Sad Days
Author's Note: The poem is "The Narrow Road To The Deep North" by Matsuo Basho.
Next day
The sun was shining on Karakura Town, Yuzu sat outside riding her poetry book while sitting on Ichigo's lap. Loly, and Cirucci freaked out and went ballistic after a shinigami was spotted at the twins' school, Menoly decided it was best to not reveal she had encountered the shinigami before. At least not yet, Ichigo had them withdrawn to El Castillo until further notice, of course they protested but finally complied. {"As much…"} Ichigo's thoughts were interrupted by the three arguing on their way out. {"Yea...El Castillo is just fine…"} He paused that thought process and returned his focus back to Yuzu reading.
Yuzu struggled but finally after some coaching from Ichigo she finally could read fully: "The months and days are the travellers of eternity. The years that come and go are also voyagers. Those who float away their lives on ships or who grow old leading horses are forever journeying, and their homes are wherever their travels take them. Many of the men of old died on the road, and I too for years past have been stirred by the sight of a solitary cloud drifting with the wind to ceaseless thoughts of roaming.
Last year I spent wandering along the seacoast. In autumn I returned to my cottage on the river and swept away the cobwebs. Gradually the year drew to its close. When spring came and there was mist in the air, I thought of crossing the Barrier of Shirakawa into Oku. I seemed to be possessed by the spirits of wanderlust, and they all but deprived me of my senses. The guardian spirits of the road beckoned, and I could not settle down to work.
I patched my torn trousers and changed the cord on my bamboo hat. To strengthen my legs for the journey I had moxa burned on my shins. By then I could think of nothing but the moon at Matsushima. When I sold my cottage and moved to Sampū's villa, to stay until I started on my journey, I hung this poem on a post in my hut:
Even a thatched hut
May change with a new owner
Into a doll's house."
Yuzu closed the book, and paused to catch her breath. The poem was complicated and difficult to read. Ichigo rubbed her head and nuzzled her as the wind blew through the three in their fenced in backyard. She just closed her eyes and leaned back into her brother's chest, she eyed his hollow hole where his heart was supposed to be. She wondered if it hurt, she had asked that question and got different answers. Some hollows say it doesn't, Tatsuki said hers hurt if she thinks about it or remembers how she died, Yin and Yang just argued, the Cifers gave similar but vague answers.
"Yuzu your shows on!" Karin shouted from inside the house, Yuzu jumped up so fast Ichigo thought she was a superhuman at first. She squealed which had the unfortunate side-effect of causing a stereotypical grumpy old neighbor to fall off his ladder in shock and land in his inflatable swimming pool. Ichigo winced and quickly hered his sister inside to save her from the wraith and curses of their now soaking wet and very angry neighbor. Ichigo maneuvered his way through the house. He had to be careful as his horns were sharp and thick enough to puncture and shear the walls if he wasn't careful. The random pink splats on the wall were an attesting to the times he walked into the wall, or out of rare bursts of anger would ram the wall.
Yuzu sat down, Karin looked uninterested on the program on the television and read her manga. Ichigo sat down next to Yuzu who wrapped herself around his arm, as she watched with unbounded enthusiasm at what was on. Ichigo sweatdropped; he never understood the appeal of the show, nor its outlandish character. He heard a familiar click, the tale-tell sound of someone sliding something through the mail slot. Ichigo flexed out his free arm and straightened his palm as one word echoed throughout his head. {"Chain…"}, the mail fluttered then flew into his hand like it was attached via an invisible chain. Yuzu didn't pay attention, and kept watching her show while Karin did look up and put down her manga. Ichigo placed the mail in his lap and raised a finger and a retractable claw popped out. It shined as the sun glossed over its black structure.
He used his claw to carefully cut open the mail, and frowned, it was the same, every time. Credit card offers, scams, other people's mail, magazines, occasionally a coupon book would arrive or something interesting. Ichigo then paused at an orange envelope he opened it carefully and signaled for Karin to grab the checkbook. Karin got up and ran to the pantry and retrieved the checkbook and flipped through till she got to an empty page. She reached a free hand behind her and Ichigo gave her the envelope. She took out a check, Ichigo peered over her shoulder. Even though he lost the ability to speak Karin knew what he was asking, "It's the usual ¥341,788.50." She said, Ichigo nodded and remained standing still, it used to creep her out but she got used to it overtime.
He was a king to his subjects, a god to those who revere, a monster to his enemies, and stood like a wall or a vigilant watchtower against whatever may threaten their paradise. He was like a rock to prevent their 'Sad Days'. Karin assorted the money into respective folders in the checkbook; she had done this for years and never made a mistake. They didn't have any relatives on their fathers side, at least they knew off. Their mother's side was a different story; most wanted nothing to do with them, what confused Karin this occurred after Ichigo returned to them. They thankfully did have a maternal uncle and cousin who stayed close, apparently the latter was a former classmate of Ichigo when he was alive.
