Welcome back readers, good to see ya again. Been a busy couple of weeks, but not bad. And with my finals coming up in a few weeks, I could use all the calmness I can get. I'm sure some of you are interested to know how my grades were for the semester, so like last time, I'll give you fellas a heads up when that time comes.
Other than that, it's been real quiet on the reviews and chats, and, sadly, haven't heard from Spade's this week either. Hope you're doing alright buddy. But before we get into this next chapter, just a quick welcome back to one of my readers, who had to take some time away for basic training in the USMC. Welcome back, friend, and thank you for your service.
With that done with, let's get to reading.
(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 37
(Leaving)
Urahara Shop, The next Morning
Timothy's closed eyes flinched only once before they slowly opened. After blinking a couple times to clear the sleep from them, he turned his head slightly to the window to see that, while it was still dark out, the early morning light was beginning to creep up into the sky.
This was the normal time that he usually woke up to get his early morning training in, and he needed it even more than ever if he was going to finish his training session with 'Johnny'; although he really should have done it the night before.
The man took a deep breath to stretch his lungs a bit and moved to flip the covers off of him. But the thing was, he couldn't. It felt like his body was being restricted by something…or someone.
Lying on his side, he glanced over his shoulder and turned a bit red with he saw a full head of light-brown hair behind him; and now that he was more awake, he realized that he had an arm draped over his side with a hand on his chest, and another under and around his neck to clutch his shoulder.
He couldn't see the person's face, but then he suddenly remembered that Nel had asked to join him the night before, and had actually done so. He even managed to turn a bit redder when he recalled being the one to grab her and hold her close to him before they fell asleep.
Somehow, throughout the night, their roles had reversed.
The woman was still sound asleep, and he could hear her quiet, slow, rhythmic breaths on the back of his neck, and it only made him smile warmly. She looked so peaceful from what he could see, and the last thing he wanted to do was wake her.
Turning his head back around, he tried, very slowly, to remove himself from her grip; gently grabbing the hand that was on his chest and maneuvering it back over himself. But he only managed to move it about a foot before her hand snatched itself from his grip and returned to its previous spot as she clutched him even tighter.
The man had to exhale a bit as the woman's brute strength began squeezing his chest. He tried to move the same hand again, but the instant his hand made contact, her fingers balled up and gripped his nightshirt tightly in a death grip.
"Noooo…I don't…wanna…" she mumbled in a sleepy tone as her grip on him got even tighter.
Timothy was starting to have a little difficulty breathing as the woman behind him squeezed him as a snake would squeeze its prey; the more he moved or tried to get away, the tighter the grip she had on him.
"Nel." He called out in a slightly strained voice.
That only served to work against him, as the sound of his voice only made her smile and tighten her grip more. Her head nuzzled deeper into his back in comfort, and that only made the poor man's situation worse as her forehead dug into his spine.
"Nel!" he called a bit louder, again making her grip tighter. He knew that if her hold on him got any tighter, he was very likely to suffocate; which meant he only had one option left.
"Kit! Wake up!" he yelled in his head, but got no answer. "Kit!" he yelled even louder.
Thankfully, the spirit heard him that time as she was now materializing into a sitting position next to him and rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"What?!" she returned in a slightly elevated tone, causing Nel to grip even tighter.
The Lieutenant flinched under the sudden burst of pain as he looked at her. "Please…help me." He pleaded.
Kitsune looked at him, then to a sleeping Nel to see that predicament that her partner was in. It was only a second later when she had a sly, toothy grin plastered on her face.
"Awww…look at you two. You finally made the jump and took her to bed, huh? I'm so proud of you, Tim." she teased in a quiet voice.
Timothy narrowed his eyes at her. "Nothing happened you idiot, and you know it! Now quit screwing around and help me before she kills me!" he demanded.
The spirit sat up straight and crossed her arms. "Why? You two look so good together like this. And look at her…holding onto you like you were her precious teddy bear." She cooed.
His glare only got worse, and he would have moved to strangle the perverted fox, had it not been the fear that Nel would finally kill him had he moved any more. He gritted his teeth in anger as the spirit snickered at him.
"If you don't shut your mouth, I'm gonna kill you, you stupid fox!" he threatened.
Instead of getting mad at being called a 'stupid fox' like she normally did, Kitsune's grin turned into a mischievous smile. Leaning forward on one arm, she reached out with her other hand and cupped his cheek.
"Now why would I ruin such a perfect moment, Tim? In fact…" she stopped to remove her hand and quietly stand up.
He watched her closely as she walked around the pair's futon before she went out of Timothy's sight; him being afraid to move his head too far and make his situation worse. The spirit sat back down right behind Nel's sleeping form and leaned in to her ear; speaking very quietly.
"Oh Nel…hold me tighter. I don't want you to 'ever' let me go." she whispered into the Arrancar's ear in a very sensuous voice.
Timothy's eyes went wide as saucers as the woman, in her sleep, did just as she was asked. All of the air was forced from his lungs as Nel smiled even more and held him as tight as she could. He really wanted to kill the fox, but unfortunately for him, she wasn't done yet.
"Yes, just like that, Nel. I want you to hold me even more…wrap your legs around me, and hold me for dear life." Kitsune furthered with a wicked smile.
Just like before, the sleeping Nel did as she was told; raising and wrapping her legs around Timothy's flanks and locking her ankles. With her thighs pressing tightly into his sides, forcing his insides upwards, and her arms crushing his chest, his lungs literally had no more room to breathe with. His face was now starting to turn blue as he struggled to get a breath of air.
"Mmmm…oh Tim…" Nel mumbled.
If he wasn't in the process of turning blue, his face would have been turning red instead. 'Just what the hell is that woman dreaming about?!' he wondered.
"Tighter Nel…Tighter. Hold me." The spirit pleaded.
The large muscles in the Arrancar's legs tightened as much as they could, and Timothy could almost swear that he was within an inch of being torn in two. He tried to call out, but with no air in his lungs, no sound came out.
Kitsune smiled in victory as she stood back up and returned to her previous spot in front of Timothy. She once again cupped his cheek and his vision began to blur as she leaned all the way forward and whispered into his ear.
"I. Am. Not. A. Stupid. Fox. Oh sweet partner of mine." She mocked, just as the last bit of consciousness slipped away from Timothy; now out cold.
The spirit then stood back up and stretched her back for a moment before walking towards the bedroom door.
"Now…where does Kisuke keep that camera…" she wondered as she left the room.
10 Minutes Later
Nel nuzzled herself deeper into her pillow with a content sigh before letting out a deep yawn and slowly opening her eyes. The first thing she saw was some blue fabric, which was strange considering that she clearly remembers her pillow case being white,
"…Huh…" she breathed out, blinking a few times to clear her vision.
She raised her head a bit and saw a head of blondish hair in front of her. As her mind became more aware, she realized that instead of a pillow, she was holding on to a person. And not just any person, but Timothy.
Her eyes widened in shock and horror for only a moment, until her memories came back to her. Her shocked look quickly faded as her lips curled up into a wide and warm smile when she remembered joining Timothy in his bed last night.
But even that only lasted for a moment when she recalled her dream from last night, causing her cheeks to light up a bit. She had dreamed that the two of them were wrapped in each other very tightly and kissing each other passionately.
It only got worse when she finally took notice of the way she had her arms and legs wrapped around his body, but at the same time, she was also wishing that they could stay like that for a long time.
When she looked out the window to see that it was almost sunrise, she realized that Timothy had slightly slept in, as he was normally downstairs by that time and training. And seeing that she knew he still had some work left to do with his zanpakutō spirit, she found it a bit odd that he chose this day to sleep in.
She let out a displeased sigh as she returned her head to nuzzle into the back of his neck a bit, knowing that she would have to wake him up; and right now, she wanted nothing more than to just lie there with him in her arms.
'I guess…I should be happy I got to have this much.'
The woman took another deep breath before calling out. "Tim?"
She waited for him to answer, or even move in response to her calling, but he didn't so much as even flinch at her words. Nel pulled her head back a bit with a raised brow.
"Tim?" she called again.
But he still didn't answer her. Very reluctantly, she unwound her legs from his sides and pulled herself up and over his body a bit to his ear.
"Tim, we need to get up." She informed in a kind voice.
The man didn't stir, and she was starting to get a little worried. "Tim?"
She pulled the man's shoulder back and rolled him over to her and immediately froze when she saw his open and rolled back eyes and blue face. She gasped at the sight and quickly started to shake him.
"Tim!" she yelled.
