Requiem For the Lost Ones
A/N: Okay, so I'm doing a little better on getting chapters done. This one's a hell of a lot funnier (I think so anyway) than any of my previous chapters. Since a lot of you have been bugging me... I put the meeting in this chapter. Yes. Renji and Axel finally meet. The universe hangs in the balance... or not. It's not really that big of a thing. I'll play off of the whole crazy red hair funness in some other chapter. But not the next one... I'll tell you a little more about the next one at the end of this chapter. The only Bleach I'll ever own is of the detergent variety.
"DAMMIT RENJI!" the engaged couple roared again. He'd been turned around at the door to the Shoten by Yoruichi, who asked him to interrupt the lovebirds and bring them back to the store. When Renji told the cat what it was the two of them were probably doing at the moment, the feline simply gave him an eerie and knowing smile and said, "Tough luck, kid."
"Look! It's not my fault this time!" Renji pleaded as the couple grappled for the comforter to cover themselves up. "Yoruichi said that Urahara needed the three of us at the Shoten immediately. Nobody ever said why."
"Did you tell Yoruichi what we might have been DOING?" Rukia shrieked.
"Yeah… and all I got was this weird smile. And then 'Tough luck, kid.'"
The bedfellows groaned and slipped out of bed, yelling "Avert your eyes, Renji!" as they dressed. Lucky for him they didn't notice the tinge of red that graced his tattooed mug. After a rather quick once over of the room, the pair followed Renji back to the store.
They walked in the door to see three people they had never met before.
"Ah, how nice you to interrupt, Kurosaki-san, Kuchiki-san, Abarai-kun," Urahara interrupted his explanation to say. "Let me introduce some guests. They are Sora, Riku, and Kairi. They're new here."
The six of them stared back and forth between each other, being unsure of what to say, and sizing up the new arrivals. It was Sora who spoke up first, in typical blockhead fashion.
"What's with the funky orange hair?"
Ichigo's brow twitched. "Something wrong with my hair, punk?"
Sora jumped, obviously taken aback by the comment. "N-No… nothing… wrong with it… heh heh."
Rukia stomped on her orange-haired boy toy's foot. "Ichigo! This is no way to behave in front of newcomers to our world!"
"OW! Damn, Rukia, you stomped on my foot!" Ichigo yelped in pain.
"So your name's Ichigo?" Kairi inquired innocently.
"Yeah, that's right," he answered sorely.
"That's a cute name!" Kairi squealed.
"Hey!"
"Isn't it, though?" Rukia complemented, walking over to Kairi to strike up conversation. "My name's Kuchiki Rukia, and Ichigo's my fiancé," she finished with a blush.
"Not good," Sora muttered.
"What's not good?" Renji asked cluelessly.
"When Kairi starts making friends… she doesn't stop," Riku warned.
"And why's that bad?" Ichigo wondered, still wearing his trademark scowl.
"Because we're going to become the main topic of the conversation," Sora concluded.
Sure enough, Rukia and Kairi had turned their talk to men, and were picking apart their friends and significant others, saying various (and mostly embarrassing) things about them. The four young men in the room sweat-dropped before resuming their conversation.
"My name's Sora," the brunette keybearer said. "This guy's Riku."
"Hey," Riku said quietly, seemingly disinterested.
"I'm second seat adjutant of Squad Six, Renji Abarai!" The redhead proclaimed as his chest swelled with pride.
"Second seat… what?" Sora stuttered, dumbfounded.
"That means he's a Lieutenant," Ichigo explained. "Honestly Renji, quit spouting off your titles. It's annoying." He then turned back to Sora. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. I guess you could say I'm a Deputy Soul Reaper, whatever that means."
"Ahem!" a loud voice interrupted. "While I'm pleased that you're all enjoying getting to know one another, I did have a reason for summoning our Soul Reaper friends here."
Urahara continued. "Earlier this evening, Ichigo was attacked by someone wearing a black coat and several shadowy creatures. I believe what he encountered was one of your Nobodies, Sora."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Ichigo interrupted. "How do you know about that? I only just told Rukia tonight, and no one else should know, unless the Stealth Force has been through here lately."
"I have eyes and ears all over Karakura Town, Ichigo," Urahara grinned mysteriously.
"Did you happen to catch the name?" Riku asked.
"Yeah," Ichigo said in a dire tone. "Xemnas."
Sora and Riku exchanged alarmed glances. Then it was Sora's turn to ask a question.
"Did you see his face?"
Ichigo resumed his trademark scowl. "Shoulder length, kinda feathery silver hair, dark skin tone… and really intense yellow eyes. If I didn't know any better," Ichigo added, "I would've thought he was a Hollow."
"That's him all right," Sora shuddered.
"He didn't seem all that tough to me," Ichigo put his hands behind his head. "Though I should admit that he wasn't really showing any of his strength. He sicced some weird dark monsters after me."
