Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ A Black Flower In The Snow ❯ Diamond In The Rough ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: PaleBabyIvory 
Amai dives into the depths of the spirit world's mysteries... will she stay, or run away?
Anime/Manga: Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Thriller / Suspense / Supernatural / Romance | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 04.09.2015 | Pages: 9 | Words: 5.8K | Visits: 422 | Status: Work In Progress
Amai dives into the depths of the spirit world's mysteries... will she stay, or run away?
Anime/Manga: Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Thriller / Suspense / Supernatural / Romance | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 04.09.2015 | Pages: 9 | Words: 5.8K | Visits: 422 | Status: Work In Progress
Author's note: I spend hours writing this and it takes up like 8
pages on Google docs... but when I upload it it looks like a couple
short paragraphs! *cries inside* it's not a short story I swear!
Each page is like an episode in my head... then it turns to this.
*sniff* Also, sorry this took so long. I’ve been typing on my
phone lately, and only on breaks at work… I just don’t
have a lot of time anymore! ^-^” However, I will continue to
bring you fanfiction monthly at least, if not bi-weekly or weekly
like I’d originally planned. :)
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“Out of the way! his way, this way… don’t worry, everything will be fine.” The doctor assured her. with my father and I trailing behind as fast as we could.
Kurosaki was there for one reason or another, and two little girls ushered him out of the way… if I hadn’t been so panicked, I probably would have noticed that it was the Kurosaki residence. My mother was in childbirth… but it was a month early. The doctor sent the girls for towels, ice, and hot water bottles, meanwhile helping my mother out of the wheelchair and onto a bed. She protested-she wanted a natural birth-but he told her, in many more words, that if he didn’t give her a C-section, that the baby might not make it because he had the cord wrapped around his neck. My stomach dropped-I felt sick. One of the little girls pushed past me, then the other, and before I knew it my mother was surrounded with people, my dad at one side, the doctor near her feet, and the little girls buzzing around the tiny room like excitable dogs with medical equipment. I backed out of the room, feeling the need for fresh air-and bumped straight into Kurosaki.
“Oh-sorry-I-uhm…” I was at a loss. I looked back in the room, then at him, wondering why he was even there.
“No problem… is she okay? I thought I heard Yuzu say it was early…”
“I’m… not sure…” I bit my lip. “She’s having contractions too early… but babies are usually okay if there’s a doctor there, right? I mean, he’s doing a c-section…”
Kurosaki nodded his understanding-it was a serious surgery. “My dad’s the best doctor in town… so don’t worry about it.”
It was shocking that he was comforting me, but he was looking away when I looked to his face, so I couldn’t tell if he was just being nice or stating a fact. I nodded anyways, taking in a deep breath before I tried to talk again. “Your dad, huh? So he runs the clinic, then?”
“Yep. For as long as I can remember, he’s been a doctor… he’s always saving people’s lives. It gets kind of noisy around here… kids crying when they need stitches, or when there’s a big accident and lots of people need immediate attention…” He glanced at me, and something in my face must have looked pretty helpless because he was quick to go back into reassurance mode. “He’s never lost anyone yet, so you can be sure your mom’s in good hands.”
I sat down outside the room, and Kurosaki sat beside me, crossing his legs awkwardly. I kept looking in the room as we talked, catching glimpses of blood and my mother’s face, pale but hopeful. The ginger boy kept me mostly calm, talking about school and America and the other kids in his friend group that I’d met. He kept stopping in the middle of sentences for a second when talking about Rukia Kuchiki, like he had to modify stories a bit in his head before he told me. I giggled when he took a whole three seconds, knowing exactly what it meant-it was painfully obvious that they were a couple.
For the next half hour, we talked, I watched my mother and scrutinized every move the doctor made despite Kurosaki’s belief in him, and made sure I was well out of the way of the little girls as they ran in and out with trays of god knows what. I call them little girls, but in reality I wasn’t much taller than them. Taller than Rukia, but not by much-they did look way younger though. After what felt like forever, the doctor called me in. I nearly ran into the room, worried something had happened.
Instead, I got to see my little brother, just getting the gunk out of his mouth and nose, taking his first breath, and screaming his little heart out. The doctor had handed him to my mother, who hugged him close to her chest and wept with a smile on her face. He had short black hair and was coated in blood, but one of the girls took a towel to him and rubbed him down vigorously. I sighed in relief, not even minding how his screams echoing off the walls would have popped anyone’s ear drums, and came to my mother’s side.
“What will you name him?” The little girl asked-Yuzu, Kurosaki had told me. The other was Karin.
“Well…” My father faltered, distracted by the little boy, who was yawning after exhausting himself with all of his cries.
“Roka.” My mother said, almost on impulse, and looked up at my father quickly.
They laughed and my father nodded. “Roka Kozan. Our little boy.”
“Would you like to snip the cord?” The doctor asked my father, but he shook his head.
“Amai should do it.” He turned his gaze over to me with a proud sparkle in his eye. “You named him, after all-and since you didn’t have a hand in bringing him into the world, I think you should have this.” He took the scissors from the doctor and handed them to me.
My mother was already all stitched up, and the placenta was laying on a tray next to her. It looked like a nasty, veiny blob, and it was easy to see why most people cut it off of their baby. I cut it half a foot away from my little brother so there was no chance of hurting him, and the doctor stuck a plastic snap on it to close it off, to avoid infection, he said. The remainder, he told us, would fall off in time as it dried up. The little girls cleaned up, not nearly as urgent anymore, and Kurosaki was gone when I looked into the hallway again-probably having gone back to bed, seeing as it was still early.
“You will have to stay here a couple days. I want to keep an eye on you, just in case you have any unforeseen reactions to the drugs in your system. Little Roka will have to go into the special bed for a bit, too, until I’m done doing some tests… I want to make sure he’s fit to go home. Is this alright with you?” The doctor asked my parents, who both nodded their agreement without a fight; my mother’s and Roka’s health were obviously more important than a couple days.
My father turned on his cell phone and patted my back. “The worst is over, kiddo. I’m staying here with your mother, but I want you to go home and get some sleep if you can. If you can’t, clean up his room a bit, alright? I’ll be over later to clean it up, but you have school in the morning… you should get ready for that. Then you can tell all your friends about how cute he is!”
