New chapter! This is fluff and family feels, and maybe some angst but mostly all good feels. It's all about love: family love, friendly love, romantic love... all the love! I hope you'll love reading it as much as I loved writing it...
For mugetsu_Ichigo, Nozomi Higurashi, and a Guest who gave no name, all who accurately guessed what Byakuya was talking about last chapter.
Also, Shirayuki55, you asked about Soifon, here you'll find what you've been waiting for as well.
If at all possible I encourage you to cue up the song Kawaranai Kotoba, also known as Unchangeable Word, which is one of Ichigo's character songs. You'll know when to press play...
And on with the chapter!
Chapter 46. Always and Forever
The Nakama's High School graduation went off without a hitch. Of course, Karin, Yuzu and Keeva still had a couple of years to go, but the rest were done with that level of education. They had even had a little memorial for Orihime, as everyone knew that she and her cousin (most of the others had no idea how anyone bought that one, considering Grimmjow and Orihime looked in no way alike, but still) had been the only victims when their apartment building had fallen, following the awful 'gas explosion'. Miss Sakurada was inconsolable and she didn't understand why the girl's closest friends weren't more grieved by the loss… then again, she couldn't have known that they all knew exactly where Orihime was, and that she was doing much better than she'd been over the past month. Dead or alive, Orihime was much happier in Soul Society with Ulquiorra and Grimmjow.
As soon as the graduation was over Tatsuki followed Renji to Soul Society. While he'd only gotten a few hours off to attend her graduation and had to go back to work, she was planning on visiting Orihime. The last of Orihime's things had been delivered to her. As per the dead teen's instructions, most of her clothes had been given away to charity. Tatsuki only kept several changes in a drawer in her room, in case Orihime ever got the chance to visit and wanted to wear something other than yukatas or kimonos. Though she knew her best friend actually liked dressing like that. The rest of it: jewelry, books and knickknacks were in a bag Tatsuki would be handing personally.
She found Orihime heading out, and after leaving the bag in her new home, the two went out.
"Where are we going exactly?" She asked her friend.
While it wasn't her first time in Soul Society, aside from some fights, Tatsuki usually stayed at the Nagaken estate and only visited Renji, so while she knew her way from the Estate to the 6th Division, she wasn't familiar with the rest of Seireitei, much less Rukongai.
"Kenpachi-san had been complaining about the lack of 'good sparring opponents', and after a while Yamamoto-dono agreed to let Grimmjow-kun be his sparring partner." Orihime explained. "That's where they are right now. Ulquiorra-kun is with him, probably to keep an eye on things."
Because they were no fools, while they might agree to stay in Soul Society because of Orihime, the two males were still Arrancar and they knew it. Knew that not everyone would accept them so easily. Thus far the only two squads that seemed to have no problem with them were the 4th and the 11th; the latter because they all respected their captain's interest in fighting the former Espada, the former because they valued Orihime's abilities so much they were willing to put up with the Arrancar if it meant she'd visit and help.
Orihime didn't have any official position, aside from being part of the Nagaken Clan, but she was considering accepting Unohana's offer to help at the 4th as a medic. While she'd always be a Nakama first and foremost, that didn't mean she couldn't use her skills to help others.
They arrived to Soukyoku Hill, where a wide space had been prepared beforehand, bordered by a line of sekkiseki stone to ensure that no stray attacks would hit someone else. Tatsuki found it entertaining for a while, she was a fighter through and through, and even just watching she could learn about styles and moves. But eventually she grew bored; while both men were certainly strong and skilled, they were also too stubborn (pigheaded might have been a better word) to know when to call it quits. Tatsuki turned to her friend, finding her curled up against Ulquiorra's side, much as she might want to spend time with her best friend, she wasn't going to split those two up, not when they were still in the honeymoon phase (and she wasn't blind, Tatsuki had seen how much Orihime suffered when she lost him), so she just told her friend quietly that she was taking off, there was no need for an escort, or for anyone to worry, and she walked away.
She was about to reach the stairs leading down from the hill when a particularly strong clash made the ground shudder despite the sekkiseki stone. Tatsuki crouched instinctively, carefully re-distributing the weight of her body away from the cliff's edge. Some of the shinigami standing nearby as they watched the spar weren't so lucky. And while two managed to react fast enough to take hold of something and stop their fall, there was another that couldn't do that. Tatsuki noticed it and reacted instinctively: as she threw herself forward to take hold of the falling shinigami's hand, at the same time she sent enough reiatsu to her own legs and feet to attach herself to the ground. It worked, though barely, the man kept flailing and almost dislodged his hand from hers in the process.
