As some of you may know (or at least I hope you do, having made it this far), I try to not rehash canon events that aren't really affected by this AU. This is not an exception.

Oh, just read it, you'll figure it out by the end.


Year: 1993

Uryuu rushed down the stairs, schoolbag slung over his shoulder. He ran past his father's study, stumbled into the kitchen, and–!

"Slow down, Uryuu," a kindly voice said from behind the counter. "You're going to hurt yourself."

Uryuu skidded to a stop, squirming in place. "But I've gotta go, Grandpa," he pleaded. "I'm going to be late." School was quite a few blocks away, and he barely had half an hour!

"You've got plenty of time," his grandfather said resolutely, "at least enough to eat your breakfast."

"But–!"

"No buts. You're eating breakfast, young man. If it takes too long, I will simply drive you there myself."

Ugh! He didn't want to be driven to school. He was seven for god's sake!

Uryuu bit back a noise of frustration, plopping down into his usual chair at the table, his bag landing solidly beside him. With a wrinkled smile his grandfather put down his tray.

There was grilled salmon, brown rice, miso soup, chopped vegetables (Uryuu knew from personal experience that, at the very least, those would have to be gone before he'd get to leave), and one fried egg with a bright yellow yolk so perfect that the kid found himself lamenting his lack of time to enjoy it.

He grabbed his chopsticks, moving to eat it all as quickly and efficiently as he could.

"Ah-ah-ah, what do we say?" his grandfather interrupted, laying down his own tray.

"Th…thank you for this food."

The elder man nodded graciously. "Thank you for this food."

With that, the two dug in, Uryuu going so fast he couldn't taste much of anything. He could hear his grandfather chuckling as bits of food fell back onto the tray.

Swallowing down a large mouthful of rice, Uryuu asked, "What are we going to work on today?"

His grandfather reached a hand out to him, grabbing a grain that had stuck to his chin, and placing it onto a napkin. "I was thinking we would go back to the hideout."

Uryuu let out a little happy gasp, gulping down a large bit of egg. "Are we going to look at the spell books?"

"Those are a bit advanced for now, I think," the man said. "We will soon, though, don't worry."

Uryuu nodded firmly, polishing off his first two dishes. He wanted to look at them so badly. He'd just have to work harder, then! "What about another patrol?" he asked. "When will we go on another one of those?"

Sōken's face fell into something uncomfortable. "I don't have any planned at the moment. They can be quite dangerous."

"What are you talking about?" Uryuu gulped down his vegetables, chewing as little as possible. "You were so cool last patrol! That Hollow couldn't even touch you. Just one arrow and it was down!"

He hadn't been able to forget their last patrol (Uryuu's very first) all week! Uryuu had been on board for this whole Quincy thing before but seeing his grandfather like that had him hooked.

"It's not as easy as you make it sound," his grandfather tried. It seemed he was going to continue until he noticed the look on his grandson's face. Then, something in his own just melted. "I…I suppose I'll see what I can do. I make no promises, though."

"Yes!" Uryuu would have thrown his hands up in the air triumphantly if he wasn't holding his miso soup. He gulped down about half of it before stacking his remaining plates, grabbing his bag once more. He glanced at the clock.

Good! He still had enough time. He started towards the door.

"Wait," his grandfather sounded.

Uryuu suppressed the urge to groan as his grandfather reached behind the counter to grab one last thing. It was a third breakfast tray, still steaming hot.

"Before you go, could you bring this to your father?"

For a moment, Uryuu found himself tempted to ask why his grandfather couldn't just do it himself, but…

He nodded, grabbing the tray and holding it steadily. He walked back into the hall, stopping right at a closed wooden door.

The door looked huge to Uryuu's eyes, looming over him and scaring him in a way that he really couldn't explain. He hated going into the study, and it seemed like his dad rarely left, not since…

Gulping, Uryuu set down the tray. He knocked on the door once, and the second he heard footsteps he darted away, back to the entrance. He ran straight past his somewhat startled grandfather, slipping on his shoes in a hurry.

