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"I am a shinigami. I have been dead for over a century. I was sent to the afterlife from another world, one similar but different to this one. For most of my afterlife, I served the Gotei Thirteen, the thirteen divisions of shinigami. I am shinigami, and we are the guardians of lost souls, those who guide the dead to the afterlife, purify the monsters we call hollows, and protect the balance between worlds."

It sounded more dramatic than she had meant, but there was nothing to it.

Tatsuki gave a whistle.

"Well, that's a hell of a coming out confession," she said with a grin. "Don't worry- I'm sure everyone here will love and accept you for who you are anyway. Just don't flaunt your spirituality in our faces too much."

Not quite sure what Tatsuki meant, Erza decided to ignore her.

"I believed in doing good. In helping others. But I came to realize that my beliefs were not the same as that of the people I worked for. I came to realize that the people I worked for had no interest outside the status quo, not a care in the world for the suffering of common souls. So eventually, I was forced to run away. That is a very short version of the story, but that's all you get."

"You would say that," Rukia said angrily. "The Gotei thirteen protects the balance of souls between the worlds, and without that working, all three worlds would collapse. Our work is more important than anything else in all the worlds, and you turned your back on it because what, it didn't suit you? Because you had a moral high ground? You're a terrorist, no matter the excuse."

"Terrorists are usually idealists," Erza said, her voice unusually quiet. "So yes, I think 'moral high ground' was the issue. How exactly I left, or why… that's dangerous knowledge."

"Convenient," Rukia snorted. "You have a good reason; you just won't say what it is."

"Enough," Ichigo said. With a long, loud groan he forced himself up into a sitting position. "Now, she may just have whipped my ass so hard I'm not even sure I have one anymore, but she was there for me since I was a baby. If you're going to tell us she's secretly evil, that's going to be a no-sell for everyone here."

Rukia balled her fists, took a breath, and said,

"…I understand."

"One thing," Erza said, looking Rukia in the eye. "Renji. Momo. Shuhei. Nozomi, Rangiku, Isane… how are they all doing?"

Her voice was firm, but there was a noticeable undertone to it, loaded with emotion, far less stable than the cold, controlled tone she had kept today.

"…they're fine." Rukia muttered. "Making careers. Advancing. They moved on with their lives and they did well- no thanks to you. The only one who refuses to see what you are is vice-captain Hinamori."

"…I see." Erza said, and nodded. "Thank you. I'm glad."

"You left a lot of people behind, didn't you?" Orihime said quietly. "Were they important?"

"Yes." Erza said simply. "Yes, they were."

Without another word, Orihime walked up to her, and pulled her into a hug.

"Stupid Erza," she murmured, "keeping that to yourself for that long? You shouldn't."

"I know," Erza murmured, awkwardly patting Orihime on the head. "But it was my baggage, not yours. It's… complicated."

"I'm honestly not sure if I should join in on the hug, or if I'd ruin a moment between the two of you," Tatsuki muttered. "But yeah. That sucks. And we don't think you're a terrorist, so there's that."

"I'd join, but I can barely move," Ichigo murmured.

Erza smiled, feeling a bittersweet joy rising in her heart.

"When I was alive, I learned a few things," she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "That family's more than just blood. It's people like you," she said, putting her arms around Orihime. "I'm sad about what I lost, but I'm glad for what I have."

"Stupid onion-cutting ninjas," Ichigo murmured, not having been the only one to have been moved.

"You're not getting out of training, though," Erza added. "We'll keep doing this until you get the hang of it."

"Well, son of a…" Ichigo grunted, and Erza let out a laugh.

And despite herself, Rukia could not believe any of this was fake. Traitor she was, but she had made real bonds here- that, or she was an outstanding actor.

The pillar of light was astonishingly large, a symbol of how far she had come. Momo's mind was one of total focus, the kind only determination could bring, as she built it higher and higher. It was risky, even with the barrier of invisibility her sensei had put up; it was large enough that no amount of caution could completely mask its presence.

