A full month.
That fact lingered through Ichigo's mind like a terrible memory. His face was downcast, eyes narrowed, mouth frowned, the day's plans were simply an after thought.
'Byakuya.' He was dead, the fact haunted the substitute Soul Reaper. At the current moment it was a Saturday morning, he sat down at the dining room table.
Breakfast was laid before him, eggs, bacon and toast. The food could have been described as half eaten at best.
Ichigo had a fork and knife in his hand, splitting them apart rather than outright eating.
"Okay! Ichigo what the hell is going on with you?!"
"Karin! You shouldn't curse when you ask somebody how they are."
"I'm not going to mince my words, Yuzu, especially if he looks like his puppy just got kicked."
Karin folded her arms over her chest,Yuzu pouted and looked away from her sister. Ichigo blinked wide eyed ー he was eating with his sister's for once!
Shaking his head and rubbing his eyes to make it seem as though he was chasing away the last vestiges of sleep. Ichigo then chuckled, "Sorry you just been a bit hectic lately at school, you know since everyone I know has been getting into some kind of internship."
Lies, he hadn't realised how much easier it had become to lie to his own sisters ever since he met Rukia.
Karin stared at him with a scrutinizing look.
Her raven-black hair ended at her shoulders fitting her tomboy appearance for the season. Karin's clothing consisted of rock band merchandise, from her shirt to her jeans.
Yuzu dressed more like an older woman yet she still retained some habits for a girl her age, she wore a lapis dress floral blouse and maintained short hair like Karin.
"Yeah…the whole gang that we haven't seen in over a month? What about you? Mind telling us-?!"
"Ichigo!" The young Kurasaki's ears twitched, standing then lashing out a kick that moved in an arc. Calf met tibia, as Ichigo blocked his father's flying kick.
Ishin with a playful smile applied more pressure, Ichigo's was as easy to read as a book.
His face was scrunched with effort, current position allowed him next to zero advantage or proper foot hold.
"Karin's right…" Ishin released the hold both he and his son were engaged in, he showed off a tad by allowing his white coat to flutter behind.
Isshin took his seat on the opposite side of the lemon colored circular dining table, across from Ichigo.
"You've been more distant lately, you haven't been around as much. You're constantly out and about, the same can go for your friends. Most people that know them can verify that fact for me." Ichigo felt as if he was standing there naked, his father's eyes bore down on him like two giant bronze spheres.
Karin and Yuzu felt like they had been dropped into a vat of gelatin, the duo threw cautious glances at each other.
Ichigo cast his gaze elsewhere while he clenched his fists, in his mind a single question rung threw his head.
What do you want me to say?!
The only response his brain could create sounded as if it was injected with pure sarcasm.
'Yeah guys, you know that your older brother and son, is a Soul Reaper. Basically a ghost monster hunter, yeah those exist remember every time there was a gas leak in town? Sorry, that was just me and new friends!'
To him it was utterly ridiculous and completely ridiculous! Deep down inside, he wanted to let it go to have the weight on his chest. Ichigo began to open his mouth-
"Hahaha, holy crap stop! Pffft! I don't wanna know what you and your friends are up to! Haha!" Isshin laughed uncontrollably right hand to his chest and left combed through his hair.
The two young Kurasaki girls looked at their father then brother. After witnessing their brother's face become the same hue as his namesake, they joined the families patriarch in his laughter.
"That's it! Thanks got to be somewhere!" While blushing, Ichigo ran out of the dining room to his own room.
"Oh, Ichigo read-mmmhm?!" Without care or regard for his companions' wellbeing, Ichigo grabbed Kon, his crimson bag and his leather jacket.
After going through a mental checklist, Ichigo dashed out of the house then he ran with dizzying speeds.
"Sorry, pardon me. Excuse me." The teenage boy apologized as he made his way through the crowd of civilians.
Early morning rays combined with the fading night hues, creating an image of a setting sun over an ocean. The combination brought joy to the people living in the concrete jungle.
After wrestling with his stuffed toy companion, waving through human traffic and avoiding being seen by the patrol men near the docks. Ichigo had finally reached his destination.
His eyes landed on the seemingly normal warehouse, a knowing smirk crossed his lips.
Kon rustling in Ichigo's bag, the ship sound produced was a sign of his success in finding the zip.
"Huff, dang it Ichigo! You could have given a guy some-" The substitute Soul Reaper rolled his eyes, the living lion toy's own button eyes landed on the grey and shuttered building.
"M…m…miss Lisa!" The doll launched itself from its perch on Ichigo's back, the young man nearly falling to the ground.
Kon flew the massive shutter at the front of the warehouse, arms and teary eyed. Thoughts of speckled, raven haired beauty clouding his stuffing filled mind.
'Miss Lisa, how I'v-' Discomfort had gone to meet the yellow lion creature, his face planted firmly against the honey colored barrier around the building.
Then like a pancake stuck to the ceiling, Kon peeled off of the wall and fell to the ground.
Crunching gravel sang out, Ichigo squatted down, gingerly picked up, and dusted off his friend. Said friend found himself atop the young man's right shoulder.
Ichigo smirked at the stuffed animal, who in turn stuck out his tongue.
Drawing his substitute Soul Reaper badge from his pocket, Ichigo placed the tan wood against the barrier.
