Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or the name Kurosaki Masaki all fully belong to Kubo Tite. However, I do own my OC under the name of Mai.
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Edited formatting 1/30/18
"Why the hell do you fear me, my power?"
Ichigo stared at his Hollow surprised, cheeks bulging outward, bubbles escaping his mouth. Annoyance flashed in his white counterpart's eyes, as the orange haired teen didn't respond only attempted to move slightly, prompting his Hollow to tighten his grip on the latter's right shoulder and position the tip of his white blade even closer to the flesh of his throat, piercing it. A dark red spot appeared on his throat, slowly making its way downwards.
For a split second, his Hollow's eyes shone with elation and underneath his mask his lips screwed up in a dark, twisted grin, seemingly relishing the feel of having Ichigo at his mercy and seeing the fear in his amber orbs. An instant later, irritation reappeared in his piercing gaze along with disbelief.
"God, you're so damn stupid, you think you're going to drown?" his Hollow sneered. "You can breathe, you dumb ass, just try it. Just answer the damn question, before I kill your pathetic ass."
Uncertainty flashed in Ichigo's eyes. He looked like he was going to open his mouth any second, even though he was desperately trying not to.
"That's the problem, Ichigo, you just don't trust me, do ya?" his Hollow stated, sounding slightly irked.
Huh? First, he's talking about why I fear him, now trust. Zangetsu also said the same thing.
You're lying, Ichigo, you're afraid of my power. You don't trust me.
This was strange. He had never had both of them talk to him when he was in his inner world, except for the first time he had ever met his white half. But even then, Zangetsu hadn't really said much. It was his Hollow who had been doing the talking while he fought him.
"Not that I blame ya," his Hollow said grinning sardonically. He began to rub the edge of his katana along Ichigo's throat, letting the droplets of blood spewing from the small cut he had made earlier coat it.
"But do you really think I'm going to let you drown and miss out on my chance to kill ya?" the Hollow pointed out. "No way in hell, so start breathing and tell me why you're afraid of me."
Ichigo stopped holding his breath, but didn't say anything.
I can actually breathe, he thought, letting his lungs take in the much-needed air they were longing for.
"What's a matter, cat got your tongue or something?" his Hollow snapped.
Is he mad at me? He sounds like he is, but why? He has me where he wants me. Why is he wasting time asking me why I'm afraid of him? He could have killed me…
"Or is it 'cause my blade's at your throat?" he asked, grinning impishly beneath his mask, as he slid the blade down Ichigo's throat onto his bare, bruised chest, before thrusting the katana through it.
Ichigo groaned. Dipping his head, he grimaced as the pain of his already badly beaten body intensified with the sword protruding from his chest.
"Let me guess you're afraid I'm going to hurt your precious little friends, including the Queen?" his Hollow answered for him, his patience wearing thin. "You keep saying you're going to stop me from hurting and killing your friends, but it's not me that's going to be doing that, it's you," his white counterpart declared.
"What?" Ichigo managed to say through gritted teeth as he raised his head to meet his Hollow's gaze.
"Yes, you, Ichigo, you're gonna do that all by yourself. Not me. Not Aizen. Just you. You should have let me kill pineapple head and the Queen because the way you're covered in fear, there's nothing you can do to protect them against anyone, least of all Aizen. You're fighting with a dull blade filled with fear….Not just because ya fear my power, because ya fear Aizen too, don't ya?" he said, leaning closer to Ichigo, his mask disappearing. "You're afraid you won't be able to stop him, that his power is too much."
Removing his left hand from Ichigo's shoulder, the Hollow grabbed a hold of Ichigo's chin forcing him to stare at his furious golden orbs; the orange haired teen scowled defiantly, but his eyes, glittering with apprehension mixed with anger, betrayed him.
Damn him, he's right, Ichigo thought, his heart lurching with disgust.
"See, this is what pisses me off about you Ichigo, you whine and whine about how you wanna protect your friends, but how the hell are you gonna do that when you're full of fear, when you've stopped walking forward—"
Those are Zangetsu's words…
"When you refuse to you use my power the way it's meant to be used. I told you I can't have some pathetic bastard that fears his own power as the King—"
He said 'his', Ichigo realized.
