Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Two days later…
Kisuke's Underground Chamber

Halibel sat on a boulder, sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed while she was deep in meditation. She was taking a break from her isolated training, giving Ichigo some time to rest from the past few days of grueling training. Halibel was doing her best to get Ichigo to master his Hollowfication and wasn't holding back at all.

Next to the boulder was her sword. She didn't bother laying it in her lap or sheathing it as if she were performing Jinzen. As she explained to Ichigo, she didn't have an Inner World like he did. Unlike the Soul Reapers, an Arrancar's zanpakuto was not a reflection of one's soul but a separate portion of her power that had been separated from her body when Aizen had removed her mask. She equated the power of her Resurección to be the equivalent of a Soul Reaper's Bankai.

But that comparison posed a serious dilemma for the Espada. A Soul Reaper's Bankai was the final stage of a Soul Reaper's training. After that, their powers would hit their peak. And if Resurección was the Arrancar's equivalent to Bankai, then did that mean that Halibel had already reached her peak?

The woman balled her fists in frustration. She was strong and knew she could get stronger. But her progress could only increase her power by small increments. Not like the leaps and bounds of progress that Ichigo had made in the few months of training he had been given.

Halibel was a proud woman but she knew her honor would remain intact if Ichigo surpassed her strength. But the thought of Ichigo fighting Aizen alone made her stomach tighten in fear. 'Or worse…' she thought to herself. 'What if Ichigo and I fight Aizen together…and I end up as dead weight?' The idea of becoming a burden to Ichigo because she wasn't strong enough, much like her pregnancy had caused her during the past few weeks, threatened to enrage Halibel.

'No. I will not be a burden to anyone. Not to Ichigo. Not to my Fraccions. Not to Asahi. I will get stronger. I MUST get stronger. But how?'

Pondering on her dilemma more, Halibel had an idea. "If Soul Reapers can achieve a second state of release…" she said out loud to nobody in particular. "Then could it be that I can achieve such a state too?" The more she thought about it, the more she wondered how she could manage such a power. "Hmm…"

Getting up off the rock, Halibel took hold of her zanpakuto and gathered her spirit energy. "Hunt: Tiberon." A large splash of water and a burst of energy later and Halibel changed into her release state. "Hmmm…" Halibel raised a gloved hand and focused her spirit energy. "Strong. I should be able to hold my own against Barragan. But what then?" She grimaced as she visualized the other Espadas in front of her. "Can I best Stark on my own? Or Yammy should his power be fully unleashed by the time the battle begins?"

She started to swing her sword around, visualizing her opponents. 'And do I stand a chance against Gin and Tosen? Ichigo said he fought Gin to a standstill back in the Soul Society before he knocked him back with his Shikai. But even I know that Gin was holding back at the time. And if Tosen is committed to Lord Aizen's cause, then there's a chance that he would allow himself to undergo Hollowfication. Besting them will be difficult.'

'And what about Lord Aizen?'

She stopped swinging and imagined Sosuke Aizen standing in front of her, smiling at her with his usual smirk and knowing eyes. She remembered when Aizen had rescued her from the hammerhead Arrancar that came close to killing her and the Tres Bestia. She never admitted it back then but Aizen's strength scared her. And it still scared her.

'I'm afraid…' Her hand shook with the smallest of trembles but her fear was apparent. She was scared of Aizen. She was afraid of what he would do to her, to Ichigo, to their child, Asahi. The thought of Asahi falling into his hands terrified her. Her trembling grew stronger. 'What do we do? I have already fallen under his spell. What if…what if we fight him and he turns me against Ichigo?' Halibel knew how powerful Kyoka Suigetsu was but she had no idea how to counter it. Looking down at her trembling hand, she grimaced and fought through her terror. "No…no!" She threw a Bala at a boulder and disintegrated it. "I will overcome him. Me and Ichigo will. No matter what I have to sacrifice, I will…"

Halibel cut herself short when she thought about what she said. "Sacrifice…" she murmured. She brought her hand to her Hollow hole, where her womb was supposed to be. "I am the Espada of Sacrifice…maybe that's the key?"

