I'd first like to say thanks to Ie-maru and gorguts5 for their feedback on the previous update. And I'd also like to thank gorguts5 for their kind words. the truth is, that I've lost seven grandparents- my four biological ones, my step-grandfather, "Cliffy" the man my step-grandmother remarried (the two of them had been in love for decades, but waited until after Cliffy's wife died), and finaly my step-grandmother

I'd also like to take a moment to respond to the Ie-maru's comments about the previous Orihime/Murcielago content (ie, the sex scene), as well as their hopes for seeing more of it. I can't get into specifics at the moment, but I agree with you that there's something compelling in Orihime's attraction to the downright demonic Segunda Etapa- something dangerous, yet eerily seductive. I definitely have further plans for the dynamic.

TO FORGE A
BETTER TOMORROW

Chapter LXXII: "Enigma"

Soul Society,
Division Twelve HQ...

"Szayel, when I first stumbled upon you... you were speaking." Urahara recounted "It was as if you were in the middle of a... a conversation." He went on. "You were saying some... odd things, to say the least," he went on remark. "Tell me, my friend, do you remember anything of that?"

The Arrancar regarded his friend for a moment, the man who once occupied the position he presently held, the post which he'd unceremoniously been deposed from- all as part of the act of betrayal carried out by the same man that Szayel had previously served under.

While reflecting on how his predecessor had come to be a friend, he nodded. "More than I'd care to... Perhaps, even more than I'd like, at least under normal circumstance- that is, at least in any other time." He answered, now seated on the floor of the room, with Nemu kneeling beside him.

Similarly seated on the floor, his back resting against the wall, beside the now closed door, the scruffy-faced man took his hat off and brushed a hand through his messy hair. "What I experienced was unlike anything I've ever been through before..." He paused. "What exactly happened?"

"It's strange," the Arrancar began, getting to his feet, along with Nemu. "As soon as I set eyes on the machine, there was just something about it. From the moment I had the schematics, I had to build it.. It was almost as if I didn't have any choice." He continued, rubbing the bridge of his nose, even as the three of them making their way out of the room.

"Once I had set eyes on its fully realized form," the pink-haired Espada went on, all the while as the other two listened intently. "It was drawn inexplicably to it, as if I were under the spell of some ancient sort of siren... it was like that dammed machine was calling out to me."

Stepping inside the elevator, Urahara adjusted his striped hat. "I still don't understand." The former Soul Reaper admitted, as the doors slid shut smoothly behind them. "Listening to you speak earlier, the way you talked about that machine..." He continued in a cautious tone. "You make is sound like is had some kind 'hold' on you, almost like a drug or some sort of kotodama."

Pressing a button on the control panel to start their accent, he nodded. "I'm not sure I fully understand exactly what happened myself." Szayel replied pensively. "Except... it was as if there was some kind of irresistible force imbued in the very metal and the wiring." The Arrancar mused.

With that, Szayel looked to the other man. "Kisuke... Tell me, are you familiar at all with the effects of barometric pressure changes?" The pink-haired man asked.

"Of course." The scruffy-faced man replied. "If I recall, it's when the density of air shifts."

"More or less." The bespectacled Hollow replied. "I believe something similar began to happen right after I activated the machine." Szayel revealed. "As I turned up the resonance from the machine, it was like the air began to become heavy... And, rather appropriately, my head began to ache."

The elevator chimed as it arrived at it's destination, the doors sliding open to reveal the entryway to his personal quarters on the top floor. Once inside what Urahara guessed to be the man's study, he accepted the offer to sit down in one of the leather chairs, as Szayel retrieved a bottle from out a heavy wooden cabinet and a faint smokey scent was detectable as he filled up to rounded tumbler glasses.

