Sode no Shirayuki had no idea why she felt so protective of the dark reiatsu inside her. But she cherished the feeling. Somehow, having that power within her made her feel stronger, braver. She told Kazeshini exactly where he could stick it when he kept pestering her, to the other zanpakuto's surprise. But none of them really suspected there was something wrong with her. Eventually, she returned to Rukia's inner world, as all the zanpakuto did. And then everything began to go wrong.
"Ugh. What is wrong with me?" Rukia muttered as she considered what to have for breakfast. "Hm." There was a mess hall at the Division and she tended to always eat there for breakfast. Rukia hesitated a moment before taking a small bowl of congee, topping it with a single fried egg. It was a very tiny breakfast, but she was getting alarmed at the size of her belly. It was odd – she'd certainly never had problems with her weight before – but she wasn't going to let it get out of hand.
Meanwhile, in her inner world, her zanpakuto was writhing in an agony of indecision.
Why isn't she eating more? She needs to eat more! But she doesn't know… oh, I have to tell her! But she'll be so angry at me and she'll be right. This is all my fault! But how could I know…I don't want to tell her. She won't look at me the same… oh, but I have to, she's going to hurt herself. Mistress? Sode tentatively spoke to Rukia. Mistress? There's something I have to tell you.
"What is it, Sode?" Rukia said, mixing her egg with the congee. There was a pause and she frowned, turning more attention to her zanpakuto. "Sode?"
I-I-I'm PREGNANT! The zanpakuto practically wailed and Rukia's eyes went wide as she dropped her spoon. And… and so are you… I'm so sorry Rukia!
"What?! How?! I haven't even… I can't be!" Rukia said, her mind almost shutting down. She had never been into casual sex and while she wasn't a virgin, she hadn't been with anyone for over a year. Her zanpakuto sniffled.
Your body is building a body for my baby. The zanpakuto said meekly and Rukia stared at her stomach. You need to eat more… I'm so sorry.
"I'm pregnant with your baby?" She said, testing the idea. It seemed utterly ludicrous and yet… it would explain her weight gain and her nausea in the mornings. "Who is the father? Another zanpakuto?" If so she was going to get whoever owned that sword spirit to take responsibility. Although… the options were not good. "Not Senbonzakura!" That would be a nightmare.
Oh no mistress! Not a zanpakuto. A… hollow. Sode said reluctantly and Rukia went pale. A hollow? Ichigo's inner hollow. Kazeshini showed me how to enter his inner world.
"Ichigo's inner hollow?" Rukia gripped the table, feeling faint. She hadn't confided her feelings about Ichigo in anyone, but Sode surely knew. Was that why her zanpakuto had picked him? Although… "Why his inner hollow? Why not Ichigo or Zangetsu?"
Ichigo likes you, just as you like him, mistress. Rukia blinked a bit at that. He wouldn't have touched me and Zangetsu is not that kind of zanpakuto. He is Ichigo's logical side… his hollow is his instincts. There was a pause and then Sode spoke weakly. It seemed like a good idea at the time? That surprised a small laugh from Rukia.
"I've had ideas like that." Giving Ichigo her powers had seemed like a good idea at the time, too. "You didn't know you could become pregnant?" That seemed like a fair assumption. There was a small sniffle from her zanpakuto.
No, I had no idea. I don't think he knew either, although I'm not sure he would have cared. Sode was actually quite sure Ichigo's inner hollow wouldn't have cared, or would have been happy with this outcome. Reproduction was an instinctive thing and he lived to cause Ichigo trouble. Mistress, what should we do? The fact that Rukia was a noble made this problematic. Noble women weren't expected to stay pure, but they were expected to refrain from childbearing out of wedlock. Rukia took a deep breath, putting a hand over her face. She was pretty sure she was still in shock.
"I don't know." She looked down at her food, then pushed it away. She wasn't hungry anymore. "I need to go tell nii-san." Although she quailed at the thought, it simply had to be done. He was the clan leader.
Her actions would partly depend on what he wanted.
"Nii-san?" Rukia hesitated at the door, glancing into the room. Renji was there, working on his paperwork. Byakuya looked up from his work. "Can we talk privately?" A small frown graced her brother's face, and Rukia cringed inwardly. She did not want to have this talk, but it was vital. Her brother examined her for a moment and something in her expression seemed to give away that it was really important.
