Hello! Welcome back! It's time to take a bit of a step back, leave Orihime in her forced vacation in Hueco Mundo and have a look at what's going on with the rest of the Nakama in the meantime. Also, a fair bit of world-building in this chapter.

This was the first full-chapter I wrote after returning to this fic, having made the decision to continue and finish it. I'm mentioning that (again) because it explains a bit why I chose to reveal so much in this particular chapter. See, when I first began writing Nakama, we were barely at the Hueco Mundo Arc in canon, and I had ideas, lots and lots of ideas. As canon moved forward I did my best to add the new things into it, not all, but most, especially the actual canon (the manga) and the filler-ups that I either really liked, or that I found fit best with what I was already doing. This held true even when the Thousand Year War Arc began. I had plans for that, so many plans. A whole sub-plotline involving Uryuu, and Keeva, and to a lesser degree several of the other OCs. A lot about the Réalta and their relevance in this 'verse would have been explained there. Then we got to a certain part in canon (or rather two) where the idea became untenable. I'd to either divorce myself from canon, or rewrite the entire story, considering just how much I'd already written, the last one really wasn't an option. In any case, that was pretty much why I ended putting the fic on hold for so long. Couldn't make up my mind what to do, and then the manga began getting so strange, my muse refused to cooperate. The finale really didn't help on that front either...

Then, I got into Bleach again, went through all my favorite fics, and decided it was time to dust this up and finish it. I decided that TYW Arc just had to go. I never read it fully (only the start, really, and a few chapters here and there), and a lot of it I found very confusing. So I decided that whatever canon came up there, doesn't exist as far as Nakama is concerned. Hence all the notes I wrote at the very beginning, about Masaki not being Quincy, about Ichigo not being part Quincy, Zangetsu-Ossan being a zanpakutou, Shiro an Inner hollow (with all the details and implications that have been revealed since), etc. In some things I do regret it, because I liked the story I'd planned for Uryuu, and for Keeva, but it just wasn't possible.

If anyone would like to know more abut the stories that didn't make the cut, let me know and I'll share (if anyone would like to use them you'll get my blessings, with the proviso that you tell me so I can go read them).

A certain filler is mentioned here, I won't go into it for reasons I explain in the End Notes, hope you don't mind it much. Also, a certain group of individuals finally make their debut in this chapter, at least one person had asked after them, here you go my friend! It's probably not what you were expecting, but I hope you'll enjoy anyway!

And on with the chapter!


Chapter 39. Bonds of Blood, Spirit and Choice.

In the training area underneath Kisuke's candy store, constant bangs and clashes could be heard as the Nakama continued their intensive training. Every day that passed was one more day that Orihime spent in Hueco Mundo, and they all hated being unable to do anything. One of their teachers, Ms. Sakurada, had reported her missing after a week and while some questions had been asked, informally, the authorities weren't really doing much. Orihime was after all eighteen, had been living on her own since the death of her older brother. The authorities had chalked it as a runaway-case and were doing nothing about it, and while Sakurada refused to believe it was something like that, the fact that no one was saying otherwise, meant her hands were tied.

The Nakama hated having to pretend not to know what was going on, pretend like Orihime really was capable of running away without saying a thing to any of them, giving up on everything she had and everyone she knew. But they knew it was how it had to be. There was no way to explain to the humans what was really going on, so they pretended, and continued training.

The only one who was having any real trouble with training was Yuzu. While she had a mastery of kidou few were capable of (many in Seireitei had taken to comparing her to some legendary Kidou Mistress known only as the Ave Blanca), that was as far as she went in the shinigami arts. No matter how hard she tried, how much she meditated, Yuzu had no zanpakutou.

"What about your kaa-san?" Uryuu asked unexpectedly.

As was routine, once evening came and the training ended, the Nakama came together to drink tea and talk about how it had gone for them during the day. Giving each other recommendations to improve and motivations to keep getting better.

"What about her?" Ichigo asked, eyes wide.

It was so rare for anyone to bring Masaki up at any point other than during their yearly visit to the cemetery. Much like they rarely mentioned any of their dead relatives. Knowing Uryuu as Ichigo did, he knew there had to be a reason to bring him up.

"She had some spiritual power." Uryuu half-stated, half-asked.

"We suppose so." Karin shrugged. "I remember she was never surprised or disbelieving about Ichigo's ability to see spirits."

"I think she could see them too…" Ichigo murmured quietly. "She never said it, not directly, but there was something about the way she acted sometimes… and that night she knew…"

"She could see them, Masaki knew all about the spiritual plane." A voice announced.

"Oyaji!" Ichigo and Karin yelled at the same time, anger underlying their surprise.

"For so many years I've been waiting… hoping and dreading when this day might come." Isshin stated, the solemn expression looking foreign on his face. "When you might ask about Masaki's past… about how she connected with me. With all of us." He exhaled. "You know already that my name used to be Nagaken Isshin, I took Masaki's name when she married. She was born Kurosaki Masaki, her father was a doctor, in the Kurosaki Clinic, the very same we live in now. Her mother, I never met her, but I know she was a Wakana."

"A Wakana?" Rukia asked, not understanding what that was supposed to mean.

"It means she belonged to a miko lineage." Uryuu whispered quietly.

"Kaa-san was a miko?!" The twins cried out in shock.

"No, she wasn't."

"Shishou!" All eyes turned to Ryuuken as he entered, no one was expecting him.

"Isshin informed me that you would be talking about Masaki, and I thought I should be here." Ryuuken explained. "Our stories are very intricately connected after all."

"Your stories?" Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

"Isshin's, Masaki's, Kanae's, and my own." Ryuuken clarified.

"Okaa-san…" Uryuu exhaled, recognizing her mother's name.

"Maybe you should be the one to speak first." Isshin offered. "You knew Masaki much longer than I did, after all."

"What…?" His children really weren't expecting that.

Through it all Homura and Shizuku had remained quiet, saying not a single word. They knew that the conversation was incredibly serious, even if they didn't fully understand what was going on. They knew that Kurosaki Masaki was essentially their grandmother, though she'd died when their dad was still a child. It made them feel bad about Ichigo, especially Homura, much as she might still have her doubts about Ichigo, she knew all too well the pain of losing your family; she had seen the pictures of the Kurosaki family back when there had been four of them and she had trouble connecting that smiling, joyful orange-haired child with the serious, strong young man who'd essentially become her adopted father.

