"Old Man, is there anything I should know before I do this?" Ichigo stood on the side of the sky scraper, addressing the manifestation of his Quincy powers. "I'd really like this to include no surprises."
"Only this. Before, when we fought Aizen, you were only merged with us for a short time, and our full attention was on defeating him and making you stronger. We disappeared from your inner world, but that did not actually mean we were no longer there. Even once you merge with him, if you wish to draw out his individuality without separating him from your soul, all you need to do is meditate as you do to enter this world, while in this world. You will enter the deepest part of your soul. He will be there. You can speak to him in that way, if you ever have such a desire." The old man explained. Ichigo nodded his understanding.
"I figured there must be something like that. I could still feel you both as completely unique aspects of my soul even after we merged. Alright. It's time. Zangetsu!" Ichigo shouted, and his hollow was by his side. "Are you ready for this?"
"I've been ready for this for years, King." The hollow drew his sword. The larger of Ichigo's Zanpakuto blades, which represented his fused Shinigami and Quincy powers. "King... Ichigo... Thank you, for keeping your promise. I have one more thing I would like you to promise me, Ichigo."
"What is it?" He no longer flinched at the thought of cooperating with his hollow. They had spent more time speaking on friendly terms in his inner world over the last four years. He would almost consider them friends.
"Protect our Queen. I like snow a hell of a lot more than rain." The hollow raised the sword, leveled it at Ichigo's chest, and then swiftly lunged forward. The blade slid into his twin with little resistance. Ichigo closed his own hand around the hilt, next to the hand of the hollow.
"I promise." They both knew who the Queen was. Only one person could turn the rain of his sorrow into snow.
The hollow dissolved before his eyes. The last thing to fade was the toothy grin. Like the Cheshire Cat. Ichigo turned to the old man.
"Do you want to merge as well? If I can still come to you for guidance, there is really no reason not to, is there?"
"When you invite us and accept us in to your soul, you are placing your trust in us. In the war, the Sealed King was able to turn my power back on you. I would be afraid of such a thing happening again, if I were to reside so deep within your soul. As he pointed out. My power is insignificant next to his. After all, he has the infinite potential of a living human, and a hollow's instinctive ability to draw out his full potential. I am content to remain here and look out for you as an observer."
"I understand. Will I still have two Zanpakuto?"
"Only when you wish it. When you call us to protect and defend, he will answer. If you call us to rise up and strike, I will answer. If you call for us to never retreat, both of us will come to your hand. However, with him dwelling in the deepest part of your soul, and my power so small, we will likely remain in a sealed state rather than Shikai in the future."
"That will take some getting used to..." Ichigo looked at the sky. "Snowing again. Rukia must be back already. I need to go. Thank you, for lending me your wisdom, Zangetsu."
"It is what I live for. Go. See to your Queen."
Ichigo's eyes flickered open just as a light knock sounded at the door.
"Ichigo, are you alright in there?"
"Yeah. Just a sec." Ichigo stood up and sheathed his newly sealed Zanpakuto, then straightened the white haori over his shoulders before walking to the door and opening it. Once she saw his face, Rukia's anxiety melted away and was replaced by curiosity.
"It worked, then? You merged with Zangetsu?"
"Yeah. You've reported to Captain Ukitake?"
"I have. I also spoke to my brother. He has agreed to meet with you for lunch. What's that all about?"
"I need to talk to him about something private, as a fellow older brother." Ichigo gave her a cocky grin. "My Lieutenant has the division under control, and its a long time till lunch. Want to go see how everyone is settling in to the Academy?"
"You just want to show off your new Captain's haori, don't you?" Rukia tugged on the fabric. "It does look good on you. You go ahead. I want to go talk to Lieutenant Kotetsu in the fourth. I'll catch up with you later."
Line -
"That is quite a radical theory, Urahara. Do you have any evidence?" Mayuri asked. Although he generally disliked being associated with his former captain, he could not help but retain a great degree of respect for his mind.
"Not yet. It was not the focus of my research, it was just a thought I had. There is logic to support it, though. I was hoping you would be willing to help me with the proof aspect, if you are interested." Kisuke Urahara grinned. He knew his old subordinate would never pass up the opportunity for research in such an area.
"What logic is that, then?"
