Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 20: Shooting Stars
In the icy cityscape, Sereitei, Soul Society
The rain was falling down upon the transformed landscape of the Sereitei and Orihime had used her Santen Kesshun to form a cover where everyone could sit under. But things had been silent ever since the group witnessed Uryu standing beside Yhwach and Haschwalth. Seeing that had only given them all questions and questions that remained unanswered. The one who seemed mostly broken by Uryu's true loyalties, was Ichigo.
The orange-haired man, wearing his new Shinigami-outfitsat on a rubble and faced the ground with nothing but anger. Ichigo had incredible difficulties in coming to terms with this. Why, of all the people he knew, would Uryu join the Wandenreich? He had so many questions, but he never got them answered.
"Hey Ichigo, about your friend Uryu. Did her ever tell you about his mother?" the young boy thought about the conversation he had with his father back in the Kurosaki Clinic, where he learned about the truth of his mother, Masaki Kurosaki. His talk with Isshin had revealed to him that Masaki was in fact a Quincy. He also learned about the true reason she died during that rainy day. But there was more, as Masaki was not the only one to have died that day. That also included Uryu's mother: Kanae Katagiri. "His mother was Kanae Katagiri, a Gemischt Quincy. 9 years ago, on June 17th, she lost consciousness and died 3 months later" the explanation Isshin told him continued to remind Ichigo about how both his and Uryu's mothers died. "Auswahlen. 9 years ago, Yhwach made a "selection" of Quincies. I've heard that Quincy folklore also tells about a sealed king. According to that, the sealed king of the Quincies would gain his heartbeat after 900 years, his intellect after 90 years and his power after 9 years. "To regain his power, Yhwach stole the power from all the Gemischt Quincies, whom he conserved to be impure and made it his own. Because of that night, Kanae, who was already weak, died And Masaki lost her power and the fight and died" the explanation continued to haunt Ichigo's mind, as he was trying to get a picture of why despite all this, would Uryu still be working for Yhwach.
"Why are you doing this, Uryu?" Ichigo asked inside his head, gritting his teeth while doing so. "Why the fuck are you on Yhwach's side!? That bastard murdered our mothers!" he asked once again, his feelings conflicted. The orange-haired boy faced his right hand and gripped it tightly. "His blood may flow in my veins! But I am still gonna make him pay for what he did to mother!" Ichigo added, as he was determined to fight Yhwach.
Orihime, Tessai and the others knew that it was too difficult for them to start a conversation with Ichigo, especially when he was feeling that bitter. But things were out for a surprising twist, as Chad suddenly approached Ichigo, lifted him up in the air and threw him to a nearby ruined tower, much to everyone's outrage. No one expected the tall man to be doing this kind of thing to his friends, especially Ichigo.
"WHAT THE HELL, CHAD!?" Ichigo asked in outrage after being thrown.
"What are you doing, Ichigo?" Chad asked loudly, forcing Ichigo to snap in surprise. "We're also shocked that Uryu was there! But worrying about that won't change anything!" Chad went on explaining.
"Well said!" Tessai surprisingly joined in and faced Ichigo with his serious gaze. "We are talking about Uryu Ishida here. If he has chosen to stay on their side, he must have thought deeply about it" the tall Shinigami remarked while adjusting his glasses. Ichigo was listening to what they both were saying.
"But even if that's true, it won't change what we have to do!" Chad pointed out to everyone as they listened. "We're still gonna stop whatever chaos the Wandenreich is up to! They are a threat to the Human World!" the tall man added to his explanation.
After thinking about what both Chad and Tessai had said, Ichigo eventually faced the ground in realization, knowing that both men spoke the truth. "You're right" he noted and eventually got of the ruined tower. And walked up to his friends. "I can't allow the Wandenreich to do as they please. The Human World, Hueco Mundo, they will also suffer if that bastard Yhwach makes it to the Soul King's Palace!" Ichigo said while thinking about what he had learned about the Soul King. "Now about Uryu. He's too stubborn, and we'll never be able to persuade him!" the orange-haired man remarked.
"Exactly" Chad said in agreement.
"That's why I wanna go after him and ask the reason! And if that doesn't satisfy me, I'll kick his ass and take him back!" Ichigo made a declaration and began his move.
Both Chad and Tessai smile when seeing how determined he sounded. "And what if his reasoning makes sense?" Tessai suddenly asked Ichigo, who was still on the move.
"Simple! I'll kick his ass and take him back all the same!" Ichigo responded. But there was something else drifting inside Ichigo's head, as he thought about his four-eyed friend, something he did not wish to share with the others. The orange-haired man gritted his teeth in anger while thinking about this. "Uryu, I don't care whatever your agenda is. But whatever you do, stay the hell out of the fight between me and Yhwach! He and I have some unfinished business!" Ichigo thought, really hoping that Uryu would not interfere in his own agenda.
"That sounds reasonable" Chad noted when he heard what Ichigo had said in response to Tessai's question.
"Indeed, it does!" Orihime said, smiling by seeing how Ichigo's spirits had been lifted.
But Jinta was dumbfounded by seeing this. "What the hell did I just see now?" the red-haired teenager wondered in his head while seeing how quickly Ichigo was one person here and one person there. However, he grinned. "Heh, he's still the same carrot top. I like him" Jinta said.
