Author's Notes:
Aaand here we go! . . .Again! This time, with a little delay from schedule. Once again a shorter chapter, continuining a few of the sub-plots- but don't worry, the next chapter will (hopefully) properly get this new arc started.
It was afternoon, and the sun was low as Ichigo, Tatsuki, Uryu and Orihime descended from the sky, down to the familiar streets where their homes were. Within a couple of hours, it would be dark, the summer sun setting at last. Ichigo dropped down towards the ground, if not gracefully then at least in a controlled manner, and Tatsuki with him. Uryu, for his part, did look graceful, even while carrying Orihime- she still hadn't figured out the walking-on-air thing. After just half a minute, their feet were touching ground. Ichigo ground his feet against the street, feeling terra firma under his soles. It felt good- the afterlife had felt solid enough, but nothing was quite like the asphalt under his feet, the houses all around- modern houses, with modern people... it was good to be home.
They all looked at each other, and there was silence for a while. They had been through something fantastical, all of them, and somehow, they felt a little like the real world, the world of the living, was a bit of a fantasy.
"Well, that really was something!" Orihime said happily, breaking the silence. "I wonder what we'll tell our classmates when they ask where we've been?"
"You could probably tell them the truth, and they wouldn't bat an eye." Tatsuki said, smiling. "You say crazy things all the time, don't you?"
"Oh please, I think I would think up something way crazier than running off to save an innocent girl, unjustly convicted and sentenced to death, into the afterlife, fighting death gods every step of the way!"
"...I kind of doubt it." Ichigo murmured. "And now that you put it like that, I almost doubt the whole thing myself. Weird, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Tatsuki murmured. "That guy was right- life will never be the same, will it?"
"In a good way." Ichigo said.
"Sure."
"It is good." Uryu said calmly. "Maybe it's different for me, because I knew it since I was a child- but all four of us have power now. We can make a difference, save lives. I'm sure that'll be plenty to get your hero complexes grinding, yes?"
"Whatever." Ichigo grumbled.
"Don't be mean, Uryu-kun." Orihime said chidingly.
"Ah, yes..." Sounding awkward, he said, nodding towards further down the street, "Speaking of 'that guy', I think our arrival has been anticipated."
And just down a street corner, walking leisurely with cane in hand, there came the shop-keeper, bucket hat in place on his head as always.
"Good evening, gentlemen, ladies." He said cheerily. He stopped before them, and took his hat off, giving them a slight bow. "You have done quite well. Better than expected, certainly."
Ichigo frowned- or deepened his frown, at least- and said,
"You sent us in blind."
"So you always knew." Urahara said dismissively.
"You never told us a thing about Aizen Sousuke. Or what was inside Rukia, that you put there. He was the one who sent her to her death, because of your scheme. If you've got an explanation..."
"And if I don't, you'll use your new-found powers to take revenge?" Urahara said sardonically. "My first plan very nearly worked. It would have cost her her shinigami powers, but that would be a small price in the grand scheme of things. And-"
"But it didn't work." Uryu said coldly.
"But my second plan did." Urahara said firmly. Putting his hat back on, he sighed, and continued, "You must understand, nothing I could have said would have adequately prepared you for what was ahead of you. A whole new world? Whole new bodies,using your souls to fight when almost no humans can, that was a concept you had barely even started to grasp. Should I have told you my long history there, that I was deemed a traitor and cast out? That Aizen Sousuke is a manipulative bastard with ambitions of godhood? You had neither the knowledge to understand it, nor the power to change it. You were on a need-to-know basis, and I told you only what was necessary. And because of it, you saved the life of Kuchiki Rukia. You feel deceived- and I cannot blame you. I am sorry, but it was necessary. There is more at stake here than you can imagine- and that is all I will say on that matter."
"I still don't like it." Ichigo said.
"You're not asked to like it. Dislike it all you want; you may cry your dislike to the skies, write a fifty verses long poem in iambic pentameter about how much you dislike it. But it was the way it had to be done, I fear."
"You-" Ichigo started.
"Don't." Tatsuki said, putting an arm on his shoulder. "He's right- we got what we came for, and we knew the risks. I don't like it any more than you do- but after all we've been through, isn't there somewhere else you'd rather be than here, arguing with a shady person like him?"
Ichigo sighed, and shrugged. "I guess you're right. I have to... go home."
"As I thought you might." Urahara said, and cheerily tapped his cane into the street. From around the corner walked Ichigo's living body, and Tatsuki's. "I took the liberty of bringing them with me, knowing where you would land."
Ichigo gave him a look, but entered his body without a fuss. It was such a strange feeling, after all this time away, to be back in this limited, weak human body. As he popped in fully, a small pill dropped out from his mouth.
"The mod soul that kept it going for you." Urahara explained. "You too, Arisawa-san."
Tatsuki entered her body as well, and judging by the look on her face, she was feeling no less awkward herself.
"Well, I think I shall take my leave. You will know where to find me, should you need me." Urahara said, turning around and walking back, as leisurely as before.
"Smug bastard..." Ichigo mumbled.
"I know." Tatsuki murmured. "So... all going home now, I guess?"
