Chapter 38: Hang Fire
Isshin stepped inside his house and didn't really know what he was going to do. It felt wrong just to think about sleeping, or resting in the sofa. It felt like he had no right to be there, as if the house rebelled at his very presence.
He was supposed to be in Soul Society saving his son. He knew now that he was wrong in letting Unohana take on the job rather than trying on his own. He should have listened to Ichigo. Everything had ended up just as his son had thought and there was only Isshin to blame. He felt like crying at the thought of it, but he refused to let any tears come. He wouldn't give himself the luxury to do so.
Unable to remain in the house, Isshin returned to his fake Gigai-body that he had stored away where his girls could not find it, placed Zangetsu in the back of the secret space of his closet and quickly left again after dressing in warmer clothes.
The moon hung low in the sky as he walked through the rainy night in Katakura Town. Autumn leaves scattered the side-walks and the large hat on Isshin's head kept his ears from going numb in the strong winds. For a long time he just headed forward through the city without really caring, trying to clear his thoughts.
They wouldn't. His son had become everything he had despised, hunted and killed for thousands of years. The very same thing that had killed his wife. If he managed to help Ichigo, get him well again, would he still be able to take care of his two other children?
Even after very short periods at home Ichigo had lashed out at his sisters and even if he did recover from the disease, he would continue to be a danger to his family. Isshin doubted Ichigo would ever be able to completely act human again, even if it was both Ichigo's and his own wish that it could be so.
The thought of constantly taming the monster his son would inevitably become again and again was not a pleasing one. Bad thoughts stirred in his tired mind and a small part of Isshin wished he could just forget Ichigo existed and stop burdening himself so he could mend his broken family. Perhaps it was for the better, it was a lot of job to house a hollow after all. But his family would never be like it was before with him gone, or become even close to what it used to be with him there as a hollow either.
Isshin rubbed his eyes and stopped. It was better to dwell on these things when he had an option. If he didn't get Ichigo back he wouldn't know if Ichigo's behavior could be controlled or even fixed. It was his own son and as a parent he was supposed to do what's best for his children, Isshin knew that and he just hadn't. Not after allowing Ichigo to be kidnapped right out from under his nose.
Slowly Isshin walked until the early hours of the morning, feeling as if he wasn't part of the world anymore. He felt distant and numb. His hair was messy, his beard unshaven. Tiredness was starting to get the better of him. Shaking his head and rubbing his eyes, Isshin tried to warn off sleep. With a troubled sigh, Isshin stopped. This wasn't getting him anywhere.
Turning around, Isshin headed towards the Urahara Shop. Maybe his old friend could help his troubled mind. He could at least ask.
He walked slowly, unsure if it was any good to get his hopes up, yet the shop came up too quickly for his liking. He stood still in front of the door for a moment before finally deciding to open it.
Despite it being in the middle of the night, Isshin didn't even get a chance to rub his shoes against the doormat on the floor before Tessai Tsukabishi saw him. He gave him a nod of respect, which Isshin returned equally, before disappearing out of the room. He was probably fetching Urahara before Isshin had the time to ask.
Opening his jacket and taking off his hat, Isshin stepped inside the shop and waited in front of the counter for Urahara's arrival.
At first the shopkeeper came out with a smile on his face, happy to see his old friend again, but as soon as his eyes met with Isshin's it quickly disappeared. The look on his face clearly told that something was dreadfully wrong. Urahara concluded that things in Soul Society hadn't gone as planned.
Urahara motioned for Isshin to come inside the kitchen where both of them sat down at the table without sharing a word. Moving a hand through his beard, Isshin sighed.
"I take it Soul Society didn't go so well…" Urahara said before Isshin could speak.
"They took my son!" Isshin couldn't stop his outburst, his up pent emotions breaking the bonds he had tried to contain them behind, "Unohana wouldn't let me see him and then I was forced to leave!"
"Last time I saw your son he didn't look so well. Are you sure this wasn't for the best?"
"…What?" Isshin hoped he had heard wrong. Didn't Urahara care any more?
"Do really think it's worth it all Isshin?" Urahara looked sympathetic. "Your son is a hollow, don't you see that? Don't you think it's for the better… if they took care of the… well," Urahara sighed uncomfortably, "…problem instead of you?"
"How can you say that?" Isshin barked, "Do you think I wanted this? Do you think I want my son to be a hollow!?" His face become angry, "of course I don't want a hollow for a son! But he is and I will not let him die because of that!" Isshin hadn't stood up yet though had his forearms rested on the table uneasily, "Did you know that it was a captain that delivered the blow that made him turn!?" Isshin's voice was loud and abruptly he got to his feet, "I am ashamed to be a shinigami!"
