Ch 12

Been swamped lately sorry if it was short.

From the eve of the attack comes a startling harsh truth that most couldn't accept. A friend lost and an enemy not quite made, it both worried and hurt those who did know and probably those who did have a part in it.

Now in the academy, students chatted as if nothing had happened. Things progressed and life goes on.

And it was in class that certain people walked in, their lives changed along with their moods as they sat into their regular chairs. Their friends noticed something wrong but they opted to stay quiet and try to continue their day.

Sado, who sat behind Ichigo in the back of the classroom, noticed someone was missing; he slowly leaned forward before speaking, "Ichigo, where's Rukia?"

Ichigo placed his head down on the desk before staring out the window, "I don't know," a sigh escaped his throat before he sat up again, his fists tensed as he thought back to the other day how Sasuke had disappeared into that portal.

"It's Sasuke isn't it," Sado had noticed the look. It was no surprise here that Ichigo would be angry about the decision Sasuke had made. It took him by surprise though that Sasuke was a hollow, or those creatures that have been attacking this town of late, it explained a lot but it didn't lessen the impact Sasuke had made in the school, or more importantly, the friends the hollow had made.

"That damn Sasuke, why did he leave," Ichigo spoke out with frustration as he tried not to think about it, especially that power he had felt, it was way to surreal.

"Who are you guys talking about," Keigo appeared and sat on top of Ichigo's desk before staring at the both of them.

Ichigo's brows furrowed deeper, "that idiot Sasuke, you know, dark haired foreign exchanged student…" He mumbled a bit as Keigo seemed confused.

Sado nodded, "he and Ichigo are not in good terms right now."

"Oh," Keigo nodded before staring up at the ceiling, "umm," he folded his arms and stared at the two, "have you two been making new friends, because I don't remember anyone named Sasuke in the school."

"That's not funny Keigo," Ichigo glared at his friend who stood with his arms up.

"Hey, hey, sorry, I don't know any Sasuke in this school, really."

Ichigo looked back at Sado, they both paused for a moment.

"Hey Mizuiro," Keigo called out to the approaching boy reading a book in hand.

"What is it?"

"Do you remember anyone named Sasuke?" he asked as Mizuiro thought for a moment.

"Well I do know one, but he doesn't go to this school, why?"

They continued to talk as Ichigo and Sado sat their stunned, what did this mean, they wondered.

Through the day, Ichigo had observed along with Sado that no one remembered Sasuke. Ichigo couldn't ask Rukia why this was so since she wasn't in the academy so he had to continue wondering as time went by.

Lunch soon came and Ichigo was still stumped at this problem but in other sides of the academy, they weren't the only ones who had remembered Sasuke…

In the field clearing, sitting underneath a large oak tree, there was one teenage girl who seemed to be distracted from her lunch. She sat there with a dazed look as her friends stared curiously at the behavior.

It was Tatsuki who was distracted in her thoughts, often playing brief memories from yesterday. There were dark blots, small patches that she made out but, she knew it was hiding from her. She remembered something important the other day, something that occurred in the academy from what the school called a 'gas leakage,' accident.

'There's something fishy going on here,' Tatsuki scowled as she had this familiar feeling before, one such feeling when she was in Inoue's apartment some night ago.

She placed a hand to her forehead before sighing out loud, "am I going crazy?" she whispered to herself before she snapped out of it and looked around her.

Her friends were staring at her strangely as she felt herself become embarrassed. She laughed awkwardly before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Sooo,"Honshou Chizura fixed her glasses as a deviant smile appeared on her face, "Miss Arisawa, you seem distracted of late," she slowly inched closer towards a certain orange haired girl who sat quietly eating her strange lunch, "so distracted that I am sure you won't mind me sharing a kiss with sweet…"

She couldn't finish it as a rock flew to her forehead, stunning the girl and knocking her to the floor.

"Leave Orihime alone Chizura," Tatsuki spoke in annoyance whilst rolling her eyes.

The friends laughed at that before one asked, "But seriously Tatsuki, what's got you so distracted?"

Inoue calmly turned to watch her friend Tatsuki who shrugged. She stayed quiet for a moment before closing her eyes and leaning against the tree behind her.

"Nothing much Natsui," She replied as a memory replayed in her head, about a certain boy and that feeling that he arose from her. She felt herself blush before she scowled and turned her head, "damn, thinking about that guy pisses me off."

Her friends were surprised at that statement before they started giggling. Tatsuki twitched before turning to them. She spotted their looks as her blush rose with vigor, "hey, knock it off already, it's nothing," she regretted mentioning anything now.

"Tatsuki met a boy," Chizura rose from the floor, her face gleeful, "how did this happen?"

"No I didn't, that idiot Sasuke just pisses me off," Tatsuki yelled out to the others with her fist out, "geez, I hate him, really, I hate him."

The others stared at each other before scratching their heads while Inoue suddenly stiffened at the name. One spoke, "Sasuke, is he in our class?"

"No, I don't think I have ever heard of a Sasuke in our grade."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes at that, "haha, that's really funny guys," she spoke sarcastically as she turned to face them. It surprised her though at the looks on their faces, they really seemed confused.

"You know, Sasuke, the new foreign exchange student that everyone seems to like?"

No response as Tatsuki started growing angry, "oh come on, how long are you going to keep acting like this? Inoue, help me out here."

It was still silent as Tatsuki turned to face her orange haired friend. Her brows rose as she spotted Inoue silently sitting on the floor with her eyes seemingly downcast.

"Orihime?"

