Okay! So, I've been laid up for a few more days so I may as well get started on this story. It's enough that it's been bouncing around in my head for this long, I may as well get it out there. Besides it'll give me something to do while I'm waiting to get a new computer instead of having to use my little sister's computer but c'est la vie, right? It could be worse. Anyway, this story doesn't seem dark at first, but it will be. Just like the anime/manga. Since Bleach has such a huge wealth of characters, I can't guarantee that I can use all of them. I will be using most of the Soul Reapers/Shinigami. If you would like to see a scene with a certain character I wouldn't mind if you gently let me know but no promises.
As for the disclaimer, I don't own Bleach. If I did, Kaname and Gin wouldn't have died. I hope you enjoy this rather short first chapter but there will be much more to come trust me.
Names you may not recognize:
Takeru Morishitta
Meaning: Warrior
Role: Takari's daughter
Uryuu's Apartment
"Call me anytime you need me, kid." That was the last thing Takari Morishitta said to Uryuu before she handed him a white business card, patted him on the head and walked out of the shrine to her car. He'd kept it ever since then. He would always remember Morishitta for her voice, deep for a female but soft all the same and the jangle of her bracelets as she bent down to kiss his forehead. He only remembered seeing her once before. He supposed it has stuck with him so much was because he had pretty much been yearning for his mother the minute she became ill. The moment she hugged him were a saving grace.
He didn't even remember taking this card with him when he moved out yet somehow it managed to find its way into his desk when he moved his sewing kit. He didn't believe in coincidences anymore. He'd never thought to call the woman, hell he barely remembered her but as he sat there on his bed twirling the card around in his fingers, he couldn't help but think that he needed to speak with her. However, Uryuu found himself distracted almost unable to function.
No matter what he did, he found himself afflicted with a with wandering distracting thoughts that made it so hard to concentrate. On his worse days, he'd sit down in class in the morning and suddenly the day was over. He'd confided in Orihime who suggested time skips caused by a solar storm or...something like that. As lovely as Orihime was, she didn't prove to be much help. He'd never been more unfocused in his life. It was embarrassing. His mind was struggling with a deep, longing feeling he couldn't seem to shake. Even in his dreams. The more time he spent with Orihime, Chad and Ichigo the worse it got particularly when he was alone with Ichigo. Which seemed to be happening more and more now that Chad had a part time job and Orihime was training with Tatsuki who had insisted on it.
He looked back down at the business card to try and remember anything else about this woman but it proved to be of no use. The card itself was only a name and a phone number. There was no actual business logo or any hint of color. Frowning, he picked up the phone and began to dial the number. He had no clue why he was doing this. This number was given to him at the age of five. It probably wasn't even functional anymore but she said call whenever he needed to and in that moment, he really needed to.
He just didn't know why.
"Hello?" Whoever answered the phone was much younger than the woman he'd intended to call though she sounded similar.
"Hello, my name is Ishida Uryuu. I'm looking for Morishitta Takari, is she in?" He asked as politely as he could.
"No, sorry. She isn't." The girl on the other end replied. There was a long awkward pause. Uryuu opened his mouth to speak but the girl, most likely her daughter beat him to the punch. "Your father is Ishida Ryuuken, right?" She asked. He was taken off guard by the question and he nodded before he realized she couldn't see him.
"Um, yes. Yes, he is." Another awkward silence. "Why?"
"My mother and I are actually in Karakura Town for a visit." Nope. This was certainly not a coincidence. "She'll be glad you called. She's been trying to arrange a meeting with your father. Is he around?"
"I don't live with Ryuuken."
"...oh..." God, this was so uncomfortable. Chizuru often joked that for every awkward moment a gay child was born. At this rate, he and this girl could be responsible for Japan's entire future gay population. Uryuu scrambled to save the conversation, though at this point he probably should have just said good bye and hung up.
"Have you ever been to Karakura Town?" He asked incredulously.
"Yeah...I mean yes but not for a long time." She replied. She was scrambling too, he could tell. He then offered to do something he would've never cared enough to say.
"Would you like me to show you around? If you're not busy that is." He said. He was obligated. According to the Judea-Christian tradition of spiritual mothers and fathers, they were practically related.
