Four millennia later.

A final digit, and the lock blinked from red to green. Kaien Shiba held his breath, and eased open the door to one of the Academy's smaller gardens. He'd done this dozens of times before, but if one of his fellow students had finally picked this night to put a nice, quiet, fragrant nook of trees and herbs to illicit recreational use-

No. Not a smooching couple to be seen. The garden was dark - at least to his ordinary, human eyes - and he was alone.

Now, let's hope I got the guard schedule right.

Breaking into the Academy wasn't something Kaien would have tried on a bet. Or even a suicide mission. Academy security was actually heavier than that around the shinigami barracks; a full-fledged shinigami was generally capable of protecting himself, thank you, up to and including walking out untouched after shuttles blew up on top of them. Which was one reason nobody sane built a house anywhere near shinigami.

Unbound students, however, were far more vulnerable. And the Hollows knew it.

So no. Breaking in? Not happening. Breaking out, though - that was easier. Usually.

Graduation's in three days. The Commander-General's got us locked up like virgin princesses.

Still. He had to try.

And he figured he had a fair shot. Kaien had figured out years ago how to sneak out of the Academy. The trick was where to start. The outer perimeter was watched. Tightly. But if you could get to the roof from one of the inner gardens….

:Don't move.:

In the shadow of one of the complex's many small towers, Kaien froze. Nejibana?

The companion-instructor settled around him like a warm haori, materializing a familiar weight tucked through his obi. Kaien didn't have to touch it to know what it was.

Asauchi zanpakutou.

The sealed swords given to every student in the Academy. Blades that would serve as a shinigami companion's beacon and first physical anchor, when that seal was removed at graduation.

Only this sword, he'd left in his bed. Along with a formal letter of resignation.

A black shadow flickered in the starlight, and Kaien swallowed hard. There wasn't supposed to be a guard here!

He was sneaky, but he was human. There was no way a shinigami wouldn't see him-

:Stay still.: Quiet. Calm. :It's three days until graduation, Kaien. There are patrols out even you don't know about.:

Nejibana was hiding him. Yet he still couldn't feel the companion's senses added to his own.

He hasn't linked. Why?

:Dark clothing was wise.: Cool calculation, with just a sparkle of amusement. :However, the object is not to be unseen. The object is to be unnoticed.:

A whisper of energies. Cloth shimmered, changing.

Shihakusho. Kaien tried not to panic. He was a student; it'd be months before he'd even be assigned to a division. If anyone caught him in uniform-

:Why, you might even be in more trouble than you are now,: Nejibana observed dryly. :How far were you planning to go?:

"I don't know," Kaien admitted, suddenly exhausted. Caught; he was caught, damn it, and there was nothing he could do about it. "Far enough Yamamoto-Genryuusai couldn't drag me back… like there's anywhere on the planet he can't get to."

:There is.: The warmth of an unseen smile. :Would you like us to go there?:

Startled, Kaien nodded.

:Then this once, I will not ask permission.: Energy swept into him, and the world went bright with auras-

And they were elsewhere.

The belt of the galaxy shimmered from the waters of a lake, still in the breathless hush before dawn. Moss was soft under his sandals, and Kaien reached out to touch an ancient meditation stone; jagged as unshaped rock, yet polished smooth by countless strokes of shinigami hands.

:An Ukitake clan garden,: Nejibana informed him. :Even if anyone detected me, no one would be surprised that I am here.:

"Huh?"

:Later, perhaps…: A pause. :Kaien. What's wrong?:

Kaien bit his lip. "You're an instructor. I'm not gonna-"

:And does an instructor kidnap his student?: Nejibana said archly. :I'm here as your friend. Please, tell me what's wrong.:

"…I can't do it."

:You've trained to be a shinigami for years-:

"Then why doesn't my best friend want me to be?" Kaien blazed.

:I….:

"Don't. Just - don't." Kaien shook his head, shoulders slumped. "You've been shutting me out for months, and now you want to talk?"

:It's my duty as your instructor. To teach you, and let you go-:

"It's not worth it."

