Take this chapter of emotions after I give you a mainly bad guy centric chapter. This is the crucial moment for both of our heroes but in a different way. I hope you all enjoy. Oh and as a break from what is the normal authors note… WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL? 100 REVIEWS OH MY GOD, THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING THING! THANKS EVERYONE WHOS REVIEWS. NOW I CAN DIE A HAPPY AUTHOR! But of course I'll wait until the story is done with XD!
Thanks to Kage Kurai, Phantom Claire, KageNekoReborn, and AbsoluteReader1995 for reviewing.
KageNekoReborn Types as in characters? Like more Premier types? Well… not to give anything away, but there are still the second in command.
AbsoluteReader1995 Maybe 8 or 10? Plus however long the sequel proves to be.
I just hope this chapter conveys what I want it too and all of that jazz, I need to work on high emotional points… but I hope this works enough for you all. But like I said, 100 reviews?! Okay so normally I'd give a treat but this chapter should suffice enough? Okay tell me if it isn't and I'll see what I can do. I'll stop rambling and let you get onto reading.
DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN BLEACH ONLY THE PLOT (of this story) AND SOME OF THE OCS
Toshiro had been called to the ninth division; in a way. He had mentioned to Urahara in passing earlier that day that he wanted to talk to him about something. He needed to hear a professional opinion on what was happening. The brief feelings that he got, the cryptic words, and the overall worry he was feeling. The young captain was thinking that it was just stress induced. They hadn't had any sort of break in between the Aizen incident and this.
He walked into the surprisingly well kept captain's office. It wasn't immaculate, but the white haired captain had seen worse. There were papers littering the floor, desk, tables, walls, and for some reason the ceiling. He really didn't want to know, so he wasn't going to even ask. But it was a mystery.
The new captain poked his head out from a large manual that he had been reading on the couch. "Ah, Captain Hitsugaya."
Toshiro nodded in greeting.
"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" The fair haired man jump right into it.
The young captain inhaled and went to sit in one of the chairs across from the couch. Twiddling his thumbs, not nervously, but more for something to do in the rather uncomfortable silence.
It was a good five minutes before Toshiro had organized his thoughts and was able to present them in a manner that didn't make him completely insane. It was another thirty minutes of explaining, back tracking, clarifying, explaining things in a different way, and uncomfortable silences in which the young captain had to figure out how to explain something he didn't know how to explain. Then it was another seven minutes of silence as the ninth's captain absorbed everything and thought about a reply.
Urahara finally cleared his throat. Causing the white haired captain's head to shoot up. "Well, what you've described to me, oh you're not crazy by the way, but what you've said… while note unheard of it's extremely rare."
"What is it?" Toshiro asked praying that it wasn't something that would cause him inability to lead the squad to save Ichigo.
"It's what happens when the soul has found its soul mate." Urahara explained calmly.
Toshiro blinked. "Found its soul mate?"
"You know in the mortals vocabulary the one you're meant to be with for the rest of your life, deriving from the Greek legend that humans were born with two faces and eight limbs that were later split apart due to the gods fearing that they would become too powerful, the two parts spent their lives searching for their other part to be reunited."
Toshiro blinked once again. "So you're saying this is because I've found my soul mate?"
Urahara nodded. "From what you've told me, in this life you've found the other embodiment of your soul mate."
"Other embodiment?"
"It sounds like your bond with your soul mate is incredibly strong; meaning it's probably got age."
"How do you know?"
"The bonds are at the strongest when its formed for the first time, and then it gradually weakens through the first life cycles and then grows in strength until it matches what it was when it was first created. I also happen to know, due to your very chatty vice-captain whose friends with mine that you haven't found anyone you're the least bit attracted to."
Toshiro decided not to comment on that last part, he had always figured that he was one of those people who didn't need love to function. "Different lives? You mean the soul mate and I have been connected through different live?"
"That's exactly what I'm say."
"So what does this have to do with the current crisis?"
