Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1. Humans and Spirits

"Ichigo…" A strong voice whispered. "It's time for you to get up."

The orange-haired, brown-eyed seventeen-year-old, sprawled face-down on the blue bed grumbled lowly, refusing to move from his comfortable position.

*Come on, Aibou, if you don't get up oyaji is gonna hit you…again.*

That, at least, was more effective in getting the teenager up; and right in time, at the very moment he began moving his door swung open, allowing an older, black-haired and bearded man to leap inside, leg up to kick the teenager. The boy's instincts took over as he rolled, half stood and then kicked the man on the side, throwing him against a nearby closet door.

"Good morning my son!" The man cried out in a very loud voice.

"Oh…shut up oyaji." The boy half-growled. "It's far too early for your idiocies. Now get the hell out of my room so I can get dressed."

In the end the boy had to practically throw the man out of his room before he had the chance to change from the sweatpants and shirt he slept in and into his high-school uniform.

"Ichi-nii!" He heard a female voice coming from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready!"

"Ichigo!" Yet another female voice called to him, from the same direction. "If you don't hurry we're all gonna be late to school!"

Those were his sisters, the nearly fifteen-year-old twins: shoulder-length, wavy, chestnut-brown haired and chocolate eyed Yuzu, and mid-back length, straight, black-haired and gray-eyed Karin; they both had a slim built and were more on the petite side, they also had tanned skin, Karin more so than Yuzu.

Ichigo walked by the kitchen, lowly mumbling his thanks as he took the toast and glass of juice Yuzu offered him for breakfast, he practically inhaled it as he walked to the door, leaving the empty glass on a table next to it. Yuzu stepped outside behind him, and Karin was waiting outside for them already.

The dark-haired twin wasn't alone either, with her was Kojima Mizuiro, with his chin-length well-combed dark hair and eyes, dressed in the same high-school uniform as Ichigo, except he was also wearing the vest, fully buttoned. His appearance was that of a cute, handsome gentleman, though everyone who knew him knew of his taste for older women, and the fact that at any given time he'd more than one 'girlfriend'.

"Come on already people, or we're gonna be late!" Karin ordered. "And if I'm late for football training because of you I'll kick your asses so hard you won't be able to walk straight for a week! You hear me?!"

Neither boy reacted to her threats at all, they were too used to them already, it had been like that since Karin had begun walking with them to school, when she first entered junior-high, and it had only gotten worse in high-school. She was so much of a tomboy, and it showed, in the way she spoke, and acted; almost a complete opposite from her twin, whom so many saw as the 'perfect little lady'.

xXx

That night the three siblings were making their way home. They stopped by a corner where they knew a girl had died a few years before and Yuzu changed the flowers there, they did the same thing every few days. At least now it was because the flowers dried, and not because some punks would ruin them and break the bottles as they were skating, playing or whatever else. Ichigo used to get into fights with them all the time; Karin too, at times. But after all the years that had passed so many people knew about the Kurosaki siblings that most chose to stay as far away from them as they could.

The Kurosaki Family was known for a few things: their father owned a small clinic, small but still well-respected, and the children would help out there in weekends and vacations; the Kurosaki twins were two of the most beautiful girls in high-school, neither of them were currently dating, mostly because Ichigo hardly allowed anyone close enough to try; also, in a very particular circle, it was known that all three Kurosaki children had the ability to see spirits and communicate with them.

At times one, or all three would talk to the spirits of those who had died, trying to help them find enough peace to move on. And that wasn't everything, there was also the fact that Karin was empathic, her talent had been mostly blocked by herself more than half a decade before, but some emotions still managed to slip through her barriers.

The door opened and Ichigo, like always, was the first to step inside, he raised his arm right in time to block the first kick from his crazy father before he moved his arm enough to take a hold of the man's ankle and throw him against a wall. Once sure the old man wouldn't be getting up immediately Ichigo fully stepped inside, followed by his two sisters.

"What times are these for children to be getting home?!" Isshin demanded.

"Oh, shut up, oyaji!" Ichigo yelled louder than him. "We're all in high-school now, and seven o' clock is certainly not a healthy curfew for normal teenagers!"

"Ah, but you aren't normal, are you?" Isshin asked in return.

Ichigo just flipped him the finger before stepping away. Really, his father seemed to love to remind them that seeing ghosts wasn't normal, especially since he couldn't do it…or so he always claimed. Did he really think his children were stupid or something? While there was a lot Ichigo didn't know, and wasn't interested in knowing, he was quite sure Isshin wasn't as ignorant of the spirits as he pretended to be. That or the man was just a freak for the way he handled the fact that all three of his children were spiritually aware! Not even Tatsuki had reacted like that at first! And she'd been young enough back then to see it all as a game before the seriousness of the matter hit her!

With a shake of the head at her father's and big brother's antics Yuzu took the containers her sister handed her from the refrigerator and reheated the food. Since getting into high-school, Yuzu made sure to cook dinner either very early or a day earlier so they only had to reheat it when needed. They also bought take-out every so often, so the girl didn't have to cook every day. They knew she liked doing it, she seemed to like doing all the house-duties, but she was a teenager now, and she was supposed to be making her own life, not acting like a little housewife all the time, not anymore.

After dinner, as was usual, each of the teens went to their rooms to make their homework, while their father watched some tv and stayed on alert in case someone came calling to the clinic. It was rare, as everyone knew that it was a family clinic, with only one doctor, and only those who had known Isshin for many years still went to him instead of the big hospital, Karakura General, but still, emergencies happened.

Once done with his homework, Ichigo laid on his bed for a while, he was considering if he should change into his sleeping clothes already. It wasn't the time he usually went to bed yet, but it wasn't like he had anything to do…except…

Making up his mind he got more comfortable in bed, closed his eyes, took a deep breath and then focused inwards.

"Ossan?" He asked out loud, without opening his eyes.

*Hello Ichigo.* A serene voice answered him inside his mind.

*Hey aibou!* A second voice, a bit distorted, called as well.

"Hey Shiro." Ichigo greeted the second voice as well.

*Aibou, I want to fight.* The second voice, Shiro, whined in a childish tone. *We haven't been in a good fight for months.*

"Not my fault all the thugs in town fear us so much they won't come anywhere close." Ichigo replied in a deadpan tone. "In any case, it's your own fault, it was you who decided how we dealt with the last two gangs that came at us."

*Hey!* Shiro complained. *We didn't kill anyone!*

"Of course we didn't kill anyone, idiot, if we had we would have gone to jail!" Ichigo hissed. *It's not my fault that they were all a bunch of pussies that…*

*You were calling, Ichigo.* The first voice interrupted the second's tirade.

"Yes ossan." Ichigo agreed. "There's something that's been worrying me."

*About all the spirits you've been seeing lately.* The old man's voice guessed.

"Exactly." Ichigo nodded. "So many more than I used to see in any given week in the past, less of all the same day. And then there are those monsters, I keep seeing them more and more lately. I'm not sure if that's normal."

*You only became aware of hollows two years ago Ichigo.* The old man reminded him. *But I assure you, their existence is fairly common. And since you're seeing different ones, and none more than once, we can suppose they're being dealt with.*

"I just hope it's not Ishida-shishou doing the dealing." Ichigo commented with a sigh. "As much as I respect the man, in any subject other than the way he used to treat Uryuu, I really don't like the way he deals with hollows."

*You cannot blame him for the ways he learnt from his ancestors, ways that were necessary a very long time ago.* The old-man reminded him.

"I know, I know." Ichigo nodded. "Things were awful all those years ago, they were only doing what was needed to protect their own families. I know all that. But couldn't they have found a different way of dealing with things since? I mean, it's been how many years now? And both Ishida-shishou and Uryuu are geniuses, everyone knows that; if others, like my friends and I, can find a way to deal with hollows without fully destroying them, why can't they? Isn't adapting part of human nature?"

*Sometimes humans are too set on their ways to adapt.* The old man said wisely. *It's the very same reason why your father hasn't spoken to you yet about the potential you have, and you haven't confronted him about the matter either. You're both too comfortable with your lives to risk ruining it all by opening that particular can of worms.*

"Well, in our case I don't think it affects us that much." Ichigo commented, though a bit unsure now. "I still have you, even if I know there's much you're not telling, Shiro the same thing. And I think, if he hasn't told me yet, there must be a reason. If I were to insist on it…it would be like when all those people used to insist that I talked about my mother's death, when all I wanted was to wallow in my own misery. True, it did help to talk about it, eventually, to someone I trusted, not the bunch of idiots that call themselves doctors and would have never understood what they were dealing with."

*They're used to dealing with humans in different conditions of stress, including the stress caused by a child who just lost his mother.*

"True, but I doubt very much they ever had a child who lost their mother in the very particular way I did. I thought I killed her Ossan! No matter what anyone else told me, what other explanation could there be for the two of us to be the only ones there, her to have screamed and then be dead on top of me? I blacked out, and I knew not what was going on. It wasn't until I began seeing those monsters that I realized what really happened that night."

*True, your case might have been different, but your pain was the same. And you needed someone to help you deal with it…*

"My friends helped me just fine. It might have taken me a long time, but I'm over it now."

*You know it's not over yet aibou.* Shiro interrupted the conversation. *It won't be until we find the bastard who did it and kill him for it.*

"We will, Shiro, we will, eventually." Ichigo reassured him in a strong tone. "But I'm not going to go hunting for him, I'm not going to leave my sisters, or my friends, vulnerable while I go hunting a monster I don't even remember the face of. When the time comes, we'll handle it, and that'll be it. Understood?"

*Fine, I don't exactly like it, but I see your point.* Shiro agreed. *Just make sure that when the time does come, you give me the chance to fight him as well.* his voice was very low as he added the last part. *She was my mother too…*

The truth was, Ichigo and Shiro had been together so long they considered each other as brothers, twins even; it was for that reason that Shiro had come to see Yuzu and Karin as his own sisters, and both Isshin and Masaki as his parents. What had happened to Masaki…it angered both boys, made them both want revenge, but not even the more bloodthirsty Shiro was willing to leave the twins alone and vulnerable to go hunting for the monster responsible.

*Ichigo…Shiro…*

The old man's voice calling both teenagers at the same time surprised them a lot.

*Change is coming.* The old man informed them. *You…we all have to be ready.*

Ichigo was about to demand a more in-depth explanation, even knowing it was unlikely he would get it, the old man liked being cryptic like that, when suddenly something else called his attention, a black butterfly that fluttered into his room…through the closed window.

Ichigo blinked a couple of times in contemplation, only to straighten up instantly the moment he saw the black clad figure that stepped into his room, through the same closed window, after the black butterfly that was still fluttering there.

"It is near…" The newcomer whispered.

"Hey!" Ichigo called. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

He had a pretty good idea that, whoever the girl was, she wasn't alive, considering she just walked through glass, and her clothes weren't very modern, but aside from that he had no idea; still that didn't change the fact that he really, really disliked being ignored. Which is why the orange-haired took a hold of her shoulder, forcefully spinning her around to face him.

"I asked who the hell you think you are?" Ichigo demanded hotly.

"You…you can see me?" The girl truly seemed shocked at that fact. "And you touched me?"

Her eyes were fixed on his hand on her shoulder until he removed it.

"Of course I can see you!" Ichigo snapped at her. "Newsflash girl, I can see spirits, and I'm not the only one either. Now, moving on, Who The Hell Are You?"

He was getting pissed off quite fast, spirits had stopped trying to invade his personal space years before, when they realized how angry he got over that, instead they went looking either for him or the girls in the lower floor, or in the hallway at most, never their rooms.

"I am a Shinigami." The girl stated in a very serious voice.

Ichigo just furrowed his brow, he'd never before seen a Shinigami, but then again, until two years before he'd never seen a hollow either, and even after he'd first met the Ishidas, he hadn't known about the whole Quincy-mess until much later. He'd known shinigami existed of course, but it was like knowing secret agencies existed; you heard about them, saw them in the movies, but you never saw them, so you might not really believe in them all the time. Though, as he heard the girl explain all about shinigami, their duties, pluses, hollows... a few things began making sense, in a way. 

*Ossan? Shiro?* Ichigo called into his mind. *You hearing any of this?*

But there was no answer, it wasn't exactly as if they were gone, there was an instinct inside of Ichigo that told him they were still there, but it was as if something…some metaphysical veil-thing were blocking them from him.

"Ok, lets say I believe you." Ichigo declared as he sat back down on his bed. "What are you doing in my house, inside my room?"

The girl blinked, she seemed actually surprised that he'd believed her just like that.

"You, you actually believed all that?" She asked.

"I've seen hollows before." Ichigo explained simply. "Every once in a while, only in passing, and never the same one twice. Guess if you shinigami purify them, that's the reason. I had never before seen one like you, though, not sure if the others have…"

Of course he was not going to tell her the Ishidas most definitely had, and the attitude they both had in regards to the whole race. It's not like it mattered.

"Others?" The girl seemed even more surprised by that.

"My friends." Ichigo clarified. "Most of them can see spirits, just like I do, even if most don't see them as clearly. My sisters can see them and touch them as well."

"I had never known of humans to be able to do that, less of all so many of them." The girl declared in obvious awe.

"For us it's not that strange." Ichigo shrugged. "Some of us have been able to see them our whole lives, or at least most of them." He shook his head. "But you still haven't answered my original question, why are you here?"

"I'm on a mission." The girl answered honestly. "After a hollow I sensed earlier today?"

"A hollow?!" Ichigo jumped onto his feet immediately. "You mean one of those monsters is in the area right now? They why are you here and not out there hunting it?!"

"I've been having trouble sensing it since I entered the neighborhood…" The girl explained as she furrowed her brow. "It's like there's something in the air, something that dampens my senses, as well as my own power…"

"If that is true…Karin! Yuzu!" Ichigo cried out as he hurried to the door.

"Wait!" The girl turned after him. "You cannot get your human family involved in this matter. It's not like there's anything any of you will be able to do!"

Seeing that he was completely ignoring her, the girl raised an arm in his direction and called:

"Bakudou # 1, Sai!"

Before he even knew what was going on Ichigo found himself crashing against the ground, right before his door, his arms forcefully pulled against his back by some invisible force.

"What the hell is this?!" Ichigo cried out, frustrated. "Hey! Shinigami! Undo this, whatever it is! I have to go check up on my sisters!"

"Stop moving, there's nothing you can do anyway." She began telling him.

She was going to say something else when a female scream interrupted him.

"That was one of my sisters!" Ichigo cried out.

He began trying even more frantically to get free from his bonds, but physical strength didn't seem to be enough.

The shinigami girl opened Ichigo's door, right in time for them both to see the auburn-haired twin collapse just a couple of feet away from it, she was panting, and looked hurt, the sight made Ichigo begin moving even more frantically.

"I-Ichi…You ok?"

Ichigo could barely hear her voice, and still, it was so broken he felt his blood go cold.

"Good, it hasn't gotten here." Yuzu continued. "Ichi-nii…y-you gotta…you gotta help Karin-chan…th-there's one of those monsters down there…it hurt tou-san…Karin-chan…she's trying to stop it, but it's so big…Ichi-nii…Y-You gotta save Karin-chan!"

That was enough. In a second Ichigo threw caution to the kind, his reiatsu began climbing at a very fast rate, and before the shinigami girl actually had the chance to ask what was going on, the invisible binds holding him broke.

"Wha…"

The shinigami girl was sure she'd never before been as shocked as in that moment, but before she had the chance to ask how what she'd just witnessed was possible, the young man had rushed past her and down the stairs, and even with him no longer in the same hallway as her, the whole place was still coated in his reiatsu, a reiatsu so powerful she could hardly stay on her feet, and the shinigami had a feeling that even that was only possible thanks to the adrenaline that had been running through her veins since the very first shock the human boy had given her when he touched her shoulder.

"Ossan!"

Ichigo was calling for the old man out loud even as he rushed down the stairs, taking several at a time, it caused him to nearly fall down half the stairs but he didn't care, his family needed him, he cared about nothing but helping them.

As soon as he reached the floor he could see there was a huge hole in the side of the house, and from it he could see the hollow, two or three stories high, standing in two legs, and it was holding onto Karin, a bat broken nearby. It was obvious to Ichigo that his sister had tried to use the bat as a weapon and had failed.

"Karin!" Ichigo cried out as he rushed out through the hole.

The shinigami girl finally followed Ichigo, arriving downstairs in time to see him stand in front of the hollow, yelling at it to let go of his sister.

"Ossan, if you want to teach me some lesson, right now isn't really the best time!" Ichigo yelled to the being in his head. "Shiro! Someone! I need help! Karin is being hurt!"

Nothing, his head remained absolutely silent.

Frustrated that his partners weren't helping him Ichigo tried to focus as much as he could before kicking the hollow's leg with all his strength, it was really the only part of the creature in his reach, and he needed to hurt it somehow before it crushed Karin.

The hollow barely took notice of Ichigo's attack, he was losing control way too fast and wasn't focusing enough for his kicks and punches to be truly effective.

The shinigami girl jumped at the same time the hollow moved to finally attack the boy, she cut deep into its arm with a katana, enough that the creature's hand opened, finally letting go of the black-haired girl it had been holding.

Ichigo jumped just in time to catch Karin before she hit the ground.

Ichigo barely had enough thought to check his sister fast to make sure her soul was still where it belonged. Otherwise he was going to get beyond frantic, he was going to get homicidal.

He deposited his unconscious sister inside what was left of their home, in a spot where he believed she would be safe enough and then went back outside.

"Where are your allies when you need them?" Ichigo muttered.

But of course, that was his area, Karin and him were supposed to be enough, and really, in the two years they'd known about hollows they'd only had to fight them a handful of times, and most of the times the creatures had ran away as soon as they realized the humans could fight them directly. The only ones who had ever destroyed hollows were the Ishidas.

"Ossan…Shiro…" The boy called again. "I would really appreciate one of you giving me a hand right about now…before we all end up dead!"

His brief moment of distraction as he argued with himself, or tried arguing with those inside his mind, gave the hollow the chance to attack him directly. By the time Ichigo had realized this he no longer had a chance to move, all he could do was brace himself for the coming pain, he'd been hurt by a hollow before, though they'd mostly been minor wounds, he was sure it wasn't going to be good.

'I only hope that, even if I die, someone will be able to stop this monster.' Ichigo thought.

He didn't close his eyes, if death was coming he would face it right on.

Only it didn't come, because in the last moment the shinigami girl was standing right before him, she was holding her katana up, but that hadn't stop the hollows jaws from injuring her, badly. As soon as the monster let go the shinigami dropped to her knees, a huge injury across her torso, and she was bleeding a lot.

"Shinigami!" Ichigo cried out in shock.

He hadn't been expecting that at all, it was one thing to learn the girl was a warrior tasked with fighting those monsters, and another very different for her to take a direct wound from said monster to protect him.

"You idiot…" The shinigami growled at him as she collapsed. "How can you get distracted when you have a 15 feet tall monster standing in front of you?!"

"I'm sorry…" He whispered.

He really couldn't explain to her that he had been screaming at voices inside his own head, not without making her think he was insane…or was he? If so then he'd been very much insane for many years now.

"I would like to say, 'don't worry about it'." The shinigami mumbled as she struggled to sit up in the sidewalk, a lamppost at her back. "Unfortunately I am no longer able to fight the hollow. Now all of us can only wait until we become its food."

Inside his mind, Ichigo was cursing. Where were his friends? Shouldn't they find it suspicious that the hollow hadn't been purified yet? Shouldn't one of the Ishidas have sensed just how low his sisters' reiatsu was already? Why were they still the only ones fighting the monster?

"Do you want to save your family?"

That question, that absolutely unexpected question coming from mouth of the shinigami bleeding a foot or so away from him called him complete attention in an instant.

"Is there a way to help them?" he turned directly at her immediately. "Tell me!"

"There is a way…" The shinigami suddenly shook her head. "No, to be exact, there is Only One Way." with great effort she raised her katana at him. "You…must become a shinigami!"

"What…What are you saying?" He was in shock.

Until that moment Ichigo hadn't known it was possible for anyone to become a shinigami. He was alive for god's sake! Was the shinigami girl crazy?

"Pierce your heart with this zanpakutou." The girl told him, still holding her katana. "And I will lend you half of my shinigami power. That way you will get the power of a shinigami temporarily, and will be capable of fighting that hollow…" she made a pause before adding: "I don't know if it'll work out, I don't know if you'll even survive this. I hope that due to your particularly high reiatsu, you'll have a chance. In any case, either you'll become a shinigami or you will die, or we will all die actually. There is no other way."

"Ossan? Shiro?" Ichigo called once more under his breath.

He really wished they would answer him, he could have used their power in the last several minutes, and he would feel much better if he had their council for what he was about to do. Because he knew what needed to be done, the shinigami had said it after all, it was the only way to make sure they wouldn't all die…

"I really hope that this isn't a mistake…" Ichigo whispered to himself. "And if it is…Ossan, Shiro, I'm sorry…"

The orange-haired squared his shoulders at the same time he went to stand right in front of the bleeding shinigami, he extended his hand to touch her katana.

"Give me your sword, shinigami!" He declared strongly. "Lets give this plan of yours a try."

"It's not 'Shinigami'." The girl informed him with a small smirk. "It's Kuchiki Rukia."

"I see…I'm Kurosaki Ichigo." He returned the courtesy. "Lets pray this doesn't become the last greeting for both of us."

Sending a last silent prayer, that even if it didn't work his family would make it out of the mess, Ichigo helped the shinigami…Kuchiki Rukia, take better hold of her sword and without a word more ran it through his own chest.

He didn't even feel any pain, instead all he was conscious of was the explosion of power that seemed to be centered inside of him. An instant later he felt so light, as if he could jump 20 feet or more with no effort at all, or maybe even fly…

What happened the next few seconds was more instinctive than conscious, even as he raised the sword he was now carrying and used it to, piece by piece, bring the hollow down. He didn't seem to notice its size, or weight, or the fact that he was wearing an attire similar to the one the girl had been wearing before; the same girl who was now wearing a white yukata…

"Realize the mistake of messing with my family, fish-face!" Ichigo yelled at the creature once he regained some semblance of self.

He didn't wait anymore, rushing the monster, katana held high, and then brought it down with enough force to split it from the top of its mask to the very end of its body. The hollow didn't even get the chance to try and evade.

Ichigo was feeling a great high after the kill, as if with that new power he were capable of anything; a small part of him kept wondering how long that would last, and what kind of consequences there would be for him wielding that power, but the bigger part of him couldn't bring himself to care, not when he'd just managed to destroy the creature that had dared threaten him and his family.

The high didn't last too much, soon enough he felt the strength leaving his muscles way too fast, and in a matter of a few seconds his legs would no longer hold him, causing him to fall, first on his knees, and then face-down, in the middle of the street. A corner of his mind wondered if, after surviving that awful monster, he was going to be run over by a car. And it also wondered about something else, yet again, the consequences of what happened that night. Something told him that, one way or another, his life was going to change…drastically.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2. Humans with Powers

Ichigo was still scowling when he got to the school's roof at lunch hour. His friends were already waiting there for him: Arisawa Tatsuki, Sado (Chad) Yasutora, Inoue Orihime, Ishida Uryuu, Kojima Mizuiro, Asano Keigo, Honshou Chizuru, as well as his sisters: Yuzu and Karin. Behind Ichigo himself entered Kuchiki Rukia.

That morning had been insane his father seemed to believe that a truck…a truck of all things! Had crashed against their home the previous night and then ran away, Yuzu and Karin had followed his delusions until they exited the house, when they told him very clearly they still remembered the monster that had attacked and wanted to know what had happened with it. Then there was the fact that, once in school, he'd discovered the shinigami girl was a new transfer student! Why hadn't she gone back to Soul Society? And what had she done to his father last night? And to him? Ichigo didn't remember anything after blacking out seconds after destroying the hollow. And then there was what he wanted to ask his friends.

"Ichigo!" Rukia was calling to him even as they got to the roof. "We really should be having this conversation in private!"

"They're my friends, they deserve to know what's going on." Ichigo replied simply.

"They're human! This doesn't concern them!" Rukia insisted.

"You should be more careful of how you express your own opinions, shinigami…" A male voice hissed with disdain.

Rukia raised her head in shock, she hadn't expected someone to know what she was, she was quite sure Ichigo couldn't have told him, not yet.

"Uryuu…" Orihime whispered.

They had rarely ever seen the black-blue-haired blue-eyed boy act that coldly, especially in regards to someone they'd just met. All the friends knew of his thoughts about the shinigami, but they couldn't all be as bad as the monster he'd seen, could they?

"Why did you bring her here, Ichigo?" Uryuu demanded, obviously upset. "You know I have no patience for those like she!"

"Uryuu…" Ichigo shook his head tiredly. "Can't you push your damn prejudices aside? At least for a while? We all need to talk, all of us, of something important. We really don't have time for your anger issues right now."

Uryuu bristled, anger issues? Ichigo wouldn't be saying the same if he was in the Quincy's place? The spectacle-wearing boy actually doubted his orange-haired 'friend' would be as open to 'have a talk' with a hollow present!

"Ok, that was a bit colder than I planned, sorry." Ichigo admitted, truly sorry. "I don't intend to make your feelings less. But we've talked about this before Uryuu, you cannot judge a whole society on what one madman, or a group of madmen, whatever, did. It's not fair, not to them, and not to you."

Uryuu half nodded with a huff, they'd had the same conversation many times since they had become friends. Uryuu knew Ichigo actually empathized with what Uryuu felt in regards to the loss of his grandfather, because he felt the same thing, ever since his mother had died. Still, it was hard to just accept that and move on.

"Very well, I'll ignore this for the time being." Uryuu agreed. "But I really want to know why you would bring a shinigami to one of our meetings."

"And I want to know who you are and how you can know I'm a shinigami." Rukia demanded.

"Please, you may be weakened for some reason, and in a fake body, but there's no way you can disguise your essence." Uryuu sighed. "And I'm Ishida Uryuu."

He expected some kind of recognition at the name, after all, the Ishida Line had always been very powerful in the Quincy Lineage, and now it was the only one to remain; yet there was nothing, she had no idea.

Seeing that she was expected to answer to that introduction Rukia spoke.

"I'm Kuchiki Rukia, and, in effect, I'm a shinigami." Rukia nodded. "Though I still don't know who you are, your name doesn't tell me anything."

"Ishida, he's an Ishida." Ichigo pointed out.

"I'm sorry, but I had never heard that family name before." Rukia admitted.

"So they've gone that far, huh?" Ishida shrugged. "They've erased us from their history."

"I don't understand…" Rukia began.

"I'm a Quincy." Uryuu explained. "One of the last Quincy actually, the only other one being my father. Most of the Quincy were annihilated by you Shinigami, two hundred years ago, because it was believed our race threatened the balance, as our powers destroyed hollows instead of purifying them. Yet that's not actually the reason I hate shinigami. I actually see why such decisions might have needed to be taken all those years ago. No, the reason I hate shinigami comes from something much more recent. My grandfather and Master, Ishida Souken, he was willing to work with you Shinigami, he was the Master Quincy, and he believed if we joined forces we could achieve great things. He believed that, until the day he died, killed by hollows, when his so-called allies were too late to help him. Two hours too late! He fought for hours on his own, until he could no longer do it, and the shinigami didn't arrive until two hours after he'd already died!"

Rukia couldn't believe what he was hearing, he could see in the humans' expressions, even as they lowered their heads, that they had all heard that story before; she could even see the red-orange haired girl as she held onto the Quincy's arm softly, as if offering comfort.

"I'm sorry…" Rukia whispered honestly. "I truly…I didn't know any of that, I hadn't even heard of Quincy before today."

"That's the reason, why I hate shinigami." Uryuu continued. "Though, I guess it's not really hate, my friends have helped me move past that. Right now, it's simply that I don't trust you, any of you. If you fail a man you called an ally, what can be expected of us humans? That's why I've trained my whole life, so I'll be able to protect myself, my family, my friends, so I'll never depend on shinigami to fight the hollows that may come…"

"And talking about such things." Ichigo interrupted his speech suddenly. "Where the hell were you last night?"

"Eh?" Uryuu certainly wasn't expecting that.

"Last night." Ichigo repeated. "While a fifteen foot monster attacked my home and nearly killed my whole family. Where the hell were you?"

"A hollow attacked your home?" the question came from everyone.

It was then that Ichigo actually saw their looks of surprise. They didn't know, they hadn't known of the attack…

"How can this be?" Ichigo asked, confused. "How can you not know? That thing was so powerful…so strong…"

"My powers did nothing to it." Karin pointed out. "I pushed as much of it as I could into the bat, and it still broke as easily as if I had used any empty piece of wood."

"I could hardly even breathe." Yuzu admitted.

That confession actually scared them, even as young as they were, the twins were powerful, even more so than Keigo, Mizuiro and Chizuru, and Karin was even more powerful than Tatsuki, as raw as her power may be.

"You have powers?" Rukia hadn't been expecting that.

"We still haven't perfected them, but yes." Karin nodded. "I'm capable of infusing objects with my power, making them stronger, more resistant."

"I infuse myself with power, turning myself into a weapon." Tatsuki added.

"I don't have any active power, though I'm quite adept at healing and hiding." Yuzu admitted.

"We don't have any actual powers." Keigo informed her, signaling to himself, and the two by him. "Though we can still see spirits and more-or-less calculate how dangerous they may be."

"Chad has armor on his right arm and is very strong, with or without it." Orihime let her know. "And I can create shields to protect, heal and attack…though I'm not too good in the attacking department, and as you already know, Uryuu is a Quincy."

"How is this possible, so many humans with powers…" Rukia was in shock.

"That's actually my fault." Ichigo admitted. "You've felt my reiatsu, I didn't always have the control over it that I do know."

"He actually didn't have any control over it." Uryuu clarified. "It was a huge leak of power."

"Hey!" Ichigo complained. "In any case, Ishida-shishou trained me, that's Uryuu's dad. He taught me how to control my reiatsu, but by then I had already affected those closest to me. It was also around that time that I learnt about Uryuu. Then, about two years ago, when Orihime's and Chad's powers activated I came up with the idea of us having weekly meetings, we talk about our abilities, how we're training them, and the spirits we see. Eventually Tatsuki developed her own powers and joined us, same as my sisters, and then they thought to include Keigo, Mizuiro and Chizuru as well, even if they don't have powers, they'd already seen some things, and were beginning to suspect we were keeping secrets of some kind."

"Wait, you had abilities even before what happened last night?" Rukia was surprised about that. "Why didn't you use them then?"

"I tried." Ichigo admitted. "They weren't working for some reason. My ability consists on creating a sword out of my own reiatsu and using it to fight. I'm not as precise with it as Uryuu is with his arrows…"

"No one is as precise as a Quincy with their arrows…" Uryuu clarified.

"Yes, anyway, but it's enough to get the job done." Ichigo finished.

"At least the hollows don't get away from us anymore, like they did at first." Uryuu mumbled.

"Hey! We were amateurs, it was obvious we were going to make some mistakes at first." Ichigo snapped. "Besides, it was only one hollow, and it's not like it has come back, so someone else must have purified it."

Rukia just kept looking from one to the other in silence, they kept arguing, and yet she could sense it wasn't serious, it was more like playful banter, like that of very close friends, those two almost seemed more like family than just friends.

"Going back to last night." Uryuu turned serious. "I honestly didn't feel any hollows, least of all near your home; I doubt my father did either. You know that had we, we would have done something about it. Regardless of whatever we may say, or how we may act, we're friends."

In low voices the rest of the humans clarified that they hadn't sensed anything either, not even Orihime, who was, by far, the best at sensing reiatsu.

"I know." Ichigo nodded with the same seriousness. "That's why I was so surprised when no one appeared to help even after all the destruction that monster was causing."

"We have to investigate this." Uryuu pointed out. "If someone is messing with our senses we need to know, before things get even worse."

"They're already pretty bad." Ichigo admitted tiredly. "I haven't told you everything that happened last night. The hollow that attacked, it was powerful, too powerful. I couldn't call on my own ability, and it came so close to killing Karin…" He had trouble explaining it. "Uryuu, you pointed out that Rukia was weakened and in a fake body, there's a reason for that…"

"She gave you her powers." Uryuu finished for him.

Both Rukia and Ichigo gaped, they weren't expecting him to have noticed already.

"I could sense it." Uryuu explained. "There's a ribbon of power connecting the two of you, a red ribbon, though it's frazzled on Kuchiki's end. We've always known, for your powers, that it was likely that you had some connection to shinigami, but still, your reiraku had never been actually red until today."

Ichigo nodded, he should have known Uryuu would notice. Even though Orihime may be the best at sensing reiatsu, Uryuu was the best at actually analyzing it. It was also why he'd been so insistent to Rukia that they needed to tell his friends right away, it wasn't like they would be able to keep things from them anyway.

"So…you know that, all things considered, I am a Shinigami Daiko right now, yet you didn't react to that as violently as you did to Rukia's presence." Ichigo pointed out.

"I knew you before those powers, and I trusted you, still do." Uryuu admitted. "The same cannot be said about her."

Of course he trusted him, how could he not after everything they'd been through? They were close friends, almost like family, all of them were.

"I suppose we'll be taking over her duties until she gets her powers back." Uryuu assumed.

"That's the plan." Ichigo nodded.

"But," Rukia interrupted. "You said, you said Quincy destroyed hollows! And hollows are just human souls that were consumed! They need to be purified, not destroyed."

"We already know all that." Uryuu deadpanned. "And in regards to a Quincy's powers…well, two centuries is a very long time, things change."

"Two centuries may be a very long time, but you know things only changed because you wanted them to." Tatsuki interrupted him. "The purifying arrows are your creation, neither your father nor your grandfather did something like that, ever."

"I don't know, maybe my grandfather never thought of it, or just didn't have the power." Uryuu commented. "And my father…he isn't as tolerant of some things as I am…"

"Ishida-shishou…" Ichigo groaned at the reminder. "He's going to give me hell about this whole mess, isn't he?"

"Possibly." Uryuu shrugged. "I honestly don't know. There are things about your abilities neither of us know, even though we suspect my father, and possibly yours do."

"They'll tell us someday." Ichigo argued.

"I just hope they do before our situation complicates even further." Uryuu mumbled.

"What could be even more complicated than everything that's going on already?" Tatsuki questioned right then.

"Soul Society getting involved." Uryuu answered honestly. "You can all be sure they will at some point. Even if Kuchiki recovers her powers and leaves in time, even if she doesn't reports to her superiors about us…sooner or later the shinigami will realize there are humans with too much power in Karakura. Our powers are still growing, and eventually lessons in control and in concealment aren't going to be enough. Especially if strong hollows come and force us to fight back on the same level."

"Even if they come, we'll be together." Tatsuki declared strongly. "We're more powerful together than apart. We'll stand up to whatever is needed."

"Would you?" Uryuu asked her. "Even if by staying away you had the chance of remaining hidden and safe yourself?"

"I'm no coward!" Tatsuki snapped. "I don't run away. If someone needs me, I act, that's just how I am. And you, all of you, are my friends…more than my friends…"

"Like family." Orihime pointed out.

Chad nodded.

It was a very particular situation, all of them, they had special situations in regards to family, either they were orphans, like Chad, and Orihime; or had lost family members, like Uryuu, Ichigo and his sisters; or their families simply didn't care enough…

"No, it's different." Tatsuki shook his head. "We're not just mere classmates, or allies. We're more than just friends…not quite like family but…"

"Nakama." Rukia whispered.

"Yes, nakama, that's the kind of word I was looking for." Tatsuki nodded in agreement. "We're Nakama…"

xXx

As first days and then weeks passed, ever so slowly, Kuchiki Rukia got to know more and more of Ichigo's friends, his nakama. And ever so slowly, they were becoming her friends and nakama as well. At first she'd been so sure they would just be in danger themselves if they messed with the hollows, but they all turned out to be valuable assets in the fights. Even those who didn't have active powers. Mizuiro was one of the best strategists she'd ever seen, able to keep his mind during a crisis, and quite creative when needed; Keigo was particularly good at kendo, and his scandalous attitude served to distract the enemies more often than not, he was also particularly resilient; Chizuru didn't seem to mind playing bait, she was a great actress, and was very agile and fast, enough to attract a hollow and then get far enough before the attacks were fired at it. Yuzu and Karin, despite being younger than the rest were very good themselves, especially Karin, who was the more physical fighter. Rukia soon discovered that what Yuzu did was actually a rudimentary form of kidou and took it upon herself to instruct the girl in the art, she turned out to be very gifted.

As time passed Uryuu's attitude towards her changed, as he watched her helping Yuzu train and doing her best to help everyone fight the hollows even when she was weakened after lending her powers to Ichigo. The moment came when he chose to simply ignore the fact that she was a shinigami, and regarded her like he did the rest of the group, as a nakama.

Isshin still hadn't said a word to either of his children, and they still refused to confront him in the matter, though Karin came pretty close in several occasions. In the end they decided that knowing the truth wouldn't change them in any way, wouldn't change the powers they had, or the decisions they had made long ago to all be a team and protect those they cared for.

And then came the day when Ryuuken found out what was going on…

It was one of those situations that began bad and only got worse.

Hollows had been appearing more and more, in frequency and in numbers in the recent days, and then came the day when there were so many the nakama had to split to handle them all at the same time. They divided the city in four sectors and formed teams: one formed by Uryuu and Orihime, another Chad, Keigo and Mizuiro, the third Tatsuki, Karin, Yuzu and Chizuru, and the last Ichigo and Rukia. They had arranged the teams according to power and experience when dealing with hollows, as well as the zones where the more powerful ones appeared.

What none of them had considered, was the possibility of the first hollows, and the reiatsu released during their destruction, to attract even more of those creatures, more powerful than the first group. An hour after it began, the situation had gotten even worse than if one of the old Quincy lures had been used. Bad enough that an old exiled shinigami and his group joined, as well as Ryuuken himself, from the window of his office in Karakura General Hospital.

When seeing that his father had entered the action Uryuu began firing his own arrows even faster, he knew his father wasn't interested in purifying the hollows, he just destroyed them, and if too many were destroyed they risked calling Soul Society's attention, that would be a bad idea, seeing as Kuchiki Rukia still hadn't regained her powers…

The icing on the cake, came when a hole opened in the sky, and from it a huge hollow began stepping out, it was as huge as a skyscraper, and its presence was enough to send Keigo, Mizuiro and Chizuru to their knees panting, while Tatsuki and Yuzu were shaking and Karin was drenched in cold sweat; Chad, Uryuu and Orihime hurried to make sure they were safe, while Ichigo faced off the creature with Rukia as the only backup.

"Ichigo, I really think you should wait for Ishida, Orihime, or someone else to come help." Rukia commented with doubt.

"Why?" Ichigo asked. "You're here, I have backup."

"Please Ichigo, don't try to pretend, we both know my powers aren't getting any better." Rukia deadpanned. "If anything I would almost believe they're getting worse. That thing over there is a Menos Grande, it's what comes of a hollow consuming a thousand others. Which means it's as powerful, or even more so, than a thousand hollows, you cannot fight it on your own. Regardless of any prior abilities you may have had, of any hollows you may have fought in the past, you've only been a shinigami for two months! There's no way you can take on a Menos Grande on your own! You need help!"

"Rukia, if I don't do something to at least keep that thing at bay it'll fully get out of that hole and into Karakura." Ichigo pointed out very seriously. "We cannot allow that to happen."

"You could get killed!" Rukia insisted. "What would you do then?"

"Hope that one of my nakama finishes it before innocent people get killed." Was his reply.

Rukia was frozen in shock, from all the responses she could have gotten, that had never crossed her mind. The orange-haired standing by her was a human! A living human! And a young one too, barely a teenager! He shouldn't be so willing to die, even if it was while fighting to protect other people, his own town.

Without any further words Ichigo rushed to the corner of the rooftop they were standing on and readied his sword to attack.

"Ossan…Shiro…" He whispered to himself. "I think now would be a good time to come back." He sighed. "Look, if you're trying to teach me a lesson…maybe I'm just stupid, 'cause I really don't see what it might be…I might actually understand more if you actually talked to me! Why haven't you? Why haven't I heard from you, not even once, since that night?"

It was true, he hadn't heard either of his 'tenants' in all the weeks since he'd first met Rukia and gained the powers as a Shinigami Daiko.

"I really, really hope this works." Ichigo told himself.

If it didn't…well, he just hoped the others hurried and finished the job. It wasn't that he was suicidal, he really wasn't, he liked life a lot. But he also cared about his family and friends a lot; he wasn't a guy to show his emotions too much, so the way he expressed he cared was by putting himself in the front lines, taking the big risks so the others wouldn't have to.

"Here goes."

He focused all the reiatsu he could, gathering it from every inch of his body, through his arms and into the katana in his hands. Soon the sword was glowing a dark blue color, almost too much to be looked at directly; it also began vibrating almost violently. It wasn't until a crack appeared in the guard that he realized he was focusing too much power, he had to let it go before the katana exploded in his hands.

"Now!" Ichigo cried out as he swung.

It was a very basic arc, though he tried angling it as high as he possible could, the result was what looked like a dark blue crescent coming out of the katana and flying straight at the hollow right as it set one foot in Karakura.

Ichigo fell on his back hard as soon as the power was released.

"Ichigo!" Rukia cried out rushing to him. "What was that?"

"Whiplash, I think…" Ichigo answered.

Rukia shook her head, but then her shock overrode her worry, if just briefly, as the Menos actually recoiled at the attack, and after remaining immobile for a few very long seconds, it finally stepped back into the hole it had come out of, closing it after itself.

Rukia could hardly believe it, Kurosaki Ichigo, the seventeen-year-old teenager that had been taking over her duties, who was using her powers, who didn't understand them in the slightest, who hadn't even known about shinigami a little over two months before…he had just defeated a creature that more than half of the members of the Gotei 13 shivered at the mere idea of, and many had never actually seen.

'Just who are you Kurosaki Ichigo?' Rukia wondered, not for the first time.

Right then the orange-haired teen moved to straighten up and immediately groaned, his hands were burning; actually, he felt like his whole body was burning.

"What did you do to yourself?!" Rukia screeched.

"I think I focused too much power…" Ichigo admitted sheepishly.

Before Rukia could scold him some more or fuss over him Ichigo's instincts yelled at him of a new danger. He didn't stop to think about it, ignoring his wounds he forced his body into motion, jumping onto his feet and standing in between Rukia and the glowing blue arrow aimed at her, an arrow that didn't come from Ishida Uryuu's bow…

"Wha…" Rukia was in shock, again.

She hadn't sensed anyone coming, hadn't realized anything was going on until Ichigo moved to protect her. Then, when she heard the words spoken by the teen, she couldn't help but gulp:

"Ishida-shishou…"

"Kurosaki Ichigo…" Ryuuken spoke, coldly.

Ichigo couldn't help but flinch at the tone used, his master hadn't talked to him in that tone in over two years. He respected the man so much, almost like an uncle, which was in part why he and Uryuu were so close, and yet…he knew he'd disappointed the man, the way he was looking at his clothes, and Rukia as well, said that much.

"Shishou…" Ichigo began again.

"Quiet." Ryuuken ordered authoritatively. "Do not refer to me by such terms. No student of mine would ever be a shinigami…"

Ichigo considered correcting his address, but then his mind recoiled at the very thought, it wasn't his style to be so obedient, almost submissive, and while it was true the midnight-blue eyed man had always been able to command respect with his mere presence, and Ichigo felt that very keenly, he wasn't about to allow his choices to be ignored.

"Shishou." Ichigo insisted. "I may have become a shinigami out of necessity, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm still human, and your student."

"Doesn't it?" Ryuuken insisted.

"I'm still Kurosaki Ichigo, my heart is still beating, and I still make use of what you've taught me." Ichigo explained.

"If you did, you would have never become a shinigami." Ryuuken pointed out derisively.

"It's not like I had much of a choice, actually." Ichigo explained. "About eight weeks ago or so, a hollow attacked my home, Karin's powers weren't enough, and my own weren't even working, I still don't know why. The Shinigami standing behind me, Kuchiki Rukia, she got badly hurt saving me. The hollow was too powerful…there's no way I'll ever let anyone or anything hurt my family."

"So you took her powers." Ryuuken finished for him.

"She offered, and I accepted. It was the only way." Ichigo didn't apologize for his decision. "I kept trying to call on my powers, kept hoping, you, or Uryuu or someone would come! But no one did. That thing was going to kill us. I needed to protect my family! I know you don't like it, Uryuu didn't either when he first found out, but since then he's understood the necessity of it. I'm sure you must have noticed that hollow activity has risen considerably in the last several weeks. This can't be normal…"

"It isn't." Ryuuken admitted. "A storm is coming. What happened here today only confirms that all the more."

Ichigo nodded seriously.

"That doesn't excuse your choices." Ryuuken insisted.

Rukia had noticed that through all the conversation Ichigo had kept a hold on his zanpakutou, but he'd never raised it, he was protecting her, and yet he refused to do anything that would imply he might even think about attacking the man before him. He really respected him a lot. It made her sad, to think that he was having to confront him because of her, and it made her make her own decision…

Before Ichigo realized what was going on Rukia stepped from behind him, allowing her full body, still in a gigai and in a simple dress, to be seen; then, once she was sure she had the older Quincy's full attention, and ignoring the glowing arrow before her, she bowed deeply at the waist, head down in deep respect.

Ichigo gaped, he had no idea what Rukia was planning, it was dangerous for anyone to be standing before a Quincy with their bow drawn, but especially for a shinigami.

"Rukia…" Ichigo mumbled.

Rukia directed him a quick hard look, without raising her head, wordlessly ordering him to stay quiet while she handled it.

"Unseated Shinigami of the 13th Division of the Gotei 13, Kuchiki Rukia." The girl introduced herself respectfully.

"Kuchiki?" Ishida asked with a furrowed brow. "I've heard that Clan name before."

The fact that he used the term Clan instead of Family, told Rukia that the man most definitely knew about the Kuchiki name.

"I wasn't born a Kuchiki, the Clan adopted me five decades ago." Rukia clarified. "Like I said before, I'm an unseated shinigami in the 13th Division, serving under Ukitake-taichou. I was sent to become the resident shinigami here in Karakura Town a little over two months ago. I quickly noticed that the number of hollows and the frequency was above average, but it wasn't until the night of the attack on the Kurosaki Family that I actually realized just how serious the situation actually was."

"Why didn't you call for reinforcements?" Ryuuken couldn't help but ask.

"At first I was confused." Rukia admitted. "As soon as I reached the area where the Kurosakis lived I lost track of the hollow, even though I had been tracking it for several hours. I began looking for it more closely, and ended up inside Ichigo's room, where he confronted me. He knew I was a spirit, but had never seen a shinigami, though he did tell me he'd seen hollows and even fought them before. We argued for a while, until we heard a scream. I hadn't even felt the slightest trace of the hollow before we opened his door, and then it suddenly was right there. Things got really bad, really fast; Ichigo was trying to do something, it wasn't working, and then the hollow attacked him, I got in the middle, and ended being badly wounded…" she shook her head. "I'll admit that when the fight began I didn't actually think about calling for help, and later on it would have been useless. After I was wounded, him becoming a shinigami was really the only way for us all to survive."

"You say you protected him when he was caught off-guard." Ryuuken commented suddenly. "Why? Why not allow him to be killed? It was, after all, his own idiocy that got him in that position? I have a feeling that if you had focused in fighting you would have been able to destroy the hollow while it was busy with his soul."

Ichigo couldn't help but flinch slightly at his master's comment, he knew the man was right, and that being harsh was normal for him, it didn't stop the comment from hurting, though.

"No!" Rukia cried out, horrified. "It wouldn't have been right!"

"You're a shinigami, your duty is to purify hollows, not look after humans that are too distracted to take care of themselves." Ryuuken insisted.

No one, not even Ishida Ryuuken, could have been expecting the silent transformation that Kuchiki Rukia seemed to undergo right then, as she straightened up rather suddenly and faced Ryuuken straight on, ignoring the fact that she was much shorter than him, her violet eyes shining like amethysts as her little reiatsu gave a certain glow to her form.

"I will fight to protect those that need protecting!" She cried out vehemently. "All Ichigo wanted was to protect his family. I wasn't about to let him become a victim of that creature!"

"What if your compassion had killed you?" Ryuuken challenged.

Rukia actually had to stop and think about it, in a way she hadn't that night, she hadn't stopped to think, not about the dangers, or the possible consequences, she'd just acted.

"I don't know." Rukia answered softly, honestly. "I don't think about such things when I'm out fighting hollows. I know…I was taught all I had to do was purify hollows, and konso the wandering souls. I was never told anything about the humans I might encounter, those spiritually aware, and especially those that might be trying themselves to help others. The people like Ichigo, like your son, and the rest of their friends…" she sighed. "When I first met them I thought they had to be insane, to do what they did, and yet in the weeks I've known them I've come to respect them, to admire them. They understand so much about fighting, about protecting, so much that shinigami more than ten times their age and with way more experience than them, or I, just don't know…" she shook her head. "I know you have no reason to trust shinigami, neither you, nor any of them do, I'm not asking you to do that. I'm asking you to give me, K…Rukia a chance. Give me a chance, form an opinion about me, not the Clan or the Organization I belong to, or the clothes I may wear."

Ichigo understood what she was doing right then, she was trying to show she was more than a shinigami, and trying to get Ishida Ryuuken to see her like that. It might work, at least, the man was much more open-minded than he'd been when Ichigo had first met him, he did, after all, tolerate him, and all their other friends…

"We'll see." Was all Ryuuken said. "Meanwhile, I think you should see to my students."

It was until then that Rukia became aware that Uryuu had arrived at some point during her speech, they were standing a few feet to her right. Uryuu was holding his hands separate from his body gingerly, and his fingers were bleeding, a consequence of firing too many arrows in an extremely short time, without giving his body time to recover.

"U…Ishida-san!" Rukia cried out. "What did you do to yourself?"

"What was necessary to get rid of those monsters." Uryuu answered simply.

Ryuuken just watched the scene in silence for a few seconds, while Rukia fussed over his son. It got worse when Ichigo finally was unable to remain standing and fell to his knees, letting out a groan of pain at upsetting his burns even more. Rukia cried out then and began fussing even more over both boys, trying and failing to heal them much with her weak kidou, to her further annoyance.

Ryuuken shook his head and went for the door to get back into the hospital, he was surprised the teens hadn't noticed that was where they were standing. Right as he began walking down the stairs he could see another of the teens coming his way.

"Ishida-sensei." Orihime bowed her head respectfully at the older man.

"I believe you may be needed out there." Ryuuken informed her stoically. "My student and son both decided to be idiots and push their bodies far more than they should have. They will need you to treat them."

"Of course!" Orihime nodded immediately.

The girl didn't say a thing about the man's comments, she, like everyone else in their group, knew that regardless of how aloof the man acted, of how emotionless he might seem, he truly cared for them all, and most especially for Uryuu and Ichigo; it was the whole reason why he'd taught Ichigo control when his reiatsu grew too much, and Uryuu when he began experimenting with some dangerous Quincy techniques. He might not like the fact that all the teens were so willing to get involved in spiritual affairs, regardless of their own safety, but that didn't stop him from caring.

Orihime stepped onto the hospital's roof to see things were certainly serious, in particular with Ichigo, he had burns in his arms and part of his torso, they were especially bad in his hands. Uryuu's hands were red and raw too for using his bow too much, far more than he should have without a special glove.

"Ichigo! Uryuu!" Orihime cried out as she hurried to them.

She didn't even need to ask what had happened, seeing them, and after what Dr. Ishida had told her, she knew enough.

The sunset haired girl immediately got Rukia to help her get both boys laying down on the floor, ignoring all the protests, so she could activate her powers.

"Orihime, you've been fighting hollows for hours." Uryuu told her worriedly. "You risk being drained if you insist on healing us right now."

"I'll be fine." Orihime interrupted him. "Souten Kisshun! I reject!"

Neither of the boys could say anything else afterwards, and had to stay in place as they waited for their wounds to finish healing.

"Well Kuchiki…I think you definitely made an impression with my father." Uryuu couldn't help but comment.

Really, he hadn't seen his father being that accepting of anything, especially of a shinigami, ever before. Actually, it had been shocking enough when, two years before, he'd ended up accepting Ichigo, Orihime and the others.

Rukia didn't say anything, she was still in shock at everything she'd said. Since she'd been adopted by the Kuchiki Clan she hadn't dared speak out, especially not to those that so obviously held an authority far above her own. And yet…what she'd done right then…it shocked her so much…and yet it felt so right…She just hoped she hadn't made things even more complicated for her friends…friends, what a novel concept for her, she hadn't had actual friends in over fifty years…

Kuchiki Rukia felt she was fortunate, so fortunate…if only she'd known her luck wasn't meant to last much longer…

Chapter Text

Chapter 3. Memories of Rain, Tears and Blood

Even with everything she'd witnessed and lived in the last nine weeks or so, nothing could have prepared Rukia for what she witnessed that particular day.

It had all begun the day before, when during her last study-period, a student approached her with a folder and handed it to her, telling her that was the work she would need to hand in two days later to make up for her not assisting the following day. Seeing her confused expression, Orihime had elaborated, they were all going to miss school the next day, and since she was always with them, the teacher had assumed Rukia was part of it as well. And even when Rukia didn't truly understand what was going on, she wanted to, and decided to take them up on the unspoken offer and go as well.

The day had begun early, and Yuzu had enlisted Rukia's help in packing a good number of bentos, which were then picked up by the rest of the boys when they met them out.

Still, the shinigami didn't truly understand what was going on until she saw the archway of the place they were entering, it read: Karakura Cemetery

"All this just to visit a grave?" Rukia asked under her breath.

"It's not just any grave." Orihime whispered in a very low tone.

And that much the shinigami realized when they finally reached the right spot. It read 'Kurosaki Grave' and the last name thus far in the list was: Kurosaki Masaki. Rukia gasped, as it suddenly dawned on her: the poster of the woman in the dinning room, the way in which Isshin talked to it, how Yuzu handled all the house-chores, the fact that there didn't seem to be a Mrs. Kurosaki at home…she was dead…

Rukia was greatly shocked when, after the Kurosakis had said their initial prayers, she watched the rest of the teens, the nakama, take a two row formation in front of the grave and bow deeply; at a signal from Orihime, Rukia joined the group in this act. They all whispered short prayers and added their own sticks of incense and flowers (Rukia's provided by the other girls) to the offerings already provided by the Kurosakis.

After that was done, the Kurosakis took turns to 'talk to Masaki', while the nakama stood guard while keeping out of their way, Isshin never making any comment at the fact that they were all there, he seemed to be used to it already.

Tatsuki and Orihime pulled Rukia with them to the end of the cemetery hill, nearby, the spot looked almost like a small cliff. Tatsuki and Rukia sat in the very end of it, while Orihime chose to sit against a tree a couple of feet away from the edge.

"Have you been doing this for very long?" Rukia inquired, interested.

"We come several times a year." Tatsuki informed her. "And we've been doing it for two years now, so the teachers have gotten used to all of us missing at the same time. Right now was for Ichigo's mom; in mid-August we'll come again, for Chad's abuelo; then, one of the last days of December again, for Uryuu's Jii-san and master; and in March…"

"For my brother." Orihime finished for her.

"Wow…" Rukia found the whole ritual baffling.

"Those aren't all the family members we've lost, but they're those that were so dear to us we see fit to honor them this way." Orihime added. "Some, like Chad's abuelo, well, we never met him, none of us, but Chad is our friend, our nakama, and so we all come to honor his memory. It's the same for those who never met Sora-nii-san, or Ichigo's kaa-san. It doesn't matter if we knew those that died, but that we know those who wish to honor them."

"And you say you've been doing this for two years?" Rukia inquired.

"This is the third time we've come to Masaki-san's grave." Orihime qualified.

"To understand why this ritual is so important, you need to understand something else about Ichigo's kaa-san first." Tatsuki added in a somber tone. "It happened eight years ago…"

There was reluctance in Tatsuki when she spoke, but Rukia felt she needed to know, that it was very important, and somehow the other two girls felt the same thing; it was the only reason they were even speaking of such things without asking Ichigo or his sisters first.

"What happened?" Rukia pressed.

"Masaki-san died." Tatsuki answered. "Or more precisely…she was murdered."

Rukia gasped.

"It happened when Ichigo was nine, the twins seven." Tatsuki explained. "I've known Ichigo for over a decade. We studied martial arts together. Back then he was a crybaby, mama's boy. I could defeat him easily, and every time I hit him he would cry. I thought it was ridiculous. Every evening, once the class was over, his mom would arrive to pick him up, and Ichigo's whole demeanor would change, it was like the pain was erased with her mere presence, or maybe he just stopped caring. Back then I thought it was pathetic, for a boy to smile as brightly as he did, even though he'd lost. If I had known I would ever stop seeing such smiles…I probably wouldn't have been so quick to judge, but then again, I was but a child."

Rukia found hard the idea of Ichigo smiling, truly smiling, when she was so used to him scowling; but this was Tatsuki, she wouldn't lie.

"One day, it was raining outside." Tatsuki continued. "As usual I had hit Ichigo, he'd cried, for quite a while, but then stopped as soon as his mom arrived. Some times we would walk home together, our moms and us, but that particular day I had to stay longer, a tournament was coming and I was taking extra training to be ready for it, so the two of them went alone. Along the way they had to walk by the riverside, the one not too far from here…I'm not quite sure what happened, none of us is. Ichigo has told us he saw a little girl standing by the side of the river, it was dark, it was raining hard, the river was about to flood…and Ichigo couldn't yet distinguish between the living and the dead…" she shook her head as a lone tear fell.

"Ichigo went after her, the little girl I mean." Orihime took over the story. "I'm not sure if he's ever told you, what his name means. His mom chose it, it doesn't mean strawberry, regardless of what some people may say at times to provoke him, it's meant to mean 'Number One Guardian', or 'To Protect One Thing', either way, Ichigo really wanted to live up to that name, even though back then he wasn't a very good fighter…"

Rukia found that even harder to believe than him being a crybaby; he'd seen some of the thugs in the streets when she was walking by with Ichigo; they all seemed to fear the orange-haired boy, and by extension anyone who associated with him. It was the only reason why she'd never been harassed by anyone despite the fact she was new, and that sometimes she acted a bit different from what was normal.

"Ichigo has told us he rushed to the girl, he wanted to help her, to be a guardian." Orihime added. "At some point he heard his mom scream his name, and he blacked out. When he woke up he was on the grass, and…his mom was laying over him…blood all over. She was dead."

Orihime sobbed softly. That story, it just brought too many memories of the one she herself had lost, also in a rainy day.

"What happened to her?" Rukia asked, shocked.

"For years Ichigo thought he'd somehow killed his mom." Tatsuki took over. "He was told it had been an accident, that his mom had slipped and fallen down the stairs that went from the sidewalk to the riverside; but Ichigo knew that couldn't be true. And since he'd been the only one there, the girl had disappeared, he blamed himself. That went on for five years. There was nothing anyone could do, he didn't allow anyone to help him in any way, not even his own family." She shook her head with a sigh. "Then, things changed three years ago. I don't know what happened, but Ichigo was in some kind of accident, on the anniversary of his mother's death; he was supposed to have been with his family, here in the cemetery, but he disappeared. He was found later that night, by the riverside where his mom died, unconscious and bleeding. Some people even said he tried to kill himself, I never believed that. In any case he was sent to a therapist…not that it did much good. Like it hadn't when they first tried it years before. He was sent to therapy for months with no result whatsoever. And then he met the Ishidas…I'm not sure of everything that happened, only that it was talking to them that finally helped him overcome the tragedy of Masaki-san's death. He also learnt something else, the injuries that he'd sustained the day of the anniversary, they had been made by a hollow. While even today he doesn't remember what happened that day, that much we know for sure, a hollow attacked him, we think it's possible he ran from the cemetery to keep his family safe. He somehow survived, even though he didn't have any powers yet. And something else was revealed to him, by Ishida Ryuuken as well, the injuries that had killed Masaki-san…they too had been made by a hollow, the very same hollow that nearly killed Ichigo three years ago…"

Rukia gasped. The same hollow? It had come back? The shinigami hadn't purified it? Why? In any case, his mom had been killed by a hollow, he'd found out, and had been training his own powers since. Was that the reason? His mom's death? Was that why he had such resolve?

"His powers developed after that." Orihime continued. "Uryuu and his dad helped him control them. Chad and I joined them the following spring, when our own powers manifested. Ishida-sama didn't like it much, he said that it was bad enough that Ichigo and Uryuu insisted on getting involved with a world not meant for the living; then Chad and I went and did the same thing. But at the same time, he respected our right to choose; just like he preferred saving people with his ability as a doctor instead of the one he has as a Quincy, he respects that we've all chosen to use the powers we were gifted with to protect people ourselves in any way we can. That summer, the day before the anniversary, Uryuu, Chad and I noticed how tense Ichigo was, and we confronted him about it. Uryuu knew already some of it, but not all; Chad and I had no idea. So the next day, when the Kurosaki family got ready to do their yearly visit to the cemetery, we joined them. It's become a tradition since, and Tatsuki and the others joined us. Isshin-san never questioned us on it, the same way he doesn't question the fact that his own children join us in our own visits to the cemetery. Like I said, it's become tradition."

"And, you say you do it several times a year." Rukia commented.

She tried to sound nonchalant, but she was curious, those human teens had become so close to her in the weeks she'd known them, she wanted to know them more, and better, and she knew this was an important part of them, of the reason why they were the kind of people they were.

"Yes." Tatsuki nodded. "You've already heard about Uryuu's Jii-san and master."

"He was killed by hollows, because a group of shinigami who should have backed him up didn't arrive in time." Rukia confirmed.

"Chad's case is different." Tatsuki explained. "He lost his parents when he was still a very young child, and he was sent to his grandfather, his mom's dad, in Mexico. From what Chad has told us he used to be a problem-child back then, getting in fights and hurting others; until his 'abuelo', that's grandfather in Spanish and the word we all use to refer to him, in respect; his abuelo taught Chad that he should only use his strength to protect others. You've heard already the story of how Ichigo and Chad became friends, haven't you?"

"Yes, they told me a few weeks ago." Rukia nodded. "A gang was hitting Chad, they had taken something important to him, the necklace he wears…Ichigo found them, he got the necklace, a coin I think, back, and beat the thugs."

"And after that they made a promise." Orihime added. "Chad wouldn't use his strength to fight for himself, but he would fight for Ichigo; and Ichigo in turn promised to always have Chad's back, so Chad wouldn't have to fight for himself."

Rukia nodded, she had found the whole thing awe-inspiring. Two humans, and so young, promising to fight for each other's goals…if only the shinigami all had that kind of loyalty to each other and to their own divisions…

"And then there is my brother." Orihime continued. "His name was Sora, he was fifteen years older than I, and he's the only family I've ever known. He took me from our parents' house when I was three years old, and he eighteen. From what I know our parents weren't good people, and he took me away to protect me. He was the one who raised me, did everything he could for me. I loved him so much…" she closed her eyes briefly in sadness. "When I was younger I was often harassed for my hair-color, one time a group of kids took some scissors and cut my hair because they said they didn't like it. I never told Sora-nii-san that, I told him I had just felt like a change. That was also when Tatsuki and I became friends, she takes care of me, and I let my hair grow to show my trust in her…"

Rukia watched the two girls smile at each other, she'd already noticed that Orihime's hair was very long, past her hips already, and it looked beautiful, it always had; Rukia had always wondered why Orihime never talked about cutting it, now she knew.

"Shortly after that, my brother gave me my hairpins." Orihime continued. "The ones the Shun Shun Rikka come from, they were normal blue hairpins back then. It was the only gift he'd ever been able to give me. He worked so much to provide for the two of us, that was the first time he had enough money left from his paycheck to buy me something. And I refused it." She shook her head with a bitter smile. "I was so young, young and stupid. I told him I wasn't a little girl anymore, that I wouldn't wear such childish hairpins. I was being childish, and more than that, I was being an idiot. I refused to say goodbye to him the following morning, when he went to work. The next time I saw him he was on the side of the street, covered in blood, a car had just hit him. The driver ran, and didn't help him at all. I did what I could to hold Sora-nii-san up and took him to the Kurosaki clinic. Isshin-san, everyone, they were so shocked. I think they panicked when they saw me, covered in blood, even though it wasn't mine. My brother's wounds were so bad, they didn't have what was needed to treat him, so Isshin-san phoned Ishida-sensei and arranged for Sora-nii-san to be transferred to Karakura General Hospital. I was so afraid, we had no medical insurance, and very little money; but Isshin-san promised me he would take care of everything. And yet…it was useless, Sora-nii-san died before the ambulance from Karakura General arrived." She began crying softly. "It hurt so much, I cried and screamed, I wanted my brother back. And I got him back, two years ago…"

Rukia, who had been about to try and offer what comfort she could to Orihime, was suddenly distracted by the last thing the girl said.

"You…got him back…" Rukia couldn't process the idea.

"He didn't leave me." Orihime explained. "I think it was because of the way I screamed for him to stay with me, to not leave me alone. He did stay, he looked over me for years, until a force beyond him overpowered him…" she closed her eyes as she added: "Sora-nii-san was the first hollow I ever saw."

Rukia was gaping then.

"I hadn't actually developed my powers yet, back then." Orihime admitted, melancholic. "It happened about a month after Sora-nii-san's death anniversary. Uryuu and Ichigo were close already, and they were trying to keep Tatsuki and I away, Chad was just waiting for them to open up. I was having dinner with Tatsuki that night, when suddenly I could feel it, something wrong in the air, I saw my favorite teddy bear fall to the floor, ripped, and when I went to see what had happened, I suddenly saw blood. I didn't even feel any pain, I only suddenly saw my body laying on the ground, as I stood above it, and there was a chain connecting the two, it hurt and I had trouble breathing." She shook her head. "I saw the hollow then, it was bigger than a human, with a lizard-like tail instead of feet and it slithered in my direction, it kept calling my name…I was so confused, and being out of my body while still alive made me dizzy. Tatsuki was rendered unconscious when she tried to carry my body and the hollow hit her. Then I saw Uryuu and Ichigo arrive, carrying weapons that seemed to be made out of pure energy. They fought the hollow, until Ichigo accidentally half broke its mask, enough for me to see who was beneath it…Sora-nii-san…"

"That's why hollows must be killed with the first hit, and preferably from behind." Rukia mumbled in a low voice.

"We know that." Tatsuki nodded. "But those two didn't back then, it was one of their first hollow hunts, maybe even the first one they went on without Ishida-sensei."

"What happened then?" Rukia inquired.

"I don't remember much." Orihime admitted. "Like I said, I had trouble breathing and felt very dizzy. I know Uryuu and Ichigo fought the hollow, at some point I interfered. Sora-nii-san said he wanted me with him, and I didn't want anyone to die because of me. And…I think that I too wanted to be with Sora-nii-san…"

The last admittance made Rukia gasp loudly; what Orihime had just said, it was almost as good as admitting having suicidal intentions; even if it hadn't been exactly her idea, she had still considered just dying. But then again…hadn't Ichigo himself been willing to die that night to protect his family from the hollow that attacked his home? And yet again a week or so before when that Menos had appeared?

"I was badly hurt and began losing consciousness right then." Orihime admitted. "I vaguely remember hearing him as he told me goodbye, I wished him a good day, the same way I should have the last time I saw him alive, and blacked out. When I woke up it was all very fuzzy, I actually wasn't sure what was real and what was a dream; and the mere idea of my dead brother appearing as some spiritual monster seemed to be more in the realm of fantasy than reality. It took several weeks, but ever so slowly I began seeing spirits more clearly, and when I saw my second hollow I realized that what I had seen that night hadn't been a dream. Then, during another attack, my Shun Shun Rikka manifested for the very first time. I confronted Uryuu and Ichigo after that, told them everything I could see and remember. I also wanted to know what had happened that night after I blacked out. All they told me was that Sora-nii-san was gone…I never asked again."

She hadn't had to, that had been enough. Uryuu had assured her that, regardless of how a Quincy's arrows usually worked, that he and Ichigo acted differently, they didn't destroy hollows, only purified them. That had given Orihime the peace of mind she needed to, finally, accept the fact that her beloved older brother was gone, and move on. One way or another, she wasn't alone, she'd had Tatsuki, her best friend, for years, and from that day on she would also have Uryuu, Ichigo and Chad. They were her closest friends, her nakama…

"It would seem like bad things have a tendency of happening when it's raining, huh?" Rukia commented with a sad sigh.

This immediately called Tatsuki's and Orihime's attention, though they didn't ask anything, choosing to wait, giving time for Rukia to pull herself together.

Rukia had decided that, after all the personal stuff they'd shared with her, it was only right she shared something; this thing in particular, it was her 'darkest secret' so to speak, and maybe, just maybe, sharing it with them would finally help her move on, just like sharing their experiences with each other seemed to have helped the nakama.

"It's ok…" A male voice whispered from behind. "You don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to, Rukia."

Rukia almost jumped at the voice, she hadn't realized Ichigo was approaching until he was already there, and with him the rest of the nakama, soon they were all sitting or standing around the small cliff, in silence; they were waiting for Rukia to make up her mind, not knowing she had already, regardless of how hard it may be, she wanted to do this.

"No, I want to." Rukia assured them, then, with a deep breath, she began. "As I said before, I wasn't born a Kuchiki, I arrived to Rukongai like many other souls, when I was just a baby, a woman helped raised me, until about forty or so years later; by then my need for food was growing, and nana could no longer provide for me, so I left. I lived in the streets, fishing and recollecting fruits when I could, stealing from vendors when needed. Many things happened during those five decades I lived in the streets, I made several friends, lost most of them, and eventually decided to become a shinigami, it seemed to me like living in Seireitei would allow for a better life than being a street-kid in Rukongai." She sighed and closed her eyes briefly. "A year after I entered the Academy I was approached by a group of men, they were members of the Kuchiki Clan."

"Kuchiki…" Tatsuki mumbled.

"Yes, I didn't tell you this before." Rukia admitted. "There is a reason the Kuchiki is known as a Clan and not as a Family. It's because Kuchiki are considered Nobles…"

There were several gasps, and even those who didn't gasp were left gaping in shock, that one they hadn't been expecting.

"I don't consider myself a noble." Rukia hurried to assure them. "I was offered to become one of them back then, I wasn't sure if I should, but eventually I accepted. I wanted a family so much…and yet…"

"You didn't actually get what you wanted, did you?" Uryuu guessed.

"No, I didn't." Rukia admitted. "While I may legally be a Kuchiki, most of the members of the Clan still see me as a commoner, it's likely they always will, My Onii-sama, he never truly speaks to me, except to ask about my performance as a shinigami…I don't think he finds it acceptable. All I want is to make him proud…I doubt I'll ever be able to. Especially with our current situation…when he finds out that I gave my powers to a human…I'll be considered a disgrace, both as a shinigami and as a Kuchiki…"

"It'll work out, Rukia." Ichigo tried to reassure her. "I'll find a way to give you your power back, before Soul Society finds out."

Rukia shook her head, it had been over two months already, she found it hard to believe that if they hadn't found a solution in all those weeks, they would soon enough for Soul Society not to realize something was wrong…if they hadn't already.

"Anyway." Rukia went back to her tale. "After I was adopted by the Kuchiki Clan I was pulled from the Academy, nobles are to be trained personally by tutors, instead of going through the six years there. I was talented in kidou, and decent enough in hakuda and hohou to join Division 13, where some officer would finish training me. There I met Shiba Kaien-dono, he was my fukutaichou, and a man I greatly admired. He taught me so much in the little time he knew me…and then he was gone. His wife, 3rd Seat Shiba Miyako-dono had been on patrol with a team of unseated shinigami when they were attacked, she was the only survivor, but in a terrible condition. Or that's the way things seemed at first. Soon enough we realized the real tragedy, the hollow had somehow possessed Miyako-dono and when she was brought into the barracks, many more shinigami died. The creature finally ran away when more powerful officers went after it. Kaien-dono insisted on going after the hollow, to avenge his dead wife and all the shinigami whose lives had also been lost that night. Ukitake-taichou and I accompanied him, though we remained at a distance. The fight…" she shuddered sharply in remembrance of how bad it had been. "It was awful. I tried to help, but Ukitake-taichou wouldn't allow me, he said Kaien-dono was fighting for his pride, as well as his wife's and men's; I wasn't to interfere in a fight for pride…" she shook her head bitterly. "Maybe if I had, things would have been different. The hollow was too powerful even for Kaien-dono, it broke his zanpakutou, and then possessed him. Ukitake-taichou told me to run and moved to fight the creature wearing the body of Kaien-dono. I did as I was told, and ran, but then I stopped, when I realized I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I acted like a coward. So I went back. Things had gone from bad to worse, Ukitake-taichou was having an episode…you see, he has a permanent sickness, mostly it's not too bad, but sometimes he gets an episode and begins coughing and panting, it's awful…I unsheathed my zanpakutou, knowing if I didn't at least try to do something many more people would die…"

Rukia's voice broke as she reached that part, she began heaving, unsure if she would be able to finish the story, until she suddenly felt the hand on her shoulder tighten briefly; she'd totally forgotten Ichigo was there, and yet now she knew he was there, and he was offering his support, and soon enough he wasn't the only one, Tatsuki had a hand on her arm, and kneeling behind her, Orihime extended her own arm to touch her as well, Chizuru didn't actually touch her, but standing behind the two other girls she simply nodded; the twins hurried to her side, Yuzu embracing her around the waist, while Karin laid her hand on Rukia's back, Uryuu, Chad, Keigo and Mizuiro offering their own silent support from behind them. They were all there, for her…and she felt so grateful…their support gave her the strength to, for the first time, retell the whole experience out-loud.

"The hollow turned to me as soon as I raised my zanpakutou." Rukia continued with a never-before-known strength. "It rushed at me, and I was so panicked, all I could do was raise my weapon and hope…it was actually enough. Kaien-dono…I think a part of him took control if only briefly, changing his motions just enough so that instead of him taking my arm in a swing, he ended up spearing himself on my sword." A tear fell down her eye, but her voice didn't break again. "I killed him. Or…I guess, in a way he killed himself with my sword. Right before leaving he actually thanked me, said my actions had freed him. He didn't want to be a hollow, he didn't want to cause even more deaths, he was happy to die at my hands. And for the longest time I didn't understand. For so many years I've believed the whole situation to have been my fault." She shook her head sadly. "And yet, somehow, now I can see things differently. He chose to fight, and he lost, he could have allowed the hollow to win, to use him to destroy us all, but instead he fought, just enough to give me the chance to take him out. He went the way he wanted, like a warrior, and to his last breath he acted in behalf of every shinigami under his command, myself included. I…I did the only thing that could be done, and having done anything differently would have been a dishonor to him."

Ichigo nodded as he tightened his hold in Rukia's shoulder briefly again. He'd recognized the tone in her voice, the stiffness in her body; they were so familiar to him. She'd been blaming herself about the whole thing, just like he once had, with regards of his own mother's death.

And now, recalling the tragic event for the first time, in the company of a group of human teenagers…in the company of her friends…she could finally see the truth: the whole thing had been an awful tragedy, and certainly not her fault…

"Thank you…" Rukia whispered in a very low voice.

And then, finally, she allowed herself to cry.

xXx

It had been another of those days, or rather nights, when things began bad and they only got worse. Some of their classmates had questioned Rukia on how tight she was with Ichigo, or any of the other boys who hung out with him, since they knew she'd joined them in one of their usual group-trips. Of course no one outside of the group actually knew where they all went, and none had found the need to explain it.

Rukia had blushed a very dark shade of red, still remembering that day, how she had finally been able to recount the worst day of her life out-loud, and had begun to realize that the tragedy of that day hadn't been her fault at all. She'd cried for a long time, until, at some point she'd thought it might be too much, then suddenly Ichigo was behind her, holding her shoulders tightly, whispering for her to let it all out. She had sobbed and screamed at the sky for tragedies and injustices, and then she had just cried hard into Ichigo's shirt. He hadn't minded, he just held her through it all. And afterwards…

She still hadn't been able to face Ichigo with regards to that, even though it had already been a week. She'd been so emotionally and mentally tired when they got back to his home, and then in the morning she'd overslept and nearly didn't make it to school on time.

And then her classmates had to go and ask her questions like that!

Ichigo had known all about the situation because Tatsuki had been harassing Rukia about it when they finally joined the rest for lunch; still he'd chosen to ignore it. The shinigami had been evading him since their return from the cemetery, refusing to talk about what had happened after she stopped crying, and he didn't want to press her, he wanted so much to understand what was going through her mind in that moment, but he didn't want to do or say something stupid in the process and end up possibly ruining the whole thing. It was the very same reason why he still hadn't confronted his father yet…

Eventually classes had ended and they had all gone to their respective homes, they had just finished a two-week intensive training with Ishida-shishou the day before; he'd insisted after seeing how they all ended up after the hard fight where Ichigo was badly burnt and Uryuu's fingers were badly cut. He'd decided that if they refused to listen to him about staying out of the fights, then he at least was going to make sure they wouldn't get killed too easily. Something they were all thankful for, even if the training itself had left them half-dead.

That night things got even stranger when Rukia didn't join them for dinner. It wasn't like they didn't all know about her, even if they had only told Isshin that she was a friend that needed somewhere to stay for a while, the old-man hadn't made any questions, didn't even know that Rukia actually slept in a spare futon in Ichigo's closet rather than the one in the twins' room, the girls knew but said nothing about it.

"Rukia," Ichigo called when he entered his room with her dinner. "You missed dinner, so I brought it to you, you must be starving…"

No answer, and an exhaustive search only revealed to Ichigo that her backpack was gone, as well as most of the things she'd collected in the months since she'd arrived to Karakura. Eventually he also found a small note on the corner of his desk. It was a goodbye and thank you note, and in the P.S. there were instructions not to follow her…of course, Ichigo wasn't exactly known for being the most obedient person…

"Yuzu! Karin!" Ichigo called loudly.

Thankfully their father was busy watching one of his favorite shows downstairs, the twins hurried into their brother's room as soon as they heard him call.

"Something wrong Ichi-nii?" Yuzu asked, confused.

"Why the hell are you yelling Ichigo?" Karin demanded at the same time.

For all answer Ichigo practically shoved the note into Karin's hands and then began pacing from one side to the other of the room, reminiscent of a caged tiger.

"Not to follow her…" Karin mumbled. "All the more reason to do exactly that…Ichigo! What are you doing still here? You gotta go after her!"

"I know that!" Ichigo replied hotly. "It's not that easy. You…We all knew this could happen one day remember? We talked about it. About the consequences of Soul Society finding out that Rukia had lent me her powers if she didn't manage to recover them in time. We also talked about how it's not a good idea for Soul Society to know there are so many spiritually aware humans in Karakura."

Karin began shaking her head, she knew what was coming and she really didn't like it.

"I am going." Ichigo informed them. "It's what's expected of me, one way or another. You must stay here."

"No." Karin refused right away.

"Karin!" Ichigo groaned.

"No Ichigo." Karin insisted. "What if something happens to you?"

"What if something happens to you?" Ichigo asked in return. "Karin, you're empathic, I know you've tried to block that power, but we all saw what happened with Chad's parakeet, despite all your blocks, you still sensed the boy's spirit…damn! You even had flashes of his life and death! We don't know what kind of reaction you would have if confronted with the power of those Soul Society may send after Rukia…Besides, if worse comes to worst, someone needs to be able to still fight, and you know you're one of the best fighters we have."

"You don't need to sing me false praise." Karin interrupted. "I get it. Now go."

She didn't like it, definitely not, but she had to accept he was right.

Two years before, Chad had gotten a parakeet, he was told the bird was cursed or something like that, all its previous owners had died. Ichigo and Uryuu, of course, had known better as soon as they had seen it. The problem had been when Karin had accidentally crossed paths with them, all the blocks she'd put on her empathy when she was seven had come crashing down and she had collapsed as her mind was bombarded by the huge fear and grief the spirit-boy was feeling, as well as the darkness that pursued him.

Since then Karin had been trying to deal with her empathy, like she'd refused to years before. It wasn't easy, to suddenly be able to feel everyone's emotions, and the higher their reiatsu, the more keenly she felt those emotions. With time and effort she had grown used to the rest of their nakama's emotions, but they still had no idea how she might react to those of a shinigami (Rukia was weakened and in a gigai, while Ichigo was a Daiko, and her brother).

"Very well." Ichigo nodded. "Yuzu, I need you to phone the others, make sure that, no matter what they sense they stay put. If Rukia's leaving is really because of Soul Society the others must not be found. It's very important."

"I will tell them, Ichi-nii." Yuzu assured him.

It wasn't until his sisters had left the room and he turned to Kon that Ichigo actually realized that, without Rukia's help, he didn't have a way to get the mod-soul out of the lion-plushy.

"Great…just great…" Ichigo muttered to himself.

He was about to snap when suddenly he heard a voice coming from his open window.

"You need any help?"

There, in the window was sitting a shaggy-blonde haired, gray-eyed man with his bucket hat and geta-sandals. Geta-boushi, as Ichigo had dubbed him since he couldn't actually remember his name. He knew the man to be a former-shinigami, or something along those lines, he was a business man Rukia had contact with. Ichigo hardly ever saw him.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo questioned with a furrowed brow.

"Just helping out a good customer." The man said in a too-cheerful tone.

"I have never done any deals with you." Ichigo replied.

"Of course." The man nodded immediately. "But it was my impression that you may want to help Kuchiki Rukia, who is a good costumer of mine."

"And what makes you believe Rukia is in need of any help, from you or me?" Ichigo inquired.

He really didn't like the situation, the man seemed to know things, more than he should, more than he was saying; in Ichigo's book that was never good.

"Does it matter?" The man refused to answer the question. "Kuchiki Rukia needs your help now, will you let her down?"

"I won't." Ichigo declared straightening up. "I will help her. And you will give me answers when I'm done."

The blonde man didn't give him a chance to say anything else, as he used the base of his cane to hit Ichigo's forehead, hard enough for his soul to be expelled. Ichigo barely took the time to carry his now-empty body to the bed before rushing out. He trusted the man to get Kon into his body, so that his father wouldn't find anything strange.

Ichigo still remembered how he'd met both Kon and the blonde man. Rukia had gotten the mod-soul for him without knowing it was a modified one (an illegal one). It had tried to do mayhem and run away with Ichigo's body, but the nakama had realized what was going on right away and stopped him before things could get out of control.

By the time the Geta-boushi got there, they had the situation under control, and the nakama had left. In the end Ichigo had decided to keep Kon, the mod-soul might have been a tad crazy, but its modification made him a good backup in case of an emergency.

In his soul form Ichigo ran as fast as he could down the street, it was like some instinct was guiding him in Rukia's direction, maybe her own power in him.

It took him a few minutes to get there, and right as Uryuu was cut in the side by some redhead in shinigami robes.

"If Uryuu gets killed…Ishida-shishou is gonna be beyond furious…" Ichigo muttered to himself as he tried moving even faster.

Uryuu dropped to one knee as his bow vanished, his side hurt, he was bleeding and needed to use both arms to hold himself up, which caused his blue reishi bow to dissipate.

"Ishida!" Rukia cried out in panic.

It was until then that Ichigo saw the full scene, with Uryuu half-kneeling on the sidewalk, the redhead in the black shihakusho and holding a sword less than three feet in front of him; and Rukia, holding herself against a wall, one of her dress sleeves slashed, bruises on her skin and a cut in her cheek.

Ichigo could see the fear that kept Rukia frozen; he knew it could only mean the situation was truly bad, not even the Menos they'd faced two weeks before had been able to freeze the violet-eyed so completely. Seeing that brought forth his protective side, Rukia shouldn't have to be so afraid, he needed to protect her…

"Abarai Renji!" The redhead claimed in a cocky tone. "This is the name of the man that will kill you! Remember it well!"

Ichigo didn't even think about it, the moment the mostly-unknown shinigami raised his katana in Uryuu's direction, he acted. The young Quincy was one of his best friends, and one of his nakama…something needed to be done. He briefly considered trying for an energy attack, like he'd done before; but Uryuu and Rukia were both too close to the enemy, they could end up being harmed, so Ichigo knew he would have to be more direct.

The echo of the two blades clashing together enveloped the block.

Uryuu let out a breath in relief when he saw his shinigami best-friend (and that sounded pretty strange even to his own ears) standing right by his side, zanpakutou held with both hands, blocking the redhead's own sword.

"Who…" The redhead was obviously shocked. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Kurosaki Ichigo!" The orange-haired claimed as he straightened up. "The man who will defeat you! Remember it well!"

He was really pissed off at the redhead, for hurting one of his nakama. Uryuu was powerful, but it was obvious he hadn't acted with the desire to kill his opponent, otherwise his enemy wouldn't have seen him coming, he would have just died.

"You're going soft Uryuu…" Ichigo couldn't help but comment to his fallen friend. "Had one like him faced you last year he would have died before you were even seen."

"Shut up Ichigo…" Uryuu mumbled, though there was some pride in his voice. "I didn't think Kuchiki Rukia would appreciate me killing someone she knew."

"Please, one of you? kill me?" The redhead mocked. "Don't make me laugh."

"Laugh?" Ichigo asked with a brow raised. "Do you actually think we were being funny?"

"Ichigo!" Rukia finally dared speak. "Fool! What the hell are you doing here?! I told you not to come! You should have stayed home!"

"If you actually thought that a note telling me such things would convince me, then you don't know me very well." Ichigo told her offhandedly. "I don't leave my nakama alone."

Rukia opened her mouth to speak, and then did a double-take, he'd called her a nakama. While she'd heard him, and the others, referring to each other with that term, they had never used it to refer to her, she guessed they didn't know her well enough. Until now…And why did Ichigo have to choose precisely that day to refer to her as nakama?

The fight began then, it was as much a match of words as it was one of swords. The redhead, Abarai Renji, spoke of how he was going to kill Ichigo, thereby returning Rukia's powers; though that still wouldn't stop him and his superior: Kuchiki Byakuya, from taking Rukia back to Soul Society to be judged and condemned. That was something Ichigo wasn't about to allow. Renji also, mocked Ichigo for having a big yet empty blade, for not knowing it had a name. The whole thing actually made Ichigo wonder about the voices in his head, the voices he hadn't heard in months.

The battle went on for a long while, at some point Renji managed to injure Ichigo, badly; but instead of taking him down, the hit seemed to make Ichigo snap as his reiatsu skyrocketed and he began overpowering Renji.

Rukia and Uryuu could just watch the whole thing in shock, the first shocked that the orange-haired actually had that kind of power, the Quincy awed by the display, and wondering what exactly had made his friend lose control that much.

And yet, regardless of all his raw strength, of all his potential, it just wasn't enough. Even when Ichigo managed to, with some effort, injure Renji badly, there was nothing he could do against Kuchiki Byakuya's attack…he didn't even see it coming. One moment he was standing there, sword in hand, the next his zanpakutou was in two pieces, he was falling and it hurt…he wasn't actually sure where the pain was coming from: the front, the back, both?

"Ichigo!"

In that instant, the orange-haired was almost sure he'd heard four voices calling his name instead of just two…

Chapter Text

Chapter 4. Secrets, Souls and Swords

When Ichigo woke up he got a feeling eerily similar to the time his mom's murderer had presumably come back and attacked him. That idea wasn't good. And it only got worse when he actually remembered his fight against the two agents of Soul Society that had arrived to take Kuchiki Rukia back, he'd managed to hold his ground against the redhead when he released his full power, something he hadn't had to do since first learning to control it; but even if there was a chance he might have been able to take the first shinigami down, the second proved to be too much for him…He remembered the awful pain he'd felt in both his chest and his back at the same time…He vaguely remembered trying to move despite that pain, the enemy threatening to destroy him completely…he hadn't cared about any threats, all he wanted was to save his nakama…and then Rukia had kicked him, she had spouted some stupid speech and then left with them, of her own free will…

"Stupid midget…" Ichigo grumbled in frustration. "If she really thinks that ridiculous speech of hers is gonna keep me away she defiantly doesn't know me at all!"

Though, as he remembered the awful scene, of her in that ripped blue dress as she crossed the shouji-doors that had opened from thin air, her expression so sad, so defeated…and meanwhile the rain falling down on his broken body…

"Rukia was right…" He mumbled with a sigh. "Bad things tend to happen when it rains."

For a moment he couldn't help but remember something…someone else: a young woman with long reddish-black tresses, laying immobile in the cold street, in a pool of rain, blood and tears, an image that carried unimaginable pain…then something else entered his mind:

"Uryuu!" Ichigo cried out in sudden panic.

The teen straightened up, ignoring his own groan of pain coming from the tender spots in both his chest and his back, where apparently his enemy's sword had penetrated at some point; he'd never seen the attack, never even felt it, but the consequences couldn't be ignored.

"I'm fine, glad to see you care." A low voice told him from a side.

Ichigo turned to see Uryuu standing at the door of the room he was in; and it wasn't until that very moment that the orange-haired teen realized the room wasn't his own, he was in some unknown room, and his wounds had been bandaged.

"I see you've been healed." Ichigo declared calmly.

He was trying not to move too much, so as not to upset his own wounds further.

"Orihime came as soon as she was sure the other shinigami were gone." Uryuu informed him. "She treated my wounds first, as I seemed to be bleeding more than you. Then she treated you, the physical wounds were easy enough, but according to her, they did something to you, to your soul, something she didn't have the power to undo."

Ichigo touched his chest with one hand, remembering vividly the moment he'd realized his enemy was already behind him and he was falling…he also realized something else then, the power he'd sensed filling him since piercing his heart with Rukia's zanpakutou, it was gone…

"Rukia's power." Ichigo mumbled, realizing what had happened. "That last attack from the shinigami…he took Rukia's power from me."

"Does that mean you're not a shinigami anymore?" Uryuu questioned, puzzled. "I can still feel reiatsu coming from you, and see your reiraku, though it has gone back to the way it felt and looked before the night you met Kuchiki…somewhat…"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo was puzzled at his friend's words.

"It's like…" Uryuu seemed to be having trouble finding the right words to explain himself. "The base of the power has gone back to what it was before, but the power itself has changed, it's like it's grown…not exactly in power itself but…maybe in level. It's like you're back to having your own reiryoku, and it's now evolved…"

"Mmm…" Ichigo was thoughtful about that. "There's a lot I don't understand right now. But there's one thing that's been bothering me since I was battling the redhead, something I want to try." He shook his head. "Is everyone here?"

"In the next room." Uryuu answered honestly. "None of us trust that shopkeeper, Urahara Kisuke. He didn't seem surprised at all when Orihime arrived to heal us, even when Chad joined us; though I have to admit he did seem somewhat startled when Kon arrived with the rest the following afternoon…"

"Following afternoon?" Ichigo interrupted. "I guess since you used those words instead of 'today', that I've been unconscious for longer than that.

"Three days actually." Uryuu informed him. "I was only unconscious for one night and in bed for a day, but then again, my worst injury was a bad slash on my side, which was initially treated by one of Urahara's workers here in the shop and then fully healed by Orihime later on. You…well your condition was much different."

Ichigo nodded calmly, the difference in recovery time was to be expected, even if he still had to fully investigate the consequences.

"Has Ishida-shishou been informed of what happened?" Ichigo inquired.

"He knows, yes." Uryuu nodded. "Orihime went to see him and informed him of everything right after she healed me."

"Very well." Ichigo nodded. "Lets go see everyone else, I want to know what's been going on these three days; then I want to try and prove a theory."

"A theory?" That made Uryuu curious.

"You'll see." Ichigo assured him.

Like Uryuu had said, in the next room all their friends were sitting, the twins included, Urahara, another man, and a black cat stood at another door, watching the interaction, waiting for something. The moment the two teenagers crossed the door into that room, they got a very good idea of what that 'something' was.

"Kurosaki-san!" Urahara called loudly. "It's good to see you're awake! I hope you have recovered nicely. The wounds you had when you came in where rather bad…"

"I'm fine." Ichigo interrupted. "I've been told it was the two of you who helped us. You have my honest gratitude."

"It was a pleasure to help Kurosaki-san, both you and Ishida-san!" Urahara declared.

"I know this may seem rude, but I would appreciate it if you were to allow my friends and I some privacy while we talk." Ichigo declared authoritatively.

"Of course, of course." Urahara declared immediately. "I understand you may wish to discuss the situation with your comrades. Tessai-san and I would be very glad to help in any way we can once you're done here…"

"Why?" Ichigo questioned with a brow raised in either curiosity of doubt. "Why so willing to help? First when I needed to get out of my body that night, you brought Uryuu and I here after the battle, and now this… This cannot just be because Rukia is a 'good costumer' of yours, there's more going on, I know there is."

"And what do you think is going on, Kurosaki-san?" Urahara questioned.

The change in the man was subtle but still noticeable by everyone present, the paper fan he'd been waving around and continually using to hide his too-bright smile as he laughed lightly was closed almost abruptly, and he was looking straight at Ichigo, no expression at all in his face, and even when his blonde bangs shadowed his eyes, there was no doubt they were fixed straight at the orange-haired teen, he could feel the scrutiny, as if the man were silently looking for something in him.

"I don't know! That's why I'm asking." Ichigo answered almost forcefully. "I don't trust you, Urahara, it's true you've gone out of your way to help both myself and Uryuu; and that's precisely what makes me suspect there's more going on here." His brows furrowed dangerously. "You were at my home, exactly when I needed help to become a shinigami…How could you have known I would need help? And specifically then? Did you know that Rukia was leaving? That other shinigami were coming for her? That they would be that strong? And if the answer to any of that is yes, then why didn't you do something about it? Rukia told me you were once a shinigami, and it's obvious you're a powerful one, I can feel the way you contain your own power, I'm sure one of my friends has a better understanding of just how much power…but that's not important right now. You could have done something to help Rukia yourself, yet you didn't. You claim to help us as a way to help her, but you stayed back. That night, I was badly hurt, I could have died, yet I'm here alive, and Orihime didn't treat me until hours later; which means you had to have been close enough to treat me in time, which also means you must have seen or at least sensed what was happening."

No expression showed in either men at the opposite door, yet those with good-enough spiritual senses could feel how tense they both were at the words Ichigo was saying; and even if the orange-haired was somewhat lacking on that front, Uryuu wasn't. It appeared that the brown-eyed teen had hit something right in the head, something they didn't want to reveal.

"Maybe we should be having this discussion elsewhere, then." Uryuu suggested.

"It's not necessary." Ichigo declared. "Maybe, while we talk, they will do the same, and decide it's about time to be honest with all of us."

"And will you be honest with us, Kurosaki-san?" Urahara wanted to know.

"That depends on what you want to know." Ichigo answered honestly. "Already you seem to know things about me. Uryuu has told me how you seemed to be expecting Orihime and Chad, and yet you didn't expect everyone else. That tells me you know about us, knew even before this, possibly even before Rukia came. And if that's true…I don't like the implications."

None of them did, several had even gotten on guard as soon as they began realizing how true some of Ichigo's arguments were. It was one thing to think the blonde-man was half-crazy and had a knack for being in places where he could help without being called; but with everything Ichigo had just implied…

"Of course, Kurosaki-san." Urahara nodded soberly. "We'll leave you alone then."

The two men moved to leave, and even began closing the doors behind them.

"I think the cat should leave as well." Uryuu commented seriously.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed, he knew Uryuu was not being paranoid, if he'd said that then it meant there was something off about that cat…

The animal in that moment turned to look at Uryuu, an expression on its face that didn't fit a normal pet. It just stared at Uryuu for a couple of seconds before slipping out of the room through the slip that was still open.

The door finally closed, and still Uryuu and Ichigo waited for several seconds before joining their friends around a table.

"You sensed something in the cat?" Chad guessed.

"Reiatsu, too high for an animal, any animal." Uryuu answered honestly. "It was very well contained, almost as good as Urahara's; but still, a cat, even a spirit one, shouldn't have that kind of reiatsu."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Do you really think they've left?" Tatsuki inquired.

"I wouldn't put it past them for them to be spying on us right now." Karin muttered.

"Orihime, can you ensure some privacy for us?" Uryuu suggested suddenly.

"Of course." Orihime brought her hands to her hairpins and called: "Souten Kisshun."

It was one of the more unorthodox uses she had for that particular technique; the other being as a prison, as one of the characteristics of that shield, even when not using it to 'reject past events', was that nothing that was inside could get out, including noise…the nakama were practically in an isolated bubble in that moment. Which allowed them to talk about everything they needed to, confident they wouldn't be spied on.

xXx

Urahara Kisuke and Tsukabishi Tessai were having some tea when the group of teenagers finally stepped out of the other room. Like Karin had guessed, they had tried to eavesdrop on the teens' conversation at the beginning, until coming to the realization that somehow the group had manage to isolate themselves; they had no idea who had done it exactly or how, but finally they had to accept that, if they wanted to learn more about the teens, they would have to ask them the needed questions directly.

Something both former shinigami realized as soon as the teens were standing before them, was their formation: Ichigo was standing at the front of the group, with Ishida Uryuu a step behind him and to his right; the other two teens they'd been expecting to develop powers (Orihime and Chad) along with a girl they hadn't been expecting just yet (Tatsuki) followed along with a younger girl Urahara knew to be one of Ichigo's twin sisters; the second twin and the last three teens stood behind the others.

"We've talked." Ichigo announced calmly. "We all agree we don't trust you, and we won't unless you tell us, honestly, who you are and why you've done the things you've done."

"I could tell you many things, Kurosaki-san." Urahara replied calmly. "But what is the chance of you truly believing me?"

"We won't know until you tell us." Ichigo answered honestly.

It wasn't like any of them was clairvoyant, or a mind-reader; they couldn't be 100% sure that what was being said was the truth; but they trusted that with their various talents (at sensing reiatsu, interpreting it, and doing the same with non-verbal language) they would manage to at least get a general idea of when the blonde shopkeeper was being truthful, and when he was just trying to play them for fools.

"I understand why you would want to know the truth." Urahara nodded. "But you must understand first, Kurosaki-san, that there are some secrets that aren't mine to share."

"You mean like what oyaji is doing in the next room?" Karin deadpanned.

None of the adults were expecting that at all; out of all the surprises they had gotten since most of the teens had first entered the shop, two days ago, that had to be the biggest one.

Silence reigned until, after a very long minute, Kurosaki Isshin finally entered the room from the door behind Urahara and Tessai. He was dressed in the shinigami shihakusho, a torn white haori tied over one shoulder and a zanpakutou by his side. To the adults' further surprise, none of the teens reacted at all at his arrival, or his attire, besides some brows rising.

"I guess our suspicions were right." Uryuu commented turning to look at Ichigo.

"On both accounts." Ichigo replied easily. "What do you want to bet shishou knew?"

"But of course he knew." Uryuu replied with a 'duh' tone and a little pride. "It's just like Urahara said, it wasn't really his secret to tell. Though, that still didn't stop him from 'suggesting' the possibility to us."

"This only adds to my own theory." Ichigo added. "I really want to take a shot at it."

"Once we're finished with this matter, I suppose." Uryuu guessed. "It might not be a bad idea to actually have other shinigami help you."

Ichigo nodded, admitting he was right.

"You don't look surprised." Isshin commented, suspiciously.

"We aren't." Karin replied calmly. "Not completely in any case."

"Shishou?" Urahara inquired with a furrowed brow.

The blonde former shinigami was fast realizing that things were far from what he'd expected them to be. First more teens were spiritually aware, or even had active powers, even Ichigo's sisters were involved; then they were able to see how suspicious some of his own actions were; they sensed Isshin's presence in the shop despite how careful they had been to conceal the man's presence, and now they didn't even seem that surprised that he appeared before them as a shinigami! And they were talking about a master…

Ichigo opened his mouth to give an excuse not to reveal his master's name, when someone else spoke ahead of him.

"He means me."

The adults already in the room face-faulted as they watched Dr. Ishida Ryuuken enter the room by the same door Isshin had used. They all noticed how he turned to look at the teens, particularly Ichigo and Uryuu, giving them a quick once over and then a silent nod. The teens for their part all bowed respectfully at the man, something that shocked the adults even more, they all seemed to know the older Ishida!

"What an unexpected surprise, Ishida-san!" Urahara called in a false-cheerful tone.

"Long time no seen, Ryuuken." Isshin added. "Like Kisuke said, this is truly a surprise, I would really like to know how it is you know my son, and why he calls you shishou."

However, Ryuuken chose to ignore the two shinigami (or former shinigami) and instead move to the teens, silently analyzing Ichigo's reiatsu, trying to make out how the sudden loss of the borrowed power might have affected him.

"I wasn't expecting you here, otou-san." Uryuu commented calmly.

"I knew Ichigo was expected to awaken soon and decided I better come here before 'someone' gave them ideas that are likely to get them killed." Ryuuken declared sardonically.

"Shishou…" Ichigo took a deep breath before speaking. "I know you don't like it, but you know already that, regardless of what any of them, my father included, may say, one decision has been made already: we're going to rescue Rukia."

"Why?" Ryuuken's question was expected.

There could have been so many answers for such a simple question: because he owed her for having given him power; because she saved his family; because she's helped them all; because she's a friend. Yet there was one that comprised them all, and at the same time reached beyond the limits of debt, ally, friend…

"Because she's nakama."

Ryuuken wasn't really that surprised when all the other teens, even his own son, nodded at this. Ever since he'd realized they had all been hanging out with the shinigami, he'd known that regardless of Uryuu's old grudges, he would eventually come to accept the shinigami girl, just like he'd known he would accept Ichigo, regardless of his parentage or true power…the other teens, they seemed to have a tendency to follow where Ichigo and Uryuu led…Still, that didn't mean the older Quincy wasn't going to do his damned best to ensure they would survive their self-imposed mission, even if it meant getting involved with the spiritually aware, and maybe even working with some shinigami (he would never admit it, but the shinigami girl had managed to earn his respect, something very few could boast of).

"Maybe, first we should handle introductions." Urahara suggested. "Since I must admit not to know all of those present. I'll begin saying my name is Urahara Kisuke, I'm the former 12th Division taichou of the Gotei 13; I was exiled a little over a century ago, blamed by a crime I didn't commit. However, with help of two dear friends I managed to escape and come to earth, helping on the way several others in the same situation."

"My name is Tsukabishi Tessai." The man behind Urahara added. "I was once captain of the Kidou Corps. A special group, additional to the Gotei 13, it also means I'm a kidou expert. I'm one of the people who helped Kisuke escape that night, decades ago."

"I am Shihouin Yoruichi." The 'cat' spoke. "And like some of you deduced already I am no cat, I'm just comfortable in this form. It's good when you want to go unnoticed. I was also once a Shinigami, 2nd Squad Taichou, and one of those who helped Urahara and the others escape when they were condemned for something not their fault."

The teens all nodded, some like Keigo and Chizuru had jumped slightly when the cat had begun talking, but only because the voice surprised them; like Yoruichi had said, they had all already known the cat wasn't normal.

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, though I think everyone here already knew that." Ichigo decided to handle the teens' introductions himself. "For the last ten or eleven weeks I held the powers of a shinigami, borrowed from Kuchiki Rukia, they were taken from me three days ago. Even before that I already had power, though I have yet to be able to call on them again. My nakama are: Ishida Uryuu, heir of the Quincy line; Inoue Orihime, with the power of rejection; Sado Yasutora, with his armored arm; Arisawa Tatsuki, expert martial artist, she can improve her own power with reiatsu; Asano Keigo, Kojima Mizuiro and Honshou Chizuru don't have any active powers, though they are spiritually aware; last but certainly not least, my sisters, Yuzu and Karin, Yuzu is an expert at kidou, Rukia trained her for a couple of months; Karin can infuse things with her reiatsu and may possibly be a shinigami herself…"

Karin's eyes flashed, showing there was something more to that 'possibility' than anyone was willing to say…

"I'm Kurosaki Isshin, doctor." The man revealed himself next. "Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu are my children. However, things were different thirty-five years ago, back then I was the Head of a noble family: the Nagaken Clan; it's technically one of the Great Clans, but since at that point I was the one of only a handful left, we weren't seen as too important anymore. Back then I was also the 10th Division taichou. I left that life behind when I was forced to sacrifice all my powers; I had a chance to go back at one point, but then I met my Masaki…"

"And that cost her her life." Ichigo muttered with a tired sigh. "I imagine that the gigai you've been using is somewhat like the one Rukia had, it blocked your power. Either that or you just didn't care enough when mom and I were attacked by that hollow eight years ago!" he ruffled his hair briefly. "I know you loved her, so that can't be it. And since you had the opportunity to go back, that means you had recovered your powers, and then gave them up."

"Ichigo…" Isshin seemed to be having trouble finding the right words. "You, how do you know what really happened that night?"

"I'm not an idiot." Ichigo deadpanned, then with a sigh he elaborated. "At first I actually thought I killed her, somehow, either I did something when I blacked out, or simply because she chose to come after me she'd had an accident. Until three years ago, when the hollow returned…"

"It came back?!" Isshin practically snapped.

"You didn't know?!" Karin cried out.

"No, I didn't." Isshin admitted. "The gigai I was in all those years, it didn't only block my own reiatsu from leaving my body, it also made it harder for me to sense others'; this was meant to conceal me completely. When Ichigo was found by the riverside…I immediately knew that those idiots that said he'd tried to kill himself were only that, idiots. Though by then he'd already been taken to Karakura General, I didn't get to see him before he was treated and…" suddenly he realized something and turned to Ryuuken. "You! It was you! You were there in his room when I arrived! I never understood why, being the Hospital's Director, you had chosen to see over my son personally…now I get it. You knew what had attacked him, and you healed him…"

"Someone had to, otherwise the hollow might have used the remnants of its energy in Ichigo to track him down again." Ryuuken explained. "He was vulnerable for some time after that attack, unable to fight back."

"So you taught him how to." Isshin guessed.

"It was his idea, not mine." Ryuuken shrugged. "I've always been against the living getting involved with matters of the dead; but it seems both your son and mine share the same stubbornness when it comes to doing exactly the opposite. Unable to do anything to stop them, the next best thing I could do was make sure they wouldn't get killed immediately; unlike you, I at least had the sense to teach these boys not to die."

That was a direct blow, and they all knew it; Isshin had wanted so much to keep his secrets, not even his own children knew the truth. But not knowing didn't stop their own powers from manifesting, didn't stop their own reiatsu from attracting enemies; in the end it didn't stop them from being in the very same danger their father had been trying to keep them from.

"I didn't know what had happened when I woke up after that day." Ichigo explained. "There's much I still don't know about that day…but after I lost my patience with that stupid therapist I met Ishida-shishou. He forced me to face the truth of what I could see, and then revealed to me the true nature of the wounds I had been found with that night…and the ones that killed kaa-san. That was all I needed to know…I promised myself it would never happen again, I would fight to make sure of it, a hollow wouldn't destroy a family ever again. Still, I didn't actually have to fight hollows more than a handful of times in the two and a half years after that, not until that night when we all were almost killed…when Rukia had to give me her powers so that monster wouldn't eat us all."

"That shouldn't have happened." Isshin lamented. "The kekkai I created around our home…it should have been enough for such a thing to never happen…"

"Kekkai?" Ichigo questioned. "There's a kekkai around our home?"

"Around the whole neighborhood actually, though it's reinforced in the actual house." Isshin qualified right away.

He didn't seem to realize how this revelation was affecting his son; though the rest of the teens did, they could all feel how Ichigo's reiatsu was becoming denser each passing second, it was vibrating, as his physical body began trembling slightly as well, showing how hard it was for him to keep his control.

"Ichigo!" Ryuuken snapped at the teen. "Control yourself!"

With great effort Ichigo managed to get a hold on his reiatsu, it was still vibrating violently, but it wasn't expanding anymore, only Uryuu was actually being touched by it, and he was so used to it, that the aura didn't affect him at all.

"It was because of that kekkai that all this disaster happened in the first place!" Ichigo cried out finally. "Because of it Rukia lost track on the hollow that night, and didn't realize where it was until Yuzu screamed! Karin had to fight it and was badly hurt! And then…and then I couldn't call on my own powers! Rukia had to give me her powers or we were all screwed! We would all have died anyway if it hadn't worked! And then…and then she wouldn't get her powers back because of something he did!" he pointed at Urahara.

That, Urahara wasn't expecting.

"I don't know what exactly you did." Ichigo went on. "But it was your doing! While it's true I ended up absorbing more of Rukia's power than we had first expected, everything we know points to her regaining them in time, as her spirit healed from the awful injury the hollow caused her that night. And yet she didn't regain that power! Even after more than two months! They only seemed to get worse! We didn't do anything to her, and the only other person she was in contact with here in Karakura was you, so that part seems pretty obvious. The question is, what did you do to her? And why?"

Urahara lowered his head, he'd known things weren't exactly under his control anymore, but he'd never expected Ichigo to be able to make out that much with what he knew; either he was even more knowledgeable than he had implied thus far, or he was very good at guessing…the former shinigami dare admit the first was more likely.

"That Kurosaki-san, is a very long story." Urahara admitted.

"We have time." Uryuu stated. "Something tells me that, despite our willingness to rescue Kuchiki Rukia, we won't be doing it right away. And if whatever is going on is bigger than her and us, like some of us suspect, we better be prepared."

With those last words Urahara knew that, whatever control he may have had over the situation at some point, it was now completely gone; all he could do now was be completely honest and hope that the teenagers wouldn't kill him, and would be willing to work with him…all the worlds depended on it.

Urahara Kisuke was completely honest, perhaps for the first time in his life. Several of those who heard him wanted to pummel him before he was over, Ichigo and Karin mainly. They had all come to appreciate Rukia greatly, and learning that the man was responsible for the great danger she was in…and he wasn't even going to tell them!

Thankfully, those more rational than them managed to convince them to calm down, they wouldn't change anything by beating Urahara up; and despite how idiotic and cruel the man might be, he was still the best hope they had to get into Soul Society and get Rukia back.

"When we have saved Rukia, you better beg her forgiveness." Ichigo hissed.

Urahara could only gulp as the full weight of Ichigo's reiatsu fell upon him as he said those words; it was the biggest proof yet that he didn't know as much of the teen as he believed he did, not at all.

"I have another peace offering." Urahara announced right then. "I have a method that will allow you to recover your shinigami powers."

"No thank you." Ichigo replied easily.

Yet again, all the adults, except Ryuuken, were caught off guard.

"I have a theory." Ichigo elaborated. "If I'm right, I don't need any help for this. What we need is an empty room…"

"Maybe the training grounds would work well." Isshin suggested.

He was really curious about what Ichigo was going to do, wanted to be there to see it.

"Fine." Ichigo agreed. "I guess you'll want to be there. Just stay back."

They all followed Tessai to the trapdoor and then down into the training grounds; the teens were impressed by the place, it was even bigger than Ryuuken's own training room beneath the hospital and the condo-building.

"Urahara-san, I need your assistance." Ichigo told the shopkeeper suddenly. "I need you to help me get my soul separated from my body, like you did three days ago."

"But Kurosaki-san, the result won't be the same." Urahara replied, doubtful. "Back then you were a shinigami, right now you aren't."

"I know." Ichigo nodded. "I still need you to do this."

Still unsure if it was the right thing Urahara raised his cane and tapped it against Ichigo's head. The result wasn't quite what was expected. While it was true that Ichigo's soul didn't look like a shinigami, he wasn't a replica of his body with a chain connecting both either (as the adults were expecting); instead body and soul were fully separate, and Ichigo was left standing in a pristine white yukata.

"Wha…" Even Isshin didn't understand what was going on.

Ignoring the adults, Ichigo joined his nakama. Together, they found a spot of flat land and the orange-haired teen sat with his legs crossed, hands laying on his knees, a pose the shinigami found reminiscent of Jinzen. The rest of the teens, the twins included sat in similar positions, forming a circle of good size around Ichigo. Their main intention was to offer support to Ichigo, while at the same time making sure that, whatever it was the orange-haired would be doing to test his theory, he wouldn't be interrupted.

"Ossan…Shiro…" Ichigo called out-loud, eyes closed. "Can you hear me?"

For a while, nothing happened.

"Ichigo, expand your reiatsu." Uryuu instructed suddenly.

Fully focused on what he was doing, the orange-haired teen barely even heard his friend's words; however, his implicit trust made it so he didn't even think of questioning them, or him, simply doing as he was told. Soon enough his reiatsu had expanded enough to cover all the space surrounded by the teens.

The adults tensed, worried about the other teens being affected by the dense reiatsu, and yet, either the reiatsu didn't touch them, or they were all so familiar with it that it didn't affect any of them at all. However, it did have another effect, as the powers of those who had them activated on their own. Suddenly, Orihime had six small fairies-flowers flying around her head, Chad's right arm was covered in armor, Uryuu's bow was fully formed in his hand, Tatsuki's limbs were covered in an off-white aura; Karin was holding what looked like a naginata of pure reishi; Yuzu had in her hands a sphere of yellow energy, kidou in its purest form; Keigo's, Mizuiro's and Chizuru's own aura's came alight, even if they had no active powers. Unexpectedly, the auras began mixing, forming a translucent mix of an impossible color that soon filled the circle formed by the teens.

The adults could only watch in a shocked stupor, wondering what exactly was going on. They could feel so much power in that moment, all humming in perfect harmony. Why hadn't they known about any of this before? Even Ryuuken, who had known of the teens and their power, hadn't quite been expecting what he was seeing in that moment.

Times passed, almost unnoticed, until a figure began materializing in front of Ichigo, it took a while for it to fully form, and even when it did, it was still half-transparent and insubstantial. The form was that of a tall, middle-aged man with unkempt facial hair, black ragged hair that reached his shoulders and eyes of melted gold, he wore a long frayed black coat, and black boots as well as dark glasses.

"Ossan…" Ichigo whispered opening his eyes.

"Hello, Ichigo." The man whispered back with the barest smile. "It's been a long time."

"It has." Ichigo agreed. "I've been calling to you for months, and you didn't answer."

"The powers you borrowed from your nakama, Kuchiki Rukia, blocked mine." The old-man explained. "Made it impossible for you to hear my voice."

"What about before?" Ichigo wanted to know. "That night, when the hollow arrived, I called to you repeatedly, and you didn't answer. I didn't know what to do, it's why I eventually chose to take the risk and accept Rukia's offer."

"There was nothing I could do, Ichigo." The old-man informed him sadly. "You weren't ready yet. I'm not sure you are, even now, but we have little time left…"

"Ready…" Something suddenly occurred to Ichigo. "That night, three years ago…the hollow attack…what I can't remember…You were there! You know what happened!"

"I do." The old-man didn't bother trying to deny it.

"Why don't I remember?" Ichigo demanded.

"I told you before…"

"I wasn't ready."

"That hollow attacked the cemetery, it sensed who you are and went after you. You ran to keep your family safe, and somehow ended up by the river…you needed power, to protect yourself, to fight back…you needed my power, so I gave it to you. But you weren't ready, you were still so young…your body wasn't able to handle my power, it went into shock, you barely managed to injure the hollow badly enough that it chose to run, but by then you were so badly hurt and your reiatsu was so low…you would have died if you hadn't been found right then, and if the Quincy Master hadn't treated you…we owe our continued existence to him."

The spirit of the old man then turned to Ryuuken with a respectful bow. Ichigo himself, from his position still on the ground, turned to the white-haired man and nodded in respect.

While Ryuuken hadn't been expecting the show of respect he simply nodded in response and said nothing at all.

Isshin for his part couldn't help the fear that took hold of him at the news that his son had come that close to death…and he hadn't been there to help.

"What really happened that night, Ossan?" Ichigo questioned.

"I told you my name Ichigo." The old-man answered honestly. "I told you my name and offered you my power. But you weren't yet strong enough, that hollow…it's name is Grand Fisher, it has been able to kill even experienced shinigami, and has evaded the more powerful ones sent after him for over fifty years; it was too much to expect that you would be able to defeat him, especially when you'd never before fought a hollow. Your resolve helped you injure the monster badly enough it chose to run, though you were very badly hurt…I did what I could to keep you from bleeding out, but it was still a close call."

"Thank you Ossan." Ichigo smiled very slightly. "It seems I owe you more than I knew."

"We're partners, Ichigo." The old-man reminded him. "My power is yours to wield. Like you've been doing since the Master Quincy taught you how."

"What about the night of the attack?" Ichigo wanted to know. "We were talking, you warned me, us, that change was coming…and that was the last time I heard you."

"You weren't yet ready for my power Ichigo." The old-man told him. "And I still hoped that, despite the complications, the shinigami would stop the hollow in time. Once you actually faced the hollow…there was something in its aura, it blocked me from reaching you, from giving you my power. There was nothing we could do but wait, watch as if through a thick veil as you fought, and nearly died…"

"That hollow wasn't exactly normal was it?" Ichigo asked rhetorically. "Think that its presence near my home might have been more than just coincidence? I mean, I suppose you heard Urahara, and his explanations…"

"You think that this man, Aizen Sousuke, created the situation?" The old-man questioned.

"I don't know, it's a possibility, right?" Ichigo pondered. "I mean, if all hollows had the ability to block or mess with their opponents' powers then wouldn't they have dominated the worlds centuries ago?"

"True." The old-man nodded. "But does it matter?"

"What do you mean?"

"That hollow appeared, blocked me from you, you got Kuchiki Rukia's powers, now you've lost them, you need power to save her. How does that hollow being a coincidence or sent purposefully change any of that?"

"It doesn't."

"Then you can worry about that another time. What brings us here is something very specific: power: mine, yours…and what we can achieve together."

"Am I ready now?"

"To be honest, I don't know. But I don't think we have time to debate that anymore. You want to save Kuchiki Rukia, and to do that you need my power. I can tell you already it won't be easy, there will be pain, sweat and…"

"I don't care." Ichigo interrupted him calmly. "Whatever price I need to pay, I will pay it. You've said it before, nothing will change the fact that I need to save Rukia, and to do that I need your power. Will you give it to me?"

"Will you work with me Ichigo? You already heard that shinigami, Abarai, talking about zanpakutou spirits."

"I know, it was when it occurred to me that you might be just that. It's also why I wasn't that surprised when I saw oyaji as a shinigami. Considering I've been able to hear you since I was nine, something like that was to be expected."

"Stand up Ichigo." The old man ordered.

Ichigo did as he was ordered immediately.

"Now listen:" The old-man declared strongly. "Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate."

As the zanpakutou spirit spoke those words the mixed aura in the circle became progressively denser, and it seemed to actually be acquiring a specific color, though no one could tell what color that might be.

"Call my name Ichigo." The spirit instructed. "You know it already. Call to me now…"

Ichigo extended a hand high up and then lowered it violently in a slashing motion, at the same time he called one word, for perhaps the second time in his life; and yet it felt as familiar as if he'd always known it…and maybe in the back of his mind he had…

"Zangetsu!"

The mixed aura seemed to explode right then, creating a tornado of dust all around the teens, and letting out an echo of power strong enough to make all the adults falter.

"Karin! Yuzu!" Isshin cried out in a panic.

Ryuuken didn't call for his son, but if one had been watching him close enough, they would have noticed how his posture tensed minutely in worry…

The dust took a few very long seconds to clear, and when it did, great was the adults' surprise when discovering the teens were now all standing, their powers still active, though aside from the change in posture they seemed entirely unaffected by the reiatsu explosion.

In the very center of the circle, stood Ichigo, no longer in the white yukata, but once again in the traditional shinigami shihakusho, he was holding both hands before him, parallel to the ground, and in them he held a katana, it was at least as long as he was tall, and even wider than the one he'd been using before (which was twice the width of a normal sword), with no hilt or guard, and a long white piece of cloth trailing from the spot where it could be held.

There he was, Kurosaki Ichigo, once again a Shinigami.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5. Conversations and Preparations

A girl with straight raven black hair that barely reached her shoulders, dressed in a black hakama and sleeveless kosode over a white long sleeved shitagi was inside an office, going through all the papers she could get her hands on as fast as she could; she seemed to be frantically looking for something she just couldn't find.

Right as she was about to begin searching in a nearby drawer the door opened, prompting an instantaneous reaction from her as she spun around, lowering herself into a defensive crouch at the same time she brought out a kodachi from the small of her back, holding the hilt in one hand and the sheathe in the other.

A second later the tension passed as the person to have entered the office was revealed to be a tall man with short silver hair and eyes that seemed practically permanently closed. He didn't move to attack her, or anything really, just watched her.

"Spirits! You gave me a scare, Kitsune." The girl commented with a relieved sigh.

"You should be scared, Karasu." The man told her in a reproving tone. "Only you would think going through taichou's papers in the middle of the day is a good idea."

"Well, from experience I can tell you it's a far better idea than trying to go through them in the middle of the night; at least right now I can actually see what the papers say, and I know he's out of Seireitei for some business or another." The girl told him easily as she went back to looking through papers.

"You really must be insane." The man declared with a shake of his head. "Do you honestly think He would go somewhere and leave any 'important papers' unattended."

"No, I don't, I may be crazy but I'm certainly not stupid." The girl deadpanned, not pausing for even a second. "I made sure 'the other' was busy."

"You may think you know much, but you don't." The man told her, holding her hands to stop her. "There are a lot more people involved in this than you might think. Some don't even know themselves that they're involved…"

"Sleeper cells?" The girl guessed.

"There are more than you can imagine, possible more than even I know of." The man insisted.

"Is sempai one of those?"

"Possibly. I honestly don't know what the thing is with that girl, taichou has never told me, and I dare not ask unnecessary questions; it could make him suspicious. And if you think he's not suspicious of you already…"

"I don't care, I…"

"You should care! He is already thinking about getting rid of you, he doesn't like the influence you have over Hitsugaya, a kind of influence he wants only Hinamori to have…"

"So he's planning to assassinate me? Does he honestly think no one would notice? I'm not any girl, Kitsune, much as I loathe to admit, and regardless of what may have happened to Nii-sama, I'm still a noble."

"I know, that's possibly the only reason you're still alive now, but a time may come when he'll consider you too much of a risk to his plans. Now please, do me a favor and be more careful. You're my friend, Karasu, one of very few I have, I don't want to lose you…"

"I know Kitsune…but you know I gotta do this. For Toushirou-kun, and Rangiku-san, and sempai, and for you as well…"

"Don't do that. Don't use me as an excuse for your suicidal tendencies."

"My suicidal tendencies? What about yours? Do you honestly that you'll live through your 'self-imposed mission'?"

The silence that followed was deafening.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." She mumbled, apologetic.

"I know the chance of me surviving the whole thing is very low." The man declared in an emotionless voice. "I'm practically a dead-man walking. I know that, I've known it for a very long time. However, that doesn't mean you should go and get yourself killed as well. Me…we both know I'm disposable, but you…"

"I'm not more important than you are!"

"Yes you are! Get it through your head girl! You are more important! You said it yourself, you are a noble, and with Nagaken-taichou gone you are the Clan's Heiress, you cannot die, not right now. There's so much you could achieve through your position, once taichou and the others have been dealt with. We both know Kuchiki-taichou's grief blinds him to the actions of many of his councilmen and there are no Shihouin or Shiba to do anything at all. You are, realistically speaking, Seireitei's only hope…"

"I don't like that." She mumbled with a tired sigh. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. I fought so hard to be allowed to become what I wanted, a shinigami; and now I might have to give it all up because of a Clan I never liked belonging to…"

"Why would you give it up?"

"You know as well as I no noble will want a shinigami wife, especially not one who was considered as captain-candidate barely a decade after graduating the Academy."

"You are a prodigy, that has never been doubted."

"Not any more than Toushirou-kun, the only reason he hasn't been given the haori already is because he's yet to achieve bankai."

"Yeah, well, he's young, his body may not be yet ready to deal with the strain caused by his bankai. Though that still doesn't explain why you haven't told Yamamoto-soutaichou that you have achieved bankai?"

"How…No, don't answer. You always seem to know things, even when you shouldn't. I don't know why I'm even surprised anymore. In any case, I don't actually want to be a captain; I think it's too much office work and too little action. Besides, Toushirou-kun is far better at dealing with the finer points of shinigami life…me, I just like fighting, either to defeat hollows or to protect other souls. That's my calling."

"Well, your calling runs the risk of being cut short if you don't leave right now. Taichou will be back at any moment. Now go."

The girl looked around her in half-panic, at the papers that laid in complete disarray. It was all her doing, and if her friend was to be believed (and she had no reason not to) she didn't have time to order everything again.

"Go, I'll take care of this mess." The man insisted to her.

"Thank you." She was truly thankful, and it showed in her rare, soft smile.

"Go now." The man pressed her. "And please try not to get in a mess like this again. I won't always be there to have your back."

"I know." She admitted in a bittersweet tone. "And you know I cannot promise you that."

The man only nodded, he had known, of course he had, after knowing that girl for decades, he knew how stubborn she was, just like he knew it would get her killed some day. He didn't like it, she was his friend; but like he'd told her, he couldn't be looking out for her all the time, or else he might lose his life himself, before he was able to go through with his self-imposed suicide-mission, and that just couldn't be allowed to happen. He only hoped that whatever happened, to him or her, things would be alright in the end.

"Goodbye Kitsune…" The girl whispered as she left the office quickly.

She didn't turn back, only saying the goodbye over her shoulders, had she, she might have noticed the worried look he'd sent her way, even as he began more-or-less reordering the 5th Squad's Captain's papers, at least enough for him not to notice what had happened just yet. The silver-haired man had just had a very bad feeling, and while he wasn't exactly superstitious, he couldn't help but feel, and fear, it might just be right this time.

"Goodbye…Karasu…" He whispered in a very low tone.

There was actual fear in his voice, though no one was there to notice it, just like his friend hadn't actually heard his goodbye; one that, he was almost sure, would be their last…

Elsewhere, a petite young woman woke, covered in cold sweat and with shivers running down her spine, as the scene ran through her now conscious mind and the implications sank in.

"I'm sorry, Kitsune…" She whispered to the empty night. "I'm so sorry…"

xXx

The following ten days went by in a flurry of movement, as the teens still had to attend a few last classes in the mornings, taking almost the whole afternoons to train. At some point Tatsuki had even commented that, in their situation, it might not be too bad that most of their parents didn't give a damn about them…

It was something they all knew: Tatsuki's parents were divorced, her father lived with his new wife and son, while her mother traveled a lot due to her job, leaving Tatsuki alone at home; so unless Tatsuki went looking for one of them for some reason or another, it was almost like she didn't even exist to them. Chad and Orihime had long ago lost any family they had. Mizuiro's family had moved to China, and since he had wanted to stay in Japan he'd ended up living on his own, like the other two. Chizuru's father was a womanizer, and everyone knew it, her mother hid behind the alcohol, and none cared at all about their daughter; even when she had screamed at them about her sexual preferences, they didn't care at all. Keigo's parents worked in Kyoto, so he lived with his older sister in an apartment their parents paid for. For Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu and Uryuu, their parents were directly involved in everything that was going on.

One way or another, the teens did as they wished as they prepared for what they knew already would be a hard and dangerous confrontation with some of the best of Soul Society.

The only reason they had even waited that long, was because Urahara had needed that time to arrange for a special senkaimon, something necessary since none of them except Ichigo, and his sisters, could actually separate from their bodies.