"Masaki was the last descendant of the ancient miko clan." Ryuuken explained. "The very same that once guarded Japan from evil spirits. Her mother was Wakana Shizuka and she died giving birth to Masaki. It's not easy, for spiritually powerful individuals to beget children. It's what made arranged marriages so common. As a way to ensure that the two matched would be compatible and capable of producing children together. My father, Souken, had an arranged marriage, as did his father, and all other Ishidas… except for myself." He shook his head, clearly not wanting to focus on that. "Shizuka had no active power, so no marriage was arranged for her. She married a man of her choice. The true surprise came when Masaki was born… her reiatsu was so pure, like that of the mikos of old. The problem? There was no one to train her on how to be a miko exactly. Even then, from the moment of her birth, all spiritually aware individuals knew of her. My father got ahead, talked to her father. He had no knowledge of the spiritual world, but even then, Souken knew how to get things done. He gave Dr. Kurosaki the money he needed to get his dream-clinic started and the betrothal was arranged."

Ichigo's mouth dropped open in horror. His grandfather had taken money from Ishida Souken… had essentially sold his own daughter for the money to start the clinic?!

"It wasn't as horrible as you probably are imagining." Ryuuken tried to reassure them all. "It was all we knew. Our way of life."

"But you didn't marry her." Yuzu murmured, as if she were trying very hard to understand.

"No, I didn't." Ryuuken shook his head. "Truth is, Masaki and I were never in love with each other. We were going to marry because it's what was expected of us. I was… in love with someone else, though only Masaki knew. The daughter of father's secretary: Katagiri-san, her name was Kanae. She was so incredibly beautiful… with long hair of a black so dark it looked almost blue under a certain light… just like yours Uryuu…"

Uryuu opened and closed his mouth several times, clearly not knowing what to say. His father never spoke of his mother, never. Not since her death, back when he was still a child. It was an unvoiced rule of the Ishida home that the name of Kanae was never spoken; some days it was almost like she'd never existed… even when the relationship between the two men had improved greatly, thanks to Ichigo's intervention, they still never spoke of Kanae. Mainly because Uryuu was too afraid of doing or saying something that might ruin their relationship. And yet…

"Kanae wasn't a good match for me, because she had very little spiritual power." Ryuuken explained. "I knew I couldn't pursue her. So I held onto my betrothal to Masaki… at least until a certain shinigami came to Karakura and made a mess of all our lives."

There was a hint of something that none of the teenagers could quite name, though it seemed to take the bite out of Ryuuken's words. Ishinn smiled hugely as he finally came into the story:

"I came to be in the human world 35, almost 36 years ago now." Isshin explained. "Back then, as you know, I was Nagaken Isshin, 10th Squad Taichou and Head of the Nagaken Clan. The 12th Division had detected a particularly strong hollow, whom we suspected might be a Hamen, or at the very least a very powerful Menos, around Karakura. Several shinigami had been sent and all but one of them died. So they decided someone more powerful was required. I… well, I was bored, to tell you the truth, so I volunteered for the mission. I thought it would be a lot more interesting than the mountain of paperwork waiting for me in my office."

There were several snickers at that, but no one really interrupted. Isshin smiled gaily and continued with his tale:

"I was so sure of my own power, and why shouldn't I be? I was a Noble, the head of the most powerful Clan in Seireitei, a Shinigami Captain for almost a century, had even fought Menos before. What had I to fear? I was too cocky, got careless, and the hollow almost killed me. Oh I defeated him, of course, but it left me so badly hurt that I could have died if she hadn't arrived when she did…"

"She…? Mom…" The siblings realized in awe.

"She was about your age at the time." He signaled at the twins. "As gentle as Yuzu, as headstrong as Karin, and as brave as Ichigo… all three of you are certainly the very best of Masaki… she found me and healed me just enough to ensure I'd survive the trip to the Kurosaki clinic."

"She healed you…?" They couldn't believe it.

"It was mostly human first-aid." Isshin shrugged carelessly. "But her will was such that she put a bit of her own reiatsu into everything she did, promoting healing. Then she helped me get into an emergency gigai before half-carrying, half-dragging me to the clinic. She convinced her dad to treat me even though neither of them had the slightest idea of who I was. Your grandfather was such a kind man… I wish you'd gotten the chance to know him. But he had a terrible cold some years later, which turned into pneumonia, Masaki did her very best to help him but in the end there was nothing that could be done." He shook his head. "I didn't realize how bad things really were until a few days later. When I left the clinic, intending to return to Soul Society right away, only to feel a terrible, almost crippling pain the moment I tried to leave the gigai." He exhaled. "Turned out that the hollow had managed to poison me, my spirit was… fractured, for lack of a better word. The gigai was, you could say, all that was keeping me together in that moment. So I went looking for Kisuke. I knew about him of course, all of us who were captains at the time that mess took place knew about Urahara Kisuke. He confirmed what I suspected already about the state of my spirit, and the fact that I was essentially powerless and would be until my spirit fully healed… if it ever did. Then he whipped up a better gigai for me, one for long-term use and got me papers so I could begin a life as a human."

"Over the course of the next decade I went to college, became a paramedic and began working as one." Isshin continued. "I met Masaki again during my last year in college, her first. We became friends. She told me all about the Ishidas. About the old man who'd arranged for her to marry his son, and in exchange had invested money in her dad's clinic, and was paying for her education. How she cared deeply for Ryuuken but didn't want to marry him because she thought he should be with the person he loved and who loved him…"

"Masaki was always such a romantic." Ryuuken snorted quietly.

No one dared mention the dampness on the edge of his eyes. Truth was that none of the Nakama had ever seen their shishou like that, and the last thing they wanted was to make him feel bad about it. Also, they wanted to know more…

"Kurosaki-san was old already, he couldn't keep the clinic all by himself, so I offered to enter into a partnership with him." Isshin continued. "And while it began as a partnership, truth was that I handled most things. Not a hard thing to do, considering it was just a small clinic, meant for emergencies and minor things. By that point there were many people who preferred to go to actual hospitals for most things. But still, we managed."

Isshin made a pause, turning to look at Ryuuken, as if not quite sure which of them should handle the next part. In the end Ryuuken took over.

"My father got the shock of his life when Masaki approached him one day and handed him a check." Ryuuken was almost smirking even as he said it. "It had all the money he'd invested both in her and in the clinic, and a decent interest. Every single yen. My father was struck speechless. Especially when she informed him quite calmly that she was breaking off the betrothal. Then she approached me. I had rushed out of my room when hearing my father's exclamation, he'd never sounded like that… I'll never forget what she told me that day:"

"I know it's hard to be brave. That it's scary to go after one's True Heart's Desire… but I'm doing it. I'm being brave. And I know you can do it too. You love her and she loves you, and you both deserve to be happy Ryuu…"

Ryuuken inhaled sharply, as if fighting against the tears the memory brought him.

