Chapter 62
Through The Gate
The cover of night shrouded Aaron's, Hiyori's, and Lisa's movements as they sped across Karakura Town. They arrived outside the Urahara Store in due time. Hiyori, getting an eyeful of the place, stuck her nose up.
"What a dump. That bum would live in a shack like this…"
"So, you guys really do know Urahara," said Aaron. "I guess we're doing this after all."
He took a deep breath. Hueco Mundo. He struggled to imagine what sort of place the home of Hollows would be like. Certainly, the trip wouldn't be anything pleasant.
Of course, he had to find a way there first.
Lisa made her way to the front door and wasn't surprised to find it open in spite of the late hour. Right as she would have gone inside, she froze.
"What's wrong?" asked Aaron. He stepped forward, only for Hiyori to shoot her arm in front of him. "What?"
"Somethin' ain't right."
"I don't sense anything."
"Yeah, because you're an idiot."
Aaron took offense though realized his companions wouldn't draw their swords just for the fun of it. With a nod, Lisa quietly informed them to follow. Aaron really didn't feel anything was wrong other than Urahara's shop being filled to the brim with cobwebs. It was so dark inside, he could hardly see. Even so, he squinted, making out a huge figure sprawled on the floor.
"Hey, that's Tessai!"
Lisa crouched down to check on the groaning Tessai Tsukabishi. The sight of such a huge man in such obvious pain made a bead of sweat roll down Aaron's head.
Alright, so maybe these two were on to something…
"He'll live," Lisa announced. "Looks like he just got the wind knocked out of him."
"What the heck happened here?" asked Aaron. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he discovered the shop a mess. Various items and even shelves were strewn on the floor. It was clear some sort of struggle took place.
"S-Someone help...t-the boss…"
Tessai passed out in the wake of his warning.
"Who the hell could take down a big guy like this?" questioned Hiyori. Aaron heard a hint of uncharacteristic worry in her voice.
"Let's ask Urahara. I bet he's underground," said Lisa. "Come on."
She dashed ahead and left Aaron curious about how she knew so much about a place he presumed she had never been.
"Move it already, baldy!"
A kick to the rear put an end to his musing. Hiyori gave him another for good measure.
"Alright already! Jeez…"
The trio got to Urahara's underground training field, where they stumbled upon a cowering Jinta Hanakari and a weeping Ururu Tsumugiya.
"What happened?!" Aaron inquired. Jinta flinched at his sudden appearance. Their panicking aside, Aaron was relieved to see Jinta and Ururu unharmed. "Where's Urahara?"
Sniffling, Ururu pointed off into the distance. Everyone's heads moved to the spot, and they discovered an alarming sight.
"Urahara!"
Aaron Flash Stepped over to the man, who laid face first on the ground. Unlike Tessai, Urahara wasn't breathing. The color from Aaron's skin drained at the fact.
"Hey! Hey!" he cried, shaking the shopkeeper frantically. He got no response. His mind, as well as his heart, raced. He knew Kisuke Urahara's strength firsthand. For someone to have taken him down…
"Quit screwing around YOU DUMBASS!"
Hiyori went beyond 'kicking someone while they were down,' slamming her foot into Urahara's crotch. For a dead man, he sure screamed loud enough.
"Is that really you, Miss Hiyori?" His pain aside, Urahara laughed. "My, it really has been too long. Nothing gets past you, I see."
"What were you playing dead for, idiot?! And what the hell is under your pants?!"
Hiyori hopped around on one foot, clutching the other one in pain. Bewildered, Aaron could have sworn she got the worse of the odd exchange.
"Wait, you're alive?!" he cried, aiming an accusatory finger at the humble shopkeeper.
"Hmm? Did you think I wasn't? I was merely resting my head for a bit."
"Resting my ass!" Hiyori socked Urahara in the mouth. He hit the dirt once again. "You're still an idiot, even after all this time!"
