You know, life is funny... I planned to finish this story in the previous year, only for my personal life to seemingly get in the way at every turn. And having failed to reach that goal, at the start of this year, I was similarly committed to wrapping this up... Only for a goddamned global pandemic to happen!
So now, in spite of everything going on, here we are... Entering into the last batch of chapters before we start the 'endgame'. With that said, Ichigo's 'journey' should hopefully prove to be an interesting one, with multiple references to characters and events from previous chapters. Of course, I first want to express my thanks to TheBretonBookDragon for taking the time to review multiple chapters, as well as thank some of my longtime reviewers- like gorguts5, darkmachines, Ie-maru, and RG-Guest among all of the countless other individuals who've taken the time to post feedback for this long-running story.
Now, to address one of gorguts5's comments... Who said anything about using the 'transportation' technology as a weapon against Darkwood or any of the other beings from wherever he comes from? However, on a more serious note, if I went into too much detail or over-explained things... The only thing I can say to that is to concede the point- that I underestimated the intelligence of the readers/overestimated the complexity of my storytelling.
TO FORGE A
BETTER TOMORROW
Chapter LXXVIII: "The Calm"
"...Here we go."
Ichigo finished the sentence, before he realized he was in a totally new area, suddenly alone as he now found himself standing in a lush green wooded area. Even the doorknob he'd previously been gripping so intently was gone- leaving only emptiness in his outstretched hand.
"W- where am I...?" The young man mused aloud as he took in all of the sights around him... Ichigo was standing in a small grassy clearing, surrounded by towering trees. The youth was at a total loss as to try and explain just what the hell was going on, as he struggled to take everything in...
"What a silly question to ask." An airy, ethereal voice responded from out of nowhere.
The orange-haired teen frantically looked around, casting his gaze all around him as he hurriedly searched for the origin of the voice. "Who said that, where are you?!"
There was a faint chuckle in reaction, before the same voice countered: "Honestly now, if you'd calm for a moment, you'd realize that I'm right in front of you." The voice went on, the tone calm and steady as it spoke, prompting Ichigo to zero in a large moss-covered rock at the other end of the clearing.
"You?!" Ichigo spoke, flabbergasted, his eyes wide with confusion. "Can this be real... I mean, what I'm looking at, are you really who I think you are?!"
The source of the voice, a solid black cat, merely relaxed atop the stone. "It has been a while, Ichigo." The feline started. "I was beginning to wonder when we would ever see you again."
"We?" Ichigo repeated. "Who else are you talking about?"
A large hand landed on his shoulder, just in time as a tall dark figure leaned into his field of vision and looked him in the eyes. "Why your black-furred friend just happens to be talking about me!"
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Soul Society...
Division Twelve HQ...
"No, no, no," Szayel spoke. "You're being too literal, you have to think about it in terms of something more akin to a 'circuit', in this case- it's a just matter of linking two points- bridging 'A' to 'B', if you will- in order to complete it."
The whole time, Szayel had been explaining his plan to the senior members of the Twelfth, all the while as he proceeded to frantically jot down notes and illustrations on a dry erase board as he spoke.
"B- But Captain," Akon spoke up. "What you're speaking of... We're not just talking about moving matter from one location to another," the Shinigami continued his address to the others. "What you're suggesting, is attempting to move living people through the dimensions of space, perhaps even time."
The pink-haired man nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Well, no one- myself included- ever said that any part of this process was ever going to be easy." Szayel replied with a smile. "Never the less, it remains my fervent belief that finding a way to reach the proverbial lair of enemy is the key to victory."
"Tell me, how goes our work with the light-speed accelerator?" The bespectacled Arrancar asked.
"Szayel-sama," Nemu spoke up. "The research and development team that I assigned to oversee the matter-transmission project has recently reported that they've begun the first steps in the point-to-point movement of matter." She explained. "This is, so far, only with inorganic matter."
"And what about organic matter?" Szayel asked pointedly, folding his arms.
"W- well, Captain Grantz, the truth is..." The Fourth Seat Officer, Rin Tsuboraki, began in his usual nervous manor. "So far, when we tried just sending Kuna-san's potted cactus," he admitted in front of the others in the room, to mixed reactions. "There- there were... er, complications."
"Complications?" Szayel again prompted, looking directly at his officer.
