Chapter Thirty: Relayed Messages. 

This might be a ‘BLAHH’ chapter, so I’ll apologize in advance if it is, and apologize again for not being able to do anything about it, and I’ll apologize one more time for making you wait for the next chapter. I like updating for you guys because I hate disappointing people, and since you’re all such lovely people, I couldn’t bear it!

In this chapter, nothing much will happen.

I wonder, can you remember back to one of the first chapters of ‘Strive’ where Abaron and Kūkaku were talking about Kaien? Just asking! ^-^

You know what word I’ve always wanted to type? I haven’t written a story where the constant use of the Japanese language was needed yet.

But, gomen! (I like that word!) And baka (I haven’t used that one yet…) or arigato, and words like that XD

OH THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE CAME OUT LAST WEEK, (I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED XC) AND THE NEW EPISODE OF DOCTOR WHO (ART THOU ANY OTHER WHOVIANS OUT THERE?)

Oh, and “Carp Slope” is the place where Rukia trained (Mt. Koifushi, but whateves).

Sorry, I’ll stop blabbing.

                                                Gomen.

WAIT NO I WON’T—COMMENTS, COMMENTS, WHERE FOR ART THOU COMMENTS?

                                                Okay, now I’m done.

                                                                Gomen… XD

Ichigo’s POV~

When I saw Abaron get taken by those Mod Souls, I didn’t know what to do, or even what to say. I had no way to contact her, since our connection was broken by the gate, and she left her Soul Pager at Urahara’s.

But what I did know was that I knew she was safe. I knew she’d be alright. After all, they didn’t kill Orihime or Chad, which was a huge relief.

Right… so that left us with our second problem.

As soon as they disappeared, the rest of us ran back toward the school, repeatedly thinking over what Lirin had said to us.

“School is about to begin! All good students should be in their classes. I’d go quickly if I were you, or your friends might start to disappear.”

They had nothing to do with this at all. Why’d they have to get them involved like this?

“What… do you think… they want?” Uryū asked in between breaths. But I couldn’t answer him.

None of us could.

***

When we final arrived at the school, I kinda expected some of the students to be outside in the front yard. But it was completely empty. Well, except for Renji’s gigai and my body.

“Huh?”

“Ichigo, what’s going on?”

“How’d my gigai end up all the way out here?” Renji wondered, coming up beside me.

“Do you think Urahara left them here?” It was the only explanation I could come with.

“You can’t just leave them here in plain sight,” Uryū said pointedly. “You’ll just have to return to them before someone comes.”

“Right...”

“Boy, what a pain.”

Walking over to them, I picked my body up and sank into it.

“Why does this have to be so hard?” Renji grumbled before settling into his own. He grabbed his shoulder and began twisting it back. “I hate this! Why does it have to be so uncomfortable?!”

“We’ll have to be more careful,” Chad said, walking over to us with the others. His eyes suddenly narrowed to a space somewhere behind me. Following his focus, I looked up at the roof above the main school doors and saw three people standing on it. It was Lirin, the Mod Soul that attacked Uryū and took Abaron, and third was... someone I didn’t recognize. He looked a lot younger than the other two, though.

“Now that you’ve finally arrived, I can explain the rules of the next game!”

“I’m really getting sick of this,” I snapped, glaring up at them.

“Now that’s not a polite way to greet someone,” Lirin said with a frown. “Especially when I came all this way to help! I just thought you’d like to know that one of you has been replaced with an imposter.”

“An imposter?!”

“What are you talking about?!” She started laughing, but this time, it wasn’t one of the ones that made me want to chop my ears off with an extremely dull butter knife, but one that made my legs feel like jelly and my spine crawl.

“Wait a minute; what happened to the fourth guy?” Renji asked, pointing up at them accusingly. “And who’s the little kid?”

I can’t believe I forgot. The guy who wore the top hat could transform into other people. Then, that means…

“I got it!” a voice exclaimed. Looking down by my feet, I saw Kon jumping up and down, trying to get our attention. “I think you ought to take a look at Chad and Orihime! After all, the enemy would’ve had all the time in the world to switch places with either one while they were captured!” Orihime gasped.

“No way!”

