Chapter 15: What We See and What We Find
*Please review. Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, just the OCs. *
Breakfast had been a quiet affair, even with Twitterson and Rosenberg joining the group. Naoko surmised everyone was still tired and contemplative over last night's excitement. James had to return to Soul Society, and Naoko felt a faint pang of disappointment at his absence. Afterward, they diverged to their own tasks. Ichigo, Renji, and Twitterson would patrol the town and surrounding area for Hollows and any sign of the royal knights. Rukia and Rosenberg opted to stay at the manor.
Uryu wanted to continue studying in the library. Nemu, being a scientist and researcher at heart, was eager to help. Lack of sleep and still feeling sore (literally and figuratively) over her match last night left Naoko in a colicky mood. This left her with no desire to do anything but curl up somewhere safe to lick her wounds. And safe was wherever her brother was.
That was where Seiichi Matsuro found them.
Naoko sat sideways in an armchair with her legs dangling off the arm and head resting against the other. The book in her hands was written in German, but she had enough of a grasp on the language to understand the gist of what she was reading.
"After nine centuries, his pulse will quicken, after nine decades, his mind will return. After nine years, his power will be restored to him by the sacrifice of the impure. His true progeny will—"
She leaned her head back to see upside down the older man walking in. Closing the book, Naoko rolled to her feet to greet him.
"Ah, I'm glad I found you both I have something I'd like to discuss with you," his eyes slid to Nemu in a silent hint. "Alone, perhaps?"
Naoko bristled at the implication, and Uryu looked slightly perturbed. Nemu cast them a glance, silently asking if they wanted her to leave. Uryu gave a slight nod while Naoko pursed her lips, biting back an argumentative retort. Nemu gathered a few books and papers and departed the room.
"I still find it interesting that you choose to associate with Soul Reapers to such a degree. How was your excursion to their world?"
"It was fine," Naoko answered curtly. "And what's wrong with us associating with Soul Reapers?"
"It's nothing I find personally wrong, but others may not be so open-minded." The older man looked at Uryu, "Though I am surprised that you would befriend them considering they failed to save Soken from the Hollow attack that killed him. An attack, I learned, you bore unfortunate witness to."
In the silence that followed, dropping a pin would have sounded louder than the bang of a gong. Uryu paled and looked away, his bangs shadowing his face. Naoko blinked in stunned stupefaction at the statement. She looked from her brother to Matsuro and back to her brother.
"You… you what? You saw…"
Naoko could only recall fuzzy memories from that awful day. Urahara appearing at their home, her grandmother crying, and him trying to explain how her grandfather was never coming home. Never did Naoko imagine that Uryu was there when it happened and saw it all. She looked at him and saw ancient pain and sorrow hardening his features.
"I don't hold my friends accountable for something they had no hand in," Uryu said, his voice tight with calm control, but Naoko could hear the pain.
"I'm not saying you should blame them," Matsuro said gently. "Merely that I'm surprised that you looked past that to create friendships with people most Quincies wouldn't hesitate to shoot."
"Our grandfather advocated for peace and cooperation between Soul Reapers and Quincies in managing Hollows and protecting others. It would be a… disservice to him if I didn't take his teachings to heart and live them."
Naoko could sense the weight of history to his words and wondered if he would share it with her. He was right. Their grandfather had been a peaceful, amicable man who believed even the most different people can work together. How ironic that the people he encouraged to work with couldn't save him.
The older man smiled fondly, "He believed the same when we were much younger men. I thought he was naïve and overly optimistic, odd considering what happened to his family."
"What did happen?" Uryu asked.
"It happened when your grandparents and I were quite young," Matsuro sighed pensively. "The Ishida family was an eminent noble Quincy family… until they fell from grace. I don't quite remember the details though I know it involved their association with Soul Reapers. I believe your great-grandparents sought cooperation just like Soken did."
"And they lost everything because of that? Because they wanted peace?" Naoko said with disbelief and fought not to roll her eyes.
