I'm having this weird problem where the formating I use when typing doesn't show up once I post the story. When it's just the different font size for the title I can live with that, but the dividing line I put between the notes and the story doesn't show up either. Hopefully using the location names to anounce a change of scene has kept that from being too confusing, but later I'm going to chage POV's at the same place and it will be easier for everyone to have that division. I'm trying the line of zeroes on this chapter to see if that makes any difference.

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Chapter Three

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Fowl Private Jet, en route to Japan

Holly sat in the copilot's seat of the Fowl's Lear Jet wearing jeans and a green T-shirt Butler had kept at the manor for her in case she ever had to blend in when Artemis Senior was around. Because her LEP uniform and equipment all had trackers and self-destruct mechanisms built in she had left them at the manor with Foaly who would take them and the unoccupied clone to Haven. They had avoided speaking to any of Artemis' family before they left, they didn't know how to explain what had happened, it seemed better to wait until they had rescued Artemis and let him think of something.

"So how do you know Urahara?" Holly asked Butler. They were on their way to Karakura, Japan to meet Urahara Kisuke on Foaly's word that he could get them to Hueco Mundo. Butler had mentioned that he had met the man once.

"When Artemis was nearly six years old, my uncle who was his father's bodyguard decided I was getting too attached. Urahara contacted him asking for help so he sent me thinking it would be good for me to take some time away."

"So what did he need help with?" Holly was curious.

"He was helping an eighteen-year-old boy get away from his abusive parents, and he had also just rescued a three-year-old girl from a similar situation. He was worried one of the families would come looking for them. I don't know all the details but it seems at least one of their families was involved in something a lot bigger. I stayed with the kids until he set up identities for them and got the boy a job," He smiled remembering. "Sora got quite fond of that little girl. Started calling her his sister. I always meant to check up on them, but Artemis made that difficult, especially once his father went missing. I never seemed to have a chance."

Holly nodded understanding. "Well Urahara sounds like a good guy at least." She didn't mention that she would rather pass him up and get to Hueco Mundo through the Murderous Caves most people were afraid to set foot in. She wasn't entirely sure she could get to a world of the dead though them, and at the very least Urahara might have some useful information. Artemis was always reminding her that it was best to know as much about something as possible before acting.

"You should complete the Ritual before we leave. We don't know if this world has acorns, or a full moon for that matter." Butler pointed out. The Ritual was how fairies restored their magic when it was running low. On a full moon they took an acorn from an ancient oak by a bend in a river and planted it. It was possible to complete it without a full moon, but the magic would not be as powerful or stay in the fairy's system for as long. Whatever happened it would be best if Holly was "running hot" or full of magic before they arrived at Hueco Mundo.

After what seemed like forever they landed at Tokyo's international airport, and from there they took a bus to Karakura. The arrival at Urahara's seemed like an anticlimax.

"A candy shop? Are you sure this is the right place?" Holly had never doubted Butler before, but maybe all those injuries he had suffered through their previous adventures were starting to affect his brain. The shop was not even in good shape.

"This is it," Butler said confidently, striding forward. A boy and a girl who looked like they were in their early teens were sweeping just outside the door. "I am looking for Urahara-san," Butler stated in fluent Japanese.

The boy leaned on his broom and asked, "Oh yeah? So who are you?"

Holly was impressed. Most grown men were intimidated by Butler's height not to mention the bulk of muscles from his training at Madam Ko's Personal Protection Academy. True, the consequences of his fairy adventures had left him in worse shape than his age alone would account for, but he was still an impressive figure.

"Be nice, Jinta," the girl spoke up. She didn't seem frightened by Butler either. Turning to them she said "He's inside—somewhere." Butler entered without hesitation, Holly at his side. There was no one there.

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Twelfth Division, Seireitei, Soul Society

Nelliel and Ulquiorra stayed hidden until they heard the alarm bell, then watched as the Shinigami all ran toward the Eleventh Division. Grimmjow's distraction was under way. They were right across the street from the Research and Development lab so they knew immediately when it was clear. They used Sonido to cross the street in a flash and stopped just outside the door to listen for anyone inside.

"How can I be expected to work with all this noise?" the Twelfth Division Captain was ranting.

Nelliel frowned, it would be better if no one knew they had been in the lab. Whether they killed the captain and whoever he was talking to, or just knocked them out the Shinigami would know someone had been after something in there, which would mean they would discover what had been taken sooner. The longer before that happened the better.

