Return of the Fourth Reich: Part 3

by jperrin116

Part 3. Thank God

Chapter 21

The car got in line with the rest of the soldiers, and slowly made it's way towards the portal. Despite the strength of the mysterious force, Ichigo continued to resist. He made an effort to hide it, and while it may have worked on the soldiers around him, the only person that noticed was the Fuhrer.

"Ichigo, you better not...wait, was I going to say."

"I believe you were going to say "Wig Out"." replied Ichigo.

"Looks like we're finally starting to sync." the Fuhrer said. "That'll help when we go through the portal."

"Huh?" said Ichigo, who couldn't say anything else. The car went through the portal, all the way to it's bleak destination.

As he was traveling through the eldritch void, Ichigo was bombarded with untold sensations. This was an experience that he'd never felt before, despite having to go through a few portals to get to the Soul Society. The energy around him seemed not out to go around him, but through him. It made him feel invigorated and refreshed, yet it still was calling to him. As of now, the calling started to feel familiar. He couldn't quite place it, but it sounded...feminine.

Before Ichigo could even try and figure out who or what was calling him, he came out of the portal, still flustered with energy from within the portal's dimension. He now gazed upon the dark dimension of Waco Mundo, which strangely wasn't so dark. The glowing green sky that had permeated the Soul Society had now covered this dark dimension. There were no clouds in the sky, but there were plenty of sparkling stars, and there was a full moon with a faint green glow in the highest portion of the sky. As the car slowly made it's way along the makeshift road, they passed through a vast desert, complete with dying cacti and swirling white sand.

"Ichigo, keep your eyes open." the Fuhrer said. "We're in enemy territory, so expect to get attacked from any angle."

Ichigo started looking around for any sign of the enemy, but had noticed something...strange "Faust, where are the soldiers?" he asked. "Didn't they come through the portal with us?"

"Ah, you noticed." Faust replied. "Rank and file soldiers get immediately transported to the base. Those inside a vehicle get transported further away from the base to make sure that the portal doesn't become more strained than it may already be. Empty vehicles like planes & tanks get teleported directly to the base, just like everybody else."

"That sounds a little odd." responded Ichigo.

"I'm not going to lie." spoke the Fuhrer. "Sometimes things are done a bit differently within the Reich, but it's for the good of all."

The car continued down the makeshift road, until the base was finally within sight. Just liked Faust said, the base was hit pretty hard. It was still in a relatively stable state, but portions of the massive walls were crumbling rather profusely. Many of the observation towers looked like they were going to fall over at any time, but they still stood. From the distance that they were, Ichigo could hear activity going on.

The car was within distance of the base's entrance., and lining along the outside was an immense amount of security. Tanks, rocket launchers, mortar launchers, and machine guns were pointed right out into the vast desert in case the enemy was to attack. The guards standing in front of the gate waved the car forward as the massive doors swung wide open, revealing the activity within. The car made it's way inside, as Ichigo, Himmler and the Fuhrer finally rejoined the others.

As the car drove inside the base, Ichigo saw a few of the captains among their troops. At last, the car parked in front of a barracks building, and some of the Fuhrer's escort came over to open the doors. Ichigo and the car's occupants stepped out of the vehicle, and were now on the ground of perhaps their last hope against the Arancars. From across the way, Wilhelm Strassa could see Faust and the others getting acquainted with the base. He began making a trek over to greet them, and was eager to speak with them.

"Heil Fuhrer! It's good to see you!"

The Fuhrer raised his right hand. "Heil to you!" he replied. "It seems that things are getting off the ground again."

"Indeed." said Strassa. "The portal is still stable on this end, and soldiers & supplies keep coming through without trouble."

"Excellent." replied the Fuhrer. "We just have to speak with the captains, then we can get this show on the road."

The group started walking away from the barracks, and headed towards the meeting hall across the way. A small sandstorm was kicking up, and the dust and debris began swirling around. Ichigo covered his nose and mouth, since he didn't want the sand to get inside his lungs. The Fuhrer and the others covered their faces as well. The cloth covering the various crates around the base were flapping like flocks of crows, eager to get off the ground.

Strassa opened the door to the meeting hall, allowing the others inside. It actually wasn't correct to call this a meeting hall. It was more correct to call this building a converted storage building. There were still crates stacked all over, and there was a fair amount of dust. However, there was a makeshift table setup in the middle, and the captains were sitting all around it. When Strassa entered the building, the meeting got underway.

"Ah, we're all sitting down." the Fuhrer said. "It appears that you're all here in one piece. Did any of you feel discomfort when you made your way here."

The captains didn't speak. There were only a few clearings of the throat and a cough or two.

"If the silence is any kind of signal, then let us begin." the Fuhrer said, unrolling a large map he took out of his coat, and placed it on the table. "We're here, right in the middle."

"This base is right in the middle of enemy territory." said a worried Captain Retsu. "We're take massive casualties."

Faust let out a small chuckle. "It's not as bad as it seems. Although we are indeed right in the thick of it, the main contingent of the Arancar forces is to the far north of here. It takes them quite a while to get here, considering the distance."

Hitsugaya looked over the map, and noticed a few black circles near the Arancar's territory. "What are those?" he asked while pointing at them.

"More of our excavated portals." the Fuhrer replied. "They're not as large as the Thule Portal we used, but they still can move large masses of troops. We'll be using them to assault the Arancars when everything is finally prepared."

"How can you be certain that the portals will continue to operate, even during the heat of battle?" asked Captain Mayuri.

"The power flowing through the portals comes from the other side." said Strassa as he butted in. "If the power source was in this dimension, then it would be possible to destroy them. However, taking out the power source that's in another dimension is all but impossible."

The captains all had a worried look come over their faces. Ichigo could feel the tension in the room beginning to build. He looked around, and it started to affect him also, but only a little.

"Enough of this." growled the Fuhrer, slamming his fist down on the table. "Fear is the least of the things that we should be feeling. This is a moment when we can take out an enemy that plagues us both. This is not the time to become mewling babies."

Ichigo kept silent throughout the whole time. He knew he was out of his league in this room, with the Soul Reaper captains and the Fourth Reich leaders and all. Yet, he felt that he had to say something.

"Everybody, if I could..."

Just then, the base was rocked by a massive explosion. Everyone in the meeting room saw a massive light come right through the windows, and it nearly blinded everyone inside. Ichigo knew that this wasn't a part of the plan.

Chapter 22

The whole base was now on full alert. The light that Ichigo saw coming through the windows had apparently appeared over the entire base, sending some of it's occupants into a panic. Everyone in the meeting hall immediately stepped outside, and saw some kind of shimmering in the sky. It was the kind of shimmering that one would see in the desert, or if one was beginning to hallucinate.

"Fuhrer, what's going on!" Captain Kempachi asked impatiently.

"Trust me, if I knew what was going on, I would tell all of you." replied Faust.

Soon after, the shimmering began to expand. It kept getting larger and larger, until it took the shape of a large square. The inside of the shimmering started to flicker black and white, like that of a TV. The flickering started to clear up, and a image familiar to all of the Soul Reapers appeared.

