Well, it's been too long since an update and I really have no excuse other than I lost my muse. However it has returned much to my joy and hopefully yours as well.
There is a really deep explanation in this chapter so if anyone has questions don't hesitate to ask.
As planned from the previous chapter we will be exploring more into the plot and Grimmjow, Ichigo, and Starrk.
~Reappear~
Rukia was in turmoil as she always was when it came to Ichigo. She had created a tight friendship with him over the few years she knew him. She had never truly met someone like Ichigo before. He had become a valuable ally to the Seretei even though Capitan Yamamoto was still not accepting of him. She was currently in her room of the Kuchiki compound. She had seen her brother and friend Renji after the meeting and after being talked to by Matsumoto her head cooled a bit. She should have known that Aizen was behind the imposters in the video. However she still worried about Ichigo's wellbeing as many others did. But their stingy capitan didn't want to risk anyone even though Ichigo had risked his life for them on numerous occasions, so much so that it was almost ridiculous. However it made her decision that much easier to take the situation into her own hands.
(-0oOo0-)
Ichigo was strangely happy but annoyed. Grimmjow was amused and Starrk just yawned. His experience the day before was nothing short of embarrassing but he also had to admit that he kind of enjoyed it. However he would never tell Grimmjow of the espada's ego would explode from being too full. When he woke up Starrk gave him a relaxing normal bath. It was nice for a change.
Currently no one was talking however Starrk was sprawled across Ichigo's legs making it impossible for him to really move anywhere. Grimmjow was content, a feeling he didn't usually get unless he had just beaten or had a battle with a strong opponent; though Ichigo, in his book, did rank moderately well on his strong list, if the boys' punch said anything in the matter. Unluckily for Grimmjow, Ichigo had awoken before he had and Ichigo punched him clear off the bed and smiled at him in satisfaction.
Any real anger Ichigo had had been let out in his punch. Grimmjow still felt a little sore from the impact earlier but he thought it was worth it. After Starrk and Ichigo came back from the bath he had already gotten breakfast for the three of them. It wasn't long after that Ichigo was in the position of being a living pillow for Starrk, not that Starrk cared about Ichigo's position.
"Ya still need to take your pain killers."
"Hmph. I don't think I need them anymore, not after what Shiro did." Ichigo rolled his eyes at the thought of his hollow actually being helpful. Grimmjow arched his brow for a moment before snorting quietly
"Overprotective prick." Ichigo eyed the bluenette from his nest of sheets.
"I wish, however he only wants my body, I think." Ichigo furrowed his brows in thought thinking back on his encounter with the hollow and slightly blushing.
"You belong to us first." Ichigo snapped his head up but before he could retort Grimmjow left cackling. Ichigo stared at the door feeling a strange sense of anger well up in him that he wasn't familiar with.
(-0oOo0-)
Harribel hadn't had the easiest of time checking up on what Aizen was planning. In all honestly she didn't truly trust the man. She could tell that even Tousen and Gin didn't trust him even though they hid it quite well. Something however didn't sit right with her. It was obvious that Aizen was using Ichigo as bait to expose the other shinigami. But that also didn't excuse the fact that he didn't plan on killing him either. She had seen Aizen kill plenty of his original prisoners of interest. They didn't last very long. Aizen always kept her on her watch, which she didn't enjoy. To be quite honest she had wanted to have Ichigo join her but she also wanted to watch over him to see what Aizen's plans were hopefully. He hadn't mentioned anything about the Hyougyoku in a long while. She couldn't help but feel that Ichigo's life would soon be hanging on a thread seeing how through Aizen was when it came to breaking down his opponents before he killed them, which he always said was because it was the greatest mercy he could grant. Still Harribel didn't like Aizen's methods even if she did follow him in spite of it.
She would keep her eyes and ears open for anything Aizen did while watching Ichigo. She knew that eventually something horrible would happen. She only hoped that maybe she could bide the troubles when they came, especially for Ichigo's sake.