Without waiting for a response from Urahara, Isshin was out of the building. He was furious and without much thought he kicked the nearest fence, accidentally breaking one of the wooden boards by unintentionally channelling pent up spirit-energy into the blow.
He stood breathing heavily through his nose like a bull when Urahara came out of the shop, dressed in a warmer jacket and handing Isshin his own. Turning around, Isshin took it without looking at the shop-keeper.
"I'm sorry Isshin… It wasn't my place to say something like that."
"You're damn right it wasn't!"
"I don't take back my former statement that your efforts as a parent are admirable and the lengths you go to help your son despite his wrong doings, but your son is no longer a human boy. What will you do when you get him back?" Urahara knew the hard question would have to be asked.
"Take care of him the best I can."
Urahara gave Isshin a hard look. "What if your best won't be enough?" he voice was stern, "how will you slake his hunger? Bring people for him to kill while he lies in bed or keep him drugged so hard he won't even know his own name? I'm not one to say you shouldn't take care of your own son, but I want to make it clear that I no longer think it's safe. I thought it over when you were gone and all I can see is that you will eventually have to kill your own son because of what he has become!"
Isshin didn't answer, but he did understand Urahara's change of mind. For thousands of years they had trained to kill the monsters without a thought of their feeling or reasons. It was difficult to start thinking otherwise now, even when trying so hard.
Not getting any response, Urahara continued, "I worry about your two young daughters and yourself. What if something would happen to you? What if your son manages to hurt you really bad or you get sick too?"
"Don't you think I know what's at stake here!?" Isshin crossed his arms. "I have already lost my wife Kisuke; I will not lose my son as long as I-"
"And I won't lose another friend!" Urahara interrupted, his voice rising above Isshin's.
Isshin sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, doing his best to calm down. "I know you mean well, but I will make my own decisions regarding my boy. I want to give him a chance before I decide whenever I can manage or not."
"Alright, Isshin, I'll respect your wishes," Urahara sighed, knowing he had at least gotten his point across, "but I have to make sure you really know what you're doing."
There was a strange silence between them after that and none of them looked at each other until Urahara broke the tension. "Want some tea?"
"Yeah, sure," sighed Isshin, despite wanting to leave and wondering if he should have come at all.
Both of them returned to the kitchen, sitting down where they sat before. The warm cup felt good against Isshin's cold fingers and he inhaled the scent of the tea before taking a small sip. He didn't like the taste but didn't say anything about it.
"Do you think Mayuri is behind it?" asked Urahara in a hushed voice.
Isshin sighed again, not all too sure where to begin. "Probably. Ichigo... well, everything seemed to be going well for a couple of days until he started to vomit during an examination. Some nurses were thought to have been near him and were taken away somewhere as Ichigo was rushed into quarantine," he explained.
"The first few days I didn't think of it much, too worried that I had caused an outbreak in Soul Society," Isshin frowned, that worry still lingering. "But then I wasn't allowed to see Ichigo at all," he kept going, "Unohana refused to give me anything of importance and did her best to shut me out.
She most probably didn't know of Mayuri's progress so she couldn't fake anything, since her knowledge on hollows is as limited as mine," Isshin said, doing his best to remain calm. "When I kept pushing her she said she wouldn't let a hollow go ahead of her nurses and forced me to leave!"
At first Urahara said nothing, contemplating what he had heard. "Do you have any idea where they might hold him?" It wasn't worth the time to spite Unohana for her actions; Urahara knew it was no use to blame her now. Her reason to take care of the nurses before Ichigo was understandable, but shutting Isshin out wasn't.
"No idea. The research centre would be too obvious I think, but I'm not sure. I dare not to think of Maggots Nest."
Urahara nodded grimly at the mention of the place and moved his hand over his well shaved chin. He stared off into the distance and Isshin frowned himself, not too surprised that Urahara got itchy after hearing it. Isshin knew Urahara had been there a lot more than himself.
"I don't know what to do," Isshin sighed, putting down the teacup and pushed his fingers into his tired eyes. "I haven't slept. I didn't stay at home, because I don't know what to say to my daughters. I've just been wandering. I just can't gather the strength to tell them what has happened!" Isshin said, unable to keep the edge of desperation from his voice.
"Isshin!" Urahara urged, his voice sympathetic, "Don't feel bad about yourself for leaving. It would have been foolish to stay and be turned over to the captain commander. He wouldn't have been kind and you know that."