20 Minutes Later
Timothy sat at the dining room table, glaring billions of lethal daggers at his evil, perverted, soon-to-be ex-partner, who was, intelligently, sitting across from him and showing Kisuke and Yoruichi the photos she took of him and Nel in their 'unique' situation.
Nel had her head down low in shame and embarrassment; both from learning what had caused Timothy's near-death experience, and from the multiple, suggestive grins she was getting from the people across from her.
"Wow Nel, awful possessive of Timothy, aren't ya? I guess you really don't want someone else to have him, huh?" Yoruichi teased with her trademark grin.
The Arrancar turned her head away a bit as Timothy glared at the demon-woman. "Shut your fucking mouth, Yoruichi; or I swear I'll jump over this table and rip your damn hair out!" he threatened.
Kitsune had to snicker at him. "What's wrong, Tim? You trying to defend your girlfriend's honor? Too bad you couldn't defend her purity like that as well." She said with a flash of her brows, causing Yoruichi to laugh loudly while Kisuke chuckled.
Timothy and Nel both turned red as they quickly stared at each other, then to them. "Nothing happened!" they yelled in unison.
"We just slept together, not…well…you know!" Nel furthered.
Yoruichi stopped laughing enough to raise a brow. "Oh? You don't have to tell us everything just yet, Nel. I'm sure you'll be more up to it once he takes you again."
Timothy slammed a fist down on the table. "Nothing happened, you evil demon! And you!" he said, now pointing at Kitsune. "I hope you have your will wrote up, cause once we've rescued Orihime, you are so fucking dead!"
The spirit raised her palms up. "I don't know what you're talking about, Tim. It's not 'my' fault that Nel had dirty dreams about you and tried to keep you from escaping." She teased while looking at the said woman.
Nel turned red as a tomato. "I…I did not! I mean…I don't know what you're talking about!" she defended.
Timothy tilted his head at her with a raised brow. "You did?" he asked in shock.
She turned to him and shook her head. "N…No! I swear!" she assured.
Yoruichi rose her brow back. "Oh? So are you saying you don't want to have those kinds of dreams about Tim? You don't think he's handsome enough for you to have dreams about him?" she challenged.
Nel shot a glare at the woman. "Of course I want to dream about him, and yes he 'is' handsome!" she quickly returned, only to slap a hand over her mouth with wide eyes in horror.
Timothy's eyes went wide as well before he slowly turned his head away in embarrassment. But for Yoruichi and Kitsune, they were just given all the ammunition they could ever use against the poor Arrancar.
"Oh my…Nel…after only spending one night with him, you're already dreaming of doing naughty things to my partner. How could you, you dirty girl." Kitsune said as she shook her head in mock disappointment.
The Lieutenant's and Arrancar's eyes shot wide open as Yoruichi shook her head as well. "Yeah, it seems we'll have to keep an eye on the two of them to keep her from jumping him without us knowing." She added.
Nel flinched in horror at their accusations. "I…I would never do that!"
Yoruichi opened an eye to her. "Oh? So you're saying now that you don't want him?" she baited.
The Arrancar then slapped her hands on the table and stood up while glaring at the evil seductress. "Of course I want him!" she yelled.
Kitsune and Yoruichi now had the widest of grins on their faces while Kisuke had his hidden behind his fan. Timothy however, was so shocked that he was unable to react to the woman's declaration.
Even Gamuza had a reaction to the woman's outburst, being only a headshake of disappointment at her partner for falling for such an obvious trap…again.
'You are such an idiot sometimes, Nelliel.' The spirit thought.
It only took a second for the woman to finally realize what she said, and she was so shocked by her own actions that the only thing she could manage to do in response was to blush madly with saucer-wide eyes.
The whole room was dead silent for what seemed like eternity to Nel and Timothy, before Kitsune finally rose a brow. "Well? If you want my partner so bad, then go ahead, Nel. I won't stop ya. Go on, take him back into the room and show him how much you want him." She challenged.
Yoruichi nodded in agreeance. "Yeah, we won't disturb you while you two have some 'physical fun'. I'm sure if you make it quick enough, Tim can still get his special training done in time to leave." She added, both of the woman now grinning again.
Nel was so frozen in shock, that she couldn't respond in action or words. The only thing that saved her, was Timothy's hand falling onto her shoulder and gently pulling her back to her seat.
She slowly turned her head back to him to see him still looking away in embarrassment, his face redder than she had even seen from him. She saw him swallow once before he rolled his eyes to her, seeing what she could only guess was a tinge of happiness in them.
"It's alright, Nel…I know what you meant. Just ignore those two idiots." He said in a quiet voice.
Although she was glad he wasn't upset at her 'declaration', she was upset at herself for admitting it out loud in front of him. All she could do was turn away from him and slowly nod before standing up fully.
"Sorry." She said at last, then left the room.
Timothy listened as she went into her own room and closed the door behind her, the lock clicking into place immediately afterward. He then stood up as well with his head down and took a deep breath.
"I'm going to finish my training." He informed, then walked around the table and swiftly went down the ladder into the training area.
Kitsune was now suddenly starting to feel bad about their teasing, turning to her friend with a raised brow. "I think…we took it too far, Yoruichi…again." She admitted.
The golden-eyed woman sighed heavily and nodded her head. "Yeah…maybe you're right. But I can't help it, they make it way too damn easy to mess with em. Honestly, the only person I can think of that's worse is Ichigo." She said as she threw her hand out towards Nel's room.
The spirit sighed as well and nodded. "True…but now I'm worried about what Tim will do once he clears his head. I swear he would have literally tried to kill you if you were around last time. And we both did promise not to mess with Nel anymore, so that only makes it worse." She pointed out.
Yoruichi started rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Yeah, you got a point there. And with their mission coming up in a few hours…I think we may have just screwed up big time."
Kisuke chose now to speak up for the first time. "I wouldn't worry about that, Yoruichi. Tim doesn't seem like the kind of person to let personal matters bother him during important times. I think you two should be more worried about when the team returns, when he 'doesn't' have important matters to deal with."
Kitsune's face instantly fell in horror. "I am so dead. If Tim doesn't kill me, 'Johnny' will. Is there a way to reverse being placed in his inner world, Kisuke?" she pleaded.
The shop owner slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid not, miss Kit. It looks like you're just gonna have to take whatever punishment he manages to find for you. The only thing that I can offer, is my condolences." He stated.
The spirit raised he head with a loud whine. "I don't wanna die!"
Nel's Inner World
Nel slowly materialized into her inner world to see Gamuza staring at her, her arms crossed and a disappointed look on her face. The hollow spirit sighed heavily before dropping and shaking her head.
"I honestly can't believe how you keep falling for that demon-woman's taunts, Nelliel. I figured you would have learned how she likes to bait you into her jokes by now." She stated disapprovingly.
The Arrancar turned her head away from her partner. "I don't want to argue with you right now, Gamuza. I only came here so I could think to myself in peace, without having to worry about anyone disturbing me." She informed.
Gamuza raised her head enough to look at the woman. "So…is what you said true, Nelliel? Do you really want the brat in that manner?" she questioned.
Nel at least had the politeness to blush at the spirit's question before turning away fully and walking away. "I told you, I didn't come here to argue, Gamuza." She repeated.
The spirit rolled her eyes with a scoff. "It wasn't an argument Nel, it was a legitimate question; one that I want to know the answer to. But, judging by the redness in your face, it would seem that I can easily guess that answer." She returned before starting to follow her partner.
The Arrancar came to a stop at the edge of the small lake and sighed before resting her left hand on her head where the left horn of her mask 'would' have been. She gripped the hair in her hand tightly before closing her eyes.
"How…How bad is it now, Gamuza? I'm honestly afraid to see for myself." She asked.
Gamuza took a deep breath as she came to a stop next to her. "I suppose you want me to give it to you bluntly…" she wondered aloud.
Nel dropped her hand and turned to her, nodding slowly. "Please be honest with me Gamuza…how bad?" she pleaded.
The spirit took a deep breath before looking her directly in the eyes. "Halfway into the eye socket, as well as a second tooth." She informed.
The woman's eyes snapped shut in emotional pain as she visualized the damage in her mind. She stood motionless for a moment before turning back front and kneeling down next to the water. As much as she didn't want to see it for herself, she needed to.
Leaning far enough over the edge of the water, she slowly opened her eyes a bit before they snapped wide open. "Oh my God…"
True to Gamuza's words, nearly a third of her mask was gone. Everything from the halfway point of the mask's left eye socket was just gone, along with the two leftmost teeth on the bottom of it.
