A/n: aaaaaand, here's chapter 3! Thank you all so much for the love for ch's 1&2! To answer a common question: No, I do not have a set update schedule. I work a chapter until I feel it is good enough to come out. My beta helps me quite a bit in this aspect, helping me to be confident in what I put out. I'm going for quality, so I hope you don't mind a little wait for a better chapter! you know the drill by now: read, review, and i hope you enjoy!
Still don't own bleach.
Gargantas.
If there was one thing in all of the realms that Tier was thankful for at the moment, it would be a garganta. She was painfully aware that, had she not been able to open one in an instant, her moment of reckless abandon would have cost her and her fraccion their lives.
As she and her fraccion continued to steadily make their way, she became aware of the looks that each of the girls were giving her. Tier caught their quick peeks and confused glances coming back to her as she ran behind them.
She knew that she couldn't blame them. Still in her Resurrecion form, with an bleeding and unconcious shinigami-who was clearly in possession of the Hogyoku- hanging off of her shoulder, was not something any of them were prepared to witness.
Harribel knew that the whole scenario that her fraccion had just witnessed would make little sense to them. It was honestly difficult for her to explain to herself. She had never actually communicated with the young man she was carrying, nor did they have any direct connection. Yet, somehow she had been plagued but thoughts of and ruled by compulsions to see Ichigo Kurosaki ever since she saw him battle Grimmjoww and even more recently, dragging Aizen.
Continuing to think about the subject, Tier searched for something, some concrete reason that could explain her recent compulsions and actions. How could someone she had never actually met generate such a reaction?
Tier Harribel was someone who took pride in her calm, calculating personality, and her taciturn nature only supported that. She was someone who thought out her actions, rather than giving in to base hollow instincts.
However, in the mere day since first observing the young shinigami in action, Harribel's mind had been filled with (or obsessed with, as Tiburon called it) the enigma that was Ichigo Kurosaki.
Her thoughts that she had had during the last battle resurfaced as she considered the fact that a part human, part shinigami, part hollow had taken the equivalent of a suicide mission for one human...and survived. No, not only survived, but pressed on to risk even more for the sake of countless total strangers.
Yes, she knew that his sacrifice had garnered her attention, as well as the unique nature of his powers and selfless determination that he had demonstrated in Hueco Mundo, but was that truly enough to make her abandon rationality and feel...feel? The word stopped her train of thought.
The answer, or at least part of the answer, struck her as she realized that Ichigo Kurosaki had made her feel. Tier was not completely immune to feelings. She experienced emotions, such as annoyance over her fraccion's arguing and fury over the injuries to them. She had even felt a sense of loyalty to Aizen when he had saved her and the girls so long ago.
Yet, all of those emotions seemed tied to a sense of duty. Her fraccion were her charge, and while fond of them, she felt a responsibility for their welfare. With Aizen, she had owed him a debt for saving their lives. However, Ichigo Kurosaki caused her to feel something that was completely unfamiliar to her. It was something that felt akin to a sense of similarity, of equality?
It was hard for her to explain, but whatever it was that he had caused her to feel was...not unpleasant. Harribel knew that the young shinigami was a person that she could know outside of duty, of responsibility, and as someone that she wasn't required to look up to or out for-once he had healed, of course.
She would not make the mistakes of her past, though. While Ichigo had proven himself to be many things that she considered to be positive, one thing he hadn't proven to be yet was trustworthy. Not that she suspected him to be of such poor character, but her last attempt at trust had just recently ended with a blade slicing across her torso, and she had couldn't overlook the fact that she had never even met the young shinigami before today.
No. While she would offer to protect him as he recovered enough to decide his own path, due to her respect and admiration for his sense of sacrifice, he would have to earn her trust-should he desire it. Tier shook her head as she tried to push off such thoughts until she actually had time to stop and consider them more thoroughly.
She was distracted from her thoughts as she shifted her shoulder slightly, causing her to notice a warm, trickling sensation down her chest. Looking down, she saw a small trail of blood coming from Ichigo Kurosaki. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that several larger rivulets of his blood were trailing down on, and between her breasts and down to her abdomen.
Becoming slightly alarmed, she slowed her pace, causing the three women with her to slow as well. While they kept moving, Apacci and Mila Rose stayed in the front to create a path of reishi as Sung-sun fell back to Tier's side.
"Mistress Harribel?", she questioned. Though she did not understand what had been happening since she had woke up, especially the most recent events, her mistress would always have her unwavering loyalty and support.
Looking to her side, Tier noticed Sung-sun waiting to assist her. She felt relieved that her girls were supporting her now without complaint or argument. She would provide an explanation if she came up with an acceptable one, however the unconscious man on her shoulder was her priority.
"He is still bleeding. I want to retract my Resurrecion and change his position to make sure that he is alright," she said. While the amount of blood did not indicate a fatal wound, she still wanted to inspect him to make sure. She also admitted to herself that this would also give her a chance to finally see the face of the man who had defeated Aizen, however her fraccion did not need that explanation.
"A little obvious, but I would also like to know that Ichigo-kun is alright," Tiburon echoed in Tier's mind.
'Ichigo-kun? You haven't even met him, yet you're so familiar?', Harribel asked, pointedly ignoring how she had been caught in her plans.
"With as much as you've thought about him recently, we may as well be on a first name basis. Would you rather I just call him your obsession?"
Tier growled in her mind. Tiburon often tried to distract her thoughts with sarcasm and nonsense, however she was ready to let her blade's spirit know that she was in no mood to be trifled with when her fraccion spoke.
"Of course, Mistress. I can hold him while you do so, if it would help," Sung-sun offered, interrupting the internal argument. The snake-like fraccion also wanted to see the face of the man who had captured her sworn mistress' attention. There had been Aizen's collection of images and recordings of him in Hueco Mundo, but this was a chance to see him up close.
Gently shrugging the young shinigami off of her shoulder, Tier gently laid him into Sung-sun's waiting arms. Once she had, she looked at her own body to see that he had bled more than she had expected.
Feeling slightly anxious, she quickly retracted her Resurrecion and sheathed her blade. Her regular clothing did little to hide the still-wet blood that was on her torso, but it wasn't a strong concern for her. Eager to check on the status of Ichigo's health, she quickly turned to look at him.
