Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its content. I only have ownership of my OC and other self-created content.
All rights of Bleach and its content go to Tite Kubo.

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4: Soul Saving

Rai had been running for what felt like hours, the liquid resistance of the air holding him back but causing him no strain. He'd spent a while pondering the situation he was in as he moved, holding on to the thread of blue that was showing the beacon of dark navy in the distance. "Hey, Captain Riddle, you said before I can obtain you I must know you, how exactly can I do that?"

"Is looking within truly so foreign to you?" The voice questioned.

"Right right, you're within me, 'course, why did I expect a simple answer?" Rai sighed as he kept moving, bounding over a low-swinging obstacle that was aimed for his legs. Despite the length of time he had been on the run he had covered little to no ground, yet the darkness behind him had no difficulty in making progress, Rai could swear that he felt colder.

"So Death, that thing that's eating up everything. You speak about it in a way that sounds like you know 'it', you got some history or something there?" Rai continued questioning the voice that belonged to whoever he was trying to find.

"There is not enough time to give you an answer deeper than yes. Please try harder, I can feel you fading."

Rai hadn't noticed before it was mentioned, but he did feel 'weaker', not in a conventional sense, he could keep running and he wasn't out of breath yet he certainly felt more drained. "I'm trying but I don't seem to be getting any closer to you. Which doesn't make an ounce of sense, I've been heading towards you for a while now, what gives?"

"I am bound by certain rules, a higher power. Again, I cannot elaborate further, you must find the way."

"You really are.." Rai paused to jump across a multitude of platforms one by one. "No help to me at all.." Another pause as he rolled under a lowering platform, evaded a swinging pillar and jumped down to the path below but before he could land he was swatted out of the air by an unseen swinging block on his right, thrown through the air and crashing upon a platform Rai grunted, shaken from the impact.

"Are... you..." Finishing his sentence from before, surprising to him, Rai had taken damage from the blow. His right arm felt numb from the impact and wasn't doing too good. "Don't want to do that again.." Rai was moving his arm as he spoke his thoughts out loud, trying to assess the damage if possible and get some feeling back in it. He looked around and noticed the platform he was on was deserted, just an empty space with nowhere to go, he was trapped.

Holding his arm to support it a bit he looked behind him, the black emptiness of 'Death' was ever approaching, swallowing the endless grey into nowhere. "I need to move. I can't stay on this platform, but how do I go about getting off this." Rai walked to the edge and looked down, there was no grey awaiting him if he fell, only black empty death was below him.

"So you can't tell me anything about 'Death', but can you by chance tell me what in the hell I am supposed to do now? I am completely cut off, and the only thing waiting for me down there is death. There has to be something you can say!" Rai was growing increasingly desperate.

"I cannot."

"Why?"

"Rules beyond your understanding stop me."

"You say you're inside of me. Won't you die if I do?"

There was a pause before the answer came. "Possibly."

Rai sat down, feeling increasingly drained. "So are you resigned to following the rules over living? Well, you say possibly so I guess it's only MY dying that is guarantee'd huh. Wonderful."

Another pause, and it couldn't be called silent, not with the eerie roar of what was behind Rai. "This space we are in belongs to you. You yourself are the one in control of it. You decide which platforms exist and which don't, a place you can alter to your will." After the words came an audible rumble and the light Rai was following dimmed and flickered before shining once again, the voice followed, this time sounding pained. "You're the one in control of getting out of there."

"I'd like to be sarcastic and say was that so hard, but by the sounds of it, these rules you are supposed to follow just gave you some retribution for breaking them. Once we are through this I'll make it up to you, sorry for the trouble and thank you." Rai stood up and looked out in the direction of the light "Well then, let's give this 'control' thing a go, shall we?" Closing his eyes, he focused and pictured the area in front of him, in his mind he saw the emptiness and filled it with a maneuverable road heading directly towards the light. Upon opening his eyes he saw in front of him what he'd pictured, it wasn't perfect, some areas were empty and some seemed weak and unsteady to run on, but the point right now was it worked.