Urahara smirked. "I thought you were a genius? But the bonds been activated in this life because your soul knows its partner is in danger, eventually your partner and you would've gotten together and understood the bond, or not even known about it. But because your other half is in danger it activated itself so you knew the exact condition of your partner."
Toshiro blinked yet again taking a minute to absorb everything. Not that he was behind the curve on this or it was too over his head to understand. Urahara couldn't help but smirk as the young captain started putting things together in his head. Finally the young captain spoke.
"This means that Ichigo is my soul mate?" Toshiro spoke slowly.
Urahara shrugged. "Certainly sounds like it."
Toshiro was motionless, now that he had spoken it out loud he knew that it was the truth. He knew the limitations of bonds. When he and Ichigo had combined their reiatsu that one time, it shouldn't have gone as smoothly as it did. They certainly shouldn't have been able to see each other's memories or anything. Instead of feeling uncertainty, fear, anger, or anything else that should've been his reaction. Toshiro felt strangely giddy.
"Do you know how bonds are made? Humans aren't reiatsu sensitive, in general, so could they really make bonds or mate their souls or whatever goes on?"
Urahara paused. Thinking about the answer, which he didn't know. "I can only assume that the souls themselves do it while their hosts are unaware of what went on. The souls never change only the physical bodies do, even then there's one thing that doesn't change."
Toshiro thought about it, Urahara clearly wasn't going to give any more than that. Thinking back he tried to remember if there was anything about Ichigo that reminded him of someone else. The first time he saw the carrot top was less than favorable, but he could remember being drawn into the taller teen's eyes. The eyes! Humans considered them the window to the soul, so it made sense that it would be actually true.
Urahara saw that Toshiro had figured it out on his own. "Back to work for me. This dimensional traveler isn't going to build and calibrate itself."
Toshiro took the advice and left the office. His mind was starting to absorb everything that he had been told and uncovered for himself. He still felt rather giddy, but as he started to remember the full situation his giddiness vanished into fear. Ichigo was in severe danger. Something that hadn't changed took on a completely different meaning. That was the first reason that he was afraid, the other was that he wasn't sure how to approach the substitute shinigami about this new development. Going on what Urahara said soul mates couldn't reject their other part, but it was a question on whether or not Ichigo would be able to understand it. The carrot top was the type to act and not think until later.
Of course he'd worry about confessing once he was sure Ichigo was safe and not in any danger. Also that the other teen would survive any injures that were given to him while he was in captivity.
Toshio gritted his teeth in anger. Someone had hurt the person he cared about most.
It was odd to think once you learned that you lo- were meant to be with someone your perception of the world changed drastically. Even learning all of this the white haired captain still wasn't sure he'd be able to admit that he loved another person. He was sure Ichigo wouldn't enter a relationship with anyone until he was certain that he loved them and was loved by them in return.
Dammit, this just got more complicated! Toshiro growled mentally.
The white haired captain was distracted as he walked back to his own barracks, hoping to avoid his over talkative vice-captain because he knew the moment he told the strawberry blonde about what he discovered half of soul society would know by noon. Not that gay couples were frowned upon, they were accepted just as well as any other couple and it didn't matter who it was, only captain and subordinate were frowned at in any sort of romantic relationship. He just wanted to keep this private for a little longer until he knew how everything was going to play out.
That still didn't stop him from wondering about the limits of the bond. He'd ask the dragon spirit once he was back in his room. He wasn't technically finished with his mission therefore there was no need for him to head to the office every day.
He did however stop when he saw a male that he hadn't seen before walk past him the hallways. He was probably a heart throb to all of the ladies. But that isn't what caught Toshiro's attention, it was the way he walked. Almost with no respect and almost forgetting to bow when he saw the tenth's captain. It wasn't required for shinigami of other squads to bow outside of the barracks, but he knew this was a tenth division member, it was just a thing with captains that they knew by sight how was in their squad.
The male finally did spot him and did bow while the young captain was walking past. But he could feel a heated gaze on the back of his neck. He'd have to investigate the purple haired male at a later date. He knew the face now. He'd go through the logs once he had his main curiosity sated.
