The sun was shining brightly in the sky as Isshin and Yuzu exited the sankaimon gate.
"Hey Daddy shouldn't we have told everyone we were coming." Yuzu said feeling happy to be in the Soul Society.
"It'll be more fun to surprise them, and I want to tell them in person that we died." Isshin said with a mischievous look in his eyes. Yuzu just shrugged in response as she and Isshin walked toward the Kuchiki manor. I hope Karin and Onii-chan are home, Yuzu thought to herself as she and Isshin made their way up the path to the door.
"Hey you two." Rukia said with a smile as she walked up behind them.
"Hi Rukia, I hope its ok we decided to drop in." Yuzu said looking a little sheepish.
"Of course you two are always welcome, and I know Karin and Ichigo will be happy to see you." Rukia said as they walked into the house.
"Yuzu !" Karin yelled as she ran up and grabbed her twin in a bear hug. Rukia smiled at the sight.
"Where is that son of mine." Isshin ask.
"Ichigo and Nii-sama will be home soon." Rukia said.
"Are either of you hungry? We were just about to have some lunch, you should join us." Karin said
"Sounds great Karin." Yuzu said, and Rukia was starting to worry. It seemed like Isshin and Yuzu were hiding something, Isshin was acting very calm and all traces of his usual craziness were gone.
Ichigo came home after about ten minutes, he walked in a gave and Rukia a kiss on the cheek as he passed her, his gaze stopped when he saw his dad and baby sister setting at the table.
"Hey what brings you two here?" Ichigo ask with a happy look on his face.
"It's a long story son, we'll tell you over lunch." Isshin said as Ichigo sat. Byakuya walked in and smiled when he saw Yuzu setting at the table. After everyone sat at the table the maids brought in the food.
"So Yu, how long can you stay?" Karin ask, as she swallowed a chunk of her rice ball.
" Well um, I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm not leaving." Yuzu said looking nervous.
"Yuzu you know I miss you, but you don't belong here you still have a life in the Living World, please don't throw that away." Karin said a little sad.
"Um I can't go back there Karin." Yuzu said looking even more worried.
"Yes you can, you belong there. Yuzu you have to be strong and live your life, please do it for me." Karin said trying to sound convincing.
"Karin I can't , I don't belong there anymore." Yuzu said
"Yes you do, I know it's hard but its not forever." Karin said.
"No I don't, I um… well I died." Yuzu said, saying the end so fast that it took everyone a moment to catch it.
"What?" Karin yelled as she grabbed Yuzu by the shoulders, and everyone else looked shocked.
"How?" was all that Ichigo could say, his face looked like a mask of shock and pain.
"I was in the park taking a walk to clear my head when I saw this Arrancar chasing the soul of a little boy. I attacked him and we fought, I killed him but I was wounded. I managed to get home but I collapsed in the living room. I tried to stay alive I really did, but I was too badly wounded and I bled out after a few minutes." Yuzu explained.
"I found her in the morning but her wounds were so severe I couldn't have saved her even if she was in the clinic when she was hurt. So I called Ishida to take care of our affairs in the living world and then I killed my gigai so it looked like we were both murdered." Isshin said taking over where Yuzu left off. Karin took in what her sister had told her, after a moment the color drained from Karin's already pale face and she fainted. Everyone rushed to Karin's side and Toshiro moved her to a couch so she could rest.
"Don't worry its just shock, she'll be fine in a little while." He said to her worried looking family. Yuzu sat next to Karin to wait for her to wake up, she noticed that Karin was even thinner then she was the day of her funeral.
"Is she ok?" Yuzu ask Toshiro who has holding Karin's hand.
"She'll be fine, I think you dying was more then she could handle at the moment."
"That's not what I mean, she just looks so fragile and thin. It looks like she hasn't been eating much, has she been sick?" Yuzu said with a look of deep concern.
"No she hasn't been sick, it's a long story." Toshiro said as everyone sat down and waited for him to tell them what was wrong with Karin.
"Karin was fine for the first few days she was in the Soul Society, but the day we got back from her funeral she was very quiet and distracted. She was very tired the next day and it looked like she hadn't slept, but when we ask her about it she denied that anything was wrong." He told them, as they listened.
"At first we thought she was just tired from everything that she had been through, but as the days passed she grew thinner and more sickly. Ichigo, Rukia, and I decided to get to the bottom of it and take her to the Fourth to see if Unohana had any ideas, I was on my way to get her when I found her outside of my division headquarters." He continued.
