"You've certainly grown… my son. Now where are my lovely grandchildren?"
It was strange you know, looking at the divine being that was supposed to be my mother. Or at least the being that had claimed me as her son.
The closer I looked at her the more I saw my mothers face superimposed over her own. It brought up one of the many questions I had swirling in my mind. I couldn't remember my own name, nor much of my past.
But I remembered faces, the faces of my old parents. Friends that had passed away, my first girlfriend, random bits and ends. Even countless games, shows, movies, and books I'd read.
Yet, for the life of me I couldn't recall my old name. It was like it was just gone. Erased. Purposely kept away from me.
It bothered me to no end.
Still, a primordial goddess just asked to see my kids. Normally apocalyptic alarms would be blaring in my head right about now, I'd be flinging around Hollow Purples like Orpah handing out TVs. But Izanami, my mother, gave off an aura of calm and I just knew she wouldn't hurt them in any way.
"Come now Satoru, we don't have much time. Walk with me, I'll see my new daughter and grandchildren when we've had our little talk."
"Uh, right then… mom."
She smiled warmly at me and floated off towards the thicket of trees. I followed along and gave Chiron an apologetic look.
"Let my wife and kids know I'll be back, I guess my mom wants to talk."
Chiron still looked a little shocked. I guess the camp didn't get many visitors from different pantheons very often. He nodded blankly and galloped off to the dining area.
When I turned back to Izanami she was looking at me curiously. Once I was next to her she continued to glide along the treeline. She was quiet for a moment, so I took that opportunity to cast a simple barrier around the area.
Her eyes flicked towards it, and for the first time genuine amusement coloured her tone. "You wield your power well, a simple construct. Yet it holds elegance unseen in those your age."
"Thanks… I guess?" I scratched the back of my head. "Didn't think the goddess of creation and death would compliment my technique."
"You forget," she said, "creation and death are two sides of the same coin. It pleases me to see my son create rather than destroy."
That caught me off guard. "So about that… you're really my mother?"
She turned to me, floating in place. Up close her presence was overwhelming. The air was thicker, heavier but not suffocating. It was like treading water in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight.
"Yes," she finally spoke, "but… you were not born in the way mortals understand. You were made."
I raised an eyebrow, "That's one way to put it."
She smiled faintly, "When your first life ended… your soul was nearly lost. Drifting through the void between realities. It was there that I found you. Your fragmented soul, called out to me. You were a spark, small but stubborn, refusing to fade. I took that spark, and placed it in a vessel woven from two dying souls that like you, refused to fade. From that union, you were born. Balance incarnate."
I tilted my head, "Hate to break it to you mom, but I'm anything but balanced."
The smile never left her face, "And yet… you have saved countless lives from their original fates."
"So," I let out a slow breath, "I exist because you wanted someone to fix things that were broken?"
Her eyes shimmered faintly, softening ever so slightly. "The multiverse bends and cracks under its own weight. I am bound to Yomi, the Underworld, and I cannot stray far. But even us gods require hands to act where we cannot. You're mine, not a puppet, but a balance. My will made flesh."
'I was right… I have more questions. Who the hell was that ROB then, if Izanami was the one to create me?'
Then as if she read my mind she answered, "The being that you spoke to before me was merely an agent of my counterpart, Izanagi. He did it as a favour for me."
I let out a dry laugh, "That's a hell of a thing to drop on your kid, you know."
Her lips quivered upward, "You always had your fathers humour…"
I blinked, "Wait what… I, you know my dad? Do I have two dads? That's really weird."
"That," she said, the corner of her mouth twitching, "is a story for another time. My presence here slowly weakens my tether to Yomi. I cannot remain for much longer."
I nodded slowly, "Alright then… why now?"
"Because your power has grown, it has reached a level that even I did not foresee." She said quietly, "and because you must understand, the energy you wield, once born of negativity, now bears divinity. A fragment of my essence lives within you, and in time it will fully awaken."
I looked down at my hand, flexing it slowly. The faint blue glow of my energy flickered there, steady and alive.
