Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach.
Chapter 4: Gold maybe grand but shackles they remain
" We haven't really been hearing much about the Dark Shadow in the past two months." Yuzu comments at the breakfast table. " He's been very quiet it's almost scary." She shivers unconsciously.
" Isn't that good?" Karin remarks. " Maybe he's been caught by the Templar knights."
" Don't you think we would have heard of it by now if that were the case?" Yuzu counters. " What do you think, dad?"
Instead of Isshin, it is Ichigo who suddenly speaks. " He's a harbinger of death." His grip on the fork he is holding tightens. " It would be good if he's caught."
Noting the sudden discomfort that surrounded the breakfast table, Karin changes the topic of conversation. " I heard that the grand priestess has also gone missing. Apparently she's been missing for a month or two now but they've only let out the news this morning since the Central Temple in the Capital is finally mobilizing the Templar knights in search for her."
" Oh my." The other twin begins. " Is that the reason why we've seen Templar knights in the market place yesterday? I thought it was odd to find them in an outskirt village like ours."
A sudden knock on the door disrupts their conversation. The people on the breakfast table exchange glances but everyone shrugs, implying that none is expecting anyone. The knocking repeats, this time much louder.
" Wait a moment." Ichigo says, loud enough to be heard outside before standing up and heading towards the door then opens it. There he finds a man a head taller than him, donned in a herald and easily recognizable shiny white armour with long spiky red hair tied in a ponytail, standing in front of him. Red eyes sharply gazes down at him. " W-who are you?" Ichigo's scowl deepens.
" Good morning." The man who appears to be a knight begins. " I'm a part of the Templar knights from the Central Temple in the Capital." He lifts up a white badge, the temple crest engraved on it, as proof of his identity. " We're looking for someone—a woman with black hair and amethyst eyes." He then puts a hand at the level of his waist. " About this short—"The man does not manage to finish speaking as he is suddenly receives a powerful kick on the chest sending him flying off a meter away from where he stood. " What the—" He exclaims as he looks up and finds the person he is looking for, fuming beside the orange-haired boy who opened the door. "Y-you were here?!" The recognition in his voice is evident as he gapes towards the dark-haired woman with wide eyes.
" You know him?" Ichigo, who recovers from the unexpected turn of events, asks Rukia who seems really mad.
"I'm not that short!" The raven-haired woman huffed angrily as she stomps towards the knight she kicked. " What are you doing here, Renji?! Why are you all wasting time and resources for me?"
" Idiot!" The knight retorts at her. " As if I could do that now. We're running out of time. We need to get back! Now!" He grabs her and pulls her towards the gate.
Rukia tries to wriggle out of his grip but fails. " Renji, wait! " She then tries to pull against him. " Wait! Let me go first! I can't go yet!"
" Come on now." The red-haired knight does not let go of her and carries on to tug her arm. " Will you stop being stubborn for once?"
Ichigo grabs the knight's hand that is grabbing Rukia's arm. " She says she doesn't want to go with you. Let her go."
Renji, the knight, stops pulling but does not let go of the woman. Instead, he glares at the orange-haired boy that is interfering, sizing him up with his eyes. " Who are you?" He crudely asks with displeasure as he grabs the hilt of his sword.
Rukia notices this gesture and places a hand on the knight's chest. " Calm down, Renji. This is the son of my benefactor."
" Benefactor?"
" My father saved her life when he found her on wounded by the woods." Ichigo interjects, reminding the red-head of his presence. When he notices the other male loosening his grip on Rukia, they young Kurosaki pulls her from this Renji and puts her behind him protectively. " Now, who are you?" He glowers at the man one head taller than him.
" Wounded?!" Ignoring Ichigo's question, the knight instead stares at Rukia in bewilderment. " After that thing in the shri—" He suddenly stops himself from speaking then turns to Ichigo before bowing low. " Thank you so much for saving her."
" What's going on here?" It is Kurosaki Isshin who joins in after hearing the commotion in his front door. " Oh, what's a Templar knight doing in my doorsteps? And bowing to Ichigo at that."
The knight then straightens himself up and looks straight at the older man. " You must be Rukia's benefactor." He concludes and salutes. " I am the grand priestess' personal guard, Abarai Renji. I give you my deepest gratitude for saving the grand priestess' life."
