Thanks a lot for all the support, you guys are awesome! I'm genuinely happy that many readers are excited about what happens in the future and even speculating different theories. Nothing could make a writer happier. Having said that, I thought I would throw some light on some things you guys have been speculating on without spoiling too much.
Regarding this arc, yeah, I agree that though I tried to make changes to cannon so that it felt fresh, I understand that you want to go back to Ruby soon. I'm looking forward to that part too honestly. I'm trying my best to compress everything and only highlight parts that are different from cannon. I promise I'll try my best to do so. But as you can see, things are already much different to cannon. Karin and Yuzu are also players now, not to mention Tatsuki and Isshin. Ichigo knows a big chunk of the truth already. And yes, I WILL explain how Ruby's life was in those 6 years. And let me tell you, there's quite a bit to cover there too. It's just that, if I completely skipped over cannon, there would be no continuity in the logical flow of things.
Next, regarding Ruby's return. I feel I already spoilt too much by one of my comments in the earlier chapter but trust me when I say that there's more to it. Not to mention leaving you more confused. I understand you might be sceptical about it now and it may not make sense with the vague hint I left earlier. But I have planned it out already, and you know that I try my best to explain things in a logical manner. And to me, it made sense. Besides, that part is some time away. Nothing to worry about now.
Chapter 18: Nothing but substitutes
Like a rolling stone going down a sloping hill, the Kurosaki sibling's chronicles in the spirit realm never allowed them to go back to being completely normal. Soon after the incident with Shrieker, the orange haired soul reaper had his encounter with the mod soul named Kon, who was only initially meant to inhabit his body when he went away on soul reaper duties. It was then that Ichigo learnt of the atrocities the soul society had committed against mod souls; creating them for inhabiting corpses for the purpose of fighting hollows and disposing them when they the soul reapers were too ashamed of what they created. Naturally Ichigo confronted his father about it.
"I don't know why you started assuming that hollows were the only ones that were evil" said Isshin with a shrug. "Why do you think I'm here and not back at the Soul Society? Sure, I may not have my powers, but even if I did, I have no desire to go back. Because Soul Society isn't the paradise that they make it out to be"
"You're wrong!" protested Rukia. "Souls would simply turn to hollows if we Soul Reapers didn't exist! If the soul society didn't exist! Souls that pass on can finally find peace and solace instead of being stuck here with regrets!"
"Is that what you think? You really are a greenhorn" he said "Then why do Rukongai's outer districts exist? A place that might as well be like Hell? The Hollows are atleast much more straightforward with their evil. They're literally 'evil' because it's in their nature. Isn't that why souls are purified though they commit evil deeds as hollows? Sure, you do get the occasional nut case that goes straight down. But I would still prefer confronting evil head on than being stabbed through my back. Something I've seen soul reapers do one time too many now. So, take these words of wisdom from your old man, Ichigo"
But Rukia was unconvinced. Still, she dropped the subject for the time being. Kisuke offered to dispose of the defective soul candy, but Ichigo said otherwise, offering Kon a stuffed lion plushie for a body when Ichigo wasn't outside performing soul reaper duties. Being the pervert that he was, Karin found it distasteful that someone like him was inhabiting her older brother's body while Yuzu was much more accepting of him, thinking he was 'cute' and even going so far as to call him 'Kon-chan'. At first the mod soul was ambitious about it, voicing out how in a few years Yuzu-chan would be right up his alley. But that completely changed once Yuzu started playing dress up with Kon's plushie, dressing him up in all girly outfits all while Kon was forced to play along with her. After that, Kon would try to avoid being spotted by her, even when he was inhabiting Ichigo's body.
Soon, it was June 16th. As Ichigo was getting ready for school, his face soured when he noticed the date on his watch. Not to mention mumbling to himself. But Rukia wouldn't notice the change in his behaviour until much later that day in school when Ichigo acted overly friendly and cheerful as compared to his regular self, not to mention arriving late to class. He asked Rukia if he could have the day off from his duties, but the purple eyed girl flatly refused, saying that the duties of a soul reaper had no 'vacation days'. The orange haired teen scowled, saying that he was only a substitute, and that she shouldn't try to apply the laws of the soul society on him. Rukia dropped the subject for the time being.
The next day, none of the Kurosaki siblings were at school. Instead, they were now at a sloping hill going up towards a cemetery. Karin was grumpy and complaining while Yuzu was trying her best to cheer up her twin sister. Isshin opted instead to walk up the hill while performing a handstand, but rather than being motivated, Karin was even more determined to pretend she didn't know him. She even prompted Yuzu to do the same. When Isshin tripped and slid under Yuzu, Karin kicked him back all the way down the hill.
"Damn you, old man! I can't believe a dirty old man like you was a soul reaper at some point!" she said, shouting at him in disappointment. Rukia on the other hand was looking around cautiously. When asked, she replied she was on the lookout for hollows. While on the subject, she decided to ask how Masaki had been killed, clarifying that she was merely curious. The entire mood around the family went silent.
"That's….not something we need to talk about" replied Ichigo.
"Ichi-nii…"
"Come on you lot, we're almost there" pointed Isshin, almost as if changing the topic. "Last one to reach Masaki serves dinner for everyone tonight! Masaki~~here I come~~!" he cried comically, dashing up the hill. Yuzu went behind, followed by Karin. When the two of them were alone, that was when Rukia raised the possibility that since Ichigo had high spirit energy as a kid, it might have been a hollow that was responsible for Masaki's death. Ichigo snapped, pushing her away, harshly responding by saying how it was always about hollows with her and nothing of the sort was responsible for it, and that it was simply his fault before running off.
Elsewhere, Orihime called Tatsuki over to her house, wanting to discuss Ichigo's absence in school that day. Orihime began by proposing the idea that the orange haired teen was a superhero sent to save earth, and the raven-haired girl simply laughed it off, recollecting her childhood memories with said orange haired teen. She began by telling her how she met her 'hero' when the two of them attended kendo classes together, how weak and wimpy he looked back then and how it only took a single tap to reduce him to tears. And how the same tear-stained face would be replaced with a goofy grin the moment his mother arrived to pick him up. And how since that day, Tatsuki would often save him from being bullied and cheer him up when he felt dejected.
"Just a happy go lucky brat without a care in the world. And once aneki came around, his happiness only increased that many times more" said Tatsuki.
"Aneki….whom do you mean?" asked Orihime.
"Oh yeah, I suppose you never knew. Then again, I don't really blame you. After that day, he never really spoke about her to anyone" she said with a pained expression. "Aneki….no, Ruby-onee was…..Ichigo's older sister". Orihime gasped in surprise.
"Ichigo had…an older sister?!"
"Yeah…but she wasn't his own sister. 7 years ago, Masaki brought her in, and she started living with Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu. But to them and even to me, she was no different than family. We often used to play together. I still remember those days when the 5 of us spent all those days together. To me, she was the most amazing person I'd ever met. I…respected her. I adored her. She was strong, beautiful and caring. I felt like I could always rely on her. I always…wanted to be like her"
"I never knew…Ichigo never mentioned her even once," said Orihime. For Tatsuki, of all people to talk about someone that way so openly, must have meant that Ichigo's big sister was someone she dearly cared about. Tatsuki continued to talk more in detail about Ruby. And how in that one year, none of them ever thought those happy days would flip upside down.
"But…six years ago, when Ichigo was nine, Masaki….died" she said solemnly.
"!"
"And aneki just…..disappeared. Without saying a word. No nine-year-old can handle that kind of trauma. With his mother dead and aneki gone, that happy boy was forever lost. After that day, Ichigo would skip school often only to walk along the same riverbank, back and forth, calling out for Ruby-onee, calling out for his mom, get tired, fall and then pick himself up and continue the same thing repeatedly" she explained. A surprised Orihime then continued to listen to her friend talk about the times following that day.
Ichigo was by himself, having left Rukia's side and lost in his own thoughts.
"Unlike today, it was a rainy day. The river nearby was nearly flooding. I was with mom; we were returning home. That's when I saw a girl about to jump into the river. Back then, I couldn't tell the difference between dead and live people. I rushed after her, to stop her from jumping in. That's when I remember mom screaming at me. The last thing I remember of her. When I came to, I could only remember being back home, with Ruby-nee drenched, utterly distraught and carrying mom's lifeless body in her arms. I have no idea how she died, or what wounded her. But it was clear she had protected me, and if Ruby-nee hadn't found me, I would likely be dead too. Even now, I only vaguely remember what she said, before disappearing without a trace. Though she wasn't related to us by blood, she was as much our sister as she was mom's own daughter. Mom brought her home seven years back, and we stayed together for a whole year. Though our time together was short, there wasn't a single instance where we felt that she was a stranger. She and mom were especially close. To Karin and Yuzu, she was as much their mom as mom was to them. And to me, she was the older sister I never had, one who was as dear to me as mom was. I still remember all the times she would console us when we felt sad, play with us nearly every day, cook for us at times mom couldn't, and even nurse us to health when we felt sick. But after mom died, she just disappeared without a trace, with no explanation whatsoever. The only thing I clearly remember, was her saying how it was all her fault. But I know better than anyone. It was all because of me….." he thought to himself, his face grimacing. He knelt, his hands on the ground. He was getting teary eyed. "Because of me, mom died and my family…..was torn apart. So then why…?!" he asked himself, half bitter and half in longing. "Why did you have to leave…Ruby-nee….?! Why….?! Didn't you say that you would stay with us?! So then….why did you leave?! Was it because I took away mom from you…?! Do you hate me that much for it? If so, why did you leave Karin and Yuzu all alone….?! Why, Ruby-nee…?!" he asked her, crying.
