Hey everyone, so sorry about the late posting, but got really busy with yard work, and prepping the house for summer. But, got it all taken care of.

Finally got my final grades for the semester, and I nearly passed out from shock. Got an A in math and history, and a B in English. Trust me, I was expecting a whole lot worse, like Bs all around, so those two As really shocked me, lol.

Anyway, glad all that heartache and stress is over with, so now I can sleep peacefully at night again…and write a bit more clearly. Sadly, no reviews to answer again, maybe next time. (Fingers crossed)

Little note before we begin, I've been looking around for a good artist that does commissions, so that I can have something made as a cover page for the story, and to also give everyone a picture of what our story's hero looks like. If any of you do Bleach commissions, or know of anyone that does, please feel free to toss me a message.

(I DO NOT OWN BLEACH; ITS CHARACTORS, NAMES, LOCATIONS, OR STORY! THAT HONOR BELONGS SOLELY TO TITE KUBO AND HIS TEAM! ONLY THE OC, AND RANDOM NAMES NOT MENTIONED IN THE BOOKS OR ANIME ARE MY OWN!)


Chapter 15

(Sorrows of the Past)

World of the Living, Urahara Shop, 15 Minutes Later

"I see…so Aizen had used the Hōgyoku on your wife, turning her into a sort of zanpakutō spirit?" Kisuke asked in affirmation.

Timothy sighed and nodded. "Yes." He confirmed.

"And she currently has no inner world to reside in, am I understanding this correctly?" Urahara asked further.

Timothy nodded again. "From what my actual zanpakutō tells me, yes."

Kisuke opened his fan and started waving it at himself while he thought about the information. Timothy poured himself some tea and took a sip before the shop keeper spoke up again.

"I must admit, I never thought the Hōgyoku could be used in such a manner. I had designed it to break the boundaries between hollows and soul reapers, not the boundaries between human souls and zanpakutō. This worries me. I can only imagine what Aizen would try to do with that kind of power. But we'll worry about that later; for now, I would have to agree with your zanpakutō. Judging by what you've told me, it would seem that a bond had been faintly established between you and your wife." He informed.

"What do you mean?" Timothy asked.

"Under normal circumstances, it's impossible for a zanpakutō spirit to exist without an inner world. When a soul reaper dies, the zanpakutō spirit dies with him. But that is not the case here, as she is obviously still here without the possession of an inner world. My theory is that somehow the Hōgyoku established a bond between you; linking you two together, but not through an inner world. That would also explain why she materializes in our world when the seal is removed. To her, this 'is' her inner world. But as your zanpakutō has told you, this world cannot support her. In fact…" he paused and looked at Susan's blade that was now sitting on the table.

"I don't think it will be long before she fades away, even while remaining sealed; a few weeks at best." He stated, then returned to the Lieutenant. "Your zanpakutō pretty much hit the nail on the head by telling you that you needed to introduce her to 'your' inner world along with it. From what I can see, this is the only way that you can save her. But I'm sure you are aware of what that means, right?" he inquired.

Timothy sighed heavily, then nodded. "Yeah…it means that I'll lose her as my wife." He answered in a sorrowful tone.

Urahara snapped his fan shut and pointed it at her blade. "Not quite, Tim. The thing is, she was gone 'as your wife' the moment the Hōgyoku put her in this state. What your zanpakutō told you was completely true; I'm afraid that she is no longer your wife, but a zanpakutō spirit." He informed, then dropped his fan hand to his lap. "I'm sorry Tim, but the fact of the matter is that your wife is gone. She may retain her memories from when she was human, but this is not Susan anymore; she is Moeru Kitsune; an ownerless zanpakutō."

The younger man dropped his head as tears began to form. "Is there no way to reverse the effects?" he tried.

Kisuke closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Tim."

Two sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity to Timothy. His worst fear had come true; Susan was gone, with only a zanpakutō with her memories as a reminder. After a minute longer, he wiped the tears away with the sleeve of his kosode.

He raised his head back to the shop owner. "So, what do I need to do to save her?" he asked.

Urahara reopened his fan and continued waving it. "As I said, you need to introduce her to your inner world. There are a couple of methods that I can think of that might work, but the one I foresee with the highest chance of success would be the method Ichigo used to 'borrow' Rukia Kuchiki's soul reaper powers before he awakened his own. You would have to force Moeru Kitsune's blade into your being."

Timothy rose a brow. "Into my being?" he asked.

Kisuke nodded. "Basically, run her blade into your heart, where your inner world resides. If my theory is correct, she would then be able to enter it and become a part of it. When that happens, the relationship should become that of a zanpakutō spirit, and it's master."

"And what would happen with my abilities that Tim uses?" Moeru Kitsune asked.

Kisuke looked at her blade. "I would assume that the abilities that you possess would become your shikai release." He answered, then turned back. "Again, all of this is just theory. I cannot honestly say that I know what will happen. I don't think anything like this has happened before, so this is all new territory to me. But if you want my advice, I strongly recommend you get this done now. The introduction of her to your inner world will likely put a great strain on both of you. Afterall, you 'are' forcing a foreign spirit into your soul. Waiting will only make her weaker; and if you wait too long, she will likely not survive the experience." He advised.

Timothy sighed. "So, I assume you have a place to do this in mind?" he asked.

Urahara gave him a cheeky smile. "I know just the place."

Squad 7 Head Quarters, Seireitei, Present

Sajin was currently sitting behind his desk and looking over the remainder of the morning forms, waiting for further news on the response team. He grabbed the cup of tea that was sitting on his desk and was about to take a sip when he heard a knock on the door.

He took his sip and set it back down before he answered. "You may enter."

The door slowly opened and Hinata walked in timidly. Sajin looked at her to see that she had only recently stopped crying, but had a slightly softer look on her face than she did back at the Squad 4 medical center.

"Miss Ogawa? I hope there is some good news." He half pleaded as he gestured for her to sit in front of him.

She gave him a respectful bow, then walked forward and sat down with a sigh. "Some, Captain. Captain Unohana said the squad member Mori is out of danger and will live. But, she does not believe that he will wake up anytime soon." She informed.

Sajin breathed a sigh of relief. "That is good. And what about the others?" he inquired.

"Their injuries were not as bad, Captain. Captain Unohana intends to release some of them, including Issei tomorrow. The rest will be held up for about a week. Kenta, another member and I were the only ones cleared to leave today. Tim was in a similar condition as me when I left, so I think he should be fine." She answered.

Sajin nodded in understanding. "That is good. I want you and the two others to take the rest of the day off. I expect a full report on the matter from you by the end of the day tomorrow. Tim can fill out his report when he returns." The furry Captain instructed.

Hinata bows her head. "Yes, Captain." She responded, then moved to stand up and leave.

The Captain held up a hand, stopping her. "One moment, Miss Ogawa. I have something further I wish to discuss with you." He stated, causing her to sit back down. He then folded his arms into his sleeves with a sigh. "Tetsuzaemon spoke with two of the team members before he returned to Squad 5. A little while ago, he came to speak with me and told me what they said. From their accounts, even though you suffered casualties, you had done well in leading your part of the team. You are still lacking in some areas of leadership, but you are quickly learning."

He dropped his hands to his lap and gave her a stern look. "Regardless of this fact, I would like to offer you the position of the squad's 7th seat." He informed.

Her eyes widened, and her jaw slightly dropped. "Captain?"

Sajin nodded firmly. "You have shown that, with a little more training, you can easily handle the position. You now possess what some of the other higher officers in the squad do not, combat experience under extreme circumstances. You now know what it feels like to have lost men under your command, and still be required to push harder. That type of experience is hard to come by. Now, I offer you this position with this is mind; you do not have to accept right now if you do not feel you can possibly handle it. If you require more time, that is fine; the position will be open to you until either you accept it, or I place someone else there. Do you understand?"

Hinata lowered her head a bit, thinking on the Captain's offer. She had just lost her close friend and another member of the team; almost losing a third person. What was worse was the fact that all three of them were on 'her' team. She was feeling the pain of guilt that she could have done better to avoid their deaths.

She sighed, then looked at him. "Captain…I don't think I'm ready for the responsibility yet. I thank you for the offer, but…I think I'm gonna have to say no; at least for right now. I'm sorry Captain." She stated in a low tone.

Sajin sighed at her answer but nodded. "I understand. To be frank, Miss Ogawa, I am actually impressed that you are willing to admit that you do not feel you are ready for the responsibility. That is another key trait that some officers lack; the ability to admit their shortcomings. If you do not feel you are ready, then I will accept your answer. Now please, go back to the barracks and get some rest. If I hear anything further regarding Tim, or the members still in Squad 4, I will let you know." He concluded.