"What he's trying to say," Himeko Kuna spoke up, giving her fellow Soul Reaper a dirty look in the process as she continued. "Is that my cute little cactus was subsequently reduced to a twisted and jumbled mess, only to moments later end up breaking down into a puddle of base proteins in the pot!"
Szayel looked between the two of them. First to his Fourth Seat Officer, with his large expressive eyes and his collar-length dark-brown hair framing the sides of his face. Then, to his Fifth Seat Officer, with her bright green eyes set within the frames of rectangular glasses and her purple hair pulled into a pair of twinned ponytails that were set low in the back.
"Please, everyone." The golden-eyed Arrancar began, holding up his hand. "As I'm sure that you've all most certainly gathered by now, this entire project must be regarded as very much a work in progress..."
"Wait!" The pink-haired Arrancar continued. "Just now, something occurred to me." Szayel explained to the others seated in the room. "Perhaps, we're looking at this from the wrong perspective..."
"What do you mean, Szayel-sama?" Nemu asked, perking up as he continued.
"Think about it for a moment," he replied. "Up until now, we all seem to have taken it for granted that both the Arrancar and the Shinigami possess a means by which to link the different realms." Szayel went on to remark. "But the truth is, that we're looking at this problem from a purely scientific point of view, when the real answer to the dilemma might just lie somewhere in the margins."
"Captain Grantz," Akon began. "...What are you getting at?"
"The Arrancar use the Gargantua portals to move between realms," the Octavio answered. "Just as the Shinigami make use of the Senkaimon 'Doorways' to accomplish the same." Szayel pointed out to his assembled Officers and Division members. "In the end, both methods yield the same results- creating a stable link between two points- in both instances, separated by the veil between dimensions."
"Captain," Kuna started. "It sounds... almost as if it's your aim to apply that movement to other realms?"
Szayel nodded. "It's simple when you think about it." The Espada reasoned, all the while retrieving a black marker and approaching a dry-erase board and sketching two Xs on it, before then drawing a vertical line down between them. "This line, it represents the 'barrier' that is preventing us from moving directly between the two points." Szayel stated. "It's like a... membrane."
Everyone watched he continued. "However, thanks to the methods that I mentioned, it then becomes possible to connect them- that is, by linking the two points together." Szayel went on, drawing a line to link the two Xs. "But then, let's say that we need to get to somewhere between these points..." The Arrancar posited as he erased the first line, then drew two lines- with a third "X" between them. "And so, that's the issue now...It's no longer just a matter of moving from one point to another, but now finding a method of reaching the 'space' between them."
"What you're suggesting..." Akon spoke unsteadily. "You're talking about rewriting the most basic tenants of the very foundations of science as we know it."
Rin looked between the two men, before speaking. "Captain... you believe that some kind of 'merger' of these two perspectives is the answer?"
Their Captain nodded. "That is what I believe." Szayel responded. "We all need to remember that the similar threads that carry across all cases is the act of transmission between the disperite realities."
The man in question nodded, as his Commanding Officer continued. "I'd like all of you keep in mind what we've discussed today as you go forward." Szayel offered them in a reassuring tone. "With all that being said, I cannot reiterate enough the importance of continuing onwards with your team's respective work, because we need to start seeing results- and not just for us, but for everyone."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
"Why, your black-furred friend just happens to be talking about me!"
The new arrival had explained to to the young man in a slightly raspy voice...
As soon as he'd turned around, the teen's first reaction was "Holy Crap?!"
Ichigo wasn't sure what to make of him: The 'man', if he could even be called that, towered over the youth, standing somewhere between seven or eight feet tall. He was slender, with a narrow frame, and sporting long legs and arms. He was dressed entirely in black- almost like a wild-west mortician- including a tailed coat and a matching top-hat. The stranger also sported a black waistcoat over a white dress-shirt, with a black cravat.
His hands were covered by a pair of white gloves, and his fingers were long- such that the teen couldn't help but think of how the hand on his shoulder felt more like that of a spider than anything else.
And then, there was his face!
It was 'painted up' in black and white, seemingly in the image of a skull, sporting large eyes with small black pupils set against white scleras, with an overly large mouth that curved in to an expansive toothy smile as wide as his face- uncannily similar to Shinji Haraku or the Fifth Espada Nnoitra Gilga.
He also had a mop of messy silvery-white hair that reached down around his collar.