"Maybe Quincies associating with Soul Reapers is taboo as Soul Reapers associating with Hollows," Uryu suggested.
The older gentleman shrugged, "As I said, I take no issue with whom you socialize with, but others will."
"And we care what these others think?" Naoko scoffed, leaning against a table with her arms crossed.
"If you want the throne, yes."
"And if we don't want it?"
That seemed to make him uncomfortable as though he'd been expecting or hoping they would seize such a seat of power. They didn't come here for that; they came for answers.
"You may wish to rethink that," he said slowly, carefully picking his words. "There are malicious people who would take the throne and use its power poorly. People blinded by arrogance, self-serving desires, and a twisted sense of Quincy pride. People who view Soul Reapers as monsters worse than Hollows and should be hunted as such. I cannot see that ending well for anyone, can you?"
His words became heavier the longer they hung in the air, and Naoko could feel their gravity pressing on her. Was that any reason to take power? To keep others from having it, even if those others would abuse it? It was challenging to imagine Quincies being posing a genuine threat to Soul Reapers, especially since the former had nearly been wiped out by the latter two centuries ago. But that was a long time ago, who knows how much stronger we've become.
"What if we could use this chance to spread grandfather's message," Uryu said slowly as an idea began to take shape in his head, "about peaceful coexistence with Soul Reapers. Better yet, show it can be done, show it's possible and beneficial for all."
Naoko blinked, lead their people to what? An era of peace? Suppose some Quincies opposed so much as casual association with Soul Reapers. How could they ever get anyone to peaceably coexist? Were there still skirmishes between Soul Reapers and Quincies? Or was this just one-sided old hatred?
"It's… certainly an idea," Matsuro said slowly.
Whether it's a bad, good, or simply crazy idea remains to be seen. Naoko thought before saying, "Is that why you came here today? To see if we were taking the throne or not?"
"Well, yes and no. I also have news from the council. If you recall, I said they wanted to meet with you in person."
"Yeah," she said slowly with a sinking feeling.
"They want to meet here tomorrow."
Uryu tensed, and Naoko pinched the bridge of her nose, "Fantastic."
"Is that going to be a problem?" Matsuro asked slowly with hesitance.
The teen girl gave a humorless laugh, "Let's just say my powers aren't anything to write home about."
He looked at Uryu almost imploringly, but the boy's silence confirmed his fears. "Well… I'm sure your skills cannot be that bad."
The siblings exchanged sardonic looks and Matsuro felt a strange growing sense of dread.
The blade silently sliced through the air as Rukia went through the motions. Swing, pivot, stab, moves that comprised her battle dance. With no enemies near or danger lurking, the lieutenant decided to use this private time outdoors for a bit of personal training. Steady, swift practiced movements settled her mind and could feel Sode no Shirayuki coming closer to the physical plane and…
She swung her sword again only to hit a ruby red blade instead of air.
The metallic sound and force of the strike jolted Rukia from her reverie.
With mild amusement, Rosenberg said, "Pardon my intrusion, I was not sure if you were looking for a spar or fighting invisible enemies."
Rukia lowered her sword and wiped the sweat from her brow. While it was spring, the weather was still chilly with bits of snow still clinging to the ground, yet she had still worked up a sweat.
"Neither I'm trying to achieve bankai, actually."
The other lieutenant canted her head, "Really? May I ask why?"
"It just… it feels like everyone I know is getting farther ahead of me in terms of strength."
"I heard you fought in a war in Hueco Mundo," she pointed out not unkindly, "that is quite a feat in and of itself."
Rukia shuddered at the memories of that war. Her battle against Aaroniero and nearly dying, Byakuya getting hurt fighting Zommari and Rukia almost dying again. Almost failing to save Orihime and Naoko, fighting Ichimaru and her friends nearly dying so many times.
"There… were too many close calls. I know it was a war, and such things should be expected, but that does not make it any better."