"So what happens now?"
Her expression became gentle, "You live. You learn. Protect what you love, destroy those that threaten to sow chaos. Creation and death are your birthright, balance is your burden."
I exhaled, "Gee no pressure huh? You make it sound so simple."
"It never is, but you will adapt. Just do as you have been doing." She said softly.
Then she reached forward and placed a hand on my cheek. Her touch was cool, but not cold. "You have done well to come this far. I am proud of what you've built my son."
That hit harder than I expected. "Y-you're proud?"
"Of course," she said simply, "you have walked a path that many have walked before you, yet you have succeeded where they failed. You have loved and been loved. That's no small thing."
The silence between us lingered for a few heartbeats, comfortable, almost human.
Then she leaned forward and pressed a light kiss on my forehead. Light bloomed around me as a cool wave of power washed over me. A tingling sensation flowed across my limbs.
A whisper brushed against my mind. 'My blessing upon you, my son. When the time comes, you will understand what it means to bear my blood.'
When the light faded, I blinked the afterglow from my eyes. "That felt… weird."
"Good," she said, smiling faintly. "That means it worked."
She stepped backwards, her form shimmering. "Now go, let what I have told you settle. Explore your new abilities safely. In the meantime, I have a daughter-in-law to meet and grandchildren to spoil. We will speak again soon."
"Right." I muttered, watching as she flashed away.
I turned to leave, glancing back once, long enough to see her talking softly to Mitsuri and the kids. Ai was animatedly showing her something from her pocket. The sight made me smile.
"See you later… mom." I said quietly.
And then I was gone.
[Scene Break]
Japan.
My teleportation was different this time. Smoother, less folding space and more like just willing myself into existence where I wanted. Mainly the spot in Kyoto where my estate was supposed to be.
"Huh," I said. "Figures…"
Only it wasn't there, instead there was a town center in place of my sprawling estate. Bake shops, hobby stores, tourist attractions.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and decided to explore for a bit. I stopped at several different shops selling sweets and got a few boxes for Mitsuri and the kids. Thankfully Japan had been using Yen since the 1800s and I had plenty of bills in my pocket space.
After seeing what I wanted to see, I got ready to go back to camp just as the sun was setting. Then I felt it, a pulse of power. Faint and distant, but unmistakably similar to what I felt from my mother.
'Tokyo huh?' I looked towards the setting sun, 'I have some time to burn.'
I teleported again. This time ending up in an even smaller town. I was standing on a street corner, this spot should have been the ramen stand where I had first met Kyojuro and Mitsuri.
It felt a little strange seeing how different things were. For a moment I had to remind myself that I was in an alternate dimension.
The streets were strangely empty despite the fact that it wasn't that late and there still should have definitely been people wandering around. I heard the sound of fighting and started walking towards the noise.
'Heh, this is exactly like how I met Kyojuro and Mitsuri… wonder who I'll meet this time?'
I passed by a few stores with signs, I grinned when I read some of them.
'Karakura town huh? Looks like it's my lucky day.'
I stepped forward and teleported to a nearby rooftop to get a better vantage point. I spotted flashes of light and sparks. I lazily floated over the rooftops and teleported repeatedly until I was standing on a roof overlooking several figures.
Two robed figures fought below me: an orange haired teenager with a comically humongous sword, and a man with long black hair and white robes. A third man was holding back a black haired girl in a school uniform.
Ichigo, Byakuya, Renji, and Rukia.
The scene was familiar, it played out exactly how I remembered. Byakuya was calm and oddly ruthless. Ichigo, desperate and hardheaded.
I watched for a moment, hands tucked in my pockets. Byakuya said something to Ichigo and the orange haired teen shouted while charging forward. It was honestly pretty funny how out of his depth Ichigo was. I couldn't help but to commend him for his tenacity though. Even though he knew he couldn't win he still pushed forward.
'What a shonen protagonist.' I grinned, 'kinda wish I had popcorn now.'
