This is my second fanfiction. I'm going to write this when I get writer's block on No Longer Imaginary my other fic. This will focus more on Ichigo then my other one but Grimmjow will still play a big roll. There will be slight yaoi but I don't think it will be more then teasing or one-sided stuff. It's AU without being an AU, the shinigami and hollows and stuff still exist I'm just adding awesomeness like elves and animal-people. I think this one may end up being a little more serious then my other one but it will still have humor. Please tell me what you think I have a fairly good idea where I'm going with this but it may get confusing so I apologize in advance.

Edited: 2/16/14

For the most part it's just stuff in the beginning and some spelling and word fixes

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Chapter 1: Twenty-one and Going to the Zoo

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The sunlight filtered through the dense leaves of the trees where several figures gathered in the shadows. Eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light varied in color and emotion, two were golden, one pale and mischievous though held an underlying tone of seriousness, the other shining and hard but curious. There were two blue sets, one that rivaled the ocean's depths that held a commanding look to them, and the other rivaling winter's icy morning sky looking as cunning as a fox's. The last pair were the same rich green of the forest they stood in and held a controlled amount of emotions making it near impossible to tell what they felt.

"It's weakened even more, we must do something soon." A calm and steady voice broke the silence around them all. All the eyes turned to look at the owner of those evergreen eyes.

"Li' wha' exactly? We can' do anythin' till they find thems'lves!" A slightly distorted voice remarked in irritation at the other.

"Quiet Si'ine." All eyes turned to the deep commanding voice that belonged to those equally deep blue eyes.

"But Silane!" Pale gold eyes flashed in annoyance. "Ya know 'm right! There ain't nottin' we can do righ' now!"

"Yes, and I understand where you both are coming from but you must not fight here." The owner of the deep blue eyes sighed, "We must wait for them to begin to remember on their own-"

"But it may be too late by then!" A feisty young voice form up in the trees interrupted. Deep blue turned to meet shining gold with annoyance at the interruption. "You know we don't have time for that brother."

"Yer li'l brother is right. Yer in charge so wha' we gonna do?" A sly voice from behind Silane said.

"If ya would let me finish, I said we must let them begin remembering on their own, meaning no forcing their memories." A wind blew making the leaves part more allowing light to shine on the feral grin below those azure eyes. "We can however give them something to trigger the memories."

()()()()

Ichigo read his book as he walked out of his college building. It was his copy of Return of the King, he was near the end of it.

'How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand? There is no going back. There are some things time cannot mend. Some hurts that go to deep that have taken hold.'

Ichigo placed his bookmark there and close the book placing it in his bag. 'I've read these books multiple times. Those words… I understood them but till recently they never really meant much to me. But after everything that happened, I gained power, lost it, had to watch my friends fight while I stood helplessly on the sidelines…I wanted nothing more then to be able to help, to be able to fight again, to have that power to protect once more. Even though all I had ever wanted before meeting Rukia was to not be able to see ghosts…once I had that, it felt wrong… and I couldn't really go back to just being a normal teen…probably because it wasn't what was normal for me.' He sighed before hearing someone call for him.

"IIIIII-CH-IIIII-GOOOO!"

"Hey Keigo." Clothesline. "How's it going?"

Unaffected by the clothesline received Keigo popped right back up. "Can you believe it man?! By tomorrow night you'll be twenty-one! It's so exciting!" While his friends antics were a little over the top Ichigo couldn't help but smile. After all Keigo was right the day after today was his birthday, his twenty-first birthday.

'It's hard to believe I've been a substitute shinigami for close to six years…well four technically, if you take away the time I didn't have my powers.' Ichigo's mind wondered as he toned out Keigo's raving of the party all his friends were setting up for him that night and tomorrow. 'I wonder how Nel is doing she came by last year to say hi, but I haven't seen her since. I hope she's ok, and her brothers too I guess weirdoes that they are. I wonder if Gri- No I need to stop that! I already have enough problems without Grimmjow showing up and demanding another fight. …Though he was pretty fun to fight now that I think about it. I haven't really had any fights like that since. I mean Ginjo was decent but…that was over pretty quickly. GRAH! Stop it Ichigo! Even if he was alive it wouldn't matter! How many times do I have to have this argument with myself damn it! He's still an arrancar… but then again so is Nel but everyone's ok with her so- NO Nel's different! She helped us… Grimm- Grimmjow nearly killed Rukia and I…but…'

"HEE~LLLOOO~ earth to Ichigo! You in there?" Keigo waved his hand in front of Ichigo's face making Ichigo snap out of his conflicting thoughts.

