Chapter Seven
-What's the Story, Morning Glory?-
Hueco Mundo was not a good place to be if you liked keeping track of time. There were no calendars nor were there any clocks that actually focused on time telling. Ichigo had done quite a bit of personal training with Aizen before he was introduced to Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname.
In Ichigo's opinion, Gin wasn't as bad as he looked. He was sly and humorous and Ichigo found that he could get along with him because he didn't follow the standard decorum. The only thing Ichigo had a problem with was his nickname. "Ichi-chan." It would have been fine if he were two years old.
Kaname was alright but he was a little stiff in Ichigo's opinion, even more so than Aizen. He always spoke of purity and justice which made Ichigo wonder if he was a little cuckoo in the head.
Ichigo tried to look at everyone from a non judgmental sort of way but it was hard. Gin was nice to have around when you were bored and he was really good with kids. Yuzu loved him and Karin liked kicking him in the shins when his smile became too much for her to handle.
In Hueco Mundo Ichigo also discovered that he didn't need sleep half as much unless he'd been training rigorously to the point that even food didn't replenish his energy. Even Karin was adapting well and staying up later and sleeping less.
Yuzu was the only one who fell asleep for no reason whatsoever.
"So, I got a question," Ichigo said one morning at breakfast. He still hadn't been introduced to the other Espada and every morning he had breakfast with Aizen in the private dining hall. "What the hell is stuck up Tousen's ass?"
Aizen chuckled softly. "He is not very fond of Soul Society's laws and way of justice."
"I gathered the justice part, he never hushes. So what did they do to him?"
"A rather vicious shinigami married his best friend, she was beaten constantly until one night she was killed, and Central 46 did nothing."
"Wow," Ichigo said shocked. "What happened to the guy?" he asked hoping the son of a bitch was as good as dead. He could now see from Tousen's point of view if a little over the top. He supposed everyone went overboard with something.
Like Aizen and white.
"He so happened to be a Third Seat in the Fifth Squad when Shinji-san was Captain. Gin took care of him."
Ichigo nodded and broke apart a piece of fruit, he had his foot flat on his chair and his knee was up against his chest. "That sucks for Tousen," he sympathized.
Aizen never got tired of Ichigo's brash words. Most people would watch themselves around him but Ichigo did no such thing. "Would you accompany me today to the Espada meeting?" he asked after a bit of silence.
"Uh, yah, sure. I ain't got anything else better to do."
"Good, because this concerns Karakura Town."
Ichigo paused briefly. "I hope you ain't plannin' on destroying it?"
"No," Aizen said smirking, "but that is what we're going to let Soul Society believe. No one knows of these plans yet. I was settling details with Kisuke-san a few hours prior but he had to get back to the living world. Perfecting them before speaking of them."
"Ah, okay," Ichigo said unsurely.
"You will be meeting them for the first time today, each are as different as night and day."
"I gathered that from the Arrancar I've seen lately," he replied. Yylforte was still serving them daily and after he got over his shock at seeing Ichigo human and then transformed he was an alright guy if a little raping with his eyes. But Ichigo was getting used to that happening, considering the moment Urahara saw him then shopkeeper practically cooed at him until his father threatened to beat his ass.
Shinji teased him which earned a fist to the mouth and nearly broken teeth. Hiyori wound up head first in a nearby trash can for her crazy comments only to have Gin say something and get away with it.
After breakfast the two left the room together and were soon joined by Gin and Kaname.
"Ichi-chan!" Gin's sly smile became wider and he slung his arm around Ichigo' waist. It was a strange sight because Gin was shorter than Ichigo by two inches, he was also thinner.
"You again," Ichigo grumbled as the white haired man chuckled.
"Such an Ichi-chan!"
Aizen only grinned at Ichigo's pointed glare. Ichigo growled when Gin's hand tried to go lower. "Touch me there and you'll be eating the floor."
"Aah, ya wouldn't do that to me, would ya?"
"Wanna try me?" Ichigo asked turning his glare on Gin.
"Please?"
Kaname grimaced, visibly uncomfortable with the exchange. "Gin, could you please show a little decorum?
