We end the hiatus with an Uryuu-centric chapter! Was anyone surprised? No! Quick warning for some underaged drinking.
Part I
Uryuu hated this. There was absolutely nothing worse than feeling powerless, especially in the face of his father. He was currently running at half his old speed, trying to conserve his diminished Reiryoku reserves as the training area around him cracked and burned from the force of Ryuuken's arrows only for the place to reform under the power of its own spells.
Along with the few scrapes he'd received earlier, Uryuu now had plenty additional cuts, burns, and bruises to add to his catalogue. That wasn't even mentioning the current strain in his muscles or the countless tears his uniform had suffered.
Inhaling sharply, his heart pounding, he darted out of the cover the pillar provided him, feeling more than seeing the arrow pierce through it and land solidly in the wall behind him. He dashed ahead, making his way to the most protected area his eyes could find, a sniper's nest several meters overhead. Using just a bit of Reiryoku at the base of his feet he jumped up to the ledge.
His eyes widened as the foothold beneath him gave away the second he touched down. He felt his foot slip straight through crumbled stone, the buzz of Reiatsu still in the air as he fell straight to the ground, impacting it with a loud thud.
A groan escaped his throat as he closed his eyes, turning over on his hands and knees. He felt ready to pass out right now.
(Scratch that, he felt ready to pass out nearly an hour ago.)
Ryuuken drew another arrow then, silently urging Uryuu back on his feet. Just as Uryuu began stumbling up, just as he began anticipating it being loosed, the man paused, dropping his arm and allowing the arrow to dissipate. With narrowed eyes his father scrutinized his wristwatch.
"Midnight," he said simply. "We can continue this tomorrow at sunrise."
Uryuu sat back on his hands, ignoring the unpleasant sensation of his sweaty shirt unsticking from his skin. "Sunrise," he repeated exasperatedly. "Of course, we do."
"You could always quit," the man drawled.
"You wish," Uryuu snapped back.
"As a matter of fact…" Ryuuken trailed off. Was it just Uryuu, or did the man have a hint of exhaustion in his voice? He decided he must have just imagined it when in the next breath the man was reaching for a cigarette, lighting it in one fluid motion.
Hypocrite, you're supposed to be a doctor.
"If you want to abandon the Quincy, that's fine," Uryuu bit out. "Don't drag me into it."
"We're really going to do this again?"
Uryuu scoffed, "Oh, sorry, I forgot that talking about our heritage was such a drag for you."
"It's not," Ryuuken said casually, flicking some of his ashes into the air. "I just prefer to let the dead lie."
"Please, you're doing a lot more than that," Uryuu grumbled. "You don't want to remember them at all."
"That's what we're calling it now, chasing the legacy of a dead man? Remembering him?" The words were pointed and harsh, and they made Uryuu feel about three centimeters tall.
"Yes."
Silence pervaded after that, Ryuuken not even bothering to look at Uryuu, his eyes instead were glued to the ground. He stubbed his barely smoked cigarette out on the sole of his shoes.
Uryuu closed his eyes entirely, standing up, fists clenched. He wanted to sleep, desperately. He turned towards the bathroom, intent on finding someplace to pass out at, if only to forget this whole mess for a mere few hours.
"He…" Ryuuken said suddenly, quietly, voice petering out. He turned away further. "Sōken… was going to give you the Cross. He died before he had the chance to make it official."
Uryuu stopped in his tracks feeling his heart clench at those words. When after a moment Ryuuken said no more, he walked on. He reached the bathroom, closed the door behind him and slumped against it.
He was exhausted.
Part II
"Ow, ow, ow!" Renji hissed. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Orihime giving him a sympathetic smile as she continued to clean the cuts on his neck and shoulder.
"Don't be such a baby," Ichigo huffed out, crossing his arms. It was an impressive feat considering one of Renji's spikes were lodged in the right one.
Renji remembered when Ichigo had first told him how this would go. They'd have a bit of a back and forth, try some new techniques on each other and just keep the blood pumping. It would be tough, but at the end of the day it would be training.
Renji really should have paid more attention to how Rukia described Shinigami style "training". Then again, nothing really could have prepared him for Ichigo leading with a Getsuga Tenshō to the face.