"I confronted her about her condition and after denying anything wrong she finally broke down and spilled everything. She told me that she was having nightmares about her execution and she couldn't sleep, she was so sick feeling from it that she couldn't eat and that's why she kept loosing weight." He finished and Isshin and Yuzu looked both shocked and pained.
"What have you been doing to treat her?" Isshin ask after he was able to find his voice.
"Well we figured out that the last time she slept well was when I was with her, so I moved in here and we share her bed. She hasn't had any nightmares since then and she's on a special high nutrent diet to help her regain her weight. She was even thinner before she started her diet, now she's more like her old self." He said as Isshin rushed forward and hugged him.
"Thank you for looking after Karin." Isshin said in a very sincere voice. Hitsugaya was shocked at first thinking that Isshin was just being crazy, but one look at the older man's face told him that he was serious.
Karin woke a short time later and sat up, she looked at her twin sister who was still setting next to her wearing a look of shame and worry.
"I can't believe you died too Yuzu." Karin said sounding like a weight was on her shoulders.
"I know Karin, but you know the good news is we get to go to the academy together, and we can live in the same house again." Yuzu said with a small smile. Karin tried to smile back but she was just too exhausted from the past few weeks and finding out Yuzu had died too was almost too much. Karin thought it over and she had to admit Yuzu was right, now that they are both dead they can go to the academy together, and she could tell that Yuzu was truly happy for the first time in three years.
"I wish you hadn't died Yuzu, but I'm glad you're here now." Karin said making her twin smile.
"I know I wish you hadn't died too, but we are dead and now we can become soul reapers like onii-chan and Rukia." Yuzu said. Karin got up from the couch still a little unsteady and walked with Yuzu helping her into the dinning room.
"Sorry about fainting everyone." she said as she took her seat.
"Don't worry about it, you had a good reason." Ichigo said to his sister.
" Yuzu are you planning on attending the academy as well?" Byakuya ask as he sipped his tea.
"Yes I am Byakuya-nii." she said with a slight formalness in her tone as a show of respect.
"Then we must submit your application as soon as possible, you of course have more then enough spirt energy as you have demonstrated over the years." he said.
"I can help you fill it out as soon as we finish getting you settled in" Ichigo said to Yuzu.
"Do you two have a place to stay?" Rukia said trying to hide the grin on her face.
"Not yet, but I know we'll figure something out soon." Isshin said catching on to Rukia's expression.
"You and Yuzu are more then welcome to stay here." Byakuya said looking up from his tea.
"Its settled then, you two will stay here." Rukia said having known what her brother would say.
"Thank you both." Yuzu giving a polite bow.
Karin and Yuzu walked down the hallway to Yuzu's new room, she was given the one right next to her sister's room. Yuzu was disappointed at first because she wanted to share a room with Karin like they did until Karin was arrested, but with Karin and Toshiro sharing a bed now it seemed best to let them have their space alone.
"So this is your new room." Karin said as she opened the door, Yuzu walked in and looked around. The room was fairly large with a western style bed, a desk with a chair and a shoji door leading to the gardens. The room was decorated with some of Yuzu's belongings from her room in the living world.
"Its a very nice room Karin. " Yuzu said still taking in her surroundings, and wishing that Karin was sharing it with her.
"If you need anything remember I'm right next door." Karin said as she started helping Yuzu unpack her bags.
"I know, thanks." Yuzu said still distracted and a little jealous of Toshiro for sharing a room with Karin, even though she understood why they had too.
"Don't worry Yuzu, you're still my sister and best friend even if we aren't sharing a room anymore." Karin said and Yuzu was surprised that Karin knew what was bothering her.
"How did you?" Yuzu stammered out.
"We're twins, remember? That means I know you better then anyone, so I can always tell when something is wrong." Karin said with a slight smirk. Karin and Yuzu both started laughing and Yuzu hugged Karin tight still trying to catch her breath from their shared laugh,
"I missed you Karin-chan." Yuzu said still holding her twin.
"I missed you to Yuzu." Karin said.
Ichigo and Rukia watched the girls talking and laughing, it was the first time since that horrific night three years ago that they were both truly happy.
"They seem so happy to be together again." Ichigo said.
"They're finally whole again Ichigo, they are twins after all." Rukia said as she shut the shoji door between Yuzu's room and the gardens.
"I guess your right, things are about to get very interesting in the Soul Society." Ichigo said to his soon to be wife.