"Now, now Gin," Aizen said intervening. "Don't go showing favoritism."
"Sorry, that's your job ain't it?" Gin teased causing Ichigo to not so gently elbow him in the ribs.
Aizen laughed silently as they stopped at the end of a long hall where a set of double doors awaited them. They could all feel different varieties of reiatsu; some controlled others out of control. They could even hear chatter, a couple people arguing here and there.
Kaname pulled the doors open to the lowly lit long white and silver room. The people in it looked as different as night and day. Aizen was right.
"Welcome my dear Espada," Aizen said with his hands behind his back.
"Aizen-sama," they all inclined their heads with respect.
"Let's start with some tea and then we'll begin."
Everyone's eyes flickered over to Ichigo who had his scowl set in place until Gin pinched him on the ass causing him to actually yelp and jump.
"You bastard!" Ichigo cried out causing Gin to chuckle childishly and everyone's eyes to widen.
"You said not to grab, you didn't say anything about not pinching, Ichi-chan!" Gin said cheekily. He brought his shoulders up and let go of Ichigo.
Ichigo found it hard to get too angry. He was Gin after all and instead he huffed. "No grabbing or pinching my ass," he said clearly causing a couple people in the room to snort.
"Good luck with that." One of the Espada called out.
"What about poking?" Gin asked innocently.
"Definitely not that!"
"Gin," Aizen said with a smile. "I haven't even introduced Ichigo yet could you wait until afterwards before you continue to taunt my newest Espada."
This got a ripple of confusion. "Aizen-sama," said a lazy but good looking man. His hair was shoulder length and brown and reminded Ichigo of one of the captain's except better shaven with a patch of hair just under his lip "We have ten Espada already."
Aizen nodded. "You are right of course," he said before pausing and eyeing the group, "hm, I seem to be missing my number three…"
It was then that Ichigo noticed two of the Espada tensed up.
"I think she went off by herself with her clown Fraccion," said a long black haired Arrancar with an eye patch. He was terribly thin and reminded Ichigo of a ballpoint pen.
"Hm, Neliel has never missed a conference," Aizen stated. "Is there anything that I should know, Nnoitra?"
"Nothin' at all," the same skinny Arrancar replied with.
"Szayel?"
"I can go looking for her a little later, Aizen-sama."
Whoa! Ichigo thought, was he part Ishida? The tone of arrogance and flick of his squared glasses made Ichigo wonder if he was in fact a Quincy. Although, he didn't think Ishida would have such bad taste in hair choices.
"Well, we have a replacement for three don't we?" Nnoitra voiced nodding toward Ichigo.
"Oh, he's not a three, Nnoitra," Aizen rebuked pleasantly.
The lazy man looked Ichigo over. "He's higher than me," he said monotonously.
"How?" A large old man asked, leaning up to get a better look at him. "Are you sure he's higher than Stark-san?" he asked suspiciously.
Aizen's eyes lit up and the reiatsu swamped every last person in the room causing them to double over, clutching their bodies close.
Ichigo and Stark were the only two unaffected, even Kaname and Gin who were used to his reiatsu release flinched a little.
"I see," the large man said, having never taken his eyes off Ichigo. "I apologize, Aizen-sama, kiddo."
"It ain't kiddo you old man, its Ichigo," he snapped coldly.
"What a cute name," a strange masked man replied with.
"Isn't it?" Gin said grinning.
Ichigo rolled his eyes.
"Ichigo you can discover everyone for yourself, now that everyone has been served and a few questions have been asked, let us begin."
A blue eyed, blue haired Arrancar with a jaw piece for a mask was quick to state all his opinions on subjects. He was a vicious Arrancar but he did have common sense. His features were sharp resembling that of a cat and he wore his vest short, rolled cuffs, and open revealing his chest and his Hollow hole in his stomach. He was well built and toned from top to bottom, much better to look at than the string bean with a suspiciously ugly grin.
Ichigo had been right when it came to cockiness of the man with pink hair. He was almost worse than Uryuu could ever be.
