Chapter 10: Birthday

Masaki smiled as the morning light came through the curtains. The small shrine she had been praying at in her home was decorated with mementos and pictures of her beloved husband Isshin, whom she missed dearly. She had been trying her best to remain happy for her precious children over the last six years. Verena and Ichigo were both aspiring fighters, Verena taking after herself as Ichigo was very slowly morphing into Isshin. Both had their father's loud qualities, though Ichigo had a quiet streak. Verena was a Quincy with some Shinigami powers and Ichigo seemed to becoming a strong Shinigami. She had yet to see Ichigo create a true Quincy bow and hold onto its form for more than a minute. However, it would seem both of her children had inherited her blut vene ability. Ichigo still used it without actually thinking about it, while Verena could actually activate the defensive ability.

Our children are so strong Isshin. she thought as she sat at his shrine. You'd be so proud of them. She felt tears begin to fall down her cheeks. Especially Ichigo. He called out his sword's name yesterday during training. Zengetsu is rightfully named after your sword, my love. I worry for him though. I worry that Soul Society will take notice as he is still becoming stronger.

She folded her hands over her chest before taking a deep breath and closed the shrine cupboard doors. Standing, Masaki walked into the kitchen. It was Ichigo and Verena's birthday today. So it was time to cook their morning breakfast, her special pancakes. Mixing the batter as the oil heated, Masaki smiled brightly as she heard thumping noises above her head along with Ichigo's indignant outcry as Verena beat him to the bathroom this morning. A moment later there were more outcries as Karin and Yuzu tackled Ichigo in the hallway. Their brother's noises of laughter led her know what the twins were doing. The laughter turned into cries as something else occurred, a moment later Ichigo came down with disheveled bedhair with Yuzu slung over his shoulder and Karin under his left arm.

"Mom!" both girls cried out before Ichigo dropped Karin onto the nearby couch as Yuzu was placed at the breakfast nook counter.

Ichigo came around and looked at breakfast. "Need help?" he asked.

"No!" Yuzu cried out. "You'll burn it big brother!" she pouted at him, obviously not wanting crispy pancakes for breakfast.

"You're outnumbered this morning son." she smiled as a chuckled escaped his lips.

"I guess." he said as he scratched the back of his neck. He then took several glasses out of the cupboard and began to fill them with orange juice.

Verena came downstairs with wet hair, her brush in hand and dirty clothes. "Shower is open." she announce just as Ichigo finished placing the cups at the table. Ichigo rushed ahead of the twins who gave yells at him jumping three steps at a time. Verena chuckled as she came around the counter and hugged her mother. "Morning Mom."

Masaki smiled down at her daughter. "Good morning." she then began to pour the batter into the skillet.

"Need help?" Verena asked as she brushed the knots out of her long hair before she put it in a quick braid.

"I've got it dear." she assured her daughter as she flipped the pancakes.

"Okay." Verena began to set the plates out, noticing that the forks were already in place. She then got the sugar and syrup out of the refrigerator and cupboard. Pulling out her art book she began to finish off the finishing touches of her picture for class, just as Ichigo came back down after a quick shower.

Ichigo peered over her shoulder. "Art class?" he asked.

"History." Verena told him before glaring at him. "You've got the same assignment Ichi."

"Uh." he began as he scratched his temple. "I do?" he asked sounding confused.

"Really Ichi?" she asked as she began to get upset.

"I'll doodle something later today." he assured her as he sat across from her at the table.

Masaki stayed quiet as she listened to the two. Verena could sometimes be a lot harder on Ichigo than she ever could be, but if it was something she needed to speak up in, she would say something. "Ichi, do you even know what the assignment was?" he gave Verena a confused look before looking at her picture. Sighing, she gave him the rundown of the assignment.

Karin and Yuzu appeared just as the pancakes were placed on the table, along with two gifts. Verena and Ichigo grinned at their mother before snatching up the presents and devouring their breakfast.

Verena smiled happily as she bounced a little bit as her new earrings sparkled. Next to her Ichigo was looking at his new watch. "Think Chad will already be at Getabushi's?" she asked him.

Ichigo looked away from his new watch towards his sister. "No." he said knowing his sister was developing a bit of a crush on his friend. "You know he's not interested in you like that."

Verena blushed at her brother's words. "I know." she said looking away. "I think Karin can see spirits now." she told him, trying to change the subject.

"I know." he said with a grave look in his eyes. "I've noticed her spirit pressure getting higher lately."

"We'll have to see about getting Getabushi to train her." Verena stated as they turned a corner that led to the shopkeepers place.

"I was thinking more along the lines of getting Tessai to train her." Ichigo said before pulling his phone out of his pocket. Verena raised an eyebrow at him. "Just Keigo." he told her with a roll of his eyes.

"He's a bit of an oddball." she mumbled. "So why Tessai?"

"Her reiatsu seems high enough that she could become a kido expert in no time at all." he said with a grin.

"You suck at kido." she said with a tease.

Ichigo glared at her. "So what!" he yelled feeling a bit of his pride being hit by that.

Verena laughed. "Well, at least you know the name of your sword." she countered calming him down.

"Still can't hear yours?" he asked as they came to a stop in front of Urahara's shoten.

Verena looked at him. "I'm not the one who has been talking to one half of my sword for six years." she told him.

"Yeah, yeah." he agreed. "It took me awhile to get that both those spirits are Zangetsu."

"Was it really that hard?" she inquired.

Ichigo leaned back against the wood fence that went along the store property. "White Zangetsu never told me, but I guessed what he was." he said as he leaned his head back. "Old man Zangetsu kind of freaked me out a few times."

"Why?" Verena inquired, wanting to see if his experience could help her.

