Elysia Barragan made her way to the weapon's locker. She hadn't been there in several years, not since her days as the quarter mistress for Las Noches. Elysia knew what her job was as soon as she heard there was an incursion. It had been several days since the last incursion, so they had been expecting it. She pushed her long white braided hair back. She was a stout female Arrancar who wore a long-skirted dirndl outfit that she had found one day. It was a white top with a black corset and a long red skirt. She stopped and patted her hair where her bone fragment sat across her head like an ornate tiara. She pulled open the doors to locker where the weapons were kept.
"Alright, who's up first?" she boomed, her voice reverberating around the room.
In this, she was like her elder brother. Otherwise, they couldn't have been more different. She was one with a warm heart and known for giving bone-crushing hugs to people she cared about.
Several Arrancar came forward and formed a line, taking weapons of several types from her, mostly bladed weapons, but there were some blunt ones as well. Before long, all the Arrancar had been given a weapon, and were heading out to the sands. They were going to protect their own, especially now that the beta had been claimed by Starrk. He was truly one of them, now. And considering how the beta's reiatsu had altered, it seemed he'd successfully been impregnated. Now, it would be a matter of how many babies he carried.
"Elysia, are you going out to fight?" asked an Arrancar as she walked by.
"No, I'll stay here and handle the supplies. Someone has to do it," she said, waving as she went by.
"Do you need any help?" asked Florian.
Elysia turned to see the thin Arrancar and his twin brother Narcisse with their younger sister Cosette.
Cosette was already prepared to fight, her fencing foil at her side. She knew that Narcisse would be wearing his bladed boots that he chose to fight with, while his twin Florian would remain inside. As the librarian of Las Noches, he didn't often fight unless he absolutely had to.
Elysia smiled as she looked them over. Florian and Narcisse both had dark purple hair, though Florian wore his long and, in a tail, while Narcisse wore his in a visual kei style, sticking out around his head. Florian wore a simple set of linen pants and a plain t-shirt with a logo in the center. Narcisse dressed flamboyantly and wore a pair of leather chaps over tight shorts with a leather vest over a bright pink blouse. Cosette, on the other hand, had hair of a golden blonde color. She wore a fancy outfit with white pants and a coat of matching color with tasseled shoulders with a sash across the front. All three of them had fleur-de-lis looking mask fragments, Florian's to the left side of his head, Narcisse's to the right, and Cosette in the middle of her forehead.
"Florian, Cosette, Narcisse. Good to see you all. I take it Cosette and Narcisse, you're both going out there?" Elysia asked.
"I plan to fight," Cosette said, nodding her head curtly.
"As do I," Narcisse said with a grin.
"And I would prefer if there was some task for me here in Las Noches," Florian added, looking at Elysia hopefully.
"I can put you to work, Florian. You can help with the triage as injuries come in. We know there's a rather large group, with at least four of their captains, maybe more. We don't know for sure how many of that level they brought other than the actual captains." Elysia looked at them. "They're coming for a war, and we're going to give it to them."
-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-
"Are you sure this will be okay?" Ichigo asked Starrk.
They were alone in Starrk's castle, in the bedroom. Ichigo had decided that since they were mated, to move to his room and out of the plain room he had been in. Starrk's room was built for comfort, he found, with pillows laying on the floor, a fluffy bed full of warm linens, and several couches and lounge chairs. So far, he had no complaints about the room except for it being devoid of anything decorative. He could change that, though.
"They will come, and they will try to attack us, but we will defend ourselves," Starrk said from where he laid in the pillows with his eyes shut.
Ichigo crawled over and laid on top of him. "It still seems weird to me. This whole thing."
"It will take time to get used to this new life," Starrk said, opening his eyes and smiling a little. "Especially since I can tell you carry my child, or children."
"You can tell that already? It's been like, days, and I don't feel any different," Ichigo said, frowning down at him.
"Your reiatsu has changed. It alters to help suit the carrying of the additional soul or souls."
"So, are they just going to be random looking, since they're just souls that you carried? Or do they take after us as the parents?" Ichigo asked, truly curious about that.
"They are souls consumed in the past, but our reiatsu affects them, so they physically will resemble us in some ways, and be unique in others," Starrk explained. "It will be—"
"Primera!" came a call from outside the door.
"What is it?" he called back, unmoving.
"The Shinigami have engaged our outlying Arrancar scouts. They are reporting back a significant force headed by at least four of their captains. It is unknown if there are other captain level combatants," the voice continued.