"-In the coming months we will set foot into what is known as a false Karakura Town where we will surely be greeted by nearly every Captain available from the Gotei 13. Your job is not a slaughter but rather a diversion."
Kaname took the packets and passed them around to each of the Espada. Ichigo was rather amazed at how he could move without being able to see. The more he observed the dark skinned man the more Ichigo found he understood him.
Gin he didn't have to understand, he was a grabby childish pervert worse than Urahara could ever be.
"You are to read them over it's easier than explaining each of your parts individually. Some of your Fraccion will be involved I suggest you continue working with them to train their abilities to the best of your capabilities."
"Yes, Aizen-sama," they intoned at the same time.
"Also I would prefer to have all of you alive by then. Creating new Espada takes quite a bit of my time." He zeroed in on Szayel and then Nnoitra. "I would appreciate my family to try and get along, you are dismissed."
Ichigo thought that perhaps he should leave with the rest of the Espada and made to rise when Aizen caught his wrist, startling a couple of the passing Espada.
"Ichigo, I would like for you to stay, please."
"Uh - sure," Ichigo said shrugging. "Just tell Gin to keep his hands off."
Gin sulked. "Aah Ichi-chan!"
Ichigo sat back down and he groaned when Gin sat on the arm of his chair. "You will never leave me alone will you?" he asked as Tousen closed the doors back and locked them.
"Never Ichi-chan," Gin said brightly.
"Kaname, I need you to send Tia Harribel up to me for transformation. I do believe Nnoitra and Szayel have not been totally honest with us."
"I gathered," Tousen said gravely. "Shall I punish them?"
"No need, I'm sure Neliel will show up shortly. She's alive I can feel her reiatsu but I am unsure of her state and wellbeing. Once I am certain of it, then we shall see. Szayel's position has already been revoked once."
"Should I send a team to search?"
"No, I don't think that is necessary."
Ichigo would have found himself bored had it not been for Gin's constant poking in the cheek. "Ichi-chan…"
"You are so going to get punched."
"Come on Ichi-chan! Play with me."
"You sound like a child," Ichigo grumbled.
"That's because you cave so well when I'm like this," Gin said cheerfully.
"Aizen?"
"Yes Ichigo?"
"Don't you ever give Gin any sugar," Ichigo hissed causing everyone even Tousen to laugh. "If he's this bad without it – Jesus Christ, I don't want to see him with it."
Gin grinned at this. "It's all worth it Ichi-chan."
-0-0-0-
Ichigo didn't want to stick around for any transformations and decided to make himself scarce. He went to the floor his sisters were on to see them playing a deck of cards with boredom.
"Finished with training for the day?"
Karin grumbled. "Dad had something to do."
It was odd during the short time Karin had been training, she seemed to have grown a little. Her hair was tied back with a gold barrette and she was a little taller.
She was actually sitting on her soccer ball and Yuzu had a teddy bear in her lap asking it which card she should choose.
Ichigo squatted down and peaked at both cards. "Yuzu won," he said snatching them out of their hands.
Yuzu cheered and Karin rolled her eyes. "Thanks a bunch, Ichi-nii."
"No problem, let's do something," he said kicking the ball underneath Karin causing her to gasp and plop down on her butt. He smirked. "Need to be faster than that Karin."
"Grrr, you – gah!" Karin jumped up. She couldn't say anything as her brother dropped the ball to his knees and began to balance it from one to the other. "We can really play?"
"Onii-chan, play with us?" Yuzu asked stuffing her bear into her pack. "You haven't played with us in years."
"Yah well this place is boring," Ichigo stressed. "Let's go outside, anyone bother us I'll kill them," he said kneeing the ball toward Karin who snatched it.
"That's my Ichi-nii," Karin said with a smirk.
Using Sonido with Karin on his back and Yuzu in his arms they made it to one of the recreated outdoors. There were beautiful bright blue skies and white puffy clouds with Las Noches columns overhead that led to other parts of the castle. The grass was bright and soft, Yuzu did a couple cartwheels with glee.
"Wow, I didn't know this was here!" she said plopping down and pulling her bag close. "I thought it was all night."