Once the alcohol had flowed down over the ice in the tumblers, he stuck the cork topper back in, and replaced the liquor bottle back in the sturdy cabinet. Not wasting any time, he retrieved a bottle of red wine, removed the waxed cork from the neck, then filled a medium-sized stem glass. With that done, he drove a metal stopper back into the bottle, and made his way over to the grouping of seats- all arranged around a low 'coffee' table- that Urahara and (now) Nemu were sitting in.

Handing her the glass of red wine, he then offered one of the tumblers to the ex-Shinigami, who gladly accepted it as Szayel effortlessly took his seat in one of the chairs.

Urahara looked at the glass, then sniffed it, before taking a sip, his eyes wide. "Ugh. Very smooth... "Whiskey?"

Szayel smirked and nodded. "Specifically, a straight bourbon whiskey," he replied with a smile, before taking a sip of the contents of the glass held in his gloved hand. "It's made in a place called Lawrenceburg."

"Now," Urahara started, casually taking another sip from his drink. "I want to ask you about something you mentioned earlier, that the machine had some kind of effect on you." He recalled. "Would you care to elaborate?"

Taking a sip from his own glass, he nodded. "Once I'd turned the machine up sufficiently, it was like it was hyper-stimulating every part of me mind- especially sensory perception." The bespectacled Espada paused. "The end result was that I... began to experience extremely vivid hallucinations, or visions, if you will."

"Visions?" Urahara repeated, surprised by the admission.

Nemu took a dainty sip from her glass of whine as Szayel exhaled. "It's a word, how can I be expected to put a label to something that can't be defined?" He countered. "When I say 'visions', it was almost as if I was experiencing different realities- I was still me, but the setting was different."

Urahara leaned forward. "Szayel, just what are you saying?"

Taking another sip from his glass, he set it down. "That I... I suspect I experienced the Multiverse."

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

Second Division HQ...

"Lieutenant Shengcai," Soifon began in a steady tone, doing her best to stay calm as she addressed the man seated across the desk from her. "I hope that you appreciate the considerable trust that comes with serving as my second-in-command." The dark-haired woman stated.

The man in-question nodded. "But of course, Suifeng Duìzhǎng." He replied smartly with a bow of his head, reminding the female Soul Reaper that- like herself- he was ethnically Chinese.

Soifon gave a simple nod in response. "As my 'Second', my Lùjūn zhōngwèi, you are in effect my right hand when it comes to Division matters..." The Captain continued calmly. "As such, I'm entrusting you with some extremely sensitive information, information that could- potentially- be used against me, to undermine me, and even compromise my position..."

"Lady Soifon," Shenkai started emphatically, looking into her eyes. "Your confidence as my Captain honers me greatly, and you must believe me, when I say I that would sooner die than betray you or your trust in me- than suffer the humiliation of such disgrace." The elegant man proclaimed.

Soifon didn't respond at first, taken aback by the declaration. "My dear Shengcai... You are as close to the realization of the living embodiment of the great Zhao Yun as any man could ever be." She offered softly with a smile, only to be met with a gobsmacked look from the man before her.

"That- that you should compare me to such a hero..." He uttered. "I- I lack the words to properly express just what it means to simply to hear you utter such praise, regardless of merit." Shenkai admitted, looking into her eyes. "But prithee, enlighten me, what was the information that you wished to now speak of with me?"

The woman nodded. "The truth is... I'm pregnant."

"Lady Soifon, my Captain, you are... with child?" He repeated, dark eyes wide, receiving a nod from the slender woman seated across from him. "Surely, there is no shame in birthing the next generation?" The man asked fervently. "You are the mother, sacred and divine."

She expected his surprise, as her recently modified robes and Captain's haori went a long way toward concealing her condition. Though, Soifon had been caught unprepared by his counter declaration. "Lieutenant...?"

"Please, Captain," the Lieutenant began. "You are my Commander, my Duìzhǎng, regardless of what the circumstance might be, I will stand by you, no matter whatever else might happen."

