Parenting A Strawberry

8

Ichigo spent the next 2 weeks trying to readjust back to life but he can't seem to understand what was so out of place.

Everything was normal but somehow it didn't feel normal.

His Hollow had also agreed with him as well, as weird as that sounded like.

"Oyaji?" Ichigo calls to his father.

"Yes Ichigo?" Isshin asks, he had decided that it was time to be more serious at times.

"I... I feel like something's missing from my life..." Ichigo says.

Isshin stills.

"I'm sorry Ichigo. But you have To figure that out yourself..." He said and left the house, leaving Ichigo confused and distracted.

Ichigo was so distracted that he didn't realise a huge hollow aiming for his head until it was almost too late.

"Ichi!!!" His inner hollow yells as he materializes and pushes Ichigo out of the way, taking the blow instead.

Ichigo watches in slow motion as his inner hollow gets thrown into a tree and falls limp.

"Sh-..." Ichigo chokes as he sees blood staining the white Shihakushou.

Ichigo's knees fail him and he falls to the ground.

"Shi-..."

Something's probing his mind.

He's trying to remember.

What has he forgotten?

What was so out of place?

Ichigo slowly crawls towards his white double and grips his white Shihakushou.

"Shi-nii?..." Ichigo whispers without thinking.

Ichigo felt tears sting his eyes as a bunch of new and completely different memories flood his mind.

"Ich-Ichi?... You remember?" Shiro asks.

"Remember what?" Ichigo asks.

"Back in Hueco Mundo... I was tryin' to protect you from that huge hollow..." Shiro chuckles weakly.

"... Yea... And then dad came and save us..." Ichigo chuckles as well.

"No time for chit chat... Kill that hollow for me." Shiro grins.

Ichigo nods and clenches Zangetsu.

He finally found what was so out of place.

Memories that he had forgotten with his brother and adoptive father.

He swings his Zanpakuto down and the hollow dissolves.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry!" Ichigo cries as he clutches Shiro's hands and helps him sit up.

"What are you apologising for? I'm older, I'm suppose to save my baby brother from these types of situations. I have no regrets. You're safe." Shiro chuckles, his wounds already healing.

"I forgot... I forgot about everything!" Ichigo leans in and slumps on his brothers shoulder.

"I did too. Until you were about to die from a measly hollow." Shiro says.

Ichigo laughs at that.

"W-We need to get you a gigai but before that. We need to go and see Dad... I miss him." Ichigo smiles.

"Aren't those things uncomfortable? Anyways, yea. We should. Hopefully he hasn't forgotten about us. OMG! Are we going to get in trouble for that one time we gave Lilynette candy?" Shiro groans.