"Hello Soul Society, it's been a while." the image said.

"Aizen." growled Hitsugaya. "I'm assuming you've been behind this the whole time!"

"Well, it's good to see you too." Aizen replied. "How are things down there in the tiny world."

Gritting his teeth, Hitsugaya tried to unsheathe his zanpakuto, when Faust stepped to his side, and stopped him. Aizen chuckled at the small display of aggression. "Ah, you must be the Nazi leader, I assume?" he asked.

"I am." said Faust. "I've heard a bit about. The voice of a traitor, the mind of a traitor, and even the body of a traitor. It'll be quite interesting to charge right in and level the place."

Aizen laughed. "I'm terribly sorry, but that just isn't going to happen." he replied. "I've nearly completed my master plan, but you've come to ruin it."

"You're damn right we've come to ruin it!" yelled Ichigo. "It's about damn time that you learn a lesson!"

"Ah Ichigo, it's been a while." said Aizen "You certain have grown up a bit since the last time we battled, but you don't feel like you've gotten stronger. I'm surprised, cause Orihime has told me..."

"What have you done to Orihime?" asked Ichigo with a growly voice. "You better not have harmed her!"

"Don't worry Mr. Kurosaki, all is well." said Aizen "She's actually been doing quite well. In fact, let me show you how she's been doing." Aizen stepped to the side, and revealed a black canvas behind him. Giant lights suddenly turned on, revealing a massive crystal protruding from the roof of a equally massive cave. It had the color of frosted glass, and streaks of energy coursed through it's bulk. At first, Ichigo was confused as to why this was related to Orihime, then he saw her trapped near the top of the crystalline mass in a metal cage. The cage was actually quite lovely, but it was still a cage.

"As you can see, your pretty friend is quite okay." Aizen said, flashing a sinister grin. "However, I need her just a little bit longer, and I can't have you and your Nazi allies ruin everything. Bye now."

The image went back to the black and white static, and then it melted into the sky. The captains were feeling something that they didn't often feel: dispair. They had seen the power of Aizen and the Arancars before, but never anything like this Ichigo. While they were busy talking among themselves, Ichigo went over to the Fuhrer to see if he knew what was on, yet he knew that he may not get what he wanted.

"Fuhrer, what the hell was that?"

"A mother crystal." the Fuhrer replied with an awed voice.

"A mother crystal?" asked Ichigo. "I thought that they were only found on Earth?"

"They are." Faust responded. "They are almost always found on Earth, and it's only in the most extreme of circumstances that they're found in other dimensions. However..."

"However?" Ichigo asked. "What do you mean?"

"I've never seen a mother crystal that large." responded Faust. "The largest I've ever seen is about as big as that tank over there. I've only heard rumors about mother crystals that size."

Ichigo looked back at the captains, who were still talking amongst themselves, then he turned back to speak with Faust. "What kind of rumors?" asked Ichigo.

Faust cleared his throat. "Just a few things I've read from old Thule texts." he replied. "From what I've read, a mother crystal that size has power the likes of which is rarely seen. The power from a mother crystal that size can be used for just about everything. Some of the texts stated that it was a massive mother crystal that ended up destroying the Thule civilization. During WW2, the Third Reich had harvested the various crystals from smaller mother crystals, and they only dreamed of finding one that was that size."

"Well, that explains that part of this situation." said Ichigo. "It doesn't explain why they took Orihime."

The Fuhrer paced around on a small line, then he stopped. "It must be her powers." he said. "She can manipulate reality, right?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Now I'm not entirely sure, but perhaps they captured her so they can use her powers with the mother crystal."

"I thought only the Thule Society could manipulate that kind of energy." said Ichigo.

"That is true." replied Faust. "However, certain individuals with certain power can tap into the Black Sun and manipulate it. Usually it's under duress, but outsiders can use it."

"So what are we going to do now?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, first we're going to reopen the portal." said Faust. "Then, we're gonna head right up to this Aizen's front door, and bash it right down." Faust walked over to the portal, which was a silent as a freshly dug grave. He could see Wilhelm working at a small terminal, frantically adjusting various nobs. He did not have a pleasant look on his face, and he was sweating profusely.

"Wilhelm, what's wrong?"

"The portal, my Fuhrer." said Wilhelm. "It won't open back up."

"What do you mean it won't open?" asked the Fuhrer. "Isn't there power going into it?"

"There's definitely power going into the portal." Wilhelm replied. "The problem is the connection. We've lost our link to the portal in the Soul Society!"

"How?" Faust asked. "Those connections are practically...no...wait a moment."

As they continued talking, Ichigo was observing them going back and forth, all the while keeping an eye on the captains. They pretty much stopped talking, but he could see Captain Mayuri writing down something in a little notebook. Finally stepping his foot down, he walked over to Wilhelm and the Fuhrer, and asked the question that was on everybody's mind.

"Faust, what are we going to do now?"

He did speak a word, and paced in a small circle. He stopped walking, then answered Ichigo's question.

"Now...we fight!"

Chapter 23

Aizen leaned back in his chair. Things were going smoothly, he thought to himself. The Nazi's portal had been disabled, cutting off troops & supplies. He had planted a few seeds of doubt among the captains that had partially blossomed, causing some chaos & confusion. To top everything off, he had an incredible power under his control, and the key to open it as he saw fit. There wasn't much to do now but sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor. It was short lived, however, as his "key" was starting to get a little whiney.

"Hey, can I get a pillow or something? This rock is starting to get a little uncomfortable, and a girl's got to get some beauty sleep."

Aizen sighed, and got up from his chair. He looked up at the cage, then immediately appeared right in front of his captive. He didn't have any trace of a pleasant mood on his face.

"My dear Orihime, could you please keep it down a little bit?" asked Aizen.

"No!" said Orihime. As she said that word, she had on a pouty face that would make a lesser individual feel guilty for being so rude. Aizen was perhaps one of the few people in the universe who didn't feel a thing when Orihime made her face. All he did was let out a sigh, and rub both of his temples to avoid getting frustrating.

"You know, you amaze me Orihime."

Orihime became a little nervous after that statement. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"You're a bit of a idiot." Aizen said plainly. "Your mind is blank, you tend to get in the way, and you really don't do much. You're just a pretty face with a nice chest, and a sweet voice to boot."

"I'm more than just that!" yelled Orihime. "I'm a loyal friend who can be counted on by anyone who knows me. I'm also quite useful, as I've healed a lot of hearts and brought a lot of smiles to people's faces. You on the other hand, have done nothing but hurt your former allies, and think about yourself."

"That may be true." said Aizen. "However, I'm on the outside of the cage, and you're on the inside of the cage."

Orihime just pouted, and scooted towards the back corner of the cage. She grabbed the ragged blanket, and swaddled herself within it. She knew that Aizen was an evil individual, but he seemed more cold than usual. It had something to do with his manipulation of the Black Sun, and she was sure of it.

Aizen, meanwhile, went back to the throne, and picked up a mysterious black book. The same one that Ichigo and the others has found earlier. It's ancient pages crinkled when they were turned, giving the impression that they would disintegrate into dust at any time. The pages held, and the spells and formulae within gave him more insight into a mysterious force that was perhaps more stronger than himself.

