Here it is, the long awaited chapter, and I posted it early just for you guys. Now I am sorry for the delay but all things considered I am very busy. Life sometimes call and I cannot put this story ahead of that. But still it is all good.

Also I would like to thank Xbox432 for being my beta for so long, and hope to see you continue for the far future, you have been a major help for me. Including on this chapter. I would also like to thank David Knight and Blindluck92 for their input into this specific chapter. They both really helped me sort this out.

Now to let you know this chapter will be the last for a long while, as I will be focusing on Lords of Warcraft for the time being, as that story has not been getting any attention. So I will be finishing that off up until the Council of Elrond. Then I will be back to Transcendence. Also along the way I will be doing the United chapters and the occasional Compendium ones as well.

Now be sure to check out the wiki, responses to reviews will be posted soon and also check out the updated content.

Have a good one everybody, hope you enjoy.


Transcendence

Chapter 22: The Cold Hard Truth

Vimes rushed to the gates, he ran as if he was in his prime again, he needed to be there before they arrived. Word had returned to him that Pained and her forces had returned, but not in the way he had expected. The knights along the road had found them and had reported back immediately, relaying that Pavel Reethe's renegades had been found along with the traitors.

They were the same traitors that had orchestrated the escape this morning, along with the identity of the true leader in charge of this conspiracy. This had been an afternoon he did not expect to occur, especially with word that the fog had cleared and that no signs remained of the escapees. Something he feared would be the ultimate dead end for their chance to discover anymore traitors as well as the purpose behind the conspiracy.

But now that had all changed when he received a missive from Pained that she had not only cracked the case, but also found evidence to put credible doubt on the Horde being responsible for the attack on Shady Rest. Light it was a good day.

Vimes stopped close to the gate, watching as a small procession approach in the distance, he could see Pained leading them from the front. While behind her were the Kul Tiras soldiers, as well as Theramore guardsman, bound by rope and being dragged behind her horse. While flanking these prisoners were Ichigo and Adelina with a contingent of Knights at their backs.

"Pained, you found them, where is Reethe?" Captain Vimes asked, moving up to the side of her horse.

"Dead, he was killed by the traitors," Pained replied, dismounting and moving over to the group and cutting free one of the prisoners. "And Lieutenant Jerald here is partly responsible."

Pained dragged the one armed Lieutenant forward and dropped him down to his knees, and prostrated him in front of the Captain. Vimes looked down at the severely beaten and wounded man, and immediately his eyes went towards Ichigo, whose head was lowered. Vimes could see he was in deep thought, similar to how he was when he returned from Lost Point three days ago. It would seem that another incident had occurred just like then.

"He was not the true 'lieutenant, it was Caldwell sir," Pained relayed, taking the Captain's gaze from the substitute with the shocking revelation. "He had played you all, everything that happened after our departure was his doing."

Vimes scowled at that, Caldwell was the traitor behind this entire conspiracy, and he had been responsible for letting the renegades escape? He needed to hear this out in full, but not in public, he needed to finish this somewhere secure.

"Come with me, Guardsman, put them all in cages, and I want my knights guarding them all, recall all the search parties and bring them back here," Captain Vimes said, moving off while Pained followed closely behind the Captain.

Adelina dismounted and gave her horse to the stable hand, before moving off to follow the Captain and give her testimony to the events. But she halted when she saw Ichigo, not moving towards the Barracks, instead making a beeline for the Inn.

"Ichigo?" Adelina called, but Ichigo did not halt to her call.

"Go without me, I need to cool down for a while," Ichigo replied, not turning back to address her, simply walking off towards the inn to brood by himself.

Adelina waited for a moment, weighing if she should go to the meeting or see if Ichigo needed any words of comfort. After all he had committed a similar act to when he was at Lost Point tower, but this time it was different. He had targeted one man, and others had gotten in his way. That would be difficult for Ichigo to handle, he may not have cared for the man, but the others would be a different story.

With a sigh she decided to go to the meeting, knowing that he would like to reflect on his own for a while and when he found his revelation she would help him. She just hoped that the point he came to would not be something that would cast doubt and despair on his already heavy heart.

Adelina walked into the office, closing the door behind her and found both Captain Vimes and Pained waiting for her.