She stood up and gave him a low bow. "Thank you very much, Captain." She said, then rose and left the room.

Sajin gave a deep sigh as he closed his eyes in thought. He had hoped that she would accept the position, but he knew that her friend's death had affected her badly; most likely being the key reason that she had declined.

He opened his eyes back up and grabbed his cup before turning around and looking out the window. He stared out at the horizon, watching the few clouds in the sky blow by.

A few minutes later, he was disturbed from his thought by a knock on the door. "You may enter." He answered in a depressed tone.

The door opened to reveal a stealth force messenger who walked in and dropped to a knee. "Pardon the interruption sir, but Head Captain Yamamoto has requested you see him at once." He announced.

Sajin gave a deep sigh and nodded. "Thank you, I will leave immediately." He returned.

The messenger nodded, then stood and left the office. Sajin finished his tea and set the cup down before standing and leaving the office himself.

World of the Living, Urahara Shop, Present

Timothy followed the humble shop keeper, eyes wide in amazement as he looked at the vast, wide open, and very large desert space that was hidden under the shop.

"Wow! Isn't this amazing?! Who would have thought that something like this would be hidden right under my shop?!" the owner asked in mock surprise.

Timothy didn't fall for it. "If you think I'm stupid enough to believe that you didn't know this was here, think again, Kisuke." He moaned in annoyance.

Kisuke chuckled in humor. "Oh, come now, you don't have to be so mean." He teased.

The Lieutenant turned to him. "If you want mean, I can gladly show you mean, Kisuke. Now can we quit with the games and worry about this problem of mine?" he pleaded.

"Of course." He answered, then stopped to face him. "Now, as I said, you need to introduce Moeru Kitsune into your inner world. You need to take her blade and run it into your heart, your being. Keep in mind that this is, of course, very dangerous, and that there is the chance that it may not be successful. She is already in a very weakened state, and could possibly die before the introduction is complete." he informed.

"So, besides stabbing my own heart, is there anything else I need to do?" Timothy asked in worry and skepticism.

Kisuke opened his fan and started waving it. "Because you already have an inner world with a zanpakutō spirit as a resident, no. Your zanpakutō spirit can handle pulling her into the inner world, but you need to remain strong and endure the pain while it happens."

Timothy sighed deeply. "Will this have any adverse effects on my inner world? Having two zanpakutō spirits residing in the same one?" he inquired.

Urahara simply shrugged his shoulders. "I'm afraid I can't answer that, Tim. I'm sure it will have some effect on it, but to what extent, I can't say." The owner answered.

"If I may ask, mister Urahara, would this affect me in any way; besides me being a part of his inner world?" Moeru Kitsune asked aloud.

Kisuke looked down to her. "That's another thing that I can't answer at the moment; but in theory, nothing traumatic should occur." He answered, then went back to Timothy. "Remember Tim, once you have forced her blade into your being, you must release the seal on the sword. This ordeal will likely cause you to release the full force of your spiritual pressure, but you don't need to worry. This area has a very powerful barrier around it that will prevent your pressure from being detected; so, you don't have to worry about someone finding out about this." He assured.

Timothy nodded and drew Moeru Kitsune's blade. He let out a sigh and glanced at the blade. "You ready?" he asked in a hesitant voice.

"I guess as ready I'm going to be. I'll try to be quick about it, Tim." she stated with conviction.

He nodded and slowly bought the blade up to rest it facing his chest, now holding it by the blade. He let out a final, deep sigh as he lowered his head. "Good luck." He whispered, then pulled the blade towards him, the tip piercing his flesh and running right through his heart.

He let out a brief yell of pain as he clenched his teeth and closed his eyes tightly. His jaw flinched before he dropped to his knees and lowered his head. "Re….release…" he said in a hitched voice.

The seal on the blade shattered for the final time and he was immediately assaulted with an unbearable amount of pain. Instead of the sharp pain that he should have felt from the blade protruding from his chest, he was instead faced with a scorching pain. He felt like the inside of his chest was literally on fire and burning him from the inside out.

He dropped to his side as he let out the loudest scream of pain that he ever felt in his life. His body immediately clenched and balled up to where he was now in the fetal position; the hilt of the sword almost touching his knees.

Timothy's Inner World

Moeru Kitsune stood alone in an eternal darkness, turning left and right to try and see anything, anyone. She was in her released, anthropomorphic state; her calm, burning fox fire wrapped around her entire body.

She had expected Timothy's zanpakutō spirit to be there to help her into his inner world, but found that no one was there; she was all alone.

"Hello?" she called out.

She turned to her left; nothing. She turned to her right; nothing again. She turned behind her; yet still nothing.

"Anyone there?" she tried to call again.

"You…are not…welcome." A dark voice stated.

She quickly turned around to see a man standing a few yards away; just slightly taller than her and covered in red rags around his body and face, only revealing his right eye. His appearance reminded her of what the devil would look like.

"Are you…Tim's zanpakutō spirit?" she asked.

The man gave her a single, slow nod with his head. "I am." He responded.

She turned to fully face him. "What do you mean I'm 'not welcome'?" she inquired.

The man narrowed his gaze at her. "You soul…is tainted…I cannot allow…you to be…a part…of this inner world." He said sternly.

Her heart dropped, and her eyes widened at the man's words. "What do you mean 'tainted'? What did I do?" she asked quickly.

After she finished her question, a single door appeared right next to the man's right side. He turned to it and opened the door, glancing slightly over his shoulder to her.

"Come with me." He instructed, then walked through the doorway.

She swallowed hard and hesitated for a moment, but finally grabbed the courage and walked towards the door. She stopped just before it to look inside; only seeing more of the endless darkness.

She took a deep breath, then slowly walked through it. The instant that her foot crossed the doorway, she felt her body get pulled through it at an alarming rate. She flew through the darkness for a few seconds, until she finally saw a glimmer of light in the distance; coming up fast.

It looked like she was going to collide with it, until she closed her eyes and the light enveloped her completely. But she then came to an immediate stop and she suddenly heard voices around her.

She opened her eyes to see she was now standing in a grassy field with buildings in the distance. She wasn't sure, but something inside her told her that the layout and shape of the buildings looked very familiar to her.

"Where am I?" she asked herself in a whisper.

"And there's the play. Somers looks around…he throws it low and fast over the line…and it's caught by 31, Franks as he runs behind the fray…Oh! And he's sent to the ground by the Jaguars' 72, Williams." He a loud overhead voice announces behind her, followed immediately by a mix of cheers and boos.

She turns around to see she's standing behind the bleachers that overlook a long football field.

"That's gonna be 2nd with three yards to go for the Wasps." The announcer continued.

She widened her eyes and quickly looked to the far end of the home team's side to see the large electronic scoreboard brightly lit up with the game's current score. Above the lights she could see a picture of a wasp wearing shades and a large cigar sticking out of its mouth; it's stinger forward.

Right above the picture was the name of the team in yellow letters that rainbowed over the picture that said, 'Manassas Wasps'. The score was twenty-three to seventeen for the home team. It was the 3rd quarter with less than three minutes on the timer.

"This is…" she started, then turned to the bleachers, looking between the slats in the seating to see the players getting into position for the next play. "This is my old college!" she concluded.

The players suddenly broke apart as they began their play. "He snaps it back…but Somers runs forward! He's trying to break through…and he's down, but makes it far enough! 1st and ten on the Jaguars' forty-one!" the announcer comments.

Her eyes are now saucers as she suddenly remembers those exact words. "I've been to this game! But…how?!" she wonders aloud.

"What is wrong with you?!" she hears a female voice yell to the side.

"Nothing is wrong with me, I'm just not ready yet." A calmer, male voice follows.

She freezes upon hear the male's voice as she instantly recognizes it. 'It…couldn't be…'

She slowly turned to her right to see a man and women standing behind the bleachers as well a few yards from her. Her heart sank to her feet as she saw the pair's faces and she then recognized the woman as well.

The woman was wearing a blue, knee length dress with long sleeves. Her hair was a chestnut color that was cut off at her shoulders. The man was wearing loose jeans and a green shirt with a sleeveless red jacket over top.

"What do you mean 'not ready'?! We've been together since high school, and when I offer for you to live with me, you say 'you're not ready'?! What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" the woman yelled at the man.

"What…what is this?" Kitsune fretted.

"This…" a familiar voice sounded next to her.

She quickly turned to see Timothy's zanpakutō spirit standing right next to her, watching the arguing pair. "…is one…of your most…regretted moments…in your life." He finished.

Her eyes widened further, then she turned back to the pair just in time to see the woman slap the man across the cheek.

"It's that witch Rebecca, isn't it?! You've been seeing her behind my back, haven't you?!" the woman yelled.

