Disclaimer: It's my Unbirthday today! I didn't get any presents though...::sigh:: I was hoping for Bleach, but no such luck.
Author's Note:As I've said before, all comments and contructive criticism are most welcome and very much desired! A lot of people are clicking in to the story, and I'm delighted about that. But I'd very much like to hear what you think, and what you like and dislike so far! That will help me to edit and improve future chapters. Anyway, to show my appreciation for reviewers, I make sure to respond to every signed review I receive. And to the people who reviewed over the last couple days: Thank you again!! I appreciated your comments immensely!

Rukia tapped her fingers impatiently against the boulder she was sitting against, watching the restless activities of the rest of the Substitute Team. Earlier, Chad had arrived at the damaged street just as they had been lifting the unconscious Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou out of the rubble. When Inoue's healing had erased the sole visible injury and the shinigami still hadn't woken, he had volunteered to carry her to the Urahara Shoten, to see if the ex-captain could find out what was wrong. The others had followed a little over an hour later, having searched the wreckage from top to bottom several times. They had found nothing else, not a single clue as to what had happened to Tatsuki.

When they arrived at the Shoten, Urahara had been closeted in his lab, running various tests on Nemu, and Tessai had refused to allow them to disturb him. The only information they had been given was that the store owner had found a strange substance in her blood, and was trying to determine its purpose and effects. Ichigo had surged out of the basement to greet them, followed by a harried Yoruichi, who had been trying to keep the teen from charging over to the attack site.

"Your impatience and temper would only get in the way, now that there are no enemies to fight," she had told him. He had only given in when she threatened to tie him down, and had actually pulled out a coil of rope.

When the returning searchers reluctantly informed them that no further trace had been found of the missing girl, Yoruichi had quietly reminded them of the possibility that she had been killed and devoured by the hollow. Ichigo had spun around, red with anger, but had no chance to yell anything, as a flash of bright light arrowed through the air toward the former shinigami. Yoruichi had been forced to use shunpo to dodge, and everyone had stared in disbelief as Inoue recalled Tsubaki, glared fiercely at the older woman, and stalked off to the basement. There she had stayed ever since, storming angrily around the perimeter of the underground training area.

The others had followed her down soon after. Ichigo had abruptly challenged Ishida to a duel, his bankai against the Quincy's arrows. When the glasses-wearing boy had irritably questioned whether this was the proper time, Ichigo had informed him that they both needed to get some energy out or they would go insane, and what better way to do it then pummeling each other. Ishida had agreed grudgingly, and eventually Chad had joined in too, making it a 3-way free-for-all. Rukia could tell that all three boys were glad of the distraction, and they seemed a lot less on edge now.

Inoue, on the other hand, was still pacing, no amount of activity enough to even take the edge off her worry. In fact, as Rukia watched, she realized that the girl's usually cheerful face seemed to be growing even more pinched with worry and anger with every step she took. The young shinigami hesitated for a brief moment, then stood, intending to go over to speak with the other girl. She had only taken a single step, though, when from the trapdoor far above there was a call from Yoruichi, summoning them upstairs. Kurotsuchi Nemu was awake.

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"Your friend has been taken by Mayuri-sama," Nemu said steadily, her eyes moving from person to person and meeting their gaze. "He requires the use of her body."

There was instant pandemonium in the room as Ichigo, Inoue, and Ishida all surged to their feet and started yelling. Everyone else stared, as they'd never seen Inoue or Ishida lose their tempers to this extent. But given that both Arisawa Tatsuki and Kurotsuchi Mayuri were involved, perhaps it shouldn't have been quite so surprising. Nemu sat without moving as the three 18-year-olds shouted, seemingly unaffected by their wrath.

Rukia, too, was trying to ignore them. More details were needed, obviously, but there were many things wrong about even this brief explanation. Trying to stay patient, she waited for her friends to calm down. Several minutes later, when the noise showed no sign of abating, she lost that patience.

"Will you be quiet, you fools!?" The others finally fell silent as Rukia's bellow shook the walls with its volume. She continued in a slightly quieter tone, "That's better. What do you mean, fukutaichou? I only sensed a hollow on that street, so how could Kurotsuchi-taichou have been there?"

"Hai," Nemu replied, "there was only a hollow. Mayuri-sama is a hollow now."

Everyone stared, and Urahara pushed his hat up and out of his eyes in interest.

"He became a hollow months ago," she continued. "He was mortally wounded by a group of arrancar during the last days of the war."

"Yes," Rukia interrupted, "we are aware. But it was thought that he had died, and you with him."

