Everyone's Dead

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Chapter Thirty-Five

Kagome was amused when she realized both Ichigo and Sado were using her pathway rather then making their own, but considering neither of the their powers required much mental focus she wasn't too surprised, instead she focused on making the path studier. Ishida was using his control to make something like a hover board. Ichigo was harassing him about it, it was pretty funny. Ten minutes later she was starting to wonder how long would they be in here, traveling all her other times never took this long and five hundred years seemed a bigger gap then crossing in to parallel dimensions.

Then she saw it, it wasn't a light but it was calling to her, like a mental message of 'heres where you want to be' it was an odd feeling. Leaping through the doorway it felt like she had passed through a curtain, from back stage to center stage. It was not something she liked.

Standing there, she realized she was in a random hallway. The ceiling was another twenty feet up at least she wasn't sure it seemed pretty lost in shadow. The others around her, she focused and tried to get a feel for Orihime. She was very very far away. Kagome realized this really was a whole world they were in not just a little island. They had a long ways to go.

"Kagome?"

She turned and realized the others had picked a way to go trying to get out. Since either direction seemed to run parallel to Orihime, she just went with it. Reaching out with her powers, she gasped when she realized the real numbers of what they were facing, there was Aizen, Gin, the other Soul Reaper though he felt warped, the Arrancar in larger numbers then her father had speculated, even if they didn't all seem loyal to him. And then there were countless hollows, weak ones, not as weak ones and ones just below the level of the Arrancars, there were hollows under them, above them, all around.

Ichigo looked at her questioningly, Ishida looked grim, and Sado his normal self.

Shaking her head she blocked out the information reaching had given her, she had known before they were attacking the strong hold, this changed nothing. "Lets go and try to find some other direction Orihime is a long way off that way." She pointed through the wall.

Ichigo nodded and Ishida frowned her thoughtfully.

Walking she figured their arrival had been noticed, Ishida didn't feel the same way, when Ichigo commented in a normal voice, "Is this really Hueco Mundo? I was expecting a dump."

Ishida jumped on him."Ichigo if they don't know we're here we shouldn't announce ourselves!"

Kagome ignored him, "Ichigo unless Aizen created some new dimension this is Hueco Mundo because other wise I don't see how there would be so many hollows. But I don't know why you expected a dump, Naraku always liked opulence."

Ichigo nodded but Ishida seemed annoyed, "Did either of you hear me!?"

Kagome went on, "Whatever and where ever we are I bet we're under ground Orihime feels a bit like she's up so she's either on the surface or in a tower."

"Ichigo, Higurashi are either of you listening to me!?"

Kagome turned to him and in time with Ichigo said, "We heard you, you're just being louder then we are."

Ishida shifted, "Oh... right."

Walking Kagome found herself bored, she could tell there were two low level Arrancar near them but not close, she just wasn't sure if they were above them by a level or if the tunnels slowly sloped upwards. Walking she ignored the boys talking she was focused on the feel of the Arrancar, they were weak, very low level. She couldn't pick out exactly where they were either and that was annoying.

Still going on Kagome was starting to wonder if the hall went on forever and then they reached another hall running more towards Orihime. Taking the lead, Ichigo right behind her and Chad next to him, Ishida took offense.

"Seriously are none of you the least bit concerned about traps!?"

Turning around she sighed, "Ishida the whole point of traps is you don't see them coming. Looking down this damned dim hallway won't tell us a thing. So stop your yelling and start walking."

He sighed and leaned against the wall only to find it gave under his hand.

Hearing the rumbling she couldn't help but glare, "Good job mister paranoia."

Realizing the floor was falling, she turned and took off running the boys right behind her, straight up this new hallway, away from where she could feel Orihime, they bolted. Seeing a turn off she dived down it everyone right behind- causing the four of them to end up in something of dog pile.

Straightening themselves out, they took a moment to catch their breaths. Kagome peeked over the edge and couldn't see the bottom, moaning to the boys about going the wrong way, the four of them started walking. Soon Ishida couldn't help but comment, "That was a really classic trap."

Kagome was finding the humor in it now, "Yeah you wonder what Aizen read or watched when coming up with place."

Ichigo added in his own sly comment, "Yeah and you note who fell for the trap."