Karin grinned, this was perfect! She thought dropping the ball. "Hey Ichi-nii! Heads up!" she shouted kicking the ball at Ichigo's turned back.
Instantly, Ichigo swung around his speed a little much for a simple game but he really hadn't meant it and nudged the ball with his knee sending it flying back to Karin. He'd have to make extra sure he didn't destroy the ball with his strength or hurt the girls with his speed. It was still something he was trying to get used too.
Ichigo and Karin chased each other around and Yuzu was doing a little dance while cheering
them on.
For the next couple of hours Ichigo forgot all about Aizen, Soul Society, Arrancars, and Hollow; a simple game with his sisters was just what he needed to take his mind off all the stressful crap coming and going. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed an Espada watching them. He pretended to pay no mind to the raven-haired man with bright green eyes. He looked rather depressed in Ichigo's opinion, he had markings raining down under his eyes like they were tears and the deep concentrated frown on his face was definitely an inkling that he was somehow suffering.
Karin grabbed her brother's hands as she fell to the ground with an exhausted laugh. Ichigo let her pull him down until he too was on his back next to her.
"Fun!"
"I thought you were in spirit form," Ichigo said poking her.
"I am! But I had to use my reiatsu to keep up with you!" Karin explained. "You're damn fast!"
"Ah." Ichigo nodded. "Sorry." He made an oomph sound with Yuzu pounced on his stomach.
"Jesus Yuzu!" It didn't hurt but it was startling.
She laughed. "Onii-chan!"
"Why are we being watched by depresso-san?" Karin asked turning onto her side and propping her elbow up.
"Probably wondering what we're doing," he said raising his head to look over at the Espada. "Yo! Don't just stand there."
A small hesitance before the Arrancar came closer.
Karin looked up at him and wrinkled her forehead. "You don't have to frown that much you know."
He stared at her curiously.
Ichigo sat up nudging Yuzu down into his lap.
"You are?" Ichigo queried.
"Ulquiorra Cifer, fourth Espada," he answered monotonously. His Hollow hole was in his neck.
"Eh, Ichigo!" Ichigo offered back. "These are my sisters."
"Why are they here? They're human," he stated factually.
"If they weren't here I wouldn't be here," Ichigo said by way of answer.
"Has Aizen-sama given you permission?"
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Aizen doesn't give me anything," he said lazily. "In fact Aizen was the one who brought them here first. They're none of your concern anyway."
"You are here for Aizen-sama though?"
"Well, I agreed to fight for him, yah. He did save my family."
"I do not understand," Ulquiorra said as if he were a robot.
"Does not understanding make you look like you wanna cry?" Karin asked baldly.
"If you're sad Ulquiorra-san you can play with us!" Yuzu said peering up at him dolefully.
Ulquiorra merely stared at them. "Your sisters are to remain unharmed correct?"
"Yes," Ichigo said eyes narrowing. "Anyone touches them and I will kill them," he said without hesitation.
"Even above Aizen-sama's orders?"
"You know it," Ichigo said smirking.
"I shall relay that to the other Espada then." He turned dispassionately and walked away.
Ichigo blinked. "What a weird one."
"He looks like he's about to go and hang himself," Karin commented.
"He needs a hug and some tea!" Yuzu declared.
"Don't go near him," Ichigo ordered firmly. "In fact don't go near anyone without dad, Aizen, or I present."
Karin nodded, not even hesitating at her brother's orders.
"Not like we'd know how to get here anyway Onii-chan," Yuzu declared with a grin.
"I'm hungry," Karin said. "I burned a lot of spiritual energy so that I could keep up with you. It was like training."
"Let's go then, see if goat face is back," Ichigo suggested.
They were about to leave when the lazy looking Espada with a little green haired girl next to him wearing a very revealing white uniform appeared. She looked to be the age of Karin.
"Ah, there you are," Stark practically mumbled.
"Who is this?" the girl asked hands on hips.
"I heard from Ulquiorra that you had young siblings; don't fear from me, I have no intentions on harming a child. That's a tasteless idea." He looked down at the girl. "This is my Fraccion Lilynette she's a brat but she's alright."