"Yes." Uryu said. "I have a conversation with my father waiting for me..."
"And I've got one with mom." Ichigo said, sighing. "Bye, you guys."
"Bye, everyone!" Orihime said cheerfully. "I'll see you all in school!"
"Hey Orihime, mind if I stay with you tonight?" Tatsuki said. "My family lives a ways off, and..."
"Sure!" Orihime chirped. "We'll have a sleepover!"
And with that, all four of them walked off, each one of them full of thoughts and ponderings.
oOo
Not much later, Yoruichi, who had taken her own portal to the world of the living- she had spent some time with Soifon; the two of them had a lot of rebuilding to do, and she was not in any hurry to go back anyway- dropped down to the ground from out the sky, now in cat form. Though the time had come to step out of the shadows, this was still a form she enjoyed using. Without hurrying, she strolled through the approaching night until finally, she saw the familiar sight of Kisuke's shop. She walked in, leisurely looking around. Not finding him anywhere, she knew where to look- the magnificent basement; where else?
After dropping down to the artificial environment, she looked around some more, and before long she saw him sitting on a chair by a rock formation, a table in front of him, with various manners of flasks set upon it. He came down here sometimes for experiments, she knew, when there was a risk he might blow the roof up- or worse.
"Hello there." He said cheerily, not turning his eyes from the table, fiddling with a flask, staring at its contents, looking fascinated.
Yoruichi transformed, standing naked behind him. He wouldn't care, she knew.
"What are you working on?" She asked casually.
"Oh, just an analysis of Kurosaki-san's blood." He mumbled. "The fusion of Quincy genes with the inherent spiritual potential that comes with shinigami parentage... I could set three dozen scientists busy for decades with this. It's very, very interesting. I brought you a change of clothes, by the way." He said, and pointed to a chair further away, where her preferred clothes- tight black pants and an orange shirt- lay neatly folded.
"How come you always seem to think about everything?" She said bemusedly, and started dressing herself.
"Just a little something I had ready just in case." He said dismissively.
There was a small quiet, and Kisuke went on with his work, placing a small drop of the liquid from the flask under a microscope.
"You know, you could do something normal, like say 'welcome back', or 'are you okay', or maybe even ask 'what did the Gotei leadership say'?"
Though she couldn't see it, she knew he was smiling. "You're here, and you're cracking sarcasm at me. Obviously, you are fine. And I already know the basics of what went down in your little trip- I'd like details later, though."
"And the Gotei?"
"I figured you'd bring that up when you were ready."
How obnoxious he could be sometimes...
"Well, for your information..."
There were some things that only intimate friendship, a really close bond caused by spending a great lot of time together, could make you see. And the slight tensing of his shoulders, the way his hands slowed down just a little as she said it, made her realize that he was a lot less nonchalant than he let on. This meant a lot to him- it had to.
Which is why she didn't say much more for a bit, letting the silence fill the air. Two could play this game. Eventually, Kisuke's hands stopped moving entirely, and he put them down on the bench where he was sitting.
"Well?" He said, and there was just a hint of anticipation there.
"...well, how do I put it..." She mumbled. Best to just be straightforward. "The old man is in charge now, and he may well be for a long time, and he decided that he wants you- us- back."
Slowly, Kisuke turned around and looked her in the face, his ever-present bucket hat still shadowing his eyes.
"What." It wasn't even a question, just a flat statement of a word.
"We've been cleared of all charges. They set up an investigation, probably just as a formality, and we're in the clear. Everyone knows you're innocent now... and the old man wants us both back. I imagine losing three captains in one stroke was a bit much."
Kisuke's lips curled up, and he cracked a smile. Then, he started chuckling, a deep, long chuckle that soon turned into a long, drawn out laugh, one that sounded almost hysterical, cackling madly, his shoulders shaking like he'd been told the greatest joke of all time. He leaned back against the table, half sliding off the bench, and his hat fell off his head.
"...are you all right?" Yoruichi said, through his loud, cackling laughter. Kisuke just gestured at her, finally stopping, the laughter dying down to a giggle.
"Have you lost it?" She asked. "We're not exactly in the kind of situation I'd call funny."
"Really?" He said, letting out a small chuckle, his shoulders still shaking a little. "Because this seems... positively hilarious to me. Oh, that arrogant old fool... what I wouldn't have given to see his face when he said that to you! Well, he probably wouldn't have looked any different- but seeing him humiliated like that would have been priceless still." His shoulders finally stopped shaking, and he sat himself up properly again.
"Look-"
"I mean, of course I saw this coming, but I didn't expect he'd be this desperate. I guess he's more practically minded than I thought. Losing three captains at once... I don't know whether to be glad those decrepit forty-six are all dead, or if I wish they were alive so I could imagine Yamamoto explaining himself to them." He burst out into a short laugh again, but stopped himself. "No, scratch that- I definitely know which one I prefer there."
"Forty-six people died, and we're facing war. You're having a laugh."
"Forty-six horrible people who wasted every breath of air they took died, and we're facing a war I've been preparing for since I got exiled." He said soberly, once again sounding calm and in control. "And everything is, forgive the cliché, proceeding just as I have planned it."
