Chapter Five
New World, New Rules
Ichigo wasn't sure how to respond, so for a moment, he didn't. He just stared at him. He had a real father. Not someone like Aizen who controlled him. But what did it even mean to have a father? He didn't really know for sure. He felt Grimmjow put an arm around him, and he was grateful for that small gesture of comfort from the Espada of Destruction. He swallowed thickly and nodded. He supposed he should be honest.
"I don't know what that even means," he said slowly.
He saw the immediate reaction on this man's face. His eyes slightly widened, and his brow crinkled but he didn't say anything. Ichigo felt bad, though, and he quickly added, "But I want to."
"Ichigo, Grimmjow," Karin said, stepping forward. "This is Isshin Kurosaki. Our father, Ichigo. And he's a Shinigami."
Ichigo looked at Grimmjow. His father was a Shinigami? So, did that make him one, too? Curious, he thought.
"And this is Kisuke Urahara," Karin continued, indicating the man in the hat. "He's been my first teacher as a Shinigami and helps us a lot. He knows a lot about the hogyuku and what it can do."
"Actually, I invented one of them, Aizen invented the other in tandem. Now, he has both and has combined them, no doubt." Urahara looked a little bothered by this.
"The hogyuku? Yeah, he wanted to use it on me again," Ichigo said, nodding.
"Again? So, he did use it to separate your soul from your body when you were a toddler," Isshin said.
"Here, let's not talk out here," Urahara said. "We'll go into the basement where we can be shielded from Aizen's prying eyes."
With that, everyone was ushered inside and down into Urahara's basement. Ichigo was amazed at the place, not imagining such a space in this place at all. Grimmjow remained nearby, and Ichigo had to wonder if he'd hold his hand if he asked him to. He shook the thought away. He didn't need such things. Urahara set up a tent of some sort with a low table inside it, and everyone crowded into it. It was snug, but comfortable. Ichigo put himself right up against Grimmjow, and to his surprise, Grimmjow did reach out and take his hand.
"Now, that's more comfortable," Urahara said as he sat down and looked around. "So, the question is where are we now?"
"We left Aizen, but there are Espada left behind that are on our side. They will attempt to impede things on that end," Grimmjow explained. "Ulquiorra, Starrk, and Nnoitra will do everything they can to keep Aizen at bay until they can be reunited with Ichigo."
Isshin looked a bit confused but didn't say anything about the way Grimmjow put things. "Are any of the others likely to be on our side."
"Tier Harribel will side with us, after what Aizen did, her and her fraccion will be with us," Grimmjow said.
"I don't understand. What did Aizen do?" Urahara said, frowning.
"Yeah, you said that in Las Noches. That he'd done something terrible. You never explained it," Karin said, looking over at them.
"Don't worry about that detail!" Ichigo snapped, face reddening as he shook his head. He didn't want to talk about that. His nightmares were enough. He didn't need to relive it in front of what amounted to a bunch of strangers.
Everyone exchanged a look, but Grimmjow squeezed his hand. He felt like he was almost okay, and then someone brought it up again.
"Ah, well, another interesting thing happened. Ichigo managed a Getsuga Tenshō," Karin said, glancing over at Isshin. "That's something only a Shinigami should be able to do, right?"
Urahara looked at Isshin. "Could it have passed to him, as well?"
"It had to. There's no other way to manifest that power," Isshin said staring across the table at Ichigo.
"That thing that happened when I made that arc of light?" Ichigo asked.
"Yeah, that's a Getsuga Tenshō. It's a special attack only handed down through our family can do," Karin explained. "So, that means you could be a Shinigami, too."
"But how can that be? I'm an Arrancar?" he asked, looking around.
"Are you, really?" Grimmjow said from beside him, looking over. "Think about it. You don't have a hollow hole. You never had a mask fragment. And you don't have a resurrección. Other than the markings on your face, there's no real indication you are one."
"Aizen said I was a failed Arrancar," he whispered, sounding almost as hollow as the thought made him feel.