"Where is Ichigo?" Pained asked, finding the Shinigami not to be present.

"He is back at the inn; he said he needed a respite," Adelina answered, but did not miss the aggravated expression on the elder Elf's face.

"What happened?" Captain Vimes asked, wanting to get this out of the way quickly so he could question those traitors immediately, he would have Pained tell Lady Jaina and Lorena when they were finished.

"We were able to locate the renegades, they were hiding on a swamp mound near Brackenwall Village, they were raiding the settlement for supplies," Pained said. "We were able to locate the camp and that is when things became complicated."

Pained recounted the tale to Vimes, mainly the important details with several snippets. She started with the location of the camp as well as the state of the people there. Moving on she spoke of how the traitors had followed them and also who had led them and their final fates. But she also made sure to point out Ichigo and his abilities, mainly those that seemed to be supernatural in nature.

Vimes remained fixed in his seat with his hands over his desk and leaning on it, his head lowered and an unseen expression on his face. He stayed like this for a while, mulling it all over in his mind several times before he gave voice to thought.

"So Caldwell is dead, and he was responsible for all this chaos and destruction," Captain Vimes asked, and received a confirmation from the Elven warrior.

"Yes, he seems to have been orchestrating the events quite easily, he likely had plans for the future after he killed Reethe, luckily we were saved," Pained replied, knowing that had Tabitha not appeared they would most certainly all be dead.

"Even so, Caldwell alive would have been preferable," Captain Vimes response, but a moment later he brushed off the comment with a wave of his hand, especially seeing Adelina make a face that showed she didn't want him chastising Ichigo again. "But the news that the attack on Shady Rest was carried out by the Grimtotem is better news, meaning that not only can we stage a reprisal but also not incur the wrath of the Horde."

The Grimtotem were as much hostile to the Horde as they were to the Alliance, so Theramore staging a hunt on them would more than likely not result in any problems. In fact the Horde more than likely would do the same for what they nearly caused, even better. They might actually solidify their peace treaty with this, odd how things can work out.

"Yes, the one named Drekhve said that they will be exchanging information with Tabitha regarding their own investigation," Pained said, before she let out a sigh. "Ichigo said he would see about exchanging some of the stolen weapons as well to help the Horde investigate and prosecute the Grimtotem."

"That boy, always doing something stupid, as much as I hate the fact he has caused a lot of problems at least they didn't cause us irreparable harm," Captain Vimes said. "But still what you said about his abilities gives me pause."

Pained and Vimes remained silent for a while, thinking over the boy. He was always an odd one, when he came here there was much Vimes suspected about him. After all Ichigo was someone who made their leader anxious and worried, specifically when she was alerted he was present in the city.

If he was a threat then he would have had the guard's arrest him, but she belayed that, whether it was out of fear or the fact it was not needed was not known. But still every so often he would do something that caught the old Captain's attention. The reports of strange things, being able to seemingly teleporting from one point to another, incredible strength and agility. Now able to use his sword to send waves of powerful force, something that could have decimated Caldwell's entire force had he directed it at them.

"Tell me Adelina, did you know about this?" Captain Vimes asked, turning to regard the elf, she had been with him from the beginning.

She defended him from all kinds of abuse; he doubted anyone short of a friend would do that, especially with how protective she was of him. Meaning they were close, that also meant that she likely knew more about him than anyone else, and likely knew what he was.

"Why does this concern you? We are no longer needed for this investigation, why do you care?" Adelina asked, but she had a very good idea on why, it was likely the same thing that Shandris felt when she saw Ichigo's powers.

"Because I have a boy in my city that has great power and a short temper, I have every reason to care," Vimes replied, looking at Adelina sternly, he let him and her off a lot, more than he should, but this time he is under the scrutiny of the Guard and the old Captain would make sure Ichigo wasn't a threat.

"What do you know of him girl?" Pained asked, moving forward and standing a good head over Adelina, using her height and stare to coerce the information from her.

"I am not at liberty to discuss this, if you want to know ask Jaina Proudmoore, she knows and she can tell you if you are so interested," Adelina replied, before turning and moving for the door, she opened it and slammed it shut with a heavy bang.

Both Pained and Captain Vimes shared a look with one another, they needed answers and sadly they needed to get it from their leader. Someone they couldn't show any sort of disrespect towards, not because she was their leader and Queen, no, but because her silence meant she had reason to keep this hidden.

