Oh this chapter is late! Blame Skyrim and Eragon, plz. There is more fighting, yay! I hope you readers liked the last chapter! I don't know much about sword play in the medieval times, so I just kinda winged it. :/

The same playlist again! /playlist?list=PL046DBEDAD28E019F&feature=mh_lolz

Just add the youtbedotcom at the beginning and enjoy!

(Cue – Two Steps From Hell, After the Fall)

By the time the effects of the magic fruit had begun to wear off, the two pixies were back and sitting in between the two humans' heads, trying to stay out of Shiro's sight. When they had first arrived, Shiro took one look at them, his eyes had crossed and he fainted on the spot. The two pixies, even Ichigo, had laughed at his expense. When the two men began coming back to themselves Orihime and Rangiku took the rest of the fruit into the forest.

When they returned Shiro was struggling to get up off the ground, while Ichigo strapped his sword to his back. Kicking dirt over the dying fire, Shiro turned to the girls who returned. "Where are we to go now?" he asked.

Rangiku pointed north, "You have to continue down the river," she said, flying into Shiro's hair and settling herself there with a tiny sigh. The pale man laughed and started walking, Ichigo and Orihime following behind.

"So what were those fruit you told Shiro to pick? Why did they make us feel so… disoriented?" Ichigo asked and after jumping over a rock he turned to Orihime, who chuckled nervously.

"Those fruit are called the heileg voedsil, or the holy fruit. The reason the effects were so strong for you was because they are for the Gods to eat." Orihime flinched when Ichigo sent her a look that looked less than pleased. He knew there was something strange about the fruit they had eaten, after the third fruit was eaten he had known that something was wrong.

"You gave us that fruit knowing what it would do to us?" Ichigo asked. When he had begun to return to his mind once again, he'd felt so defenseless. He knew that if something were to attack them at that point they would have been incapable of shielding themselves. And he was sure that any creature that happened upon them would not be as merciful as he and his brother and spare their lives. There were many reasons Ichigo would rather remain alert and watchful of his surroundings; he had been in many a battle where he had seen warriors die, friend and foe alike, because they weren't aware of what was near.

"My dearest apologies, Ichigo. I did not mean to worry you," Orihime said. Tipping her head forward she looked toward the ground, "I only suggested it in jest and Rangiku decided it was a good idea! We thought you would be fine, we didn't know it would affect you the way it did," Orihime promised, looking up sharply, eyes serious.

Ichigo couldn't help but believe her; with her innocent face he was hard pressed to remain angry.

(Cue – Guitar, Untitled #3)

They had been walking for almost an hour when they reached a surprising sight. It was an enormous wall; it stretched on for miles on either side and it was taller than the trees of the forest. It was made of wood that was from the colored forest, it loomed over the two warriors, making them dread what was behind it.

The doors in front of them were large and Ichigo was certain they would have to do something to get past them. He looked at where the river flowed beneath the doors, perhaps they could swim beneath them and get to the other side.

He was about to voice his idea when the water in front of them began to bubble. A geyser of steam blasted out of the roiling water and shot into the sky. Just as quickly the mist disappeared, and in its place stood a man, He was unlike any man Ichigo had ever seen. He had the head of a fox, and was taller than even Nnoitra; the water reached his just above his knees. Fur covered the skin showing beneath his blue armor. A sword sat at his waist.

The man spoke: "Greetings humans, my name is Sajin Komamura," he said, "I am the River Guardian of the Gikleurde Bossen, and the defender of the outer wall. You cannot pass. These doors remain closed, and only those worthy enough can set their eyes on what lies beyond."

When Sajin unsheathed his sword Ichigo and Shiro did likewise and readied themselves for the fight that was to come.

The fox raced forward, the water he was treading through barely hindering his stride. Shiro blocked the swing of the blue sword and he felt the shock run up his arm and shoulder, burning like flames through his bones. The fox was strong, it would take everything he and Ichigo had to fight and defeat this Guardian. He slowly realized that Orihime and Rangiku were nowhere to be found.

