Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Captain Commander of the First Division.
Chojiro Sasakibe, Lieutenant of the First Division.
Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, Captain of the Third Division.
Retsu Unohana, Captain of the Fourth Division
Kensei Muguruma, Captain of the Ninth Division.
The graves stretched for hundreds of yards. Each one carved with care by the remaining members of their division. Each one visited almost daily by those who were left alive at the end of the bloodiest war in the history of Soul Society. The Thousand Year Blood War. That was what it was being called. No other name could bring the scale of the horror to life so well. A thousand years of hatred had caused this bloodshed. A thousand years of hatred that could have been avoided, if only one side or the other had been willing to compromise.
"Its disgusting... We did this. Quincy and Shinigami... We both claim to be the side of justice, but it was thanks to the Hollows that the war came to an end when it did..." Uryu sighed as he stared down at the grave nearest him. His mother, at the head of a long field of graves for his own people. "And now, they lay side by side. In a few million years, a person walking by might think they had been friends, not bitter enemies... Strange how things appear from a distance."
"Strange indeed... Maybe we are too quick to judge friend and foe... A little patience and little understanding would have spared many lives. And not just Shinigami and Quincy... I think the Arrancar would have accepted a hand of friendship, if we had offered it before Aizen. It's a shame... The stubbornness of old men, set in their ways. Eons of tradition that only leads to meaningless conflict... But unless the young and strong make a stand for what is right, nothing will ever change. It does no good to bemoan the state of things if one has not the courage to see them changed." Kisuke Urahara said quietly. Ururu and Jinta had both been badly wounded during the confusion at the end of the battle. It was still unclear if they would recover, even under the care of Orihime. The former captain had already chosen where they would be buried. A hilltop with a single tree. Ururu on the west, were the sun would set, and Jinta on the east, where it would rise in the morning.
"Ichigo has already changed more than I ever thought could be changed... He's become a great man. Hard to believe he was just an idiot punk less than two years ago... But it can't all be left to him... He has done his part... He has sacrificed and saved more lives than anyone could have asked of one man. And it will take cooperation to make peace... There are rebel Sternritter who have already turned their back on me. They swear they will not rest until they see Yhwach's goal achieved. There are Shinigami who still burn with hatred for the Quincy who cut down their loved ones. The Arrancar are not without the minority who still curse the Shingami who hunted them. None of them alone can stop the hatred..."
"Then maybe they shouldn't try to do it alone. None are alone in their desire for peace. The solution, I think, is to step back, like the traveler in a million years, and see things from a distance. Together. Shinigami, Quincy, Arrancar, Visored. If even one or two of each truly wanted peace, and were willing to seek it side by side with those who were once their enemies, just think what could be accomplished."
"Urahara... You really are the greatest mind in Seireitei. A division of delegates of each faction, dedicated to peace... It could work... Ambassadors. Ambassadors for change. We could call it the Delta Division. That is the scientific symbol for change, is it not?" Uryu turned to the blonde man. Urahara smiled sadly.
"That it is, Quincy King. The Delta Division. For peace... So no one else has to die for the hatred of stubborn fools with power... I would like to serve as a representative for the Shinigami. I don't think I could stomach being a soldier again, anyway. This way, I can do more than sit on the sidelines and try to pull the strings of fate."
"Yes. You should serve as a representative of the Shinigami. And for the Quincy... I will ask my father to take my place. I stood beside Yhwach. Even with the best intentions, I have no right to speak out against hatred and war. Nelliel, of the Arrancar would be a wise choice. And of the Visored, who would you recommend?"
"Love or Hachi. Both are level headed and wise enough to set aside their own bitterness for the sake of peace. Hachi may have an edge in wisdom, but no one would compare to Love's dedication."
"Love, then. Dedication will be vital if this is to succeed. Ryuken, Love, Nelliel, and yourself. Between the four of you, maybe things will change."
"Yeah. Maybe they will." Urahara looked toward the Seireitei and smiled brightly for the first time since the war had ended. "They're awake!" He flashed away toward the Fourth Division, leaving Uryu alone with his thoughts.
