Bleach 1. Into That Good Night

**Author's Note**: Rated T for now, but will be changed to M for eventual yaoi. I suppose it could be rated for character death as well, but since its Bleach its not really _death_ death. Reviews are appreciated =)

A big thanks to EnsignChocolateSauce for the prompt and agreeing to proofread everything.

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><p>It was only by chance that Byakuya had found Ichigo first. The boy had accepted the fact that he would die weeks ago, when the mass of cancerous cells were first discovered in his brain. Now, the Soul Society's primary job was to ensure that a soul of Ichigo's caliber did not find its way into the hands of the hollows.<p>

Byakuya saw the lights of the wreck before he had sensed any change in reiatsu. By impulse, he turned on the toe of his foot and took off, appearing at the scene.

The bus was halfway off of the road, perching itself to the side where it had swerved at the last moment. A little boy was crying in the back of one of the ambulances, being comforted by paramedics as the police tried to establish a perimeter free from the onlookers. None of the passengers on the bus were hurt, nor was the crying boy who had run out into the road to grab his umbrella that had been blown out of his hands in the rainstorm. No, there was only one stretcher out on the road, that one metal frame whose sudden severance of energy had drawn Byakuya to the scene. The stretcher that was covered in the red body tarp, covering the man who had dove into the street after the boy, pushing him to safety.

The body had died on impact.

'_Everyone is all right_.'

"Indeed they are." Byakuya said solemnly, standing beside the shadowy figure. Ichigo's voice was different now. It was distant, as if he were speaking through the far end of a tunnel. At his chest, a broken chain.

'_The best way for it to happen, I suppose._' Ichigo's voice didn't waver. He spoke calmly, directly. The way he always did when he faced down death. '_For the bus to hit a dying man_.'

"It is how you wanted to go, I'm sure. Protecting the innocent until the end."

A solemn, brief silence hovered between the two. The paramedics were scattering salt onto the road to soak up the massive puddles of red.

"I am disappointed in you, Ichigo." He said, not looking at the boy just yet. "The captains had prepared a special sending for when the disease finally took you. All thirteen were to be in assembly to pay their respects. Captain Yamamoto was to send you himself."

'_Is that so?_'

"It would have been a great honor." He drew out Senbonzakura. "Still, this will be just as effective."

For the first time, the resolve wavered on Ichigo's expression. He looked around at Byakuya in alarm, the rain shooting through his wispy form. There was something strange about it. Was Ichigo Kurosaki... afraid?

'_You can't mean... now?_'

"If we delay, the hollows will be upon you soon." Byakuya cast his glance heavenwards, as if expecting them to be descending at this very moment. Even if Ichigo was powerless like this, his reiatsu was still potent. They would not be far behind him. "And you as a hollow is something that we cannot afford to risk," he said sharply, advancing on Ichigo in a way that must have been terribly menacing for anyone who did not know him well. Byakuya sighed sharply through his nose, seeing Ichigo still flailing, gripping his broken chain, looking out through the rain, looking... lost.

Like a child.

This was not the warrior who so fearlessly faced death in the form of his sword in the Soul Society, or taking on any number of Arrancar and Aizen himself. Who was this person?

'_I... just wanted my family to be there... when I went_.'

Byakuya paused, something deep in his chest aching.

'_I don't care about the thirteen captains being there_.' Ichigo said, watching the ambulances pull away to make way for the cleanup crew. '_Or being sent by Captain Yamamoto. I mean, I understand that they wanted to show their thanks, I guess._' He shrugged, not wanting to sound ungrateful.

'_But after all the times I left them, Dad and Karin and Yuzu... I just wanted my last moments to be by their side_.'

The idea of his father receiving the phone call... Karin would probably insist on coming with Isshin to identify the remains of his body. It wasn't how he wanted to leave him. The last memory he had of them to be...

Ichigo was interrupted from his dismal reverie as something soft and warm was draped about his shoulders. It was especially startling, since in this form he had not been able to feel a thing. Not the rain, or the cold of the ground beneath him. He put a hand on the smooth silk white around him, and realized that Byakuya had draped him with his scarf, the heirloom of his family.

"I understand." He turned to Ichigo, his eyes as grey as the stormy evening. In them though, a trace of heavenly silver. "I too have lost someone dear to me before her time."

Both shivered in unison as a wave of putrid reiatsu washed over the landscape. A roar sounded in the distance. The hollows had picked up the scent of fresh prey.

"But I think we can both agree that your spirit should not be desecrated as your body was."

Ichigo shook his head almost imperceptibly. He did not feel ready to go at all, but he was certainly not afraid.

No, Ichigo was far too strong to be afraid of something as silly as death.

"Are you ready, Ichigo?"

'_… I want you to tell them._' Ichigo clutched the scarf about himself. '_You or Rukia... Renji even. I don't want their first call to be from the hospital._'

"Of course."

"_Then I'm ready_."

Byakuya breathed the blessing, and placed the mark on Ichigo's forehead. At once, a heavenly light shot out from all about him, scattering the darkness. It was so sharp and so sudden Byakuya had to shield his eyes from the intensity of it. Any hollows encroaching on the area cried out in fear and pain, hurrying off into the void, fleeing the glory of Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Hey, Byakuya."

The Captain was too amazed at the moment to bother correcting Ichigo on addressing him formally. His image was slowly dissolving into orbs of the beautiful glow.

"Yes?"

"When I get there... don't expect a break. My training is going to start as soon as I arrive."

And for that moment, he was Ichigo Kurosaki again. His form appeared solid, his grin fierce and strong. This was the man who had slaughtered armies, taken down the impossible and laughed at death.

The shine reached its peak, but like all others it dissipated, and was gone.

Though the body of Ichigo Kurosaki was on its way to the hospital to be tagged, his spirit was gone, never again to walk the mortal steps of the earth.

"Yes, Ichigo. I will find you."


	2. Dying of the Light

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much to everybody who reviewed! Reviews make me feel all fuzzy inside ^-^

I do not own any of the characters, they all belong to Kubo.

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><p>The Winter War had long since ended, and peace had returned to Karakura Town.<p>

Ichigo had won the right to live a mortal life, unbothered by the affairs or politics of the Soul Society. High school ended smoothly, and the once inseparable group began to loosen ever so slightly. Uryu moved into an apartment in the city to attend a prestigious medical school, though that was nothing compared to Inoue going overseas to pursue her future as a starlet. They kept in touch however, and their friendship remained intact. Ichigo took up attendance at a local university just outside of Karakura town, and Sado, no longer interested in school, took up a position at a nearby auto repair garage. Still, they often spent the time they had together during weekends or evenings together. Because of this, Sado was the first one to hear about Ichigo's headaches.

Even before then, Sado had noticed. Normally reliable to a fault, Ichigo would find himself forgetting important dates and promises that he had previously committed to. When talking, he would suddenly drift off, losing his train of thought. When he thought nobody was looking, Ichigo would rub his temples, his forehead, pinch the bridge of his nose as if he had suddenly come down with a sudden sharp migraine.

Then one day, Ichigo got up to go to class only to have an explosion of pain behind his eyes, wracking his body and every nerve, nearly causing him to black out. When the pain finally subsided, Ichigo realized that his father was holding his shoulders tightly, looking almost as pale as he was. Ichigo's pride finally caved, and he admitted the symptoms he had been having to his father. Isshin immediately took a formal look into the matter. What was meant to be a simple test, some blood-work, a few eye tests took a very dark turn. That night, Isshin and Ichigo drove out to Ryūken Ishida's hospital for an emergency MRI, something Isshin called in a special favor to get.

The results were devastating.

"The white areas show the extent of the tumor." Ryūken motioned to the scan of Ichigo's brain. As ever, he was cold and cool as usual. He had seen thousands of people come and go, resist and succumb to death. He was not about to act any less than the utmost of professional when dealing with his friend's son.

"As you can see... it is in a very advanced stage." Isshin had a dead look in his eyes, looking at the scans like they were his own death warrant. Ichigo seemed to be the more resolved of the two, glaring down the foggy spots like they were just another adversary for him to overcome. Another Ulquiorra or Nnoitra. "This is nobody's fault, of course." Ryūken said with a rare note of empathy. "For a twenty-year-old, there isn't a doctor in the world who would suppose that symptoms of headache or disorientation would mean a cancer of this magnitude."

"So what do we do?" Ichigo said sternly, arms crossed. There was no beating around the bush. It was bad, he understood. This sort of thing would mean invasive surgery, months of chemotherapy.

Thousands of dollars.

The grim possibility of having to drop out of university flashed through his mind, and he automatically steeled himself. He could get a job working at the car repair with Sado. Perhaps go back to school in a few years. It would still be there.

Ryūken sighed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Ichigo was not a child anymore, and he was never a man to put things lightly.

"At this stage... it really only is a matter of time." Both of the men in front of him flinched, if not with their bodies than with their eyes. They were clearly either numb, or had not yet absorbed it. Ryūken continued. "Surgery at this point would be invasive, and certainly life threatening. Even still, it would only slow down the tumor's progression. Any treatments or medication you could take at this point would only be buying time."

"How much time?" Isshin demanded.

"Months. Time to... get affairs in order."

Isshin growled. "Enough! Stop talking like anything's been decided!" He leapt to his feet, looking quite ready to throw his chair.

"I am merely stating the facts." Ryūken said coldly, staring down Isshin unflinchingly. "And from a medical standpoint... there is little that can be done." He handed Ichigo a copy of the prognosis. "Although it goes against every inclination that I have as a professional, at this point I would highly recommend seeking... _alternative means_ of treatment." The shine of the florescent lights cast a glare on his glasses.

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><p>"Well, of course the Soul Society is going to help you!" Inoue leaned forward urgently, practically pressing her forehead against the monitor of her computer. "They have to, don't they?" She looked around at those sitting in the Kurosaki dining room through the webcam. Although it was late in Karakura town, Inoue was still wearing her pajamas, having just recently woken up in Los Angeles, where she was attending university.<p>

It seemed that despite Ryūken's professional inclination, something very un-professional happened, as only a few days later Ichigo had the unexpected surprise of coming home for dinner to see the house packed.

The conversation inside died suddenly as he entered the room, something that seemed to have been happening often since the trip to the hospital. Now, Ichigo didn't seem to mind so much. Sitting in the kitchen with his father was Sado, Uryu back from the city he had recently moved to, and Rukia Kuchiki. It was a bit bizarre seeing her suddenly, though she did visit when she could, she had not been around for months. Currently, she was still wearing the old kekai from their high school days, and as such she was still wearing the old uniform. Seeing her like this after so many years, Ichigo felt awash in warm nostalgia, back to a time when the enemies were much simpler to defeat.

"Renji has already made a point to speak with Captain Unohana." Rukia said, leaning forward. "This might not be something that conventional medicine can treat, but as long as you're still drawing breath, she can keep anyone alive."

"Thank you, Rukia, I appreciate that." Ichigo nodded. He would be lying to himself if the healing specialties of the fourth squad wasn't the first thing that entered his mind when he heard the grim diagnosis from Ryken. He didn't expect that the Captain herself would be troubled over the matter. She nodded.

"Well, what about me?" Inoue said insistently, tapping the webcam on her end to remind them all she was still here. "I can heal Ichigo, can't I? I'll fly over tonight!"

"Take it easy now, Inoue." Uryu spoke up. "Your intentions are noble, but from what we understand about your powers, they involve negating an event, erasing it from existence."

"That sounds a lot safer than any surgery." Sado said calmly, wondering just where Uryu's tone of hesitation was coming from.

"Yes, except it involves Inoue negating a large mass very intricately fused to Ichigo's brain!"

"Easy now, Uryu." Ichigo said tersely.

Everyone was sitting tense and rigid, fists clenched at their knees. Astoundingly, Ichigo seemed to be the calmest one present.

"All I'm saying is that its been years since Orehime has so much as healed a paper cut." Uryu checked his tone and adjusted his glasses busily. "We don't want to jump into things and have her digress your brain to the state of a five-year-old, or worse."

"It would be better than nothing." Sado countered. Rukia nodded almost imperceptibly.

Nothing, of course, meaning certain death for Ichigo.

"I know I cannot make you decide one way or another." Uryu said, turning away from the others, and looking towards Ichigo. "But I implore you to at least wait for treatment from the doctors in the Soul Society."

He smiled thinly.

"Coming from you, Ishida, that means a lot."

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><p>Even in the most dire of situations, one could not help but be relaxed by the atmosphere that Retsu Unohana created in her home. The gardens were lush and serene, butterflies floating on a gentle breeze, water trickling along a manicured stream, somewhere hidden behind bushes of fragrant flowers.<p>

"Tea, Captain Abarai?"

"Ah, yes, thank you." Renji straightened up a bit. Though he passed his proficiency test with flying colors over three years ago (and even if he hadn't, Renji had a near unanimous recommendation from the remaining captains), it was still a little odd to hear the honorific coming from such a distinguished person as the squad four captain.

"Now... what brings you here today? Your letter sounded quite urgent." Unohana's voice was pleasant as ever though as the two shared a fragrant, herbal tea.

"It's Ichigo, Ichigo Kurosaki. He is... going to die."

Unohana paused, closing her eyes.

"That is... quite serious indeed."

"A cancer in his brain. They say he doesn't have a lot of time." Renji leaned forward, his hands on his knees. Her lack of response was beginning to unnerve him. He had expected her to jump to her feet at once, the two of them heading straight for Karakura Town.