-000-
The Kurosaki house feels cramped in the presence of the sudden visitors. The lead members of the group of Templar Knights who came to the village looking for the grand priestess are sitting side by the side in the couch in the living room—Abarai Renji, the leader of the group, sits in the middle. An auburn-haired lady occupies Renji's left side and introduces herself as Inoue Orihime who is a member of the Central Temple's healer. On Renji's right side sits a black-haired lad wearing glasses who calls himself Ishida Uryuu, Assistant Chief of the Central Temple's Healer Unit. Ten more Templar knights awaits outside their house to guard aside from the fact that they all can't fit inside the house at the same time.
" I joined the Central Temple's Healing Unit because their uniform is white." Ishida Uryuu states, showing off his white cloak with blue seams on the sleeves like Inoue Orihime's uniform, while pushing his glasses up his nose-bridge. " Now, grand priestess, can you please explain why you disappeared in from the temple?" He is angry and upset and he's not hiding it.
Rukia sighs and turns back towards the man who asked. " Ishida-san, we will talk about the temple matters later on." Then, she gives each member of the Kurosaki family a quick look before sighing in resignation. " I'm very sorry for not telling you earlier."
Yuzu responds to her apology first. " Don't let it bother you too much, Rukia-chan. G-grand priestess or not, you're our Rukia-chan!"
" Your title doesn't matter!" Isshin adds. " You're still my third daughter regardless of any other fact!" He declares with conviction and winks at her.
Karin just looks at her, face not betraying any emotions. And then that little sister looks at her brother who had not said a thing since the Templar Knights have been invited inside their home.
Kurosaki Ichigo keeps to himself, eyes staring daggers towards the floor beneath his feet.
"But does this mean that you're leaving us now?" Yuzu asks, face painted with worry. " Are you returning to the Central Temple in the Capital?"
This time, Ichigo looks up at the woman who holds the title of grand priestess. Karin notices this action of his brother and scowls.
Rukia turns to Yuzu and opens her mouth to answer but no words come out. She clamps them close and glances at Renji who shakes his head at her. The grand priestess remains silent for a while, clenching her fists on her lap then finally speaks. But instead of answering Yuzu, she looks at the Templar knights seated across her. " In three day. Just give me three days." She starts. " I'll be returning with you to the temple."
Ishida is the first one to stand up from his seat. " Three days and not a second more." He then heads towards the door and leaves the house.
" Then, I'll see you in three days Grand priestess." Inoue stands up and waves at Rukia while smiling. She then regards Yuzu briefly and says, " Thank you so much for the tea and cake. They were lovely." Inoue bows at them clumsily and follows Ishida Uryuu outside.
Renji stands up as well. " Then we will be lodging in the inn by the town hall two blocks from here. Although, the capital is just an hour away from here, we need to ensure you are safe so we'll be staying nearby. We'll come back to pick you up in three days' time. We will then leave at the break of dawn, three days from now." He glances towards the orange-head boy then back to the grand priestess. He nears Rukia and leans to her ear whispering something and receives a nod from her. She then whispers something back which prompts Renji to suddenly turn to Ichigo with wide eyes. " I understand." Renji tells Rukia then turns towards the head of the Kurosaki household and nods before leaving.
The people left inside the house remains silent. A moment passes. Then two. Then three. It is Karin who suddenly breaks the ice. " Yuzu!" She loudly calls out to her sister. " I think it's better to go with goat-chin to his consultation calls today." She then pushes the two towards the door. " Rukia-nee. Ichi-nii. Take care of the house while we're away. We'll be back by lunch so please make some lunch ready, Ichi-nii." Hearing no response from her brother, she turns to Rukia. " Can you help her, Rukia-nee?"
" Uh…y-yes." Being addressed suddenly, Rukia awkwardly replies with an equally awkward smile. " We'll take care of it." She waves at them as they leave the house. She waves until the door is shut closed and it is none but her and Ichigo left in awkward silence. Her hand stops and automatically falls down her side then turns to the other person in the room. " Ichigo." She calls out his name, like she's always done many times before, but this time with much difficulty and a heavy heart.