"Baka!" Tatsuki snapped at him. "Stop moving! Do you wanna fall?!"
The shinigami stopped moving then, allowing Tatsuki to pull him up without further trouble.
"Idiot." A new voice murmured disdainfully. "You should have let him fall."
"T-Fukutaichou!" The shinigami Tatsuki saved, along with a few others called out in dismay.
The martial artist had to bite her tongue to keep from saying the first thing that came to mind. There was a reason why she'd made a point to avoid that particular shinigami since the fight against the Bounts…
"Fools, all of you, and you call yourself onmitsukidou members." The woman, Sui-Feng, scoffed. "Perhaps a fall might have given you a very necessary wake up call."
"Nah," Tatsuki made a conscientious effort to keep her voice even. "All that would achieve would be to make Hime have to come and heal them. And Ulquiorra wouldn't like her being bothered when she'd rather be cheering on Grimmjow."
From the corner of her eye Tatsuki could see a grimace on the shinigami's face.
"I just don't understand how she can stand being so close to them, their darkness…" Sui-Feng trailed off, shaking her head.
"There's more to them than their darkness." Tatsuki said softly. "From what I understand, Ulquiorra has called Orihime his heart. I think that's pretty significant." She shrugged. "And there are past lives involved…"
"Ridiculous!" Sui-Feng scoffed.
"What? A hollow having a heart? Or the past lives?" Tatsuki couldn't help but ask.
"Both!" Sui-Feng snapped, finally facing Tatsuki. "But the past lives specially. Past lives are meant to be forgotten…"
Tatsuki couldn't help but arch a brow, at the same time Sui-Feng took her in, the old yukata… While ever since learning that she could change clothes in her spirit form Tatsuki had made a point of putting on a pair of comfortable black hakama with the ends taped to her ankles to make it more convenient during a fight, she still wore the yukata on top of that, as a way to remember who she'd been, who she still was (and that she most definitely wasn't a shinigami!).
"It's easy to forget, painless one might even say." Tatsuki murmured solemnly as she looked straight at Sui-Feng, for the first time not looking away at the memories that assaulted her. "For the most part you don't even know you've forgotten anything." She shook her head. "Sometimes… some things are worth the pain."
"What can you know of pain?" Sui-Feng knew she was missing something and yet, what could a human know?! "You're dating Abarai, it's because of him that you chose to remember."
"I am dating Renji, that is true." Tatsuki wasn't even offended anymore, she could tell that Sui-Feng's tone was more about wanting to protect herself than any real scorn and, deep down, Tatsuki would never stop seeing another in the hardened shinigami: a little girl, so full of hope, her little bell… "But it's not because of him that I chose to remember. I did it for me. In order to be all I could be, rather than just a part. It wasn't easy, and it was very painful… I think that remembering past lives always is, to a point." She raised a hand before Sui-Feng could interrupt. "You may have heard Orihime's story: she was a princess, Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were her guards. She makes it sound almost like a fairy-tale, doesn't she? If you were to just think about that, you might even believe that's all there is to it. But if you look behind the basics and see the details, you'll realize that she was also a girl who lost both her parents too young, who was as good as a prisoner in her own home, never allowed to go out for fear that she might be found and killed… who died before she ever reached her twenties, after having lost the few people that were ever close to her. Who, for whatever the reason, remembered her past during this life and then had to come face to face with each of those people she'd once held dear, and realize none of them remembered her, and what's more, at least two of them were supposed to be her enemies. Do you think that sounds like a fairytale shinigami-san?"
"And what is your story then, Nakama-san?"
"Me? I was a slave, in China, several centuries ago." Tatsuki didn't mince her words, she didn't see the point, and besides, it wasn't just her story. "My mother died giving birth to my little sister, and our father was killed when he failed to pay some people he owed a lot of money to. We had nothing they could take to recover their loses, so they took us instead. I will not bore you with the stories of what I went through for over a decade, though I'm sure you get the idea."
"And you say you chose to remember that?" Sui-Feng couldn't understand. "Why would anyone do that? How can that be worth it?"
"It was worth it to be able to remember my sister." Tatsuki said vehemently. "In this life I have a little brother, but my parents divorced when I was young, and he lives with my father and his new wife. I only see him once or twice a year, and he doesn't really see me as his sister. I have my nakama, so I'm not really alone, but my little sister… she was once my whole world. I lived for her, endured hell for her… and I died for her."
Sui-Feng said nothing, but Tatsuki could see she was truly interested in the story, even if she probably would never admit to it, so she continued.