(-0oOo0-)
Rukia already spoke to Capitan Yamamoto again that day to see if anything had been found yet, but of course their intelligence squad still had found nothing useful as always. It wasn't necessarily like her to snap but she was angry at him and her fury showed through when she questioned him about the situation. If Yamamoto didn't know now he was awfully dense to assume that his people would obey his command to not go to Las Noches. It was always the same it seemed to Rukia that he made more excuses than discoveries. Not that Capitan Yamamoto was a bad leader but he could be too cautious at times. Everyone knew that going to Las Noches was a trap but they were just prolonging going into it, and it wasn't helping anyone at the moment just sitting idle waiting for something to happen. Rukia knew that Yamamoto was cautious due to Aizen having the Hyougyoku but they would have to eventually face Aizen in the future at some point, however the instance had come sooner rather than later like he wanted.
Rukia sighed as she sent a sealed letter to Capitan Ukitake on the matter to see if his thoughts were the same as hers. She would need support from many of the Capitan's if she even wanted to go to Las Noches and bring people with her against their leaders wishes but action had to be taken. She knew that Zaraki would be on board due to his competitive nature with Ichigo. There were a few others she knew would agree with her but the real issue was Urahara and Yoruichi, she knew that the shop owner probably didn't necessarily want to get involved because of his past issues with them but she would plead with him anyways. Yoruichi was another matter entirely if she got her to agree which would probably be contingent upon Urahara, Rukia would be able to get Soi Fon the most strict follower of Yamamoto to probably come because of her infatuation with Yoruichi. However her hardest obstacle would be Ichigo's father.
It would be hard but Rukia hoped that they didn't have to wait much longer to help Ichigo.
(-0oOo0-)
Aizen wasn't the least bit worried, as he always was. Everything so far had gone smoothly. Ichigo had begun the transition to become the perfect host for the true Hyougyoku. The one he had wasn't completely perfect but Ichigo had all the criteria to perfecting the Hyougyoku and becoming the perfect weapon for him. The boys' hollow would have to be disciplined so that he would bend to his will but that wouldn't be too difficult as he would have Ichigo's life as a bartering chip. Even if Ichigo was too dense to notice it, his hollow had created a physical and emotional bond with the other. Aizen didn't understand how a monster of so much power would bend to a being like Ichigo but hopefully he would find out soon, as he hated being in the dark. He had many ideas but assumptions were always deadly in his book and never were the basis for action. It could be true that Shiro was simply another Ichigo that would have permanently existed if the boys' soul had been consumed. Which meant that Shiro couldn't be completely hollow either as it was obvious that he was physically bound to Ichigo if he wanted to survive. Therefore Ichigo actually existed in two different bodies at the same time but also had a split consciousness. Ichigo truly interested Aizen. Ichigo was an enigma; no one like him would ever exist again in the history of Soul Society. And Aizen was sure to use Ichigo to the best of his ability to get all that he wanted; he just hoped he wouldn't have to break Ichigo too badly.
(-0oOo0-)
Ichigo had rolled Starrk off of him and got out of bed. His skin looked good as new as did his leg thanks to Shiro, but he wouldn't tell the hollow that he was grateful. He had gotten up actually because he was restless, he was on edge and he didn't know if it was his own emotions or Shiro's. Honestly he knew nothing about his hollow, but he had a feeling he would be finding out a lot soon even if he didn't want to.
Ichigo turned back towards the bed walking over to the glass of water on the stand and drinking it down quickly. He looked towards Starrk who was awake but just had his eyes closed. He knew because Starrk had patted the area next to him on the bed silently asking for Ichigo to return to bed.
He sat on the bed where he was pulled by Starrk and became a human pillow for the other again.
Sadly the edge still wasn't gone.
Well there is another chapter. I think I will get back to a regular updating schedule again as my muse has returned. Thank you to those who have patiently waited.
Please review
Tata~
:3