\The stars shimmered in the sky, unchallenged by clouds or city lights. The crickets sang their psalms to the luminous figures high above as frogs and owls tried to overpower the sound. Yet in the midst of this, two humans just relaxed in the grass by the meadow. They didn't care about the sky worship of the crickets, they just rest after the days activities. The older of the two sat smiling. He slipped the note he had finished reading in his robe and put out the lantern. He looked to the man beside him and laughed joyfully, slapping him on the back.
"You must be excited, my son," the older man congratulated, "Young Yoshikuro's going to be a father."
"Thank you, Lord Yoshitada," Yoshikuro bowed.
"Don't call me that. You're my son now, just call me father, or Daichi if that's too uncomfortable."
"…Daichi…father, thank you," Yoshikuro smiled nervously.
"So, I guess our hunt didn't go too well," Yoshitada sighed, looking at the small fox at his feet, a large arrow stuck from its ribs.
"I guess there are no deer out tonight," Yoshikuro shrugged. Yoshitada looked toward their temporary mansion. Over the trees they could see the aura of light from their home.
"Do you think they could be celebrating something?" Yoshitada muttered.
"Huh?" Yoshikuro turned as well, "…I don't think so."
Yoshitada picked up his gear and ran toward the mansion. Yoshikuro grabbed all he could and tried to follow. Yoshitada was running too fast and Yoshikuro fell behind. Still, Yoshitada's fear kept him running. As he ran, he could hear the growing sounds of battle. He quickened his pace, dropping everything but his bokken. Along with the frightening clatter was the sound of billowing flames.
"Yukima!" He shouted, "Tada! Kinji! Daisabu!" he panted as he reached the end of the forest. A group of thirty soldiers surrounded the home, each wearing the Hojo crest, stepping over the bodies of the fallen guards, one still falling as an attacker pulled his sword out. Through the flames, he saw no movement. "They've escaped, I know it, they must have!" he muttered.
As he caught his breath, a soldier carried a head to the officer. Yoshitada's heart sank. It was his oldest daughter, Tada.
"YOU BASTARDS!" Yoshitada shouted as he ran at the soldiers. The first soldier turned just in time for the bokken to shatter his face. Yoshitada took the spear from the limp hands and ran it through the officer. The soldiers began to reach for their weapons when from the home ran Yukima, who slashed the throats of two soldiers.
Yoshitada looked to his wife who mercilessly sliced through a group of five soldiers with tears pouring from her eyes. He ran to her side and they began to fight off the remaining twenty-one together. The soldiers had regrouped and slowly circled. Yoshitada forced control over himself as he held his bokken in one hand and a katana in the other.
"Where are the others?" Yoshitada asked. Yukima gave no response. Yoshitada looked to the home and saw his Tada's body pinned to the wall by an arrow. Beside her sat her two brothers, Kinji and Daisabu, also pierced with arrows. They had only gone for a leisure trip to the Kyoto.
Yoshitada shouted and ran at the soldiers, batting away their spears. He ran the katana through one and broke another's neck with his bokken. Yukima also began to attack, sliding under the spears and slashing one soldier's calves. As he fell to his knees she beheaded him. As she stood, an arrow stabbed into her shoulder. As she staggered, she ripped the arrow out and stabbed it into the neck of the nearest soldier. She ran at the archers, shouting with all the pain and anger built up inside her. Another arrow hit her upper left arm. Still, she charged.
Another arrow stabbed just bellow her lowest rib, but it didn't stop her, they had taken too much for her to stop. She stabbed her sword into the lead archer, pushing him back to a burning wall, pinning him there. The other archers prepared to let loose a round of arrows as Yoshitada began to hack his way through them.
They quickly turned their attention to him, however, only one was left standing by the time he could aim. He fired an arrow into Yoshitada's stomach. As he staggered, Yukima stumbled toward the archer and decapitated him from behind. She fell to her knees. Yoshitada forced his way to her as she swayed, uncertain of which way she would fall. Yoshitada caught her. The few remaining soldiers were being dealt with by Yoshikuro.
"Why?" Yukima sobbed, "Why did this happen? Wh-what did we do?"
Yoshitada sat speechless, horrified at this nightmare. In his arms, he held the woman he loved as she gazed at the flames that took their children. He had defied his family to be with her. He had defeated a war god to save her, and he fought a war so that they could have a life together.
And now she lay dying in his arms.
"When we…reach the other side…find me…" Yukima sobbed.
"I will," Yoshitada vowed. He snapped the arrow that stuck from his stomach then held her against him. They wrapped their arms around one another and as they wait for death to take them.
Yoshitada looked over Yukima's shoulder and saw a man in a black kimono and hakama with a white haori worn over.
"Good day to you, Lord Kagenishi," the man greeted. Yoshitada held tighter to Yukima, but his arms went through her. She began to sob as she clung tight to him, "I'm sorry for your losses, but I assure you, one day you'll look back and laugh…well maybe not laugh…but…"
"You unsympathetic…" Yoshitada growled. He stood quickly then looked down. His wife still held onto him, but he didn't feel her. He stepped back. His wife was clinging to his lifeless body, and he was outside it.
"You're dead…in case you haven't realized, but it's not so bad. I died long ago…of course, I don't remember it…but your sons and daughter are waiting for you, in Soul Society," He assured. Yoshitada could hear a chain dangling. He looked around, wondering if the soldiers were planning to take someone captive, "Looking for this?" the man smiled as he lifted a chain to Yoshitada. Yoshitada held followed it to a plug in his chest. In a panic, he tried to pull it off, "Whoah there, you don't want that, that's the only thing that keeps you from becoming a monster now."