"Pained, speak with Lady Jaina, tell her of what has transpired, I want to begin the questioning," Vimes said, and was met with a nod as both exited the room to go their own separate ways; both had a lot to do.


Ichigo lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling blankly, this was just like the morning he woke up. Deep in thought and trying to make sense of what had happened earlier today, it sucked then and it still sucks now. But this time it was worse because he had just gotten back from fighting and killing people in the swamps. Meaning that since the adrenaline had stopped pumping and he had a clear head to think about what he had done.

Ichigo let out a deep breath, again he lost control and it resulted in him murdering people. Why was this happening to him? Shady Rest may have been a place that struck him deep but it shouldn't have caused him to simply snap. He remembered that fight and he remembered every blow he delivered, only seven of them were meant to be lethal, and all seven were intentional. But that didn't explain why he did it, why he lost control like that.

The ones before he let his anger out were only wounded; he didn't try to kill them. But after he was shot, and when Caldwell told them about his intention and plans, and his reasoning, he simply lost it and let the rage do the rest for him. He went berserk and fought like an animal, no not like an animal, like a hollow. Ichigo could feel it, the raw emotion of simply fighting and killing like that. Mindless and bloodthirsty, it was just like when his hollow took over, but this time, the hollow wasn't the one who did it.

"What the hell am I going to do?" Ichigo thought, raising his hand and looking at it, seeing a small amount of blood still along his fingertips and under his nail. "Am I becoming someone else? Am I becoming like him?"

Ichigo reached into his belt and pulled out his badge, remembering the time he got it and what it represented. His duty to protect Kararura Town, his home and the people in it and he would never fail to uphold that oath. That was what he saw this badge as, a symbol that showed the reason for his presence and purpose to have these powers. Even if the thing was only that, a simple piece of metal made to tell him when Hollows were around and didn't really say he had the authority.

Something he found very strange.

But none the less, Ichigo knew who he is, so does him killing those people mean that he was no longer this person. That his actions against them, despite what they did, make him someone other than the protector he so vehemently proclaimed himself to be? Was coming here somehow changing who he is, did his arrival here and the differences in the world and how it works simply make him like the people here. Kill anything that tries to kill you and if they die who cares? No, that wasn't right.

Ichigo killed those people because he wanted to, the guilt and sorrow ate away at him, the tug on his heart was there, but it wasn't the world that was changing. It was him.

Maybe that time in the Nether did change him; maybe the events of Shady Rest had played a part in bringing up those bad memories of his fighting to survive in that hell. For the most part he didn't know much about his time there, he remembered running and fighting but he couldn't for the life of him remember all those horrible moments. Even when he was about to be executed by that massive demon he blocked it all out, flashes of that event came to mind.

Blood on his hands and face covered in it, he was over a woman's body and he had a sword in his hand. Ichigo closed his eyes and shook his head; he didn't want to remember it, none of it, he couldn't deal with it. What he suffered in there hurt him, and the fact he didn't want to remember it only made his mind grow more frantic. Every time he thought about it he felt the same fear, the fear of dying, and the horror of what he had endured.

Ichigo knew that his time in the Nether had caused a change in him, the fact he was repressing it was apparent, but not the effects of what he went through. But he just hoped that he didn't remember those moments, for if something he didn't remember did this to him, then what would he become if he remembered with perfect clarity. He had fought for a long time, against all kinds of enemies, each one worse than the last. He had fought for so long, and each moment Ichigo was terrified, because he knew that eventually the demons would get him and then he was dead.

He never felt such fear, even as he struggled to piece together what he remembered about the time in the Twisted Nether. It was nothing like Soul Society or Hueco Mundo, those places had a sense of stability in it, a natural order to how things operate. But not in the Nether, it played by different rules and the rules that Ichigo had didn't cut it in that place.

When he faced an enemy he fought and won, that was how it was, be it Shinigami or Arrancar he would always fight and beat the guy in front of him. But it was different in the Nether, it wasn't a battle, it was torture. He was hunted like an animal, pushed to the very brink of his own sanity and physical limits, the pain and fear so great that he simply blacked it out to save him the trauma if he survived.