"Then, Shengcai, to that end," Soifon resumed. "You must prepare yourself so that you will be able to take over the command of this Division in the near future, when I am no longer able to lead it."

"Of course," he replied, bringing his hands together and nodding. "You may depend on me."

The petite Shinigami was silent for a moment, before she nodded. "Thank you... For your honesty." Soifon replied. "It's comforting to know that I can count on you, when the time comes."

"Your word is my command." The dark-haired Lieutenant replied.

Soifon relaxed in her chair. "When I first looked at your profile, I could see you had promise," she began thoughtfully. "And yet, I never could've imagined the extent to which you would become such a trusted and valuable ally of mine." The woman admitted. "...Regardless, thank you."

He nodded. "Thank you, Captain, as I said- you honor me."

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

"I experienced the Multiverse."

Both Nemu and Urahara gave looks of surprise at this. "Please, please just hear me out." The Arrancar requested of the two. "I'm not prone to wild flights of fancy, but after what I saw... Well, I must say that I find myself far more open to the possibility of the existence of parallel realities."

"You can't be serious?" Urahara fired back. "You- you're talking about science fiction."

"Am I?!" The golden-eyed Arrancar countered. "Is it really so preposterous to accept the existence of multiple parallel realities?" Szayel asked. "Just take a look around us: for one thing, there's a rift in the fabric of reality, to another universe!" He continued emphatically. "And don't forget that even in just our reality, we're dealing with multiple realms of existence."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Urahara took a quick drink from his glass. "Fine, fine..." The former Captain turned shopkeeper started, before looking to the other man. "Let's just say, for the sake of the argument, that I accept the existence of alternate realities... So, what then?"

"I've seen things you wouldn't believe." Szayel responded. "A world where I was a prisoner of Mayuri, kept as a captive of the Twelfth... And, Nemu was pregnant with my cub."

The purple-haired woman blushed faintly at the revelation. "In another... Aizen won, he achieved total control of the Orb, and used the power that he attained to subjugate the Spirit Realm." Szayel explained to the other two. "You- you were dead, Kisuke." He admitted uneasily to other man. "Mayuri was dead as well- killed by me- and I was in command of the Research and Development Division."

"Aizen effectively set himself up as the 'Ruler' of the Spirit Realm, and the Shinigami were completely subservient to the Arrancar." He continued, before taking another sip. "Even though I held a position of great prestige, I was... being terrorized by Aizen, while also dealing with constant attacks from a hostile force of giant intelligent insects- that we came to call The Swarm."

"Good grief, that sounds... harrowing." Urahara commented, taking a sip from his own glass.

The Arrancar chuckled softly in reaction, while looking into the shifting amber contents of his glass in his gloved hand. "Well, it wasn't all bad." Szayel replied with a smile. "As much I was suffering, I also happened to have two beautiful and brilliant children with my darling Nemu."

The purple-haired woman smiled as her partner gave a similar smile and leaned forward to place a hand over hers to give it an affectionate squeeze before he spoke up once more.

"However, I was a poor replacement for you." Szayel admitted. "I was callous and arrogant, and the best I was capable of was playing catch-up with your theories..." He added. "I learned what it meant to live with true evil... and, to be a victim of that evil." The Espada took a drink. "And I tell you all this, because as much as I wish it was some terrible dream, there's part of me for which it was real."

"In another reality, the only real difference was that it was you who betrayed Soul Society and used the Orb to create the Arrancar." Szayel revealed. "Interestingly, you came to many of the same conclusions as Aizen, including the hierarchy of those of us who served under you."

Urahara slunk back in his chair, a hand over his mouth, before exhaling and sitting back up and taking a deliberate drink of bourbon. "A world where... I succumbed to the temptation of the Orb..."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Szayel offered with a smile. "After all, you're only human."

"Still," Nemu spoke up in a calm tone, as she sipped from her glass of wine. "What you've described, Szayel-sama, how could this all have been possible?"

