Disclaimers, etc.: see chapter one
Opening Theme: TBA
Ending Theme: TBA
Chapter 2 written 10/15/2022
Bleach: Cross
Princess on Vacation
by Eugena
Rated M
Chapter Two: Good Father Material
天国的白雪公主
SOUL SOCIETY - SHINIGAMI WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION MEETING
Yachiru pouted over the ruined pool.
"Oh, come on, Chiru-onee-san," Raiko began, "it still gave mama time to have a baby with Bya-kun."
"Okay, I won't be mad at Bya-kun. Only if he really gives mama the baby. Though I thought maybe Kenny would. Or Yumi. Or Shiro."
Nanao sighed. Men were lucky. At least when it came to a certain princess who preferred men.
"Nemu," Nanao said, "can Kurotsuchi Taicho make it possible for a woman to give the princess a child?"
"It may be a possibility," Nemu pondered. "I really should advise him mother would like another child."
"Would she really have a child with him?" Isane asked.
"She has me," Nemu reminded them.
"Uh . . . ."
"Why, you're right, of course, Nemu," Nanao said. "And she'd be really happy with another one. But maybe I could go first?"
"You?" Isane said. "What about me?"
"I dunno," Yachiru said. "Mom said something about a a man and a woman who aren't related to each other. But aren't you a woman? So's mom. And Kenny's a man. So mom and Kenny had me, but I don't think you and mom can have a baby."
"But Chiru-onee-san," Raiko interrupted. "didn't she say something about another option being really complicated?"
"Yeah. Oh, you mean like science? Okay, Mayuri's good on that one. So, Sister Nemu, Sister Raiko, who do you want to be next? Who should give mom the baby?"
"Father Mayuri-sama," Nemu said.
"Jiro Papa!" Raiko said.
"I think it should be Kenny," Yachiru said. "Okay, but Isane or Nanao?"
"Nana!" Raiko exclaimed. "Nana, have a baby with mama!"
Nanao blushed. And it was so cute the princess' daughter called her Nana. Sure, that meant something else in English, a relative, but she knew it was Raiko's way of saying her name.
Nanao hugged Raiko. "You can be my little Raiko, too. Shinjiro will have to share!"
Lafiel picked Yachiru up.
"More nieces and nephews! I can't wait!"
"Sister Lafiel," Soi Fon said, "you do understand how people get pregnant, right?"
"And . . . it doesn't work that way with Sister Shirahime. She's had plenty of incarnations. Her kids just keep showing up! Hey, that's right, she hasn't been pregnant in this lifetime! Okay, gotta pick really good father material."
"I veto Kuchiki," Soi Fon said.
Retsu Unohana laughed.
"He still hasn't apologized well enough for how he treated sister and for calling my niece a sword!" Soi Fon exclaimed.
Momo and Sierra watched the others. Sierra tried to hold in her laughter.
"What about Shiro?" Momo suggested.
Unohana looked at her.
"What - what did I say wrong?" Momo asked. "I mean, we were volunteering dads, right?"
Sierra rolled her eyes.
"We gods have told him to drop the act," Sierra said. "If we lesser gods can see it, the insult has been staring Shinnouhi in the face more so. Time and again. Such disrespect to an elder god! I think I should beat some sense into him!"
Nanao frowned. So easily they forgot that Shinnouhi's guard members were gods. To the shinigami, they were just gods. But it was frightening to hear her so plainly say lesser gods, a constant reminder that not only was Shirahime a princess, not only was she the Shinnouhi, not only was she a god, but she was one of the few elder gods remaining. Though elder might mean old and feeble to some, elder god meant something else entirely.
"Is it such an insult?" Momo asked.
"Yes," Sierra hissed.
"But he loves her."
"Not enough to drop the damn act of his. A lot of others love her, too. She can do better."
"Saozi," Raiko said, referring to her in a familiar way, "what is Shiro hiding?" Raiko called her sister-in-law, specifically older brother's wife, though she was yet to be her brother's wife.
"Must you call her that?" Momo asked. She thought nothing of the term until Shinjiro, fluent in Mandarin, told her exactly what it meant.
"Little niece," Soi Fon said in Mandarin, "Momo always gets upset when you call her that."
"But I must be polite," Raiko answered.
