"Get out!"
"Ichigo…"
"Out!"
"Lieutenant Shiba, Lady Shiba, please leave before I need to sedate you in addition to my patient. You can see him in the morning."
"But-"
"That was not a request Lieutenant!"
Kaien squawks as he's pushed out the door, only just recovering well enough to grab Masaki's hand before she stumbles out after him. Once she's stable, he goes for the door, only to find it locked shut.
"Captain! Unohana!"
"Kaien, stop-" Masaki was at his back, tugging at his shoulders and trying to pull him away.
"Masaki, we can't leave it like this!"
She was already shaking her head. "Unohana is right, he's not in the right state to hear anything we say. I know it's hard, but we need to wait until he's calmed down."
The Shinigami's shoulders sagged, and he let his wife coax him down the hall. But once they reached a corner, he pulls away in frustration.
"We've been waiting eight years!" he snaps. "Six years of not knowing if he was dead or alive, then 2 years of waiting, praying that he'll wake up. And now-"
He throws his hands up, before they drop to cover his face.
"My son doesn't know who I am Masaki. Hasn't just forgotten me – I've been written out and replaced. By Isshin! Isshin, Masaki! Isshin!"
"Did I hear someone call my name?"
The two jerked up as they took in the new arrivals. Isshin was strolling up the hall, Kukaku and Ganju tailing after him.
"Dammit Kaien, want to explain why I had to shake Isshin down for information on my favourite nephew?" Kukaku growls, though there's a grin on her face and a bottle of sake in her hands. "We should be celebrating!"
Ganju is smiling just as widely, slinging an arm around his older brother's shoulders.
"She's got a point Kaien. How come the Captains are hearing the news before your own family?"
Kaien send a glare Isshin's way, but the Captain just shrugs.
"Hey, the second both of you didn't come home they started camping out in my office. It was either come clean or the Shiba Clan was going to have two new ice sculptures for the grounds, compliments of my third seat. You know, for a guy who deals with ice, Toshiro's quite the hot head."
That gets a slight smile from Masaki and Kaien, but all three pause when they take in the sombre mood.
"Everyone, we're grateful that you wanted to come, but it's not as simple as we were hoping" Masaki explains. "Ichigo's…having some problems, mentally."
Isshin frowns.
"Wait, I just heard the tyke was awake. What did I miss?"
Kaien sighs, pulling Ganju's arm away and stepping closer to Masaki.
"His memories are fried. He doesn't remember anything other than the 'fake' world he was set up in. On top of which, in that reality, Masaki was dead, and I didn't exist. Least not as his Dad."
Kukaku's smile vanished, while Ganju looked as if Kaien had just punched him.
"Oh, big brother, I'm so sorry."
Isshin on the other hand, was just shaking his head.
"Are you kidding me? He's your spitting image! Who the hell does he think is his Dad?"
Kaien grit his teeth, sending Isshin an awkward smile.
"Apparently? You."
Isshin's jaw dropped to the floor, while Kaien took the opportunity to hit the wall with his head.
"As far as Ichigo's concerned, his parents are Masaki and Isshin, or 'Goat Face' as he and his siblings preferred to call him" Kaien continues. "Trying to correct that information did not go down well. Hell, just coming face to face with Masaki sent him running into a suicide attempt to try and break the hallucination."
The three paled drastically, and Masaki joined her husband, leaning against the wall with her head down.
"It looked like he was coming to terms with it, right up until Kaien came into the room. We were kicked out of his room before he could do any serious damage to himself other than screaming his lungs out. Captain Unohana didn't appreciate us upsetting her patient" she explains. "Hopefully tomorrow we'll have better luck at convincing him – I'm hoping his sisters might have more luck."
"Wait, are you sure that's a good idea Masaki?" Kukaku asks. "I mean, if he doesn't recognise his father, is he going to-"
"He knows Karin and Yuzu" Kaien interrupts, though his head remains against the wall. "We didn't get far enough into his screaming fit to confirm if he knows our Karin and Yuzu, but he knows those names. I'm the only one that doesn't fit."