As Sung-sun held him across her arms, Tier gazed down at the angry red gash along his chest that was visible in the opening of his haori, just over where the Hogyoku was glowing. Even as she watched it, she noticed the lights of the bluish-purple orb pulsing and the wound very slowly healing itself, stemming the blood flow.
She didn't know what to think of the fact that Ichigo had obtained the Hogyoku. He had clearly gotten a different zanpakuto as well, but Tier decided she would simply ask him about them when he awoke.
When she had observed the scene as she rescued him, it was clear that he was not the aggressor, and though she was going to be careful around him, she refused to react as the shinigami commander had. She would give him a chance to explain what had happened, rather than simply attack him. Feeling Ichigo's reiatsu faintly flicker, she returned her attention to his condition.
'It seems that the Hogyoku is using the high amount of reishi to help him recover and heal,' she thought to herself, relieved that the worst seemed to have passed. Reaching her arms out, she gestured to Sung-sun to return Ichigo back to her.
Accepting him into a bridal style carry, Tier fell back a few steps to run behind her fraccion. Settling into a comfortable pace, she finally had her chance to closely look at the man who had so thoroughly captured her attention. She quickly noticed that his hood had fallen back, allowing her to see him more clearly than she'd ever been able to before.
The first thing to catch her eye was the shaggy mane of orange hair. The first time she had seen an image of him, she had been surprised at the bright color, however it was really of little concern.
While she really didn't care whether it was orange or not, seeing it this closely showed her that not only did she actually like the color, but she thought that the style suited the young man quite well. It was long enough to partially cover his eyes, and created a unique look that seemed appropriate for someone like him.
As her eyes left his hair, they fell onto his face. He looked quite peaceful at the moment, the scowl that she had come to associate with him nonexistent. From what she knew of him, Ichigo Kurosaki was a man who carried many burdens and his expressions obviously mirrored that.
Feeling a change within the reishi in the area, Harribel noticed that she and her fraccion were nearing the end of the garganta. Sensing the much denser reishi concentration, she began to feel a flicker of excitement as she knew that the man in her arms would be awake that much sooner.
Continuing to keep her thoughts to herself, she looked back down at Ichigo and wondered, 'I wonder what surprises await us. It would be the height of foolishness to assume that the shinigami would let this pass without sending hunting parties to eliminate both us and Ichigo. Would he ever accept our aid? Add that worry to the fact that Hueco Mundo is now without a ruler to keep the peace, and this situation should be interesting.'
She continued to ponder the subject as the small group continued to make its way towards the opening. Would Ichigo accept what had happened? Surely he would realize that she had acted in his best interests, but what really made her wonder was what their interaction would actually be? Would he panic and try to attack? Would he believe them and eventually become a companion for her and her fraccion? Someone that could be considered a...friend?
Her thoughts continued to race as her feet finally met the moonlit sands of Hueco Mundo.
XXXXXXXXXX
Ichigo slowly regained consciousness and, eyes still closed, became aware of his immediate environment. His senses gradually alerted him to what felt like a very soft, warm pillow and a strange, but very pleasant scent. Opening his eyes, he found himself looking up at Kyoka's softly smiling face as his head rested in her lap.
"We really must quit meeting this way, Ichigo," she said with a smirk. "While I admit that I do enjoy your presence, perhaps it would be best if you came here through using jinzen, rather than waiting to be on death's doorstep."
Ichigo was lost, too weak to be embarrassed by the intimate proximity. He had very vague memories of arguing, releasing Kyoka's shikai, and of Yamamoto cutting him, but it was choppy and focusing on it was like trying to look through murky water.
In a rather hoarse voice, Ichigo asked as he tried to contain his rising panic, "Kyoka? Are you ok? Are you hurt? What happened? Am I dead? Is Hogyoku ok?"
Kyoka could not stop the smile that spread across her face. In a matter of hours Ichigo had lost an essential part of himself, gained the two most controversial souls in the spiritual world, nearly died by the betrayal (at least in her mind) at the hands of those that he had sacrificed it all for...and his first question was how she was doing?
"What is it?", he asked weakly as he saw her radiant smile.
"I chose well," Kyoka answered softly, gently brushing his hair out of his eyes. From his memories, she knew that he would balk, stutter and stammer at such actions when he recovered, however she wanted to try and build up his tolerance and acceptance of her touch. It would be a sign of trust, for her, so she wanted to use these opportunities wisely.
She decided to push those thoughts to the side for now. Ichigo was not ready for the conversation of how they would truly bond. It would come, in time, once they had built trust with one another and developed a deeper relationship. Right now, she was simply thrilled that not only had Ichigo accepted her quite quickly, but he already considered her someone under his protection.
Eager to quell his fears, she continued, "Do not worry, Ichigo. You are alive, and we are fine. You are again unconscious and here because your body has been through tremendous strain and trauma today, and you need time to recover."
"How am I alive? What happened?", Ichigo questioned. If his fuzzy memories were anything to go by, he should be dead. He remembered being exhausted and releasing shikai, Yamamoto cutting him, and then...then...water?
Ichigo was beginning to vaguely recall tons of water, as well as...a beautiful woman? For some unknown reason, Ichigo was visualizing a breathtaking blonde woman with teal eyes and tan skin. Before he could think about the woman too much, his thoughts were interrupted.
"Yes, Ichigo. You were saved by an...unexpected...rescuer," Hogyoku said, vaguely answering the confused thought.
Still resting on Kyoka's lap, Ichigo was barely able to turn his head to the side to see a much different Hogyoku than he remembered. Instead of a blurry version of himself, Ichigo found himself looking at a solid white human-like form with brilliant purple eyes, but no other noticeable features. The form didn't even have a mouth.
"Hogyoku?", he asked, feeling slightly foolish. He couldn't imagine anyone else having come into his inner world, yet he felt obvious confusion at the new form.
Walking up to where Ichigo was lying Hogyoku said, "It is me. I understand your confusion. When Kyoka and I came here, I selected a form based on our desires, as well as the assumption that it would be easiest for you to accept. However, due to the severe depletion on your reiatsu today, I am channeling all available energies to healing you. Once you are healed, I will chose another form."
"You simply need to rest, Ichigo. You are in...acceptable care," Kyoka began with a slight narrowing of her eyes. "While Hogyoku and I will be keeping a close watch, your rescuer seems to have your well being in mind."