Also, not all of them would be going. Chizuru, Keigo and Mizuiro didn't have any active powers, they knew that despite how courageous and resourceful they might be, against the best of Soul Society they would only be a liability. Ichigo himself didn't want to involve his sisters, either, but Karin only had to remind him of certain 'business' she had to take care of in Soul Society, and of course Yuzu wasn't letting her twin go alone.

In the end Tatsuki had also been asked to stay behind, just in case there was an attack while the rest of them were in Soul Society; after all, while Isshin may have been a shinigami taichou at some point, the gigai he'd been using for the last two decades had drained him of most of his power, and they didn't really trust Urahara and his workers with Karakura's welfare. While Tatsuki wasn't as powerful as Ichigo, Uryuu, or even Karin, she was pretty strong anyway, and could deal with hollows if necessary.

Finally, after the two weeks had passed, the day came for the group to depart for Soul Society. In the end Ichigo, Uryuu, Orihime, Chad, Karin and Yuzu would be going, along with the cat Yoruichi, as Urahara had insisted they might need some help once there. Ichigo was in soul-form, as a shinigami; Uryuu in his quincy outfit, and his father had allowed him to take several high-level tools like the Seele Schneider, and gintou; Orihime and Chad had chosen to wear jeans, comfortable shirts and jackets; Karin and Yuzu too were in soul-form, though their appearance had been as unexpected to the adults as Ichigo's when first leaving his body after losing Rukia's borrowed powers.

Yuzu was in black, except that instead of a shihakusho, she wore a yukata, her kidou had also improved dramatically in that form. Karin for her part was a bit…different; she wore black hakama, only different in the sense that it was taped to her ankles, allowing for more range of movement in her legs; on the top half, her left sleeve was missing, though she had a white armguard, her right sleeve was white, missing the top black layer; she had no zanpakutou with her, but still, Karin knew that, when the time came, she would be able to call for it, no problem. All in all, in her opinion, the changes her attire had in regards to the traditional shinigami attire would only help her.

"Are you sure you want to do this on your own?" Isshin asked the teens.

Everything was ready, they had already been told what to expect and were just waiting for Urahara to open the Senkaimon before they rushed through it.

"I'm sure if you gave me a few more days Kisuke and I would be able to contact some of our friends, get some help." Isshin explained.

"Rukia is nakama, saving her is our right and our duty." Ichigo answered for them all.

"Oyaji, accept it already." Karin added in a no-nonsense tone. "We're doing this."

Isshin could only watch Karin in silence, there was so much he wanted to discuss with her, so much he suspected but didn't know for sure…so much he wondered if she had any idea of. He'd noticed the expression on her face when that comment about her possibly being a shinigami had been made, and then the clothes she appeared in, they seemed like a mix of a shinigami shihakusho, and something else…

"Nakama, everything's ready!" Urahara announced from the trapdoor.

Nakama, that's what everyone had taken to calling the group of teenagers, after hearing them using that term to refer to each other.

Teens and adults all gathered in Urahara's training grounds. They all made sure they were ready for the mission, and handling last-minute preparations. Karin had secured a boken to the sash of her modified shihakusho and Yuzu was carrying what looked like a messenger's bag, filled with the healing supplies Urahara and Tessai had gotten for her, since she didn't actually know how to heal purely with kidou, it hadn't been high on the list of priorities while Rukia was training her, and later on there had been no time to focus on that; Orihime was an awesome healer already, and being able to actively fight or at least protect others from hollows, just had seemed more important at the time. In that moment, Orihime was still there, but if anything happened to her, they would need someone else to take over the healing.

They had just finished checking and rechecking everything when Ryuuken entered the place. He was still in his white coat, showing he'd just stepped out of the hospital to see them off before going back to work.

"Shishou…" All the teens received him with a polite bow.

"I know already there's no way I'll be able to dissuade you from this crazy plan of yours." Ryuuken declared sternly as he approached them. "So I guess all I can tell you is to be careful, don't underestimate your enemies, or overestimate yourselves; you may all be very powerful, but you're no gods. If an enemy is more powerful than you, never hesitate to work together to bring it down, your teamwork is one of the better assets you have. Go, and make yourselves, your lineages and everyone else proud."

The teens bowed yet again in thanks. They all knew that was the closest Ryuuken would ever come to giving them a compliment, and wishing them luck. Actually, Ryuuken wasn't one to believe in luck, he said that was nothing more than an excuse for unprepared idiots, whether they won or lost, they always saw it as luck. The Nakama may not be as prepared as they wanted to be, they may be stubborn, and may refuse to follow orders at times, but they certainly weren't idiots; therefore, they didn't need luck.

In that very moment, Ichigo could very clearly remember a time when Ryuuken had been so very different; knowing the man, the orange haired didn't doubt he'd always cared deeply for his only son, but there had been a time when anyone who didn't know him very well would have never thought such a thing possible.

"Why is it that you can train a total stranger like Kurosaki Ichigo, and yet you refuse to train me, your own son?!" A young male voice demanded hotly. "Where is your Quincy pride?"

"I told you a very long time ago, Uryuu, that I had no interest in the Quincy." An older male voice answered coldly. "We of the living should handle the business of the living, let the dead deal with their own troubles. Two worlds so different aren't meant to mix."

"If so then why is it that some of us can see spirits?" The younger male demanded. "If we weren't meant to mix, shouldn't we be blind to them and their doings?"

"It might make things easier, though we can always ignore them." The older male replied in the same emotionless tone. "In any case, involving ourselves with the business of the dead brings nothing but trouble, and it certainly leaves us no gain…"

"Is that truly all you can think about? Really? Money?! And what about our pride?! The pride of our race! Of the…"

"What race? There is no race Uryuu, open your eyes, one man doesn't make a race."

"There's two of us."

"Like I said, I have no interest. You should better leave."

"That still doesn't explain why you're training Kurosaki."

"What I do, or do not do with my time, is no business of yours."

"You really thought I would notice? Please, until a couple of weeks ago Kurosaki's reiatsu was like a broken tap, always shooting off everywhere; then, suddenly, he disappears from class for several days, and when he comes back he's at half of that, and now it's even less. And it's not a mere block, though I'm guessing that was involved as well, a good deal of his reiatsu seems to be flowing in circles inside his own body. That's what you do to conceal your own reiatsu. That's how I knew you were involved!"

"Like I said before, what I do with my time, doesn't concern you."

"I want to know why! Why would you train him and not me! Answer me Ryuuken!"

The door had opened in that very moment and both males had turned instantly to see the very topic of their argument standing in the doorway.

Silence lasted for almost a full minute, but finally the older male was the first to speak.

"Leave now Uryuu." He ordered to the one before him. "I have business to deal with, business that doesn't concern you."

The younger male, of Ichigo's same age, didn't answer him, simply glaring at the older man for all he was worth before walking out of the room, and as he passed by Ichigo's side, the orange-haired could actually feel the chilling reiatsu as it touched him; the contact had been brief, and yet enough to cause shivers to appear on his flesh.

Ichigo hadn't actually remembered much of that conversation until later on, during one of his meditation exercises, they were meant to help him focus, but they were also very good to recall memories with crystal clarity.

The one thing that Ichigo had known even before the recalling was that he knew those voices, one of course had been that of his master, regardless of how short a time the man had been training him, he was doing something no one else could have (as far as the teen knew) and that was more than enough reason to respect him. The other voice, Ichigo had been sure he knew, but hadn't been sure how he did, not until a few days later, when he'd recognized the dark-blue haired cerulean eyed teen sitting in the other side of the classroom: he was Ishida Uryuu, one of his classmates, and also shishou's only son…

It had been that discovery that had prompted a very particular discussion-fight between him and the older man:

Ichigo and Ryuuken were on the older man's private elevator on their way back to the Hospital itself, having just finished that day's training. The orange-haired teen couldn't help but keep thinking about one particular thing he had been wanting to talk with the man all week but didn't dare to.

"What is it Kurosaki?" Ryuuken asked suddenly.

Ichigo blinked at Ryuuken, almost shocked and wondering how exactly the man knew there was something he wanted to say.

"Your reiatsu is fluctuating." Ryuuken answered the obvious question. "You've already gotten past that point, so the only reason for such a phenomenon is for your emotions to affect your control enough to make it falter."

"Yes, there is something I've been meaning to talk to you about." Ichigo nodded, he ruffled his hair slightly, trying to gather courage. "Ishida-shishou, you've been training me for a month now, and I will never be able to fully express my gratitude for everything you've done. Thanks to you I'm now able to better understand my own gifts, and I'm better prepared to protect my family if need be."

"Does this speech have a point?" Ryuuken interrupted Ichigo in a bored tone.

"I know this is really none of my business but, why is it that you're so willing to help me, and yet you refuse to do the same with your own son?" Ichigo finally blurted out.

Ryuuken's expression remained impassive, but his reiatsu flared for half a second; the change was barely there, but Ichigo was in close enough proximity to them, and had gotten so used to his reiatsu in the previous month, that he was able to notice the fluctuation.

"You're right." Ryuuken spoke still emotionlessly. "It's none of your business."

The elevator door opened right then, but before Ryuuken could make a move Ichigo hit a button to close the doors yet again. He knew his master was getting really upset at him, but Ichigo felt very strongly about this matter, and decided it was worth taking the chance, the Ishidas had helped him so much, whether they knew it or not, they deserved it…

"His name is Ishida Uryuu, right?" Ichigo said, though it wasn't actually a question, so he didn't stop. "I know him, we're in the same class. Though, to be honest, I didn't know it was him until last week; after I heard part of that argument the two of you had the other day, I then heard his voice in class, and suddenly I knew." Ichigo ruffled his hair again. "I honestly don't know what is wrong with your family, and I don't think there's any need for me to know. I just want to tell you one thing, regardless of what you or I may say, or not say, we both know this power I have, it's no coincidence, and no accident; the power I have, it's likely I inherited it from one of my parents, and for some reason I think it may be my father…I don't know, he's always taken all three of his children seeing or sensing spirits a bit too easily. But in any case, whether it is him, or it was my mom, the fact is: I have this power, and oyaji has never said a word. He must know, even if it was kaa-san, she would have told him, and yet he's never said anything to me, or to the twins. I don't like the feelings this situation causes in me. The fact that oyaji is keeping such secrets from me, from all of us, it hurts, more than I like to admit. And then there's the fact that this knowledge, and the lack of it, has proven to be dangerous already, what with what happened a few months ago, and even before that, back when I was nine; and who knows if there were other times I wasn't actually aware of?! I don't need you to tell me anything shishou, I don't care if you know or don't know anything, that isn't what really matters. What matters right now is your son… He's trying to connect with you, trying so hard…you know I actually stopped trying that with oyaji years ago. But you, shishou, you still have a chance with your son, you shouldn't give it up. Much as I may be loathe to admit, you will regret it if you lose this chance. Me…at least I still have Karin and Yuzu…if you lose your son you'll be alone; and maybe right now you don't care, but one day you will." He took a deep breath and added. "Like I said, I know this isn't really any of my business, but I just believe you and your son deserve a chance." He bowed deeply at the man, head down. "I'm sorry if my words have angered you, shishou, I just wanted to help. Sayonara…"

Ichigo hit the button to open the elevator's doors and then exited swiftly and silently, before the man got the chance to say or do anything.

Ichigo hadn't actually expected to see the doctor and Quincy again after that day, at least not without having to fear for his own life. And yet he'd seen him again, and the next time, he wasn't alone, Uryuu was with him, training…

It had been good, Ichigo knew, to see those two reconnect, in a way Uryuu said they hadn't since he was very young…it had been even better when the orange-haired had the chance to have the same kind of conversation with his own father.

"Ichigo…"

The orange-haired young man had just been dueling against Zangetsu to practice (who better to teach him about his zanpakutou than the very zanpakutou), Shiro helped too sometimes, when they were alone, since Ichigo didn't have to answer the questions that would come if all three of them were seen together.

For a few seconds Ichigo didn't answer his father's call, he'd barely even spoken to the man in the two weeks since they had all revealed their respective 'truths', or most of them at least. There were still things that were being held back, secrets that hadn't been revealed just yet, but there would be time for that later. In any case, Ichigo seemed far more focused on trying to break the standstill he had with Zangetsu.

"Go," Zangetsu ordered as he jumped back.

"Ossan…" Ichigo whispered with a tired sigh.

Ichigo would never admit it, but he'd more or less been avoiding his father, using training for Rukia's rescue as an excuse.

"You need to do this, Ichigo." Zangetsu told him sternly but warmly, eyes fixed straight on his young wielder. "Both Shiro and I know this. If you keep avoiding your father your inner world will begin to reflect your turmoil. You two need to sit down and talk, settle your differences, try and understand each other. You know already he doesn't blame you, he now needs to know that you don't blame him either."

"What would I blame him for?" Ichigo was confused about that.

"Giving up his powers, not being there to protect your mother, not even knowing when Grand Fisher came back and tried to kill you." Zangetsu enlisted.

"But none of that was his fault!" Ichigo cried out vehemently. "He gave up his powers because he loved kaa-san!"

Ichigo was left in shock when Zangetsu vanished all of a sudden, though the reason became clear as he realized who was right behind him.

"Is that what you really think?"

Ichigo sighed, he'd even forgotten his father was there…

*Ossan…* Ichigo hissed into his inner world.

*You need to talk to your father, Ichigo.* Zangetsu practically ordered his shinigami.

Ichigo sighed lowly, raking his hand through his hair, he knew this wasn't going to be good. And really, Zangetsu had to be the only zanpakutou spirit in history to get away with ordering their shinigami around like that!

"Ichi…" Isshin began yet again.

"I never say anything I don't feel, so yeah." Ichigo interrupted him.

Knowing that there was no way he would be able to get away from this Ichigo raised his zanpakutou and moved it to his back, the long white cloth automatically covering it and then connecting with the red sash across his torso, holding it in place.

"You've been so different this last couple of weeks." Isshin commented. "And not just you, Karin-chan, and Yuzu-chan as well. I just don't know what to think anymore…"

"It's not just these last weeks oyaji." Ichigo replied with a sigh. "This…" he moved his hands to encompass everything and everyone. "This is what we are, what we have been for years, you just didn't see us like this before. With your denials of knowing anything about spirits…"

"And yet you knew I was lying." Isshin commented with his own sigh.

"Of course I knew! We all did!" Ichigo replied easily. "Once Ryuuken-shishou decided he'd taught me enough control, and he helped me actually develop my power…it was too much like a shinigami's not to see the connection there. We did consider the possibility of kaa-san being the one to have had power, but somehow it didn't seem fitting…also you knew shishou before, and that too gave us a clue. There had to be something that connected the two of you, and it was not just that you were doctors, the spirits know our clinic is far too small for someone like Ishida Ryuuken to take interest on us just because of that."

Isshin could only listen to his son's analysis in silence, he had never expected his son, or any of the other teens, to be able to deduce that much considering how little information they had. And yet…that was exactly how they had been able to extract the truth from Kisuke…

"I still cannot believe Ryuuken trained you…" Isshin commented. "I mean, he used to be against his son being trained, refused to talk to Souken because of that. And now to learn he trained, not only his son, but you as well." He half-smiled. "He told me it was you who made him see how wrong he was about the way he treated Uryuu. And helped me realize how stupid I myself had been trying to keep all this from you, from all of you." He shook his head with a sigh. "Would you believe me if I told you I was only trying to protect you?"

"Yes." Ichigo couldn't help but half-smile. "I tried the very same thing when I first developed my powers. I pushed all my friends away, even tried doing the same with Karin and Yuzu. It didn't work, during the following spring Orihime and Chad developed their own powers, Karin's gifts began awakening around that time too, and by summer she was able to fight as well; then Yuzu could see spirits too and Tatsuki's reiatsu rose exponentially, before the next school year began even Keigo, Mizuiro and Chizuru could see everything spiritual. Like shishou said, he didn't like it, but still he helped us, in the end he decided that at least that way there was less of a chance of us getting killed…" he chuckled lightly. "I wonder if he would still have helped us develop our powers if he'd known back then what we would be using them for one day…"

"I think he would have, if he'd known who you would be doing all this for." Isshin declared after a short silence. "He respects your friend, you know? Kuchiki Rukia, I believe her name is." He shook his head with a smile. "Rukia, your nakama…Byakuya-bo's little sister, who would have thought it?"

"You know the bastard who came for her?!" Ichigo hissed.

"So he was the one who came." Isshin nodded, more to himself than anyone else. "Yes, I knew him, I told you already, back in Seireitei I was a noble, just like Byakuya, we were the heirs of our respective clans. Also, Kuchiki and Nagaken are the most powerful noble clans in Soul Society, despite the fact that there are so few Nagaken left…especially since the Shiba fell in disgrace and the Shihouin heiress abandoned her post and duties."

"The Shihouin heiress?" Ichigo questioned. "Yoruichi?"

In the time they had been there Ichigo had gotten the chance to know Yoruichi better, and that included her real form. The orange-haired teenager would admit to having been shocked, while they had all been expecting a human to be the cat's real form, nothing could have prepared them for how she actually looked, or the fact that she was totally naked…

"Rukia talked about the Kuchiki once, how they weren't the family she'd been hoping to gain when they adopted her…" Ichigo commented with a bittersweet expression.

"No, they wouldn't have been." Isshin shook his head. "The Kuchiki may be a considerably big Clan, but they're also very cold, almost cruel. I imagine that, for most of them, Rukia-san never stopped being a mere commoner…Byakuya-bo, he was different before, in another time he probably would have received someone like Rukia-san with open arms. But now…well, I guess he's just not the same man, not since his wife died…"

Ichigo shook his head, making an effort to push away the last piece of information, he knew how much it hurt to lose someone loved…he could only imagine how much it hurt men like his father, or Byakuya, to lose their wives…but that still was no excuse for what that bastard had done, for the way he'd treated Rukia…

"Why must blood matter so much?" Ichigo asked bitterly.

"Because blood is essential." Isshin answered honestly. "It's what gives us life. Even a spirit can bleed to death…except that after that the spirit would vanish, allowing the soul to go back into the eternal cycle of rebirth. It's also the blood that gives us power…you said it yourself Ichigo, how you already expected me to be a shinigami, because your powers were so much like the ones of the shinigami, and you instinctively knew you had to have inherited such an ability. It is true that in Soul Society there are many shinigami who weren't born as such, they are souls of people who died here on the Material World, and happened to have enough reiatsu to become shinigami; but there's a limit to how much they can grow, and it's commonly accepted that only the most exceptional ones of them will go as far as those who are born from shinigami themselves. Those souls, the ones who are born not just with potential but with actual powers, they're called shinketsu, pureblood; that's what you are, because you're my son. And you're also a noble; heir of the Nagaken Clan…"

"Heir of the Nagaken Clan…" Ichigo repeats with a furrowed brow. "What does that mean? I thought you said there were very few of us remaining…"

"The four of us are the last actual Nagaken to remain, the only ones of the direct line." Isshin told him. "Though there may still be a few very distant cousins in Soul Society, as well as the servants that are meant to keep the estate and a few smaller homes. And about what it means, if you choose to acknowledge your lineage, it will grant you certain benefits in Soul Society, you will be a Noble, which means that you'll have both the duties and the privileges of one."

"I will have to deal with Kuchiki Byakuya and other bastards like him." Ichigo guessed with distaste. "No way…just, no way."

"I know you dislike that idea." Isshin nodded in his most serious tone yet. "But just stop for a second and consider the other side of the coin: you'll have certain privileges, your opinion will matter. The Gotei won't be able to simply dismiss you as a mere ryoka, because you won't be, you'll be a shinigami, and a noble…"

Ichigo sighed, burying his face in his hands; he was tired, very much so, but he could see the importance of his father's words. As a Kurosaki he was just a shinigami daiko, as a Nagaken, he was a shinketsu, a noble, one of them…almost.

"Very well." Ichigo declared seriously after a while. "Let's do it then. I will be a Nagaken."

Isshin nodded in satisfaction, he knew why his son had made such a choice, it wasn't because he really cared about changing his name, or the nobility; he was just seeing the benefits having such a position would give him, for him, Rukia and the rest of the nakama; the black-haired man couldn't fault his son's reasoning. And it's not like he'd ever cared about being a noble himself, it was why he'd never cared about giving it all up more than three decades before…

Finally, Isshin nodded again and moved to leave the basement, leaving his con to get back to his training; he was very satisfied about the way the conversation had gone. Never before had he had such a rewarding conversation with his teenaged son, not since he was little…he liked that feeling of satisfaction, of a job well done, and it was only amplified by the last words he heard from his son before he fully left the place…

"Thank you…tou-san…"

The Senkaimon opened with a flash of light, returning Ichigo to the current time and place. It was time to go, they had a mission to fulfill and little time left to do it. They would save Rukia, and Soul Society would learn why it had been a bad idea to mess with the Nakama…

xXx

It was noon in Soul Society, and in the very center of Seireitei, in the Headquarters of the 1st Division, a joint meeting of captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 was taking place. The latest topic of discussion: the fact that right after the meeting was over the first class criminal: Kuchiki Rukia, would be moved from the cell in the 6th Division to the Senzaikyuu, known by some as the 'White Tower' or the 'Cell of Repentance', it was the place where all criminals on 'death row', so to speak, spent their last days before being executed.

There were actually more than a few people that still found it hard to believe that Kuchiki Rukia was to be executed, especially with the use of a weapon usually reserved only for taichou-class shinigami, and even then only for the most terrible of criminals, the Soukyoku. And yet none dare say a single word, those had been the orders given by Central 46, and they had to obey them, nothing could be done…or so they believed.

Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni, the over-two-millennia old 1st Division captain and overall Commander of the Gotei 13 was about to declare their meeting concluded, when something rather unexpected happened. The shinigami had a fraction of a second to realize there was a kidou at work, when suddenly they could all hear several voices in the back.

"There, it's ready." That one sounded young, sweet, and female.

"The kidou is working, Ichigo, start talking." The second voice was smooth, calm, with an underline of strength and definitely male.

"Very well, here goes." The third voice was strong, powerful and male as well. "Greetings, captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13…oh and Rukia, you too! If this works the way it should, you are the only ones listening to this message, if not…well I don't actually care how many people learn of this. My name is Kurosaki Ichigo, I'm the human that, for two and a half months, held the powers of Kuchiki Rukia, the same powers Kuchiki Byakuya stripped me of two weeks ago. Right now I'm a shinigami once again, the how isn't important, what's important is this: I'm here, inside Seireitei, and I'm not alone. We have only one mission, to get one of our own back: Rukia. She's Nakama, and since we've learnt that you don't seem to appreciate her enough, we'll be making sure she's with those who actually care about her, us. So, these are your options: you either let Rukia go right now, we get her, and then leave Soul Society today; you do that and you won't have to deal with us, at least not unless you happen to threaten one of our own again; your second choice, if you choose to continue with your plans for Rukia's execution…well, let it be known it won't be happening, we won't let it, but if you insist, on exactly seven days we will meet you all at Soukyoku Hill, and you'll see how far we're willing to go for a Nakama…"

There was a pause, mumbling in the back, before the same voice spoke again.

"We have no ill will towards any of you, not really." He reassured them. "Like I said before, all we want is to get our nakama back. However, that doesn't mean we won't fight anyone we need to in order to get her back. That goes especially for you two: Abarai Renji, Kuchiki Byakuya, I remember you, and we have a score to settle; you'll find many things can happen in two weeks, people can change, powers can grow…I'm not the same boy you met before and left bleeding under the rain…I'm also not alone. You see, Karakura isn't exactly a normal town…that should be obvious considering how many hollows appear every so often…in any case, I guess if you refuse to go with option number one, you'll get to find out…"

Another pause, at the same time they heard what sounded like a smack, a small yell, soft cursing and arguing, before the voice came back yet again.

"Guess we've said all we needed to." He continued. "We'll wait for Rukia until the sun sets, and if she doesn't meet us…we'll take that as your answer and go with number two. Good evening ladies and gentlemen. And Rukia! If you really thought threatening me with not forgiving me if I came after you was enough to actually get me to stay put…you were seriously underestimating me, all of us. Get this through your thick head, midget, you're Nakama, you're one of us; we came for you, and we're not leaving without you!"

The kidou vanished an instant later, breaking the echo of the last phrase, said with the deepest vehemence and passion most of those present had ever heard, caused. Silence didn't last too long, though, because just one second more later, the whole room erupted into chaos.

It really seemed like craziness…beyond craziness, insanity! A boy with borrowed shinigami powers, who hadn't even been using them for more than three months, had just announced that he and however many of his allies had somehow managed to infiltrate Seireitei unnoticed and were there to get the first class criminal: Kuchiki Rukia back! While none of those present could doubt the presence of the ryoka in Seireitei, otherwise the kidou wouldn't have reached them, and for the voices they heard it was obvious there were at least three of them; many questions remained unanswered: how had the ryoka managed to get inside Seireitei unnoticed? And if they had managed to achieve such a feat why then announce themselves, and especially to the strongest shinigami in the Gotei? Did they really think they had a chance against the whole Gotei? And if so, what gave them that confidence? So many questions, no answer; though one thing was obvious to everyone, Kuchiki Rukia was a convicted criminal, they weren't releasing her; which meant that, in seven days, they would all get a chance to learn who this Kurosaki Ichigo and his nakama were exactly…

xXx

Meanwhile, in a very particular cell in the 6th Squad's barracks, that same certain convicted criminal couldn't find it in her to stop the tears falling down her cheeks as she kept her eyes fixed on the one window of her cell. Ichigo's words had, indeed, reached her, deeper than anyone could imagine possible; standing next to her, the 7th seat from the 4th Division: Yamada Hanatarou, could only watch, not knowing what was going on, or how to help.

"Stupid strawberry…" Rukia mumbled with a trembling smile. "I told you I would never forgive you if you came…yet here you are…all of you…Nakama…Thank you…I'm waiting for you…"

Chapter Text

Chapter 6. How far are you willing to go?

The plan, at least the first part of it, worked beautifully, as Yoruichi and the Nakama went straight to one of the Nagaken houses in West Rukongai as soon as they got into Soul Society, there they collected a set of special talismans, they had been created a very long time before, when the Nagaken would gift them to individuals in Rukongai who had certain dealings with them, so they would be allowed to cross the gates into Seireitei as they pleased. The gates would register their presence as that of guests.

All in all it was pretty convenient for the Nakama, who decided they might as well keep the talismans even after the mission was over, they didn't know when they might need to slip inside again; especially if things didn't work out favorably and they ended up being considered as enemies by the shinigami…

They slipped into Seireitei unnoticed, and from there took refuge in one of the many empty warehouses in the limits of the place.

"Very well." Ichigo declared. "Time to begin the first part of the plan."

"Are you sure this is a good idea Ichigo?" Karin asked with a brow raised. "I mean, really, announcing ourselves to the strongest shinigami in the Gotei 13? Why not take advantage of the fact that we haven't been noticed thus far, find Rukia, get her out, and leave?"

"Because we're not here to invade." Ichigo answered calmly. "We're not Soul Society's enemies, and they need to know that. If they find out about us as we fight their officers, that will only give cause for misunderstandings."

"You really think it's going to make a difference?" Karin questioned incredulous. "Really, honestly, believe they're just going to let her go because we tell them to?"

"No." Ichigo shook his head. "I'm young, not stupid. I know that even if we give them the choice, they won't let Rukia go, but that doesn't change the fact that this is the right way to do things. Like I said, we're not their enemies…whether they know it or not, their enemies are closer than anyone could imagine, closer than even us."

The others all nodded soberly. They knew perfectly well the kind of individuals that stood among the most powerful of the shinigami, and the kind of plans they were trying to put into practice. Considering what Kisuke had done, the object he'd hidden in Rukia…it was likely that the teens' would end up forcibly clashing against them at some point, after all, they doubted very much the traitors would allow the 'hidden treasure' to slip out of their hands so easily. So they were expecting harsh battles to come, and, maybe when they happened, Soul Society would truly understand their intentions. They could hope.

"Well Yuzu, it's your show." Ichigo told his sister.

Really, without Rukia, she was the only one of them who knew any kidou at all, even if the Quincy had something that compared to it, somewhat, it just wasn't the same. This particular kidou was one that hadn't been taught to her by Rukia, but by Tessai, it had been his idea for them to do what they were about to, to give the Gotei 13 notice of their arrival so as to try and prove that they weren't really an enemy…like Karin had said, they didn't really have that much hope of it working, not that way at least, but they were still going to do it.

Working silently and swiftly, with an efficiency that proved great practice in such a technique, Yuzu brought out of her yukata sleeve a small jar with black ink-dust, using it to draw symbols in her hands and arms before positioning herself and beginning the kidou:

"Black and white net. Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowns and belts. Footprints, distant thunder, sharp peak, engulfing land, hidden in the night, sea of clouds, blue line. Form a circle and fly through the heavens." She chanted softly, focusing all her power for what they were about to do. "Bakudo 77, Tenteikuura!" She let out a breath at the great effort and called over her shoulder. "There, it's ready."

It had taken her a great effort to use the kidou to contact so many high-ranked shinigami, even when they had made sure to use it at a time when most of them (all except Rukia, really) were in the same place.

"The kidou is working, Ichigo, start talking." Uryuu instructed his nakama.

"Very well, here goes…" Ichigo declared.

He began talking, about the options they were giving the Gotei 13 and what they planned on doing according to what the shinigami did first. None of them said a word, they knew that the shinigami most likely had heard Yuzu and Uryuu speak at first, but it didn't matter; in any case that would prove to the Gotei that Ichigo wasn't alone, even if they had no idea just how many of them they were. Then again, even if they knew, it's likely that, for them, six teens and a cat wouldn't seem like much; they had no idea the kind of power the teens wielded.

Also, at some point, Karin had to smack Ichigo, he was getting off-track, the thought of Rukia making him forget the real objective of them communicating with the shinigami in the first place. And while it was true that Yuzu had made sure Rukia too would be receiving the message, they still had to finish it quickly and move. They weren't actually sure if the origins of such kidou could be tracked, but in any case they weren't about to stay and find out.

Eventually Yuzu cut the kidou, right after Ichigo had sent Rukia a direct message, not caring that so many others had heard it as well.

"Well, well, well, Ichigo." Uryuu commented anyone. "If I didn't know you better I would actually say you're in love with Rukia…"

The comment was so unexpected it left several people gaping in shock, and Ichigo choking on air at the mere thought of such a thing.

"Uryuu!" Ichigo practically yelled. "Are you nuts?!"

'Am I, really?' Uryuu raised a brow, in contemplation.

Karin's brow furrowed as her eyes fixed directly on her brother, she'd been sensing something very particular from him for a while now, but hadn't dared comment on it. Was what Uryuu said true? Was her brother in love with Rukia? Shouldn't she have noticed if he was? But what if it wasn't being 'in love'? Maybe it was something different…possibly something bigger…

xXx

That evening, the teens watched from hidden spots how Rukia was led, bound and veiled, from the 6th Division cell, to the Senzaikyuu. Neither of them had done anything to break her out, just watching her in silence. If they had been fast enough, and used enough power, it was likely they would have been able to just take her and run, but they knew the Gotei 13 was already in high alert, and such actions would have prompted a huge battle they weren't ready for. No, they would wait seven days, and then act. After all, they already had a plan.

Which was why the next day they did their best to slip unnoticed through several patrols, and they looked for yet another empty warehouse; however, before they could do so they were approached by a quite unexpected group.

All the nakama were on their guard as soon as they sensed the reiatsu of the individuals, even more so when they realized one of them was wearing a white haori, a piece of clothing only the highest level shinigami, the captains, wore.

"I somehow doubt we'll be able to get away from this one without fighting…" Karin declared as she shifted her stance a little.

They had been doing their best to avoid any and all shinigami for the last two days; not because they didn't think they could defeat them, but because they didn't want to provoke them; it was easier to just ignore and be ignored, at least until they couldn't help it. Also, if they were to engage any shinigami they saw in combat, it would be the same as leaving a trail for others to follow; and they would rather not have to fight every single day of the remaining five days before the pseudo-execution.

"So you dare come here…"

That voice, two of the teens recognized it, and it was enough to make them both draw their weapons and prepare to attack and/or be attacked at any second.

"Wow…" Karin couldn't but mumble.

She was really surprised at the near-instantaneous reaction from the two men, while it was normal for her brother to be ready to fight at any moment, since he was so used to getting into all kinds of fights…seeing Uryuu react the same way was definitely a surprise.

"Who is that?" Orihime questioned.

She realized that such a reaction could only be caused by very specific individuals, especially since not even the man wearing the tattered haori had caused such a response…

"Abarai…Renji…" The two teens practically growled in unison.

The rest of the teens blinked, they knew who Abarai Renji was, Ichigo and Uryuu had told in detail what had happened that rainy night, when Rukia was taken; in part so they would all have the same information, and mostly in case any of them was forced to fight either him or Byakuya…though, at the same time, they all knew that, if possible, the same two men would fight them and 'settle the score'.

Karin in particular furrowed her brow, as if trying to recall something that was just out of her mind's reach at the moment.

"Quit your games." A stern voice commanded.

They all turned their eyes to the man in the tattered haori, with spiky black hair adorned by small bells, he was extremely tall and broad shouldered, and carried a zanpakutou that seemed both old and worn out.

"I didn't come here looking for a staring contest, but a fight." The man declared strongly. "Whoever is the strongest of you gets to fight me!"

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Karin demanded hotly.

She could feel the man's reiatsu, and his extreme bloodlust, it was making her hazy, even with the kekkai Yuzu had placed around her earlier, to help her filter the emotions around her.

"11th Squad's taichou, Zaraki Kenpachi." The man introduced himself with a predatory grin. "Who are you, little lady?"

The introduction prompted yet another reaction for the teens, as they all took different battle stances, Karin drawing her boken to stand next to the already-armed Ichigo and Uryuu.

"Kurosaki Karin." The girl replied, taking a fighting stance. "Can't say it's exactly a pleasure to meet you, something tells me you will only let us go if we fight all of you."

"I only have interest in fighting the strongest one of you." Kenpachi informed her.

Karin tensed briefly, she didn't like the insinuation, and yet she wasn't stupid either; in a different time, she might have been able to take on one such as that monster of a captain, but not right then, not when she could barely hold herself together.

"I am the strongest one." Ichigo declared stepping forward. "Kurosaki Ichigo, shinigami."

"I thought as much." Kenpachi nodded. "That sword is really impressive."

"Yes." Ichigo nodded. "I don't think you would let the rest of my nakama move ahead while the two of us fight."

"I honestly don't care that much what the rest does." Kenpachi admitted with no shame. "But I'm not the only one who came here for a fight."

"You're not getting further from this point." Renji declared hotly.

"We'll see about that." Uryuu declared calmly. "Ichigo, I'll take on Abarai, I have a lesson to teach him about what Quincy are truly capable of when they truly wish to fight. On my pride, as both Quincy and Nakama, I swear I will defeat him."

When the rest of the nakama saw Uryuu vanish his reishi bow, only to draw one of his seele schneider, the longest one, they knew he was being very serious.

"Very well Uryuu, he's all yours." Ichigo nodded in agreement.

They all knew how seriously Uryuu took matters concerning his pride, and that of his race.

"Ichigo…" Chad grumbled in a low tone.

He was used to having Ichigo's back, and yet he also knew this particular fight was meant to be one-on-one; and regardless of anything else, those two shinigami weren't the only ones standing before them in that moment.

"Chad, you decide who fights the others." Ichigo instructed. "We'll have to be fast if we want to avoid being found by anyone else."

"Fast?" Kenpachi demanded. "Do you honestly think you can end a fight with someone like me fast, brat?!"

"I guess we're going to find out." Ichigo replied nonchalantly.

In an instant their zanpakutou clashed, and Ichigo exercised enough strength in the first several strikes to move the two of them a considerable distance away from the rest, so as not to smother them with the reiatsu that began rising steadily.

Just a moment later Uryuu raised his arrow-like dagger to parry Renji's blow, before the two of them moved in a different direction, looking for the right grounds for their own fight.

For a few minutes none of those remaining in the alley said anything, until an explosion of reiatsu from the direction Ichigo and Kenpachi had taken, called everyone's attention.

"I can't believe it…" They heard one of the shinigami say in shock. "He's already taken off his eye-patch…and it's not been even five minutes yet!"

"Ichigo!" Orihime cried out.

She moved to follow after the two fighters when the two shinigami unexpectedly stood on her way, zanpakutou raised. Used by then to fights, especially after the day so many hollows had appeared in Karakura, Orihime's reaction was more instinctual than rationalized.

"Santen Kesshun!" She called as she extended both hands.

There were no actual impacts, since the shinigami were surprised enough by her words to move back themselves, avoiding a collision with the three pointed orange-tinted shield.

"Fight! Fight!" A girly voice called out of the blue. "Yachiru wants to fight too!"

"Fukutaichou!" The other two shinigami called in surprise.

The remaining teens couldn't help but gape at the image before them, the short pink-haired, garnet eyed girl didn't look older than maybe six or seven, yet she was clad in a shihakusho and the band around her arm showed that she was, indeed, a lieutenant.

"I don't believe it…" Orihime mumbled.

"Kusajishi-fukutaichou!" The bald shinigami eventually called loudly. "I thought you were going to watch Zaraki-taichou fight the ryoka!"

"But I want to fight too!" The girl insisted in a shrill tone. "I want to fight her!"

Orihime was even more surprised when realizing the girl-lieutenant was actually pointing at her. Why would she want to fight her?

"Orihime," Karin called suddenly. "You think you can take her on?"

The sunset-haired girl took a shaky breath; she really hated fighting, she was a pacifist! But past events, like the day so many hollows appeared on Karakura, had shown her that there were times when shielding wasn't enough to truly protect those she cared about, sometimes she had to fight. She'd gone there to help her nakama save one of their own, and she wouldn't be able to do it if those shinigami managed to stop them…so then, she would fight.

"I can do it." Was all she said out loud.

Karin didn't ask her what had gone through her mind, with the gigantic captain gone she was able to better feel the emotions of those remaining, and knew a lot of things must have gone through her friend's minds before she finally steeled her resolve and got ready to fight.

"Very well." Karin nodded. "I guess that leaves the two of us to deal with the other shinigami, eh Chad?" she turned to her sister then. "Yuzu, stay back, if anyone else comes try and knock them out with kidou, we really don't need any other shinigami interrupting us."

Chad simply nodded as he allowed his right arm to transform.

Yuzu nodded with a worried smile; she didn't like it when her siblings had to fight, though she knew it was necessary; besides, they were trusting her to help where she could, she wouldn't let worry distract her from her task, she wouldn't let them down.

"Ok." Karin declared as she raised her boken. "Lets begin!"

And in an instant, three more fights had begun.

xXx

Zabimaru's shikai clashed against the reishi blade formed with aid of the seele schneider; while the shinigami seemed to have more physical strength with the way he managed to wield the huge zanpakutou, he still couldn't push the quincy back more than a few steps, and right when it seemed the black-blue haired boy might be cornered, he would almost disappear from the spot and begin attacking the shinigami from a different angle.

"What the hell is this?!" Renji demanded.

Uryuu, who neither understood what the shinigami was cursing about, nor cared, simply continued parrying blow after blow.

"I looked up the Quincy when I came back from that mission." Renji pointed out as he continued fighting. "There was very little in the archives, it had information on your bows, and on the fact that you were almost extinct…but nothing about this blade of yours!"

"There's a lot about us Quincy that you shinigami either don't know, or don't remember…" Uryuu replied calmly. "Or maybe it's your superiors that don't want you to know."

"What would anyone gain from hiding things about you Quincy from the shinigami?" Renji wanted to know. "Shouldn't we know everything to be prepared in case you happen to become our enemies at some point?"

"They don't tell you, because shinigami don't like to remember their own crimes." Uryuu spat. "Like the fact that, two centuries ago, they massacred almost the entirety of the Quincy race! That's the reason we're almost extinct now!"

"That's not true!" Renji refused to believe it.

"I don't care if you believe me or not." Uryuu replied. "I'm not here in regards to that."

"That's right, you say you're here for Kuchiki Rukia." Renji nodded. "Why would you care about her? She's a shinigami!"

"Ku…Rukia is Rukia." Uryuu stated. "And more than that, she's also nakama. She's one of our own, and we're getting her back. Regardless of whoever gets in our way." Uryuu shifted his hold on the seele schneider in one hand, while drawing another one. "Now, Abarai Renji, you're about to find out what a Quincy, what I, Ishida Uryuu, am truly capable of…Oh, and you would do well in remembering my name, the name of the man that will defeat you!"

Renji didn't get the chance to say a single word, as Uryuu had suddenly changed tactics, he was no longer just defending and blocking Zabimaru's attacks; he was actively attacking Renji, and moving faster than even most shunpo the shinigami had seen, certainly faster than Renji himself could follow comfortably.

"Just who the hell are you?!" Renji demanded hotly.

There was no answer, his opponent had already decided that duel would provide enough of one; that is…if the shinigami was still capable of reasonable thought after the Quincy was over with him…after all, their pride was at stake.

xXx

In another part Ichigo was really trying to understand what it was he was feeling every time his zanpakutou clashed against his enemy's; it was just too different from what he could remember feeling when he trained against Karin, Geta-Boushi, or his father, it was almost…

*Like there's something missing…*

So focused he was on trying to understand that Ichigo didn't even realize he'd spoken into his own inner world, until he heard an answer.

*His katana is empty, Ichigo.* The smooth, strong voice of his own zanpakutou answered.

*Ossan?* Ichigo inquired.

Even though he'd learnt his zanpakutou's name already, he couldn't help but call him 'old-man' still; he probably had gotten too used to it after doing it for so many years…

*His zanpakutou is in shikai, a permanent release, just like yours would be if Ishida Ryuuken hadn't pounded control into you for so many months.* Zangetsu continued. *But unlike you, he didn't reach that level by commuting with the spirit of his zanpakutou, he forced it, having so much reiatsu and no control at all…* the spirit sighed lowly and shook his head. *His zanpakutou has probably lost his voice by now, after so many years going unheard…*

*That's…that's awful!* Ichigo hissed mentally. *And cruel! How can he ignore another being, human or not, like that?*

*By believing he's enough by himself.* Shiro interfered in the discussion. *Good thing you know better, eh Aibou?*

Ichigo did know better; maybe it was because he'd been talking to both Zangetsu and Shiro for years, even before he understood about shinigami; but one way or another he knew about them and he absolutely trusted both beings, not only with his life, but also with that of his nakama, which was really the highest level of trust he could offer anyone. Zaraki Kenpachi, he didn't have something like that, and probably never would.

"Then maybe we should show him how wrong he is, huh?" Ichigo said out loud.

"What are you talking about?" Kenpachi demanded roughly. "Are you nuts, kid?"

"Maybe, though I don't think that's really important." Ichigo shrugged nonchalantly. "In any case I wasn't talking to myself, but to my aibou; I knew there was something wrong with your katana, and now I know what. It's empty. I don't know how you could have done it, but you ignored the spirit of your zanpakutou so much it's either lost its voice or been lost completely. It's a shame, really…"

"What bullshit are you talking about?" Kenpachi insisted. "Aibou? Zanpakutou spirit? I don't believe none of that. A zanpakutou is a tool, and that's that!"

Inside Ichigo's mind both Zangetsu and Shiro hissed in fury at that.

"You're wrong." Ichigo declared confidently as he shifted his stance. "A shinigami is next to nothing without their zanpakutou. You may be very strong yourself, yes, but that's nothing compared with what you can be with their help. Fighting with your zanpakutou…"

"Is nothing but a stupid excuse for those who cannot be strong for themselves!" Kenpachi interrupted him. "Now stop spouting idiocies and fight me! I've never heard any voices, I don't believe in them, I'm strong as I am for myself, I don't need no one!"

"Very well, if that's what you think." Ichigo steeled himself for the fight to come. "I will teach you how wrong you are!" suddenly he smirked, raising his zanpakutou high. "Or maybe, I will let my zanpakutou do the teaching." His reiatsu skyrocketed as he called out in a loud voice: "Pierce the skies to reach True Heaven, Zangetsu!"

In an explosion of reiatsu Ichigo's zanpakutou changed from the more normal, if still almost twice as wide as usual, katana, into the cleaver-like blade with no hilt and no guard. It had taken him a while, but he'd managed to seal Zangetsu's shikai during his training; in normal circumstances he wouldn't have cared, but Kisuke and Yoruichi had convinced him to do it so as not to call too much attention on himself, it was bad enough that his zanpakutou was so big, in both sealed and released form, having one in constant shikai…might have been too much.

"There!" Kenpachi cried out with an insane laugh. "This is the kind of fight I like! With something like this I can probably go all out!"

And then, to Ichigo's surprise and confusion, he ripped off his eye-patch.

xXx

Orihime panted slightly as she held herself in a half-crouch, Santen Kesshun floating at her side, she'd given up calling on it and dispelling it after a few minutes. The pink-haired girl, whom another shinigami had called a lieutenant, was too fast for the sunset-haired human not to be on-guard at all times. It was a complicated fight, while Orihime was very good at martial arts, it wasn't the same when the opponent was so much smaller, and she didn't want to accidentally hurt someone who, to her, still looked like a child.

"Fight me!" The child-like shinigami demanded in a shrill voice. "Really fight me! Ken-chan's having a lot of fun fighting, I want to have fun too!"

"I don't want to hurt you." Orihime replied.

Angry at being treated that way, the pink-haired shinigami began attacking Orihime more directly with the small sword she carried; prompting the human to either dodge or use her orange-tinted triangular shield to block; but she refused to attack.

"I want to fight!" The girl insisted. "Why are you here if you don't want to fight?!"

"We only want to get Rukia back!" Orihime replied. "We don't want to hurt anyone, we only want our nakama back!"

The human winced as she failed in fully evading one of the attacks, earning a cut on one of her arms, it was deep, and bleeding a lot.

"If you don't fight me I'll cut you many, many more times!" The shinigami insisted.

For all answer Orihime made a gesture with her right hand, prompting her Santen Kesshun to separate her from her opponent, while she held the other hand against her arm and chanted softly a different kotodama.

"Souten Kisshun…"

There was a brief flash of yellow-orange light and suddenly the blood that had been dripping down her arm vanished at the same time muscle, skin and even clothe knitted back together.

The awe in the shinigami-girl was noticeable, but Orihime didn't say anything; since her Healing Shield was her most used ability it had evolved far beyond any of the others, enough that she could undo most wounds in a matter of minutes, could restore things almost totally destroyed with some effort, and when it came to her own body, short of death nothing would be able to stop her…of course the cost on her energy was considerable, and she didn't have limitless reiatsu, however, she'd definitely gotten better than when she'd begun using her powers two years before…much better.

"Yay! Great!" The pink-haired shinigami cried out in delight. "I'm gonna have a lot of fun with you sun-girl!"

Orihime was still trying to understand what was going on, when the girl in front of her unexpectedly ran the palm of her hand against the length of her small blade, allowing her blood to cover the entirety of its length.

"Don't tell Ken-chan I can do this, ok?" The girl said with a small smirk. "Paint yourself with the blood of our enemies, Shinkuhana!"

The human girl had seen shikai releases before, Urahara's, Mr. Kurosaki's and Ichigo's as well; still, never before had she seen something quite like what she was seeing in that moment. It was like an explosion of pink reiatsu that enveloped the small girl suddenly, and when it cleared, the sight that greeted the ryoka was completely different. No longer was there a short pink-haired girl in a too-big shihakusho, holding a small blade; instead before Orihime suddenly stood a petite girl who looked like she was fifteen or maybe sixteen years old, her pink hair straight and long enough that it reached her hips, her shihakusho now so small it barely covered enough to be considered acceptable, leaving her arms and long legs bare; also, instead of the short katana she was holding a blade as long as her forearm, it actually looked like two blades connected by the hilt with a milimetric separation in the middle; the hilt was made of a silvery colored metal with a hint of pink, and it the very spot where the guard, hilt and blades connected an intricate flower was engraved.

In few words, the orange-red haired girl had no idea what was going on, she only knew one thing: the situation had just drastically changed.

At first Orihime did her best to simply evade the pink-haired shinigami's attack as much as possible, her shield was strong enough to stand the barrage of attacks, but Orihime wasn't fast enough to compete against her opponent's shunpo, which caused her to end up with quite a few wounds, mostly minor cuts and scratches, in both arms and one of her legs.

"Fight me!" The teen-aged lieutenant kept demanding over and over.

And yet Orihime kept hesitating, even if she did send Tsubaki a few times, she did her best to stay a certain distance away from the pinkette, not wanting to truly duel her.

"Fight me!" Yachiru practically screeched.

Orihime was so surprised by the yell she didn't realize when she first stepped on empty air, since the battle at some point had moved to the tiled roofs.

"Santen Kesshun!" She called, distressed.

The shield that had been protecting from the front broke in pieces, before reforming underneath her, forming a platform of sorts for Orihime to kneel on.

"Oh…neat!" Yachiru cheered her. "Now fight me!"

The shinigami took advantage of the fact that Orihime no longer had a shield covering her and moved in a direct attack, the ryoka girl's reaction was instinctive:

"Tsubaki! Help!" She called in panic.

*Good to see you finally ready, woman.* The spirit of the Rikka devoted to attack declared. *Now I can reach a second level! Call my name, call my true power!*

"Tsubaki! Koten Zanshun! Nibankyuu! I reject!"

In an instant Tsubaki had materialized yet again, except that instead of taking the form of the shooting shield like it always did, it instead was thinner, more stylish, like a mix of a scimitar and a boomerang. Orihime took a hold of it and used it to block Yachiru's zanpakutou.

"Yay!" Yachiru seemed strangely delighted at this. "Fight me! Fight me, sun-girl!"

"Wha…" Orihime could only look at the now hand-held blade, confused. "Tsubaki?"

*Use your will. You can decide when I am to cut and I am to hit. You can also throw me like a boomerang.* Tsubaki instructed her mentally, thrilled at reaching a new level. *Come on woman, don't back down now. What will your nakama do if you fail?*

Those words were enough to not only instruct her on how to handle the new version of her power, but also to give her the needed motivation to push on in the fight.

Focusing, Orihime leapt off the still floating Santen Kesshun with enough force to flip over the surprised pink-haired shinigami and then land nimbly on both feet on the roof. Yes, Tatsuki had most definitely done a very good job training her in martial arts and gymnastics.

The three Rikka that formed her defensive shield broke down and returned to her pins, somehow knowing Orihime wouldn't need them anymore.

"I'm sorry fukutaichou-san." Orihime called in a soft, yet steeled voice. "I'm afraid I'll have to end this fight now."

Before the pink-haired could say anything Orihime was upon her, her moves quick and swift, even when she still couldn't compare to a shinigami's shunpo, she made up for it with great agility and fast reflexes. Several of Yachiru's attacks were blocked before Orihime gave one of her own, Tsubaki went straight through the pinkette's zanpakutou, without doing anything to it, only to cut open the shinigami's arm, forcing her to let go of her weapon and fall down.

In a matter of seconds the blood loss was such that the shinigami lost consciousness.

"I'm sorry." Orihime whispered.

The blade disappeared from her hand as the battle was already over. Orihime knew she had to return to her nakama, lest they worry about her, but she couldn't just leave the pink-haired girl there, she couldn't leave her to die, it just wasn't in her nature…

"Souten Kisshun…"

xXx

Meanwhile Chad could only watch the scene before him in something akin to disbelief. His opponent, the so-called fifth-seat of the 11th squad: Ayasegawa Yumichika, had turned out to be little more than talk. Their fight hadn't lasted more than ten minutes, and even then, not even half of that time had been spent in actual one-on-one combat. As at first Chad had tried to simply knock the shinigami down with one of his Directos. It hadn't worked, the shinigami was at least fast and agile enough to avoid them. But when it had become a matter of a direct fight, nothing could compare to the gentle giant's strength. The latin-ascendant ryoka's armored arm could easily stand up to the multi-bladed zanpakutou of his opponent; afterwards it was only a matter of hitting him with enough strength to knock him out cold.

Chad was making his way back to where the group had split when he saw Orihime staggering on a nearby roof.

"Orihime!" He called worriedly.

His voice seemed to distract her enough that she actually slipped down from the roof and, thankfully, straight into his arms.

"Are you alright, Orihime?" The half-Hispanic inquired, worried.

"Fine, just very tired." Orihime explained in a low voice.

"It seems like your battle was hard." Chad commented.

He actually suspected it was more like Orihime had hesitated. He, like everyone else in their group, knew Orihime had amazing powers, that she had the potential to do a lot of things, possibly more than even they could imagine, but the girl was so used to just being backup, and was so against fighting, that her potential hadn't been pushed…until then.

"I fought…I won…" Orihime explained in a tired, yet very proud voice. "Tsubaki…reached a new level…I can wield a blade now…"

Chad's eyes widened at that, he could only wonder what exactly had happened to make Tsubaki, out of all her Rikka, reach a second level…they hadn't even known her Rikka had a second level until that moment!

Yet, before he could ask anything, Orihime's eyes opened again sharply, and a second later he realized the reason too: two reiatsus had just skyrocketed, one closer than the other.

"Karin-chan…" Orihime whispered, worriedly.

"And Ichigo." Chad added.

"We need to get to them." Orihime declared.

And yet, she knew she couldn't move, not with how tired she was.

Chad didn't say anything, he simply picked her up, holding her against his back. He was strong, and not tired at all, they would get back to their nakama fast enough.

xXx

Karin slid back several feet before managing to stop herself. She took a moment to look at the piece of the boken she still held in her hand before throwing it away with a huff. She'd gone into the fight with only the wooden sword as a weapon, infusing reiatsu into it to give it the strength and cutting edge of a normal sword, it had worked pretty well for almost five minutes, when her opponent finally managed to break it.

"If that's all you can do, then this is going to certainly be a short and boring fight, girl." The shinigami commented in a bored tone.

Karin hissed at the insult before reaching to the small of her back, one moment she seemed to be grasping thin air, until suddenly the pommel of a sword materialized in her hand; when she moved her hands to the front again, she was holding in her right a foot long half-curved kodachi with an uncommonly long hilt and in her left its wooden mahogany scabbard.

"A Zanpakutou!" The shinigami declared with a predatory grin. "Now that's more like it! I was beginning to fear all you could use was a wooden sword, girl."

"Hardly." Karin declared, taking a stance. "I just didn't think I would need it for this fight."

"Didn't think…" The bald man's eyes widened. "You insult me girl! I am Madarame Ikkaku, 3rd seat of the 11th Squad, under the great captain Zaraki Kenpachi. And you thought you could defeat me with a mere boken…"

"Well, if I'm dealing with such a high-level shinigami, using just a boken would be an insult." Karin admitted with a half-smirk. "Still. I may not have a rank, as far as your ranking goes, but I don't need it either. Soon you'll get to see what I'm capable of, with your own eyes. That is, of course, if you're intelligent enough to comprehend what you see!"

Before Ikkaku could say anything else Karin had leapt straight at him.

They exchanged blows for several minutes, each using their zanpakutou to attack and the scabbards to block; they seemed to be well-matched.

"Now this is a fight!" Ikkaku declared, thrilled. "What do you say we kick this up a notch, girl?" he didn't actually wait for an answer before calling: "Grow, Houzukimaru!"

Karin could only watch as the shinigami pressed the scabbard to the hilt of his zanpakutou, then, in a rush of reiatsu the two came together to form what looked very much like a Yari.

"Interesting…" Karin admitted.

In an instant she dropped to the ground and rolled sideways to avoid the initial attack from her opponent's released zanpakutou.

"Come on girl, release your zanpakutou!" Ikkaku called.

Karin didn't answer, though she still refused to do so.

"You can never hope to defeat a shikai with a sealed blade!" Ikkaku insisted.

Yet Karin didn't pay him any attention, instead focusing on fighting him. It seemed to be going pretty well, until Ikkaku hit the back of her left hand with enough force that she was forced to let go of the scabbard.

"You're going to lose, girl!" Ikkaku announced with satisfaction. "Luck is on my side!"

"You haven't won yet!" Karin retorted strongly, parrying the next attack. "Luck is for idiots, and I'm not one of them. Regardless of how long your zanpakutou may be, length alone won't be enough to win."

"I see, you, like so many believe my zanpakutou to be a lance…I'm afraid you're wrong." Ikkaku declared with an anticipatory grin. "Split, Houzukimaru!"

Karin was aware, through the corner of her eye, of the moment the yari broke into three parts, becoming a sansetsukon, one of its parts moving around Ikkaku's head to hit her in the side. So she did the only thing she could do, she raised her left arm and blocked the attack.

The armguard she wore on her sleeveless arm turned to be strong enough to block the attack from the changed zanpakutou, but Karin knew the situation had gotten more complicated than she'd been expecting it too.

"Guess it cannot be helped then…" She declared as she took a couple of steps back.

"Yes, yes, call on your shikai girl!" Ikkaku called with anticipation. "I wanna see it! I wanna see what you can really do! I'm so lucky…"

"I really hope you'll be able to survive this, Madarame-san. Though luck alone won't help you." Karin commented with a sigh. "I have to warn you, I haven't yet gotten complete control over it…" she held her kodachi down, forming a diagonal across her body before calling: "Fly across the fiery heavens, Tenreikou!"

What looked like fire yet was actually her reiatsu enveloped Karin's right arm for a second, when it cleared her kodachi had turned into a five and a half foot tall naginata; two feet of the blade, half more of the hilt and a three feet long shaft with a metal spike in the end. All in all, the weapon was longer than she was tall, yet she didn't seem to be uncomfortable at all by this. The petite raven-haired girl held it with the pole resting on her right shoulder, while the tip of the blade rested right in front of her left foot.

"Oh…" Ikkaku seemed very interested in what he was seeing. "Our weapons look so similar! Yours won't split by any chance?"

"No, but then again, I don't need it to." Karin declared. "It's over, Madarame-san."

And before the bald man could say a single word she spun the naginata so the tip was up and then moved it straight down. The blade went through the middle of his own zanpakutou, cutting it in two as easily as he had cut down her own boken before, and with enough power that, an instant later Ikkaku fell back, bleeding from a half-deep cut that went from his collarbone to his hip.

"Guess my luck's run out then…" Ikkaku sighed as he let go of his zanpakutou.

The sansetsukon went back to looking like a normal katana, though it was still in two pieces. Karin hoped he would be able to repair it somehow, it had never been her intention to destroy the zanpakutou; though, at the same time, she hadn't lied when saying she didn't yet have full control over her power…it had been hard just to hold herself back enough so as not to cut the shinigami fully open and kill him. Even as bad as the wound seemed, as much blood as there was, the wound wouldn't kill him.

Satisfied, Karin lowered the tip of her zanpakutou again; it never actually touched the ground though, as it disappeared into reishi particles before it could, the scabbard that had fallen at some point vanishing as well.

"I must get back now, before my nakama worry too much." Karin murmured to herself as she turned her back on her fallen opponent.

"Hey girl!" Ikkaku called to her before she could leave. "Before you go, I wanna know, what is your name? And why are you here?"

Karin considered briefly just ignoring the man, but in the end decided to answer him, it's not like they were trying to keep their presence a secret or anything like that.

"My name is Kurosaki Karin." She answered over her shoulder. "My nakama and I are here to rescue one of our own: Kuchiki Rukia."

"The criminal on death-row?" Ikkaku seemed truly surprised at that.

"Yes, what's it to you?" She inquired.

"Nothing." Ikkaku admitted simply. "Though you and your allies must truly be nuts, if you think you stand a chance against the whole Gotei 13; because I'll tell you now, that's what it'll take for you to save your friend…"

"We'll do what we have to do." Karin answered, apparently uncaring.

"Well, in any case I hope you survive." Ikkaku told her. "I would really like to get to fight you again, after I've gotten stronger."

"By then I'll also have better control of my own power." Karin warned him.

"That'll only make things all the more interesting!" Ikkaku declared, thrilled.

Karin shook her head as she turned away again, that shinigami truly must be insane…

"Good luck Madarame Ikkaku." She said before turning around a corner.

"Good luck…Kurosaki Karin…" He whispered back.

She hadn't even been walking for a full minute when suddenly she felt a great power skyrocket, a power she had no problem identifying.

"Ichi-nii…" She muttered turning in a different direction. "What mess have you gotten yourself into now?"

And with no further consideration she shunpoed in the new direction.

xXx

The reishi forming the blades on the longest seele schneider dispersed as the young quincy relaxed his stance. Before him, next to the broken pieces of his own zanpakutou and one other seele schneider laid the half-unconscious form of the crimson-haired 6th Division fukutaichou: Abarai Renji.

"Impo…sible…" The downed shinigami muttered. "I cannot be…defeated…"

Uryuu snorted as he hooked the seele schneider back on his belt. Shinigami really were the worst kind of losers…

"You cannot…have d…defeated me." Renji insisted.

He tried to stand, yet was unable to; he reached for his zanpakutou, only to find it in pieces.

"Your zanpakutou is broken, as is your body, your reiatsu is lower than even the weakest of my nakama." Uryuu enlisted coldly. "Admit it, shinigami, you are defeated. And I, Ishida Uryuu, Quincy, was who defeated you."

Renji muttered something else under his breath, something Uryuu didn't understand, though he could guess what was going on.

"I know." The quincy nodded calmly. "You said before you read about Quincy when you came back…but reading is nothing compared to actual experience."

"I'd fought you before." Renji snarled lowly. "I defeated you before!"

"Yes, you fought me, you defeated me, in a time and place where I cared not about truly fighting you." Uryuu deadpanned. "You revealed all your cards in a fight I wasn't taking seriously. When we clashed today, I knew already everything, or almost everything you were capable of, while you had no idea of my real power."

"Why…not serious…before?" The redhead was beginning to lose consciousness.

"Rukia knew you, and she's nakama." Uryuu explained simply. "It wouldn't have been right to attack a possible friend of a nakama at full-strength. Especially since at that point I didn't yet know your intentions. By the time I did know…I had lost the advantage, Besides, I only had my bow back then, a certain disadvantage against an experienced swordsman."

"Rukia…my friend…but the law…"

"So you're willing to have the death of one you call a friend on your conscience, simply because it's the so-called law?" he growled. "Those like you are the reason I once hated shinigami with everything I was."

"Once…not anymore?"

"Saying I hate shinigami now would be an insult to some nakama; mainly Rukia and Ichigo."

"Rukia…nakama?"

"Yes, Rukia is nakama. I believe we've said it before. She's the reason we're here. She's nakama, and we're getting her back."

"You…save Rukia?"

"Yes."

"Good." He finally lost consciousness then.

Uryuu had no idea what exactly had gone through the shinigami's mind at the end, to make him say something like that, but he didn't care that much. His nakama were expecting him, he could sense that most had finished their fights already, they were much more important than a weak, defeated shinigami…

xXx

Yuzu pulled her hand back as yet another low-ranked shinigami dropped unconscious to the ground. That was the sixth she'd had to knock out with kidou since everyone else had split to fight their own battles. The chestnut haired teenager could sense that almost all of her nakama had already finished their own battles and turned to go meet them, when suddenly she could sense yet another presence approaching her from behind.

"Bakudo 4…" Yuzu called even as she spun around. "Hainawa!"

She extended both hands forward as she finished her spin; a yellow rope-like energy emerged from her hands then, going immediately around the newly arrived shinigami, binding him.

"Bakudo 15…"

"Wait!" The shinigami called to her in a very nervous voice. "Wait please. I want to talk to you! Please, I don't want to fight you…"

Yuzu halted her chant, but didn't lower her hands, it's not like the shinigami could hurt her, and she was curious of why he was trying to talk to her, no one had before.

"You're one of the ryoka, aren`t you?" He asked.

"I am." Yuzu answered simply, it should have been obvious enough.

"You are here to save Kuchiki Rukia-san, right?" He asked then.

Yuzu simply nodded. While they hadn't been sure if those they had sent the message to would be willing to explain the situation to their subordinates, it wasn't a totally unexpected situation either. Though that still didn't explain why he wanted to talk to her…

"I want to help!" The young shinigami announced.

Yuzu couldn't help but stagger at that, enough for her previous bakudo to break down. She could have never expected something like that. Why would a shinigami, any shinigami, want to help her, help all of them, save one who was supposed to be a criminal to them?

Yet before she could voice the question, something else called her attention, the echo of a very strong reiatsu as it passed by, powerful enough to make the male shinigami drop to his kness, while Yuzu couldn't help but turned back in shock and dread. She knew very well who that power belonged to.

"Ichi-nii!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 7. Loyalties

Ichigo groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, he found himself lying on cold metal, the top of one of his Inner World's skyscrapers, he felt dizzy, a bit nauseous and extremely tired.

He opened his mouth, only to find himself unable to speak.

*Wha…What happened?* He asked inside his mind.

"Aibou!" Shiro cried out in obvious delight. "You're awake...Well, not exactly but…"

It was until the orange-haired heard his white twins' exclamation out-loud that he came to the realization that he wasn't in Seireitei, or in the 'real world' at all. He was in his inner world.

"What a…am I doing here?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

"Recovering." A stern voice answered.

It was until then that Ichigo realized that while Shiro was kneeling by his side, Zangetsu remained standing a few feet from his head.

"Recovering?" Ichigo repeated, still confused.

"What is the last thing you remember, aibou?" Shiro asked, a bit worriedly.

"Uh…" Ichigo actually had to make an effort to remember anything at all. "We were trying to find a new hideout, some place to wait until we had to go for Rukia…Abarai appeared, along with several other shinigami…one of them was a captain…he wanted to fight the strongest of us…I fought him. He was extremely powerful, and crazy…I called on Ossan's shikai, and then he ripped of some eye-patch he had…his reiatsu skyrocketed…I kept fighting him…I needed more power…more power…"

"I gave you more power." Zangetsu reminded him. "We synced…in a way no shinigami and zanpakutou have in at least decades. This allowed you to win your battle against Zaraki Kenpachi, though no without consequence."

"You had already been badly hurt by then aibou…" Shiro added in a low voice. "That stupid insane man's last stab pierced your chest, it almost reached your heart…You almost died…"

Ichigo realized then why his 'twin' was acting so out of character. He was afraid, afraid of dying himself, which would have happened if Ichigo had died; but mostly, he was afraid of Ichigo dying. It was likely that if anyone else were to see them, to know what each of them were, they wouldn't believe just how honestly worried Shiro had been about Ichigo; but the orange-haired knew better, his twin cared, so much…it didn't matter what he was supposed to be, or the way he'd come to exist, Shiro was Ichigo's twin brother in all ways that counted and that was that.

"Nii-san…" Ichigo whispered with a soft smile. "Thank you…"

Shiro huffed dramatically at the same time he turned to look away, wanting to hide his watery eyes; there was no way he would let Ichigo, or anyone know he was being so sentimental, so much he could almost cry…damnit hollows don't cry! They aren't supposed to feel, or even have a heart…! Right?

"Ichigo…" Zangetsu called the young man's attention back. "You need to go back."

"Go back?" Ichigo parroted back, confused.

"To the real world, to your nakama." Zangetsu qualified. "They're very worried about you, you've been unconscious for 24 hours now. If you don't wake up soon…"

"They might decide to do something stupid." Ichigo finished.

It was true, if his nakama thought he was too bad they would abort the original mission and focus on breaking Rukia out of the Senzaikyuu and then getting her and him out of the Soul Society as fast as possible, forget about helping Seireitei uncover the bunch of traitors they unknowingly had in their midst.

"Very well, Ossan, Aibou." Ichigo nodded, taking a deep breath. "Let's do this."

The other two thirds of his soul, the two sides of his power nodded solemnly and then, with a brief flash of light, they were gone, along with the rest of his inner world.

For Ichigo it was as if he'd just closed his eyes briefly before opening them again to find himself no longer in the skyscraper of his inner world, but laying on the stone floor of some underground passage; the top half of his shihakusho was missing and half of his torso, as well as an arm and a part of his head were bandaged.

His pained groan was enough to announce to everyone around him that he was, in fact, awake. Karin and Yuzu rushed to his side right away, while Chad and Uryuu hung back calmly. Orihime was sleeping, using her own rolled-up jacket as a pillow, with Chad's covering her like an improvised blanket.

"How are you Ichigo?" Chad inquired, worried for his friend.

"Fine…just sore." Ichigo admitted as he slowly sat up. "The fight against that madman took more out of me than I thought it would."

"Baka Ichigo!" Karin smacked him. "You almost died!"

"So I've been told." Ichigo admitted, rubbing the back of his head in pain.

"Ichi-nii…" Yuzu muttered with a sob.

"I'm sorry Yuzu…Karin, everyone, I really didn't mean to worry you." Ichigo promised them. "I just…I had to defeat him."

"I guess with your opponent being Zaraki Kenpachi I shouldn't be surprised." Karin said with resignation. "He is, after all, well known for being an insane swordsman, his bloodlust has really no comparison in Seireitei…"

"And how exactly would you know that, Karin-san?" A male-like voice inquired, interested.

They all turned to see the black cat approaching them.

"Yoruichi-san!" Yuzu called with a bright smile. "You're back."

"I trust you didn't have any trouble." Ichigo commented.

"None at all." Yoruichi assured him. "While all the divisions seem to have deployed more patrols than what's normal, none seem to be too interested in finding you. Either they don't believe you capable of going through with your threat, or they believe you'll be easily defeated when you arrive at Soukyoku Hill…"

"It wasn't a threat, it was a promise." Ichigo declared strongly. "And in any case, if they underestimate us it'll be their loss."

"I see." Yoruichi nodded, before turning to Karin. "You still haven't answered my question Karin-san. How would you know the kind of reputation Zaraki Kenpachi possesses when you all have barely been in Soul Society for a handful of days?"

"And who says this is my first time in Soul Society?" Karin challenged with a half-smirk. "I have my ways of knowing things, Yoruichi-san, you would do well not to meddle in my business. When the time comes, you'll know the truth."

Under normal circumstances Shihouin Yoruichi would have taken serious offense at being told to back off, especially by a fifteen-year-old girl; but the situation at the time wasn't normal at all, and she already suspected at least part of the raven-haired girl's secret. She, as well as Kisuke and Isshin did, even if the last was in absolute denial. In any case, if there were right…then a lot was going to change very soon…

"There's one thing I've been wondering, Ichigo." Yoruichi commented suddenly.

Ichigo turned in her direction in time to see her pushing next to him a slightly broken white bone-like mask with tribal red-lines.

*Shiro!* Ichigo cried out into his inner-world, before saying out-loud. "What is that?"

"That's what I would like to know, Ichigo." Yoruichi declared in a stern tone.

*Shit.* Shiro cursed inside his mind. *It's my fault. I materialized the mask inside your robes, to try and block the last stab from that crazy captain…I forgot to diffuse it afterwards…*

*It's nothing to feel guilty about, Shiro.* Ichigo assured him with a silent sigh. *You were just protecting me…* he turned to Yoruichi with a blank expression. "It looks like a bone mask of some kind, what of it?"

"It looks like a hollow mask." Yoruichi pointed out seriously. "What I want to know, is what was a hollow mask doing inside your clothes."

"No idea." Ichigo lied expressionlessly.

"Really?" Yoruichi didn't believe him. "So this mask, that I found between the layers of your shihakusho, that somehow apparently saved you from being stabbed to death during your fight with Kenpachi…you have no idea how it got there."

The Nakama could only gap at those words, only Yuzu had known how instrumental the mask had been in saving Ichigo's life, and even then she, like everyone else, were so used to seeing him like a strong, apparently all-powerful young man, that they hadn't realized how close he'd actually come to dying.

"None at all." Ichigo insisted in the same tone. "So, Yoruichi, unless you are the one who knows something you aren't telling…I guess the whole point is moot."

Ichigo and Yoruichi held each other's stares for a while; it was likely they both knew the other was hiding something, but neither was willing to reveal their cards, not yet anyway.

"Is Orihime alright?" Ichigo asked, breaking the staring contest and changing topic drastically.

"Mostly." Uryuu answered with a sigh. "From what she told Chad, her fight against the shinigami forced her to call on a new level of power. Seems her Koten Zanshun had a second level…It took a lot out of her, besides the fact that she used a lot her other powers as well. She briefly woke a few hours after we got here and then went back to sleep. We haven't woken her since we're in no hurry. It's unlikely the shinigami will come looking for us here, and it'll be better if she's in top shape next time there's a confrontation. The same goes for you."

"I see." Ichigo nodded. "Where are we exactly?"

"The underground tunnels of Seireitei." Chad told him. "Apparently this place is used as supply and rescue routes by 4th Division members mostly." He pointed to another sleeping form, a shinigami. "It was his idea for us to come here."

"A shinigami!" Ichigo gasped. "Here? With us…? Wait, he helped us, why?"

"His name is Yamada Hanatarou." Yuzu explained calmly as she used some healing kidou on her brother. "He approached me while each of you were in your own battles. Turns out he was the one in charge of cleaning the 6th Division while Rukia-san was there. She told him about us, about her nakama, who were going to save her. He came looking for us after Rukia-san was transferred to the Senzaikyuu, he wants to help us."

"Why?" Ichigo was really intrigued by the whole thing.

"He admires Rukia-san greatly, I think." Yuzu answered, slowly. "The fact that she's noble yet she treated him with respect. And also, through her stories of us, he's come to admire us as well. Especially you Ichi-nii. He told me he wanted to help Rukia-san, but knew he wouldn't be able to do it on his own, so he went looking for us, wanting to help us save her. He's the 7th seat of the 4th Division; it was he who taught me healing kidou."

"Yes, I was wondering about that." Ichigo admitted. "I know neither Rukia nor Tessai taught you any healing kidou, we never thought it would be necessary with Orihime here."

"And yet she's drained right now." Karin finished for him. "In a way, I guess it was fortunate that we met Yamada, and that he was able to instruct Yuzu on how to heal. Still, I'm not sure if we should keep him with us."

"Karin-nee!" Yuzu cried out. "He only wants to help us!"

"I know that Yuzu." Karin tried to pacify her sister. "What I said wasn't meant to be against him. But lets be honest here, we'll be fighting against shinigami, and the next time we all probably will have to go against captains and lieutenants, I don't think he'll be able to handle it. At the same time it wouldn't be fair to him, it's one thing for us ryoka to be fighting shinigami, but for him…he would be considered a traitor. The last thing we need is to have to bail him out as well. The situation is complicated enough already."

Yuzu bit her lip, in the short time she'd known Yamada Hanatarou she'd come to like the young man, he was very shy and awkward, but at the same time very talented in the healing arts; the young girl felt she owed him, since without him she wouldn't have been able to help heal everyone. At the same time, she knew Karin was right, the battles would only get worse, and it wasn't really fair of them to pull the young shinigami into a war he knew nothing of.

"We'll decide what to do about Yamada-san when we have to." Ichigo declared eventually.

"True." Uryuu agreed. "Right now we all need to rest, make sure our energies are restored before we have to get on the move again."

Yoruichi just watched the scene in silence; while she was much older and more experienced that the group of teenagers, she knew that in the end they would make their own choices and stick to them. She was there to help them when she could, but they were the ones who would be rescuing Rukia, and possibly confronting Aizen and his accomplices. She only hoped their power would be enough…

xXx

It took two more days for both Ichigo and Orihime to be fully recovered. And yet they hadn't wasted time. It had been advantageous for them to know that it was unlikely anyone would go looking for them in the underground passages, and while they couldn't train out of fear of being tracked down, they could still plan.

That morning, three days before the scheduled execution, the Nakama decided it was time to get moving again. Following Yoruichi's suggestions they were going to make their way to the base of Soukyoku Hill and to a hiding space which was pretty much a replica of the training grounds beneath the Urahara Shoten.

Yoruichi had gone ahead, in order to make sure no one would be able to block their way. The rest of the mostly-human teens were waiting for Yuzu and Hanatarou to return, since they had gone to get some food for everyone, before making their way to the hideout. What they never expected was for Hanatarou to return…by himself.

The moment the dark-haired shinigami reached them without the gentle twin by his side, half of the nakama raised their weapons against him.

"Where the hell is Yuzu?!" Karin and Ichigo demanded at he same time.

"I…uh…" Hanatarou seemed to have gone speechless in fright.

It took a little while, with how nervous Hanatarou was, but eventually the Nakama learnt that Hanatarou and Yuzu had been found out, by a captain no less! And that Yuzu was waiting for the rest of them along with the captain and a few others.

The group entered the captain's office in a very military fashion, with Hanatarou walking a few feet in front of them, to act as a distraction in case the whole thing was a trap. Ichigo stood in the center of the formation, with Uryuu and Karin at his flanks, Chad and Orihime right behind, all of them with their guard up and ready to fight or flee at a second's notice.

Great was their surprise when they found Yuzu sitting seiza in front of a low table; across from her two men in white haoris (signaling they were captains) and a young woman in a shihakusho and with a lieutenant badge around her arm.

"Hey Ichi-nii, Karin-nee, minna!" Yuzu smiled over her shoulder, either not noticing or simply ignoring the tension in her family and friends.

It was then the nakama realized something else: Yuzu was having tea with the three shinigami! Having tea! As if they were old friends!

"Yuzu…" Ichigo called in a low, controlled tone, one hand on the hilt of his still sealed zanpakutou. "Come here. Please."

"Ichi-nii…?" Yuzu inquired, looking over her shoulder again.

And if she really hadn't noticed the tension before, she did in that that moment, and all it did was make her sigh and lower her head briefly.

"Yuzu!" Karin hissed.

With a deep breath, the lighter haired, yet darker eyed twin, made her choice.

"No."

No one had been expecting that, apparently not even the shinigami having tea with her, since they all stopped all pretence of ignoring the Nakama as they kept sipping their tea and turned to look first at the young girl before them, and then at the rest of the teenagers standing a couple of feet behind her.

"Yuzu…" The two other Kurosaki siblings called in tense voices.

"No." Yuzu stated stubbornly. "I won't allow this to continue, Ichigo, Karin. These people, these shinigami, they aren't our enemies. They are not using me as a hostage, or whatever other insane reason is going through your minds. If I move from this place, the tension will remain, so I won't. I'm staying here, so you can either keep your ridiculous stance at the door or come and have some tea while we all talk like the civilized people we are!"

Never before had any of the Nakama, or anyone really, heard Yuzu talk like that. There was such seriousness, and also such conviction in her words…she couldn't have known the shinigami before her for longer than a few minutes, and yet she truly believed what she had told just said out loud.

Karin could only stare at her twin with a mix of shock and, in a very strange way, acceptance, as if a part of her, a subconscious one, had been expecting already something like that, even before the rest, her conscious side, had.

It didn't go unnoticed by the other shinigami the surreptitious looks the other twins were directing at the orange-haired young man in the shinigami attire, making it obvious that if anyone was in charge of the group, it was him.

"Very well Yuzu, we'll do this your way." Ichigo nodded.

"I assure you, young man, that neither of us have any intentions of attacking you, any of you." The shinigami with totally white hair and dark-green eyes assured him. "If anything, we might even find we have some things in common."

"Like what?" Ichigo asked, doubtful.

"Our thoughts regarding the punishment that has been ordered for one Kuchiki Rukia." The green-eyed shinigami commented calmly. "As well as our desire for her well-being."

That called all the Nakama's attention, at the same time it made the more paranoid ones more alert. While their intentions there on Seireitei were no secret, due to their own announcement, and they weren't even the first shinigami to offer their assistance…it was one thing for a plain shinigami, even a seated one, like Yamada Hanatarou to offer what assistance he could, and an entirely different one for two captains and a lieutenant to express similar intentions…

"My name is Ukitake Juushirou…" The man began. "13th Division Taichou and…"

"…Rukia's captain." Ichigo finished for him, suddenly beginning to understand.

"That I am." Juushirou nodded. "I guess, for your words, that she mentioned me."

"She did, on several occasions." Karin declared, refusing to give any details.

"I see." Juushirou smiled softly. "Beside me is Kyouraku Shunsui, 8th Squad Taichou, he's my oldest and most trusted friend. And with him is his second in command: Ise Nanao. You can be sure, all of you, that we want only to help Rukia-san."

"I see." Ichigo nodded, deciding to take a chance. "In response to your pleasantries I'll tell you my name is Kurosaki Ichigo, and the girl you somehow convinced to have tea with you is my sister Yuzu. The other one is Karin. No more names will be given from our side, just to be on the safe side. You can call us Nakama, though, that's what we are, what Rukia is."

The aged shinigami didn't complain, with how delicate the situation was, and the fact that they were all basically criminals on enemy territory easily explained the young man's attitude. It also didn't escape his notice the term he was using to refer not only to them, but Juushirou's own subordinate.

"So Rukia is Nakama as well." Shunsui commented with a small smile. "I imagine that's why you've decided to save her."

"Yes." Ichigo replied, not wanting to go into any details. "Will you try to stop us?"

"Like Juushirou already told you, we too want what's best for Kuchiki Rukia-san." Shunsui declared calmly. "And while usually that wouldn't include helping, or even ignoring the presence of ryoka…in this case it might be entirely necessary." He sighed and lowered his head. "You need to know something…Nakama. What's going on, the shortened time before the execution, the fact that the Soukyoku is being used on someone who isn't even a seated officer, and even the fact that the death penalty is being given for such a…well, even if it's not a minor offense, still…it's not normal. Something is going on, and it isn't normal."

There was no reaction from the human teenagers, which actually startled the shinigami.

"We knew that much." Uryuu admitted. "Like you said, it isn't normal, something is going on. Someone is acting for their own benefit, and their actions have caught Rukia in the middle of everything…while we don't care about any plots, we care about Rukia, like Ichigo said, she's nakama, we won't allow anything to happen to her."

"You know what's really going on, don't you?" Nanao practically gasped as realization came to her rather abruptly.

Uryuu visibly closed his mouth with a snap, showing his unwillingness to say anything else, and his self-reproach at having even said that much.

"It's alright U…" Ichigo caught himself before saying his name, before turning to the shinigami. "Yes, we have some idea of what's going on. But like we said before, it's none of our business. Rukia on the other side…"

"Very well." Juushirou nodded. "I hope that if 'whatever is going on' turns out to be serious enough you will be willing to at least give us a warning. In regards to Rukia, I'm afraid there's little we can do. We've tried all the legal avenues already, and short of breaking her out of the Senzaikyuu in the next three days ourselves…"

"Don't worry about it." Ichigo dismissed the thought calmly. "We have that part covered."

"You have…" It was Nanao who voiced the thought that must have been on all three shinigami's minds. "You're talking about breaking someone considered as a first-class criminal out of the strongest and best-guarded cell, which is right in the middle of Seireitei!"

"We know exactly what we have to do." Karin said in a scathing tone. "We have a plan."

Nanao opened her mouth again, thinking that the teens must be truly insane when Uryuu interrupted her with the same serenity as all his companions.

"Worry not, shinigami-san." He told her. "We may be human, but we're not stupid, or weak. Like we've said time and time again, Rukia is Nakama, she is one of us, there's no way we're letting her be hurt. We will save her, regardless of whatever anyone and everyone may do to try and stop us. You can be sure of that."

There was something in his voice, and in his posture, that made not only Nanao, but even the two captains, believe him. They would protect Rukia, no matter what.

A thought crossed the two captains' minds' at that point: if only all shinigami were as loyal to each other, and their divisions, as those human teenagers seemed to be to each other, even to one who wasn't human, and who couldn't have been a part of their group for more than three months…and yet they were moving against 'heaven' itself, against the most powerful military organization in existence to protect her…Such loyalties were rare, and hard to come by, all of them, Rukia included, were indeed lucky to be a part of such a group.

The group had tea and some pastries together, before the captains offered them a package that included enough food and water to last them for three days or so, something the Nakama had to admit to be thankful for. They'd been lucky the first two times they'd been caught by shinigami they'd either won or avoided any confrontation; they might not be that lucky a third time…and they would rather not take the chance.

It was decided that Hanatarou would not accompany the group any longer, the Nakama really didn't want him to be seen as a traitor, and he'd already helped them so much…Juushirou assured them no one would know what the boy had done, no one would move against him because he wanted to help do the right thing. And even though Hanatarou wanted to help, the others knew that things would get really complicated in three days time, and it wouldn't be fair to throw him in the middle of what could very well turn into a full-out battle, especially when he had no idea of what was truly going on.

Right as they made to leave, Ichigo decided to at least give the group of shinigami something to work with:

"We aren't your enemies." He informed the shinigami. "Regardless of what our words and actions may seem to imply. We aren't enemies of Seireitei, or the Gotei 13." He sighed before adding. "However, that doesn't mean there are no enemies waiting for the right time to attack. There are, they are here, and they will attack any moment…be careful, things may not always be what they seem…"

Then, right as the orange-haired turned to his friends waiting at the door, ignoring the captains who seemed to be about to ask him to clarify his words, an ear-splitting scream broke the air.

"Aizen-taichou!"

xXx

A girl with shoulder-length raven-black hair in a slightly modified kosode silently jumped from one rooftop to the next in a relatively small Living World town. While usually no seated officer would be sent to mere patrol duty, there had been reports of quite a considerable number of hollows appearing in the area lately, which had made it necessary for higher level shinigami to take on the patrols.

The girl-shinigami had just reached a particular street that called his attention, or actually what called her attention was the half-faded very familiar reiatsu signature she could sense in the air. It seemed to encompass the whole neighborhood; like, whoever the owner of that reiatsu was, hung around that place a lot. Such was her curiosity that she was about to step into the area and begin searching for the origin of the aura, half-forgetting her actual duty, when she heard the tell-tale signature of a hollow nearby.

"Kuso!" She cursed under her breath before shunpoing away.

A minute later the hollow was dissipating. It hadn't been strong at all, though it had seemed to have some ability concealing itself. Of course, she was too good to be tricked.

The girl had just turned around, mentally weighing the pros and cons of returning to the suspicious neighborhood when suddenly all her senses her screaming an alert at her. She barely had a fraction of a second to unsheathe the kodachi strapped at the small of her back and raise it just enough to block the incoming strike. Then she spun on one heel and lashed with her blade, managing to catch her attacker across his chest.

The two jumped back, and it was until that moment that the girl realized who exactly it was that she'd just cut, even if just slightly; but more over, who had just tried to kill her…

"Kitsune!" She cried out in shock.

She didn't get the chance to say more, as he was upon her again and she was forced to use both her kodachi and its scabbard to block all the rushed attacks.

"Kitsune, what is going on?!" She demanded.

Still no answer, and still the light-haired man continued attacking.

As the minutes passed and the attacks continued, the girl eventually realized she was having no problem blocking all his strikes; the first had been harder because she had been unprepared for the barrage, but once she got used to it, it was nothing at all.

The point came when either she was too good, or he too bad, as she managed to catch his elongated blade in a cross formed by her own still-sealed zanpakutou and the scabbard. A sharp twist was all that was needed to send her opponent's blade clashing to the ground, forcing it to go back to its sealed form at the same time, that of a wakizashi, the movement also hurt the hands of the light-haired man, though he didn't seem to care.

What followed was a very fast, very complicated hakuda match, while the man was over a foot taller than the petite girl; the two were equally fast, and she seemed to be more agile than him by much. Then there was the fact that he didn't seem to be really trying.

The battle ended rather anti-climatically when the raven-haired girl was forced on a hand stand after the man hit her on a side; then, taking advantage of the position, she delivered a double half-spinning kick to her opponent; the first he managed to block with an arm, but the second hit him rather hard on a temple, making him fall to the ground and slide several feet. With a burst of shunpo the girl was crouching over his prone form, kodachi to his neck.

Absolute silence reigned for seconds that seemed to extend for forever, neither combatant spoke, move, they barely even breathed.

"What are you waiting for?" He finally panted.

"I'm waiting for you to stop acting like an idiot." She snarled, kodachi still held against his throat. "Be a man and tell me what the hell is going on."

"I tried to kill you, failed." He deadpanned. "Now do what's logical and kill me already."

"Kitsune!" She was so shocked she couldn't help but drop her kodachi.

"Damn it Karasu!" The man cursed as he closed his eyes tight. "Kill me already!"

"No!" She shook her head, pushing herself away from him, still in shock. "No way Kitsune. No way in Heaven or Hell…"

"If you don't kill me, then I will kill you." Kitsune told her coldly.

And yet, his zanpakutou was several feet away from him, and he didn't seem to be in any hurry to reach it, he was even ignoring her own zanpakutou, on the ground, next to him.

"You won't." She said empathically. "You could never…"

She realized the truth then: all along, all his attacks, he'd been acting as if he were trying to kill her, yet he'd never truly tried…all along he'd only been trying to provoke her…

Karasu sighed as she lowered her head, she decided she must be truly distracted not to have noticed what was going on before. Even her zanpakutou hadn't said a thing during the whole confrontation between the two…

"Who is he threatening?" She asked, finally raising her head again.

Blue eyes, very expressive deep-blue eyes, opened wide at those words. He'd nearly forgotten how perceptive she was. Still keeping his silence, he chose to close his eyes again.

"Kitsune, answer me." She demanded. "I don't care if you close your eyes, you know I don't need them to understand you."

"You're the only one who seems to know what I'm feeling even when my eyes are closed." Kitsune commented half-wistfully, half-bitterly.

"It may be Tori-san's influence." She said dismissively, signaling in the direction of her zanpakutou. "Now tell me the truth. What is going on? You act as if you wanted to kill me, but I know you better. Then you tell me to kill you instead…what has happened to cause this? Who is that bastard threatening? Is it…"

"Both of them." Kitsune interrupted her tirade. "He's threatening me with both their lives!"

"Does he…know…" Karasu felt like she was breathless with her sudden fear.

"He obviously knows about Ran-chan." Kitsune hissed. "Anyone who cares to see knows about Ran-chan. He does know about…Him…not everything anyway. However, he knows that for some reason I care about him, and he's using that…"

"I'm sure that after so many years he must be convinced about your loyalty." Karasu began considering. "Which means this isn't about that. What then? What is it he wants?"

"You, dead." Kitsune answered somberly.

Contrary to what most would have expected, the young shinigami girl didn't have any visible reaction to being informed that someone wanted her dead, except.

"Guess it can't be helped." She declared with a sigh.

With that she moved from her position, half-crouched half-sitting to kneel on the ground, hands at her sides, and then bowed her upper half until her forehead was nearly touching the ground at the light-haired man's feet.

Kitsune's blood went cold at seeing his friend, his very powerful, extremely proud and very strongly opinionated friend, adopt such a submissive, pretty much sacrificial position in front of him. The way she was keeping her hands to her sides, and with her neck bared to him, the message was pretty clear, but the man just refused to acknowledge it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Kitsune demanded as he got on his own knees in front of her and tried to force her to straighten up.

"What must be done!" She snapped, shrugging off his efforts and retaking her position.

"I won't kill you!" He flat out refused.

"Don't be stupid Kitsune. This isn't about wanting or not wanting to do something. You Need To Kill Me. Not only for your sake, but for…for theirs."

"No, no way…"

"Kitsune…"

"No! You don't understand Karasu, if I do this…if I kill you…it will destroy me. You are my best friend, possibly my only friend. The one person I trust with all I am aside from Ran-chan. If I were to ever attack you…it would destroy all I am. As much as I may love…Them, I just cannot do this. I don't have the strength to do it…no, it's more like I don't have the strength to survive such an act…"

"You have to! Kitsune! If you kill me you'll be protecting not only yourself but also Them! Please. I understand what you're saying, you know very well you're one of my dearest friends as well. But just like you suffer at the idea of doing this, how do you think I would feel if something were to happen to you? Or to them? If something ever happened to Him…I would just die! I love him too much!"

Kitsune couldn't help but chuckle softly, almost bitterly at that.

"What?" She inquired, confused by the laugh.

"I was wondering if you would ever admit to loving him." Kitsune explained to her. "It's really ironic that it would only happen now…now that all seems lost…"

"It's not lost." Karasu snapped. "Kill me and go back. Protect Ran-chan and…everyone, like you've been doing until now. And take that bastard down the moment you get the chance. I love him, I love all of you enough to willingly lay down my life for yours. And you're in far a better position to take him down than I ever will."

"Yet you're much powerful than me…"

"In another life, that might have been enough. Right now, however, if it's a matter of you or me, we both know what must be done."

Kitsune just kept shaking his head, refusing to even truly consider doing what she asked of him. She may be willing to die, but he just wasn't willing to be the one who killed her; he may appear like a cold, unfeeling bastard to most who knew him, but there was nothing farther from the truth. There was only one woman he cared for more than Karasu, and not even for her would he do something like killing his friend…he would rather give up his own life…

Before they could continue their argument, a huge dark reiatsu descended upon them. They had no problem knowing what it was, what it meant: hollows, dozens of them, in the Material World, and all pretty powerful…It was a fight that would need them both to give their all if they had any hope of winning, or even just surviving.

Wordlessly, Karasu straightened up and then shot her right hand forward, in one instant, her sealed zanpakutou flew into it, in the next she was on her feet and holding her zanpakutou ready; by the time five seconds had passed Karasu was holding her considerably long zanpakutou in shikai with both hands, after having purified the first hollow.

The fight went on through the late hours of the night, to the point where the two shinigami could only pray that it would end soon, since their reiatsu wouldn't last forever. Neither had gotten truly serious wounds, but after holding shikai for so long, and the continuous use of shunpo and even some kidou was truly exhausting them.

Then, right as the numbers of hollows finally began decreasing, things got even more complicated, when the last handful of hollows turned out to be Hamen, imperfect arrancars.

"Kuso!" The two shinigami cursed as the enemies surrounded them.

"Karasu, can you open a senkaimon yet?" Kitsune inquired quietly.

While she wasn't a captain, she had sufficient authority in the Gotei 13, and Seireitei in general to be allowed to open a gate between the Material World and Soul Society on her own.

"No." She shook her head regretfully. "It's the same problem we've been having since the battle began: no senkaimon and no denreishinki. I realize they wanted to leave us stranded, but still…how where you supposed to survive this if I was already dead at this point?"

"Maybe I wasn't supposed to." Kitsune shrugged.

Karasu could only curse again under her breath.

It was something they had realized early in their fight, the fact that the hollows attacking them weren't normal, they had been experimented on; and it was likely they both knew exactly who was behind those experiments. They had also been able to deduce that the hollows were supposed to be at the same time a cover-up and an alibi, to explain Karasu's murder and whatever condition Kitsune ended up in if he had fought her. And yet…the hollows were just so powerful, it was unlikely either of them would have survived on their own.

"Well, you better survive this." She finally hissed to her comrade. "For Ran-chan, for…and for everyone else too!"

"The same goes for you too Karasu." He reminded her with fake calmness.

Each attempted an attack on the Hamen approaching them, only to find out they had no effect, even being imperfect arrancars, they were still much more powerful than a shinigami, even geniuses like them, using shikai.

"Guess there's no other choice then." The girl decided with a sigh, she assumed a position, holding her zanpakutou tightly and called. "Ban-Kai!"

Her already modified shihakusho changed further, the sleeves of her shitagi tightening around her arms, at the same time as dark-red gloves covered her hands, a long fire-red ribbon adorned her otherwise unchanged zanpakutou.

"Nice." Kitsune commented simply.

She directed a small smile to him, before both jumped back into the battle.

It took a while, until the moon disappeared from the sky and the whole place looked totally dark, but eventually the battle seemed to be over.

"There." Kitsune declared, resealing his zanpakutou. "We're done with that now and…"

He didn't say anything more, or if he did, Karasu didn't hear, for in that moment her attention had been called by the sudden appearance of one more arrancar; it was not an imperfect one, in fact, it had been good enough to hide its reiatsu from them, and had enough intelligence to wait until Kitsune at least was distracted to attempt an attack.

Karasu knew there was only one way Kitsune was going to survive that attack.

*I'm sorry…Tori-chan…* She whispered into her own soul.

There was no actual response from the zanpakutou, only a sense of resignation, of acceptance, the spirit knew already what her wielder was going to do, and there was nothing to do but follow that decision, her shinigami's decision, to the very end.

It took just a second. By the time Kitsune turned around sharply all he could do was catch in his arms the lethally wounded form of his best friend, while the arrancar who had tried to attack him was vanishing in a pillar of ruby-red fire.

"Karasu!" He cried out in absolute panic.

"Kit…sune…" She gasped, a hand on her bloody chest. "You're…ok…I'm glad…"

Her zanpakutou briefly went back to its sealed form, before vanishing completely; Kitsune had a very good idea what that meant, and it only made the pain in his own chest, which was emotional and not physical, all the worse.

"Hang on." He told her fervently, eyes fully open and filled with grief. "You'll be alright…"

"There's no t…no time…for lies…" She muttered at him. "Listen to me Kitsune. You have to protect Him…Them…Both. You…You must promise me…promise me you'll…you will anything…everything…that you will protect Them."

"I promise…" He said in a broken tone. "I will keep Them safe, and I'll destroy the bastard. For them, and for you…"

"Good." She nodded with a small smile. "Then it's all worth it…"

And those were her last words, as her ashen eyes closed for the last time…

A tall, lanky-looking shinigami was walking through the empty streets of Seireitei in the hours before dawn, unable to sleep at all, until a moment when he realized he wasn't alone at all, as a figure stepped out of the shadows of a nearby building. He could only stare at her, all petite, raven-black hair and ashen eyes, looks that he knew so well, looks that he half-thought he was imagining, she couldn't be there, she couldn't be…alive.

"Hey Kitsune…" Her greeting erased all doubts. "It's me, Karasu, I'm back."

Chapter Text

Chapter 8. Chaos in Heaven

It was nearly noon of the seventh day since a group of ryoka had managed to infiltrate Seireitei, when the first class criminal Kuchiki Rukia, dressed in a white yukata and wearing a reiatsu-suppressing collar as well as ropes on her wrists arrived to Soukyoku Hill escorted by four hooded guards in white garbs.

"The attendance is horrible." Sui-Feng, captain of the 2nd Squad and the Onmitsukidou, Yoruichi's successor in both accounts, commented disdainfully as she looked around her.

And it was that the only squads for which both high-ranking officers were present were the first, second, fourth, eight and twelfth; since the thirteenth didn't have a fukutaichou it wasn't strange that only Ukitake Juushirou was present (his third seats were conspicuously absent).

It was also in that very moment that Kuchiki Byakuya made his arrival; unknown to everyone but a select handful, until a few minutes before he'd been in battle against his own lieutenant, who after his loss against the Quincy had decided he would rather fight to save his childhood friend: Rukia. The redhead had lost the battle, and almost his life.

Unknown to everyone, members of the eleventh, after their own losses against the ryoka, had for some reason decided to help them; which is why they, as well as the heads of the seventh and ninth divisions were absent as well.

The authorities of the third, fifth and tenth squads were another matter entirely.

Like the ryoka had found out at some point during their stay in Yoruichi's hideout, the scream they'd heard right before leaving the 13th's barracks had come from Hinamori Momo, 5th Division fukutaichou, and the reason was that she'd just found the body of her murdered captain. The crime had been, of course, pinned on the ryoka, even when the humans had never actually seen the man in question, though they more than knew about him: Aizen Sousuke.

Since that day quite a lot of things had happened, some important, some not so much, but it had all come to that moment, with some of them fighting in various corners of Seireitei; while that particular group in Soukyoku Hill got ready for all hell to break loose.

"Kuchiki Rukia, do you have any last words?" The Soutaichou inquired solemnly.

Rukia took a deep breath, as if considering what to say, however, before a single word could leave her lips, someone seemed to interrupt her, if unwillingly.

"Je!" It was Omaeda, Sui-Feng's fukutaichou. "And to think some actually were worried that those ryoka would appear. I wonder if that's why so many are missing…" he chuckled. "I knew they were nothing but a bunch of pansies; nothing but humans, insects…"

Nanao bit her lip nervously, were the human teenagers really not going to get there in time?

Shunsui and Juushirou for their part couldn't help but tense, wondering if they would have to step in to try and save Rukia. After talking to the ryoka they'd been so sure they would be there, to the point that Juushirou had decided not to try anything himself. Would the humans fail? Had something happened that wouldn't allow them to get there? Or…

"Oh, but are you sure they aren't here?" A male voice unexpectedly asked in the same tone.

"How would you even know if they are or aren't here, when you have never seen, or sensed them before?" A second male voice asked in a drier tone.

It was until that second voice was heard that the shinigami realized where they were coming from: the four guards still surrounding Kuchiki Rukia.

"Humans you say? Insects you say?" This time it was a female voice who spoke. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"In any case." A fourth voice, male, said as he removed the hood, revealing a mop of bright-orange hair. "I'm really glad we're here. After all, I would really hate to disappoint everyone."

As those words ended the other three guards too removed their hoods, revealing a tall, broad shouldered, Hispanic looking young man with dark-brown hair and coffee-brown eyes; a tall, slim light-skinned man with short blue-black hair, dark-blue eyes and square glasses; a girl with long sunset colored hair pinned up and violet-gray eyes; and finally, the young man with the spiky bright-orange hair and chocolate brown eyes.

"Did you really think we wouldn't show up?" Uryuu asked as he pushed his glasses up. "We gave our word we would, failing on showing up wouldn't be too honorable now would it?"

"More than honor." Orihime added pointedly. "We promised Rukia-san we would come, that was a promise we weren't about to break."

"How…?" It was the question in every shinigami's mind, even if most were still too stunned to even say it out loud.

"Does it matter?" Chad asked in a deadpan tone. "The important thing is, we're here."

"The seventh day has come, and now you'll see who and what we are…" Ichigo reminded them before flashing his reiatsu briefly. "Nakama!"

"Nakama!" The others repeated in unison.

In what seemed like choreographed moves all four threw away the white robes they'd been wearing, showing the attires they still had on; in Orihime's and Chad's case it showed, without a shadow of doubt, that they were, in fact, human; then there were the shocking complements of Uryuu's Quincy attire and Ichigo's shinigami shihakusho. Never before had anyone present seen such a group, such a team, and it was unlikely they would again afterwards. Such a team, it was just too much of an anomaly…yet it was real.

"Orihime…" Uryuu called in a low voice.

"Right." Orihime, apparently having known beforehand what was expected of her, brought a hand to her temple and called. "Koten Zanshun!"

Two petals in one of her hairpins flashed before separating, turning into an orangey-colored disk that zoomed by Kuchiki Rukia, so close it should have cut her back open, instead all it did was destroy the ropes binding her hands together, as well as the red reiatsu-suppressing collar.

The moment the two pieces of the red plastic-like material touched the wooden platform they were all standing on, chaos began:

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Several shinigami demanded.

Those words, and other similar phrases, were repeated over and over again, each louder than the other, as if trying to be heard better, until, eventually, the Soutaichou had had enough.

All it took was the short but loud thud of his cane hitting the earth at his feet, along with the brief release of some reiatsu and everyone in Soukyoku Hill quieted at once; most of those present event flinched slightly at the reiatsu that was released, though none of the Nakama.

"Who are you?" Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni, the over two-thousand year old Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 demanded to know.

"Shouldn't it be obvious?" Uryuu drawled sarcastically.

The others rolled their eyes, but Ichigo still stepped forward.

"My name is Kurosaki Ichigo." He announced in a strong, confident voice.

"You're the one who sent that message, a week ago." Isane commented, surprised.

"That is true." Ichigo nodded. "We promised we would be here, we promised we would get Rukia back. So, here we are."

"Do you honestly believe you stand a chance against the whole Gotei 13?" Sui-Feng snapped in a very derisive tone of voice. "You're but a lowly human, regardless of the clothes you may wear or the powers you may claim. All of you are nothing but humans, you don't stand a chance against us shinigami…"

"Wanna bet?" Ichigo half-smirked. "Have Zaraki Kenpachi, Kusajishi Yachiru, Abarai Renji, Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika told you about their losses against us yet?"

"Those are irrelevant." Sui-Feng insisted. "Among them all, only Zaraki is taichou-class, and even then, the worst example of one. The rest…I guess if you all ambushed them that might explain how you managed to win…"

Her derisive words were interrupted by Uryuu's sardonic laughter.

"All of us ambushing them, really? That's what you think?" He mocked the shinigami captain. "I alone fought and defeated Abarai Renji. We all fought battles one on one against each of the men and woman we mentioned, and we defeated them."

"If you're so powerful, why wait until now to appear?" Sasakibe asked, honestly confused. "Why not get her when she was being transferred, or during her time in the Senzaikyuu? Why wait until the last moment?"

Ichigo shrugged wordlessly, not willing to explain their actions.

"All that talk is useless." Yamamoto declared sternly. "You won't make it off this hill alive, boy. Neither you, nor any of your group will. Kuchiki Rukia has been sentenced to execution by Soukyoku, and the sentence will be carried out, if it's necessary for all of you to be executed as well, then that's what will happen."

"Sentenced to be executed?" Uryuu hissed. "Really? On what grounds? Sacrificing herself, her own power to save a human family about to be consumed by a hollow too powerful for her? If that's the kind of justice you shinigami have…then I'm really glad not to be one of you!"

"Who exactly are you, brat?" Omaeda demanded.

"Ishida Uryuu, son of Ishida Ryuuken, grandson of Ishida Souken, heir to the last Quincy Lineage." Uryuu introduced himself formally. "I'm also a Nakama, and it's because of that last part, that you'll actually pay. You've dared to act against one of us, you might as well have acted against us all. We won't let this go unpunished!"

"Don't talk to me about punishment, boy." Yamamoto ordered authoritatively. "You're centuries too young to know what you're talking about!"

At that Yamamoto flared his reiatsu much stronger than he'd before, enough that all the lieutenants in Soukyoku Hill began trembling, some even fell on their knees panting, even half of the captains began shivering, while the rest at least winced. It was such a display of power…none were left untouched. Yet the Nakama remained standing, and at a silent signal all four flared their own reiatsu, strongly enough to keep Yamamoto's own at a distance.

The moment the Nakama's reiatsu flared Rukia couldn't help but drop to her knees; such power, high enough to be visible as a mix of dark-blue, light blue, orange and brown-red auras, just a few minutes after being released from the reiatsu-suppressing collar, after having spent so long wearing it, and imprisoned in a cell made entirely out of Sekkiseki stone…

"Rukia…" Ichigo whispered, turning to look at her with an indiscernible expression. "Stand Rukia. Get on your feet."

The obsidian haired girl in the white yukata wanted to answer him, to tell him she couldn't, that she could hardly even breath, but no word could leave her lips…

"You can do it Rukia." Orihime assured her softly. "You can stand up. Feel the power, accept it, let it wash over you. You are Nakama, you are one of us. Our reiatsu will never hurt you, because we never would."

It was then that the white-clad girl realized something: Ichigo and Uryuu were much more powerful than Chad and Orihime, and yet the two humans didn't seem to be affected by the weight of it, theirs even seemed to add to it, forming a mix of power such that it almost seemed to be too much power for just four 'humans' to have.

She also realized something else: the reiatsu wasn't hurting any of them, it actually seemed to be a part of them all. It didn't hurt them because they were all Nakama…but then so was she.

With that Rukia got slowly on her feet, still trembling at first, until she suddenly pushed herself straight, and as she did, it was like something inside her snapped, and then the reiatsu was in her, a part of her, and her own amethyst colored aura joined the mix.

And then, came the icing on the cake, as the obsidian-haired girl unexpectedly shot her hand high up and called in as strong a voice as she could.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

No one expected anything to happen; actually most shinigami thought she had to be insane, calling for her shikai when she didn't even have a zanpakutou in hand, and when she should still be so weak. And yet…

With a flash of amethyst light, and amidst a small storm of snow, a purely-white katana suddenly appeared in the young shinigami's raised hand, the long white ribbon that hung from the hilt twirling gracefully around her body.

None of the shinigami present could believe it: an unseated, supposedly powerless shinigami, who had spent the last week inside the Senzaikyuu, who had been wearing a suppression collar since her return to Soul Society a week before that, and who supposedly had surrendered all her powers at least ten weeks before even that…had just done something that very few were capable of, displayed a talent only a handful of the most powerful shinigami were known to be able of: she'd summoned her zanpakutou.

Realizing he was achieving nothing but make his own subordinates uncomfortable, the old Soutaichou eventually stopped flaring up his reiatsu, obtaining a similar response from the humans standing on the platform.

"What are you all standing there for?" Sui-Feng's harsh command broke the tense stand-off. "Fukutaichou, capture those ryoka!"

That was all that was needed, as immediately Isane, Nanao, Nemu, Omaeda and Sasakibe moved to do as they'd been instructed.

"Chad, Orihime." Ichigo called calmly. "Can you handle it?"

"Sure!" Orihime nodded enthusiastically.

"No problem Ichigo." Chad assured him.

In an instant the two humans jumped off the platform and went straight at the group of lieutenants that had been sent after them.

Nanao, Isane and Sasakibe were knocked out cold in a matter of seconds. Chad actually took the last two of them himself, using the barest amount of force possible on the tall, thin, silver-haired lieutenant of the 4th Squad, not wanting to hurt her unnecessarily.

The battle between Orihime and Ise Nanao, on the other hand, lasted nearly a full minute, though in the end all the female ryoka needed were her abilities in martial arts to block the lieutenant's several kidou attacks before taking advantage of an opening to flip over the shinigami and hit her in the back of the neck, the shinigami was knocked out.

Chad was then forced to go on the defensive against Omaeda, as the time he took taking out the other two had given the last male lieutenant the chance to release his own shikai.

Orihime turned around as she heard the last of the lieutenants: Kurotsuchi Nemu, release her own shikai, which turned her zanpakutou into a three-lashed whip, with which she then tried to attack Chad from behind.

"Santen Kesshun!" The sunset-haired girl called without even thinking about it.

Nemu, and the rest of the shinigami, seemed honestly surprised at the triangular shield that suddenly appeared, blocking the lieutenant's zanpakutou.

"I'm your opponent!" Orihime informed the lieutenant, raising her hands to her temples and attacking in a second. "Koten Zanshun! I reject!"

"El Brazo Derecho del Gigante." Chad called in a calm voice, summoning his armor.

And so the two battles began.

"What kind of powers are those?" Kyouraku couldn't help but ask, intrigued by them.

"How can humans even have powers?" Sui-Feng demanded at the same time.

"Those are the manifestations of their souls." Ichigo explained it as it had been explained to them by Ryuuken. "Their will to protect, to save, to help, and even to attack…"

"It's all stupid." Sui-Feng insisted. "There's no way a couple of humans can be more powerful than lieutenant-level shinigami!"

"And yet that's exactly what you're seeing, isn't it?" Uryuu half-taunted her with a smirk.

The battles were over a handful of minutes later. Omaeda might have been big, and in a sense strong as well, but he had nothing on Chad and his armored right arm. Orihime had a bit more trouble with the very-agile and fast Nemu, but in the end managed to win as well.

"Chad, can you get them all together?" Orihime asked to her nakama as soon as she knocked out her opponent.

Chad nodded and began doing as she asked, already guessing what she was planning. He was proven right when, the moment all the unconscious shinigami were together Orihime summoned her twin-shield and enveloped them with it, forming a prison, another of her more unorthodox uses of her restoration-shield.

"Impossible…" Sui-Feng growled.

However, before she had a chance to go against the ryoka herself, an orange and purple blur went right by Soukyoku Hill, took a hold of her, and then vanished down the opposite side.

"What was that?" Rukia asked, as surprised as every other shinigami.

"Yoruichi." Ichigo answered simply, low enough so only she heard.

"Yoruichi?" Rukia repeated, baffled. "As in, Shihouin Yoruichi? The heiress of one of Seireitei's most prestigious clan?"

"Yes." Ichigo answered with a smirk. "Exactly that Yoruichi. While she isn't precisely Nakama, she insisted on coming with us and we didn't see the problem with in. In any case, thanks to her we have one opponent less."

"Insolent humans!" Mayuri raved at them. "You've dared defy us shinigami. You may have managed to defeat that stupid girl that is my fukutaichou and daughter, but I'll make sure her defeat won't be complete…"

For a moment the Nakama thought the shinigami was honestly angry at his 'daughter's' defeat and wanted revenge for that, until his actions proved to them just how insane he actually was.

The captain pushed a button on some strange device he had gotten from the sleeve of his own shihakusho and then…an explosion. The force of it was such that Soukyoku Hill shook slightly, and the only reason they weren't all affected by it was because it had actually happened inside Orihime's shield.

A quick mental command was enough to allow the smoke out, and when it cleared the violet-gray eyed girl, and everyone else around her, could finally see what had happened: it was the worst thing they could have ever imagined possible…

"Oh Spirits!" Rukia gasped in absolute shock.

"That bastard…" Uryuu hissed, his reiatsu trembling along with his body in fury.

"That explosive…was in his own fukutaichou." Chad added, eyes wide in surprise and horror.

"And he dared call her his daughter…" Ichigo added, just as horrified as Chad, and as furious as Uryuu. "How dare he…"

"Monster…" Rukia added in a sob. "I always heard others saying he was a monster, but I just never imagined…something like this…"

"Orihime…" Uryuu whispered suddenly.

And it was that from all the Nakama, Inoue Orihime was the only one who hadn't yet said a word, instead she remained quiet, her eyes wide open in her own terror, tears falling down her face nonstop, and her hands against her mouth, as if trying to keep herself from screaming.

"Orihime!" Ichigo and Chad called at the same time.

They knew how sensitive she was, even without being empathic like Karin, she cared so much for everyone…that and the fact that she was a pacifist were the main reasons why she had so much trouble fighting, even though she was good at martial arts and had such great abilities. In that moment, what she was seeing, it was almost enough to make her break down…

"No…" She whispered eventually, pulling her hands from her mouth. "Nononononono…." She shook her head vehemently in denial. "This wasn't supposed to happen! We never meant for something like this to happen. No one was supposed to get hurt!"

The rest of the shinigami couldn't help but be surprised at her words. There they were, a bunch of humans defying Seireitei, its laws and shinigami, all to protect a criminal condemned to execution; and they didn't want anyone to get hurt?

"Nanao!" Shunsui yelled, finally moving past his shock.

And it was that, still inside the shield, his lieutenant as well as Sasakibe were the most hurt, besides Nemu who seemed to have been burnt totally; all three were probably just seconds away from death; even Omaeda wasn't in a much better condition, Isane being the one who had been hurt the less, and even she had an arm and part of her face burnt.

"She is right." Ichigo muttered, loud enough for the shinigami to hear. "This isn't how things were supposed to be. We were only supposed to save Rukia. We've said it before, Seireitei isn't our enemy, shinigami aren't our enemies. This…" he signaled to the disaster. "This is just stupid loss of life. It shouldn't have happened…"

"No it shouldn't have…" Orihime muttered suddenly. "I won't let it be…"

It was shocking, how her expression suddenly changed from absolute despair to deep determination, even as she kept crying, her aura materialized around her, bright and strong as she held her hands to her hairpins and called in her strongest voice yet:

"I won't let it!" she closed her eyes and called her kotodama. "Shun'ou, Ayame! Souten Kisshun! Nibankyuu! I reject!"

It may have been the first time she ever called a second level of that particular power, but at the same time, it was like a part of her had already known about it, perhaps since forever, and had only been waiting for the right time to use it.

The effects of the shield were obvious almost immediately, and caused everyone who witnessed them to stare and gasp in shock. Even the Nakama. While the other humans had seen her heal before, there had even been times when she'd undone very serious injuries, like the ones Ichigo had gotten after defeating the Menos a few weeks before. Still, they could sense there was something different in what she was doing in that moment, something greater.

"She's not rejecting the wounds, but the event, the explosion itself." Uryuu deduced eventually. "That's what's different."

"What makes you say that?" Ichigo asked, truly interested.

"The lieutenant that exploded, she's gotta be dead already, and at least two others are very close to the same." Uryuu commented. "No one can undo death, not even Orihime, not really. If she were rejecting the wounds, that still wouldn't bring that particular shinigami back, and there's no way of knowing if it would be enough for the others. And yet…"

"And yet, as she's rejecting the event, it's like the explosion never happened." Rukia finished for him in understanding. "If there was never an explosion, they were never hurt."

"Exactly." Uryuu nodded.

"But if she can do something like this then…" Ichigo didn't have words to express himself.

And yet the other two understood. If Orihime was powerful enough to undo something like that, to reject an event that had caused death and in doing so erase the death itself…what were the limits to her powers?

Finally, she was done, something that was made obvious as the orange-golden shield dissolved into reishi particles, as the two Rikka responsible for it returned to her hairpins.

Kurotsuchi Nemu herself was the first to open her eyes, jade-green and wide in amazement at the fact that she was, in fact alive; even when the explosion had been completely undone, she could still remember it happening. After her, the other lieutenants began stirring as well, though not all woke up fully, all completely unscathed.

"It worked…" Orihime mumbled, eyes half-closed. "I'm glad…"

And then she blacked out.

Chad managed to move just fast enough to catch her before she hit the ground, and after making sure the other lieutenants were, even if conscious, still out of it and therefore wouldn't attack, the gentle giant turned his back on them and carried his unconscious nakama to the wooden platform where the other three still stood.

"Well, well, well." Mayuri called with a cackle of laughter. "This is indeed interesting. I really hope the Soutaichou will allow me to have you all as test-subjects, but especially that girl. I'm going to have so much experimenting on her."

"As if we would ever let you lay a single finger on her, bastard." Uryuu hissed as he prepared himself for a fight.

"Hm…" Mayuri eyed him up and down critically and then snorted. "You're a Quincy, and I'm not really interested in Quincy anymore. I finished the experiments on that race several years ago. So many test-subjects with nothing new to offer…" he shook his head derisively. "Even the last one, that foolish old man, he was supposed to be a Master Quincy, and yet he didn't show any special abilities. Boring. All he seemed to do was call a name…his grandson, or his student, or something like that…"

"Master Quincy…grandson…student…test subject?!" Uryuu repeated, his reiatsu rising along with his anger as he understood the dark truth. "Was his name Ishida Souken…?"

Chad, Ichigo and Rukia all gasped at the same time as they all realized the conclusion Uryuu seemed to be getting to. It was as, if not even more horrifying, than what that same bastard of a man had done to his own pseudo-daughter.

"Maybe." Mayuri shrugged. "Don't know, don't care. Like I said, I'm not interested in Quincy anymore…"

"Oh, I'll be sure to make you interested." Uryuu practically snarled as he called on his bow. "Ichigo, this bastard's mine."

"As you wish Uryuu." Ichigo nodded solemnly, understanding his feelings.

"On the pride of the Quincy, but mainly, on the pride of the Ishida Family, I will defeat you!" Uryuu announced before firing his first set of arrows, at least a dozen in a second. "You just made a huge mistake, you made this personal…"

The evil shinigami did his best to evade the arrows, though nearly half a dozen nicked him, and one actually went through his forearm.

"Well," He commented as he unsheathed his zanpakutou. "This might be interesting, after all."

xXx

In another part of Seireitei, Karin and Yuzu were running as fast as they could, following Karin's empathic sense.

There was a reason why they hadn't followed the others to Soukyoku Hill, to help in stopping Rukia's execution directly earlier; Karin had sensed that something else was going on, and it involved some particular people dear to her. So in the last moment she'd informed her brother she would be going elsewhere; Ichigo knew better than to question his sister, and Yuzu had decided to go with her.

They were just getting actually close to a couple of reiatsu signatures, belonging to two powerful shinigami, they were just around the corner…when Karin stopped dead.

"Karin-nee?" Yuzu asked, confused about the sudden stop.

"Something's happened…" Karin whispered, closing her fist in front of her chest, almost holding herself in a phantom pain. "Something awful has happened…and it's still happening." Her voice grew hoarse suddenly. "The dragon is crying his fury…" she closed her tightly before opening them again. "Oh Spirits! Toushirou-kun!" She spun around, facing the a totally different direction from before. "Come on Yuzu!"

"But…" Yuzu was very confused even as she went back to running. "But I thought we were following that other trail."

"I know at least one of the two shinigami in that direction." Karin informed her twin. "It's Rangiku-san. The one with her isn't Toushirou-kun, I don't know who it is exactly, just that it isn't him. And I can practically hear the dragon yell…we need to hurry Yuzu!"

Yuzu still couldn't understand even half of what her sister was saying; but she was used already at both of her siblings saying only half of what they were thinking, having their minds so full of things she either didn't understand or just didn't know enough of. Still, she was loyal to them, and loyal to the Nakama, which means that she would follow them, wait for them to fully explain things, and then do her best to help.

It was a good thing that all of them had taken the three days in Yoruichi's hideout to train as best they could, in particular high-speed techniques. The twins in particular were able to use shunpo: and while Karin was able to move a bit faster and cover more distance with each flash-step, Yuzu was better at controlling her own reiatsu, which in turn allowed her to use shunpo more. All in all they were both pretty good at it.

And just like that they rushed, a particular building surrounded by yet another sekkiseki wall standing imposing in the distance.

xXx

In Soukyoku Hill Uryuu was standing a couple of feet away from a fallen Mayuri, his zanpakutou broken at his side since he'd failed to call on his bankai. The young Quincy had just notched a seele schneider on his bow and prepared to use it to execute the monstrous shinigami who had made his own subordinate and pseudo-daughter explode, but more than that, who had dared use the most important man in Uryuu's life, his grandfather and first sensei, as a test subject…it was clear it was also Kurotsuchi Mayuri's fault Ishida Souken had perished in the first place.

In the wooden platform Rukia extended a hand, she wanted to stop Uryuu, but Ichigo stopped her with a hand on her own arm.

"Ichigo…" She mumbled, confused. "You have to stop him. If it goes on like this, Uryuu will end up killing Kurotsuchi?"

"Would that be so wrong?" Ichigo wanted to know.

That reply actually froze Rukia in shock.

"All Uryuu wants is to avenge his sensei's death." Ichigo explained to her. "It's quite obvious that that shinigami was behind it. Should Uryuu not be allowed to claim retribution?" He shook his head. "You know that under normal circumstances I would have stopped him myself already, physically if necessary. But in this case…I cannot say I don't understand him."

"Ichigo…" Rukia really didn't know what to say to that.

"You didn't see what I did to the man I fought a few days ago, Kenpachi." Ichigo said in a low voice. "I didn't kill him, and I admit he was very powerful, but I had no mercy on him, even when all he had done was be in my way. I don't know what I would do if anyone were to hurt you, or my sisters, or any of the Nakama. I probably would do everything in my power to make them pay. So, on that front, I understand why Uryuu is acting that way…"

Rukia didn't say a single word, she didn't like it, but then she too understood. She too wondered what she would do if her nakama were to be hurt…nakama…it was still such a novel concept to her. And still, she could feel it inside, the friendship, the loyalty, the bonds she had to each and every one of them…She, she most definitely understood what Uryuu was feeling in that moment.

The Quincy in question had just drawn his bow and was about to fire the last shot when someone interrupted him, a very unexpected someone.

"Please…don't…"

Uryuu was so surprised he actually took his eyes away from his enemy. His surprise only became greater when he discovered that the one to say those words was none other than the recently-pretty-much-dead Kurotsuchi Nemu.

"Please, don't kill him." She insisted in a quiet, almost pleading voice.

"Why not?" Uryuu demanded, turning back to the fallen captain. "After what he did to sensei, after what he did to you…"

"He's my father…"

Uryuu released the arrow…and it landed an inch beside Mayuri's head, enough to cause him a thin cut and a reiatsu-burn, but not much more.

Those words, they had touched something inside Uryuu, the reminder that, regardless of how monstrous, how terrible that shinigami was, there was still someone that held him dear…even if he didn't deserve that affection.

With no further explanation Uryuu dismissed his bow and then used hirenkyaku to get back to the wooden platform with his nakama.

The shinigami could only watch in silence, honestly surprised by the sudden show of mercy on the Quincy's part, it was confusing and humbling at the same time.

"Why did he change his mind?" Nanao asked in a low tone.

Neither of them had heard what was said in regards of why exactly Uryuu had been so furious in the first place, but the change in his attitude was still radical enough to be noticed.

"I don't know Nanao-chan…" Shunsui whispered, he hadn't left her side since she had woken up after the quasi-tragedy. "I honestly don't know…"

Right behind them Juushirou stood, keeping an eye on Yamamoto; he knew that no matter how powerful each ryoka had proven to be thus far, there was just no way they could be a match for the Captain-Commander, and if he were to attack at some point…the 13th Division taichou honestly couldn't say who he would help. His superior, his mentor, his almost-father, or the group of human invaders trying to protect a girl that was also very dear to his heart?

Omaeda was still unconscious, while Sasakibe was standing behind Yamamoto, watching the events in silence, still shocked by everything going on. Unohana Retsu and Kotetsu Isane had left Soukyoku Hill at some point during the latest fight, for reasons only they knew.

It seemed like Rukia wanted to ask Uryuu if he was alright, but something in his eyes told her it wouldn't be a good idea, so she remained silent. Instead she turned to Ichigo and was about to ask him what they were going to do next: fight the remaining captains or try and run away, when suddenly she sensed a fast-approaching reiatsu. She opened her mouth to warn Ichigo, but there was no time, or need…

In a fraction a second Ichigo had spun around, unsheathed his zanpakutou and was holding it in a guarding position in front of him, blocking another blade.

"I can see you, Kuchiki Byakuya." He informed his attacker calmly.

Before Byakuya could say anything Ichigo held his sealed zanpakutou tighter in one hand and made an upwards slash with it:

"Pierce the skies to reach True Heaven, Zangetsu!" He called mid-slash.

At the same time as his zanpakutou entered shikai a blue-crescent was released from it, it wasn't as strong as his usual attacks, but still enough to push Byakuya back several feet.

"Uryuu, please look after the others." Ichigo called seriously. "I will handle this fight."

Uryuu didn't comment on it, simply nodded, he knew how personal the fight was for Ichigo, after the man had taken Rukia away for him; and not only that, the man, even being Rukia's brother, had still allowed her to be imprisoned, was going to allow her to executed. Kuchiki Byakuya simply went against everything Ichigo stood for: as a warrior, as an older brother, and even as just a man.

And so, a new battle commenced.

"Why…" Byakuya demanded to know. "Why do you, so persistently, try to save Rukia?"

"I'm the one who should be asking questions." Ichigo snapped back at him. "Aren't you Rukia's older brother? Why aren't you trying to save her?!"

"What a pointless question." Byakuya dismissed his righteous anger easily. "Even if I tell you the answer, you wouldn't be able to understand. It's useless to continue this empty dialogue."

"Empty dialogue?" Ichigo repeated, really angry at the older shinigami. "Are you listening to yourself? Do you even know why older brothers are born first? It's so they can get strong enough to protect the younger ones! Older siblings are supposed to be there to guide and protect the younger ones, always!"

"Rukia wasn't born my sister…" Byakuya informed the ryoka boy dispassionately.

"It doesn't matter how she came to be your sister!" Ichigo hissed. "The fact is that she is, indeed, your younger sister. So you should be protecting her!"

Byakuya ignored Ichigo's heartfelt words and instead kept attacking, only to be blocked by Ichigo at every move.

"It looks like there is only one way to end this." Byakuya decided eventually. "Kurosaki Ichigo, I will kill you; then with my own hands I will carry out Rukia's execution."

Rukia's breath actually caught in her throat as she heard that, how could anyone, especially her own family, hate her that much?