Starrk sighed deeply. "I suppose the time to engage them has come," he said as Ichigo moved to get off of him so he could stand. "I'm on the way to the observation room," he called to the Arrancar giving the report to him.
"Yes, sir!"
"It didn't take them long," Ichigo said sadly.
"Harribel and her fraccion have returned, and they set out this morning to scout. Hopefully they will be able to hold off some of their forces given their abilities," Starrk said, getting into his jacket and buttoning it slowly. "I worry if the same captain that defeated me before is in attendance. I am unsure in my ability to hold him off again."
Ichigo worried about that too. "Well, I'll fight, too."
"You should stay in here and leave it to me," Starrk said, glancing at him.
"Why should I? It's my fight too, you know. They're after me," Ichigo frowned, looking at Starrk with narrowed eyes.
Starrk stared for a moment then shook his head. "No matter what I say, you will want to engage them. Just stay with me, and we will fight together."
Ichigo smiled and nodded, reaching for his own top and slipping into it. Before long, they were both equipped and headed to the observation room. The place was buzzing with Arrancar that Ichigo didn't know very well, but a few he recognized from meeting over the last few days.
"Primera!" a stout Arrancar said as they entered. Ichigo thought her name was Elysia, and she was related to Barragan. "Our initial scouts have returned with reports. We have sent out forces to engage them in route, but they are pushing past our lines."
"Time to get busy," Grimmjow said from behind them. "I've been looking forward to releasing on some Shinigami since this started."
"Engage them, as they come close to Las Noches, try to hold them back. Ichigo and I will come and try to keep them from breeching Las Noches proper. Where is Nel?" he asked, looking around.
"Already out, she released her resurrección already to fight a squad of Shinigami," Elysia informed them.
"I'm out," Grimmjow growled and headed out, sword gripped in his hand tightly and grin on his face.
For the next few hours, things were tense as the Shinigami and Arrancar engaged each other. The Arrancar would give a few feet, and the Shinigami would take some. Slowly, they were working their way towards Las Noches. It seemed their strength was overwhelming everything the Arrancar were able to put forth, and Ichigo was worried now. They would have to go fight directly, as they were literally at the gates almost.
"Come, it is time we made our stand together," Starrk said, reaching for Ichigo's hand.
Ichigo smiled and took it. "Whatever happens, I'm glad to have come here and been with you. You gave me something I never knew I needed, and for that I'm grateful."
Starrk's face softened and he leaned into kiss Ichigo's forehead gently. "You have cured the loneliness that has afflicted me since I became an Arrancar. For that, I am grateful."
Together, they headed out to the gates. Once there, they found the force engaged with both Grimmjow and Nel, and not far away, Harribel was engaged with more of them.
Starrk looked at Ichigo and nodded.
"Kick about, Los Lobos," he said, unsheathing his sword for the first time since Lilynette had been reabsorbed into him.
The reiatsu was a massive release and got the attention of the captains in the battlefield immediately. Ichigo pulled Zangetsu and then wondered if he was capable of Bankai or the hollowification anymore.
Yer capable of more than that. You have a resurrección. You need only ask, King.
"Do it," he said, and his own reiatsu cocooned around him for a moment, revealing the Vasto Lorde form he had taken before. Only this time, he was in control of himself, and it.
Ichigo leaped forward, bringing his blade down to find himself engaged with Jūshirō.
"Ichigo?" Jūshirō gasped, pushing him away with both of his blades. "Is that you?"
"I'm fine here, just leave me be, please," he said, standing back for a moment before he went in and crossed blades with him again.
Starrk was engaged with Byakuya and Zaraki at the same time, his own speed keeping up with Byakuya's easily, and his toughness an equal for Zaraki. Ichigo nearly let Starrk's fight distract him, and he turned just in time to deflect a blow from behind. He moved to find he had been attacked by Shunsui.
"Ichigo, this can all be over if you come back with us," Shunsui said, taking a defensive stance as Ichigo attacked from the front.
"I'm not going back!" Ichigo exclaimed, deflecting blows from both of them and blasting Shunsui with a cero from between his horns.
"You have to. You killed three humans, Ichigo," Jūshirō said, defending himself with his twin Zanpakutō.
"They deserved what they got!" Ichigo snapped.
"What did they do? What really happened?" Shunsui asked, fighting a purely defensive fight now, trying to obviously get information from Ichigo.