"Well, if we begin with the assumption that Humans, Shinigami, and Hollows came into existance at different times, then one must have come first, yes?"
"I agree. And it would be a logical next step that of the three, Humans must have come first, as it takes the souls of dead humans to become the other two."
"Exactly! From there, it is a question of which came second, Shinigami or Hollows. Since Hollows occur naturally, and would never be prevented in a world without Shinigami, I believe it is likely that Hollows came next. The only question then, is how Shinigami came to be, if no souls were being taken to Soul Society."
"And that is where you come up with your wild theory that Shinigami come from Hollows... It is ludicrous. However, it does merit further investigation. I will assign a team to it. They will report to both of us, though. Don't forget, I am the Captain now."
"Of course. I am grateful. Your help on the specialized desert crops was invaluable as well." Urahara said, then turned to leave. "And even if she never mentions it, Hiyori was pleased that you showed up without the makeup and hat."
"Just get out. I have work to do." Mayuri dismissed the man grumpily. "He had only consented to forgoing his usual attire because he did not want to have to deal with the diminutive woman any longer than necessary.
Line -
"I imagine I am going to regret agreeing to this meeting." Byakuya commented evenly.
"Probably not as much as I will regret requesting it." Ichigo sighed and took the seat across the desk from the older captain.
"I do have other business that requires my attention, so if you do not mind, say what you need to say and get out."
"Alright." Ichigo reached into his pocket and handed a small box to Byakuya. "I want to ask for your permission to marry Rukia."
"Does that mean that if I refuse, you will respect my wishes and cease all romantic contact with my sister?" Byakuya opened the box and examined the ring. It was a simple but elegant silver band with small diamonds around the center. On the inside as an inscription of pure gold. Black Sun and White Moon with a pair of crossed blades in between.
"I'm sorry, but no. The only approval that will make a difference to me is hers. However, your approval would mean a lot to her. For what it is worth, it would mean a lot to me as well." Ichigo did not falter as he watched the man replace the ring in the box and return it.
"I see. She is a noble, and will be expected to marry another high ranking noble. You are asking me to jeopardize our family's noble standing."
"That's not really an issue and you know it. The Shiba clan was reinstated as the fifth great noble house after my father was granted a pardon for his years in the living world. I'm technically a high ranking noble, and a suitable husband as far as your family would be concerned." Ichigo smirked slightly. He had been disgusted by the idea of being a noble until he realized that it gave him some leverage with the Kuchiki clan leader.
"You have given this more thought than I had imagined. Very well, Kurosaki. I will give my consent on one condition. You must follow the standard courting procedures of the noble clans. At the end of such time, I will give my blessing for you to marry my sister."
"Alright. If that is what it takes." Ichigo stood up. "I'll let you get back to your work then."
"Not so fast. I see no reason we should not start now." Byakuya almost let a childish smirk break his mask when he saw the newly appointed captain freeze. He may just enjoy this after all.
Line -
"Sounds like you got more than you bargained for, just like I did, huh?" Shinji Hirako grinned at the orange haired hero sitting on the rooftop next to him. "Courting as a noble... Sounds like a nightmare come true. Makes me all the more grateful for my uncouth monkey."
"You had your wedding with the entire Twelfth Division. I'm not entirely sure I'm getting the worse deal." Ichigo laughed. Shinji nodded his agreement.
"I can't argue that. It was a bit weird, but she was happy. That's what really counts in the end, right?"
"Yeah. Kensei and Rose died in the war... You are a Captain, Lisa and Mashiro are Lieutenant's now. Love and Hachi are acting as Visored Ambassadors for the Delta Division. Hiyori is living in the Fifth with you. There are no more Visored in the living world, are there?"
"No... Your dad and sisters are the last people with significant spiritual power left down there. Once they move on, that's it. The ties between the living world and Soul Society that have been so strong for the last century will be gone."
"Is that really a good thing, though? Urahara insists that I spend one day out of every year in my living body to maintain a connection with it. He rattled off a bunch of science crap I didn't understand so he may have been making it up, but it sounded like the ties between our worlds was something he wanted to keep." Ichigo said. Shinji shrugged.
"Hard to tell, with that man. But if he thinks it is better, I'd be willing to place my bet with him. He have had a lot of unusually strong Shinigami in the last century, now I think about it. More Bankai have popped up since I was made Captain than in the thousand years previous... He may be on to something he doesn't want everyone knowing just yet."