"Seriously, thank you!" He said with a smirk on his face, a newfound belief inside, and a continued drive to run, so once again, he ran.

Karakura Clinic - At The Same Time

Kisuke and Tatsuki were the only ones still in the room with Rai's body. Isshin had turned off the machines and joined the others in the main room of the household. Kisuke was looking at the floor and Tatsuki simply staring at Rai, he was clearly dead, no pulse, white all over. Something within Tatsuki was the same, she had a coldness inside that she couldn't comprehend, it was like part of her had joined the boy she was looking at in death. 'What is wrong with me. Why do I feel like this. I barely knew him so..' She clutched her chest 'Why does this hurt so much.. I don't love him, I can't even say that I truly like him as a friend, it's way too early to say, so.. What's going on..'

'You said you'd be okay.. Why did you have to say that when you didn't know.. Dammit Raiyarga.. Get your dumb ass back here so I can hit you..' Tatsuki reached for his hand, she wasn't sure what compelled her to do so, yet the instant she made contact images flashed through her head, a roaring darkness, a flash of dark blue, a grey empty expanse and then the silhouette of a young girl completely black and devoid of features, colossal in it's form and overwhelming, snapping her back to reality. 'W-what.. What the hell was that..' She tried but couldn't recall the images, as quickly as she had seen them they were gone, she knew she had seen them, but could not remember what she had seen.

Kisuke seemed to notice something was amiss, Tatsuki hadn't released the boys hand. "Arisawa-san?" She snapped her head to Kisuke "Are you okay?" He asked tenderly.

"Urahara-san do you think.. do you think your Kido spell could be transmissable?"

Kisuke's eyes widened momentarily before he composed himself. "If you mean from person-to-person, that would not only be completely unexpected, but also next to impossible. Kido's that can spread do exist but in this instance, I did not design the Kido to have that function."

"Something happened when I touched him.. I know I saw something, but I have no idea what I saw now." Tatsuki paused before sighing "I guess I am just in some form of shock. If you say it isn't possible, then it isn't possible." She let go of his hand and slumped down into a sitting position below the gurney Rai was on, holding her knees. "I am sorry Urahara-san.. I know you didn't mean for this."

Kisuke watched Tatsuki then looked at the floor again, digesting the information she had just given him, thoughts drowned his mind. 'What did she see? Images of the boy? The memories I locked away? Did I make an even bigger mistake with the Kido? Did it spread? No. It couldn't have spread. I know I did not make an error in it's design, so just what exactly does she mean by she saw something, what did she see and even more so, just HOW did she see it?'

"Arisawa-san?"

She only offered a sad "Mm?" as a response.

"I think it's time we join the others, don't you?"

Kisuke saw her nod in response and both stood up in silence. He looked at Rai once more before walking to the door that joined the main room of the Kurosaki household. As he opened the door all eyes looked at him for any sign of a change, Kisuke softy shook his head, Orihime and Isshin looked down, Yuzu and Karin were no longer crying, Yuzu holding on to her brother as Karin just sat near him. Ichigo was looking at Kisuke with anger in his eyes, clearly holding himself back given the situation. Tatsuki was the last to enter the room, closing the door behind her and all the while looking at Rai as she did, once closed she sat next to Orihime and quietly gripped her hand softly.

Raiyarga's Inner World - 5:53pm Human World Time

"How- How much time has passed since I started running Riddle?" Rai asked, wiping blood away from his eyes while panting.

"52 hours, 43 minutes and 23 seconds."

"Why is it taking so long to-" Rai coughed before continuing "To find you."

"You're much weaker than before. Too distracted by feeble obstacles to focus on what is necessary."