Holding his bloodied nose, Urahara replied, "It's good to see you're still so full of energy. If you have Miss Yadoumaru with you, that means the rest of you are alright as well."
"...Like I want your stupid ass worrying about us."
Hiyori grew meek. Aaron eyed the way her jaw quivered. It almost seemed like she was fighting back a grin.
"What's the deal with you guys? How do you know each other?" Aaron wondered.
"I'd fill you in, but I have a feeling our guests wouldn't want me bringing up the past," replied Urahara.
"I don't really mind, but we don't have the time," said Lisa. "What happened before we got here?"
Urahara leered away, suddenly becoming mum. Hiyori lifted her fist, which prompted him to raise his hands defensively.
"If you must know, Mister Kurosaki and I…"
"Wait, Kurosaki was here?!" Aaron cried. It meant Ichigo hadn't been caught by Soul Society after all. However, it didn't explain why the Urahara Store and its employees were in such a sorry state.
"Indeed. Let's just say we got into a bit of a heated debate. Unfortunately, things got a tad bit out of hand."
The claim, while unbelievable to Aaron, wasn't one Urahara stated lightly. Aaron clenched his fist and wasn't sure what to think.
Kurosaki…
"Is that our ticket to Hueco Mundo?" asked Lisa. She pointed to a glowing, black mass.
"Is that a…?"
Urahara answered Aaron by saying, "A Garganta, yes. I made it a short while ago...for Mister Kurosaki to go after Miss Inoue's killers."
"You what?!"
"I didn't do it lightly. I'm afraid he wouldn't take no for an answer. ...Given Miss Inoue's death lays partly on my shoulders, I felt it unreasonable for me to refuse."
Without thinking, Aaron grabbed Urahara by the collar. "You idiot! Do you realize what you've done?! Kurosaki is in Hueco Mundo all alone! He'll be killed!"
Urahara, his expression deadpan, replied, "Mister Ishida and Mister Sado are chasing after him as we speak. I'm presuming you three are here to do the same."
Though still furious, Aaron let Urahara go. "Dammit…!"
He hadn't the slightest idea what Ichigo was thinking. He would have never imagined his friend going so far as to hurt innocent people just to get his way.
"Let that idiot get killed. What the hell do we care?" Hiyori snarled.
"It's a pain, but we should probably make sure that doesn't happen," said Lisa. "Urahara, is that Garganta still good to go?"
"It is. Are you three?"
"I have to save my sister! I don't care what's waiting on the other side!" declared Aaron.
"Your...sister?" Urahara's gray eyes grew like saucers. "Miss Higuchi...was kidnapped?"
"Yeah. I saw it happen with my own eyes. I don't know what the Arrancar want with her, but I'm getting her back!"
Completely thrown off by the news, Urahara took some time to process it.
"You...have my apologies, Mister Higuchi."
"For what?"
"With Miss Inoue dead, the Arrancar no doubt realized your sister was the next best thing."
"Next best thing for what? Wait, are you telling me that's why they tried taking Inoue? Her powers?"
"I can't say for certain, but it's the most likely scenario. That was the reason I tried my best to keep Miss Inoue out of this mess."
"What does my sister have to do with this?"
"You of all people should know her abilities are equally bizarre. It's the reason I asked her to work here at my shop."
"...You wanted to keep an eye on her."
"That's right. Still, I never seriously considered she would be targeted. It's obvious now that both she and Miss Inoue were being observed. Miss Inoue's death, and your sister's kidnapping, both rest of my shoulders. I...should have hidden them away sooner."
Urahara lowered his head in apology. As much as Aaron craved to blame someone for the dire state of affairs, he knew it didn't rest with the man before him.
"We'll fix this," he muttered, "but first, we need to go after Kurosaki. How long will it take us to get to Hueco Mundo?"
"Once you go through the Garganta, you'll be met with pure darkness. If you can make a path, you'll be able to…"
"Enough talk!" Hiyori barked, waltzing toward the Garganta. "What the hell were you thinking? I think we both know you're more than strong enough to stop a mangy mutt like Ichigo."