"Masaki told me years later that she'd gotten some money when she turned eighteen, inheritance from her mother's side of the family." Ryuuken continued. "It wasn't much, but she was a smart woman. She learned about stock trading, and she made the money grow. In ten years she had more than a hundred times the money she started with. Also, she'd been working part-time throughout high-school and college. She kept delaying the wedding, telling my father she wasn't ready yet. That she needed to finish this thing or that, in order to do right by us. He thought it was a matter of pride for her, that she needed to feel she was contributing, that she was giving something to our family, for the honor… he never understood Masaki." He looked at Uryuu. "I know you loved your grandfather Uryuu, but truth is he was too entrenched in the old ways. He never forgave Masaki for breaking the engagement. And he never forgave me for marrying your mother either."

"I… what…?" Uryuu couldn't believe what he was hearing, it sounded nothing like the Souken he knew: the kind, protective man who taught him to be strong…

"Oh he wasn't a bad man." Ryuuken reassured his son. "I think he had a very heavy burden to bear. Being the only Ishida son, his marriage was arranged, and yet she only bore one son. I think he was hoping that if I married someone with the kind of untapped power Masaki possessed, that she might be able to give me more than one child. That there might be more of us Ishidas, more Quincys, and then we wouldn't have to continue existing on the edge of extinction."

"At least your line continues to exist!" Keeva snorted, unable to help herself.

Ryuuken just nodded his head respectfully. Everyone knew her true story by then. Somehow she'd managed to convince her older sister and Serenity had attended one of the Nakama's meetings, a week after the failed rescue mission. She'd revealed everything, or at least, almost everything. The Nakama and the shinigami knew all about the Réalta, about their heritage, and the fact that their race would probably be dying with the sisters, because Serenity was dying. Her power as a Síoraí so great it was slowly killing her, she was unlikely to see her her twenty-first birthday. As for Keeva herself… Réalta Iarann were strong, incredibly so, but because of that it was very hard for them to become pregnant. Something in their genetics made it near impossible for them to conceive; because pregnancy made them vulnerable, and being vulnerable was dangerous. The only way for Keeva to have children would be for her to bind herself to someone she could trust wholly and completely, someone strong enough to guard her, and their children…

The real surprise was perhaps the fact that the revelation made the Nakama hold on tighter to each other. It had started with Shizuku, though Homura half-begrudgingly followed his lead, as they took to calling all the Nakama aunt, or uncle. It didn't matter if Keeva wasn't really related by blood to any of them, if she might never have children of her own, everyone else's would be her nieces and nephews. She liked it. For so long Serenity had been her only family, and while the older Réalta would always be her sister, she was no longer her only family. And who knew? Maybe one day she just might find the right man… It was something that Serenity had admitted, at the end of their meeting, gave her great peace:

"If there's one thing that I've feared since my condition worsened, it's what will become of Keeva when I'm gone." She had admitted. "My sister… she hasn't had the easiest life. And I know… I haven't been the best sister, when I fully understood the consequences of the choice I made, becoming a Síoraí I… drew away from her. I hurt her, and I'm sorry. But now… knowing that even when I'm gone, she'll have all of you… it gives me peace. Because I know you all will be there for her. Will look after her, be her family… that she'll never have to be alone again."

They were still trying to find a solution, especially Kisuke and Unohana Retsu, hoping to find a way to stop her body from essentially self-destroying. Serenity had tried to tell them it was pointless but it wouldn't make them stop trying.

"Why do you never talk about okaa-san?" Uryuu asked his dad after what seemed like forever.

"Because I've always been afraid." Ryuuken admitted after what seemed like forever. "That one day you would look at me and blame me for losing her."

"Blame you? But..." Uryuu didn't understand.

"It was my fault we lost her Uryuu." Ryuuken admitted, so very quietly. "Kanae… she wanted more children, she wanted a daughter. And to be honest, so did I. Only I knew that it was impossible. We were lucky enough to have you, the pregnancy was hard on Kanae. If it hadn't been for Masaki, and even Isshin, she might not have made it. But Kanae… she refused to give up. And then she became pregnant… It shouldn't have even been possible!" He ruined his carefully combed hair as he ran a hand through it, an obvious sign of stress, which was rare enough in him. "With every week she grew weaker, and she refused to have an abortion, even with the obvious threat to her health. And then she died… there was nothing I could do. No matter how hard I tried. She died, the unborn baby girl with her."

"I didn't know kaa-san had been pregnant…" Uryuu said, very quietly.

"We chose not to tell you." Ryuuken admitted. "Kanae because she didn't want to get your hopes up if it didn't work and I…"

"And you hoped she'd eventually allow you to do the abortion." Uryuu finished for him.

Ryuuken nodded, just once, sharply. Then he said nothing else, just sat there, waiting, like a man about to be executed.

"I don't think it's your fault tou-san…" Uryuu said in a very soft voice. "Of course I wish it hadn't happened. But more than that, I wish you'd told me. That you hadn't had to carry this burden alone."

Ryuuken's eyes went wide. From all the responses he might have expected from his son, that wasn't one of them. There were no embraces, no great show of emotion, but just Uryuu's words, and the way he laid his hand on his father's arm, allowing their reiatsu to connect, it was more than enough for the both of them.

xXx

It was until the next day that everyone remembered what had prompted the discussion about their parents in the first place.

"You think Yuzu has miko powers." Ichigo stated, looking straight at Isshin.

"I'm quite sure you all do." Isshin countered. "What you can do, conjuring your blade while in your human body… it's not like what Kisuke and the Visored do, and they're in gigai anyway, not actual human bodies. I think you can do it because of the power you got from Masaki, much like the miko of old powered their own arrows and blades. Karin's power is greatly influenced by her past life, as we all know. And Yuzu… the powers of a miko would explain her prodigious and instinctual skill at healing. And regarding the lack of a zanpakutou… there's always the chance that she simply doesn't have enough power, enough shinigami power, to have one."

Ichigo blinked, not understanding at all what that was supposed to mean.

"You probably don't realize this, because the shinigami you spend the most time around are Taichou, Fukutaichou and other high-ranking officers… Rukia-san's an exception of course, but we all know that's due to Byakuya, and no lack of power on her part." Isshin did his best to explain. "Truth is that there are a lot of shinigami who do not have zanpakutou like you do. All the unseated officers, they wield nameless asauchi."

Ichigo just blinked again, still not understanding.

"You're so good at the things you do, Ichigo-kun, sometimes I forget you haven't been raised to know all this." Kisuke commented from the side. "To put it simply. When shinigami hopefuls enter the Shin'ou academy, they're given asauchis. They're plain, nameless katana with no reiatsu whatsoever. Throughout their years studying to become shinigami, the students must keep the blade on them every waking moment, slowly pouring their reiatsu, their belief into that blade. Until the day comes and the asauchi dissolves, leaving in its place a zanpakutou. For that to happen though, the shinigami must have poured a lot of them, not just energy, but their hopes and dreams, their own hearts."

