Chapter 11
The sky outside was now a lifeless, dull gray. A foreboding sense of gloom wormed it's way throughout the Soul Society. The rank-and-file were starting to become paranoid, while the otherwise stoic & iron-minded captains were suddenly beginning to feel insecurity & doubt. As for Ichigo, Rangiku, Yoruichi, and Captain Hitsugaya, they seemed to be unaffected by their twisted surroundings.
"I can feel it." spoke Rangiku. "Can any of you feel it?"
Yoruichi tugged some cloth on her shirt, and let out a small breath. "Yeah, I can." she responded. "There's something not right, but I can't quite tell what it is."
"It's some kind of...miasma." said Captain Hitsugaya. "I can even feel it in the buildings. This kind of dread must have taken a lot of energy to use."
Ichigo nodded in agreement. A moment later, he noticed a pair of feet sticking out from an alleyway. Pointing at them, the group went right over to investigate, and discovered that the feet were attached to a soul reaper who had died of unknown causes. His short black hair was somehow beginning to turn grey, his eyes were glossing over, and his skin had somehow started taking on a green sheen. The sight of the corpse had unnerved the group, with Ichigo taking it personally for some reason.
"His skin color looks familiar." said Ichigo as he was rubbing his chin. "Any of you guys think it looks like something we've seen before."
"I don't think we have enough time to investigate. Look over there!" Rangiku said loudly as she pointed towards the sky. Ichigo, Yoruichi, and Captain Hitsugaya looked upward, and saw what looked like bulbous insect floating through the air. They began flying towards the corpse, oblivious to the presence of Ichigo and the others. They backed away from the body, and watched as the bugs began draining the body. At first they though the insects were draining leftover fluids, they immediately noticed that they were draining energy from the corpse, as their backsides were getting larger & larger. Once they were full, they started floating away from the body, away to some unknown destination. Ichigo and his friends walked back over to the corpse, and noticed that it's skin was no longer green.
"I think I recognize those creatures." said Ichigo.
"You do?" Hitsugaya asked. "What are they?"
"They're called Geists." Ichigo responded. "I remember the Nazi scientists talking about them. Apparently, they're native inhabitants of the Veil. Think of them like spectral ants. Different species, different functions, that kind of stuff."
"Does that mean the Nazis are back?" asked Yoruichi.
"I'm not quite sure." responded Ichigo. "On the one hand, I can definitely sense the energy that they used. On the other hand, this feels...natural somehow. Almost like we're in the Geists's natural environment."
"Wait just a second." said Yoruichi. "I thought that your connection to the Black Sun was severed after we took out the Nazis. How can you still sense anything?"
Ichigo scratched his head, then spoke. "Perhaps I have some sort of faint connection that I still don't know about. Only time is going to tell with this situation."
"Well, time better tell soon." said Yoruichi. "Cause I hear someone coming!"
Ichigo and the others headed into the alley to avoid being seen by whoever was coming. The shadows were dark enough that they couldn't been seen, but not dark enough that they wouldn't be able to see anything. The four friends began coming up with what to do next.
"Hey Rangiku, take a look around the corner." said Hitsugaya.
"Why me?" Rangiku asked.
"Because if there's a guy coming towards us, you could charm him with your...feminine whiles." Hitsugaya responded.
Rangiku closed her robes. "You pervert!" she said, smacking her commander in the head. "Alright, I'll take a look. Just don't try to take a peek of me."
Hitsugaya simply huffed. "Alright, alright. Just take a friggen look." he said.
"Hee hee, okay then." said Rangiku with a smile. She peeked around the corner, and saw 3 Arancars. Two of them were male, and a strawberry blond female. Rangiku then noticed that the holes typical of an Arancar were replaced by a hole shaped into a familiar symbol. As one of them began looking in her direction, Rangiku quickly ducked back into the alleyway to avoid being seen. She seemed a little bit out of breath, perhaps due to her close call.
"Did you see anybody?" asked Yoruichi.
Rangiku caught her breath. "Yeah, I did." she said. "There were 3 Arancars. Two were guys, and one was a girl. They kinda creeped me out, though."
"How's that?" Hitsugaya asked.
"These Arancars don't have holes on them." responded Rangiku. "They got that Nazi sun symbol on them. Are you sure that they aren't working with them, Ichigo?"
Ichigo quickly shook his head. "Yes, I'm positive!" he said loudly. "As I said before, this feels natural somehow!"
Just then, he realized that he'd been talking too loud. His position, as well as the position of his comrades. Each of them promptly gave him a smack to the head, and a bump immediately started swelling up.
"Ow." said Ichigo as he was rubbing the bump on his head.
"Servers you right." said Yoruichi.
As if in response, every building around them immediately started to shake. A moment later, and they all crumbled into dust. The dust then rose to form a thick cloud that surrounded Ichigo and the others, as well as the ruins and the Arancars. The dust was so thick that they couldn't see their opponents, but their opponents could probably see them. Slowly and quietly, Ichigo and the others began to creep out of the dust cloud to avoid getting caught, but the cloud quickly began dispersing, and the group was surrounded by their pursuers.
"Well, Well." said the female Arancar. "It looks like a couple of rabbits trying to run away."
"I don't like rabbits." said the first male Arancar. "They're too full of life for my taste."
"What shall we do with them?" the second male Arancar asked, raising his head to be on level with the others.
"Let's skin them." the first male Arancar said.
"Agreed, let's..." and the female Arancar was interrupted by a bang, and a cloud of black smoke. The three Arancars began caughing and trying to wave away the smoke, with little success. After a few seconds, the smoke mostly dissipated, with only a few thin wisps floating in the air. The three Arancars stopped coughing, and the so-called rabbits had disappeared.
Chapter 12
Ichigo and the others kept running. Together, they could have probably beaten them. It was something about their power, how they were easily capable of harnessing the capability to destroy. There was only one group of individuals who had the same capabilities, but they needed to confirm it with the rest of the captains.
At this time, clouds were starting to fill the air. They were black like the night, and were streaked with a dark green. Ichigo started feeling his connection to the Black Sun regain potency, but as to how this was happening, he didn't know. Yoruichi, Hitsugaya, and Rangiku noticed that Ichigo was beginning to change some how.
"Ichigo." said Yoruichi as she touched her friend on the shoulder. "It's your powers from the Black Sun. They're coming back, aren't they?"
"They are." replied Ichigo. "I can't seem to use them just yet. The power behind them, however, is coming back. Captain Hitsugaya, how far are we from the rest of the captains?"
"Not far." he responded. "In fact, Captain Retsu is close by. We'll get to her and her men shortly."
"Okay then, lets go." said Yoruichi, and the group headed to Captain Retsu's base. They needed to regroup with the rest of the Soul Society if they were to fight against the Arancars, as well as tell them about Orihime's disappearance. Their only hope was that the fighting had not already started.
Sure enough, they arrived at Captain Retsu's base. Two large and burly guards stood in front of the gate, guarding it against intruders of all kinds. Fortunately, when Ichigo and the rest of the group walked in front of the gate, one of the guards lowered his head, and let them inside. Within the base was a sense of strained calm. It was peaceful, but there was a kind of tension that could break the calm at any time. Rangiku noticed Captain Retsu walk out of her office with her second-in-command not that far behind. With a wave of Rangiku's had, Captain Retsu briskly walked right over.