"Of course." Byakuya rose smoothly from his desk. They walked together, silently, to another room. There was a small table and Rukia took a seat on the cushions as Byakuya poured them both some tea. "What is wrong?" He asked as she took a sip of her tea, her hand trembling ever so slightly.
"Nii-san…" Rukia took a deep breath. "Sode no Shirayuki is pregnant." She thought it was best to lead off with the fact that it was her zanpakuto. Byakuya's expression didn't change as he sipped his tea. "And – and so am I." That made him slowly set down his cup and she swallowed at the look on his face. To someone who didn't know him it would look almost blank, but she could tell he was extremely displeased. "My body is… is making a body for my zanpakuto's child…"
"Senbonzakura. Was this his doing?" Byakuya's voice had an edge and Rukia shook her head.
"No! No… it wasn't another zanpakuto. It was Ichigo's inner hollow." From the look on Byakuya's face, he would have preferred his own zanpakuto. Rukia could hardly blame him. "Sode didn't know this could happen. I'm sorry nii-san." She felt every bit as terrible as her zanpakuto. This was going to be horribly difficult for her brother.
"I will go to the Living World immediately. Kurosaki Ichigo must give you honorable marriage." He said decisively, which made her wince.
"This is not his fault nii-san!" Rukia said sharply. If the child had been conceived in a normal fashion, Byakuya's response would be appropriate. But this… "This isn't even his child, not really." Although that might be fudging things. Rukia hadn't gone to see Unohana yet, so she wasn't entirely certain what her child was going to be. How much of her and Ichigo would be within this child? She simply didn't know. "We can't simply demand that he marry me. That isn't how the Living World works." She knew that from her time there. At least one young girl had come down with a case of pregnancy, and while both sets of parents had been very disappointed there had been no wedding. Byakuya looked at her sternly.
"This child cannot be born outside of wedlock, and I cannot see how you could marry an… inner hollow." He said sourly. The thought clearly pained him. Rukia bit her lip as Sode no Shirayuki spoke.
Mistress, perhaps we should go to Ichigo and explain the problem? He might want to marry you. She sounded very nervous and Rukia frowned.
"I don't want him to marry me just because he has to." That hurt, hurt a great deal. Rukia was deeply fond of Ichigo. They fought all the time, but in a good way. The way friends who really cared about each other fought. And they'd been on a few things that could be called dates, when Rukia could get away from Soul Society. Which brought up another problem. "Nii-san, if I marry Ichigo where will we live? We can't ask him to abandon the Living World." His whole family was there. And just as importantly, he had a real body. How could they ask him to give up his mortal life when he was still alive? Byakuya considered the problem for a moment.
"You would have to join him in the Living World." That made Rukia blink. Shinigami were not supposed to have such relations with humans, which was part of the reason why Rukia hadn't acted on her attraction yet. What her brother was suggesting was scandalous. "He is a hero, and this is not his fault, so an exception can likely be made." Rukia swallowed, feeling strangely excited. She'd enjoyed her time in the Living World. And the thought of being with Ichigo forever, well, that was very interesting indeed. "Have you gone to see Unohana yet?"
"No nii-san. I thought you would want to be with me." She was sure of that and Byakuya nodded, finishing his tea before standing up.
"I do. Come, you will need to be examined immediately." Rukia followed her brother docilely.
Unohana was not available, at first, but she quickly became available when the problem was explained. Her kido tests were gentle but very thorough and Rukia closed her eyes, soothed by the feeling of the healer's touch. After quite some time and many tests, Unohana pulled her hands away.
"Most interesting. I have never seen anything like this." She said softly and Rukia glanced at Byakuya. Her brother was frowning, ever so slightly. "Ichigo's reiatsu signature is strong here, although it is only the darker side of his power. However, your own reiatsu is very weak while Sode no Shirayuki's signature is quite strong." Rukia blinked at that information. "However, your body is feeding power to the child, so I suspect that might change over the course of the pregnancy. We will have to see how that affects the child, but I suspect you will be a kind of spiritual godmother." That made Rukia smile a little. At least she would have some connection to the spark growing within her.
"What will this child be?" Byakuya asked and Unohana shook her head.
"It's impossible to say at this point. Zanpakuto are not supposed to reproduce, not like this. Hollows can have children, which may be what triggered this. But we simply can't know what this child will be yet. However… there is one thing I am concerned about." She smiled gently at Rukia. "This hollow reiatsu is strong, but appears to be fading. I believe it may be critical to the babies' development. I'm not sure there's enough for the rest of the pregnancy, so it might need to be refreshed."
