A/N: Well, the next 2 chaps should be out soon. After that, time between updates will be anybody's guess. I'm gonna try, I promise. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone reading and reviewing this fic. It means a lot to me that someone would read, let alone enjoy, my work. Special thanks to J'aime Manga, ichirukipwns, and Konoha's White Fang for their support from the start. :)

DIsclaimer: I still don't own Bleach. Alejandro del Pantano and his zanpakutou and all its aspects are mine.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 6

His Quincy bow was already out when he instructed Chad to go with him. He shot a few arrows up to get their attention, to try to lead them away from Kurosaki, who was in no way capable of moving from this spot let alone capable of taking even weak hollow on.

More importantly, he was also leading them away from Inoue. Out of the corner of his eye, Ishida saw Renji scoop up her and go in the other direction.

Please don't let them follow her, Ishida prayed.

Comprehension of what his Grandfather-sensei said so long ago finally came to Ishida when Inoue was abducted. He'd said Ishida's father was trying to protect something and that he would understand once Ishida himself had found the one thing he wanted to protect. He understood now, and had newfound respect and maybe even, well, not quite love for his father, but something other than contempt.

Be safe, Inoue.

His spur-of-the-moment plan worked to some extent. The majority of the first wave of Gillian and hollow moved toward Ishida and Chad, but some remained at their crater. Ishida could make out Rukia now, taking on the Gillian, as he flashed and shot and flashed and shot, keeping the ones he lured on their path. Then he saw the rest of the massive pack of hollow on their way to their location.

"Sado, we're going to be busy a while," Ishida smirked while looking over his shoulder at their pursuers.

Chad grunted in agreement. Both of his arms were armored and flowing with their power. The two of them turned around to face the hollow.

Ishida started to put a hail of arrows into the group, taking down some of the weaker hollow with ease. Chad reared up as his reiatsu grew around his fist and punched a Gillian square in the nose, obliterating its face. So it went as they battled, Menos and lesser hollow falling.

As he drilled hundreds of holes in another Gillian with his Quincy arrows, he thought of Inoue. He could feel her reiatsu, that sweet, steady essence of her in the distance, away from battle. She wasn't in danger now.

He'd protect Inoue from afar. It was safer that way.

_______________________________________

Inoue had awoken to the eerie screaming of hollows and the huge, menacing spiritual pressure surrounding her. Before she could even blink she felt herself get whisked away.

"Put me down, Abarai-kun! They need our help!" She was slung over his shoulder so Inoue pounded her fists into his back.

"Hey!" Renji cried, "quit it!"

"Inoue, you're injured." Renji scolded as he covered ground. "Anyway, I don't think Ichigo would appreciate you being in harm's way, especially after all the work he did to save you. I know I wouldn't."

The girl bit her lower lip and looked down at her hands covered in gauzy strips, a reminder of her weakness. He's right, she thought, they wouldn't want me around to get hurt... or in the way.

She wondered if Rukia was able to get Ichigo to a safe place because there was no way he could fight as he was now. Inoue happened to catch sight of Ishida leaving to take on the hollow with Chad right before Renji took her off the other way. He was going to lead them away from them, he said, but from what she could see over Renji's shoulder, there were so many! She stared in awe, eyes big as saucers, at the hordes of hollow.

They hadn't stopped running yet, but she could tell fights had already begun.

She hoped they were all ok. Inoue couldn't bear the thought of losing any one of her friends. They'd come to rescue her: if anyone got killed, it would be her fault. Her fault for falling into the trap, her fault for not being able to take care of herself.

No more.

"Inoue, I'm going to find a good place to hide you and then go help out Rukia." Renji stated as he placed her down and took in his surroundings. "Please stay hidden and, if you need to, use your shield to protect yourself."

"No, Abarai-kun. If you're going, so am I." Her arms were held stiffly at her sides, ending in fists that trembled. She was not about to let her friends down again. This time, she would be ready. It wasn't like Soul Society, where they fought other people; she was never comfortable with that. These were hollows, monsters, and Inoue knew she would be able to fight just like she fought at school for Tatsuki.

"Inoue..."