"Whoa, it looks like I was a bit late" a familiar voice could be heard and it was Urahara, standing on the rubbles with an umbrella. He gazed upon the area before fixing his cunning smile on Ichigo and the rest. "Anyways, glad to see you all again, especially you, Ichigo" he said to him.
"Urahara" Ichigo said in surprise, as Tessai, Jinta and Ururu approached their leader and reunited with him. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he was joined by Orihime and Chad.
The blonde-haired man fixed his cunning glance on Ichigo. "What I'm doing here? That's a good question" he remarked in a humorous manner before fixing a more serious glance. "Anyways, shall I get you a ticket to the Royal Realm? It might take some time though" Urahara suddenly asked, making sure that Ichigo wanted this.
"Please do" Ichigo immediately responded. "I cannot waste more time here" he said before facing the ground. "Yhwach is more cunning than I thought. How could I have allowed myself to be fooled again!?" he admitted to those around him.
"I know. But there's no need to despair just yet. He still has to contend with the Royal Guard, and they will make sure that no one gets passage to the Soul King's Palace so easily" Urahara encouraged him. "Now then, shall we head to the Department of Research and Development? It is there where the "ticket" lies" he then told him, making Ichigo nod his head in return.
The wind that had appeared throughout the Sereitei had sent the Shinigamis to various locations and Renji and Rukia found themselves covered by boulders. But with the help of Hihiou, Renji managed to pull those things away.
"You okay, Rukia?" Renji asked while moving away the boulder.
"Yes, I am" Rukia replied.
"That shockwave was huge. We all got separated. I don't sense Captain Kuchiki's Spiritual Pressure nearby anymore" the red-haired lieutenant said and began eyeing Rukia. "And by the way, did you notice the Spiritual Pressure?" he asked her.
Rukia nodded her head. "Yes…it looks like it wasn't my impression" she replied before thinking about the one whose Spirtual Pressure belonged to. "Why…Uryu?" she asked lowly, wanting to know why he was with the Wandenreich all of a sudden.
As the two lieutenants got out of the boulders, a voice interrupted them. "What's this? You two used to be friends with Uryu Ishida? Now I see!" it came from the Sternritter: Bazz-B, who floated in the air. "Aren't you guys angry that your friend changed sides? Well, we're angry at him too. If you wanna kill him, I'll be more than happy to help you!" he exclaimed, his voice having no deception inside.
"What did you just say?" Rukia asked while gazing up at him.
But Bazz-B was in for a surprise, as Renji attacked him using Hihiou, but the Sternritter avoided it and faced the red-haired Shinigami, who only glanced at him dispassionately. "Quit bullshitting us, you chicken head! Like you say, we're angry at Uryu for siding with the enemy without saying anything. But we don't need your help to beat him up" Renji explained, while Rukia only glanced at his behavior.
"Tell me something, are you angry now?" Rukia quizzed her fellow lieutenant.
But something was happening with Bazz-B. "Chicken head?" he said lowly while scratching his chin. "Are you fucking referring to…MY STYLISH MOHAWK!?" the Quincy angrily asked out loud, the veins inside his head showing themselves.
Renji found amusement in this. "Yeah. Are you pissed off, chicken? You get up early to lay eggs, isn't that nice?" he kept insulting Bazz-B, who was still fuming with anger.
"So, you're that kind of type too, huh!? I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Bazz-B declared and pointed his hand towards Renji. "You have cool eyebrows, so I thought you had some fashion sense! But I guess I was wrong!" he explained, much to Renji's shock and realization, who couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You…you think my eyebrows are cool?" he asked in disbelief, not expecting to be complimented by the enemy.
Rukia only sighed in annoyance by seeing this. "I hope you're happy" she said.
"Wait! You have a nice personality and…" Renji was interrupted by Bazz-B once again.
"TOO LATE, ASSWIPE!" he yelled back and suddenly readied a new kind of attack. "BURNER FINGER 4!" he yelled while firing a blade composed of fire.
It caused a loud explosion and it was shock the entire cityscape. But as the smoke cleared, Bazz-B was stunned to see that Rukia had managed to user her Zanpakutou to form a pillar of ice. She and Rukia were hiding behind it, but the pillar melted quickly. However, the two lieutenants had taken some damage from Bazz-B's attack, as it was indeed destructive.
"Dayum! You've really fucked this place up!" a familiar voice came to Bazz-B, as the Sternritter: NaNaNa Najakhoop stood there with his hands in his pockets. "Ain't wise to blow off the entire hood to pieces, Bazz-B. Just sayin" NaNaNa added with an advice directed at his fellow Sternritter.
But the punkish Sternritter only scoffed and flipped his middle finger at him. "Piss off, NaNaNa! I've no time to bet lectured by you!" he told him.
When Renji got a look of what he was seeing, his jaw almost dropped on the boulders. "Oh no! Not you again!" he angrily exclaimed at the sight of NaNaNa. "Will you stop stalking me!?" he added, much to Rukia's confusion.
"What are you talking about?" she wondered lowly, not getting why Renji resented NaNaNa that much.
NaNaNa was only poking one of his ears while listening to this. "Bruh. You sayin that I'm stalking you and shit? Hell naw! I just happened to be here after that shockwave and when I woke up, I saw this bigass fire and here I am" the Sternritter explained the whole story.