"Excuse me for trying to not die a second time, alright? It's gone from avoiding walls to having blades and spears appear from nothing trying to have my head or impale me. I want to get to you without dying in the process." Rai looked at himself, cuts and scrapes covered his body, yet despite losing blood he didn't necessarily seem to feel it. He had found it much harder to traverse the path he had imagined, and the watery environment was increasingly restrictive to him.

"Say, can you not just come to me?"

"No."

"Talkative as ever. I have made some progress though, you're closer and I can feel it."

"Hurry."

"Yeah yeah I know, I'm working on it." Rai continued running, the black empty grip of 'Death' was all around him but he'd noticed for a while now that it wasn't advancing in front of him where the light was. It was above, below, behind and at his sides, but in front of him it could not get to the light, it couldn't advance there.

Dodging a slicing sword aimed for his neck, before halting any movement to not get impaled by a trapped piece of platform ahead of him, Rai took his time to regulate his breathing through the onslaught of obstacles that hadn't stopped to give him a proper break. The platform behind him knocked him forward with an extending pillar and Rai was heading for the spikes quickly, without a moment to react he closed his eyes and on instinct swung his arms towards the spikes, no contact followed and he landed face first on the floor.

He rolled to his back and panted "That was way too close.." above him he noticed a plume of something going away from him, "Smoke? No.. technically I am underwater so.. steam? What caused that.."

"It correlates that you would have the family attribute." The voice spoke suddenly and assuredly.

"Huh? The family attribute? What are you talking about?"

"You'll learn soon enough, you are closer."

"I think after over 50 hours, I am getting used to your crypticness, Riddle." Rai spoke sarcastically.

"For how long will you address me as such?"

"Whaaaaat, you don't like that name? I think its witty."

"It is not a matter of triviality such as liking it. It is a matter of likeness and understanding."

"You want to explain that again like I am a child?"

No answer followed, which made Rai let out a sigh. He kept moving towards the thread but didn't get much further, the obstacles facing him seemed to dissipate from view, the blades, the blockades, each and every one left as quickly as they appeared and in their place raised a single wall. On the wall a scattered, choppy image played, smoothed itself out and continued playing. He watched keenly, taking in every image.

"What am I seeing here?"

"Your memories, taken from you without your will and now available again." The voice paused before continuing "What you're about to see, are the events that unfolded, and set us upon this path, brought me to you."

Rai didn't reply, he watched without speaking or blinking. He watched and remembered, struggling through the streets, following Arisawa's voice, seeing her kneeling before a man with a sword, Don Kanonji next to Tatsuki and a woman appearing who looked crafted by a man's ideal who was holding a sword of her own, Kanonji taking off from the scene with Tatsuki, and then everything fading away as he lost consciousness.

The wall darkened and faded to black, Rai was about to speak yet a conversation without images started playing out. "Those were my memories, so what is this?"

"Still a memory. Of a conversation while you were unconscious."

A woman spoke "He was awake when Aizen was in Karakura Town, and I sense a fair amount of Reiatsu from him. If we leave him like this he'll wake up and remember everything, he'll ask questions and if his Reiatsu increases he may end up with some form of ability like Chad or Orihime."

A pause followed before a man answered "Luckily, I've been working on a new Kido spell that doesn't completely remove memories, it's more ethical so that humans don't have permanent memory damage. If we're lucky it should sort this boy out so that he doesn't go asking questions, although.. If his Reiatsu begins increasing the Kido will weaken and his memories may return, after all it isn't a permanent removal, it's better described as putting memories of the past eight hours into lockdown so they can't be accessed. This means that the boy won't be able to remember anything that he experienced within the past eight hours, but if his Reiatsu increases, well then these memories will without a doubt return. If that time comes we'll give him his answers."

"How effective is this new Kido?" She didn't sound very confident.

"I have no idea.., this would be my first time using i- Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"Kisuke! This is no time for games, just use a Kido you know that is already effective! We can't have any more humans getting involved! There's already Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Uryuu.. Hell even the Kurosaki twins have a fair amount of Reiatsu!"