Isshin didn't respond, he only sighed at Urahara's words.
"You couldn't have done much alone," continued Urahara, "Your son is probably somewhere in one of the research facilities… But first you have to learn which one, each which is heavily guarded and then manage to move through the area undetected... It will be too hard for you to do alone Isshin," Urahara stirred his tea and went on, "Unohana is probably aware that you won't take Ichigo's disappearance lying down and will be aptly prepared for you to attempt to break in. Especially now when Soul Society is on such high guard and worst-case scenario everyone has been informed to expect you."
Isshin grimaced. It hadn't occurred to him that Unohana would have gone to anyone with the warning that he might be coming. Perhaps even to the Captain Commander himself but then again, if she had done that, Isshin probably wouldn't be sitting where he was right now and she would have been demoted for helping Ichigo and himself in the first place.
"But I have to save him Urahara! You know I cannot just sit by and do nothing! I have to go and save him!"
"I won't let you go on a suicide run!"
"You know I have a better chance than that!"
"True, but it's still foolish and you know it," Urahara glared at Isshin, knowing that the man could be as stubborn as a donkey. Isshin himself only crossed his arms in defence.
"You have to find some sort of facts before you just take to storming in there!" urged Urahara.
"How will I find these facts without being in Soul Society and looking for them!?" Isshin was getting annoyed now, knowing that Urahara didn't want him to go to Soul Society at all again because he might get hurt. But he didn't care. He would be far more hurt by the grief of losing his son than any wound Soul Societies swords could inflicting upon him.
"You don't understand Kisuke. It's my son!"
"Don't take me for such a fool! I have seen first-hand how the prisoners were treated and what they did to hollows in there," Urahara said, clearly annoyed himself now, "I even did it myself once, you know that!"
Isshin didn't answer. He didn't know what to say, he just swallowed uneasily and took another sip of the disgusting tea. At least it tasted better than the bile that kept rising up in his throat.
"Please don't remind me Kisuke," Isshin sighed. "There is enough horror in the present; I need not to be reminded of that which once was even worse." He tried to sound polite, but didn't know if he succeeded.
"Sorry," Urahara responded after a brief silence and a grim nod of understanding.
"I just can't bare the thought of what my son might be going through," Isshin's face became worried once more and the two of them met eyes again.
"I know Isshin. He was a good kid and he wasn't stupid. He wouldn't…" Urahara snorted a bit through his nose, correcting himself to not upset Isshin and give way for the previous conversation to return, "Ichigo won't want you to rush in there unprepared and only manage to get half way before getting executed!"
"Then what do you suggest?"
After a moment of silence Urahara said; "I can get you to Hueco Mundo."
"Aizen?"
"Yes, Aizen. I'm sure he keeps tabs on his soldiers."
Isshin didn't answer.
"You know it's better to go there first," continued Urahara, "no matter how much both of us dislike his ideas."
"It's an option, Ichigo did spend time there but it didn't seem like they were very kind either..." sighed Isshin, "…he got the collar from there."
Urahara's lips grew thin in his face. "I was wondering where that came from. I should have guessed."
"Yeah..." breathed Isshin and looked away, "may I stay here tonight? I…" Isshin sighed, not wanting to talk any more at the moment, "I cannot face my daughters and tell them what has happened right now."
"Of course Isshin," there was no hesitation in the answer. "I'll tell Tessai to prepare a bed."
"Thank you."
As Urahara left, Isshin felt a small weight leave his shoulders. His face crumbled into a grimace but no tears came. He moaned quietly and pushed his fingers into his eyes.
He felt horrible. He did his best to stop the feelings of helplessness returning to him but he didn't succeed. There was a lump in both his throat and stomach that didn't want to go away. Lumps of regret and despair, but most of all the desperate feeling of not doing anything drastic.
The bed Isshin went to rest in half an hour later was hard and uncomfortable. Isshin twisted in it, his thoughts not wanting to leave him alone. The things Urahara had said before had hurt, but there was too much truth in them to be ignored. Sacrificing his own life to save his son was not something he planned on doing. He had to prioritise his daughters too.
How could he not go to them? He was a bad excuse of a father. If he didn't go home, he would become just like his own son, gone without a trace. Isshin wouldn't run away from something that was so important. He had made many bad calls with Ichigo throughout the years, the least he could do was not to repeat them with his daughters.
He also had his job. Isshin rubbed his face. It seemed so small and insignificant compared to what was going on, but the need to bring in money was still there and the human life would press on and bring unwanted consequences if he didn't continue to live it. There was no way Ichigo would want Isshin to destroy his daughters future because of him. On the behalf of Ichigo he couldn't give up everything he had in the pursuit to rescue him.