"Huh? Sorry lost in thought, what were you saying?"

"Space cadet… I was talking about the Zoo. They got a whole bunch of new animals in, and when I say new I mean NEW as in new never before seen!" He waves his arms around dramatically in his typical Keigo fashion.

"New animals… so what's that got to do with me?" 'I wonder what kinds they are?' he though but kept his curiosity to himself or tried anyway.

"Act all nonchalant if you want Ichigo but I heard from a very reliable source that you are an animal lover."

"I'm going to kill Rukia!" Ichigo growled under his breath. A 'reliable source' was almost always led back to one of three people, his father, Rukia, or Urahara.

"Oh come on it's not like you did a very good job of hiding it." A voice said from behind the boys making them jump slightly. They turned to see Rukia with her arms crossed defiantly over her chest. "I mean you had tons of books on animals and you would look stuff up online all the time."

"Che, whatever." Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. He had decided about two months back to let it grow out. It was now as long as it was when he fought Aizen after training in his inner world. Appearantly girls magically thought he was in some kind of band because of it which confused him, he was also getting a bunch of random love letters now. Which he teased Keigo about all the time, seeing as Keigo was lucky if he got one a month. Ichigo himself didn't really care as he didn't know more then half the girls and dating was never high on his priority list. Especially someone who only wanted to go out with him because of his looks.

"Aw little Ichigo's an animal lover how cute." Renji said as he slung his right arm over Ichigo's shoulders.

"Get off Renji." Ichigo growled a warning at his red haired friend.

"So are we going to this zoo place or not?" Renji asked ignoring the warning given to him. "Ooof!" He was removed from Ichigo's shoulders soon after by a solid elbow planted in his gut. "Uhg…"

"I don't see why we shouldn't go." Ichigo commented uncaring for the red head's pain as he adjusted the strap for his school bag that almost fell off when he elbowed him. "Anyone else planning on popping up?"

"Yes, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Captain Zaraki, Yachiru, Captain Hitsugaya, Rangiku, and Byakuya nii-sama are coming from the Soul Society. Orihime, Ishida, Chad, and Tatsuki should be meeting up with us as well. Others may decide to show up, everyone is pretty interested in the idea of a zoo. This will be the main group of people coming to the party as well." Rukia explained to him smirking at Renji's pain.

"That's a lot of people… Wait why are Kenpachi and Byakuya coming?" Ichigo asked as he began walking to the zoo. He didn't mind Byakuya so much but he was worried about Kenpachi what if the guy tried to attack him in the middle of the zoo just because he was bored. He sighed inwardly at the thought and hoped that didn't happen.

"Well Captain Kuchiki has wanted to come ever since Rukia told him about it three years ago. And Captain Zaraki is coming because Yachiru wants to." Renji explained as he caught up finally over his pained gut.

"That makes sense I guess."

"Kurosaki-kun!"

"Inoue!" Ichigo waved as Orihime, Uryuu, Chad and Tatsuki came over to join them, they all chatted about their classes as they headed towards the zoo. When they finally got there all the people Rukia had mentioned were present and waiting. Shinji, Kensei, and Shuhei were there as well.

"What's up everyone?" Ichigo waved as they got closer to the large group.

"Not much birthday boy. How's college life treating ya?" Shinji asked as they began to make their way to the gate.

"Not bad, my teacher's great and pretty lenient when I need to leave to kill hollows. He gives these quizzes randomly and whoever gets the most answers right gets a free movie pass I have five so far." Ichigo said proudly there had only been about fifteen quizzes so five was pretty good.

"Ichigo you nerd! How dare you go to the movies with out me! AHG!"

"He said he has five he never said he used them idiot!" Tatsuki said after punching him in the face.

"Hey Ichi?"

"Yeah Yachiru?" Ichigo asked the small pink haired girl that was now forcing him to give her a piggy back ride. Not that he minded much she was pretty light.

"What's a zoo?"

"It's a place people can come to see animals from all over the world. You have to promise me something before we go in though."

"Mm?"

"No going into the animal habitats. There are a few that you are allowed to but only if myself, Inoue, Tatsuki, Ishida, or Chad say it's ok, understand?"

"YEP! I promise Ichi!" Ichigo nodded and smiled a bit knowing she would listen.

"Hey why wasn't I in the list?" Keigo yelled from the back the group.

"Because you're an idiot that would try to tell her she should go play with lions." Tatsuki told him bluntly making him whine more but everyone ignored him used to his antics after the past few years.