"Isn't he always? Glad he's on our side. I hope he's on our side. He makes it hard to tell sometimes." Ichigo remembered some of his training that had made him wonder if his best interests were really being factored in to consideration at all. Of course, the crazy scientist always managed to make him stronger.
"Captain! Your wife is looking for you! Oh, Captain Kurosaki. I apologize for interrupting." Lieutenant Momo Hinamori had appeared on the roof several paces away. Shinji sighed and waved a dismissive hand.
"Thanks, Momo. I'll be down in a minute."
"Yes sir." She bowed and flashed off the roof.
"That girl worries me." Shinji shook his head.
"What? Why?" Ichigo looked in the direction the girl had disappeared in. "I thought she had recovered from Aizen's betrayal."
"On the surface she has." Shinji said quietly. "But I know she's not completely right. She talks to herself when she is alone. She follows me like a lost puppy sometimes. She hasn't spent any time alone with any of her friends since the winter war. If I had to guess, I would say she made herself separate her world in her head. She accepted only as much as she had to in order to function, and she's living in a fantasy world where much of the horror she's witnessed and experienced just hasn't been recognized as truth."
"That... Is terrifying and concerning... Have you talked to anyone in the Fourth about this?"
"I have. Lieutenant Kotetsu thinks time and contact with others will eventually integrate what she has segmented off into her reality in a less violent way than direct confrontation. I'm not sure how to approach Captain Hitsugaya about the subject though. He is a bit hot headed, and he's still recovering from some trauma of his own."
"Yeah, being enslaved as a zombie must have been rough on him." Ichigo commented. Shinji raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Ah, I thought they would have told you, but Rukia was already in the living world when it occurred... The young captain struck up a close friendship with Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi. Some speculated it was rapidly moving past friendship."
"With Yachiru? I can't imagine that... They seem like almost complete opposites.
"Yes, well, it was rough at first, but they balanced each other out well. Then she died." Shinji watched the realization hit Ichigo.
"Kenpachi?"
"Also dead. I don't know all the details. You'd have to ask someone in the Eleventh, but I do know that Yachiru took down two rebel Sternritter before she died, and Kenpachi took down the remaining three. They were a band of five, specially created to destroy the Zero Division."
"I can't believe Kenpachi is dead..."
"Yeah. It was a dark day for Soul Society when they carried their bodies back. Ikkaku Madarame is captain now. Technically, he didn't meet the requirements, but no one wanted to try and take the position from him, and his Division respects him without question. It was easier to just allow it to slide. Anyway, Yachiru's death was hard on Hitsugaya. He's getting better, but it was so bad at one point that Matusmoto was doing the division's paperwork."
"SHINJI!" Hiyori snarled from the end of the roof. Shinji's eyes widened.
"Gotta run, Ichigo. See you later." The blonde captain disappeared in a flash, his wife hot on his heels.
Line -
"He's beautiful. Have you decided on a name yet?" Kukkaku Shiba had set her pipe aside and was holding the small, black haired child with her good arm. He had his mother's hair, but she could already tell he would look like his father.
"We wanted to ask you for permission to name him Kaien." Ichigo said slowly. "It was the only name that everyone agreed on, but I don't want to offend you if you are against it."
"Kaien... Kaien Kurosaki. I like it." Kukkaku smirked. "My brother would have, too. You may not have met him, but you sure took after him. I'd be proud for my cousin's son to bare his name."
"Where's Ganju? We wanted to tell him as well, before we made the official announcement." Rukia asked, looking around.
Kukkaku laughed.
"The idiot is on his way to the 4th Division to suggest you name your child Kaien."
Line -
"Captain, you have a visitor!" Rangiku Matsumoto said happily as she entered Toshiro Hitsugaya's office.
"Tell them I am busy, or have them wait for a few more minutes. I am nearly finished for the day. Is it urgent?" The white haired captain did not look up from the paper he was finishing.
"It is urgent, in a manner of speaking..." Matusmoto hid her grin.
"Somehow, you failed to convince me. Send them away." He was so close. Another line and a signature and he was done for the day.
"Oh, I don't think that would be a good idea. You did make this appointment quite a long time ago. Nine years, I believe."
