disclaim: manga belongs to Tito kubo
Chapter 3: past 1 (set two years after the last fight)
The warning bells rang loudly over the Sereitei. Captain and vice-captain hurrying to their designated area, as well as their colleges running after them as they demanded. The vulnerable left behind the walls of the fourth division as the strongest took position ready to intercept any enemies. The academy students were not allowed to leave the school ground, well those who hadn't been personally call by the higher up.
Ichigo left the ground of the academy even before he had the authorization. Being one of the heroes of the war, the teachers couldn't really blame him for wanting to leave when something was currently destroying his new home.
The gates of the Sereitei was a mess like no other. The building wasn't set up yet after the previous war. They had had two years to build it up, but since there was pretty much nothing left of the old buildings, everything needed to be build again, including the outer wall of the grounds.
He soon found Renji talking to one of his subordinates, or more like grounding them for whatever reason. Coming closer, one of the squad six members started screaming:
"Hey what do you think you're doing academy student? You're not allowed to be here now. Go back with you." Oh yeah he forgot his uniform was a pretty good dead give away if you wanted the world to know you were studying at the academy. He ignored him and continued toward Renji.
"Oy don't you hear me kid. You're not supposed to be here." Why did everyone suppose he was a nobody student just because he had a uniform. He had the authorization he needed to be here.
"Ah Ichigo," said Renji when he saw him coming closer. The mention of the name made the big guy back away. Maybe not everyone had seen his face, but there was no soul reaper that hadn't heard of him.
"What's going on?" He asked before anyone else would come tell him to leave the work to the big guys.
"I don't know, but it seems someone tried to enter soul society without permission." They left soon after, all captains and vice captains being summoned. Not strangely, Ichigo was asked to come too. The death rate being immense, not every position as captain had been filled out yet, so there was fewer person that he would have imagined.
"Vice-captain Abarai," shouted Byakuya to his subordinate to get him to come stay beside him. Thinking about it, all captain and vice-captain stood lined up. Not knowing what to do, Ichigo placed himself beside Rangiku that was standing most to the right.
"Ah you're all here," said the captain-commander as he made his entrance followed suite by his vice-captain. It did feel strange that there was a new captain commander even if the burial had taken place and the official ceremony to make him the new head of the captain of the Gotei 13.
"I apologize the ruckus. Seems like we still need to work on our warning bells. I congratulate you all to be able to act as fast as you did, but we still have to work on your timing and organisation within each squad. There is nothing wrong," he finished smiling to the captains either shocked, pissed or just didn't care the least.
"Then are we free to go, captain?" Asked the stoic Hitsugaya, earning a black look from the new vice captain of the first squad.
"Not just yet," said the captain cheerfully, "don't you want to know what unclenched the signal? Because our security system is not really fully in place yet, it seems any of you that goes through one of the portals from the world of the living to soul society would make the bells ring. Isn't that funny, every time you are coming back to soul society, absolutely everyone would know."
The happy face of the commander was not reflected in his fellow captains, they looked more bored than anything else. And they were all very busy these last year. After all, every squad needed to rebuild their place. But since not all squads had captains, some captains needed to be responsible for two squad for the time being.
"Oh and our guest are from the human world. Seems like we got a visit from your friends Kurosaki." The more the commander spoke the more tired the captains got. This was clearly no emergency level so why were they still here?
"You can go now," said the commander, "but before that, squad 12, please make sure to fix this problem. It's not that I think we don't need the training, but in the end we will all have headaches of the sound." The captain just nodded before leaving. "Ah and Ichigo, you are free to go find them, I'll tell the academy."
Ichigo thanked him before running off toward the Rukongai district where they most probably would have ended up. He got accompanied by Rukia not long after leaving the commander. She was waiting for him apparently.
"The captain gave me permission to leave," she answered his questioning look. "Do you know who it is?"
"I would guess Dad or something. He said he'll visit me a year ago, after talking with Yuzu and Karin about our family problems."
It was indeed his family and they apparently decided to bring absolutely everyone. He guessed it had been a year already since he left the world of the living for good.
"Ichigo," screamed his dad when he saw him approached. "Ah it's so long ago I was here," he said breathing in the air. He remarked his family hadn't changed much.
When Rukia and he reached there position he expected to either get hit or hugged by his dad, but instead Rukia ended up being the one that Isshin gave a hug to, crying over the fact that he missed his daughter so much. Of course by now he knew that Rukia was Kuchiki's sister but didn't seem to care one bit.
"Ichi-nii-san," said Yuzu coming and hugging him as if he was a life saver. "I missed you so much," she cried into his neck when he bowed down to her level.
She hadn't changed much, but he couldn't deny, it felt great to see them again after a year. Karin on the other hand seemed to have grown a lot. Not physical, mentally. She looked sharper, more focused, more interested in the soul society than any thing else. She eventually came and greeted him after inspecting the surroundings.
"Ichi-nii, how're you doing?" She asked as she felt the warm arms of her brother holding her. It felt great.
"I'm fine. You have grown," he whispered in her ears, "you really have become strong now, haven't you?"
