Chapter 1: An unwelcome visitor
The grass almost reached Matsumoto's knees. It surrounded her on all sides but her left, where the little house was where she had been living with her daughter for the past few years. It hadn't been that long ago when Yuko had first been able to look over it. The girl was now sitting outside, reading a book. Matsumoto had given it to her so she could practice reading. Her eyes were moving slowly over the characters and from time to time she whispered aloud.
Usually she wanted her daughter to sit inside behind the table when she was studying, but this day was too nice not to enjoy. The sun shone on their faces and maybe Yuko would finally get some color on those pale cheeks of hers. The color of her hair was like Matsumoto's, only lighter. Yuko definitely had Gin's eyes, narrow and piercing. They were blue though, not light brown. Her body remained thin, not matter how much she ate and that worried her a bit sometimes. Yuko's hands had the same bony structure as those bigger ones that had once patted Matsumoto on her shoulders when she had first caught a fish by herself. Sometimes, when Rangiku looked at Yuko, it was like Gin was with her as he had been when he was young.
"Mum, what does this mean?"
She leaned over and looked at where her little finger was pointing at. "Elephant."
"What's an elephant?" Yuko asked immediately.
Matsumoto thought for a moment. She knew it was some kind of creature, but exactly what it looked like? "Can I see the whole sentence?"
Yuko nodded and removed her finger, waiting eagerly for an answer.
Over the years in the nations of Africa, the elephant has come to take on a mystical or holy presence.
"It must be some kind of god," Matsumoto said.
"A god? What's that?"
She sighed, the girl was in one of her inquisitive moods. Because she had always kept silent about them being a shinigami, it would be hard to explain this.
"Someone people respect."
Slowly Yuko nodded, but she didn't seem entirely satisfied. "Why do they grow so big?"
"Does it say they do?"
"Yes, sometimes 4 meters and they also eat a lot. Why have we never seen them if they're that big?"
"You know what?" Matsumoto started, knowing Yuko would continue asking questions she didn't know the answer to if she didn't distract her. "Why don't we stop for today and do sword practice? You get the swords."
It had the intended effect, because Yuko jumped up immediately and ran into their little wooden house. From very early one Matsumoto knew the girl had a strong spiritual presence. She practically burned with them sometimes and very soon after her birth she had known that she would have to help her gain control over it as she was still young.
It was not entirely unexpected though, considering who her father was. From the first moment Yuko loved practicing her skills and that worried her sometimes. She was too fond of it.
Her daughter came running outside again, holding a wooden practice sword in each hand.
"One moment."
Yuko waited impatiently as Matsumoto took her hair and bound it in a knot at the back of her head. "Okay, all set. Now follow all my movements."
The swings were meant as a warm-up, but Yuko was already burning with enthusiasm. "You held it too high," Matsumoto said, watching her for a moment. "Keep your balance."
This was a very different life from the one she had led 6 years ago, before she had fled. Living on a march with no people living near them for miles, she felt relatively safe. Occasionally she would take her daughter to a town, both dressing up in clothes that were considered normal here on earth. It had taken her a long time to finish sewing them, for they were very different from the ones women wore in Soul Society.
"Mum...where did you go last night?" Yuko suddenly asked.
The question brought her out of her thoughts. "You saw me leave?"
"I woke up and you weren't there," for a moment Yuko paused and the looked at her feet. "You took your sword with you, the real one."
Matsumoto sighed. "Sometimes I need to practice by myself."
"Why?" Yuko asked, her sword now lowered.
"Because… it might be dangerous if you are there."
"The light… it's dangerous?"
Matsumoto looked at her warningly. "Yes, you must stay in bed during the night, Yuko."
"But my light never hurts me."
Shocked, she crossed the distance between them, squeezing her shoulder. "What did you say!"
Yuko tried to step back, surprised at her mother's outburst, but Matsumoto kept on holding her. "Did you raise your energy level that far? Did you!"
"Enerjy level… I don't know what… I just let the light come, it's very easy."
"Yuko!" she yelled, shaking her a bit. "You must never do that again! It's dangerous, you're far too young!"
"But she isn't dangerous, she's always been…!"
"She? Who do you mean?" Matsumoto asked, now very much alarmed.
Yuko shrugged her shoulders, on the verge of tears. "I don't know."
"A creature that comes with the light?"
Yuko nodded, a lonely tear falling down her cheek. "I'm sorry, it's just… it comes sometimes, even when I don't try."
