Despite all that has happened, Aizen seems to have given up. It turns out that he had no wish, was just invested in the powers because of some past connection. With him no longer being a threat, Ichigo and the seven witches began to hold the ceremony. It appeared to be working as time has stopped except for Ichigo and Ruri. They're the only ones capable of moving at this moment.
"Ruri... Time has really stopped?" Ichigo said.
"Obviously. This is what happens when the ceremony is being held." Ruri said.
"Does that mean you know what to do?" Ichigo asked.
"I do. All you really have to do is close your eyes and focus on whatever it is you want to wish for." Ruri said. "You want everyone's memories to return to normal, don't you? Just focus on that and you will get it."
"That's it?" Ichigo questioned.
"Yep. Well, let's do this." Ruri said as she reached for his face to do her part in this wish.
"Hold up for a second." Ichigo said as he stopped her.
"Wait a second? Time has stopped. I say we have all the time we want, but I really don't know if this will last." Ruri said.
"I just need to ask you about something." Ichigo said. "It's the same thing I asked Kyoka." He said, but Ruri didn't quite understand. "Each of the witches gained their powers because of something about themselves they wanted to change, or it was because they had something they wanted like their own wish. Nel wanted people to be nicer to each other, so she got the charm power. Ashi wanted to be able to know problems ahead of time, so she could see the future. Rachel wanted to be part of conversations, so she got a telepathic power. What about you? What exactly happened with you that you ended up getting the most powerful witch power? What happened that would have given you the power to alter people's memories?"
"Something that happened to me...?" Ruri questioned as she tried to think it over. It wasn't exactly something for her to talk about, but after all that Ichigo has done to help someone else, she feels like she can trust him. "I guess... I guess it goes back to my last year in middle school."
"Your last year in middle school? You mean before you came here, is that right?" Ichigo questioned.
"Yeah... Something did happen." Ruri said. "In fact, take a look at this." All of a sudden, she surprised Ichigo by opening up her shirt and showed what was underneath.
"What the hell?!" Ichigo shouted as he looked away with his face blushing. "You told me you don't wear bras! Why the hell would you do something like that?!"
"So you would understand. Plus, I believe I can trust you." Ruri said as she fixed her shirt.
"I still don't get it." Ichigo said.
"You just caught a glimpse of my body. Are you seriously saying you wouldn't want more than a look?" Ruri questioned, but Ichigo was just getting frustrated and embarrassed. "Back when I was in my last year of middle school, I had my first boyfriend. I thought he was a really nice guy, but he ended up being a pig." She admitted with Ichigo fully listening now. "Back in my last school, the boys were maturing and couldn't really control their hormones. They took one look at me and they all wished they had X-ray vision for my clothes. I thought I found a nice guy, but it was all an act." She said as she still remembered his face and how he gave off a gentle smile, but it was concealed by this dark aura of lust and desire. She could even remember how it felt to have his creepy hands slide around her and sent shivers through her body. "I soon caught on he was only after one thing with how he kept putting his hand on me, trying to get physically close to me, even though there were times me made me feel uncomfortable. I tried to tell him I wasn't ready for such intimate behavior. At first, he acted like he was understanding, but that soon changed with how persistent and forceful he was getting." Ichigo wasn't liking where this story was going.
"Did... Did he hurt you? Did he...?" Ichigo questioned, but couldn't finish that last question with him already feeling like he wants to kill him.
"No, not what you think." Ruri admitted. "He did try to really push it, but all he did was push his luck. I had enough and when he tried to force himself, I slapped him and got out of there." She still remembered that and how good it felt when her hand made contacted with his face, and how he was able to get out of there before anything happened. "I thought that was the end, but wasn't. He spread nasty rumors and lies about me. He said I slept with him, did all kinds of nasty and inappropriate things to him, and he was saying it was all my doing." She said as she tightened the grip on her own arm as the memories were still rough for her.
"And they all believed him over you?" Ichigo questioned.
"It was just his word against mine, and he was actually among the popular crowd. Of course they believed him." Ruri claimed. "The guy was just plain toxic. It didn't stop there either. A couple mean girls got a photo of me with hardly any clothes on while I was in the locker room and posted it online for the school and others to see, as well as it being hung in the boy's bathroom." She never forgot that photo and the humiliation it brought with people laughing, teasing, and saying lewd things about her. It had Ichigo wondering if that was also why she behaves the way she does. "The rest of my middle school life was awful. A guy actually followed me to the bathroom. A few actually pulled on my clothes. I was constantly harassed. I had to get out of there. My reputation was ruined after that. Luckily, I chose a high school that no one I knew attended and I thought I was safe."
"Karakura High..." Ichigo said.
"Yeah, but I wasn't all that secure." Ruri said. "The memories still haunted me. I just wanted to move on and forget all about it. I also feared what could have happened if people at my new school heard about the rumors. I was worried it would all be the same." She said as she appeared to be trembling a little, but was able to calm herself down. "That's probably why I got my powers in the first place." Ichigo felt like he got a better insight in Ruri after hearing that story.
"You dope!" Ichigo said out of nowhere. "If you're worried about that, you shouldn't go around without a bra or pull stunts like you just did! You're a big hypocrite!"
"Am not! Those are two different things!" Ruri argued. "When I do that, it's my choice! It wasn't back then!"
"But pulling stunts like that is only going to have people think you really are those horrible things!" Ichigo argued.