"I suppose so."
Urahara's pitiful face weakened Hiyori's wrath. "...You can't ever finish your own messes. I'll do you a favor drag Ichigo's scrawny ass back if it's the last thing I do!"
"Then you can confess to him," chime Lisa.
"Yeah, then I can—I SWEAR TO GOD!"
"You're going to make Aaron here jealous."
"QUIT TALKING ALREADY BEFORE I PULL OUT YOUR OVARIES!"
"Fine, fine. You can confess to them both. I like harems anyway."
Aaron groaned as Hiyori chased Lisa around like a headless chicken.
"Good to see they're taking things seriously…"
"Before you go, Mister Higuchi, I have something you may need."
Aaron gasped. Urahara handed over none other than Seigetsu.
"How did you…?"
"A friend dropped it off some time ago. She said you might need it."
"'She…?'"
Captain Hitsugaya took his Zanpakutou, which meant only someone close to him could have brought it back. Aaron smiled.
"If I don't make it back, tell Kana I'm grateful"
Urahara smirked as well. "Of course."
"Alright, I'd better hurry before…"
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Aaron whirled around to the person screaming at him, only to eat a knuckle sandwich. The blow came short of breaking his jaw. In a world of hurt, he looked up to see burning, red hair.
"Konoka…?"
She pulled him back him, giving him and up close and personal look at her irate features.
"You said we were leavin' tomorrow!" she roared. "Bitch, you tricked us!"
"I-I…"
"How disappointing. And here I thought you had more faith in us, my dear Chocolate Thunder." Sasune shook his head disapprovingly. "Sorry about this, by the way."
He punched Aaron too.
"Just who do you think we are?!" Konoka hollered. Sasune wrapped his arms around her waist to prevent her from beating Aaron into an unrecognizable pulp. "Didn't we tell you earlier that we had your back?! Did that mean nothin' to you?! Don't you dare underestimate us!"
"…"
Sasune sighed. "Look, we appreciate you being concerned for our well being, but you're being selfish. Think about it. If either of us were the ones gunning to rescue our sister, you wouldn't just leave us high and dry, right?"
"…"
Aaron knew the truth, hence why so much guilt swept over him. His swollen mouth hurt too much for him to utter an apology.
"Miss Mitsumi's right—don't insult us by underestimating our strength. I said it before—we trained just as hard as you to get stronger. We're more than good enough to handle something like this. Or, are you gonna go off by yourself and be as reckless as that Ichigo guy? We'll save your sister and avenge Miss Inoue as a team. ...That's what she would've wanted."
Konoka snatched Aaron up again. "Pull some shit like this again, and I'm pullin' your guts out through your asshole."
"Y-Yes, ma'am…"
With that out of the way, Konoka dropped him like a piece of garbage. Aaron noted his friends' words stung him far more than their fists.
"Oy, old man," Konoka said to Urahara. "We're going too. I don't wanna hear any complaints."
"Given what you just did to Mister Higuchi, I suppose it would be in my best interest to comply. Please, bring Mister Kurosaki and Miss Higuchi back safely."
"Leave it me. I'll..."
"Hey, you!"
Konoka leered around, unsure of who spoke to her.
"What the hell?! Are you blind or somethin'?!"
It was only when she looked down that she took heed of a fuming Hiyori.
"You've got a lot of nerve touching my property, little girl!"
Konoka snorted. "Who are you calling 'little,' shorty?"
"Wanna repeat that?!"
"What, it didn't reach you all the way down there? My bad. Lemme yell."
A muscle in Hiyori's eyelid twitched. "Oh, I'm gonna kill you!"
"No." Aaron dragged her away. "Could you please stop picking a fight with everything that looks at you funny?"
Hiyori, flailing her arms, countered, "She started it!"
"Who the hell is this? You got an illegitimate kid, Higuchi?" asked Konoka.
"Yep, killing you for sure!"