"Thanks again, Grandpa!" he yelled, already opening the door.

"Y-your welcome!" the man said back. "Have a good day at school."

He closed the door behind him.

"So, if you have this number and this number which symbol do you put between them?"

The teacher was at the chalkboard, finger pointed at a blank square between two very large numbers. After a moment or so of squinting Uryuu raised his hand.

"Yes, Ishida?"

"The arrow pointing left," he said confidently.

With a smile the teacher turned back, filling in Uryuu's answer. "Very good," he said right before launching into his explanation.

Uryuu's teachers seemed to do that a lot, lately. They smiled at him, congratulated him, even bragged about him on one specific occasion, and the boy had to admit, he loved the attention. It hadn't always been that way, either. Just a few months ago he wasn't getting any attention at all. Everything changed when his grandfather took him to see that eye doctor.

That brought him to where he was now, studiously taking notes with a proud smile on his face. He raised his hand plenty of times before the end of that period.

Recess was a little different for Uryuu.

At recess, he stayed to the side of the playground, just a few meters away from everyone else. A small pile of rocks was at his feet. Before him was a large tree, a piece of bark torn from it right at eye level. He picked up one of the smoother rocks and threw.

(Don't judge him okay? He needed to work on his aim. It was either this or sneaking in his practice bow, and he did not want to get in trouble for having it at school… again.)

"Yes!" he cheered quietly. It hit the mark perfectly. With a tiny smile he picked up another rock. Out of the corner of his eye he could see two of his classmates whispering to themselves, one sending him a strange glance over her shoulder. He ignored it, throwing again.

No, the other kids didn't talk to him much. Uryuu didn't understand why, but he didn't really mind. Back when he was first entering school his grandfather had sat him down and tried to explain it to him. The look Sōken had on his face was pained, like what he was saying was supposed to hurt.

"Uryuu, you can see things that the other kids can't, and sometimes that will make them wary. It's not your fault, and it's not theirs either. Just try to be patient with them, okay?"

Were they jealous? Were they scared? Uryuu didn't really know because none of them ever told him. All he knew was that he didn't need friends. He had Grandpa. He had Quincy training. That was more than enough for him.

With a grin he threw another rock. Besides, how many kids could say they fought monsters?

"What are you doing there?"

Uryuu glanced over to the new voice, eyes going back momentarily when the rock impacted. Darn, it was a little off.

"Target practice," the Quincy in training said tersely. He picked up another rock.

"Oh, that's what you've been doing?" the boy asked incredulously. Uryuu nodded silently, adjusting his slipping glasses.

The boy's name was Asano, if Uryuu remembered correctly. He was from another class and was basically famous. He'd gotten in trouble more than anyone else in school for being what the teachers called a "disruption." Uryuu had seen him outside of his class' door holding water buckets no less than three times.

"Can I try?" Asano asked with a grin.

"…I guess."

"Cool!" He darted towards the rock pile, picking one up with a crooked smile. "What are we aiming at?"

Uryuu pointed to the lighter spot in the middle of the tree.

"Okay…" He rolled the rock in his hands. "Here I go!"

The boy threw it with a look of deep concentration, and Uryuu watched as it hit about ten centimeters too high. He failed to stifle a snort of laughter.

"Hey, don't laugh!" Asano cried, face turned red. "I just haven't been doing it as long as you, that's all."

He picked up another rock quickly, aiming with pursed lips. He closed one eye, drew back his fist, and fired! It missed the tree.

Uryuu laughed out loud.

"You're mean..." Asano mumbled.

Between giggles, Uryuu got out, "You closed your eyes. You can't do that."

"…Huh?"

Uryuu picked up a rock, shoulders still shaking. "How can you see the target well if one of your eyes are closed?"

"I… I guess that makes sense."

"Also," he threw the rock with a grin, watching as it hit the mark perfectly, "You need to add a little spin to it. That way, it'll actually hit where your aiming."

With that, Uryuu bent down, grabbing another rock. He placed it in Asano's hand, the boy looking at him blankly before wrapping his fingers around it.

