Christmas night with rangiku and shuhei started like any couple's first Christmas married together. Snow was falling gently outside, the frozen flakes seemed to absorb all but the sound of Christmas carols that played through the night.
After they each had opened their presents from one another, there was one left under the tree. Shuhei was vary careful with the fragile box, which made rangiku curious as to what it was. The corner of the box was slightly moist.
"I bet its a really expensive sake" she thought aloud with a cheesy grin. Swiping her finger across the wet spot on the box she tasted it quickly trying to guess the odd flavor in her mouth. "Is it wine?" she guessed.
Shuhei shook his head no and chuckled a bit. "Why don't you open it and find out" he said handing the box over to her. Quickly untying the ribbon atop the box, rangiku flung the lid off and gasped. Inside was a tiny white and red ball curled up and almost asleep. "A puppy?" she cooed picking up the little ball of fluff.
It was a puppy of sorts, though this looked more like a baby with canine features and fur. "I thought we could start a family like this" shuhei said with a kind smile, quickly being pulled into a hug from his busty wife. "I love her, i think i'll name her ikari" rangiku grinned.
She couldnt wait to spoil the cute ball of fur. Ikari looked up with the warm bright ruby eyes only she had, and gave a tiny yawn. Chuckling warmly, rangiku handed her to shuhei as they got ready for bed. Lighting a candle to light their way to the bedroom, rangiku smiled widely. She hadn't felt this happy possibly ever. "Okay come on I'll show you your room" he said picking ikari up and carrying her to a well blanketed box filled with toys.
Not to long after setting her down and tucking her in, shuhei felt a tiny clawed hand at his foot before he descended the stairs. "No ikari, your bed's in there" he scolded with a gentle tone, returning her to the spot and closing the door again, this time, blockading it with a chair.
Ikari looked around the room terrified of all the shadows and dark spots in there. Tilting her tiny head back, the wolf pup began whimpering noisily, seeking attention and a means away from the shadows. "Go to sleep ikari!" shuhei yelled through the door, there was no way they could sleep with that ear piercing howl.
The tiny wolf was more persistent, trying to shove her way out into the lighted area again, she whimpered and howled more until rangiku interrupted shuhei's shouting. "Babe just let her sleep with us, one night couldn't hurt" she said in her chipper sing song voice.
Shuhei sighed loudly as he got up. "no we need to teach her who is the master." after a long amount of time passed, ikari managed to push the door open, trotting over to the bed and begining her terible symphany of whimpers and howls. "alright but just for tonight" Cradling her in his arms before setting her at the foot of the bed, shuhei gave both rangiku and the pup a kiss goodnight before waking the next morning. Shutting his eyes, letting sleep envelope him completely.
~five months later~
Another morning started like any other, sunlight glistening through the window of shuhei and rangiku's windows made a now full growl ikari streach out on her spot on the king size matress. her muscles untensing as she looked up to greet the warm light that beamed down upon her silver tresses. jumping up onto shuhei's lap and then onto the floor to wake him, ikari let out a happy yelp. Shuhei woke up with a grunt of dismay only to realize it was sunday. . "dear cant you explain to ikari what sundays are?" he moaned.
Tail wagging hapily as she ran down the porch stairs and out to greet the mailman, ikari made a mad dash to catch up to him, running across the lawn and trampling a few flowers on accident while she was running she caught a scent matching no other, it smelt of rot and trash. peering through the fence, she caught sight of a rat. Growling and barking madly, planning hot pursuit after it, she heard the faint ringing of the mailman's bycicle.
yipping happily as she bound across the yard again ready to catch the rolled up paper. squealing in delight as her paws came to a skidding halt, she ran back across the lush green yard, the grass still covered in morning dew, wich tickled the pads of her feet. making the leap of faith from the porch and diving into the doggydoor that was long gone to small for her, ikari remembered again why she had to start using the normal door like everyone else.
struggling to get herself squeesed either in the house or out, she groaned inwardly as she felt part of the paper tear. hearing a "pop" like noise as she was sendt tumbling aross the floor, the wolf girl rubbed her head quickly before dashing towards rangiku with a happy smile.
her fiery eyes glistening with happieness as she handed over the paper, being rewarded with a scratch on the head."yknow ever since we got her, we've been seeing less and less of those depressing headliners" shuhei remarked with a chuckle, motioning to the torn out chunk of paper in the direct center. she yipped happily.