The pink-haired Arrancar looked to the woman, then nodded. "It really is just a guess... But I would have to theorize that there is- on some level- a connection between perception and reality." Szayel went on to state. "Perhaps, like Doctor Tillinghast, I've been thrust into a reality larger than myself."

Urahara emitted a chortling sound, setting his glass down on the nearby coffee table. "And so, it would seem that the legacy of Mister Lovecraft endures." The blonde-haired man stated with a smile

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

Huecco Mundo...

"What do you mean by 'facets of a larger threat'?"

As soon as Nelliel-Tu Obberschank had heard the statement uttered, the Captain had felt compelled to inquire further. However, the elaborately painted woman standing before her only smiled knowingly.

The former Tercera waited for her response. "I see you're curious." Ellsingar replied after a moment, meeting the woman's gaze. "That's an admirable quality in a Leader."

Grimmjow smirked as the conversation between the two women continued. "Lady Nelliel, you need only to stop and consider for a moment," Ellsingar replied. "Just as you yourself were once a servant to the man called Aizen, so too do the Brethren serve a master- in their case, the Darkness."

"But this 'Darkness' you're speaking of, what exactly is it?" The green-haired Arrancar asked the other female, her hands coming to rest on her shapely hips.

"It is the great unknown." The skull-faced female answered. "The uncertainty and the fear that exists beyond the veil of this world and the next." Ellsingar continued. "What lies beyond the 'tare' in the sky, what you and your allies seem content to call 'nothing', is very much a realm of substance."

"The only provable difference between existence as you know it, and 'existence' beyond the rift is that it is unknowable... at least- this is- by any metric that you are able to grasp." The painted Arrancar went on to state. "Take this message with you: the greatest threat to you and your people is the unknown."

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

The Living Realm, Karakura City...

Not for the first time, in as many years, Doctor Ryuken Ishida now found himself in his study, sitting across his desk from a Shinigami...

Or, perhaps, it was more accurate to say, a former Shinigami.

Adjusting his glasses, the silver-haired man regarded the scruffy-faced, slightly disheveled man seated in the chair before him. "Urahara-san," Ryuken began coolly. "I hope you appreciate the significance of the fact that you're here, in my house, with my undivided attention..."

The other man nodded. "Doctor Ishida," the ex-Shinigami started. "I can assure you that I fully realize the importance of this visit." He continued diplomatically. "Just as I appreciate the value of your time, and the significance of you so so graciously extending your hospitality to me."

"Very well." The bespectacled Quincy acknowledged. "If I understand correctly, from the message you sent me prior to your visit today, you have some questions for me?"

"Tell me, have you had any time to go over the document I sent you?" Urahara asked him, receiving a nod from the man, before continuing on. "The truth is, that the current situation- as best as we're able to understand it- is grave." He continued. "For some time now, we've been monitoring a spacial distortion within our reality, that we've come call the 'Oken Anomaly'..."

"This anomaly has been emitting pulses of an unknown energy, which have continued in a predictable mathematical rate." He went on to explain. "Until recently, each pulse after the first, had occurred at a rate of two percent less that the time between the last," he paused. "That is, something changed and the timing of the resultant pulse jumped to a decrease of five percent."

"This mysterious energy that you speak of," the Quincy began. "The report you forwarded to me, it states that in the moments just before the irregular pulse occurred, that it exhibited lethal properties." Ryuken recounted. "Now then, what exactly- if anything- do you and your people know in regards to this energy, and how it functions in our reality?"

"Captain Grantz, of the Twelfth Division, observed that it appears to only be able to exist within our reality for a very limited amount of time." The Soul Reaper turned shopkeeper responded. "However, even during that short window, multiple witnesses have recounted that it was extremely volatile and violently reactive to the matter of this reality- including living tissue."