Masaki immediate grabs his arm, pulling him into an embrace.
"Kaien, don't talk like that" she urges, pulling his head down and pressing his forehead against hers. "Our son is alive. Alive and awake. Even six months ago that was little more than a fantasy, but it's happened. We dealt with it then, and we'll deal with this now."
She lifts her head to give him a light kiss.
"He will remember sweetheart, it's just going to take time. And we have all the time in the world to help him now."
For a moment, Kaien leans into the hold, before pulling back and giving her a sympathetic smile.
"You're right. Of course you're right. I just…I was just so ready for this to be over."
Everyone looks away at that. It's a very mutual feeling. Eventually, Kaien sighs, running a hand through his hair.
"Look, I need to go report to Captain Ukitake" he admits. "I more or less ran out of there when Unohana sent word – he should know what's going on and that I might not be as available for the next few weeks."
"Please, you've got Ukitake wrapped around your little finger" Isshin jokes, though there's still a shard of panic in his eyes. "He'll give you the next six months off if you just ask."
Kaien rolls his eyes, but grabs Masaki's hands.
"Update the girls, and I'll be back home for dinner" he tells her. "I promise."
Masaki bites her lip, but nods as her husband pulls away, walking down the hall – pausing only momentarily when Ganju pats his shoulder – and vanishes round the corner. Kukaku's eyes follow him until he leaves her sight, then turns her attention to Masaki.
"Let's get you home, okay?" she offers. "And if you need anything, just ask. We're here to help."
Masaki lets her pull her down the hall, and gives a hesitant nod.
"Thank you. But to be honest…I think what we're going to need most is space. Time and space to figure out what Ichigo does and doesn't know. If we hit him with too much conflicting information-"
"Another 'escape' attempt might ensue?" Kukaku finishes with a wince. "Right. We'll have to keep him under guard though. And limit his exposure."
"Yeah. Given the circumstances maybe it's a good idea if I make myself scarce until Ichi's got his head on straight" Isshin agrees, already stepping back. "Just…keep my posted on how he's doing, okay?"
Masaki nods in relief, and the man turns away-
Only to immediately turn round and grab Masaki's hands.
"And for the record, if you were not married to my cousin, I would happily walk down the aisle and have adorable-if-somewhat-precocious-children with you."
Masaki gave a nervous smile. "Thank you Isshin. That…that's sweet."
Both Ganju and Kukaku start growling.
"Goodbye Isshin!"
"Going! Going!"
The night did not improve after Ichigo's outburst. Thankfully, the rather humiliating meltdown was stopped before it really got started when Unohana swooped in like a devil of mercy and kicked both of his 'parents' out of the room and hit him with enough medication to have him seeing double. She did however, also leave guards stationed at the door to avoid a repeat of earlier, meaning he still had an audience while he tried to process this little addition.
Shiba Kaien. A guy he had literally never even met, was his Dad. Okay, yeah, Ichigo could see the resemblance but…
Wait, did…did Isshin even exist in this crazy reality? For a moment, he thought he'd heard the old man's voice outside but-
He glances longingly at the window, but the fourth member on guard clears his throat in warning and he slumps back against the pillow.
Maybe if goes to sleep, he'll wake up and this will all be a bad dream…
Tragically, when he wakes up, he's still trapped in the body of a brat, and there's no signs of…whatever this is, wearing off. His…'father' is absent, but his mother is back, with the twins in tow.
Any hopes Ichigo had that he would find anything familiar in his family after the reveal that his father was a man he didn't know were quickly dashed with Yuzu and Karin came to visit him.
Because at no point in history had he ever had to look up at his little sisters.
Both were in Shinigami Academy uniform, looking physically 16 and blossoming into the young woman he'd always known they would. Yuzu's hair was down to her waist, tied in a loose braid swung over her shoulder, while Karin's was cropped close to her head. They leaned over the bed while his mother sat back down in the chair to the side, watching them in quiet relief.
"Good morning Ichigo!" Yuzu greeted, producing a plate of chocolate cookies. "I made your favourite, in honour of you waking up."
