CHAPTER 6 - DER ANFANG

The inside of the Urahara Shop smelled old, like the place had been lifted from the past millennium and dropped into the present. It wasn't filthy, but everything inside looked like it was antique, and there was a thin layer of dust accumulating on much of the wooden furniture. At first, Kasumi was hesitant to follow Urahara into his shop. After all, he was pretty much as shady as a person could get, appearance-wise. But after he explained that he was one of Isshin's friends, and that he was the one who fashioned the device that allowed him to close the Garganta, she decided to trust him. No regular creep would have that information. And most importantly, it was a distraction— something to keep her occupied while she tried to figure out what to do with her newfound knowledge.

"This way," Urahara instructed, gesturing to a doorway that led to an employee-only part of the shop. There, she was ushered into a small, well-lit room with a small table in the middle, surrounded by cushions for seating. Isshin was leaning against the wall opposite the door, still armed and wearing a shihakusho. He nodded at Kasumi as she seated herself, feeling the smooth tatami mats under her fingers. Urahara took a seat across from her. The way he carried himself was easygoing, but not lacking in finesse, like a hidden blade. Kasumi remained wary of him, no matter how much he smiled at her.

"Isshin told me all about you," Urahara said, fanning himself. Somehow, even under the light, his eyes remained concealed in shadow. "It was really brave of you to go into that scary Garganta. I can't imagine doing that all on my own," the old shopkeeper admitted, though something about his tone of voice betrayed that he was being more than a little modest. As if to confirm this, Isshin chuckled softly to himself upon hearing Urahara's statement.

The door slid open, and in stepped a girl, about Kasumi's age, carrying a platter with a teapot and a pair of cups. She glanced at Kasumi with her wide, wistful eyes, before shyly pulling away her gaze and setting the contents of the platter down on the table. "Thanks, Ururu," Urahara said before the girl hurriedly scurried out of the room. The old shopkeeper offered Kasumi a cup of tea, which she declined. Shrugging, Urahara poured one for himself and sipped it.

Kasumi tapped her finger against her thigh. "Why were you planning on visiting me?" she finally asked. Urahara smiled at her, though it did little to ease her anxiety, "I wanted to see you for myself," he answered. "It's been a while since I've met another spiritually aware human around here. One able to resist the effects of the Garganta Eterna, no less."

"Garganta Eterna? It's got a name now?" Kasumi asked. Urahara's disposition fell as he watched the tea swirl around his cup. "Typically, Gargantas are a means of transportation used by certain Hollows to enter the World of the Living and, if they wish, to return to Hueco Mundo, which is what many Hollows call home," Urahara explained. Thanks to Yasuhiro's prior explanation, the foreign nomenclature wasn't too overwhelming, and Kasumi didn't have to ask for much clarification. Still, the thought that there was an entirely different world that existed in parallel to her own was surreal to her. Chances are that's where my mom has been hiding out all these years, she thought. Picturing the dark, barren desert that she found herself in when she went after Shin, her concern grew. Hardly a place a human can call home for over a decade.

"The Garganta Eterna, as you probably would've guessed by now, is an anomaly," Urahara continued. "Hollows feed on human souls to get stronger, and somehow, they've figured out how to create a Garganta that can bring the souls to them by putting them into some kind of trance. What you saw on the other side was probably a feeding ground."

Kasumi's eyes widened. "So, you mean to say that all those people who got sucked in, they—"

"Would've been eaten, yes," Isshin interjected. "That is, if we didn't manage to close it in time. But… there were likely some souls who got devoured before we intervened," he continued, his voice low and his face sullen. Kasumi fell silent as she remembered the severed chain that she saw buried in the sand just a few hours ago.

"We do have countermeasures," Urahara assured, alluding to the device that Isshin used to seal up the Garganta. "But, you know what they say: 'treat the cause, not the symptoms.' Eventually, we'll have to nip the problem at the bud to make sure that whoever's behind the Garganta Eterna doesn't succeed at whatever they're planning. If it involves treating humans like livestock to power up Hollows, then it can't be anything good."