"Ah yes, Szayel Grantz, the Hollow that leads your former division, with your blessing, no less?" Ryuken interjected. "All of that said, the good Captain's report mentioned a fatality- all very dramatic, from what I read of it." The elder Ishida recalled, while addressing the man across from him. "Still, if it's so antithetical to our reality, why then do you think it's so aggressively attempting to permeate it?"

"Permeate?" The pale blonde repeated. "Oh, of course, yes... That's a very good way to put it." He continued with a slight smirk. "To be honest... We're not sure why." Urahara admitted, all while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "One line of thinking is that these pulses are a 'countdown', to something more, while another theory is that they're a broadcast or a transmission of some kind."

"I've conferred with Captain Grantz, multiple times," he went on to admit. "And over the course of our correspondence, the only point so far that we've managed to agree on is that there's some kind of intelligence behind the pulses."

Ryuken arched a brow. "Intelligence?"

"Yes, as insane as it sounds," the former Captain countered. "I believe there's something on the other side of that rift, something that- for reasons we don't fully understand- wants into our reality."

Ryuken was uncertain as how to respond at first, given the ominous and downright sinister implications of statement. "And you believe that this power is actively attempting to intrude into our world?"

"Whether or not it is," Urahara began. "We're facing an unprecedented danger."

"But now, Urahara-san... There is another matter I am curious about- your account of your run-in with the individual known as 'Darkwood'." Ryuken went on. "In your account, by your own words, no less, you stated that he 'appeared to made of darkness'... What exactly do you mean by that?"

"He's not human." The pale-blond responded bluntly. "Nor any other form of 'life' as we know for that matter... When I injured him, the wound didn't bleed, there was only a gash in the flesh- like torn paper- through which I could see nothing, that is, except for a void of total darkness."

"A creature composed of darkness, disguised as a man..." Ryuken mused. "And you say you've found existing accounts of similar beings, as well as references to a 'World of Shadow'?" The Doctor further inquired.

"Yes." Urahara responded calmly. "The full scope of the accounts is frankly staggering, as old as history and humanity itself, spanning many thousands of years- all the way from the time of the Sumerians to the Egyptians, and to the democracy of the Greeks and the Roman Empire, until all the way to the rules of Charlemagne and Napoleon during the Peninsular War, and so on- all the way to the present."

"If what you're telling me is correct," the silver-haired man began. "Then we're talking about a span of time somewhere around six and a half to seven thousand years of history."

The scruffy blonde nodded. "Perhaps even more." He countered. "The truth is there are even older great cultures, such as the Aboriginals of Australia." The captain-turned-shopkeeper continued. "The only problem is while they've been around for some thirty-five to forty thousand years, they've never been a unified people, with a unified history."

"However, it's time I brought up the other reason I'm here." Urahara replied, before adjusting his black and white striped hat. "Beyond keeping you informed, that is..." He continued. "Doctor Ishida, is there any examples you can think of from Quincy lore or history that- in any way, perhaps now, in hindsight- might possibly be relevant to the current situation?" The former Shinigami asked.

The bespectacled man appeared to consider the question for a moment. "I'm afraid that nothing comes to mind, at the moment." Ryuken answered. "However, the unfortunate truth is that if the Quincy were ever aware of either these beings or the realm they originate from, those accounts would almost surely have been archived within the Wandenreich, and were lost with the fall of Silburn."

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

"These people- the humans, the Arrancar, the Shinigami- on more than one occasion, you've gone to questionable lengths for them. You're gambling a great deal on nothing more than a theory."

"I suppose that's one way to look at it." The Man in White replied, regarding the nebulous 'presence' before him. "However, it's only really a 'gamble' when someone is uncertain of the outcome... And so, from my perspective- given everything at stake- I regard all that I've done, from the very start to this moment- to be an acceptable risk, considering just how enriched everything will be."

"Bold words... However, it remains to be seen as to if you are indeed correct in your assessment. Never the less, you would do well to remember one thing: regardless of the ultimate outcome, the consequences- however events play out- will be upon your shoulders."

