"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on."
Robert Frost
She takes care not to assume much of anything anymore. She's been wrong about too many things to trust her instinct when it comes to specific facts. About him, about herself.
About her brother's trust and her captain's faith, which shocked her into muteness when she was offered the position left empty for years after her mentor fell upon her sword. She was not ready and she was sure her brother felt the same way, but his face was impassive when she looked at him. She was expected to decide for herself. For once.
She accepted her vice captain's insignia and bowed as deeply as she could. So what if she was not ready? She would make herself fit into that space. Ukitake-taichou touched her head, ever so lightly, then cupped her chin affectionately. "I will not do this again," he said softly. "Do your work and find your peace. And do not die." Those last stopped her heart. A thousand sentiments compacted into four powerful words. She could only nod as the weight settled itself onto her shoulders. She was to be the last vice-captain Ukitake Juushirou would accept. The last.
With that responsibility accepted, she understood instantly that she would have to give up another.
The cleanup work in Karakura took far less time than anticipated, and she spent the dwindling days with that boy. But boy no longer. He was sixteen going on infinity, but he hid it all too well. Except from her. When she looked at him, she could see every wound on him inside and out; she observed the raw, open spaces in him with grief. She caused this. But reaching out to him now would do him no good.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, the idea of keeping him had tried to blossom. But he was neither a puppy nor up for adoption. Kurosaki Isshin did not fight for the sake of Soul Society and no denizen of the place could lay claim to any of his precious offspring, not so soon. There was never a definite "no" from him. Always a joke and a smile, but things had changed. She was no longer his cute adopted daughter. She was something much deeper and maybe, to him, not entirely harmless.
She remembers too well seeing him in his tattered hakama, the remains of his clean white cape edged with blood. Even as those who had been trapped in Hueco Mundo were clawing their way toward the gate which had suddenly been opened, he had slashed his way through from the other side. Aizen had tried to seal it off, but something had interfered. She still does not know what. All she can be certain of, based on later reports, was that instead of the battle of Hueco Mundo spilling into Karakura, it was the other way around. The ones Aizen had harmed and forgotten rose to claim their revenge; Karakura was never even close to falling. And the victors were not merely satisfied with disemboweling a few espada. They wanted the head of Aizen Sousuke and would not be deterred. The arrival of Kurosaki Isshin on their heels was merely a happy side effect.
Hanatarou was at Rukia's side and had grimly attempted to pull her down as the gate shattered and the resulting release of energy passed over them but she had stood still, frozen by the force of reiatsu that rode it. The familiarity overwhelmed her. It was like. . . Ichigo. But she could sense Ichigo, from the opposite direction, his fear and frenzy mixed as he battled what felt like an espada. This was wholly different. And then there was that voice. "Ah, Rukia-chan, nice of you to meet Daddy here!"
She could only blink at him. Isshin scratched his scrub of a beard and winked. "I've run out of opponents over there. I hope you and your little friend have left me a few?" He winked at Hanatarou, who blanched.
"Kurosaki-san," she gasped unintentionally. "When?"
"Right now, Rukia-chan. And later." He didn't allow her to ask that crucial second question. He surged past her, hand grazing her shoulder as he moved forward. "Catch your breath and come along."
She could only obey.
She had long since known how lithe the old man was on his feet. But she hardly expected this. How could she not have known? How could he have been so well concealed? But there was no time to wonder. So she merely followed, letting her mind slide into a delicious kind of blankness as she watched Isshin tear through one hollow after another, doggedly following the faint spiritual scent of his son. What he did not thoroughly destroy she finished for him, though there tended to be precious little left of any hollow that feel under his blade.
So. Ichigo's massive power was no fluke. It was inherited. But there would be time to marvel over that later. Isshin the shinigami was suddenly Isshin the clumsy father again, this time tripping over the corpse of the Number Four espada. The body had been cleanly separated from the head and fallen, arms askew; blood still seeped from the dozens of wounds in various spots. The head was closer to Inoue and the shinigami substitute, the startled look on it implied emotion Ulquiorra had never been accused of possessing. But of course he was shocked. He'd been beaten by a kid who was little more than dead himself.
But not quite.
The shimmering light surrounding the limp form was instantly recognizable. Inoue-san's shoulders shook even if her hands were steady. Isshin stood still, scratching his head uncomfortably and giving Rukia the eye. Rukia started, then heaved a sigh. It was not that Isshin considered approaching a sobbing girl outside of his abilities. He simply preferred not to. Hence, his houseguest. Rukia edged close, laying a gentle hand around Inoue's shoulders. "Are you unhurt?"
Inoue stiffened, softened again. "Kurosaki-kun. . . won."
"Yes," Rukia murmured. "But are you hurt? Hanatarou is coming." She didn't know this for certain. She merely assumed the fourth division member had followed, but either way she knew he would tend to the girl. It would be a great help to him for her to ascertain if there was any major healing needed.
"I—I'm not hurt," Inoue said. "Kurosaki-kun protected me. He was worn out and bleeding but he would not let me come near him until he had—they had—" She visibly shuddered.
Rukia's grip on her shoulder tightened. There was no telling what the child had been exposed to during her imprisonment here. It was best to let her focus on the current task and deal with the rest later. "How is he?"
"That thing inside him—I don't think I can unmake him."
"Inoue-san."