"That's…me…when I was in college." Kitsune observed. "And that's…" she paused, where the spirit nodded slowly.

"Timothy." He finished for her.

"I swear to you, that's not it, Susan." The younger Timothy stated calmly as he held his now sore cheek.

Tears came to Moeru's eyes as she remembered the event in front of her and what led up to it.

"I…I asked him…to come live with me. But…he said no…that he wasn't ready to move in yet. I took it the wrong way…I thought he was trying to hide an affair…I didn't speak to him for three months…until I found out his mother had passed away…he just wanted time to get over his loss." she retold.

"Don't lie to me, Tim! I'm not as stupid as you might think I am! I know you're seeing her! Admit it!" the young Susan accused. Timothy reached out with the hand that was comforting his cheek to try and take her hand, but she slapped it away. "Don't you touch me!" she warned.

Kitsune flinched and tears fell from her eyes as the younger her slapped his hand. Timothy held his arms out to his sides.

"I swear to you, on my life, I. Am. Not. Seeing. Rebecca. Why would I do that to you? It's 'you' I love, not 'her'." He insisted.

"I know…" Kitsune whispered as she clenched her pointed teeth together and lowered her head.

"No! I am done with you!" Susan yelled, quickly getting Kitsune's attention. "Go back to your…bitch, Rebecca! I want nothing to do with you! We're done!" Susan yelled, then turned and started walking away sternly.

"No! Stop you idiot!" Kitsune yelled as she walked forward, reaching out to try and stop herself.

"Don't bother…this is…only a memory…Not reality." The spirit informed.

Moeru stopped her movement and tearfully watched as her younger self kept walking away, leaving Timothy with his head down. She could see tears rolling down his face as his shoulders trembled.

"Tim…I'm sorry…I'm so so…so sorry…" she whispered as she closed her eyes and dropped her head.

She remained there, unmoving, until the sound of grass being stepped on came to her ears. She looked up to see Timothy slowly walking away, his arms hanging limply by his side. Kitsune began sobbing as her heart felt like it had shattered into pieces, an amount far too vast to count.

"Why…why show me this?" she asked through her sobs.

The spirit stepped forward a bit and turned to face her with a cold gaze. "Do you believe…that we…are finished?"

She gasped and looked at him with horror. "No…don't…" she pleaded. But before she could go further, her body was suddenly yanked back into the darkness.

She turned around to see that she was once again heading for a distant light. "There is…so much more…for you…to see." The spirit stated.

"No…please." She begged, then was again surround by a bright light.

Squad 1 Office of the Head Captain, Seireitei, Present

Sajin swiftly arrived to stand outside the vast double doors to the Head Captain's balcony office. He let out a brief sigh, then knocked firmly on the door twice. Silence followed for a moment before he heard the deep and low reply.

"Enter."

Sajin pushed the large door open and walked in, closing it behind him. He looked to see the old, powerful man sitting behind his desk with his chair turned towards the balcony with him looking out to the horizon.

"Please step forward, Captain Komamura." Yamamoto instructed.

The furry man took a breath, then firmly stepped forward. He came to a stop right in front of the old man's desk before lowering himself at the waist for a respectful bow. He held it for a second, then raised himself.

"You wished to see me, Head Captain?" he inquired.

The old man readjusted himself in his chair to where he was now facing Sajin. "I want your report on this hollow matter. I am aware that your team succeeded in killing it, but I have received no further word."

Sajin nodded firmly at the man. "Yes, Head Captain. The team had managed to kill them both, with the help of the substitute soul reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki." He confirmed.

Yamamoto rose a brow just a bit. "Are you saying that there were 'two' of these hollows involved?" he asked in a bit of surprise.

The Captain nodded. "Yes, Head Captain. From the reports my men have given me, there were two hollows involved in this matter. One of them we know for sure had the ability to somehow absorb spirit energy. The other one did not seem to have this ability; however, it did possess steel like skin; proving to have been very difficult to kill. What had made the matter worse, was the fact that it was impossible to sense it. It somehow possessed the ability to completely hide its spiritual pressure. Considering all these facts, we believe that those hollows may have in fact been Adjuchas." The man answered calmly.

The old man closed his eyes with a slight hum. "I see. And what are your casualties?" he asked in a low tone.

Sajin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Two dead; one in critical condition but recovering; and five in minor care. I have been told that the minor cares should all be released in the next couple of days." He regretfully informed.

The Head Captain opened his eyes to Sajin. "I am sorry for your loss, Captain Komamura. Your Lieutenant is not among the dead I assume?" he inquired.

The man shook his head. "No Head Captain, although he is still in the world of the living at the moment."

Yamamoto rose his brow again. "Why is that?" he asked.

"He reported that he needed to look into something and requested to remain there for a few days. I approved his request, Head Captain." Sajin informed.

The old man's brow dropped. "I see. Very well, send my regards, and my condolences to him once he returns. That will be all, Captain Komamura. You are dismissed." He concluded.

Sajin bowed deeply to him. "Yes, Head Captain." He said, then rose and walked out of the office.

Yamamoto returned to looking out the large balcony as he sunk deep into thought about Sajin's report on his team. Even he did not expect there to be two hollows involved in the matter. And going by what the Captain had told him about the hollows, they were, without a doubt, at least an Adjuchas class.

If he had known that, he would have instead sent one of the Captains to handle the matter. Even with the substitute soul reaper's help, the team was very fortunate to have succeeded in killing the two hollows.

As unfortunate that the two deaths were, the Lieutenant's team was very lucky that the death toll had not been considerably higher.

"Hmm, there seems to be some higher force that is watching over you, Lieutenant Durn." Yamamoto commented, then closed his eyes with a sigh.

World of the Living, Urahara Shop Underground Area, Present

Kisuke watched closely and carefully as Timothy growled in pain and scooted himself across the ground; the, now empty, sword having fallen from his chest and lying discarded on the ground nearby. It had been almost half an hour since he had started his task, and it didn't seem that it was going to let up soon enough.

His eyes widened a bit when Timothy's body started to smoke, then soon after his arms catch on fire. The man watched to see that, while the fire was causing him pain, it wasn't actually causing him any damage. He narrowed his gaze a bit as he covered his face with his fan.

"I would recommend you don't take too much longer, Moeru Kitsune." He said to himself.

Timothy's Inner World

Kitsune was suddenly pulled from the darkness, now finding herself in another familiar location. She was inside a single-story house; the walls painted a light blue color, a red oak front door, and a small table nearby; with keys, a wallet, and a small framed photo with a man in a tuxedo and a woman in a pure white wedding dress.

The man was holding the woman bridal style as they both looked towards the viewer; wide smiles on both of their faces.

She walked over to the table and tried to pick the frame up, but her hand merely went right through it like she was a ghost. She stood there for a few seconds before kneeling down to be level with the picture and get a closer look.

"This was taken on our wedding day…right after we said our vows." She informed.

The spirit suddenly appeared right next to her again, looking down at her. They both then heard the faint sound of a woman crying from somewhere in the back of the house. She hesitantly stood back up as she kept her eyes on the photo.

"Please…don't make me do this…" she pleaded.

She had a very rough idea as to what she was about to witness, and it was the last thing she wanted to see at this point.

"You do not…have a choice." The spirit informed.

She lowered, then shook her head. "Please don't." she begged further.

The spirit then grabbed her shoulder, turned her to the hallway, the pushed against her back, forcing her forward.

"You must see…for yourself…the pain…that you…have brought…on yourself." He said with a cold tone.

Tears came to her eyes as she slowly walked through the halls towards the sound of the crying. She came to the end and turned left towards the one room of the house she desperately wanted to avoid at all costs.

"I can't take it…" she whispered, but the spirit's hand was still pushing against her back and forcing her to walk forward.

Finally, she came to the two doors, one left and one right, at the end of the hallway. She wanted to turn and go to the left one, wanting to avoid the one on the right; but she knew that the spirit would not allow it.

Taking a deep, and tearful breath, she tried to gather what she possibly had left of her nerves before slowly entering the room on the right.

She saw two people inside the center on the room; the same two people from the framed picture at the entryway of the house. It was her and Timothy again, but a few years older. She was sitting in a chair with her face buried in her hands and crying deeply; tears running down her hands and arms as her shoulders trembled.

Timothy was on his knees in from of her and embracing her around her shaking shoulders, crying himself and he rubbed the back of her head with his right hand.

Kitsune looked around the room to see a cute wallpaper plastered to cover from the halfway point up the wall to the ceiling. She looked up the see the entire ceiling covered in wallpaper that showed a dark, starry night sky.

She then turned to the floor along the wall to see an empty cradle and bassinet sitting side by side. Looking around the room, she could see numerous small children's toys scattered around the room.

