Walks up a hill to see Matoro sitting on a stool, painting the landscape on a large canvas. He looks behind him to see the readers.
"Ah! Hello all. What do you think so far, hmm? It's not even halfway done, but I think it's pretty good in my honest opinion.
"Hmm? Ah, I see. You wish to hear more about the tale don't you? Well sit down then. Ogremen is somewhere down in the valley ahead of us. Probably looking for some ruins or whatnot.
"Once again, I need to tell you that I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own Bleach. If I did, then things might have turned out differently in both canons. In fact, this very story might have actually had come to pass if I did actually own them both
"Now where we? Ah yes… Harry is just waking up…"
Last time:
The head of the 13 Court Guard Squads finally spoke up, "Who is this Voldemort you mention?"
Sui-Feng sighed. "He is a mass murderer who led an army of idiots claiming purity of blood is right to magic, or some such bull crap," she sighed. "He was the one who murdered my husband, and apparently he created Horcruxes. He had to have created more than one, in order to have created one accidentally, that much I do know. He was always said to fear his mortality, even though no one had dared say it to his face for fear of their lives."
Head captain Yamamoto sighed and nodded, then turned to Sui-Feng, "Since he is still out there, and for the murder of a Shinigami's spouse, he is now on the wanted list of the Shinigami. You have full authorization to hunt him down with your forces. It will be brought up in full at the next captains meeting, as will the introduction of your son. Captain Feng, the murderer known as Voldemort is now a wanted criminal of the Soul Society, you know what that means..."
"Oh I do indeed," Sui Feng said with a bloodthirsty gleam in her eye.
"Then know that you will be working with other captains and squads when you begin the hunt officially," Captain Commander Yamamoto said. "Will the boy recover soon Captain Unohana?" he asked, turning to the healer as he spoke.
Unohana nodded. "Very good. When he wakes up, he will be presented at the next captains meeting." This surprised both captains, as it would basically be a move that says, the boy is under the protection of the Captain Commander of the 13 Court Guard Squads himself!
Sui-Feng finally found her voice, and bowed to Yamamoto. "Thank you, Captain Yamamoto, for offering your protection to my son," she said, genuinely touched by this offered protection. Just as they did, they heard Unohana cry out.
"He's waking up!" she shouted with joy.
*4th Division Barracks*
Harry gasped as he woke up, still shaking from, what he believed, to be a most terrifying, but also partially pleasant nightmare. It had started off terribly. He was being beaten for being a freak again, and then a nice woman had come to his rescue. She had claimed to be his mother, but then he had woken up in that machine with the scary monster trying to get him. Looking around, Harry noticed he was in a white room. 'Is this heaven?' he thought to himself, but, then realized he couldn't be. Freaks don't get to go to heaven.
That was when the door burst open, causing him to let out a loud "EEP!" as he rushed off the bed and into a corner, trying to protect himself as best he could by curling up into a ball tightly, and repeating the same words over and over, "'M sowwy! I 'now t'at fweaks aren't allowd on beds! B-but I had no 'dea I was in, please don't hurt me!" he said in a frightened tone.
(Song start: Audiomachine - Breath and Life extended)
Sui-Feng rushed forth and hugged her son, trying to sooth him and calm his fears. "Its ok my son. Your mommy's here to protect you," she said with motherly love in her tone. Suddenly an idea came to her. Pulling out the trinkets she had found while searching her son's possessions back at Number 4, she pulled out a bee plushy and held it in front of Harry, who calmed a bit when he saw it.
"BeeBee!" he shouted as he ripped it from Sui-Feng's hands and clutched it to him like it was a lifeline.
Sui-Feng smiled. She had a feeling that one was his favorite when she saw it in the center of what she thought was his bed. "I have the others with me, and I promise to give them to you if you calm down and listen to me, alright?" She smiled lovingly at Harry, who nodded to her and sniffled a bit as his fears slowly melted away now that the nice woman from his dream was holding him once more.
Sui-Feng continued to smile, "Now, as I told you, I am your mother, Sui Feng. Okay?" Harry nodded shyly, still clutching the bee to his chest protectively. "I lost you when you were young, my lovely little boy, and have been searching for you since I got word of your father's death." She smiled sadly. "Harry, I am sorry I couldn't protect you..." She looked down as she trailed off, but was taken by surprise when Harry reached up and patted her face.
"Y-you real!" Harry said in shock, and then he looked down at the bee in his hands, and then looked back at Sui Feng. "Y-you really my m-mommy?" Harry stuttered out in hopefulness.
"Yes Harry, I am," she said with warmth as a reply, her heart aching at the sight of her little boy craving the love he was denied for three years.
"Mommy!" Harry shouted before hugging her like a new lifeline, the bee plushy squished between them as he cried out three years' worth of tears and pain from his body.