"Oh, uh of course." She said quickly. "I-I mean...of course I'm not busy." Nervous laughter from both of them. This was going to be great.
Urahara Shop
Kisuke hadn't heard those footsteps in a long time. Soft but clear and at times, grating click of a pair of high-heeled boots he'd once known so well and often dreaded. He sighed before walking to the entrance of his own store. There standing in the doorway was a tall dark skinned woman wearing the perpetual smirk he'd known her for. She was different than Yoruichi for the fact that it often seemed like he and Takari couldn't exist in the same room before going for each other's throats.
"Urahara." She greeted with her arms crossed. Kisuke tipped his hat before speaking.
"Morishitta Takari...didn't think we'd ever see you in this realm again." He said airily. Takari snorted.
"Don't be so dramatic." She said rolling her eyes. She shifted from one foot to the other. "You and I both know that I used to come back here. Often." Kisuke smirked.
"Well in that case, you've gotten old." He said pointing to her head indicating her gray hair. Her apparent age didn't lessen her power at all, that much was obvious by the way she punched him in the arm. He was numb down to his fingers for a solid two minutes and that was just a love tap.
"Shut up. Not everyone can cheat with a gigai." Urahara laughed nervously before she did anything else.
"That aside, what can I do you for?" He scrambled.
"I've been promoted to Oracle." Takari said placing her hands in the praying position. Kisuke's eyes went wide with surprise and perhaps a bit of fear. Takari was pleased when he grasped the gravity of this situation.
"Since when?" Kisuke inquired swallowing.
"Three years ago, according to the people of this realm." She replied. Kisuke knew that three years to Takari's people could be much longer or much shorter than any calendar year. She could have very well have lived a lifetime as an Oracle. "Unfortunately, this means I've gotten rusty. I'd like to spar..." Kisuke interrupted her chuckling.
"I suppose I should be flattered that the first thing that the nefarious Takari Morishitta does when she comes to town is ask for a match."
"...with Yoruichi-san. Where is she?" Kisuke instantly deflated.. He wondered if she liked doing that to him.
"Not back yet. I don't quite know where she's gotten to." He explained briefly. Takari sighed.
"Course not..." She muttered more to herself than him. She shrugged and smirked. "Guess I'll settle for you." Kisuke returned the gesture.
"My thoughts exactly."
A Nearby Hotel
Takeru Morishitta stood outside of the hotel as she tossed her mother a text saying that she wouldn't be in the hotel room when she got back. She leaned against the wall and shoved her hands in her pockets. With a sigh, she glanced down the street. She hadn't expected Ishida to offer to show her around town and honestly, she didn't really want to but it'd be rude to decline. She didn't have any blood relatives, spiritual ones would work just fine. She shifted uncomfortably. She wasn't used to having her powers restricted but when she complained her mother just smacked her on the back of the head and told her to quit complaining.
"Morishitta-san?" A voice asked her. She lifted herself up off the wall meeting eyes with Ishida Uryuu. He looked much different than she expected him to look. He was so much younger than she expected. Perhaps she wouldn't have been so awkward if she knew she was talking to someone her age.
"Ishida-kun, nice to meet you." She replied. They shook hands and gave each other a deep nod. As a self proclaimed tailor, Uryuu could certainly appreciate what the girl was wearing. They were almost certainly hand made, not bought in any store. Her outfit was a little tomboyish but if it was tight he supposed she'd look a bit indecent as shapely as she was. She wasn't a classic beauty like Matsumoto or Orihime but she had a distinct earthy quality to her looks that gave her a certain charm that he could come to appreciate. He supposed he'd be attracted to her if he were into that sort of thing. The phrase "that sort of thing" meaning women, of course. Her eyes were a little unnerving though.
"The same." He offered a hand down the street. "Shall we?" The walked a few blocks down the street before they realized they'd fallen into yet another awkward silence. "Is...is there anything you wanted to see?"
"Well, I haven't been to Soma Cafe in a while..." She said. Uryuu smiled and nodded.
"I can do that." No, no not another awkward moment... "Um, so where are you from again?" He asked.