Bazz-B was finding NaNaNa to be tiresome and simply faced both Renji and Rukia. "Please kill him. Seriously, he won't be missed" the Sternritter with the Mohawk basically said while pointing his thumb at the scrawny Quincy.
"Now there's something we can agree on" Renji noted with a smirk before brandishing his Zanpakutou. "Anyways, I don't give a rat's ass about what you Sternritters think about each other. You bastards murdered hundreds of us in the previous invasion, including those of Squad 6. And as it's lieutenant, I don't intend to let those member's sacrifices go in vain! I'll stop you!" he declared.
NaNaNa only glanced at him with little enthusiasm, which was based upon his frown. "You still on to that, dawg?" he said before readying his fighting stance. "Fine by me! Let's see if that homie beside you is more interesting than you. I bet he has a cooler Zanpakutou" he said to them both.
Rukia only snapped in outrage over hearing what the Quincy just said, while Renji only dropped a sweat. The Lieutenant of Squad 13 felt very insulted by that statement and she pointed her Zanpakutou at him. "Why do you call me a homie? I'm a woman!" she angrily exclaimed.
Hearing this caused NaNaNa to snap in surprise. "Woah…you're a woman?" he asked stunned. Eventually, NaNaNa fell onto the ground, laughing his ass off, much to Bazz-B's utter confusion. Renji and Rukia were also surprised by seeing this. Why was he laughing? "You a woman!? Shit! I mean, you ain't got jugs, girl!" he exclaimed while continuing laughing.
"Seriously! You never realized back there that she was a girl?" Bazz-B wondered in his head. "I knew that the moment I took my eyes on her, let alone heard her voice" he added, still not getting what his fellow Sternritter's deal was.
Renji was about to calm down Rukia, but stopped as he could see how she was fuming with anger over hearing NaNaNa's rude remarks about her appearance and body type. "I AM A WOMAN! DO YOU WANNA SEE MY BOOBS!?" she angrily yelled at him, much to Renji's utter disbelief.
"Rukia…...chill out" he said lowly, but realized that she was not listening.
NaNaNa got up, trying to catch his breath. "Naw, girl. That ain't jugs! And you ain't no woman" he simply told her while fixing his black and white grin. "A REAL woman's gotta have it all! Jugs that bounce, a booty that shakes, lips that sucks the rod and hips that don't lie! That's a REAL woman!" he then explained his own definition of what a woman looked like.
Renji was flatly dumbfounded. "What the hell? This guy's even worse than Kon, no kidding!" he thought while hearing all this talk. "If that guy was near either Orihime or Rangiku then who knows what he would've done to them" he added to his thoughts about the women who were known to have voluptuous bodies.
"So unless you have any of those…..you're nothin' but a….." NaNaNa was interrupted by an angry voice of Rukia.
"DANCE! SODE NO SHIRAYUKI!" she angrily activated her Shikai and began dancing with her Zanpakutou. "SOME NO MAI, TSUKISHIRO!" the young woman exclaimed and the area around her began freezing, with NaNaNa being caught while Bazz-B managed to escape.
"So, that chick's an ice user too, huh?" the man with the Mohawk remarked after seeing the pillar of ice. A cocky grin formed on his face. "Hell yeah! I'm gonna enjoy this!" he exclaimed and prepared one of his attacks. "BURNING FINGER 2!" he exclaimed while swinging a ring of fire at the ice.
In the Royal Realm, high above the Sereitei, Soul Society
The Vestibule Road was destroyed with an immense Spiritual Pressure that had appeared with the arrival of Yhwach and his trusted associates in the Wandenreich. Even now, panic amongst the upper citizens was spread across the five floating cities. However, the only ones who did not show fear in their eyes, were the proud members of Squad 0, also known as the Royal Guard. They along with the military forces would rush to the frontline and prevent the invaders from reaching the Soul King's Palace, which was without a doubt their destination.
"So here we are" Yhwach uttered out words as he, Haschwalth and Uryu were making their way towards the floating pillar-like building in the air. "The Soul King's Palace, lying right before our eyes" he remarked while proceeding moving.
"I understand your feelings, Your Majesty" Haschwalth suddenly spoke up, forcing Yhwach to stop.
"What do you mean, Haschwalth?" the emperor asked his second-in-command. "Looking at a rotten gravestone does not make me feel the slightest emotion" he went on explaining.
The blonde-haired man bowed his head in shame. "Right. I am sorry" he apologized.
"Now let the attack commence. Summon the Soldat" Yhwach ordered and Haschwalth responded without hesitation.
A shadow began enveloping from Haschwalth's hand and it formed into a five-pointed star. Out from it, a band of the Wandenreich's foot-soldiers known as the Soldat emerged and landed beside their leaders. Without delay, they ran towards the stairway that lead them to the Soul King's Palace.
But something had begun attacking the Soldats and fended them off with ease and it was in the form of an ore. Someone appear and it was without a doubt, one of the members of the Royal Guard.
"Hey there! Do you know where you are?" Tenjiro Kirinji asked while flashing his unique hairstyle for them to see while having a toothpick in his mouth. "You're in the Royal Realm. And we don't allow any uninvited visitors" he told them in a serious manner before readying his fighting stance. "I'm First Officer of Squad 0: Tenjiro Kirinji, Divine General of the East" he introduced himself and faced his opponent.