"Nine years? Why would I have made an appointment with anyone that long ago? I was still recovering from the war nine years ago..." Toshiro froze and blinked. "I see."
"Shall I send her in?" The well endowed lieutenant asked playfully. Her captain reluctantly nodded.
A few moments later, He tossed the completed document to the side and looked up to see a young woman entering his office. She had long black hair and the white and red garments of a student at the Academy.
"Karin Kurosaki. You're looking well."
"Thanks, you too, Shiro." Karin smirked at him and sat on his desk. Suddenly she frowned. "You've grown too... I thought for sure I would be taller than you now."
"I aged faster in the two years following the war. My power was completely obliterated when I was enslaved, and Shinigami aging is a function of our energy density. We're probably about the same age, physically." Toshiro stood up and looked her over. She stood up and grinned. He noticed they were eye to eye. "We are the same height..."
"Yes we are." Karin laughed. "I need to get back to the Academy. My classes begin tomorrow. I'll be back in six years to claim that position you promised me, though. Just you wait, Shiro."
"It's Captain Hitsugaya to you!" He called after her as she left the room. He growled and picked up his Zanpakuto as he left his office. His lieutenant fell in to step behind him when he stepped out of the room.
"You going to tell her that you already filled out the paperwork for her transfer to the Tenth?"
"Not until she finishes her first year or two. I don't want her slacking off." The white haired captain smiled. It might be fun, bossing around his former captain's daughter.
Line -
"Welcome to the First Division, Mizuiro Kojima." Nanao Ise greeted the smiling man as she led him to the division barracks. "Your exam scores were very impressive. Are you going to apply for a seated position?"
"Not yet. I think I would like to spend a year getting used to how everything works before I pick up more responsibility. Besides, I was only really good with Kidou. My swordsmanship still needs a lot of work." Mizuiro followed the Lieutenant closely, not wanting to get lost on his first day.
"That's not so uncommon. Renji Abarai is a good example of the very opposite. He was very skilled with his Zanpakuto, but can not cast even the simplest Kidou spells without blowing himself up, and he's a captain now. I, on the other hand, was promoted to Lieutenant for Kidou skills alone. That's not to say you should not make every effort to master all the arts, but it is not necessarily going to be the thing that determines how far you will go."
"Really? That is incredible." He stopped and looked in to the room she had stopped in front of.
"This is where you will be keeping your personal belongings and sleeping. Showers are in the next three rooms, and the woman's barracks is in the next building. If you need the Captain, myself, or the Third through Fifth seat, we are all located in the building at the end. Our sleeping quarters and our offices are there. The Sixth through Twentieth seated officers are located in the building on the other end. Meals will be served in the barracks commons near the low seated officers' building. Most of your training will be seen to in the courtyard in the center of the Division."
"I think I got it..." Mizuiro smiled sheepishly. "It's a lot more complicated than the Academy. It will take a little time to get used to."
"Not as long as you might think. And if you get lost, don't worry about it. Just ask for directions. The Seireitei is hard to navigate, even for some of the most experienced officers." Nanao smiled kindly and walked down the hall further. "There is a trick to navigating this place though. When I was young, the Lieutenant at the time showed me."
At the end of the hall, she stopped and placed her hand on the wall, running her fingers down it. She stopped and smiled.
"On every corner in Seireitei, there are three symbols. The center symbol tells you what division grounds you are in. Then the symbols on either side tell you what division lies in that direction. If you know that, and you can remember the basic layout of the divisions, you should never get too lost."
"Thanks you, Lieutenant Ise." Mizuiro felt the marks, then tried to look for them. "They are almost invisible if you don't know what to look for... Why did they make them so hard to find?"
"The Seireitei was, and still is, a military compound. It was designed to make invasion very difficult. Road maps would have helped invaders and allies alike, so instead they built in a far more subtle guide. Unfortunately, almost no one knows about the marks. They went out of public knowledge around 900 years ago, not long after the founding of the Gotei 13."
"That's interesting... I'll keep it to myself then, unless someone really needs the help." He bowed to the woman. "Thank you again for showing me around."
"You are welcome. Now, you should probably go and meet your fellow division members in the barracks before dinner."