:You want to protect our people.:

"And how can I do that, if I hurt my friend?" Kaien's fists clenched. "When I graduate - when they take that seal off my zanpakutou - I'm going to be part of a stranger."

:As are most shinigami. You'll still be my friend. You will always be my friend, Kaien.:

"But that's not what you want."

Silence.

"It's not worth it," Kaien repeated, more quietly. "I won't do it."

:Kaien-:

The alarm hit like a physical blow. Hollows and where and civilians down, all available shinigami respond-

Kaien was moving before he could think.

:It's farther than you realize. Hang on.:

In and out of the physical world, flashes of night and buildings and a sudden cold rasp of hunger….

Just before they hit the fray, Kaien wondered what it had been like to be a shinigami when Nejibana had been born. To face Wraiths instead of Hollows, those few centuries before the Queen had discovered how to lure desperate companions to some of her own people.

:Harder in some ways. Easier in others,: Nejibana murmured. :Wraiths are more frail, but they have the self-control to use technology, and that makes them dangerous. Hollows, for all their powers, are raw hunger. Yet never forget the Queen rules them all, and she can think- There!:

His blade locked with claws before they sliced into the fallen woman. A push, and Kaien let the fight take him.

Shield. White lightning. Parry. Slash. Move!

The Hollows were dust, and his heart was still beating fast. Better get out of here before people realize there's one uniform too many-

"Ah, Shiba!" A jovial hand landed on his shoulder, wrist covered by a flowery pink kimono. "We need to talk about that last flying leap of yours. Style, sure, but if he'd turned a little quicker - careless, careless…."

"Captain Kyouraku," Kaien managed faintly. I am so dead.

In his head, Nejibana was snickering.

The captain led and he followed, away from other officers and Fourth Division shinigami suddenly there to patch wounds and lives back together. Dead, I'm so dead, I'm-

"So!" The captain regarded him with a speculative eye. "Have you two worked it out yet?"

"Sir?" Kaien managed.

:???:

"You're not that dense, kitten-light," Kyouraku said dryly. Pointed at Kaien. "Now you, I'm not sure about…."

"Sir - I was leaving," Kaien blurted out.

"Because you don't want another partner," Kyouraku nodded.

Kaien's jaw dropped, echoing Nejibana's shock.

"Give us old fogies some credit," the captain said wryly. "I've been at this more centuries than you have years. I know a good partnership when I see one."

:But - my duty to the Academy-: Nejibana protested.

"Has been done, and well done, for longer than most people can remember. Do you want him?"

:Yes!: Blazing longing, fading into hesitation. :Kaien?:

To be with his friend, instead of a stranger? Yes; oh spirits, yes-

:But if we apply formally to release me from my position, the Commander-General will throw a great deal of paperwork in our way,: Nejibana said sourly.

"A couple years' worth, at least," Kyouraku agreed. "For a guy who prefers incinerating his own red tape, Yama-jii's quick to bury the rest of us in it when he doesn't want to give permission for something." A wide, wicked grin. "So we'll just have to get forgiveness instead. Shiba. Sword."

"Sir?" Kaien said warily, handing over the sheathed asauchi. "Ah, you need Academy equipment to handle the seal-"

"Really?" Tourmaline claws tapped the metallic foil wrapped over hilt, tsuba, and base of the blade.

And sliced through.

"Shame it got damaged in the fight," Kyouraku winked at him, handing the sheathed blade back. "You never can tell what trick a Hollow's going to pull next-"

The world dissolved into storm.

:Mine. My companion. My friend.:

:Always,: Kaien whispered back, through the waves tearing him apart. :I didn't know-:

:Hang on. Just a little longer. I swear it will stop hurting-:

It did. Kaien blinked, and breathed, slowly realizing the captain was holding him upright, murmuring soft encouragement.

And there were eyes on him.

Or… no. No one was watching. Absolutely no one. But the focused sense of every shinigami nearby-

:Done!: Nejibana announced, brimming with joy.

The whistles and applause were almost as thunderous as a lightning strike.

"Um," Kaien managed, staring at a host of grinning faces. Knowing them, as Nejibana knew every one of them. "Thanks?"