"Ah Captain Retsu, good to see you." spoke Hitsugaya.
Captain Retsu shook Hitsugaya's hand. "Same to you." she replied. "I assume you've come to join the fight?"
Ichigo, Yoruichi, and Rangiku instantly formed a worried look on their faces. "Fight?" Rangiku asked. "What do you mean by fight?"
Captain Retsu sighed. "Since the weather & spiritual pressure began fluctuating, Arancars began showing up and fighting with the rest of the 13 court squads. Fortunately, my men haven't located any sign of Arancar activity near our base. We've started taking in wounded, and the numbers coming in are not good."
"How bad is it getting?" asked Ichigo.
"Just follow me." responded Captain Retsu. She waived her hand, and the quartet followed. They walked through a small, tranquil garden with blooming roses, and stopped in front of Captain Retsu's private dojo. "The squeamish need not apply." she said kindly, and pushed the doors open. Her comment about the numbers coming in not looking good, were right.
There were cots set up all over the place. Cloth walls were placed between each cot, and medics were going between each station. A few of the occupants were walking between to help out, despite their injuries. Some were missing hands, a few didn't have arms, and a couple were missing eyes. The severely injured were lying on the cots, and these victims of war had wounds so disturbing, they are better off undescribed.
"My god." said a stunned Yoruichi. "I've seen wounded, but nothing on this level. Captain Retsu, how bad has the fighting been getting?"
"We've been having some difficulty." Captain Retsu replied. "A small few have been killed, but the Arancars have started to push us back. The wounded are coming in more that those without injuries. Since you guys showed up, there's a possibility that we can push them back instead."
"In that case, lets go Rangiku." spoke Captain Hitsugaya. "Ichigo, Yoruichi, take care of Captain Retsu and the wounded. We'll send some backup as soon as we can."
Ichigo nodded. "You two take care of yourselves." he said, and Captain Hitsugaya and Rangiku left the base. Meanwhile, Ichigo turned to Captain Retsu, and gave her a few words.
"Captain Retsu, there's another problem that we have." Ichigo said.
"What's that?" the captain asked.
Ichigo continued to speak. "Before we came here, we ran into a group of 3 Arancar. Those guys seemed to be on a power level that is different than a normal Arancar."
"Hmmmm, that does sound like trouble." responded Captain Retsu. "I'm not the kind of person you should be talking about this to. Captain Mayuri is much more knowledgeable about this kinds of things. I'll send a message to him right now. Hey, where is Orihime? Wasn't she with you?"
"We think she's been taken captive." Ichigo said solemnly. "As to why, I'm not quite sure. I can only hope that they aren't treating her too badly."
"Indeed." replied Captain Retsu. "Hey, before you guys head to the front lines, can you help me with some of the wounded that are coming in? My own men have their hands full fighting off the Arancars and taking care of everybody else."
"No problem." responded Yoruichi. "Ichigo, lets get to work."
"Alright." Ichigo responded, and the two went with Captain Retsu into the makeshift hospital. They carted around bandages and medicine, tied up wounds, brought in new wounded, and gave comfort to the soldiers that were starting to showing signs of fear and despair. After a few minutes, the hospital's load was lightened a little, and Captain Retsu sent Ichigo and Yoruichi on their way. Before they left, the captain stopped them for a few final words.
"Hey you two, there one last thing."
"What's that?" Ichigo asked.
"A couple of my men have been hearing some strange noises." the captain said.
"What kind of noises?" asked Yoruichi.
"We're not quite sure."responded Captain Retsu. "We sent a few recordings to Captain Mayuri, but even he hasn't been able to identify. Be careful out there."
"We will." replied Yoruichi. "Ichigo, lets get to the front lines."
"Right." said Ichigo as he nodded his head. "Lets go!"
Chapter 13
Ichigo and Yoruichi were traveling through ruined-covered streets towards the front lines. Along the way, they occasionally came across dead soul reapers, draped in pale skin and drained of life. Every once in a while, a few Geists would be seen hovering above a corpse, draining what little energy they have left. The two stopped right in front of a body with a particularly fat Geist feasting on it, and had a few words with one another.
"Hmmm." breathed Ichigo.
"What is it?" asked Yoruichi.
"I truly hope the Nazis aren't working with the Arancars." Ichigo replied. "Either one of them are bad enough on their own, but if they are working together, who knows what will happen?"
"Lets hope that's not the case." said Yoruichi. "Now come on, and let's get moving!"
The two walked away from the corpse, and continued to head towards the front lines. At this stage, they began smelling smoke, and the grey sky started turning red from the flames of war. As they were getting closer, they began hearing sword clash against sword, and soldiers crying out in a bloodshed-fueled frenzy. Ichigo and Yoruichi were within distance, when they saw two flaming fireballs coming down on their position. The two jumped out of the way, and the fireballs hit the ground. When they got up to inspect the flames, they realized that there were bodies within the fire. Whatever had done this must have had some immense power. "I guess we're getting close." Ichigo said sarcastically.
Yoruichi just shook her head, as the two kept going to the front lines. They got within a few inches, when a wall to their right bursted apart. A moment later, two fighters tumbled through the wreckage, holding wicked blades near each other's throat. After a minute, the warrior on the bottom sliced his sword across the Arancar's throat, causing dark blood to spill all over the ground. The fighter that was on the bottom pushed the body aside, and got back up to his feet. After he dusted off his robes, both Ichigo and Yoruichi realized that it was Captain Hitsugaya.
"Hitsugaya, over here!" Yoruichi shouted out as she waived him over. After wiping off the blood from his zanpakuto, and sheathing it, he briskly walked right over. He must have been in battle for a while, as he was breathing somewhat heavily, and his robe has numerous tears all over, revealing deep cuts.
"Jesus Hitsugaya, has the fighting been that bad?" Ichigo asked.
"Indeed." responded Hitsugaya. "We've managed to kill a couple of them, but they've killed dozens of us. The field hospitals are receiving more than releasing. Captain Retsu has already receive 30 to 50 wounded since you guys left."
"Then let's even the odds!" Yoruichi said loudly as she drew her knife. "Ichigo, let's kick some ass!"
Stunned by his friend's sudden change, Ichigo nether the less unsheathed his zanpakuto. "Like wise." he responded.
"Now that we're all on the same page, lets get back into the fight." Hitsugaya said. Those Arancar aren't going to kill themselves!"
Ichigo and Yoruichi both looked at each other, and nodded. They trailed Hitsugaya as he began heading back towards the fighting. At this stage, whole buildings were wreathed in flames, and the sight of bodies, both Arancar and Soul Reaper, were becoming more and more common. Although there were indeed Geists popping in to harvest energy from the corpses, they seemed to gravitate to the Arancar bodies more than the Soul Reaper bodies. As to why this was happening, they didn't know, but it concerned them regardless.
After a couple of minutes, the three warriors arrived at the front lines, and it was a wild mess. Soul Reapers were clashing with Arancars, but while some of they were just as shaped as they were, most of them seemed deformed and incomplete. It didn't matter, as they needed to be driven back and killed. Their presence was an affront to the Soul Society, and they wouldn't allow to them to taint their world. Hitsugaya spotted a group of his men that were in trouble, and raced to their rescue. Meanwhile, Ichigo and Yoruichi came under assault by a couple of the deformed Arancars, and quickly fought back. The brutes were strong, but not strong enough to withstand attack from the two warriors. A few more jumped into the fray, and they too were added to the pile.
