Psychic Chick

Part Two: The Eising Threat

Chapter Sixty Nine: Path Forward

Main POV

Bags packed and ready to go I stood leaning against the wall of the Kurosaki clinic after a long and boring recovery. Hitsugaya was making a desperate attempt to keep me in the World of the Living just that little bit longer and I didn't quite understand why. It was his job originally to bring me in in the first place.

Once I'd come round Rangiku, Renji, Ichigo and himself had headed back to the seireitei and I'd been left under the cabable watch of Yuzu and Isshin. Karin stopped by occasionally to chat because she was under the impression all this laying around would bore me. And she was right. But other than that I was mostly alone. I was dying to get back, even if confined to desk duty.

I hadn't had any visits from brother dearest either. Not that I thought I would, but I didn't think he'd come back after he'd left either and he did. And healed me for some reason. I had many questions, but none answered.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back?" Hitsugaya asked. "No one would blame you if after all this you decided to leave here. And you wouldn't be chased."

"There's nothing to tie me here. Last time I left this world it was because there wasn't anything strong enough to hold me. Now there's nothing for me at all. My life is in the seireitei. And even if it wasn't, do you think I could just stand by and let them get away with this?"

"I don't think anyone could stop you if you decided you wanted in," he replied.

"I want in," I answered.

"Welcome aboard, Third Seat Kurodo," he said.

"That name needs work," I told him. "I either need to take Renji's or make things right with Byakuya so I can have his."

"After what he did you really want to forgive him?" Hitsugaya asked.

"No," I shook my head. "First I wanna make him pay. Then I want him to be sorry and then I want his word he'll never do something so stupid again."

"And then you'll forgive him?"

"Then I'll consider it," I told him. "But none of that will happen unless I do something."

"That means I'm gonna have to forgive him too, right?" Rangiku asked, having come through the senkaimon while my Captain and I had been talking.

"You don't have to but he is your husband, how much longer are you going to keep this silent treatment up for?" I asked.

"I moved into the Lieutenants quarters at the barracks ages ago," she told me.

"Yes and they're a mess," Hitsugaya agreed. "You forgiving him and moving into a house with servants is a much better idea than you destroying Kiseki's hard work at the renovations."

"Are things so bad that you can't forgive him ever?" I asked. "I'm still really angry. I know why you're angry and that's okay. But you were married years before I was ever adopted. All that in the drain? Are things that bad?"

"I don't know," she sighed. Isshin came outside to meet us. He lit a cigarette and offered it to Rangiku who acceptaded it and he lit another. "I thought you quit?" she asked him.

"My god daughter smokes," he shrugged. "I made a pact with her that I'd smoke as long as she did. I'd quit when she did."

"Aren't you a doctor?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Ignore that silly old man," Hitsugaya told me. "Are your only two options forgive Captain Kuchiki or marry Abarai?"

"I suppose not," I shrugged. "It's just a name, but I feel so gross all over whenever anyone says it now. It was fine when I found out my dad was a bad guy, because there was always the hope he could be brought round but now there's my brother, the experiments they're doing on people? What they were trying to use me for? The name is tainted."

"You know the Kurodo clan was a good clan before I left. It fell simply because there was no one to replace your father, no one could bear the stigma. You're stronger Kiseki, why don't you become the next head?" Isshin asked. "Make the name strong again. Show them how strong you are. Things are changing, a female head wouldn't matter much."

"Not with Kukaku running your clan," Rangiku chuckled. "You'd like her baby."

"Maybe that's the path forward," I shrugged.

"Well," Rangiku said. "We'd best be off, it was nice seeing you again, Isshin."

"And you, Rangiku," he nodded. "You're always welcome here, my friend."

With that Rangiku opened up a senkaimon and escorted me through it. Hitsugaya was right behind me. Something called to me though, made me turn around. Just as I did, I saw him step away from the gate. I was about to call out to him but just as I opened my mouth, he closed it behind me.

Toshiro POV

"You're always welcome here, my friend," my old Captain told Rangiku as we readied ourselves to go through the senkai gate. I frowned, something felt wrong. After everything Kiseki has been through, surely her brother wouldn't still side with their father.

I watched Rangiku and Kiseki step through the gate back to our world when I felt it. I turned my head and I felt Isshin do the same behind me. There was a girl standing there, she was a whole, standing there in spirit form. She was covered in blood though. Whatever had killed her had been traumatic, you could tell by the way she stood reguardless of all the blood. I closed the gate. I needed to send her on before a hollow could get her. But to do that I'd need to snap her out of her state first. I couldn't on good conscious send her to the other side like this.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Kyoko," the spirit told me.

Kisuke POV

"Hime-chan?" I called as the little blonde girl passed the open doorway. I sat by the wooden table in the reception room with a cup of tea, steaming away beside me. She took too steps back and leaned her head into the room. The look on her face told she didn't look impressed by my stopping her. I gestured for her to join me at the table. She scowled but joined me.

"You haven't been the same since you came back from Kensei's. Surely you're not still angry we sent you there?" I said. She shook her head.

"There are more important things going on right now, than your silly games with your former coworkers," she replied. I smirked slightly.

"Okay, Princess, then pray tell, is it? What's more important than my silly games? What occupies your mind more than your training?" I asked.

"It's Kyoko," she replied.

"Oh?" I raised a brow. I wondered what silly teenage drama could be weighing so heavily on her mind.

"Yes," she nodded. "She's dead."

"I'm sorry?" I asked. "How?"

"She was mur... I'm not sure. Something doesn't add up," she frowned, looking down at the table in front of her. "Self inflicted, says everyone else."

"But you don't think so?" I asked. She was bright, my daughter. And something was bothering her. If that something told her her friend's death was no accident, then she should believe it.

"Something happened to her before she died, she told me that much. I was there, when she died. I watched the light leave her eyes. I tried to save her, I was trying to talk her down, but, whatever happened, it was big. Something's wrong, but I can't figure out what it is," I watched the gears turning in her head. I was surprised to hear she'd watched her own best friend die, which did explain her morose behaviour recently. And how quickly she was to anger now. Not that she wasn't hot headed before.

"Trust your instincts," I told her. "Just remember, you have responsibilities too. Don't fall too deep trying to recover the life of a lost friend."

Main POV

When I finally did see my Captain again, it was in his office days later. He'd given me light duties, more of Rangiku's paperwork to do. I couldn't complain, there really wasn't much else to do even if I could get him to agree to give me less simple tasks. Although, all the light work did give me a lot of free time. Renji and I hadn't really talked about my spontaneous proposal and I was somewhat glad, even if it did make things kind of awkward.

"Hey Captain?" I asked after lunch one afternoon.

"Hmm?" He looked up from his paperwork.

"I know I just got back," I said. "But do I have any leave left?"

"After you not feeling better after all? Do you want some more recovery time?" he asked.

"Actually," I said, putting down the paperwork I was flicking through. "I want to go and see Kukaku Shiba."

"What Kurosaki said get to you, huh?" he replied.

"I'm not sure," I told him. "But talking to her, to at least get advise on Byakuya can't be a bad idea. Apparently she's just as sporadic as I am, and twice as violent."

"I can't possibly see how that can go wrong," he shook his head. "Ask Ichigo to take you there, he knows the way. Plus I happen to know he's been avoiding visiting for some time." I smirked.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"They're cousins," Hitsugaya shrugged. "Ichigo found them mildly annoying before, it's worse now he knows he stuck with them. Plus, I think he's tired of being punched in the face." I chuckled.

"Alright," I agreed with a grin. "Ichigo it is then."