"Your older brother has not agreed yet to marry her. Besides, didn't you want him to marry the other one?"
Raiko hugged Momo. "Momo Saozi!"
Momo turned red.
Sierra narrowed her eyes.
"Okay," Retsu interrupted. "Break it up. He's not officially married yet. We should have a redo of that contest."
"Oh, count me in!" Nanao exclaimed.
"For Daichi?" Retsu asked.
"No, for the princess, of course!"
"Just don't tell me you're getting married, little niece," Soi Fon said to Raiko.
"Yuki Papa says I'm not old enough to marry him."
"Him?" Soi Fon repeated.
"The one I'm going to marry."
"Like, a specific person?" Rangiku asked.
"It's a secret!" Yachiru exclaimed. "We aren't supposed to tell!"
"Does your father - your Jiro Papa - know about this?" Nanao asked.
"Of course. Yuki Papa told him."
"And he's okay with this?" Isane asked.
"The crown prince is the next king," Sierra interrupted. "Why would Shinjiro not be okay with it?"
The shinigami were silent in their surprise.
"I can't wait to have a baby like mama!" Raiko exclaimed.
"Why, yes you can!" Nanao exclaimed. "Your Jiro Papa and I are going to have a talk!"
Retsu sighed and patted Raiko on the head.
"Oh my gods!" Soi Fon exclaimed. "Does Lady Yoruichi know about this?"
"Won't obaa-san and jii-chan be happy?" Yachiru asked.
"Absolutely not!" Soi Fon shouted.
Raiko started to cry.
"Now - now, don't cry. Little niece, don't cry," Soi Fon said. "I didn't mean it. I just meant how are we supposed to know the man's good enough for you?"
"But Yuki Papa picked him himself!"
Yachiru patted her on the back.
"Xiaogu (husband's younger sister)," Sierra said, "they are just being over-protective. They care. So, don't cry. Besides, let's focus on your mom's next baby, okay?"
"What a great idea!" Lafiel exclaimed.
Raiko smiled.
Most of the others looked confused.
But Raiko was happy again.
"Oh, I really need to study," Momo sighed. How else was she going to one-up Sierra if she didn't know enough Mandarin?
"Yachiru," Momo began, "did you understand that?"
"Most of it," she said. "It is mom's second language after all. And all mom's family speak it."
"All?" Momo asked. "But Urahara -."
"I mean Father Shiroyuki and my brothers and sisters. But, yeah, there's mom's guard. And my aunts. And obaa-san."
"Urahara still isn't - ."
"I can't forget jii-chan hated mom," she admitted. "Anyway, mom still doesn't read Japanese, so I have to be able to write letters! Learning the spoken language just goes along."
"It's too hard," Momo said. "It's not like learning English."
Nanao sighed. Another obstacle.
"Something Father Mayuri-sama has no problem with," Nanao thought.
"Mom liked the pool!" Yachiru exclaimed. "We should build another one! Then mom will definitely have another baby! She just needs motivation!"
Retsu laughed. All Shirahime's daughters kept planning for that next brother or sister. Then she remembered she had to tell Kenpachi about Raiko's marriage. Someone was going to have to answer some questions!
Retsu cleared her throat.
Nanao raised a brow.
They both learned that from the princess.
"I have an idea," Retsu said. "And it's one that will make sure the princess takes a vacation!"
"Yay!" Yachiru and Raiko cheered.
"Let's go the beach in the human world," Retsu said.
"Ooh!" Raiko beamed. "Are we taking mama home to Florida?"
Sierra's mouth hung open. Sou Taicho would not allow that. Not that Sierra gave a damn about a military man's desires compared to Shinnouhi's.
"Maybe next time," Retsu said. "I was thinking one near to Ichigo Kurosaki's town."
"That sounds great!" Rukia said. "We all need a break."
"But will Ichigo stop saying he's going to marry mama?" Raiko asked. "She doesn't want to."
"I will just have to teach him!" Rukia exclaimed.
"Me, too," Isane declared.
"I think we all should," Soi Fon said. "Let's go get sister and meet Lady Yoruichi."
"But what if Bya-kun is busy giving mama the new baby?" Raiko asked.
Everyone not related to Shirahime blushed.
谢谢你们的阅读。