“Well, there is one indisputable way to tell if Orihime is real or not.” Kon began to grin. “All you gotta do is give me one little kiss and I’ll know if it’s really you--!”

“Put a sock in it,” I snapped, stepping on his head to shut him up. Man, he really doesn’t know when to quit. Lirin giggled again.

“It’s some kind of trick,” Renji told us, looking back up at them. “I say you’re bluffing.”

“I’m not!” she assured him with a smile. She suddenly flew down in front of us, laughing in our faces. “And instead of arguing, I suggest you find the imposter quickly! If you don’t, all your friends in school will start to disappear!”

“Listen, you little brat,” I said, grabbing her by her hooded cloak. “We’re not going to play these stupid games of yours anymore.” With a sly chuckle, she twisted herself swiftly out of my grasp, flicked me in the head, and flew back into the air, landing on a lamp post in between her two friends.

“You better not waste any more time,” she warned, and a pink and gold clock appeared in her hands. “The game has already begun!”

I didn’t understand how she could move so fast like she did. But I did know one thing, and that was that she was definitely not normal.

“Now, I’ll explain the rules to you! It’s a little after eight, so you’ve got less than four hours to find out who the imposter is before the clock strikes noon! If you guess who it is before the time runs out, then you win! But if twelve o’clock comes and you guess wrong, then everyone in the whole school will disappear!”

“What do you mean ‘disappear’?!”

“You know,” she said, shrugging. “Poof! As in to ‘vanish’, or, ‘no longer exist’? They’ll evaporate into thin air, and you’re friends will be gone forever.” She took a minute to let that creepy little laugh out again before regaining her serious (well, serious enough) composure. “Oh, and you only have one guess!”

“And what about Abaron?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at them. “What’s going to happen to her?”

“She’ll disappear along with them!” No, I won’t let this happen. “Let me know when you’ve decided!” And they ran off, jumping over the tall fence behind them before disappearing. I turned back to the others, not willing to waste any time in trying to figure out who the imposter was. It was the only way we’d finally end this.

“Do you really think they’d have the power to make everyone in the entire school disappear?” I asked them, hoping for a good answer.

“Who knows,” Uryū said, pushing up his glasses. “But they didn’t have a problem doing it with Chad and Orihime, and they certainly had no trouble in doing it to Abaron.”

“You’ve got a point,” I murmured grudgingly, struggling to unclench my hands. “But we’re talking about all the students in the school.”

“What do you guys think?” Uryū asked, turning himself around as well. “Do you have any recollection as to what happened when you got sucked inside that gate?” Orihime frowned.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “But I really don’t remember anything.”

“I remember I was floating in darkness,” said Chad, sounding a little distant. “That’s all I know.”

“Come on, Uryū!” I urged, easily ignoring the frustrated groan that came from his mouth. “You always figure these things out!”

“Not this time,” he said, making my heart sink. “But it must somehow be connected to the gate. All I can think is that it must be some kind of portal to an alternate dimensional space.” My eyes widened.

“What are you talking about?”

“A world beyond anything we’re able of comprehending.  The number of people may be of no consequence at all. What I’m worried about is unlike the time Chad and Orihime were abducted, this time they said they would make everyone disappear, including Abaron.”

“You think it could be something else?” Renji asked him nervously. “You think it’s…?” He didn’t need to finish what he was going to say for us to know what he was getting at.

“Yeah. I think it’s safe to say that they plan on killing them.”

Abaron’s POV~

It’s… s-so cold…

It’s so cold… that even m-my thoughts a-are shiver-ring.

Where… where am I?

Oh… that’s right… I was taken by those Mod Souls… I almost forgot… although, that doesn’t exactly tell me where I am.

Everything was so dark, like a musty cave on the side of the sea. It was really depressing here. Even the Dangai was a little nicer than this place. To make matters worse, I think I was hearing things. Voices, I mean. The name of who it belonged to escaped my mind every moment I get close to figuring it out. It was so familiar, which irritated me. Like, a lot.

It belonged to someone of my past, someone who… I haven’t exactly finished grieving over. It’s been a long time, and I was almost positive that I’d still be grieving if I hadn’t been locked away.

