[ FEW HOURS AGO ]
The Elders remained in their seats in the underground manor, while Yumikō was standing in the remaining circle. As there were all presently here, one of the Elders stood up from his seat and Yumikō aggressively rubbing his short, layered hair.
He sighed with his shallow breath when he cleared his throat. Lo and behold, the Elder emerges from the darkness, carrying the piece of paper written in the same language as Koro's notebook. His dark eyes maintained his gaze towards him, making him trembled in fear. The Elder gave him the piece of paper and when Yumikō read that cryptic message, his hands were shaken at his discovery.
" The Soul god shall return from his slumber when the sun and the moon reunites in both worlds." he reads, clenching his fist, while rubbing the nape of his neck and shaking his head.
" Why have you not tell us about his return? Everyone from the Spirit world now knows his awakening has been prophesied in the most unpredictable way!" The first Elder demanded with a booming voice.
" What is more, that boy might be his reincarnation. Perhaps, that was the reason why he ended up in the spirit world in the first place." The second Elder thundered.
That's when Yumikō remembered the moment he was in the Soul society and he did sensed Phantom's spirit energy twice in his life.
" I did not want to worry my people, my Elders. On the other hand, Kazumi is after that boy and Head Captain Genryusai did ask me and Emperor Hirōshi and alliance to stop her."
" Hence why you agree with his alliance?" The Elders asked in unison and Yumikō nodded.
They all went silent until one of the Elders spoke:
" We heard that boy's name is Ichitarō Kagami, right? We are quite impressed that he and his sisters are the descendant of Keitarō Kagami, who is said to be much closer to Lord Byakuya Kuchiki. More so, they do have some potentials, but unfortunately you must send them back to the mortal realm where they belong. For their safety." The third Elder insisted.
" N-No. You cannot do this. What about Head Captain Genryusai's alliance? We cannot disappoint him?!" He shouted, stunned by the Elders' decision.
" If they do not leave, she will capture them. Probably someone important, like that yellow haired fellow. Otherwise, our own kingdom shall be in shambles in a palm of her hands, creating chaos. It is all part of her plan, she will stop at nothing to find them. We cannot risk casualties, especially our own. Jupiter was the only one who can give her information. Otherwise, she'll know someone will come to rescue these kids."
" Now that Jupiter is defeated due to his injuries by the boy, as you have informed us, those hunters that were stalking Captain Kyōraku's wife, the dragon queen, are replacing him. We cannot tolerate any more annihilation. That is why, you must send them back." The second Elder explained. Leaving Yumikō with no other alternatives.
" Very well, I shall send my men to guard them as well. Just in case." He spoke.
~~~~~~~~
[ FEW HOURS LATER ]
Yumikō walked past Starrk who was waiting for him.
" Umm, Yumikō? Is everything alright?" He asked, wondering what bothered him in this fateful night. Yumikō stopped when he heard his voice, he turned around and commanded:
" War is coming. We have to send them back to the world of the living."
~~~~~~~~~
Both Ichigo and Rukia walked into the hallway of the Maiden light castle, passing the guards. Their arms were carrying Renji, forgetting he passed out due to excessive amount of sake. They walked through the hallway, tying to avoid everyone.
Rukia wondered through the vast, empty halls of the pack house, as her thoughts was getting lost.
When she was manifested into her subconscious mind, it showed her memories of her former captain who died while protecting herself after he was possessed by a Hollow. She hadn't told Ichigo, but she knew it would be a bad idea. She'd watch him work his ass off to keep everyone safe but she knew it would end up badly for her.
She didn't think much of it until she heard giggling and conversations coming from inside of the guest room. When they stepped through the door, they saw Ichitarō and Yoshimura, still looking at Rangiku's manga book and their familiar mob soul, Kon reading with Rangiku.
Without being seen, they left the door open behind them, so the triplets can spend their quality time together, leaving Renji behind as he fell asleep.
Rangiku was giving some bento snacks to her brother and sister for their late midnight snack as neither of them hadn't have any sleep then.
