Author's Note: Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Bleach, the property of Tite Kubo
Warning: Spoiler through Bleach Manga Chapter 422
If I Were the Rain – Redux
By Songsparrw1
Chapter Ten: Catch Me if You Can
Wedding Crashers
Ichigo and Orihime stood outside the hall looking into the trees as if they held some clue as to the whereabouts and intention of the burly shinigami. Ichigo's jaw muscles worked, he scowled, and his fist clenched and unclenched at his side. He seemed to be waging an internal war; Orihime knew what it might be, and took his hand, rubbing the long fingers and intertwining them with hers. "Ichigo, I know you wish you could protect your father, but he would not want you to do that. I believe he is truly happy with your choices, and happy for us. He is very powerful, and very clever. He'll be fine, and he'll come back to us."
"Knowing that, and feeling it are not the same thing. Something's not right. I don't understand what is going on."
"Perhaps I can help with that," a deep voice remarked.
"Captain Kyoraku?"
"At your service," he intoned, bowing slightly. His gigai was dressed in a dapper black tuxedo with a dark, richly patterned cummerbund. A matching scarf hung from his shoulders. First of all, may I congratulate you on your marriage? This must be the kimono…may I? he took her hand and turned her gently to view its entirety. It is very beautiful, Orihime-chan. I have always wanted to see it. And now that I have, I understand more of the story I need to tell you."
He shook Ichigo's hand, and pressed a kiss to Orihime's. She blushed and glanced at Ichigo, uncertain of how to react to this development. Ichigo was right. Something is definitely wrong here.
"Let's just start from the beginning. How much do you know about the Spirit King?"
"Only that he lives in a separate dimension reserved for the Royal Family and the Royal Guard."
"That's right. Now, do you know who lives in the Palace with him?"
"No."
"Well, you see, the Court of the Spirit King is enormous. The king surrounds himself with powerful advisors with various talents and abilities. They are chosen from Soul Society's noble houses, mostly. They are adopted as wards of the king when they are children, and then educated to become advisors, courtesans, and sometimes, consorts," he paused and gave a meaningful glance.
"My cousin, Sakura, was chosen to be a consort. She was a prognosticator of the highest degree. She was taken from us when she was thirteen. She became the Spirit King's bride at sixteen. She had one child, and died giving birth to her. Your mother, Ichigo, was that child. Masaki was the only daughter of my cousin Sakura, and the Spirit King, Seishima."
Ichigo's eyes widened in disbelief, but he was silent. Orihime placed her hand in his.
"The King depended heavily first, on Sakura, and later, on your mother, to advise him on various affairs of state, such as the exact location of resources in the mines. He divined loyalties, weather, births and deaths, and other things that would have otherwise been left entirely to chance. He kept those with the gift of seeing close by, but isolated from anyone who might take advantage of their knowledge. They were carefully guarded in the castle by the elite members of the Royal Guard.
Isshin Shiba was once a Squad Captain in the Guard. He was entrusted with the safety of the members of the Royal household. He would have come to know Masaki very well.
No one knows exactly why she ran away, or why she would have taken Isshin with her. Some believe they left together because they had fallen in love, and eloped. My aunt got several clandestine letters from Sakura before she died. From those letters we learned what kind of man the Spirit King was. We think Masaki left home because she was lonely and unhappy. We knew Isshin to be a man of honor. He would never have disgraced his clan by initiating a forbidden romance. Masaki probably fell in love with Isshin because he protected her, and helped her escape from the king. Seishima was furious when she left, and has been searching Soul Society for Masaki and Isshin ever since.
It's ironic that none of the royal prognosticators ever saw them in a vision. That should tell you something about where their loyalties lie."
"Thank you for telling me. I know Dad would have told me, if I had ever asked. I told him once that I would wait until he felt ready to tell me. That day never came, I guess. Although, I felt he had something more he wanted to tell us when he gave us the kimono that belonged to my mother," he looked at Orihime sadly.
He was quiet for a moment. "I only have one more question."
"Go ahead and ask. You want to know why Soul Society sent us here?"
"Exactly."
"We're here to assist Isshin. If he hadn't surfaced when he did, he would still be safely hidden as Isshin Kurosaki. He risked capture to defend Karakura Town from Aizen. Aizen knew who Isshin was, but he hated the king. Old Man Yama didn't send us, but neither did he forbid us. We came to help," he finished.
"Our question is, where has he gone?"
Isshin
The three shinigami shunpo'd across town so quickly there was nothing to be seen but a disturbance in the air currents that might have been wind shear. Finally they came to rest near the river, on a bridge at the edge of town. They tensed for an attack, but none came. Only the wind in the metal arches moved, and the water glittered in the setting sun.