The Captain Commander watched the scene and actually shed a tear. Had it not been for the laws meant to protect Shinigami, this tragedy, which, granted, had ended happily, would never have had to occur in the first place.
He turned to Unohana and said, "Please tell Sui Feng that the Captains meeting will be in three days. I expect her to have her son dressed more formally for the meeting." He then smiled kindly. "But I will accept more casual clothing if she is unable to kit him out with clothing fit for a noble." He then turned and walked out after bowing to Unohana.
Meanwhile, Sui Feng was hugging her child, letting him cry on her as he wept his heart out. When he finished, he reached up and put his hand on his mother's cheek, and smiled happily at her. "Mommy," he began softly. "Where..." he tried to ask where he was, but he was having difficulty with words still.
Sui Feng giggled a little before replying to his unfinished question, "You're in the hospital dear. You were hurt, and your mommy wanted to make you better with help from your godmother," she explained.
"God mommy?" Harry asked while tilting his head to the side cutely in curiosity. Sui-Feng giggled and wiggled her son's nose, causing him to go cross eyed as he tried to stare at his nose, causing Sui Feng to laugh.
"Your godmother is your guardian should I be called away or unable to care for you dear." When she realized he wasn't following her, she sighed and tried to explain it differently. "She is meant to protect you should something happen to me," she explained more simply. Harry nodded. "S'cnd mommy?" he asked curiously.
Sui Feng smiled and said with a small laugh at her son's simple logic, "Yes my dear. She is your 'second mommy'." She then turned and looked over her shoulder. "Want to meet her Harry?" she asked him as she turned to look back at him.
Harry nodded shyly, but as Sui Feng turned to face Unohana, he tucked himself into his Mother's captain's cloak so all you saw was a child peeking out from behind it shyly. "Unohana," Sui Feng called. "Come meet your godson. Be slow when moving, though, as he is very shy and cautious," she added. Unohana, always the caring and affectionate woman, slowly moved towards her godson till she was five feet from Sui-Feng and Harry.
"Hello Harry. My name is Retsu Unohana," she said as she smiled comfortingly. "I'm your godmother, and personal doctor," she continued. "You've been dearly missed the last three years, my dear boy," she added.
Unohana then turned to Sui Feng, "Well, considering he is well enough to move around, it's safe to take him home and introduce him to his grandfather." She then went serious as she added with a stern tone, "So long as you bring him back by ten A.M. for a checkup. Just to make sure the healing is taking care of things."
Sui Feng nodded. "Of course Unohana. And thank you." Sui Feng smiled eager at the prospect of bringing Harry home for the first time.
"Of course Sui-Feng. Also, Captain Commander Yamamoto asked me to tell you that you have three days to get Harry fitted out in noble clothing, and present him at the next captains meeting."
Sui Feng gasped. "That's not much time!" she said with shock. How was she supposed to get formal wear for a four year old in only three days when no one else knows about him?
Unohana smiled sadly, "I know. But, considering that he was seen in no less than two different squad barracks, word's going to travel fast Sui Feng," she said sadly. She knew what rumors were like in the Seireitei especially the juicy rumors; like that Captain Feng of the Squad Two had a mysterious child with her in the presence of Mayuri, the head captain, and Captain Unohana herself no less.
Sui Feng nodded. It was true, the Seireitei loved rumors, the juicer, the better, the more outlandish, the greater they were worth. "Thanks again Unohana," Sui-Feng smiled. She then slowly and carefully stood up, so as to keep Harry in her cloak, before making her way to the door. Sui Feng then made her way through the fourth division barracks.
(Song end)
*Feng Clan Mansion*
After she exited the barracks, she made her way to the clan district, before stopping in front of a large compound that looked more like a fortress. When she pushed open the door, it was to find her father sitting on the couch watching news about the world of the living. And the newest rumors that Captain Feng had been seen with a child in her arms. Sui-Feng winced, she would have preferred for her father to hear it from her and meet Harry properly rather than hear it from some Soul Society news anchor.
Her father turned to look at her, seeing the child in her arms. "Care to explain?" he asked, indicating the program. Sui Feng grumbled under her breath. "What was that, dear?" her father asked sternly. Though his face showed irritation, his eyes showed worry.
When he first heard of it on the television, he wondered about what could have possessed her to have a child with her. Then he began to think of reasons why she would do it…Then he realized that the fact that Sui Feng had a child with her must have meant only one thing...
"Is that Harry?" he asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper. Along with Unohana, Sirius Black, and one other, Hui Feng was one of the few who actually knew of his daughter and James' union and Harry's existence. He had been the one to give away his daughter to the late Lord of the House of Potter, and was saddened when he heard of his son in law's demise.