Byakuya couldn't have made a worse statement, or one that would anger Ichigo more either. Rukia's pained gasp-sob only sealed the deal. The young orange-haired shinigami's reiatsu shot up exponentially and a bright-blue aura enveloped him as he adopted a more serious stance and expression than before…

"No, that's not going to happen." He announced vehemently. "I came here to make sure of that. I will defeat you Kuchiki Byakuya. I will save Rukia!"

Byakuya shook his head dismissively but still called on his own shikai.

That marked the true beginning of their duel.

The fight went on for a while, where Ichigo proved to be fast enough in shunpo to evade all the 'sakura petal-blades' that formed Byakuya's shikai; and even when he couldn't dodge them, he was fast enough to block them all with Zangetsu or simply unleashed a Getsuga Tenshou to get rid of them.

Still, Ichigo knew that keeping up with Byakuya wouldn't give him victory. He needed to prove to be superior. And there was only one thing he could think of to do that:

*Zangetsu-ossan…I need your help.* He called into his inner world.

In the city filled by tall skyscrapers the zanpakutou spirit smiled. It felt good when his wielder showed so much respect for him. They had already shown Zaraki Kenpachi how stupid he was being by refusing to listen and work with his zanpakutou; now it was time to bring yet another opponent down, it was time for Zangetsu to help his wielder, another part of his soul, protect what he held dear.

*Very well Ichigo.* Zangetsu agreed instantly. *You know what you have to do. Give me your power and I'll give you mine.*

*With this equivalent exchange we'll sync.* Ichigo added. *In the end, you and I are part of the same soul, right?*

*Right Ichigo.* Zangetsu nodded wholeheartedly. *Let's do this.*

*Here we go.* Ichigo raised his head again right then and called. "Zangetsu!"

And while there was no actual change in him, or in his zanpakutou, the aura enveloping him seemed to almost solidify, at the same time as it changed to a darker blue.

Byakuya staggered briefly at the improvement the shinigami daiko had shown unexpectedly, it was such that for an instant he'd thought the boy was calling on bankai. But there was just no way, the zanpakutou hadn't changed in the slightest, even if the reiatsu had become stronger and higher; besides, as far as the noble was concerned, there was just no way a human boy with immature shinigami powers could develop a bankai, he was centuries too young to even attempt such heights of power.

In any case, Byakuya decided, the whole situation gave him the perfect excuse to put the ryoka in his place once and for all; the noble planned to show the orange-haired boy just how great the distance between the power each of them had was, why Ichigo could never hope to defeat one like him…

"Ban…kai…"

Ichigo's eyes widened as Byakuya seemed to let his zanpakutou fall to the ground, only to have it disappear, before a thousand huge swords appeared in two rows behind the shinigami taichou, only visible for an instant before breaking down into hundreds of thousands of petal-looking blades. And not only were they more, they were also much faster, making it impossible for Ichigo to dodge all of them, leaving him down, panting and bleeding from many small gashes in his whole body.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called out in a panic.

Only Uryuu's hand on her shoulder stopped her from attempting a desperate attack against her own brother.

Chad, for his part, he wanted nothing more than to help Ichigo, but he still had to guard Orihime, as well as the other two's backs, since they seemed to be distracted by the battle taking place; it wouldn't be good if some other shinigami, in particular one of the captains, found them with their guard down and attacked them for behind.

"It's impossible to dodge Senbonzakura's attack using such a slow and weak technique." Byakuya declared emotionlessly.

"Damn it…" Ichigo cursed under his breath as he fought to get back on his feet.

*Aibou!* Shiro began calling from his inner world. *Take it easy. I can help you regenerate, but it won't do any good if you get even more wounds before I can heal the first ones!*

*I'm sorry Shiro…* Ichigo whispered back sadly. *As much as I appreciate you wanting to help. I really don't think we have the time.*

Shiro grumbled inside the teen's Inner World, he hated it, but he knew his 'twin' was right, and that only made him even more nervous. Ichigo's power, even when synced with Zangetsu, just wasn't enough to take on Byakuya while in bankai. What were they going to do then? It's not like Ichigo would ever give up, that was simply not an option, but what then?

"Seems like there's no other choice then…" Ichigo muttered under his breath.

He closed his eyes briefly, focusing on his own reiatsu. During his brief trip to his Inner World while fighting Kenpachi, Zangetsu had explained to him how their synchronization worked: the fact was that Ichigo had a determinate amount of reiatsu, and under normal circumstances he passed it in relatively small quantities for Zangetsu to transform into the needed attack. When they got in synch Ichigo stopped controlling the amount of reiatsu Zangetsu used, instead putting it all at the zanpakutou's disposal; which implied a great amount of trust, something not easily achieved. Though, still, not all control was given, Ichigo retained absolute control over a very small percentage of his reiatsu, enough that even if Zangetsu were to end up spending every single drop of reiatsu Ichigo had put at his disposal, the boy still wouldn't die, he would collapse, drained, but he would still have the barest amount of power needed to remain alive.

In that moment, Ichigo let go of even that small amount of reiatsu. He did something no shinigami in history had been known to do before, he put his whole reiatsu, his whole existence, at his own zanpakutou's disposal…

*Are you insane Aibou?!* Shiro practically screamed the moment he realized the change. *Undo that! Retake control! Do you know what'll happen to us all if you don't keep at least a small amount of reiatsu at all times?! We could die! All of us!* he turned to the zanpakutou spirit. *Ossan, tell him that what he's doing is stupid!*

There was no response from the black-haired, midnight-blue eyed, ragged-looking zanpakutou spirit, instead, he just stood in the same place, a solemn expression on his face.

*I'm sorry, so very sorry, Shiro-nii-san…* Ichigo whispered mournfully. *But this is something I have to do.*

Shiro knew then how serious his 'twin' was being, he only called him 'brother' in such times. That didn't lessen the panic the hollow-version of Ichigo was feeling, though.

*I am really, really sorry Nii-san.* Ichigo repeated, his eyes shadowed in pain. *If this does end up killing us…I really hope you'll forgive me in the next life.*

With that Ichigo raised his zanpakutou, letting loose the most powerful Getsuga Tenshou yet.

Inside the Inner World Shiro sighed in distress, he'd known there would be no way of changing Ichigo's mind, yet he just had to try. That boy was being so idiotic: what good would he be to anyone if he died? If they all died there and then?

*Ossan, you gotta do something, please.* Shiro stressed, turning once again to Zangetsu. *Something, anything, you cannot let Aibou die!*

*Is it Ichigo that you don't want me to let die, or yourself?* Zangetsu inquired, curious.

*What kind of question is that?* Shiro demanded. *We're part of the same whole, of the same soul. If he dies, I die…in fact, if he dies, we all die. So why aren't you stopping him already?!*

*I am just Ichigo's power.* Zangetsu explained simply. *It is not my place to decide when he should fight and when he shouldn't, or how much he should risk himself when fighting.*

*Can't you at least stop him from actively trying to kill himself?* Shiro insisted.

*Maybe.* Zangetsu answered vaguely. *But if I break the synchronization we have right now his strength will plummet and his opponent might take the chance to kill him. What then will be the good of having done such a thing?*

Shiro had no answer to that, all he could do was go back to watching the battle through Ichigo's eyes, wishing fervently there was something that could be done. Even trying to take his aibou's place like he did at times when they were fighting against some gang or another wouldn't be a good idea in that moment; he would confuse and hurt Ichigo, and it might not even work because of the synchronization his 'twin' had with Zangetsu.

The minutes passed one by one, and Ichigo could feel his energies draining as he kept fighting, giving all he had to defeat Byakuya, and yet nothing he did seemed to be enough. Even with the synchronization, even offering all his reiatsu, nothing seemed to be enough to defeat Byakuya when he was in bankai.

"Am I going to die here?" Ichigo asked quietly to no one in particular.

*Aibou!* Shiro shouted, still panicked.

Ichigo could only sigh, he knew what he was doing was hurting his partners, both of them, he really wished there was another way, that even if he had to pay such a price in the end, that he wouldn't end up killing them as well…

*Don't be stupid Aibou!* Shiro practically snarled. *If you go, we go, that's how it works! We're one and the same, after all.*

*I know, and I really am sorry.* Ichigo admitted. *If there were another way…but I cannot let him win, I have to protect Rukia, I have to protect all my nakama…*

*Is that what you really want Ichigo?* Zangetsu asked suddenly.

*Yes.* Ichigo answered immediately, no hesitation on his part.

*Very well then.* Zangetsu nodded solemnly. *Let me tell you something. In ancient times, shinigami would only achieve the level known as bankai after centuries of communion with their zanpakutou. The shinigami and the zanpakutou had to get to know each other, to fully trust each other, to be able to achieve that kind of power together. It's why so few people had it, not many believed the kind of time and dedication achieving bankai took was worth it. Then the wars came, and they made having bankai a necessity, and some zanpakutou spirits began allowing trials to take place, so their shinigami could prove their worth and achieve bankai. A time came when shinigami began believing that was the normal way of achieving bankai, and no one tried again to truly connect with their zanpakutou spirits. Even today, there are many that only use Jinzen when trying to get something from the spirits, leaving them pretty much locked inside the Inner Worlds the rest of the time. You are different Ichigo, you are the first shinigami in thousands of years who truly got to know the spirit of his zanpakutou; you didn't demand that I grant you power, instead you asked for it when you truly needed it, and even now, you do not demand bankai…*

*What Yoruichi said I would have to do to achieve bankai, I cannot do it ossan.* Ichigo admitted, half-ashamed, half-proud.

*I know, and for that, I thank you, Kurosaki Ichigo.* Zangetsu declared proudly. *We've known each other for eight years, even if you have only known my name for a few weeks. We are Aibou, and I know you understand the truth, and the importance of those words. Now go, show them the kind of power a shinigami can achieve when in full synch with his zanpakutou. Show them my true power…*

It was as if time had stopped at some point, and then everything began moving again, as Ichigo's eyes cleared he could suddenly see what looked like a solid wall made out of sakura-like blades that was going his way.

*Call my true name now, Ichigo!* Zangetsu ordered strongly.

The young shinigami didn't stop to consider, simply placing his whole trust in Zangetsu once more and calling on the power that was suddenly being offered:

"BAN…KAI!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 9. The Return

Whatever Unohana Retsu and Kotetsu Isane might have been expecting when they reached the deepest room in the Chamber of 46, it was certainly not the sight that met their eyes: that of a young captain laying on a puddle of melted ice mixed with his own blood; he was laying on his back and beside him, a girl with straight chestnut-hair to her shoulders in two low pigtails dressed in black was on her knees, the green glow on her hands showing that she was using healing kidou to treat his grievous wounds.

"Oh Spirits…" Isane gasped as she processed the scene before him.

There was just so much blood…even diluted as it might be in the cold water that laid in puddles on the wooden floors. It was a miracle that Hitsugaya Toushirou hadn't died already. And something told the two that if it depended on the young girl by his side, not only he wouldn't die, but he would make a full recovery.

"You seem so talented in the healing arts, yet I don't remember you being part of my squad, young one." Unohana commented as he stepped closer to the girl.

Kurosaki Yuzu, for that was who was attending to the badly wounded Toushirou, didn't react to the approach of the two shinigami except to take a quick look at them, enough to assess their ranks thanks to the white haori the black-haired woman was wearing and the band around the silver-haired one's arm; they were a captain and her lieutenant, most likely of the 4th division since the shorter woman made allusion to healers being under her command… Hanatarou had told her that was the 4th Squad's domain.

"That's because I'm not a part of your squad, or a shinigami for that matter, taichou-san." Yuzu replied softly, easily.

"A ryoka?!" Isane cried out, in a mix of surprise and confusion.

Yet again Yuzu didn't react, she continued focusing on healing. While Hanatarou hadn't had time to teach her too much about healing kidou, she was still a prodigy and the bare basics were enough for her, all she had to do was follow her instincts to make something go faster or be stronger when she thought it might help, she had very good instincts. Almost as if she'd done all this some time before…

"Why would a ryoka help a shinigami captain?" Isane wanted to know. "I thought you saw us as your enemies?"

"My name is Kurosaki Yuzu." The girl introduced herself politely. "You're right in saying I'm one of the ryoka, but wrong in believing we see shinigami as our enemies. This was never about an enmity, it was just about protecting nakama; you took Rukia-chan, you were going to hurt her, so we had to save her."

Unohana didn't comment, content to listen and analyze what was being said by the gentle girl. The events that had taken place at Soukyoku Hill earlier and, she supposed were still taking place, had showed her things weren't always as they seemed. The young girl sitting there was so sweet and caring, it was obvious she wasn't the kind to go against anyone with intention to hurt. And she was treating Hitsugaya…

"Karin-nee and I found him like this a little while ago." Yuzu explained. "He was nearly dead, we barely got here in time."

Yuzu could barely hold back her shudder and keep her focus as she remembered the moment she and her twin had arrived to that place.

The twins stopped their shunpo in the middle of a stone courtyard, with rather narrow walkway that lead to what looked like a circular room.

"Where are we?" Yuzu asked, confused at her surroundings.

"The Central 46…I think." Karin answered, not completely sure herself.

They were confused when, at the end of the walkway they found a huge door that had been at some point been sealed shut; and yet, at some point before their arrival, someone else had used a sword to cut that same door open.

"Karin-nee…I don't like this." Yuzu whispered, voice stressed. "I have a very bad feeling."

Karin didn't want to tell her twin she felt it too, and that in her case it was even worse because she was almost sure she knew at least one person that was involved in that bad feeling.

"I know Yuzu. I'm sorry." Karin answered as honestly as she could. "I have to go in, but you know you don't have…"

"Where you go I go." Yuzu interrupted her, taking a deep breath to steel herself. "That's what sisters are for, right?"

"Right." Karin couldn't help but smile at her twin's loyalty.

With that the two shunpoed inside.

Karin seemed to have a better idea of the place, as proven when she at some point entered a room and then backtracked before Yuzu could enter herself.

"Karin-nee?" Yuzu asked, confused.

"You don't want to go in there." Karin said, shaking her head for extra emphasis.

"What I'm smelling…" Suddenly Yuzu's eyes widened in horror. "Is that blood?"

"Trust me Yuzu, you do not want to go in there." Karin insisted strongly.

Yuzu simply nodded mutely, even without seeing anything, she could smell the blood, so much blood…and she knew that that, along with her twin's expression meant that whatever was in that room…it was very, very bad.

It took them a while, but eventually they reached the deepest part of the Central 46 quarters. They could see in a far corner what looked like a long white ribbon twirling in the air even as it disappeared, along with two of the reiatsu signatures they'd been tracking down since shortly after passing the room that smelled of blood.

Yuzu noticed that that last room too smelled of blood, but what worried her more was that, while two reiatsu signatures remained in place, they were so weak they would probably vanish any second…it was only made worse with what she heard next.

"TOUSHIROU!"

Yuzu shivered involuntarily, she'd never once before heard such pain, such despair in her sister's voice. Even when their mother had died, Karin had been so focused in being strong for her and for everyone else in the family that she had kept her emotions tightly under wraps. But when she'd seen the young white-haired shinigami laying on that mix of melted ice and his own blood…it had just been too much.

"You say your sister was with you." Unohana commented, noticing that part. "Where is she now? Why did she leave you here?"

"She went after the ones who did this." Yuzu answered simply.

Isane's eyes widened, while Unohana considered the words being said, and the ones not being said. Under normal circumstances both shinigami would have thought it was preposterous for a ryoka, especially one so young, barely more than a child, to go after someone who had so badly injured, nearly killed, a shinigami captain; and yet after everything the two women had witnessed at Soukyoku Hill…

"Did your sister know who were the ones responsible?" Unohana wanted to know.

"I couldn't see them." Yuzu admitted. "But we could both feel their reiatsu, and Karin-nee could identify them…" she took a deep breath before adding. "She said their names were Aizen Sousuke and Ichimaru Gin."

"But…butbutbut…" Isane was babbling in shock and confusion. "But Aizen-taichou is dead!"

"Yes, and it is believed that we killed him." Yuzu shook her head. "Like I said before, we have nothing against the Gotei 13, or against Soul Society. We just came to get Rukia-san back, not to hurt anyone. Whatever happened to your captain…if anything even happened to him in the first place…it wasn't us."

Once again, Unohana noticed there were things not being said, the young ryoka knew more than she was revealing, much more.

"Was your sister sure of what she said, of who those two were?" Unohana wanted to confirm.

"Karin-nee doesn't lie." Yuzu stated seriously. "Especially not about something this serious. If she says that captain isn't dead, and that he was here and did this, I believe her."

Unohana nodded, for some reason she believed it too. Ever since Aizen's supposed murder there had been something that just didn't fit…And then there was that name, Karin…it brought memories to the captain's mind, of another strong-willed and powerful girl who had bared that same name. Could it be…?

"He's not the only one." Yuzu pointed out quietly, signaling to her charge even as she kept healing him. "There's another in a room to my left, she didn't seem to be injured as badly as him, and I really cannot help both of them…I don't have enough reiatsu…"

At those words Isane hurried in the direction Yuzu indicated, only to gasp loudly at the sight that met her there, the fallen young woman with a stab wound in her middle.

"Unohana-taichou!" Isane called in shock. "It's Hinamori-fukutaichou."

"Worry not, young one." Unohana told Yuzu sweetly as she made her way to the other fallen shinigami. "I will handle Hinamori-fukutaichou, you are doing a wonderful job with Hitsugaya-taichou, I don't think he, or you, need my help."

Yuzu nodded silently as she continued diligently with what she was doing.

"Isane-san, please inform the other captains, lieutenants of what has happened here." Unohana made a brief pause to consider things before finishing. "…and if possible, let the other ryoka know as well."

Isane didn't stop to question her captain's orders, simply nodded formally before getting to work on a particular kidou, one Yuzu was very familiar with…

"Bakudo 77 Tenteikura!"

xXx

A pillar of very dark blue, almost black, reiatsu, rose in the center of Soukyoku Hill, the power was so strong that if it hadn't been for some of the captains, the lieutenants would have collapsed under the weight of it. Even Yamamoto opened his eyes to watch the proceedings attentively, while the power still didn't compare to his, it was enough to call his attention, and it made him wonder: how could a mere human have such power…

After a few seconds the pillar dissipated rather abruptly, leaving in place a Kurosaki Ichigo clad in a black long-sleeved coat with tattered ends, dark-red lining and black hakama; instead of the huge cleave-knife like zanpakutou he'd been holding before, in that moment he held a thing, long completely black daito.

"Bankai…" Ichigo stated strongly. "Tensa Zangetsu…"

"What is…that thing?" Byakuya hissed in a mix of strong disbelief and simple denial. "That small object…is his bankai?" his eyes narrowed in fury. "I see, with the execution, with the bankai. It seems that you really enjoy stepping on our pride. Then I shall carve on your body the penalty for violating our pride!"

That was as far as Byakuya got, because before even a second had passed, Ichigo was standing a couple of steps from him, holding his zanpakutou's tip against the other shinigami's throat.

"Does that 'pride' thing have anything to do with Rukia's execution?" Ichigo growled, not really waiting for an answer. "If so, then I will step on it, just like you said. I will step on your pride, on your laws, and on whatever else I need to. No one will hurt Rukia, or any of my nakama as long as I draw breath!"

On a side, Chad had convinced Uryuu and Rukia to get off the stand of the Soukyoku cross and with him against one side, just in case one of the fighters' attacks got out of control, it was better to have some cover.

"Ichigo…has a bankai?!" Rukia gasped in absolute shock.

She'd seen many surprising things in the last hour or so, especially when Orihime had used her new power to restore the fukutaichou, practically bringing one back from death and pulling two back from the edge. And yet with Ichigo…

"We don't know." Uryuu's answer both surprised her and confused.

"What…?" Rukia didn't know what to say to that. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"Exactly that." Uryuu insisted.

"Three days ago we reached a hideout, Yoruichi-san directed us to it." Chad elaborated. "Once there she offered Ichigo a tool created by Urahara; it was meant to help him achieve bankai. We thought it was a good idea, considering almost all captains have bankai and it was only a matter of time until Ichigo needed such level of power, especially since we knew he would be going after your brother if given a chance."

Rukia nodded, she understood that part, she'd seen how much Ichigo cared for all his nakama, and his sisters in particular. What Byakuya had done when arresting her, and further more allowing her to be sentenced to execution broke the two golden rules Ichigo lead his life by: to protect his sisters as a good older brother, and to protect his nakama as one of them. That still didn't explain the bankai!

"So he trained for bankai…in three days?!" She cried out.

"No, that's the point." Chad shook his head.

"When Yoruichi-san explained that, to achieve bankai, he would need to force his zanpakutou to submit, Ichigo flat-out refused to do it." Uryuu elaborated. "He sees Zangetsu-san as his partner, as his equal, so there's no way he would make the spirit submit to him." He pushed his glasses up his nose in contemplation. "That's why this development is so surprising. Ichigo never trained for bankai, and yet right now he's using it…"

"How did he achieve it then?" Rukia asked, baffled by the whole thing.

"We have no idea." Chad answered honestly. "Maybe Zangetsu-san decided to grant him the power anyway?"

"But what would make a zanpakutou spirit decide to do that?" Rukia wanted to know. "Especially considering Ichigo has only been a shinigami for a few months, and only wielded his own power for three weeks!"

"You forget that Ichigo already had power before he met you." Uryuu reminded him. "Even if the spirit didn't give his name to him until recently, it was his power Ichigo had been using for over two years…"

Rukia was left speechless at that. She had known Ichigo had had power before she had lent him hers, and she had realized he'd had to have some power to become a shinigami after the power the bequeathed him was stripped from him; and yet…and yet what she was seeing in that moment just defied all logic!

Everyone's attention was called back to the fight when for the second time Ichigo got close enough to Byakuya to kill him, and yet he held back, instead he moved to simply slash the noble shinigami on the side, and didn't seem that surprised when his daito was stopped by said shinigami's own hand. Blood was drawn, but neither of the two combatants seemed to care that much, only caring about their own confrontation.

"You're so powerful, a captain, you're also a noble, respected." Ichigo enlisted. "You took Rukia as your younger sister, probably defying customs of your own clan…"

Byakuya couldn't help but wait in silence, wondering where the ryoka was going with that speech. He'd been surprised enough to see him suddenly wielding a bankai, even when it was obvious the daiko was very inexperienced with it, its power, the speed and raw strength it granted its wielder was truly incredible.

"Why don't you try to save Rukia?" Ichigo finally asked. "Why won't you protect your own sister, like any older brother should?!"

"If you defeat me, I will answer that question." Byakuya declared, expressionlessly.

Ichigo shook his head, he was tired, so very tired, not only physically but emotionally. Despite everything Byakuya had done, the way he'd hurt him and his nakama, and especially his actions, and inactions, in regards to Rukia's situation, Ichigo still didn't hate the man. He really only wanted to understand, he wanted to believe there was a reason for the noble not to be doing anything to save his sister, he couldn't really be that cruel, right?

There were just about to throw themselves at each other to continue their fight when they were abruptly interrupted; by a message that left every single person in Soukyoku Hill shocked:

It was Isane's voice, she was speaking on her captain's behalf, she described what the two of them had found when arriving at Central 46's, including the fact that all its members were dead, and the condition Hitsugaya and Hinamori were in. She also spoke about the ryoka that had saved Hitsugaya-taichou's life. In the end, she gave the names of the two held responsible for everything (without saying those were claims from a ryoka): Aizen and Gin.

It didn't go unnoticed to Byakuya the way his opponent let out a sigh and half-lowered his zanpakutou, as if he'd known something like that would happen, as if he'd been expecting such a message to arrive. It made the captain wonder if the message was a hoax, or something none in Seireitei had any idea of was going on…?

The answer came, to him and everyone else in the next second, as what seemed to be a white cocoon made of cloth appeared in the far end of Soukyoku Hill, breaking off eventually to reveal the very two men that had been addressed as responsible for the horror found in Central 46, and not only that, with them was a third man: Tousen Kaname.

"Aizen!" Many of those present cried out in shock.

"My, my, what an interesting reunion." Aizen commented calmly. "Not exactly what I had planned…but then again, plans can be changed."

"What do you want Aizen Sousuke?" Yamamoto demanded from his place, brows furrowing. "You are supposed to be dead."

"Yes, that was…necessary I'm afraid." Aizen declared dismissively. "But do not worry soutaichou, I have no evil plans for you or those under your command, yet…Except, of course for Kuchiki Rukia. I'm sure you won't mind handing her over…"

"You're nuts!" Ichigo called strongly.

"Ah…the ryoka boy." Aizen said, watching Ichigo up and down. "Do you really think it's wise to defy me, human?"

"I don't care about you, or your plans." Ichigo deadpanned, holding Tensa Zangetsu in a stronger grip with both hands. "But you're not laying a hand on Rukia!"

"We'll see…" Aizen declared.

A second later Ichigo unexpectedly was crashing violently against the ground, a puddle of blood forming beneath him rather fast, he tried to move but found himself unable to.

"Ichigo!" All the Nakama cried out in absolute panic.

"What a bother." Aizen drowned. "I actually meant to cut him in two. You must be a bit stronger than I was expecting. Doesn't matter. You will still die, and I'll get what I want."

At the reminder that he was after Rukia Ichigo began trying, even harder than before to get up, but his middle had been cut wide open, to the point that it was a miracle he was even alive, less of all conscious.

"No…Rukia…" Ichigo muttered, trying to move, to no avail.

Byakuya really couldn't believe what he was seeing, after everything that had happened, and even in such a condition, the ryoka was still trying to fight…to protect Rukia…

"Are you really a traitor, Aizen?" Byakuya asked as he raised his own zanpakutou. "If so, then it is my solemn duty to bring you down…"

"Really, it's all about duty with you, isn't it?" The traitorous captain mocked. "I mean, for your duty you were willing to kill your own sister…do you want me to impose another duty on you now, Kuchiki Byakuya?"

Those words brought realization, and that realization brought horror. It had all been planned by Aizen, he'd been about to see his own younger sister die, all according to that traitor's plan.

"Scatter, Sen…"

Byakuya didn't even get to finish his command, as before he could he was on the ground, with a wound that went from one shoulder to the opposite hip. It wasn't as bad as Ichigo, but still bad enough to take him out of the fight.

"No!" Rukia yelled, raising her zanpakutou, absolutely furious. "Nii-sama! Ichigo! NO! Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

Logic and reasoning lost in the middle of her fury, she threw herself straight at Aizen. It was useless, in a handful of seconds she was being held by the collar of her yukata, her zanpakutou in two pieces at her feet.

"So eager to die, Rukia-chan?" Aizen asked in a mocking tone, then eyed the two pieces of the zanpakutou. "Though I have to admit that was a surprise. It doesn't matter…"

Seeing Rukia being held by Aizen made Ichigo the motivation to yet again try to move, but it was taking all of Shiro's effort just to keep him alive, the 'white half' just didn't have enough reiatsu to regenerate Ichigo as much as he needed to get his body to move.

"You keep trying to move?" Aizen spoke in a very dispassionate tone. "Right now your spine is the only thing holding your body together. No matter how hard you try, there's no way to stand up without destroying your body. It's not a matter of spirit. It's simply physically impossible. Look on the bright side. You've been very helpful already, just lay there quietly until you pass on. Your mission is over."

Then he went on to explain his 'master plan' and how Ichigo and the rest of the ryoka had played right into it. He took his time, taking advantage over the fact that his two accomplices were keeping watch over the other ryoka and the remaining captains, and even Yamamoto didn't seem that interested in stopping him…at least not yet.

When Aizen reached the part of shinigami-hollow hybrids in his explanation Ichigo had to keep himself from gasping, briefly wondering if Aizen could possibly know about Shiro. Thankfully, as the traitor went on with his tale, Ichigo realized that it wasn't so, his 'twin' was still something only he himself knew about.

Eventually Aizen reached the part about Rukia being used to hide the Hougyoku, and the particular gigai Urahara had given her. Ichigo could only grit his teeth, hating the exiled shinigami all the more for being the reason Rukia was in such danger; and yet hating him wasn't going to change anything, he knew that.

When Aizen talked about what he had done to get Rukia to be executed Byakuya could only close his eyes, realizing that all along he hadn't been fighting for his pride, he'd just been another puppet being used by Aizen…it hurt his pride, his honor, and his heart…

After finishing with his considerable explanation Aizen called on some power he'd found, and used it to retrieve the Hougyoku from Rukia's soul; Ichigo briefly berated himself for failing on getting it first, but then reminded himself that he didn't really care about the stupid jewel, he only cared about Rukia, and his nakama…

"You are no longer, of any use to me." Aizen informed the fallen girl when he was done.

"Rukia!" All the Nakama cried out at the same time.

It looked like both Uryuu and Chad were about to take a risk, even with Tousen there, when someone else, someone unexpected, moved first.

"AIZEN!" A keen female voice screamed at the same time another very powerful reiatsu announced the arrival of a new individual.

Aizen moved his hand from where he was about to grab Rukia to block the considerably small blade that was suddenly trying to cut him, only to be forced to pull his hand back and shunpo to the side when a scabbard of all things hit his arm.

It all happened in a matter of seconds, suddenly Aizen was standing several feet away from the still recovering Rukia and the fallen Byakuya and Ichigo, while in front of him stood a petite raven-haired, ashen-eyed girl in a modified shihakushou, holding a kodachi in one hand and a scabbard in the other, it was Karin, and she was so furious her ruby-red aura was dancing around her like live flames.

"I'm going to destroy you Aizen!" Karin yelled at him vehemently. "For all the hurt you've brought, all the grief, all the pain!" she somehow vanished the scabbard and held her kodachi diagonally before her. "Fly across the fiery heavens, Tenreikou!"

Before Aizen even fully understood what was going on, she was upon him again.

For a little while, it actually seemed like Karin was managing to keep up with Aizen, maybe even overpower him; but that was only until he fully recovered his bearings and began fighting back, then it became obvious how big the difference was. Even when Karin's power was great, she just didn't seem to be on the same level as her opponent.

"I'll defeat you Aizen!" Karin insisted, pouring reiatsu into her naginata. "Reihinote Kizu!"

It was as if the blade of the naginata had suddenly acquired a red hue, and the moment it connected with part of the sleeve and the lower half of Aizen's haori it lit up in flames. It was the special ability of her zanpakutou.

Aizen's eyes widened even as he called a simple kidou to douse the flames, as if seeing such an attack shocked him more than the fact that a fifteen-year old was defying him.

On the side Kyouraku had helped his lieutenant and Nemu pull the badly injured Kuchiki Byakuya to them so they could begin treating him; they wanted to do the same with the ryoka, but he was just too far away.

"This is insane." Kyouraku commented as he watched the events. "She's just a child, what is she doing defying Aizen?"

"You cannot judge Karin like you would any normal person, or soul, or even shinigami." Uryuu commented. "You cannot judge any of us under such parameters."

"Who is she?" Nemu asked, awed by what she was seeing.

"Kurosaki Karin." Chad informed him. "She's Ichigo's sister, and also Nakama."

"But she's too young!" Nanao declared strongly. "Barely more than a child. Yet she's fighting Aizen right now. Why aren't you doing something? To help her, to stop her."

"There's nothing we can do…" Chad admitted in a mournful tone.

It hurt him to accept they weren't strong enough to help in that fight. But if Ichigo had fallen so easily, and Karin was barely managing to keep up even with all the reiatsu and raw power she was using in her fury…what hope did they have to be able to make a difference?

"I told you before, do not judge Karin, or any of us, by your usual standards." Uryuu reminded her. "Yes, she's young, but then so are all of us. We're all teenagers, but we're strong. We were either born with our powers, or we developed them over time out of necessity. And we trained, for months or even years, before we actually began using them to fight hollows. Now, now we're using them for what they were truly meant to be used. With us it's never been about fighting hollows, or anyone at all, it's always been about protecting." He sighed. "Karin in particular… she's one of the most powerful among us Nakama. The problem is that, maybe because of her youth, or because she's part human, she has trouble controlling that much power…it's the same with Ichigo actually…"

"Part human?" Ukitake questioned, confused. "Does that mean…"

Uryuu groaned lowly, he was definitely out of it, it had to be the stressful fighting taking place a few feet away from him; there was no other way to explain why he was saying way more than he should, and to a shinigami of all people!

Thankfully, Uryuu didn't actually get the chance to answer, as Karin's cry called everyone's attention back to the battle she was waging against the psychotic captain of the 5th squad.

Karin landed on her back harshly, her naginata behind her, and slightly out of her reach. She had several scratches and bruises in her body, and a cut on her cheek; and yet nothing seemed to be able to stop her.

"Just who are you?" Aizen asked, head to a side. "You look so much like…but there's no way you can be her…"

"Can't I?" Karin actually smirked at him from her spot on the ground. "And why not? Because you had me killed? As if that would ever be enough to stop me."

Aizen's brow actually furrowed at that, he'd seen the weapon, he'd seen the girl herself; but a part of him still couldn't believe it.

Karin knew she hadn't convinced him yet, which meant she would have to be more forceful. Planting both feet on the ground, she pushed herself in a back flip which turned into a hand-stand as, with her other hand, she took hold of her zanpakutou; then she pushed enough reiatsu into her other hand to shot up, flip once more and land on both feet, naginata at the ready.

"Have you forgotten already the kind of power I possess, Aizen Sousuke?" She asked him with a satisfied half-smirk. "I am shinketsu, I finished the Shin'ou Academy in just two-years and was considered a captain-candidate just ten years later; I may have never actually been made captain, but you know? That was only because I didn't want to be one, not because I didn't have the power needed to…"

Aizen's eyes widened minutely, it would have gone unnoticed by any of those who didn't know him, but there were a handful in that hill that actually did.

"You dared attack Toushirou-kun!" Karin yelled, beginning to lose her composure. "You dared try and take one of the people he cares for the most and then left him to bleed to death! You are no man Aizen, you are a monster, and as such it's my duty to cut you down! For I am Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin and I will make you pay for all your crimes!" Her reiatsu shot up suddenly. "Bankai!"

A fire-red aura enveloped Karin's form, and she changed even more than her brother had when calling on bankai. While his kosode had changed into the long coat Zangetsu wore; Karin's change was less yet more at the same time. The only change to her naginata was that it acquired a red aura itself, as well as a very long strip of bright-red cloth that hung from the handle. The upper half of her kosode disappeared, leaving in its place a snug sleeveless top that closed only in the center of her chest, leaving some cleavage to be seen as well as her mid-riff; she was also wearing two white armguards instead of just one and reinforced red-leather gloves in her hands. The most unexpected, yet striking change however, was in her hair, as it lengthened to reach her mid-thigh, at the same time it gained a red tint.

"Eishugo Tenreikou…" Karin stated as the change finished taking place.

The spectators didn't have to wait long to see just how much the bankai augmented Karin's powers. It wasn't just her change in clothes and the ribbon in her zanpakutou, the girl no longer seemed to need to call the name of her attack for the blade of her naginata to give enough heat to cut through anything; and it wasn't limited to that, it wasn't only the blade anymore, the naginata as a whole, and everything red-tinted in Karin herself (hair included) would cause flames to appear on anything it touched, be that Aizen's body, his clothes, or even the ground.

"So much power…" Rukia commented in awe.

"Is that really Karin-dono?" Ukitake asked, more to himself than to those around.

Rukia turned to look at her captain briefly, wondering about the suffix the man had chosen to add to the girl's name; one would almost believe he saw her as being above him. But that just wasn't possible, right? After all, Ukitake Juushirou was a captain of the Gotei 13, Karin was just a human, with shinigami powers, true, but still a human…right?

Byakuya for his part managed to move himself, even as Nanao kept doing what she could to see to his wound; he still managed to turn just enough to watch the battle.

"Karin…" Was all he whispered, in an unreadable tone of voice.

The onyx-haired, indigo eyed man turned around a corner, he was walking by the veranda of his own property, watching the gardens; he wasn't quite expecting it when he saw someone sitting on the steps that lead to one of the more secluded gardens, young-looking with long raven black hair in a half-elaborate bun, held up with a couple of intricate looking clips, she was just sitting there, watching the cloudless sky…

"Karin-d…" He began calling her.

"Don't you dare call me that." She interrupted him in a snappish tone. "Don't you dare change the way you address me, not you, not now…"

"It's the way it must be." He said serenely as he stood behind her. "It's who you are now, Nagaken Karin-dono, the new Head of the Noble Nagaken Clan…"

"One direct descendant and a few distant cousins don't make a clan." She retorted.

"Even if it were only you, the Nagaken would still be a Noble Clan, and you would still be the head of it." He insisted. "Karin-dono…"

"I told you not to address me that way!" She jumped onto her feet and spun around to face him, eyes sparkling with defiance. "Nii-sama is gone! And now I have to carry this burden! I don't want it! I never wanted it! I never wanted to be head of the clan, or to even be a noble! I may be one, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm also a shinigami! I'm a shinigami damn it! And my name is Karin! Just Karin!"

Byakuya's eyes softened minutely as he realized just how affected the young girl standing before him truly was. She was still so young, barely a child in anyone's eyes; and already she had to carry the heavy burden of leading the most important and powerful clan in all of Seireitei. It was worse than what he himself had gone through when first becoming his grandfather's heir all those decades before, and then when actually becoming the new Head of Clan and captain relatively recently. All eyes were always on them, as nobles, but while he'd been expecting it for a while, she simply hadn't been ready for it. All eyes were on her, as so many people kept close attention on her actions, her words, her manners, every single detail, waiting for her to make a mistake, even the smallest one would suffice. And if that wasn't complicated enough, there was what he'd recently heard from the other captains…

"I heard you were chosen as captain-candidate." Byakuya commented.

The sigh that left her lips showed so much exhaustion, not necessarily physical, but mental, it made the Kuchiki Clan Head realize that things may be worse than even he'd imagined. He'd known Karin for so many years, since she was an infant, in part because the Kuchiki and Nagaken Clans had always been in good relations, and there was too much of a difference between his age and Isshin's for the two of them to connect. She was supposed to be a perfect clan princess, little more than a doll; but Karin had flat out refused to play by those rules; she defied her Clan's Elders every step of the way, until they were forced to bow to her wishes, she was allowed to enter the Shino Academy, and once there…she blew everyone off.

The girl was a prodigy, as much as Shiba Kaien had been half a century before, and almost as much as Ichimaru Gin and Hitsugaya Toushirou; the second which was also her best friend and rival as captain-candidate for the spot her own brother had vacated with his disappearance.

"I honestly don't know if I want to be captain…" Karin admitted.

Byakuya didn't say a thing, didn't think she was actually expecting him to say anything. He was fortunate to be one of very few people Karin trusted enough to be honest with; while they might not be the 'best of friends', there was still a connection between them, a respect, and trust and, to a certain level, affection…they didn't love each other, no way, but they still cared for each other.

"They want me to quit being a shinigami." Karin said suddenly, as she turned away from him. "My Clan's Elders I mean. They say it's too dangerous, that I could die or disappear like Nii-sama did, and then the Clan would fall. They even had the gall to bring in Kaien and the Shiba Clan into their speech!"

"You're still the Head of the Clan." Byakuya reminded her. "You're the one who gives the orders to them, not the other way around…" 

"Yeah, because that works so well for you." There was an evident undertone of sarcasm in her voice as she spoke. "I've seen Rukia, and how she's treated…"

Byakuya didn't answer, and this time he was the one who turned away.

"She looks so much like Hisana-san, doesn't she?" Karin asked out-loud, not truly expecting an answer. "It must be painful for you…" 

"You have no idea." Byakuya replied.

And while there was no emotion in his voice, his eyes more than made up for that, as the indigo almost disappeared beneath a gray shadow of pain…

"No, I don't." Karin admitted. "But I'm sure you're not the only one hurting. She is too. Pulled away from everything she knew, thrown into a society so absolutely different from the one she's comfortable in, and with no one to hold her hand and guide her through it all."

"She's strong enough to handle it, I'm sure of that much." Byakuya declared.

"Oh, I'm sure of that." Karin confirmed. "But I'm also sure it would be better if she actually had someone there for her, if she had you…"

Yet again, Byakuya didn't answer.

"She's your sister Byakuya…" Karin reminded him softly. "Regardless of how that came to be, if it was your choice or not, what matters is that she's your sister now, and she needs you." She shook her head almost sadly. "I hope you'll come to see that before it's too late."

She said nothing else as she moved to leave the Kuchiki estate.

He extended an arm silently in her direction, and while he didn't actually touch her and she didn't turn around, she still stopped.

"You should remain a shinigami." He said simply.

Karin closed her eyes briefly, a small smile appearing on her lips; she knew that was his way to offer his support, and she was thankful for that.

"I will." She agreed simply.

She knew it wouldn't be easy, but at least she had someone who believed in her, someone who would support her; it had become hard to find someone like that since so many of the adults she used to depend on had abandoned her: her parents, her teachers, Yoruichi, Kisuke, Hiyori…and even her Nii-sama.

"Good night…Karin." Byakuya wished her.

Her smile brightened up then, as she waved her goodbye before stepping through the gate on that side of the state, going into shunpo as soon as she was out of the property.

The next time he saw her, she'd cut her hair to the nape of her neck, for some reason, that seemed to be the way she'd chosen to show her rebellion, by cutting her hair and remaining a shinigami, she was showing she would be no clan-princess, never.

It was she, Byakuya was sure of it, it was Karin, the same Karin…she was back.

"Your power is nothing to mine, little girl." Aizen said coldly as he parried all the moves. "I will strike you down."

"It doesn't matter." Karin spat back. "Don't you see, Aizen? You may kill me, but I'll just keep coming back; even if it takes me another twenty-five years to do it, I will keep coming back until I manage to bring you down for good!"

"You think you can do it?" Aizen challenged.

"I know I can!" Karin hissed.

She broke the standstill she had with Aizen, with the pole of her naginata, before spinning sharply and using her momentum to slash at Aizen's chest, she was able to cut right through his already slightly-burnt haori and part of the shihakusho, but before she could go fully from side to side, he stopped the blade, with his bare hand.

Everyone present gasped, for Karin it was like a shock going through her whole body, as Aizen's reiatsu fought against her own; and since her control was already on the verge of being lost…in a second it was gone.

For a fraction a second bright-red reiatsu, in waves that made it seem like live flames, enveloped Karin completely; that 'fire' focused on the naginata, and on the hand Aizen had used to stop it. Then…an explosion…

A pained cry abandoned Karin's mouth as she crashed against the stage of the Soukyoku cross, her clothes back to the modified shihakushou she'd been wearing at first. She tried to move, but soon realized it was useless, she could barely even keep herself awake and her reiatsu flickered dangerously, showing that she was badly drained; her zanpakutou was nowhere to be found.

"Karin!" Several voices cried out at the same time.

Ichigo couldn't take it anymore, first Rukia, then his sister; he forced himself to his feet with no little effort, testing a bit his muscles before raising his guard. The battle between the traitor and his sister had given him, or more like Shiro, the time needed to heal him, at least enough for the young man to be moving again; it would be stupid for him to fight…but of course, Shiro knew better than to truly hope Ichigo would keep himself safe…

Showing expression for the first time since his arrival at Soukyoku Hill, Aizen was holding his zanpakutou tighter than before as he began purposefully walking in the direction of the fallen girl; however, before he made it more than a couple of steps he was forced to stop, right as a dark-blue crescent passed in front of him, leaving a deep mark in the ground.

"You will leave my nakama alone, Aizen." Ichigo announced as he hefted his zanpakutou on a shoulder. "Your fight is with me."

"So, ryoka boy." Aizen addressed him. "You can somehow stand, even though I'm sure I cut you down not very long ago. How did you do it? What kind of power did Urahara Kisuke give you before he sent you here to retrieve his mistake?"

"No one sent me." Ichigo replied calmly. "And I care not about your feud with Urahara or anyone else. You dared act against Rukia, my nakama, that's the only reason I'm here. Even after you took what you wanted from her, you still tried to kill her, that's something I won't overlook. I will protect my nakama, I will defeat you."

Aizen couldn't fully hide his surprise at that, he'd been so sure that Urahara was the one behind the whole ryoka operation. And yet…his predictions regarding that didn't account how exactly the humans had managed to get into Seireitei without being noticed, at least not before they themselves made their presence known…They hadn't fought the Gate Guardians, neither had they crashed through the shields…how then?

"You seem confused Aizen…" Ichigo couldn't help but taunt the man. "Did you honestly think this was about the 'greater good'? You talk about surpassing all limits, about being on an entirely different level; maybe you're on such a different level to us humans, that you cannot understand our reasoning. Let me clear it out for you then: we're humans, whatever powers we may have, we're living humans. We care not about spiritual wars, we care about our families, about our friends, and about nakama…when first Urahara and then you saw fit to use Rukia, you were attacking a Nakama. That's why we all got involved. That's the entirety of our involvement in this mess. Of course, considering what you've already claimed are your intentions, I can suppose that, at some point, you will either end up attacking other nakama, or even our home…when you do, then we will get involved again. And I promise you, if you force our hands Aizen, we will bring you down."

"Know your place, ryoka boy." Aizen hissed at him. "You're mere humans, insects…you're nothing at all."

"Really?" Ichigo smirked cockily at him. "Is that why half your arm is burnt right now? Did you know that neither Karin nor I had used our bankai before today? We have no control over them. So imagine, what will happen once we have…" his look darkened. "If you dare act against those I consider my own, you will find out. And you will also be finding out what we're capable of when provoked. This…" he signaled all around him. "This was nothing. We may be humans, but we're certainly not nothing…"

"Hadou 90, Kurohitsugi!" Aizen growled pointing at Ichigo.

The huge black-energy tomb-like cube fell upon the orange-haired teen before he had a chance to react at all.

"Ichigo!" Karin, Rukia and Uryuu cried out at the same time.

The hadou dissipated a moment later and, to the Nakama's relief they saw Ichigo spinning around, dark-blue tinted reiatsu leaking from every pore, his already frayed and half-tattered cloak was even in worse condition than it had been before, some of his old wounds had reopened, and new ones had appeared, and yet, he was still standing.

Furious, Aizen made a move before Ichigo actually finished his last turn, getting right in front of the shinigami daiko before he actually realized what was going on. The traitor's move then was one quite unexpected, as he took Ichigo's own zanpakutou from him, and used it to stab through the young man's chest.

Ichigo could only open his mouth in a soundless scream, even as he dropped to his knees.

"ICHIGO!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 10. Recoveries and Awakenings

Ichigo tried to move, but it was useless, Aizen had driven his own zanpakutou into him with enough force that the young man had ended up practically nailed to the ground. He could hear his nakama's screams as they tried to rush to him to help but were either still too drained to move or being restrained by someone, for which he was thankful.

"An insect you still are, ryoka boy." Aizen declared coldly. "Yet at the same time a very annoying one. That stab might not have been enough to kill you outright, but don't be mistaken, you will die by my hand…"

And yet, before Aizen could bring his own zanpakutou down he suddenly had one blocking it, and a hand held threateningly over his neck.

In the next second the execution hill was filled by several high-ranking shinigami; most of which were briefly confused over what exactly was going on in that place, with all the ryoka fallen, the shinigami hurt, and those three particular captains…while they had indeed heard the message from Isane-fukutaichou, nothing could have fully prepared them for the sight that met them upon arrival to that place.

In rushed voices certain things were explained, enough that soon enough Tousen and Ichimaru were being held at sword-point as well.

"This is the end." Yoruichi announced in a satisfied voice.

"What did you say?" Aizen inquired, apparently unconcerned about his situation.

"Do you really not see reality Aizen?" Yoruichi wanted to know if he was really that unconcerned. "You're completely surrounded."

He was indeed, even those like Matsumoto, Kenpachi and his subordinates had finally finished their own fights and arrived just in time to see those who had defeated them down and Aizen silently gloating over his victory. They didn't like that, for the 11th Division, strength was everything, to have found worthy rivals, warriors who could defeat each of them, and then see them being humiliated by a man who had played them all like puppets in his attempt to reach heights of power that were supposed to be forbidden…

Yamamoto himself had finally stepped forward, zanpakutou in hand, his eyes open as he seemed to be deciding how to handle the situation. It wasn't something that could be done lightly, even his shikai was too powerful for it to be unleashed at any given time, and due to the nature of its power the only one that would not end up fried almost instantly was probably the girl who had displayed a power related to the same element.

Still, not even the danger the presence of so many high-ranked shinigami implied was enough to make Aizen seem in the slightest concerned about the situation he and his allies had landed themselves in. Instead he just chuckled.

"What?!" Yoruichi demanded, angry at his attitude. "What's so funny Aizen?"

"Yeah…" Aizen half-smiled at the women restraining him. "Sorry but…it's time."

Whatever was coming, Yoruichi seemed to be able to sense it a fraction before it actually happened as she reacted accordingly.

"Get away, everyone!" She yelled as she jumped back.

Sui-Feng, who had been helping her keep Aizen in place; as well as Matsumoto Rangiku and Hisagi Shuuhei, who had been keeping guard over Ichimaru and Tousen respectively, all immediately jumped back as well.

It was soon made obvious that they'd moved barely in time, as columns of negacion enveloped the three traitors, lifting them into the sky, where their corrupted allies, the hollows from Hueco Mundo, were waiting at a garganta.

No one liked hearing that once in the negacion Aizen was completely out of their reach; several of the shinigami were particularly vocal about that, but it was simply useless.

The nakama could only watch the scene with a certain detachment; Ichigo had been right when he'd spoken, Aizen wasn't their enemy, not really…or at least not yet. While Karin certainly hated the man enough, they had all agreed not to actually go to war against him unless it was absolutely necessary; which the adults had all assured them would come to happen sooner or later. The Nakama had gone to Soul Society to rescue Rukia, period; whatever came after that…they would handle it when it actually happened.

Which is, in part, why they weren't paying that much attention to the rants and speeches several shinigami gave as the three traitors ascended into the garganta; that is, at least, until Ukitake spoke, something that actually called their attention:

"What are you trying to do?" The man asked seriously.

"To go higher." Was Aizen's simple yet complicated answer.

"Have you fallen in the process, Aizen…?" Ukitake inquired.

That question required not answer, as far as the sickly captain was concerned; and yet the traitor seemed to have one:

"You are too arrogant Ukitake." Aizen declared. "No one stands on the top of the world. Not you, not me, not even the gods. But the unbearable vacancy of the throne in the sky is over. From now on…I will be sitting on it."

The shinigami were all too shocked to answer to that speech, and even more so when they heard someone actually reply to it:

"Your insanity has really surpassed your genius, Aizen…" Karin declared mockingly.

It had taken some effort, but the teen had managed to rise to her feet, and in that moment she was standing in the very center of the stage, pointing at Aizen with her hand, her gray eyes like steel even as she condemned the psychopathic man.

"A man with your brilliance…" She shook her head without taking her eyes off Aizen. "You know as well as I only one man can sit on that throne, and that man isn't you!"

"Ah, anyone can easily claim an empty throne." Aizen replied easily.

Karin's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, I see the truth, I saw it a long time ago." Aizen said with satisfaction. "It's why I decided to take this course of action. I will make that throne mine, young guardian…"

"You have fallen farther than I had thought, if you honestly believe such things are up to you, Aizen." Karin sighed tiredly. "But you will see in due time. An empty throne doesn't necessarily mean the absence of an heir…"

"I guess when the time comes, we will see." Aizen agreed, still arrogant. "It's been interesting seeing you again, Nagaken Karin…" he turned to the fallen Ichigo. "And you as well, ryoka boy…if you survive…you shall make things all the more interesting…"

Ichigo tried to move, tried to yell, but it was useless, the zanpakutou through his chest didn't allow it, he could barely breath as it was…

And then the garganta closed.

The shinigami were just about to move, when suddenly at least half of them staggered. The reason became clear just a second later, as what looked like a hurricane made of pure reiatsu formed around Ichigo's prone form.

"What…is happening…?" Orihime asked in a low, tired voice.

She had woken while Karin and Aizen were having their stand-off and was still trying to understand what was going on, she was in fact still so weakened even remaining awake took a considerable effort on her part. The last thing she remembered was reaching a new level with her Return Shield, and using it to restore the shinigami that had been so badly hurt by the explosion the insane clown-like captain had somehow caused.

Chad was very alert, the mysterious power-storm forming around Ichigo was what had woken him actually, as his instincts screamed at him to do something, even when his consciousness had no idea what he could do, if anything.

"Ichigo's totally lost control." Uryuu finally answered with a tired sigh.

"Lost control?" Chad asked.

"Has this happened before?" Kyouraku wanted to know.

Uryuu lowered his head, holding it with a hand, he was just so tired…

"Once." In the end, it was Karin who provided an answer. "It was a long time ago, and I don't think it was this bad…"

"He didn't have access to this much power back then." Uryuu reminded her almost bitterly.

"So, what exactly does any of this mean?" Kyouraku insisted.

They needed to know what was going on so they could fix it, preferably before his lieutenant and at least half of the other shinigami present, suffocated.

"Just like it sounds." Uryuu deadpanned. "He has no control whatsoever of his reiatsu. It will continue leaking like that, forming a storm, until its fully drained and dissipates, or he's somehow sealed…though that one isn't really an option right now, the one with the best grasp of kidou is Yuzu, and she's still too weakened after saving that shinigami captain."

It was true, Yuzu had arrived to Soukyoku Hill along with Unohana and Isane after they had left the recovering Hinamori and Toushirou in the Medical Division. The chestnut-haired girl had insisted on being there to support her nakama in any way she could, even though she didn't have enough reiatsu to do much of anything.

"The only other person would possibly be my father…but once again, he isn't here." Uryuu continued. "And I haven't learnt to seal or diffuse power yet."

"You said he's been like this before." Ukitake commented. "What did you do then?"

"We just stood back and let it happen." Karin admitted. "There was really nothing we could do. And, like we said before, he didn't have this much power at his disposal back then…"

Before anyone else could say anything, come up with some kind of plan, something quite unexpected happened: Rukia got on her feet, and without saying a word, without any hesitation at all she walked straight to Ichigo. The others began calling her to return, but she ignored them all.

It took great effort for Rukia to get to Ichigo, as the reiatsu circling fast and hard around him managed to hit her and cut her several times, but she ignored any and all wounds, all pain, and focused on getting past the reiatsu-twister and to him.

"What is she trying to do?" Nanao asked, shocked at the sight.

"She's trying to get to Ichi-nii." Yuzu deduced easily. "She may want to free him from his zanpakutou. She's realized that's what made him loose control."

And it was. To have been in such high as Ichigo was, in bankai and still half-synced with Zangetsu, with Shiro influencing him so as to regenerate him, and the adrenaline running through his body in enough quantities to allow him to ignore all tiredness and pain and push on in the fight…and then to suddenly be blocked, be pretty much speared against the ground. It was like forcing a runner that's going at a very-high speed to suddenly stop completely. It was dangerous, it was even considered life-threatening! So it was really no wonder than when subjected to such a situation Ichigo had lost all control, his power was trying to keep him on the same level, but he had no more use for that energy, and to way to get it under control, no way to let it out in a controlled manner, just no solution…

"Is she insane?!" Karin practically shrieked.

"What? Why?" Nanao was really worried about the unseated shinigami.

"Look, Ichigo is powerful ok, extremely powerful." Karin tried to explain in a rush. "Even under normal circumstances it's pretty hard for him to control his reiatsu. If anyone tries to touch his zanpakutou when there's so much power on it, and when he has no control over it…" she shook his head in denial. "It's insanity!"

"She may have been able to get past Ichigo's reiatsu pretty much unharmed." Uryuu added. "But the zanpakutou is a different matter entirely."

Suddenly extremely concerned about his subordinate, the fact that she'd just survived what effectively was a very elaborate attempt on her life, and yet there she was putting her life on the line, again…this time by her own will.

They all turned to watch as the reiatsu spiked, at the very moment Rukia finally touched Tensa Zangetsu's hilt with both hands.

"Rukia!" They all screamed at the same time.

It sounded like an explosion, and yet, instead of having a huge output of energy, it seemed to have compressed in on itself, more like an implosion. It was strong enough to make the earth rumble and make all shinigami below captain level drop to their knees, and it pushed up a cloud of dust that left everyone having a hard time seeing until someone had the initiative of letting out a pulse of reiatsu to clear the way.

The sight that met them was one none had been expecting, Ichigo was on one knee in the middle of Soukyoku Hill, one arm extended before him, in the direction of Rukia who was holding the black daito that was his bankai.

"She…she's holding it…she's holding the zanpakutou…" Karin mumbled, totally baffled. "She's holding the zanpakutou and she isn't hurt!"

She had no idea what it meant, none of them did, though they still could feel it was something extremely important.

"Thank you, Rukia…" Ichigo whispered softly.

When he extended both hands to her again she offered the zanpakutou back to him, and he took it gratefully, with the smallest of smiles.

"Baka…" Rukia whispered with a relieved smile. "It was my turn to save you."

Ichigo simply nodded.

A second later it was like his coat exploded, it turned into reishi particles that vanished in the air, at the same time as Tensa Zangetsu went back to the sealed Zangetsu.

The change was so serious that Ichigo actually staggered and would have fallen face-first to the ground hadn't Rukia been there to hold him up.

"Ichigo!" The Nakama cried out.

They all hurried to where Rukia with some effort had managed to roll Ichigo around so he was laying on his back, with his head on her lap.

"I'm alright guys." Ichigo assured them. "Just…extremely exhausted."

Unohana ignored him and knelt beside him to check him over; she was very shocked a few seconds later when she confirmed that he wasn't hurt at all, only very drained.

"How…how is that possible?" Ukitake asked, not quite believing it. "We just saw how Aizen stabbed him through the chest."

"Yes." Ichigo didn't deny it. "And he did it with my own zanpakutou."

"That doesn't change the fact that he ran you through with a sword!" Renji yelled.

The redheaded lieutenant was extremely frustrated in that moment. Rikichi had found him after his fight with his captain, and he knew that Unohana had healed any major wounds, leaving minor ones to Yamada Hanatarou. Still, by the time he had made it to the top of Soukyoku Hill the battles had already begun. He'd been so shocked seeing how powerful each of the ryoka were that he'd done nothing. And when the traitors had arrived he'd been knocked out before he could do anything at all. He'd only recovered consciousness in time to watch the last part of Aizen's and Ichigo's confrontation.

"It's different because it was Zangetsu!" Ichigo explained as if it should be obvious. "He would never hurt me!"

It wasn't until he noticed the surprised and confused expressions of all the shinigami around him, including Rukia, that he realized that wasn't exactly normal.

*Eh…Ossan?* He called into his inner world.

*Quiet Aibou, I'm trying to sleep.* Shiro hissed at him sleepily.

*He truly is tired, we both are, Ichigo.* Zangetsu informed him. *Him even more so, you must remember it was his power of high-speed regeneration that kept you alive…*

*I know.* Ichigo nodded mentally. *Thank you nii-san…*

*Yeah, yeah…* Shiro waved off the gratitude. *Just let me sleep already.*

*Eh, Zangetsu-ossan.* Ichigo was careful to talk more quietly, even if it was still just his own mind. *About what is being said out here…*

*Like you must have guessed already, what happened with us isn't really normal Ichigo.* Zangetsu said serenely. *I have given you my absolute trust, while you have given me yours, that in turn means we will never hurt each other.*

That was enough to allow the orange-haired shinigami to understand, Zangetsu had said it already, how different he was from any other shinigami, how the kind of bond he shared with the other parts of his soul was stronger than anyone else's…

"It's complicated." He said out-loud, knowing the others were waiting for an explanation. "Ossan…I trust him, and he trusts me…"

"Ossan?" Kyouraku asked.

"Zangetsu." Ichigo clarified. "I call him Ossan sometimes. I guess I just got used to doing that, what with not knowing his name for so long."

"Just how long have you been able to talk to your zanpakutou, Kurosaki-san?" Ukitake asked, with hesitation born from apprehension.

"About eight years or so." Ichigo answered honestly. "Since I was nine. Though I wasn't actually capable of using any kind of power until almost three years ago, and only learnt his name a few weeks ago."

No need to tell them about what had happened three years before, on that awful anniversary…

And still, that had been more than enough to leave everyone present staring at him wide-eyed and with their mouths gaping open (either figuratively or literally) in shock.

"Just…just what are you?" Renji demanded.

It all came to that: just what was he…

xXx

When Ichigo came back to he found himself laying on a bed in a white room. Next to him stood Chad, he seemed to be standing guard…it took just a second for Ichigo to realize that must be exactly what his friend was doing, it was the kind of person he was.

"Hey Chad…" Ichigo called in a soft yet strong voice.

"Glad to see you awake Ichigo." Chad nodded.

"How long was I unconscious?" Ichigo was actually intrigued by this.

And it was that, unlike the first time he'd synced with Zangetsu during his fight with Kenpachi, after the last fight he hadn't ended up in his inner-world, he had been completely unconscious until waking on what he could guess must be the 4th division.

"Three days." Chad replied. "I've been keeping guard most of the time, seemed logical since I was the one least tired. Uryuu took over for a few hours every day so I could have some sleep. While we aren't exactly seen as enemies anymore by the shinigami we still didn't want to take the risk of someone taking advantage of all of us being unconscious at the same time."

Ichigo nodded, he could understand that.

Looking around Ichigo could see Orihime in the bed on the other side from Chad, while Uryuu was sitting on one on his other side reading a book; across from the room were another three beds, one being shared by the twins, the other empty (it was Chad's) and the other looked slept on but was empty.

"Rukia has been sleeping on that bed." Chad answered the unasked question.

"Rukia?" Ichigo immediately began getting worried about that.

"She's alright." Uryuu said, putting down his book. "The ordeal took a toll on her and the head healer Unohana-taichou insisted she spend a few nights here, at the same time she wanted to keep watch over you, so eventually it was agreed that she would sleep on the last bed." He pushed his glasses up his nose. "It's good to see you awake Ichigo."

"Thank you." Ichigo nodded. "How's everyone been?"

"While Orihime didn't black out like you, she's been sleeping a lot." Chad signaled to her sleeping form to his side.

"We think it's because of her new powers." Uryuu added. "After all, she did discover a new level for two of her spells. Then there's what she did in Soukyoku Hill…" he sighed. "I never imagined anyone could possibly do something like that."

"Yes," Ichigo nodded thoughtfully. "It's amazing."

"It's dangerous." Uryuu corrected.

"Wha…?" Ichigo didn't understand. "Why?"

"She can reject time!" Uryuu whisper-shouted. "We knew already she could reject wounds, and fatigue, and that kind of thing, but back at Soukyoku Hill she actually undid time, she made it so that explosion never happened. It was the only way that shinigami could have been saved. I believe she may have even been dead already…"

"But…no one can bring back the dead!" Ichigo replied. "It just isn't possible."

"No it isn't." Uryuu agreed. "But what Orihime did wasn't healing, she wasn't even undoing the harm, she was undoing the event that caused the harm!"

"But…" Ichigo was left both amazed and afraid at the possibilities.

"If anyone realizes what she can do, she'll be in danger." Uryuu finished for him.

"Then no one can ever find out." Chad declared stoically. "We will protect her, just like we protected Rukia, like we protect everyone. We are Nakama."

Uryuu and Ichigo both nodded seriously. They knew Chad's logic was sound, and yet that didn't stop them from thinking it just might not be enough…

xXx

That afternoon Karin found herself standing at the door of another room in 4th Division Medical Area, trying to decide whether she should go in or not. She was still pondering when the door opened and a tall, short silvery-haired young woman walked out, Karin knew her to be the 4th Division fukutaichou: Kotetsu Isane.

"Hello, you're one the ryoka, right?" Isane asked looking at Karin. "Can I ask what you're doing here? Your room is at the opposite end of the hallway."

All the teens knew they had been assigned just one room for all of them for two reasons, mainly: so those who might still consider them ryoka wouldn't try anything (like Chad said, there was always one of them on guard) and so the healers wouldn't feel threatened in any way by so many 'invaders' everywhere in their HQs. In any case it didn't affect anyone, and it actually made things easier on the Nakama's side.

"I know." Karin replied. "I'm considering whether to go in or not."

"You are the sister of the girl who was healing Hitsugaya-taichou!" Isane suddenly realized.

Since most of the members of the healing division, despite the things that had been revealed, still were pretty unnerved with regards of the humans' presence, Unohana and Isane had mostly handled their treatment, with some help from Hanatarou and a couple lower seat voluntaries when needed. So it wasn't really that hard for Isane to realize the girl before her was the twin of the one she and her captain had found treating Hitsugaya in the living quarters of Central 46…even if the two were nothing alike.

"Yes, that's me." Karin nodded calmly.

"How do you know Hitsugaya-taichou?" Isane wanted to know.

At that point it wasn't really a question of if she knew him, that much was obvious enough.

"It's a long story, complicated." Karin evaded answering. "Is it alright if I go in for a while?"

"Sure." Isane nodded. "Just don't expect much, he hasn't woken yet."

It was unusual, to allow someone they knew so little about, in to see another patient, especially one as important as a shinigami captain, yet Isane couldn't help but think it was the right thing to do. In any case, she would inform her captain just to be on the safe side.

"Thank you." Karin nodded her head and entered the room.

Inside, Hitsugaya Toushirou looked young, almost painfully so, surrounded in medical equipment and laying on a bed too big for him. Karin herself was petite, but she knew how sickness seemed to make many people look even younger, smaller.

"Oh Toushirou-kun…" She whispered, extending her hand yet not actually touching him. "How I wish I had been faster. That I had gotten there earlier, in time to stop something so awful from happening to you. How I wish…" The moment she actually touched Toushirou her hand was covered in ice, if only briefly. "I'm sorry Hyourinmaru…"

She pulled her hand back and, a second later, Unohana Retsu stepped in.

"I imagine your fukutaichou informed you of my visit." Karin commented, closing her eyes briefly. "If I'm breaking some rule I don't know about I can always leave…"

"That's not what I was going to ask of you." Unohana admitted calmly.

"Are you going to ask me how I know Toushirou-kun too?" Karin wanted to know.

"That would be a good question, you know him, and you call him by his given name." The head healer commented. "I don't know many people who do."

Karin simply shrugged at that, she'd always called him that, and it wasn't something that would change anytime soon unless he demanded it directly; and even then he would be hard-press to get her to comply.

"What intrigues me the most isn't actually your presence here, or even your status as a human/shinigami." Unohana admitted after a while. "But something I heard happened in Soukyoku Hill…" he watched the young woman attentively before continuing. "I've been told that your allies, Nakama as you seem to prefer to call yourselves, called you Kurosaki Karin, and yet I was also told you gave Aizen a different name while you two battled."

"Nagaken Karin." She didn't try to hide it.

"Yes, but if you truly were her…" Unohana furrowed a brow slightly. "As far as everyone in Seireitei is concerned, Nagaken Karin-dono, 3rd seat of the 10th Division and captain candidate died 25 years ago…"

"That she did…" Karin agreed with a long sigh. "She died, fighting hollows in the living world." She closed her eyes before dropping the bombshell. "Ever heard of reincarnation?"

"But…" Unohana actually faltered at that. "That…well it's not impossible but, but souls never remember when they're reincarnated."

"There were special circumstances." Karin half-explained. "Like I told Isane-fukutaichou, it's complicated. The thing is, yes, I'm her, I'm Karin, and I remember. The rest can wait until Toushirou-kun wakes up. If anyone deserves to be the first to know the whole truth it's him."

"I don't think Yamamoto-soutaichou will be willing to wait." Unohana pointed out, it wasn't a threat, just a warning.

"This time it's not up to him." Karin declared calmly. "In any case, if he tries to force me he'll find himself in a bind."

Unohana wondered if that was a warning directly from the girl, the reincarnated noble-girl before him…or maybe it was something about her siblings?

"Guess I should go now." Karin declared.

However, before she actually did she leaned over the bed, to whisper something into Toushirou's ear, Unohana had no idea what.

"Wake up soon Toushirou-kun…" She finished in a more normal tone of voice as she straightened up. "Take good care of him Ryuu-san…"

Unohana's eyes widened when ice appeared briefly over Karin as she said those words and brushed Hitsugaya's zanpakutou on the bedside table; yet the ice disappeared as soon as it had appeared and the raven-haired girl left the room without a single word more.

xXx

The next day, Ichigo had finally gotten Unohana's permission to take a walk in the division's gardens when he happened to run into Byakuya as he was doing the same.

"Kurosaki Ichigo…" The noble shinigami acknowledged his presence.

"Kuchiki Byakuya…" Ichigo replied in a similar manner.

The two stood there for what seemed like forever, until Ichigo decided it was ridiculous to have a stand-off with a man he wasn't going to be fighting anymore, a man who wasn't and technically had never really been his enemy. Despite all the things he might have done, and not done, in the end he was just one of many to have been manipulated by Aizen. It wasn't exactly his fault that Rukia was going to be executed, it was Aizen's right? Ichigo wasn't sure but he just had to keep believing that, otherwise he just might attack Byakuya again, and this time no one would interrupt them, this time he would actually make the older shinigami regret ever even thinking about hurting his own sister in any way…

Ichigo had just given one step past the still-recovering shinigami (he didn't have the daiko's advantages to recover faster), when he spoke…

"You wanted to know the reason, for my support of Rukia's death." He said solemnly.

"I didn't actually defeat you." Ichigo reminded him of the deal they had made.

"One who commits a crime must suffer the consequences." Byakuya went on, eyes fixed on the distance, with no emotion showing in his expression or his voice. "If one is sentenced to death, the execution must take place. Those are the rules."

"Say what…?" Ichigo could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"In light of rules all personal feelings have no value." Byakuya continued talking, with the same impassivity. "Also, something as useless as emotions…I never had them to begin with. The Kuchiki Clan is one of the Four Noble Families. We are the role models for all Shinigami. If we do not obey the rules, who will?"

As if Ichigo needed any more reason to hate the noble clans, his own clan…

"Sorry, but I still don't get it." He admitted, turning to face Byakuya's back. "If I was you, I would definitely fight the rules. The only way anyone would ever reach my own sisters would be over my own dead body, and I think that even then I would find a way to keep fighting. I guess it's part of being a brother, a protector."

Unbidden, an image rushed to the forefront of Kuchiki Byakuya's mind: a tall dark-haired man in a shihakusho and a captain's haori, standing beside a petite girl dressed in the Academy uniform, with long hair of the same dark color, in a tight braid that hung over her left shoulder. The older man placed a hand on the girl's head, as if to ruffle her hair, only to have her slap it away, then hit him in the arm; and during the whole exchange they were both smiling at each other.

"That's why emotions are useless…" Byakuya began.

Before he knew what was going on Ichigo was holding him by the arm and spinning him around so they were face to face.

"Don't say that!" Ichigo hissed. "Don't say you don't feel when I know the truth!"

"I don't…"

"You do!" Ichigo interrupted him vehemently. "You may believe yourself a master of disguise, and I may not be empathic like Karin, but I too am a big brother. I know that you care, a lot. I have no idea what made you not show it, but I know you do care. If you think it's necessary to put up a front for everyone else, then that's your problem, but don't try to lie to me! At least not on this matter…"

"How can you know…?" Byakuya really wanted to know.

"Like I said, I too am a big brother. It doesn't matter how Rukia became your sister, if it was by birth, by adoption, even by mere chance. The fact is, that she is most definitely your sister. That matters. And we both know it."

Yes they did, Byakuya didn't try to deny it any longer, instead he turned to the ground, thoughtfully, before he began talking again:

"A bit over five decades ago I met a woman in Inuzuri, the 78th district of South Rukongai, her name was Hisana." Byakuya said, closing his eyes in grief at the memory. "She was a commoner, and a humble woman, but still I loved her. I took her as my wife, defying all the rules of the Kuchiki Clan and of Noble Families in general, refusing to pay any attention whatsoever to their complaints. I didn't care, I was young, still a bit of a rebel, and she was just so special to me. Five years later I lost her, she died of some sickness Unohana-taichou couldn't heal." He shook his head. "She died in spring, and her last will was for me to find her sister, to find her and take her in, to protect her…"

"Rukia…" Ichigo whispered, suddenly understanding.

"Yes." Byakuya nodded and continued. "Hisana abandoned Rukia when the later was still a baby, unable to care for both of them. The remorse Hisana felt over that act stayed with her to her last day. I found Rukia in the shinigami Academy a year later, and immediately I made arrangements to make her a Kuchiki. For the second time I went against every rule, every convention of nobility, so I could fulfill the last will of the woman who'd been my wife, if only for five years…" he raised his head to the sky in contemplation. "The Clan didn't like it, but I'd been made Head already, so they couldn't exactly oppose me, and Rukia proved to be good enough in her shinigami studies, so in the end they stopped complaining…mostly. And I made an oath, I swore I would never again break any rules, that I would stick to the law and honor my parents that way, I would never again go against what they had taught me, against what the Kuchiki stand for…never again. And then…"

"Rukia was set to be executed." Ichigo finished for him with a sad sigh, finally understanding the kind of situation Byakuya had been in.

"Yes." Byakuya nodded again. "How could I reconcile the promise I'd made Hisana of always protecting her sister, with the vow made on my parents' graves of upholding the law?"

Ichigo could only sigh as he closed his own eyes, he wasn't usually one to empathize with people he'd hated, but after listening to everything Byakuya had to say he couldn't help it.

"I admit I don't fully understand, guess I never will." He admitted with a sigh. "In that sense, I don't really have the kind of family, or clan you do, while my father sure has expectations of me, as does shishou, I know it's not the same. I don't know what I would do in your place, and I guess in the end it's not really my place to judge. I just know that I, in my own life, would have done anything for my own sisters…in the end I guess it's not the past that really matters, but the present, and the future." He sighed again. "In the end Rukia is still alive, and the law wasn't broken…at least not by you, so I guess both your vows were upheld. I really think you should try and show Rukia more that you care, she cares a lot about you, about your opinion, and I know it would do her good to know that those feelings aren't one-sided. It's not like you have to make a big production of it, as long as she knows." He seemed to be considering something before adding. "Everything you just told me, have you told Rukia?"

"I told her a few days ago." The noble answered honestly.

"That's good." Ichigo nodded.

With that the orange-haired turned as if to leave, before considering something and looking over his shoulder at the still unmoving noble.

"You know, caring isn't weakness." He commented with a wistful smile. "I know I care about my family and all my nakama, and I like to believe it's what's made me so strong, especially in the last several months…" He shrugged before turning back around. "In the end, it's your life, I guess; it's just…I know shinigami can live for centuries, even millennia, and I think that's a very long time to be without caring for at least one person."

Byakuya didn't get the time to answer him directly, by the time he'd turned back in Ichigo's direction the young human/shinigami was already gone…

"Impudent boy…" He muttered under his breath.

From the distance, Unohana Retsu could only watch. She hadn't been close enough to actually hear what the two men talked about, she could only hope that the fact that they were talking civilly might be a good omen; a sign that things would get better. After all, if two men who just four days before had been trying to kill each other could have an honest, polite conversation, didn't that mean similar things could be expected from everyone else too?

xXx

That evening, Matsumoto Rangiku, the strawberry-blonde haired and sky-blue eyed, very curvaceous lieutenant of the 10th Division found herself working late; something she never did, she barely even worked most of the time, but in that moment it was necessary to keep the division going with their captain absent. The one good thing was maybe that she knew the captain was, indeed, coming back.

"Lord…I don't know what I would do if he had died…" She admitted to herself quietly.

"Probably spend the rest of eternity berating yourself for everything you did wrong, or simply never did." A young female voice answered her.

Rangiku looked up to find, to her surprise, a young raven-haired ashen-eyed woman in a modified shihakusho, one she could recognize and yet had trouble believing she was there.

"Karin-san?" She asked, shocked. "Is that you?"

"Yes." Karin answered simply as she stepped into the office.

"But you died." Rangiku tried to explain.

"Death isn't the end, all shinigami know that." Karin reminded her.

"I can't believe it!" She rushed to the young woman, embracing her tightly.

Karin didn't complain, she had long known just how expressive the older woman was.

"I can hardly believe you're here." Rangiku admitted when finally letting go.

"Like I've said several times before, it's complicated." Karin replied. "I'm waiting until Toushirou-kun wakes up so I only have to explain the whole thing once."

Rangiku nodded, she knew Karin, and trusted her, and so wouldn't question her, or the decisions she was making.

"Rangiku-san, before Toushirou-kun wakes up, we need to talk." Karin informed the fukutaichou in a very serious tone.

"About what?" Even as she asked, the blonde sensed it wasn't going to be good.

"About Gin-kun." Karin answered solemnly.

Rangiku closed her eyes tightly and lowered her head, she had known she wouldn't like that.

"There's a lot you don't know, Rangiku-san, a lot you need to know." Karin elaborated. "But the most important thing is: I talked to Gin-kun two nights before the defection. We talked for half the night, about many things, some are personal, others I will tell you when we have more time. Right now the one important thing is something he wanted me to ask of you."

"What was it?" Rangiku inquired.

The blonde didn't understand, Ichimaru Gin was a traitor, why then did Karin refer to him as if he were still her best friend?

"He said, and I quote: 'You need to tell him the truth. He needs his mother. Now more than ever…' end quote." Karin stated softly.

Rangiku gasped and covered her mouth with both hands at that.

"He knows…" She whispered in a hoarse voice. "And you…"

"Of course he knows, he's always known." Karin answered as if it were nothing. "About me, it took me a while to put the pieces together, but I did it. And really, once I knew, so many things made a lot more sense. Like the way you always act with him…"

"He cannot know, I cannot tell him." Rangiku shook her head almost violently. "No, not now. It's been too long…"

"It's never too late, Rangiku-san." Karin insisted. "And I agree with Kitsune that he'll need you. After everything that happened a few days ago, he needs something to hold onto."

"And I'll be here, like always, as his fukutaichou."

"He doesn't need a subordinate right now! He has enough of those! What he needs is his family. With Hinamori-sempai in her current condition…you're all that's left."

"What about you?"

"I'm not his family. You are, you're his mother!"

"I haven't been his mother since he was barely an infant! I abandoned him Karin!"

"For his own safety. I know that, I understand. And he will too, if you explain things to him."

"I cannot, no, just no. He will never forgive me." She shook her head in absolute denial. "He will hate me. I would not be able to handle that Karin-san, just not. Shirou-kun hating me, it would just kill me."

"And why would I hate you?"

Both women turned their heads at once at the door, shocked speechless; never having expected the young white-haired turquoise-eyed boy standing there.

"Toushirou-kun…" Both whispered at once, neither knowing what else to say.

"Tell me now, Matsumoto, why would I hate you?" He then turned to the other woman and his own eyes widened in shock. "Karin?!"

"Hello, Toushirou-kun." She greeted him, not knowing what else to say. "I'm back."

Chapter Text

Chapter 11. The Lion, the Raven, the Fox and the Flower

He was sitting in the porch of what had once been his old 'Granny's' home, watching the sun descend, remembering how he'd been there brooding since before it even rose. It was likely a lot of people would be either worried about or pissed off at him, but in that moment he just couldn't bring himself to care. Hitsugaya Toushirou, shinigami, wielder of the legendary dragon Hyourinmaru, 10th Division taichou, who had finished the Shino Academy in just one year and been found Captain Candidate a decade later, who had reached bankai twenty years after graduation and immediately became captain of his squad, succeeding the Noble Nagaken Isshin; who had for his whole life believed himself to be a mere orphan from Rukongai, who had seen his Granny and Hinamori Momo as the closest thing he had to a real family…so much of his knowledge, so many of his beliefs had been tested the previous night, to the point that he was no longer sure who he was supposed to be at all.

He knew that the whole madness had begun a handful of days before when, on the very day the unseated shinigami Kuchiki Rukia was supposed to be executed through Soukyoku for giving her powers to a supposed-human, and some believed a group of human ryoka would interfere to save her, he had suddenly realized the great quantity of anomalies with regards to not only Kuchiki Rukia's sentence, but also the recent murder of one of his colleagues: Captain Aizen Sousuke, from the 5th Squad.

Armed with his suspicions Toushirou had led his loyal lieutenant: Matsumoto Rangiku, to the offices of Central 46, only to find they'd all been murdered some time before, at least a few weeks, and that the 3rd Division fukutaichou: Kira Izuru was the only living person in the place. Wanting to know what was going on, a chase had begun. However, at some point he and Rangiku were forced to split, leaving her to go after her colleague, while he backtracked to the Central, where he found his life-long friend, his almost sister: Hinamori Momo, bleeding to death after being stabbed by a very-much alive Aizen.

He'd called on his shikai, even his bankai, and thrown himself against the traitorous captain, only to realize, in the most painful manner possible, that even if he was considered a prodigy, even if so many believed him to be extraordinarily powerful, he was still much too weak against people like Aizen Sousuke.

A part of him had known even before he unsheathed his sword that he had no chance of winning, but he just couldn't stand it, he had lost so much already…and with that knowledge came the realization that the disaster hadn't actually begun that day, but many years before… on a tragic morning when he learnt that his best friend, his confidant, the one person he trusted the most in the whole world…was dead.

A slightly younger Hitsugaya Toushirou, with his hair less spiky, wearing a simple shihakusho and with Hyourinmaru in a sash at his back was pacing at the entrance of the 10 th  Division barracks. He'd been doing the same thing since sunrise, and already the sun was about half on its way to its zenith, even if he wasn't sure just how many hours had passed.

The reason for his rather unprecedented attitude was the absence of his long-time best friend, confidant and 'rival' as captain candidate for their division: Nagaken Karin. The white-haired shinigami knew she'd been sent to patrol a human city for a few days, since the last shinigami on patrol had been badly injured. Since the patrol wasn't part of her normal schedule she was to actually share the duty with Toushirou, they were expected to each go and guard the city every other night. Karin was supposed to have been back by sunrise, since the hollows seemed to only show themselves at night, for whatever the reason. Usually she would write a report for the soutaichou and then join him for an early workout, during which she would tell him about her patrol, then they would have breakfast together before splitting, he to go to his own duties, she to take a shower and sleep for a few hours. However, that day things weren't going according to plan, several hours had passed since sunrise and Karin had yet to show up. He didn't like that. He had a very bad feeling.

Finally, he sensed a reiatsu approaching, not exactly the person he was expecting to see, but since the 3 rd 's barracks were nowhere close, Toushirou decided there had to be a reason why Captain Ichimaru Gin was around. He decided maybe he even knew something about Karin's absence, it wasn't totally impossible, seeing how the two seemed to be best-friends; and how that was even possible with how odd and even creepy the silver-haired one was, was something the turquoise-eyed just couldn't understand.

What he could have never expected, when Gin finally came close enough for Toushirou to see him clearly, was the fact that the silver-haired shinigami was holding something or rather someone in his arms. At first Toushirou hadn't noticed because he could only sense the reiatsu of one person…

Then, as the figure laying on Gin's arms became clearer, Toushirou's horror rose: he could see the shihakusho, drenched in blood, the same blood that was staining Gin's own clothes, including his usually pristine white haori; he could see the short strands of raven-black hair, falling from the head that hung loosely from where Gin was doing his best holding her, it showed that she wasn't holding her own neck up; and finally, he could see the paleness of her face, so foreign on someone who had always been tanned…the conclusion was evident for anyone with eyes to see, and yet Toushirou refused to see it.

"Hitsugaya-san…" Gin whispered in a low, hoarse voice.

"What happened?" The younger shinigami demanded to know.

"I met her by chance during her patrol, late into the night." Gin began spinning a story that was only half-true. "I decided to stick around until her shift ended; and shortly before it was supposed to, hollows began appearing, dozens of them. They weren't normal, they were much too…good, I guess, to be normal. A handful of them were even Hamen. It took us hours, but eventually we managed to bring them all down, or that's what we thought…until one of them went at me from behind. By the time I even realized what was going on it was already too late, she'd defeated the hollow, but at the same time it managed to deal a fatal blow to her." Gin took a deep breath before sealing the deal. "I'm really sorry, Hitsugaya-san, Karin-san is dead, she died saving me…"

"No…there's no way." Toushirou shook his head violently, in absolute denial. "She cannot be dead. She just…she can't. She's strong…so very strong…much more than I am…than I'll ever be…she cannot be dead…"

But even as he finished his rant he was beginning to see truth, becoming unable to deny it anymore. And it hurt, it hurt so much.

"Give her to me!" He demanded.

Gin didn't say a word, simply passing the dead body of the petite shinigami to the younger man, a man who still seemed so much a boy…whom Gin cared so much about and yet couldn't allow himself to show it. That's why it was better for Gin to keep his eyes closed, so no one could see his feelings displayed there, his grief, his pain…

"It's your fault!" Toushirou accused them. "She's dead because of you!"

Gin didn't deny it, he probably felt he was right.

Toushirou knew Gin hadn't been telling the full truth, but had no way of knowing how much of it was lie, and how much wasn't. In the end only one part mattered: Karin was dead, gone, she, his best friend, his confidant, the woman he…

"NOOO!" The young shinigami's screamed echoed through half Seireitei.

Rangiku arrived at that point, and she could only cover her mouth to try and hold back her sobs even as tears fell down her face at the scene that greeted her. That of the young boy and genius she cared so much about, unknown to him, on the stone ground, screaming and crying, his spirit so broken, as he held the body of the one he'd cared for the most…

Yes, Hitsugaya Toushirou could still remember that day well, perhaps too well.

He remembered what it felt like when, after a few hours, the body still in his arms began disappearing into reishi particles, the loss, the terrible soul-breaking pain that had filled him as she had slowly vanished from his arms.

He remembered how he'd followed all the funeral rites more in instinct than consciously, before locking himself inside his quarters for three days, buried in things that reminded him of her, trying to convince himself he would never forget her.

And then…he remembered the day he'd finally left his room, it was the same day he went to train and achieved bankai; the same day he'd taken all his pain and grief on Ichimaru Gin during a test; the day he was given the title of taichou, becoming the youngest shinigami to ever achieve bankai, or gain the level of captain in the history of Seireitei. It should have been a great satisfaction, and yet…all he could think about was the person who had pushed him that far, who had been his motivation for everything, and who was no longer there with him.

His best friend, his confidante, and the woman he…

Very close to where Toushirou was in that moment, so close it was actually a surprised he hadn't sensed her yet, Karin was standing on the branch of a tree, just watching him in silence.

'I wonder what you're thinking about…' She thought. 'Is it about what we talked last night? Or maybe about my last life?'

She could still remember the day she'd found out, without doubt, that she was in fact the reincarnation of Nagaken Karin, the last Head of the Nagaken Clan…

Karin was mentally cursing everything and everyone she could think of. Her big-brother was out on the streets, in the middle of the night, fighting a couple of shinigami too strong for him, especially when he was running on borrowed powers still, and she couldn't do a thing! Why? On one side, because she had promised him she wouldn't, and she must have been crazy to ever make such a promise; and on the other, because she knew that her power would be even less effective than Ichigo's on a battle like the one he was fighting in that moment.

"But why?" She asked to one in particular, while clenching a fist. "If we're so sure that Ichigo is supposed to be a shinigami, with or without Rukia-san's powers; even Yuzu-nee is an expert at kidou, Rukia-san said so. Why then am I so weak?"

*Do you feel weak?* A voice unexpectedly asked inside her own mind.

"Wha…?!" Karin was on her guard instantly, had one of the other shinigami gotten past her brother and to their home? "Who is talking? Show yourself!"

*That I cannot do.* The voice replied softly. *And worry not, a shinigami I am not.*

"Then what are you?" Karin demanded strongly.

*Answer this first:* The voice instructed her. *What is it you're missing to be a shinigami?*

Karin actually stopped to consider her answer, as half of her brain analyzed the fact that the voice sounded female, and yet at the same time not completely human; the other half kept considering the question: she had reiatsu, without it she wouldn't be able to see spirits or have any abilities at all, she had a strong reiatsu…What did Ichigo have that she didn't?

"A weapon…" She realized out-loud, then corrected herself. "A sword…a zanpakutou…"

*Exactly.* The voice replied, satisfied. *Tell me, Young One, do you know what a zanpakutou truly is?*

Karin knew the question was important, and again stopped to consider her answer.

"A weapon, but not just that." She qualified. "It's…a partner."

*True.* The voice acknowledged the answer. *A partner. Aibou…do you want to have an aibou, Young One.*

"Yes!" Karin didn't doubt, not even for a second. "Wait, why do you call me Young One, I have a name, it is…"

*I know your name, Nagaken Karin, just like you know mine.* The female voice replied serenely and authoritatively.

"Nagaken?" Karina asked confused. "No, my name is Kurosaki Karin."

*That may be the name of your body, but is that the name of your soul?*

"I don't understand your riddles!"

*Kurosaki Karin is who you are now, but it's not who you've always been. Focus, Karin, focus and remember the past; it's such a pivotal part of destiny it just cannot be forgotten.*

And as Karin closed her eyes and let go, her mind was suddenly flooded by many images: people, places, events, which she couldn't fully recall, but knew they had happened, knew they had been and still were an intimate part of her. And among it all, three memories in particular stood out: an older looking man in shinigami clothes, looking down at her with pride and even some humor; a beautiful, majestic bird made of the purest fire; and a turquoise-eyed, white haired boy in a shihakusho, smiling at her.

"Nii-sama…Tori-chan…Toushirou-kun…" She whispered the name of each in turn, before her gaze hardened. "Oyaji, I'm gonna kill you…"

She actually had forgotten to fulfill her self-made promise before leaving for Soul Society. It could wait, there were more important things than taking vengeance on her father, brother, whatever, for not telling her the truth. In any case, it's not like he knew for sure it was her, and he had no way of knowing until they got back and she confirmed or denied everything, they would both have to wait until then.

A few feet away Toushirou kept pondering on recent events, in particular those related to that disastrous day at Central 46 offices; he'd almost died. In fact, according to what Isane-fukutaichou had told him shortly after he'd woken up, he would most definitely have been beyond saving, if it hadn't been for the providential help of one of the ryoka girls who apparently knew healing kidou: Kurosaki Yuzu. Toushirou knew he would have to find her and thank her at some point.

But what was truly important was what had happened while he still was in limbo, in the middle of continued unconsciousness and awakening:

He'd been floating in nothingness for an indeterminate amount of time. At times he would sense reiatsu, or hear voices, but they were muffled and he couldn't understand what was being said. Until he heard her voice:

"Oh Toushirou-kun…"

He had no idea who that voice belonged to, only that he hadn't heard one so clear before since going into that state. And both her voice and her reiatsu were so painfully familiar to him… even if he couldn't focus enough to remember who they belonged to.

"…wish I had been faster…had gotten there earlier… time…s-stop…aw-ful…happening to you… I wish…"

He couldn't actually hear everything she was saying, but still enough to realize that she seemed to feel guilty about what had happened to him…

"Don't…" he mumbled out-loud, even knowing she wouldn't be able to hear him. "It's not your fault lady…whoever you are…the fault is all mine…"

He interrupted himself again when he felt the sudden rush of freezing coldness that went past him, he knew who it belonged to; but what shocked him the most was what he heard the girl say immediately afterwards.

"I'm sorry Hyourinmaru…"

She knew Hyourinmaru! She knew his zanpakutou! Just who was she?!

He lost focus for a while, which made his miss the words being said as the girl visiting began talking to someone, most likely one of the healers. It took a great effort, but after a while he managed to focus enough again to make out her words:

"Guess I should go now." He heard the girl say, her voice even cleared than before.

"No, don't go!" Toushirou called, even knowing it was useless, he had to try. "Don't leave me here in the dark! I want to keep hearing your voice!"

He suddenly felt a warmth fill him, she was touching him! And what followed was a few words that must have whispered straight into his ear, because of how clear he could hear them, and how quickly they seemed to reach her heart.

He was so dazed by those actions he was only half aware as she said her goodbyes.

"Wake up soon Toushirou-kun…" He heard her whisper softly, full of feeling. "Take good care of him Ryuu-san…"

Even Hyourinmaru answered to her goodbye! And since when did someone call any zanpakutou, especially one not their own by a nickname?

Still, he didn't give those details much importance, the only important thing was the words he could still hear, and feel, echoing inside of him:

"Come back to me, Winter Lion…I'm waiting for you…"

He'd woken up at some point during the morning, and after too many tests and checkups to count it had been declared that he'd been in good condition, still sore and tired, but no longer in any danger. And yet, when he'd wanted to leave, he hadn't been allowed, according to the healer in turn, Unohana wanted to keep him for a few days more in observation, after all, he'd nearly died not even a week before!

Karin's thoughts, meanwhile, had changed to something else entirely, her talk to one who had at one point been her best friend, just a couple of days before all hell had broken loose and Seireitei had been sent into chaos…

She had left Yoruichi's hideout and been wandering around for a while, she knew it probably wasn't a very good idea, considering how tense all the shinigami seemed to be after the 'murder' of Aizen Sousuke…

'If they only knew the kind of monster that bastard was, and probably still is.' Karin hissed inside her own mind.

She really didn't buy that the captain was dead. Such a powerful, cunning, psychopathic bastard didn't die just because, there was just no way they would be that fortunate. Besides, the timing was a bit too convenient, what with Rukia about to be executed and half of Seireitei going nuts over the 'ryoka' invading Seireitei.

Somehow, her steps brought her somewhat close to the 3 rd  Division, and right before she could convince herself to leave, she noticed someone else seemed to have chosen that very night, that very moment to take a walk. A silver-haired, shihakusho-clad someone who seemed to keep his eyes permanently closed and whom she knew almost as well as she knew herself…

The petite girl just couldn't help herself, the moment he moved slightly, just enough to show he'd become aware of her presence in the shadows she stepped out and called to him, in words she knew he would understand perfectly well, even if he had trouble believing them.

"Hey Kitsune…" She called with a half-smile. "It's me, Karasu, I'm back."

The man stared at her for what seemed like forever, apparently unable to talk, until his eyes opened, deep-blue, extremely expressive eyes, that in that moment showed how dazed he was, an emotion that showed in his voice as well.

"K…Karasu?" He gasped. "B-but how? I thought…No, I know you died!" he began talking very fast. "He wanted me to go but of course I didn't, how could I leave that little brat alone with his pain? So I stayed, I saw you vanish, I saw his pain, I saw Ran-chan trying to offer him comfort and yet so afraid herself of being too obvious in her affection…Foolish Ran-chan, and stupid me, it's because of me that she never dared show the kid the affection he deserved. She knew I would realize who he was, and she just had to keep him safe, even from me…So much pain, so much love not being given, and it's all my fault…my fault…"

"Kitsune…" Karin began calling him. "Kitsune calm down! You're babbling."

It was so rare, he barely even spoke at all so him babbling was something only two people had ever seen, the only two he'd ever trusted with all he was.

"Karasu…" He whispered, apparently more focused. "How are you back?"

"First answer me one thing." Karin changed topic slightly. "Are you going to go through with it? Are you really going to betray Seireitei, to betray Rangiku-san and…Him?"

"So you know what's going to happen in a couple of days." Gin commented with a nod.

"You mean what's not going to happen." Karin corrected.

"You cannot stop it, no one can." Gin told her calmly. "Regardless of how unlawful it is, the captains are so sure of their absolute power, and the omnipotence of Central 46 that none of them have even considered the possibility of there being foul-play; not even with all the obvious irregularities taking place…"

"Not everyone is as oblivious Kitsune." Karin corrected him. "Ukitake-taichou, Kyouraku-taichou, Ise-fukutaichou and a few more shinigami here and there know the truth."

"Really?" Gin actually seemed interested in that. "And what are they going to do?"

"Nothing." The girl deadpanned. "They won't have to. That's what my nakama and I are here for. We'll stop that execution, we'll save Rukia, and if we manage to unmask Aizen at some point, then all the better."

"The Nakama…" Gin nodded, as if confirming something. "That means you're one of the humans who infiltrated Soul Society. I was wondering about that…" he shook his head. "In any case, do you really think a bunch of humans will be enough? You mentioned Aizen, which means you haven't been fooled…"

"Not even in my last life could he convince me of watching as he used shikai." The petite girl confirmed. "I always suspected foul play…"

"And you couldn't be more right." Gin agreed. "Still, a reincarnated shinigami and a bunch of humans are not gonna cut it…"

"How about two shinketsu, a kidou genius, the heir of the Quincy lineage and two humans with powers that defy nature?" Karin suggested. "Oh, and a technically-exiled shinigami."

Gin actually blinked at that, carefully considering that.

"You mean to try to stop Kuchiki Rukia's execution with just seven people, yourself included?!" Gin questioned. "Are you insane?!"

"Not try, do." Karin corrected calmly. "You should really have more faith in me, Kitsune."

"I have a lot of faith in you, Karasu, I just don't know what to think about your so called Nakama." Gin stated.

"Fair enough. You'll get to see them the day of the execution, I guess. And talking about that, you still haven't told me what you'll do."

"You know what I will do. What I have to."

"You don't truly have to."

"Yes I do."

"What about Rangiku-san? What do you think she'll do if you turn traitor, if you leave her? What do you think she'll feel?"

"I don't want to leave her, but the place where I'm going is not one where she would be safe. And if she comes to hate me for my actions…all the better, maybe then she'll move on and be happy, finally."

"Move on? Be happy? Did you lose one too many brain-cells in the last twenty-five years Kitsune? She loves you! That's never gonna change. No matter what you do, where you go. She's always going to love you!"

"And as happy as that makes me, I know it's cause for pain."

"It wouldn't be if you weren't so stubborn and accepted that you don't have to go through with this. You've done enough!"

"Tell me one thing Karin-san." He used her name to show how serious he was being. "If you were to fight taichou right now, do you think you stand a chance of winning?"

"No…" It cost her a lot to admit it, but she did. "But that's just because I've only recovered my powers recently. Kitsune…!"

"Then I have to do this, Karasu. It might be the only way to bring him down…"

"I understand…" Which didn't mean she had to like it.

"Now that I have answered that. Will you tell me how it is possible for you to be back? I mean, and before you mention it, yes, I know that souls go through a continuous cycle of reincarnation and all that. But still, they aren't supposed to keep their memories!"

"There is one exception for that rule: when the soul in question has a mission to fulfill, a destiny so-to-speak, and they died before it was done."

"And what is this destiny of yours, if it may be known?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She smirked slightly. "Tell me Kitsune, what's the phrase I call to release my zanpakutou?"

"Fly across the fiery heavens." Gin quoted. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Only certain people use the term 'heaven', Kitsune, especially when calling on their zanpakutou. They are the ones who serve Heaven, True Heaven…"

Gin was left speechless, eyes open in realization.

"What Aizen wants is an impossible ambition." Karin informed him solemnly. "I will guard that throne until the day the rightful heir is ready to step forward. And even if something happens to me, I'm not its only guardian. Aizen will never be King, I won't allow it."

Gin nodded mutely, still too surprised at what had just been revealed to him to say a word. He realized the huge show of trust that was, Karin had revealed that much to him, because she trusted him…he would never betray that trust. She was, after all, regardless of life or death, of being human or shinigami, his best friend.

"I think I should better go back to…the others." Karin declared out-of-the-blue. "Before someone sees me, us, here. It wouldn't be good for either of us."

"True." Gin nodded in agreement.

She had already given several steps away when Gin called her.

"Can you pass on a message to Ran-chan for me?" He asked. "After all this is over, please?"

"It'll be my pleasure." Karin agreed immediately. "Want to send her your love?"

"No." Gin shook his head slightly. "I won't make that part even worse. And this is more important. I need you to tell her, word for word what I'm gonna say."

"You can trust me." She assured him.

"I know. Tell her: 'You need to tell him the truth. He needs his mother. Now more than ever…' That's it."

"You do realize she'll have a stroke when she realizes you know, and always did."

"That's doesn't matter right now. What matters is that she be honest with him. He'll need her, just as much as she'll need him."

"What about you? When will you get what you need?"

"Probably when I die."

He was gone a second later, disappearing into shunpo, but Karin just couldn't help the foreboding feeling that had feel her when he'd said those words. When he died…she really, really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"It would be just too cruel…" Karin whispered to herself.

Toushirou closed his eyes slightly, he was feeling tired, probably the reason why Unohana had wanted him to stay in observation for a few days; and yet anxiety and stress just wouldn't allow him to stay put. So after a few hours, and with no little effort on his part, he'd somehow managed to slip away and made his way to his Division's barracks. He could have never, not even in a million years, imagined what greeted him there:

His fukutaichou calling him by his given name, even by a nickname, crying and claiming that he would hate her for some reason, while talking to a girl that until that very second, and for the past twenty five years he'd believed to be dead!

"…He will hate me. I would not be able to handle that Karin-san, just not. Shirou-kun hating me, it would just kill me."

When he'd finally reached the barracks, the recently awakened white-haired captain had been actually surprised to realize that his fukutaichou was still in the office; an emotion that changed to confusion when he realized she was talking to someone, and crying; and he'd no idea what the talk could possibly be about, what could be making the two women talking so overly emotional; he didn't even realize the other name that was said in that moment; though it became clear the whole thing it involved him when a certain nickname was spoken.

"And why would I hate you?"

He knew it was almost cruel, to shock them like that, but he just couldn't help himself. He would have even smirked at the twin expressions of shock that adorned the women's faces if he weren't so interested in actually hearing the answer. And still, he didn't really see the second woman standing there.

"Toushirou-kun…" Both whispered at once, neither knowing what else to say.

It started bothering him at that point, how it wasn't just Rangiku calling him by his given name, which was already strange enough to consider, but that the other woman was doing the same, and his name seemed to roll off her tongue so easily, as if it were the most normal thing in the universe for her to say it.

"Tell me now, Matsumoto, why would I hate you?" He demanded before turning to the other woman, his eyes finally realizing what he was sighing, and the shock enough to nearly make him go catatonic. "Karin-san?!"

"Hello, Toushirou-kun." She greeted him, an awkward expression showing that she really didn't know what else to say. "I'm back."

It was like he'd been speared in place, he couldn't move, he couldn't think, he could hardly even breath for a few seconds…

"How…?" Was all he managed to ask out-loud.

"Come on, Toushirou, did you really think something as trivial as death could keep me away?" Karin seemed to dismiss the mere idea.

"You are dead!" Toushirou's mind finally caught up with him and he began yelling. "You died! I held you in my arms as your spirit dissolved! There's no way you can be here. Either Aizen is using those stupid hallucinations of his or…or I snapped. Maybe I did die back at the Chambers of the 46 and…"

"Toushirou!" Karin interrupted his rant as she shook him by the arms. "You aren't dead, you didn't snap, and I indeed, am alive. It is possible…I'm human."

"Human?!" Toushirou gasped as he realized things. "You were reincarnated."

"Yes." Karin nodded.

"Yet you remember." Toushirou continued.

"Yes." Karin nodded again. "And I'm still a shinigami. It's ironic really, how I ended up being Nii-sama's daughter…"

"How…?" Toushirou asked again. "How can any of this be possible?"

"I have a mission, Toushirou-kun, a destiny so-to-speak." Karin explained. "It's the whole reason I could die, be reincarnated and get to keep all my memories, and my power…Well, mostly, my control is atrocious right now, since my human body clashes with the level of power I had at the time of my death. Bankai was torture on me when I used it…"

"Bankai?" Both Rangiku and Toushirou asked at the same time. "You have bankai?"

"You had it when you died…" Toushirou added, realizing the other part of it.

"Wha…?" It took Rangiku a second to catch up with that. "You mean you had bankai, and still you died? Who or what killed you exactly?!"

"A hamen." Karin answered half-absently. "Possibly one of Aizen's experiments. And yes, I had bankai when I died, I was still perfecting it though…"

"If you had a bankai, why weren't you made captain?" Toushirou asked. "We were candidates, weren't chosen immediately because we needed bankai first. If you had already achieved it…"

"Isn't it obvious, Toushirou-kun?" Karin asked with a sigh. "I was never interested in being a captain. I like being a shinigami enough. But captaincy…too much paperwork, too little action, at least as far as I'm concerned…"

Toushirou couldn't help it, he chuckled.

"Karin-san, I just noticed something." Rangiku spoke right then. "Why aren't you carrying a zanpakutou? Did something happen to it during the fight?"

Toushirou shook his head before laying a hand on Hyourinmaru by his side; wondering what he would ever do, if he lost that connection, if he lost his partner. After all, Karin may still have Tenreikou's power, but it just wasn't the same…

On a high branch of a tree, it was almost as if Karin could read his mind, as she watched his hand on Hyourinmaru she could only place her own in the small of her back, on that empty space, where her zanpakutou should have been…

The naginata that was Tenreikou's shikai dissolved into reishi particles before disappearing entirely as Karin finished her training for the day. It'd barely been a day since her brother had woken up after his battle against the two shinigami who'd taken Rukia away, and finally she'd managed to hold her zanpakutou for the whole session.

Of course, Isshin didn't yet know about her powers, or her memories…she didn't have the time to deal with such things just yet.

*Great work Karin-san.* Her zanpakutou congratulated her. *You have finally recovered your full-power. Of course you'll need more training to fully recover mastery of your shikai, and especially bankai. But the crucial part is done now.*

"Tori-chan." She called out-loud. "I've been wondering. Why is it that I can't see you, or go into my Inner World?"

*I was wondering where you would ask that?* Tenreikou whispered. *The reason is simple, Karin-san. I'm not really here.*

"That's not exactly possible, you're talking to me." Karin pointed out. "For the last three days you've been guiding me through my training to regain this power, to regain you."

*You've been training to regain your own power, Karin-san.* Tenreikou answered. *And what you here right now…it's just a memory, of me, of you, of our past.* a sigh could almost be heard. *I do not exist Karin-san…I haven't existed for twenty-five years. Since that day we died protecting your friend…*

"But, but…I don't understand."

*You remember the kind of level we used on that fight?*

"Bankai. It was the first time we actually used it in battle."

*Yes, bankai. And when that didn't cut it, we synced.*

"Yes, I remember."

*We were synced when we died…And only one soul was reincarnated.*

"But…I can hear you…I can even feel you!"

*You're just feeling yourself. Me…I'm a part of you. We died together Karin-san, and when the time came for us to be reincarnated, our synched souls melded completely; now we're only one. There's no Nagaken Karin and Tenreikou anymore; only Kurosaki might have been two spirits once, but now we're only one. You hear me, you feel me, because I'm a part of you, the part that holds the knowledge of the power you can wield…*

"It can't be…"

*Yes it can. Why do you think you're even empathic? That wasn't a gift you had in your previous life, was it?*

"I thought maybe I inherited it from mom."

*No, in a sense you did inherit it, from me. It's also why your zanpakutou dissolves into reishi particles every time you stop focusing on it. You don't need a zanpakutou, you're both shinigami and zanpakutou, Karin-san…*

She wanted to deny it, to scream to the four winds that such a thing wasn't possible. She couldn't have done that, couldn't have killed her closest companion, her partner…

*You didn't kill me Karin…*Tenreikou whispered inside her soul, inside her heart. *I'm here, I'll always be here, a part of you…*

Karin didn't answer, in that moment her grief was too strong, she could only cry.

Karin sighed and closed her eyes tightly to keep what she considered useless tears back. She couldn't hear Tenreikou anymore, and she knew she would never see the actual zanpakutou spirit again. And yet…Tenreikou was a part of her, and Karin could feel her, she knew what the zanpakutou would say in every situation, because it was a part of her own thought-process, same with her feelings, and everything else. Karin was no longer just Karin, she was also Tenreikou; shinigami and zanpakutou in one…

Toushirou closed his eyes as he remembered the pain in Karin's ashen eyes as she had explained what had happened to her zanpakutou.

"I know I never say this enough, Hyourinmaru…" Toushirou whispered, caressing his zanpakutou's scabbard. "But thank you for being with me…"

*It's a pleasure master…* Hyourinmaru replied in his usual rumbling tone.

Tensai or not, the white-haired shinigami was having quite a hard time wrapping his head around everything that was going on, everything Karin had revealed the previous evening; and even then, he knew there was much she hadn't said, much he didn't yet know. Why exactly Karin was keeping secrets, he had no idea; but he'd decided to wait to ask her about it until he'd fully dealt with everything else. And it was that while Karin's return had truly dazed him, it hadn't been the biggest revelation of the night. Not by a long shot.

"Rangiku-san…you need to tell him." Karin said.

The comment had been made out of the blue. One moment Rangiku and Toushirou had been trying to think of something to say to the young woman, some kind of comfort after what had happened to her zanpakutou, a pain neither of the other true could begin to comprehend; and then she was saying those words. Words that immediately reminded Toushirou of what he'd managed to hear right as he was arriving.

"No." Rangiku flat out refused. "I won't do it. You cannot make me!"

"I cannot make you do it." Karin admitted. "But you need to understand you have to. It's the right thing to do. For…for everyone involved!"

"No!" Rangiku insisted, an almost hysteric tone in her voice. "No. Never."

"Just what is going on?" Toushirou wanted to know.

And yet he was ignored, as the two women continued arguing about something he didn't understand, and yet knew was pretty serious.

"Rangiku-san, please…" Karin insisted, almost pleaded with the older woman.

"Why are you insisting so much on this Karin-san?" Rangiku wanted to know. "Is it because he asked you to do it?"

"Wha…? No!" Karin shook her head vehemently. "I'm insisting because I know it's something that needs to be done…"

"No, that's not true…" Rangiku began.

"It is the truth!" Karin yelled, loosing what little patience she had left. "I can feel you both! I can feel your pain! Did you understand what I meant when I said I fused with Tenreikou? I have her abilities, all of them, including her empathy, to feelings and power. I can feel the pain each of you are feeling as if it were my own and its breaking me inside!"

That confession was more than Toushirou could have ever expected, more than Rangiku could hold against. The two of them turned to each other, somehow managing to ignore the petite girl that had just let herself fall to the ground as their eyes met, waiting for one to break the silence holding them captive.

"As you probably know, I'm from Rukongai." Rangiku decided to give the full story. "I lived in one of the upper districts and was always hungry. Then, when I finally thought I would die, He found me. He brought me to a shack where he was staying, got me food and water and nursed me back to health. He would leave at times, but always came back, he protected me, he became my first friend…His name was, and still is, Ichimaru Gin."

Toushirou grunted in disgust, he'd of course already known that Rangiku and Gin were close, and had been longer than he'd known either of them; he just had never imagined how much longer. The fact that they had met, become friends, maybe even gotten together before even going to Seireitei for the first time…it was something that baffled the young prodigy.

"Flash forward a few years." Rangiku declared. "One day Gin left and didn't come back. I found it strange; since I'd been attacked a few months earlier he simply refused to leave me alone for more than a few hours at a time. I'd heard him say in passing that he would become a shinigami, but didn't take him seriously. Not until he finally returned, days later, to tell me he had passed the entrance exam. I was shocked, but didn't try to stop him. I stayed back for a year or so before I decided I couldn't wait any longer, so I went to the Shino Academy. My entrance exam wasn't the best, to the date I'm not even sure why I was accepted; it's not like I was anything special…In the end, though, I was accepted. It wasn't easy. I'm not like you, Toushirou-kun, I had the drive, the will, but I didn't have the power. It took me a great effort to graduate in the normal time, and even then, it's not like many divisions were dying to have me. In the end I was accepted as an unseated officer in the 5th Division. Back at a time when Aizen was taichou and Gin his fukutaichou." She sighed sadly. "I thought it was our chance to reconnect. How wrong I was. Gin and I were together…and yet we weren't. It was like, at times he wasn't really, fully, there. So I got frustrated, and I began drinking…yes, that's how my alcoholism began." she shook her head bitterly. "I kept trying, as hard as I could, to get back what Gin and I had had while in Rukongai, but I just didn't seem to be enough. It was like some kind of huge chasm had opened at some point and I couldn't cross it anymore. And then I found out I was pregnant…"

Toushirou's eyes widened in shock. Matsumoto? His fukutaichou? Pregnant?

"It was awful." Rangiku continued. "The morning sickness in particular, I would have it any time but in the mornings! In particular when I had to go to the office, or when I happened to run in with Aizen-taichou…" she half-smiled sadly. "Guess that should have been a clue, huh? Even my baby knew there was something wrong with Aizen!" she shook her head. "No one knew I was pregnant, I even swore Isane to secrecy; the only ones who knew aside from her were Unohana, since pregnancy for us souls is so rare, especially in one not from a Noble Clan…and Nanao-chan, my best friend. When I was around my third month or so Aizen-taichou told me that I was being transferred, according to him I just didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the squad; whatever that meant. So I was transferred, to the 10th squad, under Nagaken Isshin-taichou. I think he realized my condition from the very beginning, he was very considerate of me, and always made sure I wouldn't be sent on any dangerous missions; some began accusing me of whoring myself to him to get special treatment, and he immediately shut them all up. When I was six months along, and truly began showing I was sent on a 'reckon mission', or so it said on paper, in reality I went into hiding on a property that belonged to Isshin-taichou, though under another name. I stayed there the last three months of my pregnancy, and for three more months with my newborn baby. Either Isane or Unohana would visit constantly to check on us." She sighed tiredly. "Then my 'mission' was over, and I had to return to Seireitei. I somehow felt it wasn't a good idea to take my baby with me, the moment I stepped through the gates with that baby in my arms, everyone would know who the father was, and even though there was much I didn't know, and even more I didn't understand; I knew Gin had changed, and I sensed it wasn't a good idea for him, or anyone, to know about the baby. So I left him with an old lady, a nice woman, friend whom I had helped once, in Junrinan. She was already taking care of a little girl she saw as her granddaughter, and she agreed to take care of my baby; I even promised I would send money so she wouldn't worry, and visit as often as I could. So that's what I did. I would send half my paycheck every month and visit every free day I had. Until Isshin-taichou told me I was being followed, apparently my change had been too obvious. So I began going to visit less and less, afraid that someone would follow me and find my baby. Until eventually I could only visit once every several weeks. It made me sad, and once again I turned to drinking to fill the hole in my chest. Then…the time came when my baby began growing, and I wasn't there to see it; that broke me, little by little. I was a terrible mother, such a terrible mother…I soon realized I didn't even deserve that child. I still don't."

"But if you just left him to protect him…" Toushirou whispered, not quite understanding.

Karin sighed, wondering if he would still be as understanding when all was said and done.

"When my son grew enough, I could no longer go see him." Rangiku continued. "He had such reiatsu, even at that young age, if anyone connected him to me, he would be found. So I began only visiting in secret, watching him from a distance. And he grew…without me. Until the day came when we met in the middle of town and he didn't know me…" her voice grew hoarse. "I talked to oba-san, she told me that he'd become very powerful, I guess he must have gotten that from Gin; like I said before, I never had the power…but he did, my baby had it, and he needed to learn to control it before it controlled him. So I went to him, like nothing more than Isshin's newly promoted fukutaichou, it took a while but I convinced him to go to the Shino Academy, and once there, he proved to be even better than his father when he graduated in even less time than it took him!" she couldn't help the proud smile on her face. "Isshin-taichou took him in as soon as he graduated, before anyone else could even object or try to fight to have him. I realized then that taichou knew, had probably always known, and he was trying to give me back what I had lost, even if I couldn't protect my son like a mother should, I would protect him like a superior officer, like a friend, could…"

Toushirou's mouth opened and closed several times, as his mind began coming to terms with what Rangiku was saying, and what she wasn't.

"For so long I thought I had done my best to protect my baby." Rangiku declared, in a half-sob. "Never realizing that the one person I hid him the most from, always knew…And now, now I know it might be too late, that it's likely that I long ago lost the chance to ever call him mine. And yet I just can't help it. It doesn't matter if he's my subordinate, or my captain, he'll always be my dear baby…" her glassy eyes rose to meet Toushirou's wide ones. "You'll always be my baby Shirou-chan…"

"No." Toushirou declared, unexpectedly.

His voice was so unyielding, so cold…Rangiku couldn't help but flinch; at the same time as Karin curled upon herself, feeling what was coming before it even happened.

"No, you're not my mother." Toushirou denied fervently. "You cannot be. I have no mother. She died. She's gone. I'm alone. You're not my mother. I have no one! No one!"

And before any other word could be said, he was gone.

Then, as he watched the sun finish setting, Toushirou couldn't help but sigh to himself and close his eyes; it had taken time, but his brain had finally begun to accept everything he'd been told, that it was the whole truth. He'd also begun to accept that he might have been a bit harsh with his fu…his mother…

xXx

Karin was walking through the lantern-illuminated streets of Seireitei. She'd left Junrinan at some point while Toushirou was still deep in thought; she was considering dropping by to visit Rangiku, to try and cheer her up, useless as she knew it would be; but when she got close enough to the 10th Division HQs she suddenly realized she was sensing two reiatsu signatures instead of one, and he could hear voices as they spoke.

"Hitsugaya-taichou…" That was Rangiku, and she sounded so hesitant, so afraid…

"Toushirou." The white-haired one corrected her. "At least when not on duty. That's my name, it's the name you gave me, right?"

"Right…" Rangiku obviously couldn't understand the change. "Toushirou…I…"

"I…I really don't know how to do this." Toushirou admitted after a while. "I don't know how to connect to someone, how to have a family. But…but I would like to try…"

The next thing that was heard was the 'oof' as Touchirou found himself being smothered by the strawberry-blonde woman, at the same time as he realized that there may have been a deeper meaning to the very tight hugs she'd been giving him all those years…

"Be happy, Toushirou-kun, Rangiku-san, you deserve it…" Karin whispered melancholically, as she walked by the building, in the direction of her nakama. "Kitsune…I really hope you'll get your chance as well…"

Chapter Text

Chapter 12. Meetings, Meetings…

It was still considerably early in the morning and Karin was standing inside Captain-Commander Yamamoto's private office, wearing a new shihakusho she had modified to look like her old one, some people had tried to convince her of wearing the more traditional one, or at least one with both sleeves, but she flat out-refused; the way she looked with those modified clothes, it was part of the change in her case by the melding of the original Karin's soul and Tenreikou's, and there was no way she would allow anyone to take that away.

"It is, indeed, a great surprise to find you back here, Nagaken-dono." Yamamoto was saying right then. "Though in these hard times your presence might be just what the Gotei 13 needs."

"No." Karin interrupted him coldly.

"No?" Yamamoto opened one eye, he wasn't expecting refusal.

"You won't use me as a symbol, or for some kind of campaign." Karin stated, ignoring the fact that she was talking to the leader of the Gotei 13. "It is true that I once was Nagaken Karin, a noble lady and a shinigami, captain candidate; but that's not who I am anymore. I am not part of the Gotei, nor will I be, at least not for the time being. My name is Kurosaki Karin, and I have a life back in the world of the living, one I'm not about to give up. In regards to the Nagaken Clan, I'll be acting as retainer until the heir is ready to step up and claim his title as the next head of the Nagaken Clan…"

"Heir?" Yamamoto's brow narrowed. "It was my understanding that both y…Nagaken Karin and Nagaken Isshin had died without any children. Or will one of the distant cousins ascend to the position of heir."

"You are right on the first part, for the most part." Karin answered vaguely. "And on the second, it just wouldn't be possible, they aren't pure enough, but mostly, they just aren't powerful enough for such a thing. No, suffice it to say that there is an heir, one of blood and of power, he will take his position when he's ready, until then I'll act as retainer."

"Why not take the position back yourself?" Yamamoto insisted.

"Because that position was never meant to be mine." Karin replied tiredly. "And I don't want it. In any case, my destiny lies elsewhere."

"Yes, what you said to Aizen Sousuke…" Yamamoto stated, wanting her to elaborate.

"If you don't see the truth yet I won't be the one to say it." Karin stated coldly.

Really, it was obvious enough, or so she thought.

"You're a Celestial." Yamamoto stated. "One of the Royal Guardians."

"Yes." Karin answered honestly.

"And there's always supposed to be two of them." Yamamoto continued. "The phoenix and the dragon…" the old man nodded, as if confirming an old assumption. "Hitsugaya Toushirou, he's your partner."

"Yes." Karin waited for him to go on.

"And if you're here, that means that a Royal Heir has been born." Yamamoto added, both eyes opened as he realized what that meant. "Then what Aizen said was true, the throne of heaven indeed must be empty right now…"

"And like I told Aizen when he commented on it: an empty throne doesn't necessarily mean the absence of an heir…"

"You have found him already."

Karin shrugged simply, she wasn't about to answer that.

"I guess, with your position, it's in everyone's best interest to let you go about and do as you please." Yamamoto admitted after a while. "What of the rest of the ryoka?"

"The Nakama are a very particular group." Karin answered thoughtfully. "They will have their own part to play in what's to come, and I will stand as a part of them. For while a part of me may still be Nagaken Karin, captain candidate and Royal Guardian; I am also, and possibly more strongly, Kurosaki Karin, Nakama."

Yamamoto's brow furrowed, he really didn't like the idea of letting humans with supernatural abilities and knowledge of the spiritual plane go around and do as they pleased, it went against everything he believed in, and yet he knew the kind of power a Royal Guardian held, both in reiryoku and in authority, and he wasn't hard-headed enough to defy that. So he would allow it, and hope things would go well.

"Something will have to be arranged, for the rest of the Gotei 13 to know the ryoka are no longer enemies of Soul Society and are to be accepted as our allies." Yamamoto declared out-loud. "Especially with the war that is to come…"

"Yes, about that." Karin sighed, knowing the reaction to her next statement wouldn't be good. "The Nakama aren't getting involved."

The Soutaichou's reiatsu flashed very briefly, though it was still enough for Karin to stagger slightly, if more in shock than because she had actually been affected; the old-man never lost his control, never.

"Explain yourself Na…Kurosaki Karin." Yamamoto demanded.

"This isn't the Nakama's war, this isn't our war." Karin tried to explain, still tired. "At least not yet. You need to understand Soutaichou, none of us care about politics, or about your power struggles. We only care about protecting: each other, our families, and if it were to become necessary, our town. Seireitei as a whole acted against Rukia-san, which is the only reason we got involved in the first place. The situation with Aizen and the Hougyoku…we were made aware of it before coming by Urahara Kisuke, who at one time was wrongfully accused of Aizen's own doings; and I remembered some things from my other life in time, but it was never our intention to really move against Aizen ourselves." She took a deep breath and added. "However, we aren't stupid. Aizen wants to get into Heaven, and I know what is needed to get there…it's not hard to imagine the place he'll choose as his sacrifice, after all Karakura Town is the current Juureichi. If…or more like when, Aizen makes his move against our town, then we will get involved."

"In the end you're just delaying the inevitable." Yamamoto stated hardly.

"Understand Soutaichou, if we were to get involved now, if you and the Gotei 13 as a whole took us as allies…what purpose would it serve?" Karin inquired. "We won't follow your orders. None of us. We will always do what is needed to protect what we've claimed as ours, that may at some point go in your favor, but it also may not. For example, we will never allow you to send us someplace else; Hueco Mundo or wherever, not when we know our home could be at risk. We have our priorities, and no order will be able to trump them."

Yamamoto nodded, though still displeased; in the end it wouldn't have made a difference, he realized, what was the point of having the ryoka enlisted as allies when they wouldn't follow his, or the Gotei 13's orders anyway?

"At the same time, know that if you call for our assistance, and as long as it doesn't act against us, or our principles, we will never hesitate to help." Karin added. "Like I said before, it's in our nature to protect: be it friends, family, a place…and there are people even here in the Soul Society that we've come to hold dear…if nothing else, we will always try to help them."

Yamamoto nodded, that definitely made things better; he knew that with people like Hitsugaya Toushirou, Matsumoto Rangiku, Kuchiki Rukia, and maybe a few others as well, as part of the Gotei 13, the ryoka's…no, the Nakama's aide, was almost guaranteed.

xXx

It was still the morning, and while all the Nakama had been given a clean bill of health and been sent off that morning to find other accommodations for the remainder of their stay, Sado Yasutora was in that moment on his way back to the 4th Division barracks.

He noticed in his way how the shinigami would eye him wearily, most moving out of the way instantly, it was a mix of respect and fear; he wasn't used to the first, and the second truly made him sad, but he said nothing and simply kept walking. He tried several times to ask someone, once in the barracks, where he could find either their taichou or fukutaichou, but no one seemed to want to get close to him, so he kept looking on his own.

After a short while he began to tire, more mentally than physically, seeing everyone's attitude in regards to him was truly taking a toll on his gentle heart. He laid against a nearby wall, eyes to the ceiling so he wouldn't have to watch the same scene anymore, when unexpectedly a thing yet slightly large hand touched his arm.

"Are you alright, big guy?" A soft voice asked him.

Chad looked to the side and realized at least one of the women he'd been looking for had found him before he could find her.

"I thought you and the other ryoka had been sent off this morning." Kotetsu Isane added in a thoughtful tone.

"We were." Chad nodded. "I just came back."

"For what, if it may be known?" Isane inquired. "Is one of you hurt again? Maybe I can help."

Chad couldn't help but smile slightly, he'd decided that she really was a special girl, she, Unohana Retsu and Yamada Hanatarou were the only three shinigami from that division thus far that he'd met who didn't either fear or hate him and the rest of his nakama just for being humans with strange powers.

"I came to thank you." Chad said, then clarified. "You, your captain, and Yamada-san."

"Why thank us?" She seemed honestly surprised by that.

"For all you've done for us." Chad replied.

"We only did what we had to." Isane said simply. "We're healers, and so we healed. There's no need to thank us for doing our duty."

"Then let me thank you for 'doing your duty' without fear or anger." Chad said in turn.

That actually seemed to take Isane by surprise.

"I have good eyes, and very good ears." Chad answered the unasked question. "The three of you are the only shinigami here who do not either fear us, hate us or both."

Isane nodded, a sad understanding shining in her eyes.

"It's really not their fault." She tried to justify her peers. "They just…don't understand."

Chad could only think about a young, shy shinigami who had known and understood even less, and yet he'd gone looking for them all out of his own free will. He would have probably even stayed around if they all hadn't been so insistent on it being too dangerous for him.

"I know." Was what he said in the end. "Still, it's only right to thank you. I'm sure if the others weren't busy they would be here too."

"Well, then you're welcome." Isane said, then smiled slightly. "You know, big guy, you're awfully chatty today."

Chad didn't answer to that comment, he knew she was right. In the days they'd all spent in the 4th Division he would always watch attentively as she checked up on everyone, and the times when she needed to do some healing kidou. Knowing he was guarding the others she would explain as much as she could what she was doing, or sometimes just what state they were all in. He would hardly ever say a word to her, only nodding to acknowledge her and giving one word responses when she wanted to know if she understood everything she was saying. Still, in that time he'd come to realize how special she was, her soft, caring nature, her calm acceptance and understanding of a bunch of humans who were so much out of the norm that practically everyone was afraid of them…

"Don't mind them." Isane said right then, signaling discreetly at the other shinigami. "They will come to accept you ryoka in time."

"If you need to use a term to refer to us all, we prefer Nakama." Chad pointed out suddenly.

"Nakama…" Isane repeated, thinking about what she'd seen, and what she'd heard of the battles she'd missed. "It seems fitting."

Chad inclined his head in thanks.

"Well then, big guy," Isane declared suddenly. "I have work to attend to, and I have a feeling so do you. So good luck."

"Good day." Chad nodded in kind.

She had given a few steps away when, quite unexpectedly, she turned back and stood on her toes to deposit a quick kiss on Chad's cheek before spinning around and rushing once again to the door, though before crossing it she stopped again and looked over her shoulder, the red in her cheeks quite visible.