"Yoruichi-san, do you really have such a low regard for my talents?"

"Kisuke you know as well as I do that I trust in your abilities. I just think it would be best for us to not let anymore humans get involved, the Soul Society won't like this."

"Well Yoruichi, I developed this Kido for times such as these where humans with Reiatsu turn up, it delays their knowledge of Hollows, Shinigami and the Soul Society so that when the time comes they will have more of a level head. Do you think it would be best just to tell this boy about everything after he most likely just witnessed one of the most terrifying occurrences in his life? If his memories return he will come here. And if he does we will tell him what he needs to know and nothing more."

"I think it would be best just to wipe his memory completely like we do with all the other humans. Whatever, let's just get this over with shall we?"

"Yes, lets. Hachijikan Bookyaku Kakeru."

Rai paused, he was taking in everything he had just heard, or better reheard he guessed. His mind was racing, going a million miles per hour so he took a deep breathe and looked at the thread in his hand. "Hey.. I have so many questions.. I don't even know where to begin.. Just what the hell was-" He was cut short as everything in his vision went utterly black before fading very slightly back into view. Rai was face down, he hadn't even noticed he had fallen, he had no energy and the liquid resistance around felt like it was crushing him. He couldn't even muster words, his back felt ice cold and he turned his head weakly to find out why.

Death. That roaring void of an entity had attached itself to his back. Rai couldn't even panic he felt every ounce of what he called life slipping away quicker than he could think, everything was getting darker and darker in his vision, he urged his head to turn, it did, so slowly it felt like an eternity. The thread was still in his hand, the navy blue looked like black and grey, any color it emanated couldn't be seen. He moved his head more and looked towards the distance where the thread had resided all this time, his vision was blurred and darkened, he could barely see, there was something hovering in the distance above the thread, they looked like symbols.

Rai tried squinting to get a better look, it hardly helped but that was enough. It was Japanese, kanji characters. "Rat... A Thousand Generations... A Thousand Generations of Rat?" Thinking in and of itself was a struggle, he forced it, he needed to, clinging on desperately to whatever life was left his fight or flight was locked in fight. "No... not literal... one of them is Hiragana... a.. a name?"

He urged his mouth and tongue to move, he pleaded and flailed inside his own mind. He couldn't even scream inside his mind, but was wishing he could. "Speak... damn it... S-P-E-A-K..."

"Ne...ne...ch...iyo..." he couldn't structure it properly, he was too weak, but he didn't stop. "Ne..ne..chiy..o... Nenec...hiyo..." he didn't know how he did it, but his arm was reaching towards the words, he was grasping for anything with strength he didn't have, and as it all left him, as his lifeforce itself was taken, his last breath uttered the name, so soft it was less than a whisper, so weak an ant could have spoken louder if it had a voice. "Nenechiyo..."

The arcane and archaic voice spoke "You could not hear me before, but now you can. First, you found me, and now, you know me, being in front of you, all you need do is rise and obtain me."

Rai gasped in air and registered that he had heard the voice at the same time, all the strength he lost rushing back to him and coursing through his body. Coughing and gasping while pushing himself from the floor he stood up and looked around him, he was inside the navy blue area, the brightness of the light betraying the darkened contrast, all around the area was 'Death'. Everything outside of this space had been swallowed up. "I.. I was gone.."

"And now you aren't"

He looked towards the voice, and set his eyes upon the arcane person for the first time. She looked utterly ethereal, a face of porcelain youth, slim and evenly rounded, eyes of ivory white and hair to match, these two particular features seemed to shimmer and glow, the purest image of light Rai had ever set his eyes upon. She was wearing long, tightly fitted robes, moss green in color but not robes of nobility, the only thought he had of the outfit was that of a soldier.

"You... uh.."

"Aren't what you were expecting, I know."