Still…
When the glow at his shoulders went out, Renji stood up, flexing his arms. "Get ready for round eight, motherfucker."
"Ay, that that's the spiri –OW!" With an apologetic smile on her face Orihime held a now dislodged spike in her hands. "Warn a guy next time!"
"If I had you would have tensed up," she said patiently, hands already glowing. Renji chuckled under his breath. She smiled back at him, though more good-naturedly.
"You know," she started, "what you two are doing really warms my heart. You're both working so hard to improve."
"You're doing the same, aren't you?" Ichigo asked with a raised eyebrow.
Orihime blushed, failing to stutter out an excuse. "W-well… you know… I…"
"Kotetsu ratted you out," he said with a smirk. "She said you've been practicing until late at night ever since you got out of the infirmary."
"You should spar with us," Renji suggested. He really wanted to see how he'd do against a Kidō user.
"Oh, practicing Kidō is a lot different from practicing with a Zanpakuto," she excused. "It wouldn't end well, trust me."
"Huh," Renji frowned. "Too bad."
Ichigo looked like he was going to add something of his own before he glanced up, noticing the sky just start to dim.
"We've been at it for longer than I thought," he said. "I think we can get one more round in, but I have to check in with Captain Ukitake real quick."
"Hurry it up, will ya?" Renji asked with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo said with a roll of eye. He disappeared into the building complex behind them.
It was after he left that Orihime asked, "You're coming back with us to the World of the Living, right? Day after tomorrow?"
Renji nodded. "I got some new techniques working that I want to try for real, and the easiest way to do that is when your opponent's really trying to kill you." As tough as Ichigo could be, he hadn't done that… yet.
"Good!" she cheered. "Then that means you can join us all for drinks tonight."
"Uh… drinks," he repeated awkwardly. Renji was sixteen. His only experience with "drinks" was that one time Ide snuck a few beers from his dad's stash. Renji had taken one sip and nearly spit it out, only finishing it after so the guys wouldn't give him a hard time for it.
"Mhm! You will come, right?"
"Y-yeah!" Renji answered a little too loudly. "I mean… that sounds cool."
"Great," she said with a grin. "I have a few duties of my own to take care of before that, though, so I have to go." She slung her supplies bag over her shoulder. "Please try not to get too injured while I'm gone, okay?"
"I'll try," he said with crooked smile, and then finally a wave. She waved back happily.
Drinks… Oh, god what had he done?
A few hours and one extended sparring session later saw Renji walking over to a rather popular Shinigami run bar. Three officers were smoking together outside. Through the darkened windows Renji could see many people just eating, drinking, and talking as they tried to unwind from a hectic workday.
Ichigo led him inside, spotting Chad and Orihime sitting at a booth. The girl waved to them excitedly.
"It's good to see you," Chad said to them both.
"We've already ordered the first round," Orihime said. "There's also a snack menu, and it's on us, Renji, so don't worry about it."
The two slid in at that, Renji relaxing by virtue of just how normal this place really seemed. Take away the uniforms and he'd swear his mom had brought him here before.
A server, this one in just a normal yukata, came by with a tray barely a moment later.
"I have one bottle of Junmai Sake," she said, placing down a ceramic set, matching cups and all, "and… an iced tea." She placed that one right in front of Renji.
"Really, Orihime?" Ichigo asked exasperatedly.
"They don't let teenagers drink in the World of the Living for a reason," she said pointedly. "His brain is still developing!"
"C'mon, let the kid live a little," he drawled back. "He's fighting with us. He should be able to drink with us." Dammit, Renji almost had an out, here! Then, turning to the waitress the Shinigami added, "We'll need one more cup, please."
"But…! He…!" Orihime tried before finally letting out a sigh. "Okay, maybe just one cup."
"There you go! If we let Tōshiro, we should be able to let Renji."
"That's not a great example," Chad said with a hint of a smile. Then, turning to Renji he explained, "Tatsuki had to drag Captain Hitsugaya home after he got drunk from just one cup."
Renji snorted at that, imagining the little ball of anger that was the tiny Captain stumbling around drunk. Then, he gulped because it certainly wasn't helping him with his own fears, here.