The next day Karin and Yuzu started training together again in the hope that with enough pressure on her Yuzu would summon her zanpaktou just like Karin had.
"Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you died yesterday!" Karin yelled as she and Yuzu took up their positions.
"Like you can beat me at swordsmanship, Vice-Captain ?" Yuzu yelled back reminding Karin that she was the captain of the kendo team in high school.
"Well lets see what you got then captain ." Karin said as she raised her bokken into a defensive stance. Yuzu said nothing as she raised her bokken over her head and came down with it in a strike at Karin's head. Yuzu redirected her strike at the last second causing Karin to miss the block, and it impacted Karin's shoulder instead.
"Damn Yuzu, nice shot." Karin said rolling her sore shoulder, she knew that she would have a bruise from that one. Oh well time to give Yuzu a few bruises of her own. Karin thought as she readied her next move.
"You never could see that one coming." Yuzu said as she brought her bokken into a low stance. Karin went in for a low strike at Yuzu's feet, but as Yuzu dodged Karin thrust the tip of her bokken into Yuzu's belly knocking the wind out of her.
"And you could never see that one" Karin said with a smirk. Yuzu said nothing as she moved in for her next attack, and for the next two hours the sounds of clashing bokkens and playful banter could be heard at the third division training grounds.
"Hey Karin I think it's time to go home, we've been at it for over two hours." Yuzu said.
"Sounds good, I'm kind of hungry, lets go get some lunch" Karin said holding her belly for emphasis and from the bruising Yuzu had given her.
"Good you still look too thin Karin,, you need to gain back your weight. I don't want you to get sick again." Yuzu said while nursing the bruises Karin had given her, and it was clear that they were evenly matched in sword skill. The two girls walked back to the Kuchiki manor unaware that they were being watched.
" I thought I would find you here" Rangiku said.
"I'm just glad they're together again, they were so broken for so long." Isshin said to his former third seat as he watched his daughters walking and laughing together.
"Well they make a good team, the academy will be good for both of them." Rangiku said as her former captain smile with pride as his daughters walked out of sight.
"Masaki would be proud of them, they're both so strong now they could give Ichigo a run for his money." Isshin said.
"A few centuries from now I wouldn't be surprised if they're both captains" Rangiku said as Isshin stood up and started walking away.
'Come on Rangiku, lets go have a drink to how much my children have grown." Isshin said.
"I thought you would never ask." Rangiku responded as she followed her former captain into Rukongai.
A dark figure crossed the sands of Heuco Mundo the moon shining in the permanent night sky. He was making his way to the ruins of Las Noches, soon he would rebuild this once great fortress, soon he would take the throne that was left by Aizen. He finds the fortress deserted much as he expected, he sends out a burst of spirit energy, soon many hollows will come and soon he will have many new followers. Then he can have his revenge on that damned girl, and her bitch sister who killed his fraccion to save that boy he was chasing. He sat on Aizen's throne remembering the day he first saw that sandy haired bitch, if he had known her sister would kill him before he could score again then he would have taken her home for awhile, so he could have had more fun with her. He knew the black haired one was executed for killing him, and his dumb ass fraccion had somehow managed to mortally wound the sandy haired one before she killed him. So now they were both in the Soul Society, and he can't get to them as long as they are there. Well no matter soon he would have an army, soon he would invade the Soul Society, and when he does he will kill that black haired bitch Karin Kurosaki, but not before she witnesses him finishing what he started with her sister. The vasto lorde was so lost in his thoughts that he almost failed to notice the large number of hollows that were headed towards Las Noches.
"Yes come to me, soon you will all bow before me, soon we will destroyed the soul reapers, soon we will have our revenge." He said as hollows large and small began charging into the fortress hunting for the source of that massive spirit energy.
Toshiro Hitsugaya sat at his desk finishing the day's paper work so he could go home and spend the evening with Karin. The young couple had started taking long walks through the gardens of the Kuchiki manor before retiring to bed, and he had to admit that it was the main reason he was in a hurry to finish his paper work. Hitsugaya put the last few pieces in the proper box, and he was still wondering where his boozing vice captain had gone too, not that she was much help when she was there. Hitsugaya stood and left his office, he was surprised to find none other then Yuzu Kurosaki waiting outside his office.
"Good evening Kurosaki-san." He said with a slight bow.
"Hello captain." She said returning his bow.
"What brings you to the tenth division?" He ask as they made their way to the Kuchiki manor.