Oh! Sode no Shirayuki exclaimed and Rukia sent her a questioning feeling. When I was carrying the reiatsu from him, I felt like I needed to keep it all within me. I could have used it to fight, but I didn't. Could this be why? Rukia gave that information to Unohana, who nodded.
"Most likely an instinctive reaction. But feeding more of this particular reiatsu into you may be difficult. Can you ask Sode if it is possible for her to reach Ichigo's inner world now?" Unohana asked and the zanpakuto immediately answered.
Yes, but only if we are in the same world and preferably close together. I cannot reach him from Soul Society, mistress. Sode answered and Rukia repeated her words for Unohana. The taichou nodded.
"So if you are in the same world, Sode no Shirayuki will be able to reach Ichigo's inner hollow. Good, that would be the easiest way to ensure a supply of this particular reiatsu." She said with a smile and Rukia blushed as Byakuya shifted. But her brother did not object, probably because it was Sode's virtue they were discussing. Rukia caught a very pleased feeling from her zanpakuto and wondered, for a moment, what it had been like for her. She had a feeling it hadn't been bad, which was surprising from a violent hollow.
"Well, that clears things up slightly." Byakuya observed. "Thank you, Unohana taichou. I appreciate you seeing my sister on such short notice." That was clearly an end to the meeting and Rukia stood up. Unohana nodded, smiling.
"It was my pleasure. Please bring her in for regular checkups, we will need to monitor the progress of this pregnancy." She said and Rukia nodded. She might not have asked for this, but she wanted her child to be born healthy. Resting a hand on her belly, she smiled as she tried to imagine what the baby would look like. Would it favor her or Ichigo? Sode no Shirayuki? And what did his hollow look like?
She would have to wait and see.
"You're what now?" Sode no Shirayuki was standing in Ichigo's world again, facing the father of her child. He had his sword slung over his shoulder and was looking at her with narrowed eyes. He looked like he thought she might be pulling a prank on him.
"I am pregnant with your child." She said calmly. He might be an inner hollow, but he was still a hollow. She would not show him any hint of weakness or uncertainty. His eyes went from squinting to wide as he realized she was quite serious.
"Really…?" He slung his sword over his shoulder and approached her. Sode let him come and smiled as he kneeled in front of her, resting his cheek against her expanding belly. She could feel the touch of his reiatsu on her and knew he was feeling the baby. "Shit, you are!" He looked up at her, his expression baffled. "How is this possible?" He wondered and she laughed, resting a hand on her belly.
"I don't know. The only idea we have is that it is because hollows can reproduce." She told him and he scratched his head with a dubious expression. An expression that suddenly melted into glee.
"Hey, I'm going to be a daddy? That's great!" He hugged her around the middle, surprising the zanpakuto. "But where will the kid be born? Rukia's inner world? What's it going to be?" He sounded eager now and Sode smiled at all the questions.
"Rukia's body is making a body for our child, so he or she will be born into the real world." She told him and he blinked. "We don't know for sure what it will be yet… but Unohana believes that the child will need regular reiatsu infusions from you. And the easiest way to do that is, well… mating." She said with a faint blush. The hollow blinked again then cackled with laughter.
"I dig that, princess!" He stood then and took her in his arms, kissing her throat. Sode no Shirayuki moaned, her body tingling as she remembered the first time. She ached to do it again. "But when's Rukia girl going to be telling King about this? I just can't miss it, it's gonna be funny as shit." His grin was devilish and Sode didn't mind. Opportunities like that came about once in a lifetime, and she honestly wanted to see it too. She was rarely a mischievous spirit, but it would be fascinating.
"Not until tomorrow. We have all night." She said, her voice warm with promise.
"Then let's make the most of it." The hollow said before catching her lips in a passionate kiss. Sode responded eagerly, sinking into his embrace.
This would be a wonderful night.
"So what's all this about?" Ichigo asked as he sat at the supper table. Rukia and Byakuya had both arrived unexpectedly, in gigai's no less. "Hey midget, you're looking a little chubby." Rukia's mouth dropped open and she stared at the man she actually thought she might marry. "What? Ow!" Ichigo winced at the hysterical laughter coming from is inner world. "What the hell is – AWK!" Then Rukia booted him neatly in the face. Ichigo went flying, landing on his back. Then her foot landed on his chest.