"It isn't much longer now." he said out loud. "Just a few more hours, then all will..."

A massize quake rocked the crystal chamber. Rocks were falling from the ceiling, and landed on the crystal, chipping off large chunks. The mother crystal shot out streaks of energy, and a particularly large rock landed on Orihime's cell. It heavily dented the cell, but did not break it. Orihime breathed a sigh of relief, as she thought that the rock would fall on her.

"Damn." growled Aizen. "It looks like I have to get my hands dirty a little bit."

Chapter 24

Aizen briskly walked through the hallway, all the while having the entire complex shake from the explosions outside. As he was walking, many of his minions were frantically running around, trying to keep their base from crumbling to dust. Aizen continued moving through the throng of Arancars, until he caught sight of his meeting room, where he saw his lieutenants gathered around the table talking to each other. He didn't like the nervous energy he was feeling wafting from the room.

"Everyone, let's calm down." said Aizen with an intimidating tone as he walked into the room. "This is not the time to start panicking."

The lieutenants sat down, and did not say a word for fear of angering their leader. Aizen sat down in the throne at the topmost part of the table, and did not look the least bit happy.

"My brethren, we are close to our goal now." spoke Aizen. "The star and planets are aligning to their rightful positions, the veil is giving up it's secrets, and our captive is nearing her final purpose. However, there is one distraction on our doorstep right now that we cannot afford. The Soul Society and their Nazi allies, are assaulting us as we speak. Our numbers are impressive, be we may not be able to stand up in a siege."

"Then what do you suggest?" asked one of the lieutenants.

"It may be a bit early, but perhaps it is time to initiate the final plan." said Aizen.

"But the signs are not right." said another one of the lieutenants. "If we start the ritual, then the veil might destroy both world instead of melding them together."

"That may be true, but given the circumstances, it is necessary." Aizen replied. "Everyone, continue to defend the stronghold. I shall go and start the ritual. Dismissed."

Aizen and the lieutenants rose up from their seats, and began leaving the meeting room. Most of the lieutenants left, but Aizen stopped the last one in line.

"Before you go to defend, I have one favor to ask." Aizen asked.

"Anything my lord." replied the lieutenant.

Aizen pulled out a small slip of paper, and handed it over. There wasn't much written on it, save for a description of a small black bottle. The paper didn't describe what was inside of the bottle."Get this for me." said Aizen. "I need this before I perform the ritual. Can you get it for me?"

"Right away!" the lieutenant said loudly. He saluted Lord Aizen, and walked right off to where the black bottle was located. In the back of his mind, Aizen knew that even if they were to fail, he would still go on. He always knew how to get out of the worst situations.

Chapter 25

The fight was on! Though nobody knew how, the Soul Society and the Nazis put aside their ideological & spiritual differences in an effort to combat a common enemy. With their forces combined, they fought the Arancars in an effort to rescue Orihime, and to prevent the two worlds from combining.

A large group of soul reapers, including Ichigo, had busted through the east side of the stronghold's wall after mortar fire from the SS made contact. Overhead, fighter planes were dogfighting against aerial minions of the Arancar, and both sides were stacking up the bodies. Ichigo didn't see any sign of the Fuhrer when he was fighting, as he and his elite squad were one of the first groups to head inside.

As Ichigo swung his blade through the numerous Arancar spawn, he begun to take scope of the battle. He had been in some impressive fights, but this was one that would stay with him for the rest of his life. The sheer size of battlefield, the volume of warriors both ally & enemy were great, and the goals before him and everyone else were as lofty as the heavens above. Even if both of his arms were chopped off and his eyes were plucked from his skull, he would still find some way to get inside and stop all of this.

The combined forces of the Nazis and the Soul Society were pushing back the Arancars as they were getting further and further into Waco Mundo. Though the Arancars were knocking down some numbers, the Nazis and the Soul Society were knocking down bigger numbers. Everybody was getting towards the main entrance, when the Arancar just suddenly dissipated in puffs of green-black smoke. Everybody watched as the smoke rose up to the highest point of the stronghold, still holding onto their weapons in case of an ambush. The smoke then began to swirl around the top of a particularly large tower, and it coalesced into a gigantic sphere. A bright green ray suddenly shot out from the top of the sphere, and into the sky. The smoky sphere began to crackle with energy, and the smoke began swirling around quicker and quicker, until it finally stopped still, and the energy ray came quickly back down into the smoke. Ichigo could feel the sphere pulsing with power from the black sun, and could only guess as to what was going to happen.

Then, without warning, the smoke sphere burst into numerous wisps that scattered all over the stronghold. The smoke wormed it's way into the dry desert ground, and at first all seemed normal. It was still quiet, but then the ground started to shake. Everyone was clueless as to what was going to happen. So much so, that one SS soldier went over to Ichigo to see what was going on.

"Herr Ichigo, what is happening?"

"I'm not sure." he replied. In response, the soldier reloaded another clip into his rifle. The ground continued to shake, until shadowy figures bursted out of the ground. After a few seconds, they formed back into the Arancars they were fighting, but there was something odd about them. They seemed more...mystical somehow. They felt like they were of two worlds instead of one, and they could see into the souls of those around them with a frightening glare. The only physical sign they displayed of their transformation was their eyes: they looked like swirling orbs of black-green smog, shifting with their every thought. Yoruichi backed right up to Ichigo, and expressed her concerns for what was going on.

"Ichigo, this doesn't look good." she said nervously. "Can you feel anything?"

Ichigo tried to use the latent energies of the veil that was still coursing within him. After just a few seconds, he was reconnected with the Black Sun, but only for a moment. As he tried to push further into the mystical realm, he was immediately pushed back into the real world. Yoruichi grabbed Ichigo as he started to fall down. "That was a close one." she said with a relieved voice. "Were you able to find out anything?"

"Not really." said a disappointed Ichigo. "I can say this: whatever caused their transformation, somehow changed the landscape of the veil. I don't know how, but I have to go into the veil, and stop whatever is going to happen."

As if on cue, the newly transformed Arancars attacked with a impressive speed. Although the Soul Reapers & SS were knocking a few down, the Arancars were taking down far more of their opponents. The blood was spilling onto the ground at an alarming rate, and the sand was ever so slowly, turning red. As he sliced off an Arancar head, he could see Yoruichi right next to the main gate, beckoning him to get inside. After having his blade go through a half-dozen more Arancars, and jumping over a couple dozen more. When he reached the gate, Yoruichi and him went right inside, and further into the chaos of war.

When Ichigo and Yoruichi got a little further inside, they saw gore and bodies all over the halls. The Fuhrer and his elite squad must have killed hundreds of Arancar, and left dozen more on the verge of death. Ichigo and Yoruichi were happy to oblige, but the deaths of their foes wasn't a primary goal. They needed to find the Fuhrer, and see if he knew how to get back into the veil, stop Aizen, and rescue Orihime. Little did they know, but the Fuhrer wasn't as far away as they thought.

