28

Back Again

…

One month later…

The room was empty but for a lone Shinigami sitting at a desk. He looked positively bored, twiddling with his ink brush, until there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" he called in all eagerness.

And Juushiro Ukitake entered Kisuke Urahara's office.

Urahara sighed. "I never imagined that reentering into Soul Society would be so dull."

"Dull?" Ukitake asked. "You're restructuring the entire system! How can that be dull?"

"There's so much paperwork."

"And without it, we would have anarchy on our hands." Ukitake patted the blonde man's shoulder. "I think you're doing a good job, Kisuke."

"Thanks." Urahara smiled, moving to tip his hat down over his eyes before recalling that it wasn't there. He let his hand fall awkwardly to his side. "I just hope this works."

"I think…you put a lot of thought and effort into the Council Representative system. The idea seems to be going over well."

"And how's the old man?"

"Yamamoto, while not pleased with being charged with war crimes, is…tolerant. He's coming around to the idea of being reassigned as Advisor to the Council."

"Good, good. What about our visitors?"

"Why don't you come see for yourself? I believe they're in the courtyard."

…

"Come back here, you two!" the growling voice of Kaeliel screamed. The purple-haired maniac used sonido to chase Ira and Ari. The twins were too fast and too many, though. Every single one of his attempts was thwarted until Ari snuck around his side while he went after Ira. One small foot snuck out into the middle of his path. Kaeliel did not enjoy the taste of dirt in his mouth. He glared up at them.

Ira and Ari hid behind Grimmjow, peeking out from either side of his imposing form.

"Tell them to stop it," Kaeliel said. "They only listen to you and Nel, but she's in the Living World."

The twins stuck their tongues out at him.

"Alright," Grimmjow sighed. "Ira, Ari, quit it. We don't need another war on our hands so soon after we've settled the last one."

"Fine, Grimmjow," they muttered.

"Problem solved," Grimmjow concluded. "Now, I think I see the pink-haired one coming this way."

"Yachiru?" the twins choked. They exchanged a glance of mutual fear before running off with a hasty "Gotta go! Bye!"

Kaeliel brushed himself off and stuck his hands in his pockets. He scowled upon hearing Orihime giggle from the distance. "What?" he snapped. "You think something's funny?"

"Sorry, no, it's not that," she apologized.

"Then out with it!"

"It's just," she said, "Grimmjow, I never thought I'd say this, but you make a good older brother."

The rest of the group gawked at her like it was the oddest thing they'd ever heard, even coming from her mouth. However they were so preoccupied with staring that they didn't catch the slightest of smiles that graced the Cero Espada's face. It was immediately erased upon the landing of a small girl upon his shoulders.

"Grimmy!" Yachiru squealed. "Have you seen Ira and Ari? I wanted to play!"

"I think they went to the training grounds," he answered.

"Thanks!"

She bolted off again.

Rukia shook her head at the sight. These Hollows were fitting in so easily after a month. It was bizarre. She'd even heard that Grimmjow would be assigned an official spot on the Council as a Representative. A Hollow! On the Shinigami Council! Then again, Ichigo was offered a place as well. He would be the Human Representative. Things were going to be very confusing for the next few years, that was for sure.

Speaking of confusing; she leaned over near Ichigo. "So you were saying? About your father?"

"He promised to explain it all to me and Karin," Ichigo continued. "I think he wants to train her. Says she may grow up to be a Shinigami in time. There's no telling, especially if Grimmjow was carrying the Hogyoku around with him."

"Are you scared?"

"I don't want her to be a part of this world," he answered. "You know that."

"But…?"

"But I feel like I would be denying her a part of who she is if I said no."

"I can tell you've put a lot of thought into this."

"I have," he said, "especially since what happened with Toshiro and Ulquiorra."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" He ran a hand through his hair. When he looked back to her again, his deep brown eyes held so much meaning in them. "I haven't told anyone this, Rukia. I think that Ulquiorra knows, but when I was fighting him, our zanpakto resonated. I saw into his head and I understood. A person is made up of a lot of things and when one part is taken away, you get that. He was missing a part of himself. For a second, I could feel that pain. It was horrible. I'd never want Karin to feel lost like that, longing for another part of herself, even if it puts her in the face of danger."

"Ichigo," Rukia said, "what did you see?"

"I can't tell you," he answered.

"…I understand."

They were interrupted by Urahara's sudden shout of "Hello!"

The group turned attentive as he and Ukitake approached. The white-haired captain was looking around as if he was searching for someone in particular.

"How are you all doing?" Urahara wondered. "Behaving yourselves, I hope."

"Are we allowed to leave yet?" Ichigo asked. "You said you only needed us to stay a week before we could return to the World of the Living. Besides, you let Chad, Uryu, and Tatsuki return already."

"Chad, Uryu, and Tatsuki are less connected to the situation," he explained. "They'll keep Karakura safe for the time being. However, we needed you here while we established the new governing system, which, thank you very much, is almost set. Only a few small details left to attend to."

Ichigo couldn't help but think that Yamamoto probably would have taken the next six years to get to that point. The elder Shinigami acted slowly. Urahara was fast. Although, no one could tell if that would make him more fitted to the job.

"That doesn't answer my question," Ichigo said. "When are we allowed to leave?"

