And we're back again with the start of a new arc. Some of you may be able to guess where this is coming from, but things aren't going to play out the way you'll probably expect them to in several ways. In the mean time, on with the story.

Note: Bleach is not my property.

Chapter 41: As Above, So Below

I won't lie, it's quite tempting

Your handouts and your bones

I won't lie, they're quite empty

Your promises and your stones

If you sell, they'll buy

Don't feel, just sign

If you sell, they'll buy

Don't think, stay blind

...

As above, so below

What you reap is what you sow

What you give comes back three fold

As above, so below

...

As Above, So Below - In This Moment

On an April night on the outskirts of town, the wooded hills echoed the seemingly peaceful stillness of Karakura Town. Not a sound could be heard amongst the trees, save a gentle breeze rustling the branches that shaded the dew-dampened grass from the full moonlight. The call of a predatory bird somewhere in the distance escaped for only a moment, quick to be silent once again. Where this area would be teeming with animal noise and insect calls from those which would normally take the day to sleep, an eerie calm reigned instead. Something stirring in the darkness had every creature, even those at the apex of the food chain, deathly afraid, something beyond their senses.

Behind the veil of the natural, spiritual pressure began to vibrate the air. The dim silhouette of a large doorway otherwise unseen took form, only the highlights visible even to those keen to the spirit world. It painted a ghostly impression, the hints of two gigantic skeletal visages towering over the forest floor. For a moment, color and form began to seep in, charred bone and undulating red, before a large explosion burst through. Fragments like shattered glass were burst outward with tremendous force to reveal the undulating void resembling pools of blood within. The pieces of the gate seem to slow to suspension in the air before whipping back into place, the doors losing all visible form once again. Only the dull glow of the edges in the moonlight revealed that the shards, while back in place, were merely resting separate as cracks on the surface within a broken picture frame.

With a wave of a blackened cloak, a figure ousted blue flames that had caught on as it escaped through the breech. It raised its head to the sky, the sound of a deep inhalation heard through its mask. "Ah…" sighed the deep voice, the tone of a younger man. "The world of the living…The air is so much cleaner here…"

"Not for long…" another figure spoke with humor as he brushed the last of the flames out with his hand. "We'll have to enjoy it while we can, because by the time we're done with it…" With a light chuckle, he raised his palm to produce a bright orange fireball to illustrate his point.

"Only if he refuses to…help us…" the first clarified, turning back to eye the second. Beside the other man, four more awaited. One was taller, about even with their apparent leader with similar athletic build just visible through the cloak, although the long thick tentacles of the lower body seemed to break any further comparison. Another was shorter and rotund, as wide as it was tall. The next was massive. Though humanoid, the upper torso was much larger with muscular arms big enough to drag the ground where it stood. And the last…

"OW! OW! HOT!" He seemed to be having trouble putting out the azure flames climbing his dark rags.

"I told you not to get so close to the edges" the second figure said as he seemed to draw the fire into his other palm, morphing it into a matching flame for his other hand before extinguishing them both. "If you lose your cloak, they will see you."

"Yeah, I know…" The last man sighed in relief, leaning on his overlarge ebony blade.

"Are you sure this guy is here?" the fat one asked, a flamboyant lilt to his voice. "Or, for that matter, if he even can release us from our restraints?"

The leader chuckled darkly before turning back to look out over Karakura's fading lights as the nightlife died down, completely unaware of the threat now looming. "Oh, I have no doubt. I could taste the power of this beast all the way from the lowest pits. It's on the verge of a Vasto already, and yet…I have a feeling it will put all others to shame when it finally matures."

"Wait. You dragged us all the way up here…and it's not even ready yet?!" the second man asked angrily, fists clenching at his sides and threatening to set aflame all over again.

"Patience" he continued calmly, lifting his black scimitar-like sword up to eye level, inspecting it nonchalantly. "All it will take is a little push…"

With that, he pulled his mask aside, only revealing one dark lavender eye to get a better look at the city before him. "You'll be the one to set me free…Ichigo Kurosaki…"

As the quintette disappeared into the night, the air seemed to shimmer in a slowly expanding cloud, like heat waves on the breeze. The atmospheric anomaly could be traced back to the near-nonexistent cracks where the gate now stood, a gas flow under pressure unsealed by the escapees' intrusion and gradually seeping out. Although the silence still remained after their departure, it was not of fear. Those smaller animals and other lifeforms that had remained in hiding until the threat passed now lay completely still, dropped right where they had been hunkered down in the gaseous flow as others scurried away from the disturbance as fast as they could. For those that weren't so lucky…hollow eyes remained wide open, souls dispersed, the evidence of the ever-growing zone of inhospitality.

