Chapter 3: Through the Black Hole

Hello everyone! I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to get this chapter out, but I mean it when I say I'm going to see this tale through to the end. I've been playing through Twilight Princess again, just to refresh myself on the feel of the characters and the world itself. Also, I just got the latest English dubbed Bleach DVD, so between the two I've been having a blast :D

Anyways, I don't own Bleach or Legend of Zelda. Enjoy!

"My name is Kisuke Urahara." Link regarded him closely. He was definitely a mysterious type, but then again, the first time he'd met Princess Zelda she had been wearing almost the same type of disguise. Despite his cryptic garb and the way he stared at Link with an almost mischievous smile, the Hero of Hyrule couldn't detect any malice behind his words. He turned to look at Zelda, hoping to see what she thought of their strange visitor and his request. She clearly guessed his thoughts, and spoke

"Link, I know this is sudden, and I also know it is much to ask of you to leave this world yet again to fight this evil, but I trust this man. He has told me much about his home, and the evil that now threatens it. I will not force you, hero. But I know you, and if you are the man I think you are, I believe you have probably already made up your mind."

Link couldn't help but blush a little. It was true; Zelda certainly knew that while he had been happy to return to a simple life after defeating Gannondorf. But he still had the same selfless, noble spirit that compelled him to help those in need, even if he didn't know them. He looked back at Kisuke and held out his hand.

"I will go with you, Kisuke Urahara. I pledge my sword to defeat this evil that threatens your world."

Kisuke grinned and quickly stood up and with a quick flourish he removed the cloak. He swept it behind him and in the same movement he pulled out a brightly striped green and white hat. He placed the hat on his head and then produced a white paper fan. He flipped open the fan and held it in front of his face as he spoke.

"Excellent! I knew I could count on you, Link!"

Link stood there for a moment with his hand still hanging out in the air (and his mouth slightly open). Underneath his cloak, Kisuke was wearing green trousers and a green wrap-around shirt that exposed a lot of his rather hairy chest. Over that he wore a green coat with a white diamond pattern bordering the sleeves and the bottom. Link also noticed that instead of regular boots or shoes he wore a strange-looking pair of wooden sandal-clogs. He pointed with his cane at Link's sword.

"One quick question: are you sure that's the weapon you want to bring along on your heroic quest? From what I hear, you have a much better weapon hidden away somewhere."

"You know about the Master Sword?" asked Link.

"Indeed I do." replied Kisuke. "I also know that if you're going to be of any use on this quest, you're going to need it."

"Why is that?"

"Well, let me explain a few things. Here in Hyrule, your skills as a swordsman are legendary. And while I'm sure that your techniques with the blade are far superior to most warriors even in my world, things are quite different there. Without the Master Sword and your Hylian shield, you would stand little chance against the foes you will undoubtedly face."

"What do you mean?"

"First of all, take a look at my sword."

Kisuke gripped the handle of his cane and drew out a long, thin blade.

"Clever of him, disguising his sword like that." thought Link. "But why bother hiding his weapon like that?"

"Take a good look Link, this is my sword. I am what in my world is called a Soul Reaper. Soul Reapers are an elite group charged with protecting the souls in the World of the Living. When a person dies, a Soul Reaper is supposed to guide them into the next life using their sword and a technique called konso, after which they go to a place called the Soul Society. Soul Reapers are also responsible to protect the Soul Society itself from threats. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, not all souls pass on to the Soul Society. Some souls are tormented by pain or regrets, and before a konso can be performed, these souls transform into creatures called Hollows.

"Wait," Link interjected. "That thing that attacked us at the Spirit's Spring, it said it was a Hollow. Are you saying that monster was actually the soul of a dead person from your world?"

"Unfortunately, that is exactly what it was. You see, when a soul becomes a Hollow, they become consumed with a hunger for the souls of the living. Hollows seek out and devour the souls of Humans in our world, and those whose souls they consume become Hollows themselves. That is where the Soul Reapers come into play again. You see, a Soul Reaper's blade is called a Zanpakuto. Translated into Hyrulean, it means "soul-cutting sword." These weapons are not only capable of sending Human souls to the next life, they can also purify the souls of Hollows and allow them to enter the Soul Society as well. When a Soul Reaper strikes down a Hollow with his Zanpakuto, he is not killing that creature. In fact, he's actually saving the Hollow's soul from its tortured existence and allowing that soul to find peace in the Soul Society."