Risk, though, had been part of the arrangement from day one. This, here in the Rukon, was where she spent her free time now, always under the excuse of visiting her home village. Her sensei was an ornery and difficult man, the polar opposite of charismatic, but his skill was undeniable. In the years that had passed, she had learned much- more than she had ever thought possible. She had learned that the formal school of kido, the one she had been taught, was just one option, one of many ways you could work and master magic- skilled and artful in its own right, yet so narrow and limited in its scope. Unlearning it had been the hardest part, in many respects- although the demanding training and the strain it put on her body was a close second. She had many times considered giving up; for nearly a year she had thought there was no progress.

Then she had created her first spell, a pathetic attempt compared to where she was now, but so amazingly innovative compared to anything she had ever done.

She really had come far. As it was now, she was sitting cross-legged, levitating mid-air with her eyes closed as the tower grew. It was a complex exercise, building a tower simply out of magical energy, snaking upwards like vines growing out of the ground. Complex circles were aglow on the ground, the anchors of the power she called upon- imperfect, she knew, but well made. Glowing tendrils of energy were rising from them, looking almost like a mist of yellow light, forming the alien-looking spire before her, a complex mass of vines, pillars and walls.

To master magic, there were no shortcuts. On that point alone, her sensei was in agreement with her instructors back at the academy. It had seemed silly at first, just stapling energy on top of energy, but this new form of kido had turned out difficult to control. Her first attempt had been no taller than three feet before it had collapsed, and her sensei had chided her for her arrogance, believing herself capable of that much control. Now it stood tall, over thirty meters, and Momo had had to learn levitation to keep track of its growth properly. It was like a direct representation of her progress- she had slowly begun to make her own spells, to learn some of her sensei's work, and the better she learned to control it, the better she could raise the magicks.

She could not be sure, but she suspected it was not unlike the quincy method. Her magic, unlike typical kido- which was created from the user's own reiatsu- drew energy from everything around her, utilizing it perfectly, with more power than anything she had been able to create before. But power had no shortcuts, and this method, while dangerously powerful, demanded an equal amount of control. It was dangerous, not just in the sense that it could explode in your face, or backfire and send you into a feedback of energy that drained your life until you died, but dangerous because power made you feel powerful, and when you felt powerful, you felt self-assured. When you felt self-assured was when you made mistakes, her sensei had insisted, and he had turned out right. Humility before your own power was vital, because without it you might well die.

Finally having reached her limit at thirty-six meters, Momo paused, huffed, and looked at her work with some pride. The tower was, of course, not really physical matter and would shatter easily if attacked, but she could maintain its ethereal state without too much trouble.

"Enough, you," Her sensei said down from the ground. "Let it go, and come down."

"Yes, sir!" Momo said, letting the energy structure dissipate. She felt she could perhaps have gone a little further, but the old man didn't take well to being contradicted, she had learned that early on. What he said was law, and if that did not suit her, she was welcome to hit the road. So, smoothly Momo descended to the ground, letting the magical construct dissipate and crumble, stood up, and gave her sensei a bow. Master Jekkun, she called him, although the locals seemed to know him only as Jek the loner- which was how he preferred it.

"That was the biggest 'un yet." Jekkun said matter-of-factly. "Not so shit as it used t'be, I suppose."

"Thank you, master," Momo beamed. Praise came hard with the misanthropic old man, but Momo had learned to read between the line.

"Don't think you're ever done, pup," the old man said sternly, pointing at her accusingly. "Nobody studying magic ever is. You could put a thousand people like me to work for a thousand years, and still have just an iota learned outta all there is to find out."

"Yes, sensei," Momo said, and nodded. "But… I've come pretty far, I think."

"Walkin' instead of crawlin'." Her sensei said dismissively. "You ain't runnin' yet."

"Could I learn… you know, that spell? The one you told me about the other week?" Momo said hopefully. As much as she had learned from him, he still kept much from her, including some ancient, truly powerful and complex spells of destruction.

"Shoulda kept my mouth shut," master Jekkun grumbled. "That one's a five-step full incantation, an' you're looking at city-wide destruction if it goes right. Worse, if you get it wrong. You ain't ready for that till I say you is, so keep your mouth shut and don't ask."

"Yes, sensei," Momo said. She was a little disappointed, but she could never feel too sad with this much power coursing through her body; it made her feel strong, in awe of the world, like she was standing on a cloud, above everybody else. All for Erza, all so that she could one day see the woman she loved most again, to be useful to her…

It was a long road to walk. But one day, one day she would be there, ready to join Erza again.