"I never had an asauchi…" Ichigo muttered, his hand straying to Zangetsu's sealed form.

"No, you didn't." Kisuke nodded sagely. "Like with all rules, there are always exceptions, of course. There are those like Zaraki Kenpachi, who picked up the blade of a dead shinigami. He has a lot of reiatsu, but not the control needed to shape a zanpakutou…"

"Not that he needs one anyway." Karin snorted under her breath, to several chuckles.

"Correct." Kisuke went on. "Tousen Kaname didn't have the energy levels necessary to create a zanpakutou of his own either. Instead he picked the one of his dead friend, he convinced the spirit already in existence to accept him, and that's how he came to have a zanpakutou. But such deals are rather rare."

"Kusaka…" Karin murmured, so softly Ichigo was the only one to hear her.

Ichigo still didn't know everything that had happened on that front, but he would never stop trusting his sister. Karin for her part, she wondered if things could have gone any differently with Kusaka, if only they'd known more…

"I thought it wasn't allowed, for one shinigami to wield another's zanpakutou." Rukia's eyes narrowed. "It's supposed to be a crime."

"It is, for the most part." Kisuke nodded. "Because under normal circumstances doing so would mean that you stole the zanpakutou. It would mean that you essentially ripped a piece of another individual's soul and are trying to claim it for yourself. Tousen's situation was different in that his friend was dead already and Suzumushi agreed to be partnered with him." He pushed that matter aside. "And then we have the third kind of exception. You, Ichigo-kun. See, the purpose of the asauchi is to serve as a… vessel of sorts, where the shinigami pours their power and their essence, so the zanpakutou might form. This is needed because it takes time, for most zanpakutou to take shape. Even Arisawa-san, from what we've talked about, regarding her past life, she didn't have an asauchi either, so instead her zanpakutou took form using a different basis, but still, with time. You… you didn't have an asauchi Ichigo-kun, because you didn't need one. Because your reiryoku was so great it shaped the zanpakutou in an instant, the moment you needed it it, it was there for you."

"When he was nine years old?!" Rukia was the first to connect all the dots, and react to it. "You mean to tell me he had that kind of power, as a child?!"

"I think it was more than that." Ichigo said quietly. "That was also when Shiro came into being… I think it was the energy created by the splitting of our soul that created Zangetsu-ossan. Even if it still took us a very long time to be able to wield him, he was born in that moment, from our need for the power, and the energy created by the splitting of our soul…"

Rukia blinked, taking all that in. She'd grown so used to Shiro, and then with the addition of Kaijin into her Inner World, the petite shinigami sometimes forgot that Ichigo and Shiro had been a single entity, until the traumatic loss of their mother at age nine.

"In any case, Yuzu-chan is no less strong than the rest of you." Kisuke continued, finally getting to the point of it all. "She just doesn't have the kind of power needed to kick-start the creation of a zanpakutou, or at least not the way you and Karin-chan do. Perhaps an asauchi might help?"

"I'll see about getting her one." Rukia nodded immediately.

"Even if she cannot have a zanpakutou, that doesn't make her any less powerful." Karin stated, the steel in her voice making the words sound half like a reassurance, half like a threat towards all who might so much as think of suggesting otherwise.

"Of course not!" Kisuke snapped his paper fan open and used it to cover half his face dramatically. "No one would ever doubt the power each of the Kurosaki-Nagaken posses!"

Yuzu said nothing, she just smiled. It wasn't that she actually thought she needed to have a blade to be one of them. She just hadn't understood why she didn't have one. With that part cleared up and a definite course of action she felt much better.

xXx

The last thing the Kurosaki-Nagaken quartet expected when they arrived to the Nagaken estate that weekend, was for a servant to approach them, carrying very important letters addressed to the Lady Regent Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin-dono…

"What's going on?" Ichigo asked, unsure, he really hated not knowing what was going on.

"Well…" Karin read the first one two, three times, processing it, before finally speaking. "This one is from Kasumiouji Rurichiyo-dono, expressing her thanks to the Nagaken Clan for the information we provided, which allowed them to stop a Conspiracy against the new leader of the Kasumiouji Clan, and apprehend the man behind it all."

"We did that?" Ichigo was completely puzzled. "When?"

"This one is even more interesting." Karin pointed out as she finished going through the second missive. "It comes from Yamamoto-soutaicho, also to thank us for information provided to him, this time one that has allowed him to prevent a misunderstanding from harming the Gotei 13. It also includes a shorter note from Amagai-taichou, who apparently is the new captain of the 5th Squad, thanking us for clearing a misunderstanding that, if not corrected, would have pushed him into dishonoring himself and the memory of his father."

"Just what the hell is going on?!" Ichigo demanded sharply.

He really, really hated not knowing what was going on.

"I'm afraid I'm responsible for what's going on, Ichigo-kun." A soft, almost timid voice acknowledged from behind them.

"Nee-sama!" All four of them chorused instantly.

"What…?" Rukia added, as she processed what Yailed had just said.

"Have you never wondered, any of you, how it is that I know the things I do?" Yailen asked, a mix of mystery and mischief in her eyes. "How I knew that morning that the Kuchiki Elders intended to force Rukia-chan into an arranged marriage with a man who'd never love her or respect her, her power? How I knew that Grand Fisher would be attacking again, this time going after Yuzu-chan and Karin-chan? That you needed to be motivated by protection rather than vengeance?" She didn't wait for an answer… or perhaps it was that she knew it wouldn't be forthcoming. "I am an Oracle. In every generation there is an Oracle, she can be born to any of the races of spiritually powerful humans that exist. Though that's become harder as powers diminish and races become lost. I myself was born a Réalta, the last of my line."

"A Réalta…?" Karin blurted out. "Like Keeva-kun?"

"Keeva…?" Yailen cocked her head to a side, her eyes lighting up a second later as she made the connection: Caoimhe!"

It sounded just slightly different than how they pronounced it, yet there was something in the way Yailen said the name…

"Wait, does that mean you've met Seren?" Yailen asked, looking so eager, like they'd never seen her before.

"Seren…?" The three siblings asked, confused.

"Do you mean Serenity-dono?" Rukia inquired at the same time.

"Seren…ity…?" Yailen's eyes widened.

"Yes, she's Keeva-kun's sister, or adopted sister." Rukia nodded. "Ishida-shishou said her proper title is Síoraí Serenity…"

"No…" Yailen dropped to her knees abruptly.

"Nee-sama!" The teenagers (and one teen-aged looking spirit) rushed to her, surprised and worried about what might make her react like that.