"According to you? Uh..." Wait...she had to think about it? "Baltimore, I think. It's in..."
"Maryland in the U.S. I know." Takeru silently raised an eyebrow that admitted sent chills up Uryuu's spine and prompted a flurry of neervous laughter. "Ah, sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you." Takeru just frowned and walked with Uryuu in silence for a moment. She obviously didn't like being interrupted. Uryuu wished he could fall through a crack in the ground. He didn't even know why he was doing this in the first place. He wouldn't have offered if he didn't remember her mother so fondly. They didn't have much to talk about. Between the two of them, Uryuu didn't get out much and Takeru wasn't even from this country. He wished he'd never...
Hollow.
Uryuu immediately picked up on the sudden fluctuation of Spiritual Pressure. He tensed wondering if things at this point could get any worse.
Two Hollows.
He made a mental note to stop tempting fate.
Three hollows. Four...five...six...too many...
For a minute, he looked back at Takeru who was thumbing away on her cell phone as if she were texting her mother. She seemed totally unaware of the impending Hollow attack. This was turning out to be a fantastic day. He could hear the Hollows roaring together as she tucked the phone away in her messenger bag.
"Hey listen, I have go..."
"I'm sorry but I have to..."
For a second, they stared at each other, wide eyed instantly knowing exactly why they had decided it was time to leave. Takeru was the first one to recover from the shock.
"Do you know any high-speed maneuvers?" She asked. She hadn't seen the Quincy Cross so she didn't take any chances. Uryuu nodded in response. Takeru smiled for the first time since they'd met and nodded before looking in the direction of the hollows. "Good. Try to keep up."
Urahara Shop
"Rusty, you say." Urahara groaned cynically bent over a mug of tea. Still panting and sore, he glowered over at Takari who looked just fine, not a scratch on her, was lighting up a cigarette. "Ah, you've started smoking again, I see."
"Don't over analyze, we all used to smoke, it's how we met." Takari replied sharply taking a drag on her menthol.
"Kurosaki would be disappointed." Urahara said lightly.
"Just so you know, I have no reservations about beating the living tar out of you again." Takari replied levelly. After a moment of silence, Urahara managed to give Takari a solid once over. Sure, at first glance she acted the same, but she was anything but. Her posture and overall aura had changed all the way down to her reiatsu. For all of her smart-assery, he could tell something in her had broken. No...not just broken but ripped out, mutilated, shoved back in then torn right back out only to be ripped up and forced fed to her. He cleared his throat.
"Your daughter?" He asked. "I assume that she's in the Sereitei if she's not here."
"No. She's back at the hotel. Jetlag."
"Jetlag? Is that what you're calling it now?" Kisuke couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh. "Imagine someone that powerful still having to listen to her mother and take naps. Only you could put the fear of God into a girl that powerful." Takari grimaced.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She bleated sticking out her tongue childishly. Urahara shook his head and waved his fan dismissively.
"Nothing, nothing." He said with a soft laugh. He sat back, having finished his tea. "And what about your son? Is he back at The Agency?" The very minute he asked the question, the room suddenly went still. Urahara had only seen an expression of such profound sorrow once before. Suddenly, the weight on this woman's shoulders became disturbingly clear. For a minute, Urahara's heart ached for her. He'd met her son once before. He was an incredibly smart young man albeit strange. But he was her first child. She was protective of him, but she loved him all the same. She loved both of her children. With her head bent, he couldn't see her eyes but he could see that she was trying not to crying or say something she'd regret. "I see." He said quietly. "For how long?"
"About a year now. According to us anyway." She replied quietly. She exhaled blowing out some smoke.
"My condolences." Kisuke offered. Takari didn't say much but she nodded showing she appreciated the gesture. After a moment, he spoke again. "You aren't here on a pleasure visit are you?" Takari shook her head but she didn't seem too concerned.
"Nothing big." She replied. "It's sort of a good will mission for our absence during the Aizen debacle."
"Then why did they send an Oracle?" Kisuke asked. Takari frowned again disposing of her cigarette. She didn't speak turning her head briefly to the window she felt a rise in her daughter's energy and accompanied by oddly familiar reiatsu. She had hoped that Takeru would just let the Shinigami assigned to the area take care of it. She should have known that she was going to do the complete opposite. It looked like she'd made a friend too. "I see, you couldn't let her go alone."