The topic of her ever growing spiritual energy was left on ice. It wasn't a topic she liked, even less when she saw what happened to him. Having hollows trying to hunt you didn't seem like fun to her. Orihime, Sado, Uryu and even his friends from school were there. Now they just needed a place to stay until they returned back.
After their very public display in the middle of the streets, they walked toward what Isshin said to be his 'home'. Worrying about what that might mean, Ichigo followed closely behind.
It wasn't anything special. It was a run down home in the forest. The sudden cry of something triggered their attention. To everyone's surprise, an old lady came out of the house a broom in hand. Seeing them she went from surprised to happy and suddenly:
"Isshin," saying each letter the longest possible. Then she hugged him as to squeeze him flat.
"Everyone, I present to you my grand-mother," to that the teens just looked at him as if he was making a joke. "Gran-ma," he said turning to her, "this is my family." She watched them all a long time before picking up her broom again and hitting him on the head.
"What makes you think you can just barge in here after all these years? Why did you never come visit your old grand-ma? Hein? Are they not teaching you to be polite in the Sereitei? And where is your captain robe? Don't tell me you got kicked out of your position did you? And what would your mother say if she saw you now you foolish boy."
The others just watched as he tried his best to answer the question asked by this kind of crazy person. After eventually calming down she inspected the kids.
"Their humans," she said matter of fact. But then she laid her eyes upon Karin and her voice soften while looking her into the eyes. "You remind me of my Karin, my dear, dear Karin." A tear fell down from her eyes before looking sharply back at Isshin.
"Who are they and are these two your friends? You seem very young." She said pointing at the two Shinigami's. "Or have you become a teacher and that is why a random academy student is walking around."
"These are my daughters" he said proudly placing himself behind the two girls, totally ignoring the woman. "Yuzu and Karin, meet your great grand-mother, I suppose you can say." She looked at them warily.
"There humans," she said again. "And why haven't you presented your family to me earlier you good for nothing child?"
"Wait? You actually had a family here," asked Ichigo after another beating his dad got.
"Shut up academy student."
"What did you just tell me old hag?" He said fiercely back.
"Oh and this is my son, Ichigo," injected Isshin before things got out of hand.
"So your son is aiming at being a captain now, is he?"
"Actually," said Rukia in a calm voice she always had when meeting new people, the I'm a high ranked person tone, "he would have been a vice captain if not captain now hadn't it been for the fact that all captains need to know all the seals and history of the Sereitei, and so on. When he acquire those knowledges, he will be one of the high ranking officer."
The old woman looked stunned by her behalf and manners. "I understand," she said bowing to Rukia. It took time before they could all go in and have a nice supper prepared by the old hag an Yuzu happy to help. The day past fast and they soon were all sleeping in the house. Oh well nearly every one.
"Karin," asked the concerned brother, "are you okay?" He sat down beside her on the porch watching the starry sky.
"Not really," she said bringing her legs toward her body. "It's strange to be here. I feel like it's so peaceful and in the same time there is no rest. And my body is hurting too." He looked at her in the corner of the eye.
"You get used to it. It's because of your great spiritual energy that you feel your body and soul don't belong together when you are here. I suppose the soul knows where it wants to be."
"But I don't want to feel like my soul wants to be here. I want to be able to graduate and go to college without the spirits turning around my head. Do you know how annoying that is when you go to an old school? There are so many ghosts there."
"Yeah I know what your going though. Trust me, you don't want it to go away."
"But I do. I absolutely do. I don't have any connections here apart from you and apparently that old hag and who knows who dad is not presenting to us. I don't want to be chased by hollows all day."
"Yes I know the feeling. But trust me, when you lose it, it's like losing a part of yourself. Like the one you were trying to be disappeared with the ability. It's horrible to know they're there but you can't see them."
"I don't know what I prefer," she trailed off. They sat in silence before she managed to speak again. "Are you really not coming back home any more?"
"You know the answer Karin. I don't belong in the world of the living any more. I can't come back."
"But Kon still pretends he is you. You can come back and take your body again." The little hope she had in the voice made it clear she knew the answer to that.
"My soul has been away too long, it isn't my body any more. And anyway, I like it here. I actually feel at home." She didn't want to continue the discussion knowing it would be futile to argue. He let her go, only shouting after her not to get lost.
She didn't get lost in big towns, why would this be any different? She didn't know where to go, she just knew she needed to take some air.
Feeling the same pain in her chest she had when she came here she started running. Running just to get tired. Tired enough to forget what was going on, tired so she felt the pain of her muscle instead of her heart melting under the pressure of what undoubtedly would be her future. She didn't want it and she most definitely didn't want to know her spiritual energy would only get stronger like It did for Ichigo.
Running out of force, she collapsed upon a hill. She fell head first into the grass. She couldn't feel anything else than the pain. The pain of losing someone. This must be what her brother felt when he lost his ability. Tuning to lay on her back she saw the sky. Not like from the hut. Here the entire sky was filled with small stars so clear and bright.
"You shouldn't be here alone," said a female voice she never heard before. Looking at the person looming over her, she soon noticed it was a Shinigami, no real mystery there. But she couldn't move, she was too tired and exhausted. Trying to speak she noticed her throat was dry. Looking up at the woman, she just smiled back, not really knowing what else she could do.