She was broken from her touring gaze by the sound of Susan sobbing. "Why…why does this have to happen?" she asked in a whisper that Kitsune barely caught.

She turned back to the pair. "I don't know hunny…I really don't." Timothy answered as quietly.

"How…how can you still be here…with me?" Susan asked.

Kitsune closed her eyes tightly as more tears fell down her face. "Please don't do this…" she pleaded to the spirit as she clenched her teeth.

The spirit simply pointed at the pair as he gave her an evil gaze. "Behold…another…great regret…of your life." He announced.

The younger Timothy broke his embrace and pulled back to stare at his wife. "What are you talking about, Susan? Where else should I be, besides here with you?" he asked.

Susan instantly stood up with a jolt, knocking him down onto his back. "Because I'm a waste! I'm broken! I can't give you the happiness you deserve!" she yelled at him.

Kitsune quickly held her hands up and covered her canine ears to close out the sound as she shook her head. "No…not this…please!" she begged.

Susan turned and started to walk away, but Timothy quickly got back up and managed to gently grab her wrist, stopping her.

"Susan! Stop! This is not your fault!" he insisted.

Kitsune shook her head more violently. "Stop this! I'm begging you!" she growled.

Susan turned her head to Timothy with clenched teeth. "This 'is' my fault! I've killed not one, not two, but 'three' of our children! I couldn't bring them safely to this world! I couldn't give you the family you 'deserve'!" she yelled and snatched her wrist from his grip.

She then turned and quickly left the room as Timothy dropped to his knees, his head dropped back. Although she had her hands to her ears, she could still very clearly hear Timothy sobbing, as if muffling the sounds around her did nothing. She turned with tear filled eyes to see his own tears running down his face.

Kitsune then dropped to her knees and let her hands fall to her sides. "We had…just found out that…that my body couldn't sustain a pregnancy…Our child lasted for only a few months…before I miscarried…I blamed myself for it…believed that it was 'my' fault that all three of our children died. I was…so broken from it." She admitted.

The spirit walked up to her. "You have…caused him…great pain…over the years…of being…together…Your foolish thoughts…have brought…him misery…And I…have watched…all those years…as time…after time…you have brought…this pain…to him…So tell me…" he paused, causing her to look at him with reddened eyes. "Why should…I let you…become a part…of his…inner world?" he demanded coldly.

She dropped her gaze to Timothy, still kneeling on the floor and crying. "You shouldn't…not after what I've done." She admitted.

The spirit turned to Timothy as well and watched for a few moments, then turned back to her. "Come…we have more…to see." He informed.

She dropped her head, but nodded. She stood back up and was instantly pulled back into the darkness, just as she heard Timothy's voice.

"I'm sorry."

Underground Area, Present

Kisuke Urahara watched in amazement, and a little bit of horror, as Timothy was now on his feet. His arms were now completely covered in the painful, yet undamaging flames. The cold fire had spread to his legs, from his feet to just under his knees.

He was stumbling around clutching his head, then a few seconds later would try to 'push' the flames off his arms, then to his chest before returning to his head. He walked awkwardly forward and veering to the right until he crashed his side into a nearby rock formation as he continued to yell out in pain.

Kisuke dropped his fan hand to his side slowly as he clutched the handle of his cane in his right hand tighter, his knuckles beginning to turn white from the force. He lowered his head and sighed before lifting it back up just enough to see Timothy past the brim of his green and white stripped hat.

"If you don't finish this soon Moeru Kitsune, your friend Timothy will end up being consumed by your own fire." He quietly stated.

Timothy's Inner World

The darkness swiftly fell away once again, this time with Moeru finding herself standing in a dark hallway. As she looked around, tears still in her eyes, she noticed that it was the same hallway from her previous vision.

She looked to see that the room on the right, the one that was supposed to be the baby's room, was completely empty. She could see that the same wallpaper from before was still up, but all of the children's toys and furniture were now gone.

She turned around to see the right door, from what she could remember led to her and Timothy's old room, was closed. The spirit came up and stopped beside her, looking at her with a stern gaze and pointing at the door.

"Go." he commanded.

She took a deep breath, letting it out very slowly, and stepped forward. Her first vision was bad, the second was far worse. If the spirit kept up the trend, she was absolutely fearing what she could see behind the door.

As she came up to the door, she held her hand out and saw that it simply went right through it; just like her hand had done when she tried to pick up the photo in her last vision. Taking another breath, she pushed herself through the door, now standing inside their old room.

As she looked around, she remembered the exact placement of the furniture. The master bathroom was ahead and on the right wall, the small vanity that housed the few bits up makeup and perfume she used to own, the clothes dresser with his things on the left and hers on the right, and the queen-sized bed to the left with the headboard against the wall.

But her attention was caught by the person that was sitting on the floor and leaning against the bed. Her hair was a mess, and she looked to be sleeping. But Kitsune gasped when she saw something on the floor.

"Oh god…no…no no no…not this!" she almost yelled.

"Hunny?" a male voice called out, causing her to gasp and quickly turned towards the door.

"Oh no…please no." she pleaded as she grabbed her head again.

She turned back to the woman sitting on the floor, her hand lying on the floor to her side; an aspirin bottle lying open and a few of the pills scattered on the floor. She clutched her head tighter as her eyes nearly fell from her face.

"Stop this…" she whispered.

She dropped to her knees when she heard the door behind her open. "Hey hunny, you in…oh fuck!" the man hissed.

He ran into, and right through Moeru as he came up and dropped next to Susan's body. He grabbed her shoulders and started to gently shake her to try and wake her up.

"Oh god! Susan! Wake up! Please wake up!" he yelled to her.

Kitsune lifted her head enough to see Susan's eyes slightly open, her pupils were extremely dilated, and she gave out the faintest whisper of a moan.

"Tiiiimm…" she droned out slowly.

Kitsune dropped her head to the floor and growled out in agony as her worst memory in life came to be replayed right in front of her.

"Susan, come on don't do this!" Timothy yelled as he shook her again.

"Stop this…" the female spirit whispered.

Susan's eyes then rolled to the back of her head as it dropped limply to the side. "No no no no! Wake up!" Timothy yelled further.

"Stop it…" Moeru said a little louder.

The spirit simply turned to her. "So…tell me…why is it…you decided…on this action." He demanded in the coldest tone she had yet to hear from him.

Timothy was still shaking his wife and trying to wake her back up, but finally stood up and ran out of the room; likely to call for an ambulance. She balled her fists up, clutching the flaming fur the sides of her head.

"He…he lost his job…he tried for days…weeks to find something…anything…to provide for us…I was so tired…of seeing him suffer…day after day, night after night…trying to keep us afloat…I couldn't …I couldn't take it anymore…I couldn't stand to see him suffer anymore…I thought that…" Her voice chocked, and she couldn't continue anymore.

"You thought…if you…ended it…you wouldn't…have to see…him suffer…anymore…You…were selfish…you had…only cared…about yourself…All three times…you…only thought…of yourself." He affirmed.

The vision then started fading away just as Timothy came back to the room. After a few seconds, the two spirits were alone in darkness. Kitsune was still on the ground, clutching her fur and crying.

"Timothy's…inner world…was in shambles…nearly destroyed…His own anger…fear…and hatred…they are what…destroyed his…inner world…But you…" he said as he pointed his gloved finger at her. "…are the one…who set…the stage." He accused, then lowered his hand and narrowed his cold gaze.

"Timothy…was once…a proud…caring…and strong person…No matter…what you did…he always…treasured you…adored you…loved you…Even knowing…how selfish…you could be…he still…loved you…He put you…above 'everything'…because…he loved you…Even after…what Aizen did…he 'still'…truly loves you…Even now…" he said as he pointed to a spot in the darkness.

Kitsune looked up to see an image come to sight. Her eyes widened when she saw Timothy rolling side to side on the ground; clutching his head and chest tightly. Nearly his entire body was covered in what appeared to be 'her' flames. They were obviously causing him great pain, but they were not burning him.

"…after suffering…the pain…you are…bringing him now…this very instant…I can…'still' feel…his love…for you." He informed darkly. He lowered his hand as Kitsune continued to watch in horror as Timothy suffered through tremendous pain.

"What have…I done…?" she whispered.

The spirit's gaze turned to anger. "What 'are'…you doing…you mean…He is feeling…all of…your sorrow…your regret…'your' pain."

She then turned to him with anger. "You're doing this! Stop it, now! He doesn't deserve this! This is 'my' fault, not his!" she yelled.

The spirit quickly stood and glared at her with contempt. "He wants you…to be…a part of…his inner world!...After everything…that you…have done…he 'still'…wants you!...But 'I'…will not…allow it!...Not until…you can…physically see…the pain…you have caused!...Timothy…is 'my' master…not yours!...It is…'my' duty…to ensure…his wellbeing…not yours!...You have caused…great pain…and suffering…while 'I'…must help…him through it!"