They were getting a bit deeper into the stronghold, when Yoruichi stopped Ichigo. "What is it Yoru..." he spoke before she covered his mouth with her hand. She looked in front, then she looked to the left & right of their position, then she lowered her hand. "What was that all about?" asked Ichigo with a slightly irritated voice.

"Listen." replied Yoruichi. "Do you hear that?"

Ichigo put his ear out, and at first he didn't hear anything. Then, after a few seconds, he heard some faint breathing. After a few more seconds, he heard that the breathing was coming from the left. When he pointed in that direction, the two immediately headed towards the source of the breathing.

When they got to the source, the sight shocked them. Before them was the SS squad that went in earlier, their bodies mangled and covered in blood. Ichigo and Yoruichi dared not to turn the bodies over, let they uncovered an even more grisly sight. As they were looking around, they noticed that none of the soldiers were making the breathing sound, and the Fuhrer was nowhere to be found. Yoruichi was just about to give up looking for him, when she saw him impaled through the heart against the wall. Without batting an eyelash, she ran right over to him, with Ichigo close behind.

"How ironic, that you two should be the first to rescue me." the Fuhrer said heavily. "Don't mind all the blood. I'll get that cleaned up soon."

"It would seem so." said Ichigo grimly. "How the hell are you still alive?"

Faust let out a simple chuckle. "I still have a few secrets I hide from others. Lets just say that life's been good to me."

Ichigo nodded. He and Yoruichi began pulling at the rod that had impaled the Fuhrer to the wall, but the rod was stuck right into the stone. They tried to pull on it some more, but the Fuhrer stopped them, as he was trying to speak.

"Ichigo, listen to me. You have to stop Aizen. There isn't much time left."

"Yeah, I know that." Ichigo replied.

"No, you don't get it." the Fuhrer said. "He's close to merging the two worlds, and after what I heard from the outside, Aizen's goal is near completion."

"You mean the Arancars transforming?" asked Yoruichi.

"Yes." the Fuhrer said. "That's the first sign that the worlds are close to merging. There minds now reside in both worlds, and won't suffer any damage when everything is finished."

"Where's Aizen now?" asked Ichigo.

Faust coughed up some blood. "That way." he replied, pointing further left.

"Great." replied Ichigo. He head in that direction, but was stopped by the Fuhrer. "Ichigo, there's more to this situation than what you're seeing."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked impatiently.

"Aizen opened a portal to the Veil." said the Fuhrer. "He took Orihime with her. Perhaps to use her as some sort of metaphysical battery."

"Great." said Ichigo sarcastically. "Anything else?"

"Yes." replied Faust. "Where he traveled to in the Veil, the Fourth Reich has never explored before. I can't tell you what you'll find there." Faust tried to catch his breath, but the rod stuck in his chest was causing his breathing to become slower. "You'll have to be careful when you're in the veil."

"Got it." replied Ichigo. He sped off in the direction the Fuhrer pointed, without looking back for even a second. In the meantime, Faust looked on as Yoruichi tried to pull the rod out of him. Feeling the rod start to pull out of him, he turned back to speak with her.

"What do all of you see in him?" asked Faust grimly.

"I'm not quite sure." replied Yoruichi. "Hope for the future, perhaps?" When she finished talking, she pulled the rod right out, and the blood began flowing more freely.

"You all are some strange people." Faust replied just before he fainted.

Chapter 26

Ichigo reached the portal chamber that Aizen opened to the Veil. As he stood before the glowing gate, he could feel his Black Sun power reemerging from the depths of his mind, and for a moment his legs weakened out. He almost fainted, but quickly regained his composure. The infusion of veil energy vitalized his tired body, and brought him back to full strength. It was then that he felt that the portal would accept him as he traveled through. Slowly but surely, he stepped through the green portal, and into the Veil.

After just a few seconds, Ichigo was at his destination. The Veil was indeed in a chaotic state, as chunks of debris from the Soul Society and the world of the living were flying towards the Black Sun in an effort to feed it. When Ichigo looked back onto the ground, he saw that a path made of cobbled stones led to a massive field of ruins, and he could feel the presence of his friend Orihime, and the presence of Aizen could also be felt as well. His aura was different than before, almost as if he had two minds and souls within him. As he continued down the path, Ichigo pondered how this battle would go. The battle with the Fuhrer two months ago was an intense one, but Ichigo had fought only Aizen's minions, not Aizen himself.

Ichigo passed through a massive stone arch, when he caught sight of Orihime in a cage on top of a pillar. The pillar had numerous sigils carved into it's entire structure, and they were glowing brightly. As Ichigo stepped closer, he could see that she was still alive, but unconscious. He body appeared to be intact, but it was beginning to take on the dark green shade of the Veil. When Ichigo got close to the pillar, a streak of black lightning came crashing down in front of him, and the imposing figure of Aizen appeared before him.

"You usually don't show up this early, Aizen." growled Ichigo.

"You're right." Aizen replied. "Given the circumstances, I figure I'd be polite and show up early to kill you."

"Before I defeat you, I have this one question." said Ichigo. "What exactly is this place?"

"The Plains of Ida." replied Aizen. "Ages ago, the Thule Society had two kingdoms: one in the world of the living, and one in the veil. This land was once a great kingdom, and the Thule Society had attained immense mastery of the Black Sun. Unfortunately, that mastery came with a heavy price. On that fateful day, their power imploded, killing just about all of those in the Thule Society, and leveling their kingdom here. Those few who did survive became the Geists you see floating around in Waco Mundo, the Soul Society, and within the veil."

"That explains where I am." said Ichigo. "That doesn't explain why you're trying to combine both worlds!"

"Ah, that's quite simple to answer." Aizen replied. "If I can't destroy the Soul Society, then I'll simply fold it into my empire. All I needed to do was connect the Veil to the Soul Society, then find a way to connect them to Waco Mundo. From there, all I had to do was capture your lovely friend, and use her powers to bring everything together. It's not much longer now before the worlds are one, and dear Orihime gets consumed by the Black Sun."

"Then I'm not gonna let that happen!" yelled Ichigo. He drew his Zanpakuto, and charged straight at Aizen. Without warning, a blast of energy emanated from Aizen's face, sending Ichigo flying through a ruined wall. He promptly got up after the assault, waiving the dust out of his face, and letting out a small cough. He faced Aizen once again, and noticed that his opponent had a lock of hair over his right eye where he didn't have one before. Aizen revealed a wicked smile, and quickly pulled out the lock of hair. Just like the Arancars outside the fortress, he had been altered by the merging of the two worlds: his eye was not the usual color, but instead was a pitch black orb, with green motes of energy twinkling within like starts. "Ichigo, can I ask you something?" Aizen asked.

"Depends." replied Ichigo. "Is it something intelligent?"

"Just humor me." said Aizen. "Knowing what they've done, not just to themselves but to others, how do you support them? How do you ignore all the atrocities they've ever committed?"

"Not this question again." huffed Ichigo. "I'm gonna tell you the same thing that I told the Fuhrer two months ago: I don't ignore the bad things they've done. In fact, I stay around. Not just because it's entertaining, but I hope that how I do things may change their ways. Even if it they don't turn around completely, just a little bit of change would be enough."