"Yeah.. yeah.. exactly.." Rai recognised a crest on her robes, it was strikingly similar to what he'd seen before at his home overseas in the UK. "That crest.. I've seen something so similar back at my family home"

"Not similar. The same crest. Admittedly changed with the times. The one upon this robe is the first, the original."

"What is it? Why is it on your robes and at my family home?"

"It is your family crest. The Tenkaichi crest. Circular to symbolise eternity. The square embed to signify stone, a wall, strength and protection. The fiery edges a marker, for the ability your family is legend of."

"Is any of this ever going to make sense? How do you know so much."

"I suspect in time you will become accustomed. The rest I will speak with you afterwards, right now there is still something left undone." Although her expression hadn't shifted in the least, Rai felt her gaze was a suggesting, knowing one.

Without speaking he stepped forward, she was taller than him by a few inches however as he reached his hand forward her seemingly physical shape dissolved into an aura that ran down Rai's arm and spread over his entire body, all around him the expanse he was in expanded and grew outwards, as the aura swirled and buffered a feeling swelled inside that he had never known, raging and rich, encouraging and familiar it overwhelmed Rai in the most positive way. He smiled knowingly and looked around at an empty plane filled with dark navy blue hue, 'Death' no longer present in the domain, banished for hopefully the foreseeable future.

Nenechiyo spoke a final time as Raiyarga had overcome his encounter with 'Death' and was regaining consciousness in the real world.

"Now you have obtained me, and with me, your own power, Tenkaichi-sama"

Kurosaki Residence Living Room - 6:02pm

There hadn't been much in the ways of talking, Yuzu and Karin had calmed down slightly and were no longer crying, the sudden finality of the events they witnessed had shaken them, sure they lived in a home that doubled as a medical clinic, but the medical facilities were for light injuries and mild check-ups, hardly equipped for life-saving countermeasures. Kisuke's face was hidden from view, Isshin was a figure of tension, Tatsuki was slumped next to Orihime staring absently as her best friend still held her hand. Silence had been the noise of the room for what felt like an eternity until Karin spoke up.

"W-what happens now.. does he have family? Can I.." her lip quivered and tears fell from Yuzu's face again as she listened to her sister. "Can I help.. at all.."

Isshin was looking at his daughter with a face of pure heartbreak, he felt pain and regret, his daughters were too young to have faced what had happened. "Oh Karin.. my dear Karin and Yuzu" he rose from his chair and fell to his knees in front of them, pulling them from Ichigo's sides into a warm fatherly embrace. "It's okay my babies, you don't need to experience any more of this, please go to your room, the both of you, rest and let us handle it, okay? I am so sorry you had to go through that.." the twins sobbed against their father, holding on to him as they nodded their heads, not letting go for a few minutes before Karin got up and led Yuzu upstairs by the hand, Ichigo moved over on the sofa and Isshin sat next to him.

Silence was about to take over again but it was broken by Kisuke. "He lives alone. Raiyarga, the boy. He doesn't live with relatives. If he has them we will need to contact them, I have no idea how to explain it to them though." he sounded forelorn and stricken.

Ichigo clenched his fists and spoke in anger, raising his voice "What? You didn't plan this far ahead? Don't know how to explain it? Give me a god damn break!"

"Ichigo!" Isshin spoke over him, and was pointing his gaze at Orihime and Tatsuki, Ichigo noticed and looked down "It isn't the time, or place, for us to bicker right now."

Orihime was looking sympathetically at Tatsuki, the latter of which had drawn her knees into herself and wore the glisten of tears in her eyes as she looked absently, her gaze wasn't set but she was certainly listening. However, in that moment, Orihime noticed that Tatsuki loosened, the grip on her hand eased, her knees ever so slightly came away from her chest and the eyes that hadn't moved shifted towards the clinic entrance door.

'What did I just feel..' Tatsuki asked, a flicker of hope rising in her stomach which had grown cold. Her legs straightening more and her hands at the side of her legs ready to lift her up. 'It couldn't be.. could it..'