Yhwach was finding him to be amusing. "And you suppose that someone like you can stop me!?" he demanded, while taunting Kirinji at the same time.
Kirinji only spun his Zanpakutou before stopping it. "I wouldn't have come out if I didn't think so!" he basically replied and before everyone knew it, water began attacking the Soldats that were stationed around Yhwach. But it was not just water, it was hot water! It began burning the Soldats intensively and they vanished one, by one. "So, what do you think? Is my water hot enough?" he began asking the invaders while the water spun around him. "This hot water is my own special creation! It can squeeze blood and Spiritual Pressure out of people! If it's too hot, tell me! Because I'm not gonna make it any cooler though!" he said while Yhwach and his associates were trapped in the water.
But Kirinji jumped in the air and he activated his own Shikai by simply removing the tip of his ore. It eventually revealed the blade and it shined brightly. "Shine! Kinpika!" the man activated his Shikai and it shined brightly.
But as Kirinji was aiming his attack at Yhwach, the emperor formed a smirk underneath his moustache. "Heh, you are nothing but predictable" he commented at what he was seeing.
Outside the Rukon District, Soul Society
While conflict raged behind the walls of the Sereitei, the surrounding districts barley paid attention to what was happening. But many of the Souls living in the area could feel the atmosphere taking place, and it made them feel unsafe. But what many had noted was the fact that none of the gatekeepers stood at their posts.
But in the forests of the Soul Society, things seemed much more peaceful than it did in the Sereitei. The local wildlife, which usually consisted of deer, boars and other types of animals, minded their business in this serene landscape. But it was also at this place where a Garganta suddenly appeared, scaring away the animals. But instead of Hollows, four Dechados and members of the newly-formed Sombre exited it, thus walking into this place surrounded by woods. They were Pieddot Picasso, Lyoness Mahlangu, Arlettine Bracquemond and Uvaanog Chelute. These four Dechados had been tasked with doing some spying in these parts of the Soul Society. And of course, they would be staying in the forests, as they did not want to attract attention from normal Souls.
"We have arrived in the Soul Society" Pieddot noted while looking up to the skies, which he could see along with the treetops. "But I smell smoke and fire in the air. It probably comes from the Sereitei" the Arrancar in burlap mask added to his explanation.
Lyoness was suddenly sniffing the grass and he licked his lips with satisfaction. "Heh, I bet the boars and deer here taste good" he remarked, wanting to go on a hunt.
"This is no time for slacking off, Lyoness" the stern voice came from Uvaanog, who crossed his arms at what he was seeing. "Remember our duties as Dechados. It is time that you start acting like one" the Arrancar with the moose-skull as his face said.
Arlettine was amused by hearing this. "A wise statement, Uvaanog" the purple-haired woman said and faced Lyoness with a smirk. "Better control the beast within you, my feral friend" she advised him.
The man with the reddish-brown mane only growled like a lion when hearing this. "Careful what you wish for, birdbrain" he told her sternly and faced Uvaanog with a similar expression. "And who the hell are you to judge me on how to behave? You are nothing but a passive fool without any…" before Lyoness could continue, he was interrupted by the voice of Pieddot.
"Silence! All of you. Remember that we must not attract unwanted attention from anybody" the imperial researcher reminded them and they all zipped their mouths as Pieddot reached for something in the chest he had brought with him. "Ah, here we have it. This will help us get a better view of this situation" the Dechado said, as he held a telescope made of bones.
"Shall we move to another location?" Arlettine asked while looking around. "This place does not look like an ideal place to set up camp" she added to her suggestion.
Pieddot nodded at her. "Of course, we shall. But remember, it is important that we all stay out of the open fields. A terrifying battle is currently taking hold in the Sereitei, and His Highness has strictly told us to not go there. We will let the Shinigamis deal with the Quincies" he said while explaining to them carefully.
The three Dechados knew better than to argue with Pieddot's intelligence, so they decided to follow him. But as they began walking in the forests, they stopped as they could feel that someone was watching them. It turns out, that it was true, as there was somebody standing beside the group of four, right now.
"Well, this is a rare sight. Arrancars in the Soul Society" the cunning female voice came from Kukaku Shiba, who simply stood there smoking her pipe. She was dressed in her white robe, while fixing her eyes on the four visitors. But she was not alone, as the young woman was having someone standing beside her. It was a young black-skinned boy, who looked awfully similar to Yoruichi, only that he was younger and had his black hair tied into a ponytail. "But then again, I don't suppose you're here to rescue Aizen, right?" Kukaku then asked them with humor in her voice.
The three newcomers narrowed their eyes and were on the verge on moving against her, although they did not show it. "Mind your tongue, woman!" Uvaanog told her sternly.
"Why are you and how did you find out about our location?" Arlettine demanded an answer.
Kukaku only shrugged her shoulders. "Easy there, visitors. I'm not with the Sereitei and never has been. My loyalties and allegiances are my own" the black-haired woman insisted to them while puffing out some smokes from her pipe. "However, being a dweller in this peaceful part of the Soul Society makes me wonder why Dechados from the Imperio de Hierro would be skulking around these woods" she then added cunningly.