Ishida glared at him, but Kagome just laughed; it was true, the one worried about traps triggers one. Walking down this hallway Kagome figured it ran parallel to the one they had entered on, before long they found more tunnels and Kagome picked the one that felt like it might take them closer to Orihime.

They had been on it for five minutes when they noticed it seemed to be going upward.

Ignoring Ichigo grousing about how much longer would they be walking in these stupid tunnels Kagome watched the floor trying to make sure there were no more traps. She knew she failed when a grinding sound followed by a click came from behind her, turning she found Ichigo had stepped on a switch. Ironic in the timing because he had just told Ishida he was paying attention, and looking for traps. They had a couple of seconds to take this all in when there came more grinding sound from above them in the tunnel.

Ishida looked at Ichigo and in a slightly mocking tone said, "Know what that is Kurosaki?"

"I don't want to know."

Ishida went on as the giant, perfectly round boulder came into view, "An even more classic trap."

She, Ichigo and Ishida turned around to flee back the way they came but Chad just stepped forward and punched it. It crumbled into gravel.

Ichigo snapped his fingers, "Nice!"

Kagome however was just mildly disturbed by the fact he had done that his bare hands. Good thing he was dating Tatsuki. "Thanks Chad."

He nodded.

Then Ishida and Ichigo went back to bickering, "I told you not to let your guard down!"

"I know, I know. This time it was my fault."

Stepping through the gravel and dust they continued going up. That was when Kagome realized one of the Arrancar she had been faintly feeling was behind them. "Guys we might want to keep going till we find a room, we're being followed."

As one all three boys looked behind themselves only to see nothing. Ishida looked at her, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, now keep moving."

Running, they entered a brightly lit room, half blind Kagome blinked away the spots, now aware they had been herded towards the other Arrancar. As the boys readied themselves Kagome decided to spoil their fun. "Guys, I'll take them both."

Together the three of them looked at her with stubborn faces. "Come on, they're so weak. I just want to test myself."

"No, you were half dead just yesterday." Ichigo said, crossing his arms.

"Deal with it." Kagome raised a finger and pointed at the skinny Arrancar standing in the middle of the room. Closing her eyes she concentrated, it was harder without her mask on but it was her only long range attack without using Bankai. "Cero."

The lavender beam fired, and the Arrancar was too shocked to moved, he was blasted across the room, and slammed into the wall smoking, and bloodied. Kagome realized why he wasn't dead, he'd fired his own Cero into hers, something the vizard had proven to be a good tactic. "Nice, I thought I would have killed you with that."

The response didn't come from the half-dead one it came from Ichigo, "Kagome! That's totally cheating! You didn't give a warning or anything."

Kagome found herself once again annoyed with Ichigo, "He's the enemy and he's here. He had all the warning he needed."

That was when the other one following them entered the room, he was massive, four and half stories tall at least, his mask covering his eyes and forehead. He seemed alarmed to find his companion on the floor bleeding. Kagome sighed, "Big and stupid. Nothing more then an annoyance."

The Arrancar turned to look at her and she fired off another cero. The room shook as the smoking body fell, mask and most of his face burned off. Ichigo stared at her, Chad looked... like himself, and Ishida spoke up now, "That was remarkably cold Higurashi."

Then all three of the boys looked surprised, Kagome reacted as quick as possible and used Shikon to deflect the four... bullets? The first one, wounded as he was, stood three feet behind her shocked she had blocked his attack.

Kagome flash stepped behind and ran him through, "Like I said, weak."

The body dropped and began to dissolve, Kagome looked over at the other three, "Come on let's get going. We're here for Orihime."

Ichigo lead the way, and together the four of them walked up the stairs. Ichigo slung an arm over her shoulder and in a would-be-casual voice said, "You can be really scary sometimes."

Kagome grinned at him, "I try."

That was when the ground around them started to tremble, all of them stopped and Ishida voiced the most obvious conclusion to come to. "Boobie-trapped."

Kagome agreed, "Yeah, now run for it!" Bolting up the stairs, she could almost see light when it caved in, holding her breath, eyes tightly shut she dug her way free of what felt like sand. Breaking through she heard the others coughing and spluttering. Wiping her face free of sand, she opened her eyes. Only to laugh at Ichigo, as he tossed his shirt off to get rid of the sand.