"She was still so very young, when I learned from a guard I'd befriended, that our Master was planning to give her to one of his Generals as a gift." Tatsuki explained. "The General wasn't a good man, and the mere thought of my little bell forced to suffer like that… I'd planned our escape many times, but never dared go through with it. Too afraid that we might fail. That night I decided I'd do it or die trying. So I got us out, and we ran… I didn't see one of the traps and my leg was very badly hurt. I did my best to hide it from her, not wanting to risk her giving up or something. And then, when I knew I was dying I convinced her of running ahead. We'd be taking a boat down the river to get to the coast. I convinced her I'd double-back for a bit to drive our pursuers away, and made her promise not to look back. I was dead before sunrise. Tried looking for her, even as a spirit, just to make sure she made it okay, but some stupid shinigami refused to listen to me and forced me to cross over."
"You didn't want to cross over?" Sui-Feng blinked. "You know, if you'd stayed for long on the human world, especially with such a strong attachment, you'd have turned into a hollow…"
"I'm not saying I didn't want to ever cross, but I wanted to find her first!" Tatsuki snapped. "I wanted to make sure she was okay… I know now that she survived, that she made it, had a life. Even if she still died before her time. At least she was happy for a while, had someone that truly loved her. My Xiao Ling deserved that much."
Sui-Feng was about to ask her how she new that, when she noticed something else:
"What did you just call her?" The shinigami asked, voice a bit faint.
"Xiao Ling." Tatsuki repeated. "That was her name. Mine was Shu Yung… though usually I just called her my…"
"Little bell…" They both finished at the same time.
"How long have you known?" Because Sui-Feng had no doubt that Tatsuki indeed knew who she was, and it wasn't recent.
"Since the fight against the Bount, last year." Tatsuki answered honestly. "That was right after I got Chitania, my zanpakutou, and with her help remembered my past life."
"You went looking for me…" Sui-Feng remembered. "And I turned you away."
She'd done more than just turn her away, but Tatsuki wasn't going to call her on it.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Sui-Feng wanted to know.
"You claimed not to remember your human life, and really, who was I to insist?" Tatsuki asked softly. "You were so young yet when I died, and I knew nothing of what had become of your life. Had you made it down the river? Had you made it out of China? Did you grow up? Did you marry? Have children?" She shook her head. "No, I lost all rights to you a long time ago."
"Why did you never look for me here?" A part of the shinigami captain might want to pretend not to care… but she couldn't, and there were some questions she just needed answered.
"I arrived to Rukongai, Inuzuri to be precise, and I never left it." Tatsuki explained. "I never wanted to be a shinigami. Even when I manifested Chitania." She shook her head. "For the longest time I just hated shinigami…"
"Why?" Sui-Feng didn't understand.
"Because they forced me to cross over when I wasn't ready yet. I tried to explain it to the one who found me. Told him I had to find you. But he didn't care. I never cared for joining the same group as someone who could care so little for the feelings of another."
"We don't exist to care about personal feelings but to protect souls. If all of us tried to please the spirits we're supposed to konso we'd never be done. It's hard enough to keep up since the population grew so much the last couple of centuries. There's simply no time… and our job is hard enough as is."
"I know that now. Back then I didn't care to understand. All I cared about was that it was a shinigami that took away what could have been my only chance to know if you still lived… That's why I'll never regret getting my memories back, even if I have to carry the memories of all the bad. I also carry the memories of you. And what's more, I know now that you lived, you loved… and you're here now. A shinigami… one of the best…"
"How can I be expected to love someone I don't know?" Sui-Feng asked gruffly after what seemed like forever.
Tatsuki could only imagine how much it cost her to admit that much. She had heard a few things about the lieutenants's history in Soul Society. She'd been very close to Yoruichi, her little sister… until the older shinigami ran away with Urahara, Tessai and the Visored. What that must have been like for someone who'd already lost an older sister once, who might have felt like she was being abandoned by family for the second time… But Sui-Feng was still there, she was giving Tatsuki a chance, that was more than the martial artist once thought she'd have…
"You don't." Tatsuki admitted gently. "But you can start by getting to know them: my name is Arisawa Tatsuki, pleasure to meet you."