"It is true, a delicate matter such as this could be remedied with a steady exposure to Minazuki. It will take time."

"So you'll do it?" Renji was nearly in danger of toppling forward and hitting his nose on the porch.

"The entirety of the Soul Society is in debt to Ichigo Kurosaki." Unohana smiled. "It is always my honor to have him... lively of a patient as he is." One of the butterflies touched gently down between the two of them. Neither noticed right away that it was pitch black in color.

A hell butterfly.

_ Captains Retsu Unohanna and Renji Abarai. Your presence is requested in the hall of the Captain-Commander Yamamoto immediately._

The two looked up at one another in alarm, neither expecting it.

"I suppose Ichigo will have to wait."

Renji and Unohana were the first to arrive.

"Captain Kuchiki." Renji greeted his former captain warmly as he strode in. "You were called as well?"

Renji had a feeling that despite their common ground, Byakuya would never look at him with anything less than his usual cool, intimidating gaze.

"Actually, it was Rukia who received the message." He took at step to the side, Rukia giving Renji a little wave, clearly a bit nervous and out of sorts as the rest of them. "I merely came to... see that things went smoothly." He clarified. This of course, was Byakuya speak for 'emotional support.'

"Ah, Hanatarō." Unohana greeted the trembling soul reaper from her squad with her kind smile. "I see you were also summoned to this meeting. You must be positively terrified."

"Y-yes, Captain." He tried his best to give a weak smile. Really, he just wanted to know what this was all about.

They all did.

"I assume you must all wonder why I called you here." They all turned to see the Captain-Commander Yamomoto walking in, his lieutenant at his side.

"The matter has not failed to reach our intelligence that a certain name has shown up on our lists to have his soul sent in the near future." He cast a knowing look at Rukia, slowly trailing over to Renji. "Though there is margin for ever, it is now a certainty that Ichigo Kurosaki will succumb to a cancer in his brain and die, within the year."

Hanatarō gasped out loud, throwing his hands over his face in alarm that he had spoken out of turn, even unintentionally. His face was even whiter than usual, and Unohana put a hand on his shoulder to ease his trembling. Even Byakuya was surprised, and certainly displeased. He could count the individuals who had ever crossed him and survived on one hand. The idea of one of them finally being defeated by something as undignified as _disease_...

"A certainty?" Unohana spoke up calmly.

"Indeed." He nodded, gripping his staff all the more tightly. "I have called you here because of your affiliations with Ichigo Kurosaki... and how those relations have led to your disregard for the laws of the Soul Society in the past." He turned to Renji and Rukia, who both glanced away out of guilt. Poor Hanatarō; looked faint.

"And to remind you of the laws of the Soul Society in this time. That for no reason, under any circumstance should a soul reaper use their powers to keep a human being from dying... when it is their time to die."

"But Captain Yamomoto, surely this is grounds for an exception." Renji took a brave step forward. "The Soul Society has never seen a human _like_ Ichigo before!"

"Ichigo Kurosaki did the Soul Society a great service four years ago, in defeating the traitor Aizen." Yamato agreed curtly. "He achieved a great deal, and earned the right for a peaceful, human existence. And so that is what he has received. But a mortal life goes hand in hand with a mortal death. It is not our place to intervene."

"But Captain Unohana has treated Ichigo before!" Renji continued angrily. "Why should this time be any different?"

"Those times, Captain Renji Abarai..." Yamato said sharply, causing him to balk. "Ichigo was not fighting as a human being, but a representative of the Soul Society. If there was one shred of proof that this disease was the work of a hollow or arrancar, than I would authorize his treatment at once." His eyes narrowed. "But such is not the case. The cycle of life and death must be _respected_." He pounded his staff against the cold marble floors in emphasis.

"I hereby _forbid_ any action to be taken to cure any mortal illness of Ichigo Kurosaki." His words reverberated across the solemn hall. Hanatarō's hands were still clamped around his mouth, his trembling had only gotten worse. Rukia was frozen, and she dare not speak out against the Captain-General in the presence of her brother. The Kuchiki family was better than that. All the same, she trembled in rage and despair at their sudden helplessness in the matter... and glowed with pride for Renji's daring to speak out, and even now scathing look that burned in his eyes.

"In the meantime," if possible, Captain Yamato's gravely tone seemed to soften, "this time he has left will be utilized to prepare for his arrival in this world. There is no doubt in my mind that a soul of Kurosaki's caliber has the potential to become a great captain of the Soul Society should he wish it... or else a devastating enemy if his spirit is corrupted."

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><p>Byakuya agreed that it was fair that Rukia be the one to tell Ichigo, to tell his father, that he was not going to be saved. Rukia had no right to promise Ichigo in the first place that they would heal him, in violation of a primary law of the Soul Society.<p>

He was not entirely sure, however, what it was that possessed him to carefully tuck away his spirit pressure and follow her to the mortal world. It was not that he doubted she would fulfill her task. Rukia would not shirk such an important responsibility, he knew that. No, it was more likely the same inclination that moved him to accompany her to the meeting with the Captain-Commander today. When he saw that look of confusion and fear on her face.

Byakuya landed lightly on top of a lamp post, watching as Rukia hesitated at the door. Just as he suspected though, she entered sure enough, her head held high.

With a strange twinge of sensation, Byakuya remembered that if it wasn't for Ichigo Kurosaki, Byakuya would not have this quiet moment of pride for his sister's strength of heart. No, she would have long since been buried in the ground, less than a puppet in Aizen's plan. Byakuya would have remained a cold and bitter man.

Where he was standing, Byakuya could just see the people inside through the yellow light of the kitchen. Isshin Kurosaki was standing there, and he could almost tell what their words were by their body movements. As Rukia spoke, Isshin was tense and still. His body haunched over, his fists clenched. His body was drawn tight, and he suddenly snapped with rage. The shout broke through the walls, reaching Byakuya's ears. It was poisoned with anger and grief and anguish. He moved like someone run through with a sword, throwing over a table before collapsing forward, shaking with dry sobs. Rukia ran forward at once to catch him, embracing him tightly despite their frightening difference in stature.

When Hisana died, Byakuya had never indulged in such a display. He sat quietly by her side into the night, well after she had gone. That was his way, after all. But in his heart... he knew this pain.

Just like Hisana, Byakuya knew that Ichigo Kurosaki was not one to fear death, he never was.

The boy in question was entering the kitchen now, where Rukia was still comforting his father. Byakuya couldn't help but notice how much Ichigo had changed in the last four years. He had forgotten how quickly humans moved through their life stages. He did not seem to have grown any taller, but at the very least seemed to have regained a bit of the muscle he had lost when his powers as a soul reaper were sacrificed to defeat Aizen. At the moment, his expression was drawn. He had digested the scene in the kitchen immediately, and as Byakuya expected, he responded with a quiet resolve.

Byakuya had seen enough. He willed the Senkaimon to open behind him for his return.

After the Captain-Commander's meeting, Byakuya had went to examine the records himself. Disease was an easy sort of death to regulate. It was systematic. It worked on a schedule. Unless fate intervened, the boy had two months left to live.

"I will see you then, Ichigo Kurosaki."

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><p>(Not a lot of Bya-Ichi goodness in this chapter, my apologies . More to come!)<p> 


	3. Rave at the Close

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews! They are glorious and encouraging =) Also thanks again to EnsignChocolateSauce for beta-ing, dealing with my horrible grammar and keeping me on a deadline of sorts.

Enjoy! =D

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><p>The normally pristine Seireitei was in a state of utter disorder.<p>

After weeks of planning for the death of Ichigo Kurosaki, having his death occur two weeks early had thrown things into a mild state of chaos. Though the Captain-General Yamomoto would have preferred Ichigo's death to be an honorable affair, quiet and dignified, it seemed it was not destined to be the case.

At the time of Ichigo's death, the walls of the human world were torn asunder. Hollows poured in through Hueco Mundo, charging through the streets of Karakura Town, searching for the massive outpouring of spiritual energy which was Kurosaki's released spirit.

It was for this reason that the Captains were immediately discharged, given full authority to unleash their power to subdue the forces and get things in order. Most importantly, to _find Ichigo_ before the Hollows get to him.

It was only by chance that Byakuya had found Ichigo first.

For this reason, it was hardly a secret that Ichigo Kurosaki arrived in the Soul Society earlier than planned. Shortly after it was reported that Ichigo had been successfully sent, the gates of the Seireitei flung open, and members from just about every one of the thirteen squads were sent out to search for the lost soul in the Rukongai.

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><p>"Alright, you louts, attention!" Ikkaku Madarame roared, standing over the training ground of the third division, zanpakto cocked over his shoulder.<p>

"Yes, Captain!" The men immediately snapped to attention.

"Ichigo Kurosaki finally kicked it, and he's roaming around the Rukon District!" His smile widened to a maniacal grin, bald head gleaming bright in the high sun. "And I'll be damned if the eleventh division and Kenpachi Zaraki get their hands on him first!"

Kira Izuru sighed weakly next to his most recent Captain. It didn't take Ikkaku too long after the Winter Wars to realize that in order to truly surpass his captain at the time, he naturally had to take up one of the positions himself. That, and a considerable amount of pressure from the Captain Yamamoto once his bankai was performed for all to see. One would think after two years of being Ikkaku's lieutenant, Kira would get used to the idea of squad three being turned into a sub-division of the brutes in eleven. At least Yumichika had come along with him ( a third seat at last), and he at had some idea how to contain the man's crazy.

"Wasn't the retrieval task assigned to squad two?" He asked quietly, as Ikkaku continued to rile up his men for the pursuit.

"Oh, they were." Yumichika said with a light, doting laugh. "At least until word got around that the squad that finds Ichigo gets to recruit him. Captain Renji and Shuhei are combing Northern Rukon as we speak. I overheard Captain Mayuri talking about finding the darling vaizard and snatching him up for experimentation."

Kira sighed, his knees quaking as they often did these days.

Things were about to get messy in the Soul Society.

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><p>Ichigo's throat was coated in dust. He could smell it all around him; the faint smell of mineral powder and burning metal in the warm, stagnant air. For a long time he didn't move, it simply didn't occur to him to do so. His mind was blank, blandly processing the sounds of people walking about, talking and going about their lives, oblivious to the boy lying on the hard ground against a wall. He wasn't ready to wake up yet, and it wasn't like he had anywhere to be. His mind was blissfully empty, save for a vague itch that he was forgetting an important detail... but he wasn't ready to search for it just yet. His body felt heavy, as if some great weight was pressing down on him. In fact, his entire body was. Was it normal to feel sore after dying? No, it was best just to lie still and not think about it for a while. Sure, there was an irritating tugging sensation on his neck. Someone was pulling at his shoulders, breathing loudly in his ear, but that...<p>

_Wait, dying? I died?_

Ichigo's eyes snapped open to see a man hovering over him, pulling at a white cloth wrapped around his shoulders. The stranger's yellowing teeth were biting his cracked lips in concentration as he tried to extricate the scarf from Ichigo without waking him. When he saw that the boy was indeed conscious, he thought quickly and swung his fist around, colliding with Ichigo's cheek.

The scarf was wrenched off of his neck, and when Ichigo's vision stopped spinning, he could just barely see the figure running off down the street, the pure white fabric flapping in the breeze behind him like a flag.

A surge of rage and adrenaline drove Ichigo to his feet, and without telling his body to do so, he was charging after the thief blindly. Ichigo might have been weak from crossing over, but even at his weakest he was still quite capable of defending his possessions. The man looked back and balked in terror to see the orange demon bearing down on him, fury in his eyes.

A moment later, the man found himself pile-driven into the ground, stars dancing in front of his eyes, the scarf back in its rightful place hanging about Ichigo's shoulders.

"Serves you right, Lee." An old woman spoke up, standing a short ways behind Ichigo. She wore a patched-up kimono, her back bent from years of experience and hard work. "Trying to steal a precious token from a new arrival."

"Didn't mean nothing by it Granny Akira." The man groaned, cracking his back a bit. "That boy's gotta learn not to walk around these parts with such pretty things." He smiled now, seeing that Ichigo was probably more than capable of doing much worse.

"What do you say brother, we even? I nearly broke my hand on your face back there, I'll have you know."

Ichigo rubbed his sore cheek sourly, but privately had to agree that it looked like the man was worse off here. While Ichigo's skin was barely marked, his knuckles were bleeding.

"Yeah... just get out of here." He wrapped the scarf back around his neck, stroking it protectively.

"Don't mind Lee. The quarry doesn't pay very well I'm afraid, and that man is both lazy and a coward."

Ichigo didn't quite feel like forgiving the man, but he was gone now and his scarf was back where it belonged. He didn't quite have the strength to hold a grudge.

"I'm sorry... what did you say about a token?" Ichigo turned to face the woman.

"Your scarf. Never seen anything so fine in the Rukongai before." She said kindly, walking up to Ichigo. "No, something like that must have come with you from the human world." She laughed gently, seeing Ichigo's blank expression.

"The Rukongai? What... is that?"

In her years, Grandmother Akira had seen many humans arrive, each of them more confused than the last. It wasn't uncommon after all for souls to arrive with their memories of their lives in the human world either fragmented or else entirely gone. District forty of West Rukon wasn't exactly an easy place to arrive at either. The people here were grisled and worn, working long days down at the quarry, whose powder and smoke tinged the air that they breathed, creating a near constant sensation of thirst.

"Come, boy. Granny will explain." She said kindly, handing Ichigo her basket to carry as they walked.

"So I... died?"

