Chapter Four- Happy Birthday Kisuke
There never were big parties in the Shire. But when someone reaches to be a hundred and eleven years old. Well, that was something to celebrate!
Urahara greeted all his guests. Shaking hands and excepting all the congratulations that went with it.
Hanataro watched his uncle. The blonde looked so happy. Laughing at all the stupid jokes that were being told. Telling a few of his own.
Sitting across from him was long time friend Hiyori. She watched the festivities with a small frown on her face. Her eyes drifted to the people dancing happily.
Hana smiled. "You should ask Shinji to dance." nodding to the blonde who was also watching everyone dance.
"Are you stupid?" she asked. "Girls don't ask boys to dance. And Shinji? Really? I'd rather choke on my own sandal." She huffed and crossed her arms.
Hanataro laughed weakly at his easily riled friend.
The party wore on. As parties do. Ukitake had brought wonderful fireworks that he shot off, lighting up the sky in wonderful colors. Urahara had a group of children around him. He was telling them all the story of when he had been captured by trolls.
Pink and white caught his attention as two more dear friends of his snuck by.
Pink hair and rosy cheeks kept watched in front of the wizard's carriage.
"Is this good enough?" asked the boy with spiky white hair. He held a firework in his hand.
"Big one! Get the biggest one you can!"
The blue green eyes narrowed. "I think this is a horrible idea."
"Just do it!" she instructed.
With a sigh the white haired boy continued to dig threw the fireworks. "This?" he asks holding up a very large firework.
The girl's eyes lit up. "Perfect. Come on!"
The two snuck off into a tent.
"Let's light it!"
"Yachiru, if we are going to this, it really shouldn't be in a tent."
She crossed her arms. "Yes. But, if we don't do it in a tent everyone will know we stole a firework." The boy starred at her. "Then lets put it back."
The girl Yachiru made a pouting face. "Shirooooooo-chaaaaaan!"
"Okay, okay," he grumbled.
The girl smiled happily as she watched him light the firework. The white haired boy closed his eyes regretting everything that was about to happen.
There was of course a loud bang and the firework flew up into the air. Lighting up the sky in the form of a giant blue dragon.
Yachiru cheered jumping up and down. Her face ashy from the firework explosion but she had never been happier. Her reluctant partner in crime just as ashy faced with a guilty face instead of an elated one.
A soft sigh was heard from behind them. " Yachiru Kusajishi, and Hitsugaya Toshiro."
"Ukki!" Yachiru said happily. Toshiro scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.
Ukitake was unable to scold them further because there was a lot of cheering coming from else where.
"Speech! Speech!" the crowd cheered.
Urahara stepped onto the stage where a band had been playing. He waved his hands to quite everyone down. "Okay. Okay."
He took a deep breath. "My dear friends and family. This started as a home for Visords. Those who were not excepted by the outside world. And yet, you allow me to live with you even though I am not a Visord. And that really means a lot to me. There are all different kinds here. Our Shire is just a small piece of what the world could be and should be."
There was cheers and applause at this.
"I have never been happier here. However," Urahara placed a hand in his pocket. "there are things that need to be done. And I can't do them here."
There where whispers.
"So I regret to inform you, that I must leave you all." Urahara smiled sadly at all of them. "I am very sorry,"
And just like that he disappeared. Everyone gasped and stood up. "Urahara!" they called.
Hanataro stood up. "Kisuke-san!" he cried.
Hiyori glanced at her friend. "That was kind of cool." she yawned watching everyone run around with a bored look on her face.
There was only one person who knew what happened to Urahara Kisuke. Ukitake was in fact already waiting for him.
Urahara reappeared in his house after slipping off a ring. This said ring turned the wearer invisible. A handy tool he had acquired on his adventure, long ago. He smiled to himself slipping the ring into his pocket.
"Well. You fooled them all. Happy?"
Kisuke smiled. "Clearly not all of them," he grabbed his green and white stripped hat placing it on his head. He began packing little things into a bag he had lying on his table.
Ukitake had a frown on his face but said nothing else.
