"Somewhere, in the quantum foam of existence, we are together."

- Dev Ashish

"All along, it was your blood destined to soak the ground." Kurosuke commented offhandedly, watching with little interest as his former opponent fell.

In a flash, the youthful form of Tensa Zangetsu intercepted what would likely have been the finishing blow. Only rage colored the Quincy's traditionally composed features as he pressed the sword lock, forcing the assailant back. "Traitor!"

Toshigo's grin was strained by the onslaught of force, but he remained calm. "I prefer the term 'double agent'. Your Zangetsu was quite instrumental in setting this all up."

Swords clashed once again. "Why bring us here? Why not just invade us?"

Toshigo broke the lock, leaping backwards so the pair could circle one another. "That's rather simple actually. If we were to kill you in your pocket universe, Ichigo's inner world would crumble and we'd lose our beachhead in that reality. Strangely, we've found that the inner world goes into a form of stasis if it becomes completely vacant, so we're free to kill you here. If we were to invade and capture you, removing you from the world and traversing Garganta would be a whole host of trouble. Besides…"

He darted in and forced the spirit to his heels. "isn't it more fun this way?"

The clashing of blades sounded distant to Ichigo; his blurred vision unable to keep up with the flashing movements of the battling swordsmen. Trying to follow only served to frustrate him. He settled for what he could comprehend: an approaching figure. Much taller than himself, Ichigo noted a long ponytail hanging languidly in the stagnant air. His hands shook violently as he tried to move his blade and protect himself. 'Damn. He must've hit something important.'

The blood pounding in his ears made it difficult to decipher the looming figure's words as he raised his blade, but Ichigo could not dwell. He wanted to chuckle. As the main character, he figured he'd at least be afforded the luxury of dying on his feet. Since he couldn't, he did the next best thing. Refusing to close his eyes, he glared defiantly at his executioner. This would be his way of going down fighting. The figure seemed to take notice, and he hesitated for a brief moment.

In a flash, the large figure was gone, and Ichigo was left staring at the back of a long white coat, accented by white hair cascading down. He couldn't visually make out the figure anymore, but the tumultuous spiritual pressure was all he needed to let himself smile. A distorted, vengeful roar echoed across the empty world, and Zangetsu joined the battle alongside his spiritual counterpart.

Distracted by the arrival, it surprised Ichigo to feel a familiar warm glow begin to spread along his back. 'Kidō?'. Blearily he looked again to find long, symmetrical orange hair outlining a Cheshire grin.

"Hang in there, buddy. We've got you."

Just making out words again relieved some of Ichigo's worry. He no longer felt like he was going to die.

Blades clashed again as Kyōrosaki danced with the masked Zangetsu. The hollowfied spirit paused, for a moment, and placed the flat of his blade against his waist — as though in a sheath. He darted forward, his blade leaping from his hip and, in a blink, sculpting a cruciform. Kyōrosaki attempted a swift step dodge backwards, but he was a breath too slow and his left arm fell from its socket. Growling in discomfort, he flash-stepped away to regroup; when he'd found his footing once more Zangetsu had lowered his horns, the charging cero promised nothing but death. A split second before the cero reached criticality, Jūshigo stepped behind him — the man's sword flashing forth to disrupt the cero. Fortunately, another figure stepped in between to guard Zangetsu's back.

The newcomer parried the slash simply, slicing up Jūshigo's chest with a lightning quick counter. Whether he wanted to say his entry line or not quickly became moot as the cero went off. The resulting explosion washed nearly everyone away. Hirago was thankful he'd had the foresight to put up a small barrier to protect his patient.

When the dust cleared, Kyōrosaki remained standing. Returning his gaze to the opponent in surprise, Zangetsu was met with a familiar muted look. He instantly realized the façade and, not a moment later, the corpse pitched over. Zangetsu turned away, finding the two factions separated once again. Toshigo appeared decidedly pissed off.

"What the hell? How did you figure it out?"

Zangetsu crossed his arms, "I suppose you could say I've been wary of you from the start. Little things I picked up here and there helped that evolve into suspicion. One thing really made it all fall into place. Where is your Zanpakutō spirit?"