"Who are you?" Yoshitada muttered.
"Kisuke Urahara, captain of squad twelve of the Gotei thirteen. I am a captain of the shinigami, or soul reapers. We protect this world and soul society," Urahara explained.
"Protect us from what?" Yoshitada asked.
"Hollows, tormented spirits that feed on other spirits, they can be very dangerous, but as long as we're around, it's no problem. In fact, I just killed five in the area," Urahara bragged.
"What will happen to me now?"
"I can send you to Soul society," Urahara shrugged.
"What will happen when we get there?"
"You may not remember this conversation," Urahara trailed off as he scratched his neck nervously.
"Will I remember anything?"
"I knew you were going to ask that, I was afraid of that question…no, you won't," Urahara sighed.
"…I won't remember Yukima…or my children…why would I want to go to Soul society if it means I'll forget all those I care about?"
"Alright, fine. I'll make you a deal: I'll allow you to keep your memories and you keep this whole conversation a secret, alright?"
"How will you do that?"
"It might seem weird, but stick this in your nose," Urahara ordered, holding a small stick. Yoshitada looked closely at it and saw a pair of eyes and small legs tucked away beneath it.
"Are you serious?" Yoshitada gasped.
"Just ask yourself; how important are the people you knew, and how will you react when they don't recognize you?" Urahara asked. Yoshitada thought for a moment, looking to his wife whose grip was loosening.
He stuck the small bug in his nose and was instantly sent to the ground. He could feel each leg claw its way up to his brain. He shouted as he pulled at his hair.
"Sorry, I should have warned you about that…"
The creature reached the top of his skull and settled. The pain stopped.
"Alright…ready to go?" Urahara asked, lifting his cane.
"What about Yukima? Can't I wait for her?" Yoshitada pleaded. Urahara sighed and lowered his cane.
"Hollows are gathering like vultures. They can smell the death around us. They know there were fresh souls in the area…do you really want to make me work that hard?"
"I'm sorry, but she's more important to me than my own safety."
"Fine then, but take this," Urahara ordered, handing him a katana, "If you see any monster-looking things wit white masks, use it on them, but whatever you do, stay away from their mouths."
As Yoshitada took the sword, he heard a loud roar from the forest. Urahara looked toward it and smiled, taking a hidden blade from his cane.
"You were quite a fighter weren't you, Yoshitada?" Urahara noted.
"I suppose."
"Just think of them as those soldiers who killed your family, because if we can't fight them off, they'll destroy your wife's soul, and all that will be left is the memory." Yoshtiada tightened his grip and steadied his sword.
"I see one!" Urahara announced with joy as he pointed his sword at the beast. He disappeared in a flash and was instantly beside the hollow. As Yoshitada looked back to the beast, the upper half slid off and it began to disintegrate. Urahara began to walk back as another leapt from the trees. He lifted his sword, and the hollow, unable to stop, landed on it. Urahara tossed the creature aside. Yoshitada suddenly felt an intense pressure come over him.
Urahara looked around cautiously, "That would be a Gillian. You should probably hide," he warned.
"I'm not leaving Yukima!" Yoshitada shouted.
"This is a Gillian, and it's hungry. This isn't a push over like the last two."
"I'm not leaving her!"
Urahara flashed back to Yoshitada. He took his cane and tapped Yukima on the forehead with it. Instantly her soul came out, "Now take her and run! My vice captain is to the south, run to him."
Yoshitada picked Yukima up and ran. She hung limp in his arms, having been forced out of her body must have drained her. Behind him he could hear the loud roar and blasts of energy. Yoshitada could feel more creatures following him. He sat Yukima against a tree and drew his sword. A vast number of the creatures glared at him, each wearing a ghostly white mask.
One stepped forward cautiously. Yoshitada's hands shook as he stood defensively in front of his wife. The hollow growled then leapt forward. Yoshitada swung the sword and from it came a wave of energy that not only tore through the first creature, but five more behind it. The other hollows stared in amazement.
One ape-like hollow growled and swung at him. He held the sword to block and a bubble of energy surrounded him. The beast staggered and rubbed its arm. Yoshitada swung at it, splitting it in half, then sent a slicing wave across the remaining hollows. As they disintegrated, he felt weakened. He fell to his knees, gasping.
"I began to wonder why a normal soul would be armed with a zanpacto," a long haired man in black noted as he walked to the two, "I'm Benimusha Kenchiro, vice captain of squad twelve."
"Kagenishi Daichi Yoshitada," Yoshitada wheezed.
"I'm guessing you met my captain, Urahara," Kenchiro smiled. Yoshitada nodded, "Well, are you ready to go?"
"I want to go along with her," Yoshitada added as he pointed to the tree where he left his wife.
"Who?" Kenchiro muttered.
"My…wife…she was just sitting right here…" Yoshitada stammered. Yoshitada looked over the forest, fearing what might have happened to her.
"I'll find her, but I must first send you to Soul Society. There's nothing more you can do here, you're weakened and emotional."
Yoshitada lowered his head and pulled at the thin grass as he began to sob, "So…I'm helpless here?"
"I'm sorry, but at your current state…yes, you're helpless," Kenchiro sighed.
"Please, promise me you'll find her," Yoshitada begged.
"I will," Kenchiro nodded. Yoshitada stood and wait to be sent. Kenchiro pressed the hilt of the sword against Yoshitada's forehead. At that moment, Yoshitada saw the world around him fade to white.