Ichigo looked at her with a dark and gloomy look in his eyes. "Because he almost looks like the guy from my dreams that will kill me one day." he said before sensing something. Looking to his left he saw Yoruichi in her cat form. "Yoruichi." he greeted her.

"You look upset." the cat woman stated having observed the two since they arrived.

Ichigo closed his eyes as a cocked grin appeared on his face. "Not really." he said wanting to avoid that conversation.

"If you say so." the former kido corps captain said as she walked away towards the back of the shoten, both teens following her. "So if you're not upset..."

"It's our birthday today." Verena stated trying to help her brother out with this one.

"Oh?" Yoruichi asked with a cheshire grin on her face. "I didn't know that."

Ichigo felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. "Liar." he said with a suspicious look appearing on his face.

Yoruichi was about to argue that when Verena piped in. "We know everybody is here." she said as she picked the black cat up. "Besides, nothing gets by you, Yoruichi." she said a little smuggly.

"True." Yoruichi agreed as they entered the backyard where a party had been set up for the twins by the Visoreds and Urahara.

"About damn time!" screeched a short blond haired girl who was wearing a red jacket over her white t-shirt. "I'm hungry!"

"Hiyori-" Shinji began as he stood up from the back porch.

"What!?" she yelled at him, a flipflop ready to be thrown was in hand.

The weapon was suddenly snagged by the dark haired girl next to her. "Lisa!" she yelled.

"Quiet down." she told the other girl.

"Where's Kessei and Love?" Ichigo inquired as he decided to sit down next to Shinji.

"Went to get more food with Tessai." Urahara stated from the back door.

Ichigo looked behind himself towards the shopkeeper. "Oh, okay." he said.

"Are you okay Ichigo?" another blond man inquired from a lawn chair across from him.

"I'm fine Rose." he assured. "Why is everybody asking that?" he was beginning to feel agitated.

"We worry is all." Shinji assured him with a tap on his shoulder.

"How about I give you both my presents?" Urahara asked as he held up two small boxes.

Verena and Ichigo felt sweat drip down their necks. Last year the shopkeeper had given them a vacation giveaway that turned out to be a weeks worth of training with the monks in the mountains. It had been the worst gift ever. "Y-You didn't have to." Verena stuttered nervously.

"Yeah." Ichigo agreed with a nervous nod.

"Nonesense." Urahara placed the two gifts in each of their hands.

Yoruichi jumped onto the table with a chuckle at the look of apprehension from the twins. "Damn it." Ichigo cursed as he gave in first and opened the gift. Inside was a silver ring with a red stone placed in the setting. It was a simple design meant for men, so it wasn't gaudy. Ichigo placed it on his forefinger and smiled. "Nice. Thanks." he looked at his sister who was looking over a charm bracelet she'd been given. Lisa was helping her put it on.

"Not bad." Shinji said with a nod as he saw instantly what those pieces of jewelry were doing.

"What?" Ichigo inquired as he looked between his two mentors.

"Ichi, your reiatsu is gone." Verena stated with a bit of alarm in her voice.

"While in human form, those pieces of jewelry will help hide your reiatsu from everybody and anything that can sense it." Urahara said with a little bit of pride. "It's taken me a few years to get them to work like I wanted, but finally they're doing what they were designed for."

"You said human form." Verena said, pointing out his wording.

"Indeed, I did say that." he said with a grin as his eyes peeked out from under his hat at them. "In soul form they'll help amplify your powers, including kido." he then pointed at Ichigo. "However, you need to stay away from high power kido spells until you're able to control them without that ring."

"Yeah, yeah." Ichigo waved at him to stop him from worrying. "I know that already."

Just then the others arrived with the meat that was to be grilled upon the grill. The party really began to get started after that. Hiyori yelling at Kessei as Shinji tried, without success, to stop her from starting a fight with the former captain.

Ichigo looked at the older man with cornrows in his hair. "Tessai, I was wondering if you could teach my sister some kido." he asked.

Tessai looked over at Verena. "She seems to be doing fine with learning from the boss." he told the young man.

"Uh, not Verena." he said trying to correct himself. "It's Karin. Her reiatsu is beginning to get a little high. Vere and I are certain she can see spirits by now. Probably has for a while too."

The other man touched his chin in thought. "I see." he gave a nod. "I can teach her some defensive techniques until the boss can create her something like what you and Verena got today."

Ichigo sighed in relief. "Thanks." he then turned towards the party and watched everyone joking and talking with each other. It was nice, but something had him on edge. As darkness came over the town as the duo walked home, Ichigo could sense change was coming and with it, danger. Ichigo could sense something on the wind. Within his mind he could see both of his spirits, his hollow seemed edgy today as well. Hopping from foot to foot, as if anticipating a fight. The dark haired, old man, spirit looked off in the distance with a look that told Ichigo that he too sensed something on the horizon. Coming back to the present, Ichigo smiled at Verena, who he could tell sensed something just now as well.

Off in the distance a senkaimon opened from soul society. A single figure came out of it and stood overlooking the city of Karakura Town. Off in the distance a hollow's screech could be heard. A instant later the figure vanished from sight.

M-Angel: Yay, next chapter I can finally bring Rukia into the story. I mean, I did bring her in at the end here; but the next chapter is my version of Death and Strawberry I will try not to messed it up. ^_^

Now, I have gotten a few questions on what the pairing of this story is. It is a Ichi/Rukia. I have not decided on Verena's pairing just yet. I've got three that I'm leaning towards. Yes, Chad is one of them. We shall see who it will be as the story progresses.

Also, nobody commented on my idea of giving Tatsuki some powers. Does anybody like this idea?