"My rescuer?", Ichigo asked. "Who helped me? I remember a woman..." He trailed off as he began to remember more details of the breathtaking blonde he had envisioned earlier. Messy blonde hair, piercing teal eyes, and white hollow armor barely covering...
"Try not to worry about it. You will meet her when you wake, I am sure. As she did help to protect you, I will allow her to be the one to make introductions," Kyoka answered with a raised brow at Ichigo's sudden blush.
'It seems that I might have to keep an eye on this,' Kyoka thought, knowing exactly why he was blushing. Though she had been in Ichigo's soul for less than a day, due to her immersion into his memories and her interactions with him thus far, she felt that she knew him well and she was beginning to feel very...protective...of her new wielder.
In an effort to get his thoughts off of where his mind had strayed, Ichigo asked, "How long is it going to take for me to heal? I can't even easily move now."
This actually was very worrisome to Ichigo. Not only was he barely mobile, but his very presence was surely putting whomever had rescued him in danger. With Yamamoto's earlier reaction, it was safe to assume that Soul Society was going to send someone after him. Though he didn't know the identity of his rescuer, he would be damned before he let them get hurt for helping him.
"Your healing will be completed soon, likely within a matter of hours. Wherever your body is, it is surrounded by a high level of reishi, making it much easier to work. However, due to the massive loss of reiatsu, coupled with the fact that we are so very new to your soul, restoring your power will take more time."
"Once you are healed, we will spend the time that we must wait for your powers to replenish in training. Simply restoring your powers won't be enough, as I am quite different from Zangetsu," Kyoka informed him. At the mention of his former zanpakuto, she saw Ichigo's face tense as if pained.
Frowning, she gently rested her palm on Ichigo's cheek as she softly said, "I know that the loss still hurts, Ichigo. While I am not Zangetsu, we can move forward and strengthen our bond to face the future. Do not let memories of him keep you in the past. Remember him fondly, but know that your decision saved countless lives. Be at peace knowing that the sacrifice you both made was not in vain."
Looking back up into Kyoka's piercing gaze, Ichigo could not help the small smirk that crossed his lips. At her raised brow, he said, "That sounds like something he would say. You're right. We will move onward, and we will create a bond of our own."
The smile returned to Kyoka's face as she replied, "We have already begun. Why, you've already released my blade." Smiling at the memory of him calling her release, the sensation she had felt was something she would never forget. The warmth that had connected her blade to Ichigo's hand in that moment had been incredible. She wasn't prepared for his reaction though, as Ichigo's eyes narrowed.
"Why did you have me release your blade, Kyoka? I know you said it could be a mental edge, yet we both know that the Soutaichou would not be one to back down from that."
Something about that scenario just didn't make sense. He couldn't detect any malicious or harmful intent from her then or now, but something just didn't fit and he couldn't pin down what it was. Seeing her eyes break away from his for a moment though, Ichigo become suspicious. With a great effort, Ichigo slowly moved to sit up, needing to talk eye to eye.
"Ichigo! You are still too weak to be moving so much!", Kyoka scolded. Though she knew that he may be unhappy with her hesitance, she would not allow him to harm himself out of stubbornness. Reaching out, she made to stop him from moving only to be waved off by Ichigo.
Finally making it into a sitting position, Ichigo looked into Kyoka's clearly worried face. Her expression made his suspicion falter, and he sighed. "Kyoka Suigetsu, if you are to be my zanpakuto...if we are to be partners, then you have to talk to me. I know it will take some time for us to fully trust each other, but we are in this together. You, Hogyoku and myself are bonded now and we can't keep secrets from each other. You can see my memories and hear my thoughts, but I cannot hear yours. So, again...why did you have me release your blade?"
Sighing as well, Kyoka met his eyes. "I never admit defeat until actually defeated. I knew that if we survived that battle, the shinigami would send others after us. After defeating the opponent that none of them could, you gained the-in their minds-greatest weapons from a war that nearly tore three realms apart. Knowing that, I wanted us to be ready for the future and to have an advantage. When you released my shikai, every shinigami present fell under my illusions. The only exceptions were your father and mentors, whom you warned. I know that deception is not something you are used to, but..."
Ichigo slowly held his hand up, stopping her. "I can understand that. Never be afraid to talk to me, or feel like you have to keep things from me. We may not always agree, but I will always value your perspectives. You acted in our best interests, thinking of the future, and I thank you for that. As far as my comfort level with deception, you are right: I'm not used to it. I assume that you have seen my battle style in my memories, so you know that I will fight as hard as I can to protect those that I care about."
Smiling in relief, Kyoka inched closer to the sitting Ichigo. She was right, she did choose well. In one breath, Ichigo had definitively established himself as Sosuke Aizen's antithesis. In her new bond, it was clear that she would be valued, respected, trusted and appreciated. She had to avoid grabbing him into a crushing hug, and chose to respond to his statement much more gently.
Reaching out her fingertip, she gently poked his forehead as she said, "You are correct, I have seen how you fight. While you are definitely a fierce warrior, Hogyoku and I will be working with you to make sure that you use this, and not just brute strength. My powers may not be as...explosive...as Zangetsu's were, but I think you will find that they are still quite effective. However, there is something that you need to know. Ichigo, training for us will not be simply learning new techniques and moves. We need to learn each other, lean on each other, and through our bonds we will become strong enough to protect whomever your heart desires."
"She is correct, Ichigo. We will not settle for a shallow merger of our souls. We all agreed to come together, thus it must be together that we move forward. However, this conversation can wait as it seems that we are now surrounded by a much more dense environment of reishi. So dense, in fact, that I should have you healed in moments. I dare say that you will gain consciousness quite soon."
"Do not think that this means that you have to wait until you nearly die again before you come back. I will be expecting to see you again, soon. Be careful, Ichigo," Kyoka said as he felt himself being pulled away from his inner world.
XXXXX
Not fully awake, Ichigo became aware of voices. Feeling a cool, soft...something...against his back, Ichigo wondered just where he was. However, his thoughts were interrupted as he heard an angry female voice asking, "Ok, so what exactly is going on?! We just crashed a fight with most, if not all of the shinigami captains and attacked their commander just to kidnap one? Who the hell is he even supposed to be?!"
"We didn't kidnap him, you idiotic deer-brain! It's obvious that we saved his life!", another, deeper voice shouted in response.
"Who are you calling 'deer-brain', you oversized gorilla?!", the first one growled back.