I smiled and did as he said, but I really didn’t want to leave their side. I went home, feeling restless again, but to my surprise I easily fell asleep.
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Oh yes, I fell asleep. Not only did I get rest… I over slept. At ten in the morning, I woke up to my alarm-useless thing-not buzzing at all, and I didn’t believe the time because of that. I went down and got breakfast, just a piece of toast with an egg on it, then brushed my teeth again upstairs and threw on my school uniform. Back downstairs, I looked at the kitchen clock, which had a battery in it-ten fifteen. I panicked and flew out the door, cursing myself for not being able to sleep before my mom had gone into childbirth. My feet didn’t carry me quickly enough-I got in the door of my classroom at ten thirty, panting and unfortunately making a huge disruption of the class.
“Miss Kozan, could you enter a bit more quietly, please? And why are you so late?” The teacher asked, putting me on the spot in front of everyone.
I shivered as I felt a thousand stares on my back, but my voice was steady when I told her. “I’m sorry… I couldn’t sleep, then my mother gave birth to my brother early this morning..."
My teacher stared at me, wide eyed for a moment, then coughed into her hand. "Congratulations on your new sibling, then! Have your parents call in for you tomorrow... you could have just stayed home, you know! I would have collected some notes for you..."
I blushed, bowed, and ran to my seat, hoping that that would be the end of it. Unfortunately, every ten minute break, all the girls would stampede over and beg for pictures, and everyone around me would ask me questions not even pertaining to the baby, like they were suddenly my friends. Kurosaki was there, too, so he didn't say anything until I mentioned how he'd been very nice during the whole thing, which got all the girls into a frenzy. With both of us under attack for the rest of the day, including lunch, it made keeping my comfort level in a healthy place impossible.
After school, I ran out before anyone was even done putting their books back in their bags. I kept a steady pace the entire way home so none of my classmates could catch up and swap cell numbers with me anymore. By the time I got in the door, I was panting and hardly able to stand. My father opened the door with his eyebrow arched, but said nothing as I sluggishly oozed in through the door and fell back onto the step up from the shoe room.
"How was school?" He asked, same as always.
"Long." I stated, kicking off my shoes and leaving them where they fell, one sideways and the other halfway across the floor. "Everyone wanted to know about Roka. I got hassled because I didn't take any pictures... I hope you did. I totally forgot in the panic..."
"I did, actually! I set up cameras to film the whole thing, and took three gigabytes of pictures of Roka and your mother. The pictures are being developed as we speak... and I finished Roka's room too! It's completely set up so your mother can rest easy once she gets home."
It was hard to imagine he got any footage in that mess, but I was excited to hear that the room was done and wanted to see the result. I walked down the hallway to the cute blue and white striped door, with big yellow letters that spelt out R-O-K-A.
My father opened the door for me and followed me inside. Toys were everywhere-mostly plushies, stuffed animals and dolls, but there was also a pirate ship crib with tiny pirates and sharks hanging above it, and a big toy chest that looked old and weathered, baby toys for development stacked inside until the lid couldn't even close. The walls were painted in a transitioning of blue to green from top to bottom, and yellow to blue on the wall his crib stood against. The other three walls were decorated with a measuring tree for his height and weight to be recorded each year, a long mirror, and a big learning play set that was screwed into the wall that would last him until grade four, according to the tag that stuck out just above my head.
The floor was hard wood, but a big rainbow throw rug was in the middle, so his little feet wouldn't get cold. A rocking chair sat next to the closet, and and I noticed a big yellow blanket folded over one arm rest. In the closet was a changing table that doubled as as dresser, a tiny elephant hamper, and enough tiny clothes to last a lifetime. Little shoes, jackets, shirts, pants, and cloth diapers of varying sizes were neatly put away, but packed so tight it looked untidy in the oversized space. From what I'd seen in pictures, they'd been just as crazy about me when I was born.
My father looked at me, poorly disguising his interest in my opinion. I smirked and looked around, pretending to disapprove. "Well..."
His face started to fall. "I love it!" I enthused, grinning. He sighed in relief like he would have tore the whole thing down if I'd disapproved... which probably wasn't far from the truth.
I listened to him explain and point out little details like the pirates on the mobile were actually hook and smee, and the trim around the baseboards had little waves carved into them all in white so it was barely noticeable. Watching videos they'd taken, I knew that my father especially had always been this excited about having children. My parents were such family oriented people it was hard to believe that we didn't keep in touch with more of my cousins, aunts, uncles, or even people that were such close friends I'd been told to address them as aunt or uncle from infancy.
I'd asked about it once, when I was small. "Why is our family so small?" I'd asked in my little voice.
My parents paused, stared at me and I'll never forget their solemn expressions, even though they were both equally quick to plaster smiles over their cheeks that almost even reached their eyes. "Why, do you want a bigger family?"
I hadn't realized until I was eight that they'd dodged the question. I had nodded enthusiastically at the time... now I know that my mother actually has a hard time conceiving children, and my father shoots blanks half the time. I only learned this last year. It didn't explain my lack of extended family, but it made sense now why I wasn't in a family of twelve.
I never bugged them after that, though. During my twelfth year it was not for lack of trying, but somehow the subject was always diverted or conveniently unheard or a simple 'that's as good question.' and then they would walk away. My theory is that my parents were in a fight over something with them. My grandparents didn't give up any information either, but my grandmother on my mother's side would ask me to leave the subject alone with a worried glance hidden half beneath her bangs. Mizuiro didn't know any more than I did on the subject, but had me over for supper the day I asked him and asked his parents. They were happy to bring out family photos and point out relatives I've never met, in places I've never been, and work out when I could meet some more of my extremely distant relatives... which I did, at Mizuiro's birthday... they were nice.
I bit my lip, unable to keep my next thought from forming. They were nice, but somehow it didn't feel right. They didn't feel like family. It wasn't... there wasn't... I couldn't put a word to it. A connection? But of course there would be no connection with someone you just met. Some primal, instinctive feeling that they were your blood. Maybe I was expecting too much from it... but I had that feeling with my parents, grandparents, Mizuiro, his parents, and now Roka... it just wasn't the same.