"Oh, and you're welcome to visit anytime!" she told him before hurrying away.

Chad, for his part, could only stand there in shock for a while before reaffirming his thoughts that she most definitely was something…

xXx

As noon approached, Ichigo could be found sitting on a cliffside, the extensive back-gardens and training-grounds of the Nagaken Estate at his back, and beyond those, the manor itself. It was beautiful, huge, and almost painfully empty…

They had all arrived there that morning, shortly after Unohana Retsu had declared them all fit enough to leave; at that point only Ichigo had been in any condition at all, still a bit sore and drained, Orihime too still felt somewhat drained, but nothing serious. Karin had taken control as soon as they had arrived, introducing herself as Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin and claiming to be the retainer of the House, standing in for the future heir until he was ready to take his place. Of course she'd been talking about him, it had been decided that since he hadn't had to reveal his birthright up till then, they would keep things that way for as long as they could. Even without revealing the truth about their father Karin could easily claim the place of retainer through her past life; the problem in the end had been to convince the Elders that she wasn't going to be taking the place of Head again.

Thankfully, the Nagaken Council was formed by only three Elders, an old woman called Nagaken Kasumi, who was Isshin's aunt, sister of his father; and two distant old cousins: Nagaken Hiroshi and Nagaken Satoru, they belonged to a minor line that could never hope to inherit anything but still had some respect due to being part of the clan. The rest of the members of the clan were three cousins, all descended from the two men since Kasumi had never married, and all but one unseated officers in the Gotei 13.

It had been obvious from the moment of their arrival that they hadn't liked the group of humans, or the power Karin had immediately made use of; after all the years that had passed they'd grown complacent and used to their own power, to being without a Head, even a retainer was above them, and that didn't sit well at all.

So Ichigo was out there, pretty much brooding, while his friends took walks around the Seireitei. Even that hadn't been to his liking, the last thing he wanted was to have to see the looks of confusion, fear, anger, or even disgust, coming from every shinigami that saw him and his nakama.

"I know we are human, I know we're out of the norm…" Ichigo said out-loud bitterly. "But do they really have to be like that?"

*Remember Ichigo, it's human to fear anything that's different from what we consider normal.* Zangetsu said from inside his mind. *The shinigami's attitude, even those showing disgust and anger, they are just forms of that fear for the abnormal.*

"Yeah Ossan, you just called me and my nakama freaks, thanks a lot." Ichigo said in a very bored and sarcastic tone.

Even Shiro laughed inside their mind.

*You know that wasn't what I meant, Ichigo.* Zangetsu pointed out in a no-nonsense tone.

"I know old-man. It's just…" Ichigo sighed tiredly. "I just wish we could go home, back to Karakura already."

*Is that what you really want, aibou?* This time, surprisingly, it was Shiro doing the questioning. *What about the little snow-princess?*

Snow-princess, it was what Shiro had taken to calling Rukia, that 'twin' of his really couldn't just call someone by their own name…

"I honestly don't know Shiro." Ichigo said with a sigh. "I know we came here for her, to save her, to get her back. But she's finally connecting to her brother, I could see it in her eyes when I saw her this morning. How could I even think about taking that from her?"

It was true, Rukia had gone to see them when they had left the 4th Division, they'd talked about a lot of things and she was able to reassure them all that she was alright, and no one was giving her any grief about what had happened, even if most still didn't understand why she'd first been sentenced to death and then just left alone. The most important part was when she'd spoken about spending time with her Nii-sama, learning the truth about her past; there had been such happiness and hope in her eyes and in her voice. Ichigo understood, she was finally getting the kind of attention and, in a way, affection, from her brother that she'd always craved, how could he take that from her?

"Brooding, Ichigo-dono?" A female voice asked out of the blue.

Ichigo had to force himself to stay in place, he'd just been about to jump up and unsheathe his zanpakutou in one move. Curse his instincts, but after nearly dying less than a week before he was really no fan of surprises. He'd been so deep in thought he hadn't sensed the reiatsu of the person approaching.

Nagaken Kasumi was a woman with blue-gray eyes and ashen-black long hair in an elaborate twist down her back, who looked to be in her fifties, more or less, though it was obvious she must be centuries if not millennia old. She had reiryoku, but having never been trained to use it, or control it, most of it had gone dormant. Actually, from what Ichigo remembered being told, Karin had been the first Nagaken lady to ever become a shinigami.

"Good morning Kasumi-dono." Ichigo forced himself to remember to use proper suffixes, something he'd never done before. "I didn't expect to see you out here. Oh, and my name is Ichigo please, no –dono needed. After all, I'm no one important."

"I beg to differ." Kasumi replied easily. "But since you're really not the first person to not want to be addressed in such a way…I understand that. Going back to your brooding, it was something your father used to do a lot, you know?"

This time Ichigo nearly fell off the cliff in shock.

"Excuse me…what…?" He asked.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice?" Kasumi asked with a smile. "The trace of Isshin's reiatsu in you is enough to give you away, at least to me, as his aunt and the one who raised him I probably knew him better than anyone…" she shook her head. "I don't know how it happened but I know it to be true, you are, indeed, Isshin's son. And Karin-san, the new Karin, is your sister, as is the young girl with the chestnut hair."

"Yuzu." Ichigo gave the name almost unthinkingly.

"Yes." Kasumi nodded. "So, will you tell me what has you brooding, nephew?"

Ichigo just sighed, it was obvious the woman knew the truth, and she wasn't about to let it go, so after a few seconds he answered:

"I'm just wondering about what to do now." He declared. "It's obvious we're going back to Karakura…but with what happened last week…" he shook his head. "I'm not stupid, I know that even when we didn't actually declare war on the traitors they will most likely come after us at some point, either to try and sway us to their side or simply to destroy us; and when that happens it's going to be war, because we're not just gonna give up. I don't want Karakura to become a battle-field, but we can't exactly take the battle to them, it would be too risky, not just for us Nakama, but if they decided to attack the town while we're gone…" he shook his head again. "And then there's Rukia…"

"Rukia…" Kasumi repeated, interested. "I'm guessing you're talking about Kuchiki Rukia, the adopted sister of Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Yes." Ichigo nodded. "She's the whole reason we infiltrated Seireitei in the first place. We came to save her."

"You care for her." It wasn't a question. "Maybe even more than you do the rest of your group, those you call Nakama…"

"She's Nakama as well." Ichigo pointed out, evading her statements. "And how can I possibly hold a girl I've only known for a handful of months, dearer than I do those who've been by my side for years…"

"Don't ask the Heart for reasons, for it shall give you none." Kasumi half-quoted with a soft smile. "There's nothing wrong with it, you know."

Ichigo didn't answer, simply shook his head and got on his feet.

"I'm sorry, Kasumi-dono, but a meeting was arranged for all of us and I gotta get moving less I'll be late." Ichigo declared.

"You know, you can call me oba-san, Ichigo-san." Kasumi pointed out. "After all, that's what I am, your aunt."

Ichigo took a moment to consider; he'd had such a small family for so long, only his father and sisters, the idea of a aunt was strange to him…

"I'll try, Kasumi-d…Kasumi-oba-san." Ichigo nodded after a while.

Kasumi nodded, watching as he vanished into shunpo.

She'd been honest when saying she could feel a part of Isshin in him, and she was the only one who knew. Still, that didn't mean she understood why they were doing the things they were: having Karin act as a retainer instead of letting him take his rightful place, keeping a secret the fact that Isshin was alive…there was obviously a lot she didn't know, the woman just hoped one day they would trust her.

She'd been so lonely in the years since Isshin's disappearance and presumed death and Karin's own death during a mission a few years later. She herself had never married, never had any family of her own, not being allowed to be with the man she truly loved she'd refused to take any other for a husband; a decision Isshin had allowed to stand even against the Elders who insisted it was her duty to give an heir to her line. When Isshin and Karin had died she had thought that was it, the other cousins had nowhere near the power a true Nagaken ought to have, and the family would die out…and yet, Isshin now turned out to be alive, and not only that, Karin too was back, and Isshin turned out not to be dead… Extraordinary things were happening and Kasumi could only wonder as to the cause of them all, it was obviously something just as extraordinary and exceptional. She just hoped it wouldn't be too bad…

xXx

Yuzu had been wandering around Seireitei for a while, surprisingly alone. Usually one of her siblings would make sure to be with her at all times, or even one of the other Nakama, but either they didn't think there was any danger or they were just too fixated upon their own troubles to think of following her around. The chestnut-haired girl didn't mind, in fact she rather liked it, it made her feel a bit better, stronger, more independent.

"Kurosaki Yuzu-san!" A voice called her suddenly.

She couldn't help the small smile that adorned her lips as she turned to see the shinigami approaching her, certainly the only one who was doing that rather than back away.

"Hey Hanatarou-san, how are you?" She asked with a soft smile.

"Just fine Yuzu-san." He assured her. "I just…well, I saw you walking by and thought to come and say hello."

"Well, I'm glad you did." Yuzu assured him. "I hope you haven't been having trouble."

She briefly turned her attention to the tense looks most of the shinigami were directing, not only at her, but now at both of them.

"Oh no, I'm fine." Hanatarou assured her, and then added in a whisper. "No one knows what I did, except Ukitake-taichou, Kyouraku-taichou and Ise-fukutaichou; and they all told Unohana-taichou that they'd needed my assistance with something during the time I was absent, so I had no trouble at all."

Yuzu nodded, satisfied. She had a feeling that even if Unohana had known the truth, she still wouldn't have punished Hanatarou for it, maybe reprimanded him at most; she seemed to be a fair and kind woman, and not one who would punish someone just for wanting to help when he noticed something was wrong.

"I heard what you did." Hanatarou told her out of the blue.

"What I did?" Yuzu was actually confused at that.

"How you saved Hitsugaya-taichou when he was nearly killed." Hanatarou elaborated. "Kotetsu-fukutaichou says only a true genius in healing-kidou could have done what you did and saved his life after he was so badly injured."

Yuzu actually blushed and looked down, she knew she hadn't done any of it because she wanted to be praised, or admired, or anything of the sort, she'd only wanted to help. Still, it felt good to be recognized; at the same time, she realized the credit wasn't just hers.

"It's all thanks to you." She told Hanatarou with a bright smile.

"But…but I didn't do anything!" Hanatarou was quite surprised at her words.

"You taught me healing kidou." Yuzu reminded him. "If it hadn't been for you I would have been unable to do anything at all, for Hitsugaya-san, or even for my own nakama."

"But…butbut…" Hanatarou seemed to have trouble finding out what to say. "But I only taught you the bare basics. What you did in the Chambers…you're a genius!"

"Thank you." She inclined her head at him. "But even the greatest genius will be for nothing without the proper guidance. It was you who gave me that guidance."

"Eh…well…" Hanatarou began rubbing the back of his neck and walking backwards awkwardly. "It was nothing…really…Ah!"

He interrupted his own stutter when suddenly crashing a rather hard surface. And his awkwardness turned to panic when he realized it hadn't been a wall he crashed into but a body, of a shinigami…someone he knew pretty well actually, an unseated member of the 11th Division, and he was surrounded by at least half a dozen of his companions.

"Hanatarou-san, are you alright?" Yuzu asked, in a worried tone.

Hanatarou was just about to answer, but he was interrupted by the other shinigami.

"Who do you think you are, getting in our way?" He demanded of Hanatarou.

"He's just a pussy of the 4th Division." Another said from a side. "I've seen him before. Just a stupid coward…"

"Hey!" Yuzu called as she approached them. "He's not a coward, and he didn't run into you. It was an accident!"

"What would you know, brat?" Another of the shinigami asked.

Yuzu actually froze in place. While she'd begun to grow used to the mixed looks of fear and anger coming from practically everyone around her, she hadn't been quite expecting that.

"It's alright Yuzu-san, please, you do not need to get involved." Hanatarou told her.

Even as he said that, the same shinigami he'd bumped into: Hotohori Fumio, took a hold of his collar angrily.

"You shut your tramp, idiot." He told him. "We of the 11th Division have no need for rats and cowards…like all of those from your division are…healers…" he snorted. "They're all good for nothing, just cannon-fodder…"

Yuzu's eyes narrowed at that, seeing that big shinigami manhandling someone she considered a friend, and then insulting healers in general…she really didn't like it.

"Let him go!" She yelled at the shinigami.

With a flick of her wrist what look like a small whitish flash left her fingers, it was like an extremely watered-down version of the Hadou # 4: Byakurai. It didn't do more than give the tall, broad shouldered shinigami a small shock in his hand, still, it was enough to make him let go of Hanatarou, which was all she wanted.

"Little bitch!" The shinigami insulted as he shook his hand.

"Why don't you take on someone your own size?" She asked, getting angry for the first time in a long while. "You…you…big brute!"

It wasn't exactly an insult, even if, coming from her, it was a lot; the other shinigami actually chuckled at her, but the one she'd hurt couldn't let the insult pass.

Hanatarou could read what was about to happen a second before it did, but since he'd been thrown unceremoniously against an alley wall, he couldn't move in time to do anything.

"Yuzu-san!" He barely managed to call.

Yuzu too could see what the man was planning and went into shunpo a fraction of a second before the shinigami reached the spot where she'd been; while she pretty much 'appeared' a foot or so away.

"Wench!" The shinigami spat at her. "Fight me!"

"I don't like fighting." Yuzu answered simply.

That didn't seem to be enough, the man moved against her again, fist extended as if wanting to punch her, but before he could she'd shunpoed to the side. The same thing repeated three times before the big shinigami overreached and fell down.

"Bitch!" The man cursed her again. "Using shunpo instead of fighting like a warrior! What division are you from? Another pansy from the 4th?"

"I'm not a shinigami." Yuzu stated calmly.

It was until then that the group of shinigami watching the exchange actually noticed she really wasn't wearing a shihakusho but a black yukata.

"You…are one of the ryoka?!" One of the shinigami exclaimed in sudden realization.

Yuzu sighed and closed her eyes briefly; did they have to keep calling them by that name, they were no invaders, or strangers, anymore, were they?

"You…You disgraced our division!" One of the shinigami cried out. "We will bring you down to restore our honor!"

Yuzu's eyes widened as she saw at least half of the shinigami, and the 'big brute' prepared to move against her; she honestly had no idea what had brought on their sudden anger.

Hanatarou had finally managed to rush onto his feet and to her side, he was trembling slightly even as he held the hilt of his own zanpakutou; he hated fighting, and he didn't have that much confidence on his own skills, but he couldn't let Yuzu be hurt just for trying to help him against a bunch of immature battle-loving bastards of the 11th Squad.

"What the hell is going on here?!" A thick, strong voice called from a side-alley.

Hanatarou paled instantly, having recognized both the voice and the reiatsu immediately; Yuzu thought both were familiar but couldn't place them immediately, until the owner stepped into the same alley where they all stood: it was Zaraki Kenpachi.

"Za…Zaraki-taichou…" Hanatarou mumbled in shock.

Yuzu's eyes widened as she realized why the voice and reiatsu were familiar.

"I asked what the hell is going on here?!" Kenpachi demanded in the same tone.

Still no answer, and then Kenpachi's eyes finally landed on Hanatarou and Yuzu, and lingered on the young girl.

"You are one of the ryoka, aren't you?" He asked seriously.

"We rather prefer the term Nakama." Yuzu pointed out. "And yes I am, Kurosaki Yuzu is my name, pleased to meet you."

Hanatarou couldn't help but face-fault, she was standing before a man who was perhaps the most feared captain in the whole Gotei 13; whose mere aura was enough to put fear in practically everyone who met him. Even in that moment Hanatarou couldn't help how nervous and afraid the reiatsu surrounding the man made him feel, and yet Yuzu stood straight and spoke directly at him, as if it were nothing.

"I fought a Kurosaki…" Kenpachi said thoughtfully. "I fought him, and he defeated me."

"That would be nii-san." Yuzu nodded calmly.

"Where is he?" Kenpachi asked immediately. "I want to fight him again."

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Zaraki-san. He's busy right now, and we'll be leaving soon." Yuzu pointed out. "Besides, why should he fight you again? We're not enemies."

"I loved fighting him!" Kenpachi stated with a mad-grin. "I wanna do it again!"

Yuzu shook her head, she really didn't like people who would fight just because; it had been bad enough when her brother would get in fights with thugs, but at least back then it was the others initiating them, Ichigo and at times Chad, would only defend themselves and each other. What that man, and what the others behind him wanted was something else entirely.

"Fighting unnecessarily is stupid." Yuzu deadpanned.

Growls could be heard from the other shinigami, and Kenpachi's reiatsu flared at those words. In a second Hanatarou was holding his throat, panting, the rest of the shinigami weren't really much better; and yet Yuzu still remained unaffected.

"How curious…" Kenpachi commented as he watched her attentively. "You're still standing."

Yuzu's eyes narrowed, the only reason she remained unaffected was that she'd made her own reiatsu into a kind of shield and tightly enveloped herself in it, it would break if she so much as moved from where she was in that moment, but until then her own compressed reiatsu was enough to keep her safe.

"Interesting." Kenpachi continued. "So, it was your brother that defeated me…I remember his name: Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Yes." Yuzu answered simply.

"And Ikkaku fought another Kurosaki." Kenpachi remembered right then.

"My twin sister, Karin." Yuzu explained. "And my other nakama defeated Abarai Renji and the other two shinigami that were with you."

"What about you?" Kenpachi really wanted to know if she was as good.

"I don't like fighting, but I'm pretty decent at kidou." Yuzu said unashamed. "I knocked out anyone who got too close."

The flare of Kenpachi's reiatsu disappeared abruptly and he began laughing.

Behind him Yuzu could notice the other shinigami watching her with a mix of confusion and barely contained anger; it was then that she realized why she found half of them so familiar, she'd knocked them out with kidou that day.

"You're alright, Kurosaki Yuzu." Kenpachi decided, still laughing, he turned to the other shinigami. "No one is to touch her, or any of the other r…Nakama, got it?"

"Yes Zaraki-taichou!" All shinigami called in unison.

It was obvious they didn't like it, but they respected and admired their captain too much to talk against him.

With that Kenpachi left, probably on his way to find someone else to fight.

Hanatarou, finally recovered, could only watch the chestnut-haired honey-eyed girl with a mix of awe and shock; he could hardly believe it, but it seemed that Kurosaki Yuzu had just earned Zaraki Kenpachi's respect…

xXx

Karin arrived to the 10th Division Headquarters with just about an hour or so to spare before the meeting that had been called, a meeting which all the highest members of the Gotei 13, as well as all of the Nakama, were supposed to attend. Karin had a very good idea of the topics that would be touched in that meeting, beginning with her group's infiltration of the Seireitei and finishing with her past life and her duty…and it was exactly about that last part that she had to talk with Toushirou, there were some things he needed to understand and accept before they were revealed in that meeting.

"Karin?!" The two in the office asked, confused.

For all answer Karin turned and locked the door she had just walked through, before securing all other doors and windows.

"Can one of you put up a privacy kidou?" She asked. "I'm sorry but my control over my reiatsu is still too tenuous for something like that."

"Bakudo 45, Kumori Kaikan." Toushirou called immediately.

The whole room seemed to suddenly be enveloped in clouds. It wasn't unbreakable but the best they could do for privacy without Orihime's help.

"What is going on Karin?" Toushirou wanted to know. "Your actions and your call for privacy tells me it's something important and delicate…"

"You have no idea how much." Karin replied, then sighed. "Look, Toushirou-kun, I know you're still reeling about the revelations of the last couple of days, with me being back and knowing who your parents are…"

"And the fact that you knew all along and never told me." Toushirou added calmly.

"It wasn't my secret to share." Karin pointed out just as calmly. "And it was also an accident even I found out. Kitsune…if he hadn't insisted that Rangiku-san talk to you about it I would never have said anything about it."

"Why do you still call him by that nickname, as if he's your best-friend?" Toushirou demanded, losing his patience. "He's a traitor!"

"It's complicated." Karin pointed out. "But he still is, and will always remain my best friend."

"Karin-san…" Rangiku whispered, half confused, half-hopeful.

Karin groaned, realizing that in her rush of explaining everything she'd said more than she should have. Well, she'd never agreed with Gin keeping such secrets especially from his own family…she just hoped he wouldn't hate her too much.

"Look, yes, Gin is a traitor as far as the Gotei 13 is concerned." Karin qualified. "But there's a lot more going on here. This isn't about the Gotei, this isn't even about Soul Society. This is about the future of all the worlds."

"All the worlds?" The other two shinigami gasped.

"You weren't at Soukyoku Hill that day, but Aizen made his intentions pretty clear." Karin said. "He wishes to become the next Spirit King. And I have no idea how he gained his knowledge, but he knows that right now he has a small window of opportunity."

"How is that even possible?" Toushirou wanted to know. "The King…he has been in the throne for at least a thousand years."

"True." Karin nodded. "You already know we shinigami can live for many years, even millennia, just look at Yamamoto-soutaichou, or even Ukitake-taichou and Kyouraku-taichou, that's even truer for the Spirit King; but neither us, nor him, are absolutely immortal. A time comes when a King begins to weaken, and then a successor is born; when the time is right the King will step down from the throne and leave it to his successor. However, things didn't go as they should have, the heir was born late, the King is already too weak to fight for his throne. While he will not die until a new King is crowned, he does not have the power anymore to stop someone with a false claim who may be able to get there. It's the reason why so very few people even know how to get into the Royal Dimension. So right now, Aizen needs to be stopped, he cannot be allowed to step into the Royal Dimension, not until the next King is ready to ascend; once that happens, the Heir will be able to put Aizen in his place. Until then…we're all in great risk…"

Rangiku was gaping, shocked at everything that had just been revealed to her, and especially when an even bigger realization hit her.

"Gin knew…" She gasped.

"Yes." Karin didn't doubt as she answered. "Gin has known about Aizen's plans…well, not even I know for how long. But from the very beginning he's done his best to get close to Aizen, to learn his secrets, his weaknesses…"

"An assassination-suicide mission." Toushirou finished for her.

"Pretty much." Karin nodded with a sigh. "I tried to convince him it was a bad idea but…he would just do anything for you, for both of you…"

"He has tried to kill me…" Toushirou pointed out.

"If he wanted you dead, you would be dead." Karin deadpanned. "You know, the day I died, Aizen sent him to kill me. And instead of doing that, he tried to get me to kill him. He couldn't go against Aizen's orders, not when he was threatening you; and no, Aizen doesn't know that Gin is your father, but he knows that for some reason Gin cares about you almost as much as he does about Rangiku-san. And since I was his best-friend, he was unwilling to kill me, so he would rather die…" she sighed. "The arrival of a horde of hollows interrupted our discussion about who should die, and in the end it was I who fell, not by his sword, but by a hamen's; I died to protect him." She shook her head. "He was in a far better position to protect you, and to bring Aizen down, I knew it was the right thing to do."

By that point Rangiku was sitting against the back of her favorite couch, legs bent and head buried in her knees, her sobs could barely be heard.

Toushirou, on the other hand, just kept shaking his head over and over, refusing to believe what he was being told, despite how true it all sounded…

"I know how it all sounds." Karin said, pressing her temples in an attempt to relieve the headache caused by the conflicting emotions around her. "Toushirou-kun, I know you don't trust Gin-kun, you never have, but…"

"He let you die!" Toushirou roared unexpectedly. "That morning, I knew something was wrong, I could sense it inside. And then he arrived, with you dead in his arms. You were dead, and he was just fine! That wasn't fair!"

"Life or death, nothing is fair…" Karin deadpanned with a sigh. "What counts is that I'm back now, and I'm not leaving without a fight."

"On that front…" Rangiku called in a hesitant voice. "You haven't explained yet how it is that you could reincarnate yet keep your memories."

The strawberry-blonde was trying her best to keep her mind in the present; as happy as she was to know Gin wasn't evil, if she thought too much about it she would begin worrying about what could happen to him in Hueco Mundo, or if Aizen were to discover him…she would have time to fret over that at a later time.

"Yes I know, we got distracted with the matter of my bankai and what happened to Tori-chan when I died." Karin nodded. "But I actually did begin explaining it last time. I have a mission, a destiny if you will. As Nagaken Karin I died without fulfilling it, so when being reborn as Kurosaki Karin I was allowed to remember, so I knew what I was supposed to do."

"Is it coincidence that you were named the same both times?" Toushirou asked suddenly.

"Not really, at least I don't think so." Karin shook her head. "Nii-sama is now my oyaji. I think he's known, or at least suspected the truth about me from the very day I was born, that's why he named me Karin."

"Your…" Rangiku's eyes widened instantly. "Isshin-taichou is alive?!"

"Yes." Karin nodded. "Thanks to Urahara-san he survived what happened to him 35 years ago. After some time he met my mother, a human named Kurosaki Masaki; he fell in love with her, they married, and the rest is history."

"About your destiny…" Toushirou said very seriously. "Does it have something to do with how you know everything about the Spirit King, and his successor?"

Karin smiled, she knew Toushirou would be able to make the connection.

"Yes." Karin nodded. "I am a Celestial, one of the Royal Guardians. My mission is to find the Royal Heir and to guard the throne until he is ready to ascend to his rightful place."

"You said it was important that I…we knew things." Toushirou said, eyes narrowing. "Why? Why are you telling us this?"

"Why don't you ask Ryuu-san?" Karin asked calmly.

Toushirou's eyes went blank for almost a full minute, and when they refocused he was pale in confusion and surprise.

"I…I am…" Toushirou couldn't even bring himself to say it.

"Yes." Karin nodded. "You're the other Royal Guardian, my partner. It's always been like this, the phoenix and the dragon. And even if technically Tenreikou no longer exists, her power is still a part of me."

Once again Rangiku was gaping, her son one of the Royal Guardians…

"So, what do we do now?" Toushirou asked, doing his best to push his emotions aside, at least for the time being.

"Now we go for that meeting and hope things don't go too bad." Karin declared with a smirk.

That was going to be one interesting meeting indeed!

Chapter Text

Chapter 13. …and More Meetings

The Nakama were all together once again inside one of Orihime's shields to discuss a few details on their plan, they were leaving for Soul Society the following day and they had to make sure everyone understood everything.

"So, about your status as a noble…" Uryuu commented turning to Ichigo.

"We will leave that matter in the air unless there's no other choice." Ichigo declared in a confident tone. "Since Karin is already planning on revealing herself as the reincarnation of Nagaken Karin for a variety of reasons, she will act as retainer for the clan, claiming that she's waiting for the heir to step-up. I'm sure she won't have any trouble once they know who she is, and I've been told in the past they respected her enough that they won't make any undue questions." He sighed. "If possible I won't reveal myself as the heir until much later."

"What if it isn't possible?" Tatsuki inquired.

"Then I'll do what I must." Ichigo answered simply.

They all nodded, that part had been expected.

"Eh…About Karin's situation." Orihime commented. "Kurosaki-san doesn't know, does he?"

"No, he doesn't." It was Karin herself who answered. "We…I decided not to tell him until we get back. While I believe he already knows, or at least strongly suspects…since that's really the only reason I can think of for him to have given me the same name…it's still going to be a rather delicate talk, which I rather not have right now."

It was obvious Isshin was going to have a lot of questions, mainly in regards to her death in her previous life and how it was possible for her to have been reincarnated and still remember the past, and Karin would rather not say anything until she had seen Gin, Toushirou and Rangiku and talked about a few things with them. She also wanted to wait for Aizen to reveal himself, just in case he had spies around, it was better if he didn't know certain things ahead of time, especially ones as important as her return and her duty.

"However, there's one more thing regarding me, and my past life, that we need to discuss." The raven-haired reincarnated shinigami declared.

"What is that?" Chad asked, interested.

"The whole reason I was allowed to keep my memories after being reincarnated as a human is because I have a mission." Karin declared with no hesitation. "I am one of the two Royal Guardians, also known as Celestials. What that means is that I've been chosen to guard the True Heaven and its throne until the King's successor is ready to ascend to the throne."

There were gasps from everyone, particularly Uryuu, who understood more than the others the significance of there being the need for an heir.

"That's the main reason why I'll be revealing my past-life." Karin continued. "According to what Urahara Kisuke has told us, and what we've all been able to deduce from that, Aizen is probably going to try and interfere with that at some point, I cannot let it happen. And I will have to let others know just who I am so they won't try to get in my way."

"I see." Uryuu nodded. "What about your partner?"

"I'll meet up with him in Seireitei, he's a shinigami as well, obviously." Karin answered. "It's possible he doesn't yet know of his duty, that depends on if Ryuu-kun has told him anything, and if he even believed it. In any case, he won't be revealing himself."

"Why not?" Tatsuki asked, knowing that was important.

"I remember one of my talks with Kitsune." Karin said thoughtfully. "We mentioned sleeper-cells, there are several people in Soul Society, even among the highest ranks of the shinigami who, either knowingly or unknowingly serve Aizen. You can be sure that by the time our little 'rescue mission' is over he'll know about me, but as long as he doesn't know about my partner we stand a chance of surprising him. As long as Aizen doesn't know the identity of the second Celestial we'll have a trump card."

"You know who at least a few of those sleepers are, don't you?" Mizuiro sated, not asked.

"A few, though they're mostly unimportant." Karin said honestly. "The only important one I don't actually know if she's a sleeper, a willing ally of Aizen, or is too brainwashed… in any case, she would be a security risk."

It pained her to talk that way about her sempai, especially knowing how much she meant for Toushirou, but until she knew for sure on what side Hinamori Momo stood there was no way to trust her with such information. She just hoped Toushirou would see it that way too, least they all end up paying for it.

Karin stood right outside of the entrance to the 1st Division Meeting Hall, Toushirou and Rangiku had just gone in and she knew that she was expected to go in with the other Nakama once Yamamoto announced them. As she watched all the captains and lieutenants pass by, as well as the two seated members of the eleventh that the Nakama had defeated, she could only think that it might actually be a good thing that Momo was in that comma, since she still didn't know where her sempai's true loyalties lay.

Rukia was also there, she had arrived with her brother and had stayed behind, since she wasn't even a seated officer; something she'd recently discovered had been due to her brother's meddling, and was a way of protecting her by keeping her from a position that would require she do more dangerous missions…In any case, that day she wasn't going as a shinigami of the Gotei, but as Nakama, something that had actually been Byakuya's idea. He felt everyone might need a reminder of what had truly happened.

A short flare in Yamamoto's reiatsu was the signal and the great doors to the meeting hall immediately opened. Ichigo stood at the front of the group, with Uryuu and Rukia flanking him on either side, Chad and Orihime stood in a second line, and the twins in the third.

"What are the ryoka doing in this meeting?" Omaeda practically snarled.

He was a really sore loser, after his battle with Chad. Sui-Feng didn't seem to like it either, though she kept quiet, probably due to the presence to a particular and unexpected person in the room: against a wall stood Shihouin Yoruichi.

The Nakama didn't comment on her presence, they'd barely seen the woman since being taken to the 4th Division after the battle at Soukyoku Hill. Uryuu had seen her twice, checking up on them during their stay in the 'hospital', and Chad had seen her pass by when he was on his way to thank Isane, but that was it.

The moment they reached what was the end of the lines for the captains Orihime and Chad moved to stand at Uryuu's side while the twins moved to stand at Rukia's, so in the end they all stood in one line, facing Yamamoto.

"We rather prefer the term Nakama, if you don't mind." Uryuu commented calmly.

"And why must everyone insist on the term ryoka?" Ichigo asked with a shake of his head. "I think we've proven already we're no rebels, or invaders, and we're certainly not evil. Neither Soul Society nor the Gotei was ever our enemy…"

"You disrupted the peace, the order, the law!" Sui-Feng snapped at him.

"What peace?" Ichigo hissed. "A peace achieved by three wolves in sheep's clothing walking among your own? What order? The one where you didn't realize the true enemy was among you? And law…the same one that would have had an innocent woman executed? That would have rewarded her original sacrifice with not only death but utter annihilation? If so, then yes, I'm most glad we disrupted all that!"

"Easy Ichigo…" Rukia whispered, laying a hand on her forearm. "We're not here to fight. And they will never understand us if we don't explain. We are out of the norm, and they need to see that. You need to explain them that."

"What is an unseated shinigami doing here?" Komamura asked with a huff. "Even with the r…the humans present, she is not one of them, neither is she a high ranking shinigami."

"Currently Kuchiki Rukia isn't attending this meeting as a shinigami of the Gotei 13." Byakuya stated in complete calm.

"She may not be human, but she's still one of us." Orihime declared in a serene voice.

"She's Nakama." Yuzu added from the back of the group.

"Don't you get it?" Karin inquired. "This was never about humans, or shinigami. We are all Nakama, regardless of race, or origin, or power. That's what brought us here to save Rukia-san. For us, her name, her powers, her duty, her place of origin, all those matter little. What matters is that a few months ago, when she could have seen just a group of humans with odd powers, she instead saw us, the true us, and she chose to accept us. In turn we have accepted her, and have made her one of us."

"What we did a week ago at Soukyoku Hill, it's not something we would have done for just anyone." Ichigo pointed out. "But we did it for her and we would do it again. For us, she's just Rukia, one of our nakama."

"How can…such loyalty among mere humans…it's just not possible." Sasakibe Choujiro, the 1st Division fukutaichou insisted.

"If you keep judging us as you would any human we'll never get out of here." Uryuu said tiredly. "In first place, we're not just humans, none of us; second, even if we're technically still human in the sense that we're alive…well, most of us, that doesn't mean you shinigami are superior." His eyes glinted as he added with a proud tone. "Our victories against several of your own comrades, most of them standing in this very room, should prove it."

It was true: two seated shinigami, seven lieutenants and a couple of captains, they had defeated them all (the battle with Byakuya had technically never finished).

Mutters began immediately at the reminder of the loss quite a few of those present had suffered at the hands of those who were supposed to be 'mere humans'. However, before things could get too out of control Yamamoto used his cane/sealed-zanpakutou to bang against the hardwood floor and call everyone's attention.

"This meeting will now come to order." He declared in a no-nonsense tone. "As must be obvious the main topic will be the group of former-ryoka who've chosen to call themselves Nakama, which includes the shinigami Kuchiki Rukia." He turned to the group in question. "Who among you is leader?"

There was no hesitation as almost all of them gave a step back, Ichigo barely managing to stop Uryuu from doing the same in the last second.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere." Ichigo told him strongly.

Uryuu just rolled his eyes slightly but held his ground at Ichigo's side; it was not like he wasn't already, unofficially, the 'second-in-command' the display was just making it a bit more obvious to the people who hadn't known them for long.

It didn't go unnoticed how immediate the Nakama's reaction had been, their belief so strong that they hadn't hesitated at all; the fact that they had chosen the 'shinigami daiko' to be their leader, and he in turn had insisted on having a Quincy as his second…on one hand, it had a certain logic, after all, it had been those two and the petite raven-haired girl the only ones to fight captain-level shinigami, and only the two boys had won their battles. But still.

"Introduce yourselves." Yamamoto instructed.

It was obvious neither boy liked having anyone ordering him around, but if they were going to at least try to form a cordial relationship with the shinigami, they could let it pass, at least for the time being. Eventually Yamamoto, and everyone else in the Gotei, would understand that the Nakama didn't answer to them, but they would leave that for later.

"Ishida Uryuu, son of Ishida Ryuuken, grandson of Ishida Souken, heir of the Ishida Quincy Line, the last known Quincy Lineage." Uryuu introduced himself with the same pride as he had in Soukyoku Hill. "I'm also Nakama, and apparently second-in-command now."

"Apparently?" Shunsui wasn't expecting that.

"We hadn't exactly made decisions on leadership before today." Ichigo admitted with a shrug.

"But the way they all deferred to you, not just today but…always." Juushirou in particular could remember a certain meeting in his office, days before.

"It's just natural." Orihime said as she shrugged. "They were the first of us to display any powers, and learn to use them, and even now they and Karin-san are probably the most powerful. They also understand more about the spiritual ways than most of us. So it was logical, at the same time it was just instinctual."

The others just nodded, in complete agreement. Even for the more strong-willed and stubborn people, like Tatsuki and Karin, and even Uryuu himself, it had always been natural to follow Ichigo's leadership, with Uryuu's constant advice.

Ichigo took a deep breath, knowing it was his turn, while he had introduced himself before, he had always left a good deal off, he couldn't do that in that moment. Even when they weren't planning to have him take the place of the Nagaken Head of Clan just yet, or even as official heir; he, and all the Nakama, knew they needed to make the leaders of the Gotei understand he wasn't a mere shinigami daiko, he hadn't gained his powers through chance, they were a part of him, they ran in his blood…

"Kurosaki Ichigo," he began. "Son of Kurosaki Isshin and Masaki, shinketsu shinigami. My zanpakutou is Zangetsu, and I've been hearing his voice since I was nine, and using a part of his power since I was fifteen; though I didn't know his name, or who he was until two weeks before coming to Soul Society." He smirked. "It also appears I've been unanimously chosen to act as leader of the Nakama so…that's that."

The rush of gasps and whispers was even bigger than with Uryuu's introduction. Disbelief at his claim of being a shinketsu, wonder at his father's name, shock at the fact that he'd been hearing his zanpakutou's voice for so long, and especially at the fact that he'd had power before even meeting Rukia and being leant hers.

"You cannot possibly be a shinketsu!" Sui-Feng hissed louder than all the others.

"Please…" Ichigo drawled. "You're seeing it, and yet you still won't believe it. You've seen my power, even right now you must be able to feel it…after all, I know my control is far from perfect, even if it isn't as abysmal as it used to be a few years ago…" he shook his head. "The power I have now is mine, Rukia's was torn from me forcefully by her brother weeks ago. The only reason a technically-still-living soul like me could possibly have the kind of power I do, is because it's in the blood, it's in my blood…"

"Your father…" Shunsui mumbled, in half-shock.

"I'm not willing to talk about oyaji right now." Ichigo interrupted him as diplomatically as he could. "And really, he isn't a part of this, not right now anyway. This is about us Nakama…"

"You say you've been hearing your zanpakutou since you were nine," Unohana commented thoughtfully. "That must be…seven, eight years?"

"Eight." Ichigo clarified. "I guess I was already ten by the time I actually began hearing him, though the reason was an event almost a month before. And I just turned eighteen…" he pondered on that for a moment. "Well, I think I actually was unconscious on my birthday." He chuckled to himself.

"So you claim you've been hearing your zanpakutou for eight years?" Komamura snorted. "It's not even possible for a living soul to be a shinigami…"

"Yet here I am, am I not?" Ichigo snorted. "I am living, my chain of fate wasn't cut, not even after Byakuya-san destroyed my connection to the powers Rukia lent me. So, technically, I'm still a living soul, as are every single one of us, except Rukia of course." He took a deep breath so as not to lose what little patience he had left. "And I repeat, I've been hearing Zangetsu-ossan for years! If you don't believe me…well, I really don't gi…care!"

He had been about to curse, but a touch from Rukia's hand on his back had reminded him what she had told him near the beginning of the meeting, and he'd managed to calm himself just enough to remain civil.

"Can you please explain that event you say you believe caused you to begin hearing your zanpakutou?" Juushirou asked cordially.

Ichigo actually froze at that, he hadn't been counting on being asked that particular question.

Karin herself suddenly looked like she'd been slapped, and she brought a hand to her temple, the rest of the Nakama internally winced, wondering how bad Ichigo's feelings were to cause such a visible reaction in her…

However, before anyone else could say or do anything Rukia broke formation and went to embrace Ichigo from the front, she was so petite her head barely reached the middle of his chest, but still, she held on. Almost automatically the orange-haired young man wound an arm around her back, holding onto her tightly, as if his life, or his sanity, depended on it: the other hand he held to his side, clenched in a fist.

"I'm here Ichigo…" Rukia whispered as she held onto him as tightly as he did onto her.

"Kurosaki…" Juushirou muttered quietly.

With the scene, and the way Ichigo's reiatsu swirled tightly around him they could all see the question wasn't a good one, it was a wonder that Rukia seemed to remain unaffected by the barely controlled reiatsu. It also reminded everyone briefly of some of the more strange events that had taken place in Soukyoku Hill.

"Eight years ago…" Ichigo began speaking after what seemed like forever. "I could see spirits, I've always been able to do that actually, but back then…back then I couldn't differentiate those living from those already dead…I made a horrible, horrible mistake, running after a girl I thought was about to fall into the overflowing river…she turned out to be a lure…I didn't realize what was going on until it was already too late…a hollow attacked me, and my mother sacrificed her life to save mine." He closed his eyes tightly, trying with all his will to regain control over himself, and his emotions. "It was about a month after that, that I began hearing voices in my head, I even saw him in my dreams at times. A mature looking man with dark ragged looking hair, dark glasses and wearing a tattered long jacket, the same that I wear on bankai. He refused to tell me his name, so I began calling him Ossan…" he took a deep breath and went on. "Five years later the same hollow that had killed my mother returned while I was with my family visiting her grave…I still had no idea what I was seeing, I had no recollection over how okaa-san had died, but I knew it wasn't good so I lead him away, to the riverside… What I know of what happened there is only because I've been told by other people, since I have no conscious memories of it. I know Ossan told me his name, I know I fought the hollow, and I lost…I nearly died actually…I had never used any power before that, and for months afterwards I didn't even know I had used them…a few months later I manifested a reishi blade, it looks very much like Zangetsu's sealed form actually, for the first time. Since then I've had power. Though, like I said before, it wasn't until Rukia's powers were forcefully taken from me than Ossan actually told me his name again and I became truly a shinigami."

Ichigo sighed as he finished, he hadn't been planning on saying that much, but in the end decided it would save him the questions.

The orange-haired shinketsu tightened his hold on the petite shinigami briefly, silent thanks for being there when he had to relieve such terrible memories.

"How do you even know it was the same hollow who attacked your mother, and then you?" Iba asked, curious. "That it was even a hollow at all?"

"Tou-san…" Uryuu explained calmly. "My father is a doctor. It was he who saw to Ichigo on both occasions."

"He saved my life the second time." Ichigo added. "If it hadn't been for him I would have died or I would have become hollow bait…"

Uryuu and Chad both flinched, the mere idea reminded them of what had happened with a certain parakeet…it wasn't a nice memory.

"So, let me see if I understood this, you're capable of calling on shinigami powers in your human form?" Nanao seemed truly surprised at that.

"Yes." Ichigo nodded. "It's no comparison to my actual shinigami powers of course, but it was enough for the first two years and a half or so…"

Silence reigned for a short while as everyone finished processing everything that had been said. The fact that the orange-haired daiko had been through so much since being a kid…and as far as some of the shinigami were concerned, he was still pretty much a child…was it any wonder than he'd been so unwilling to let Rukia go? He'd been unable to stop Byakuya and Renji from taking her, but he'd never doubted on going after her, on saving her. He had wanted to do it, and he had gained the power necessary to make it possible. It was shocking, awe inspiring…and even a bit terrifying…

After a full minutes Ichigo finally let go of Rukia, which she took as a single to give him a reassuring touch for a moment before letting go and returning to her spot.

"Thank you Rukia…" He whispered in a low, feeling voice.

The obsidian haired shinigami just smiled at him.

"Very well." Yamamoto declared. "Now you are to introduce each of your…nakama and explain what you all did during the week you were in Seireitei."

Knowing how tired Ichigo still was after his recount, Uryuu decided to take the lead:

"Exactly two weeks ago, my nakama and I, accompanied by Shihouin Yoruichi slipped into Soul Society with some help from Urahara Kisuke." Uryuu informed everyone present. "Our motives were simple and direct, rescue Rukia-san and get back to Karakura Town. At the same time, we'd been informed by Urahara Kisuke on…certain events that took place here a century ago, and his beliefs on who was truly behind the attempt to have Rukia-san executed. It might be, in part, why he was so insistent on having Yoruichi-san accompanying us. To be honest, we didn't consider it our business, we don't care about inner conflicts of the shinigami or Seireitei; we're still living humans after all; though, at the same time, Rukia-san being Nakama, the risk to her life wasn't something we could just let slip. So we came to save her, and agreed with Urahara on pushing Aizen to reveal himself as a traitor if the opportunity arose. In the end that wasn't exactly necessary, he did it all by himself." He snorted. "So we got into Soul Society, and then slipped into Seireitei without being noticed…"

"And how exactly did you do that?" Sui-Feng demanded.

She really didn't like it when there were security risks…especially one that was big enough to let a deserter and six humans slip through.

"Clan secret." Karin declared stoically.

And before the captain could insist on the matter, Uryuu kept talking.

"We got inside and we sent that message." He stated. "We knew it might be a better idea to remain under the radar, but in the end decided that it was better if we made our intentions clear from the very beginning, that it might help us stay clear from Aizen's actions…" he shook his head. "Didn't exactly work out, we were still blamed for his death, even though neither of us had seen the man before what happened in Soukyoku Hill…" he sighed. "In any case, we had a fight just the day after slipping in. We were all forced to fight, one way or the other. When those fights were over we went into hiding, changing places until three days before the execution, when Yoruichi-san guided us to a better hideout, where we stayed and trained for the remaining time. Then, on the specific day we reached the Senzaikyuu around the time Rukia-san was to be escorted out. We knocked out the guards and took their places, escorting her ourselves to Soukyoku-Hill, where you all know what happened."

Yes, they all knew, even those who hadn't been actually present had heard already.

"You have still to explain the battles each of you fought." Sasakibe pointed out.

He held a notepad in hand and was recording everything that was being said, at least until a more official record could be made.

Uryuu's eyes narrowed, so much that was being demanded of them, he didn't like it.

"Do you ever tell someone not from your group, a potential opponent, what you can and cannot do?" Ichigo demanded.

By that point he had recovered, and he was really beginning to tire of people thinking they had any authority whatsoever over him, or the rest of the Nakama.

Several of the shinigami began bristling at his words, in particular those from the 2nd, 7th and 9th divisions, people who either didn't know them, or simply looked down on them for being 'human'. Ichigo hated it, and decided that he better drive the point home already.

"Understand this." He declared in a cold, authoritative voice. "Like you've been so quick to point out, we're not shinigami; even Karin and I aren't part of your Gotei, and Rukia, being an unseated officer, is normally unnoticed by all of you. So, we really don't answer to you, not to the lieutenants, the captains, or even the Commander! The only reason we're answering your questions, the only reason we're even here is as a courtesy. We realize that even when we don't really care about your conflict against the traitors and Hueco Mundo, we might end up being pulled into it; so we can see the wisdom in settling a somewhat civil and pleasant working-relationship. However, do not mistake that for us allowing you any authority over any of us. If you ask for us, for our help, we will answer, or at least try; but you will never get to order us around. That we won't allow!"

The rest of the shinigami were just opening their mouths to begin their complaints when Yamamoto banged his cane/zanpakutou on the floor.

"Very well, Kurosaki Ichigo." Yamamoto agreed, to everyone's surprise. "Tell us then, what are you willing to share of your actions, as well as those of your nakama, since your entrance into Soul Society two weeks ago?"

Recognizing the opportunity for what it was, Ichigo turned a quick look to the others to gain their approval, and once with it, he turned back to the front.

"Like we've said time and time again, we never considered the Gotei 13 as our enemy." Ichigo explained in a very serious voice. "That, however, doesn't mean we weren't willing to fight those we had to in order to reach our goal. It just means that we weren't exactly willing to leave anyone dead or permanently injured, and weren't looking for fights either. During the whole week we slipped around Seireitei we only got involved in two fights: the first the day after we got in, and the other that day on Soukyoku Hill." He thought of something before adding. "To address the matter of Aizen's fake murder, we weren't even around when it happened. Even when we did hear the scream of the one who found him, we didn't even know what had happened until later, when Yoruichi-san found out and told us."

"Where were you when Hinamori Momo found what was supposed to be the body of Aizen Sousuke?" Renji asked, curious.

"Busy." Ichigo answered simply, expressionlessly.

Juushirou actually smiled, realizing that the young man wasn't willing to reveal the fact that they had met before; just as none of them had spoke a thing about Yamada Hanatarou's own involvement; they were all so loyal…even to those not part of their closely-knitted group.

"They were with us, Yama-jii." Shunsui said as he pushed his hat up.

He'd seen the expression in Juushirou's eyes and as thankful as he too was for the measure of loyalty the boy he was showing, he knew it was better to be honest.

Ichigo's head actually snapped to the side, having not expected that, but the two captains just smiled at him.

"Explain yourself now Shunsui." Yamamoto demanded.

"We met the Nakama three days before Kuchiki-san was to be executed." Shunsui declared. "Juushirou and I talked to them, and they explained to us how they just wanted to get their friend, or rather their nakama, and leave. They even warned us that there was an enemy around and things weren't what they seemed. On hindsight it seems pretty obvious right now."

"You're saying that two captains of the Gotei met with the ryoka before the disaster at Soukyoku Hill and instead of arresting them just…had a chat with them?!" Sui-Feng growled.

"More or less, yes." Shunsui answered shamelessly.

"This whole matter could have been avoided if you had done your job properly!" Sui-Feng snapped at the elder captain.

"Sui-Feng-taichou." Unohana called in a chiding tone. "You would do well to remember to respect your elders, despite holding the same rank, both Shunsui and Juushirou have been captains for much longer; if for no other reason than that, they deserve respect. With regards of their actions on that day, I'm sure they must have had a good reason."

Sui-Feng actually looked ashamed at those words, but was still very angry at the situation. She really couldn't understand how so many high-ranking shinigami could be so willing to overlook the blatant breaking of laws the ryoka had done, and now even two captains! Had the Gotei really fallen that far?

From among all of those present, a certain long-haired young woman could only watch the small captain in silence, her eyes filled by the deepest sadness anyone had ever seen in her eyes, as if something in the shinigami's attitude pained her inside her own soul…

"We knew they weren't enemies." Juushirou tried to explain. "All the really wanted was to get Rukia-san back. And I myself disagreed with her punishment, even before knowing that she had only bequeathed her powers to a human to save him, his family and her own life…" the man sighed almost tiredly. "It's true that now we know that sentence was of Aizen's doing, but to think that we were just allowing it to happen…were we really so blinded by our own power, our own positions that we couldn't see that something was so absolutely wrong?"

A tear actually fell down Rukia's eyes at those words, while she'd already heard before how her captain had felt about her situation, to hear him say those things, and heard the regret in his voice. It made her feel wanted, accepted…it wasn't something she felt very often.

Ichigo even went as far as bowing his head when the aged white-haired captain turned his way, showing his respect for the man; one of the few who had earned it.

"In regards to the fighting abilities of my nakama." Ichigo decided to get back to the main topic. "I won't go into details, but I'll let you know things that should be obvious already. Sado Yasutora: with the power to cover his right arm in reishi-armor, he fought and defeated Ayasegawa and Omaeda, as well as knocking out Sasakibe and Kotetsu; most of those during the battle at Soukyoku Hill. Inoue Orihime: with the ability to create shields that can heal, protect and attack fought first Kusajishi and managed to defeat her; days later she knocked out Ise before defeating the Kurotsuchi woman in a short battle and then kept all the defeated lieutenants imprisoned in one of her shields. She also healed them after they'd been blown up by the psycho you have for 12th Division Captain…" he practically growled that part.

"But they're human." Hisagi complained, speaking for the first time. "Even the shinigami and quincy I understand, but for normal humans to have powers…"

"They developed their powers through the years, neither of them has had them for more than three years, which means that they're still developing." Uryuu pointed down. "About how they can have them, Karakura is the Juureichi, with enough reiatsu everything is possible."

Though truth is that juureichi or not, Ichigo's own leaking reiatsu had been more than enough.

"We've said this before." Ichigo stated. "Their powers are the manifestation of their souls, of their will to protect, to heal, to fight. The stronger the will, the stronger the power…"

Which is why some of them had their doubts if their powers actually had a limit…just how far could sheer will take someone?

"Also, they aren't the only ones." Ichigo added almost as an afterthought. "There are four more Nakama who stayed back in Karakura when we came to save Rukia. Though from all of them only one has any active power, and it's not fully developed: Arisawa Tatsuki is her name and she can envelope her body in an off-white aura which makes her several times stronger as well as able to cut with the side of her hand or her leg, as if her body were a living blade…" he shook his head then moved on. "Ishida Uryuu, his powers should be obvious; he defeated Abarai Renji during our first fight and then the Kurotsuchi-psycho on Soukyoku Hill."

A few shinigami were still frozen on the fact that there were actually more humans with abilities than just those standing there before them, even if only one more seemed to have an active power; the fact that the other said the powers were still developing suggested that even the three who in that moment could do little more than see the spiritual would not remain that way forever, eventually they would have powers too.

"How is it that Abarai reported having no trouble defeating the Quincy after their fight in the Material World, and yet was defeated once in Seireitei?" Komamura wanted to know. "While shinigami are expected to be at least five times more powerful due to not having a limiter in Soul Society, the same isn't true for the Quincy."

"I've said this before." Uryuu stated expressionlessly. "When I met him and Kuchiki Byakuya in Karakura I wasn't trying to kill them. We had known that at some point shinigami would go collect Rukia-san, but when they arrived, she knew who they were, I wasn't willing to kill or permanently harm someone dear to one I call nakama, so I wasn't fighting as seriously as I did once here in Seireitei. At that point, though I still wasn't trying to kill, I had no qualms about doing what was necessary to both defeat an opponent and prove that I'm no weak man."

"You're a Quincy." Kira pointed out, speaking for the first time since he was there. "Doesn't that mean any of your arrows could have destroyed him?"

"Usually that would be true." Uryuu admitted. "However, I'm different from my ancestors in a very particular way…" he raised his arm to a side, materializing his bow, then created an arrow to go with it…a white arrow. "This arrow, isn't the executing arrow quincies have used for centuries. This, is a purifying arrow, my own creation…it's the equivalent of a shinigami's zanpakutou when on a hollow…not actually sure what that would mean for a shinigami to be honest…haven't needed to test it for that yet…"

The shinigami could only watch the white arrow in shock, it was something they had never imagined possible, especially not after what had happened centuries before…

"I know about the war between Shinigami and Quincy." Uryuu stated solemnly. "And while a part of me hates what happened, another part understands why it was necessary at the time. This white arrow means that I can fight hollows with no risk to the balance. You shinigami have no need to do anything against Quincy anymore, and you won't for a long time, as you can be sure when the lineage continues I will make sure this knowledge is passed on." With that said, he dispersed both bow and arrow.

Uryuu had considered bringing up the matter of Kurotsuchi Mayuri, but in the end decided it wasn't worth it, at least not for the time being. If the man…monster, tried anything against him, or any of the Nakama…then Uryuu would destroy him and be done with it.

"Very well." Ichigo called attention back to himself. "Kurosaki Yuzu is one of my younger twin sisters, she's been called a kidou-prodigy by a few people. Rukia gave her some basic training when she was still in Karakura, which had since been expanded on by a few other people. She didn't actually fight anyone directly, though she knocked out a number of shinigami with kidou while the rest of us focused on our battles; the day disaster stroke she followed my other sister into the Chambers of 46 for a number of reasons and was the one who treated Hitsugaya Toushirou initially."

Of course, once in the 4th Division the young captain had been treated by other healers, especially Isane and Unohana themselves; but still, no one could fail to notice to whom it was that the turquoise-eyed shinigami actually owed his life.

"About me…" Ichigo finally said. "Like I said, I am a shinketsu shinigami, you've seen me fight, you know I fought Zaraki Kenpachi and managed to defeat him…though it was a very close call in the end; I also fought Kuchiki Byakuya, though our fight was interrupted by Aizen, whom I also fought and was harshly defeated by. You know my zanpakutou is Zangetsu, most have seen me fight…I don't know what else on that front."

"What about your bankai?" Byakuya asked, very interested.

"Well, his name is Tensa Zangetsu and…" he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "To be honest there's not much I could say even if I'd wanted, most saw how I got Zangetsu's cloak and my blade turned into a daito; to be honest I don't really know the details of it, I have only used it once and that was under duress."

"What about your training to obtain it?" Ikkaku asked, very interested on that part.

Ichigo sighed, he knew what was coming was only going to cause even more trouble, but it just couldn't be helped…

"What training?" He asked rhetorically. "Yoruichi offered me the use of some dangerous tool created by Urahara to try and obtain bankai in three days before the execution, but when it was explained to me that I would have to make Ossan submit I refused to do it."

The disbelief was almost tangible all around him. While most could possibly understand doubting using a dangerous tool for anything, the fact that Ichigo hadn't done it because he didn't want to make his zanpakutou submit…

"What?" Renji asked sardonically. "Afraid you wouldn't have been able to defeat him?"

"It's not like that." Ichigo said shaking his head without rising to the bait. "It's not a fear. It's not about not being able to do something, but rather not wanting to."

"Why would you not want to do it?" Ikkaku asked, confused. "You have to win battles in order to become more powerful."

"That has never been my style." Ichigo explained calmly. "I don't fight just because, it's not a thrill to me. I fight to protect, not just for the sake of it. I began using the powers I originally had to protect, so what happened to me wouldn't happen to anyone else; it was the same when I accepted Rukia's powers, and then when I first called on my own."

"But everyone knows you have to fight your zanpakutou to become stronger!" Renji insisted.

"And I already told you I've known Ossan since I was nine!" Ichigo snapped, finally losing his patience on the matter. "To me he's not a zanpakutou, he's not just my power, or a tool, or anything along those lines. He's my friend, and my partner, a part of my own soul. I could never even try to undermine him, or make him submit. I respect him too much for that."

*Thank you, Ichigo…* Zangetsu whispered inside his own mind.

*I'll assume you were including me on that speech, Aibou…* Shiro commented.

*Of course, I was referring to both of you, Ossan, Shiro.* Ichigo reassured them mentally. *It's just that I really don't think it's a good idea to mention you just yet Shiro. Especially after Yoruichi's reaction to your mask.*

*True, true…* Shiro agreed with a sigh.

*We'll need to talk about your bankai later Ichigo, there's much you need to know, and train.* Zangetsu informed him. *For now, open your eyes, you're being called.*

"Amazing, he can communicate with his zanpakutou so easily…" A voice was commenting.

"How can you know it's that?" Kira asked, curious.

"For the way his reiatsu seemed to curl upon itself, like his focus." Juushirou explained to those who didn't know, then turned to Ichigo. "I imagine Zangetsu had something to tell you."

"Just thanking me about my comments." Ichigo said simply. "And telling me that we'll talk about my bankai later."

There was general amazement at the fact that he'd really been talking to his zanpakutou without needing Jinzen. It was obvious then to everyone present that he was really close to his zanpakutou, and that, in turn, explained why he was so unwilling to go through bankai-training. Though it still didn't explain how he had managed to achieve that power anyway…

"If you didn't make your zanpakutou submit how do you even have bankai?" Hisagi asked.

*Is alright if I answer that, Ossan?* Ichigo asked, not wanting to share his zanpakutou's secrets in case he didn't want it.

*You may tell them, Ichigo.* Zangetsu assured him. *Just knowing that trust is needed won't actually allow that trust to exist. They will need much more for that…*

"It's the trust." Ichigo said out-loud as his eyes cleared.

"Trust?" No one seemed to understand that.

"I trust Zangetsu-ossan with all I am, and he trusts me the same way." Ichigo tried to explain. "I proved it by offering all I have, all I am during our fight with Byakuya-san; and in turn, when I truly needed it, Ossan too offered me his whole power. So, it's all about the trust. He says it's complicated, that even if I tell you, you might not understand, it's not easy to trust another being, even one who's in fact a part of your own soul, with everything you are…"

"I have a question, Kurosaki." Shunsui commented suddenly. "Have you ever synched with your zanpakutou?"

"Yes, twice." Ichigo answered honestly. "First when fighting Kenpachi, and then against Byakuya-san, before I actually got bankai."

The silence was deafening, and neither of the Nakama understood the reason.

"That's impossible." Komamura snorted eventually. "The brat doesn't know what he's talking about. There's no way he could have truly synched with his zanpakutou! The last person to be able to do that…"

"Was I." Yamamoto finished to everyone's shock. "Though it happened a very long time ago, more than a thousand years, and I haven't done it since. It's not something to be done lightly, since both shinigami and zanpakutou run the risk of losing themselves or each other in the synchronization. Also, if the shinigami were to ever truly give up all control of his own reiatsu he would surely die."

Ichigo briefly considered telling him that wasn't an absolute, since he was still alive even after doing exactly that; and yet decided it might not be a good idea, he had already called enough attention upon himself…

"Actually Yamamoto-soutaichou." Shockingly, it was Karin who spoke then. "I have to say you're wrong about at least one of those things. Even before Ichigo you weren't the last person to have totally synched with your zanpakutou…I was."

That instantly called the attention of everyone present to her.

"If it's alright, I'll handle my introduction myself." Karin said as she stepped forward. "My name is Kurosaki Karin, I'm Ichigo's younger sister and Yuzu's twin, shinketsu shinigami as well. I fought and defeated Madarame shortly after entering Seireitei, and then went looking for Hitsugaya-taichou on the day of the execution; I passed close to where Matsumoto-fukutaichou and Kira-fukutaichou were fighting, but sensing that something was wrong with Hitsugaya I guided my sister to the Chambers of 46. We both smelled the blood of the slaughtered Central, but only I saw them; then we went on deeper, until we found the badly wounded Toushirou-kun. I had been able to sense Ichimaru's and Aizen's reiatsu right before entering the room, so I knew they were responsible. My sister stayed behind to try and save Toushirou-kun while I shunpoed to Soukyoku Hill, getting there just in time to stop Aizen from killing my brother. I fought him to the best of my abilities, including using bankai for the first time…which means no control whatsoever…I still lost. However, some may remember that upon the traitor's leaving, I revealed something else." She took a deep breath and straightened up before continuing. "I am the reincarnation of Nagaken Karin, former Head of the Nagaken Clan, prodigy, captain candidate…and Royal Guardian…"

The silence was so thick it could have probably been cut by the blade of any of those present.

"Royal…Guardian…?" Isane finally said, confused. "What's that?"

"Royal Guardian…" Juushirou repeated, eyes wide in surprise. "A Celestial…"

"The short explanation is that every several thousand years a new Spirit King ascends to power, when the old one has chosen to pass on." Karin gave them a summarized version of things. "The Heir is born like a New Soul and must grow and mature into their powers until the day comes for the Ascension. From the time said Heir is born to the day of the Ascension, a Royal Guardian is chosen and sent to guard the worlds, the Heir, and the entrance to True Heaven. Because during that time the current Spirit King is already too weak to fight for his own throne, and the future one hasn't yet claimed his right. Aizen somehow knows this, so he pretends to claim the throne himself before the rightful Heir ascends. I won't allow that." She shook her head strongly. "Aizen had me killed in my last life, because he didn't like the influence I seemed to have over a few people, he considered me a danger. And yet, because I have a destiny to fulfill as a Celestial I was sent back and allowed to recover my memories recently. Aizen knows this, he knows who and what I am, he also knows I know where the rightful Heir is, and that if I can I will make sure the Heir is ready before he can do anything to claim the throne."

"Where is the heir?" Sui-Feng asked.

Karin simply tightened her lips close in a show of silence.

"You should allow us to do this, girl." Omaeda stated. "We are more powerful than you and have a better chance of being able to protect the royal heir!"

Karin actually laughed at that.

"You have no idea." She said, turning suddenly cold. "I fought Aizen one on one, even if I lost, with a barely in control bankai, the first time I used it since being reincarnated, three weeks after remembering who I was and recalling my powers. You, who've been a shinigami for centuries, lost against Sado-san, who, even while being very powerful by himself, still isn't on my level now that I have bankai again. You stand no chance against me, or against Aizen!"

Omaeda was fuming, as was Sui-Feng, but before either could say anything Yamamoto spoke:

"Kurosaki-Nagaken-dono's duty as both retainer of the Noble House of Nagaken and a Royal Guardian will not be questioned by anyone." He ordered. "She will be allowed to do her duties and either share or keep information as she sees fit. On this matter, she outranks each and every one of you, as she is technically a member of the Konoe Shidan; while she may not exactly outrank me, I cannot command her either. Is that understood?"

"Yes Soutaichou!" The response was general, even if many did not agree.

"Excuse me, Kurosaki-Nagaken-dono…" Nanao began.

"Just Karin is alright." Karin assured her.

"Karin-dono…" Nanao insisted. "You said something about you having synced with your zanpakutou before…"

Karin sighed, she had forgotten about that.

"Right." Karin nodded. "It happened in my past life, the day I first used bankai in an actual battle. The day I died, I was in bankai and fully synced with Eishugo Tenreikou when I was murdered. Which caused a rather particular reaction when I was reincarnated. Tenreikou as such no longer exists." She made a show of her empty hands. "You may have noticed I don't have a zanpakutou on me; and I believe Madarame-san noticed that my sealed zanpakutou appeared in my hand during our fight, even when before I had nothing…that's, again, because Tenreikou no longer exists as a separate spirit. She and I are one, I fused with the powers of my own zanpakutou. What all that means aside from the fact that I have to consciously materialize my zanpakutou when I want to use it…I have no idea."

Yet again, disbelief; but after so many revelations it seemed the shinigami were beginning to tire of asking questions that would receive no answers.

Nanao actually looked almost regretful that she'd even asked the question, since she had ended up even more confused than before.

Yamamoto had to wonder if it had all been worth it. While the meeting had served its basic purpose, for the Gotei to know at least the basics of the Nakama, to know they were allies, and to accept in particular Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin's position and her future-actions. However, they had all ended so confused about so many things: humans with powers that defied nature, a shinigami who had attained bankai without going through the training, another one who had no zanpakutou spirit and yet could call on a zanpakutou's powers, the upcoming ascendance of a new Spirit King…and so much more…They just might have ended with more questions than answers after all that…

xXx

The next morning, the Nakama were having breakfast in one of the less formal dinning rooms of the Nagaken Main House when, unexpectedly, one of the shogi side-doors opened abruptly.

"Kurosaki-Nagaken-sama!" They heard the person call in a very nervous, almost-too-high-pitched female voice.

Kneeling at the door, with her hands to her sides and her head nearly touching the ground was a young woman in a servant beige-colored yukata, with tanned skin, the end of a long reddish-black braid peeking from beneath a long white-scarf, and a low reiatsu signature.

"What's the meaning of this?" Karin asked authoritatively, yet with some hesitance…

The one time she could remember a servant to have barged into the dinning room during a private meal like that had been when they went to inform her and her nii-sama their father had died while on a mission…

"Kurosaki-Nagaken-sama, I have an urgent message." The servant declared, head still down.

"Well, then deliver the message." Karin ordered.

"A situation has arisen, it involves Kuchiki Rukia-dono." The servant stated.

"Rukia?!" Ichigo was instantly on his feet, not even noticing the apprehension in his own voice. "What's happened? Is she alright? Is she in danger?"

"Ichigo, you need to calm down." Uryuu said, laying a hand on his nakama. "Let the lady explain everything first."

Uryuu could only think that after so much had happened…did they not deserve a break? After almost being executed, why did Rukia have to be in trouble again? It really wasn't fair to her, or to Ichigo…one or both of them just might snap if things didn't calm down sometime soon.

"An extraordinary meeting of the Kuchiki Elders was called very early this morning." The servant informed as fast and formally as she could, head still down. "The main topic of the discussion was Kuchiki Rukia-dono herself."

Just that was enough for the Nakama to know that whatever had happened, or probably was still happening on that meeting couldn't be good.

"While they've been informed that Rukia-dono is innocent of any and all crimes, and that her supposed execution wasn't really ordered by the law, the Elders still see the whole chain of events as a stain on the Kuchiki Honor." The servant continued.

Ichigo grumbled under his breath, he'd said to Byakuya, he didn't understand and would never understand all that about Clan Honor and such…but he knew that if it caused Rukia any more grief…even the respect he'd come to have for Byakuya wouldn't be able to stop him.

"They've decided that the only way to regain the honor lost is to create an alliance with a respectable noble clan." The servant took a deep breath before sealing the deal. "They're planning on marrying Rukia-dono to Murata Keitaro, the 2nd son of the Murata Clan Head!"

In an instant all Nakama were on their feet, their reiatsu flaring in a mix of indignity and disbelief. At the same time, it was taking Uryuu's and Chad's joint efforts to keep Ichigo from storming the Kuchiki Manor in fury.

"Ichi-nii, you need to calm down!" Yuzu yelled at her brother.

"Ichigo!" Karin snapped, and slapped her brother. "Come back to your senses!"

"Karin…" Ichigo whispered, barely managing to gain control of himself. "How dare they…? How dare they treat Rukia as merchandise?! I won't allow it!"

"We won't allow it." Karin corrected as calmly as she could. "There's one thing we can do Ichigo, and we will even be playing with their rules in such a way they can't possibly oppose us." She breathed deeply and finished. "The question is: what are you willing to do to keep Rukia from marrying that other noble?"

"Whatever I have to." Ichigo replied, no hesitation at all.

"Very well." Karin nodded. "Then follow me."

"Where are we going?" Ichigo inquired, even as he left the dinning room behind her.

"To see our own Elders." Karin answered simply. "We have to do this right…"

Ichigo had no idea what Karin was talking about exactly, but he trusted her. So he would follow her, and then together they would save Rukia…again.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14. Burdens to Bear

Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu marched into the Kuchiki Manor after announcing themselves with as much dignity as they could. They were all wearing kimonos, showing their position and the formality of the event, though Ichigo's was plain black and as much as a shihakusho as he could find, he was also wearing a royal-blue thin sash; since they weren't making his position totally public he couldn't wear the royal blue wide-obi that signaled him as the Head of the Nagaken Clan. Karin was wearing a dark-red kimono with black birds, a huge contrast to her royal-blue thin obi, and had a sapphire pendant with the kanji for the Nagaken Clan hanging from her neck signaled her as the retainer for the aforementioned Clan. Yuzu, for her part was wearing an amber colored kimono with what looked like white and yellow dandelions on it, yet again a blue sash finished her attire. Also, regardless of the formal clothing, Ichigo was still carrying his sealed zanpakutou on his back.

They followed a servant to the entrance of a meeting room, from where they could hear heated voices arguing.

"Kuchiki Rukia will marry Murata Keitaro!" One man was saying a strong, commanding voice. "The arrangements have already been made."

"I'm sorry to say that, if that is the case, the arrangements will have to be unmade, honorable councilman." That was Byakuya, speaking with a healthy dose of anger and sarcasm. "I never authorized for my sister to marry that man."

"Your input wasn't asked on this matter, Byakuya-dono." A councilwoman spoke in what obviously was false politeness. "This marriage is for the good of the Kuchiki Clan. That girl would do well in remembering all the kindness that has been shown to her thus far, and feel grateful that we have arranged such a convenient match for her."

"That match is only convenient for you." Byakuya replied. "I know the Murata Clan, very few of them have ever had enough reiatsu to become shinigami, most work in other crafts, particularly as merchants. They will never allow a wife of the clan to hold a position that could be seen as higher as that of her husband. They will never allow Rukia to remain a shinigami."

"She will be at the house, as is the duty of every well-educated wife…" Yet another councilwoman began speaking.

It was at that point that Ichigo loss what little control he had over his reiatsu, even if just briefly. Still, the flare-up was enough to interrupt the discussion going on inside and no one would have been surprised to learn at least half of people inside that room were left gasping for breath at the weight of Ichigo's reiatsu.

"I have to say that, in the end, it matters little." Byakuya declared, a certain tint of satisfaction in his voice. "Other arrangements have already been made in regards to my sister's future."

The doors were opened wide in that moment, right in time for the three Kurosakis to watch the quiet satisfaction in Byakuya's eyes, as he otherwise remained expressionless; as well as the equally quiet confusion and surprise in Rukia's own expression and the general displeasure in practically everyone else in the room; with the exception of one man, who looked a bit old, dressed in clothes that resembled a shinigami shihakusho…

"Who dares interrupt a private meeting of the Kuchiki Council?" The councilman the siblings had first heard asked in a pompous tone.

"We're here, Kuchiki Byakuya-dono." Karin called ignoring the man completely.

"They are not interrupting anything, councilman." Byakuya corrected. "For it was I who called them here. Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin, retainer of the Nagaken Clan, and her escorts: Kurosaki Ichigo and Kurosaki Yuzu."

The three siblings bowed in silence, though Ichigo barely even remembered to do so. And it was that in that moment Ichigo was growing angrier by the second as he saw Rukia. She was dressed in a formal kimono as well, though much more elaborate that the ones his sisters were wearing, the top layer was white, with elegant and intricate embroidery of sakura petals, and the neckline was a scarlet red. Also, she was not carrying her zanpakutou, or anything to signal her as a shinigami. Whoever had dressed her like that was trying to sell her, like some bride in ancient times…Ichigo really hated the Kuchiki Clan in that moment.

Kuchiki Byakuya could see the barely reigned in reiatsu as it swirled slightly around Kurosaki Ichigo and knew it was better to settle matters soon, before things got worse. Truth be told, he had never called on the siblings, he didn't even know how they had found out what was going on when he himself hadn't had the slightest idea before being called to that meeting. In any case Yuzu had called ahead using Tenteikura so he had known they were coming, and what their intentions were, that had made it relatively easy to pretend it had been planned. It would also serve to make the Elders wonder how he had been able to plan for something he hadn't been informed of beforehand…those meddling old men and women needed to learn not to try to control his life, or his sister's anymore!

"I thought the main branch of the Nagaken Clan was extinct…" A voice commented in the back. "For there to be a retainer…"

"I am here representing the interest of the Nagaken Heir who, for reasons you need not concern yourselves with, cannot be here himself." Karin stated blankly.

That was a blatant lie, but only the Kurosakis knew. Byakuya suspected a few things, but since he didn't actually know anything it was really a case of 'plausible deniability'.

"What is the meaning of this, Kuchiki Byakuya?" Another councilman asked. "Why have you called members of other clan to a meeting that pertains only to ours?"

"I was explaining to you earlier that my sister could not marry Murata Keitaro." Byakuya explained stoically. "Here is the reason. Your arrangement will not stand, since other arrangements were previously made, with a Clan that far outranks the Murata in every way." He turned to Karin. "Kurosaki-Nagaken-dono?"

Karin gave a signal to Yuzu, who immediately took a scroll out of one of her sleeves. She had offered to act as a high-ranking messenger since each of her siblings already had their part to play in the act they were putting on. But before she could give a single step Ichigo stopped her with an arm before her.

"Ichi-nii?" Yuzu whispered, confused.

"Ichigo, what do you think you're doing?" Karin hissed under her breath.

"No, Yuzu, Karin." Ichigo shook his head slightly. "Not like this. Just look at Rukia, that bunch of stuck-up asses, all they're doing is taking her choices from her. I'm not going to be the same as them. If we do this…it's gotta be her choice."

Karin sighed, she should have known something like that would happen.

"Kuchiki Byakuya-dono, as Head of the Kuchiki Clan, I, Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin, in my duty as retainer of the Nagaken Clan, ask that you allow your sister, Kuchiki Rukia-dono, to approach us; for it is my brother's, Kurosaki Ichigo's, desire to speak to her before any deal is finalized." Karin said in a very formal and elaborate way.

Byakuya didn't answer Karin's speech directly, instead simply turning to his left, where his sister sat and nodded. When the governess that had been tailing her tried to follow Byakuya stopped her, what was happening was of Rukia's concern, not anyone else's. He'd come to realize in the last couple of hours that he couldn't fully trust his own staff, not if they would keep things from him even when He and no other was the Head of the Clan.

It took a bit of time for Rukia to make her way around the table and down the few steps to get to the entrance where the three Kurosakis were still standing, especially since the multi-layered kimono she was wearing, and the rather small shoes made it hard for her to walk.

Noticing all that only made Ichigo bristle even more.

Once she got to them Karin offered Rukia her hand, which she took and bowed to in a show of respect; then Karin bowed herself to Rukia, before finally pulling her to Ichigo and Yuzu.

"Ichigo? Karin? Yuzu?" Rukia asked in a whisper. "What is going on?"

"Calm down Rukia-san." Karin whispered in as soothing a manner as she could. "We're here to help you, I promise."

"How can you possibly help me?" Rukia wanted to know. "The Elders have already made up their mind. Nothing Nii-sama has said in the last hour and a half has been enough to make them desist. What can you do that Nii-sama can't?"

"It's not like he can't, not exactly, more like it's something he cannot do on his own." Karin explained. "Hence us being here. Ichigo…"

Rukia's attention immediately turned to him.

Ichigo, for his part, was trying to catch his breath; at first all he'd noticed was the way the Clan seemed to want to sell Rukia, and how they had dressed her in such clothes for that very reason; but it wasn't until he had her standing right in front of him that he realized just how beautiful she looked in that moment…

"Ichigo!" Karin hissed at her brother.

"I need to ask you a question Rukia." Ichigo stated, returning to his senses, and then thought it better. "but first, I want you to summon your zanpakutou."

"What?" Rukia didn't understand what that had to do with anything.

"Summon your zanpakutou." Ichigo insisted. "Do it Rukia."

"What should I do that for?" Rukia hissed back. "How do you even expect me to do it? I don't have that kind of power!"

"Yes you do." Ichigo insisted. "You can do it. You could after having spent months cut off from your own power, weeks wearing that stupid suppressor, and a week inside that damned white tower. If you could find the power to do it then, you can do it now."

"Maybe that's true." Rukia admitted, though she still sounded very unsure. "In any case, what has my zanpakutou got to do with anything?"

"I need to ask you a question." Ichigo repeated. "But I won't ask it to a porcelain doll, or a damsel in distress, I want to ask that question to a shinigami; so show me you're one and summon your zanpakutou already!"

Karin couldn't help but smile slightly to herself, it was just like her brother to focus so much in something that would appear so trivial to most. Only for him it wasn't, because he was a warrior, and he understood the value of being one. It's why he wouldn't ask the question to Rukia as she was in that moment, because he didn't want the Rukia that her Clan would sell to some noble to be a 'wife' and a trophy, no, he wanted the warrior he had met in Karakura, who had nearly died fighting to protect them all even before knowing them, who had kept on fighting hollows even when having no powers, who had been willing to die to protect all the Nakama and their secrets; whom they had all risked so much for…

Byakuya himself seemed quite satisfied with what he was hearing as well. The thing he'd liked the least when hearing just who the Elders expected his sister to marry was knowing that they would take away her passion, her dreams; Ichigo and the others wouldn't do that, because they had met her as a shinigami and they respected her as such. Yes, even a half-human as Kurosaki Ichigo deserved his sister more than any noble he knew…

The rest of those present who had actually heard the exchange practically snorted in disbelief at the whole thing. In their minds there was no way that a 'Rukongai rat', mere adopted noble, who wasn't even a seated officer, could have enough power to actually summon her zanpakutou; they didn't know what had happened in Soukyoku Hill, or the fact that the only reason Rukia wasn't a seated officer was because Byakuya had blocked her from being promoted in an attempt to keep her safe, by making it so she wouldn't be given too dangerous assignments.

Moved by Ichigo's belief in her, which was much greater than hers in herself, Rukia raised her right hand above her hand and called in a similar way as she had once before:

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

Once again it was like a small snowstorm formed right around Rukia, and the snow and ice gathered together to form the beautiful, pristine white blade with a long ribbon hanging from the hilt and twirling gracefully around its wielder.

The gasps were quite loud from almost everyone in the room. Except for two particular people, who only watched the scene with obvious pride.

"There." Rukia declared with great satisfaction, holding Shirayuki by her side. "I have my zanpakutou, I am a shinigami. Ask your question!"

Ichigo took a deep breath, his hands were sweating, he was feeling so nervous, and he just had no idea why! Or so he claimed…

"Will you stay forever with me?" He asked almost in a rush.

"What?" Rukia was in shock, not quite sure she was hearing what she'd first thought.

Ichigo took another deep breath as he reminded himself that this was Rukia he was talking to, his nakama, someone dear to him, there was nothing to be afraid of.

"I know this isn't usually how it's done." Ichigo said softly. "And I hope Byakuya-san will forgive the breach in protocol, but I truly believe it should be your decision, and no one else's." he looked her straight in the eyes, taking her free hand in his before adding. "I am asking you, Kuchiki Rukia, if you would consent to being my wife?"

Rukia was in absolute shock, her mind blank, not knowing what to do, how to answer that. Was it his idea? Was it his choice? Or was he only offering to marry her to save her from the arranged marriage to another man? Did her brother really approve? Did her clan approve? What did he even have to offer that might make the Kuchiki Clan accept their marriage instead of marrying her off to Murata?

The Kuchiki Elders didn't seem to have the same problem with speechlessness as the young woman, since they all immediately began expressing their complaints and absolute refusal of the union, loudly.

Byakuya could barely contain his own chuckle of amusement, he could really count on the Kurosakis to create chaos wherever they went…his eyes then met those of the aged and wise man sitting on the opposite end of the table: his grandfather, head of the Kuchiki Council, and former Head of the Kuchiki Clan: Kuchiki Ginrei…

There was a glint of amusement in the old man's eyes as well. While he was very much a stickler for the rules, he also believed that everyone deserved to be happy. He had disapproved of his grandson's marriage with Hisana, not because of her origins, but because he could see that his grandson was marrying her for the wrong reasons; he was doing things for her and not for himself, never thinking about his own happiness. In regards to Rukia's adoption, he had nothing against her, the man had only feared that after so many years of living in Inuzuri the girl might not adapt to being a noble, he had also had his doubts on her treatment from several of the more hard-headed members of the Clan; on the first matter, he'd been pleasantly surprised to see how well Rukia took to being part of the Clan, even if a part of him had been sad to see the cheerful and innocent young girl vanish bit by bit as she became more like a 'noble lady' as time passed, and of course, her treatment from certain members of the clan was less than stellar…the current situation proving that fact beyond any shadow of doubt. Ginrei was sure that even if the surprising plan Byakuya and the representatives of the Nagaken Clan seemed to have concocted at some point worked, his grandson would still make sure to punish the insubordination that had caused the whole situation to happen in the first place.

"Silence!" Ginrei ordered after judging it was enough.

The man didn't shout, he didn't need to, there was enough raw power, enough authority in his voice that everyone took notice; even the Kurosakis.

"It almost creeps me out how he can do that." Karin whispered under her breath. "Always has and probably always will."

Yes, she quite remembered Kuchiki Ginrei, both from the time she'd been simply the little sister of the Head of Clan, but especially she remembered him from the time after she had assumed leadership of the Nagaken Clan.

"That ryoka isn't eligible for a match with a noble lady of the Kuchiki Clan, whether the lady in question is adopted or not." One of the councilwomen said in a derisive tone.

"For your information lady, I am a shinketsu shinigami." Ichigo deadpanned, and before he could be questioned he added. "And the circumstances of that are Clan Secret."

They of course knew what that meant, he would not speak about it, and no one could make him, not without the approval of the one who had made it clan-secret in the first place, and a representative of the clan keeping the secret (if they were different people).

"As of this morning Kurosaki Ichigo has been officially inducted into the Nagaken Clan." Karin informed all of those present in a dispassionate tone.

That caused yet another round of whispers. Even an adopted member of the Nagaken Clan held far more weight than a born one of the Murata Clan; after all, regardless of the size, the Nagaken Clan was still one of the Four Great Families, the greatest of them all in fact…

Yuzu took the chance of everyone busy with the whispers to finally approach Byakuya and hand him the scroll she'd been keeping; it was the formal offer for the union through marriage of the two clans; their Aunt Kasumi had helped them get it done and make it official right before they'd gotten on their way to the Kuchiki Estate.

"You're…a noble now?" Rukia had a hard time grasping everything.

She could hardly believe that Ichigo was going through so much trouble just for her. Granted, he'd already done a lot to save her from execution, but this was different, this was forever!

"I have already made my choices, now it's time you make yours." Ichigo told her solemnly. "Whatever your answer is, know this Rukia, I will never allow anyone to force you to do anything: whether it is getting married, remaining or leaving your life as a shinigami, nothing at all." He sighed and smiled at her sadly. "I know who you are, Kuchiki Rukia, I accept you that way, as a woman, as a shinigami, as everything you are. I know what I'm asking you is insane, especially in such short notice; but I knew it was now or never, and you know how I am, once I know what I want nothing will stop me from giving everything I can to achieve it. You know where I stand Rukia, the rest is up to you. Like I said, I won't force you on anything. The decision is yours…"

The silence seemed to last forever, even the elders had quieted, knowing how important the whole situation was. While normally the decision wouldn't be up to the girl in question, they seemed to be able to realize the young man would do things the way he wanted, and suddenly the whole situation was too convenient for them to risk ruining it.

"Answer him Rukia." Byakuya almost ordered suddenly.

The noble had noticed how Ichigo's reiatsu began reflecting his anxiety, and he wondered if his sister really was immune to the changes in his aura, or she was just too focused on her own thoughts to notice anything.

"Yes." Rukia finally answered after what seemed like forever, first a bit hesitant, then with more confidence. "Yes Ichigo, I will be your wife."

xXx

The union was celebrated two weeks later; a simple san-san-kudo ceremony in the presence of the Nakama, the elders of both clans and a handful of friends from the Gotei 13. After that a formal dinner was arranged, still in the Kuchiki Manor, since Byakuya had insisted on honoring his sister in every way possible the day of her wedding. Since Ichigo knew how important it was, not just for Byakuya but for Rukia, he didn't complain.

During the ceremony there was a traditional exchange of gifts between the bride and groom, during which Ichigo gifted Rukia with a kanzashi: it was a bira-bira made of pure silver, once the pin was on her hair from it hung a red silk-ribbon that held several white and black pearls; he also gave her a royal-blue sash to wear always, as it would signal her as a member of the Nagaken Clan. Rukia, for her part, gave Ichigo a pair of tekkou, like the ones her brother wore, and she had taken to wearing since making peace with Byakuya (though hers were longer than her brother's), except Ichigo's were black in color; on a more personal level, she gave him a platinum locket which inside held a lock of her own hair.

If the Nakama thought it was insane or anything that the two were getting married so soon, especially after only knowing each other for a handful of months, they didn't say anything. They just smiled and congratulated the couple on their union. Karin was even heard muttering about how they were going to have trouble controlling their father once he learnt that Ichigo and Rukia had gotten married, especially without him present.

The whole event was considerably small since, as far as most of those in attendance were concerned, it involved only two adopted members of Noble Clans; even if they had status due to their positions, it wasn't the same as if they had been actual children of their clans. Of course, not all people knew everything…

When the dinner party began clearing, Byakuya unexpectedly asked the Kurosakis, now including his sister, to follow him. They walked a little while but eventually reached what was obviously a private office, one that wasn't Byakuya's.

The moment Rukia saw the old man sitting in a comfortable chair in the back of the room she bowed to him. It was so fast Karin barely managed to discreetly stop her from bowing all the way, she was no longer just an adopted child of the Kuchiki Clan, she was the wife of a member of another, even higher Noble Clan. While she was still expected to show respect to someone like Byakuya and Ginrei, it wasn't to the same level.

"Kuchiki Ginrei-dono." Karin greeted formally, standing in front of the others.

"Nagaken Karin-dono." Ginrei addressed her by her old name. "It does an old heart good to see a soul as bright as yours back in this world."

"You honor me, Ginrei-dono." Karin smiled softly.

She remembered the man, had known him practically her whole previous life. He was a good friend of her Aunt Kasumi, an honorable, respected and powerful former shinigami and captain, and not the kind of noble who used to look down on everyone else. He was also one of the few who hadn't looked on in disapproval when she was made Head of the Nagaken Clan after her brother's disappearance. Karin had always respected him a lot.

After a silent signal from Ginrei, Byakuya indicated the others to take a seat and silently went to take a place on a comfortable chair at his grandfather's right; it took a second for the others to react, but soon Karin and Yuzu took places on a couch at his left, while Ichigo and Rukia did the same in another one right across from him.

Once they were all comfortable, Ginrei wordlessly placed a piece of paper he'd been holding on the center of the table. Karin was the first to realize what it was and she gasped.

"A…an alliance between the Houses of Kuchiki and Nagaken." She said, eyes turning to Ginrei instantly. "But for something like this to be possible Rukia-san would have to be…"

"She would have to be a blood member of the Main Line of the Kuchiki Clan." Ginrei finished for her in a solemn tone. "And she is."

That took all the Kurosakis by surprise, especially Rukia. As far as she was concerned she was just a commoner who had been lucky enough to be adopted by Byakuya; how could she possibly be a blood member of the Clan? And of the main line?

"My son…Soujun…he wasn't a good man." Ginrei admitted in a low, almost grieving voice.

Rukia's brows furrowed, she knew who Kuchiki Soujun was, Byakuya's father, Ginrei's only son, he'd died before becoming Head of Clan, which is why the title had gone straight to Byakuya; and why Ginrei had even stayed in power for so long. Still, Rukia had never met the man, he was already dead by the time she was adopted. Everything she'd heard about him said he was a powerful shinigami, lieutenant, handsome, always smiling, kind and well-loved by most who knew him. And yet…to hear Ginrei, his own father, say he wasn't a good man…

"It is true." Byakuya stated in a blank tone. "My father wasn't a loyal man, to his wife or to the Gotei; he was a disgrace to the Kuchiki name."

And the reason why things seemed to be so hard for Byakuya at times, the Elders remembered Soujun, and too many of them feared that Byakuya might end up being the same way.

"The story of Kuchiki Soujun is long and filled with disgraces." Byakuya continued, keeping himself mostly blank in voice and expression. "However, the important part here is his unfaithfulness to my mother. Her name was Kuchiki Shiori, even before marrying; she was the only daughter of a minor Kuchiki Line and theirs was an arranged marriage. My mother was very beautiful, but her reiryoku very little, she only managed to give birth to one son, me, and even after that she was left very weak. So much that my father began seeking 'entertainment' elsewhere. He had a number of mistresses, in both the Soul Society and the Material World; but two in particular turned out to be strong and compatible enough to give him children. In particular, one of his mistresses in the Human World was strong enough, and stayed with him enough to give him two children, two daughters…"

Suddenly realizing where it was all going Karin slapped her hand against her mouth to keep the gasp from escaping.

It was obvious that Byakuya could no longer speak, so Ginrei took over the story instead:

"My son had wanted to remarry since learning that Shiori wouldn't give him another child." The aged man explained. "But since his wife still lived, and she was still Lady Kuchiki, he was not allowed to. Instead he took mistresses, and showed his disdain towards his own wife by making little effort in keeping his affairs a secret. Shiori's own sickly state only got worse when she learnt that a human woman had been able to do what she could not, give her husband two children. It didn't matter that neither of those girls, or the one born in Soul Society would ever be considered a part of the Clan, or even that two of them were technically human, there was still a sense of failure for Shiori." He sighed and shook his head. "The situation only got worse when rumors of a possible new civil war arouse, and Soujun was found to be one of the instigators. When he realized someone had turned him in he immediately made arrangements to erase all trace of his involvement in the matter, and somehow that included getting rid of his human mistress and their children. By the time I got to the house it was already too late. The older woman had been brutally murdered, and apparently some poison had been used on her eldest daughter; then she'd been pushed out of a second floor window while trying to run away, with her baby sister in her arms, the fall killed them both instantly."

Tears began silently falling down Rukia's eyes as Ichigo held her tightly against his chest, they'd both finally understood the purpose of the story they were being told.

"With the evidence vanished Soujun retained his ranks and position." Ginrei continued in a bitter tone. "He kept trying to convince the Elders to let him marry again, especially when a decade later Shiori finally died, but I refused to allow it, and five years later he himself died, during a mission to Hueco Mundo. It didn't matter that he was never formally accused of anything, several of the Elders and I always knew Soujun was guilty of many crimes. And that had affected Byakuya terribly…"

Yes it had, and Ginrei regretted that more than anything else. His grandson was a model noble, shinigami and Clan Head, and yet he couldn't catch a break, the Elders just kept pushing and pushing, waiting for him to make a mistake so they could accuse him of being the same as his father. Even when he was more like Ginrei, or Shiori than he ever was like Soujun. The Elders just wouldn't leave it alone, it was their way of at least trying to hold onto some kind of power, some kind of authority over Byakuya, even when they had no right to any at all.

"I found Hisana many years later in Rukongai and from the moment I first saw her I knew who she was." Byakuya continued. "The hint of blue in her eyes, the black beneath her ashen hair, and even some of her features were clearly those of my father. I saw her in Inuzuri, I saw the life she had, and knew it was not the life she deserved. I knew that the Elders would never allow for her to be brought into the Clan, and we still didn't know who exactly had been sent to kill her and her family in the human world, what if they tried to kill her again? So instead I offered her the chance to become a Kuchiki by marrying me. At first she denied me, saying it wasn't worth it, that she wasn't worth it, sick as she was. But I was insistent. Then she learnt that my Clan was pressuring me to take a wife, and I wasn't interested so she finally accepted. She became my wife, and in doing so we kept the Elders shut, and I could give her what she deserved. At the same time we began looking for her sister, for Rukia…" his eyes met those of his sister as he explained. "Hisana didn't leave you because she didn't want you Rukia, she did it to protect you. The same assassins who poisoned her when she was still human, taking most of her reiatsu and making it so she didn't actually have any spiritual abilities once in Soul Society, found her again in Rukongai, and they used the same poison against her yet again, it's what made her sick. Hisana abandoned you hoping it would keep you safe from them, believing that if you weren't with her the assassins wouldn't find you. You were a baby, and she hoped that someone would have mercy on you and look after you, and that you may have the life she couldn't have. By the time I found you it was already too late, you never got to meet each other again, and I couldn't tell you just how brave Hisana had been, because we still didn't know what had been of those assassins. It was also why I had to use a promise to Hisana as an excuse to adopt you, I couldn't tell anyone that you were, truly, a daughter of the Kuchiki Clan, in case you were attacked again. So I had to let everyone believe you were just a commoner, and I couldn't step in every time they looked down on you or talked to you with disdain. I could only stand there and watch, and realize how strong you were, how much of a Kuchiki you were as you moved past it all and became one great woman and shinigami; as you became my pride."

"Nii-sama…" Rukia whispered in a broken voice.

She wanted nothing more than to embrace her brother, thank him over and over again for all the things he'd done for her, but she knew it wasn't proper, so she allowed her new husband to hold her in place. She also wished she could have met her sister, that she could thank Hisana for all she had done for her, even in abandoning her as a baby, all the older girl had wanted to do was protect her…if it weren't for Hisana Rukia wouldn't have any reiryoku, she probably wouldn't even be alive.

"What happened with the assassins?" Karin wanted to know.

"They eventually made their appearance." Ginrei stated. "I don't know if they somehow found out who Rukia truly was, or if someone else hired them because they thought Rukia's position as Byakuya's sister was threatening; but they made several attempts against her life. All of which were thwarted, the assassins caught and executed. It took a while but eventually we tracked those responsible and had them killed as well. However, we never found any member of the Kuchiki Clan who might have been involved…"

"Which doesn't necessarily mean there were none, just that they were hiding particularly well." Ichigo finished, understanding the danger.

"Yes." Ginrei nodded grimly.

"It's one of the reasons I didn't reveal the truth of Rukia's parentage even after we were sure all of the assassins had been dealt with." Byakuya added. "I also knew that if the Elders were to know the truth, it would only put more pressure on her. I decided she was having a hard enough time already. However that morning, two weeks ago…I came so close with breaking my own vow and telling the Elders who exactly they were trying to sell."

"While they could have married off any minor lady of the Kuchiki Clan, they couldn't do the same about a potential Heiress, especially not when what they were trying to do was to marry her off to another clan." Karin said, understanding. "It's the same reason why the Elders could never make me marry in my last life."

"Yes." Byakuya nodded, he remembered that time well. "However, Yuzu-san's message stopped me just in time, and instead I decided to let you handle it."

"So that's how you knew what they were going to do." Ginrei commented, he'd been wondering just how his grandson had been so prepared.

"I was willing to reveal Rukia's parentage to protect her, though at the same time I know that in the end she would have just been used as leverage against me; the Elders would have taken the chance to force one of us to marry and sire an heir." Byakuya pointed out. "Yuzu-san's warning that she and her siblings were on their way and the arrangements that had been made already on their part allowed Rukia to be protected both from the arranged marriage and the Elders and still remain in a relatively comfortable position. Even if Kurosaki Ichigo is just an adopted member of the Nagaken Clan, I know he will keep her safe."

"With my life if need be." Ichigo replied instantly.

Then, as he met his sisters' eyes, everyone watching them knew something was going on, it was like the three could have a full conversation without saying a word.

"Karin…" Eventually it was Ichigo who broke the silence.

"It's up to you Ichigo." Karin finally declared. "You know I support you whatever choice you make. Both Yuzu and I do."

Ichigo nodded with a smile at his sister before turning to the Kuchiki men.

"You being so honest with us, warrants us being the same." Ichigo declared seriously as he signaled to the paper still on the table. "While it is true Karin could sign that paper as retainer of the Nagaken Clan and form a considerably strong alliance with the Kuchiki Clan, I have a better offer." He took a deep breath and revealed himself. "I will sign it."

"You?" Ginrei wasn't sure he understood correctly.

It was confusing, as far as the two Kuchiki men were concerned, how could an adopted son of a clan have more standing than a retainer in place of the heir?

"Nii-sama isn't dead." Karin stepped in.

"Isshin?" Byakuya asked, suddenly beginning to connect the dots that had been provided during the meeting weeks before.

"He didn't die." Karin insisted seriously. "There was an attempt on his life, courtesy of Aizen. He lost all his shinigami powers for a while, but he didn't die. He spent a few years on the World of the Living, where he eventually met a woman called Kurosaki Masaki, he fell in love with her, and it was because of that love that even when he regained his shinigami powers he chose not to return to Seireitei. He married Kurosaki Masaki, taking her family name to hide who he truly was. And she gave him three children, of whom I'm the second." She chuckled slightly. "It seems like a big cosmic joke, for me to have become my own Nii-sama's daughter…in any case, I was not the firstborn…"

"I am." Ichigo spoke seriously. "My birth-name is actually Kurosaki-Nagaken Ichigo. I am the rightful heir of Nagaken Isshin, and as such the next Nagaken Clan Head."

"So it is you Karin is acting as retainer for." Byakuya realized.

"Yes." Ichigo nodded.

"Does anyone in the Nagaken Clan know?" Ginrei wanted to know.

"Kasumi-oba-sama." Karin answered. "She knew who we were from the very beginning. She was my strongest supporter when I announced I would act as retainer. She's also the one who helped us make the arrangements for Ichigo's and Rukia's marriage."

Byakuya and Ginrei nodded, suddenly things made a lot more sense. It also meant that Rukia was even more protected, since her husband was not an adopted member of the Nagaken Clan, but a blood member of it, and not only that, but the heir!

"Who exactly knows the truth about your parentage?" Byakuya asked, signaling to all three siblings in general.

"Aside from those in this room right now?" Karin asked, and then without waiting went on. "The other Nakama who came with us to Soul Society, and Kasumi-oba-sama. We expect to share the information with the Nakama still in Karakura, and our father, who might want to share it with his friends of the Urahara-Shouten. But that will be it. The vast majority of people in both words will continue believing that I am just the reincarnation of Nagaken Karin, now acting as retainer for the Clan, and my siblings have been adopted by the same Clan, something that isn't hard to believe considering the prowess they have shown thus far, Ichigo as a shinigami and Yuzu as a kidou expert. Eventually the whole truth will be made public knowledge, but we don't know when exactly."

Rukia for her part was having a hard time processing everything. For many years she'd known that one day she would marry, most likely someone not of her choice, which seemed to become evident when she was informed of the arrangement for her union with Murata Keitaro; she'd been surprised when being made another offer, this time for her to marry Ichigo, who had suddenly been inducted into a Noble Clan, the Nagaken Clan. She had accepted the union to Ichigo deciding that even if it wasn't exactly something they had chosen, she knew him, accepted him and cared for him, and it was the same from him to her; Ichigo would never want her to be someone she wasn't, and neither would she; Rukia could think of far worse people to end up sharing eternity with.

And yet, as overwhelming as the whole situation had been when the initial arrangements were made, now she was being told that her new husband wasn't just a human and adopted member of the Nagaken Clan, no, he was in fact a born shinigami and the for-the-most-part unknown Heir of the family! The future Clan Head! She, who she just learnt was in fact a Kuchiki Lady by blood instead of just by adoption as she'd always believed, was married to a half-human shinketsu shinigami who was in fact the heir of the Nagaken Clan; to the man that would one day lead the highest of all the Noble Clans in Seireitei!

The young woman was almost dizzy with the realization of it all. And with the fact that before that day he hadn't told her anything of it…

"I know what you're thinking Rukia…" He whispered into her hair as he held her tightly. "I want you to know I am sorry. I wasn't keeping this from you because I didn't want you to know, but because I thought we had time. I thought we would get back to Karakura and then I could explain who I was, who my father was supposed to be. However, the Kuchiki Elders kind' a forced our hand. I hope you do not regret accepting to become my wife…"

"No, I don't." Rukia assured him with a sigh. "But we will be talking more about this. No more secrets Ichigo."

"No more secrets." He promised her.

If he'd just known how complicated that promise would end up being…

"Are you happy Rukia?" Byakuya's unexpected question took her by surprise.

"Nii-sama…?" She asked, not quite knowing what else to say.

"Since the first moment I saw you at the Academy, all I've wanted was for you to be happy." Byakuya explained. "All I've done has been in attempt you give you what I could never give your sister. I know I've failed in many ways, your near execution just being one example. But I hope you will be happy now…"

Rukia couldn't hold herself back anymore, in an instant she had vanished from Ichigo's arms and had pretty much thrown herself into Byakuya's.

For the longest time it seemed like the noble didn't know what to do, even as his sister, still in her elegant wedding kimono held onto him for all she was worth.

"I am happy, very happy Nii-sama." She assured him in a slightly broken voice. "You are my dear brother and I would not change that for anything. I don't think you've failed at anything. You always cared for me, always did what you could, and for that I will be forever thankful. I love you Nii-sama…"

"As I love you Rukia…" He whispered as he finally gave in and hugged her.

"Such are the burdens we bear…" Karin half-quoted under her breath in a solemn voice. "But as long as we have others to share them with, may they not be as heavy…"

Close to her, Kuchiki Ginrei, the only one to really hear and understand her words, could only nod solemnly. Such heavy burdens his grandson had been forced to carry his whole life, because he had a mother who fell ill after giving birth to just one child, because he had a father who could not be faithful, because he had an uncle who was a traitor and an aunt who committed suicide rather than face the world after her husband fell from grace. The sins of so many people had fallen upon Byakuya's shoulders when he'd still been so young, and he'd done his best to bear them, most of the time on his own.

Rukia too had been forced to carry heavy burdens, the sins of her parents; the first of which had caused her death in the Living World when just an infant, she'd also been forced to grow up on her own in one of the worst districts of Rukongai when her sister decided she brought more danger than safety with her; forced to go from free commoner to tied-down noble in an attempt of her own brother to care for and protect her; kept from realizing her true potential by the same brother trying to protect her; nearly killed by a madman in a crazy quest for power and a position never meant for him; and then nearly married off to a man who wanted nothing more than a trophy wife, and who would never see Rukia's true value. Even in that moment, married to Kurosaki Ichigo, a man who knew her value, who accepted her true self, there was no way of knowing if they would be able to make each other truly happy. Only time could tell.

Yes, such are the burdens those closest to him bore, Ginrei knew, and he had no doubt the three heirs of the Nagaken Clan had their own; he could only hope that they would remain a tight group, as they did in that moment, and that they, along with the Nagaken's and his granddaughter's nakama, might be able to move forward and to find true happiness.

xXx

One week later the Nakama, in their usual clothes, were standing on Soukyoku Hill yet again, though this time waiting for the final preparations to be finished so they could travel back to the Material World.

Rukia of course was going too, she had been given authority equivalent to a fukutaichou and was to act as liaison between the Nakama and the Gotei 13, at least until the conflict with Aizen ended, when most people expected more permanent arrangements to be made; for the same reason she'd also been granted the power to open official Senkaimons when needed.

Only those who'd been present at the ceremony were aware of the fact that Ichigo and Rukia were married; though it was public knowledge that he'd been 'adopted' by the Nagaken Clan. This to give him a bit of more authority, and in her case so the sleeper cells wouldn't inform of her change of status to Aizen, putting her in even more danger; though even that didn't stop them from wearing the gifts from their union.

All the Nakama had been gifted with small badges that had the symbol for the Gotei 13 on one side and the kanji for Nakama in the other, signaling them as allies of Seireitei; Ichigo had also been handed enough for those who remained in Karakura. Also, Ichigo and Uryuu had been given denreishinki similar to Rukia's, to aid them in their duties. Karin had rejected being given the same considerations, and when not doing her duties as Retainer of the Nagaken Clan she preferred to be seen as any other Nakama and had no trouble following Ichigo's, Uryuu's, or even Rukia's orders.

The tight-knitted group had had lunch together that morning in a private dining room of the Nagaken Main House. Byakuya and Ginrei had been invited to eat with them, and others like Hanatarou, Kasumi and Yoruichi were there as well.

In case of the shy shinigami, the Nakama had wanted to show their appreciation in some way, even if no one but them and four other high-ranked shinigami knew that he'd been involved at all with them and their 'infiltration'. Hanatarou had felt very embarrassed at the attention, but had still thanked everyone profusely for the honor and promised to do his best to always be there to help. Karin had the suspicion that all the time he seemed to spend with Yuzu may just be improving his confidence.

Chad himself had been a bit late, as he'd been visiting the 4th Division, again…it had become something pretty normal in the weeks since their leaving of the place, even if no one knew exactly what made him go there so often.

Yoruichi was present, even when she had never stayed with the other Nakama there, she knew of the marriage between Ichigo and Rukia because she'd been present at the wedding, as the only heiress of the Shihouin Clan. She knew there were a lot of secrets being kept from her, but chose not to press the teens too much and instead hoped that they would be honest with her eventually; she'd seen how fast they'd all closed up to Kisuke after realizing that much of what was happening was, directly or indirectly, his fault; and the hurt in the Kurosakis eyes after confirming the truth their father had kept a secret for so long; she really didn't want to end up being considered in the same level.

Byakuya had, with a very satisfied expression, informed everyone that those responsible for nearly marrying Rukia off without his consent or even his input had been 'properly dealt with' already. No one had even though of stopping him after they were informed of the alliance the Kuchiki Clan now had, thanks greatly to the match between Kurosaki-Nagaken Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia; something that would have never been possibly if certain people had gotten what they wanted and married Rukia to the second son of the minor noble Murata Clan. Yes, they had nothing to complain about after that.

And so it was about an hour after noon that the Nakama and those closest to them arrived together to Soukyoku Hill and waited for the Senkaimon to be opened.

It was a great surprise for them when, shortly before the wait was over, all of those who had been at the meeting weeks before showed up at the Hill to see them off. Especially when Yamamoto called them close:

"I know the decision you've made with regards to Aizen and the other two traitors." The aged shinigami declared. "As I also know that if he were to attack the Material World you would be the first to act."

They all nodded in unison.

"As you all know by now all of you are the only high-ranked warriors who haven't seen Aizen's shikai, and therefore cannot be tricked by his illusions." Yamamoto continued. "Which is why I'm giving you this,"

With a signal to Juushirou, who had been standing behind the Captain-Commander in waiting, Yamamoto took from him a long, folded, piece of white cloth and handed it formally and silently to Ichigo, who took it with a mix of confusion and apprehension.

The orange haired shinketsu's anxiety proved right when, upon unfurling the cloth, it turned out to be a sleeveless haori in his size, just like all the captains' haoris he'd seen, except that instead of a number, that one had the kanji for Nakama inside the rhombus of the Gotei. Ichigo was as good as being promoted to a captain, at least as far as authority was concerned, and they all understood that.

"Why?" Ichigo asked, holding the haori tightly in his hands.

"Like Yama-jii just explained, all of you are our best chance against Aizen." Juushirou said solemnly. "Whether you choose to consider him your enemy now, or wait until he's gone after you. I think we all know such a confrontation is inevitable. Whether because of you, or because of the Juureichi…it just can't be helped."

They all nodded grimly, that they knew those were facts didn't mean they had to like them.

"The rest of the shinigami will need to see proof of the authority you now hold, in particular in such a situation where a battle might take place and you might be the only ones knowing what is really going on." Juushirou added, just as grimly. "That's what that haori represents. You, of course, won't be expected to attend meeting or fill paperwork, this is just a formality for, let's say, just in case…"

Once again, they all nodded. They knew the time would come, sooner or later, and it was good to see precautions had been taken.

"The gate is ready." A shinigami informed them right then.

"Very well." Ichigo nodded, finally putting on the haori. "Let's do this."

His nakama just smiled and went to stand at his flanks, they knew that even if he didn't really show it, he liked the recognition.

The gate was opened and everyone waved goodbye one last time.

"Here we go." Ichigo said with a smile. "Nakama!"

"Nakama!" They all cried out in one voice.

And without further ado, they were on their way, back home…

Chapter Text

Chapter 15. Matters of the Body and the Soul

After a 'less than stellar' fall that required ample use of kidou, shunpo, hirenkyaku and Santen Kesshun, the group formed by seven Nakama and a black cat managed to land at the entrance of the Urahara Shouten, where they could feel the rest of the Nakama and certain family members waiting for them inside.

The moment they stepped into the sitting room they could see Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro and Chizuru in casual clothes, waiting; Keigo was arguing about something with Jinta, while Mizuiro talked about food with Tessai; while Chizuru kept saying things that would make Tatsuki hit her on the back of the head; Ururu could only watch the scene in silence while Urahara chuckled in the back of his fan; Isshin and Ryuuken, in opposite sides of the room, just drinking some tea.

"We're back and the mission was a success, on all accounts." Ichigo announced half formally the moment they all cleared the door.

"That is good to hear." Ryuuken commented in the same tone. "I imagine you showed to all shinigami your pride?"

"We did, shishou." Ichigo nodded. "And…"

"The man who dared insult our pride, and our family paid for it, dearly." Uryuu added stoically, he didn't like remembering Mayuri.

"Is he still alive?" Ryuuken asked, interested.

"Yes." Uryuu admitted, wondering if he should have killed him anyway. "A mercy I granted, not to him, but to his daughter, who pleaded on his behalf."

"I see." Ryuuken nodded thoughtfully. "Does she know such a mercy won't be repeated if her 'father' repeats the offense, or if he dares commit it in my presence?"

"I'm sure she understands." Uryuu nodded, he had made sure to explain it to her.

"Very well." Ryuuken nodded, satisfied. "Then tell me the name of this man."

"He is no man…" Orihime muttered under her breath, turning her head away.

The Nakama who had stayed behind looked at Orihime in surprise, there was a bitterness in her voice they had never heard before, and she'd never interrupted a half-formal exchange between the senior Ishida and either Uryuu or Ichigo.

"Orihime is right." Ichigo added. "He may be a shinigami, and a captain at that, but that…he is no man."

"A monster is what he is." Uryuu concluded. "And the name is Kurotsuchi Mayuri."

There was a low grunt in the back as Kisuke understood, at least superficially, the teens' attitudes; he may not have known what Kurotsuchi did, but he knew enough of the psychotic bastard to understand just what he was capable of.

"Enough of the formal-crap." Isshin declared as he jumped onto his feet. "My precious children are finally back!"

He rushed to them, bent on hugging them half-to-death, but before he could get close enough Karin and Ichigo had dealt a punch-kick combo at him, sending him crashing against a nearby wall painfully (and miraculously it was against and not through).

"Was that really necessary, Ichigo?" Rukia asked, half-worried about the man.

"Rukia-chan!" Isshin called dramatically as he jumped back onto his feet. "My newest daughter is defending me from my ungrateful son!"

He rushed to hug her only to yet again be stopped by a kick from Ichigo, this one strong enough to send him through a nearby shouji door and into the next room.

Rukia blinked, she hadn't been expecting that.

"Idiot oyaji…" Karin muttered under her breath.

"Not even an hour we've been back and you're already trying to scare Rukia away…" Ichigo practically growled, then softened his voice as he turned to Tessai and lowered his head slightly. "I'm sorry about the door, Tessai-san."

"It's quite alright, Kurosaki-san." Tessai assured him with a nod. "Nothing that cannot be easily fixed. Soon we'll have it as good as new again."

Ichigo simply nodded wordlessly.

"Ah!" Isshin called dramatically as he got back up again, this time slowly. "Masaki! My third daughter doesn't love me!"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"My son didn't even have the decency to invite me to his own wedding!" Isshin added in the same exaggeratedly dramatic tone.

Ichigo's eyes flashed, he had been right.

"Yoruichi-san…" He began in a low growl.

However, right at that point he was interrupted by the shocked shouts and gasps from all of his other Nakama in the room.

"What?!"

"You're married?!" Tatsuki practically screeched.

"How can Ichigo have possibly married before me?!" Keigo wailed.

"How is that even possible?" Chizuru was in absolute shock.

"Congratulations Ichigo-san, Rukia-san." Mizuiro nodded at both of them.

"Thank you, Mizuiro-san." Rukia smiled at him.

"Yes I'm married…we're married." Ichigo groaned as he dropped to the floor. "Now shut your traps, all of you, and let me explain."

And so, he explained. Everything that had happened from the moment that servant had interrupted their breakfast to tell them the Kuchiki Elders were planning something. To the ceremony at the Kuchiki Estate. The only thing that was left un-mentioned was the fact that Rukia was a blood-Kuchiki, since those were family secrets and would remain that way. Still, everyone present did know Ichigo was heir of the Nagaken Clan and would take the place as the next Clan Head…eventually.

"So, it's just an arranged marriage." Tatsuki summarized in the end. "Something done out of convenience and nothing else."

Ichigo frowned slightly, he didn't exactly like the way Tatsuki describe it, but at the same time couldn't deny that had been pretty much the idea, so all he could do was nod.

At his side Rukia just sighed, eyes cast down.

"What has me confused." Mizuiro commented thoughtfully. "Is how that servant knew what the Kuchiki Elders were planning."

Silence fell instantly. For a second it looked like Ichigo was going to say something, until he realized how right Mizuiro was.

"I…" He muttered, eyes wide in shock. "I have no idea."

"Neither do I." Several of the others admitted.

"How could she have found out?" Rukia asked out-loud. "Not even Nii-sama knew what the Elders had planned before the meeting began. That's why he was so surprised you were so well-prepared for everything!"

"Didn't anyone thought to question her knowledge back then?" Isshin asked, suddenly uncharacteristically serious.

Truth is, no one liked the idea of someone, whether it may be a servant or anyone else, knowing things they shouldn't know.

"Things were…complicated." Uryuu tried to justify. "When Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu left the dining room they went straight to make arrangements. We saw them again an hour or so later, and they spent the next weeks going from one meeting to another as everything was arranged, their adoption into the Nagaken Clan, the formal kimonos we all wore to the ceremony, and a lot other things. I don't think they had a lot of free time those two weeks."

"No, we didn't." Yuzu admitted, it had really been exhausting.

"I don't remember her." Karin admitted, she'd been frowning for minutes by then.

"What?" Several of the Nakama wondered what she meant.

"I've been trying, very hard, but I don't remember ever seeing her in my other life." Karin admitted. "If she's really who she said she was…then she's been serving the Nagaken Clan for less than twenty-five years. And that's strange in and of itself, why would the Clan hire any more servants when they have even less people living there than they did back then?"

The petite girl shook her head, it didn't make any sense.

"You think she might have been faking it when she appeared dressed like a servant?" Ichigo asked, he didn't like that.

"Maybe, I don't know." Karin admitted. "It's been a very long time. She might be a servant, that still doesn't explain what she was doing working for the Nagaken Clan…" she sighed. "I could feel her reiatsu. It was very tightly controlled, but it was there."

"Why would someone with reiryoku be a servant and not a shinigami?" Uryuu asked in turn.

"Maybe she doesn't have enough power to be a shinigami?" Orihime suggested.

"No." Karin shook her head, biting her lip at the same time. "She had enough education in the spiritual arts to keep her reiatsu under control. If she'd been taught…anything, she most certainly has enough reiryoku. Which brings back the question: Why is she a servant instead of a shinigami, or anything else, really?"

"Maybe we should send a message to Kasumi-oba-san." Ichigo suggested, brows furrowed. "Just to make sure she's not a risk."

Karin nodded quietly, it was the best they could do at the time.

Rukia had kept quiet during the whole exchange. She'd never seen the servant in question, not in the whole week she'd spent in the Nagaken Main House after her marriage to Ichigo; and since she hadn't been there the morning everything had happened, she knew nothing of the situation, or the woman.

"I don't see what's so great about being a shinigami?" Tatsuki muttered.

Several of those presents turned to look at her like she was crazy; and it seemed that way, especially considering that almost half of those present were shinigami, former shinigami, or at least part shinigami.

"Oh, I have nothing against any of you, current or former shinigami." Tatsuki clarified. "I just don't see what's so great about being one."

No one had an answer to that. It's not like any of them had ever considered being a shinigami as something great. For most of them it was simply a part of who they were, and that was it. However, Tatsuki's words, it almost seemed like she didn't like the idea of being a shinigami herself…though there was no way of knowing what made her think that…

"There's something that's been bothering me…" Chizuru said suddenly.

Everyone turned to her right then.

"What is it?" Ichigo finally asked when it seemed like the girl wouldn't talk.

"Karin-chan…" Chizuru said, turning to the younger girl. "A little while ago you…you talked about another life…" her eyes half-closed in confusion. "What does that mean? Are you talking about…past lives?"

Karin sighed, she could see out of the corner of her eyes how Isshin…her Nii-sama…her oyaji, stiffened instantly. She'd known the topic would come up eventually, but at the same time she'd hoped they might get the chance to talk privately…it seemed it wasn't meant to be so. Well…maybe it would even be better that way.

"Reincarnation is a natural thing, Chizuru-san." Karin assured her softly. "Every human that lives in this world passes on to Soul Society and, eventually, upon dying there, is reborn in the Living World. There are certain exceptions, of course, the so-called New Souls, born to particularly strong spirits, since only those powerful can actually get pregnant and give birth in Soul Society. That's how the Noble Clans are formed, with the exception of those who are adopted into it, most of the members are New Souls…" she sighed. "I was a New Soul too, in my last life. This is just my second, actually my first as a human…" she shook her head. "While reincarnation is natural, what isn't is remembering a previous life. Most of the time, humans who get to Soul Society will begin forgetting things of their time in the Living World, the more traumatic their life was, the faster they forget, the only thing that may prevent that is if they have enough reiryoku, and a strong enough will, when they choose to hold onto the memories…still, aside from me I've never known anyone to reincarnate into the Human World and remember their previous life. I can only do that because the circumstances of my reincarnation were very…particular."

Unknown to Karin, or to all of those attentively listening to her recount, there was one particular person in the back shaking her head silently, a lone tear running down her delicate cheek as she kept her face hidden behind a curtain of hair…

'You're wrong…' she was sobbing inside her own mind, careful to keep her grief and despair concealed from Karin's empathy. 'You're not the only one who remembers…I do too. I remember, so much…friendship, love, war, grief, pain, despair…I remember…'

"Karin…" A voice whispered in a broken voice.

Instantly everyone, even those still trying to process everything Karin had just said, and what she hadn't, moved aside so the person to speak could stare at the petite girl directly. It was Isshin, and in that moment he looked so different from usual it almost scared those who had known him for the last fifteen years or so. The man…was utterly broken.

"Karin-imouto…" Isshin whispered in the say voice.

"Yes…" Karin knew how crucial her answer was, even as she said the words that would seal everything. "It's me, Nii-sama…"

"Karin-chan…" Isshin whispered as he got close enough to caress Karin's cheek. "My baby sister…you're back…you're really back."

"I am." Was all Karin said.

Tears were beginning to pool behind her eyes, though she refused to let them fall.

"Why, why is he reacting like this?" Rukia asked, confused.

She'd been told how Karin was the reincarnation of her own aunt, in a way. How she'd gone from being Isshin's sister to being his daughter; but that didn't explain why the man was reacting so strongly…

By that point the man was on his knees, his arms tightly around his own daughter's waist, holding her and crying into her shoulder like his life depended on it.

"I was born…many, many years after Nii-sama…" Karin explained, adopting the tone she only used when acting the part of her past life. "I was a surprise, after so many years that Hahahue and Chichihue had been trying to have more children, finally I was born. My mother died very shortly after my birth, some healers say giving birth to me had taken all the strength she'd left, so she'd only lived long enough to give me my name and make sure I would be well looked after. Karin, a summer forest, the place she loved the most…" she shook her head. "I know Chichihue loved me, even if he never said so. I think it was painful to him, looking at me, since I looked so much like Haha…In any case, Ishiin-nii-sama was always there for me. While the servants made sure I was well fed, well dressed and was never fully alone; Nii-sama made sure I knew I was loved. There was such difference in ages between him and I, that at times it felt like he was more my father than my older brother…" she sighed sadly. "The day came when Chichihue died, during a long-term mission to Hueco Mundo, I don't know what happened really, that I was never told. I was still considerably young back then. A servant interrupted our breakfast, the one time in the week I could have breakfast with my brother, since most of the time he'd to get to the 10th Division barracks too early…the servant arrived and informed us Chichihue's team had just gotten back, and that my own father had been killed in action. I'm quite sure Nii-sama got the whole story; he was a lieutenant already by then, I never knew, never asked either, I guess that I'd gotten to know him so little during my life than he was more of an idea than an actual part of it."

"Chichihue loved you, imouto, never doubt that." Isshin mumbled in a hoarse voice against her own neck.

"He never showed it." Karin pointed out emotionlessly. "At least not like you do."

"You may have forgotten some details, with all the time that's been." Isshin pointed out. "The servant that arrived that day, he didn't tell us that Chichihue was already dead, but that he was dying. When I got to the 4th he was still alive. He lived long enough to say goodbye, and he asked me to look after you. He knew…he knew he was never a proper father to you, and he wanted me to make sure I would always care for and protect you…"

Karin nodded stoically, doing her best to keep her emotions at bay. It wasn't like suddenly knowing her past-life's father was truly loved her changed anything; she had a new father, a new family, and she was happy with her current life, still, it felt good to know…

xXx

Eventually Karin and Isshin both calmed down enough. The group didn't want to split just yet and several of the boys ended up being sent for take-out so they could all eat together in the Shouten before going to their respective homes.

Those who had stayed back were still waiting when the Nakama's brand-new badges began sounding the alarm that a hollow was in the vicinity. Karin was just about to get out of her body again when Tatsuki jumped to her feet.

"It's my turn." She announced as she jumped to her feet, then she turned to Karin to explain. "In your absence we've been taking turns. This one's mine." She turned to the other side. "Hey Geta-boushi! I need a little help here!"

"Tatsuki wha…" Karin didn't even get to finish her question.

Right then Kisuke arrived from behind Tatsuki and touched the tip of his cane to the back of the girl's head, pushing her soul forward and outside of her own body.

"Tatsuki-san!" Yuzu cried out in shock.

Ururu was there just in time to catch Tatsuki's empty body, while the black-blue spiky haired girl disappeared in what as well might have been shunpo.

"Just what is going on here?" Rukia asked, bewildered by the whole thing.

"Arisawa-san has spent the last several weeks training very hard." Urahara explained. "Ever since you sent her that message, saying everything was alright she began coming here to use the training grounds. She pushed herself so hard that her powers seemed to grow exponentially, and soon her physical body began having trouble with it."

"If it's her power shouldn't her body be able to deal with it?" Karin asked, confused.

"If she were maybe like Sado-san or Inoue-san, maybe." Kisuke nodded. "But her power is more spiritual. It's very much like Yoruichi's shunko actually…"

"There's no way that girl can use shunko Kisuke!" Yoruichi interrupted him with a snap. "A human would never be able to do it, their bodies wouldn't be able to take it."

"Which is precisely the reason why, as you were able to see, I pushed her out of it before she went to take care of the hollow." Kisuke pointed out. "And while I said it's very much like yours, it's not entirely so."

"What's the difference?" Yoruichi was still doubtful, but very interested nonetheless.

"Your shunko hits, and with enough power can tear apart." Kisuke reminded her. "Arisawa-san obviously doesn't have the raw power needed to tear apart a creature, yet; but she can do something else, she can envelope her spiritual self in reiatsu and then use it like a blade."

Yoruichi's eyes widened, she wanted to say such a thing was impossible, but had really no way to prove if it was or not.

"Crisis averted." A voice announced right then.

They all turned to see the returned Tatsuki, and for the first time were able to truly see her. She wasn't wearing a shihakusho, neither was she wearing the clothes her human body had had; instead she wore what looked like a slightly short yukata (as it only reached below her knees), it was of the darkest gray with an ivory colored dragon curling around her form, the yukata was a bit loose on her, allowing the slightest bit of a bare shoulder to be seen; her feet were bandaged and she wore no shoes, and what could be seen of her arms (to right below her elbows) was bandaged as well. Some could notice that the bandages on her left hand seemed to have been a bit damaged recently.

"Did your technique backfire on you again, Arisawa-san?" Tessai asked, worriedly.

"Not exactly." Tatsuki grimaced.

In an instant Yuzu was by her side and using healing kidou on Tatsuki's hand, as well as a couple minor scrapes on her neck and arm.

"I overcharged one of my attacks." Tatsuki admitted with a sigh. "The hollow was tricky, if pretty weak, I began losing my temper since I wanted to just kill it and be done with it and so, when I finally caught him unaware I ended up using too much reiatsu."

"You need to be more careful, Arisawa-san." Tessai pointed out. "Especially because there might not always be someone nearby to heal you before you have to return to your body, and if you have to return to it when injured it would complicate things."

Tatsuki nodded solemnly in his direction.

"Talking about precautions to take for when I'm on my own." She said turning to Kisuke. "What about my gikongan, Geta-boushi?"

"Still working on it, Arisawa-san." Kisuke assured her while covering his smile with his fan. "I've also decided to work on others for Kuchiki-san and Kurosaki-Nagaken-san if that's alright with them." He turned to the girls in question. "Unless you tell me you would prefer a more traditional gikon."

Rukia sighed, had she been asked that question a couple of months before she would have immediately replied she wanted Chappy, but she had become more sensible since. She, of course, still loved the rabbit character to pieces, but where her gigai was concerned she decided it might be better if it had a more-apt mod-soul inside when she wasn't in it.

"A battle mod-soul just might be what I need." Rukia admitted. "If what we fear does come to pass at some point."

She was referring, of course, to open war against Aizen with Karakura as battle-ground.

"Just fine with me, Geta-boushi." Karin nodded her agreement.

"Very well." Kisuke nodded, more to himself than the others. "I promise to have the mod-souls ready for you in a week at the most."

"They better not be crazy perverts like Kon, Geta-boushi!" Tatsuki reminded him strongly.

Kisuke just chuckled.

"There's something that's been bothering me, Tatsuki-san." Yuzu commented out-of-the-blue.

"What is it, Yuzu-chan?" Tatsuki immediately turned to smile at the soft-spoken girl.

"Well, you're obviously not a shinigami, and yet you seem to need to get out of your body for your abilities to work correctly." Yuzu commented. "Why is that?"