Back at Masaki's grave, Karin was silently praying to her mom, talking about all the things that happened since last year, including everything regarding the spirit realm and how Isshin's old man antics hadn't changed at all regardless.
"Ahh…..Mom, Ruby-nee…as you can see, there's nothing you need to worry about" she said, her eyes still closed.
"But Karin-chan, onee chan isn't really dead you know" she said with a pained expression.
"Ah, you're right. Sorry Ruby-nee!" said Karin apologetically. "It's just that… Ruby-nee and mom used to be inseparable. Even after mom died, it still feels like she's with her" she then continued to talk to Masaki and to Ruby. "Urgh, but if you ask me Ruby-nee, I think the old coot is doing too well" she said in distaste as Isshin enthusiastically announced the annual Kurosaki Tombstone Dominoes Tournament, greatly embarrassing Ichigo and Yuzu. "I really hope you come back soon Ruby-nee, I think he was much better when you were still around".
After that, Karin and Yuzu said their prayers before leaving, following which Ichigo did the same.
Elsewhere, Karin and Yuzu heard a ridiculous sounding whistle, no doubt from their deadbeat dad. Just as they were about to leave, they saw a solitary girl with a white cloak standing by the cliff. The two approached the girl, inquiring about why she was standing there. But the moment the twins did that, the girl expressed her surprise at the twins being able to converse with her, and behind the girl emerged the figure with a white mask and dull brown fur, followed by the unmistakable reishi of a hollow.
Back at the grave, Rukia ran back to Ichigo and Isshin. But naturally Isshin had already detected the familiar spiritual pressure and was already heading that way. Rukia got Kon who was hiding in her backpack till that point, and had him take Ichigo's place while Ichigo and Isshin went towards the hollow.
When they reached, they saw the twins, with their skins marked blue and red battling against the hollow. Karin was using a wooden ladle as a makeshift weapon strengthened by her blut arterie, while Yuzu had blut vene activated to tank incoming blows. When Isshin, Rukia and Ichigo reached the scene of the battle, all of them were shocked for different reasons.
"It can't be…..it's Grand Fisher!" exclaimed the raven haired soul reaper. Isshin said nothing, but his face had expressions of distaste, surprise and anger. Ichigo on the other hand, was completely surprised. Not at the hollow himself, but rather at the figure of the young girl in front of the hollow.
"That's…..the same girl from back then!" he exclaimed.
"Stop daydreaming, stupid son of mine! Go help them!" snapped Isshin. "This one isn't the same as the other hollows, and since I can't fight in my state, I'll instruct the three of you how to move! Get going!". Following that, Ichigo jumped in, switching in for Karin who just narrowly dodged an attack from Grand Fisher's claws.
"Karin! Step back 2 paces! Yuzu! Strafe left! Ichigo! Jump and slash down!" barked Isshin. The kurosaki siblings did as they were told, and surprisingly, it worked well enough to inflict a minor wound on Grand Fisher.
"Damn you, human pest!" he cursed, going after Isshin. Ichigo stepped in, blocking the hit. Isshin continued to issue more commands to his children, and the exchange went on for a bit.
"You! What was that girl from earlier?!" demanded Ichigo, as he blocked another hit from the hollow that was meant for Isshin.
"What's this? I didn't expect to come across a human that has seen my lure and managed to live…wait a minute, it's you!" he exclaimed, jumping many paces back. Hie 'eyes' were wide open in shock. In fact, he even seemed to be shaking a bit.
"Wh…..what's going on….." asked Rukia "Grand Fisher…backed away….?" Grand Fisher, that monstrous hollow that evaded the soul society for 54 years was shaking in fear? Wondered Rukia.
"What the hell do you mean by that?! And what do you mean by lure?!" asked Ichigo again, pointing his Zanpakuto.
"But I don't see 'her' with you…" he noted, gaining some of his composure. "Heh…heheheh! Almost scared me…."
"These 3 are always under her eyes" said Isshin with confidence. "And rest assured Mr. Hollow, should anything happen to them, you can be sure that she would hunt you down to the ends of the Earth". Grand Fisher scowled in displeasure.
"How do you know my brother?!" asked Karin.
"Who's 'her' ?" asked Yuzu. Ichigo continued pointing his sword at Grand Fisher.
"I still remember that day, six years ago. It was raining unlike today. I was hiding by the river, with my lure, just like this" he said, showing the 'girl'. "Right then, I saw two humans, a woman and that orange haired soul reaper brat walking by. I thanked the gods for sending my such wonderful prey" he said, continuing on to describe how he snared Ichigo and he got Masaki after the beam of light fell on her.
"How despicable…" said Rukia.
Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu listened utterly shocked and shaking.
"Yo…..you mean…..it was….you….?!" asked Karin, wide eyed.
"No…..mom…" said Yuzu, tightening her fists. Ichigo's face twisted into rage and fury.
"YOU BASTARD!" he roared, widely swinging his zanpakuto at Grand Fisher, but the latter caught his blade effortlessly. He thrust his hand into Ichigo, and the tip of his claws dug into his chest. Fisher then threw Ichigo aside.
"Ichigo!" came the combined cries of everyone. Grand Fisher continued from where he left off.
"I would've devoured her soul too and this brat if not for that silver eyed bitch" he shuddered, his tone one of bitterness and fear. Like machinery slowing down to a halt, Ichigo Karin and Yuzu once again stopped dead in their tracks.
"What…..did you just say…..?!" exclaimed Ichigo.
"Silver eyed…" noted Karin, her eyes as wide as her siblings.
"Ruby-oneechan….?" Asked Yuzu.
"But how utterly disappointing. Out of all the soul reapers I have met, you lot are by far the weakest and most pathetic one of them all. And yet, that lone silver eyed human made me retreat with a single look. Could you imagine it? Me? A hollow? THE Grand Fisher? Running away from a single human?! I couldn't stand the humiliation! But that was when I realized. She couldn't have been human. No way. Not someone who looked like that. I know eyes like those. Even now, her eyes still send shivers down my spine. Those couldn't have been the eyes of a human being. A monster. That's what she was. A monster in the skin of a human. Hehehehe just like my lure here" he said.
"You….SHUT UP!" roared Ichigo. "You know nothing about her! How dare you talk about her like you know her!"
"Ruby-nee was our sister, our family! She was the most caring and gentle person in the world!" retorted Karin.
"Sister…..what do you mean?!" asked Rukia.
"Ichigo! Karin! Yuzu! Enough! Don't listen to him! Focus on finishing him off!" said Isshin, but Grand Fisher continued unabated.
"By all means, be my guest! I'll take on all three of you at the same time! But what do I know you say? I know enough, Soul Reaper! You see, by piercing my claws into my enemy, I can see into their memories. And you'll regret ever giving me that chance. For the last 54 years, I have used this method to evade every single soul reaper that came after me. By finding out that one person they cannot ever raise their blade against. And could you imagine my surprise, that in your case, it happens to be the one that I loathe the most?" he said, placing his hands around the head of his 'lure', molding it. When he removed his hands, the kurosakis plus Rukia could see the familiar visage of their once lost sister/daughter.
"That's…your sister…..?" asked Rukia, stunned. She had a good look at her face. A woman with short dark hair with red highlights. Sharp silver eyes. And a scarred face."Captain Shiba had another daughter? Could that be the one….Yuzu mentioned? Ruby? What's with those scars?".
"Damn you…..you coward! Come face me by yourself and stop hiding behind cheap tricks!" demanded the orange haired soul reaper furiously.
"Heheh, tell me brats, can you still maintain your stance after seeing her like this!?" he asked, molding the shape of his lure again. "And keep in mind, this is no deception, for I can only recreate things as I have seen them in memory. And I could never ever forget her. Which means, this is exactly how your 'dear sister' looked that day!". And then he removed his claws.
There was dead silence. That was how one could describe the scene. It was as if the leaves swaying in the wind themselves had frozen.
Ichigo's zanpakuto fell with a dull clang, his mouth agape in astonishment and eyes as wide as tennis balls. Yuzu staggered backwards; her eyes widened in fear. Karin froze, dropping to her knees. Isshin's face twisted uncomfortably. And Rukia, oh Rukia. She was perhaps the most shocked of them all.
"That's….the look of a human…?!" exclaimed the purple eyed girl internally, scared herself. "Those scars…those eyes….I've never even seen a Soul Reaper with a look that menacing…..! But…" she thought, looking at the Kurosaki siblings, and shuddered. "If Byakuya ever looked at me like that…I…..". She could finish neither the thought nor the sentence. She knew. A few sleepless nights would've been the least of her problems. If there ever came a time if Byakuya looked at her like that and really meant it, she could never, ever….. She then glanced back towards the Kurosaki siblings. She couldn't picture what was going on in their minds.
It was too much. Too much to bear, too much to picture. Their dear older sister, the one whom they adored, the one who always had such a kind and caring expression on her face, with that look. Their sister, who always reminded them of Masaki both because Ruby and Masaki were close and because Ruby's presence was so similar to Masaki in their lives, now looked far eviler than any hollow they could imagine. It was shattering. Like glass. The cheerful and warm images of their sister were cracking like glass. Being replaced by this ugly thing in front of them.