Isshin was glaring at Urahara now, and Kasumi shifted uncomfortably against the cushion, not liking where the conversation was going. "Why are you telling me this? What does this have to do with me?"

Urahara sighed as he fanned himself. "First, you need to know the situation. You see, we're in a very tough spot right now. As much as Isshin and I would like to go into Hueco Mundo to sort this out ourselves, they're likely to see us coming from miles away because of our reiatsu," the shopkeeper explained. Before Kasumi could ask what reiatsu was, she felt a crushing pressure in the air, like an unseen weight suddenly began bearing down on her body. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead as the unfamiliar and unnatural sensation effectively paralyzed her. Around the outwardly benign shopkeeper across from her was an intense crimson aura that licked at the air like fire. Fortunately for Kasumi, the feeling subsided as quickly as it came.

When the pressure lifted off her body, Kasumi instinctively gasped for air. "What the hell was that?" she asked, wiping the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve. Urahara grinned. "That was a small glimpse of my reiatsu," he explained.

"A small glimpse? I felt like I was gonna drown!" Kasumi exclaimed, in disbelief of what just happened. She heard Isshin sigh loudly behind her, his disappointment palpable. "Go easy on the girl, Kisuke. She might pass out," he warned. Urahara answered by gesturing dismissively at him. "Oh, please," the shopkeeper said, grinning. "She's stronger than that."

After giving Kasumi a moment to catch her breath, Urahara continued his explanation. "Most spiritually aware beings, or in other words, people like you and me, have reiatsu. You can think of it as an aura unique to each individual. The tricky thing with reiatsu is that especially skilled people can use it to sense your presence from really far away. It makes moving around quietly difficult," he elaborated. Kasumi nodded along, not sure where he was going with his lecture. For the next couple of minutes, Urahara went on about the concepts of reiatsu, reiryoku, and reishi, dumbed down so Kasumi could understand. She didn't like being spoken to like she was a child, but Kasumi wasn't about to interrupt someone who she felt could smother her with his presence alone.

Finally, Urahara paused, and lifted a finger to point at Kasumi. "With all that said, you're probably wondering what this has to do with you," he said. The girl raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah… that's what I was asking from the start, you—"

Urahara interrupted her before she could finish. "Put simply, despite being spiritually aware, you have no reiatsu. Rather, something's hiding it. Interesting, isn't it?"

Kasumi rubbed her chin, realization slowly coming to her. "Let me guess, you want me to go to this… Hueco Mundo to do your dirty work without getting caught? Is that it?" she asked, her voice tinged with unease. Gasping, Urahara put his fan over his mouth. "When you put it like that it sounds like a crime!" he said with mock outrage.

"Believe me, it wouldn't be the first time that he got a teenager to do his work for him," Isshin added, sighing. Urahara looked over at him and tilted his head. "You seemed to be okay with it before," he chided, to which Isshin shook his head. "That was different," he rebutted. "Ichigo knew what he was getting into, and he was strong enough to handle it. Honestly, I can't believe you're going through with this. What makes you think she'll even agree to your plan?"

Urahara's mouth curled upwards into a vaguely sinister smile. "That's because her mother's in Hueco Mundo," he stated. Immediately, Kasumi shot up and leaned in closer, her expression quickly shifting to one of surprise. "You knew my mom?" she asked, raising her voice out of shock. Exhaling deeply, she shook her head. "Am I the only one in Karakura town who's never met her?"

"We met very briefly, before you were born," he explained. "But we never really corresponded much. She made it very clear that she wanted to lay low, but it seems fate had other plans for her." As Urahara's words sank in, Kasumi fell back onto the cushion under her. So he was planning on getting me on board from the start. Was he watching me the whole time?

