Chapter 14: A Difference

[Wilfora]

Time: Unbeknownst
Place: Soul Society

There was nothing to be done about it. They could only march on hoping that soon the gateway would open and their butterflies would lead them back out onto solid ground. In a place they knew better than the human world. Soul Society: home.

Of course, time felt slower within the senkaimon, but soon enough the gate opened and white light poured into the tunnel.

Dasuke gently carried Prince through the gate, as the hell butterflies took to the sky headed back to their barracks. The feeling of being followed went away, and Dasuke's mind was at ease.

Around them, a few division four members stood attentive. A pair with a stretcher came forward. Behind them a young lady followed gracefully. On her upper arm, the badge of division four's vice captain's: the tulip.

Her hair was braided into two distinct braids. Both began on the sides of her head. They were pulled back and pinned together using a beautiful butterfly clip. On the clip were small tulip flowers, which were embedded inside the clip but were visible on both sides. The rest of her hair was tied back in a loose pony tail that fell down past her shoulder blades.

Her eyes however sparked a bright green, the color of an emerald not yet darkened. No makeup took part in her natural beauty for it didn't suit her. Other than the sleeves of her shihakusho, which she had cut to half-length, she dressed as the others of her kind: dully.

The two with the stretcher stopped in front of Dasuke and Prince and laid the stretcher down on the ground. They straightened and carefully eased Prince off Dasuke's supporting shoulder. The young Vice-Captain helped her division members lie Prince down on the stretcher.

Dasuke hadn't spoken at all. There was no need to. To him there would be no need until revenge for his dead wife was fulfilled; or for something important along the way. The woman in front of him was talking to him, so he quit zoning and listened to what she was saying.

"--ou for bringing him back safely, Dasuke. I'll see to it that he is healed accordingly."

Dasuke nodded not sure if he should speak. He watched silently as the four-division members lifted the vice-captain gently in their stretcher. Soon they were gone. The young woman tuned to follow. In seconds, she was running after them. A hand weighed her down though, so she stopped midshunpo. To her surprise, Dasuke let go of her shihakusho.

"Yes Dasuke?" She asked quietly. Dasuke opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, as anger and distraught crossed his face. He seemed to be debating with himself. Shortly though, worried lines in his forehead ceased to be.

“Make... sure that he is near Maluni. She is due…” He managed to say, the words strange to his own ears from not talking. “Please Miss... miss... “

“Oro” She said softly.

“Miss Oro…” he rolled the name around on his tongue to get the feel of it. “Please keep him near Maluni.”

Oro was surprised. She’d never heard Dasuke talk before now. It was a wonder he still could, since many of the captains thought he had lost his voice completely. She nodded slightly, gathered her composure back up, then gently laid a hand on Dasuke’s shoulder. “I’ll do just that. Don’t worry. He’ll be fine.” She said, giving a gentle squeeze before letting go. “Come to Division four when you are tired of hiding your wound.”

Oro took a couple steps back then left by shunpo, as she needed to catch up to the division members she had been with before. She had a job to perform; saving a life.

⌘⌘⌘

Dasuke couldn’t do much, but he did manage to start his way back to Division two. Emotions washed over him, ones he’d felt only once before.

Alleyways of cobble and thatched roof passed by him nonchalantly, blurring past as he forced himself to walk at a fast pace. The pain from the gaping hole in his side continued to hurt, but he didn’t care. Reiatsu flared for an instance. Dasuke tracked it in an instant.

“…Minami,” the name left him as air would. Dasuke bolted from where he was, into the sky. “So now you show yourself…” He started running. The distance between them, however, remained the same.

“Dasuke, give up this faulty chase. You won’t take your revenge today. Your revenge never be fulfilled until the day I deem it.” The world froze, shifted then resumed as if nothing had happened.

Dasuke was back on the ground. The very same ground he swore he had jumped into the sky from. Perhaps he was imagining it again. He started walking again, this time not bothering to sense for others around him. He still didn’t care about the massive hole in his side, though it started to bleed again.

⌘⌘⌘

Oro kept to her word and soon they had Prince laid down on a metal healing bed. A few of the division’s better healers came over and began to heal him while Oro set some of the broken bones right.

The room was a putrid yellow, bright and smelled way too clean for Oro’s taste. But it couldn’t be helped. This young man was in serious pain and they needed a clean environment to work with, so she would bear with it.

Oro washed her hands of the blood and skin in the sink. She stepped away from the healing area after informing the healers to continue their work. After she left the room she felt the barrier go up and the healing process began. She waved lightly to the others in the hall as she passed into an adjacent room. The lights had been dimmed but it still smelled that awful hospital odor.