Then she looked around, they seemed to be in a desert, only it was like nothing on earth. White sand broken only by strange trees stretched for miles and miles, under a black starless sky, the crescent moon shinning softly. It was a harsh environment but it was beautiful. Shaking her own clothes free of sand she stood and turned slowly towards Orihime; in the far distance stood a fortress like she had never before seen. It looked like it should only be a mile off for it make sense as a normal sized castle but the sand dunes between then and the fortress told no, it was truly an inhumanly large castle. It suited Naraku's ego though.

"This is Hueco Mundo?" Ichigo asked in puzzlement.

Kagome knew he wasn't looking the right way, just from the confusion in his voice. "Look this way."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Good thing I came with other wise you three could be looking for months!"

Ishida snorted, and out of the corner of her eyes she could see Chad nodding.

"This is freaken huge." Ichigo sounded disbelieving.

Kagome nodded, "Yep it matches Naraku's ego."

Ichigo burst out laughing while the other two sighed. Kagome spoke, "Let's get going, I can tell Orihime's in there."

So she started off at a slow run, the others following, Kagome kinda wondered why she was taking lead, but figured it was because she wanted to get in, get out, and go home. No more hanging around or admiring the scenery.

It had been fifteen or twenty minutes of running before Ichigo noted they didn't seem to be getting any closer. Then when it had been an hour, Kagome could feel herself getting annoyed, how far away was this castle thing? Ichigo and Ishida started dealing with their own frustrations like grownups, needless to say they were back to bickering.

Kagome wasn't surprised, one maybe two hours in the tunnels another hour pushing hour and half up here and only two weaklings attacked them. This was not the nonstop fighting she had expected.

At two hours Chad suddenly stopped running.

"Hey. what's wrong, tired Chad?" Ichigo was looking at his friend but Kagome noted Chad was watching something, looking in the same direction she noticed the wind was picking up, slowly but it was becoming noticeable.

"No, look."

Ishida and Ichigo joined her and Chad at looking at the sand being blown their way, but they didn't realize the significance. Then it turned into a sand dervish. A five hundred foot tall eighty feet wide, one. Kagome did the instinctive thing, she put up a barrier surrounding them. The boys panicked and went to run away, but quickly realized what she had done.

Good thinking Higurashi." Ishida told her.

Chad gave her a nod and Ichigo scratched his head. "I forgot you could do that."

Then the dervish was over them, it took fifteen but it passed and Kagome let the barrier down, and they started on their way again. Ichigo won points for being a considerate boyfriend when he asked if she needed a break since she was the one doing all the work, but she waved him off.

Running on for the next two hours they still didn't seem to be any closer and she, Ichigo, Chad and Ishida were starting to get tired. Laying down next to Ichigo Kagome tried to catch her own breath, while Ichigo panted beside her.

"This is taking forever."

Kagome giggled and went back to panting. She had lucked out in an odd way, not playing part of the rescuer before, it was hard work.

Ichigo sat up, "How far away is that stupid thing?!"

Kagome snorted but stayed where she was.

"You know, " Ichigo said in a conversational tone. "I thought this would be a world of nothing but death when we first got here. But there seem to be small animals, here too. Even though they're hollow. But what do they eat I wonder... Hollows are suppose to eat human souls."

Ishida answered him, "The spirit particles in the air are strong enough for them to live off. They likely eat simply by breathing."

"How do you even know that Uryu?"

"Quincy fight by using spirit particles in the air, or around them. I always feel best when there's a bunch of spirit particles around."

Kagome wondered if that was why Ishida was willing to hang out with Ichigo so much, but kept the thought to herself.

"You know that makes you sound like some kind of hollow, right?"

Ishida stood up, "Excuse me?! Shinigami are the same way!"

"Well I'm different, and so is Kagome."

Kagome mentally winced, that was because the two of them were the same. If Ichigo listened to himself a little more he would realized what that meant. Good thing he wasn't one to take a step back and look at the whole picture.

"Yeah. Only you and her. Kuchiki had to go back to Soul Society to get her powers back."

"Well Rukia's just weird like that."

"But the point is Ichigo, the power in the air is likely to help the Arrancar as well. They could be as much as twice as strong now. Not to mention we have no clue how many Arrancar Aizen has changed or how well he controls them."

Kagome threw her own two cents in, "Not to mention even if he doesn't control them, we're still food."

"Good point Higurashi."

"Are you done Ishida? This all is pretty obvious." Ichigo was standing ready to keep running.