"Grandfather, forgive me for my foolish and shameful behavior... But I'm going to make up for it. Peace between Quincy and Shinigami... It is what you dreamed of. I'm going to see that dream made real." He knelt at the grave of his mother and drew the Seele Shneider he had used to avenge her. "I swear, Mother, this was the last life I will ever take. From this day forward, I will dedicate my life to bringing peace. I will take up Ichigo's cause to protect. I will bring pride back to the Quincy."
"I'm already proud of you, Uryu."
The Quincy jumped and turned, relaxing when he saw Orihime had joined him on the hill overlooking the expanse of graves. She stepped forward and took the weapon in her hand and then lay it on the top of the stone.
"Orihime... I don't deserve your pride... I don't deserve your forgiveness or your kindness... I deserve nothing more than a stone here beside those who's lives I should have saved."
"Uryu!" She shouted, slapping him hard enough to knock his glasses from his face. "Don't you ever say that again! You are a good man, and I won't let someone I love think so horribly of themselves!"
"Someone you love?" Uryu looked up at her as he reached for his glasses, no longer caring about the stinging in his cheek. She blushed and looked away.
"Yes... Someone I love..."
Line -
Inside the Fourth Division, the atmosphere was a mix of the worry of those who were still waiting for their friends and family to awaken, and the joy of those who were able to hold those dearest to them once again. Urahara was hugging Jinta with one arm, ignoring the grumbled complaints, and teasing Ururu's bangs with his other hand.
A few beds away, The Kurosaki family sat between two beds. On one, Rukia sat propped up. Her wounds mostly healed. Now it was only mandatory bed rest, mostly at the urging of her brother. On the other, a white haired boy, who looked like little more than a child. Rangiku returned with another blanket, draping it over her captain and sitting next to her former captain. Isshin and Yuzu had been called in as extra medical help, and Karin could not be dissuaded from accompanying them.
Rangiku had been shocked to see her former captain alive again, but under the circumstances, she had put their reunion on hold for the sake of her current captain. Toshirou Hitsugaya had been infected by the zombie powers of the Sternritter Z. With her death, he had been left with only a miniscule fraction of his spiritual pressure left. Mayuri estimated had he remained her slave for even another hour, all hope would have been lost for him.
As it was, his condition was slowly improving. However, as his energy returned and his mind remained absent, his riatsu began leaking out of control, freezing anything too close to his bed. Rukia had been moved to the bed next to his so that her own ice powers could keep his under control.
"Captain Shiba... Why did you never send word to us?" Rangiku asked quietly. It felt like a crime to break the silence that hung over them. Ichigo considered the young captain a good friend. Karin had only met him once before but grown very fond of him all the same. Isshin had considered him like a son before he had left Soul Society. Yuzu was the only one who did not feel a sense of great loss over the shinigami, and she was busy stitching his wounds while the healers focused their kido on more threatening injuries.
"I had lost my powers... And Aizen would have had me killed if I tried to return. It was safer for you both, and for myself, if I simply stayed away. Then I had a family I had to protect... I am sorry though... I wish I had found a way to let the two of you know I was alive." Isshin smiled at his youngest daughter tending to the boy he had once considered his first son. Now, he seemed like the little brother, not the older.
"He missed you... It tore him up to accept you were not coming back. He pushed himself to the breaking point to meet the challenge of the captain's exam so that no one else could take your place." Rangiku smiled sadly. "I guess I have to stop calling you 'Shiba', don't I? Toshirou almost tried to have his name changed to Toshirou Shiba until I told him people would only see it as a grab for nobility, not as honoring your memory."
"He's awake!" Karin sat up as she saw Toshirou's eyes flutter, open, then finally focus. Immediately, they felt the chill in the air evaporate as he wrestled his riatsu under control.
"Karin? What are you doing here? Rangiku, what's going on? Captain Shiba... Captain!" He sat up suddenly, then cried out and fell back, clutching the stitched up gash across his chest. "Captain... You're alive... I knew you were alive..."
"Yeah, Shiro. I'm alive. But it's Kurosaki now, not Shiba. And I haven't been a captain for twenty years." Isshin smiled and gently helped the boy sit up and stuffed a pillow behind him.