"Hui Feng, meet Harry James Feng Potter," she then turned to Harry. "Harry, meet your grandfather Hui." Harry peaked out of Sui-Feng's robe and squeaked out a quiet and shy, "Hew'o sir," before hiding back in the robe's folds.
Hui smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you honorable grandson," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.
Sui Feng looked at her father. "No corrupting him with pranks, father. I know that was one reason you got along so well with James and Sirius, but please, don't push him into pranks. For my sake if not your own..." she left her sentence hanging, implying a threat to her father, who gulped in fear. Sui Feng may be amused by pranks, but only when they happened to people who deserved a swift pranking kick.
"Yes dear," Hui-Feng responded quickly. Despite the fact that he was the former Head of the Feng Clan, he was still afraid of what his daughter could do. Even her brothers were frightened of her when she was angry.
"Very good. Now, I have to draft a letter to a friend before putting Harry to bed and going to sleep myself, so behave alright?" Hui sighed. Ever since that one prank that went so wrong and involved Sui Feng getting embarrassed, she had never let him forget it, and he regretted ever coming up with that prank in the first place.
Sui Feng then headed up the stairs to her room, where she put Harry on the bed with the shark, dog, wolf, stag, doe, cat, and bee plushies, before going to her desk and penning a formal letter to a friend she lost contact with a year ago. This letter would not be easy, especially considering what would be entailed in it, but it had to be done. After all, they had both agreed to it when they learned they were pregnant at the same time, and it had made so much sense at the time.
As she finished the letter, she sealed it and put it to the side. She would send it off tomorrow. For now, though, it was bedtime, and she was looking forward to finally having a chance to cuddle with her son. As she went over to the bed, she noticed Harry was playing with the cat and bee plushies. Apparently he was playing a game of tag between the two stuffed animals. The sight was adorable to be sure, and made Sui Feng's heart swell with joy at seeing her son happy after all the crap he went through.
"Harry, time for bed!" she told him.
"Nappy?" Harry asked tilting his head to the side cutely. That was when Sui-Feng noticed Harry's scar had faded drastically since the extraction; it no longer looked like an enflamed wound.
"Yes Harry. 'Nappy' time," Sui-Feng giggled, and then frowned when Harry got up off the bed and went to the corner before laying down and hugging Beebee to himself. "No Harry. Back on the bed please," she said gently. When he just looked at his mother with confusion, she went over, picked him up, and brought him back to the bed before tucking him in, and crawling in beside him. Giving him a kiss on the forehead, she smiled and said, "Sweet dreams my son," as she pulled him close and hugged him to her as they both drifted off to sleep, with Harry having his first, real, good dream in three years.
*The Next Day*
The next morning Sui Feng woke to a strange surprise. Well, a few actually. First, she could smell food cooking, the kind that hadn't been cooked around her since she had been forced to leave James when Harry was six months old. Second, Harry wasn't in the bed, which was odd, since he had been wrapped up in her arms. And last but not least, Beebee wasn't here, meaning that Harry must have slipped out of the bed with his favorite plushy in his arms.
Deciding to trust her nose, it led her downstairs and to the kitchen. When she entered the kitchen she gasped in shock, startling the cook, who just so happened to be Harry. Harry dropped the pan he was holding on his foot in surprise as he heard the gasp, causing a large bruise to form on his tiny foot from the heavy pan.
Seeing his mother, Harry smiled. "Me cook breaky!" Harry claimed happily, not seeing a problem with a four year old cooking breakfast. Apparently he had been at it for a while as there was toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, and hash browns. Additionally, he had apparently just been about to cook some batter to make muffins.
Sui Feng rushed forward and hugged her baby boy. "Harry, you shouldn't be cooking!" she exclaimed. This wasn't right! He shouldn't even know HOW to cook in the first place! How long had he been doing this? She swore in her mind that if she ever saw those beasts again, she would cook THEM and feed them to the Hollows.
She then began to frantically check his tiny foot, searching for any permanent damage the pan might have caused. Thankfully, though, she found none, so she settled for just holding her son close to her.
"Why?" Harry asked curiously once more tilting his head to the side cutely. His four year old mind tried to process what could have possibly made his mother so upset.
"Because cooking is my job as your mother," Sui-Feng said.
Immediately there was a snort of laughter from behind them. They both turned to see Hui Feng standing there, laughing his fool head off. "You can't cook! Hell, you even burn TOAST!" he said with laughter.
"Shut your mouth! I just need to steal my son's skills at cooking," she then turned to Harry, "Harry, from now on, you are NOT to cook unless I am with you, okay?" she said with a stern tone in her voice.
"Okie mommy. Me only cook with youse!" Harry agreed with a smile.
Sui Feng nodded, giggling at her son's vocabulary. "Good boy," she said. "Now, let's eat," she continued as she began helping herself, as did her father; however, she paused when she noticed Harry took a single piece of toast. "Harry, fill your plate dear," she said.