Yoruichi scoffed, crossing her arms. "Well, you- we- have been invited to visit. To discuss the upcoming war."
"Ha!"
Yoruichi sighed. "I know how you feel- but this, at least, is something you should consider."
"Fine, fine..." Kisuke muttered.
"And it would be nice if you'd let me know what that plan of yours is, you know." She said chidingly. "You kept those kids in the dark, but you've hidden a lot from me too- and I understand you well enough not to be offended, but if you can't trust me, who can you trust?"
"It's not that." Kisuke said, shaking his head. "Just some good old fashioned paranoia, and knowing that the best way to keep a secret is to not tell anyone. I'll tell you everything you need to know, now that we've gotten this far... soon. Right now, we've got a situation to see to."
"What situation? Don't change the subject!"
"Already did." Kisuke said cheerily. "But never fear- this one will just take a few light pokes. After you gathered some intelligence for me, that is."
"You know, I feel like I should start asking for a wage." Yoruichi said half teasingly, half chidingly.
"Oh, you know me- heartless manipulator, exploiting everyone as much as I can." He said, turning his eye back to the microscope.
"What do I tell Yamamoto?" Yoruichi insisted.
"Tell him to go fuck himself. Well, in a formal, polite manner, but make sure he catches the meaning."
"And the upcoming war? And the invitation to visit?"
"Let him know I'll be available for the sale of innovative technologies, strategic discussion and merry little afternoon teas soon enough. Anyway, there's a folder of the people I need to know about upstairs, in your room- there's no rush, but I'd appreciate it if you got to it sooner rather than later."
Yoruichi sighed. He was the same, again, always the same...
oOo
Sitting at a window, staring out at nothing in general, sat Kurosaki Masaki. Nearly four weeks had passed, four unbearable, impossible weeks. It shouldn't take this long. Something had to be wrong. Somebody had hurt her son. These were thoughts she had initially tried to push out of her head, tried to keep back- but it was futile; just a week or so had passed before she couldn't go an hour without imagining some sort of nightmare scenario- her precious, wonderful son returning home broken to pieces, or half dead, or cut to little pieces... or worse, not at all. On an optimistic day, he'd only be crippled.
What made it worse was that she knew this wasn't the worries of an overly fussy mother, too attached to let her child try his own wings. He'd dived headlong into a danger he couldn't possibly understand, and it might actually... kill him. It had almost been too much to bear, with Yuzu still hovering around the house as a ghost, her chain slowly shortening... in the end, the one thing that had kept her from a nervous breakdown was knowing that no matter how bad it was, she still had at least one child that needed care and attention, Karin. She had to be strong, she'd decided, if only for her.
But even that was running thin now. "Worry" was an inadequate description; nobody could understand who wasn't a mother herself. She'd sit here every night, staring out over the sidewalk, out into nowhere, just hoping, praying that he'd come home. That he'd be all right.
Which was why, when she saw a shape in the dim light of the street lamps, she had to blink several times, rub her eyes, and look close to make sure she saw right. Tall, young man, bright orange hair, and a scowling, mean-looking face...
Immense relief washed over her, near overwhelming. Not so overwhelming that she wasn't on her feet right away, immediately heading for the door. She breathed deeply, stopping before the door. Her instinct screamed at her to open it, rush out the street, check... but somehow, she couldn't. She looked up towards the stairs. Should she call for the girls? No. No reason to call them down now, not if she was wrong after all, if she had dreamed everything up...
The handle of the door turned, and Masaki's heart skipped a beat. Please god, please please...
And he stepped through the door, closing it gently behind him, and he looked so oddly... grown up. The frown was there, but it was different now, and aside from that he looked almost... solemn.
"Mom." He said simply. "I'm home-"
In an instant, Masaki had sprung forward, pulling him into a strong, hard hug, holding him tight like she never wanted to let go again. Ichigo hugged back, burying his head in her shoulder.
"My Ichigo." She got out, nearly crying. "Ichigo, Ichigo, Ichigo!" She could say the name a hundred times, a thousand times; he was here now, alive and seemingly in one piece.
"I'm home now, mom." He said quietly. "It's fine. Everything worked out."
Finally breaking the hug, Masaki took a step back. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? They didn't- they didn't do anything to you?" She took him by the arm, and lifted it up, checking for scars, bruises, as if to perform an impromptu doctor's check-up.
"It's fine." Ichigo said, with that slightly grumpy tone of his, pulling his arm back- but he was still smiling, she saw. "I took a beating or two, but they had really good doctors."
"You what?!" Masaki exclaimed. "I told you it was dangerous! I told you-" She stopped herself. Now was not the time. "...young man, I have a lot of things I should be saying to you," she said, trying- and, she realized, failing- to sound stern, "but... that'll wait for later." She hugged him again.
"Yeah, yeah, okay." Ichigo mumbled awkwardly, hugging back. "I thought you'd be angry..."
Masaki just shook her head, smiling widely, and looked him in the eyes.
"Hey, it's Ichigo!"