"Between tonight and tomorrow morning if there isn't a riot," Urahara sighed. Again, he was reaching for his hat. Again, it wasn't there. "All of you can go back, but first, there's something I need to discuss with you. After you finish school…what are you going to do?"

Orihime bit her lip. "Go to college, I suppose."

"And Ichigo?"

"…I don't know."

Grave frowns were passed around. Urahara locked eyes with the substitute Shinigami. "Could you give all of this up?" he asked. "Could you go on pretending to be human? Because I could make it happen. We could place a seal on all your powers. None of you would have to deal with this anymore. No Hollows, no nothing. Just know that if you do decide to keep your abilities, Soul Society will be in constant interference with your life."

"I don't want to give up being a Shinigami," Ichigo responded.

"Then I have one question for you: what would you say to being a full-time Shinigami?"

Rukia startled. "What?"

"After school," Urahara explained, "you could go to college…or you could return to Soul Society. This would become your home, your job, with nothing from the human realm to interfere. You wouldn't have to balance school and work with being a Shinigami. Of course, we'd station you in Karakura for a while. You'd be our Shinigami representative along with Rukia if she'd like. It's still a high danger area and may continue to be once all of your friends have moved out."

"I don't know," Ichigo said. "You can't just slap a decision like that on someone!"

"Hey, calm down," Urahara answered. "You don't have to decide just now. You have a year. More, if you wanted to try college first. I'm not rushing you."

"Ichigo…" Rukia whispered. She held to his arm. "It's your choice. Take your time to think it over."

He nodded with a shaky breath.

"The same offer extends to your entire group," Urahara explained. "They have enough spiritual ability to be given a special classification and place within Soul Society if they so wish. They wouldn't have to live here, just be ready for a call. I offered as much toward Chad and Tatsuki before leaving."

"Not Uryu?" Orihime piped up. "Although, I suppose he would refuse anyways, being a Quincy."

"Uryu Ishida and I had a separate conversation," the former shop-keeper said. "During the fight, he had spoken with Tessai about the new governing system and asked about why we would take him into Soul Society even though he was a Quincy. They were never going to."

"What?" they exclaimed.

"I hadn't fully known this at the time, but I had suspicions, and they were confirmed by Yamamoto after the fact."

"You don't mean they were going to kill him, do you?" Orihime squeaked.

"It was an idea, early on," Urahara said. "After some time, it fell into being a back-up plan. If Ishida did not act agreeably, they would execute him in secret under the charge of committing war crimes while telling everyone else that he had been returned to the World of the Living with a voluntary seal upon his abilities."

"How could they even think of doing that?" Ichigo demanded.

"Well, the next plan was to lock him in a prison cell to stop any potential rebellion, but that, too, became a back-up plan."

"Then what was the final plan?"

"To erase his memories, seal his powers, and place him in Rukongai."

Ichigo's fists clenched. "That b—ard."

"To him, it was the humane solution to the problem."

"So what did Uryu say?" Orihime wondered.

"He worked out a plan with Tessai," Urahara said. "If all began to go wrong, Tessai would allow Ishida to escape through a small hole in the barrier and make a run for it. As it stands, though? I've made an agreement with him. I created a small device that would allow Uryu to purify Hollows with his Quincy powers as opposed to obliterating them. I'd been working on it for years now. With it, he'll no longer be in contradiction with Soul Society and it's easier to offer him protection. Killing him now is an act against new law because he's considered an endangered species. He's safe and will retain as little communication with Soul Society throughout his life as possible."

"Sounds like him," Ichigo agreed. "So what happens to everyone else?"

This was the first time during the conversation that Grimmjow spoke up. "Ira, Ari, Kaeliel, and I are granted free but monitored transport between here and Hueco Mundo. Visits to the World of the Living are harder to obtain because of its fragility. It's the best situation we could ask for."

"But…" Orihime began in a small voice, "what about Ulquiorra?"

Dead silence reigned for a moment.

Urahara cleared his throat. "We gave him a choice and he chose to remain here."

"What were the other options?"

"He specified that I did not tell you," Urahara answered.

"Why?"

"Because, as it stands, it was a difficult decision for him to make. He didn't wish to be reminded."

"But he could always go back, couldn't he?" she wondered. "Couldn't he always choose something else?"

Urahara ducked his head. "It wouldn't be an easy thing to do."

"There's something you're not telling us," Ichigo noted. "You said he's staying here, but none of the conditions around it."

"Ichigo," Ukitake warned, "let it be. Yes, there are some extra details that we have not and cannot explain, but as Urahara said, that was Katashi's choice. Please don't bring it up unless he does."

"Alright," Ichigo frowned. "By the way, where are Ulquiorra and Toshiro?"

"To be honest," Ukitake said, "I thought they were here with you, but I'm sensing them over by Tenth Division. They must have been hiding their reiatsu earlier."

"Can we go see them now?" Orihime asked. "I want to talk to Katashi."

The group froze.

"You just called him Katashi," Uktiake stated.

"Only sometimes," she answered. "It is his name, after all, and he said he didn't mind. Besides, I happen to like the name Katashi."

"Okay, okay," Urahara laughed. "No need to get into a huff."

"I'll go talk to them first," Ukitake offered. "I'll call you if they're in the mood for visitors."

Besides, Ukitake thought, he needed to speak to them in private as well.