Ichigo was awoken by something. He was only sleeping because it was the only thing he could do to relieve some of the pain coursing through his body. At first he wasn't sure what had awoken him. But as he became more and more aware of his surroundings the more he could tell what had woken him up. The first thing he noticed was that the cave was no longer a biting cold, not that he could get frostbite, but more of a gentle winter cold. The second thing that he noticed was that the snow had slowed down, but the snowflakes were bigger making the already white distance whiter. The third thing was the humming sound that had been lurking in the back ground was no longer grating and annoying it almost seemed like it was relaxed now. That something had pleased it. What he didn't know but he was happy that it was less annoying.
He didn't know what was happening in the outside world, but it seemed to calm this mental world and make it, happy? It was a relief but he wasn't sure what had happened. Had he been rescued? Was he being treated by the medical shinigami in the fourth squad? Questions whirled in his head and hope rose in his chest. He was unaware of the outside world, and he vaguely wondered if he'd even be able to return.
He knew that sometimes people retreated far enough in their minds that it was impossible for them to wake up, or if they did they lost something about themselves. He wasn't sure if it was even possible for him to return to the world without there being some sort of physiological or physical damage that would be impossible to repair or fix.
As grim as it seems, Ichigo was a realist. He knew when something wasn't going to work or he knew if something bad was going to happen there wouldn't be a way to change it. He didn't need fanciful notions floating around his head when he knew that the hill was too steep to climb. That might've led to his downfall. Anymore he wasn't sure what was going to be expected of him when and if he returned to the world.
Sure Soul Society was going to grill him for whatever information that he knew about the Neo-Gotei providing they still didn't know much. He knew his friends would try to support him the best they could, he knew he was probably going to be in a similar state like the one he had when he lost his mother. Knowing these things didn't mean that they weren't going to happen. He didn't know what damage had been done to the world while he was gone.
He didn't know the fate of anyone who had tried to save him. He was pitiful, he was a battle hardened warrior, he should know by now about what was would probably happen if he underestimated his opponent he saw what a grave mistake that was.
Yuna was hard to not underestimate, she looked like a young kid. But she was fierce and she was strong. Her reiatsu rivaled his own. He wasn't sure what Daichi could do. He knew Enyo's power fairly well by now but he didn't know how to beat it, considering it was a mental ability and she looked fairly skilled with the whip. Tadashi's zanpakuto if used in the correct manner could be devastating or just a nuisance. The king didn't look like the type to get his own hands dirty and would probably stay behind, but his power was different. Ichigo knew that the body take over wasn't its true power, he had felts as much when it pierced his chest. Anyone else was a good guess.
Ichigo sighed even evaluating his opponents wasn't' getting him any closer to understanding these guys or getting him out of this snow covered world. He was sure he was no longer going to be fond of snow after this. More like disgusted, he had seen enough to last him a lifetime.
After dwelling more on these foes, he didn't have any form of strategy in his mind, not that he was skilled in strategy. But he also wondered if he would be able to fight after all his body had been through. So many questions and no way to answer them until he got out of this dammed snowstorm prison.
The humming sounded like it agreed. The carrot top decided that he'd need to figure out what that was sometime. He looked out at the whitened world, the snowflakes seemed to be dancing. Entwining with each other, spinning, whirling, much like a ballroom dance.
Staring out of the snowflakes made him drowsy. He shut his eyes, feeling a tugging sensation in his gut. He didn't even resist when it felt like he was thrown into a different place.
It was hot, compared to the endless snow, this was like a volcano. But it was more like the typical Japanese summers he was used to. He couldn't make out any land marks, the buildings looked like those that were drawn of the feudal Japan era.
He blinked, he was in some little village, the farms were starting to tend to tiny buds and wives were at home preparing food and raising children. There was simplicity to it all, something he found relaxing.