That seemed to snap the girl out of it before she let out a small smile and shook her head, "sorry but," she looked away from her, "I don't know any Sasuke."

"Wha," Tatsuki seemed shocked before her eyes grew soft, "come on Inoue, you out of all people wouldn't have forgotten that idiot," she reached a hand to her shoulder.

Inoue tugged away before standing up, her eyes were hidden behind her bangs as she shouted to her, "no, I have never heard of him!" she turned around before running away.

Tatsuki withdrew her hand before standing up as well, 'what's going on here,' she looked at her friends before staring back at where Inoue had left, 'why does no one remember him,' she placed a hand to her head as images of the boy flashed into her mind, 'maybe, maybe I am going crazy.'

She couldn't figure it out as she shook her head; deathly afraid of her-self, 'no, I'm not crazy,' she started running, "I'm not crazy," she spoke out before she broke off to the academy, determined to find some answers…

Ichigo stood in the school's hallway as he stared at Rukia underneath the shade of the building. He told her what was going on in the school as Rukia seemed to understand.

"We preformed a massive memory wipe and erased everyone's memory on Sasuke."

"A memory wipe," Ichigo narrowed his eyes, "I don't remember you doing any of that."

She didn't look at him as she responded, "well, we did ok. There's nothing else to explain it."

Ichigo may not know much about how these things work, but he knew enough to tell that Rukia was hiding something. Sasuke disappears and suddenly his whole life in this world was forgotten, that must be some memory wipe but then again, how did they do it, especially in such a massive scale.

"Are you sure?" Ichigo asked again as Rukia nodded. For now, he would have to accept that her words were true.

They heard a stomping noise from the other end of the hallway before they both turned to look. Ichigo appeared surprised at who it was.

The girl turned around before spotting him, and it seemed like he was the person she needed to see, "Ichigo," she spoke before running up to the boy again.

The orange haired boy raised a hand in greeting, "Tatsuki, what's the matter?"

She stood in front of him; her eyes were in distress, "please tell me you know Sasuke."

Ichigo's brow shot up in shock before he calmed his appearance. It seemed Tatsuki had remembered Sasuke, but if she had her memories wiped, how did she remember him?

He stared down at Rukia who shook her head.

"Sorry," Rukia spoke as she turned around and started walking away, "I don't know a Sasuke."

"Rukia?" Ichigo whispered in surprise again as Rukia glanced at him, her eyes telling all.

Ichigo grew pissed, he knew he couldn't tell Tatsuki and he already knew what Rukia told him. Things like these, it is better they didn't know much.

Ichigo shook his head, "I'm sorry Tatsuki, I don't know a Sasuke."

The dark haired girl gritted her teeth, "you're lying, you do know him."

Ichigo remained quiet as she grew even angrier.

"There's something going on here, I know it," she turned around and clenched her fist, "something is going on here and no one remembers a damn thing," she glanced at him again as he remained quiet and stared elsewhere with a look on his face. She lifted up her fist, "or no one trusts me enough to say."

Ichigo flinched at that statement.

Tatsuki started stomping off in anger once more, "fine, I know the truth, whether anyone tells me or not, but I know, I'm not crazy," she spoke darkly before running away.

Ichigo sighed in sadness before following after Rukia. They both walked along in silence, both miserable and angry as well at the betrayal and yet, they knew they couldn't tell the others like Tatsuki. The little they know the better…

Tatsuki ran back towards the gym where the accident took place. She stared at the taped window glasses and the construction on the destroyed wall. It seemed the workers were taking a break since no one was on sight, so she decided to do some searching.

She walked along the damaged building as images replayed in her mind. She grew frustrated that no one seems to remember anything. She raised her hand again before clenching and forming a fist, "I'm not making this up, he is real," she closed her eyes as she gritted her teeth. Her fist tightened harder, harder before she slammed it against the building wall.

She wanted to feel the pain of her frustration, to try to tell herself this was all stupid. She opened her eyes as she felt nothing before staring at her hand.

Her eyes widened at the damage. A white substance stretched from her arm to her hand as it broke through the cement wall. She took it out once more as her eyes scanned the alien substance.

'This again, what is this?' she saw the white claws that formed from the substance in her hands before she looked around, 'I had better get out of here,' she started running off…

She didn't notice the two shadows on top of the building. One, a muscular tan bearded man wearing glasses stood next to the other that wore a green striped hat.

The big man spoke, "what do you think Kisuke, what should we do about this?"

Kisuke continued to stare down the building while staring at the damage. His eyes seemed to be pondering many things before he sighed and turned around, "it seems Sasuke has left her with a gift like how Ichigo had given Sado and Orihime, but I wonder," he rubbed at his chin, "no, this has never happened before and it's too early to know if this is a good thing," he turned to the big man again, "she is an unknown at this state Tessai, further info is needed."

The big man Tessai nodded as Kisuke stared up in the sky, "I wonder how long will it take Rukia to realize that those from Soul Society has finally arrived?" he scratched at his head as he stared down again, his mind still in thought, 'and I wonder if you will lend us your strength when it's needed…Sasuke?'

…Hueco Mundo…

His hood was down, revealing his dark raven hair and the piece of his hollowed crown on top of his head. His chest zipper was low enough to let the others realized that he was one of them by the hole slightly below his chest.

And as he stood out in the vast desert, staring at the huge building far off in the distance, he couldn't help but let out a brief shiver, 'maybe my answers are in there?' he asked himself before he heard a noise behind him.

He quickly pulled up his hood and leapt to the side as a huge worm like creature came crashing down on the sand under him. His hand cackled with lightning as he wondered who had just attacked him.