Author's Note: Welcome to the Third Arc of Mutterliebe - titled Welcome Home. If you don't want to be spoiled for Arc Two, best you don't read further than this sentence. If you aren't bothered by spoilers, then I'll continue on.
This is basically an interim Arc prior to the new version of the Arrancar arc that I will eventually post. Still, huge changes will happen here for the story (yes, bigger than even Mayuri's death and Masaki being alive) that will show how different the next arcs will be. This first chapter is a huge spoiler for the very end of the Soul Society arc. Suffice to say, enjoy these slower few chapters - because a lot of fighting will be happening afterwards.
Welcome Home, Matriarch
Part One:
'This town...it hasn't changed one bit.' A pang of nostalgia pierces Masaki, as she slowly makes her way to the Kurosaki clinic. Last time she saw these streets, it was gloomy and...'no point in thinking about that now,' Masaki composes herself, lightly slapping her cheeks to increase alertness. She cannot wait to see her daughters and her husband.
Ichigo keeps close to his mother, trying his best not to grin ear-to-ear. He knows his mother is suppressing her spiritual pressure, so as to surprise his doofus of a father, but he keeps his own power thrumming clearly - both as a signal and a deterrent to any who'd dare attack.
A little while ago, he saw off his friends and they each returned home, waving their goodbyes to the three Quincy. Chad gave Ichigo a fist bump - a renewal of their promise to each other. Orihime on the other hand was jittery, and nervously waved goodbye to Ichigo. Masaki thought this was adorable. Even though her son was a little oblivious to Orihime's feelings, he still returned her wave with a gentle smile. This almost made Orihime's heart burst, and she quickly rushed off, back to her apartment.
"This...is where we part for now, Ichigo, Aunt Masaki." Uryū bows to his Aunt and sensei, in gratitude for all she's done for him. A little flustered Masaki waves off Uryū's gesture, saying 'we're family, it's no trouble at all.' Ichigo on the other hand gives his bespectacled cousin a nod - an unspoken gesture of gratitude for what Uryū did.
Near the Kurosaki Clinic
"So...mom, how are you?"
In her reverie, imagining the reunion with her family, she barely registered what her son had said.
"W-What!? O-Oh...sorry dear, was just-"
"I know what you mean mom." Ichigo could feel how tense his mother was. He knew his little sisters wouldn't understand at first, but their father should. Still...how could they explain this to everyone else? 'What did Urahara say? Something about - everyone will see what they want? Eh...' He still had some reservations about the shady guy, but if it wasn't for his initial training, he'd never had made it. 'Also, him giving mom a special gigai to live another life in the Human World,' Ichigo knows he will always feel gratitude to Mr. Hat and Clogs.
Tap Tap Tap
"Mom...we're here."
Both mother and son were standing just outside the front entrance to their home/medical clinic.
She remembered the day Isshin had graduated from medical school, and opened up his clinic, with the help of Kisuke. His skill with healing kidō (kaidō) helped immensely with his studies in the Human World. On that day he said to her 'Masaki! Even without my Soul Reaper powers, I still want to help people as best I can. I think a medical clinic is a great way to do that.' His goofy smile and earnestness, always made her a little weak in the knees. It was why she fell in love with him.
"Hey mom. I think Karin and Yuzu are still at school, so it should only be dad at home. We'll have to wait till they-"
"I know son. We can't have them panic in public if I went to pick them up...even if it pains me not to..." She'd waited almost seven long years to see her beautiful daughters in the flesh - she could wait a few hours more.
Ichigo reached for his spare key in his pocket, and unlocked his front door.
"Hey dad! I'm home!" Ichigo was the first to enter, going to his father's study - a small room where Isshin set up office for his medical work. This left Masaki wandering over to the dining area - aaaaand seeing the incredibly embarrassing poster of her, front and centre. 'I honestly thought Ichigo was kidding, but I should've known...' she sweat-dropped, and closed her eyes, feeling a migraine develop. After a few moments she looked around her home - noting down the differences since her departure. 'Only small changes, just enough to accommodate our growing family.'
Finally she caught sight of some of the family photo's. Tears came, unbeckoned, as she picked up a family photo of Isshin, her son and daughters. She could see the sadness in Isshin's eyes - likely still mourning Masaki's loss. She was surprised he never remarried, then quickly realised that a Shiba man like him, would never dishonour her memory by taking another. Ichigo looked rough in this picture, similar to when she first saw him. As for her daughters...they were so beautiful! Yuzu had certainly inherited the Kurosaki looks, taking very strongly after her. As for Karin, she inherited the Shiba looks, which were also very endearing. 'I'm so glad I get to see them actually grow up...'
"Hey, Ichigo! What's the matter?"
