His Prodigal Sons
by Raichutec
He honed their skills, watched them grow from spiritual fledglings into powerful captains, nurtured them, loved them as his own sons. His children. He taught them to follow their hearts. He lectured them on becoming leaders. He smiled quietly to himself as they flourished. They had become his greatest achievement, like the dual zanpakuto they wielded.
Now, they had gone too far. His anger painted another picture, carefully covering over the wound in his chest. He taught them about justice, but never to appeal solely to emotion. He taught them to question authority, but never to so drastically disobey. He trusted their judgments, and found himself sorely disappointed. How could they? Their collective betrayal stung an old man's heart.
There would be no mercy, he could not shield them this time. This was far worse than Shunsui being a little too forward with a girl. Jyuushiro's sense of justice would not placate his ears with honeyed explanations, either. He had spoiled them, he realized. Always letting them get away with such little infractions, no wonder they felt they could pull off something so grand, so completely against everything. If only he had been a little tougher, scolding Jyuushiro when his self righteousness manifested, grinding Shunsui with harder tasks when he slunk away to laze about.
If onlys would not save them now. He now had to decide how to rectify their transgressions. And he knew he had to punish them by his own hand, or take their dishonor with him. But he would take with him their last images. Admire them for what they had become and give them the opportunity to die in battle, honorably, rather than suffer the wrath of Center 46.
He clung to his anger like a drowning man, simply to avoid the urge to weep. They were his children, after all. His beautiful children, who crept out the back door while his back was turned.