"He did die," Nemu said quietly. Her voice shook slightly, but soon returned to its normal impassive tone. "As my father lay dying on the sands of Hueco Mundo, the gates of Hell opened before him. He was pulled beyond the doors, and there, in desperation, he summoned the last of his strength and used his broken zanpakuto to cause his body to liquefy. Even as the doors slammed shut, he was able to ooze out between the cracks to save himself from being trapped."

Ishida could be heard muttering irritably about how the monster deserved Hell, and how he wished he could have been there to push him right back through the gates. Otherwise, though, everyone was silent, listening in fascination to the tale.

"I stayed with Mayuri-sama, as is my duty," Nemu continued. "However, when his body reformed itself after a few days, it was not that of a shinigami any longer. Whether because of his temporary death or his exposure to Hell, he reformed into the body of a hollow. He still retains his reiatsu and his intelligence, but his shinigami powers no longer exist. His zanpakuto, however, is a part of his soul, so it could not be destroyed entirely. Instead, it was reabsorbed within him. No longer does it have a spirit form, nor does it take the shape of a sword, but it still is a part of him. A part he might prefer not to have."

Urahara blinked in surprise at this. "He doesn't want a part of his power?" he asked. "That doesn't really sound like either a hollow or Mayuri."

Nemu nodded. "It does not, though that is perhaps my own deficiencies in explaining. His power as a hollow is based upon the poison of his zanpakuto, and that he relishes. However, the reabsorbed zanpakuto itself is poisonous, and being no longer shinigami, Mayuri-sama is no longer fully immune to it. It is causing his body to break down and decompose. In time, he would die again, as his body melted away."

Rukia's eyes widened and she asked urgently, "Decomposing? Melting? Is it contagious? We've encountered several hollows that appeared to be doing exactly that."

"Hai, I expect you have," Nemu told her. "However, it is not contagious. Not in terms of a normal disease, in any case. As I said, Mayuri-sama's power is based on the same principles as his zanpakuto. His body now creates a number of different poisons and drugs. Each has a different effect individually, but when all are used in conjunction, they allow him to possess another spiritual body."

Rukia paled and her stomach churned uneasily. Images of Kaien-dono, gruesomely deformed by the hollow invading his body, had sprung to mind. She shuddered, swallowing hard, then forced herself to sit up straight again. Ichigo was watching her in concern, and she needed to reassure him she was fine.

Nemu had continued without a pause, saying, "He has been attempting to find a new body to use. Unfortunately, the decomposition of his own body follows him as he enters the bodies of other hollows. He initially believed that it is because they do not have high enough spiritual power, but when he tried possessing several much more powerful hollows, the same effect occurred. Now he believes he also needs a non-hollow body if he is to survive the poison of his former zanpakuto. He has been sending the hollows that failed him as hosts here to the living world, in the hopes of finding a suitable body."

Everyone exchanged worried glances, knowing exactly where this was going.

"Tatsuki-chan…" Inoue whispered, her voice cracking with emotion.

"When Mayuri-sama realized all of his servants were being destroyed by an unknown fighter, he decided that person would be appropriate. He spent several weeks sending his servants specifically to capture her, but all were defeated. Thus he came today himself, and succeeded."

Inoue leaped to her feet and lunged across the room, tackling Nemu to the ground. "You!" she shrieked, slamming her fist into the fukutaichou's face, raising a bruise and starting a nosebleed. "You're a shinigami, you're supposed to fight hollows, you're supposed to protect people! Why didn't you protect Tatsuki-chan!?"

Then, to everyone's surprise, Nemu looked away. When she spoke, her voice was no longer impassive, but ashamed. "I tried. But I failed."

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Tatsuki's eyes fluttered slightly, then shot open. It was pitch dark and she couldn't see a thing. She remembered the prick on her neck that had been the last thing she had felt, and could feel a crusty substance coating her neck and shoulder. Dried blood? She started to raise her hand to rub the area, only to find that she couldn't move. She tugged her right wrist and then her left, her skin pinching as something that felt like leather tightened around both and held fast. Increasingly frantic, she tried to move her legs and found them similarly restrained. Icy fear curled in her stomach as her attempts to raise her head also proved futile, forcing the cold metal encircling her neck to press down on her throat.

Numb with fear, she sank back. Her mind raced to try and think of a way to escape from her bonds, but nothing occurred to her. Finally, giving in to terror, she screamed helplessly into the dark.

Author's Note: Um...sorry? ::hides:: At least next chapter doesn't end in a real cliffhanger...I don't think so, anyway.

So, whose side is Nemu on and what's going to happen Tatsuki? More info next chapter as Tatsuki gets her composure back and meets Mayuri, and Nemu returns to Soul Society! Chapter 11 will be coming to a website near you on Monday 4!