"I wanted to talk to you about Karin." Yuzu said.
"What did you need to know?" He ask.
"When she first got here you said she was okay, but after her funeral she started having nightmares right?" Yuzu ask not looking at him.
"Yes, as far as I know her nightmares started after her funeral." He responded.
"So after she stayed at our house she started having nightmares, I want to know if it's my fault?" Yuzu said with her face down case. Hitsugaya was shocked at her question, Karin would never blame Yuzu for what happened, if anything Karin felt guilty for what Yuzu had to go through.
"No, it's not your fault. Karin would never blame you, she loves you too much to do something like that." He said after the shock wore off.
"Are you sure, she got executed because of me and that's why she had nightmares." she said looking ashamed.
"Yuzu, Karin did what she did knowing what would happen, she did it to protect you because she loves you, and I know she would do it again nightmares and all." he said.
"Are you sure? I ruined her life, how can she not blame me?" Yuzu said on the verge of tears.
"You didn't ruin her life, she gave it up for you. Yuzu you couldn't have stopped it, and if anything Karin blames herself for not being able to protect you that night. You have nothing to feel guilty for, and Karin will tell you the same if you ask her." He said knowing it was true.
"Thank you." Yuzu said in a low voice, looking as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Hitsugaya and Yuzu parted company and he couldn't help but wonder at the sense of responsibility that seemed to be a Kurosaki family trait.
Kisuke Urahara sat on the porch of his shop watching the moon in the night sky, a small black cat came up and sat next to him.
"You felt it too?" she ask as they both sat looking at the full moon.
"It felt like a massive wave of hollow spirit energy coming from Heuco Mundo." He said not taking his eyes off the moon.
"What should we do about it?" she ask.
"Nothing we can do right now, we'll have to let the enemy make the first move." he said.
"Still I'm going to have Soi Fong send in a scout to see what we're up against." she said.
"I'll start making preparations on this end, Oh we better let Ichigo and Rukia know something's up, they'll want to help fight what ever it is." he said.
"Aren't they getting married in a few days?" she ask.
"Better tell them after the wedding, that way the scout will have time to report back." he said.
"Okay." Yoruichi said as she walked away.
"Just when I thought life would be boring without Aizen." Urahara said as he stood and went into his shop.
Isshin sat in a bar in the first district of Rukongai, he and Rangiku had been there for hours and it was starting to get dark outside. Isshin tried to stand up, but fell against the table.
"I guess I had a little too much sake." he said, amazed that he hadn't slurred a single word. He got up and started looking for Rangiku, he found her with Izura and Momo Kira under each arm and the three of them were even more drunk then he was.
"I think it's sooooo cute you two got married." She was saying to the two plastered vice captains.
"Come on Rangiku, it's time to go." Isshin said as he took the sake bottle out of her hand and gave it to Momo.
"But captain I don't want to." she whined.
" We need to get some rest Rangiku, Hitsugaya will need you tomorrow, and I have to help Ichigo and Rukia with the wedding." He said sounding more sober then he felt.
"Captain you're as mean as captain." she said, then she and Momo burst out laughing as they realized what she said. Isshin just gave up and started walking away when he saw a flash of auburn hair and a familiar face.
"No way, it can't be." he said as he took off after the woman leaving the three inebriated vice captains wondering what happened.
Ichigo was nervous in just a few days he and his beloved Rukia would be getting married and even though he loves her with all of his heart the prospect still scares him. Ichigo is not really scared of spending his life with her, that's a dream come true, what he fears is failing her, not being the husband she deserves. Ichigo was lost in thought when he opened his eyes and found himself in his rainy inner world.
"Ichigo what troubles you?" Zangetsu ask.
" I don't want to fail Rukia, I don't think I'm worthy of her." Ichigo said finally giving voice to the fears that have troubled him for months.
"Why don't you think you're worthy?" the sword spirit ask.
"Because Rukia deserves better then me." Ichigo said clearly upset.
"Why?" Zangetsu ask again.
"Because she does, I'm not good enough." Ichigo said.
"Why?" Zangetsu said.
"I couldn't even keep that bastard from raping Yuzu, I couldn't keep them from executing Karin, what if I can't protect Rukia?" Ichigo said pain and frustration in his voice and his fists clinched.
"You were too far away to help when Yuzu was raped, and Karin allowed them to execute her so she could become a soul reaper. You saved Rukia from her execution, you became stronger for her. You are a determined warrior Ichigo, you won't fail Rukia." Zangetsu said.