Rosenberg studied Rukia for a few moments. "So, you want to achieve your Final Release just to be stronger? Getting stronger just for its sake is something a shortsighted person, typically a man, would do."
"It's not that. It's…" Rukia heaved a sigh. "I have people I want to protect now, who the thought of losing terrifies me. I have people who care about me and who I care about too."
Renji, Byakuya, Ukitake, Orihime, Uryu, Chad, Naoko.
Ichigo.
"I lost someone I cared very deeply about." Kaien. "I was weak and scared, and I lost him." Pouring rain mixing with his pouring blood, both drenching her body. "And…"
"If you pass it on to your friends, then your heart will always live on within them. Kuchiki, that's why you must never, ever, ever die alone."
"I don't want my friends to die, but I don't want them to be alone if they do. I want to be strong enough to protect their hearts and carry them with me so they will live on at least in me."
Rosenberg smiled gently like a teacher pleased with her pupil. "Now that is a reason to train for Final Release. Would you like some assistance? I've been trying to attain Final Release these past few decades myself."
Rukia nodded, "But only if you tell me your reason."
"Fair enough. I have people I want to protect too, my subordinates, souls, and my nitwit of a captain. I know what it's like to be weak, helpless, and have no one to protect you. I don't want anyone to feel like that when they're around me."
The dark-haired lieutenant had not been expecting a real, honest answer like that, though it was appreciated. "Alright then, Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."
"Chirp, Caelestis Rubinus."
Ichigo sighed as he caught Twitterson, stealing another, not so furtive glance at him. Was the guy expecting him to go full Hollow unexpectedly?
Probably.
The other captain hadn't seemed perturbed at Ichigo wearing a Hollow mask, more intrigued. It did feel odd that Twitterson hadn't tried to attack him as if he were a Hollow like Ichigo expected a stranger to understandably do. Those who knew Ichigo knew about his other spirit housed inside him and accepted it, especially after the public learned about the Vizards and their condition, all being Aizen's fault.
While people still sent wary glances at Ichigo, the teen brushed them off. His friends and family still cared about him, and that was all that mattered.
They paused their patrol in a forest clearing. Ichigo stretched out his senses and felt nothing peculiar. There were the faint, steady signatures of Naoko, Uryu, and Lieutenant Kurotsuchi in the manor. Rukia and Twitterson's lieutenant not far from there and the gentle buzz of all the people in the nearby town.
Opening his eyes, he saw Twitterson looking at him. Ichigo sighed roughly, "If you got something to say, say it already."
The captain sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "It's nothing just… I'm not trying to offend you, but… what are you? You're a Soul Reaper I can tell that much, but there's an underlying Hollow layer, not to mention that mask of yours. Cool but a sight creepy."
"I'm a human who became a Soul Reaper after Rukia gave me her powers to save my family. Then I went through training from hell and developed a Hollow along the way, making me a Vizard. That would be Soul Reapers with Inner Hollows, but Aizen forcibly made them while mine was kind of an accident."
Twitterson had the look of someone with a short-circuiting brain.
"I think you lost him, Ichigo," Renji said with a smirk at Englishman's befuddled expression.
Twitterson blew out a slow breath and wondered if this was worth reporting to Glyndower. A captain-class Soul Reaper with a Hollow inside him. Would that automatically qualify him as an enemy? He was hesitant to decide since Ichigo was a friendly bloke, and his friends seemed to trust him well enough. So… maybe not?
"Right… any chance you can start from the beginning?"
(Karakura)
This was madness.
And yet here he was.
If any Soul Reapers found him, he would be killed on sight. If any of the others found out, he would never hear the end of it.
However, he wanted to learn more about the heart and how could he do that by living in a land of creatures without hearts? And the one person who could teach him best lived in this town. So, it was logical that Ulquiorra Cifer would be in Karakura, though he had yet to engage with the woman.