"That's why it's come down to the end of the line for ya, Horse," he said mockingly, golden eyes bright with sadistic mirth, letting go of Ichigo's chin and placing his hand on the hilt of the white Tensa Zangetsu and began pulling it out. "And guess what neither can Zangetsu-san."
It feels like Zangetsu is leaving me…
Ichigo stared unblinkingly at the white katana being pulled out of his chest.
He's right Zangetsu won't help me if I fear him.
Me and Zangetsu are your power, the words his Hollow had told him the previous time he had fought him resurfaced in his mind followed by Zangetsu's earlier words, I cannot help you if you fear me.
I fear my own power.
The realization descended upon him.
No… Damn it… I don't… I didn't come here for this… He's right, Zangetsu's right… if I let fear get to me then I can't move forward… I won't let it… I came to get power damn it… and that's what I'm going to do…
Understanding illuminating his eyes, he mustered all the strength he could and moved his aching arms, clasping his hands as though he were saying a prayer over the blade, just as his Hollow removed the blade from his chest.
"You aren't going to be the King," Ichigo said, matter-of-fact, eyes full of confidence as they met his Hollow's gaze.
"Is that so?" his Hollow said smirking, eying the bloody hole in Ichigo's chest, his burned and bloody abdomen. "Ya look pretty beat up to me? Don't see how you're gonna get out of this."
"It is," Ichigo reaffirmed, his body beginning to glow black with a red outline, while his irises started to become yellow and the sclera black. He closed his eyes for an instant and his mask appeared; his wounds started to heal.
"You're a sick bastard," he declared, opening his now golden eyes. "You never had control over me to begin with, did you? I did suppress you last time. Even though my mask changed, and it felt different you never actually interfered until after I fought Aizen…I get it. This is your way of showing me my power like Zangetsu does," he said, and as he said this, the blade between his hands suddenly became half-black, half-white for an instant before it became completely black. His Hollow released his hold on the hilt, and Ichigo pulled the katana towards him, flipping it, and securing the hilt in his right hand.
Smirking, his Hollow said, "So, you figured it out? I ain't like Zangetsu-san, I don't do riddles. I prefer beating the fear out of ya."
"So, I've noticed," Ichigo said wryly. "I may not like you, but you are a part of my power just like Zangetsu. You're right, I've never really bothered to really learn about your power, but now I will. You're going to teach me how to use it."
"Why would I do that?" his Hollow asked, a challenging smirk on his features.
Unamused, the orange haired teen glared at him.
"Because, you know you need me. You can't have me dying can you?" he reminded his Hollow, smirking underneath his mask.
"No… I can't," he admitted, stepping away from Ichigo, floating in the ocean. "But I ain't gonna make it easy, King," he said as the inverted mask appeared over his face once more and a white Zanpakutō appeared in his right hand.
"You never do," Ichigo retorted, standing up, the glass shards clinging to his back falling onto smashed remnants of the building he had crashed into.
Nii-sama wants to talk to Ichigo?
Rukia stared at her brother's retreating back as he walked away from her. She knew her brother wasn't pleased with the news of her future daughter, of who the father was… She knew he didn't like Ichigo, but why did he want to talk to Ichigo now? It's not like Ichigo had feelings for her now, or did he?
She froze for a minute contemplating the way he has always acted around her and then shook her head.
I don't think so.
Regardless of that didn't Nii-sama see there was no point in talking to him since Masaki was clearly a New Soul. She was a fukutaichō—only residents of the Soul Society could be part of the Gotei 13—which meant she was probably born a long time from now, maybe after Ichigo had lived out his normal human life, and however long it took for them to form a relationship, for Masaki to be conceived.
He wouldn't know who I was, Rukia thought, and for a moment she felt her heart flutter with disappointment. I probably told him his name…Masaki…He wouldn't remember who that name belonged to either…Maybe I named her… It's a pretty name…
Shaking away these thoughts, she returned to her original train of thought: Ichigo and her that would happen a long time from now.
How old was Masaki?
She looked young, but that was no indication of her age. Souls in the Soul Society aged differently from humans; it was unpredictable. In general she knew New Souls, like the souls of young people that had perished in the Material World, tended to age similarly to humans during their first 18 to 20 years of existence. But even then, some people didn't follow that pattern. They remained looking childlike and didn't get older until perhaps a century or more later, or at least some semblance of looking older. There was never any guarantee they would really age that much more.
