A/N: Thank you to my beta reader, AliceLovesCakes! You are a life saver!
Have I told you guys yet how much I have loved writing this story? It's been a crazy ride! Thank you everyone for all of the support you've shown me and this story along the way. For those of you reading Dream a Little Dream, hang in there. I haven't forgotten about it, I'm just trying to finish this one first so I can concentrate completely on it. Both of my stories have such different tones that it's become a little bit of a handful to work on them both at the same time. I hope you all have enjoyed Star Crossed so far, and I hope you continue to hang in there with me through the next few chapters as we near the end. As always, on to the story! Enjoy!
CHAPTER ELEVEN
DEFYING THE STARS
Ichigo was pacing back and forth in Urahara's kitchen. Every few minutes he'd stop, check the time on his phone, sigh loudly, then resume pacing. Hat-N-Clogs didn't let him or Ishida go with Jazz to the other room for the tests no matter how much they'd complained and threatened. Jazz had kissed them both on the cheek and told them to "behave", smiling that whole world brightening smile of hers, and followed Kisuke and Tessai out of the room.
Ichigo checked the time again. "It's been an hour and a half!" He shouted at Uryu, who was sitting quietly at the table reading a book.
Uryu rolled his eyes and looked up at him. "Then it's been exactly five minutes since the last time you bellowed at me." He said coldly before continuing his reading.
"Well, how long do you think it will take?" Ichigo asked. His nerves were completely frazzled. Kisuke had made it sound like this was going to be a piece of cake, so why the hell was it taking so long? Uryu shrugged at him in answer without even looking up. Ishida could be so damn infuriating! Was he not even a little worried? Ichigo looked at him more closely. His lips were drawn in a tight line, his brow was creased, and he kept absently rubbing at his temple with one hand. He was definitely worried. Ichigo slumped his shoulders and shuffled over to sit down across from him.
"Hey Ishida… about this whole… marriage thing. Aria can't really do that, can she? Force you two like that?"
Uryu closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. He shut the book he'd been reading and sat it down between them on the table. "Yes she can and she will. She's the head of the Isaka household until Jazz turns 1 ; but not without Ryuken's consent which he would never give. I'm not the one you should be worried about."
Ichigo started to feel relieved before the latter part of Uryu's statement caught up with him. "Good... Wait, what?"
"You don't realize how much weight the Isaka name carries among Quincy families. Any man would give his right arm to be married to one of them. When Ryuken turns down Aria's offer, it will only be a matter of time before she finds another suitable candidate."
Ichigo hadn't given much thought to what would happen if Ryuken didn't agree. He'd been more concerned about how to stop Uryu and Jasmine from getting married. Dread started to tighten in his chest. What if Aria forced Jasmine to marry a complete stranger? "I won't let that happen!" He growled, slamming his fists down on the table. "Why is it so important to Aria that Jasmine gets married anyway?"
Uryu leveled him with an uneasy look and sighed again. Okay, fine! I'll try to explain it but I doubt that it will make much sense to you." He stood and walked around the table so that he could pace in front of Ichigo. "If Jazz marries before she turns 18, she will forfeit her place as head of household if her husband isn't of pure birth. Like me, for example. My mother was not a pure blood Quincy so neither am I. He paused and looked at Ichigo to see if he was following along. After a short silence and a completely blank look from Ichigo, he decided to continue anyway. "The only loop hole is if said husband is chosen by Jasmine." He took a deep breath and watched Ichigo's face for any change.
"Wow… that's oddly specific. Quincy marriages are kind of complicated." Ichigo was trying to wrap his head around everything but he was coming up with more questions than answers.
Uryu nodded as if he'd expected Ichigo to say something to that affect. "It's just Jasmine. She's very special. It's actually just an old Quincy legend about the Isaka's youngest family head. Apparently, the youngest female heir of their line was blessed by the sealed King. Seen before she was born; chosen by him."
"The sealed King?" Ichigo asked incredulously.
"Yeah, that's a long story. It's just a crazy legend anyway. None of that matters right now. Anyway, supposedly the chosen heir was to be born in our generation and when she becomes the head of the family, she'll come into her full power. It's supposed to herald the coming of the King. I don't know all the details. I just remember my grandfather telling the story of the 'Quincy Queen' to me and Jazz when we were little. It's the reason Kean calls Jazz 'Little Ju'oh' or little queen. The Isaka's obviously believe it's more than just a story. As do most of the remaining Quincy families. So, I suppose Aria thinks that if she can keep Jasmine from becoming head of the family, the figurative crown will belong to her."
"So all we have to do is keep Jazz from getting married until she's 18, right?" Ichigo had latched on to the only bit of information that made any sort of sense to him. All that other nonsense about Quincy Queens and Sealed Kings made his head spin.
"That's not gonna be easy. Like I said, Aria probably already has someone else lined up as we speak." Uryu walked back around and took his seat. He was just as eager as Ichigo was to stop Aria's plan but he had no idea how they would do it.
"I think I'd rather she married you. Damn it! What the hell do we do?" Ichigo stood as soon as Uryu sat and took over the pacing for the both of them.
