A brief moment under the moonlight.
The sky of Karakura is filled with stars when Hisana makes a pause during the conversation. She was a bit tired and both Urahara and Yoruichi notice.
-Guys. - The scientist claps his hand to draw everyone's attention. - Let's take a break, what do you think?
-But why? - Ichigo asks.
-Because Hisa-san still has a lot to tell us, but she needs to rest for a moment so that she can continue. - Answers Urahara.
-Don't worry, Urahara-san, I'm fine, I know I can continue. - Hisana grins, trying to hide her tiredness.
-Judging for the calluses on your hands, the dark circles under your eyes and your dry lips, showing that you are thirsty and hungry, I agree with Urahara. It's obviously been days since you ate or slept, and the calluses are the result of the fight you had. I think it's fair we take a break. - Says Yoruichi, analyzing Hisana.
Hisana looks surprised at Yoruichi.
- And, judging your surprised expression, I am probably right. - She says smiling.
- Yes, it's true, but...
- TESSAI! - The cat's voice echoes through the store.
Everyone startles with the sudden yell.
Tessai appears in front of the door.
- Cook something for the guests to eat and serve tea.
- Yes, Yoruichi-dono. - He bows and withdraws.
- Oh, please, Yoruichi-san, there's no need to bother... - Hisana looks embarrassed.
The cat stared at the girl with evil eyes, freezing her.
- Ahh... Thank you, madam. - Hisana bows.
- Great, while Tessai makes something, all of you can rest. - Yoruichi leaves the room.
- Well, I am going to the kitchen to drink some water. Hisa-san, do you want anything?
- Actually, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to use the bathroom, please. - Hisana wanted to ask this hours before.
- Of course! Rukia-san, would you mind showing her where the bathroom is?
- All right, but don't get used to it.
- Okay. - Hisana smiles.
- If everyone is going to do something, then I will too! - Ichigo says, stretching himself.
- Shouldn't you call your father, Kurosaki-kun?
- Good idea, Inoue.
Ichigo grabs his cellphone.
- I'll be outside the store, breathing fresh air. - Ishida gets up.
Sado also gets up and follows him.
- I'll go with you, wait for me Ishida-kun, Sado-kun! - Inoue runs.
As Rukia guides Hisana to the bathroom, she had a question screaming on her brain, and Hisana notices she was pensive.
- Any problem, Rukia-san?
Rukia stops walking and turns to Hisana.
- Hisa-san... I wanted to ask you something.
- You can ask, but... For god's sake, can I please use the bathroom first? - Hisana says crossing her legs.
Rukia laughs.
- I'm sorry, Hisa-san, please, go ahead.
Hisana finally used the bathroom. She washes her hands and walks out.
- Now you can make the question, Rukia-san.
- Hisa-san... I want to know something about me, would that be all right?
Hisana looks at her with curiosity.
- I think it's all right. - She answers, pointing at a place where they could sit.
They both sit in two chairs near a window, where they could breathe the fresh air of the night and appreciate the stars in the sky.
- You know... I've been thinking. If you really came from the future, it means that you met us before we died, didn't you? - Rukia seems a little uncomfortable.
- Yes. - Hisana answers, nodding.
- I want to know if... - Rukia tries to gesture what she wanted to say.
- If...?
- If I had a son or daughter. - Rukia looks at the eyes of Hisana looking for an honest answer.
Hisana gets really quiet. It was natural to have questions like that, mainly after Hisana conquered the thrust of the group; to them, it was a unique opportunity to know what they would be like in the future.
- Yes, Rukia-san, you had a child. Not just you, but everyone else here tonight.
- Really? Wow! And what is my daughter or son like in the future? - Rukia was excited and curious.
- Rukia-san... Your child died a few years ago, I'm sorry. - She regrets saying those words right after she said it.
Rukia gets really sad when she hears the answer. She feels her heart heavy, especially when she remembers the dream she had of a child crying in the rain. Somehow, she felt that it was not a dream.
Hisana didn't like lying to her mother, but she knew she had to. Deep inside, the young girl wish she could scream who she was, she wanted to hug her mother, tell her how much she loved her and then hug Ichigo, her dear father... She stopped thinking those things before it got too tempting.
- I... I'm sorry, Rukia-sa, for everything.
- I understand. It must be painful for you to be here, isn't it? I mean, you're helping us but risking yourself so much... You have to be really strong to do all this. - Rukia tried to smile, even after hearing the bad news.
- Indeed. - Hisana answers, looking at the ground.
- Do you think our future will change, Hisa-san?
- Be faithful, Rukia-san, the future has always been a road with uncertain paths. Me coming from the future is already a proof that we can change it, don't you think?
- You're right. Thank you.
They smile to each other.