"Amai?"
My head shot up at my father's voice. "Huh?" I'd totally missed what he said.
"Amai are you alright? You seem distant. Are you worried about Roka and your mother?"
I shook my head no. "Just thinking." I picked a teddy bear off the dresser and inspected it. "I'm looking forward to when he goes into kindergarten. He's going to be the cutest one in his class." I told him, which was true, but not what I was thinking about at that moment.
"Well, we should worry about teaching him to walk, talk, and eat without flinging his food everywhere first. You were especially bad for that, all the way until you were three!"
I smiled as he went on and on about my own infancy with just as much enthusiasm. He was a good dad... almost too good, really. When I was a kid, I got away with a lot. It's surprising I didn't turn out to be a huge brat, honestly. Though many parents aren't perfect... I think mine are pretty close.
We continued talking for another hour, then I continued my normal after school routine, be it faster paced. Afterwards I snuck out of the house, bringing a sweater with me in case it got cold again before I came home. I ran the entire way... I wanted it to start as soon as possible.
They were waiting for me. "Kozan! Welcome." The tall muscled man greeted, his thick black mustache swishing slightly with each word.
"Shall we begin?" Urahara asked, smiling under his striped green hat.
The red headed boy stood arrogantly across from the little pigtailed girl, who was half hidden from him behind the tall man. The whole display seemed a little dramatic, and they obviously didn't just happen to be there, but at the same time they looked naturally cool... I wondered if all shinigami were like that.
"Yes." I replied simply, and followed him inside the building.
He lead me through a different way this time, down a dead end hallway. There was one door in the middle of it, but he lead me past it, and no one behind me seemed to find it odd in the least. I watched him kneel down to the floor and pry open the floorboards with a handle I never would have noticed even if I'd been looking for it.
He opened the trap door and climbed in without a word, and after a moment of hesitation, I climbed down the ladder after him. I hadn't expected the place to be anything like it was.
It was a long way down. Extremely long. Ridiculously long. It was like climbing down a ten story building... it made me wonder how this place had been hidden from anyone let alone the whole city. Not only was it huge vertically, but horizontally too-it must have been the length of three football fields side by side. It was all dry yellow sand and gravel from one end to the other, with hills and cliffs and even a hot spring tucked away near one corner. It took me a while to get down, and my arms were already feeling used when I got down. Urahara waited for me to walk over to him patiently, leaning against his cane which I hadn't seen him bring down.
He cleared his throat before speaking. "Welcome to your new training grounds. This is where you will learn to fight, protect yourself, and hopefully where you will learn your sword's name. There will be absolutely no on - field training until you are done here unless I say otherwise or all training will cease. Are we clear?"
I frowned at him disapprovingly. "Why would I train anywhere else? If I need this much space, it would be dangerous to do it anywhere near the public, right?"
He nodded. "Well, kids these days don't like to listen..." I rolled my eyes. "Where do we start?"
He smiled and motioned for me to sit. I did, and he sat in front of me and held out his hands upwards. I took them, and a strange feeling went through me, like if I got in a fight it would be impossible to lose. I looked at his face, questioning, but he merely smirked.
The level went up. And up. And up. For a long time I just felt confused. Then he amped it up once more, and I realized what was happening-he was weighing me down...no, my soul down... with his own spiritual pressure? I focused and tried to push back. And for a long time it wasn't working. But finally, when I thought I'd be crushed, his eyebrows went up and he let go.
"Very good! I felt a real effort there. I think it's time for a break."
My own eyebrows shot up at this declaration. "But we just started!"
He smiled and waved me off. "Don't worry about it. We've been at it for two hours, so let's have a two minute breather. Ururu will be your next helper, and it will be a little harder than this."
I sighed and leaned back, unable to find a good reason not to take a two minute rest. Behind my lashes, I glanced at my somewhat sketchy teacher. He looked relaxed... but his hands were shaking. I didn't know if I should apologize, feel proud, or pretend not to notice. I settled for being afraid. Afraid of my own power, that could push back that insane amount of force. I wasn't even sure how to control it. And after that push... I felt strong. The feeling of invincibility had only dulled by about half.
"Kozan." Came at tiny voice behind me.
I looked up and smiled at the delicate looking child. "Hey there. Ready to start?"
She nodded and handed me a padded helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and chest piece. I watched her put on her own, smaller set, and copied her so I knew they were on properly. She bowed and got into an attack stance.
"Wait, we're fighting? But-"
"Ururu is stronger than she looks, Kozan. Don't worry about her."
"It's not her I'm worried about..." I admitted, knowing full well that even a five year old could kick my ass if they had any type of fighting training.
"I'll hold back as much as I can for you, okay?" She consoled, and it was obvious neither of them thought I would win.
"Just get one hit, and today's training will be over... or we can start the next lesson, your choice." He told me.
"NEXT LESSON." I demanded easily, backing away from Ururu. Even if I could get a hit in, who would hit a kid?
"Are you sure? It will be harder than fighting Ururu. You might even collapse from exhaustion after a few minutes."
I nodded anyways. "Put the chest piece back on, then. I don't want you to explode." He told me vaguely.
I did as I was told and sat down beside him. "So what is it now?"
"It will be like last time... only now I want you to borrow some power. I could give it willingly, but I want you to take it."
I held my hands out for him to take this time. He only gave me one. I focused hard, struggling to do... something... but nothing really happened. After an hour of sitting there, I looked up from his hand and sighed in defeat.
"Nothing's happening." I stated.
"Try to feel what you're grabbing for first. You can't take what you can't even see."
I did as I was told, shutting my eyes. Mentally, I reached out, looking for his soul. I thought I felt a thin strand of energy, and after another hour, I opened my eyes. It was gone in seconds, but I caught a glance of a long yellow ribbon with red trim before it dissipated. I sighed again.
"I almost had it!" I told him, staring at the spot in front of me I'd seen the ribbon. "Souls look weird, though..."
"Weird?" He asked, looking confused.
"Well yeah... I mean, why do we turn into silk strands? It would make more sense if we had spirit animals or something, you know?"
"Silk... strands." He chuckled to himself and got up.
