Reunion

The day was dark and meek. When the sun should've been up and about, spreading it's joy and happiness, it was hidden by dark ugly clouds. Thanks to these clouds, the entire world seemed to be gray and humid. Not only that, but it was obvious that the clouds were about to start to cry their rain on the people of Karakura Town. It would start any second now and make the world look even darker than it already did. It was a sad thing really, seeing the World cry, as if it were sad about something.

Along with that, there was a cold and sharp breeze that made the day even more uncomfortable. It was gentle, but there enough to cause goosebumps on the flesh and make anyone get a cold chill. All of these factors equaled into a pretty shitty day and it was obvious that everyone thought the same. The only citizens that were outside were the ones going to and from work, even then they were in a hurry to escape the weather.

It always seemed to get gloomy though, when Kuri was sad. Perhaps the universe was sad for her when she woke from those particular nightmares. Dreams of her brothers death... She would never really get over that night. There was a kind of hole in her chest where her brothers life was and now it was just gone, leaving her there alone. Alone in a world that looked like this? A gloomy, cold and dark place that held no warmth any more? Not a place she wanted to be without him.

The girls half closed, sad eyes stared across the city from on top of the highest building. Like Batman watching his gloomy, miserable excuse for a city called Gotham. She didn't want to be Batman... She wanted a brighter universe, like Spidermans or something. Not a city with Hollows terrorizing it twenty-four-seven. Speaking of Hollows. Her head turned to look to her right, sensing a Hollow's pressure somewhere towards the schools courtyard. Time to get her game face on.

Her gloved hand reached up to pull the leather mask over her nose and mouth, before disappearing from sight. Shunpo was such a blessing for her. She ran ontop of buildings and jumping from roof to roof in a blink of an eye. When she arrived at the school, she looked down and saw the Super 8 looking Hollow roaming the courtyard aimlessly. Her hand drew her reverse blade and happily flipped it so the sharp end was away from her. As she jumped from the roof, her sword was raised above her head ready to slice the beasts head straight off.

Kenshi walked down the street, today had been a rather boring day. The sky was cloudy and there was nothing to do so he simply sat on a street bench absent-mindedly, strumming on his guitar. Looking up at the sky he was glad he decided to wear a baseball cap and hoodie today, as it looked like he was going to get wet. Standing he swung the old beaten up guitar on it’s strap so it lay across his back and thrust his hands in his jean pockets. Strolling down the street kicking an empty can he whistled some tune that he couldn’t quite put his finger on yet he knew he had heard it somewhere. As he walked aimlessly down the street, he fretted over the identity of the mysterious tune wishing he had the same audio memory as visual.

With an exasperated sigh he paused for a moment wondering what his sister was doing at this moment. He imagined her in the seireitei a vice-captain or captain in the gotei living her dream as a shinigami. A small pang of nostalgia hit him as he thought of the home he could never return and the life that was gone forever, yet there was no use fretting over it. With an exasperated sigh he shook off his frustration, and went back to whistling his tune his feet hitting the sidewalk in rhythm to the music as he made his way towards the Karakura University a spot he frequented now and then to try and pick up some of local girls who all always fell head over heels for a guy with a guitar.

Suddenly a strange presence caught his attention, a hollow! And it was at the school, hoping out of his gigai he dashed forward. In spirit form his clothes remained the same his face hidden beneath his cap and hood he dashed using shunpo towards the school. Arriving at the back gate and spotting a large and imposing many-armed monster in the courtyard he jumped forward hastily reciting an incantation. “Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! … Kuri!?” Stopping midway through his chant with a surprised exclamation time seemed to slow down as he saw the purple haired shinigami dropping from the rooftops, yet he was quickly reminded of the situation as a large fist slammed into him sending him hurtling back and knocking off his hat and hood. Slamming into the street he quickly hopped to his feet slightly flabbergasted and unable to speak, it had been nine years since he last saw his sister and for the life him not a word came to mind. Ignoring the threat or death of the hollow he just sorta stood there awkwardly, tongue-tied. After all, she probably thought he was dead.