Ichigo balked in the face of the stranger's arrival. "Who- I mean- what are you?!"
"That's enough!" The feline cautioned. "Just back off, you're frightening him."
"I am? ...But how can that be?" The figure responded, turning back to Ichigo. "Pray tell, why on Earth might give you reason to ever be frightened of me?" He elaborated. "Why, as a matter of fact, I'm not scary, I'm sweet and gentle."
"Oh, but where are my manners!" He exclaimed melodramatically. "I'm called Mister Gallows," the strange man went on, as he lifted his hat- his head coming with it! "And it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance after hearing so much about you." Gallows finished.
Again, Ichigo was left speechless and only able to look on in disbelief as the figure before him brought his hat and head back down to their rightful place in a very similar motion to how he'd removed them!
"Mister Gallows," the Cat started. "I think that's more than enough of your antics for now."
"You... What are you?" The teen asked the Cat. "You have to be more than just something I happened to have dreamed up, I mean, because no two dreams are ever the same."
The sleek black feline 'smirked'. "Everyone is someone's dream in one way or another." He went on to reason to him. "Even you, Ichigo Kurosaki, started out as a dream in your parent's minds." The creature explained to the youth. "And then, of course, what's to say that you're not a part of my dream?"
"Or maybe mine?" Gallows chimed in, still grinning.
"However, the thing you have to keep in mind is, once you've properly dreamed up something- with thoughts, feelings, and ambitions of its own- well, before you know it, it takes on a life of its own, and then... there's no way to undo it." The Cat stated calmly. "That's when the dream becomes real."
"But how can I loose control of something I dreamed up?" Ichigo interjected.
"Because," Mister Gallows interjected with a broad smile, while stepping in before him in order to the teen in the eyes. "Once something exists, it's evolved beyond you, and that existence is all the justification it needs."
"And who the hell dreamed you up?!" Ichigo countered.
"Me?" He asked, gesturing to himself. "Isn't it obvious?" The tall man countered. "No one willed me into existence, because I've always been around." Gallows offered cryptically. "No, humanity might have dreamed of me... But the truth is that I'm the primordial fear of the dark, I'm the grasping terror of the unknown, and the horror of day-to-day life." He explained to him. "In a word, I am the one constant for all people."
"You're letting yourself get sidetracked." The Cat spoke up, desperately trying to refocus the teen's attention in the process. "You have a great deal still ahead of you, things that you must come to grips with, and the sooner you get on with this, the better off you'll be for it."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Elsewhere in the Soul Realm...
Renji and Arachne were seated at a table inside of one of the nicer pubs in the area, situated within the boundaries of the First District. At the moment, the couple were making small talk over drinks.
"You know, I may share your bed," Arachne began, a twinkle in her eye. "But while I'm living in your quarters, it's not as if I'm privy to the goings-on within your Division." She added, unable to suppress a small smile as she noted the blush overtake his features. "So, how are things going?"
The tattooed crimson-haired man polished off the sake in his to steel his nerves, before offering her a bashful smile of his own. "The truth is, we've been working with some of the other Divisions to ensure that the Seireitei is properly prepared when our enemies decide it's time to get serious about carrying out their full-scale invasion of this and the other realms," Renji explained. "Ya know, such as taking the steps to strengthen our defenses and reinforce our lines of communication with our allies."
"Yes, that makes sense." Arachne replied, sounding matter of fact, nodding. "Still, there is one thing that I just can't help but be curious about..." she paused. "While you Shinigami have many formidable warriors, yourself included, just how much do your people know of total war?"
This time, it was Renji who nodded. "No sense in mixing words, eh." He replied. "But yes, I do think about that issue a lot... And truthfully, while we've been trained and even done our fair share of playing at war, you could ask any one us, and they'd recognize that it's not the same."
"Still, I grew up in the slums, so my education is more general..." He took a drink from his cup before he continued. "I mean, just by virtue of going to the academy, I'm better off- and not just in terms of my education- than the Souls in the outer districts... But people like my Captain, or the other Captains from the well-to-do families, like Kyoraku-san and Jushiro Ukitake- they'd almost certainly have received a higher form of martial training, in addition to what they learned in the process of becoming Captains."