I think she's probably over a 100…um a hundred and ….
She heaved a sigh. There was no point in trying to figure it out. There was no way of knowing… What was the point? She would know when the time would come…It was weird knowing what lay in store for her in her future…
Ichigo.
Damn, it's better that he doesn't know the truth.
As much as she wanted to beat him up for the way he reacted to Masaki's declaration, his anger, his stupidity—He acted as if the Gotei 13 wasn't checking out her story! She couldn't help but feel that perhaps it was better that he didn't know what his future was. What was the point anyway? He would forget about it when he would die.
It would definitely make things weird between them. She would have to forget about it herself, pretend she had never even heard the news. She could tell him he was right…that it was some kind of trick by Aizen. He would never know. Masaki wouldn't be around anyway. She would be back in her time.
But their friends judging by the way they reacted, they believed Masaki. She could lie to them as well or just tell them to keep their mouths shut…No, that probably wouldn't work… Inoue would probably say something…. Lying was better…
As for Nii-sama, she just had to prevent Ichigo from being around him. She hoped his training would take a while. Maybe Aizen would attack by then and there wouldn't be a chance for them to 'talk.'
Masaki stood by the pink kimono clad Eight Division taichō watching as Jūshirō went to retrieve her Zanpakutō and badge from the sōtaichō; the rest of the taichō had already departed the room. She was silent, looking pensive with her eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Noticing this Shunsui couldn't help but speak. "Well, the good news is Yama-jii believes you now. I'm sure Kurotsuchi-taichō will finish his analysis soon. He never lets a good puzzle elude him, you'll see. You'll be back in your time before you know it. Couldn't be helped that Unohana-taichō's analysis was faster. That Byakuya," he chuckled, "he was obviously in denial. So, how does he get along with his brother-in-law in the future?"
Masaki sighed. "They…tolerate each other."
"Not too many family dinners, eh?" Shunsui guessed.
"No," she said, the corners of her mouth tugging into a smile.
"Byakuya is definitely not a fun uncle to have," Shunsui noted. "That's too bad. Everyone should have one."
"Oji-sama isn't fun," she agreed, "but he cares in his own way."
"I suppose he does even if it is hard to believe; that man hardly ever shows any emotion. Does he even talk to you?"
"We've always had a good relationship"—Shunsui raised an eyebrow—"well as good as you can have with him up until…" she suddenly trailed off, a fleeting look of anger appearing in her violet orbs.
"Up until what?" Shunsui wondered.
"We've had a disagreement but it's over now," she explained in a flat voice.
"Anyway, I do have fun uncles," she said in her normal cool tone, eying him, "they're just not related by blood or through marriage."
"Good to hear." He smiled.
At that moment, the white haired Thirteenth Division taichō approached them carrying Masaki's fukutaichō badge in his left hand and in his right her Zanpakutō. The sōtaichō was heading towards the exit.
"Here you are, Masaki-chan," Jūshirō said, handing her badge first.
She took it, placed it over her upper left arm, wrapped the cloth around her arm, and twisted the torn, bloody ends of it into a knot since the Hollow had torn the cloth straight down preventing her from securing it like she normally would.
Jūshirō's eyes were on her scabbard he held in his outstretched hands in a revered manner; holding a Zanpakutō was considered an honor.
"This is a beautiful scabbard," he said, admiring the way the light reflected off the smooth, pearly white surface of her scabbard.
"Fine craftsmanship," he commented, his eyes traveling the length of it until he caught sight of a small engraving just below the three rings adorning the throat of the scabbard. Surprise shone in his eyes for an instant.
Engraved on the scabbard was an emblem—a hexagonal shape with pointed edges at the top and bottom—containing a crescent moon with the tip of a five pointed star overlapping the bottom of the moon. From the star a reed like plant sprouted, curving along the arcs of the crescent moon; outside the design four curved waves decorated the top and bottom angles of the hexagonal shape. Underneath the emblem was the kanji for Masaki's name.
"Arigatō, it is," she said, as she placed her hands out to receive said object, amethyst eyes looking longingly at it, as though she had missed it. "It was made by Nakajima Shin'ichi."