Line -
Orihime was exhausted. The Captain Commander had assigned her the Fourth Seat of the Fourth Division and, after she healed his missing eye, she had been working constantly for the last twelve hours. Now, with the division doors closed, she was finally able to rest.
Then she heard a knock at her door. She groaned, flailing her hands and feet silently in frustration before rising to her feet and opening the door.
"Uryu! What are you doing here this late? Are you hurt?!"
"No, I'm fine, don't worry!" He put his hands on her shoulders to calm her. "I heard you had a rough day so I brought you dinner. I thought you might enjoy a chance to relax. If you would rather just rest, I'll leave it for you and see you later. I don't want to keep you up."
"No, stay... I can rest with company, you know. At least with your company." She yawned. He smiled and followed her in to the room.
Line -
"Excellent work, Tsumugiya." Byakuya Kuchiki nodded his approval at the stack of paperwork that had just been deposited on his desk.
"Thank you, Sir." Ururu smiled happily and picked up another stack of papers.
"No, take a break. You've already completed more than I had anticipated getting done today. There is no need for you to be doing the work of a Lieutenant until you have reached that rank. You are dismissed. You will return for training at precisely eight in the morning tomorrow."
"Yes sir!" Ururu happily left the captain's office to visit Jinta in the neighboring division. When she arrives, she is just in time to watch the red head tossed in to the air like a leaf on the wind before crashing back to the dirt.
"Better, but this time, try to guide my attack around you. When I come down it's not such a big deal, but an upward strike can make your stance completely useless." Renji Abarai readied his sword for another blow, then noticed the girl standing at the entrance. He let his blade lower slowly. "Hey, Ururu. Good first day?"
"Yes!" The girl came to join the two red headed shinigami cautiously. "Mr. Urahara invited us to dinner this evening, Jinta."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Probably just gonna spend the whole time flirting with the waitress or something." Jinta scowled, then shrugged. "But I can't turn down the free food."
"You're free to go. We can pick up tomorrow." Renji slid his Zanpakuto back in to his belt and turned away. "I'm gonna go find some food of my own."
When he was gone, Ururu turned back to Jinta.
"You seem to be getting along better than before."
"Yeah... Well, I didn't expect him to be such a good Captain..." Jinta sheathed his own sword and crossed his arms. "I'm glad I chose his division, even if I meant to harass him at first."
"Awww... You've gone and grown up, Jinta!" Ururu laughed cheerfully, then cried as her hair was tugged suddenly. "Ow! Stop it Jinta!"
Line -
"Keigo Asano is here to see you." Lisa Yadomaru leaned in the door. Ichigo sighed and nodded. A few moments later, the excited man came running in to his office.
"Ichigo!" Keigo was about to leap over the desk and tackle his friend when Ichigo's foot appeared directly in front of his face. "Woah, that was fast... You've gotta teach me that!"
"They taught you flash step in the Academy. You've gotta practice on your own or with the division. And I can't teach you Sonido." Ichigo sighed and was back behind his desk in an instant.
"Why not? It can't be that hard! I bet I can do it before Chad!"
"Neither of you are ever going to do it. It's a hollow ability. Neither of you are part hollow, and neither of you are going to become part hollow, got it?!" Ichigo glared over the desk. "What did you want, anyway? You have to have something better to do with your time than annoy me."
"I... wanted to ask if I can apply for a position at the Twentieth Seat level. I know I probably can't make it yet, but I want to see what I need to do to reach that point. That's my goal right now. To become a seated officer." Keigo sat across the desk from his friend. "Mizuiro went to the First Division, and he's already talking about moving in to a seated position in the next year or so. Chad and Orihime both got high seats right away. Even Tatsuki got a high seat! I want to make it to a seated position before my sister does."
"Huh... Alright, I'll put you down as an applicant for the Twentieth Seat... Good luck, Keigo. I'm impressed you're really going for it. I can't give you special treatment, but I can make sure that training is paced and available to help you get where you want to be." Ichigo smirked. "I bet my sister beats you to a seated position, though."
"That's not fair! She's got your family's super blood, doesn't she?!"
"Yeah. She might graduate early at this rate."
"Not fair..." Keigo slumped in his chair.
Line -
"Woah, she grew up cute..." Chizuru watched the black haired shinigami dancing around the training area, the Lieutenant of the Tenth Division sitting beside her. "I haven't seen her since she was just a little kid..."
