AN: For the sake of this story the Ishida family are not the last of the Quincy.

Disclaimer: If I did own Bleach, the world would suffer greatly.

Summary: Ichigo awakens, Masaki and Souken have a "discussion", and Isshin's trial begins.

Part One: Nenju Juujika

Chapter Two: The Lost Boy

Listen to the wind,

But do not drown.

-Quincy Proverb

Ichigo groaned, his hand automatically shielding his face from the ungodly bright light. He was going to kill his dad for—

But hadn't kaasan stopped installing the hundred watt lightbulbs? The boy pushed himself up off the pillow; wincing at the sudden strain it caused his back and right shoulder. Ichigo glanced around the room, puzzled, as he studied its every facet.

The walls were far too white and the machines—which he recognized from some of father's medical texts, but couldn't name—were far too expensive for the little Kurosaki Clinic. "Maybe I'm in the hospital?" he wondered aloud. "But why would I…?"

And then he remembered.

He remembered the cool, hellish breath of the monster, remembered the white, burning pain lancing through his back, remembered the gradual awakening in a sideways world. And he remembered the memory of his mother, all alone with the monster.

He had to find her.

Ishida Souken had seen many trials over the course of his long life: from the brutal execution of his father for "treason", his twin brother cut down by hollows, his little sister vanishing off the face of the earth to god knows where, his wife divorcing him and abandoning their children for their ability to see ghosts ("Witchcraft!"). Despite this, Souken regretted little and moved on with his life, even if he steadily turned more toward the bow and the savage hunt.

But once, he had sided against his son with the Elder Council. And once, he had lashed out at his only daughter over her choice in husband. And these things—even if there was nothing else—Souken would always regret and never forgive himself for. He had hurt his children on a deeper level than he or they would ever realize.

Now, too, he regretted never meeting his two granddaughters because he, Ishida Souken, master of Kreidebleich Sturm, was afraid of loosing whatever chance he had of salvaging his relationship with his daughter, too terrified of driving that final nail in the coffin. Masaki was almost, if not more so, prideful than he was, and Souken doubted she would accept any apology from him. Or she might have. Masaki was far too kind.

It had taken him all of his courage garnered over some fifty-odd years of being a Quincy to even enter the hospital. But, somehow, everything was made all right when he first caught sight of her, sitting by herself in a lonely corner of the lounge. "Masa-chan?"

The woman looked up from her cup of tea, surprise and shock spreading across her face. "Fa-father? What are you doing here?"

Souken hesitated. Why was he here? "I-I heard about what happened. I—" He took a deep, steadying breath. "I am sorry." Deeply, truly sorry. Sorrier than either Masaki would ever know or he would ever be able to say.

Masaki's left hand—her bandaged hand—tightened, but she smiled, a weak smile filled with warmth and sorrow and a hint of frost. "You can sit down if you to, father." She gestured toward the chair next to her.

He sat and studied her in detail. Her brown hair was limp, her skin sallow, and her eyes were stained red and bloodshot from too much crying. Masaki might not look a step away from the grave like Souken feared she might, but neither did she appear the vibrant young woman Souken remembered from, what, twelve year ago? "You don't look well."

"I've been better." She offered a rueful smile. "I see your jaw healed."

Souken winced. "It did." She had been right, of course, but had she had to throw the phone at him?

Masaki twisted the cup in her hands, before she said, "Ryuu-nii tells me you've been training Uryuu."

"He did?"

"He didn't sound very happy about it."

"Ryuuken has been very verbal in his distaste for the Quincy and our ways, and—beyond this—he does not wish to discuss Uryuu's mother." Nor did he blame him. "But the boy talent, and it is a shame to see talent wasted." And now, more than ever, was Souken glad he went against Ryuuken's wishes. If he had listen to Masako all those years ago, he might have very well lost his daughter and grandson, as well. "Do you…have they…has Ichigo's condition improved at all?"

Masaki looked into her lap. "The doctors say they don't have a clue what's wrong with him, beyond the fact he simply hasn't woken up." Masaki took in a deep breath, "Ryuu-nii says he's healing him to the best of his abilities, but, but healing a soul in a physical body is difficult at even the best of times. And…the burns are extraordinarily severe." Her face, already ashen, paled with every shake word she spoke.