She stared at her Zanpakutō for a minute and then slipped it into its rightful place at her waist.
"That's the best scabbard maker in Soul Society," Jūshirō said, amazed.
"It was a gift from my parents when I became a fukutaichō," she explained, placing her right hand over the pommel of her Zanpakutō, briefly touching it in a reassuring sort of way, eyes falling on the scabbard in which it resided. "It contains remnants of the first Arrancar I killed which is why it was made white."
"Good reason for 'em to spend a pretty penny on it," Shunsui said, grinning.
"An Arrancar?" Jūshirō said, surprised "Arrancar exist in the future?"
Masaki nodded. "Hai, Arrancar are a normal occurrence. Shinigami are used to dealing with them," she added upon seeing Jūshirō's concerned face. "Many of them aren't that strong. Once in a while you'll get a really strong one."
"It's because of Aizen, isn't it?"Jūshirō stated more than asked.
"Hai, it all started about this time," she acknowledged.
"I see," he said.
"As if Hollows weren't enough to deal with," Shunsui said, shaking his head. "But, I bet your parents were real proud of you getting your first Arrancar. I'm guessing they were really involved in your training, took you out on outings and everything," he said, grinning.
"They were really involved, took me out on outings even before I was allowed to in the Academy—My father didn't think their education was good enough. He wanted to make sure I'd learn from the best—He was the one that was especially big on firsts," she admitted. "My parents…they weren't always around when I was younger," she stated, lowering her eyes.
"Because of their Shinigami duties," Jūshirō said softly.
"No…My parents have always made time for me despite their Shinigami duties… It's for a different reason."
They stared at her expecting her to go on, but she changed the subject, "You know, Kyōraku-taichō and Ukitake-taichō, you should probably go about your business as if I'm not here. I've already taken enough of your time. You don't need to stand guard anymore. I'll just wait here for Kurotsuchi-taichō when he arrives."
Mayuri and his fukutaichō had returned to the Soul Society to continue his study of the device.
"Well, it's not like we really have anything to do," Shunsui pointed out.
"I think we should go talk to Unohana-taichō and see what she thought of the Soul Society. See if Ise-san has said anything," Jūshirō suggested, catching the brunette's eye, nodding ever so slightly towards the door.
"I suppose that's a good idea," Shunsui agreed, getting the hint that his fellow taichō wanted to talk. "I do hope Nanao-chan sent me a message. But, are you sure you're going to be okay all by yourself?" he asked, glancing at the orange haired young woman.
"I'll be fine," she replied.
A quiet silence loomed between the two men as they exited the room, turned right, walked down the hallway, and turned left into another hallway.
"Looks like Aizen is screwing up the natural order of things," Shunsui spoke, breaking the silence. "But at least, we know, we'll survive."
"While it is reassuring, I can't help but find it troubling that Arrancar will become a natural phenomenon in the future," Jūshirō said, a grave expression on his face. "Remember what Masaki-chan said, she doesn't know most of this division. Yamamoto-sōtaichō wanted a division to be brought in because he knew Hollows would be attracted to this area because of the large concentration of Reiryoku our presence is creating, only these Hollows are altered and now even the Soul Society is starting to experience a slightly above normal increase in Hollow attacks according to Unohana-taichō. I just don't see what Aizen is trying to accomplish by doing this if he wants to reach the real Karakura. I expect the fortification of the real Karakura that Yamamoto-sōtaichō spoke of will be strong enough to hold off Hollows and Arrancar if he says it would be strong enough to hold back Aizen."
"But," Shunsui prompted, sensing his friend wanted to say something else.
"This town could have been destroyed when he attacked, but we managed to save it. I thought perhaps, he was merely teasing us…but he didn't even go the Soul Society afterwards to try to reach the real Karakura. I'm starting to think perhaps he didn't actually care about reaching Karakura."
"So, are you saying that you think our idea that he's waiting for the Hōgyoku to activate is wrong?" Shunsui said, staring at white haired man.
"Well," the Thirteenth Division taichō said, "there has to be a reason why he's started to alter the Hollows."
"I agree. I have a bad feeling about this," the brunette said, sighing deeply.
"Me too. There's something else, I have to tell you. It's about Masaki-chan's scabbard," Jūshirō said, changing the subject.