He sighed quietly in annoyance at his hesitation. He had talked with her before, why was now any different? Was it because she was not his prisoner and thus had no authority over her? She was now free to help or fight him if she chose. He watches her walk away from the store alongside another girl, but with short, black hair. They're talking though he is too far to hear precisely what's being said.
The wom—Orihime looks… happy. The upturn of her lips, the glitter of mirth in her eye… it faintly stirs something in him.
"You know the war is over, right?"
Ulquiorra whips around, hand tightly gripping his sword while slowly from the shadows, a dark-skinned woman emerges. Her reiatsu marks her as a Soul Reaper, a captain, and she appears vaguely familiar to him. She makes no move to attack or apprehend him, and he can see no weapon on her person though that doesn't make him lower his guard.
"I am aware that our conflict is finished. I have not come here to cause any trouble."
Her lips twitch up in a smirk, "Just to watch pretty girls all day? I guess there aren't that many in Hueco Mundo?"
The Arrancar felt a strange warmth overtaking his face. "I am not engaging in any such voyeuristic activities. I am trying to discern what it means to have a heart, and I believed this was the best place to do so."
She makes a soft, thoughtful noise, "I'm all for learning by observation, but I think this requires you to actually go out in the field and interact with people and such."
"That is impossible, as no one would be able to see me."
The woman tips her head, "True, though that can be fixed with a gigai, a fake body Soul Reapers use to interact with the Living World. I know somebody who could make you one."
Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes, "Why would you do this? I am a Hollow, your enemy. Is it not your profession to end my existence?"
"To be fair, you haven't done anything to warrant me killing you. However," now her voice took a deadly serious turn. "If you do anything to harm Orihime or anyone of this town, then I will kill you."
"Your warning is noted." He then realized something, "Why did you mention Orihime Inoue?"
The smirk was back, "Because she told me about you and how she befriended you. I think she might like to see you again."
'Befriended' was a bit of a strong word to describe their affiliation, in Ulquiorra's opinion. He was unsure if 'like' was too strong as well. Was that the root of his hesitance? Did he fear she would reject his presence? She did not seem afraid of him in Hueco Mundo, but perhaps that was a façade, and she did fear him.
"Hey," he was suddenly reminded that he was not alone. "Stop overthinking it. If you want that gigai, go to the Urahara Shop."
She turns to leave, but he says, "Thank you… for not killing me outright. May I ask for your name?"
"Yoruichi Shihoin, captain I should say. I certainly wasn't expecting to have a civil conversation with someone I once fought, what a way to spend my day off."
Ah, now he recalled her. He and Yammy briefly fought her and another man during their first invasion of this town. Ulquiorra bows, "I see, thank you again for not killing me despite our last encounter."
Yoruichi shrugs and flicks her ponytail, "You're welcome, just don't make me regret it."
*The passage Naoko was reading was about Yhwach, but it was more of a minor nod to canon. I don't know if I'll ever use the Vandenreich in any of my stories for this saga, but we'll see.
My headcanon for my fics is that Soken's family, the Ishida's, were like the Shiba's because they were high nobility but fell from power. It's never said how the Shiba's lost power (I don't think), but for the Ishida's their liberal views on Soul Reapers got them in trouble. Like Uryu said Soul Reapers are to Quincies what Hollows are to Soul Reapers.
I hope Angelica and Rukia's reasons for wanting bankai were believable. I wanted something a little deeper than the generic Shonen "to get stronger". I also wanted to incorporate Kaien since he seemed to be a big influence on Rukia. Angelica's zanpakutou is Latin for Celestial Ruby.
Ulquiorra is here! I hope the talk between him and Yoruichi was okay. I think she'd be the type to give people a chance until they give her a reason not to. She's also not going to let him walk around completely unobserved though, just more from a distance.
Please review, I'll post again Aug. 28th though it might be late because I'm having family visit and traveling. Yeah, I know not the smartest thing to do during a pandemic. Stay safe and be smarter than me. *
