Her passing, their despair
Madarame had been on guard when he saw that big cloud of dust racing towards them, but he had been utterly shocked when the dust settled to reveal a clearly agitated Starrk. Everything had gone by so quick, only one sentence had been picked up.
"It's your sister, she's dying!"
Madarame never got the time to summon himself as the servant they had brought from the Feudal Lord wailed out loudly before jumping off of his now spooked mount, snarling at the Kings assistant to lead the way. He had seen how the orangette tensed and froze, before he snapped out of it at the dark haired servants command and immediately jumped off of his horse which nickered worriedly when its master disappeared.
He had been even more shocked when the servant and Ichigo transformed and took the form of full-fledged cheetahs, Ichigo barking a short order to Starrk whom only nodded not bothering that he had been ordered by someone of a lower rank. Next thing he knew he was racing his party after the one they were escorting, not able to keep up with the incredibly fast cheetahs that ran in the lead, loud meows and whimpers escaping their maws for every step they took.
He didn't quite grasp what was going on, but when he got a glance at the young girl they had brought along and saw her tears and determined look as she clenched her hand around Starrk's waist while they rushed past his own mount on the black Friesian named Nero. What confused him the most was the fact that his superior Starrk was obviously crying along with the raven hared girl as he hurried after the King's newfound personal assistant.
Madarame shook his head in confusion as he spurred his mare forward, doing his best to keep up with Starrk figuring that it would be best for him to stick close.
...BMBD...
"Out of the way!" Starrk shouted from the top of his lungs for the umpteenth time during the short amount of it that had been sued to enter the city.
Women shrieked and children shouted out in surprise when two cheetahs ran through the street making the dust fly in the air as their claws dug down on the tiled streets of Seiretei. Some of the kids giggled in excitement tugging at their moms.
"Look mom, a cheetah!" They squealed before their mothers brushed them off and hurried them away from the street.
Ichigo meowed loudly in worry, his father joining as they locked their claws to skid around another corner. Ichigo was faster than his father, but his father hung at his tail as Ichigo finally recognized the building he was looking for, Starrk and Madarame with their company flipping the corner seconds after.
Ichigo found new strength and his leaps increased by half a meter as he stretched and bent his spine like a spring to increase his speed, his father mimicking his young son. Ichigo sped up the marble stairs to the clinic and broke through the guards whom didn't recognize him since he was still reverted. Ichigo only growled a let me through at them and forced his way through, his father following suit.
Ichigo had been inside the clinic so many times, he had memorized the path to Yuzu's room easily and he darted down the main hall for about 30 meters, before skidding to the left down a side corridor. Then he took another left into a decorated hallway and began morphing back to his human form, not even completely done as he barged through the paper thin door and into Yuzu's room, freezing up at the display.
There on a heightened futon laid Yuzu, obviously struggling to breathe and every now and then coughing up blood onto a cloth that had been tucked around her neck so that her clothes would not be soiled. A petite hand ran a damp cloth over Yuzu's forehead, long black hair resting over the shoulders of Retsu as she cared for the dying girl.
Ichigo didn't fail to notice the slightly sobbing form of the King himself, sitting at Yuzu's left side clenching her small palm in his own gently, his cyan eyes swirling with sorrow as tears silently flooded down his face making him look as vulnerable as one could get, as if he was the one whom was losing his little sister. Ichigo knew that Grimmjow had been visiting Yuzu regularly, but he never thought the King would cry for her and accompany her on her death bed.
Ichigo cried out a loud NO as reality finally struck him, forcing him to realize his little sister was actually dying. Ichigo had tried to deny it, tried to convince himself it wasn't true but the truth was here right in front of his eyes. He turned horror stricken eyes to meet with Retsu's sad ones, as she gave him a shake of her head confirming it once again for him. Isshin had come up on Ichigo's side and he made a weird sound from deep within his throat before he brushed past his paralyzed son and knelt at Yuzu's side.
Grimmjow looked at the man that knelt down, expecting it to be Ichigo but instead he saw an older man with black spiky hair and visible stubble on his edged face. He knew immediately that it would be Ichigo's father and he silently rose to make space, Isshin not even noticing that the man rose and stepped away.
Moments later Ichigo had made his way over on wobbling feet and dropped down to his knees on Yuzu's right side, his whole frame shaking and twitching as he sobbed loudly, his large hand cradling Yuzu's smaller in his own as he was finally reunited with his sister to guide her as she walked the path of death.
Grimmjow went to join Retsu whom had wisely retreated to the far corner of the room offering the grieving family some privacy. Both she and Grimmjow jumped slightly in surprise when a young female voice reached through the door screaming YUZU! The body of a raven haired girl barging into the room seconds later. Karin stopped immediately when she saw her nii-chan and her otousan kneeling by the shivering frame of her twin sister.