"It doesn't matter what they did, they just deserved it for what they did. I didn't do anything wrong!" Ichigo said, jumping back.
Shunsui and Jūshirō exchanged a glance. Jūshirō spoke. "Then tell us what happened, Ichigo. Come back with us and explain to the head captain what happened. We can work this out."
"There is no working this out! Kurotsuchi tortured me for weeks, and nothing came of it! And then you were going to put me in that tower because you couldn't do anything else! So, that's why I left, and now you won't leave me alone!" Ichigo jumped back, aiming a cero that narrowly missed Jūshirō.
"Ichigo, we can't leave you alone, you killed three humans!" Shunsui told him.
"You would defend them instead of me? You would side with them?" he asked, glad he was masked because they couldn't see the tears.
"Then what happened, Ichigo?" Shunsui asked. "What did they do to you?"
"It doesn't matter! You won't change your minds, I know it!" Ichigo stepped back, feeling the tears dripping down his face. "You won't listen!"
"Ichigo, I promise, we'll listen. It is my discretion what happens here," Shunsui said, defending as Ichigo attacked again.
Then, without warning, Ichigo yelled and dropped to his knees, mask breaking apart and falling. Immediately, Starrk appeared at his side, leaving Byakuya and Zaraki. Soi Fon appeared next to Shunsui and Jūshirō, her weapon in Shikai and dripping blood.
"He is to be kept alive!" Shunsui snapped at her.
"I only struck him once!" she responded, crossing her arms.
Around them, the fighting between the other Arrancar and the Shinigami continued, but where Ichigo and Starrk were, there was silence as Starrk held Ichigo up. He was obviously exhausted by his first use of the resurrección, and a bloody wound had gone through his chest, narrowly missing his heart.
"Ichigo, hold on, I'll summon Luna," Starrk said as he held him.
"I'm okay," Ichigo said, looking at him. "I've had worse."
Ichigo managed to get to his feet with Starrk's help. The captains didn't seem to know what to do about the situation, but no one moved for a time.
"We have to do something; we can't just stand here!" Soi Fon growled.
"There has to be some way to resolve this," Ichigo said, holding his chest where blood still leaked. "We don't need to fight each other."
"What do you suggest?" Shunsui said, still on guard but listening now.
"I don't know; there has to be something that Las Noches can do for Soul Society that includes leaving us the hell alone!" Ichigo snapped, obviously still in pain.
Shunsui looked at Jūshirō. Zaraki and Byakuya were silent, just watching what unfolded and ready to fight again given the opportunity. Soi Fon looked agitated, though.
"We're to take him back. That's the order." She glared at Shunsui and Jūshirō.
"I have discretion," Shunsui commented, sheathing his weapons. Jūshirō didn't quite put away his, but he dropped his stance. "The Sou-Taichou left the final decision to me. I will make whatever decision is best for Soul Society."
"If you take Ichigo from here, Las Noches will never let Soul Society rest. We will marshal armies of hollows to send against you. He is an Arrancar now, one of us." Starrk glared at Shunsui.
"He killed three humans!" Soi Fon snapped at them. "He can't just go free!"
"I wouldn't call being free. He can't return to the World of the Living," Jūshirō said. "Not like this."
"I don't want to go back. Well, I do, but I understand that I can't. Not anymore. My father can come here, and if Soul Society will let them, so can my friends. I would even be willing to let Urahara come and do research." Ichigo heaved a deep breath.
"Sit down!" came a voice from behind him. Ichigo turned to see Luna Tristao had arrived, the medic for Las Noches. "Let me attend that wound!"
Ichigo sat down and Luna went to work binding his wound. Shunsui and Jūshirō exchanged a glance. Soi Fon, though was still angry at the fact they weren't pressing the issue.
"He can't be left here! He deserves to be punished for killing three humans!" she exclaimed.
"Three rapists!" Ichigo snapped then looked ill at the fact he'd said anything. He closed his eyes and sighed.
"And thus we have the whole of the story," Shunsui said, nodding. "I knew there was more to it."
"So you know, does it change anything? Probably not," Ichigo growled, still fighting the pain in his chest as Luna finished bandaging him.
Shunsui crossed his arms and nodded. "What can Las Noches offer Soul Society?"
Starrk spoke this time, one hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "We can cull the hollow threat to Soul Society and the World of the Living from here."