Karin made sure everything was taken care of, they would have enough money for college. But one stubborn feeling remained, {"Ichi-nii…"}, she and Yuzu were the only family Ichigo had left. She believed they were the reason for having his endless army of hollows and arrancars run rampant on the earth. If Ichigo wanted to he could conquer all three of the realms, and nothing and nobody could stop him. She held back the tears at night, so as not to disturb Ichigo, however Loly had caught her one night and since then she would hug her and comfort her like an older sister. She felt a tap that caused those sad feelings to vanish, and Ichigo was holding up a coupon for Ice cream. Karin smiled and nodded and rushed to grab her sister, Ichigo watched her and paused and thought he felt a familiar presence but then as quickly as it came it vanished.
Across town, sametime
Tatsuki scowled as she kicked a wall, causing it to partially crumble. "God damn it!" She yelled at the clear blue sky. Occasionally a random passing human would look up and around in confusion, and then shrug their shoulders and return to their business. Her Fracción looked on with a mix of fear, and worry. "We have to find that Shinigami." Yin said after a few minutes, her twin sister nodded. Aleksandra approached her mistress and bowed on one knee "L..Lady Tatsuki." She bowed her head when the short, darker haired Arrancar turned to face her subordinate. "We should try Urahara-sama." Tatsuki facepalmed {"Gahhh...why didn't I think of that."}.
Tatsuki recomposed herself, after an hour of self-berating, "Okay me and Aleksandra will head to creepy bucket hat guy. You three spread out and keep looking for that shinigami.", everyone nodded at understanding their roles. Tatsuki pointed to the twins, "Summon as many hollows as you need." "Yes Lady Tatsuki" Yin and Yang said in unison as they saluated and rushed off in a burst of Sonído towards a random direction. She then turned to Chu Hua who was munching happily on a green apple flavored snow cone. "Go back to the school and see if she returns there." The chinese bun girl just nodded and walked off munching happily as she did.
Tatsuki and Aleksandra then turned and made their way towards Urahara's shop halfway across town.
Rukia's POV
I squint my eyes, as the sun shines brightly on this small town. The building style is very different from the soul society. I clutch Sode no Shirayuki tightly as I watch humans go about their day, to work, to school, or whatever is on the agenda. The events of the past week come back slowly as I cup my chin with my hand. {"A strange teenage girl with a Reiatsu that is a hybrid of a shinigami and a hollow...Now that I think about it, she saved that hollow...why…she used a abilities similar to a hollow..but") She looked down at her Zanpakutō and unsheathed it and held it in her hand, as she resumed her thoughts. {"She had a Zanpakutō...also is it me or has the number of hollows been alarmingly low...that and that shop keeper has been avoiding me...something is wrong with this town...I can feel it."}.
I shake my head, and decide I will report to Nii-sama and the Taichou, after I keep poking around for a bit. {"I mean what's the worst that could happen."} I mentally giggling, I then look up and hear giggling and see two human pre-teen girls walking down the street, I smile softly at the sight. One is wearing a paisley-rose dress with flowers and sandals, the other I swore was a boy at first but I can tell she is definitely a she. I Then noticed something..behind them, my eyes widened in shock {"N..N..n...No..it can't be...I only read about those in textbooks…"}, my body ordered me to move, and I obeyed.
End of POV
Yuzu and Karin made their way down the street towards the neighborhood ice cream shop. Ichigo trailed behind them, his hands behind his back. He inwardly smiled at his sisters enjoying themselves, he looked up and breathed in the various scents and smells. He then blinked as a weird looking butterfly landed on his head. {"That is one weird looking butterfly…"} He thought as he reached out to touch it as soon as he did the world went white as the sound of blood splattering was heard and he felt a burning pain rage through his body.
Ichigo was stunned, and petrified he slowly looked down and spotted a raven-haired petite shinigami with her sword raised blood coating the shining blade. Yuzu and Karin were clutched in her free hand and looking stunned and shocked. She then vanished in a Shunpo, as time slowed to a crawl and the pain fully caught up with Ichigo causing him to snap his neck back and unleash a massive roar of anger, hurt, pain, and anguish. Rukia sat the girls down and checked them over; they were both unharmed. she heard the roar and froze then she noticed something else as drip drip sweat began to drip off her forehead. She looked down and sure enough there was an unusually large pool of sweat forming by her feet. {"When...did it become hot…"} Her eyes widened as she was forced to her knees as a massive tidal wave of Reiatsu smashed into her and the surrounding area.