"Just get to the living room Old Man!" Whack!
"Ouch! Why'd ya kick me for!"
"That was payback for the last 'lesson' you gave me!"
Isshin nursed his sore behind, hunched over as a result.
Ichigo looked up and smiled. From his hunched over position, Isshin only saw his son smiling? An oddity for sure.
The older man followed his son's gaze, and saw...
"Hey honey, sorry for being so late."
"M-M-M-" He thought maybe Ichigo had actually hit him in the head, cause he was pretty sure he was seeing a hallucination!
"I know what you're probably thinking, but it's really me, Isshin!" Masaki couldn't contain her emotions any longer. With that her control over her spiritual pressure wavered. That was when Isshin knew, that this was...
"Masaki..." Isshin rushed towards his wife, taking her in his arms. Holding tight.
"H-how...? How are you even here?"
Masaki broke from their embrace to answer: "I've been living with the Shiba Household since my death. Kūkaku and Ganju helped me acclimate to Soul Society, and for the past 7 years I lived there, till..." She'd gestured to their son, "till our boy and his group of friends arrived at the Shiba Estate."
Ichigo smiled brightly at the reunion. Happy to see a light in his father's eyes again. Sure his doofus of a dad played it jovial, but Isshin hid his pain under the guise of humour and overly affectionate attention towards his sisters.
"So...how are you back on Earth? I know Soul Society would never permit this." Isshin gestured to his wife being in a corporeal form.
"Well...a lot of stuff happened, and Soul Society became indebted to Ichigo and our group. As a reward, Ichigo asked if he could have permission, to allow me a second life on Earth. They acquiesced. Mr. Urahara had already made me a gigai, and that was that!" Masaki clapped her hands in joy.
Isshin looked a little confused. He wondered what could've been so big a-
"It was Aizen wasn't it?"
Both Ichigo and Masaki were surprised Isshin knew about that psycho.
Ichigo answered his father "Yeah...it was. We drove him back to wherever his HQ was, and he vowed some crazy plan about being 'at the top' or something." Aizen was the most powerful opponent he had ever faced. Even with the use of some of his other powers, all he could do was drive him back. He needed to train more.
Isshin clenched his fists, teeth clenched, brows narrowed - enraged. "I told Urahara to wait on going after him. And now he ups and uses you two for that convoluted plan of his!" He knew if he was in spirit form he'd have blown the house up at that moment. The rage he felt...reminded him of the great fires produced by Engetsu. He knew Urahara wouldn't listen to him, especially after waiting a century to beat Aizen, but...
"Dad! It's okay...me and Kisuke sorted things out. He apologised to all of us for what he did and didn't do. I punched him in the face and made him promise to not use us again." Ichigo put a serious expression on, to show his father his resolve. This helped Isshin calm down a little.
"Still...I'll talk to Kisuke after all this and give him a piece of my mind!" Isshin then turned to his wife, pulled her in close and...
"Ewww! I'll leave you two to your business an-"
"Ichigo!"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for bringing your mother back to us"
"I'd do it again in a heart beat Pops," the two Kurosaki men gave each other a smile, before Ichigo remembered something.
"Oh! Cousins Kūkaku and Ganju would like to see you again, as well as meet Yuzu and Karin. Whaddaya think dad?"
Isshin was a little puzzled by this request. He remembered his niece and nephew would normally do their own thing. "I'm fine with that, though...are they coming here or...?"
"Coming here. They want to be in gigai's and I told them to dress eh, normal." He thought his Shiba cousins were weird. For Nobility they acted more like gang members, then again he did meet Ganju with some...
Masaki chuckled: "I had Uryū draw up some pictures of normal human world clothing, since you know those two are pretty rough round the edges. 7 years with me won't change that."
"Uryū eh? Yeah, I thought I sensed his spiritual pressure a few months ago, right before a horde of Hollows showed up. I hadn't gotten my powers back at that point, but Urahara told me to wait and see how you two would handle the threat." Isshin sighed, realising he should've clicked onto that wily shopkeepers plan by then.
"You have your powers back honey?"
"Yeah I do actually. Not quite all of it but most, which isn't surprising...considering." Isshin's one wish was that he had his powers 7 years ago to save Masaki from that repugnant Grand Fisher. However, with his wife back seemingly stronger than ever, he doesn't have to worry.
"Well Isshin my love, Ichigo dear, guess we should wait for you sisters to come home? Yes?" Masaki tilted her head, eyes closed, smile glowing and hands clasped together.
"Right mom!"
End of Chapter Notes: Tell me what you think of this! And like I said, this chapter skips past the end of the Soul Society arc (so about 4 or so chapters later, from Chapter 31).