Ichigo scrutinized every little movement on shadowy hills while the dawn sun, from behind, stained the valley blood-red. These sealed eyes revealed nothing of the future, but he already knew that his mother was not going to stop by again. He had felt it in her spiritual pressure—her heart's desire. Inside that Vasto Lorde Hollow, the soul known as Masaki Kurosaki had crossed over into Soul Society to check up on her recently deceased son, to make sure he was happy and cared for.

And he was being cared for. By his girlfriend, Rukia Kuchiki. She drawled, "Hollows despise weakness. Your mother would lop your head off if she saw you like this."

He couldn't laugh. Six years of grief swelled in his throat. He had searched that riverbank a thousand times for her soul. He had guessed she was in the afterlife. Now he knew with some certainty that she was indeed in the afterlife, just not exactly how he had envisioned. If nothing else, he was thankful that her existence hadn't been erased from reality altogether; whatever unhinged god behind all this farce was merciful.

Rukia laid a hand on his shoulder. "You were taking it so well. What brought on the tears? Talk to me."

Ichigo met her eyes. Snow-white hair was tinged red. "What if it's not her? Earlier this year, I was looking for her at the river again. I saw a woman with a chain. I thought it was her, but it was someone else. Tatsuki found me crying under a tree."

"I don't have any answers, and I'll be truthful with you. I'm terrible at comforting boys in this way. Talk to Haruka if you want breasts to cry on."

This time he did chuckle. "I'm fine now."

"Then get that sad look off your face. Or I will forcibly dry your tears with my power. Do I need to?"

"I said I'm fine." He swallowed pain. And that pain slithered past his heart, it bent into creeping worry over something he had not wanted to consider. He didn't want to entertain the idea that his own mother was now some kind of abomination. "Do you think she'll be back? Not for me, but for them?" He looked down. Two figures were climbing over the crater's rim. Children. Their ball had fallen in.

"No," Rukia said with absolute surety. "Have you wondered why Vasto Lorde take a near-Human form? It should be self-evident. Your mother has gone through Menos evolution the point where she has regained shreds of her past humanity. This is as close as she can come to closing her hole. No longer does she feel the need to consume in order to evolve, or feel the fear of regressing into a mindless Gillian, for she shall be cursed to wander Hueco Mundo's lonely sands."

Now was not the time to goof about: "Then let's build her a house in the Seireitei. Can she learn healing Kido? We could start up the Kurosaki clinic again."

Rukia played coy, "Sure, we'll have your clinic next door to Head Captain Yamamoto's office—right where it's safe for everyone else."

"But you said she's not going to eat anyone."

Rukia's eyes lazed into an unimpressed stare. "The Seireitei isn't home to just Shinigami. Your mother's presence would be an invitation for lesser Hollows. Consuming a Vasto Lorde is the quickest way for a Menos to ascend."

In Ichigo's mind, that was precise reason to go find her.

Rukia said in a flat voice, "I can give you a hundred reasons why she can't be here as long as she is fully Hollowfied. Ultimately, Soul Society itself will never allow it. Her place is in Hueco Mundo, where she is allowed to be, free from us. That is the law of Soul Society. The same laws which allow you to have your way with me."

Still going on about that.

His sigh was raspy. He would just have to trust that his mother was fine by herself over there in Hueco Mundo. A Vasto Lorde couldn't be a pushover. Rukia had been afraid, more afraid than when he had violated her while Hollowfied. Last night, she had been ready to die in battle, not only to protect the souls in this town, but to protect him. She had feared for his life.

Rukia grasped her Zanpakuto's pommel. She didn't look at him. She mumbled, "You were wondering if Tensa Zangetsu could teach you how to open a Garganta. You undoubtedly have the ability, as all Hollows do. But if you try to leave for Hueco Mundo, it will be taken as an act of desertion as best, rebellion at worst, and I will have no option but to cut you down. I won't be sorry." Her leaking spiritual pressure was sub-zero.

At that, his choice was made: "Have you lost your mind?"

"Ichigo, I—"

"Why would I run off to Hollow Land? I'm a Shinigami. My place is here. It's my duty to protect the souls here." He glanced down at a group of children kicking that red ball back and forth. The children he had foreseen. The red ball.

Air warmed as Rukia let go of a haggard breath. "Don't ever forget it."

"I won't."

"Good." Her smaller fingers squeezed his. "Because I received a Hell Butterfly earlier."

His eyelids batted. His other family members were thrown into the forefront of his mind. He still didn't know how Yuzu and Karin had died. What a mess. "About?"

"The Captains and Central 46 are requesting a report on your progress. They want to know if you're talented in Kido, specifically healing Kido as per Captain Unohana's inquiry. They also want to know if you're able to release Shikai."

Uncertainty churned in him. "Do you have to tell them about my eyes?"

"They didn't specify. I can leave details of your powers out of this report. There's a critical shortage of healers, so they only seem to care about this as of now."

He thought of a certain Squad 4 pipsqueak. "Is that why Hanataro has been with several hundred girls?"

"It is," Rukia said curtly. "Not just me, I can remember he had a dozen personal tutors to satisfy all his learning needs." She held out her finger for a Hell Butterfly.

A dozen.

Yet Ichigo only had one girl assigned. It didn't matter. The girl next to him was all he really needed.


Clashes of frigid spiritual pressure had woken Gin. He peeked through a crack in this cabin's window. It was snowing. A frosty blanket covered these Squad 2 mountains and hills—not your everyday sight. Very charming. It reminded him of his younger years in Rukon.