Matsumoto took a deep sigh and lifted her up to give her a hug. "It's okay. I'm just scared something might happen to you. You are a very strong girl, but you're too young to control it."
"I don't know how to stop it," Yuko whispered.
"We'll work on that soon, don't worry, it will be fine."
A little relieved, Yuko let herself be put down. Her mother didn't share that feeling. She hadn't expected her to be this powerful at her age already. Instead of having time to slowly prepare her, Matsumoto would have to start training with her constantly to make sure she would get control over it. Thinking of this troubled her the rest of the day, into the night. Long after Yuko had fallen asleep, she'd been awake, looking at her. She had lost everything else, but she wouldn't lose her daughter.
The next two weeks she watched Yuko call up the 'light' as she still referred to it. It was of a soft yellow, a very soothing color. Matsumoto felt the raw energy behind it and began to think of how best to deal with it. Had they been at Soul Society, this would have been a lot easier, as there were lots of people with information about young children and the way they reacted to their own power.
They were standing in the shadow of a hill, the light already dancing around her. She seemed unafraid, even happy to be in the middle of it. It was in the late afternoon after a rainy morning. The sun had just shown itself for the first time this day.
"Does it feel warm?" Matsumoto asked, eyes focusing on her daughter who stood only a few yards away.
"A bit," Yuko said, the light still turning around her. "Can I call up a little more?"
"No, just keep it like this."
Matsumoto watched her for a while, maybe she would have powers of healing, though she doubted it with Gin as the father, or be a strong defender. "It's okay, just put it down again."
For a moment it seemed like the light was indeed fading, but then it suddenly grew brighter,
"Yuko!" she yelled as she started running towards her. But the light pushed her back, keeping her out of the column that surrounded her daughter. "Yuko, stop it!"
Her daughter seemed as surprised as she was, eyes had widened as she looked at the manifestation of her own energy. There was a smile on her lips and it was clear she wasn't aware of her mother anymore, too fascinated by what was happening.
"Yuko!"
The level of power was still rising and she could now hear the light making a zooming noise. For a moment she hesitated, breaking it could be dangerous, but what if it grew even more powerful and would consume her little girl?
Matsumoto let out a yell as she raised her spirit power. Then she jumped, forcing her way through the column of light using her own energy to break it. The moment she grabbed Yuko, she pushed them through. They rolled to the floor, away from the light. It hadn't faded yet, but now it had lost its centre it grew unstable. She pulled Yuko under her, shielding her, just as the light shot up to the sky, evaporating clouds as it sped away.
"Mum?" Yuko asked, dazed.
She didn't answer, just picked her up in her arms and started running for their house. With an uncontrolled power mixing with her own manifesting itself on that level, there was no way that people at Soul Society wouldn't know of it. That Gin wouldn't know of it.
Within less than a minute they were there. She put Yuko down and checked her for injuries. Other than a bruise on her elbow from where she had fallen, she was okay.
"What… what happened?"
She smiled at her, hoping to reassure her, even though she felt so agitated herself. "We have to go away from here, Yuko. I'll get my sword. You hide behind the grass. Don't call the light and don't come out, whatever happens! I'll be right back."
Yuko's eyes widened. "What? But…"
"Do it!"
After a last hesitation, Yuko turned around and ran for the grass. Resolutely, Matsumoto paced into the house, ran up the stairs and grabbed her soul slayer from where she had left it against the wall of their bedroom. There was no time to take any of the other things they had acquired over the years. It stung, as she knew Yuko was attached to some of them and to the house as well.
Quickly she ran down again, skipping a few stairs in her haste. The most important thing was making sure they got the hell out of here.
Her hand reached out for the door handle. Then she stepped back, shocked. For the moment that she was about to touch it, the handle was already turning, being opened from the outside. Drawing her sword, she held it in front of her and did a step back.
"Hello there," Gin said, closing the door behind him and smiling at her.
He still looked the same, hair still as he had worn it since they had been children. The expression hadn't changed as well. It was like she had only seen him yesterday.
"What do you want?" she asked, keeping her sword between them.
"To know how you are doing, what else?" he said, looking at her like the sword wasn't there. "You seem quite energetic for a dead woman."
His annoying humor was very nerve wrecking at a moment like this. If only she could make him leave without having to play one of his games.
"I'm fine, now if you'll excuse me?"
He didn't move an inch away from the door, still smiling at her. "So who are you living here with?"
"What makes you think I'm not living here by myself?" she asked curtly.