"Okay," Asano said, tossing the rock up, letting land right back in his palm. Eyes narrowed, he added, "You could have been nicer about it, but I think I get it."

Uryuu shrugged. "Just try it."

Asano frowned, looking down at the rock. He looked back up at the target, and then, eyes open, threw it at the tree. It hit perfectly.

"Woah! I got it!"

"See," Uryuu said with a smug grin.

"I wanna try again," Asano said, already picking up another rock. Uryuu picked up his own right after, smile still on his face.

They alternated throwing, Uryuu not talking much. Asano on the other hand seemed to never stop talking, complaining about his big sister, talking about the soccer ball he had back home, and telling Uryuu about the one teacher he considered to be "not a total meanie."

Uryuu didn't mind much. Asano may have bee loud, but he was alright in his books. Doing this again come Monday might be kinda nice, actually.

Ding-Dong!

The recess bell rang over the intercom, interrupting their fun.

"Dang, already?" Asano asked with a pout.

"Mm-hm," Uryuu sounded, throwing one last rock.

"Welp, it was fun while it lasted."

"It was."

Asano grinned at him, starting towards the school building. "The others have it all wrong, you know. You're weird, but you aren't bad." He waved over his shoulder. "I'll see you later."

Uryuu waved back, saying nothing. A smile crawling on his face he gathered all his rocks, putting them right back in their usual spot. He ran in after.

"I'm home!"

Uryuu dropped off his shoes, swinging around his bag as he padded into the house. His eyes darted around the area. The living room, the kitchen, and the table were all empty… Weird.

He walked through, heading towards the hall, and with a start realized that he wasn't as alone as he first thought.

He could hear muffled voices through the walls. They sounded loud, angry. Holding his bag tight, Uryuu braced himself as he walked through the hall.

"Well, someone had to! You're certainly never there for the boy!"

"Oh, and filling his head with a bunch of crap like your doing is being 'there for him?' I'll pass, thank you."

"'Crap?!' This is your heritage we're talking about!"

"…We are not rehashing that old argument, father."

"Maybe I wouldn't have to if–!"

That was about all Uryuu could bare. He rushed up the stairs as quickly and as quietly as possible, hurriedly closing his bedroom door behind him. He tossed his bag against his desk, and with a deep sigh threw himself on his bed, face down.

Why couldn't they just get along? They weren't always like this.

Or, at least he was pretty sure they wereen't. He never remembered them being very chummy, but he also never remembered any shouting matches before.

A knock sounded from the door.

"…Uryuu?" his grandfather called from the other side.

Uryuu raised his head up from the pillow. "…Yeah?"

His door quietly opened, revealing the old man looking rather sheepish. His eyes were at his feet, and he was wringing his hands nervously.

"I… I didn't hear you come in," he said with an awkward smile.

Sitting up, Uryuu kept his pillow hugged to his chest. He shrugged. His grandfather coughed into his fist.

"How about you get ready," the man said suddenly. "Grab your practice bow and meet me downstairs. We'll get some training in and then go out for dinner somewhere. That sounds nice, right?"

Uryuu's eyes snapped up to his grandfather, practically sparkling. "Really? Right now? But I have homework."

"Oh, don't mind that. It is Friday, after all."

"Well…" Uryuu squirmed for a moment. "Okay!"

With a spring in his step he jumped from the bed, scrambling to reach his bow and training uniform. He didn't quite hear his grandfather's sigh of relief as the man closed the door.

When Uryuu left the house, holding his grandfather's hand he noticed his father's shoes are gone.

Uryuu fired at the paper target with diligence. His aim wasn't perfect. He still couldn't hit the center mark one hundred percent of the time, but his grandfather seemed pleased with his progress, to the point that every so often the man would move him back to try again from a greater distance.

Target practice was probably one of the most boring parts of training, but it was also the part that Uryuu was the best at. Everything about his Reiryoku control needed work, he knew.

"Uryuu?" his grandfather interrupted suddenly. The boy lowered his bow, turning to the man, just a little confused. He hadn't been going for that long, he was pretty sure.