In the real world Ichigo was comatose in his room, not kidnapped. To everyone else he was home and safe and there nothing else to do but to wait and hope that he would wake up. It was no excuse not to come to work, to not be home, to be gone without a trace. It was no excuse to leave his daughters alone and have child services contacted by suspicious neighbours.
With a night full of Isshin trying to expel his own thoughts, he didn't get much sleep before Urahara called that breakfast was done. Stepping into the dining room and scratching his hair after getting dressed, Isshin eyed the clock. Six in the morning. It was a time Isshin was used to getting up at or earlier, but not after such a bad night. He could use some more rest.
"Do you want some tea, Isshin?" Urahara offered and held out a cup for him.
"Oh, no thank you. Water will do just fine."
Smiling in response Urahara put down the cup and handed him some water instead. Ururu and Jinta were nowhere to be seen and no plates seem to have been taken forth for them, so Isshin guessed they would still be sleeping. There was one more plate that looked used, probably Tessai's plate but he seemed to have left the table. Grabbing a piece of toast after taking a sip of the water, Isshin sighed.
"I've been thinking," he started, "and I have decided to go home to Karin and Yuzu before heading to Aizen. I need to gather my thoughts before I can go there or I won't get anything out of it. I don't want to risk something bad happening there because I couldn't think straight."
The joy of Isshin's decision could be seen in Urahara's eyes, but he didn't smile as it still meant longer time of Ichigo being held captive.
"I think it's the right decision. You might even catch your daughters before they head to school if you leave soon."
"Yes, I was thinking that too."
The door to the Kurosaki resident didn't want to be quiet when Isshin opened it. The hinges screamed and Isshin stopped half way and squeezed through the narrow gap instead. The feeling that this was wrong returned to him, but he did his best to ignore it. Just the fact of seeing Ichigo's large shoes waiting for him besides Yuzu's small ones made Isshin wonder if his breakfast was a good idea. He was getting sick with worry again.
Taking off his shoes and stepping inside the house, Isshin couldn't hear if his daughters had woken yet or not. Glancing at the clock, he figured they might sleep for another half an hour at least. Stepping into the kitchen, Isshin put forth plates and breakfast for them. He made coffee for himself and just sat waiting in the kitchen until his daughters arrived. Eventually he heard the sleepy steps of one of them in the stairs.
"Dad? You're back already?" Yuzu exclaimed as soon as she entered the kitchen.
"Yuzu! Come here," Isshin offered a smile, but before Yuzu had even walked up to the table she stopped. She seemed hesitant and looked concerned. Uncertainly she turned her head and looked towards the ward.
"What's wrong? Where's Ichigo?" she asked.
"I'm afraid things didn't go as planned," Isshin's smile faltered.
"What happened?"
"Let's wait until Karin is here, alright?"
"Okay," Yuzu answered and sat down slowly on her chair. She said nothing but still gave her father a worried look as she took one of the slices of bread her father had put forth.
"Did anything happen while I was gone?" Isshin asked, not sure of what to say and felt awkward.
"No, just school as usual," Yuzu was about to say something more but Karin could be heard in the stairs and she fell silent, looking back at Isshin who straightened in his seat.
"Dad?" Karin questioned and she too looked around for her brother and gazed toward the ward when she didn't see him.
"I'm afraid things didn't go as planned," Isshin repeated and motioned for Karin to sit down. She did so and eyed him questionably.
"I was forced to leave and Ichigo had to stay behind."
"What? Why!?" asked Karin loudly.
"There was an accident, and the nurses helping your brother got sick too. I offered to help but I was kept in the dark and forced to leave, so I don't even know if the nurses really got sick or not."
"Can't you go back and get him!?"
"I'm going to try to get him back. But I wanted to tell you first and I have to prepare things," Isshin said but didn't mention that he had to calm down mentally, he didn't want to worry the girls any further, "I'm not allowed to be where we went so I and Ichigo went there in secrecy. When things went wrong, I don't know who my former friend there might have told of Ichigo or me having been there."
"Will they hurt you if go back...?" Yuzu asked quietly as if she was afraid to raise her voice.
"If they know I'm there, most probably yes," Isshin said after a moment of hesitation, "but I'll make sure they won't!" Isshin smiled and hoped he didn't look as exhausted as he felt.
Looking away from her father, Karin slowly grabbed some bread and ate it without saying anything, lost in thought.
"Do you know what they are doing to him?" she asked eventually.
