A Queen is never late. Everyone else is simply early.


Part I

"Got it!" Orihime sprung up abruptly, Rukia finding herself jerked out of a nap she hadn't realized she'd been taking.

"And it only took you five hours," Grimmjow grumbled, "but hey, it's not like we have a whole castle of Hollows looking for us or anything."

"You know if you're going to complain…" she bit back. "…I just invented a new containment spell, on the spot! I guess it's too much to ask for someone like you to appreciate that, though."

"Uh…" Rukia sounded. Was now really the time?

"Yeah, yeah, tell it to someone who cares, sugar tits."

"Hey…" Rukia grumbled. They still didn't notice.

"Call me that one more time!"

His grin was all teeth. "Sugar tits! Sugar tits! Sugar tits!"

"Guys!" Rukia yelled. With this both their eyes snapped over, Grimmjow looking quite smug. Rukia let out a sigh. "Are we ready to go, then?"

The medic perked up at this, holding out her creation proudly. "Power absorption, concealment of Reiatsu signatures, with this thing we should make a clean getaway. Why I'd be as famous as Captain Unohana… if I could make one bigger than ten centimeters."

Rukia leaned in, trying to get a closer look at the Hogyoku's new container. There was a barely glowing sphere containing a smaller pitch-black sphere hovering slightly above her hand. "Amazing," the human muttered, "and I can't even get my shields right."

Orihime tucked it away in her pack, tying it expertly over her shoulders. "Don't be so hard on yourself. If you keep practicing, I'm sure you'll be just as good in about a hundred years."

It took Rukia a moment to realize just how earnest Orihime was being.

"So…" Grimmjow said, obviously bored, "what comes next?"

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that," Orihime said sheepishly. "Now, I know we said we'd try and find our other friends first–"

"You said that, but sure."

She glared at him again. "But with our new cargo, I was thinking it'd be better if we brought it somewhere safe. I hate to ask this but, Jaegerjaquez, do you think you could open up a door to the Soul Society?"

Grimmjow barked out a laugh. "Oh, there is no way I'm going to the Soul Society with you."

"That's not what I asked! We just need a door. You can close it the second we get through, and we never have to see each other again."

"I don't know…" Rukia frowned. "Leaving our friends here, even for just a bit, feels wrong somehow."

"I know," Orihime admitted, "but you have to understand. My mission, our mission, was to rescue you, and there's no way I'm dragging you all over Las Noches with this kind of target on our back."

"As much as I hate to admit it, the girl's got a point," Grimmjow scoffed. "Aizen wants that thing bad. As far as I'm concerned, this is our only chance to really screw him over in the long run. We're risking everything by just walking around with it."

"Not my point," Orihime grumbled, "but yes."

"…If you're both sure," Rukia muttered. "Okay."

Both girls looked expectantly at the Hollow, who drew back with a scowl. "Fine, but first we need to get out of these walls. I'm not porting anywhere that bastard can track me."

With that he placed his hand on the doorknob, and for a moment they all held their breath, hesitating. The second those doors were open their protection was gone.

"Main door's the fastest way out. Stick with me, and we'll be fine."

He shoved open the door, and the three ran down the hall on quiet feet. They bounded up the stairwell, Grimmjow snapping to an exit halfway up their original descent.

"Clear so far," he grumbled.

"He can really track us if we leave from here?" Rukia asked worriedly.

"It's the same in the Soul Society," Orihime said with a shrug, "and, well, I don't want to imagine what would happen if Aizen followed us there…"

"Death, torment, horrific experiments," Grimmjow listed. "He'll probably turn us into shoes or some shit…"

"And you?" Rukia asked. "What happens to you if you come with us? How sure are we that they aren't going to just cut first and ask questions later the second they spot an Arrancar?"

"You couldn't pay me to follow you into the Soul Society," he scoffed. "I'll stay right there in the desert where I know it's safe. It's a free for all out there. He's got no control over it, and I haven't seen him step foot in it for over fifty years." Then, he smirked. "Besides, if I don't survive how am I gonna kick your ass in our next rematch?"

"A-Another one?!" Rukia yelped. "You literally just beat me in front of an entire arena!"

"Yeah, at that bastard's whim, and I had to turn right around and save your ass later; so, no, it doesn't count." He flashed her a wide grin. He was just messing with her by now, wasn't he?

"Fine," she bit out, "just don't get mad when I really do kick your butt this time."

He barked out a laugh, and she just stopped herself from sticking her tongue out at him. He was having way too much fun with this. It struck her, though that she'd never seen a Hollow act like this before. They seemed so obsessed with hierarchy, she'd never seen one just banter like equals. It was either cowing quietly in fear, or making others do the same to you. It seemed like a sad way to live.

(It struck her a second too late that she was one of the equals in this scenario. She nearly stumbled with the realization.)

"Grimmjow," she said suddenly. He grunted in response. "Don't die."

He scoffed. "Wasn't planning on it."

Finally, they reached the entrance hall, pillars surrounding them on all sides. The heavy marble door had but a sliver of sunlight coming through, the artificial lamps all off. They didn't break speed, not until a shadow moved over it, looming. A large familiar Hollow grinned down at them.

"Really, Yammy?" Grimmjow nearly chuckled. "This'll be easy."