{"This is bad...I need reinforcements…."} She struggled to turn her head back to where she attacked the Vasto Lordes, and her eyes jumped out of their sockets as a massive pillar of flame was standing where the Vasto Lordes was. Ichigo was enraged, no he was in pure and unattested anger as his sliced off arm quickly regrow back thanks to his high speed-regeneration. His eyes glowed not the normal sickly yellow that most hollows possessed by the devilish blood lava red of a demon, the devil himself.
{"This shinigami is gonna learn why am called El Diablo!"}
Rukia gasped and whirled around, still unable to move as the flames grew so hot nearby buildings caught on fire, cars exploded and people ran as quickly as they could confused as to why and how a giant pillar of fire appeared in their fair city. {"E..E...E..e..e..El Diablo...is that what that vasto lordes was called...I feel death...oh no…"} Something inside Rukia told her to dodge, and dodge now. Despite being crushed and smothered by the pure hot Reiatsu, Rukia managed to dodge a conjuned beam of blue and red energy as it smashed into a building causing a small mushroom cloud of flames and sparkles of electricity.
Rukia's eyes widened and whirled around only to be kicked in the face by two femaine figures. She managed to dodge but now clutched her bleeding and broken nose. She hissed in pain and spotted twin figures and blinked in shock. {"Their wearing the same style of outfits as the girl from earlier in the week...and was that a Cero?!"} her mind raced as she struggled to stand as she felt hot breath on her neck. She turned slowly only to come face to face with the Vasto Lordes she attacked earlier; its red eyes burned like fiery molten magma, as the Vasto Lordes grabbed her by her face and held her up and roared at her in anger. "I..I..Ichi-nii.." A soft voice. Rukia froze, Vasto Lordes eyes burned but then softened dimly as he slammed her to the ground hard causing a small crater to appear upon the impact of her body. Rukia cried out in pain and tried to stand but couldn't as the two twin females circled her like vultures.
Across town
A pen dropped in class, causing everyone to turn and watch in shock and confusion as first Uryū Ishida, left the classroom without a word to anybody. "H..hold up...we're in the middle of a…" the female teacher was then cut off by the scrapping of a desk as Chad then stood up and walked out the class, followed by Orihime as the teacher and class were left speechless and stunned at the apparent disobedience shown. Uryū pushed up his glasses as he felt the flames from miles away, {"I pray...dearly for whoever would cause you to unleash your inferno...my dear itoko…"} He thought as something caught his glance, {"A pillar of flames…."}. He sweatdropped at that, "Ichigo is going overboard again…" Chad said as he stood behind Uryū.
Uryū nodded, and Orihime looked worried, before he could comfort her the sound of a Garganta caused all three teenagers to turn and look. Out stepped Chō Cifer as she looked out the window briefly and back at them. "There has been a situation where I'm going to escort you to El Castillo at once." Her cold aloof tone in her voice rang out like bullets, the three nodded and she turned to Uryū, "Your father is already there." She said coldly and turned on her heel and went through the portal followed by Chad who was holding Orihime closely, Uryū lagged for a moment before walking through the portal.
He knew as well as anybody else, if something was serious for Ryūken Ishida to stop work and go to El Castillo. Then it was serious, it either ment war, or Ichigo wanted somebody dead, which while common usually was for a good reason.
Urahara shop
Tatsuki's eyes twitched as she looked at the crudely written note in front of her. {"Of all times to go out of town….it had to be today!"} Aleksandra leaned over her shoulder, with a blank icy stare as her dragon blinked at what she was reading. They all paused when they felt something. They looked at each other and wasted no time to Sonído to where Ichigo was.
Back with Ichigo
Rukia collapsed to the ground coughing and wheezing as the vasto lordes quit releasing his Reiatsu. The pillar of flame collapsed in on itself, leaving behind a molten twisted crater of asphalt, concrete and metal piping, that still glowed bright orange. Rukia managed to raise her head as her vision became blurry, she had trouble standing and the twins beating didn't help. She noticed the black haired human was glaring at her, and the blonde was hugging the Vasto Lorde. Which caused Rukia's eyes to bulge out of their sockets {"A..a..are they human.."} She grunted when the blue hair twin punched her in her gut. "How dare you attack ladies Karin and Yuzu!" Yin snarled, and Rukia rolled herself into a ball. {"Ladies...are they like royalty…"}.
Rukia closed her eyes and waited for the doom to come; she had noticed a growing swirling mass of Hollows surrounding her. They seemed to be standing at attention, awaiting for the Vasto Lordes, nothing happened. She opened her right eye and hissed in pain, the hollows, the two sets of twins were gone and the vasto lorde was gone. She looked around and fell back down, on one knee. Her body screamed in pain and she felt something and started vomiting and coughing up blood.
