Chapter 2: Nothing Can Be Explained (Fade to Black-Part: 2)

Written By: Ethorthecinderace_TCC_

It was that night. I dreamed once again of a memory… one that… was barely even 21 days ago at that point.

(Pov: Ichigo)

"The power… The power I acquired is disappearing!" Aizen pressed a hand onto his face trying to feel the power emanate from it… but nothing happened.

Of course, the sound of footsteps could be heard, I expected the head captain or my father to walk up to this battle… but it was the footsteps of Kisuke Urahara, walking toward us with no expression painted on a face that was usually happy… but now nothing was seen on that face other than I couldn't even tell. He looked at Aizen, his eyes boring into Aizen's own.

"That is the will of the Hogyoku." said Kisuke, "The seal I fired into you, is finally taking effect… because your power has weakened" Almost as if he took his hat off, he stared right into Aizen's soul, almost as if eternity was looking into his very being and judging him, "The Hogyoku is saying, that it doesn't recognize you as it's master."

Aizen's eyes widened in shock at what he heard, the thoughts of despair going through his mind were obvious to me. All of it boiled out until screaming what played over in my head hundreds of times.

"No, that can't be! That's not possible, that's not… That's not possible!" he screamed before the seal finally went into the final stages of its implantment in his body. Finally, he looked towards him, shouting those ever words that will forever haunt me.

"KISUKE URAHARA!" Aizen ROARED out in absolute anger and rage, the very yell was enough to shake the ground beneath my feet, "I DESPISE YOU! A mind as brilliant as yours, why do you just accept the status quo! WHY?! HOW CAN YOU KEEP OBEYING THAT THING?"

"That thing? You mean Reio (Soul King)?" asked Kisuke before a wave of realization washed over him, "Oh… so you saw it?"

Aizen could only SNARL at the mention of this Reio being.

"Without the Reio, the soul society would be divided, it is what binds us together. Without such a bond, we would crumble easily. That is how the world is."

"That is the logic of a loser! A WINNER DOES NOT ASK HOW THE WORLD BUT HOW IT SHOULD BE!" screamed Aizen in anger as the final bits of the seal were about to be put in their place. He was about to scream out one final thing before suddenly, a massive snowflake was left in his place. I turned away, I didn't want to look at him in his final moments… but when I looked back… that is when I saw the snowflake. I finally walked off, sitting on a stray rock on the edge of the cliff looking over Karakura town. It felt like hours… Honestly, I could not tell how much time had passed since the battle ended, and I could hear Kisuke say my name.

"Urahara, where is everybody?"

"They've been sent back. I think they all wanted to talk to you but you seemed unapproachable."

Shock overcame my features, "Don't tell me what their memories were"

"No. I didn't tamper with them this time." He said, with a sad smile.

I processed it all for a bit before I smiled, god how long ago would it have been since I last remembered doing that…

"I see. Good! I don't want to keep it a secret anymore anyway, I want to tell them myself… when I go back."

Kisuke did not smile as I said that… I knew he could feel my spiritual pressure dying down more and more, all he did was look down in sorrow.

"Aizen's containment unit has been taken to the Seireitei, Central 46 will decide his fate soon."

"I see."

We stood Silent for a moment before Kisuke slightly smirked before saying, "Why? Do you like that?"

I looked back at him and then looked back down at my feet. "I don't know, I'm not sure myself."

His expression turned serious again, "Everybody's lives, this world. They were all saved because you risked your life to defeat Aizen." "I know," I said

"You did the right thing. There is no reason to be sad."

I was silent for a few minutes after he said that, he spoke again, "Mr. Kurosaki?"

"Mr. Kurosaki?"

"MISTER KUROSAKI!"

"GOOD MORNING ICHIGO!"

(POV: 3rd Person)

Ichigo woke up on the 23rd of December in a cold sweat once again dodging his father trying to kick him through his always open window.

"WHAT THE HELL GIGI!" Shouted Ichigo

"Look at that Niijima-Chan! He is already starting to feel better than the thought of doing this!"

"SHUT UP GIGI!" Ichigo Roared before kicking his father out the window and slamming it shut. He turned back to the Nijima Sister who stayed in his room, Makoto. "Sorry that you had to see that. He does that as a part of my "Training" or whatever he calls it… I guess it worked out for the best I guess."