The woman slowly reached up and placed her hand on the empty space, feeling her teal hair underneath as tears came to her eyes in fear. She rubbed her head along the areas that her mask normally covered and closed her eyes again.
"I'm scared, Gamuza. I'm afraid to lose you again." She admitted.
The spirit glanced down at her partner. "I thought that creepy shop owner said that wouldn't happen?" she asked in a hiss.
Nel nodded her head. "He did, but he also said he can't confirm anything. For all he knows at the moment, I 'could' lose you; or you could lose 'me'. I don't want to lose you, Gamuza. I don't know what to do." She said in a teary voice.
"Well, getting that that idiot Urahara to quit screwing around would be a good start. I'm starting to get the feeling that he's not really even trying to figure this shit out. Not to mention hanging out with that brat you're so fond of." Gamuza returned.
Nel quickly stood up, turning to the hollow spirit and pointing at her. "This is not Tim's fault! He has nothing to do with this! How many times must I tell you that, Gamuza?!" she yelled angerly.
Gamuza rolled her eyes and re-crossed her arms. "Oh really? I seem to recall that shop owner stating that being around him and moving on with these feelings was speeding all this up. So are you really gonna stand there and tell me that that fucking brat has nothing to do with this? From what I can see, he's only making the whole situation worse by the second." She pointed out.
The Arrancar took a step closer and glared dangerously at the spirit. "And you said you would accept Tim! Or was that all a lie?!" she shot back.
The spirit scoffed. "Hah! As if. You might wanna think back a little bit, Nelliel; I said that I wouldn't 'kill' him as long as he didn't harm you, not that I would accept him. There's a 'big' difference there. And just for your information, I had 'plenty' to say about your little stunt last night, but I chose to let it go, for you. So don't you dare accuse me of going against my word when I've done nothing but 'adhere' to my promise. Which brings me back to my previous question; was what you said back there to that demon true? Do you really want that brat as your own?" she demanded.
Nel turned her head with red cheeks away again. "That is not your business, Gamuza. Who I take as mine is not your concern." She defended.
Gamuza swiftly reached down and grabbed the woman by the collar of her shirt, pulling her up to her face. "I am your partner, so that 'makes' it my concern, Nelliel! Anything that affects you, affects me! I am not going to just sit here and allow myself to be dragged down if you make a mistake, like choosing to take that 'soul reaper' as your own!"
Her partner simply rolled her eyes to her with a calm stare. "Is that really the case, Gamuza? It sounds more to me like you are afraid that I may be right about him and you were wrong. It sounds like you are afraid to see me happy for a change." She challenged.
The spirit's brow rose. "Are you suggesting that you were never happy with me, Nelliel?"
Nel turned her head fully to her. "No, I wasn't. I am saying that you are afraid that I was always right about Tim and my friends, and that you had misjudged them. That I may have found someone who could be worthy for me to take as my own, and you fear the happiness that it could bring, just because of what he is. I have 'always' been happy to have you as my partner Gamuza, and I always will be. And I know how jealous you are of Tim, simply because he's giving me more happiness in life. I cherish 'both' of you; you just have to understand that you and he are on two different levels of relationship. You are the closest person to my soul, while he is the closest person to my heart." She clarified.
Gamuza chuckled lowly. "Heart? You're a hollow Nelliel, you don't have a heart, the same as me. Whatever heart you had before, you lost it when you became a hollow."
The woman only grinned at her. "That's where you are wrong, Gamuza. I may have lost my heart in the past, but I managed to get it back. And regardless of how much it may displease you, I intend to keep it. And even if you could somehow take it away, good luck; because, if you want the truth, Tim has my heart, and always will. And I seriously doubt there's anything you can do to change that." She stated firmly.
She then grabbed the spirit's hand and pulled herself from its grip, dropping to her feet in front of the Spirit before looking up at her with furrowed brows.
"You wanted the answer to your question, Gamuza? Fine. The answer is yes; if it is at all possible, I 'would' like to take Tim as my own. I would take him to be with me until time or battle finally claims us. Tim told me your reason for hating him so much, how you thought he was coming in-between us. Well, I can assure you Gamuza, that even 'if' he and I accepted each other for eternity, he 'still' wouldn't hold the place I have for you in my soul. There is no one in any plane of existence that will be able to do that. You are my partner, and no one can 'ever' replace you. So whether or not you accept Tim is your choice; I will just have to be the one who suffers for it if you don't." she said in a hiss.
Gamuza stared the woman in the eyes, seeing the dedication she had in them and seeing that she meant every word. Finally, after a few moments, the spirit sighed with closed eyes.
"Just tell me something, Nel…how do you know you can trust him with your 'heart' like this? How can you possibly know that he won't just turn around and leave you to save his own skin? Survival is everything, Nelliel; it's just natural instinct to take the surest course to ensure survival. That goes for hollows, humans, even soul reapers. So just how can you possibly know for certain when his soul society finds out about you that he won't just abandon you to save his own skin? And don't give me that shit, 'because he said so', because that's nothing but bullshit." She asked calmly.
Nel's shoulders slumped a bit before she turned to look out at the lake. "Because in my heart…I 'know' he cares so much for me. I can feel it inside that he truly wishes to protect me, wants to be with me. I know it may not sound right to you Gamuza, and it's really hard to explain, but I just 'know' that he means every word." She answered, then looked back at the spirit. "All I'm asking is that you let him show that to you, that he 'does' care for me like he says he does. You can't expect him to be absolutely perfect, Gamuza. He's going to make mistakes every now and then, even sometimes hurt me inside, as I will him. But I will forgive him, and I'm sure he would forgive me. That is how much I care for him, that I am more than willing to accept the inevitable pains that will occur at times. So I'm asking you, will you do the same, for me?"
The spirit averted her gaze from the woman and sighed heavily. "I can't promise you a thing in that regard, Nelliel. And you're right, I don't have the slightest clue as to what you mean about 'feeling it inside yourself'. But…" She then turned back to her. "…for the sake of our partnership, I will give him the chance you're asking of me. However, it comes at a price." She warned.
The Arrancar took a calming breath and nodded. "And that is?" she pressed.
Gamuza furrowed her brows beneath her mask. "Should the day come when you no longer view him as fondly as you currently do, 'I' will be the one to kill him." She informed.
Nel rose a brow at her. "I don't see the difference from before, Gamuza."
The spirit rose a finger. "Except that this time, his life is now in your hands, Nelliel. The moment that you lose any interest in him, I will take his life. And the same goes for him. The instant that he loses 'his' interest in 'you', his life is also forfeit. I will take control again, and kill him with your hands. So for his sake, everything had better work out between you two. And he had better fight to his dying breath to protect you from the soul society. If I get so much as a funny feeling that he might turn against you for his own skin, he dies. You are my partner, and half of my soul; I will fight everything and everyone to ensure 'our' survival, Nelliel. Don't forget that."
Gamuza was almost taken by surprise when Nel walked up and threw her arms around the spirit's torso, hugging her tightly with tears in her eyes.
"Thank you…so much, Gamuza. That's really all I'm asking for is for him to have a chance. I'm so glad to have you as my partner." She said tearfully.
The spirit rolled her eyes with a scoff, unable to prevent the smile that crept onto her face. "Yeah yeah, whatever. You're lucky no one can see us, or I'd have to kick you to the ground." She shot back, returning the gesture.
They held each other for a few moments before Gamuza raised a hand and touched a finger to the woman's mask. "But I still want you to get that shop keeper to get busy with whatever is happing in this regard. This still worries me a great deal, and we need a way to fix it."
The two released where Nel nodded firmly. "I will speak to him about it, promise. I should go now, I still have a few things to take care of before we leave." She returned.
Gamuza then gave her a dangerous glare. "I still think this is a foolish mistake, Nelliel; going back to Hueco Mundo for this human girl. At least with only the four of you. You should know that that bastard Aizen is likely expecting this, right?"
Nel sighed with a nod. "I'm aware, but we can't leave Orihime to be a victim of that madman's experiments. We owe it to her to at least try to save her, even you agreed to that."
"I did. Look Nelliel, all I'm telling you is that I want you to be careful. Without my blade, there is nothing I can do to help you. Besides the brat and his two friends, you're on your own. And speaking of the brat, make sure he knows that if he doesn't punish that fucking fox of his for her jokes, I'll beat the shit out of her. And that is not an idle threat, I 'mean' it." Gamuza warned dangerously.