"Maybe, but he may have succeeded at creating a Shinigami out of you," Urahara said. "Let's find out. Uryū, Orihime, Chad, why don't you all head home. This will take some time, and I can let you know what is happening. Rukia, Renji, you should report back about what's happening to Soul Society. Karin, you and Isshin can stay here and help me with Ichigo."
Everyone dispersed, and left Ichigo with them. He didn't know what the plan was, but he was curious to see if he actually could have the powers of a Shinigami since he didn't really have all the powers of an Arrancar. He had a sonido, though. So, he supposed that was something of it. Ichigo sat at the table and wondered where this would lead.
"Your weapon," Urahara said, nodding to him after everyone left. "Does it have a name?"
Ichigo blinked, pulling out the black bladed katana. "Name?"
"That's what I thought," Urahara said, sighing. "Have you ever been to your inner world? Even briefly?"
Ichigo frowned. "I mean, in my dreams, sometimes, there's this place, where everything is sideways. Really strange, because they look like buildings that Gin has told me about in the World of the Living."
"Interesting. Perhaps a glimpse into your inner world," Urahara mused. "Let's see if you can't access it. Lay your blade across your lap and put your hands on it. Then just concentrate on it."
"What'll that do, isn't it just a blade? It doesn't do what the Arrancar's blades do and seal their resurrección. I've tried everything to do that. It manifested at some point, but I don't remember when. It just kinda was always there." Ichigo did as he said, though, laying the blade across his white clad legs and putting his hands flat on it. "Now what?" he asked, looking up to Urahara.
"Concentrate on the blade. More than that, connect with it. The blade, if it is a Zanpakutō, will be a part of your soul, and will resonate with your spiritual energies. It should take you to your inner world, where the spirit of your Zanpakutō resides." Urahara nodded, glancing at the others present.
Ichigo nodded and closed his eyes. He let out a breath and wondered if this would work. He knew that the blade was special, but he could never really put his finger on how or why. This, he supposed would be a test. After a few minutes, nothing seemed to be happening, and he thought about giving up. Maybe he wasn't a Shinigami either. Maybe he was nothing.
Shut the fuck up.
He nearly opened his eyes, but that was a voice in his head, not outside it. He felt his heartbeat faster in his chest and everything seemed to go into a void for a moment. He blinked, opening his eyes and finding himself on the side of a building. He looked around, seeming to stand perfectly fine on this sideways world.
"You've arrived."
He turned to see a man with dark hair standing on the end of a pole that stuck out of the building straight up in the air. He swallowed.
"Who are you?" Ichigo asked.
"You already know my name," he said cryptically.
"Does he?" another voice, the first one he'd heard, intoned.
He glanced down below the dark-haired figure and saw a completely white copy of himself, only in what looked like a white Shinigami uniform. The eyes were black with gold irises. He came toward him.
"Do you know what we are, idiot?" he said. "You can't name us. And you certainly can't handle the power we give you. You already showed that from a pitiful Getsuga Tenshō. You passed the fuck out."
Ichigo blinked, used to course language because of Grimmjow and Nnoitra, but to hear it from what looked like his own mouth, it was strange. Ichigo stared at him, a part of him starting to understand, and a name echoed around his mind, but it just was outside his hearing. Was that the name of this entity?
"I know it." He looked up at the older man. "I know I do. I just can't hear it."
The older man nodded. "You have to listen."
"I'm trying!" Ichigo stated.
"Not hard enough, idiot," the white copy said, narrowing his strange eyes at him, then stepping forward.
Ichigo flinched back a little but his fingers moved to trace where the red marks were left on Ichigo's face. "I've made a mark on you already. It's time for you to take hold of us. Both of us." He sighed a little and stepped back away from him.
"Both of you?" Ichigo said.
"There's more to you than you know. Your bloodline is strong in the ways of the Shinigami, but also in the ways of the Quincy," the older one said, appearing beside the white one.
Ichigo was unfamiliar with that word, so it didn't mean much to him. "I still don't understand. That Urahara said something about a Zanpakutō spirit being here, why are there two of you?"
"He's still not gettin' it," the white one said, looking at the other one. "He's still not listenin' yet."