Hisana changes the subject and starts to talk about her life and friends while they wait for the snack.
Yoruichi and Urahara have a worried conversation in the balcony at the opposite side of the store.
- Do you think she will tell us something about Ichigo and Isshin?
- I don't know, but if my calculations are correct, maybe not. She came from the future and that means that her actions here will influence the course of history, that's why she told us about Magnus before telling us something about herself. It was a test to analyze our reactions to know how safe it would be to tell us what really happened in the time and place where she came from.
- I'm impressed that you deduced that, Kisuke. - Mocks Yoruichi.
- Me too, and I hope I am right. - Urahara gets thoughtful.
- Are you ready to hear about yourself in the future?
- No... What about you?
- No. - The cat responds promptly.
They contemplate the sky as they think of what was to come.
Inoue, Sado and Ishida were talking about what they just heard so far.
- Hisa-san is an amazing person, isn't she? She came to the past to help us try to change the future, risking everything she has...- Inoue philosophizes, looking at the sky and siting in a box, as she swings her legs forward and back.
- I doubt very much that she will reach her goal. - Ishida says, pessimistic.
- There must be an explanation for her not saving her own future. - Sado's voice echoes frightening through the night.
- So who guarantees she'll make it now?
- We do, Ichida-kun.
- Why do you think that, Inoue-san?
- Because if Hisa-san did not believe in us, she would be trying to do it on her own; but if she's telling us all this, it means she's counting on us to help her.
- In other words, you are buying what she said about us dying in the future, and you just want to hear how it happened, right?
- Ishida-kun, we will all die someday, but...
- But what, Inoue? - Asks Sado.
- I pity Hisa-san.
- What do you mean? - This time, Ishida asks.
- Because every time she looks at us, even when she's smiling, her look is always so deep and full of sadness... I know that Hisa-san has gone through terrible things before she got here.
Ishida and Sado remain silent.
- But these same eyes also reflect a shine of determination and hope. That's why I believe, with all my heart, that she will reach her goal. - Inoue says, smiling with honesty while she looks at her two friends and continues to swing her legs forward and back.
Ishida and Sado are captivated with the words of the red hair girl. They smile in response to her feelings.
Ichigo was not having a good day, that's already obvious, but arguing with his father through the cellphone is too much for him. After everything he heard from Hisana, he has to listen to his father and tries to keep his sanity.
- What the hell? - Screams Ichigo to his phone. - Respect me, old man, and respect her too! (...) What are you talking about? I'm not cheating on Rukia! (...) No, goddamn it, I'm not her boyfriend! (...) Condom? If Yuzu is hearing that, you're dead, Isshin! (...) Don't say shit like that! I already said that I'll go home late with Rukia, that's all! (...) AAAAHHHH! - Ichigo finishes the call almost breaking down his phone.-Why does everyone makes fun of me saying that I date Rukia? That sucks! - Ichigo enters the house, with anger, towards the reiatsu of Rukia.
Rukia laughs because of what she just heard.
- You're laughing because it didn't happen to you, Rukia-san. - Hisana says, holding her laugh.
- Stop calling me "Rukia-san", that's so unnecessary, and yes, I am laughing because it didn't happen to me.
- All right... You better prey it doesn't happen to you, because it really hurts!
- What really hurts? - Asks Ichigo, approaching the two.
- Girl talk, Ichigo, walk away. - Rukia says kicking out her friend.
- So I can stay, because you're not a 'girl', I heard from Reiji that you have hundreds of years, you're older then everybody. I'm the young person here! - Teases Ichigo.
Hisana starts to sweat.
-What did you say? - Asks Rukia sharply.
- What, the part I said you're not a girl or the part I said you're a hundred years old? - Irritates Ichigo.
Hisana think she sees sparks from the eyes of Ichigo and Rukia as they stare each other. Hisana hopes the two no longer know she's there.
- HISA!
"Shit!" Hisana thinks, shutting her eyes and shivering.
- You don't believe in what this jerk is saying, do you? - Rukia stares Hisana.
Hisana did not know what to say. She feels that her life is at risk.
- You see? She's so quiet because she doesn't want to embarrass you anymore. - Ichigo says victorious.
But Hisana was quiet because she feared to take a punch from her mom.
- Oh you...! - Rukia kicks Ichigo's ankle but he dogdes. Therefore, he dodges only one leg, the other leg is hit. They both feel acute pain.
- Auth! - Both scream at the same time, jumping in one leg.
- Fuck, Rukia! Your skinny ankle almost broke mine!
- I almost broke yours? Your's feels like iron! I'm almost legless!
- Well, you started it, you moron!
- Me, a moron? You're the one who started offending me!
- Because you treated me with ignorance, just because I made a question!
- I was just kidding, you stupid boy!