I needed to hear that voice again. I had to figure out who it belonged to. Who had I felt so sad over their death that I’d be hearing their voices? Who—

“Hey, slacker, get back to work!” Damn, I hadn’t been expecting it to speak for another few seconds. I only caught the last word, and despite hearing it several times during my seatancy in Squad 5, there was only one person who it could belong to now.

But who was it?

“Ah!” I was suddenly blinding by a bright light, one that burned just as bad as the sun, and even when I turned away, the light burning through my bare skin, searing my entire body. When it finally faded back to darkness, the relief was too overwhelming. I actually thought that my gigai was going to melt.

I wasn’t sure whether I should open my eyes or keep them shut. What could be waiting for me if I did open them? Was it an enemy? Or will it be a friend? Both would be severely fatal to my poor little heart. I don’t think it take anymore, you know?

“Hey, asshat, get back to work!” A hand collided with the back of my head, startling me.

“Ow!” After my head stopped ringing, I was able to process the fact that even the slap had been familiar. But I still couldn’t place the name.

Filled to the absolute brim with curiosity, I opened my eyes.

Well no wonder it was familiar.

“K-K-Kaien?!” He blinked in surprise at my own. Why the hell wouldn’t I be surprised?! If someone you knew was dead suddenly appeared in front of you, would you not act the same way?

“Abaron, you’re looking a little sick there,” he said, stretching his hand forward, placing it on my forehead. He always used to do this, I thought depressively. But this… this can’t be Kaien. There’s no way. “Are you feeling okay?”

It took all of my willpower to scream or even make a sound of any kind. If this was a dream, I wasn’t ready to decide if I was willing to wake up from it yet.

So instead, I nodded; a gesture that was normal for a stunned Abaron to do. But even if I wanted to speak, which was completely not normal, I couldn’t. If I did, then I’d either start crying out of remorse or vomit out of pain. And then he’d make fun of me.

Just like he always used to do.

“Huh?” He moved his hand to on top of my head, where he then proceeded to twist my hair around his boney fingers. His rough behaviour, as unnerving as it was, made me tear up.

“You sure as hell don’t look fine to me. I thought I told you to stop lying to me?” Yes, Kaien. Yes you did. I sniffed. “And why are you crying all of a sudden? Did you really miss me that much?” I subconsciously wiped the teardrops out of the corners of my eyes and off my cheeks, realizing that I actually had started crying.

“Y…yeah,” I murmured, shakily pulling his hand away from the tangled mop that was my hair. I held on to it, bringing it to the skin over my heart. “You’ve… you’ve been gone for a long time.”

“Have I?” With his free hand, he scratched the side of his nose in thought. “It’s only been a week since I took Rukia to Carp Slope…  hmm…” He suddenly started to stare at me.

“W-what is it?” I asked nervously, stepping backwards. Looking around, I realized that we were no longer in the dark nothingness from before, but a familiar-looking training hall, most likely one from one of Kūkaku’s old houses or from Squad 13’s barracks. “K…Kai--?”

“You’re in love with me!”

“HUH?!”

“Yep, that’s the only explanation for how weirdly you’re acting,” he concluded with nod.

“I-I’m not acting weird,” I argued half-heartedly. “But… I am a little confused… and I’m not in love with you, moron!” I added loudly, smacking him on the arm. I expected to just pass right through him, as if he was just a spirit or a ghost, but I didn’t. And I was grateful.

When he was alive, and before I was locked away, our relationship was strictly professional. I was the hired help, and he was the boss. I worked, and they paid me. At first, I had only accepted the offer for Shōri’s sake. When we lived in Rukon, it was incredibly difficult for those who had spiritual energy to get food, but for those who didn’t, like me, we had nothing to worry about.

Shōri had spiritual energy at the time, and lots of it. She swore on her soul that she wouldn’t leave me here while she would be at the Academy, which is why we were there for many years. The Academy had plenty of resources to satisfy her needs. But she swore, and no matter what I did or said to try and persuade her, she just wouldn’t go.

So we stayed together, and struggled to get through the many foodless years until I could gain my own power.

It was many years after our arrival when Kūkaku found us. Shōri was right near death from lack of nutrition. Kūkaku saved her. She took her in without a second though.

And, well, that’s how I started working for them.