As if he was in someone else's body he began walking. He didn't know where he was going but he body did. He was walking down by the river's shores. He looked into the water that seemed familiar and different at the same time. His refection looked back at him. Only it wasn't him, not really. He just made himself more confused.
In the water a handsome man, around his mid-twenties. He had tanned skin, natural from working out in the field, it was probably permanently tanned. He had messy brown hair that was ruffled in all of the right places but wasn't too overbearing. The face had an easy smile to it, but it looked like he was expecting sometime. He wore simple clothes marking him as a farmer, and seemed to have a thing about walking barefooted.
Ichigo could see that sandals were discarded some feet away. Though what really perked the carrot top's interest is the eyes. They were similar to his own, if not identical. They had a lightness, be underneath he could see an emotional hardship. The eyes looked friendly but he could see the coldness they held as well.
Similar but different.
Up ahead he could see a shorter statured figure, the man eyes lit up with excitement and nearly bolted to the figure. He slowed his approach as he got closer however, Ichigo was now a separate entity from the male. He walked up behind them, clearly he wasn't really there so he didn't expect to be noticed.
The figure had turned out to be a ninja. Not the anime, or costume, or fake type, but an actual living strikes from shadows wears all black protectors of the land type. Ichigo had seen the uniforms from many school trips to the city museum. Only this wasn't a mannequin, and the mask was discarded in the dirt.
It was a male, no surprise him being a ninja and all. But what surprised Ichigo the most was the teal eyes and jet black hair messed from being inside of the mask. He was short, standing just a head underneath the other male. Those eyes were familiar somehow, he couldn't tell where from.
"Ren." The teal eyed man said in a way of greeting.
The brunette smiled at the acknowledgement. "Yuki, you're back early."
The shorter male looked away, a light pink dusting his cheeks. "It was a simple mission."
Ren nodded. "I believe you."
Yuki continued to look away and the light atmosphere of friendship suddenly changed into a different one. Something Ichigo couldn't place.
Yuki spoke up. "I hurried to get back."
Ren nodded, he knew that all along apparently. "Why's that?"
Yuki blushed harder, the pale skin lighting up in a brilliant shade of red. "Because I don't like being away from you."
Ren blushed at this statement as well. Apparently that's not what he expected. Ren remained silent. "Yuki…"
That's all Yuki needed to set him off. Ichigo was surprised someone could get that much volume while talking at a normal level. Almost as if they didn't want anyone overhearing them.
"I know it's wrong, and I know that if anyone around here found out you'd be in danger and I couldn't live with knowing that you were in danger because of me! This should've never been allowed to happen. It's my fault for dragging you into this." Yuki looked like he was in hysterics.
"Yuki, listen to me. If I didn't want this I would've have gone through with it. This is worth the risk. I can with stand a lot more than you give me credit for. It's only wrong to other people." Ren replied.
"But…" Yuki said his bottom lip quivering.
"No buts. This is right for us. I love you, and I know you love me. I know we're meant to be together despite all of the challenges thrown our way. I love you with everything I am, I am yours body and soul." Ren smiled gently, warmly, full of love.
"And I'm yours body and soul." Yuki replied, feeling slightly better.
The two shared a passionate kiss, even Ichigo who was standing a good five feet away saw the passion. Ren and Yuki were completely oblivious to what was going on in the world around them.
Ichigo blinked and all of the sudden he saw the two males tumble down the hill still embraced in a heated lip lock. Ren had landed on top of Yuki. Not that the smaller male was complaining, much, whimpers and sweet nothings broke the peaceful air around the two. The love that they both shared.
The happy scene faded away and was replaced with a different one. The houses and farms that Ichigo had first seen were burned to the ground. The air filled with thick smoke and the smell of burning. The peaceful town had turned into a battlefield. The villagers, those that were unable to make it out of the village lay scattered across the ground. Most were dead, a few were letting out pained moans.
Ichigo walked around the now wrecked village. Looking for any signs of the two males he saw before. He saw something dart across the ruins. He knew it was most likely Yuki. Knowing that he should be following the teal eyed man he started to job in the direction that he saw the ninja go.