'Ruby' then charged at the defenseless Ichigo, maintaining that same look. The orange haired substitute soul reaper could only watch as his big sister lunged at him with a look that promised death.
"Tch!" grunted Isshin, rushing forward and grabbing his son's fallen zanpakuto. With a skillful step, he batted away the approaching 'Ruby' before thrusting straight into Grand Fisher's body, driving the blade deep into his flesh. Then with a masterful stroke, he sliced horizontally, splitting the Hollow in half.
"Grruuuaaagahhh! You son of a bitch!" cursed the hollow. But Isshin wasn't done. He then raised the zanpakuto, slicing down. But the sliced bits of his body were sucked away to his side, as if being pulled into something. The 'lure' which Isshin had batted away earlier, now had a hollow hole in its midriff and Ruby's face still on it.
"Curse you, Kurosaki! But unfortunately for you, I still have my second body! You may have beaten me today, but I promise I'll be back! Both you and that silver eyed bitch! One day, I swear I'll end you with my own hands!" he declared, before soaring into the sky and disappearing. Ichigo rushed after him, but Isshin held him back.
"Let go! Dammit, let go! I have to-! That bastard!" raged Ichigo as he struggled against Isshin who held him back.
"GO AFTER HIM AND THEN WHAT?! GET YOURSELF KILLED LIKE YOU ALMOST DID NOW?!" bellowed Isshin back, startling Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu. In all the times they remembered their father, he had been many things. Goofy, perverted, lopsided, carefree, lazy and at times serious. But never, had they ever listened to him in such a tone.
"He's right, Ichigo. You're wounded. Badly too I would say. Your father did the right thing by retreating for the time being" explained Rukia.
"Damn, this is what happens when I try to use a Zanpakuto without my powers, especially one that's not mine" said Isshin, embedding the Zanpakuto in front of Ichigo. "Couldn't even finish off that scumbag"
"But that hollow, he killed mom, right?!" asked Karin angrily.
"He really killed mom…..? And all the things that he said about Ruby-onee chan…was it all true….? Was her face really like…." Asked Yuzu, tearing up, but Isshin patted his daughter on her head, sighing.
"Listen up you three, and I don't want to repeat this again in the future, because I want nothing else anybody says to corrupt the memories you have of her" he said. "Your sister…..is alive. Out there. And the times she spent with you, were genuine. None of it was a façade. There's no need to pay any attention to what that scumbag said or what anyone else says from now on"
"Out where, dad? Why did she leave? Will she come back?" asked Yuzu.
"I…can't tell you that" he said, looking away. "I'm sorry…..but I promise you that you'll see her someday"
"But why?! We're her family, right?! Don't we deserve to know?!" protested Karin.
"There are some things you're better off not knowing! Trust me, I'm only saying this for your own sake!" he argued back, raising his voice a bit.
"Things like what?! Like the fact that nee-san was powerful enough to chase away that bastard with a single glare?!" yelled Ichigo. "Or don't tell me those were lies too!"
"You still don't get it, do you, idiot son of mine?! I already told you, Masaki never wanted you kids to have this kind of life! Do you see now, what knowing about this kind of life did to you?! If your sisters weren't here or if I wasn't here, you would've DIED today! Do you realize that?! I already lost my daughter and wife; how do you think I would feel if I lost the only mementos I have left of her?! Or how would they feel to lose another sibling?!" shouted Isshin, pointing at Karin and Yuzu.
"But….but…." argued Ichigo, but couldn't say anything more in his defense. "Then…why?! Why did nee-san leave?! If she was really that powerful?! Why?!"
"There's something you're misunderstanding. That night, she was….no more powerful than you or me. But she had immense spiritual energy. Far greater than you could imagine. It's the reason she was able to see spirits as well. And as you know, hollows are attracted to those with high spiritual energy" explained Isshin, calming down.
That's when it hit them. What Isshin was getting at.
"Ichigo…" called out Rukia, placing her hand on his shoulder. "If your sister was really powerful enough to chase away a hollow, as unbelievable as it is to me, then, she did this to protect you three. Of this I have no doubt. Someone at that level must have had an insane amount of spirit energy. So much so, that I can imagine that even standing too close to her must have been lethal. If she could somehow control that spirit energy, that was the only way she would have been able to live a normal life. But that would also mean that she would constantly be attracting hollows to her."
"That's not all" continued Isshin "Your leaky reiatsu in combination to hers, Karin's and Yuzu's just made that even worse. Had she stayed, there was no doubt that at some point, you three would have gotten injured or maybe even killed. And she could not bear the thought of that. Which is why, after Masaki died, she left. Because she wanted to protect you. Because you were much too dear to her for her to lose you, especially if it came about by her hands. It was one of the most painful decisions she had taken that day. Because that night, she had lost enough already. But she never ever blamed you for what happened that night and knowing Masaki, neither would she"
"How….how can you be sure?! That it wasn't my fault?! If I hadn't gone after that bastard that day, mom wouldn't have….and nee-san would still be…." Said Ichigo looking down. "How could you all…..not blame me..?"
"Why would you ever blame yourself, idiot son of mine?" asked Isshin as if it was the most natural thing. "If she could hear that, Masaki would smack you from beyond her grave, and don't even get me started on your sister. She would smack you to the moon and back. She always wanted the three of you to grow up normal, have a long life, go bald and only die after the two of us did, and die laughing if possible" he said, almost fondly. "And your sister even promised that I wouldn't get away unscathed if I failed to make that happen" he said rubbing his head. "So why don't we go tell her, about how you're living life to your fullest and how she has nothing to worry about shall we?" he said, moving towards Masaki's grave once more. Ichigo was back in his body and that was when the injuries and aches caught up to him. Rukia supported him. While Karin and Yuzu tearfully prayed once more to Masaki and Ruby, Isshin pulled out a cigarette, saying how that was the only time he smoked, in remembrance of her. Something about how Masaki found him cool the first time she saw him smoking.
Ichigo then turned to Rukia, asking her if her Shinigami powers were returning, before asking her to let him stay a Shinigami a little longer.
"I….want to be strong. So strong that I won't ever lose anybody like I lost mom or nee-san. So that I can tell her that I'm not weak enough for her to leave to protect me. And so that I won't have to ever lose to the likes of that guy. Ever again. So, if it's alright with you Rukia, Dad, I would like to be a Soul Reaper a little longer" said Ichigo.
"Me too, Ichi-nii! From now on, no matter what happens, we'll all do it together!" said Karin.
"Yeah..!" said Yuzu. "I want to use my powers to protect everyone! That way, Ruby-onee chan won't have to worry about us anymore!"
And so, that day, the kurosaki siblings made that mutual, unspoken vow.
That evening, Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu were at the riverbank, joined by Tatsuki. And the 4 of them spent time together like the old days, playing football, talking about Ruby and reminiscing about the old days.
"But tell me something, Ichigo….." started Tatsuki. "I hope you haven't forgotten that I still need to pay you back for daring to kiss me and Orihime. I hope you have an explanation for this" she said, veins popping and knuckles cracking.
"Whhhhaaaaaattttt, onii-chan did wh…what….?!" asked Yuzu, blushing. "HE KISSED ONEE-CHAN?! AND THEN ANOTHER GIRL?!"
"Ichi-nii, I always trusted you regarding these things, but I never thought you would be a playboy" said Karin disappointed. "I wonder what Ruby-nee would think of you if she knew"
"Hey now, just hold on a second! That was an accident! That wasn't me…!" said Ichigo, trying to block the punches coming from Tatsuki.
"Bullshit!" said Tatsuki, not listening.
"Ichi-nii, at times like this, it's better to man up and admit your mistakes" said Karin calmly.
"Oy, you should be defending me here! You know it was kon!" hissed Ichigo, before blocking another incoming punch from Tatsuki.
"But hold on…..if Ichi-nii kissed Tatsuki-oneechan….does that mean you're going to be girlfriend and boyfriend?" asked Yuzu with her hand on her lips. Both Ichigo and Tatsuki sputtered.
"Me, date this guy?!" she asked, flustered.
"Yeah right, why would I date her?!" said Ichigo dismissively, earning him a punch from both Karin and Tatsuki.
"You know onii-chan, you really have no clue how to talk to girls" said Yuzu, almost in pity.
After the commotion died down, Tatsuki sat next to Ichigo.
"You know, for all these years, I would always find you here all depressed and sullen on this day. But today, you seem almost…refreshed" she said, looking at him.
"Is that so? I guess…I'm just learning to get over mom's death and Ruby-nee" he replied.
"Heh, I never thought you of all people would say something so mature" she smirked, elbowing him gently. "But I'm glad" she said, looking down "I always thought…that I had to try to knock some sense into you in place of aneki. Because I thought I had to toughen you up in her place. Seeing you like this…..does make me feel happy and lonely I guess".
"What's up with you today? You're not like your usual self" noted Ichigo.
"it's nothing. Forget it" she said dismissively.
And so, the group spent the rest of the evening engaging themselves in similar squabbles and chatter.