The waitress set his cup down in front of him. Ichigo filled it for him and almost immediately the strong smell hit Renji right in the face, not that the others seemed to notice. They were too busy holding up their glasses in a toast. Renji scrambled to follow.
"To…" Ichigo trailed off, considering. "To kicking Aizen's ass!"
A few others raised their drinks at that, and almost simultaneously everyone took a sip, including, after some hesitation, Renji.
The Sake didn't taste as bad as the beer, not by a longshot, but it was much stronger, the alcohol hitting his nose almost immediately and burning just a little as it went down. He only managed a very small sip before he set it down.
"You guys," he said suppressing a cough, "Do you guys do this a lot?"
Taking a deep satisfying sounding sip Ichigo answered, "This is a pretty recent thing, actually."
"After everything with Aizen we all realized how much we'd drifted apart," Orihime supplied. "So, we started doing this to try and catch up. Usually Tatsuki's here, too, but that mission of hers seems to be taking a while."
"That's really nice," Renji said sincerely. It was downright touching; he'd be willing to admit.
"Everyone but me has a mission right now," Chad said with a crooked smile. "I almost feel left out."
"Hey, some of us have to stay behind, or nothing will ever get done," Ichigo said with a nudge of his drink.
"I know that," Chad said, taking a sip. "Captain Komamura knows that, too. It's why he has us working overtime helping other Squads. I almost couldn't come today. I am still curious. What's the World of the Living like, now?"
"Oh, a lot's changed since we were last there," Ichigo said. "You almost wouldn't recognize it."
"Hey, if you have any questions, Chad, now would be a great time to ask," Orihime suggested. Motioning to Renji she said, "We have an expert right here."
Chad looked at Renji expectantly.
"I'll do my best," the Fullbringer said determinedly.
He admittedly didn't have an answer to many of their questions. He didn't really know what being in a plane was like outside of the movies, though most Tokyo related questions were a cinch for him. Still, he answered what he could and watched as the conversation drifted and progressed along with the bottle they were drinking from.
They compared Arrancar fights, talked about progress with their powers, and cracked jokes at each other's expense sharing bits of gossip that Renji took in with a smile (and occasionally a smirk).
It was a good night, Renji thought, one that he wouldn't mind repeating.
Part III
The morning started suddenly, an arrow flying past Uryuu's face waking him up faster than any alarm clock ever could.
In an instant he was dragging himself to his feet, feeling an arrow slice through his pant leg as he fought against grogginess. He ran up ahead, frustration already digging in.
"Really?!" he yelled over his shoulder. He dodged left, seeing another wiz past.
"Less talking, more dodging," Ryuuken said flatly.
"And what, that will get my powers back?!"
His father stayed silent, notching another arrow. Dammit!
Uryuu booked it towards the nearest obstacle course, forgoing the entrance and bounding over the wall as he slipped a hand into his pocket. Good, he didn't accidentally damage the Gintō.
He had filled them overnight. It hadn't led to the most restful of sleeps, but hopefully it would be worth it. He now had three full Gintō at his disposal. That was three spells, at least.
("At most" but he was trying to stay positive, here.)
An arrow fired through the wall behind him, forcing him forward and sending him into a stumble as rubble impacted his back. For just a moment his hand loosened and one of the Gintō fell. He reached down for it, only to flinch back when another arrow pierced through the air above it. He turned and ran, abandoning it.
Two. He had two spells.
DAMMIT!
It was fine, he tried to reason with himself. All that meant was that he needed to use them more carefully. With that thought he skidded to a stop just as an arrow came through right in front of him, knocking a button from his shirt.
"Try to pay more attention," his father chided.
Oh, he was. In fact, he believed he had an idea for a counterattack. He just needed the right opportunity, and now that he was thinking about it… He needed that third Gintō back, didn't he?
Blah, blah, dammit, blah, blah
Now, how to get it back with his father not only watching, but forcing his every move? To him, the answer was obvious. He needed to take some risks.
He ran forward away from the path of arrows and away from the Gintō. He looked right, noticing a steep ledge he could jump down from that might provide some decent cover and probably buy him a bit of time in the process.