"Part two of the lesson. I'm going to push my energy in and out of you. Don't push, don't pull. Just take what I'm giving, and no more. If I'm right, I might be able to unlock your own power... but only if you do as you're told and do not touch."
I swallowed hard and nodded. This would be the part I might explode in, then? He took his cane and touched the handle end to my forehead. For a minute, nothing happened. I was about to ask what was going on when it hit me.
A thousand lashes against every inch of me, inside and out. I could feel it, like a million grains of salt grinding past my insides, cutting and ripping me apart. I wanted to scream, but nothing came out. I was completely incapacitated by the less than fuzzy feeling. I felt like I might die.
I almost pushed back - almost. I vaguely remembered promising to stay still and forced myself to do so, with extreme difficulty. A second wave went through me, worse than the last, and it felt like someone was rubbing lemon juice into my wounds. I could scream now-and I did, but it didn't sound like me. It was gargled and muffled, but loud enough to hurt my own ears. I couldn't stop myself from pushing when the third wave, ten times worse than all the pain I'd already experienced, coursed through my veins.
The scream grew louder and everything went flying. A whirlwind of sand and spirit energy flew away from me. Urahara still stood there, but his cane was no longer on my forehead. I panted, worn out, but remained sitting upright. Urahara, surprisingly, didn't look mad... only disappointed.
"Well, that didn't go as far as I wanted it to... we'll try again in an hour."
I stared at him, eyes widening. "My parents will wonder where I am if I'm gone too long-"
"Your parents won't be a problem. We've already replaced their memories... they think you're at a friend's house sleeping over. Go take a bath and come back in an hour."
I crawled a few feet and dragged myself up, following after Ururu. She had towels and a new set of clothing for me, as well as a bottle of shampoo. I wondered how bad I must stink for them to send me to the bath and discreetly smelled myself. It wasn't bad, but the training had me sweating enough that a quick shower wouldn't have hurt.
I stripped and climbed in as soon as the little girl was out of sight. The water was extremely relaxing and the pain seemed to melt away there, so I completely submerged and stayed under there as long as I could hold my breath. It was so warm and quiet under the water... I could have fallen asleep were it not for the lack of oxygen. I opened my eyes and looked around.
It was crystal clear. I had to surface for air before getting a better look, but it was not a trick of my eyes. Just below what I thought was a rocky bottom was actually a translucent substance, which hid all sorts of ocean creatures beneath it. I watched an octopus chase an puffer fish, and a school of angel fish float by beneath them, scattering when the octopus disturbed them. I grinned at a clownfish that raced behind the rest of them, deciding I had to learn how to make a pool like this if it was the last thing I do.
I washed my hair and swept back my hair, taking the entire hour to watch the sharks and shrimp beneath the hot spring swim around. By the time I was out and dry, two more people had joined Urahara and we're standing in a broken circle, looking very serious. I walked over, hair drying quickly in the fake... or I assumed fake desert sun.
I came to a halt about five feet away from them. I recognized them as my classmates. "Kozan, welcome back. I've acquired some more students!"
I frowned, trying hard to remember their names. "Orihime... and Yastura?"
They nodded, Orihime looking just as surprised to see me. "Amai! Wow, you'll be helping too, then?"
"Helping...?" I asked, looking from her to Urahara for answers.
"Well, maybe not her. We'll see if I can get her strong enough, first."
My frown deepened. "Help with what?"
"Kuchiki is going to be in trouble soon." Orihime confessed, to the obvious annoyance of Urahara.
"That black haired girl...?" I motioned at about shoulder height.
"Yes! You remembered!" She threw her fists up happily. "We can't do anything about it, so..." She motioned around her. "We can once we're strong."
I wondered if she was just simple or was dumbing it down because because she thought the one year difference between us made anything she said too complex. "What trouble?"
"Well..." Her smile wavered.
"Soul Society, the heaven I told you about, is sending people to come get her. You won't be able to stop them. You may, however, be able to bring her back... that is, if you become strong."
I was relieved when Urahara explained it rather than leave me confused. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's start."
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By morning I still hadn't been 'unlocked' and every inch hurt. I took a nice long bath again and played with a squid on the barrier, letting it chase my hands and then chasing it back. After that I was ready to go to bed for sure, but a black cat caught my attention. I smiled and reached over to pet her, but she walked away before I could. I was going to leave, but the cat came back and rubbed against my legs, then went back in the same direction, almost like...
"Do you want me to follow you?" I asked her, earning a 'merowe' in response and a fuzzy tail turned my way.
I felt kind of silly following her, but whether she wanted me to follow her or not, I can never resist an opportunity to snuggle with an animal. She kept just out of reach, occasionally looking back to see if I was still following her. I padded after her quietly as I could in case someone was still asleep.
I followed Yoruichi down the hallway until she stopped and sat in front of an open door. “You want to save Kuchiki? Don’t make me laugh.Don’t use others as a reason for walking into death’s arms.”
I paused a few feet away, not sure if I should be hearing the conversation but it was about Kuchiki. I stayed, scratching my arm and shifting awkwardly.
“The Soul Society usually has a one month waiting period before an execution. This holds true in Rukia’s case, too.”
“Execution?!” Ichigo echoed my thought.
“It’s different from the way humans are executed, though. I have ten days to bully you. Then seven days to open the gate to Soul Society. And thirteen days after we arrive in Soul Society.We will have lots of time.”
“...Can I become stronger in ten days?" I recognized the voice as Ichigo's.
"Sure, if you truly want to save her." Urahara told him, and I heard the quiet clop of his sandals walking across the floor. "Even our little eavesdropper can become strong enough to survive the trip, if she tries."
I blushed profusely and came out of hiding. "S-sorry... I was following Yoruichi... and... well... execution?"
"Giving another being your powers as a shinigami... staying in the mortal world longer than scheduled... it's all taken very seriously. Even if it's for innocent reasons. They're very strict." I figured there was a story behind that, but I kept my curiosity to myself.
"We have ten days, so what are we waiting for?" I asked, feeling energized again. "Change the memories of the people at school and let's spend the day training!"
"School?" Ichigo looked around. "What day is it?"