"But it's different when I have a choice in the matter! What about you? Why do you think you have your copy powers? Why are you even asking this now?" Ruri questioned. That was when Ichigo got serious.
"I don't know. I never really learned that. Have you ever felt that you were actually happy because of your powers?" Ichigo asked.
"Happy?" Ruri questioned as she thought about it. "When I first discovered my powers, I was. No one could remember those things. I learned about the price that came with using those powers, but thought it was nothing. That didn't really last." Hearing her story made Ichigo decide on what he had to do.
"I'm ready, Ruri." Ichigo said as he closed his eyes. "Let's do it." Ruri didn't get what Ichigo was thinking, but she still trusted him. With that, Ruri finished the ceremony as she cupped his face and kissed him for the first time, this one being the most powerful kiss. That was when the ceremony was completed as power flowed through the whole area and enveloped everything in a bright light. Once the light faded away, time began to move again just as Ruri pulled away from Ichigo.
"It's done." Ruri said as everyone was moving again.
"What happened?" Orihime said.
"Ichigo's wish was made. It might take a while to take in affect." Ruri said. "By tomorrow, everyone's memories should be back to normal."
"Actually, I wished for something more than that." Ichigo said. None of them expected that.
"What do you mean? What did you wish for?" Aizen questioned.
"I wished for everyone's memories to return to normal...by having the witch powers disappear." Ichigo claimed as they were all shocked. None of them knew he was thinking of doing that. "I think it might be better that way. Each of you gained your powers for a reason, but it really seemed like none of you were happier with them. The powers acted like short-term solutions for your problems. You needed something more long-term. I'm sorry if any of you don't like it, but I think it might be for the best like this." Ichigo was expecting them to be upset, but it seems like they weren't.
"No... I think I get it." Ashi said. "Take me and Kori for example. Those powers were breaking us apart. It might have been great to see the future, but the reason Kori and I are still friends is because of you."
"Same here." Rachel said. "I felt happier for a little while because of my powers, but it was from meeting you that things really changed for the better. I guess all we really needed was someone like you."
"We just really needed someone who was willing to help us, willing to standup for others." Nel said. "That's what you did it, Ichigo."
"I see... Not bad, Ichigo Kurosaki." Aizen said as he stood up and accepted it. "I guess there's nothing that can be done about it now. Might as well get ready for the upcoming Cultural Festival."
"And Ruri..." Ichigo said getting her attention. "If those guys come back and try something like that again, let me know and our beat them down for you." Ruri was astonished that he would offer something like that despite everything.
"He really is amazing." Kori said.
"Yeah... He really is..." Orihime said as she just kept staring at him. Orihime always believed that Ichigo was something incredible with how he is willing to help others. Others might see him as some delinquent that likes to cause trouble, but that's not it at all. He's just a guy that stands for what he believe is right or for others. After all of this, no one is going to forget what he did.
...
The Next Day
Now that the wish was done and made, all that was left to do was wait and see how things turned out. Ichigo was a little anxious about this as he stood just outside the Supernatural Club. He's hoping his friends will remember him now. He did hope that Orihime was here with him for this, but he just had to go with it.
"Well, here's where I hope this worked. Just wish Orihime was here... Here goes nothing." Ichigo said as he opened up the door and spotted Rukia, Chad, Renji, and Uryu in there. "Uh... Hey there..."
"I'm sorry. Is there something we can help you with?" Renji questioned. Ichigo was shocked. He thought that having all the witch powers disappear would bring their memories back, but it looks like it didn't. "I'm just kidding! We know it's you, Ichigo!"
"What?" Ichigo said as he couldn't believe it. All of them were smiling like they really did remembered him.
"Our real memories are back, Ichigo." Uryu said.
"Byakuya told us everything that happened." Rukia said. "We remember the witch powers, but we also remember that you're our friend and a fellow member of this club."
"Sorry about what you went through, but we remember everything now, Ichigo." Chad said. "We also know about the ceremony. We know you were able to have a wish be granted and you wished for the witch powers to disappear." Ichigo felt so happy to hear about this. It felt like he was back to where he really belonged.
"Not really sure if that was a good idea." Rukia said. "The reason we formed this club was because of the witch powers. What are we going to do about it now?"
"Well, there's no reason to disband the club. I say we keep it going." Renji suggested. "Think about it. If the witch powers were real, maybe there are other supernatural things out there that could be real. We would just need to figure out how to find them. There really could be other unnatural things out there."
"I guess you have a point there. Not a bad idea." Rukia claimed as the others liked the idea. They've had a lot of fun in this club together.
"Everything's as it should be, Ichigo. Everything has returned to normal." Uryu said. It looks like everything really has and now it seems like Ichigo can enjoy the rest of his time in high school without really any worries.
"That's great, but there's still one thing I have to do." Ichigo claimed. "She's got to know about it since I did try to ask her out." He said with Uryu looking a little interested in what Ichigo was saying, as were the others. "I'm going to do it, Uryu. I'm going to tell Orihime how I feel." Ichigo seemed sure and ready of himself now. It's going to be a big moment for him and he just knows it will all go well. With his friends back, he doesn't see how anything could go wrong this time.
"Uh... That's great Ichigo, but..." Uryu said as he the others looked at him like they were puzzled. What he said next is something Ichigo didn't expect to hear. "...Who is Orihime?"