- Who's stupid here? Stupid is your arrogant brother! - Screams Ichigo in front of Rukia's face, crossing an invisible and unforgivable line.
Rukia, when she hears Ichigo offending her brother, she gives him a header. Her eyes were red and she breaths like an angry bull.
- Don't talk like that about my Nii-sama!
Ichigo stands looking at her for a while.
- Did you... Did you give me a header? YOU GAVE ME A HEADER? - Ichigo puts his hand where he took the blow.
- YES, SO WHAT? - She exclaims, angry.
- That... Really hurts.
Ichigo falls, unconscious.
Hisana looks at him, worried, and with a stick she nudges his body.
- Hey, Ichigo-san? Hello? Hello!?
He didn't react.
- My goodness... I think I failed my mission. - Hisana swallows.
- No, Hisa, he's just playing with you. Do you think someone that fought against Soul Society would die just because of a header? - Rukia crosses her arms.
Hisana is not convinced by Rukia.
- But... But... That header was not human... - She mimics the moves her mother made.
Rukia rolls her eyes.
- Hey, Ichigo, wake up! - She nudges him with her feet.
Ichigo still don't move.
- Hey! – Rukia nudges him harder,
Nothing.
Then, Rukia has an idea that wouldn't fail.
- Oh my god, who's mommy's cutest little strawberry? - Rukia says that like a baby.
- Strawberry? Who's the strawberry? Where is the motherfucker that called me strawberry? - Ichigo jumps, quickly standing up. He looked around for the absent one who called him strawberry.
Rukia looked with superiority at Hisana. Hisana is shocked by the scene and thinks of the possibility that she was actually adopted by the couple that didn't look very sane.
- What happened Rukia, why are you looking at me like you're unhappy?
- I'm not looking at you like that.
- Yes, you are.
Rukia looks at her with the corner of her eye. Hisana shrinks in the corner of the room.
- It's nothing... I'm sorry I hit you like that, Ichigo. - Rukia says with honesty.
- Hoho, now you're apologizing? - Ichigo looks doubtful.
- I'm serious, you idiot! I know that we fight a lot, but the truth is... You're a very important person for me.
Rukia says it so naturally that Ichigo blushes.
- Uh... Well, I... kind of... - Ichigo scratches his head, sheepish.
Hisana from her fetal position in the corner of the room, spies on them with one eye.
- You... You're so silly. - Rukia laughs delicately. - Thanks for worrying about that time... I could hear your voice. - She says, referring to the moment when she almost lost her life.
Ichigo blushes more.
"Wait, what she's talking about?" He thinks, confused.
Hisana starts to blush too.
- Well... That time, I thought I would die, but when I heard your voice, the only thing I could think of was to try and survive. But then I realized that it was impossible and... I could only apologize. I was afraid that... I...
Hisana sits up, watching the scene, very quiet, hoping she wouldn't be noticed.
Ichigo sees that Rukia can't finish the sentence, but he understands what she meant and sighs.
- I was afraid too. I promised to myself that if I couldn't save everyone, I would at least save the ones closest to me. I felt like I was breaking that promise... - Ichigo says with complete honesty to Rukia. She's the only one that can make him feel comfortable by being himself.
They stand quiet for a while, thinking about the things that happened to them.
Hisana feels like she is invading their privacy, but that moment of declaration between her young parents increases her curiosity.
- Ichigo...
- Rukia...
They say it at the same time and smile.
- Ichigo, I'd like to say that...
- Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, Tessai-san is calling us. - announces the happy Inoue.
- Thank you for letting us know, Inoue, we'll be right there. - Ichigo answers with a grin.
Rukia smiles to herself although she was interrupted.
Hisana still pretends she's a rock.
- Lets go Rukia, before they start saying dirty things about us.
- What do you mean by 'dirty' things?
- Gosh, you're so naive...
- What did you say? Say that again!
- ...
- Hey! - Rukia follows him, mumbling.
- Wow... They really ignored me. Or did they? That's so strange... - Hisana talks to herself, a little ashamed. She stands up, shaking the dirt off her clothes and then walks toward the kitchen. - Damn it, I wish I had a camera...
Everyone's waiting for the three last members so that they can start to eat. Ichigo and Rukia comes in, but Hisana wasn't there. They don't notice and sit at the table.
- Kurosaki-san, Kuchiki-san, where is Hisa-san? - Asks Urahara to both of them.
- I don't know. - Ichigo shrugs his shoulder.
Hisana comes in seconds after.
- Hisa-san, where were you? We were waiting for you to start. - Urahara asks.
- I... aah... - Hisana did not know what to say.
- Please, take a seat. - He points to an empty spot.
- Thank you, Urahara-san.
Hisana sits at the table and looks at Ichigo and Rukia, embarrassed.