She waited for some very long seconds, hand extended and then:
"My name is Sui-Feng, and the pleasure is mine… Tatsuki-san…"
xXx
Uryuu had no idea why he even was in Seireitei in that moment, except that Urahara Kisuke had called, not Ichigo or Rukia but him directly, asking to see him at his earliest convenient. And to please not be alone. It was that last part that worried Uryuu the most, it was so strange… He'd have preferred having Ichigo with him, just in case, or even Rukia, as she was more used to shinigami matters, but they were both quite busy getting everything ready for their wedding that weekend, so in the end Uryuu asked Keeva to accompany him. Their friendship had grown since the battle on the outskirts of Karakura. On the one hand them being the only two not dating (or almost dating, as was Yuzu's case) someone else; on the other, well, there was no doubt that trusting another as much as they had trusted each other during that fight made for a strong bond.
"Do we even know what we're doing here?" Keeva asked, curious.
"No idea at all." Uryuu answered evenly. "Though I have a feeling, whatever it might be, we're really not going to like it."
It was a feeling Keeva shared. A feeling that only grew when they found Kisuke waiting for them at the entrance to his Division, no fan on his hand, and no smile on his face.
"Ishida-san, Castelo-san." He greeted them both with a nod. "If you'll follow me please."
They followed the blonde shinigami through a courtyard, into one of the buildings and through several halls as he explained:
"As you might be aware, following Mayuri's death, and after having been exonerated from any past crimes, I was given back captaincy of the Twelfth Division. The first order of business was to go through all of Mayuri's experiments to ensure that there was nothing dangerous around. The last thing we needed was a repeat of the mess we had with that reishi-eating slug back in January. I went through everything with a fine toothed comb. Doing my best for Mayuri's victims, though I will admit there were those for whom there was nothing I could do except release them from their suffering and hope their next life would be better than this one."
Uryuu's hands fisted at his sides, he could still remember Kurotsuchi's admittance, seemingly so long ago, about being responsible for his grandfather's death; and not just that, but having experimented on him until the old man's spirit couldn't take it anymore. Uryuu had come so close to killing the monster that day… only his mercy, and the request of a shinigami stayed his hand. He'd asked himself more than once if that had been a mistake. While killing a shinigami captain, especially when they were still seen as ryoka by most in Seireitei, would have put a huge spanner into their plans, and there's no way things would have gone so well (there might not have been an alliance at all!), there were some nights when sleep eluded and he couldn't help but wish he'd finished things back then.
"It took me forever to find the last of his experiments." Kisuke went on. "See, Nemu-san was hiding it. But as I discovered, she wasn't hiding her from me, but from Mayuri."
"Her?" Uryuu asked, tense.
They'd just reached what looked like a small meeting room, where Kisuke signaled for him and Keeva to sit on simple chairs across the table from him.
"Her." Kisuke confirmed. "Are you aware of Nemu's origins?"
Keeva blinked, not understanding what that had to do with anything. Uryuu just shrugged.
"According to Mayuri's notes, she's supposed to be an artificial soul, in an artificial body." Kisuke explained.
"Kind of like Ririn, Nova and the others." Uryuu guessed.
"In some ways, but not entirely." Kisuke shook his head. "See, it is possible to create something like that, but there are limitations. Because an artificial body will never be able to process power the way a real body can, it takes too much, and it'll never be as efficient as a real body. And an artificial soul cannot produce reiatsu, not like a real one does. One can program artificial beings to have a few special abilities, as was the case with the original mod souls like Kon and Kai, or the newer ones like Nova and Ririn. But there are limits. Nemu… while she has no zanpakutou and she never will, she can do kidou. She's actually a master at it. That would be impossible if she were truly as Mayuri always claimed."
"Then how?" While she still had no idea what Nemu had to do with them, Keeva couldn't help her honest curiosity at everything Kisuke had just explained.
"Her body is artificial, no doubt about that, enhanced to the peak performance a human may have." Kisuke explained. "But her soul… it's a real soul."
"Did… did that monster steal a soul from someone and…?" Keeva couldn't even finish her question, too horrified by the mere idea.
Uryuu was abruptly furious, too much to even think of something to say. How had they let that monster do such terrible things for so long?! How had no one stopped him?! Why?!
"Not quite." Kisuke's voice turned lower, more somber as he explained. "It was an unborn soul. See, usually when a baby is stillborn, it's because he has no soul, and without a soul the body cannot live." There had been quite a lot of those just before the end of the war against the Quincy, so many souls lost forever… "When an expectant mother dies, her soul will go to soul society, and if her child had a soul already, it will follow. Babies will come as babies, once they're born, that's it. But if they aren't born… it gets complicated. Most of the time they'll remain in limbo until finding another body and being born properly. But there are exceptions, few, but they exist. The most common, being when the mother holds onto them too tight. Of course, this is only actually possible if the mother has spiritual power, but it can happen."
"So what, she comes to Soul Society as a pregnant spirit?" Keeva blinked, trying to understand.