His grandfather's eyes were averted. He was drumming his fingers against his knee, looking very unsure.

"He…" the man started. He shook his head, trying again. "Your father… I know he doesn't show it often, but you know he loves you, right?"

Uryuu shrugged. Then, with some hesitation nodded his head. His grandfather let out a sad sigh. He walked up to the boy, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Losing your mother was harder on him than he even knows," Sōken explained, "and I'll admit I haven't been helping him much. So, I ask that you try and be patient with him. I, in turn, will try and get along with him better. No child should have to hear their father and grandfather fighting all the time."

Giving him a stiff nod, Uryuu adjusted his bow again, readying himself to fire it. His grandfather placed his hand on the bow.

"Actually," he said, a glimmer in his eye, "I was thinking we could crack open one of the old tomes today, just for a change of pace. Then, tomorrow we could, perhaps… go on patrol?"

Uryuu's eyes widened, a gasp building up in his throat. "Really?"

"Would I lie?"

Uryuu shook his head so furiously his glasses nearly fell off.

"I'll go grab a book," the man said. "I think I know just the one."

The next day had Uryuu rushing down the stairs, practically buzzing with excitement. His grandfather was already outside waiting for him, and Uryuu didn't want to keep him standing around any longer.

He ran through the living room so quickly he almost didn't notice the white-haired man sitting at the table quietly, sipping a cup of coffee over a newspaper.

Uryuu nearly did a double take. His father was out of his study on a Saturday morning. He can't remember the last time he'd seen this.

Ryuuken must have noticed his staring, because soon enough he was gazing back at the boy, an eyebrow raised. Uryuu let out a pathetic squeak.

"Dad…" he said with a gulp. The man lowered his newspaper, setting his mug on the table. "H-have a good day at work."

The man took another sip of his coffee, considering. "…Have fun with your grandfather."

Cheeks tinged pink Uryuu rushed out of the door, nearly forgetting his shoes. He spoke to his dad! He actually did it!

"What's with that look on your face?" his grandfather, asked amusedly.

"Nothing!" he insisted, already climbing into the back of the car.

His grandfather looked at him strangely for a moment before letting out a chuckle, making his way to the driver's seat. He settled in, adjusting the mirrors and glancing back at Uryuu one last time before pulling out of the driveway.

They headed to the main road, Uryuu kicking his feet excitedly. Ahead of him his grandfather thrummed his fingers against the wheel suddenly reaching to turn down the volume of the radio.

"You remember the rules, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Uryuu said distractedly.

"Can you tell them to me?"

Uryuu straightened up, beginning his recitation. He counted out the rules on his fingers as he said them.

One. "Do exactly as you say." Two. "If I see a Hollow, run." Three. "No fighting."

"And, if anything happens, call your father," Sōken added pointedly.

Four. "Oh, yeah, and that."

It only took them a few minutes to reach the hideout, right at the edge of town. Sōken parked the car beneath the shade of a nearby tree, only taking a moment to step inside the hideout and grab a bow, a real bow. Sōken's signature Quincy Cross glimmered in the light on his wrist, taken from its pedestal in the armory.

He came near the edge of the forest, holding Uryuu's hand carefully. "Stay close," he said with a smile.

For a few minutes they walked silently, going just past the edge of the hideout. This part of the forest really wasn't as pretty, but Uryuu still liked it. The trees here were absolutely huge, and sometimes if he looked closely enough, he could spot little animals.

"Remember what I said about the ribbons?" Sōken asked suddenly.

Uryuu nodded. "Mm-hm. We have white ribbons, right, because we're Quincy."

"Good," he praised. "Now, what about Shinigami and humans? What color ribbons do they have?"

"Ooh! Shinigami have red ribbons and humans have… have…" Uryuu's nose wrinkled in confusion.

His grandfather raised a finger and with a wink said, "They don't have any."

"No fair, that was a trick question…" Uryuu pouted, eyes on the ground. He stepped over a crawling snail, careful not to crush it.