"No. It's too soon. She insists I'm just back up." She laughed a little bitterly. "Of course she does she's seventeen. She doesn't want me tagging along. I promised to stay in the World of the Living until I was absolutely needed. Then she made some crack about me being old and getting in the way." She scoffed gazing back at him. "Who's the other one with her?" Kisuke's eyes glinted under the shadow of his hat.
"Ishida." Takari turned to him, shocked.
"Ryuuken? But he-" She bleated incredulously. Kisuke laughed and shook his head.
"No. That's his son, Uryuu."
Secluded Park
"Judgment! Sentence Number 25!" Uryuu called back Gentei Kojaku and leaped out of range as instructed by his new companion. Takeru's announced attack spawned a number of ominous symbols. They burned themselves into the Hollows' hide. "Lethal Injection!" Suddenly every remaining hollow slowed to stop then within minutes, their spiritual pressure halted and they had dissipated before they even hit the ground just like the stages of the actual death sentence. Uryuu gazed back at Takeru both confused and intrigued but before he could say anything, Takeru started to laugh. Forget intrigued. Now he was just confused. Takeru managed to get a hold of herself and she waved her hand at him. "Sorry, sorry..." She said. "I just realized we have something to talk about now."
Kurosaki Family Clinic
Ichigo didn't know much about his godmother though she'd visited many times before. What he did remember was her eyes. They were green but not like the emerald, more like the August birthstone the Peridot. She was from the U.S. So she did things a little differently from time to time like switching from "bashi" to "watashi" frequently. She either wasn't quite good at Japanese pronouns or just didn't care. Either way, this got her a lot of weird looks especially when she used "bashi". Out of three that were scattered about the house, there was one picture with her in it that he'd always caught himself staring at from time to time.
It was in front of the Lincoln Memorial in the U.S. Capital Washington D.C. His father told him that it was a trip to celebrate the end of medical school. He then laughed and said that it was pretty boring and they decided to pool their money to rent a car and spent most of their time driving cross-country. They ended up in Miami. Now that was fun. His father then bragged about the way his mother looked in a bikini and that most of the pictures from that portion of the trip should probably not be seen by anyone under eighteen. Then he really didn't want to hear anymore. It had taken him seventeen years to figure out exactly who the people were in that picture.
Of course, he immediately recognized his mother and father. Though younger, they were pretty noticeable. His mother's hair was much shorter back then. It was the eighties after all. His father was still smoking back then and he didn't have any facial hair. To their right, there is another couple both with dark hair. It took him until recently to notice that this was actually Uryuu's father Ryuuken. Maybe it was because he had darker hair and he was actually smiling. His arm was wrapped around the waist of a lithe dark haired woman with eyes exactly like Uryuu's. She was laughing and holding her sides. On the other side of his parents stood another couple both dark skinned most likely African American but he was certain that his father said the male of the couple was actually from France. He recognized the woman as his godmother, a woman named Takari Morishitta, the other man was her fiance at the time though he'd never met him before. He assumed it didn't work out. She never talked about it. As he took the dusty picture from the back of the kitchen counter, he realized that they looked very much his his nakama.
As much as they hated to admit it, he and Uryuu would be their fathers while the women with them would be Orihime and Rukia minus the hand holding and kiss-faces. Beside them would be Chad. Renji could be his godmother. At first the idea made him laugh and then the image of Renji with breasts popped into his head and he wanted nothing to do with that. To be honest, he couldn't really think of the person who would be sitting next to Chad sharing a funnel cake with Uryuu and Rukia. He sighed and put the picture down. History was certainly cyclical.
Though she'd visited many times before, he only remembered one very clearly that was a year or so after his mother's funeral. He remembered being huddled by the door listening to her plead forgiveness she had already received before she even arrived for not being at the service. He didn't remember much afterward. On her way out, she patted his head and said.