"No," moving a hand through his beard, Isshin frowned. He knew the question would come and he didn't know how to dodge it. He was about to make up a quick lie about something but Karin looked away, seeming to think that the short answer sufficed. Relived, Isshin finished his coffee in one swipe, feeling it burn his throat and feelings away.
The two girls only ate one slice of bread each and Isshin didn't blame them for losing their appetite. He helped them clear the table and get ready for school. They didn't say much to each other but Isshin did his best to seem positive.
Once the girls had left for school with sad faces, Isshin entered his clinic, and slumped down into his office chair, sighing loudly. He had calmed down a little bit after talking to his daughters. It was good that they knew some of what was going on. Even so, his emotions were still in turmoil and he had trouble sitting still.
He was constantly reminding himself that he was wasting time whether he wanted to or not. It made him squeeze his eyes shut and ill thoughts of what Ichigo was going thought sent panic through his soul. Yet, he kept telling himself he couldn't save anyone like this. His mind listened to the reason but his heart didn't. They were at war with each other and he couldn't stop it.
He pulled both his hands through his hair this time and breathed through his nose and out of his mouth, but it didn't help. Rising to his feet, Isshin couldn't sit still.
He wandered around the house and without realising it he found himself inside Ichigo's room, where the machines ticked away and kept an empty body alive. It was good to know that at least the most human part of his son was safe. He sat down next to it like he had done countless of times before, almost everyday since Ichigo first left it and didn't come back. Isshin had found it in a heap on the floor and it had triggered a deep worry that hadn't left him once even to this day.
Carefully he took the frail hand that lay on top of the covers and squeezed it. His free hand wiped his tears away as he couldn't stop them. Not now when he sat there looking and holding his son, yet knowing that his soul was as far away from him as anyone could be.
He was loud and messy as he began to cry, his shoulders heaving. His face crumbled and his beard became wet with both saliva and tears. He sagged together in the chair he sat in, his forehead leaning against Ichigo's motionless hand and squeezing it tighter for every deep breath he took. They came out in almost shouts and his eyes were bloodshot when he eventually leaned back into the chair in an attempt to calm down.
He tried to still his breathing but it only resulted in a rough cough as saliva got into the wrong airway and more tears welled from his eyes. It didn't want to stop and he felt like he couldn't breathe.
Getting up, Isshin left the room, knowing that he couldn't stop the torrent of emotions from erupting if he kept looking at his son's motionless, pale face. It hurt too much and left him even worse than before. He went downstairs again and considered leaving the house. Maybe go to the store, buy some more food for his daughters.
He took a shower instead. The warm water eased his troubled mind, relaxed his tense muscles and dampened his worry. He did his best not to think about what lay ahead and only focused on the water running over his face and pooling at his feet before going down the drain.
Stepping out of the shower and feeling a little calmer afterwards, Isshin got dressed in new clothes. He got back into the clinic and sat down again on the office chair. He considered e-mailing the Karakura hospital saying that he had returned to work, but immediately regretted starting the computer knowing very well that he wouldn't be able to work in his condition, at least not with any patients.
Shutting down the computer as soon as it had fully started, he headed into the kitchen and ate some of the breakfast his daughters hadn't. Then he wrote a note saying he had gone over to Urahara and didn't know when he would be home.
Taking the car this time, Isshin arrived there a lot quicker. The shop was without costumers as it always seemed to be and Isshin didn't bother to ring the bell at the counter this time. Isshin knew Urahara expected him to be back any way.
"That was fast," Urahara said and smiled lightly when he heard Isshin walk into the dining area of the store.
"Yeah..." Isshin breathed and hoped the shower had removed any of the evidence of him crying. Clearing his throat and smearing his palms together Isshin frowned. "I'd like your help getting a Gargantuan up as soon as possible."
Getting up from where he had been sitting, Urahara fan flipped up over his face. "I already started."
Smiling slightly at that, Isshin followed Urahara to the secret basement. At the bottom of it he found Tessai among the rocks. Together the three of them worked the rest of the day and most of the night to create a portal to the other world.
It was dark when he returned home, but the windows were still lit inside the house. Turning off the engine and stepping out of the vehicle, Isshin headed into the house.
"What are you girls doing up so late?" he asked as he entered the living room, where he found both Karin and Yuzu watching TV and looking very tired.
"Waiting for you," Karin said and crossed her arms, "we want to be able to help too, you know. There has to be something we can do?"
Sighing slightly, but smiling a little, Isshin sat down in the sofa next to them. "There are always thing you can do even if it doesn't seem to have any immediate impact," he said.