"Man, these guys just keep coming!" yelled Yoruichi.
"We got to hold on Yoruichi!" Ichigo yelled. "We can't let them get further into the Soul Society!"
"Indeed!" Yoruichi yelled out. "It's just that...Ichigo, look out!"
Ichigo suddenly turned around just in time as he thrusted his zanpakuto into the chest of a deformed Arancar. The body stopped moving, and black-green blood began bleeding out from the wound. As first he thought it was just an optic illusion, but Ichigo swore to himself that he saw something twinkling in the blood. With a quick shake of his head, he pushed the deformed Arancar's body off of his blade, and onto the ground. He then went to Yoruichi's side when she began to get surrounded. The two became one, with each other's back touching the other, and their senses heightened.
"They aren't letting up!" Yoruichi said loudly.
"They got to be coming from somewhere." Ichigo responded. "They just keep coming from out of the woodwork!"
Captain Hitsugaya rejoined then, back to back. "It's going to take a touch of luck from the heavens that's going to get us out of this mess." He said while panting heavily. All around, Ichigo, Yoruichi, and Hitsugaya heard the roar of battle getting louder and louder. They could hear the screams of fellow Soul Reapers dying, and Arancars getting felled in two. The "touch of luck" that Hitsugaya was talking about was indeed coming, but not in they way that anybody would expect.
Ichigo, Yoruichi, and Hitsugaya were continuing to fight against the deformed Arancars, when loud whistling noises suddenly come into being. They were so loud, they started to drown out the sound of clashing steel. A couple of Soul Reapers began running past, but the three didn't understand why. A second later, and explosions began rocking their immediately vicinity, sending debris and Arancar body parts high into the air.
"Get back!" Hitsugaya yelled. Ichigo and Yoruichi started retreating with the other Soul Reapers, and Hitsugaya followed from not far behind. They ducked behind a few low walls, hoping that they didn't get hit by whatever had torn the Arancars apart. There were a few more explosions, then an eerie dead silence blanketed the battlefield. The Soul Reapers and Captain Hitsugaya stood up from behind the walls to see what had happened, but with all the dust and smoke floating through the air, not much could be seen.
"What the hell was that?" asked Hitsugaya, still shock from the explosions.
"Not quite sure." Ichigo replied. "I'm just glad that those explosions occurred."
Ichigo was waiving his hand around to clear away some dust. "They were definitely loud, but where the hell did..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Soul Reapers could hear what sounded like marching within the smoke. The Soul Reapers were peering into the smoke to see what it was, but they couldn't make out what it was. A few moments later, they could make out several figures within the smoke cloud, but they still couldn't tell who it was. After yet a few more seconds, the smoke had finally cleared up, and the Soul Reapers could finally tell who the figures were, and they weren't prepared.
"Nazis." spoke Hitsugaya nervously.
"Son of a bitch." Yoruichi growled. "They were working with the Arancars!"
"That's not a nice thing to say, considering we just saved your life." said a familiar voice from behind. Ichigo, Yoruichi, and Hitsugaya turned around, and saw the Fuhrer standing behind them, looking quite smug.
"So, are you here to pick us off?" Ichigo asked sarcastically.
"Actually, I'm not." the Fuhrer replied. "As it turns out, we're both in the same position."
Chapter 14
Orihime woke up on a small cloth cot, only to realize that she was in a completely different environment than the one she was in earlier. A large wooden door behind her stood perfectly still, standing silent, and probably locked. The barred window was letting in a silvery moonlight, and the breeze that was coming in was calm and soothing. She got up from her cot, and rubbed her head. There was a bump on her head that she hadn't noticed before. Earlier, she remembered being with Ichigo and Yoruichi, trying to get a book of some kind. They managed to find it, only to be met by two Arancars. From there she remembered they took out her friends, and after that, nothing else.
Orihime walked towards the window, and she then saw something she hadn't see before. In front of her eyes laid a vast, white desert. There were grey, sickly trees jutting out at random intervals. The black sky above was studded with small silver specks, except for the moon, which was fixed at a single point. It looked just liked the moon that could be seen from Karakura Town, except that she could have sworn she saw a grinning face upon the moon's surface.
"Where am I?" Orihime asked solemnly.
The door to the room began to shake. She noticed a flimsy chair in the corner of the room, and promptly picked it up, and held it in a weak defensive manner. The door finally began to open, letting in some faint torchlight. The door open up wider, revealing a figure. Orihime couldn't tell who it was, as the torchlight was unusually bright. The torchlight dimmed a little bit, and Orihime was finally able to see who the figure was.
"You." spoke Orihime nervously, still gripping the chair. "I remember you. You're one of the Arancars that kidnapped me. You aren't going to rape me, are you?"
The Arancar had as extremely surprised look on his face. "No, I'm not going to rape you!" he yelled. "I don't go for the living. Even if I did, I don't like stupid girls!"
The Arancar slowly walked towards Orihime, who at this time was shaking because she was so nervous. The Arancar stopped just short of the chair, and swiped it out of Orihime's hands. She backed up against the wall, shaking more and more. The Arancar was within enough range to slap her, until another Arancar stepped in and spoke.
"Yammy! Stay your hand. The master was our captive without any blemishes."
Yammy still had his hand raised. A second later, he reluctantly lowered it, and back off. The other Arancar walked right in, bringing a chair with him. He placed it on the floor, and pushed it towards Orihime. She was still shaking, but after the Arancar nodded his head, she took the chair, and sat right down.
"You're Stark, aren't you?" she asked. "You were the second Arancar that took me."
"Indeed." replied Stark. "Yammy and I took you from the Soul Society, and placed you hear in Waco Mundo."
"Waco Mundo?" asked Orihime. "What exactly is this place?"
Stark cleared his throat, and responded to his captive's question. "It is a place where we, the Arancars, can exist without interference from those that are alive. Our master made us from the dark energy that infuses this dimension, and soon it will be time to take the Soul Society, and from there, the entire world of the living."
"Who is this master of yours?" Orihime asked.
Yammy let out a low, sinister laugh. This made Orihime even more nervous than before, and she really couldn't do or say anything. "You'll know soon enough." he replied evilly.
Chapter 15
Fires still raged throughout the Soul Society. The battle with the Arancar had decimated much of the soul reaper ranks, yet they still stood strong. Damage control was now their number one priority, as they had a lot to clean up and a lot of fires to put out. The dead began to stink up the place, but in one cleared field, a different presence began to come in.
Ichigo, Yoruichi, Rangiku, and Captain Hitsugaya were walking through some rubble, with their Nazi escort keeping an eye on them. The Fuhrer was walking right in front of them, with a swagger that revealed a very smug personality. He began to strike up a conversation with his guests.
"So, aren't you curious as to where I'm taking you?"
"Not really." replied Hitsugaya. "Truth be told, anywhere that's far away from you is a good place."
"I hope that isn't your attitude for the entire time we're going to be together." the Fuhrer replied.