"wait a sec ikari, i got something for you" shuhei said with a smile, knowing that ikari would love her suprise. Ikari bound over on all fours as she usually did, she hated acting "human" more than anything so usually refered to herself as canine. "yeah?" she asked sitting down, her tail thumping quietly against the tiled floor. without saying a word, shuhei reached into his pocked and pulled out a gorgeous red leather collar with the squad ten insignia on the tag, ikari's name engraved beneath it. "thank you, i love it" she said with a beaming smile as she hugged shuhei's leg.
"wont ikana and shuriken be so suprised?" rangiku smiled making a kissy face as she talked to ikari about the neighbor pets. ikari cheered as she raced out the door to show her friends
meanwhile, shuriken trotted down the path leading from her house, humming a merry tune, bone in mouth as she peered around. checking to make sure the coast was clear before darting into the bushes. She found a spot in the dirt that had a clawed "x" mark on it and knew she was home. unraveling the pile of dirt, he smirked in satisfaction. looking down at a massive pile of bones were she had stached them, dropping the newest addition in allong with them before hearing ikari call out her name. "shurikeeeen" the silver haired dog girl called, following her scent with her nose pressed to the ground.
"y-yeah what is it?" seeing that ikari was aproaching her, shuriken sat over te pile of bones in the ground. she covered them, but just barely. "notice anything new?" ikari asked, her chest pushed out a little.
"erm...you've had a bath?" shuriken guessed incorectly
"nope not that" ikari grinned.
"lets see...you had your nails trimmed?"
"nope not that either" ikari hummed shaking her collar a little bit.
"aye, you got yourself a collar" she guessed, admiring the tag with the squad ten insignia on it. casting a dark aqua gaze upon her own collar that had the squad eight mark on it. "have you shown ikana yet?" she asked with a slightly concerned tone.
"oh no not yet, i should though" ikari nodded with a smile, her and shuriken trotting in a pretty relaxed manner to ikana's house.
when shuriken and ikari reached the front porch of jushiro's house, the two saw ikana sleeping peacefully outside. her long brown fur lay completley motionless as she slept, her ears flickering allong with her nose. giving noisy sniffs to the air in her lucid dreaming state. "what do you think she's dreaming about?" ikari wondered with interest.
"aye probably about chasing down hollows with jushiro, but that was long ago before-..."
"before what shuriken?" ikari tilted her head slightly as she watched ikana sniff out a catipilar while she snored on.
"it shouldnt have happened to a soul reaper...ikana has lost her ability to sense spiritual pressure" shuriken explained with a somber tone. "but we musnt let on we know anything, it would break her poor heart"
Ikana woke with a startled yelp, seeing the two made her smile, but then get a puzzled look. "wich way did he go? wich way did he go?" she questioned urgently.
"go? wich way did-"
"a hollow, about seven foot, no eight!" ikana explained before catching sight of ikari's collar.
"Aww you've got yourself a collar" ikana said with a gentle smile as she sat back down, her tail wagging slightly.
"seems like just yesterday you were sharpening your teeth on shuhei's slippers huh?" the brunette teased playfully.
the trio's conversation was abruptly interupted by shuhei calling to ikari.
"oh please forgive me guys i really must go" ikari said bounding down the steps to meet shuhei as he walked by.
"race you to the house ikari?" shuhei said hapily, watching ikari take off like a bat out of hell down the road to his and rangiku's house.
she didnt take long to bound up her own porch steps, waiting paitiently at the top for shuhei to unlock the door. when he came up the walkway he smiled again. "whats this? you've got such a lovely collar, steady now" he said ballancing a treat on her nose while he examined the collar skillfully, as if he hadnt picked it out himself. opening the door and motioning for ikari to go ahead he let out an amused chuckle. "ladies first" he instisted.