Following that incident, things returned to normalcy quickly. Ichigo for one, had much more closure to that chapter of his life after Isshin's talk. But he was also left with more questions. About his nee-san. About where she was. And the mixed feelings he had for her, settled down as well. Now, he was more determined to find her and talk to her about everything. To know the truth about everything he didn't know. Things that he had no doubt she knew. Because though Isshin's explanation pacified him, it also indicated that there was much more to it, to his sister, than what appeared on the surface. And something told him that his father wasn't one to spill the beans. He decided that in that case, he would simply discover the truth himself. If he ever found any hints about her whereabouts.
But there were also other things that changed. For example, Isshin's 'Kurosaki Special Training Regimens' were now conducted every day. Ichigo, Karin and even Yuzu were made to quit their clubs, instead being asked to learn Kendo from Isshin while Rukia watched. As they would learn much more from him than any school dojo could teach them. And because, Isshin wasn't sure when the next hollow like Grand Fisher would go after his family. And he was no longer going to take any chances. It was clear that kendo was not Yuzu's forte, but after that day, she was motivated enough to not let that stop her. And as expected, Karin and Ichigo were quick learners in Kendo. But what surprised all of them most, was how proficient Isshin was. Even Rukia joined in on the lessons, saying that she learnt more looking at Isshin than all her time at the academy.
One of the more amazing displays of his skill happened when he asked all 4 of them to simultaneously attack him. And he sparred with them effortlessly. All the while making sure that his children + Rukia really learnt everything they could from their sessions. Naturally Ichigo was the star pupil, followed by Rukia, then Karin and then Yuzu. Heck, at times, the lot would even be sent to the eccentric shopkeeper, for the same kendo lessons. And once again, the siblings were surprised at how his shabby appearance and demeanor belied his absolute strength and skill in both hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship. Something that Rukia was also impressed by.
Speaking of Urahara, there was one other thing that changed. After that day, Urahara stopped coaching the twins on using their red and blue abilities. Instead, he wrote a letter, asking the twins to go to Karakura Hospital and meet the director of the hospital and hand him the letter. Though the two of them were skeptical about being allowed to meet someone that important, they were surprised to see when the staff guided the two of them to see the director once they mentioned that they were there on Urahara's behest. Just how much influence does this guy have, thought Karin to herself.
And soon, they were standing before a middle-aged man with thin frameless glasses, piercing blue eyes, a pale gray suit with a blue shirt underneath, a white tie adorned with blue crosses and white hair. He narrowed his eyes in a questioning manner, but also with a hint of…..recognition? Neither twin could clearly say.
"Um…Ishida-san…..we were asked to give you this by Urahara-san" said Yuzu, fishing out the letter. He took it without saying a word, his eyes scanning across the width of the letter. And during that time, his expressions…..went through a wide range of emotions to say the least. From utter shock, to disbelief, to distaste, irritation, anger, a scary frown, and finally, a mix of giving up, annoyance and determination.
"With me, now" he said, getting up and moving out of his room. The twins followed him behind. On to the elevator, after which he took out a special looking key, to go down to what the twins assumed was a secret chamber. Karin was…. excited and Yuzu was nervous. This man seemed to be the opposite of their goofy incompetent looking dad. The lift descended for a long time before they arrived at a strange sort of empty room, devoid of any furniture.
"Starting today, I'll be teaching you on how to use your abilities. You will follow my instructions exactly as I state them. No exceptions. If I ask you to run, you WILL run. And if I ask you to jump from the roof, I expect you to do exactly so without question. You will not talk about our sessions to anyone, no exceptions. If that failure of a father of yours or if that ridiculous candy store owner asks, or anybody else asks, you WILL say nothing, except for the fact that you were training" he said sternly.
"Hey, wait just a minute, calling our father a failure was uncalled fo-" protested Karin, but was shushed quite hard by the glasses wearing man.
"Silence! A man who allows his daughter to be put in danger because of his own selfish reasons is the textbook example of one who failed in his duties. You will only talk when asked to. You will respond only when asked to. When using your abilities, you WILL only use them to defend yourself. You will NOT go around to use them to maim others, intentionally or otherwise. Is that understood?" he asked with a glare. Yuzu whimpered under his piercing blue eyes, but Karin stood firm stubbornly answering 'Affirmative, Mr. four eyes', which earned her a sharp remark.
"There will be no insolence! Now, show me what you have learnt so far" he demanded. "Give it your best shot"
"Hmph, gladly, 'Mr. four-eyes'" declared Karin, equipping her wooden sword from training and activating her red power. Ryuken raised his eyes. Karin then began attacking him, but the man would nimbly avoid her moves. At times that she did make contact, his skin would illuminate with the same blue powers as Yuzu's.
"That's…..my blue power!" said a surprised Yuzu.
"This guy has the same abilities…as us?!" exclaimed Karin. After a few more swings, Ryuken caught her sword.
"I have seen enough. It would appear you have nothing more to show. Next!" he barked, greatly annoying the raven-haired twin and Yuzu was up next. She took out her bow. Her body lit up with the blue veins pattern, and there was a thin glow of blue reishi around the edge of her bow. A small arrowhead formed at the focus. This time, Ryuken looked at Yuzu with expressions of surprise and…reminiscence? Yuzu began firing arrow heads of reishi at the Ryuken. Which once again, he avoided while moving around or sometimes blocked them with the same blue powers as Yuzu. Then, he formed a bow completely made of reishi, with a silver cross hanging from his wrist.
"A bow…..made from reishi…" remarked Yuzu in amazement. He then began firing at her, with smaller arrowheads at first which collided against her. She couldn't feel anything at first, but then gradually they began to prickle until finally one of them drew blood. That was when he stopped.
"That will be all" he said, and the girls stopped. "I now have a basic understanding of your skills" he then turned to Karin first. "You have a long way to go still. You need to improve your skills in basic archery before we begin more advanced techniques. Therefore, I expect you to come equipped with a bow and arrows during the initial days of our sessions. You must also never use your sword during our sessions. You will also practice the exercises I show you when I ask you to, without fail. Is that clear?" he asked. Karin nodded her head in annoyance with a 'Tsk'. He glared at her, but she stayed silent. Ryuken then turned to Yuzu. "You, on the other hand have some level of familiarity with handling a bow. You will continue to practice archery here. But you will not be using a bow. Instead, you will form one made from reishi like I did. And for that reason, I will give you this" he said, handing her a small chain with a 5-pointed cross emblem hanging from it. "You must have it on you at all times, even when you go to sleep or when doing other mundane activities. And just like your sister, you will practice the exercises I show you without fail. Is that understood?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Good. That will be all for today. I will expect you here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday exactly at 6 PM sharp. No sooner or later than that. There will be no excuses. Both of you will be here with the items I ask you to bring. That is all. You may leave" he said, heading back.
"Tch, I rather prefer if we could continue doing this with Hat and Clogs. This guy was just an annoying prick" said Karin, still annoyed after they were back outside.
"But Karin-chan….you saw how strong he was. He also used the same abilities we had. I can understand why Urahara-san sent us to him to train" said Yuzu, pacifying her sister.
"I never said anything against his skill, only that he was an annoying prick" said Karin. "And archery? This really is turning into a pain, but then again, you're learning Kendo with me. So, I'll try not to crib too much" she sighed.
And so, the days passed by. With Karin and Yuzu going over to Karakura hospital every other day to practice archery, detecting reishi, manifesting reishi arrows and using their 'Blut Vene and Blut Arterie' techniques as Ryuken had taught them, as well as manifesting a reishi bow using the cross he had given them. Yuzu learnt it soon enough, and Karin had to struggle extra hard initially, needing to catch up on basic archery skills. With Ryuken's help and her twin sister's advice, she was able to get through, earning her cross as well. Yuzu was still a better markswoman however and had better control over her reishi. But Karin was no less skilled, being more powerful out of the two in terms of sheer power. The training with Ryuken was tough, and he himself was strict, with almost no room for errors. Appreciation was something they were yet to hear from the director of the hospital. Every day they finished up, they would be back home with bruises and aches for the rest of the day. Isshin was half tempted to rush at the four-eyed director, but Karin and Yuzu persuaded him from doing otherwise. Any new technique he would only teach/show them once and ask them to practice on their own while he watched. The fact that he was a perfectionist was apparent because they had to keep working on a certain skill until he thought it was perfect. Along with this, they had their regular sessions with their father, Ichigo and Rukia in the Kurosaki Special Training Regimen, improving on their Kendo skills. In between all that and school, the twins barely had any time for any hobbies or other similar activities. But neither was complaining. After that encounter with Grand Fisher, their determination to get stronger and to meet their big sister far outweighed such concerns.
Soon, the Kurosaki family + Rukia attend the live show of Don Kanonji, with Karin and Ichigo finding it obnoxious while Rukia, Yuzu and Isshin were fooling around. They encounter a hollow there that they quickly take care of but reprimand Don Kanonji for escalating the situation to that level in the first place.
Back at Ichigo's school, something strange started happening. As Rukia's hollow detector went off, she and Ichigo would head to the scene where the hollow had apparently appeared only for them to find no hollows. This continued for the whole day, till the point where the duo were confronted by their fellow classmate, Uryu Ishida. The bespectacled high schooler sensed the presence of a hollow, much before Rukia's detector went off, mocking them for being so incompetent in being unable to sense reishi being a soul reaper. But what happened next was what really surprised them. Because originating from the cross hanging from his wrist, was a shining blue bow made of reishi. Within an instant, the arrow he fired found its mark, striking a hollow in the distance.