"Hey! You bastard, I ain't a brat!" she growled.
Karin blinked. "I'm Karin and this is Yuzu."
"Nice to meetchya! What's this?" she asked pointing to the ball at Karin's feet.
"A soccer ball, want to play?" Karin suggested.
Lilynette's pink eye widened. "Alright," she said losing her anger toward Stark as she rushed forward. "Uh..." She stared at the ball awkwardly.
"Come on, I'll show you!"
Ichigo watched them wearily as they ran off and Yuzu followed.
Stark's shadow washed over him and then he sat down next to Ichigo. "Keeps her from beating me up," he said yawning heavily. "Ulquiorra will listen to Aizen-sama. He won't hurt your siblings nor will I allow it. However I wouldn't trust anyone else except Neliel and her Fraccion but she is apparently M-I-A." he placed his hands behind him and leaned into them while staring at the clouds. "Barragan is an ass always has been. Nnoitra – ah just stay away from him. Grimmjow Jaegarjaques is a punk but he doesn't touch anyone weaker than him usually. Zommari is a weirdo, Szayel is as bad as Nnoitra, Aaroniero he never leaves his dark tower but he's a whiner, and Yammy is just a fat ass who likes to use his strength to destroy anything."
Ichigo blinked at then rundown on all the Espada. He didn't even know half of them, he placed them all but Zommari and Aaroniero.
"That took energy, I'm going to lay here a while." He flattened himself to the ground and closed his eyes.
Ichigo snorted. "And you?"
"I'm lazy."
"Quote the obvious." Ichigo didn't leave and instead watched his sisters play with the Arrancar girl.
"The other young Arrancar are morons, I keep her away from them," Stark explained.
"Thanks."
"Ai, no problem. Lilynette needs a friend other than me."
Ichigo liked Stark instantly; he was definitely an interesting man. He had a normal complexion like a humans and his shoulder length brown hair was wavy. He seemed carefree and earnest but then again Ichigo would guess that being a number one Espada he wouldn't have to worry too much about someone trying to harm him. He also seemed to Ichigo that he was close to Lilynette treating her like his daughter or sister rather than a subordinate.
Ichigo respected that in a person. What was left of his mask was around his neck like a necklace in jagged bottom teeth, his Hollow hole directly underneath it; his suit was kind of fancy but modern with white gloves to match.
A cry caused Ichigo's attention to snap to the field as Stark opened his eyes and sat up. Yuzu was on the ground.
"Oh God! I am so sorry!" Lilynette held out her hand. "Here let me help, I really, really didn't mean to--"
"It's okay," Yuzu said cheering up. "You're just so fast! You both are and I'm really slow."
Ichigo sighed with relief and lowered his shoulders.
Stark was watching him the entire time. "You are close to your siblings," he observed.
"They're my life," Ichigo admitted.
Stark smiled. "I like that Ichigo."
"Soul Society tried to kill them because of me," Ichigo said making the smile fade. "I saw what they would have done. Aizen planted gigais of my family in the house and I watched as one of my former senseis and a Captain of the Gotei 13 killed them in cold blood. Hell, Yuzu couldn't even see shinigami or Hollow properly until now," he said shaking his head.
"You're not an ordinary Hollow are you?"
"I was never an actual Hollow, Stark," Ichigo confessed. "I was a human turned shinigami turned Vizard and Aizen turned me into a Hybrid when I defeated the Hollow version of myself."
"Hm, very interesting," Stark said lying back down. "Relax, Ichigo, Lilynette learns fast. I won't let any harm come to your sisters."
"You don't even know them or me."
"I don't have too," Stark said yawning. "I'm going to sleep, wake me when they get bored." His eyes closed again.
Ichigo laughed quietly and lay down beside him. He stared up at the false blue sky. It was easy to be fooled by the way it felt, the warm air fluttering across them. The laughing of his sisters and the Arrancar in the background.
Things just kept getting stranger, Ichigo thought turning his head to stare at Stark from his position. But if there were more people like this guy, Ichigo might be able to handle it.