Toshigo's eyes narrowed, not deeming the clearly rhetorical question worthy of response. Instead, he repeated himself. "How did you figure it out?"

"After I left you to deal with Momo…"

- Flashback

That made two fights he'd turned his back on. Normally he'd say the old man would be disappointed, but since it was his idea for him to come down here, the hollow figured he had the high ground here.

Lost in his dash down the stairs, he was surprised to hear a voice call out to him. Almost losing his footing, his attention wheeled down a corridor. The voice captivated him with its familiarity.

'A Hollow?'

This revelation called forth the memory of Toshigo and his imprisoned spirit. Perhaps this was the lead he'd hoped to find. Zangetsu let the peculiarity of Toshigo's lack of motivation to find the spirit fall by the wayside. Now was a time for action, and Zangetsu was the perfect man to shelve his thoughts and simply do.

So, of course, he simply turned and ran down the hallway that had snagged his attention. What he'd find down there would certainly be of great interest.

Turning another corner revealed rows of cells, locked tight and presumably made of something akin to sekkiseki. All of the cages in his view were empty, but he could tell the facility stretched farther than his eyes could see in the darkness. His instinct silenced his desire to turn around and continue his journey to the device; it was insistent, begging him to continue down the hallway. He obliged. Eventually, he'd come across a cell unlike the others. Not only in construction and design, but in vacancy — this one was occupied.

A white form shone stark against the darkness, strapped to a table almost hidden by the darkness.

"You actually listened. What a peculiar being." The figure turned towards Zangetsu, allowing him to realize the imprisoned one's eyes were bound, his vision completely sealed off.

Zangetsu huffed. "You should know as well as I do that I couldn't avoid coming here even if I wanted to. I assume that's why you called out to me."

"I could not be sure it was one such as yourself. Not only are we imprisoned in these cages of suppression, but these seals placed all over my body further hinder my abilities. I sent out a prayer, and it was heard. You could say the rawness of my emotion triggered your most basic instinct."

"You appealed to my prerogative to protect?"

"Unintentionally. However, we are all Ichigo Kurosaki, are we not? No matter how much our paths have diverged, such a basic instinct remains within us all."

"Aren't you self-aware?" Even in the dim light, he was able to note the state of this being. "What… what did they do to you?"

The spirit sighed. "Do not worry about it. Let's just say I've had plenty of time to ruminate."

"Why didn't they seal your mouth as well?"

Another sigh. "You're persistent. Communication was apparently something of importance. I never thought it would prove to be a boon."

"I don't know if I'd call this a boon. I'd planned to help you get free, but I'm not sure I can."

"I didn't call you here to help me escape. I just have a simple request. I recommend you step into an adjacent chamber. Your presence will be felt otherwise."

"That might be the most blatant attempt to trap me I've ever heard."

The spirit chuckled at this. "Look at me, friend, why do you think I'd go to such lengths to trap you? What would I gain?"

Zangetsu contemplated, then obliged.

"Now then, I have a small story to tell you — if you'll lend me an ear."

"I hate to nitpick with someone stuck to a table, but I'm on a schedule here. If you want to convince me of something, you'll need to be quick. These two chapters are already long enough as it is, and the last thing we need is a flashback within a flashback."

He was met with a momentary silence before the other party spoke again. "Very well. I will gloss over the details."

He continued. "As I'm sure it happened to you, our inner world was invaded. However, since you are here, I imagine you were drawn out. My story more or less ends with the invasion. They came in force, restrained myself and my wielder, separating us across an infinite distance. Their goal was to test all aspects of the bond between Soul Reaper and Zanpakutō spirit. They put it under duress, distance, time, and more. An added benefit to their study, was to view the effect this had on myself and my Soul Reaper physically and mentally. They chained my wielder to his inner world for observation, they chained me down here for experimentation. Once, I inquired if they were experimenting on him the same way they did me. This was particularly amusing to them, as they'd apparently planned on it, but to their delight, they did not need to. Observation of him proved our bond strong enough for some semblance of shared experience, although even that has grown mute."