The training eventually concluded, Erza having pushed Ichigo as hard as she dared- he was still new to this, and she had to be soft on him until she was sure of was he could handle. Well, comparatively soft. The next day, training continued, Ichigo feeling the ache from yesterday. Yet, Erza would not give him time to recover, because strength never came easy. After a quick breakfast, it was five hours' worth of basic kendo, strength exercises, and basic reiatsu control. He blazed with power, but just like herself once, he had no control over it.

Life was funny that way. Once the learner, she was now once more the teacher- she would be his master, and he would be her apprentice- and that was a tremendous responsibility, because he would live or die based on what she could teach him. She never showed it, not for one second, but it hurt to push him so hard, to force him to go through pain and hardship. He was still the little five-year-old boy who wanted a bedtime story, in her mind, the little boy who depended on her almost as much as he depended on his parents. But unlike Masaki, she could look past that, because if she didn't, it would be he who paid for it, not her.

Eventually, they broke for lunch. Ichigo was trembling with effort, sweat trickling down his face and chest, and gratefully collapsed to the ground at her command. Erza had bought simple lunch boxes- no time would be wasted on cooking- and they ate together, in silence.

"So, uh," Ichigo said after a while, slowly chewing down a rice ball, "how long is this training gonna be…?"

"As long as necessary." Erza said evenly, knowing that answer would be far from satisfying.

"I can't be away from school for too long, you know," he murmured tiredly. "Shinigami business and all, I still have to get an education… right?"

He sounded afraid, Erza realized. But of what?

"Because, you know, I…" He said lamely. "…forget it."

Erza sighed. "Yes, Ichigo, you will get back to school eventually. Your life as a human isn't over just because of this."

"Oh. Good." Ichigo said, nodding, and Erza heard a hint of relief in his voice.

"Let me tell you something," Erza said, deciding to let this break go on for a little while, "back in the soul society, the thirteen court guard divisions train their recruits in an academy. It's not that different from a normal school, actually, aside from the magic and spiritual techniques."

Ichigo let out a small smirk. "Sort of like magical afterlife Hogwarts?"

Erza couldn't help but grin. A sense of humor was a good sign.

"Not that cool. We didn't have hippogriffs or magic potions, just hard work and all the techniques you need. We did have a Dumbledore-looking person, though, only much harsher." Erza said, staring off into the distance. "Anyway, point being: in the afterlife, very, very few people have the spiritual potential to become shinigami. Most souls just exist, and they don't need more than a bit of water to sustain themselves. And among the few who have that potential, only the best of the best have a chance to become truly strong. It's fair to say the vast majority of recruits will never become high ranked because they lack the power."

"Huh." Ichigo said. "Doesn't sound fair."

"Life's not fair." Erza said, her voice being the equivalent of a shrug. "The afterlife is no different. Point being, I used to teach there, a long time ago. For two years, I never saw a single student who had nearly as much power as you. You don't know what this means, but I'd say your power is near that of a fifth seat- that is to say, a very highly ranked officer. You have been granted an enormous amount of power, more than any regular soul could dream of, and when you get shinigami powers of your own, you have the unique opportunity to one day rise to the very top. I am not sure how or why, Ichigo, but you are exceptional."

"Oh." Ichigo said simply, and blinked. That was rather overwhelming to hear- he hadn't figured he was much stronger than their rank and file. "Me? Really?"

"I have no doubt." Erza said firmly. "Which is why it's so important you be trained properly. You have been granted power, enormous power, and you're just a kid still."

"I'm not a kid," Ichigo grunted.

"Yes, you are," Erza said firmly. "You are a kid, and with this power of yours, you are a kid who has been given a machine gun. But unlike a machine gun, you can't put the safety on and lock it away until you're old enough to handle it. It's part of who you are now, as much as your brains, your blood and your skin, and hiding it isn't an option. That's why I am going to push you, and push you, and push you, because if I don't then you could die. Or somebody else. There are so, so many things that could go wrong, and the only way to stop them from happening is to act now, to prepare you for it. Is that clear?"