"I'm trying!" Ichigo said, getting frustrated. "I really am, it's just this is all so new, and now that I've found some part of myself I didn't know, I'm confused!"
The white one stepped forward again and cupped Ichigo's face. "Yer not at fault. Fuckin' Aizen is. Otherwise, I would have forced the issue long ago."
"Long ago?" Ichigo echoed. "How long have you been here?"
"Always, Ichigo. Always," he said, nodding.
"So, you know…" he trailed off.
"Of course, I know. We know. We're you, Ichigo. We know everything you do, and then some," the old man said softly. "Realize this and listen to our name."
Ichigo nodded, closing his eyes, still feeling the hand on his face. His heart was racing though. He didn't know what to think about being near someone that knew himself better than he did, but it was freeing in a way. If they knew him that well, maybe Urahara was right.
"You've got to listen," the old man said and Ichigo nodded again, not saying anything.
It took everything he had to open his mind and his heart. He let go of everything holding him back for that moment. He let go of Aizen's words and deeds. He let go of everything that he thought made a difference. He listened.
"Zangetsu," he whispered, opening his eyes to see the white one had stepped back next to the old man.
"Good. Now, rest, and return when you are able," the old man said.
Ichigo's eyes flew open, and he heaved a deep breath.
"Ichigo?" he heard Grimmjow say.
Ichigo blinked and he looked over to see Grimmjow lounging beside him on the floor. No one else was there.
"Grimm?" he said, still shaking off the feeling of being in his inner world.
"Yeah, ya been sittin' there for like six hours. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come back," Grimmjow said, moving over to sit beside him on the floor. "What happened?"
"I met both Zangetsu," he said, blinking again as tears tried to form in his eyes.
That was when he realized something. There were two hilts under his hand when he felt for the hilt of the sword. There were two blades now, a long one like before, but on top of it was a shorter blade. He lifted it and looked at Grimmjow.
"Well, that's interestin'," Grimmjow said. "The others all left, told me to keep an eye on ya until you came back. They're coming back in the morning."
Ichigo nodded. "I'm surprised they left us on our own."
"That Urahara said that this place was safe cuz he built it to be that way. He made it invisible to Shinigami and he's been able to hide from Aizen for over a hundred years before now. That girl didn't want to go, but that father of yours convinced her it was for the best since no one knew how long you'd be in there." Grimmjow sighed, looking at him.
Ichigo got to his feet, taking Zangetsu with him to the back of the tent they were in. There was a small table there and he laid the two blades down on it. He gasped a little as Grimmjow came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him.
"Don't tell me you were worried," Ichigo said, placing his hands on Grimmjow's arms.
"Course I was worried, idiot Ichigo," Grimmjow grumbled as he nuzzled into Ichigo's hair.
Ichigo reached up and ran a hand through Grimmjow's hair and hummed. "That's unusual, don't you think? For you to worry like that?"
"I dunno, don't care, come here, I wanna do somethin'," Grimmjow said, nipping Ichigo's neck with his teeth.
Grimmjow pulled away, then pulled Ichigo by the arm into the next room of the tent. It looked like it was set up to be a room to relax in with some pallets and pillows laying around. Ichigo thought it almost looked like something out of Starrk's rooms. He frowned, worrying about the others and wishing they were here as well as Grimmjow. Strange, he thought as Grimmjow pulled him down into the pillows.
"Should we do this here? Now?" Ichigo asked.
"Why not? We've got time before morning gets here," Grimmjow said, untying Ichigo's obi and sliding the hakama off his hips.
Ichigo didn't argue that fact, as he was already getting in the mood for whatever Grimmjow had planned. "Alright," he said as Grimmjow nibbled at his neck, causing him to sigh deeply.
"Over," Grimmjow instructed after a few minutes of mauling his neck wet.
Ichigo just assumed he wanted to take him from behind. That wouldn't be too unusual, and he was a little curious as to why he seemed to want to do it so badly. Then, he felt him get down between his legs, and he jerked as he licked a stripe up the backside of his balls. That was new. He flexed his legs around Grimmjow, and he continued to lick up across his perinium and to his hole. Ichigo's eyes bulged a little when he swiped his tongue around the rim and began to probe him in earnest.