They paid to get in and entered the zoo. Ichigo knew they had remodeled and expanded but it was so much bigger then he thought it was going to be. He was itching to look at all the new animals and habitats.

"Kurosaki, I think it is only right that since it is your birthday that you lead us on the path you wish to take." Byakuya said in his usual stoic manner.

"No need to sound all philosophical. Let's start by getting a few maps so that if some of us want to go off on our own we won't get lost. They've redone the place since I was last here, can't wait to see what they've done." He was half speaking to himself as he looked around for the maps he spoken of. Everyone could tell he was excited to be there, he was basically vibrating with the want to look around.

They decided to start in the middle and work their way out in a spiral. In the very center was three 'Houses'. The Small Bird House, with small birds from all over the world. The Bug House, with tons of strange looking bugs. And last the Hands on Facts House, that contained facts about the animals at the zoo and fun ways to learn them.

Yachiru of course spent a good half hour in each not that anyone minded. Everyone including Byakuya and Kenpachi were enjoying themselves. In the bug house Yachiru decided that one of the monarch butterflies reminded her of Orihime and the others had to agree making Orihime blush. The small pink haired girl then took to mimicking a lot of the bugs including the praying mantis.

"Yachiru, do you remember the espada Kenpachi fought back in Las Noches?" Ichigo asked leaning on the glass of the one window that looked into the bugs' home.

"Yeah I remember, Kenny had fun against that tall stick guy."

"Haha, this bug here the Mantis? That's the animal his release form was of."

"WOW! He's so tiny compared to that guy! That's really funny!" she giggled, as she continued to mimic it.

What seemed to surprise everyone the most was when they were in the Hands on Facts House Ichigo was able to give them answers, and tell them things that weren't presented in the information given.

"Ichigo I know you're an animal lover and all but to know so much." Rukia stated raising a curious eyebrow.

"My major in college is zoology, in other words the study of animals." He looked around at all the stunned faces of his friends. "It's not like I was keeping it a secret, no ever asked so I didn't see the point of telling anyone." The only ones not surprised were his human friends as they talked about their classes all the time.

"But…zoology? That seems a little uh…tame don't ya think Ichigo?" Ikkaku asked.

"I like animals big deal. Besides I'm training to be a field worker meaning I'll be in the thick of the animals habitats to get the information I want. It can be pretty dangerous depending on where you are and what you're looking for." Ichigo shrugged them off as he left the building and headed to the first cages. "Hey Keigo check it out! It's your favorite animal!" Ichigo said with excitement.

"Really!?" Keigo ran over to him to look in the cage.

"No." his voice went blank as his friend looking in the pit he was pointing to.

"AHHHHHHH! ICHIGO YOU MONSTER! Why would you do that I hate snakes!" Keigo jumped back from the snake pit and clung to Ichigo.

"Get off. It's not like they can just fly out of the pit at you. You can be such a baby it's almost embarrassing to be friends with you." Ichigo said trying to pry him off though he sounded annoyed he was thoroughly laughing at his friends reaction on the inside.

Horrified Keigo jumped away from him only to leap and try to cling to him again, "You don't mean that I thought we were best bu-oof!"

"Yes I do mean it actually." Ichigo said as he lowered his fist from Keigo's face. While Keigo pouted and held his face in pain everyone else began to look at the different snakes.

"Is it wise to have so many different types in one enclosure?" Byakuya asked curiosity leaking into his voice.

"You see the dividers?" Ichigo pointed to the glass the sectioned off parts of the pit, "In each section they put snakes with temperaments that won't set each other off, allowing them to have many together."

"I see." This was one of the first times Ichigo had seen Byakuya so curious. Rukia noticed and was smiling at her brother happy that he was enjoying himself. Ichigo was smiling as well, everyone was having fun –asides from Keigo at the moment- and no one was at each other's throats…yet.

They had been walking for a few minutes when they heard Rukia giggle, everyone turned to see what was so funny. She was pointing at one of the cages. "Look Renji, your long lost family." The cage had monkeys in it.

"Sh-Shut up you half-pint!" His face was as red as his hair in a mix of anger and embarrassment as the rest of them laughed. The two began bickering and Shinji made a comment on wishing he had some popcorn.

Soon a teenage zookeeper came up to them. "Excuse me, but you two are going to have to either quiet down or you're going to be asked to leave. You are disturbing the animals." The girl said with confidence. Rukia and Renji looked at her then glared at each other and started fighting again.