Harry looked at her confused. "This my breaky Mommy," he said in a confused tone. The Feng heiress growled. The more she found out about what Harry believed was right, and was actually wrong, the angrier she grew at the Dursleys. She would definitely have to bring this up with the Captain Commander.
Sui Feng then filled a plate and put it in front of Harry. "Eat Harry. That's your breakfast," Harry looked at the plate in wonder, before nodding and began eating. By the time Harry had finished half his plate of food, he was stuffed, groaning in discomfort as he tried to stay sitting up. Sui Feng sighed and looked at her son, then picked him up and patted him on the back.
"Come on. I know what's wrong, Harry," She said with a smile as she patted him on the back a few times; then she felt it, the rumble before...
"UURP!" Harry belched over his mother's shoulder, and then turned to look at his mother, "T'anks Mommy! Me better!" he said with a smile.
Hui laughed off to the side at his grandson's enthusiasm. Sui Feng put away the rest of Harry's breakfast, along with the left overs before picking Harry back up, and then turned to her father. "Harry has a checkup with his godmother to attend to. We will be back later," she said, before going out the door.
*4th Division Barracks*
As Sui Feng entered the fourth division barracks, she saw Isane Kotetsu smiling at her and Harry. Sui-Feng decided to wait for her to catch up. "So, is this Captain Unohana's godson?" Isane asked curiously when she caught up to the mother and son.
"Yes he is; but you must keep it a secret. She and Mayuri are the only captains, other than the Captain Commander, who knows I have a son," Sui Feng replied.
Isane nodded in understanding. "Captain Unohana asked me to help her with a special patient today. I am going to assume this is him," she said, before patting Harry on the head lightly, causing him to tuck his head into his mother's neck in shyness. Sui-Feng giggled as they reached the medical ward.
"Ah good. You're here at last!" Unohana said smiling and taking Harry from his mother before setting him down on a table and beginning the scans. It took her fifteen minutes to run all the scans before she was satisfied. "Good news is, he is far better today, then he was yesterday. Bad news, he has a bruise on his foot that wasn't there last night. Care to explain?" she asked in all seriousness.
Sui Feng's face instantly fell. "I woke up this morning to find him out of bed and making breakfast," she said softly. "The brutes apparently had been having him make their food for them for a few years now. When I saw him, I accidentally startled him and made him drop a pan on his foot."
"...They made him COOK?" the Shinigami healer asked in shock. Her face then morphed to a straight expression; however one could clearly see the unbridled rage in her fiery eyes. If and when those abominations die, she was going to rip them to shreds over the course of five CENTURIES!
Sui Feng nodded as she looked at Unohana. She knew that she needed something to either distract her friend or get Harry out before the healer accidentally scared him. She decided to choose the later, and asked, "So, is it safe for me to take him cloths shopping? I really want to get him outfitted with clothes that fit him."
Unohana snapped out of her brooding when she heard the question. Seeing the young mother's nervous expression, her face calmed and she nodded. "Yes, he is safe to go clothes shopping; BUT, I would recommend calling a tailor or seamstress to your home to do it instead. Less chance of rumors spreading from fewer people seeing him."
Sui Feng nodded, "That is true, but I have a meeting later today with a friend that Harry must attend with me. It is kind of important that he wear at least some form of formal clothing."
Unohana laughed, "I can guess with who, and why you two are meeting, but I hope she agrees. The two of them would make a cute couple when they are older."
Sui-Feng grinned. "Well, it was our dream as children to eventually have our children join our two houses in friendship in a way that we couldn't. It was also a way that would have enabled Harry and James to come live with me in the Soul Society if it weren't for the war."
Unohana grinned, "I pity anyone who chooses to get in your way Sui Feng."
Sui Feng nodded. "Thank you Unohana," she then turned to Isane. "See you later Isane," she said. Sui Feng then picked up Harry and carried him out in her arms.
*Feng Clan Mansion*
Harry was currently at the Feng's home, trying on some kimonos that were fit for formal meetings between nobles. He was also tugging at it as he was fitted, unused to such better fitting and formal clothing. "Mommy!" Harry whined, hating the feel of the last few clothes he was fitted with.
"No Harry," Sui Feng told him for the third time, "You have to get used to wearing them, sweetie. These are what you should have been wearing since you were three Harry," she continued.
Harry sighed and waited patiently as the seamstress fitted him and places pins to get size right in the dark forest green kimono with a red sash and the Feng clan symbol emblazed on the back. Hui smiled. Now his grandson was looking like a true heir of the Feng clan. His only wish was that Harry could have been wearing them sooner.
Once they had finished, Sui Feng ordered at least fourteen copies of the robe, with various undershirts, boxers, briefs, socks, sashes, and under robes as well. Harry smiled as he ran up to his mother and hugged her leg.