Orihime was watching her best friend and was ready to stand up with her, but before Tatsuki could do so the front door to the living area of the Kurosaki household opened and burst through was Misaki Kurosaki, the mother and wife to Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu and Isshin. "I'm home!~" her melodic soothing voice echoed through the silence of the room, all eyes were on her and she noticed something was wrong instantaneously, in the very next instant all six now present in the room heard the sliding of a metal clinic door.

Misaki watched the faces of everyone in front of her go pale, even the usually composed Kisuke Urahara, the other five with wide eyes spinning their heads so quickly, but for her it was all so slow, all she felt in her screaming soul right now was danger, death, the fear of being killed, the faces of her cherished family and friends in front of her only solidified that feeling, her eyes shifted to the sliding clinic door and the slowly emerging figure of a short male, as her eyes met the figure the feeling of dread she had almost swallowed her whole it got so thick, without skipping a beat or blinking her hands left the grocery bags she had been carrying and formed her Heilig Bogen, firing an arrow (Heilig Pfeil) at the figure before the bags had even begun to descend.

"MISAKI WAIT!" called out Isshin.

Rai had barely awoken, found the room he was in empty, machines turned off. He surmised that he had 'died' in the physical world and as such those who had helped him were not in a good place. 'Crap, I hope they won't freak, they must feel like shit, I hope Arisawa is okay.' he thought to himself as he was sliding the clinic door which lead in to the living area open, what happened next Rai couldn't register, the retina in his right eye had barely glimpsed around the door before a blinding cyan-blue light flashed at him, the next thing Rai knew he was crashing through the clinic area still holding the door.

He hadn't blinked, hadn't moved, for Rai he had simply 'phased' in to a different location, as his mind boggled and his senses caught up to the action, he couldn't help but vomit as an intense wave of nausea swept over him, his body lurching, he felt like his organs had just been replaced with new ones in an instant, with the bent and broken metal clinic door next to him he looked up after he no longer was sick, he saw wreckage. The gurney he had been on was gone, the wall that made up the side of the building eradicated and in its place a cloud of dust.

"You were so close to losing your regained life just now, it can only be described as infinitesimal. You're welcome, Tenkaichi-sama."

Whatever just tried to kill him he knew he couldn't handle, Rai had no idea what had even happened and judging by what Nenechiyo had just said she had moved his body for him in a manner so blindingly fast that his brain couldn't comprehend the motion, he felt his blood swirling like waves inside of him, he was burning hot. He rose his fists just in case of a miracle and while panting out of fear, unable to catch his breath, he readied himself for what would come next, but all he heard was shouting.

Isshin ran in front of Misaki and swung his arms outward "MISAKI STOP! WHY ARE YOU SHOOTING?!"

'What? Are they not in danger? Do they not feel the overwhelming danger they're in?' She didn't understand, but lowered her bow.

"Mom!" cried Ichigo, Misaki turned to look at him "It's okay! He's not an enemy!"

'Not an enemy? Are they under some form of subjugation? Forced to protect it?' She didn't answer immediately, she watched as Tatsuki bounded across the room in to the clinic area with Orihime following closely behind.

Misaki was on full alert, her Quincy senses through the roof, she'd already activated her Blut Vene and was holding her bow firm. "I do not know what it has done to turn my family and friends in to it's protectors" the bow raised as she looked at them, a sorrowful look, but determined and ferocious. "But I will destroy that thing, even if I have to go through you, to bring you to your senses and rescue you from it."

"Rai!" shouted Tatsuki, she found him and frantically looked him over "What.. how, oh my god, are you okay? I don't know what has gotten in to Mrs. Kurosaki but it's going to be okay, stay here and stay safe. Hime!"

"Right!" responded Orihime as she rose a barrier in front of Rai "Santen Kesshun, I reject!"

"What the f-" Rai had no idea what was going on, so much was happening so quickly.