Nel's expression changed to one of hatred. "You don't have to worry about that, Gamuza. Because if he doesn't, 'I' will! She is 'mine', and you will 'not' interfere!" she hissed.
Gamuza chuckled darkly at that. "That's my girl!"
Urahara Shop
Nel slowly opened her eyes in her sitting position on her bed, a few stray tears remaining in her eyes from the relief that her hollow spirit wouldn't hate Timothy as much anymore. A smile came to her face as she moved her hand to wipe the tears away.
"You're back?" a quiet voice asked.
The woman froze upon recognizing the voice, and swiftly turned to see Kitsune sitting on her legs next to her. The spirit's head was down, and she had a very saddened expression on her face as she gripped the fur of her legs tightly in her fists.
Nel sighed heavily and turned away from her. "What is it, Kit?" she asked as calmly as she could.
Kitsune could sense the disdain in the woman's voice, and it made her flinch a bit. But she managed to surprise the angered woman by dropping her head down to the floor in a respectful bow, causing Nel to look at her in confusion.
"I want to apologize for my comments and remarks earlier, Nel. I may be Tim's partner, but what you two do, or not do, is not my business. I shouldn't have made fun of you for it, and I was an ass for it. The last thing I want is for us to lose our friendship, so I am sorry for what I said." She admitted in a low voice.
Nel stared at the downed spirit for nearly a minute, honestly not believing that she would go such lengths just to apologize the her. But she finally offered a weak smile and nodded.
"It's…It's alright, Kit. Please don't do that. Get up." She said, watching as the spirit reluctantly sat back up straight, but with her head still hung low. Nel then turned her body to face the spirit fully and rested a hand on top of hers. "I am still upset, Kit…but I do forgive you. I know how you are, and that you really don't mean anything by it. But please…try not to go too far anymore." She followed with a smile.
Kitsune found herself smiling as well, although very weakly. "I don't know how you could have the patience with me, Nel. You have a whole lot more than Tim does." She informed.
Nel had to chuckled at that. "I'm glad. But, just so you know…" she started, her pause making the spirit look at her fully as she raised a finger. "…if Tim doesn't get you back for your comments, I will." She informed, making Kitsune start to sweat. "I may forgive you Kit, but that does not mean you are getting away with what you did."
The spirit had to swallow the lump in her throat. "Uh…do I need to fill out my will?" she asked in fear.
The Arrancar touched her finger to her chin. "Well, I'm not going to kill you…but then again, accidents 'do' happen sometimes." She concluded in a mumble, making the spirit sweat even more.
Gamuza laughing in her mind almost broke her demeaner. "Oh, this is good. It's about time 'she' does the sweating around here. If I were there, I'd be making her tremble in her fear." She informed.
Nel was almost tempted to do just that, but she had already lost a lot of time with the whole ordeal and needed to get ready for the trip to Hueco Mundo. She ended up simply lowering her hand and waving the spirit off.
"I wouldn't worry about it, Kit. In truth, I would be more worried about what Tim might do. But I should get going. I still need to meet with Kisuke and make sure the garganta is ready to be opened, then finish a few other last-minute preparations." She relented.
Kitsune dropped her head again with a moan. "I'm too young to die." She whined, getting a laugh from Nel.
"Well Kit…" she started, pausing a moment to stand up and look down on the wailing spirit. "…I suppose you may have learned your lesson this time." She concluded with an evil smile.
The spirit was on the verge of tears as Nel turned and walked out of the room. She could hear Gamuza snickering inside her head, and she could only sigh and shake her head at the sound.
"Nicely done, Nelliel. Although, something tells me that the stupid fox did 'not' learn her lesson." She commented.
Nel froze with her hand hovering over the latch to Kisuke's lab, her face fallen. "You know what Gamuza…for some reason I don't think so either. In fact…I doubt she ever will learn her lesson." She returned as she pulled down on the latch and entered the lab.
Locking the door behind her, she turned to look deeper into the shop owner's laboratory to see him standing in front of a large monitor and pressing numerous keys on a vastly oversized keyboard.
Taking a deep breath to clear her head, the woman began walking up to the man and came to a stop behind him and slightly to the side.
"Kisuke." She called.
The man stopped what he was doing and gave her his full attention. "Yes, miss Nel?"
"We need to talk…about my problem." She informed.
Kisuke immediately adopted a serious expression as he nodded. "I see…then I suppose this means that more of your mask is missing?" he questioned.
Nel closed her eyes while taking a sharp breath, then nodded back. "Yes." She answered.
"Mind if I ask how much worse it has gotten?" he pressed.
The woman raised her hand up to her mask, using it to cover the area past the halfway point of its eye socket. Urahara's brow rose in surprise as he took in what the woman was telling him.
"This is not good in the least, but frankly, it is not as bad as I had thought it would be by now." He offered calmly.
Nel dropped her hand as she tilted her head. "What do you mean? You thought it would be worse than it is?"
Kisuke nodded firmly. "Judging by the rate of decay, for lack of a more appropriate term, I had expected your mask to have been at least half gone by now. But now that you've shown me that's not the case, I believe the acceleration of decay has stopped, and your mask is now fading at a constant rate. 'This' is good, because I can now give you a more definitive estimation of time before your mask completely vanishes."
The Arrancar nodded in understanding. "So…how long, Kisuke?"
The man eyed her mask for a moment in silence before returning to her eyes. "If the rate of decay does not change at all, two weeks." He informed, watching as the woman dropped her head in fear. The man took a slow breath before continuing. "However, after analyzing the samples of you and Gamuza's spiritual pressures, I may have come up with a temporary method to buy you some time before your mask completely vanishes. Please wait here." He instructed, then stepped away towards his desk.
Nel raised her head and watched the man dig around in one of his drawers searching for something. Not even a minute later, the shop owner returned and presented her with what looked like a collar.
"Please put this on, miss Nel." He asked calmly.
She grabbed the object from his hand and held it up to inspect it. "What is it?" she inquired.
"It's an accessory I developed using your spiritual pressure as a basis. Unlike spirit energy, where your wrists are the major outflow for it, spiritual pressure pulses through the body, originating from the chest and flowing outwards. The neck and head are where the larger portions of your spiritual pressure flow to first, and this device is designed to dissipate it." He educated.
Nel rose a brow at him. "This absorbs spiritual pressure?" she inquired.
Kisuke nodded. "In a way, yes. It interrupts much of the flow of spiritual pressure in the area it is attached to; in this case, around your neck. It then takes that spiritual pressure and dissolves it. I've designed it target the portions of your spiritual pressure that are not hollow in general, meaning that it will help keep the current balance of hollow and human pressures. However, as this is only a last-minute prototype, it can only handle so much before it inevitably fails, allowing your spiritual pressure to continue unobstructed. I'll try to come up with a more effective and longer-lasting unit by the time the team returns. While you are using it, you will notice yourself become considerably weaker as far as dealing strong attacks. That is why I would recommend removing it should you find yourself in a tough battle, putting it back on once you are finished." He advised.
The woman looked back at the device and sighed. "And how much time will this buy me?"
"With how far your mask has already decayed…a week at best. As long as you use this device without putting too much strain on it, it would bring you up to three weeks. But you need to keep in mind, miss Nel, the more spiritual pressure you emanate, the shorter its lifespan. So you need to avoid exerting too much while wearing it. And this also does not stop the rate of decay, it only slows it down for a while. While the four of you are gone to Hueco Mundo, I'll also do what research I can and try to find a way to stop, and hopefully reverse the damage." He offered.
Nel sighed heavily. "I understand, thank you. But I am curious…if this restricts and dissipates my spiritual pressure, does this mean it will be harder for others to detect me as well?"
Kisuke grinned a bit. "That's good thinking, miss Nel. In fact, it does. While you are wearing this, your spiritual pressure will be considerably more difficult to detect. But as I said, because of this your attacks will be weaker as well."
The woman nodded and began strapping the collar around her neck. "To be honest, I am hoping to avoid any conflict while we are there. But unfortunately, I doubt that will be possible." She admitted as she walked to a nearby mirror.
She gave herself a quick look over, and although she felt really odd wearing the collar, she had to admit that it honestly didn't look all that bad. It rode low on her neck, just an inch above her collarbone, and didn't obstruct her breathing at all.
Kisuke grinned as he pulled his fan up to his face. "Well, how does it look, miss Nel? Is this something you would consider as a future fashion statement?" he teased.
Nel turned and gave him a deadpanned expression. "That is very unlikely, Kisuke. But I must admit that it doesn't look half-bad. Just don't get used to it." She informed.