"…yes ma'am," Ichigo said tamely. She sounded completely serious; this was no joke. "But look… what if there's a hollow attack while we train?"

"Then I'll deal with it." Erza said.

"But-"

"Let me be clear," Erza said, and there was that hint of cold in her voice, "I am responsible for you now. You didn't have a choice in that, but I didn't either. You are my responsibility, and I will not allow you to use your powers outside this room until I say you can."

"Even if there's an emergency?" Ichigo said defiantly.

Without a word, Erza stood up, took a few steps back, and stood herself astride.

"Pick your sword up," she said.

"Um, okay." Ichigo said, and slowly got to his feet, hoisting up the massive blade.

"Now cut me."

"What?" Ichigo said, with disbelief.

"Cut me." Erza said simply. "That's an order."

"You can't be serious," Ichigo said.

"Yes, I am," Erza said. "Hit me. Put all you have into it, and hit me, or so help me, I will break your arms."

"…you really mean that?" Ichigo said, sounding puzzled. Was she crazy?

"NOW!" Erza barked. Taking a deep breath, Ichigo raised his sword, took a step forward, closed his eyes and brought the blade down, as hard as he could. Horror images flickered across his mind; Erza bloodied, cut in half, badly injured-

Then the blade connected, and it was like smashing it against concrete. Opening his eyes, he saw the blade rested on her shoulder, seemingly with no effect.

"Again." Erza said firmly. Even more confused, but quite relieved, Ichigo hit again, putting as much effort as he could into it. His eyes were open this time, and he felt baffled as Erza brought it to a complete halt… with nothing but her index finger. There was no blood, and no matter how he pushed, he could not make her budge.

"Here is a lesson," Erza said calmly, maintaining her position effortlessly, "reiatsu works nothing like normal physics. It's all about strength. Every ability you ever use, every special move or ordinary strike, will be effective relative both to your strength and the strength of your enemy."

"The hell does that mean?" Ichigo grunted, finally letting up, putting the tip of his sword in the ground. There wasn't even a mark on her skin.

"It means that two people of roughly equal power and skill will fight not unlike two humans, in a sense," Erza explained, "but when one is much stronger than the other, there is no chance. You cannot cut me, because you cannot even muster the power to overcome the basic flow of reiatsu in my body. In essence, the power I let out unconsciously is greater than the best you can put out consciously. That is the difference in power."

"Great," Ichigo murmured. "You're way stronger. Got it."

"You're not listening," Erza snapped. "What do you think will happen when you run into a hollow stronger than you, one you can't cut very well, or cut at all? One that's cunning and vicious? You have power, Ichigo, but unless you can harness it, you are wheat for the reaper's scythe."

"…I see." Ichigo murmured.

"You are part of this world now, Ichigo," Erza said firmly. "There is no turning back. One day, you will lose Rukia's power, and when that happens you will have to find powers of your own. It's the only way you can protect yourself and your family."

"I-I understand," Ichigo said. "I won't talk back. It's just…"

"A lot at once, yes," Erza said, grabbing her sword. "Before you learn anything special, any magic, any special move, you must learn the basics and learn them well. You should fear the man who has practiced one move a thousand times more than you should fear the man who has practiced a thousand moves once. You will learn how to move in a sword fight, how to push your body, how to hold your sword and hit with it… you will learn to crawl before you learn to walk, and some time, far from now, you will run."

"To protect my family," Ichigo said, nodding resolutely.

"It is good to have a reason to fight," Erza said, nodding. "But my first family, from when I was alive, taught me that protecting other people is good- but it's even better if they can protect themselves. Before you protect anything, you need to realize you can't protect anything. Not all of the time. Your sisters, Tatsuki, Orihime… they may all need protecting at some point, but they can't be dependent on you."

"I understand." Ichigo said resolutely. "So… shall we continue?"

"Yes," Erza said, nodding with a pleased look on her face.

It waslate at night, not long from midnight, when the two of them found themselves back at the Kurosaki residence. Erza had only intended to see him to the door before heading back to her place, but when they got back, Isshin was waiting for them outside. Having a smoke outside, the butt of his cigarette glowing like a firefly in the dark, he gave them a knowing look and said,

"She knows."