The three newcomers snapped by hearing this. "How in the world does a mere Soul like you know about our titles and our empire!?" Arlettine wondered in disbelief.
All of a sudden, they could all hear Pieddot chuckle in amusement by hearing this. The man with the burlap mask turned around to get a glimpse of the two people who were standing behind them. He fixed an amused glance with his mask and took a few steps forward.
"You are quite knowledgeable for being a resident of the Rukon District. And judging from the symbol on your outfit, you are from the Shiba clan, are you not?" Pieddot asked her. "I know noticed that one of the Soul Society's "observes" was wearing similar symbols on his pants" he added to his explanation.
Kukaku whistled in amazement by hearing this. "Wow, you caught me there. I am from the Shiba clan as you say. You may call me Kukaku Shiba" the woman introduced herself and was then reminded about something. "Wait…..of course…Ganju" she thought about her younger brother who had been to El Dorado.
"How interesting. I am Paragon Pieddot Picasso, imperial researcher to His Highness" the Dechado said in return before noticing the young boy's presence, who simply snapped in surprise by being glanced like this. "That boy…..reminds me of Yoruichi Shihoin" he then remarked.
Suddenly, the young boy gasped by hearing that name being mentioned. "What? You have seen my big sister!? Tell me where she is!" he suddenly demanded from Pieddot while glancing at him seriously. He even went far as to ready his fighting stance. "I swear, if you have done something to my big sister, then I'm gonna…OUCH!" he suddenly had his head banged by Kukaku, who was only filled with dispassion over seeing this.
"For crying out loud, kid! Didn't Yoruichi ever tell you to pick your fights wisely?" Kukaku asked him in an annoying manner. But she then noticed the Dechados. "Oh, yeah. And this little boy here is the current head of the Shihoin clan: Yushiro Shihoin. Can come across as an idiot, but his talents are undeniably strong" she went on introducing the boy to the Arrancars.
For some reason, Lyoness felt himself getting interested in tasting these two strangers, and his mouth began water inside of him. "You two look interesting, based upon what I am hearing from you" he remarked while taking notice of Kukaku's voluptuous body. "Especially you, woman. I bet you taste fresh" he then told her.
Kukaku only raised an eyebrow, while Yushiro felt himself slightly uncomfortable by hearing what Lyoness just said. Nevertheless, the black-haired woman simply narrowed her eyes at him. "Listen, you overgrown kitten. Talk like that to me again, and I'm gonna make sure that you will get an ass-whooping from me personally" she sternly told him.
Both Arlettine and Uvaanog chuckled by hearing what she just said, and Lyoness felt anger boil inside of him. His eyes were focused on Kukaku alone. "This only makes me want to taste you more…AAAAAAARRRRRRGGHHHHHHH!" Lyoness was suddenly electrified by a simple poke from Pieddot's claw. This made the Arrancar fall on his stomach.
Pieddot sighed in annoyance by seeing the Dechado on the ground. "He still has some maturing to do" he noted in his thoughts before facing the two other Dechados. "Uvaanog, you may carry Lyoness for a while. He will wake up soon. Arlettine, you may carry the chest while I take the telescope" the researcher told them and they obliged without hesitation. The Arrancar in the burlap mask then nodded at Kukaku and Yushiro. "Now if you excuse us, we have some work to do in these woods. And I assure you that we have no intention of harming any Souls while we're here. That I swear as a member of the Dechados. But if you wish to help us, then you're more than welcome" Pieddot told them before departing with his fellow Dechados.
As they watched the four Arrancar wander further into the deep forests, Kukaku simply turned around to walk away. "Come Yushiro. We can rest safely now that these guys are not gonna harm us" the woman told him, but Yushiro was not convinced.
"But how do you suppose that they will keep their word?" the young boy asked her with curiosity.
Kukaku simply smiled smugly at him in return. "These Arrancars are neither interested in the affairs of the Shinigamis and the Quincies. They already have a nation to protect" she told him, but then faced forward. "While I'm definitely an enemy of the Wandenreich, I don't consider myself that much of a supporter of the 13 Court Guard Squads as well, even though I had a brother who held it in high regard" she admitted to the young boy while thinking about her brother Kaien Shiba.
Yushiro only glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, before facing forward, indicating that he had other things on his mind right now. "Well, I guess that could be said the same thing about me, even though I am the current head of one of the Four Great Noble Families. But being that was something I never expected to become" the young boy admitted to Kukaku.
"Maybe we're not so different after all" the woman noted in amusement. "Now let's head back to the mansion. We'll continue where we left off" Kukaku told him and they headed for that direction.
Inside the basement of the Department of Research and Development, Sereitei
The moment Ichigo and his friends entered the basement of the Squad 12 Barracks, they were surprised to see a cannon, which was similar to the one standing outside the Shiba-mansion. Right now, Ichigo and his friends were standing outside, eyeing it up and down. They were indeed impressed by its size.
"When did you build a cannon identical to Kukaku's in the basement of the Squad 12 Barracks?" Ichigo asked Urahra, who was working on some data.
The laidback Shinigami was more than happy to respond to his question. "This base was actually built by Captain Kurotsuchi, who predicted that something would happen, because of Squad 0's visit of the Sereitei and the Court Guard's visit of the Royal Realm. When I joined in, it was almost finished" the blonde-haired man revealed to the trio of friends.