"Why don't you just ask her to marry you? She'd choose you over me any day." Uryu scoffed off-handedly.
Ichigo stopped and stared at Uryu, a slow smile spreading across his face. "She'd choose… She'd choose me! Ishida, you're a genius!" He could have hugged him if he wasn't too busy putting it all together in his head.
"What? Whoa, hold on a minute, Kurosaki! I was being sarcastic. You can't marry Jasmine!" Uryu stood abruptly nearly knocking over the table.
Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "You said if she chose her husband it would work, right? It's worth a shot. Why can't I try?"
"Because… you just can't, okay? You guys are teenagers. You'd need parental consent. Aria will never agree and who says your dad will?"
Ichigo thought about it and no matter what scenario he came up with, he just couldn't see how he could get past Jasmine's sister. Ishida was right. Even if he asked Jazz to marry him and somehow managed to get his overbearing father's approval, Aria would never give her consent. "Then we'll just run away. I'll take her somewhere and hide out until she turns 18. It's just a couple of months. We'll come back as soon as she's old enough to be head of the family." He was trying to hold on to some kind of hope. They could just lay low until Jazz was old enough to put Aria and the twins in their place. He had liked the idea of marrying Jazz but they were really too young for that and he'd rather do it the right way instead of it being just a clever plan to keep her from having to marry someone else.
"I… I don't know. Maybe that would work." Uryu didn't much care for the idea of Jazz being out of his sight for two whole months but it was a hell of a lot better than Kurosaki's previous idea. "But what about school? It's our last year. We've got college entrance exams coming up. You can't just miss two months and still expect to graduate."
"Yeah, but Jasmine's happiness is more important than any of that. I can't just let them take that away from her!" Ichigo exclaimed.
He was taking on his protective roll again. It'd been over a year since Uryu had seen that look in Ichigo's eyes. He'd never admit it to anyone, but he was glad to see it now. He knew that Jazz would be safe with Ichigo, no matter what. "You won't be able to tell anyone else where you're going to go. It will be hard enough to keep her new super reiatsu hidden without half of Karakura Town knowing where you two are."
"Ishida, I'm not stupid! I'm not going to tell anyone." Ichigo stated.
"Tell anyone what?" Jasmine asked, emerging from the hall way followed by Urahara.
Ichigo and Uryu raced to her side, both relieved to see her and nearly forgetting the conversation they'd been having as they bombarded her with questions about her wellbeing. She laughed at them and hugged them both. "I'm fine! Really, guys. You're acting like I almost died or something." She looked at them both. They kept glancing at each other in a way that suggested they both had something more to say. "Okay, spill it. What are you two up to?"
"They've figured out a way to change your fate, I believe, and not a moment too soon. Whoever did this is probably going to try again." Urahara cut in when the two boys failed to offer any explanation. All three of the teens stared at him again like he'd said something crazy. "What? Do I have something on my face?" He chuckled. "I eavesdrop. It's a nasty habit but I just can't help it… We have a lot to discuss but I have a feeling that we need a little more privacy. Follow me."
Jazz smiled weakly at Uryu and Ichigo as the followed Kisuke down into his hidden training room. She had sensed it the same time that Urahara did. A strange energy lingering nearby. He had asked her if she recognized it before the joined the others. There was something familiar about it but it was so faint that she couldn't be sure. That was the reason Urahara had led them down here. He had explained that his training room was completely invisible to the outside world. Once inside, no one would be able to see or hear them.
She was completely amazed by what awaited her at the bottom of the impossibly long ladder. She gasped looking around at what seemed like miles and miles of endless dessert and rock. "Wow…" she breathed. "Are we still under your shop?"
"Sort of. No time to explain. Let's get down to business shall we?" Urahara said as Uryu and Ichigo joined them on the ground.
"Do you ever just answer a question straight out?" She asked.
"Yes." He replied simply, quirky smile in place.
She laughed despite the seriousness of the situation. She was quickly becoming fond of the handsome self- proclaimed shop keeper. Even though most of their time spent together so far was in absolute silence as he and Tessai worked, she had finally been able to see his slate grey eyes and found kindness there… and maybe a little sadness too. From what Uryu had told her about him, she knew he'd done things that he deeply regretted and she could sympathize with that more than anyone knew.
"So what did you find out?" Ichigo asked as he wiped his sweaty hands off on his pants. He was more than a little bothered by being here again after all this time. A whirlwind of memories assaulted him in this place. It reminded him of just how powerless he was now.
Urahara placed a hand on Jazz's shoulder. "First I'd like Jasmine to try something for me. Materialize your spirit bow. You don't have to fire an arrow. Just show me your bow. I've heard it's quite impressive."
Jazz looked at him, questioning his intentions with her eyes but shrugged and stepped forward. "It's not that special. Just kind of big, I guess." She reached behind her neck and unfastened the necklace that held her cross, leaving the heavy chain that held her father's in place. Wrapping the necklace around her wrist and securing it with the clasp so that it hung like a bracelet, she took a deep breath. "Let me see if I remember how to do this." She mumbled. Extending her hands in an archers pose, she exhaled. A faint flicker of pale blue sparked outward from the cross but fizzled out like a dying flame. She tried again… Inhale. Concentrate. Exhale… Nothing. She fought back tears as she turned back to look at her waiting audience.