He ignored it, taking a sharp left, jumping up into the open on a narrow wall, running along the top. He expected the arrow aimed for the wall right below, jumping past it to keep going. He didn't expect the one that stuck his foot, sending him tumbling to the ground.
He fell behind the wall, onto his ass, his spine protesting. A second later the wall ahead of him exploded inwards. He gulped.
Barely giving it a thought, he ran through the hole, feeling an arrow graze his back. He saw his father's eyes narrow. Good, keep him guessing. He deserved a taste of his own medicine.
The training day had barely started and somehow Uryuu was already feeling tired. Judging by the sparse light outside, Ryuuken hadn't let him sleep for very long at all. It was no question that this was a part of his master plan here, but Uryuu was having trouble figuring out how.
He lurched forward, avoiding the arrow aimed at his head. It instead grazed the back of his neck, lopping off a lock of hair.
"So sloppy," his father complained. He fired again.
The slowly reforming rubble of the obstacle course was in Uryuu's sights. He probably had barely a second to find the Gintō once he reached there, assuming he wanted to avoid getting skewered. He ran ahead, keeping as fast a pace as he could, ducking into rubble, eyes already searching for any hint of silver.
There! Poking from under a slab of concrete was the device. Bending down he wrenched away the rubble, threw it aside and–!
An arrow nearly pierced his arm, grazing the skin at the front and leaving a nasty burn that had him stumbling back. He launched back entirely, flipping out of the way of three arrows in a row, no Gintō in hand. He cursed his rotten luck.
Okay, this wasn't all bad, he reasoned, running toward better cover. He could try that again. He just couldn't stray too far. He already uncovered the thing and had it in his sights. If he wanted to get it, all he needed to do was run in, grab, and run out. Easy.
He glanced over, seeing his dad approaching the rubble, bow still drawn, a curious look on his face. It was now or never.
Uryuu fancied himself a cautious and methodical fighter. He didn't mind the occasional rick, but he always made it a point to have them be calculated risks.
If he went in there, he'd probably get shot. There, he calculated it. (He blamed Abarai's influence.)
With his limited Reiryoku at his feet he leapt forward, ignoring the dizzying feeling that came as he pushed against his limits. He landed right in front of his father, grabbed the Gintō and leapt away, feeling arrows miss his legs by barely a hair. (In fact, he was pretty sure it singed some of his hair.) Now, he had maybe a few seconds to do this before Ryuuken realized what was up.
He jumped from the ledge, watching the arrow release overhead and feeling his father jump in afterward. Then, he vaulted over a wall, pressed the top of the Gintō, grinning to himself as Reiryoku hissed out. He dropped it and ran.
Step One: Make a decoy Reiatsu signature convincing enough to throw Ryuuken off for a split second.
He dashed forward, the last of his Reiryoku screaming at him from overuse already. Just a little longer, he thought.
"Tilt the goblet to the west," he said over the second Gintō. He jumped to the top of the wall watching with satisfaction as his father's eyes widened, the man's aim shifting. He used that second of confusion to throw the Gintō right at the man, not missing the mark. "Wolke!"
Step Two: Temporarily blind Ryuuken, stopping whatever arrow he was going to fire with Wolke's shielding force.
He didn't need to add too much power to that last one. This next one would be the kicker.
"A silver rod strikes the five fingered stone bed. Gritz!"
This one required all his remaining strength. He threw his final Gintō through the cloud.
Step Three: Stop Ryuuken with a Reishi shield. Win.
Uryuu didn't jump down immediately. He watched as the smoke of Wolke dissipated, only stepping down when he confirmed that no arrows were coming through. When the smoke went away entirely, and he got to see the shield stand there in all its glory he almost cheered.
Ryuuken was trapped in a solid looking silver structure, a Quincy Cross emblazoned on it. Maybe now, he'd finally answer some of Uryuu's questions. Panting, he approached.
He stopped in his tracks when he noticed the cracks. Light began streaming through, energy seeping out. He stepped back, feeling his heart sink.
That took all he had in him. Uryuu's legs were shaking, his Reiryoku so depleted there were spots in his vision.
The shield finally fell away revealing Ryuuken, bow drawn with an arrow that looked even more powerful than before.
"What a shame," the man said with a scowl. "It's over."