Hearing this caused Ichigo to form a smirk in return. "Heh, well that's amazing. I thought he was just a crazy lunatic" he remarked in return.
"Nah, Kurotsuchi is a genius. But I still surpass him though" Urahara pointed out before facing the cannon. "But still, this cannon is not a complete copy. The Shiba clan's cannon is built with their secret technology. And that is not so easy to imitate and copy. In fact, this cannon breaks with only one shot" he went on explaining.
But Ichigo and his friend were dumbfounded by what they heard and the orange-haired man only lowered his head in anger and grumbled. "One shot…really?" he asked with open disappointment. He then glanced at the cannon with narrowed eyes.
"You three can just enter the cannon now, but don't move too much while you're inside. I will be careful to not make a mistake once" Urahara told them while working on his computer. But he could notice that Ichigo was still behind him waiting for something. As Orihime and Chad had entered the cannon, Ichigo faced Urahara with a somewhat neutral glance on his face. "Oh, something the matter, Ichigo?" Urahara asked while turning around.
Sighing deeply, Ichigo spoke up. "Listen, my dad told me the whole story. Including about how he met my mother" he spoke up lowly, his voice filled with emotion. Urahara widened in surprise, yet did not open his mouth to speak. He simply let Ichigo do the talking. "I know that my mother was a Quincy, but that she also was on the verge of dying because of a Hollow inside of her. So I before I go, I just wanna say thank you…...for what you did back then" the orange-haired man said, before bowing his head before Urahara.
While surprised by seeing this, Urahara soon formed a smile with his own mouth. "Oh no, Ichigo. I couldn't have done it without your dad's help. He was willing to sacrifice his position as a captain, all for the sake of saving Masaki. That is something I admire him for" the blonde-haired man explained lowly in return before putting a hand on his shoulder, as Ichigo had raised up his head. "But hey, thanks for telling me this, anyway. I know that this must be hard on you" he replied, forcing Ichigo to form a slight smile in return.
Suddenly, the sound of the lab door opened and in came Vice-President Akon. "Hey Kisuke. Your guest has arrived. She's saying that they've finished the job" the black-haired man told him.
"Splendid! Just send them right here!" Urahara said before facing Ichigo. "Just go inside the cannon and take your seat. Chad, Orihime and two others are already sitting there" he told the orange-haired man while following Akon through the door.
Hearing this made Ichigo walk towards the cannon, looking up while entering it. "Well, this piece of shit better not screw this up!" he remarked in his thoughts angrily, as he knew that it maybe was not likely that they would make it to the Royal Realm. As the Substitute Shinigami took his seat, he was surprised by seeing both Ururu and Jinta sitting there. "What the.…..you're coming with us?" he asked in a surprised manner.
Jinta was leaning against the wall while resting on his hands, while Ururu simply waved him in a friendly manner. "Of course, we are! I'm not gonna stay here and watch the boss tap on his computers all day and night!" the red-haired teenager said in return, with his kanabo at his side. He then fixed a mischievous grin while thinking about something. "If I'm gonna get closer to Yuzu, then I better get closer to her family. I'll start with carrot top. Their dad's just a dumbass while Karin's annoying" he thought about a plan for getting to know Yuzu's family better.
"Hey Ichigo" the orange-haired boy looked at Chad, who suddenly fixed a smile while holding a tint of his new clothes. "What do you think about my new clothes?" he asked him. "That new outfit of yours is definitely cool" he said while commenting Ichigo's new look.
Ichigo smiled slightly. "Why thank you. Yours are not so bad yourself" he said while returning the favor.
"What about mine?" Ururu suddenly spoke up and revealed her ballerina-like dress.
The young man simply nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Yours are…...creative, Ururu" he told her while looking at Jinta's. "It looks cooler than Jinta's" he then said.
Hearing this only made Jinta grumble with anger and he looked at another direction, pretending he was not listening to what was being said about his clothes. "Butthole" he thought in his head, knowing well that Ichigo had good hearing.
"What about my new clothes?" Ichigo snapped when hearing Orihime ask him nicely. The orange-haired man turned to look at the young woman. Orihime smiled as her face met Ichigo's, as she still had a crush on him, although Ichigo never noticed it himself. "Well, what do you think? Isn't it pretty?" she asked while giggling slightly.
Ichigo did in fact survey Orihime's new outfit and even though Yoruichi and Rangiku had attempted to tease him with their feminine charms in the past, Orihime had never done that. Therefore, he never felt sexually aroused whenever she was near him. This was someone he had known since they were kids.
"What I think, you ask?" Ichigo asked lowly, not sure about how to respond. But something hit in his head. "Well, I do think you're showing a bit too much" he replied.
Instead of feeling embarrassed, Orihime immediately fixed an offended look on her face. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" she asked him while crossing her arms.
"Nothing" Ichigo simply replied. "It's just that your outfit is showing much of your breasts and hips, almost as if you're a stripper or a prostitute" he said, much to the outrage of Orihime.
Chad and the two teenagers watched this with unease, as Orihime suddenly stood up on her feet and faced Ichigo with an offended glance. In fact, the orange haired woman swatted her hand at Ichigo's left cheek, leaving a handmark.