Just then, Yumikō arrived with his guards inside the guest room. His usual charm was ruffled by frustration, as if he had march all the way here.
" I'm giving you three, five minutes to clean yourselves up. You're leaving. We'll give you some fresh sets of clothes for you to wear. Don't worry about your little mess the red haired amateur created. The maids will take care of it."
" Say, where is young lady Kuchiki and her amateur?"
" Well….." they all said in unison
~~~~~~~~~
{ RUKIA'S POV }
Ichigo saw Rukia sitting on top of the roof, putting all of her emotional concentration. She found the peaceful ebon winter soothing whilst preparing for tomorrow.
Something wasn't right with her when he saw her sitting on the snowless rooftop, casually watching the view. So, he went to the roof to find her, hoping Rukia was alright.
When she noticed him, she falls quiet for a moment. Then a second later, her eyes brightened as she looked at him. Ichigo knew she would never lie to him about her feelings, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
" Rukia, is everything okay?" Ichigo asked and Rukia turned around and saw him.
" Not…. really." She answered
" Don't tell me you're still blind after what you saw hours ago."
" Uhh…. what? What are you talking about? You're not believing in Renji's nonsense, are you?" Rukia argued, which angered Ichigo in the petty way.
" Of course not. Renji was a fucking drunk!"
" Then no! I haven't going blind yet!"
" Here you are listening to one of some superstition crap from the Soul society at your age. Who is that idiot that has been telling you that?"
" It's actually Zhong Liu, Captain Kyōraku's in-law."
" Then he does sound like a stupid idiot, so he is one. You're not going blind after seeing Kyōraku fucking whoever that woman he was."
" You, idiot. I can't believe how much I've….. missed this." Rukia said, turning her frown into a soft smile
" Yeah, me too." He scoffed
" Huh? What are you saying?"
" Umm, nothing. Just nothing alright."
Seconds passed and they sat in an awkward silence. Then Ichigo's voice broke that silence.
" Has there been any progress from the Dark lord?" He asked her. She sighed and shook her head.
" Not at all." She answered. Ichigo nodded and sat closer to her, avoiding up on a slippery tiled rooftops.
" Are we staying here forever?" He questions her. She didn't look back to him but kept her eyes on the running wolves.
" Only he knows." she stated. She looked up to the moon and wondered if the snow goddess, the fallen angels have been praying to, had led them to their fate like their lives are a game of chess.
" Tanjirō would be pissed off when he finds out we're staying here. However, I'll see what would happen if these two cross their path." he spoke, which made her laugh.
" Hey, don't laugh. Anyone might hear my crappy jokes." He chuckled as well, until her laughter started to show sorrow asked she burst out into tears.
" Rukia, don't cry. We'll save everyone at the Soul Society." He said sympathetically, wiping away her tears.
" Oh, sorry. It's just that I-I will miss this place so much. It reminds me of the Seireitei and you." she cried. Ichigo sighed again and wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back slowly. She has gotten used to the triplets since they've arrived in the Soul society. But now the Seireitei has been invaded by Kazumi, she doesn't know what to do.
It reminded her about Ichigo being there for her while no one else couldn't. And before that, it reminded her of all of the moments she has with Kaien before his demise.
" I hope they will never find them." she sniffed through her tears. She felt his chest moving as he was breathing.
" There is something I haven't told you yet. Well two." She said, still in Ichigo's chest.
" What is it?" He simply asked.
" It's about my past. That certain memory that I wish I could forget. About your father. He's___." she answered.
" Hey, forget about it." Ichigo interjected, catching Rukia by surprise. " Ever since I've lost my powers, he told me everything I needed to know and learning that I'm from the Shiba clan. All that's left for me is to go pay them a visit for a while and learn more about my heritage. You don't have to worry about a single thing."
The weight of her shoulder has been lifted. Not because she'd fought the Espada that possessed Kaien's and killed his wife, but also lucky enough to know Ichigo had already learned the truth about his father, although she was quite sure about his mother yet.