"Welcome to the family." Shunsui grinned at him, and gripped his shoulder again. "And now, my very young recruit, you get to learn the secrets of dealing with a cranky Commander-General. It helps if you're already drunk…."

---

"…And that's when the confetti exploded," Shunsui said gleefully.

The answering snicker was cheerful, if more than slightly drunk. Approaching Shunsui's office in the light of dawn, Juushirou raised an eyebrow, wondering exactly how much wine Shunsui had dragged out of storage. That was another shinigami in there, by the feel of him. A young one, by the way energy was fluxing, not quite under control; but still, not the easiest person in the galaxy to get drunk.

:Wonder what the surprise is, too,: Sougyo no Kotowari murmured, warily curious. Anything that had Katen Kyoukotsu that bouncy meant a headache for someone.

:Whatever it is, kept them up all night,: Juushirou observed. Unless there was an emergency, Shunsui simply did not get up before dawn.

Well, unless he was trying to arrange something nice for someone. Meteor-watching, say. Or a surprise birthday party. Not that most shinigami paid attention to birthdays after the first century or two, besides possibly using it as an excuse to get people together for a party.

:Don't know of any current birthday they were getting sneaky about,: Sougyo no Kotowari observed. :Or meteor showers. One next month, yes.:

:I suppose there's only one way to find out.: Juushirou paused just outside the door. :We do have an alibi planned, yes?:

:Division paperwork?:

Easy for people to see through, but hard for them to prove otherwise. He could also claim a fit - he still had bad days, sometimes - but that meant he'd have to be out of sight completely. Which might not be a bad idea, considering some of Shunsui's past pranks.

:Which we've helped with,: his companion smirked.

Well, yes. Couldn't have their fellow captains getting complacent when the Hollows slacked off for a few months, now could they?

Enjoying one last breath of complete innocence, Juushirou opened the door.

The dark-haired youngster wasn't quite as drunk as Shunsui had obviously intended; he shot to his feet, only wobbling a little. "Captain Ukitake! Sir!"

:Hello!:

Nejibana. Radiantly happy.

Juushirou blinked. Took in the energies, the sword, the uniform, and the face - one familiar from many long nights listening to his plaintive eldest Offspring. And tried not to giggle along with his partner. Shunsui, the reprobate, wasn't even trying. The poor kid probably thought he was doomed. "Kaien Shiba, yes?" Juushirou let his gaze obviously sweep the official black shihakusho. "Trainee Kaien Shiba?"

"Um - it wasn't-" Kaien took a deep breath, and tried to stand up straight. "No excuses, sir."

"Good." Smiling now, Juushirou let the door close behind him. "Welcome to the family."

"…Sir?" Kaien managed, wary. Thus showing he did have the intelligence Nejibana had always claimed.

:Kaien.: Nejibana; gentle, but smug. :These are my parents.:

"Your - who - how?" Kaien grabbed for a chair, and missed. "I thought - you're all born in zero-point space…."

Juushirou helped him sink into the couch, and sat beside him. "This usually doesn't go beyond the captains. Two melded companions can nest and produce offspring, so long as their shinigami participate. And those offspring, unlike most companions, can affect the physical world without being melded."

Kaien blinked owlishly. "You mean, the companion instructors are all…?"

"Yep," Shunsui nodded. "Or, sometimes, unbound companions getting a hand. So to speak."

"But - why me?"

:Silly.: Nejibana cuddled them all. :I like you.:

"Who better to choose as a partner than your best friend?" Giving in to temptation, Juushirou tousled unruly black hair. "There's still enough time to get you back to the Academy before they take roll. I think."

"Ah, yeah, probably…."

"After his first combat patrol?" Shunsui said with mock indignation. "If Second hasn't put two and two together by now, they deserve to freak out."

"Good point," Juushirou nodded.

"Hey!" Kaien glared at them both. "Don't I get any say in this?"

"If you can make it to the door," Shunsui's grin was amazingly toothy, "sure."

"Uh-huh. Well," Kaien wobbled to his feet, "I think I'll jush…."

Nejibana cushioned the blow, when he hit the floor.

"Like I said," Shunsui chuckled, still almost sober as he made his way to the newly vacated spot on the couch. "First combat patrol. Kid deserves to sleep in."