Hiyori might have grinned, but she was in anything but a good mood.
"No," Aaron repeated, yanking on her jacket to hold her in place. "We're going, Urahara. Hold the fort until we get back."
"H-Hold on a minute! Who is that hoebag?! Hey, I'm talkin' to you, mutt!"
Ignoring her, Aaron jumped inside the Garganta without a shred of hesitation. The resolve Konoka and Sasune showed him erased any lingering doubts he had.
"We didn't tell Shinji we were doing this, so if he swings by...eh, screw it."
With a shrug, Lisa followed Aaron's lead.
"Guess that's our cue, Pretty Boy." Konoka gave the Garganta a short glance over before throwing caution to the wind. "I'm not gonna grow a third arm jumpin' into this thing, am I?"
Sasune replied, "Only one way to find out."
"H-Hey!"
Snickering, the Quincy shoved her in and then climbed through the tear in the dimension himself.
"...They're seriously gonna go without me? All of you can drop dead!" Hiyori screamed after them.
"Miss Sarugaki…"
The person in question paused.
"I'm sorry," Urahara muttered somberly. "I still haven't figured out a way to fix you and the others. Please, wait a little longer."
Hiyori turned back to him, sticking out her tongue. "Dumbass. You can't fix what ain't broken. ...Later, Captain."
Urahara, watching her go, stood confused. "Did she just call me…?"
#
Kana dug her nails into her legs. Despite sitting in the busiest part of the Seireitei, where hundreds of chatting Shinigami went about their day, she was lost in her own world. No matter what she did, she couldn't stop her tears from staining the ground.
"Orihime…"
She should have been powerful enough to prevent her death. She drove her fist onto the bench she sat on, questioning how she could have been so helpless.
"If that Ulquiorra guy was that strong…"
She shuddered at the thought of facing down the remaining Espada. Soul Society could do as much preparation as they wanted. It still felt hopeless in her eyes.
"What...do I even do? What would CT do?"
"Mitarashi? Is that you?"
Kana's head shot up. Seeing Captain Juushirou Ukitake out in the open was a rare sight. Realizing her face must have been a total mess, Kana cleaned it to the best of her ability.
"G-Good afternoon, sir!" she said, giving Ukitake a stiff salute. "Um...is it okay for you to be walking around?"
Ukitake, smiling, helped himself to a seat beside her. "Indeed. For once, I'm feeling alright."
Though skeptical, Kana noticed Ukitake's skin wasn't as pale as usual.
"Besides…" He became serious, looking Kana straight on. "I'm glad I found you, Mitarashi. I've been looking for you for some time."
"Me, sir?"
"That's right. I have something of the utmost importance to tell you."
The development put a knot in Kana's stomach. The last thing she needed was more bad news.
"But first," Ukitake began, "allow me to again apologize about Inoue."
"Y-You don't have to…"
"She was a treasured friend. Rest assure that Soul Society will do whatever it takes to track down her killer."
"…"
"I'm also sorry about the Captain-Commander pulling your team out of the world of the living."
"...Being forced to sit here is far more painful."
"Yes, I...understand you would want to avenge Inoue yourself. You must understand though, Mitarashi, that we'll need your strength for the battles to come."
Even if the logic made sense, it would never sit well with Kana.
"You had something to tell me, sir?" she asked wearily.
"Ah, yes. Forgive me." Ukitake faltered. Given Kana already seemed miserable, he wasn't sure if he should deliver his message after all. "It's about your brother, Arashi."
No longer wallowing in her misery, a stunned Kana gave Ukitake her full and undivided attention.
"Your brother had a number of high-level barriers safeguarding his quarters. We've only recently bypassed the last one. Even our best men were stumped by the skill of the Kidou. We had to ask for Akira Akiyama's help in the end. Besides you, she knew your brother best, after all."
"Akira…? Wait, is she…?!"
"No, I'm sorry."