"Somewhat, except, only as you might or might not be aware, it's not easy for spirits to give birth." Kisuke went on. "Only the most powerful can do it. Matsumoto-fukutaichou is an oddity in that her reiatsu levels are mostly average, yet we all know now that she carried and gave birth to a son, Hitsugaya-taichou in fact. According to Unohana-taichou, hers was a very delicate pregnancy, and the birth completely ruined her womb. She won't be able to have a child again."
"Okay, but as interesting as all this is, what does it have to do with anything?" Keeva demanded. "Why are we even here at all?"
"You're here because I requested Ishida-san come and not do so alone." Kisuke said honestly. "And I requested Ishida-san here, because this matter concerns him. See, as I discovered, Nemu-san's soul isn't artificial at all. Mayuri may have forced it to mature much faster than it should have, but he didn't create it. Nemu's soul was that of an unborn child. And Mayuri had access to it because when he discovered there was a pregnant spirit in Rukongai he tracked her down and decided to experiment on her. Once Nemu-san had enough maturity and understanding of the world and her own existence, her first fully personal decision, the one time she's ever gone against Mayuri's orders and wishes, was when she hid the woman who was, by all intents and purposes, her mother. Mayuri eventually forgot about her, moving on to other experiments. And Nemu kept her hidden, in a half-forgotten lab, until just last week, when she told me the truth, gave me the files, and directed me to the cryo-stasis chamber where she'd been kept." He took a deep breath before finally dropping the bomb. "The woman in question is called…"
"Ishida Kanae." Uryuu finished for him, voice low, cold, and completely devoid of emotion.
Keeva's head spun sharply towards him, mouth dropping open in shock. She knew the story of Ishida Kanae, she'd been there when Ryuuken explained it. She knew that Uryuu's mother had been pregnant, with a baby girl, but it was too much for her, she didn't have enough power to get to full term, but as she refused to give up, she ended dying along with her baby. And then to learn what had become of her when arriving to Soul Society. Not only she hadn't found peace, but she'd become Kurotsuchi Mayuri's experiment. Her baby had been effectively ripped from her, used for the monster's crazy plans… did that mean that Nemu was technically Uryuu's sister? How was Uryuu supposed to deal with that? With the possibility of a sister. And learning his mother had suffered through the same fate as his grandfather… except… wait a second…
"When can we see her?" Keeva blurted out before she could even form the thought in her mind.
This time it was Uryuu turning around abruptly.
"He never said she was dead." Keeva explained her leap in logic (which even she had only been half aware of as she asked the question). "In fact, he said he found her."
"Frozen!" Uryuu snapped.
"This is the 12th, it wouldn't surprise me if freezing were perfectly normal for them." Keeva replied in a nonchalant way.
She was probably being more blasé than entirely necessary, but it was a defensive mechanism.
"I wouldn't say perfectly normal, but yes, she's alive." Kisuke nodded.
Before Uryuu could said anything else Kisuke stood and without a word pressed a hand to the wall behind him. Half of it turned into glass abruptly. One-way glass… into what looked like a private hospital room…
The first thought that went through Keeva's head as she watched the woman laying on that bed, was how much she looked like Uryuu. The exact same hair, though considerably longer. She looked incredibly pale and thin, probably from lack of sun and a decent diet, but the way her chest moved rhythmically proved, beyond the shadow of a doubt that she was, indeed, alive (or as alive as those in Soul Society might be).
Uryuu hadn't even noticed when he stood from his chair and went to stand at the window, watching in shocked silence. Keeva followed him just as silently, waiting… it didn't take long. From one moment to the next Uryuu turned towards the closest person, Keeva, and then he just… crumbled. He curled into her, his head on her shoulder, silent tears falling down his cheeks. Keeva couldn't, for the life of her, think of anything to say, so in the end she said nothing at all, she just placed her hands on Uryuu's back, and held him as he let out all the fears, the frustration, the nervousness he'd felt regarding what might have become of his mother, all the things he'd never acknowledged but had always been there, at the back of his mind, ever since learning what had become of his beloved grandfather.
"When can we see her?" Keeva asked Kisuke quietly as she felt Uryuu beginning to calm down.
The shinigami captain hadn't said a word as Uryuu broke down, he even had gone as far as walking to the far end of the office and turning away, to give them as much privacy as was feasible in their situation.
"Whenever you want." Kisuke nodded. "You must know, she's woken up a few times by now. Barely long enough to have a drink every so often. She hasn't said a word, but I think it might be a defense mechanism." His face turned stern as he added. "You must take it easy with her. She was in stasis for half a decade, and before that, Mayuri had her for two years before Nemu-san hid her. It will probably take a long time for her to be anywhere in the vicinity of alright."