A much calmer, quieter voice interrupted the argument, "You are both acting like children. This is the man who defeated Aizen. To call you primates at this point would be insulting to the species."
"Shut up Sung-sun! Nobody asked for your opinion," the original voice shouted. It was much louder this time. Ichigo felt the owner of that voice very close to him. He could tell that she was right next to him when he heard her clearly say, "Why did we have to get involved? So he beat Aizen, why does that mean that we had to take him from the shinigami? Just who is this guy?"
Finally, Ichigo was able to force his eyes open. He was startled as he was greeted by a pair of different colored eyes that were close to his face. Very close. Unable to contain his surprise, he yelped as he jumped, accidentally cracking his forehead on the one in front of him. "OW!", a pair of voices rang out.
Gripping his forehead, Ichigo shouted out, "Ow! What the hell?!" Panicking, he struggled to get to his feet. As he tried, he noticed his feet shifting, struggling for purchase. Looking down as he gained his balance, Ichigo realized that he was standing on moonlit sand.
'Sand? Why is there...' He looked back up to notice a familiar landscape...Hueco Mundo? How the hell did I get...'
"Ow, you jackass, your head is like a damn rock! What the hell is wrong with you?!", the same voice shouted angrily, interrupting his question.
Ichigo's attention snapped to the source of the voice. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw a woman with white clothes, a deep scowl, one brown eye, one blue eye, short black hair, and a white...horn?
Next to her, he noticed two other women in similar clothing with similar white...he couldn't place them. Wait, are those hollow fragments?! They have to be arrancar. They must be wanting to kill me for beating Aizen.'
Ichigo began to feel a sense of panic flair in his chest. He knew that, while mostly healed, he was in no condition to fight. His panic increased even higher as he noticed that his scabbard was empty when his hand grasped air. Fear gripped his heart as he quickly called out 'Kyoka! Are you there?! KYOKA?!'
'Ichigo, I am here! Calm yourself, I am here," Kyoka said soothingly. He felt a warmth in his chest, spreading slowly. 'However, my blade is being held by your rescuer."
Looking back up, Ichigo noticed the three women tensed and frowning, but none had drawn their weapons, nor held his. "What is going on? Where is my zanpakuto? Why did you bring me here?!", Ichigo asked, his voice getting louder with each question. He was finding it hard to calm down as he was in what he knew to be a hostile environment, surrounded by multiple arrancar, and no way to defend himself.
"No way to defend yourself? Am I nothing more than an attractive ornament? I will not take offense to being forgotten, this time. Once time has passed and your powers have been restored though, slips like that will not be tolerated. As, Kyoka said, relax. If the arrancar around you had wanted to harm you, you would not have woken up," Hogyoku said, sounding irritated.
Ichigo took a deep breath. 'Sorry. As you know, it's been a long day. Lets...let's just see what this is all about.'
Returning his focus to the women in front of him, Ichigo took another deep breath. He couldn't shake his trepidation of not knowing where his blade was, but he knew that blindly panicking would likely bring more harm than good. "Ok...ok. What exactly is going on? How did I get here?"
"I believe that I can help to clarify the situation," a deep female voice said from behind him. Spinning around, Ichigo quickly froze as he realized who was now in front of him. It was...'it's her'.
Standing in the moonlight was the woman that Ichigo remembered from his hazy dream...sort of. Her messy blonde hair framed her face, stray bangs falling forward but not blocking her big, teal eyes. Ichigo's assessment paused as their eyes met. He found that he had to struggle to look away from the piercing gaze, as it seemed to be assessing him, testing what they saw.
When he finally broke his eyes away, he noticed a high white collar covering all of her face below her eyes. Following the collar down, Ichigo was stunned to see deep crimson bloodstains on the stark white cloth starting at the woman's shoulder.
As his gaze continued along the trail of blood, Ichigo's entire body froze as he noticed more than hints of substantial curves escaping from the bottom of the apparent half-jacket. Feeling a massive blush flood his face, he quickly made note of the trails of blood traveling down her incredibly toned abdomen. Flushing even deeper at his observations, his eyes finally fell upon the gleaming blade held in her hands.
'Seems to have taken you a moment or two longer than expected to notice that, I see,' Kyoka commented dryly. Now aware of Ichigo's intensely prude nature, she didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused at his reaction to the less-than-modestly dressed arrancar.
'What?! No! I mean, I wasn't...I'm not a...' he stammered. Trying to push the embarrassment aside, his eyes never left the sword. He certainly felt better seeing Kyoka's blade, but would not be able to put a stop to his apprehension until it was once again in his hands. Rescuer or not, he could not allow anything to happen to it.
'Alright, Ichigo, alright. Just concentrate on your conversation with her, instead of leaving an extended awkward silence.' She could not be irritated with Ichigo after his protective thoughts about her. Slightly frowning in the inner world, Kyoka discovered that she had quickly developed quite the soft spot when it came to her new wielder.
Inwardly sighing, he again met the eyes of the blonde haired woman in front of him. "Who are you? Why are you holding my zanpakuto?", he asked as neutrally as possible.
"I simply wished for my fraccion and I to have a chance to speak with you without worrying about defending ourselves. Do not be anxious, Ichigo Kurosaki, for we mean you no harm," the woman said, her voice a calm alto.
As if to prove her point, she slowly walked closer to Ichigo, held Kyoka's blade across her palms, and when she was standing less than an arms length away, presented it to him.
Taking the sword, Ichigo was stunned as he simultaneously felt a strong warmth emanating from the blade the moment it touched his hands, as well as a strong whiff of the scent coming from the blonde arrancar before she stepped back a few paces. The smell somehow reminded him of the ocean, and helped to calm his tense nerves.
Exhaling the breath that he didn't know he had been holding, Ichigo asked, "Fraccion? So that means that you're..."
"Yes, until earlier today, I was an Espada. My name is Tier Harribel, former Tres Espada. As for your question regarding 'what is going on', the answer is simple. My fraccion and I were able to escape with you before the shinigami commander was able to kill you."
Ichigo nodded in acknowledgement, briefly . He had already assumed as much. The question that plagued his mind, what he truly wanted to know was...why? Sheathing his sword, he decided to actually voice the thought. "May I ask why? Not that I am ungrateful, but why would you want to help me?"
"You dare question Lady Harribel's kindness, shinigami?!", the woman whose head he had smashed into shouted from behind him. "You should be bowing to her, rather than bothering her with your questions!"