"Interesting answer." said Aizen. "I used to think like that, but then I realized that things won't change, and I should just better myself. I think it's been working great so far. However, the only thing that's in my way...is you. So, do me a favor, and just die already."

Aizen pointed at Ichigo, and a green ray shot right out. It made contact with Ichigo, but he didn't feel any pain. He grinned, and tried to charge his foe, but the whole world became slowed. Ichigo knew that he was running, but everything was just moving at such a slow space. Aizen suddenly vanished from Ichigo's sight, and Ichigo stopped moving. Just then, Aizen reappeared right behind Ichigo, and gave his spine the most brutal punch in his life. Ichigo coughed out blood, and dropped to one knee, still clutching the handle of his blade. Orihime continued to look on, getting a highly concerned look on her face.

Ichigo was still stunned by the attack. The pain coursing through his spine was intense, and he could tell that it would stick around long after this battle. He was certain that a few more strikes from Aizen would kill him, but something began to happen. Within his very soul, Ichigo could feel an alien presence. It was something that he felt before, but at the same time it was unknown to him. "Is this the human known as Ichigo Kurosaki?" the presence asked.

"This is." replied Ichigo. "Who might you be?"

"I am the Black Sun." the presence replied. "I am the illumination within the veil, and the one who gives it the vital energy it needs, and others who earn it."

Ichigo didn't say a word. He just listened to the Black Sun speak to him, and it was quite an odd sensation.

"You're not frightened." said the Black Sun. "That's quite surprising. There have been very few individuals throughout time that I've made contact with that haven't had a wave of fear wash over them."

"I've seen and felt a lot of strange things." said Ichigo. "You're just another addition to the list."

"An interesting statement." the Black Sun replied. "Ichigo Kurosaki, do you know why you have the powers you know possess?"

"A random stroke of luck?" Ichigo asked surprisingly.

"Change." said the Black Sun. "I have had my eyes on many worlds and dimensions, and out of all of them, none have intrigued me as Earth, and the space known as the Soul Society. I have seen incredible potential within the people there, yet they have been slow to take up that potential. When I first saw you, I was intrigued by your connections to both worlds. From there, I theorized that you were the right individual to bring about this change, and gave you a small fragment of my power."

"You're quite honest." said Ichigo. "However, I don't need someone, or something else's power to make change. I can do it on my own, with my own power."

"Yet another insightful comment." the Black Sun replied. "Perhaps, just maybe, Humanity has a chance to make some powerful changes to this world, and others beyond. Very well then. Ichigo Kurosaki, until your battle with this Aizen is over, you shall have unimaginable power. When you have defeated your opponent, then the powers within you will leave, never to come back again. Do you have any questions?"

"Just one." said Ichigo. "Who sent you to me?"

"Sent?" said the Black Sun. "What do you mean?"

"When you first entered my mind, I sensed that someone else was with you." Ichigo replied.

"Ah, now I know what you speak of." the Black Sun said. "Although I came to you on my own, there was someone who at the very least guided me to you. I can't say who this person was, but I can say that this individual is close to you."

"Close to me?" asked Ichigo. "What do you mean?"

The Black Sun didn't reply. Ichigo could feel him leaving his mind, and his own was coming back into focus. As he was feeling his own body again, he could hear laughter of his foe ringing in his ears. His vision was the next thing to come back, and the first thing he saw was Aizen standing over him, gloating over Ichigo's body. The laughing, in some sick and twisted way, was revitalizing him. After a few seconds, Ichigo began to get onto his feet, much to the dismay of Aizen.

"What!" yelled Aizen. "How are you standing?"

Ichigo wiped a trail of blood from his mouth. "Heh, to tell you the truth, I'm a little surprised myself. However...a friend came and visited me. He wanted to have me tell you that your days of abusing this dimension are over with."

"What!?" Aizen yelled. "The Black Sun entered your mind! I though I had total control!"

Ichigo grinned playfully. "Looks like you don't." he said, keeping that grin on his face. Aizen drew his own blade, with it's black blade visibly coursing with the veil's energy. Aizen was beginning to show signs of madness on his face.

"You are the Soul Society are a plague in the universe." Aizen growled, all the while his hands were shaking. "For ages, I languished under the rule of the Seiretei. I saw them abuse their power, and show no sympathy towards those below them, and even their enemies! For a while, I cared for the common people, and did all I could to help them. However, the seductive call of power began to echo in my mind, and after some time, I gave up on good works in order to pursue my true calling. I don't have much more to go before I reach the top, and by killing you here, I will make it."

"Nice speech." said Ichigo sarcastically. "I have to admit, I almost felt moved by it all. I can only hope you still believe all of that when you're burning in hell!"

Aizen suddenly charged towards Ichigo, pointing his weapon right at him. When he closed the distance, Ichigo blocked the attack, and the veil energy from his opponent crackled all over. Usually he would reel heavily from such an assault, but Ichigo absorbed some of the veil energy from the blow, and his remaining Black Sun powers gained some momentum. Taking a few seconds to bathe himself in red light, Ichigo saw Aizen coming in for another rage-filled attack. Falling onto his back, he raised his zanpakuto, and intercepted the attack. His foe sword broke in half, as the bladed end floated towards the rubble filled sky. Ichigo vision returned to normal, as did a portion of his mind. The powers of the Black Sun must fade as I manipulate them, he thought to himself. I must use these powers wisely.

Aizen watched the sword fragment float away into the sky, and the anger continued flowing. He returned his gaze to Ichigo, who was standing still while catching his breath. "You may still have the Black Sun's favor, but I still have a trick or two you don't know about." spoke Aizen. "Watch this!" he yelled, as he placed his hand over the broken section of the blade. Muttering some words that Ichigo couldn't understand, small tendrils of energy came out of his palm, and reforged the weapon with a black edge.

"You're backed up into a corner." said Ichigo. "There's no way you can accomplish your plan now."

"Heh." laughed Aizen. "Even if I fail here, I'll always find a way to haunt you and the Soul Society!"

Ichigo infused himself with the yellow light of speed. He was moving so fast, it was as if everything around him, even Aizen, was moving slowly. Ichigo was within striking distance, but before he could land with an attack, the black blade of Aizen released dozen of tendrils that infused the area. One of these tendrils touched Ichigo right of in the middle of the forehead, and he immediately began to return to normal speed. Damnit, he yelled to himself. I didn't see that one coming. Now I got only two powers left.

"You're not the only one in this fight that can take away power." said Aizen sinisterly. "Judging by your patters of thought, you don't have much in the way of the veil's power left. Gotta use them carefully."

"You shut your mouth!" Ichigo yelled. "He's right though. I've already used my speed power, and my penetrating power served some purpose. I only have my shielding power, and my ability to see into the veil. This is getting difficult."

As the two warriors continued fighting, Orihime looked on from within the cage, with a worried look cast over her face. She knew that the both of them were seriously weakened from this prolonged fight, and it was only a matter of time before one of them would slip up, and have a sword going right through their heart. Closing her eyes, she clasped her hands, and sent out a prayer of hope. She wished for someone to listen to it, and hopefully, would answer it.