"It's okay." Uryuu's voice was hoarse, but that didn't stop him from using it. "She's here, she's… alive. And she will recover. That's enough for me."
Kisuke nodded, leading the to a small, barely noticeable door.
"Why is she here?" He asked suddenly.
"I decided it was safer than anywhere else." Kisuke shrugged. "At least until she's fully coherent. We can move her to the Fourth later on if you wish."
"The Nagaken Estate?" Uryuu suggested instead.
Kisuke just nodded, he'd been expecting as much.
Uryuu was about to go into the room when he looked back at the former shopkeeper over his shoulder, the smallest of smiles on his face:
"Arigatou, Urahara-san…"
"It's my pleasure Ishida-san." Kisuke said sincerely with a bow. "Take as long as you wish."
If it were up to Uryuu, he'd probably stay there the whole day, but that wasn't feasible. Still, she was there, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to her, not again.
It still took some time before something else hit him and he turned wide blue eyes to Keeva:
"Nemu is my sister?!"
Keeva couldn't help herself, she laughed (a bit hysterically, but after the stressing of the previous hour or so she really needed it).
xXx
At noon on April 2nd Nagaken-Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia got married (for the second time). The shinto priest of the temple the Kurosakis frequented in their youth performed the ceremony, though only the Kurosakis, Kuchikis, Renji and Nakama were present for that. Then they all traveled to the shouten, where the reception would take place. The underground training area had been tastefully decorated with some help, a buffet table arranged on one side, along with the beautiful layered cake Yuzu had baked. The music came from a sound system, since the last thing they needed was to have unknown people just for some live music.
Before the reception actually began, Ichigo went looking for Ryuuken. Uryuu and Keeva had gone straight to him to explain the situation, Kanae had been moved to her own room in the Nagaken Estate as soon as she was well enough to be moved, and Yailen had volunteered to watch over her. The next step had been to find the right way to explain things to Ryuuken, and all the Nakama knew that the chances of getting Ryuuken into Seireitei were nil (and if they so much as tried to explain, Ryuuken would have gone on a murderous rampage, which really wasn't what they needed). So instead they made a plan. It had taken some serious convincing, but they managed to get Yamamoto to allow Kanae leave to visit the Human World for a few hours, on the condition that she'd only be seen by those in the know about spirits.
Once there, Ichigo got Ryuuken to follow him to a room in the back of the shouten, where Uryuu was waiting with Kanae. The groom knew the exact moment the Master Quincy sensed his wife's presence, Ryuuken froze and turned to look at him:
"Ichigo…" Ryuuken's voice sounded lost, a first for the man.
Ichigo said nothing, just opened the door and gently pushed Ryuuken inside.
"Anata…"
Ryuuken turned very slowly. There was no way he could not know that voice, he knew it almost better than his own and yet… it was impossible.
"Tsuma…" It was odd, for a man to refer to his wife with that very word, but for him, his greatest achievement in his life had been making her his wife…
"I'm here Ryuuken…" Kanae confirmed.
Uryuu left the room very quietly then. There would be time later to explain to Ryuuken the whole story, and to introduce him to his daughter, for the time being, he'd let his parents enjoy their well-deserved reunion.
"Should I be here?" Nemu asked Uryuu quietly, hesitantly.
"I know you don't feel it yet." Uryuu told him kindly. "But you are family Nemu-san. I would very much like it if you would one day truly see me as a brother, see us all as your family. I know it will not be easy but…"
"She told me about you, you know?" Nemu commented, a wistful tone to her voice. "When I was newly… formed. Mayuri-sama left her alone for a while, he had her take care of me. And she'd tell me all sorts of stories, about her husband, the Master Quincy, about her beloved son: Uryuu; her dearest friend: Masaki; and how one day we'd all be together, a proper family… One day someone overheard us, and told Mayuri-sama, that was when he separated us and put her in a cage. I knew he'd do something awful to her, so I took her and hid her as best I knew how." She exhaled. "Many things happened in the following years. And whenever Mayuri-sama hurt me, I'd go to that little abandoned lab and watch her cryo-tube, telling myself that one day all she'd told me about would come to be. It was an impossible dream, but that didn't stop me from dreaming it. And then I saw you on Soukyoku Hill that day…"
"You knew who I was." Uryuu realized.
"I knew." Nemu confirmed. "And I was both delighted and terrified to meet you. I was told you were my brother… but what was a brother? Mayuri-sama gave me his name, called me his daughter… but Kanae-kaa-san called me daughter too, and she'd treated me so very differently."