"That is enough, Apacci," Tier said. After what she witnessed from the young shinigami, he should bow to no one. Sensing her hot-headed fraccion wanting to continue her ranting, she quickly leveled a glance at her that clearly stated, 'Enough.'
Before he could respond, Harribel continued, "These are my fraccion. Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose, and Cyan Sung-sun." As she said each name, Ichigo would nod and the corresponding woman would nod in acknowledgement. When she introduced Mila Rose, Ichigo couldn't help but blush again at her attire.
Surrounded by women, with two of them being quite scantily clad and his tendency for blushing profusely, he thought, 'Thank Kami that it's always nighttime here.'
"Something drawing your attention, Ichigo? I see you're just as observant as when you met me," Kyoka said in his mind. He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a slight edge in her voice.
Quickly stifling those thoughts, Ichigo turned to the angry arrancar and quietly said, "No, Apacci-san, I would not question the staggering kindness that she showed me. I simply wanted to know what I could have possibly done to deserve it. I was under the impression that arrancar and Espada were not ones to consider shinigami as friends."
Turning back to Tier, Ichigo noticed she had a raised eyebrow and had what he could only assume was a speculative look in her eye. "Before you answer, Harribel-san, I do want to say...thank you. I can't pretend to know why you helped me, but you saved my life and I don't take things like that lightly."
Tier had a tiny smile under her mask fragment. While this was nowhere near what she would label as 'trustworthy', Ichigo's humility was...refreshing. In a matter of a few sentences, he had shown more humility and gratitude than she could ever remember seeing from anyone besides her fraccion.
While she found the discovery to be pleasant, she also found it to be puzzling. No one she had ever met that had great power ever did anything except flaunt that power and try to assert it over others.
However, she still couldn't subdue her suspicion. 'Is he simply being this humble because of his current state? From his reiatsu levels, I can tell that he is-at least for the moment-quite weak. Do his words come solely from fear of knowing that we could easily overpower him? Would he still say the same when at full power?'
Deciding to think on that topic more at another time, she struggled with what to tell the young shinigami. Obviously, she could not tell him about her near obsessive thoughts of him, nor did she feel right about leaving him with no answer.
Sighing internally, she decided to go with what she had already said. She wanted to give him some sort of answer but felt the need to escape to actually have time to consider all that had happened.
"Ichigo Kurosaki, I came to your aid because I appreciate the sacrifice you made." As soon as she finished speaking, she turned and began to walk away as she said to the group, "We need to move. I am sure the shinigami will send their soldiers after us. Ichigo Kurosaki, come with us."
Ichigo stood where he was for a moment, stunned. He frowned at the tidal wave of questions that flooded his mind. 'My sacrifice? How does she know about that? Go with them? They save me from multiple captains and the Soutaichou, admit to knowing that they are still in danger from the shinigami, yet still want me to go with them? Whatever she knows about my sacrifice must have made one hell of an impression.'
He was jolted out of his thoughts as he heard Apacci yell, "Are you coming, or are you just going to stand there looking at the sand all night?!"
Turning to follow, Ichigo knew that this was his only choice for the moment. He would have to follow Tier Harribel and her fraccion at least until his. Starting off, he followed after what he now considered to be one quite annoying arrancar and her mistress.
XXXXX
World of the Living, Outskirts of Battlefield
Isshin Kurosaki stood staring at the spot where the garganta had closed just hours before. He didn't know exactly how long it had been since he had last moved, but he couldn't find it in him to care. His thoughts were clouded by what he had recently witnessed, and the possible consequences.
'Ichigo, what the hell happened to you? You obviously used the Final Getsuga Tensho, but how did you get the Hogyoku AND Kyoka Suigetsu? Not only that, but an Espada...an Espada saves you from being killed by old man Yama. What the hell is going on?'
Shaking his head, he sighed. No doubt the Espada was taking him to Hueco Mundo...but why? Surely whoever she was would realize that Soul Society would not accept this lying down. They would send people...captains after them. While he was grateful that the obviously powerful arrancar had kept him from certain death, he had little confidence in a positive outcome.
Isshin was frustrated as he had no way of actually knowing what was happening to his son. 'At least he's got someone strong looking after him.' His thoughts were distracted as he felt water from the Espada's attack lapping at his feet.
Turning, he saw the source of the disturbed water. Kisuke Urahara was walking up to him with a worn expression. As he came up to the elder Kurosaki, he placed his hand on his shoulder, sighing before he spoke.
"Isshin, I won't be dense enough to ask how you are...but, we need to go. Mayuri is about to transfer the real Karakura town back to where it's supposed to be. Yoruichi and I took everyone who wasn't a shinigami back to the store. She's there, helping Tessai take care of them. The Soutaichou evacuated all of the shinigami back to Soul Society for an emergency meeting. We need to head back to the store as well, to regroup and discuss our options."
Scratching the back of his head, Isshin sighed as well. "Yeah, I know." Pausing for a minute, he turned his gaze to where his longtime friend was standing. Without blinking, he asked, "Kisuke, do you know what happened? With the Hogyoku and Kyoka Suigetsu...do you know what happened to my son?"
Kisuke frowned. Today seemed to be his day for delivering bad news to the Kurosaki family. He found himself silently cursing Aizen as he took in the look on Isshin's face. 'No parent should have to face this.'
"I have an idea. Without Ichigo here to verify it, I can only make an educated guess. Lets head back to the shop and I will tell everyone once we are there. You should bring Yuzu and Karin by as well. Jinta and Ururu will be able to take care of them while we make a plan of action."
Hearing Isshin grunt in acknowledgement, the two started off. Around an hour later, after he had gathered his daughters and brought them to the shop, he left them with Urahara's young helpers and joined the group that had convened in the underground training facility.
Looking around, the elder Kurosaki recognized everyone in attendance. While some present were surprising, all were known to be friends of Ichigo. Kisuke and Yoruichi were there, along with Tessai, Chad, Orihime, Uryu. However, looking to the side, he also noticed the bandaged Visoreds standing in a group.
Clearing his throat, Isshin caught everyone's attention. "I know we've all had a long day. Kisuke is going to explain to us what happened as best he can, so that we can decide what to do from there. Before he begins, though, I want to make one thing clear: No matter what is said, no matter what is revealed, remember that this is Ichigo that we are talking about. The Ichigo you all know, the one who would and did lay his life on the line for each of you."
