Chapter 7
-Third Person-
"So, Nnoitora, you're sure you saw Halibel let them go free, without fighting?" Aizen said, his voice calm, the cool, uncaring sound masking his emotions.
"Yes." Nnoitora said.
"And Nelliel..." Aizen continued, fingering the Apple of Eden that was suspended in midair above the right-hand armrest of his chair. "You saw her heading to the Assassins to feed them information?"
"I did indeed see this, Lord Aizen."
"I see... this will have to be dealt with at once." Aizen said, standing up and walking past Nnoitora without so much as a glance in his direction.
"Tell me, where is Nelliel?" Aizen said as he neared the door leading out of his private chamber.
"She is out searching for the two Shinigami we captured."
"Send her to me when she returns, then." Aizen said, leaving his chamber to deal with Halibel. Although Nnoitora was facing away from Aizen, he was well aware of the sinister grin that spread across Nnoitora's face as he said that. He would have to deal with Nnoitora later. Such disloyalty due to ambition could be dangerous if it continued.
"They what?" Ichigo said, shocked by what the Arrancar was telling him. Nelliel Tu Odelschwank, an Espada, one of the strongest Arrancars serving Aizen, had risked so much to relay information to their enemies... it confused him to no end.
"Escaped." The green-haired woman said. Her voice was soft, as if she were afraid of being overheard. By who, Ichigo was not sure, but clearly Nelliel was wary of something. "To Masayaf."
"Masayaf?" Ezio said, reminding the squad of Shinigami, as well as Nelliel, Urahara, and Yoruichi that he was still there in the corner. "Why there?"
"An Assassin by the name of Altair rescued them from Tia Halibel, who Aizen had sent to pursue them." Nelliel explained.
"Altair died many years ago." Ezio said.
"Actually... that's not entirely true." Said the woman who stood beside Ezio. Thanks to the training of Kisuke Urahara, Ezio had managed to learn to wield a zanpakuto, and communicate with its spirit, in only a week. The spirit of his new weapon, Cacciatore, was the woman who had spoken. Her outfit was very similar in design to Ezio's, but different in color. The hood was the standard white of normal Assassins, but only the hood had that color. Mainly, her robes were a dark brown, with a feather-like pattern. She had two capes, one over each shoulder, that resembled the wings of an eagle. Her hood was down, showing her face, which, unlike Ezio's, was that of a younger person. Her hair was brown, silky smooth and flowing in the slightest breeze. Her golden eyes missed nothing, and seemed to pierce into someone's soul itself.
"What do you mean?" Ichigo said, confused.
"Well, naturally Altair didn't go to the Underworld." Urahara said. "He did work alongside Shinigami, and carry out their duties in Masayaf and the surrounding areas."
"So... what happened to him when he died?" Ichigo said.
"That... isn't an easy question to answer." Cacciatore said. "What he is now is something between an Arrancar and a Shinigami. He isn't quite a Hollow, as he doesn't have the hole in his chest or anything of a mask. However, he isn't a Shinigami either, and has no spiritual pressure at all. He can disappear if he so chooses, and without a spiritual pressure, almost seems to not exist at all. However, he can't physically make contact with anything."
"How do you know all of this?" Ezio asked his zanpakuto.
"I have seen many things, Ezio. He is one of them." She explained. "Long before you knew me, I knew you, and I knew him inside of you. He is a part of you. More than you know, in fact. The Hidden Blade you use... have you ever wondered why a mortal's weapon is capable of felling a Hollow? It is because it is, in itself, a kind of zanpakuto."
"Yet it has no spirit attached to it?" Hitsugaya asked.
"That's a difficult question to answer." Urahara said. "It does, but that is the wielder's soul. Assuming they are an Assassin, Shinigami, or the likes, of course."
"That doesn't explain anything about Altair." Renji spoke up, shaking his head.
"His soul is in the Hidden Blade because he made it into that kind of weapon." Cacciatore said. "Obviously, his soul is also attached to something in Masayaf, so naturally he can travel between where the Hidden Blade is and Masayaf."
"So where the hell is Rukia?" Ichigo said, annoyed at how off-topic they had gotten.
"And Rangiku." Hitsugaya said.
"I do not know exactly where, but I wanted to offer my help searching for them." Nelliel said. "I don't like working for Aizen. He wants nothing but destruction... it disturbs me. I don't like the violence that follows him. If I am to fight, then I want to fight for peace, not war."
"Well said, but why should we trust you?" Ezio said.
"Perhaps you should test out your new ability, Ezio." Urahara offered. "See her true intentions."
"Of course." Ezio said, before making Cacciatore return to her blade. "Hunt, Cacciatore." As he spoke, his vision began to darken, with the Shinigami, as well as Nelliel, becoming mere blue outlines of themselves, glowing brightly. They were not hostile, and neither was Nelliel. The Shinigami, too, could see her glowing blue, and knew that it meant they had gained a new ally.
"So, what's the plan of action?" Renji asked.
"I'm going with Nelliel to find the girls." Hitsugaya said. "The rest of you should stay back. We can't just stop carrying out orders because of this."
"Wait!" Ichigo said. "I'm coming with you. I have to save Rukia."
"I'll go too." Yoruichi offered. "It's risky, you know. We're all being hunted by the Espada at this point, including the girls and Nel. The four of us should be able to handle them, though, since we won't be dealing with too many. They have a mission too, after all."
"That settles it, then." Hitsugaya said. "We will depart tomorrow."