The man chuckled. "Alright alright. And how do you feel now?"
The woman rotated her head around a few times and took a few deep breaths. "It's not uncomfortable, and I can feel it affecting me. I suddenly feel…constricted inside."
"I can feel it from you as well, Nelliel. And it doesn't seem to be affecting me at the moment." Gamuza confirmed.
Nel nodded. "Gamuza says the same thing, and that she doesn't feel affected by it."
Kisuke lowered his fan and nodded. "I'm afraid that's really all I can do to help at the moment, miss Nel. Hopefully I'll have found something else by the time you return."
The Arrancar looked at him and smiled. "No, it's fine, Kisuke. Thank you so much for your help with this. I really don't know what I could have done without it."
The shop owner smiled back. "Not a problem, miss Nel. I'm happy to help. You should finish getting ready for the mission. The garganta is all ready to go, so everyone can leave on time. Thank you for your help in that regards."
Nel chuckled a bit. "Of course. I'll see you in a little while, Kisuke." She said with a wave, leaving for the lab door.
Once the woman closed the door behind her, the smile on Kisuke's face instantly fell before walking back to his computer and pressing a few keys. The screen changed to show a few sets of bar graphs, each one slightly different than the other.
Kisuke studied the graphs for a moment before glancing back towards the door. "Something about this doesn't seem right. It's almost as if…" he mumbled to himself before pressing another key and clearing the screen.
Underground Training Area, 1 Hour Later
Yoruichi wandered around the far edge of the training area as she continued her search for Timothy. As he had demanded, Tessai placed one of his strongest concealing barriers around him while he was training, making him impossible for even her to detect.
She had been searching for nearly an hour so she could talk with him and apologize for her and Kitsune's teasing, but no matter how hard she tried, she still couldn't sense him; all the more reason for the former Captain to praise the former Kidō Commander for his spells, and yell at him for causing her so much trouble.
She sighed heavily and was just about to give up, until she came around a boulder and finally spotted the young Lieutenant sitting down with his legs crossed and his back against the wall.
The woman took a deep breath and began walking up to the man, only to stop a short distance away when she saw numerous cuts and scratches all over his body. She crossed her arms and grinned a bit.
"Your zanpakutō's really giving it to ya, huh Tim?" she asked under her voice.
She could see the man's eyes flinch, in what seemed to be pain, every few seconds, telling her that his zanpakutō had likely scored another hit on him in his inner world.
It was only when she looked down at the blade lying across his lap that she noticed the blade was glowing a dull red. Her brows rose in surprise, because she knew that that meant that he was close to completing his training.
Although he never said anything directly, she could guess as to what he was training for; and she knew that he would likely need what his zanpakutō was teaching him to help him on the mission.
The woman decided it was best not to interfere, choosing instead to take a seat on the edge of a nearby boulder and wait until either the man was finished, or it was time for them to leave.
As she sat there, she ran her words through her mind to determine the best way to phrase her apology. But she didn't get that long to think, as the sound of Timothy groaning in discomfort drew her attention back to him.
The Lieutenant was rubbing his head slowly, likely trying to quell some of the pain he was probably feeling. The man then dropped his hand and laid his head back to the ceiling with closed eyes.
Yoruichi rose a brow at him. "I take it you finished your training?" she questioned kindly.
Timothy's head snapped to her, not realizing that she was even there, before giving her a hateful glare. "What do you want, Yoruichi? If it's for more of your stupid comments, save it; I ain't listening." He shot out.
The woman sighed and shook her head. "No, I actually came to apologize for earlier. I know I kinda promised to lay off you two, but I really couldn't help it. It's just who I am. Would you like me any less if I wasn't?" she tried.
The man expression didn't change. "Would you like it if I was the one teasing and torturing you?" he returned.
Yoruichi couldn't stop the smug grin coming to her face. "Actually, I would. But, I know what you're asking, and if I was anyone else, probably not. And not that it's an acceptable defense or anything, but you could lighten up a bit, you know." She pointed out.
"You're right, it's not. And you should know that Nel feels so out of place being here, Yoruichi. And yours and Kit's endless jokes and schemes ain't helping all that much to make her feel at home. All she wants is a normal life again, to not be the monster everyone else thinks she is; and all your teasing is doing is making her feel unwelcome, like she's doing something wrong. Did you ever stop to think about that?" he questioned.
The woman sighed again. "Well, if you put it like that, I guess you've got a point. I can't promise that the jokes and all will stop, but I can promise that I'll lighten up on em. Sound fair?" she offered.
Timothy moaned in aggravation. "I guess that's the best I'm gonna get outta you, so I guess so. Just stop making her feel like she's an outcast, will ya?" he pleaded.
Yoruichi smiled with a nod. "You got it. So, you gonna tell me a little about your zanpakutō? Like what his name is?" she inquired.
The man smirked and shook his head. "That's a secret that only my first opponent gets to learn first, Yoruichi. Maybe if you behave, I'll even let you have a taste of his power." He taunted.
The woman gave him a toothy grin. "I look forward to it. Anyway, I've gotta go find Nel and apologize to her as well. See ya later, Tim." she said before standing and vanishing.
Timothy shook his head with a chuckle. "It still doesn't mean I don't wanna kill ya, Yoruichi." He mumbled.
Three Hours Later
After recruiting the help of Renji, Rukia, and Rangiku, with Kisuke providing a distraction, the group was able to switch out Orihime's body with the shop keepers perfect copy of it, returning it to the shop and placing it inside one of his cold storages.
Of course, seeing the teen's dead body unnerved the three soul reapers and made them worry about the girl's current state. But all it took was a quick and very effective encouragement from Kisuke and Yoruichi to get their spirits back up.
And now, with just under an hour until they were supposed to leave for Hueco Mundo, Toshiro had everyone gathered at the dining room table to discuss final plans and preparation; with Ichigo in attendance so that he would be aware of what they planned to do.
"So what exactly is your plan once you get inside Las Noches? Just how do you plan to find Orihime?" Ichigo questioned.
Nel turned to face him. "I believe that Aizen may be keeping her in one of the palaces, the only problem is finding out which one. Each Espada has their own, and there are several rooms per palace. As much as I don't like it, we may 'have' to split up." She advised.
"And what if she's not in one of the palaces? Where do you think Aizen would keep her then?" Timothy furthered.
The woman shook her head. "The only thing I can think of is the dungeons. But those are in the main building where Aizen resides. If she is down there, it may be close to impossible to get her." She answered in a saddened voice.
"Are you sure there are no other ways to get into Las Noches?" Toshiro asked.
Nel lifted her head and hummed in thought. "Well…there is one way. There are dozens of old tunnels and passageways that run under Las Noches. They were there far before Aizen even came to Las Noches, and it's possible he might not know about them."
Renji rose a brow. "If Aizen was there before you were Nel, then how do you know about them?" he questioned firmly.
The woman rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Well…there were a lot of times where none of us were really doing anything. One day, I got so bored that I decided to explore a bit and I came upon the exit to one of the tunnels by accident in my palace. And I…may have gotten lost a few times while exploring them."
"Do any of these tunnels lead outside?" Timothy asked.
Nel nodded and dropped her hand. "I found a few on the south side of Las Noches, about ten kilometers away. I remember where these entrances are, but I don't remember the layout of the tunnels. I can take you to one of them if you'd like, but we may end up getting lost inside." She warned.
Rukia sighed and crossed her arms. "Well…either we take the known way and have a high chance of being discovered, or we take the unknown and increase our chances of getting inside without being discovered." She weighed out.
Timothy cupped his chin in thought. "A day to get there, and a day to find Orihime. Traipsing around in those tunnels will eat up a lot of our time, and that's only if we don't get hopelessly lost. Captain…" he started, getting the man's attention. "…you said you didn't tell the soul society we were leaving early, right?" he inquired, getting a nod. "If that's the case…we may be able to stay there longer."
Renji's eyes widened a bit. "What are you getting at, Tim?"
The Lieutenant turned to him. "According to what the Captain told them, we'll be leaving in a few days, and we have two days to find her from then. But we're leaving a few days 'early', so even if we stayed one or two days longer, we would still get back in time by their deadline." He pointed out.
Toshiro furrowed his brows. "You want to make this trip longer?" he asked in shock.