"Friday." Urahara told him, but didn't seem concerned. "It's already been taken care of, so get some rest. I'll come get you in a few hours."
I nodded and picked up my new furry friend before heading to the guest bedroom. They continued their conversation as I walked away, but but I was too tired to listen closely. Besides, my head was full enough of thoughts of Kuchiki, an unknown enemy, and general curiosity about how heaven would be like. It excited me, thinking of the hot spring, and how heaven must be even more wonderous.
I laid down on my futon, clutching Yoruichi to my chest, and threw the blanket over us. She started purring as I pet her, and the sound lulled me to sleep. My rest would be short lived.
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“Out of the way! his way, this way… don’t worry, everything will be fine.” The doctor assured her. with my father and I trailing behind as fast as we could.
Kurosaki was there for one reason or another, and two little girls ushered him out of the way… if I hadn’t been so panicked, I probably would have noticed that it was the Kurosaki residence. My mother was in childbirth… but it was a month early. The doctor sent the girls for towels, ice, and hot water bottles, meanwhile helping my mother out of the wheelchair and onto a bed. She protested-she wanted a natural birth-but he told her, in many more words, that if he didn’t give her a C-section, that the baby might not make it because he had the cord wrapped around his neck. My stomach dropped-I felt sick. One of the little girls pushed past me, then the other, and before I knew it my mother was surrounded with people, my dad at one side, the doctor near her feet, and the little girls buzzing around the tiny room like excitable dogs with medical equipment. I backed out of the room, feeling the need for fresh air-and bumped straight into Kurosaki.
“Oh-sorry-I-uhm…” I was at a loss. I looked back in the room, then at him, wondering why he was even there.
“No problem… is she okay? I thought I heard Yuzu say it was early…”
“I’m… not sure…” I bit my lip. “She’s having contractions too early… but babies are usually okay if there’s a doctor there, right? I mean, he’s doing a c-section…”
Kurosaki nodded his understanding-it was a serious surgery. “My dad’s the best doctor in town… so don’t worry about it.”
It was shocking that he was comforting me, but he was looking away when I looked to his face, so I couldn’t tell if he was just being nice or stating a fact. I nodded anyways, taking in a deep breath before I tried to talk again. “Your dad, huh? So he runs the clinic, then?”
“Yep. For as long as I can remember, he’s been a doctor… he’s always saving people’s lives. It gets kind of noisy around here… kids crying when they need stitches, or when there’s a big accident and lots of people need immediate attention…” He glanced at me, and something in my face must have looked pretty helpless because he was quick to go back into reassurance mode. “He’s never lost anyone yet, so you can be sure your mom’s in good hands.”
I sat down outside the room, and Kurosaki sat beside me, crossing his legs awkwardly. I kept looking in the room as we talked, catching glimpses of blood and my mother’s face, pale but hopeful. The ginger boy kept me mostly calm, talking about school and America and the other kids in his friend group that I’d met. He kept stopping in the middle of sentences for a second when talking about Rukia Kuchiki, like he had to modify stories a bit in his head before he told me. I giggled when he took a whole three seconds, knowing exactly what it meant-it was painfully obvious that they were a couple.
For the next half hour, we talked, I watched my mother and scrutinized every move the doctor made despite Kurosaki’s belief in him, and made sure I was well out of the way of the little girls as they ran in and out with trays of god knows what. I call them little girls, but in reality I wasn’t much taller than them. Taller than Rukia, but not by much-they did look way younger though. After what felt like forever, the doctor called me in. I nearly ran into the room, worried something had happened.
Instead, I got to see my little brother, just getting the gunk out of his mouth and nose, taking his first breath, and screaming his little heart out. The doctor had handed him to my mother, who hugged him close to her chest and wept with a smile on her face. He had short black hair and was coated in blood, but one of the girls took a towel to him and rubbed him down vigorously. I sighed in relief, not even minding how his screams echoing off the walls would have popped anyone’s ear drums, and came to my mother’s side.
“What will you name him?” The little girl asked-Yuzu, Kurosaki had told me. The other was Karin.
“Well…” My father faltered, distracted by the little boy, who was yawning after exhausting himself with all of his cries.
“Roka.” My mother said, almost on impulse, and looked up at my father quickly.
They laughed and my father nodded. “Roka Kozan. Our little boy.”
“Would you like to snip the cord?” The doctor asked my father, but he shook his head.
“Amai should do it.” He turned his gaze over to me with a proud sparkle in his eye. “You named him, after all-and since you didn’t have a hand in bringing him into the world, I think you should have this.” He took the scissors from the doctor and handed them to me.
My mother was already all stitched up, and the placenta was laying on a tray next to her. It looked like a nasty, veiny blob, and it was easy to see why most people cut it off of their baby. I cut it half a foot away from my little brother so there was no chance of hurting him, and the doctor stuck a plastic snap on it to close it off, to avoid infection, he said. The remainder, he told us, would fall off in time as it dried up. The little girls cleaned up, not nearly as urgent anymore, and Kurosaki was gone when I looked into the hallway again-probably having gone back to bed, seeing as it was still early.
“You will have to stay here a couple days. I want to keep an eye on you, just in case you have any unforeseen reactions to the drugs in your system. Little Roka will have to go into the special bed for a bit, too, until I’m done doing some tests… I want to make sure he’s fit to go home. Is this alright with you?” The doctor asked my parents, who both nodded their agreement without a fight; my mother’s and Roka’s health were obviously more important than a couple days.
My father turned on his cell phone and patted my back. “The worst is over, kiddo. I’m staying here with your mother, but I want you to go home and get some sleep if you can. If you can’t, clean up his room a bit, alright? I’ll be over later to clean it up, but you have school in the morning… you should get ready for that. Then you can tell all your friends about how cute he is!”
I smiled and did as he said, but I really didn’t want to leave their side. I went home, feeling restless again, but to my surprise I easily fell asleep.
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Oh yes, I fell asleep. Not only did I get rest… I over slept. At ten in the morning, I woke up to my alarm-useless thing-not buzzing at all, and I didn’t believe the time because of that. I went down and got breakfast, just a piece of toast with an egg on it, then brushed my teeth again upstairs and threw on my school uniform. Back downstairs, I looked at the kitchen clock, which had a battery in it-ten fifteen. I panicked and flew out the door, cursing myself for not being able to sleep before my mom had gone into childbirth. My feet didn’t carry me quickly enough-I got in the door of my classroom at ten thirty, panting and unfortunately making a huge disruption of the class.