"Not beag ceann… not her…" Yailen mumbled, not paying any attention to the four around her, lost in her own thoughts and worries. "Not my little sister… I told her not to do that!"

Her voice went through two octaves in the last phrase before she burst into tears.

"Oh…" Rukia exhaled, being the first to understand.

"She's… she's your… your imouto?!" Karin was in shock at the prospect.

"But… but you said you had no family!" Yuzu looked so lost, pained, she didn't understand why someone they saw as a sister would lie to them.

"Oh Yuzu-chan…" It was that which finally pulled Yailen out of her funk, as she focused on the youngest twin. "I know I lied to you. And I'm sorry about that. I cannot even tell you I didn't mean to do it, because that would mean compounding the lie, and I don't want to do that. I don't want to lie to you ever again."

"Why did you do it before?" Ichigo was trying very hard not to sound cold, defensive, but it was hard, he hated being lied to, it had happened all too often, and it was never good.

"The best excuse I can give you is that it had nothing to do with you." Yailen admitted softly, head down. "It was never a matter of trust, or lack-thereof. Truth is… I'm not a very good person." She could see the twins hurry to deny that and stopped them with a hand raised. "No, it's the truth. I know it. Like I told you before, I'm an Oracle. That means more than just knowing the future. It means I have access to everything; the past, the present, the future. And see, while that old saying about the future not being written in stone is quite true, neither is it written in sand. The future is always up for grabs, but the more you 'see' it, the more likely it becomes. There are things, certain events, that are fixed points, that will happen no matter what. They're fate. They are the things that are meant to be, that shape the history of the world, of the universe. Nothing we do or stop doing will stop them. However, we can always choose how we react to them."

The foursome blinked, having trouble grasping what she was saying.

"Take this as an example: the Hougyoku was always meant to exist." Yailen tried to explain. "Power and curiosity being what they are, that jewel was always going to be created. If not Urahara Kisuke, or Aizen Sousuke, someone else would have done it. Which in turn means that the Visored and the Arrancars would have always come to be. That's Fate, that's unchangeable. What isn't, is everything that followed. What Urahara, Aizen, and each of the people that have been involved have done. They each made their choices. Aizen chose to experiment on innocents, Urahara chose to try and save them. Tousen chose to join forces with Aizen, you chose to fight against him…"

"Many years ago, long before I died, before I even moved to Karakura, I saw the war." Yailen revealed, very quietly.

"The war… Aizen's war?!" Karin was in shock.

"I wanted to help, and I knew that the best way to do so would be by going to Japan." Yailen continued her explanation. "So I said my goodbyes to Seren. She's my cousin you see, though, after my biological father turned me away, Aunt Marie took me in. Seren became more like my sister than a cousin, beag ceann, is what I call her, it means 'little one' in Irish, the language of our mothers' ancestors. It was I who started her down the path of the Réalta, who taught her about us, what it meant to be one of us… but I never wanted her to be a Síoraí!"

"You mean her sickness…" Rukia breathed out slowly in understanding. "It really is connected to her power. I mean, she did say that, but it made no sense… Even with Tatsuki, the power hurt her, but then all she needed to do was step out of her body, Keeva-kun says that it's different with the Réalta…"

"How much do you know about Réalta?" Yailen inquired, curious about how much her once-sister might have revealed.

"There are two kinds of Réalta." Karin explained. "Iarann, which means Iron and are the ones whose power enhances their bodies: strength, speed, endurance. Like Keeva-kun. And criostal, whom have psychic powers. They can have as many as six different powers, though most only ever develop one or two. As the more powers they have, the harder they are to control, and the faster their bodies deteriorate. Serenity-dono is called a Síoraí, because she has all the powers a Réalta Criostal may have; which means she's extremely powerful, and that's also why her physical body is always sick, and she'll die young."

"It's about more than just dying." Yailen explained quietly. "A criostal… there are some who've said that there are certain powers humans were never meant to have. They're only meant for the gods, and when humans try and meddle in the realms of the gods… it never ends well. No one really remembers how the Réalta truly came to be, but there's an old story mamma used to tell me. That we were created by a goddess, the mother of the stars, and so she named us after her very creations. That's why we are Réalta, we are the closest human beings can get to being stars…" She shook her head. "It's dangerous to be a star, because, you see, they shine so bright… and sooner or later, they burn out."

"Like a sun going supernova…" Karin murmured grimly.

Yuzu inhaled sharply, covering her mouth with her hands in empathetic horror.

"Exactly." Yailen nodded with a sad exhale. "The more power a Réalta has, the brighter she shines… the hotter she burns, and the faster… and no Réalta will ever be brighter than a Síoraí, whose light is so great, it will echo across the sky long after she's gone…"

"But… but Urahara-san and Unohana-taichou… they're working on something to help her, to save her…" Yuzu mumbled, not wanting to give up, not yet.

"They might not get it done in time, Yuzu-chan." Rukia murmured gently. "But even if she passes. She'll still have us on this side… won't she?"

"It's not that simple." Yailen shook her head. "I told you, some powers we humans just aren't meant to have. Our bodies just cannot contain them. And sooner or later, we lose control. A Síoraí, who has the power to control the very spirit particles, when she loses control, the kind of destruction she could cause… but fighting against it will only help for so long. It's why her body weakens, as she loses the battle against her own power. And once she's reached the breaking point… then the harder she fights the worse it'll be." She shook her head, paying no heed to the tears falling down her face. "As rare as a living Síoraí might be… there's never been one that made it to Soul Society. Their spirits are consumed as they keep trying to fight for control." She sobbed. "It's why I never wanted her to be one! I would have never wished this for her! Never! Not in a thousand years!"

"Why did you never tell us about her?" Karin asked, trying very hard not to make it sound like an accusation, it wasn't easy, she still felt hurt by it.

"Because it had to be her choice." Yailen answered with a sigh. "I knew… I knew about Aizen I knew about the war, and that it would slowly but surely pull all those who might have spiritual power. This war… it's not just about Soul Society. Because what Aizen intends to do, if he achieves his objective, the effects will reverberate across all worlds. It cannot be allowed to happen. I knew that from the start, it's why I chose to travel to Japan." She exhaled. "I knew she would probably do the same, sooner or later. But it still had to be her choice. So I didn't tell you about her, so you wouldn't meet before the time came for that choice to be made."

"She chose to come to Karakura." Karin stated solemnly.

Yailen nodded.

"Just like she chose to be a Síoraí." Karin added, still in the same tone.

Yailen let out a breath yet again, then closed her eyes and nodded. She understood what Karin was doing, what she was trying to make her understand. It didn't make it any easier, not really. But what Karin was saying was true, in the end, it had been her choice…

"So… I suppose your powers explain the odd letters I got today." Karin decided to change the topic of conversation.