"That's fascinating," said Link. "But what does that have to do with why I need the Master Sword? I already defeated a Hollow with just my sword that Rusl forged for me."

"I was just getting to that part." Kisuke replied. "Each Zanpakuto is a unique weapon. The sword is bonded to its master, but Zanpakuto have spirits of their own. Each Zanpakuto is a unique individual, with its own thoughts, goals, and personality. That means that each Zanpakuto has its own name. When a Soul Reaper learns the name of his Zanpakuto, he can draw out the weapon's true power by calling out its name."

Here Kisuke held up his cane sword and called out: "Awaken, Benihime!" Link and Zelda both gasped as the cane sword transformed into a larger, more ornate blade with a slanted tip and a tasseled handguard. He held up his sword as he continued to speak.

"The name of my Zanpakuto is Benihime, the Crimson Princess. This is her true form. Each Zanpakuto takes on a form most suited to its abilities and personality. Once released from its sealed state, a Zanpakuto grows far more powerful than in its sealed sword form." Kisuke grinned and pointed at Link's weapon again. "A plain old sharpened chunk of metal like that has no chance of standing up a Zanpakuto, or even an attack from a powerful Hollow. Now the Master Sword, on the other hand, is said to be a legendary weapon that evil cannot even touch, so I'm guessing that it's been imbued with special power from this world of some sort?"

"You could say that. It was forged by the ancient sages with the power of the goddesses to repel evil. I've personally seen it dispel evil curses and defeat powerful enemies. Other than that, I'm not sure it has any special powers."

"It is a holy weapon." Zelda said, speaking for the first time in a while. "It may not transform like your weapons, but its power is greater than any weapon in Hyrule. Since ancient times the Master Sword has lent its power to the heroes of Hyrule. Its power will prove to be more than equal to your world's Zanpakuto, Kisuke Urahara."

"That's good to hear!" Kisuke answered. "Well Link, we really should get going, but make sure to go prepared. You should retrieve the Master Sword and anything else you want to bring along with you for the journey." I'll be waiting here at the castle until you're ready.

The Next Day…

Link returned to Hyrule Castle just after sunset. He had traveled to the Sacred Grove and pulled the Master Sword from the stone where it had rested for over a hundred years before he pulled it out the first time. When he first laid eyes on the ancient weapon of heroes, Link had surprisingly felt a little melancholy. He had really hoped that after defeating Zant and then Gannondorf, he would have been able to live out the rest of his life enjoying the peace that he and his friends had won. But any feelings of regret were washed away as he once again held the blade that had enabled him to win that peace in the first place. As much as Link loved the simple life, he also loved the people of Hyrule, and as a chosen Hero he would do anything to protect them. And he secretly had to admit that he had enjoyed the adventures he had during what was now being referred to as the Twilight Invasion, even though his life had been in peril most of the time.

Link also retrieved the Hylian shield and all of his gear that he had accumulated during his adventures. Well, almost all of it. He didn't really think he would need a slingshot, and he had given that to Talo and Malo after they all returned to Ordon Village anyway. And as much as he wanted to take his fishing rod, he felt it would be better not to let himself get distracted during such an important quest. Zelda had told him on more than a few occasions that she thought he spent a little too much time at Hena's fishing hole. Link had asked the princess to go fishing with him a couple of times, but she had shown little interest. Link assumed it was because fishing was just one of those things that princesses didn't do, but Telma had jokingly told him once that it was because Zelda was probably jealous of the way Hena flirted with him.

All of his other gear was safely stowed away in his pack, though. And after saying his goodbyes to all of his friends, Link returned to the castle to find Kisuke waiting for him, just as he said. Actually, when Link looked a little closer he could have sworn that the hat-and-clogs-wearing man was standing in the exact same spot, in the exact same position. He couldn't help but wonder if he had been standing there like that all night and day…no, it had to be his imagination. As he approached the throne, Kisuke stepped forward to greet him.

"Well, hero, are you feeling ready to travel to another world?"

"I've done this before, you know." Link replied.

"That's very true, and it looks like you have a lot of equipment packed for the trip. And here I was certain that you'd the type to travel light."

"Actually, I do travel light, in a manner of speaking." Link smiled as he replied. "This magical pack keeps my gear safe and ready to use while making it light as a feather."