Deciding on a new path to focus on, Halibel continued to quietly train, her need to get stronger growing with the looming battle that was sure to come.

Meanwhile…
Kurosaki House

"D'awwww!" Isshin fawned as he watched his granddaughter. "She's so adorable!"

Baby Asahi was on the floor, playing with some blocks while her grandfather watched over her. Thankfully for Ichigo and Halibel, Isshin still had Yuzu's and Karin's baby clothes and toys so Asahi had a lot to play with.

Ichigo walked into the room and knelt down in front of his daughter. The little baby looked up and reached out for her father, Ichigo picking her up and letting her touch his face.

"Aww! She knows her daddy," Isshin smiled at the touching sight. True, he'd always wanted to have grandchildren but he thought that would come much later in his children's lives. Still, he wanted to appreciate the moment as it came and he knew that his duty as Ichigo's father was to help him through such a turbulent period in his life.

The little baby clung to her father. Ichigo held Asahi close as he got up and sat down in a chair, gently rocking the baby back and forth. "Hey, Dad?"

"What is it?" Isshin asked as he put the baby blocks into a small box.

"What's going to happen to Asahi when she grows up?" Ichigo looked down at the baby in his eyes and felt concern replace the joy. "I mean, look at what's happened to me. I don't want to imagine little Asahi going through struggles like mine."

The elder Kurosaki breathed a deep sigh and sat back in his chair. "I'm afraid that only time will tell what's in store for her, Ichigo. Your mother and I wanted nothing but happiness for you and your sisters and yet things spiraled into the shape of things they are now. I can't tell you what might happen to her as she grows and learns about her powers. She's half human, half Hollow after all, just like you. Even more so since her Hollow heritage comes directly from her Arrancar mother. We can only watch and hope that she has a normal life once this is all over." His brow furrowed when he saw that his words hadn't assuaged Ichigo's concerns so he decided to lighten up. "Don't worry. If she's anything like you and Halibel, she'll be strong enough to handle it. And she's got two parents and her granddaddy to look after her," he reassured.

Still cradling his daughter, Ichigo knew that Isshin was right. He smiled as Asahi clung to him in her slumber. "I know, but I can't help but worry."

"Heh, congratulations. You're now a parent," Isshin joked.

Ding-Dong!

Isshin stood up and went to go see who that was. The doorbell woke up Asahi who started crying but Ichigo managed to calm her down.

"Oh hey, Ichigo," greeted Tatsuki as she walked into the room, Isshin having let her in.

"Hey, Tatsuki, what's up?" Ichigo instinctively asked…before he saw Tatsuki staring at the baby in his arms and realized that he'd stupidly forgot to tell his classmates about his sudden fatherhood.

"I just came to see why you were out of school for the past few days. Everyone's been worried. Um…are you babysitting?" Tatsuki asked. She leaned forward and smiled at the baby girl. "Aww! She's so cute!"

For a moment, Ichigo didn't know how to break the truth to her until he realized there was absolutely no way he could sugarcoat this. "Um…Tatsuki…this is my daughter, Asahi."

Tatsuki froze as she let Ichigo's words sink in. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

Sighing, Ichigo decided it was time to let her in on some things…

Meanwhile…
Soul Society; Squad 13 Training Grounds

Two girls stood in the middle of a grassy field in the middle of their training. Orihime panted as she blocked Rukia's ice, dressed in her usual blouse. She'd come to the Soul Society to train with Rukia for the coming battle, Unohana promising to take care of her apartment with Isane. She was worried that she might butt heads with the Tres Bestia but the three had taken to staying on the mountain where Ichigo had first trained with Halibel to avoid a conflict with the captain.

Rukia sheathed her sword and smiled at her friend. "Let's take a break." Orihime nodded, returning her spirits to her hairpins. The two friends walked over to a blanket nearby that Rukia had set up and sat down on it. "Thanks for letting me come here to train with you," Orihime smiled.

Setting her zanpakuto to the side, Rukia laid down on the blanket and let the cool breeze washing over her, cooling her sweaty body. "I'm glad to have someone to train with." Rukia grinned at her friend. "It's been a long time since I had a friendly spar. We're glad Captain Ukitake was willing to open the training grounds to us."

