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Here's a summary of the story:
Ichigo must confront his demons, among them Ogichi and Ichigo's mother. In saving Karakura town did Ichigo play into Aizen's hands? Ichigo to realms unknown!
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So basically (I'll try not to give anything away here) Ichigo finds the truth...
Ichigo finds out the reason why human souls must turn into hollows if left in despair too long, a reason even soul society is unaware of. Why his mom isn't really dead (as you will find out in the this chapter), and what his real potential as a shinigami/vizard is. ALL IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE!!! How he gets there, and which alternate universe it is, you're going to have to find out by reading my story. (Darn. I really couldn't keep from giving plot details away...oh well.
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Doesn't that sound appetizing??? lol.
Here's the first chapter
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Disclaimer: I make no claims of ownership or profit over Bleach by Kubo Tite.
Memories of a Rainy Night
It always seemed to rain whenever Masaki left. Isshin thought so becuase he remembered every time she did.
He turned the faucet off, finished with washing the dishes and putting away the leftovers from that night's dinner. They had arrived late to their house and the girls had hit the sack as soon as they finished eating. Even the vive in Karin and Yuzu reached a limit. For them, it had been another day fighting monsters. To Isshin it was another day saving souls from their hollow existence.
The hollows were particularly stealthy today. Isshin outwardly fought as a human well-endowed with reiatsu and really with blind luck. He would rarely change into a shinigami at the risk that Karin or Yuzu might pick up on him. Isshin knew that Karin knew of Ichigo's alternate life as a shinigami. She saw him as clearly as if he were in the flesh. Isshin didn't need her becoming even more involved with the knowledge that her father was also a shinigami. Isshin would have suffered seeing Karin and Yuzu injured badly if it hadn't been for Kon. Fortunatly, he had been occupying Ichigo's body was able to eliminate them before they could do any harm to his girls...Isshin could have sworn that the hollows were functioning as a unit in order to distract him from his protecting his daughters.
Actually, to give credit where credit is due, Karin also scored a couple goals on the smaller ones. His daughter and admitedly foster son, could take care of themselves a good part of the time. The hollows usually posed them no problem, but it was the fact that they had so many to fight so often, that worried Isshin.
He knew soon Aizen would put his plan in full effect. Ominous as the times were, Isshin didn't loose his strong spirit. After all, these were the times that those things were made for.
Isshin was thankful that the girls were fast asleep. Tonight, the former shinigami needed to tell his son something very important, and he didn't need any interruptions. He doubted it could wait much longer. He sighed deeply as he looked out through the weeping windowpane, searching for his son's figure through the watery darkness. The orange-haired boy never came home on curfew, if he even came home at all. It was like this ever since Ichigo was drawn into the world of the Shinigami, Soul Society and Hollows.
Ichigo mostly forgot his responsibilities as a member of the family and as a student. Isshin would make no excuses on his son’s behalf for messy rooms, neglected special occasions, missed classes or unfinished homework. It was imperative that he take care of these things too…because Isshin believed there would be a day when Ichigo would return, and Isshin wanted him to return not as a stranger…
Exactly 7 years had passed since his wife died. Today was the anniversary of her death. They had made the annual trip to her grave, given prayers up to heaven, made soft conversation about when Masaki and the family were still in one another's company.
It was the anniversary of her death for everyone again.
But not for him.
This was the bittersweet burden that he bore, his long kept secret and dearest hope, that Masaki's death had been staged and that Masaki was still alive.
Isshin smiled wistfully. If he had admitted this to his children, he would have sounded delusional, and not like his buffoon alter-ego. He knew that if he told any one of his children about this belief, that it would alienate them or worse case scenario...they would follow Karin's example and disown him as a father.
Isshin laughed at the inward jab he just made. No. He thought, sobering up. It would be a real consequence and it wouldn't be just that...Never inclined to succumb to negativity, Isshin began to consider the most plausible...best case scenarios.
His sweet Yuzu would try to make the sense of it and empathize with him.
His self-reliant Karin would be offended and dismiss him as senile.
But that Ichigo...he'd doubted there was a best case scenario with him. Isshin was certain when he broke the news, of the three of his children, that Ichigo would have the most violent reaction of all.
Ichigo adored his mother and Masaki adored her son. Isshin recalled the times when Masaki had to attend to some other business than Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu, that Ichigo was the one who would throw the largest tantrum, could never be distracted from her absence and the one who would immediately forget about all his worries, as soon as she returned. In childhood, Ichigo’s happiness simply depended on his mother. Isshin believed a lot of it still did. Isshin often wondered, if she had stayed with them, what Ichigo would have been like. He had imagined that his son would be very...different.
Like that permanently furrowed brow that developed early in puberty might not have appeared. And his rough, ballsy personality might have been replaced with a moderate, pleasant and polite one. Isshin envisioned how that semblage would fit on Ichigo.
But that was simply not Ichigo, Isshin thought, rubbing his face.
Ichigo had grown up quite a bit. He'd grown tall and strong. He fought for his sister's safety and ever since becoming a shinigami, he fought for the world's...But Ichigo might as well still be nine years old when it came to his mother.
Tonight Isshin had to tell Ichigo about the great possibility that Masaki was still alive, recent events had compelled him to. He would arm his son with the knowledge of what he was really capable of...
His wish of keeping his son sheltered in ignorance might have continued...if only Ichigo had never become a shinigami. But as it was, children often go against their parents' wishes. Ichigo had chosen his own destiny, and Isshin believed he had no right to oppose that. After all Ichigo had earned his identity as a shinigami. And as a son, Ichigo had earned the right to be his own man, in charge of his own destiny.
"Ah, dear Masaki, I couldn't have done it without you." Isshin spoke into the darkness.
"Here's to your son." Isshin took his sakezaki and toasted it with the air.
Isshin sat back in the shadow-washed kitchen and listened the sounds of rain patter, his mind wandering back in time to when he first proposed to Masaki.
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Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed the fic, please reply with a critique/comments.
I have an unfinished chapter on my comp, but not uploaded onto the internet, so just tell me if you want to see the rest.