Kuri was temporarily stunned by the sudden appearance of another Shinigami as well as the also sudden proclamation of her name. However, when the man was batted away she quickly regained focus and continued with her strike. The woman's sword sliced easily through the beast's neck, allowing it to slowly disintegrate with a loud roar. She landed on the ground on a knee, the backwards curve of her sword placed against the ground. Slowly, she stood and turned her blade back to it's normal state, before sheathing the blade happily at her side. Her half-closed, bored-looking, violet eyes turned to look at the covered Shinigami, curiosity burning in her chest. Who was it, she couldn't see his face from the way he was holding his head. Even his reiatsu was hidden, masked like he had no intention of showing himself off to the public eye.

Even though the girl sheathed her sword, her hand remained latched to the handle. She was untrusting of the male, since she had no idea who he was or why he was in the Human World. She turned her body to face him, lazily, before addressing him directly. She was a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen and she was unaware that anyone else was told to guard this area. She had her suspicions. "Soul Reaper... Tell me your name and why you are in Karakura Town. I was unaware that anyone else was assigned to this area, odd." Her eyes seemed to narrow further, only making her point that she disapproved the arrival of said Shinigami. Then something else came back to her memory.

"On a further note, no one calls me by that name unless you are a peer of mine or a close friend. You are neither, so you call me Captain Mu-a. Understand?" She practically hissed, before she took a step forward. Her eyes trying to study his face, though making no motion to make it obvious. She simply wished to know who he was and why he was there, she knew full well that no other Shinigami was stationed here at least for another three weeks. Perhaps he simply ran away to get some down time from the Gotei Thirteen, which would have a hefty penalty. Hopefully for him, he had a damn good excuse.

Kenshi stood staring at his long lost sister, upon hearing her voice he felt a knot choke up in his throat. She had done it, become the captain he had always knew she could be, though she was still was the same hard ass sister. Part of him felt nostalgic for the berating voice of his younger sister who had always been more mature and put together, driven and focused by comparison to his own lackadaisical ways. Still a silence that seemed to last a lifetime surrounded the moment, he had managed to recover his hat and hood before she saw him and deep down he wondered if perhaps it was best not to let her know, she had obviously moved on without him and the news that he was alive could turn her world upside down. Especially with that fact that she would be duty bound to kill him for having acquired hollow powers, though soul society seemed more lenient on that rule as of late. He was about to run away when it came out like a continuous splurge of word vomit that spewed from his mouth and it seemed he was committed to the selfish path.

“Wow, uh you think about a moment so many times and you think you know what your going to say and nothing seems to come out. Time passes and you wonder should I still speak, but it’s already too late and things are awkward… not that a fucked up situation like this wouldn’t be awkward. But how do you say it, just come out and go here it is… or is it subtler and you should introduce the topic. Though if anyone would know that I’m just balls awful at subtle it would be you Kuri, and no… I’m not gunna call you Captain Mu-a possibly because I haven’t been a member of the gotei 13 in over nine years, or perhaps more so due to the pink three headed elephant in the room, that I seem to be the only one who notices perhaps due to the hat, hood, and such. Yet I can’t really find the words… uhm I suppose I should start with something along the lines of I’m sorry but we both that’s not my style, and well it’s a little insufficient despite everything that happened so I guess… the best way is to just go with… Hi sis, I’ve missed the shit outta ya.”

Kenshi finished his statement staring sheepishly at his sister wondering if she was gunna punch him or hug him as he removed his hood and cap. At the same time he wondered which he deserved, and regretted bringing his guitar with him since his landing in the street had broken the neck and the replacement was gunna cost him.