"There are two practice swords there," he pointed out. "And that power wasn't just yours."
She narrowed her eyes. "It's none of your business."
"A friend? A long lost relative… a lover maybe?" he replied, his smile deepening at the last suggestion.
"Look," she said. "I'm really busy now. If you want something from me, just state it now."
"Nice place, but a little small, no?" he said, looking around with an expression of mild interest "You must have really hated something in Soul Society to want to live here."
She guessed the meaning behind those words. He knew there was an important reason why she had left like she had, and he wanted to know what it was.
"Gin, listen to me, I really need to go," she said, glancing for the window. Would he come after her if she would jump out and make a run for it? Probably he would just appear in front of her the moment her feet touched the ground and continue the conversation like nothing had happened.
"Why so hasty?" he asked. "Is this how you treat an old acquaintance?"
Matsumoto bit her lip. If there was one word that she wouldn't use to describe him it would be acquaintance. Part of her wanted to apologize for having disappeared like she had, but there was the bigger part that told her protecting Yuko was the most important. With the things that she knew he was capable of, he represented a threat to her daughter in her mind. But how to get him to leave?
She almost jumped in shock when the door opened again and she saw Gin turn around to look. In an impulse Matsumoto stepped forward, wanting to slam it close even though it was already too late.
"Yuko!"
But Ichimaru had already seen her. His eyes didn't stay closed as they followed the little girl running past him, to her mother.
Matsumoto put her hand on her head and stroked her hair soothingly, not seeing much use in getting angry with her now.
Yuko looked uncertainly at their unexpected guest. "Who is he? Why are you holding your sword?"
"Don't worry, just go upstairs now, okay?" Matsumoto said, giving her a faint smile
But Yuko refused to go, clearly she felt the safest place was with her and she hid behind her, eyes focusing on their visitor.
"The child," Gin stated, his voice oddly soft as he spoke. "She's mine."
Matsumoto sighed, the game was up.
He was looked at Yuko for a few moments. "She'll come with me."
Matsumoto raised her Soul Slayer at him. "No!"
"Are you willing to fight me for her, Rangiku?" he asked.
She clutched her sword tighter. "Do you need to ask?"
"So you're willing to let me cut you to a bloody mess in front of her and leave you here on the floor as your breathing fades away, while I take her with me anyway?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious about her answer.
Matsumoto was almost shaking. The thought of letting Yuko witness something like that…
She knew he had won and after a moment she sheathed her sword. He came forward, laying his hand on his daughter's head for the first time. Had a snake touched the girl, Matsumoto wouldn't have this much trouble stopping herself from pulling her back and behind her. Gin picked up on it, of course, but took Yuko's hand.
The girl looked questioningly at her and she gave her a slight nod. "This is your father, Yuko."
Her eyes widened and Matsumoto felt terribly guilty. All the things she had gone through this day!
"Then we'll be leaving now," Gin said, picking the girl up. Yuko let out a scream, and reached for Rangiku, her small hand stretched out to her.
"Mama!"
Matsumoto caught up with him and pulled him roughly by his sleeve, eyes blazing with fury.
"I'm coming with you!"
"No."
"Gin! Don't you dare…"
She didn't finish that sentence, for when he turned for her again, she recognized the anger in his tensed up muscles and the grimace on his face, even though he was still smiling. Dealing with an angry Ichimaru Gin was dangerous, but she didn't let go, stood there unwaveringly.
"I will teach her now," he said, patting Yuko's shoulder.
"I'll stay with her," she replied.
He seemed amused at her determination. "There's only one way."
"And that is?"
At this he smiled broadly, like it was the funniest joke yet. "You'll have to marry me."
"What? Why!" she let out, almost letting go of him.
"To legitimize her," he said, giving a look at the girl he was still holding. Yuko looked very confused now, following their exchange without struggling.
Matsumoto snorted. "Since when's that important to you?"
"It isn't. But do I have to explain to you that it would make her life easier?"
She needed some time to think, but knew he wouldn't give it to her. "Where are you taking her?"
"The school."
She frowned. "What! Which school?"
"You'll see if you accept my proposal."
Now she almost laughed. It was really absurd to call this a proposal while he was coercing her like this.
"I obviously don't have a choice."
"Good," he said and smiled just like all those times she had just promised to cook his favorite meal for him when they were kids.
Only this time the smile wasn't genuine.
To be Continued.
AN: So, yes, this story is somewhat AU. Though there is still a Soul Society, things are being run a little different there. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.