"Faust, what do you mean?" asked Yoruichi.
"You will see soon." the Fuhrer said.
A few minutes later, and the group reached a large, brown tent. Flanking the entrance were two brass flagpoles, on which flags proudly displaying the black sun symbol of the Nazis. Two guards in camouflage came out of the tent, and held the cloth door open. "Shall we go in?" Faust asked. Ichigo and the others were quite nervous, as they all thought that they would get shot. Regardless of their fear, they went right inside, unprepared for what was coming.
Inside the tent was a strangely calm sight. There was a large wooden table, with chairs surrounding it and various maps and papers covering the top. The inside of the tent was illuminated by some lantern hanging off of the corners of the tent, giving off a glow that could be seen from the outside. The Fuhrer walked right over to a small table behind his chair, and picked up a wine bottle & glass, then poured himself a drink. He shook the glass for a second, and looked right into the red elixir. The wine looked like a liquid ruby, and the Fuhrer took a drink. "Want any?" the Fuhrer asked.
"We'll pass." replied Captain Hitsugaya.
"Suit yourself." the Fuhrer replied back. "Shall we all sit down and get to business?"
Ichigo and the rest of the group were hesitant to sit down. The Fuhrer, seeing their hesitation, cleared his throat, and gave a few words.
"Apparently, you still think my plan is to kill you. If that was the case, then I would have killed all of you personally and immediately. As I said to Mr. Kurosaki here, both the Fourth Reich and the Soul Society are in a dire situation. The Arancars have somehow tapped into the Black Sun, and that is a threat to our supremacy of the Black Sun, while it is a threat to your utopia. Now, if you have any amount of common sense, you'll sit down, and discuss this with me."
Captain Hitsugaya looked at the others, then reluctantly sat down. Rangiku & Yoruichi also reluctantly sat down, and they were still a little nervous. Ichigo was the only one to not sit down at the table.
"Still don't trust me Ichigo?" asked Faust.
"Yes." replied Ichigo. "I'll never trust you after what you did two months ago."
"I guess your reasoning has some merit." the Fuhrer said. "However, this piece of information may entice you to sit down: your friend Orihime is alive. The Arancars have taken her to their home dimension of Waco Mundo. As to what they have planned for here, we do not know."
Ichigo was taken aback to the information that was just given to him, but it was enough for him to sit down next to Yoruichi. The Fuhrer poured another glass of wine, and quaffed it down in an instant. A moment later, one of the guards that was outside came into the tent, and informed everyone that two guests had arrived.
"Wunderbar." said the Fuhrer. "Send them in. Now we can get this meeting started."
Ichigo and the other saw the guard exit, and a second later, brought in two familiar guests. Captain Hitsugaya got up from his chair, and walked over to greet the new arrivals. "Captain Soi Fon & Captain Mayuri. What are you doing here?"
"He asked us to come." responded Soi Fon, who was pointing at the Fuhrer.
"Indeed." replied Captain Mayuri. "We both received letters telling us to come here. Given the situation, we thought it would be wise to at least hear what the Reich has to say."
"Soi Fon, tell me you aren't trusting them?" Yoruichi asked loudly.
"I still don't trust them." replied Soi Fon. "However, I'm inclined to agree with Captain Mayuri. The situation that is happening is quite unsettling, and I think we should give the Reich a chance."
"Faust, why aren't the rest of the captains here?" asked Rangiku.
The Fuhrer cleared his throat. "Because you two, along with Captain Hitsugaya, are perhaps the only captains that will listen to what I have to say. Even though Ichigo and Yoruichi, despite not being captains and not trusting me, are the only 2 people outside of this hierarchy crazy enough to even think of going along with my ideas."
When he finished talking, Mayuri & Soi Fon took seats at the table. Captain Mayuri started looking at some of the papers on the table, when he realized that many of them were notes from the first Nazi occupation, including notes on the Black Sun/Soul Society melding.
"If we're ready, then I can begin." the Fuhrer said. "As you can obviously see, the Arancars are invading by force. They have somehow tapped into the Black Sun, and used your local weather patterns to bypass your barriers. Need I remind you that the only groups who could manipulate the black sun were the Thule Society, and the Fourth Reich. However, their tampering with the Veil is damaging both dimensions. The energies are mixing in ways that are catastrophic, and in a matter of time, the Black Sun and the Veil with consume the Soul Society, and disrupt the balance of life and death."
"What then do you want us to do?" Soi Fon asked.
"Inform the rest of the Soul Society of what transpired here." Faust replied. "Convince them that an alliance with the Fourth Reich with benefit both sides. It may take some time, but I know it will work out eventually."
"Is there anything else that we should do?" asked Captain Mayuri.
"I heard through the grapevine that you have an Arancar in one of your lovely prison cells." the Fuhrer said. "If you can arrange it, I'd like to have a few words with this fellow. Maybe get a few things out of him and such."
Captain Mayuri stroked his bone-white chin. "I think I can get you in...as long as you two place nice."
The Fuhrer let out a small laugh. "Captain Mayuri, since when have you known me to not play nice?"
Chapter 16
Grimmjow was sitting in the middle of his dank cell, sulking and bemoaning about his situation. There was only a small lantern in front of the iron bar, giving off a small glow. Spiderwebs were illuminated, and droplets of water were slowly dripping down the wall. Grimmjow gave off a depressing sigh, when he saw a rat scutter across the floor, and a cold smile formed on his face. Before the rat could go into the hole in the left wall, Grimmjow swiftly picked up the rat, and bit it's head off. Blood splattered all over the floor, as well as his clothes and chest. The meat of the rat's head satisfied his dark soul, and Grimmjow wanted more.
The headless rat body twitched for a moment or two, then it finally embraced the cold chill of death. Excited by the life energy he just devoured, Grimmjow began looking about his cell for another rat to devour. He was about to reach into the hole in the wall, when he heard voices echoing down the hall. At first he couldn't tell what they were saying, but when the voices got closer, he was finally able to make out the conversation.
"Captain Mayuri, you seem quite eager to interrogate this individual."
"Indeed. I've seen into the minds of many living things, but I never had the pleasure to examine a mind that is dead."
"Regardless, we need to get something out of him. He's our only connection to the rest of the Arancar's plans. Out of curiosity, what are you going to do to him one we've interrogated him?"
"I'm not quite sure. I'd like to strap him to a table, and open him up. An Arancar's body is a fascinating collection of negative energy, blackened organs, and other scientific goodies."
Grimmjow leaned back into his cell. So, they're going to try to pry some information out of me, he thought to himself. Well, I'll be sure not to give in so easily.
Grimmjow huddled into one of the corners in the back of the cell, and pretended to look as if he was asleep. He almost forgot the headless rat corpse, and quickly picked it up and threw it into the toilet so the ruse would be as convincing as possible. Grimmjow went back into the corner, and pretended to be sleeping. He made it back just in time, as the two voices that were echoing through the hall finally stopped in front of the dingy cell.
"Heir Grimmjow, I presume?" Faust asked.
Grimmjow began to perform his ruse. "Uhhhhh." he moaned.
The Fuhrer let out a low laugh. "Heir Grimmjow, you are a horrible actor." he said. "Could you please stop this farce, and just cooperate with the two of us?"