"You will have to do better than that." Sajin turned and blocked the blow from Ichigo. Shiro was about to charge forward, when a wall of ice appeared and obstructed his way.

"Damn it all, he can use magic!" he realized that the wall surrounded him completely, an icy cage, and he tried to thrust his sword into the ice to create a crack, but once he pulled his sword from the ice, the crack sealed itself away.

He attempted to find any way out, using fire magic to melt it, but try as he might the wall would not budge.

"You'll never get out, unless you defeat me," Sajin said, and Shiro turned to find him inside the circle of ice. He could still hear the clashing of swords outside the wall, so he knew his brother was still fighting. It must be made of water, which is the fox's main power.

He charged forward and brought his sword down in a graceful arc. The fox blocked it, which sent a shower of sparks flying. Sajin retreated and they circled each other slowly. Sajin swung his arm forward and tried to hit his head with the flat of the blade. Shiro lifted his arm and stopped its progress with the armor on his forearm. He still felt the hit, but the silver gauntlet shielded the brunt of the attack. His left hand still poised and blocking the sword, he raised his right arm in an attempt to cause some damage. The edge of his blade slashed a furrow in the cerulean armor and grazed the skin beneath it.

"Better," Sajin said, and spun around and attacked again. Again and again. Over and over, Sajin struck. They exchanged blows like traders exchanged goods and Shiro's body began to grow weary. Sajin lifted his sword above his head and Shiro dodged the swing that came. He glanced over to where he previously stood only to find a blur of metal whirling past his hear and sticking itself into the muddy riverbed. He heard Ichigo cry out from outside the wall, and his body's fatigue receded. The fox pulled the sword from the ground and swung it in Shiro's direction; ducking, Shiro pressed the flat of the blade into Sajin's stomach.

He pushed his opponent backwards and shouted; "Bevriezen!" the water directly behind Sajin froze and he tumbled backwards. Shiro lunged forward and perched his blade at the fox's neck. Panting, said; "You give?"

"Never," the fox said and bared his neck. Shiro pressed his sword into the Guardian's throat. For a moment nothing happened, and then the body burst and splashed into the flowing river. The icy prison didn't fade and Shiro panicked for half a second before kicking at the wall. The ice crumbled and fell into the river, too.

Ichigo stood, panting and looking worse for wear, but healthy. "What happened?" he asked, "One moment I'm stabbing him in the chest and the next he's in the river."

"We killed him; at least, I think we did," Shiro said, sheathing his sword. Ichigo did likewise and they faced the doors.

"Do we open them?" Ichigo asked, pointing at the handles.

"No."

The two humans immediately reached for the swords at their backs. It was the fox again, but they could not see him. The doors trembled before turning into liquid and falling into the river, allowing the two humans passage. They cautiously walked forward and the doors reappeared behind them.

"Where are the pixies?" Ichigo asked, looking around.

Shiro had noticed their absence but hadn't thought much of it till then. They wouldn't have been much help in the fights, so he wasn't angry that they didn't help, but he was worried that they had lost their guides in the Gikleurde Bossen.

"I do not know, but we should probably stay for a while and wait till they return," Shiro said, and sat down at the river bank.

(Cue – Wolf Spirit)

"Rangiku, why are we going back to the Masters' house?" Orihime asked, they were closer now, so the trip wasn't as long and they were almost there. The colored forest flew past them without receiving a second glance, "And why are we going so fast?" she added, annoyed.

"Silly Orihime, we have to tell the Masters what has occurred and we have to do it and make it in time to lead the humans in the right direction." Rangiku said, chiding the young pixie. The two humans made it past the River Guardian, and the pixies needed to tell the Masters of the forest. The Masters might have been able to see their entrance but what they did beyond that was invisible to them. Thus the pixies had to report their findings.

"Alright, I can see what you mean," Orihime said; she didn't know why they had to keep reporting to the Masters.