"Of course." He smiled and nodded. "I've always known that... But by your own admission, if this my gamble, then as such," the man paused. "Like any good gambler, it's my duty to take responsibility."

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

Back in his office, Szayel exhaled, looking up towards the ceiling...

"You know, Nemu," he started with a knowing smile, as he looked to the woman nestled in his lap. Presently, the pink-haired Arrancar was sitting at his desk inside his office, with the attractive purple-haired woman seated in his lap. "I've been thinking about recent events."

The green-eyed officer wasn't sure why the Espada always seemed so intent on this particular practice, of having her in his lap as they conversed on any number of subjects. Still, it wasn't as if it actually got in the way of effectively carrying out Division business. Still, to be honest, if this were anyone else, doing something like this would have come off as highly inappropriate.

But then, Szayel Grantz wasn't like anyone else when it came down to it, so coming from the Octavio Espada, it came across as more of just an amusing quirk of the man.

And yet, here she was, sitting in the lap of her superior. But then, when you regularly shared a bed and were bonded with a person, perhaps personal boundaries simply went out the proverbial window!

He grinned as he continued. "My dear, I'm beginning to believe, the more I think about it, that there might be other applications for the device." Szayel reasoned out loud, while adjusting his ever-present glasses. "After all, there's the crucial fact it's able to somehow 'move' people- or, at the very least, their consciousness- across dimensions..." The golden-eyed Arrancar went on to comment.

He smiled, rubbing his chin. "Then, perhaps it might be possible to find a way of refocusing that same power against extra-dimensional beings, like these 'Shadow Beings', whatever they are."

. . . ...o.o.o... . . .

Back in the Living Realm, inside a workshop within his hidden facilities beneath the shop the bore his namesake, Kisuke Urahara regarded his "Light Gun".

The large, bulky instrument had served the dual function of proving two theories: First, that Darkwood and others like him could be harmed. And second, that anything originating from the anti-light universe was vulnerable. In this case, unsurprisingly, it was something as seemingly innocuous as light. And yet, this was something that had never been encountered before.

The weapon had been a lashed together rush job, something he'd hurriedly cobbled together, based on little more than what had previously been just an unproven theory. But now that the former Soul Reaper knew there was something to it, he felt ready to go forth with further extrapolations...

Resting his hand on the length of the weapon, he exhaled. "Edmund Darkwood..." The scruffy blonde began in a low tone. "My friend, whoever or whatever you are... I have your number."

"And now..." Urahara murmured to himself, before pivoting away in his chair, away from the weapon to face a nearby worktable. "I've got work to do." He continued softly, unrolling a large sheet of graph paper, depicting several concept schematics of various mechanism.

"Just try not to stay up too late."

Urahara turned to see Yoruichi standing standing in the doorway. There was a familiar smile on the dark-skinned woman's face, as well small mug in one hand.

"Yoruichi?" The man inquired.

"I know you, Kisuke." She began knowingly, sauntering over to his side. "And if left unchecked, you could wind up getting lost in your work." The exotic changeling remarked, as she set the mug down on the table, revealing it to be a mug of hot tea. "So like I said, don't stay up too late."

"After all," the noblewoman started, before she leaned in to kiss him. "Sleeping is always much better when there's another person to share the bed with... and, of course, you know where to find me- should the mood ever happen to strike you." She added seductively.

He smirked as she gracefully slinked out of the room, before lifting up the mug to his lips to take an experimental sip of tea from it. "Well, Kisuke, that woman, she really is a handful." Urahara quipped to himself, still smiling. "Heh... And you wouldn't have it any other way."

(- End of Chapter LXXII... -)

I'd like to close out this update by saying that I'm working tirelessly to finish this story by year's end, so I hope you guys will stick with me and see this narrative to its ultimate conclusion, because this story is the culmination of myself as a writer!