Grimmjow suddenly lunged at the bars of the cell, and picked up the Fuhrer by his left shoulder. Faust had barely flinched. The only movement he made was raising his right hand, and wiped off some dirt from his coat.
"My loyalty is to Lord Aizen and the Arancars. I shall never betray my master, nor shall I betray my kind."
Captain Mayuri was quite surprised at the mentioning of Aizen. That name had not been spoke since his attack ages ago. Were his treacheries that extensive, and his powers that incredible, Mayuri thought to himself. For that matter, how much did Grimmjow actually know? In any case, he pushed those two questions out of his made, as he had more promising matters at had that needed his attention.
"Grimmjow, we need you to answer a couple questions." spoke Captain Mayuri.
"Out of curiosity, why should I answer any questions you ask me?" asked Grimmjow, all the while still holding the Fuhrer up off the ground.
Faust suddenly drew a pistol from the right side of his coat, and put it right to Grimmjow's temple. "Reason number one: I'll kill you if you don't cooperate." he said. "Reason number two: If you do cooperate, there's a good chance that we may let you go. What do you say?"
Grimmjow, for some reason he couldn't explain, started to gently put the Fuhrer down. In response, Faust put his pistol back into his coat, and brushed off his shoulder. "Thank you." he replied. "Now, let's get to those questions."
"Alright, I'll answer a question or two." Grimmjow said reluctantly.
"Question one: how are you using the Veil?" asked Faust.
"The Veil is connected to Waco Mundo." Grimmjow responded. "The connections are weak, however."
"What do you mean by weak?" Captain Mayuri asked.
"We can sense the Veil from Waco Mundo, but we can only use a little of it's power." replied Grimmjow. "Whenever we did get some power of the Black Sun, it would disintegrate whoever it was that was trying to manipulate it. After we discovered some strange crystals, we..."
"Crystals?" Faust interrupted. "It couldn't be..."
"What couldn't be?" asked Captain Mayuri. Grimmjow was just looking on, grinning his sinister grin.
"Nachtsonne crystals." the Fuhrer replied. "The Reich only found them on Earth or within the Veil. We've never even imagined that they could be found in other dimensions."
"Why's that?" Mayuri asked.
"It's because of their connection to Earth." Faust replied. "The ley lines that run across the planet intersect at certain points, infusing the minerals with a supernatural energy. This energy is connected to the Black Sun somehow, but we haven't figured out how or why. This leads to my second question: How exactly are you refining the crystals?"
"We're not." Grimmjow replied simply. "We're just excavating them, and putting them into machines we made."
"That's not good." said Faust.
"Why's that." Mayuri asked.
The Fuhrer cleared his throat. "Raw crystal are more powerful, but also are more unstable. It also is connected to the size of the crystal. Small crystals contain a little energy, but are relatively stable, whether refined or unrefined. Once they're worked on, we generally put them into weapons, armor, or other small pieces of equipment."
"What about the large ones?" asked Mayuri.
"Those are the most valuable." Faust replied. "They contain the most power, but are also the most unstable when they aren't refined. We excavate those, and put them into vehicles, blimps, and large Veil weapons..."
Grimmjow butted in. "We did find a crystal. A massive one. One that I think you've never seen."
"Describe it to me." the Fuhrer said.
Grimmjow went on describing the crystal. "We found it in a deep cavern hanging from the roof. It has to be a mile long, and at least a half-mile wide. It has the color of frosted glass, and streaks of energy coarse through it like flickering lights."
"Is it possible?" the Fuhrer asked himself.
"What's possible?" asked Mayuri.
"A mother crystal." the Fuhrer replied. "They're exceedingly rare. Mother Crystals contain the most Black Sun energy. The Reich never found a way to stabilize them without losing even a sliver of energy, so we leave them unrefined. Instead, we just attach equipment to them, and pray that the energy surges don't take anything out."
"Why are these crystal so valuable?" Mayuri asked.
"The Mother Crystals are valuable because they spawn the other four crystals we use." the Fuhrer replied. "On top of that, they act as powerful batteries, and with some intense modification, they can change into a specific type of lesser crystal, only much more stronger. The only problem I have is what they're trying to turn it into. Given the weather patterns that have been showing up, they must be trying to make something of their own."
"That leads to my question." said Mayuri. "How are you modifying this crystal?"
"I know little of how we're changing it." Grimmjow responded. "I'm just a foot soldier. However, I do know that it somehow involves our captive we took a while ago. Once the crystal is modified, we plan to breach the Veil and the Soul Society at the same time, and mix the two dimensions together to create a dark utopia, where only the dead thrive!"
"A dark utopia, you say." spoke the Fuhrer. "Well, in that case..."
Faust pulled out the pistol he'd taken out earlier, aimed it right at Grimmjow's forehead, and pulled the trigger. The green-streaked bullet flew out of the barrel, and into his captive's head. Grimmjow was still alive for a moment or two, then it suddenly disintegrated, leaving behind a small pile of black-green ashes. Captain Mayuri was stunned by what just happened, yet he didn't show it. "What was that for!?" he asked loudly.
"They where watching us." replied Faust.
"What do you mean?"
"At first, I thought it was nothing. As I was hearing him respond to our questions, I was taking a quick trip through his mind. The Arancars in Waco Mundo were listening in on us interrogating him."
"What! They might know our plans now!"
"No they don't. They merely know what took place here. However, they may have received a clue or two, and probably have accelerated their plans. This means we should accelerate our plans as well."
"Then I shall return to my men." replied Captain Mayuri. "I can only hope that the others have managed to convince the rest of the captains."
"By the Black Sun, I hope so." the Fuhrer replied.
Chapter 17
The lifeless grey sky above the Soul Society had darkened. Green rays of light had started shining through the blackened clouds, and the insectoid Geist came floating down through the rays, looking for corpse in which to harvest energy. On the ground below, another situation was taking place.
The Fuhrer, along with 3 of his personal guard, were riding in his personal car towards his staging base. As the car sped along the road, The Fuhrer was thinking about the plans that he had put into motion. It was already enough work to rebuild just this portion of the Fourth Reich, now it was up to those few Soul Reapers who had listened to him to convince the rest of the 13 Court Squad Captains to go along with his plan.
"Those fools better heed the knowledge that is given to them." he said to himself. "There is not much time left before the Arancars rip apart the dimensions. The state of the universe's balance is on the line."
The car was near the entrance to the base, and the Fuhrer could see Ichigo and the others standing in front of the gate waiting for him. For reasons he didn't quite understand, he felt the damaged half of his face throb. Not painfully, but it was noticeable. Just as he was about to arrive, he put on his easily recognizable glasses. When he put them on, nobody was able to see the color of his eyes, and the only people who knew what color they were are his closest advisors.
The car drove up to the front gate, and immediately stopped. Faust's bodyguards got out first, with the driver armed with a pistol on his side, and the other two guards holding intimidating rifles. Once the guards got out, The Fuhrer simply hoped out of the back of his seat. When he got to his feet, he took from the inside of his coat a small cigarette box, and picked out the largest one he saw. He placed it in his mouth, then put the box back into his coat. He then pulled out a silver lighter from his shirt, which on one side was an etching of the Black Sun. A flame came into being when he flicked the lighting wheel, and when it was raised to the cigarette, the paper came alight. Once it was burning, the Fuhrer flicked the lighter closed, and put it back into his shirt. He took a giant puff, and released the smoke in one breath. As it dissipated, he saw the others glaring at it. Why are you looking at me like that, asked Faust. Can't anybody enjoy oneself before getting down to business?