While Yuzu knew she herself wasn't a full shinigami, since she had no zanpakutou, she was still very good at kidou and shunpo, and had a basic grasp of hakuda and hohou. Tatsuki was obviously very good at hakuda and hohou, and seemed to have done something similar to shunpo; yet she knew no kidou or had a zanpakutou, and her ability, while similar to an ability Yoruichi had, was not exactly that.

"No idea." Tatsuki deadpanned. "We discovered about two weeks ago that my own powers were working against me. At first they were just scratches and bruises, but soon enough I would walk out of my training with torn muscles and cuts that required serious kidou to be healed. The worst came when practicing a cutting kick I somehow ended up cutting my own foot open. It took Tessai-san a very long time to heal me enough for the cut to stop bleeding and close, and still I couldn't walk for a couple of days, and kept limping for almost the rest of the week. It then occurred to Geta-boushi that my power was in fact in my spirit and not in my physical body; he tried his theory by pushing me out of my body and…voilá."

"What about your clothes?" Rukia asked.

"Yet again, no idea." Tatsuki said again. "As beautiful as the yukata is, I own nothing like it. And if you look at it carefully, it seems to be a bit old, worn, and not quite my size. What the reasons for any of those things are I truly have no idea."

"What's the possibility of her being another reincarnation?" Chizuru asked unexpectedly.

"Not impossible." Karin admitted. "It might explain both her powers and her clothing; as well as the apparent distaste for shinigami…"

"I've told you all already, I have nothing against shinigami…" and yet Tatsuki had to stop to think twice about it. "At least I don't think so, not really. I just don't see what the big deal is. That's all. Really!"

In the back of the room Orihime just watched Tatsuki with a critical eye, through the whole discussion on Tatsuki's powers and condition she hadn't said a single thing, instead she had just watched and pondered. Why did Tatsuki seemed so familiar to her? Not in the sense of the girl who had been there for her, to protect her, for over five years, or the girl who had taught her martial arts and been her best friend for so long. It was something more, something the orange-red haired girl couldn't quite put her finger on…Maybe she would remember eventually? She sure hoped so, had a feeling it was important…

Without a single word more Tatsuki finally went back into her body, and shortly afterwards the boys were back with dinner for everyone. A meal they all thoroughly enjoyed, as well as the company, in particular that of those closest to them, and of those that hadn't been able to be there for the past five weeks.

xXx

Eventually the food was consumed and the Nakama decided in was time to make their ways home. Those who lived on similar directions made their way together, all agreeing to meet the next morning at Chad's home, it was time for yet another 'visit', though this time to honor Chad's abuelo. With that particular visit things were different, as his grave was back in Mexico and, even with the powers they all had, it just wasn't possible for them to visit the actual grave. So instead they would all visit Chad's apartment and honor the man on a small altar Chad arranged for that very purpose. It seemed like a lucky coincidence that they had gotten back to Karakura just in time…

Chad's abuelo was cause for certain particular traditions in the group, not only on his death anniversary, but there was also the fact that despite it not being a Japanese tradition, the Nakama had taken on celebrating what Chad called 'Día de Muertos', on the 2nd of November, the half Mexican had explained that it was a day meant to honor dead loved ones. It seemed strangely fitting in their minds, especially after they had gotten to see the actual afterlife; which actually had disappointed most of them so, it really was nothing like the heaven so many humans still believed in…

Ryuuken and Uryuu were the last to get on their way, aside from the Kurosakis. And right when they were about to take their leave, they were called back.

"Ah…Kuchiki-san…or should it be Kurosaki-san?" Kisuke asked.

The teens would have actually reacted to the half joke if they hadn't realized how serious the shopkeeper and former shinigami was being all of a sudden.

"Since I doubt either of us have any intention of announcing our marriage, Kuchiki will suffice." Rukia declared simply.

"Very well, Kuchiki-san…" Kisuke nodded.

And then, under all the Kurosaki's suddenly shocked stares, he dropped on both knees, holding his hat on one hand, the other fisted against the ground, his head bowed and his neck bared. It was a gesture of both submission and of penitence, serious enough to leave them all shocked still and speechless.

From a side Yoruichi only side and turned her head to a side, it almost hurt her to see Kisuke prostrate himself like that. And yet she understood why it was necessary, not just for the Kurosakis (Rukia included), but especially for Kisuke himself.

"My sincerest and deepest apologies for all the grief, despair and pain I may have caused through my actions and inactions." Kisuke whispered in a solemn tone. "I hurt you Kuchiki-san, deeply, through no fault of your own, in an attempt to undo a sin of my own making. And in the end, all I managed was to cause you pain, and almost your death, and my sin still ended in the worst possible hands…"

Ichigo sighed. While he himself had warned Kisuke that he better apologize to Rukia for what he'd done, he never expected the man to take it that far. The orange-haired young man didn't trust the former shinigami, probably never would, not completely, but didn't hate him either. He knew things could have been a lot worse without the man's help. If they'd had to depend on Karin, or even worse, Isshin, to open a Senkaimon and get to Seireitei…they still wouldn't have been able to get their human Nakama there…no, things could have definitely been a lot worse. Urahara Kisuke may not be an innocent, not by a long shot, but he was not evil either, just a man, a genius actually, who hadn't measured the consequences of his actions and had made a mistake; a very serious, very dangerous mistake, but in the end, who could assure someone else wouldn't have done it even in the event that he didn't have?

"I forgive you, Urahara Kisuke." Rukia spoke after what seemed like forever, choosing her words carefully. "I forgive your omission, the fact that you made choices for me without my approval or even my knowledge. I do not forgive the actions themselves, because they need not be forgiven."

That fact actually befuddled Urahara, who could only watch the obsidian-haired shinigami, wondering at what may be going through her mind and hoping she might be forthcoming in an explanation without him having to ask.

"You know…" Rukia went on with a sigh and looking up. "If you had just asked me, I would not have refused…"

The admission actually froze everyone present in shock, especially Kisuke and Ichigo. While the first had been expecting accusations, disdain anything but forgiveness; the daiko at least had been expecting the forgiveness part, but certainly not the following confession.

"If you had explained things to me." Rukia elaborated. "About the Hougyoku, and Aizen, and the kind of sacrifice needed to get rid of it. I would not have refused. I would have accepted to do that sacrifice. How could I not? After meeting the Nakama, after learning the kind of people, of heroes, they all are…how could I have done anything else?" she shook her head with another sigh. "So, I need not forgive you for trying to use my soul to vanquish the Hougyoku, I know the kind of grief and pain a mistake can cause. I know I was fortunate to have help in overcoming my own guilt. I hope you will, eventually, find what you need to move on from your own…"

Kisuke lowered his face again, this time not in penitence but in acceptance, and also a bit of gratitude. He'd never been expecting such words from mouth of the one person he'd hurt the most…at least recently. She truly was so very good…a truly pure soul.

"I'm so proud of you midget…" Ichigo whispered into Rukia's hair, hugging her briefly.

"Don't call me midget, strawberry." Rukia hissed back, even as she basked in Ichigo's touch, however brief it might be.

Ichigo just chuckled and, almost without noticing, guided her around so they could begin making their way to the Kurosaki clinic, a pair of softly smiling twins and a still bewildered Isshin following silently after them.

"Oh." Rukia said, suddenly turning over her shoulder, at the still kneeling Kisuke. "And next time Urahara, just ask."

"Such a pure soul…" Tessai commented from the door of the Shouten. "I have no doubt that she and Kurosaki Ichigo will go far…"

"You have no idea how much…" Yoruichi muttered under her breath.

Yoruichi realized there was much she didn't know. The teens didn't trust her enough to tell her even half of what was going on with them, and she could see that. But she wasn't blind, she could see how accepting the 'matriarch' of the Nagaken Clan was of the Kurosaki siblings even before they were all adopted into the Clan, and it wasn't just Karin's doing; she could see how Ichigo carried himself, at times acting all the part of a noble, even if during normal times he was barely respectful at all; Karin knew a lot more than what she said, and even if the rest of the Nakama didn't know everything, they still knew more than Yoruichi; and the power Ichigo had, it was not normal, not even for a shinketsu…she wondered if Kisuke, Isshin, or even Ryuuken realized that?

"It's not only those two, but all of them." Kisuke whispered as he finally got back on his feet. "They may be human, and not yet out of their teens, but they're still powerful, strong-willed and noble to a fault. Nakama indeed…they will all make it far…"

xXx

The next day, amidst some traditional Mexican music and food and as many anecdotes as Chad could recall for those present, in particular Rukia, Oscar Joaquin de la Rosa, Chad's abuelo, was fondly remembered.

Rukia in particular couldn't help but wonder if the old man could possibly still be in Soul Society. She knew that even if he was, the chances of finding him were very low, and even if she did it would most likely take her a very long time. Still, she decided she just might try it at some point, if only to give something special to Chad, Spirits knew the young man deserved it after everything he had done and kept on doing. Others like Kurosaki Masaki, Ishida Souken and Inoue Sora would be harder if not impossible. The first was likely to still be in Grand Fisher, since the hollow had yet to be defeated; the second, it actually depended on how much of what Kurotsuchi claimed was true, the old man may not even exist at all anymore; and the third…he'd been a hollow, and for what she knew Ichigo and Uryuu had had trouble with it, since it was the first time they'd actually fought a hollow, Orihime seemed to believe he'd been purified, but had he truly? If so, people who'd been hollows rarely, if ever, remembered their time before Soul Society; and if not, where was he exactly?

Still, the whole talk about their 'dearly departed' had reminded Rukia, yet again of Shiba Kaien, and how she'd finally managed to put that particular ghost to rest shortly after her near-execution, the day before Ichigo and the others were given clean bills of health and left the 4th barracks as a matter of fact:

Wearing a dark mauve colored yukata with small pale-pink flowers and a cream colored obi with traditional sandals, Rukia made her way at normal pace (no shunpo) to where Shihouin Yoruichi had been able to tell her the Shiba lived. Apparently she was on very good terms with both of the remaining members of the Clan, particularly Kuukaku, Kaien's sister and the current Head of Clan (or she would be, if the Clan hadn't fallen in disgrace). Yoruichi had gone as far as telling Rukia that the preliminary plan for the Nakama's infiltration into Seireitei had them using Kuukaku's cannon to break into the Court from above. The fact that Isshin had revealed himself to his children and the teenagers had ended up using resources of the Nagaken Clan to get past the gates without being stopped or even noticed had made that part of the plan unnecessary, still, the thought had been there, and Kuukaku had even been informed, after the fact, of how things could have gone. The woman apparently had found the entire situation extremely funny, even if she had complained on 'missing the fun'.

Still, none of that made Rukia feel any better as she mentally prepared herself to confront her past for the final time. The talk with her nakama at the cemetery on Kurosaki Masaki's anniversary had helped her move past the crushing guilt and self-deprecation that had bound her for so long; but she wouldn't be able to fully move past it all until she had been able to offer her apologies to those she had affected the most through her actions, aside from Kaien himself. She wasn't expecting any forgiveness, just an opportunity to apologize herself and offer her condolences to what remained of her former lieutenant, mentor and idol's family.

When she arrived to the place a woman with a prosthetic arm wearing a knee-length skirt and a sleeveless top with a plunging neckline was berating a short man dressed in a kosode and hakama, for something or other.

Rukia didn't need to say a word, her presence was felt by the two, the remaining Shibas, almost immediately, and they both turned in her direction.

"What business do you have here?" Kuukaku demanded in a surprisingly neutral tone.

For a moment Rukia could only sigh, not knowing how exactly to answer that. Did they know who she was? What she was? What she had done?

"Didn't you hear my nee-san, girl?" The young man, Ganju, demanded strongly.

Rukia didn't answer, just watching Kuukaku in silence as if trying to convey the questions she couldn't voice in just that one look.

"I know who you are." Kuukaku answered the unasked question. "Kuchiki Rukia, the shinigami that killed aniki…"

The reaction was instantaneous, as Ganju jumped to his feet, as he'd been kneeling and instantly made a move to leap at her, Rukia was so surprised she didn't know what to do. In the end she didn't need to do anything, as Kuukaku extended a hand and stopped her brother mid-move, pushing him back down.

"Nee-san?!" The young man complained.

"Shut it Ganju." Kuukaku snapped at her younger brother before turning back to Rukia. "Yet again, I ask, what business do you have here?"

A bit surprised that the older Shiba had stopped the other one from trying to attack her, Rukia took a deep breath and moved into a deep bow in the direction of both Shibas.

"I'm sorry!" She said, her voice ringing with emotion, a mix of guilt and shame, as well as the slightest relief…

Both Shibas were absolutely shocked, even as Ganjuu slowly got back on his feet. Neither of them said a word, just allowing Rukia to get it off her chest.

"I have always thought that I needed to apologize," Rukia went on, still without straightening. "But I'm a coward so…all I've ever done was run away. That's why it has taken me so long to get here. I just…I didn't know what to do. Until recently…when I realized I just had to do it, I had to come and offer my deepest apologies and my condolences, even though I know I deserve no forgiveness for what happened and…" she finally rose, though her head was still cast down. "I'm sorry…I really am!"

"Enough." Kuukaku stopped her with a sigh.

"Huh?" Rukia hadn't been expecting that.

"That's enough, stop apologizing." Kuukaku said as she turned her back to Rukia with a sigh.

"Wha…" Ganju seemed even more shocked by the whole situation than even Rukia. "What do you mean nee-san?! You can't have forgiven this stinky shinigami already!"

Rukia winced at the insult, while not a very strong one, her emotions were already in a roller-coaster, which made things all the harder.

"Shut up, idiot!" Kuukaku punched Ganjuu on the back of the head before turning back to face the shinigami. "Ukitake told me everything already; shortly after it happened actually. He told me the truth of what transpired that night, sparing me no detail…He made me understand how it had been Kaien's decision to fight that hollow, and on his own, how his death wasn't in any way your fault…and how remorseful and sad you have been since, how you blamed yourself. Therefore, I had already made up my mind a long time ago, that if I ever heard you apologizing to me I'd let everything go. So that's enough."

"Thank you." Rukia really could find no other words as she bowed slightly again.

"Enough I said!" Kuukaku snapped, this time at her. "Besides, Yoruichi came to see me. She told me what you did. How you bequeathed your powers to a human to save him and his family, how you were going to be executed for doing that, until that same human and his friends saved you last week." The woman sighed. "What you did, was exactly what aniki would have done. You honored his teachings and his memory through your actions. I don't think he would have asked for more…so neither will I."

Ganju was obviously shocked at hearing that, having heard nothing of it before. A shinigami who'd made such sacrifices, who had been willing to die for a human? And it was the same shinigami who had killed his beloved older brother?

"Thank you." Rukia repeated.

Really, what else could she have said?

"Are you alright, midget?" Ichigo inquired.

The orange haired young man's question broke Rukia out of her thoughts. Things were over for the day and all the Nakama had split to go to their own homes already. Ichigo and Rukia had stopped at a bridge that crossed over the Karasu river as Ichigo himself remembered the past, only apparently Rukia had taken longer than him in her 'trip down memory lane'.

"Yes, fine." She said slowly.

Ichigo knew something was most definitely wrong when she didn't call him strawberry, or at least complain about him calling her midget.

"What are you thinking about now?" Ichigo asked, with considerable softness.

Rukia wondered if she should answer the question, but then she looked at him, at the quiet expectation in his eyes, the desire to help her somehow. And while it was unlikely that he would be able to do anything, something in his face convinced her to be honest.

"I talked to the Shibas." She declared, eyes to the river. "The day before you all left the 4th in fact. I finally went there and confronted my past, my sins…"

"Is this about the man you were forced to kill when he was possessed by that hollow?" Ichigo asked solemnly, remembering the cemetery.

"Yes." Rukia nodded. "Shiba Kaien-dono, he was my fukutaichou; and he was also my first friend in the Gotei 13, the one person who believed in me when even I didn't, my mentor…he helped me finish my education in the shinigami arts, since Nii-sama pulled me out of the Academy when the Kuchiki Clan adopted me, high nobles don't go to the Academy…Karin's case notwithstanding; he also helped me discover Sode no Shirayuki's first two dances. He was my idol, my role model, and, in a way, my platonic love." She sighed. "I don't think I was ever truly in love with him. I mean, he was married, Miyako-dono was the 3rd seat, a woman both beautiful and with incredible power. The two were well-suited together."

"You told us a hollow killed her and her team, and then used her form to attack the rest of the Division." Ichigo remembered.

"Yes." Rukia nodded solemnly. "Kaien-dono went after the hollow to avenge his wife and his men; made that fight one of pride, and it ended up costing him his life…"

Ichigo nodded, he remembered that day, and everything she'd told them.

"Shiba Kuukaku-san, Kaien-dono's sister, she forgave me." Rukia pointed out softly. "Despite all the pain I caused her and her other brother, Ganju-san, she still forgave me."

"She knew you were not to be blamed." Ichigo declared as if it were so simple.

"Ichigo…" Rukia wanted to tell him he didn't understand, that he couldn't and yet…

"I know it's painful for you to think and talk about all this." Ichigo said surprisingly softly. "But what happened wasn't your fault. I know that Shiba Kaien would have never held the whole thing against you." He sighed. "I know because, had I been in his place, I would have preferred for you to kill me rather than allow me to become a complete monster…"

Rukia drowned her own gasp as she covered her mouth with her own hands. From all the things she could have expected from him, that was not one of them. And yet…and yet it was just so Ichigo, to choose death before hurting anyone…

"You really are so alike…" Rukia murmured under her breath. "And not just physically, it seems. Both so strong, in body, and spirit, and will…so strong, and so stupid…"

And it is that no matter how much time passed, once she'd gotten over her own actions that night, she couldn't help but think that it had been stupid for her mentor to make that battle one of pride, if he hadn't, if he had allowed her to help then maybe, just maybe…In any case, what was done was done, and no wishful thinking would ever change the past.

"All we can do now is to move on…" Ichigo declared right then, apparently finishing some kind of speech Rukia had heard nothing of.

"Move on…" She repeated, half-wistfully.

"Yeah." Ichigo smirked then. "Now come on midget, we have a few weeks left of our summer break and we're not going to waste them." He began walking again.

"No, we're not." Rukia agreed, and then thought about something. "And don't call me midget, you giant strawberry!"

A few steps in front of her, Ichigo could only laugh.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16. The Honorable Dragon

The Nakama's return to school hadn't been as peaceful or eventless as they had expected. In fact, it had been all the opposite. First there were Ichigo's strangely changing moods, one moment he was excessively over protective in regards to Rukia, going as far as nearly growling at anyone other than a Nakama who approached her, others he seemed to not care at all. Tatsuki's own moods seemed a bit volatile, especially when shinigami from the Gotei 13 were mentioned, though not even she knew the cause. Orihime was strangely melancholic most of the time, and when she wasn't she kept glancing at Tatsuki with a mix of confusion and suspicion that no one understood. Rukia would take turns fingering the hairclip which imitated the kanzashi Ichigo had given her as wedding present, and a white-gold cuff-bracelet with intricate cherry blossoms, plum blossoms and snowflakes engraved (representing the three Kuchikis) that Byakuya had given her as a wedding gift; she was at times happy and at times exasperated at Ichigo's protectiveness, as well as some times upset and sometimes uncaring of when he showed no emotion at all. Uryuu found himself doubting the decision he'd made at Soukyoku Hill of leaving Kurotsuchi alive, frequently afraid of what the man might attempt against either him or one of his nakama, and how it would partly his fault if such a thing happened for not having stopped the man in time. Chad could only watch his friends, feeling helpless at not knowing what to do to aid them, and at the same time wondering if 'going back to their routines' wasn't in fact more complicated than the time they'd spent in Soul Society after the conflict against the shinigami was over. Karin was of two minds regarding her own situation, wishing she could go back to how easy things used to be before Rukia and Soul Society, and at the same time thankful that she had people like Toushirou and Rangiku back in her life; wanting to go and get rid of Aizen already while at the same time fearful that she might not gain enough control of her own power in time to truly be able to face the man-monster. Yuzu was the only who didn't seem to have been affected by the recent events, though she still felt a certain pain at seeing everyone else in their respective conditions and not being able to help, but truth be told, she didn't even really understand most of the things the others seemed to be going through. Chizuru, Keigo and Mizuiro had no idea what was going on and could only wonder if things would ever go back to how they'd been…

Then, Urahara had gone and messed things up even more. With his own so-called games, in which he actually involved the rest of the people in the Shouten, and even his three newest gikon, which had been created for Karin, Rukia and Tatsuki to use: Nova, Ririn and Kai.

It had taken no time at all for the Nakama to realize that the so-called threats were bluffs. The labyrinth in the museum had been nothing but illusions, and that the one behind it all was someone they knew pretty well already.

The moment they had gotten to the 'misty' training grounds beneath the shouten most of the Nakama had made sure to take down the three 'attackers' easily enough before Ichigo had gone straight after Urahara. However, Rukia happened to get there first, and she kicked the former shinigami in the shin with enough force to nearly break his leg.

"What did I say to you the last time?!" She demanded furiously. "Next time, ask! Whatever the hell is going on, didn't you think to ask for our help instead of trying to drive us crazy with a bunch of stupid tests?"

"You underestimated us all, painfully so." Uryuu said sardonically. "I mean, really, a room in a museum where the ground falls apart? Even if you could have made such modifications on private property, several of us have abilities that allow us to Stand On Air!"

"Trying to plant an impostor among us?" Ichigo drawled then. "Please! Even if we hadn't been such a tight team for nearly three years there was just no way we could have fallen for that! Even with my less-than-stellar control I can know when the aura I'm feeling is that of one of my nakama, or a Gikongan!"

"Yes, we know they're gikongan." Tatsuki clarified, seeing the stupefied expression in the shopkeeper's face. "And I have a feeling they're actually Our gikongan…"

They all turned to look at the three females in the temporary gigais, neither looked like much, but the Nakama had already had the chance to see them in action: Kai was actually an older model, the same generation as Kon, and the body she inhabited would automatically gain superhuman strength in the limbs; the other two had been recently created by Urahara and had more elaborate abilities: Nova could teleport short distances through what seemed like black holes, while Ririn could create illusions.

Also, as they would learn in the next hours, both Nova and Ririn could track down the new enemies that had appeared: the Bounts.

xXx

The Nakama first encounter with the Bount was less than stellar. Chad and Orihime had arrived too late to a warehouse to stop a male Bount from consuming the soul of a man; while Ichigo had been unable to defeat a female Bount and her doll made of fire and stone. If it hadn't been for Rukia's timely arrival things might have been a lot worse, but when the obsidian haired shinigami was about to unleash her shikai, the male Bount Chad and Orihime had seen earlier arrived and took the female away.

The second fight hadn't gone any better than the first, especially when Uryuu was taken by surprise and abducted. In the end it turned out that the female Bount Souma Yoshino wasn't really evil, at least not to the degree the rest of the Bounts were, and she helped the quincy some, eventually getting him to a hospital.

Ryuuken had blown a gasket, though only the Nakama, who knew him so well, realized how affected he'd been by the whole situation. He was especially angry at the doctors and nurses of the shift who were unable to tell him who had delivered his son to the hospital, when, how and why. All the doctors knew was that a woman had left him there and that the teenager had a concussion and a twisted arm.

After getting most of the Nakama to Karakura General, Uryuu informed them that, according to Yoshino, there was a man called Kariya Jin who had broken the ancient laws of the Bount and began consuming living souls, others had followed him and they were all getting more powerful than ever. Those actions of theirs would have the side-effect of creating a connection to the 'World of Death' which in turn would create a huge imbalance in the worlds, besides being extremely dangerous, as hollows would be able to get to the Human World, much faster than shinigami could. Also, somehow, Uryuu himself was the main target of the Bounts, for being a Quincy, though not even the woman knew why exactly, or if she did, she hadn't said. Ichigo could see there was something else bothering his friend, something aside from the fact that he'd been taken captive, but had no idea what it may be.

Ryuuken decided to keep his distance from the situation, unless things got out of control, Uryuu had made sure the Bount-woman believed he was the only Quincy, it would be too risky for the innocent, normal humans if Dr. Ishida Ryuuken were to become a target.

Then, to make matters even worse, the hospital was attacked anyway, by a pair of Bount twins whose doll could control water.

It took a great effort for the Nakama who had been guarding Uryuu: Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime, Tatsuki and Chad, to get out of the hospital without innocents getting hurt, but in the end they ended up in an even worse situation when they realized outside it was raining…

"What do we do now?" Orihime asked, fearful.

"Run." Ichigo ordered, to everyone's surprise. "We cannot fight here. Innocents could get hurt!" he turned to Chad. "Can you keep carrying Uryuu?"

Chad nodded right away and they all set off running.

It took them a while, but eventually they reached a construction site where they would go sometimes to train, before Urahara had offered his place. There they set down Uryuu who could only curse under his breath that his concussion and the fever he had didn't allow him to focus enough to use his powers.

"Orihime." Ichigo called seriously. "I want you to use Souten Kisshun, seal yourself with Tatsuki and Uryuu so those Bounts cannot hurt you."

"Ichigo!" Tatsuki and Uryuu complained at the same time.

"I know what you're capable of Tatsuki." Ichigo assured her. "But hits and cuts aren't gonna be enough against this enemy. The same goes for you Uryuu, even if you could use your abilities, they wouldn't work for this. Rukia, Chad and I will handle it."

Still a bit reluctant Orihime called on her shield, which she usually used for healing, and enveloped herself, Tatsuki and Uryuu in it, making sure to seal the dome completely so no water could get in.

Her determination and character were tested just a few minutes later, when even Rukia freely using shikai didn't seem to be enough, it seemed like the water turning to ice didn't stop the Bounts from being able to manipulate it, and eventually the ice would begin to melt. Soon all three fighters were on their knees, the water had gotten into them, and the Bounts were threatening to use it to tear them apart.

"No!" Orihime cried out in panic, raising a hand to her temple.

"No." Tatsuki stopped. "Orihime, you cannot do anything."

"But…Tatsuki-chan…" Orihime was suffering, very much.

"I know how much it hurts, but if you lose focus even for a second the shield will come down. And what good will we be then?" Tatsuki asked somewhat bitterly. "I too wish we could do something, but right now all we can do is follow his orders…"

Orihime nodded, it hurt her not to even try to help her nakama, but Tatsuki was right, Ichigo had asked something of them, and if she tried to help others, Uryuu would be at risk. She had to hope, believe her nakama would make it alright.

Ichigo was in pain, and it was more than just the water burning his lungs, the particles threatening to tear his body into pieces; it was seeing Rukia on her knees, clawing at her own neck and chest, trying to take a breath when such a thing was impossible. In that moment he realized there was nothing he wanted more, nothing he would ever want more, than to keep Rukia safe and happy…

"Enmouchou!" A strong voice suddenly called.

The Bount twins had no idea what was going, when suddenly what looked like a child-sized bird made of flames flew straight through the place, it was hot enough to turn all water, and even the ice into steam almost instantly.

"What the hell…" One of the twins called.

"Who's there?!" The other demanded.

"You made a huge mistake," A steeled female voice called. "in messing with my nakama and my family…I'll make you pay."

Ichigo, half-unconscious already, managed to turn around just enough to see no other than Karin standing in the entrance to the building, dressed in her modified shihakusho, zanpakutou in hand in the form of the naginata.

"You cannot defeat us!" The twins called unanimously. "Our dolls will drown you as well! They will drown you all, and then we'll eat your souls."

"As if." Karin scoffed. "For going against those I care for, you'll pay."

The water-dolls went straight at them, but Karin didn't seem the least bit afraid.

"Reihinote Kizu!" She called simply as she began slashing at the water.

Unlike her brother, who's cut seemed to do nothing but separate the water for a very brief time, hers, with the command attached, was enough to vaporize all the water it touched.

"How are you doing that?!" One of the twins demanded.

"Fire is my power." Karin explained simply as she shunpoed until she was just a couple of feet from the Bounts. "Like I said, you made a mistake attacking my nakama." In an instant she had quickly pierced the ground at each of the Bount's feet, then she held her naginata up and called another attack. "Hibashira!"

From the point on the ground where her blade had pierced a column of fire rose; the same kind of fire the bird had been made of, it turned the Bounts into ashes in an instant.

Which in turn freed the nakama, allowing them to cough out all the water in their lungs, and breath once again.

"Rukia…" Ichigo murmured, half-crawling to the other shinigami. "Are you alright?"

Rukia just took hold of his shihakusho while panting, her throat hurt too much for her to talk in that moment; and while she would never admit it, she had been so afraid…all she wanted in that moment was to hold and be held, to anchor herself, to allow herself to believe that they were alright, that they were alive.

"Sh…Rukia…" Ichigo whispered into her hair as he held her tightly. "It's alright, we're all safe now…Karin saved us…We're ok…"

Rukia nodded and buried her head in his chest. For a moment, just for one moment, she wanted to bask in that warmth, in that safety only Ichigo could give her.

"Thank you…Karin-chan…" Ichigo whispered softly to his sister.

Karin nodded, she was just happy she'd gotten there in time. If she had been even a minute later…she didn't even want to think about that.

xXx

What no one was expecting was for Uryuu to leave the penthouse where he lived with his father to go looking for Yoshino as soon as he was better. And even worse, to later go and get captured, along with the woman, by the other Bounts!

Ichigo, Rukia, Tatsuki, Chad and Orihime had gone to get Uryuu back; with some effort managing to convince Karin and Yuzu to stay behind just in case. It hadn't gone well. Chad and Orihime had gotten lost in the woods surrounding the Bount manor, Ichigo had been unable to keep up against the Bount Utagawa Ryo; and when Rukia and Tatsuki had met the former-shinigami Ichinose Maki, things hadn't gone very well on their end either. Tatsuki had been knocked out, before Rukia and Ichinose had clashed.

It was sensing the danger Rukia was in that finally gave Ichigo the push he needed, he enveloped himself in reiatsu and managed to counter Utagawa's attack. Only for their battle to be interrupted when the Bount, instead of continuing his attack against him had turned against his own leader.

It hadn't worked. Ichinose had abandoned his fight with Rukia and gone to kill Utagawa when the Bount tried to go against Kariya. Ichigo could only watch in confusion, wondering what was going on. Why had one of the Bounts tried to attack their so-called leader? Why was a shinigami helping the Bounts?

That battle had ended up being even worse than the one against Utagawa, and the worst part came when Kariya moved against him. Thanks to Shiro Ichigo managed to survive, but it was still a very bad situation.

In the end they only managed to all make it out of that manor alive because Karin got tired of waiting and attacked the manor in that very moment; then she, Yoruichi and Yuzu helped everyone get out in the chaos created by the fire Karin herself started. They even managed to take Yoshino with them in the confusion.

Once back at the Shouten Tessai, Yuzu and Hanatarou could work on the injured, in particular Uryuu and Yoshino. The others meanwhile discovered that Hanatarou had arrived to Karakura along with Renji, they were supposed to act as backup for the Nakama, as well as give them what new information they had thus far. It wasn't good, they still had no idea what the Bounts were planning exactly, aside from consuming more living-human souls; though most have begun thinking that Kariya wanted to get to Hueco Mundo, judging from what Yoshino had told Uryuu before. In any case, Renji informed that things would get worse, more living humans would be attacked very soon. It most definitely was not good. Not at all.

Their efforts seemed to be for naught in the end. Yoshino decided to confront Kariya, ended being killed, and her essence was used by Kariya to create the Bittos, which would latter allow him, and all the other Bount, to consume pure souls without having to actually attack the humans themselves, since the insect-like dolls would do it for them. So, Yoshino died, Kariya got what he wanted; and Karakura seemed to be in more danger than ever before.

On that night, Ichigo went looking for Uryuu, deciding they had all let the quincy 'have time to himself' for too long. If they didn't confront him soon things would get worse. It took a while, but eventually Ichigo managed to track Uryuu to a roof, on a half-destroyed building, the place where Yoshino had lived, the place where Koga had kidnapped the two of them from several days before…

For several seconds Ichigo stood behind a metal base that held tanks of water, just watching the person he would arguably call his best friend, sitting on the edge of the roof, silently watching the clouded sky.

"I know you're there, Ichigo." Uryuu said out-loud after a while.

Ichigo didn't answer, simply went to sit beside Uryuu, something not so easy with the long haori he still wore over his shihakusho.

"So, the others sent you?" Uryuu asked eventually.

"As if." Ichigo snorted. "I sent myself." He shook his head. "I realize you're grieving for the death of Yoshino, even if I have no idea of why exactly that is…Anyway, you do know that pulling yourself from everyone won't solve anything right?"

Uryuu sighed, trust Ichigo to tell him that precisely.

"I know it sounds a bit hypocritical coming from me." Ichigo knew what he was thinking. "But it's precisely because I've been there that I know, pulling away doesn't work. You just end up hurting everyone. And…"

"She liked me…" Uryuu blurted out unexpectedly.

Ichigo blinked, as his brain forgot what he'd been trying to say, to instead try and process what Uryuu had just told him.

"She told me I reminded her of the one man she ever truly loved…" Uryuu elaborated. "Ishida Herrmann…the first Quincy of the Ishida line…Yoshino said I look exactly like him, it's what convinced her to turn her back on Kariya and help me instead; it was also what gave her the motivation to fight Kariya in the end…even when she knew it was likely to mean her death…"

"Uryuu…" Ichigo really didn't know what to say to that.

"I think a part of her actually thought I was him, Herrmann I mean." Uryuu said with a sigh. "That maybe he'd been reincarnated in me or something like that…"

"It's not impossible you know? I mean, there's Karin…and who knows who else?"

"If I truly am Herrmann, then it would just have made her torture all the worse. For her to have fallen in love with the same man twice, and to be rejected twice…"

"How do you know Herrmann didn't love her?"

"Because if he had, I wouldn't be here. Besides, she always said she'd loved him, but never said anything about him corresponding that love…"

Ichigo really didn't know what to say to that. It's not like it was Uryuu's, or Herrmann's fault (whether they were the same person or not), who they loved, or if they couldn't share the feelings someone else had for them. Still, it explained why his friend was in such a funk; if Yoshino had really done what she did for him…then it was no surprise that Uryuu felt so responsible for the whole thing.

"The word eternal exists for those with a limited life…" Uryuu said bitterly.

"Eh?" Ichigo was confused yet again, where had that come from.

"She told me that." Uryuu explained. "When we talked about her past. About how Kariya had tricked her into believing they loved each other; and how she later fell in love with Herrmann. She told me how she stopped believing in 'happily ever afters' and eternal love."

"Isn't that a bit…I don't know, cynic?" Ichigo asked slowly. "I mean, one, or two failures don't amount for the whole world, or all time…"

"She was immortal, Ichigo." Uryuu reminded her. "She lived for centuries, and the two times she thought she'd found love…it was for naught. And in the end she died in the arms of the descendant of one man who couldn't love her, by the hand of a man who all along only wanted to use her." He shook his head. "I think she had more than enough reason to be more than a bit 'cynic' as you put it."

"Maybe." Ichigo admitted. "But, if you really begin to believe things are as she says, then what hope is there for the rest of the world? If she, who had centuries, couldn't find love, what of us mere mortals who at most will have a century or so?"

"You do realize that being a shinigami, and a shinketsu doesn't exactly qualify as being a 'mere mortal', right?"

"True." Ichigo admitted. "But like you said, I'm a shinigami, I'm more likely to die than even 'mere mortals'…"

"Now you're just being morbid."

"Maybe, maybe not. After fighting Kariya, after feeling just how powerful he is, and realizing he wants even more power…I doubt he's the only one out there more powerful than I. There probably will always be people, mortal or immortal, more powerful than I. What happens when I get into a fight I can't win? A fight I can't walk out of?"

Uryuu had to silently admit he didn't have an answer to that.

"But you at least have a chance of finding someone worth being with." Uryuu pointed out after a long silence. "Or are you going to tell me that your marriage to Rukia is really nothing more than convenience?"

"My marriage to Rukia…" Ichigo repeated, covering his face in one hand in a gesture of either tiredness or exasperation. "I honestly don't know…"

xXx

After that day, things seemed to just keep getting worse. As the Bitto targeted living humans to collect and purify their souls so the Bounts could drink them. It got to such a point that it was all over the news: the fact that so many people had gone missing in a matter of days, and even those who were found were in the worst kind of commas any hospital had ever seen.

Ryuuken was the only one who realized what happened to those people. Not enough of their souls had been consumed for them to disintegrate; and still they didn't have enough left to actually live. They weren't dead, but not alive either, and there was nothing he, or even Yuzu or Orihime, could do to help them…

The point came when the Nakama decided it was time to fight back and they went out in teams, to hunt down the bitto, and if possible, the Bounts. However, without them realizing, they went from being predators to the prey.

Tatsuki went first, she hadn't actually been able to be with the others before, as busy as she was in her home, making sure that, no matter what happened, her parents wouldn't go out; it had caused a huge fight between them, but as much as they at times didn't seem to care about her, she still didn't want them to die. In the end she'd left Kai in her body with them, just in case something happened.

It had been Tatsuki's intention to meet with one of her Nakama and go from there, but in the way she instead found a boy who was being targeted by the bitto. She knew him well, his name was Minoru, she'd babysat him many times. So without thinking much about it Tatsuki had activated her powers and thrown herself into battle against the horrible dolls.

It seemed to work at first, but eventually there were just too many bitto, and Tatsuki egan wondering if she was going to die…

"Howl, Zabimaru!" A voice called from a side.

Tatsuki turned just in time to see Renji, in his shinigami attire, as he began battling the bitto to protect her and the boy who'd fainted in fright already.

"Abarai?" she asked, confused.

Up until that point she had only seen the read-headed shinigami a couple of times. And always when he was in a gigai and she in her body. She knew he wasn't an enemy, that he was in fact Rukia's childhood friend, Tatsuki still find the idea of trusting him hard after what she knew he'd done to Uryuu and tried to do to Ichigo, and of course the fact that he'd been one of the ones to arrest Rukia and take her back to Soul Society.

"It's alright Arisawa, I'm here to help." He assured her without turning around.

He used his shikai several times to destroy the bitto surrounding them before finally nodding in satisfaction and turning to see her, when he did he suddenly froze in shock.

"Abarai?" Tatsuki asked, confused at his attitude. "Abarai? Renji?!"

She couldn't understand. Why was he looking at her like that? She knew he'd never seen her in spirit-form, but it's not like she looked that different, yes, she was in a yukata, and she at times believed she might look a little bit older, like more mature, but it still wasn't that drastic a difference, was it?

"Sh…Shu?" Renji stuttered suddenly. "Shu-Yung?" he blinked several times, as if trying to convince himself what he was seeing was real. "Shu-Yung, is that you?"

"Eh?" Tatsuki had honestly no idea what he was talking about. "What the hell are you talking about Abarai? Who are you confusing me with?"

There was no time for an answer, as right then over a hundred bitto suddenly flew at them. Tatsuki froze, she knew there was no way they would be able to fight them all. Renji knew it too, so instead he took a hold of Tatsuki, making sure she was covering the unconscious boy at the same time, and then covered their bodies with his.

It began a second later, with half-contained winces and flinches and groans; and then Tatsuki could feel his reiatsu diminish so fast it staggered her.

"Wha…" Tatsuki didn't understand. "What are you doing? Fool! You're gonna get killed!"

Really, why was he protecting her? Why was he risking his own life to protect hers? Was it for that person he had named? That Shu-Yung? Who was she? Why had Renji called her that? She got no answer, instead, Renji eventually collapsed upon her.

"Fool!" Tatsuki practically screeched, losing all composure. "Why the hell did you do that?!"

The martial artist had no idea why the bitto had decided to leave, especially when she and Minoru were still alive, but that didn't matter in that moment. The half-dead and unconscious Abarai Renji did.

"Stupid!" Tatsuki yelled at him. "Don't you dare die on me, you hear?! Don't you dare die!"

It was only fortunate that Jinta arrived right then, Tatsuki made the redheaded boy take hold of Minoru while she herself somehow managed to hold Renji up, then they began moving as fast as they could in the direction of the Shouten, hoping Yuzu, Hanatarou, Tessai, or anyone really would be able to help.

Chad, Nova and Karin had been following Karin's gikon in the girl's own body, trying to track down one of the Bount. They got to the park, where Nova assured them the hollow was, though neither of them could find him. That is, at least, until the hollow decided to attack.

It took the old Bount Sawatari, little time to notice that Karin was, by far, the most powerful of his opponents, so he arranged for a suitable trap and ended up having his doll swallow the petite shinigami. However, what he never expected was for Chad to have such a violent reaction to the event. He didn't know that the half-Mexican man had once promised to always follow Ichigo, and protect whatever the other wanted to protect; Chad doubted there was anything his friend would ever want to protect more than his own sisters, regardless of how powerful each of them had become recently.

Chad's feelings on the matter were so strong his arm evolved, becoming more stylized, and considerably more powerful, then with help from Nova's teleporting abilities they managed to trick Sawatari and his doll into getting close enough for Chad to punch the strange rock-like doll's underbelly with enough force to force it to let Karin go.

The moment the raven-haired shinigami was out and on her feet she showed just how upset she was at having been captured by the doll by silently calling on her zanpakutou, then on her shikai, and then attacking before Sawatari even knew what was going on:

"Enmouchou!" She cried out as she slashed her naginata straight downwards in front of her.

From the vertical line of fire Karin had formed in the air a bird made out of bright live flames came, then it went straight at Sawatari. And no matter how much the old Bount commanded his doll to keep moving, the fire-bird didn't stop until it eventually did reach them, burning both Bount and doll badly.

"Stupid girl!" Sawatari cursed under his breath.

And yet he knew better than to keep the fight going, no matter how much more powerful he may be than before, it still wasn't enough to defeat that shinigami girl, not yet. So he fled.

xXx

On another part of town, Ichigo went furious when finding another of his nakama, and one who hadn't even been involved in the conflict up to that point, had been attacked by the bitto. He'd reached the point where he might not recover, and that made him so angry he threw himself at the tall Bount and his metal-doll the moment they appeared.

That same fury blinded him, despite Zangetsu's and Shiro's insistent warnings, to the point where, in a matter of minutes, Ichigo ended up trapped by what looked like a metal spider-web; an opportunity the doll took to hit him again and again, until his shihakusho was half in tatters and he was bleeding freely from cuts all over his torso.

The moment came when the doll, Dalk, took hold of Ichigo's zanpakutou and moved to spear Ichigo through with it.

*Ichigo/Aibou!* The screams came from inside Ichigo himself.

The shinigami daiko didn't move, simply allowing the zanpakutou to run him through. And yet, to both Koga's and Dalk's surprise, no blood came from the wound.

"What the…" It was obvious the doll didn't understand what was happening.

"Shi…ro-nii…san…" Ichigo muttered, half-unconscious already.

*I'm here aibou…nii-san…* Shiro whispered back. *Rest now, I will take care of this.*

"Ok…" Ichigo replied, finally closing his eyes.

It was as if Ichigo's reiatsu disappeared for just an instant. In the next it was rising yet again, though the essence was wrong, and both Koga and Dalk could feel it.

Next they knew, pieces of the metal spider-web were falling away, as the new reiatsu became so strong they could no longer hold the daiko back. A suddenly considerably paler hand took hold of the blade spearing him and pulled it out as if it were no big deal, and it really wasn't, not for him, and then moved to face the enemy.

"How…?" Koga asked, shocked. "How can you have been speared by that blade and yet not bleed from that wound? You should be dead?!"

"Because it's my blade, idiot." Shiro scoffed. "You bastards cannot hurt me with my own zanpakutou. It'll never happen."

"Ah…" Koga nodded in understanding. "And interesting trick. And who are you?"

"Je…" Shiro actually chuckled as he took a stance. "So you realize I'm not Ichigo."

"I thought you were just a shinigami daiko, yet the way you are now…" Koga's brows furrowed slightly. "And your eyes, black with yellow. You may the same body, but you aren't the same individual, are you?"

"And we have a winner!" Shiro cried out sarcastically. "Yes, Ichigo is a shinigami daiko. Me…I am, you could say, his better, darker half…"

"Where is the shinigami?" Dalk wanted to know, frustrated for not being able to kill him.

"Resting." Shiro shrugged. "I told him I would handle this. And we don't really have time. The snow-princess is fighting and we have to get that crybaby to safety too."

Koga could see that despite how much colder, and in a way, darker the new personality, or spirit, or whichever, fighting him was, he still seemed to hold the same basic ideals and loyalties as the shinigami he'd been originally fighting. The Bount really didn't understand what the difference was supposed to be.

He never would. Shiro wasn't like Ichigo, even if he was as loyal as his other half to the Nakama, and his family, he didn't have the compassion, and mercy that Ichigo did. The only reason Koga and Dalk didn't die that night was because they chose to run and Shiro decided not to pursue them, knowing Keigo needed immediate assistance if he was to survive.

"Well, there you go Aibou, the body's all yours." Shiro declared as he closed his eyes.

When the eyes opened again they were no longer the yellow on black, but back to the usual chocolate-brown on white. Ichigo was back, and totally healed, thanks to Shiro's regenerative powers, which had automatically activated when he'd taken over.

"Thank you, Nii-san…" Ichigo whispered softly.

*Thank you, Aibou.* Shiro replied, once more inside his soul. *That was one entertaining fight, even if the damned cowards chose to flee in the end.*

"At least Keigo is still alive." Ichigo declared. "I have to get him to Yuzu and Hanatarou, then go find Rukia and Ririn."

xXx

Ururu and Uryuu were the only ones who hadn't gone after any of the Bounts, not even gotten in place to act as backup for someone else; instead they took positions on the rooftop of the highest building they could find in Karakura and, taking advantage of their particular talents to take multiple enemies at once (she with her bazooka, he with the Ginrei Kojaku bow his father had granted him recently), they worked on taking down as many bitto as they could before the Bount realized what was going on and pulled their insect-like dolls back.

They knew it wasn't much action, especially compared with what some of the others were going through, but they were taking advantage of their own abilities to protect the city, the innocent humans, and even their own nakama the best way possible.

xXx

In the warehouse area, Rukia and Ririn, who had separated from Ichigo, had met up with Yuzu and Orihime, who had likewise separated from Chad, Karin and Nova in their search for Renji, whose reiatsu they could all feel was dangerously low. What they weren't expected was to be attacked, not by one but two Bount.

At first it was only a woman called Yoshi, with a doll that took the form of a sword and a steel-fan chained together. Orihime had tried to help Rukia fight her, only to discover she couldn't access the second level of her Shun Shun Rikka, and that Tsubaki on the first level just wasn't enough. Yoshi was too fast and her fan/shield to strong.

Things got more complicated when Mabashi arrived with his own doll, a creature that looked like a squirrel dressed as a flower. That particular Bount seemed insane, and almost attacked his own comrade before deciding to just go after half of the Nakama, and leaving the other half to Yoshi.

So Rukia called on her shikai and moved against Yoshi, with Ririn as a backup, using her illusions to allow Rukia more time to use her dances and kidou, and hoping Orihime and Yuzu would be alright with Mabashi meanwhile. What no one could have ever expected was for Ritz, Mabashi's doll, to possess Yuzu and use her to attack Orihime!

"How dare you attack Yuzu-chan!" Rukia cried out, furious.

She wanted nothing more than to go after Mabashi, but even with Ririn's help she was already having trouble against Yoshi.

"It's ok Rukia-san." Orihime said, oddly calm. "I'll handle this."

"You?!" Mabashi had the gall to laugh at the orange-red haired girl. "You can do nothing! You would never dare attack this girl! And she has such talent! She will kill you, and you'll do nothing, nothing at all!"

"Hadou 31, Shakahou!" Yuzu called.

Yuzu's usually warm honey eyes were totally blank in that moment, showing that she had no control over what was going on. Orihime could only thank that since Ritz was manipulating Yuzu's body and not her mind, the Bount couldn't make the girl use her modified kidou, that would have made things all the more delicate and dangerous.

"I will never forgive you for using Yuzu-chan like this!" Orihime cried out in grief. "Tsubaki! Koten Zanshun! I reject!"

She hoped that by using the full kotodama, even if she couldn't call on a second level, it might at least injure Mabashi some, but it was useless. As Ritz made Yuzu move and create a shield to block Orihime's own attack.

Rukia made up her mind then, if Yoshi wouldn't let her help Yuzu and Orihime, then she would defeat the Bount and then move to help Yuzu and Orihime!

"As if you could ever defeat me, little girl!" Yoshi cackled, seeing Rukia's sudden determination and laughing at it.

"We'll see." Rukia declared. "Some no Mai, Tsukishiro!"

Yoshi barely managed to move in time to avoid the pillar of ice, and even then, some ice got stuck to her fan; it was obvious to everyone that it wouldn't have been able to deflect the attack completely if she had chosen to block instead of dodging.

"Very well." Yoshi declared. "It seems you're taking this fight more seriously now. I shall do the same. Die shinigami!"

Orihime for her part could do nothing more than dodge or shield herself from Yuzu's constant attacks, while trying to think of some way to help the girl. She would never forgive herself if Ichigo's sister, if her Nakama, died or worse without her being able to do anything…

The fight went on like that for a while, until eventually Rukia managed to get close enough to Yoshi to slash her on an arm, but in turn the Bount moved her steel-fan fast enough to break Rukia's zanpakutou in two.

"You're finished, shinigami!" Yoshi declared with a triumphal laugh.

"As if…" Rukia scoffed, holding her broken zanpakutou straight while pointing it at Yoshi, then she called: "San no mai, Shirafune!"

It was so sudden Yoshi couldn't activate either her fan or her sword, she managed to moved, and still she ended up with a serious slash on her side and half her torso covered in ice.

"Bitch!" Yoshi hissed at Rukia. "I will make you pay for this shinigami!"

And yet, she still ran…

Rukia gave herself a couple of seconds to recover and mentally pat herself on the back for her victory before spinning around and getting ready to save Yuzu.

"Orihime!" Rukia yelled as she raised her zanpakutou.

"Wait, Rukia-san please!" Orihime stopped her. "Let me do this! Let me save Yuzu-chan myself, please Rukia-san!"

Rukia sighed but still lowered her sword. She understood how the other girl must be feeling, like she wasn't helping at all, if she didn't save Yuzu it would only be worse. So Rukia reluctantly agreed and went to stand beside Ririn, who was holding her bruised arm (of Rukia's own gigai) as she watched the fight.

"Are you really going to let her fight by herself?" Ririn asked, doubtful.

"It's what she wants…" Rukia began, then corrected her. "No, it's what she needs. Orihime-san is hurting for not be able to use the techniques she used on Seireitei when they all went to save me. She needs to prove to everyone, but mostly to herself, that she's still a valuable part of the team, that she's still a Nakama…"

Ririn didn't fully understand, but didn't say anything else. It wasn't like she would be able to make a difference in the battle taking place, so if Rukia was going to just stand there and watch, there was little else Ririn herself could do.

"I will never forgive you…" Orihime whispered before raising her head, determination shining in her violet-gray eyes. "I will never forgive you for hurting Yuzu-chan!"

Rukia and Ririn couldn't help but gasp, as suddenly Orihime was enveloped in an orangeish aura, it was her power, suddenly so strong it was pulsing along with her heartbeat.

"Bring her down Yuzu." Mabashi ordered.

"Hadou 33, Soukatsui!" Yuzu called.

But this time Orihime was prepared, she didn't even need to say a single word, suddenly her Santen Kesshun was floating right in front of her, and it dispersed the attack with no problem. No matter how many times Mabashi made Yuzu attack, Orihime kept dispersing the attacks, like they were nothing, her determination, the strength of her will, her heart and her soul making her far stronger than she'd been even a few minutes before.

"How is this even possible?!" Mabashi demanded.

"Koten Zanshun!" Orihime called right then. "I reject!"

For a moment Mabashi wondered if the girl was really going to attack her friend, but instead the disk of light went straight at him, and Ritz was so focused on making the chestnut haired girl continue her attacks, that no one was there to block the attack and Mabashi had to jump down from the crates he was standing on to avoid it.

That was exactly what Orihime had been waiting for, as she silently dispelled her Santen Kesshun and then went to embrace Yuzu tightly before Mabashi could order his doll to make the girl do anything.

"Shun'o, Ayame," Orihime called the full kotodama, focusing all her power in what her heart desired the most. "Souten Kisshun! I reject!"

Ritz tried to fight to keep control of the girl, but Orihime's heart, her soul, was too strong to allow it. Yuzu was freed, and Ritz was forced back into its sealed form, too weak to attack or try to control anyone else.

"You!" Mabashi growled, furious at the defeat. "I'll kill you all!"

"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" Rukia activated her shikai and attacked as she shunpoed between the Bount and her two Nakama.

Sadly, it was not meant to be. The same former shinigami Tatsuki, Rukia and Ichigo had had to fight before arrived right then and took Mabashi away before Rukia could kill him.

At least the battle had been won and they were all safe. Rukia and Orihime each had defeated a Bount, even if neither had been able to actually kill one. They had still proven the Nakama weren't weak, and that they weren't about to just allow their enemies to do as they wished. Not at all. If it was up to the Nakama the Bounts would die, soon.

xXx

It took a while, but eventually Ichigo got back to the Urahara Shouten with Keigo. Hanatarou, after learning what had happened, asked for Tessai's assistance and transferred some of Ichigo's reiatsu to Keigo to save him. It took a while, but the procedure was a success, the shy shinigami assured Ichigo that Keigo would recover no problem.

"Has anyone else arrived?" Ichigo asked Tessai once it was all done.

"Tatsuki-san, Renji-san and a little boy are in the next room." Tessai informed him. "They arrived about an hour or so ago, with Jinta's help. Apparently there was trouble with the bittos, Renji-san was badly hurt protecting Tatsuki-san and the child."

Ichigo nodded grimly, he didn't like hearing that one of his nakama had been hurt, but at least she was alright, and to know that Renji had helped her…Renji in fact could almost be called a Nakama, almost…but not quite yet.

"I'll wait for them to be better, then ask for details." Ichigo decided.

However, that plan abruptly changed when he heard the door of the next room open and then close again almost abruptly.

"I told you to shut the hell up!" They could all hear Tatsuki half-yelling.

"Shu…" Renji began, in what he probably thought was a soothing tone.

"And stop calling me that already!" Tatsuki snapped. "That's not my name. My name is Tatsuki, Arisawa Tatsuki, not Shu-Yung; or are you too stupid to process that?"

Silently Ichigo exited the room he himself was in, while wondering how good or bad an idea it was to ask Tatsuki and Renji what was going on exactly. She knew that those two hadn't spent much time in each other's company; and without having spent weeks in Seireitei getting to know everyone as more than just opponents, Tatsuki probably still saw Renji as nothing but one of the people who had taken Rukia away from the Nakama, who had taken her to be executed by the laws of their own people. However, there was something else bothering her, the fact that Tatsuki was complaining about Renji calling her by another name…

"You are Shu-Yung!" Renji insisted right then. "I know it. You're her reincarnation or something. But you are her!"

Ichigo almost face-palmed at that point; another reincarnation? Were all of them going to turn out to be former shinigami or something?

"How are you so sure?" Tatsuki asked, suddenly very defensive.

Ichigo wondered if her attitude was part of her 'not-being-interested' in being a shinigami, or something else entirely.

"Because it was I who gave you that yukata!" Renji claimed hotly.

Tatsuki was speechless. Though Ichigo could see shock, and something else, as she looked at herself, at the clothes she was wearing, then at Renji, and then simply bolted out of the place.

"Wait…Shu-Yung!" Renji cried out, unable to shunpo after her, as weak as he still was.

"You know, it might help if you actually stopped calling her by that name." Ichigo informed Renji as he approached the shinigami.

"Are you going to tell me I'm stupid, too?" Renji asked, defensively.

"As much as I would love to…no." Ichigo admitted with a shrug. "I honestly don't know if Tatsuki was at some point this girl you knew. Maybe she was, maybe she wasn't. Maybe her spirit-self wears that yukata for an entirely different reason. Maybe it was something important enough to her past-self, that she brought it along to her new life."

"That's a lot of maybes." Renji pointed out.

"I know." Ichigo said simply. "What I meant to say is, it doesn't matter who she was in the past. Because that's not who she is right now, right now she's Arisawa Tatsuki, recognized as the strongest girl in Japan, second place in Martial Arts in all of Asia; as well as a spiritually-aware and empowered human, a Nakama. Acknowledge her as that, and maybe then you'll get your answers, eventually." He sighed. "No one wants to go around always carrying the weight of the past Renji, even my sister Karin, as much as she may acknowledge her past life, she still would rather be a Kurosaki than a Nagaken any day. Tatsuki…maybe she would like to be this Shu-Yung you speak of, maybe she wouldn't. In the end it'll be her choice, but that doesn't mean she'll stop being Tatsuki. See that, accept that, and leave the rest to her."

Renji didn't quite know what to say, when he'd first met Ichigo he'd seen him as a human brat who knew nothing of the real world; after the Nakama had infiltrated Seireitei Renji thought they were humans who thought too highly of themselves and needed to be put in their places; then when they had managed to do so much, so much he could have never done, it hurt, deep inside, in his will, in his pride; after learning how Ichigo had been adopted by a Noble Clan, and that he was marrying Rukia, all the redhead could think was that the fates were too cruel, giving a human what he'd desired for so long, something said human didn't deserve…But it was until that day, until that moment, that Renji realized the truth: Ichigo wasn't simply a human, or a shinigami, or a noble; he wasn't 'simply' anything other than Ichigo: a man who had fought with the same passion as the redhead to achieve everything he had in a short time; a man who had respect, loyalty, friendship, and so many more things, and yet he didn't believe himself to be above anyone else, and gave so much of himself freely and with no hesitation. Just like in that moment, Ichigo was taking his time to offer Renji advice, even when they weren't nakama, they weren't even real friends, Ichigo was still trying to help, because he knew Tatsuki far better than Renji did; and it was just the kind of person he was.

"Thanks…" Renji nodded solemnly.

Ichigo nodded, realizing there must be a lot in the redhead's mind, he turned to leave. Until something else popped into his head, and he turned back again:

"Whatever you do, Abarai Renji, you better never make Tatsuki cry, or else…" The daiko declared in a very serious tone.

"Or what?" Renji tried to sound brave but failed. "You'll kill me."

"Maybe…" Ichigo shrugged. "Though now that I think about it, I doubt Tatsuki herself would leave anything for me to kill…and even before I, you would have to deal with Orihime and Karin, those two idolize Tatsuki, and if you ever did anything…"

"I understand that." Renji interrupted him. "I will try my best."

Ichigo nodded, he knew no one could promise anything better.

"One more thing." He said. "Who exactly is this Shu-Yung? I mean, it's obvious she's really important if you're insisting so much on Tatsuki being her. But I don't understand…"

"She's…" Renji seemed to actually be having trouble finding the right words to express himself until he simply said: "My soulmate…"

Ichigo nodded. He still didn't get it, but at least if Renji was that serious about everything, it meant that, no matter what, Tatsuki would be alright in the end.

A soulmate…the orange-haired wondered briefly what that felt like…

xXx

Several hours passed, and the rest of the Nakama arrived in groups. Only slight traces were left of the injuries Yuzu, Orihime, Rukia and Ririn had acquired during their battle against the two Bounts. And in a matter of minutes they made sure the same was true for Chad, Karin and Nova; Ururu and Uryuu had no injury whatsoever.

Ichigo insisted that everyone get some sleep, to which Kisuke offered them rooms, saying they must be too exhausted to go to their own homes. And in any case, the few people who would notice their absence would have no trouble finding out where the teenagers actually were.

It was when already most of the Nakama were sleeping, that Renji stepped onto the roof of the Shouten, finding Tatsuki there, sitting on a corner, with her legs pulled close to her chest and her chin resting on her knees. She was still in soul-form, her body still with Kai in it, back at her home, she'd called the Gikon to make sure her parents were alright, and then asked her to stay there until they had dealt with the problem.

Renji was considering if it was a good or a bad idea to talk to her, when she spoke first:

"I know you're there, Abarai Renji." She said calmly, before patting the spot beside her.

Renji, while still not knowing what to do exactly, decided he couldn't let the opportunity pass and went to sit beside her.

For what seemed like forever there was nothing but silence between them. Renji could remember what Ichigo had told him, but he didn't actually know Tatsuki, so how could he hope to talk to her? Tatsuki could just look at herself, at her odd clothing she'd never known the origins off, she remembered Renji's claims, and then Karin's explanation of how she was the reincarnation of a shinigami. It all made her wonder, could she possibly be a reincarnation too, was she really that woman Renji named so strongly, Shu-Yung?

"Do you really think I'm her?" Tatsuki surprised Renji by breaking the silence. "This, Shu-Yung you've mentioned several times."

"I do." Renji nodded. "I know you don't remember, normal souls never do, it's just the natural course of reincarnation…"

"And yet you wish I did." Tatsuki wasn't really asking at that point. "I don't know if I can. I don't know if I have it in me to remember another life, or if I'm even this Shu-Yung at all. I don't want you to have any false hopes. It's quite obvious that Shu-Yung was someone very dear to you so…I'll try. I'll try to remember, to find out if I'm truly her."

"Thank you." Renji didn't know what else to say, what else to think but, at least for the time being, that was enough.

Chapter Text

Chapter 17. Breaking Point

Ichigo woke up early the next morning, hoping to go for a walk by the riverside before everyone else got up and ready for breakfast. He knew there was a lot that needed to be done, and he wished for a moment to collect himself before the madness began anew.

As he found out the moment he stepped right outside the Urahara Shouten, only to be met almost instantly by someone, a shinigami, Ichigo knew it was just not meant to be.

"Kurosaki-Nagaken Ichigo…" The new arrival addressed him with obvious, forced formality.

"Sui-Feng-san…" Ichigo replied a bit stiffly, he was in his body instead of his soul, and he didn't feel quite comfortable talking to a shinigami captain in full uniform while he was in casual clothes instead of his shihakusho and haori.

He knew the woman, Yoruichi's former protégé and successor, didn't like him, that she was one of those who didn't agree with the authority Yamamoto had bestowed upon him. Ichigo had already had had to meet with her almost a full week before, when she went to inform him that members of the Onmitsukidou would be around to try and deal with the bitto. Also, before that, around the time Urahara had arranged his stupid game, Yoruichi had told him the woman would be around, helping her investigate some mysterious disappearances.

If Ichigo was honest with himself, he didn't truly have anything against the woman. He thought she was way too stuck-up, bitter and hell-bent on following laws that at times didn't even make sense, at least not to Ichigo. But she wasn't evil, or a bad person, and Yoruichi liked her and trusted her; which prompted the orange-haired to at least give her a chance, while he wouldn't exactly call Yoruichi a friend, he mostly respected the woman, which was more than what he could say about Kisuke, and until recently, his own father.

"Did you need me for something, captain?" Ichigo asked after a while.

"I still don't understand why the hell we must give any explanation whatsoever to this brat…" Sui-Feng was muttering to herself. "He's nothing but a ryoka, a human, no matter what powers he has now, or that he was adopted by a powerful clan. He'll never be more …"

Ichigo sighed to himself, deciding to ignore the insults, they weren't anything new in the end, after all; though, on the other hand, they did get old after a while.

"Sui-Feng-san?" He insisted, it was more respect than he thought the woman deserved, but he was too tired and didn't want more trouble.

"Yamamoto-soutaichou sent me to inform you of what was decided in the last taichou-meeting with regards to the Bount situation." Sui-Feng finally said, formally.

Ichigo nodded once, stoically, he had known something would happen eventually. And while it was natural for him and his nakama to fight to protect each other and their hometown, he was glad that the shinigami would be getting involved.

"Kira-fukutaichou of the 3rd Division, Hisagi-fukutaichou of the 9th, Matsumoto-fukutaichou of the 10th and Ayasegawa-goseki of the 11th have been sent to the World of the Living, they are on orders to track down and engage the Bounts in their new hideout, which was located by the 12th Division in the mountains." Sui-Feng recited, as if from memory. "Your own group may join them, or not, at your own discretion."

"We will." Ichigo nodded. "As soon as everyone is up and has had breakfast we'll be on our way. We'll catch up with the others in the mountains."

Sui-Feng nodded, as much as she didn't like it, she knew that that was exactly what the other captains had been hoping for when they told her to inform the humans of the situation. With enemies of unknown power like the Bounts the more allies they had, the better.

"Anything you have to report?" Sui-Feng inquired.

"As you can probably guess, we engaged several of the Bounts in different battles across Karakura last night." Ichigo informed her. "I don't have all the details of each and every battle, if you want that you'll have to wait and give us a little time to write a more formal report; but for the time being I can tell you we won all our battles, though no Bount was vanquished. They all, in the end, were forced to flee, but were powerful and tricky enough that we couldn't eliminate them before they were gone."

"That's why such tasks should have been left to the Onmitsukidou." Sui-Feng muttered in a derisive tones. "Better professionals handle it, rather than children…"

"Hey!" Ichigo interrupted her this time, losing his patience. "From what I know your people have been on the case from the very beginning with no results whatsoever. We may not have killed any Bounts last night, but we did defeat them. We weren't expecting the difference in their power after consuming the souls stolen by the bitto. In any case, before this development my sister, Karin, killed two of the Bounts, twins, when they were trying to kill the rest of us; and last night Uryuu and Ururu together managed to destroy a considerable number of bitto, dealing a serious blow to the Bounts." He growled. "You may be a powerful shinigami captain in Seireitei, but this is our town, not yours. Do not presume to have the authority to insult me or mine, I will not allow such words again. Have I made myself clear, Sui-Feng?"

The shinigami bristled in fury at the blatant disrespect, and the threat the so-called human had directed at her; but Yamamoto's orders had been very precise, the humans were in charge of Karakura Town, there, Kurosaki-Nagaken Ichigo was, for all intents and purposes, as good as a captain, so she could do nothing but nod stiffly and leave before things got worse.

As she vanished Ichigo could only sigh and shake his head, he'd known some people wouldn't accept him, the authority he was supposed to have in the human-world, but he never thought he would lose his temper so easily on those people. He just hoped things would eventually get better; the spirits knew what he would do if they got worse!

"Guess I won't get to go on that walk yet…maybe when this is over?" Ichigo said, talking to himself. "In any case, we need to get the Bounts out of Karakura, out of the Living World. I no longer care where it is they wish to go, I just want them gone, they cannot stay here. Too many people have died or been permanently hurt already. This cannot be allowed to continue." He fisted his right hand in fury.

*I am ready to roll, aibou!* Shiro called from inside his mind, thrilled at the idea of another good fight. *We'll show those vampire-wannabes who rules in this world!*

*I know I have not allowed you to use bankai since you returned to your world Ichigo, and you know my reasons on the matter.* Zangetsu added. *Today however, know that whatever power you need is yours. Together we will protect that which you wish to protect.*

It was true, Ichigo hadn't been able to use bankai in the weeks since his return from Soul Society. Zangetsu had explained to him some time before, during one their training sessions, that without Shiro being able to absorb enough reishi particles to keep his high-speed regeneration active they just had no way to counter the after effects the compression of all of his reiatsu (which was a lot) had on him. His body wasn't ready to have so much power packed so tight together in his body, and while it allowed Ichigo to be faster, stronger, and a much better fighter, unless Ichigo trained long and hard, or could have Shiro regenerating him constantly, he would end up falling with his body broken.

For Zangetsu to make such an offer…it meant that either the zanpakutou somehow knew they would end up in a place where Shiro would be able to help; or that both spirits inside him were as worried as he was about what was going on and had decided they would rather risk it all than allow such things to continue. It might also be a bit of both.

"Thank you, Ossan, Shiro…" Ichigo whispered with a slight smile as he watched the sun rising. "We'll be ready. Today, we fight to protect!"

Inside, his nakama had begun to awaken…

xXx

An hour later Ichigo, Rukia, Ririn, Uryuu, Orihime, Chad, Tatsuki, Yuzu, Karin, Nova and Renji were all on their way after asking Hanatarou to look after Keigo and Minoru, the two still hadn't fully recovered from the events the night before.

The group had made it to the caves relatively quickly and gone straight in. There they had met with the quartet Sui-Feng had informed Ichigo about and helped them battle against Ugaki and his doll, Gesell. It had been complicated, as none of those there except for Rangiku truly trusted the Nakama. In the end Renji and Tatsuki had managed to injure Gesell in such a way the doll had turned upon its own master. However, that caused a cave-in, which in turn separated the Nakama, and made it harder for most of them to actually get to where the rest of the Bounts, as well as Ichinose awaited.

Ichigo was the first to make it there and he went straight at Kariya, only to be stopped by the bare hands of his opponent. Once he'd taken quite a beating Karin arrived and, like her brother before, through herself straight into battle, summoning her zanpakutou on the way. It was even worse than with Ichigo himself, somehow Kariya managed to turn Karin's own flames against her, and while she wasn't exactly burnt by them (they were a part of herself), she was still thrown against a stone wall hard enough to knock her out temporarily.

Furious at what had happened Ichigo got back up and, after syncing with Zangetsu yet again, went after Kariya. While it was true the zanpakutou had offered him the use of bankai Ichigo knew it was a bad idea, for the same reason he hadn't been allowed to use it before; and until he at least knew for sure there was someone to continue the battle if he fell he wouldn't risk himself in such a way.

Still, they didn't seem to be able to find a reasonable explanation for Kariya's powers, it was like nothing Ichigo did were enough to truly wound him. Even the injuries the daiko managed to deal the Bount were minimum, definitely not enough to take him down.

The battle was interrupted with Uryuu's abrupt arrival, who with just a few words fired an arrow, though instead of firing it at the Bount, he fired it at the gates Koga and Ichinose had just finished preparing. In a matter of seconds the Bount were gone, on their way to Soul Society, not Hueco Mundo like they'd all believed at first, to get their revenge on those that created them and then left them to ruin.

The Bounts and the former shinigami had just disappeared into the Gate when the remaining Nakama and shinigami arrived from two different directions; Yoruichi among them.

"We're too late…" Yoruichi muttered in disbelief, she turned to Uryuu. "Ishida, do you have any idea what you have just done? You…"

"What we decided needed to be done." Ichigo interrupted her before she could begin berating the Quincy for his actions.

"Wha…?" None of the shinigami but Rukia seemed to be able to understand.

"The Bounts couldn't be allowed to stay here, in the World of the Living." Ichigo elaborated. "I came to that conclusion early this morning, and the others agreed. Too many lives have been lost already."

"But…Soul Society…" Hisagi Shuuhei began, not quite believing the situation.

"So you'd rather our world be in danger instead of yours?" Uryuu said in a derisive tone. "Typical shinigami…"

"Uryuu…" Rukia whispered, a hand on the Quincy's arm.

Uryuu grimaced, even if she knew the insult wasn't directed at her, or Karin or Ichigo; he knew they didn't like it when he went back to his old ways and said such things.

"Shouldn't you be worried about the balance?" Karin asked with a groan as she woke. "Well, Bounts consuming dozens of living human souls will certainly be upsetting the balance!"

"She's right." Rangiku said.

"Maybe this is how it's supposed to be." Yoruichi declared. "It was Soul Society that created the Bounts, it should be Soul Society that deals with them."

The other shinigami could only nod grimly. They didn't like it, but what the others were saying was true. They would have to deal with the situation in their own land.

"That means we're all going to Soul Society, right?" Renji asked.

"We can use the Gate the Bount so kindly left us." Tatsuki suggested sardonically. "It should work well for Orihime-chan, Chad, Uryuu, Ririn and Nova."

"I have a feeling a certain taichou is gonna take this opportunity to rub my face in it." Ichigo mumbled suddenly, remembering his argument with Sui-Feng just a few hours earlier.

There was no other option though, their enemies had moved, and even if Karakura was no longer being threatened, at least for the time being, they had to go after them. They had a score to settle: for Minoru, and Keigo, and all the others who had lost so much…

xXx

Once in Soul Society things had gotten complicated pretty fast. Ichigo had been summoned by Yamamoto to a captain's meeting, since the Captain Commander considered it was necessary for the knowledge and experience the Nakama had acquired in their battles to be shared with the other high-ranked members of the Gotei. Ichigo had ended up pulling Uryuu along to act as his second, since the Quincy was more likely to remember details the shinigami daiko never paid much attention to.

Meanwhile the rest of the Nakama, as well as some shinigami had split to either individually or in pairs search through the Rukongai for the Bounts that the 12th Division had registered had entered Soul Society, but had yet to be seen by anyone.

The first sign of real trouble came when a messenger interrupted the captain's meeting to inform everyone present that one of the Bount had been spotted in Rukongai and he had been seen fighting Kuchiki Rukia. Ichigo didn't even wait to be dismissed, he instantly vanished into shunpo, all the while searching for Rukia's aura. Byakuya only waited long enough to excuse himself, and then he was going after Ichigo, wondering how crazy the boy was, since he hadn't even tried asking where exactly Rukia was; until he realized Ichigo was moving straight to her, despite his usual difficulty sensing anything, and the fact that they were in a place made entirely out of reishi, Ichigo seemed to have no trouble tracking Rukia down. It took a second for them to process everything, but almost immediately Renji and Uryuu were after the other two.

It turned out that Yoshi had become wiser since her last battle against Rukia and Ririn; she had knocked the gikon out early in the fight, and then made it so Sode no Shirayuki ended away from Rukia's reach. Attacking at top speed, Yoshi didn't allow Rukia the chance to retrieve her zanpakutou, and all the shinigami could do was use kidou to fight and protect herself. The involvement of an innocent girl who was trying to protect a baby inclined the balance in Yoshi's favor, when she used them to distract Rukia enough to knock her out and throw her away; however, before the final blow could be dealt Ichigo and Byakuya arrived. Realizing the danger she was in, Yoshi fled, something that only angered the two men even more. The Bount had dared hurt someone dear to them both, they wouldn't forgive her.

It had been precisely Rukia's condition, as she recovered in the Nagaken Estate with Yuzu's help, that prompted Ichigo and Byakuya to join forces against Kariya when they happened to find him in a forest in Rukongai. In the end they weren't enough to defeat the wind-mastering Bount, something that frustrated both men greatly.

And meanwhile, unknown to them all, an uprising was about to begin in Rukongai.

At the same time a battle was taking place in a forest, and a Bount and a former shinigami were instigating a rebellion in the depths of Kusajishi, Renji asked Tatsuki to accompany him to the 6th Division barracks.

"Why exactly am I here, Renji?" Tatsuki asked when they finally got to his room.

"I know you're still not convinced you're…her." Renji explained as he opened his closet. "But I have something here that will allow us to either prove or disprove that theory, right now."

He emerged from the closet holding a small wooden box, inside were several knick knacks, keepsakes; from the very bottom he pulled what looked like an ivory scarf, it had a dark-grey dragon painted along a side, it seemed to go well with her own yukata. Also, that scarf seemed to have been used to wrap something else: it looked like a roll of light-gray bandaged, though they were as solid as stone.

Wordlessly Renji offered both items to Tatsuki.

"What is this?" The girl asked, confused.

"The scarf, as you may have already guessed, goes along with the yukata you're wearing, that and the object wrapped in it are the only things I kept from y…Shu-Yung after she died." Renji explained with a sigh.

"I see." Tatsuki nodded, not yet taking the objects. "But what exactly is that object."

"It's Shu-Yung's zanpakutou…"

"Shu…her zanpakutou?! She was a shinigami?"

"No, she wasn't. To be honest I didn't even know about her having a zanpakutou, or even having reiryoku until shortly before she died. Shu-Yung…she never wanted to be a shinigami, said she didn't like them. It was almost like the shinigami did something unforgivable to her, but I never knew what exactly. I…got angry at her when I discovered she'd always known I had reiryoku, and that she did too and had been keeping it from me, we fought. I stayed away for three days, the longest I'd ever stayed mad at her, when I went back her sickness, which had been recurring for months, maybe a year, had gotten even worse. She died before the sun rose again." He shook his head, holding back tears. "When she was dying she told me she would come back, and as proof of her promise she left me her zanpakutou. You must know, usually zanpakutou die with their wielders, and yet…"

"And yet hers stayed. So when you saw me…"

"I thought she was back. I still believe that."

Tatsuki nodded, she'd accepted already that it was useless to tell him not to have false hope, especially since she herself had begun wondering if such a thing could be possible.

"And…" she pointed to the object again. "How exactly is that a zanpakutou?"

"Well…" Renji actually chuckled. "To be honest back then I didn't realize how strange it was, for her zanpakutou not to be a blade. And now…I think that if you touch it, and if it recognizes you, you'll understand…"

Still a bit hesitant, Tatsuki extended her hand to touch the roll of bandages/stone; the moment she did, it was as if the world had frozen around her.

In the time it took her to blink she was suddenly no more in the middle of Renji's quarters, but instead in what looked like a very elegant ancient dojo.

"Wow…" She whispered in awe at her surroundings.

The whole place looked like the dojos of old, and through an open shouji door a garden and in the distance a huge mountain could be seen.

"Wonder what this place is exactly…" Tatsuki said out-loud.

"The center of your soul and mind." A voice answered calmly. "Your inner-world."

Tatsuki spun around at the same time she instinctively dropped into a fighting stance.

"Good." The same voice, a female one, said in satisfaction. "It seems reincarnation hasn't dulled your senses any. That is nice."

Tatsuki straightened up as she watched the other woman carefully. She was about the same height as her, with a very lightly tanned slim figure, she had muscles but they weren't bulgy, still showing womanly curves, her hair was very long, straight and the darkest shade of grey without being black and her eyes a midnight-blue, very much like Tatsuki's own, she wore a completely black Chinese battle dress with a scooped neck and shoulders bare, the two slits high enough to show as far as he upper thighs; the sash was of an ivory color, and the ends of it hung to the side, right over her uncovered leg, there was a dark-gray dragon painted on one end; in fact, Tatsuki realized, the sash looked very much like the scarf Renji had shown her.

"You made your scarf following the design of my sash." The woman clarified. "It was a great honor to tell you the truth."

"Who are you, exactly?" Tatsuki asked carefully, brows furrowed. "I feel like I should know already, but I don't."

"You know my name." The woman assured her. "You just don't remember it yet. Don't worry, that's what I'm here for."

"Huh?" Tatsuki was no idea what she was referring to.

"You prepared all this." The woman explained to her. "Well, Shu-Yung did, in the days before her passing. She knew she would reincarnate, and she had so much left to do, she wanted more time. So she left me in Abarai Renji's care, so when the time came I could give her…you, the memories of the past." She sighed. "But it has to be your choice. My mistress was very specific about that. If you don't want to get those memories back…you won't. You will still be able to wield me, for I am and forever will be a part of you."

"If she prepared all this, doesn't it count as she…or I, already making a choice?" Tatsuki was honestly confused about the mix of lives.

"No, because you're not the same person my mistress Shu-Yung was. Even if you get her memories, your lives, your experiences have been so different…she was very specific that it had to be your choice. You must know, my mistress…she didn't have a good life, during her years in the human world, or even most of the time she spent in Soul Society. If you choose to accept those memories, your eyes will have to see so much…the saying ignorance is bliss is true, there is much to lose if you choose that path…"

"But there is also so much to gain…"

She didn't say it out-loud but in that moment all Tatsuki could think about was the redheaded shinigami. If she was honest to herself, she'd felt attracted to him from the first moment she'd seen him, there was something about him, about that barely control wildness he seemed to radiate that drew her in. She'd tried to deny him for some time, telling herself she was betraying her nakama by desiring someone who had once been an enemy…but all her nakama accepted him, he seemed to even be on the way to becoming a Nakama himself! Then when he'd called her Shu-Yung she couldn't help but feel jealous, who was that woman? Did he love someone already? Was all her desire for naught? His idea of she being Shu-Yung had sounded ludicrous at first, and she hadn't wanted him to hurt himself with false hopes; but from the very beginning she'd been hoping herself it was true. Now… now she knew it was, but still it wouldn't be complete if she didn't have those memories. How could she claim to be someone if she didn't remember?

"I accept." Was all she said in the end, it was all she had to say.

The woman didn't answer, instead she simply touched two fingers to Tatsuki's forehead, causing her to blackout instantly, even if just for a moment, then everything changed:

She was dressed in a very small top and a long gauzy skirt with several slits, all in all clothes that left a little to the imagination, wearing extensive high-quality jewelry and dancing to the rhythm of several drums, a flute and some bells.

She was being manhandled by so many people, and there was nothing she could do or say about it; talking wasn't allowed, resisting wasn't allowed, nothing except absolute compliance was allowed in that life.

She had arrived to her small room with bruises on her arms and legs again, and she hid them behind her old worn-out robe. It wouldn't do let her little sister see them. It was bad enough that she couldn't give the child a better life than as an unwanted guest in the middle of a rich estate, the sister of a slave…what a great life that was.

She had known it was a bad idea to get into a fight, even if the other one was a bastard, he was still part of the staff of a noble visitor; but she just couldn't allow him to hurt her sister like that, she was an innocent, she didn't deserve that, she'd promised herself since they'd lost their old lives that she would always protect her.

It had paid to do 'favors' to the guards. One of them had been compassionate enough to inform her what the lord was planning in regards to her sister. It was something she would never allow, she would die first…or they would escape…

The plan hadn't worked that well, as her body, lying broken and bleeding in the middle of some forest proved. But at least her baby sister had gotten away. She was intelligent, and tough, she would survive. She only wished she would be able to watch over her in the afterlife.

It was all their fault! They had taken her away! Taken her away before she could find her! She was the older sister, supposed to protect the younger one…and she couldn't do it because those bastards had sent her away! She despised them! They were supposed to help, but they weren't helping her when they made her move on to the afterlife.

Life in Inuzuri reminded her so much of her earlier childhood, before the pain, before the tragedy, before the enslavement…people had told her she had reiatsu, it was why she needed to eat sometimes; some said that if she became a shinigami, she would be able to enter Seireitei, and would never want for anything. She refused, she would never be a shinigami, she would never be like those bastards that cared so little for family and loyalty and love…

She'd found her reason for living, or at least existing, in all the innocent children living there in the high districts of Rukongai. She looked after them, protected them, helped feed those who needed it. There were some that would eventually choose to go become shinigami, she didn't blame them for wanting out of a place as awful as Inuzuri, but she would never join them either. The life of a shinigami wasn't for her…

She'd met a special boy, with long red-hair and big garnet eyes, he was so carefree, so 'full of life' despite being as dead as she. He'd lost so much, his whole family, he was all alone, and yet somehow he managed to still be happy; even remembering all he'd had and lost, he found a way to keep that happiness in him. And somehow, he was beginning to make her happy.

She'd finally fallen, after years denying him, he'd managed to catch her by surprise, stolen kiss after kiss, and before long she could no longer deny that she wanted him as much as he did her. She was so much older, he was little more than a kid…but should numbers really matter when she hadn't aged a day in so long? When it was unlikely that he would age at least for many decades to come?

The yukata he'd gotten for her was so beautiful. She honestly had no idea where he'd gotten it, there were no things of that quality anywhere close to where they lived, and despite being obviously worn before the yukata was still in perfect condition. It was also so soft, so different from the robes she'd gotten used to wearing, not just in Inuzuri, but during most of her human life as well. And the dragon painted on it was a part of her, of her past, of what she'd lost but refused to forget: her family, her sister, her life…

She loved him so much…and a part of her knew it was a mistake, he would leave some day, like many other had before. He had reiatsu too, and his was so much more powerful than hers. He had the potential to be not only a shinigami, but a great one; and yet she wouldn't tell him, because she didn't want him to leave her…and she knew he would, one day he would.

Her worst fear had finally come to pass. He'd found out about his own power, and the fact that she'd kept the knowledge from him. He'd left. He was so angry with her…so very angry… Did he know just how sick she was? How sick she had been for months? Would she get to see him again before the end came?

She was laying on her futon, coughing and panting, it was becoming so hard to even breath… she didn't have much longer. She doubted she would be able to push any more reiatsu into her zanpakutou. Her zanpakutou…her dirty little secret, no one knew she even had one, they couldn't, if they did they might confuse her with one of those shinigami…

She wondered if he would return in time, he had to, she had to pass her zanpakutou to him before her last breath or all her preparations would be for naught. She couldn't allow that. There was so much she'd never been able to do, like find her little sister, or truly get to have a life with him, with…

"Shu!" A voice called as the door to her small shack opened abruptly.

"Ren…" That was as far as she got before yet another coughing fit assaulted her.

"Shu-Yung…" He dropped to his knees beside her right away. "Are you alright? Oh spirits! Why didn't you tell me you were this sick?" 

"I've…b-been sick fo…for a v-very…long time…" She said in a hoarse, half-broken voice. "You…you knew t-that Ren…" she coughed again.

"Well yes." He admitted, still in panic. "but you always get better! You will get better again, like every time, right?"

"I am dying Renji…" She managed to whisper.

"No!" He was in absolute denial. "No, you cannot die! You…Shu…"

"Sh Ren…" She whispered, with great effort laying a hand on his face. "It's alright…"

"You cannot die…" Renji sobbed into her hand. "I cannot lose you…I love you Shu-Yung…"

"I…love you t-too." She assured him. "Y-you won…won't lose me."

With slow, difficult motions she took a hold of her folded scarf, her sealed zanpakutou laying over it, glowing with her reiatsu.

"Here." She whispered, putting both items in the redhead's hands.

"What's this?" He asked, confused.

"My zanpakutou." She answered honestly. "I've put as… as much of m-my reiatsu as a..I could into it…" she coughed again. "I…I want you t-to keep her when I…when I'm gone…"

"Shu…" Renji still didn't want to accept the cruel truth.

"Take care of her…" Shu-Yung instructed, with as much strength as she could. "One day… one day I'll come back…I'll take it back."

That last part at least gave the younger boy some hope. He trusted her so much, if she said she would be returning, then it had to be true.

"I will, I promise." He assured her, holding the wrapped object tightly to his chest.

"Never forget…I…I love…you…"

And as the last word was spoken, her hand finally fell, her eyes closed, and a heart-wrenching wail echoed through all of Inuzuri.

Tatsuki blinked, and again found herself in the middle of the ancient dojo, though this time she was on her knees…

"I remember…" She whispered, more to herself than to her companion. "I was a slave, back when alive, in China. I did everything I could to protect my sister, even if it meant more pain for me. She was so young, so innocent, my baby sister, my little bell…" she sighed. "I died, and before I could go looking for her shinigami found me and sent me to Soul Society, they didn't even give me the chance to explain that I had to fine my sister! Bastards…" she shook her head. "So many years I spent in Inuzuri, such a long time only existing. Until I met him, until I met Renji…He gave me new hope, gave me back my belief in a future…and yet I never got to have one with him…I remember…"

"Mistress…" The woman standing before her whispered, voice strangely hesitant.

"I remember you…" Tatsuki assured her as she got on her feet and raised a hand to touch the woman on a shoulder. "Chitania…"

The smile on the zanpakutou spirit's face was blinding, even if it all vanished just an instant later, as Tatsuki abruptly returned to her she'd originally been, standing in the middle of Renji's quarters in the 6th's barracks, holding her old sash and zanpakutou in hand.

"T…Tatsuki-san?" Renji asked, doubtful.

She had no idea how long she'd been 'gone', or how that had looked to him. But suddenly she knew exactly how to let him know the change in situation.

"I think I'm taking this back." She said coyly as she put both objects inside her yukata.

Renji could just stand there, blinking, half of his brain frozen in shock while the other half tried to figure if her choice of words had been in purpose or just a coincidence.

"The day has come Renji…" She leaned close enough to whisper into his ear. "I'm back."

She didn't have the need, or the chance, to say anything more, as suddenly strong arms were holding her waist against a hard, toned body, and her mouth was being claimed in a way it never had in her current life.

Eventually the kiss broke, though it left them both gasping for breath.

"Shu-Yung…Tatsuki…you…" He began babbling, not quite knowing what to say.

"Never forget…I love you…" She repeated her last words to him. "Those words are as true now as they were back then. I may not have remembered before now, but my heart knew it even before my brain did."

That was all the reassurance Renji needed, he claimed her mouth again.

xXx

What little control any of the Shinigami or the Nakama might have had at some point over the situation was lost before the week was over, as dozens of Kusajishi inhabitants gathered at the western Gate of Seireitei with the intention to force their way inside.

The Nakama were forced to split, as they knew things wouldn't go well. While some of them prepared to face against the Bount again, for what they hoped would be the last time; others went to the gate to try and stop the uprising, or at least save as many as possible. Tatsuki, Renji, Chad and Orihime in particular were in the second group. And while they didn't manage to stop things entirely, they at least got the chance to stop many from dying once Kariya decided he didn't need them anymore and turned against them. The Bounts didn't react to their presence, decided he didn't care about them, what he wanted was inside the Seireitei, and he'd managed to find a way inside, finally.

Karin and Nova went immediately after Yoshi, having decided to claim revenge for what the woman had done to her family. She would have wanted to go against Mabashi himself, but had noticed how that particular Bount had been engaged already by Sui-Feng, and with how tense the situation was with that particular captain, the last thing Karin wanted was to offend her by interfering with her fight.

Uryuu had gone after Sawatari, on his pride and the pride of his Nakama, he had decided he needed to bring down at least one Bount; and the fact that he was taking Kurotsuchi's chosen prey only made things all the better as far as he was concerned.

After making sure things were controlled with the people of Kusajishi, Tatsuki had rushed to a particular reiatsu signature she was almost sure she could recognize. What she found there was in fact captain Sui-Feng, after having just defeated the crazed Mabashi.

"Excuse me?" Tatsuki asked as she approached the sitting captain, wondering if she really was who she thought, or if she was too confused…

"What do you want r…Nakama?" Sui-Feng asked with a dismissive tone.

Tatsuki opened her mouth several times, as she kept trying, and failing, to find the right words to ask the question she wanted to, but the coldness in the woman's eyes, posture, in her whole aura, just didn't allow her too.

"I really don't understand what a human like you would want with me." Sui-Feng hissed.

"A human like me?" Tatsuki asked, canting her head to a side. "Weren't you human once as well S…captain?"

"If I was, I don't remember, nor do I care." Sui-Feng said arrogantly. "I have been a shinigami for centuries, have trained greatly to attain this power, this rank. And yet in a moment a group of humans come and suddenly they think they deserve to have, on a whim, the same level of authority and power that has taken the rest of us centuries to achieve?"

"So," Tatsuki couldn't help her sudden impish smile. "Do you hate us because we could claim your same authority, or because we have attained that same power?"

For a moment, Sui-Feng was furious, so much her reiatsu more unconsciously than consciously lashed at Tatsuki, and yet it did nothing to her. That seemed to make the short captain even more furious, though instead of doing anything she chose to turn and shunpo away before things could get worse.

Tatsuki could only sigh at her departure, her left hand in a fist against her chest.

"Was I wrong?" She asked to the empty air. "Are you not her, or am I just too late?"

*Don't be sad Mistress, time, like so many other things is a matter of perspective.* Chitania informed her cryptically. *Besides, like you yourself proved, even if the mind forgets, the heart never will, it just can't.*

"Maybe." Tatsuki admitted. "But does the person I'm looking for even exist still? Whether it is she or not? What do I really know about her? She was just a child when I died, when I left her. I have no idea the kind of life she lead afterwards…Did she die right away? Did she get to live? And if she did, what kind of life did she have? Did she stay in China or move somewhere else? Was she a slave? A warrior? A healer? A mother? What…? I'm looking for a person I don't even know Chitania, someone that might not even exist anymore!"

*Never give up hope, mistress.* the zanpakutou tried to help her. *Renji-san believed you would return, no matter how many years, and decades passed, he never stopped believing, and here you are. Have a bit of his faith and hope…you might be surprised.*

Tatsuki sighed, she knew her zanpakutou was right. She'd known it wouldn't be easy, Karin was proof enough that having memories of more than one life never was. And yet when Tatsuki had felt that reiatsu she'd been so sure…

"I'll try Chitania…" Was all she could promise in the end. "I'll try…"

xXx

After making sure Rukia would be alright in the Nagaken Estate, and that Ririn would stay on guard all the time, Ichigo had gone off as well. At first he'd gone in pursuit of Yoshi, wanting to make the Bount pay for the way she'd hurt Rukia, he'd felt so angry over that…but by the time he got there that particular fight was already over, instead Karin was trying, and failing, in fighting against Kariya, as his wind would make all her attacks either useless or turn them against her; Nova had been knocked out already. In the place was also a woman Uryuu had told them about, who looked exactly like the deceased Souma Yoshino: the former shinigami, technique researcher, and one of those responsible for the existence of the Bount: Ran'Tao.

There, taking advantage of the fact that they were, in fact, in Soul Society, Ichigo had called on his bankai right away. Ready to synch with Zangetsu if it became necessary, while Shiro gathered as much reiatsu as he could without being too obvious and pushed it into some high-speed regeneration. To Kariya it seemed like nothing could injure Ichigo. And yet that didn't mean the leader of the Nakama was winning…

After Ran'Tao informed Hitsugaya about the true situation with the Joukaishou, all high-ranked shinigami who could do kidou were immediately called to the spots where the Joukaishou were to seal them again. After much thinking, Yuzu and Rukia joined them, knowing that their ability at kidou would be of help; and while both of them, and especially Rukia, wanted nothing more than to go after Ichigo, they knew they could do more helping seal the volatile objects.

Ichigo was a compassionate man, all who knew him realized that; in fact, most of the Nakama were very empathic and compassionate individuals as well, so it was no surprise. However, at times such characteristics worked against them. Like when Ichinose Maki, after finally realizing the truth of Kariya's intentions, and how they opposed what he'd once believed in and fought for, was brutally struck down by the Bount leader; who afterwards said the former-shinigami had never been anything more than a pawn in his games. For someone like Ichigo, who was so absolutely loyal to his own nakama, the idea of someone going against one who was supposed to be the same thing, it was too much.

Without even stopping to think about it Ichigo synced with Zangetsu and began drawing even more on Shiro's own energy to create slightly red-tinted Kuro Getsugas; then threw himself straight at his opponent. The shinketsu knew it was crazy to sympathize with an enemy, but Ichinose wasn't evil, just misguided, and he'd been killed by a man he'd respected, a man he followed; as far as Ichigo was concerned the whole thing was an aberration.

The battle got progressively more and more complicated when Kariya first showed his doll, Messer, as a wind-sword creature-object, and later on powered up, turning it into a lighting one. Lighting was something Ichigo couldn't block, and if it weren't for Shiro, he wouldn't have survived after the first shock.

Ichigo knew about the other Joukaishou, about Kariya's plan to blow up all of Soul Society; he knew that the only way to stop it all was to kill the Bount, and yet he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Hard as it might be to admit, even to himself, Ichigo wasn't a killer, he'd never been; he fought to protect, not destroy, and while he knew in that instance he needed to kill to protect…a part of him hoped that he might be able to talk Kariya out of the whole insanity before the end.

After using as much reiatsu as was safe to seal the Joukaishou, Rukia had gotten some of her nakama to take her to Soukyoku, where Ichigo's and Kariya's battle was taking place. They, as well as Byakuya, had taken positions around the two fierce combatants, and worked on stopping the Bount whenever he tried to activate one of the Joukaishou.

Orihime, at the same time, was talking to her Shun Shun Rikka and getting mentally prepared to use her Souten Kisshun to stop Kariya from activating the Joukaishou if Ichigo didn't manage to stop the Bount in time. It was a risky plan, but at least a possibility, if all else failed.

"What did you do to those Bounts?" Ichigo cried out at some point, as they reached a stand-off. "You manipulated them, your own nakama, and treated them as if they were mere pawns!" his voice steeled. "There's no way I can lose to you!"

"What do you know about it?" Kariya scoffed. "People hate those who are different from themselves. That doesn't change even if they're your comrades. Given time, the so-called nakama you believe in will eventually grow to fear your power and leave you. Is there any point in protecting them?!"

"There is!" Ichigo replied immediately, with no hesitation. "There is no logic behind it. I'll protect them because I want to. I'll place my soul on the line!"

"Your soul?!" Kariya really didn't understand, just what kind of person was Kurosaki Ichigo?

Right then, just for a moment, it seemed like all was lost, like Kariya would activate the Joukaishou before Ichigo could do anything about it; and yet when Yoruichi gave the order for the shinigami to begin sealing it, no one moved. Not Rukia, Renji, Karin…not even Byakuya. Even Orihime remained unmoving. They all believed in Ichigo, he would not fail. He was fighting not just as himself, but as a Nakama, he was a part of them all. He would not fail.

"You can't defeat me." Kariya declared arrogantly, after what seemed like forever. "Let me tell you something, Kurosaki Ichigo. The truth behind fighting: It continues forever. After you've defeated one person, someone stronger appears. If you manage to defeat him, then an even stronger person comes along. If you don't have the resolve to endure that eternal struggle, then eventually your confidence will erode. But it doesn't end there! The battle will continue elsewhere, fought by others. It's an endless cycle! And it doesn't end with a person's death. The cycle will continue! As long as people and their souls exist, there will be disputes and those disputes will lead to fights. And those fights will continue without limit, for all eternity." He smirked. "If you don't have the resolve to find that kind of fight, you will lose. Even if you do manage to defeat me, in the end you'll lose."

"It's true I don't like killing." Ichigo admitted. "But if I have to, to protect those dear to me, I'll do it. I'll do whatever is needed to protect my nakama, and everyone else, not just my family and friends, but everyone I can. I fight to protect! That is my resolve!"

And with that, they clashed again.

After the final clash, for a moment it seemed like Kariya had won, as he stood there, in the middle of Soukyoku Hill, his back to Ichigo, while the orange-haired dropped to one knee, his expression solemn, eyes cast down, as if he knew something that wasn't yet obvious to everyone else around them…

"This is the end, it seems." Kariya said right then. "It's kind of a pity, but I'm not going to be able to see whether or not you will walk the same path I did. Kurosaki, I am…"

And then, he was gone…nothing but dust in the wind.

The day after the battles against the Bounts had ended, if anyone had cared to look, they would have been able to find Ichigo, standing on the cliff-edge of Soukyoku Hill, watching the horizon, as he reflected a bit morosely on everything that had happened.

"Revolving…" He whispered to himself with a sigh. "If fate is a wheel, then we are the sand that is crushed between the cogs. We are helpless. All we want is power. Even if we can't protect others by extending our hands, we desire a blade for those hands to grasp. The power to crush one's fate must look like a blade swinging down. Is my power the power to crush fate? Or will I be swallowed up by this power like Kariya?" he shook his head to clear his mind of such thoughts. "There's no point in dwelling on this. This power is to protect others. That's just fine. And with my nakama by my side, everything will always be alright."

And meanwhile, unknown to him, one lone figure was watching him from a distance, usually bright violet eyes darkened in worry and grief.

"Ichigo…"

It was something none of them had been expecting, for Kariya Jin to have constructed such an elaborate, seemingly insane plan…only to be able to finally die. If that had really been his plan, no one knew for sure; still, it didn't erase the scars it had caused on many of those who had been involved, physical and mental…nothing would ever erase those…

xXx

The Nakama stayed in Seireitei for a few days after Ichigo's defeat of Kariya, wanting to help some, since at least a few of them felt partly responsible for the disaster, since it had been their decision to get the Bounts into Soul Society in the first place. Soon enough they had to go back, they doubted their teachers would be too understanding if they were absent for more than a week, and it wasn't like they hadn't already done all they could.

However, what no one was expecting was what happened a week later. In fact, no one actually knew what exactly had happened just that, for no apparent reason, one morning Ichigo simply refused to get out of the room, he barely even got up from his bed, where he covered his face with his own pillow and refused to see or talk to anyone at all, not even his sisters, his family, or his own wife!

No one had any idea what had happened, what made him react like that; if it was some kind of depression because of what had happened with the Bounts it seemed a little late…though Orihime kept saying that she had a strange feeling, like something else had happened, and somehow they had all forgotten.

After three days straight with the same situation Rukia finally decided she'd had enough, she made plans to confront Ichigo, but before that decided to take a chance and go on a quick trip to the Soul Society to check out Orihime's feelings…

It turned out she was right, something had indeed happened that none of them remembered anything about. Rukia briefly wondered if Orihime had forgotten as well, or her powers had protected her in a way, maybe she remembered and just hadn't wanted to talk about it, instead just giving the others the clues needed to help Ichigo…in any case, Orihime wasn't the one worrying the violet-eyed shinigami in that moment.

Upon her visit to the 12th Division Rukia had learnt that, something had happened. It was something that happened every so often (in terms of years), and no one really bothered with much anymore. In fact, the 12th Division had gone through the pain of creating a machine that actually could register when the 'event' took place, for case like Rukia's, where she wanted to know if she had forgotten something. Of course, they hadn't been counting on the rest of the Nakama having gotten involved, or one of them somehow still reacting…

The 'event' was the appearance of a Memory Rosary, a Shinenju, in human form. Of course, no one remembered what had happened during the time the Shinenju had been around, or if something had even happened at all…though, considering their track record, Rukia had a feeling that not only 'something' had happened, it had been big, serious, and it had ended badly…it was the only way to explain Ichigo's attitude.

With that information in mind Rukia rushed straight to a Senkaimon and then to the Kurosaki home, where she could sense Ichigo still in his room.

Once she slipped in through the window (it was closed, not like it would stop her in soul-form) Rukia decided it was a good thing the house was empty, knowing Ichigo as she did, even if it had just been a few months, confronting him on what had happened, and what was happening with him was not going to be pretty.

"Ichigo!" She called as she stepped beside the bed, pulling the pillow away from his face.

"What do you want woman?!" Ichigo snapped harshly, closing his eyes tight and refusing to look at her at all.

Rukia winced slightly at the insult, he'd never called her 'woman' and in such a cold tone. Still, she was going to help him, and not even he would be able to stop her.

"I know what happened, Ichigo." Rukia said, going straight to the point. "Well, not all obviously, but I know a shinenju was involved…"

"Shinenju?" Ichigo asked. "What is that?"

"A Memory Rosary." Rukia answered, brow furrowing suddenly. "They form when a certain number of powerful souls that were once lost in the Dangai World come together and assume a joint human form. That's why it has that name, Memory Rosary. Whenever they happen to connect to one of the Worlds, it's just for a little while, and after they're gone we forget them, because they were never meant to exist in the first place. I don't know how you managed to remember at all, but I know you do and…"

"I don't." Ichigo interrupted her in a blank tone.

"You don`t…?" Rukia was confused, what was going on with him then?

"I don't remember her name, or even her face…" Ichigo drawled. "I just know she existed. She was here, she existed…she was a real person, damn it!"

Rukia gasped, suddenly she noticed he was holding something tightly: a red ribbon. There was also the fact that Ichigo kept saying 'she', the natural course of events had erased all memories of the shinenju, and yet he refused to completely let go of that memory.

"She was real." Ichigo insisted. "Because she believed she was! She felt fear, and happiness, and pain. She fought for what she believed in…she sacrificed herself for…for us all…for me…" he left out a half-scream of distress. "I wanted to protect her! And I couldn't! Instead she ended up protecting me! She's gone because of me!"

"Ichigo…" Rukia really didn't know how to help him, she'd never seen him like that. "If she was really a shinenju…she would have disappeared eventually. Shinenju aren't real, they're a mix of dozens of different souls, memories and feelings of those who got lost in their way from one world to another…"

"She was real!" Ichigo insisted. "She was real! She died! And it was my fault! Why must people keep risking their lives to protect me?! I'm not worth it! Why must people keep giving their lives to protect mine?! Why?!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 18. Confessions in Black and White

Rukia was speechless. She had had no idea that Ichigo was in such pain. She couldn't think of any way to help him. But the petite shinigami did know one thing for sure: what was happening to Ichigo, it wasn't just about the Shinenju, about that girl he refused to forget but couldn't quite remember either, it was about much more than that. He'd talked about 'people' giving their lives to protect him. 'People', 'lives'', more than one. Rukia knew that one was Kurosaki Masaki, his mother, but who else? Who else had died to protect Ichigo? Just how many deaths was he carrying over his shoulders?

Another thing Rukia realized quite fast was that they wouldn't be able to settle the matter in Karakura. Already the Nakama were beginning to mobilize, probably concerned by the deep despair that his flaring reiatsu carried. And as much as she appreciated them all, as much as she knew they only wanted to help…something told her this was a matter the two of them had to settle on their own.

"No other choice then." Rukia said grimly out-loud.

Then, before Ichigo even knew what was happening she had her glove on and had knocked Ichigo's soul out of his body.

"Wha…Rukia?!" Ichigo cried out in a mix of confusion and anger.

She ignored him, unsheathing her zanpakutou with one hand and using it to open a Senkaimon while with the other she kept a firm hold on Ichigo, then, with some effort she pulled him after her and through the gate.

They stepped out of the gate into the reception room of the Nagaken estate, and servants who had turned in curiosity to see who had arrived so suddenly immediately stepped back in fear when they felt the barely contained reiatsu of the young adopted scion of the clan and the petite woman a chosen handful of them knew to be his wife.

"Unless the world is ending, no one is to bother us." Rukia instructed the servants.

They all nodded wordlessly, still having no idea what was going on.

Rukia for her part kept pulling Ichigo, ignoring the fact that he was much taller and stronger than her, and that technically he outranked her; she cared for none of that. The violet-eyed woman didn't stop until the two reached the cliff at the farthest part of the Nagaken property. At least there, if Ichigo's reiatsu flared no one would be hurt; and no one would interrupt them, which was always good. The two of them needed to have a talk, a very long serious talk.

And yet, Ichigo stubbornly refused to talk, he hadn't said a single word since she had pulled him through the Senkaimon. But since Rukia knew they couldn't let things continue like that, she decided to do the talking.

"Ichigo, you need to talk to me…" She told him.

"What do you want me to say?" He asked in a monotone.

"Anything." Rukia answered. "Speak, rant, curse, scream, yell at me for knocking you out of your body and dragging you all the way here. Whatever, just do something, please!"

Ichigo just shrugged, dropping to the ground to lay on his back.

"Ichigo!" Rukia cried out as she dropped to her knees beside him.

"There's nothing I want to say." Ichigo said still blankly.

"Yes there is." Rukia insisted. "You were just beginning to talk when we were still in your room. About the shinenju, and the people who take risks for you…"

"Not risks, they get killed!" Ichigo snapped, reiatsu flaring again, losing his expressionless attitude. "Am I some kind of curse? Is there something about me that causes every single woman that cares about me to die?"

Rukia had no idea what was it about her that made it so his reiatsu couldn't hurt her, no matter how much it flared, or how heavy it got, it just didn't affect her. And she was thankful about that, otherwise she didn't know how they would be able to have that particular conversation.

"You're not cursed!" Rukia told him, still a bit confused about what he was talking about. "If people die…it's not your fault."

"Yes it is!" Ichigo insisted. "It's always my fault!"

"Ichigo!" Rukia insisted. "I care about you! And I'm still here!"

"But you almost weren't!" Ichigo hissed, sitting up, taking her by the shoulders and shaking her harshly. "Don't you get it Rukia? You almost died! If I hadn't been able to get my powers back in time, if Urahara hadn't been able to get that Senkaimon to work, if we hadn't found those amulets, if we hadn't been strong enough…if one single detail in the plan we made to get to you that day had failed…you would have been executed! You would have died! Do you get that?! You would have been dead, and it would have been my fault!"

"No it wouldn't have!" Rukia began yelling, just like him. "Each of us, we make our own choices Ichigo. I chose to go with Nii-sama and Renji, knowing the kind of punishment that awaited me in Soul Society…"

"A punishment that would have never come if you hadn't given me your powers!"

"If I hadn't given you my powers we all would have died! Your family! You! And me too!"

"Not if you had focused on killing that hollow instead of worrying about me…" Ichigo's voice turned somber. "Shishou was right that first time he talked to you. You should have just focused on your work and let me die like the stupid bastard I am…"

Rukia couldn't handle it anymore, she slapped him, hard.

"Hm…" Ichigo actually chuckled darkly as he tasted blood inside his lip, not bothered at all by the hit. "Guess I deserved that."

"Yes you did." Rukia hissed, fury shining behind her eyes. "Now tell me where the hell is the real Ichigo. You cannot be him…"

"What the hell are you talking about now?" Ichigo asked, a brow furrowed.

"You cannot be the real Ichigo." Rukia stated coldly. "Because the real one, Kurosaki-Nagaken Ichigo, my husband…isn't such a pitiful coward!"

"Husband…yeah…and such a great husband I am…" Ichigo spat snidely. "You should just leave me already Rukia. Now while you are still alive, while you still can…"

"So that's it." Rukia sighed, suddenly very tired. "Did your vows mean that little? Do I mean so little that the first time something tough comes by you're so willing to just give up?"

"Better now than when you're dead…"

"I'm not gonna die! Get that through your thick head, Ichigo. I'm here, and I'm not leaving, not without a hell of a fight."

"Don't you get it Rukia? Everyone who gets too close to me dies!"

"No! It's not your fault. I already told you, I care about you and I'm still here, I'll always be here, in this life and the next!"

"Don't you get it woman? I'm trying to protect you! You cannot care about me! I won't let you give up your life for me! I'm not worth that!"

"Stop saying that! Damn it Ichigo you're worth it! You're worth everything I can give you! Even if I were to die someday…"

"No! You won't die! I won't allow that!"

"It wouldn't be your fault!"

They were screaming again, at such volumes it was a surprise someone hadn't approached them already to ask what was wrong. But maybe it was either their voices or their reiatsu keeping them away. Their auras were flaring in such a way, clashing, as if trying each to dominate the other, but neither truly could…

"Yes it would!" Ichigo snapped, then buried his face in his hands as he continued at a low, defeated tone. "It's always my fault…everyone dies and it's my fault…they keep sacrificing their lives for mine…don't you all realize I'm not worth it?"

"It should be up to us to decide what you're worth, Ichigo…" Rukia's voice turned softer as she tried to caress Ichigo's face.

"No Rukia…" Ichigo leant back to avoid her hand. "Don't you understand what would happen if you were to ever die, especially because of me?"

"Why must you carry such guilt? If someone dies, especially through sacrifice…well, then it was that person's own decision…not your fault."

"It is my fault." Ichigo insisted again. "They do it because of me. Not understanding they are worth so much more than I ever will be."

"I told you we should be the ones to decide that!"

"Ok then. So how many lives should I be worth then? Three? Four? Five? Ten? A hundred? Just how many people are going to throw away their lives so I can continue my miserable existence? How many before it's too many?!"

"Ichigo…!"

"Don't you get it Rukia? You almost died! No! It's more than that, your soul was almost totally obliterated! Gone. Finished! No reincarnation for you. No glorious return like it happened for Karin and Tatsuki. Nothing. It would have all been over. Do you know what that would have done to me? It would have destroyed me, totally and absolutely. It's so easy for all of you, to just die…and yet I have to feel the weight of those deaths upon me. See the faces of everyone grieving and know that if it weren't for me they would still be here!"

It was all so confusing, the way Ichigo constantly went from her almost dying, to others actually dying, from complaining about what could have happened to her, to insulting himself for things that had happened to other people…

"Who Ichigo?" She suddenly realized that was the crux of the matter. "Who died? Who gave their life for yours?"

"You almost died…you almost disappeared completely…" Ichigo muttered.

"Yes, 'almost' being the key word there. I am still here, Ichigo. And you know that, you can see me, hear me, feel me. This isn't really about me, is it? This is about someone else, or more than one person, about those who acted to protect you too, and actually died doing it. Who was it Ichigo? Was it your mother?"

"Okaa-san…" Ichigo whispered, heart-wrenching pain obvious in every syllable. "It was raining…she protected me from a hollow…and the monster killed her…" a lone tear fell. "But it wasn't just she…the night you were taken…taken to be executed…it was raining too…bad things happen when it rains…" he shook his head. "For her…for the Shinenju…it wasn't raining, but it still hurt just as much…her sacrifice saved both worlds… and yet I somehow know she did it for me…and I can't even remember her…not her face or her name, nothing…I just know she died, and it was my fault…And…" He shook his head, closing his eyes tightly and pressing the heels of his hands against them, in an attempt to block out the world.

"Ichigo, keep talking to me." Rukia called, once again trying and failing to caress his face. "Please, Ichigo…"

But Ichigo remained silent, it was like he'd lost what little will he might have had to talk. Not a word would leave his lips anymore, and even the tears that so obviously wanted to fall from his eyes were being kept at bay.

"Ichigo…" Rukia insisted in a painstaking tone. "Please, Ichigo…please talk to me. We promised: No more secrets…"

Something in those words seemed to make the orange-haired finally react, as he pulled his hands from his face, his eyes snapped open, the deep pools of usually liquid chocolate suddenly frozen solid. In a quick, unexpected move he took a hold of Rukia's wrists in his, at the same time as he froze her in place with just one look.

"You want there to be no more secrets?" He asked rhetorically. "Very well, then come."

He closed his eyes and for a second Rukia had no idea what he'd meant, until she felt the pull on her consciousness, and suddenly she understood. She let go.

She felt like she was free-falling, it could have been forever, it could have been just a second. Until suddenly she was back in the same position she'd originally been in, only that instead of the grassy cliff of the edge of the Nagaken estate, she found herself kneeling on concrete, or what looked like concrete, she was on the rooftop of a very tall building.

The sudden cold pulled Rukia to reality, or the current reality in any case, and she noticed she was cold because she was totally drenched, there was a terrible storm going on all around her, a look over the edge of the building she was on showed that the city hundreds of feet below had begun to flood already…and there was no sign of Ichigo anywhere.

"Wha…What is this place?" She asked out-loud, trying to cover her face from the hard rain with her hand and barely managing to hear her own voice over the noise of the storm.

"This is Aibou's Inner-World." A voice answered her.

Rukia spun around and suddenly saw what looked like Ichigo, except that his skin was much, much paler, practically snow-white, his hair was the same shade of white, his lips were blue, and he was dressed in what looked like a perfect opposite of Ichigo's shihakusho, white over black; he even had a haori to go with Ichigo's, only it was black instead of white. All in all he looked like a black and white, inverted picture of Ichigo…or something like that.

"Who are you?" Rukia asked, utterly confused. "Why did you call Ichigo Aibou? Are you his zanpakutou's spirit?"

"No snow-princess." Shiro actually smirked at the petite girl in front of him. "Now try again."

"Snow princess?" Rukia asked, utterly confused.

She didn't understand, who was that white version of Ichigo? How was he in what he himself claimed was Ichigo's inner-world if he wasn't Zangetsu? Why was he calling her snow-princess instead of by her name? And where exactly was Ichigo?!

"Did you know that a person's inner-world represents who and what they are at the very core of their souls?" Shiro asked suddenly.

"Wha…?" Rukia hadn't been expecting that question.

"Take this world for example." Shiro declared. "If you look toward the center you'll see a perfect replica of Karakura Town. Aibou's Inner World is a replica of his hometown, surrounded by huge skyscrapers. That shows his desire to always protect everything and everyone in Karakura, it's why the city is in the center, the skyscrapers are his power, always surrounding, guarding the city in the center, they keep rising higher and higher into the sky as his own power grows. I think the old man actually likes that…after all, only he would think of something like 'Pierce the skies to reach True Heaven'…Egotistical much?"

Rukia felt almost dizzy with all the new information suddenly flooding her brain, as she couldn't fully process it all. Regardless, the same question kept repeating itself over and over again inside her mind…

"Just who are you?" She asked.

"Why…I'm aibou's better half, of course!" Shiro actually chuckled a little at that.

"I'm being serious!" Rukia was beginning to lose her patience, not getting the answer she wanted. "Who are you? What are you?!"

"Come on snow-princess…that's not nice…" Shiro wiggled a finger in front of her.

"And my name is Rukia!" The petite shinigami snapped.

"Rukia…" A low, weak voice called from behind her.

The raven-haired turned to find Ichigo, this time the real Ichigo, somehow drenched even more than she was, being supported by a middle-aged ragged-looking man with shoulder-length dark-hair, facial hair, dark glasses covering his eyes and wearing a tattered robe the girl recognized from Ichigo's bankai; she knew instinctively that was Zangetsu.

"Ichigo!" Rukia perked up immediately at seeing him, then frowned when noticing his condition. "Are you alright? What happened to you? Where were you?"

"Calm down Rukia, breath." Ichigo ordered. "I am alright. I just wasn't quite looking where I stepped when I pulled us in here and I fell off the skyscraper…"

"You fell?!" Rukia almost screeched in panic at that.

"Calm down!" Ichigo yelled before rubbing his ear. "Dammit midget, you're gonna make me go deaf! Yes, I fell off the freaking building. Nothing happened to me. It's my inner-world remember? Nothing can kill me in here, especially not a stupid fall. What I wasn't expecting was for a quarter of the place to be flooded already, that and the cold made it harder for me to get out. In the end Ossan had to get me out."

"I thought you said nothing could hurt you here!" Rukia squeaked.

"It can't." Ichigo qualified. "Even if Ossan hadn't helped me the worst that would have happened is that I would have ended up back in the real world. Not sure if that means that you would have been pushed out too, or if you would have been able to stay here…"

"Ossan…" Rukia repeated, turning to the older man. "So you are Zangetsu?"

"Yes." Zangetsu bowed his head at the girl. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kuchiki Rukia. You have my thanks for the help you gave my wielder when Aizen pierced him on Soukyoku Hill, as well as every time before and after that."

For a couple of seconds Rukia didn't know what to do, or say; she'd never imagined being in such a situation. It was so rare for anyone to see someone else's zanpakutou spirit, the idea of having one being thankful and so respectful to them just baffled her…

"Wait a second." Something else suddenly entered the girl's mind. "If you are Zangetsu-san, and Ichigo is here…" she turned over her shoulder to see Ichigo's white counterpart. "Then who exactly is he?"

Shiro didn't say a word, though suddenly he wasn't smiling anymore, just staring at the petite shinigami with a mix of anticipation and something not-quite-discernable.

It was until that very moment that Rukia noticed something she had somehow missed before. Ichigo's white version…his eyes…they were yellow-gold on black…

"Those eyes…" Rukia gasped, as her brain began to realize what that being was, and yet couldn't come up with how it could be possible.

"Rukia, meet Shiro." Ichigo declared from right behind her. "The other half of my soul (literally, not figuratively or in any way romantic); he's…my darker half, you could say."

"He's a hollow…" Rukia whispered in a very weak voice.

"Yes." Ichigo nodded, expression suddenly totally blank again. "Like I said, my darker half, my opposite…sort of like a mirror image you could say…"

Rukia opened her mouth, but no word came out, she simply didn't seem to know what to say.

"So there it is." Ichigo stated blankly. "You wanted there to be no more secrets. Now you can scream and run off."

"Wha…" Rukia was having a hard time wrapping her head around everything that was going on, and Ichigo's sudden statement threw her for a loop. "What are you talking about?"

"It would be the logical reaction, right?" Ichigo asked, still no expression on his face or voice. "I am an abomination, I'm a shinigami, and yet still have a hollow inside my soul. The normal thing is to be scared and run off. Or maybe, maybe because you're a shinigami you'll choose to destroy us instead…"

"Ichigo…" Rukia began.

"Aibou…" Shiro called, in an evidently tired voice. "Snap out of it already! If you remain on this fucking depressed state for too much longer we're all going to drown here. Or catch pneumonia, or hypothermia, or something like that…"

Ichigo turned empty eyes to his twin for a moment, then quickly to Rukia, and then lowered them again in silence.

"Damn it!" Shiro cursed under his breath.

"Ichigo…" Rukia called, one hand reaching for him.

Ichigo raised his head right then, and the emptiness in his eyes was enough to make Rukia freeze where she stood. She'd never seen Ichigo's eyes so empty, he was usually so vibrant, so full of energy, of life; in that moment…not even death would make him look worse.

"So, what will it be?" He asked in a monotone. "Scream and run away, run your sword through my heart…or wait, maybe you can run away and get someone else to actually do the deed and kill me already…"

"That's enough…" Rukia mumbled under her breath.

"What?" None of the males seemed to have heard her.

"I said that's enough!" Rukia screamed and punched Ichigo as hard as she could.

If everything that had happened thus far hadn't shocked her enough, the fact that Ichigo actually fell with the force of her blow was enough to finish freaking Rukia out.

"Well princess, that was some love-tap…" Shiro whistled approvingly.

Zangetsu just closed his eyes, looking like he could be pressing his temple or the bridge of his nose in exasperation if he didn't consider it inappropriate.

"Rukia…" Ichigo mumbled from his place on the floor, not quite understanding what had happened, why she had hit him.

"Do you know me so little?" Rukia hissed, barely contained fury making her aura flare up. "Or maybe you think that poorly of me? To think that I would run away screaming little a stupid little girl…and even worse, you thought I might to kill you! Who the hell do you take me for Ichigo?! Forgive me if I'm not exactly jumping in happiness, if I'm having a bit of trouble processing everything…but I just found out half of your soul turned into a hollow, spirits know when! Or why?! A hollow that breaks every idea and perception I've ever had about hollows. And you're in such a funk that your inner-world is flooding! So yes, I needed a minute or two for my head to stop spinning. But for you to immediately assume that I would have the worst kind of reaction possible…" a tear fell down her cheek, revealing the hurt she'd been trying to hide behind her anger. "Aren't you supposed to know me better than this Ichigo? Aren't we supposed to be Nakama? Aren't I supposed to be your wife?"

"Rukia…" Ichigo's blankness disappeared abruptly, revealing a mix of concern, fear, and the deepest exhaustion she had ever seen in anyone (usually centuries older than him).

"It hurts Ichigo…" Rukia admitted. "It hurts so much that you don't trust me. And not only that, but for you to have so little faith in me…"

"It's not that I have little faith in you." Ichigo finally managed to speak again.

"Then what?" Rukia wanted to know.

"I have no faith in myself." Ichigo admitted bitterly.

"Is it…" She turned over her shoulder to look doubtfully at Ichigo's white counterpart.

"No, nothing of this is Shiro's fault." Ichigo assured her. "If anything he and Ossan have been as supportive as they could have, and more. I know I've been driving them crazy these last few days…it's a miracle they haven't attacked me already…"

"It wasn't what you needed Ichigo, at least not from us." Zangetsu pointed out calmly. "We both knew that…"

"Yes…" Shiro grumbled. "Though I was seriously considering taking over, if only to tell the snow-princess what was going on so she could put you in your place." He smirked. "Seems she could do that all on her own." He turned to Rukia. "I like you."

"Are you going to keep calling me that?" Rukia asked, strangely not as bothered with the nickname as she'd been at first.

"Maybe…" Shiro looked thoughtful for a second before adding. "I could always call you Queen instead…yes, a Queen for a King."

"Shiro, I really don't think she needs the whole speech of the King, the Horse and whatnot right now." Ichigo pointed out. "And I've told you time and time again, I'm not your King, we're Aibou, you, Zangetsu-ossan and I."

"Sure, sure." Shiro's tone of voice was dismissive, but it was obvious in his stance he actually liked to hear Ichigo say something like that.

The change in mood in Ichigo became quite noticeable as what had been a horrible storm, nearly a hurricane, changed into a light drizzle. Ichigo hadn't fully recovered yet, but he wasn't trying to punish himself anymore, either.

Almost a full minute passed, and then Ichigo noticed how intently Rukia was watching Shiro, as if trying to understand everything about him through one look…

"Well princess I know I'm handsome but you don't need to look at me like that…" Shiro sneered slightly. "If you want me instead of Aibou I…"

"Zip it, Shiro!" Rukia ordered as she smacked him in the back of the head.

"Hey!" Shiro complained loudly, rubbing the back of his head, even as he kept smiling. "Why are you staring at me like that then?"

"It's just…" Rukia seemed to have a hard time putting her thoughts into words. "I'm trying to understand…how something like this could happen."

It was honest curiosity, and the three parts of Ichigo's soul could see that; she wasn't judging them, any of them, even knowing Shiro was a hollow; she honestly just wanted to understand.

"Before we begin with that particular story." Zangetsu stepped in before any of the others could say anything. "How about joining us, Sode no Shirayuki-dono?"

The call took everyone else by surprise and they turned in time to see a beautiful, regal woman with crystal-blue eyes, straight silky hair the lightest shade of silvery-blue reaching to the small of her back, with the exception of her fore-bangs which just reached a couple of inches below her shoulders, she had a hairclip that had the form of a blue pentagon with a silvery star in the middle; she wore a very elegant snow-white kimono with trailing sleeves and a pale-pink obi; she stepped from behind a skylight in the rooftop where they all stood, and the drizzle that remained seemed to not bother her in the slightest. She had a beauty and a presence about her that showed it was not only because of her sword-form that she was known as the most beautiful zanpakutou in existence.

"Sode no Shirayuki…" Rukia gasped in awe.

She had seen her zanpakutou spirit before, but only a handful of times, and she'd always been in awe of her, of her commanding presence, power and beauty; in years past she'd wondered how such a magnificent creature could be a part of her own soul, but the Nakama had helped her believe in herself, so instead of questioning it, she had promised herself to do her best to honor Shirayuki and herself with her efforts.

"I apologize for not having noticed your presence earlier, Sode no Shirayuki-dono." Ichigo bowed his head respectfully at the female spirit.

"It is alright, Kurosaki Ichigo." Shirayuki assured him. "I decided to keep myself concealed. It was my belief it would be better to allow Rukia-sama to handle the situation you found yourselves in. At least, that is, until Zangetsu-sama saw fit to call your attention to my presence." She canted her head with the smallest of smiles. "You have a very interesting world, Kurosaki Ichigo. And very interesting companions as well."

"Please, just Ichigo will be fine, Shirayuki-dono." Ichigo insisted.

"As you wish, Ichigo-sama." The spirit agreed. "But I believe you and yours had something to share with Rukia-sama."

Ichigo recognized the importance of the address the spirit was using with him and didn't try to make her change it again, instead he turned back to Rukia, and to what they'd been talking before; he knew it would be a hard conversation to have, but if there was anyone who deserved to know everything about him, even the hardest, darkest chapters of his history, it was she, not only because, like she'd said, she was his wife, but because…he just couldn't imagine her not really knowing him…

"I'm sure you remember what happened to okaa-san…" Ichigo commented out of the blue.

Rukia nodded silently, wondering where that conversation was going.

"You must also remember what I revealed in that meeting before the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13." Ichigo continued. "About how I've been hearing Zangetsu since a month after okaa-san's murder…"

"Yes…" Rukia's brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry Ichigo but I don't understand, what does that have to do with anything?"

"It wasn't just Ossan's voice I began hearing back then." Ichigo revealed. "Shiro's too."

"Shiro's…bu…how…? Why?" Rukia babbled, totally lost.

"Think princess, how does a soul turn into a hollow?" Shiro told her.

"Well, there are several ways." Rukia said, half-absently. "They can be consumed and turned by other hollows, or they can remain in the Material World for too long after their Chain of Fate is cut, or…or they grow attached too much to a place or a person and degenerate…"

"True." Shiro nodded. "And what can make a spirit 'chain' itself to someone or something?"

"It can be many things." Rukia said. "A love, a frustration, mostly regrets, pain, loss…"

"Yes, regrets, pain, loss…" Surprisingly it was Zangetsu who spoke then. "The kind of feelings caused by very traumatic experiences…like maybe watching one's own mother die before their eyes at age nine…"

Rukia had to drown her own scream behind her hands as it all suddenly fell into place, mostly.