"I am coming with you," Inoue stood even more firm now, "so you can either carry me again or I can follow behind you, but I'm still coming. They're my nakama, too."

Renji knew better than to argue with a woman who was so resolute (being with Rukia all those years had taught him at least that much). Besides, she couldn't use flash step. If she followed behind him on her own it would leave her more vulnerable. The shinigami tightened his face and hefted Inoue so she would be riding piggyback this time.

"Alright, Inoue, here we go. If it gets intense, I want you to move out of harm's way and see what you can do from a distance, got it?" Renji ordered, taking up flash steps once again, this time going toward the signs of trouble.

"Got it!"

_____________________________________

Ichigo saw the Cero meet Rukia and watched her block it for a while before it overcame her. He looked on in horror as she was toassed like a ragdoll and plummeted to the ground. Then he saw the Arrancar who resembled a crocodile direct the Gillian to use Cero again. The monster's eyes glowed red as it prepared the killing blow.

"NO! RUKIA!" Ichigo screamed as he doubled over in pain. Then everything went black.

Ichigo opened his eyes to find himself standing on a building, sideways. Wha...?

This time, Old Man Zangetsu was there to welcome him to his inner world. He was perched on a stick or pole of some sort that was planted on one of the buildings. He hopped down off with a slightly disgusted expression on his face.

"So, Ichigo, we find ourselves here again. Twice in one day," Zangetsu mused as he walked toward Ichigo.

"What the hell am I doing here? I have to save Rukia," Ichigo pleaded, barely able to stand even in his own world, but Zangetsu said nothing in response as he circled around Ichigo, his arms folded across his chest.

Instead, the Old Man asked, "Have you forgotten what we discussed? That lesson you should have learned back in Soul Society?"

"There's no time for riddles and games, Old Man. She's going to die out there!" the young shinigami explained hurriedly, but Zangetsu was having none of it. Ichigo realized the Old Man wasn't going to budge and bowed his head in defeat.

"What do I have to do?"

"Quite honestly, I'm disappointed in you," the man said, peering at Ichigo from behind his glasses. "A little trauma and you forget everything we've discussed. Oh, you'll be able to help her, Ichigo, just as soon as you remember what you're to do with me in a time like this," Zangetsu scoffed as his voice and form faded.

"GODDAMMIT! Where'd you go?" Ichigo demanded, but there was no answer.

He would have to find an answer on his own, and fast.

"Ok, think, what am I supposed to do. I can't do anything myself right now... " He scratched the back of his head as he so often did when deep in thought. Ichigo's eyes lit up as it dawned on him.

Next thing he knew he was back in the crater and had Zangetsu grasped firmly in his palm. "Sorry, Old Man," he apologized, "for forgetting."

It seemed Ichigo was having to relearn many things today.

"Please, lend me your strength, Zangetsu," Ichigo begged. The zanpakutou began to exude reiatsu, and Ichigo immediately felt strength flow through him. He silently thanked Zangetsu and flashed to Rukia's location.

Rukia saw the red blast hurtling toward her and closed her eyes. She was truly ready to die when she was seconds away from being executed in Soul Society, but this time she was filled with regret. This time she wanted to tell Ichigo her feelings, to hold him close to her, to feel his lips on hers, to not sleep in his closet but in his bed with him by her side. Rukia held her breath. Then the blast was upon her.

It took a moment for Rukia to realize there was no searing pain, no burning up into nothing--no Cero. Rukia wondered why her death blow hadn't arrived yet even though she could hear the crackling of Cero meeting a target. Instead, she noticed a presence standing over her. She heard her name being called.

"Rukia. RUKIA! Dammit Rukia, say something." Ichigo willed Rukia to move, to blink, to do anything that would tell him she was ok. He could see the blood running a line from her forehead and the evidence of trauma all over her. Her sword hand was opened lazily with Sode No Shirayuki's hilt resting upon it. He searched her form for any movement at all but registered instead that she hadn't taken a breath since he'd arrived.

His eyes burned in their sockets, and he couldn't catch his breath. No....