Yailen smiled gratefully at her, even as she proceeded to explain the basics of what she'd seen, and how she decided to send letters to specific people, though letting them believe they came from Karin, or someone else in the Nagaken household.

"If they knew who you are, what you are… you wouldn't need to hide, you would be respected, appreciated." Ichigo stated seriously. "You know we've always wanted you to be more than just a servant nee-sama."

"I know Ichigo-kun, and you also know that's not what I want." Yailen told him gently. "I have no interest in other people's respect or recognition. As long as I have you, my family, that's enough. Also… it's dangerous, for an Oracle to reveal herself. Being able to see the future, does not mean I can share what I see."

"But everything you just told us…" Rukia didn't understand.

"Are things you knew already." Yailen reminded them. "You know about Aizen, what his intentions are, that there's a war coming. I didn't reveal anything you did not already know. It's dangerous, to reveal the future outright. It's not something done lightly, and the consequences can be dire."

"The information you shared in those letters…" Ichigo couldn't help but worry about her, with all the things that kept coming up, he needed to feel that something was under control still.

"It was nothing direct, not really, certainly nothing dangerous to me, or to you." Yailen shrugged a bit. "The Kasumiouji already knew there was someone conspiring against their heiress, I just mentioned some things in a certain manner and a very specific order, and they turned their eyes in the right direction. He was already one of the top suspects of most of them, really. As for the situation with the Amagai-taichou and Yamamoto-soutaichou… well, the revelation of the Kasumiouji Conspiracy two days ago pretty much did half the job for me. After that it was fairly easy just to mention something that happened years ago and how it might be connected to the latest happenings. Yamamoto-soutaichou himself decided to bring the matter up in the next meeting with all the Captains and Lieutenants, that was enough to set things right."

"Anything we need to know?" Ichigo asked next. "In case someone does more than write a letter of thanks?"

"That's highly unlikely." Karin snorted, then waved the letters. "This is what they do in order to satisfy their honor. You need to keep something in mind, Ichigo, if there's one things nobles hate, it's to owe anything to others, especially other nobles. By handling things the way she did, nee-sama reassured them of our discretion on the matter, they send the note of thanks to keep honor satisfied. And that's it. They've solved the problem, as far as they're concerned, it's over."

"And Yamamoto?" Ichigo arched a brow.

"Well, I cannot know what happened exactly, of course." Karin waved a hand dismissively. "But Yamamoto has always been a very private man. It's likely that as long as we don't bring the matter up, neither will he."

"Alright, then we'll never mention it then." Ichigo nodded.

"Thank you nee-sama!" Yuzu exclaimed brightly, looking at Yailen.

"What for Yuzu-chan?" Yailen blinked, not quite understanding.

"For helping." Yuzu answered simply.

And it was the truth. Even if they had no idea what she'd done and said to anyone exactly, or what might have happened if she hadn't. There was no doubt that Yailen had, indeed, helped people. That was always good.

xXx

Karin was right, while they did come across Yamamoto once, as the man wanted Amagai-taichou to meet them and be aware of the situation in Karakura, no mention was made of any messages or misunderstandings. Karin and Yamamoto both seemed quite satisfied with that, while Ichigo decided that as long as it didn't affect him, or his nakama, he just didn't care.

The following weekend, just before they were to leave for Seireitei, Ichigo got a text-message:

"Kuugo wants to meet." Ichigo announced to his sisters.

"Kuugo…?" It wasn't the first time Rukia had heard him mentioned, though she hadn't met the man yet.

"They've heard about Orihime going missing, haven't they?" Karin guessed in a grim tone.

"That's my best guess." Ichigo nodded.

"You know they won't let it go, Ichigo." Karin stated seriously. "Kuugo won't come alone, and when Shuu hears what's going on… he'll demand a very good explanation as to why Orihime is still in Hueco Mundo. Why we haven't gone back for her."

"Orihime said…" Ichigo began.

"I know what Orihime said!" Karin cut him off. "But that's something you're going to have to explain to them. And you know Shuukurou, he won't accept the simple answer. And if they aren't satisfied…"

"They could make a mess of things…" Ichigo hit the empty table before him with his forehead. "Why did this have to happen now?"

"Well, at least they're asking for a meeting, rather than going into some kind of half-cocked mission all on their own." Yuzu deadpanned.

It was so rare for Yuzu to joke like that, Rukia could only gape at the usually oh-so-sweet youngest Kurosaki, Karin just snorted, while Ichigo groaned, knowing his sister was very right.

"Do you wish to come or would you rather go to Soul Society with the twins and visit with your brother as planned?" Ichigo inquired.

It took Rukia a moment to realize that he was speaking to her. And then a few moments more to actually stop and think about it. In the end her curiosity about these friends of Ichigo and the others whom she'd never met before, won, and she decided to go with him. She could always visit with her brother any other time.

The twins for their part were still going to Seireitei. Karin would be meeting Toushirou for some sparring, while Yuzu had begun attending the weekend zanjutsu classes in the Shin'ou Academy in hopes that it might help her gain her own zanpakutou.

"There are some things you need to understand about Kuugo and the others, before we arrive." Ichigo told Rukia as they were on the bus to Naruki City.

"They have powers, don't they?" Rukia was able to guess that much.

"They do." Ichigo nodded easily enough. "They call themselves Fullbringers. Most of them have powers with similar origins. One of their parents was attacked by a hollow and while they lived, the hollows left a trace in them, which was passed onto their children. Chad's power has the same origins actually. It's one of the things that brought us to their attention several years ago."

"And the other?" Rukia knew that had to be important.

"Kuugo is kind of like me?" Ichigo scratched the back of his head as he tried to find the best way to explain. "Or how I was, before Zangetsu-ossan woke up properly."

"He's a Daiko…?" Rukia hadn't even known there had been a Shinigami Daiko before Ichigo!

"He was, some thirty years ago or so." Ichigo shrugged. "I don't really know all the details. But things went really badly between him and Soul Society."

"How badly?" Rukia had a bad feeling.

"Lets just say Aizen was probably involved and you get an idea." Ichigo answered grimly.

"Ichigo… does… does Soutaichou or anyone at the Gotei know you're in contact with this person?" Rukia knew the answer, of course, but she needed to hear it anyway.

"Of course not!" Ichigo snorted, it really was an obvious answer. "I've been thinking about bringing them up. At least with Ukitake-san, or your brother. But I need to talk about it with them first. Kuugo really, really doesn't like the Gotei. I don't know all the details, but I do know they betrayed him. They essentially killed him."

"Killed… him…?"

