I was so bored at school I actually wrote! OMG, I KNOW RITE! Yes, this bored. And honestly, I'm glad I did. I'm really happy with how this turned out. I had a piece in there first that went like "The happiness of my sisters, wife and children are a reason I'd die. And it's also a reason I'd kill." but felt it was more me trying to be bad ass than legitimately Ichigo. So that got cut and instead we get this being happy bit which felt better suited in the chapter. So, yeah, whoo for me :D. Oh, and I hope the conversations are better readable now. I got feedback from about how the conversations weren't as easy to read, so I went for this way. Please let me know it this is better!
~Twan
"Ichigo" the old man whispered, jarring Ichigo from his sleep. He looked at the floating man in the long coat standing in his room. His very empty, sparce officer's room in the Seventh Division quarters. "Yo, Zangetsu." Ichigo said groggily. "Couldn't this wait until I meditated again?" He knew that if his spirit would take physical form it would be serious.
"We need to talk." The spirit commanded. "There is something wrong."
Ichigo's mind slowly turned on. Mornings weren't his strong side, let alone being awoken in the middle of the night for an important conversation.
"What is it?" Ichigo asked, sitting up in bed.
"Her zanpakto is still angered, Ichigo. I can feel her."
"Who?" Ichigo asked, being as clueless as he often was when he talks went about emotional situations.
"Kaze gādian." Zangetsu simply said.
After a long, silent moment, Ichigo sighed. "I guess it's as much the sword who was angered as it was the one wielding it."
"Ichigo, make amends with her." the sword again commanded, as if he was the wielder and not the one being wielded.
"Why? They went behind my back, he should have come to me first!" Ichigo growled, the old anger flaring up in his heart once again.
"Because she is your sister. You have been her protector for a very long time. It's time you accept that you can't protect her from everything." The spirit continued patiently, knowing how his partner was really feeling.
Ichigo sighed, falling back in his bed. He wasn't angry, not really. It was disappointment. Not even disappointment in Karin, but in himself. Ichigo couldn't even bring himself to say his name, let alone think it out loud. He proposed to her! He propesed to his little sister without asking him for permissoin first. Of all people, the little squirt should be the one with who'd have the respect for traditions to come to her older brother.
"If I'd go to the Eleventh now, not only would Karin try to kill me, but there is a pretty big chance Yachiru would try too." Ichigo commented after minutes of silence. Zangetsu nodded in agreement.
"Ichigo, you need to accept the situation. It is not healthy, not for you, to stay like this." The spirit finally said before disappearing. Ichigo just grunted in annoyance. He knew he wouldn't sleep for the rest of the night.
After another hour of turning in his bed, Ichigo finally decided to climb out. He grabbed his haori and put it on. It was the best he had, since Soul Society appearantly didn't believe in a bathrobe or anything like it.
He walked out into the corridor and looked around. His whole Division was deep asleep, except for the guards on the walls. Ichigo casually walked down the halls in Earth sweatpants and his haori trailing behind him.
He walked around the Division halls for about an hour before decideding where he'd go. With a flash he was outside, in another flash he was in the Hero's Garden. The Seventh Division was the only Division that had anything like it. It was created when Ichigo became the Captian of the Seventh.
It was a garden with two large stone walls erected and water elements and grass. It was a beautiful garden. On the stone walls were the names of every Shinigami that died under Ichigo's command. He let his hand caress the cold stone slabs, feeling the etched names of all his men slip under the tips of his fingers. He walked the entire length, remembering most of the orders he gave that lead to the deaths of his men. He felt intense sadness by every name he remembered, every face he saw. Then he stopped at the end of the wall and looked down. At the end of the walk way between the two stone slabs stood a small pillar. It was maybe waist high. On top of the pillar was a handle cut out of the stone. Ichigo put his hand on the handle like he was trying to pull the blade form the stone.
Even though it was a stone pillar Ichigo felt like the fire of the sword ran through him. The handle of the fire-type Engetsu filled his heart with flames as he let go and sat down before the pillar, his legs crossed. "Hey old man..." Ichigo whispered, looking at the name etched in the pillar. 'Kurosaki Isshin'
The light slid into the garden as the hours crept by. Ichigo had been sitting before the stone for several hours, pondering on the choices he made, the actions that lead to him having two angry sisters and an angry wife. He sighed and decided that, if he wanted to be able to protect his sisters, he would need to apoligize, badly. But first, he needed to visit a man about a thing.
He stretched his legs and got up, putting his hand on the stone handle. "Thanks, dad." Ichigo whispered and stood up, looking somewhat like the proud, powerful man he is. He made his way to the barracks on foot, decideding not to use his shunpo so his people could see him, even if it was in his sweatpants and his haori.
Several men and women bowed with respect to their captain and he nodded back in response. When he entered his room he took a quick shower and put on his uniform, making sure it was properly nodded. He put his haori on and placed Zangetsu on his back.
Amira knocked on his door. "Taicho, the officers are waiting for you." she called to him through the door.
"Thank you, Amira, but today's meeting will be postponed." Ichigo answered as he opened the door.
Amira looked at the man standing before her. This wasn't the man she saw last night, the man who was emotionally wounded and filled with sadness. This man had a goal. This was her taicho, the man she chose to follow. The man the whole Division chose to follow.
"But Taicho..." Amira tried but Ichigo raised his hand.
"Today you are in command. I have several personal issues to handle. Some of which you know. I do not wish to be disturbed unless something really big and bad steps into Soul Society that needs cutting." He sound completely at ease, even allowing a small joke.
"Understood, Taicho." Amira nodded and allowed her captain to pass.
As soon as Amira cleared the way, Ichigo disappeared from sight. Flashes of him could be seen on the roofs of several buildings as he used shunpo to make his way to the Tenth Division. The guards at the Division gates felt a slight breeze as Ichigo passed by them.
It took even Hitsugaya Tōshirō a moment to realize what had entered his office, or better yet, who had. "Kurosaki-taicho." Tōshirō overly formal, even for him.
"Tōshirō." Ichigo greeted as he leaned in the window. "We need to talk."
The white haired taicho looked at his orange-haired counterpart with a stoic face. "Kurosaki-taicho, last time we 'talked'" Tōshirō said, disdain coming through his voice with the word talked, "you tried to kill me."
Ichigo nodded, "Yes, I overreacted." he admitted. "And I am sorry, I shouldn't have tried to kill you." he sighed and locked eyes with the younger taicho. "But she is my little sister, it is my task to protect her from pain, and you were and are a threat to that, as much as I am now."
Tōshirō sat quietly in his office chair, looking at Ichigo. "What are you saying, Kurosaki?" he finally asked.
"What I'm saying is that I'm happy for you two, that I wish you well." Ichigo explained calmly as he turned his gaze to the courtyards. His eyes gazed far into the world while he sat in the window frame, patiently waiting.
"Kurosaki..." Tōshirō started, "Why?" he asked. "Why were you so angry when we told her and why are you accepting it now?" after a short pause.
"I was angry because the situation with my sister was developing to a stage where I wouldn't be able to protect her. I wouldn't be able to keep her safe from pain." He sighed, still gazing out onto Seireitei. "And I am accepting this now because I have no choice and I don't want to be a source of pain and grief for her."