“Miss Kozan, could you enter a bit more quietly, please? And why are you so late?” The teacher asked, putting me on the spot in front of everyone.
I shivered as I felt a thousand stares on my back, but my voice was steady when I told her. “I’m sorry… I couldn’t sleep, then my mother gave birth to my brother early this morning..."
My teacher stared at me, wide eyed for a moment, then coughed into her hand. "Congratulations on your new sibling, then! Have your parents call in for you tomorrow... you could have just stayed home, you know! I would have collected some notes for you..."
I blushed, bowed, and ran to my seat, hoping that that would be the end of it. Unfortunately, every ten minute break, all the girls would stampede over and beg for pictures, and everyone around me would ask me questions not even pertaining to the baby, like they were suddenly my friends. Kurosaki was there, too, so he didn't say anything until I mentioned how he'd been very nice during the whole thing, which got all the girls into a frenzy. With both of us under attack for the rest of the day, including lunch, it made keeping my comfort level in a healthy place impossible.
After school, I ran out before anyone was even done putting their books back in their bags. I kept a steady pace the entire way home so none of my classmates could catch up and swap cell numbers with me anymore. By the time I got in the door, I was panting and hardly able to stand. My father opened the door with his eyebrow arched, but said nothing as I sluggishly oozed in through the door and fell back onto the step up from the shoe room.
"How was school?" He asked, same as always.
"Long." I stated, kicking off my shoes and leaving them where they fell, one sideways and the other halfway across the floor. "Everyone wanted to know about Roka. I got hassled because I didn't take any pictures... I hope you did. I totally forgot in the panic..."
"I did, actually! I set up cameras to film the whole thing, and took three gigabytes of pictures of Roka and your mother. The pictures are being developed as we speak... and I finished Roka's room too! It's completely set up so your mother can rest easy once she gets home."
It was hard to imagine he got any footage in that mess, but I was excited to hear that the room was done and wanted to see the result. I walked down the hallway to the cute blue and white striped door, with big yellow letters that spelt out R-O-K-A.
My father opened the door for me and followed me inside. Toys were everywhere-mostly plushies, stuffed animals and dolls, but there was also a pirate ship crib with tiny pirates and sharks hanging above it, and a big toy chest that looked old and weathered, baby toys for development stacked inside until the lid couldn't even close. The walls were painted in a transitioning of blue to green from top to bottom, and yellow to blue on the wall his crib stood against. The other three walls were decorated with a measuring tree for his height and weight to be recorded each year, a long mirror, and a big learning play set that was screwed into the wall that would last him until grade four, according to the tag that stuck out just above my head.
The floor was hard wood, but a big rainbow throw rug was in the middle, so his little feet wouldn't get cold. A rocking chair sat next to the closet, and and I noticed a big yellow blanket folded over one arm rest. In the closet was a changing table that doubled as as dresser, a tiny elephant hamper, and enough tiny clothes to last a lifetime. Little shoes, jackets, shirts, pants, and cloth diapers of varying sizes were neatly put away, but packed so tight it looked untidy in the oversized space. From what I'd seen in pictures, they'd been just as crazy about me when I was born.
My father looked at me, poorly disguising his interest in my opinion. I smirked and looked around, pretending to disapprove. "Well..."
His face started to fall. "I love it!" I enthused, grinning. He sighed in relief like he would have tore the whole thing down if I'd disapproved... which probably wasn't far from the truth.
I listened to him explain and point out little details like the pirates on the mobile were actually hook and smee, and the trim around the baseboards had little waves carved into them all in white so it was barely noticeable. Watching videos they'd taken, I knew that my father especially had always been this excited about having children. My parents were such family oriented people it was hard to believe that we didn't keep in touch with more of my cousins, aunts, uncles, or even people that were such close friends I'd been told to address them as aunt or uncle from infancy.
I'd asked about it once, when I was small. "Why is our family so small?" I'd asked in my little voice.
My parents paused, stared at me and I'll never forget their solemn expressions, even though they were both equally quick to plaster smiles over their cheeks that almost even reached their eyes. "Why, do you want a bigger family?"
I hadn't realized until I was eight that they'd dodged the question. I had nodded enthusiastically at the time... now I know that my mother actually has a hard time conceiving children, and my father shoots blanks half the time. I only learned this last year. It didn't explain my lack of extended family, but it made sense now why I wasn't in a family of twelve.
I never bugged them after that, though. During my twelfth year it was not for lack of trying, but somehow the subject was always diverted or conveniently unheard or a simple 'that's as good question.' and then they would walk away. My theory is that my parents were in a fight over something with them. My grandparents didn't give up any information either, but my grandmother on my mother's side would ask me to leave the subject alone with a worried glance hidden half beneath her bangs. Mizuiro didn't know any more than I did on the subject, but had me over for supper the day I asked him and asked his parents. They were happy to bring out family photos and point out relatives I've never met, in places I've never been, and work out when I could meet some more of my extremely distant relatives... which I did, at Mizuiro's birthday... they were nice.
I bit my lip, unable to keep my next thought from forming. They were nice, but somehow it didn't feel right. They didn't feel like family. It wasn't... there wasn't... I couldn't put a word to it. A connection? But of course there would be no connection with someone you just met. Some primal, instinctive feeling that they were your blood. Maybe I was expecting too much from it... but I had that feeling with my parents, grandparents, Mizuiro, his parents, and now Roka... it just wasn't the same.
"Amai?"
My head shot up at my father's voice. "Huh?" I'd totally missed what he said.
"Amai are you alright? You seem distant. Are you worried about Roka and your mother?"
I shook my head no. "Just thinking." I picked a teddy bear off the dresser and inspected it. "I'm looking forward to when he goes into kindergarten. He's going to be the cutest one in his class." I told him, which was true, but not what I was thinking about at that moment.
"Well, we should worry about teaching him to walk, talk, and eat without flinging his food everywhere first. You were especially bad for that, all the way until you were three!"