He fired, the arrow going straight into Uryuu's chest. Not even registering the pain, Uryuu was thrown back, his glasses flying, blurry vision quickly going dark.
"That was clever… but you should have used a Heizen."
Asshole.
Part IV
Rukia let out a noise of excitement as she watched the pile of boxes before her get pushed into the surrounding wall by an invisible force. She lowered her hand, heart pounding.
There was no frozen cardboard, no sparks at her fingertips that left stinging burns, just a successful use of Kidō. She hadn't even had to use an incantation. It was such a simple victory, but there she was grinning like an idiot.
"Yeah! You let those boxes have it!" Mashiro cheered.
"That was much better, Rukia," Ushōda said, pleased.
Lowering her hand, Rukia noted a sort of ache buzzing up her arm, as if she'd just finished a long work out. "I didn't realize getting one spell right would take so much," she said. It made it all the more worth it, though.
"It's like I said," Ushōda started, "it's all about finding balance, which doesn't come intuitively to anyone. It should get easier with every spell you learn, however."
"What's next?" she asked immediately.
"Oh!" Mashiro squealed. "You should teach her the transmitter spell. I love that one!"
"That is a good one, I agree, but perhaps a bit advanced," Ushōda reasoned. "I was thinking a Bakudō spell, perhaps a barrier."
"So, like a shield?" Rukia asked, heart swelling. Sode no Shirayuki was a two-handed sword, but she was sure she could make it work.
She was going to get a shield!
"Like a shield," Ushōda emphasized. "We'd be skipping a few, but I believe you would get good use out of Bakudō Number Eight, Seki. It allows the user to repel weaker attacks, useful for an opponent that is faster than you, but perhaps a bit weak. Mashiro, if you would…"
The smaller Visored grinned, letting out a giggle. "Don't mind if I do."
She stepped back several meters, Ushōda brining an arm up in front of him. In a moment he had summoned a glowing blue orb before it, power extending far past its light. Mashiro took one final step back, and with a grin launched herself forward, aiming a lightning fast kick right at his front.
Rukia saw the kick land right at the edge of the orb, and with a snap Mashiro was thrown backwards, tumbling for a moment before skidding into a crouch.
"You could have put a little more into it," Mashiro pouted.
He chided, "I believe I got my point across."
"That was amazing," Rukia gasped out. Falling back into the dirt, Mashiro flashed her a grin.
"How is progress with your mask going?" Ushōda asked. "I'd like to show you the effects of wearing it while casting spells, if I could."
"…It's getting there," Rukia said sheepishly. Sode said she was getting better, at least, and she was starting to get a decent handle on her Bankai with it on. "We can try it," she said, more confident.
"Perfect. Now, you know the drill. We first must learn the incantation…"
Rukia followed the two back into the warehouse, a spring in her step.
Part V
When Uryuu came to, he was utterly confused. He saw a light blue ceiling, white walls, a shelf that he didn't normally wake up to, and a bed that felt all too familiar. He was in his childhood room, that much he could understand. His first conclusion was that he must have been dreaming.
Then, he shifted to get a better look at the blurry dreamscape room, ended up letting out an involuntary groan of pain, and begun to question the whole "dream" theory. You weren't supposed to feel pain in dreams, right? The pinched sore feeling in his chest definitely counted as pain.
He tried moving again, just shifting his head slowly, and one of the first things he laid eyes on was his father, sitting at Uryuu's old desk, working through a pile of paperwork. Yeah, this definitely wasn't a dream. More likely, it was a nightmare.
"You're awake," his father said with a raised eyebrow.
"The sky is blue," Uryuu tried to say in response. All he managed was a hiss of air and a croaking groan.
His father cleared his throat, sending Uryuu a pointed look as if he knew exactly what he had meant, there. He stood up, setting down his papers and adjusting his glasses. "It's a good thing," the man continued. "It means the ritual worked."
Wha… Maybe he was still asleep, after all, because he wasn't following.
"Drive the recipient to the point of exhaustion, then fire a nineteen millimeter straight at his chest," Ryuuken explained. "It's an older spell, one that I learned from Sōken."
"You… couldn't h…have just… told me?" Uryuu croaked.