"He's going to hate you tomorrow," Juushirou said ruefully. "Ah… make that today." He shook his head. "Are you really planning to face down Master Genryuusai with no sleep?"

"Well, that's up to him," Shunsui grinned. "Guess we'll see how long it takes the paperwork to hit his office, hmm?"

Juushirou eyed his friend, then gave into laughter and leaned into a welcoming embrace. "Evil. Just evil."

"Who, me?" Shunsui stroked white hair, chuckling.

"He's so young," Juushirou murmured.

"Outside of Yama-jii and Retsu? Who isn't?" Shunsui shrugged. "Don't worry about the kid, 'Shirou. Him and Nejibana, they'll probably outlive all of us."

---

No.

Spirit and shoulder ached, pale shadows of Sougyo no Kotowari's piercing keen of grief. Nejibana was gone, shattered into the depths of the energy-realm, and Kaien-

"Sorry I got you into this mess," the dying man whispered to a stunned, rain-soaked Kuchiki. "You… must've been so scared…."

I should have stopped him. We should have waited for the combat patrol-

His lieutenant was dissolving, the Hollow's banished companion no longer fusing their two bodies together. How in the worlds had a Hollow done that - and spirits, were there any more like it? :Kaien!:

:Better this way, Captain.: What was left of Kaien's mind held the Hollow's dying hunger at bay. :You were right… not me anymore….:

Flesh and bone evaporated, leaving Kuchiki weeping under empty black cloth-

And Nejibana howled out of zero-point space like a hurricane.

He's alive!

But wounded; bleeding energy in cascades of sparks, air trembling around him like a thunderstorm. Yet obviously not caring, tendrils digging into fading fragments of aura, burning away any trace of the hated Hollow. It was fast and it was angry and it was a thousand bright strands of power at once, spinning out of his own essence to save any trace of the human who'd been the other half of his heart.

:We have to stop him!: Sougyo no Kotowari protested.

They should. He'd never seen a companion survive a shattering like that, but their child had; and companions could outlive their shinigami. Nejibana could live, choose again; they'd lost one of their family already this night, he couldn't bear to lose two-

But Juushirou reached out to hold those fading energies instead, heartsick with fear. :We can't. Kaien isn't dead yet.:

Clean death would have left an aura to konsou, freeing Kaien's spirit to return as another life centuries from now. A normal Hollow's devouring left nothing behind to save. This… ravaging, as the Hollow had eaten Kaien's aura from the inside….

Like the knotted energies when Ascended try to take a soul. But the Wraith know nothing of the Ascended, and Hollows' companions aren't sane enough to tell them more than that there's a danger in the energy-realm-

Yet there were those who knew. There were those who studied exactly what the Ascended did to their victims.

And none of them were Hollows.

Rage surged; he let it, welcoming the burst of energy to hold on tighter. Sougyo no Kotowari threw her strength behind him, containing the crumbling aura so Nejibana spent less of his own strength, reaching out to heal what she could. The dark-clawed companion barely whispered acknowledgement, gathering and burning and seeking, again and again until-

The last tatters of aura were gone. And Nejibana - held something. Not a whole aura. Maybe not even enough to be self-aware.

But it was alive. Flickering, weak - but alive.

And it felt like Kaien.

:Hang on,: Juushirou reached out, trembling with exhaustion. :Fourth is coming-:

Wailing grief and fury, Nejibana vanished.

---

"He's sleeping," Shunsui said softly, as his friend and partner staggered into their small lake cabin. Island, lake, and the open woodlands around them were all a patch of tended wilderness, gradually surrounded by Seireitei as the city expanded over the centuries; close enough to get to their divisions in a hurry, but still technically Ukitake clan property, so no one official should bother them unless it was an emergency. And so each knew the other would come here, in the wake of disaster. "Kind of sleeping, anyway. Lot of shuddering - whoa, there…."

Steadying Juushirou, Shunsui eased him down onto the bed. "Snuck out on Unohana again, I see."