I smiled as he went on and on about my own infancy with just as much enthusiasm. He was a good dad... almost too good, really. When I was a kid, I got away with a lot. It's surprising I didn't turn out to be a huge brat, honestly. Though many parents aren't perfect... I think mine are pretty close.
We continued talking for another hour, then I continued my normal after school routine, be it faster paced. Afterwards I snuck out of the house, bringing a sweater with me in case it got cold again before I came home. I ran the entire way... I wanted it to start as soon as possible.
They were waiting for me. "Kozan! Welcome." The tall muscled man greeted, his thick black mustache swishing slightly with each word.
"Shall we begin?" Urahara asked, smiling under his striped green hat.
The red headed boy stood arrogantly across from the little pigtailed girl, who was half hidden from him behind the tall man. The whole display seemed a little dramatic, and they obviously didn't just happen to be there, but at the same time they looked naturally cool... I wondered if all shinigami were like that.
"Yes." I replied simply, and followed him inside the building.
He lead me through a different way this time, down a dead end hallway. There was one door in the middle of it, but he lead me past it, and no one behind me seemed to find it odd in the least. I watched him kneel down to the floor and pry open the floorboards with a handle I never would have noticed even if I'd been looking for it.
He opened the trap door and climbed in without a word, and after a moment of hesitation, I climbed down the ladder after him. I hadn't expected the place to be anything like it was.
It was a long way down. Extremely long. Ridiculously long. It was like climbing down a ten story building... it made me wonder how this place had been hidden from anyone let alone the whole city. Not only was it huge vertically, but horizontally too-it must have been the length of three football fields side by side. It was all dry yellow sand and gravel from one end to the other, with hills and cliffs and even a hot spring tucked away near one corner. It took me a while to get down, and my arms were already feeling used when I got down. Urahara waited for me to walk over to him patiently, leaning against his cane which I hadn't seen him bring down.
He cleared his throat before speaking. "Welcome to your new training grounds. This is where you will learn to fight, protect yourself, and hopefully where you will learn your sword's name. There will be absolutely no on - field training until you are done here unless I say otherwise or all training will cease. Are we clear?"
I frowned at him disapprovingly. "Why would I train anywhere else? If I need this much space, it would be dangerous to do it anywhere near the public, right?"
He nodded. "Well, kids these days don't like to listen..." I rolled my eyes. "Where do we start?"
He smiled and motioned for me to sit. I did, and he sat in front of me and held out his hands upwards. I took them, and a strange feeling went through me, like if I got in a fight it would be impossible to lose. I looked at his face, questioning, but he merely smirked.
The level went up. And up. And up. For a long time I just felt confused. Then he amped it up once more, and I realized what was happening-he was weighing me down...no, my soul down... with his own spiritual pressure? I focused and tried to push back. And for a long time it wasn't working. But finally, when I thought I'd be crushed, his eyebrows went up and he let go.
"Very good! I felt a real effort there. I think it's time for a break."
My own eyebrows shot up at this declaration. "But we just started!"
He smiled and waved me off. "Don't worry about it. We've been at it for two hours, so let's have a two minute breather. Ururu will be your next helper, and it will be a little harder than this."
I sighed and leaned back, unable to find a good reason not to take a two minute rest. Behind my lashes, I glanced at my somewhat sketchy teacher. He looked relaxed... but his hands were shaking. I didn't know if I should apologize, feel proud, or pretend not to notice. I settled for being afraid. Afraid of my own power, that could push back that insane amount of force. I wasn't even sure how to control it. And after that push... I felt strong. The feeling of invincibility had only dulled by about half.
"Kozan." Came at tiny voice behind me.
I looked up and smiled at the delicate looking child. "Hey there. Ready to start?"
She nodded and handed me a padded helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and chest piece. I watched her put on her own, smaller set, and copied her so I knew they were on properly. She bowed and got into an attack stance.
"Wait, we're fighting? But-"
"Ururu is stronger than she looks, Kozan. Don't worry about her."
"It's not her I'm worried about..." I admitted, knowing full well that even a five year old could kick my ass if they had any type of fighting training.
"I'll hold back as much as I can for you, okay?" She consoled, and it was obvious neither of them thought I would win.
"Just get one hit, and today's training will be over... or we can start the next lesson, your choice." He told me.
"NEXT LESSON." I demanded easily, backing away from Ururu. Even if I could get a hit in, who would hit a kid?
"Are you sure? It will be harder than fighting Ururu. You might even collapse from exhaustion after a few minutes."
I nodded anyways. "Put the chest piece back on, then. I don't want you to explode." He told me vaguely.
I did as I was told and sat down beside him. "So what is it now?"
"It will be like last time... only now I want you to borrow some power. I could give it willingly, but I want you to take it."
I held my hands out for him to take this time. He only gave me one. I focused hard, struggling to do... something... but nothing really happened. After an hour of sitting there, I looked up from his hand and sighed in defeat.
"Nothing's happening." I stated.
"Try to feel what you're grabbing for first. You can't take what you can't even see."
I did as I was told, shutting my eyes. Mentally, I reached out, looking for his soul. I thought I felt a thin strand of energy, and after another hour, I opened my eyes. It was gone in seconds, but I caught a glance of a long yellow ribbon with red trim before it dissipated. I sighed again.
"I almost had it!" I told him, staring at the spot in front of me I'd seen the ribbon. "Souls look weird, though..."
"Weird?" He asked, looking confused.
"Well yeah... I mean, why do we turn into silk strands? It would make more sense if we had spirit animals or something, you know?"
"Silk... strands." He chuckled to himself and got up.
"Part two of the lesson. I'm going to push my energy in and out of you. Don't push, don't pull. Just take what I'm giving, and no more. If I'm right, I might be able to unlock your own power... but only if you do as you're told and do not touch."
I swallowed hard and nodded. This would be the part I might explode in, then? He took his cane and touched the handle end to my forehead. For a minute, nothing happened. I was about to ask what was going on when it hit me.
A thousand lashes against every inch of me, inside and out. I could feel it, like a million grains of salt grinding past my insides, cutting and ripping me apart. I wanted to scream, but nothing came out. I was completely incapacitated by the less than fuzzy feeling. I felt like I might die.