Timothy held a hand up. "Look, just hear me out. What if we stay for six days, one day to get there, and five to plot the tunnels and get a firsthand look at what we need to do? Nel said she only found one entrance to the tunnels from inside, and I'm willing to bet that there's more; maybe even one for each building. And if Aizen doesn't know about them, we can use those tunnels as a quick getaway if we are discovered. By that time, we'll have a basic understanding of the tunnel system, while they won't. If anything, they'll even get lost themselves if they try to follow us."
Ikkaku raised a brow before looking at Toshiro. "That actually sounds like a good idea to me, Captain."
Rukia smiled with a nod. "And if you think about the long run, we may even be able to use those tunnels in the future." She added.
Toshiro groaned as he rubbed his temples. "But still, adding more days to the mission is risky."
"And sending four people to search the entirety of Las Noches for one person in two days isn't? I think we should do it, Captain. Getting those extra days would give us more breathing room to try and locate Orihime, and get her out of there." Renji advised.
Timothy snorted at him. "When you think about it, he really doesn't have a choice in the matter. Afterall, Nel's the one who has to open the garganta for us to get back home, right?"
The Captain glared dangerously at the man. "Are you saying that you would willingly disobey my orders if I told you not to stay longer, Lieutenant?" he hissed.
The man shrugged a shoulder. "Wouldn't be the first time, and likely not going to be the last either. Orihime is my friend, and I'll gladly disobey any order you give me to save her life." He defended weakly.
Toshiro closed his eyes in anger at the Lieutenant. "Fine. six days, and not a second longer." He ordered.
Timothy smirked at him. "Thank you. So, I guess the final plan is to spend a day getting there, four days figuring out the tunnels, and the last day to actually rescue Orihime. While we're plotting the tunnels, it might be a good idea to sneak around on occasion and see if we can overhear anything about where Orihime might be."
Ichigo growled lowly. "I should be going with you. I can handle myself, and that old man had no right to order me around." He seethed.
Rukia rested a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Hold on, Ichigo. The Head Captain is wise, and if he wants you to stay behind, he must have a reason for it."
The teen glared at his friend in anger. "I don't care! Orihime is my friend, and that old man just wants me to sit around?! That's bullshit!" he yelled.
Kisuke lowered his fan. "Calm down, Ichigo. Miss Rukia is right, the Head Captain wouldn't have ordered this without good reason. And besides, there is something that I would like for you, Chad and Uryū to do for me while they are gone."
Ichigo gave the man an odd look. "And what's that?" he demanded.
The shop owner waved him off with his fan. "Oh, just few errands I need you to take care of just outside of town. Nothing too difficult, just pick up a few things for the shop is all. Just relax and trust Tim, Rukia, Renji and Nel to get Orihime back."
Timothy nodded firmly. "Yeah, we've already been over this like a million times already, Ichigo. We're going to get her back, we promise." He affirmed.
Ichigo growled loudly before standing up. "You better." He hissed, then turned and left the shop in a brisk walk; slamming the door behind him.
Rukia sighed and started rubbing her temples. "Ichigo…you really need to learn when to calm down." She mumbled.
"Can't really blame him. In my opinion, he should be going with us." Renji commented.
"I agree, but the Head Captain's orders are above our opinions. Kisuke, I assume the garganta is ready?" Toshiro asked.
The man nodded with a smirk. "Whenever you are." He answered.
The Captain nodded. "Good. Then everybody head downstairs and get ready." He instructed, then turned to Nel. "Nel, before you leave, I would like a word with you."
The woman nodded, where everyone stood up and started heading to the basement; all except her and Toshiro, who went to her room and closed the door. The Captain stared at her intently for a moment before sighing.
"It is pointless to ask if I can trust you, because regardless of what you say, only your actions can prove otherwise. As of yet, you have not done anything to lessen my trust in you, but this mission will hold a lot of weight in whether or not that trust improves. With that in mind, I am aware that you are severely limited in your fighting capabilities at the moment. Due to the amount of danger this mission holds, it would be foolish to allow you to go while in your current state." He stated.
Nel rose a brow at him in confusion. "I understand that, Captain. But what else can I do?" she questioned.
Toshiro glared daggers into the woman's eyes before surprising her by removing Gamuza, who was strapped to his back next to Hyōrinmaru, and held it at his side. She eyed the sheathed blade for a moment before looking back at him.
"You asked me over and over this past week to give you the chance to earn my trust Nel, so here is your chance. If you are able to bring everyone back, and if I receive no complaints against you, then will you earn my trust. For now…" The man paused and held Gamuza out to her. "…take your zanpakutō, and make sure everyone comes back." He instructed.
Nel stared down at the blade, still a bit shocked that the man was returning it to her. She was seriously starting to think that it was all a test, which would make sense so the Captain could rest easily without having to worry about her turning on them.
The woman narrowed her eyes and looked back at him. "Are you sure you want to do this, Captain? You are aware that of the three going besides me, Tim is likely the only one who may possibly defeat me if I decide to turn against you, right?" she challenged.
Toshiro glared right back. "Are you saying that you will, Nel?" he returned.
"No, I will not. But then again, are you really sure my words are true? Can you say for certainty that everything I have said since you have known about me is the truth? I am no fool, Captain Hitsugaya. I know for a fact that everything I just said has crossed your mind on multiple occasions. In fact, I am willing to bet that thought was on your mind as you presented Gamuza to me. So answer me this: with all of this in mind, why are you allowing me to rearm myself?" she questioned dangerously.
The Captain stared right into her eyes as he answered. "I see what you are implying, Nel, and I guess I can't hide it. The truth is, is that I have actually come to trust you more than I am willing to admit, even to myself. So I guess I'll put this bluntly; I am trusting you to fight for us and to help rescue Orihime Inoue. I trust you enough that you may walk amongst us armed. But that does not change what I said. This success or failure of this mission will determine whether or not that trust builds, or shatters."
Nel continued to stare firmly at him for a moment longer, until she slowly smiled and nodded. "I understand. Whether or not you choose to accept this, I can assure you that I will do everything within my abilities to make sure everyone comes back." She stated, accepting Gamuza from the Captain's hands.
Toshiro crossed his arms and nodded back. "See that you do." He ordered, turning and leaving the room.
The woman watched as he left before looking down at her zanpakutō. "I guess we'll be fighting together for this, Gamuza." She whispered.
The hollow spirit chuckled evilly. "Bout damn time that midget Captain gave me back to you. I know you don't care to much for fighting Nelliel, but it's been too long for me. I just hope we get a chance at that lanky bastard Nnoitra for breaking me in the first place." She sneered.
Nel closed her eyes in anger at the Espada's name. "No…I hate fighting, Gamuza. However, punishing Nnoitra for what he did to you…Pesche…Dondochakka…that is the only exception. If we come across him, I would gladly fight to kill him." She assured.
Gamuza chuckled even darker. "Ooooh…I like this new Nelliel. So dark, and bloodthirsty."
The Arrancar's face fell a bit. "I am not bloodthirsty, Gamuza; I will still try to avoid fighting as much as possible. But if Nnoitra gets involved, I will give him the fight he has always demanded from me; a fight to the death."
"Don't matter, it still works for me. It'll be nice to fight with you again, Nelliel. Oh, how I've missed it." The spirit admitted.
Nel could only smile at her remark. "Me too, Gamuza. But if we are lucky, I may not even have to draw your blade." She concluded, then left the room herself to join the others downstairs.
When she came to the bottom of the ladder, Nel turned around to see the entire group standing before two tall boulders. As she walked closer, she noticed that Kisuke and Tessai were standing on top of two long beams that protruded from the front of them.
She looked to her left and saw the empty gigais of Timothy, Rukia, and Renji laid down against the side of another large boulder; telling her that she should do the same before joining the rest of the group.
Setting Gamuza down for a moment, see pressed the hand of Rukia's gigai, that still had the soul ejecting glove on, to her chest, pushing herself from her faux body. Taking a moment to lay her body next to the others, she then picked Gamuza back up and slipped her into her sash on the left side.
As she turned to join the others, she reached up and noticed that the collar Kisuke had made for her had transitioned to her spiritual form as well, and she could still feel the effect it was having on her spiritual pressure.
Timothy was quick to notice the collar as she walked up, raising a brow in surprise. "What's up with the collar, Nel?" he inquired.
She offered him a warm smile in response. "It's something Kisuke built for me to help hide my spiritual pressure. That way I'll be harder to detect." she lied; although it really wasn't much of a lie, even though it was dissipating her spiritual pressure rather than suppressing it.
"Won't that interfere while fighting?" Renji asked.
She nodded in return. "Yes, but I'll just take it off if I have to fight."