Zangetsu swallowed; he didn't feel particularly well, but he needed something concrete. "Why did you call out to me?"

"Forgive me, I got carried away. It is… nice to have someone to talk to again. I called you here to help you avoid a fate similar to mine. I want to help you understand their motivations for doing all of this."

"Now we're talking."

"I'm sure you are aware of what the device can do. Bridging the gap between realities is certainly a terrifying power, and can be used for quite horrible deeds, but I do not think it was born from such desire. I believe it was born out of loneliness. That man you encountered here with the Zanpakutō spirit, whoever he is, is not the source of this world. He is simply a resident here for reasons unknown to me; I can speculate, but that is beyond your interest. You've seen the emptiness of this world, the stagnation. Disparity is the driver of change. Hot and cold — light and dark — exist as two sides of the same coin. Emotions exist similarly. Joy begets sadness; hope begets despair. In this world, there is no duality, no driver of progress. An everlasting age protected from change and the fear that comes with it. Here the sun never rises or falls; it is a lonely world. The man who owns this world is one without his Zanpakutō."

Zangetsu's eyes widened as everything finally fell into place.

"Judging by your expression, something seems to have clicked. I'm told the snake earing is a remnant from his past he's quite fond of. He's performed these tests, experiments, and crimes with the hope of supplanting himself in a reality where he is not trapped in his inner world. I believe he prefers to return to his own reality, but that may be out of the question. While I do sympathize with his tragic backstory, I'm sure you know what must be done."

"I do." Zangetsu's eyes darkened. "Although, I'm not sure what to do next."

"Finding my Shinigami should be the simplest first step, as well as one without risk to yourself. Together, you will be strong enough to mitigate risks moving forward, as you will have to travel and recruit yourself. I imagine you're down here in the first place to do just that, but you'd be captured or killed by his own faction upon traveling alone. I am unsure why they didn't simply invade you like they did myself. Perhaps your reality has become his target, I'm not informed about the progress of their research. Make haste, he's likely gathering his own strength."

Zangetsu stood, exiting the cell. "Be patient. I will come back for you."

"Somehow I'm inclined to believe you." The spirit smiled. "Perhaps that shows just how desperate I have become. I wish you luck, friend."

Following their parting words, Zangetsu flew down the seemingly endless stairs energized with new purpose. Eventually, he came to the room buried under a city's worth of cooling, power, and data storage. The consoles were already glimmering with life, assuring Zangetsu that Toshigo had made a journey and was not currently present in this world. He tracked the last trip the man made and used the archive path to deduce his next target. He found it labelled clearly, almost identical to the story he'd been told by his sealed acquaintance.

"I love organized people."

Gathering his resolve, Zangetsu soon found himself in a world wreathed in heavy fog. The craggy footing made it difficult to move quickly. Zangetsu figured he'd be used to uncomfortable settings after recent events, but this haze enveloped and suffocated in ways he'd never experienced before. Before he could continue, he heard a voice.

"Who are you?"

Turning to face the voice, hoarse and apprehensive, he began traversing the space with newfound ease. As he wandered towards the voice, he wondered how to handle the question. Maybe just dodging it is the best response here: "I am here for you."

Unease seeped into the voice. "I do not doubt that, but you seem… different. You shine brightly in this stagnant world. Such a light has not reached here in some time."

Zangetsu reached the figure, splayed on his back, staring into the endlessly murky sky. He bent down, placing his hand on the figure's shoulder and ignoring the flinch. "Follow this light. We will end your struggle."

"You misunderstand. Once maybe, but my struggle ended long ago. If you wish to kill me, I no longer have any reason to stop you."

Zangetsu sighed, "That's… not what I meant. Your spirit still fights — his desire to save you is still strong — and I will drag you kicking and screaming from this world to fight for the future he can still see."

- Back to the present

Zangetsu crossed his arms triumphantly. "And I did, so he's right there! Man is he stubborn."

"In hindsight, that was quite careless on my part. I did not consider such an interaction a possibility. So, you've built your own army. Amusing." Toshigo turned to Ulquiosaki. "I assume your sob story was the cornerstone in bringing these individuals together."