This day marked the first of a new semester for the high schoolers in Karakura Town, as it did with the rest of Japan. The summer term marked the start of the school year totaling three semesters, the first ending in August. And this school year promised to be…interesting…

Ichigo (and by extension, Rukia) was now a junior. One year closer to graduation and full adulthood, meaning classes were sure to be harsher. Of course, that didn't take into account the conflict hanging over the teenager's head, Aizen no doubt gathering whatever forces he had in Hueco Mundo and preparing the Hogyoku for whatever ultimate plan he had up his sleeve. It was a lot for anyone to have to think about, let alone deal with in the long run. You wouldn't be able to tell, though, what with how the eldest Kurosaki child behaved.

As they walked through the suburbs, one's arm over the other's shoulders with the other snuggled in tight and holding lazily onto her boyfriend's waist, the strawberry blonde looked content as could be. And that was saying something for Ichigo Kurosaki. His usual guarded scowl was nowhere to be seen. He looked…relaxed, a small smile playing on his lips, even. Anyone who knew him, present company excluded, would have probably done a double take.

It was becoming more of a norm for the young man as of late, the past couple weeks of relative peace spending time with his angel bringing about subtle changes over time. Sure, he was still a reserved type of guy in most circumstances. And yes, he still had a temper, albeit slower to bring about. Yet, his relationship with her was beginning to mellow him out bit by bit. For all intents and purposes, she was like the missing piece in his life. She filled the hole in him that had existed since his mother's passing. Slowly but surely, his guarded exterior was beginning to come down.

The woman in question wasn't oblivious to the changes. Their petty arguments still came and went, much to both of their mutual internal amusement, and they still traded barbs back and forth about one's height or the other's freakish hair. Still, outside of those moments that made their relationship dynamic so interesting, Rukia could see the softer side usually reserved only for her showing through more and more. She hadn't realized just how much of his usual attitude had been the façade he used to hide away his pain. Oh, he was still a hard man and as dense as could be on occasion, but the fact that her presence at his side made him feel safe and happy enough to start to come out of that shell…she had never felt so special in her life.

Her own soft smile widened ever so slightly at the thought as she pulled herself just a little tighter to him as they walked towards the school. Whatever dangers lay ahead of them were far from both their minds. For now, it was just the two of them enjoying the simple (for them, at least) life they had together while they could.

"YO, ICHIGO! RUKIA!"

Well, maybe not just the two of them.

"HEY GUYS! WAIT UP!" Like clockwork, Keigo Asano slid around a corner and came barreling towards the pair at a breakneck pace, showing no signs of slowing. The loveable oaf sprinted so fast, a dust cloud was whipping up and away behind him…from the asphalt, however impossible it may have been.

With a sigh, Ichigo shut his eyes and stopped as the idiot grew closer by the second. However, at the last moment before contact, he swept Rukia into his arms and sidestepped out of the line of fire, much to his friend's surprise.

"Sup, Keigo…" He said with only a hint of annoyance right as Asano flew past.

In his shock, his effort to slow down wound up with his shoe catching on the pavement, causing him to roll end over end and skid to a stop on his face. "Oooowww…"

Rukia just cocked a curious brow at her boyfriend as he gently sat her on her feet. 'Maybe he's changing more than I thought.'

Keigo whipped into a sitting position, nursing the red scuff marks all across his face. "Dammit, man, what was that for?!"

Ichigo just shrugged. "Hey, if you hurt yourself, it's not my fault. It's what you get for rushing around like that."

"He's right, you know?" Mizuiro Kojima chimed in as he scrolled through messages on his phone, seeming to emerge out of thin air from behind the lamp post next to Keigo.

"GAH! THE HELL?!" Asano instantly shot to his feet in a defensive position. "Mizuiro, cut that out, dude! Seriously, you're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days!"

"You always say that, Mr. Asano" he replied absent-mindedly as he replied to a text before putting his phone safely in his pocket.

"Always the player, huh Mizuiro?" Ichigo said with lazy disapproval, though his somewhat easygoing expression never left his face.

"Hey, c'mon, Ichigo, don't say stuff like that" the young man almost whined. "I told you, I have a reputation to uphold, you don't know who could hear you."