Shunsui looked around at the others, pausing to stare at Soi Fon for a moment. She shook her head and crossed her arms in a huff. They all knew the benefit of stopping hollows before they had a chance to cross into either Soul Society or the World of the Living. While it was not some great gesture, it was enough to give Shunsui something to work with.
"You are suggesting an alliance," Shunsui said.
"I am. In exchange for leaving Ichigo here, we can stop hollows before they become a problem for your people. We have the manpower to do so and it would not tax us overly much. Some would enjoy the challenge, like Grimmjow, and we would be able to sate the bloodlust Arrancar like him have." Starrk paused, squeezing Ichigo's shoulder. "And Ichigo carries my young already."
There was a collective gasp from the Soul Society group, except Zaraki who snorted. "What, how?"
"I don't have time to give you a primer on hollow reproduction," Ichigo grumbled. "The short of it is that hollows have no gender, and a few can carry babies. I'm one of them."
"Perhaps if Ichigo is agreeable, a researcher could study his pregnancy and birth," Starrk said. "Not the one from Soul Society, of course. He has tormented Ichigo enough."
Ichigo nodded. "Urahara is fine."
Shunsui scratched his chin thoughtfully. Soi Fon, though, growled, "You're not seriously considering this!"
"This is an opportunity for research and learning about hollows. They have created a society here, somewhat like real humans or Shinigami—"
"They are like humans and Shinigami! They're real people just like them, just hollow. They deserve to be left alone to build their society, and I want to be a part of it," Ichigo told him, glaring at him.
Shunsui looked over at Jūshirō. "I believe this offer is worth bringing to the Sou Taichou. Sound the retreat and let us return and discuss it."
Soi Fon still didn't look like she agreed, but she didn't say anything, only left to do as Shunsui had instructed.
"Let's get you inside," Starrk said, helping Ichigo to stand while Luna helped on the other side of him.
Slowly, the forces of Las Noches returned inside, and the Shinigami retreated back to Soul Society. There had been injuries, but luckily no fatalities in the battle. Luna was very busy attending to the wounded, leaving Ichigo to be cared for by Starrk.
"It was brave of you, to tell them the truth," Starrk said, sitting on his knees in front of him where he laid in one of the med bay's beds.
"It just came out," Ichigo admitted, sighing. "I didn't really intend to let them know what happened, but I guess it was for the best."
"Hopefully, they will listen to our proposition and take us up on it. We will know soon, if they send forces again, or just an emissary." Starrk nodded at him, then leaned over and kissed his forehead. "I was never so afraid as when I heard you scream in pain. I have always considered my comrades my family, but you are so much more to me, now."
"It was a surprise, but it's not so bad now. Luna gave me an herbal tonic to help with the pain. It seems to work pretty good, too," Ichigo smiled, his eyes growing a little foggy.
"Ah, I know that one. You should feel rather good for a while, maybe a little sleepy," Starrk said gently.
"Yeah, I think I might sleep for a while," Ichigo nodded. "I do feel good, though," he admitted.
Starrk sat with him until he fell asleep, then stood and left the med bay, heart hammering in his chest. He had nearly done something that would have damaged their relations with Soul Society. When he saw the woman, who harmed Ichigo, it was a great effort to go to him instead of simply attacking her. He was drained from the effort. He sat down in the observation room and put his head in his hands, wondering what Soul Society would say to their offer. He hoped, for Ichigo's sake, it went well.
-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-
The Sou Taichou listened to Shunsui's story of what had transpired in Hueco Mundo. He didn't say anything for a while, obviously absorbing the information. After a few minutes, he looked around at all the captains where they had gathered for this meeting.
"In consideration for the circumstances in Las Noches and Hueco Mundo, I believe that it is in Soul Society's best interest to form an alliance with the Arrancar."
Soi Fon scoffed but didn't say anything. Shinji smiled and looked at Rose and Kensei with hopeful looks. The others acknowledged the head captain's words but did not react outwardly.
"Kyōraku-taichou, you and Ukitake-taichou will be in the lead of this endeavor. We will ally ourselves with the Arrancar and reduce the threat that hollows pose to both Soul Society and the World of the Living. In consideration of Kurosaki Ichigo's situation, he will be allowed to remain in Hueco Mundo with the other Arrancar. He will be exiled from the World of the Living, and unable to return there. He may be allowed to come to Soul Society, under observation." The head captain spoke with unwavering surety. "Urahara Kisuke will be contacted and asked if he would be willing to study the changes that have happened to Kurosaki Ichigo." He looked around. "This decision is final. Dismissed."