Kana's momentary enthusiasm melted into thin air. "Oh...you...locked her back up…"
"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry. Know that Akiyama was quite helpful. Her actions will no doubt serve her well in Soul Society's eyes. There's always the chance she could be released from her sentence early."
"…"
"Mitarashi?"
Kana, given how rotten her luck had been as of late, put no stock in that idea.
"While we were searching your brother's quarters, we found a bevy of paperwork. We're still sorting through most of it, in fact. It seems Arashi was quite meticulous. He kept a record of his activates over the years...including his time with Sousuke Aizen."
Just hearing Aizen's name riled Kana up. She clenched her teeth to stop herself from saying something nasty.
"He even had some info on the Hougyoku. Hopefully, it can help us learn more about it and what Aizen had in store."
None of that mattered one bit to Kana. Aizen was in prison, while her brother was dead.
Now, Orihime was too. She couldn't save either of them.
"It seems your brother wanted the Hougyoku for his own plans. We believe…"
"Just...stop!"
"Mitarashi?"
Kana covered her ears. "I don't care! Arashi's dead! He can't bother anyone anymore! Just leave him alone already!"
"No, it's...not what you think," Ukitake, floored, assured her. "Arashi knew full well Aizen intended to use the Hougyoku for his own gain. From his writings, Arashi planned on acquiring and then destroying it."
"He...did?"
"That's right. His actions during Aizen's coup confirm it. Listen, Mitarashi—Soul Society might consider him a criminal in league with Aizen, I no longer agree. While his methods might have been questionable, I feel your brother died trying to do the right thing."
Kana felt numb. She had already conceded her brother being the villain most painted him as. Even if Ukitake told the truth, she couldn't deny Arashi's actions put countless people through hell.
"Especially Aaron…"
Her tears came fast and hard. Though unsure if he had any right to do so, Ukitake resolved to place a firm, comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I-I never stopped believing in him!" Kana spluttered. "I didn't understand him, but...but…"
She sobbed into her hands. Ukitake said nothing more. She was grateful. Just having him by her side was more than enough.
#
Aaron's head snapped up.
"Kana…"
"Pay attention," Lisa told him, "unless you're that eager to fall to your death."
Gulping, Aaron saw she had a point. He made the mistake of glimpsing the black void below him. Everything around him was dark in fact. Closing his eyes was a poor substitute of just how overwhelming the space was.
What the hell is this place? It's honestly hard not to go crazy.
All he could do was stay close behind Lisa. She busied crafting a neat and tidy trail of energy for him to dash over.
"Excellent spirit control, my dear," said Sasune. Rather than running, he floated on a platform of energy.
Lisa smirked. "You're one to talk, kid."
"Hahaha! Why, thank you. This is merely one application of the Quincy's Hirenkyaku. As you can see, it's better than the pathetic Flash Step Shinigami employ."
"Whatever you say."
"Say, I didn't catch your name. Or number. Or blood type. Or…"
"Flirt on your own time, Pretty Boy! I can't friggin' concentrate with all your yappin'!"
Though covering his mouth, Sasuke couldn't mask his snorting. Konoka fashioning a crumbling bridge of energy was simply too funny.
"Shut up!" she cried, red-faced. Sweat poured down her head. "Shit! Why is this so hard?!"
"Are you alright?" asked Aaron.
"Eat shit."
"O...kay?"
Aaron chose to look the other way for his own safety.
Yeah, I take it she's still pissed off at me…
"Why do we gotta do this crap anyway?!" she hollered.
"What, you scared?"
Hiyori joined Sasune by taking pleasure in Konoka's struggles. Some of the joy withered when Konoka didn't mouth back.
"What's the matter, little girl? Cat got your tongue?"
"…"
"You think you're so great with that stupid, red hair of yours. Do you think I give a shit your boobs are bigger than mine? You look like a friggin' cow, though I guess that Kana chick is even bigger. What's your name anyway, little girl?"
"…"
"I'm Hiyori Sarugaki! I introduced myself, so do the same!"