"There are important things such as looking after the house and helping with Ichigo," Isshin said, referring to the body upstairs, "cut his nails and brushing his hair. Check that the IV drip and that the feeding tube is in the correct position like I showed you," Isshin said and then took both his daughters hands in his and stroked them gently, "I also don't want you to miss you education like Ichigo is doing or most important of all; end up in danger," he said.
Nodding more to herself than to Isshin, Yuzu swallowed uneasily but still looked determined, accepting her father's wishes. Karin however, didn't seem to easily convinced.
"We can't just sit here!"
"I'm sorry Karin, but you can't help right now even if I wanted you to. I... I don't dare to get you involved Karin, or Yuzu. I would fear for your lives if I did," Isshin looked apologetic, "please try to understand."
Hearing the plead in her father's voice, Karin feel silent. Her expression changed into a frown and she looked disappointed. Doing his best not to look sad, Isshin was reminded too much of the conversation he had had with Urahara just the day before. He felt bad for lecturing his daughter with Urahara's side of the argument, when he didn't agree with it himself.
"We'll be ready to help when you get Ichigo back then..." she signed, feeling rather helpless, but turned to look at Yuzu who nodded in agreement.
"Knowing that I won't have to go through this alone and that I have you two to help me with Ichigo means the world to me." Hugging his two daughters, Isshin smiled. Leaning back, he let go and looked at them.
"I'll be leaving again in four days," he said, "I'm going to ask someone I know Ichigo has stayed with for help."
"How long will you be gone?" asked Yuzu.
"I'm not sure but I'm not planning on being there very long. A day at most. It depends on whenever he's willing to help or not."
"What if he won't?"
"One thing at a time Karin, alright?" Isshin offered.
"Alright," was all she could muster and looked away.
The silence hung tight around them for a while and none of them seemed to know what to say, but eventually Isshin's voice cut thought the chocking silence.
"You two should go to bed, it's late."
Yuzu only nodded solemnly and Karin tried to hide her uncertainty in a yawn.
Four days later in the morning Isshin said goodbye to his daughters, hugged them tight, wished them well and as the day grew dark, Isshin helped with establishing the last things for the gargantuan. Two large wooden posts jutted out from between large rock formations.
"My right hand is the stone that bridges worlds," Urahara spoke the incantations. "My left hand is the blade that binds reality. The black-haired shepherd is hung from a chair. Stratus clouds come, and I strike down the ibis."
The maw of the gate tore open reality itself and breathed cold desert winds into Isshin's hair from the world beyond. He stood looking at it for a while, wondering if it was a waste of time until Urahara interrupted his thoughts.
"I tried to open it as close as I could without risking actually opening the portal inside the building, alright?"
"That sounds good," Isshin said, his voice seeming distant.
"Just make them aware of your presence and they will let you in, I'm sure," said Urahara, but after a bit of silence he added; "Or attack I guess, you might want to be ready with Engetsu."
"Thanks, and I will."
"Good luck."
The former captain stepped through the gargantuan. He ran through it with his heart heavy in his chest and stepped out onto white sand. It whirled all around and he squinted through the white, raging sandstorm he found himself in. Grabbing the kerchief he had had with him and pulling it over his face, to cover his nose and mouth, Isshin moved forward, his arm up over his eyes in an attempt to block out most of the sand.
Pushing onwards, Isshin saw the white palace after he had managed to climb the fourth dune of pulling sand. He coughed gently beneath the cloth and descended the mountain of sand and started sprinting the best he could towards the castle, wanting to get out of the storm as soon as possible.
As he drew closer, he flared with his spirit-energy for less than a second. Anymore wasn't needed to gain the attention of the people from inside the palace, so he could gain access. That attention was given to him in the form of a dark blur.
The blow came from below, but Isshin had already drawn his sword and managed to block the attack. Cursing, Isshin tried to back off. He didn't want to harm the arrancar, but it seemed intent on killing him by the threatening manner it vented its energy. The arrancar was a thin, sad looking man, humanoid in all parts except for unnatural lines going down his face like tears. It wasn't what Isshin had expected, but he didn't let the lean frame fool him.
Swallowing hard, Isshin held up his sword and loosened his grip from the hilt, holding it with only his index finger and thumb. He let it swing downwards towards the ground without letting it go; a way to show that he didn't wish to fight.
"I don't want to fight!" Isshin shouted over the desert howling wind, "I wish to speak with Aizen Sõsuke!"
His call went unheard and Isshin had to be quick to grab his sword properly again to block another attack. Turning around to keep facing the rapidly moving man, Isshin saw in the corner of his eyes the blur of another figure approaching. Swallowing uneasily Isshin took on a better stance.