When Kasumi echoed her question out loud, the shopkeeper gestured disarmingly. "No, no, I was keeping tabs on you, monitoring your development. I wanted to make sure that you weren't doing anything stupid," he explained. Kasumi raised an eyebrow at him. "So in other words, you were watching me," she responded. "Somehow, you made it sound even creepier."

"Tsk, you're so mean!" Urahara moaned, but it seemed like the comment bounced right off him. Taking another sip of his tea, he leaned forward and put his elbow on the table, resting his head on his hand. The light fell on his face at just the right angle, allowing Kasumi to catch a glimpse of the shopkeeper's dark and narrow eyes— eyes that have seen so much over the span of multiple lifetimes. In that instant, Urahara's easygoing facade fell away. "With everything on the table, I just need your answer. You understand what I'm asking of you, so is it a yes or a no?"

Kasumi paused, weighing her options. "Even if I say yes, I'm just gonna get killed. I can't fight like you guys. I don't have any powers," she said. For the first time, Urahara looked confused. "What are you talking about? You're a Quincy."

"No, I think you've got it mixed up. My mom's a Quincy, or at least that's what I was told. I'm just a normal person who just happens to be able to see spirits," she said. An insufferable smirk formed on Urahara's face. "I think you've got it mixed up, Kasumi," the shopkeeper said. "Quincies pass down their abilities to their children. That means, whatever your mom can do, you can do too. It just takes a little practice. Really, I'm surprised you didn't know this."

At this point, the consecutive life shattering revelations had begun wearing down on Kasumi's ability feel to surprised. She could only manage a soft "Oh," as Urahara explained the nature of a Quincy's abilities. So Yasuhiro kept that information from me as well, she thought to herself, picturing her guardian. Even when I beg him to tell me the truth, he finds a way to hide things from me.

"So that means that if I agree to go to Hueco Mundo, I'll have a way to defend myself?" she asked. Urahara answered by nodding. With a clearer picture of the situation, Kasumi began seriously considering going along with the shopkeeper's plan. She knew for sure that there would be unforeseen consequences, that Urahara was undoubtedly just using her. In fact, every logical part of her brain screamed at her to refuse. But whether it was the cocktail of emotions coursing through her caused by recent events, or something more deep-seated and intrinsic, her heart told her to take the plunge. She knew that if she walked away from this chance, she'd never have the opportunity to see her mother again, and that was a wound that would only grow more painful with time. More than anything, she wanted closure.

Closing her eyes, Kasumi breathed deeply and tried to calm herself. She wanted to be as clearheaded as possible for this. Once she was sure of her decision, she looked Urahara in the eyes and gave him her answer.

"I'll do it," she said.

Upon hearing her response, Urahara smiled and clapped his hands together. "Great! I knew you'd help me out," he said. Kasumi just stared at nothing in particular, coming to grips with the weight and finality of her decision. No going back now, she thought, though she knew she crossed the point of no return long ago.

"So what now?" Kasumi asked. With a swift and precise motion, Urahara shut his fan, closing it with a satisfying click. "You rest," Urahara replied, gesturing to Kasumi with his fan. "These past few hours must've been tough for you. I'll give you my number, and I'll contact you when it's time to start your training."

Rummaging through her pockets, Kasumi took out her phone and gave it to Urahara, who added himself to her contacts before returning it. Afterward, Urahara stood up and dusted off his dark haori. "You should head home," the shopkeeper suggested, gesturing to the door. "Rest up, because the following week will be pretty intense."

"Wait," Kasumi said as she stood up. "You knew my mother, right? What can you tell me about her?" she asked. Rubbing the stubble on his chin, Urahara hummed to himself. "Sorry, but I don't know much. Like I said, she wanted to keep a low profile and live like a normal human, and that meant keeping her distance from folks like me. I know that she's in Hueco Mundo because I sensed her reiatsu disappear through a Garganta. She hasn't resurfaced since. That's all I got."