Ichigo and the others were still glaring at him. Soi Fon crossed her arms, and blew some hair out of her face.
"Alright, Alright." the Fuhrer said. He tossed his cigarette to the ground, and stomped on it until there was no more smoke. "I suppose I can be serious a little while longer."
"That's a relief." said Soi Fon. "We managed to get the other captains here."
"You did!?" Faust asked excitedly. "So, there were drugs and hypnotism involved?"
There were another round of stares directed towards him.
"I'm just trying to lighten the mood." the Fuhrer said. "I guess humor isn't in your culture. Alright, I guess we can start our business."
Ichigo and the others passed through the gate, soon followed by the Fuhrer and his bodyguards. The gate closed right behind them, and a feeling of being thrown into the lion's den came over the entire group.
"Before I meet the rest of the captains, there is one thing I must show you." said the Fuhrer. "Follow me."
Ichigo and the others started following the Fuhrer, guessing as to where he was taking them. Given his habit of treachery, they assumed that he was going to kill them. However, nothing could be farther from the truth.
The Fuhrer led the group to a large observation tower. The top was large enough to fit everybody, so the group took the ladder up. The Fuhrer followed close behind, and greeted Ichigo and everybody else, who were completely awe struck by the sight in front of them.
In the middle of the field was a massive stone ring, larger than most of the structures within the Soul Society. It had to have been at least 5 stories tall, and it was made out of a stone that wasn't of this dimension. An outer metal ring was built on the outside to ensure stability, making it look a little larger than it appeared. There were weird carvings all over the ring. Some looked like strange creatures, while some others were symbols of a unknown language.
"What is that?" Ichigo asked, still awed by the sight.
"A portal." Faust replied. "To be more precise, this is a Thule Portal. During World War 2, the SS Paranormal Division dug up dozens of these. Most of them were much smaller than this one, and they only allowed transportation of small groups of people or small pieces of equipment. These larger portals were used by the Thule Society to draw upon massive amount of veil energy, or to call some of the Black Sun's most powerful entities, or transport large masses of individuals. Luckily, this portal is one of the few that survived the war."
"We're not going to go through this, are we?" Captain Mayuri asked nervously.
"Nervous?" asked Yoruichi.
"A little." he replied "When I was undercover, I saw some of these smaller portals being used. Most of the people that went through came back alright, but a small few came back twisted & misshapen. I've never seen one of these large portals in action, so I don't know what will happen."
"Don't worry Mayuri, this portal is far more stable than the others." replied Faust. "With the safety precautions installed, the chance for this portal to fail is minimal."
"Out of curiosity, where exactly does this portal lead?" asked Captain Hitsugaya.
"To Waco Mundo." the Fuhrer said. "A while ago, we established a base in the region. It has been a little difficult to maintain, especially since the local wildlife attacks as often as they can. Our technology seems to work a little bit better in Waco Mundo, but we haven't figured out why."
"Wait!" said Yoruichi loudly. "I get it that we have to send our forces through, but what about you? We annihilated just about all of your army two months ago, so where did you get the military power for this kind of action?"
"Well, you'll just have to wait and see." the Fuhrer replied. "Now, let us tend to our other guests. I'm sure they're getting a little restless."
The group started climbing down the tower, where they were greeted by guards dressed in black, and decorated with a variety of war medals. One of the guards handed the Fuhrer a small book, which he put in the inside of his coat. After giving the guard a nod, they started walking with them. In the meantime, Ichigo was scanning the area around him. He didn't feel so nervous now, but there was something still nagging in the back of his head, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
After a few minutes, the group arrived at a spacious, open-air tent. There was a long table right in the middle, and miraculously, the captains were seated in their appointed spots. The only seats that were empty were those that were waiting for the captains in Ichigo's group. They went to their chairs and sat right down. Meanwhile, Faust took out the book that he was given earlier, and looked back at then captains then back at the book. He closed it, but still held it in his hands as he headed for his chair.
"Well everyone, it's good to see you." he said. "Truth be told, I didn't think any of you would even consider my plan. I guess this shows that you're willing to try something new."
"Let's get this over with." said one of the captains in the back. "I'd rather get this over with now, and stay away from you as soon as possible,"
"An interesting statement." the Fuhrer said. "I would like to know who said such a statement."
The captain stood up. He was quite a large individual, but was most incredible was the fact that he had the head of a fox instead of a human. "I said that." the captain replied.
"Ah." said the Fuhrer, all the while flipping through his little book. "Captain Sajin Komamura, if I am correct."
The captain silently nodded.
"Well then" the Fuhrer said while closing the little book "now I know who said that, I'd like to know why."
"You are a vile individual." said the captain. "You came to our world, you slaughtered and experimented on innocent..."
The Fuhrer raised his hand, cutting off Captain Sajin. "Innocent you say? That's an interesting statement, my fox-headed friend. Tell me, why is it that me and the Fourth Reich are monsters, yet the Soul Society is free from any crime or atrocity?"
There was a dead silence among those in the tent. No one, not even Ichigo, had ever been so brazen in front of the captains. This was an event that nobody would forget.
"Well, does somebody have an answer?" the Fuhrer said. The silence was still hanging around, until the most unlikely person stood up and spoke.
"In reality, we have no excuse."
"Well, well, well." said the Fuhrer. "If it isn't Captain Retsu. Out of all people, you are the last person to stand up and speak. It wasn't necessarily that long ago that you tried to lock me up. May I know why you're speaking out?"
Captain Retsu gained some composure, and started. "There is no question that you're a despicable person. However, I can see the genuine honesty in your words. You have a real desire to maintain this balance that you talk about. For too long, we in the Soul Society have covered up crimes and atrocities that more than likely match your own. We've also become too stagnate in regards to our culture and traditions. If I'm kicked out because of my words, then so be it. It is about time that the Soul Society finally changes for once!"
Just like the Fuhrer, the rest of the captains were stunned by Retsu's words. Even Hitsugaya, who was so calm and collected, couldn't help but drop his jaw a little. Faust merely looked on, and saw that maybe, just maybe, the captains were finally going to go along with his plan.
"Well, now that this has been cleared up, there's one final thing that must be taken care of before we get this show on the road."
Chapter 18
The entire 13 captains, along with Ichigo and the Fuhrer were being escorted to a massive walled compound by a group of the Fuhrer's personal guards. Although they obviously couldn't see what was going on, it was very evident by the noise that there was a lot going on. There were guard towers studded and precise points along the walls of the compound, staffed by some of the toughest soldiers that have ever existed.
"Ladies and gentlemen" said the Fuhrer as the group continued to walk "you are about to see a sight that few have ever seen, whether living or dead. Since we are going to be working together, I find that it's only right that I show you what I'm bringing to the table."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but Yoruichi stated earlier that we took out most of your military two months ago. How could you have possibly rebuilt everything within that amount of time.?" ask Ichigo.
"Ah, but I didn't use all of the Fourth Reich's military." replied the Fuhrer. "There was one section that I kept out of sight, so they could come in if need be."