What, did you expect me to mooch off her like I did to Kisuke? No, Kūkaku’s too scary to take advantage of.

Back then, Isshin was the Head of the Shiba Clan, as well as the Captain of the Tenth Division. Of course, this was when Shōri and I had graduated from the Academy with the others, but…

When Ichigo and the others came to save Rukia, Kūkaku told me that after he gave up his title as “Head”, he took full responsibility as a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, which was around twenty years before now. And then, he just disappeared during a mission to the World of the Living, and no one ever heard from him again.

“Abaron? You in there?” Kaien had started waving his hand in front of my face. He sighed in relief when he found that he had successfully dragged me from my thoughts. “Oh, good; I thought I lost you for a second there. Man, you sure zone out a lot. If I had about fifty more fingers on my left hand, that’d probably be less than a tenth of how many times you’ve… Abaron?”

I didn’t ask for permission. I didn’t tell him I was going to. I didn’t let him have the chance of pushing me away from him. I wrapped my arms tighter around him, and continued to sob into his chest.

“You don’t know how much I’ve missed you, Kaien.” Well, so much for being strong.

That’s the one thing I hate about not being a human. They have the ability to ignore any feelings they have for someone, and then easily forget about those they have lost.

Soul Reapers, we… we rule death. We can never escape death. We are haunted by the spirits that surround us. They are bound to our bodies by the enigma we share in our hearts.

And now, because of the choice I made one hundred and ten years ago, about not listening to Bōkyaku, I am half a human. I have a piece of Ichigo’s heart. I can love and hate at the exact same time. And that is why I am the way that I am.

Why… why can’t I just wake up? Why do I have to feel so much pain? Why can’t this dream just end? Why can’t I just let Kaien go?!

“Well, Abaron… I never knew you thought that way about me.” I looked up at him to see that he was smiling. But it wasn’t even Kaien’s smile. Heck, it wasn’t even Kaien. “I was right; you are in love with me.”

And that was because it was Kurōdo.

He started laughing, no doubt at my horrified reaction. The fake room we were standing in dissolved, and turned back to the darkness I missed so much.

Everything was a lie—all of it. It was all just another one of their damn illusions; a façade that was made especially just to break me. But how did they know about Kaien? How did they know how he acted? How did they know about our past?

I can’t believe they made me forget about them taking me.

I jumped away from Kurōdo’s chuckling self and pointed my hand at him. I have to end this. It had to be now.

“Hado Seventy-three: Soren Sokatsui!”  

With a loud and echoing yelp, he jumped out of the way as nimbly as he could to avoid being disintegrated by the giant wave of electric blue fire. He sprung into a somersault, swaying slightly as he pushed himself to his feet.

No, you aren’t getting off with just a bit of Kidō, you bastard.

“Bakudo Seventy-three: Tozansho!” As the large prism finished forming, I grinned in triumph over the fact that I had actually trapped him.

Now, let’s finish this.

I ran over to the prism and peered inside. And what I saw didn’t make me even the slightest bit happy.

In place of Kurōdo stood a young boy with spiked purple hair and dark eyes that could probably pierce someone’s soul if you stared into them deep enough.

Was he a Mod Soul, too?

“Where did he go?” I asked him, taking in that he must’ve been a lot younger than the other three. Maybe I was as moralized as Ichigo and Renji. That explained the extreme guilt I felt for wanting to twist his tiny neck off the tiny body I wanted to chop in half with my zanpakutō.

“He was never here to begin with,” he replied flatly, craning his head to stare up at me. “All that you saw was an illusion. You have been played.”

“’Played’?” I repeated confusedly. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Perhaps ‘played’ is a somewhat-incorrect term,” he murmured, placing his hand on his chin. “Bamboozled, tricked, fooled, startled—regardless, each these words only proves how easy it was to deceive your small mind.”

“Crude words for a soft-looking boy,” I grumbled, stuffing my hands underneath my arms. “Have you forgotten that I’ve got you trapped in this Kidō?” He shut his eyes and sighed.

“Like I said: easy.” And he disappeared from inside the Kidō, sending my mind on a relapse. I spun on my heel, searching desperately for any sight of the color purple. But there was only blackness.

