Chapter 10

"GRIND! PANTERA!"

"Grimmjow! Stop!" Ichigo hollered.

"MELT! ÁCIDO!"

Two great bursts of light and explosions of Reiatsu shook the room. Dust flew everywhere, again blocking Ichigo's sight.

Ichigo then regarded the scene before him. On one side was Grimmjow with his Resurreccion released, and on the other…

Well, Ichigo never expected to ever see that form again. After all, Sora-onii-san was actually one of first Hollows he had encountered when he was just starting this stint as a Substitute Shinigami. The older Inoue has transformed into his red-colored snake-like form.

'Acidwire,' Ichigo remembered Sora-onii-san's Hollow name. However, he also noticed that the Hollowfied Sora-onii-san was a bit different. For one, this naga-like Hollow form was smaller in size. Second, the visage retains a human-like appearance from head to waist. From the waist down, it was the familiar snake tail with the weird pattern.

Strangely, Inoue's big brother also did not have any remnants of his Hollow mask, but there was a Hollow hole in the center of his chest.

"DIE, YOU PATHETIC HOLLOW!" Grimmjow charged with his claws ready to slice Sora-onii-san.

WHOOOSH!

Something from Ichigo's peripheral vision moved at great speed. His feet carried him as it signaled his system to dodge the heavy-set tail.

SLAM!

A large crashing sound slammed against the blue-haired Arrancar, sending him outside the room.

"YOU DIE, PERVERT!" Sora-onii-san flew like a Chinese dragon towards where Grimmjow crashed.

Although Ichigo wanted to end the fight himself, he cannot help but be fascinated by the mayhem laid before him. Maybe it was the nostalgia of seeing Acidwire in action…whatever it was, Ichigo cannot help but reminisce about the good ole days when his worries just revolved around only protecting Karakura Town.

"AAARRRGGGHHH! FUCK!" Grimmjow's voice echoed noisily against the stillness and silence of the night sky. He then assumed a familiar pose and opened his mouth wide…to shoot a Cero!

"Stop that, Grimmjow!" Ichigo rushed forward and took Inoue in his arms. He immediately used Shunpo to get out of the room.

"Kurosaki, we need to shield this room!" Uryuu said hurriedly.

"Why?"

"Well, first we don't have the money to reimburse these," Uryuu said sarcastically, gesturing towards all the medical equipment. "Second, these are the machines that keep Inoue in a stable state."

"Oh, shit!" Ichigo cursed before he shouted to the two people still fighting. "Sto-"

Grimmjow released the charged Cero, and a blinding blue light engulfed Ichigo's vision.

"Run!" Ichigo commanded. They will worry about the machines and compensation later. Now, they need to get Inoue to a safe place before any other shenanigans happen.

"Blut Ve-" Uryuu called out; however, he was immediately cut off when large energy veins appeared beneath their feet and scurried rapidly towards the torn wall. The blue veins converged in a spherical shape, blocking the room from the incoming Cero.

"Nice job, Ishida!" Ichigo cheered, slowing down.

"That wasn't me," Uryuu answered, his voice questioning.

"Are you two alright?" A woman approached them.

"Mom?" Uryuu exclaimed in disbelief. "How? That was Blut Vene: Anhaben."

"Well, I am a Quincy, son," Uryuu's mom explained with a gentle smile.

"T-That was very…powerful," Uryuu commented.

"Why, thank you, my son."

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The sound of feet running against the wooden floor alerted Ichigo of a significant number of occupants hurrying towards them at a very fast pace.

There was Ishida's Dad, Chad, Renji, Yoruichi-san, Urahara-san, and then of course, the actual residents of the Kuchiki Household. All of them were staring questioningly at them.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya was at the forefront, his expression full of annoyance. "What is the meaning of this disturbance?" He said calmly.

"Grimmjow appeared and had a fight with Inoue's brother," Ichigo said simply.

"And?" Byakuya probed.

"And nothing. That's all we know," Ichigo shrugged.

"I see," Byakuya walked dramatically, his expensive kimono fluttering against the nonexistent wind. The Kuchiki Patriarch went inside the room.

'Is he using his Reiatsu to make his clothes intentionally flap?' Ichigo thought to himself.