"I figured it would speed things up if I didn't, and I was right. That risky maneuver you pulled at the end managed to tip you over the edge must faster than I could have hoped."
Typical, Uryuu thought.
"H…how long…," he trailed off, nearly breaking into a cough.
"A little over a day." The answer had Uryuu's eyes widening in surprise. "Stay here. I'll get you some water."
The second the man left the room, Uryuu was scrambling to sit up, biting down hard on his lip to suppress a pained yelp. One glance down and he saw the wound.
Well, it looked more like a scar, really. It was a brand seared red into his chest in the shape of a perfect Quincy Cross.
He looked down at his hands, trepidation rising. He held one up. Arm outstretched, and hand shaking he tried to make a crude bow. When the light came immediately, unsteady, but strong, he nearly fell over in an odd mixture of shock and relief.
If was back. He had it back.
"Don't look so surprised," Ryuuken said, approaching. He put the cup into Uryuu's shaking hand. "What, did you think I lied to you?"
No, Uryuu thought honestly as he downed half the cup in a single go. "I just had to check," he said finally.
Ryuuken's eyes averted, and he coughed awkwardly into his fist. "You'll want to get some more rest, or at least not go rushing straight into battle. Your powers need time to settle."
"Can I at least get a change of clothes?" he asked flatly. With a single sniff, and then a suppressed flinch he mentally added, And a shower, while I'm at it.
"I put one on your nightstand," he said, motioning to it.
There, neatly folded was a T-shirt and jeans that he was sure he had back at his apartment. (Then again, maybe not. He could only make out the color from here without his glasses.) Still, he sent an accusing look at his father, just in case.
"What?" the man asked. "You really think I'm not going to make a copy of my son's apartment key? You're still underaged, Uryuu."
With a silent huff Uryuu shifted slowly off the bed, feet settling on the ground. He took in the smaller wounds on his torso and arms, all treated, none as bad as they probably should have been. All the while, his father lingered.
Uryuu heard rustling fabric, heard his father approach him again. He looked up at the man only to see him holding something out to Uryuu, Sōken's Quincy Cross.
Nearly gasping aloud, Uryuu reached for it, hesitating at the last moment. Then, his father pressed it into his hands, folding his fingers over it.
"Whatever you're planning, you'll need this."
Uryuu nodded dumbly, gazing down at it. The silver of the cross was a little more tarnished than he remembered, but the crystal still shone as brightly as ever. He actually felt too nervous to put it on right then, so, nearly numb from shock he held it to his chest.
His father moved to the door, then, but just as his hand touched the doorknob he stopped, staying silent for a long while. His back remained turned.
"I stand by what I said earlier. You shouldn't involve yourself in this. You don't know what you're getting yourself into, not really."
"I know what fighting's like, Ryuuken." He did plenty of it back in the Soul Society.
"That's not what I'm talking about." He didn't have to see well to notice his father's back tensing or hear the creak of the doorknob as the man's grip tightened. "Being a Quincy is marking yourself for death. Your grandfather didn't realize it until it was too late, neither did your mother."
The words caught Uryuu by surprise. For all the ways his father had bad mouthed the Quincy, this was not one of them. There was really only one thing he could think to say back.
"You don't need to worry about me," he said quietly.
The man left silently, and, for what was hardly the first time, he left Uryuu feeling confused and lost, albeit for much different reasons.
Getting up, the boy placed Sōken's Cross with his clothes, heading straight towards the bathroom. By the time he was ready to leave, feeling fresh, if a bit (majorly) tired, he realized his father was no longer home, the car up front gone.
Snagging a spare key (because if his father was going to have one, so was he), Uryuu left the house, Cross on his wrist and book bag slung over his shoulder. It was time for him to make his return.
My intention here was to continue my quest of keeping the main characters main, and continuing Ishida's arc in a way that not only made sense but could also be expanded upon through the next few arcs. It might be telling that these scenes between him and his father were some of the first that I had thought of when drafting up this fic.
I could probably write like a whole essay about these two, tbh. Send me a comment on this webzone if you want it. (They give me life.)
Update: An art thing has been posted on Archive of our own in celebration of Rukia's birthday. Please visit the Chapter 44 of this fic on that site (same title, same user name) if you want to see it.