Byakuya blade flicked out, catching Ichigo shoulder. The kid staggered back, blood splattering the ground at his feet from his new wound. Even then his eyes were alight with defiance. He charged forwards again, Byakuya raised his blade, prepared for a killing blow.
'Right… time to step in.'
I calmly took my sunglasses off and stepped off the ledge. Just before I fell I vanished with a crack, using my old teleportation method for dramatic effect.
I reappeared between the Shinigami captain and the teen with a concussive blast of displaced air. Dust rippled across the street even as Ichigo stumbled back wide eyed. Byakuya leapt backwards eyeing me warily.
Ichigo blinked, "What the—
"Yo." I gave him a cheesy grin over my shoulder. Then I turned to Byakuya. "Man… you're pretty pathetic huh? Ganging up on a kid, not a good look."
"Wait, you can see them, YOU CAN SEE ME?!" Ichigo shouted in shock.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes, "Duh, anyways, how's that shoulder Carrot boy?"
Ichigo opened his mouth to answer but Byakuya beat him to it. "He's clearly not normal."
I smiled, "Sharp eye, got anything else Sherlock?"
Renji shifted his stance, his hand inching closer to his Zanpakuto while his other hand still held Rukia's arm. "Who the hell are you?"
I tucked my hand back into my pocket, moving in a way that revealed my own sword tucked into my belt. "Just a passing traveler."
"Traveller?" Byakuya repeated, tone flat, "then keep walking."
"Can't," I said easily, "I have this thing you see… I really, really hate it when people bully the weak and defenseless."
"Hey!" Ichigo called out behind.
"Hush kid, I'm doing a thing here, and don't worry about it." I grinned at him.
That was when Renji moved, fast, his sword a blur.
His blade came down, but it stopped inches from my shoulder with a crack as it collided with my Limitless. I yawned. "Sneak attacks are pretty cheap… got anything else?"
Renji froze, Byakuya's eyebrows furrowed.
"Impressive," Byakuya said evenly, "but these matters are beyond you."
I tilted my head, Renji jumped backwards. "You think so?"
He moved faster than Renji, I barely had time to admire his sword skill… before his blade stopped against my barrier too.
He also jumped back to make space. He raised his sword and spoke in his usual tone. "Scatter, Senbonzakura."
I sighed, "You people really love attacking first… Shikai on a stranger? Man… that's pretty lame."
The petals shot forward, surrounded me, and… also froze against my barrier. I picked at my nails, blowing off imaginary dirt. Ichigo stared, mouth open. Rukia had the same face.
Concealed not too far I sensed two other people watching.
'Must be Urahara and Yoruichi.'
"Neat trick." I said as Byakuya called Senbonzakura back to him. His sword reformed from the pink petals. "Mines better though."
Byakuyas eyes narrowed, "What are you?"
"Huh? Didn't I tell you? I'm just a passing traveler."
The sword at my side pulsed faintly, my eyes briefly flicked towards it before grinning at Byakuya and Renji.
"Say… you were nice enough to show me yours, how about I show you mine?"
"Oh? Finally going to call my name?"
My 'Zanpakuto's' voice echoed in my head, my grin widened as I slowly and dramatically grabbed onto the hilt.
"Figured it out on my walk…" I muttered quietly.
Byakuya tensed, Renji appeared next to Rukia with shunpo. Both their postures were tight, ready to react. I drew my sword, its crimson hue glinting under the street lights.
"Burn and illuminate…" my voice was level, but each syllable carried weight.
"Amaterasu."
The street light up like dawn had come. Heat rolled off me, not wild but regal, a tide of fire burst from the ground around me into a pillar of flames that scorched the clouds. Then it all vanished, the flames concentrated into the edge of my blade.
Byakuya's composure began to fracture, his widened eyes betraying his true emotions, he launched the petals at me again only for the pink cloud to vaporise into nothing before it even reached me.
Renji stumbled back, taking Rukia with him as he tried to get away from the heat.
"My turn…" I smiled before shooting forward like a rocket.