"But it's more than just upbringing." Arachne replied, taking a sip. "As I understand it, that Boy-Captain of the Tenth Division, he's some kind of- what's the word- prodigy?" She asked. "To be elevated all of the way to the Captaincy of one of your Elite Divisions," the female paused. "The only possible explanation would be his innate intellect, combined with a particularly potent spiritual affinity."
Renji raised a brow at the last part. "Just now, what exactly do you mean by potent?"
Arachne smirked in response to this. "An individual's level of reiki plays a significant role in any number of things, all the way from their fighting ability, to how attractive they are to potential mates." The female Arrancar stated coyly. "And then, of course, it's hard to miss the simple fact that Toshiro Hitsugaya is easily one of the most potentially powerful beings in all of the realms." She offered. "Anyone can see that much."
"Well, in that case," the tattooed, crimson-haired man countered peevishly, folding his arms across his broad chest as he looked at her. "Why the hell you'd ever even bother with me in the first place, an' not just go after him, instead?"
"Because," she replied playfully with a smile. "He's a boy, while you're a man." Arachne continued seductively, as she leaned forward to look him in the eyes. "And, in my estimation, while anyone can be a decent enough partner, it takes someone with experience to be the kind of lover I need."
The assertion seemed to flummox the broad-shouldered Shinigami, as he offered no response in the face of her impassioned proclamation- that is, at least any response other than to turn red!
As Renji and Arachne were in the midst of talking things over, they spotted as another pairing arrived on the scene: the Tres Bestia Mila Rose and the Fraccion's partner Kyoko Matarabe of the Fourth.
"Ladies." Renji offered them, his tone cordial, accompanied by a slight smile.
"What brings the two of you here?" Arachne chimed in, mirroring his tone and giving a similar smile.
"Abarai-san." Mila responded coolly, with a simple polite nod, while Kyoko in turn offered her fellow Soul Reaper an superior officer a more formal greeting.
"Lieutenant, sir." The slender blonde-haired woman replied with a polite bow of her head.
"Please, there's really no need to stand on ceremony, especial right now." Renji responded, with a wave of his hand as he did his best to give the young woman what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
"Indeed!" Arachne was quick to chime in with a similar wave of her gloved hand. "C'mon, you two, pull up some chairs and join us for some drinks." The dark-haired female added. "After all, we were in the middle of talking about something particularly interesting, so the more opinions, the better!"
"Oh, um, thank you..." Kyoko started, more than a bit hesitantly, looking over to the Lieutenant for further guidance on the point. "I mean, only if it's really not a bother, that is..."
Renji merely offered the both of them a simple nod.
"Well then," Mila spoke as they took their seats. "What are you talking about that's so interesting?"
"Oh, nothing all that special, just the usual, really." Arachne countered slyly, with an obvious twinkle that implied something more, somehow visible in her deep garnet eyes. "You know, like what we Arrancar look for in our mates- what attracts us, what turns us on, that sort of thing!"
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Division Six, HQ...
Back within the grounds of the Division's Third-Seat Officer Shigeru Kimura was more than busy trying to deal with the ongoing developments regarding the affairs of the Sixth. And so, with that being said, the Shinigami had little time for dealing with distractions...
Chiefly, the 'distraction' that was the Arrancar Ylforte Grantz, best known as one of the former Fraccions of the Sexta Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez!
At the moment, the bespectacled Soul Reaper couldn't help but wonder about the Hollow and his possible motives. In particular, Kimura was trying to figure out just what the hell he was hoping to accomplish with his presence in the Soul Realm, to say nothing of the fact that the Arrancar was devoting so much time and energy toward the pursuit of endearing himself to him- who, by his own assessment, was just another unremarkable Shinigami.
"Grantz-san," Kimura began, turning to the sandy-haired man. "While I can't presume to know what your aiming for," he continued, adjusting his glasses as he fixed him with a pointed gaze. "I fail to see how I could possibly serve a function in whatever scheme you're playing at."
However, Ylforte just smiled. "Who said anything about a scheme?" He countered. "We've both been under our fair share of stress, so to that end, I'm confident in saying that I think the both of us could do with a drink right now..."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
The Living Realm, Karakura City...
In one of the labs located in the vast facilities beneath his shop, Kisuke Urahara was tirelessly working on his latest project- one, which would effectively serve as the next step in his ongoing work with what would come to be viewed as the use of light as an offensive force.