Kuri stopped and simply stared at the male while he spoke, a confused, exasperated look slowly found it's way onto her facial features. As he continued on through his mini-speach, her look became more and more pronounced until she simply shook her head and sighed heavily. However, he suddenly did something that she wasn't expecting... not in a million more years of life time. He called her sis... Was he serious? What was the nerve of this asshole? Ken had been dead for a long time now, what kind of asshole would bring that up? However, he removed his head gear and her eyes widened.

After the brief moment of shock, her eyes went from wide eyed to narrow angry eyes. She strode closer to the man, her hands forming fists, "Who the living fuck do you think you are!" Suddenly her hand pulls back and extends as she slugs in him the jaw, then proceeds to sock his stomach and shoulder, in that order. Her face would be angry beyond belief and probably even a little red, while her fists were still clenched tightly... She was obviously pissed.

Even more suddenly, however, her mood flipped to tails and tears came to her eyes. Her fists unclenched and she practically pounced the boy into suffucating hug. "Where the hell have you been? Why the hell did you leave me? What the hell happened to you? I have missed you so much, I thought you died! They said you died!" By this time she was in hysterics and crying freely, clinging to him like he would disappear the moment she let go of him.

Kenshi wasn’t one to cry in fact even at this moment the tears he held back in his eyes were the result of a sudden onset of seasonal allergies. Well at least that’s the story he was going with and like hell was anyone gunna say otherwise. Suddenly his sister had punched him several times almost knocking him to the ground before embracing him in a hug that felt like it was gunna squeeze all the life out of him. Desperately he choked back his feelings trying to maintain his composure, how could he explain it to her. Explain everything that had happened, all the years he had been gone and everything that had happened. Finally still embracing her the words finally reached his lips between heavy breathes filled with choked back tears they poured out like a cathartic release, “I’m so sorry… im soo, soo, soo sorry. I never wanted this, not any of this. I had to leave, I had to disappear and leave no trace, Toshi died so I could do it. I can’t explain to you in words how much it hurt… I lost everything that day, my friends, my family, myself. I can’t… I can’t even tell you what it was like those years wandering lost… afraid they’d find me, that Toshi would have died for nothing. We… We never meant to Kuri, we thought we were gunna save lives, and now there’s so much blood on my hands I can’t ever wash it off. But not you Kuri, you were what made it the worst, leaving you… knowing you’d think I died and yet the other option, to stay to let you find out…. It was soo much worse.”

Pausing for a moment lost in years of repressed pain and anguish he broke down the tears pouring from his eyes. He had spent so many years hoping for and dreading this day and here it was and it was like his whole world was spinning. Yet all those feeling, everything sudden stopped as he felt it the dark whisper of the monster within him. Rathe was awake and in this moment of emotional turmoil Kenshi suddenly felt the surge of hate filled apathy which was all that the hollow within him could produce. Sorrow and joy were replaced with fear and anger as he clutched his hands against his sisters back… not here, not now. He couldn’t bare for her to see what he had become. Not Kuri anyone but Kuri… one eye hollowfied hidden from his sisters view as he buried his head into her shoulder. He knew what he had to do, the only option available to him. Fighting back the hollow within while suppressing his energy completely so Kuri couldn’t feel the hollow energy he coughed a slight bit of blood on her shirt before whispering, “Im… im sorry… so so sorry; Bakudo nine, geki.” a red glow surrounded her temporarily paralyzing his sister as he pushed away running as fast he could into shunpo, though the spell would last but for few seconds it would give him the chance to disappear and regain his composure so Rathe couldn’t take over.

Shunpoing to a nearby rooftop he sat leaning against the back of an air conditioning unit while breathing heavily. Swallowing back his tears he released just a bit of his mask and tore it off, finally regaining his composure he was about to stand when Rathe made a second attempt and he had to flare his energy to hold him back. Yet the second he did it he knew Kuri would find him now, turning he started to run towards the next building as fast as he could.