"Wa…wait just a minute…that's just like…..my sisters' power….!" Exclaimed Ichigo. Upon hearing that, his expression only grew more sardonic.
"Yes indeed. I'm really surprised that you had to even see my powers to figure that much out. If you had any skill at all at sensing spirit energy, you would have figured that out a long time ago" he explained. "What? You seem shocked. That I know about your sisters. As I said before, you'd have to be a monkey to not notice. I know all about it…..about you, you, your sisters and their powers. It sickens me….." he said, pointing at Rukia and Ichigo with a glowering expression. "Your ignorance…sickens me to the core, Ichigo Kurosaki" he declared before leaving.
The next day, a pissed off Ichigo tried all he could to try to find out about the enigmatic student, but his inability to remember people's faces and names made it even more challenging. Eventually, he found himself stalking the four-eyed high schooler who caught on soon enough. Uryu chided him even more for his lack of knowledge, before challenging him to a contest. Though Ichigo flatly refused, Uryu was not one to back away.
"Alright then I'll tell you what. Since you're so clearly out of the loop, if you manage to beat me, I'll tell you all the things that you so clearly don't know. Things like….the true origin of your sister's powers" he said, adjusting his glasses.
"What did you say….?!" Exclaimed Ichigo.
"You heard me, Kurosaki. That's why I said, your ignorance sickens me. Because though the facts are out there, right in front of you, you simply refuse to see it. I know more about your sister's abilities than you can imagine. Best me in our contest, and I'll tell you" he said calmly. "Otherwise, you can forget about ever learning the truth"
"Alright jackass, you asked for it" said the orange haired soul reaper, switching with Kon. "So? How does this 'contest' of yours work?"
"Simple. Whoever kills the most hollows in the next 24 hours is deemed the victor in our contest. And to that effect" he said, holding a circular disk. "I'll be using this bait to draw hollows. After all, what's the point of such a contest without the appropriate targets?"
"Hey, hold on! What the hell do you mean by draw hollows?! Don't tell me you plan on endangering innocent people for your stupid contest!" snapped Ichigo, but before Ichigo could say anything more, Uryu crushed the disk, which dispersed into the air.
"You have no need to worry about such trivialities. After all, I'll be sure to keep the hollows out of anybody's way" he said, forming his bow and firing a spirit arrow, killing a hollow that materialized "Unless of course, you continue to show me your incompetence. I hope you haven't forgotten that hollows tend to be attracted to those with high spiritual energy. Leaving aside your sisters, did you honestly think there were others that had a high amount of spirit energy? Anyways, that's 1 for me" he said, before hopping off.
In the meantime, Rukia approached Urahara store with a serious expression. Something wasn't right, she thought. The first time she saw the twins' abilities, she was sure they weren't soul reaper abilities. But now, she was dead certain. Not to mention the fact that the enigmatic store owner stopped training the twins, opting to redirect them to another. She just had to know. And so, she pushed these questions to him. That's when she learnt of the Quincies, a race of beings that fought with reishi arrows and bows against the hollows that went nearly extinct 1000 years ago.
"Wait just a minute Urahara….then, what about Karin and Yuzu?! Why do they have Quincy abilities?!" asked Rukia, surprised. Urahara's expression…..dulled considerably. Something that she did not expect to see in the goofy enigmatic candy store owner's face.
"It's nothing to be concerned about, Kuchiki-san. It's something for them to discover on their own. This is Isshin-san's personal request. So, I request you to not say anything unless they learn of it on their own" he said. "There's a reason for all this, so just sit back and watch as things unfold" was his only response. She knew that pushing further would be pointless. That's when the hollow sensor in her phone went off, beeping like there was no tomorrow.
"Oy Kisuke! Wh…what's going on…..?! Why are there so many hollows?!" she asked herself in shock. Urahara lowered his hat.
"Goodness, seems like we have quite the mess here" he said. Looking outside, he could see a multitude of rifts opening up, with hollows spilling out of all of them. He sighed heavily. Looks like someone wasn't going to have their afternoon nap. He then called for his store assistants, before reaching out for his cane.
Chaos. That was the shortest way to summarize the situation at hand. Rukia knew not which direction she had to run. Therefore, she figured her first priority would be to run to Ichigo and take things from there. But that was easier said than done.
Uryu Ishido was calm and collected, counting to 20 as he continued firing his arrows at incoming targets. He was unconcerned about things going south. Because the only thing running in his mind was the conversation between him and his father, the one that he rarely spoke to, all those days back when he first sensed the spirit energy of not one but two quincies. He was the only one who could provide an explanation. But even there, he would be denied. Because his father had no interest in giving him any. All that he was told, was to give up and focus on other important things, like his studies. But then, just a bit over a month ago, that changed. Now, his father approached him of his own accord, telling him everything. But the expression on his face was one of irritation, almost as if he was doing this under duress.
Things about his cousin Masaki, the Kurosaki siblings, and their Quincy powers. And how he was forbidden to tell them anything should he come across them at any point in his life. Naturally, Uryu had protested, argued, saying that this was a major development, since there were other quincies apart from him, and that it was an event that needed to be celebrated. To be proud about. Heck, he even sympathized with the substitute soul reaper he hated so much, because of the similar circumstances in the deaths of their mothers and their shared quincy heritage. But the moment he learnt of Ichigo's utter ignorance; he couldn't stand it. The fact, that though his quincy mother had died at the hands of a hollow, he continued to remain ignorant about his heritage or the fact that she WAS a quincy, not willing to take revenge for her death. All 3 of them. But the twins were young, and he could understand not telling them. But Ichigo? How could he go on living his life, unaware of his own mother's death and who she was? Were quincies beings that were looked down upon that much?!
After major arguments and insults flew from Uryu's side, Ryuken finally let slip that it was his mother's last wish. That she wanted them to remember her for the peace loving, gentle mother she was, and not as a quincy. Though it placated him, it still irked him to think that things remained the way they did. Because even Masaki wanted nothing to do with the quincies, just like his father. It gnawed at him, but he abided by Ryuken's words initially. But now, he couldn't stand it any longer. And he was not one to listen to his 'father' anyways, one who did things as he pleased with no regard for his feelings on the matter.
Karin and Yuzu were overwhelmed. One second, they were playing with their friends and in the next, they were going neck deep against a hoard of hollows. Karin cursed her luck for not bringing her wooden sword. But luckily, this time, neither was unarmed. Two shining reishi bows were constantly firing away with no rest in sight.
"Tch, this is one hell of a training session!" said Karin to herself, jumping aside to avoid an incoming hit, and retaliating with another arrow. She found that she could infuse her arrows with Blut Arterie, firing off a stronger but slower shot. It did place some strain on her hand however, so she tried not to use it too often. Her accuracy too, could use some work.
"How are there so many hollows?!" asked Yuzu breathless, firing off faster but weaker arrows compared to Karin. Often, she would need to fire two or three shots to kill some hollows. But at the very least, her shots were more accurate and she could use Blut Vene during times she needed to rest.
Just then, they saw Rukia.
Chad was in a dilemma. Just moments ago, he was with Keigo and Mizuiro talking about the plans for the upcoming week, and now, he was running away from the two, away from the monster that was chasing him, hoping that the two wouldn't follow him. He had hoped to lead the monster to a secluded spot, but his luck just wasn't on his side that day. Running after him was Asano, with a concerned look on his face. He pushed him out of the way, saving him from a ground pound from the monster. Though he tried to defend him as he lay defenseless, the monster was just too strong. He still couldn't believe that this was happening again, just like the other time with the parakeet. And once again, he cursed the fact that he was forced to simply watch helpless as people around him were in danger. His thoughts went back to his childhood days, and the words of his grandfather came back to him.
When the monster was about to deliver a finishing blow to a downed Asano, something welled up within him and by instinct, he threw a punch, generating a force that threw him off completely. Standing in front of the monster that now had a severed arm was Chad, with his left arm morphed into something like a sleeve. The monster charged at him once more, but this time, Chad stands ground, and the sleeve charges up with power. He delivered an uppercut directly to the monster's face, utterly obliterating it. He gives one final look at Asano who was just getting up. Noticing that there was no other imminent danger to the clueless boy, his body gives away to the blackness encroaching his mind.
Tatsuki was perplexed. Still in her martial arts attire as she took a break, in front of her were two floating figures of a couple making out. She sighed in distaste and disgust. Ever since that day when she went over to visit Orihime, slowly, but surely, she had been able to see these spirits. So, this is what Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu and aneki have been seeing all this time, she thought to herself. She knew that the 4 of them could always see spirits. Her thoughts were cut short when she saw the sky blacken. There were two figures approaching from within. With glowing eyes and white masks. One had many purple tentacles, while the other was shaped like a short bird. Her body shivered. Her muscles tensed. But more importantly, she could tell. Her instincts were screaming at her. To get away. But just then, she saw Orihime and Chizuru. Orihime looked VERY anxious, occasionally glancing towards the spot in the sky from where the monsters were approaching from while Chizuru looked unaware.
"I see….she's trying not to cause panic" she thought to herself. But the tentacled monster suspended itself over Orihime and Chizuru. Orihime screamed at her to run. That's when it happened. The monster spread out its tentacles, and there were some seed-like growths on its mask.
"Not so fast, monster!" cried Tatsuki, before rushing at them.
"And just where do you think you're going?" came a voice from above. She looked up, seeing the bird-like monster swooping down at her. She barely managed to swerve out of the way, but its talons did leave a thin, long scratch along her right arm, drawing blood.