"No…no…no…no…" Karin repeated the word as a mantra as she scooted over to the futon and dropped down by Yuzu's head. "Don't do this to me…Please…Yuzu…" Karin wailed, tears flowing onto the floor as she eyed her sister whom still tried to fight the disease with fangs and claws.
"K…K-Karin?" Yuzu wheezed out in her state of half consciousness and Karin sobbed loudly as she bent her forehead down to rest on the fever ridden skin of Yuzu's own forehead. To the bystanders it was now obvious who the raven hair girl was, the resemblance was unmistakable. The ravenette was the twin sister of the dying girl.
"I swear to god…I'll…I'll fucking…" Karin sobbed. "I'll fucking!" she shouted and banged her fist into the wooden floor. A small chuckle was heard through the room as Yuzu regained more of her consciousness.
"I know…you'll k-kill me…f-for gi…giving up," Yuzu wheezed out, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Yuzu!" Karin shrieked and dropped down to hug her twin, her body shaking with heavy sobs.
"I'm s-sorry…everyone…I…I… t-tried…" Yuzu forced out before her smile disappeared and she fainted again.
With that both Isshin and Ichigo finally released the wave and their sobbing was replaced by heart wrenching cries and rivers of tears, as Yuzu's lithe body reverted into a complete cheetah, her small form still twitching and shivering with the burning fever.
Ichigo meowed as he too reverted and stepped up on the futon, his tear marks accompanied by the real deal as he laid down and curled up around his dying little sister, Isshin soon joining curling up behind his son and daughter. Karin not knowing how to revert, simply walked up to them on wobbly feet and snuggled down somewhere between Ichigo and Yuzu, her tears staining Ichigo's golden fur.
Ichigo and Isshin began purring lowly in an attempt to comfort the dying cub while tears flowed down through the silken fur in their faces, Isshin laying his chin over Ichigo's shoulder blades. Ichigo stretched his neck and nuzzled his own muzzle under Yuzu's chin, his purring sending calming vibrations through his little sisters body and she obviously relaxed more as the pain shot through her in waves, her breath hitching and wheezing as the battle for oxygen became harder by each second that passed.
Grimmjow was so extremely tempted to revert into his panther form and lay down to curl around all four cheetahs in a protective manner, but with a heavy heart he turned the idea down and left the family to guide their young into heaven and he settled for watching the family silently together with Unohana.
Unbeknownst to them the same loyal servant that had sketched the cuddle pile of Ichigo, Starrk, Grimmjow and Toshiro earlier was sitting just outside the room and drew the sad scene, forever encasing it on the papyrus scroll before he shoved it underneath his yukata, tears in his eyes as he left the grieving family.
He was nearly knocked over when a small figure brushed past him and ran into the room, the usually ice cold voice of the caracal faltering as he watched the family. Starrk came in just after, and once again he broke out in tears at the display sinking down to the floor a few feet away from the snuggling cheetahs.
Grimmjow noting the presence of his longtime friend gave out a pained whimper as he scooted over to Starrk for comfort. He doubted he would ever know just how much pain Ichigo and his family was in, but his own heart felt like had been pierced through with a screw which was being twisted around. Though this was only partly because of the dying girl, the wrenching of his heart was caused more by how miserable Ichigo looked, how tormented his half lidded eyes were and how obvious the fact that he was in deep pain was.
He sought comfort in his old companion whom was grieving just as much as he was, and dumped heavily back into the grasp of the canine, Starrk cradling his agitated friend and king close burying his head in the blue locks as he cried together with Grimmjow. Grimmjow was about to reach out to pull the shaking caracal into his lap, but Toshiro shot forward and crawled up to Ichigo.
He turned feral and whimpered as he crawled up to rest between Ichigo and Isshin's backs, his own tears joining the still flooding river created by the grieving family. Retsu could tell Yuzu's end was near and she retreated out of the room, and seconds after the loud combination of one mournful howl and five mournful yowls shook the walls of the entire clinic as the family along with the King and his guard let their grieving shouts be known to the outside world as Yuzu finally let go of life and wandered off in her search for peace.
...BMBD...
The sound of wind chimes played through the ears of all the people clad in black. A party consisting of Ichigo, Isshin and Karin in the front, followed by Grimmjow, Starrk and Toshiro behind trailed after the four men carrying the chest in which Yuzu rested peacefully made its way down the road, random citizens that wanted to witness the funeral following behind in their own black clothing.
Ichigo and Isshin displayed faces deprived of emotion, while a sobbing Karin desperately wanted to cling to Toshiro for comfort. Toshiro was silent; his eyes downcast as he walked between Grimmjow and Starrk, both royalties had their heads bent down in respect as the mourning party made their way through dense rain towards the royal shrine.