"You'll keep an eye on Hana, won't you?"
"I'll try."
"Everything goes to Hana. The house and all that's in it."
The wizard looked over at Kisuke. "And this ring of yours?"
The blonde froze. "What of the ring?"
"Does Hana get that too?"
Gray eyes looked up slowly shadowed by the rim of the hat.
Ukitake tilted his head to the side. "It's just a ring after all. It's not so hard to leave a ring behind, is it?"
Urahara stood up straight. "No. I guess not." The blonde pulled the ring out of his pocket. "But I did find it. It does belong to me."
The wizard tensed. He didn't need this to get ugly.
"And what business is it of yours, what I do with my own things?" Kisuke asked.
Brown eyes narrowed. The usually care free man was growing angry over something foolish. "I think you have had the ring quite long enough."
"Tsk!" Urahara said. "You just want it for yourself!"
The lights flashed and a loud thunderous roar rippled through the house. "Urahara Kisuke," hissed Ukitake. A mysterious wind whirled through the house. Making stacks of papers flutter away with it. "Do not take me for a conjure of cheap tricks."
The darkness that had surrounded Urahara seemed to have been blown away with the wind. His gray eyes seemed to have cleared.
"I'm only trying to help." admitted the wizard as the winds died, the rumbling ceased and the lights stopped flickering.
Kisuke removed his hat for a moment to run a hand threw his blond hair before placing it back on his head. "You're right, as always."
Urahara put on his dark green cloak with a white diamond pattern at the bottom. Threw his pack over his shoulder and grabbed his cane. His wooden sandals clacked on the floor as he approached his front door. "But the hour is late and the road is long."
The wizard followed him. "The ring?"
The blonde chuckled. "I know. I know." He placed his hand in his pocket and pulled out the plain golden ring.
There was silence for a moment. Both men starred at the ring for a long moment. At last Kisuke laughed and let the ring slide off of his hand and onto the floor. Urahara quickly opened the door and stepped outside the wizard following him.
The blonde smiled weakly at the white haired man. "I've thought of an ending for my book," he said.
Urahara smiled. "Oh?"
"Yes." He took a deep breath. "And he lived happily ever after, till the end of his days."
"I like it." the wizard said.
"Good bye Jushiro,"
"Take care Kisuke,"
With a smile the blonde headed off his shoes clicking along the pavement.
The wizard turned around carefully. The golden ring glinting in the light. He stepped towards it carefully. He reached for it. Just before his fingers could even graze it, dark brown eyes flooded his vision.
"Take it, Ukitake," words whispered in his ear. Almost like the person was right next to him. Leaning over him. He could feel a body pressed against him. A face next to his. Brown hair in the corner of his vision. A smile that he had only heard stories about.
Ukitake stood up straight and backed away from the ring. The chocolate eyes faded away from his mind and the whispers stopped. He took a deep breath and went into another room of the house. Away from the ring.
"Kisuke-san!" cried Hana running into the house. His eyes scanned home his eyes at last falling to the ring on the floor. He picked it up carefully. Walking up to Ukitake in the other room. "He's gone hasn't he?"
The wizard nodded. "Yes."
Hanataro closed his eyes sadly. "I never thought he'd really leave."
Ukitake glanced behind him seeing the ring in Hanataro's hand. He smiled a warm smile. "Urahara's ring. He's gone to stay with the Elves. He's left you everything." The wizard held out an envelope.
Hana starred at the wizard and dropped the ring in it. The older man quickly sealed the envelope handing it back to a confused Hana.
"The ring is yours now. Keep it somewhere out of sight."
Hana's eyes became wide as he saw his friend throw on a gray cloak. "You're leaving!? But you've only just arrived!"
"There are some things that I must see to. Questions that need answering."
"What?" Hanataro following him through the house. "I don't understand."
Ukitake stopped right in front of the door. "Neither do I," he said kindly placing a hand on the younger's shoulder. "Please. Keep it secret, keep it safe."
With that he was gone, leaving Hanataro alone in the empty house.