"His body. He was a human. Okay see, I obviously don't know the whole story, and as you might expect, Kuugo's version is more than a bit biased. But this is what I know: Ginjou Kuugo, that's his name, he was in his late teens when he gained shinigami powers somehow. While in their case the matter was solved quickly and a report made to the Gotei 13, it turned out that Kuugo had some distant shinigami ancestor, and receiving the other shinigami's powers kick-started his own, despite him still being alive. So they trained him, just in the basics, and he began acting as backup for the resident shinigami when necessary. Then things got complicated. Shinigami began disappearing, starting with the very one who'd given Kuugo his powers originally. The Gotei brought him in, supposedly for questioning, but instead they accused him of treason. Said he'd killed all those shinigami. Then they tried to kill Kuugo… his soul endured, but his body… he doesn't know who it was exactly, only that he wore a Captain's haori. They tracked him using the Daiko badge. It's how he discovered that it served to track and monitor him."

"Wait… you have badges! All of you!"

"They do the same, yeah, we know. We've always known." He smirked at Rukia. "We've always known where we stand with the Gotei, Rukia. It's one of the many reasons why we refuse to follow their protocols. Regardless of any titles and agreements, they don't see us as equals. So we will treat them the same way they do us, as begrudging allies. That might change, if we manage to clear the slate where Kuugo is concerned, but it's been so long… who knows? I at least would like to try. Kuugo and the Fullbringers would be a huge help against Aizen, if he were ever to come to Karakura. And I know that some of them at least would probably like to settle down, after years traveling around." He shrugged. "Also, I've a feeling Kuugo would love the chance to make Aizen pay… wouldn't you Jii?"

Rukia's eyes widened abruptly. They'd stepped off the bus and begun walking down the street several minutes earlier, but she'd been so focused on their conversation she never noticed when they arrived to a completely empty area, nothing but abandoned warehouses all around. She also hadn't felt any reiatsu until just a fraction of a second before a man landed on Ichigo's left, sword already in hand and swinging in Ichigo's direction. The orange-haired shinigami didn't even seem surprised, just raised his hand, a pure-reishi version of Zangetsu's sealed form materializing just in time to parry Kuugo's own huge zanpakutou. Rukia's reaction was the one that probably surprised everyone, as a Byakurai was shot from two fingers on her right hand, shooting before Ichigo and aimed straight for Kuugo's sword hand before a single word could be said.

The kidou hit its mark without delay, causing Kuugo to drop his blade, cursing a storm as he looked at his slightly burnt hand. Rukia hadn't put so much power as to really hurt him, it was just meant to be a warning shot after all. The rest of the Fullbringers rushed out of the warehouses around them, calling for their leader and cursing Rukia and Ichigo in turns. Especially a black-eyed and black-haired very tall young man Ichigo would later on introduce as Tsukishima Shuukurou, the second in command of the Fullbringers, and Orihime's ex. Ichigo himself was just laughing like a madman.

"What are you laughing about idiot?!" Riruka snapped at him.

Shuukurou was more focused on Kuugo, though after determining that the wound wasn't more than a burn in the back of his hand, really, they all turned their attention to the two shinigami.

"And who's the bit…?" Riruka demanded next, only to find the tip of Ichigo's blade beneath her chin before she could even finish the question.

"This is Kuchiki Rukia, soon to be Kurosaki Rukia, and you will show her respect." Ichigo ordered in a very no-nonsense tone. "Kuugo was foolish, trying my reflexes without ever stopping to consider her. You can feel us both, so you must have known she would not stand by quietly. Really? How have you survived this long with such faulty instincts?"

"Why have you brought a shinigami to our meeting Ichigo?" Kuugo demanded in turn. "You know how much I hate the Gotei."

"I am a shinigami nowadays jii." Ichigo revealed with a shrug. "As I'm sure you must be able to sense clearly."

"Don't call me Jii, I'm not that old!" Kuugo half-snapped. "And you're not Gotei."

"No, I'm not." Ichigo nodded affably. "Though nowadays we're allied with them. We being the Nakama. And as should be obvious by now, she's with me. We're engaged to be married."

"Married?!" Several of the fullbringers exclaimed in shock.

"Congratulations." Jackie was the only one to show any real kind of emotion to those news.

"This Summer." Ichigo nodded. "Would have sent an invite if I'd just known where to." He remembered something an added. "We got your Christmas gifts. Everyone says thanks."

"You're a shinigami, engaged to another, and allied with the freaking Gotei 13, just what the hell have you been up to Ichigo?" Kuugo demanded.

"That's a really long story Kuugo." Ichigo admitted grimly.

"Why don't we go inside?" Jackie suggested. "We can have some tea and talk."

Everyone agreed. They entered a warehouse to their right which, as Rukia discovered once they were in, only looked like a dilapidated building. On the inside it was well restored. Looking like a sort of boarding-house. They were lead straight to the sitting room.

"Tell us then Ichigo, what the hell is going on." Kuugo ordered.

So Ichigo did. He told them the whole story, from the moment Rukia had entered his room while tracking down a hollow, his turning into a Daiko… all the way to the current situation, with their alliance with Seireitei, the Visored, and the coming war with Aizen and his Arrancar army.

"Several battles have been fought already, two here in the human world, and one in Hueco Mundo." Ichigo finished seriously.

"Well, as interesting as that story was, you have yet to answer the question that brought all of us here today." Shuukurou stated evenly. "Where is Orihime Ichigo?"

"In Hueco Mundo." He revealed with a grimace.

For several seconds there was absolute pandemonium as Riruka, Yukio, Moe and Jackie all cursed Ichigo, his nakama, Soul Society, the hollows, demanded explanations and eventually even began making declarations about how they'd be rescuing Orihime themselves. Ichigo let out a suffering sigh, he'd known that was going to happen. Rukia for her part just blinked. She'd expected a reaction, of course, but nothing quite so intense.

"Why haven't you rescued her Ichigo?" Kuugo's question cut straight to the point, it also served to quiet everyone almost instantly.

"Because she's where she wants to be." Ichigo declared.

That brought yet another round of curses and yells, which didn't stop under Ichigo flared his reiatsu enough to make all but Rukia wince.

"I know it sounds insane." Ichigo nodded with a sigh. "And believe me, in any other circumstances we'd have been knocking down on Aizen's door the moment we were all back on our feet. But this is what Orihime wants. She told Karin so herself, before we were sent back after the failed rescue attempt."

"What did she say, exactly?" Shuukurou asked, eyes narrowed.

"I don't remember the exact wording, but it was something about making a deal with the devil." Ichigo admitted.

"She asked Karin-chan if she would make a deal with the devil to save Hitsu… someone Karin-chan holds dear." Rukia explained.