The sand whirled around and both of the arrancar disappeared from view. Twisting around in the sand on his heels, Isshin did his best to keep his own energy in check as he just barely managed to block several quick blows that he couldn't entirely see where they came from.
"I do not wish to fight!" he repeated, "Hey!" he shouted angrily.
His cry seemed to be ignored again or they could not hear his cries over the wind. But he doubted that as he by just mere millimetres managed to dodge another strike that was aimed towards his neck. White sand whirled up around them both as Isshin pushed away with a massive force of spirit-energy.
He remained firm in the sand, hoping that if he didn't attack the onslaught wouldn't escalate. But his calls went on deaf ears as the figures in the sand vanished from sight again and two feet collided into his abdomen. Isshin wheezed and fell forward to his knees. Quickly he tried to get into a better defensive position but an elbow between his shoulder blades shoved him into the ground and he spit sand. Angrily Isshin flared with his energy.
"I don't want to fight!" the call still seemed to fall on deaf ears, even as he bellowed at the top of his voice.
Isshin didn't fear the attacking arrancar, but he still felt uneasy and was starting to get angry at their behaviour. Why did they refuse to talk? Every inch of him wanted to attack back, but then he knew there wouldn't be any chance of them listening at all. So he kept shouting and blocking, but it didn't seem to do him any good.
Moving back, Isshin raised his sword and blocked another blow from the second man, stark coloured hair making him easier to see than first one. He was fast and even managed to punch Isshin the face. Growling, Isshin raised his left hand towards his target and closed it into a fist, magical Kidõ flared into existence. Yellow energy in the form of a very thick rope flew out and disappeared off into the sand to ensnare his opponents' torsos.
A slight grunt, but no yell, was heard from the falling arrancars. Despite the Locking Bondage Stripes-magic being a level sixty Kidõ, both of the arrancar landed on their feet. As they struggled against the bonds, Isshin rushed forward to the one with the blue hair and small green markings under his eyes.
"Let me talk to Aizen," Isshin growled through gritted teeth and pushed Engetsu down hard against the arrancar's throat, "I have business regarding Ichigo Kurosaki. He stayed here, did he not?"
"Yeah, he did, but then he left! Little brat got in trouble I heard," Grimmjow laughed and spit sand towards Isshin's face. All Grimmjow knew and cared about was that he had one less thing to care about. Sure, the kid had been fun to beat up at times, but mostly he had just been a pain. It was good to have him gone. "Aizen kicked him out!"
There was a waver in Isshin's grip and Grimmjow didn't waste his chance to break free from the Kidõ and move away from the sword. Lashing out, the blow came hard and fast and Isshin didn't manage to dodge Grimmjow's fist when it came for his face. It hit him straight in his right eye. Slipping away from below Isshin, Grimmjow ran off to a safer distance.
"Who's asking!?" he called and snickered as he saw Ulquiorra break free from the kidõ bonds.
"Tell Aizen that Isshin is looking for him!" Isshin tried, but didn't think the man would care.
"Why!?" Grimmjow laughed, but abruptly fell silent when no other than Gin Ishimaru sudden flash-stepped in in-front of him, the former captain of one of the Gotei 13 divisions. Both of the arrancar stopped their actions and Isshin could feel the sweat on his palms. Swallowing, Isshin spoke;
"Ishimaru!" He called, not sure if to expect a fight or not.
"Well, well!" the snakelike grin spread over the former captain's face.
"Look who's come out of hiding! Thought I felt the presence of some familiar spirit-energy!" Gin called and moved closer without drawing his weapon. When he was close enough to speak normally, he extended a hand. "If it isn't Isshin! What brings you here to this dark desert?"
"I wish to speak to Aizen about my son," Isshin said, not accepting the hand, "I have reasons to believe that he stayed here."
"Oh, he did! He did!" the snakelike smile returned and Gin glanced at Isshin's katana. "Sheathe your sword and I'll take you to him."
Glancing at the two arrancar that were now standing behind Gin, Isshin frowned but did as he was told.
"Don't worry about those two," a wave of his hand dismissed them and they left, even if reluctantly. Isshin didn't answer, but followed Gin never the less when he turned around and started walking towards the castle.
Following out of sword's reach, even if Isshin knew Gin's weapon was a throwing knife, Isshin rubbed his face. He could feel his left eye start to swell and he knew that he could temporarily loose his eyesight on it at any time. He didn't want that, but he had no way to take care of it now.