" I hope Ganjū won't be a dick to you," she chuckles. He shakes her head against his chest.
" He's not as much of a dick as I thought he was when I met him."
She didn't know how she fell so in love with him. There was not a single moment that triggered this feeling. One moment, he was an ass and the next, he treated her like she was his soulmate. It felt real but was it actually real?
" Is there anything else that has been bothering you? You know you can tell me and I'm here to support you when you needed it the most." He asked Rukia, placing his hands over her shoulder.
" Well, there is one." She answered. She thanked him and turned her back on him and went to the pack house. As her hand touched his, she turned her head around and met his gaze.
" When you and I meet, we started off on a rocky road. We would constantly argue like we've just got married. You were irritated every time someone mentioned if you and I were dating. I, too, was embarrassed when your father took me in as if I was part of your family…like a bride. I even lied to Orihime and her friends that you and I are just friends."
" What if they are right about us? What if that weird feelings that we have…. is so real, that Tanjirō would call it `true love` ? What if I told you I mean it when I said you'll always be the man in my heart?"
Ichigo was stunned as his eyes shimmered by Rukia's words. As soon as Rukia grinned by her gleeful love for him, Ichigo realised she was, indeed, telling the truth about her feelings! His cheeks flustered, whereas his stomach was tingled by excitement.
" Are you saying you….. love me?" He asked.
" Since we have spend time together. You always make me happy, even though we do argue a lot over petty things. But, you're always there for me, especially when I'm in a darker place. You've saved me from that loneliness, Ichigo. That's why I won't leave your side. Even if it seems like we're further away from each other, we'll always reunite in every aspect of life." Rukia beamed with a soft smile on her face and a soft pink blush on her cheeks.
" No wonder you've been protecting these kids."
" When Ichitarō and his sisters arrived at the Soul Society, he already told me about you. But when the fallen angels were attacking____."
" You decided to step up." He completed her sentence and she nodded.
They kept on hugging each other until Yumikō's voice stopped their moment.
" Young lady Kuchiki, dear!" He cried, catching their sight. " Are you all ready to go? Your honeymoon is over!"
" Dark Lord Mishima! Where do you think we'll go?"
~~~~~~~~
[ MEANWHILE ]
As hours and a minute passed, their sexual scent remained lingering the room and Ramune's head was gently resting on Shunsui's chest. A seductive giggle was audible on her dulcet voice like a mermaid on the ocean.
Shunsui brushed her soft, fluffy curls as her tone changed into something serious. Yet, he supported her journey, especially when it's not an easy one.
" I was worried back there. Worried if I didn't defend that poor kid or Murasaki's aggressively wild nature, he might not live for another day. His `shell shock` nearly got the best of him, but I'm glad he finally asked for help. And no, I didn't hit him or anything. Just tried to talk some sense into him." She reported.
" Look, sweet rose. You did what you have to do to save him. I'm glad you did, although his wounds are deeper than we______."
He acknowledged before hearing shouting coming fron the outside of the castle. Shunsui separate himself from his wife and took his clothes. Ramune noticed something wasn't right and she does the same, but he stopped her because of her fatigue from their intercourse.
" What do think they're arguing about?"
" I don't know, but I should check it out. You get some sleep, okay?" He insisted, pecking her lips and walked away.
Once Shunsui went outside to where the arguement began, he viewed his best friend and the dark lord arguing over something personal.
" You are sending them back to the human world?I don't believe it!" Jushirō ranted.
" It's the only way. Otherwise we're all fucked and she wins." Yumikō answered.
" Hey, what's going on? Why are you guys arguing so much. It's not even morning." Shunsui asked and Jushirō answered:
" Ask him. He knows what he's doing."
As soon as he looked at the dark lord's eyes, he was shocked by his decision.
" You're sending them back?"