That's when Timothy also noticed Gamuza was attached to her side. He gave Toshiro a quick glance in surprise, but chose not to say anything.
"Alrighty!" Kisuke yelled, getting everyone's attention. "I'm about to open the garganta. As I explained before, the space beyond the gate is nothing but an endless void. Miss Nel will be honoring us by providing a pathway for you to use to get to the other side and enter Hueco Mundo. I must stress that no one strays from the path that miss Nel creates. For once you fall into the eternal abyss, there is no return. Miss Nel, do you have anything to add?" he offered, direction all attention to her.
The woman sighed heavily. "We will be exiting the garganta just outside the Menos Forest. While weaker hollows normally don't leave the forest, that does not mean we won't run into an occasional straggler. More importantly, we should keep a close eye out for any Adjuchas, and possibly Vasto Lorde that are roaming the dessert. Normally, a brief flash of my spiritual pressure would warn them to stay away; but seeing as the mission relies on discretion, that won't be an option. If we do come across one, we must fight together and defeat it quickly, hopefully without releasing our zanpakutōs."
Her friends nodded and Renji took over. "Once we enter the tunnels, we'll split up and start mapping it. If you find an exit into Las Noches, snoop around for some information if you can, but try not to get spotted. After those two days are up, we'll meet back up and discuss our plan for getting Orihime."
"Just to be clear, if you 'are' spotted, try to get some distance and make it back into the tunnels without them seeing you. If they follow you in, try to run em around in circles along a route that you know. With luck, you'll lose em in the tunnels." Timothy jumped in, getting nods back.
"Once we've found and rescued Orihime, if we're split up, get back together the fastest way possible. The sooner we get outta there, the better." Renji furthered.
Everyone nodded once more and Kisuke knelt down on the beam. "Well then, if everyone is ready, we'll begin."
As Kisuke began his chanting to open the garganta in a low tone, Timothy turned around to face Nel fully; offering her a kind smile that she returned.
"Ready to go play some hardcore hide-and-seek?" he teased.
The woman chuckled and shook her head at the joke. "I think it's more like tag, and we're the ones on the run." She returned.
Timothy raised his head a bit. "Actually…when you think about it, it's more like a mix of the two; only you're not 'out' if you're caught." He thought aloud.
Nel rolled her eyes at him. "Then let's try 'not' to get caught, shall we?" she proposed.
"Sounds good to me." He confirmed.
Their conversation was interrupted by the signature sound of the sky ripping apart as Kisuke's garganta split the air in front of them open. Timothy looked inside at the black abyss and he suddenly got a cold sensation running down his spine.
"Man…that's creepy as hell." he commented, but Nel only shrugged.
"It's really not that bad once you've gotten used to it. I actually don't mind it. It's almost soothing to me for some reason." She admitted.
Timothy rolled his eyes to her with a smirk. "Maybe it's because you're part hollow?" He teased.
The woman gave him a deadpanned expression. "Ha ha." She mocked, making him snicker a bit.
"Alright you two, how about we go save Orihime before you start going for each other's throats." Rukia insisted.
Timothy scoffed with a roll of the eyes. "Nel wouldn't do that, would ya Nel?"
The woman smiled deviously. "I don't know…I am part hollow after all." She teased.
The man snorted. "Touché" he returned, and started walking into the dark portal, followed closely by the others.
"You make sure you bring my girl Orihime back you four." Rangiku said with a smile.
The team waved over their shoulders as the portal snapped shut behind them, sealing them off from the world behind. While Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika left to go about their duties, Toshiro remained in place and stared at the spot where the garganta was.
Kisuke leapt from his spot on the beam to land next to the short Captain, pulling his fan out and waving it. "Well, it's in their hands, Captain Hitsugaya. So what is your next move?" he inquired.
The Captain took a breath before responding. "Nothing. The rest of us will continue to protect Karakura Town until they return. Have you put any thought into what we should do with Inoue once they bring her back?"
The shop owner stopped his fan and glanced down at the man. "Not yet. Between setting up the garganta and preparing to switch out miss Inoue's body, I'm afraid I haven't had the time. But now that the team in underway, I suppose I should start thinking of possible solutions on the matter. Have you spoken with the Head Captain about allowing her to stay in the soul society for a while?"
Toshiro sighed and turned to face him with crossed arms. "Not yet. I would prefer to wait until the team returns with her before I bring that request before the Head Captain. For now, she will just have to stay here…if they manage to succeed." He relented.
Kisuke rose a brow skeptically. "Are you having doubt they will succeed, Captain?" he questioned.
The Captain furrowed his brows. "Of course not! But that doesn't mean we shouldn't face the facts. You and I both know that the odds are stacked completely against them. I have no doubt in their abilities, but if they are not careful, they may not come back at all. That is just the simple fact of the matter." He pointed out firmly.
Urahara chuckled lowly. "True, but nevertheless, I believe they'll be successful. In any case, I need to return to my lab. There's still a few more things I need to take care of in preparation for miss Inoue's return from Hueco Mundo. If you'll excuse me."
Receiving a nod from the Captain, Kisuke turned and began walking back towards his lab. Once he was positive he was out of earshot, he pulled his phone from his coat and dialed a number.
It rang only once before he heard a voice answer. "Hello…"
A grin fell upon Urahara's face. "Uryū! So nice to hear from you! How goes it?!" he asked in a chipper voice.
The line was silent for a moment before the teen answered. "If you are calling, then I assume the team has left for Hueco Mundo?" he asked in a whisper.
"Oh yes, our friends are on their way. And now that they are, I was wondering…" he started.
Uryū waited for the man to continue, but got impatient. "…Yes?" he pressed.
Kisuke's grin grew wider. "Do you have some time to spare to discuss our conversation after our last meeting?"
The teen now had a serious tone to his voice. "Of course, but I am afraid meeting at the shop will not be possible right now. I shouldn't even be talking to you, as you are aware."
The shop owner grinned at the teen's statement, knowing exactly what the teen was referring to.
During Ichigo and his friends' trip to the soul society to save Rukia from execution, an execution orchestrated by Aizen, Uryū had met and fought against the Captain of Squad 12, Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
Although the teen had won the fight against the insane scientist, the victory had come at a high cost. The technique he had used to deliver the attack, that very nearly killed the Captain, basically destroyed his Quincy powers and rendered him no more than a typical human.
It was only thanks to his father, Ryūken, who had offered to train him, that he was able to reacquire his Quincy powers. But the Ishida senior had set a condition for the training, one that Uryū was now bound to.
In exchange for his father's training, Uryū was instructed to never again have any ties to soul reapers, or any of their associates. Although he was very displeased with the condition, Uryū still accepted; unwilling to remain helpless around his friends.
The meeting to discuss Orihime's alleged death was the only time Uryū had been to Kisuke's shop, or had any form of contact with soul reapers, since his agreement; and he was not willing to disregard something so important that involved one of his closest friends.
The only reason the teen was speaking with the man now, was because after the meeting had concluded, Kisuke had told him that he knew full well about he and his father's agreement.
He also made the point that he could still 'legally' speak with him and not break his agreement; telling him that he was not associated with soul reapers, that he was nothing more than a 'simple candy store owner' and soul reapers just 'happen' to come by and buy his 'special candy'.
Although it sounded foolish and backhanded, the Quincy had to admit that the man had a valid point. It was after that discussion that Kisuke informed him he wanted to have a private talk once the team left for Hueco Mundo.
"I wouldn't worry about it, Uryū. How about, sayyy…Chad's place? Since Renji is away for the next few days, we can have our discussion in private. Sound good?" Kisuke inquired.
He could hear the teen sigh through the phone. "Fine. I'll be there in an hour." He informed, then hung up.
Kisuke chuckled briefly as he pocketed his phone and came to a stop at the ladder. "Well, phase one is completed. Now to prepare for phase two." He said to himself, then vanished.
Hueco Mundo, 15 Minutes Later
Timothy and the group looked around at the vast, open dessert in the night air as the artificial garganta snapped shut behind them; and they all knew that Nel was now their only way to get back to the world of the living.
But Timothy didn't even bother to think on that one as he looked up into the starless sky, seeing only the crescent shaped moon high in the sky. This confused him, and made him wonder if time in Hueco Mundo was different than in the living world.
"How long do you think it'll be until morning, Nel?" he inquired.
Nel chuckled at the question. "There won't be a morning, Tim. It is always night in Hueco Mundo. Where the moon is now, is where it has always been; at least as far as I can remember." He announced, getting a shocked look from him.
