[DISCONTINUED] Strive | Bleach

Chapter Thirty-Five: Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine.

Yay for Strive! My thanks go out to those who voted for it – WE WON FIRST PLACE IN THE BLEACHWATTYAWARDS AND THIRD PLACE IN THE ANIMEWATTYAWARDS! – because I really, really appreciate it!

Happy 11’000th, Strive! I’ll be getting a small tattoo – my first one – for this achievement. Thank you everyone, for sticking with it! I promise— the following chapters won’t disappoint you. ☜(˚▽˚)☞

It’s kinda short, so I’m sorry. I haven’t got a lot of inspiration for the Bount Arc quite yet, so hang on a little while longer. But, this chapter is dedicated to one of my closest friends from reality.

 

Bon voyage, Abaron!

 

***

Abaron Kakaku

“Hello?”

“Hi, Abaron! I’m just calling to ask you to come back to the shop for a bit.”

“What? I can’t! I’m at the hospital right now.”

“I’m sure the others can manage. For now, there haven’t been any signs of the Bounts showing up.”

“But why do I need to?” The line was flat for a moment, and all I could hear was static.

“I want to tell you about Hueco Mundo, and… what might be there waiting for you.”

-

Even though I did already know much about Hueco Mundo from what was taught at the Academy – it was mandatory, really, for all Soul Reapers – as well as the brief knowledge given to me by Kurotsuchi… the way Kisuke had said “and what might be there waiting for you”, it kind of scared me. Sure, he was known for that kind of thing, but he’s also a goddamn idiot.  How was I to know if he was going to scare me or not?

I rested my knuckles on the door and shut my eyes.

I… I had never thought about the possibilities of me not coming back home. The thought of me not seeing Ichigo or Rukia or Renji or Orihime or Chad or Uryū ever again brought tears to my eyes and a throbbing pain in my heart.

What was that called again?

Being sad?

Right… I was quite familiar with that emotion. Those who had the misfortune of being a part of who I was were bound to feel the exact same thing.

Shōri, having to stick with me from the moment we landed in the Soul Society, nearly starved to death, among other things.

Gin and Rangiku, I took them in, knowing full-well that I wouldn’t be able to tend to theirs and Shōri’s needs… but I found a way, in the end— a very demeaning, embarrassing, reputation-ruining way. I had no reason to take care of myself aside from keeping safe and making sure the others had lots of food to nourish their spiritual energies.

Ikkaku and Yumichika, those stupid bastards; but I’m still thankful for meeting them. Shōri would’ve died from illness if they hadn’t taking her and I into their little shack. They didn’t even have to take me in, just her. But they did, and the money Ikkaku had earned from fighting other Souls was enough to keep us going.