"Humans do have Reiatsu, but it's far too little for it to manifest like that. Now, do you remember what color a Hollow has? We went over this one just last week…"

"Uh…" Uryuu didn't remember this one, in fact. His eyes darted around, and suddenly he spotted some movement. He saw a stray cat darting away. Well, actually it looked like it was just a kitten. Its fur was… "Black!"

"Correct!" his grandfather exclaimed with a clap. "Now, learning to sense Hollows is a very important skill, but practicing on them can be risky. So, today we'll be practicing on animals. It should be a challenge with how weak their signatures are, but if you can manage them, any Hollow should be a breeze."

Clenching his free fist in determination, Uryuu nodded up at his teacher. "Got it!"

His grandfather stopped suddenly, a hand at his bearded chin. "Close your eyes," he instructed. "Try to see if you can find a fox. You should be able to find at least one in its den."

Nodding again, Uryuu screwed his eyes shut. For a brief moment he found himself overwhelmed. There was a lot to feel in this forest, and it was pretty hard to parse what was what. There were trees, bugs, his grandfather's own huge presence, and there–!

No, that was just the cat from earlier.

He let go of his grandfather's hand, walking a few steps forward. Foxes lived in dens, so they'd be underground, not above it. If he just shifted his focus…

"I found one!" he cried, pointing to a rather innocuous leaf covered hole. In fact, he found a few. There was a whole nest of them!

Sōken clapped happily. "Wonderful! That was quick, too. I'll have to make this next one more of a…"

He trailed off suddenly, looking out into the distance. Uryuu looked up at him in confusion.

"We need to go," the man said. He moved forward, roughly grabbing Uryuu's hand and marching them away from the site.

"What? Why?" Uryuu asked.

"Rule one, Uryuu."

"…R-right…"

His grandfather kept up a punishing pace, Uryuu struggling to keep up. Eventually the man must have had enough because in a flurry of movement he was hefting Uryuu over his shoulder and running at full speed.

For a moment Uryuu was winded, but he didn't dare make a sound. Instead, he scrunched his eyes shut and tried to look for something that he wasn't able to see. He extended outwards.

Uryuu didn't get very far. Very quickly he ran into a couple of presences that had him choking all over again.

Hollows. They were definitely Hollows. He wasn't sure how many. It all just seemed to blend together from where he was, but… two? …three?

In the meantime, Sōken was running faster than Uryuu had ever seen him, before. That didn't matter, though, because the presences were still gaining on them. Suddenly, the man stopped.

He was breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his brow. Without warning he set Uryuu down, eyes darting around until they settled on a rather dense bush. Grabbing Uryuu's hand he dragged him there, shoving him inside.

"Stay here," he commanded. He sat him down, rearranging the branches strategically around his grandson. "Stay quiet, and don't come out until I say so." He stepped back, muttering a few more words under his breath. For a moment his hands glowed, a barrier lighting around the entire bush. Both lights went out, but the power lingered.

Then, he turned away, putting some distance between them. He readied his bow.

Uryuu's breath caught in his chest.

The sounds of branches cracking, and leaves rustling rang throughout the forest. Uryuu's grandfather braced himself, aiming towards the disturbance and firing.

The arrow pierced through the trees, vaporizing branches and leaves alike before it burrowed into something. Barely a moment later the target revealed itself, a skeletal creature stumbling forward on all fours, one of its two heads pierced through. The remaining head snarled viciously as it lunged forward, jaws wide open.

Sōken knocked it aside with his bow, stepping back and firing at the creature point blank. Within the second the Hollow had fallen over, disintegrating into nothing.

Barely a moment after another Hollow was upon the man, grabbing him by the back of his cloak. With its muscled arms it threw him against a cracked tree. Uryuu may have gasped out loud if he hadn't had the sense to slam a hand over his mouth.

His grandfather slid to the ground. Oh god, he was going to get up, right?

Right?

Uryuu let out a relieved sigh as the man began to stand up on shaky legs, a gnarled hand clutching the tree behind him. He raised his bow quickly after, firing at the Hollow, only for it to dodge out of the way continuing its path toward him.