From up the stairs, they saw Karin, hurrying down.
"It's nii-san?" Said Yuzu, floating down the stairs from just behind Karin. The two of them hugged him, too, and Ichigo seemed a little more awkward still. "You're okay!"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Ichigo said cockily. "I'm indestructible!"
"Mom has been worried sick, you idiot!" Karin said, punching him lightly.
"Ow! Hey!" Ichigo said, sounding friendly. "That- that wasn't-"
"It's okay. You're here now." Masaki said happily. "You must be starving- I'll get you something to eat."
"Thanks..." Ichigo mumbled. "I think I just need to sleep, though. I got a lot on my mind."
With the first wave of excitement dying down a little, something occurred to Masaki.
"Did- did you..." She said, her voice trembling a little. "When you were... over there, did you meet..."
She didn't finish, but they both knew what she meant.
"Yeah."
"And?"
"...later." He said, hugging his sisters back. "We'll talk about that later. Okay?"
Masaki nodded. Oh, dear... he'd found him after all.
But it did nothing to tarnish that her boy was alive and well.
oOo
Before long, Uryu had made made his way home, back to the house, which simply stood there, as it always had. After everything that he had seen in the past weeks, after everything that Soul Society had, his own home seemed almost strangely... normal to him. He had clearly gotten too used to the place.
As he slowly made his way over to the door, Uryu suddenly found himself hesitating to move any further. He knew that only two things could await him inside... either his father, ready to greet him with disapproving gazes and silent rejection, or a loneliness that he had not experienced since they had left for Soul Society, a loneliness that he was just all too familiar with.
Surprised that this would cross his mind in the first place, Uryu pushed the thoughts aside, and pulled out his key to open the door. He was accustomed to both these things- so why exactly did it bother him now, of all times?
Sighing, Uryu turned the key- only to find that the door wasn't locked, which could mean only one thing: His father was home. Feeling his mood already worsen, he finally entered home.
Inside, he paused for a moment. He would most likely be able to simply head up to his room, without his father noticing, avoiding a confrontation with him... for the time being. Uryu knew that he would have to face his father sooner or later... and while he would most likely say nothing about Uryu not showing himself right away, it would only be delaying the inevitable. Already bracing himself to get aggravated, he started looking for him.
He did not have to search for long in order to find his father: As it turned out, Ishida Ryuken was sitting in front of the computer in his study, absorbed in what were most likely documents relating to his job as doctor- too absorbed to even notice Uryu standing in the doorway until he knocked at the frame. Irritated, his father looked up from the screen, and over to Uryu.
For a moment, Uryu thought he could see a hint of relief in his father's eyes, some slight joy over seeing him return alive and well- but it even if had been there it was gone almost immediately, replaced by his usual cold glare. (After all, what other reaction had Ryuken ever shown him?)
"So you've returned from your little suicide mission. Did you manage to achieve anything of importance? Or was it just a waste of time, for which you were willing to make use of tactics that your grandfather would disapprove of?"
Uryu could've groaned. Just one line, that was all it had taken... and already his father had angered him enough that he wanted to turn around and walk away, returning the same neglect that he had experienced his entire life.
But he stayed. There were things that needed to be said, should've already been said years ago... and now was the time. Now had to be the time.
"This "suicide mission" as you call it has been a complete success. We have accomplished everything that we set out to do, and more- and I even learned some rather interesting things."
"Oh?" Ryuken asked, eyebrows raised, but still sounding barely interested. (Though, when had he ever been interested in anything that Uryu had to say?) "And what exactly was it that you found out?"
Uryu smiled grimly. There was no turning back on this now. "Several things, actually. Talking with the captain of the Gotei's Tenth Squad, Shiba Isshin, was really rather enlightening... though, perhaps you would prefer if I were to refer to him as "Kurosaki Isshin"?"
His father was not a man of emotion; that was one thing Uryu had learned early. But even as distant as he had always been, there were signs you could read- and to Uryu, the widening of his eyes was plenty. He looked... shocked. Looking away from Uryu, he stared off into the room, quietly muttering to himself, "Yes, of course... it makes sense that this man would be with the Gotei again... though I would not have expected that you would meet him like this..."
"But I did." Uryu continued flatly. Of course, seeing his father shocked was something that he had seen few times in all his life... but this was no time to memorize the moment. Not if he wanted to finally get the answers he always wanted.
"And now I know that the substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo is my second cousin- and why Shiba had to leave his mother, Kurosaki Masaki- your cousin. So please, tell me: Why have you never, in all these years told me? Why did you and grandfather keep me in the dark?!" The longer Uryu talked, the less he could hold himself back, until in the end, he was close to screaming- but he did not care.
Ryuken turned back towards Uryu, giving him an unreadable look. "Masaki... when she found out that this man was taken back to Soul Society, she cut all ties with us. She blamed us for it... said that if she hadn't rushed out to help us, she could've stayed with him, and made sure that he wouldn't get taken back... of course, father and I knew that it was an unreasonable line of thinking, but father and I still respected her wishes, and kept all contact with her to an absolute minimum."