"Not so bad, was it?" The old lady said cheerfully. The two walked along the road in district forty, heading towards the marketplace. The town was a bit on the shabby side, none of the houses much bigger than having three or four rooms, stacked one on top of the other, crowding the narrow streets.

"Tell me, what do you remember?"

Ichigo's eyes widened, he hadn't realized until he explicitly tried, but when he reached back into the recesses of his mind... there was nothing.

"I remember... rain. There was an accident, I think." He stroked the scarf. He realized now why the man had been so keen to get it from him. The material moved under his fingers like water, and felt as light as air.

"You called this... a token?"

"Yes. It is very rare, but not impossible for a human to cross over into the spirit world with a special item, such as that scarf. Usually it is small, a ring or a pendant perhaps. It only works however, if the human who imparts it to you does so at the very moment of your death, and feels for you the deepest and purest love. One which transcends death itself."

"But how can that be? I... I don't remember anything!" He gripped it tightly in frustration. It didn't seem right at all. Somehow, somewhere, there was a person who loved him, and he couldn't even remember their name, what they looked like.

He couldn't even remember _his own_ name.

"Calm down, take a breath." Akira ordered. Ichigo was only going to hurt himself if he continued to stress in that matter.

He stared down the old lady, every fiber in his being demanding that he leap to his feet and go charge off to find answers to his identity. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was _needed_ somewhere, that there was something he ought to be doing right now. Was this the sort of person that he was while he was alive? Akira simply smiled back at him with boundless patience and calm understanding.

Finally, Ichigo breathed.

"Now, take a good look at that scarf. Don't fight it, or force it. You'll find that your memories have not died but rather have been fragmented, like a dream. Much of it is gone, and may not return. But you will find, that what is important can still be coaxed back to the surface."

As she spoke, Ichigo willed himself to relax. He stroked the scarf slowly, running his fingers over the smooth edges, the weight of it in his hands.

Out of the darkness in his mind just as she had foretold, something presented itself.

"Cherry blossoms." Ichigo said at last, his eyes half closed.

"There you are dear, you see." She smiled up at him kindly. "Your memories are not gone. They simply need some time to catch up with you."

* * *

><p>By the time the two had wandered the market, selecting the herbs the old lady needed, they agreed to call Ichigo, (at least for the time being) Keigo.<p>

He knew that Keigo was not his name. It certainly didn't _feel_ like his name. But it was the first name that had come to him, and was strangely comforting. For now, it would have to do.

The odd serenity of the day was cut short though, as a commotion struck up at the far end of the street. People started pushing and running by, scattering into their homes and shutting the windows and doors tightly.

"Granny, come on!" A young girl grabbed Akira's arm, pulling her into a nearby house.

"Keigo!"

Ichigo was caught in the rapidly vanishing crowd, separated from his guide. The moment of confusion came to a grinding halt however, when a section of the wall behind the market place exploded into the air, sending chunks of debris and stone flying.

Ichigo held a hand up to his mouth, coughing severely as he tried to convince himself he hadn't in fact been knocked unconscious by one of the flying stones when he saw what had caused it.

Standing in the middle of the wreckage was a young girl in a black kimono. She had dark braided hair, and a demure expression. On her finger, a delicate black butterfly, which she whispered to, her eyes on Ichigo.

"Target located, Captain Kurotsuchi."

* * *

><p>Ichigo was being hunted, there was no other word for it.<p>

He threw himself to the side, narrowly dodging a massive cart that had been flung his way by the insane girl in black.

"What the hell? Are you trying to kill me?" Ichigo roared back at her.

"I merely want you to stop running." Nemu hoisted a stone slab up next, speaking quite calmly. "My Captain would prefer to have you alive as his specimen."

"Like hell!" Ichigo turned and ran, trying to get as much distance as he could before the next insane projectile was flung his way.

However, the slab never fell. As it sailed through the air, the thing was sliced in two, each side exploding into dust which covered the ground in a thick cloud of dust and smoke. Ichigo fell back against the street, feeling as if he had been socked in the gut. The air was suddenly heavy, pressing down on him from all sides, crushing him. He couldn't breathe, and his vision swam as he struggled to make out the image of the man towering over him.

A bell jingled.

"Well well, look who has finally joined us." The monstrous cyclops grinned wildly, standing in front of Nemu, unbothered by her presence. "You've got a lot of gall for dying on me, boy; Before I could fight you myself."

Ichigo tried to protest, or demand some sort of answer, but at the moment it was taking him every ounce of willpower he had not to keel over and throw up from the crushing spiritual pressure.

He raised his sword to charge, but like Nemu he found himself interrupted. A flash of red streaked past Ichigo.

"Howl, Zabimaru!"

The giant's arms were suddenly pinned at his sides by the strangest looking sword he had ever seen. It was broken up into segments, each piece connected by several strong looking cables.

A man with brilliant red had was seen holding the hilt, visibly struggling to contain Ichigo's assailant.

"Run!"

Ichigo didn't have time to process. The sudden pressure that overcame the entire area was stifling. He felt waves of nausea rolling over him, and his legs felt like weights had been strung to each and every muscle. Still, the fear compelled him forward, away from the battle that had begun between the two men and the insane girl in the street. All that was on his mind now was to get as far away as he could, and find somewhere safe to hide so that he could pass out.

Another man flash-stepped in front of Ichigo, blocking his way.

Ichigo was driven to a halt, his eyes wide, mouth agape.

He had appeared silently, looking down at Ichigo calmly. His eyes were a silver grey, somewhere between a storm and a calm. Black silk hair settled around broad shoulders as the impact of the flash-step settled. A few strands hung about his face, a sharp contrast of the near glow of flawless pale skin. Ichigo drank the sight in within moments, his attention focusing on one key detail.

This man was wearing the same scarf that Ichigo passed over with.

It was the same one, it had to be.

Everything in the Rukongai was so dull and coarse, it couldn't be a coincidence that there was another scarf with the same ice-white shine.

His heart raced as the stranger extended a hand out to him.

"Come, Ichigo Kurosaki."

_Ichigo_.

Ichigo was his name.

Before he could react, Kenpachi broke free with a roar, a massive wall of his spiritual pressure crashing over the surrounding area. Byakuya's breath rushed out of his lungs in surprise at the sudden assault, but at least he was able to remain standing. All around those in the street who had not yet fled collapsed, birds falling from the sky. Ichigo's knees buckled, his body finally way beneath him. He had been robbed, pursued, attacked, and assaulted in his first day in the Soul Society, and his weakened form could not hold out any longer.

Byakuya reacted in a split second and caught the boy before he could break his skull on the ground, and pulled him into the security of his arms. Though he had never held him before, Ichigo was lighter than Byakuya would have thought, his body seemed to have digressed back a few years upon passing to the spiritual world (not uncommon, but usually reserved for the elderly), and now fit neatly into Byakuya's embrace, his head falling to the the crook of his neck.

Before Kenpachi could even turn their way, Byakuya's shunpo had them on the opposite side of the Rukon district, well on their way into the sanctuary of the Seireitei.

* * *

><p>Ichigo could feel warm sunlight on his lips, gently gracing his eyelids. The air was thick and fragrant, a sensation that might have been overpowering if he wasn't so tired.<p>

His eyes reluctantly opened, and were immediately dazzled by the array of color that filled the room. At least it explained the heavy, sweet smell. The walls were lined with baskets, pots, and vases of beautifully arranged flowers. Yellow roses wreathed with baby's breath, daffodils, iris', orchids, sunflowers, lilies of every size and color, and a countless other flowers of different sizes, shapes, and combinations of color entirely alien to him. There were so many it was difficult to judge the size of the room he had been placed in. There was no furniture save for the futon he was lying on, and just enough space was cleared around the doors, and the three tall narrow windows that let the light in.

Tucked in the corner was a large stuffed white rabbit with a large pink mouth and a cheery smile. Upon closer inspection, Ichigo realized that there were ornate little gift boxes and cards neatly stacked nearby as well.

With some difficulty, Ichigo sat up, taking stock of the room.

What kind of a place was this?

The last thing he remembered, was _that man. _The one who had the same scarf...

Ichigo instinctively reached out to touch the cloth around his neck, only to find that it was gone. After a moment of panic, he found it neatly folded into a square next to his pillow. He was also no longer wearing his patched-up garments from the poor district of the Rukongai, but a soft white robe.

A door to the side slid open, and Byakuya Kuchiki calmly entered. Ichigo was up, that was good. He was looking at Byakuya... strangely. His deep amber eyes were wide, and not in an entirely unappealing way. He was clutching the white scarf tightly to his chest.

"Token from your well-wishers." Byakuya explained, motioning to the greenery around them. "I agreed to take them in exchange for having some peace restored to my household."

"Well wishers?"

The last thing Ichigo remembered was a distinct handful of people trying to _kill_ him. Now he was getting flowers?

"It was never any secret that you would be arriving. I believe there is something here from every squad in the court." He reached out, taking a card with a crudely drawn picture of Ichigo in crayon, getting quite gruesomely sliced in half by a bus. "You're dead now, horray!" Was written as the caption underneath.

"Its not often Yachiru parts with any candy in her possession. You should feel honored."

It would be impossible to tell whether or not Byakuya was being serious. His tone remained constant and refined as he examined the colorful box that had come with the card. He looked up at Ichigo, his steel-grey eyes striking a familiar chord.

Yes, Ichigo knew this man.

"Rukia is with your family now." Byakuya added, in response to the blank stares he was receiving. "As per your request."

"Oh... thank you." He tried not to look too lost. Ichigo did not want to appear naïve or foolish, but at this point he was desperate for answers. This regal, beautiful individual might finally be someone who could shed some light onto the fog of Ichigo's past.

"That man who attacked me..."

"Captain Zaraki. He will not disturb you here." Byakuya said peaceably. He looked Ichigo up and down sadly.

"I see that you did not make the transition with your memory intact."

"I'm sorry."

"Its nothing to apologize for." Byakuya waved it off. "It is not uncommon. Only a margin of souls who cross over do so with full recollection of their previous life. Usually they are the ones who linger in the human world as spirits, or as the side effect of a poor sending. And I assure you, my technique is flawless."

"You sent me?" The memories bubbled up to the surface, Ichigo could remember it now, yes. The rain, and the bus. He was hit in traffic, and this man was with him when he died. Ichigo held out the white scarf. "Did you give me this?"

"I did. Just before I sent you." The boy's eyes grew quite large again at the news, though it was really nothing to be surprised about. Byakuya gave Ichigo the scarf while they were both in a spiritual form. It would only make sense that it traveled with him to the Soul Society.

"Do you remember my name?"

"...Byakuya." Ichigo didn't need to think about it. He just knew. When he didn't fight for the memories, they seemed to resurface quite easily and naturally.

Byakuya sighed, with the smallest trace of what might have been a smile. It seemed that even with his memories gone, Ichigo would still refuse to refer to Byakuya with his proper title.

"Yes, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. The rest will come to you in time. For now, I will have someone bring you something to get your strength back. Please rest."

"You're leaving?"

"To report that you have been recovered safely, yes."

Ichigo's fingers fumbled in his scarf a bit, as he appeared to have something on his mind but lacked the words to say it properly. That sort of hesitation would have gotten him scolded had he been a member of squad nine. But coming from the usually so loud and obnoxious Ichigo, he found this sudden timid nature... endearing. He placed his hand on Ichigo's head.

"Its alright. You are safe here, as my guest. " Like most, the first thing Byakuya could recall noticing about Ichigo Kurosaki was his hair. He hadn't imagined though that the brilliant spikes could be so soft. Forgetting himself for a moment, he let his hand linger there. It was alright, Ichigo didn't mind at all. If anything, he seemed to lean against Byakuya's hand, comforted by his touch.

At that moment, Byakuya remembered himself and quickly pulled away.

"Rest well Ichigo." He quickly exited

* * *

><p>A short while after Byakuya had left, Ichigo found himself being irresistibly drawn back to sleep. He couldn't help it. Now that he was finally in a quiet and safe environment, he could no longer ignore that his body simply felt drained. Sleeping at least would offer an escape from the basic questions that still evaded him. Who he was, how so many people here knew him, but most importantly... who was this beautiful familiar stranger was to Ichigo?<p>

His dream was a memory, a younger version of himself sitting on the roof of his high school, eating lunch with a few other people. Their faces were familiar, but their names escaped him. The atmosphere of the place was relaxed and serene. He couldn't hear voices, but he could tell that they were laughing, joking and enjoying themselves. Ichigo's heart felt taut with emotion, and he knew that this was real, and not simply a dream. He knew it, because he knew it was strange when he looked up to see cherry blossoms raining from the sky, and though beautiful, it was out of place.

When Ichigo woke up, the sun was a bit higher in the sky. He sat up, clutching his stomach as waves of nausea rolled over him.

Keigo, of course. That was how he knew that name. Keigo was his friend. The others... ugh, it was so _frustrating. _Their names were right there, on the tip of his tongue. The more he fought to recall though, the further away the memories slipped, until they were merely shadows.

Beside the futon, someone had set a tray of steamed dumplings and a pot of strong, hot tea.