He had slowly walked closer to her as he spoke, now standing right in front of her. He reached down, grabbing her by the fur of her neckline, and lifted her up to where he was now holding her a foot off the ground and slightly above his head. She reached up and grabbed his hand as the pulling was causing her pain.

"You do not…deserve…to be…with him…You do not…bear the right…to call him…yours." He informed, then he pulled his covering down a bit, exposing his left eye that was glowing a vibrant red. "All it takes…is for me…to deny…you into…this inner world…and you…will cease…to exist…Nothing…not even Timothy…could save you…You…would be gone…forever…So look…" he said as he pointed at the image of Timothy, now completely covered head to toe in her flames. "…and tell me…after what…you've done…what you…'are' doing…why I…should allow…you to become…a part of…'his' inner world…You…the one who…has caused him…tremendous pain…Why should you…bear the privilege…of being…a part…of 'him'?" he asked as he stared at her with both eyes.

Kitsune thought about it long and hard, but after a few moments, lowered her head in shame and defeat. No matter what she thought, no matter what she said, nothing could atone for what she did to him. Finally, after a long moment, she simply shook her head.

"I don't." she said calmly.

The spirit narrowed his gaze at her. "So…you admit…you don't…deserve him?" he asked in a bit calmer tone.

She clenched her teeth, but shook her head. "No…after everything I put him through…I don't even deserve to look at him." She added.

The spirit held her in place as he stared deeply into her eyes. He could see everything inside her; her guilt, her regret, everything. Finally, he slowly lowered her to set her on her feet, letting go of her fur and dropping his hand.

"Tell me…after everything…you have seen…all the pain…you have caused…do you truly…still wish…to be…a part…of him?...After all…the suffering…he has had…do you still wish…to join him…with the risk…and certainty…that you will…cause him more? He asked further.

She turned her head away as tears flowed down her face. "I…I do…but…it wouldn't be fair to him. He…I don't want him to suffer anymore." She then turned back to the spirit. "I won't do that to him. He has done everything for me…no matter how hard I push him away…he…he never left me. He was always there for me."

She took a couple steps back from him as she hardened her gaze. "I want to stay, to be a part of him. But I don't have the right to make that choice anymore. You've done a better job at looking after him than I did, caring for him than I did. So…all I can do is…ask and hope that…you'll forgive me." She pleaded.

The spirit rose a brow. "Why me?...Should you not…ask 'him'…to forgive you?" he inquired.

Kitsune dropped her head and smiled. "I know that he would forgive me…no matter what I did, he always has. It's…just not possible for him to not forgive me. The truth is…he loves me too much for his own good." She stated, then looked back at him. "He would love me even if I was standing in front of him and about to kill him. Even after that, he would still love me. But that is why you're here…right? To look after him and help him make the right choices? Well…"

She took a deep breath as she wiped her tears away, then gave him a calm look. "…that means you should choose whether I should be a part of him, or if I should fade away. Whatever you decide…please just make sure that he doesn't suffer any longer. That's all I ask of you." She pleaded.

The spirit closed his eyes and returned the wrapping over his left eye. "You do not…deserve to…be with him…You had caused him…too much pain." He answered.

She dropped her head and closed her eyes, knowing that he had determined her fate. She was to fade away. To never see him again.

'As long as he won't suffer anymore.' She mentally concluded.

A hand being placed on her shoulder caused her to look up at him. She saw that his gaze had become calm and relaxing of sorts.

"But…" he continued, then pointed to where the image of Timothy suffering was. But it had changed to a familiar photo, the one of their wedding day pose. She looked at until it changed to another photo of them, this time they were on the beach. He was standing tall with her sitting on his shoulders, both of them smiling.

"…because of all…the good times…the good memories…that you…have 'given' him…the happiness…that you have…brought him…I shall let you…become a part…of him." He announced.

She quickly turned to him in shock. He looked at her closely, then slowly nodded. "You'll…forgive me?" she asked.

He calmly set a hand on her shoulder. "I do not…forgive you…for the pain…But the happiness…far outweighs…the sorrow…Now come…he has suffered…enough pain…Let 'us'…end it…together." He finished as a solid red oak door appeared right behind him.

He dropped his hand and turned to the side, holding his hand out towards the door; gesturing for her to go through it.

"After you." He stated.

She turned back to him and quickly gave him a hug. "Thank you." She said, then swiftly let go and walked to the door.

He walked right behind her, then opened the door for her. She looked inside it to see darkness; but this time she wasn't afraid to find out what was on the other side of it. She took a long, calming breath, then stepped through it. The spirit walked right behind her, closing the door behind him.

Underground Area

Kisuke lowered his fan a bit with worry when Timothy suddenly stopped his yelling and screaming of pain. He watched as the man slowly came to his knees, his body still covered in flames. Finally coming to a standing position, he slowly turned around to the shop keeper; who slightly widened his eyes at what he saw.

In addition to the flames surrounding his body, Timothy was now wearing steel gauntlets that came up to the mid-forearm. Extending over the top of his hands six inches past his knuckles on either hand was a single, broad blade that glowed orange from the heat. On the top of the metal bracers that covered his wrists was an etching of a pouncing fox, pointing towards the blade's tip.

"Mister Durn?" Kisuke inquired, his fan now back over his mouth and eyes wide.

Timothy took one step forward, then a second; stopping to look up at the humble shop owner. He could just barely make out the man's facial features to see he was smiling.

"I told you…" he started in a raspy voice. The flames then dissipated from his body as the left gauntlet melted away, flowing through the air towards his right hand; the right one doing the same, but collecting into his right hand. The two weapons came together before disintegrating into a wave of energy and fusing into the remaining zanpakutō on his hip.

He stood there for a moment, then grinned. "…call me Tim." he finished in his normal voice, then lost consciousness and fell sideways onto the ground.

Kisuke stared at the downed man for a moment, then snapped his fan shut as he smiled. He slowly walked up until he was standing right next to Timothy's body, looking down at him.

'First he survives an encounter with Aizen, then he manages to be rescued by a 'beautiful' Arrancar, and now he's managed to introduce a zanpakutō to his inner world.'

Urahara snaped his fan back open and calmly resumes fanning himself. "Tim, you are one odd fellow." He complemented.

Timothy's Inner World

Timothy was enveloped in darkness, but he could still feel something hitting his body. It was doing so at an endless and steady pace. As he began to come to his senses, he could now tell that his clothes were getting soaked.

Taking his time, he slowly opened his eyes to see a cloudy sky with some breaks; revealing the blue sky beyond them. As his vision started to clear up, he could now tell that it was raining; a light, yet gentle rain.

Taking a couple seconds to get his mind straight, he finally made an attempt to sit up. But the instant the he tightened the muscles in his abdomen to pull himself up, he felt a sharp pain. As he winced and closed his eyes, he then felt a hand place itself on his chest; holding him down.

"You should…remain still." A deep and slow voice advised.

He opened his eyes and turned to the voice to see none other than his zanpakutō spirit sitting in his usual style to his left.

"Yes, you need to rest Tim." a second, and very familiar voice added.

He turned to the right and was instantly relieved to see Susan sitting on her knees to his right; her hand on his chest.

"Su…Susan?" he said in a bit of happiness.

She closed her eyes and gently shook her head. "Please don't call me that anymore, Tim. She is gone; 'I' am Moeru Kitsune now." She informed hesitantly.

His eyes widened a bit. "But…" he started, but stopped when she gave him a serious stare.

"She's gone, Tim. I may be the same soul, but I am not the same person. I may retain my memories from the past, but that is all it really is; memories from the past. As I said, my name is Moeru Kitsune now; so please call me by that name." she calmly pleaded.

He closed his eyes and turned his head to the sky in sorrow. "So…she really is gone." He concluded, earning a shallow nod from her.

"Yes. I'm sorry Tim. And I'm so sorry for causing you so much pain and suffering in the past. No matter what I did wrong to you, you always stayed by my side; always cared for me, always loved me." She said, then moved her hand to his shoulder. He turned to face her again. "And now it's time for me to do the same for you. I am a part of you now, along with your…nameless friend here." She teased as she smiled at the spirit.

The covered man looked at her. "You shall…learn my name…when he does." He informed, then turned back to Timothy. "You still…have some…improvements…to make to…this world…But it is…far better…than it was…when you…first came…But that…is enough…for now…You and…Moeru Kitsune…have much…to discuss." He added, then looked at her. "I shall…leave you." He finished.

He swiftly stood up, then walked away and out of Timothy's sight. Kitsune sighed heavily, and dropped her hand from his shoulder.

