Mythology

A/N: What happens to Jushiro in this chapter actually happened to my great aunt. Not the part involving being stopped by some shinigami obviously, but being stopped for another reason and then losing everything. I don't know why I'm mentioning it here, aside from the fact that war is so tragic.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Shunsui asked, concerned.

"Please, I need to talk to him," Jushiro said.

"Don't look now," Kenpachi grunted to Ichigo, "but we have company."

"I…was wondering if I could…see your chest," Jushiro asked.

"What?" Ichigo questioned.

"What the hell!" Kenpachi was a little bit more firm about it.

"I know it sounds weird, I just wanted to see if you had a scar on you," Jushiro said, his hand rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"A scar?" Ichigo still thought it was weird, but he'd been getting weird requests from everyone, and at least Jushiro seemed like a decent enough guy. "Um, sure…" he untied his obi and pulled open his kosode.

"Gesh kid, you got a lot of scars for someone so young," Shunsui said.

"I'm not a kid according to your ages, and I've been in a lot of battles," Ichigo pointed out. "I've been fighting for longer than you've been alive."

"It's not there," Jushiro said sadly.

"What isn't?"

"You had a scar over your heart."

"Well he sure as hell doesn't have one now," Kenpachi muttered.

"I was hiking home to my hometown of Nagasaki, and you stopped me. You said that there was going to be a bombing and that I needed to stay away. I panicked; all of my friends and family lived there. You wouldn't let me go to them though, you knocked me out and when I woke up my home was just a smoldering and toxic ruin. My entire family died. I had a couple of friends survive, but they didn't live long with the radiation poisoning. I was crying and you showed me a scar over your heart, you said it was to remind you of someone that you loved and lost," Jushiro was trembling, shaken with his story.

"…Jushiro," Shunsui said.

Ichigo did something that Kenpachi didn't expect, he reached over and wrapped his arms around the upset man, holding him and not saying anything for a long time.

"I don't remember it. I don't think it's happened yet," Ichigo said.

"It hasn't happened yet? What does that mean?" Shunsui asked.

"Everyone's memories of me, I don't remember any of it. So it must have not happened yet, unless there are two of me running around," Ichigo said quietly, still holding Jushiro. "When I find out why I had to make you leave your family and friends, I'll tell you. When I find out why people we love have to die, I can finally tell myself."

"What?" Jushiro asked.

"You had your two world wars on your realm, we had one large war in ours. My mother died early on. There was a way to save her, to bring her back, at least a way that I thought would work, but I was told that it wasn't possible. Ever since then it's been something I've wondered about and struggled with. So when I find out, I'll let you know."

"Don't be insane," Mayuri said angrily.

"Don't be so literal," Aizen stated back.

"The idea is preposterous!"

"Don't be so closed minded," Yamamoto pointed out. "There are many things we do not understand about our world. After the events of the last week you'd think that you would be more open to vaster possibilities than what your science has limited you to."

"Next we're going to say that Venus is alive and well and will be visiting us tomorrow," Mayuri scoffed.

"I could deal with that," Shunsui said with a smile.

"Oh can't you think about anything else?" Nanao glared at him.

"Give me something else to think about," he said with a twinkle in his eye. She did. She hit him. "That wasn't what I had in mind," he groaned, holding his shoulder.

"Obviously not," Nanao replied.

"If it was true, wouldn't it be in the files we're been searching?" Unohana asked.

"They did say we didn't have full access," Mayuri pondered. "That still doesn't mean there are mythological beasts roaming around though."

"Just giant soul eating demons and sword wielding angels?" Jushiro said.

"I would have to agree. The idea seems ridiculous but it bears a closer look," Byakuya stated. "We should bring it up to Kurosaki along with our other lines of questioning."

"It never hurts to ask," Jushiro added.

"I can prove that wrong right now!" Mayuri said. "What blood type are you?"

"Um, O," Jushiro said.

"How many liters of blood do you have?"

"…I…"

"How much do your bones weigh?"

"I have no idea…"

"But you now think that I am creepy, correct?" Mayuri pressed.

"I did already," Shunsui murmured.

"You can't be worried that they're going to be upset or offended by our lines of questioning," Aizen mentioned. "They've given us free reign to ask anything we want."

"Technically we could ask about their sex lives but that doesn't mean I want to demean myself by doing it," Mayuri sputtered.

"Fine, I'll ask," Gin said. "Ichigo has been avoiding me anyways, so it's not like any harm will be done."

"Hello, Ichigo Kurosaki," Gin greeted Ichigo.

"Hey," Ichigo didn't look up from what he was doing. He'd been bored out of his mind and had been trying to show Yachiru how to make paper cranes but hadn't been successful. Now she was having him make them by the dozens while she colored them. "Damn it, another paper cut. Why do I suck at this?" he groaned.

"So…are you a dragon?" Gin asked.

"HA ha ha ha ha!" Ichigo laughed.

"No seriously."

"Um, no," Ichigo replied.