The elder man dodged left, giving himself enough space for another arrow. In a bolt of light, the Hollow's arm was severed clean off.

"ARGHHH!"

The sound that Hollow let out was more roar than scream, distorted and filled with an animalistic rage. It lashed out immediately, barreling towards the man. Just before it got within reach, an arrow pierced through its mask. It fell right before Sōken.

The man then smoothly spun around, knocking the final Hollow away, dispatching it quickly with one last arrow.

Finally, he stood there, visibly worn out, but victorious. Uryuu nearly cheered. The man wasted no time approaching his grandson's hiding spot.

"Come on, Uryuu," he said, urgency clear in his voice. "We must hur–!" A burst of wind went by them, and suddenly, with a choked noise, Sōken fell.

A large spike, the size of Uryuu's entire arm, was protruding from the man's back.

"Grandfather!" Uryuu reached out a hand, snapping back when the last Hollow stepped from the shadows.

"Troublesome pest," a distorted voice sneered. The creature was stout and ugly, a row of spikes protruding from its back. It walked up to his grandfather, kicking the man solidly in the side. He let out a low groan.

Uryuu whimpered. The Hollow's eyes snapped over to his hiding spot.

"Well, well, well… What do we have here?" Its grin was audible, and it had Uryuu trembling. The Hollow gave his grandfather one more kick before stalking over to the boy.

Uryuu was supposed to run here, right? Then why couldn't his legs move? Why did his whole body feel like it was going numb?

Oh, god… He was going to die here, wasn't he? He was going to die against some stupid Hollow, just like his mom.

The Hollow came close, so close that Uryuu could feel its hot breath. He could see its beady eyes through the holes in its mask as it gazed down at him in amusement.

"Ooh, it's a baby Quincy! I bet he'll taste much better than that rotten old ge–!"

In a burst of light, a hole was put right through the Hollow's forehead. It dissolved as it fell, turning to nothing before it even landed on the ground. Beyond it, Uryuu could see his grandfather, propped up on his elbows, a flickering bow in his shaky grip.

Uryuu stood on trembling legs, moving to leave the bush, to rush to his grandfather's side. Before he took a single step, the man gave him a harsher look than he'd ever given the boy before, one that sent Uryuu right back to his knees.

That was the last one… right?

He heard footsteps.

"I can't remember the last time I've had an opportunity like this!"

"It was ten years and two months ago," a flat voice answered. "The subjects were–"

"Did I ask, Nemu?"

"No, sir."

From the brush, not as an attack or an ambush came two… people. Well, one looked like a person.

There was a woman with pretty black hair tied into a braid, and a man that looked a little like a clown. He had black and white face paint, odd gold fixtures on his head, an even odder headdress, and a smile that sent a shiver down Uryuu's spine worse than any Hollow ever had.

That smile was directed right at Sōken. It fell immediately.

"Great," the man grumbled, "look how old he is. I'll be lucky if he survives even one procedure. Not to mention he's," he crouched down, grabbing the spike, shaking it with emphasis and drawing a cry from Sōken, "damaged."

Uryuu stifled his own cry.

"I'm sorry, sir," the woman said. This earned her a harsh glare.

"He should be salvageable," he said, waving his hand. "Just go find the other one."

"…Other one, sir?"

The man clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Other one, there's always another one. These Quincy travel in packs like goddamn dogs. Find it."

"Understood."

At those words, Uryuu shrank back in his hiding spot, curling in as tight as possible. His hand was clamped over his mouth like a vice as he tried to make himself as quiet and as small as he could. His heart pounding in his ears, he suddenly realized something.

These weren't normal people. They were Shinigami, the type that hunt Quincy. His grandfather told them they didn't do that anymore, so why… He held back another whimper.

The woman went across the field quickly, going so fast that Uryuu would lose track of her for several seconds at a time. This only frayed his nerves further, eyes trying and failing to stay glued to the searching woman.

She circled around, checking every nook and cranny, before finally, in a move that had Uryuu's heart stuttering, she stopped right in front of his hiding spot, her legs in full view. He fell back onto his butt, shaking hard. She crouched down.