"Hmm, now that's a very interesting idea…" Link could almost see the gears in Kisuke's head turning as he eyed his pack. "For another time. For now, it's time to go!"

Kisuke clapped his hands and suddenly three people jumped out from behind the pillars of the throne room. One was a tall man, dressed in a fancy-looking suit with a top hat. His hair was long, and on one side it was blonde but on the other side it was jet black. The second new arrival was a thin man wearing an exotic martial-artist's outfit with a hood and mask that obscured all of his face except his eyes and a few tufts of red hair. The third was a young girl with short blonde hair who was wearing a pink dress. Kisuke flipped out his fan as he held out his other hand toward the odd-looking trio.

"Allow me to introduce some friends of mine, this is Kurodo."

"Pleased to meet you, Master Link." The fancy-looking man said as he bowed politely.

"This is Noba."

"Hmm." Was all the masked man said.

"He's a little shy, that's all." Kurodo explained.

"And this is Ririn." Said Kisuke, pointing to the girl.

Ririn giggled and grinned at Link. Something about her mannerisms reminded him just a little of Midna. "Hey there, Mr. Hero!" She twirled and skipped in a circle around Link. "Wow, you're kinda cute! Not like Ichigo, but still…"

"Now Ririn, this is hardly the way to act in front of a legendary hero and a princess." Kurodo chided her.

"Oh, so you're a princess, huh?" Ririn started to bounce all around Zelda as she inspected her. "Yep, you sure look like a princess with that pretty dress and those jewels and that crown…" Zelda said nothing as the little girl giggled and jumped. While she was a kind and gentle soul, she never had much experience in dealing with children.

"Alright, that's enough, Ririn." Kisuke called out. "It's time to prepare the Garganta."

"Right!" The three all called out in unison.

Ririn, Kurodo and Noba stepped back behind the pillars and dragged out two small stone cylinders that looked like miniature pillars themselves. They placed them at either side of the walkway at the bottom of the stairs. Kisuke snapped his fingers, and a black tear started to open in the space between them. Link reflexively took a step back, for he recognized the portal as the same kind that the Hollow had used to enter their world at the Spirit's Spring in Ordon.

"It's alright." Said Kisuke, sensing Link's apprehension. "This is called a Garganta. It's the gateway that the Hollows use to move in and out of Hueco Mundo, the realm of the Hollows. Normally, Soul Reapers use a gateway called a Senkaimon, but that only goes in and out of the Soul Society, so it wouldn't be much use in this case. A Senkaimon is a special pathway to the Soul Society, but a Garganta is a tear in the barrier between worlds. I learned to open a Garganta so that some friends of mine could go to Hueco Mundo to rescue someone they cared about, but a Garganta can lead to any world. This portal will take you to the World of the Living, to a place called Karakura Town. I'll meet you there and then we can start going over our plans for how to confront the evil power. Are you ready?"

Link nodded. "I'm ready, send me through!"

Zelda stepped forward and grasped Link's hand. "Link, I would wish you the best luck on your journey, but I know that you will succeed. You are the Hero chosen by the Goddesses, savior of Hyrule, and…" here the princess smiled softly and leaned in closer. "You are my hero as well." Before Link fully realized what was happening, Zelda pressed her delicate lips against his and kissed him. It was exactly the kind of kiss one would expect from a princess, soft and gentle, and Link was afraid that if he moved a muscle he would somehow ruin this delicate moment. All he could do was move his lips to gently kiss her back.

Zelda gracefully drew her lips away and stood up straight and regal again, but held onto Link's hand for a moment longer. "Until you return, Link." She said. Link blushed, then smiled and nodded, and turned back to the darkness staring at him through the Garganta. He rushed forward and into the portal. As he dashed through the tear in reality, Kisuke called out to him.

"Link, wait! I haven't told you how to navigate the Garganta yet! You have to…"

But it was too late. The green-clad Hylian was already gone. Kisuke sighed as the portal began to close.

"Ahh, so different, and yet so alike."

Thanks for waiting for this chapter, an I'm sorry for the lack of action :) I think the idea of a Garganta opening into multiple worlds makes sense, as Hollows are able to enter the World of the Living, the Soul Society, and even the Dangai at will. I'm glad to see that people are reading/following this story, and keep the reviews and suggestions coming! Until Next chapter!