"I had to." Gray-faced, Juushirou glanced at the familiar piece of smoky quartz, polished by centuries of handling. Weak sparks flickered in the heart of the stone, the only hint in this realm that it was anything more than lifeless rock.

The energy-realm wasn't much livelier. Their eldest Offspring was a ragged knot around a flickering glow of human aura, shivering in the trance that served companions for sleep.

"I tried to stop him." Juushirou closed his eyes. "I thought I could handle it if Kaien couldn't. I thought the combat squad was right behind us…."

"They got delayed," Shunsui said with forced lightness. "Three guesses who arranged for conflicting orders."

Gin Ichimaru.

They knew. They knew. But they had no proof. It was a nightmare.

Almost as awful as the one they were living now.

"We felt that thing hit you," Shunsui went on quietly. "I thought my heart would stop."

Juushirou's nearly had. The Hollow had slashed at their link, just as it had Kaien's, savaging Sougyo no Kotowari's weave. If they hadn't seen the flux of energies when Nejibana had been hit….

:We could have lost them all.: Katen Kyoukotsu shuddered. :Beloved….:

:We are here,: Sougyo no Kotowari assured him, caressing shaken tourmaline. :We are still here.:

"If that's what Hollows are becoming-" Juushirou started.

"Doubt it," Shunsui said swiftly. "We checked its den. No trace of any contact with the hive-ship, or any other Hollows. It was a loner." He paused, deliberately. "Which makes sense. You build something to take out a captain-level shinigami, you damn sure don't want more than one of them loose."

Juushirou went stiff. "This was-"

"Aimed at you, or Nejibana," Shunsui said levelly, before his partner could embrace undeserved guilt. "Or, probably, both. I'd bet on it. When's the last time a Hollow even scratched you? How could any normal Hollow get that strong without leaving a trail we would have found years ago? No. Somebody planned this. Someone who can think - and who knows you take care of your people."

"So I did get them killed."

Spirits, that hopelessness…. "Will you listen to yourself? How many times have our Offspring been almost killed this past century?" Benihime, Hanehi, Shiina… at least one of those three was still alive, bless Kisuke's twisty mind and Yoruichi's fast feet. "They got their curiosity from all sides of the family; they're just as dangerous to any evil plot as we are. Of course they're targets!"

:I'm going to kill him.:

Good, Nejibana was awake… not good. "Nejibana-"

:Not that name!: A wave of grief, almost drowning the rage. :He called out for me, and I - I could not come….:

"Kitten-light," Juushirou said, heartsick, "it's not your fault."

:No.: Sougyo no Kotowari's images were level and smooth as the sea about to rise into a tsunami. :It is Ichimaru's. And Aizen's. And they will die.:

"We can't," Shunsui protested.

:We can.: Katen Kyoukotsu was a wind of death in his mind, a scent of blood and wildflowers. :Shinsou could not stand against us. Take him first, and Kyouka Suigetsu will fall!:

"We don't have proof-"

::We. Do. Not. Care!::

"It is," Juushirou said with his companion's eerie calm, "very tempting."

Sometimes I forget. Sometimes everyone forgets. Juushirou hates killing. But once he decides something needs to die…. "I want to kill them too. But think. Kill them, and then what? Yama-jii wouldn't be fooled long. He'd arrest us. It'd tear both our divisions apart. And we know they're not acting alone." Though who else was with Aizen was difficult to say. Tousen, likely. Zaraki, probably not. Komamura, Soi Fon… who knew?

Juushirou's hand gripped his, hard enough to break ordinary bones. "We can't just let them keep killing our children!"

:Yes,: their eldest said grimly, :you will.:

Juushirou inhaled sharply. Shunsui's eyes narrowed. "Let them think you're dead?"

:If Kaien and I are dead, but Juushirou and Sougyo no Kotowari survive… if there seems to be no further investigation, than the normal inquiry into an abnormally strong Hollow….: Their kitten couldn't go on.

"They'll relax, but they'll also think they need something stronger," Shunsui concluded. "And when they pull that together-"

"They might leave a trail we can use," Juushirou finished. "If we survive."

"Always the tricky part," Shunsui admitted. "Well?"