Orihime brought her knees up to her chest as she sat next to Rukia, the wind blowing in her hair. "I'm surprised he allowed me to come here…what with Ichigo and all…"

"The captain is a reasonable man. He knows that you have as much a stake in the fight against Aizen as the rest of the Soul Society. And he also is more understanding about Ichigo than some of the others." Seeing that the topic turned to their mutual friend, Rukia decided to ask something that had been on her mind since she first questioned Ichigo about his secret mentor. "Hey, Orihime…what do you think about Halibel?"

Orihime looked up at the sky and tried to gather her thoughts. When it came to the Arrancar, her heart was conflicted. "Halibel…is a very strong woman," she simply said. "I can see why Ichigo loves her."

Sitting up, Rukia stared at her friend, sensing the conflict in her eyes. "But…don't you have feelings for Ichigo too?"

"I do. I still do. Ichigo is the most wonderful person I ever met," Orihime said with a smile on her face, still looking up at the clouds. "But…I know that he loves Halibel. She's special to him. And it's not because they had a baby together. I think when she trained him they developed a special bond."

Rukia nodded, understanding what her friend was talking about. Ichigo loved Halibel. That much was clear to anyone. But his relationship to her wasn't simply a teenager's first love. Rukia knew from her experiences from training with Kaien about developing a deep relationship with someone that went beyond words. "I understand but she still-"

"Earlier, when Ichigo introduced us to Halibel and told us about what happened between them, Halibel took me to the side to talk to me in private," Orihime interrupted, watching the clouds roll by.

"What did she say?"

Orihime closed her eyes and remembered talking to Halibel when the Espada pulled her to the side. "It's a secret," she said with a simple smile. "But I like her. She might be a Hollow but she's a remarkable woman."

"I can see that from how Ichigo feels about her," said a voice from behind them.

Turning their heads, Rukia and Orihime saw Captain Ukitake walking towards them, a sunny smile on his face. "Captain!" Rukia immediealty stood up and bowed.

"You can relax, Rukia. I'm just taking a break from the preparations," Ukitake told the girl. The two sat down on the blanket and Ukitake let the cool breeze wash over him for a moment before continuing. "I heard your conversation. It seems you two are taken with Ichigo's friend."

Orihime nodded. "Yeah. She's quite something."

Rukia looked at her captain before bringing up something that had been bugging her for a while. "Captain…I think me and Orihime need to know…what's going to happen to Ichigo when this is all over?" Orihime looked at Rukia concerned before looking nervously back at Ukitake.

Sighing, Ukitake turned his attention to the grass swaying in the breeze. "I'm not sure. Ichigo is something that the Soul Society has never experienced before. A Substitute falling in love with a Hollow is unlike anything we've ever heard of. And that they now have a child is also something that disturbs us greatly." Seeing the fear in Orihime's eyes, the white-haired man gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, you two. Ichigo has done nothing wrong. Some of the other captains may be concerned but I trust Ichigo's judgement. Once Aizen has been defeated, Shunsui, Captain Unohana, Byakuya and I will do our best to convince Master Genryusai to leave him in peace. I could tell, even without hearing his story from his own lips, that he's been through a lot."

Orihime smiled back and nodded, relieved to hear Captain Ukitake's compassion. "C'mon. Let's get back to training," she told Rukia.

"Right. Will you be alright, Captain Ukitake?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine just watching," he reassured her. The captain watched as the friends walked away until they were at a safe distance before they resumed sparring. Ukitake smiled at how happy Rukia seemed to be. His heart warmed at the sight of Rukia opening up to others.

But as his thoughts turned to Orihime and their conversation about Ichigo, his smile disappeared and he could only sigh depressingly. After all, it always pained him to lie to people.

'Forgive me, Orihime. But the Head-Captain has already decided Ichigo's fate. Nothing I say or do can save him when this is over…'

Meanwhile…
Ichigo & Halibel's Training Grounds

The tranquility of the forest mountain was shattered by the constant rumbling. Mila Rose and Apacci watched from a distance as they monitored Chad's training. From behind them approached Sung-Sun, a bag of drinks in her hand. "Here, these were all the store had," she said, handing the pop to her sisters. Standing next to them, she watched as Chad fought their pet, Ayon. And it was not going well for the Human. "Wow, I think Ayon is having a little too much fun."