Kuri practically clung to her brother, fingers digging into his clothes and gripping until her knuckles turned white. Her face nuzzled into the boy's neck as her tears trickled down her from her eyes. Her long violet hair created a curtain over her face and his shoulders, even Kenshi's face was covered by it when he buried his face into her neck. She hardly ever seen or heard her brother cry before and when he cried just now, she knew that he was genuinely sorry for disappearing on her. She could completely forgive him for what he did to her, especially since she knew he was alive and that was all that really mattered to her. Her brother was alive despite what the Gotei Thirteen told her.

"I believe you, Kenshi, I believe you. It doesn't matter that you left me, I don't care... It was all in the past and I am beyond happy that you are alive... Don't you dare ever do that to me again, do you hear me? Next time you do that and I find out you're alive I'll remove your legs so you can't run away." She gave a half sob, half laugh at her comment. She knew that he knew that she was just joking.

However, despite her extreme happiness to see him and his to see her, she felt something change within him. His muscles got tense as he held her, almost crusing her within his arms. Something that Kenshi always did have over her was sheer strength and she was fragile in his arms. His fingers clenched her back much rougher than he had been, signifying that something was wrong. However, her crucial mistake was not asking what his problem was. Though what she failed to ask became even more of a mystery when he pulled something that she never expected. He used bakudo on her.

Kuri's eyes widened in surprise when she felt her body become stiff, her brother pulling away and disappearing in shunpo. "KEEEENSHI!" she screamed after him, utterly scared of losing her brother once again. She couldn't lose him, she wouldnt lose him. Her eyes closed as she let her reaitsu flare, using all of her power to destroy the enchantment on her body. However, by this time he was gone and she couldn't feel his reaitsu anywhere. But just when she was about to give up hope and break down, his reaitsu flared and she was immediately on the move towards him. But something was odd about his reiatsu, different than it was when he disappeared the first time... But she couldn't put her finger on it. She'd just have to catch him and figure it out herself.

Kenshi hit the next roof skidding to a stop as a soft cloud of dust poofed into the air, what the heck was he doing. This was the moment he had been waiting for, for all these years and now he was chickening out, Rathe must have done a number on him for him to be this friggen dumb about this. Kano’s teachings echoed through his head and he recalled he was the one in charge not Rathe. It was strange having an empathic hollow within him, one that enjoyed the end of all things, but he had a life and like hell was he let this moment pass him by. Still he didn’t want Kuri worrying about him either that moment had overwhelmed him for a bit but, despite what anyone may guess he was still the older brother. Plopping down on a nearby air conditioner he pulled a hard candy out of his pocket and plopped in his mouth enjoying the butterscotch flavor and waiting for his sister who wouldn’t have missed that flare of reiatsu.

When she arrived he reached up with one finger pulling down one of his eyelids and sticking out his tongue at her with a smile. “GOTCH’ya, sorry you know how it is Kuri it was getting a bit too serious for moment there and yes this our big reunion but in my defense you threatened to rip off my legs.” Chuckling with a smile he hoped his sister bought it, he was never one for big crying hugging moments, but stupid pranks that had his name written all over it, after all he had once filled an entire matress with fish and hid it in a sleepy’s warehouse.

Kuri had to stop several times and let her sense stretch out to feel for her brothers Reiatsu. She kept losing where he went, but eventually she located him on an air conditioner on a rooftop. She fists balled up and her eyes narrowed dangerously as she was about to deck him in the face. However, something stopped her from actually punching him. Was it the overwhelming feeling of seeing her dead brother again? Or was it something else entirely? Either way, she simply crossed her arms and placed all of her weight onto her back leg. Her right eyebrow raised as she glared at the man.

"I swear to god if you do that again, I will smite you... You understand that? You can't just let me think I've gotten my brother back and then try to disappear. You don't know what that would've done to me, you fucking jackass." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, expecting him to be gone when they opened. When she did opened her eyes, the man was still there and staring at her. A small smile was forced to not appear on her lips.