The view came back to Ichigo & Aizen, who were still swinging their blades right at each other. Ichigo was still standing and fighting fervently, but the loss of some of his veil powers made him feel slightly paranoid, and the cryptic words of the Black Sun were still weighing on his mind. After thinking for a few seconds, he decided that it was as good as time of any to use one of his remaining powers. Well, he said, I guess it's time to look inside the veil, and see if there's something to find.

Ichigo closed his eyes, then opened them to see what was previously hidden. Glowing runes appeared all over the columns and broken walls, more so than there already were. Even on the ground there were patterns created through the twisted minds of the Thule Society, and their messages were as powerful now as they were then. Ichigo continued looking around, until he spotted a particular rune on a column to his right. A small grin appeared on his face, as his plan to defeat Aizen was coming to a close.

In the meantime, Aizen was searching through the ruins for Ichigo, but his mind was balancing on the razor's edge of madness. He had worked on this plan for ages, and was almost close to completing it. He had the destruction of the Soul Society within his grasp, but his foes, along with their unusual allies, and come in at the wrong time. Now, his mind was filled with rage & hatred, and it wasn't clear if he would come back to his senses. Even if he were to die, he still had a trump card to play.

Aizen kept looking for Ichigo, until he got pelted by a rock. He looked behind him, and saw his orange-headed foe harassing him. His rage getting the best of him, Aizen charged right at his opponent, when Ichigo suddenly disappeared from his sight. Stopping right in his tracks, Aizen began looking for Ichigo again. He couldn't feel his spiritual pressure, but he could feel some other kind of energy. It was faint, but he could feel some kind of protective barrier. It seems the veil has abandoned me as I thought, Aizen said to himself angrily. So be it.

Aizen decided to walk to where he last saw Ichigo, since he was probably close to that spot anyhow. He arrived there just a little bit later, but a glowing rune below him stopped his advance. It was large enough to that it covered a few square feet, and the red light coming from the rune meant only trouble. Aizen tried to walk out of the rune's space, but a sudden shock sent him flying back into it's center. He gripped his blade tighter than before, and just as he was about to initiate an attack, red bolts of energy came out from the rune. Those bolts began traveling into his veil created blade, and the weapon was glowing just as red as the rune was. In a short amount of time, it was radiating intense heat, and the hilt was too hot to hold onto. Aizen was only able to hold onto his weapon for a few seconds, before the heat burnt his hands, and he was forced to drop it. After a minute, the blade was glowing like the sun, and shattered into a dozen pieces. When the weapon was destroyed, the rune began to waver in it's glowing, and stopped glowing altogether a few seconds later.

"A cheap trick, Mr Kurosaki." said Aizen. "You're displaying the same kind of cowardice that the Soul Society has done time & time again. Where are you hiding Ichigo!?"

Ichigo walked out of hiding, his zanpakuto back in it's sheathe. "Yeah, I admit, it was a little cowardly." he said. "At this stage, however, it's necessary to be a little sly & sneaky."

"A fair answer." Aizen replied. "The only thing that puzzles me, is how you were able to use your empowerment ability again, when you had expended earlier."

"I did expend it." spoke Ichigo. "However, with my veil sight, I was able to find the rune that was below your feet just seconds ago. After connecting my mind with the rune, I was able to temporarily get that gift back, and after a trick or two, got you to step on the rune and shatter that blackened blade of yours. I was glad this little plan of mine worked, cause I was worried it wouldn't."

After that last word, Aizen spotted the largest shard of his formerly complete sword, and with a mighty swing, threw it right at Ichigo. Ichigo was at a fair distance away, but the shard was coming in fast. I only have my shield power left, he said to himself. Better activate it quick.

A blue barrier began to form in front of him. The shard was withing a few feet before the shield was fully formed, and when the shard struck, it shattered into even more pieces. One of those pieces was a 6 inch length, complete with the surprisingly unblemished tip. It flew right back at Aizen at a faster speed than when he threw it. In what was a split second, the shard flew right through his forehead, and deep into his brain. For a moment, he stood still, as silent as a tombstone. Then, his body began to spasm violently, and started to drool like a rabid dog. This went on for 10 more seconds, until his body fell over a small wall, and finally stopped shaking.

Ichigo cautiously walked over to his foe's silent corpse. Aizen was known for his machinations, so it was understandable that he was a little paranoid. When he got in range to touch the body, he used the butt-end of his zanpakuto to see if there was any life left in the lord of the Arancars. After a few taps, it was miraculously confirmed that the most deadly of the Soul Society's foes, had died at last. Since there needed to be proof that Aizen was slain, Ichigo took the obi that was tied around his opponent's waist. At the same time he obtained the cloth belt, the cage that contained Orihime broke into pieces of scrap metal, and Orihime, who suddenly became rejuvenated, hopped off of the column onto her feet, and ran right over to Ichigo. Although she was relieved to be reunited with one of her best friends, she was worried that everything wasn't as it seems.

"Is he dead?" she asked cautiously.

Ichigo nodded. "He's finely dead." he said with a grim tone.

After that, the two gave each other a quick hug, before the whole place began suffering from a massive earthquake. Walls toppled, chasms formed, and towers crumbled into dust. Fearing that they would get swallowed up by a giant hole in the ground, Orihime & Ichigo climbed up onto a platform that was somehow still standing amid all the chaos. Ichigo didn't know how to get back to the Soul Society, and was certain that this was his end, and Orihime's end as well.

"Ichigo?" asked Orihime while she lightly sobbed.

"Yeah?" he asked back.

"I'm glad that it was you that came and saved me, but how do we get out of here?"

"I'm not sure." replied Ichigo. "I'm just not sure."

Just then, a ray of light came through the dark sky, illuminating the platform. Ichigo & Orihime began floating away from the veil, and towards the source of the light. As they were floating towards the opening, the Black Sun entered Ichigo's mind one last time, and imparted some final words.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, thank you. With the death of Aizen, the veil is beginning to heal from the damage he caused."

"You're welcome." replied Ichigo.

"When you get back to your world, rest, and enjoy your deserved spoils. Be careful though: enemies from far away, and close to home, still threaten the Soul Society. One in particular, may cause it's complete downfall."

"What do you mean!?" Ichigo yelled as he was at the lip of the ray of light. Before he could hear the answer, he arrived back at the Soul Society after perhaps his biggest ordeal.

Chapter 27

Moments later, Ichigo and Orihime arrived right back in the Soul Society, still awed by what happened minutes earlier. They seemed to be back in the library that they were looking through a day or two before. It was oddly quiet, and to ramp up the strange peace that was settling on them, the whole place was clean, as if a cleansing wave of wind came through, followed by mysterious hands that picked everything up, and put it back in their rightful place. It was soothing, but at the same time very unsettling.

"Ichigo, did we make it back alright?" Orihime asked nervously.

Ichigo was still looking around. "I'm not sure." he replied. "We'll just have to go outside to see if we made it back to the right Soul Society?"