"Kurosaki... You can't be serious... Ichigo and Karin... They're your children?" The white haired captain looked around at the family surrounding him. "And you're name is Yuzu isn't it?"
"Mhm. It's nice to finally see you. I didn't believe Karin when she told me about you having hair like snow. It really is cool." Yuzu smiled sweetly at the boy as her sister blushed.
"How long have I been out?"
"Two days. The war is over. We won, if you can call it a victory. But the bloodshed has stopped, and the Shinigami have not been wiped out." Rangiku reported.
"It does not feel like victory..." Rukia said from the next bed over.
"No. It is never a victory when this many people die." Isshin stood up. "Ichigo, lets take a walk."
Without question, his son stood and followed him. Ichigo took one moment to place a hand on Toshiro's shoulder before leaving the Fourth Division.
"What is it, Dad?"
"What do you plan to do, now that the war is over?"
"I... I plan to stay in the human world for the last year of high school, then four years of college. Then I plan to return to Soul Society as a Shinigami. Do you think that is the wrong decision?"
"No, I think it is a very wise choice. Shunsui has asked me to return as a Captain, now that the war is over. There are a lot of seats to fill. I've refused to return entirely until all of my children have moved on. He's agreed to allow me to hold the title and allow my lieutenant to serve as head until that time comes."
"What division?"
"The Fourth. I've been a doctor for the last twenty years. I want to continue saving lives. Your mother would have wanted it that way."
"Yeah..."
"So, when are you going to marry my dear third daughter?"
"After I graduate and become a full time Shinigami, I plan to ask her to marry me. If she is still putting up with me, that is. Five years is a long time for things to change, for better or for worse."
"You should ask her brother for permission. Even if it is only an empty gesture, nobles are fond of those. It can't hurt to earn a few points with him."
"That's a good idea... Thanks." Ichigo stopped and looked up the hill they were standing at. "Looks like Orihime finally realized that Uryu was the one for her, not me." He smirked as he saw his two friends embracing and talking quietly to each other.
"You know they are reserving a Captain's seat for you as well, don't you?" Isshin turned to his son.
"I know. Captain Kyoraku has already told me he wants me to lead his old division. He even says I can appoint my own lieutenant, no restrictions."
"Have you decided who? Uryu? Orihime? Chad?"
"Lisa Yadomaru. It was her former position. We worked well together in Hueco Mundo and during the clean up effort after the battle on Sokyoku Hill. She also has the experience I lack. Besides, Uryu will never join the Gotei 13, and Orihime is definitely going to join the Fourth. Chad will be my right hand man, even if he doesn't hold the title. He knows that."
"You've gone and become a wise old man while I wasn't looking. I'm so proud!"
"Knock it off, Goat Chin!" Ichigo kicked his father as he tried to tackle him with a hug.
The two walked around the base of the hill and around the field of graves in silence from there.
Line -
"Toshirou... You know my dad?" Karin asked quietly.
"Yeah. He used to be my captain. He was like a father to me... I thought he was dead all these years. I never knew I had met two of his children." The white haired captain opened his eyes and glared at the girl. "And it is Captain Hitsugaya to you!"
"Whatever Toshirou. Tell me what he was like back then. My dad, I mean." Karin brushed off the boy's objection about his name.
"He was... Very good at making people feel at home. While he was here, the Tenth Division was a family. Closer than the Eleventh, at the time. We were all loyal to him. We loved him. That's not to say he was the best captain, though." Toshirou grinned to himself. "He was always trying to get out of work. Matsumoto picked that up from him."
"Doesn't sound likes he's changed that much."
"No... I envy you. Growing up with him as your father... It must have been a pain, but I can't imagine a better childhood."
"It was a pain... But you're right. He was a good father." Karin smiled. "The Tenth isn't that close anymore?"
"No... I was barely able to fulfill the requirements for captaincy in time when he disappeared, but I was never quite able to fill his shoes. The Tenth Division has a long way to go before it is back to its former glory."
"I'd like to see that... Do you think there is room for me in your division?" Karin asked.
"For Captain Shiba's daughter? Yes. But you'll have to go through the academy first." Toshirou smirked at her. "If you can handle it."