She opened her eyes slowly, still not allowing herself to believe she was not going to get hit with a Cero. Ichigo was standing over her, looking down at her with a choked sort of expression, but still blocking the blast with Zangetsu. She let go of the breath she'd been holding.

"IDIOT! Ichigo, what are you doing? You're in no condition to fight!" her voice croaked. She tried to move to stop him, but her body had other ideas, and she struggled just to get to her knees.

Rukia abruptly realized she could feel Ichigo's reiatsu, strong and unwavering. She breathed a sigh of relief. Almost certain Ichigo wasn't being too rash, she relaxed. She coughed and winced in pain, but still couldn't help but smile a little, glad Ichigo was with her, not to mention quite happy to still be alive.

"And here I thought I was doing something nice," Ichigo countered her outburst as the pulse of the blast vibrated his zanpakutou.

The lump in his throat retreated at her first word, which of course was "Idiot." Typical Rukia. Exactly what he'd come expect and love.

Completely spent, Rukia couldn't even remain crouched down as she was. She nearly flopped onto the jutting, craggy rocks, but Ichigo reached for her immediately when he saw her give out and caught her up by her waist with his left arm. He lifted her and held her tightly to him at his side, her face buried in the space under his neck. Though her muscles held no strength in them anymore, her outer arm wrapped around Ichigo's middle, and the other hooked over his back with her hand limp on his shoulder.

It was then Rukia could feel Ichigo was breathing heavily, but all he was doing was blocking a weak Gillian Cero, which he could usually do without too much trouble. Was he ok to fight?

She turned her head back up at him, her dark violet eyes locking his. "Fool, why are you breathing hard? Are you really ok, or are you being reckless as usual?"

Ichigo scowled back at her, trying to come up with a snappy retort, but nothing came. He was barely sucking in breath because of her. Thinking he'd lost her knocked the wind right out of Ichigo, and he still couldn't quite get control of his racing heart. Having Rukia tucked in so closely to him wasn't helping, either.

Luckily, he didn't have to answer her. The Cero blast ceased, and the crocodile Arrancar roared, "Who blocked that Cero?"

Glaring up at his opponent, Ichigo taunted him, "Just the guy who is going to kick your ass!"

He gingerly sat Rukia down on one of the protruding rocks, leaning her back against the jumbled stones. "I'll be right back," he told her as his reiatsu flared up around him.

"Ichigo..." started Rukia, obviously concerned.

Ichigo furrowed his brow, and Rukia braced for some speech about her worrying too much. She was in total awe when his face softened to completely lose that intense tightness he's worn since she met him. "Don't worry, I'll get this over with quickly," he reassured her as he flash-stepped toward the Menos.

She watched him go. It was still too near to forget how she found him just hours ago, but here he was, bounding away into yet another battle, running off into another dangerous situation that could take him from her forever. Rukia knew he'd be in harm's way again and again as a shinigami. Get used to it, she told herself. This comes with the territory.

The swarm of countless Gillian and hollow had now arrived. The Arrancar, infuriated by being thwarted in his attempt to kill the small female shinigami, ordered every Gillian in the vicinity to use Cero on that cocky, orange-haired shinigami.

Zangetsu was in front of Ichigo in no more than a second. "BANKAI!" he screamed. His shihakushou, altered now to resemble Zangetsu's, whipped about him in the surge of his reiatsu and his zanpakutou became the sleek, condensed, jet black version of itself.

Normally, Ichigo wouldn't have bothered with releasing his zanpakutou for these level hollow, but the substitute shinigami was in a hurry: he wanted to get back to Rukia.

Using the ultra-fast flash step his bankai granted him, Ichigo made swift work of the hollow. He sliced one through the head and before you could fully register that movement, he flashed to the next one and repeated the motions. Again and again, in a mere few seconds, their numbers were decimated.

"GETSUGA TENSHOU," he cried. The wave of power released by his zanpakutou picked off the remaining ten or so Gillian, just before any Cero could come to fruition.

The Arrancar gaped in utter disbelief. Infuriatied at how quickly his army was destroyed by a single shinigami, he sought out the sabotuer of his plans. When he turned, Ichigo was already waiting in front of him.