Then she thought about the safety of the colored forest. Humans could do much damage if they found out about the Gikleurde Bossen and they could invade in hordes. Should they ever get past the illusion that they had named the Jagged, with the rapidly growing power of the humans and their magic, the humans could do a great deal of harm. They could break in, and then there would be a war. A war between the humans and the creatures of the Gikleurde. The humans might not have had the magic that those of the Gikleurde had, but their sheer numbers would surely mount a great battle.

They reached the tower and flew in the window. In the study they looked for one of their masters, but they were not there.

"They are in the dining room."

Rangiku turned towards the voice, "Uryuu, how are you?" she asked, smiling at the little blue boy staring up at them from the floor.

"Well enough, doing the homely tasks of the gods of the Gikleurde is not the most horrible occupation in all the land, but it is hard work," Uryuu's face softened, "But they treat me well, a young kobold* like me with no talents but those needed to do household chores, yet they still took me in."

"That is the compassion of our Masters," Orihime said, flying over to sit on Uryuu's shoulder. Uryuu smiled at her and walked out of the study.

"They will be waiting for you in the dining room, but I will take you there." Uryuu said, leading them down the stairway. They walked through the halls and listened to Uryuu's light footfalls on the cold stone floor. The reached a large door that was guarded by a lone man.

"Tousen, stand aside," Uryuu said, snooty. He never liked the cold and quiet countenance that was about Tousen. Tousen lifted a dark hand and gripped the bow at his back.

"You shan't disturb the gods," he said, leaving the hand at his bow.

"Let them in, Tousen, they have been called," came a voice from beyond the door.

"You heard Master Renji, let us in!" Uryuu shouted, his high voice going higher in his anger. The man let his hand fall from his bow and opened the doors. The child walked inside and went straight for the two men sitting at the dining table; "Masters," he said, bowing.

"Hello, Uryuu, Orihime, Rangiku. It's good to see you here," Renji said, tipping his head. His long maroon hair was tied at the base of his neck, the red strands flowing down his back. He took a bite of his food and smiled warmly at the three beside them.

Grimmjow paused in eating and ruffled Uryuu's hair, "Good to see you, child."

Uryuu growled good-naturedly but took the display of affection with dignity, making Grimmjow laugh aloud. "Come, sit down beside us," he said, pulling out a chair for the boy.

Happy that he had made his master proud he sat down in the offered chair, "The pixies are here!"

"Yes, they are," Renji said, smiling at the two little women, "what have you seen?"

Orihime grinned, "They defeated the River Guardian!" she said, happily. The two gods looked at each other, eyebrows raised.

"Are you sure? It takes a lot to defeat that fox, Komamura," Grimmjow said, grinning.

"She's very sure, Master Grimmjow," Rangiku said, "The humans, Shiro and Ichigo, are very strong."

"I say we let them in. What do you say, Grimmjow?" Renji murmured, looking his brother in the eyes.

"I agree with you, let them in. It's not as if they can do any harm to us." Grimmjow said as he spooned food into Uryuu's mouth. Uryuu chewed and swallowed obediently, but his glare remained on Grimmjow.

Rangiku and Orihime squealed in delight, flying over to the window, "We'll bring them right away, Masters!" they said, and flew out of the room.

Uryuu hopped out of his chair and pushed it over to the window. He climbed back on and waved to the two receding pixies till he couldn't see them anymore.

(Cue - Hungry Ghosts, I Don't Think About You Anymore But, I Don't Think About You Anyless)

"The Masters want to see you right away!" Ichigo jumped a half a foot into the air when Orihime and Rangiku came hurriedly out of the trees behind him and his brother.

"Good gods, don't ever do that again, you scared the living daylights out of me!" Ichigo cried, turning to look at the excited pixies.

"We must hurry, the Masters are waiting!" Orihime said, pulling on a lock of Ichigo's hair. Rangiku led the way, for it was well known by now, and they headed off toward the two Masters.

It was another hour of walking and the two humans began to wonder why they had left their horses behind. They reached a steep hill covered still by trees and shrubs, and Ichigo had a feeling that something lay beyond that hill.