Ichigo wasn't certain, but he imagined there must have been something special done to the food. After eating he could feel his strength returning, his fatigue simply lifted off of his shoulders. The tea as well was sharp and invigorating, easing the sickness of his sudden recollections. With his strength back, Ichigo got up and wandered the crowded room, reading the cards from those who wished him well. It was certainly an odd experience, reading cards consoling him for his own passing. Like Yachiru's bizarre card (thought usually with a bit more tact,) they seemed to be hovering between consolation and congratulations. What was worse, he had no idea who just about any of them were. Some of the names however, Ikkaku, Renji, Hanataro, gave him a warm familiar feeling in his chest. The strongest came from the card sitting by the giant rabbit, Rukia. Ichigo didn't have any idea who she was, but for some reason his reaction to her card was the strongest, his eyes even misting up a bit.

It made sense though, Byakuya mentioned after all that this girl was with his family back in the human world right now. Whoever she was, she was somebody terribly close to Ichigo.

He sat beside the window, nursing his cup of tea. He recognized the cherry trees that were artistically oriented about the vast courtyard. It was late summer at the time, they would not flower for many months. But when they did, Ichigo imagined that the entire estate would be awash in the white-pink petals and gentle fragrance.

With those trees in mind, his thoughts were drawn irrevocably back to Captain Byakuya. Had Granny Akira been right? Was this a man who... loved him? He thought reasonably. He knew that he was not the same Ichigo that Byakuya had known while he was alive. So much of who he was had gone... or at least it was lost for now. But even so, it was easy for Ichigo to see why anyone would fall for the beautiful Captain. He stood tall and regal, exuding nobility and authority. If it wasn't for his cool gentility, Ichigo might have found a man such as Byakuya Kuchiki to be frightening, but he found himself irresistibly drawn to the man instead.

He did wish that Byakuya could have given Ichigo some sort of clue as to what the nature of their relationship was, or had been. Did others know of it? Was it... permitted? Byakuya seemed to live in a palace, but Ichigo... he had a feeling such was not his life. A vague memory of him sitting around a table in an ordinary, comfortable but modest setting with his family. The images were shadowy, and Ichigo closed his eyes tight, trying to hang onto the image.

His family! It was there, right there before him! But... he couldn't see their faces. Same as it had been, the more he struggled to make things clear, the more they pulled away.

He could only hope that when Byakuya returned, he would finally receive some answers.


	4. Words Forked Lightening

**Author's Note: **I'm so sorry to everyone who I told that the update would come in the last two days! This chapter went through a couple re-writes, but I wanted to make sure I was happy with what I was posting =) Thank you to all the story followers, and especially to everyone who submitted a lovely review!

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Unfortunately, sitting down and speaking with Byakuya was not something that seemed to come easily. For the next three days, the enigmatic nobleman barely spent any time in his estate at all. He was gone throughout the day, leaving Ichigo to wander about the gardens, or re-read some of the get-well cards he had been given, trying to scrounge up a sense of familiarity from them. It wasn't as if Byakuya's estate was a terrible place to be. The large house and the gardens were vast and regal, everything pruned and polished to perfection. As well, Byakuya left Ichigo several new garments to wear, fine and elegant robes and kimonos which allowed him at least to <em>look<em> the part of fitting in at this place. But as he had before, Ichigo couldn't shake the sensation that this was not the sort of life he was accustomed to. More than anything, the lonely spirit hungered for answers.

Ichigo's soul was still terribly weak, and try as he might, he was unable to stay awake too long after sundown. Ichigo could only imagine Byakuya returned late at night, only to rest for a few hours and be off again before he woke in the morning. It was a terribly lonely time for Ichigo. Though it seemed that the estate was teeming with servants and attendants whenever there was work to be done, for the most part they stayed out of Ichigo's way, humbling themselves before a guest of their lord.

Really, the only company Ichigo had during this time was a handsome black cat which appeared over the wall of Byakuya's garden one day. It watched Ichigo for a short while (he was certain it was _watching_ him. Its big green eyes looked a little too intelligent to be staring off into space) before heading off on his way. The next day, he had even trotted right up to Ichigo as he was sitting out on the porch by his room, re-reading some old cards.

"Ah, hey there." Ichigo said awkwardly, unsure why he was talking to the cat. Loneliness perhaps. The cat straightened up, his eyes widening with a look that Ichigo strangely enough was sure to be revulsion. This naturally made Ichigo wonder just what a cat had to be repulsed about, but all the same tried to make amends by offering the animal the rest of his lunch, which was graciously accepted. The cat never stayed for long, but was an intriguing addition to this strange place. He could be seen running along the wall, or darting through hydrangea bushes looking around until he could spot Ichigo, at which point he would head off with a satisfied swish of his tail.

Ichigo liked to think that the black cat was checking up on him, though he imagined that it was impossible.

* * *

><p>When Byakuya finally returned to Ichigo on the third day, Ichigo's hopes dipped a bit lower when he learned that it would not be Byakuya who would be explaining things to him, but the Captain of squad five.<p>

"I just don't understand why it couldn't be _you_ telling me these things, Byakuya." Ichigo said stubbornly, looking out the wide windows of a garden-viewing room. "You were there for most of these things I did as a Soul Reaper, weren't you?"

Byakuya closed his eyes, trying to formulate an appropriate answer without giving away too much that he might be ashamed of, especially around the start of Ichigo's adventures.

"This individual is a close friend of yours. He was present for much more of your most recent hardship than I was... a captain's duties can be very restrictive at times." He added, seeing Ichigo's questioning look. "As a former lieutenant, he had much more room to maneuver at the time." This seemed to mollify Ichigo a bit. By now, most of the flowers that had filled his room were beginning to die, and the invisible servants of the household were beginning to spirit away their withered stalks whenever Ichigo left the place. Though it seemed there were a great deal of people who cared about him here, he had yet to see any of them in person.

So far, the only people who seemed to know him were Byakuya, and the two crazy individuals who had hunted him in the Rukongai.

Time ticked on, and finally Byakuya grew impatient and began, "your father was a soul reaper, your mother was a human." Renji was late, and he was not going to wait indefinitely for him to arrive. Ichigo was restless, and would need some time for this all to sink in properly.

"With the help of my sister Rukia, you were able to access your powers as a human."

"You have a sister?"

"Yes."

"How come I haven't seen her?"

"At the moment, she is with your family back in the human world." Byakuya elaborated. "With your father and two sisters. She is... helping them through their loss."

A somber silence settled in, as Ichigo realized that he was referring to him, his death. Byakuya frowned, seeing the distress surfacing in Ichigo's expression. He quickly continued.

"When you were alive, you mastered a great deal of spiritual power, and saved both the human world and the Soul Society from a disaster of epic proportions." As heavy as it was to say it so bluntly, Byakuya wanted to be as frank and concise as possible. He had put some thought into it, and realized what a tangled web Ichigo's life was to the observer. The more answers one tried to provide, the more questions came up instead.

A servant entered at this point, bringing them a tea set to enjoy before lunch. Ichigo's was a special herbal mixture prepared by Captain Unohana. Byakuya's, a Jasmine green.

"Four years after that, we are still living in the wake of the peace brought about by the defeat of Aizen Souske, which you helped to cultivate, Ichigo." Byakuya picked up his cup gently, breathing in the scent. "Then, from what I understand, you contracted an incurable cancer."

"I thought I was hit by a bus." Ichigo said quietly, clearly not caring about the answer. The specifics didn't matter much to him, he simply wasn't ready to go back to the immensity of his past at the moment.

"Yes, that is how you ultimately died."

"Yo, Ichigo!"

The screen door slammed open, and a wild redhead with elaborate tribal tattoos on his face and shoulders appeared. His grin was wide, nearly stretching his face. Like Byakuya, he was wearing a black kimono with a white haori.

Ichigo looked him up and down with distant skepticism.

"Ah, I know you. You saved me from that giant down in the Rukongai. Thanks."

Renji's face fell, turning quickly into a fantastic glower.

"What? Captain Byakuya told me that you lost some memories. I figured you'd at least have the common courtesy to remember your friends!" Renji demanded, storming in front of Ichigo.

"I think I'd remember someone who looked as silly as you." Ichigo said flatly, glaring up at him.

Renji's temple throbbed, and he lunged forward so the two were practically grinding their foreheads together, sparks flying between them.

"You're one to talk about looking ridiculous! I see that stupid gawking expression of yours hasn't changed! Besides, I'm a captain now, you can't talk to me that way, you great strawberry!"

Byakuya sighed, sipping his tea. As much as Ichigo had changed, it seemed that the core of his personality, and the way he interacted with others, remained constant.

"Ichigo, Abarai."

The squabbling immediately stopped, Renji froze in the middle of tugging Ichigo's hair, while the boy was grabbing Renji's ears, tugging at them fiercely.

"That is enough."

Though Renji was technically Byakuya's equal now, the years spent being groomed to be Byakuya's lieutenant still held firm, and he sat obediently next to Ichigo.

The conversation was stilted and awkward. Though Byakuya had originally intended on letting Renji and Ichigo speak on their own, Renji was doing such a dismal job at explaining things coherently that he found himself staying for almost the entire time. He had knowledge of plenty of things Byakuya was ignorant about on Ichigo's life, but would often forget to explain key details, such as Aizen Souske being the previous captain of squad five. The three moved slowly backwards in time, starting by briefly going over Ichigo's death, then to the Winter War and the events proceeding and leading up to it.

"So then how did I know about the Soul Society before this?" Ichigo asked some time later. "Did my father train me as a Soul Reaper?"

"No," Renji grinned. "You were known here before Hueco Mundo. You and your friends tore the place apart about a year before to save Rukia."

"Rukia?" Byakuya's sister. One of his friends. The one whose card he had kept, even after all of the flowers had died and been disposed of. "What happened?"

Renji cast a nervous glance at Byakuya, who was still staring calmly ahead.

"She was going to be executed."

"What?" Ichigo leaned forward, his hands gripping his knees. Quite an intense reaction, seeing as how he had yet to meet Rukia again for the first time. Still, she was Byakuya's sister, the girl who had introduced him to this world. The one whose get-well card had made his heart ache with warmth.

"Who would want to kill her?"

"Lets save that for another day," Byakuya said, to Renji's surprise. "It's growing late, and I don't doubt that Captain Abarai has left his paperwork to be filled out at the last minute."

"Ah, yeah." Well, that _was _true. Renji was notorious for leaving his work undone, though Momo was always excellent at picking up the slack and getting everything in on time. Really, she was the sort of Lieutenant that Byakuya was in sore need of now that Renji had gone, but there was no denying that the new squad five captain needed her talents more.

"Thank you for your assistance."

"No problem."

Renji looked a bit unsettled though as they left, Byakuya walking with him to the gates of his estate.

"Ah, Captain Byakuya?"

Although Renji had been the new captain of squad five for nearly a year now, he still could not bring himself to call his former leader by his name.

"Yes, Renji?"

"Did you... say something to Ichigo?"

Byakuya paused, a sharp eye trained carefully on Renji.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well... ah, it's hard to say." Renji rubbed the back of his neck, he seemed to have regretted even bringing it up. "But Ichigo... he's different now."

"Oh?" Well, that was obvious enough to anybody who looked. Ichigo's entire demeanor had changed now that he had lost his memories.

"Around you, I mean."

Byakuya paused, taken by surprise now.

"Well, you two got along well enough after... Aizen's betrayal." He worded it carefully. "But, you were never really close. It's not like you ever really _looked_ at each other. But now..."

Byakuya looked at Renji, his expressions carefully withdrawn, though he was clearly expectant of a proper explanation.

"Well, he keeps glancing at you, when he thinks you're not looking."

"Does he now?"

"Yeah. It's like... he's trying to figure you out. Something like that." He shrugged, unable to find the proper word for it at the moment.

Byakuya didn't find that to be too odd. After all, Ichigo was a lost soul where everything familiar had been stripped away from him. Byakuya was the one giving him sanctuary from a Soul Society which, from his point of view, seemed more keen on hunting him down than anything else. Of course he would want to know more about his host.

"Very well. I will talk to him."

Renji nodded, and headed off on his way.

Byakuya didn't pause much to ponder on those words, however. As terrible as Renji was at reading Byakuya's expressions, the squad six captain was equally as terrible as listening to his former subordinate.

* * *

><p>Byakuya returned to the garden-viewing room, only to find that Ichigo had left already. A few minutes of light searching found him to have wandered out onto the grounds of the estate, to a small pavilion in a secluded part of the garden. It was a quiet place, overlooking a serene koi pond. The trees were just beginning to don their autumn colors, the summer warmth not quite gone.<p>

Ichigo was sitting in quite a different stance out there than he had in the viewing room. There, he had been sitting stiffly, his back straight, reacting to the atmosphere in the room. Here, he was relaxed. One arm was slung over a knee, and he was leaned back, supported by the other. In this casual way, the expensive silk had slipped a bit low on his shoulder, exposing the dip of his clavicle, down to expose a sculpted pectoral. He seemed to be dreamily focused on something very far off, his eyes in a haze.

"I imagine that was a lot to take in."

Ichigo jumped, startled by Byakuya's sudden appearance.

"Ah... yeah." He shifted a bit, looking away from him quickly. "I just... It's not easy, being suddenly told you're someone special... when you can't remember any of it."

It was tough enough trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he had an edo-era prince for a lover... and now he was some sort of otherworldly hero? The only memories he could recall were those of him playing soccer with friends after school, and those were only blurry apparitions that appeared in his dreams.

"Hearing about your past failed to bring about any memories of your old life then?"

Ichigo nodded reluctantly.

"To be honest... it sounded a bit like hearing about someone else." He shrugged, crossing his arms in his sleeves. The story of his past had rolled off of Ichigo like rainwater, not seeping in or bringing anything to life.