"Bakudo Number 61: Rikujokoro," Byakuya said, his voice barely a whisper.

The sound of the Kido Spell signified its activation, and two dull thuds simultaneously dropped against dirt.

Byakuya reappeared with a very satisfied expression, and promptly returned to Lady Hisana's side.

"Now," Byakuya spoke, his voice carrying that smug-as-shit, bougie undertone. "My wife, the esteemed Lady of the Kuchiki Household, has seen to it that a proper feast was prepared for the honored guests," he announced. Then with a clear threat, he continued. "I trust that there shall not be further interruptions."

Byakuya then turned around and walked, his robes still flapping dramatically. He was then followed by the others. Yoruichi-san and Urahara-san remained for a moment.

Ichigo pursed his lips. He mentally whistles to himself. 'Whew. Byakuya's really creeping me out.'

"Dude…" Uryuu trailed off.

"Dude…" Ichigo agreed.

A few moments later, he decided to move Inoue back to her bed. "Ishida, I'll take care of everything here. You go."

Uryuu merely gave him a nod before he turned his attention back to his mother as they began walking away. "So, mom. How come you can cast such a very powerful Blut Vene: Anhaben? Is there a secret?" Uryuu's ecstatic voice echoed as they got farther away.

Walking inside the room to place Inoue back to her bed. Ichigo also reattached the other cables back to her arms. "Hey, Inoue," Ichigo whispered. "I'll just be gone for a few minutes, okay? I'll just go grab some food and bring it back here," he said as he placed the blanket over Inoue.

Inoue remained asleep, still unresponsive. There was only the beeping sound coming from a nearby monitor.

Ichigo sighed to himself.

"Ichigo," Yoruichi-san's voice appeared next to him.

"Yes?"

"We'll be taking Inoue's brother and Grimmjow. Would it be okay for you to watch over Inoue?"

"Well, yeah. That's what I was planning in the first place, anyway," Ichigo turned towards them. "I understand taking Grimmjow since he's…well…you could rein him in. But why are you taking Inoue's brother?"

"Well, his Reiatsu-" Urahara-san began explaining but he was cut off.

"Ah!" Ichigo immediately lit up with the sudden realization. "If he's her biological brother, that means that he may have a similar Reiatsu signature that could help us counteract Inoue's defenses!"

"Please, have a seat," Kisuke Urahara entered his quarters, leading the two men behind him. He gestured towards two empty chairs as he sat himself in front of the two guests.

"Tsk," came Grimmjow's defiant tone.

Kisuke sighed to himself. This was going to be one heck of a long night. He had decided to skip the formal dinner hosted by the Lady of the Kuchiki Clan, so that he can give more focus in terms of investigating the source and the cure to Inoue Orihime's strange affliction. Kisuke had asked Yoruichi-san to deliver his message to the others. That, and Yoruichi-san needs a break from worrying over Inoue.

'Inoue is one of Yoruichi-san's beloved students, after all,' Kisuke mused to himself. Back when Rukia was on the verge of being executed at Sokyoku Hill, Yoruichi-san took it upon herself to train both Inoue and Sado in the proper usage of their powers.

In retrospect, Kisuke should have expected that Inoue's condition would have a significant impact on Yoruichi-san. Back then, his longtime friend expressed great amusement over Inoue's progress. Only now did Kisuke realize that Inoue occupied a soft, almost maternal, spot in Yoruichi-san's heart.

Kisuke sighed again as he rubbed his temples. He has been doing that a lot these days. Maybe old age is finally catching up to him. Anyway, after their ill-result test this morning, Uryuu Ishida theorized that to bypass Inoue's almost-perfect defensive Reiatsu, they would need to find something similar in signature.

Which brings Kisuke to the next point. Ichigo, perhaps due to his luck, managed to find and bring Orihime Inoue's biological brother–Sora Inoue.

Kisuke analyzed the Reiatsu emanating from the silent man sitting before him, finding it weird that he can sense Reiatsu despite the fact that his Shinigami powers were supposed to have been rejected by the rampant Shun Shun Rikka days ago.