"You are going to be some kind of power house one day, aren't you?" That was the last time me saw her. Up until he received his Shinigami powers, he always assumed that she was trying to encourage him. But as he thought back, closing his eyes for a moment. He clearly remember the long, sad smile on her face but what got him was her eyes. There was an unbearable glint in them that made it obvious that she saw far beyond him perhaps even farther than the Sereitei.
"Ichi-nii..." Ichigo tried to play it off like his Yuzu didn't just scare the ever-living out of him but no one would buying at the sound of his nervous, high pitched laughter. "Are you nervous?" Yuzu asked. Ichigo look from side to side.
"About what?" He asked still trying to get a handle on his nerves. Maybe he really was nervous.
"Daibo-chan coming to visit." She said. "You've been staring at that photo for fifteen minutes." Ichigo looked at the clock on the microwave. She wasn't exaggerating, he'd actually been standing in the kitchen staring at an old picture for fifteen minutes. It was a wonder that Yuzu didn't have the Psychiatric Clinic on the line or something as many time as she's walked in on his rantings mostly to Kon who constantly insisted on bickering with him about breasts and occasionally asses.
"No. I...uh...no but I just...I was dusting it off." Yuzu just frowned like she always did and left it at that. He sighed and scratched the back of his head. He focused on the face of the woman they'd been anticipating all week. What was it that made him so apprehensive?
Central Karakura Town – Soma Cafe
Only minutes after the Hollow attack, Uryuu found himself sitting across from Takeru Morishitta. Usually a Hollow attack wasn't viewed as a good thing but in this case, it at least gave them something to talk about. They seated themselves outside at a small table. Ishida noted that Takeru drank coffee at 5 pm. That couldn't be healthy. She gripped the coffee mug tightly, trying so hard to be polite.
"If you don't mind me asking," He said politely. "What are you exactly?" He frowned after that, he realized he'd made her sound like some kind of object or possession rather than a person. Takeru picked up on it on his small faux pas, but he was thankful that she let it go.
"We're called Clerics." Takeru replied. "We're a system of courts and law makers that keep the balance between realities." Suddenly this conversation had gone to a level beyond Uryuu's comprehension. Takeru took his blank stare as a sign to go on. "We're like the Soul Society but instead of managing the balance of life and death, we do so between realities." She began tearing up her napkin and arranging the piece in a web like fashion. "You see, there are many different realities. We call them realms. They are constantly being destroyed and created."
"But because they are always moving they need balance to keep them from bleeding into each other." Uryuu added for elaboration.
"Exactly. So we're kind of like Spackle." Uryuu took the joke and laughed at little. "We exist completely out of time and space keeping things together." Uryuu went from amused to concern. "Ah don't look like that we don't have the power to control it, we're not that powerful." She smirked again with her polite facade wavering. "You know you're taking this awfully well." Uryuu pushes his glasses up.
"I've seen a lot of strange things. At this point, very little surprises me." He sat back looking down at his tea then back at Takeru's smiling face. "As long as you're not trying to kill us or kidnap young girls, we don't have a problem."
"Kidnap girls?"
"I have a friend with one hell of a big brother instinct." Uryuu said with a tired sigh but Takeru saw the faintest hint of a fond, warm smile. "It normally gets us neck deep in some kind of life threatening danger."
"Sounds almost like you enjoy it." Uryuu had half a mind to get defensive but judging by the impassive smile on Takeru's face, she had just made a simple observation. That worried him even more. Though you couldn't pay him enough to actually admit it, he had long since come to the realization that he enjoyed Ichigo's company. Though lately, Ichigo's company was all he could think about. Even in his dreams Ichigo was there. Just...there. It was an uncomfortable topic, he needed a subject change. Takeru was polite enough to let him have it.
"You say that you exist outside of time and space...so I take you and your mother aren't blood related." It was more of a question than a statement of Uryuu's part. Takeru shook her head.
"Nope, but she's the only mother I've ever known. That's good enough for me." She said. Uryuu smiled.
"I don't think blood really matters when it comes to family." He replied basically agreeing with the sentiment. "I already figure as much, anyway. You don't look very much alike save for your skin color." They both appeared to be African American...though at this rate, he couldn't really be sure, just like with Yoruichi. He'd always wanted to ask but the minute the urge hit him, he always imagined getting his head lopped off and waking up in the Soul Society before he even knew he was dead. "Do you know every single reality at any time?" Takeru shook her head in response.