But ugh… this is a hospital, just for us can’t seem to die yet, people, Oro thought, then laughed at it. It made so much sense, normally. Though this time it made little sense; a new life was being given by the people that took it away. Only the child would grow up as one of them. This is going to be wonderful…Oro thought sarcastically.

Oro then proceeded to remove the black portion of her shihakusho. Underneath was a thinned red shihakusho, with a white tie belt. This was what the captain called for, as it was better for when they needed to heal on spot. It was easier to heal in something thinner and would not weigh them division down.

Today, nothing would stand in Oro’s way. She had prepared for this day for the last nine months. If Konan trusted her to help deliver the first “living, breathing” shinigami child, she would carry it out. The problem, however, was this: was it going to be like a human delivery or something altogether new? Oro didn’t know. She wouldn’t know until about an hour later when the event would take place.

⌘⌘⌘

Maluni couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t just send for one, she needed someone. Now. She lit the walls on fire. Again.

A red shihakusho emerged from the preparations room. Oro had tied her hair back in a bun as well. She sighed and put out the flame.

“Do wish you would quit doing that…” Oro mumbled loud enough so that Maluni could have heard.

Maluni blushed lightly. “Oro… why isn’t it time yet…” Maluni half-asked, half-begged as she sighed. She didn’t bother to check to make sure if it was indeed Oro. She knew by her voice.

“Wish I knew but I don’t do I?” Pain shot through Maluni and she cried out, as the words left Oro. “Your water break yet?”

“No it hasn’t… I do wish it would.” Maluni rubbed her tummy. “He’s been wanting out a lot lately.”

Oro held Maluni’s hand lightly to the mother’s belly and smiled gently. “That he has, that he has.” Oro shook her head with a small realization. Soon he would be out.

Then the thoughts came rolling through her head. What would happen? Would the baby be alive? Would the mother be okay during labor? Her mind raced with questions, and Oro got lost along with their flow.

Maluni thought it was funny and even cute whenever Oro did this. She didn’t like being called cute or let it show, but at this point, Maluni decided she’d rather have a serious doctor than someone lost in thought and tugged Oro’s shihakusho folds.

Oro came out of it and in no time was apologizing for zoning out on Maluni.

“There’s just all the unanswered questions about shinigami and shinigami-born children. It’s all so fascinating, but I… worry about you too.” Oro said then leaned in to give her a hug.

Maluni hugged back smiling gently. “I always knew you should have stayed with us in the division. You’re still as curious as ever!”

Oro let go of Maluni. “I know, and I wanted to stay, it’s just… my place is here.” She laughed and smiled, “But I still get to work with you, Captain Maluni, so it has its perks.”

“Yes.” Maluni rubbed her tummy again, this time not conscious of the action.

⌘⌘⌘

A young shinigami stepped into the room and Oro turned to answer him after he rapped on the wall quietly. Oro had been finishing paperwork and now laid the ink pen down on its tray.

The room she was in now was a mahogany color, a few filing shelves were on the walls and a small coffee table obscured the middle of the room. Around the small table were a couple low, wood crafted couches with feather pillows as cushions. A small bowl of water stood in the middle of the table and held a single morning lily.

She gestured for him to come in, then continued where she left off earlier; file sorting, something her Captain didn’t manage to get done right.

“Vice-Captain Oro, I bring report and news of Prince Dante of the Ciampino Family.” He laid down a small heap of paperwork then launched into what the report said so that Oro wouldn’t get confused when she went over it later.

A few minutes later, Oro held up her hand for silence. The younger division member continued to rattle on. She stared at him hard but he was caught up in the medical report.

Oro slammed her fists down on her desk while simultaneously yelling, “Shut up!”

He shut up.

Very faintly Oro could hear screaming.

⌘⌘⌘

Maluni!

Oro was racing down the hall. She had yelled at the young man to get Prince to his wife and stat, especially if he was healed now. Then she tore out of her office running.

Finally she arrived at Maluni’s room. Inside, as she entered and found the third seat was using the pain stealing kido that had recently been developed. The female who was helping her for the delivery was waiting for Oro on the other side of the room.

She helped the Vice-Captain to pull back her hair and other things that needed done in order to make this a safe delivery. Or as much as they could make it.

One of the many nurses handed her a clipboard with information about Maluni on it. Since it was a print out only some of the lines, need to be filled in.

Date, April 16, year unknown, where today patient Maluni will be filed as a 126SBB…

It went on, but the 126SBB was the only thing that Oro filled in minus her signature.

126SBB was the first Oro had used of the file code, and would be the first of many if things went well. Twelve, room number here in the facility, the six was Oro’s assigned number for when she took care of sudden or over time patients.