"Well, not a dragon dragon, but are you from something called a dragon clan?"

"A dragon clan? Um…well, I am part of a clan, but I've never heard us referred to as dragons. Our symbol is a phoenix rising from its ashes with a zanpakuto in either hand, so if anything we'd be phoenixes, I'd assume."

"I don't suppose you could ask about it, could you? We think it might be important. Or actually if you could just let us know all about that clans and symbols like you just did as well, that'd be great too," Gin said with a smile.

"Yeah sure, I'll ask Kisuke if any of us are secretly dragons or gryphons and let you know."

Gin sighed. "You're almost as bad as Mayuri."

"What a terrible thing to say," Aizen said, walking in to the room. "We only bring the topic up because of your mother."

"What?"

"One of her names was Sirrush, was it not?" Aizen asked.

"It wasn't like anyone called her that, but yeah, it was part of her formal name."

"You know that Sirrush is the name of a mythological dragon, representing chaos and fate."

"No, I didn't. I don't really see how it matters though," Ichigo mentioned.

"Human mythology is odd. I like to think that most of it is based on facts, distorted by time and by the person or people who tell the tale. Just like you shinigami. You're not what we expected, but we do have myths and stories about you. They are wrong but based in fact. It would be natural for someone to see supernatural powers and ascribe them to a mythic beast of some sort. Just because the copy is fake doesn't mean the original wasn't."

"Fine, I already said that I'll talk to Kisuke about the whole dragon clan thing," Ichigo said.

"Thank you," Aizen said, still feeling slightly rebuffed at the way that Ichigo treated him but not showing it.

"It's called movement in depth, and it's kind of based off Carl Jung's idea of healing through art," Kira was saying.

"Hm. Darling, don't you ever take a break from thinking?" Shuuhei said, playing with Kira's hair.

Kira blushed at being called "darling".

"So cerebral and yet still so shy physically. You should trade up a little on one and gain a little bit of the other," Shuuhei whispered into his ear.

Kira shuddered.

"What do you think these shinigami are, anyways?" Kira asked.

"Still undeterred from thinking, I applaud your stubbornness," Shuuhei sighed. "I don't know. They don't seem like angels, even though they supposedly come from heaven, or a realm close enough to heaven to count. They're more like road workers."

"Road workers?"

"Building and maintaining the flow of traffic."

"I would say more like architects then," Kira said with a frown.

"They don't do the planning though, they're all following orders set down by someone or something else."

"Hm…gaaaa…" Kira's thought process was shut off when Shuuhei begin to liberally munch on his neck.

"Just having a snack," Shuuhei said, lightly biting along Kira's collarbone.

"Mmm," Kira moaned, closing his eyes.

Ha, finally got you, Shuuhei thought with a smirk.

"So, I was wondering…I mean, if it's would be ok…I mean…" Renji was stuttering.

"Hey, kid!" Shunsui yelled up at him.

Renji just about jumped out of his shoes.

"Are you talking to yourself?"

"No! Yes…I'm practicing something," Renji admitted.

"Don't ask, just do," Shunsui offered.

"What?"

"That Rukia girl, right? Don't worry, she likes you. Just do whatever and you guys can deal with it later," Shunsui said.

That sounded both like the worst and best advice that Renji had ever heard. So of course he followed it.

"Rukia," he said, pulling her away to a small hallway.

"Yes?"

He kissed her.

He was very delicate about it, knowing he was probably over stepping a lot of boundaries. She was very willing to repay in spades though, wrapping her arms around the small of his back and leaning into him.

"Wow," Renji said as they pulled away.

"Renji, can we speak?" Byakuya intoned.

Oh shit, I am so dead now, Renji thought as he glumly followed Byakuya.

Rukia followed them.

"What are you doing?" Byakuya asked.

"I don't know what it is you're going to say to Renji, but if it's about he and I then you should really be talking to me about it, and talking to me about it won't do you any good so maybe you shouldn't talk to anyone about it at all," Rukia said. Wow, that was convoluted, she thought, but I think he got the picture.

"Excuse me?"

"Haha! It's all my fault sir, please don't get mad at her," Renji stepped in.

"What are you talking about? I practically threw myself at you during the thunderstorm!" Rukia insisted.

Renji turned red at that. Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"Fine, just keep things private," he said, leaving.

"What?" Renji said shocked.

"What?" Rukia was aghast.

Hopefully she'll get tired of him before we leave, but if not there are worse people that she could go for. At least I know that he's not after her money, Byakuya was thinking to himself as he walked away. At least she's smiling again, he added.

"See, I knew that you had a romantic streak!" Rangiku said.

Was she hiding? Where in the world did she come from? Byakuya wondered as he was ambushed.

"They're just so adorable together too!" she continued.

"If you'll excuse me," Byakuya tried to edge around her to no avail.

"I'm starving, want to grab some lunch?" she offered.

"No, I'm fine. I'm going to read."

"Oh, I was just going to read too!" Rangiku obviously lied.