Uryu glared at Ryuken. "This doesn't answer my question. Why did you never tell me? Why have you never so much as lost a word about there being more to our family than just you?"
By now, Ryuken had regained enough of his composure to return his expression to its normal disapproving state, and returned the glare (as he always did, as he has always done). "What good would knowing about them have done you? You are forgetting that she has cut all ties with us- if you're thinking that you might have found something more of a family with her, you're mistaken. She would've met you with nothing more than rejection."
"And have I ever gotten any better from you? You didn't know- you never, you had no way of knowing, and just assumed, keeping me in the dark!" Uryu shot back, almost hissing out of anger.
Any other father might have grown angry, lectured him on disrespect, disciplining a rebellious child- but as Uryu knew too well, Ryuken was nothing like that. Instead, his eyes simply grew wide once more, looking at his son in a way that made it clear to him he was taken aback.
Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Uryu remembered that he always thought that it would be a satisfying sight to get Ryuken to just give him any sort of reaction... but now, when he did see his father, genuinely at loss of words, he felt nothing beyond the anger that he always felt when talking to him.
"One more question." Uryu said, trying to sound calm, but at the same time realizing that the barely concealed rage was apparent in his voice. "You have also never told me about my mother, and Shiba-taichou didn't know anything about her, either. Who was she? And why didn't you ever say anything about her, too?"
Through his shocked expression, Uryu could see a hint of pain in his father's face, as he hesitated before responding. "Your mother... she was Katagiri Kanae, a servant to our family. We grew up together... when my mother found out about Shiba Isshin, and it became clear that her plans for me and Masaki to marry would never work, Kanae confessed her love to me. So we got together. I did have some... feelings for her."
There was a strange sound to his voice, something quite unlike the apathetic, in control attitude he'd always had.
"And since she was also a Quincy- albeit one of "lesser" birth- mother ultimately gave her blessings to our relationship, and we married."
Ryuken paused for a moment, resting his forehead on his hand, obscuring his face from Uryu's view. "When Shiba Isshin was taken back to Soul Society, she and mother fought alongside me, father and Masaki against the hollow horde attacking Karakura. During the battle, Kanae and mother, they were overwhelmed... they were dead before we could reach them..." He paused again, taking a deep breath. "On that day, I swore to never again get involved with affairs that should be the shinigami's duty. The memory of your mother has made sure that I never broke that vow. I still want to forget this day, forget what I lost on it... I never wanted to talk about it again. I never wanted to... remember. Her death..." His voice grew weaker with each word, until it eventually broke off. Quietly, Ryuken buried his face in his hands.
Uryu stared at Ryuken, unable to fully believe that his father – his father, who for so many years had appeared to be so unreachable to him – could be like this now. "I see..." He eventually said. "So this is your reason. All these years, I always saw you as... distant, aloof, too emotionally distant to ever care about another human being... and here you are, the real you- a sad old man so eaten up by the grief over the family that he lost that you completely ignore the family that you still have. Did you even think of what mother would think if she could see you like this?"
Ryuken did not respond. His shoulders slumped, his face remained buried in his hands, and he looked... beaten in a way Uryu had never imagined him look. And somehow, he felt more than just anger, looking at him.
"This conversation is over. I'm done." Uryu said after a short pause, shaking his head. He then turned around and left the study, leaving Ryuken to sit there by himself.
oOo
Tatsuki stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her waist. As she dried her hair, she took in everything about the sensation of warm water all over her body- this human body felt less like an awkwardly fitting glove now, and remembering something as normal as a shower really helped. There hadn't exactly been much time for hygiene during her stay in the soul society, and this... was like becoming human again, in an odd sort of way.
After drying herself and dressing, she walked back to Orihime's living room, and took a seat on the couch, letting out a small, pleased grunt as she sat back. Orihime herself had just prepared tea, and Tatsuki took a cup, taking a small sip.
"You feeling better now?" Orihime asked, sounding as cheery as ever.
"Mmyeah," Tatsuki mumbled, nodding. "Using this body again feels... weird, but less weird than I thought it would."
"Did you call your family to tell them you're back?"
Tatsuki shrugged, and shook her head. "Nah, I'll do that tomorrow. It's not like I'm in any rush- dad took my brothers on some trip, and they're probably not back yet, and mom's got her whatever club with her housewife friends... they're not gonna miss me any time soon. Anyway, how about the whole shinigami thing, eh?"
"You're still human, don't forget." Orihime said, nodding.
"Yeah, yeah..." Tatsuki stretched her arms, flexing her muscles- her oh so weak and limited human muscles; it would have fascinated her if she weren't so tired. "I don't fuss about it- you get used to it. It's less strange than having spent your summer vacation in the afterlife, really..."
"Strange, and fun!" Orihime said happily. "Things got dangerous and difficult here and there, but it all worked out for the best."
"You don't think it's strange at all, do you?"
"Strange is relative." She nodded sagely, putting on a knowing face. "All that really changed is how much we knew. Like, if we took a cave man from ten thousand years ago, and put him here in Karakura, he'd probably think it was a place full of magic and things. Big, loud metal beasties travelling around, enormous buildings, people talking into strange devices... and it makes perfect sense to us, because we know how to use it. And the afterlife makes perfect sense to the souls there, because they know how it works. It's not confusing, knowing that you don't know something, because it means you can learn more about it."