"What were you dreaming about? It looked like you were having some bad nightmares," she asked.

"Well… it is nothing important." said Ichigo, "thank you for worrying about me though."

They soon joined the rest of the Kurosaki Family and Sae for breakfast, with the promise to both of the Niijima siblings to show them around Karakura town being brought back to the forefront of Ichigo's mind. After a few hours, the Niijima siblings waited patiently at the front of the Kurosaki Clinic, waiting for Ichigo to walk out of the house. And it was only a few minutes later when he came out. And he waved at them, "Yo," He said, in a minor greeting, "What are you two doing out here so soon? It is freezing out here."

Sae only smirked at Ichigo, "We were waiting on you. We thought it would not take a long time for you to finish getting ready. Guess we were wrong."

"15 minutes is not that bad sis." said Makoto, "Still bad, but not as bad as it could be."

"Could be worse, it could have been my Gigi you were waiting on," said Ichigo

"You are not wrong at all there," said Sae, "No wonder he wakes up so early."

"Yha. Anyhow, come on, you two are underdressed for the weather out here, we are going to get you guys some extra jackets. Besides, it will be a good opportunity to see the sights around here too." said Ichigo

"Sounds good to me." said Makoto with a nod before turning to her sister, "You ok with that sis?"

"Of course, we will still achieve what the day is supposed to be about, so I don't mind," said Sae

"Alright then follow me," said Ichigo

And so off they went with Ichigo and the Niijima siblings headed off into the Karakura shopping district, it was honestly quite the pleasant walk for the trio, with all of them talking about… well anything that Ichigo could ask them about, what they did for a living, witch considering that Makoto was a second year in Highschool, it was easy to ask about. Then there was what they liked to do as hobbies, and what their favorite foods were. While those two questions were brought up by Makoto, it was actually interesting to see that there was so much difference between them. Makoto was studious and introverted when compared to her sister, who was a massive hard worker who just never slowed down, and Ichigo well he was not the most open about his hobbies and such like that, but even then the stubbornness that was Ichigo's entire being was enough to foretell who Ichigo is to the siblings, at least slightly. But when they made it to the clothing store there, it was honestly interesting to Ichigo as he watched the siblings look around the store. Makoto looked almost in Awe at the open nature of the stores, she must have been so used to how they looked in Tokyo that she must have been shocked to see everything that must have been different. Sae however just began looking at clothes, not really as in touch with hanging out with her younger sister and Ichigo. But after they paid for some nice Uniqlo jackets, they began to travel around the city. Visiting coffee shops and stuff of that ilk. Until finally they all made it to an interesting place. The cemetery.

Makoto and Sae were asked to stay at the bottom of the steps, but they followed Ichigo along anyway. Wondering who the person would be that he would visit at the top. And then they came upon it, the grave of Kurosaki Misaki. When Ichigo was going to pay his respects before they all left, Sae dragged Makoto away, making sure that Ichigo could get some Privacy and speak to his mom.

"Hey Mom," said Ichigo. "It has been a while, hasn't it? Sadly not as long as it usually is but… honestly it might be even longer if I am not allowed to come back over the next year. I… I am not sure if I am gonna be allowed to yet, the family that I am gonna be with… well they have stuck up their asses, but they seem alright despite that." He stood silent there for a moment looking at the grave before him. "I don't want to go." He said, "I don't want to go with them yet, I know that I said that I would go with them but even then I am not ready… What if Dad needs my help with something that my sisters are not able to help him with? What if my friends need my help? What if something bad happens and I am not there to stop it? What would happen?" he started to feel tears flow down his face… "What would happen… that question has been permeating through my mind… But I know as well… they will be fine… I just find it hard to admit. I just… I don't know what to do… I… I just wish I was powerful enough to help if anything… if anything…"

"I am sorry to interrupt,"

Ichigo turned to face where the voice came from, it was a platinum blonde-haired man with golden eyes wearing a Blue velvet Jacket with a strange design and a pair of black pants, under his arm was a book, a grammar of sorts, and his in other black-gloved hand was a bouquet. He outstretched his hand and made it so it was easy for Ichigo to grab the flowers from his hand.