"Just as I thought. It seems that something is fighting to hold the barrier on Jasmine's powers. Every time we felt like we had it removed, it would begin to build itself back up again. I don't think I have to explain how dangerous that is for her. Her energy has grown exponentially and needs an outlet. It could literally break her soul apart if the barrier is left in place. Uryu, have you ever encountered a method known as Siegel der Seele?" Urahara asked turning his back to them.
"A Soul Seal? Yeah, it's a complicated method using liquefied reishi… I'm not sure how it works. It was outlawed by the elders 200 years ago. You're not saying someone used a Soul Seal on Jasmine, are you?"
Urahara turned to them again. "Yes, this Siegel der Seele, or Soul Seal, is the only thing that could have done this. It separates the soul from one's power. I wonder… liquefied reishi, you say?" He scratched his head then his whole face lit up. "If a person were to dip something in this liquefied reishi, something like a necklace or a pendant, would it not create the seal for the wearer?"
Uryu was starting catch on. He walked slowly over to Jasmine and reached down to her wrist, cradling her cross in the palm of his hand. He ran his thumb over the cross that looked so much like his own had once but much more tarnished. It had lost all of its shine. Quincy Crosses were never supposed to look like this. "Jazz, have you ever removed this? Even once, even after you lost your powers?"
"No... Aria would have killed me. She said it was a symbol of pride and that I should never…" Jazz's heart nearly stopped. Aria! "It was in my cross? And my own sister knew? Did she do this? That bitch!" She snatched the pendant out of Uryu's hand and yanked on it as hard as she could. The chain snapped, sending the silver cross tumbling into the sand at her feet. Something coursed through her. Electricity seemed to radiate out from her chest and through her arms and legs. She quickly undid her father's pentacle cross from her neck and wrapped it around her wrist in the same manner she had with her own. Stepping out in front of everyone, she drew her arms up, and this time a massive jolt of bright blue light emerged and formed into a thin bow the length of her body and intricate swirls of white encompassed her hands. She didn't even have to concentrate. It was easy as breathing. She fired off arrow after arrow, faster than she'd ever been able to do before. With one final draw, she unleashed a devastating volley of arrows into the sky. As they arced up then began to fall, they resembled a million streams of light falling like rain in the distance.
She lowered her bow and let it dissipate before she turned around. Kisuke naturally wore an unsurprised grin. Ichigo's eyes were as wide as his smile, and she felt herself smiling back at him with pride. Uryu though, simply stared. Her smile slipped from her face as she walked toward him.
"Well," he said stepping up to meet her, "that was impressive." The corner of his mouth turned up in an almost smile.
She laughed and hugged him tight. Uryu had been there for her through every single moment of weakness and had never abandoned her. No matter what, he'd treated her exactly the same as he always had. She was so happy that he was here to see what she'd just done. It was more than just getting her powers back or being able to shoot an arrow or two. It was repairing her damaged pride; healing her broken soul. And… as always, the one person who had been by her side since they were old enough to walk was here with her in this moment. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she pulled away to look at him. "Thank you… for everything. I love you, Uryu."
"I… I love you, too." Uryu's heart ached. He knew that Jazz loved him and in that moment, he realized that he loved her, but not in the same way. He was, without a doubt, in love with her and there was nothing he could do about it… because she was in love with Ichigo. He sighed. "I am so proud of you." He told her as he pulled her back in for another hug. "But, by the way… that was my move you stole." He whispered.
She laughed again in his ear, sending chills down his spine. "The rain of arrows? I know it's yours. I just wanted to try it."
He released her after another tight squeeze and struggled against the feeling that it might be the last chance he'd ever have to hold her like that. "For your information, it's called Licht Regen." He said, trying to reign in his emotions with his usual know it all mask but failed miserably when he looked into her eyes. "Fuck it! It looks better when you do it."
Jasmine laughed hysterically at Uryu. It wasn't often she heard him use words like that. She kissed him on the cheek and turned to Ichigo who engulfed her in his arms.
"That was amazing, babe!" He said, picking her up off of her feet and swinging her around in a circle.
Uryu watched the two lovers and tried his best to ignore the pain in his chest. He was happy for Jasmine, really he was, but his heart was breaking in two. So this is what it feels like to fall in love. He laughed bitterly to himself. It wasn't exactly how he'd always pictured it. It didn't matter how he felt, though. Ichigo was a good person with a good heart and he loved Jazz as much as she loved him. Uryu could see it every time they looked at each other. He would set his feelings aside so that Jasmine could be happy, and so she could be safe. He knew that he had to help them run away from Karakura Town, the sooner the better.
A/N: Poor Uryu! What did you guys think? Leave me a little feedback and let me know. What are some of your favorite moments in the story so far? What parts didn't you like? What would you like to see happen? Just let me know you're all still around! Lol. Just prepare yourselves, the last few chapters maybe a bit of an emotional rollercoaster… Not giving anything away. Just sayin' XD. Love Ya'll!