Rukia subtly leaned in closer to Ichigo as the two before them went into their usual banter. "Hey, Strawberry, you never explained to me what a 'player' meant in this case" she whispered with casual curiosity.

"Tell you later" he replied just as softly before kissing the top of her head, bringing just a hint of a blush to her cheeks.

"Yo." Ambling down the lane behind them came the gentle giant of the group, his burly arms covered in bandages under his uniform shirt.

"Hello, Chad" Rukia said with a wave, trying to dismiss her slight lingering embarrassment over the PDA she hadn't quite gotten accustomed to just yet. "I see Yoruichi has still been putting you through your paces" she said, well aware that the other two were oblivious in their own conversation.

A nod and a small grunt were the only response in the affirmative.

"I know the feeling" Ichigo chimed in, rubbing the base of his skull at the uncomfortable memories. "I hope she didn't spring the whole naked transformation thing on you, too."

If the half-Hispanic teen had any thoughts on the matter, he didn't react in such a fashion, though his darker complexion hid a slight flush to his face. "She has…interesting methods. Still, I have to get stronger, same as you. Felt kind of…useless after hearing about everything you went through."

Ichigo just smirked, nodding in understanding. "Speaking of, is Orihime still training with you? I haven't seen her around town."

The larger man shook his head. "She's been spending time with Uryu."

Rukia cocked her head in confusion. "Huh? Why with Uryu? I know you guys are on more amicable terms after the…" She glanced back at Keigo and Mizuiro. "…big event, but still, why would she be with him?"

Ichigo chuckled lightly. "My guess, they're together together. I saw them getting close at the fireworks show before we left."

"Oh…Ooohhh…" Rukia nodded in sudden understanding. "So they're courting or "dating" or whatever you said you call what we are here."

Ichigo's eyes shut with a sweat drop, a small, exasperated laugh escaping. "Yeah…right." He had to keep reminding himself that she was trying to pick up on modern customs in months that he had grown up with over the course of almost 16 years. Just another of the long list of charms that made up Rukia Kuchiki.

"Laugh all you want, Berry" she replied with a smirk. "I happen to think I'm really getting the hang of the ways of this land" she said, hands on her hips and chest puffed out proudly.

"Oh, so you ARE from outside the country" Keigo butted in, catching that last tidbit out of context as he sidled up to Ichigo. "Jeez, how do you get so lucky? Nabbing such a cutie, and an exotic one to boot."

Flattery aside, territoriality won out this round. "Shut up, Keigo!" Ichigo growled, his fist forming a sizable knot on the oaf's head as his usual scowl came out in full force. "It's not like the mainland is that far off to begin with" he implied falsely off the cuff, not really lying but not specifically outlining her origins either. "Now, if you're done, we might want to get to school."

As Rukia took his hand and started off with the others in the direction of Karakura High, she couldn't help giggling just a bit to herself. 'Some things will never change after all, I suppose."

"You and Ishida? Really?!" Tatsuki asked, a bit nonplussed as she bolted up from the desk she'd been leaning against. Even in her haste, she was careful of her arm resting in a sling.

Orihime just laughed sheepishly, sweat dropping at her outburst. "Yeah, well…We sort of hit it off after the beach party."

The butch-cut brunette cut her eyes over to the young man in question, eyes focused on the book in front of him. "I mean…I guess if you're into the emo nerd type of guy, sure he's kind of alright…" Her eyes fixated back on her best friend with intensity. "Well, if he tries anything, he'll be sorry after I'm through with him."

"No, no, no!" The red head argued defensively, waving her hands in front of her face animatedly. "Uryu may seem rough around the edges on the surface, but he's a really sweet guy deep down. He's very respectful, and we've even eaten out together a couple times…" 'Well, we had meal breaks between training together, but a lunchtime picknick is still a nice date to me' she added mentally.

Tatsuki could only shake her head. "Jeez, I go away for a karate tournament and come back to find you with a boyfriend. And all I get is a busted arm" she jokes.

"By the way," Orihime cut in, "if you need any help writing, I can get notes for you."

"Thanks, but I think I'll manage" she said with a smile as Ichigo and the gang filed into the room, he and the ravenette finding their usual spots beside each other. As she watched the two of them in their playful back and forth, she couldn't help but worry just a little. 'I hope you're not just latching onto someone else because of him. I don't wanna see you hurt, Hime.'