Souken reached out and gripped her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Masa-chan, it isn't your fault. You haven't touched a bow in years, and—"

"I know, I know but does a grandmaster miss even if she hasn't held a bow in years? Does a member of the Black Service aim for a hollow and almost kill her own son?"

"Masa-chan…"

"Don't Masa-chan me! You weren't there, how could you know what happened? I broke my solemn oath to my husband to never lay a hand on a bow again! I tried to protect my son, but then end up hurting him far worse than anything that stupid hollow could have done to him because I missed a shot I could have done in my sleep! And, oh God, Yuzu and Karin…why, why did they have to take them, too?" Masaki looked at him, pleading for some kind of answer. "Papa, why?"

But… "I don't know." Why couldn't the shinigami just leave them alone?

It had taken time and ingenuity, but Ichigo had managed to escape his room and avoid the seemingly unending hordes of nurses, doctors, patients and other hospital staff running about—but only barely. As of right now, to avoid a trio of nurses, he had to duck into a (luckily empty) closet. Unfortunately, the aforementioned trio of nurses seemed stubbornly unable to move.

"Still, I can't help but feel sorry for the boy."

Ichigo didn't feel sorry for him at all. It was the boy's fault that the nurses had stopped in the first place and halted him on his search for his mother.

"You normally want to hit the supervisor over the head with your clipboard when he gives you another mystery patient, Touya-san," a much younger voice giggled.

Who cares about the supervisor? Just move, damnit!

"Well, yeah, but…the boy lost his family, you know? Can't help but feel sorry for him."

The boy…lost his entire family? Ichigo felt a surge of pity rise up in him—he couldn't imagine his life without his idiot dad or crybaby Yuzu or even tagalong Karin, let alone his life without his mother—but he squashed it instantly. He needed to find his mother. I wonder if I know him?

"…Kurosaki…"

Ichigo snapped to attention immediately. Kurosaki? But…no, he must have heard wrong.

"The police are saying the Phantom Killer killed them."

"Someone survived?"

"Oo, spoooky."

"Naomi!" Touya shouted. "This isn't a laughing matter."

"Gomen, gomen. I just couldn't help myself." Naomi paused before she continued, "So do you know how Kurosaki-kun…"

Kurosaki. He hadn't misheard, had he? Kurosaki. His family was…dead…

"This Council of Forty-Six has gathered here today to pass judgment on one fourth division captain, Kyouraku Isshin. The charges issued from both Gotei Thirteen and this council are thus: abandoning his division in a time of crisis, abandoning his office as captain during a time of crisis, for breaking for oath as both a shinigami and a captain of the Gotei Thirteen to never leave a hollow alive. Not only this, but Kyouraku Isshin stands accused of breaking the first of the Seven Sacred Laws, having been found consorting with a mortal, being married to a mortal and having children by this mortal. He is also accused of breaking the seventh, and most holy, of the Seven Sacred Laws, for by having children with a living soul, he has disrupted the flow of souls from one world to the next, and, in doing so—quite knowingly—created two dead souls," the Judge said, towering over his colleagues in both height and sheer presence. "The punishment for this is complete soul death, by means of the Soukyoku. Do you plead otherwise, fourth division captain, Kyouraku Isshin?"

The once proud and current co-captain of fourth division, now chained in such way that he had to struggle to even meet the eyes of his prosecutors, growled, "Yes, I do plead otherwise."

AN: Thank you for reviewing and sorry for the long wait!, but this chapter was even more annoying to write than the first, what with characters not doing what they were supposed to, Souken and Ryuuken vying for screen time, and Ichigo, in general, running amok. But chapter three is already proving easier to write, so it shouldn't take as long for the next chapter (although I make no promises).

Next Time: Uryuu finds out he has a living aunt, cousin, a dead uncle and two dead cousins. A judge rigs the trial. Ukitake plots. And Ichigo discovers his mother is not dead, and he has an uncle and grandfather.

Kreidebleich Sturm: very, very loosely white wind in German. Souken's bow.

Ryuu-nii: brother Ryuu(ken), Masaki's nickname for Ryuuken

Masako: Masaki and Ryuuken's mother. She may or may not be mentioned later.

Council of Forty-Six: the ruling body who makes up the central office of forty-six, the high court and government of Seireitei. Their decisions are unquestionable, once made. Made up of forty sages and six judges.