"What does he mean?" Timothy asked with a raised brow.

She looked him in the eyes. "Some things have changed between us Tim; besides the obvious identity thing. But before I get into that, I should let you know that when it comes to using my abilities, my shikai is exactly the same as before when you used my powers while still sealed. And you are already aware of my release command, so in the regard of my first release, there is no change. You can fight using my abilities exactly like you have been." She informed.

He nodded gently, his muscles still quite soar. "What about when you 'were' released? Is there any change in that regard?" he inquired.

She nodded back. "Yes. Do you remember, before you had passed out from exhaustion, the form you had?" she asked.

He closed his eyes and thought back to when the pain had stopped, and he turned to Kisuke to talk to him. He could remember his whole body being on fire, but he didn't feel any pain from it, not even hot. He could also remember the weird armored weapons that were on his hands and forearms.

"Vaguely. I think my body was on fire, like you are." He stated as he looked at her. "I think I also remember some kind of armored gloves of sorts with a blade on each one. Right?" he said.

She gave him a swift nod. "Yes. That form…was your Bankai." She informed.

His eyes widened a bit. "So…I have a 'real' Bankai now?"

She closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "Yes…and no." she answered.

"Huh?" he asked in confusion.

She looked back at him with sad eyes. "Why do you think you're here right now, Tim? Why were you pulled here by us?" she asked sternly.

He thought it over a second, then lightly shrugged a shoulder. "I guess because I'm unconscious?" he offered.

"That's true, but 'why' are you unconscious? And why can't you move right now? If you were just unconscious, you would still be able to move freely here. So why can't you?" she pressed further.

He tried to think about it for a minute, but couldn't come up with an answer. After a few seconds, she pressed a finger to his chest where his heart was.

"The reason you can't move here, is because your soul is exhausted. You spirit energy is almost nonexistent right now." She stated.

"Why? I mean, sure I was in a lot of pain for a while, but why would that affect my spirit energy?" he pondered.

"It didn't." she calmly answered as she dropped her hand. "My Bankai did."

"Your bankai did? What do you mean? I was only in it for like…thirty seconds, and I didn't do anything but walk." He fretted.

Moeru shook her head. "No, you didn't do anything, and it's a good thing you didn't. From what our red friend tells me, such an action would have killed you." She said, then placed a hand back on his shoulder. "Tim, the reason you passed out from no spirit energy, is because my Bankai's form took it all. You're a good fighter, and you have a good amount of maximum spirit energy; but even if you are at your max, your spiritual pressure is still not high enough to maintain your Bankai. You need training, a lot of it, in order to be able to improve your spiritual pressure high enough to maintain the Bankai." She dropped her hand and sighed.

"I don't quite understand. You say that my spiritual pressure is not high enough to maintain it, but yet I was obviously in that form earlier. True, it may have drained me like crazy, but how did I even get to that form in the first place?" he inquired.

"Because you had released me after you ran my blade into you. At that point, I was at my max, fully released. When I came to be a part of your inner world, I was released. Therefor, when the transition was complete, my fully released state forced 'you' into your fully released state; a.k.a. your Bankai state. As to why you can't maintain it, I'll try explaining a bit better. You're currently a Lieutenant, right?" she asked, getting a nod. "Well, that is because of your 'fighting skills'. But if you were to compare your spiritual pressure, you are more along the lines of an 8th seat, 7th seat at best." She paused for a moment.

He rose a brow in surprise. "Wait, if that's true, then how come I can use such high level kidōs? I used full incantation sixties levels, and some seventies and eighties levels."

She held up a finger. "Yes, but because you have the 'knowledge' to use them. Although you can cast a lot of kidō spells, they're actually not that powerful. That's why they sometimes backfire on you. So, you have the energy to be in the form for a long period of time, but you don't have the power to be in that form in the first place. Do you understand now?" she asked.

He thought about the explanation for a minute, then nodded. "I got ya. So, you're saying that my soul is strong enough to be in that form for a long time, but it doesn't have the power to 'be' in it?"

She smiled and nodded. "Exactly. I know it sounds a bit confusing, so maybe Kisuke can give you a much better explaination. As I said, my powers are higher than most zanpakutō, and thus requires a great deal more spiritual pressure to use them. Also, while the Shikai is the same as my sealed state, you'll need to practice with it more; because now you're using 'your' spirit energy to use my abilities. Before, using my abilities had no effect on your energy because the powers were using 'mine'. Sealed, or released, you were using my abilities through my energy. So, you need to be more careful from now on until you've mastered my Shikai."

She then held up a finger. "Also, when I became a part of your inner world, my spirit also fused with your other spirit's blade. What that means, is that now you have two separate zanpakutō spirits, but only one zanpakutō. So needless to say, your situation is really unique, to say the least. Once you have learned his true name and his release, you'll be able to use either of us. But we'll get go further into that when you 'do' learn his name." she stated, then dropped her hand.

He nodded back and sighed. "Interesting. So how long do you think I'll be out for?" he questioned.

"Not too long; end of the day you should be back to half strength. Under normal circumstances, with how badly your exerted yourself, you would likely be out for at least a week; but because you have me and nameless…hell with it, I'm just gonna call him Johnny or something…" she said as she threw her hand to the air. "Anyway, because you have the both of us helping to restore your energy, you'll recover much faster. Plus, from what…Johnny tells me, my spirit is much stronger than most zanpakutō. He thinks that it's because of the rock Aizen had."

Timothy growled at the mention of his name. "So basically, I should be up and about by the end of the day?" he asked in a low voice.

"Should' be." She pointed out as she raised a finger. "Key phrase there, 'should'. But anyway, all I want you to do right now is just lie there and recover. Kisuke carried your body out of that large room and placed you in the room across from that hollow woman. Johnny or whatever is currently keeping an eye out in case something happens. If he really needs to, he'll push you out of here, so that you can wake up and deal with it." She informed.

"How long until I'm good enough to at least walk around?" he asked as he tried to move his arm a bit.

She sighed at him. "Another hour or so, but if you move around instead of staying here, you'll recover much slower."

He nodded, then rose a brow. "Oh, before I forget, now that you're in my inner world, I'm guessing that you can't come out to the other world, right?" he inquired.

"I can, but not for long. All you have to do is basically 'allow' me to come out. But since we're on the subject, keep in mind that I can't speak out loud anymore; unless you allow me to materialize. Only you can hear me, and were can communicate the same way we did before." She said in earnest.

He sighed and nodded. "Alright. But for right now, I'm gonna have to leave here once I can stand again. I need to talk to Kisuke about that woman and ask him to come wake me up when she does. Once I've told him, I'll come back here to rest. Sound good…uh…so I call you Moeru Kitsune…right?" he asked with a raised brow, where she nodded. "Yeah…that's a little long, so if you're ok with it, I'll just call you Kit for short."

She raised and tilted her head a bit in thought. "Kit…I actually like that. Sounds good for me, Tim. And once we find out Johnny's 'real' name, we'll come up with something for him." She said with a teasing smile.

Timothy snickered. "At least your sense of humor is still there." He stated.

She grinned and leaned down to his ear. "That's not the 'only' thing that's still there." She said with a mischievous and seductive voice.

His eyes widened as he started to sweat. "Oh dear god…if there was one thing I wish that didn't stay with you, it's your perverted demeanor." He moaned.

She snickered at him. "Ooohhhh, we're gonna have so much fun. And guess what…you can't shut me up by stuffing me under a mattress or leaving me behind. I'm 'literally' in your head now, Tim." She said with a wide smile.

He slapped a hand to his face. "Now I wish Zaraki had killed me…" he whined.

She started laughing, then patted his forehead. "Now now, Tim. It won't be all that bad. I'll be sure to behave…" she started, then leaned down again. "…most of the time." She finished in a tease that sent shivers down his spine.

"I hate you." He moaned.

She chuckled and nodded. "I know."

He growled at her, but then they both turned when 'Johnny' came back and looked at him.

"It would seem…that Arrancar…has awoken…Urahara…is in there…with her now." He announced.

Kit turned back to Timothy. "You're still a little weak, but I guess you might be ok to talk to her, as long as you get Kisuke to help you." She informed.

He nodded and closed his eyes. "Yeah. I'll be back in a bit, guys." He said.

"See you soon, Tim." she responded, then the world went dark.

Urahara Shop

He suddenly felt extremely weak, like his life had literally been sucked out of him. He tried to raise his hand and found he could, but it quickly fell to the ground like he no longer had control of it.

'Crap…she wasn't kidding…that Bankai 'really' took its toll on me.' He thought as he mentally slapped himself.

"Hey…Kisuke." He called just above a whisper.