As they walked Isshin could feel the presence of several other hollow-like creatures nearby, but he couldn't see them. It made him nervous but he did his best to shove the feeling aside. If he didn't do anything suspicious he knew he would be fine. Gin didn't engage in any further conversation even if he kept glancing over his white clad shoulder at Isshin. Isshin was grateful at that and sighed in relief quietly when Gin finally stopped in front of a large pair of doors after several minutes of walking.
He turned around and smiled a creepy smile to Isshin. "Aizen is right in here," he said before leaving with a wave of his hand. "Bye, bye, Isshin!"
Isshin glanced at the massive, white doors. He moved a hand thought his beard, closed his eyes for a few seconds and then pushed the doors open, entering a large room. Several chairs with tall backs were leaned up neatly against a large white table. The chair next to where Aizen was sitting had been pushed back so it was easily accessible.
"Welcome, Kurosaki Isshin," said Aizen and motioned with his hand towards the furniture.
Without saying anything, Isshin closed the door behind him, sat down on the offered chair and rested one of hands against the hilt of his sword, to show that he wasn't unprepared for anything suspicious. Even if Aizen saw it, he made no move against it. Instead, he smiled gently and poured a cup of tea for Isshin. He pushed it towards him before he grabbed his own cup and took a small sip from it.
"I apologise for the actions of my subordinates, they can be... a bit of a hassle at times," there was a small smile on his face and he looked at Isshin's darkening eye, but when Isshin didn't acknowledge it and Aizen kept talking, "what brings you here, to my palace?"
Ignoring his own cup, Isshin sat straight in the chair. "My son is trapped in Soul Society and I need help to get him out, back to the human world. I'm asking for your assistance."
Slowly Aizen put down the china-ware, stirred the tea with a spoon quietly and then looked Isshin straight in the eyes.
"I don't have any intention of getting your son out of Soul Society."
Doing his best to keep calm, Isshin's face tightened. "What do you mean by that? Isn't Ichigo… staying here? I have seen his uniform," Isshin knew he had to be careful with his words.
"He is," said Aizen, "and he is part of my army just as all the other hollows here are here. Your son is still doing his job as part of that army."
"What job?" Isshin demanded before Aizen could say anything else. He was having trouble containing his temper now.
"Your son got sick during his stay here as I am sure you are aware of. I sent him back to you with the very purpose of him getting back into Soul Society to spread the disease there," Aizen paused slightly before continuing, "Of course, I didn't tell him that."
Working to keep his face straight, Isshin was shocked and angry. He had to take several deep breaths through his nose to stop himself from shouting.
"Why would I help you Isshin? It does not benefit me to get your son out of Soul Society."
Isshin was speechless. He didn't know what to say. How could be not care at all?
"Have you ever had any children, Aizen?" Isshin hadn't given the question any thought before saying it but he couldn't help himself, Aizen's cold demeanour getting the better of him. Still, Aizen only smirked at the question.
"No, Isshin. I have not."
Pushing his chinaware back hard enough for the tea to splash over the edge, Isshin got to his feet.
"I'm sorry but I cannot accept help from someone that letshis soldiers suffer and die on purpose just so he can win a war."
Turning on his heel, Isshin started to leave. He wouldn't accept any help from someone who thought he could make Soul Society a better place by sacrificing his own soldiers and murdering the souls that already lived there.
"I will still help you Isshin," Aizen said again, his voice too calm and collected for Isshin's liking. "If you meet my conditions."
Stopping, Isshin slowly turned around. He glared at the man in front of him, but listened. He was desperate; he had come this far after all and he might as well hear the man out.
"I will save your son if you join me Isshin," the demand didn't surprise Isshin, yet it made him even more angry. "Together we can take over Soul Society and make it better, turn it into the heaven it's supposed to be. We can remove the slums and the big rift between the people."
"I will not join you in your mad quest for power," Isshin said, using every ounce of will power he had to not show his anger. If he did, Aizen would use it to trick him, he knew that.
But just as he was about to exit through the large doors, Aizen rose from his own chair, "Are you sure you don't want any help? You know you can't save him without it."
Isshin shoulders set and without looking back he opened the door and exited the room, wondering what madness had grabbed hold of the man. Walking briskly and finding his way out and ignoring the green eyed Espada that followed tightly behind him, Isshin's frown faltered.
His thoughts were not as firm as his clenched shoulders. The thought of joining forces with the mad man still slipped into his conscious and festered there, but he did his best to banish those thoughts as the sad Espada summoned a gargantuan that led to Karakura Town. Frowning angrily, Isshin stepped through.
End of Chapter