Ripples shot out from the contact point, several motes of honey light flickered in the air as a small entry was cut in the solid form.
Not wasting anymore time Ichigo bent down, grasped the latch and pulled up the shutter. He raised the retractable metal door to waist height, crouched down while making his way into the building.
To any passing on looker that may have seen him enter, as soon as the shutter fell again, as the barrier returned to its original condition. They suddenly experience a sense of forgetfulness, the entire process of events whipped from their mind.
Ichigo straightened his posture, Kon fidgeted like an excited child on his shoulder. The teen breathed in a long breath of air, expensive was the only way to describe it.
Despite outside appearances the home of the Vizards was more akin to western mansion, curving stairways and hanging chandeliers greeted the young man.
"This place never ceases to amaze huh?" Kon nodded with vigor at his friend's reply, who closed his eyes wondering if the stuffed toy had even registered the question.
"For the love of-?! Can you stop gawking at the door acting as if this is the first time you've been here, Carrot Top?!" Ichigo gritted his teeth with such force that sparks could nearly form, Kon lost all of the vibrant color that decorated his plushy form.
Turning, the duo noticed the ever similar smacking of hard plastic against skin, announcing the arrival of a denizen.
"Hi miss…Hiyori."
"What's up Hiyori."
"Can you atheist put in the damn effort to sound at least half way convincing?! Ah."
"No." Hiyori fumed, her face turned red. Before she did something she would possibly regret later, she turned on her heel- mumbling and walking away.
Shrugging the teen with the lion toy in tow followed.
"Oh, miss Hiyori, did you chan-?" Leaning forward then rising - on the diminutive woman's two outstretched fingers was steam.
"Don't go around insulting people then- complimenting them not even ten seconds later!" Ichigo smirked at his friend - glancing at the short woman's attire.
He noticed her usually twin-tailed spiked hair was loose cascading down, like jagged mountain cliffs. The trio ventured deeper into the hideout, a shudder ran through Ichigo and Kon.
"This place is too quiet. What happened to everyone else?" Hiyori turned while still persisting on her path, which revealed her royal blue football jersey, and matching pants.
One of the tiny woman's eyebrows rose giving a questioning look, "The hell are you even asking? Where else would they be? All of them are either out buying groceries or working."
One word caught the attention of the substitute Soul Reaper.
"Wait. You guys…work? As in, you have jobs?" The revelation nearly caused Ichigo to bump into a vase perched on a mahogany stand.
Hiyori frowned, "Of course we have jobs, how the heck do you think we afforded all the oak furniture, the golden carpets and the massive lights? What do you think we did to get everything? Mooch off of some poor sap?"
For a few steps the orange haired man and stuffed companion held their tongues- stared at each, then without any shame.
"Yeah."
"Who the hell gave you such a low impression of us Soul Reapers?!" The once Soul Reaper seemed bewildered at what the teen had said.
"Rukia."
"Wait. The princess?" Ichigo and Kon nodded, however before any more words could be exchanged the trio reached an empty archway. The structure seemed to be constructed out of paper, the thing stood as tall as the height of the ceiling.
" Alright, let's get to it." Ichigo crunched his knuckles, while his companion seemed unbothered.
"Oi, who the hell said you called the shots?" Hiyori placed her hand to the paper, ruby light glared out beneath the paper. Space curled, with it so did the light, resulting in a vortex of light and darkness to form with the archway's once open gap.
"Now it's time to head in." Lacking any desire to worry for her ally, the Vizard jumped, grabbed Ichigo by his shirt. Then with a little wind up she threw him and Kon into the vortex.
With a tranquil expression, she hopped in behind him.
If Ichigo had to describe spatial travel or teleportation he would liken it to taking a long stretch.
Before he could think further, the substitute Soul Reaper quickly shielded his eyes. Directing his gaze above, the sun shone in all its glory.
"Why the heck are we scorching on a mountain side?!" Kon rolled on the earth, putting out imaginary flames.
"Stop acting as if you're about to burst into flames!" Finally catching up with the duo was Hiyori, who seemed unbothered by their environment.
The living lion toy however, "I have the right woman! Being this cute means that-mphmmm" A foot to the face silenced the toy.
"Don't care we aren't here for you." She turned her head to the man in question, who in response placed his badge on his chest.
The spiky haired woman nodded, "Good, make sure to finish what you started, time doesn't seem to be on our side anymore."
Ichigo now in his Soul Reaper attire nodded wordlessly, picking up, then removing the candy within Kon and then placing it within his vacant body.
With all his preparation completed, he sat crossed legged on the floor, meditating while his large sword was placed over his legs.
Concentrating, he focused on the image of an inverted world made up of endless skies and towering skyscrapers. His mind and soul split, the former traveled into the deepest recesses of his being.
After breathing in he felt the rush of ambient spiritual energy fill his lungs, he gingerly opened his eyes.
'Skyscrapers, check. Everything's blue, check. And…him.'
Sitting up above the Soul Reaper on the side of a skyscraper, was a man who sheet white from his skin to his hair and lastly his inverted Soul Reaper uniform.
He leaned back, on his sword, wrapped in a black cloth.
"Hmm?" He seemed to finally recognize Ichigo's presence, a terrible smile playing at his lips revealing his black teeth. "Welcome back, partner!"