The first manifestation of this tactic, the 'proof of concept' as were, was when he had constructed the device that would later be referred to as his "Light Gun". While the ex-Shinigami's previous device was capable of firing off brief but controlled burst of energized photons, Urahara was aiming to perfect a means of generating a stable and sustained beam of light that could be used as a weapon.
And so it was, to this end, that the scruffy-faced Shopkeeper was working on a mechanism that could be wielded by hand and which was capable of generating a sustained beam (or blade) of light.
"Almost a... 'Light Sabre', you might say?" He thought to himself with a degree of irony.
Szayel had much the same reaction when he'd first presented the idea to him...
And yet, never the less, he had pushed onward with his work. "The first thing is perfecting a suitably powerful source of energy that can also be contained within the the confines of the weapon itself- that's the key to it." Urahara remarked out loud to himself with a sigh.
"Though, at least this time," the seated man went on to admit. "I'm not reduced to using components scavenged from basic household appliances, that had to be held together with nothing more than bailing wire and some hastily done soddering." Kisuke went on to remark with a smile. "Yet, all of that said... It's still going to be an uphill battle, fine-tuning and perfecting this system."
Reclining in his seat, he took another breath and centered himself. "Well then, all of that said, I suppose there's nothing for it, other than to just continue onward with my work."
Moving to a system of complex mechanisms, he turned a switch. And it was this action, in turn, that resulted in the formation of a concentrated beam of light. "Incredible..." Urahara murmured to himself under his breath as he regarded the beam of sustained photons. "Simply incredible."
"What are you working on now?" A feminine voice inquired.
"Yoruichi?" The man started in surprise, turning to her. "Quick, come here," he went on, ushering her to join him at his side. "Just, look at it..." Urahara commented to his fellow exiled Shinigami, gesturing towards the beam of light. "There, you see it, don't you?" He asked. "Remember, it's the same as that gun I built, except that this time... it's more of a sword."
"Oh, so you mean you're building a Light Saber?" The dark-skinned woman asked.
Urahara gave a small sigh. "Yes, dear," he started. "So I've been told... on more than one occasion."
Yoruichi smiled at this. "I'm guessing this is a take-off on that ridiculous gun you built?"
"Ridiculous?!" The seated man repeated, swiveling in his chair. "How can you possibly talk about my Light Gun in such a flippant manner?" Urahara questioned in mock indignation. "Especially, when you stop to consider the fact that it succeeded- in spite of all doubts, both yours and my own."
She nodded. "You're right, that is true." The shape-shifter replied. "But the fact is, that while you may have been successful, the truth is that you were also damned lucky- for one, that it even worked in the first place, rather than just exploding in your face the moment you pulled the trigger."
A moment passed, followed by him nodding. "You're right, Yoruichi, but regardless of whether or not I was lucky that day," Urahara started. "Still, the fact remains that it did work."
"However, as you can see, it's still very much a work in progress." He resumed, turning back towards the setup he'd constructed on the table. "Take a look, do you see how the beam of light passes through that series of metallic coils?" He asked, receiving a nod. "They're a series of linked electromagnets, so as the photons pass through, they're mass-accelerated and discharged as a burst of ionized plasma."
"In other words," the golden-eyed woman replied coolly. "When you say the word 'discharged', what you actually mean is that it shot a burst of light at him?" She inquired.
Urahara nodded. "That's the gist of it." He responded, adjusting his hat. "But this time, I'm not aiming for a brief burst of energy, rather a sustained output." The ex-Shinigami continued. "So right now, the problem is that I'm faced with the issue of how to power something like that."
Yoruichi folded her arms and appeared to consider the issue. "Perhaps... The problem right now is that you're not looking at this from the proper perspective?"
"What do you mean?" The businessman asked, looking to the woman beside him.
"Just think about it." She countered, meeting his gray eyes. "Up till now, you've been looking at the dilemma from a completely practical perspective, as a scientist." The dark-haired woman reasoned to the man now looking to her. "When, the truth is, that by doing so, you're limiting your options."
Pulling a chair up, she sat down next to him. "To start with, there's the fact that you and the Eighth have access to the single greatest repository of knowledge in all of existence." Yoruichi reminded him as she continued. "So, I don't know if you're aware of this, but not too long ago, Grantz provided the means of creating 'Greek Fire' to Kukaku and the Shiba clan- using this 'Matrix' you mentioned."
