Tairei9: Hi, I am now home, I was at my relative for the weekend. Well anyway…. Time for the story. Here is chapter thirty seven.
Kon: Hey you!! I have to talk to you!!
Tairei9: Me?
Kon: Yeah, you!! I haven't been in the story enough!! Put me in the story… or else!
Tairei9: Alright, alright, if it gets you out of my hair! Reading time!
Chapter thirty seven.
Byakuya paced outside the door of where Kumiko was being tended to. They had been able to move her to soul society after Unohana had steadied her heartbeat. She still had serious damage done to her body. They had been there for six hours already. Rukia watched him, tired and worried. He had been doing this since Unohana told him to wait outside while they healed her. How had Soul Society found out of Kurotsuchi's plan?
Why, it was Nemu of course. As much as she respected her father, she had an attachment to the child and was totally unable to let him kill her. Remember, she gave birth to her. She had warned Yamamoto of what her father was doing. She had come by earlier, giving Unohana a medicine that would help Kumiko heal. Whether Unohana used it or not, no one was really sure, but it was taking a while.
"Nii-sama…"
"Hush, Rukia."
She silenced immediately and watched him continue to pace. They were at the Kuchiki estate. The moon was still low in the sky and Rukia yawned. Byakuya finally stopped and said, "Go to bed Rukia."
"N-no, I'm…" she faltered when he gave her a penetrating stare.
"Hai, goodnight, Nii-sama," she said bowing and then walking away.
"Goodnight, Rukia." She disappeared around the corner and he sighed.
The door behind him slid open and he turned around to see the healers come out with Unohana.
"Kuchiki-Taichou," she said gently.
"How is she?" he asked immediately.
"She is sleeping," she said, "It seems Nemu's information was right."
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"You do not need to work about your daughter dying because Naiyami was destroyed. Naiyami was not her zanpakutou to begin with," Nemu said softly.
"What do you mean?" Byakuya said, his eyes narrowed. Nemu sighed.
"Kurotsuchi's experiment on Kumiko was to try to mix a strong type of zanpakutou and a bachiatari zanpakutou."
"Bachiatari zanpakutou?" he questioned.
"Hai, he wished to see how strong it would become," Nemu said softly.
"But how would he know Kumiko had a strong zanpakutou?"
"I'm honestly not sure. But he was right. But the experiment did not go the way he wanted it to. Instead of mixing it, Naiyami sealed her actual zanpakutou. He was going to start the experiment from scratch but rumors flew around and…" she shifted uncomfortable. Byakuya turned away and said, "What will happen now?"
"Well, it will probably reveal him or herself to Kumiko," she said, "I can not say when."
"I see…"
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"So her life…?"
"Is no longer in danger," Unohana reassured, "But I do not know when she will wake up. It could be a few minutes, a few hours, or maybe in a few days. But don't let her run around anytime soon. And try to get her to eat something, she is under nourished. I will be back to check on her in a few days."
"Arigato."
"You're welcome," she said walking away. He then went in and saw the peaceful child sleeping. He walked over and stroked her cheek with his finger. She stirred but did not awaken and he sighed.
The moon rose high into the sky and he felt tired. But he didn't wish to leave, just incase she woke up. He closed his eyes and dozed off.
"Otou-san…"
His eyes shot open and looked down at Kumiko's opened eyes.
"What is it musume?" he asked.
"…um…"
"What is it?"
"……."
"Kumiko, what is it?"
"…I want a cookie."
Byakuya stared down at her and couldn't help but…
…Laugh.
Kumiko scowled and said, "What? I'm hungry!"
He stopped laughing and said, "I see your back to normal."
"Otou-san," she said her adorable face in an adorable scowl.
"Alright." He carefully picked her up and she winced ever so slightly. She snuggled into him and she soon saw two servants standing in front of his bedroom door.
"Kuchiki-sama!" one of the servants said, both of them bowing.
"Please go get some food for Kumiko," he said entering his room.
"Hai!"
He set her down on the bed and she winced again. Her body felt really sore. He sat down on the bed and asked, "Do you hurt still?"
"I'm sore all over," she said, leaning into the pillows. He gently stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. He pulled the sheets up to her lap and said, "What happened?"
Kumiko then seemed to slump down into the pillow.
"Kumiko?"
"Um… well, Mai came in and was going to take me on a walk, but Yachiru-chan came and accidentally knocked her out. She then told me she wanted to play a prank on Kurotsuchi," Kumiko said sheepishly, "Naiyami told me to go do it, saying it would be payback for what he did to me. So Yachiru-chan did something to his office while I ever distracted the shinigami. But a hollow got into the building, grabbed me after trying to get other people and disappeared into that dark place." She shuttered ever so slightly and continued.
"The hollow was about to hurt me when another hollow started attacking it. I was able to get away, but I had no idea how to get home! Then I felt those three shinigami's reiatsu and Urahara's thingy too."
"Again with that ridiculous term," he sighed and then suddenly said rather annoyed, "Please tell me you did not do what I think you did!"
"Depends what you're thinkin'. If you are thinking that I flash stepped into that place so fast that no one could see me, stole the thingy, told Naiyami to destroy the building ran into Yachiru-chan after exhausting myself, had to have Yachiru-chan get her and me out of there before that one shinigami could catch up!! Then we came back to the real world only for Kurotsuchi to attack us!! Then I had to disguise myself to hide from him and -!"
"Wait a moment," Byakuya said interrupting, "How did you get back? Why didn't you just come find us? We were in Las Noches as well!!"
"I know, but if that shinigami man found us, we would have died!! And Kurotsuchi was with you all. And Yachiru-chan and I hitched a ride on a hollow going to the real world," Kumiko said exasperated, "Well any way; I pretended to be a girl in that school Ichigo goes to. I was hiding my reiatsu so he wouldn't find me! Unfortunately Yachiru-chan was still looking for me, but I couldn't say anything. Then that tower showed up and I saw you all go in. I panicked and forgot about covering my reiatsu. He found me and well…"
The uncomfortable look on her face told him, she did not wish to talk about it. The servants came in with a tray and a towel. One paced the towel on Kumiko's lap and the put the tray over it.
"You may go," Byakuya said. They bowed and left. He picked up the chopsticks and began to feed her.
Only because he didn't want her to move. She finished her dinner and he finally allowed her to eat her cookie. She convinced him to let her feed herself and he put the tray and the towel on a table. He then laid down beside her and stoked her hair once again. She felt him pull her closer and winced. They both then fell asleep in peace.
Tairei9: Done!! Review!! Next chapter will be up soon!