Ichigo just looked confused, but Erza felt that sinking feeling, the kind any first-time bungee or parachute jumper gets when they make the leap, and see the earth coming at them a thousand miles an hour.

Shit.

"What?" Ichigo said. "Look, if it's about me being late, it's not what you think. I wasn't out getting drunk or doing drugs or anything, so-"

"Boy, you'll wish that was all it was." Isshin said grimly, sighing.

"What?" Ichigo said. "Auntie?"

"…it may be, just may be, that your mother is spiritually aware," Erza croaked, trying to muster the energy for what was to come. This was no surprise, of course- years of inactivity aside, Masaki was a quincy, and reading spiritual signatures was second nature to her. "It just may be that she sort of explicitly forbade me from doing, er, what we've been doing."

"Wait, mom knows?" Ichigo said, with the horror of a teenager who, with the honest naïveté that came with his age, believed there were things you could hide from your mother. "What- what the hell is going on?"

"We'll get there." Isshin said. "Best get inside for now. You too, Erza. She'll hunt you down if you don't."

"Oh, crap," Erza murmured. "All right then." Better to just take the bull by the horns. Masaki was one of her best friends. Surely it couldn't be that bad?

…well, it totally could, and she had probably just jinxed it.

In silence they walked in, still in shinigami forms- the idea had been for Ichigo to sneak in; Masaki had not been expected back for another day or so. Feeling confused, in Ichigo's case, and feeling like she was marching up the scaffold for her beheading in Erza's case, they walked into the kitchen. Masaki was sitting at the table. She had a frighteningly calm look on her face, the only hint of anger being her furrowed brows. Quietly, they both took a seat, Isshin being the last to join them. For half a minute, they sat in silence, Erza feeling monstrously awkward, afraid, and more than a little defiant.

"Look, mom," Ichigo began awkwardly, "we can… we can uh, explain. Let's just talk about it-"

"Before we start," Masaki said, ignoring him, her voice quiet and noticeably restrained, "I'm just going to lay down the ground rules. Ichigo, Isshin, be quiet. Erza… well, we'll see about you."

Knowing nothing she could say would make it better, Erza just nodded.

"So," Masaki said, in her best judgmental, son-I-am-disappointed kind of tone, "you just couldn't stay away, could you?"

"Masaki, I didn't-" Erza tried, but she was cut off.

"You shut UP," Masaki snarled, her voice rising with anger. "I put this much effort into protecting him, all his life, and you just ignore everything I say, because you think you know better what's best for him than his mother? You arrogant little-"

Her voice had risen to a shout by the last sentence, and Erza simply kept herself quiet. Masaki was angry, very angry, and nothing she could say at the moment would calm her down. For five minutes, Erza kept quiet, stared into the table, and let Masaki lay into her. It was a flurry of insults, mixed with motherly self-righteousness and protective instinct, and more than a few guilt trips. It was stressful, hurtful, and more than a little unfair, and Erza had to keep reminding herself that she was her friend, that she was only looking out for her firstborn, that she was doing what she was sure was right…

"…I mean, did you even think about what this meant?" Masaki snarled. "You've pulled him into your world now, Erza, and he can't go back! You put him right in the way of all these monsters, all these…" She ran out of breath to scream with, and paused only to take a breath. "I mean, how long before one of your asshole shinigami pals get their eyes on him and make him a target? Did you think about that, Erza? Did you think at all? You stupid, reckless, worthless-"

"Mom, wait," Ichigo said, trying to cut in, "it's not fair-"

"QUIET!" Masaki snarled. "I don't know how she roped you into this, but don't think you're off the hook, young man!"

Ichigo shut his mouth, caught between his loyalty to Erza and the undeniable force that was his mother.

"Right." Masaki said. "You came crying to our doorstep once, Erza, and we took you in. We made you part of our family. You helped raise the kids, even. I know those fascists back in the soul society left their mark on you, and you can't help that, but not everyone has to be a soldier for your cause without a cause. I thought you respected my judgment. I thought you respected this family. Clearly, you don't."