"But…but you're alive!" She said when she managed to calm herself. "You said so yourself, your chain was never cut, you're still human. How can your soul, or a part of it, possibly have turned into a hollow?!"

"How am I even a shinigami Rukia?" Ichigo asked her in turn, though didn't really wait for an answer. "I'm shinketsu. Yes, I might technically still be alive, but I'm only half human, the other half of me is shinigami. And just like my soul could be like that, it could also degenerate and turn into a hollow. It was actually lucky that Ossan woke up right then, that and something shishou did stopped me from totally turning into a hollow…but it couldn't undo the fact that a part of my soul had already been changed irrevocably."

"Can one even exist with a split soul?" Rukia asked, afraid.

"Well, I'm here, am I not?" Ichigo asked with a shrug. "My soul has healed since then, but it doesn't change the fact that it's in two parts. I don't think anything will ever change that."

"Can't you…I don't know…rejoin or something like that?" Rukia asked. "I mean, if you're technically two parts of the same soul…"

"We're not quite sure what would happen if we tried that." Ichigo admitted. "Would we fuse together, be like split personalities or…?"

"It's not a good idea." Zangetsu interrupted. "Ichigo and Shiro, they're no longer two halves of a soul, like Ichigo said, their souls have healed since, in their own way, they have each become a full soul. Trying to join again…I can't say I know what they would become, but they wouldn't be human…something different…something more…"

"So, not a good idea then." Rukia nodded, then turned to Shiro. "Is that why you're so different from normal hollows? Because you're technically a part of Ichigo?"

"I suppose." Shiro shrugged. "Never really been too interested in that. This is who I am, I don't care about other hollows. If aibou had turned against me, or feared me, or something, things might have been different, but this is how things are right now so…"

"Like I've said before, I was nine, well…technically ten." Ichigo added. "I heard voices in my mind, and then I saw them in my dreams. An older man who I soon began seeing as my mentor, and a boy who looked just like me, except very pale. That boy in particular, he was always there, he took care of me…he became my Nii-san…"

Rukia was left baffled by that. Under normal circumstances anyone calling a hollow brother would make her think they were insane, but this was Ichigo! And like she herself had said before, Shiro was nothing like a normal hollow. Was it because of Ichigo? Because of how Ichigo treated him? Did that mean that all hollows could be 'good' if they were treated differently? Or was she extrapolating things too much?

"He's always taking care of me." Ichigo went on with a small smile. "Mostly he gives me advice and such, or helps me get more energy, since hollows can absorb reishi from their surroundings. There are other times when I let him have control so he can fight, mostly so he can amuse himself, and sometimes because I can no longer fight…like with that Bount and his metal-like doll. Also, my bankai, I think you know how it works, right?"

"Compression." Rukia answered with a nod. "You compress all your reiatsu, which makes you faster, stronger, and in all a better fighter."

"Yes." Ichigo nodded. "But it has a downside. So much reiatsu compressed so tightly in a body makes it so the body begins to break down. The only reason I didn't collapse a few minutes into my fight with your brother, the first time ever I used bankai, was because Shiro was calling on reishi himself and using his high-speed regeneration so my body healed every time it began to break down…"

"Oh…" Rukia gasped in shock. "That's why you have never used it in the Living World isn't it? Because, regardless of how much reiatsu there is in Karakura, it probably won't be enough for Shiro to do that."

"True." Ichigo nodded. "With enough training my body should be able to handle it but…"

"There hasn't been time for training with everything that's happened…" Rukia nodded, then she thought of something else. "Just how many people know about all this?"

"Just one, Uryuu." Ichigo answered honestly. "And now you of course. I think Karin either knows or suspects, though she hasn't confronted me on the matter. And I have a feeling Yoruichi might know what the mask she saw during our infiltration into Soul Society means. After what Urahara told us happened a century ago with all those captains and lieutenants, they may be able to realize the truth; even though I doubt they'll realize how it happened." He hesitated before adding. "I really don't know if I should let other people know. I mean, what happened with the last people who ended up with hollows inside them, and without their consent…they tried to kill them! What do you think they'll do to me, to us, if they ever realize that not only I have Shiro here, but we actually get along pretty well?"

Rukia didn't answer, but she didn't need to, they all knew it wouldn't be good. At best, he would be seen as a potential risk, at worst…they might try to have him executed. What would she do then? Who would she side with? Could she really do anything but be on his side? She somehow didn't think she had the will to turn her zanpakutou on him, ever…

"What are you thinking midget?" Ichigo asked, a hand on her furrowed brow.

For a second she wanted to tell him it was nothing, but hadn't she been the most insistent on there being no secrets between them?

"I'm worried." She admitted. "About what the Gotei, what Yamamoto-soutaichou will say and do when he finds out about all this…"

"If." Ichigo corrected. "He doesn't have to find out Rukia."

"He will." Rukia stated soberly. "We're at war Ichigo. You must realize that eventually you'll have to fight Aizen and his army. And will you really forsake the help Shiro can give you just so no one finds out?"

"No." Ichigo admitted quietly.

He knew he'd been lucky thus far, the only times Shiro had helped him, it had been in small ways no one had noticed; the biggest was when his counterpart got to fight that Bount, and then there was no one close enough to realize what had happened.

"Does your condition…this…having a hollow side, really depress you that much?" Rukia asked out of the blue.

"It's not having Shiro." Ichigo was hesitatingly honest. "It's more about how certain people might react when they find out…"

"You said Uryuu knows…" Rukia pointed out.

"Yes, he's known almost from the very beginning." Ichigo nodded. "I told him about the voices I heard, the figures I saw. It's what made the two of us so sure I was a shinigami, even before shishou began dropping hints about oyaji."

"Well, like I said before, I'm not screaming, or running, or attacking you." Rukia stated, a hint of steel in her voice. "I'll never do that, got it?"

"Loud and clear." Ichigo nodded empathically.

"What do you think the others might do if they find out?"

"Mostly worry, unless I manage to find a way to convince them there's no danger." Ichigo actually thought about it. "Oyaji…who knows? That idiot acts so erratically ever since we found out the truth about him…I think it was actually easier to live with him when he had to keep the act up all the time…Urahara and the others…I have no idea. If Yoruichi told him, if they understand the meaning of the mask…then it depends on what happened with those others he helped before, the Visored…"

"As long as they don't try to attack you or hurt you." Rukia declared.

Ichigo shrugged, he wasn't going to make any more assumptions when other people's reactions to his secrets were concerned, Rukia had, mostly, cured him of that.

"So, if Shiro isn't the one causing your depression, who or what is it?" Rukia asked, remembering her previous question. "Is it your mom?"

"In part, but it's not just that." Ichigo said with a sigh. "I told you before, she died for me, but she's not the only one."

"The Shinenju." Rukia finished for him.

"Yes." Ichigo ran a hand through his hair tiredly. "And yet, it's not even her. To be totally honest, I hardly remember her. I probably wouldn't at all if it weren't for the fact that she died, that she sacrificed herself for me. That just brought all the memories back: about okaa-san's death, about nearly loosing you and…"

Rukia's eyes dimmed in sadness, she's been right, there was more than one person, and apparently more than two…

"Who Ichigo?" She asked softly, a hand on Ichigo's own. "Who else died?"

"Nee-sama…" Ichigo said in the barest of whispers. "Yailen-nee-sama…"

"Yailen-nee-sama?" Rukia asked, totally confused, she didn't know there was or had been another Kurosaki woman.

"Yes, that's what I called her, what we all called her, even if she wasn't really my sister." Ichigo admitted with a sigh. "Her full name was Faye Yailen, she was American, of Gaelic ascendance I believe. She arrived to Karakura when I was in second year in junior-high. It had been almost four years since my mother had died and I mostly kept to myself, never wanting to connect to others, not wanting them to ask questions, and at the same time afraid that the same 'curse' that had taken my mother would take them. I hardly even talked to my sisters back then, something I now know made Yuzu very sad…Anyway, she was just eighteen to my nearly fourteen-years old, and had arrived to act as assistant-teacher and substitute. I had heard she was some kind of prodigy or something who had finished up to high-school at fifteen and then finished vocational school to be a teacher in two years. When they offered her to do her practices aboard she had chosen Japan for some reason. For the first trimester she was mostly in the back of the class, assisting Yukimura-sensei when needed. But then, after the summer break she was there more. Yukimura-sensei was pregnant and in her last trimester, it was the whole reason why they had even gotten an assistant teacher. Somehow, in the remaining months of my school-year she went from being just a substitute-teacher, to the one person I could trust most. She broke down my shields, got me to talk about my mother, about my family, about my fears…and the best is, she never even asked a question…It just…it just felt natural to confide in her…" he sighed. "And it wasn't just I, everyone in the school loved her, so much that when another teacher chose that spring to take a sabbatical, the spot was offered to her right away. She became my literature teacher, as well as my homeroom teacher that year." He smiled slightly. "She's the one who introduced me to Shakespeare actually, somehow seemed to know I would like it before I'd read a single word…She was like that a lot, seemingly knowing things for no reason at all. She convinced me to finally talk to my family again, it was when Tatsuki and I became friends again, also, that same year Chad and I became friends. And my family…I finally began talking to them again. I even invited her to dinner at my home a few times. As was expected, they all loved her. It was then that Karin, Yuzu and I began calling her Nee-sama, because that's what she was too us. After her, Tatsuki, Orihime (who I didn't really know back then) and even Chad would call her that at times." He shook his head. "My third year of junior-high, with her as my teacher and my nee-sama, seemed to be the best year ever…"

Rukia raised her face slightly when she noticed the rain getting harder again; it had been obvious from the very beginning that things hadn't ended well, but she still couldn't imagine how things could have changed so abruptly.

"I graduated junior-high with Tatsuki and Chad that year." Ichigo continued. "And to my surprise, I learnt that Yailen-nee-sama had declined teaching another year in Karakura-junior. Something that made the twins very sad, since they'd been hoping to have her as their teacher. We asked her why she'd quit, if she'd gotten a better job, or maybe she was going back to America or something. All she would tell us was that she wouldn't be staying for the whole year, so it wouldn't have been fair for her to take the job. I…we all thought…we assumed she would be going back to America…we should have known better, many times before she'd told us she had no home back there, only a family that didn't quite understand her. I should have known…" he shook his head, steeling himself to hold back tears. "That night…It had been barely a couple of weeks since we'd entered first year of high-school. There was a festival that weekend in Tokyo and Nee-sama invited us all to go. We had great fun, it was the first time I actually hung out with Orihime, as well as Mizuiro and Keigo, since we'd met them our first week in high-school. We stayed at the place until very late, but it didn't matter. After we took the train back we each began walking to our own homes. Nee-sama was walking with us, since her apartment was just a few blocks away, and then…"

Ichigo didn't continue, it seemed like in his remembered grief he'd lost his voice; so gone he was that it took him several seconds to realize that, somehow, he had ended up taking all of them into his own memory, the memory of that awful night:

It had begun raining, only a light drizzle for the time being, but it was enough for the three Kurosakis and their unofficial big sister to begin walking faster, the last thing they wanted was to end caught up in a storm, which wouldn't have been unusual in that season. The streets were practically empty, which made it easier, as they didn't have to stop in every corner.

What no one was expecting was when a sudden wind blew away the pretty yellow scarf with the white flowers that Yuzu had been wearing.

"Oh no…" Yuzu cried as she turned in the direction the scarf had flown. "My prize!"

That was what she called it because Ichigo had won it for her in one of the games, one of those it was supposed to be impossible to win, yet Ichigo had, just because Yuzu had liked the scarf.

"I'll get it, Yuzu-chan." Ichigo assured her with a smile.

The rain was beginning to get harder and thicker, but he didn't care that much, they were just a couple of blocks from their home by then.

So Ichigo began jogging slightly to catch up with the errant piece of cloth. It took him a little while, but eventually he managed to catch it. What he didn't notice, so focused he was on getting it, was that in that moment he was standing in the middle of the street. A street that had been empty a minute before, but wasn't anymore. A car was driving down it, fast, too fast, and the driver seemed distracted by something in his hand, he didn't notice Ichigo…

It all happened in an instant, as Ichigo became aware of the vehicle, only for a moment before a voice screamed his name and he abruptly found himself getting very wet, laying on the edge of the street, back against the sidewalk.

"Ichi-nii!" The twins cried out in a panic.

"I'm alright." He assured them immediately.

He was holding his back in pain, and there would be bruises on the side of his body he had landed on, but he was alright.

"Nee-sama…?" Yuzu asked in a very quiet tone.

It was then that Ichigo's mind caught up with the fact that someone had pushed him out of the way of that car. He spun around in time to see the rear-lights of the car as the driver hightailed it out of there. And in the middle of the street…a broken body in a pink summer dress, a fallen white-scarf and long reddish-black tresses both getting soaked in red-tinted water.

It took a second for the Kurosakis to realize there was blood, another to notice that the figure wasn't moving…at the third their brains caught up with the fact that they knew who that broken body belonged to…

"Nee-sama!" All three screamed at the same time, as the storm rolled in.

The memory cleared out at that point, though they could all still feel the rain falling on them, product of Ichigo's renewed depression.

As soon as she caught up with everything, Rukia moved from where she was to go embrace the kneeling Ichigo as tightly as she could.

"She died…because of me…to save me from that car I was too stupid to see." Ichigo half-whispered, half-sobbed. "And it was like kaa-san all over again, before we had all come to see her as family. Again our family had been broken, and again it was because of me." His broke slightly. "Like when you almost died, again because of my own stupidity, the day we first met."

"It wasn't your fault Ichigo." Rukia assured him softly. "She made a choice, just like your mother did. Like I did at one point. They both loved you so much, as do I, they wanted you to live, even if it meant they wouldn't, just like I would have wanted you too…Just like Hisana-nee-sama wanted for me. Sometimes others make the hard decisions for us, and we cannot regret them our whole lives, because it wouldn't be fair for them. All we can do is be thankful and live the lives they gave us, anything else would be an insult to their memories."

Ichigo actually froze in place for a moment, he'd never considered it like that, had he really been insulting his mom, and his 'sister' by acting the way he had for so long?

"Thank you Rukia…" He whispered, suddenly embracing the petite woman back. "I really don't know what I would do without you, I…I love you…" he actually stuttered at that. "I know it might not mean much, after the way I've treated you recently. But I promise if you give me a chance, I'll do better. I truly, do love you."

Nothing could have contained the incredibly big smile that suddenly appeared in Rukia's face, or how her eyes suddenly began shining like amethysts.

"I love you too Ichigo…" Rukia assured him brightly. "Have since that evening in the cemetery, when you stole that kiss from me…"

Ichigo actually blushed slightly at remembering that. She'd been crying for hours after revealing the darkest secret of her past, and he'd just held her, trying to offer comfort when he couldn't think of words that might help. Then, when the sun had set and he'd decided they better get back to the house, he'd moved to help her up, and suddenly they were so close…he couldn't stop himself. He kissed her.

Just like back then, in that moment he kissed her. Only this kiss wasn't rushed, or hesitant, instead it was long, and tender, and so full of feeling.

As the two kissed, Ichigo's Inner-world began disappearing from around them, the zanpakutou spirits and hollow said their goodbyes, though the two in love couldn't hear them. The only thing they were half-aware off was that it wasn't raining anymore…

When they finally opened their eyes again they were back in the cliff of the Nagaken estate, and had changed positions to hold each other as they had in the inner-world. Also, they became aware a couple of seconds later that they weren't alone anymore; a couple of feet from them knelt a female figure apparently waiting for them. Ichigo recognized her as the servant who had warned them of what the Kuchiki Elders were planning; Rukia thought there was something else very familiar about her.

"Hello…" the woman, who had been bowing, raised her head with the usual scarf in place in that moment to reveal bright silver eyes. "It's good to see you again, Ichigo-kun…"

It actually took a second for Ichigo to catch up, and when he did, he froze in shock, only one word managing to escape his lips:

"Nee-sama…"

Chapter Text

Chapter 19. More than Revenge

Awareness came slowly and almost lazily to the chocolate-eyed orange-haired half-human half-shinigami. It was a good thing that it was Sunday, as far as he was concerned, he really would have hated to awaken to his spirits-forsaken alarm after such good sleep. He made a move to stretch himself, only to realize he couldn't actually move one of his arms, as it was being held 'captive' by a certain petite amethyst-eyed obsidian-haired shinigami who was in that moment on his bed, cuddling against his side, holding on one of his arms and head on his bare chest, her hair actually tickling him slightly.

"Beautiful…" He whispered in a half-daze as he moved his fingers through her hair.

The move seemed to be enough to bring her back to consciousness, though instead of pulling away she held even tighter onto him.

"Ichigo…" She mumbled.

"I'm here midget…" He actually smiled at him.

Her bright eyes opened finally and met his, briefly straying to where his hand was still caressing her dark hair.

"How long have you been awake?" She asked with a lazy smile.

"Just a handful of minutes, not even five." He assured her.

"Good." Rukia pointed out. "You were really creepy last week, watching me sleep like that."

The previous week…they had spent the night at their room in the Nagaken Estate, it was actually the first time they had shared a bed without feeling awkward. Ichigo had woken about an hour or so before Rukia and had found himself just laying there on the futon, watching her sleep, half on the futon, half on him…

"You just look so beautiful when you sleep…" Ichigo commented.

"Only when I sleep?" She asked with a slightly-hurt expression.

"Ah…well…I mean…" Ichigo didn't quite know how to correct that.

Rukia couldn't help it, she giggled.

"Midget…" Ichigo growled half-playfully.

"Don't call me midget, strawberry!" She snapped coyly, kissing him in the corner of his mouth and then jumping out of the bed.

"I'm not a strawberry!" Ichigo called as he straightened up, reached for her and missed.

Rukia's tinkling laugh echoed as she stepped out of the bedroom with a change of clothes and a towel in the direction of the bathroom.

"You better not use all the hot water midget!" Ichigo yelled at her.

Rukia's laugh just got louder.

On the hallway outside Karin rolled her eyes before turning to her twin, who was just about to announce breakfast would be ready soon.

"I really don't know what is worse, his funk of last week or this…this…mushiness." Karin actually said the last part as if it were a dirty word.

"You should be happy for Ichi-nii and Rukia-nee, Karin-nee!" Yuzu said half-chiding. "They deserve to be happy."

"I never said they didn't." Karin pointed out diplomatically. "But do they have to be this 'happy' in front of all of us?"

"My poor first daughter is so sad because she doesn't have her boyfriend here!" Isshin cried out in a very dramatic tone.

"Karin-chan has a boyfriend?" Yuzu asked, suddenly teary-eyed. "Why didn't I know?"

"What boyfriend?!" Ichigo snapped, instantly at his door.

"No boyfriend!" Karin yelled at Ichigo, before turning to kick her father on the head. "Stupid oyaji! Stop inventing things!"

Ichigo furrowed his brow, he wasn't blind, he'd seen the looks a certain white-haired kiddy-looking captain kept directing at his sister; Karin hadn't said anything about it yet, so he wasn't sure if it was one-sided or not. In any case, he wasn't sure how much right he had to talk, after all, wasn't he technically married? And even if the first weeks were a bit tense, when he wasn't yet sure what he felt for Rukia, or it was more like he wasn't yet ready to admit it to her, or even himself. Would it be so bad if there actually was something between his sister and the short captain? She was his little sister…though technically she was older than him, he supposed, if they counted both lives…Still, he decided, Karin was his little sister, and he would reserve the right to scare the crap out of anyone who tried to date her.

As Ichigo got a change of clothes, his towel, and waited for Rukia to finish her shower, Ichigo remembered the reception their friends had given them the previous week, after Rukia and he had returned from Soul Society.

A Senkaimon opened in the farthest, most secluded part of the Karakura main park and a couple of shinigami stepped out, easily flowing reiatsu, calm expressions, relaxed bodies and hands clasped tightly together.

"How long do you think it will take for the others to come meet us?" Rukia asked.

"Not long at all." Ichigo answered simply.

And it was true, not even two minutes had passed when Uryuu arrived from one side using hirenkyaku, closely followed by both Yuzu and Karin arriving from the opposite side. Orihime and Chad were next, each using their own high-speed techniques; and the last one to arrive was Tatsuki, who had to run since she hadn't learnt shunpo yet.

"Ichigo…Rukia…" All the Nakama acknowledged the presence of the couple.

"Ichi-nii!" Yuzu smiled brightly at him. "It's good that you're back."

Ichigo simply smiled slightly at his sister.

And it was that smile, however small, that convinced everyone, more than any words could ever have, that something had invariably changed Ichigo in the approximately 24 hours he and Rukia had been missing.

"Thank the spirits…" Karin grumbled with a dramatic sigh. "I was beginning to think I would have to suffer through migraines for the rest of my life!"

Ichigo shook his head, his sister had such a way of showing she cared…

"What happened Ichigo?" Uryuu asked.

That sobered up Ichigo instantly, he realized how unfair it was that he had kept things from everyone else for so long, not just what he was feeling with regards to the shinenju, but there was also the fact of Shiro…

Rukia's tightening of her hold on him reminded him of her presence. She had accepted him. She who had known him for the less amount of time, and who had the greater reason to hate hollows out of mere principle, had accepted him, had accepted Shiro; if she could do that, who was he to doubt the rest of his nakama…

"We need somewhere private to talk." Ichigo said seriously. "There is much to talk about. And I don't think the park is the right place to do it."

"Where then?" Uryuu asked. "Your house? Urahara's training ground?"

"No." Ichigo sighed and explained. "I don't fully trust Urahara, and sadly the same goes for oyaji. A part of what I must tell you I have a feeling they either already know or at least suspect, and they have said nothing to me…" he shook his head. "Can we go to your house? I would like for shishou to be there."

Uryuu nodded immediately, making a quick call to make sure his father would join them before they all got on their way.

Rukia for her part only watched in silence. She'd known beforehand that Ichigo was very close to Uryuu's dad, after all, the man had saved his life, had helped him move past the trauma of his mother's murder, and had even trained him to use his powers. Ichigo owed a lot to Ishida Ryuuken; but to actually choose him over his own father. It actually made Rukia a bit sad, she knew Isshin loved his children, in his own way, and yet he'd lied to them for so long, it was obvious those 'children' weren't so willing to forgive a lifetime of deceit so easily, she wondered if they ever would…

"Oh, and Ichigo." Tatsuki called suddenly, looking at him as she walked by his side. "It's good to have you back."

Ichigo just smiled. It was good to be back, and better than he'd been in many years…

If Ryuuken was surprised at having been called to a Nakama meeting when even Isshin hadn't, he didn't say a word. He simply guided the teenagers into his own secret training room, several feet underground of the hospital, and the building beside it where his penthouse was located. There they all took seats in a half-circle; all except Ichigo, who stood in front of them all, and Rukia, who chose to stand by his side.

"Well, what is this about?" Uryuu asked.

"Is it related to your funk?" Tatsuki asked in turn.

Ichigo shook his head with a sigh, trust Tatsuki to be so direct.

"In part." Ichigo nodded, while trying to find a place to start.

"Orihime," Rukia thought of something before he did. "Remember how you said you felt like something had happened and we all forgot."

"Yes." Orihime nodded, a strange sadness falling over her.

"You were right." Rukia informed her. "Something did happen. A Shinenju, a Memory Rosary was formed. It…she…"

"Excuse me." Yuzu interrupted softly. "What is a Shinenju?"

"Well." Rukia thought of the easiest way of explaining it. "Usually there is a flow of souls between the Living World and Soul Society as individuals die and are reincarnated; that's how things normally are. However, sometimes souls are…lost in the transition, so to speak. When a certain number of this souls join, they form a Memory Rosary, a shinenju, most of the times it's just a mass of memories, experiences, feelings of the spirits that were lost between world; but sometimes…sometimes they actually take shape, human shape…"

"Which happened here…" Uryuu deduced. "A shinenju was formed, a girl I guess for your previous use of the female pronoun…and knowing our luck…there was some huge mess involving her and we were involved too."

Orihime's continued silence made Rukia believe she may have been right in her suspicions.

"I have no idea." Rukia said honestly. "But your guess is pretty much the same as ours. Usually the formation of a shinenju, even one that gains human shape, is not a big deal, the only reason the 12th Division even went through the trouble of creating a machine capable of actually registering such events was for cases such as our own. Since shinenju aren't supposed to exist, when they eventually dissipate everyone that connected with them, forgets them. Is only natural, you cannot be expected to keep memories of what wasn't supposed to exist in the first place… and yet…"

"Someone broke that rule." Karin guessed this time. "Most likely Ichigo, considering his track record for doing what's supposed to be impossible."

"I don't remember her face, or even her name." Ichigo admitted. "I only know she existed, she had thoughts, and feelings, and memories she believed were her own…something happened, neither Rukia nor I know what exactly, but it was huge, and it was bad, and in the end…she gave up her life to save us all. Only…only she told me she was doing it for me. I don't know how I'm so sure of that, but I am and…"

"And it brought back memories…" Uryuu finished for him. "Of your mother, and of Rukia's near death, and even of Yailen-san…"

It was shocking, to see just how well Uryuu knew Ichigo. It was true they'd known each other for years, they were best friends, trusted comrades, and nakama…and yet, the level of understanding that was being displayed in that moment seemed to go even beyond all that.

"Yes." Ichigo nodded soberly. "It brought back all those memories, those feelings, of weakness, powerlessness, of being useless…and it only escalated from there…"

"You do know it's not your fault, right Ichi-nii?" Yuzu asked suddenly. "What happened to kaa-san, Yailen-nee-sama, or that girl? None of their deaths are your fault."

"I do now Yuzu…" Ichigo assured her with a soft smile, directing one quick look at Rukia.

It was obvious to everyone present just who it was that finally had convinced him of that.

"There's more." Uryuu said unexpectedly.

Ichigo sighed, it just had to be Uryuu to figure that out.

"How do you guess that?" Rukia asked, surprised.

"He wanted this meeting to be held privately." Uryuu pointed out. "He said we had much to talk about, and it was something he didn't want Urahara, or his father to know about. This cannot be it, Ichigo's misplaced guilt over the deaths of those women, as bad as it may be, isn't something he would really bother to hide from the others."

The others had to admit he was right. It wasn't like his family hadn't been aware already of how guilty he felt over his mother's death; and those who had known him back then, knew how he felt about Yailen's death as well. So obviously that wasn't it.

"I have lied to you." Ichigo declared directly. "For many years I have kept a closely guarded secret. And I will admit the reason was nothing but fear…fear of fear actually."

"Fear of fear?" Orihime couldn't help but ask, not understanding that.

"You feared that we would fear you." Chad clarified. "Why?"

"Shinigami as you know have two parts to their soul." Rukia spoke, trying to make it a bit easier for Ichigo. "Our core, us, and another part which is our power; it takes distinct form and character, it is the spirit of our zanpakutou…like my Sode no Shirayuki, Renji's Zabimaru, or Ichigo's Zangetsu."

"My soul has a third part." Ichigo continued for her.

That statement left them all both shocked and confused.

*Ossan…Shiro…* Ichigo called inside his soul.

*Are you sure this is a good idea, aibou?* Shiro asked suddenly.

It was so odd to hear Shiro so doubtful, and it hit Ichigo hard…his hollow was as afraid about everything as he himself was…maybe it was time he protect his white twin for a change.

*Everything will be alright, Nii-san…* Ichigo assured his counterpart with a sudden burst of confidence, he would make sure of that.

*Very well.* Shiro nodded, Ichigo's confidence helping him along.

The Nakama were about to ask what was going on, when suddenly the space on Ichigo's left seemed to shimmer, just for a second, before two figures materialized.

"Everyone," Ichigo said in an indescribable expression. "The middle-aged man is Zangetsu, the spirit of my zanpakutou. The other, is Shiro, my darker twin, my…"

"Inner Hollow." Ryuuken finished stonily.

"Yes." Ichigo answered, holding his master's look.

If the stand-off had happened even the previous day, Ichigo knew he would have lowered his eyes instantly; but in that moment…he had changed, so much it was surprising it had happened in such a short time. He'd never been ashamed of Shiro, of having a hollow as part of his soul, however, he'd been afraid of the reaction others would have if they were to learn the truth. However, after Rukia, all that had changed; he had more faith in himself, and in those who had become his nakama, he believed they would accept him…and even if they didn't, he would always have Rukia. As long as he had her everything would be alright.

"How do you know what it…he is, otou-san?" Uryuu asked, surprised.

"I have met the Visored." Ryuuken qualified, studying his student's white counterpart carefully. "Though I've never known them to be able to materialize their hollows…"

Ichigo shrugged, it's not like he knew the Visored of how their powers worked, he just knew about his own…their own, and that was enough.

"I've sensed your aura before." Ryuuken said, talking directly to Shiro. "In the corner of Ichigo's own, and sometimes more. Have you tried to take control over him?"

"Ch…" Shiro snorted. "Whatever would I do that for? When he fights I help, and I greatly enjoy watching; when he needs me, I assist, and when he cannot win I step in. All that's with mutual consent. Fighting for control…is unnecessary."

"Is that true?" Ryuuken asked Ichigo.

"Yes." Ichigo nodded immediately. "Look, shishou, I know it seems strange. The whole thing is really complicated. In few words, when kaa-san was killed, the grief and pain in my soul was bad enough that my soul split in two and one half became a hollow. It was that happening which actually woke Ossan in the first place. Back then I didn't know anything about hollows, when I first began seeing Shiro in my dreams and hearing his voice in my head, he looked so much like me, I thought he was like my brother…he's helped me, protected me, many times. I know he's technically like a hollow, but he's nothing like the monsters I've fought. He would never hurt me, or any of my nakama…"

"They are my nakama too." Shiro pointed out. "Ichigo and I were once the same soul. I see his nakama as my own, his family as my own. I know it sounds strange, I know I'm not very hollow-like, but I simply don't care."

"Very well." Ryuuken nodded. "As long as you don't threaten the existence of my students, or other humans in Karakura I will let it be."

Shiro nodded formally, while he might not care as much as Ichigo did about the older man, it still felt good to have his approval.

What no one could have ever expected was what happened next. As Yuzu went to stand right in front of Shiro and began looking at him carefully.

"So you're like another nii-san?" She asked innocently.

"S…sort of…" Shiro really didn't know how to answer that, hadn't been expecting it.

"He's like my twin Yuzu." Ichigo pointed out with a smile. "So yes, he would be another big brother to you…at times I feel like he's an older brother to me, with how he protects me."

"I do not!" Shiro snapped, embarrassed, though it was obvious he was lying.

"Thank you Shiro-nii!" Yuzu cried out, instantly embracing the hollow tightly.

At that point Shiro really had no idea what to do, he could only stand there shocked-still.

"Embrace her back, idiot." Rukia ordered, hitting him in the arm.

So Shiro did, more on reflex that consciously; and as he answered the embrace he could suddenly feel something he had never felt before…he felt what it was like to have a heart…

It took a while, but eventually Ichigo explained everything. Not just what he'd told Rukia when they'd been in his inner-world, but also several of the things he'd told her during the rest of that day, about all the things either Shiro or Zangetsu had done or helped him with through the years. Especially since he'd become a Shinigami.

"The mask…" Chad nodded right then.

"You think Yoruichi-san knows anything?" Karin asked, realizing suddenly why her brother hadn't wanted the others there.

"Possibly." Ichigo nodded. "Even if she doesn't, if she told Urahara, they might realize what it means, especially if we consider the Visored."

"Will that cause problems?" Orihime asked.

"It causes problems on all fronts." Uryuu said gruffly. "The shinigami will flip if they learn Ichigo has an inner-hollow, there are many who don't trust us now, something like this will make things worse. There's no way of knowing if being like that would make the Visored seek out Ichigo to try for an alliance or to eliminate him. And who knows about Urahara and the others, including Ichigo's father!"

"This is complicated…" Ichigo muttered.

"Not necessarily." Rukia declared. "Not if we don't allow anyone to know. No one besides us, that is. If we keep Shiro a secret no one has to get involved in the matter."

"You will not be able to keep the secret for long." Ryuuken pointed out. "With the threat of war upon us all. If it is a matter of keeping a secret or winning a battle…or protecting, which do you think he'll choose?"

"I'll always protect." Ichigo declared solemnly. "If that makes me reveal things they don't like…well, too bad. They'll just have to deal with it, we all will, I will never put others at risk just for the sake of keeping a secret."

Rukia nodded, it still made her nervous but she knew Ichigo was right.

"So, is that everything?" Karin asked.

"Mostly…I think." Rukia was thoughtful, wondering if they were forgetting anything.

"Well, I think Ichigo is an idiot, for waiting this long to tell us things." Tatsuki declared before turning to Ichigo himself. "I would hit you, but somehow I doubt it would have much of an effect. Besides, I have a feeling someone else already make sure you got some sense beaten into you, am I right?"

"All taken care of." Rukia assured her with a chuckle. "And if it's ever needed, have no doubt I'm quite willing to do it again."

Tatsuki nodded with a grin, satisfied.

"What is it with women wanting to beat me?" Ichigo asked dramatically.

The others just laughed.

"Very well, if that's all we better leave." Ryuuken announced.

The teens nodded, and they were just about to reach the door when Ichigo finally remembered what they were forgetting.

"Oi, Karin, Yuzu, Tatsuki, Chad!" He called with a bright smile. "Nee-sama says hello, and she'll be waiting for you to visit."

That froze everyone whose name had just been spoken instantly.

"N…Nee-sama?" Yuzu asked, suddenly teary eyed. "Yailen-nee-sama?"

"What the hell are you talking about Ichigo?" Karin demanded. "Nee-sama is dead!"

"I know that, baka." Ichigo half-snapped at her. "And where do you think people go when they die?" he didn't wait for an answer. "Remember a certain girl-servant who warned us about what the Kuchiki Elders were planning on doing to Rukia? That's her. Yailen-nee-sama. She's in Soul Society, she's in the Nagaken Estate. I saw her yesterday."

No word was spoken, but none was needed, those words had just acted as a healing balm; it hadn't just been Ichigo's soul that had been scarred by the death of the bright, gentle young woman. And knowing what they knew in that moment, they realized something; something they had probably always known, but never so surely: death wasn't the end. It wasn't just about Yailen, but everyone they'd ever loved and lost, they may have lost their human bodies, but that didn't mean they were lost forever, they'd just moved on to a new life. If they were lucky enough, they would be reunited again, like what had happened with Karin, Tatsuki, Yailen…if not, well, at least they had the hope they might meet again.

The teens took the elevator to Ryuuken's private office and then began leaving it in groups of two; as it would have been too odd and called too much attention if a bunch of teenagers had suddenly walked out of the man's office.

Ichigo was about to leave with Rukia, leaving Uryuu, Orihime, and Ryuuken himself for last, when unexpectedly Orihime called Ichigo.

"Do you want to know her name?" She asked out of the blue.

"What…?" Ichigo for a moment had no idea what she was talking about.

"Of that girl, the one who saved you, who saved us all." Orihime clarified in a very solemn tone. "The Shinenju. Do you want to know her name?"

"You know it?" Ichigo couldn't believe it.

Orihime simply nodded in silence, something in her expression so solemn, so unlike the usual her that no one dare ask her how exactly she remembered that much, or if that was even all she remembered, some instinct told them they weren't ready for the answer.

For Rukia, though, it was enough to prove her theory right. What she didn't know yet was if it was due to Orihime's powers or something else entirely.

"Yes, I want to know." Ichigo nodded immediately. "I cannot honor her, her memory, her sacrifice, properly if I don't even know her name."

"Senna." Orihime told him with a small, sad smile. "Her name was Shinenju Senna."

After both Ichigo and Rukia had showered (separately), all Kurosakis joined for breakfast. It was the same as usual, with Isshin's dramatics, Ichigo hitting him, Yuzu trying to stop their fighting, Karin ignoring everyone and Rukia simply giggling at their antics. The whole affair was a lot more interesting than meals in the Kuchiki manor, or even at the Nagaken estate.

Eventually father and son stopped and they could all have their breakfast in peace.

"So, when are we going to Seireitei next?" Yuzu asked, somewhat anxious.

"Don't know." Ichigo answered honestly. "I took the chance to check up on things last week and everything seemed to be in order. They may want just Karin, or even both of us at their monthly meeting but that's still a week or two away and…"

"But I want to go!" Yuzu interrupted him with a small pout. "I want to see Nee-sama!"

"You don't have to wait for us to have to go to do that, Yuzu-chan." Rukia assured her. "As an adopted daughter of the Nagaken Clan you have every right to visit when you wish. And, like Ichigo told you before, I know Yailen-san would love to see you."

"But I cannot open a Senkaimon myself!" Yuzu reminded her.

"If that's all the trouble I can open one for you." Rukia told her soothingly. "Though you would need to get out of your body first, since I cannot create the kind of gates Urahara Kisuke can, to allow living humans to get through."

Yuzu nodded, she didn't have any problem with that and she really wanted to go.

"I will go too." Karin announced softly. "I…I too wish to see Nee-sama…"

Yuzu's smile got brighter; she knew that despite how much Karin might try to control herself, her twin loved Yailen deeply, the older girl had been her role model for the two years they'd known her. It was obvious she wanted very much to see her again; knowing she was alright in the Soul Society, and that she'd kept her memories of them…

"Faye Yailen?" Isshin asked unexpectedly. "Is that who you are talking about?"

"Yes." Ichigo nodded calmly. "We saw her a week ago. She's in the Nagaken estate, has been working there as a servant for at least a year now."

"A servant Ichigo?" Karin called out suddenly, she had forgotten that part. "You're keeping Nee-sama as a servant?!"

"Hey!" Ichigo interrupted her tirade. "It wasn't exactly my idea, I offered her to cease her work and just stay at the estate as a privileged guest but she refused. She said it would call too much attention upon herself, and upon us. Besides, she said she likes it. The best I could do was make her Rukia's handmaiden. Since Rukia will be here with us most of the time, Yailen-nee-sama will only have to work when we go there, and even then she will only have to see to Rukia's things, and escort her should Rukia go anywhere."

Karin nodded, she still didn't like the idea of a woman she idolized so much working as a servant of what technically was her own house; but at least with what Ichigo had done she should be better. In a way she would be in a privileged position still, as the only one to serve Rukia and Ichigo directly (even if no one yet knew those two were the next Heads of House).

"So you'll be going to Seireitei today then?" Rukia asked then.

"Yes, for a few hours at least." Karin nodded. "If anything happens…"

"We can handle it." Ichigo interrupted her. "You and Yuzu go have some fun with Nee-sama."

The twins nodded.

"What will you be doing Ichigo?" Isshin wanted to know.

"Rukia and I made plans to go into town, hang around for a while." Ichigo answered. "Maybe we'll meet the others for lunch."

Isshin nodded, he knew his son was keeping things from him, and he couldn't really blame him, for too long Isshin himself had deceived not just Ichigo but all three of his children. Still, knowing that his son didn't trust him hurt, a lot…he wondered if that was what his children had felt when realizing he'd been lying to them their whole lives…

xXx

Ichigo and Rukia, as they had planned, went around Karakura for the day, mostly sight-seeing. They also took the chance to buy candy and some trinkets. By the time lunch came around all the Nakama, except the twins, went together to a curry-place Ichigo liked a lot, and then, without much need for conversation they decided to go catch a movie.

That's how it was almost always with them, they needed few words to understand each other. Like they'd said back in Soul Society, some things were just instinctive to them.

Late afternoon, after the movie they were all walking together, about to reach the corner where they would split so each could go to their own homes. While they were still together, they were talking mostly in smaller groups. Like Ichigo with Rukia, in that moment at the very back of them all:

"What are you thinking so hard about, Ichigo?" Rukia asked, almost worried at the hard expression Ichigo had kept since they'd left the cinema.

"What Nee-sama said, about that monster coming back…" Ichigo mumbled.

Rukia sighed, she should have known. With the Bounts gone and Aizen apparently taking his time before openly declaring war on the Nakama, there was really only one thing that could put Ichigo in that mood: Grand Fisher. And if the depression the orange-haired had been in recently wasn't enough, then there was what Yailen had told them shortly before they'd left the Nagaken Estate to return to Karakura:

It was the afternoon already and both Ichigo and Rukia were getting ready to go through the Senkaimon and back to Karakura, when unexpectedly there was a knock on the door and a voice called to them:

"Rukia-sama? Ichigo-sama?" It was Yailen.

"Come in." Ichigo called in a half-tired voice.

He'd been trying, for hours, to first convince the older girl to stop working as a servant and instead become a guest of the Nagaken Clan, and later to at least stop referring to him and Rukia with such terms. It had been useless; he should have expected something like that, really, if anyone could out-stubborn him, it was Yailen.

"I really wish you would drop the -sama…" Ichigo muttered as soon as Yailen closed the shoji doors behind herself.

"We already had this conversation Ichigo-kun." Yailen told him as she softly flicked his nose. "Unless we're alone, or in safe company, I will refer to you in the way our different stations demand." She stopped him before he could complain. "And I will not become anything more than what I am, right now. Really, I think we've called enough attention by making me a handmaiden. Such positions are usually given to more experienced and trusted servants, not ones who have been serving the House for barely a year!"

"Ah, but I care little about experience, and I trust you more than anyone save my nakama." Ichigo pointed out with a half-smile. "Besides, it's not like I'm anyone important in the Clan."

"Yet." Yailen reminded him.

"That time is long coming." Ichigo pointed out. "Who knows, maybe something totally unexpected will happen and I'll never actually become Head of House…"

Yailen looked like she was about to say something as her eyes changed minutely, but in the end simply shook her head and let it go.

"Did you need something Yailen-san?" Rukia asked right then.

"I've told you Rukia, call me Nee-sama." Yailen smiled softly at the girl. "If Ichigo insists on claiming me as an older sister, then you must do the same. After all, you're his wife." She suddenly thought about something they had told me. "Unless you think you shouldn't. I would never presume to try and take the place of Hisana-dono or Kuchiki Byakuya-dono."

"No, that's not it at all." Rukia assured her immediately. "It's just…it's so strange, having a sister. For a little over fifty years I've called Byakuya-nii-sama by such a title, and yet it wasn't until recently that I actually felt it. I didn't know what it felt like to have a sibling until Yuzu-chan and Karin-chan…"

"You'll always have me, Rukia-chan…" Yailen assured the younger-looking girl, embracing her. "And Byakuya-dono, Ichigo-kun, Yuzu-chan and Karin-chan too…" she chuckled slightly. "Well, I think you'll actually be having a pretty big family…"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Rukia assured her.

They stayed like that for a short time, Ichigo simply watching two of the most important women in his life holding each other, it was like a part of him had begun to heal…finally.

"Before I forget." Yailen commented after a while. "There's something I need to tell you before you leave…"

"Well, I imagine there had to be a reason you came." Ichigo commented with a smirk.

He was trying to make a joke, but when Yailen didn't laugh he knew it was something serious.

"He's coming back." Yailen stated directly.

"He? Coming back?" Ichigo asked, not understanding at all. "What are you talking about?"

"He who targeted a guardian and instead ended up getting the one who guarded him." Yailen said cryptically. "He's coming back, and this time has his eyes set on more…"

It took a second for Ichigo to break down the riddle, he'd always hated when Yailen did that, and yet she did it so often it had become more or less natural to him to translate her words. When he finally made it out, he instantly growled.

"That bastard!" He snarled.

Inside his head Shiro was calling out for blood, and all Zangetsu could do was watch as a storm began to build up…again.

"Ichigo! Shiro! Control yourselves!" Rukia called, accurately guessing that it wasn't just Ichigo losing control.

After having met Shiro she was able to sense both reiatsu, so she knew when Shiro was influencing Ichigo, when he got closer to the surface.

And somehow, even when her words didn't seem to be enough to calm him, her voice managed to do the trick as Ichigo took a deep breath and somewhat calmed down.

"Now, what is happening?" Rukia asked. "I'm sorry but I'm not very good at discerning riddles so you'll have to explain that to me."

"I am the guardian, the one who guarded me was my mother, the 'he' Nee-sama mentions is the one who killed her when going after me; that bastard, that monster: Grand Fisher." Ichigo explained, barely managing to keep control over himself.

"Oh…'and this time he has his eyes set on more'…" Rukia quoted, then guessed. "He's going after someone else, or maybe even more than one someone." She turned to Yailen. "Who?"

For all answer, the older girl could only watch the couple with half-lidded eyes, she either didn't know more, or couldn't say.

"Thank you for the warning, Nee-sama." Ichigo said, placing a hand on her arm. "Rukia, we need to get back now."

Rukia nodded, still not understanding everything, but as nervous as Ichigo about their nakama and the possibility of an attack from a hollow that had managed to evade slaying for over five decades, taking down hundreds of humans and several shinigami along the way. The hollow had prevailed for so long, what could they hope to do against one like him?

"One more thing, Ichigo-kun." Yailen called as the two were about to leave the room.

Ichigo stopped and looked over his shoulder, waiting.

"The third encounter shall be the last, one way or the other." Yailen pointed out. "The guardian has become more powerful, but then so has the monster. Only if the guardian can find a motive stronger than revenge to guide his blade will he be able to this battle win."

Ichigo closed his eyes briefly before nodding once seriously.

"Thank you again Nee-sama." He said, and then walked out without looking back.

Rukia, not quite understanding what had just been said, followed.

"I still don't understand what she meant with that last part." Rukia pointed out. "Though it sounded like a warning."

"That's exactly what it was." Ichigo told her with a sigh. "She meant that while I'm more powerful, so is that hollow. She also said that if all that motivates me to fight him is revenge, I will not win, I need another reason, a better one."

"Like what?" Rukia asked, confused.

"I have no idea." Ichigo answered with shrug. "I don't like this, really…"

He broke off when a scream suddenly called their attention. Instantly the heads of both snapped in the direction they'd heard the sound coming from.

"That voice…" Rukia mumbled, suddenly very afraid.

"It was Yuzu…" Ichigo declared, already beginning to run in the direction they'd heard it.

"Oh lord…" Rukia mumbled even as she ran after him, suddenly understanding. "and this time he has his eyes set on more…"

"Yes." Ichigo had realized it too. "He's going after my sisters…"

Instantly Ichigo scooped Rukia up and began running, knowing he was much faster than she; a moment came when he was moving so fast Rukia began wondering if he was somehow using shunpo even while in his human body.

The scene that greeted them at the riverbank where the Senkaimon had opened shortly before was unlike any they could have been expecting. What looked like a woman with wavy chestnut hair in a dress was standing a couple of feet in front of an awful hollow with a half-broken mask; across the space Karin laid unconscious in a heap, shihakusho badly torn and bleeding from several wounds, and right in front of her was Yuzu on one knee, panting and somehow managing to hold a high-level shield to protect herself and her twin.

"Kaa-san…" Ichigo muttered under her breath, before shaking his head hard. "That bastard. How dare he use kaa-san's image against my sisters?!"

Rukia could only cover her mouth in shock, that had been a really low trick; at the same time it explained how Karin had been defeated when she was so powerful; she must have either been distracted by the apparition or gone half-mad when seeing the hollow who had killed her mom use her form against her. In any case, it was a miracle Yuzu's shield could stand against the attacks, and that she managed to stay strong despite the obvious mental torture. The honey-eyed girl was definitely stronger than most gave her credit for.

Ichigo was furious. He wouldn't allow the insult against his mother, or the attack against his sisters to stand. Barely conscious of what he was doing anymore, he set Rukia down and stepped down the small hill to the riverbank. The moment he reached it, something happened no one had been expecting, not even Rukia, without need for a gikon, or a glove or a seal of any sort, Ichigo simply stepped forward and right out of his body, letting it fall back onto the grass. He didn't even react to the event, as if he hadn't even noticed, or he had somehow known already he could do something like that.

"Ichigo…" Rukia muttered as she got on guard by his body.

"Hey you, bastard!" Ichigo called loudly to the hollow. "Why don't you go against someone your own size for a change?!"

"Huh…you think you can take me, little shinigami brat?" Grand-Fisher laughed at him. "I am the great Grand-Fisher; I've consumed hundreds of human souls, and even some shinigami. No one's been able to lay a scratch on me in over fifty years!"

"Really?" Ichigo gave him a sudden predatory smirk. "Then what would you call what happened a little over three years ago, in this same riverbank?"

"You!" Grand-Fisher hollered, furious. "I'll destroy you brat!"

"That's where you're wrong, hollow." Ichigo declared as he unsheathed his zanpakutou. "I'm not the weak, useless boy I was three years ago, I've grown, and I have power now. You're the one who won't be walking away from this fight. I'll make you pay, for what you did to my mother, for what you tried to do to my sisters!" his blade went into shikai without need for the command. "Zangetsu!"

And so the battle began…and so did the rainstorm…

In the following minutes the rest of the Nakama arrived, one by one. Uryuu helped Yuzu pull Karin to where Rukia was still standing guard by Ichigo's body, and when Orihime arrived shortly afterwards she made sure to heal the twins. After that they all just stood there, not caring at all about the rain falling and drenching them; they just remained by the riverside, a few feet away from where a battle was taking place, a battle in many ways harder and more important than that against Kariya, or even the Bounts.

Eventually things got serious enough that even the adults began arriving, first Ryuuken, who just made sure things were considerably safe for everyone and then went to join the 'guard'. Tessai helped Yuzu create a kekkai so no innocent humans would get to close to the battle and end up hurt, while Orihime put up her Santen Kesshun to keep all of them safe even as they continued watching. Yoruichi and Urahara joined eventually, wondering why none of them did anything, but not wanting to interfere either.

Eventually things got to the point where even Renji arrived.

"What the hell is going on here?" He demanded as soon as he got to the riverside. "Taichou, and everyone else seems to be in an uproar up there. The kind of reiatsu being put off is off the scales. Such levels of power shouldn't be released in the Human World."

"Shut up Renji!" Tatsuki snapped, without taking her eyes off the battle.

Surprised at his girlfriend's attitude, Renji turned to watch the battle himself.

"Who the hell is Ichigo battling?" Renji wanting to know.

"Grand Fisher." Rukia answered.

"The monster who murdered his mother, and tried to do the same with his sisters just a short while ago." Uryuu answered at the same time.

Renji was left speechless at that.

"Do you understand now why this is happening?" Orihime asked then, solemnly. "It's also why we're all standing there instead of interfering."

"Don't worry, Tessai-sensei and I mounted a kekkai already." Yuzu assured him. "No one will be affected by this battle."

Renji nodded, half-absently watching the battle even as he used his phone to make a quick call to his captain and informed him quickly of the situation. Thankfully, the fact that a kekkai had been erected calmed the higher-ups enough that they wouldn't interfere with what was happening. Though they would still want a full report when it was all over.

"I know Grand-Fisher is pretty infamous and feared and all that." Renji commented. "But with the kind of reiatsu Ichigo is putting off he should have defeated him already, so why hasn't he? What is really happening?"

"Revenge is a good enough motivation to fight, but not good enough to win." Rukia answered absently, nervous eyes fixed straight on the battle.

Renji was still wondering what she meant with that, when Isshin finally made his arrival, shihakusho rustling in the wind being created by Ichigo's and Grand Fisher's reiatsu and clashes, zanpakutou already in hand. However, before he could interfere, Ryuuken used a technique to stop him from moving.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Ryuuken?" Isshin demanded hotly. "Let me go."

"No." Ryuuken stated simply.

"I need to help Ichigo!" Isshin insisted.

"No." Ryuuken repeated.

"Isn't Ichigo your student?" Isshin called, confused. "Shouldn't you be worrying a bit more about him. Let me help!"

"Worrying about him would imply that I do not trust his ability to emerge victorious from this fight." Ryuuken answered with apparent disinterest.

Only the Nakama realized, from his words, from his posture, even from the slightest change in his tone of voice…how much he really cared.

"Ryuuken…" Isshin really didn't know what to say at that point.

"Your lack of faith on your own offspring is disgraceful Kurosaki." Ryuuken reproached him sternly. "Even more than your deceit of him and his sisters with regards to their powers and their history. This is a battle Ichigo has to fight, let him fight it."

It was a low blow, and everyone knew it, but they also knew Ryuuken was right. It was high time Isshin realized that Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu weren't children anymore; they had fought in Soul Society, against enemies far stronger and more experienced than them. They had won there. And they were getting ready to fight a war, one on which their futures, and possibly the future of all the worlds, depended…

No one knew how long the battle lasted, no one seemed to care, they all simply stood there, watching, as Ichigo fell again and again; he was dealing good damage to his opponent, but still nothing seemed to be enough.

Nothing could be heard by the riverside but the pants, groans, yells and clashes of the battle going on. Until a half-groan, half-yell…

"Ichigo!" Rukia screamed in absolute panic.

And it was that Ichigo had just been run through by at least half a dozen of Grand-Fisher's tentacles at the same time. His wounds, already grievous by that point, were such that anyone any less stubborn would have died on the spot.

"Ichigo!" Rukia screamed again, her aura flaring brightly with her love and fear of losing the man she'd come to love with all she was.

For Ichigo, it was like time had frozen. He was on his knees, in front of his enemy, with so much blood pooled around him he was surprised he hadn't died already. What proved without doubt that something had changed, was the fact that his blood wasn't dripping in that moment, and two ghost-like figures were standing at his sides.

"Do you want to fight or do you want to win Ichigo?" Zangetsu asked stoically.

"I want to win…no, I have to win." Ichigo stated, still panting. "Just fighting isn't enough. Not against this enemy. I have to win."

"Why?" Zangetsu asked this time. "What is your resolve?"

Yailen's words echoed in Ichigo's mind in that moment: Only if the guardian can find a motive stronger than revenge to guide his blade will he be able to this battle win.

"A motive stronger than revenge…" Ichigo muttered out loud.

"What do you fight for, Ichigo?" Zangetsu inquired. "What did you gain all this power for?"

"To protect." Ichigo answered, suddenly realizing the truth. "That's what I gained this power for, what I became a shinigami for, what I trained so hard for…to protect. So no one else will have to die like kaa-san did, so no one else will have to suffer the loss of a loved one like my family, and so many other families have, so everyone I care for will be safe…I fight to protect! That is my resolve." His eyes began shining as his reiatsu began building up. "Zangetsu, Shiro, lend me your power."

"That's what we're here for Aibou!" Shiro said with a feral grin. "Lets show this bastard not to mess with us, or with our own!"

"Yes, lets." Ichigo nodded.

Ichigo extended his empty left hand to the side, holding onto Shiro's, at the same time as Zangetsu laid both hands on their shoulders.

"Go Ichigo, Shiro." Zangetsu declared strongly. "Show that hollow your power, our power, our resolve. Fight, protect!"

Time began moving again for Ichigo, but no blood was spilling anymore, his wounds were totally gone, his reiatsu in a storm around him as his bankai was called forth, for the first time in the World of the Living… If anyone besides his enemy had been standing before him in that moment, and had been able to see through the rain and his drenched bangs, they would have noticed that half of his face was eerily pale, one of his eyes was yellow-on-black and there even seemed to be a red-black line running across half his face, like some sort of tribal tattoo. Ichigo and Shiro had synched, for the first time, to bring down the creature that had caused so much pain, not only to them, but to so many others; in that moment, shinigami and hollow were one, with only one purpose, to protect.

Among the spectators, Rukia was the only one who could clearly sense the moment Ichigo and Shiro synched; Uryuu, Orihime, and possibly even the twins might be able to sense a change, maybe even suspect what it was, but no one could sense it clearly as Rukia herself did.

Grand-Fisher couldn't believe what was happening, one moment he was absolutely sure he'd won, had even begun to drool at the idea of consuming not just that shinigami's soul, but the souls of all of those who had stuck around. A second later the orange-haired young man was standing again, his injuries somehow gone and exuding even more reiatsu than when their battle had begun.

The confrontation was over shortly afterwards, as Ichigo ran Grand-Fisher through with his zanpakutou, simultaneously releasing a black Getsuga edged in red; an attack created by the combination of his and Shiro's powers.

The moment Grand-Fisher's scream stopped echoing around him Rukia sprinted after Ichigo, getting to him right in time to help him lay down instead of crashing against the grass. Noticing the signs of Shiro on his face, the obsidian-haired shinigami made sure she was the only one able to see Ichigo's face.

"I did it…" Ichigo whispered in a strange double-layered voice.

"You did it." Rukia agreed, kissing his brow twice, once on each side of his face.

"Thanks…snow-princess…" He knew what she'd meant by that gesture.

Shiro's signs on Ichigo disappeared then, and Ichigo was left gasping. Even though his hollow-twin had taken care of his wounds, he was so low on reiatsu he couldn't even think about moving; it was hard enough just to stay conscious at the moment.

"You did it Ichigo." Rukia whispered as she caressed his face. "All of you together, you won. You defeated Grand-Fisher…"

"I gave peace to kaa-san…" Ichigo whispered with a small smile. "I protected everyone."

"Yes…" Rukia nodded crying, though it was barely noticeable. "Thank you Ichigo."

"Whatever for?" Even as tired as he was, Ichigo could still feel confused.

"For not dying." Rukia answered honestly.

"Je…" Ichigo managed to chuckle very slightly as he held her hand tightly in his. "How could I ever die when I have you to come back to?"

Rukia began crying even harder at that, holding onto him with all the strength she was capable of in their somewhat odd position, his head and shoulders in her lap as she knelt on the wet grass by the riverside.

"Rukia…" Ichigo called unexpectedly. "It's not raining anymore…"

It was true, the rainstorm had finally stopped, and the blue sky, now beginning to turn shades of orange, red and purple, could be seen among the parting clouds. And yet Rukia knew him, enough to understand he meant a different kind of rain entirely.

They laid there, in the soaked grass for what seemed like forever, with their Nakama and the adults just watching a few feet away; Rukia even began wondering if he hadn't fallen asleep or something, when unexpectedly Ichigo took hold of her free hand.

"Marry me." Ichigo blurted out suddenly.

"What…?" Rukia hadn't been expecting that.

"You heard me Rukia." Ichigo stated.

"We're already married baka." She reminded him half-dismissively. "Or did you forget that in the midst of your battle?"

"You know that's not what I mean." Ichigo declared, very serious. "Marry me for real. Not for an agreement, not because you're a Kuchiki and I'm a Nagaken. Marry me, here, as just us, as just Ichigo and Rukia."

She had no words, she had never expected something like that from him. And then, to further her surprise, he jumped onto his feet, ignoring his exhaustion, Shiro was pushing him on. Then he pulled her on her own two feet, making sure she was alright before she spoke again.

"I know we're technically already married." Ichigo told her softly, taking both of her hands in his. "But that time, we did it for all the wrong reasons. It's also not technically legal in this world. I now know what I feel for you, I know I love you. This time…this time I want to do things right, the way they should be done." He dropped to one knee without letting go of her. "Will you marry me Rukia?"

Tears began falling down Rukia's eyes. When she'd married him, it had been special, even if there hadn't been any love yet; when she'd learnt he loved her it had made things even more special; the idea of marrying him again, with their families and friends present, and knowing it was a union created by love…it was more than she'd ever imagined possible.

"Yes." She nodded with a bright smile. "I will marry you, Ichigo."

"Hey idiot!" A voice interrupted the sweet moment.

Ichigo was about to complain to Uryuu for interrupting them when he realized just what had been thrown at him: a small black velvet box he'd been carrying around…

"Thank you Uryuu." He said.

Rukia could only watch how her husband/fiancé, turned back to her, still on one knee, and popped open the small box in his hands, showing her the contents. She gasped in surprise and delight: it was a ring, a very elaborate ring: the band itself was made of diamond, two lines, one white, one black entwined together; it had three stones, two small round-cut diamonds, one blue, one red, flanking a slightly bigger marquise-cut violet one.

It took no time at all for Rukia to realize the significance of the ring, of each part of its design. And if she'd had any doubt, the different reiatsu imbued in each would have cleared it up for her: the two smaller diamonds representing one Ichigo, the other Shiro, the band being Zangetsu and Shirayuki; the violet diamond was the only one with no reiatsu in it yet, as it was meant to be her. She solved that part quickly enough.

"How did you get Shirayuki's reiatsu?" Rukia wanted to know.

"Zangetu and Shiro worked together to collect almost every trace she left in my soul from the time I wielded her." Ichigo explained. "We wanted this to be special…"

"You planned this?" Rukia could hardly believe it all.

"Last week." Ichigo nodded. "Kasumi-oba-sama helped me. She offered me the Nagaken Clan rings, but none seemed right, in the end she allowed me to take some stones to a jeweler designer she knew. He did it, though the design was ours…"

"Thank you Ichigo…" Rukia moved to whisper into his ear and added. "Thank you Shiro, Zangetsu-san." She then moved to kiss Ichigo. "I love you …"

"As I love you…" Ichigo assured her as he put the ring on her finger.

They had their perfect moment then, witnessed by those they trusted the most: their families, and their Nakama, there, where so many bad things had happened, now a memory of joy and love had been made.

xXx

At the International Gate of Tokyo's airport, a woman stood, watching the night sky in contemplative silence. She was of average height, with alabaster skin barely visible beneath the white long veil that covered all her hair and wound around to cover all of her face except her eyes, which were a light-gray under the light of the street-lamps; she wore a lavender peasant blouse with sleeves long enough to cover even her fingers and silver stars adorning the trim, as well as a plain mauve-colored skirt to her ankles, with the same stars on the hem, white flats were on her feet and she wore no jewelry save for a translucent glass-pendant with a silver star done in Celtic-knots hanging from a platinum chain.

"Milady?" a voice called her attention from behind her.

She was younger, not out of her teens yet, several inches shorter than the other woman, with slightly-tanned skin, ebony-black hair so short she almost looked like a boy and a white bandana in place; she wore dark-jeans that hung low on her hips, a spaghetti strapped gray top along with a short dark-denim jacket; black leather knee-high boots with heels and a thick platinum cuff with the same Celtic-star finished her attire.

"We're here Keeva…" The woman stated solemnly.

The teenaged girl by her side canted her head, as if trying to notice something special about the place they had arrived to, she found nothing.

"What is so special about this place?" Keeva, the girl, asked. "I mean, I can sense some power, but nothing greater than most of the other places we've been to. And even what I sense…it doesn't feel exactly right."

"That's because it's not the same kind of power we hold." The woman informed her calmly. "But we are, indeed, in the right place…the place where the Oracle was lost…"

The girl said nothing at those words, simply followed her lady's line of sight to the horizon, where the most power could be felt; she couldn't help but wonder just what kind of power it was, and no answer seemed to find her. However, they would be finding out, eventually.

"Come Keeva." The woman indicated. "It's getting late, and we must get going. There are eyes that must not be allowed to lay upon us, not yet. The winds of change have been stirred, but until every warrior has chosen a side, until the battlefield has been chosen, it would be too risky to reveal our presence to any but those marked as trustworthy by the Oracle herself."

"Milady?" Keeva asked, even as she followed.

There was so much she didn't understand. Beginning by what they were doing there, why it was so important that they be there; she also didn't know why the Oracle had gone there, why she'd been lost there. What was so special about Japan? And about the small town they were going to: Karakura? She had no idea, only knew that the place had to be important, enough that the Oracle had gone there, and never returned; enough that now they were there. Yes, there were a lot of things Keeva didn't understand, but then again, she didn't have to, her mission in life was simple, follow her lady, and protect her no matter what, everything else was secondary, even her own understanding.

xXx

At the same time, in the same direction the two women were going in, a certain individual, dressed in a rather strange combination of modern clothes, watched silently as people began retiring for the night, from his place above a light post.

"So this is the place, huh?" He said to himself. "Karakura Town. And he thinks he might be like us…Well, what we've felt thus far has been interesting enough. In due time we'll see more, we'll see what you're truly made of, Kurosaki Ichigo…"

Chapter Text

Chapter 20. New Arrivals

Karin was standing on a fence, hand on her hip, watching impassively as the reishi particles of her latest hollow-slay finished dissipating. It had been so easy…if she had a little more trust on her own control she might not have even needed to materialize her zanpakutou to purify it, kidou would have done it. While that fact bored her, it also put her more at ease, it meant her sister wouldn't be in too much danger when it was her turn to go hollow-hunting.

It was something they had decided was necessary, to take turns going after the hollows, since they appeared so often and other people, most especially teachers, would get too suspicious and begin asking unnecessary questions if the same person kept taking 'bathroom breaks' or 'going to the nurse'. And really, there were enough of them that there was no need for the same person to go out twice on the same day, at least not yet.

Once done with the hollow, Karin shunpoed as fast as possible back to her classroom. It was still homeroom-hour, and she got to the door right as another girl was entering, her momentum making the two girls crash slightly, though not enough to throw them down.

"I'm sorry." Karin excused herself automatically. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"That's quite alright." The other girl assured her. "I'm not hurt."

It was until then that Karin actually took a good look at the girl, she was wearing the usual high-school uniform, though beneath the skirt she wore dark-bikers, her head was half covered with a white bandana and the platinum cuff on her wrist had a symbol Karin found strangely familiar. However, the most attention-grabbing detail as far as she raven-haired girl was concerned, was that she'd never seen the other girl before. A new girl in Karakura-High, weeks after the term began? It just couldn't be normal.

"Excuse me, I don't think I've ever seen you before." Karin commented, furrowing a brow.

"No, probably not." The other girl shrugged. "I'm a transfer student. This is my first day. In fact, I had just been called in by the teacher when you arrived…"

It was until that moment that Karin realized the teacher was looking at both of them, obviously waiting for them to get inside.

"Right." Karin nodded before hurrying to her seat.

The homeroom teacher, Ochi-sensei, watched Kurosaki Karin in silence briefly, before turning back to the new student:

"As I was saying class…" Ochi Misato said. "We have a transfer-student starting today. If you could introduce yourself, tell us something about you…"

"Castelo Keeva." The girl introduced herself in an emotionless voice, her body a bit stiff. "Of Mexican nationality, I've lived in many different places in both Mexico and the United States. I'm also a gymnast and martial artist."

"Why did you come to live to Japan?" A random student asked from the back.

"It was my sister's idea." Keeva shrugged before turning to the teacher. "Will I be assigned a seat or can I seat anywhere?"

Ochi-sensei ignored the new girl's strange attitude, it wasn't like she hadn't had students acting odd before, and signaled for her to seat anywhere she wanted and Keeva did so in a chair by the window, right in front of Karin; who was still watching her surreptitiously. Yuzu, sitting beside her sister, could only wonder what exactly was going on.

xXx

That afternoon, the Nakama were walking through the park together, they'd been training at Urahara's place earlier, knowing that it would call undue attention if they were to visit the hospital to use the Ishida's training room too often.

Training that day had been good, and before they reached the corner where they would all split to go to their respective homes, Karin began her complaints about the transfer student.

"Don't you think you're being a bit paranoid?" Keigo suggested after she told them all about the new girl: Castelo Keeva.

"Well, lets see." Karin's voice was soaked in sarcasm. "It's several weeks after the start of the Fall Semester, right after a group of very powerful captains betrayed Seireitei and revealed an alliance with the most powerful hollows of Hueco Mundo; we're in the Juureichi, which we suppose will be attacked at some point for Aizen to go through with his plans; all of us are the only ones with a chance against any of them in this world; oh, and we know the attack, the war, will come to us at any moment. Now, if those aren't more than enough reasons for being at least a bit paranoid…"

"Ok, so there are risks." Tatsuki said. "But that doesn't mean that we're going to be suspicious of any new student that comes to the High-School. Or any new person in town…"

"Not any new student." Karin corrected. "She has reiatsu! Strong, very tightly controlled reiatsu, I could sense it running through her body, as if it were right beneath her skin, when I bumped into her this morning."

That definitely called everyone's attention.

"And then there's the transfer student from our class…" Orihime commented right then, apparently only remembering the fact in that moment.

"What…?" Karin wasn't expecting that, no one had mentioned it before. "You have a transfer student as well?"

"Yes." Uryuu nodded. "A Hirako Shinji…he too has reiatsu, possibly shinigami, though it doesn't feel exactly right…"

"Seireitei wouldn't send someone else without informing us first." Rukia pointed out, arms crossed, pensive. "At least I don't think so."

They had reason to think like that, after all, they had been informed of the actions taken, first by Sui-Feng, and later by the Gotei as a whole, during the situation with the Bounts; the Nakama imagined such courtesies could be expected to continue.

Rukia hadn't been at school that morning, as she'd gone to Seireitei to present her report due to the increase in the number of hollows appearing in Karakura; they had to be ready in case the situation escalated to more than the Nakama could handle on their own, or in a way that became too dangerous to the civilians.

"I know the name Hirako Shinji." Karin announced unexpectedly.

That interrupted any other contemplations and everyone turned to look at her.

"He was a captain, a little over a hundred years ago." Karin informed them. "I can't actually remember what Squad he belonged to, this happened before I became a shinigami, about fifty years before in fact, I was still young…oyaji should remember, or maybe Yoruichi-san, Tessai-san, or Geta-boushi. Anyway, what I do remember is that he was a taichou, something happened, and he left, or was sent away; he disappeared from Seireitei, along with over half a dozen others, all of them high-ranked shinigami, captains and lieutenants; among them Yoruichi-san, Urahara, Hiyori…"

"Didn't Urahara tell us something about that?" Chad asked suddenly, remembering when the shinigami/shop-keeper had been 'persuaded' to telling them the truth prior to their 'invasion' of Soul Society. "About what Aizen did back then?"

"The Visored." Orihime declared.

They all turned to look at Ichigo.

"The Visored are here…" Ichigo declared the obvious.

"You think it's because of you?" Rukia asked him, nervously.

"Well, if they're here its obvious someone called them here." Uryuu declared. "Yoruichi-san had seen the mask while in Seireitei, so…"

"But would they really do something like that without talking to Ichigo about it first?" Mizuiro asked, brow furrowed, he obviously didn't like it.

No one knew for sure, no one knew Urahara Kisuke, or any of the other adults, even Ichigo's father…or especially him, enough to know, to make a decent guess on what they would or wouldn't do at any given moment.

"I still don't trust Geta-boushi, even after we talked to him upon our return from Soul Society, it's like…he just doesn't learn." Ichigo declared, arms crossed. "And whether it was he who called the Visored, or they decided to come to Karakura for whatever the reason…"

"It's too much of a coincidence." Karin finished for him.

"You think the girl from your class is connected to them as well?" Tatsuki asked her, disliking the situation more and more as they talked.

"Don't think so." Karin shook her head. "The name Castelo Keeva doesn't ring any bells, from this life or my last one; and her reiatsu didn't feel like a shinigami's, or like anything I've ever felt before…though…"

"What?" Everyone asked instantly.

"There was something else." Karin admitted. "The symbol engraved on the platinum cuff she was wearing, I've seen it before, though I cannot remember where, or even when…"

"What was the symbol?" Rukia inquired.

"A star." Karin answered softly. "But not any star, it was very intricate looking, and formed by knots, Celtic-style knots…"

"It does sound somewhat familiar…" Ichigo said, closing his eyes, trying to remember. "But I have no idea from where."

"If it's a style of jewelry maybe other people wear it too." Chizuru said with a shrug. "I mean, like the engraving of a flower, or a snowdrop, or anything else…"

"No." Ichigo shook his head. "This is important. I don't know why, or how, but I somehow know this is important…"

Before anyone could say anything else the denreishinki and other specials devices sounded the alarm, at the same time as Yuzu, Uryuu and Orihime turned their heads in the same direction.

"My turn." Ichigo announced, nothing better than slaying a hollow to let out some stress, as far as he was concerned.

He didn't even need to get out of his body, the hollow wasn't powerful enough to require that, but still Ichigo did, if only so he wouldn't be seen attacking a creature normal people couldn't see, it would have made for one awkward situation.

It took Ichigo less than five minutes to dispose of the hollow, even when he made sure to limit his power a lot. He was about to go back to his body and his nakama, when he sensed a reiatsu signature approaching from a side.

"You…Who the heck are you?!" The newcomer demanded. "Why are you dressed up as a shinigami? And wearing a haori?!"

The newcomer was a shinigami himself with his hair in a black afro, the only reason Ichigo had noticed his reiatsu at all was because of how focused he'd been on pulling his own power in (so as not to finish the fight against the hollow too soon), his reiatsu was really low, and would have gone unnoticed for the shinketsu shinigami under normal circumstances.

Ichigo let out a very small reiatsu pulse, just enough to call his nakama's attention to his position, while keeping most of his attention on the shinigami before him.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked in turn, ignoring the question of the other shinigami.

"Eh? M…me?" It was obvious the shinigami with the afro hadn't been expecting that. "My name is Kurumadani Zennosuke! I am the shinigami handpicked to replace Miss Kuchiki Rukia, who got arrested for some crime! Did that impress you?"

"Not at all." Ichigo deadpanned. "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, shinketsu shinigami and captain of the Nakama." he signaled to his haori and the badge hanging from his sash. "We're allies of Seireitei and the Gotei 13."

"Never heard of you." Zennosuke stated, watching Ichigo carefully. "And did you just say we? I'm only seeing you, kozo…"

"He was talking about us." Karin announced, she was in her modified shihakusho, having left her body. "Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin, shinketsu shinigami, Nakama and retainer of the Noble Nagaken Clan."

Zennosuke's eyes widened as he was having an obviously hard time following what was going on, no one had informed him about other shinigami in Karakura, and less of all about a group of spiritually aware humans, like the ones standing behind the two young shinigami, there had to be at least half a dozen, and their reiatsu was completely different from anything Zennosuke had ever sensed before, and then…

"I am Kuchiki Rukia." The obsidian haired announced as she stepped forward, in her shihakusho as well. "So why exactly is it that they sent a substitute for me, when I'm right here? And even if I weren't, this is the Nakama's territory."

"I don't know anything about a territory." Zennosuke answered. "Haven't been informed of any changes since I was sent to take your place Kuchiki-san." Then he added in an angry mutter. "Of course, I'm such a low level shinigami that no one thinks it's important enough to inform me of anything at all…"

"How long has it been since you were sent to Karakura?" Uryuu inquired, pensive.

"Fifteen weeks, more or less." Zennosuke answered.

"And your instructions weren't changed at all recently?" Uryuu asked then.

"Not at all." Zennosuke shook his head. "I haven't been given any new instructions at all. Why is any of this important, boy?"

"The name is Ishida Uryuu, I'm a Quincy and part of the Nakama." Uryuu clarified. "And it's important because we've been back from Seireitei for over a month now. We were there to clarify the so-called crime Rukia-san was being accused of. As you can see, things were resolved to everyone's satisfaction. The Nakama were recognized as allies of Seireitei and the Gotei 13, with Ichigo as our leader."

"I haven't been informed of any of this." Zennosuke insisted.

"Can you see this?" Orihime asked, extending her badge in his direction. "On one side it reads Nakama, on the other is the symbol of the Gotei. It shows we're allies."

Zennosuke had to admit he could recognize the symbol of the Gotei 13, and the kanji for the word Nakama on opposite sides of the badge. He also knew who Kuchiki Rukia was, and could recognize two others as being obviously shinigami, still, he didn't understand why no one had informed him that things had changed. And they had to have changed, a lot, if the Gotei was allied with humans with strange powers.

"I've sent a message to Ukitake-taichou." Rukia informed everyone before turning to the other shinigami. "A report should be sent to you sometime soon regarding the Nakama and the events of the last few months. I have no idea if you will be recalled to Soul Society or sent somewhere else. However, it's unlikely that you'll be staying here in Karakura, there are more than enough of us here already."

Zennosuke nodded, bowed his head slightly to everyone present and then left.

Before any other comment could be made the Nakama suddenly became aware of yet another newcomer; Karin and Rukia jumped several feet back in opposite directions, while the rest of the Nakama got on their guard and Ichigo spun around and moved his zanpakutou just in time to block a blow from another blade, one being held by the very transfer student they had been talking about just a few minutes before.

"Hirako Shinji…" Ichigo whispered.

The orange-haired had to focus his reiatsu to be able to step on air, since Shinji's attack pushed him beyond the roof where he'd been standing during the conversation with the other shinigami. Karin and Rukia were a few feet away from him, while the rest of his nakama were on the sidewalk, they couldn't exactly climb onto the roof, or invade private property, especially not in the middle of the day; still, they all had their eyes fixed on the confrontation, prepared to interfere at a moment's notice if it became necessary.

"What are you trying to do?" Ichigo demanded, pushing back. "Kill me?!"

"Don't make a ruckus like that, Kurosaki Ichigo." Shinji declared, ignoring Ichigo's words. "With spiritual pressure such as yours you cannot lose your composure so easily. Otherwise you'll be found out all too easily."

"Found out?" Ichigo inquired, shifting his weight to push back further. "By whom? You? Those like you?"

"You're asking me who?" Shinji snorted. "Idiot. And what do you know about those like me? Huh? What do you know?"

Ichigo shrugged, holding his zanpakutou more tightly, if his opponent wasn't revealing anything then he wasn't either.

"Do I need to tell you every little detail?" Shinji went back to his rant, realizing the orange-head wouldn't answer his own questions. "Can't you figure it out for yourself?"

"Stop talking to me like I'm a retard!" Ichigo bristled.

"They're here." Shinji drawled. "See? I told you so! It's all because you left your spiritual pressure unchecked like that…"

Ichigo rolled his eyes before turning down to his nakama, only to notice that some of them were gone already to handle the few hollows that the spike in his reiatsu had called, one or two even seemed like menos, which is why more than one of them had gone in each direction.

"It's being handled." Ichigo told Shinji. "What I want to know is why the hell you attacked me from behind." He thought briefly before adding. "Oh, and also, what the hell are you doing posing as a transfer student at Karakura High?"

"How would you know I'm posing as anything?" Shinji was honestly curious, nothing of what he was told about the boy prepared him for a verbal confrontation.

"We know who you are." Ichigo deadpanned. "Or at least have very strong suspicions, based on who you were a hundred years ago."

"You weren't even an idea a hundred years ago, kid." Shinji snorted as he looked at the daiko without attacking again.

"Maybe not, but there are quite a few people who were more than 'ideas' a hundred years ago." Ichigo pointed out. "And at least one of them remembers that you were a captain in the Gotei 13 back then. Also, I'm quite sure we have some common acquaintances."

"Really, like who?" Shinji inquired.

The blonde was growing more and more confused by the minute, what was happening wasn't what he'd imagined when deciding to confront the boy he'd been told might be like him and his 'family'; and there was the fact that he kept saying 'we'.

"Like me, Hirako-san." Karin stated as she moved closer to them. "My name is Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin. I'm the reincarnation of Nagaken Karin, sister of Nagaken Isshin, you might remember him more than me."

"The reincarnation of Isshin-san's sister." Shinji's eyes widened. "Karin-chan? You are the little tomboy, the Raven-princess…"

"Only Hiyori has ever called me that…" Karin muttered before rushing to stand right in Shinji's face. "Is she alright?! Is Hiyori alright?!"

"Wha…?" Shinji was shocked, suddenly not knowing what to do, or say to the girl upon him, he'd never been in such a situation before.

"Just answer me Hirako-san, tell me if Hiyori is alright!" Karin insisted.

"Yes." Shinji answered eventually. "Yes, Hiyori is fine."

The relief Karin felt in that moment was so great that she just dropped to her knees, however, the moment she stopped focusing on her own reiatsu she has unable to hold herself in the air, falling down; she was about to crash against the ground when:

"Santen Kesshun!" A feminine voice called from half a block away.

Orihime and Tatsuki joined them as the triangular shield lowered to the ground slowly, Karin kneeling on it, still breathing erratically due to her own suddenly overwhelming emotions.

"Karin, are you alright?" Ichigo shunpoed to the ground instantly.

"What happened here?" Tatsuki called as she got on guard, facing Shinji.

"Hey, I didn't do anything to her, only answered her question." Shinji declared, holding his hands up, he didn't understand what was happening at all.

"He's saying the truth Tatsuki." Rukia assured her shunpoing to their side. "Karin asked him about someone named Hiyori, and when Hirako-san told her she was alright he got like that."

"Who could make her react so strongly?" Tatsuki asked, truly confused by Karin's reaction.

"I have no idea." Ichigo answered, frustrated by that fact.

"Hiyori…" Karin said in a soft, slightly broken voice. "Sarugaki Hiyori, she was Urahara-taichou's fukutaichou when I was a child, back in my last life. She was…everything I couldn't be: strong-willed, honest to a fault, she said whatever was on her mind, not caring what others thought about her words, or about her."

"If you call Hiyori strong-willed…I just call her pig-headed." Shinji deadpanned.

"She was the only one, aside from Yoruichi, who didn't act like she was walking on eggshells when around me." Karin went on. "For everyone else I was the little sister of a Noble Clan-Head, even after I became a shinigami, but Hiyori…she never cared about any of that. Said I was like any other brat, and my name meant nothing to her." She smiled wistfully. "She once challenged me to dye Nii-sama's haori pink, and then make him wear it when he went to the barracks that day. I did it. Nii-sama didn't seem to mind at all."

"If oyaji was half as crazy back then as he's now he probably even found it funny." Ichigo commented with a smirk.

"Probably." Karin agreed. "Raven-princess, it was a nickname Hiyori gave me after I did that. Said that I shouldn't be a noble-princess but a raven one, since ravens are usually tricksters, and I obviously had to be one to have done what I did to my brother…the name stuck actually, even when I became a shinigami, some people kept calling me a raven…"

Like Gin…Kitsune, he'd always called her Karasu, just like she called him Kitsune, it was their way of expressing their friendship.

"So you're the little raven-princess Hiyori usually talks about…" Shinji said thoughtfully, and then something else occurred to him. "How do you even remember your previous life? If you were a soul then…and now…"

"I'm actually human right now, or half-human anyway." Karin clarified as she finally controlled herself enough to get back on her feet.

Shinji's eyes widened yet again at that and he gave several steps back as he turned to look at each of the people around him: three shinigamis, a quincy, and several humans with strange powers…he'd never seen something like that…

"What the hell is going on here?!" Shinji demanded.

It was until that moment that the Nakama realized how things looked to an outsider: they were eleven, all with various levels of reiatsu, and most obviously human. Shinji was only one, and with most of the Nakama just returned from where they had gone to deal with the hollows that had appeared during Ichigo's and Shinji's brief scuffle, the blonde former-shinigami found himself completely surrounded in that moment.

"Stand down." Ichigo ordered calmly before turning to the blonde. "My name is Kurosaki-Nagaken Ichigo. We're the Nakama, Rukia, my sisters and I are shinigami, Ishida Uryuu is a Quincy, the rest are humans with abilities."

"Since when do humans have spiritual abilities?" Shinji asked, not quite believing it.

"Since we're in constant close contact with someone who leaks reiatsu like an open tap." Tatsuki deadpanned calmly.

"It's not my fault, I didn't know!" Ichigo defended himself. "My idiotic father never said anything! Not even after I almost got killed, twice!"

He would rather not bring his mother into it all at the moment.

"Half-human shinigami, a surviving Quincy and more than half a dozen humans with strange spiritual abilities…" Shinji enlisted as he looked at all the teenagers. "This isn't exactly what I was expecting to find…"

"And what were you expecting to find?" Uryuu asked, suspicious.

"What I would like to know is what he's even doing here." Karin added, just as suspicious. "I still think it's too convenient, for people with reiatsu to be arriving to Karakura, right when we're waiting for war to break-out at any moment…"

"War?" Shinji's brows furrowed.

"Yes." Ichigo decided to bluff a little. "Did Urahara Kisuke not tell you that part when he called you here?"

"Or maybe it was Shihouin Yoruichi who made the call." Uryuu suggested, following Ichigo's line of reasoning.

"So you know what's brought me here." Shinji nodded.

Really, things weren't turning at all like he'd been expecting, first his 'target' knew his name, then there was a girl who was the reincarnation of a former captain's sister, a group of humans with abilities, and they all seemed to have some idea of what he was doing there…Kisuke hadn't warned him about any of that!

"We know that it's a mistake for you to be here." Rukia stated with false calmness as she went to stand at Ichigo's side.

"Really?" Shinji's face twisted into a half smirk.

All the Nakama got back on their guard as they sensed Shinji's reiatsu going higher and higher. They knew he was preparing to do something, even if none of them had any idea what exactly. Then that same reiatsu began turning dark, and it only made things worse.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Tatsuki demanded, her body glowing an off-white color as she prepared for a fight.

"I have no reason for being here." Shinji repeated. "So that means you have no idea what this means…" as he spoke he twirled his zanpakutou in his right hand, at the same time he brought his left to his face and pulled down… "A zanpakutou and a mask! Now, see this? See me? Watch and tell me you don't know what this means!"

Silence was the answer, as most of the Nakama had no idea how to reply to that, without giving away too much. Most…but there was one who had no trouble doing exactly that.

"A shinigami's zanpakutou and a hollow's mask." Yuzu stated calmly. "You are a shinigami who has crossed the barrier into the hollow domain. You are a Visored."

"You are incredibly well informed, miss." Shinji commented, eyes focused straight on the chestnut-haired girl. "Why might that be?"

"My name is Kurosaki Yuzu, Hirako-san." Yuzu explained, bowing her head respectfully. "I'm actually not a shinigami, I don't have a zanpakutou, but I'm quite good at kidou. It was Urahara Kisuke who told us about the existence of your people, it was considered as necessary information when we decided to go to Soul Society to get Rukia-nee back."

"When Aizen made his move." Shinji added. "You were there."

"Yes." Yuzu nodded.

"What he was doing, it included hurting one of our own, we weren't about to allow that." Karin added strongly.

"And why was he trying to hurt one of your own exactly?" Shinji asked then. "Why would Aizen care about a group of humans? Even ones with strange abilities like all of you?"

"Because not all of us are normal humans." Karin said, rolling her eyes. "My brother and I are shinketsu shinigami, Rukia is a shinigami as well. Urahara Kisuke was an idiot and got Rukia involved; that in turn made the rest of us get involved."

Shinji still didn't fully understand what was going on, but he knew for sure it wasn't as simple as a young shinigami somehow turning out to be a visored…

"Three of you are shinigami then." Shinji said pensively. "I was told one of you would have one of this." He shook his mask, in his hand instead of his face.

"I'm afraid Urahara-san was wrong about that." Yuzu said blankly. "None of us use a mask like that, my siblings haven't even been shinigami for that long in the first place. Either you were lied to, or he was talking about someone else."

No one else said a word, most were surprised at how easily Yuzu was lying, although, if one analyzed carefully, she wasn't actually lying, none of them 'used' a mask like that, or a mask at all, even Ichigo, the times he'd used his hollow's powers, he hadn't been wearing a mask like that, and the only time the mask had appeared, he hadn't been wearing it so…

"Well…I really hope you're saying the truth…for your own good." Shinji said off-handedly as he crushed the mask into reishi-particles and sheathed his zanpakutou.

"Is that a threat?" Tatsuki asked, still not lowering her guard.

"No, it's just a warning." Shinji said calmly, hands in his pants. "Someone who holds a zanpakutou and a mask, a Visored, is someone with an Inner Hollow. Whoever has an Inner Hollow, and hasn't trained to defeat it, will lose control sooner or later. And you all won't want to be there when that happens; because if you are…you will most likely die…"

"It's a good thing we don't have to worry about that, then." Rukia said out-loud.

They all knew they didn't have to worry, Visored or not, Shiro wasn't someone they needed to be afraid of; if anything, the hollow side of Ichigo's soul seemed to be as over-protective of them all as the rest of him, maybe even more so; and the loyalties were exactly the same ones: to Rukia, his family, and the Nakama.

"Yeah, a good thing…" Shinji agreed nonchalantly.

And yet, the Visored couldn't help the feeling that he was missing something, he just hoped it wouldn't come back to bite them all later. In any case, he was already planning on having a very serious conversation with Kisuke, the former-shinigami/shopkeeper was going to pay for not warning him about the bunch of human teenagers with spiritual abilities, and he also better explain where the lost and scared new Visored was supposed to be, because even if he was right and one of the shinigami among the teens was a Visored, they didn't act like someone being scared out of their minds by a psychotic Inner Hollow should…not at all. Something was seriously wrong there…

Before anything else could be said an extremely strong reiatsu could be felt echoing around Karakura, a dark reiatsu…

"What the hell is that?!" Keigo cried out in near-panic.

It was one thing to face off against the usual hollows every so often, but what they were feeling in that moment had to be at least a hundred times worse! It was even worse than the huge hollow they had felt on the day so many had invaded Karakura…

"That's a hamen!" Karin cried out, obviously just as shocked as the others.

"A what?!" Ichigo demanded.

"An unstable, high-leveled hollow, at least Gillian-class, that has managed to break its mask, gaining shinigami powers." Karin clarified. "The exact opposite of the Visored. We have to hurry, before someone ends up dead."

No one else was able to say anything before she was off, shunpoing as fast as she possibly could in the direction of the dark reiatsu.

"Mizuiro, Keigo, Chizuru, you stay back, take care of our bodies, please." Ichigo ordered. "This is obviously too much for you. And be careful, in case the reiatsu of this one attracts others. Everyone else, with me!"

And with that, they were all gone.

It took the group several minutes, even using their various high-speed techniques, since the reiatsu they were sensing, as huge as it was, was coming from the other side of Karakura. And yet, when they were all just a few blocks away, there was a huge flash of light, a cloud of dust that enclosed several streets, and when they both cleared out, the reiatsu was gone…

All the Nakama froze in place the moment the huge reiatsu vanished.

"What just happened?" Tatsuki asked, confused.

"The reiatsu just…disappeared." Orihime answered, not quite believing it herself.

"Did whatever it was just leave?" Yuzu inquired.

While Karin and Ichigo hadn't liked it, they hadn't gotten the chance to tell Yuzu to stay back, besides, despite looking so much more vulnerable, the younger Kurosaki twin really wasn't weak in anyway, not spiritually, emotionally, and certainly not in her will, there was just no way she would have stayed behind, no matter the danger.

"No…" Uryuu whispered, all his focus on what they had just sensed. "What happened, it wasn't due to someone or something leaving this plane. In fact, I could almost swear…"

"It was destroyed." Rukia finished for him. "Whatever it was that had that reiatsu was just destroyed. That's probably what that flash of light was."

"How?" Ichigo asked, turning to the others. "Who? Who in Karakura could possibly have the power to destroy something with that kind of power…aside from possibly us?"

"I honestly have no idea." Uryuu answered quietly, he really didn't like that.

"Was it maybe Ishida-sensei?" Chad suggested.

"I know most of you can't sense reiatsu that specifically, but I can assure you, my father is nowhere near here." Uryuu replied. "And I cannot feel any of his reiatsu in the area. So no, this wasn't his work." He made a pause before adding. "I cannot feel Urahara or Yoruichi-san, or anyone else from that shop either."

With the adults having been shinigami captains at a time, they obviously would have the power necessary to defeat a hamen.

"I don't sense oyaji either." Karin added.

"So then, who the hell did this?" Tatsuki demanded.

There was no answer, really, none of them had the slightest idea of what had happened.

Then their attention was diverted, by an ebony-haired girl wearing a gray top, dark-denim jeans, a short jacket and black boots; they could see her as she walked down the street at a brisk pace, in the same direction all the Nakama had been going until a minute before.

"That's her, Castelo Keeva." Karin stated.

"Didn't you say she has reiatsu?" Chad inquired.

"Yes." Karin nodded immediately.

"It's hard to feel it, because she seems to somehow be keeping it inside her own body, but I can sense it." Orihime commented.

"Then, if she has reiatsu she must be able to sense it somewhat." Uryuu said, both of his brows furrowed, as he understood what his nakama must be thinking. "Even someone abysmal at it would have been able to sense that hamen…"

"Which bequeaths the question…why is she going in that direction?" Rukia finished.

"And she seems to be somewhat in a hurry." Yuzu added.

"I remember her." Tatsuki pointed out. "Orihime and I saw her a few minutes ago, not too far from here, when we went hunting one of the hollows that appeared when your reiatsu flared."

"Really?" Karin was very interested in that. "What did you see?"

"That's just it." Tatsuki answered. "We didn't see anything at all, aside from her that is…not even a hollow…"

"Someone else destroyed the hollow?" Karin wanted that little detail clarified before adding. "Do you think she did it?"

"We have no idea." Orihime answered. "Like I just said, it's hard to sense Castelo-san's reiatsu, and there was no foreign signature where we'd sensed the hollow, if she did it…we just have no way of knowing."

"Ok, let's suppose, for a minute, that she did destroy the hollow you were going after." Uryuu said in a contemplative tone. "How powerful was it?"

"If it wasn't a menos then it was very close to it." Tatsuki declared.

"But it wasn't any more powerful than the one Ichigo had to fight the day so many hollows appeared on Karakura, before Rukia was taken." Orihime added helpfully.

"Very well." Uryuu nodded, expressing his theory. "Let's suppose then, that Castelo Keeva is powerful enough to defeat a Menos-class hollow. Even one that powerful is nowhere near what we felt a few minutes ago. Having felt her reiatsu, do you think she might be strong enough for that as well?"

"No idea." Karin answered honestly, having been the one to get a better feel of the other girl's reiatsu, since she was the only one to have been in actual contact with her.

"I don't think it really matters if she would have been capable of it or not, not at this point anyway." Rukia declared. "She obviously wasn't the one to do this…"

"What makes you so sure?" Ichigo had the same gut-feeling, but no reasonable explanation for it, and wanted to know if she did.

"Because she's still walking to the place where the reiatsu appeared, and then disappeared from." Rukia explained. "If she'd been the one to do it, she would be there already."

"So…what you're saying is that there is yet someone else in Karakura, someone we have never met, who has enough power to fight, possibly even destroy, a hollow as powerful as the one we felt a few minutes ago?!" That really didn't sit well with the dark-haired martial artist, not with everything already going on.

"You think it might have been one of the Visored?" Ichigo suggested. "I mean, Hirako was with us, but there are supposed to be others, right?"

"If it had been the work of a Visored we would have felt his or her reiatsu." Karin stated blankly. "No, this was the work of someone else."

"So, let me see if I'm getting this right." Tatsuki grumbled. "Besides the Visored, who may be as many as eight, and the girl with the strange reiatsu in Karin's class, there's yet someone else here in Karakura with spiritual abilities, and a power high enough to destroy a Gillian-level hollow with shinigami abilities?"

"That's the gist of it." Ichigo nodded, he didn't like it either.

"Great, just great." Tatsuki could have swore under her breath in that moment. "And to think the War hasn't even begun yet…"

No, it hadn't, and things were already getting pretty complicated; it wasn't exactly the best prospect to have at the moment as far as the Nakama were concerned, not at all. In a moment were so much already hung on the line, when war could break out at any moment, and so much was likely to depend on them; they really should be on top of everything, and they weren't, not in the slightest.

xXx

A short while later, after the Nakama were already gone from the area and the last remnants of the powerful hollow's reiatsu had dissipated, Castelo Keeva finally made her way to an apartment complex, and her own modest home on the last floor.

The teenager stepped into the apartment, to a living-room/dinning-room separated from a kitchen by a counter and a half-wall, it was all furnished in very sparsely due to both the personal tastes of the young women living there and their economical means.

The one other inhabitant of the apartment was in that moment standing by the glass window/door that lead to the apartment's balcony (one of the advantages of living on the last floor); it would have seemed like she was focused on the view outside if it weren't for the fact that her eyes were closed. Dressed in an ankle-length skirt, long sleeved blouse in shades of violet and a long white veil, a long, thin gray lock of hair seemed to have escaped from her hairdo as it moved slightly with the soft breeze on the woman's face. It was the same woman who had arrived with Castelo Keeva to Karakura just a week and a day before.

"My lady?" Keeva inquired softly, wondering briefly if the veiled woman had perhaps fallen asleep while standing.

"I'm alright Keeva." The woman assured her softly.

"You really shouldn't have done what you did my lady." Keeva commented respectfully. "There was no need for you to bother with anything. I could have handled that corrupted creature myself with ease."

"It was no bother Keeva." The woman told her. "And you need not worry. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and of pesky little 'monsters' like the one that appeared a short while ago. I am not a child, or a defenseless human…"

"I know that my lady, it was not my intention to offend you in any way…" Keeva said, half-babbling through the apology.

The rant was interrupted as the veiled woman swayed on the spot, nearly falling to the floor, until she held herself on the edge of the wall.

"My lady!" Keeva cried out hurrying to her side, intending to hold her up herself.

"I'm fine." The woman said, refusing the girl's help.

And yet, even as the woman said those words, she brought her hand to her temple, letting out a very soft pained sigh.

"My lady…" Keeva began yet again, very worried for the woman.

"I'm fine, Keeva." The woman insisted. "It's just a headache. I'm going to lay down for a while, call me when it's time for dinner."

Keeva nodded as she watched the woman walk slowly down the short narrow hallway that lead to the bathroom and two bedrooms, entering the last one and closing the door behind her. The girl was really worried, but there was nothing she could do, no way she could help the woman if she didn't allow it…she knew the woman wasn't alright, and yet there was nothing the girl could do if the woman didn't allow it…

"My lady…" Keeva whispered softly to the empty room. "I really hope this whole trip will be worth it. May it allow you to finally see the truth…that you need help, and you need it now…Lady Serenity…"

Inside the room the gray-eyed, veiled woman could still hear the girl's words as she lay slightly against the closed door of her bedroom. That room was even more sparsely furnished than the living/dining room, with a bed, a small shelf half-filled with her favorite books, a chair, and a desk covered with lots of papers and several notebooks filled with notes. On a corner a lone framed photo sat: it showed a younger version of herself, in her early to middle teens at the most, and while her head was mostly covered by a white scarf, her face could still be seen, soft-cream unmarked skin, two long ashen-black loose-curls of hair framing her face, her light-gray eyes full of so much light they almost looked like liquid silver; she was wearing a white and lavender ¾ sleeved peasant blouse and a lilac skirt that reached just below her knees. Next to her stood another girl, two or three years older, in a pink and red summer dress with short sleeves, a white scarf covered her own hair, her skin was tanned and just as unmarked as the younger girl's.

"Deirfiúr…" Serenity whispered, her eyes fixed straight on the photo, as her mind strayed back several years, to a time when things had been so different…

"You cannot leave!" A low, female voice whined softly. "You cannot leave me!"

There were the two girls, one fifteen, the other eighteen, standing in the middle of a small bedroom while the older girl packed a big suitcase; another suitcase and a couple of bags were already packed and waiting by the door.

"Deirfiúr…" The young Serenity whispered, pained.

"You know you're like my sister, I love you dearly, but this is something I must do…" The older girl whispered back softly.

Leaving her half-packed last suitcase for the time being, the older girl went to seat beside Serenity, embracing the younger girl with one arm and kissing her brow.

"But why?" Serenity asked, holding tightly onto the older girl. "Why must you go so far away? Why now? It's not fair. I don't want to be alone!"

"You won't be alone, you have your family." The older girl reminded her.

"A family that either doesn't know or doesn't like what I'm doing." Serenity said blankly. "My sister says I'm crazy to believe the supernatural even exists, my mother just sends me sad looks every time I so much as move suspiciously…and my father is in total and absolute denial of the whole thing. That's not a family…"

"At least they're still there, even if they refuse to accept the truth completely." The older girl told her. "At least you haven't been forced out of your own home because of what you are, because of what we both are. I'll always believe I was extremely fortunate when my aunt and uncle, your parents, took me in. Especially when, even after you began following on my steps, they didn't turn their backs on me."

"They still don't like it."

"True. But they're still here, with us. Even with anything they may say, or think, not many people would have stayed with us, would have even continued helping me, after everything that's happened already…"

"I think Mama believes that with you gone things will go back to normal…"

"Aunt Marie knows better than that. She knows there's no backing down from something like this. Being what we are…it is for life…and beyond."

"Is that why you're leaving?"

"I'm leaving because I have to. I have to go to where I'm needed. And right now that's in Asia. You understand that, don't you?"

"Why can't I go with you?"

"Because you're needed here."

"What for? With you gone, I'll be the only one left. We're all that's left, you said it yourself."

"I may have believed so at one point, but I was wrong. The two of us aren't all that's left, there's one more, though she isn't ready just yet. She'll be coming here soon, destiny will bring her to you, and it will be your mission to help her."

"How? In what?"

"Help her see the truth. Understand what it is that she can do, and that her abilities are a gift, not a curse, that she's not a demon…"

"What would make her think that?"

"She's been through a lot. She'll need you if she's ever to become the person she has the potential to be. So you see, we each have our mission to fulfill."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Maybe, the future isn't written in stone…not even for an Oracle. I cannot tell you for sure what will happen, but I can tell you this. The time will come when you, and our future little sister will be needed on the far west, the same land where I'm going now. Then, maybe, we'll get the chance to meet again."

"How will I know when I have to go there? I'm not an Oracle…"

"You'll just know. Trust me."

"And what is the name of this land. You have never told me."

"Japan, the place where I'm needed now, and where you'll be needed one day is Japan, a small town called Karakura…"

Serenity nodded, committing the name of the place to memory, she would never forget; and she would spend the next however many years waiting for the signal that she was needed. And there was of course the new sister she would have by then…

"Promise me something, deirfiúr." The older girl said unexpectedly.

"Anything." Serenity answered almost automatically.

"Promise me you'll always fight for what's right, that you'll always follow what your heart and soul dictate, and you'll never give up." The older girl stated strongly.

"I promise." Serenity assured her, just as strongly.

In the apartment bedroom Serenity watched the photo silently, no expression showing in her eyes, or through the veil covering most of her face. Ever so slowly she turned away from the photo, walking to the bed to lay down, and still, her mind couldn't let go of that memory, the memory of what she had had, and lost…

"On my soul, on your memory, I promise, Deirfiúr…"

Chapter Text

Chapter 21. First Contact

A thirteen-year-old girl in a baby-pink colored dress with red accents, white flats and a white scarf covering her hair was sitting on a couch, cup of tea in her hand and a duffel-bag at her feet; across the low table sat an older woman, in her thirties, with short curly black hair and dark-gray eyes in kaki dress-pants and a white blouse, watching the girl while ignoring her own half-empty cup of tea. 

"You know you're always welcome here dear." The older woman assured her.

"Yes…" The girl took a sip of tea before turning suddenly serious. "Even when you know what my presence here might mean for you, for your family, for your oldest daughter?"

"Is that really necessary?" The woman asked soberly.

"I know you don't like it Aunt Marie." The girl said softly. "I don't either, but you must know how necessary it is…"

"I sometimes wish I didn't have to see…but I guess even if I didn't they would still be there, wouldn't they?" The woman, Marie, declared.

"Yes, they would." The girl nodded sadly. "Spirits are always around us, both Pure and Corrupted ones, whether we see them or not. I think that sometimes it might even be more dangerous if we weren't able to see them."

"Shouldn't ignorance be bliss?" Marie inquired.

"Not when it can cause death, whether you're ignorant or not." The girl deadpanned. "At least when you can see you know where to run away from, and you might be able to fight…"

"That's the crux of the matter, isn't it? Fighting them…"

"Aunt…I understand you don't like this."

"Do you?"

"Yes! I mean, look at me!" she pointed to the bag at her feet. "I don't even have a home anymore! I don't even have a family! My father pretty much disowned me the moment he realized what I can do, what I am!"

"You have a home, right here, and you have a family, with us."

"Even when you know the consequences having me here will have for her?"

"Does it really have to be this way?"

"You know the answer to that question as well as I do."

"I'm not an Oracle."

"No, but you can still see. You can see them, all the chaos and grief they cause. Too many souls have been lost already. We all need for there to be someone capable of fighting back, of protecting those who can't protect themselves…"

"You…"

"You know that if I could I would handle things myself. I don't like getting others involved, especially my little cousin, anymore than you do. But I can't, I don't have that kind of power. I was born an Oracle; I'm no Maiti, or a fighter of any kind…your daughter on the other hand…she has what she needs to do this."

"And to think that I once found the old tales to be so funny and amazing…"

"Yeah, some things can seem like wonderful, beautiful fairy-tales, until we're forced to become a part of them…"

"You know? I don't know how I hadn't noticed it before, but you're awfully serious for a thirteen-year-old, awfully old, in a sense."

"I guess it's a consequence of seeing all I've seen…"

"Have you seen my daughter? What she will become?"

"I have." There was a mix of light happiness, melancholy and something else impossible to pinpoint in the girl's smile as she spoke about her little cousin. "She'll be the most amazing Peacekeeper to ever exist…"

There was more, something she wasn't saying, and Marie knew that much, but she also knew that Oracles could never be forced to share what they knew, what they had seen, it went against the rules; she just hoped that whatever it was her niece knew and was keeping to herself, it wouldn't be as bad as she feared it might be.

The sky was still dark, as the slim figure walked through a beautifully cared-for garden, the bare soles of her feet brushing on the damp grass.

"Oh Aunt Marie…" She whispered to no one in particular. "I wonder if you would have been so understanding, so welcoming of me in your home, if you had known the kind of danger I would end up pulling your daughter into?"

With a sigh, she moved her hand across a small round platinum brooch she wore, about an inch in diameter, pinned near the end of her sash, it was engraved with a five-pointed Celtic-style star done in silver.

"Is what I did really fair?" she sighed and shook her head. "Probably not. Necessary? Absolutely. Still, to drag an innocent girl into a war she should have never had anything to do with…it's probably the most terrible sin I'll ever commit…" she closed her eyes tightly.

Above her head, the sky began to lighten and change color, as the first rays of the sun reflected over the brown, red and cream colored tones of her clothing. Still, ignoring the growing light, the young woman, who looked to be in her late teens, or early twenties, envisioned the face of a girl in her mid-teens with porcelain skin and eyes as bright as stars…

"I wonder what you think of it all…" She continued to herself. "Do you understand? Do you hate me? Do you wish you had never met me?" she sobbed softly. "Regardless of anything, I will always hold you dear, my cousin…my sister…Deirfiúr…"

xXx

The day after the arrival of two new students on Karakura-High, the Nakama's confrontation with a Visored and their realization that there was yet another unknown person in Karakura with spiritual powers strong enough to take down a highly-powerful hollow, all the Nakama were very tense. The twins kept directing mostly-discreet looks at Keeva, trying to learn more about her, what her power might be, what she was even doing in Karakura; the rest of the teens also kept watch over Shinji, wondering why exactly he was still posing as a student after they had told him there was no Visored among them. Did he not believe them? And if so, why? Was he a risk to them, to anyone else?

Things were truly stressful for everyone.

Eventually classes finished for the day, and the group of friends reunited in the schoolyard, ready to make their way to Urahara's for some training, and possibly even to demand some explanations from the once-shinigami-captain. What they weren't expecting was for Hirako Shinji to be waiting for them a few blocks away from the school, and that he wasn't alone, with him was a small-looking girl in a red-tracksuit with brown eyes and blonde hair in spiky pigtails. All the Nakama could sense how alike the reiatsu of the two were, and easily deduced that she had to be another Visored, however, only one actually recognized her.

"Hiyori…" Karin mumbled, shocked.

"So it's true, the little raven-princess is now a human." Hiyori chuckled, and then hissed as she added. "And to think I absolutely abhor humans…"

The comment immediately put all the Nakama in high alert, though Karin pushed down the instinct to try and reason with her once-friend.

"I'm actually only half-human." Karin clarified. "Oyaji is a shinigami." She shook her head dismissing that. "Anyway, how have you been Hiyori?"

"I was betrayed, experimented on, turned into part-hollow, nearly-murdered, condemned to execution, forced to go into pseudo-voluntary exile and then spend the last century on the run, knowing that if I'm found, I'm dead…how do you think I've been?" Hiyori snarled.

"I know it must have been hard…" Karin began, before being interrupted.

"You know?!" Hiyori exploded. "You know?! You don't know nothing! You're nothing but a spoilt little princess!"

"Hiyori…" Karin began, beginning to go from happy to see an old friend to annoyed at the attitude she was showing.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter." Hiyori said dismissively. "The past is the past, what matters is the present. What needs to be done now." She turned to Ichigo. "You're coming with us."

"Why the hell would I do that?" Ichigo didn't bother to hide his anger at that.

"Because you're one of us." Hiyori said with a smirk, looking at the others with derision. "Because you don't belong with them."

"Of course I belong with them!" Ichigo retorted. "We are all Nakama, we belong together."

"You must be really nuts, brat." Hiyori sneered. "We're Visored, seen as aberrations by those who consider themselves normal…your so-called nakama, they will leave you the moment they realize what you truly are…"

"You don't know us, so don't presume to know what we'll do or won't do." Orihime stated strongly. "Like Ichigo said, we're Nakama, we stick together, no matter what."

"Why do you even keep focusing on me?" Ichigo wanted to know. "I told you yesterday I'm nothing like you, like either of you. Like Yuzu told Shinji, none of us has a mask…"

"You may have been able to fool Shinji, but then again he's a bit of an idiot anyway." Hiyori stated off-handedly.

"Hiyori…" Shinji half-whined.

"But you cannot fool me." The female Visored went on, ignoring Shinji. "I can sense the darkness in your reiatsu. The hollow in your aura…you are most definitely a Visored."

The girl's words put Ichigo on the defensive, he'd known he wouldn't be able to hide Shiro's existence as a part of his own soul for long, but he hadn't been expecting things to turn south so soon either.

"You will be coming with us, Kurosaki Ichigo." Hiyori stated as she began focusing her own reiryoku, and her reiatsu began to rise. "And anyone who gets in our way will die."

"If you think you can take my Ichigo anywhere you're out of your mind." Rukia stated in a very possessive tone, as she stood in front of her beloved, her reiatsu rising steadily.

The rest of the Nakama materialized their weapons instantly as well, ready to fight for their nakama and leader at a moment's notice.

All but Karin, who took a more hands-on approach on the problem…she went straight at Hiyori, punching her in the face with all the strength her human body was capable of; it was enough to send the small Visored down, to Shinji's, and everyone else's surprise.

"So I'm nothing but a spoilt princess, huh?" Karin practically snarled, as her human body began glowing a red color. "I know nothing?" her reiatsu kept climbing in her anger, and she didn't care. "You're the one who knows nothing Sarugaki Hiyori!"

Furious at being taken by surprise, Hiyori jumped back on her feet, she went to attack Karin, but had to move back almost instantly, when getting too close to the raven-haired girl began giving her superficial burns; Karin's reiatsu was high enough to burn in that moment; neither Visored could believe it.

"You still refer to me as a raven-princess, and then you say the past is the past." Karin commented. "But I don't think you're really letting go of the past Hiyori. Things change in a hundred years, did you know that? I went to the Shino Academy, graduated in two years, I was considered as one of the five most talented shinigami to have ever gone through the Academy, and the most talented woman…then I lost my Nii-sama, the only direct family I had left, a decade later; almost immediately I was declared a captain-candidate. I never made captain, but you know? It wasn't because I couldn't, but because I didn't want to, I achieved bankai about eight years after being named a candidate for the captaincy. But I really didn't want to be a captain. Then two years after that, I was killed; Aizen ordered a hit on me, his first plan failed, but the second one worked quite nicely, I was taken down by an imperfect Arrancar after spending several late-night hours fighting what must have been at least a hundred hollows. I was reborn ten years later; regained my powers a bit over a month ago."

The two Visored could only watch Karin in silence, her aura had gone back to manageable levels in the middle of her rant, and by the time she was finished she looked like a normal human again; only that, by then, it had become pretty obvious that she was anything but a normal human girl.

"You were right Hiyori, the past is the past." Karin went on, more calm by then. "Things change, I changed. I'm no longer Nagaken Karin, I'm no longer the weak little sister of a Noble Clan-Head and Captain of the Gotei 13. I'm Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin, shinketsu shinigami, reincarnation of a captain-candidate, prodigy, bankai-wielding shinigami." Her voice turned to steel as she went on. "You were once a dear friend, almost a role-model to me, Hiyori; but I think I don't know you anymore, just as you don't know me. I'm no longer the raven-princess Hiyori, and if you try to so much as lay a single finger on my brother, or any other of my nakama…I swear I'll take you down myself."

xXx

Things on Wednesday weren't any easier than they had been the two previous days. The Nakama were still on edge about the Visored, Keeva, and even the adults who might be responsible for the Visored being after Ichigo.

The situation from the previous day had ended after Karin's very direct warning against Hiyori. Yet again the Visored had found themselves in a situation they weren't ready for, and that made them hesitate from their original plan of just taking Kurosaki Ichigo with them and ignored everyone else. Despite Hiyori's assurances that the orange-haired had, in fact, an Inner Hollow, he still wasn't at all what they had been expecting; there was no fear in him, for himself or his nakama, no doubt, no uncontrolled anger, even Karin had made more show of her own temper than the one who was supposedly being haunted by an Inner Hollow.

The rest of the week, and even the one following, were pretty tense, what with keeping their guard, studying Castelo Keeva, trying to find whoever else had just arrived to Karakura with the power to fight an imperfect arrancar, wondering what the Visored would do next, and waiting for Aizen to make his move, the number of hollows attacking Karakura kept escalating, but none as powerful as the hamen of that particular day; even the day they took off to celebrate the 'Day of the Dead' was filled with tension as they all waited for an attack that just didn't come; and yet, if the Nakama had just known what would be happening next, they might have tried and enjoy that time to its fullest anyway…

Most seniors saw it as a curse, that because entrance exams for college were so close upon them, the High-School had arranged to have them stay an hour longer on certain days, to help them prepare for such exams. While other students were in fact thankful for the help they could get during that time, others didn't like it in the slightest, like most of the Nakama, who, being already in the Honor Roll despite their relatively constant absences due to their 'spiritual duties' considered that having to be extra hours in school was just a waste of their time, time they could be using to train instead.

Monday was one such day when seniors had to stay for an extra hour, Yuzu had gone home to prepare dinner, while Karin stayed for soccer practice, deciding that at least, if she had to stay, it was for something she enjoyed, and not more dull school-time.

The 'extra-class' had just begun, when, unexpectedly, all the Nakama gasped at once, Mizuiro, Keigo and Chizuru going as far as beginning to tremble slightly.

"What the hell is that?" Tatsuki demanded, as she forced herself to breathe normally.

"No idea." Uryuu replied, focusing on finding the origin of the reiatsu.

"It's much more powerful than the imperfect arrancar from the other day." Orihime added nervously. "And…"

"It's right outside." She and Uryuu stated at the same time.

That was enough, instantly all the Nakama were on their feet and rushing out of the classroom, totally ignoring their teacher's questions and demands on where they were going and why so many of them were leaving the classroom at the same time.

"Whatever happens, don't let anyone get out!" Ichigo ordered the three weakest of the Nakama. "We'll handle this."

"Are you sure you can handle this, Ichigo?" Keigo asked, growing more and more afraid by the second, as the reiatsu pressed upon him.

"We have to." Rukia said grimly as she prepared herself mentally. "Too many lives, too many souls, would be at risk if we don't."

The reiatsu began escalating right then, showing that one of the newly arrived enemies was about to attack, that was enough to send them all into a frenzy. The Nakama rushed to the nearest window and jumped out, uncaring of the fact that they were on a third floor, they used reiatsu to soften their landing, before rushing to the front of the school at top-speed, meeting with Karin, who had left soccer-practice when sensing the danger.

"They're going to attack!" Uryuu and Orihime announced in unison.

"It's a Cero!" Karin was the one to recognize the red-sphere of power being formed by one of four beings standing by the school gate.

Instantly Rukia, Karin and even Ichigo began murmuring the incantation for shielding kidou. While Karin's control was still shaky, and Ichigo was simply atrocious at kidou, it was still preferable to doing nothing at all. Their shields, along with Orihime's own, were enough to stop the Cero and dissipate it, and at the same time anger the one who had fired it. The teens just hoped there wouldn't be a second attack like that one, one had been bad enough.

The Nakama finally got just a few feet away from the gate and could observe the new arrivals attentively: two females and two males, all dressed in white attires with black highlights, their reiatsu was very dark, like hollows, but had the slightest trace of shinigami in them.

"Arrancars…" Karin gasped, shocked.

"What?" Uryuu shook his head, not quite believing it. "But they are nothing like the hamen we sensed the other day!"

"Because these aren't imperfect Arrancar!" Karin answered, half-hysterical. "These Arrancars are, somehow, stable."

The answer came to all of them like one. "Aizen."

"He must have been able to activate the Hougyoku." Rukia assumed.

"But weren't we told that it would take him at least a year?" Chad wanted to know.

"Those who said that were either being stupid…again…" Uryuu muttered with disdain. "Or they seriously underestimate Aizen…"

It didn't even matter in that moment which one it was, what mattered was that four stable Arrancar were in that moment in front of them, with power far beyond any hollows they had fought, or even seen before.

"Orihime, can you do something to protect the school?" Ichigo asked the girl. "Something tells me that we won't be able to get these hollows away from this place, not without a fight, and any fight with enough power to truly go against them could end up hurting innocents."

"At least in this area, and at this time, the only thing we really need to worry about is the school, and the few businesses nearby." Rukia commented.

"Only the school." Uryuu pointed out soberly. "Haven't you noticed it yet? There are no other souls in the vicinity…they have been consumed already."

Orihime covered her mouth, drowning a cry; for a moment it seemed like she would lose herself to despair, knowing that so many lives had been lost already; and then, like that time on Soukyoku Hill, she abruptly stilled herself and, with her hands to her temples, call onto her power, a power far superior than any she had used before in the Living World.

"Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily!" She summoned her fairies. "Can we create a shield big enough, and strong enough to protect everyone in the school?"

"We're your power, we depend on your will Orihime." Baigon reminded her.

"If you can will it, it can be." Lily stated with a huge smile.

"Your only limit is yourself." Hinagiku added. "Now call us!"

Steeling her resolve, Orihime focused all her will on her desire to protect everyone in the school, on not wanting anyone else to die…

"Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily!" Orihime began her kotodama, as her reiatsu rose steadily. "Santen Kesshun! Nibankyuu! I reject!"

Instead of forming a triangular shield between them, as the three flowers usually did, they took positions around the school property; the line of protection formed connecting them, as usual, but then it expanded, below and above them, forming a column of protection all around the school. It was Orihime shield in a form never before seen…

"I'm afraid this will need all my focus." Orihime informed the others, hands to her temples as she focused her reiatsu on the shield. "You will have to be the ones to fight."

"No problem." Chad assured her.

"Thanks a lot Orihime." Ichigo smiled at her. "You've taken a huge weight off our shoulders."

"You're awesome Orihime-san." Rukia added.

Orihime glowed at the praise, the words and feelings behind them strengthening her resolve even more, and with it, her shield.

"What the hell is that?!" The bigger of the two male arrancar demanded hotly. "Who the hell are you all?!"

It was clear that the Arrancars hadn't expected the bunch of human teens standing up to them.

"It's polite for the visitor to introduce himself first." Uryuu stated, with a calm he didn't feel.

All the Nakama were on their guard already, weapons manifested; while some of them cursed the lack of time to get out of their bodies, they still didn't dare try it, not wanting to leave an opening for their enemies to take advantage of.

"Ulquiorra Cifer," The smallest of the Arrancars introduced himself. "Cuarta Espada, under Aizen-sama's command."

"Espada?" Tatsuki inquired, unfamiliar with the term.

"It's Spanish for sword." Chad pointed out helpfully.

"It means we're the most powerful Arrancars." The bigger Espada informed him. "I am Yammy Llargo, Décima Espada."

"Loly Aivirrne, Número 33." The teenaged-looking black-haired, pink-eyed female arrancar introduced herself.

"Menoly Mallia, Número 34." The teenaged-looking blonde-haired, green-eyed female arrancar added almost instantly.

The Nakama filed the new term for later contemplation, in that moment they had to focus on the obviously upcoming fight.

"We're here to test, Kurosaki Ichigo." Ulquiorra announced seriously. "And are willing to destroy any trash that might get in our way."

No one had any doubt that it was the rest of them being called trash, and while Uryuu, Tatsuki and Karin all bristled at the comment, none of them moved a muscle, waiting either for Ichigo to give a signal, or for the Arrancar to attack first.

"I am Kurosaki Ichigo." The orange-haired announced stepping before his nakama. "Why would you want to test me?"

"Because Aizen-sama orders it so." Ulquiorra answered simply.

Most of the Nakama were beginning to tire of the way Ulquiorra kept saying 'Aizen-sama', all except one, who could only watch the black-haired emerald-eyed Espada with a mix of the greatest shock and deepest-sadness ever shown in those eyes…

"So, if the orange-head is the one you wanted…does that mean I can get rid of the rest of the trash?" Yammy inquired with a predatory smirk.

The Nakama didn't need an answer, and apparently neither did Yammy, as they all got ready to fight instantly.

The two female Arrancars, not wanting to be left out, moved to attack Orihime at the same time, obviously seeing her as the weakest link; however, before they could get close enough to her, Karin and Tatsuki were before them, attacking them in turn.

"Chad?" Uryuu inquired, turning to the half-Mexican.

With a silent accord, the two young-men prepared to fight as a team against the Décima Espada, leaving Ichigo and Rukia with Ulquiorra.

Ichigo and Rukia summoned their zanpakutou, cursing not having the time to get into their shinigami forms. Rukia specially, she was still pretty new at using her zanpakutou while in her gigai, but was training very hard to improve.

"You know you will never be able to fight me as a human." Ulquiorra pointed out blankly. "If you're truly Kurosaki Ichigo, get out of your body, fight me as a shinigami."

"Yeah, well…" Ichigo kept his guard up as he gave his reasons. "You see, me getting out of this body would require me lowering my guard, which would put not only myself at risk, but all my nakama, that's not something I'm willing to allow."

"You say you're here to test Ichigo, that Aizen sent you." Rukia commented, suddenly realizing something. "Does that mean you aren't here to try and kill him?"

"I wasn't given such orders." Ulquiorra said simply. "But I suppose if he proves to be as much of trash as the others, I might as well save Aizen-sama the trouble."

"You say my nakama are trash and yet…have you noticed in whose favors the battles around us are going?" Ichigo inquired with a half smirk.

Ulquiorra actually had been noticing. Loly had been easily overpowered by Karin who, despite her still rather erratic control over her own reiatsu, was notoriously more powerful than her opponent. Only luck was keeping the pigtailed arrancar alive at that point.

Menoly, on the other hand, had been having an advantage over Tatsuki, whose power began acting against herself, her own human body. What no one had been expecting was the black-haired girl in dark-jeans and a top that had come out of nowhere and engaged Menoly in hand-to-hand combat, soon proving to be stronger than the blonde Arrancar, stronger than any human was supposed to be. It was Castelo Keeva, and while the Nakama weren't completely sure of her loyalties, they were willing to let it go, at least for the time being.

The other battle had been more serious, and delicate. In that moment Chad was standing, holding his badly torn right arm against his body, his armor had practically been ripped off by the sadistic Espada; at the same time, the Espada had lost an arm to Uryuu's seele schneider, who had acted in retaliation to the wound dealt to his nakama. Uryuu himself had some wounds, but nothing too serious. They were at a stand-still in that moment.

"Ichigo, get out of your body." Rukia instructed unexpectedly.

"Rukia?" The orange-haired didn't understand her sudden change of attitude.

"We're winning right now, but things could still change." Rukia admitted. "You've heard Ulquiorra, he's not interested in killing us, just in testing you. Maybe you'll be able to convince him to leave us alone."

Ichigo had to recognize his beloved was right, and that was enough. It took him a second of concentration, and like he'd done before, when going to fight Grand Fisher, he willed his soul to leave his body with just a thought.

"Rukia, please guard my body." Ichigo said seriously.

The obsidian-haired nodded solemnly, getting on guard over Ichigo's empty body; with the fights going on around them she couldn't even try to pull it to where Orihime stood.

*Ossan, Shiro, I think we'll need to work together if we want this to work.* Ichigo murmured into his mind as he got on his guard.

*Indeed Ichigo, we're ready.* Zangetsu assured him.

*Go Aibou, show that boring bastard what we're made of!* Shiro said with a predatory grin.

Ichigo laughed mentally, his inner hollow seemed to be truly thrilled at the prospect of a fight. Too bad that he wasn't planning on letting it go too long.

"Bankai!" Ichigo called almost instantly. "Tensa Zangetsu!"

He knew he was taking his power too high, too quickly, but if he wanted to impress Ulquiorra enough to convince him to leave, at least for the time being, he decided it was better to go all out, or almost all out, right from the start. Even if it could be seen as overkill, he would rather not take chances. Still, he was keeping a couple of aces under his sleeves: his synchronization with Zangetsu, and Shiro's powers.

It just happened that in that precise moment Menoly finally fell against Keeva, Loly barely managing to get herself and her 'sister' out of the way before they could be killed. Yammy seemed to take that as some sort of signal as he feinted in Uryuu's direction, making him move away, before turning to Chad instead.

"Chad, get down!" Ichigo yelled before releasing an attack of his own. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

The gentle giant didn't doubt, he instinctively followed Ichigo's orders, throwing himself to the ground, rolling, trying his best to keep his injured arm protected.

Ichigo's attack was fast and strong enough that it threw Yammy off his track and dug deep into his side, only the Espada's hierro prevented it from cutting straight through.

"What the…" Yammy turned to Ichigo, livid.

Even Ulquiorra seemed to be at least a bit shocked as he watched the apparent ease with which Ichigo had cut Yammy, especially considering that he hadn't had time to charge a particularly powerful attack. If the orange-haired could do that at a moment's notice, what could he do when he had time to actually prepare an attack?

"It's up to you Ulquiorra, you take them away, or I kill them all right now!" Ichigo stated coldly as he began preparing to do exactly that.

Only twice he had moved to attack a humanoid being, the first one having been a disaster; the most recent case had been with Kariya, and while he certainly didn't like it, like he had told the leader of the Bount, he was willing to do anything for his nakama.

"Ichigo!" those listening could hardly believe what they were hearing. "You cannot just let them walk away!"

"Yes I can." Ichigo insisted.

"It's necessary." Uryuu added grimly, having realized what Ichigo was thinking. "If we continue fighting for much longer we will begin to affect Karakura and its inhabitants. Not just because of direct attacks, but our reiatsu. Also, other hollows have begun appearing, called by the reiatsu we've been expelling. We're in no condition for a full-out battle right now."

"That's not all." Ichigo added. "This is the perfect opportunity to send a message. What do you think Aizen will think when he sees three of the four Arrancars he sent personally go back looking like they do right now, and knowing they could have all been destroyed?" He turned to Ulquiorra. "Let me tell you something, this isn't the limit of my power. But I won't power up anymore, for I don't want to affect Karakura and the civilians needlessly. I also want you to tell Aizen something, tell him that if he messes with me, with us Nakama, with our town, he will come to regret it. We're not Shinigami, we're not the Gotei, we don't fight for duty, or following orders, we fight to protect; if you hit, we'll hit back, and you will see how far a bunch of humans with powers can go when they will it so…"

Ulquiorra didn't reply, while under normal circumstances he would have immediately dismissed such threats, thought it ludicrous for anyone to believe he had the power to make them, he could sense that the half-human Kurosaki Ichigo was powerful, and he wasn't straining himself yet. Whatever it was Aizen had had in mind when he decided to send Ulquiorra with three pretty weak Arrancars…he obviously wasn't expecting what had happened, which meant that the 4th Espada had done enough already.