"Alright, everyone" Ms. Ochi, their homeroom teacher, called as she entered the room. "I know we're just getting back for a new school year, but you know the drill. Please get to your seats."

As everyone settled in, she smiled kindly, adjusting her glasses before tucking a stray lock of her brown hair behind her ear. "Glad to see we remember how to follow directions. Firstly, I want to welcome you all back as juniors in high school. We'll be pushing you harder to prep you for life after graduation, but I know you can handle it."

She approached her desk, picking up her attendance sheet. "Now, for the first order of business, along with all these familiar faces I see, we'll be having two new students joining us for this semester." With a wave of her hand towards the door, the two in question sauntered in. "Why don't you introduce yourselves."

To say the two new blondes were odd would be an understatement, although each for their own reasons. The first, a young man about Ichigo's height and of Uyru's build, wore his bangs cut cleanly horizontal and just long enough to shade his eyes. The rest was in an asymmetrical bob just below his jawline. What really put the Substitute Soul Reaper on edge was the unnerving glint in his dull brown eyes, not to mention the persistent wide grin that left his mouth just agape enough to reveal an impressive set of pearly whites.

'That smile looks a little too much like that bastard Ichimaru's' Ichigo thought to himself grimly as the boy nabbed a piece of chalk, twirled it between his fingers, then started writing on the board.

"Let's see…There's the 'hei' from 'lewd', then 'ko' in Onono Imoko, plus the 'shin' in 'genuine worker', followed by the 'ko' in 'spicy cod roe'…" He placed the chalk down with theatrical flare before bowing. "That makes up Shinji Hirako, nice to meet you all" he finished, making his partner roll their eyes.

"Uh…Mr. Hirako, you realize you did it all backwards, right?" Ms. Ochi said in confusion, eyes tracing the writing on the board.

"Oh, backward writing is just an odd talent of mine, I suppo-"

"Cut it out, Shinji" came the gruff voice of the girl next to him as she elbowed him in the gut to shut him up. There wasn't anything strange in her appearance per say…other than the fact that her build and height were even smaller than Rukia's, making Ichigo question her age. Okay, maybe that wasn't all. Her face was fixed in a hardened scowl that could stack up to Ichigo's on a good day, although the rough pigtails, youthful features, and sharp snaggletooth made it look almost cute, like that of a pouting toddler.

"The name's Hiyori Sarugaki. Don't forget it, or I'll make you regret it" she said, the malicious annoyance in her own brown orbs shadowed by her thick eyelashes making everyone nod nervously.

"Very clever, Hiyori" Shinji commented sarcastically, earning another forceful jab of an elbow into his gut.

"With that out of the way, why don't you two find a seat" the teacher said, motioning to the desks in front of her before she started shuffling through the books on her own to start class.

As he made his way through the desks, Shinji's eyes locked onto the ginger girl right before him, her curvaceous figure drawing his pupils like magnets. Before she knew it, he swept up her hand in his, smiling demurely down at her with smoldering eyes. "Why, hello there. I know you caught my name just now, but what would I have to do to catch yours?"

"Um…I'm O-Orihime Inoue. Nice to meet you" she said politely, trying to hide her nerves and discomfort behind her smile.

"Orihime, huh? Such a pretty name, and fitting. 'Princess' suits you so well."

"Uh, thanks?" she replied, laughing nervously.

Suddenly, a hand clamped onto his wrist from the adjacent desk, the pressure in the hold almost painful. The blonde's gaze swept over to the hand before turning to the owner, not missing the Sanrei Glove that only those spiritually sensitive in the room could see. 'A Quincy, huh? Strange.'

"How about you give the girl some space?" Uryu said with a hint of menace, glowering at the man behind the glare on his glasses.

"Oh, I'm sorry" he replied coolly. "What, is she your girlfriend or something?"

This brought an involuntary blush to both Uryu and Orihime's faces. "Actually, yes, I am" she replied for him, carefully sliding her hand away from the offending hold of Shinji's.

He suddenly held up his hands defensively. "Oh my…I'm so sorry about that…" He faced down the aisle, looking wistful. "Alas…my first love has broken my heart…" he said quietly to himself.

A stiff kick to the ass ended that melodrama, along with pushing him further down the row. "You say that every time a pretty girl blows you off. Quit screwing around" Hiyori barked.

"Alright, alright" he said with a sigh before continuing to move.