The man did not respond, and Zangetsu stepped forward. "We're only here to destroy the machine and protect our realities from your influence. No one else has to die."

Toshigo shook his head and raised his sword. "Admirable, but unfortunately futile. We've come too far to stop now. I'm sure you can understand that."

Zangetsu readied his own blade in turn. "I can understand that this is gonna be one hell of a fight."

The combatants began pairing off, eyes narrowing in anticipation of the coming combat. The sides were mostly even in number, with those specializing in healing or Kidō maintaining their distance and attending to those who had already been wounded.

Ichigo could feel his strength returning. Zangetsu's tale had given him time to heal, but a stern reminder from Hirago confirmed he was not quite in a position to fight. His frustration only grew as swords began to lock. He noticed Zangetsu tag Toshigo and Ulquiosaki pair with Kurosuke.

As the intensity of the fights increased, Ichigo could only shake his head. "This has to be one of the craziest things I've ever seen."

At this comment, Hirago's grin widened slightly. "No kiddin, it gives me a headache just thinkin about it. It also gives me some small comfort as well. All the Ichigos traveled unfathomable distances to stand here, almost on a whim, and butt heads for the same reason they've fought all this time. On both sides, they are here to protect something important to them."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "If you really want to boil it down, isn't that why most people fight? Also, some of these guys seem kind of evil."

"C'mon, let me have my moment."

Before Ichigo could retort, he noticed a pair of the isolated combatants had stalled. Ulquiosaki had now wrapped his hand around Kurosuke's throat, pinning him to the ground. The fallen man's sword lay out of arms reach; Kurosuke's earlier bout with Ichigo accelerated this fight's conclusion.

Kurosuke grimaced at his position. "Are you here for revenge after what we did to your spirit? His willpower is remarkable, but everything has its limits."

"Ridiculous. I am here for self-preservation. Trying to provoke me further is meaningless, you have already succeeded by threatening my existence."

Kurosuke's Zanpakutō howled in rage as he broke off from his fight and tore across the landscape, desperately trying to save his Shinigami.

Before anyone else could intercept him, an emaciated form appeared between. In an instant, the charging spirit hit the dirt, and Ulquiosaki's spirit stood quietly over him, unflinching despite the circumstance.

Seeing the outcome, Ulquiosaki began again. "Under normal circumstances, I'd ask you to surrender. However, this situation does not beget mercy."

Kurosuke began to panic as Ulquiosaki placed the black blade against his neck. He turned his head to where Toshigo was locked in combat. "Our power would have been omniscient! We could have been gods! You promised we'd get back what we lost. Where are your promises now?!"

Toshigo was in no position to respond, and Ulquiosaki had heard enough. His eyes narrowed and a Getsuga fired off. A few of those present flinched.

Standing up, Ulquiosaki looked down in contempt. "What's a god to a non-believer?"

Hirago walked up, leaving the healing in the capable hands of Hachigo, clearly a little disappointed. "Well that'll be a closed casket funeral. Did ya have to go so far?"

"No," Ulquiosaki admitted, turning to stare down the remaining enemies. "but it seems like my message was received."

The other man shrugged as Ichigo staggered next to them, sword at the ready. "Hope you guys brought marshmallows, cuz I'm bringing the heat."

Hirago turned to him disapprovingly. "No, you are not. You are going to lie down, and they will eat their marshmallows untoasted."

As the pair began to bicker, Zangetsu continued his dance with Toshigo.

"Why don't you just give up?" The spirit asked helpfully, pushing aside an overhead strike. "You're outnumbered and outmatched — more people are just going to die."

Toshigo's eyes narrowed. "I will do anything to free myself from this accursed world. My existence has been wiped from the living world — I exist only here, trapped by the blades of my former allies. My place in everyone's story has been overwritten by false memories. I remain trapped in this world, unable to affect the tragedy that continues to plague those I hold dear. It does not matter how many corpses I must walk over to reach a solution."

"They may not be your loved ones, but every Ichigo here has made a promise to protect their respective worlds. You're just selfish, and that's the pot calling the kettle black right there."