"OOUCH! WHAT THE HELL'S YOUR PROBLEM, ORIHIME!?" Ichigo demanded while rubbing his sore cheek.
"You're such an asshole! You ask what my problem is!? You just said that this outfit makes me look like a stripper or a prostitute! Do I really look like one to you!?" the young woman surprisingly berated Ichigo, who was stunned while hearing this. Orihime eventually sat down. "You could've at least said "it looks good on you" or something like that! But then again, it was Urahara who made it, so maybe I was just deceived!" she said, surprisingly sounding angry. Orihime then crossed her arms and didn't bother to look at Ichigo.
Chad and the teenager were only stunned to see what Orihime had just done and could see that Ichigo was responded by simply giving her the cold shoulder in return. In fact, Chad began regretting ever taking up the subject, wondering if that would've prevented this from happening. But then again, Ichigo had said some words, that Orihime perhaps interpreted as offensive and disgusting. Normally, she would've never done something as outrageous as to slap someone's cheek's. But she had grown and matured, and was no longer the naïve lady she used to be.
"Tch, I don't get what her business is!" Ichigo noted in his thoughts while taking a brief glance at Orihime, who seemed to be facing the wall beside her. This made Ichigo think about how this really happened. He sighed deeply. "I was confused, but saying such words to someone as friendly as Orihime is inexcusable. Come one, we've been friends since childhood and have been through so many things together" he added to his thoughts, and decided to take a decision.
Chad and the two teenagers watched as Ichigo slowly moved to Orihime's seat. It was apparent that the young woman was sad on the inside, considering that Ichigo had hurt her feelings when he said the clothes made her look like a prostitute or a stripper. Taking a deep breath, Ichigo gently put a hand on Orihime's right shoulder and she immediately faced him with surprise.
"Orihime…...sorry for saying that about your outfit. It was really mean and disrespectful of me and I sincerely regret it" Ichigo spoke from the bottom of his heart while Orihime listened closely. "I'm sorry. And by the way, your outfit really looks good on you, that it does" the orange-haired man apologized while complimenting her outfit.
Having known Ichigo for so many years, Orihime knew that he spoke the truth. In fact, the orange-haired woman embraced him in a tight hug and Ichigo returned it gladly. Chad and the others watched with smiles as the two friends hugged to get over this unpredictable episode.
Once they were finished, Orihime fixed a somewhat shameful look on her face. "I'm sorry for slapping you, Ichigo. I just lost control when I got angry" she admitted before getting an idea and smiled. "Here! Let me make it up to you by using Santen Ke…." Orihime stopped when Ichigo simply put his hands on hers and shook his head.
"It's okay, Orihime. It was nothing compared to what I have felt before" Ichigo told her. "Besides, I pretty much deserved it" he sarcastically remarked, causing him, Orihime and the others to laugh.
"Oh, I'm almost crying!" everyone in the cannon saw Urahara standing in the hole, covering his mouth with his hand fan.
Everyone in the cannon simply stared at him, as no one spoke. The silence lasted only four seconds, when Ichigo finally spoke up. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked the blonde-haired man.
Urahara removed his hand fan and smiled sadly. "I become so touched whenever two friends get back on friendly terms with one another! It makes my heart melt with….." Urahara suddenly got a foot into his face by Ichigo, and this sent him flying, eventually crashing into the wall.
All the others watched as Ichigo returned to his seat and crossed his arms in dispassion of what Urahara had done with Orihime. "You're really starting to get annoying" the orange-haired said towards Urahara.
"Tch, tell me about it" Jinta joined in, starting to actually like Ichigo for once.
But as Urahara got up, he saw that Yoruichi had entered the basement and was heading towards Ichigo and the rest in the cannon. Ichigo also saw her and smiled. "Yoruichi….you're here?" he asked.
The purple-haired woman simply smiled smugly in return. "It's been a long time, hasn't it Ichigo?" she said while shrugging off her cloak. "I hope that you're still as concentrated as ever" she added.
"Hmmm…..showoff" Ichigo noted in his head while glancing at her.
"I'm so glad you're here, Yoruichi!" Urahara exclaimed while smiling at her. "Now did you get the examples like I asked you to?" the blonde-haired man asked and Yoruichi suddenly moved her cloak to reveal many small bottles that hung around the cloak on the inside. "Nice, just what I needed" Urahara responded smugly while picking up the small bottles.
"What is that?" Ichigo asked while noticing the small bottles.
"I asked Yoruichi to investigate the distortions created by the Quincies between the Human World and the Soul Society. I first believed that they created that distortion to confuse the Soul Society and separate their battle power" Urahara explained to Ichigo and his friends. "But when Yoruichi did her investigation, she found out that a great amount of energy was created in the instant the distortion was created or vanished. In other words, a quantity of moving energy large enough to connect two worlds" he revealed while Ichigo and the others listened closely. "And after that, at the request of Captain Hirako, Yoruichi joined Hiyori Sarugaki and the Vizards in collecting the energy in case it was necessary. I also realized that someone had already built this cannon. But enough of that. Shall we start?" Urahara turned around to face those in the cannons.
The team was ready and Yoruichi joined took her place in the cannon. They were ready to blast off into the sky. However, before Urahara could continue, somebody had already entered. Ichigo and his friends were also surprised to see who it was.