Kagome stood and shook the sand out of her clothes as well. Orihime still needed to be rescued. That was when she noticed the four hollows coming their way. Turning sharply the others noticed and copied her.

A worm like hollow, two really stupid looking ones, both of them seeming almost equal to the ones she had killed. And a fourth, a tiny little girl. A crying little girl, who was stronger than the three chasing her... were they trying to eat her? If so, why didn't she fight? She could beat them, as warped as her power felt... she felt a lot like Ichigo's dad had when she first met him actually. Half the power wasn't really there.

Then the three boys sprang into action, protecting the little girl.

"Wait!" She sighed to herself as they heroically beat the weak hollows back. Walking forward she was just glad they hadn't tried to use lethal force yet.

"Stop! What did they do to you!?"

Kagome walked up to the squeaky, little, hollow girl. "You idiots. Noble as it was to rush to the girl's rescue..." Kagome tugged the hood down showing the mask to the boys. "She's hollow. A little girl, but a hollow."

"Yeah stop picking on us!"

Ichigo stepped off the one he was pinning to the ground, Ishida let his bow fade, and Chad stepped back from the worm hollow.

"But weren't they attacking you?" Ichigo asked.

Kagome sighed and the little, eerily-powerful hollow-girl spoke up; "No. Of course not, we were playing eternal tag."

The three stepped away totally now, and quick as can be, the four... well three were bowing, the little girl seemed to be spokesmen. "Please forgive us! We're really sorry! We never thought our game could lead to such a horrible misunderstanding. It'll never happen again."

Kagome snickered, the fact the girl was more powerful then the other three and the fact they hadn't been throwing attacks had made her think that might have been it.

"But you were crying." Ichigo stated.

The question implied amusing her. Ichigo really was nice to children. It was very attractive and cute.

"Sure. Nel is a masochist, it's no fun for her if she's not crying."

Kagome could have groaned, of course as a hollow girl she couldn't be a normal four or five year old. She had been like this for years and years. She winced as Ichigo hit the hollow nearest him, "What the hell are you teaching this kid!?"

"Wait, I'm confused." Ishida said. "Nel is your name right?"

"That's right, Nel is an Arrancar, and her full name is Nel Tu."

Kagome noticed the three boys looking totally disbelieving, "Can't you three tell? I knew from the moment I knocked her hood off."

Ichigo looked from her to Nel, clearly skeptical. "But..."

Kagome realized why he was having trouble believing it, Nel didn't come across as scary, and seemed to have no interesting in fighting. A stark difference between the ones that had come to the world of the living.

"Oh and these are Nel's older brothers." Nel pointed to the one on her right, he was purple and his mask seemed reminiscent of a beetle. He introduced himself as Pesche. Nel then pointed to the one on her left, he said. "And I'm the oldest brother Dondochakka."

Kagome found herself wondering about the horrible names, she had heard some strange ones, but these might take the cake.

"And this," Nel said, pointing above her to the worm. "Guy right here is our pet Bawabawa."

"Wait. Wait. Wait." Ichigo looked genuinely horrified by the names.

"Yes, you have a question?"

"Since when do Arrancars have families and pets?"

"What do you mean?" Nel sounded indignant. "Arrancars have always had those."

The hollow with an eye blinding pattern of red on his mask with yellow eyes spoke up, "When I met Nel she was so cute I decided to become her older brother, you know what I'm talking about."

The purple one spoke up, "Same here."

Nel copied their poses and giggled.

"But ah... that means your not really siblings at all."

Kagome watched, amused as this confused the hell out of the odd ball hollows.

"But if their not my brothers who are they!?" Nel screamed.

"Not Nel's older brother?!" Dondochakka shouted.

The others added to her panic till Ichigo decided to take it back. "What am I talking about? Sure. Never mind, you guys can be siblings."

The four all relaxed. And suddenly all that could heard was the wind blowing. Then Ichigo leaned forward to look closer at Nel, still confused by her tiny-nonthreatening-self. "This is all so bizarre. Are you guys sure you're really Arrancars?"

"Hey! What are you trying to say?" Nel demanded. "Can't you see this here?" she pointed to her mask. "A beautiful cracked Arrancar mask."

"It's just that..." Ichigo was looking for a way not to offend the little girl any more, Kagome could tell.

"You seem different then the Arrancars that came to the world of the living."

"Oh! Of course we are. They're Numeros.