Tatsuki took another sip, giving Orihime a look. "You know, you're making more sense than I expected..."
"Am I? I just think it's exciting. A whole new world, full of people and magic, things we could learn..." She smiled, and got a strange look in her eyes. "And we know something most people don't now. A lot of people would think this is weird, but I think it's special."
"You really are you, still." Tatsuki said, smiling back. "Everything we know is wrong- well, sort of- everything's upside down, and you think that's great."
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"No," Tatsuki said, shaking her head contentedly, "no, nothing at all. I wish I could feel that way, actually."
"So how do you feel?"
"...a bit weird. But pretty okay, actually. Everything's upside down, but... I'm strong. And I'm keeping up with that blockhead, too."
"Ichigo?"
"Yeah," Tatsuki nodded, "we're both strong now- and we're going to get stronger still. I saw things in the soul society... they have a division full of people who are total experts in hand to hand. You're sort of right, actually- there's lots of great things to see, if we just want to see it."
"See?" Orihime said, taking some tea of her own. "This was an adventure, and it all worked out well. And now... we can form our own superhero team! Doing righteousness and saving the world from evil alien invaders, cybermen and hollows! I'll be the Black Widow, Kurosaki-kun can be Iron Man, Uryu-kun can be the Hawkeye, and you can be... um, Thor! Because of the lightning thing."
She giggled, and Tatsuki couldn't help but laugh out loud with her. Some things changed, but Orihime stayed the same- yes, if all else turned upside down, she was her mad, weird, brilliant anchor to being human, wasn't she?
The two of them stayed up talking for hours, before they finally went to sleep. That night, Tatsuki slept soundly.
oOo
Elsewhere in Karakura Town, in a brightly lit room that would not have looked out of place in a luxurious hotel, and that by itself was bigger than the entirety of Orihime's flat, several people were talking to each other- in a way that could not be at a bigger contrast to their surroundings.
"What the hell is taking him so long? He was already supposed to be here over an hour ago!" A slender, magenta-haired girl said, walking up and down the room in annoyance.
"Calm down, Riruka. I am certain that he will be here soon enough, and that there is a good reason for his delay." Another person, a middle-aged man with short black hair and an eye-patch responded, sitting calmly around a table with several of the other people in the room.
The girl, Riruka, stopped dead in her tracks and glared at the man. "Like hell I'm going to stay calm, Giriko! It's already bad enough that we suddenly had to leave our last home and come to this bad excuse for a town to begin with, but now Ginjo doesn't even show up to tell us what we're supposed to be doing here, like he said he would!"
"Y'know, if you hate it that much, you can leave any time..." A young boy with blonde hair muttered, not even bothering to look up from the hand-held game console that he was playing with. "Why do you even stay around if even this mansion I rented us isn't good enough for you?"
"Shut up, Yukio! I don't remember asking you for any opinions!" Riruka hissed back.
Sighing, Yukio paused his game, and finally looked up at Riruka with an irritated expression. "Can't you just go and be annoying somewhere else? You see, unlike you, some of us have some actual patience, and do something to pass the time instead of just loudly complaining."
The glare that Riruka gave him made it almost seem like her eyes were on fire. Taking a deep breath, she was about to launch a very retort, when suddenly, a very tall black-haired man on the other side of the room silenced her before she could even begin. "Be silent, all of you. This is hardly the time for you to act childish."
"And why is that, Tsukishima?" Yukio asked, while Riruka was still staring at him, taken aback.
"Can't you sense it? Ginjo is coming."
Before long, they could all sense it- the imposing, confident presence of Kugo Ginjo, their de facto leader, the uniter of their ragtag group. The others stirred- Jackie Tristan, a mature but still young woman with black hair and a just as black coat, as well as Moe, a punk-looking young man with a mohawk.
Ginjo walked through the door, with a triumphant look on his face. He slowly walked into the room, looking pleased, and took a seat in the couch. He leaned back, relaxing himself.
"Are ya gonna sit there all day, or are ya gonna tell us what's up?" Riruka said irritatedly.
"Patience, patience," Ginjo said, stretching his arms. "Giriko, a drink please."
Giriko nodded, and started pouring sake into a glass. Ginjo took it, and drank with pleasure.
"All right," he said, grinning, "I just came back from a meeting with an agent of our new benefactor."
"That rogue shinigami you have been telling us about? Eisen whatshisface?" Jackie asked.
"His name is Aizen Sosuke. And yes, the very same. I have... negotiated a very favourable deal with him."
"How favourable is that, then?" Yukio asked, fiddling with his game.
"Our benefactor possesses an artefact of immense- no, unimaginable power. Any one wish you want could be realized, should he will it. Those who wish to be rid of their Fullbring to never be bothered by Hollows again, for example, would find it gone easily. It would be a trivial matter. He has also made it clear that there are other possible rewards in it, should we so desire- power, wealth, status... but I personally am more interested in his plans of a great conquest of the Soul Society. Under the new order that he intends to bring to the Gotei, he will want agents in the world of the living. That could be us- all of us, or just the ones who so desire. His patronage is... incomparable to anything we've had before. Trust me on this, we will be well off."