"Byakuya," Ichigo spoke carefully, deliberately, "you told me before that my lost memory is something that happens after a successful sending." He fumbled with his sleeve a bit. "Why didn't you try to preserve my memory? Try sending me some other way?" This had been bothering him for a little while now.

"It's not impossible, but it is considered a dangerous thing to do. Your body could have easily been lost, weighted down by your life on earth." Ichigo didn't seem to be very satisfied with that answer. Though he didn't say anything, his lips had formed the slightest pout, his expression distant again. When Byakuya realized he was beginning to stare, he tore his eyes away. "The technique of sending souls over was developed to cleanse a soul of their memories in the human world."

"Why would anybody want to do that?"

"Your life here will be ten times the length of your human life." Byakuya faced Ichigo again. "When you consider the immensity of it, you will realize that a human's life is only a dream. It can be beautiful, but it is also fragile and fleeting. This will be your true life, Ichigo."

Ichigo gaped at Byakuya, clearly struggling to get his head around things. After all, he had none of his previous knowledge of the way life and death worked to help him through it. A gold autumn leaf drifted by, fluttering into the clear, still pond.

Ichigo had come out here with Byakuya with the intent of finally learning just what the two meant to one another. Now... it seemed to him like the moment passed somehow.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo."

"For what?" The boy looked up at him, surprised to see him morose.

"I should have given you answers to these things days ago."

"It's all right." Ichigo leaned towards him. "You've been busy."

Busy, yes. That was a good word for it. After all, he had a celebrity of the Soul Society living in his own house. At least that was the way that all of the people who had arrived to see him had thought of things.

They didn't see that Ichigo was an emotionally distraught, weak and sick boy who needed time to recuperate in peace.

With his security staff working overtime to patrol the borders of his estate, Byakuya appealed to the Captain-General to make an official statement of cease-and-desist, giving Ichigo at least two weeks of undisturbed peace to heal, safe from the rampant fluctuating spiritual pressure which would interfere with Ichigo's own healing reiatsu. Like with his feinting spell after being exposed to Zaraki Kenpachi, Ichigo was simply not strong enough to withstand the spiritual energy of the Seireitei.

The Kuchiki estate was therefore an ideal solution. Byakuya was perfectly skilled at keeping his spiritual pressure in check, and the noble ground proved an effective border at keeping out intruders who might interfere with Ichigo's recovery or mount another effort to 'recruit' him. On top of this, a Captains' meeting was held to specifically order that no member of any squad was to interfere in Ichigo's healing (a distinct look was given to the captains of squads eleven and twelve). There had been some slight dissent over this. Some of the captains seemed to believe that having Ichigo recuperate for a month in the Kuchiki residence would give him an unfair bias to squad six when the time came for him to join the court guard squad. They believed, rather, that a recovery station with squad four would be much more suitable (mostly because nobody believed that Ichigo Kurosaki was destined for squad four in the slightest). It was quite a lot to gain permission for, but Byakuya had plenty of energy to devote to his job all of a sudden. Or rather, he wanted to expend as much as he could, to keep from facing what was waiting for him at home.

Confusion.

It all stemmed from the most innocent of actions. Ichigo himself probably would not even be able to recall it.

Such as that first morning, after Byakuya had returned from reporting Ichigo's successful recovery.

By that point, Ichigo had woken up and discovered the new clothing Byakuya had selected for him.

As usual, the servants who appeared chanted their greeting to the master of the household before fading back into the background. This was so common a happening that Byakuya didn't even notice it anymore, blandly passing by like one might walk over a particularly uninteresting floor pattern.

"Ah, welcome home, Byakuya."

Four words, one simple phrase.

It shouldn't have meant anything to him when Ichigo stepped out into the hall, clearly happening upon him by accident.

It was the simply fact that it had been... quite a long time since someone had greeted him like that. So close and unafraid. A greeting which was casual, yet still so sincere, so very happy to see him. Even when Rukia greeted him there was still that choke of hesitation. She humbled herself before him as any younger sister properly should. She was sure to let Byakuya know that she was beneath him. Byakuya had not been greeted this way... since Hisana. Ichigo lit up in that moment, his smile bright and lovely.

"Byakuya? Is everything all right?" The smile faltered for a minute and Ichigo took another step forward, his coffee-amber eyes were large and unassuming now. Because it was indeed Ichigo Kurosaki, Byakuya hesitated to think of them with the cliché term "puppy eyes," but there it was. Ichigo didn't mean for it, of course, but without the memories of his hardships, his triumphs and tribulations, he was... innocent. When he looked at Byakuya, he simply had nothing to scowl about.

It took him entirely off guard.

"I have to go."

Byakuya curtly excused himself, and spent the next three days trying to get a grip on himself.

It was not that Ichigo Kurosaki was a man, no. This was the farthest thing from his mind. When Byakuya married, he had loved Hisana for who she was, rather than her gender. No, the problem here was that it was _Ichigo Kurosaki._ Did he even need to explain that to himself?

No, no, this was not something that he would indulge himself in. Byakuya would dutifully bury himself in his work. It was merely a quirk, or perhaps an oncoming illness that caused his heart to swell and _ache_ in a way which was so painful but also intriguing and wonderful...

Byakuya naturally responded by burying himself in his work. He tore through his duties, and that of his nonexistent Lieutenant (currently, his third and fourth seat squad members were picking up the slack of this role). Byakuya did not go home until late at night, when he was certain that the ailing Ichigo would be asleep. Just to make sure however, he took a slight detour down the hall each night, pausing at his door, listening for steady breathing, sensing his calm reiatsu, the unique pattern of its radiance.

He simply wanted to make sure that Ichigo was at ease, that was all.

By noon on the third day, Byakuya had gotten his head on straight, or so he believed. There was nothing unusual about feeling... drawn to Ichigo. After all, this was the boy who had saved his precious sister. Saved _him_ from becoming her murderer. Though Byakuya had always considered Ichigo to be something of a naughty, arrogant child in need of a good scolding... there was no denying that he had also pulled Byakuya back from the precipice of a very dark place.

It was a feeling of being indebted, not enthralled.

Gratitude, not... desire?

No! Certainly not that!

When Renji began talking about Byakuya and Ichigo acting differently around one another, the man had, for the first time in years, felt something akin to panic.

He had always considered himself so carefully guarded. Was it possible that he had been seen through? Had Renji noticed any of this somehow?

He calmed down only when he remembered that Renji was an idiot, and that this would be impossible.

Yes, Byakuya was much calmer now, sitting on the lovely pavilion with Ichigo. It seemed that there was nothing to worry about at all. After all, the two were sitting and speaking like any normal two people would.

Byakuya could pull this off just fine. It seemed he had gotten worked up over nothing.

"Besides," Ichigo continued, skipping a little pebble into the water. "I have it pretty lucky, you know. Most people who come to the Rukongai are never reunited with the people that they knew during their lives in the human world." Ichigo glowed. "But I've got you..."

Byakuya glanced over at him, intrigued. Yes, they did know one another from before. This was true. What put him off guard was Ichigo's hand on his cheek.

"I have someone who loves me." Before he could react, Ichigo's soft, sweet lips were pressed against his.

"And I look forward to falling in love with you again."

* * *

><p>(As usual, I love to hear what you think =D)<p> 


	5. Crying How Bright

**Author's Note: **Thank you everyone for your love 3 The feedback really keeps me going when I'm writing these this =D Hopefully everyone is satisfied with Byakuya's reaction to Ichigo's surprise for him X)

Also, just a note. This story is turning out remarkably less angsty than it was originally intended to be. It was at first supposed to be more about Ichigo coming to terms with his death, and a bit less about the romance between him and Byakuya. I don't mind the change so much because I am really enjoying writing this, but I am going to be changing the genre from hurt/comfort/angst to romance/angst. Though some of the characters (which I don't own) are going to be in for some serious hurt down the line, its not really the _focus_ of the story as much as the romance is turning out to be.

I hope you don't mind too much, and continue to enjoy the story just the same =)

* * *

><p>Ichigo pulled away from the kiss with a smile. When he saw Byakuya's face, he laughed. He couldn't help it, the man looked so surprised! His eyes were wide, a few strands of his normally flawless hair had even somehow become a bit askew.<p>

"Sorry," Ichigo sat back at once, rubbing the back of his own neck. "I know you've been trying to keep it to yourself. I couldn't figure out why at first, but now I think it makes a lot of sense."

"Ichigo-"

"It's okay!" He leaned forward eagerly. "I know why you didn't want to say or do anything. My head's not right just yet." He shrugged, playing with the hem of his sleeve again. "I'm not sure what I would have thought, waking up in that room and have you tell me that I was in some sort of relationship with another man."

"How-"

"Did I find out?" Ichigo guessed Byakuya's question (rather incorrectly). "It was an old lady in the Rukongai. She told me about how your scarf crossing over with me was a 'token.'"

Byakuya felt a bit faint.

The old wives tale about a lover's token passing to the Soul Society? Byakuya had never seen a true instance of this before. A couple whose love was so strong that somehow it managed to overcome everything that was known about the physics and nature of the world, and arrive on the other side with a piece of their partner with them.

Byakuya had always dismissed this as being completely absurd. There was _no_ way that physical manifestations of emotion could travel the planes with the soul. This was... unfortunate. Ichigo was in a very tender position. This could not go on.

"You're still just a child, it seems." Byakuya sighed. Yes, he considered Ichigo to be attractive, but in the same quiet way that he found Momo Hinamori or Shuhei Hisagi to be beautiful individuals. He certainly wasn't going to go about having a wild romantic affair with either one of them.

"Perhaps you staying here was an unwise decision. I will have things arranged for you to stay in one of the healing facilities of squad four."

"What? No, don't do that!" Ichigo reeled back in alarm. "I won't do it again, really!"

"Ichigo, you must listen to me." Byakuya said sternly. "The two of us were never in love." It even sounded so odd to voice out loud. The two of them...

"I am grateful for what you have done. For my sister, for myself, and for the Soul Society. But acquaintances are all we ever were, or can, be."

Byakuya was astonished at how soft he seemed to have become over the years. He was able to face his own deep shame through Rukia's despair when he brought her away to be executed. It killed him, but he was able to remain standing, to distance himself from the pain. Now, when he saw the quiet agony cloud over Ichigo's eyes he felt himself... falling apart a bit.

The Captain had become lax in his self discipline over the years, that had to be the explanation for it. He had become too accustomed to getting what he wanted, too secure in this blissful peace. Six years ago, the sight of a wounded Ichigo quietly withdrawing himself wouldn't have fazed him in the slightest.

"I apologize if I did anything to inadvertently deceive you."

"No... it's all right. I... haven't been thinking." Ichigo's voice lacked its usual presence now. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right. However, you must see to it that this does not happen again." Byakuya said, composing himself. His lips still tingled gently from Ichigo's caress. Though Byakuya did not hate the sensation, he did not permit himself to enjoy it.

"I know it's not a token but... I can keep your scarf, can't I?" A rare note of trepidation entered Ichigo's voice. Byakuya was aware that Ichigo slept with it wrapped about his shoulders at night.

"Yes. Though I must ask you not to attach any feelings to it which you have created yourself, it was my gift to you. It will always be yours."

"Thank you, Byakuya."

"Captain Kuchiki."

"Hn?" Ichigo made a small, hurt sound.

"That is my proper title. You are to address me as such."

"Thank you... Captain Kuchiki."

Ichigo quickly stood up and excused himself, hurrying off across the gardens.

Byakuya felt something hollow pang inside of him. A week ago, Byakuya would have recognized it as a sense of victory that he had finally gotten Ichigo Kurosaki to properly address him.

Now he just felt a bit nauseous.

* * *

><p>"Well, now. That could have gone better."<p>

Byakuya felt drained. Normally, he would be furious and appalled to see the black cat trot over to his side, sitting down in Ichigo's place. Now he couldn't even bother to try and fight it off.

"How did you get past my guards?"

"Do not insult me, Byakuya." Yoruichi said thinly, her voice in the deep male rasp that was usual for her cat form. "Those boys of yours are hardly fit to be my chew toys."

"Very well, then. Why are you here?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? I came to keep an eye on Ichigo."

"He is perfectly safe here."

"His body perhaps." Yoruichi scoffed. "From the looks of things, you're doing a pretty lousy job of breathing life back into his soul."

"What are you talking on about, demon?" Byakuya cast a cool glare down at the cat. "It's not my job to coddle Ichigo's illusions. I did nothing to put him on to the idea that we had any sort of... romantic past. The two of us have no reason to be-"

"Idiot." Yoruichi's tail flicked irritably.

"Hm?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki's memory is gone. All of his strength is still there, that is true. But the hardship he went through to obtain it is gone. Ichigo is a creature whose ability to perform miracles is derived from the strength of his heart. His friends, his family. Now... all of those are gone." Yoruichi sighed wistfully.

"How pitiful he is now. How weak, like a baby bird with nothing and nobody in the world to draw strength from. Except for you, Byakuya," Yoruichi said firmly. "You are the last thing he remembers, and the first thing that he ever recalled making him feel safe." The cat stared out over the gardens solemnly. "And yet you are surprised when he latches on to you for comfort. How foolish. Every night Ichigo relives his life in shambles. He cannot feel the love from visions of a family he doesn't know, and he now lacks the strength and experience to cope with the nightmares that follow."

"His strength will return."

"Perhaps." Yoruichi tilted her head to the side, "but you of all people should know how potent despair is." A golden-yellow eye trained on him harshly. "What it can turn us into."