'Could it be that the Souten Kisshun is selective by nature?' Kisuke hypothesized. Could it be that what the Shun Shun Rikka rejected was just the reality that he was a Shinigami, not the reality wherein he can sense Reiatsu.

If that was the case, then there is a possibility that Kisuke could relearn his Shinigami powers.

But Kisuke realized that he had digressed. Tonight was not about him. He can worry about his own problems at a later, separate time. Tonight, he needs to determine whether Sora Inoue, given his high level of Spiritual Pressure, could be the key to waking Orihime Inoue from her coma.

Kisuke coughed to clear his throat to get the attention of the two people who caused a disturbance here at Kuchiki Estate. "Ahem. Grimmjow, first…why are you here?" He said in a jovial tone, intending to make light of this heavy atmosphere.

"Keh!" The blue-haired punk-as Arrancar cursed as he crossed his arms against his chest. His body was turned away from Kisuke.

Kisuke narrowed his eyes. Grimmjow was holding something in one of his hands. He was intentionally blocking it with the way his body was turned on its side.

"What's that?" Kisuke said in curiosity. When the Arrancar refused to move, Kisuke lowered his tone into that of a threat. If that thing poses significant harm towards them, then Kisuke, even without his Shinigami powers, would take it upon himself to eliminate it along with Grimmjow. "What. Is. It?"

Grimmjow still refused to move. Kisuke stood up.

"It's a Mandragora," Sora Inoue said, his arms also crossed against his chest. "Not just the plant…but the root part of a Mandragora-like Hollow. He's intending to feed it to my sister."

Kisuke sat for a moment, suddenly confused. There was something that was missing here. He needed more context than just the name of a supposed plant-like Hollow.

"It's an aphrodisiac," Sora Inoue elaborated in not so many words.

"Oh," was the only thing that came out of Kisuke's mouth before he shot Grimmjow an accusing glare. "The hell, Grimmjow? Inoue's in a coma and you're thinking of lewd things. I expected more honor from you, given that you two were training in Hueco Mundo before joining the war."

"Shut it, old geezer,' Grimmjow barked towards him. "And stop smiling like a pervert. You know what Mandragora could be used for."

Kisuke sighed again. Grimmjow was right. Brewed and administered in the correct way, Mandragoras are one of the most effective healing decoctions. Kisuke turned towards Sora Inoue whose expression has lightened considerably in light of the information being revealed.

"Sora-san, what Grimmjow said was correct. Although Mandragoras are considered as a type of aphrodisiac, if prepared correctly, it is one of the most effective traditional medicines."

"I see," Sora Inoue processed the information, staring at the floor for a few moments. Then, he turned towards the Arrancar. "I'm sorry for saying those things when you were just trying to help my sister," he said, offering his hand.

Grimmjow took it and shook it once before releasing his hold. "Now, you answer my question. If you were supposed to be Orihime's brother, how is it that you have a completely different Reiatsu from her. Don't even think of lying. You reek of Hollow Reiatsu."

Any other time Kisuke's would have raised his eyebrow at Grimmjow's blatant use of Orihime Inoue's given name, but this is not any other time. The Arrancar's statement was undeniable. Surveying it now, Sora Inoue's Reiatsu was akin more to a Hollow…or was it an Arrancar? Or a Visored?

The wavelength was difficult to read. Confusing, even.

"I'm sorry, Sora-san, but I would have to agree with Grimmjow," Kisuke offered. "Even I cannot determine whether you are a pure Hollow, an Arrancar like Grimmjow or a Visored. Would it be alright to ask how you have Hollow-based powers?"

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"I see," Kisuke said after Sora Inoue finished recounting everything that happened after he was turned into a Hollow.

Apparently, Sora Inoue's situation was quite distinct, in that after he became a Hollow, there was a moment wherein he briefly regained his humanity. This act immediately broke his Hollow Mask. After that, he used Ichigo's then-sealed Zanpakutou to purify himself in the process called Soul Burial.

"I think I may have a theory as to why you are somewhere in-between a Hollow, Arrancar and a Visored."

Sora Inoue nodded.

"First, I want to highlight that once a Human Soul becomes a Hollow, it can never regain its humanity because the Hollow Hole represents how the Soul has already lost its Heart, and the Mask is formed from this Heart. However, if the Mask is to be destroyed, that means the Hollow will have regained their Hearts…something that has happened to you."