What he saw would remain imprinted in his mind forever. Even though it had nothing to do with him. He had decided these were actual people. It matched the history of his home town, there had been a large battle, between who he could not remember, but the town had been destroyed.
He had entered what used to be the main part of the town. There a man in high quality armor, and a helmet, was fighting someone who was dressed like a foot soldier, but they were evenly matched. He knew the man that was dressed in the low grade armor was Ren. He was fighting as wells as the captain or general. Not breaking a sweat, but there was a clumsiness to it stating that he wasn't as experienced at the other swords man.
Blades glinted in the moon light and sparks flew when they connected. He could hear muttering a few feet from me and saw that it was Yuki. He looked positively frightened. Ichigo could tell he wanted to take his eyes off of the battle in front of him but couldn't. The urge to comfort him welled up inside of his chest.
Then Ichigo heard the one thing no warrior ever wanted to hear. The sound of a breaking sword. He knew whose it was before he even turned his gaze back to the battle. Ren's sword was made by an inferior blacksmith to the one the military man was using, so it snapped a lot easier than it would if the bade had been used against one made by a similar level blacksmith.
The military leader seemed not to care that his opponent was technically unarmed and rushed towards Ren. The farm boy raised the part of his sword that was still attached to the hilt. Ichigo knew what he was doing and the gasp beside him told him Yuki had come to the same conclusion.
"REN! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Yuki cried desperately.
It only caused Ren to look back at his lover. Ichigo gasped at the emotions that were displayed in the male's eyes that looked too similar to his. He smiled, just as the sword went right through the exact center of his chest. But still able to move his arms Ren stabbed the shortened blade into the military leader's exposed throat.
Yuki sobbed beside Ichigo, and then once he was sure he was alone Yuki bolted towards the now prone form of his lover. Ichigo followed behind, feeling slightly intrusive, but also curious, as if he wanted to see it from a different angle that he had originally. Which was absurd considering he didn't know anything about Ren and Yuki.
Ren was close to death. Yuki shoved the military man's corpse off of his lover.
"Ren stay with me." Yuki cried, cradling Ren's head in his lap.
"Yuki…" Ren rasped out.
Ichigo stood their curiously. He seemed to know the words before Yuki even said them.
"Ren you can't die! I can't live without you!" Tears fell freely down the teal eyed man's cheeks.
"Yuki, you have to." Ren coughed. "For me. Live for me, don't do anything stupid."
Ichigo's heart was clenching painfully, and the humming that had been his constant companion was starting up, the band that he had seen was also starting to take some sort of shape next to him.
"Ren how am I supposed to? I love you, I can't go on without you." Yuki said, his sobs now wracking his frame, it never really struck how small Yuki was, but now Ichigo could see it, now that he was curled up over his beloved's head.
"I'll never be apart from you. I'm with you, I'll always be with you." Ren smiled, it would've been charming if not for the blood coating his teeth.
The ribbon grew bright and formed into a male. He was dressed in shinigami attire, he had brown hair and gray eyes. Ichigo knew what was going to happen next, or so he thought.
Ren and Yuki's final words to each other were but on mute, but still in motion.
The man tilted his head. "You must have a lot of questions. I'll be waiting for you."
With that he was absorbed in the ribbon once more and the sound was back in the land scape in front of him. Ren was fading fast.
"Yuki. I love you." He said quietly. "I'll find you in the next life, I swear."
Yuki smile gracefully. "I'll find you in all of our lives."
Ichigo's eyes opened abruptly. Just as he had said the gray eyed shinigami was standing in front of him. Looking at him curiously.
"Before you start rattling off your questions. Let me introduce myself. I am glow. I do not exist but for this reason only."
"Glow?" Ichigo rasped because his voice was raw from disuse.
"Since I do not technically exist and will never form again, does it matter about what my name is?" Glow asked.
Ichigo frowned. "I guess not. So what are you doing?"
"I am explaining something that's been bugging you for a while. What this place is and what everything around it means."