"Don't forget who you're talking to. Of course I can handle it!"
Line -
"Idiot..." Hiyori sighed as she readjusted her chair and slumped forward on the blonde man's chest again. When she had reached his side, he had given her one smile, then collapsed. Under his white captain's haori, he skin was a mangled mess of burnt flesh and gaping wounds. His blood loss was too severe for kido alone to have him. He had been one of the first that Isshin Kurosaki had treated after the battle.
She had not left his side since he had collapsed. Luckily, the battle had ended only minutes after her arrival with the Arrancar. Had it dragged out, the man might not have been treatable at all.
"Ah, you're still here. I heard them talking. They think the worst is past. He's held on this long, it's unlikely he'll die now." Kisuke Urahara took a set next to his former lieutenant. "He kept fighting so he could see you. He was ready to give up when I got there. Knowing you were on your way gave him strength."
"Not enough strength..." Hiyori no longer had the energy to be angry at her former captain. Not that he deserved any anger, but it was her go-to reaction, and it might have made her feel better, given the stressful circumstances.
"He's alive. I think that was plenty of strength."
"I should have been here in Soul Society fighting beside him the whole time... I shouldn't have been wasting my time in the living world doing errands for the Twelfth..."
"You did what you could. It is no use to regret what's past." Urahara reached into his pocket and tossed her a package. "A gift from Akon."
She takes the package hesitantly and lifts the lid off the small box. She raises an eyebrow at what is inside.
"My old hair ties? And my spare lieutenant badge... He kept my junk after I left? Not gonna lie, that's kinda creepy." Hiyori drops the lid back onto the box and tosses it over her shoulder, landing it neatly on a table.
"It is not in a scientist's nature to dispose of possible data. He also may have had something of a crush on you in the past, whether he would ever acknowledge it as such or not. I imagine it makes him feel a bit more... complete. To have finally returned the last of your belongings to you." Urahara said.
"Whatever..."
"Uh... Excuse me, but I need you both to move away a little... It's time for me to change his bandages..." Yuzu Kurosaki said shyly as she held the medical supplies up in explanation. Urahara bowed low and gave his old friend a wave before slipping off to another part of the division. Hiyori scooted her chair back a few feet and sat up straighter.
"Is he really going to be okay?" She asked the girl quietly. Yuzu looked at her with wide eyes, then smiled warmly and nodded.
"Yes. He's going to make a full recovery. At this point, even if he were an ordinary human, he would not be in much danger. He will be weak for a while though. In order to help as many people as possible, the healers have been using a special ointment that uses the subject's spiritual power as fuel to heal them. He is very strong, but his wounds were very bad. I would expect him to be awake by nightfall."
"Really?"
"Seems a bit conservative to me..." A groggy voice moaned from the bed.
"Shinji!" Hiyori stood up, took one moment to ensure her friend really was alive and well, then slapped him viciously with her flip flop. "You have a lot to answer for..."
"Ouch! Can't you see I'm injured, here? It's rude to go around slapping people in hospitals!" Shinji Hirako held his stinging cheek in mock agony. It did hurt, but he was used to that.
"You could have died... For Shinigami... I thought you promised we would only die for each other..." Hiyori dropped her shoe and knelt beside him, leaning into his chest again.
"I did promise that. That's why I didn't die, dummy." Shinji tugged one of her pigtails teasingly.
"You came way too close... Don't do it again... They aren't worth it..."
"Hiyori... Maybe no Shinigami is worth it... But they would not have stopped there. They would have killed all of us as well. They hated Shinigami and Hollows so much, you think they would have spared us, who are both?"
"No... But you could have ran... Kensei and Rose... They both died. What would I have done without you? You're our leader, Shinji. We need you..."
"You'd have led them. They already know that." Shinji smirked at her shocked look. "What? Who else would I have left in charge? There is no one alive I trust more than you."
"Shinji... I am not through with you yet... Idiot... Baldy... Damn it..." She huffed and let her head slump weakly against him. "I love you."
"Yeah, love you too, uncouth monkey." Shinji closed his eyes and waved to Yuzu that he would be alright until he next round through. She smiled and went off to her next patient. He was in good hands.