Innocent years.

Before that incident.

Vicious fury whipped up his chest, and he almost hissed like a viper. Only Rangiku's loving embrace stopped him from going outside and taking it out on that arrogant little punk. Lil-Shiro, they called him. But on second thought….

Before Gin was able to sneak away, a Hell Butterfly flew right through the closed window, landed on Rangiku's shoulder. She woke with a grouse then sat upright, her breasts jiggling. "Don't you fucking dare."

He grinned clownishly. "What would I dare to do?"

"You were about to run off."

"Well why wouldn't I? Soifon and Toshiro are enjoying a morning spar. I may as well join them. We are far enough to release Shikai." Gin grabbed his Shihakusho.

Rangiku's hand clamped around his wrist. "Last night."

"Last night?"

"Do you remember what you said?"

Perhaps in the throes of passion and Sake, he had said something regrettable. Last night was regrettable. One last night with her. Before he would risk everything—for her. "Not that I immediately recall."

Waiting to deliver a message, the Hell Butterfly flapped its wings. She ignored it, eyes on him. Her sky-blue eyes were piercing, as always. She could see through him, as always. "You said if anything were to happen to you, that you're sorry. What may possibly happen to you for you to say that?"

Once more, he came close to confessing and begging for forgiveness for all he had done. For all those he had to murder to get to where he was now.

He couldn't confess. "I don't know. It must've been the Sake talking."

"Gin."

"Now that I think about it… I was sorry for not giving you enough orgasms before I passed out."

Her grip on his wrist tightened. "I know when you're lying."

He broke free with a flick of spiritual pressure. He said off-handedly, "I think you should listen to that message. Don't fret, I'll wait. It could be about something important."

She kept her eyes trained on him while she listened. The message carried on for over a minute. Two minutes. Three. Five. With a frown that didn't compliment her beauty, she dismissed the Hell Butterfly, saying, "It's from Rukia—a report on Ichigo's training that Central 46 requested. She listed all the Kido spells he's learned. He has no talent in healing, and he's already attained Shikai."

"What are his Shikai abilities?" Gin asked, impossible to keep curiosity hidden. The Shikai of a divine being of the likes not seen in a million years.

"It wasn't in the report."

"Why would she leave that out? She had to know."

Rangiku's lips puckered. "Probably because he doesn't have any. It was a couple months before Haineko taught me anything. Did you know? Hmm?" Her tone was sour and accusing.

Because for the past century he had been so distant. For her own good. For her security.

"I've heard in passing. You are one of the most talented Shinigami in centuries." She could have been so much more. She could have rivaled the most powerful Captains in Gotei 13 history. And it had all been stolen from her. Her own sliver of divinity. His teeth clenched for a second.

She shrugged. "Sometimes I feel like I'm getting in Toshiro's way."

"How come?"

"In two decades he's already far surpassed me. In a century, he'll be…."

"Well they don't call the boy a prodigy for no reason." Gin forced out a chuckle. "Would you rather be my Lieutenant?" A dangerous question.

Her scowl was indignant. "You had your chance fifty years ago. Actually, multiple chances. Every time you made up some excuse for why you wanted a guy for a Lieutenant instead. And now all of a sudden you want me again." She sighed. "Is it because Toshiro fucked me? That's why, isn't it? You're jealous that I'm his Lieutenant and not yours. Are you planning to duel him to the death? Is that why you said you're sorry last night?"

Taking this opportunity for an easy escape, he narrowed eyes at her. "Have I ever been the jealous kind of Shinigami?"

"Oh, you were so fucking jealous when I enrolled into the Academy. Don't pretend you didn't knock me out and blindfold me one time. News to you, you weren't good at hiding your spiritual pressure. I knew it was you. You fed me Pink Pills all night long." She mimicked his narrowed eyes, leaning in. "Your bed was drenched with my pussy blood. You were so happy." Her breath smelled of fruity Sake.

"I think you're imagining things," he said in a dead voice.

She shoved his chest. "Shut up! Taking my virginity wasn't good enough for you, was it? You wanted me all to yourself. You hated me for joining the Gotei. Now you regret these past hundred years. Too late, Gin. I'm Lil-Shiro's fucktoy, and he fucks much better than you." Suddenly she tackled him into a smothering hug. "Don't you dare hurt my Captain, or I will have to hurt you. Don't tell me you're sorry. Don't tell me you're—" She sobbed once. Then twice.

"Rangiku," he whispered.

She wept against his chest. "Hug me like you used to. It's so cold! Why won't you hug me?!"

Resolve cracked and crumbled away.

He couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't inflict any more heartache on her, and so for the first time in over a century, he hugged her back, shielded her from this freezing Bankai spirit energy. He didn't know what he was going to do anymore. Plans were already in motion. He couldn't take her with him; he would never be able to keep her safe, and she would be used against him.

This was a mistake.

And he was already a dead man. So many murders. So many atrocities.

There was only one out. It was a gamble.

He had faith. Divine providence.

"We have to leave," he breathed, barely audible.

"Wha—"

"Don't speak. We are in unimaginable danger. We must leave the Seireitei, you and I, alone. Only Ichigo Kurosaki can help us. Nod if you trust me."

Rangiku nodded.


Author's Note: Next chapter will be back to Ichigo. It'll be a more gruesome chapter...

Review Responses:

- I think I definitely will overhaul the first few chapters so the sexual themes in this AU are more obvious.

- The original Soul Society arc was set in the early 2000s, so that's what I'm basing the living world tech on. Soul Society tech levels is all over the place.