I almost pushed back - almost. I vaguely remembered promising to stay still and forced myself to do so, with extreme difficulty. A second wave went through me, worse than the last, and it felt like someone was rubbing lemon juice into my wounds. I could scream now-and I did, but it didn't sound like me. It was gargled and muffled, but loud enough to hurt my own ears. I couldn't stop myself from pushing when the third wave, ten times worse than all the pain I'd already experienced, coursed through my veins.
The scream grew louder and everything went flying. A whirlwind of sand and spirit energy flew away from me. Urahara still stood there, but his cane was no longer on my forehead. I panted, worn out, but remained sitting upright. Urahara, surprisingly, didn't look mad... only disappointed.
"Well, that didn't go as far as I wanted it to... we'll try again in an hour."
I stared at him, eyes widening. "My parents will wonder where I am if I'm gone too long-"
"Your parents won't be a problem. We've already replaced their memories... they think you're at a friend's house sleeping over. Go take a bath and come back in an hour."
I crawled a few feet and dragged myself up, following after Ururu. She had towels and a new set of clothing for me, as well as a bottle of shampoo. I wondered how bad I must stink for them to send me to the bath and discreetly smelled myself. It wasn't bad, but the training had me sweating enough that a quick shower wouldn't have hurt.
I stripped and climbed in as soon as the little girl was out of sight. The water was extremely relaxing and the pain seemed to melt away there, so I completely submerged and stayed under there as long as I could hold my breath. It was so warm and quiet under the water... I could have fallen asleep were it not for the lack of oxygen. I opened my eyes and looked around.
It was crystal clear. I had to surface for air before getting a better look, but it was not a trick of my eyes. Just below what I thought was a rocky bottom was actually a translucent substance, which hid all sorts of ocean creatures beneath it. I watched an octopus chase an puffer fish, and a school of angel fish float by beneath them, scattering when the octopus disturbed them. I grinned at a clownfish that raced behind the rest of them, deciding I had to learn how to make a pool like this if it was the last thing I do.
I washed my hair and swept back my hair, taking the entire hour to watch the sharks and shrimp beneath the hot spring swim around. By the time I was out and dry, two more people had joined Urahara and we're standing in a broken circle, looking very serious. I walked over, hair drying quickly in the fake... or I assumed fake desert sun.
I came to a halt about five feet away from them. I recognized them as my classmates. "Kozan, welcome back. I've acquired some more students!"
I frowned, trying hard to remember their names. "Orihime... and Yastura?"
They nodded, Orihime looking just as surprised to see me. "Amai! Wow, you'll be helping too, then?"
"Helping...?" I asked, looking from her to Urahara for answers.
"Well, maybe not her. We'll see if I can get her strong enough, first."
My frown deepened. "Help with what?"
"Kuchiki is going to be in trouble soon." Orihime confessed, to the obvious annoyance of Urahara.
"That black haired girl...?" I motioned at about shoulder height.
"Yes! You remembered!" She threw her fists up happily. "We can't do anything about it, so..." She motioned around her. "We can once we're strong."
I wondered if she was just simple or was dumbing it down because because she thought the one year difference between us made anything she said too complex. "What trouble?"
"Well..." Her smile wavered.
"Soul Society, the heaven I told you about, is sending people to come get her. You won't be able to stop them. You may, however, be able to bring her back... that is, if you become strong."
I was relieved when Urahara explained it rather than leave me confused. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's start."
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By morning I still hadn't been 'unlocked' and every inch hurt. I took a nice long bath again and played with a squid on the barrier, letting it chase my hands and then chasing it back. After that I was ready to go to bed for sure, but a black cat caught my attention. I smiled and reached over to pet her, but she walked away before I could. I was going to leave, but the cat came back and rubbed against my legs, then went back in the same direction, almost like...
"Do you want me to follow you?" I asked her, earning a 'merowe' in response and a fuzzy tail turned my way.
I felt kind of silly following her, but whether she wanted me to follow her or not, I can never resist an opportunity to snuggle with an animal. She kept just out of reach, occasionally looking back to see if I was still following her. I padded after her quietly as I could in case someone was still asleep.
I followed Yoruichi down the hallway until she stopped and sat in front of an open door. “You want to save Kuchiki? Don’t make me laugh.Don’t use others as a reason for walking into death’s arms.”
I paused a few feet away, not sure if I should be hearing the conversation but it was about Kuchiki. I stayed, scratching my arm and shifting awkwardly.
“The Soul Society usually has a one month waiting period before an execution. This holds true in Rukia’s case, too.”
“Execution?!” Ichigo echoed my thought.
“It’s different from the way humans are executed, though. I have ten days to bully you. Then seven days to open the gate to Soul Society. And thirteen days after we arrive in Soul Society.We will have lots of time.”
“...Can I become stronger in ten days?" I recognized the voice as Ichigo's.
"Sure, if you truly want to save her." Urahara told him, and I heard the quiet clop of his sandals walking across the floor. "Even our little eavesdropper can become strong enough to survive the trip, if she tries."
I blushed profusely and came out of hiding. "S-sorry... I was following Yoruichi... and... well... execution?"
"Giving another being your powers as a shinigami... staying in the mortal world longer than scheduled... it's all taken very seriously. Even if it's for innocent reasons. They're very strict." I figured there was a story behind that, but I kept my curiosity to myself.
"We have ten days, so what are we waiting for?" I asked, feeling energized again. "Change the memories of the people at school and let's spend the day training!"
"School?" Ichigo looked around. "What day is it?"
"Friday." Urahara told him, but didn't seem concerned. "It's already been taken care of, so get some rest. I'll come get you in a few hours."
I nodded and picked up my new furry friend before heading to the guest bedroom. They continued their conversation as I walked away, but but I was too tired to listen closely. Besides, my head was full enough of thoughts of Kuchiki, an unknown enemy, and general curiosity about how heaven would be like. It excited me, thinking of the hot spring, and how heaven must be even more wonderous.
I laid down on my futon, clutching Yoruichi to my chest, and threw the blanket over us. She started purring as I pet her, and the sound lulled me to sleep. My rest would be short lived.