"No, we're normally divided into groups to handle a certain number. Since they're constantly changing we're all given a slice of the pie to maintain. We call the zones...I've never met anyone outside of my zone. Ever. I think it's just another way to keep the balance."
"This is a lot to take in...and you say it all so freely I..."
"Well, I wouldn't normally tell but you're a Quincy. According to history you've worked with us before." Takeru said calmly.
"Right Ryuuken and your mother were friends once. She was at my mother's funeral." He thought for a minute. He thought back to the trails of Hueco Mundo and Aizen who threatened the fabric of reality, destroyed lives and nearly destroyed two very dear friends. If she and the so-called Clerics were supposed to defend time and space then where the hell was she when they fought Aizen?
Kurosaki Family Clinic
Though under specific instructions to stay home until his godmother arrived, Ichigo had sensed the Hollows earlier but they were decimated by the time he found Kon. Uryuu was closer and he was willing to let it go for now though he wanted to call that boy just to see if he was okay. He looked down at his phone and thumbed down to Uryuu's number and took a deep breath. When did he get like this around Uryuu? At first he thought he hesitated because he didn't want to hear his mouth but no it was more than that. Much more. He just didn't know what the "more" was. He sighed when a little voice told him to have a little more faith in his friend. The doorbell snapped him out of his reverie like a whip crack. He wasn't expecting that.
Takari stood outside of the door with her arms crossed. Not that she wasn't pleased to be here but Takeru was late. She gave her the address the clinic wasn't that hard to find. She decided to give her about ten minutes leeway. If she didn't show then she'd use her aura to bring her here by force if she had to. The door flew open to reveal a blessedly familiar sight.
"Ari-chaaaaaaaan!" Isshin came flying out of the door like a jet liner, arms open and stars in his eyes but after all these years her reflexes were still to much for him. She gabbed one of his fanned out arms and flipped him over her shoulder landing Isshin flat on his back with a hard "thud". Ichigo instantly remembered why he liked his godmother.
"We're over forty! You can't get away with calling me Ari-chan anymore, you dimwit!" Isshin noticed that she'd censored herself for the sake of Karin and Yuzu. If it were like old times she would've said "dipshit". The years had made her a little less vulgar though Ryuuken would probably disagree out of spite. With a disgruntled huff, Takari hefted Isshin off the ground by the collar with both hands. For a minute she looked as if she were going to hit him. Everyone in the doorway held their breaths. Isshin flinched before she could even get a chance to move him. His eyes were still closed when she hugged him tightly. "God, I missed you." She said with a smile. She squeezed him so tightly, she made his back crack. Judging by that absolutely devious look in her eye, it was totally on purpose.
"Agh! Agh! Ari-chan you're crushing me!" Ishhin cried trying to squirm his way out of her grip. She let go and grinned.
"Sorry had to get my eight years worth of hugs in." Daibo-chan said with a laugh. She turned to Yuzu and Karin and the ran to her like they were five all over again. Normally, a hug wasn't exactly a customary greeting in Japan, but being from the west...Takari-bochan didn't seem to care. Eventually neither did they. "Geez, time flies I feel like I missed the cute little girl stage and I've become godmother to two beautiful young ladies." Yuzu was instantly reduced to a blushing giggling mess. Karin just turned away blushing, but flattered all the same, you'd probably have to tickle her within inches of death for her to admit it though. Honestly it was a wonder they remembered her at all they couldn't have been older than five when they last saw her. When she let go of the two, she halted at the sight of Ichigo eying him like a stranger. She pursed her lips. Ichigo instinctively backed up a few paces as she advanced on him tapping her chin. She was messing with him, he knew that much but he couldn't help it.