The woman was pretty, prettier than someone like her ought to be. Her bangs were cut straight across her forehead, framing her bright eyes, eyes that were looking right at him. She paused, glancing him up and down. She rose up quietly.

"There's no one else," she finally said.

Uryuu's breath caught in his chest. The man looked at her disbelievingly.

"You're certain."

"Yes, sir."

He stared at her, gaze hard and searching before finally looking away.

"Then what are you standing there for? Help me carry this one."

She moved away silently, not betraying a single a thing. She hefted Uryuu's grandfather over her shoulder, as if the man weight nothing, hardly flinching when the man let out a strangled moan. The two walked away.

What… just happened?

Uryuu thought that over and over as he crouched there, frozen. He couldn't move, even after they disappeared into the forest. He didn't know how long he stayed there.

Eventually, he did unfreeze, though, hand falling away, a few tears escaping him. He croaked out the first word that came to mind.

"…Gra–"

The sound of rustling leaves had him slamming a hand over his mouth again. His eyes darted around in a panic.

A fox darted across the field, disappearing back into its den.

Uryuu scrambled up after that, legs shaking as he glanced around the forest. He stumbled out of the bush, tried to remember what direction they had been going before and ran.

He went far, not really registering things like the branches whipping across his face, or the amount of times he tripped. He didn't even notice that his glasses were cracked by the end of it all. He just kept going, pausing for a brief moment by the car before rushing straight into town. He wasn't even sure what he was looking for.

Then he saw a payphone at the side of a gas station.

Rule four…

His hands went to his pockets, retrieving some spare change that had floated in there the last time he and his grandfather had gotten ice cream. How much did he need? He really had no idea. He was barely even tall enough to reach the dial, but after a few missteps he managed. He called the hospital.

"Hello?"

He opened his mouth, tried to say something, but could hardly manage more than a croak.

"…Hello?" The voice was getting annoyed now.

He couldn't say anything. What the heck was wrong with him. He needed to say something!

"Tch… damn prank callers…"

The nurse was going to hang up. His heart was hammering all the way up to his throat because she was going to hang up and–

"…I…" he finally sounded.

"Huh…?"

"I need…" He was sniffling he realized, cheeks wet with tears again. "Can I speak to my dad?"

"…Sweetie, this is a hospital number. I'm sorry, but–"

"His name is Ryuuken Ishida. Please, I need to talk to him."

"Uh…" the woman hesitated for a moment. "Okay. Stay on the line."

He waited, sitting on the ground in the phone booth, the receiver stuck in an iron grip. The minutes it took for his father to get to the phone felt like hours to him. During that time, he tried (and failed) to get himself together.

"…Uryuu?" a voice he recognized asked.

Something about that sent another wave of tears down Uryuu's face. He could barely hear his own sobbing, could barely even feel how unbearably hot it was in the phone booth.

"…Dad…?"

It was many hours after dark, and Uryuu was still up, sitting at the kitchen table. His head was in his arms, his eyes were drooping, but he wasn't going to sleep, not until his dad returned.

The man had left the house the very moment he'd dropped Uryuu off, only giving him a few words.

"I'm going to find him," he had growled out.

So, there Uryuu was, up past midnight, later than he'd ever been up before. Just then, the front door opened.

Ryuuken walked in, head down. His shoes were muddy, his pants were torn, his glasses were gone, and blood had stained his suit jacket. He closed the door behind him, putting away his shoes with a wince.

"D…did you find him?" Uryuu asked quietly.

The man didn't look at him. He walked past the kitchen entirely. In his clenched fist he held Sōken's Cross.

"What happened?!" Uryuu yelled suddenly. "Did you see them? What–?"

The study door slammed shut.


Not much to say here, except so begins by march to characterize the Ishida family in a way that doesn't make me want to stick a pen through my eye. So, also begins my journey to fill the Mayuri Kurotsuchi sized hole in this AU.

Yadda, yadda, yadda… review begging… gives me life… etc., etc.