Almost every afternoon following, Ichigo could be found sitting next to a sleeping Stark in the same place as Karin, Yuzu, and Lilynette played together. Stark didn't talk anymore after that and merely slept on while Ichigo would sometimes join in or hang around watching while reading at the same time.
His training was nowhere near complete but it had lessened up for a while when Aizen created his new third Espada, a young blonde woman with a strange shark like mouth named Tia Harribel. Her Fraccion were all female and she was apparently a quiet and passionate Arrancar.
It was one evening in which he was completely alone and for the first time ever he stepped out of the massive white palace. The side of his neck just under his ear was still burning; a gothic number 0 was planted there for all to see if one looked closely enough. He hated the thing because now all of the Arrancar bowed to him when he walked passed and each one of the Fraccion no matter whom they were called him 'sama'. He couldn't stop it and it drove him insane.
He stifled a yawn, his sisters were asleep and Aizen was going over something, whatever it was Ichigo wasn't interested. His feet crunched over the purity of the pale sand and the moon was hung in the same position as it had always been. It never seemed to change shape and the stars aligned themselves surrounding the moon as if guarding it.
Ichigo passed a dead tree ignoring the sand guardian who eyed him suspiciously. He snapped the ends of the tree and was shocked at the crystal like quality. Ichigo didn't know what he'd been expecting of the Hollow world. Perhaps rotting corpses, dead land with blood stains.
He certainly didn't expect a chilly desert. Ichigo hadn't traveled very far when a stifled sob caught his attention. He turned in the direction of it and heard it again.
"Where dey go?"
Frowning, Ichigo scanned the area before detecting a strange sort of reiatsu. It was very faint; he followed it and couldn't stop a gasp when he saw a small child no older than three years old sitting under a dead tree crying. From the looks the Arrancar baby was a girl, her hair blue with a green hue, she had a scar across her nose and a crack in her cartoonish skull. She was wearing a ragged little dress that couldn't even be considered such.
Ichigo stepped forward and bent down onto her level, his heart pained at seeing her sobbing. "Hey, little one, you okay?"
Then little girl gasped and her eyes became wide. "Y- you is a – a- Espada?" she choked out trembling with fear.
"I won't hurt you," Ichigo promised. "Why are you crying? In fact where's your mother?"
She sobbed again. "I- I don't have a mamma, I is by myself with my brothers but I can't find dem. They told me to wait here, I felled asleep and when I wake they not here. Please don't hurt lil Nel, she not do anything."
Ichigo shook his head. "I told ya, I'm not going to hurt you. I swear."
She sniffled and rubbed her nose on her shirt. God, she was tiny! "I just want to play… so borin' out here, Nel has nothin' to do."
"Nel, is that your name?" Ichigo asked wondering where he'd heard the name before. It sounded familiar but he couldn't be too sure.
"Nel Tu," she snuffled and turned onto her hands and knees, peering dolefully up at him. "What is your name?"
"Ichigo."
"Itsygo," she tried it on her broken speech.
"What happened to your face?" he asked brushing a finger across her nose, "and your mask?"
She sniffled. "I don't 'member," she said softly. "I waked up wiff my brothers next to me and now dey all gone."
Ichigo could so not leave a little baby sitting by herself. He wanted to know she got out here but he settled on making sure she was safe. "Well, Nel, do you want to come with me?"
She gasped. "Where we go Itsygo?"
"Back to the palace, I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise," he reassured.
"H-how can you do that? Some of dem will be stronger then you are!" she stuttered in fear.
Ichigo tilted his neck and pointed. "See that little one?"
Nel leaned around and gasped.
"No one's going to mess with me," he said flatly.
"You is zero… and you wants to take Nel with you?"
"I sure do, I can't leave a baby in a desert," he said sharply. "Not when she's by herself and crying."
Nel blushed and looked one way to another before she flung herself on Ichigo who gasped back. "You likes me! You really likes me Itsygo!" she squealed in delight clinging to him and nuzzling her dirty face into his robes.