"The wounds Kurosaki-kun has—they would not have happened if that thing had not come out. And he's still here, clawing at Kurosaki-kun from the inside. He'll bleed to death inside. He'll die like this. And I can't do anything—"
Isshin shuffled his feet a little bit, his anxiety finally seeping through. So. Even this horrible thing about his son, the thing the boy had been struggling with and could still easily be defeated by, he knew it all. But was apparently as powerless as the rest of them to do anything about it.
"Inoue-san. It's not your fault." Rukia pulled at the girl's shoulder so she turned to face her. The wide doe eyes were predictably filled with tears.
"But he came for me."
"He came for me, too. You remember? You were with him. You could have been badly hurt but you took that risk, just as he did. He knows himself and he knows his limits, and he accepted the consequences, then and now. Just as you did. You don't need to take the blame for his decisions." Rukia's throat twitched at those words. Selfish thing, she thought to herself. Even now, unable to share the guilt. "We have to honor him for being brave enough to face it head on," Rukia continued hurriedly. "Let's heal him so we can take him home."
Inoue-san smiled, just a little bit, and turned back to her task. Rukia remained beside her, gazing at the orange head that did not move as the blood faded away and the body that did not twitch as the wounds slowly closed and disappeared. Even as Inoue-san finished and the calm voice of Yamamoto-suitaichou echoed over the empty spaces that Aizen Sousuke was dead, Ichigo slept.
The captains and the foot soldiers, save a few left to put down anything left smoldering in Hueco Mundo, had gone home. Rukia's own captain had pulled her aside at the gate, white hands nervously exploring her neck and head—he was not so far gone to let them wander lower with Yoruichi giving him a cool eye—looking for any wounds the fourth division had missed. It amazed and sobered her, but it did not surprise her. Her life was precious to him, even if only because Kaien had traded his own for it. But Ukitake's eyes were bright. "Word was that you had been badly wounded," he murmured. "Captured."
Rukia bowed. "That is true. I was not imprisoned for long and I met with Abarai-fukutaichou and Ishida-kun. We met Nii-sama just as he was arriving with Unohana-taichou and Zaraki-taichou."
"Yes," Ukitake said. There as a long pause, as if he wanted to ask more. But something, maybe the way she stood with her jaw unintentionally clenched, stopped him. "It is good to see you here. Is Kurosaki-kun awake yet?"
"Not yet. His father will be returning with him, Inoue-san, Sado-kun, and Ishida-kun to Karakura. May I accompany them?"
"You may. Please return to the compound by 1200 hours tomorrow. I wish to be debriefed," her captain said. Of course he did.
Rukia bowed. "Hai."
In the end, Kurosaki Isshin carried his son like a baby into his room and laid him on his bed. "Kon's in his body, and I sent him to watch out for Karin and Yuzu," he said, closing the door quietly. "They'll be back in a few hours. Come down with me and we'll talk." Rukia looked at the door. "He's not going anywhere and I know I have some questions to answer, right?" Isshin smiled at her grimly as he headed towards the stairs. Mutely, she followed him.
"Sit." Rukia obeyed, her eyes following his tall, muscled form. How had she never noticed this before?
"You were the one Kenpachi defeated, weren't you."
His shoulders shook as he chuckled. "I was gone long before he came, Rukia-chan. It's a long story and even I get sleepy telling it. That's all I'll give you for now, I'd just as soon explain all that to Ichigo and I don't feel like going over it twice. But I admit I knew about you before you gave my son your power."
"You felt me, of course."
He turned, leaving the pot on the stove and setting two cups on the table. "That, and Urahara mentioned that patrols were being stepped up due to increased hollow activity. We knew it was probably Ichigo and we were working hard to shield him. We didn't suspect he was that strong."
"How could you not have known?" She crossed her arms.
"I'm his father. I didn't want to believe it, can you accept that? Denial is something powerful once it really sets in. You know that better than anyone, don't you, Rukia-chan?" This last was barely a question. His expression changed in an instant, and she felt a thud in the back of her head.
"You never wanted to explain anything, did you."
"I do, but not right now. I wanted to talk to you before he wakes."
"Do you want me not to be here when it happens?"
Isshin rose as the teakettle began to whistle. "It's not that simple. I think you need to be here, for now. I know you have responsibilities and I would not try to interfere with that. But I know he won't be able to rest without knowing you are okay." He came back to the table and poured her tea. "You have options, you know."
"Such as?"
"Things have changed since Hirako and his crew were betrayed and abandoned. You can choose to stay here permanently. Become a human and stay with him."
"Why would I do that?"
"You love him, don't you?"
She felt her brow furrowing. "You just said you weren't going to interfere."
He shrugged. "I lied."
"Do you have any idea what you're asking?"
"I do. And I've been thinking about it for a while. He may never be able to live as a normal human being. He may never be able to be with a normal human and not feel restless, seeing as he'll have to hide what he really is. You are the closest person to him, whether you'll admit it or not. I'm a selfish man when it comes to my children. He needs you now, and he'll continue to need you. But I want him to need you from here, not Soul Society. I won't allow any of my children to enter that place before their time." Isshin's face was serious.
She blinked at him. "What if I don't want to stay here?"
"Wean him from yourself, leave here, and stay away for a while. Give yourself and him time to adjust." His gaze was steady. "You don't have to decide right away. It's not only your choice. But remember that he is still a child in some ways. You're an adult. It might fall to you do do the right thing, even if it makes you a hated person. Are you prepared to do that, for his sake and yours?"
The words were on her lips before she knew she was thinking them. "Yes." This was how it needed to be. She would do that right thing. She already knew what it was. She would not fail, and she would not waver.
She would let the boy go.