Panting, Ichigo walked up over the crest and was greeted by a sight that the two pixies had seen countless times, yet it amazed him, for he had not seen it once.

Wondrous castle, larger that even the one in Seireitei City. Hues of brown and tan surrounded by the beautiful colored forest, and no walls hindering the views of splendor. Large towers protruded from the left and right side, and Ichigo wondered what they were for. In the middle there was a doorway and Ichigo could see a man standing at the entrance. He briefly wondered who it was before Orihime's voice caught his attention.

"This is where the Masters live," Orihyime said, "Well not just the masters," she added, "many creatures live in their home, mostly those whom have proven themselves worthy."

Rangiku nudged Shiro, "Like you two, you defeated the River Guardian, easily, too. You have proven yourselves strong," she said, grinning and flying forward, down the hill.

Orihime followed laughing, "Come on, Ichigo!"

He followed quickly, a pressing need to see what resided within those castle walls urging him onward into the fastest gait he could down the hill; when he reached the bottom he could see the man in the doorway clearly.

Orihime stopped laughing and darted behind Ichigo's head, "I—it's Tousen, the gate keeper. He protects the doorways of any room in the castle."

Rangiku was slightly braver, "Tousen, the Masters requested the humans in their presence. Despite your absence, we have orders," she said, trembling.

"Welcome to the house of the Gods," the man said, he turned and pulled open one of the doors.

Inside was much the same as the outside, grand and majestic. There was a child standing at the end of the hall, he was dressed in a white tunic, and he was barefoot. "Greetings, I am Uryuu and I am here to escort you to your room," he said and turned around, leading them to the right of the entrance hall. They walked down a long hallway, the two humans taking in the picture frames hung on the walls and the scenery outside through the windows.

"Here," Uryuu said, motioning toward an open door, "This is for Ichigo." Ichigo walked inside, looking around. The color of the room seemed to be blue. The bed covers, curtains, the color of the upholstery was also a deep blue. On the right side was a large four post bed, and to the left was the couch and another door, which he supposed led to the bathing room. He walked further inside and noticed there was a tunic lying on the bed and slippers on the floor beneath it.

"You are to wear that when you see the Masters, you can place your armor in the chest," Uryuu said, and walked out of the room, presumably to lead his brother to his own room. He walked to the bed and picked up the tunic, examining the golden designs on the edge of the fabric and the brown sash.

He began to remove his armor and place it in the chest at the foot of the bed. He pulled on the tunic and tied the sash slipping his feet into the shoes. With a grunt he walked out of the door and waited for someone to come and get him. Orihime flew over to him and sat on his shoulder. She remained quiet, which troubled Ichigo. But he, too, stayed his tongue and waited beside his door.

When Uryuu returned he was accompanied by Shiro and Rangiku, "Let's go," he said, walking down the hall.

When they neared the dining room, they were again met by Tousen. "They are waiting," he said and opened the door.

(Cue – Acoustic Guitar, Untitled #1)

What Grimmjow expected the humans to be was nowhere near the truth. His eyes immediately gravitated towards the shock of red hair. He stood from his seat, "Welcome," he said. He looked the redhead up and down, admiring the slim body beneath the tunic.

When he looked back up to his face he was met with smoldering chocolate orbs. He grinned; he knew this was going to be satisfying. Very much indeed. He took a step forward and held out a hand toward the other human, "Shiro, is it?" he asked, shaking the hand.

"Yes, my name is Shiro, and this is my brother, Ichigo," the man said, motioning toward th redhead. Grimmjow grinned when Ichigo glared at his brother;

"I can introduce myself, thank you," he groused, before turning to Grimmjow and smiling "Ichigo Kurosaki, it is a pleasure to meet you." He held out a hand and Grimmjow took it.

"Come, you must be hungry, eat something," Renji said, leading Shiro to the table with a hand at the albino's back.