"And how do we know he won't use us and throw us away?"
"He is a practical man." Ginjo said casually. "So long as we are useful, he will have no reason to throw us aside. But we must prove our worth first."
"And how do we do that, huh?" Riruka said. "Go kill hollows?"
Ginjo chuckled. "Far subtler, Riruka. There are four individuals in this town of interest to our benefactor- one more than the others. We are to investigate them, find out their worth- especially Kurosaki Ichigo and Arisawa Tatsuki."
"Who the fuck are they supposed to be?" Jackie said.
"Two kids who somehow gained the powers of a shinigami, and attained Bankai with a few months of doing so."
Jackie raised an eyebrow, and gave a whistle. "Not bad."
"They are of interest to him for a reason. Each one is a potential ally- none of them are to be killed."
"So what do we do?" Yukio said.
"I'll extend an... invitation to them." Ginjo said. "It was time they learned what his allies have been hiding from him. And we," he said, making a grand gesture, "start our path to a better life. Sound good?"
oOo
A couple hours after Ichigo had got back, after having a snack (his mother had insisted) and a bath to relax himself, after his sisters had gone to sleep (or in Yuzu's case, gone to rest for the night), he came back to the kitchen. His mother was sitting there at the table, under the light of a lamp hanging low. He yawned, stretched his muscles, and sat himself down opposite of her. He leaned back, and sat quiet with her for a while.
How did you start a conversation like this?
"So..." His mother mumbled.
"You lied to me." Ichigo blurted out. "Well, not lied but you knew! You knew my father was alive, in there, and..."
"Ichigo, I..." Masaki said helplessly.
"You never said a word about him, all the years we grew up." Ichigo said, forcing himself calm. He didn't want to get angry- she had a right to explain herself at the very least. "I didn't understand when I was little, but when I grew older I just figured you had a romance with some good-for-nothing useless bum who left you. That made sense to me. That's not something you'd want to talk about. And now..." He made a fist, putting his hands at the table. "I met him, and he's all about how much he loves his family. He wants to be my dad. And..." He trailed off.
"He did leave me." Masaki said through her teeth. "One day, before you could even walk, he just... left. Leaving a note saying how sorry he was. And there I was, all by myself. Ichigo, I... I loved him then. I thought I knew him. I thought I'd spend my life with him. And then one day he's just gone, and I have to raise and support the three of you all by myself. Is that something you'd want to talk about?"
"I'd want to know he was alive. I'd want to know something. And I'd want to know that when I headed into the fucking afterlife, I had a dad there!"
"I thought about telling you all. But... well, would you believe the real thing if you'd heard it? You know that hollows, spirits, all those things are real now- but imagine if your mom had told you, just a few months ago, that your father was a soldier ghost from the afterlife? Who left, because... well, who the hell knows?! That sounds like a fairy tale, Ichigo! Like something you tell children too young to understand! I got left alone- all alone, and it was only you kids who kept me going. And I thought... if Isshin can't be a part of that, then I've a right to make it my responsibility, my decision what you get to know! I've done everything I can for you!"
"I know..." Ichigo mumbled softly. "You did it by yourself, and... it wasn't bad or anything. I just wish... all this time, everyone else- everyone in school had a mom and a dad, and I always wondered... and I just wish I had known he was alive."
Masaki sighed. "When he left... I ended up wanting nothing to do with the spiritual world. I kept it away from you, all this time, because I wanted to protect you. I was... I'm a Quincy, Ichigo, at least by blood."
"I know." Ichigo mumbled. "Ishida Uryu is my cousin, and that's weird."
"...yes, he is." She nodded solemnly. "I'll tell you the whole of that story another time- but I was raised by my aunt to be a Quincy, keeping the race 'pure'- and I never wanted it. Your father changed that, and... well, I never liked having these powers in the first place, and when he left I wanted none of it. I'm powerless, now..." She sighed. "But with who your father was, with where I came from, I always feared you'd one day be drawn into this too. And Yuzu. And Karin. It's in your blood."
"Well, I got drawn in." Ichigo said. He took out the badge that Ukitake had given him, and pressed it against his chest. Immediately, he popped out of his body, standing tall in his black robes, sword at his side. "And there's no going back. Maybe you should have warned me instead of keeping me ignorant."
He could see a tear in his mother's eye as she stood up, and hugged him again.
"You've grown so tall, Ichigo," she mumbled, holding him close, "and I can't tell you what to do anymore, can I?"
"I'll always listen. Well, try at least..."
Masaki chuckled through her emotional state. "You're a lot like him, you know? Like your father."
"That's what I was afraid of." Ichigo grumbled, and broke the hug, and got back into his body. "So.." he said, stretching himself, once again feeling strange about his body, "here we are."
"Are you angry with me?"