She stood up and hobbled away slowly, hissing {"I need...to...report...this…"} Rukia felt pain in her back every time she tried to stand up taller. Unbeknownst to her Tatsuki, Aleksandra Knežević, and Chu Hua stood behind her on top of a nearby building as thunder flashed and the sky darkened. Tatsuki scowled and cracked her knuckles, "Your orders M'lady?" Aleksandra asked, despite already knowing the answer. "Crush that bitch, no...kill her and then rip her limb from limb!" Tatsuki's brown eyes glowed with insanity and she licked her lips, as Thunder and lightning boomed and flashed.
El Castillo
The city floated calmly in the sky as thunder boomed, and started raining. Some Hollows started running inside various sized houses ranging from the size of a bottle cap to a skyscraper. The lighting arched across the sky as it started pouring down harder and harder. The main keep was illuminated by the lighting arches, Yuzu was making dinner with the help of several Hollow and Arrancar attendants, Karin had refused to leave her brother alone. Her shouts echoed throughout the keep "To hell your my brother, am not leaving!" As much as she hated using it, she used her position as the god-princess of hueco mundo to remain in the meeting room.
The room held a rounded table on the floor and two hollows were standing inside on both sides of the door. Everyone had gathered in the room from counter-clockwise, was Ulquiorra, Shinobu, and Chō Cifer, Coyote Starrk, Lilynette Gingerbuck, Yin and Yang, a Unnamed Female Arrancar, Cirucci Sanderwicci, Loly Aivirrne, Menoly Mallia, Yasutora Sado, Orihime Inoue, Uryū Ishida, Ryūken Ishida, Karin Kurosaki, and finally the king himself Ichigo Kurosaki. Also in the room were random hollows and arrancars, everyone quieted down when Loly stood up and shouted "BE SILENT!".
Ichigo nodded at her, and she sat down, Ryūken spoke first "So you all know why we're here correct?", Menoly had her head down and trembled slightly {"Its my fault...I should've said something...oh man am gonna be in trouble…"} "Menoly-chan…" Menoly perked up at the soft spoken voice and spotted Orihime. "Oh...Lady Orihime." Menoly breathed a sigh of relief. "You okay?" Orihime asked with a smile, and Menoly just nodded, and was gonna respond only to be interrupted by a large Manta ray like hollow "H..hooooww Cannnn Thisss Happennnn!" She snapped in anger at how their princesses were almost taken by a shinigami. The other hollows and arrancar murmured in agreement.
Menoly clenched her fist and lowered her head more and more, she had to do something. She then stood up and bowed her head, "M..m...m..m..my lord.." She shuttered and sweated profusely when she felt everyone's gaze upon her. "I..Its my fault...I encountered the shinigami earlier, when she attacked Wasp-ϕ...I saved him and then I didn't know what to do...I didn't…" She couldn't finish as she broke out into soft sobs, she knew she was finished she most likely would be imprisoned or executed. Orihime hugged the young arrancar and looked to Ichigo who nodded, and she took her out of the room as she cried into Orihime's chest.
Ichigo rubbed her horn, thinking {"Hmmm...there isn't any real correlation..between that encounter and me…"}. "I fail to see the correlation...that was at random plus I don't think the shinigami saw Karin or Yuzu." Chad said after a few minutes, this caused a slight murmur of disagreement amongst the hollows and arrancars. "Agreed." Uryū stated next, "Shall we kill the shinigami?' Shinobu asked in a cool and calm tone. Ichigo blinked {"I don't want to as it will draw more and more of them."}, thankfully his uncle spoke for him, Ryūken "That will draw more shinigami, I think the best chance is to capture her and wait for Kisuke to come back." He stated as he started smoking, as the door opened and Yuzu with the aid of a Hollow was handing out plates of food.
Ichigo rubbed his sister's head, and nodded at Chō who nudged Yuzu out the room, not before allowing the small girl to hug her brother. Ichigo planted what could be considered a kiss on her then allowed herself to be led towards her room, Ichigo sighed his sisters are gonna have to remain here until the Shinigami could be dealt with. Then he noticed something odd, and he looked around. Chad caught on "Heyy...where's Tatsuki?" Everyone blinked minus Starrk who had somewhere along the line had fallen asleep and was snoring loudly.
Loly spoke up, "I guess we can test out the Prisma Negación." Ichigo rubbed his horns and nodded at that. {"The Prisma Negación is designed for prisoners and can hold anyone, even shinigami, from the general description this shinigami isn't a higher-tier shinigami, mostly likely a lieutenant or a seated officer."} The elder Ishida spoke up "I can disable her powers without hurting her." Uryū scoffed at this as he wanted to kill the shinigami for hurting his two cousins.