"Of course, Nel," he said rubbing her back. "Why wouldn't I?" he asked. She was after all a baby. Why would someone leave a child out in the desert and why was it he had heard her name before?
He took the little girl in his arms and stood up, ignoring the dirty mess on the front of his robes. She clung to him like a life line her sweet little eyes tearful and he could see the joy on her face.
Poor kid! Ichigo thought trying to shake off the sad feeling he held for her. He held her to his chest and headed back toward the palace.
"You is certain no one hurt me?"
"I'll kill them if they do," Ichigo ensured. "No one will strike a baby under my watch."
She beamed. "I is more than a baby Itsygo!"
"Sure you are," Ichigo said mockingly agreeing with her, though she didn't know it.
The white of the halls met their eyes and Nel gasped as she peered around in awe. "I never been in here before, Itsygo, it's big!"
"No kidding," Ichigo said taking a set of staircases toward the right. He was heading for the short-cut that he always took with Aizen when that bespectacled idiot with pink hair saw them and his eyes went undeniably wide.
Nel clung tighter to Ichigo on instinct but the orange haired Hybrid didn't spare him a glance.
"Uh – Ichigo," Szayel voiced causing Ichigo to roll his eyes.
"Yah?" he asked looking over his shoulder.
"Wh- who do you have here?" he asked staring at Nel who shuddered.
"No one you need to worry about – er – what's your name?"
"Tch! It's Szayel Aporro Granz, head Scientist of Las Noches," he said cockily.
"Ah, right." He turned to leave when Szayel stopped him.
"I don't think Aizen-sama would enjoy having a stray in the palace."
"Don't you worry about that, I'll deal with it," Ichigo said continuing on down the hall.
"You'll be in trouble!"
"Yah right," Ichigo snorted, "mind your own business pinkie."
Nel started giggling and a flush spread across the Arrancar's face. "It's Szayel!" he called out in a strangled voice.
Nel poked her head up over Ichigo's shoulder and stuck out her tongue at the four eyed Espada causing Ichigo to snort. He could imagine the look on pinkies face. He stepped into the short-cut away from all Arrancar and Espada.
He stopped at Aizen's office and tapped upon it.
"It's always open for you Ichigo," Aizen called from behind as Nel gasped and buried her face into his shoulder.
"Aizen-sama," she whimpered.
Ichigo pushed open the door to see Aizen alone with a stack of paperwork. "Wow, you look like you're having a ball."
"Doesn't it?" Aizen asked gazing up. He didn't look surprised by the little baby in his arms. "I knew she would turn up."
Ichigo frowned. "What?" he asked looking down at Nel. "Who is she? I found her all alone under a tree! I couldn't just leave her!"
"Neliel," he said getting the little girl's attention. "I'll send a Fraccion team out for her subordinates, I'm sure they can clear what we don't know up."
"Yah well, in the mean time she stays with me," he said sharply. "I don't trust that pinkie guy."
"No, considering I believe he is one of the two who did this to her," Aizen said calmly.
Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "She was your Espada?"
"Three."
That's where Ichigo remembered her name from. Nel was whimpering. "I not an Espada, Itsygo, I is just Nel."
"I'm taking her to my room."
"That's fine, I'll send Maia in to check her over."
Ichigo nodded. "Thanks and I hope you do something about those responsible for this! Once an adult or not you don't leave a baby unattended," he snapped but it wasn't directed Aizen. He huffed and gave the man an apologetic look. He was just so frustrated, a child in the desert on her own! He was disturbed from it, especially after what 'could' have happened to his sisters.
Aizen merely smiled, finding it quite indulgent that Ichigo was so infuriated. His light skinned cheeks dusting a rosy red and his eyes narrowing spectacularly. He looked remarkable holding the little-older-than-a-toddler Espada. "Don't worry Ichigo, I'll handle it."
"Thanks Sousuke," Ichigo said earnestly.
Whenever he was happy about something, Aizen would hear his given name on Ichigo's sweet lips and it made the smallest of gestures so worth it.
He watched Ichigo leave the room, his mind having been taken captive by an orange haired Espada who really was so very different than anything he had ever known.