"I too once made a promise." Toshigo pointed his blade at the Zanpakutō spirit. For a moment, he saw the form of his own lost spirit. His constant grin unblemished by his impending fate, although it held a hint of nostalgia, and Toshigo's mind played out a scene from long ago: 'What I've longed to protect all this time, was you, Ichigo. As we've grown together, you've shown me exactly what that entails. I will protect your world, and those in it, in your place.'

Power began to swirl around Toshigo. "It was a simple vow that ended up being the last words I ever spoke in the waking world."

His spirit, manifested in the Soul Society, had laid him down softly and without words. Toshigo's eyes had screamed for him to come back, begging to take him along, but the spirit had not faltered — his mind made up. Before his spirit had transferred his consciousness to his inner world, through the pain in his chest, Toshigo formed the only words that would reach the spirit.

"I'm not giving up on this world, and I'm not giving up on you. Someday, even if I have to transcend existence, I will drag us back together." His spiritual pressure froze, the sudden suspension giving Zangetsu sensations of vertigo. Then it started crackling. "I don't make promises lightly, Zangetsu."

Finally understanding the implications of the buildup, Zangetsu lifted his mask, revealing the characteristic bloodthirsty grin. "C'mon already, you've cucked me for this long. If you keep blue balling me, I'm gonna get upset!"

"Bankai." The spirit would need to wait no longer. "Tensa Zangetsu."

A cackle barely sounded over the clashing blades. "Not bad, old man! For how long you've been cooped up in here, I'm surprised you can still get it up."

Toshigo's eyes darkened. "I almost don't want to use this halfwit as a catalyst."

"Wait, what'd you say? That sounded important, but I was laughing and missed it!"

Before he could say anymore, a Getsuga fired over Toshigo's head as they attempted to gang up on the spirt. It detonated violently, engulfing the area.

A pulse of spiritual energy dispelled the residue black energy, revealing Hirago with his usual smile in place. He snapped his fingers and a mirror of kidō shattered. "Danku."

Ulquiosaki came roaring down from over the barrier, finger extended and muttering under his breath as lightening began to crackle around his appendage. Unosaki flash stepped before Toshigo, meeting the attack with her own Hadō 63. Hirago whistled upon seeing her manage to cancel out a full incantation without one. Kurohara attempted to hide behind the flashy kidō, charging forth to strike at the still recovering Ichigo. Hachigo was there to meet him. "I hesitate to call that clever. You've overextended."

Kurohara's eyes widened as Ulquiosaki's spirit ran him through from behind. As he collapsed into the dirt, the spirit turned to guard the fallen combatant as though he were playing capture the flag. "Consider us square for unsealing me. A life for a life."

Hachigo sighed, "I'm wounded you believed my life to be in danger."

Ichigo now stood, the continued kidō treatment along with more time to regain his strength had at least allowed him to stand. He staggered forward, coming next to Zangetsu, so he could speak to Toshigo.

"That's enough, we didn't come here to kill anyone—" Zangetsu scoffed and Ulquiosaki raised an eyebrow. "Alright, most of us didn't come here to kill anyone. We'd just like to return home free of threats to our existence. You really are outnumbered here. Look, the old man is still in his start up phase."

All turned to see Yamasaki struggling to bear his torso of scars, grumbling cries of war as his joints snapped, crackled, and popped.

Hirago sweat dropped. "Maybe I do wanna die today so I never have to become that."

Toshigo's eyes never wavered. "Ridiculous. We've all committed to seeing this through. Our spirits were forced to make the ultimate sacrifice. This is our best shot, and it'd be foolhardy not to gamble everything."

"I hoped you'd say something like that." Zangetsu readied his blade. "I'd prefer if this didn't keep turning into some 'Avengers, assemble' bullshit. What do you say to some classic mano y mano?"

"Can he say that?"

Toshigo sighed, "That's honorable for a Hollow. Oh well, pick your targets — no Jūshigo the spirit is mine, and I don't care that he killed your friend. Although, I'm honestly impressed you can still fight with that cut."