"That monster wasn't fit to be a captain, much less a father." Uryuu hissed, before thinking of something else. "Why did you even ask me to spare his life that day?"
"I… he'd been my whole world for so long, my whole existence revolved around him, I wouldn't have known what to do without him." Nemu answered helplessly. "I didn't know how to be alone… still don't."
"You're not alone, and you'll never be." Uryuu assured her. "You're one of us now."
"A Nakama?" There was a sense of hope in Nemu's voice as she asked that.
She'd watched them for months, their closeness, the way they cared for each other and protected one another… she'd wanted to be part of something like that.
"Of course." Uryuu nodded immediately. "But not just that. You're also an Ishida."
"An Ishida…" Nemu repeated thoughtfully. "Ishida Nemu…"
The door opened then, revealing Ryuuken and Kanae standing side by side.
"Musume…" Ryuuken called softly.
"Chichihue…" Nemu bowed deeply, eyes on the floor.
Ryuuken didn't allow that, instead he took her in his arms and embraced her… it was probably only the second time anyone had hugged Nemu (the first having been her mother). Uryuu just stood there, looking at his mom, a tear falling down the corner of his eye. There it was, the family he'd always dreamed of, the family he never in his wildest dreams thought he could have…
xXx
"You're looking particularly smug Ichigo." Rukia commented with a smirk.
And in truth Ichigo was feeling particularly smug. He'd managed to get one over shishou! But more than that, he'd helped in doing something that made the man happy. After everything the older Quincy had done for Ichigo, and for all of them, it felt good, to be able to repay that kindness to some extent. And Uryuu too was happy. It almost made Ichigo wonder how it'd feel, if he were to ever find his mom… He'd been considering it, going into Soul Society and looking for her in his free time, but there had been so little of that recently. Maybe during the summer break he'd have the chance…
The reception began then. Uryuu, as the best man, said a few words, mostly regarding how he'd known from the start the two of them were just meant to be. He wasn't quite as witty as usual, and everyone knew it must be related to his mother's presence, so no one commented on it. Others took the opportunity to say a few words as well, like Isshin (who had to be cut off and gagged when he got too embarrassing), Homura (who both threatened and thanked Ichigo for being there, for Rukia and for them), even Ukitake (who'd long seen Rukia as family). Byakuya was the last one to take the chance to say a few words:
"Rukia… imouto-chan…"
The tender term alone was enough to bring tears to the corners of Rukia's eyes, her brother had never referred to her with such a nickname… even with how much their relationship might have changed, how much it might have improved… even when the truth had come up that she was, in fact, a Kuchiki… He might have called her his sister to others, but never to her face.
"I know, I haven't always been the best of brothers." Byakuya stated soberly. "But I cared for you as best I knew how." And he'd learned better ways of doing things in the past year. "I know Hisana would be delighted to see how happy you are, to see you've found love, made a life for yourself. I know I am. But never forget Rukia, that while you might be a Nagaken-Kurosaki now, you were a Kuchiki first. You were my sister first, and you always will be."
Rukia just couldn't help herself, she jumped straight out of her seat and rushed to Byakuya, embracing him tightly, he didn't even bother hiding the way he held her back just as tightly. It was okay to show feeling, they were among family and friends, after all.
"Kozo…" Byakuya called next.
Ichigo rolled his eyes but didn't say a thing as he focused on Byakuya.
"It is said that a man has two great loves: his first and his last." The Noble stated. "We all present here know Rukia is your last, and to make this occasion complete, I decided to bring your first."
Ichigo blinked, wondering what exactly Byakuya could possibly mean… when a figure stepped forward, pushing back the hood of the cloak. It must have been a special cloak because Ichigo not only hadn't felt any reiatsu, but he hadn't so much as noticed the person there; and by the shock coming from his nakama, he knew he wasn't alone on that… it was then that he finally registered what his eyes were seeing… then his mind and heart came to an abrupt and absolute halt.
"Kaa-chan!" The twins were the ones to scream.
Ichigo didn't say a word, he couldn't. All he could do was follow his instincts: one moment he was standing behind the head table, the next he was standing before his mother, his beloved mother whom he'd lost so long ago… even with the suddenness of the move he was still infinitely careful as he put his arms around her and embraced her as tightly as he dared.
"I'm here Ichigo… I'm here my dear boy…" Masaki whispered straight into his ear.
