Disclaimer: I make no claims of ownership over or make any profit from Bleach by Kubo Tite.

Authors Note: Thank you all of you who have read and reviewed. I appreciate it. Please continue to review and allow me to become a better writer by giving me critique. Onto chapter 2!!!


Chapter 2: Answering to No one


A far peal of thunder rumbled violently across the sky and the driving sleet hammered on. The gray torrent poured down against the glass, but Ichigo had done nothing other than watch the dull blur from the vantage point of ware house window. He pressed his aching side against the window pane, but did not stir. Somewhere a few miles away was Karakura, but he wasn’t worried that anyone would find him here.


~~~


He found this empty warehouse on the abandoned part of a city bordering Karakura. Though there were methods to locate his position even as far away from his purlieus as he was, the warehouse gave him some form of concealment, where he could worry a little less about his family getting suspicious about another one of his long absences.

A better way to put it would be running away.

Why was it running away this time and not just another trip away from the house? After all, he had been gone a lot ever since that fateful night he met Rukia. Each time reassured by the belief that he would return in one piece.

Ichigo knew why. But he didn’t want to say it out loud. It was running away because he didn’t want to be followed or found. Not until he finished what he had to do. But there was little chance of survival for hope.
~*~ *~

Kon sat in the backpack, motionless and silent like a stuffed animal ought to act.


A little after noon and Ichigo gave his dad a “see ya later”, and hugged his little sisters. Though he wished he could do something a little more meaningful in what was likely his last goodbye. But that would be a dead give-away of his intentions. So Ichigo settled to give them his lame farewell. He set off without looking back. Then it started to rain.

This warehouse was so conveniently out of the way, that he guessed if he died right now, it would be a while before anyone found his body. And that was good. He needed to be alone, because he needed to settle this on his own; without his family getting involved or anyone else for that matter. If he could do it by himself then no one else would have to get hurt.

Ichigo had thought this over and as far as he was concerned it was the best plan of action. He knew others had lent him their help before. He knew he would’ve been dead had it not been for them. But it would be different this time. It would be different because not only had he gained power as a Vizard, but he had a trump card that Aizen couldn’t refuse.
Ichigo knew he was pulling a one man show. It had to be just him this time. Without Rukia. Without Soul Society. Ichigo was confident that this time he,

…

Ichigo lay in his rain soaked jeans, his head buffered against the suspension beam by his yellow rain-coat. While he was determined about his plan when making it to this place, it had slipped his mind that it would rain today. And so he used the little money he had left in his pocket to buy himself a rain coat on the way. He hadn’t thought about it before when he had purchased it at the used clothes store, but it looked quite a lot like the jacket he wore when his mother died. Vaguely, he wondered if it was the same one…He didn’t have time to ponder it long, and the last thing that went through his mind, before he fell asleep was thinking no one would suspect his absence until a few weeks into the future. Ichigo drifted into sleep listening only to the drumming of rain on the abandoned building and the surreal echoes that followed.

“Ichigo.” Called a voice gently.
“Ichigo.” The voice came more forcefully this time.
A warm pressure came to either side of his stomach. He stirred a little, his face scrunched up ever so slightly. The voice ceased to call his name. He slowly sunk down into slumber again.
What the voice said next wasn’t loud, but it did wake him up.
A breath ticked his ear, “Ichigo I would’ve never pegged you for someone who liked it on the bottom.”
His eyes shot opened and he saw Rukia. Rukia straddling him.

“What are you doing?!” Ichigo yelled starting like a cat thrown in cold water.
“How can you say that when I’m not even awake!” He sat up suddenly and pointed a finger in her face. He had just been awake only for a moment but within a split second he was alert of all danger.
Ichigo scooted as far away from Rukia as the beam would allow.
“Awake or not you seemed like you were enjoying it.” Rukia replied.
“More like you were enjoying it! Stop laughing!”
“…so fun to tease…”Rukia chuckled sadistically.
“Since when did you get off on things like that!” he demanded, all the while his face turning red.
Rukia covered her mouth in what appeared to be an imitation Victorian-lady-like twitter.
“My, my, who would have expected? You are more innocent than you look. Though, I’m


Rukia advised casually. She knew full well that he couldn’t help it. Ichigo was sorely lacking in the areas of fine focus and finesse. He really didn’t have a lot of self-control. You didn’t have to be Nii-chan to know that. And that was no surprise from someone whose weapon was a hulking, canyon-making Zanpaktou.