In the very front the Feudal Lord of the north, Kuchiki Byakuya walked, a ceremonial burial staff held high between his hands as he watched over the grieving family that walked behind the coffin carriers. He had gotten words of the death of Kurosaki's younger sister two days ago and he felt the need to be present at the burial.
During Ichigo's short stay the Kuchiki leader had taken a liking to the orangette, and a small amount of respect was in order as well so he felt a strong need to be there to show his care and support.
When they finally arrived, the city bells of Seiretei rang nine times as the carriers lowered Yuzu's chest down into the prepared grave. A monk said some mantras and prayers out loud before blessing the chest, seconds later giving a sign that told the carriers to fill the grave. When the grave was filled and the gravestone rose; the clouds broke and the sun cast its light on the ground.
Its rays bathed a young sakura tree with its life giving light, and the mourning family watched with tears staining their faces as small sakura petals covered the grave when the wind placed them there. They bowed in front of the grave before they turned their backs and went back into the town, finding shelter from the still falling rain in the large royal mansion.
When they came inside Isshin was escorted together with Karin and Toshiro to new private quarters that had been assigned to them, while Grimmjow and Starrk escorted Ichigo to the King quarters with care.
As soon as they entered Ichigo finally broke down and Grimmjow caught his lithe frame before he could hit the marble floor. Ichigo was limp in his arms, his whole frame shivering and twitching as silent sobs tormented his body for god knows how many times during the last 4 days after Yuzu's death.
"Yuzu…she's gone…dead…gone…it's my fault…" Ichigo sobbed loudly and Grimmjow winced at those words.
He picked Ichigo up bridal style, Ichigo's head limply falling inwards to rest at his chest as he moved towards the large heightened futon he had, Starrk following suit with worry written all over his body. Both of the elder men cradled Ichigo between them nuzzling each side of his neck as they tried to calm the agitated cheetah.
"Shhh Ichigo…don't blame yourself…" Grimmjow cooed as he licked tentatively at Ichigo's neck now knowing how to calm his assistant down.
"No one could have prevented it Ichigo," Starrk followed up mimicking Grimmjow's action feeling how tense those muscles were under his tongue.
"You don't understand, if I hadn't let her be injured like that then maybe…just maybe…she would have…lived just a little bit…longer…" Ichigo wailed clinging to both Grimmjow and Starrk.
"Maybe we don't understand," Starrk began.
"But we know it could never have been your fault," Grimmjow ended as he licked Ichigo up his throat in a loving manner.
Seeing the one person he truly loved so sad and broken tore his core to pieces, and he wanted nothing more than for the cheetah to be happy again, Starrk being no different.
"Still…I could have saved her…" Ichigo continued, bluntly refusing to stop blaming himself.
"Ichigo…just stop it…" Grimmjow began.
"Seeing you like this…blaming yourself…"Starrk followed up,
"It tears us apart," Grimmjow ended.
Ichigo stopped sobbing for a short moment as he looked into worried grey and cyan eyes. He managed to pull a sad smile of comfort to the elder men before he hugged both of them close.
"Thanks, thanks both of you," Ichigo cried before sinking deeper into their embrace as he cried until he was dry and then some more, finally falling asleep reverting without his own consent.
Watching Ichigo sleep with that sad expression in his cheetah features was killing Grimmjow. Starrk fell asleep just as quickly as Ichigo, nuzzling the cheetah's head lovingly. Unbeknowst to the sleeping indivudals, Grimmjow shed a heavy tear and his breath hitched. "If only I hadn't taken him here that day..." he whispered into the cold air of the room, his fist clenching the sheets below them as he struggled to keep himself from roaring loud in agony.
Any bystander would soon have witnessed the display of a large black panther curling up around the lithe cheetah, with a large giant brown wolf curling around the latter from another angle, both canine and feline trying to protect the smaller mourning creature as they watched Ichigo like hawks through the sorrow filled night.
Later in the night they were joined by the Isshin, Karin and Toshiro whom had demanded to be let in so that they could support their grieving brother who obviously struggled hardest of them all to accept their sisters downfall.
The following morning Ichigo woke to a gigantic cuddle pile consisting of one wolf, one panther, two cheetahs, one caracal and one human girl. He smiled drowsily and sadly at the pile before snuggling down into the comforting warmth again, his tormented mind craving that he sleep even more.
Sad chapter I know. I just enjoy driving a dagger through your hearts and then twisting it around XD Well yeah, this was to let Yuzu leave the story, and to let Ichigo build a closer connection with Starrk and Grimmjow, and also to reunite Ichigo with what's left of his family on a permanent basis. Hope you enjoyed the read and cried a few tears ;)
So right now Grimmjow is breaking apart. Behind the scenes he's actually blaming himself for Yuzu's death, for having taken Ichigo to Seiretei without knowing how Yuzu's condition was, leading to Ichigo coming to late to save his family from the Hyena attack that day.
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