"Look," Erza mumbled, "just let me say-"

"I'M NOT DONE." Masaki said, a wild look in her eyes. "You're not welcome here anymore, do you understand? I don't need a backstabbing bi-"

"STOP!" Erza cried, slamming her palm into the table. She stood up, a fire in her eyes. Masaki had had her time, and Erza was not about to let her continue unopposed. "I respected it when you raised your children ignorant of all the threats around them! I respected it when you lied to them about the spiritual world! We all make decisions, hard decisions that might seem wrong but aren't- so I never told him a thing! I never told him his dad was a shinigami once, and I never told him his mom was a quincy!"

Masaki gasped. "You did now! You're unbelievable, Erza!"

"You are a quincy, Masaki," Erza said fiercely. "Sensing energy is nothing to you. So look at your son. Feel his reiatsu. Feel for even a trace of my energy in him!"

"Don't try to distract-" Masaki began, but Erza was not letting go.

"Do it!" She insisted. "See for yourself if it was by my hand that this was done! That's the least you can do! You can call me a backstabbing bitch, sure, but you owe me at least this much!"

"…fine," Masaki growled. She looked at Ichigo, viewing his energies carefully. Her furious glare turned into confusion, frustration, then anger again.

"…I don't understand," she murmured.

"It's not me," Erza said gravely. "It was another shinigami, somebody I haven't seen since I left. I only picked up on it when he got back from that tournament with Tatsuki and Orihime. Somebody else's power, not mine- and all I am doing is teaching him how to handle it."

"It's true, mom," Ichigo said eagerly. "Erza didn't do this- her name is Rukia, and she was the one who-"

"Quiet," Masaki said, her voice having sunk below the level of a shout, at least.

"I kept quiet because I knew you were angry, and you don't listen when you're this angry," Erza said, keeping her voice calm, if not friendly. "You needed to shout. You needed somebody to blame. That's fine. But the truth is this was inevitable, always was. If not now, then later. Your son is strong, Masaki, too strong to go unnoticed in the long run. At least now I can train him."

"Just like you always wanted, right?" Masaki said bitterly.

"For his sake, yes," Erza admitted. "He's… extraordinary. His sisters don't even come close-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Masaki snapped. "All I wanted was for him to go to school, get a normal life, find some girl to settle down with, maybe grandkids eventually… you know, have a life. Without having all of this hanging over him."

"I know," Erza said, and nodded. "And I understand. You said those 'fascists' left a mark on me- but don't you think the quincies left a mark on you, too?"

Masaki flinched.

"They did." Erza said, "So I don't blame you. You just wanted a normal life. But we don't have that choice. It's not an option anymore. And whether you like it or not, I have to teach him, or he'll have no way of protecting himself."

"You know, I'm still here-" Ichigo tried.

"Quiet," Erza and Masaki said in unison.

"Goddamnit," Masaki mumbled. "I just…"

"I will make him strong," Erza said resolutely. "I will teach him everything I can. He will be ready to take on anything. I will make himstrong, Masaki."

"That's what I was afraid of," Masaki mumbled, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.

"I think we need some time to calm down, okay?" Said Isshin, finally daring to speak up. "A good night's sleep will do us some good. We can discuss this in the morning. Sound good?"

Masaki just nodded weakly, and Erza nodded with her. "Tomorrow," she said. "We'll talk tomorrow."

"Fine," Masaki said. "And um… I'm sorry."

That could not have been easy, not with so much self-righteous rage built up, and Erza appreciated that.

"There's nothing to forgive," She said simply. "I'll see you later."

With the worst of the drama having died down, Ichigo snuck away from the table. After getting his body back, he went outside; he needed some fresh air, and badly. He hadn't seen his mother this angry since two years ago, when he had got into a fight with a couple punks twice his age. He had won, but that hadn't mattered. His mother, love her as he might, could be a bit bullheaded.

He stared up at the night sky. As much as training made him ache, this whole ordeal had made him feel much worse- the two women he loved most in the world shouldn't be fighting like this, and he hadn't been able to do much about it either. He would think to himself that life was funny, weird, crazy, but it seemed superfluous by now. Crazy was everywhere, no escaping it.

After a minute or two, his father joined him, lighting a cigarette. He had that haunted look on his face, the one he always got when mom was on the war path- she had always been the one in charge at home, something his dad never seemed to mind- but he also knew when to get out of the way.