With that they squared up one last time, and Zangetsu grinned. "Finally just the two of us."

"This will be over before you know it." Toshigo began pooling his energy. "I will end this in one blow."

Zangetsu also began focusing his spirit energy, drowning his blade in preparation. Although hidden by the mask, the grin had slipped off Zangetsu's face. His mind wandering to the moment Ichigo earned the right to wield the mask, embracing his instinct rather than fighting it.

'Promises should never be made lightly. I will always be there to shake his throne. I will never let him be weak, so he always has the strength to protect. Within that strength lies my own promise. As long as Ichigo lives, I will never die.'

A single clash of wills and it was all over; a single splash of blood and another Soul Reaper hit the dirt.

Toshigo's Bankai dispelled in an instant. His Shikai no longer able to reform, he was rendered helpless. He looked to see Ulquiosaki holding Jūshigo by his collar — the man did not appear to be in fighting shape. Unosaki and Hirago still squared off, but the fight would quickly devolve into an execution with the pitch in numbers. Toshigo sighed, and Zangetsu voiced his thoughts.

"It's all over."

"So it would seem." It hurt to speak, which was probably not a good sign, so he allowed himself to venture into sentimentality. "This has been quite the nostalgic afternoon. I've always enjoyed the opportunity to cross blades with Zangetsu."

Zangetsu's mask was gone, his Shikai in place on his back, and his power was reigning in. He seemed to be mulling something internally as he walked over, then he sat down next to the dying Soul Reaper with a huff. "It was a good fight. Ichigo has been rather occupied recently, so it feels good to shake the rust off."

"Hard to imagine anyone with orange hair getting a break from fighting."

"He's always fighting, but it's a different battlefield for now — somewhere neither of us can stand by his side. Every night, downpours flood his inner world. The realization that we can only stand behind him in this sets a somber tone, but it's been the only time the Old Man will seek me out. There's nothing worse than being alone in rain like that."

"A new battlefield, hm? The mind is surely the most daunting of all the battlefields."

"You're a sharp one, aren't you? He was forced to travel through time against his will. His comrades either no longer remember him or may never exist. Those who traveled with him are still struggling to come to terms with what that means for their beliefs, motivations, and desires."

"It seems we have more in common than I thought: the swallowing loneliness of having everything stripped from your name. I envy you, though. In spite of everything, you never have to feel the emptiness of fighting alone; you can face this together."

"No matter what, as he never fights for himself, Ichigo never fights alone. On the wings of the countless promises he's made, he picks up his sword to protect over and over again because he must. Even if his achievements are null, even if those he fought for no longer exist, he continues to fly towards a future that is better for everyone, so that someday they might lead a better life."

He turned to meet Toshigo's fading gaze. "When locked in heated combat, they say a warrior's soul is laid bare before mortality. Zangetsu has the power to convey and understand everything that comes along with that. I felt no emptiness in your blade. All this time, you have not been fighting alone. The weight of your promises has made your blade heavy with purpose — a deadly weapon. Even if I can't condone what you've done, I can at least acknowledge that."

Toshigo let out another haggard sigh. His eyelids were growing heavy, he struggled to keep them open. "I never even knew if it was possible to fulfill my promise. In the end, all I could do was keep going. I had nothing else."

"You've gone so far. Perhaps now, you'll be able to reach him."

His vision began to blur as he continued to take in the visage of Zangetsu. In those streaking lines of light, Toshigo found what he'd searched for all this time. "It seems I already have."

The moment stretched for an eternity. Toshigo's eyes held steady, burning the moment into his mind before they finally closed forever.

Zangetsu stood up, and Ichigo caught his attention. "I didn't know you had that in you."

Zangetsu didn't respond, as his shoulders began shaking.

"I know you two had a moment there, but I didn't expect you to be so broken up about it. You're full of surprises today."

He turned to face Ichigo, revealing an expression much closer to distress than sorrow. "He just died! Is the world going to come crumbling down around us? How the hell are we supposed to get back to our reality?!"