"How dare you!" Then she stomped on him. "Calling a lady fat!" Stomp. "I'll have you know!" Stomp. "I am pregnant!" Stomp! Ichigo's face was caught somewhere between pain and disbelief. "With YOUR CHILD!" Rukia tried to land another stomp but her foot was caught neatly. Her eyes went wide as Ichigo's abruptly shifted to black and gold and a small mask began to form on his face.
"This is cute and all, but maybe you shouldn't kill the father of your kid before it's even born, eh princess?" The hollow cackled before wincing. "Ow… bye." Then Ichigo's eyes snapped back to brown and the mask broke into shards.
"You bastard! You can't take me over like that! I'm going to kick your – GAH!" Rukia yanked her foot out of his grip and kicked him in the face. "Nnngh." Ichigo groaned as she gripped the front of his shirt and yanked him up. "Wait… pregnant? Mine? We haven't had sex… have we?" Slightly woozy from the repeated blows, Ichigo searched his memory for any incidents of sex. He came up empty. Rukia sniffed and let go of his shirt, making him wobble a bit.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, your inner hollow and Sode no Shirayuki mated during the zanpakuto rebellion." The two turned to look at Byakuya, who had been less than amused at the shenanigans. He sipped his tea before speaking again. "Rukia is carrying their child. However, Unohana taichou has examined her and this infant is yours, albeit only the dark side of your power." Ichigo stared, his mouth dropping a little as he considered that. Then he gripped his hair and yanked at the orange strands.
"You bastard, you knew!" He said accusingly and the two shinigami just watched. They might not have inner hollows, but they were accustomed to seeing people conversing with their zanpakuto. "Why the hell didn't you say anything?"
And miss you putting your foot so far down your throat you could touch your tonsils with it? Tch, why would I do that? His hollow laughed maniacally and Ichigo grimaced.
"I am so kicking your ass later." He snarled before looking at Rukia and Byakuya again. "My hollow's child? Really?" He said weakly and Rukia nodded, resting a hand on her belly. It wasn't very big yet, but it would be getting bigger. "I… what should we do?" He was only sixteen and this had come on him with no preparation whatsoever. Ichigo had no idea what to do.
"Ichigo… I'm a noble." Rukia said, clearly uncomfortable and rather sad. "I don't want to push you but… for nii-san and the Kuchiki clan, it would be good if we were married." Ichigo's breath caught in his throat at the thought. It wasn't that he had anything against marriage, he'd planned to have a family someday… but he was sixteen. Someday shouldn't be here yet. And Rukia? Well, he had been attracted to her since the day they met. But he'd thought it just couldn't be, with her duties in Soul Society. Then the sadness in her eyes reached him and he stepped forward, wrapping strong arms around her shoulders. Rukia squeaked softly as she ended up against his chest.
"Rukia… this isn't how I pictured my life going. I'm only sixteen, I still have two more years of school. It's all too soon." He said huskily and saw the disappointment and pain in violet eyes. No surprise, though. "But…" He knelt down in front of her and she stared, surprised. "I can't let you do this alone. Rukia Kuchiki, will you marry me?"
"Ichigo…" Rukia's eyes filled with tears and her breath caught in a sob. Then she was hugging him tightly. "Ichigo!" The tears overflowed and she sobbed softly as her new fiancée comforted her. And Byakuya watched, expressionless but approving.
He wasn't eager to have the unmannerly ryoka in his family, but he was glad to see his sister so happy.
"Now they're getting all sappy." The inner hollow groused as Sode sat beside him. They were both watching everything that was going on. He didn't notice the way she was sniffling softly and rubbing the edges of her eyes. He did notice when she punched him in the shoulder, though. "Hey!"
"You have no romance." Sode no Shirayuki said severely as the hollow rubbed his shoulder and scowled. "That is so sweet!" She sniffed and rubbed her eyes again. The hollow stared for a moment, then grinned.
"Heh, who needs sweet when I have sex appeal?" He tickled her, sliding up tight against her body. Sode giggled, easily distracted from what was happening outside Ichigo's inner world. "Want another demonstration, princess?" He said before nuzzling her throat, nipping the tender skin.
"Mmm… you know, I think I would." Sode said with a smile. She just couldn't stay mad with him. He was what he was, after all, and hollows did not do romance the same way humans and shinigami did. But that was fine.
She wouldn't have it any other way.