"Want one?" Isshin muttered. "I'd tell you not to smoke, but shit like this is what made me start smoking in the first place. You're not likely to die of lung cancer the way you are now, anyhow."

"…no." Ichigo muttered. He looked at his dad, then back up to the skies.

"Hey, pop," he mumbled, "is it true?"

"What part?" Isshin said, blowing out some smoke. "The whole afterlife thing, us keeping this from you, leaving marks…?"

"Were you a shinigami?" Ichigo said bluntly.

"Oh." Isshin said sounding guilty. "Uh. Yeah. A really strong one, too. Lost my powers, decided to stay behind, and that's a long story for another day. But yeah, I was."

"So I get it from you, huh?" Ichigo muttered, and sighed.

"Don't be so sure," Isshin said. "Your mom is plenty strong, too- I guess you don't know what a Quincy is?"

"Nope," Ichigo said, shaking his head.

"Well, son, let's just say there's humans with powers too," Isshin said. "You got this from both your mom and your old dad, I'm sure." He took another puff of his cigarette, then dropped it to the ground, and put it out with his shoe.

"To be honest… that makes me kind of proud." He said solemnly, sounding so different from his normal, goofy self. "I always knew you'd go places, son. If you turn out to be a chip off the old block… that's not so bad."

Ichigo frowned.

"Hang on. I come home, and aside from mom shouting at Auntie Erza, she acts like I'm some… I dunno, like I had come home saying I just knocked a girl up, and I'm also gay and a junkie, but you're… cool with this?"

"Dunno about 'cool'," Isshin said, "but being a shinigami teaches you things. Your mom's got good reason to be angry at the people she came from, but me… I was a soldier for a long time, and I can tell you it's better to have power than not having it. You're better off with 'em than without 'em, at least. I ain't asking you to go and be monstrously strong like your auntie, but having enough of it to protect yourself… that's good."

Ichigo nodded. "Uhm. Thanks, dad."

"Don't mention it," Isshin said, and nodded. "And don't be angry with your mom neither. She had her reasons."

"I'm not," Ichigo said, shaking her head. "I never could."

"Good lad," Isshin said.

"Hey, dad…" Ichigo said ponderously. "Erza. Did you know her back then?"

"…I did," Isshin said apprehensively.

"What was she like?"

"That's dangerous territory, son," Isshin said, lightning another cigarette. "Even I don't know what happened to her. But… suffice to say I used to be her boss back in the days. She's a good person, and that's what matters."

"So she betrayed the Gotei Thirteen, then?"

"She told you that much?" Isshin said.

"Rukia did."

"Kuchiki Rukia?" Isshin said. "She was the one?"

"You know her?" Ichigo said confusedly.

"Long story. Her family's a big deal back there. As for treason… I don't know. But I don't see your auntie doing nothing if it wasn't the right thing to do. That's all I need to know, and that's all you need to know."

"Sure, dad," Ichigo said, nodding. "Thanks."

"Twice in one night?" Isshin snorted. "Watch yourself, boy, or people might think you have manners."

"You'll keep a secret, won't you?" Ichigo said with a grin. "Can't have people ruining my bad reputation."

"My lips are sealed," Isshin said. "Now, head inside and get to sleep. If I know Erza, you got a hell of a week ahead of you."

"Don't I know it…" Ichigo murmured, and headed back inside. This week had been a conga line of dramatic reveals, and somehow his parents being in on this didn't even surprise him. In a way, he was even grateful for the training- at least he'd have something to take all of his focus. Quietly he went to bed, and soon fell asleep.

And there we go. Wow, that was ALOT of drama wasnt it? Well, I figured the story would be far more interesting if his parents told him right out what they were and how they felt about the whole situation.

As for Momo's training...Yeah, she is going to be significantly more powerful than she was in cannon by the time we get to the soul society arc. Just letting you all know that right now.

Not much else for me to say about this chapter really. I do hope all of you enjoyed it quite alot.

Please, if you could, leave a review for us. Reviews make us want to work harder, do better, and upload the next chapter even quicker. It REALLY means alot.

Thank you!