand. He smiled once again, as he took in the feeling of her palm on his. Her hands were soft, like a baby's hand, and Ichigo leapt out of the window, and sped off to a corner.
Minato opened the door to find Misaki asleep. 'Hm, Rukia was right.' He thought and closed the door, and before doing so something caught his eye. He looked at his sleeping sister's neck and furrowed his eye brows a little. 'Where's mom's necklace?' He sighed and walked downstairs.
Ichigo and Rukia ran toward Urahara shop as fast as possible. Now that Misaki won't be able to remember anything, nothing could stop them from knowing what was what. Ichigo saw Jinta and Ururu fighting in front of the shop, again, and the two ignored their fights and walked inside.
"Ah, you're here faster than I expected." Urahara said, holding his hand fan to his face. "Explain." Rukia said. "Alright here goes. Misaki's mother was definitely a Mage." Ichigo looked confused. "Mage? You mean Wizard?" "Not exactly, but something close to those lines." Kisuke said. "That necklace, is her mother's amulet. It's like a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto. It has to stay with the Mage, at all times, protecting them from harm. But this one, is with Misaki, meaning that it was assigned to protect her from something, if she came into contact with danger. Mages were believed to be extinct like the Quincys, and not much is known about them. In my lifetime, I've come across only one Mage, and I couldn't learn much.
"You see, a Mage is a practitioner of Magic. When a Mage, is fully prepared to learn more about his practical abilities, he can conjure an Amulet, which protects him from harm and also, acts as his line of offence. Just like a Soul Reaper acquiring his Zanpakuto. But the Amulets don't have names or any such recognition, but what they do possess is a part of the owner's soul. His spiritual pressure. Magic, is a vast science if you want to call it that, and there are several classes of Magi as well. And this might shock you, but Soul Reaper Kido, is also magic. A small derivative."
Rukia's eyes grew wide.
"Magi are often known for their barrier magic, and summoning magic. All kinds of spiritual attacks, are derivatives of old magic, and since the class of Magi is so ancient, not even Soul Reapers know much about it." Kisuke said. "But you know so much." Urahara laughed. "Oh trust me, this isn't even half of it." Ichigo's eyes grew wide.
"Why does this attract hollows?" Kisuke looked at the boy. "Simple. Hollows eat spiritual pressure, and this amulet had it. Apparently, the hollow was stupid to not differentiate the spiritual pressure from Misaki's. But the real mystery here is…why the amulet chose to protect her."
"It belonged to her mother so, it might've-""No, these objects don't work that way. Just because Rukia knows you well and it was her powers that gave rise to yours, doesn't mean she can use your Zanpakuto. It works like that." Ichigo nodded. "So wait, without the Amulet, Misaki is safe from hollows, yes. But what about what the necklace was trying to protect her from the beginning? That could attack her." Rukia said. "She'll be fine without this. Amulets do their duty to protect even if there isn't anything to protect the owner from." Rukia nodded. "It's safe to assume that Misaki is the current owner of this jewel, but there's one problem."
"The Amulet and the Mage share a bond like none other. If the owner doesn't remember about the Amulet, this little necklace here will try to find the owner. So, Misaki mustn't see this necklace or she'll remember everything." Kisuke said. "We could just give her the amulet and make sure no creature attacks her." Rukia said. "Rukia, there's no guarantee that you can keep an eye on the girl at all times. And not only that, she sticks around with you folks, she'll be rubbed off with your spiritual pressure, and the hollows that want to attack you, can attack her."
When Ichigo and Rukia were leaving, Kisuke pulled Rukia aside and said, "Don't you think it's time you got back? The Soul Society is getting…suspicious." Rukia cringed. "I'm leaving tomorrow, so don't worry." And she walked off.