SBB, in this case, was something new. There had never been shinigami babies or children that were born a shinigami by another shinigami. Shinigami Baby Birth, SBB, the only thing Oro would be proud of doing in her time in this division. And she was happy that she could do it.

Maluni cried out again. Her hair was a mess, considering that it was normally neat and pulled up. One of the nurses was holding her hand, lightly patting it. The rest of the staff was rushing to finish last minute preparation for the delivery.

A nurse came in with a familiar face who both Maluni and Oro recognized as Prince.

Prince pushed himself away from the nurse and staggered a moment, still weak from being healed, before he briskly moved to Maluni’s side. He took her hand from the nurse, squeezing it tightly.

“I’m here Mal,” Prince breathed.

“Dante, at last…” Maluni sighed, relieved.

The nurses were puzzled at what Maluni called Prince, but Oro paid it no mind, as that was his real name. He was never called Dante due to the family title that he held. No one was supposed to know unless he told him or her.

However, time wasn’t going to stand still in this perfect moment forever. Things had to yet be done. Apparently, the baby agreed as it took this moment to move.

The room froze and all eyes turned to Oro.

“Nurses, Prince and Captain Maluni, we will now begin the procedure,” Oro said as she stepped forward, fully prepared and sure of what she was doing.

“Prince, support your wife.” Both blushed, as they had not revealed that to anyone yet. “Be near her and make it known that you are there for her.”

Oro issued other orders to the remaining staff that was at her disposal for this.

Maluni couldn’t talk, all she could manage the whole time were cries of pain.

Prince kept talking to her the whole time as well as holding her hand; being all husbandly and stuff.

Then he felt it. She was slowly fading. Tired it felt to him. She needs to rest… Mal can’t take all of this at once!

Oro said they couldn’t stop. Prince kept talking to her, saying that everything was okay, that soon they would be the first family, and they could watch the munch-kin grow up together.

Inside Prince’s heart though, everything was different. He was scared, not for just the baby, but for his wife, his sweet, loving wife. Maluni felt weak and was growing further away with each moment that the baby drew closer to drawing its first breath.

Both hands held her one now, as both concern and happiness ran through Prince. He wanted both his new wife and his new baby to be safe, so he could treasure them the rest of his time.

⌘⌘⌘

“Good Maluni, that’s great, just like that,” Oro said gently.

Maluni groaned, the pain of the process becoming unbearable again.

“Blackbird, use the kido on her again.” The young third seat did as Oro ordered and soon Maluni was better, now in less pain.

Oro knew what it felt like, what she was feeling from Maluni. And when the baby finally made its way out, she got weaker by the second.

Prince had felt it too. He was pleading with Maluni to stay strong, that everything would be okay.

⌘⌘⌘

No! You can’t leave me! Prince’s mind screamed. He scooped a hand under her head to raise it.

“Mal. Mal?” He waited to see if she responded. She didn’t and her eyes remained closed. “Mal?!” he half yelled. “Mal!! Fight love; stay here. With me! The baby too Mal, what about the baby!?”

Her eyes opened halfway and looked at Prince. He was blurry to her.

“Dante…” She was weak, both in body and in spirit and she spoke barely above a whisper. “The baby… it’s healthy…?”

Prince squeezed her hand tight. “Yes Mal, a healthy baby boy.” He smiled gently.

“Promise me Dante… you’ll name him… Lu—” Maluni’s eyes had been slowly closing with each bit of the sentence, worn out, tired and wanting to rest as she was. Her eyes closed now.

“Mal!” Prince shook her, desperate. “Mall!! Name him what?!”

She didn’t respond.

Prince looked around the room yelling at the doctors to save her, to help her.

Oro shook her head. “It’s no use, Prince.” He froze. “She’s gone,” she said softly, neither of them wanting to hear the words.

The baby started crying. It was the only sound heard in the room, as everyone was stock-still and quiet, in respect to Prince.

Prince on the other hand was infuriated. He started yelling and screaming at Oro and her assistants again as tears welled in his eyes. He didn’t know what to do.

⌘⌘⌘

“Enough.” Oro’s ears perked up at the sound of the familiar commanding voice.

Oro was in a heap on the floor, and her assistants likewise, as Prince’s anger had flared and had begun to push them about.

“Captain Konan!” Oro scrambled to her feet, but when she went to bow Konan’s hand told her not to.

Konan was shorter than Oro in height but out-ranked her. She was captain of division four. He golden red hair came to her shoulders and matched with the deep red shihakusho she wore under her haori.

“I felt her passing, so I came. It was good Ian came to see me. Seems Prince couldn’t handle the misfortune that has come. Even I didn’t see this.” Behind her, Ian had Prince in a chain binding.