"What about it?"Shunsui asked, "Looks like Ichigo-kun and Rukia-chan are well off in the future to be able to afford it."
"Not here," the white haired man said, gesturing towards a door on left.
"Alright then."
Jūshirō opened the door and entered the room, followed by Shunsui. Darkness greeted them. Jūshirō found the light switch and flipped it on, revealing a small room containing metal racks; it was a supply closet.
Ignoring their surroundings, which Shunsui was eying with a look saying 'you had to pick this room', Jūshirō said, "I was surprised to see it. I haven't seen it in years, but on her scabbard was the emblem of the Kurosaki Clan."
"I knew it." The brunette broke out in a grin. "So, Kurosaki Isshin is alive—literally seeing as Ichigo-kun is Human."
The white haired man stared at Shunsui a bit taken aback.
"Well, the hair pin she has in her hair is a crescent moon, couldn't help but be reminded," Shunsui explained. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed that there's something familiar about Ichigo-kun. I think even Yama-jii has noticed even if he's never said anything."
"To be honest when I first saw him, I thought of Kaien," Jūshirō said, "Not Kurosaki Isshin."
"Hmm, there is a resemblance there." Shunsui looked thoughtful for a moment, placing a hand underneath his chin. "Wait a minute, didn't Isshin-kun's sister marry into the Shiba Clan?"
Now it was the white-haired man who donned a thoughtful expression. "I believe so."
"Yeah, she did," Shunsui said, voice full of certainty. "Don't you remember how Isshin-kun used to complain about his father bugging him to find a wife, how he needed an heir when he would take the place as the head of the family and how he liked that young Kaien resembled him so much?"
"Oh, that's right," Jūshirō said, remembering. "I can't believe it…he's alive."
"Well, it's more believable, than what they accused him of…" Shunsui said, becoming serious, "murdering his entire clan? That's ridiculous…"
"I know, but the evidence was there…" Jūshirō said grimly.
"It was, but it didn't make it true…just like everything that has occurred these last couple of months with Aizen…what he's done in the past…"
"Do you think Aizen was involved with that?" Jūshirō said, stunned.
"I wouldn't put it past him," the brunette said, a solemn expression on his face.
After a moment's silence, the white haired man nodded, "I suppose you're right... I think we should try to get access to the case, perhaps it has some clue to what he's planning…He must have done it for a reason." He began to cough.
"Good thinking, Ukitake. We should probably inform Nanao-chan to start researching."
"Do you think Ichigo-kun knows about his father?" the white-haired man wondered.
"I doubt it."
"Probably not…even if he did I suppose Isshin-kun would have told him not to say anything," Jūshirō reasoned.
"It's nice to see that the Kurosaki Clan has been restored and a part of the Gotei 13 once more in the future," Shunsui said smiling.
"Yes, it is," Jūshirō agreed ,smiling. "Although I have to say Masaki-chan does seem to have the Kuchiki influence."
"Rukia-chan's influence I presume," the brunette guessed.
"I can only imagine Byakuya must have been furious when Ichigo-kun and Kuchiki decided to get married and he found about his lineage…the Kuchiki name associated with a fallen clan… that's blasphemy," Jūshirō said. "Knowing him, he probably disowned Kuchiki. He was obviously displeased to find out about Masaki-chan."
"Nah, I doubt it. According to Masaki-chan, he tolerates Ichigo-kun and he gets along with her in his own way."
"Really? That's a surprise. Perhaps, he has changed," the white-haired man said.
"Somehow, I don't think he's changed much," Shunsui said.
Jūshirō sighed and then started coughing.
"You should probably rest, Ukitake," the brunette suggested.
"I will, but first we have to see Unohana-taichō," Jūshirō reminded him.
Leaning against a wall beside a window with her arms crossed over her chest, Masaki stared down the long, white colored empty hallway, looking expectant and bored. Turning her head, she peered out the window. The sky was beginning to turn an orange pinkish hue; night would soon be falling. She frowned, but when she caught sight of figures walking beneath the shadows of the building, she turned away from the wall and came to stand in front of the window. She stared intently at the figures down below.
Izuru stepped first from the shadows followed by Shūhei, Rangiku, Momo, and Iba. Her eyebrows knitted as she regarded them. Placing her hands on the glass, she pressed herself against the window for a better look.
