The Family's Call To Arms

"Ichigo?"

The teen looks up from his book.

"Daddy?"

The blind man smiles. "Do you have a moment?"

"Of course." He scoots over on his bed, and Tadao takes a seat on the lush, leopard print sheets. He reaches out to draw the teen close, hugging him to his side like he did when Ichigo was young.

Ichigo, of course, doesn't protest the treatment. He just cuddles closer, a teddy bear under all those lies and bluster.

"The big thing's happening soon, right?" He asks. "The war?"

"Yes. Everything begins tomorrow."

Ichigo sighs.

"Any advice?"

"Don't go with the Royal Guard, no matter what they promise you." He feels the teen shift in his grip uncertainly. "It's time for us to be revealed."

Ichigo's brow furrows in confusion. "Royal Guard? Why would they get involved?"

"... It's that big."

Ichigo sighs heavily.

"Well, shit."

15

The Royal Guard's intimidating, but not enough. Ichigo doesn't flinch at their reactions when he refuses their offer to go to the realm of the Soul King- in fact, he nearly laughs at Shinji's look of surprise, reminded exactly why he'd told no one of what Tadao had told him.

"And why not?" Demands the leader- Ichigo can't remember his name.

He tilts his chin, smirking.

"My daddy warned me not to talk to strangers," he declares.

"Isshin?!" The weaver woman demands, and Ichigo snorts.

"As if he'd tell me anything useful," he says scathingly. "No, I don't mean Goat Face. I mean Daddy."

"Ichi, you're confusin' 'em," a voice sing-songs from somewhere behind the captains, and Shinji's eyes widen comically as his son lands gracefully beside his brother.

"I'm not even speaking in riddles, and you say that I'm confusing them? It doesn't say much for the Royal Guard then, does it?"

"Ichigo..." Shinji starts warningly, and a hand comes to rest on his shoulder. He looks back.

"Don't worry, Shinji-san," Minoru tells him cheerfully. "Tadao's got it all figured out."

"Tadao?" The purple-haired woman- Hikifune- looks excited. "He's come home at last."

"Indeed I have, Hikifune-chan." Tadao lands neatly on Ichigo's other side. "I thought, with current events, it was time."

The leader cocks an eyebrow.

"He's your ward?" He asks.

Tadao smiles and nods.

"Naturally," he says. "And, his friends are to be cared for by Ryuu-san... I don't think it's necessary for them to visit your springs, Tenjiro-san."

The lanky man smiles wryly.

"Well, you know best, Tadao-kun," he says wryly. "Why would I argue? Shutara, give back Kurosaki's friends."

The beautiful woman obeys, and the leader sighs.

"I sure hope you're right about this, Tadao-kun," the man says warily.

"Of course I am, Osha-san," he says warmly. "Thank you for your understanding."

The burly man scrutinizes the younger Unohana a moment more, than smiles, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

"It's another game, I see," he says, chuckling. "Very well. Have fun."

He turns back to the others, and by some silent command, they all flit away, out of sight.

Shunsui's the first to speak.

"So, Ichigo, tired of hiding?" He asks pleasantly, and Ichigo smiles.

"Perhaps," he admits. "But Tadao says this is the next big one, and you'll need all the help you can get." He gestures at nothing. "My family's probably going to be the best for it."

"Of course we are," chimes in an irritated voice from Komamura's left. "Shinigami are generally useless."

"Now, Joy, don't be mean," Lilit says reproachfully, landing beside her sister. "They just haven't had the same sort of training as we have."

"We'll have to fix that quick," Ayame says as she and Hisoka land by Shunsui.

"For Yama-chan, if anything," Tsumi says solemnly as Ryuu begins to look over Ichigo's friends.

"And to rid the world of scum like Juha Bach," Tsukiko agrees, fury barely veiled in her birdsong voice.

"The pack's been dying for some fresh meat," Katsu remarks. "But I think Quincy's just a bit too low grade for them."

"If they eat quickly, it might work." Yuzu smiles as one of the hyenas licks at her fingers. "And it's the hunt they want most, after so long eating pre-killed meals."

"I suppose, yeah," the Shiba agrees. "But I have been-"

"Who the hell are these people?" Soi Fon demands. "Why are they here?"

"Chill out, Soi Fon-san," Suzu says, rolling her eyes at the slightly hysterical question. "We're just family. God, why did my sister pick such a hysterical mess as a disciple, I've no idea."

"She's good at her job, of course," Ichigo says. "Now leave her alone. She's just lost someone very important and had the fact that her spies are shit sprung on her at the same time. She needs some space." He smiles kindly at Soi Fon.

"I'll explain as soon as we can have a seat somewhere," he promises. "I have a lot to fill you guys in on, and Ojii-chan and Unohana-san have to get to work."

"Well then, let's head back to the first," Shunsui says, clapping his hands together. "We have much to talk about."

Minoru looks at Ichigo, who nods sharply, and in a moment everyone of his 'family' is moving. Suzu disappears into the shadows, Hisoka goes to help Ryuu and Tsumi with the wounded, Joy and Lilit flit away to go do God knows what with Katsu, and Ichigo is left to be surrounded by Yuzu and her betrothed, his mother and father, his brother, and his aunt.

They let him lead when he strolls up to Shunsui.

"Shall we?" He asks, and the brunette chuckles.

"I have a feeling you're about to confuse a lot of people, Ichigo-kun," he says. "But it might do everyone some good."

15

"Well, if that's all, then I think we're done-"

The door of the meeting room bangs open and a blue flash charges straight at Ichigo.

"Kurosaki, you shit stain-!"

Ichigo gracefully dodges and catches his attacker by the wrist to stop him from careening into Tadao, who's smirking.

"Grimmjow, you brute, don't you have any manners at all?"

The arrancar smiles viciously at the orangette.

"I think Ulquiorra might have mentioned them a couple of times," he admits. "Never really liked him." He straightens, then pulls the teen into a tight hug. "How ya doin', carrot-top?"

Ichigo laughs. "Pretty good- but I forgot to explain you."

"What's there to explain? You came back and found me to keep your promise after you got your powers back. I found out you aren't a total dick. End of story."

"Kurosaki-kun...?"

Ichigo looks back to the door to see Urahara standing with an adult Nel, Chado, and Inoue, the latter two looking rather uncertain.

"I explained as best I could," Urahara says apologetically. "I knew your hands would be tied."

"Of course. Thanks."

"Itsygo's been quite busy," Nel says cheerfully, moving in a way that makes all male eyes follow her as she strolls over to her favorite person. "Nel hopes he knows what he's doing."

Ichigo smiles.

"I usually do," he promises. "And if I don't, someone else most certainly does."

Ichigo looks back to Shunsui.

"I suggest you give orders for everyone to get a good night's rest," he says. "Because tomorrow we're going to be starting something huge."

"And what's that?" Kensei inquires, for once looking less annoyed and more... Uncertain.

"Tomorrow we start training, of course." Ichigo gestures at the assembly. "You guys are good, but we need to get you up to a new standard- not to mention everyone from seventh seat up. It's gonna take a lot of work to do if we're gonna crush the important Quincy bastards- oh, and I'll be bringing in an expert or two, so, you're been warned."

He leans back against his mother and opens his arms in a gesture of helplessness lessened by his gleeful smirk.

"We're going to war."