Just then, the door to the library began to shake. Orihime, scared that the Arancars came back for her, hid right behind Ichigo. In respose, Ichigo began drawing his zanpakuto, but when the doors fully opened, he stopped when he saw who it was.

"Captain Shunsui, what a relief." said Ichigo as he let out his breath. "For a bit, Orihime & I thought we arrived in the wrong Soul Society. I'm glad to see that we made it into the right one."

"Then I'm relieved that you two are the real Orihime & Ichigo Kurosaki." Shunsui replied. "However, there's a more pressing matter right now."

"What!?" asked Ichigo seriously.

"The Fuhrer's in surgery." responded Shunsui. "Right now he's in critical condition, and for some odd reason, Professor Wilhelm requested that you be there as the procedure and observe. Your companion Orihime is welcome to come as well, as long as she doesn't mind the blood."

At first, Orihime didn't say anything. After a second, she stepped out from behind Ichigo, and gave Shunsui a silent nod.

"Good." said Captain Shunsui. "Let's head there right now."

The four rushed out of the library, where a car was waiting for them. They promptly got in, and the vehicle got in. As they were speeding towards the wounded Fuhrer, Orihime tried to see what Shunsui knew about the Fuhrer's condition.

"Hey Shunsui, do you know what's going on."

"The Fuhrer was banged up really bad while in Waco Mundo. When a rod went into his chest, it knicked the lower left of his heart. The only reason he didn't collapse while it was in him was because the rod acted as a stopper, and prevented massive bleeding in his chest."

"Then how did he not bleed out when the rod was pulled out?" asked Orihime.

"I'm not quite sure myself." Shunsui replied. "All I can say is that the Fourth Reich is capable of things that the Soul Society dreams of doing."

Orihime silently nodded. She had no idea why she felt so concerned for the Fuhrer: he caused so much death & destruction, that it would cause seething hatred to spring up in even the kindest soul. Yet somehow, someway, she couldn't even manage to bring a shred of that hate into her heart. It was in her nature to find goodness within even the darkest of souls, and the leader of the Fourth Reich was no exception. Hopefully, she would be able to even bring out a shred of heart from his black soul.

They made it to the hospital, just as a guard rushed out to greet them. "Come inside, quickly!" he said.

"What's going on!?" Shunsui asked in a panic.

"The Fuhrer's condition got worse, so they started the surgery earlier that expected." the guard spoke. As they went inside, the car sped off, leaving behind a cloud of dust that disappeared just as quickly as it was made.

The guard led Ichigo, Orihime, and Shunsui straight to the surgery observation room. Despite the level of concern for the Fuhrer, only Captain Hitsugaya & Captain Mayuri were watching the surgery unfold in front of them. When the door opened, they promptly greeted the new arrivals.

"What did we miss?" asked Ichigo.

"Well, you're just about time for...well, take a look." said Hitsugaya, pointing at the glass. The three were slightly puzzled by their comrade's words, so they took a peek. Within the surgery room, they saw a flurry of activity from the surgeons. Most of them were around the Fuhrer, who was as stiff as a board on the surgery table, and as silent as the grave. Ichigo, Orihime, and Shunsui sat down, just as one of the surgeons took out the Fuhrer's heart. Despite the damage it took, it was still beating, but slowly.

One of the surgeons moved the heart over to a glass container, filled with a aqua-colored liquid. As the heart was placed inside, Orihime leaned over to Captain Mayuri, who was quite excited by the operation unfolding before him. "Captain Mayuri, what's going on?" asked Orihime.

"They're transplanting his heart." he replied.

"Transplanting?" Orihime questioned. "What's that?"

"His heart took damage, and they're replacing it with a undamaged one. They're probably try to repair the original one, and maybe use it at a later time."

While Mayuri was explaining the transplanting process to Mayuri, Ichigo noticed one of the surgeons grab another jar that contained a heart, only this one had some kind of clap on it. When Mayuri was done talking to Orihime, he went over to see what knowledge he could gleam from him.

"What the hell is that thing?" Ichigo asked as he pointed at the clap.

"It's a pacemaker." Mayuri replied. "Think of it like a clock: it keeps the proper pace, and if at anytime it even slightly deviates, a simple shock causes the heart to beat properly again."

Hitsugaya seemed to be the only person not curious about what was going on. Out of all the 13 court squad captains, he was the only one to still feel some kind hatred, and with some good reason. When the Nazis had control of the Soul Society, Hitsugaya had a chunk of his men taken out, and got wounded in the process. Although his body eventually healed, his pride was still sore. Once the Fuhrer had recovered enough, he would challenge him to a duel, and hopefully kill him.

The surgeons placed the new heart back into the Fuhrer's chest, and the veins reattached to it like magic almost instantly. They sewed the opening closed, and the cut flesh began to heal, but slowly. One of the surgeons brought over a set of bulky paddles, and placed them both on Faust's chest. Another surgeon went over to the paddle box, and adjusted a few knobs, then he pressed down on a red knob. This sent an impressive amount of electricity through the wires, and into the Fuhrer's body. This occurred for only a moment, when his body began stirring. After a second more, the surgeon let his finger off the button.

"Is he alive?" asked Orihime, leaning on the edge of his seat.

Everybody in the observation room, and the surgery room, were incredibly still & silent. A moment later, the Fuhrer sat back up, breathing on his own, and looking no wore for the wear. The surgeons were cheering at their leader's swift recovery. Those in the observation room, with the exception of Hitsugaya, let out sighs of relief. One of the surgeons popped open a bottle of champagne, and began pouring it into some glasses that another doctor brought in. As the surgery team was enjoying their drink, the Fuhrer put his glasses, shirt, and hat back on, then turned towards the observation room, and looked right up at the window. Ichigo and the others felt that their breaths were taken away, yet at the same time there was a sense of relief.

"If you're done gawking at me, then let's finish some things." Faust said grimly.

Chapter 28

It was unusual that Faust would walk alone, especially after heart surgery, but he insisted it. He had a lot on his mind, and he didn't want anyone else around him to cloud his thoughts. He took a moment to check his pulse, as he thought that it was irregular, but luckily it wasn't. As he was getting closer to his office, he saw one of his guards standing outside, and had a flabbergasted look on his face. Once he got closer, the guard came over, looking to take a weight off his shoulders.

"My Fuhrer, apologies." the guard said. "I couldn't stop her."

"Stop her?" the fuhrer replied. "What are you talking about?"

The guard let out a small cough. "A young woman charged right in, demanding she'd speak with you."

"Did she say her name?" Faust asked.

"No." the guard said. "However, she was somewhat small for her size, and her chest was...lacking so to speak."

Faust rubbed his chin, then a lightbulb went off in his head. "Ah, I know who you're talking about!" he said. "Just keep standing out here, and if you here a noise of any kind while I'm talking with this girl, do not enter. Is that understood?"

"Yes my Fuhrer!" the guard shouted, giving him the appropriate salute. Faust simply nodded, and went right inside. The guard stepped back in front of the door, and resumed his rigid pose.