Ichigo paled, but before could respond, a small figure came skipping from the ruins of the entrance to Nadir. Zangetsu recognized the figure immediately. Ichigo cocked his head, and as it began to dawn on him what exactly was coming his way, Zangetsu smacked him to prevent a typical outburst.

"You need a new gimmick, why don't you try saying something smart for a change? It'll add to your character."

"Sleep with one eye open you bastard."

"Hi, hi!" Ichigomo waved gaily. "I just wanted to give you a heads up that I can help get you back."

"Huh? You can?" Ichigo seemed confused. They paid no attention to the continued explosions behind them. Yamasaki apparently finished snap, crackle, popping and began cookie crisping Ulquiosaki while Hirago ran around with his hair on fire.

"Of course!" She winked, "I am, after all, the one who built it!"

"You are?!" Zangetsu and Ichigo chorused.

Zangetsu began scratching his head. "Oh man, I don't think I'm up for another chapter of this."

"No, no, this is a simple fix, I promise. And promises shouldn't be made lightly, right?"

"You weren't here for that conversation…" Zangetsu murmured.

"If you made the device, does that mean you planned on something like this happening? Did we even fight the right guy?" Ichigo scratched his head.

Ichigomo's voice deepened. "Ichigo Kurosaki, all of the battle's you've fought were part of my plan."

Ichigo's heart stopped as he moved to rubbing his eyes. "Huh? Huh?!"

Hirago appeared behind Ichigo, his hair in a predictable state. "You bastard. When the hell did you start using your Kyoka Suigetsu?"

"At what point did you think I wasn't using my Kyoka Suigetsu?"

- Trip Reminisce Over

Ichigo crossed his arms and nodded, "So I woke up screaming."

Renji face palmed. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Also, what is wrong with you? Why didn't you stop me from sitting up? That was on purpose wasn't it!"

"Who can say?" Renji grinned haughtily at the fuming Shinigami. "But you'd better get on cleaning that up before Ogidō finds it."

- Elsewhere

A pod of four hooded Soul Reapers were joined together around a dim lit table, pouring over local maps and engaged in tense discussion. A fifth individual wandered into the room.

"I've never seen a group of clowns look so suspicious before. Actually, that's not true, I still have nightmares from the school fair…"

This seemed to particular annoy one of the gathered individuals, and her voice wore the emotion on its sleeve. "What do you want, Ogidō? You know well enough that we depart in a couple of hours."

"That's exactly why I'm here, now stop plotting world domination and focus up."

Although no one there liked it, Ogidō was technically their superior officer in the given circumstances. As such, they acquiesced with only a hint of sass.

"We've got three students from Shin'ō here on remote duty for a few days. Word's stumbled down, and has been approved, that they are to shadow your mission for exposure. The front office seems to be exceedingly confident in the predictive power of our data, and your group's experience coupled with the relative tameness of your destination must be just enough for them to approve something like this."

"What are you playing at Ogidō?" The same voice chimed again. "The approval of something like this is uncanny, whose balls did you have to fondle for these kids?"

Ogidō sighed good naturedly, almost in spite of the harshness.

"Such a crass woman, no one will take you for a wife if you keep talking about other men's balls." He continued, cutting off her inevitable retort. "This is an order. Keep them safe. We all know you're capable of it; this will reflect negatively should we lose one of the hatchlings."

The woman backed down in the face of hierarchy. Ogidō was not one to pull rank, so it was likely he wasn't the one fondling balls.

Internally, Ogidō was practically dying. 'I hate confrontation, why couldn't it have been one of the more passive team leads. Nothing is going to happen— wait, now that I said that...'

Ogidō scratched his head, his exterior falling back to his usual persona as he saw the group accept the order. "For students, they are extremely capable. There are three students from Rukongai, two of which are earning an almost unprecedented amount of attention among the Gotei 13. While they may not be capable by Shinigami standards, I hesitate to say you'll be operating with a ball and chain. Ichigo Kurosaki, Renji Abarai, and Hikaru Kurami will be accompanying you on your mission. We've drafted brief profiles so you will understand strengths and weaknesses, and I suggest you review them. I'll put them in your hands, Team Lead."