Masaki frowned slightly; she only caught a brief view of the side profile of their smiling faces, before they turned away. They stopped walking once they walked a couple of feet across a lonely parking lot. They leaped out into the air, disappearing in a blink eye.
She stared at the spot where the four fukutaichō had been. Shaking her head, she moved away from the window and leaned against the wall once more. She threw back her head, exhaling.
Lowering her head, she opened her eyes slightly catching sight of white. Her large amethyst eyes widened immediately, lighting up. She opened her mouth to say something but then halted, disappointment flickering across her face.
"Expecting someone?" Tōshiro lifted an eyebrow.
He was standing in front of the window, arms folded over his chest.
"Gomen nasai, it's just I thought you were someone else," she explained, staring down at the Tenth Division taichō. "Your hair reminds me of my friend, well friends."
He didn't say anything just stared out at the window. Masaki stared at him.
"I'm Tenth Division Taichō, Hitsugaya Tōshiro," he introduced himself, meeting her gaze.
"I'm Seventh Division Fukutaichō, Kurosaki Masaki," she returned the greeting in an automatic tone.
"Kurotsuchi hasn't returned yet?" Tōshiro asked.
Masaki shook her head, prompting the strands over her eyes to sway as well as those that framed her face.
"He probably won't be that much longer," he said, after another moment of silence.
"I hope so," she said. "I really need to be getting back."
The white-haired Shinigami nodded, frowning slightly as he unfolded his hands, and his arms fell loose at sides. His teal gaze wandered back out the window. Masaki watched him, noticing his shoulders tense slightly, awaiting for him to speak.
"Tell me, Kurosaki," he said after a moment's silence, his eyebrows arching. "At the end of this war, will Aizen…will he be killed?"
She stepped away from the wall, surprised for a moment, but then a contemplative expression appeared on her face.
"Hai, Hitsugaya-taichō, he will be," she finally responded.
He seemed to be taking in the information, gaze returning once more to the window; a hint of a smirk appearing on his face.
Silence fell between them again. Tōshiro bit his lip, teal eyes glancing at her questioningly out of the corner of his eye. He opened his mouth, but she spoke before he could say anything.
"Hitsugaya-taichō, this war won't be easy, but know that in the end that Tōsen Kaname and Ichimaru Gin will also perish and that it'll be better in the future," she said.
"I see," he murmured, nodding in a satisfied sort of way. "Arigatō, Kurosaki."
"You're welcome, Hitsugaya-taichō," she replied.
"Hitsugaya-taichō," Shunsui called out, appearing at the hallway alongside the Thirteenth Division taichō.
They made their way towards the orange haired and white haired Shinigami.
"Kyōraku, Ukitake," Toshiro greeted them.
"I see you've met Masaki-chan," Jūshirō spoke. "Still no news?"
"No," she said, the barest hint of disappointment underlying her response.
"How about getting something to eat?" he offered.
"No, thanks, Ukitake-taichō, I'm not hungry," she said.
"Are you sure? It'll pass the time quicker," he said encouragingly.
"I'm fine. Besides, it's best that I don't go downstairs. Everybody thinks I'm an intruder," she reasoned.
Tōshiro tightened his lips at this.
"The Seventh Division is going to be maintained at their posts from now on. They were only meant to stay here for a day or two," the Thirteenth Division taichō said.
"I still think its best that I remain here," she said. "They aren't the only ones residing in this building. And, anyway, I'm not hungry," she repeated firmly but politely.
I wonder what the hell is going on?
Arms swinging at his sides, Abarai Renji paced anxiously from one corner to the next of the white pillar he was currently standing on, looking like a crimson haired caged lion ready to leap out although there wasn't anything holding him back.
"Damn it," he cursed, frustration and anger in his gaze.
He had known that Mai's girl story had been a bit suspicious. She just hadn't seemed like the type to sneak around—he should have known better than to buy her excuse that she had snuck out with a friend—no wonder she had been keen for him not to say anything to Komamura-taichō; she was the damn intruder. That's precisely why she had been out at the exact moment that Reiatsu was detected and happened to help Ichigo out but never actually bothered showing her face to him. She had wanted to hide herself… for what purpose he had no idea but he knew Aizen had to be behind it.