The three had done a lot to get Chad to become stronger, pushing him to his limits. After beating him within an inch of his life, they saw Chad undergo a new change, his arm transforming into a shield and his left arm as well becoming a weapon. It was clear to the Tres Bestia that Chad was somewheat akin to Ichigo, a Human with the capabilities of a Hollow. However, unlike Ichigo, Chad was not a Soul Reaper so they had improvise his training to make him grow further. To that end, they severed their left arms and created Ayon, letting Chad fight their pet.

And judging by how Ayon kept flailing Chad around like a toddle flaliling its toy into the ground, Chad was not doing well.

"Think we should stop Ayon before he gets killed?" Apacci asked in between sips.

Mila Rose nodded. "I guess. Still, this is concerning. If he can't handle Ayon, then he can't handle us. Which means he'll be killed if he tries to fight the Espadas."

"I don't know, maybe we could have him fight the other Fraccions?" Apacci suggested. "Let him deal with the fodder while we and Master Halibel fight the Espadas?"

"Don't be dumb," Sung-Sun chastised. "What happens if he's fighting an Arrancar and Grimmjow or Ulquiorra show up? He'll be killed instantly."

"Hey! Who're you calling dumb!" Apacci turned to Mila Rose, who kept watching Chad get ragdolled. "Mila Rose, tell her to shut up!"

"Quiet," the tall woman hissed with a glare to her friend. "Let Yasutora handle this on his own. We can't coddle him like Master Halibel does to Ichigo."

"Oho? Already on first name basis?" Sung-Sun teased. "Oh that's right. I forgot you like to give him 'endurance tests'. Tell me, do you also have a bun in the oven?"

Mila Rose glared back at the smaller woman before turning away. "Please, I simply wanted to see why Master Halibel wanted a Human companion so much. Yasutora seemed like a suitable companion. Or are you jealous that I snagged him first?"

"Yeah right! You two gorillas deserve each other, you-"

The three's bickering ended when they were interrupted by a loud boom. Turning to the battling Chad and Ayon, the Tres Bestia stood wide-eyed as they tried to process what was happening before their eyes.

"What…what is he doing?!" the three screamed.

Meanwhile…
Las Noches; Aizen's Chamber

Aizen sat alone in his chair, listening to an Arrancar give his report. "Very well. You may go," he said, waving his hand dismissively. The despot watched the Arrancar hurry out of the room, Gin walking past him and entering the room in his stead.

"Well now, this place seems a lot less lively without Halibel and her ladies," Gin jokingly lamented as he approached his partner-in-crime. "And here I was so eager to see Halibel's baby. I hear she's given birth to a cute baby girl."

Aizen smiled, having received news of Halibel's birth not that long ago. "Yes, it seems that Halibel and Ichigo's child seems to be perfectly normal. But she was born with a human body. What she truly is remains to be seen."

"True but…you know that Barragan plans on taking his men to try to kill them again," Gin pointed out.

"I assumed as such. Barragan is too proud to wait for the appointed time to attack. It'll be the perfect test of Szayelapporo's Reishi-Enhancing experiment. We'll see how they fare against Yamamoto's vanguard. And it'll be a perfect opportunity to see the results of Ichigo's training with Halibel."

Gin leaned back against the wall. "A shame Ichigo turned down your offer though."

"On the contrary, Ichigo didn't refuse my offer." Aizen knew what buttons to push in a person had picked the choicest time to extend his offer to Ichigo. "I made my offer to him after Yamamoto threatened him to drive him further away from the safety of the Soul Reapers. He and Halibel are alone in their fight now, even more so now that their daughter is born."

"Okay but he still refused to come to Las Noches before his daughter was born. Doesn't that mean that he refused your offer?" Gin said.

Closing his eyes, Aizen smiled wickedly. "There isn't a time limit to the deal. I merely said that Halibel could give birth in peace if he did come with me."

"But he didn't accept your offer though," Gin pointed out.

"No he hasn't…not yet."

To be continued