Ichigo eyed the two suspiciously, unsure of why his instincts were sounding alarm bells. His senses weren't picking up any spiritual pressure of note, but something about them was raising his hackles internally. He could not put his finger on it. Something was…familiar about their presence. What was it?

"This seat taken?" The question brought Ichigo out of his musings. He looked up to see Hirako pointing at the desk next to him, opposite the one Rukia occupied on his other side.

"Uh, no, actually" he answered simply.

"Cool." His grin widened ever so slightly as he slung his bag down and plopped down into the seat. "Hard to make friends settling into a new place like this. Hopefully we can be friends before long…" His brown eye cut to the side to bore into the strawberry blonde's. "Ichigo Kurosaki."

Both Ichigo and Rukia's eyes widened in sudden alarm. Even as his faced forward to give the appearance of paying attention, Rukia's stayed fixed on the form of Shinji. She couldn't sense anything, but energy suppression wasn't a difficult skill. 'Well, for anyone but Ichigo' she added to herself. Still, these two showing up right after Aizen's defection, knowing who Ichigo was right off the bat, wasn't coincidence. If they knew, they had to be spiritually aware if not from one side of the afterlife or the other. If they were not from the world of the living, then they were using gigai. In which case, they were involved with Kisuke somehow. 'Probably not on Aizen's behalf, then.'

So, who were they, then? She certainly didn't recognize them offhand from the Soul Society. Then again… 'Shinji Hirako…Hiyori Sarugaki…where have I heard those names before?'

Hirako chuckled lightly to himself, seeing the consternation written on both their faces. "If you want answers, catch me by the track field at lunch, Ichigo. Oh…" He cut his eyes over to Rukia specifically. "I guess you can come too…Soul Reaper…"

Rukia and Ichigo stalked down the halls after the lunch bell, their faces reflecting all business as they tried not to hurry and cause a scene. Hirako had excused himself to the "restroom" a few minutes before lunch period began, leaving them to hunt him down as soon as they were released. Hiyori watched them leave, disdain heavy in her gaze, knowing what was coming.

"Any ideas?" Ichigo asked simply, the implications of his question not lost on her.

"Not really" she replied evenly, her violets trained on the path ahead of them. "The names ring a bell, but other than that. Leads me to think they're not with Aizen if they're here, but we can't be sure."

"Solid deduction" came an answer as they turned the corner, finding the subject of their unease leaning on the wall separating the outer hall from the track and ball fields. "I'd just as soon strangle that bastard Sosuke before trusting him ever again."

"Wait…" Ichigo's eyes focused next to the blonde, seeing that he was more leaning against a sword rather than the wall, the proximity just for appearances to those who couldn't notice otherwise. The design of the katana was distinctive, with a red handle wrap and hourglass-shaped guard. "A Zanpakutō…So you're a Shinigami after all."

His eyes never opened, only his grin widening revealing his reaction. "Not quite…well, not anymore, at least. Had to leave that behind when we all came here a few decades ago…"

Something clicked in Rukia's mind. "Shinji Hirako…Captain of Squad 5, that Shinji Hirako?" she asked in shock, making Ichigo whip his head at her with the same reaction.

"Well versed in history, I see. But then again, I shouldn't expect any differently from a member of the Kuchiki Clan" Shinji remarked with humor as he pushed off the wall to look at the two head on. "Then again, I wouldn't expect a Kuchiki to fraternize with a commoner, from the living world no less. Go figure."

This turned Ichigo's glare back to him. "Watch it, pal."

"Hey, hey, we're all friends here. Well, some of us, anyway" he said, eyes taking a more malevolent cast when glancing at the full-fledged Shinigami.

"You and several others disappeared…when Kisuke went underground with Yoruichi and Tessai…" Realization settled in as her eyes dropped to the ground. "That means…Aizen…"

"Bingo. Smart girl." Shinji nodded, idly tapping his sword against his shoulder. "See, me and several friends of mine were some of Aizen's…unwilling participants in a little experiment of his. Kisuke saved us using a kido that got him into some hot water. He was put on trial while we, well…we were set to be terminated as threats…"

Horror bloomed in her stormy midnight eyes. "So…you all were forced to run when he did…"

Ichigo placed a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing before focusing on the task at hand. "Well, I get you have a vendetta against Aizen. Get in line. What are you doing here now after all this time?"

"I heard from Kisuke you were always straight to the point" Hirako said as he slowly began raising his hand upward towards his face. "I'm sure you're familiar with the Hogyoku by now."

"Yeah, what of it?"