"They're quick," Kisuke said, looking over the sheet of questions that Ichigo had sent over.

"We need to be careful," Isshin mentioned.

"I've been protecting his identity since before he was born, you don't think I'm going to slip up now, do you? Just as long as you stay out of the picture and they're focusing on the Masaki things should be fine."

"Are you going to tell them about the others?"

"I'm not sure. I wasn't planning on it, but this might be information they need to figure out how we're going to stop the divide from happening," Kisuke said.

"Is that what you're calling it now?"

"It sounds less ominous. The divide between what is supposed to happen and what can happen, between fate and destiny and utter chaos. We have to fight to stay on one side of it or all is lost," Kisuke answered.

"You don't know that for sure," Isshin pointed out.

"It's utter chaos. There's no semblance of right and wrong in that sort of mire. Boundaries would be crushed, everything would become gray, life and death would be the same. Some think that might be better than what we have now, but it's not. The cycle of life is what revolves the universe. You get a gear out of place, the whole thing stops moving forward. For all we know not moving forward will cause a collapse inward, maybe the past and future would happen at the same time, timelines would directly interfere with each other. We don't know for sure, but it's not something that I want to live through," Kisuke explained.

"Well, you're still going to have to call them."

"Doing that now," Kisuke pressed a button.

"Hello all," Kisuke's smiling face said to them. "I've come to answer some questions you've raised. You can ask them, and any new ones you have, and I'll answer them best as I'm able."

"Please tell me there's nothing in this weird mythological beast idea," Mayuri said.

"There are ancient clans that used to be referred to as the dragon clans. Our own current noble houses are descended from them and mixed with them. There is no current clan that would be called a dragon clan, but there are members from the noble families that can trace their bloodlines back to the dragon clans," Kisuke answered.

"See dragons without real dragons, you had nothing to be worried about Mayuri," Unohana mentioned.

"How many were there?" Aizen asked.

"Seven. We currently have five noble houses."

"Ichigo Kurosaki is from one of these then?" Mayuri asked. "Both a noble house and a dragon clan?"

Aizen smiled to himself.

"Yes, through his mother, as you pointed out already," Kisuke said.

"Can you tell us more about these clans?" Yamamoto asked.

"Each had an aspect, much like the crests that the noble families have now."

"Did those aspects have any power?" Kaname questioned.

"What do you mean?" Kisuke frowned.

"If someone was from a dragon clan, and the clan's aspect was…the ocean…would they have anything to do with water? Special abilties over it or anything?" Kaname pressed.

"I'm not sure," Kisuke replied. "It was long ago and things of that nature must have become lost in the mists of time. Even if they once did, no one has shown an special powers recently, above and beyond what they'd have with their zanpakuto that is. Someone could well have a water ability and not have any noble blood in their body to connect them to some sort of water dragon clan."

"I was under the impression that your records went back quite far. Are you saying you really have no knowledge of the details of the clans?" Gin asked.

"I will do my own research to see if I can come up with anything that will help you," Kisuke answered.

That was a vague and well worded reply, thought Aizen. Are they suspicious of us as well, or is it just normal cautious behavior?

"Thank you, that's all we ask," Gin replied with a smile.

"As far as your other questions," Kisuke began to go through his list.

"That's kind of sexy," Kenpachi whispered into Ichigo's ear as they left the large meeting hall.

"What is?"

"That you're part dragon."

Ichigo had to laugh at that. "I'm really sure that's not what anyone said."

"Too bad, because that's what I got out of it," Kenpachi said.

"You're always horny," Ichgo jokingly pushed him away.

"Only when we're not having sex."

"You're going to scar poor Yachiru," Ichigo mentioned, looking at the girl.

"I want grandbabies!" she said proudly.

Kenpachi almost tripped and Ichigo choked a little.

"There's about twelve things wrong with what you just said," Ichigo pointed out.

"Also, kittens," she added.

"Kittens?"

"Hell, I'll get you a kitten," Kenpachi said.

"Yay! Right now!"

"We have to wait. If you get one now you won't be able to take her with you," Ichigo mentioned.

"It's going to be a him! He's going to be orange and I'm going to name him Tyrannosaurus Rex, Jr. I'll call him TR for short, because calling someone Junior is dumb."

"Wow, she really has this all planned out," Ichigo said to Kenpachi.

"Just be happy she hasn't started planning and naming all of her "grandchildren"," Kenpachi muttered.

"Of course you can't name the babies in advance, you have to look at them to know what you're supposed to name them. How else what you know what you're supposed to call them?" Yachiru said happily.

"Um…good point?" Ichigo decided agreeing was better than arguing.

"So, do you still mind if I kidnap you?" Kenpachi asked.

"It's not kidnapping if you ask, just take him," Yachiru offered her opinion. Kenpachi took her up on her advice and tossed Ichigo over a shoulder.

"Kenpachi! People can see us!" Ichigo groaned.

"Next time just come willingly and I won't have to snatch you," Kenpachi said with a grin.

Ichigo had to laugh at that.