"Guh... Gough... Bastard! How dare you! My tongue!"
Without missing a beat, Ichigo strikes his sword into the Hollow's leg.
"Gwaaaaaaa! My...l-leg... My leg!"
"With this, you can't move. You can't use your weapon to fight. How's that feel?" Ichigo asks with such a chill in his voice.
"Can you savor it a little!?" he mocks. "How it's like to be one of the murdered!?"
To break free, the Hollow slices off his own leg, and takes flight. Ichigo chases after to him.
"That's right... You're scared, right? So much that you'd rip your own leg off to escape. Never forget...that terror! Hammer it into your mind and disappear!"
Having said his peace, Ichigo cuts him right down the middle.
Ichigo lands right next to me while the Hollow drops just a few feet away from us.
"...Is it over?" I ask.
Proving me wrong, a large set of gates with two large skeletons hanging from each door, appear right behind the Hollow. I just stare at it as Ichigo freaks.
"Wha... What in the would is that!?"
"It's Hell."
In a calm manner, Rukia explains.
"I told you the zanpakuto cleanses sin with a slash, and that's how Hollows go to the Soul Society... But not every Hollow is able to go to the Soul Society. This is because the zanpakuto can cleanse only the sins committed after the spirit has become a Hollow.
Hollow's who've committed terrible sins during life are doomed to be yielded up into Hell's lot. Watch, the gates of Hell are opening."
The gates do just that. Out came a large hand holding a sword. We watched as the sword pierces the Hollow and lifts it up.
Malicious laughter fills the air as the Hollow is brought within the gates. Once gone, the gates close and disappear.
"...He's fallen in Hell, huh?"
I continue to stare at the spot the gates had vanished from.
Hell...? That sounds to good for that monster.
~~~~Time Skip~~~~
It's night time, and the four of us had our attention on the boy.
"How is it?" Ichigo ask Rukia, still in his soul reaper form.
"It's a shame, but the chain of fate was already disconnected... No traces are left... Too much time passed. It's impossible to return to your body anymore."
"No way..." the parakeet lower his head.
This poor boy had not only his only family taken away from him, but his life as well... I wouldn't be able to handle that as well as he is.
Rukia crouches down in front of him and tries to cheer him up.
"D-Don't worry! Soul Society is a place where you have nothing to be afraid of."
The boy didn't look any happier.
"There are some excellent qualities as well. Such as, never being hungry. You're body feels light also. It's nine times out of ten better than this world!"
"You don't say, freeloader." Ichigo simply says.
Rukia sends a nervous glance his way.
I sit in front of the cage and speak with a kind smile on my face.
"Doesn't that all sound nice?"
"..."
"At least, if you go to the other world, you can see your mother."
That caught the boy's attention. As well as the others.
"It's not possible for her to return to life here but, if you were to go there... This time, your mom really will be waiting for you."
"Emiko-"
"Ichigo, can you please send him there?" I cut Rukia off.
My smile was now gone. It was back to my emotionless expression.
"Right..."
Grabbing his sword, Ichigo gets ready to perform Konso.
"Mister..."
The parakeet faces Chad.
"Thank you for everything!"
"....It was nothing."
"Because you carried me around, I didn't get hurt at all."
"...It was nothing..."
"...Well, I should go now... Thank you very much!"
"...Yuichi... When I die and go over there... Is it all right if... I carry you around one more time...?
Those it's hard to tell, I knew the boy was smiling.
"Sure!"
He made everyone, but me, smile.
"Yuichi Shibata."
Everyone looks at me. I simply just stare back at the boy.
"It's time for you to go and find your mother."
"Right!" the parakeet nods.
"Promise me something."
"Yes?"
"Promise me once your reunited with your mother...you'll never lose her again."
"Yes! I promise!"
A small smile tugs at my lips.
"And if there's a chance you can't find her, when I die, I'll be there to help you look for her."
"You will?"
I nod.
"I know what it's like not having a family..." I speak remembering waking up in that alleyway. "It hurts..."
"...Yes, it does..." he nods in agreement. "...What's your name? So I can remember."
"Emiko... Emiko Kurosaki."
"Emiko...Kurosaki..." he repeats. "Okay! I'll remember your name! I'll keep a look out for you even if I find her! That way you can be part of our family!"
"..."
I was taken back from his words. But I still smiled at him.
"I would love that."
~~~~Time Skip~~~~
Ichigo had perform Konso and had returned to his body. After Rukia wiped Chad's memories, sadly, we returned him back to his place. We went home after that. The three of us are currently hanging out in Ichigo's room.
"Looks like you got another family ready to adopt you once you're no longer living." Ichigo teases with a smirk on his face.
"...I didn't expect him to say that. I guess the way I said it made it sound like I currently didn't have one. But I meant what I said. I doubt he'll find his mother, but I'll help once I'm dead."
"...You surprised me, Emiko." Rukia speaks up.
"How so?"
"I didn't expect you have such a soft side to anyone besides your family."
I simply just look at her with my emotionless face.
"Also," she grins. "I didn't know you knew how to smile."
Ichigo jumps on that bandwagon as well.
"Yeah, it's been forever since you last smiled. You should do it more, it's cute."
"Because of that comment I'm never doing it again."
"Okay, okay, I'll stop. But you should at least do it for dad, Yuzu, and Karin. You know it'll make them happy."
I look back at the pendant, I was playing with, between my fingers.
"...I'll think about it."