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What sort of place did he come to?
How many weeks had he been kept in the forge, laying there, waiting for a master to pick him up from and greet him into the citadel? Far too long it seems… Because the person who greets him is not the master of this citadel, but a bloodied sword, eyes wild and desperate.
“Ichigo Hitofuri! It is you, oh my god it is you…” The sword embraces him, as if he was a long lost friend. Actually, he felt like he knew this person, and it takes him a moment to recognize his spirit.
“Tsurumaru… What is happening?” Besides the questions of where he was, and what he was to do and…who brought him here? What happened to the darkness of storage and the long wait of time to take it’s course
“No time to explain. I think they are coming.”
Ichigo is taken by surprise as his hand is held and he is pulled from the smithing room, and dragged down the halls outside the citadel. There is the sound of footsteps coming after them. Not running, but it didn’t seem to go any farther as they ran… not until they reached the stables.
“You know how to ride one right? You are a prince, you should be able to.”
“What?” Not only was he just put into this human body, but he was expected to ride a horse. If memory was to be called (and there was not much there granted), his experience with horses was riding at his lord’s hip. Ichigo shakes his head, and the white haired tachi huffs and helps him up onto the horse. Placing himself behind Ichigo, he takes the reins and the white steed bursts into a gallop.
The ride is silent, save for Tsurumaru’s breath against the nape of Ichigo’s neck and the sound of the horse’s hoofs hitting the ground. The ride is not long either, the horse being forced to a stop a little bit outside the gates of the citadel.
“… Alright, we can relax now.” Tsurumaru smiles and helps Ichigo off the horse and slides down himself, patting the horses rear. As if this had been done many times before, the horse throws his head and heads back into the citadel.
“May I ask… now? What is happening?” It was a rather exciting entrance, after all. Ichigo’s eyes widen in realization before his question is answered and he bursts in excitement. “My brothers, the Toushirous, are they alright?”
“So excited, one question at a time.” Tsurumaru leans against the wall of the citadel gates and crosses his arms, thinking for a moment before nodding in self evalutation.
“This citadel is corrupt.”
“… What?”
“Corrupt. The saniwa is no longer there, and the swords have just gotten messed up. For one reason or another, of course.”
Ichigo stood silent for a moment, not comprehending what he was just told. Tsurumaru continues, almost understanding what Ichigo must be feeling.
“I don’t know who the first to corrupt was, but it became a domino effect right after that. Almost the citadel fell under darkness but…” Tsurumaru beams and points to himself, “Some escaped just in time. Surprising, right?”
“Did my brothers escape too?”
“…”
Ichigo covered his mouth, looking back at the citadel. It looked so normal, as if nothing could possible be wrong but… it was too peaceful, he supposed. No one was outside, not a sound was heard.
“I have to go get them, Tsurumaru.”
“No way, they fell weeks ago.” Tsurumaru’s mouth hung open for a second before he shut it quickly. Words almost spilled over, forbidden words.
“Tsurumaru please, I want to see them.”
Tsurumaru shook his head with a laugh.
“You are just forged and you already have such strong brotherly instincts. The others who escaped will be upset hearing I got you, and then lost you in the citadel.”
“Then come with me.”
Tsurumaru gestured at his clothes, as if the answer wasn’t obvious.
“I was lucky to get you in the first place. I didn’t even know someone was waiting in the forge if the smith didn’t call me out as I was running away. Not all of this blood is mine, so don’t look so grim.”
Ichigo’s eyes still lingered on the citadel, but Tsurumaru cups the tachi’s cheeks and make their eyes meet instead. Needless to say, that snapped Ichigo from his trance.
“You win. You look so sad because of your brothers. All your brothers are still there, but… Let’s go there tomorrow. They are still rowdy from me dropping in.”
Ichigo slowly nods, and Tsurumaru releases his cheeks before patting his shoulder.
“Come on, it is a ways to our base. How cool, calling it a base. Like we are the rebellion against our own citadel…”
By the time they reach the camp, the sun hung low in the sky, slowly making the earth it’s coffin for the night.
Ichigo was greeted warmly by the residents. Well, most anyways. Ookurikara sat at the edge of the camp, not caring to make acquaintances with the newcomer. Later, Ichigo hears he has been silent ever since they left the citadel. Though no one told him outright, Ichigo assumed someone he cared for was left behind as well.
Hotarumaru and Aizen were pressed against each other while they rested, and they looked rather content in each other’s presence. Tsurumaru whispered in their ear that they had a guardian, but since he never arrived at the citadel, they are content with him simply not being involved in this mess.