"How can you be so sure?" Ichigo ask.
"Because you love her too much to fail her, you will get stronger for her just as you did to save her from execution." Zangetsu said, and Ichigo realized that his sword was right, he would not fail her. Ichigo could feel his determination growing just as it had when he invaded the Soul Society to save her.
"Thanks old man." Ichigo said and he left his inner world and sat up in bed, he could see the peaceful sleeping face of his beautiful soon to be wife next to him. Rukia was curled up next to him and when he moved she stirred a little, he leaned down and brushed some of her raven hair out of her face.
"I won't fail you Rukia, I swear." Ichigo said determination filling his voice and burning in his eyes. With that Ichigo laid down and wrapped his arms around her letting sleep take him again.
The next day Ichigo and Rukia woke up early and headed to breakfast, the wedding was in just a few days and this was the last day that Ichigo was going to be staying at the Kuchiki manor until after the wedding. Ichigo will be moving into the Third Division captain's quarters until the wedding, so he wants to spend as much of this day with Rukia as he can the next time he sees her it will be at their wedding.
"Looks like everyone else is still asleep." Rukia said as she and Ichigo sat at the table with some Chappy cereal.
"I guess so, but that means more time for us." He said as he kissed the side of her head. A few minutes pass as they enjoying a comfortable silence, then Byakuya cam into the kitchen and fixed himself a cup of tea. The three of them sat eating together and having light conversation when Isshin walked in.
"Ichigo son, I need to talk to you." He said.
"Ok dad, what's wrong?" Ichigo ask a little worried.
"I want you to meet someone." He said and Ichigo wondered if his dad had found a girlfriend. He was a little miffed at the thought, after all they hadn't even tried to find his mother's soul yet.
"Ok come in." Isshin said to the woman standing out of sight in the hall. Ichigo had been prepared to play nice for everyone's sake, but we was not prepared for what he saw next.
"Mom?" Was all he could say and darkness over took him. Ichigo woke up on a couch with Rukia next to him, he couldn't believe what his eyes were telling him, his mother was there in the same room. Honestly Ichigo thought he would never see her again, and now she was here alive and well.
"Mom?" he said.
"Yes Ichigo." she said to her son.
"Is it really you?" he ask not sure if he was dreaming or not.
"Yes Ichigo, it's really me." she said
"But how, when?" He started stammering out.
"I found her last night in Rukongai when I was out with some vice captains for a drink." He said.
Flashback, the previous night.
Isshin knew he wasn't that drunk, and he hoped he wasn't that crazy, he began running through the streets looking for that woman. He found her walking along the path to a small house in the First District. He ran up behind her and grabbed her shoulder causing her to gasp and panic, as she turned to see her attacker her amber eyes grew wide and recognition dawned on her face.
"Isshin?" she ask as he wrapped his arms around the woman he loved with all of his heart.
"It's me Masaki, I finally found you." He said feeling whole for the first time in nearly twenty years. She was here in his arms, his wife Masaki, the woman who still holds his heart.
"Isshin, I can't believe it's really you, I thought I would never see you again." She said, as she burst into tears of joy, her husband had found her now they could be together again.
Current time, Kuchiki Manor.
"Wow" Was all Ichigo could say, and just then Isshin stood.
"We need to get the girls up, they haven't seen their mother in a long time." Isshin said as he left. After a few minutes he returned with a sleepy looking Karin and Yuzu behind him, and Hitsugaya was holding Karin's hand as they walked in rubbing sleep from their eyes.
" Girls I want you to meet someone." He said repeating his words to Ichigo from earlier. Masaki walked in and it took both girls a moment to process what they were seeing.
"Mom!" they yelled in unison, as they ran up and hugged her.
"Is it really you?" Yuzu ask tearing up, and Karin just held her mother tighter not bothering to fight the tears in her eyes.
"Yes its me." Masaki said her voice was as kind and loving as they remembered. After about twenty minutes they all sat down to catch up. They told her about how Ichigo became a soul reaper, and then they introduced Rukia to her. Masaki loved Rukia and welcomed her to the family just as everyone thought she would. Karin introduced Toshiro next and Masaki was overjoyed that her little girl had found someone who loves her so much. They all spent the next few hours talking and laughing together, and Ichigo was very happy that she would be there for his and Rukia's wedding. Byakuya sat watching them and a small smile formed on his lips. Isshin looked at Masaki, Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu, and he smiled, now they were a family again, now they could all be whole again.