"Wait what are they?"

Kagome sighed, Ichigo hadn't talked to the ones he fought much if he didn't know this.

"Numeros are the guys who are even stronger then Menos Grande that is before they were turned into Arrancar. All the Numeros can be identified by their two digit numbers and serve directly under the Espada. Numeros are combat experts, they are an elite fighting force. There is no comparison to them and garbage bugs like us."

Ichigo was stuck on her description of her power level. "Garbage bugs?"

Nel went on like she hadn't heard. "You have some nerve telling us we don't look like Arrancars when you look even less like Arrancars then we do. You don't have a mask and you wear a black kimono, you look more like a..."

Her eldest brother jumped into help her here. "Like a Shinigami, you know what I mean."

The younger brother pitched in here, "Yeah like a Shinigami."

That was when it hit the three of them, Kagome couldn't help it, she started laughing. Ichigo however failed to realize the hollows were afraid of them now, "What is it?"

"What are you guys exactly anyway?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki substitute Soul Reaper."

"Uryu Ishida Quincy."

"Sado Yasutora human."

"Kagome Higurashi... human."

The three of them started trembling, and Nel started screaming, "A Soul Reaper!"

"A Quincy and two Humans!?"

The three turned as one, "You're bad guys!"

Kagome stared, they really were small fry. "You really don't pay attention do you?"

Ichigo spoke over her, "You guys didn't have any idea who we were?"

"That's right! Because you didn't say who you were!" Nel shrieked.

"You should have told us who you were from the start!" Pesche shouted.

"Bad guys, I can't believe it!"

"This is terrible!" Nel looked truly horrified. "Nel is sure the bad guys are gonna kill us!"

"No. We're not going to kill you." Ichigo growled.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting this at all." Ishida looked stupefied.

"Yeah, who knew there were Arrancars like this." Chad agreed.

The three Arrancar convened just outside of most people's hearing but Kagome could hear just fine. Listening to the plan, she was amused. "You know I can hear you over there right?"

The three looked even more upset now, Nel stood and shouted, "Who asked you!"

Kagome spoke up, "We just said you don't need to be afraid and you know you don't stand a chance, don't even bother."

Nel struck a pose and shouted, "You're just jealous you don't have two brothers to plot with!"

Kagome felt her eyes get bigger with disbelief. "Not really, I just think we need to get moving and you trying to attack us in secret would be annoying."

"Are you telling Nel she can't attack you?!"

"Yeah pretty much."

Nel's face took on a determined set. "We'll see about that!"

Quicker the one would expect a child to be able to move Nel flung herself towards her. If Kagome hadn't already known how fast some kids could be she might have been taken off guard, but she had traveled with Shippo. She side stepped.

Nel landed and swiftly turned crying out, "Second attack!"

Kagome sidestepped, she toyed with the idea of grabbing the girl but she got the feeling she might get bit for her efforts.

"Third attack!"

Leaping to the side, she was exasperated when Nel tried again. "Give it up little girl!"

Nel's face took on an unholy set. "I will get you!"

Kagome leapt to the side again but Nel got a handful of hair, Kagome yelped and Nel pulled hard shouting her victory to the sands around them. Getting annoyed now, she was amused that Ichigo decided to help. He grabbed Nel and unwound the small fist. "You need to stop bothering Kagome, we can't play with you or stay, we need to go."

He took a few steps back and set the small Arrancar down, the girl looked taken a back by Ichigo's gentleness. Ichigo looked Nel in the face trying to make her understand.

Kagome spoke up, "If she wasn't a little girl Ichigo I might have to get jealous."

Ichigo straightened with a huff, but she could see the touch of pink in his cheeks. She stepped up to just behind him, unable to help herself she whispered in his ear. "You are really really cute when your around children."

Ishida cleared his throat ten feet away. Kagome leaned away, but the amused looks on Ishida and Chad's faces told her they knew she had been flirting. What could she say Ichigo was a natural with kids; which was something that had always annoyed her about Inuyasha, he'd been terrible with kids. So Ichigo being in such stark contrast was very much appreciated. Ishida and Chad strode forwards joining her and Ichigo, noticing the Arrancar seemed stationary, and not at inclined to attack anymore Kagome started walking Ichigo by her side.

Ichigo tossed back a "Later!" to the little girl.