Byakuya closed his eyes, guilt prodding at him.

"What do you suggest I do, then? Lie to Ichigo? Help cultivate some absurd fantasy to protect his feelings?"

Yoruichi scoffed, standing up and stretching.

"Don't be so arrogant as to assume that this only has to do with Ichigo, Byakuya." She looked up at him with a regal stance that came so common to the feline type.

"Ichigo's training begins tomorrow. Last time he regained his Soul Reaper powers, he very nearly became a true hollow. If you do not wish for this to happen a second time, I would recommend that you make an appearance there."

* * *

><p>Ichigo had returned to the stone courtyard that had become his unofficial training grounds for the time being. He used a wooden sword now, going through his stances listlessly. Strangely, Ichigo found that when he focused on his movements, they became halted and jarring. It was only when he let his mind wander, his hands naturally acclimate themselves to the grip of the sword, that he found that his body knew how to move through the stances of battle.<p>

It was because of this that the hours he spent training had become a very meditative time for Ichigo. His mind was able to wander, occasionally experiencing a shadow of euphoria and triumph from battles long since won. For split seconds, the courtyard would become a battlefield of bright blue broken sky, an endless expanse of sand. Opponents flashed in the corner of his eye, always too fast for him to properly see.

Today though, he had other things to focus on.

First and foremost, the searing humiliation.

When he stopped and thought about it, he wasn't sure what he was expecting. For Byakuya to kiss him back? To pull him closer as it intensified, to lay his trembling body down and reawaken memories with his touch...

Ichigo shook his mind out of the daydream before it got away from him. It was easy enough to do when the weight of his failure settled back in. He supposed it was very possible that the old lady from the Rukongai could have been mistaken, that the scarf he was given... had only been a scarf.

He sighed, pausing in his routine.

If that was the case, then he did owe Byakuya an apology.

It was certainly an easier idea than the alternative.

The idea that perhaps the old lady _had_ been telling the truth... and Byakuya Kuchiki simply didn't want him anymore.

Ichigo gripped the sword tightly, and to his surprise the wood actually splintered. He continued to forget his strength.

It was true, he had been someone amazing during his lifetime. Someone whose name was known throughout the Seireitei. Certainly someone worthy of the love of a lordly nobleman like Byakuya Kuchiki.

But Ichigo Kurosaki died. So... who was he now?

A peasant from the Rukongai, a disillusioned youth with only a shadow of his former prowess. Someone weak who had to be rescued and hidden from the mad people that pursued him for whatever reason. What did Byakuya see when he looked at him? Some stranger wearing the face of the man he used to know?

What was right? What was he supposed to believe?

Was he ever going to feel whole again?

Ichigo roared out in frustration, the wooden sword snapping in half. He chucked one end far across the courtyard.

Ichigo took his dinner in his room that night. He couldn't bare to face Byakuya now. He was half terrified that the next time he saw the man, he would be informed that he was being sent away from him to live in some hospital. Another small part of him wanted just that, mostly due to shame. If he had gone however, he would find that Byakuya was avoiding Ichigo too, for his own reasons.

The Kuchiki estate was very quiet that night.

* * *

><p>"Is this place usually like this?"<p>

Ichigo walked out with Renji to a sparring grounds just outside the Soul Reaper academy. There was nothing particularly extraordinary about it. A wide rectangle of fine sand with white sparring circles. The place however, was fairly packed. There were a handful of people wearing the blue and red uniforms of the Acadamy, which he assumed was not too unusual.

What _was_ unusual was the disproportionate amount of individuals in Soul Reaper garb.

"What, so crowded?" Renji looked around with a deep frown. "Looks like some people weren't too happy about not being able to see you this past week."

Up on the scaffolding surrounding the sparring grounds, a woman stuck out from a cluster of people. Her glossy hair shone almost as orange as Ichigo's, and as she leaned over the rail, the weight of her massive breasts looked as if they could cause her to topple over at any moment.

"Ichigo!" She waved happily, yelling over the talking people.

Ichigo didn't even have a chance to work up a proper blush before a man strode across the field towards them.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. It's good to see you again."

A wild looking man with bizarre facial tattoos approached the two of them. This was the second. Was there something about being a Soul Reaper that called for one inking up their face? The man grinned.

"I was told you wouldn't remember me. My name is Shuuhei Hisagi." He extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you again, Kurosaki."

"Likewise."

"I'm going to be your trainer to get you your powers back." He said sternly, hands on his waist. "While we're working together, I expect you to give it your all, and address me with the proper respect, ya got it?"

"Yeah, I got it." Ichigo said, his eyes brightening. He could feel himself taking a liking to Shuuhei at once. He didn't treat him like a delicate ailing patient, or some sort of celebrity with swollen expectations of him.

"Good. Now, ignore those people around here." He said with a flick of his head. "They'll leave soon enough when they see we aren't doing anything particularly impressive today. In order to retrieve your Zanpakto, first we have to exercise your spiritual energy. Today, I'm going to be teaching you how to utilize kido properly."

After a few hours of this, it was apparent that Ichigo had no talent for kido... not in the slightest. Shuuhei had certainly been right about not having to worry about the crowd that had gathered. The first hour was not spent doing much of anything at all, save for Shuuhei and Ichigo arguing angrily as Ichigo continued to fail to master his kido. One by one, the bulk of the crowd disbanded. They seemed to have thought that Ichigo would jump straight into the center ring and put on a performance of his legendary bankai.

It was around this time that Byakuya did indeed find his way to the training grounds to see Ichigo's progress.

"How is he doing?"

"Ah, Captain!" Renji straightened up in alarm, caught off guard by the sudden arrival. He had once again forgotten that he no longer needed to address Byakuya as his superior. Renji looked back at the grounds, where Shuuhei was now angrily smacking Ichigo upside the head for failing to successfully utilize his kido for the fortieth time in a row.

"Even worse than I did, by the looks of it." Renji rubbed the back of his neck. "Rukia always told me that Ichigo was terrible at kido. Looks like she wasn't kidding."

"It's not just _saying_ the words." Shuuhei said, leaning back against a post of one of the scaffolds, drinking out of a jug which Ichigo could only _assume_ had water. "You have to go inside and tap into that well of spiritual energy."

"It'd be a lot easier if I knew what the hell that meant." Ichigo sighed. The day was growing hot, and his throat was beginning to feel dry from chanting the same phrase over and over again. "Maybe this kido just isn't any good."

"It's only the fifth way of destruction. The white lily thunderbolt. That's easier than we have our trainees at the academy doing." Shuhei said sternly. "Now try again. And this time," Shuhei placed his index finger over Ichigo's heart, "you need to do more than just say the words." His eyes narrowed at Ichigo sharply. "Close your eyes. Each word constructs a pathway into your soul, where all of that power is waiting. You have to visualize it. Thicker than water, denser than stone and as hot as fire."

Ichigo closed his eyes, taking a slow, deep breath and began the kido once again.

"White birds in the darkness." He began. Ichigo tried doing as Shuuhei said, falling back into the darkness of his mind.

"Reach into it," Shuuhei continued, guiding him.

"Silver dragons in the sky. Lashing forward tongues of fire,"

"That's it." A white-hot glow began to surround Ichigo.

"Hammers of the war-torn gods,"

"Ichigo..." Shuuhei took a step back, the air was suddenly electrified. Energy crackled around him, as a massive wall of spiritual energy began crashing down around the place. Shit, was that all coming from Ichigo? The white flower thunderbolt was only supposed to make a small web of lightening that could fit in the palm of the hand! How the hell was this even _possible? _

"March forward from the skies!"

Shuuhei had only just enough time to throw up a defensive barrier before the training grounds went to hell. A massive bloom of lightening shot out all around Ichigo, four hundred times what the white flower thunderbolt was supposed to be. Everywhere, people scattered. Byakuya grabbed Renji, quickly drawing his sword and throwing up a shield of the blade's pink shards. The white fire enveloped Ichigo, not burning him but swallowing him whole.

Suddenly, the surge of power suddenly cut off.

Everything went quiet, and Ichigo was alone.

Actually... it seemed more like he had simply left the center of the center of the maelstrom entirely. Now, he was standing on... a sideways building? Ichigo looked around in shock. There was no other description for what he was looking at. A tilted cityscape, completely devoid of human life. In the distance, the sky had been shattered. Cracks like spider webs scattered across the deep blue sky. Entire chunks of the horizon were gone, gaping blackness remaining. The only area which was completely untouched it seemed, was a spot in the sky where a gleaming silver moon hung.

"Ichigo."

A deep voice echoed over the dismal cityscape.

"Hello?"

"It's been a while since we last spoke."

An old man robed in black stood solemnly in the distance.

"Who are you?" Even though he asked, a warm feeling of nostalgia was already coursing through him.

"You know my name, Ichigo."

The sky began to darken between them, the moon glowing bright.

"I do... I know I do." Ichigo said quietly, looking up at the sky, transfixed. He knew the name... it was hanging in the back of his throat, just out of the reach of his tongue.

"Still... I'm surprised to see you're still here." Ichigo said, looking back at his Zanpakto.

"Oh? Why is that?" He did not sound too surprised. Merely interested in Ichigo's opinion.

"Well, I'm not the same person that you chose before, am I?" Ichigo said quietly. "I'm... weaker now. I'm not the person that I was."

"That is true." He said, looking up towards the sky. A bright beam flickered against the darkness, slowly making its way down to them. "You are now every bit as inexperienced as you were when you first wielded me." He looked down at Ichigo sternly. "Yet... you are every bit the man you ever were, and have the potential to now to be even greater, free of your human body. I see it in you, but _you _must see it within yourself."

Ichigo reached forward, drawn to the bright orb now hovering between them.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The old man looked up at the sky. "This place never did have a moon before. Still, it will be good when it has finally faded from the sky."

The speck of moonlight graced Ichigo's fingertips and glowed bright.

Instantly, warmth seared through Ichigo, the memories flashing before his eyes, sinking into his skin.

"Zangetsu." He said firmly, looking forward. "You are my Zanpakto."

"And I will be as long as you do not lose the will to fight. But tell me, Ichigo... what is it that you will fight for now?"

* * *

><p>A very careful change in Byakuya's Gokei technique caused Senbonzakura to change from an impenetrable wall of death, to a living shield.<p>

Just in time too, as the massive outpouring of spiritual energy that Ichigo had unleashed could have easily killed quite a few of the bystanders who had gathered to see Ichigo fighting again. The orb would not hold him for long however; it couldn't. If Ichigo stayed locked up in there too long, the energy was going to rebound right back to him and cause some major harm.

Byakuya had only moments to determine what course of action to take...

But before he could act, his Gokei was shattered from the inside.

The scaffoldings went up in fire as a wave of super-dense reiatsu split through them, nearly leveling the Soul Reaper Academy.

The dust settled, pink petals still whipping through the air.

"Ichigo!" Byakuya ran forward into the settling dust.

Ichigo however, was unscathed. He was on one knee, his body braced against the massive shikai of Zangetsu. He was breathing heavily, his scowl trained sharply on Byakuya.

"I'm not giving up."

"What?" Byakuya looked on, astonished as Ichigo pulled himself to his feet.

"I've decided what I'm going to fight for, Byakuya." His eyes were clouded over and distant. Byakuya could see that Ichigo's knees were shaking under his hakama.

"And what is that?"

He saw it before it happened. Ichigo's eyes rolling back, falling forward and collapsing. As easily as he had the first time, Byakuya took Ichigo into his arms with a sigh.

"You're making a habit of this, Ichigo." Byakuya murmured, shifting the weight of the boy in his arms. "Hisagi."

"Yes, Captain?" Shuhei groaned, pulling himself out of some collateral rubble.

"Take Zangetsu back to my estate. I am taking Ichigo back to recuperate."

* * *

><p>Byakuya's shunpo brought him back to the familiar gardens. Ichigo was still quite out of it, his head lolled back against Byakuya's shoulder, his black kosode parted down to the sash. He was teasing him; Ichigo had to be. How could someone as solid as Ichigo still manage to be soft and pliant in his arms? His body formed itself perfectly against Byakuya. He stroked Ichigo's hair again, moving his head gently so it rested against his shoulder.<p>

Yes, Ichigo was attractive. Byakuya couldn't deny himself from accepting that. Attractive perhaps was not the best word... alluring? The way his thick eyelashes caught the light, how his lips were parted every so slightly, still out of breath even now in his bout of unconsciousness. Unfortunately, that was exactly the reason why Byakuya had to protect him. To keep him safe, even from himself. Who else saw Ichigo this way? Emotionally unguarded, ready to be exploited?

Byakuya took Ichigo inside, lying him down in his bed, drawing the thick blanket up around him.

Still, Byakuya lingered. He ran a finger over his own lips, recalling the feeling of Ichigo's mouth on his own. It had been... warm. Warm and sweet. Ichigo had tasted like... well, he couldn't recall. It had happened very quickly, after all. No, what he remembered more clearly was Ichigo's expression just before it had happened. That gentle, serene smile of his, and the way his head tilted ever so slightly to the side before forming those wonderful lips against his own. That expression burned into his mind. It wasn't Ichigo's usual childlike exuberance that he had when he smiled, but something more subtle and deep than that. The sort of smile that had until recently been reserved for precious memories of those summer evenings with Hisana. Too short, and too few.

How was it possible that Ichigo could look at him the same way?

Byakuya's hand had found its way to Ichigo's cheek, stroking the smooth skin.