"Thanks," Kasumi said. It wasn't much, but it was all the more confirmation that her mother was in Hueco Mundo. Somehow, it was both unsettling and reassuring. With heavy steps, she made her way over to the door and exited the room, halfheartedly saying goodbye as Urahara waved behind her. Once Kasumi had left, Isshin sighed deeply. "That was heavy, even for me," he said, sitting down on one of the cushions and pouring himself a cup of tea. "Who knew there were more Quincies hiding right under our noses?"

"Pretty much everyone," Urahara said nonchalantly. "I'm more surprised that you're only finding out now. Didn't it weird you out that your friend from the single parents support group was messing around in the Garganta Eterna? Really, you need more friends. You're forgetting that humans can't normally fly around and kill Hollows" he joked. Isshin glared at him.

For a while, the two of them quietly sipped their drinks. The air was heavy with unease. "I hope you know what you're doing. That kid is putting her life on the line," Isshin said, breaking the silence. His expression was somber, evidently doubtful of Urahara's plan.

"Don't worry," the shopkeeper reassured. "You know I've got experience doing this sort of thing. And besides, we don't have a choice. Central 46 seems insistent on putting this matter off while they deal with the mess in Hell. Someone has to take care of business around here. Plus, it'll be useful to have someone like Kasumi on our side. Once she's a little more experienced, anyway."

"That'll take a really long time, though," Isshin said, idly swirling the contents of his cup around. "And if I remember correctly, you're no expert in Quincy magic, or whatever it is they call it."

Urahara straightened up and took out his phone. "That reminds me," he said, turning on the device. "I have to call in a favor."

After dialing a number, Urahara lifted the phone up to his ear. "Good morning. Can you patch me through to Ryuken Ishida?"

The following day was difficult for Karakura Town. While Kasumi's house was left largely unscathed, the same could not be said for her neighbors. Many roofs were damaged by the brutal weather, and in some cases, flying debris or falling branches had shattered windows and ruined gutters. Business in Karakura Town was shortly put on hold as its residents worked to clean up the streets and repair the damage done. On social media, Kasumi saw that many people were blaming the local news agency for misclassifying the storm, leading the town's residents to mistakenly believe that it would come and go without incident. Curiously, there was no mention of people's souls being ripped from their bodies or anything of the sort. She was expecting a message from Shin about his brief visit to Hueco Mundo, but he only texted to ask her if she was doing okay. Appreciated, but strange.

Things remained tense between Kasumi and Yasuhiro, though both of them had taken to pretending that everything was back to normal. With classes suspended for the day, Kasumi carried out her daily routine while mulling over the situation with Urahara. Naturally, she didn't bring the matter up to Yasuhiro. Instead, she lied and told him that she went out to check on Shin after returning from Urahara's shop. Something told her that her guardian knew she was lying, but Yasuhiro didn't press the matter any further, so neither did she.

While Kasumi was cleaning up the mess that used to be her front yard, she heard blaring sirens echoing in the distance. The sound came closer and closer, until she noticed that the ambulance had come for someone on her street. Placing the rake she was using against a nearby fence, she stepped out onto the road to see what the commotion was all about. The ambulance was parked outside Mr. Matsuzaki's house. Her heart sank when she saw paramedics rush out of his front door, carrying someone on a stretcher. Though his body was concealed by a cloth, Kasumi knew that Mr. Matsuzaki lived alone. Not knowing what to think, she sullenly returned to her work until evening.

After confirming with her teacher that classes would continue the following day, she quietly ate dinner and decided to sleep early. As she ascended the stairs leading to her room, she could feel Yasuhiro's gaze boring into her back. Ignoring him, she continued upwards and entered her room before collapsing into her bed. Kasumi heaved a deep sigh as she stared at the ceiling, before turning over and burying her face into her pillow. What the hell did I get myself into? she thought as she desperately tried to fall asleep.

A shadow came into view in the corner of Kasumi's eye. Looking up from her bento, she saw Shin approaching her. He threw up his hand and waved, and she did so in turn. She pushed a cherry tomato into her mouth as her friend settled on the concrete step next to her. Even though it had only been a couple of days since the two of them ate lunch in their usual spot together, Kasumi felt like a year had passed.