"But that's not all," the Shihoin noble went on. "Don't forget that both you and Grantz have previously made use of technology that's a mixture of both the scientific and the spiritual."
Urahara looked at her briefly, before at last responding. "And you believe that something along those lines could possibly be the answer to powering the weapon I'm working on?"
"I think, at the very least," Yoruichi began. "That it's something you should be willing to consider."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
"...And the sooner you get on with this, the better off you'll be."
Ichigo once more regarded the yellow-eyed creature before him. "So you say, but I still need some more info before I make any more significant choices." He went on. "To start off with, this place that we're standing in... Is it just some abstraction, or does it have an actual name?"
Right on cue, Mister Gallows leaned in. "Why, this is none other than the Kingdom of Imagination." The tall gangly man revealed. "And you just happened to have wound up within the woodlands of the region known as the 'Realm of the Journeyman'." He continued in the same theatrical manner as when he's first introduced himself. "Just north-east of us is the Shrine of Pilgrim."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Ichigo fired back, holding his hands up. "Slow down! First off, you casually drop the 'Kingdom of Imagination', like it's nothing." He began to recount. "Then, you start going on about the 'Realm of the Journeyman', and next the 'Shrine of the Pilgrim'!"
"Well, from what I hear," Mister Gallows started, rubbing his chin. "This whole place was originally intended to be called 'The Land of Make-Believe', except that something like that name was in use by an already existing land- and in a kids' tv show, now less- hosted by this lovely man in a sweater." He continued with a thoughtful look. "Wait, I'm drawing a blank... Now what was his name?"
The teen gave a confused look, which only annoyed him. "Oh c'mon, help me out here! It was a pretty big deal, the show with the puppets and the songs..." The tall man recalled, his brow furrowed.
"Ichigo, you're losing focus on the matter at hand!" The Cat spoke up. "Remember, this isn't merely a product of random chance. You are here for a reason, and also don't forget that you're a part of this whole affair."
"In the end, this is your journey." Mister Gallows piped up once again in his unnervingly chipper tone, all the while smiling just as broadly as when he'd first introduced himself. "And, in all of this, that we... We're just the bystanders."
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Orihime entered the boundary of the grounds of her apartment complex, a plastic bag full of groceries from the local convenience store in each hand, as she made her way across the parking lot...
Stepping into the elevator, the redhead managed to press the button for the second floor in spite of the encumbrance of everything she was carrying. Only moments later, she heard the all-too familiar chime that signaled the opening of the doors and the parting the silvery panels...
However, even as she stepped out, onto the walkway, she instantly knew something was very wrong, well before darkness suddenly fell all over the area, the doors shutting behind her.
Instantly, the red-haired young woman was met by the sight of another figure, their legs drawn in and seated on the hard concrete floor of the outer walkway. "You!" Orihime exclaimed in an annoyed tone, her brown eyes wide in surprise. "What on earth are you doing here?!"
With that, Dario leapt to his feat. "Please." He entreated her. "I promise you, I haven't come to take you away, and this isn't simply just another illusion." The hooded figure explained. "All that stands before you, is the man that you now behold- and I promise you, Miss Inoue, that I am that man."
The young woman took a step back from him, just in time as she began to hear the opening medley of Mark Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells' begin playing all around them. "...W- what's happening?!"
"Oh, my dear Orihime," Dario entreated. "The truth is, before it becomes too late, there's something that I desperately need to know," he went on to say as he advanced towards her. "And I believe that only you can provide the answer." The man continued, capturing both of her hands in his. "Let's dance."
"What?!" The fiery-haired girl replied, aghast as she was drawn into an impromptu waltz with the hooded man. "And, wait, w- where the hell is that music coming from?!"
And no sooner had she uttered the last part, did she realize that they were now 'dancing' in a large darkened hall with a polished floor. "Omigod!" She cried, glaring at the hooded man. "What's going on, where are we?!"
"So many questions, My dear Miss Inoue." Dario countered with a small rye smile as they continued moving in their strange rhythm. "Why not just relax and get lost in the moment and just enjoy yourself?"
. . . ...o.o.o... . . .
Meanwhile, back in the Soul Realm...
Szayel was at work in one of his labs, when he happened to receive an alert on his computer monitor that that someone was trying to contact him. Turning to another nearby monitor, the Arrancar noticed the name appearing in the ID field... "Hmm, wait... What's this?"