Ichigo didn’t have a come-back for her last comment and resorted to glaring at her sulkily, which didn’t faze Rukia in the least, as she considered it to be just another one of his funny faces.

It was just too bad for Ichigo that she could make him squirm so easily, she thought as her laughter subsided. With Rukia mercifully relenting, he calmed down.

“Geez, every time I wake up someone new is trying to take advantage of me…” he muttered hotly, though his blush had cooled to a rosy pink.
“Ichigo.” Rukia said soberly.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone you were going to leave?”
Ichigo’s expression went blank for a moment while something hidden passed behind his eyes in his brief pause. Then he smiled in a very friendly manner.
“I’m not leaving, Rukia.”
“You idiot! I know you’re thinking the opposite.” She yelled in his face.

Ichigo’s heroism was impressive, but every hero had a tragic flaw, and Rukia thought that this one’s had to be impulsiveness. Just what was he planning to do in this abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town?

Rukia never thought she was attractive. There was nothing in her figure or in her character that she believed carried any special merit, or an intriguing mystique.


ENDING of ANSWERING TO NO ONE

Ichigo had surprised himself; he had never thought he’d be such a good liar.

Chapter 3: Outcast


“Inoue!” His glasses were fogging up from the tepid downpour. Black hair stuck to his cheeks. Clothes stuck to his skin. He could barely see. Grunting Ishida snatched the glasses off his face though it didn’t do much good.
“Inoue!” He could hear her missteps in the deep puddles, her heaving breaths. She wasn’t making it difficult for him to pursue her.
“Wait a minute!” She wasn’t going to outrun him, he knew, but she was still running too far ahead for his liking. Heavy gloom smothered the waning street lights and it was hard to keep going but Orihime pushed her limits again then collapsed on the cement, her face falling soon as well when she began to cry. Ishida slowed his pace and approached her hunched form. He placed his hand on her shoulder.
“Uryu.” She gasped. “Ishida.”
“Yes Inoue, it’s all right, it’s all – “
“I – I don’t –“ she gasped for air. Ishida silenced the question forming on his lips.
“– want you to – stay here with me anymore. Stop trying to take care of me. Leave me alone Ishida.”

What?

“Inoue…what are you talking about?!” Ishida kneeled before her gripping her shoulders firmly. He tried not to notice her stiffening under his grasp. She turned her face away, shuddering in her grief. Then she stopped crying. And she leveled her gaze with his.
“Ishida.”
He didn’t like the way she said his name.
“You have to respect my wishes. You can’t keep doing this. And I won’t let you keep doing this.”
“Inoue, you’re upset, please try to calm down.”
“No Uryu, I have to do this alone.” Her hand closed down on his and took it away.
“lease stop acting like I don’t know what’s good for me. It’s my choice, not yours. It’s too late now Ishida.”
“What?!”
“He’s already here.”

Ishida felt the rain turn frigid and heard a cold voice, “You’re coming back with me.”

Ishida bolted upright in bed. (that means all that was a flashback)
It returned every night. He wished it was a nightmare, but it was real.

x*x*x


The Quincy symbol is a set of perpendicular lines. The cardinal directions. As far as East is from West, as far as North is from South the



Four arcs, traveling from one point to the next. Forming a cardinal circle.
Unmistakable, the distinction of


His concept of his heritage had never been based upon the ancient texts his grandfather had given him, but what his grandfather gave of himself.

And ever had been discovered as sweet those who knew him best.


Once in 5th grade Ishida had read the classic of Cervantes, Don Quixote and was struck by the ending.
Don Quixote shouldn’t have foresworn his chivalry no matter what they did to him. Wasn’t that a knight’s pride? But Don Quixote found that his pride was only an illusion. Then Ishida began to have inkling that maybe they were all too similar. If the Quincies were the epitome of an idealistic fool, all hanging onto the impossible dream.
If Sensei were there he would have asked him about his qualms. But he had been dead for 3 years. And if he could not speak to his grandfather about matters such as these, he would speak to no one. And never to his father.
His father didn’t care. But Ryuuken gave him his opinion anyway when he saw the book as his younger self shoved it under his own jacket. “Quixotic Quincies? Every last one of them.” It wasn’t later until Ishida found out that Ryuuken was still in the practice of Quincy combat that…



Xoxoxox

Orihime always wondered why people looked at her differently. She wasn’t special. She knew she tried her best to be good and that was common. But in the grand scheme of things if you couldn’t change anything, being good meant almost nothing. Why were girls envious and mean to her? Why did boys leer? But Orihime was in on a secret. She knew they everyone was good once you got to know them.