"Comfy!" he shouted cutely. Sui Feng giggled at her son's cute reaction.
"Yes Harry, and much better than those rags the 'monsters' left you with," she said with a sad smile at the memory of Lily's family. She had really come to hate the Dursleys, and was going to petition the Captain Commander at the next clan meeting to have the Dursleys converted to souls and brought to the Seireitei to face justice for the abuse of a Captain's child and family.
She was sure the other captains, or at least most of them, would agree with her. She had secretly asked Mayuri to develop something for her, and to keep it from Yamamoto, and that if he succeeded she would, much to her great discomfort and reluctance, provide a blood and hair sample of her son for Mayuri to study. Needless to say, he had agreed in an instant.
The Captain Commander could know nothing of Sui Feng's deal with Mayuri, and he knew that, as such, he would state that it was something he had been developing it 'for 'hits and giggles' as the kids say', or so Mayuri had heard. He might have misheard that phrase, though, but the scientist was not going to admit it due to his pride.
As Sui Feng straightened her son's kimono, she smiled. She knew she would have to teach her son how to speak properly, but that should not take her much time considering how much Harry paid attention to her. As she finally finished her ministrations, she smiled, and picked him up.
"Come on Harry. We're going to see if we can make you a new friend, okay?" Harry nodded. The concept of having friends had always fascinated the young Shinigami wizard, and he was excited to see who this new 'friend' was.
"Kay Mommy," he smiled happily.
*Clan District*
As they made their way to through the clan district of the Seireitei, Sui Feng kept reworking in her head how to best introduce Harry to her friend, who had never gotten the chance to meet Harry. Finally they reached the Kasumiōji clan home. As they did, they noticed two guards standing by the gate.
"What business to you have with the Kasumiōji Clan, Captain?" one of the guards asked.
"I have a meeting with Aimi Kasumiōji and her daughter, Rurichiyo," Sui Feng said in a formal and commanding tone.
The two guards looked to each other, nodded, and moved to the side, allowing the mother and son duo to pass. Lady Aimi had already told them of their meeting via the letter Sui Feng had written and sent off earlier that morning.
With a curt nod, the Feng heiress walked into the compound, her son held securely in her arms. To say that Sui Feng was nervous was like saying a Hollow loves human souls, and Shinigami ones even more so. She had no idea how her old friend would react to seeing her after several years, and with her missing son to boot.
As they were brought before Aimi Kasumiōji, Sui Feng had made sure to hide Harry behind her, noticing how shy and nervous the poor boy was. "Ah, Lady Feng," Aimi said. "It is good to see you once more after so long a time apart." She then turned to everyone else. "Leave us, I wish to speak with her and her companion privately," she said as her guards nodded before leaving.
Once they were alone, Aimi smiled and rushed forward, hugging her dear friend. "Oh Little Bee, how I have missed hanging out with you," she then reached into her kimono and pulled out the letter. "When I got your letter this morning, I had to read it five times before I believed it was true." She then tried to peak around Sui-Feng, trying to see the small figure huddled behind his mother.
"That's him, isn't it?" she asked with a happy yet gentle smile. "The boy behind you, it's him isn't it? Your son. You finally found him?" Sui-Feng smiled in response and pulled out a shy Harry from behind her, who immediately tried to tuck himself into Sui Feng's captain's haori, only to fail and look adorable doing so.
Aimi almost passed out from the sheer cuteness of the tiny figure that stared at her with big green eyes and messy hair that appeared to have been somewhat fixed. At least, what could be considered an attempt at trying to fix the boy's unruly hair. His mother had spent an entire hour to just get it to the way it looked now, which wasn't much of an improvement, truth be told.
"Say hello, honey," Sui Feng said gently, softly prodding her son. She knew how shy he was of meeting new people. She hoped that he wouldn't have the same issue with Rurichiyo, as she was the reason they were there to begin with.
"H-h-he'wo Miss," Harry stuttered out, trying to make himself as small as possible. Sui Feng sighed. She knew that she would need to help him get over the abuse, but that was one reason to be introduced to Rurichiyo so soon. The faster they became friends, the more reason they would have to spend time together, outside of the arranged marriage of course.
"Harry, meet Lady Aimi," Sui-Feng smiled reassuringly. "Aimi, meet my son, Harry James Feng Potter." Sui Feng then turned to Harry. "Harry, I would like for you to meet Aimi's daughter, Rurichiyo," she turned to Aimi. "Aimi, if you would please call your daughter?" she asked.
Aimi nodded, "Of course. Then you and I can talk about recent events..." She was, of course, referring to why Harry was so shy for a Feng.
Five minutes passed before a cute young blonde girl with green eyes entered the meeting hall and bowed to Aimi. "You called mother?" the girl asked.