"You forgot your flowers on the way here, I thought it would be a good idea to give you these." said the man, the man smiled, it was a kind and understanding smile that held no malice, hatred, pain, or loss there was no ulterior motives behind the smile… just pure kindness.

"Thank you," Ichigo said before taking the flowers from the mysterious stranger's hands and placing them onto her grave, "She would have loved them… they were her favorite."

"Oh! Well that is quite fantastic, isn't it? I just grabbed them randomly on my way here, I am glad they are making someone happy in the afterlife!" said the man, "You can call me Theodore, Theo for short if you must." He extended a hand to Ichigo

"Ichigo… Kurosaki Ichigo." said Ichigo before shaking Theo's hand, "Were you here to visit someone too?"

"No. Sadly not. I was here to meet with my sister, but it seems like she has forgotten about our meeting." Said Theo before looking over at Ichigo, "Don't feel pity for me, I understand that she might have gotten busy with her job." He said Kindly and with understanding.

"I-I see…"

"What about you young man? You seem to have yourself some unforeseen grief. Would you like to talk about it?" asked Theodore "Like for example a change in your life that is forcing you to leave your home?

"How did you-?"

"Intuition. Or, at least that is what my sister calls it." said Theodore, "Therapists' intuition you could call it. That, or a lucky guess."

"You're a Therapist?"

"Of sorts. I am more of a freelancer myself, going from job to job and never working in any select location for too long, but I love this kind of life I lead, despite its flaws," said Theo

Ichigo thought for a moment at that, and he thought back to his father's words before asking one simple question.

"What do I do?" asked Ichigo

"Move forward." said Theodore simply, "to use a little proverb my master always uses, "One's Journey begins at the first step, but that step can lead to a hundred different possibilities." in this case, it more than holds. You don't know what is going to come when you take the first step upon your travels, but you never know if you don't take it. So, Ichigo, why would you hesitate on something that hasn't even happened yet? Why fret over the unknown, when you can embrace it?"

Ichigo stood silent at those words, shocked at the simplicity of the man's entire statement, the weight of those words despite how simple they were was immense, and simply terrifying.

"Judging by your appearance, I would say that you are more than familiar with jumping into the unknown," said Theo. "So why the hesitation now?"

"Because…" Ichigo whispered this, silently moving his lips as he looked down onto the ground

Theodore's face contorted into a small frown, before turning into a smile again, "How about this then, I offer you my services free of charge."

"What?"

"I know! Normally I am not that generous, but I do wish to see how you develop going forward! But before we make the deal fully, please humor me with a little habit I have learned from my master," Said Theo before pulling out a deck of cards and opening up the box they were in, and presenting the deck to Ichigo, "Draw two cards. And then after looking at them, show them to me."

Ichigo looked at him confused, before doing so, drawing the first card off the top of the deck and pulling one from the middle of the deck, and then he looked at their faces, "Tarot cards? What do these have to do with giving me free Therapy?" He gave the cards back to Theodore for him to look over.

Theo's smile only grew larger the more he looked at the cards, "More than you know." He said before putting the cards back in the deck box opening the grimoire and presenting a page to Ichigo, it was a contract, "Please sign this, it is nothing Major. It is just for you to accept that you are responsible for your own actions."

Ichigo simply read over the contract. It read, "I, Thine being of the Fool Arcana, Am Responsible for Thine Own actions over thine Journey." it was as simple as that, no small text that was hidden in plain sight, just that and nothing else. But it felt like Ichigo looked at the text 50 times in a minute. But in the end, He asked for a pen and signed the contract.

"Magnificent!" said Theodore before slamming the box closed and producing a card for Ichigo, "I will get in contact with you through this. Now then, I must get going, I have a meeting in 5 minutes that I surely cannot miss! Goodbye, Ichigo!"

"Bye." said Ichigo as he saw the man walk off, toward where Makoto and Sae were walking, before they made it to him "Sorry I kept you waiting."

"It's fine, Who was that man you were with a moment ago?" asked Sae

"My new therapist apparently." said Ichigo, "He said He had a meeting to get to."

"We that is good! At least you have one more person to talk too when we head out." said Makoto

"Yha. He said that I would mainly be calling him whenever I need help, so that is a bonus I guess." said Ichigo, "Come on, we are supposed to be touring through the city and getting to know each other."