Ichigo said nothing, not a word, he just held her. That was enough.
xXx
After how intense the 'speeches' part of the reception had gotten, everyone needed a few minutes to recover. They all also studiously kept their eyes away from the corner where the reunion between the Kurosaki family was taking place. And then as they introduced Masaki to the newest members of their family; not just Rukia, but also Byakuya and Renji to certain degrees, and then Homura and Shizuku… Masaki probably hadn't expected to become a grandmother so soon, Ichigo was just eighteen after all, had just graduated high-school and yet she couldn't deny that she loved the idea of her family growing. And it was clear that they all loved each other. She'd always regret having died, having left her loved ones behind, but she'd never regret saving her little boy's life, and to see him grown, marrying the girl he loved, making a family of his own… what else could a mother ever ask for in life (or death)?
Someone had to remind Ichigo and Rukia a few minutes after they'd (mostly) recovered, that they'd yet to have their first dance. Ichigo flushed abruptly, though Rukia dismissed it almost immediately, thinking it was probably related to his mother, or him feeling self-conscious about dancing with her in front of their family and friends. So she just took his hand and lead him to the center of the dance floor as the music began and the two began dancing slowly, a simple waltz. That was what she thought, at least, until she heard Ichigo's voice coming from the speakers…
"Despite it all, when the sun rises over everything
I'll start walking again
The days pile up, becoming memories
Building in my heart"
"Every time tomorrow comes, I see what lies ahead
As the colors dawn
It's fading, but slightly, I realize something
Should I turn around?"
"Each time the things I can't remember grow
Even if I'm standing still
The name that comes after the tears
If I could remember it, that'd be my everything
An unchangeable word from the start"
Rukia could just stare at Ichigo, if they kept dancing it was entirely on instinct because her mind had gone almost completely blank the moment she began hearing her Ichigo, her husband's voice singing that song, a song she'd never heard before, and which seemed to be speaking straight into her heart. It was almost as if the song had been created just for them… for her… Had he written her a song?! Had her Ichigo, the man who had trouble just saying 'I love you' to her written her a song that, while it never said those exact words, was a declaration of it in every possible way?
"Right now more than ever before
I feel like I can hear the voice of my heart
I hide it, I hide it, all behind my tough act
But it's becoming unnatural"
"The things I can't easily say,
The things I can't easily agree to continue
But when I look into your eyes,
If it echoes inside our hearts, that's enough
That unchangeable word from the start"
It wasn't just Rukia, but everyone that was struck speechless as realization hit them. The fact that the insane shinigami daiko, the punk… countless epithets had been used to describe the orange-haired, chocolate-eyed shinketsu shinigami in the past, most of them less than kind. Yet no one could have ever described him as romantic. And it wasn't that any of them had ever doubted that he loved the petite, raven-haired, amethyst-eyes shinigami, it was just that he wasn't the kind to make a grand production of his feelings (daring rescues aside), until that moment, that song…
"If there is distance between our hearts
It must be the fault of our self-consciousness
If we go back to the way it always was
They'll become one again"
"I blame myself for the things I can't remember
Even if I started feeling awkward
The name within that smile
If I could remember it, that'd be my everything
An unchangeable word from the start
My unchangeable word"
"Ichigo…" Rukia murmured quietly, as the song ever so slowly came to an end and they stopped dancing, she knew not what else to say.
"You're my word, Rukia…" Ichigo whispered only to her as he pressed his lips to her hair. "Always have been. Even before I knew it, before I knew you. We were always meant to be… Always and forever…"
"Always and forever…" Rukia echoed.
And their promise was sealed with a kiss.
So, what did you think?
The lyrics were in English because I didn't see the point in writing them in Japanese, and I wanted you to know what was being sung. I originally was going to have Ichigo recite one of Shakespeare's sonnets to Rukia, but that's been done time and again, I wanted something else, and then this idea came to me... Kawaranai Kotoba was the only song slow enough to have them dance to it, and the lyrics went so beautifully with the scene.
Anyone surprised with the insanity that was this chapter? I mean, I know most of you were expecting Masaki, really. But what about Kanae? And Nemu? That idea was in my head almost from the very beginning, it's one of those than endured through the years and all the changes this fic underwent. Also, I thought that if Ichigo could get his mom back, Uryuu deserved no less.
I briefly considered making this the end of the fic. It was a good way to end it, if a bit overdone. The wedding, the happiness all around... then I remembered there's one thing I've been angling for and hinting at practically since day one, I couldn't just ignore it now. So no, this isn't the end, not yet, there's a bit of an interlude coming next week, and then the last arc, which I hope you'll all enjoy. We're about to reach the final stretch!
See ya next week!