"Yes Ruri. This is Sui Feng, my closest friend, and her son, Harry, if you could, would you mind entertaining Harry while we talk with one another?" Rurichiyo looked at Harry. He was, in her eyes, adorable, and she could tell he would grow up to be quite handsome.
"Of course mother," she said before walking over to Harry. "Greetings, Harry," she said in a formal and rather loud tone with a smile on her face. "My name is Rurichiyo Kasumiōji. I hope that we can be friends."
Harry cringed at the loud tone the little girl had spoken with. Having lived with the very abusive, and cruel, Dursleys, he was easily frightened by loud noises, as they usually came right before a beating by his uncle.
Harry only managed to squeak out a tiny, "He'wo," before once again trying to hide in his mother's robes. It's not that he didn't want to try to be friendly, but due to the Dursleys, he never knew how to make friends as they always prevented it from happening, saying that 'freaks,' didn't have friends or deserve them.
Add that to the fact that Rurichiyo was the prettiest girl he had ever seen didn't help much either. That wasn't really saying much, though, as Harry never left the house, leading him to never meet a girl, let alone one around his own age.
Rurichiyo tilted her head to the side, then turned to her mother and said, "He's very shy isn't he mother?"
Aimi smiled sadly. "Yes he is, and there's a reason for it, isn't there?" she replied, looking at Sui Feng, who coughed before speaking up.
"My son was being looked after by... people, who did not have his best interests at heart. Due to their actions, I was hoping that... you would be his first friend, and that you could help him gain confidence, open up to people," Sui-Feng said.
Rurichiyo nodded in understanding. "I will do my best to get him to open up then Aunty Feng!" Rurichiyo said with a grin and mock salute, before bursting into giggles. Rurichiyo then turned to Harry, "Come on Harry," she said, taking his hand softly, "Have you ever seen any anime?" she asked.
Harry shook his head, "Wat's anima?" he asked, mispronouncing the new word he had just heard. It was only natural that he didn't know, as he never been allowed anywhere near a television set to begin with.
Rurichiyo gasped, "Right this way Harry! We need to introduce you all my favorite anime!" Sui-Feng cleared her throat suddenly getting Rurichiyo to look at her with curiosity.
"If you could, please also, gently, help my son learn to speak better. As we said, his previous... guardians... mistreated him, so please be gentle, patient, and soft spoken okay Ruri?" Sui Feng asked.
Rurichiyo nodded. "Kay Aunty Feng. I will try my best!" Rurichiyo then pulled her new friend out the door, leaving the two mothers alone.
Once the children had left, Aimi rounded on Sui Feng. "Explain 'mistreated', now!" she said. When she saw Sui Feng's pained expression, she sighed. "Sorry it's just, that boy will be my son-in-law in the future Sui," she said sadly. "As I'll be his future mother-in-law in a decade or so, I would like to know how to help heal him right alongside you!" she said confidently.
Sui Feng nodded in response, and began going over everything they had discovered about her little Harry, and what he had endured under the Dursleys. When she finished, it was easy to see that Aimi was horrified by what Harry had endured, but, at the same time, she felt pride that he could be so sweet after enduring so much.
"He's so shy and cautious, he will need help to get over what he went through," Aimi said. Sui Feng nodded. "That's one reason I was so happy that Rurichiyo took to making friends with him so quickly," she replied.
*Rurichiyo's Room*
"Hmmm. Which one? Which one?" Rurichiyo muttered as she looked at the rather expansive collection of anime before her. Since she had made it a habit of sneaking to the world of the living, she had collected a MASSIVE collection of different things. The chief among them, though, was anime. It would not be out of place to call Rurichiyo an Otaku and partial Japanophile.
Harry, feeling out of place, picked up one in particular after looking at the cover. "Hos a'out t'is one?" he asked, holding up a copy of Laputa: Castle in the Sky for Rurichiyo to look at. Harry had liked it because the cover showed a flying machine, and Harry had always wished he could fly, so that he could escape the Dursleys. Though now it seemed like life was looking up for him.
"Great choice!" the young girl cheered. She hadn't watched that one in a while, and it would be the perfect thing to introduce to Harry. She took the DVD from Harry (carefully though, as she didn't want him to think he did something wrong) and placed it in the player next to the rather large television at the end of her bed.
After hopping up, she patted next to her, essentially showing the boy she wanted him to sit next to her. Harry looked at her cautiously, before finally conceding and climbing up onto the bed, albeit clumsily, and finally managed to sit by her. He stiffened noticeably though when Rurichiyo wrapped a blanket covered arm around his shoulders. When it became clear she wasn't going to hurt him though, he relaxed a little, and became less stiff.