As he finished, confused looks and murmurs spread throughout the room. Before the speculation could get too out of hand, Kisuke stepped forward and held his hands up. "Before I can tell you what happened, it would help if you knew about Ichigo's battle with Aizen..."
After giving as much detail as he had about the battle, with Isshin filling in with information about the Final Getsuga Tensho, he finished at the point of Aizen falling to the dirt. Around the room, the confused looks had shifted to a mixture of awe and horror.
"Ichigo sacrificed his own powers...part of his soul...", Shinji muttered.
"Of course Ichigo would lay down his own powers and life for others," Chad said, echoing the sentiments of several others in the room.
"Does this mean that Ichigo's powers are now gone? Is that why he is not here, or is there more to this story?", Uryu inquired, pushing his glasses up. The young Quincy wasn't exactly sure what to think. Isshin's warning still rang in his mind, and he had a sneaking suspicion that this story was not done.
Kisuke paused, looking at the ground to collect his thoughts. 'Here we go,' he thought. You are correct, Uryu, the story is not over. At this point, I must ask you all to hear me through til the end before asking questions. I will give you all the information I have."
Seeing everyone nod in agreement, Kisuke took a deep breath and continued. "When Aizen fell, Ichigo's powers began to quickly deteriorate. After a few moments, Aizen actually started to regenerate and stand up. His zanpakuto crumbled, yet he was able to stand when Ichigo couldn't." Urahara paused for a moment as gasps spread around the room.
Continuing quickly, Kisuke said, "Luckily, Ichigo had weakened him enough to where a kido seal I had invented could take effect. It took little time for it to completely encase Aizen, but it eventually did. Not long after, Ichigo..." He paused. While he didn't like remembering this part, he thought those gathered deserved to know the truth.
"Not long after?", Isshin prompted. This was the part that he had been most curious about. He knew the process and feel of the Final Getsuga Tensho, so he had to force himself to be patient as Urahara filled everyone else in on the events up to this point.
"Not long after, it was clear that Ichigo experienced a...considerable...amount of pain, followed by a massive outpour of black reiatsu, and his zanpakuto disappeared. When he had caught his breath, he and I spoke for a minute about what had happened, and the consequences of those events. When we had been silent for a moment, Ichigo turned and bellowed out in anger at the seal that Aizen was trapped in."
Scratching the back of his head, Urahara paused to clarify. "It is at this point that I will begin to guess at the 'why' behind what happened next. The moment Ichigo stopped his yell, a large pulse of energy shook the ground around us. The pulsing continued, gaining in intensity, and as the pulsing intensified, so did the reiatsu pressing on the area. When it was at its most intense, rendering us immobile, a purple beam of light shot out from Aizen's seal to Ichigo's chest. When I was finally able to move again, I was barely able to catch Ichigo as he lost conciousness."
Everyone in the room was looking at Kisuke, listening with rapt attention to his every word. At the terrified look on their faces, Urahara pressed on. "Now, for those of you who do not already know, Ichigo did wake up. When he did, he was...different. There is no easy way to say this, so I'll simply say it. Ichigo is now in possession of both the Hogyoku and...Kyoka Suigetsu.
"WHAT?!", could be heard echoing across the dusty sparring grounds as everyone aside from Isshin, Kisuke and Yoruichi shouted in horror.
"You can't be serious!", Shinji shouted. Both of those were bound to Aizen, so how the hell could they have ended up in Ichigo?"
"You can't just take someone's zanpakuto, Urahara-san. How do you know that he actually has them?", Uryu asked angrily.
Kisuke could understand their feelings. He was-is-still concerned about the situation himself. Raising his eyes to the group once more, he said quietly, "Because the Hogyoku was in his chest when he woke up, and he released Kyoka Suigetsu in front of us."
The looks on the faces of the group would have been hilarious in any other scenario. At this moment, he knew he had to break the worst news to them.
Before anyone could ask, he continued, "I wasn't finished with the story. When Ichigo awoke...he was seen by the Soutaichou and all of the other captains present with the Hogyoku in his chest. Yamamoto instantly demanded that Ichigo turn it over into Soul Society's custody, but Ichigo refused. Not a moment later, Yamamoto attacked Ichigo. After batting him around in his severely weakened state, Ichigo told us three," he motioned to himself, Isshin and Yoruichi, "to cover our eyes and that we'd know when it was safe to look. He then released Kyoka Suigetsu in front of everyone present."
"Is he ok? Where is he now? Why did the Soutaichou attack him?", and many other loud questions erupted the moment that Urahara stopped speaking. Stepping forward and holding his hands up, Isshin quieted the group.
Taking over the story, he said, "Just listen. We're almost done. Look, Ichigo was in a tight spot and we were being blocked by the captains present. When the Soutaichou was about to make his final strike, a blonde Espada attacked him, knocking him off balance. The moment she had, she caught Ichigo when he fainted, dragged him and what I assumed to be her fraccion into a garganta and disappeared. That's all we know."
Though gasps could be heard from most present, no one could actually form words. Finally gaining his composure, Chad stepped up to Isshin. Worry evident in his normally stoic expression, the large man asked, "Did they take him to Hueco Mundo? Was anything said that could give us a clue as to where they took him?"
"I can only assume so, Chad. When Yama-jii asked what they were doing and why they were taking him, the woman simply said 'because you do not deserve the sacrifice he made for you.' We have no other information. Not even an idea of who she is, besides the fact that she is an Espada."
"Her name is Tier Harribel. She is the Tres Espada," Orihime said silently, tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, her fraccion made me heal her when I arrived back. I...I didn't know she would...I mean..."
"The Tres Espada?", Isshin asked, eyes wide, mirroring those around him. 'Damn, son. At least I can assume that you're safe for now. Not many captains could handle someone that powerful.'
Seeing the tears in the young girl's eyes, Isshin put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't you worry. To be honest, you saved his life. If she hadn't interfered, Ichigo would have been cut down by the old man."
Several in the room relaxed slightly. While this was incredibly unusual, the Espada had made no move to harm Ichigo. Hell, the Tres Espada had saved him from the shinigami Soutaichou.
Still, all in the room knew that this was not the last they would hear of this. If Yamamoto would attack Ichigo over the Hogyoku, him having Kyoka Suigetsu and being saved by an Espada would surely put him at the top of Soul Society's hit list.