Ian was in a standard Shihakusho, and on the left shoulder, he carried his haori. Ian was the captain of Division eight, where Prince was his Vice-Captain.

“Yes we were lucky you came. Thank you,” Oro said, truly thankful that both had come.

Ian nodded curtly. “I will take my pitiful Vice-Captain back to our division quarters now. A beating is in order.” His voice was solemn, he almost didn’t want to give the beating after all the events Prince had gone through today already. “Bring the baby by later if you wish. It may help him to have something,” he broke off a moment before continuing, “instead of nothing.”

Ian turned away and walked out, the form of Prince following behind him with little choice.

⌘

⌘⌘

Later that day, in early evening, Oro wrapped the new baby in a blue cloth.

Arrangements for Maluni’s burning had been taken care of and Oro had managed to fill out the report on shinigami baby births with only a few tear spills and several times of lulling the baby back to sleep or feeding him some special milk she had obtained from the world of the living.

With not much more left to do for the day, Oro had filed things accordingly and gone to get the child from Konan. She had agreed to watch him for a bit while she finished up.

It was now, shunpo’ing or rather, flying to the baby, which the little one let out a squeal of delight. Oro smiled. A true shinigami child, she thought.

Shortly the two of them arrived at Division eight. They had been expected and were let in immediately.

Ian was outside of Prince’s room. He rose from his crouch and greeted Oro with a slight bow, and she returned the greeting with a deeper bow, holding the baby close to her.

“How is…?” Oro asked, a bit wary of what to expect.

“He’s better. Mad at himself for being stupid among other things but better none the less,” he said glancing the little baby over. “He… has his father’s eyes. May I?”

“Of course!” Oro shifted her hold on the baby then carefully laid him in Ian’s arms. The older captain watched the little one smiling.

He twirled a finger above the baby’s belly. The little hands chased it a bit, trying to grab at the finger. Finally the little thing caught it and squealed. Ian laughed then gave the babe back to Oro.

“Come on. Prince is waiting,” Ian said as he turned away and opened the door for them.

Oro stood in the doorway in awe. She took a step forward as she took in the room.

Inside, bamboo textured walls met her eyes first. On the far wall, bookshelves were half-empty. They contained books and some randomly opened scrolls. In the middle of the room was a low table with pillow seats on the floor. Around the room, various plants grew and Prince was at one of these plants now. He was kneeling on the floor in front of a small basin of water. Inside, three lotus flowers waded in the water. Two were blooming fully and were a beautiful rosy pink. The third lotus had wilted, the color faded.

Prince gently removed the wilted lotus from the other two and stood staring at it.

Ian lightly rapped the wall by the door they had come in through then slid the door shut.

“You have visitors Dante,” Ian said as he looked around the room, anywhere but Dante.

⌘⌘⌘

She brought it along. Wonderful… Prince thought, trying to keep a straight face.

“So it seems Ian. I’m fine. Please attend to any duties you have left. You’ve spent enough time on me today as it stands.” Prince bowed.

“Fine. But if I hear…” Ian started.

“You won’t Captain,” Prince said cutting him off.

Ian coughed, then turned to Oro. “Send for me if you need something.”

Oro bowed deeply. “Only if I can’t get it myself.”

Ian smiled, then slid open the door again. He disappeared after closing the door again, off to do something that needed done.

“Come sit. You must be tired after today.” Prince plopped down on one of the feather pillows around the table.

Oro hesitated for a moment then went to join Prince, as it was polite.

All three were silent before Prince asked something Oro didn’t expect at all.

“Can… I hold him?”

⌘⌘⌘

Oro sat back and watched as father and son got along. Prince had a goofy grin on his face and the baby was laughing at it. She smiled and wondered what Prince was thinking, if he was feeling happy or mad; both probably, knowing him.

“Oro, may I take him out into the garden? Let him see the small bit of world that I have left?” Prince asked suddenly.

Oro felt guilt tug at her already sorrowful heart. “It wouldn’t hurt. Just be gentle with him,” she said carefully.

“Of course. Then if you’ll excuse us. I’ll have Netzach bring you some of the jasmine tea you enjoyed last time you came.” Prince rose with the small child and headed towards the door.

“Oh! Wait a moment, I had something for you.” Oro pulled a small bound leather booklet. “They found this on Maluni when they were preparing the body. It’s her journal.”

Prince took the small book from Oro and turned to the last page that had writing on it.

My little baby boy, he will be born soon. He keeps kicking me, wanting out so he can see his papa and mama and the world. I can’t wait until he’s born. My little Luka will make me proud I’m sure.

“That’s what she wanted to tell me… our child. His name is Luka, ‘the only pain.’”