"Actually, that's rather clever of you." said Soi Fon. "I'm curious, how could you have kept a military force as large as the one inside that compound out of sight?"
"I can't reveal all of my secrets." said the Fuhrer coyly. "Suffice it to say, I have a few tricks that guarantee my success. Schützen, sie offen das tor."
The guard nodded, then entered his post. After pushing a button, the giant gate slowly opened. After a second, the gate was fully opened, reveal a sight that would make lesser military powers shudder.
"Behold!" the Fuhrer yelled, stretching out his arms. "Here is what I'm bringing to the table!"
The group walked inside the compound, and the gate closed behind them. Before them was a truly impressive view, as there was activity all around them. They could see engineers fixing tanks and vehicles, planes landing down on an airstrip, soldiers doing military drills and practicing with their guns, and there were even some soldier engaging in boxing matches.
"You definitely have an impressive operation going on here." said Captain Shunsui, who was still stunned by the sight.
"Of course." said the Fuhrer. "I expect no less from the Waffen SS."
"The SS?" asked Soi Fon.
"Indeed." replied the Fuhrer. "When Adolf Hitler gained power back in the early 1930s, he formed the SS as his own personal bodyguards. When World War 2 started, at that point the SS had expanded profusely. It expanded to the point that the group had formed their own military branch, the Waffen SS. They fought on the front lines as shock troops, while the main SS group stayed back in Germany, protecting Hitler and the other high end members of the Third Reich."
"That's a nice history lesson." said Ichigo. "Are you sure that your army is ready to take on an enemy that they've never faced before."
"Of course." Faust replied. "Before all of this happened, we sent teams into Waco Mundo to bring back sample Arancars. We open them up, see what's inside and how things works, then enjoy the fruits of out labor. We've come up with a couple things, including a few improvements on our own troops."
"Such as?" Captain Mayuri asked nervously.
"Such as the assassin standing behind you." the Fuhrer replied.
"Assassin?" asked Mayuri right back. He then felt someone gently tap him on the shoulder. He turned right around, and saw a medium sized individual standing right behind him. He wore a long trenchcoat, black boots & gloves, and a helmet that most of the other Nazi soldiers wore. What was striking about this individual was the power pack he was wearing on his back. It was glowing with aqua-colored energy, not completely similar to the standard bright green energy of the black sun. This individual's eyes were also glowing with the same aqua color.
The Fuhrer put a hand on Mayuri's shoulder. "Don't worry, he won't kill you." the Fuhrer said. "Unlike the assassins during World War 2, where they went mostly insane during the transformation process, these assassins go through a more streamlined version of the whole thing. Rarely if ever do they suffer any kind of mental damage."
"What other kinds of changes have you made?" asked aslightly nervous Captain Shunsui.
Faust looked at Captain Hitsugaya, then flashed a mischievous smile. "Oh, I have a few others things in store. I've also brought back a few old friends. You'll see one of them in a few moments."
Hitsugaya shuttered at the thought. "I don't like the sound of that." he said.
"Don't worry." said the Fuhrer. "He won't bite...I think. This way please."
The group started walking through the throng of military activity, all the while admiring what was going on. The captains were surprised to see a group that's as efficient as theirs is. There were even a few feelings of respect for their former foes. Yet, there were still some feelings that the Nazis would betray them, though said feelings were small.
They arrived at a large hangar. Everybody could see a familiar green glow from the window, and Ichigo swore he could hear the familiar sound of the weapon the Fuhrer used against him when they had their battle inside the veil. He shook his head and pushed those thoughts to the back of his head, when the Fuhrer turned around to face the group. He let out a small cough, and began speaking.
"Friends, inside this hanger is where we continue to develop & fix our veil technology. During our takeover two months ago, we noticed our errors in the handling of our equipment. As I speak, we are preparing to power up the Thule Portal so we may all move our through inside here. I have my top scientists working on providing stability to the portal in the unlikely case that the portal fails."
"So, what happens if the portal fails?" asked Ichigo.
"Oh, you don't want to know." Faust replied. "Shall we go in."
The captains, and everybody else in attendance, nodded. The Fuhrer open the door to the side, and exposed everybody to a variety of mystical technology. Some of it was very familiar, while a few pieces were completely new to the captains. The machines were humming with activity, and while the captains were impressed by it all, Ichigo couldn't help but feel...strange. Despite not using any of his powers that he gained from the Veil, somehow he still felt connected to the Black Sun. A piece of his soul seemed to be trying to convince him to try & bring his dormant powers to the surface.
"It's funny." spoke a familiar voice. "I seem to recall seeing some of this stuff."
"Ah, Captain Mayuri." the Fuhrer said. "I was wondering when you'd finally say something."
"I just needed to wait for the right time to speak." Mayuri replied.
"A fair reason." said Faust.
The group walked among the eldritch machines. Scientists were busy measuring energy readings, mechanics were making necessary adjustments, and a few soldiers were inside to keep an eye on everything. In particular was one monocled scientist, who was walking right towards the group with an entourage following him.
"Ah, Wilhelm, how goes everything?" the Fuhrer asked.
Wilhelm raised his right hand, and the Fuhrer did the same. "Everything is going well." Wilhelm replied. "We've completed just about all of the machines here. We should be able to open the portal and move through in a few hours."
"Excellent." said Faust. "You notify me immediately when everything is complete."
Wilhelm nodded, then walked back to work. As the group headed through the hangar, Rangiku scooted over to Captain Mayuri, and started up a small conversation.
"Hey Mayuri?"
"Yeah?"
"That was the guy you were working with two months ago, wasn't it?"
"Yep."
"So why did you barely speak during that time?"
"It's somewhat hard to explain. Suffice it to say, I'm actually quite humbled by this Wilhelm. He has a scientific mind that is very rare in this world. I just wished that he didn't that he didn't believe in all of this occult stuff."
Rangiku gave her comrade a surprised look. "Works for me." she said.
The group then headed into the communications center of the SS base. The radios in the place were abuzz with military activity, and intelligence officers were busy at numerous tables planning out troop movements and the flow of supplies. An officer came over to the Fuhrer, and delivered a message.
"Heil Fuhrer."
"Heil back. Tell me, have you seen Heir Himmler or Captain Struger around?"
"They're up in the observation room. I'll tell them you're coming."
"Wunderbar. Keep up the good work."
The officer nodded, and headed back to his duties. As the Fuhrer headed towards the observation room, he was quickly stopped by Hitsugaya, who seemed distressed for some reason.
"Fuhrer, I have a question for you!"
"Be quick about it."
"Is this Captain Struger the same one from 2 months ago?"
"You're quite observant. To answer your question, yes. After the war, I'm sure that you two will have plenty of time to try to kill each other. Until then, try to stay your sword."
Faust walked away, slightly frustrated that he was late for the meeting. Meanwhile, Ichigo and the others were waiting. It was strange that they had to wait, but it was probably because they weren't needed. Things continued to move at a steady pace, when one radio operator seemed to have intercepted a particular communique. He began yelling out "Fuhrer, Fuhrer!" and the majority of the room went quiet. Immediately, Faust, Himmler, and Captain Struger came running out of the observation room. "This had better be important." said an angry Faust.