The shinketsu shinigami watched Yammy attentively, while his previous attack had had to be very fast, he had still called its name, which meant it had held considerable power, and still, the wound he had dealt Yammy hadn't been as serious as he'd been hoping for, which meant he would need more energy. He began to gather reiatsu into Zangetsu, planning on trying to cut Yammy's head off next; he knew that if Karin got into her shinigami form she would have no trouble taking down either Loly or Menoly, Rukia could do the same and handle the other female Arrancar, while Keeva was still there and seemed to be pretty powerful, Ichigo didn't want to be dependent on her; if Ulquiorra tried to attack then he would have to leave Yammy to Uryuu and handle the stronger Espada himself, he had absolute confidence in his nakama.

"Why are you doing this U…lquiorra?" Orihime's sudden question took them all by surprise.

It was obvious that it took great effort for her to keep her focus on her shield while at the same time hold a conversation, but she still did it. Orihime had only had to stop a handful of attacks, and while the two girl's attacks hadn't been too strong, Yammy's had had enough force to rattle her shield, and make her flinch visibly while pushing more reiatsu into her technique, she wouldn't last much longer. What she had done, the kind of shield she created, was like nothing she, or anyone else, had ever done before; she was using some of the reiatsu Ichigo kept releasing, which helped a lot, and yet she was still a human, with human limitations…

"Aizen-sama…" Ulquiorra began.

"No." Orihime's voice was surprisingly strong as she interrupted the Espada. "I don't want to know why Aizen wanted you to do this, I want to know why You want to do this…"

No one said a thing, all of them waiting for what the Espada might say; they had no idea what Orihime expected to achieve by interrogating the Espada like that, but as strange as the orange-red haired girl could be at times, she was not stupid, she was in fact one of the most intelligent among them, so they trusted her, and waited for Ulquiorra's response.

"I…I am looking for something." Ulquiorra answered after a while.

"What are you looking for Uk…Ulquiorra?" Orihime inquired, so softly a stranger might have thought she was talking to a scared child.

"I…don't know." Ulquiorra replied, as softly and hesitantly as she.

Silence reigned for what seemed like forever, everyone present seemed to be having a hard time processing what Ulquiorra was saying.

"You…you are looking for something, without knowing what it is?!" Tatsuki half-snapped, thinking the whole thing was insanity.

"I will know when I find…it." Ulquiorra replied, a bit more strongly, responding to Tatsuki's own tone of voice.

It looked like Orihime wanted to say something more, but then the shield rippled, it was becoming increasingly hard for her to keep it up, but she knew she couldn't let it down until the Espada were gone, it would be too dangerous for those still inside the school otherwise…

"Yammy, Loly, Menoly, we're leaving." Ulquiorra ordered.

No one said a thing, none of the Nakama tried to stop the Arrancars either. Ulquiorra simply made a motion with his hand, opening what looked almost like a black hole in the air, he went through, closely followed by the two arrancar girls, who were holding each other up, and Yammy, who was carrying his cut arm.

No one lowered their guard, or even breathed, until the hole in the air closed again behind the Arrancar. Then Orihime's shield dissolved into the air, at the same time she dropped to her knees, panting; Chad, Tatsuki and Karin finally allowed themselves to fall down in exhaustion, Uryuu barely keeping himself from doing the same; Ichigo made sure they were all alright, before getting back into his body.

"So…we survived the first attack…" Tatsuki commented with a sigh.

"Barely…" Chad muttered, not liking that fact at all.

"We need to up our training." Uryuu decided.

"And next time there's an attack, those of us who need to get out of our bodies to fight better are doing that, before going to fight." Karin stated seriously.

They were all quite sure things wouldn't have been that close, or even bad, for some of them, if they had had access to their full power.

"As interesting as it is to hear you all making plans for future battles…someone wants to explain to me what exactly is going on?" Someone unexpectedly asked.

During the whole exchange between Orihime and Ulquiorra, the Nakama had almost forgotten that Keeva was there, that she had helped Tatsuki fight Menoly, and had displayed power like none they had ever seen before. But as she spoke out-loud to all of them, they remembered, and immediately got on their guard again…

"Hey!" Keeva cried out, seeing Uryuu's arrow pointing at her. "I'm not your enemy, ok? So put that down! Or out! Whichever."

"How can we be sure you're not an enemy?" Uryuu inquired. "We don't even know who you are! How you have power…"

"I just helped you, remember?" Keeva pointed out, making sure not to make any sudden moves that might provoke the others into attacking her.

"That might have been a strategy to get close to us and then attack us when our guard is down." Karin said stoically.

"You are pretty paranoid, did you know that?" Keeva deadpanned.

"It's not paranoia when the danger is real." Orihime quoted.

"And since I don't know what the danger is supposed to be…I still call it paranoia." Keeva retorted cheekily.

"You don't know…are you telling me you got involved in a battle of this level, without even knowing what the stakes were?!" Ichigo practically snapped.

"Pretty much, yeah." Keeva shrugged.

Ichigo's reiatsu was pushing on her, but she forced herself to remain standing, she used her own to lock her muscles in place so she wouldn't collapse under the pressure.

"Ichigo, calm down." Rukia said, taking a hold of his arm. "If you keep this going you're going to seriously hurt her. And maybe even yourself."

"She's right Ichigo, you're letting out too much reiatsu." Uryuu added.

"The hollows appearing…" Tatsuki began, remembering how complicated things got when Ichigo's reiatsu flared too much.

"Are being dealt with." Orihime said softly. "By Ishida-sensei, Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san, Ichigo's otou-san, Yuzu-chan, and someone else…"

"A Visored?" Karin inquired.

"The presence doesn't feel like a Visored." Uryuu threw in his two cents. "It probably is whoever took care of the hamen two weeks ago."

The others nodded, they still hadn't been able to find that person, and while that stressed them out, in that moment the priority was standing in between them.

"How exactly did you get involved in our fight, when you had no idea what it was about?" Rukia asked the human girl. "For all you know, we could have been the bad-guys."

"Please, I may not have known the details, but I'm not stupid either." Keeva grumbled. "I know what hollows feel like, I've seen them before, I've fought them before…"

"You've fought hollows?!" Tatsuki didn't quite buy it.

"Why would you fight hollows?" Chad asked, concerned.

"Yes, in America." Keeva answered. "And someone had to do it. Otherwise innocent people would die. I wasn't about to allow that."

"What about the resident shinigami?" Rukia asked, half-confused, half-worried.

"Before him," Keeva signaled to Ichigo. "I had never seen a shinigami."

As the Nakama processed what Keeva had just said, and all its implications, the short-haired girl remembered what she had talked with Serenity recently, regarding the very teens that still stood guard around her:

Keeva dropped from the building's roof and to the apartment's balcony, at times like that, it paid to be living on the last floor, even if usually it was a pain to have to climb so many stairs. She had just finished a hollow that had gotten too close to their home, and she had done it fast, so her lady wouldn't feel the need to act herself.

As the fifteen-year-old straightened up from the crouch she'd landed on she saw her lady standing against the balcony's door, watching in the distance as a combination of white arrows, an orange-tinted shield and a blue energy dispatched a bit over half a dozen hollows that had appeared a few miles away from their apartment.

"They seem to be quite good." Keeva commented.

"True." Serenity sighed as she turned and walked away from the window. "But regardless of how good they might be, they won't be enough."

"What makes you think that?" Keeva asked, confused.

She'd seen the human teenagers fighting several times, and could admit that they were incredibly powerful, at least half of them were considerably more powerful than her. It almost seemed like they should be capable of handling anything thrown at them, and yet her lady was saying they weren't strong enough…what kind of power was coming at them then? Who or what could be so strong that the power they had witnessed thus far would not be enough?

"If their power were enough, we would not be here." Serenity stated calmly.

"I still don't know why we even came here." Keeva stated in a tired tone. "You say we're needed, and yet nothing I've seen thus far suggests such a thing. You talk about working together, and yet you refuse to have us introduce ourselves to them…"

"You will." Serenity interrupted her without reacting to Keeva's tone of voice. "The moment will come when you will realize how much you're needed, and you'll get the chance to introduce yourself to them. Just remember one thing: no matter what happens you're not to tell them about your origins…or about me."

"Why not?" Keeva was confused and beginning to get stressed out by all the secrecy.

"It's not time yet." Serenity answered simply.

And as angry as the younger girl was at what the older was saying, she held her temper and rather unkind answer back; Serenity was her lady, her superior in each and every way that mattered, and Keeva would never try to force her will upon her, or truly disobey her, she would always follow her lady, no matter what.

"What am I suppose to say then, when this time comes and they all interrogate me about my powers?" Keeva inquired formally.

"Tell them you're a human who acquired powers through necessity." Serenity instructed. "They will believe it, after all, at least two of them are the same…or so they believe."

Keeva nodded, willing to follow those instructions regardless of how unsure she herself was of the tactic. Wouldn't it end up making things harder if they lied and had to change their story later? How would she, would they, explain having lied first?

By that point Serenity had turned around, already on her way back to her room, massaging her temples softly with the pads of her fingers.

"My lady…" Keeva called unexpectedly. "I cannot help but wonder…how much do you know exactly about what's going on, what's coming?"

"Not enough." Was all Serenity answered before locking herself in her room again.

The short-haired girl was brought back to reality by Rukia speaking, directing a question straight at her.

"Who are you?" Rukia wanted to know. "Really."

"My name, as all you must know already, is Castelo Keeva." The ebony-haired introduced herself. "I am a spiritually aware human, with certain abilities that allow me to defend myself, as well as fight back. Just turned sixteen…What else? Like I said in the first day of class, I am Mexican but have lived in many places. I'm proficient in gymnastics and several martial arts…oh, and I came here to Japan because my sister wanted to come."

"How did you gain powers?" Tatsuki wanted to know.

"Well…" Keeva shrugged, apparently uncaring. "I just needed them and they were there. I've always been able to see what other people couldn't. At first I had no idea what it meant, thought it might mean I was crazy or something, everyone else thought that at least; then one day I was attacked…and I discovered I could fight back. I've never been too interested in unveiling the specifics, the whys or the hows, I only care about the what."

"Which is why you got involved in a dangerous battle without even knowing what was really going on." Karin muttered, not quite buying it.

"Like I said, I've fought hollows before." Keeva justified herself. "And since you were the ones fighting them now…I assumed you had to be the good guys."

"And if you had been wrong?" Uryuu wasn't sure why, but the girl's attitude was bothering him somewhat, she seemed too blasé about things he considered serious.

"I would have been screwed." Keeva shrugged again.

"You don't seem to be too bothered by the possibility of your own death." Chad commented, beginning to get bothered as well.

"Have you never heard the phrase, 'Live Fast, Die Young'?" Keeva deadpanned.

"Going back to something you said earlier." Rukia decided to change topic before things got too much tenser. "You mentioned a sister earlier…that she's the reason you're here. Does she have any power of her own?"

The Nakama got on the same page as her almost instantly, Rukia's suspicion of that unknown sister and the unknown spiritually empowered newcomer being one and the same.

"She's not a fighter." Keeva answered simply.

It looked like one of the Nakama was going to insist, but this time it was Keeva who interrupted them, changing the topic.

"Look, I know you may not believe anything of what I'm saying, but believe this." She said strongly. "Class is over, there will be several dozen high-school seniors swarming this very spot any minute now, and unless you want them to see you all here and wonder what exactly is going on, maybe even make questions I'm sure you don't want to answer…"

The Nakama didn't like it, but they knew she was right, they had half-registered the sound of the bell that announced the end of the extra-hour for seniors shortly before, and there was no way Chizuru, Keigo and Mizuiro would be able to stop all of their classmates from leaving for their homes for long, and it would be too suspicious if they even tried.

"We're not done." Ichigo stated. "We'll talk more later, Castelo. Let's go guys."

"Keeva is just fine." The girl said off-handedly. "I've never been one for formalities. And if you don't mind, I need to get home soon, my sister worries."

With that, she began making her way uptown; she was a couple of blocks away when she stopped with a sigh and laid herself against a tree.

"I know you're there." She said out-loud. "I can sense you."

Without a word Uryuu came out from behind another tree a few feet behind her, he didn't seem too bothered by the fact that he'd caught him following her.

"Why are you following me?" Keeva asked with a tired sigh.

"I know you're lying to us." Uryuu said directly. "I'm not sure yet just how much of what you told us was a lie, but I know for sure not all was the truth."

"What makes you so sure?" Keeva inquired, honestly curious.

"You may have trained yourself to keep your emotions contained." Uryuu stated formally. "And may have no outward reiatsu to give you out, but the stiffness of your own stance, of your voice, the steel in your eyes, it all gives you away."

"Your companions didn't seem to notice." Keeva pointed out.

"Most aren't as observant as I." Uryuu admitted. "And yet, none of them trust you either. They won't unless they have a reason, or someone they trust tells them to…"

Keeva frowned, wondering if she was reading too much in his words.

"What do you want?" She asked, allowing exhaustion to show through. "Really?"

"I want to know why you lie." Uryuu answered honestly.

"That's none of your business." Keeva stated, steel once again on her voice and eyes. "I am entitled to secrets, this is my life we're talking about!"

"Not when your secrets, your lies, could affect my nakama, could mean life or death for them." Uryuu stated strongly. "I am a Nakama, they're precious to me, I may not have as much raw power as Ichigo, but I will do anything and everything in power to protect them all, including discovering the truth about someone who lies about being a simple human girl who one day discovered she could fight spiritual beings…I know you have to be more, and I'll find out the truth, for the honor…"

"Of the Quincy, right?" Keeva finished for him, her voice suddenly filled with sarcasm. "I've seen you before, you and the rest of your nakama, Ishida Uryuu. I've seen you fight, and I've heard you talk. I've heard you say that same phrase 'For the honor of the Quincy…' over and over again in the last couple of weeks…But what honor can there be in a race that no longer exists? In people long dead?"

"Not all Quincy have stopped existing." Uryuu said, voice hard, he didn't like the way she spoke about the Quincy, or that she'd obviously been spying on them and none of them had so much as suspected a thing. "Even if I am the last one…"

"Even if you have family who are Quincy as well, a handful don't make a race, not at all." Keeva insisted. "You seem to be so proud to be part of a practically extinct group…and yet you have it so easy. Because even if you were the last of your people, you're not really alone, you have others around you who, even without being Quincy, understand, because they see, sense, the same things as you. You have no idea what it's like, to be the only one, to be called insane, schizophrenic, or even stupid, only because you see, hear and sense things no one else around you can. You don't know what it's like to be passed around, from place to place, from group to group, like a used toy, or an old piece of furniture no one actually wants…you have no idea what really being the 'last one' is like!"

Uryuu was shocked into silence, he honestly had no idea how to respond to that. It had never occurred to him. During his childhood, he'd always had his grandfather and master, and then, after losing him, he'd still had his father, even if their relationship hadn't been ideal back then; then the others had come into the picture: Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, the twins, and everyone else…Castelo Keeva was right, he'd never been alone, and she…

Keeva for her part had slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide, stance as tense as that of a frightened doe about to dash away from a predator. She couldn't believe everything she'd just said, everything she'd just revealed, she'd never said things like that before, admitted so much. She'd trained so hard to keep her emotions under wraps, and yet somehow the Quincy had managed to push all her buttons in quick succession, she'd just snapped.

Before he could gather his wits and say something else Keeva spun around and, pushing a great deal of reiatsu into her legs, ran away so fast Uryuu lost sight of her in a matter of seconds. He briefly thought of going after her, but he was still too shocked to track her down effectively. Her words…they had been nothing like what he had been expecting, like he could have ever expected, he honestly didn't know what to do in that moment. And yet, in that moment he knew one thing, as surely as he'd known Keeva was lying: she was in pain, in so much pain, and he couldn't help the almost soul-deep and absolutely irrational need he was feeling in that moment to aid her, to protect her…he must be insane, or coming down with something, to want so much to help someone he didn't even know…

It was crazy, for weeks they had been worrying about Aizen, about the threat he represented for them and for all of Karakura. There was also the stress of knowing there were other people in Karakura with power and unknown intentions. And yet…no one could have ever expected for things to get so complicated, so fast…and the war hadn't even truly begun yet…

Just what was going to happen next?!

Chapter Text

Chapter 22. Insurmountable Odds

Keeva ran as fast as she could in the direction of her apartment, only to stop in the staircase, a floor below the apartment itself; she held onto the railing so tight her knuckles began turning white. She stood there, gasping, trying to calm herself, what had happened, what she had said to the Quincy…she had totally lost control of herself, and she needed to calm down before meeting with her lady, who would worry if she saw her as she was in that moment.

It took several minutes, but finally Keeva's breathing went back to normal, and her heart began to beat at a normal rhythm. That is, at least, until she sensed the darkness, so incredible close it was a terrible slip on her part that she hadn't felt it before. She'd really believed that all the hollows attracted by the huge battle at the school gates had been defeated already, how everyone have missed one? How could she have missed it?!

Keeva hurried, practically flying up what was left of the stairs, she slammed the apartment's door open, only to find her lady standing in the balcony, hands raised in the direction of a nearby hollow, it wasn't very big, but certainly powerful, at least Menos class.

"My lady!" Keeva cried out.

It was too late by then, a rush of power and light could be seen and felt, and a second later the hollow was dissolving into reishi particles.

The younger girl was about to say something else, when unexpectedly the older girl dropped to her knees, holding her head tightly as a pained moan escaped her lips.

"Lady Serenity!" Keeva cried out in panic.

She hurried to the balcony, where she then proceeded to help the young woman back into the living room, as she kept holding her head and letting out tiny moans of pain.

"My lady…" Keeva whispered, not quite knowing what to do.

"I am alright Keeva…" Serenity whispered, though it was quite obvious that she was lying. "It's just a headache…"

"But it's not!" Keeva surprised herself by saying that, she'd never called her lady on her lies, just letting her get away with it. "I know it's not…"

Serenity shook her head, but as soon as she had enough energy she got up and then proceeded to half-stumble down the hallway and to her room.

"I know it's not…" Keeva repeated softly to herself.

She felt so terribly, not being able to help her lady, the young woman she admired more than anyone else…but how could she help someone who didn't want to be helped?

xXx

Uryuu was the last one to arrive to Urahara's shop that evening, he'd just let the phone ring the first few times, not being able to sense any hollow in Karakura and deducing that whatever was going on couldn't be that urgent. He'd been totally lost in thought all afternoon, until the insistent ringing of the penthouse's phone, and later on even the denreishinki finally pulled him out of his musings and back to reality.

It had been Yuzu on the phone, apparently Urahara had something very urgent to discuss with everyone, and of course the Nakama were included in that. The only ones not involved were Keeva and the Visored, for obvious reasons.

Also, Uryuu wasn't alone, his father had just arrived after his shift at the hospital when the teen had finally answered the insistent calls, and upon hearing that Urahara was calling 'everyone' for an emergency meeting, the doctor had decided to include himself, especially since, for reasons he didn't really know yet, he'd been forced to destroy several hollows earlier that afternoon, and of course he'd sensed the powerful negative reiatsu that had invaded Karakura for a short time.

The moment the Ishidas stepped into the backroom, where everyone else was already sitting, with cups of tea or coffee each and a couple of plates of pastries, they both became aware of a few things: first there was the tension, practically everyone was so stressed out, one would think a fight would break out any second; another detail was the very clear separation that was being made, with the Nakama sitting on one side of the room, Ichigo and Rukia in the middle, being surrounded by the others in a semi-circle, the adults and other members of the Urahara-shouten in the other side. Something was definitely going on, and it went far beyond Urahara calling all of them for some as-of-yet-unexplained meeting.

Wordlessly, Uryuu went to seat on Ichigo's free side, deciding that if the Nakama were already making such a show, either consciously or unconsciously, of who was in charge, he might as well take his rightful place. Ryuuken for his part seat himself separate from the Nakama, while still closer to them than to the others, he didn't need to say whose side he would rather be on; in fact, it was unlikely he would ever say it, but to some it was still pretty obvious, and it wasn't a one-sided sentiment either.

"You okay Uryuu?" Ichigo asked, in a low enough voice than the adults wouldn't hear.

"Yes, why?" Uryuu was surprised by the question.

"You never not answer your phone, and today it took over a dozen calls for you to answer." Ichigo pointed out quietly. "And don't try to say you weren't home, Orihime, Yuzu, Karin, even I could tell you were at the penthouse…"

"I was…busy…" Uryuu mumbled.

It was obvious he didn't want to say any more, and Ichigo nodded, deciding to accept his nakama's decision and hope that, if it was something really important, or that might affect the rest of them, Uryuu would decide to share sooner rather than later; and even if it didn't affect any of them, Ichigo still hoped the Quincy would eventually trust one of them.

Once the little exchange was over, Ichigo turned to Ryuuken, acknowledging his presence with a short, respectful bow of his head, before turning to the others; he sat up straighter, instinctively knowing the part he was meant to 'play' in that moment; his father would be so proud of knowing he was putting his noble-training into practice even without having actually claimed his birthright just yet…or maybe not.

"So," He said seriously. "What exactly were we called here for, Urahara-san?"

"Yes, yes." Urahara was uncharacteristically serious as he spoke. "As I am sure at least some of you are aware of, several extremely powerful reiatsu made an appearance in the World of the Living today, they were, in fact, arrancars, the most powerful arrancars I've ever sensed. We know they were in this plane for a while, before unexpectedly departing; however, we don't know exactly where in Karakura they were, what they did, or why they even came and then left so soon. That is disturbing, for we have no idea what kind of trouble, of disaster they may have wrecked, regardless of how short a time they were actually in Karakura…"

Urahara interrupted his speech at a touch from Yoruichi, who had noticed by that point the sly, silent looks the Nakama kept directing at each other.

"You know something about those Arrancar, don't you?" Yoruichi guessed.

For a while there was no answer, only silence, tension grew until it was almost stifling, and it wasn't broken until someone finally spoken.

"What if we do?" Ichigo inquired with a shrug.

"Then you must tell us at once!" Urahara stated strongly.

"Why should we?" Ichigo hissed.

"What do we owe you?" Uryuu asked at the same time with a hint of derision obviously directed at the adults save his father. "Nothing, nothing at all, that's what. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: We, the Nakama do not trust you Urahara Kisuke, nor do we trust anyone who associates with you."

Surprised by the last part of that statement, Isshin immediately turned to look at the teens, his gaze settling on his children one by one: Yuzu turned sad eyes away from him, Karin looked away with a snort, while Ichigo stared back at him with defiance. The former 10th Division Captain's heart broke a little at that, his own children didn't trust him, and yet, was it really that surprising? After everything he'd done, and not done…

"I thought we had arranged our differences already." Urahara said, trying to remain aloof. "I know I've made mistakes, first with the Hougyoku, and then with the gikon…"

"This isn't about any of those things." Ichigo interrupted him with a huff.

"Do the names Hirako Shinji and Sarugaki Hiyori ring any bells, Urahara?" Rukia asked, steel in her eyes as she glared at the former shinigami.

The whole situation with the Visored was a sore spot for her, and at least the two she'd met thus far were in her black list already; anyone wanting to take Ichigo away from her would be, it wasn't like she would ever allow such a thing to happen.

Urahara's eyes widened slightly at those words.

"You couldn't come to me with your assumptions, or were they Yoruichi's?" Ichigo asked, then shrugged, not really caring about that. "It doesn't matter in the end. The fact is, you are a coward, rather than facing me straight on with what you believed I might be, you went behind my back, called others to come and then what? Did you expect that I would go with them, or that we would just allow them to take me away against my will?"

The fathers of the two leaders of the Nakama could hardly believe what they were hearing, and the two as one turned accusing eyes to Urahara at once, feeling at least slightly temped to unleash their respective techniques on the man for what he'd dared do. Did the man never learn? Why did he always have to mess in others' lives? And for the worse, most of the time.

"Kisuke…" Isshin began, about to hit his own best-friend for what he'd done.

"Over my vanquished spirit!" Rukia practically snarled, her reiatsu flaring slightly as the temperature in the room dropped several degrees.

"We left quite clear that if they didn't cease their attempts and stay away…the consequences would be unpleasant." Uryuu agreed.

"It was more than that." Karin pointed out. "I remember punching Sarugaki in the face and stating quite clearly that if she dared do anything, to anyone I would personally take her down. Visored or not, hollow powers or not, they don't scare me…"

Ichigo smiled slightly as he whispered thanks to all his nakama for the way they had stood up for him then, for the way they were with him in that moment as well. It made him feel all the stronger, to have such loyal comrades and friends with him, and Rukia…he could hardly believe that just that summer he'd believed they were together just out of convenience, that he'd been wondering what true love, what a soul-mate was like…such an oblivious, blind idiot he'd been, thankfully he'd come to his senses in time, Rukia was his, she'd always be.

In that moment, noticing the deep stare Ichigo was directing her way Rukia couldn't help but blush deeply before she elbowed him lightly in the ribs to remind him they were in the middle of something. Still, it was amazing the kind of feelings, so deep and in such intensity, that he was able to raise in her with just one look. Just a few months earlier she'd believed she was nothing but a bother, a street-rat walking among nobles, someone who didn't deserve what she had; and she had known how likely it was that they would end up making her pay for it all, marrying her off to whatever noble the Clan Elders found more convenient, regardless of the fact that it would most likely mean she would have to quit being a shinigami and be miserable for the rest of her existence. And yet…things hadn't been exactly that way, though the Elders actually had tried doing that very thing, they weren't allowed to get away with it. Now, even after months, and the huge mess she'd been and was still involved in, she couldn't quite believe it. Even with the very real threat of a war over her head, she couldn't help but be absolutely, radiantly happy…

"So, that's the crux of the matter." Uryuu went back to the main topic. "You've failed us all… again. You went behind our backs, called in a bunch of strangers, very powerful strangers who, for all we know, could be working for the enemy!"

"Shinji and the Visored would never…" Urahara began.

"How do you know that?" Tatsuki interrupted him. "Have you seen them, talked to them, at all in the last century? I mean, aside from when you went to them behind Ichigo's back to tell them to come. And for a reason you hadn't even confirmed, might I add."

"Yoruichi saw the mask!" Urahara tried to defend himself. "Tessai and I could both sense the corrupted reiatsu during the fight against the Bount, and again on the aftermath of the battle against Grand Fisher…"

"And you thought it was alright to go behind Ichigo's back and call others in, instead of facing him with your suspicions?" Rukia asked sarcastically. "What part of 'next time, ask', did you not get Urahara?"

"I think…" Orihime spoke unexpectedly. "I think he's just not used to not being in control. He feels the need to be…that's why he keeps going behind our backs. He somehow believes he's doing what's right, for everyone."

"Yeah well, he better realize how wrong that is, and soon." Karin said with a snort. "I don't promise to be patient about his stupidities for much longer."

"But there was a mask!" Urahara insisted. "And dark reiatsu! And…"

"So what?!" Ichigo practically snarled. "I never asked you for help, or the Visored for that matter. I don't need you to meddle into my business! If I ever need help, I will ask for it, from Rukia, Uryuu, or some other Nakama, but certainly not from you!"

Urahara shut his mouth with an audible clink as his teeth clashed, he didn't actually know what to make of Ichigo's rant. Did he have an Inner Hollow and didn't need the Visored? Did he just not want others to interfere? Had he actually gotten everything wrong? Urahara had no idea what the answer to the enigma was, and that frightened him more than he cared to admit, even to himself. Inoue Orihime had been absolutely right when she had pointed out the true problem of the situation, he was so used to being the genius, to knowing everything that was going on and planning accordingly, to being at least two steps ahead of everyone else…not knowing things was something he wasn't quite sure how to handle.

"Under normal circumstances we would leave right about this point." Tatsuki growled, before making a rather rude gesture and turning away.

"But these aren't normal circumstances." Uryuu went on. "And while we do not trust you, we know it would be detrimental, to the safety, not of us, but of all the defenseless humans in Karakura, not to present the facts as they are."

"Wait." Rukia stopped him as she began dialing on her denreishinki. "If we're going to do this, we might as well make it official. You know we were going to have to report the happenings to Seireitei, in particular to Ukitake-taichou and Yamamoto-soutaichou, especially considering the latent risks as the situation continues to escalate."

"So we won't be doing the report in person, but by phone conference." Ichigo nodded. "I think it's a good idea. I'm not sure it would have been a good idea for any of us to leave Karakura at this point anyway, who knows when the next attack will be. And Aizen might actually send a competent group next time."

The comments just kept either shocking or just confusing the adults as they heard the teens talk. One thing was clear to everyone though: what had happened earlier that day, in relation to the stable Arrancars that had appeared in the human world, was like nothing any of the adults might have imagined…

"Ukitake-taichou?" Rukia called as her call was answered. "Good evening, this is Kuchiki Rukia, Nakama liaison, speaking…Actually, this is an official matter Ukitake-taichou…We are currently at former captain Urahara Kisuke's place, we've been asked to explain some things that happened earlier today and thought it might be a good idea to report to the Gotei at the same time…Yes, it was important…Ok, let me put you on speaker…"

After arranging for the speaker, Rukia put the phone on the table, right in front of her.

"Good evening Nakama, Kisuke-san, Yoruichi-san, and everyone else that might be present." Ukitake Juushirou's cordial voice greeted them.

The greeting was answered accordingly, and soon pleasantries were over.

"Nakama." Juushirou called, addressing the group in general. "First, to let you know that Shunsui and Ise-fukutaichou are both here with me. They will be giving their input when necessary. Does what you're going to be explaining relate to an unusually large amount of reiatsu, particularly hollow reiatsu that was reported by Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou to have appeared on Karakura earlier this afternoon."

"Yes, Ukitake-san, that is correct." Ichigo nodded.

"Then maybe one of you should contact the soutaichou, he will want to be informed of whatever may have happened, especially if we're to take measures to ensure the Living World will remain safe." Juushirou suggested.

"A good suggestion Ukitake-san." Uryuu agreed. "Originally two of us would have gone to Soul Society to deliver this report in person, but Ichigo has raised doubts on that, since there's the risk of an attack and no way of knowing when it will happen, it might be unwise for us to separate at this point in time."

They didn't call the man, or any shinigami for that matter, by their titles, since they didn't mean anything to the human teenagers, it wasn't like they were part of the Gotei themselves. Still, they respected at least a few of them, which is why they were at least somewhat respectful, if not of their rank, of their person.

"Completely understandable Ishida-san." Juushirou agreed. "And I'm sure the soutaichou will understand as well."

"He does." Ichigo informed them as he laid his own denreishinki on the table. "Yamamoto-san, like I was saying, the Nakama, as well as Yoruichi-san, Ishida-shishou, my father and the members of the Urahara-shouten are currently reunited; we have Ukitake-san, much like yourself, on speaker on a phone. If you would be agreeable to have us explain what's been happening recently. We believe it is important for everyone to be on the same page, especially considering what happened today."

"I agree." Yamamoto said sternly. "It might have been better for you to present a full, formal report before all captains and lieutenants, but if the current situation prevents it…"

"Yes sir." Uryuu agreed. "The situation has escalated, beyond what Rukia-san must have reported to you on her last visit. I believe an all-scale confrontation against Aizen is imminent, and it most likely will happen far sooner than the Gotei had anticipated."

"Explain." Yamamoto stated, stiffly.

"As you already know, two weeks ago, aside from the previously reported increase in hollow appearances in Karakura, a hamen made an appearance." Ichigo stated. "We knew what it was thanks to Karin, who remembered about the imperfect arrancars. We made our way to where we managed to track the origin of the reiatsu, but a few blocks before we reached it, it was gone. We have reasons to believe it was vanquished, by someone not in this room right now."

"Do you know who it was?" Ukitake inquired.

"No, we've been trying to find the person, but it's proven impossible." Ichigo declared. "However, we've come in contact with another person with the power and ability to fight hollows, she's also claimed to having previous experience."

"Who?" Yamamoto wanted to know, wondering if there was a rouge or something.

"A human teenager." Ichigo answered calmly. "Her name is Castelo Keeva, American, recently moved to Karakura. She appears to have gained powers in much the same fashion as most of the Nakama did."

"By the way, I have a doubt I was hoping one of you might be able to answer for me, sirs." Rukia spoke up unexpectedly. "When we spoke to Castelo-san, she said that, before Ichigo she had never seen a shinigami. She also seemed to imply that no one but she fought hollows in her former hometown."

"Where did she say she came from?" Kyouraku Shunsui asked, curious.

"She said she was born in Mexico, but had lived in several places, mostly America." Rukia answered. "Could she just never have seen a shinigami, despite her obvious ability to see spirits? I mean, it's not like there could not be a shinigami, right?"

Silence reigned for a short while, before Shunsui gave her an answer.

"Actually, Kuchiki, it is quite possible that there were no shinigami there." Shunsui admitted. "It's not a widely known fact, but there are some areas of the Living World that were long ago claimed by others, races of spiritually empowered humans capable of defending themselves, leaving shinigami to focus on other lands. Japan was one such area at one point, guarded by sacred miko with amazing powers, but as their numbers decreased, shinigami were forced to intervene. It's been theorized that, because of how long spiritually empowered humans inhabited your land, that is the reason the Juureichi came to exist where it does."

"However." Juushirou went on. "Even those areas are patrolled by a shinigami every once in a while, so we can be sure the humans who swore to protect it are still there. What you say about this girl, it seems to imply the possibility that the race that guarded the area exists no more, and yet the shinigami have yet to take over the guarding of the place. That is certainly a dangerous situation, one that we will have to look further into."

As the white-haired captain spoke, Uryuu couldn't help but remember with almost painful clarity, Keeva's words as she ranted at him: you have no idea what really being the 'last one' is like! If her words, and Ukitake's theory were to be believed, that might explain Keeva's situation, still, it didn't really explain how exactly she'd come to be the last one. Had her people been victims of genocide, much like his own had been? But then, wouldn't the shinigami know already and have picked up the slack? Then what, what could have happened to make a spiritually empowered race, one that was undoubtedly strong, just considering what Keeva had shown herself to be capable of, what could have caused them to disappear? To leave the girl all alone in the world?

By that point, Uryuu was the only who realized that Keeva wasn't just a human who had acquired powers to fight when the natural protectors of her hometown were all gone, but that she was most likely part of that race everyone else assumed to have become extinct at some point: the last one…He would make the others aware of his theory, but later; the last thing he wanted was to put Keeva's life at risk, he still wasn't sure the shinigami weren't somehow responsible, or related to how her people had disappeared; and regardless of how briefly he'd known her, the Quincy couldn't help the deep desire to protect her as much as he possibly could. Nothing would ever be more important to him than his father and his nakama, of course, but she came very close…

"Back to the main topic." Ichigo said after the captains agreed to further investigate the other matter. "Ukitake-san has told us that members of the 12th Division registered the hollow reiatsu that appeared on Karakura earlier today, even if no one knew the exact reason. Urahara confronted us on that same matter…We were there."

The statement was enough to send everyone reeling, though the Nakama could only see the badly-disguised shock in those in front of them.

Ryuuken, while not actually looking shocked, was very tense. He'd sensed the reiatsu that had appeared, and knew that whatever had happened it had been serious. The kind of danger his son, his student, and the rest of the Nakama must have been in…it was the very reason why he never wanted them to get involved with spiritual matters; however, they were all so stubborn, never understanding to reason, long ago he'd made the choice to help them train, rather than leave them to their own devices, possibly dying for lack of training…he just hoped it would be enough. It was too late already to keep the teenagers from what was going on, and the true war was yet to come…Ishida Ryuuken really hoped things would turn out alright, he'd lost too much already, Uryuu, and in a way Ichigo and the rest of the teens, were dear to him, the only people he'd allowed himself to come to care for after losing everything and everyone else, he couldn't lose them as well.

"By that point most of the students had left already, only seniors were left, and the soccer team since they had practice." Ichigo began his explanation. "We sensed the reiatsu, and immediately knew it was very close. So we rushed out of the classroom. Chizuru, Keigo and Mizuiro stayed in the hallway, to make sure no one would try to leave the building until things were over, while Rukia, Uryuu, Orihime, Chad, Tatsuki and I hurried to the front yard, Karin joined us there. We stopped a cero with a mix of shields before facing against our enemies. They were four, two females, and two males; and while one of the males was way bigger than any human could ever be, the rest looked very much like humans, except for the dark aura, and the fragments of masks on each of their faces. They also each wore a white outfit with black details, almost like an inverted shihakusho, except with variations."

"Four Arrancars?!" Nanao and Tessai expressed their shock at the same time.

"Four stable Arrancar." Karin clarified. "They were nothing like the hamen from two weeks ago, or even the incomplete arrancar Grand Fisher managed to turn himself into before he attacked Karakura again and was ultimately destroyed by Ichigo."

"They were way more powerful." Ichigo agreed. "They even introduced themselves to us, though…" he turned to his second in command. "Uryuu…"

Uryuu could have smirked in that moment, Ichigo had never been good with faces and names, not until he became very familiar with the individual, and he didn't have as much of an eye for details as Uryuu himself did. However, the situation in that moment was just too serious for the Quincy to truly want to laugh, or even smirk, so instead he turned to the phones on the table as he focused on everything he could remember:

"The two females appeared as teenaged girls." Uryuu enlisted. "They introduced themselves as: Loly Aivirrne, Numero 33 and Menoly Mallia, Numero 34. While we know what the particular title they used for their rank means, we have no idea what it means in this context. Are they numbers 33 and 34 in their creation, in their rank? Or is it something else entirely?" he shook his head before continuing. "With the males we were actually given a bit more of an explanation. They called themselves Espada, one of them claimed that meant they are two of the most powerful Arrancars serving Aizen…"

"Espada…" Yamamoto's interrupted was quite unexpected, but no one commented on it. "I've heard such a title being used…but not in a very, very long time."

"Soutaichou?" Rukia asked, half confused, half afraid.

"Continue Nakama." Yamamoto instructed. "I'll say my part when you're done."

"From the two males, the one who was considerably bigger, introduced himself as Yammy Llargo, Décima Espada." Uryuu went on without hesitation. "The other one…he said his name was Ulquiorra Schiffer and he was the Cuarta Espada…"

There were a few gasps heard, both in the room and through one of the phones, but it was impossible to know who they'd come from exactly. And it didn't matter that much.

"Did you go into battle against any of those Arrancar?" Shunsui wanted to know.

"We did." Ichigo retook the duty of giving the report. "Against all but the Cuarta, Ulquiorra. Orihime created a shield around the school to keep the students safe, anyone else who might have been in the vicinity when the Arrancar arrived had been consumed already by that point. Tatsuki fought against one of the females, but she couldn't access enough power in her human body to take the Arrancar down."

How insane it had been, for them all to have gone against enemies so powerful, without being in the form which allowed them to fight better…they obviously hadn't been thinking very clearly at the time.

About Tatsuki, the Gotei was well-aware that she was the reincarnation of a zanpakutou-wielding spirit, one that had never been a shinigami, even if no one but she and Renji knew why exactly. The facts had been accepted and no comment made.

"It was then that Keeva stepped in." Ichigo went on. "She helped Tatsuki take down one of the female arrancars when Tatsuki began getting some whiplash, while the other was soundly defeated by Karin, while she was still in her human body."

"Wait a second." Yoruichi interrupted. "You are telling me that you all, even those of you who are shinigami, fought these stable Arrancars while in your human bodies?!"

They all nodded.

"Are you insane?!" Isshin practically screeched.

Exactly what the Nakama had been thinking, not like they would admit it anytime soon.

"It's not like there was that much time." Tatsuki muttered. "By the time we even got out of the classroom the Arrancars were already practically at the school-gate; and seconds after we got out of the building they were firing a cero at it!"

"That's right." Uryuu nodded. "There was no time for us to actually get ready for a fight, all we could do was hurry and try our best."

"Which apparently somehow included defeating three stable Arrancar…" Yoruichi muttered, not quite believing it.

"Rukia and I were on our guard before Ulquiorra, though he didn't seem that interested about fighting at all." Ichigo continued with a sigh. "The Cuarta said he was there to test me, on orders from Aizen, at which point the other three attacked the other Nakama. And still, Ulquiorra never actually made a move to attack me. He gave me the chance to get out of my body, leaving it for Rukia to guard, and still seemed more interested in talking than actually fighting, which was rather strange. Meanwhile, Chad and Uryuu teamed up against Yammy, he fought dirty and managed to seriously injure Chad's arm, nothing permanent, but still; Uryuu got a few bruises and scratches, the most serious one on his side, I think he cracked a rib, regardless, he managed to cut off one of the Espada's arms with his arrows."

They had been so very fortunate that Yuzu was so talented at kidou, with Orihime out of commission after using such a powerful shield, it was been the young, gentle Kurosaki twin who had healed them all, and helped them restore at least enough reiatsu so they wouldn't be totally drained, it would have been just too risky with the danger upon them.

"At that point I was in bankai already." Ichigo went on with the recount. "I fired a Getsuga Tenshou at Yammy when he went again after Chad after managing to get Uryuu away. It wasn't the most powerful Getsuga I'd ever used, but it wasn't weak in any way either; it barely managed to cut into Yammy's side, their skin is incredibly hard…"

"Hierro…" Urahara muttered, and then clarified. "That's what it's called. The Arrancars reinforce their own skin with reiatsu, forming what is called Hierro, the more powerful the Arrancar is, the stronger their hierro can be."

"It makes sense." Chad commented. "Hierro…Steel…"

"At that point I told Ulquiorra that either he took his allies and got the hell out of Karakura or I would kill them." Ichigo deadpanned.

"You what?!" At least half of the adults, shinigami included, screamed at him at that.

"You actually think you would have had the power for that, boy?" Yamamoto asked, steel in his own voice.

"Maybe." Ichigo didn't allow any hesitation on his voice. "If it were to protect my nakama… I believe I could do anything."

"Infant." Yamamoto chided sternly. "You really have no idea the kind of enemy you were facing. Even feeling his reiatsu, even standing before him, neither was enough for you to realize how far outclassed you were."

"Maybe if Ulquiorra had fought." Ichigo agreed. "But like I said before, he didn't seem that interested, even after telling us he was there to test me. Yammy…he was all brawn and no brains, I was sure we could take him down if necessary; with the female arrancars, the only problem was that Karin and Tatsuki hadn't been in their spirit forms when fighting him, I'm confident that if they had been, they would have won easily."

"You overestimate yourself child." Yamamoto insisted. "And you overestimate your comrades as well. Arrancars are never pushovers."

"Neither are we." Uryuu stated, offended by the lack of trust the general was showing.

"In any case, they left, we're here." Ichigo stated. "Regardless of if we could have actually defeated them all, something we did was enough to make Ulquiorra choose to leave rather than continue the fight, than actually testing me; because I seriously doubt a sole attack against another fighter can be considered a test."

"You were lucky." Yamamoto insisted. "That doesn't make you the better fighter, or the more powerful, it only means you're lucky!"

"What aren't you telling us?" Uryuu demanded. "There must be something, a reason for you to be saying all of those things. What don't we know?"

The Quincy was really frustrated, and it wasn't just him; they had just vented against Urahara, and yet it wasn't enough, why was it that those around them were always keeping things from them? Especially when what they didn't know could end up killing them?!

"I believe you are aware of the existence of Menos." Yamamoto began his explanation, in a tone of voice akin of a teacher before a class. "How they're at least a thousand times more powerful than the average hollow."

"We are aware." Karin said calmly. "My brother slew one a few weeks before Byakuya-san and Renji-san came and took Rukia and her shinigami powers from him."

The insinuation was pretty clear in her words, but no one reacted to it. However, Nanao, and the captains of the eight and thirteenth division seemed more interested on the fact that Ichigo, while still only using Rukia's borrowed power, had been able to slay a Menos…especially since, according to the timeline, he hadn't had those powers even two months by that point… Ichigo was really something else.

"Yes, the Menos that appeared at that point was a Gillian." Yamamoto went on.

"Menos? Gillian?" Orihime inquired, a bit confused. "Aren't those two the same?"

"No." Karin whispered, as if just remembering that fact in that very moment. "A Gillian is a Menos, but a Menos isn't necessarily a Gillian…"

"Wha…?" Ichigo had no idea what that was supposed to mean.

Yamamoto sighed, realizing that the human teenagers really didn't know, they had fought a Menos and thought that was it, that was as high as a hollow got in evolution, aside from the Arrancars they'd discovered…they really had no idea. And they were the ones who were supposed to fight them, at least until all-out war became imminent? It had to be insanity, to leave the fate of the Living World, or at least a highly important zone of it, to a dozen of spiritually empowered humans…

And yet, wasn't that exactly what they had done when making those pacts with the other races? Though, on that front, it was obvious that at least some of those areas had become high-risk zones as the usual defenders died, their lineages becoming extinct, and leaving no one to fight the hollows plaguing those lands…But they had done such pacts, because they'd been necessary, how could one organization, regardless of how big it might be, be expected to protect two worlds on their own? It just wasn't possible.

"Nakama." Juushirou decided to take over the lesson, even not knowing why exactly his own teacher hadn't continued, though he understood how worrying the whole thing was. "The Menos aren't one sole group, they're actually divided in three categories. The first are the Gillian, you can consider them the foot-soldiers among the Menos, they are all huge in size look pretty much the same as the next and do little except hunt hollows or souls to consume, can be as powerful as a high-seated Shinigami; next come the Adjuchas, they are smaller, their bodies more agile, are capable of reasoning, though not very advanced and their power is easily that of a lieutenant-level Shinigami, maybe even a low-level captain; the last, they are the Vasto Lorde, they have humanoid forms, are capable of perfect reasoning, of strategizing, their power is also superior to most Shinigami captains…"

The answer from the Nakama was instantaneous and unanimous: "What?!"

It was awful, it was worse than insane, how could they have not known any of that?! Karin and Rukia not remembering was understandable, particularly since the different categories of Menos had never been more than mere theory from their Academy Days for them, but still, how could no one warn them?! In particular knowing that Aizen was preparing an army and was likely to gather the most powerful hollows he could find!

"Wait, wait a second." Uryuu broke in before going into panic himself. "Where exactly do Arrancars, stable or otherwise, fit into all this?"

"An arrancar is a hollow, most likely a Menos, that has broken its own mask, gaining shinigami powers in exchange." Juushirou explained. "Most of their hollow powers are sealed in a zanpakutou, and they gain a somewhat-humanoid form. You have to understand that that is not an easy process by any means, for a hollow to be able to break its mask and gain shinigami powers instead of destroying itself, it must be really powerful already…"

"And Aizen has already more than 34 such Arrancars…" Orihime whispered, burying her face in her hands. "Oh Lord…"

"This is bad." Chad agreed, grimly.

"Yet again, why did we not know any of this?" Tatsuki complained.

"We didn't expect anything to happen for at least half a year." Kyouraku began.

"The Hougyoku was in stasis!" Urahara interfered. "He shouldn't have been able to unseal it for at least a year!"

"This is Aizen we're talking about, remember?" Karin said sarcastically. "The man who has been laying down plans to conquer heaven for over a hundred years? Who knows what kind of contingency plans he had already in place? And forget contingency plans. It's quite possible he planned ahead for the possibility of the Hougyoku being sealed, and on a way to unseal it, at least temporarily, whenever he needed its power. With how careful Aizen seems to be about everything, don't you think he would have thought that a possibility?"

"So, considering the time he's had to plan, his power and the fact he has that cursed jewel, we can assume he has quite a bit more than 34 Arrancars even now, and every day he could be making more, right?" Tatsuki deduced in a somber tone.

"I don't think it's that easy." Uryuu said. "I seriously doubt Aizen would use the Hougyoku on just any hollow, only the most powerful would interest him. Aside from that, I would say Tatsuki is most likely right."

"Oh Lord…" Orihime whispered again.

Silence reigned for what seemed like forever. Uryuu and Ichigo were the first to recover their composure and be able to reason and speak again.

"So, let's see what we know thus far." Ichigo began.

"It is likely that Aizen has found a way to awaken the Hougyoku, at least for short periods of time." Uryuu began enlisting in a very formal tone. "To that follows the assumption that he's using it to create as many Arrancar as he can, and right now he has at least 34, quite possibly more; it's also likely that most, if not all of them are Menos. The most powerful are the Espada, which most likely are ten and…"

"What makes you think that?" Nanao interrupted suddenly.

"The strength of the one that called himself Decima Espada." Uryuu answered stoically. "While he was able to seriously injure Chad, I was on par with him, and Ichigo was able to wound him even when not having much time to prepare an attack, it is likely that if the battle had gone for much longer we would have been able to defeat him, just like the two females. In few words, he was strong, but not outrageously so."

"He hadn't called on his Resurreccion yet." Juushirou pointed out morosely.

"What is Resurreccion?" Several Nakama asked at the same time.

"Like we explained before, when Arrancars break their masks they acquire a zanpakutou, along with shinigami powers." Shunsui said soberly. "Also, most of their hollow powers are sealed in their zanpakutou, as well as their fully-hollow forms. When they draw their zanpakutou, on that power that was sealed, that is called Resurreccion."

"What kind of a power boost are we talking here?" Rukia asked, feeling she wasn't going to like the answer. "I mean, if we were to compare it with a shinigami?"

"If we compare it to a shinigami, the power boost would be would be the equivalent of a shikai, maybe even a bankai, depending on the level it was." Shunsui answered softly.

"Oh Lord…" Orihime whispered yet again.

It was the third time she had done that in just a handful of minutes, but no one blamed her, things were seriously complicated in that moment, and incredibly dangerous. Even when they'd all agreed on fighting to protect those they cared for, and Karakura as a whole, they'd never imagined things being that bad…

"Ok, enough of the morose thoughts." Ichigo said strongly, cutting through the tension as easily as if he had used his zanpakutou. "Things are bad, that's true, but they also looked pretty bad a few years ago when we all first gained powers and hadn't the slightest idea of how to use them. We're going to train, like we've never trained before, and we're going to get ready to fight; because Karakura is our town, and I'll be damned if I won't do my very best to protect it. Besides, I promised Ulquiorra that if Aizen attacked again he would come to regret it, I have to keep that promise. So, are you with me?!"

"Yes!" The response from all the Nakama was unanimous and full of a power that just a second ago they'd seemed to be lacking.

It was like, somehow, Ichigo's words, the strength behind them, had given the Nakama back their own power, their will, their hope. In one instant their auras flared as one, and in the next they were slowly mixing, acquiring a mysterious silver tint, like they'd very nearly done a day, months earlier, as Ichigo prepared to call on his own shinigami powers consciously for the very first time.

All of those who heard, first Ichigo's speech, and then the Nakama's response, were absolutely amazed. Just what kind of person was Kurosaki Ichigo, that he could give back hope and strength when they had all seemed to be on the edge of despair a second before? How was it that he could hold such confidence, in himself and his companions, despite everything that they had all just been made aware of?

Under normal circumstances Yamamoto, and even the other shinigami, would have called the teens a bunch of blind fools, believing they could actually stand a chance against the kind of enemies that would be coming at them. And yet…until just a few months before, hadn't they all believed that Seireitei's walls were impenetrable, only to have them trespassed, and only made aware of the fact because the ryoka decided to let them know they were there? Hadn't all shinigami in the Gotei believed themselves to be so far above humans, only to have some of the strongest among them defeated by a bunch of teenaged ones?

The Nakama had gone against insurmountable odds and come out victorious before, maybe they would be able to work out another miracle? In any case, Yamamoto knew that the Gotei too would need to be prepared; able to work miracles or not, they Gotei wouldn't be leaving the fate of all worlds on a dozen of human teenagers. No, purifying hollows, defeating Aizen was their duty, and they would fulfill it, or die trying.

xXx

It was evening already when Keeva finally decided to try knocking on Serenity's door, hoping she was feeling better, in any case, it was never a good idea to miss a meal, they needed their energies, especially with the constant threat upon them.

She was just about to knock on Serenity's bedroom door when it was opened from the inside and there stood Serenity, looking just like always. Her room smelled heavily of incense, something Keeva was only half-aware of, having become so accustomed to the scent in the little over a year she'd been sharing living quarters with the young woman.

"Is everything alright Keeva?" Serenity asked the girl in a low tone.

Keeva just sighed, thinking that she should be the one asking that same question, though, what was the point when Serenity was obviously not going to be truthful in her answer?

"Dinner is ready." The girl informed her finally.

Behind her, Serenity sighed as she followed into the kitchen, she knew Keeva didn't like it when she lied, especially because she knew the truth, or at least part of it…and it was precisely because of what the younger girl did not know, that Serenity preferred to keep on with the lies, she believed it would be better in the long run. What use was it for Keeva to worry about something she could do nothing to change?

"Tell me about the battle today." Serenity requested of the younger girl when they were half-way through dinner.

"I thought you would have already seen it." Keeva commented offhandedly.

"I do not see everything, I'm not omniscient, or an Oracle." Serenity pointed out.

It looked like Keeva wanted to make a comment on that, but in the end she shook her head and focused on what the young woman had asked of her.

"It was like you said, they weren't enough." Keeva began. "They are all so incredibly strong, and yet…I don't know if it was because they were still in their human bodies, with human limits, but still…" she shook her head. "Today I finally began to understand why it is we need to be there…and my help alone won't be enough."

"You're not alone, Keeva." Serenity reminded her softly. "I'm here."

"I wish it weren't necessary, my lady." Keeva said mournfully. "But unless some kind of miracle takes place…even the two of us helping all of them might not be enough."

"Always believe in miracles, Keeva." Serenity said, smiling like someone who knows a secret she won't share. "One just might happen when you least expect it."

The short-haired nodded, not quite convinced but not willing to argue with her lady on that matter either. Serenity had always been like that, so full of Hope, and Faith, of belief in the impossible…and considering the kind of power she possessed, maybe it was normal; still Keeva found it harder to share such beliefs.

"There's one thing I wanted your opinion on." Keeva said unexpectedly, way more serious than she'd ever been before.

"Yes," Serenity nodded, noticing it had to be something important for the way the younger girl was acting. "What is it?"

"It's about Inoue Orihime…"

xXx

The sun had long since set, when a young woman found herself sitting by her window, watching the waning moon silently, its silver rays of light reflecting on shadowed eyes. Ever so slowly, crystalline tears began falling from the corner of her eyes and down her cheeks, while she did nothing to stop them or brush them away, all her attention still fixed on the moon, the only light in the dark night-sky.

She remained there, in that same place and position for what seemed like forever, and only one word ever left her lips: "Utokui…"

xXx

It was the middle of the night when a young woman rose rather abruptly from the futon she slept on. She silently thanked the spirits that she'd been given a private bedroom since her change in rank, even if she hadn't wanted the attention such a position would call upon her, at least she wasn't bothering others in the middle of the night.

Making sure to cover her nightclothes with a soft-pink robe, the young-woman stepped out of her bedroom and walked barefoot and in absolute silence the rather short distance from the back porch to the gardens.

For a few minutes she did nothing but walk through the moonlit garden, her eyes straying to gaze at the white crescent in the sky ever so often. Then, she began talking, not to anyone in particular, but to herself.

"Something's changed…" she whispered to the empty gardens. "And changed greatly, so much I cannot seem to be able to see the end of this anymore…" she sighed and closed her eyes briefly. "A decision was made, so huge that nothing is what it was just a short time ago anymore. Destiny has changed…"

Yes, destiny had changed, and she probably knew that better than anyone, dead or alive; the question was: would that change be good or bad?

Chapter Text

Chapter 23. Royal Mess

It was all a mess, a terribly huge mess, there really was no better way to describe it.

At least half the Nakama had been aware of the kekkai someone had erected in Karakura's limits, inside what was still considered the Nakama's territory; and yet, no permission had been asked of them, hell, they hadn't even been warned that anything was going to happen. Yet the Nakama let it slip, considering that they had better things to do anyway, like training, It had been just a few days since the Arrancars had appeared before the school, not even two weeks, and no one knew when the next attack would be. Hollow attacks had even seemed to pretty much stop for a full day, before going back to normal, or at least what, recently, had become normal for all of them.

The problem had come, the following evening, when at least ¾ of the Nakama were able to feel the flaring reiatsu that indicated a battle, through the kekkai. Worried, Ichigo and Rukia rushed to the place, opening a spot in the kekkai with no trouble; Uryuu and Karin waited outside to act as backup; the others were already on their homes, too far to be of any help at the moment, though they'd been alerted nonetheless.

That was how Ichigo and Rukia had come to be face to face with at least two dozen Onmitsukidou, as well as Sui-Feng, whose obvious dislike for the Nakama's presence only made their meeting even more stressful.

"Sui-Feng-taichou." Ichigo decided to be somewhat respectful for once, knowing the woman didn't like him, and they were surrounded by her subordinates. "What happened here?"

He could barely hold back his swearing, which was understandable considering all the debris, blood and bodies that littered the clearing inside the kekkai.

"Kurosaki, Kuchiki." Sui-Feng named them grudgingly. "What are you doing here? I believe there was a kekkai in place."

"There was, and still is." Ichigo pointed out to the hole he'd made with his zanpakutou.

"We sensed the battle taking place and worried." Rukia added in a more polite tone. "Just… what happened here?"

"I really don't see how this would be any of your business…" Sui-Feng began.

"Because this is still Karakura, and Karakura is Nakama territory, that's why." Ichigo half-snapped, already beginning to lose what little patience he had.

Sui-Feng didn't like to be reminded of that fact, of the concessions that had been made and the authority that had been given to Ichigo; she felt it wasn't fair.

"That may be true." Sui-Feng answered. "Still, there was a kekkai, and this is Royal business."

"Royal…" Rukia was in absolute shock.

"If this was Royal business, shouldn't Karin have known about it?" Ichigo asked, brow furrowed, he knew for sure Karin hadn't been informed of anything.

"Nagaken Karin is a Guardian, and while that certainly connects her to the Konoe Shidan, she isn't really a part of it." Sui-Feng stated formally. "Still, considering how…delicate the current condition is, it might be a good idea for you to know."

And so the explanation had begun.

By the time the explanation was finished and Sui-Feng along with her men were gone, though not without 'instructing' Ichigo and Rukia to inform her if they found the missing Hitsugaya Toushirou, who was wanted for interrogation and possible imprisonment, Ichigo was about to blow a gasket; and he just knew it was going to get worse once Karin found out.

He was, of course right, his sister most definitely blew a gasket, though that also might have been because he explained everything to her and Uryuu right as the two of them had just found a badly-wounded half-unconscious Toushirou, shortly after the kekkai fell.

The Nakama took the white-haired shinigami to the Kurosaki home, which was the one closest. Yuzu treated him of his wounds in s short while, before declaring that he would need a night's sleep to regain his reiatsu, since she didn't actually know how to do that. He was placed in Karin's bed, who had already decided to spend the night in vigil, looking after Toushirou, while Yuzu half-dozed in her own bed, waking up every so often to check up on 'her patient' and make sure he was recovering alright.

The following morning, instead of making things better, only seemed to make them worse. Ichigo and Rukia had woken to find Yuzu knocking on their bedroom door insistently: both Toushirou and Karin were gone, leaving only a short message with Nova, who was inside Karin's body, and due to the contents of the message, Yuzu was understandably worried.

Ichigo, Yuzu, Rukia: I've gone with Toushirou. What happened earlier, and what will be happening now, it's serious, complicated and extremely personal. Do not follow us. I promise we will be alright. Toushirou and I will solve this by ourselves, and return the Ouin to where it belongs. Truly, Karin.

Ichigo didn't like it, not at all, but he knew that the one who had written that message, the one he risked angering if he went against her request/instructions, wasn't his little sister Karin, it was Nagaken Karin, former shinigami, captain-candidate, noble princess and chosen Royal Guardian… so Ichigo chose to do as she asked, and extended the same instructions to the rest of the Nakama, they were to allow Karin and Toushirou to go as they pleased, and not get involved with their business unless it was a matter of life and death.

Of course, Ichigo should have known, it would soon turn exactly into that, it had taken only until that night when, shortly before midnight, Orihime had contacted him. She had been the one on guard-duty at the time (since they had agreed the situation was delicate enough to make such a thing necessary). Some shinigami, lead by three high-ranking officers, had found Karin and Toushirou in an abandoned temple, not far from where Orihime lived, a battle had ensued and while the two youngest shinigami had managed to run, things had already turned south.

Ichigo and Rukia shifted into their shinigami forms and shunpoed to where Orihime was already waiting as fast as they possibly could. It was an old temple, seemingly abandoned, and it was quite obvious that a battle had taken place, judging by all the reiatsu traces floating around, as well as the pieces of ice, ash, debris and torn pieces of clothes.

"What the hell happened here?!" Ichigo demanded the moment he arrived.

He'd been stressed out all day, what with his sister gone doing who-knows-what, it had taken him a lot to finally go to sleep, only to be awakened shortly afterwards, and to find that his sister and her friend had been attacked by over two dozen shinigami! Ichigo was definitely not a happy man in that moment, and his barely-controlled reiatsu showed it.

"Kurosaki-dono! Kuchiki-san!" Two voices called at once.

Ichigo easily recognized the blonde lieutenant of the third division, even if Rukia had to remind him that his name was Kira Izuru; same with the dark-haired lieutenant of the 9 th  Division: Hisagi Shuuhei. They were acting-captains, being the highest-ranked officers in their respective divisions since their captain's betrayal. The other obvious leader of the team, was someone Ichigo was sure he'd never seen before, and while her reiatsu was nothing impressive, Ichigo couldn't help the impression that she was much more powerful than she seemed to at first sight, she was also currently the highest ranked officer in the third betrayed division.

"Hisagi-fukutaichoi, Kira-fukutaichou, Skye-sanseki." Rukia greeted them formally.

"Right." Kira seemed really nervous, but still spoke to Ichigo directly. "Kurosaki-dono, this is Skye Kotori, third seat of the 5th Division; the three of us were assigned with the capture and imprisonment of Hitsugaya-taichou."

"And how do your orders excuse what obviously happened here?" Ichigo demanded. "Did you know that my sister, Karin, was with Toushirou?"

"We became aware of that fact when we tried to force Hitsugaya-taichou to surrender." Hisagi pointed out in a low voice. "We weren't expecting it."

"No, of course you weren't." Ichigo practically growled. "Who even gave the order for something like this? Do you know the kind of damage you could have caused to Karakura, the kind of hurt you could have caused to innocents, if a full-out battle had happened?"

"Like Hisagi-san said, we weren't expecting for Hitsugaya-taichou to be accompanied, or for anyone to attack us." Kotori pointed out, trying to be helpful.

Ichigo took that chance to truly observe the girl, she was petite, and looked so very young, though he'd long learnt not to let a shinigami's appearance trick him, Rukia was a perfect example of how one over a century old could still look in their mid-teens. Aside from her apparent youth, the orange-head noticed the girl had shockingly red-hair, in a way even more shocking than Renji's, it was in loose but well-defined curls that fell down nearly to the small of her back, kept back by a clip and white ribbons at the nape of her neck; she was wearing the traditional shinigami attire, her zanpakutou resting vertical on her back. And while her appearance seemed somewhat exotic, Ichigo still couldn't sense any important reiatsu, even Ikkaku had had more of an aura of power…and weren't he and Kotori supposed to be the same rank? Was he missing something?

In the end Ichigo pushed the whole rant about Skye Kotori aside, there were things far more important in that moment than an apparently young and weak shinigami-girl, particularly because he'd never seen her before and probably wouldn't remember her after she was gone.

"First that kekkai in the outskirts of Karakura, then that battle that was strong enough we could feel it through the damned kekkai," Ichigo began enlisting things. "One of your captains getting angry with me, and thinking she can order me, order us Nakama around, when I think we were pretty clear how things weren't that way. And now this! The agreement was that as long as Seireitei and the Nakama were allied, Karakura would be our territory. We are the main authority here, not you, your captains, or even Yamamoto!"

There was total silence as he ranted; at first it looked like Kotori was going to react and lash back at Ichigo, at least verbally, but a quick shake of the head from Rukia, followed by Hisagi holding her shoulder and pulling her back was enough to stop her.

Rukia just sighed, she had known Ichigo would be snapping sooner or later, it was a miracle his reiatsu wasn't smothering anyone yet.

"Karakura is our territory." Ichigo insisted. "And yet in the last 48 hours a lot of things have happened that we didn't authorize, that we would have never allowed." His voice turned serious. "I want you, your subordinates, and any other shinigami that may be in Karakura in this moment, to leave, right now!"

"But Kurosaki-dono." Kira said softly, hesitantly. "We have a mission."

"I don't care." Ichigo spat. "If our help had been asked, if we had just been informed that you needed to be here…But no, your Gotei seems to take longer to form a pact than it does to break it. And now, you've not just attacked a member of your own organization, you've also turned against my own sister. That's something I won't be forgiving any time soon!"

"She was interfering with our duty!" Kotori yelled at him, holding back the flinch the dark glare directed in her direction caused her.

"Like I said before, I don't care." Ichigo hissed. "You want to get to Toushirou, and whoever it is that is responsible for this whole mess…"

"What if they're the same person?" Hisagi suggested.

"The same?" Ichigo did a double-take at that. "You mean that you think that that battle was Toushirou's fault? You think he's a murderer? Are you all stupid or what?!" he brushed his hair with a hand and sighed. "Really, you have no faith at all in your own comrades, your own nakama, do you?"

"We used to, and yet you've seen what happened on that front, with the three traitors." Kotori pointed out scathingly.

Hisagi and Kira flinched at her words. Despite belonging to the fifth division, and how hard every other shinigami in either of the three betrayed divisions were taking things, it seemed like she didn't care at all for the three traitors.

"You don't even really know Hitsugaya-taichou, why do you defend him then?" Hisagi asked, half-exasperated by the whole situation. 

"Karin knows him, she trusts him, and I trust her judgment." Ichigo said simply, before going all serious again. "I've made my opinions on all this matter clear. Now, like I said before, I want the three of you, and your subordinates, out of my town. Now!"

There was such power behind his words, none of the other shinigami could find in themselves the will to contradict him again. Kira requested enough hell-butterflies for everyone, Hisagi opened the Senkaimon, and shortly they were all gone.

"You know what you just did will have consequences, right?" Rukia asked him softly.

"I know." Ichigo whispered back.

"Ok." Rukia nodded softly. "Just making sure."

And he did, he had no idea what kind of consequences they would be, exactly, but he somehow knew they would be big and far-reaching, still, he was tired of others walking over him, over his Nakama, he wouldn't allow it anymore. If the only way to get respect with the Gotei was to act like a cold, stubborn, arrogant bastard, then he would do exactly that.

"Lets go back." Ichigo said suddenly as he turned around. "We have to be ready, and make sure everyone else is as well. I have a feeling the shit is about to hit the fan."

"With everything you just said and did it would be no surprise, really." Rukia commented as she began shunpoing by his side.

"I don't mean on that matter." Ichigo shook his head without stopping. "I mean with Karin, Toushirou, and whatever 'personal business' has had them jumping from one end to the other of Karakura since dawn."

Ichigo and Rukia had managed to get a few more hours of sleep in before receiving an urgent call from Renji. Yamamoto had declared that it was priority to capture Hitsugaya Toushirou, and execute him if he resisted!

"That is insane!" Ichigo yelled as soon as he heard the news. "Execution over what? A suspicion? They can't even be sure Toushirou had anything to do with that attack to the Royal caravan, or what happened to Kyouraku-san last night."

"Ichigo is right." Rukia agreed. "The second part is particularly impossible, considering that at the time of the attack on Kyouraku-taichou both Hitsugaya-taichou and Karin-san were in a rundown temple, here in the Living World, fighting Hisagi-fukutaichou, Kira-fukutaichou, Skye-sanseki and their subordinates."

Ichigo nodded, it just didn't add up.

"I know, but this wasn't up to me." Renji pointed out. "The only advantage Hitsugaya-taichou and Karin-dono have right now is that Yamamoto has ordered for all shinigami to leave Karakura. As long as those two stay in your territory the Gotei 13 won't touch them. However, unless the situation changes and soon, the soutaichou may just end up giving you the order to bring them in yourselves, or at least Hitsugaya-taichou."

"Does he think we would do that?" Ichigo hissed.

"You may not have a choice Ichigo." Rukia pointed out quietly. "If he orders it, and you don't cooperate you'll be accused of helping a criminal, all the authority you hold now, and everything the Nakama have gained, will be lost."

Ichigo growled under his breath, they were trying to put him between a rock and a hard place.

"Then we better settle this before that time comes." Ichigo declared.

"About that." Renji said, still through the phone. "We've discovered who Kusaka is."

"Tell us." Ichigo indicated instantly.

That was possibly the only bit of good news in the whole call.

As soon as the call with Renji ended Ichigo was telling Yuzu to make some calls, the Nakama had to meet up. Regardless of what Karin had asked of them, they needed to bring things to an end, and sooner rather than later.

What they weren't expecting was the sudden explosion as Ichigo's window was blown up. It was the arrancar-lookalikes, they somehow knew Ichigo and Rukia were going to get involved in things, and wanted to stop them before they could.

So their fight began.

The rest of the Nakama got there just in time, to tip the balance in their favor, though the battle was still far from over, with all the hollows either the arrancars's presence in Karakura, or the Nakama's own flaring reiatsu were calling.

The worst part came when, after a flash of golden light in the distance, and a reiatsu so huge it made every spiritually aware person in Karakura stumble, all Nakama became aware that Toushirou and Karin were gone from the living world, along with another reiatsu that somehow held the same ice-coldness as Toushirou's, but was far darker than his.

"Do you think they've gone to Soul Society?" Rukia asked, though already suspecting the answer, it was kinda obvious really.

"If they are, things are not going to be pretty." Ichigo pointed out.

Rukia knew he was right. But what could they do? They were trapped in a battle against enemies that while not as strong as the Espada they'd met less than two weeks before, still were a danger, especially considering how they didn't seem to care who got hurt when one of their attacks missed or was deflected.

"Ichigo, Rukia, Yuzu." Uryuu said seriously when he did a pause in his attack. "Leave this to us. You go after Hitsugaya-san, Karin and that insane maniac."

"But Uryuu…" Rukia didn't like leaving the others.

"Uryuu is right Rukia." Orihime said. "You can get to Soul Society easily as shinigami. And we can handle this."

"It might even be a little boring." Tatsuki said with a pout. "Compared to the menos and arrancars I'd grown used to fighting every other day…"

Rukia shook her head, thinking Tatsuki had to be crazy, to talk so wistfully about fighting more powerful hollows. In any case, she was right that the human Nakama could handle it, and the three of them could get to Seireitei much faster if she opened a Senkaimon herself, if they waited for the others, aside from having to purify all the hollows and destroy the arrancar-lookalikes first, there was also the matter of getting Urahara to set-up his matter converter so Orihime, Chad and Uryuu could get through.

"Very well, we'll be going then." Ichigo declared. "I trust you to handle this, guys."

"Yes, yes Ichigo, now go." Uryuu said dismissively.

Rukia giggled slightly as she called on a Senkaimon, if she didn't know those two as well as she did, she might believe they actually hated each other.

Ichigo just shook his head with a chuckle before giving an exaggerated bow to Uryuu and then following Rukia and Yuzu through the Senkaimon.

xXx

Karin looked all around her, trying to process the fact that a second before she'd been in Karakura's warehouse district, standing beside one of the people she held dearest: Hitsugaya Toushirou, and facing the one person responsible for the whole mess they'd found themselves in, because really, what had happened in the last two days couldn't be called anything but the most disastrous and terrible mess, and suddenly they were in an entirely different place…

It had all begun with that thrice-damned kekkai someone had decided to place on the outskirts of Karakura, without consulting, or even so much as informing the Nakama. Karin would have snapped at that, but suddenly there were other things to worry about. Like the battle that was bad enough they could feel it through the cursed kekkai; or when she found Toushirou, laying face-down on a riverbank, a stab-wound on his stomach. Karin had made sure Yuzu treated him the moment they all got back to the Kurosaki home, and then convinced Ichigo to lay the recovering and unconscious shinigami captain on her bed, it wasn't like she planned on getting any sleep while he was in such condition.

Then, before dawn the next morning, he'd woken up.

She was a very light sleeper, had been since her time as a shinigami, when she was paranoid either her Nii-sama would do another of his crazy schemes or Aizen would send someone to murder her in her sleep…she actually wasn't sure which one she feared the most.

Still, she didn't move, didn't even change the pattern of her breathing when she woke, just focusing on what she heard and sensed to know what was going on. It was obvious Toushirou was awake, for the soft sounds of clothes brushing together Karin guessed he was getting back into his shihakusho, which Ichigo had taken off him so Yuzu would have better access to the wound when treating him the previous night.

The raven-haired waited until she heard the window slid open, then she snapped her eyes open and straightened up in bed; the movement fast enough to make Toushirou freeze mid-motion, as he was about to jump out the window.

"Surely you wouldn't be leaving without me, would you Toushirou-kun?" Karin asked, a hint of mirth and pretended-offence in her voice.

"Ka…Karin…" Toushirou seemed actually at a loss for words for a moment. "I thought you were asleep."

"Ah ah." Karin shook her finger at him. "Wrong answer, try again."

"I'm very thankful for everything you and the rest of the Nakama have done for me." He said, sincerely, turning to face her, and the still-sleeping Yuzu. "This is the second time Yuzu-san has saved my life."

"She likes doing it, helping I mean." Karin commented, looking at her sister with a mix of great love and almost parental-like concern. "It hurts her when she cannot."

"Yes." Toushirou nodded, knowing Yuzu wasn't the only one. "I hope you will express my gratefulness to her when she wakes up."

"Why don't you do that?" Karin asked, eyes narrowing.

"Because there is an urgent personal business I have to take care of, I cannot stay." Toushirou answered stoically. "I must leave now."

"Bullshit!" Karin spat.

"Karin…" Toushirou wasn't expecting that response from her. "I…"

"I sensed the reiatsu trace from your wound before Yuzu treated you." Karin pointed out in a more subdued tone.

"Then you know." Toushirou said, just as subdued. "I still don't know how something like this can even be possible…"

"Just like none of us quite know how I'm back…" Karin snorted. "The hows don't matter that much, they don't change what needs to be done."

"True." Toushirou agreed. "You must then understand why I must do this alone…"

"No, this is precisely why you must not do this alone." Karin contradicted him. "Toushirou… this involves me too…"

"You weren't the one who killed him…"

"Neither did you! The Onmitsukidou killed him! Central 46 killed him! Not you Toushirou!" she shook him slightly. "Listen to me, you did not kill Kusaka-kun!"

Toushirou just turned away from her, not quite convinced.

"What happened, it wasn't your fault." Karin insisted. "I have no idea what kind of messed up situation caused him to try and take Hyourinmaru for his own, but that was never on his hands, or yours. Hyourinmaru was always meant to be yours. Right, Ryuu-san?"

Inside Toushirou, Hyourinmaru gave his answer, it made the white-haired shinigami prodigy shiver before nodding stiffly to both Karin and his own zanpakutou.

"I still don't understand why." Toushirou admitted. "Why Hyourinmaru would want me. Especially after I was willing to give him up…" 

"You were willing to give him up because of your friendship with Kusaka-kun." Karin pointed out. "You knew it wouldn't be good if the two of you tried to wield the same zanpakutou. It was taboo. And you were a prodigy, you had only been in the Academy for a year, and everyone kept telling you how strong you were; you thought that even if it took you longer to manifest your zanpakutou, nothing would be lost. You didn't realize, the decision had already been made, and it was never yours to make. Hyourinmaru was meant to be your zanpakutou, just like Tenreikou was meant to be mine…"

"So this is related to us…to what we are." Toushirou murmured pensively.

"Somewhat." Karin answered. "Not completely of course, but there's a good deal of that."

Toushirou nodded, while still trying to wrap his head around everything he'd just been told.

"Kusaka-kun was my friend too, Toushirou-kun." Karin said softly. "If he is the one behind this whole mess, then I deserve the chance to be there to put an end to it, as much as you do. I may not have been there with you when that tragedy, that travesty they dared call justice happened; I couldn't be with you then, but there's no way I'm leaving you now. Not again, never again. That's a promise Toushirou-kun…"

"Thank you, Karin-chan…" Toushirou whispered softly as he embraced her tightly.

She embraced him back almost automatically, both of them taking a moment of that peace, to get ready for what was to come; they knew it wouldn't be easy, that it would be hard, and complicated, and neither of them would come out of it the same way they were going in; but they also knew they had to do it, for Kusaka, for each other, and for themselves…

The two had left the Kurosaki home before anyone else woke-up, making sure to leave the note where Yuzu would find it and after having explained to Nova that they were leaving and no one was to follow them, they were dealing with personal business. Karin trusted that, as long as things didn't get too dangerous, Ichigo wouldn't go against their wishes.

They had traveled in their spirit forms, covered in special reiatsu-concealing cloaks Karin had gotten (from the Nagaken clan), Toushirou having left behind the haori signaling him as the 10th Division Captain behind, after all, he wasn't going as a captain, but as a man and a shinigami.

The two spent the whole day walking from one end of Karakura Town to the other, evading the Onmitsukidou looking for them and following two Arrancar lookalikes that kept using hit and run tactics on them, either they weren't very good fighters, or they were luring Toushirou and Karin in (and Karin would bet it was the second).

Of course, by the time night closed in the two friends were totally exhausted, mostly physically but also mentally; they decided to take refuge inside a rundown temple. They technically weren't in Karakura anymore, but still inside Nakama territory, so everything was supposed to be alright…'supposed to' being the key words there…

Toushirou had been dozing off while Karin drank some water. She'd barely remembered to pack a bag with food and water before leaving her house, but it was a good thing she had, the last thing she wanted was for them to be weak and hungry when they finally had to truly fight. She was beginning to consider getting some sleep herself, when suddenly she became aware of the at least two dozen reiatsu signatures appearing before the temple. They were all so low she hadn't noticed them at first. The only ones worth any consideration were the two that she recognized as belonging to Hisagi Shuuhei and Kira Izuru…and there was something else, almost like an empty space very close to them. It wasn't logical, since the reiatsu should have filled that area since it was so close to them, and there was no way someone could erase their reiatsu so fully, was there? At least, not without a cloak like the ones she and Toushirou were wearing, and those were a Nagaken Clan secret.

A groan in that very moment signaled Toushirou's awakening.

"We've got company." Karin informed him calmly.

"I know." Toushirou answered. "It was their reiatsu that woke me."

"Think we can get away without a fight?" Karin asked, considering the possibilities.

"Highly unlikely." Toushirou said honestly. "If the Ouin is half as important as we suspect, they will stop at nothing to arrest me. Right now our only advantage may be that I don't think they know you're here."

Karin nodded. She suspected something like that. The Nagaken Cloaks were more attuned to her reiatsu, since she was part of the clan, so while it was possible that enough of Toushirou's reiatsu had gotten through for the Gotei to track him; the raven-haired was quite sure that, even standing just a few feet away from her, no one could sense her in that moment.

With that thought in mind Toushirou opened the temple's doors just enough to step out, allowing Karin to remain in his shadow, unseen and unsensed.

Looking over Hitsugaya's shoulder, careful not to be noticed herself, Karin counted two dozens of shinigami in loose formation at the temple's front yard, as well as another dozen hiding among the nearby trees. Then, between those formed before the temple, the three leaders could be seen, she recognized them all easily: Hisagi Shuuhei, Kira Izuru and Skye Kotori; all had been several years ahead from Toushirou and her in the Academy, in fact, she remembered that Kotori had actually taught a class at the Academy for a while, until a year or so before Karin and Toushirou entered the Academy themselves.

In any case, that wasn't really what mattered, what mattered was that the shinigami had been sent to arrest them, or at least Toushirou, and that couldn't be allowed to happen.

"Hitsugaya-taichou, this is a special emergency order." Hisagi stated formally. "Please return to Seireitei."

"I will not." Toushirou stated, dead-serious, a hand on his zanpakutou.

The moment Toushirou dashed against the two fukutaichou, Karin hurried to hide behind the shadow of one of the columns in the temple's porch. The moonlight was low enough and the cloak thick enough that no one noticed her.

She watched the first clash of swords between the three shinigami and waited for her moment to attack, a hand in the small of her back as she materialized her own sealed zanpakutou.

"Please, stop." Kira said. "They'll consider this rebellion."

"Back off, Kira, Hisagi." Toushirou said in his most authoritative voice, already knowing his orders would be ignored.

"Hitsugaya-taichou, you're under arrest." Hisagi said soberly.

Karin would have snorted, or smirked, at the young fukutaichou's words, except that in that moment she became aware of a third sword going for Toushirou.

"Coward!" She screamed as she rushed out of the shadow she was hiding in.

She shunpoed fast enough to stand at Toushirou's back, holding her kodachi in one hand and its sheathe in the other, using both to block the long, thin zanpakutou that had been about to hit Toushirou's back.

The change was so sudden, even for the shinigami there to arrest Toushirou, that for a moment no one seemed to know what to do.

"Who the hell are you?" Skye Kotori, who had been the one to go for Toushirou's back, demanded hotly as she failed to push Karin down.

"Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin, shinketsu shinigami and Nakama." Karin introduced herself formally. "Now who the hell do you think you are, aside from a coward?"

"I am Skye Kotori, 5th Division's Third Seat…and I am not a coward!" The offended woman snapped back at Karin.

"Then what do you call attacking at a warrior's back?" Karin hissed as she twisted her own zanpakutou and scabbard enough to push her opponent back.

Kotori hissed but pulled her zanpakutou back, still keeping her guard up, knowing she wouldn't be able to overpower the girl. While she'd never seen Karin, as she'd been too busy during the time the Nakama had been in Soul Society, covering for her absent superiors and trying her best to keep her division running; she'd heard quite a bit about her, including how she was supposed to be the reincarnation of another Karin, one Kotori had known well, if mostly from a distance…in any case, with the element of surprise lost, all they had left was direct combat, and the members of the Gotei certainly had the advantage in that moment.

Hisagi and Kira, for their parts, were trying to gather their wits. Karin's appearance had taken them off-guard, they hadn't been expecting for the missing captain to have company, less of all that of one of the Nakama…one of the presumably most powerful Nakama…While neither of them had ever actually seen Karin fight, they'd heard the rumors of her power, and coupled with Hitsugaya Toushirou's own, they suddenly weren't sure if even three dozen of average shinigami, a third seat and two lieutenants were gonna cut it.

The battle began at a silent signal.

Toushirou and Karin were easily able to push the three highest ranking shinigami quite a few feet away from them, leaving them to deal with the average ones. They did so easily. With their zanpakutou still sealed, weaving in and out of each other's path, mostly keeping their backs against each other, in a handful of minutes three dozens of shinigami were down and they remained without a scratch.

At the sides, Hisagi, Kira and Skye could only watch agape, they had never seen anything like that before. The synchronization, the harmony in both fighters' moves had been such they could only marvel at the whole thing.

However, once they were all down, they knew it was time to do something.

Kotori was the first to react, she threw herself at Karin, intending to at least push her away from Hitsugaya Toushirou long enough for Kira and Hisagi to take him prisoner. However, she wasn't expecting that this time it would be Toushirou to get in her way, a push of his reiatsu was enough to partially freeze her zanpakutou, and give frostbite to her hands.

"How did you do that?!" Kotori demanded as she jumped back. "Your zanpakutou isn't even in its shikai state!"

Toushirou just shrugged. If he was honest, freezing things with just his reiatsu had been second nature to him for a very long time, particularly when his feelings got the better of him. He'd stopped doing it after training in the Shino Academy, once he'd gained the control he needed, and recently he'd learnt that he could actually do it at will…

"Toushirou, beware!" Karin yelled even as she began moving.

Almost too late she'd realized that Hisagi was getting ready to use a Bakudou, she wordlessly called on her shikai, at the same time as the 9 th  Division Fukutaichou threw a rod of energy at Toushirou; same which, midair, transformed into a hundred separate rods. The raven-haired jumped before Toushirou and began spinning her naginata as well as her own body at speeds that almost surpassed shunpo, without even needing to name her attack, all the rods her naginata touched burned down instantly.

Only a few seconds had passed, but when the spike at the end of the pole-side of the naginata touched the ground, just a few of the rods Hisagi had created remain, and none of them presented any risk to either Toushirou or Karin.

Yet again everyone present was shocked at the display of speed, power and talent. Hisagi and Kira in particular were quite sure that their mission was simply impossible, but they couldn't just give up, they had their orders…

"Karin…" Toushirou whispered as he changed his stance slightly.

The raven-haired didn't need him to say anything else, she knew him well enough; despite all the years that had passed, fighting alongside him still was to her as natural as breathing. In a fraction of a second she dismissed her zanpakutou and shunpoed to stand at his back.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!"

The fight was over.

Toushirou had actually held himself back. He didn't want to kill anyone, or to affect the Living World in any way, only to make sure he and Karin would be able to leave that place without being followed.

It wasn't until around noon the following day that Karin and Toushirou realized no one was following, or even trying to track them anymore. In fact, they couldn't even sense any shinigami reiatsu in all of Karakura, aside from Karin's family, the member's of the Urahara-Shouten and the very corrupted reiatsu of the very individual they themselves were tracking down: Kusaka…When asked what she thought about the whole thing, Karin had a one word answer: Ichigo, she just knew her brother had something to do with the whole change in situation, even if she had no idea of how exactly the situation had changed.

Shortly after that realization, the two finally managed to track down Kusaka's reiatsu, to the limits of the warehouse district, in the outskirts of Karakura; they followed the trace to an abandoned, huge warehouse.

Toushirou and Karin walked slowly, all their senses on alert, it was obvious that Kusaka must have spent some time on the warehouse, his reiatsu could be felt in every corner, making it harder to pinpoint his precise location in that moment. Until suddenly Toushirou sensed the spike and turned to his left.

"You finally found me." A thick voice called. "I've been waiting for you."

A masked figure stepped out of the shadows, the same Toushirou had described to Karin when telling her about the attack to the Royal Convoy. And even before he took off his mask and they could see his face, Karin and Toushirou both knew who was standing before them, they could sense the reiatsu, it was a corrupted, darker version of the reiatsu they both remembered, even so many years later; it was still his, Kusaka's…and yet, that didn't explain how he was there, after dying so many years before…

"Kusaka…" Toushirou and Karin muttered at the same time.

"And you haven't come alone." Kusaka commented, finally noticing Karin. "Hitsugaya and Nagaken…guess I shouldn't be surprised." He shook his head. "Like I was saying, I've been waiting for you. That's why used Hyourinmaru to leave a wound on your body. You can't figure out how I'm still alive?"

Karin shrugged, like she'd said before, the hows weren't actually important, even knowing them wouldn't change their situation any.

"As indifferent as always, Nagaken-hime." Kusaka commented, noticing Karin's attitude. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised, you are a noble princess, after all."

Karin didn't react to the veiled insult, or the reminder of her old nickname, she wasn't about to allow Kusaka to distract her.

"It doesn't really matter, does it, Hitsugaya?" Kusaka asked with a shrug of his own. "Don't you think we've been on this detour long enough?"

"Detour?" Toushirou asked, not quite understanding.

"You should know very well what the Gotei 13 is like." Kusaka commented, before turning to Karin and adding. "Both of you should. So why do you stay with them?" his eyes bore into Karin's, even as he talked to Toushirou again. "Is it for her?"

"I make my own choices, as does Toushirou-kun." Karin deadpanned, then her eyes softened as she added. "Why are you doing this, Kusaka-kun?"

"This?" Kusaka asked, a brow raised.

"Attacking the Royal entourage, hurting Toushirou-kun, sending those arrancars after my family and friends, luring the two of us here…" Karin elaborated.

"Actually, I was just trying to lure Hitsugaya." Kusaka admitted. "I would have thought that a noble princess like you would have long ago gotten bored playing hero, or maybe scared…"

"I never got bored, or scared." Karin practically hissed.

"And yet you aren't exactly wearing the traditional shihakusho, are you?" Kusaka pointed out, he'd been intrigued by that fact since noticing her presence.

"I died, twenty five years ago." Karin pointed out calmly. "Reincarnated as a human ten-years later. Yet I only regained my memories and met again with Toushirou-kun this summer. Technically I'm not even part of the Gotei 13 anymore."

"I see…" Kusaka murmured thoughtfully. "Still, it's not like your presence here actually changes anything. Except…I'm curious, is he the reason you pushed me away?"

Karin's gray eyes turned to steel at that question, even as Toushirou began looking from one to the other, with no idea of what was going on.

"I always thought that maybe I wasn't good enough, since I wasn't noble and all that." Kusaka commented coldly. "And yet, after all these years, you've remained by Hitsugaya's side, and he isn't noble either. With the two of you, it's gotten to the point when even after dying and reincarnating, you're here now. So maybe I was wrong, maybe it has nothing to do with the blood, you just preferred him instead of me."

"It never was about one or the other, Kusaka-kun." Karin said, her voice changing to a more subdued tone. "It wasn't about being a noble either. I just…I couldn't love you the way you professed to love me."

Toushirou's eyes widened, he couldn't believe what he was hearing; Kusaka was, or at least had been, in love with Karin! Yet Karin hadn't loved him…and somehow Kusaka believed that meant she loved Toushirou?!

"Anyway," Kusaka dismissed the topic with a shrug, like he didn't actually care about it. "I guess that's neither here nor now. You've come here today, to me, for a very different reason, have you not?"

"Where is the Ouin?" Toushirou asked, as willing to change the topic as Kusaka.

"Right here, of course." Kusaka replied, his hand fisted around the golden-glowing object. "This is going to make my dreams come true."

"Dreams?" Toushirou asked, wondering what that had to do with anything.

Karin, meanwhile, tensed, unknown to anyone and everyone, she actually did know what most of the Royal Artifacts did; it came with the package of being a Celestial and, unlike her partner, actually being fully conscious of the fact. So, she knew about the Royal Artifacts, including the Ouin, and if Kusaka knew as well…

"What is the power of the Ouin?" Toushirou demanded, not noticing Karin's tension. "How do you know about it?"

"No need to rush." Kusaka answered with a smirk. "You'll know soon enough." He turned to Karin. "Though something tells me young Nagaken-hime already knows…Now, let's go."

Toushirou had just turned to Karin, hoping for some kind of explanation, but before any could be given, the golden light coming from the Ouin enveloped all three of them, and just like that, they were gone.

And so, amidst what looked like golden lighting, the three once-friends appeared at the top of the empty Soukyoku Hill, right in the middle of Seireitei.

Beside Karin, Toushirou couldn't help but look around, totally speechless, and quite disbelieving of his own surroundings, even when Kusaka confirmed they were where he thought they were. Karin, for her part, was better ready for the sudden change of location; she took notice of the new place in an instant and got her bearings almost immediately; soon enough she was focused on the quickly approaching reiatsu, high ranking shinigami from all over Seireitei were approaching their location, fast.

"This is the power of the Ouin." Kusaka was explaining to Toushirou meanwhile. "The King's Seal is able to move space, time and matter into another dimension at the user's will. In short, this power makes teleportation trivial. I can transfer an enemy's attack into another dimension before it hits. If I'm injured, I can return my body to any time before it was hurt." He turned to Karin. "Isn't that true, Nagaken-hime?"

Karin took notice of what Kusaka had just said in a corner of her mind, while she had known what the Ouin could do, the particular use her once-friend had given it was more on the unorthodox side, it made her wonder what else could be done with it, or with any of the other Royal Artifacts. Still, most of her attention, remained on the situation all three of them were in in that moment, the rather…delicate situation.

"You forgot that, regardless of how powerful it may be, you cannot use it to break into the Royal Realm." Karin answered nonchalantly. "Not even the Ouin can break the barrier to that dimension, only one object can do that."

"True…however, I've never cared about the Royal Dimension or the Spirit King." Kusaka said with the same nonchalance.

Karin sighed mentally, thanking the spirits that, if anything, Kusaka hadn't somehow turned out to be another Aizen-like psycho. Though she still didn't understand what his purpose might be for all he'd been doing the last few days.

"Kusaka, that means you…" Toushirou gasped.

Karin turned to him immediately in wonder and confusion, it was obvious Toushirou had realized something she hadn't.

"Indeed." Kusaka nodded, apparently on the same wavelength as Toushirou. "I was transferred to Hueco Mundo and reincarnated there. And I've searched for the power of the Ouin since…in order to take revenge against Seireitei!"

As she heard that, Karin began to reconsider her opinion of Kusaka not being as bad as Aizen, as she materialized her zanpakutou and went into shikai without a word; it only got worse with what she heard next:

"Toushirou!" Kusaka called, an almost-maniac gleam in his eyes. "Cut it! Your bankai should be able to cut the seal!"

"Cut…the Ouin?" Toushirou asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes, and when you do, everything will evaporate!" Kusaka declared, smirking followed by a mad cackle.

"Cut the Ouin…" Karin repeated. "Are you absolutely insane?!"

No answer was given, Kusaka just continued laughing, even as Ikkaku, Yumichika, Hisagi and Kotori arrived on Soukyoku Hill. The last two immediately getting on their guard, they still remembered quite clearly the battle against Toushirou and Karin the previous night, and had the feeling that, without the worry for the humans hanging over them, things could be much worse in that moment.

Immediately the two members of Squad 11 began commenting on their luck, getting there first, even as Hisagi asked Hitsugaya why he was acting as he was. Karin just rolled her eyes, the lack of faith Hisagi, and most of the shinigami, had on Toushirou was truly insane! Shouldn't they know him better than that?!

"Going by the emergency alert and our orders, we have to take in Hitsugaya Toushirou and the Ouin's thief." Kotori stated formally.

"What?" Karin smirked at the third-seat. "Wanna give it another try?"

The shinigami actually gave a step back at that, which called everyone's attention, the two officers of the eleventh could only wonder what exactly had happened in the Living World to make the usually so impassive Kotori step back.

Ikkaku and Yumichika moved to attack, only to be blocked and pushed back by Toushirou and Karin almost instantly.

"Guess you are being serious…" Ikkaku commented as he took a battle stance.

He, like so many, didn't really understand what was going on.

"Stay out of the way." Hitsugaya told them all coldly.

Battle began yet again, but Karin and Toushirou focused only on keeping their attackers at bay, away from them and Kusaka, who just watched them in silence.

Things only got worse when several dozens more of shinigami arrived, along with half of the captains and lieutenants; Sui-Feng immediately taking charge.

"Surrender Hitsugaya, Nagaken." She ordered stoically. "And the man behind you."

Karin and Toushirou stepped back from the shinigami they were fighting in that moment, but didn't lower their zanpakutou.

Behind them, Kusaka laughed again.

"Who are you?!" Komamura demanded strongly.

"Hitsugaya, what are you doing?" Kusaka asked. "Let those fools experience our hate! Our suffering!" he turned to Karin. "Will you join us as well, Nagaken-hime?"

Karin rolled her eyes, deciding it was useless to even dignify that with an answer, particularly since she was busy keeping an eye on all the shinigami that might attack her or Toushirou any second; she knew she wasn't fast enough to defend from all of them at the same time… besides, she thought Kusaka was being overly dramatic.

"This is our revenge!" Kusaka cried out almost maniacally as he raised the Ouin above his head. "Cut it! Hitsugaya Toushirou!"

"Capture him!" Sui-Feng ordered instantly.

"This is none of your business." Karin hissed as she jumped high and swung her naginata in an arch. "Don't meddle! Enmouchou!"

That time, the bird made of fire was big enough to actually block most of the shinigami rushing at her and the others, forcing them to stop, and the moment the fire touched the ground, it left scorch marks that made everyone doubt if they should risk moving again.

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

Ichigo's huge attack the second he arrived created a fissure on the earth, and seemed to drive Karin's message home: stay back.

"Need a hand?" Ichigo asked Karin, taking a quick look at her over his shoulder as he kept most of his attention on the other shinigami.

Karin rolled her eyes, she really should have known her family would meddle eventually.

"Just don't interfere." She said, signaling to Toushirou and Kusaka behind her.

"I trust you." He responded as he nodded once.

Even if neither he, Rukia or Yuzu knew exactly what was going on, they trusted Karin, and if she believed things should be done a certain way, they would help her.

In that very moment the shinigami were about to make another move to attack, and Ichigo decided he'd had it, enough was enough. Rukia could see he was about to snap and could only sigh, she really should have seen it coming…

"Stop!" Ichigo yelled at the top of his lungs. "Is fighting the only thing that you people can do?! You guys don't want to hurt Toushirou, do you? I don't think you want to hurt Karin either. Don't try to kill him just because someone ordered it!"

His words, his stance, Ichigo was talking so strongly, so passionately, that the shinigami around reacted almost automatically, lowering their zanpakutou and turning to look at each other with doubt and wonder.

"Shut your mouth Kurosaki!" Sui-Feng snarled. "Regardless of how things may be in the living world, you have no authority here. The Squads have a duty! Following the orders of superior officers is a model we must follow no matter what the cost."

It was obvious to Ichigo, Rukia, and everyone else who knew what had happened, that she had taken offense of the order that had been issued for all shinigami to leave Karakura and not to go back without the Nakama's authorization.

"And I'm telling you, you don't get it!" Ichigo insisted.

"No more talk!" Sui-Feng snapped. "If you, or any of your so-called Nakama, show any further aggression, I'll have you killed too!"

It was so instantaneous, one would say the reaction was practically instinctive, as Rukia unsheathed her own zanpakutou and wordlessly went on shikai; she and Ichigo stood side by side, on their guard, ready to fight. Behind them, Karin too adopted a more formal fighting pose and even Yuzu raised her hands and got ready to begin a kidou. The auras of the four flaring in unison, showing their readiness for battle.

For a moment no one knew what to say, even though the members of the Gotei were so many, and those opposing them so few…there was something almost intimidating about the way they stood, about the auras that enveloped them…and then…

"Halt!" The sudden, powerful, authoritative voice, stopped everything in an instant.

Chapter Text

Chapter 24. Unbreakable Friendship

In Karakura, Chad and Uryuu used their long distance attacks to bring down as many hollows as possible, with Tatsuki and Keeva doing the same using their own hands-on approach. The last one having arrived shortly after Ichigo and Rukia's departure and wordlessly joining the fray; she was proving to be stronger than Tatsuki when she still fought in her body, even if Keeva couldn't use her limbs like blades, she was still fast and strong enough to take average hollows down in a single strike.

Orihime for her part was hurriedly talking to her Rikka, preparing something she hoped would give them an advantage. They all knew the battle wouldn't end until they destroyed the two arrancars, since they were the ones continuously opening gargantas to allow hollows into Karakura; also, if the battle went on for much longer, who knew what kind of effect all that reiatsu would cause on Karakura… The town was already the Juureichi, could that situation be worsened somehow? They had no idea, but weren't about to find out either.

"Very well, we're ready." Orihime declared once all arrangements had been made with her Rikka. "Time to show everyone how much we've grown."

"Orihime beware!" Tatsuki yelled.

The orange-red haired girl turned in time to see a huge fireball one of the arrancars had thrown her way, it was the same attack that had given Chad serious burns until she'd rejected them.

"Get out of the way Orihime!" Uryuu yelled, half-panicked.

The Quincy tried to get rid of all the hollows surrounding him to go and help Orihime, but there were just too many, and while he could fire up to 1200 arrows per second, he couldn't fire them all around him at the same time.

"I will be alright guys." Orihime assured them as she focused. "Here we go. Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily, Tsubaki! Shiten Koushun! I reject!"

The huge fireball hit Orihime's shield, but instead of blowing up, or breaking through the shield, it seemed to be absorbed by it. At first, the Nakama didn't quite understand what made that Shiten Koushun any different from Orihime's usual Santen Kesshun, until they noticed the fourth Rikka in the center of the shield; it was what had absorbed the power of the fireball. It shone with that power, before abruptly firing it back, straight at its creator.

The red-haired arrancar seemed so absolutely shocked by the twist she didn't get out of the way in time and the attack hit her fully. It wasn't enough to kill her, obviously but it certainly gave the others the opening they needed to do it.

It was only a matter of seconds before Chad and Tatsuki managed to come at that arrancar at the same time, destroying her, while Uryuu did the same with the blue-haired one.

"That was awesome Orihime!" Keeva said with delight.

"It's my newest technique." Orihime announced. "I actually haven't fully perfected it yet."

"I didn't know you could do that." Uryuu admitted. "It was an amazing attack."

"I've been talking to my Rikka." Orihime explained. "I want to be useful in the war, but if I get so totally drained every time I use a Nibankyuu attack in the World of the Living, like what happened with that shield at the school…I just might end up being a nuisance…and then they told me about this, 'double techniques', what I get mixing what usually would be two different shields. This is the first time I've used one of these…"

"First of all, you're not a nuisance Orihime." Tatsuki stated strongly. "You could never be. That detail aside, I'm very proud of you!"

"I'm with Tatsuki on this one." Keeva pointed out. "I may not have been with all of you for long, but your powers are simply amazing!"

"Still." Uryuu commented. "It is good that you've discovered other techniques with your Shun Shun Rikka. It's good, not for us, not for what you could do in battle, but because it makes you happy. That's all we want Orihime."

Orihime nodded, a bright smile on her face. She'd found new power in her, new techniques, new ways to be useful…yes, that definitely made her happy.

xXx

Matsumoto shunpoed as fast as she could through Seireitei, in the direction of Soukyoku Hill. It had been nerve-wracking, to wait inside the locked barracks of her division for something to happen. In particular after she'd noticed his reiatsu returning to Seireitei; she'd never been very powerful, or a pro at reiatsu-sensing, but there was no way she could not notice his: her captain's, her son's!

That was maybe what had made things all the worst since the whole mess with the Ouin, the mysterious attacker and Toushirou's disappearance had begun: the fact that her son was in the middle of everything, and there was nothing she could do, not as his subordinate, and certainly not as his mother. When she'd realized how far Yamamoto was willing to take things she'd offered herself to be the one who paid for the crimes, even if it had meant her death she wouldn't have cared, she would have willingly given her life for her child's; only to be told that she wasn't good enough to be held accountable.

The worst part, worse even than not being able to help physically, was that she didn't even know anything that could help. Toushirou was her son, yet she didn't know anything about who his friends at the Academy might have been, other than Karin, what may have happened to him, or who Kusaka might be. She knew nothing at all.

Renji couldn't have known the kind of pain it caused her, when she opened the package Ichigo and Rukia had sent her, only to find Toushirou's haori inside. What did that mean? Was he giving up his position? Was he turning traitor? Rangiku absolutely refused to believe that last part. Her captain, her son was not a traitor! Though he had certainly inherited Gin's penchant for going on his own to settle things he considered personal, leaving her to worry sick over them. Those two really needed to learn to let her in!

She could have chuckled, if just to herself, once she caught up with her thoughts, knowing that just a few months before Toushirou would have furiously refused to have any likeness to Ichimaru Gin, father or not. Still, she believed that after knowing the truth about him, after everything Karin had told them…things had changed. And yet…before she could even begin to smile, the strawberry blonde's lieutenant's eyes caught sight of a dark-red stain right in the middle of the haori: dried blood.

"He's hurt…" She gasped, beginning to panic right away.

"It's alright." Renji told her soothingly. "The Nakama found him right away, and Yuzu treated his wound with no problem."

"It seems I now owe Yuzu-chan my…captain's life twice over." Rangiku whispered, more to herself than to the others.

"Ichigo said Hitsugaya-taichou slept at his house that night." Renji informed her. "The twins looked after him. However, he was gone the next morning, before anyone else woke…except Karin-san, she's gone with him."

"Karin…" Rangiku couldn't help it, she smiled then. "Then he's safe."

She would trust that girl with her life, and even with the life of her son, she knew that even though she hadn't said it out-loud, she truly loved Toushirou.

"Wait." Something suddenly occurred to the ice-blue-eyed lieutenant. "You said the Nakama helped him. Won't they get in trouble for that?"

Renji shrugged. Thus far no one but him, and Rangiku, knew what the Nakama had done to help Toushirou, or that one of them had gone with the missing captain to wherever it was he was going. Renji was sure it wouldn't be pretty when the truth was discovered, and yet, he actually feared more Ichigo's response if anyone tried anything against his sister, than whatever the Gotei may come up with.

Rangiku had spent many hours pacing, so many she eventually stopped counting them. When night came, she laid down in her futon, but her sleep was uneasy and restless. Only made worse when she heard yells from beyond the walls of her barracks, something had happened, something serious, and she had no idea what it was.

The whole situation, ever since Toushirou had left amidst the chaos of the attack on the Royal Convoy, was proving to be trying on Rangiku's nerves. It was worse than when Gin would disappear every so often, even when he became a traitor and followed Aizen to Hueco Mundo, because even though she loved Gin with all her heart, she'd long ago learnt to survive without him; Toushirou on the other hand…he was a part of her…her son…

It was a couple of hours since the loud racquet she'd heard beyond the walls of her division when, unexpectedly, she saw a shadow creeping into the barracks unnoticed. She was about to call the attention of one of the Onmitsukidou keeping guard over the place when she suddenly saw the moonlight reflected on bright red hair.

"Renji!" She barely managed to hold back her yell.

For all answer, the lieutenant of the sixth division slipped inside her room, closing the shouji doors behind him, and making sure the windows were blocked.

"Renji, what are you doing here?" Rangiku asked in a low voice. "You aren't supposed to come in here. We're in lockdown. You could get in trouble."

"I thought you might like an update of what's happened." Renji said calmly.

"Does anyone know you're here?" Rangiku asked softly, while she was dying to know what had happened, she was still worried about her friend.

"You, obviously, and possibly my captain." Renji answered thoughtfully.

"Possibly?" Rangiku was confused by that.

"Well, he made sure I knew everything that happened a few hours ago, though it wasn't really necessary." Renji elaborated. "It's not like we're the ones in charge or anything. Or like I'm important enough to 'need' to know what's going on. Then he said that if I still had 'that errand' to run I better be quick about it, and make sure no Onmitsukidou saw me, they're all running on such a short fuse they might think I'm up to something…"

"Your…Kuchiki-taichou said that?!" Rangiku couldn't believe it.

At first she was going to ask what errand Renji had to run, until suddenly she realized 'she' was the errand, or at least, letting her know the situation.

"I really, really hope you won't get in trouble." Rangiku said in a low voice.

"If I do my captain will just bail me out…I think." Renji chose not to ponder on that for too long. "In any case, Sui-Feng-taichou is far too focused on other things to worry about crazy shinigami slipping past her guards to see you."

"What exactly is going on Renji?" Rangiku finally answered the most important question.

"A lot is going on, Rangiku-san." Renji answered, turning very serious. "You have no idea the kind of mess that's taking place outside these barracks."

"Tell me." Rangiku instructed solemnly.

Renji did a double-take, he'd never seen Rangiku so serious; he'd always known her as the almost-perpetually-drunk, happy-go-lucky, lazy, sexy and quasi-exhibitionist lieutenant of the 10 th  division. More than once he'd even wondered how Toushirou, and whoever had been captain before him (he couldn't remember) put up with her. In that moment, seeing her so serious, so worried, he began to understand…

"Kyouraku-taichou is at the 4th, he was just attacked, badly…by Hyourinmaru." Renji dropped the first bomb hesitantly, not sure how Rangiku would take it.

"Hyou…" Rangiku shook her head. "That's impossible, Toushirou would never attack Kyouraku-taichou, or anyone else from the Gotei for that matter!"

"Yeah, well…" Renji shrugged, he had noticed her calling her captain by his given name, but filed that away for later study. "That's not all. Nanao-fukutaichou said her captain had gone out to get some air, right after they found out something about that name Ichigo mentioned to us. Kusaka is, or rather was, Kusaka Soujirou. Going by the registries, he was a classmate of Hitsugaya-taichou's, though he doesn't appear in the final list of graduates, and in another registry he's enlisted as deceased, though it doesn't say how he died exactly."

"Kusaka Soujirou…" Rangiku repeated softly.

The lieutenant tried, and failed, in remembering who that might have been. She hadn't actually been in contact with Toushirou during his brief time at the Academy, just helping to guide him there and then going to pick him up after her captain of that time informed her he was the new recruit. She really had no idea who Kusaka might be…though, if it had been a classmate, that meant Karin most likely did know, and it explained why she'd gone with Toushirou…

"That's not all." Renji informed her seriously.

"What else?" Rangiku asked, worrying even more.

"Hisagi, Kira and Skye-san just returned." Renji explained. "They had been sent, along with a dozen shinigami from each of their divisions, to track down Hitsugaya-taichou and arrest him. They found him in a rundown temple, just beyond the limits of Karakura. They tried to take him in, and he resisted. I don't actually know the details of what happened, only that they weren't expecting him to fight back, or for Karin-san to be there. They were all defeated, most of them before either Hitsugaya-taichou or Karin-san called on their shikai; then the two were gone in the confusion."

"Anyone was hurt?" Rangiku asked, though still smiling in satisfaction at the escape her son and Karin had managed, it made her feel proud.

"Nothing serious." Renji answered. "Anyway, the worse came when Ichigo found them, shortly afterwards."

"Ichigo found Toushirou and Karin?" Rangiku asked, confused.

"No, he found Kira, Hisagi and Skye-san." Renji answered. "I have no idea what he said exactly, but the bottom line is this: all shinigami except Rukia and the Kurosakis have been recalled to Soul Society, and no one is to intrude on Karakura or its vicinity, all of which is considered Nakama territory, again without their permission."

Rangiku was wide eyed in surprise. She really wanted to know what had happened there.

"I have no idea what Ichigo did, or said." Renji added. "I wasn't there when things were recounted, but one thing I know for sure: it had to be serious, and big, for Yamamoto-soutaichou to have given that order…"

It most definitely had, and Rangiku knew it as well. She was about to ask what else was knew, when suddenly she realized something:

"You said Hisagi, Kira and Skye just returned, right?" Rangiku inquired.

Renji nodded.

"And the attack on Kyouraku-san couldn't have been that long ago, not more than two hours in any case, I heard the commotion it caused." Rangiku went on.

Renji nodded again, not understanding just yet where Rangiku was heading.

"If Hisagi, Kira and Skye came back after talking to Ichigo, and that was after fighting Toushirou and Karin, that means their fight happened at least an hour ago, probably more." Rangiku went on, pondering on things.

Suddenly, Renji realized where she was going, and his eyes widened.

"How could Toushirou be here, in Soul Society, attack Kyouraku-taichou, and then, less than an hour later, be in Karakura to fight Hisagi, Kira, Skye-san and their subordinates?" Rangiku inquired. "It just doesn't add up. No matter how much power one has, you just cannot make a trip between worlds that fast. Besides, if Toushirou had been in Seireitei, wouldn't someone have detected his presence?"

She didn't know if the Onmitsukidou could have, Toushirou was a genius after all; and in any case, they hadn't detected the one who had in fact attacked Kyouraku…who she was beginning to suspect might be that Kusaka Soujirou…who somehow was wielding a second Hyourinmaru? It was too confusing. In any case, Rangiku knew for a fact that she would have known if her son had been in Seireitei, she would have known…

"Anyway, that's all for now." Renji informed her, getting up. "I'll try to keep you informed if I can. If not, trust that Hitsugaya-taichou will solve this. Regardless of what others may think, I don't believe he's a traitor. If he's doing things this way, it's because he believes it's for the best. Maybe because of the involvement of this Kusaka…even if I have no idea how that can even be possible…"

"I know." Rangiku nodded confidently, she knew her son was not a traitor, he could never be.

"And he has Karin-san." Renji added. "And I'm sure the rest of the Nakama will help him too if it becomes necessary."

Rangiku nodded again, she knew that was true, and while it helped her feel better, it didn't stop her from worrying, nothing could, Toushirou was her son, worrying about him was one of the many unofficial duties a mother always had…

By the time she pulled herself out of her pondering, Renji was gone.

The ice-blue-eyed and strawberry-blonde lieutenant hadn't gotten a single straight hour of sleep that night. Even after Renji had told her everything he knew, and she knew her son was safe, at least for the time being, she couldn't stop worrying; she wouldn't, not until she could see Toushirou again, see him and know for a fact he was alright.

Which was why, the moment she was allowed out of her division, she was on the move, shunpoing as fast as she could, faster than anyone had ever seen her move before.

She was on her room, sitting stoically on her toes, trying to convince herself that her Toushirou was alright, when suddenly she gasped, she could sense the weight of a huge reiatsu weighing on her, so big that for a handful of seconds she couldn't breathe. Then it was gone, and even as she took huge gulps of air, it hit her, the reiatsu left behind where the one to leave her gasping had first come from:

"Toushirou!" she half-screamed.

A second later, her subordinates were screaming outside. In an instant she was on her feet and rushed out of her room, to the veranda that went all around the main building of the barracks. At least a dozen of her subordinates were there, watching in the distance, Soukyoku Hill, and the strange yellow-golden lighting that seemed to be originating from there; it took Rangiku a couple of seconds to realize that her son's reiatsu was also coming from there.

"Matsumoto-fukutaichou!" Several of her subordinates called.

"What is happening on Soukyoku Hill now?" Several others asked.

Omaeda was yelling something to all of them, something about how they couldn't leave…no one was paying any attention, all totally focused on Soukyoku Hill.

"Rangiku-san!" Renji's voice somehow managed to call her attention, he was standing on top of the 10th barracks walls, having foregone the gate.

"Abarai, like I told you yesterday, you have no authorization to be here." Omaeda said to the redhead in a scathing tone.

"Actually, I do." Renji replied with obvious satisfaction. "I've been sent to get Matsumoto-fukutaichou, on orders from Yamamoto-soutaichou. She's to come with me."

That made everyone in the 10 th  Division very nervous, was Rangiku going to be punished for what was going on? Was the division going to be disbanded?

"Kyouraku-taichou has awakened." Renji said, locking eyes with Rangiku. "We now have all the pieces of the puzzle."

Rangiku's smile was soft, dazzling, more so than any of her usual, seductive or childish smiles could have been; and those who noticed it couldn't help but marvel. It was as if they were seeing her for the first time, as they realized there was more to her than the flirty half-ditzy extremely-well-endowed woman.

"T…Hitsugaya-taichou is at Soukyoku Hill." Rangiku barely managed to remember to address her captain correctly.

Quickly, and totally ignoring Omaeda and his own subordinates, Rangiku shunpoed to Renji's side, ignoring the gate as well.

"I know." Renji told her. "That's where we're going. It's time to put an end to this madness." Then he added in a tone so low only Rangiku heard. "Before Karin-san displays the same kind of temper Ichigo is already becoming famous for and vaporizes something…or someone."

Rangiku couldn't help it, she chuckled.

In that very instant, they both sensed Toushirou's reiatsu spiking. And then other reiatsu doing the same. A battle had begun.

Rangiku didn't need anything else to be said, she was off, shunpoing as fast as she could in the direction of Soukyoku Hill.

Her move was so sudden it took Renji a few minutes and some effort to catch up with her, and even as he did he could only look at her amazed. The way Rangiku was pushing herself, the look of concentration in her eyes, he'd never seen her like that before, it was almost…if Renji didn't know better he would think she was hurrying after someone she loved rather than just her commanding officer…right…

Rangiku didn't stop until she reached the foot of Soukyoku Hill, where a few people seemed to be waiting for them, it took her a few seconds to realize just who they were:

"Yamamoto-soutaichou." She barely managed to remember to bow in respect, as wound up as she was with everything going on. "Ise-fukutaichou, Kyouraku-taichou, it's good to see you in the path to recovery though, shouldn't you be resting still."

"He just refuses to follow instructions." Nanao said in a mix of anger and worry. "Even when they're for his own good.

"Oh, Nanao-chan! I promise I'll be alright!" Kyouraku said dramatically. "You need not worry about me anymore! All I nned to recover is your love…"

"Taichou!" Nanao cried out in evident consternation as her face flushed red.

Kyouraku couldn't help it, he chuckled slightly.

Renji tried his best to keep his own amusement at bay, even after such a bad wound, Kyouraku kept acting exactly the same way, it seemed that nothing at all could cure him of his attitude. How Nanao survived with him, he had no idea.

"It's good to see you too, Rangiku-san." Kyouraku added with a tired smile. "Now I think we should get on our way. Before an innocent man is punished for a crime he never committed, or our young guardian-friend burns something in an attempt to protect him…" he shook his head. "And I'm sure you must be eager to set the record straight in regards to your…" his voice broke slightly as he coughed. "Captain, right, Rangiku-san?"

For a moment Rangiku could only blink, wondering if the pause in that very point had been accidental or intentional. In the end, she decided it didn't matter, in that moment only one thing mattered: finding her son, and letting everyone know he was innocent.

Beside Kyouraku Yamamoto simply nodded, leading the way up Soukyoku Hill. Renji and Nanao both helping Kyouraku while Rangiku closed the march.

xXx

The tension at the top of Soukyoku Hill was about to reach a breaking point. Ichigo was already synced with Zangetsu and ready to call on Bankai the moment anyone moved; Karin too was on the edge of bankai; Rukia held her zanpakutou in one hand, the other hand ready to begin firing kidou; while Yuzu already had her first kidou on her lips. They knew it was insane, particularly with how many potential opponents stood on the other side of the crack created by Ichigo and Karin, but they just weren't about to let their nakama down…

Then, right when it seemed like everything, and everyone would snap, a strong, authoritative voice gave an order that seemed to almost freeze time.

"Halt!"

In an instant shinigami stepped aside to open a path for the newcomers, all but the captains and lieutenants dropping to their knees in respect.

Rukia very nearly did the same, but Ichigo's hand on her arm stopped her, subtly reminding her of the authority she held as a Nakama.

The joy in several of those present, at seeing Kyouraku Shunsui up and about was obvious, particularly Ukitake Juushirou's, being his best friend.

There was also some confusion in regards to Rangiku's presence, but no one dared say anything, guessing that if she was walking with the Captain-Commander, then something must have drastically changed.

"So you are alive, Kusaka Soujirou." Yamamoto said, more a declaration than a question.

"I thought you were killed, right?" Kusaka half-quoted what he imagined the old captain would be saying next.

"And apparently someone else knew about those forbidden events." Yamamoto added, turning to look at Karin.

The raven-haired Nakama just shrugged, uncaring of Yamamoto's hard stare; she wasn't about to apologize for being there when Toushirou needed her, not even for finding out about things supposed to be secret in order to help. And it's not like they could punish her for it, either, technically speaking, that 'crime' hadn't been committed by her, but by someone who'd died twenty five years before; and even if they could accuse her of it, her nobility would protect her from most punishments. While most of the time she hated being a noble princess, every once in a while it turned out to be quite convenient…

As Karin reflected on that Yamamoto explained his theory on what had happened with Kusaka, reincarnating and growing up in Hueco Mundo…most of which Karin and Toushirou had worked out already, though at least Karin still didn't care much about it.

"Yes, I came back." Kusaka said with a calculative expression. "Thanks to the Ouin I got my life back. And now I will wield the Ouin to become the King of Soul Society!"

Karin couldn't help but roll her eyes deciding it was official, Kusaka had snapped.

"The King of Soul Society, you say?" Yamamoto inquired, though he didn't really wait for an answer. "How arrogant."

"You're the arrogant ones." Kusaka retorted hotly as he raised the glowing Ouin high up. "Learn your place!"

"Karin, now!" Toushirou yelled unexpectedly.

To everyone's shock, Karin's zanpakutou vanished at the same time she spun around and went into shunpo, one second she was upon Kusaka, and by the next she was back to her original position, though this time facing the opposite direction, the Ouin secure in her hands.

There was a loud metallic clash, and everyone turned back to Kusaka, where they realized that the moment Karin had shunpoed away with the Royal Artifact, Toushirou had leapt against Kusaka himself.

Suddenly no one understood what was happening at all.

"T…Taichou!" Rangiku cried out, rushing to the fighting duo.

"Stay back M…Matsumoto!" Toushirou yelled at the same time he broke the deadlock with Kusaka and prepared for another clash. "This is my fight."

"It's alright, Rangiku-san." Karin said softly from her place, a few feet away from her. "Toushirou-kun knows what he's doing."

"And that makes one among us all." Ichigo quipped.

It took a second, but then Rukia kicked him on the shin; she was finally beginning to relax, realizing she wouldn't have to fight the Gotei after all. Ichigo ignored the stab of pain and just chuckled, it was good to see things were getting underway, even if, like he'd said, none of them except Toushirou and probably Karin had the slightest idea of what was really going on, what had been happening since the beginning of the mess.

"What's the meaning of this, Hitsugaya?" Kusaka demanded.

"I never had any intention of joining you." Toushirou answered impassively. "Neither did Karin, for that matter."

Kusaka looked at him and then at Karin blankly, as if trying to understand something that was just beyond his comprehension.

"Didn't he betray the Gotei 13?" Kurotsuchi asked, puzzled.

"Idiots." Karin hissed, quiet audibly to everyone in the hill.

"Then why did you attack us?" Sui-Feng directed her question to both of them.

"Like I told my brother, this was our business." Karin answered simply.

"Are you going to strike me down?" Kusaka asked Toushirou directly. "Kill me again?"

"Stop that stupidity!" Karin snapped, this time at Kusaka. "Toushirou-kun wasn't the one who killed you, neither was it his fault that you were killed."

"I'm just trying to atone for my crimes." Toushirou said at the same time.

In an instant, any anger that might have been in Karin left her, and her expression instead reflected a deep sadness. She realized in that moment that Toushirou hadn't gotten over it yet, she just hoped what they were doing, what he was doing, would help him move on, otherwise he would suffer forever.

"And what's your crime?!" Kusaka cried out in turn. "Do you think that you can atone by killing me?!" he turned to Karin. "You've taken the Ouin from my hand, destroyed my plan, and now you'll have him kill me?!"

Karin didn't answer, just turned her eyes away. While she'd never loved Kusaka, he'd still been a dear friend, the second and last one she'd made in the Shino Academy, and one of just a handful of sincere friends she remembered having in her life as Nagaken Karin. One of the few that didn't treat her different just for the family she was born into. And yet…and yet the man, the almost-monster that stood in that moment in front of her…he wasn't the Kusaka Soujirou she remembered, he wasn't her dear friend, or Toushirou's…just a corrupted remnant of him. While it was true that Kusaka shouldn't have died, it was also true he shouldn't be there in that moment, maybe if they purified him he would return to the cycle of reincarnation and finally have peace…maybe then all three of them would be able to have peace…

Then, as Toushirou made a dash at Kusaka and their duel began yet again, Karin could only stand there, loosely holding the again-dormant Ouin, remembering the past, how different the relationship between the three of them used to be:

It was the beginning of the Winter term for the Advanced Class in the Shinigami Academy and Karin, decked in her white and red uniform, could hear the rumors going on around her about 'another so-called prodigy' joining the class. The first so-called prodigy being herself.

Of course, in her case no one dared question her about how she'd managed to go through the first four years of the Shinigami Academy in just one year, fifth year in a few months, and finally get to sixth year, where she would be graduating that following Spring. And the reason no one dared question her was her name: Nagaken Karin, she was the younger sister of the Head of the Noble Nagaken Clan, the First of the Four Great Families. Still, that no one dared approach her didn't mean she didn't know what they all thought and whispered behind her back. At first no one could believe that a noble princess wanted to be a shinigami, then it had become worse, because they'd begun saying that she was doing it only to pass time, like it was a caprice or something and eventually she would quit. They didn't know her! They had no right to stick their noses into her business!

Finally class began, and the teacher announced the new student:

"This is Hitsugaya Toushirou, our youngest prodigy, please make him feel welcome."

Karin looked at him carefully, he was young, just like her he looked like he would be eleven or so in human-years; though both she and he had obviously lived several times that. His hair was pure-white, like newly-fallen snow, and his eyes were such a shade of turquoise-blue, like nothing Karin remembered seeing before. There was also an air of power around him, something that went beyond pure reiatsu, something she'd only sensed in experienced shinigami like her Nii-sama, or Byakuya-san, or Kotori-sensei…

Most of the class tried, in their own ways, to do as the professor had asked, and make the new student feel welcome; however, Karin soon realized he didn't seem to like anything. His eyes were narrowed, and he kept looking around him, as if searching for a way to get away from the hoarding masses. By the time free period rolled around Karin noticed that things had gotten so bad, the new kid would bolt at the slightest provocation.

"I can't believe I'm doing this…" Karin muttered to herself before taking her asauchi in hand and approaching the white-haired boy.

When other students noticed her approach all conversation ceased. It took a couple of seconds, but eventually the new student turned to look at her, obviously wondering what was going o.

"Hey Hitsugaya." She called calmly. "Wanna spar?"

He recognized her offer for what it really was, and immediately took his own asauchi and followed her away from their classmates.

As soon as they got into the nearest empty training room Hitsugaya let out a sigh.

"Thanks for that." He said to Karin. "Though, I'm curious, why did you do it?"

"Honestly?" Karin asked, and yet went on immediately. "I know what it is to feel like you're being talked at instead of to."

"You're the other prodigy." Hitsugaya realized right then.

He, of course had been told he wasn't the only prodigy in the Academy at the time, though the other one hadn't gone through the courses as fast as he had.

"If you don't mind, my name is Nagaken Karin." She introduced herself.

She waited for a few seconds, for him to react the same way everyone else did. He didn't, it seemed like he didn't react at all, instead he just kept watching her.

"What?" She asked, beginning to feel strange under his stare.

"So in your case it's not just because you're a prodigy." He said, finally.

"Yes." Karin shrugged slightly. "Guess it's my own fault, for wanting to go through the Academy rather than just hiring some private tutors and presenting the exam to get into the Gotei 13." She shook her head. "Maybe Byakuya-san had the right idea when he decided to pull Rukia-san out of this mess."

"Byakuya-san?" Hitsugaya's eyes widened as he suddenly realized who that had to be. "Kuchiki Byakuya? The 6th Division Captain?"

Karin nodded, eyes narrowed, wondering if the boy was going to let noble titles affect his perceptions after all. Byakuya wasn't a bad person, not at all, but he wasn't as great as some rumors tended to make him either.

"I've heard his zanpakutou is quite powerful." Hitsugaya added right then, then considered it and added. "I've also heard the same about Nagaken-taichou…"

"Yeah, yeah…" Karin said dismissively. "I swear my zanpakutou is going to be far more amazing than either of theirs!"

Hitsugaya couldn't help it, he chuckled.

"So, seeing as we don't really have anything better to do." Karin commented as she twirled her asauchi in hand. "Wanna spar?"

"I thought that was just an excuse." Hitsugaya actually smiled a bit at her.

Karin just shrugged.

"Sure." Hitsugaya got on a stance, before unexpectedly saying. "And by the way, I'm sure my zanpakutou will be better than yours."

It might have been a strange way to begin a friendship, but it worked for them. They became each other's partner, confidant, best-friend…theirs was a friendship that lasted twenty years, till the day she died; and when she returned they fell back into it so easily, it was almost like she was never gone.

And yet, it hadn't always been just the two of them, for a while there had been a third member to their group:

Karin and Toushirou were sitting across each other in a table near the corner of the Spiritual Library, working on some homework. They were at ease with each other, and since Toushirou began hanging out with Karin no one bothered him, so everything was fine for him. Karin decided it was one of the very few times her nobility was good for something.

What they weren't expecting was for someone to approach them right then.

"Hello, you must be Hitsugaya Toushirou." A boy who looked a few years older than them, with ashen-black hair and garnet eyes said. "And you must be Nagaken Karin."