He distantly wished that he could recall the feel of Ichigo's kiss a bit better. He had never been kissed by a man before. Not that he couldn't, he was aware that there were many potential suitors in the Seireitei. Most of them star-struck members of his own squad, others of higher rank. All of them, though, seemed content to merely look, but not act. He had always accepted this quietly. Byakuya was aware of how unapproachable he was.

It was part of the reason why his guard had been so lowered when Ichigo moved to kiss him.

Byakuya froze, only just now aware of what he was doing. His hand was now cupping Ichigo's neck, his body shifted forward as if...

Byakuya hasted away from Ichigo's side. What had he been about to do? Hadn't he resolved to _protect_ him from advances such as these?

No, no, nothing had happened. Nothing was going to.

Byakuya pushed the thought of it away from his mind as he strode from the room, leaving Ichigo in peace to sleep.

* * *

><p>(So there was a bit of confusion between me and Ensign about the proper way to spell 'Shuuhei.' Apparently I spelt it about three different ways in the course of writing this chapter. Yup... this is why I need a proofreader guys.)<p> 


	6. Sang the Sun in Flight

**Author's Note: **A bit of a gap between updates now, thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through it. As usual, I love to hear what you think.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>The Shinigami Research Institute had grown far from its meager beginnings under the direction of Urahara. Now, it was a series of tall, black, ugly buildings whose labs extended far underground. It was generally understood by the staff of squad twelve that the further down you went, the dirtier the secrets were.<p>

Which is why it was quite a surprise to learn that the team monitoring Karakura Town was nearly ten floors down. It wasn't like the team was a huge secret or anything. After the Winter Wars, anybody could have guessed that Karakura Town was going to be experiencing some problems. You don't just pour out the full reiatsu of a small army of Captains and their equals over a residential area and not expect problems. Even if it _was_ a fake town, the location was still the same. It still seeped into the earth. Like the ground zero of an atomic bomb, Karakura Town was going to radiate spiritual energy for generations to come. The aftereffects would not be catastrophic or harmful, however. A higher percentage of individuals sensitive to spiritual energy was one result. This proved to be fairly beneficial however, as the most pressing result was stronger and deadlier hollows, drawn to the temping hunting grounds. It was not a situation impossible to maintain. Karakura Town did well enough with two extra residential soul reapers on patrol (to be assigned to Ichigo's hometown was now reserved for the first-rank graduates of the soul reaper academy, and considered a very fine honor). Yes, it was very easy to understand why there would be a squad monitoring the town for safekeeping.

_You'd think someone would have gotten suspicious sooner,_ Yoruichi thought grumpily, trotting along the dark hallway, keeping to the shadows. With her spiritual energy repressed in her compact form, she merely needed to keep out of sight.

"Captain Kurotsuchi."

Yoruichi's hair stood on end as she crowded herself into a dark corner.

Of all the terrible luck... what was Captain Kurotsuchi doing down here?"

"Yes, yes, I'm here. Now, what is it?" The man snapped. "This had better be promising. After failing to pinpoint Kurosaki for capture after his death, you lot are still on my list to become my newest guinea pigs."

The men didn't seem terribly phased by the threat. Either this was a common thing for Mayuri Kurotsuchi to do, or the men were fairly confident in the data they had collected.

They hurried along, rapidly tapping away at keys controlling a giant monitor screen which took up half of the wall with ease. Yoruichi inched away from the wall, keeping low to the ground. What was this?

Footage of a street in Karakura Town. A plus was wandering there, haunting an alleyway. The street was empty, the entire place quiet.

Then, the roaring began. The air was split in two, the massive claws of a hollow tearing apart the space between worlds. With a bit of a struggle, it pushed its way through, jaws upon jaws roaring in the night air. The plus fell back, his face pale and went running in the order direction, only to be stopped by another that had made its way to the mortal plane.

Yoruichi hunkered down, eyes narrowed. This was a terribly unfortunate incident to watch... but nothing too unusual. She couldn't help but feel rankled... where were the soul reapers assigned to patrol here? She knew what was to come next, the descent, the devouring...

But that was not what happened.

The two hollows lashed out, thick black ropes shooting out of their hands, wrapping around the panicked plus. Instead of descending on him there and then, the two headed back to the hole in space and time, trudging back into the waste of Las Noches, their prey still struggling and crying behind them.

"And you say this is the third group this month to be showing such behavior?"

"Yes, Captain."

Now _this_ was unusual. Hollows didn't hunt, not like this. They attacked on sight and devoured their pray before any others could come along. Hollows were animals, rarely exhibiting any signs of personality, let alone skills in cooperation and planning. This sort of teamwork in Las Noches hadn't been seen since...

Aizen Sousuke.

Yoruichi kept low and out of sight, waiting for Captain Kurotsuchi to move on.

This could mean anything, of course. Perhaps it was just Karakura Town being mysterious. Perhaps... it was something more. An indication that all was not quiet in Las Noches.

By the way Kurotsuchi seemed to have recovered a bit of a gleam in his eye, Yoruichi feared the latter.

* * *

><p>Ichigo knew where he was before he woke up.<p>

Not that he wanted to. He was so comfortable and warm here, he felt as if he could have slept hours longer if he wanted. He turned his face into the pillow, hugging it tightly. It had that clean, fresh scent reminiscent of cherry blossoms. The entire house smelled like it.

It was Byakuya.

Still, Ichigo was thirsty and was too restless to go back to sleep. This was unlike the last time he woke up after a bout of unconsciousness, feeling half dead and disoriented. Now, Ichigo felt empowered, like he could take on anything.

He sat up, blinking around the bright room. It must have been early noon. No wonder he was so hungry. Next to him, wrapped in a satin sheet was the unmistakeable form of Zangetsu.

"Hey," Ichigo greeted his old friend, removing it from the cloth, running his fingertips over the cool metal. "How did I ever forget you?" He murmured, feeling the familiar weight in his hands. Another patch of his mind was steadily filled. Memories of old battles against shadowy opponents were beginning to return to him. There was still plenty missing though, and as ever Ichigo lived with the tingling sensation of forgetting something important.

Getsuga tenshou. It felt like the first line of a chapter to him, that there was so much more that he was supposed to know. So many memories, all hovering out of reach in his mind in the form of that moon. Ichigo sighed, wondering (not for the last time) why things had to be this way.

At least now he had the hope that one day his memories would indeed return in full.

For now though, there were matters of the present which were more pressing.

Ichigo hastily pulled on a black kimono, the one that was decorated with intricate orange and gold flowers. After carefully wrapping Zangetsu again, he poked his head out into the hall, looking either way before heading out in a random direction.

The last time he and Byakuya spoke, the man had been talking about having him go live somewhere else. Was he still planning on doing this? No, of course not. He was brought back here, wasn't he? Didn't Byakuya bring him back? Or... did somebody else? Ichigo clutched at the wall, suddenly feeling not quite so strong. What would he do if Byakuya found him, and tossed him out on the street? Where would he go?

The memory of those who hunted him in the Rukongai nearly made him want to turn around and stay in the safety of his room. But he knew it was no use. Byakuya was going to find him sooner or later, and he was just going to end up driving himself mad with worry.

Following a gut feeling, Ichigo allowed himself to wander into a room at the estate that he hadn't yet explored. It was mostly empty, save for a shrine at the far side of the room. A delicate incense was burning along with a candle or two. Standing there, Byakuya was solemnly replacing the arrangement of withered white flowers with fresh ones.

Though it wasn't much more than a bit of housekeeping, Byakuya looked so solemn and intense that Ichigo couldn't help but feel that he was intruding on something very private. Although Ichigo thought he was being perfectly quiet, Byakuya's silver eyes slid over to where he was hiding against the doorpost all the same.

"Ichigo."

The boy recoiled, beginning a half-baked excuse but was quickly silenced.

"It's all right. Would you like to come inside?" The offer was soft, and surprisingly pleasant.

Ichigo nodded silently, softly treading to Byakuya's side inside the shrine. Ichigo looked over the display, his eyes drawn to the photograph in the center. Something lurched in the pit of his gut. A warm and empowering sensation came with it, sliding down his throat like hot water.

Ichigo knew this woman.

"My wife, Hisana." Byakuya explained. He carefully gauged Ichigo's reaction as the boy looked over the picture with wide eyes. To his surprise, Ichigo smiled, bowing his head to the shrine.

"It's an honor to meet you, Hisana Kuchiki."

Ichigo looked at the picture carefully, his lips twisted into a half-smile.

"I knew her, didn't I?"

"No, you two never met. I imagine you are recognizing her sister, Rukia. The two carry a strong resemblance to one another."

"Your sister Rukia?"

A gentle, rumbling laugh thrummed in Byakuya's chest.

"No, let me explain..."

The two got to work replacing the dead flowers in the shrine with fresh ones, and Byakuya recanted the story of the tragic past of Rukia and Hisana. How his wife abandoned Rukia as a child, and later spent the rest of her life searching for her. How Byakuya found Rukia, and took her on as his little sister. He omitted the last chapter of the story however, the one where Byakuya's oath to uphold his family's orders nearly got Rukia killed, and turned Byakuya into a murderer. Despite the grim conversation, Byakuya felt oddly at ease speaking to Ichigo in this way. Focusing on his task, the words came out fluidly and without the painful ghosts of the past.

"She was a lucky woman." Ichigo played with a stray blossom, rolling it over his fingers. "To have loved a man like you."

_And to have your love in return._ It was left unspoken, but shone in Ichigo's eyes for Byakuya to see just the same.

"Hisana did not love me." Byakuya said quietly. He wasn't quite sure why he said it, though he was certain that this was the first time he ever uttered the words aloud.

Ichigo turned to face him in alarm.

"Not the way that I loved her, at least. She never lied about that," he reassured Ichigo. "She cared for me too much to do that. I loved Hisana... very much. And I do know she cared for me too... to a point of very deep admiration. As her savior, and as her very close friend... but in the short time we had together, I never did hold her heart."

_Then... why did she marry you?_ It was a rude question however, and one Ichigo knew should not be asked at the woman's shrine. He did not know what her life was like, or her past. These things were greater than his capacity to judge. The two finished their work, and each said a brief prayer for Hisana before stepping back out into the light.

Speaking Hisana's feelings aloud made Byakuya feel oddly reflective.

Naturally, during the cleaning of the shrine he had wondered what Hisana would think of his current... situation, with Ichigo. Strangely enough, he couldn't imagine her feeling anything bitter or suspicious about it at all. In fact, the two had an exchange very similar to what he was wondering now.

It had occurred not too long after Hisana had quietly accepted that she was going to die, and while Byakuya was beginning to crumble from the inside out, maintaining a cool and flawless outer shell.

_ Your life will be long, Byakuya._ She had gently squeezed his hand. _Far too long to spend mourning over me._

Unfortunately, Byakuya seemed to have done exactly that.

How long would have remained cold and secluded from the world around him? Byakuya had resigned himself to his families ways, his smile quietly faded away. Whether he realized it or not, he allowed a part of himself to die along with Hisana, and became a walking shell. It had taken the power of Ichigo's blade to knock him out of that reverie. He glanced down at the boy, who returned a small, encouraging smile to the enigmatic man. He bit his lip, mistaking once again mistaking Byakuya's reflection for a solemn chill.

"Did... I meet you long after her death?" Ichigo tried to steer the conversation to less mournful waters.

"Yes... many years after." Byakuya caught a falling gold leaf of autumn, the stem held delicately between two fingers. "Though... I think she would have liked you." Ichigo beamed, seeing the little smile grace Byakuya's lips.

_She would have liked to see you drive me crazy._ Not many people dared to do so, after all. After her death... those warm people in his life that did so seemed to fade away.

_No, not fade away._ He realized. _I pushed them away._

"Though... I don't think either of you would have liked who I became after she died." Byakuya remarked quietly, the two wandering through the gardens now. As they passed over a small ornamental bridge, he let the leaf flutter into the water. "I grew... cold. It was worse than feeling empty." He lamented, continuing along the garden path, Ichigo at his side. "I thought things would get better after I fulfilled her dying wish and found Rukia. But instead of being rid of her memory... I saw her face every time I looked at her sister. Instead of watching myself break apart, I chose to become numb. I submitted myself entirely to the will of my family... I thought it would be easier than following the remains of my tattered heart, but instead I became a monster."

Byakuya's voice nearly wavered at the end of his upheaval. He had to take a moment to breathe, unable to recall a time when he had spoken so much about how he felt inside. He looked at Ichigo in alarm, wondering just _what it was _that made him act so strangely around him. The boy didn't seem to notice at all. Would he ever realize what it was he was doing to Byakuya's heart?

"And then what happened?" Ichigo asked quietly.

There was no helping it.

Byakuya's soft, cool hand caressed Ichigo's cheek, turning it towards him, tilted up slightly.

A gentle kiss was placed on Ichigo's forehead.

"And then you saved me."

Ichigo looked stunned, his breath caught. Byakuya laughed softly.

Ichigo Kurosaki... speechless? He might have to try that more often.

"Come, Hisagi will be collecting you shortly for your training."

Ichigo only made a soft sound in reply, letting himself be led along. He didn't speak until they were nearly at the main house again.

"So... you're not going to send me away?" He asked, looking timid and unsure. Byakuya was beginning to suspect that he was the only one who was permitted to see Ichigo this way.

"No. I don't see a need for that."

* * *

><p>Rukia sat at the kitchen table, sorting out the day's mail.<p>

A few bills, some junk mail, and another sympathy card. They were coming in trickles now, after the initial downpour of phone calls, cards, baskets, and other support the family had received. Though Ichigo kept to himself as a relatively quiet and normal youth for his last years, his influence it seems touched many.