The radio operator took off his headphones, and handed them right over. "Just listen."
The Fuhrer swiped the headphones from his hand, and put them on. He was listening carefully to what made the operator panic. He stood back up, and a grim facade covered his face.
"What is it?" asked Ichigo. "What's happened."
"Something terrible." replied Faust. "There's been a change of plans."
Chapter 19
The whole group went walking out of the communications facility in a flurry. The Fuhrer was apparently panicking over what he heard on the radio. Yoruichi tried to get some info out of him.
"Fuhrer, what happened?"
Faust turned around. "Our outpost in Waco Mundo was attacked."
Ichigo and the captains were shocked by the news.
"The base has managed to hold out, but their forces have been decimated. At this moment, if there is another attack, they probably won't last."
"What do you want us to do?" asked Captain Retsu.
"Get all of your forces together. Get as many men as you can, and go through the portal. My SS troops are already heading through, and they'll be the first to encounter anything. I need them to have as much support as they can get."
The captains nodded, and headed out of the base. Ichigo was about to follow them, when the Fuhrer placed his hand on his shoulder.
"What are you stopping me for?" asked Ichigo.
"There's something I need to give you." Faust replied. "It's important, actually."
The two immediately began heading towards a nearby warehouse. Compared to the other structures in the base, this building seemed a little more worn down. There was only one guard patrolling the base, and when he saw the Fuhrer, he stepped aside. Ichigo noticed the Fuhrer take out a small ring of keys, many of which seemed very worn. After selecting a particularly large key, Faust stuck it in the lock of a door in the side. With a twist, the lock came undone. After handing the guard the keys, Ichigo and Faust entered the warehouse.
They were greeted by rows of shelves, and boxes of various sizes were resting on them. The place was rather dusty, but the paths meandering through the place seemed fairly clean. As they were walking around, Ichigo attempted to start up a conversation.
"Faust, what is this place?"
"It's our storage facility. We store artifacts from our various excavations in here, as well as old projects that aren't significant to any current plans of ours."
"Then why does this place look like it hasn't been used in a while?"
"Cause we don't put stuff in here often anymore. Truth be told, there's some pretty dangerous artifacts in here. That's why there's only one guard keeping an eye on this place, and access is limited. Only I and a few of the other in high command can get in."
The two finally stopped in front of a medium sized box. The Fuhrer looked around, then turned to face Ichigo.
"There should be a crowbar near you. Do you see it?"
Ichigo turned around, and saw the slightly rusted item that Faust asked about. He picked it up, and handed it right over. Thank you, the Fuhrer said. He shoved the crowbar into a crack near the top, and began raising it up and down. After 2 or 3 minutes, the top of the box popped off. Ichigo reached over, took the crowbar from the Fuhrer's hand, and placed the box lid on the ground. Ichigo tossed the crowbar on top, then turned back to see the Fuhrer sifting through the box.
"What are you looking for?" asked Ichigo.
"Something that's going to save your life." replied Faust. "Given how things are changing between worlds, some people need a little more...stability with certain things."
The Fuhrer continued to search through the box, constantly throwing out packing straw. Finally, he reached for what he was looking for: a small box with arcane symbols carved all over it. "Ah, here's what I've been looking for." said the Fuhrer.
"What?" Ichigo asked.
The Fuhrer dropped the box, and beheld a familiar piece of jewelry.
"A Thule Medallion?" asked Ichigo. "I thought those things were destroyed two months?"
"The majority of them were." said Faust. "The few that survived we put here so they wouldn't be harmed. During the two months before we returned, the Reich excavated a small amount more of the medallions. Given how rare they are, we have them around more for historical purposes."
"That's all well and good." said Ichigo. "However, what does this have to do with me?"
"I'm giving this to you." replied the Fuhrer. "You're going to need it to have safe to your powers, and don't tell me you didn't sense them again."
Ichigo was silent for a moment, then he spoke. "I'm not going to lie." he said. "I felt those powers coming back when I was around those machines I was near earlier."
"The Black Sun is calling you." said the Fuhrer. "You must have used your powers enough the last time, and somehow attracted the Black Sun's attention."
"So what does that mean for me?" asked Ichigo.
"You want the long version or the short version?" the Fuhrer asked back.
"Depends." said Ichigo. "Which one's gonna sound worse?"
"The long version." Faust replied.
"Then I'll go for the short version." responded Ichigo.
"You're gonna screw up your soul, then you're gonna die." said Faust.
"Oh." said Ichigo plainly.
"So put this thing on." the Fuhrer said, shoving the medallion into Ichigo's chest. Ichigo reluctantly took the Thule Medallion out of the Fuhrer's hands, and put it on. Immediately, he felt a sense of stability come over him, as if the powers within him were settling down. Ichigo was relieved by what was happening, and now there was one thing left to do.
"Okay Ichigo, let's go bring the fight to them." the Fuhrer said.
"Agreed." replied Ichigo.
Chapter 20
Ichigo and Faust exited the warehouse. As the Fuhrer locked the door behind him, Ichigo could see the Thule Portal in the distance. The massive gate was now fully active, and the green glow coming from the monolith seemed to call out to him. Troops from the SS and the Soul Society were going through the portal, and into a world that few have ever seen.
"It still calls you, doesn't it?" the Fuhrer asked.
"Yes it does." Ichigo replied. "Even with the amulet around my neck, there's something trying to contact me."
"Then perhaps the Black Sun is not calling you." said Faust. "It could be something within the veil itself. An entity perhaps, or something else."
"Whatever it is, it must be powerful." replied Ichigo.
When he finished talking, a car pulled up right next to the warehouse. The occupants were the driver, and Heinrich Himmler. Himmler was looking over some notes, with a very serious look on his face. Faust took the seat next to Himmler, while Ichigo took a seat next to the drive. Once everyone was situated, the car sped off towards the report.
"Himmler, how is everything going?"
"Good." replied Himmler. "SS & Soul Reaper forces are moving through the portal at a steady pace. There is something strange going on though."
"What?" the Fuhrer asked.
"Wilhelm and his men noticed a small increase in energy coming towards the Thule Portal. They detected a 3% increase in power usage. There hasn't been any signs of trouble, but they have recommended that we don't send as many men as we're sending now."
"How much of our forces have gone in?" Faust asked.
"About 70 to 75 percent?" replied Himmler.
"We need more men." the Fuhrer said. "Alright, here's what's going to happen. Once we get into Waco Mundo, we relay a message through the portal. We'll tell the remaining forces to slow down going through the portal. Hopefully, that should lessen or eliminate the strain that the portal is experiencing."
Ichigo was simply listening to Faust and Himmler talking to one another, as well as the rumbling of the car's engine. He was only concerned with getting Orihime back, and giving Aizen and the other Arancars some payback. Despite his distrust of the Nazis, he had somehow managed to put his hatred aside for the greater good of everyone around him.
They were near the Thule Portal, and it was going at full blast. Ichigo could see large numbers of warriors, both of the SS and the Soul Society, marching right through the glowing green vortex. The sight of it all was very wondrous, but he started to feel that mysterious pull again, only now it was much stronger.
"Ichigo, steel yourself." the Fuhrer. "We are entering what is perhaps the greatest battle of our lives. I hope you're ready."