It was as if he was… teleported out of it. But… why does this feel so familiar? It wasn’t a Kidō that allowed him to do this, but it just…

Oh. That’s why.

I shut my eyes and let my ears do the work as they searched for a light buzzing sound. When I opened them, I caught a glimpse of something shining in the darkness, and I knew that was where he’d be.

Feeling the coldness of the Kidō brush against my fingers, my hands searched further for the edge, and when they found it, they automatically pulled it back, revealing a grinning Kisuke and a giggling Lirin.

“I knew it was you,” I said, tugging on the last piece so the curtain would shatter. “This was one of the projects you were researching before you left the Soul Society.” He stepped out and took out his fan.

“I was wondering when you’d pick up on that,” he said slyly, attempting to hide his satisfaction. “Noba, Tolo, you can come out now.” From a blackish-red hole in the plain space, the little boy from before and the man with the mask and shield appeared, standing silently beside Lirin. My eyes widened when I realized who else was with them.

“C-C-Chad?! But I thought…?” I scowled at them in annoyance. “It’s that damn Kurōdo, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” The fact that he had impersonated Kaien, even though it wasn’t really him, seeing as he wasn’t actually here, made me feel betrayed, especially since I knew Kisuke was the one behind it all.

“How could you do that to me?” It had taken me years to get over Kaien’s death, as I said before. At the time, part of me wanted to blame Captain Ukitake and Rukia for it, but I would let myself do that. Rukia had saved Kaien. She had saved him from devouring the people he loved and cared so dearly for. She even saved him from himself. And she saved Ichigo, and because of this, I owe Rukia everything.

“Kūkaku called for you earlier,” Kisuke told me. I kept my focus on the ground beneath me. After what he just pulled, I would have no intentions whatsoever in speaking to him. But… I was curious to know what Kūkaku wanted.

“What for?” I finally asked.

“Well, for one, she told me to remind you that your contract with her isn’t up yet.” Whoops, looks like I ‘forgot’. “She also told me to tell you to move on. She doesn’t want you grieving over him anymore. You deal with enough.”

If I wasn’t so terrified of her, I definitely give her a piece of my mind.

“That was what Rukia had come to talk to her about; on the day the others left the Soul Society. She knew how you felt about him. And she’s sure that he felt the same.”

And I lost it. I lost my sanity. I lost the hot flames that burned inside my heart. And worst of all, I lost the rest of my thin demeanour that kept me from driving myself up the nearest wall.

Those words, coming from Kūkaku, were simple enough to re-break my already broken heart. How many times has my heart broken, anyway? Let’s see…

Seeing Shōri killed by a Hollow…

     Seeing her suffer while in the Rukongai…

          Hearing of Kaien’s death…

               Hearing of who it was who killed him…

                     Witnessing my Captain’s defeat…

                          Going through the loneliness that was living in that cell almost my entire existence…

                               Meeting Ichigo and the others…

                                    Feeling the pain and emotions that he felt while in the Soul Society…

                                         Watching Ichigo and Byakuya fight against each other…

                                              Watching them leave…

So many times have I gone through what normal humans were graced of not having to go through. I was jealous of them. It just wasn’t fair.

I wanted to hate Kisuke for relaying Kūkaku’s message to me. But I couldn’t. I couldn't hate him. I wouldn’t let myself hate him. Because like Rukia, I owed him everything, too.

I gathered all of the tiny pieces from my shattered dignity and forced my shoulder back, smiling. And it wasn't a fake smile, either. For the first time in a long time… this smile, it was real.

“Thank you, Kisuke.”

Illustrated Guide to Soul Reapers! Golden!

Ukitake: Captain Hitsugaya.

Toshiro: What’s the meaning of this, Ukitake?! Why are you closing the Senkaimon?

Ukitake: Well… *sighs* I’ve received word from Yoruichi about some disturbing events in the World of the Living. *gasps* O.O I almost completely forgot that I had snacks! *reaches into haori sleeves and pulls out junk food* Here, take these! Oh-h-h, and I’ve got candy, too!

Toshiro: o.0”…

Ukitake: And, if you come to my room later, there’s plenty more where that came from! ^-^ I’ve got oodles and oodles of snacks!

Toshiro: :< why does he always give me this stuff?!