The owner of the name ignores her and proceeds into the kitchen, beginning lunch preparations. He only knows how to make curry and that is what they are having for lunch, he decides internally by himself. He cuts and chops and washes and fries and simmers and seasons and stirs and whips a meal in no time. Not saying a single word, he works in the kitchen alone.
Rukia does not intrude either as she just stands on one side of the kitchen, waiting for him to tell her what he wants done. She watches him throughout and waits, her eyes following his every move. An hour passes and then another until he covers the pot and puts out the fire. Still they don't exchange a word nor does he look at her way.
The rest of the family returns and they all share a meal, like they always have done. The other three pretends as though nothing has happened, that nothing has changed. Ichigo still occupies the chair beside her and eats like usual. But in complete silence.
'After lunch.' She decides inwardly.
Lunch ends and without leaving her an opening, Ichigo immediately heads towards his room and shuts the door behind him. Then he lays in bed and stares at the ceiling.
He wonders why he feels upset. He has always known that such a day will come when Rukia will leave. She is not part of his family after all. She's nothing but a stranger his father had saved and they took in after she asks them if she could stay temporarily. This outcome is a given, something already decided even the moment his father brought her in her wounded state. He never expected her to remain a free-loader in their house in the first place. He knew she has somewhere to return to one day down in the future. So with this thought, Ichigo wonders why he remains upset.
He hears a knock on his bedroom door.
" Ichigo, I'm coming in." Isshin declares and intrudes in his bedroom without invitation.
He turns on his side, his back facing his father and says nothing.
" That curry you made was salty as hell!" His father tells him. Then there was silence. He thought he was going leave but he hears his footsteps approaching the bed instead and feels a low dip in the mattress. " So…Rukia-chan, the grand priestess…" Isshin speaks again and his words made the younger one flinch. " Well it's not every day that I get to pick up someone of very high status in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. " Ichigo hears him chuckle. " Does that make her feel so distant to you now?" Isshin asks and carries on speaking. " I've actually never thought I'll also have a grand priestess for a daughter-in-law."
" Grand priestesses cannot marry." Ichigo mumbles but loud enough for his father to hear. " Even little children knows that, idiot goat-chin!"
Isshin laughs again. " Is that why you're upset?"
Ichigo springs up from his bed and stares at his father with wide eyes and a flushed face. He opens his mouth to yell at his father but only ends up gaping like a fish out of the water.
" It's nothing but a title, Ichigo. I'm ashamed to call you my son if you're deterred by something like that." Isshin proudly states.
The bright-haired Kurosaki gapes some more at his father's words. " How can you say some ridiculous stuff like it's nothing?! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?!" Ichigo looks at the older male in disbelief.
The father simply harrumphs at his son's words and shamelessly replies. " A grand priestess is a woman regardless of her title. That is something that should not limit the power of love which transcends all boundaries and titles."
" L-love?!" Ichigo incredulously exclaims. " W-why are you using that word? Who said I love that midget?!"
" You don't love her? Really?" Isshin asks in return to which Ichigo does not manage to reply. A triumphant smirk then appears on the dark-haired Kurosaki's lips. " See? You can't even lie about it even if your life depended on it!" He accused.
The young man flushes to his roots as he listens to his father's accusation of which he cannot disagree.
Appearing satisfied with the reaction his son has shown, Isshin nods to himself satisfied. " Do you know, Ichigo? Owners recognized by the holy sword are automatically admitted as Templar Knights if they wish to. And the grand priestess' personal guard, like that Abarai Renji, who she always stays by her side would preferably be a wielder of a holy sword."
Ichigo stares at his father in surprise but says nothing, committing the senior's every word to his mind.
" See? Isn't it fate that Rukia-chan gave you a holy sword as a dowry?" Isshin winks at him. " It's the best among all the dowries she can ever give you."
" It's not a dowry, goat-chin!" He corrects his father, his expression remains jaded. " And nothing can change the fact the a grand priestess can never marry."
The older Kurosaki wears an amused look and grins at his son. " I'll let you on another little secret, Ichigo." Isshin wears a scheming look on his face before saying, " Masaki is Rukia's predecessor."