It was a wonder he did survive, and he just hoped that his survival hadn't killed the old him and brought something new out.

"Ichigo?" Adelina asked, walking into the room, and finding the substitute just glancing up at her from his bed. "Do you wish to be alone?"

"No," Ichigo replied, it coming off quicker than he wanted it to be, truthfully he needed someone here to talk to.

Someone to tell him if what he was doing and had done was right. He hoped Adelina could make sense of his chaotic thoughts and actually see if he was thinking rationally right now.

Adelina moved to the bed and sat down, facing the substitute, but she didn't speak nor did Ichigo. Both sat and lay there, remaining silent as they waited patiently for the other to speak. Several minutes passed and not a word was said between the two, neither finding the right reason to speak, or in Ichigo's case, figuring out the right way to ask.

"Do you think what I did was wrong?" Ichigo asked, almost out of nowhere he asked it, having no other way to ask this question he decided to be blunt.

"I feel you made a judgment call, doing what you felt needed to be done, you didn't see it as right or wrong at the time," Adelina replied. "You didn't feel any better nor any worse, were those not your words."

He did agree with that last part, he didn't feel he did anything wrong at the time, killing Caldwell was simply a lessor of two evils. If Caldwell was alive he would have caused all kinds of chaos, behind bars and alive wouldn't be any different than him working in a secluded office. But that was then, now was different, he dwelled on it along with all those others he had killed.

Caldwell may have been justified, but the others were not, he killed them because they were in the way. Something he shouldn't have done, taking their lives wasn't right, he always held back and kept control of his emotions in a fight, at least to a level. But now he was going off the deep end and killing people simply for being in the way of his real target, and again the question arose in his mind, what was going on with him?

"But what about all the others? At Lost Point, at that camp when I was trying to take down Caldwell, did they deserve to die?" Ichigo asked, lifting himself up from the bed to sit and face Adelina, she grew up knowing that taking a life had a bigger purpose than to just do it, there had to be reasons.

"In battle it is hard to say that killing an enemy is right, it is the heat of the moment, and in the end it comes down to if you want to live or die," Adelina said.

"But I could have taken them down without killing them, I could have only wounded them," Ichigo retorted.

"It wouldn't change the fact that even if you wounded them they may still have died, in battle you need to know that every swing of the sword will lead to someone dying, intentional or not," Adelina replied. "Even if you don't see the good in killing an enemy, when it comes down to it, it depends on if you are willing to kill for what you believe in."

Ichigo went silent again, thinking over her words and their exact meaning. In truth he did believe that he would need to kill someone, Aizen came to mind immediately, especially if he needed to see everyone safe. Even he wasn't delusional that he would eventually have to kill someone, but doing it was something he found hard to do. Even now he felt the wrongness of committing the act, the feeling of killing was like he had dirtied himself and it wouldn't wash off.

"But how does it change how I feel about killing, to kill for a cause is one thing, but to snuff out someone's life is another, that can't be reasoned no matter the righteousness of the cause," Ichigo replied.

"It is what keeps you from becoming a monster," Adelina replied, making Ichigo look at her questionably. "You feel guilt for killing, something that few feel; most people don't feel anything when they kill another being."

Ichigo looked at her in confusion, not understanding what she meant, and as if sensing his confusion she elaborated.

"Most can kill because they hate the enemy, and that hatred is what allows them to fight without restraint, but other times people just don't feel anything, they simply numb themselves to it," Adelina continued. "Death is something that may be common place here, but not everyone does it out of evil or pleasure, many do it because it is necessary and they bottle those emotions away or simply get rid of them in order to carry on when the fighting stops."

"Is that what you do?" Ichigo asked, seeing her lower her head and nod.

"I actually don't feel anything when I kill, maybe because I do it to protect my people and those I care about, and other times… I simply don't feel it," Adelina said, turning away, a look of pain in her eyes despite saying she doesn't feel the ache of killing.

"How?" Ichigo inquired, actually wanting to know how she is able to do it, how she can handle this kind of action without feeling anything.

"Because if I did feel anything, maybe it is because it can't compare to another pain that I hold in my heart," Adelina replied, her voice shaking as she spoke, and then it hit Ichigo; he was treading in very sensitive waters right now.