'I really need to help him relax around people better...' Rurichiyo thought to herself sadly. She had an idea of the REAL reason why her mother and Harry's mother wanted them to become friends. She was a noble, and some of the older nobles she had made friends with had told her that nobles often had arranged marriages made for them. The way she saw it, at least he was cute, and would no doubt be handsome in the future, and she could help influence him to like the same things as her. Then at least they would have some of the same things to talk about, like the same interests.
However, when she looked at him as the movie started playing; she noticed that Harry was staring at the screen with an almost enraptured expression on his face. It almost seemed like he had never even SEEN a television set, let alone ever watched a movie. Add the fact that he seriously lacked proper grammar, and was incredibly shy to the point where he was scared to death of just meeting her, and she began to realize the reason for his behavior; those 'guardians' her Aunty Sui Feng mentioned had abused him.
It tore the young heiress up seeing another child around her age so broken like that. At that moment, Rurichiyo swore to always be there for him to make sure that he never had to face something like whatever he went through again.
Besides... It wasn't like she had that many friends her age to begin with. And if their mothers were planning what she thought they were, she had a feeling that they would be seeing each other a lot more in the coming years.
Harry was mesmerized by the movie, it was so imaginative and amazing. He was immensely grateful to his new friend for introducing him to such a world of wonder. When the movie finished Harry was stunned. He had watched as Rurichiyo cried when the Spell of Destruction had been cast on Laputa. Apparently she considered that a sad moment for such a wondrous place.
Harry's favorite moment had been when the metal man had rescued the girl from the mean soldiers. Harry turned to Rurichiyo, and, blushing from embarrassment said, "Tanks for t'e movie Ruri." The young boy was smiling as he finished, still blushing from embarrassment though.
Rurichiyo smiled, glad that he had enjoyed the movie. "Want to watch another anime?" she asked her new friend. After all, the movie was only one of several that the young girl owned, not to mention the complete series as well.
Harry nodded. "Youse choose tis time!" he said happily. Harry was having the most fun that he could ever remember having, and it was all thanks to his first friend, one he would always cherish.
Unknown to the two young children, their mothers were watching them through the partly opened door. Warm smiles crossed their faces as they saw the two new friends interact.
"Looks like it should definitely be official then," Aimi giggled quietly. She was grateful that her daughter had found someone close to her age to be friends with, not to mention someone who seemed to love the animation type she loved so much. Now, if only she could keep Rurichiyo from spreading her habit of sneaking out to the world of the living to Harry...
"Indeed," Sui Feng said with a gentle nod.
The next anime that Rurichiyo introduced Harry to was an anime called Inuyasha. Little did she know this would have an impact on Harry, a positive one. Harry marveled at the half demon's will to never know when to stand down, though he did admit that Inuyasha was a bit dumb for picking fights with everyone. Rurichiyo smiled as she watched Harry slowly become an otaku like her.
As the two mothers watched, they finally decided to leave the kids to their show as they left to discuss the details of the arrangement. Both mothers made sure to include a line that, should either child not wish to marry the other, they would not be forced to marry one another. The first son would be heir to the Feng clan, and the first daughter would be the heiress to the Kasumiōji Clan.
As they finished negotiating the arrangement, they suddenly heard a crash from Rurichiyo's room. No more than five minutes later, Harry came running to them and crying. Sui Feng grabbed and hugged him in an instant. "What is wrong my child?" Sui Feng asked worriedly, concerned for why Harry was crying.
"Mommy you've to help Rur-i-chi-yo! W'were wating tat anima stuff 'en s'mone thwew a wock tough window! It hit Ruri, 'nd now 'e has a booboo tat is weaking!" The little boy was near hysterical by the time he finished. Sui Feng managed to calm him down as she hummed and placed his head to where he could hear her heart. The sound of her heartbeat made him want to fall asleep, but Rurichiyo was more important to him than a nap.
He then held out a note that had been tied to the rock. Apparently, it was a threat to the Kasumiōji Clan about alliances and choosing carefully who the next heiress married.
Aimi and Sui Feng sighed in frustration. Nobles were always nosy, and Rurichiyo was already very cute. She would no doubt be very gorgeous when she was older. As such, it would make sense that some of the less honorable nobles would be keeping an eye on her, and anyone who interacted with her clan.
Seeing as Harry had gone in with Sui Feng, and that they had been in there for a while, it wasn't hard to guess what was happening, and it seemed some idiot noble had decided stupid was genius.
Sui-Feng turned to Harry, "Let's go fix Rurichiyo's booboo, kay?"
Harry nodded, "P'ease hurwwy. 'E taid it 'no biggy', bu' I wan you to keck it mommy!" Harry said, trying to show how concerned he was, and what he thought was a serious injury. The two mothers couldn't help but giggle at the boy's concern. It helped them decide that the marriage contract would be the best choice, as they could see that Harry would be very respectful to Rurichiyo, as well as being a very attentive and caring husband to her.