They had gotten maybe twenty feet when Nel's unmistakeable, shrill voice shouted from behind them. "Are you running away!? You can't! You can't toy with Nel's feelings like this!"

As one the four of then turned to face the little Arrancar. Kagome was confused as to who the girl was speaking to. "What are you talking about?"

"You can't challenge Nel and then leave! And you!" She pointed at Ichigo, "You can't just stop a fight and leave! You can't!" Nel's eyes were welling up with tears and Ichigo sighed from beside her.

"Nel we have to go get a friend of ours, we don't have time to finish the..." Kagome gave in, "To fight with you. You can call us bad guys but the real bad guys are in there." She pointed to Aizen's stronghold.

"Las Noches?" Nel asked.

"Is that the big white castle thing?"

"Yes."

Kagome shrugged. "Then yes, the real bad guys are in Las Noches."

"But that's where Lord Aizen lives."

"Yes and he's a bad guy."

"No he's not. He made Nel an Arrancar."

"Well he can do that and still be a bad guy!"

Nel scowled at her. "You just don't want me to win."

Kagome groaned, "Win what?"

"The challenge."

Kagome thought back over she had said to the girl. "But you've already won the challenge, you grabbed my hair."

Nel looked shocked, "I did?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah you did. Now we need to go now."

The obstinate expression was back, "You are so mean, if you lost you're suppose to play tag with me!"

Kagome figured the only way they were going to get to go anywhere was if Nel came or was scared away. Arrancar may be what the girl was, but she was still a little girl, Kagome wasn't will to stoop to scaring a child. "Fine you can play tag with me as long as I can run towards Las Noches."

Nel made a face, "We can't go that way."

"Why not?" Ishida interjected.

"Because..." Nel's explanation was cut off by a sinister voice, spinning Kagome couldn't find where it was coming from.

"Consorting with intruders, you garbage bugs can't get any lower."

Then a face and upper torso made of sand with a mask in the center rose from the sand between them and Las Noches. Nel was making frightened sounds behind her but Kagome focused on the new guy, he wasn't harmless. He seemed there to kill them.

"That's huge!" Ichigo was alarmed by the size and Kagome was mildly impressed but she had seen demons of equal size, not much bigger but of equal mass.

"It's Runuganga Guardian of the white sands!"

"I was just informed moment's ago by Las Noches that we had intruders."

Kagome wondered about the delay, they had been here for hours but Naraku hadn't ever alerted his minions when they were arriving so maybe that hadn't changed much. Or more likely he had been busy setting traps for them inside.

"But to find you garbage bugs acting as spies... unforgivable. I'll turn you all to white sand."

"But... you see... it's not like... that at... all." Nel stuttered out.

"Move it Nel. This guy isn't going to play around." Ichigo drew Zangetsu and slashed a Getsuga Tenshou at him, it split the mask in two and the sand started to crumble. But then to her amusement Nel announced Ichigo had cheated, much like he had told her only hours before.

"What are you talking about? That wasn't a sneak attack. I swung at him head on."

Kagome snickered, "Funny, I said something like that earlier."

Ichigo glared, but then, before he said anything, the supposed to be dead body moved.

"Having the nerve to attack so suddenly and then not having the courtesy to admit it... You will die."

Suddenly the wound Ichigo dealt him sealed up and he attacked, punching with his fist. Ichigo leapt to the side and attack again, splitting the mask, but the wound healed right up and it only seemed to anger the Hollow.

Ichigo turned back to Runuganga, "How in the world did you regenerate so fast?! Nel what exactly is this guy?!"

She looked uncertain. "I don't think I should tell you that considering you all still are bad guys."

"What are you talking about he's after you too!"

Kagome spoke up, "I think he's made of sand, look at him. His power is tied to the sand, his body is made of sand so maybe as long as there is sand he can regenerate."

"Very good little girl. You must are a clever one."

Nel nodded. "You are smarter then you look."

Kagome glared at the girl for that one, but figured maybe if she fired a Cero hot enough she could melt the sand enough he couldn't fix his body. Closing her eyes she lifted her hand pointing at the sand hollow, drawing on Kikyo she built the cero up, powering it as high as she could she ignored the sounds of confusion around her as Ichigo continued to fight. Feeling wind buffeting her, she opened her eyes to see three sand devils coming their way, however her cero was as strong as she could make it.