- Where were you Hisa-san? I didn't see you... - Wonders Rukia.
- Good thing you didn't see me... - Whispers Hisana to herself.
Rukia looks at her for a moment, trying to understand her reaction, then she looks at Ichigo. He looks back at her also not understanding the situation. After a few seconds, the couple remembers the detail and blush violently.
- Hisa-san, were you...? - Ichigo whispers close to her ear.
- I... didn't see or heard a thing.- Hisana looks away.
Ichigo swallows.
- It's okay, Ichigo, I'll never tell anyone, I promise. - Hisana whispers.
Tessai comes in along with Ururu and Jinta. They bring a true banquet to the guests. They put plates and bowls on the table and start to serve tea to everyone.
- Please, feel free to eat what you want, especially you, Hisa-san, let's see if we can get the tired look on your face to look good and comfortable. - Yoruichi says with a funny voice.
- Don't worry Yoruichi-san, I will not let you down. - Hisana says imitating her tone of voice.
Everyone had fun during the meal. Even Hisana takes part in some conversations and laughs along with them. She takes advantage of that moment to observe tenderly all her friends of childhood together, with no worries, full of life. Her heart pounds with joy. Urahara and Yoruichi have stopped analyzing Hisana, they were just eating and teasing the young people at the table.
Hisana laughs, but suddenly, a memory came to her mind. She stops smiling, as if that image appeared right before her eyes. She sees all her friends dead, their body destroyed, covered in blood. Hisana feels like she was in the middle of the street, where people ran for their lives and cars hit on each other causing explosions all over the city. Beside her, she sees Magnus. He, noticing her, looks at her with cruel cold eyes.
- Don't you agree, Hisa-san? - Someone asks.
Hisana comes back to earth.
- Huh? What?
- Did you hear the question? - Asks Yoruichi.
- Ah... No, sorry, I was thinking something else.
- You don't have to apologize, Hisa-san. Well, as soon as you're done eating, I will be waiting in the living room again. - She excuses herself and retrieves for the living room.
- I am also satisfied, if you want to rest, I can wait. I'll be too in the living room. - Hisana does the same thing Yoruichi did.
The ones in the dining room think for a moment and then get up and walk to the living room.
Hisana was sitting with her legs and arms crossed. Yoruichi, in the form of a cat was lying, but gets up when she sees her friends approaching. Urahara comes shortly thereafter.
They all take a seat and stare the young girl from the future.
Hisana looks in the eyes of everyone there. Then, she nods approving everyone's presence.
- Very well, since you're all here, it means that each one of you are willing to believe that there is not a path that is determined, we can change our faith through our choices, and each choice we made unite us in a great wheel called faith.
They all pay attention.
- What I will now reveal to you is my testimony, of my beloved friends that still live and yours, from the future, until the last day of your existence.
Hisana sits closer to her friends, she closes her eyes and puts her hands over the table, organizes her memories and when she opens her eyes again, she looks different.
- Everything will start ten years from now...
Hisana starts to tell the story that would be the beggin of the battle that all her friends would have to fight; they pay attention, believing every word, because they know... They believe that the wheel of destiny was starting to spin fast with the arrival of that girl on their lives, but they did not know where it was going to take them or why.
Hisana would tell them that.
In a big lab, Magnus, the imposing primordial shnigami, was standing up before a big empty test-tube, he looks at it as if he was searching for something.
- Well, well, if it isn't my greatest friend.
Magnus turns to see who was talking to him.
- It's been a while since the last time you came here, old friend.
- I just came to make sure that this place still has a purpose without the presence of the primordial experiment.
- Of course it does, my dear, this place not only created you, but it also became your home after a long time, and like the bird that flies to the south searching for a warmer place to procreate, she one day will have to return to the nest to make everything ready for her new trip.
- When Kaliver brings her, you'll have to continue the last phase of the experiment. - Says Magnus that was looking to the man, apparently middle age. He walked away, leaving the place.
- It will be done. - Responds the other.
Magnus stops besides Solomon.
- Try not to let the opportunity escape, Solomon, don't let the last phase of our vengeance be ruined. - He touches his friend's shoulder.
- I will not fail, my old friend. - Solomon bows with respect.
Magnus leaves the lab. The eyes of the scientist shine as he smiles, thinking of all the suffering he would cause.
Far away from there, Kaliver finishes doing something in the big computer screen in front of him, he presses a button and the screen shuts off. So, he looks again to the dead bodies of Urahara and Katsuya.
- It's done, the preparation for the last phase is finished.
He activates another screen close to the big computer. A communication screen appears. He starts to type protocols when a screen asking for a password appears.
- Now I just need Hisana...
Kaliver types frantically various combinations of protocols, searching for the one that would get him in touch with the one he wanted.
Continues...