The team lead did not fail to notice one of her smaller members stiffen when Ogidō called the students by name. "They are in all of our hands, and we will return them. Where are they now?"

To his credit, Ogidō's façade did not flinch in the slightest. "They are currently working on designated tasks. They will be wrapping up shortly, and I will introduce them to you over a meal."

The smallest member stood, sensing the discussion was over. "Excuse me, my Zanpakutō is astir, allow me the chance to communicate before we get down to further business."

Ogidō, eager for the opportunity to make his own exit, smiled and plucked the low hanging fruit. "My pleasure. Please, attend to your personal business, as I have my own garden to tend."

A new, happier voice chimed in over the formal atmosphere. "You always have kept your garden nice and neat, Ogidō!"

Ogidō's shoulders sagged as he walked away, not bothering to pay his small companion any attention as he muttered to himself "I never should have slept with that witch".

Ogidō wandered mindlessly, legs carrying himself down hallways they knew by heart. If that wasn't enough to sour his state of mind, the shriek of horror from down the hallway sealed the deal. With a hand to his head, Ogidō took his sweet time slogging through the home stretch. He removed his hand and poked his head around the door just in time to see Ichigo preparing to lock horns with Renji.

"… you'd better get on cleaning on cleaning that up before Ogidō finds it."

He decided to make his entrance before the situation deteriorated. "Before Ogidō finds what?"

"Ah man." Ichigo sighed, accepting defeat and pointing at the offending fluid next to the bed.

Ogidō raised a brow. "That's hardly your fault — Renji was well aware of the after-effects. He should have stopped you."

Ichigo brightened. "I knew it! Get on your knees, Pineapple!"

"Please never say that again."

Ogidō clapped his hands, making himself the center of attention once again. "I've informed the upcoming away party of your involvement. Don't be dumbasses, and don't let this slip or we'll both be in a whole load of shit."

"Wouldn't it have been easier to accept whatever punishment we earned for doing this?"

"You've found a way to meddle in some less than ethical research. Didn't you find it strange we're performing it in the middle of buttfuck nowhere as opposed to the 12th Division? We've all basically committed felonies here! If you three get killed on patrol… well that's also a felony for me, but you'll be dead."

Needless to say, the students were not pleased.

"OI! You just want to keep us quiet about this, don't you?!"

"I'm going to pluck out your stupid brown hair one strand at a time and use 'em to sew your eyes closed!"

Ichigo paused his tirade, and Renji withheld, as both characters blinked and eyed Hikaru strangely, who had the decency to appear sheepish.

"Relax. You'll be fine. I've stuck you with capable folks who are on a routine mission. Collect yourselves for a few minutes, then I'll come back and we'll get some food in you."

Their hackles lowered at the mention of food and Ogidō vacating the room. In his place, however, stood a noticeably smaller figure. The black hood shrouded any distinguishing features save for a pair of piercing blue eyes.

The familiarity behind those eyes struck Ichigo and Renji silent. Ichigo found his voice first.

"T-Toshiro?"

A/N:

Had the weirdest idea for the Pokémon universe. Instead of the movies following Ash, wouldn't it be cool for them to be portrayed like a Disney movie? This was inspired because I was high as balls watching Frozen 2 and the ending scenes with the water horse made me think of Suicune. For example, supplant the spirits of Fire, Earth, Water, and Wind in Frozen 2 with Entei, Raiku, Suicune, and Celebie, and I think it could be an interesting insight into the world. Additionally, if you created isolated series, with unique protagonists and possibly some overlap — around the same time era — they could do ensemble films (sound like another Disney franchise? It's been known the legends can conflict). I realize this is realistically impossible, I just thought it was some fun food for thought. It's fun to superimpose a given universes on a given plot.

Maybe a new fanfiction will come my way… who knows? Usually I just use this as a medium to vent thoughts or concepts that have been bothering me. I give the necessary circumstances established characters, so I don't have to work to create one, and let whatever it is run rampant in the document for a little while. The trip chapters in this story were in bullet points forever. I mean it, and I'm almost positive you believe me.