A long, measured silence. ::Is this what you want, Zangetsu?::

:I want Kaien!: A child's wail, lost and bleeding in the dark. But their eldest mastered himself, before any angry flux could touch the aura he protected. :I want those who hurt him. All of them.:

:Then they will live,: Sougyo no Kotowari pronounced. :For now.:

Pink waved toward the little light. :How can we help?:

:I… don't know….:

"We could konsou him," Juushirou said heavily. "He might be stable enough now."

Zangetsu shivered, radiating misery.

"I don't know." Very, very carefully, Shunsui reached out to not-quite-Kaien. "It's a patchwork. Like barely-set bones. Maybe if it had some time to heal…."

"He's human, not a companion," Juushirou pointed out. "How can he heal without a body to inhabit?"

Zangetsu went still.

"Kitten?" Shunsui asked. He's hurt. But he'd tell us if he were that hurt. Wouldn't he?

:A living body….:

Uh-oh. Their kitten was thinking. And given Zangetsu wasn't human, and wasn't a regular companion either, but was almost five thousand years old and had spent nearly all that time in the company of a horde of devious pranksters, including but definitely not limited to Rangiku, Retsu, Kisuke, 'Shirou and himself-

:A human aura builds before birth gradually. And strengthens afterward.:

"So Retsu has observed," Juushirou nodded.

Which had come within a hair's breadth of setting off outright civil war, Shunsui recalled. To know that there was a point when a soul firmly anchored in a body, or not - if it hadn't been for the Wraith-turned-Hollows as an immediate threat to them all, Seireitei might have torn itself apart.

:This is… small. Like the base for an Offspring. The first blaze of aura, in a forming brain.:

Shunsui traded a stunned look with his partner. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

:Isn't that… what reincarnation is?:

Which had almost set off the whole mess over again, when shinigami started swearing they knew the auras of people born centuries after someone else had died. Luckily, it had blown over. Partly because reincarnated souls rarely remembered anything of previous lives, but mostly because the average citizen already thought shinigami were crazy.

:Possible,: Sougyo no Kotowari mused. :Will ask Minazuki, but - possible.:

:Don't know how a soul chooses a body,: Katen Kyoukotsu pointed out. :Might not take. Incoming soul might push him out.:

"Aura and body are linked," Juushirou said thoughtfully. "You need a Shiba. And the clan's very small. Kaien and Miyako may have left donor cells, I'll have to check. Kuukaku and Ganju are far too young for children, and if Isshin isn't dead, spirits only know where he and Hanehi are hiding-"

Shunsui waved his free hand. "Doesn't anybody besides me think there's something a bit-" arrogant "-off about this?"

"Playing god?" Juushirou said levelly. "Like konsouing a soul that might otherwise Ascend?" Hazel eyes didn't flinch. "Or keeping a soul inside a body when it otherwise would tear itself loose, by main force?"

Some wounds never heal. "Until the Ascended actually listen to somebody about leaving zero-point space alone, the best we can do for our allies is make sure no new Ascended crop up to aggravate the problem. And you want to live." Shunsui touched the aura-bundle once more. "There's just not that much left here-"

:…Miyako… Nejibana… Captain….:

Formless. Almost wordless. But there was grief, and rage, and a longing for his companion's presence.

"I can't leave him in the dark, Shunsui." Juushirou's eyes were sad. "I have to try."

"I'm with you," Shunsui assured him. "Only where do we start?"

:Spirits,: Zangetsu said raggedly, :are not the only ones who might know where Isshin is.:

---

"See you in a week, Mrs. Murasaki!" Grinning, the black-haired doctor bounced back into his clinic, whistling as he closed up for the day. Ah, life was good. His patients were doing well, the clinic was finally on its feet, his lovely Masaki was cooking something absolutely delicious-smelling, there was a familiar companion's aura waiting like still death just before the door to the house-

Back up. Double-take.

:He was quiet,: Hanehi said, shocked. :I didn't even feel him.:

Midnight-ruby claws curled inward, tentacles held close. The shimmering bell tipped forward, defenseless.