Not two seconds later, he heard the loud sounds of the shop owner's wooden sandals clacking on the floor towards him. The door to his room slid open to reveal the smiling man who walked in and stopped near Timothy's futon.

"Well well, and how are we feeling now, Tim?" he asked cheerfully.

The man gave him a light chuckle. "Like I got run over by a fucking train, that's how." He mocked.

Kisuke chuckled at his answer. "I'm glad to see your awake so soon. You've only been out for a few hours. So, I'm guessing it was a success?" He inquired.

Timothy nodded. "Sounds about right; and yeah, it worked. She's in my inner world now. 'Johnny' tells me that the woman is awake?" he asked.

Urahara rose a brow. "So, you've also learned the name of your other zanpakutō spirit?"

The Lieutenant scoffed. "No, but we've gotta call him 'something' until I learn his true name; so, Johnny it is." He clarified.

"I see. Well, to answer your question, she is indeed awake. In fact, I had just started speaking to her when you called." The owner answered.

"Alright. Could you give me a hand and help me over to the room?" Timothy asked.

Kisuke rose a brow. "Are you sure? You still seem pretty out of it right now." He cautioned.

Timothy nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. Besides, she doesn't have her zanpakutō, and I'm pretty sure you know how to fight. And even if she did manage to beat us both, she's trapped here." The younger man pointed out.

Urahara nodded and walked around to help lift him up. Timothy's world started to twist and turn as his body came to sit straight up.

"Whew…talk about a headrush." He commented.

Kisuke chuckled and slowly helped the man to stand up, grabbing his arm and holding it around his shoulders to support him. Timothy's head was starting to spin a bit, but managed to maintain his balance.

"Alright, let's go talk to our 'guest'." He said, getting a nod from the shop owner.

Both men slowly walked out of the room, across the hallway, and into the opposing room. Timothy turned his head to see the teal haired woman sitting up on her futon and watching them closely.

He saw her eyes widen a bit once she saw him, but she kept her composure. Kisuke helped Timothy over to where he was now standing right next to her bed, then slowly lowered him down to a sitting position.

He let out a heavy breath as his body relaxed in its new position. He took another deep breath before letting it back out and turning to her. He looked her up and down, evaluating her composure as she did the same with him.

After looking at each other for a few moments, Timothy spoke first. "I'm Lieutenant Timothy Durn of Squad 7; and this…" he started then gestured to Kisuke with his hand. "…is Kisuke Urahara. Would you care to tell us who you are miss?" he greeted as politely as he could; knowing that he would get more with being calm than with being hostile.

She looked at him for a few seconds more, then turned to Urahara for a moment before closing her eyes with a quiet breath.

"Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Quin…'former'…Quinto Espada." She corrected.

Timothy turned to Urahara who had a look of slight concern. "Excuse me, but by 'Espada', do you mean the top Arrancar under Sōsuke Aizen?" Kisuke inquired.

She flinched at the man's name, but lightly nodded. "Yes, but as I said, I am a 'former' Espada. I no longer serve that…monster." She hissed.

Timothy side glanced at Kisuke again to see that he had narrowed his gaze. "I see…So then…where does that leave you in all this; between Aizen and the soul society?" he asked further.

The Lieutenant looked back at her to see she didn't want to answer. "Sorry, but your name is a bit difficult to pronounce, so I'll just call you Nelliel for now. But, would you please answer the question, Nelliel?" he pressed.

She took a deep breath. "To be frank, I do not much care for soul reapers. We are sworn enemies." She informed, then opened her eyes to Timothy; who could see that they were filled with sorrow. "But I hate Aizen far more than the soul reapers for what he did to me…to my friends." She added.

Timothy gave her a light nod. "I see. So, may I ask what it is he did?" he asked calmly.

She closed her eyes as she took a breath. "Sorry, but that is personal. As far as where we stand, I have no intentions to fight you. As long as you leave me be, I will not raise my hand against you." she stated in a calm manner.

The younger man turned to the older. "Kisuke, would you mind bringing her weapon here?" he asked.

Her eyes instantly opened where she gave Timothy a cold stare. "So, you 'do' have Gamuza?" she hissed.

Timothy turned back to her. "Only to protect ourselves, Nelliel. If our roles were switched, it would be the exact same way. I'm sure you understand; right?" he said, trying to reassure her.

Her stare lessened a bit and she nodded. "That is true, yet you would still feel the same way I do."

He shrugged a shoulder. "That's true as well. But still, we'll hold on to…Gamuza for now. As long as you don't try to cause harm, or try to escape, you'll be treated respectfully, Nelliel." He offered.

She sighed, but nodded. Kisuke then stood up and left the room to retrieve her zanpakutō. The two of them sat in silence, staring at each other, until the owner returned and sat back down, handing the zanpakutō to Timothy. He grabbed the hilt, much to Nel's dismay, and drew the blade, holding the broken edge to her.

"We've noticed that your zanpakutō is broken. Would you mind explaining what happened?" Timothy asked, still keeping his calm voice.

She stared at the blade for a moment before her eyes started to water up. "I…I don't know. I've never heard of an Arrancar's zanpakutō breaking while they're alive like that. And I can't hear Gamuza…no matter how hard I try." She said as a tear fell down her face.

This surprised Timothy, who glanced over to Kisuke with a raised brow. "Got any input on this?" he asked.

The man unfolded his fan and began waving it. "A hypothesis." He offered. "So, correct me if I'm wrong, but this zanpakutō, Gamuza as you called it, houses your hollow powers." He stated, earning a nod from her.

"Yes, Gamuza is the essence of my sealed hollow abilities and form. She is similar to what you soul reapers would call a zanpakutō spirit." She confirmed.

Kisuke nodded in understanding. "I see. Well, with that being the case, it would seem that your hollow abilities have been destroyed, miss Nelliel."

She flinched at the words, more tears running down her face. "So…Gamuza…is gone?" she fretted.

Urahara gently closed his fan and tapped the end on his chin. "That, I can't say for certain, miss Nelliel. Your powers are a bit different than a soul reaper's. If a soul reaper's zanpakutō is broken, it can be repaired by them. But seeing how your original powers are 'stripped' from you and sealed within the zanpakutō, I'm not sure that you could just simply repair it. Perhaps if you could tell us a bit more about how it broke in the first place, I might be able to give you better answers." He suggested.

She turned away as she closed her eyes and thought about it. She was 'technically' a prisoner in that small room; her 'captors' holding onto Gamuza. The younger man she could tell would be easy to overcome, and the other looked like he wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight. But the moment she woke up, she could feel a very powerful barrier around her; one that she was doubtful she could break.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, she turned back to the man with the hat and told him of the events that happened in Las Noches. Being fooled into killing her own fraccións, another Espada somehow sealing her zanpakutō as it broke, and having to use a garganta to flee Hueco Mundo.

After she had finished her retelling of the events, Kisuke nodded his head and looked at the zanpakutō; still in Timothy's hand.

"I see. From what you've told me, it would seem that this Espada scientist managed to lock your hollow powers away, while the other one broke it and cut you. My theory is that, by doing this, your hollow abilities have been separated from you." Urahara stated.

Nel's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" she asked in worry.

The man turned to her. "What I mean is that the connection to your hollow powers and zanpakutō were cut from you. That would be why you can't hear the essence of your hollow powers. That device somehow managed to break the bond between you; and when that happened, the blade became weak, not being strengthened by your own inner world. When I examined your zanpakutō earlier, I did feel a strange spiritual signature inside it. So, I believe that your hollow abilities are still there; the blade just needs to be repaired and the bond re-established." He observed.

Timothy looked down and returned the damaged blade back to its sheath, setting it down behind him before turning back to Nel. He could see worry, but also relief in her eyes. Seeing that he, not too long ago, was in a similar position, he could honestly relate to how she was feeling; and it was sending cold shivers down his back.

"Please, answer me something, Nel." He started, now getting her attention. "Would you be willing to cooperate and work with us against Aizen?" he inquired.

She stared at him as she tried to read him, to figure out what he was getting at. "Why? So, you can use me and kill me afterward?" she insulted. She then closed her eyes with a heavy sigh. "I am an Arrancar, a sworn enemy of the soul society. Do you honestly think that they would allow someone as dangerous as me to live? At best, they would hold off killing me until Aizen is defeated; but the result would still be the same. So, tell me…" she paused to open her eyes to him, giving him a stern gaze. "…why should I help those who would just kill me?"

Timothy closed his eyes with a sigh as Kisuke looked at him. Timothy knew that every word she said was true. She was a dangerous person, one who served Aizen at one point; and for all they knew, was 'still' serving Aizen under false pretenses. This could all be one of the genius's elaborate plans.