They're all but shoved under his nose, and he barely registered he was picking one up until Yuzu pulled the plate back and placing it next to the bed. All three were watching him expectantly, and he glanced down before taking a tentative bite.
It tastes exactly like one of Yuzu's cookies should taste. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, sweet, with dark chocolate chunks to keep it from being overwhelmingly so. He's smiling before he even realises it, and Yuzu squeals, hopping onto the bed and hugging him tightly.
"You still like them! I knew my little brother was still in there. Don't underestimate the power of cookies!"
Karin grins and hops onto the other side.
"He still needs to breathe Yuzu. Might want to dial it down a little."
Yuzu pouts, but loosens her grip just a notch. Ichigo takes the opportunity to gasp out the question he's desperate to ask.
"You're…Shinigami?"
"Well, not quite" Karin replies, tugging at her uniform. "We're in our third year. Dad got us permission to miss our first class, so we could see our favourite baby brother."
"We were supposed to start earlier, but after you…vanished, Mom and Dad didn't want us out of their sight" Yuzu explained. "Took them a few years to relent."
"You cannot blame us for our precautions" Masaki splutters. "Ichigo vanished from a street teeming with Shinigami. Every noble family held their eligible family back at least five years unless they were suitably trained."
"Dad's been training with the sword for decades!"
"Karin, this is not the time to bring up that argument. You're at the Academy now, aren't you?"
The girl pouts, but it quickly turns into a grin when she spots the very confused look on Ichigo's face.
"But don't worry, you haven't missed much more than that" Karin insists. "Once you get your memories back, it'll be like nothing happened."
Yuzu hugs in again in response, head dropping onto his.
"You'll always be our adorable little brother, Ichigo."
And that's Ichigo's breaking point.
"…I'm supposed to be your older brother" Ichigo whines, crying internally at how pathetic he sounds. "I take care of you!"
The twins blink in unison, while Masaki leans forward almost in a panic, and Ichigo finds the words bursting out despite himself.
"This isn't right. I'm not supposed to be a kid. You're not supposed to older than me or capable of protecting yourselves just yet. You shouldn't even have hit puberty yet, and Goat Face definitely wouldn't have taught you the sword. He wouldn't even teach me the sword and I'm the one who-"
He finally cuts himself off, feeling his hands clench tight in the sheets and refuses to meet their eyes.
"I'm the one who needs to protect everyone."
Strange, it sounds so…infantile when he says it now.
He doesn't see how the woman react, only hears them shuffle around, until Yuzu pulls his head to her chest.
the feeling you're used to having to take care of everyone little brother" Yuzu offers, hand running through his hair. "From what we've heard, no mother, no father, and a lot of danger if your reiatsu is as high as it is."
Karin hops onto the opposite edge of the bed. "Yeah, love the man but doubt uncle Isshin would be great father material. Remember the last time he had to babysit all of us? Insisted we sit down and play with the dolls he got us while he taught you to be a man, then threw you out of the window!"
Yuzu failed to bite down on the chuckle. "You were so upset, you ran all the way to the Thirteen Division to see Dad. I think Isshin thought Captain Zaraki was coming for a visit, the way Dad's reiatsu was flaring!"
Ichigo blanches at the story. The first part certainly sounds like the Goat Face he knows, but the second part – he doesn't run away crying! Not since…
Well, since.
Karin can clearly see his disbelief, and she leans over to move Yuzu's hand out of the way so she can ruffle his hair instead.
"Hey, you were still quite the baby back then" she tells him. "I'm still astounded you made it to the Thirteenth all on your own. Isshin hasn't been allowed to babysit in decades cause of that."
"You really don't remember Ichigo?" Yuzu asks, hope creeping into her voice, and Ichigo hates disappointing her, but-
"No" he answers abrubtly, head ducking away. He doesn't remember. After his mother died, there was no one to go crying to.
"Well, that's okay" Karin replies. "It was a long time ago. Maybe you didn't even remember it back then. But hey, what about the time Dad took us to Karakura for the first time and-"
"What, Karakura?" Ichigo gapes. Finally, a ray of hope. "Karakura exists here?"