"…"
"Hey! I'm talking to you! You know, I cut up rude children who don't listen to their elders!"
"…"
"QUIT IGNORING ME, BITCH!"
"Hmm? You sayin' somethin'? Sorry, I ain't any good at dealin' with little kids. Higuchi, I think this bimbo needs her diaper changed."
Hiyori leered at Aaron as well. "Yep, gonna kill your girlfriend for sure!"
"Shut the hell up already! You're talkin' a lot of crap for someone who ain't doin' shit!"
Hiyori traveled the void from the comfort of Aaron's back.
"What's it to you?" she spat. "Nothing wrong with getting a ride on your pet."
"...You are screwed in the head, lady."
"Could you two stop? And could you stop screeching right into my ear?" Aaron pleaded, grimacing.
"Bad dog! Who told you to bark back at me?!"
Hiyori popped him upside the head. He still thought it better than hearing any more petty insults. With a sigh, he envied Ichigo for taking the trip to Hueco Mundo alone.
"I wonder where Kurosaki is now," he wondered openly.
Sasune replied, "Hopefully, not in a shallow grave."
"…"
"Uh...sorry."
"If he's dead, we'll know," Konoka stated. "They'll put his corpse somewhere as a warnin'. They obvious know we're comin' for Higuchi's sister."
Both scenarios were grim in Aaron's opinion. "Let's hurry it up then."
"Easy for you to say. I'm doing all the work," whined Lisa. "At least all that training you did with Ichigo and this slave driver here won't go to waste."
"Hey!" cried Hiyori.
"The real problem is Ichigo has no clue how to switch off his spiritual pressure. He's like a magnet for trouble. Knowing our luck, they've probably already thrown their strongest guys at him."
Aaron leered at Lisa from the corner of his eye, partly wishing she would have kept that tidbit to herself. His stomach was already doing back flips.
"You know, like in a porno."
"And you made it worse!"
"Just saying. He's a big guy. He can take it."
"Please stop."
#
Izumi huddled herself against an ice-cold wall. It didn't ease her anxiety much. Her quivering eyes took in what was her new room. The walls were white. The floor was white. The ceiling was white. Everything was white. That included the sand and eerie crescent moon outside of her barred window. An endless desert was all she could see, a perfect reminder of how trapped she was within the walls of Las Noches. While was given a bed, a sofa, and even a fancy rug to sit on, none of them evoked feelings of comfort.
"This is unreal. I'm just a normal girl, right? H-Heh. I mean, I-I had a nice, steady job. My boss was kinda weird, and he never paid me on time, and sometimes I fantasized about burning the store down, but…!"
She clamped her hands on the sides of her head and shut her eyes. If this was a nightmare, she yearned to wake up as soon as possible. Her head ached, a byproduct of picking up on so much spiritual activity. Hueco Mundo teemed with it. She grit her teeth in a futile attempt to stem the discomfort. Shivering, she grew cold. The energy wasn't just overwhelming. It felt awful. The worst of it stemmed from Las Noches itself.
"Ugh. It's those guys from back in that room…"
She couldn't make heads or tails of her predicament. She had obviously been kidnapped for a reason, yet, no one bothered filling her in on why. They simply tossed her into a room and informed her to wait.
"Agh!"
Another group of spiritual pressures hit her like a truck.
"...Sasune's brother. That big guy too. Sado, I think. And…dammit."
Her brother. She could feel a number of people with Aaron as well. While she wasn't shocked he had the gall to come after her, she hoped he would have used his brain just once in his life.
The malice she felt from another energy, the biggest of all, informed her an impromptu rescue wasn't what he had in mind.
Ichigo Kurosaki.
"He's coming…!"
Her teeth chattered. Growing even more cold, she rubbed her arms desperately. Ichigo grew closer and closer. Izumi really didn't have a clue what was happening.
What she was sure of, however, was that once Ichigo arrived at his destination, things would descend into a bloodbath.
If you're coming, stupid brother of mine, you'd better hurry your ass up!
END
