New chapter! Thank you Milo for your review, it was so well said and wow I melted in happiness seeing it. Thank you! I have a lot of ideas for this rewrite, the original version was finished but… Its lacking many, many things and already I feel like this is a lot fuller and more fulfilling over all. I don't have an exact plan but I'm following the standard plot of my original Clorox Bleach, with obvious changes and differences.
I really enjoyed the idea of a mental hospital and I actually spent 3 months in one (wowie) so rereading this I basically facepalmed and moaned at younger me. A lot of the mental hospital setting is based off of the ward I was placed in for a month and a half.
I'm hoping to make him mostly sane, because of the fact that he is actually mentally healthy. He will have random outbursts and I hope to make him seem like a time bomb at some points as he has hormones as well as little to no skills to cope with his lot in life. Being stuck in a situation like this does mess with you, but he's still sane enough for this story ;)
I'm hoping that I can stick to the characters well originally since wow I love Bleach. It was my childhood show and now I'm getting right back into my horrible Bleach phase and it reminds me why I love everyone ack x.x The reunion between Ichiro and his parents will undoubtedly be… something. I have ideas, ideas I do have. I am a fan of emotions and angst so expect something at least.
THANKS FOR READING THIS!
Favorite, follow, and review if you can. Give your thoughts guys, if you like it show a little appreciation cause writing is hard as hell wow it would inspire me much
Ichiro's fingers trembled as they intertwined with one another, fiddling back and forth in anxiety. His eyes strained to look back at the clock while feigning ignorance, stubbornly trying to stare at his hands at the same time. Passersby quirked eyebrows and left their gaze on him longer than comfortable. Ichiro was very aware of what was happening, too aware. His eyes couldn't get enough of the scenery, the plain simple hospital scenery he was used to. His body shook and trembled and he felt cold, the cold felt even worse with the hot sweat that dripped from his forehead. His forehead felt like an oven.
He knew things were changing.
"Ichiro, please settle down. Would you like some ice? Maybe it's better to use some distress tolerance skills." Furukawa commented, bending down to meet Ichiro's low gaze. Ichiro crossed his feet on the chair, a shiver struck his spine but that was the only movement he made. His eyebrows furrowed after noticing that Furukawa was there for seemingly half an hour, though it was only a minute or so.
"Do you want cards? Your therapy binder?" Furukawa asked, he wanted a response from the boy. Ichiro's glare struck upwards and met Furukawa's unsuspecting eyes.
"I want to be left alone!" He demanded, clenching his fists together and squeezing his eyes shut.
Ichiro was afraid. It was after dinner and kids lined up at the phone while nurses on the other side of the glass pressed buttons and transferred calls. Parents and family would soon be visiting, but unlike any other night, Ichiro too had a visitor. His gut twisted and he felt the dire need to sit down and vomit. His nurse had announced a visitor, and his mind sped up and began to scan every person he may have knew. Vague silhouettes of his parents flashed into his head, many faces of young children scattered about, some he remembered from the foster care system, some from the orphanage, some from different wards, but most blending in together to where he couldn't quite remember who was from where.
Who was coming for him? If he was being moved he got sooner notice. He had high nerves, he always had, they had grown with him. He got taller, his voice got deeper, his eyesight shifted, his anxiety flared. Something was about to change and he knew it, his whole being felt it and despite his antics he almost wanted to cling to his makeshift hospital bed. It was safe here, its all he knew. Ichiro felt a sudden pang resonate through his body that instantly caused him to straighten up. Everything slowed down into slow motion.
"Kurosaki-san, your visitor is here. For the sake of privacy we would like you to meet in your room." A nurse stated, behind her was another woman. The woman seemed docile, her hands were grasped together across her chest and worry plastered on her face. She had long burnt orange hair piled together in a ponytail. Ichiro found himself sinking away from her grey eye'd gaze. His face burned even more and he noticed her shape from the gazing yard. He felt humiliated and furious all at once but it came out in the form of a slump of his back and a steady glare at the floor. He hadn't wanted the woman to see him, he felt like hiding. He felt ashamed.
"Go away! I'm dirty!" He wanted to scream. Ichiro took notice of the feeling of his chair on his back end, just a little power and he could knock it backwards, use the distraction to bolt. Where? Where though? Bathrooms were locked, there was no going in or out. Ichiro felt like his body had shut down. Special meals, being bathed, having staff watch you use the bathroom, asking to change clothes, asking for medicines, for hygienic items, having the weekly crevice search. Ichiro felt like an alien who had no body of his own. Ichiro's legs slowly lifted themselves robotically and he found himself sulking to his room.
Plunking himself down on his bed, Ichiro meditated on the silence. He felt the woman's burning gaze on the top of his head. Slowly it felt like something in him was rising, about to burst. Ichiro's shaky movements led to him grabbing his bed quilt and in quick, messy movements he wrapped himself up in it and placed his back towards the girl. He felt overheated but the blanket helped as a comfort.
Ichiro heard the woman take an intake of breath. She slowly let her breath out.
"Kurosaki-kun," She started quietly. Her voice was soft and gentle but sounded just as frightened as he felt. "is that your name?" She continued. The silence continued but Ichiro began to shift uneasily. Thoughts raced through his ears and if he saw ghosts then he was positive someone could see steam coming from his ears.
"Why have you come to visit me...?" Ichiro asked. His voice cracked and shook but Orihime was positive after hearing it that it was not Ichigo's. She lowered her face to look at her hands, which were now clasped tightly by her lap.
"You look like someone I know... Someone who has been gone for 16 years now." Orihime explained. Ichiro tilted his head carefully to glance a look at his visitor.