"Who is this?" She asked poking his stomach. "Rock hard abs...?"She placed a hand on his head and compared her 5'8" to his 5'11". "One inch shy of six feet?" She circled him like a vulture then she poked him in the back. "Posture could use a little work." As he laughed nervously, she abruptly grabbed his chin and examined his face with her scrutinizing gaze. "But handsome enough to keep the girls drooling." She whipped around turned her back on him with her arms crossed. Karin and Yuzu were laughing by now. "Nope. This isn't my godson. I refuse to believe it!" She declared pointing her finger in the air. She turned her faux outrage on Isshin who was almost too busy dying of laughter to hear the joke. "Isshin! My godson was a short little thing! How am I supposed to believe that he grew into this handsome young man in just eight years?" She demanded. Ichigo wasn't used to the flattery. Through he nervous laughter he attempted to be just as lighthearted as she was. Not his forte. He scratched the back of his head trying to come up with something.
"Well, Bo-san...I..." She turned back around smiling warmly.
"Boy, don't sit there and stutter! Hug me!" She demanded. When she embraced him, the memories of all the time she'd come to visit, bearing gifts and stories of monsters and brave priests who came to save the day. If he hadn't known better, she could have given Katsuya Hoshin a run for her money. However, all of that stopped when his mother died. The last time he saw her was a year after her funeral. The way she looked at him, if was as if she were looking at her own son. Wait...didn't she have a son of her own? And she had a girl too about his age, in fact. Where were they? As he let go of his godmother, he almost asked about them. Suddenly, he remembered that his father had asked them not to mention her son. He never bothered explaining why though. Had he died?
"Dinner's almost ready Takari-bochan." Yuzu said as they all went inside. For a second, Ichigo paused. He looked briefly at his godmother then down at he hands. For a minute, just for a minute, he had sensed an incredible amount of reiatsu.
"Ichi-nii, come on!"
Just Down the Street
"Oh wow, the old lady is really pissed at me." Ishida watched with a frown as Takeru frantically texted her mother back on the phone. Most likely apologizing. If he'd guessed correctly, Takari Morishitta's wrath was practically legendary. "Thank you for walking me there. I haven't been to Karakura Town in ages." Takeru said.
"Oh, that's okay. Kurosaki and I are," Close. "Friends from school." Takeru's first response was to smile knowingly.
"Ichigo's the friend with the super powered brother instinct isn't he?" She prodded. She didn't need any answer other than those few seconds of silence before she started giggling.
"Am I really that transparent?" Uryuu asked a little embarrassed. Takeru ceased her tittering by clamping a hand over her mouth and shook her head.
"No, no...I'm just really good at guessing things." She said glancing up at the sky. Uryuu studied the girl she seemed to get more an more informal by the minute. He supposed she didn't get out much, if she was fighting Hollows like him or whatever maybe lurking in between the realms of space. He rolled his eyes at how dramatic that sounded. She'd probably be offended if he'd said that aloud. Takeru suddenly stopped before Uryuu could climb his way out of his thoughts. "Hey. Where're you going? We're here." Takeru seemed to be losing her polite act bit by bit. She pointed to the green sign.
"Oh, uh, yes. That's it." Uryuu said oddly. Takeu noticed his change in attitude but didn't anything. He walked her to the door a little lost in thought. He wondered briefly exactly why a woman who was supposedly his godmother would visit the Kurosaki Family but not...him. He tried to fend off the impending feeling of rejection with an imaginary Quincy arrow but it dodged and hit him right in the stomach. He sighed. He didn't remember enough from his mother's funeral perhaps she and his father parted on bad terms. He had no idea just how right he was when he knocked on the door. Usually, made sure Takeru made it inside then left but the thought of seeing the woman who once made him feel like he had a mother when his own passed away before his very eyes made him stay. He could feel reiatsu much like Takeru's beyond that door and he swallowed wondering if she would even remember him.
"Oi, Ishida, what're you doing here?" Suddenly he realized he'd been staring at Ichigo's chest for a good two minutes. "Oi. Uryuu!" He snapped his head up at the sound of his first name.
"I don't recall giving you permission to call me by my first name " He replied pushing up his glasses. Orihime once confided in Uryuu that whenever they bickered they wore secret smiles. Uryuu had always thought that Orihime was in love with Ichigo, of course she'd notice something like that. He just wasn't quite sure why she bothered mentioning it.