Not that Isshin would ever make the mistake of thinking Nejibana Zangetsu was defenseless. :How did you find us?:

:Benihime.:

Figured. That crimson death and her hat-wearing mad scientist never would leave well enough alone… and why did Hanehi's older brother sound ragged as broken glass?

And he was alone. Oh spirits, he was alone, oh Kaien…. :Why did you find us?:

:I need your help.: Raw, aching glints of silver and crimson. :We need your help.:

We?

---

:Why do newborn humans always look like this?: Zangetsu wondered, watching unfocussed young eyes. :So… squished. And pink.:

"That's my son you're calling pink, Zan." Isshin kept his voice low, rocking the boy as his wife slept. But he smiled, as Hanehi reached out to touch the young aura. "What do you think?"

:Odd,: Hanehi said judiciously. :Overall, he looks like other human young we've examined, at the clinic and otherwise - though he is definitely of shinigami birth, not baseline human. But at the core… it's almost as if he has a memory-base. Like one of us.:

:It was the most stable form we could think of, to hold what was left together,: Zangetsu said humbly. :It seemed to help. The fraying stopped. And in the time it took to find you, there were even signs of growth. Small, but….:

"He's not Kaien, you know."

:I know.: Sometimes he'd thought of little else, all these past months linked with Masaki to stabilize the young aura in its - his - growing body. It hurt.

"And that doesn't bother you?"

:I knew he was lost,: Zangetsu replied, trying not to let the pain spill over onto the little one. :All I could do was try to see that he was not destroyed utterly.:

"Just doing your duty as a shinigami."

:He was my partner!: Years later, and he still couldn't stop reaching for the other half of his heart. And grieving that it was not there. :I loved Kaien. I will always love Kaien.

:But if the man he becomes grows up on your world well, and happy… I cannot ask more of the universe.: He offered the image of a formal bow. :I will trouble you no longer-:

"You can visit."

Zangetsu stilled, listening.

"Masaki loves this world. I'm not leaving it. My children are going to grow up here." Isshin looked at him, determined. "But I know what I'd feel if it were Hanehi. If you can get here without leading patrols to my door - and apparently you can - you can look in on him."

:We are tired of war,: Hanehi added. :And very, very tired of being targets. Ichigo is our child; we will not expose a child to that peril.: A pause. :But once he is grown, if he wants more than this world can provide of duty, and danger… then you may reveal yourself to him. And he may choose.:

Zangetsu trembled, joy and fear and regret washing through him. :You are gracious.:

"More like practical." Isshin grinned crookedly. "Masaki's a kind, gentle, loving lady. If we're lucky, Ichigo will take after her. But I know what my family's like. We tend to blow stuff up."

:Hmm. Well, that's what happens, when one of your maternal grandfathers and paternal great-grandfathers is the same ancient pyromaniac,: Zangetsu said dryly.

"Ack!" Isshin tucked Ichigo into one arm, thumping himself on the chest to get his breathing back in rhythm. "How did you know that? Nobody but Hanehi knows that!"

Zangetsu imaged a toothy grin.

:Benihime?: Hanehi asked, resigned.

:Minazuki,: Zangetsu corrected. :Retsu tracks shinigami genetics, to avoid any more problems like Juushirou's and study how solid and energy-companions change each other. You know shinigami's children aren't quite like Alterans. Or humans.: A moment's thought. :Did you know you're the closest of Master Genryuusai's relatives left alive? You and Juushirou.:

"Damn, that's got to be lonely. He needs another wife, if anybody'd have the cranky old ass…." Isshin slowed his rocking as Ichigo seemed to frown. "What's wrong, hmm? Tell Daddy what's wrong."

The tiny hand reached up, grabbing at empty air.

Or - not quite empty. Zangetsu felt flesh pass through the space he occupied, tugging gentle as dandelion fluff.

:…I think he can see you,: Hanehi managed, stunned.

Brows raised, Isshin beckoned him closer.

Like kelp in the waves, he drifted near. Not touching the child, not quite….

Another infant grab. Contact.

:Warmth/light-on-swords/mine….:

A small yawn, and fingers and eyelids fell.

"Well," Isshin said softly. "How about that." He glanced at Zangetsu. "When he's grown, you can tell him. You can tell him everything."