"Okay…"
"This is the joined world. A world created from two shinigamis' inner worlds mixing. This is a place that can only be reached by the two shinigami."
Ichigo nodded. "So what's that mean for me?"
"The bond you share with your soul mate activated; in order to save you." Glow answered.
"Soul mate?"
"Yes the one you're destined to be with for the rest of your life, and all of your other lives."
"Okay, so it activated?" Ichigo questioned.
"Yes normally they do not activate until the souls surface, which changes in every rebirth, acknowledge their feelings for their other half. That's why you've never thought anyone was attractive enough to ask out. Because this bond you have with your soul mate is so strong, it overrides any other feelings for anyone else."
"What's this bond thing got to do with those two guys?" Ichigo said recalling how in love those two had been, vaguely wondering what it'd be like to be in love with someone that much. Being able to convey words just by looking at each other.
"That was your soul mate and yours first forms." Glow answered patiently.
"So I was once that Ren person?" Ichigo asked bewildered.
"Yes, noticed the eyes did you?" Glow spoke smiling. "The bond was formed the day Ren died. Yuki live for another thirty years after that before dying. Once he died you and his souls were reborn into different bodies. You are one of the few couples that find each other each time you were reborn. Though you were never always a male. It's the soul that matters, not the physical form."
Ichigo tried ignoring the fact that at one point he had been a girl, and probably more than once. "So this bond activated because…?"
"It sensed you were in danger." Glow replied. "This bond is unique in a lot of different ways. The main two are, that the two souls physical bodies won't die until the souls are reunited. The second being is strength and age, they go hand in hand. But it's strong for its age."
"Right. So I won't die until the souls are reunited?"
"On the contrary, your soul mate has already realize it, and since you know this person the souls have been reunited because the bond activated."
"So I can die." It wasn't a question.
"Correct."
"So I'm guessing you won't tell me who my soul mate is?" Ichigo asked hopefully.
"I've given you your hint, it's in the memory. Not a dream since you live it." Glow shrugged. "My time is done."
With that the male vanished a bright flash leaving Ichigo alone. His throat was tired because of all the speaking he had done, and after not speaking for who knows how long it was expected. He was even more lost than he was. He looked out to the snowstorm once again; pondering Glow's mystifying words.
He couldn't help but remember the emotions he felt when he looked at Yuki, he could kind of feel Ren's emotions as well. The smallish frame, unruly hair, the seemingly perpetual frown, and the teal eyes. Ichigo thought about it, wondering who the hell that could be. There were a lot of changes between him and Ren, though he was sure in inherited some traits of his first form. But looking at them from a distance you wouldn't be able to tell that they were the same person. The eyes were the ones that gave it away.
Ichigo sighed. He might never figure this out until he sees those eyes again.
Well, there's some of what you all have been waiting for somewhat… Ack this chapter was soo hard to write. I wasn't sure if I got the personality of Toshiro right, I'm not sure how a normal person would react to something like this much less Toshiro. I hope I didn't cause too many tears with Ren and Yuki. So I hope this chapter hit a lot of crucial emotional points and is the stepping stone to what is to come later. Well as a half climatic chapter, I do hope this is what you wanted with finding out about the bond, and a little insight into the bond, and this will come into play later! Here's the beginning of 22.
29 days since Ichigo went missing
It wasn't more than three hours after Toshiro had originally talked with Urahara when he got the message saying that he should gather his team and report to the twelfth division barracks. It took him all of thirty minutes to find his team. Most of them hadn't left their barracks. Making sure that they were in their best condition to take on whatever awaited them inside of that palace.
Arriving in the lab of the twelfth, most of the members feeling distinctly ill at ease about being in the lab. Urahara looked unaffected by it all. It had taken him a day to get everything up and working and to make sure that there was very little chance of anything going wrong while the shinigami were in the portal.
I've talked enough. Now to finish 22, and do some damage control with my own feels on Ren and Yuki. I'm off. Later! ~IF