In the living area Ichigo and Isshin were both standing in front of Misaki with their hands raised open palm at abdomen height in the universal sign of 'no danger'. "Misaki, my beautiful adoring wife, I don't know why you feel we are being manipulated but I swear to you, we aren't. The boy isn't a danger, it's long.. and complicated.. please lower your bow and let's talk it out, properly, yeah?" her hands wavered, the bow dipped slightly but was raised again fully, Ichigo took over "Mom, he's telling the truth, we have been trying to help him, Yuzu and Karin.. they had to see him die.. just for a while.."

As if on cue the twins came bounding down the stairs due to the noise, Misaki immediately dissipated her bow and Blut Vene in their presence so they wouldn't see, in unison they both shouted "Mom!" and jumped to hug her tightly. "Mom what's going on? What was all that noise and why is the place trashed?!" Misaki's guarded demeanor fell away as she kneeled and held them.

"Oh my sweets. Please don't cry or worry, everything is okay now, let's get you back upstairs while the boys clean up." Misaki led them away but stared daggers in to the clinic room every step she took up the stairs.

Isshin, Ichigo and Kisuke all sighed a breath of relief as Tatsuki came back in to the room. "Is it safe?" she asked anxiously.

"For now, I don't know why she acted that way" Isshin said "Is the boy okay?" Tatsuki nodded and went back to get Orihime and Rai.

Kurosaki Residence Living Room - 6:11pm

Isshin, Ichigo, Urahara, Orihime and Tatsuki were all staring at Raiyarga without saying a word. They all had varying disbelieving looks on their faces, suspicion, doubt, uncertainty. Rai cleared his throat and decided an attempt at breaking the tension.

"Never thought I'd be escaping 'Death' twice in three days! Haha.. ha.. haaaaaaaa. Poor joke."

A chuckle followed, which turned into a giggle, then a laugh, and finally rapturous uncontrollable laughter. Tatsuki was fully losing it, failing to calm herself down, but managing to wipe away tears and speak a few words. "Oh, it's the dork I know alright!" followed by more continuous laughter, and surprisingly, a large hug.

Rai was chuckling nervously as he patted Tatsuki's back lightly, unsure what to do. "How dare.." she spoke against him "How dare you make me feel like that, you giant idiot!"

"I'm sorry." was the only reply he had, after things calmed down and Tatsuki noticed she had been holding on to Rai for an awkward extended period of time she cleared her throat and sat down next to Orihime again, who was wearing a happy yet, mischievous smile, giving Tatsuki the eyes who just gently nudged her best friend in the side.

After sitting back down himself, Rai looked at the group and spoke what had been bugging him. "Is there.. by chance, a 'Kisuke' here?"

The four next to Kisuke all looked at him, and Rai had his answer, Kisuke himself didn't speak. "So, you're the one who messed with my memories? And your accomplice? Yoruichi, I think it was?"

"Yoruichi-san isn't in town currently. She is away on other business." Kisuke spoke finally. "I'd like to apologise. My actions.. were not intended to have such an outcome."

"Oh, I know." Kisuke blinked, looking surprised at Rai "You are, however, going to make it up to me."

"How?"

"I have a lot, of questions. Let's see. Aizen? Reiatsu? Abilities? Kido? Chad, Orihime, Tatsuki, Ichigo, You and Yoruichi, all of theirs and yours 'Abilities'?, Soul Society? Shinigami? Wait, Soul Reapers?! and uh, Hollows? What the hell happened to me for over two days in that place with 'Death' and Nenechiyo? Anything else... yeah! Mrs. Kurosaki?! Why did she try to kill me?! Phew, I think that's everything, for now."

Kisuke lowered his gaze ever so slightly, but looked Rai in the eyes "Is that all?"

"Yep. That will be fine."