"So she's found him…" Shuukurou murmured, a strange understanding in his tone.

"Huh?" Ichigo wasn't expecting that.

"When Orihime and I broke up, when we left… she told me we weren't meant for each other." Shuukurou explained. "She said she couldn't be with me, because it wouldn't be fair. That she'd given her heart away a long time ago and never got it back… I always thought it to be ridiculous. If any of us has a heart that's her!"

"I don't think she meant it like that…" Rukia began, a bit hesitant.

"I know that now." Shuukurou shrugged. "But I didn't understand it back then. I just thought that she'd finally tired of dealing with my sociopathic tendencies. She promised I'd find my heart one day but I thought it was just… well, Hime being Hime."

Ichigo snorted, though he was sure they all knew exactly what he meant.

"So what will you do then?" Kuugo wanted to know.

"Wait." Ichigo admitted. "Give Orihime as much time as we possibly can. And all the while train. The next time we fight Aizen's army they won't find it so easy to defeat us."

Rukia nodded her agreement. As satisfied as she might have been with her victory against Aaroniero, she'd never be able to forget what had happened afterwards, the beating her beloved had taken right in front her… being unable to do anything for him. She didn't want to feel so weak, so useless ever again! So she'd train, they all would. She and Shirayuki talked every day, even when nothing special was happening, Rukia made a point to talk to her zanpakutou, get to know her. She believed they might be getting close to bankai. And of course there was Kaijin as well. She was harder to deal with, but their relationship was improving.

"What do you want from us Ichigo?" Shuukurou inquired, as emotionless as ever.

"Well, war is still coming, we could use your help." Ichigo admitted. "Aizen is insane, but he's also a genius. We know he wants to become the Spirit King, and the only way to get there is through the Spirit Key. Since Yamamoto obviously isn't going to let him have his, he'd need to build another one. And that can only be achieved through the sacrifice of thousands of living souls on a reishi-rich land… that means Karakura. If he ever comes, and he probably will, sooner or later, we Nakama are to be the front-line. The Shinigami will come too, but not until it's absolutely necessary." He exhaled. "You are all great fighters, you'd be a great help to us."

"And what about the Gotei?" Shuukurou asked. "They're still after Kuugo."

"I know." Ichigo nodded. "And I do believe that if you were to allow me to speak in your name we could settle this situation, once and for all."

"Speak for us?" Jackie arched a brow.

"I've done it before, for the Visored." Ichigo explained. "While Yamamoto couldn't promise them anything long term in the Gotei. They're no longer persecuted, and it's been decreed that if the next Chamber of 46 were to choose not to rescind the execution orders against them, the Gotei still won't pursue them. They'll be free to walk away once the war is over."

"And you think they really would agree to this?" Kuugo inquired, curious.

"They tried to kill him!" Shuukurou hissed. "Many times!"

The way Kuugo extended a hand to entwine it with one of Shuukurou's own… Ichigo's eyes widened in understanding.

"If I may?" Rukia offered a course of action. "Obviously I haven't known you for long. But I know Ichigo, if he says you didn't kill those shinigami, then I believe you didn't. Someone did though. We know that Aizen has killed many, humans, souls and even hollows, throughout the years with his experiments. We know of at least two shinigami he went after while they were in Karakura decades ago. So who's to say it wasn't Aizen behind all those deaths and he just found it convenient to frame you? It wouldn't have been that hard, not with his zanpakutou and the persona he projected to the Gotei back then. No one would have doubted it. But now? Now everyone knows he's a traitor. If we can connect those deaths to him… I believe we can convince Yamamoto-soutaichou to at least reopen the cases."

"And if that fails?" Riruka challenged.

"Then you're long gone and I've no idea where to." Ichigo deadpanned.

For several seconds no one said a word. Rukia couldn't have missed the fact that all the younger fullbringers were looking straight at Kuugo, their leader, awaiting his choice. The once Daiko, for his part, was looking straight as Ichigo, as if trying to read something in the orange-haired shinigami's eyes…

"Very well." Kuugo declared after what seemed like forever. "We'll do it your way Ichigo."

xXx

"Feel the fire, be the fire, open your wings and fly. To the heavens that await you. Come now, your name is… Tenreikou!"

Karin, immobilized by a force that surpassed her own, screamed as the pale hand buried into her chest. Suddenly there was fire, so much fire, inside her, around her, everywhere… Karin was screaming, so far gone she didn't even realize she was doing it. Eventually it just became too much and she blacked out, the last thing she was conscious of, being a loud bird's cry…


So... thoughts?

Regarding the Kasumi-ouji arc. Originally I was going to write it, yeah. I had plans, so many plans. Especially, that was going to be when Ichigo's and Rukia's Inner Hollows would be revealed, because that'd be the only reason the two of them would be able to continue fighting. Also, I had this memorable moment, when Yamamoto would look like he was about to blow a gasket, only for him to realize that his own people were inching closer to the two instead of away! The thought that his own people were liable to mutiny if he turned against the two would have changed things a lot. And much as I would have loved to write that scene, when I was planning another part of the fic I got some ideas that were only possible if no one knew about Shiro yet, and it was found out in very specific circumstances. I loved that idea even more, so... also, I realized that most of the arc could be done away so very easily... so I did exactly that.

Did you like what I've done with the fullbringers? The idea is that they went to Karakura when the Nakama first became the Nakama. Since they weren't involved with Soul Society yet back then, that meeting went very differently from canon. I hope it's all believable. In my mind they've become sort-of like the Visored. A group of misunderstood 'Others' that want a home but haven't been able to find it. Also, the pairing... no idea where the hell that came from. It just dropped into my lap and I kinda ran with it. And as for how Kuugo and his situation are portayed... I never fully understood if he was supposed to be a misunderstood hero, a cocky antihero or a fucked-up villain. Like, the pieces of his story just never fully fit in my head, so I added a few things, liked how they worked together and that's become my head-canon now.

Finally, yes, we're jumping straight into another filler, and that's one I've been dying to get into! I really, really hope you'll enjoy. Also, anyone would like to guess what's coming? If anyone guesses correctly, or close enough, I promise virtual cookies and a special mention (and perhaps a tidbit of the next chapter early? as in, in the RR?).

Oh, and I almost forgot. The whole thing with Orihime missing and the lack of reaction from the authorities, that's entirely real, according to my research. If the person is over eighteen, and there's no proof that they were coerced, or a suicide note, the authorities don't get involved. Depending on a lot of things that can be good or bad, but it's how things are handled in Japan (I read several anecdotes). In the end, it's how I needed things to be, for this fic to remain real... as real as a story with shinigamis, super-powered individuals and a world after death can be.

That's that for now and see ya next week!