He finally decided on a risky tactic. He took a deep breath and looked right into her eyes. "That's true, Nelliel. They would most 'likely' kill you. But, there is that 'chance' that they may grant you some amnesty for helping us to defeat him. Whereas if you don't help us, they will certainly kill you." He pointed out, then sighed heavily. "You obviously despise him, and I can understand wholeheartedly how you feel…"

"I know." She quickly interrupted.

He rose a brow at her. "Know what?" he inquired.

She closed her eyes and lowered her head, grabbing her wrist tightly with her right hand. "I know…about you…What Aizen…did to you." She said in a low voice.

Timothy's eyes widened. "How?" he demanded sternly.

She gripped her wrist tighter, her hand now shaking. "Aizen…told us…the Espada, about you. What your abilities were…and…what he did to you…to your wife." She admitted.

The younger man lowered his head as well as he clenched his teeth, his mouth twitching. "Then you know…how much hatred I have for him." He hissed at her.

She nodded sorely. "Far more than mine, I'm sure." She confirmed.

He growled, then looked up to her. "Then it seems we have something in common, Nelliel. And because of that, I'm willing to make you an offer." He said in a sure tone, causing her to look back to him. "If you help us kill that fucker, I won't tell the soul society about you." He stated, where she widened her eyes. "If you help me kill Aizen, I will personally ensure that you remain hidden; the soul society won't find out about you, unless you do something to gain their attention." He offered.

She narrowed her gaze at him. "And why would you help me? Am I not your enemy?" she inquired.

He nodded. "You are, make no mistake about that. But there's a saying from here in the living world that comes into play here. 'The enemy of 'my' enemy is my friend. I think we could work well together in order to kill Aizen."

"You know that if your superiors find out, they will probably put you in prison, right?" she cautioned.

He simply scoffed hard at her. "As long as he dies, I could care less what they do to me. And like I said, they may possibly give you some leeway for helping us; if they ever did find out about you." He reassured.

She closed her eyes and briefly thought it over with a sigh. She knew that there was no way that she could fight him in her current condition; even if she were at her best she probably couldn't beat him. But if the two of them were to work together, then they at least had a chance of success.

Nel opened her eyes back to him and nodded. "I accept." She stated.

He held out a hand to her, where she took it and they shook. "Sounds like we're gonna be working closely with each other for a while." He said, then turned to Urahara. "Kisuke, would it be alright if she uses your room downstairs to work out on occasion?" he inquired.

The shop keeper held his fan to his face. "Of course, you're more than welcome to use it, miss Nelliel. But I would advise the two of you get some more rest for now; especially you Tim. But before you do, I would like to have a word with you." He advised.

Timothy nodded and turned back to Nel. "We'll get some training in later, likely tomorrow. Later, Nelliel."

"Please, you can just call me Nel." She insisted.

He nodded again, then with Kisuke's help, stood up and slowly walked out of the room; holding Gamuza in his left hand. Nel hesitantly watched then leave with her zanpakutō, but finally took a deep breath and laid back down to get some more much needed rest.

In Timothy's room, Kisuke gently helped the younger man down to a sitting position on his futon. Letting a deep and relaxing breath out as he settled, he turned his gaze to the shop owner.

"So, what did you need to talk about." He inquired, a bit surprised that for once the man had a serious expression on his face.

"It's about what miss Nel told us about her zanpakutō breaking. If what she said is true, and I am willing to gamble that it is, then Aizen has found a way to seal a zanpakutō." He stated.

Timothy's look turned sour. "Do you think he'll weaponize it?"

Kisuke sighed a bit. "I wouldn't doubt it, my friend. It will be hard enough to fight him as it is right now; but if he is able to seal away a soul reaper's zanpakutō, fighting him will be completely pointless. We would stand no chance." The hatted man said in a low voice.

The Lieutenant exhaled as he ran his hand down his face, growling afterward. "If that is the case, the soul society 'needs' to know about this. The research department will need to find a way to overcome this obstacle."

Urahara opened his fan and blew air at himself slowly. "But how do you intend to tell them? You do realize that they are going to question how you got this information, right?" he asked.

Timothy dropped his head to his hand, moaning. "I know. If I tell them about this, they will want to know 'how' I know. I can't really tell them it's from an outside source or whatever; even if it is true. And I can't use you as a reference because of your current standing with them; they're not going to believe what you say. And if they dig into where I got the info, they'll likely find out about Nel. So how the hell can we tell them?" he fretted.

"Is there anyone within the Court Guard Squads you can trust that will vouch for you?" Kisuke inquired.

The young man sighed heavily. "Yeah…my Captain." he answered.

"Captain Komamura?" Urahara wondered, getting a nod.

"Yeah. He's always been there for me and looked out for me. I can easily say I trust him with more than my life. But…I'm not sure if we can trust him with finding out about Nel. I have no idea if he would side with us, or turn her in. And I promised her that I would keep her hidden if she helps us get Aizen. I'm at a loss here." The Lieutenant admits.

Kisuke lowers his head in thought, both of them now sitting in dead silence. Not being able to come to a conclusion, the shop owner returns his gaze to him.

"We'll have to think really hard on this and take our time. We can discuss this later; but for now, I suggest you get some rest. But I would also suggest that you be prepared to include Captain Komamura on this. This is not something we can ignore, and the soul society 'must' be informed on this matter. We'll discuss this further tomorrow. Also, your gigai is finished and waiting for you. You can try it out after we talk more." He insisted.

Timothy nods and gently lowers himself to lay down. He falls back gently with a grunt and slowly lets his breath out. Kisuke stands up and walks over to the door before Timothy calls out.

"Hey, if anything happens, you be sure to wake me up." He said sternly.

The shop owner nods, then leaves the room, sliding the door enough to leave a small gap. Timothy then turns to the ceiling and takes a deep breath before closing his eyes and letting the air back out slowly, where he is quickly pulled back into his inner world to continue recovering.

Hueco Mundo, Las Noches Throne Room, Present

Aizen was sitting proudly on the large chair of his in the large throne room; his arms resting on the sides of the chair and one leg folded over the other, his head slightly lowered with closed eyes and a faint smile on his face.

After watching the live feed of the battle between Ichigo Kurosaki, Timothy Durn and his team, and the two hollows he had sent to Karakura Town, he was quite pleased with the results. He became even more pleased when he saw Nelliel jump in front of the last hollow's attack to save the young Lieutenant.

Although he initially intended for Nnoitra to be successful in killing the former Espada, the turn of events have actually helped with his plans. All that was required was a slight change to the timeline.

He was nearly broken from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps echoing through the empty halls. Without even having to sense it, he knew right away that the newcomer was his Cuatro Espada, Ulquiorra.

The dark and cold individual walked firmly up the shallow steps towards the spot where Aizen sat, finally coming to a stop at the top of the stairs. The man bowed low at the hip with his right arm held across his chest, the other hand still in his pocket.

"You summoned me, Lord Aizen?" he greeted, then rose; returning his right hand to the other pocket.

Aizen's smile grew just a fraction. "I did. The time has come for you to begin the task I had assigned you. However, there has been a slight change to the parameters of your mission. In addition to your previous task, you will now also have a target that I wish for you to eliminate. For this reason, I shall be sending Yammy and Grimmjow along with you. How you go about completing your objective, I will leave up to you. Do whatever you see fit, but the individuals I had mentioned before are to be left alive." He instructed.

"And who is the target for elimination?" the Espada asked.

Aizen opened his eyes halfway, staring at the Cuatro Espada with stern eyes. "Your target is the former Quinto Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. She is currently under the care and protection of Kisuke Urahara and Timothy Durn; the soul reaper you had been briefed about earlier. Avoid Urahara if possible; but if you must fight him, do not do so alone. You are to leave tomorrow at noon. Now, you may go." the man concluded.

Ulquiorra bowed down just as he did before. "I will do as you ask, Lord Aizen." He said, then rose and returned his hand to its pocket.

The dark man turned and walked back down the stairs; leaving the room to locate the two additional individuals and begin his mission. Aizen remained in his position, lifting his right hand and resting his jaw on his fist. The man closed his eyes and hummed in content.


Well, it's official, Susan is now legitimately Tim's zanpakutō spirit, Moeru Kitsune. If the story of their past made some of you teary-eyed, well…not all stories can be warm and soft. Sorry.

So it looks like Nel will be working with our 'hero' now, but I wonder what will become of her zanpakutō now that it's broken…I wonder if Urahara might do something about that? Well, only time will tell.

Hope everyone enjoyed, and hope to see ya next week. Laters.

(A.N.: Great news for ya before I go, after doing some adding up of the word count I've written so far, and by judging where I am currently with my writing, it's looking like this will be a 600k- 700k word story. I'm sure you'll be happy about that.)