"He still feels like an Arrancar," Grimmjow offered.

"Which makes me all the more confused," Kisuke acknowledged. "Sora Inoue, by all accounts you should have turned into an Arrancar the moment your Hollow Mask bro-"

"Urahara-san?" Sora Inoue raised an eyebrow.

"Wait," Kisuke paused for a moment. "The Mask broke. You did not rip it. On its own, the Mask broke."

"Yes."

"Do you have a Mask whenever you transform…like what you did a while ago?"

"I don't," Sora Inoue admitted.

"That's the reason why your Reiatsu is not fully an Arrancar. Combined with what you mentioned before that you immediately performed the Soul Burial after regaining your sanity, it makes perfect sense that you are sent to Soul Society, and not to Hueco Mundo. But wait-"

"Yes?"

"If you are a citizen of Soul Society, how come you have an extensive knowledge of Mandragora Hollows?"

Sora Inoue averted his eyes. "Ahmmm…well…"

"Garganta," Grimmjow stepped in to answer the question. "He can probably open Gargantas from here to Hueco Mundo and back."

'Fascinating,' Kisuke realized. Although both brother and sister have different Reiatsus, powers and experiences, it did not erase the fact that both of them have the ability to make the impossible possible.

Nevertheless…

Nevertheless, this is once again a dead end. If Sora Inoue has a different Reiatsu signature from his sister, this is nothing more than a fool's errand.

"I'm done here," Grimmjow promptly stood up, and stretched. "Here," he threw a white plant root towards Kisuke. "Use this to brew medicine for Orihime."

Kisuke caught it before it smacked him in the face. And as quickly as the blue-haired Arrancar arrived, he disappeared. This left Kisuke alone with the older Inoue.

"That punk…he seems honorable," Sora Inoue said after a few seconds of silence.

"That was kind of sweet of him to bring Inoue a Mandragora root," Kisuke looked at the other man meaningfully, waving the root in the air. "These are quite rare."

'The name calling…the rare plant…the late night visit…' Information began swirling inside Kisuke's brain once again. 'Could Grimmjow be…to Inoue?'

"That Kurosaki Ichigo seemed to have gained a rival," Sora Inoue glanced at Kisuke with a knowing grin.

Kisuke allowed himself a hearty laugh. Here they all were, probably facing another sort of a world-changing event, and they were laughing about what could be described as the start of a tumultuous love triangle.

"Uhmmm…"Sora Inoue's chuckles mellowed out before addressing Kisuke. "Urahara-san?"

"Yes?"

"I know that this may seem too forward, considering that we have just met…" Sora Inoue began, his voice hesitant. "But may I ask you a huge favor?"

"You want me to chase those pesky boys away from your precious sister?" Kisuke grinned, eliciting another smile from the other man.

"Nothing of the sort. She has every right to choose any person she wants to love. And to be honest, I would probably haunt any man who would dare reject her. It's not that…It's that, although me and my sister can meet here in Soul Society, it still does not erase the fact that I am dead and she's alive…"

Kisuke nodded for the other man to continue.

"Once Orihime wakes up and returns to the World of the Living…may I be so bold as to entrust her in your care?"

Kisuke was stunned for a moment. That was new. When it comes to eccentric items, explanations of weird phenomena, convoluted battle tactics, and peculiar training methods, he was always the go-to guy. He was always the man relied on to save the day with a less-than ethical solution…but here he was, being asked to be guardian.

"I…uhhh…" Kisuke hesitated.

Honestly, he did not expect that anyone would trust him to be a paragon of virtue to another person. Kisuke wanted to refuse, but the expression on Sora Inoue's face was something that he had never seen being directed to him before. It was trust–pure unbridled trust. It was the kind of trust that a parent is willing to give to another, for the sake of their children's future. "Alright," Kisuke answered.

"Thank you, Urahara-san," Sora Inoue smiled.

"Enough of that," Kisuke waved his hand, segueing the topic to urgent matters. "Now, I need to examine your Reiatsu closely…we may need it in order to wake up your sister."

It would not hurt to try.