In the distance, she could see broken glass all around the duo, a mostly uninjured Orihime and Chizuru whose shoulder was bleeding.
"Dammit!" cried the martial artist girl, once again running towards Orihime. The bird monster was at her tail again.
"Out of my way!" she cried, jumping to her side and throwing a kick. But to her surprise, the monster caught her leg with its beak and then slammed her to the ground. She coughed violently, and her head was ringing.
"Ori….hime….!" she called out weakly, extending her arm. Ahh….said her own voice in her head Dammit….move….! I need to…Orihime….aneki…
Her mind was blanking out, reality blinking in and out, with images from her childhood mixing in now and then. She could see that familiar, smiling image of Ruby, as the two of them sat in the evening glow of the sunset by the pipes in the playground while they watched Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu. In fact, she could even remember the sensation of her faint scent of Roses and plum blossoms.
-Flashback-
"Aneki…..will I ever be as strong as you someday…?" she asked, looking at her.
"I'm not really that strong" said Ruby, almost with an awkward smile "In fact, I think you're much more amazing!" she said, patting her head. "Despite being so young, you're always looking out for those three, aren't you? Whenever they get picked on, whenever I'm not around, you're always there to save them. When I was your age, I was just like Ichigo, always relying on my big sister for everything. That's why I think you're much cooler than me!" said Ruby, flashing a grin.
"You….you think so?" asked the young Tatsuki, dwindling her thumbs.
"Definitely. That's why…look after them, ok? No matter what happens, I want the 4 of you to be happy together" said Ruby, looking at Tatsuki. "Especially Ichigo. You know how much of a crybaby he can be. He'll need someone to smack some sense into him from time-to-time and toughen him up, won't he? Hihihihi!"
"But….what about you aneki? You'll be there with us, right?" she asked. "If you're there, then everything will be alright. None of us have to-" but Ruby nodded her head.
"Tatsuki-chan, you're giving me too much credit. Even I'm not perfect. Even I make mistakes from time to time. No one is perfect by themselves. That's why we rely on each other. And just the same way, I'm also relying on you, so that all of you can live peacefully, helping each other and supporting each other. That's why, even if I'm not there, I don't want you to stop being the way you are, alright?" said Ruby softly.
"But….but…"
"Instead, it would make me happier, if you continued to look after yourself and those 3 and always stay together, just like now. Will you do this for me?" asked Ruby once more, with the same warm smile.
"…..Alright aneki. I will…" replied Tatsuki with assuring expression.
"Very good! I'll hold on to that then!" said Ruby with a smile, once again caressing her head.
-Flashback end-
There was something surging inside her. Something fiery. Something primal. That awoke inside her when the desire to uphold her words to her aneki and her equally strong desire to protect her best friend, pushed her body to move on instinct. With a skilful flip, she regained her posture and then performed a leg spin, releasing her from the monster's grip.
"Wh..what…?!" exclaimed the monster.
Tatsuki looked at herself, surprised. Her body felt so light, and yet, so vigorous. She noticed that apart from the power welling in her body, there were some changes to her outfit as well. She now had an orange red headguard, as well as arm guards, spiky shoulder pads and leg guards like they were some pieces of armour.
Enraged and confused, the bird monster charged at her once more. But now, Tatsuki no longer felt intimidated and threatened. Without hesitation, she faced the monster head on. But something was strange. Now, the monster's movements appeared slower than before she got this weird outfit. She could so easily manoeuvre around the monster, avoiding all of its advances. And then, when she saw an opening, she curled her fists, throwing a practised punch. Her arm glowed bright orange before contacting the monster. And to her surprise, the monster quivered under the impact, before flying off and crashing into the wall, exploding with a bright orange explosion. She stood there, her mouth agape.
"Damn, Orihime!" she exclaimed out aloud, almost forgetting that she was in danger. She turned back, running towards the open field where she last saw Orihime and Chizuru and the monsters and the students who were after her. She could see several students slowly making their way towards Orihime who was trying to get away.
"Keep your hands off of her!" roared Tatsuki, swiftly making her way towards the group of students and knocking them out with precision, one by one, making sure to adjust her strength so that she didn't accidently maim them.
"Ta….tatsuki!" exclaimed Orihime. "You….that outfit…."
"Orihime! Are you alright..?" asked Tatsuki.
"Yeah…but you….you can see that monster?" she asked.
"Yeah, I took care of one of them just now. Just stay there, I'll protect you!" she declared, clearing the path around her. Just then, an arm reached out to her. It was her classmate, Chizuru, who looked like she was in agony. Being caught off guard, she couldn't avoid the three projectiles that hit her squarely in the back. She could feel searing hot pain burning its way through her body, originating from where she was struck. Some of the students near her restrained her. She narrowed her eyes in pain but heard Orihime scream out at her. One of the students then slammed her to the ground. Enraged, she flailed about, sending her restrainers flying away.
"Tough one aren't ya? Why don't we take care of that!" she could hear the tentacled monster speak, before feeling the same sharp sensation of pain in her head and exposed part of her legs. She could vaguely make out more of those 'seeds' flying at her as she desperately tried to avoid and block them. Her mind was fading again. The last thing she remembered seeing, was Orihime rushing towards her, with her arm outstretched. Her hair pins were glowing. And she was on the verge of tears.
Back at the city park, Rukia, who joined up with Karin and Yuzu, were heading towards Ichigo after Yuzu pinpointed his spirit energy. She could sense an energy similar to their own nearby Ichigo as well. The concentration of hollows was highest in that direction. They met up with Kon first, and then Ichigo and Uryu, who were still destroying the hollows that were appearing out of the largest rift. Rukia, Karin and Yuzu got the whole story from Ichigo. But something told them that they weren't done.
"Hey dumbass four-eyes! Why are there so many hollows?! Do something about it!" she said in a demanding tone.
"Tch, that tiny bait I used couldn't have possibly drawn all of these hollows…" he replied, confused himself.
"I think we should leave this for later! There's something really powerful inside that void!" alerted Yuzu.
"Really powerful? What do you..!" began Uryu, and then he sensed it too. And the rest could see it. From within that void, breaking through, was something gigantic.
Rukia could only stare in utter shock, as she recognized the thing appearing as a Gillian, a menos level hollow. Something that the 4 of them couldn't possibly handle at their level. She tried to alert them, only to find herself bound and immobile. Next to her, was the smiling visage of the eccentric candy store owner.
"Relax….there's a method to my madness. Just watch" he said. And so, Rukia watched as Ichigo, Uryu, Karin and Yuzu tried a variety of tactics such as firing arrows, trying to chop off its legs like it was a damn tree (at this point, Rukia could only sigh at the orange haired teen's utter idiocy), firing arrows at the same time that combined to form a large arrow among other things.
Rukia had to admit, the twins had grown at a phenomenal rate. She was certain that most regular level soul reapers would be no match for the duo. Something that Uryu himself mentioned.
"Your skills are admirable," he said to the two. "You can even use Blut, something that even I after years of training can't use yet"
"Thanks glasses-niisan! Your dad said the same thing too!" said Yuzu with a smile. Uryu did cringe at the nickname.
"So? Do we have any other ideas?" asked Karin. Ichigo stepped forward with his Zanpakuto pointed towards the Gillian, but Uryu grabbed his sword to stop him from doing something else that was foolish. That's when it hit him, the sheer amount of reishi flowing from his blade.
Unbeknownst to the participants of battle in the city park, three figures were watching the events play out from the safe distance of Urahara's shop. After each of their ordeals, they were rescued by Urahara, who then explained everything to them. About hollows, Rukia, soul reapers, Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu and Uryu. Orihime and Chad were confused and sceptical at first. But Tatsuki, had a vastly different reaction. She was silent the whole time, her expression dark. Once Urahara was done, she only had one question to ask him.
"Tell me Urahara-san…has Ichigo…..have the 3 of them been fighting hollows…..since the last 2 months?" she asked. Urahara narrowed his eyes.
"Ah….I thought you might as me that. You've always been close to the Kurosaki siblings, haven't you? I'm actually surprised it took you this long to manifest your abilities, considering you've always been around his leaking spirit energy" he answered. "But yes, the first time Ichigo awakened his powers was 2 months ago"
"Tatsuki-chan, I'm sure Ichigo had his own.." started Orihime.
"I see…..thank you, Urahara-san" she said. After that, she said nothing. Urahara went on to explain that they had a choice; either to continue towards the new path that opened for them or turn back before it was too late. He suggested watching Ichigo's current predicament to help make up their minds if they had trouble deciding. But to Tatsuki, the answer was obvious. What she needed to make up her mind about, was something else entirely. Something that she planned to ask her childhood friend the next time she got the chance.
Rukia had witnessed something spectacular. Just as the gillian was about to release its Cero, Yuzu jumped in front of Ichigo, taking on the full brunt of the blast. The blue reishi veins on her were barely visible as she was bathed in the blast's light. She was struggling, and it looked as if she would give in. Just then, Karin and Ichigo stepped in, supporting her and shielding her. Ichigo then used his Zanpakuto to cut through the blast, slicing into the Gillian and forcing it to retreat. Following that, they gave in under the stress, collapsing.
But more than Rukia, it was Uryu who was left agape. Words that his grandfather had left him before his death came back to him. Words that represented his dream, his vision. And he had just seen it play out before his very eyes. A soul reaper and a quincy, working together to defeat their common foe. His arms slumped in defeat.