She didn't feel the remorse because she was already feeling it for something else, Adelina was a wounded girl and the fact that killing was so easy for her was because the sense of guilt couldn't compare.

"Sorry, didn't mean to pry," Ichigo said, kicking himself for prying when he should have realized from her expression that she didn't want to speak of it.

"It's okay, you're my friend, you share your troubles with me the least I can do is express my own to help," Adelina replied, her smile forced but none the less she tried to appear composed to Ichigo.

Ichigo understood a little better what he had done and why, out of anger he found reason to do what he had to. He hadn't become numb to the deaths of others, he felt them whenever he struck a fatal blow, but in the heat of battle and filled with anger he did not offer mercy. That was his reason; he was angry, so damn angry. It was with that realization that he figured it out, it was so simple that he was looking in the wrong place the whole time. Instead of looking into his trauma, he should have searched for the reason behind his anger.

This was more than just Shady Rest; he had been feeling this for a while now. It all started in Soul Society, fighting to save his friends and seeing them get hurt and all the problems that arose from it. Getting involved in a war he didn't want to really be a part of, and his friends and family being put in danger by these very same people. He had been bottling it up for a long while, his Hollow was actually a sort of fount for his anger coming out, in fact now that he looked back on it whenever he put the mask on he always felt angry.

It was always like that, but now it was different, the mask wasn't coming into question; it was him that was getting mad. He has been angry for so long, but with how things are now he could only get angrier. He needed to get back home, to see if he still had a home and that his friends and family were still alright. Aizen may be winning, he may have won and that was causing him all kinds of grief, the insanity of it all was grinding down on his nerves and he couldn't help but feel as if he was going slowly insane at the fact he was unable to do anything.

"Thanks Adelina, I needed that, I might turn in early," Ichigo replied, sending a small sincere smile toward the Elven girl, who returned it with her own.

Adelina rose from her bed and moved for the door, deciding to give Ichigo some space, he would need it. She was certain that before he visited Lady Jaina he would need to be of clear mind.

"Good night Ichigo."


The Next Morning


Ichigo strolled towards The Citadel, the residence of Jaina Proudmoore, the morning sun bathing the eastern side of the massive tower and making it glisten like gold. But despite the beautiful and dazzling exterior, Ichigo was only interested in its occupant, and the place where he would finally see about getting sent back home. As he walked up the steps he was offered entry, no one barred his path as he moved inside.

It was easier this time around, everyone knew who he was and what he had done, and having been personally summoned this time rather than trying to enter on his own made it a lot easier.

He found a large interior and a single large winding stairwell in the centre of the building, it moved up through the roof and up several floors. Ichigo made a beeline for it, ignoring everything else, knowing he needed to meet Jaina at the very top of the building. He ascended it quickly, taking two steps with every one of his own, close behind him followed Adelina.

There was giddiness in his stomach as he moved up, Ichigo was very keen on meeting this woman, and after all he had heard Jaina was a skilled and powerful Magi. If what Adelina had told him about them was true, then they likely were the only people capable of sending him back. Also if Jaina was the most powerful, then likely that also meant she was the most skilled in her field in utilizing all that power. So she likely knew how to send him home and the method to carry it out.

Ichigo took the final step and stood upon the top floor of the Citadel, but he hesitated taking another when he caught sight of the room around him. Filled with many books and tables, he could see a few aged scrolls on the tables as well. Yet he noticed the woman he was looking for ahead of him, sitting on a stone chair in a large alcove, a large mosaic window behind her. The many streams of light bathed her form in many shades of color, and added a sense of mystery and airy beauty to the woman.

But the magi he sought was not the reason he halted in his motion, no it was the others in the room that gave him pause. Pained, Colonel Lorena, Captain Vimes, and another woman off to the side with glowing eyes and dressed in deep red and blue robes, all of whom stood in front of their leader protectively. While all four Ichigo didn't really find all that intimidating, it was the two dozen knights that were around the room he found to be detrimental to his nerves. Especially since they were armed with narrow blunderbuss, likely for better aim and accuracy, meaning that if he slipped up they would kill him.