Nelliel turned to Ulquiorra, "You're the most familiar with her reiatsu so I'll get them out of there while you find the Shun Shun Rikka." He nodded, unlike Grimmjow she knew she could trust him not to leave a trail of reishi.

She ran into the building, destroyed the surveillance equipment and ran out with the captain and his lieutenant right behind her. Ulquiorra hid around a corner of the building until they were out of sight.

Locating the Shun Shun Rikka was simple. Their reiatsu was so different from all the other things in the lab that they were like a beacon. If Nelliel was wrong about it being easy for him to find because of his familiarity with them the Shinigami wouldn't even need to look at any surveillance footage to know they were gone. He wasn't surprised that the locked box opened easily. The Shinigami had underestimated her again. He slipped the small objects into his pocket and left the lab. He decided to take the long way back to Hueco Mundo; it wouldn't do for the Shinigami to realize there had been three Gargantas opened within the Seireitei when they had only seen two Arrancars. He walked to the outskirts of the Shinigami city looking for a cave.

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Las Noches, Hueco Mundo

Someone wearing a mask rolled in a trolley loaded with food and left without a word. None of the food looked very appetizing. It looked like some kind of fruit, but not any Artemis was familiar with. Inoue proved braver than he was and tried it first. "How is it?" He asked her.

"It doesn't really have a taste," she said thoughtfully. "At least that means it doesn't taste bad." Artemis was quickly learning that his cell mate tried to find the best in everything. He had to choke down his own food. There were two glasses of water as well; Artemis took a few sips from his before an idea occurred to him. He knelt and carefully set the glass on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Inoue asked sitting on the floor with the glass between them.

"Testing your alien theory," he watched as the ripples from moving the glass faded. The water was still. "Well, we do not seem to be moving."

"But if it is an alien spaceship it might have inertial dampeners," she pointed out as if that made perfect sense. Artemis didn't bother arguing, these wild stories were probably her way of coping. He looked up at the window.

"I wish we could tell whether or not that was real."

"It is," Inoue said simply.

"Earlier you said you thought it was a projection."

Inoue shook her head as if to clear it. "I don't know what to think! This is all just so strange. Maybe we're on another world already."

"That does not seem very likely," Artemis answered despite the fact that with Koboi involved anything was possible. "We have to get out of here," he announced as if the thought had just occurred to him. He had actually been considering their options since he woke up.

"How?"

"I have not gotten that far yet."

"So you haven't thought about what to do after either. What if there isn't anywhere we can go? There could be nothing but desert out there."

"Then they'll catch us and we will not be any worse off than we are now. If they wanted us dead they would not have brought us here alive."

"But what do they want with us? You said this Koboi person wanted revenge on you, but if that was all why didn't she just kill you?"

"Because that is not how she works. She does not just want me dead, she wants me beaten, she wants to prove that she is smarter than me."

"What about me? I get good grades because I study, not because I'm some kind of genius. I can't possibly be useful to her!"

"You aren't. You're here for me." A strange man dressed in white with chin-length pink hair and lens-less glasses that appeared to be made of bone stood in the doorway. Inoue cringed away from him despite the fact that he was too thin to look dangerous. "You'll be coming with me now. I'm afraid I can't promise to bring you back in one piece," he grinned wickedly and pushed his glasses up.

Artemis stood facing him, "I'm not letting you take her anywhere!"

"You don't get a say in the matter, Elf bait," the stranger replied calmly. The last two words stunned Artemis for a moment. He should have realized sooner, he wasn't the only one Koboi wanted revenge against.

The pink-haired man stepped into the room and easily shoved Artemis aside, then grabbed Inoue by the arm and hauled her to her feet. "Let me go!" she cried, pulling against him.

"Can't you put up a better fight than that? It's rather disappointing. I'm beginning to wonder if Aizen overstated your abilities."

Inoue froze at the name, "Aizen?" she whispered, frowning.

Artemis launched himself at the man from behind, trying to tackle him. The man stepped out of the way easily, taking Inoue with him. All Artemis accomplished was to upset the glass of water still on the floor. Before he could stand the man pulled Inoue out the door and closed it, leaving him to watch the puddle slowly spread.

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Well that's all for today. Thanks to Bored Kid 48 (sorry if I got that wrong, I didn't write it down before I deleted the message telling me) for being the first to follow and favorite this story! It's always good to know someone is enjoying something I wrote.

Thanks and prayer,

RAHbooks.