Yoruichi smirked by seeing this. "So, you finally made up your mind, huh?" she remarked as standing before the cannon in a new outfit, was Tessai. But the tall Shinigami wasn't wearing any ordinary outfit. This was his outfit during his time as Captain of the Kido Corps. He held his staff in his right hand.
Urahara turned around and smiled at what he was seeing. "I'm happy to see you wearing that outfit once again, my friend. It sure brings back many memories" the blonde-haired man told him.
Tessai simply nodded his head in return. "Thank you, boss. Now it is time for me to go" he said and walked up into the cannon, much to the surprise of the others, except for Yoruichi. "I have been holed up in the shop for far too long. It is time that I return to the frontlines and fulfil my duty as the former Captain of the Kido Corps. Therefore, I will accompany you to the Royal Realm" the tall man told everyone.
Jinta snapped in outrage over seeing this. "Are you kidding me!?" he asked inside his head. "Why the hell must he come along with us!?" the red-haired teenager added to his thoughts.
But Tessai fixed his stern glance at Jinta, who snapped in fear. "Is there you wish to say to me, Jinta?" he asked him strictly, causing the teenager to simply shook his head as a no.
"Hey! Are you folks leaving without even invite me to the party!?" a loud voice came from behind the lab doors and in came, to everyone's surprise, Ganju Shiba, riding on his boar Bonnie. The long-haired man faced everyone with his usual grin. "Don't tell me that you're planning on leaving good ol' Ganju behind!" he exclaimed while jumping off Bonnie.
Ichigo widened in surprise after seeing Ganju standing there. "Ganju…...how…I mean" the orange-haired man was simply stunned when seeing him,
But Ganju only glanced at him with a stern glance. "Hey, what's that look supposed to mean!? Aren't ya happy that I've decided to show up!?" Ganju asked while throwing his arms in the air.
"It's not that….I just….." Ichigo was suddenly interrupted by Ganju pointing his finger at him.
"Oh, I get it! You're saying that I'm not gonna be useful to you, is it!?" he angrily asked and suddenly reached for something underneath his clothes. He then showed Ichigo and the group a map for him to see. "Well suck on this, dandelion-head! Cause I got a map on the road to the Royal Realm, including the 72 barriers that you need to pass through. Now how's that!?" he asked out loud.
Ichigo was getting tired of hearing this bicker and decided to get serious for once. "Listen Ganju. I don't doubt that you will be good use to us" Ichigo spoke up, thus stunning Ganju. "But are you willing to follow us into the battle? This will be a fight that none of us may be able to walk away from, just so you know" the orange-haired man wanted to make sure if Ganju was serious about this.
Surprisingly, the long-haired man fixed a silent expression and stopped acting so brash. "You think I don't know that?" Ganju asked lowly before clenching his fists tightly. "I AM AWARE OF IT ALL, BUT I WON'T BE RUNNING AWAY THIS TIME! I'VE BEEN THROUGH MANY TRIALS BEFORE AND THIS MAY BE THE HARDEST I EVER FACE!" he exclaimed out loud. He then calmed himself and fixed a smug smile. "But then again, I'm not someone who's planning on backing down from a challenge! You still need someone who can take care of your stubborn ass" the long-haired man added, fixing a slight smile while facing Ichigo.
Even though the orange-haired man was stunned and surprised when hearing Ganju's words. He soon formed a slight smile on his face. "You know. Those were just the words I wanted to hear from you" he admitted and Ganju and then made a gesture with his thumb. "Now get your ass in here. We'll be blasting off soon" he told Ganju who did as he said.
Urahara smiled when seeing this and made preparations for the cannon to fire. "Okay. Now that you're all inside, I will make preparations. Now before I do the countdown, let me just say this to all of you" Urahara told them and faced them with his cunning smile. "Whatever you do up there, don't die on us all who are down here. If you do, then we will all chase you back into the afterlife!" Urahara jokingly said before launching the countdown, as well as opening the roof above them.
Ichigo faced up towards the skies, knowing well who he would face. He even gritted his teeth slightly. "I'll be there…Yhwach! I'll be there and make you pay for what you have done to my mother!" the orange-haired man thought as he faced upwards.
"5…4…3…..2…1…LAUNCH OFF!" Urahara said and the entire cannon began launching itself in the air, almost like a rocket or a spaceship.
Everyone inside was surprised by how they were flying like this, instead of relying on the Reishukaku. This only explained why it could only be shot only once.
To be continued…..
Author's note: That was chapter 20. Now about Ichigo's personality. Instead of saying that he intends to stop Yhwach for the sake of the Soul Society, he has a grudge against him for the death of his mother. He also angrily resents Uryu for choosing to side with Yhwach. Also, I made some changes for certain scenes, including the one about Orihime's outfit. I didn't want it to be as comedic and wanted to let Ichigo get introduced to her new independent personality. I also added Tessai, Jinta and Ururu to Ichigo's group, because I wouldn't let them be sidelined to do nothing. I added NaNaNa to Bazz-B's confrontation with Rukia and Renji, because he's funny. In the next chapter, I may want tell us about how the Human World is doing, and actually let some of the Arrancars we have been introduced to get a new perspective of Humanity, among them Augustus Zod Allowin. But I will explain how the battle in the Royal Realm is folding, and may tell you something about those happening in Sereitei as well.