He was pissed as hell though. He'd been think she could have been captured yesterday...When he had first heard the alert regarding the intruder, he had known immediately it was her and had wanted to go and capture her to rectify his mistake but no… he had to stay in this damn pillar, which he seriously wanted to destroy right about now since it was so damn boring standing guard—He was starting to get the impression that this was pointless. If they were so damn important why hadn't the intruder attempted to destroy them? What he really wanted to do was leave and find out what the hell she wanted, why Aizen sent her… If she hurt anyone…
"Damn it, when the hell is someone gonna come?" he muttered, turning abruptly to start his pacing in the other direction; he knew it was about time he was to be relieved from his post. No sooner had he said this when the tall, lean figure of Shūhei appeared in the center of the pillar.
Renji halted his pacing and ran towards him.
"Abarai," Shūhei greeted him.
"What the hell happened with the intruder, Hisagi-san?" Renji fired away.
"Nothing," the dark haired fukutaichō responded.
"Nothing, what do you mean nothing?" Renji demanded.
"I mean, everything's okay. Turns out she isn't a threat," Shūhei explained.
Renji stared at him. "What do you mean she isn't a threat? Is she…"
"She isn't dead. You won't believe this, Abarai. It turns out she's from the future," the Ninth Division fukutaichō said, awe showing in his normally serious tone.
"The hell?" Renji stared at him confused, scrunching his eyebrows.
"I know." Shūhei nodded. "It's weird. It should be impossible, but apparently she used some device Urahara Kisuke invented."
Renji's eyes widened.
"But even more surprising is the fact, she's the daughter of Kurosaki Ichigo and….."
The crimson haired male froze.
"Rukia," he managed to say quietly before the Ninth Division Fukutaichō could finish.
"How did you know, Abarai?" Shūhei wondered, eying Renji's rigid form.
"She has her eyes," he said in the same quiet tone.
"So, you've seen her?" Shūhei stated more than asked.
"Yeah, I met her yesterday while I was training with Ichigo," Renji answered, "Thought she was part of Iba-san's division. What was she doing posing in the Seventh Division if she's from the future?"
"Rangiku-san said she came here accidentally and that the Gotei 13 were verifying if she was Kurosaki's daughter—which I'm sure she is. She didn't really try fighting Kira and me when we captured her," Shūhei said, explaining to him the whole situation leading up to the arrest and what Rangiku had told them.
"I guess maybe she's gone by now, if they fixed her device," Shūhei commented after he had finished his story.
"I see," Renji muttered. "See ya, Hisagi-san."
Shūhei nodded. "Later, Abarai."
Slouching slightly, the red head walked way towards the edge of the pillar and leapt, jumping into the air. Air whipped his ponytail as he bounced from one point to another.
She was their daughter.
He felt like all the air had been sucked out of him, as if his organs had been compiled into a large mass, and his lungs were lost somewhere in it, his heart painfully bursting underneath the pressure of everything that was crushing it.
Of course, she had to be their daughter with that sunset colored hair that matched Ichigo's hair perfectly and those beautiful large violet eyes that were just a shade lighter than Rukia's. Who else would her parents be?
Ichigo, you bastard…
Bitterness coursed through him. If he was truly honest with himself, he knew he had lost her over forty years ago when he had let her join the Kuchiki Clan. He had always ignored the thought; his heart full of hope that they'd regain their friendship, that they'd become more than just friends.
He had thought becoming a fukutaichō would put him a step closer to finally being good enough to approach a noblewoman such as herself… He'd been too late.
He couldn't deny he had been jealous of how Rukia called out to Ichigo, how she wanted to protect him when he had first met that orange haired bastard and fought him. His only brief comfort was that he knew he was going to die, or so he thought…
While he was truly grateful that Ichigo had survived and rescued Rukia, underneath it all, jealously stirred in his heart, because he knew deep down, there was something between them. No matter how much he wanted to crush the notion, he knew it was there. He could see it.
A strong bond bound them; he knew it. He was no fool; the friendship he had rekindled with Rukia, which he was thankful for, wasn't at the same level. Too much time had passed. Perhaps, they weren't even aware of their feelings, but he was damn aware of where it could lead… Hell, the confirmation was here; so, his gut feelings had been right. Shit. If there was ever a time he hated being right, it was now.
