For Cyanide-And-Strawberries and Bj who reviewed and encouraged me to write! Thanks for getting my slacking butt out of a ditch! School's finally over, but computer decided to glitch on me. Gotta wait for another one. :(

The Familiar Stranger

Rukia waited outside of Ichigo's door, waiting for the psychic to come out. He usually came out at the same time every day, or even earlier just to avoid Rukia. After waiting twenty more minutes, the girl figured that the younger man had left already, but to make sure, she knocked and turned the knob. The sight that met her eyes made her gasp. Tunnels of water, holding all of Ichigo's exotic fish, were suspended in the air. She carefully made her way to the bed. It was perfectly made. Cold. Unslept in for at least several hours now. Rukia again ducked under the flowing currents of water to Ichigo's long table of weapons and supplies. Lying in the middle of the carefully laid out objects was something that made her violet eyes widen and her fists clench. There, lying innocently, and glinting in the rising sun, was Ichigo's crest. A crest made uniquely for each different and new Zodiac Slayer.

The dark haired woman gripped the crest in her hand, the silver chain wrapped around her fingers as she slipped out of the room and hurried to the Sotaicho's building. Without knocking, the usually calm and respectful woman burst through the doors to Leo's office. The old man sat at his desk, talking with Kensei, Aries. Yamamoto raised one brow questioningly at the panting woman that just slammed his doors' open. "Kuchiki?"

"…Sir…" Rukia panted, quickly trying to get her breath back. Once she did, she calmed and walked forward to place the silver crest with a pearl in the middle onto the elderly man's desk. Leo's body froze as he stared down at the crest of his youngest Zodiac Slayer. His normally closed and peaceful eyes were open. He brought up a hand to trace the tiny intricate waves curling around the pearl, a gale tamed into a small circle of a crest. Just like Ichigo. The old man grabbed the necklace in a hand and rose quickly. Without a glance at either of the two that occupied his office, the Sotaicho flashed to the Zodiac's living quarters. He slammed open the doors Cancer's room and stopped.

Fish swam everywhere. Somewhere behind him, he heard a gasp. Yamamoto turned sharply to Rukia. "What is it, Kuchiki?

The small woman pointed to Ichigo's bed. "That…that wasn't there before."

Leo directed his eyes to Ichigo's bed where an object was glowing. He approached along with Rukia and Kensei at his back. The glowing orb shined brightly before morphing into a white Hell butterfly. It fluttered around on the soft covers before circling around the room. It gracefully dodged the floating tunnels of water and exploded into sparkles of light. "…Sotaicho?"

The old man's back was stiff and his knuckles had turned white on his cane. "Check all of Cancer's belongings and potions. Summon his students."

The head Slayer started to walk towards the exit when Kensei said something. "What about Ichigo, sir?"

"I'm calling a meeting. We will discuss things there." With that, he was gone, leaving Rukia and Aries staring at the empty doorway.

An emergency meeting was called, the Zodiacs lined up with their second in commands behind them. All except Ichigo was there, Rukia standing a step back from his place. All eyes were directed to the front of the room when the Sotaicho's staff was smacked down, causing a resounding boom to echo around the large room. "You all have been summoned here on the absence of Kurosaki Ichigo, our Cancer."

Some shifted nervously, glancing between Rukia and the Sotaicho. "It seems that he has left to join the enemy." Rukia, who had had her head bowed down, lifted her head to stare bewilderedly at Leo.

"Ichigo would never-" He cut her off with a look and continued speaking. "I want a search party made to go and collect him. Use any means to bring him back unharmed."

One half of Gemini stepped up. "Genryusai-dono…I just can't believe that Ichigo-kun would do such a thing. There must be a reason I'm sure?"

The old man didn't say anything to Ukitake, turning his back. "Kuchiki Rukia, have you checked Cancer's belongings?"

The lieutenant nodded. "And his students?"

"Waiting outside." She replied. He grunted and told her to bring them in. He stood from his chair and walked behind it, staring up at the high ceilings. He turned when he heard the sound of feet entering, young men and woman kneeling on one knee before him. "You are all pupils under The Zodiac Slayer, Cancer, correct?"

They all nodded. "Has he taught Divination to any of you?"

Silence. Yamamoto was about to dismiss them when a frail and nervous looking girl looked up with wide brown eyes. "H-he has been t-teaching me, sir."

"What is your name?" the girl looked away shyly and fidgeted in front of the Sotaicho. "Hinamori Momo. I-I am learning how to scry, to see what others do not."

"Are you a born Seer?" The girl shook her head. "I am the f-first in my family to learn D-divination. I can see through the Yokan Mirror Ichigo-sensei taught me to use."

Yamamoto motioned for a messenger. They flashed away and returned in a few moments. In their hands they a silver circular mirror in their hands. The mirror had a frame also made of the same gleaming silver in the shape of intertwining vines. They handed it to the girl before disappearing. All others in the room shuffled curiously as they had never seen such a mirror. "I want you to see if you can scry Cancer. See some reason as to why he would leave…"

Hinamori nodded and closed her eyes. She took in a deep breath and calmed her shaking body. Her small fingers grasped the Yokan Mirror.

"Quaeso, qui regit unum luna o suavis Sinite quid latet, quod non videtur. Viam veritatis luceat lumen vestrum desiderium." (I ask you, oh gentle one who rules the moon, allow me to see what is hidden, what is not seen. Let your light shine on the truth of the path I wish to see.)

The surface of the mirror started to ripple, looking as the mirror had turned into some silvery liquid. It started to settle when Hinamori opened her eyes. "Osentende mihi qod quaero." (Show me what I seek.)

The silver started to clear and showed a picture of Ichigo, his hood up to cover his hair. He looked worried. The picture switched to one of a pale stranger. Yamamoto's eyes widened when he realized that this was the stranger that Ichigo had depicted earlier. He rode a mysterious creature, a purely white katana slung against a strong back. A whisper filled the air. "He will be mine"

The Zodiac Slayers all looked around, looking for the speaker of the voice but finding nothing. The image vanished and the silver mirror returned to what it had been before. Hinamori swayed on her feet as Yamamoto dismissed those at the meeting. Cancer's one divination student gathered her courage and asked one last question before she left.

"What about Ichigo-sensei?" The old man was silent for a long time before answering. "We cannot be entirely sure."

***X***

Shiro grinned as he blocked the young girl's request and looked back across the sands.

"Soon. It is almost time…" Shiro laughed, golden eyes shining with excitement. "Soon…"

Hey guys. Im really tired. I don't know when I'll officially get a computer, but let's hope it's soon. Thanks for your support! SBX3