"What are we going to do?", Yoruichi asked quietly as several present broke off into their own discussions. "Soul Society is not only going to send parties to look for Ichigo, they're going to be tracking us as well. If we go looking for him, we may actually lead them right to him."
"I'm not just going to sit around and hope that my son turns up ok. I agree that we need to be careful, but one way or another, I will be going after him," Isshin said in an equally quiet tone.
"Isshin, I know you are concerned, but what we need now is information. We all care for Ichigo, but for now we need to assume that he's in the best care he could be in. The Tres Espada doesn't strike me as the type to randomly kidnap shinigami, and we know that most captains would have their hands full with just her, not to mention three pretty strong fraccion," Yoruichi replied, trying to console her long time friend. Truth be told, she was concerned for Ichigo as well, but being familiar with onmitsukido tactics and the Soutaichou's apparent enthusiasm when taking on Ichigo made her very cautious.
"Yoruichi's right, we need more information. Let's see if her contacts can provide us with any intel once their meeting is over," Kisuke told him.
Seeing that the elder Kurosaki was about to object, he held up his hand, "While we are waiting, I will be working on a way for us to enter Hueco Mundo undetected. Mayuri will no doubt be monitoring reiatsu traffic between the realms. Trust us, Isshin, we care for Ichigo too. We just need to make sure that we don't lead Soul Society to him. He's too weak right now to handle a captain. With the reishi concentration in Hueco Mundo, he will recover faster there anyways. For now, we just have to wait."
Isshin growled as he realized that they were right. Still, he would not wait for long. 'Stay safe son. Come hell or high water, I will come for you.' He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him though. 'It was hell and high water that saved your ass.'
XXXX
Hueco Mundo
After several hours of walking, the group was finally taking a short break. It had been quite an interesting walk thus far. While Tier had not said another word to Ichigo, much less even looked at him, her fraccion were a different story.
While walking, Ichigo would often look up to find one or more of the women staring curiously at him as he trailed behind the group. As he had put his hood back up, he was able to keep it from looking like he was leering back at them when they stared. After the first few hours, he finally started to meet their eyes. It was strange, though, as he had expected them to instantly turn away. Instead, they only stared harder, creating an odd tension whenever Ichigo was the center of attention.
Their stares were often broken up by their own bickering, though. Ichigo soon learned that Sung-sun found great amusement in sparking Apacci and Mila Rose's tempers. A simple comment could and was easily turned into a shouting match while the pink-eyed arrancar would smirk behind her sleeve.
Tier, however, seemed oblivious to the constant shouting and fighting taking place behind her. Walking at a brisk pace at the head of the group, the blonde Espada appeared to be able to shut out any and all distractions.
As she was walking in front of the whole group, Ichigo took the opportunity to assess his taciturn rescuer. She walked somewhat rigidly, her back perfectly straight, but she still had a sense of fluidity about her that Ichigo found slightly captivating.
Still observing, he also had noticed that her messy blonde hair was in three tails of moderate length, falling over her horizontal sheath. While not a normal style, Ichigo had admit to himself that it suited her well.
Continuing his assessment, Ichigo noticed a series of darkened shapes running down her spine below her cutoff jacket. Looking more closely, they all oddly resembled shark's teeth, lining up and down her spine. As Ichigo looked at the trail they made, he found himself following it down to her hakama which were low on her slightly swaying hips. Quite low.
His face flushed crimson as he caught himself looking at how the tops of her tanned hips stuck out of the sides of the white hakama and...dammit! Do women just not believe in actual clothes in Hueco Mundo?! Quickly shaking his head, his embarrassment grew as he heard a voice in his head.
"My my, Ichigo, your powers of observation are getting much stronger. Wouldn't you agree, Hogyoku?", Kyoka said with a note of irritation in her voice.
'What? No! I was just...just...'
"By the blush on his face and memories I have found of similar incidents, I would imagine that his range of observational skills is quite limited," the dry sounding spirit observed, interrupting Ichigo's spluttering.
Ichigo's mortification grew as images and scenes flashed of times when he had been forced to blush the hardest-specifically memories of Yoruichi's shifting and Matsumoto's 'greetings'-and began playing on loop in his mind, not of his own volition.
'Stop! Quit playing those memories!'
"I see. Tsk tsk Ichigo, and here I thought I was special by how you reacted in our first encounter," his zanpakuto (slightly) teased. From his memories, she knew that Ichigo was anything but a pervert, however she could not help the feeling of irritation that flared whenever he actually noticed an attractive woman.
She had seen that it happened quite rarely, and that she had been one of the ones that had caught his attention, so when others were noticed...she noticed. While not needy, Kyoka couldn't deny the pleasure she felt when Ichigo noticed her in that manner. Her ego was quickly stroked as Ichigo's mind instantly reverted to the memories of Kyoka's appearance and scent, as well as the warmth he had felt when lying in her lap, at her words.
Feeling his embarrassment and sense of propriety fighting with the sense of begrudging admiration that Ichigo had for her form, Kyoka decided to be merciful. She quietly whispered "Thank you," in his mind, falling silent with a flash of warmth, and noting Ichigo's immediate relaxing.
However, shortly after, the tension concerning Ichigo had finally broken when he had unintentionally choked in surprise at a snide comment that Mila Rose had said to Apacci about her diminished bust size in comparison to her own. While he had made it a point to try and not notice anything about the women in front of him, he had apparently been 'caught' glancing in the general direction of said bust by an embarrassed Apacci.
The horned arrancar flushed and asked, "Tch, why do you have that stupid hood up? You shinigami always look ridiculous. You probably only have it up so that we can't catch you leering at us, pervert. If you keep it up I'll kick your ass!" While she didn't truly think that he was leering, he had been present for her blatant personal embarrassment, thus making him fair game for her wrath.
"Apacci!", Mila Rose and Sung-sun yelled, mortified at the lack of manners shown to someone obviously under their mistress' care.
"What the hell? I'm not a per-OW!", Ichigo yelled, gripping the side of his head. The women around all halted where they were, turning to see the shinigami grimacing in pain as he clutched the side of his head as if he'd been hit. However, he quickly shifted from grimace to embarrassed frown and was shaking his head no before clutching his head again.
"What is wrong with you? Being a ridiculous looking pervert too much for your head?", Apacci scoffed. Before either of the other fraccion could chastise her, they all noticed Ichigo straightening up and looking at her.