"His name is Kurosaki... He was a fun person. He was very strong, and kind. He had bright orange hair and got into lots of fights! He was a delinquent, oh but he was also very smart and responsible! He saved me... And a lot of other people too." Orihime explained, her voice growing louder and more enthusiastic as she continued.
"He's been gone, along with someone named Rukia Kuchiki... Kuchiki-san was Kurosaki-kun's best friend. They were always together..." Orihime's voice grew quieter again and she glanced up at the illuminated silhouette of the young mental patient. Ichiro slothfully pulled himself to face his visitor, pulling down his protective sheet so that his face was revealed, allowing the sheet to drape at his shoulders.
"I-I'm not the Kurosaki you're talking about." Ichiro stated. His voice was hard and straight, his head faced completely forward though his eyes adverted her placement altogether. Orihime watched each of his movements with wide eyes. It was more than obvious that he was some form of Ichigo, whether he knew it or not, though he was not Ichigo himself.
"But you are a Kurosaki!?" Orihime asked, her voice far louder than she intended or could even help. Both of her arms found themselves at her side, it was a gesture that may have seemed violent but her eyes carried only compassion and concern. Ichiro figured to himself that the woman probably couldn't even kill a fly.
"Sure that's my name but I don't know who I am! I don't know who I am. I'm just me.." Ichiro responded. Ichiro felt terribly agitated... How dare this girl come in here demanding someone else. She didn't know him... His first visitor, someone who just wished he was someone else. His lips grew into a cynical grin, catching Orihime off guard. Of course, fate brought them together because they both wanted something very dear, a singular same thing; For Ichiro to be someone else.
"Sorry but you have me, Ichiro Kurosaki! I'm not some hero. I've lived long enough wishing I was one to tell you that you'll be disappointed. I'm not morphing into someone else anytime soon." Ichiro ended in a scowl. His voice was deeper than it previously was. His scowl looked too similar to Ichigo's with the difference being his off putting grin.
Orihime shifted on her feet before turning away from the boy.
"I'll be back. I promise..." She said quietly, taking her leave and opening the door. Ichiro's head hurt. Who was she? How dare she? Coming in and for what... what? Not him. No one ever came for him. He let out a piercing scream and in few sudden movements hurled his pillows at his wall. He wanted to break something, break things. As if living in a sheltered hell wasn't bad enough... to rub it in his face. He was an animal, and everyone else were demons. He hated himself, his hands clutched his head as he continued to scream. His throat felt dry and began to have stabbing pains. His mind couldn't process the decisions to make: Pull his hair, or scratch at his throat? Psych techs attempted to enter his room, struggling at first to get the door unstuck on the pillows.
"Get out!" Ichiro yelled. His fists moved faster than his mind could, quickly using force to get the undesired guests out of his room. Everything was an angry blur, he just wanted to be alone. He wanted to be alone.
The world was dark and a large white line divided it in half. Ichiro stood on one side, blank faces shuffled around on the otherside. He felt cold, it was dark, and it was lonely. He couldn't cross over the border to everyone else, he was in solitude. Once in a while, a face would notice him, and collectively they all pointed, all stared, and laughed. He wanted to hide away. Why was he there? Why couldn't he cross. Some would cross over to trick him, to show him a sliver of comfort before disappearing onto the other side. He wanted someone to stand next to him. Once again, everyone stopped to laugh. He couldn't take it. The time bomb in his stomach turned and he no longer cared if it was to blow.
"I'll blow away this border. Blow away those people. Blow away myself." Ichiro thought, clenching his fists.
"Call a code!" A nurse yelled down the hall.
The last Ichiro heard was the sirens and voiceover repeating "code 21, east, 7I.T.C"
Toshiro Hitsugaya breathed in the air of the human world once again. It had been a long while since he was sent here, especially after the disappearance of Rukia Kuchiki and Ichiro Kurosaki. Their disappearance sent much confusion and turmoil through the soul society. Sui-feng had confirmed the disappearance of the two valuable shinigami and it was decided that the matter would be presented to the head captain. The head captain wasted no time to go to extreme matters, captains and squads were sent out throughout soul society, Hueco Mundo, and the human world to find the two. Spiritual energy traces were followed until even they began to fade with time, leading to nowhere. Tension grew as they were stood up at the winter war. Aizen hadn't shown his face since that day, the war had come and the arrancars fought fiercely with the shinigami... But Aizen himself hadn't shown up. Head Captain Yamamoto Genryusai immediately decided that something was up, and something perhaps much worse was heading their way.
They searched for the two while kept security up, 16 years passed like the slow removal of a bandaid. It was like dice in the air, none of them knew what was to happen at any time, and all suspected the worst at every moment. It was tiresome, waiting for disaster, and even more irritating of the whole ordeal was the fact that undoubtedly, Aizen was behind it. He knew when to strike, he had some sort of plans. The Soul Society planned the best they could, the academy worked over time training the future shinigami to the ground. Current shinigami trained constantly, many over achievers could be found, but only because they were motivated by fear.
Anxiety coursed through Toshiro's veins. The soul society had minimized its search in the later years, but everyone was watching their backs. Stepping into the human world was only proof of a new step in whatever plans were beginning to move once again. Was this too calculated by Aizen? Had Orihime stumbled upon something she wasn't supposed to? It was hard to say what possibly could be happening in the new shift of things, but a shift it was for sure.
Rangiku Matsumoto watched her captain with weary eyes, she could tell by the stress on his brow and in his chin that he was thinking deeply. She was sure he was thinking something similar to what she too was thinking of. Her captain was smart, a prodigy, but it was common sense now that there was one subject lingering in the minds of all the shinigami. This was their biggest clue in quite some time, it wouldn't be odd to find it being a trap of some kind. Aizen was shady, for things to be so peaceful in terms or wartime and now this...
"Captain, what should our first movements be?" Matsumoto asked carefully.