Ichigo let out a breath; he should have expected this, some precaution at meeting the equivalent of a Queen but not under such heavy guard. Then again his past actions and his inability to hold his temper did seem to be a recurring factor these people seemed very aware of. It had likely become a sort of reputation for him, being an unstoppable and angry juggernaut that would kill you if you got him mad. Ichigo just hoped that what came from this didn't flare any tempers, his own at the moment would likely be the one that got him in trouble, or shot.

"Guess I am not in your good books am I?" Ichigo asked, looking at the assembled soldiers around the room, all holding their rifles firmly in their hand and ready to turn them on him at a moment's notice.

"It is a precaution, considering your power and what you are," Colonel Lorena said, having recently been informed of what the boy was and a little anxious to know this boy was similar to what the Trolls worship and the Elves fight beside.

But even more so that the fact this was hidden from her, steps should have been taken to keep him from roaming free. There was no telling what this thing could do if he wasn't under watch, from what Pained explained to Vimes and then to her, Ichigo was a powerful and dangerous individual.

"Listen I don't care about that, you can tie me to a chair if it makes you feel better, I just want to know one thing: can you send me home?" Ichigo asked, looking at the only person in the room that he needed to speak with.

Jaina studied the young man for a moment, looking him in the eye, trying to see what kind of character he was. Maybe see if she could solidify the facts she had been given by Shandris in her letter, as well as the details from the reports of his actions during the investigation.

"You wish to return home, quite dearly I see? Why?" Jaina inquired, keeping her voice even and calm, she didn't need to appear demeaning; she wanted to see his reaction and what he would do.

"Yes," Ichigo said, stepping forward, and in response many others did as well, their hands moving to their swords or their guns simply twisted slightly. "I have to get back, my family and friends are in trouble, my home, my entire world, I need to get back and protect it all."

"I will warn you that it is no simple task, to travel between worlds has only been accomplished once in the history of my people," Jaina responded, watching Ichigo closely for his response. "What if I cannot send you back to your world?"

"Then you know where to start, I don't care if you can't get me there entirely, get me close and send me in the right direction and I will go for it, I don't care if I have to go through the Nether again, just help me get home," Ichigo said.

Jaina was silent as she studied his features and his response, finding the frown to be of deep seriousness and his words held the conviction that they would be carried out, despite the lucidity of the statement. She was a good judge of character and from what she had heard of him as well as his desire to get home at this moment she was certain he wanted it. She could hear the fear, as he mentioned his friends and family, the poise, mentioning his return home. He didn't seem as if he was sure he was going to get home, he was certain he was.

Ichigo Kurosaki was a very interesting individual, so different than she expected him to be; even Shandris' letter did not reveal much on his character. Although she wasn't one to delve into the personality of a person, she knew how to pick out a lie. But now that Ichigo was here she could see who he was, from speaking with him now to the actions he had committed in his time here.

Lost Point, he flew into a rage after finding the mortally wounded Lynn Hyal and killed several people there, nearly killed them all. But after he was shown to be repentant of his actions, not that he hurt so many, but because he killed them. He took the deaths of others, even those he fought against, very seriously. For a man who says he is a reaper of the dead, he is not one who deals in death.

But he also values the lives of others, his need to find those responsible for Shady Rest, unwilling to visit her in his time to try and discover those responsible. Despite the fact his own world was in danger, he tried to atone for the lives of all those people. Going to great lengths to find the culprits, even involving the Horde into the investigation in order to find the ones responsible. Something even she was not convinced on was the right thing, but yet he held firm in his actions that they would bear fruit, one way or another.

She could see it now what kind of man Ichigo was, he wasn't a sword that struck down any in his path, he was a shield. Ichigo valued life above anything else; he protected people not because he could, but because he wanted to. The fact he was a reaper was not what made him who he was, but the Human heart that beat in his chest. It would seem she did not look beneath the appearance to actually see that he was just a young man who had his own calling.

With a smile she realized then that her worries now seemed to be unneeded, Ichigo was no threat to her.

"Guards you may leave, I will speak with him in private," Jaina said, surprising all around, she rose from her seat and walked forward.

"Lady Jaina…" Lorena tried to protest, and keep her away from Ichigo, but a raised hand and a small smile stopped the Colonel before she could.

"It is alright, I can take care of myself and you may wait below if I do need you," Jaina said, but saw the look of uncertainty in her guardians face. "It is alright Lorena, I will be fine, trust me."