"Cero." She let it fly, it cut through the wind, and it hit the hollow burning through him, she had melted a large hole in his chest above his hollow hole, and up towards his throat. She knew it was a success when it didn't fix it's self.

"What did you do Higurashi!?"

"I built it up as high as it can go, if we melt the sand in his body enough he can't regenerate."

Ishida nodded and lifted his arm, then he started to fire huge blasts of blue energy, but they didn't seem to be hot enough. Chad started adding his attacks, but they too didn't seem to be hot enough. Ichigo was throwing darker Getsuga Tenshous and they seemed to be doing more damage but still not enough to properly melt the sand. Kagome threw a third Cero blinding bright purple in color it pierced the center of the mask melting the sand, the body wavered and then fell, a mix of sandstone and sand.

"Impressive!"

Kagome spun and saw Renji and Rukia wearing tan cloaks over their uniforms, Renji was smirking but it was Rukia who had spoken.

"I thought I would have to finish it, since he also would be vulnerable to water."

Kagome shrugged, and Ichigo greeted them, "So I see you've caught up to us then."

Rukia suddenly looked mad, "Yeah why didn't you wait?!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "We gave you till afternoon, and I don't want Orihime to have to stay here a moment long then necessary. You caught up, we're all here lets go."

Rukia spoke up, "One more thing, who are they?" She pointed at Nel and her little family.

"That's super rude!" Nel screamed childishly. "I'm Nel Tu!"

Her self proclaimed eldest brother spoke next, "Dondochakka!" The middle added his introduction, "Pesche!" Then as one the three of them said, "We are..." and then they all said something different.

Kagome laughed, they were all ready to impress you and then they bungled it.

Ignoring the attempts to get right Kagome started walking, she had a debt to pay. Ichigo noticed and called to Rukia and Renji, "Let's go, I think Kagome's in hurry."

The six of them had gotten all of fifty feet when Nel delayed them again.

"Wait a second Itsygo!"

Kagome snickered at Ichigo's peeved expression as he turned around, but her amusement vanished at Nel next words, "And you Gnome!"

Turning with him she couldn't help but correct Nel, "It's Kagome." Ichigo added his complaint as well, "And it's not Itsygo it's Ichigo."

"Nel will take you to Las Noches."

Kagome was surprised. Why was this little hollow girl helping them? What made her turn against her own kind? She exchanged looks with Ichigo but both of them agreed, anything to get them there faster.

Mounting the worm they let Bawabawa carry them through the sands and right away Kagome could see they were making much better time. Them she noticed Nel scooting closer and closer to Ichigo, the little girl's eyes peeking at her every time just before she moved. Before long Nel was sitting next to him a firm hold on his pants. Kagome decided she might have found the exception to her fondness of children. Of course the girl was much much older then her body suggested. Ichigo was strong, protected her, and was nice to her to her. Kagome knew she was acting a little jealous, but the way the sly little thing was looking at her, Kagome knew the brat had some intentions towards Ichigo. Even if it was as simple as get him to pay more attention to her.

Kagome was thinking about moving close to him, trying to... lay her claim so to speak when the hollow she had thought she had killed rose from the sands in front of them. The sands around them start to sink, like it was pulling them. The hollows started screaming, and Kagome quickly realized if he was made of sand he could probably have more then one body.

"You will not take single step towards Las Noches! I will not allow it!"

Rukia drew her sword, released and went to start up an attack only it wasn't ground beneath her feet. The worm, Bawabawa was writhing and the sand was pulling the worm in faster. Rukia already off balance fell off, everyone else was so busy hanging on she was the only one who saw, she had a split second to decide. Rukia was Ichigo's friend, an annoying one, one she didn't really like, but she was someone who meant something to him. That made her choice easy. She leapt after her. Grabbing her by the cloak she had moments to order Rukia to take a deep breath before they were pulled under. Then they were falling.

I only have one thing to say for myself... where can one buy a better muse? One who can focus? Joking aside sorry for the looooooong delay in posting. I know this one is quick filler stuff, but needs to happen since Kagome and Nel aren't... best buds, and all the gabbing took a long time to write. So I hope to have the next one up before thanksgiving but no promises. If not I will try my best to get it up before christmas. And Special thanks to Maniac T. Magee who decided to pm me asking if I had given up on this story or not. To the rest of you my reviewers I do love you even if it doesn't seem like it.

dark shadowed rose