Heartbreak is something that Ryuken was unacquainted with. He never met it, and never believed that he ever would. He did not think he would ever fall in love. How could he, for so long he was given the impression that he would be forced into a loveless marriage. A marriage between himself, and Masaki. Masaki was not somebody he loved. He didn't hate her, he cared very deeply for her, in fact, and in a way he did love her. But not as a wife, but more as his sister. If nothing else, he loved that he could be the hero that helps continue the breeding of echt quincy.
But children are not meant to be bred. And marriages are not meant to be based upon a sibling-like love. Marriage is meant to be concerning true love, love that makes your stomach rock and puts you in a paralyzing fear that you might puke on the person you want to puke on the very least out of all your options. A love that engulfs your heart in bittersweet pain, like eating too much chocolate. Love like that, is what marriage should be based on. Love that makes you wonder, "Is it worth the pain?" It always is though.
Ryuken had found this love.
He found it in the most unlikely of women too. She was a maid, his maid; he had known her as long as he could remember. Since the both of them were kids, she was there. She never judged him, always supported him, comforted him, and did as she was told. It was the simplicity of her personality that he fell in love with.
How odd is that? She was quiet, calm, warm, and soft. Such a simple yet beautiful combination of traits in a woman. And he loved them. He loved how much respect she showed him, even when he was being cold hearted. How she never got angry with him, even when she had every right to be. How she knew him better than he knew himself, but still chose to care about him. And love him.
And now heartbreak had struck him.
It wasn't the kind of heartbreak that could be cured through replacing her with someone new. No, this was his wife. Kanae, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He dark eyes glittered in the sun light, and her ebony hair was like midnight. In a way, she was like a real snow white, loving, kind, and almost perfect.
But she was weak. She had always been so weak. Just doing daily activities, poor Kanae would be struck with fatigue, and depending on the situation, a fever. Sometimes even worse. She had been in and out of hospitals for a very long time. She used to be strong, able to fight off hollows, do daily tasks, just like any other person. But when she had become pregnant with her darling Uryu, it had strained her body terribly. And she was never strong like she had been again. She was frail on a day to day basis. This was why Ryuken became a doctor.
He wanted to help her. To keep her healthy and alive until it was time for both of them to die. He wanted them to grow old and grouchy together, to always be there for each other, to always love each other and to never separate. He had slaved away in medical school for this very purpose. So that she would always be his, so that they could raise Uryu together, so that they could become old hags, grandparents, great grandparents, and then die together, not having to suffer even a day apart.
He could have done it too. He could have kept her there with him. Kept her breathing and alive for him and Uryu. But she had to be a gemischt quincy. A quincy that was frowned upon. Impure. Ridiculous. Since when were humans to be bred? She died because to many of the echt; she was no more than a mutt. To Ryuken however, she was his world. He needed her. He was not the best father, but by her guidance he could be decent.
And now, he was in a hospital room. His poor sweet wife… Why her? It was such a typical question. But why did the most deserving person of life, have to be so frail? She had collapsed three months ago, and he had not heard her beautiful voice since. A coma. Her very energy was being slowly drained from her already weak body, and she had been slipping away, for longer than he had realized.
But now, his heart was battered into small pieces like broken glass. Slicing through his emotions, through all the happiness that he had, and leaving him like a confused little boy, wondering, where did he go wrong?
She was dead, as confirmed by the long line of lifelessness on the EKG that groaned the painful chorus of one drawn-out, death-indicating beep. And there was nothing he could do.
Uryu was standing in front of her lifeless body, his eyes wide and struck with pain. He didn't move though. The bond he shared with his mother was strong; he gravitated toward her and loved her as much as he possibly could. She was his best friend in a way, the only person that understood him, and loved him whole-heartedly. And now he was watching his father, strict and somewhat rigid, gripping the metal sides of the hospital bed.
Why did he look angry?
It was because he was angry. Not at Kanae or Uryu or even the person responsible for her ruthless murder. But at himself. He just watched her die, just let her die, and saw her unconscious, trying to fight, trying to stay alive for him and their son, and now, she was dead.
He screamed a scream that swore throughout the entire hospital, pain echoed the halls, and death walked forward with her soul, and mocked him with a sore throat. He glared at the beeping EKG.
"Shut up!" He shouted, slamming it to the ground and destroying the equipment. His eyes held an emotion that his petrified son could not recognize. He was angry. He was torn apart. He was scared. He was confused. But most of all; he was heartbroken.
That was the day when Ryuken gave up his title as a quincy, and banned his son from ever practicing to be one. It was a ruthless race that killed its own kind.
That killed his sweet and beautiful, Kanae…