Sorry it took a while to around to posting this chapter. I didn't have a chance over Thanksgiving week, and the week after when I did have a chance I sort of didn't think about it until that chance was over. Hope this was worth the wait.

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Chapter Thirteen

Progress

Las Noches, Hueco Mundo

Holly and Ishida found two Arrancars guarding what seemed to be a blank wall. One was tall, skinny and wearing purple except for his white mask which made him look like a giant bug. The other was short and stout, wearing yellow with black dots.

"Pesche, Dondochakka!" Ishida called, bow ready to fire.

"Hey, Uryu! The tall one called back, waving. He stopped abruptly when he saw the bow, "Hey, buddy, what do have that thing out for?"

"So that if Koboi checks the video it looks like I'm threatening you!" Ishida responded impatiently.

"Oh, I get it!"

"What'cha doin' here?" the short one asked.

"Dondochakka! Isn't it obvious? He came to rescue his girlfriend…again," the tall one, who must have been Pesche pointed out. Holly was beginning to doubt these two would be any help at all.

"Inoue is not my girlfriend!"

"But you are here to rescue her for the second time—that's pretty much all it takes right?" Pesche pressed.

"This isn't some fairy tale you know!"

Holly jumped in before Pesche had a chance to reply, "You know why he came, does that mean she was here?"

"Yeah, she was here."

"What about Artemis? About the same height as Ishida, black hair, blue eyes?"

"I saw someone like that! A Shinigami, he left with Inoue," Dondochakka answered, pointing at the wall.

"Where did they go?" Ishida demanded, brandishing his bow and arrow.

"We don't know. They just went out the door." Pesche said, gesturing toward the wall.

"Koboi was still here, so she must have sent someone after them. Can you tell us who we're up against?"

Pesche actually laughed, "Nothing to worry about. She sent Nel-sama, along with Grimmjow and Ulquiorra."

"She sent Schiffer! And you're acting like this is no big deal!" Ishida's hands tightened on his bow and and arrow, and he gritted his teeth. He was obviously making an effort not to shoot the messenger.

"Who is that?" Holly asked.

"Ulquiorra Schiffer is the one who brought Inoue here last time. He also guarded her. I tried to fight him, but my arrows didn't even scratch him. Kurosaki was the only one who stood a chance against him, and even he nearly lost."

"But if they wanted to bring 'em back they'd be back by now, donchaknow," Dondochakka said in what was meant to be a reassuring tone.

"Just open the damn door!"

Pesche slapped a panel on the wall and it split into a massive double door. Ishida ran through with Holly close behind him. Holly didn't bother asking how they knew where to go. The only logical thing for Artemis and Inoue to do was move forward with Las Noches behind them.

She asked another question to distract herself from the danger their friends might be in. "So what happened to the other one who helped you? The little girl who had a crush on Kurosaki."

"She wasn't really a little girl. Nel lost a lot of reiatsu fighting another Arrancar, since everything here is made of reiatsu that caused her to shrink and appear to be child. Her mind was damaged as well so she acted like a child too. Inoue healed her."

"Isn't she one of the ones Koboi sent after them?"

"Yes. In fact all three of them are the ones she healed."

"So Pesche was right and we don't have to worry."

"Not about Nel. Even Grimmjow has enough honor to feel like he owes her, he paid her back for healing him on Aizen's orders before asking her for another favor. Schiffer is the one I'm worried about. He followed every order Aizen gave him, I have no reason to think he wouldn't do the same for Koboi."

"But the others would stop him wouldn't they?"

"They might try, but I'm not sure they could win a fight with him. The ranks were determined by their strength, Grimmjow was ranked lower than him. He beat him once, but that was with a trick he won't fall for again. Nel might have a better chance, but the fight she was injured in was with someone lower ranked than him, so I'm not sure. Although she did beat that Arrancar later."

"Sounds like they could take him on if they work together," Holly said hopefully. She didn't want to have to find out though.

They were silent until they reached the edge of a large valley with caves in every cliff.

"Nel and the others are nearby, and I can sense a few strong spirit energies down there," Ishida observed.

"It's a perfect place to hide. Artemis would take advantage of it." Holly added. She found a path into the valley and took it, Ishida close behind her. He's here. He has to be here, she thought and started calling.

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Abandoned Caves, Hueco Mundo

"I'm beginning to doubt, your girlfriend is going to show up," Kasai said to Artemis.

"Holly is not my girlfriend, and she will come. Once she sets her mind to something she doesn't give up." Artemis assured her. He was sitting against the wall at the cave's entrance, Orihime sat at the other end of the opening. Kasai and the Visoreds were clustered at the back of the cave.

"How is she going to find us here? The first place she'll look is Las Noches, she can't know where we went from there," Orihime pointed out.

"You're right," Artemis said, standing. "Also Koboi probably set a trap for her. I should go back to Las Noches and make sure she isn't the one who needs to be rescued."

Orihime rose as well, "I'll come with you."

"You two are not prepared to handle Koboi, not to mention whatever Arrancars she has working for her," Kasai objected. "I'll go back to Las Noches with Hibiki and see if you friend is there. Akio and Daichi can take you two back to our base in the World of the Living to start your training."

Artemis shook his head, "Unacceptable. I will not leave until I know Holly is safe. I'm the reason she may be in danger."

"And I'm not leaving without Artemis. I never would have gotten out of Las Noches if it weren't for him," Orihime added.

"You two would be more of a hindrance than a help. I assure you, I am quite capable of rescuing your Elf friend, should she happen to need rescuing," Kasai argued.

Artemis narrowed his eyes at her, "I never told you Holly is an Elf."

"We heard you talking when we were trying to decide how to approach you," Kasai responded, waving a hand dismissively.

"And then the Adjuchas conveniently showed up and simplified your decision," Artemis said suspiciously.

"Well yes, it is rather embarrassing that we didn't see it sooner."

"You're lying! You sent if after us so you could convince us you were here to help. Controlling an Adjuchas is easy for an Arrancar!" Orihime was surprised by her certainty.

Kasai started to reply when Artemis heard someone call his name. He turned towards the entrance and heard her again, "Arty! are you here?"

He flashed a vampiric grin towards the others in the cave, "I told you she would come." He ran outside with Orihime close behind him.

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Well we are getting close to the end now, I may or may not finish posting this by New Years, I guess we'll see. I will be trying to work on the next one more, but there might have to be a wait before I start posting it. Let me know what you thought of this chapter.

Thanks and prayer,

RAHbooks.