"Wh-what are you doing?" he gasped, grabbing onto a pillow and squeezing it.
"Shut up, and lie there," Grimmjow growled, sliding a finger inside him and then pulling it out to lap with his tongue again.
Ichigo didn't know how to react to this whole situation. He began pressing harder with his tongue, slipping inside and wriggling around in a way that made him squirm on the mound of pillows.
"Oh, oh that's…" he gasped, arms tightening around the pillows. He couldn't even really articulate what he was feeling.
Grimmjow began stroking him slowly, almost languidly, as he continued to tongue his entrance. Ichigo hummed loudly into his fist as he continued, using his fingers now and then to thrust into him and around the rim. Ichigo felt tears from the intensity of what he was sensing. It was almost too much for him as he felt the muscles in his thighs twitch. Grimmjow forced his tongue into him deeply, making him moan deeply and rather loudly before he pulled back, slipping a couple fingers into him and striking out for his sweet spot. He fumbled for a second, obviously not used to doing things in this manner, but he brushed the bundle of nerves, sending shivers down Ichigo's spine as he moaned and felt himself leak profusely.
"That seems like a good spot," Grimmjow said out loud, thrusting his fingers in again and trying to find it again.
"You're gonna make me come," Ichigo gasped. "Fuck me already!"
Grimmjow chuckled, pulling his fingers out and rustling with his clothes for a second. He then pressed his hardness against Ichigo and teased him a little with it. Ichigo was a mewling mess, as he just wanted him to do it. After a few seconds, though, Grimmjow pressed forward, breeching him slowly, almost lovingly, sliding in steadily.
"Oh, you feel good," he said as he held to Ichigo's hips.
"Yeah, it feels too good," Ichigo said, pressing back on him as he finally seated himself fully.
Neither of them heard the sound of someone approaching, so when the flap of the tent moved, they didn't notice. Grimmjow continued to fuck him, holding tight to his hips, without really paying attention to anything else. The tent flap dropped after a few moments, and Karin stepped back, a little surprised by what she had just seen. She decided to leave them be until morning, heading back up to Urahara's shop and the room she'd been staying in for the night.
She was still processing her feelings on what she'd seen when there was a knock at the door. She looked up.
"Enter," she said.
The door slid open, and she saw it was Urahara. "You're up awful late," he said.
She felt her cheeks heat a little. "Yeah, I went down to see Ichigo, but he and Grimmjow were busy."
Urahara arched a brow. "Busy? Doing what?" he asked, looking a bit confused.
She looked up and sighed. "It would seem they have a bit of a, ah, relationship, if you know what I mean," she said, trying not to outright say what she'd seen.
Urahara nodded. "Ah, yes. Orihime mentioned that Ichigo was sexually active with several of the Espada."
"Several?" Karin said, looking up at him. "Not just Grimmjow?"
"No, it seems he has been involved with them for some time, from what he said. He has no qualms about talking about it. If you were to ask, I'm sure he would explain it to you," Urahara shrugged. "Does this bother you?"
Karin blinked, looking at him. "I mean, it's his choice," she said. "And they do make a cute couple," she admitted.
Urahara smiled. "You're a good sister. Now, get some sleep."
She nodded, "You're right. I'll talk to him in the morning."
-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-
Ichigo woke up tangled in Grimmjow's arms, still half undressed and covered with a light blanket they'd found in the tent. He pulled himself out of the snug warmth, shaking Grimmjow to wake him up. He grumbled but sat up.
"What?" he growled.
"We should get dressed. They'll be coming down to see us soon," he told him.
Grimmjow sighed, nodding and getting to his feet to find his own hakama that he'd discarded at some point the night before. Ichigo found his clothes and got into them, and just as he tied his obi, he heard voices nearing them. He looked up as Urahara stuck his head in.
"Are you awake?" he asked, smiling from under his hat.
"We just got up," Grimmjow said.
"Well, come on, then," Urahara said and disappeared out the tent.
