The masked secret (Bleach fanfiction)

chapter 21

"I felt your spiritual pressures, and I thought they were yours, but Ichigo's was so different and-and-Rangiku's spiritual pressure too, but she dissapeared! I was so worried. And then this girl came and wanted me to go somewhere, so...."

"Quiet, prisoner!" Masa declared, hitting Orehime on the back of the head. She fell to her knees, mumbling something that sounded like "owwey."

Ichigo ripped Masa away from Orehime, glaring at her every second of the way.
Rukia kneeled down to help Orehime, but instead, she popped up to her feet, saying "I'm okay."

Ichigo smiled. Nostalgia crept upon him.
Yes. He could say it now. He missed it, the world of the living. He was torn-like being ripped into little tiny soul reaper pieces and fed to the birds.
Not fun.

Masa rolled her eyes.

Ichigo looked away from Orehime, back to the problem in hand.

"Masa. You said that Rangiku and Dai just dissapeared?"

Masa nodded.

"They stopped flashstepping and landed on a roof. Rangiku looked, well, like her heart had been torn out. The girl was crying." Masa hadn't meant for it to sound funny, but, she couldn't help it. She frowned and continued.

"Dai spoke to her, just like, staring her down. Then they dissapeared. Poof!"
Masa held out her hands to illustrate the "poof."

She grabbed her pony tail nervously. It was wierd.

Ichigo couldn't put the pieces together. This kinda sitiation, sitting down and thinking about stuff, just wasn't his style.

Matsubara started to speak.

"Ichigo, what do you know about your seventh seat? Have you noticed anything wierd about him?"

Yes,
Ichigo thought emediately. He suddenly remembered that night in the library, when Dai hollowfied. Ichigo's breath caught, and he gulped.

"Yah." Ichigo answered, wishing not to elaborate.

"Ichigo." Both Masa and Rukia said at the same time. Rukia glared at her cousin, then looked back at Ichigo.

"Ichigo, what was it?" Her eyes were deep and calm, and she knew that Ichigo didn't want to say.

He opened his mouth, and closed it again. No. He couldn't do that, he couldn't betray Dai's trust.

"Nevermind." He mumbled, turning to the direction Masa came from. Suddenly, in a whoosh of reiatsu, Ichigo heard and felt ripples of spiritual pressure.

He paused. He looked to Masa and Rukia, who didn't seem to notice. But Orehime did, and her kind eyes were wide in confusion.

"This way." Ichigo said, starting to walk the direction of the ripples. Orehime followed without hesitation, nodding her head in understanding. The others followed, alarmed by Ichigo's odd behavior.

Then they heard it.
It was like a tear in space, a ripple in time. Just like that.

A portal no bigger than a common door appeared, midair, on top of the rooftop.

"What a nice welcome." Masa mumbled, glancing over to her captain. He was gaping, his eyes shining with confusion and strength.

"Rukia, Masa, Arata. Let's go." He started at the mysterious portal.

"Ichigo." Orehime breathed. She got so much stronger, but she still couldn't help Ichigo, even after he was dead. She unsteadily fell to her knees, more dramatic than she had wanted.

"Orehime." Ichigo said, remembering. He turned to her, his eyes determined but soft.

"I want you to find Chad and Uryu, and haul up and haul up at your house. Something wierd is hapening. " He continued to walk, then stopped again.

"Oh, and Orehime, I can tell you've gotten alot stronger." She smiled a goofy and in mature smile as she watched them off.

Oh Ichigo. She thought,
You never change, do you?
* * *

Walking into strange doors to different dimensions is never really a good idea, so Ichigo was sure taking some risks. I mean, it just popped up right in front of their faces, what did you expect them to do? Oil it's hinges?

The four soul reapers popped into a soundless dark room, one that sent shivers up Masa's spine.
Don't be afraid. She thought as she unsheathed her zanpacuto. She held it, savoring it's familiarity.
"Hello?" She called, just as she toppled into someone.

"Here" Rukia said wearily. Both of them had fallen to the ground, wrapped in each others limbs. They jumped apart.

"Kido #26 kyokko." Ichigo watched as his kido lit up the room. It was plain and gray. Rukia and Masa were on the floor, and Arata looked disheveled. As Ichigo scanned the room, his words caught before he could greet his confused comrades.

Rangiku and Dai were disheveled on the ground.

Not only that, but soldiers in black lined the walls, their swords unsheathed. They had the same uniform as- that night Dai and him were attacked in the library. And their were two more shocking things about this picture. On the throne sat Gin Ichimaru, of whom Ichigo had watched die. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were wide open, torquoize spilling out like the ocean.

And the other, well that was easy. Ichigo heard it before he saw it.

"Rain upon the frosted heavens, Hyōrinmaru!"
A pillar of ice was going straight at Gin. He defected it easily, raising his brow. He snapped his fingers. Ichigo whirled around, positive it was some kind of illusion.
He watched as Toshiro Hitsugaya collapsed on the floor in response to Gin snapping his fingers.
Ichigo took just a second to process the scene. His new captain brain, the one that helped him evaluate things properly, was going haywire.

"Well." He breathed, filling the long, terrible silence.

"Ideas, anyone?"
No one answered.

I have one, Gin thought in vain, not even glancing to look at the pitiful child captain.
Oh, it's been a while since he'd seen this freak of nature. Overwelming, undeniable, terrifying power. The kind that could leave you on your knees in an instant. He remembered it, in his dying eyes. The strength he yearned for. It was standing right in front of him, wrapped in a captain's coat and rediculous orange hair.

Authors note:
Hehehhehe.
Okay, everyone take a deep breath, He's not dead! Okay? I could never do that to my dear readers! Well, anyway, please comment on this! I'm looking forward to see how you liked the big chapter 21! My favorite number! Anywho, if you want to, vote, and have an awesome day! And, as always, keep calm as always, fan on!

P.s. I'll be taking a new years break so the next chapter might be delayed, sorry!