"Ok! Kami, you almost shattered my brain," Ichigo complained quietly, as if to someone else.
"Who are you talking to?", Mila Rose asked, confused by his actions.
"My zanpakuto," he answered. Looking back to Apacci with a blush, he muttered something unintelligible. The look of discomfort on his face as he spoke, as well as his subtle shifting, spiked the curiosity of the other fraccion present.
Still furious with embarrassment, the loud arrancar shouted, "What?! Quit mumbling and speak up!"
"She wants me to tell you that while she deeply appreciates Harribel-san's saving me, if you insult her choice of style again, she will turn your horn into a nub. But also, if you ever call her wielder a pervert again, a flat chest and nubby horn will be the least of your worries."
Apacci stood their dumbstruck, while Sung-sun and Mila Rose erupted in loud laughter. The embarrassed arrancar quickly became more and more furious, yet was halted as a hand appeared on her shoulder. Instantly tensing, she turned to see Tier holding her shoulder while looking her in the eye.
"You should be careful who you provoke, Apacci. That is enough for now. We will stop to rest for a few moments before continuing."
Grumbling, Apacci stalked off as the other two fraccion moved slightly away as they contained their giggles. Standing now alone, Ichigo turned to see Tier staring at him from a few paces away. "Uh...I didn't mean to stir anything up. I really wasn't..."
Tier held up her hand to cut him off. "There is not a need for apology, Ichigo Kurosaki. Apacci can be quite brash when her pride is hurt. However, was that really what your zanpakuto said?"
Seeing her brow raised as if she found it amusing, Ichigo answered with a small smile, "It's just 'Ichigo, and yeah. It seems that she is quite protective of her sense of style." After a brief pause and wince, he added, "and of me, too."
"I see. Might I inquire as to how you obtained both the Hogyoku and a new zanpakuto? I was present for most of your battle with Aizen, but lost as he stood over you with a crumbling zanpakuto."
Frowning, Ichigo thought a moment before responding with a note of uneasiness in his voice, "It's...complicated."
Leveling a flat look at him, Harribel simply said, "I have no doubts in my ability to keep up."
Realizing that his words could easily be offensive, Ichigo quickly backtracked. "No! I wasn't implying that you couldn't keep up, rather...well, you might not be as accepting of me, should you know the truth."
The blonde Espada's eyes narrowed in contemplation at the statement. "I would hear you out completely before making any decisions. I do not rush to judgments."
Realizing that he wasn't really going to find a way out of the conversation, he sighed and rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. "Then the first thing you should know, besides the fact that I have bonded with Hogyoku, is the name of my new zanpakuto. Her name is Kyoka Suigetsu."
'So that is why he was worried. I admit it to be somewhat alarming, but I will hear him out before saying anything.'
Ichigo expected...well, he expected something more than what he got. After an initial widening of the eyes, Harribel simply narrowed them again in speculation and said, "Continue."
"Shortly after the point that you had lost consciousness, Aizen was trapped in a kido seal created by one of my mentors and my former zanpakuto was...ripped from me," he said with a frown. Feeling a warm pulse come from the sword his hand was resting on, he continued.
"Kyoka showed me her memories of this time. While I was in numbed shock, she was in immense pain. Aizen had disregarded, violated, and betrayed her, rejoicing in the fact that she was crumbling. She cried out for me, calling for me in the midst of her pain. Soon, Hogyoku heard her cries and they both detached themselves from Aizen and came to my soul. After hearing their story, and living her memories, I accepted both of them. That is why I was being attacked when you saved me."
Tier was frozen in thought. Being as perceptive as she was, she knew that he wasn't lying 'Even after having part of his soul so violently ripped from him, he still wanted to protect others...even the ones that had been used in an effort to kill him. And his zanpakuto, the unfortunate soul that was attached to Aizen. I can understand why she would want to leave him. As for the Hogyoku, it seems that it is far more sentient than we were led to believe.'
Standing there, waiting for her to speak, Ichigo decided to break the silence. "So...what happens now?"
"Now we travel to Las Noches. There are supplies there, as well as a safe place to stay. As the leadership has quite obviously dissolved, we must make sure that Hueco Mundo does not plummet back into chaos. I advise you to stay with us, at least until you are strong enough to survive on your own, then you may do as you wish."
'She is ok with me staying with them? I...didn't really expect that.' "Are you sure that you are ok with me staying with you? You know that Soul Society is going to be sending others after me. I will not allow you to be put in harms way over me. You have done so much already, and..."
"You will not allow?", Harribel asked as her rich alto voice hardened. "While I can appreciate the sentiment, I am smart enough to know the consequences of my actions. If you feel honor-bound to protect, then I would recommend training and getting stronger as your powers recover so that you may actually do so. I do not make offers lightly, Ichigo."
"Ok, ok. I just...I wasn't questioning you, Harribel-san. I just don't want to disrespect your actions for me by putting you and your fraccion in unnecessary danger. However, if you are alright with it, I will stay with your group."
Harribel could not deny the small flicker of warmth that she felt at his explanation and acceptance. She felt herself wanting to know more about this shinigami named Ichigo, and the long trip to Las Noches would certainly provide the opportunity. However, she still did not fully trust him, and she certainly did not trust this new feeling.
Turning and walking away, Ichigo heard her say over her shoulder as she paused her steps, "Very well. However, do not expect to simply accompany us. You must train and gather your strength. As of this moment, you are the weakest part of our group, and I not only expect you to get stronger, but I will test you to make sure you are. If you still want to go with us, come on."
Ichigo frowned as he followed behind her. While he got the feeling that she did not particularly care for his presence, he could not doubt that he was pleased to have such a formidable force testing him, not allowing him to be stagnant.
Kyoka, though impressed with the stoic Espada, had to let Ichigo know what was really to come. "Oh Ichigo. You think that SHE will test you? I am going to make any training she could throw at you seem like a peaceful afternoon. You are my wielder, my partner, and I will not allow scenarios like what happened with the Soutaichou to happen again. I hope you're ready.
Walking along the moonlit sand, Ichigo couldn't help but grin at the protective tone in Kyoka's voice. 'Don't worry, Kyoka. I promised to protect you, and I meant it. We, along with Hogyoku, will grow stronger and protect each other and our bond. And as far as training, I want your best shots."