Two weeks after his death, things were beginning to return to a semblance of normalcy. Yuzu was still wandering about like a little lost sheep, but at least Karin had stopped demanding Urahara open up a gate to the spiritual world to let her see her big brother again.

_That _certainly hadn't been an easy afternoon.

In the end, she got the same speech the rest of them had from the very beginning.

Ichigo's death was a normal, mortal death.

It was a tragedy, it was untimely, but it was natural. They would simply have to do their best and carry on, and look forward to the day when they could all be together again.

The clinic was still closed. It was uncharacteristic of Isshin, who prided himself quite highly as a doctor. Recently though, he hadn't had the heart to do much of anything. He was still there, physically of course. He was strong for his girls, he joked and ate properly and tried not to act as if his world had just been shattered. Whenever he was alone however, he fell into a deep silence, and was prone to spending hours staring off into space.

It was this sort of thing that had prolonged Rukia's stay in the human world. Making sure the bills were paid on time, that the house was kept clean, and that Karin and Yuzu had someone to lean on when their father checked out mentally.

Rukia didn't mind the stay in the least. She had been given permission to spend as much time as she needed here by Captain Ukitake. Until the Kurosaki family could stand on their own two feet again, she would remain diligent in her post.

Mail properly sorted, Rukia gathered up the junk and headed into the kitchen for the recycling bin. As she neared the door, Rukia could hear voices floating out from the kitchen

"I managed to get into the Research Institute last night. It would be hasty to say you are right just yet, but I do think you're onto something Isshin..."

"Did you have any trouble getting in?"

"Captain Kurotsuchi was there for a while, but he didn't notice me. I managed to get to Ichigo's files after he left, and I noticed something odd..."

"Rukia?"

"Ah, hello." Rukia peeped her head into the kitchen. She wasn't sure how, but she had been noticed by Isshin from the hallway. He was currently sitting at the kitchen table, looking the most normal that she had seen him in days. His beard was finally trimmed back to its usual scruff, and he was wearing properly ironed clothing. Sitting across the table from him, was Yoruichi Shihōin.

"Rukia Kuchiki! Hello." She beamed. "I was just telling Kurosaki here that I've seen Ichigo. He's doing quite well."

"Ah, really?" Rukia beamed, a bit breathless. Truth be told she _had_ been quite worried to know what had become of Ichigo. Whether or not he would be recovered from the Rukongai, what state he would be in...

"Yes. His memories are slowly returning to him, as well as his shinigami powers. At the moment, he is living quite comfortably with your brother, Byakuya."

"Ah, with big brother?" Rukia reeled back in alarm. There was no way!

Yoruichi laughed.

"Yes. He's not quite right in his head at the moment, but I'm sure soon enough he will be doing just fine."

"Then... what was that you were saying just now? About a problem with his files?"

The calm smiles on the faces of Isshin and Yoruichi wavered slightly.

"Oh, that's nothing to worry about Rukia." Yoruichi waved her off, laughing a bit too casually. "Just some boring clerical things. Paperwork and all that."

_It didn't sound that way._ Rukia thought, but all the same she bit her lip and kept the words inside. There was something subtle about the way the two ex-captains were looking at her, the way they were positioned that told her that this wasn't something that she was meant to ask about.

_Ichigo..._ She wondered, the worry plain in her expression. _What is going on?_

* * *

><p>But Ichigo was hardly the person to look to for answers. Completely oblivious to the creeping darkness surrounding his death and afterlife, the boy was safely secluded in the beautiful Kuchiki estate.<p>

With the matter of their relationship settled (in a way), a routine of sorts had begun to emerge in his life.

Ichigo woke up early and did a few quick training exercises before a traditional breakfast with Byakuya. This was usually a nice, serene time before Shuhei arrived to drag Ichigo off to training, and Byakuya buried himself in his work. Afterwards, Ichigo returned and took a hot bath in the luxurious wash-house, and usually napped until Byakuya came home in the evening. Usually, this was unavoidable after Shuhei's rigorous training sessions.

Past history or not, Shuhei was not planning on going easy on Ichigo. Each day Ichigo was worked to the brink of exhaustion. He was reprimanded and scolded whenever he showed any signs of slacking off, and on more than one occasion Ichigo had to be brought back to the Kuchiki estate limping and sore and battered, supported on one arm by his rigorous teacher. Still, Ichigo would not pass these days up for anything. Being bowed to and waited upon by Byakuya's staff felt... wrong. Being with Shuhei however, was refreshing and familiar.

"Next time we're going to double our conditioning." The two had just finished their training for the day, and Shuhei was stretching down on the grassy knoll. Beneath them stretched out the vast quarry where they had spent their days sparring. The evidence was clear, the ground split open and wounded with the massive scars left by getsuga tenshou. The sun was beginning to go set, casting sharp shadows across the landscape.

"Aw, come on, Shuhei. I'm doing well. You said so yourself." Ichigo meanwhile was sprawled out on his side, chewing on a blade of grass. It had only taken a few days for Ichigo to surpass most students at the soul reaper academy. At the moment, he was probably past the point where most students graduated and began applying to be accepted into whatever squad they wished to work for. His teacher sighed, sheathing his zanpakto.

"You're doing well compared to others your age, of course." He sat down across from Ichigo, sticking the sheath firmly into the ground. "But you're resting on your laurels." He reached to snatch the grass out of Ichigo's mouth, resulting in a brief tussle between the two of them.

"Your power is fine." Shuihei said, settling back at last, giving up on this particular battle. "Probably on par with any of the Captains. But I think what you lack... is the drive."

"How so?" Ichigo said lazily, leaning back into the sun.

"Well... when you trained, you did so to meet a great threat. Right now... it's too peaceful. Captain Yamamoto expecting me to get you up to a Captain's level is like moving a mountain. Isn't there anything you want to aspire to?"

"Huh?" Ichigo sat up, finally showing a spark of interest.

"Forget about training to get your memories back for a minute." Shuhei grabbed onto the idea. "What is it you want to _do_ with your life now?" He watched Ichigo sincerely settle into the idea. He hugged his knees, looking out over the landscape.

He had been so concerned about his day-to-day affairs, he had never really stopped to think about it before...

The funny thing was, when he stopped to think about it... Ichigo knew exactly what he wanted to do. At least right now.

It was a curious little idea, but one he found difficult to expel. The though persisted, even as Matsumoto managed to hunt the two boys down, and drag them off to Renji's place to celebrate the success of Ichigo's training. A few of the faces Ichigo recognized. He had seen Renji's face in his dreams often enough now to know him as more than Byakuya's former lieutenant. The others there rang vague notes of familiarity, but none quite so strong. It was perhaps for that reason that Ichigo hung back a bit, keeping to the corner of the room.

Or at least he tried to.

* * *

><p>"Aw, come on, Ichigo!" Matsumoto whined, leaning over him in a way that didn't put him at ease at all. "This is your party!"<p>

"If I take a drink, will you get off of me?" Ichigo said weakly. Kira laughed, pouring him a glass.

Matsumoto didn't promise anything for certain, but at least gave him room to breathe.

"What we _should_ be celebrating is my abilities as a teacher." Shuihei said giddily, taking a swig of sake. He was certainly in a better mood now. "Putting up with this oaf, it's the stuff of miracles that he's progressed like he has."

"Don't get cocky, moron." Ikkaku snapped, smacking him upside the head. He and Renji had both left their captain's haori at their respective houses, and now were indiscernible from any of the lieutenants present. "Ichigo already knew his shikai. He just forgot it. I could have gotten him swinging that oversized can-opener in five minutes, just give him a good enough hit over the head!"

"Watch it," Ichigo said darkly. All of these people seemed to know him perfectly well, though Ichigo could not recall meeting any of them before. Still, talking familiarly like this didn't feel _wrong_ and he had since learned to trust the instincts that guided him.

"Yeah, watch it, Shuihei!" Ikkaku said, his cheeks a bit red, and seemingly too far gone to realize just who Ichigo was talking to. "You just wait till Ichigo gets his bankai going. Then Matsumoto won't be the only one with a toddler for a captain!" He laughed, falling back onto Yumichika's lap.

"What?" Ichigo was too alarmed to notice that Kira was refilling his cup again.

"Your bankai. You need to have it mastered in order to become a captain." Kira explained with a smile. Ikkaku and Shuihei continued to argue as Matsumoto egged the two of them on, laughing.

"Shuhei probably achieve it if he ever wanted to. But since he hasn't reached bankai, for now he's just the acting Captain of his squad. You mastered your bankai a long time ago though."

"I did?" Yes, he did. That felt right.

"And when you master it again, you'll become the new captain of squad nine." Matsumoto supplied with a wink.

"Everyone pretty much expects it." Kira nodded along eagerly. "That's the last squad that still in need of a new captain."

"If you ask me, Ichigo should becoming the captain of the squad five." Yumichika spoke up, leaning towards Ichigo. "After all, he is the one who defeated the old captain. By law of the Soul Society, he can rightfully claim it."

"But Aizen was already an outcast by then." Kira pointed out, causing Yukichika to scoff, waving him off.

"Yes, yes, but it would be such an elegant way to go approach the matter."

Ichigo frowned, watching them argue and laugh with one another. Did all of these people really expect him to become a captain? Didn't it matter to them in the slightest that he didn't know the first thing about being in charge of his own squad? Ichigo closed his eyes tightly, tossing back another drink, making a horrible face at the bitterness.

Early morning trudged along, and one by one the soul reapers drifted off to head back to their respective houses. Ichigo paused at the doorframe, wobbling a bit. His cheeks were a bit pink, and his balance was only slightly off. The nights were becoming a bit chilly again as autumn settled in. A few lights were scattered across the Seireitei, but mostly it was dark. Ichigo hadn't been paying attention on their way over here. He peered around in the darkness, trying to determine the best way back.

"It's all right." Shuhei put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "I'll show you the way back to Byakuya's."

"Thanks, Shuhei." Ichigo said quietly, quietly preferring for Renji not to overhear and further tease him.

"Hey, I gotta look out for you." Shuhei said dotingly, the two heading out into the quiet night. "You're going to be my captain, soon enough." They quickly headed off into the night. The walk wasn't very far, Shuhei showing Ichigo a short cut through some hedges.

"Shuhei..." Ichigo clung to the lieutenant's firm arm, looking up at him imploringly. "I... I can't be a captain."

"Not in this sorry state, you can't." He admonished easily. "I'm still your teacher after all. You're not leading anybody until I say you're ready."

Ichigo smiled weakly, feeling a surge of gratitude for his comrade.

Shuhei paused, noticing Ichigo's expression. Before he could comment however, his eyes widened, and his face screwed up in laughter.

"What, what's so funny?" Ichigo demanded, grabbing the front of Shuhei's kosode.

"Y-Yumichika." He laughed again, plucking a pink hair clip out of Ichigo's orange locks. There was no way it could have been anybody else. It was bright red, and on the end a cute, flat plastic strawberry had been mounted.

"What the hell?"

"How did he get those on you without you noticing?" Shuhei snorted, the two quickly dissolving into laughter.

"Ichigo."

They snapped to attention, hearing the familiar, cool voice of Byakuya.

"Byakuya!" Ichigo ran forward, still laughing. He stumbled over himself, and a pair of arms easily caught him, helping him back onto his feet.

"You've been drinking."

"Not a lot." Ichigo pouted up at him angrily, though the menace of the expression was nullified by the strawberry clips in his hair still. Byakuya glared up at Shuhei, who immediately took a few steps back from the heat of the look.

"Thank you for escorting Ichigo back, Shuhei."

The youth nodded, quickly making himself scarce in the wake of Byakuya's burning presence.

When Byakuya paused to think about it, he wondered how he couldn't have seen it before. Shuhei Hisagi was a very attractive individual. He certainly shared more common ground with Ichigo than Byakuya, seeing as the two boys were of a comparable age and temperament. Shuhei was determined, strong working and very competent. He was the sort of individual that Byakuya might have even considered courting, had it not been for the deep stagnant daze which Hisana's death sunk him into.

Byakuya would probably still be there now if it wasn't for the obnoxious, inattentive, fidgety individual currently drooling on his shoulder.

"Come. You need to lie down before you fall down," Byakuya said, practically carrying Ichigo down the hallway. The boy himself was currently trying to wrap himself around Byakuya's waist, nuzzling into his shoulder.

"You smell good."

"And you smell like cheap sake and takoyaki."

"Renji brough' snacks." Ichigo slurred sleepily, Byakuya helping him to lie down on his bed.

"Next time... you should come." Ichigo said, busily pulling off his hakado (causing Byakuya to divert his eyes quickly).

"I... don't think that would be for the best."

Ichigo frowned, continuing to fuss about with his sheets. "Don't you ever go out and do fun things like that?"

"... Not in a long while." Byakuya said softly, as Ichigo finally found what he was looking for, and extricated the long silk scarf from where it was hidden in the pillow case.

"You still have that?"

Ichigo blinked at him, almost in alarm.

"Of course. This is my precious token."

Byakuya knew the right thing to do was to correct Ichigo, to reaffirm that the two were _not_ in love, or anything of the sort. But in Ichigo's current state, he doubted that it would properly stick. Besides, Ichigo was already so close to sleep, the scarf wrapped around his shoulders

"Yes, well... goodnight, Ichigo."


End file.

Bleach, Angst, Romance