"Let's go," Ichigo said, smiling and grabbing Grimmjow by the hand.
Grimmjow took his hand, not saying anything, and they went out to find Isshin, Karin, and Urahara all standing together waiting on them. They came up and no one had anything to say about them holding hands.
"I would guess you were successful meeting your Zanpakutō spirit in your inner world?" Isshin said, looking at him seriously.
Ichigo nodded. "They said their name was Zangetsu."
"They?" Urahara said.
"There's two of them. One looks like an older man with sunglasses, and the other looks like a white version of me, though he wears a white Shinigami uniform instead of this," Ichigo said. "And when I woke up, I had two blades."
"Two blades?" Isshin said, looking over at Urahara. "None of us have been dual wielders before."
"It could be the true form of his Zanpakutō is twin blades." Urahara looked over at Karin. "But for now, we should work on some training for Ichigo, since he's got a new set of powers to get used to. And we should find out if he can use the vizard mask."
Ichigo looked at him. "Vizard mask?" he asked.
"Our Zanpakutō spirits are hollowified," she said, reaching up to her face and making a white mask appear before she dismissed it.
"I wonder if that will work for me," Ichigo said, frowning. "Since I seem to be partially hollow already."
"Go get your Zanpakutō and we'll find out." Urahara smiled at him.
Ichigo went into the tent to the table and retrieved the two black blades, feeling something strange now when he touched them. It was as though knowing the name of the Zanpakutō made a huge difference in how he related to the weapons. He came back out, holding one in each hand, the shorter one in the left and the longer one in the right.
"Fascinating," Urahara said, looking him over. "Now, you and Karin can spar so I can assess your ability."
Ichigo nodded, hefting the sword in his left hand. He'd fought two handed a time or two, but mostly he was used to using one hand. He knew the basics, though, so he got into a stance and she did the same.
"Alright, begin," Urahara said.
Ichigo engaged her with all the ferocity he'd been taught to fight with, catching her a bit off guard, forcing her back a few steps quickly. She frowned but stepped into the fight, seeing that Ichigo was going to go full out at her. They exchanged blows back and forth a few times, with Ichigo mostly keeping the upper hand. Urahara watched from the side but didn't say anything for a while. Finally, he stepped up.
"Okay, enough," he said, and Karin stepped back.
Ichigo hesitated but stepped back as well, breathing a little heavily from the exertion. "Was that okay?" he asked.
"It's obvious you've been taught to fight in a very offensive manner," Urahara noted, glancing over at Grimmjow. "I take it that he's sparred with the other Arrancar since he was young?"
"Yeah, we taught 'im. He's been fighting with the blade since he was like twelve or so. We never went easy on him, even if he was small," Grimmjow shrugged. "He got his ass beat a lot in the beginning, but he got better."
"I see," Urahara said, looking thoughtful. "Well, I think some defensive training might be in order, and perhaps some style to help give him some structured stances."
"What about that thing? The Getsuga thing?" Ichigo asked.
"First, let's concentrate on fixing the holes in your swordplay. You are very good at offensive tactics and raw power, but you could use some defensive tactics as well as some more versatile stances," Urahara noted. "You're fast, but if we want to make things smoother."
"How about that hollow mask thing?" Ichigo asked, frowning. "You think I can do that?"
"That's something you will have to acquire from your hollow Zanpakutō spirit. Or, spirits, in your case," Urahara said with a nod.
Ichigo nodded. "Shinigami have a second release, right?"
"Yeah, Bankai," Karin said, nodding. "You don't get that quickly, though. I had to learn it through a special process that Urahara created to speed it up."
"Yeah, I wanna do that," Ichigo said, looking at Urahara.
Urahara looked at him in return. "That may take longer than you think. Bankai isn't just given to you. You have to earn it from your Zanpakutō."
"I will get Bankai, and the hollow mask. I'll need both because Aizen will be coming, and I have to be ready," he said with a definitive nod.
The others exchanged a look, but Grimmjow grinned. He knew Ichigo would do just that, despite the challenges that doing so would cause. He was sure Ichigo could do it.