Grimmjow moved his hand, which was still holding Ichigo's and pulled him to a seat beside him. He sat down next to him, and pushed a plate of food toward the redhead. He watched as Ichigo reluctantly took the silver fork and lifted some food to his mouth.

Grimmjow was hard pressed not to take the man and carry him to his own room when Ichigo's face brightened as the flavorful food hit his taste buds. Yes, Hanatarou cooked exceedingly well. He waited for Ichigo to finish chewing before speaking; "How was your journey here, Ichigo?"

"Tiring," Ichigo said, "But it was exciting." he lifted another bit of meat to his mouth, savoring the morsel and then swallowing.

"That is good," Grimmjow murmured, leaning back in his chair. He watched as Ichigo finished his meal entirely, uncaring of the discomfort of the other man. When Ichigo had swallowed the last piece of food, Grimmjow rose from his chair and stretched languidly. He nearly grinned when he felt those auburn eyes scouring his body.

"Come, I will show you the castle," he said, taking Ichigo's hand, despite the vehement protests, and pulling him out of the dining room.

(Cue – Sparrow, Miika)

They walked in silence, neither having any real inclination to speak, until they reached a set of ornamental doors. Ichigo admired the craftsmanship and painting of the doors. The carvings in the wood depicted a great battle, and with mounting horror, Ichigo realized that it was one that had occurred in the beautiful Gikleurde Bossen. Ordinary men fighting against the creatures of the Gikleurde, and even some that Ichigo had not seen.

The sheer number of the humans was a frightening contrast to the Gikleurde. From the top the blood and gore was at its peak and as his eyes descended he saw that the creatures mourned and cried to the heavens for their loss in the great battle. At the bottom there were two men; the creatures were bowing to them, dancing for them, some looked to be singing reverent melodies.

"What is this?" Ichigo asked, voice trembling.

"It's the Strijd li Vërus, or the War of Tears," Grimmjow said, looking up at the doors.

"What happened?"

"A thousand years ago, in a time when humans and mystical creatures lived together, turmoil was brewing across the land. Man wanted to rule over everything. They began to enslave the ones not of their kind. The lives of the fae became teeming with peril and hazard. They found themselves incessantly looking over their shoulders, having to risk their lives to leave their homes.

"In time they moved to the east, with their power they created the Gikleurde and lived in peace for three years. The humans invaded the Gikleurde on the third year. Killing everything in their way and doing what they could to make the fae regret their choice of leaving the humans. They burnt down half the forest.

"The fae mourned their burned forest, and their slaughtered companions. From the woes and pained cries of the fae, my brother and I were born. We made the illusion that you call the Jagged. We are the ones that make the forest look like merely the dark remains of a forest that once held their magical desires. For if we did not, the humans would see the Gikleurde and become envious, and history would repeat itself, bringing more sorrow and pain unto the fae."

Ichigo couldn't speak a word. How could he? How could he say anything when he knew that nothing would right the wrong done by his ancestors? Ichigo had listened to the story, and felt remorse and regret for what the humans had done to the fae. Then he thought about the two men he had met. They were the saviors of the Colored Forest. Tricking the humans into thinking that nothing was in the forest but darkness. For a thousand years!

"You are the ones causing the storms, aren't you?" Ichigo asked, looking up at Grimmjow.

"Yes, my brother and I are the Gods of wind and water. I of the water and he of the wind," he said, "With our power we make the ravaging storms that plague the west."

Ichigo felt angry for a mere second, but then he understood; those storms planted the fright in the hearts of humans at the thought of the Jagged, making them not want to go near it, for fear of dying. They merely do it to save the ones calling the forest home.

* = Kobolds are an ancient German myth. They oftentimes take the form of children and usually help around the house, yet they can play malicious and dirty tricks if insulted or neglected. That aside, just imagine a kid!Uryuu 3

The next chapter focuses on GrimmIchi. And the one after that, RenjiShiro! Then the epilogue, but I won't tell you what that is.

Review please, it helps greatly when I write long chapters for you guys and then get lovely responses!

AkurnaSkulblaka