"Hey, remember, Captain saw her first, and if you grope her, you have to deal with him and her brother." Rangiku laughed. Although Chizuru had not been assigned a seated position, she had proven to be a good friend for the woman. Between her, the Division, and Shuhei, it was rare for Rangiku to feel the loneliness that had plagued her after Gin's death.
"Ha... Ichigo could vaporize me without lifting a finger, couldn't he?" Chizuru grinned warily. It was strange, knowing that a man who had once been her classmate was widely considered the most powerful man in all of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo together.
"Yup. Both of us, and the captain too."
In the middle of the enclosure, Karin was focused entirely on her opponent. Her new Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya of the Tenth Division.
"Excellent. Now try it again, only this time, merge the moves together. The biggest openings are those between attack and defense. You have to be able to minimize these openings for yourself, and exploit them in you opponents." The white haired man instructed as he flicked his blade at her again.
"Like this?" She barely moved her blade to deflect the blow, then stepped in close without taking an instant to regroup. Her sword touched his chest and he grinned.
"Just like that. Alright. That's enough for today, Third Seat Kurosaki."
"I keep telling you, Karin is fine." She scowled at him but sheathed her sword and followed him to where the two observers sat. "Chizuru, I can feel you staring at my butt from all the way over there."
"I have no idea what you might be referring to." Chizuru smiled innocently. "I was simply enchanted by your elegant swordsmanship."
Karin rolled her eyes but didn't press the issue. From what she had heard, the woman was mostly harmless.
Line -
"You know, you're the first person to hold that seat in decades. Well done." Ikkaku walked away from the woman who was panting on the packed earth. Beside her, the Sixth Seat of the Eleventh Division lay unconscious.
"Thank you, Sir." She struggled to her knees and bowed. He waved it off.
"Yumi! Get her to the Fourth! That fool on the ground, too! You held that seat vacant for a long time, I don't want it open again cause we didn't get her lungs repaired in time." Ikkaku shouted to his friend. The elegant man flashed to the woman's side and lifted her carefully in his arms.
"Nicely done. It was nice to see that man eating dirt at someone else's hand for a change. He spent the last fifty years trying to take my position. I got rather tired of beating the ugly out of him." Yumichika flash stepped quickly and smoothly to the Fourth Division. The Lieutenant was not in, which explained why his friend had not come instead.
Back at the Eleventh Division, Mizuho Asano glared daggers at the tall, silver haired healer. The Lieutenant of the Fourth Division was talking happily to the Captain of the Eleventh, and he was standing far to close to her for the comfort of his admirer.
Not only had another woman already stepped in and claimed the bald warrior, but the first woman since the first Kenpachi to hold a seat in the Eleventh Division wasn't her! She was slightly furious at how things had played out. The Twentieth Seat had wiped the floor with her, and that was it. The division didn't allow rematches within three days, and she couldn't challenge anyone else because there was only one person at any seat. Granted, the turnover rate of the Twentieth Seat of the Eleventh Division was the single highest in all of Soul Society, so she would probably be facing someone else next time.
Still, it wasn't fair. She had joined the division just to see her old crush, and here he was spending his time with the weakest Lieutenant in the whole Seireitei? Her brother would laugh if he knew. Then she'd punch him through a window.
Line -
"What exactly do you mean?" Ukitake asked, not quite able to believe what he was hearing.
"In the living world, parents will often assign a godparent to their children, in case something where to happen to them. In addition to promising to care for the child should the parents die, the godparent is also encouraged to play a part in raising the child" Rukia explained. "Although with the Delta Division working to ensure no more wars erupt, I would like for you to be the godparent for our son."
"I... I would be honored." Ukitake smiled brightly as he gently held the child. "I never thought I would be able to be part of a child's life like this... Thank you, Lieutenant Kuchi-... Lieutenant Kurosaki."
"I'm the one who's honored, Sir. My brother gave me a knew life, but it was you, Kaien, and Miyako that really made me the woman I am today. There is no one I would rather have help us raise our child than you." Rukia ran her fingers through the child's hair. "He's going to be a handful, even for three of us. I can tell that already."
"I'm sure you're right about that. But then, it would be boring otherwise, wouldn't it?"