He lost himself in his thoughts, not bothering to see the buildings fly past him, as he continued his journey to the hospital. Before he knew it, he heard someone call out to him. He turned seeing a familiar bald figure.
"Oi! Renji," said Ikkaku, increasing his speed to match the red head's.
The red head nodded to him in greeting, eyes unfocused.
"I heard the news," Ikkaku said, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder, "Sorry, man."
The red head nodded numbly.
On his other side, Yumichika appeared, shooting him a sympathetic look. "Well, this is unusual."
Soul Society-Rukongai
Underneath a large tree, three young boys dressed in tattered kimonos, sit at its base, lazily enjoying the shade shielding them from the hot sun hanging in the cloudless sky above them.
A dark haired boy sitting with his back against the tree trunk, clothed in a torn navy blue kimono, suddenly stretched, prompting his other companions, who were lying on their sides in front of him, watching the blades of grass on the ground move as a soft breeze whipped through them, to glance up at him.
"Let's do something," he announced, staring at his companions.
"What do you want to do, Kei?" asked a shaggy haired boy wearing a yellow kimono.
Kei looked thoughtful for a moment, plucking a blade of grass, which he began to play with.
"Hmm… How about we go swimming?" he suggested, cinnamon eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Swimming?" the other boy with spiky brown hair echoed. "Cool, let's go."
"Yeah, it's hot out. Good idea, Kei." The shaggy haired kid nodded excitedly, jumping to his feet.
Kei stood up, and the other boy followed as well.
"Alright, guys, let's go," Kei said, walking past the boys, leading them.
Falling in step behind him, the boys grinned, walking about ten feet when Kei all of a sudden stopped walking and began to sway.
"Kei!" The two boys shouted in unison as the dark haired boy fell to the ground.
"Kei, are you alright?" shouted the shaggy haired boy, dropping to his knees beside the fallen boy and placing a hand on his shoulder.
With eyes closed, Kei scrunched his face and then opened his eyes, blinking as the sun light blinded him momentarily and nodded. "I'm fine…I don't know, I guess I just didn't eat enough."
"That's probably it," the shaggy haired boy said, smiling. "Maybe we should go and try to get some more food."
Before Kei could answer, a cough escaped his throat; his shoulders shook as he continued coughing for a couple of seconds.
The brown haired boy frowned, eyes flashing with worry.
Finally, when his cough subsided, Kei said," C'mon, guys, let's go. I guess maybe we should go get some more food."
"I think you're getting sick, Kei," the brunette declared.
"W-What, that's stupid, Hiro." Kei shook his head. "I'm not getting sick; I just didn't get enough to eat. You know I get hungry."
"Yeah, Hiro, Kei has always gotten hungry unlike us," the shaggy haired boy reminded him.
Hiro didn't seem convinced. "No, I think this is different. For the past week, ever since we saw that Hollow get killed by that Shinigami while we were swimming, you've been acting differently."
"I haven't been acting different," Kei said, annoyed.
Hiro nodded his head vigorously. "Yes, you have. You've been…" he frowned, as if looking for the right word, "losing your energy more…"
"I'm just growing, I need more food and we don't have a lot," Kei reasoned.
"But, you started coughing the other day, and it hasn't gone away completely. Every once a while you cough, and it seems to last longer than the last," Hiro pointed out. "You've never done that before."
"My throat just gets dry, that's all," Kei insisted. "I'm thirsty right now, actually… Damn, it's just so hot. C'mon, let's go to the river and get some water and then something to eat."
"But, Kei," Hiro protested.
"Shut up. Hiro, I'm not getting sick," Kei said ignoring him, as he sat, got to his feet, and dusted himself off. "C'mon, Ryo," he motioned for the shaggy haired kid to join him. "Hiro, are you coming?" he said eying him with annoyance.
Hiro stared at him, looking hesitant, then said. "Yeah, Kei, I'm coming."
Quick Glossary:
Otou-san - father
Oji-san- uncle
Okaa-san-mother
Reiatsu- spiritual pressure
Don't forget to leave a review, they keep me motivated! Patience my dear readers, Ichigo will find out soon! I'm getting there!