"Looks like we lost 'em" drawled Kisuke.
"This time" inserted Yoruichi. "Where will you go?"
Isshin shrugged a broad shoulder. "Mountains, maybe."
"Won't you miss the Clinic?" asked Kisuke.
"Are you kiddin'?" he snorted. I've been wantin' to retire for the past five years! I wanna go fishin'. Besides, the kids are all grown up now, and -" he moved his hand as if to imitate a bird taking flight.
"Well then, if you're sure you won't change your mind…."
"I won't change my mind!"
"Well, you never know, " he handed him a card. "Your gigai will be shipped to this address. Here are your documents, and, here - take this phone," he said, fishing it out of his pockets. "This one will work in the mountains. Lay low, for now, and let us check in with you in about a week."
"Thanks again – I owe you both!"
"Glad to do it, Isshin. Take care, pal," they clasped hands briefly, and Yoruichi kissed him on the lips. "We'll keep an eye on them for you, don't worry," she said as she hugged him one last time.
"Thanks! I'd appreciate that," he smiled. With that, he disappeared.
"Day-um, he's fast!"
"He'll need to be."
"Fast, and lucky."
They looked at each other for a long moment. "We were," he said.
"Yes, we were," she said as she leaned on his shoulder, and they watched the sun set.
The Game's Afoot
"Matsumoto.." Toshiro called to his fukutaicho.
Hai, taicho!" she responded, landing nearby on the rooftop.
The two shinigami paused briefly. "They're gone."
"Yes."
"I'm glad we didn't have to fight them. It's bad enough to interfere with an arrest," he said quietly, sitting down on the tiles of the roof.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about it," said a voice from behind the chimney.
"Ukitake-taicho!" they responded in unison.
They turned to see the white-haired elder captain leaning against the brick. "Shunsui went to talk to Ichigo; he should be back soon. I think we're done here, for now, and we can all go back to Soul Society."
"I hope so. Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san should be able to handle any interference, Toshiro said.
"Isshin-san knows their protocol so well it shouldn't be any problem for the three of them, " continued Ukitake. "Let's meet at the warehouse in what-say, thirty minutes? That should give Shunsui plenty of time to get back. In the meantime, let's continue the misdirection tactic. "
"Hai!"
The rooftop was empty.
A Royal Wedding
Ichigo and Orhime returned to the banquet and the dee-jay was setting up for the dance. Karin and Yuzu rushed up to him and pulled him into a corner. "Ichigo, where is Dad?" Karin's voice was flat and steady.
Ichigo ran his hand over his hair, and blew out a breath. "I don't know how to tell you this, Karin. He put his hands on his hips, staring down at the floor. "Dad is evading arrest."
"What?" Karin's eyes bulged, and Yuzu immediately began to cry.
"He did something illegal, a long time ago, before he married Mom. He deserted his squad, and now they want to arrest him. He has to hide now, Karin. If they find him, they might kill him. Well, technically, he's dead already, but they will lock him up and throw away the keys, " he muttered.
"I don't understand any of this," cried Yuzu. "I didn't even know he was in the military."
"No, Yuzu, not the military – he was Royal Guard. Do you know what that means?"
"He ran away with Mom and came to the World of the Living, " he added.
"Why did he do that? Couldn't he just have resigned his commission or something," she said, blowing her nose.
"Well, it's kind of complicated. Mom was the King's daughter. She ran away from home. Dad was the Royal Guard, in charge of the house, and he helped her escape, and left with her to protect her from the King. They fell in love, I guess, and decided to hide out in Karakura Town in gigais that Urahara gave them."
They stood looking at him like he had just announced he was a direct descendent of the emperor, living incognito as a commoner, which was actually true, after a manner of speaking.
They stared at each other, and then looked back at him. Karin spoke first. "Mom was a Princess of Soul Society, and Dad was a shinigami, she said slowly.
"That doesn't make any sense. How were we even born, then? Are we even human?" Yuzu began to cry again. "I knew it. I see dead people all the time. I just never said anything to anyone about it. Are we all dead, Ichigo?" Orihime put her arms around the both girls' shoulders, and spoke softly to Yuzu.
"That's a good question," Kisuke said smoothly, appearing from behind an ivy-swathed column. "Do you know the answer, Ichigo?"
Ichigo blinked and thought. "No, I don't," he said slowly. "Do you?" he asked hopefully.
Ironically, the dee-jay queued up "Thriller" and the floor filled with dancers imitating zombies. Great. Ichigo said to himself. Our reception/reunion banquet is turning into a nightmare, Dad is on the lam, Yuzu is crying, and there is nothing I can do. Orihime looked at him with wide gray eyes, filled with concern.