Juzumaru was in the center of the camp, reciting prayers over everyone. His greeting to Ichigo was warm, but brief.
“So you wish to return back into the citadel?” Hasebe speaks up from behind him, startling Ichigo. He looks to the side for the moment before nodding confidentially.
“I wish to see my brothers before I go.”
“Tch… No one will go with you, you know that right?”
“…That is fine. It is my decision, and thus my responsibility after all.”
Hasebe’s features sharpen, and Ichigo almost finds himself intimidated. Almost. But the desire to go has grown since he left and had his talk with Tsurumaru earlier.
“Aww~ you are not even going to beg for one of us to go with you?” Tsurumaru wraps his arm around Ichigo’s neck. Ichigo gasps before smiling and shaking his head.
“…Oh, that is the first time you smiled too. You are just so cute.” Tsurumaru pinches his cheeks and Hasebe calls out Tsurumaru to stop.
“Well, then you leave when dawn breaks. Tsurumaru can show you the way in, but after that… Whatever happens is in your hands.” And Hasebe leaves at that. Ichigo watches as he leaves, and Tsurumaru whispers in his ear.
“He almost fell, when the saniwa left. Now look at him, all mighty. Stay strong like him, alright?”
Tsurumaru pushes him over the wall the next morning, and Ichigo falls on his feet back onto the citadel grounds. Tsurumaru tells him to remember the way they escaped yesterday, and let that be his escape plan.
“In case you need plan B, just run.”
Ichigo holds onto his sword as he comes closer to the citadel. No one has come to attack him, or make themselves visible. Somehow, that is the most concerning thing. The unknown. The silence.
Walking the halls, it was obvious that no one has taken care to clean the halls. Blood streaked them, scratches on the floor, and torn shogi. Ichigo finds his heart beating quickly in his chest… If he was to get into a battle, this would be his first battle. In this environment, it doesn’t seem like a good idea to engage either.
It is thanks to the torn shogi however, that he spots a tuff of blonde hair, and then black, and then pink. His brothers… He is in front of a rather large room, and the door is still intact, though the shogi walls were turn and slightly battered.
Opening the doors, his body goes cold.
His brothers were all kneeling in front of their futons, which seemed to be in a strangely pristine condition. The room itself was as if untouched, the floor kept clean and the beds made. At his entrance, all his brothers turn to face him. Some of his brothers were smiling, and some seemed serious.
Their skin was blackened, and their eyes shined with a hidden fire. Bright, against their dark eyes. Ichigo didn’t want to look in detail, but it was obvious that bones stuck out of their bodies in certain places.
But, in unison they called him out.
“Ichinii.”
And life filled the room. They all stood and raced to their brother, but it was not in an attack. Before Ichigo could step back, he was embraced.
“Ichinii, we missed you!”
“Ichinii, it has been so long, where have you been?”
“Yo, you need to catch up on everything you missed.”
Gokotai pressed his face against his Ichigo’s hip and Midare took his back. Their embrace… Ichigo was frozen in place.
“You guys… It has been so long… it is nice to see you again.” Ichigo’s voice wavered and he pats his brother’s head. He gets pricked by sharp bones, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
“Ichinii~ You will stay with us right?”
“Yes! You are finally here, we should go eat some lunch!”
“Maeda, it is still morning…”
“Right, breakfast then!”
Despite their appearances, their voices were soft and childlike, just as Ichigo imagined they would be. And, they still looked human enough. They were not monsters…
“Ichinii, it was hurting so much, with you gone.” Gokotai sniffled at his side, and Ichigo’s heart throbbed.
“You were gone, so we got lonely and sad Ichinii. But you will stay right? We will be happy!”
Ichigo felt his hands start to shake.
“Stay.”
Ichigo closes his eyes, and he feels the tears prick at his eyes. He bursts into a small laugh and nods.
“Alright… I will stay. But I can’t move at all like this. Come, get off me and so I can rest…”
And they all unhook themselves from their body.
And the pristine state of the futons are ruined, and the floor is dirtied, and the shogi stains bright with red.
“What happened to you? Did you almost get caught by the others? Even though they are slow, those oodachis really pack a punch.”
Tsurumaru is leaning against the wall, arms crossed as Ichigo exits the citadel gates. His clothes were stained heavily with blood, and his eyes and face were red and puffy.
“Oh? Ahaha… no, this blood is not mine. Should we head back?”