Lorena along with everyone else shared a few glances before they accepted their Queen's command and slowly ushered themselves out. After a few minutes the entire floor was cleared, only three people were left in it. Jaina moved to a table and motioned Ichigo and Adelina over. Ichigo moved and stood beside Jaina and looked down to a book she had placed out.

"I had my doubts at first, after all you are a god of death," Jaina said, remaining mostly objectionable as she spoke with him. "I was afraid of what you would do to this city if you came here, and I do admit that I had plans to contain and even kill you should you prove to be a threat."

Ichigo was silent for a second as he digested her words, and she suspected for a moment he was angry, possibly vengeful that he was being played. But she was slightly relieved by his response.

"Yeah, I get it, the name does send the wrong message I guess," Ichigo responded.

"I am glad you understand," Jaina replied, glad he at least understood her situation, but she hoped that would stay the same when she broke the news to him. "But I will not lie to you Ichigo, what you are asking of me is not a simple task, in fact I may not be able to help you."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, leaning forward and looking her in the eye.

"Opening a dimensional gateway to your world is not something done on a whim; it takes a lot of power and preparation to accomplish," Jaina said, but noted Ichigo seemed confused.

"It can't be that hard, don't you guys have portals that can take you from one side of the planet to the other, I even think Adelina here said that there were sacred places that enter the Emerald Dream one time, so travel between different spiritual planes is possible," Ichigo asked, not fully understanding the problem.

"Creating a portal is a simple thing, as long as certain requirements are met," Jaina said, deciding on giving Ichigo a lecture on what was exactly wrong. "The first is the ability to actually summon them, creating a portal requires a person opening a breach into the Twisting Nether and then opening a second one at a different location."

"So it can be done then?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, but that is a simple portal," Jaina said, demonstrating as she opened one a few feet from her.

Ichigo watched the oval shaped tear appear, a churning ring of arcane energy keeping the tear in space open as it revealed a small cabin in the marshes. It was then that Ichigo realized that it must be Tabitha's cabin.

"When a portal it made the Twisting Nether is used as a conduit between the two points, as the Nether is boundless and encompasses the entire universe, as far as we know," Jaina continued. "This allows us to create portals easily, breaching into that realm allows us to move between two points easily without any issue."

"I get that, but how does me getting home make this method more difficult, I thought that portals can be opened almost anywhere, and from what you say a portal between worlds doesn't seem all that difficult," Ichigo asked.

"Portals between worlds are not easily set up, the Dark Portal is a prime example but it is different, the Dark Portal is a constant and open tunnel between here and the Orcish homeworld of Draenor," Jaina replied. "But we would only need something similar to this portal I just created, but there is a problem."

"What is it?"

"Mages create portals by anchoring them to specific places, a mage can open a portal almost anywhere, but he can't do it unless he anchors the other side in another place," Jaina stated. "Magical seals are placed in different places in order to open portals to certain places, without them I wouldn't be able to open a portal anywhere, in fact I wouldn't be able to open a portal to the front gate of my own city without an anchor."

Ichigo was starting to get an idea now; he couldn't get home because she had nothing to anchor the portal to. It would be like making a bridge off the side of a cliff and building it to the other side; you just wouldn't know where it would end up. A bridge needs to be built from both sides, if it wasn't, then it would likely collapse before it could finish.

"So you can't just open a portal there, is there any other way?" Ichigo asked. "Somehow anchoring to something there?"

"I don't know, most portals are made by leaving a specific rune on the surface or in a specific area. This allows for portals to be opened up at almost any time, without those it is near impossible to create a stable portal," Jaina replied. "If I tried it now, you would likely be trapped in the Nether from the portal collapsing, worse you would likely be torn apart."

"Didn't you say that someone made one of these portals before? Connected to another world?" Ichigo asked, if one man had done the same couldn't it be done as well, at least on a different scale. "After all he was one man."

"He created the spell and orchestrated it yes, but the spell to create the connection was carried out by two people, one on either world who worked in conjunction with one another. One of whom was vastly more powerful than I, and had access to knowledge that I do not," Jaina replied, finding it hard to knock down Ichigo's suggestions, as she could see the welling fear in his eyes grow every second. "Unless you have someone on the other end I cannot open a stable portal, and even then finding your world would be nearly impossible without something to guide me to it."