"It's a deal, but not now, too much happened and things need to settle for a little while, but let me ask. You remarked at escaping Death twice in three days? Tenkaichi-kun, it's the same day. For all of us here, only about two-to-three hours have passed."

Rai blinked and looked up, not seeming too surprised 'I see, so that's what Nenechiyo meant by time works differently in 'Limbo' for everyone.' "I guess tomorrow is fine then. I am sorry I worried you all, and uh, for whatever that was with Mrs. Kurosaki."

Isshin spoke up "I will talk to my wife about that, it's very unusual for her to act that way. She must have truly felt in danger from you for some reason." he looked deep in thought in regards to this already.

After a short spell of silence as everyone thought about things, Rai got up "I guess I'll take my leave then, no chance I'll get any sleep tonight so I suppose the earlier I get back and can just.. THINK.. the better."

"Oh, you're not going alone mister." Rai looked at Tatsuki questionably "I am going to personally make sure you get home safely."

"Oh my~" came a drawn out response by Orihime, who feigned embarrassment by waving her hand in her face.

Tatsuki blushed and shouted "Hime! Stop already, and you're coming too!"

Outside of Raiyarga's Apartment - 6:42pm

A figure in the clouds was standing on a platform made of invisible Reiatsu, looking down at three highschoolers, two of which left together and the male of the group entering a living quarter. The figure raised his hand to his ear, activating an earpiece and speaking.

"Captain of Squad 13, Kaien Shiba reporting in. Spiritual Human Anomaly located. Sending request for Squad 2, Stealth Force surveillance duty with current known anomaly location, District 3600, direct co-ordinates enclosed in request. Kaien Shiba out."

With a flash, the figure disappeared.

Hueco Mundo, Las Noches - 6:02pm Human World Time

A short female figure flashed through the sky and crashed into the ground with a heavy impact, barrelling a few times over before coming to a halt. The female was bloodied with signs of battle damage covering their body.

Standing in the air was a sleek male figure, with his hands in his pockets and a scar going up his chest, the cyan-haired individual spoke. "Is that all you've got? You call this a fight? This is hardly even a warm up! Piss-ant weakling Shinigami would do more than you! What an excuse you are, second generation Arrancar!"

The female looked up and began howling with laughter "Grimmjow! Grimmjow! I ain't dead and you're ignoring that lovely, deep cut along your side!"

Grimmjow examined his side and scowled, growling "Bitch." under his breath but the female didn't pay any attention, she was no longer even looking at Grimmjow, her attention was far away, eyes and senses drawn in a direction which lay outside of Hueco Mundo, her mouth was agape but quickly rose into a deep, almost lustful smile. She uttered just one word.

"Nii-san."

City of Sais(Sa El Hagar), Egypt - 9:02am(6:02pm Karakura Time)

A male figure was walking through the hallway of a long forgotten structure. No person had set foot in this place for thousands of years and most of it was decrepit and worn by time. The man was alone, standing in a room holding a chained veil made of a metal unbeknownst to mankind. 'That's one. Finally, after all these years, the plan I have devised takes it's long awaited first step.'

After placing the veil inside of an ornate case, the inscriptions on the side of it hummed and glowed before dimming again. The man turned to leave but his gaze and attention were drawn viciously to the far east, looking through the structure, his gaze was fixated on a location along with his senses that he couldn't actually see, but he knew what it meant. Wearing a smile laced with deadly anticipation he spoke.

"Brother."

A/N: It has been a while once again, and once again this chapter is long overdue. Circumstances have changed in my life and I hope to update more often as and when I can, which is good news for the story! Not so much for my time haha!

I do hope that you enjoy, please feel free to leave a review and follow if you liked it enough or just want to give me some feedback, for those who made it this far and are a little confused. The 6:02pm time is the time of Rai's awakening, everything else will be answered further down the line, I hope you all have questions and formulate your own ideas and understandings, and I hope that what I actually have planned will be enjoyable for you!

On to Chapter 5! See you there! - DRD