Faust was surprised by the sight of Rukia, who was sitting on his desk. She had a tense & serious look on her face, and it almost felt like she was going to pounce like a jaguar. The Fuhrer simply let out a small huff, and began taking off his coat. "I'm quite surprised to see you here." he said. "Out of all the members of the Soul Society, you are the last person I thought of to speak with me when this was over with."

Rukia said nothing. She still had that look on her face, and was as still as the Fuhrer when he was on the operating table. A moment later, she promptly got off the desk, and swiftly unsheathed her zanpakuto. The tip of the blade was just an inch away from Faust's neck, yet he showed no sign of fear.

"Very fast." the Fuhrer said. "Your only problem is that the blade is an inch away from my neck. Given what I can do, I could disintegrate that sword of yours in a millisecond, or I could force you to kill yourself if I felt particularly evil."

"You probably could." replied Rukia. "However..."

Faust raised his hand to cut her off. "While getting eviscerated by your sword might be satisfying for you, there might be a more...ironic way for you to kill me."

Rukia formed a puzzled looked on her face. "Ironic?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

Faust pointed to a cloth-covered jar on a cabinet next to the desk. "Just lift that cloth up, and you'll see what I mean."

Still holding the blade in Faust's direction, Rukia lifted up the cloth, and beheld a familiar & painful sight. "That's the gun you killed my Brother with two months ago." she said with a sorrowful voice.

"Indeed it is." said Faust. "After your brother died, I placed this Luger in the jar for this odd occasion. You make think of this as trickery, but for you, it would fit in with some ironic justice. Don't you think?"

Rukia didn't say anything. She really couldn't comprehend what she just heard, and almost couldn't believe it. Yet, she was taking the lid off as she was putting the blade back into it's sheath. Placing the lid to the side, she picked up the Luger, and felt the cold steel of the grip. Immediately, she witnessed a flashback from two months ago, when Faust placed the barrel to her brother's head, and pulled the trigger. The bang from the Luger rang in her mind from that day on.

"No changes were made to the gun." Faust said solemnly. "The day that I killed your brother, I immediately placed it into the jar. The clip inside it was the same one from that day: no bullets were replaced, etc. Considering what happened, I knew that perhaps your vengeance needed to be slaked, and that gun, strangely enough, is the perfect tool for the job."

Rukia didn't say a thing. She just continued to stare at the pistol, relieving that horrible day over & over again. Then without warning, she swiftly aimed the gun at the Fuhrer's head, who was incredibly impresses with her speed. All he was waiting for now, was for her to pull the trigger. Strangely though, she didn't. Instead, she just simply put the Luger onto the table, walked right over to Faust, and gave him a sharp slap to the face.

"That slap is less than what you deserve." she said coldly, and stormed right out of the room. Faust simply rubbed his left cheek, then spoke a single sentence out loud.

"Hmmm. I think my point might have made it across."

Chapter 29

It was a surprisingly calm day in the Soul Society. Considering the events of the past few days, there was a sense of rebuilding, and a return to more peaceful yet productive times. The damage done was impressive, but nobody seemed to be down. Everybody was doing their part, whether it was simple cleaning duties, tending to the wounded & dead, or fixing up a ruined building. There were a few soul reapers that were mentally scarred by recent events, yet they didn't allow their pain to get in the way of their job.

In a clearing not far from the medical complex, representatives from the Nazis and the Soul Society were standing around a table, in which the Fuhrer and Captain Retsu, who was chosen as the head representative, were sitting across from each other, speaking about an agreement between the two sides.

"Well, it seems things are sorted out." said the Fuhrer.

"Indeed." replied Captain Retsu calmly after sipping a cup of tea. "You'll pay us for the damages & deaths that the Reich caused, as well as give us extra supplies."

"And we'll stay out of the Soul Society's territory unless we need to acquire something from you, in which case the proper channels will be traversed in these manners." the Fuhrer replied right back.

"Agreed" said Captain Retsu. The two got up at the same time, then a firm hand shake was given between them. While the crowd around they gave their applause, Ichigo and Captain Hitsugaya were standing watch over the event, and they had different...opinions about what was going to happen.

"Ichigo, what do you think is going to happen now?" Hitsugaya asked with a serious tone.

"I'm not sure?" said Ichigo. "I prefer to stay out of politics."

Hitsugaya just nodded. On the surface, Ichigo couldn't tell what the captain was thinking, as did many people. On the inside, Ichigo could sense the inferno of rage and discontent that was burning within the captain. Given what happened to him and his men, it was understandable. However, if the majority of the Soul Society could forgive the Nazis, then perhaps Hitsugaya could forgive them as well. Only time would tell.

"Well Ichigo, it looks like the show's over with" said Hitsugaya. As the crowd was dispersing, he was glad that he could head back to his squad, and rest for a few second before he got his hands dirty with the repairs. "You staying around Ichigo?"

Ichigo nodded. "Na, I'm heading back home." he said. "My family's been a little on edge lately, so I'll head back and see how they're doing."

Hitsugaya nodded. As Ichigo jumped off the platform the two were standing on, Hitsugaya turned back to the crowd, who were just about gone from the place. "Forgiveness...I guess it could work." he said silently & solemnly to himself.

Epilogue

Urahara shop was quiet, much like it always ways. His assistants were either asleep, or they were in town picking up things for dinner. Actually, things weren't quite so silent, as he & Ichigo's dad were sitting at the table in the living room, enjoying a nice pot of tea. The mood was mostly pleasant, but there was a sense of business in the air.

"Well, it looks like the Soul Society survived another cataclysm." said Urahara.

Ichigo's dad sipped his tea. "It looks like it." he replied. "I'm surprised that they didn't come to you for help or advice."

Urahara put down his cup. "Well, I'm not surprised that they didn't stop by, and I'm actually kinda glad. I've been done with them for a while. Hey, there's still this matter of you not telling Ichigo the real reason why you and the girls were gone from the house two months ago!"

Ichigo's dad huffed. "As I said before, all in good time." he replied plainly. "I was there all those decades ago, and I didn't want to get involved again."

"Eh, fair enough." said Urahara, and he had another sip of tea. "He's gonna know eventually."

"That's what I'm afraid off." Ichigo's dad said grimly. The two simply shrugged, and went back to drinking their tea.

Meanwhile, the Fuhrer was walking down a dark hallway rather briskly. He seemed to have an impatient look on his face, and he didn't want to be stopped or interrupted. He was about to enter a small room to his left, when three shadowy, humanoid shapes appeared at the end of the hallway. Even in the darkness of the hall, Faust could easily see these shapes, though one wonders how he could see them. He didn't walk towards the shapes, but his mind was connected to theirs, and he began a telepathic conversation with them.

"You're late."

"We know." said the largest shape. "There were...complications."

"What sort of complications?"

"Our research was off." said the medium shape. "They're coming sooner than we though."

"How soon?"

"About 1 to 2 years." said the smallest shape. "We need to get ready as soon as possible."

"Indeed." replied Faust. "Get on that quickly. I have business here to finish."

"Understood." said the largest shape. The three shadows nodded, then slunk back into whatever darkness they came from. Faust simply huffed, and he entered the room to finish whatever he needed to do. "Dark times are coming." he said. "Dark times are coming for us all."