"Xemnas likes sending pawns out to fight for him," Riku said darkly.
"So, what exactly IS he? Is he a Hollow, an Arrancar, or what?" Ichigo asked.
"He's nothing. He… doesn't exist," Sora said softly.
The Soul Reapers all tilted their heads to one side, saying "Huh?"
Urahara stepped in. "Let me try to make sense of it. I think the point our Keybearing friends are trying to make is that, because this Xemnas is a Nobody, he doesn't exist."
A/N: Thank you, Captain Obvious.
"But that still doesn't explain the whole 'He doesn't exist' thing," Renji sighed exasperatedly.
"Nobodies lack everything that makes up a normal person except a body and sentience. They are intelligent, calculating beings, but by all other possible definitions and explanations, shouldn't (and don't) exist. Yet they do," Urahara summarized, drawing the information from his conversations with the King. "Don't think about it too hard. They're just another enemy for you to face."
"Aside from Axel, Vexen, and Saïx, of course," Sora added.
"You called?" a familiar voice purred.
Three portals appeared out of nowhere, prompting a chorus of "Holy Shit!" from the males (excluding Urahara). Sure enough, the trio of Nobodies stepped into the Shoten from their corridors of darkness.
"Nice place you got here," Axel commented after whistling appreciatively.
"Why thank you," Urahara said from behind his fan.
"So, Sora, it's been awhile," Saïx said dryly, earning a glare from the Keyblader.
"Knock it off, Saïx, we're allies now," Vexen sighed. "I humbly apologize for my colleague's rude behavior. Ah, but where are my manners? I am Vexen. Though I doubt you'd remember me, given that the last time we met was within Castle Oblivion."
As the rapport between the Keybearers and the Nobodies went along uninterrupted, the Soul Reapers all had blank expressions on their faces.
"Do you have any clue about what they're talking about?" Ichigo said out of the corner of his mouth.
"Not a dickybird…" Rukia replied breathlessly.
Ichigo stared at her for a moment. "You've been hanging around my dad too much."
Renji couldn't stop staring. That guy's got some crazy ass hair! he thought. Unfortunately, it also escaped his lips.
Ichigo cocked an eyebrow at Renji and gave him a sly smile. "You're one to talk, Pineapple."
"Easy for you to say, 'strawberry'…"
"So who are these freaks?" Axel asked bluntly.
"I'm not a freak!" Renji yelled defensively.
"You keep telling yourself that, Freeloader-san," Urahara giggled behind his fan.
"You still haven't introduced yourselves," Saïx pointed out, flicking his blue bangs out of his face.
Ichigo resumed his trademark scowl. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki."
Rukia put on her sickly schoolgirl act. "And I'm Rukia Kuchiki! For the time being, anyway," she admitted shyly.
"Bleh… that's just sick," Ichigo stuck his tongue out.
"She never did that until she started going to school," Renji frowned, before adding, "And I'm second seat adjutant-"
"Renji Abarai," Ichigo finished.
"Just what the hell are you doing, Ichigo?"
"No one's impressed by your titles, Renji, how many times do I have to tell you? They make you sound like a pompous fool."
"Why you-!"
"Boys!" Rukia interjected, placing herself between her friend and her fiancé.
"So, you guys are those Soul Reapers we hear so much about?" Axel asked, genuinely curious.
"Yeah, what of it?" Ichigo posed, still scowling.
"Nothing, I'm just genuinely curious," Axel covered, taken aback.
"Oh, don't mind Ichigo, he's always like that in front of people," Rukia said, sighing.
"And yet you're engaged to him," Saïx noted.
"What can I say? Strawberry's my favorite flavor," Rukia grinned mischievously, with a hint of suggestiveness in her tone, prompting a disturbing cough from Renji.
"Heh heh," Ichigo chuckled weakly.
"Eww, gross," Jinta said as he pulled a disgusted look. A broom-wielding Tessai swooped in for another attack on the red haired brat, who elicited a girly scream.
"So, then, moving on," Riku started, changing the subject. "Any new Intel lately, Axel?"
"No… it's been quiet. Since Xemnas showed himself to carrot-top here," Axel pointed out Ichigo, prompting the vein on Ichigo's head to bulge, "there hasn't been any activity in or out of that white sandy place."
Urahara seemed uncharacteristically deep in thought at this remark. Whatever it was that he was thinking about was never voiced, as an ill-timed (and soon to be ill-fated) alert sounded.
HOLLOW!! HOLLOW!! HOLLOW!!
A/N: So, how'd you like it? Did it placate you? Or are you all still foaming at the mouth? Either way, I don't care! I feel awesome for finally getting this typed up. Oh, that reminds me... you guys are gonna hate me next chapter... the only question is whether or not I'll leave you with a cliffie JUST to see your reactions, or if I'll resolve it in the same chapter... I honestly feel like leaving it for a chapter. If you can convince me other wise... goody for you.