Hitsugaya nodded, not quite sure what the other boy pretended.

"We are." Karin said with narrowed eyes. "The question here is: who are you?"

"My name's Kusaka Soujirou." He introduced himself with an easy smile. "I'm actually your classmate, just got moved from the Basic Class to the Advanced One."

The other two nodded, they'd known that to happen, even if never that late in the school year, especially since they were in the last year already.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you would mind if I joined you." He deposited several books he had been holding on the table, next to Toushirou's. "To be honest, I'm not very good at Soul Society's History or Kidou Theory and would be grateful for some help, I can help with Spiritual Law if you wish."

"I'm quite good at it." Karin began, then decided to give him a chance. "Though I guess you can help me help Hitsugaya, he just seems to be helpless at it!"

"Nagaken!" Hitsugaya called out offended.

Kusaka didn't seem to be able to help it, he laughed.

And so the duo became a trio. They were sure their friendship would be like that of legend, that it would last forever, or at least for as long as they existed in those incarnations in Soul Society. Of course, at that point all three were still very young, young and naïve.

Kusaka was always talking about his dreams of being a shinigami, about the honor and glory he hoped to bring to the Gotei 13 as well as attain for himself; Karin soon realized that what had begun as an escape from being a noble princess had turned into something she truly enjoyed, she couldn't help but look forward to being an official shinigami, she hoped to one day surpass her Nii-sama; Toushirou didn't seem to have any particular ambitions for himself, he'd only gone to the Academy to learn to control his power, but he too seemed to like the prospect of working with the two who had become his best friends.

Their friendship was so strong, it seemed to be able to survive anything. Even after Kusaka confessed to Karin that he was in love with her and she told him that she just didn't feel the same. There was some awkwardness for a while, but still, their friendship never broke.

Then, as Winter began to fade into Spring, a special session was prepared for the shinigami hopefuls to get the chance to find their zanpakutou. All three friends were thrilled, continually saying each of them would have the best zanpakutou, none of them could have ever imagined the tragedy that would befall them…

Karin had been one of the first to go through the test/ceremony to gain her zanpakutou, meeting Tenreikou for the first time. It had been an amazing experience for her, and the raven-haired girl couldn't wait to return to the Nagaken estate and tell her brother she had a zanpakutou, and not only that, her zanpakutou's spirit was a phoenix! She was quite sure that beat her Nii-sama's old-man-looking Engetsu, and most likely Byakuya's Senbonzakura too… though Karin didn't actually know what Byakuya's zanpakutou-spirit looked like, most said it was a female, but Karin just wasn't sure.

The only reason the girl was still at the Academy was because she was waiting for Hitsugaya and Kusaka, it was their turn, and she really wanted to know what their zanpakutou were like. Maybe they could even begin to plan some team strategies, after all that's what they were, what they'd been for years, since first meeting: a team.

It took a while, but eventually Karin could sense Hitsugaya's reiatsu again, she was so thrilled, because she could sense the change in it, the marker that he'd gained a zanpakutou, that for a few seconds she didn't notice that she still couldn't sense Kusaka.

Then Hitsugaya was standing a few feet away from her, holding his new zanpakutou so tightly in both hands his knuckles were white, his face was totally drained of color, and it looked like he would be sick at any moment.

"Hitsugaya-kun?" Karin asked, suddenly fearing that something was very, very wrong.

Hitsugaya raised his head at her voice, his eyes were empty, and that scared Karin like she'd never been scared before; in that moment she knew for a fact something was wrong.

"Kusaka…-kun…?" She asked, almost fearfully.

For all answer Hitsugaya tightened his hold on his zanpakutou even more and closed his eyes tightly, holding back tears. Karin covered her mouth with her hands, all the joy and pride from scant minutes before totally forgotten. She still didn't know what had happened, it would take many hours with both of them locked in her private quarters and a lot of smuggled sake to get it out of Hitsugaya, and then even more sake to try and forget everything she'd just learnt. After all it was all over she would try her best to never think about it again, yet she would never be able to fully forget it either. And yet, knowing or not, it didn't change the end result: Kusaka Soujirou was gone, and for the two that remained, nothing was ever the same again.

Of course, when Karin had thought that, she never imagined the possibility of Kusaka ever coming back, and especially not as a corrupted spirit.

"Karin?" Ichigo, Rukia and Rangiku called her at the same time.

The raven-aired soon became aware they'd been calling her for a while, but she'd just be so lost in her memories, and in the battle going on before.

"What is going on, really?" Ichigo asked in a low voice.

Yuzu said nothing, just watching her twin in silence, instinctively knowing that whatever it was that was going on was very, very hard on her, and on Toushirou too.

"Kusaka Soujirou…" Karin whispered, her voice filled with grief. "He was once Toushirou's and mine best-friend. Actually, Toushirou-kun and I met him a week after we met and became friends ourselves. He was the first and only person to ever approach us, not because he was hoping to gain something, or because he considered us freaks: me being a noble-princess and both of us prodigies, and there was also the fact that we looked so young, the youngest-looking in all the Academy. Still, Kusaka-kun approached us, and he became our friend. Soon all three of us were inseparable. We were…nakama…"

Ichigo drew in a sharp breath, if there was something he understood it was that term, with how important it was for him, and his own nakama.

"Then the time came for us to graduate." Karin went on blankly, holding back her emotions. "A session was arranged for all of us to find our zanpakutou. I was one of the first, and I gained Tenreikou. Ichigo, you don't know this, but even though zanpakutou are part of our own souls, at least here in Soul Society, shinigami hopefuls still have to go through a spiritual trial to gain them. Toushirou-kun and Kusaka-kun were some of the last. At first I didn't actually notice they were taking too long, I was just thrilled to have Tenreikou, wanted to share my happiness with them…" she shook her head. "Then I saw Toushirou-kun, his eyes were so empty…I knew something was wrong. What happened…it's complicated…"

"And forbidden." Yamamoto added. "Even you should have never known about it."

"I'm not going to apologize for doing what was necessary to help someone dear to me." Karin retorted strongly, before going back to the story. "In any case, it's not my story to tell. Suffice to say that Kusaka-kun died and Toushirou-kun blamed himself, even though it wasn't his fault at all." She sighed. "After that attack on the Royal Convoy happened, the wound Toushirou-kun had was made by Kusaka-kun's sword, and it allowed Toushirou-kun to know who was behind the attack. When we helped him, I too realized the truth. That's why we left, Kusaka-kun was playing a game, a dangerous game indeed, but he was our business. He came back for us, or at least for Toushirou-kun, so we had to be the ones to sort it out."

"If Kusaka-kun is your friend, shouldn't you want to help him?" Rangiku asked, still a bit confused about everything.

"Kusaka-kun was our friend, a very dear friend." Karin agreed. "But that one fighting Toushirou-kun isn't the real Kusaka-kun, just a corrupted form of him. The real Kusaka Soujirou would have never done such a travesty as trying to use a Royal Artifact to destroy Soul Society, he was such a loyal follower of Seireitei, of the Laws…he would have never done that. In any case, what happened all those years ago was terrible, but this time…this time they fight for themselves. That's what matters."

There were some people who still didn't really understand, them or the significance what was going on had for them, but at least they knew it was important that Toushirou finished that battle himself, so they didn't interfere, instead they just watched, watched and waited to see the resolution of a conflict decades in the making.

"So, from the very start you…" Kusaka, who had half heard Karin's summarized and censured recount of things couldn't quite believe it.

"That's right." Toushirou nodded, noticing that Kusaka had finally seen the truth.

"I see. I misunderstood you." Kusaka said tiredly. "You have even more loyalty for this place than I ever did…or maybe your loyalty is to her."

"If you were the real Kusaka you would understand it." Toushirou answered simply.

He and Karin weren't being idiots, they knew it was Kusaka Soujirou's soul there, and yet, his heart wasn't, his heart had been corrupted by the tragedy and brutality of his death as well as the dark reiatsu of Hueco Mundo; so, in a way, it was Kusaka, and at the same time it wasn't. Maybe once it was all over, the real Kusaka would finally be free, as would them all.

It happened in an instant, Toushirou and Kusaka had yet again moved to strike each other when with a sharp clang Kusaka's zanpakutou broke, falling into pieces at Toushirou's feet, at the same time the white-haired shinigami's own blade pierced the corrupted version of his best male friend through the chest.

"Karin!" Toushirou called sharply.

"Here, take this." Karin threw the Ouin at Ichigo before shunpoing to her two friends.

It looked like Ichigo was going to say something, particularly about the fact that Karin had just thrown a bloody Royal Artifact at him without any warning or care! But Rukia placed a hand softly on his arm, before directing a sorrowful look at the three friends kneeling together. Ichigo just grumbled lowly before relaxing again.

Meanwhile, Toushirou was holding Kusaka's dying body in a fierce grip, keeping him upright, while Karin knelt beside Toushirou, and right in front of him.

"Kusaka…" Both Karin and Toushirou whispered softly.

It was obvious the two prodigies were deeply pained by what was happening, they were losing their best friend all over again…though at least this time they had the chance to say goodbye.

"I'm sorry I hurt you…both of you…" Kusaka whispered brokenly. "I never meant to."

"It's alright, Kusaka-kun, we know." Karin assured him, caressing his face briefly.

Kusaka closed his eyes briefly, enjoying her touch.

"Nagaken-hime…" He whispered softly.

"The name is Karin…Soujirou-kun…" Karin whispered, on the verge of tears by then.

"Karin-hime…" Soujirou said, a small smile on his face, before turning to his other friend. "I'm glad this time we got to finish our fight, Toushirou…"

"Soujirou…" He nodded, trying to keep his own tears back.

Toushirou had known that was what Kusaka wanted all along, didn't meant he had to like it. He didn't want to let go, even though he knew there was nothing he could do to really keep his friend with him, just like he hadn't been able to with Karin.

"Hey…" Soujirou muttered suddenly. "maybe one day I'll come back, like Karin-hime did. Then we'll all be together again, right?"

"Right." Karin nodded, trying to convince herself it was possible. "We'll always be best friends, Soujirou-kun." She pushed herself slightly and kissed his brow.

"Yes, always best friends." Toushirou agreed, trying, and failing to hold tighter onto him.

"Always…" Soujirou echoed. "I wish…"

And then he was gone, nothing more than reishi particles in the air.

Chapter Text

Chapter 25. In Memoriam

Ichigo, Rukia and Yuzu spent that night in their rooms at the Nagaken Estate. Yuzu had called Uryuu's denreishinki to inform him that they would be returning until the next day and ask him to excuse them with everyone; Ichigo was too busy thinking on what he'd seen on Soukyoku Hill and Rukia trying to help him to remember anything else.

Ichigo was having a hard time dealing with his emotions. He could count the times he'd seen, or heard, Karin cry with the fingers of one hand: first shortly after their mom had died, before she'd closed off and put up a strong front so as not to make anyone worry about her; the second was when that mess with the possessed parakeet had happened, the boy's spirit in the bird had broken through her blocks and Karin had seen his last moments of life, as the little boy watched his mother being murdered before accidentally killing the murderer himself, and all he'd suffered since, with all the people that believed him insane, or possessed, until the murderer-turned hollow had truly cursed him to an existence as a soul bound to a bird; the boy's pain became Karin's own, and she had cried, for his pain, and hers; the third had been shortly after she regained her powers, after learning what had been of Tenreikou; the fourth Ichigo had never seen, though Yuzu had told him about it, about how Karin had yelled and cried at the sight of Hitsugaya Toushirou's bleeding and half-dead form deep in the Chambers of 46…and in that moment she was crying for the loss of a friend.

If Ichigo was honest to himself (something very hard indeed), he would admit that the problem wasn't that Karin cried, it was that he felt useless. He somewhat understood why she was crying, she'd called Kusaka Soujirou nakama, and if there was anything Ichigo understood it was that. But the point was that the whole situation was just a painful reminder to the orange-haired of how little he actually knew his little sister, of how she at times wasn't really his little sister, she was someone else…someone who, technically, could have been his aunt, would have been if Aizen hadn't been so intent on killing her twenty-five years before.

"Ichigo…" Rukia whispered.

It took several tries, but eventually he turned soulful, tired chocolate brown eyes to her, their expression almost dull, showing his feelings as clearly as if they had been written down in a language made especially for Rukia to understand.

"Tell me what you're thinking, Ichigo." Rukia half-pleaded.

"I'm thinking that I don't know my sister anymore." Ichigo answered honestly. "At times I wonder if she's even my sister anymore…"

"What do you mean?" Rukia wasn't sure she understood.

"The way she was acting today at Soukyoku Hill, the way she's been acting since we found Toushirou wounded in Karakura…" Ichigo tried to explain. "That wasn't Karin-chan, not my fifteen-year-old sister…no, that was someone else, someone authoritative, independent, powerful…someone who doesn't need me."

"Oh Ichigo…" Rukia embraced him tightly. "I understand it's hard. It's hard for me as well, the way Karin-chan seems to change at times. What you may have not noticed is that she isn't the only one, Tatsuki too, and…sometimes others as well. I think it may have to do with their past lives, with how different their current lives are to others they remember. It's like certain things make them react in different ways. And I'm sure it's not only hard for us, it must be hard for them too, to have to deal with memories of two lives, at times a previous that happened so long ago, and that might not have been a happy one…There's a reason why souls forget their lives, you know? Everyone deserves a clean slate, to begin anew."

Ichigo nodded, he realized Rukia was right, he, they weren't the only ones having a hard time.

"Besides." Rukia went on. "Regardless of how strong Karin might be, I don't think she'll ever stop needing you, not completely. Maybe she won't need you to protect her all the time, but then again she could defend herself even before all this began." she sighed. "What I mean is that, even if she doesn't need you to protect and save her, she'll always need you to be there, for her. You'll always be Karin's big brother Ichigo, and Yuzu-chan's as well."

"What would I do without you?" Ichigo asked as he pulled Rukia onto her lap, burying his face in her silky hair.

"Be terribly miserable for the rest of your existence?" Rukia quipped with a chuckle, as she buried her own face in the crook of his neck.

Ichigo didn't answer just held her tighter against him, though careful not to hurt her, the last thing he wanted to do in that moment was to admit she was probably right, if she wasn't there he probably would have been miserable for the rest of his existence…

xXx

Karin and Toushirou, for their part, spent that night in each other's arms, in Toushirou's room; while Rangiku kept vigil outside, it had been a long day…

The morning came, eventually, and while they all knew the worst was over, they also all knew some things still needed to be addressed.

"Good morning." Toushirou greeted half-unaware as he stepped into the kitchenette of his captain-quarters, then did a double take as he realized who was there. "Mo…Mat…huh?"

"Good morning Toushirou." Rangiku smiled as she served some tea and offered him a cup. "Here, I prepared some tea."

"But you hate tea." Toushirou stated suspiciously even as he took the offered cup.

"Actually, I've not always hated tea." Rangiku commented as she served herself a cup and took a sip. "I just…kind of got tired of it."

"Tired?" Toushirou didn't understand.

"After nine months of being able to drink nothing but tea you probably would get tired of it too." Rangiku commented offhandedly with a wink.

"Nine…wha…?" Toushirou was thoroughly shocked.

"Tea and sushi." Rangiku specified. "And ice-cream. God, how I hate sushi! Though the ice-cream wasn't so bad…I actually still like that."

"Tho…Those were your cravings, when you were pregnant with me?" Toushirou asked after a few seconds with his mind blank.

"Mostly." Rangiku answered as she thought about it. "There were other things of course, but those three were the most common. Food aside, you just seemed to like cold, even the tea, there were times I wanted iced-tea instead of hot; it drove the few people that knew about my pregnancy and wanted to help me crazy."

"Who knew about your pregnancy?" Toushirou wanted to know.

"Well, Unohana-taichou and Isane-san, obviously since, like I said before, it's so rare for a soul to be able to get pregnant." Rangiku enlisted. "Isshin-taichou, it's why he helped me so much when I was still his subordinate, your grandma…and Nanao-chan."

"Nana…Ise Nanao-fukutaichou?" Toushirou hadn't been expecting that one.

"Yes." Rangiku nodded. "She's my best friend, has always been. She too is a prodigy you know? Nowhere near what you, your…Gin, Karin-san or some others have displayed, but still, she went to the Academy while still being very young, finished in four years…though it's been said that she was held back at first, because of her youth, and the fact that her power hadn't fully matured yet. I've always been good friends with Kyouraku-taichou, and not only because we tend to be drinking-buddies, like most people think."

"You and…Kyouraku-taichou?" Toushirou was beginning to believe he might be sick.

"Not like that!" Rangiku actually chuckled. "We're just very good friends. Shunsui-san is not all he appears to be."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Toushirou asked.

"He's not as much of a flirt as he appears to be." Rangiku answered honestly. "Nor is he that lazy and forgetful. Really, if you really think about it, if he were he wouldn't have gotten as far as he has, one of the oldest, strongest captains of the Gotei 13. I think he just does all that to push Nanao-chan's buttons." She chuckled again. "Anyway, I'm actually not sure if Shunsui-san knew about my pregnancy or not, I suppose it's possible, considering how much 'free time' Nanao-chan used to have back then, and on how many errands she was sent to the 10th division… especially if we consider he already spent quite a bit of time there, being a great friend of Isshin-taichou and all. Anyway, Nanao-chan was there with me, she of course soon realized I was pregnant, she helped me keep the secret."

"Does she know I…" Toushirou didn't actually know how to phrase the question.

"She doesn't know you're my son." Rangiku shook her head. "She knows I had a child, a boy, but she believes he's still hidden, somewhere in Rukongai. When you were just a baby I told her I had to keep you away, for your own safety, and she never asked again."

"What about my f…Gin?" Toushirou asked.

Despite the fact that it had been several months since he knew she was his mom, he just had never seemed to be able to find the right moment to have that kind of conversation. It was nice, in a way he couldn't explain.

"He knows." Rangiku answered. "Though don't ask me how, as I don't have the slightest idea. Then again, Karin-san too knows, and I don't know how she found out either, though Isshin-taichou knowing might have had something to do with that at least. Other people, like Yamamoto-soutaichou and Sui-Feng-taichou might know, if for no other reason than the kind of authority they have in Seireitei and the fact that they have access to Unohana-taichou's records. And I think that's it."

"Aizen?" Toushirou asked.

"I don't think so." Rangiku answered, more slowly this time. "Regardless of what you might have believed at first, I'm convinced now that your f…that Gin loves you, that he loves us both. He would have done his best to make sure Aizen didn't find out about you."

Toushirou nodded slowly, he still found it hard to believe: the fact that Ichimaru Gin was his father, and not only that, the fact that he loved him, had protected him…it was all just so strange. And yet he knew it to be true, Ichimaru Gin loved both him and his mother, he wasn't really a traitor, he was trying to bring Aizen down, just like they all were, only that in a very different manner, and he was doing it all for them: for his son Toushirou, for the woman he loved Rangiku, and his friend Karin.

"You're very much like him, you know?" Rangiku commented unexpectedly. "Gin, I mean."

"What?" Toushirou spat the tea he'd just sipped in shock.

"Yes." As Rangiku spoke she went around the kitchen counter, to stand next to her son. "Always wanting to do things your own way, and the knack of leaving me behind, worrying about you." She embraced him tightly right then. "You better not do that again to me young-man! I have enough with your father doing it, I cannot take it if you do the same!"

For a moment Toushirou didn't know what to feel, or say, he was being reprehended, like a little child; he should be upset, angry for the way Rangiku was treating him, and yet it somehow felt nice. Because Rangiku wasn't just any person, she wasn't even just his lieutenant, she was his mother…and she worried about him.

"I'm sorry mother…" He whispered softly as he embraced her back.

"I love you so much, Shirou-chan…I don't want to lose you…" Rangiku whispered with teary eyes as she held him even more tightly.

"You won't lose me, I promise you…mom…" Toushirou said just as softly.

Rangiku just smiled as she held her son, at times he seemed so powerful and strong, and yet he was still young, and even if he weren't, she knew he would always be her son. So she smiled, a soft, caring, warm smile, a special smile she had reserved for her son, for the few times he called her mom…

From the doorway, Karin watched the exchange in silence and smiled as well.

xXx

Around midmorning a messenger arrived to the Nagaken Estate to inform Ichigo that his, and the other Nakama's (those currently in Soul Society at least) presence was required in a meeting with the Captain-Commander in an hour. Ichigo sent a Clan messenger to Karin; he knew that if the meeting was in regards to what had happened the last few days, like he thought it was, then another messenger must have gone to inform Toushirou already, but just in case, he would make sure Karin was informed.

An hour later, as asked, Ichigo, Rukia, Yuzu and Karin were standing before the doors to the 1st Division HQs, as expected, Toushirou and Rangiku were already inside, as were all the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13; Karin had informed Yuzu, Ichigo and Rukia, after being informed by Toushirou herself, that Skye Kotori would be in attendance as well, in representation of the 5th Division, since Hinamori, the only one who ranked higher than her apparently wasn't yet in condition to attend meetings.

The doors were opened and the four Nakama went in, Ichigo at the center, flanked by his sisters and wife (even if most still didn't know that part).

"Very well, now that we are all here." Yamamoto said seriously. "We're here to discuss the events that took place in the last 48 hours, in both the Soul Society and the Living World, in relation to the Ouin and the criminal: Kusaka Soujirou."

It was obvious, by the way they tensed, that two particular people didn't like the way Yamamoto was referring to him, so casually, so coldly…and yet there was nothing they could do about it, because they knew that no matter how events were interpreted, how many justifications they tried to come up with, or the fact that they understood why things had happened as they had; there was no erasing the fact that Kusaka Soujirou had been, indeed a criminal: he'd attacked a Royal Convoy, killed dozens of people, stabbed Toushirou, attacked Kyouraku, stolen the Ouin, and then attempted to use it to claim vengeance on Soul Society, and through it all he also did his best to frame Toushirou for all his crimes!

One by one Sui-Feng, Rangiku, Shunsui, Nanao, Renji, Byakuya, Hisagi, Kira and Skye reported what had happened during the last two days, leaving aside any personal grudges (though it was obvious some of them had them).

When the Nakama's turn came, Ichigo and Rukia went first, most of the shinigami from the Gotei 13 couldn't quite believe everything those two, and the rest of the Nakama, had done and not done, just because one of them had said that what was going on was a personal matter. Still, Ichigo kept saying that he trusted his sister, her independence, power and judgment; which is why he only got involved when it became a matter of life and death.

Yuzu said nothing, just nodding when Ichigo mentioned how she'd treated Toushirou after the first battle; other than that, she really hadn't done much.

When Karin's turn came Toushirou left his spot in the captains' formation and went to stand by her side. The two together then went into a detailed explanation of everything that had happened, carefully avoiding any personal conversations, between them or with Kusaka, it's not like they changed anything, really.

No one said a single word was said while Toushirou and Karin related their side of things, no emotion showing on their expressions, even when most of those present had seen the rather emotional goodbye on Soukyoku Hill the day before.

Eventually it was over, and it came Yamamoto's turn to speak again.

"As you all have seen by now, Hitsugaya Toushirou has been fully reinstated to his rank, with all responsibilities and privileges it allows." Yamamoto declared. "For all intents and purposes the guilty party in these events is Kusaka Soujirou, and he's been punished for his actions, by the very person he tried to frame for his crimes."

It was obvious some people, like Sui-Feng, didn't like that Toushirou wasn't going to be charged for anything; not even the attack he and Karin had been responsible for, against the shinigami who had tried to arrest them. But Yamamoto's authority was absolute and she had to respect it, as did everyone else in the Gotei.

Toushirou and Karin once again clenched their fists slightly, but neither said nothing. As much as they may want to defend their once-best-friend, it wasn't like it would change anything.

"The involvement of the Nakama: Kurosaki-Nagaken Karin will be considered to be under her duties as Royal Guardian, therefore it was outside of the authority and responsibility of the Gotei 13 or Seireitei." Yamamoto added.

Karin nodded stoically, she knew, as did Yamamoto, that if anyone had tried to pin anything on her, she had more than enough aces under her sleeve, her current duty as Royal Guardian, being only one of them; in particular there was the fact that she was the only one who knew where the Royal Heir was, even Toushirou, despite being her partner, didn't know. That was also why Toushirou wouldn't be judged for anything, Yamamoto knew if he'd tried Karin would rather have revealed he was the other Royal Guardian than allow it, and he agreed with her plan of keeping his real power and position a secret, at least for the time being.

Some, like Sui-Feng, Hisagi, Kira and Skye could only mutter low under their breaths the unfairness of it all.

"Now, there is one more topic of discussion for this meeting." Yamamoto declared before more whispers arouse. "In regards to the demand made by the Nakama-taichou to Hisagi-fukutaichou, Kira-fukutaichou and Skye-sanseki, a demand for all shinigami to stay out of Nakama territory unless authorized by the Nakama themselves…"

The moment Yamamoto began his explanation of the last topic Ichigo and Rukia immediately straightened up. Karin and Toushirou had returned to their spots, and while Karin was Nakama, and a powerful one, she'd never wanted to have a position of power in the group, so Ichigo and Rukia were the highest ranking Nakama present in that moment, they just hoped things wouldn't get so complicated before the meeting ended that they would regret not calling Uryuu to join them before it began.

"It's ridiculous." Sui-Feng hissed, finally losing her patience and composure. "We cannot let a group of immature human brats decide when we can, and when we cannot do our job!"

"Yes, because you're doing so great at it…" Ichigo muttered sarcastically.

"Wha…?" Sui-Feng was furious by that point.

"Ichigo…" Rukia whispered, trying to calm him down.

"You have something to say, Kurosaki-Nagaken-taichou?" Yamamoto inquired.

At least half of those in the room understood what he was doing, referring to Ichigo using a Gotei-title, even when the teen had constantly refused to use any and every military title when addressing other members of the Gotei himself, and the rest of the Nakama seemed to follow his lead in that as well. The Commander was trying to make the orange-haired part of it all, if indirectly, hoping to pull him and his people into their organization…something that, from the very beginning, the teens had refused. Yamamoto, and a few of the captains, could only hope that would change in due time.

Rukia kept a hold on Ichigo's arm, trying to make him calm down, but in the end it just wasn't possible. So much had happened in the last two days, Ichigo decided he'd had enough, it was time to make everyone in that room understand that if they wanted the Nakama's to respect them…they would have to take the first step; after all, respect was a two way road, and it wasn't forced, it had to be earned.

"Actually, I do." Ichigo focused on projecting all the strength and authority he could, something he'd done before but only subconsciously, never on purpose, then began: "Just in the last two days we had several situations, beginning with the placing of a kekkai inside our territory without our permission, or even our knowledge. While we understand the necessity of such a thing, if we at least had known we might have been able to do something, help stop the disaster, or at least make it so it wasn't as bad. In any case, even with the kekkai, the battle that took place was bad enough that most of us sensed it anyway, that should tell you how it wasn't enough, and how there wasn't enough preparation to handle an emergency. If there had been any more power used the kekkai would have fallen and that part of Karakura would have been destroyed!" Ichigo was getting into the topic, passionately. "We told you before, for us Nakama, Karakura is our priority, that's why it was decided it would be our territory. What you did could have hurt countless innocents there!" before anyone could interrupt him, he went on. "Then, if that weren't enough, the following night you tried to ambush Hitsugaya-san and Karin, you caused yet another battle to take place. There was no kekkai at that point, if your captain and my sister hadn't held back a lot Karakura would have ended up affected, again!" he growled lowly. "I know several of you do not like that we Nakama take charge when it comes to protecting Karakura, but the truth is you don't exactly do a better job than us when you are the ones taking charge!"

"How dare you?!" Sui-Feng was furious.

Even some others looked affronted by Ichigo's accusations.

"Want examples?" Ichigo asked, though he didn't wait going on. "First: a hollow that attacked Karakura this spring, skilled enough to hide its real power, powerful enough to take down my sister (even if she wasn't as powerful then as she is now), with some kind of trick that blocked me from accessing my basic powers, and then it also managed to take Rukia down! She had been following that hollow all day, if you had as good technology as you claim by that point you would have realized you would need to send someone else, or at least that Rukia would need support. Karakura is the Juureichi! You cannot tell me powerful hollows never appeared in this town before, I know for a fact they have, so why weren't you better prepared to handle that kind of emergency?!"

Silence was the only answer, even those still angry at the 'human brat' for what he dared accuse them of, didn't quite know what to say.

"I'm not even going to go into the matter of Rukia's near-execution, you can always claim it was Aizen's fault." Ichigo said dismissively before moving on. "Then there was the Bount incident. We let the Onmitsukidou handle things for the first couple of weeks, because we were told it was your business, and yet humans kept dying, the Bounts kept growing stronger, you weren't achieving anything! In one night we won all our fights and Uryuu, with the help of a member of the Urahara Shouten, destroyed half of the bittos!"

"You sent the Bounts here, where they would be stronger!" Captain Komamura declared in a cold, accusing tone.

"They were supposed to be your enemies!" Surprisingly enough it was Rukia who replied. "Enough humans had died already, because of something shinigami did in the first place! It was only right that the war with them ended here, in the place where they were created!"

It looked like quite a few people wanted to tell Rukia to shut up, but they didn't dare, they had been informed that she was acting as second-in-command of the Nakama in that moment, and she was still the sister of the head of a Noble Clan. There was also the fact that the whole Meeting-Hall was suddenly several degrees colder than it had been just seconds before, something that the leaders of the Gotei noticed had never been done by anyone other than Hitsugaya Toushirou until that moment. Before becoming one of the Nakama Rukia had been an unseated officer, and yet some knew that was only because Byakuya had been trying to protect her in his own way, which bequeathed the question: just how powerful was Kuchiki (Kurosaki-Nagaken) Rukia really?

Ichigo, for his part, was extremely proud of his Rukia in that moment, she'd come a long way since the two had first met: from a shy, excessively polite, closed-off and emotionally-scarred girl, to a wonderful, empathic, and very strong (physically, spiritually and emotionally), beautiful young woman. Ichigo truly loved her. Also, the orange-head could have sworn he saw Byakuya smirk slightly at Rukia's outburst.

Ichigo briefly considered mentioning the Shinenju, but in the end decided that he didn't know enough to make an accusation, and it was really kind of pointless when no one would really know what he was talking about anyway.

"Is that all?" Sasakibe asked, stoically though nervous, the irregular spiking of reiatsu was making breathing a tad difficult to him and others of his rank.

"There's one more thing." Ichigo said, he'd been about to forget that. "Recently we Nakama met the shinigami that was sent to Karakura in Rukia's place. There were several things we didn't like in regards to that, beginning by the fact that he wasn't at all informed of what had transpired here in the months since his appointment. He had no idea that Rukia was back, who the Nakama were, that Karakura was ours, or about the situation with the traitors. If there had been a true emergency…" he shook his head. "Also, while I'm sure he's a very good shinigami, there's no way he could have handled the kind of hollows that appear in Karakura regularly, especially if we consider the frequency with which they appear…"

"You must take in consideration that that shinigami's appointment happened before the situation with the traitors…" Komamura began.

"If that's to be your excuse, why wasn't he replaced when it happened?" Ichigo interrupted. "Or you could have at least informed him and have ready a backup in case he got in over his head! The only reason that never happened was because we were there! Most of the time we fought the hollows, not him…" he suddenly realized something. "Now that I think about it, I don't even know where that guy was during the Bount incident…" Ichigo shook his head again. "Also, the situation with the nearly hundred hollows, with that first Menos, it happened before Aizen, before Rukia was even arrested! So you should have had in record the kind of hollows that could appear, yet you didn't send someone more capable to handle things in Rukia's absence…"

"You handled it…did you not?" Hisagi asked. "You and your Nakama."

"Of course, that's not the point." Ichigo hissed. "The point is that back then you didn't know the Nakama existed! As far as you were concerned the human who had had Rukia's powers was badly injured, possibly even dead, and there was no way there could be others!"

Hisagi actually flinched at Ichigo's words.

"Like I was saying before, this is Karakura, this is the Juureichi we are talking about." Ichigo went back to his speech. "The appearance of powerful hollows is nothing new…" his eyes narrowed and his eyes glinted dangerously as he thought of one more thing. "Tell me, any of you, do you think an unseated shinigami, heck, do you think most seated shinigami would be capable of defeating Grand Fisher?"

For a while, there was nothing but silence, until…

"Grand Fisher?" Skye Kotori asked, quite disbelieving. "The hollow who's known to have killed over a dozen shinigami in the last fifty years? He has to be one of the most powerful and dangerous hollows known…aside from the newly discovered Arrancars that is. Most shinigami wouldn't last against him. It's suicide going against him! That would be a job for the Onmitsukidou, or a top-ranking shinigami!"

"Well, too bad, I did their job for them." Ichigo deadpanned.

Those who didn't know this did a double-take as they heard those words, before refusing, loudly and insistently, to believe it.

"Silence!" Yamamoto ordered after a few seconds. "He is telling the truth."

That left everyone in shock.

"Grand Fisher appeared a total of three times in Karakura." Ichigo explained. "The first two you already know about, I had to explain about them when all of us Nakama presented ourselves before you. The third, was a little over a month ago." Then he added in the coldest voice anyone had ever heard coming from him. "The bastard thought he could go after my sisters, that he could kill them like he did my mother. I wasn't about to allow that. Now, he won't be able to hurt anyone again. Grand Fisher is well and truly vanquished."

Only silence was the response to Ichigo's statement, as many of those presents finally realized what they'd failed to see before: Ichigo had a protective nature, at times to the extreme, it was what had allowed him to do so many things that should have been impossible, and in such little time too. It was also what had brought him to be there, before them all, again; it was what wouldn't allow him to ever give up.

Yamamoto just sighed, hoping that what he was going to do next would give the teen, and his companions, some peace of mind, and maybe it would allow him to worry more about the plans for the upcoming confrontation with Aizen instead of the petty conflicts between his subordinates and the humans guarding the Juureichi.

"I have decided to allow the Nakama's demand to stand." Yamamoto announced formally. "No member of the Gotei 13 will set foot in Karakura or its vicinity without direct permission from one of the leaders of the Nakama, least it is an emergency or direct war against Aizen and Hueco Mundo has begun. Is that understood?"

"But Soutaichou…" Several were obviously not in agreement. "How can this be allowed to stand? How can a mortal's authority be allowed to stand?"

"This is not the first time the Gotei makes deals with groups of humans." Yamamoto stated formally. "Though it has been a long time since one has been made, and most of those no longer stand, since the races have long since become extinct."

"If I remember correctly, the last such deal was made with the Quincy, and that didn't end very well." Komamura stated strongly. "The balance was compromised. And there is a Quincy involved with the Nakama."

"The balance won't be compromised because Uryuu can create arrows that purify, not just those that destroy." Rukia stated just as strongly. "You know this Komamura-taichou, everyone in this room knows it, because Uryuu demonstrated it before you all."

"It is true that the deal with the Quincy of that time didn't work out, but that was actually the exception, not the norm." Shunsui pointed out. "Many other deals have been made, and have worked, with races like the ancient mikos of Asia, the monks of Tibet, priestesses and priests and other spiritual people of many ancient cultures all around the world. It is what has allowed the Gotei 13 to focus on the more dangerous areas, as well as on Hueco Mundo and Soul Society itself; otherwise we would have never been able to patrol all the world on our own. It is true, like Yama-jii said, that a seal like this hasn't been made in centuries, but then again, never before a group like the Nakama had existed."

Silence reigned. While the older captains knew already about such deals, those that had reached their positions in the last century or less, had no idea such a thing was possible.

"So, like I was saying, the decision will stand." Yamamoto went on.

"What about Kuchiki Rukia?" Kira asked, curious.

"I am Nakama." Rukia stated calmly. "I will remain where I belong. Also, Yamamoto-soutaichou, I believe it might be a good idea to have someone act as an emergency contact, someone who can go to Karakura without need to ask for permission in case you need to get to us and cannot reach us through the denreishinki."

"A good plan." Byakuya agreed. "I propose my lieutenant, Abarai Renji, since the Nakama are already familiar with him, have even worked with him."

"I propose my recently promoted fourth seat: Yamada Hanatarou for the position, for similar reasons to those enlisted by Kuchiki-taichou." Unohana declared from beside him.

Yamamoto for all answer, turned to look at Ichigo.

"I believe it is a good idea." Ichigo declared after some thought. "And both would be welcome in case of an emergency, or even for a visit, as long as their presence does not affect Karakura negatively. Later on, I believe, we could make better agreements regarding how things will be handled once the war against Aizen actually begins."

"The first attack has taken place already." Yamamoto said thoughtfully. "Do you think it will take him too long to mount a full-scale attack?"

"We don't really consider that an attack." Ichigo pointed out. "The enemies weren't strong enough to be a real threat, the only one who might have been didn't actually fight. For the time being Aizen is still waiting, and playing some games. When the war truly begins, it will be pretty obvious, but I don't think it will happen just yet. In a month or more, but not just now."

"What does the Nakama expect of the Gotei 13 for that moment?" Yamamoto asked, wondering how the boy planned to handle things.

"I believe that any small attacks that may come we can handle." Ichigo answered confidently. "The problem would be if too many high-leveled Arrancar, or even one of the traitors, appear at Karakura, then innocents would be at risk. I think plans should be made, on a way to keep civilians safe from any possible high-scaled confrontation; other than that, I believe that whatever is necessary to bring down Aizen's forces should be done."

Yamamoto nodded, Ichigo and the other Nakama present had realized that the moment war became imminent their 'permission' wouldn't be asked anymore for the Gotei to act, they might not even be explained when some things were to be done; they knew that, and they accepted it.

Yamamoto decided it might not be so bad to have a deal with the Nakama. It didn't seem like the power would get to their heads, even Kurosaki-Nagaken Ichigo didn't seem to be interested in exercising any power other than when it came to his town, and in that point, it was understandable to most of the captains.

"In regards to the risks of a full-scaled battle in the town known as Karakura, plans are currently being made between Kurotsuchi-taichou and the former captain Urahara Kisuke." Yamamoto informed the Nakama. "Other plans will be made in the coming weeks.

Ichigo, Rukia and even Karin weren't sure how much they trusted Urahara to do anything important, but it wasn't like they could do any better either, so they really had no other option but to let things be and hope Urahara wouldn't screw up, again.

"Very well." Yamamoto declared, finally. "If that is all, this meeting is adjourned."

xXx

Meanwhile, in the world of the Living, in Karakura, a sixteen-year-old gray-eyed, black haired was guiding a girl two years her senior with red-orange long straight hair and strangely violet-gray eyes in the direction of her home. They were just a few blocks away when they both became aware of the hollow that appeared, very close to the very building they were going to.

"That's a hollow!" Orihime cried out.

"I know!" Keeva replied, beginning to run rather than just walk.

They'd just turned around the last corner when they could suddenly see the hollow begin to fragment, the effect lasted a handful of seconds before simply dissolving completely into reishi particles which then vanished into the air.

"Wha…What was that?" Orihime couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.

Keeva didn't answer, instead choosing to rush for the staircase and begin running up as fast as she could. It took a couple of seconds, but soon Orihime was at her heels.

They both reached the last floor and the apartment door at almost the same time; though, while Orihime took the time to politely take off her shoes before stepping into the front-room, Keeva ignored it all to rush all the way to the balcony door.

As expected, Serenity was there, holding onto the railing as if her life depended on it.

"My lady?!" Keeva cried out as she saw her.

It was almost an instant transformation, as Serenity practically forced her own body to relax as she straightened up, let go of the railing and turned to see her protégé.

"My lady, you really shouldn't strain yourself." Keeva began. "You know I'm more than capable of handing those corrupted spirits."

"I am no less capable." Serenity replied in a chiding tone. "And an opponent of that level is really no strain at all…" he looked beyond Selene, to the shocked teenager standing in the middle of the living-room. "It's good to finally meet you, Inoue Orihime-san."

"Keeva-kun told me you wanted to see me." Orihime replied almost automatically. "It's a pleasure to meet you…though I have no idea how you know me…"

"I do not know you, though I do know of you." Serenity answered cryptically.

"Keeva…" Orihime deduced.

"Mostly, but not everything." Serenity replied honestly. "Let's just say, I have my ways of knowing things, ways I'm sure you might be able to understand better than most…am I wrong, Kiseki-hidenka?"

Orihime seemed absolutely startled at the address Serenity had suddenly used, while Keeva just gaped at each young woman alternatively, while her mind tried to fully process what she'd just heard and the possible implications of it…

"You're the one who defeated the menos that day!" Orihime cried out, as that fact suddenly became clear to her.

"True." Serenity didn't deny it.

"You must be Keeva-kun's sister, but she said you didn't fight." Orihime wasn't sure what exactly was going on, was it even safe for her to be there?

"I said she wasn't a fighter, not that she couldn't fight." Keeva clarified. "And you can calm down Orihime-san, we aren't here to hurt you."

"Huh?" Orihime wondered how she had noticed.

"Your body was completely tensed, natural when you're in a fight-or-flight mode." Keeva answered her unasked question. "I assure you, that whatever our intentions may be, they do not include hurting you in any way."

"Of course not." Serenity agreed immediately. "I would never do that."

Orihime wasn't sure why, but she had a very strong feeling that she could and should believe the women; however, that didn't mean she was about to trust them, not until she got some answers.

"Why don't we all sit down?" Serenity proposed as she made her way to a sofa, brushing her almost-fully-covered hand on Orihime's on the way.

Keeva followed immediately, heating up a kettle of tea as fast as she could and then taking it, along with three cups to the living room table. She served the three cups, offering two to the other women before taking the last for herself and sipping it carefully, as it was hot.

Both the younger and older woman signaled for Orihime to take a seat, but the sunset-colored haired girl seemed reticent for the time being.

"What do you know about Kiseki?" Orihime inquired, curious.

"I know a lot." Serenity replied, with the same honesty as before. "I know she lost her parents before she could get to know them, I know she died very young in a supposed accident. I also know she had abilities normal humans could never understand…and why she had them."

Orihime's eyes narrowed slightly, before she finally took a seat, silently signaling for her hostess to go on.

Serenity smiled at Orihime, it was the best she could hope for, for the time being, for Inoue Orihime to be receptive; later, they would try to get her to see, understand, and accept the truth, Serenity believed that, in good time, she would.

"Kiseki-hidenka was part of an ancient lineage." Serenity explained after taking a sip of her tea and sighing. "A very old, very powerful lineage, of humans with spiritual abilities."

"Like the Quincy?" Orihime couldn't help but ask.

"The Quincy are but one of dozens, maybe hundreds of the lineages, the races of spiritually aware that have existed in this world." Serenity explained calmly. "Most are extinct now, yet some still remain."

"Like the race that existed where you and Keeva-chan used to live?" Orihime asked. "We guessed that was why there were no shinigami, because one of those races used to exist there, it's extinct now, and yet the shinigami haven't realized yet."

"It's a good theory." Serenity agreed. "And yet, not the exact truth. The truth is, that the race that once guarded that territory is not yet extinct, not fully anyway; though for the last two generations it has tethered in the edge of extinction. There are so few left, it is likely that, unless a miracle happens, there won't be any left by the next generation."

"But then…" Orihime's mind was working a mile a minute, as she began to realize what the young woman's words meant, and yet it was so strange to her… "Does that mean Keeva-kun isn't really a human with powers?"

"That's what we all are, in the end." Serenity pointed out. "Regardless if you call yourself a human, or use some fancy name. After all, neither you, nor your friends have stopped being human just because you have spiritual abilities. Not even your Quincy friend…"

Orihime had to admit the veiled woman was right in that, though she still felt that Keeva had somewhat lied to them…

"You were going to tell me what you knew about Kiseki." Orihime decided it would be better if they just returned to their original topic of conversation.

"Of course, of course; please forgive me, I tend to digress." Serenity admitted. "What I know about Kiseki-hidenka, like I was saying before, is a lot; more, I'm sure, than what even you know, Inoue Orihime-san."

"What makes you think I know less, or even anything at all?" Orihime couldn't help but ask, half-upset by the woman's manner of speaking.

"The mere fact that you show interest in who she is…or rather was." Serenity replied.

"Will you give me an answer up-front, without all the cryptic comments or the too-heavily spun words?" Orihime half-demanded, finally growing tired of the enigmas.

"It depends on what answer you seek." Serenity asked, not in the least affected by Orihime's reaction. "On if you can find the right question to ask. After all, without a right question, there cannot be a right answer."

"You're not an Oracle, are you?" Orihime asked unexpectedly. "I mean, you certainly talk like one, and yet you're offering me answers in a very complicated manner."

"While my Sight, indeed, reaches far, it isn't far enough." Serenity asked, before explaining further. "No, I am not an Oracle, though one does exist, or at least she did until recently. She was lost in this very land just a handful of years ago."

"What happened to her?" Orihime was very curious.

"That, I do not know." Serenity said with a sigh. "All I know is that she was lost. However, before leaving for these lands she told me that big things were coming, and I was to come to this land as well, along with Keeva, that our aid would be necessary in an upcoming conflict."

"So you are here to help us in the war against Aizen?" Orihime deduced.

"We're here to protect who and what must be protected." Serenity told her seriously. "We are never meant to take sides, it's not our way…"

"Your way?" Orihime was growing unnerved yet again. "Whose way? Who are you? How are you related to Kiseki? And what may you know about her that I don't? And how?"

"Answering your last question last, I know things about Kiseki, than even she didn't know herself." The veiled woman commented with an air of intrigue.

"How?" Orihime asked yet again.

"Letters, records, legends…" Serenity told her.

Silence reigned for several seconds, until Orihime finally decided how to ask the question she really wanted to know the answer to.

"What exactly do you know about Kiseki, and this lineage of hers you mentioned before?" She asked, carefully, thinking over every word.

Serenity smiled approvingly at the teenager, happy that she had found a good question to ask, and at the same time wondering just how she would react to what was yet to come.

"I know that Kiseki-hidenka herself never knew what she was, the power the blood that ran through her veins truly had." Serenity answered. "She could see things, but she never knew why, what it all meant, because her mother died before such knowledge could be passed on, and her mother's people never found her. As to what Kiseki-hidenka was exactly, she was the daughter of a Síoraí; that's the title her mother held among her own people, as one of the most powerful to ever exist. She died young, as all Síoraí always have, however, before dying she did what no other Síoraí before her, or since: she had a child. And her daughter was named Kiseki, Miracle, because that's exactly what she was, not just for her own mother, but for all her people." She sighed. "For the longest time Kiseki-hidenka's existence has believed to be nothing more than a legend, one very few ever believed in."

"Yet you're so sure it's true." Orihime commented.

"I've always liked believing in the improbable, even the so-called impossible." Serenity explained with a smile. "So Kiseki-hidenka was born as a living-miracle, the only ever child of a Síoraí. And yet, she died so young, before her existence could be confirmed, before she could ever know about her own people…my people."

"Your…" Orihime's suspicions had been confirmed with those words. "You're one of them. You and Keeva both, part of that race, the same as Kiseki, the same…"

"As you." Serenity finished for her.

"How can I be considered part of your lineage when I wasn't born from it?" Orihime asked. "I mean, I don't remember my parents but still…"

"Not in this life, maybe." Serenity pointed out. "But your aura gives you away…regardless of who may have sired you in this life, you have the soul of one of my own race. I could sense it when I touched you a short while ago, Keeva suspected it since that battle outside the school."

"How?" Orihime wanted to know.

"The way you use your powers, the way you manipulate reishi." Keeva answered. "Even if the way your abilities manifest is nothing like ours, still…"

"Tell me, Inoue Orihime." Serenity commented unexpectedly. "Who did you inherit your hair-color from? That red-shade…"

"I…I actually don't know." Orihime admitted. "My brother had brown hair, I don't know about my parents, but I don't think either of them had hair this color. Sora-nii-san used to say I was special, unique, and my hair showed it."

"He may have been right." Keeva commented. "If you are indeed Kiseki-hidenka reincarnated, that may be why your hair is that color."

"Keeva is right." Serenity added. "It would show the influence of a past-life in your current one. It would explain why no one else in your family has hair that color."

Silence reigned for several seconds, no one daring to break it as Serenity took the chance to drink her tea, and Orihime to process everything she'd just been told.

"I have one question still." Orihime spoke after what seemed like forever. "This race you keep mentioning, to which this Síoraí belonged, to which Kiseki…I once supposedly belonged; of which you are the last. What is this race? What is your power?"

"Such complicated questions, such difficult answers." Serenity commented with a sigh. "Our powers can manifest in many various ways, unlike the Quincy, Priestesses, or most other races, who always manifested their power in the exact same way. However, that doesn't mean they were any better or worse than us, just different." She sighed before, mostly, going to the point. "While our powers can manifest in many different ways, their origins are always the same ability. Our actual ability is to manipulate reiatsu, the power we can absorb from the reishi in our environment, we can manipulate it inside us, and use it in many different ways, some can even affect the exterior, though most manifest powers while keeping the reiatsu strictly inside themselves. It's why many would believe that we had everlasting energy, it wasn't so, it's just that, as long as we don't actually expel the reiatsu, it remains inside us, and it can be used. Of course, there's a limit of how long this can be done before our bodies resent it. It's one of the reasons there are so few of us left…"

"They died." Orihime was horrified by that prospect.

"Some did." Serenity admitted. "However, others chose to forsake their own powers, in hopes of being able to live better, longer lives."

"Did it work?" Orihime wanted to know.

"For those who weren't killed by Corrupted Spirits, I suppose." Serenity sighed. "Obviously the descendants of those who chose to forsake their lineage don't know anything, their parents, or whatever ancestor made the decision to pull away, made sure the newer generations would have no connection to what was left of their 'race', of us…"

"It's so sad…" Orihime whispered with a sigh. "And yet…even with everything you've said, you've yet to tell me the name of this race, your race…"

"True." Serenity closed her eyes briefly, as if calling on some unknown force before she finished her sentence. "Our race, it's one that was believed to be lost a generation ago, was resurrected with us, and may be lost again, and this time definitely by the time the next one comes. Still, it exists, we exist, and as long as we do, we shall fight. We are the Réalta…"

xXx

That same evening, in a hidden part of the woods of Junriran, a memorial service for Kusaka Soujirou was taking place, and even though only Karin and Toushirou had really known him, that hadn't stopped Ichigo, Rukia and Rangiku from wanting to be there, and Ichigo had declared that the only reason the rest of the Nakama weren't present was because no one had informed them, or given them time to arrive. Toushirou's puzzlement at this comment had prompted Karin to explain about the 'tradition' the Nakama had of being there for each other when a death anniversary came up.

"But I'm not a Nakama…" Was Toushirou's not-so-eloquent answer.

"Neither was Rukia when we first met her." Karin pointed out. "And yet she is now. Renji is pretty close to being considered one, if he isn't already. Nakama isn't a title you are born with, it's just…it's something that's felt." She smiled melancholically. "Regardless of how little time we actually had together, for us Kusaka-kun was a nakama, you're still nakama to me, and one day you will be to everyone else."

"Maybe one day he'll also be more…" Rukia whispered under her breath.

"Shush you…" Ichigo whispered back.

Truth is, he knew Rukia was right, and yet, if Karin wasn't in any hurry to make her obvious caring for the white-haired shinigami official, Ichigo wasn't about to push her…

After the 'service', Karin insisted that they all go visit Toushirou's Granny. The old-woman was delighted at seeing Karin, she'd heard the girl was back but hadn't seen her before. The woman also insisted on having them all stay for dinner. They all agreed.

After dinner Toushirou and Rangiku made their way back to their barracks, where most of their subordinates had spent most of the day (in between their duties) celebrating that their captain wasn't a traitor, he was loyal and a hero, unlike what most of the high-ranking shinigami had thought during the 'Ouin debacle'; of course none of them had ever doubted their captain…

Ichigo, Rukia, Yuzu and Karin, for their part, took the Nagaken Senkaimon back to Karakura, since they would be having classes the next morning. They really hoped things would go calm down somewhat, however they didn't really have much hope for it…

xXx

A young form laid among some small stones, twigs and grass, her once beautiful if slightly worn-out yellow sundress streaked with dirt and slightly torn, her usually peach-colored skin turning sickeningly pale, her beautiful sun-colored hair matted with dirt and blood, and her before bright almost-silver eyes already losing their light.

She was so young, not a woman, not even a teenager yet, just a child…an innocent girl, and already death was staking its claim on her.

And yet, even as her life left her, breath by painful breath, her eyes remained perfectly focused on the imaged before her, a sight only her eyes could see: a figure at least twice her height, half-crouched, paler than the moon, with hair darker than the night and eyes greener than any forest; he too seemed to be watching the prone form of the dying girl, as if finding something absolutely fascinating in the morbid image.

As the last breath left the young body, she somehow found the strength to smile at the figure, one small, painful smile that seemed to hold the secrets of the world. Then she was gone.

In a mostly empty room, a lone figure whispered a name to the night: "Utokui…"

Chapter Text

Chapter 26. Trust

It was absolute mayhem, had been for a few hours by that point, ever since the sky had opened on several different spots and hordes of hollows had swarmed Karakura's sky. The Nakama didn't think things had been that bad for months, since that day Ichigo ended up overcharging his back-then nameless zanpakutou to defeat a Menos, since that day Rukia somehow did a miracle by earning Ishida Ryuuken's respect.

There were so many hollows in that moment…thankfully most of them weren't too powerful, barely any Menos and no Arrancars, it had allowed the Nakama to split so they could more effectively cover the town. There were so many enemies and yet, on the brighter side, none had been strong enough thus far to make any bankais necessary.

The Shinigami were using shikai freely, as they fought on the air to make sure not to destroy anything, Uryuu had his arrows, Chad his armored arm, Tatsuki her own zanpakutou, Yuzu her kidou and Keeva her own abilities; even the members of the Urahara Shouten were doing their part, though most still relatively close to their own turf.

Hours had passed, and finally it looked like the battle would end, when something else went terribly wrong.

"Ichigo, behind you!" Rukia yelled at him from several feet away.

She had just finished her last opponents and turned in time to see a Menos, the last one actually, attempt a swipe at her husband at the same time it opened a black hole in the space to the side, similar to what the Arrancars had used…

Ichigo reacted instinctively to his wife and partner's warning, he ducked slightly sideways and half spun around, hoping to evade the attack and at the same time turn around to face his attacker. He managed to dodge, mostly, however, as he was forced to raise an arm to keep his balance with the sudden movement his shoulder was hit.

"Cero!" Ichigo attacked just as instinctively.

Shiro had begun helping him halfway through the battle, since it became obvious it wouldn't be ending any time soon and it might be a good idea for his hollow side to begin absorbing all the reishi in the air to keep his own reiatsu at top levels; that and Shiro just loved a good fight, even if he did little more than use some powers through Ichigo, and give him suggestions every now and then.

The Cero wasn't as well-measured as the few he'd used before had been, and while it was enough to vanquish the Menos with little trouble, it also had the undesired effect of half-burning a nearby tree, causing some tension and mild-panic to the nearby humans (who had remained unaware of the happenings throughout the whole fight) and calling every nearby Nakama's attention to him.

"Ichigo!" Karin cried out in a scolding tone.

"What?!" Ichigo demanded as he spun around yet again.

Her intention was to scold him for using such volatile powers so carelessly, and he knew that, just like Karin knew he'd only done it because he wanted to end the battle already, they were all pretty stressed out and the battle had lasted long enough. However, moving so fast, so suddenly, while using an only-half-controlled attack, and when already in a precarious position, as his balance had been compromised, first with his first spin, and then further when the Menos managed to half-hit him; it had consequences.

Ichigo lost what little focus he'd left for his air-walking technique and then, as his body was already a bit sideways, he proceeded to fall to a side…and straight through the black hole the Menos had summoned before being destroyed and which had yet to disappear. It did so almost immediately afterwards.

It had all happened in a handful of seconds, from Ichigo hearing Rukia's warning and turning to face a last, surprising opponent, to disappearing into the now-closed unknown hole that had been in the sky. The react from the Nakama was almost instantaneous.

"What the hell just happened?!"

xXx

"Aibou, wake up!"

The shrill scream coming from his 'twin' very effectively woke Ichigo up, and right on time for him to roll to a side, avoiding the pincer-like limb from the masked entity attacking him.

"Ossan!" Ichigo called, his hand shooting to the side.

The connection between shinigami and zanpakutou was so tight that the orangehead didn't need to look for his weapon, it was always in his hand when he needed it. So the moment he called and shot his hand to the side, the hilt was immediately in his hand.

He didn't even voice an attack, just slashing at the air, at the space between him and his attacker, which he suddenly realized was a hollow; just the ken'atsu caused by Zangetsu in shikai (it had unsealed automatically the moment Ichigo called him) had been enough to destroy the hollow.

Looking around, making sure there was no one else trying to stab him, cut him, or something else, Ichigo took a moment to focus inward.

"Now, what the hell is going on?!" He demanded, not caring to not speak out-loud, it wasn't like there was anyone around to hear and call him crazy, or something.

*What's the last thing you remember, Ichigo?* Zangetsu questioned calmly.

"Hundreds of hollows…all Nakama fighting…Rukia yelled something at me…a Menos…" Suddenly he remembered. "I used a Cero to kill the Menos, then one of my sisters screamed, Karin I think…I fell…into the damned black-hole the fucking hollow made?!" he growled to himself, some people were going to have his hide for his idiocy. "That still doesn't answer the question, where are we exactly?"

*In the place where that hollow came from.* Zangetsu answered calmly. *The place all hollows come from.*

"*Hueco Mundo?!*" Ichigo and Shiro yelled/bellowed at the same time. "*We're in freaking Hueco Mundo?!*"

*The black-hole you went through,* Zangetsu explained patiently. *It's what all high-level hollows use to go from one world to another; very much like a shinigami Senkaimon.*

Ichigo nodded, it made sense, and he did remember seeing Ulquiorra use one when leaving with the other Arrancar after the stand off in front of Karakura High.

Ichigo became aware of another hollow moving in his direction right then, he waited biding his time until the creature was right behind him, then he spun around on one foot and slashed with Zangetsu, cutting the hollow in two instantly.

However, that was just the beginning, as suddenly more hollows came at him, one after the other, none too powerful, but still too many for him to handle with ease. For a few minutes, the orange-haired focused only on the fight, leaving finding out the details of his situation, for later.

"Shiro!" Ichigo called as he shifted Zangetsu to hold the blade with just one hand, freeing his left one and holding it before him.

*What's mine is yours, Aibou.* Shiro reminded him, thrilled at his power being used so openly. *Destroy the fuckers!*

"Cero! Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo shot both attacks at once.

It wasn't easy, manipulating his zanpakutou with just one hand, with enough precision to send his signature attack, but he managed, particularly since he had both Zangetsu and Shiro helping him through it.

It took a while, since the enemies kept coming and coming, but eventually Ichigo managed to destroy enough hollows to shunpo away and hide; while running away from a fight went against everything he believed in, he knew there was no way he could ever win that fight, not when he was in the hollows' own world.

The orange-head got to a small outcropping of rocks that formed what almost seemed like a cave, there he resealed Zangetsu and focused on suppressing as much of his reiatsu as he could, it wasn't as hard as it should have been…something understandable considering how depleted his reserves were after the two rather hard and difficult battles in the same day.

"That was…bad…" Ichigo muttered, mostly to himself. "We need to do something, before we end up as hollow-food…"

*Ichigo…* Zangetsu called in a low, solemn tone.

Ichigo could sense that whatever his zanpakutou wanted to say it was bad, and he most likely wasn't going to like it. And yet…the old man had never lead him astray, so whatever it was, it had to be important, and right…

"You know what I must do, don't you Ossan?" Ichigo guessed with a deep breath. "Tell me, you've never lead me wrong. I trust you."

In Ichigo's Inner World, Zangetsu smiled, he truly enjoyed being the orange-haired's zanpakutou, the trust he put not just in him, the spirit of his zanpakutou, but even on his 'darker' half.

*Ichigo, we're in a world of hollows.* Zangetsu explained. *They go after you because you're a shinigami, and they will continue doing so for as long as you are a shinigami…*

"For as long…" Ichigo broke off. "You don't want me to be a shinigami anymore, but how…?" suddenly, he understood. "Shiro…"

*I know you probably don't like the idea Aibou but…* Shiro began a bit nervously.

"How do we do this?" Ichigo asked, no hesitation in his voice. "Because something tells me this won't be like the times I've let him trash some gang or another, or even the battle against the freaky Bount's spider-woman doll…"

*No, it won't be like that.* Zangetsu admitted. *Those times you let Shiro make choices, you let him into your head, but the body was still yours, you still felt what he did, saw what he saw, all your senses were still active, and you could have gotten control back in an instant. For this to work you will need to surrender absolute control. Let yourself become hollow…*

That, there, was the problem of the whole thing. While Ichigo didn't really hate hollows on principle (specific ones like Grand Fisher and Shrieker notwithstanding, with those it had been personal), he knew what a hollow was about: humans who had lost their hearts, and because of that they always preyed on their families and loved ones first…that was the part he wouldn't be able to endure, if he were to become a hollow and then hurt those he loved: his nakama, his sisters, his Rukia…

*I swear to you Aibou, I will never hurt anyone you love, I…I love them too…* Shiro admitted in a quiet voice.

Ichigo remembered then: he remembered when he'd first met that 'white twin' of his around the time he turned ten; when he'd bared his soul to Rukia in his Inner World; when he'd revealed everything to his Nakama, and they'd accepted him, both sides of him; when his sister had embraced his hollow self, calling him 'nii-san'…

"I trust you." Ichigo announced strongly.

He didn't give Shiro a chance to hesitate any longer, or for Zangetsu to say anything at all; suddenly Ichigo knew exactly what to do. It was like taking a step back, not physically, but mentally. His own instincts fought him, even as his body spasmed in response to the change. Ichigo didn't let it stop him, he stepped back, giving a small mental push to Shiro to take the 'front-seat', fully and totally for the first time ever. Then, even as he heard the surprised yelp of Shiro as he was sent forward, Ichigo blacked out.

xXx

When Ichigo woke up he had to blink a few times to realize what he was seeing. He was laying on the roof of one of the skyscrapers in his Inner World; Zangetsu was at a distance… fighting against a Menos Grande?!

In that very moment the Menos shot a huge Cero, it hit Zangetsu on the side, burning him slightly and forcing him to twist to evade most of the blast; the problem being that the cero blast went on…straight in Ichigo's direction! Having very little time to do anything at all, the orange-haired's reaction was instinctive:

"Hado 33, Soukatsui!" He yelled.

The blue fire-like blast exploded from his hand with uncontrolled reiatsu and enough force to blow right through the Cero and then even injure the Menos.

Ichigo was still pretty atrocious at kidou, though Rukia, and even the twins kept trying their best to teach him. It'd been eventually decided that he should leave all Hadou and most Bakudou for emergencies only, and never with allies close, as they were as likely to explode as they were to work. He was beginning to be able to make half-decent work with his wife's favorite ones: Soukatsui and Shakkahou, but still nothing like her, or Karin (Yuzu was a prodigy and way over his level, even the other girls'); at least he was better than Renji…

Following the same instinct that made him attack, and deciding explanations could wait until the unexpected enemy was dealt with, Ichigo took his zanpakutou, shifted into shikai and cut through the Menos's mask in a fluid motion.

"There." Ichigo declared with satisfaction before turning to Zangetsu. "Now please tell me what the hell I just woke up to. And why did I need to wake up exactly?"

"Calm down Ichigo." Zangetsu instructed calmly. "Calm down and I'll explain everything."

Ichigo took a deep breath, following the old-man to yet another roof where the two got comfortable as the teen waited for the much needed explanation.

"Now then, to answer your last question first." Zangetsu told him. "Shiro taking over your body had some unexpected side-effects."

"What kind of side-effects?" Ichigo asked, doing his best to stay calm.

"We knew already your body would have to change to accommodate a hollow form." The zanpakutou spirit pointed out. "Apparently the shock of the change hit you instead of Shiro, which is what knocked you out; on the flipside, it also allowed Shiro to retain all his control and rationality, something unheard of in 'newly born' hollows." He made a pause before adding. "About you being unconscious, you were like that for twenty-four hours."

Ichigo's eyes widened, he'd been unconscious for a while, not as long as he'd been after his battle with Kenpachi, or with Aizen, but still. At least Shiro had benefited from the whole thing, and in the end that meant they should be alright.

"What of the hollow just now?" The shinigami asked, still confused about that.

"Regardless of the fact that the body we inhabit was originally yours, or how willing you were to put Shiro in power, that doesn't change the fact that he is a hollow; part of your soul, yes, but still a hollow." Zangetsu elaborated.

"Yeah, I get that Ossan." Ichigo really hated when Zangetsu got all cryptic and went on roundabout ways before saying something. "Just get to the point."

"Hollows feed on reishi." Zangetsu deadpanned. "Powerful hollows feed on each other, and Shiro, as could be expected being a part of your own soul, is particularly powerful, an Arrancar in fact, and a particularly powerful one…"

Ichigo blinked once, twice, and then he flipped out.

"WHAT?!"

xXx

Ichigo spent the next three days fighting alongside Zangetsu the hollows Shiro was forced to consume to survive; though the orange-haired tried very hard not to think much about the last part. He understood and accepted that Shiro was a hollow, and what that meant, didn't mean he had to like all the details. On the positive side, no hollow dare attack them since they had changed places, other than when they tried, uselessly, to defend themselves when Shiro himself was hunting them down.

The only problem was that in the strange forest they found themselves in most of the hollows were too weak to do or even mean much. The most powerful ones were Gillians, and even those didn't satisfy Shiro's hunger for too long. It was like Zangetsu had said, Shiro was an Arrancar, a mid or high-level Adjuchas; he was very powerful, and that power required reiatsu to sustain him, which meant he had to eat, a lot. Ichigo had been surprised at first that Shiro could be such a powerful hollow from the very beginning, him being an Arrancar was understandable, he got shinigami powers from Ichigo, just like Ichigo himself got hollow ones from him. And according to Zangetsu, this too was Ichigo's fault, because Ichigo was so powerful, and because of the trust all three parts of the soul shared, it made Shiro be just as powerful. He had begun straight as an Adjuchas which shouldn't have been possible, yet somehow was (which really, was pretty much the norm for them); however, on the flipside, the hollows in the forest around them weren't enough to hold him, and unless they solved that problem soon, Shiro's sanity would be at risk…

"We need to get out of here." Ichigo declared on the morning of the fifth day.

"Ichigo?" Zangetsu was a bit confused by his wielder's sudden declaration.

"This forest…" Ichigo elaborated, signaling up, to the real world. "We're supposed to be in the world of hollows, but this forest cannot be all there is to it. We need to find what else there is to this world; hopefully a place with more powerful hollows."

"You think that's a good idea?" Zangetsu asked, curious rather than doubtful.

"Well Gillian aren't satisfying Shiro anymore, are they?" Ichigo said rhetorically. "And we have no trouble getting rid of them when they get here either." He chuckled slightly. "At least this little trip is good as a hell of a training session."

Even if he hadn't been awake all the time since their abrupt arrival to Hueco Mundo, Ichigo had spent at least half of that time either fighting the hollows Shiro ate (to prevent them from trying to overtake the body) or training all-out with Zangetsu; the rest of the time had been spent training and learning more about Zangetsu, and in a way about himself.

He was growing, even in that short time, learning how to control his own power, to make his Getsuga Tenshou more powerful; he was also learning other ways of using that same technique, or his blade. And being in a place that could be destroyed and rebuilt with just a thought, he was also trying to practice some kidou. He hadn't managed much on that front, but at least he was able to use several hadou and a few bakudou without them blowing up when he focused enough.

"Hey King!" Ichigo hollered at the Sky. "We need to talk!"

A second later, Ichigo's twin materialized in front of him, he looked oddly pissed off…

"What the fuck is it with calling me King?!" He demanded hotly.

"It's what you say I am usually, right?" Ichigo said with a smirk. "Because I'm the one in control, then I'm the King; and since you're the one in control right now…"

"Not exactly my idea, remember?" Shiro grumbled with a pout.

Ichigo just shrugged, it's not like it changed anything, whoever's idea the whole thing had been, it was their reality in that moment.

For all answer, Shiro blew his opposite a raspberry.

Ichigo couldn't help it, he dropped to the floor, laughing very hard. Even Zangetsu began chuckling slightly, though he tried his best to hide it.

"What the hell, Aibou, Ossan?!" Shiro demanded.

"It's just that…what you just did…it was just…just so fucking hilarious!" Ichigo answered amidst more laughing.

Shiro rolled his eyes, yes, he was acting like a petulant child, he knew that, but hunger and him did not mix. It had been so strange at first, being hungry, since Ichigo had always been ultimately in charge, even when Shiro was allowed to 'deal with' punks or even an opponent. But with him totally in control, he'd actually become a hollow, a real one, for the first time ever, and while that made his own powers all the easier, it also had its drawbacks, like the damn hunger that just didn't seem to be satisfied!

After a while longer Ichigo calmed down. In few words he explained to his twin what he had been telling Zangetsu, and they all decided it was a good idea.

It took a while, and a handful more hollows consumed on the way, but eventually Shiro found a path that seemed to have been carved on the stone wall that limited the forest, it went straight up, through the 'roof'.

On the way they found their first Adjuchas, Shiro didn't even think about it and immediately went against the hollow, killing it and devouring it as fast as possible. It was more powerful than a Gillian, though not by much, Ichigo guessed it probably hadn't been Adjuchas for long, and it was no arrancar…

They kept walking, eventually reaching what looked like the exit of a cave, white, almost bleached white sand, covering the rock at the entrance, showing how different the other side, what was above the forest, actually was.

It was until that very moment, reflected on the shiny surface of what looked like some crystallized sand by that very entrance, that Shiro was able to look at him, at his hollow body, completely, for the first time.

In the Inner World Ichigo and Zangetsu were able to see the same, thanks to Shiro allowing it. It was almost creepy just how much he looked like Ichigo, only with the palest skin-tone, white hair and eyes that were yellow on black instead of Ichigo's brown on white. He was still wearing the shihakusho, though the clothes looked a bit worse for wear, a leg half-tattered, and the kosode opened and a bit ripped also; something expected considering what had happened in the four days since their arrival to that world.

Shiro was a bit more at ease by that point, while the Adjuchas they had consumed hadn't been at that level for long, it still had had the kind of power needed for his hunger to be abated, finally…at least for a while.

Once outside the cave Shiro looked around, allowing those inside him to do the same.

"Urg…" Shiro complained out-loud. "So much white…wonder if people around here even know what color is…"

*Well, I very much doubt there's any actual people around here.* Ichigo deadpanned mentally. *Except maybe…*

Truth hit the two younger parts of the soul at the same time:

"*Aizen!*" They both cried out at the same time.

Zangetsu rolled his eyes, not quite believing that they hadn't realized it earlier. It was so obvious. And they were all seeing that odd, gigantic construction in the distance…even if Ichigo and Shiro didn't seem to be fully aware of it yet.

*This could pose a problem.* Ichigo contemplated.

"Why? it's not like I'm going to join the psychotic bastard and his freaking cult." Shiro retorted in a defensive tone.

*Precisely because of that.* Ichigo replied as if it should be obvious. *If they sense us…you… our power, they will want to recruit us, when you say no…it will complicate things, especially if they notice our likeness…"

Shiro cursed loudly and colorfully, knowing his twin was right.

"What me to return control to you, then?" Shiro asked hesitantly.

The hollow half of the teen didn't want to ask the question, it was the first time ever he'd been in full control, and even if he wasn't doing much he was enjoying the freedom immensely. It wasn't like he hated Ichigo for having control all the time, Shiro had never fought him for dominance of the body after all, it was just…he knew it was unlikely he would get such a chance again and wanted to enjoy it for as long as possible.

*Of course not!* Ichigo answered instantly. *Even if there don't seem to be as many hollows up here, we're still in Hueco Mundo. It's better if you stay in charge. I trust you to keep us alive. Besides, me taking over would just make our presence even more obvious to Aizen and his minions…* he sighed. *You just be careful, okay?*

Shiro nodded.

Before anything else could be said suddenly there was a rumble in the distance, followed by what sounded like a shrill scream. Shiro spun around, one hand on Zangetsu's hilt, the other charging a cero; however, what he saw, made his stagger. There was a huge hollow in the distance, pursuing what looked like two smaller hollows and…

*They're going after a child?!* Ichigo yelled, furious at the whole thing.

"How are there even other humans here?!" Shiro didn't understand what could have happened, and for a child to be there…

*Less talking, more action.* Ichigo demanded of his twin.

Shiro nodded, seeing the cloaked child running from the hollows, some even looked like arrancars, had hit too close to home, reminding them of Karin, Yuzu, and all the children, human and spiritual, they had seen in their lifetime…

Shiro began moving at great speeds, the hollow equivalent of shunpo, though it made sound, Ichigo had told him it was like he'd broken the sound barrier or something like that.

Considering that the potential enemies were three, and he couldn't exactly use kidou, Shiro chose to use a mid-level cero to at least call the hollows attention upon himself, he shot it with great precision, in the space between the fleeing child and the pursuing hollows.

And while Shiro considered the cero to be about mid-level, it was still very powerful, enough to make all three hollows freeze in place, turning to look at him in absolute silence; even the child turned back.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Shiro demanded hotly, already charging another cero. "Trying to hurt a child, really?"

"Huh?" The hollows didn't seem to be able to understand him.

"What do you want?" The small child demanded in a shrill tone. "You a b-bully? What did we ever do ta you?"

At some point during the tirade, the cloak finally fell, allowing Shiro to see that the child in question was actually a female, straight sea-green hair to her chin, big, bright hazel eyes, an odd red mark that went across her face, and a somewhat big scar that went from the top of her forehead to nearly the tip of her nose; also, a most noticeable detail was the piece of mask, which looked like the upper half of a skull, which rested over her head.

"*Arrancar?!*" Ichigo and Shiro cried out in unison.

"Hey!" The girl complained childishly. "Whadever do you 'ave againsh Arrancars? Yar one yarself mishter!"

It was true, and the only difference between Shiro in the Inner World and when in control of the body, he had a quarter of a mask going from a point on his hair to his eyebrow, it was white with the same red tribal-like designs of the mask he'd materialized several times to protect Ichigo during the 'adventures' in Seireitei.

"I know what I am." Shiro drawled. "And you still haven't answered my question: what the hell is going on here? The only reason I even interfered was because I thought you" he pointed at the child. "Were being chased…"

"Nel was!" The girl announced brightly. "Tis a game!"

"A…a game…" Shiro sputtered along with Ichigo in the Inner World. "But you were screaming, and crying…"

"Yes!" The girl nodded, still smiling. "Nel is a huge maso-kiss! It no fun if I don' cry a lil…"

*This is totally twisted…* Ichigo muttered with a sigh.*What kind of things are the others teaching this kid?*

"You said your name was Nel?" Shiro asked suddenly.

"Yes!" She smiled at him. "Nel Tu, the Arrancar." She turned to the other hollows. "An' those are my brothers: Pesche, Dondochakka, and our pet Bawabawa!"

"Hello!" The other hollows chorused.

*I didn't even know there could be a child arrancar?* Ichigo commented thoughtfully. *And she doesn't feel anything like the ones that attacked us in Karakura…*

*Haven't either of you noticed the scar on her forehead? Or the way her mask is cracked?* Zangetsu pointed out.

Instantly all the attention of the teen's halves turned to those details.

*You think there's a relation…?* This time Shiro focused on speaking only in his mind.

*Maybe…* Ichigo pondered the mystery for a short time. *We know that Arrancars are powerful hollows that break their masks, which allows them to gain some shinigami powers… but there must be a limit to how much that mask can be broken before they risk losing their hollow ones…right?*

*It's an interesting theory.* Zangetsu agreed.

*So you think she was a normal Arrancar, her mask broke further and she ended up like this?* Shiro summarized.

*It's the only thing I can think of.* Ichigo told him.

*Note to self: never, ever, allow my mask to be broken.* Shiro declared seriously.

Ichigo and Zangetsu both heartily agreed.

"Hey!" Nel yelled, suddenly right in his face. "Nel's talkin ta you!"

"I was thinking." Shiro answered dismissively. "What were you saying?"

"I's askin who you are." Nel declared with a pout.

"My name is Shiro…saki, Shirosaki Kamen." Shiro announced after some consideration.

Ichigo mentally approved the name, it seemed somehow fitting, he knew that the syllables added to the name made it sound very much like Kurosaki, something he thanked his hollow counterpart for, and Kamen…Mask, definitely fitting.

"Shiro!" Nel cried out brightly.

"How long have you been here?" Pesche asked in a veiled tone. "I do not remember seeing you before today…"

"I'm kinda new." Shiro admitted calmly. "Spent a few days on that awful quartz-like forest before I got bored and found my way here…"

"You do not look like a normal Arrancar, even with that mask fragment on your face." Pesche pointed out, in the same tone.

"Tha's right!" Nel agreed, still smiling. "The clodes you wearin, you look like a…like a…" her eyes grew wide in sudden terror. "SHINIGAMI?!"

Shiro cringed at the loud volume of the shrill scream, Ichigo wincing sympathetically himself, the hollow had very sensitive hearing.

"I am not a shinigami!" He said as he rolled his eyes *Technically, I'm not.*

"You're not?" Nel asked, confused. "But dose black clothes…"

"I've been wearing them since I 'woke up', so to speak." Shiro tried to explain.

"You're an Arrancar, and a very powerful one…" Pesche muttered suddenly, his own eyes widening. "Are you an Espada?!"

The reaction that followed that question was one Shiro certainly hadn't been expecting. In an instant Pesche was in front of him, on-guard, while Dondochakka took hold of Nel, trying to pull her away and Bawabawa began yelling some nonsense.

"What the hell…?" Shiro was shocked at the intense reaction.

*Why do they fear so much the possibility of us…you, being an Espada?* Ichigo asked, doubtful and just as surprised.

*They're Arrancar, yet they are obviously not allied with Aizen.* Zangetsu declared.

*What makes you reach that conclusion?* Shiro and Ichigo both inquired at once.

*The child.* Zangetsu answered simply.

*True.* Ichigo agreed. *I mean, Shiro, can you imagine Aizen accepting a child, particularly one as, well…childish, as Nel, as part of his army?*

*So, in that case, me being an Espada would put them in danger…* Shiro understood, then turned his focus outwards again. "I am not an Espada."

"Really?" Nel smiled brightly as she got away from Dondochakka and rushed back to Shiro. "That makes Nel very happy!"

It was obvious by the stance that Nel's 'brothers' still didn't trust him. Shiro didn't care much for that. While they were obviously Adjuchas, they were nowhere near as powerful as him, they were no threat; and Nel, she was a child, Shiro just couldn't see her as an enemy, and regarding her possible power…he had no idea…

xXx

Hours passed, Shiro had chosen to hang around with Nel and her so-called brothers, not like he had anything better to do. In the time with them he'd learnt: he learnt that the world he was in was called Hueco Mundo, that the speed-technique he was able to do instinctively was called sonido; he also learnt that the huge building in the distance was called Las Noches and it was Aizen's fortress, it was also a place Nel's brothers avoided like the plague. In all that time one thing came particularly clear to Shiro and the other spirits inside him, even though nothing had been said about it: Nel was someone, someone important, and the other hollows were trying to keep that fact, along with the child herself, hidden.

Ichigo for his part kept practicing kidou, it was slow going, particularly since there was no one to help guide him; at least Zangetsu had nearly eidetic memory and could dictate to him the full incantation of the kidou he (they) had witnessed either Rukia or Tessai teaching Yuzu. As well as those Rukia used the most.

By the night Shiro had to admit to himself to being surprised that he had felt no more hunger yet. Zangetsu commented that his exaggerate hunger was probably his lack of reiatsu, since he had stabilized it would no longer be as bad. That was good; especially in case they ever needed to shift control while allies were nearby.

That night, or what they guessed was night, it was unclear since the sky never really changed much, the group was searching for a spot to rest some, without being easily found, as the last thing they wanted was to be hunted by other hollows that may find them with their guard down. When, abruptly, they were found.

The attack was totally unexpected, Shiro's instincts just warning him in the very last second; his response was also instinctive, as he scooped Nel into his arms and then threw himself to a side, rolling several feet to get away from the attacker.

The whole move took less than two seconds, and just as instantly Shiro was back on his feet, with Nel behind him, Zangetsu already in hand. The child looking at him with absolute awe and worship for having saved her.

"What the heck just happened?!" Shiro demanded as he looked warily at the attacker.

He looked a bit plain for a hollow, dressed in a body suit and what could pass for boots, a hood covering his head and a full mask on his face. However, what called even more attention were the three dog-wolf-monster like creatures, all black, with masks and mouths that seemed to be filled with only fangs, growling from around him, and straight at him.

*They look like the wargs from Lord of the Rings.* Ichigo commented, remembering the movie his friends had insisted on going seeing years before. *Except worse…*

The creatures all looked straight at Shiro, before letting out what seemed like a shrill whistle, one sharp enough to make even Ichigo's ears ring painfully; Shiro wanted nothing more than to hold his head and groan in pain, but there was no way he was letting his guard down with the unknown enemies before him.

"Pesche!" Shiro demanded sharply. "Explain!"

"Cazador!" Pesche answered as he tried to go around the creatures. "The hollow is called Cazador, and the other are his Hounds. They are trackers, and hunters, they work for Aizen and the Espada…"

"What the fuck are they doing here?!" Shiro demanded, before turning inwards. *They cannot know already I'm here right? It's not been that long…*

*Didn't you notice?* Zangetsu said seriously. *That Cazador…wasn't looking at you just now, he was looking at the child you just saved. The first attack itself wasn't directed at you at all, you just moved his target…*

*Nel?!* Ichigo and Shiro cried out mentally at the same time. *They're after Nel?!*

Shiro had no idea what has going on, but he knew one thing for sure, the Cazador couldn't be allowed to get what he'd gone there for, whether that was Nel or Shiro himself was a minor and mostly unimportant detail.

"Cero!" Shiro blasted his attack full-power at the Cazador and his hounds.

He managed to kill one of the hounds, seriously injured another one and dealt a minor injury to the last one and to the Cazador himself. It seemed like a huge victory for the first attack, and it was, until three more Cazadores arrived…

"*Shit!*" All parts of the teenagers cursed at the same time.

"Cero!" Shiro attacked again, the first thing he could think of doing.

He didn't manage to injure anyone or anything that time, as they sonidoed fast enough to evade it completely, to his anger.

Shiro cursed again, they had dodged, and he couldn't keep wasting reiatsu like that, not unless he wanted to risk getting too-hungry again.

*We gotta do something!* Ichigo snapped, growing nervous in the Inner World, he turned to the zanpakutou spirit. *Isn't there some way for him to power-up or something, like I do with bankai or with his power?*

*He's already using his power, that's what makes him an Arrancar.* Zangetsu replied. *And bankai is a shinigami art, he does not have access to it, same as with kidou…*

*So Bankai's out of the question…* Suddenly Ichigo remembered something. *What about Resurreccion?*

"I like the idea." Shiro declared as he kept dodging and parrying two Cazadores. "How do I call on that power exactly?"

Silence, they had no idea, or so it seemed at first.

*I am your zanpakutou Shiro, just like I'm Ichigo's, because the two of you are one.* Zangetsu reminded the teens.

"I know that already Ossan!" Shiro snapped, she really didn't like not being able to just trash all his enemies.

"Focus Shiro." Zangetsu admonished. "Just like Ichigo must summon my power in a certain way when it is sealed, you need to do the same."

"Summon…a certain way…?" Shiro couldn't focus on what the old-man was trying to teach and on fighting at the same time, particularly not when he also had to keep Nel safe.

*The shikai-release command.*Ichigo understood right then.

*The release command, are not just random words or phrases.* Zangetsu pointed out. *They are connected to what you expect me, as your zanpakutou spirit, to be able to do, and what you expect to be able to do with me…*

*Like I somehow expect to pierce the skies to reach True Heaven…* Ichigo commented, still not fully comprehending what that was supposed to mean.

*Yes.* Zangetsu nodded, not giving any more detail.

"What I expect to do…to achieve…" Shiro muttered to himself.

He fired another Cero when the Cazadores got too close to him, and suddenly he somehow knew exactly what to say and do.

"Tear the skies asunder, Zangetsu!" Shiro cried out as he held his sealed zanpakutou, tip against his chest, with both hands.

It was a strange, yet somehow compelling sight, the blade seemed to pierce into his chest on its own, before seemingly melting away, on the spot where it had stabbed Shiro a hole began to appear and then…an explosion of reiatsu.

Three hounds end up being caught by the storm of reiatsu Shiro's sudden transformation had caused, being destroyed instantly by it, while one Cazador lost an arm.

When the reiatsu cleared again, a very different Shiro was standing in place. He no longer had a kosode, as it had been blown off in the explosion, and one of his hakama legs was torn and missing the lower half; at the same time almost every visible part of Shiro's body had been covered by a white substance, one that seemed to be the same material the mask was made of; the mask itself had doubled and lowered, making it so half of his face was covered in it, the same half that was covered in red tribal-like marks, the same kind of marks that also decorated the rest of the 'armor'; also, his feet were suddenly bare and his hands resembled claws. However, even with all those changes, perhaps the most disconcerting part was the thick white black-tipped tail that he could feel shaking behind him; Shiro could feel how the appendage worked, and moved and answered to his thoughts, despite the fact that he'd never had a tail before, it just felt somehow…natural.

"Nice." Shiro nodded approvingly, then he noticed he had no blade. "Now I'm only missing…" With just a thought a blade made of completely black energy formed in his hand, in the same form as Zangetsu's shikai, mostly… "Zangetsu no Anbu…" Shiro smirked, a bloodthirsty chuckle escaping his lips. "Now it's perfect."

*Yes it is.* Ichigo agreed from his spot in the Inner World. *Though…that tail…* he shook his head, not liking that part.

After that, the fight ended quite quickly. Shiro was familiar enough with Zangetsu and the Getsuga Tenshou that he had no trouble handling three of the Cazadores and half of the Hounds by himself, Nel's brothers dealt with the rest of the enemies.

As soon as the confrontation was over, the group decided to find a different place to rest for the night, it wouldn't do for more Cazadores to follow the first ones and find them already tired and resting from the first fight.

In all their hurry to get away, no one seemed to notice the Naga-like hollow with a broken mask who had watched the entire thing from behind a dune.

xXx

Shiro waited until the next morning, a while after they'd begun moving, to begin asking questions. Since he'd fought to defend Nel, and by extension all of them, the group of Arrancars who called themselves family seemed to be more at ease with Shiro, particularly since the white-haired one had even use his Ressurección to aid them…never mind that he'd gotten in halfway through the battle itself.

"So…" Shiro began, trying to sound casual.

It didn't work.

"I got what those Cazadores were supposed to be, what I'm not sure I understand is who exactly they were after…" Shiro commented, purposefully leaving the statement open.

"They were probably just after you, don't-cha know?" Dondochakka commented quickly, too-quickly actually.

"Please, no one aside from you and the hollows I ate in the damn forest know I even exist!" Shiro snapped slightly.

His tone was enough to stop Nel's childish games (as she'd been jumping and twirling around them), she turned to look at the group arguing.

"You sound like you know the answer already…" Pesche commented, already on edge.

"I have my suspicions." Shiro admitted. "But I want to hear you say it. Tell me who the Cazadores were after exactly."

"Yes, Nel wanna know too…" Nel declared unexpectedly.

That caught them all totally by surprise; though, to Shiro, Pesche's panicked expression in and of itself was enough of an answer.

*But why?* Shiro wondered internally. *If they know she's being pursued, by such powerful hollows, why not say anything…?*

*It's actually quite obvious Shiro.* Ichigo declared from the Inner World.

The moment Ichigo gave the answer, Shiro realized it was, indeed, quite obvious, and he wasn't sure if he ought to congratulate the three hollows or laugh at their naivety…no, not naivety, their sheer idiocy, for thinking it would be enough…

"You're trying to protect her." Shiro blurted out. "I was right, it is She they are after, and you're trying to protect her, so much you even hide that she's being pursued. Hide whatever it is that is making her be pursued…whatever she did, or was…" his mouth suddenly felt very dry, as realization came *It cannot be, can it?*

*I would say it should be impossible…but you know our track record on that area.* Ichigo deadpanned drily.

Yes, they had quite a track record where it came to impossible happenings, and their current situation was probably no different, which meant that Nel was being pursued for who she'd once been, and that was…

"Nel was an Ethpada once, wasn't Nel?" A low voice said slowly.

The phrase, said in such a low, childish, yet surprisingly serious voice send everyone into shock at the same time; a reaction that, coming from Nel's brothers, once again seemed as a confirmation on its own. Shiro also realized that it would explain why Pesche had been so weary when believing Shiro might be an Espada…

Silence reigned for the longest time.

"Answer her Pesche." Shiro pretty much ordered.

"But…" It was quite obvious neither of the 'brothers' wanted to do that.

"You may want to protect her, but what you're doing right now only puts her in even more danger." Shiro pointed out stoically. "If she doesn't know she's in danger, or even why, how do you expect to even be ready to keep herself safe. Nel needs to know the truth, and she needs to try and recover her memories, and her true form and power, only then will she stand a chance at truly being safe."

"True form, you know…?" Dondochakka's words were more statement than question.

"An educated guess." Shiro admitted. "I had never seen a child arrancar, and it just didn't seem logical. And if she truly was an Espada…"

"Nel wanna know who she is!" Nel demanded shrilly.

Silence lasted for a few seconds longer, before Pesche finally gave up.

"You are a very special person Nel-sama, have always been." Pesche informed her. "You were always so strong, even before being an Espada. You did not like fighting, it made you sad when you had to do it, and when life was lost needlessly. Someone took advantage of your compassionate nature. You were betrayed, your mask cracked, your power depleted, and then you were abandoned outside Las Noches, left to die or go insane…" he shook his head, half in sadness, half in anger. "Yet neither of those happened. Somehow you shifted into this child-form you are in now, all memory of your past forgotten, and most of your old power gone as well. We knew things wouldn't go well for you if anyone from Las Noches found you, so Dondochakka and I got you out. And we've been wandering the desert ever since…"

"You were her Fraccion, weren't you?" Shiro guessed.

Pesche nodded, no longer surprised that Shiro's guesses were so accurate.

"What is Nel's real name?" The girl wanted to know. "Who was I really?"

Somehow, even just in the lapse of those two short questions, something seemed to change, like some kind of switch inside her had flipped; she knew she was someone, someone different from who she'd believed herself to be for so long…and even if she didn't remember anything about the individual she'd been yet; what little knowledge she had gained (or regained) already was enough to compel her to change.

"You are you, Nel-sama." Dondochakka said, somewhat seriously.

"Yes." Pesche agreed, just as seriously. "Though your full name was Nelliel Tu Odelschwank, former Espada Tres…"

Shiro could only gape in astonishment.

*It's official.* Ichigo declared from the Inner World. *Nothing is impossible.*

xXx

The quintet spent the rest of that day wandering around the desert as Dondochakka and Pesche told Nel about who she'd been before her attack, before her memory was lost. Ichigo couldn't help but marvel as he listened.

*I had always thought that Shiro was an anomaly, different from any and every hollow I had seen before.* Ichigo commented thoughtfully. *He was rational, and…well, good. He helped me, he didn't hurt me, and the same can be said in relation to our nakama. I never imagined other hollows could also be like that…care. And yet Nel…she cares, so much she ended up like this. And Aizen didn't care…obviously for the very same reason.* he sighed. *And it's not just Nel, Pesche and Dondochakka, they could have just left her, served someone else, and yet they chose to stay with her, protect her…* he contemplated the facts for a moment. *Is it because they are arrancar, does having shinigami powers make them slightly like shinigami. Or maybe since they're only one soul, since they no longer have to be constantly fighting for dominance, it allows them to be more rational; or is it just a matter of experience?*

*Who knows?* Zangetsu asked in turn. *No one has ever cared to know before you Ichigo. For most Shinigami hollows are nothing more than corrupted souls that need to be purified. And, to be honest, that's the case with most.*

Ichigo nodded in acquiescence; it didn't make the mystery that was Nel, or anything related to her, any easier to understand.

xXx

It was near the end of the next day, the third since Shiro had met the other hollows and the seventh since his arrival to Hueco Mundo, that things truly went south. The group was still wandering around, no destination in mind when, unexpectedly, they were surrounded by four Cazadores and a dozen hounds; all looking even more dangerous than the ones from before…

"Cero!" Shiro sent a wide-spread attack to get a chance to call on his resurreccion, knowing he better go all-out from the very beginning. "Tear the skies asunder, Zangetsu!"

Like the battle before that one, Shiro did his best to destroy his enemies as fast as possible, however, when he was halfway through, someone else joined the party. A male, with dark skin, small yellow eyes and dressed in white…an Espada.

"So you're the one who has been destroying the Cazadores…" The Espada commented as he watched the lizard-like hollow. "Name is Zommari Rureaux, Septima Espada in the service of Aizen-sama, who might you be?"

"Shirosaki Kamen, what do you want?" Shiro replied stoically. "What do you want?"

He knew he was in a precarious situation, with Nel right behind him, Bawabawa, Pesche and Dondochakka surrounding her protectively; they were also all being surrounded by the remaining Cazadores and hounds and, of course, the Espada.

"You obviously are a strong Arrancar, to have been able to fight off so many Cazadores." Zommari commented. "Even if you came out of nowhere, Aizen-sama will be interested in you. You should come to Las Noches, join us."

Shiro's eyes narrowed, he knew that even though the words sounded like an invitation they were anything but; things wouldn't be pretty if he responded with anything but yet. And still, he would never join Aizen. Who would be crazy enough to join a madman who had already betrayed one world, particularly one that respected him as much as the Soul Society had?!

Behind him, Shiro could hear Pesche mutter, the former Fraccion probably thought Shiro was going to betray them, leave them to their luck…had Shiro been anyone else, had he 'grown up' in any other way, he might have…but he wasn't, and he hadn't, he was Shirosaki Kamen, he was a Nakama, and too damn stubborn to do follow anyone but his own will…and maybe Ichigo's…sometimes…

In the Inner World Ichigo could just chuckle at his twin's rant. It was just like him, and it only proved how right the orange-haired had been to place his trust in his counterpart, now they only needed to find a way to get out of Hueco Mundo, back to the Human World, to Karakura, the Nakama and…Rukia…he missed his wife so much…

"It's an interesting offer…" Shiro commented as he began mentally preparing for what was to come. "Very interesting indeed…but I'm afraid I'll have to decline…"

He didn't even give the chance for the Espada, or anyone to react, he just spun around, yelling at the others to get down in the last moment, before slashing the air with Zangetsu in a wide arc, sending the most powerful Getsuga Tenshou he could in an instant. The remaining Cazadores and hounds fell.

"Run!" He growled at Pesche and Dondochakka.

They didn't need anything else to be said; Pesche took Nel and ran off, followed closely by the other two; they used Sonido to get as far away as they could, as fast as they could.

Shiro for his part finished the spin and then attacked at where Zommari still stood, firing a half-powered Cero.

"How…?" Zommari seemed to be shocked. "I'm the fastest among the Espada…my gemelos sonido is the fastest there is…and yet you…just now…"

"Speed, is my specialty." Shiro declared with a smirk. "Now, let's get this show on the road." he charged another attack, firing it at point blank. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

The battle was crazy, and very fast paced. Shiro managed to mostly keep up with Zommari; and yet that wasn't enough, not when his enemy was an Espada.

"Insect!" Zommari yelled, angry. "You cannot possibly believe you'll ever be enough to defeat an Espada! One of the elite!"

Suddenly, his hand was on the hilt of his zanpakutou, Shiro didn't notice, but Ichigo did.

*Shiro!* He yelled with all the strength. *He's gonna use Resureccion!*

Neither of them had the slightest idea what his Resurreccion might be, however, they knew it wouldn't be good, and that was enough.

It was an instinct, knowledge that had always been there, in a corner of his mind, just like the knowledge of how to use Cero, or Resurreccion, or any other hollow power…in an instant, he opened a black hole, a Garganta, as was explained to him, jumped in…and he was gone.

xXx

"Shiro! SHIRO!" Nel kept screaming the name over and over.

Pesche, doing his best to ignore the screaming, kept going as fast as he could, never letting go of Nel; Dondochakka and Bawabawa following.

They didn't stop until they found another hollow standing on a dune, looking straight at them. It was tall, but had no feet, instead there was a thick, dark tail, his mask was broken, but what was left of it was bigger than any fragment any of them had seen before on an Arrancar.

"Who…Who are you?" Dondochakka asked.

"We won't let you hurt Nel-sama!" Pesche added instantly.

They were still on edge after what had just happened, and the fact that Shiro hadn't joined them; they didn't want to really think about it, but a part of them knew there might be a chance he wouldn't be.

"I'm not here to hurt you, or your charge." The hollow, who looked pretty much like a Naga, declared stoically. "My Master sent me to get you."

"Master…you work for Aizen?!" Pesche was nearly hyperventilating by that point.

"I do not." The hollow said. "My Master is connected to him, true; however, I assure you this is related in no way to him…My Master just wants to help you, but mainly, to help her…"

"Why would you want to help us, help Nel-sama?" Dondochakka inquired.

"No." Pesche thought there was another, more important question. "Who is your Master?"

When the answer was given, it was to the former fraccion's satisfaction.

"Very well." Pesche nodded. "We'll go with you."

Chapter Text

Chapter 27. Hurt and Comfort

"Ichigo?!" Rukia screamed at the top of her lungs.

"What the hell just happened?!" Karin demanded yet again as she shunpoed to her sister-in-law's side in an instant.

The rest of the Nakama rushed to their side as well, their eyes fixed straight on the spot where the black hole had been, the hole Ichigo had just disappeared through.

Some of the teenagers began suggesting possibilities. Karin remembered the hole was called a Garganta, and while she couldn't be sure, she assumed that one lead to Hueco Mundo, which meant her brother was pretty much lost somewhere in the world of hollows. That thought was enough to send Rukia off the edge, she blacked out.

"Rukia-san!" Orihime cried out in panic.

Uryuu was fast enough to catch her before she reached the ground, and everyone else conveyed around them.

"I think the whole thing was too great a shock for her." Uryuu commented as he held the unconscious shinigami.

What he didn't say, and Karin noticed, was the way Rukia's reiatsu had seemed to be reaching for something desperately right before she'd lost consciousness…

"I think we all should get some rest." Tatsuki declared, putting her sealed zanpakutou back inside the sleeve of her yukata. "We've all been fighting since before dawn…"

And around them the sky was bright blue already, the sun shining…

Everyone agreed and made their way to their homes. Uryuu following the twins to the Kurosaki clinic and laying Rukia on the bed that still held her empty gigai and Ichigo's body.

They had all left…and it wasn't like they didn't worry about Ichigo, they did; but they trusted him to be strong enough to survive whatever was happening; meanwhile, they would research for ways of getting him back, and make sure Rukia and the twins would be okay.

xXx

Three days later they still had no answer, and the tension just kept building. Rukia hadn't gone to school at all, though Ririn and Kon had been sent in Rukia's gigai and Ichigo's body respectively to keep rumors to a minimum. And it was just that Rukia couldn't handle it, the thought of having to act with Kon like she would with Ichigo…everyone knew they were dating, after their eventful summer the two had refused to hide their relationship; of course, as far as most were concerned, the two were just dating, only the Nakama knew about the 'first marriage', or that they had plans of getting married (again) the following summer.

The rest of the Nakama, twins included, kept going to class as well, though they spent all their free time combing Karakura Town from top to bottom and side to side, trying to find a way to get to Ichigo. They let Isshin deal with Urahara, as none of them liked the guy, and they weren't desperate enough to try and get his help, yet. Same with the Visored…whom they actually weren't sure they could even find.

On the morning of the fourth day Karin finally decided that enough was enough, giving no explanation whatsoever she opened a Senkaimon and went to Seireitei, returning less than an hour later, followed by none other than Kuchiki Byakuya.

The Senkaimon had opened in the sky (since Karin didn't have the precision required to open one on ground level always). When they stepped in they saw an orange-haired head peek from the clinic before disappearing again behind the door.

Byakuya just blinked once before turning to Karin, waiting for an explanation for what exactly that was, and what it was supposed to mean.

"That was Kon, in nii-san's body." Karin explained, knowing what he wanted to know.

"Kon?" Byakuya wasn't familiar with that name.

"One of the Gikongan, nii-san's to be precise." Karin elaborated. "We each have specialized gikon, it helps when we have to leave abruptly, particularly when we're in class or in another environment where the use of the generic Gikongan would complicate matters."

Byakuya knew exactly what she meant, generic gikongan had all kinds of strange quirks, and most were quite crazy.

"Anyway, it would complicate matters for Ichigo to be absent for days with no explanation, especially since Rukia is refusing to attend school as well." Karin sighed. "We've been sending Ririn, her Gikon, in her place too. Rukia refused to go with Kon, as they are known to be dating, she refusing to act in any way romantically with him. In any case, the Gikon stay in the clinic, Rukia cannot stand Kon, not with Ichigo missing."

The noble nodded. The humans around them who didn't know the truth wouldn't understand if Rukia changed the way she acted towards Ichigo, and since his sister knew the one in that body wasn't really Ichigo…however, that didn't explain another thing Karin had just said…

"Dating?" He inquired, brows furrowed, confused. "I thought the marriage wasn't legally binding in this world."

"It isn't." Karin didn't elaborate, stopping finally at a door.

Byakuya realizing the girl wasn't going to say anything else knocked twice on the door. There was no answer, but he'd been told already not to expect one, so he simply opened the door and stepped in. He certainly wasn't expecting what he found when he entered the bedroom his sister shared with her husband. He knew they hadn't been intimate yet, it would be obvious in their reiatsu if they had, and yet they still shared a room and a bed, as was expected from a married couple…despite the fact that no one in the human world but the Nakama knew them to be married, and it wasn't really legal in the human world.

The bedroom looked small, at least compared to what the noble was used to. A Queen sized western-style bed occupied most of the space, a sky-blue comforter covering it. On a side a half-opened closet, on the opposite corner a desk with two chairs and over it a couple of shelves with schoolbooks as well as some poetry and literature, particularly Shakespeare. The bedside table held a couple of pictures: one of Ichigo and Rukia in a park, sharing some ice-cream, it looked like a candid one; the other seemed to be an old one of the Kurosaki family, both parents were there, holding each other, and Ichigo didn't seem to be even ten. Byakuya could only watch in silence, the smiling form of Kurosaki Ichigo, he looked so young, so innocent, so different from the young man that had stood up to the most powerful Shinigami to defend his (Byakuya's) sister. He could remember what had been revealed in that first meeting between the most powerful Nakama and the leaders of the Gotei, when the orange-haired had explained about his mother's murder; the picture obviously was from before that.

Rukia, for her part, was dressed in a simple house yukata, lavender with white cherry blossoms, with a light gray blanket over her; most of her body laid in what was obviously her side of the bed, except her head was buried in the opposite pillow, Ichigo's pillow.

Seeing her, Byakuya could see she was hurting, his little sister was hurting, and he had no idea what to do to help. He knew that was what Karin had gone get him for, and yet he had no idea what he could do. Rukia had been his sister for five decades, and until a few months before he hadn't cared enough to get to really know her, to connect him her; and even now, he just didn't know enough to be able to help her.

"Rukia?" Byakuya called softly.

Violet eyes opened briefly, registering Byakuya's presence by the bed, before closing again.

Byakuya had to stop himself from flinching, there had been such emptiness in his sister's eyes, it reminded him painfully of the day he'd stood before her, as she stood behind the bars of the 6th Division holding cell, as he informed her she would be executed and that they wouldn't see each other again until that day. Her eyes had been completely empty that day as well. It was also the only day he saw her like that, the next day had been the meeting which the Nakama interrupted to make their intentions known, a message that had reached Rukia too; according to Renji, Rukia's eyes had shone again that day, and never stopped shining since, her belief in her nakama so strong…she never doubted they would save her.

It hadn't occurred to Byakuya before, but in that moment it was so clear, what if, even back then, Rukia's eyes hadn't been empty because of her upcoming execution, because of the fact that she would lose her life…but because of what she believed to have lost already, her nakama…Kurosaki Ichigo? Just how much about his own sister did he not know?

"Imouto…" Byakuya whispered softly.

He sat down on the bed, below where his sister reached, extending a hand to touch her leg softly, hoping to call her attention.

"Forgive me Nii-sama…" She whispered in a low, broken voice. "I should be receiving you better, I just…I just have no energy for anything…"

Byakuya's eyes furrowed, he could sense there was something wrong with Rukia's reiatsu, like it kept leaking somehow, the level was also pretty low, explaining her lack of energy.

"Were you hurt, Rukia?" He asked, suddenly very worried.

"No Nii-sama." Rukia answered honestly. "I just…I feel so tired…"

"What happened three days ago, Rukia?" Byakuya got the feeling he was missing something, that they all were. "The 12th detected an influx of hollows, over a hundred, shortly before dawn, and the battle that followed lasted for hours. However, we never received a request for backup, or anything like that. The battle eventually ended, and we got a report from the Nakama lieutenant, the Quincy: Ishida Uryuu that the battle had been won, the hollows were gone and Kurosaki Ichigo was missing…"

"He fell into a Garganta." Rukia answered softly. "I'm not sure what went wrong exactly. The battle was almost over, I saw a last opponent behind him, yelled at him to warn him, he moved to attack, and then…something happened, I don't know what, the hollow was destroyed, but the black hole he'd called was still there, and Ichigo somehow fell in. I blacked out shortly afterwards, Uryuu brought me back."

Byakuya nodded, he'd been told that part.

"And you haven't left this room since." Byakuya added pointedly.

Rukia just closed her eyes tightly, she knew she was being a bother, and that she was making everyone worry, but she just couldn't help it, couldn't help the pain, the emptiness that gnawed inside her.

"When I woke up…" She whispered softly. "I had no idea what had happened, or that anything had at first, but I knew, I could sense instinctively, that something was very wrong. Even before they told me what that black hole Ichigo fell into was, I knew it was bad, I knew he wasn't here, that he hadn't come back yet…" she sobbed, her hands fisting around her blanket. "My soul, my spirit, keeps reaching to him, unable to find him, and it just hurts so much…like a part of me is missing…like I'm falling apart little by little…it hurts so much!"

With that declaration Rukia curled upon herself, forming as small a ball as she could, holding herself in the way she wished to be able to hold someone else, or more like, the way she wished to be held by that someone else. It was the first time she admitted the real reason why she refused to leave the room, why she seemed to be so badly sick; but it was Byakuya there, her brother, and regardless for how short a time he'd actually acted like a brother should, he still was family, and if anyone deserved to know what was really wrong with her, it was him.

Byakuya couldn't believe what he'd just heard, what his sister had just described, it was part of a soul-bond…he'd heard about those of course, but always in couples whose members were both spirits, very powerful, and who'd already been together for a very long time…Could it really be possible that a soul bond was forming between Ichigo and his sister? They had only been married for a handful of months, hadn't known each other for even a year, and yet…and yet it was the only explanation for the way Rukia was acting, her low reiatsu, and the emptiness in her eyes. She was reacted like one would expected a soul-bonded individual to react when his or her other half died, with their soul constantly trying to reach for someone who no longer existed…except Ichigo wasn't dead, and Rukia knew that, and that was maybe the only reason she hadn't begun to fade yet…

Byakuya realized something in that very moment: he'd been married once, to Hisana, but even if she'd not been his illegitimate sister, he could have never loved her, not like a man ought to love a woman, not like Rukia seemed to love Ichigo; that kind of love…Byakuya had never known, not many ever did…

"I'm sorry, Nii-sama…" Rukia sobbed softly.

"You have nothing to apologize for, imouto." Byakuya told her softly as he scooted over and held her against his body.

The reaction was instantaneous, as Rukia shifted slightly to be better held by her brother, in a way he'd never held her before.

"I know he's alive, I just…I can feel it." Rukia admitted brokenly. "And yet…that's not enough…it still hurts!"

"I cannot say I understand what you're going through." Byakuya admitted softly as he touched her hair slightly. "My relationship with Hisana…you know it wasn't what a real marriage should have been. But you need to keep believing that Ku…that Ichigo is alive, and that he's coming back; that he won't leave you…"

"I know he won't." There was a sudden confidence in her words that surprised even Byakuya.

With some effort, Rukia untangled her left arm from the embrace and the blanket before showing her hand to her brother, or more precisely, the ring on the third finger of said hand:

"We're getting married." She informed Byakuya with a small smile.

"Married…?" That threw him for a loop. "But you two are already…"

"Yes, we're already married in Soul Society, but that's not legally binding here." Rukia explained. "We're getting married here, in the Living World, next summer. Ichigo proposed to me a while ago, after his fight against Grand Fisher. And apparently he'd been planning it since before that, he designed the ring himself."

Byakuya had to admit the ring was quite something, not just the fact that it was obviously worth a lot of money, since it was completely made of diamonds, but it was obvious the design, the mix of colors and such, meant something. So Rukia explained it to him.

When the explanation was over Byakuya understood something else: it wasn't only the fact that his sister truly loved Ichigo, but he obviously loved her just as much. It didn't matter if their union had begun out of convenience, they truly loved each other, and they were going as far as 'dating', being engaged, and would be getting married in the World of the Living as well. He couldn't help but be very happy for his sister, for the happiness she had found, and at the same time, a part of him couldn't help the sadness, for it was a kind of happiness he didn't think he would ever find for himself…

xXx

When Rukia's revelations were shared with the rest of the Nakama, and everyone realized the implications the way Byakuya had, shock has the main response. Along with that, the group of teenagers put even more effort in finding a way of getting Ichigo back, and stopped trying to get Rukia to do anything.

No one knew yet how it was possible for a soul-bond to be forming already between Ichigo and Rukia, even if they loved each other as much as they seemed to, but still. The focus was on getting Ichigo back, though they hadn't found anything yet.

For three days Byakuya focused on being there for his sister, he had breakfast, lunch and dinner with her in the bedroom, and coaxed her to share with him stories about her time in Karakura, both before and after the ryoka disaster in Seireitei. It allowed him to, finally, truly see Rukia as her own person, see how wonderful she was. Those same stories also allowed him to get to know Ichigo somewhat, understand more why he'd done everything he'd done, the same could be said about the rest of the Nakama.

After all those stories Byakuya couldn't help but marvel about the teens: the strength, not just physical or spiritual, but their will, their faith, the trust they had in each other, the loyalty; he could finally see what Ukitake Juushirou and Kyouraku Shunsui, two of the oldest, most powerful and most respected captains on the Gotei had seen in the teens during that small lunch three days before the almost-execution.

That Saturday evening, the day before they would reach the week-mark since Ichigo's disappearance, Karin insisted that Byakuya took some time off. He'd stood vigil by his sister's side for most of the day, for the last three days, it would do him good to get some fresh air, she promised that she and Yuzu would stay with Rukia.

It took some effort, but eventually Byakuya agreed and decided to go for a walk. He had no gigai, hadn't deemed it necessary when first arriving to Karakura; though Karin warned him that there was a chance of people other than the Nakama being spiritually aware and noticing him even without a gigai. Byakuya had nodded and gone out anyway.

He walked through the streets for a while, since it was still technically dinner time they were mostly empty, and what few people rushed by didn't seem to notice him. Eventually he reached an empty park and he sat on a bench beneath a tree, it had no flowers or leaves, it couldn't have since it was already one of the first days of December, it hadn't snowed yet, but it was just a matter of time.

Some time passed, Byakuya had no way of knowing how long since he wasn't carrying a watch; some people had walked by the limits of the park, probably on their way to their homes after a long day, none seemed to notice him; even those who looked around, it was like he didn't exist. He was beginning to think that Karin had exaggerated when suggesting that more people than just the Nakama were spiritually aware, until he noticed a woman in a long skirt, blouse and whose face he couldn't make out for some unknown reason, who was also walking by the limits of the park…only to stop unexpectedly when turning in his direction. For a few seconds she seemed to be hesitating, as she turned to look at her own bag a couple of times; but eventually, unexpectedly, she turned and instead of continuing her way, walked into the park, where she went to sit beside Byakuya.

For a minute, not a word was said, she didn't even turn to look at him, Byakuya was beginning to think that maybe she hadn't really seen him and just happened to choose to sit there at the same time he was there; but then the situation changed.

"Are you alright?" A soft, strangely concerned voice asked in a low voice.

"Wha…?" Byakuya was caught totally off-guard, something that never happened, it was quite an odd experience for him.

"Yes, I am talking to you." The woman said, just as softly, still not turning to look at him. "And if you're wondering, I know you're not alive…not technically anyway."

"You…" Byakuya really didn't know how to handle the situation, despite Karin's warning, he hadn't expected something like that.

"You're a spirit, and I'm spiritually aware, have always been." She qualified. "Now, will you tell me what's wrong?"

"What makes you think anything is?" He asked, still feeling quite off-put by everything.

"My first question was a way to start the talk." The woman informed him simply. "I know something is wrong, I can sense it."

"Sense it?" Byakuya didn't understand how that could be possible. "How?"

"Just a talent I have." The woman replied simply.

And despite not being able to see her face still, either because of the darkness (the closest streetlamp didn't quite illuminate the bench were they sat) or something else; Byakuya somehow knew she was smiling as she said that.

"You know how I feel?" Byakuya finally understood what was being said, but didn't know how it was possible.

"Yes." The answer was simple, no further explanations offered.

"Why are you even interested in what I feel and why?" He inquired, confused by that.

Silence reigned for a few seconds, and he was almost sure he heard her sigh; for a moment he though no answer would be given, but he was wrong.

"I suppose I just don't like feeling the pain of others…" she took a deep breath before adding. "I have enough feeling my own."

Yet again something Byakuya hadn't expected, though he was quickly realizing he should have no expectations, it was easier that way.

"Why would I share my feelings with a stranger when…" Byakuya began.

"When you don't even do it with those close to you?" She finished for him, yet again with the same inflexion in her voice that showed she was smiling. "It might even be better this way. After all, if I don't know you, I cannot judge you, right?"

Byakuya wasn't sure why, but somehow her words seemed to be ringing with truth, seemed to be almost inciting him to do as she wished; to tell her what was on his mind, and his heart, to unburden himself for the first time in probably forever.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin…" Byakuya admitted as he contemplated things.

"Well, one would usually say the beginning is the best place…but to be honest, I think the best place is what you are the most comfortable with. Even if you don't tell me everything, even if I do not understand everything, or if I cannot do or say anything to help; at least I will listen, and my listening will allow you to let go of whatever burden you're carrying, and you'll feel better. Trust me, I know. Even if I cannot help you, I can be a tool for you to help yourself."

It was more or less what Byakuya had been thinking already. What was truly strange was that, until that very moment, he would have never considered telling his thoughts, his feelings, his weaknesses…to a total stranger; why should he if he didn't share such things even with those closest to him? And yet…there was something about her, he would think he was being somehow bewitched if it weren't for the fact that he couldn't feel any reiatsu coming from her at all. Even if she obviously could see him, and she claimed to have some kind of talent that allowed her to know what he felt, she didn't seem to be capable of much more…

"My sister is in love." Byakuya blurted out. "Not just like when young ones usually say they're in love one day, and the next they're after someone else. She truly loves him…and he loves her too, I think. And even though right now she's hurting, because he's missing, she still loves him with all she has, all she is. She believes he'll come back to her, and he better because if not I'm going to be really angry…" He quieted, as if he didn't know what else to say, how to continue.

"The one your sister loves, is his disappearance related to the Corrupted Ones that swarmed this town last week?" She inquired.

"Corrupted Ones?" Byakuya was unfamiliar with that term.

"Yes, corrupted souls, I believe your people call them Hollows…" She pondered on that. "I know there were over a hundred of those last week…" she shook her head. "So much negativity, so much grief, and pain and despair…"

Her words caught Byakuya's attention yet again as he began to wonder what exactly her power was, and how she even had any power at all.

Silence reigned again, it wasn't a heavy silence, just an expectant one; Byakuya kept trying to think of a way to continue, while at the same time wondering why he was even telling her anything; while she simply waited for him to speak.

"My name is Kuchiki Byakuya." He decided to explain things a bit more. "I'm…well, my age isn't important, not really; suffice it to say that I've lived for a very long time…" he took a deep breath before going on. "I was married once, many years ago and yet…" he shook his head. "It would be wrong to say it ended badly, it began badly…? Or maybe the real problem is that it never really began." another sigh. "I married a woman I was never in love with. I was married to her for five years and when it was over…I felt sad, because she was gone, so young and she was gone, and yet…I was also relieved, because I didn't have to pretend anymore…"

The sound that followed that declaration was like that of air rushing out…he was breathless, totally breathless, and at the same time he felt so light. For the first time ever he'd admitted to that, and it made him happy in a way, even if the woman beside him had no way of knowing, of understanding anything; at least he'd gotten it out.

There was silence still, like she was waiting for something more, and suddenly words were coming to him, and there was no more hesitance, no more doubt, he just talked:

"For the longest time I thought it was alright." He went on, unthinkingly. "Even if that marriage didn't work, it wasn't like I actually needed someone by my side to be happy. I thought it didn't matter. I was perfectly fine for more than a century before I ever met Hisana, why shouldn't I be just as well after she was gone? But I wasn't alright, not at all, and I didn't notice…or maybe I just didn't want to admit it, until now…When I saw my younger sister, when I talked to her, when I realized how much she loved Ichigo, and that she was loved just as much in return… suddenly it did matter, suddenly it wasn't alright. My sister has found a love so great, a love I don't think I'll ever find."

This time the silence only lasted a few seconds, until Byakuya let out a sigh, deciding he'd said enough, and wondering if the woman beside him would really be able to say or do anything at all to help, maybe she would rather remain silent; maybe he was insane thinking he would achieve anything revealing so much to a total stranger…

"Love is a fickle thing, you know?" The woman said after what seemed like forever. "And it's also a very complicated thing. Ancient philosophers, or something like that, even came up with a classification, for the different kinds of love: that of family, of friends, of lovers…but in the end, in the end it's all love, and it's all complicated, and crazy and, if you ask me, simply impossible to really explain." She stopped her rant a bit and took a deep breath. "Love isn't good or bad, it's the best and the worst, it's perfect and terrible, beautiful and horrible, all at the same time. And that's the point." She sighed again. "You say you were married to a woman you were never in love with, but I think the real problem you have is looking at the whole situation that way. I don't believe you married someone you didn't love, you don't seem to me like the kind of person who would do that. You did love her, maybe not like a husband ought to love his wife, like lovers ought to, but you did love her. That marriage, it wasn't wrong, if you chose it, if you were happy, even if just a little, it could never be wrong. It might not be what you dreamt of, it might not be what you would choose now if given a choice, but that doesn't make it a mistake."

It was like her words were a balm, healing something deep inside him, a wound that had long since stopped bleeding, yet had never really closed. Like he was forgiven, by a power stronger than him, stronger than anything he knew, just because she said so; or maybe, maybe it wasn't being forgiven, it was feeling for the first time that there was nothing he needed to be forgiven for, because he hadn't done anything wrong…

"Love is such a fickle thing…" The woman said yet again. "You may see a person one day, for the first time, and know he or she's the one for you; you may see and spend time with people every day for years, or even decades, and one day suddenly realize one among them is the one meant for you; you may be with one, or two, or many different people before finding the one that is Right, or the right one may be the first person you're ever with; or you may go through a whole lifetime without ever finding that Right person…You may be wrong, or you may be right…"

Byakuya heard her chuckle suddenly, a sound that completely surprised him, and yet he couldn't help but like it, her laugh, it sounded like bells, and something else to him, something else he couldn't place, but he liked it.

Then the laughter stopped almost abruptly, in an almost breathless note, as if the woman had been as surprised by the sound as he himself had been.

"Anyway," she went on, ignoring her own laughter. "A lot of mays, I know, but that's not what really matters, or what I meant to say in any way. What I meant to say is that, in the end, regardless of how hard things may be, how complicated, how good or bad, I don't think it's ever a mistake to love…no matter what comes out of it, no matter how it ends. Love is such a wonderful thing…it can never be wrong."

After another long lapse of rather comfortable silence, Byakuya decided to talk again.

"What about you?" He asked the woman.

He wasn't sure why, but even when asking her a question he wouldn't turn to look at her, instead choosing to continue looking into the shadows and the pond several feet away, content with just feeling her soft, quiet presence beside him on the bench.

"Me…I'm not meant to find love." The woman answered in a suddenly empty tone.

Her voice, so different from how it had sounded as she talked to him about love before, as she helped him so much to heal from a wound that had existed for a little more than half a century… in that moment it was like she didn't feel a thing, or like she was blocking any emotion that could possibly exist…

"Doesn't that contradict everything you just told me about love?" Byakuya asked her. "And about all its possibilities?"

"No." She denied. "Love is still there, it's still just as terrible and wonderful, ugly and beautiful. Love still exists, I just am not meant to find it."

"Why?" Byakuya asked.

Silence. But this time Byakuya wasn't willing to allow it to stand. He didn't even know why, but there was something about that particular silence, about her refusal to answer his question, especially after he'd revealed so much to her, that he didn't like.

"Why?" He insisted, more strongly this time.

She didn't want to answer, she really didn't, but there was something about his tone of voice, about the power and will behind it, that wouldn't allow her to refuse…it wasn't the noble arrogance she might have expected, it was something else, something she couldn't name.

"I just…" It took all her effort to keep her voice and eyes completely blank, just in case he turned in her direction. "I do not have the time…"

It looked like Byakuya was about to insist she elaborate on that, when suddenly they both felt a ripple of power, incredible power they both recognized, one more than the other.

"Ichigo…" Byakuya whispered, getting on his feet and turning around before realizing he was even moving.

Beside him the woman got on her feet as well, stepping back to put some distance between them. She said nothing, just watching his expression, the mix of confusion, relief, surprise and something else that flashed in his eyes, so fast she would have missed the whole thing had she just blinked. It was dazzling.

"Go." She told him after several seconds.

"What?" He turned to her for the first time, surprised, having almost forgotten she was there at all. "I…"

"That's him, isn't it?" she inquired. "The one your sister loves, the one who has been missing since last week." She didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "You should go. Your sister is probably on her way already, and probably others. You should be there as well."

"I'm not sure they would want me in such an emotional reunion…" Byakuya commented lowly.

"You're family, of course they'll want you there." She insisted with confidence, after a few seconds adding. "Go Byakuya…"

It took him a few more seconds to realize that she'd had said his name, his first name at that, with no suffixes. Surprised, he turned back to look at her, only she was no longer there. She barely managed to catch sight of a departing figure as she stepped through the small area illuminated by a distant street-lamp, long skirt and long-sleeves flowing in the chilly night air; and he finally realized why he hadn't been able to actually see her hair, or face: she was wearing a white cloth that covered her from her head to below her shoulders.

Byakuya briefly considered following her, finding out more about her, but then another ripple of power reminded him that, somehow, Kurosaki Ichigo was back in the World of the Living; and not only that, from what he could sense Rukia was rushing in his direction at great speed, and other presences too seemed to be converging there as well.

He turned one last time, to see just an edge of white and mauve as the woman turned a corner and disappeared behind an apartment building located in the next block. He shook his head, sending a prayer to the heavens that he might find her, someday, again; then went into shunpo, following his sister's suddenly relit reiatsu presence.

xXx

In the Kurosaki Home, Rukia was pretty much dozing while Karin sat on the floor, reading some book and Yuzu hummed as she folded and put away the clothes from both Rukia and Ichigo that had just come out of the drier. They were doing as they'd promised Byakuya, and staying with Rukia, while at the same time keeping themselves busy.

Suddenly, Rukia's eyes snapped open, she straightened up in bed and instantly turned to look out the window; the whole move so fast and so totally unexpected, the twins could only look at her in silent shock.

"He's coming…" They heard Rukia gasp with some unknown emotion.

Then, before the twins could do or say anything at all, Rukia threw the blanket aside, revealing the jogging pants she was wearing along with one of Ichigo's shirts, she jumped onto her feet while still on the bed, spun, and then jumped out of the room, and the house, going straight to the window, as if it weren't even there (and since she was a spirit, it might as well haven't).

"What the hell just happened?!" Karin demanded.

There was no answer, but she wasn't waiting for or expecting one either. Instead she and Yuzu used their own ways to get out of their respective bodies, went through the window and rushed after Rukia. What they heard from her as they passed the first block from their house, and which was followed by a ripple of energy was enough to clear any doubts and make them all push even more reiatsu into their shunpo.

"Ichigo!"

In just a handful of minutes Rukia landed on the Karasu bridge, right over the river, not far from 'The Spot', the place where so much had happened: where Kurosaki Masaki had died to save her son from a hollow when her boy was nine; where Ichigo had nearly lost his own life to the same hollow at fourteen after making sure to get the monster away from his sisters and father; where Ichigo had finally confronted that very monster and vanquished him, for good, just a few months before; and most importantly, it was the place where, that very same day, he had asked Rukia to marry him, and had offered her the beautiful diamond ring she wore proudly on her left hand. Though during school hours she twisted it around so the blue, red and purple diamonds faced inwards, preventing others from realizing it wasn't any band but actually an engagement ring; the plan was to reveal the truth publicly sometime before they began College, the next spring, enough time to prepare for the wedding in the summer.

Rukia had been shunpoing so fast, faster than ever before, so much that she actually stumbled slightly when trying to stop, being forced to step off the bridge and straight to the river; she barely managed to catch up herself and solidify the reishi beneath her feet about an inch before actually touching the water. After stabilizing, she actually began walking like that the few yards still separating her from Ichigo…and how different she felt with him in the same world as her… her soul and heart were practically singing with joy at his return, at the way his reiatsu seemed to be already reaching to her, enveloping her in a gentle embrace, even before she actually reached the young man.

Karin and Yuzu too arrived to the bridge, managing to control themselves enough to not stumble. Just seconds later Uryuu was there, he'd used hirenkyaku to move as fast as possible. Orihime followed, getting off her Santen Kesshun, which she'd actually used to defy gravity and fly at top speed. Tatsuki followed, also in soul-form, which allowed her to use shunpo, which Renji had taught her the basic of, she still wasn't very good at it, but was getting better with practice. Chad was the last of the core of the Nakama to make his arrival, as his own speed technique was rather erratic, since he almost never used it, speed had never really been his thing, he was more one for brute force.

"Ichigo!" They all heard Rukia scream again in that very time.

xXx

Just seconds before Ichigo had felt extremely dizzy, almost nauseous, one moment Shiro had been fighting that freaking Espada, the seventh according to his own introduction. Ichigo was doing his best to help Zangetsu control Shiro's own reiatsu, use it as efficiently as possible, make sure the hollow version of the teen wouldn't run out of it before the battle was over. A moment later the orange-haired noticed the opponent's intention of calling on Resurreccion; he had no way of knowing what his transformation might mean, but he instinctively knew it wasn't something good.

At Ichigo's warning of danger, Shiro had reacted instinctively, all he was thinking about was self-preservation; and not just himself, but his 'brother' as well. This had brought him to creating, for the first time ever, a Garganta.