"You mean there's no daytime? Talk about dull." Renji blurted out.
The woman's face fell a bit. "Yes, I agree. The others may have gotten used to it, but I never did." She informed, then look up at the moon. "And every time I took the time to look at the moon, I always got this depressing feeling inside. Even before I became an Adjuchas, I always hated looking at that moon."
Rukia stepped forward and tapped her on the arm. "Well, looking at it now is only going to cost us time; something we don't have that much of. We should get going. Which way is it to Las Noches from here?" she asked calmly.
Nel dropped her head to the woman and pointed out to the north. "Do you see that building out in the distance?"
Everyone turned to where she was pointing, seeing what appeared to be a moderately-sized, semi-circular object of sorts not too far away.
"You mean that bubble looking thing?" Timothy asked.
Nel nodded and lowered her hand. "That's Las Noches. It may seem small now, but it is actually quite large. It will take us a day to get there if we run most of the way."
Timothy shrugged his shoulders. "Well, let's get to it." He concluded and got ready to start running.
But the group stopped when they heard a faint, roaring sound coming from behind them. They all turned around to the sound, but saw nothing there.
"We don't need to worry about that one, it's not even a menos. It's probably trying to leave the forest." She reassured.
"What forest? All I see is desert." Renji asked.
Nel chuckled at him. "That's because we're standing over top of it." She answered, getting odd looks from everyone. She then pointed at the ground. "The Menos Forest is under the ground. We're actually at the edge of it now. As I said, you may see an occasional lower class hollow out here on the dunes, but they typically stay in the forest. Once a hollow evolves in an Adjuchas, usually they'll leave the forest for good and live out here, like the others. That one is either a newcomer, or one that was foolish enough to try and leave the forest. But it would be a good idea to leave now. Weak hollows always attract stronger ones to feed on them, and I prefer not to be close by if an Adjuchas or Vasto Lorde comes looking for it." She warned.
No one argued that fact and they all started running towards the building in this distance. They ran for nearly fifteen minutes before Renji spoke up again.
"Wouldn't it be a bit faster if we used shunpo?" he put out.
Nel shook her head. "Yes, but shunpo and sonído require spirit energy to use, and that may give away our location. If we want to ensure they don't know we are here, we want to avoid using them."
Timothy grinned at the redhead. "What's wrong? Getting tired already, Renji?" he taunted.
The man glared at him. "I didn't say that, you idiot! I was just thinking of a way to get us there faster!" he yelled back.
The younger man rose a brow. "Wow, someone's cranky this morning. Guess you really must be tired, huh?"
Renji clenched his teeth and bared a fist at him. "What did you say?!"
"Stop it you two! Not even twenty minutes and you're already trying to kill each other!" Rukia yelled.
The redhead glared at her. "He's the one who's being an idiot." He said in defense.
Timothy rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Renji…we've got a whole day ahead of us, and I was just messing with ya to liven it up a bit."
"Says the guy who loses it every time his own zanpakutō says something perverted." He returned.
Timothy furrowed his brows with a growl. "You just 'had' to bring that up, didn't you? Asshole." He mumbled, hearing Kitsune snickering in his head.
Nel glanced over her shoulder a bit towards him. "Tim, I think you should drop it. I really don't like where this is going." She admitted with a tinge of red on her face.
The man sighed and nodded in defeat. "Alright, I'll leave him alone." He moaned.
Renji grinned before running a little closer to Rukia and leaning down close to her ear. "He's so whipped." He stated in a whisper.
Rukia had to grin as well. "Oh yeah he is. Just like I've got Ichigo whipped. You'd be surprised what a few kicks in his ass will do." She informed.
The man snickered at the thought of the midget getting the better of someone who's nearly twice her height. "Poor bastard. At least he doesn't have a zanpakutō who's only mission in life is to make him miserable, like Tim does."
"I heard that, asshole!" Timothy yelled in anger.
Rukia slowed down a bit a look at him past Renji. "What? It's true. It seems to us that all Kit ever does is torture the hell out of you." She pointed.
The man's face fell. "I can't argue that one. Evil vixen." He mumbled, earning laughs from the rest of the group and even more snickers from the spirit.
"It's okay Tim, you know she doesn't mean anything by it." Nel said reassuringly.
Timothy deadpanned to her. "I don't hear you saying that when 'you're' the one who's on the receiving end of her pranks." He returned.
Her face lit up from embarrassment before turning back straight. "Damn fox." She whined to herself.
"What's wrong, Nel? Afterall, you should know she doesn't mean anything by it." He shot back with a toothy grin.
She snapped back to him in anger. "S…Shut up!"
The bickering and insults went on and on as the group continued their trek through the desert; the small figure of Las Noches still not getting any closer in their eyes.
Chad's Apartment, 20 Minutes Later
Kisuke waited patiently at Chad's living room table for Uryū to arrive, looking up at the large teen as he set down a cup of tea in front of the shop owner. He smiled kindly at the teen as he sat down next to him.
"Why thank you, Chad." He said in a cheery voice.
"No problem." The teen answered in his low, monologue tone.
"So how have you been lately? Everything alright at school?" Urahara asked before taking a sip of his tea.
"I'm alright…And school has been aright as well." He answered very plainly.
The two sat in absolute silence, neither speaking to the other, and it was actually starting to bug Kisuke a bit. The brilliant former Captain never was one to enjoy a stale atmosphere such as the one he was currently in.
He listened to the ticking of the clock on the far wall, watching the second hand move with each 'tick'. The rhythmic sounds of the clock were actually starting to lull the shop owner into a light sleep, but he was thankfully saved by the sound of someone knocking on the apartment door.
'Oh, thank you, Uryū.' He mentally cheered.
Chad steadily stood up and walked to the door, opening it to see the Quincy teen standing outside. "Hello Uryū." He greeted.
"Chad." His friend replied before walking into the apartment.
"I'll bring you some tea." He informed and returned to the kitchen as Uryū sat down across from Kisuke.
"Afternoon, Uryū. Thank you for coming." He greeted as well.
The Quincy sighed as he pulled his glasses from his face and used a rag to wipe them off. "Let's make this quick, Kisuke. I told my father that I was going shopping for sewing supplies, and he knows I don't dawdle. He'll figure out that something is up if I take too long." He pressed.
The shop owner nodded firmly. "I agree. So, let's get started then." He said just as Chad returned and set a teacup down in front of Uryū.
"Thank you, Chad."
The large teen nodded and returned to his seat while Kisuke pulled out his fan. "I'll keep this short. As you know, the team left for Hueco Mundo an hour ago. Per the Head Captain's orders, you two and Ichigo were not permitted to accompany them. This actually works out for us, because I have something else I'd like to ask you three to take care of." He opened.
Uryū narrowed his gaze at the shop owner. "If Ichigo is a part of this task you have for us, why isn't he here?" he questioned.
"This task won't begin for a couple of days, and Ichigo already has a basic understanding of what I want to be done. It's really nothing all that special; just an important errand for the shop is all." He answered.
The Quincy breathed in agitation as he replaced his glasses. "You called us to run an errand for your shop? Are you trying to get me in trouble with my father, Kisuke?"
"We should hear him out, Uryū." Chad advised.
Uryū moaned in growing anger. "As long as he gets to the point, I don't have a problem with that."
Kisuke waved his fan at him with a grin. "Alright alright, I'll skip the fine details." He relented before snapping his fan shut. "In truth, it's not so much as the 'what' that's important…" he started, a grin growing on his face. "It's the 'where'."
Okay, looks like Tim and Nel both enjoyed their night together for the first time, although it can't quite be said they enjoyed the 'wake-up', lmao. I'm telling you, it's really hard for me to incorporate Nel's childish side a lot of times, but this seemed like a perfect time for one of those 'episodes'.
So, our team has left for Hueco Mundo, and Kisuke has provided Nel with one of his 'toys' to help prolong her 'decay', if you want to view her situation as such. As mentioned before, and as you see, there is a Hueco Mundo arc, but it will be heavily modified with a few plot twisters involved.
As such, this will be bringing up a third poll for our story. But the poll, and the subject of it, will not be advertised for another 1 or 2 chapters. I will probably keep the poll up for about a month, maybe a bit longer, depending on how much I can get written in time.
That's all I got for this time, so I hope you all enjoyed the read and look forward to next chapter. Happy Thanksgiving to all those that celebrate it, and in case you were gonna ask, I'm thankful for my readers who have enjoyed the story up to this point.
Have a great holiday season, everyone!