Adjusting his glasses, he opened a window on the screen. "Kisuke, I must say, with everything going on, you're a welcome surprise." The Arrancar offered the other man with a knowing grin. "Now, my friend, what can I do for you?"
The other man, with his pale blonde hair and striped hat nodded in turn. "To tell you the truth, I... I was hoping that you might be able to help me with the solution for an issue that I'm now dealing with."
"Interesting..." Szayel countered with a smirk. "Well now, you have my attention... please, do go on."
"The thing is," the other man started. "You and your people have already been a major help to me in the creation of my latest project- I can't overstate how much you've helped me in applying the existing systems to my new weapon..." Urahara paused. "But now, the final hurdle is the power source."
"So, we're talking about your 'Light Sabre'?" The pink-haired man asked, receiving a silent nod from the figure on the screen. "Yes, well, you Shinigami do seem to be quite attached to your swords... Not that I don't understand, mind you." Szayel continued. "But now, to the issue of power."
"That man, Darkwood, whatever he is, it's clear that he's some sort of 'agent' acting for whatever lies beyond the anomaly." The Octavio Espada continued. "So, if he can be affected, then the same applies for this 'Darkness', proves it isn't as invincible as we first thought... So, I'm comfortable in committing resources towards helping you to perfect your newest weapon." Szayel stated calmly.
"That's... good to hear." The other man admitted, appearing to relax a bit. "Well then, for now, while I await your assistance," Urahara continued. "Well, seeing as you know so much about my work, perhaps you'd like to apprise me of the progress in regard to your own work?"
"Yes..." The Arrancar spoke, running a hand through his hair. "To be honest, we seem to have hit the proverbial wall as of late." Szayel answered. "The sticking point is maintaining the molecular cohesion of organic matter during the transfer process. At the moment, inorganic materials- like metal and ore- aren't affected, an attempt to send a plant specimen indicate it's lethal to organic life."
"I see." The former Soul Reaper responded. "Perhaps, if you sent a beacon- a sort of 'signal buoy'- in advance, you could then use it to create a complete 'circuit' between the two points."
"But how does that help in maintaining molecular cohesion?" Szayel asked.
"That's just it," Urahara responded. "You need to first stop and examine the fact that you've been able to send inorganic matter, and figure out how that process can be applied to living matter." The former-Shinigami offered the pink-haired man. "Ultimately, there's a mathematical and scientifically provable code to everything, whether we're talking about technology or biology."
The pink-haired man didn't respond at first. "So," Szayel started, before calmly adjusting his glasses mostly out of habit as he continued. "You're saying that it's a matter of identifying the biological code that makes up the subject and then stabilizing it?" He asked.
Urahara nodded. "Perhaps if you can figure out a way of scanning a subject first, then you might be able to stabilize them when you send them trough the transportation circuit, eh?"
"Yet more speculative science, then?" Szayel replied with a small smile. "So be it then," the Arrancar remarked to the other man. "All of this... Well, even I can see that all this as much the realm of science fiction as it is a matter of actual science." The bespectacled man lamented.
"That's the spirit, Szayel." Urahara replied with a smile of his own. "Now, in the mean time, while you work on gathering the documents to help me with my work," he resumed. "I'm quite happy to say that I have a few theories of my own that might possibly be of some help to you."
"So you keep saying." Szayel remarked. "But, at the end of the day, I can't help but feel like what I'm really being asked is to work out the final steps in creating a Star Trek 'Transporter'."
"So?" Urahara countered. "And what if you are?"
"That's fiction." Szayel fired back. "Th- this is reality that we're talking about here."
"The way I see it," the other man started, across the screen. "When everything is said and done, the only real difference between science fiction and scientific fact comes down to whether or not that you believe that something is possible..." He paused. "So then, Szayel, is this your final frontier?"
Szayel nodded, as the screen went dark, indicating that Urahara was off the line...
"So close, and yet so far..." The pink-haired man lamented to himself. "Perhaps, I've been looking at things the wrong way, perhaps it's time that I sought a different perspective..."
(- End of Chapter LXXVIII... -)
Well, here we are... First off, I'd like to say that that the character of Mister Gallows isn't based on any particular existing character. With that said, if there turns out to be any similarities with characters from other works, it's completely unintended.