" I don't want to involve you in this, but the Elders have spoken and I don't have much of a choice, if I want to trust your captain.I'm doing what I can to protect them and before that, I have to interrogating a child and if he doesn't, I can end anyone's life, just to get him to talk."
" I don't get why Old man Yamamoto started to keep secrets from us, but almost getting someone killed until that kid could talk?"
" We didn't agree to this! You're not supposed to hurt someone!" Jushirō begged and Shunsui agreed.
" Captain Shunsui, Captain Jushirō. I know I don't want blood in my hands, but if this little birdie doesn't sing, so be it. I threatened him by making him sing once they will be joining Koro for reincarnation. Thankfully, he did. All that's left is to send the troops to the soul society by dawn, kill that bitch and call it a day. You'll thank me later. I'm just doing my job." Yumikō replied.
" If you're doing your job, then why are sending them back? It's too dangerous for someone like their and they aren't mature enough to control their powers. They need someone, skillful enough to protect them."
" Exactly. And that's why I'm recurring Young Lady Kuchiki."
" You, stupid moron! She's my lieutenant, not a captain yet." Jushirō shouted and his friend halted him.
" That doesn't matter. She's your lieutenant, isn't she? She have to take the kids to safety!" Yumikō said and Jushirō scoffed.
" Look, Captain Ukitake. She didn't save them for nothing. She's doing it so she won't get them killed."
" We can't just leaving her wondering around to Celestia knows where!"
" What about Captain Yamamoto and the others? I know Nanao, she can take care of herself. But I'm afraid something bad is going to happen to either of them."
" We won't leave her alone either. Lucky for her, two amateurs are going with her. And fear not, Captain Kyōraku, I'll send some of my men to rescue your people, without getting themselves killed."
" But why?" Jushirō asked and Yumikō folded his arms.
" To get to them." He answered, looking at triplets." That is why I am sending them back to the world of the living. Don't panic, alright? I'll tell them they'll be leaving the spirit world for good."
" We're...leaving the spirit world?" Rukia asked, almost frozen by fear.
" You haven't told the kids yet?"
" Unfortunately, yes. It's for their sake and yours. Or Kazumi will find us first."
" Do you know that woman?" Ichigo asked, watching Yumikō through narrowed eyes.
"Yes, that bitch was my step sister and she would stop at nothing to get their bloods in her hands." He acknowledged.
" Wait, hold on a second. Do you have any idea why she would choose to kill Ichitarō?" Ichigo urgently asked.
" Isn't it obvious, amateur? She is after Ichitarō, which means she'll destroy the spirit world for her selfish desires. Now that Aizen, the lunatic, self proclaimed god wannabe, is dead, she will finish the job for him, even if it means killing you." Yumikō explained.
" W-what?" He stammered.
" Don't you just stand here like a fucking owl. Go find your other red haired friend and protect these kids!"
" R-Right."
" How? We can't leave you like this? I'm not a coward, just let me fight for my home." Rukia suggested.
" I know, young lady Kuchiki. But it's too dangerous for you and I can't risk of another war, plus I'm scared what your brother might do to me. Lool, you were close to that substitute amateur, right?" Yumikō asked and Rukia slowly nodded. His eyes were staring mercilessly at her black eyes with streaks of purple.
" Kazumi wanted to capture them again. She's planning on something bad for them, but of course she hasn't found them yet. Therefore, she wants them dead for Celestia knows what type of ritual is."
" What?" She gasped. He ignored the interruption and gave her the potion. He instructed; " So, I want you to go to the Crystal Souls and find the well that hasn't been frozen for a while. Once you find it, don't say what your wish is for, but speak from your heart and it'll take you wherever you like. I'm counting on you. Don't fuck it up."
Her eyes were down by sadness and was hesitant on what to do. Yumikō cheered her.
" Now, now. I'm going to be fine, I'll be gone for a while on an important mission. And when you go back to the world of the living, protect them with all your might." He said, placing his hand on her shoulder.
" I won't let you down, Dark Lord Yumikō." She said with a fainted smile.