The two of them conversed like they typically did on any other day, complaining about accumulating school work, trash talking unpopular teachers, discussing what they had just seen on TV, and other mundane things. In the middle of their conversation, Shin showed Kasumi an up-and-coming gacha game that had conspicuously gratuitous character design, with gameplay that allowed the player to control the characters with one hand from a less than modest angle. Kasumi sighed disapprovingly before snatching a piece of octopus from Shin's bento as punishment for showing her such a distasteful thing. She ignored his cries of protest as she quickly stuffed it into her mouth.

Eventually, their words trailed off into silence. Kasumi was quietly enjoying the serenity until Shin spoke again. "I had a really crazy dream recently. You were in it, and so was your butler. We were in some kind of fourth dimension…"

Kasumi quietly nodded along as Shin recounted the events that transpired inside the Garganta Eterna, under the impression that all of it was an extremely vivid dream. So that's why nobody's been talking about it, she thought. Once he finished, he seemed content to let the matter go and continue eating, but Kasumi decided to clue him in.

"This is gonna sound crazy, but that wasn't a dream," Kasumi said nonchalantly. Shin just chuckled and dismissed her. "Yeah right," he replied. His smile quickly faded when he noticed that Kasumi looked completely serious. She didn't need to speak for him to notice that. "You're joking," he said, his eyes widening. In response, Kasumi remained silent and allowed her disposition to speak for itself. She wasn't one to pull practical jokes. That was Shin's job. So when Kasumi said something, especially in such a grave manner, he was inclined to believe her.

"Shit…" he sighed, leaning into the concrete step behind him. "Well, it did seem really vivid for a dream," he added. After letting Shin come to grips with the revelation, Kasumi explained the situation surrounding the Garganta Eterna, leaving out the parts about her being a Quincy. She decided that she would wait until she had something to validate that fact before telling him. Once she finished, Shin simply nodded and continued eating.

"You're taking it pretty well," Kasumi said. Shin shrugged. "I don't know how to take it," he admitted. "It's… a lot. But I think I get it. I guess I'm just glad I came out of it unscathed. And also, it's very vindicating for my inner child to learn that Yasuhiro has powers. I always knew there was something off about that guy."

Kasumi couldn't help but giggle. By telling Shin, it felt like a part of the burden was lifted off of her shoulders. It by no means quelled her inner turmoil, but it helped. As much flak as she gave Shin, she felt like she could always confide in him without significantly diminishing her own credibility, even about such outrageous matters like her current predicament. There's probably a reason why Urahara and the others are so covert about Hollows and stuff, she thought to herself. But I needed that.

After their lunch break, Kasumi carried on with her day as normal. Once she was dismissed from her final class, she walked home by herself while Shin practiced with his peers in the judo club. With the storm gone, Karakura town was able to enjoy clear skies which permitted the warm, golden sunlight to shine through unimpeded. The scenery allowed Kasumi to briefly ease her mind— to set aside her worries for just a moment before her adventure began in earnest. She slowed down her pace in an attempt to make the bliss last longer.

After a while, she arrived home. Yasuhiro greeted her as she entered and she halfheartedly acknowledged him in turn. Taking a box of crackers from the pantry. she went up to her room and worked on a project for school. Or at least, she tried to, since she could hardly focus. Before she knew it, night had fallen, and she barely got any work done. Deciding that she'd just put it off until later in the week, she headed downstairs for dinner. With nothing else left to do, she decided to go to bed early again. But just as she was about to doze off, her phone buzzed. Turning it on, she saw that she had received a message. It was from Urahara.

"Go to the hospital after school tomorrow. Tell them that you have an appointment in room 201," the message read. Sighing, she put away her phone and tried to fall asleep again.

And so it begins, Kasumi thought as she closed her eyes.

A Message From The Author:

We're getting to the good stuff! Please review or follow- it's very motivating for me. See you next chapter!