Masaki looks delighted that he remembers.
"Yes! It's one of the first districts outside the Seireitei. Do you remember it?"
Oh.
Ichigo visibly drops.
"No. I thought it was something else."
Masaki's smile drops, and Karin shoulders on with a strained smile.
"A-anyway, you slipped away and found yourself outside the Academy Orphanage. By the time we tracked you down you had an entire pack following you. I swear you spent more time with your friends there than you did at home. Dad tried to get you to play more at home by giving you play dates with a cousin, but you just dragged her along too and she ended up being there as much as you did!"
Yuzu starts ticking off her fingers.
"Lets see, there's Orihime, Chad, Keigo, Mizuiro and…whose the redhead again?"
"Renji" Karin offers. "Though I think Keigo got sponsored or adopted out, he's not been coming round with the others lately."
She glances down at him. "They tried to visit at least once a week and fill you in on their adventures. Bet you'll probably see them all soon."
Ichigo can only stare in shock at the names. His friends. Most likely his age. What about Tatsuki, or Ishida? And Rukia? If Renji is here – did she get adopted by the Kuchiki's in this reality too?
And on that subject, Academy Orphanage? What is that? and how the hell is Karakura a freakin Rukongai District in this world?
"I'm hoping to arrange something for tomorrow" Masaki says. "Unohana thinks that more interactions with people you know might help knock something loose. Tatsuki promised she would get everyone together - I had to talk her out of coming today."
Okay, knock Tatsuki off the missing list.
"They're all here" Ichigo whispers despite himself, and Yuzu hugs him again, only to get shuffled away as Karin gets jealous of her grip, and slides her own arms over his opposite shoulder.
"Don't know how much you remember them, but you were all thick as thieves before you vanished" she says. "Do you remember this one time you all tried to break into Aunt Kukaku's firework collection and-"
He doesn't remember. Yuzu and Karin, and on the odd occasion his mother, pile him with stories and antics of things he did, things he loved, things that made them laugh. With each story he'd get another chunk of information, and every single time they'd trail off and glance in Ichigo's direction, searching for even a hint of recognition.
By the time his sisters have to head back to the Academy, swearing to come back this evening with their Dad, the hope had long since turned to resignation. They were telling the stories to remind themselves, to bolster their resolve, rather than expect results from Ichigo. His mother chooses to escort them, promising to return as soon as she can.
Real or fake, when they leave looking like he's kicked their dog, Ichigo feels like the worst son, and the worst brother in the world. Asshole - would it have killed him to lie about remembering just one fanciful tale?
…No, he wasn't going to lie to them. It was buying into the fantasy, or giving them false hope. Neither was an option. Those stories of childhood antics all 'sounded' like things he would do, but didn't mesh with any of his real memories at all. He didn't have a single crazy story like that to share. Not one.
Ichigo frowns.
Come to think of it…how much does he remember of being a kid?
The river and his mother instantly flash through his mind but-he roughly shakes his head. According to Kisuke, that was the start of all this. Before that. What does he remember before that?
Spirits. Lots and lots of ghosts. His sisters being born. More ghosts, and people mocking him and speaking about him as if he was crazy. His mother comforting him.
His eyes widen. He went to school, he must have had frie-
Wait! Tatsuki! Tatsuki and the dojo! He joined the dojo when he was about four. He met her, and they fought, and-
He falters. That's all he can remember before his mother's death? His sisters birth, Tatsuki and the karate classes, getting mocked relentlessly and his mother being a mother? That's it? No birthdays, no festivals, no classmates? No random memory that stuck for no obvious reason that so litter the rest of his memory? Not one single funny story that his parents would drag out at the worst moments? Surely there should be…more.
Why has that never seemed weird until now?
He wraps his arms around his chest, missing the warmth of his siblings and stares longingly at the window.
For the first time since he woke up, he really hopes his mother doesn't take too long before returning.
sn't take too long before returning./p