As they reached Rurichiyo's room, they heard a bit of cursing that made Aimi frown and Harry look down sadly, thinking he was going to be hit since someone was using the same words that Vernon used when he was angry.
"Rurichiyo!" Aimi exclaimed as they entered the room, a stern look on her face. "You know those words are not befitting of an heiress!" Before she could add anything else, she gasped at the sight before her.
Rurichiyo sat on her bed, trying to stop the bleeding coming from the large gash on her right leg. The window was shattered, leaving glass all over the floor. The thing that scared the Kasumiōji Clan Head the most, though, was the almost spear shaped rock that lay at her daughter's feet.
Her face paling, she ran to the bed and began inspecting the wound. Thankfully the gash wasn't as bad as it looked when up close. However, she knew that it needed to be treated right away, lest the young girl bleed to death.
"Harry, I told you, I'm okay. I am just bleeding a bit, and need some bandages!" Rurichiyo said, speaking a bit louder then she intended to. Granted, she was bleeding quite a bit, but she was sure she would be ok with some bandages.
Her face fell when she saw her friend cringe when she raised her voice. She had forgotten that he had been abused due to her attention being focused on trying to stop the bleeding. By yelling at him, she had unintentionally made him think that he was in trouble, which, from the way he carried himself, used to mean a beating of some sort.
"Harry," she said softly, cringing as her mother used the bandages from the first aid kit in her room, "I'm not mad at you. It just hurts a little, which is making me speak a little louder. I'm not mad okay?"
Harry only nodded, still beating himself up on the inside for what happened. Sure it wasn't his fault, but when Rurichiyo was hurt, he couldn't do anything but get their mothers. Inside his tiny mind, he made up his mind to protect his new friend.
"Hurts only a little huh?" Aimi said with a frown as she saw her daughter grit her teeth as she tightened the bandages. "Ruri, what have I told you about taking your wounds lightly?"
"Taking your wounds lightly?" Sui Feng echoed in confusion. "You mean to tell me that this happens often?"
"Of course not," her childhood friend said with a shake of her head. "Ruri just has a bad habit of not thinking about any injuries she gets. It's almost as bad as her habit of sneaking out." she paused, "I honestly don't know which is more life-threatening anymore to be honest," she added with a heavy sigh.
Harry looked at the two mothers, worry evident on his face. "Ruri be okie?" he asked in genuine concern. The two women couldn't help but giggle at the adorable face he was making as he hoped for his friend's safety.
Sui Feng smiled. "Well, Aimi is Ruri's mother, it's her call on whether her daughter is going to be alright, but I think she will be fine," she said as she hugged her son.
Harry nodded as his face lit up from its sad demeanor at the news. "T'at good," he said smiling at Ruri, who smiled back.
Sui Feng smiled, glad that they were already so close despite having only just met that day. "Well, I think we have had enough excitement for one day, don't you Aimi?" she asked.
"Yes, I believe so," Aimi said. Then Aimi turned to her daughter. "Rurichiyo, say good bye to Harry," she said.
Rurichiyo looked at her mother, and then at Sui Feng. "Could Harry come by tomorrow and play some more?" she asked.
Sui Feng smiled, "I think that could be arranged. For after the captains meeting tomorrow of course," she said.
"Ah, introducing the 'new noble' to the captains of the 13 Court Guard Squads, eh?" the Kasumiōji Clan Head asked.
Sui Feng nodded. "It was the Captain Commander's idea, and given what my son has been through, I can see most of them supporting him. Though if Kenpachi dares to challenge my son to fights in the future, I will kick his arse," she said.
Aimi smiled reassuringly. "I hope the captains' meeting goes well Sui," she said.
"So do I, Aimi," Sui Feng with a sigh. "So do I."
After saying their goodbyes, the Feng heiress and her son left the compound. As they walked down the streets, Sui Feng looked down at her son, who she held in her arms due to the child being exhausted from all the excitement from that day.
"So what do you think of Ruri, Harry?" she asked her son with a soft smile, reveling in the feeling of having him in her arms once again.
"I wike 'r," came the reply with a tiny yawn. "She p'etty and nice..." He nodded off after finishing that sentence.
Sui Feng giggled at her son's sleeping form. She was glad to have spent time with her old friend again, and was more than happy to see the two children having fun. She just hoped that the meeting tomorrow would go well. After all, her son needed all the allies he could get.
"And that will be all for today, ladies and gents. As much as I'd love to continue talking, I'm afraid I must get back to my portrait.
"Now… Huh? What's Ogremen doing near that nest? Wait… Oh no.
"OGREMEN! STAY AWAY FROM THAT NEST! THAT'S AN-"
RRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!
"…. Orochi nest. Sorry faithful viewers, but I need to save my comrade from that dragon.
"Till next time everyone!"