𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄 | 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 [MINOR EDITING]

⁴¹ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴍɪssɪᴏɴ

ᴀ sʜᴏʀᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴀʀᴄ ɪs ɪɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇᴅ.

ONE WEEK LATER

Since my arrival in the World of the Living, the first since my last time here while alive, it has been just over a month and a week. I'd completed my two-month mission in a quarter of the time, which is ridiculous, but it was done. It's something I'm thankful for. And lately, I've been thankful for many things. For my sister, for our circumstance of being allowed to live in relative peace and good fortune in the Soul Society. For inheriting my mother's Zanpakuto. For meeting Shinji. For finding Sosuke. Not being sent to jail for a mass genocide (although that didn't exactly earn me any good karma). For getting closure with my father. Meeting my long lost twin. For not dying during that Hollow ambush. Hell, I'm even slightly okay with meeting Kūgo in the way I did (could've done without the crashing through a near-hundred feet of tree, though).

I'm thankful that I got to live. And now, I get to go back to the Soul Society. I get to go back home.

"Are you sure, Abaron?" my father asks me. I didn't expect him to seriously ask me that, so I'm unprepared to answer. So he elaborates further. "For almost one thousand years, Kayanara played a perfect Soul Reaper, one of the guardians of that realm. After a millennia, she wished to escape it, and the only way was through death. Are you sure you want to perpetuate such a cycle?"

"Not at all," I say. "Of course I don't wish to go back. I'm living in my mother's shoes and footsteps. I'd really rather just be reborn into the cycle of rebirth. I could've easily let myself die in that attack, and be done with it. But I'm someone with obligations now; responsibilities. I'm not the child of a Lord who doesn't have to deal with guilt or consequences of her decisions.  I have Shõri to take care of. I have to apologize to Kei, for everything horrible I've said to him since we've reunited. I have to kiss my best friend. And, I have to accept Captain Ukitake's offer of becoming his Lieutenant.

"So not at all. I don't want to go back." I smile. "Not really."

My father's lips curl upwards into a smile of his own. But his eyes don't match his expression.

"I understand. Your family is waiting for you," he tells me. "You shouldn't keep them waiting for much longer."

"You're right about that," I say. I extend my hand to him, trying desperately to keep my hand from shaking.

I do want to go home. But I'm leaving several good things behind in the World of the Living, too. A father and a brother I've never known. Maybe one day I'll be able to return and see them. I could take some time off once I've settled in as a Lieutenant, or something. I'm sure they allow that kind of thing.

My Senkaimon privileges had been reinstated after Central Fourty-Six had received my mission report. I'd filed it three days ago, and with the proof in the paperwork, they deemed me able to return by my own means. So, I unsheath Nõten Bõkyaku, and stick the air in front of me.

"Unlock!" I say, and turn the sword as if it were a key in a lock. The air ripples before me, and the sound of wood against wood sounds. A moment later, the familiar Senkai gate appears before me, the doors sliding apart, out of them flying a Hell Butterfly.

"Well... it look's like my ride is here," I say, laughing lightly. "Thank you for everything, father."

He nods. "Say hello to your siblings for me."

"I will. Say goodbye to Shuren for me."

"I will." He lets go of my hand. "Take care, my daughter."

"Goodbye, father."