"This is my loss, Kurosaki" he said.
"Tch, 'loss' my ass. There was never any need for a contest between us to begin with" said Karin, panting. "I still don't get why you caused all this mess"
"Listen up Karin, Yuzu, Ichigo" he started "As I mentioned earlier, the true origin of your powers…is not what you think. I was made to promise not to tell you this, but I think that some things are worse the longer they're kept hidden. Therefore, I will tell you" he said. And then, he told them. Of the quincies and their bloody history, which tied in with his grandfather and his hatred of soul reapers. There was a long silence after he finished. The only things he had left out was the fact that their mother was a quincy. Because he wasn't so low as to disrespect their deceased mother's last wishes. But he saw no reason why the Kurosaki siblings shouldn't know of other things. But to his surprise, the Kurosaki siblings weren't too surprised
"You….don't have anything to say?" he asked.
"I'm sorry….we had no idea about your grandfather…." Said Yuzu sadly. "I can understand why you don't might not like onii-chan but…..he's not like the other soul reapers! Dad was a soul reaper too, but he would never do something so horrible!" she said, looking at him straight in the eye.
"That's one thing but…aren't you surprised? Curious about why you have quincy powers..?" he asked.
"Sure….but….we decided that when the time is right, we'll know. That day, we realized that if knowing the truth could put our family and friends in danger, we would rather remain in the dark. Because there are far more important things than finding out about our family and lineage" replied Karin. "And besides, our powers look like nothing like Ichi-nii. Not to mention, if we really had shinigami powers, I see no reason why Hat and Clogs, who is another shinigami, couldn't have trained us himself instead of sending us away to your dad"
Uryu gasped. How could he have missed something so important? Even now, these kids, just over 11 years of age, could've nearly died because of their involvement with hollows. And yet, here they were. No wonder their mother didn't want them to learn about anything that related to the spiritual world. He was sure that she would be sad to see them like this. Perhaps that was the same with his grandfather too, who always felt reluctant to teach him the ways of the quincies. He felt immense guilt. Regret. And bitter, that his father had been right. He simply should've kept his mouth shut. But at the very least, his only saving grace was that the siblings were much more mature than he gave them credit for and took what he told them much better than he thought they would. He just sighed, commenting once again how it was his utter loss. They only smiled back in assurance, stating that there was no win or lose situation to begin with.
Later that evening, Back at Urahara's store, Yoruichi returned from her reconnaissance mission, and informed Kisuke about Renji and Byakuya's arrival in Karakura town. A fact that Rukia herself became aware of.
The next day, Ichigo would get the surprise of his life when Tatsuki nearly punched out the living daylights out of him after inviting him to the roof for a private 'chat'. She grimaced, bitter and hurt, that Ichigo continued to keep his involvement with the soul reapers out of the loop for nearly 2 months. Though he was utterly shocked that she knew about all of the events that transpired so far, he was able to calm down after Tatsuki explained everything to him.
"I….only became a soul reaper because I wanted to protect my family. I never wanted this kind of life. All I wanted was to be like everyone else, living like a normal human being, attending school, going to festivals and spending time with my family. A life…..that won't be the same anymore. A life you were a part of as well" he said simply.
That finally calmed her down. The two of them ate lunch together, with Ichigo also telling her about the few things he learnt about Ruby.
"That's why aneki left…..?" she asked surprised, but also with a bittersweet smile. "I see…that's like her I guess…..I just wish, she'd said goodbye before she did…but from now on, let's look for aneki together, alright?" she asked, looking at Ichigo.
"Yeah, sure" he replied.
Later that night, the Kurosaki siblings find out that the purple eyed girl was missing when they called her out for dinner. In fact, she didn't even seem to be around. Ichigo found Kon tied to the toilet with a note stuck on him. But even that was unnecessary since Yuzu had already located her.
"Sh...she's close! But….." she informed, shivering slightly. "There are two other, powerful presences…...and one of them is…..!" she said, shivering even more. "They both feel like you, Onii-chan….I'm sure they must be soul reapers!"
Ichigo and Karin prepare to chase after her, but are stopped by Isshin.
"Hold it!" he snapped. "Sigh, it seems soul society somehow took notice of Rukia losing her powers. I know both of those spiritual pressures. Don't" warned Isshin, "You're absolutely no match for them, especially Byakuya! You'll just die!" Ichigo grit his teeth, his expression darkening.
"I…..can't let anyone else leave me behind again…..I won't!" he retorted as he dashed for the door.
"Don't be stupid! The reason she left without telling is because she knew this would EXACTLY happen!" barked his father. But Ichigo wasn't listening.
"Where are you going in that state, young Ichigo?" asked a voice coming from beyond the door. The same, familiar voice of the eccentric shop owner. "Let's lend you a hand" he said, thrusting his cane towards his forehead.
"Thanks Mr. Hat and Clogs!" waved Ichigo as he ran towards Rukia while his living body fell.
"Urahara! What the hell you are you-!" started Isshin, but he shushed him.
"All for good reason, my old friend" he said, tapping his shoulder. "As for you both, it would be problematic if you both went now. Instead, why don't we go together, in a short while?" he suggested, leaving the three of them confused.
Back with Rukia, an unconscious Uryu now lay in the ground, bleeding while the raven-haired girl watched helplessly.
"Heh, told ya. You should've left when I so nicely warned ya" smirked Renji, standing victorious. "You see now, Rukia? This will be the same fate that awaits the human who took your powers, I'll see to it myself!" he declared.
Rukia's thoughts stopped at that sentence. In disbelief, that she heard such a thing. Perhaps it was the accumulated strain, or perhaps the intensity of the sequence of events that happened so quickly today before she had time to process anything.
She turned towards Renji, tilting her head.
"You'll defeat him..? You'll see to it yourself….?" she asked, almost as if to reaffirm. To make sure she wasn't hearing things. A reaction neither Renji nor Byakuya had expected.
"Heh…...ahah….ahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahah!"
Why, she asked herself. Why am I laughing? she asked again. "How strange…...how unlike me…I'm…..not one to do something like this. Perhaps he's right….." she said to herself, as she continued to laugh. "Being here…..with them…...has really rubbed off on me…or perhaps, this is just my tiny way of fighting back, powerless as I am…."
Renji was now visibly stunned. Byakuya was concerned.
"Oy….what the hell happened to you?" asked Renji "Don't tell me the fear of death has driven you insane"
"Ahh…..sorry" she said, regaining her composure, going back to her normal expression. "It's just that I simply couldn't help it. When I thought about if you would still be so confident if you only knew..! There's no way you'd be here if you just knew…"
"What do you..?" started Renji, and before he could finish, a heavy spiritual pressure fell upon him, and the blurred figure of an orange haired substitute soul reaper descended on the scene.
Quite a while had passed. Karin and Yuzu were getting worried, and Isshin was getting impatient. Out of the blue, Ichigo's spirit energy had plummeted and then, it had spiked to levels much greater than they had sensed him give out. Ichigo's opponent's spiritual pressure was in fact, receding. But they celebrated too early. Because now, it had just vanished. Instantly. One second, it was climbing higher and higher, and now, it had vanished. Instantly.
"Onii-chan…..?" called out Yuzu, her voice weak.
"OY!" shouted Isshin.
"Let's go. It's time" he said, "Let's make haste". The 4 of them rushed to the scene.
Ichigo Kurosaki was having a bad dream to say the least. His body was shaking, sweating and cold. So cold. He felt like he would be enveloped in darkness. That scene his eyes saw before giving in to the darkness kept playing back to him. Her face. That face that contained so many emotions. When he looked at her, she had been frowning, scolding him even. But those purple orbs of hers told him a different story altogether. Because they were pleading him. Pleading him to stay down. Pleading him to save her. Pleading at anyone who was looking, to put an end to the suffering of those that she cared for, suffering that they were going through for her sake. In that instant, just for that instant, her face no longer looked like Rukia Kuchiki. Her face…was the exact same as the face of his nee-san from all those years ago.
Ichigo awoke with a jolt, breathing hard, sweating profusely, nearly banging his head against Tessai. He backed away, startled. Tessai calls out to Urahara, informing him about Ichigo's awakening. But rather than seeing the familiar face of the candy store owner, he saw the tear stained faces of his sisters and the frowning face of his old man. The twins rush at him, nearly crushing him as they hug him from each side.
"Ichi-nii! Onii-chan!" they cried, holding him tight. "You're still alive…!"
"Karin….Yuzu…sorry for worrying you…" he said apologetically. It was then he remembered "Mr Hat and Clogs! What about Uryu?! I saw him injured badly when I arrived there yesterday!"
But Urahara assured him saying that though he treated the quincy on the spot, Uryu refused to take shelter at the candy store. But did mention that Ichigo had the best chance of rescuing Rukia and therefore asked Urahara to take care of Ichigo.
"But to be honest young Ichigo, your father is the one you should be worried about. He's already chewed me out since yesterday for not stopping you" said Urahara. Right behind him, Ichigo could see his father approaching, and gulped.
"Well…? Have anything to say?" he asked coldly. "Good. Because from now on, you're staying right where you should have been in the first place. Back at home living like a regular human"
"No" said Ichigo stubbornly "No way! I'm not going to lose another person in my life like I did her, ever again! I'll go rescue her even if I have to go to hell and back!"