Ichigo shook his head. "I couldn't be. It wasn't the right thing to do, keeping me in the dark- but I think I understand why, though." He scratched his head awkwardly. "Are you... angry with me? For running off like that?"
Masaki shook her head, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "Never. You got me very, very worried, but you're back home now. You turned into such a good man, Ichigo- just like your father was."
"...He's coming back, you know."
There was a look of shock on Masaki's face. "What?"
"I don't know when, but... he's gonna come visit some time soon. You'll have time to talk."
She nodded. "Yeah..."
A silence descended that really was awkward, until Ichigo said,
"...well, I think I'll go to bed now."
"You do that." Masaki said, staring out into space. "Good night, Ichigo."
"Good night."
With that, Ichigo left his mother sitting at the kitchen table, deep in thought.
oOo
As the doors closed, Rukia quietly stared at them, as the thought slowly settled down in her mind. They were gone- they were back home, safe and sound, no longer at Soul Society. For some reason, the though of this seemed stranger to her than she would've imagined- for some reason, even though she barely had been able to see them recently, Rukia had somehow gotten used to Ichigo and the others being around.
"Well then..." Ukitake said, cutting her thoughts. "I think it is about time that we had back to the Squad. There is plenty of organizational work waiting for me... and I also have a new task for you, Rukia."
Blinking, Rukia turned around to look at her captain. "Ah, of course! What do you want me to do, taichou?"
"I want you to gather the shinigami that most recently joined our Squad, and find out just how well-suited they are for battle. With what is coming for us, we need to know for certain just how capable everyone is..."
Rukia nodded. "You can count on me, Ukitake-taichou!"
"I know that, Rukia." Ukitake said, giving her an assuring smile. "Now come. We have no time to waste here."
Silently, Rukia followed her captain, as they made their way back towards the barracks of Squad Thirteen. War... if the concept of Ichigo and the others being back at home was already weird to Rukia, then the thought of the Gotei being drawn into an outright war was just downright alien to her. Throughout the thousand years in which the Gotei had existed, very few enemies had ever presented such a treat to it that an actual war was declared. And even the most recent of these wars, the extermination of the Quincy, already was an event that took place several centuries ago. Beyond the senior captains, very few people who had seen the last time the Gotei was at war first-hand- and now Rukia had to prepare others for something that she herself was not certain on how to handle it.
As she thought about this, an uneasy feeling began to grow inside her. Not quite fear or anxiety... but rather, a deep uncertainty on what was to come not just to her, but to everyone. Shinigami were always prepared for dying in battle from the moment they put on their uniform (as being almost executed had reminded Rukia), but this was something different; if a shinigami died while on a mission to stop a hollow, it was almost certain someone else would finish their job. But in a war... in a war, there were more things at risk than just the life of an individual. If they were to lose the war, the Gotei, and perhaps even Soul Society as they all knew it would cease to exist...
Caught up in her thoughts like this, Rukia did not realize that Ukitake had stopped in his tracks to turn around until she had walked past him. Confused, she also stopped, and turned to see what had caught her captain's attention.
It did not take her long to realize why he had stopped: Almost immediately, she noticed Shiba Kukaku a good distance away, yelling unintelligible things while running after them.
"Oh, thank god ya two can actually listen! I already thought I had to send somebody after ya, because I couldn't get ya in time..." The Shiba clan head said through her panting once she had caught up with them.
"Shiba-san." Ukitake noted calmly- if he had been somehow surprised by her sudden reappearance, he hid it well enough for Rukia to not notice it. "Did something happen? Do you need me for something?"
"The only thing that "happened" is that I forgot to bring this up when we were still at the gates... and the only thing I'd really need ya to do is give Rukia permission to do something."
"Eh? Me?" Rukia asked, startled. What could the head of the Shiba clan even need her for?
Ukitake gave Kukaku a skeptical look, clearly uncertain on what to make of this. "And what is it that you want Rukia for, Shiba-san?"
"Just a little search for a soul that's gonna arrive at Soul Society in the near future. Might take some time, might be very soon- and that applies to both when that soul arrives as well to actually finding it. So, can I borrow yer subordinate for that, Ukitake-taichou?" The straight-out nonchalant way she said this would have made most of the captains simply reject her request- and Rukia could tell that even Ukitake was seriously thinking about turning Kukaku down.
"Very well." He then finally said. "I will allow you to use Rukia to aid your search. But please do keep in mind that the our Squad as well the Gotei itself are facing difficult times- if more important tasks present themselves to us, I will withdraw Rukia from your search."
Kukaku waved her one hand dismissively. "Yeah, whatever. I just need Rukia to lead the search, anyway, since she's the only one who's actually seen the one we're gonna be looking for."
"I see. Well then: Rukia, I suggest that you now work out the specifics of the task that Shiba-san will be needing you for and then return to the Squad." Rukia quietly nodded, and without another word, Ukitake left, leaving her alone with Kukaku... and her confusion. Who exactly was she supposed to be looking for that she needed Rukia of all people?
"Uh, Shiba-san..." Rukia quickly broke the silence. "Who is this person that you want me to find?"
"Hmm. Kinda thought that was obvious... we're gonna look for Ichigo's sister."