"I mean it, you shouldn't be here unless you are a Shinigami or a student. Children shouldn't be here."
Karin had first thought this woman was nice but she seemed to be an ass after all. She wasn't concerned by her well being at all. Or maybe, she just had a very strange way of showing it.
"Now, now, Nanao-chan, no need to scream at the child. Can't you see she is exhausted." Said a male voice coming up behind the woman with the glasses, and with a badge of vice captain when she looked closer. Oh no, how had she managed to run this far.
"How are you feeling," he asked turning to her. She still couldn't move though.
"Good night I suppose," he said kneeling beside her, "are you feeling okay?" She just watched him with daisy eyes not understanding why the run had taken more toll on her body than what she thought at first.
"Ah, I see," he said smiling taking out a box of food, "you are not aware that you used such a great among of spiritual energy just now. Now, if you open you mouth so you can get something to eat. Say Ah," he said with a stupid face. The woman hit him one the head.
"Captain you are frightening her," she said with a sour expression. So this man was a captain then. you're really great at making a first impression, Karin told herself. "If you don't open your mouth you might die here and we will be obligated to take you to the fourth squad."
With all the good will she had, Karin tried to open her mouth, she really tried, but the dizziness brought her back in and she lost consciousness. She wasn't in the black for long though. She could see the stars above her head, or was she dreaming it. She didn't know.
"You are a stubborn child, you know that?" Said a voice behind her, making her aware of her surroundings. She wasn't anywhere really. She currently stood on water and over her, a magnificent starry sky reflecting in the water. Small dots nearly invisible in the night sky. But most of all there was an other person there.
"Who are you?" She asked. "where am I?"
"No need to be afraid," said the creature. She couldn't see so well in the dark, but she saw a person like figure. A woman with red hair what all she could see. "It's dark here right? I suppose I'm happy to finally see you face to face." Karin didn't understand.
"No need to be afraid. You're not alone, I'm watching you. I'm protecting you. And for what? I wonder. You who don't want me by your side. Do you know how dark it is in here when you are sad, when you walk in the dark?"
"Where am I?" She asked again trying to come closer but feeling her feet locked in the water. "What's happening? Tell me, what's going on?"
"There calling you, Karin. Don't be afraid, I'm watching you." She could see the hint of a smile in the corner of the lips of the person before she disappeared. She didn't have time to think long about it because someone was calling her name. When she opened her eyes she saw a white haired woman in the usual Shinigami attire.
"Ah, Kurosaki-sama, you finally awake. How are you feeling?" Seeing that she struggled to speak she smiled. "No worries, you will be back to normal in no time. It's an honor meeting you. Are you feeling good enough to speak with the first squad captain?"
Karin really didn't think she was. She really had gotten herself in problem know, hadn't she. She nodded. Soon entered a man she had seen before. Not long ago actually. Was this man the chief?
"Ah she's awake," he smiled kindly at her. "Glad to see you didn't die out there." He laughed. "Now Kurosaki, I know you can't speak right now, and your family has been warned so they should be here soon. However I want to warn you about a few things. You used an extremely high level of spiritual energy yesterday and that's what made you lose consciousness. Do you remember what you did before you met us?"
She didn't understand half the thing he told her, so she shook her head. He expired, this wasn't going to be easy.
"It is my belief," he continued, " that you are also extremely competent in the art of spiritual energy. We were able to find you yesterday because of the high pressure you gave away. I didn't know it was you at first but seeing as you also are the daughter of a former captain, it would only be natural for you to have such abilities. Yesterday, what ever you did have left a mark on your body. No matter what you do now, your spiritual energy will increase now that your body has felt the dizziness of using up all the energy. You don't have to know what I'm talking about, but be careful."
With that he opened the door just as Ichigo was about to open the door.
"Captain, thank you for finding my sister," he said bowing trying to regaining his balance.
"I expect you to be able to do so yourself soon," he said in a half smirk. The others thanked him too before going over to Karin to ask if she was alright.
"Oh and one last thing Kurosaki Karin, next time you try using shunpo, try remember what you are doing." With that he left the family, or especially the two male, in aw.
The lot of them left two days later, the day Karin was released from the fourth squad. She was fine the second day, but they wanted to see if she could regenerate the energy she lost, and if possible, how long it took. Not once did she complain about any thing. Her mind was stuck on something else.
That creature she met, who was that? Her father had gone over to all his friends and especially to the tenth squad that apparently was his ancient squad. She did see it once, but her mind was to far gone. She didn't see the oh so familiar face of the captain of the squad nor his subordinate. She only searched for an explanation to all this.
She asked Rukia if she knew anything about Shunpo thing, and she got congratulated. After that she hadn't dare ask about the dream. Even if she got congratulated, she wonder if any of them thought twice at what they were saying. SHe couldn't possibly have done that since she wasn't even a spirit.
Coming home was cozy, but somehow, a part of her stayed in soul society and she felt the pain again. The nagging pain that her brother was gone. But then, they all did.