"ENOUGH!" he roared, startling Yuzu and Karin. The entire store seemed to shake with his voice. "Do you even understand the condition you're in right now?! The condition that we found you in yesterday?! What was going through their minds when they saw their brother in that state?! I thought…..I would have to make another grave for you right beside hers…" he said, grimacing.
"Dad….please….it's…." pleaded Yuzu.
"What was I supposed to do then…?! Was I just supposed to sit back as they take her away?! Once again, because of me, someone I care about is…I just couldn't..!" he said mumbling. "Tell me, Dad…..don't you want her to come back…? Are you really ok with letting her die…?!" he asked, looking straight into his eyes. Isshin could only look away.
"Die….?! Rukia is going to….die…?!" asked Karin, surprised.
"Dad….? Is that true….?" asked Yuzu.
"Execution is indeed the punishment for a crime as grave as hers. But, even the Soul Society has its rules. Normally, a prisoner is kept captive for one month before being executed. Plenty of time should you chose to go rescue her. However the choice is yours. I can help restore your spiritual energy, young Ichigo. In the meantime, I can also help train the two of you to help manifest your own shinigami abilities. But…...I leave the decision to you" he said.
"Yo…you can really restore my soul reaper powers?!" asked Ichigo, shocked.
"Indeed. I believe I already mentioned I before, correct? The powers you had, were the ones that Rukia passed on to you. But you have your own soul reaper powers. What Byakuya took away, were her powers that were given to you. And as I mentioned, the two of you have shinigami powers as well, apart from your quincy abilities" he explained.
"Urahara…!" began Isshin, but Urahara interrupted him.
"Even if you warn them Isshin-san, if they decide to go after her, you know they won't stop at anything. Rather having them going after Kuchiki-san without telling you, isn't it better to talk things out and decide on something that works for everyone mutually? And besides, they…..can no longer go back to that life that Masaki-san wanted. They're already on this side now. Wouldn't the best thing be to make sure they're as prepared as they can be? Isn't that also what she asked her to do?" said Urahara to Isshin discreetly. There was a long pause between the two of them.
"Then why don't you go yourself?! Surely you could do much better than having to send my kids on a suicide mission!" he argued.
"Ah, but I would if I could, Isshin-san" he said, lowering his hat. "But you, Tessai, Yoruichi-san and I are no longer affiliated with the Soul Society. Meaning, we can't just waltz in using the Senkaimon. The only way to go to the soul society now would be for me to open a portal here. I'll need roughly 10 days for that. And for me to bring back whomever I send in, I have to be here to re-open the portal. And even then, we would need to use your niece's spirit cannon to enter and break through the barrier that protects the soul society. Truly….they are the only ones that can go" he said. "It really is…the only way to save Rukia"
".…Tch, fine. Let me just say, that I absolutely detest it" he said with a snarl. "But only on the condition that someone accompany them. I'm absolutely NOT sending them on a suicide mission" he said flatly.
"Oh but of course!" he chirped, "I'll send them with Yoruichi-san! Surely that must suffice for you?" he asked. And then he leaned in "In fact, after young Ichigo's powers return, I suspect you yourself would get your powers back as well. Why don't you just accompany them in that case? A big family trip to your homeland! Sounds like a vacation plan doesn't it?" he said in his sing song voice, before being backhanded by Isshin.
"Don't start using your creepy voice so close to my ear, you're creeping me out" he said casually. "As for your suggestion, I'll admit that it's tempting. These three will even get the chance to finally meet the two of them. I'll think about it" he said.
"Perfect~~! Then we have a plan!~~" he chimed. "Now that that's settled, I want the three of you to attend the last day of your schools. Take your time, forget about the soul society, Rukia-san or anything else relating to the spirit world. Enjoy it while it lasts. Because if you still want to save her after that, you won't be coming here for quite a while. Say your goodbyes, prepare yourself and if you still have the resolve, we can begin your training" he said.
"Tell me something Urahara-san…we've already been training with you and that insufferable four-eyes for more than a month now…..what's 10 days more going to change?" asked Karin.
"Oh but it will!" he said animated. "Because these 10 days will be nothing like the relaxed lessons you three have been having till now. That's why I'm warning you beforehand. If you want to back out now, this would be the time"
"No" said Ichigo with confidence "If, with this training…..I can become stronger than Byakuya….stronger than Renji….be able to rescue Rukia….then I'll do it" said Ichigo.
And so, Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu attend the last days of their respective schools, trying to spend as much time as they could living like regular students. It was then that Ichigo discovered that nobody remembered Rukia, save for Uryu, Chad, Orihime and Tatsuki. Something that made him even more determined to go through with his plan of saving her. That night, Ichigo, Uryu, Chad, Tatsuki, Karin, Yuzu, Orihime and their other friends attend the fireworks festival with all their friends, truly making sure to enjoy their time as normal people.
Finally, it was time for their training.
Ah, another lengthy chapter done! Next chapter begins the SS arc, and possibly even concludes it! And you know what that means!
So, you may be wondering. Why oh why wouldn't Isshin or Urahara save Ichigo from Byakuya. Simple really. You gotta remember, Aizen wasn't the only one with plans. Urahara couldn't be revealing himself to save Ichigo in front of everyone. Remember, he told no one that he hid the Hogyoku inside Rukia's gigai. I doubt anyone amongst Rukia, Isshin, Ichigo or the others would remotely approve of something like that. Even revealing himself to save Ichigo would only make the soul society suspicious. That's why, he couldn't have Isshin go save Ichigo as well. He really couldn't show that he wanted to save her gigai more than anything.
That's why he had Ichigo do it in a roundabout and natural looking way.
Response to Reviews:
Argorok: Thanks a lot!
Lucian Naruto: Weeeel, we'll soon get to see that part as well, in a couple of chapters.
The-Killer40513: Eh, kinda. I mean, Yuzu and Karin being involved is quite different from cannon already. And with this chapter, you can already see that things do seem to be going in a fully different direction.
firewyrm2: She will, real soon. I promise. The thing is, you need POVs of both sides to truly get the best feel for their reunion. I didn't explore much of what Ichigo and the twins thought of their sister. That's why these chapters are necessary. Not to mention Tatsuki as well. The thing is, she has no real reason to be here yet. Remember, she still doesn't know that her siblings have powers. Had she known; she would definitely be here.
Momentei: That's the thing. This is mostly to develop Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu and even Tatsuki's side of things for their reunion. Because their thoughts and backstories were never really fully explored in the 1 year Ruby stayed with them. This is needed so that their reunion really feels like a big thing. As for what Ruby has been doing, you'll see real soon!
Mobian: Indeed. Ichigo's main shtick is that he's quite observant of those he really cares about or has an interest in. There's no way he wouldn't notice. And that's why these sections with Ichigo's side of things are important.
Misaka Phenex: Not in the next chapter, but soon. For now, Ichigo is the main POV.
Guest: Ahahah true that!
Robbie2413: Well, as you saw, yeah, for now atleast. And yes, Ruby too has the ability to guide souls.
Battlesny: I know, I really shouldn't have left half explanations. My bad. But as I said, it's a while away. We'll get to it when the time comes. Ahaha, true! The most energetic RWBY girl meets the most lazy guy of Bleach! Hmm…..I can see it, but well, it would be weird in this story if it went that way
Spartastic 4: Ah thanks, I'll do that! Yeah…she really kept away all these years. Poor Kurosaki siblings. Yeah, it's something I noticed as well. Some readers aren't truly familiar with the full story of bleach. That's why I'm trying to be as concise as possible without it looking like a rehash of cannon. I have changed quite a few things compared to cannon too, so I cant be skipping too much.
Ack, I see! I am actively trying to correct them, but you're right! I could re read my final draft one last time with a calm mind to catch some of the hidden ones.
And thanks a lot! And yeah, as you predicted, Ruby did come back…..kinda.
AnimeA55Kicker: Huh, never knew! I'm….honored I guess? That big people are reviewing my fic, I hope I can continue to get better and better. I know it might have felt like a rehash of cannon, but I'm trying my best to keep things as compact as possible. Buuuut, the starting arcs of bleach simply have so much stuff, it's quite challenging. I'll try my best.
NEGATARO: Sounds like an interesting concept! But aah, you'll unfortunately have to wait for me to finish playing arknight first. Dunno when I'll have the time to get to it. And thanks a lot!
Guest: I had it planned out way back in the beginning of this fic, just like most of the other major plot points. I….personally think it works logically, but this part is quite a few ways away, nothing to worry about now.
fightningchampion: Thanks as always!
RandomName3064: Actually, pluses do have spirit bodies. And the bodies mirror the looks of the actual living bodies. This has been shown in cannon with Orihime, Ichigo, you name it. And yeah, I do apologize for Esparda, I'll fix it with this release.
Thanks a lot! I actually spent such a long time coming up with that conversation so that it felt in character and interesting. Thank you so much!
RandomBleachFan: Thank you so, so much! I'm really honored to hear you say that, and I hope I can continue to live up to expectations!
NightmareKnight1: Ah cool. Thanks for the tip!
Nihil Asara: Thanks for that, I'll try my best to reduce my grammatical mistakes! Ah, true! But I wanted to make sure the cameo was just that, a cameo. Otherwise, it would've been an actual plot point. Oh she'll get her scythe back, real soon. You'll see.