As his hand came to rest before his face, a white mask began to materialize, flooring both spectators. The form settled into something akin to an Egyptian Pharaoh's likeness, complete with tassels attached to the crown that flowed down the back of his head.

"You see, we're a lot alike, Ichigo" came his warbling reply, not unlike the distorted voice of Ichigo's own hollow.

"You've gotta be shitting me…" the boy blurted almost robotically.

With a smirk, Hirako dismissed his hollowfication, going back to leaning on the wall casually. "We're what we call Visoreds, Shinigami "gifted" with the powers of hollows. That includes you, Ichigo. You're one of us."

"So…" Rukia shook her head to rid herself of her surprise. "You and the rest of your group…You can control it just like that?"

"I guess you're accustomed to your boyfriend here losing control when his hollow comes out to play, huh?" Shinji replied mockingly, making her scowl in response. "We've reigned in our hollows and made them a part of us so we don't run loose when we hollowfy. And you, Ichigo, are gonna have to do the same thing very soon. Face it, you're not a Soul Reaper anymore. You're one of our kind."

Ichigo swallowed hard, replaying the hazy memories in his mind of when his inner maniac would break through to the surface. "W-what do you know about it? If you all can do it, so can I."

The blonde sighed, shaking his head. "Fact is, your hollow seems to be more wild than anything we've seen. Or, at the very least, it has a deeper hold on you than any of ours. Sure, we had episodes, but from what I hear from Urahara, yours is manifesting frequently, any time you feel threatened. And worse yet, it's powerful. I dunno if anyone has given you a rundown on the whole Menos hierarchy, but to put it simply, I can smell from a mile away that what you're carrying is approaching the top of the evolutionary ladder."

He stood straight, rolling his shoulders as he turned to face Ichigo fully once again. "If you want to get control of this thing, you're gonna need our help, sooner rather than later. I wouldn't be pushing so hard, but something in the air has all of our instincts on edge. I don't know if it's the looming conflict with Aizen or what. Regardless, if our hollows are getting restless, I don't want to imagine what it will do to yours. Bottom line, you need control. As in right now. If you lose control and start running rampant…"

Hirako raised the point of his sword to Ichigo's chest, making Rukia reach for her Gokon Tekko and hop out of her own body to draw Sode no Shirayuki, all in the span of a second. "You'll be a danger to us all, including your precious Rukia here…and I won't hesitate to put you down. The Sereitei won't even get the chance to decide to."

With that, his sword dematerialized, and he began walking past them down the hall. "One way or the other, I'll be seeing you soon, Ichigo…"

The words replayed over and over in the teen's head as he stood stock still, not even sparing a glance back at the retreating form of the former captain. His worst fears were being laid out in front of him. The thoughts of his hollow that had been pushed to the back of his mind since returning were now forced to the forefront in harsh detail. Everything he'd been worrying about himself had come to pass. He was a threat to everyone around him…including her…

Rukia glared at the back of Hirako for a moment longer before turning back to Ichigo, concern twisting her features as soon as she got a look at how distraught he looked. It was like his world was crumbling apart right before his eyes. She'd never seen him so afraid, and it shook her to her core. It wasn't right seeing her hero like this, and she didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Ichigo…" She gently rested her hand on his cheek, drawing his brown orbs to her own for a moment. "Ichigo, I know-"

His badge started to screech right as her soul pager started beeping, cutting her off. His face went blank, eyes closing as he grabbed the badge and used it to eject his spirit form from his body, laying his limp form next to her own shell. "We should get to work…" he stated blankly as he flashed out of sight to hunt down the source of the signal.

She stared at the spot he had been occupying not a moment before, bitter tears that she refused to let fall stinging her eyes. "Ichigo…" The hand that had been on his face came to clutch at her heart. She had to take a deep breath to settle her own growing fear before disappearing after him.

That's it for this chapter. Reviews are welcome feedback, if you'd be so inclined.

As previously stated, this will incorporate both cannon and non-cannon elements along with original plot events and details to weave this story arc. I'm not sure how long this arc will end up being, but I'll be pumping it out as fast as my schedule allows.

Those of you who know who the antagonist is already might be questioning the power-scaling, but as hinted at in the introduction of the big bad, things will be stacking up more evenly by the end. Will there be outside interference in the coming conflict to determine the winner as there was in the source material? You'll just have to wait and see my grand plan to find out. (cue maniacal laugh)

Next time: Frightening realizations and big decisions to be made.