Author's note: I decided to upload 2 chapters today, because that way I'll finish posting the hole story by Friday, with Chapter 15 being the final part...

More fighting... this was the hardest part for me to write, and I don't know if I'm really ok with how it turned out. Your welcome to imagine it more epic than I was able to make it :-)

Chapter 12

VHISITORS

'Cling!'

Ichigo was sleeping soundly in his bed. The sound didn't wake him properly, he just turned to his other side.

'Cling, cling!'

The sound was louder now and kind of inpatient. Ichigo sat up.

'Damn it Kon! Just what are you doing? Can't you see I'm injured, and need my sleep?'

But the lion plushy was nowhere to be seen.

'Cling, cling cling cling!'

It came from the window. Ichigo looked out, and recognized the pineapple-hairstyle of Renji Abarai despite the darkness. The moment it was open, the 6th division lieutenant pushed himself through the frame.

'Oh hello there Kurosaki... Rukia! Rukia, come on out! We need to talk, now! Don't tell me you're hiding inside that ridiculous closet again!'

'What's the big idea idiot!' Ichigo hissed. 'You'll wake the whole house! For you're information it's the middle of the night! You can't just burst in here like this!'

He seamed not to hear him.

'Rukia!'

Ichigo punched him.

'She's not here, moron! If you would have tried feeling her spiritual pressure, you'd know that! She's at Orihime's!'

'Oh...'

The two man looked at each other with nonplussed expressions.

'Well... 'said Renji finally, looking at the floor. 'It just never occurred to me that she could be anywhere else... ' He cleared his throat with a cough. 'Well, anyway... what happened to you?' He pointed at his bandages.

With a sigh, Ichigo started telling him about everything that happened recently. He was just able to give a brief account of Black-Quincies, and Kamo, before the shrieking of his substitute badge interrupted him.

'Do you think it's him again? Asked Renji. 'Now I'm definitely glad I decided to come...'

Ichigo changed into reaper-form.

'Let's go find out!'

Meanwhile at Orihime's Rukia also felt the spiritual disturbance and was ready to leave through the window.

'Kuchiki-chan... please... '

Rukia turned back, and saw Orihime looking at her still with pleading in her eyes.

'No way, Orihime! It's too dangerous! Just stay here! Everything will be fine!'

'Yes, yes!' An other round eyed Rukia appeared at Orihime's back. It was Chappy, the substitute soul inside her gigai. She grabbed Orihime's wrist and started pulling her towards the kitchen. 'Fine fine! Just come already, I want to taste some more of that ice cream of yours! Don't worry, Rukia-sama, she's definitely staying!'

Rukia felt really bad for her friend. She would have sneaked out without her knowing, but lately she hasn't been sleeping too well, and she spotted her, so she didn't have any choice. She jumped out and left at top speed.

Orihime looked sadly after her. She knew she was useless now in battle. She knew she would probably get in the way, because of the lack of her defensive power, and she could no longer heal the wounded... But even knowing all this she wanted to be close to her friends... just to know they were all right... It took her only a few moments to make up her mind.

Chappy was strong physically, but she knew from there previous encounters how to deal with her...

'Um... Chappy-chan? ' she asked as innocently as she could. 'Do you want to watch Hello Kitty on TV again, while eating ice cream?'

'Yeaaay!'

Ichigo and Renji arrived to the source of the spiritual disturbance. It was coming from a clearing in the middle of a little forest. They could see several hollows, and Uryu stood surrounded by them, fighting hard. Opposite him, under the shadow of a huge tree two black figures stood. One of them had a bow out, just like him.

'That's Kamo all right...' Ichigo said to Renji. 'And a new woman.'

'Just how many of them are there?' Asked Renji.

As they wanted to get closer Ichigo suddenly felt a cold sensation wash through all his body, as though walking through some unseen waterfall... He could even see some faint blue light. It must be some kind of force field. But he was able to get through it without difficulty. He pulled out Zangetsu and started cutting hollows in a random way, until he got to Uryu.

'Yo!' He greeted the Quincy. 'I think you can use some help here...'

Uryu's hand was bleeding slightly, but otherwise he was ok. Renji also arrived, having defeated a few hollows on the way.

'Hi, Ishida! What was that just now? There is some power over there, but I don't recognize what it is...'

'It's a new technique I just learned.' Uryu answered him. 'It's a Quincy shield, that prevents Hirenkyaku... I figured it will be easier to fight him, if he doesn't have a chance of running away at any moment. Though I don't know if it works on your flash-step as well, so be careful!'

'Good thinking! Who's the woman?' Ichigo asked.

'I think she must be his mentor... she didn't do much so far...'

At that moment, the woman in question stepped forward.

'Soul reapers!' she addressed them. 'May I know which one of you is responsible for my sister's death?'

'That would be me! I'm Ichigo Ku..'

But before he could introduce himself properly, the woman conjured up her bow in the blink of an eye, and shoot an arrow at him. But of course he was not somebody who could be taken on like that. He was even faster than her, and deflected the attack with his sword.

'Hm! You're not an average soul reaper, boy! I can see that much...'

'And your a pain in the ass, I can see that much! Honestly! Attacking like this! Your just as a bad piece of work as that bastard standing beside you! Don't you have any principles at all?'

The woman made no answer, just continued looking at him with those expressionless eyes of hers. When she finally spoke, it was his son whom she addressed.

'You see now Souta... just as I always told you! These arrogant soul reapers! They want all the power in this world for themselves! They think they're superior to us... just because they have the numbers! And that one over there even has the nerve to lecture me on the principles of battle! When it was the soul reapers, who killed almost all Quincies without mercy!'

Meanwhile Ichigo, Renji and Uryu started fighting the hollows. Kamo watched them with narrowed eyes. He could see that they were good. And that red haired soul reaper wasn't even there the last time... His fool of a mother! She's at it again! Her crazy vendetta against soul society... Ever since he could remember this was all he ever got from her! And now she's gonna get them killed, like she did with Akihisa! Why couldn't she just let him be! He did fine on his own... they would never have find him, if it weren't for her! It was not like he was afraid, but he certainly didn't like being trapped here...

'Come my son, we will show them now the real power of Quincies!'

Reluctantly Kamo followed her lead. The two black Quincies separated. Now they were standing many steps afar, and raised there gloved hands in each others direction. Suddenly a blue light connected them, and Kamo shouted something. The air around them seamed to tremble. A huge black hole appeared in the sky... and the unmistakable form of a Menos Grande peered through it...

Ichigo and Uryu stared up at it blinking rapidly. Renji stopped in the middle of his battle with the ordinary hollows, and also watched the grate black body pushing itself out of the hole.

'Well... ' said Ichigo finally. '… you can say this is bringing back some memories...!'

Right on clue, Rukia and Chad also reached the clearing.

'Rukia!' Renji shouted.

'Renji? What are you doing here?'

'Can't you see I'm fighting?'

'I mean here here! In the World of the Living!'

'Ah... Kuchiki-san!' Chad interrupted. 'I don't think this is the best time for discussions...' He pointed up at the sky, where the first Menos Grande was shortly followed by an other one, and by many smaller hollows.

And with that, the real battle began.