My Hime
Ok so my story takes place in episode 203 after Zaraki comes to Ichigo's rescue and defeats Nnoitra. He tells Ichigo to retreat with Orihime to the real world but Ichigo wants to personally fight Aizen to make him suffer for everything he has done. Ichigo convinces Zaraki to have a meeting among the Captains to decide what to do next..
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor it's characters, so I don't get $$$ for doing this. Tite Kubo gets that honor, I am merely paying tribute to him with my stories about his characters...
Ch 1
As Zaraki and his navigation impaired lieutenent lead Ichigo and Orihime back to the safety of the group, they all look back at Aizen's palace trailing behind them, bringing a bit of solace to each. (Orihime and Rukia will be safer with all of us in a group. This is the best decision, if I took off with her, Aizen will definitely attack while we are weak.), Ichigo was sure of it...
A small cloud of sand kicks up in front of them and some familiar faces appear. Former Captains of squads 3 and 9, Kaname Tosen and Gin Ichimaru were now blocking their path. Behind them stood Ulquiorra, head bowed. Zaraki charges towards his old comrades eyes affixed on Gin's unwavering smile. Ulquiorra steps in front of his superiors and blocks Zaraki's attacks with with nothing but an effortlessly raised palm. Tosen took this moment to draw out Suzumushi and plunged it into Zaraki's side, "Retribution for our last encounter, Zaraki. Justice will always seek out the evil and force it to submit."
"Pierce her flesh, Shinso," Gin's crimson eyes peeking out for a brief second to set his sights on Orihime. "Get back!" Ichigo yells as he dashes in front of her not having time to draw out Zangestu, but stopping Shinso with his own body. "Ichigo! No!" Orihime cried out, "Wh-Why, Ichigo?" Ichigo barely stood, guarding Orihime, her hand on his shoulder. "I will protect you Orihime." "Don't worry Ichigo, Souten Kisshun!" Orihime's hair pins shined as they awoke to her orders. Before the Shunshunrikka could reach Ichigo's heavily wounded body, Grimmjow flashed in behind Orihime and snatched her up. The 6th Espada had disappeared with Orihime before Ichigo even had time to turn around. Gin chuckled out loud, "My, My. You humans are so predictable. You didn't even think that we had another Espada with us, trailing behind. You practically gave the girl back to us. I was hoping to have had more fun first."
Ulquiorra closes his emerald eyes and focuses his pesquia to feel that Grimmjow has safely returned Orihime to Las Noches. "Commanders, the mission is a success. Leave that trash here to die." Gin still smiling, "See you back in KaraKura Town, boy. That is, if it's still there by the time you get back," turning away, they were gone in a flash.
And with those words, Ichigo lost sight of the girl he came to save. The girl he had already fought so hard to save, was lost once again to the enemy. "Wha-What? What just happened? No, not again! We had her, I had her... I had my Hime back..." Ichigo cried out yelling and cursing Aizen's name, "Why do you want her? Take me instead! Bring her back, bring Orihime back," vision blurring Ichigo remembered he just took a fairly deep wound moments ago and began feeling weak and stumbled.
Zaraki fell to one knee, not expecting to run into his former Captain comrades. "Well, boy, do you have any other bright ideas?" Ichigo was silent for a minute, "Do you really think Aizen is going to attack Karakura Town right now? Do you think he took Orihime there?"
Ichigo stared at the fake blue sky, trying to sense Orihime's spiritual pressure, but to no avail. (Where are you Orihime?) "Kenpachi... Can you communicate with the other Captains? We need tell them about what happened and figure out what to do next."
"Luckily, we do have hell butterflies with us, because I refuse to use that communicatin kido crap.." Kenny tells the butterfly what message to deliver to Captains Unohana, Kurotsuchi, and Kuchiki, "So everyone think about what we should do. Is Aizen really going to attack Karakura Town now? Did he take the girl with him?" He let the hell butterfly go, on its important journey to each captain.
The message reaches Unohana first, "I think we should return to Karakura Town immediately & contact Head Captain Yamamoto to await his orders. I am taking my leave for KaraKura Town, along with Isane & Hanataro, and of course Chad (to be deliver to Urahara-san)." Squad 4 left without turning back, they had all done their part here.
Captain Kuchiki agreed with Unohana's judgement. Carrying Rukia (still recovering from her fight with Espada #9) back through their gargantua,"We no longer need to be in this place, let us return to the Soul Society, Rukia."
Captain Kurotsuchi was already en route out of Hueco Mundo with the specimens he found after defeating Szayel Grantz. "I am too busy with my research to meddle with any more human affairs. I have eliminated the enemy I came after, and am now retreating to my base to catalog all of my new collections into my inventory." He and his lieutenent, Nemu, disappeared through their passage, Renji & Uryuu following out of Hueco Mundo.
Ichigo, Kenpachi and his lieutenent Yachiru were all that was left. "Kenpachi, is it time? Is this the right thing to do? What if she's still here, somewhere?"
"Well, standing around like this isn't doing us any good and we can't feel her spiritual pressure anymore, so she's probably not here. And if she is, we'll just have to come back and get her, won't we," Kenny smiled at Ichigo, "Now let's get going, there's gonna be a lot of fighting in Karakura Town and I don't want to miss any action!"
Ichigo watches as Squad 11 steps through the gargantua to head back to KaraKura Town. He looks back towards Las Noches, it's ominous outline in the distance. (Could she still be here, Ichigo promised to himself, (If you are not in the real world, my Hime, I will return for you.) With that last thought, Ichigo Kurosaki took his last step in Hueco Mundo..