"Che, like I need your permission for anything!" Coincidentally, Chad told Ichigo just a few days ago that the two seemed the most open and and happy when they argued. In turn, they'd both confided to their respective friends that they were slowly beginning to realize what they meant. Upon hearing a quite giggle, Ichigo's attention was pulled away from Ishida for a minute to settle on a girl almost as tall as him, dark skinned and grinning at him fondly. "Oh, uh...sorry." He said. "Um...who're you?" Suddenly, that friendly smile vanished and Takeru's left eyebrow rose slowly. Who would've thought that an eyebrow could be so intimidating? Uryuu actually took a few steps back. What happened to the polite girl he met about an hour ago? Ichigo nearly went mad from he revelation. Oh shit. Before he could react or defend himself, Takeru knocked him off his feet.
"Kurosaki Ichigo! Do you mean to tell me that you don't remember me? Maybe if I hit a few more times will that jog your memory! Maybe if I put you in a choke hold you'll remember then huh?" Takeru shouted drilling the end of her knuckle into the side of Ichigo's head. Uryuu watched nonplussed.
"Cut it out!" Ichigo said attempting to crawl away from her. With an absolutely wicked glint in her eye, Takeru dragged Ichigo back and wrenched his arm up sharply.
"Not until you apologize!" Takeru declared devilishly grabbing Ichigo who was supposed to have battle-honed reflexes and wrapping her right arm around his neck. "Apologize!"
"Alright, alright! I'm sorry! Stop strangling me!" Obviously if Ichigo could still breathe, she wasn't even wrapped that tightly around his neck. Takeru released him. There was a moment of long silence as Ichigo caught his breath and Takeru grimaced crossing her arms. A few seconds and Ichigo smirked up at his long lost god-sister. Takeru just couldn't keep a straight face and she dissolved into a fit of giggles Ichigo followed. "God, TK, you're like a tank you barely gave me any room to resist!"
"Says you! I can barely get your arm around your back anymore, you idiot!" Takeru said with hefting Ichigo up to his feet and hugging him. It was minutes after that the two realized Uryuu was still standing there eyes wide and glasses askew.
"I think we broke Ishida." Ichigo said with a quiet laugh. He waved his hand in front of Uryuu's face. "Oi Ishida!" Uryuu snapped out of his daze.
"I hear you, Kurosaki I'm not deaf!" He quipped pushing Ichigo's hand out of his face. "And now that Morishitta-san is where she needs to be," Ichigo felt an odd twinge in his heart but said nothing, "I'll be going now. Goodbye." Uryuu turned on his heel to leave and got two steps down the walkway before a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Uryuu?" Call me anytime you need me, kid. The voice of the older Morishitta froze him in place. Somehow he found the strength to slowly turn around to see his supposed godmother standing in the doorway of the Kurosaki Clinic. She had come to see what all the noise was and heckle her daughter for being late. With wide eyes, he watched as Takari Morishitta was overcome with joy. Normally if someone went to hug him, he'd come up with every excuse possible to not return it or try to get out of touching that person if necessary but with Ms. Morishitta he hugged her back tightly.
In that moment, Uryuu came to an epiphany. He'd missed her. That's why he wanted to call so badly. He missed this woman more than his own mother. He remembered her down to the faint scent of fresh cut ceder and peppermint. Why didn't she come to see him too? He got his answer before he even asked.
"I thought Ryuuken would keep me away from you forever." She said pulling back to look at him taking in the sight of him with pride as if he were her own son. Out of all the people Uryuu knew, no one had ever looked at him like that. No one. His heart clenched and he swallowed before having to bend his head with a it was then Isshin came to the door smiling.
"He looks just like her doesn't he?" He said. For minute, he could've sworn that Takari was no longer seeing him, but someone else entirely. He'd seen that look on his father's face only once in his life. Sure, his eyes were just like his father's but his hair, his build, even his far-sightedness...all of them came from his mother. Takari placed on top of his head smiling sadly.
"It's like seeing her all over again."
Well? What do you think? It's just the first chapter so there's not much to pick at for now but there will be. The Original Characters in this story do play an important role but they are not the focus here. I'm going to do my best to keep the focus on Ishida. If I stray please gently lead me in the correct direction. Anyway, I love you for reading. Thank you.
With Love,
East