June 21, 2000

3:33 AM

Ichigo put the feathered quill away in its container, finally feeling the fatigue from staying up too late well into the early morning. The clock read 3:33 AM, and the date has now shifted to the 21st of June. It was now his shift to watch over Inoue. He had insisted that he can do it alone, and that he will be analyzing the poem given to him by Uryuu.

As of the moment, he has just finished writing down his initial analysis, and decided to continue it tomorrow before presenting it to the group.

The poem was…for a lack of better term, very confusing. It was laden with too many layers that may be interpreted in several different ways. However, Uryuu had advised him to interpret the poem as if it correlates to the idea of another god, adjacent to the existence of the Soul King.

'Easy for him to say…' Ichigo murmured. 'He's not the one doing the hard part.'

Ichigo glanced at the open window near where his table was placed. The moon was not as full as Ichigo expected it to be. The moon was in its Waning Gibbous Phase, its illumination not as bright as the previous nights. However, it still stood as a resolute reminder that there will always be light even amidst the darkness and cloudiness of the sky. Drops of water pitter-pattered against the surface of the building, and the air was humid from the rain showers.

Pitter-Patter. The rain picked up again, bringing the cool wet wind in its wake.

Ichigo sighed to himself as he glanced over the still-unconscious form of Inoue. "Oh, Inoue…" he breathed out, his voice but a gentle plea. "Please wake up."

Inoue's face was peaceful…but it was so strange. How can someone full of light…so bright and lively be lying so still? Ichigo felt his fists clench at his sides before he relaxed it. It would do no good if Inoue wakes up only to see him injuring himself.

Ichigo stood up, and brought his seat by Inoue's side. He sat down and took her left hand in his palms. "Hey, Inoue…I ate the food provided to us by Rukia's sister. It was so delicious…I bet you would have enjoyed it. It's such a shame that you're still sleeping here."

"..." There was only Inoue's steady breathing, accompanied by the beeping sounds coming from the machines.

Ichigo's throat seized.

"Did you know that Rukia's sister looks exactly like her? Damn! You'd think that they'd be long lost twin sisters!" Ichigo chuckled to himself. "Well…they're kinda long lost…but you get my point. Haha."

"..."

"You know what else, Inoue? My Hollow Zangetsu met your Tsubaki. I think that they're well on their way into becoming weird-ass-shit best friends. Haha. And…and…when you were fighting Yhwach…damn! I was so impressed. I never knew you could do those things!"

"..."

Ichigo's eyes began to water but he wiped it with the sleeves of his kimono. "Inoue…I keep on trying to remind myself that none of this was my fault…but there's still that tiny voice inside my head saying that I should have trained more…or I should have been more powerful to prevent all of these…to prevent you from…"

A sob threatened to escape from Ichigo's lips.

"I keep on telling myself that you're just sleeping…and that you'll wake up soon. But the longer that I sit here, powerless and unable to help you, the harder it is to believe that it wasn't my fault. I'm sorry, Inoue. I failed you. I wasn't able to keep my promise to always protect you…"

"..."

Ichigo gripped Inoue's hands harder. "Inoue…there were so many things that I wanted to do in this life. I've told you before that I love William Shakespeare's works, especially Romeo and Juliet, so much so that I'm considering an English Lit major in college."

Ichigo paused for a moment, staring at Inoue's face for any response.

"..." There was none.

"Did you know, when I was young, I wanted to be an astronomer and study the stars. I also wanted to become a food critic, and give you a review about the weird things that you were always cooking."

"..." The sound of the rain grew louder.

"I wanted to go to a bunch of different countries to look for my favorite writers, and ask them my questions about their books! And I wanted to experience traveling around the world to see and experience something beyond Karakura Town."

Ichigo exhaled, trying to pacify his rapid heartbeat. Then with a watery smile, he whispered. "I wish I could have five different lives….Then I could have been born in five different continents."

"And experience five lifetime's worth of traveling around the world. I could have five different jobs…"

"And… in all five different lives… I'd only ask the same one person to walk home...five thousand times," Ichigo released a sob that he has been holding for quite some time, gripping her hand tighter as if it was his only saving grace. "Oh, Inoue. Please…wake up…please, please…"

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"K-Kurosaki-kun..."