"Sorry about my friends Miss, they really like each other but both are too stubborn to admit it so they fight instead." Ichigo had come forward to talk, he gave the employ a sweet smile. "They've been friends for a seriously long time and just haven't figured out how to move past that stage of being just friends."

"ICHIGO!" Both yelled but were ignored.

"O-oh well that, that's ok then… I have a few friends like that too… so um as long as they quiet down a bit they should be fine…" She looked down and blushed. "C-can I ask why such a large group of adults is at the zoo?"

"Oh well it's sorta the precursor to my birthday party tonight. I'm also in college for zoology so when I heard that new animals had been brought in I just had to come." He explained with a charming smile making her blush even more.

"Yes we, uh got new animals in a few days ago… there's a uh… a bat… and a fox, and I think there are two coyotes. There's also a tiger and a panther." She said the last two with a bright smile.

"Panther…" Ichigo whispered and furrowed his brow.

"D-don't you like panthers?" The girl asked worried.

"What? Oh no, panthers are my favorite animal," He rubbed his neck and his smile turned sheepish. "It's just that I heard the animals were all newly discovered so when you said one was a panther I was a bit shocked is all. Sorry if I worried you."

"Oh well that's ok! I like panthers too! In fact I like any kind of feline! And what you heard was right they are all newly discovered." She chirped cheerily, though she had a hard time looking him in the eyes as every time she did she'd blush. "Well I have to uh go and a check on the birds in the Bird House… so bye…" She moved past the group and headed towards the Houses, she turn trying to sneak a glance only to find Ichigo waving to her making her go completely red and run off.

"Wow nice job Ichigo!" Ikkaku patted him on the back proudly.

"Yes you handled that quite beautifully. She seemed rather taken with you." Yumichika added.

"I have no clue what you're talking about. I was just trying to stop Rukia and Renji from getting kicked out." He shrugged tem off and went to keep moving but Keigo stopped him.

"Oh come on! That sweet smile, acting all shy and rubbing your neck like you were embarrassed. Talking about what you like! You were totally seducing her!" Keigo hollered and was about to go on till Tatsuki kicked him in the back making him fall on his face.

'If she comes back to yell at him I'll let her throw him out.' Ichigo thought as he watched him fall to the ground.

"Ichigo isn't like that you pervert! Unlike you and Miziro he isn't some player! Besides think about it, if he could seduce a girl that easily and on purpose do you think he'd still be single?" Tatsuki asked as she pounded Keigo's back with her foot.

Ichigo watched in amusement as his friends 'talked'. "You guys would make a great couple." He commented as he turned to start walking smirking as he heard them both stammer at his comment..

"Kurosaki-kun?" He turned to look at Orihime's confused face. "You…you didn't act like that on, on purpose did you?"

"Act like what exactly?" He had an innocent face on as if he really didn't know what she meant, but as he turned to leave several of the others caught the glint of mischievousness in his eyes. He started to walk away and turned the corner.

"He's good." Shinji said in a hushed voice as he, Toshiro and Byakuya followed Ichigo.

"Yes I almost didn't see it when he turned." Toshiro added in an equally quiet voice. "But what kind of confuses me is what his friend said, if he can do it on purpose then why is he still single?"

"Because I haven't found the right girl yet." Ichigo said as they rounded the corner, he was sitting on a bench along the wall so they hadn't seen him at first.

"Holy Crap Ichigo! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Shinji claimed dramatically as he held his chest.

"Seeing as how you are already technically dead I don't see the problem." He waved off with a shrug.

"So how will you know the right girl when you find her?" Toshiro asked ignoring Shinji's pouting.

"When I meet a girl that gives me a run for my money and that I actually have to try hard to get her to like me, then I'll go after her. Till then, it's more of a game to see how easy it is. I can get away with it since they don't realize I'm doing it on purpose, a lot of people seem to think I do the motions subconsciously. Which at one point might have been true." He smirked thinking back to when he was in high school.

"So then why do it back there with that girl?" Byakuya asked.

"Like I said I was trying to stop Rukia and Renji from getting thrown out." He got up and started walking, the fox pen was close by and he wanted to see the new one.

()()()()

Ichi-berry's a player! O.O I mean in the manga/anime he seems so clueless that's he's hot and has girls falling for him. So this is what I think one of the things he would do if he figured it out and was bored enough. It's also so that he has to actually try for the girl I'm sticking him with… if I'm sticking him with anyone that is… I don't know yet.

Sorry it's kind of short.

So what did you all think? Good? Bad? To obvious? Not obvious enough? Who do you think the people at the beginning were?