"What about the Nether, if you can send me there and tell me how to get back to my world, then maybe I can do it like that," Ichigo asked, pulling at any string he could find.

"That would be suicide, escape from the Nether is nearly impossible, it was designed like that, entering may be easy but getting out is the hard part. That is why the demons simply do not rampage freely, they can't," Jaina replied, not liking how desperate Ichigo was becoming.

"But, can it be done? Is there a chance I can get back? Anything?" Ichigo asked, scared that this entire trip may have been forfeited.

"There are millions of worlds out there Ichigo, teeming with life and spanning all creation, finding your world among them would be a difficult task," Jaina said, not wanting to give the boy any false hope, especially since she knew that it was a long shot in on itself.

"But can't you like… scan for it or something?" Ichigo asked.

"If I had an object bound to the realm you come from it is possible, but even then I would still need to search for it," Jaina said. "Please understand Ichigo, this is not something easily done, bridging portals between worlds is not easy. It took the one who made the Dark Portal years to accomplish his goal, this may be the same."

Ichigo was motionless for a few moments, the sinking feeling working its way into his stomach and mind that he may be trapped here for years. Away from his home, his friends and his family, away from the world he had to protect.

The thought alone was driving him insane, the horrible nightmares he had most nights coming to the forefront of his mind. His friends and family all dead and Aizen standing over them like some glorified monster, the smile on his face. It was practically saying to Ichigo that it was all his fault, only adding to the insanity that was threatening to take the substitute completely.

Looking down to his belt he picked up his Substitute Shinigami badge, as he turned it over in his hand and looked at it. He didn't know if it could help him, it did little for him back in the world of the living other than finding Hollows. Maybe it could help him get home, maybe there was something in it that could help him return back home.

Placing it on the desk and sliding it over to Jaina, who eyed the small dull brown and black metal badge with interest.

"This badge was given to me by the other Death Gods, maybe it can help you find me a way back," Ichigo said, almost without a single emotion in his tone, as if he had finally admitted defeat.

With that said he turned around and walked to the steps, his posture slack and his steps heavy as well as slow. Jaina watched him leave, and when he was out of sight she let out a tired sigh, she did not like doing this to him. She could see that he was under a lot of duress from what she had observed; he was desperate to get home.

Something she understood quite well, her own home of Kul Tiras came to mind, she had not returned there since her departure from Lordaeron four years ago. The thought of returning there was something she often thought about, but with how things were still settling here, she could only focus on her own home. Besides, that place had sealed itself off, becoming an isolated state similar to Gilneas, meaning that she would never be able to return.

The thought was painful, to no longer be able to see her home anymore, but it did not compare to Ichigo's pain. This was not his world, and its fate was not something he was certain on, it may exist or it may not. The thought alone would drive anyone insane, and with his character, she likely figured he would fall to it quicker.

"Is there anything you can do?" Adelina asked, looking hopeful that maybe Lady Jaina could do something to speed up the process.

"No, I have read the report that Shandris had given me, I know his desire to return home is great, but I cannot work miracles and simply travel between worlds with ease," Jaina said, feeling sorry for the young man whose world was on the brink of destruction and he was forced to suffer here because of it.

"But, can you actually do it?" Adelina asked.

"I… truly do not know," Jaina replied.


Theramore Docks


Ichigo sat on the edge of the docks and looked over the sea; the early morning fog was clearing and giving him a good sight of the open blue sea. But even the brilliant expanse of blue did little to ease his despair.

He was trapped on this world, stuck on another planet while his own was being destroyed. How was he meant to stay here when everyone was dying, his friends were still in Heuco Mundo when he left and Orihime and Nel were close to that Espada. Nel could be hurt, she could be dead, and that was something that hurt to think about.

He needed to get back; he needed to find a way to get back quicker. If he had to go through that world of horror again he would. As long as there was a minuscule chance he could get back he would take it.


There you have it, the final chapter to the Shady Rest Arc, hope you liked it. It was a real blast doing this arc over again and improving on it. Really liked how I did it this time, may not seem like a major change, but still I turned it from a rocking chair to a Lazyboy chair. That is something I wanted to do, and now I will be off.

Also remember to check out the poll, it will be closing on Sunday so be sure to vote if you haven.