"Jaegerjaquez," a voice cut across the room. Grimmjow's attitude soured in an instant. "Tell me you weren't foolish enough to take it."

He turned to Cifer, cloaked in posturing and bravado. Rukia could see the sweat starting to bead at his neck. "Me? I have no clue what you're talking about, but hey, if you're not here for us…"

"No…" Cifer snapped, "you wouldn't even know what to do with it." His cold eyes settled on Orihime. "It's the Shinigami. Get her."

Yammy cracked his large knuckles. "Gladly."

Rukia moved in an instant, deflecting Yammy's punch with her blade. She frowned when it didn't so much as scratch him but was hardly surprised. If anything, she was more concerned with whether she buckled under all this force or not. She barely noticed Grimmjow's clash with Cifer.

"I've been waiting a long time," Grimmjow roared, "to wipe that smug-ass look off your face, you know that?"

"Step aside, Jaegerjaquez, if you know what's good for you."

Yammy stumbled back suddenly, a spell burning at his chest, and Rukia nearly sighed in relief. She darted back to Orihime going shoulder to shoulder with her.

"Yeah, like you won't axe me the second you tear through those two," Grimmjow sneered.

"If we get this one out of the way," Orihime panted, "do you think we could all make a run for it?"

"It'd be a step in the right direction," Rukia agreed, "but that Cifer guy, he's trouble."

"One at a time then, huh?" Rukia nodded in response before lunging.

Yammy's fist came down on her hard, blocked at the last moment by Orihime's shield. Rukia felt a pang of satisfaction as she scored a freezing cut up his forearm, frost spreading quickly. He didn't like that.

With an earth-shattering bellow he lashed out, swinging wildly at her. Powerful, but slow, she thought to herself. It was no issue vaulting over it, she just about gasped when she realized she walked right into the path of a Cero.

All six of Orihime's butterflies came to her aid, here, but even so the blast was intense, the heat even singeing the hair right off her arms. She found herself somewhat dazed when it finally lit up, only to notice his murderous gaze was now fixed on her partner.

His reach was truly incredible, him barely having to walk forward to smash his fists down at the Shinigami like he was playing a macabre game of wack-a-mole. Rubble flew, and Orihime dodged. His back was turned.

"Next Dance, White Ripple!" He jerked to the side a second too late, the attack still nailing him in his already injured side. Just as he started turning another spell nailed him in the jaw.

Rukia saw the very moment his rage spilled over into something much more terrifying. She wondered if they had made a mistake.

His yells were wordless as he smashed through the room with Ceros that charged far too quickly, decimating the wall and pillars. His aim was terrible, but he covered so much ground it was all the two girls could do to not get caught up in the destruction. She retreated under Orihime's shield, just big enough for the both of them.

"He's insane!" Rukia yelled over the noise. "He's going to take down the entire palace!"

For a moment Orihime tensed, absorbing the blow from another Cero. "I– Wait…" her eye caught something in the distance, an opening in the wall big enough for even Yammy. "We're pretty high up, aren't we?"

"…We are," Rukia panted out. Their eyes connected, and the second the Cero's stopped, they separated.

Her speed, bless Mashiro, was all that was keeping her alive as she dashed towards the giant raging monster, tip of her sword dragging on the ground as she made an icy path around him. The second she was clear, Orihime released a spell. Rukia didn't even hear the words. She just saw the big guy get pushed back, his foot slipping, and him tumbling straight through the hole.

A shocked yell came from him as he grabbed the ragged edge of the wall, only for his fingers to snap clean off. He fell with a shout.

"One down?" Rukia offered.

"One– down!" Orihime shoved Rukia to the ground, landing right beside her just as Grimmjow was thrown out of that same hole, smoking. They turned to see Cifer, standing in the middle of all that destruction looking no different than he had before. For a brief shameful moment Rukia panicked.

"You need to go," she said in a hushed voice, "take Grimmjow and leave."

"No, I'm not abandoning you," Orihime snapped.

Rukia's panic spiked once more. She couldn't beat Grimmjow. Grimmjow couldn't beat this guy. The math was quite simple. She didn't want Orihime anywhere near him.

"H-Hey, Aizen wanted me alive, remember?" Her gut churned with the lie. "Just go. I can hold him off for a bit."

"…Okay, if you're so sure," Orihime settled on, "I'll find him and then we'll both come back to help you."

"That's…!" It was too late. Orihime had dashed to the exit. Cifer moved to follow, but in a flash Rukia was in front of him, sword pointed right at his chest.

"You'll have to get through me first."

"Evidently." He moved his hands to his side casually, sword untouched.

Despite the icy weight in her hands, she found herself sweating. "You know, I've noticed a few things about you, the way others treat you. If I didn't know better, I'd say Grimmjow was scared of you. Add that with how Aizen puts you on a pedestal, I'd say you're a pretty high number. Maybe even… One?

"So, I figure, taking you down would be doing everyone a huge favor. It might even prove how worthless Aizen's ranking system is in the first place."

His eyes flickered towards her in possibly the first show of emotion he'd given since she'd met him. It was disappointment.

"Is that what you think?"

"…Excuse me?" she asked.

"You said I must have a high rank. Is that what you believe?" He brought a hand up to his jacket's closure. She didn't like where this was going.

"…I…"

He opened his jacket.

4

"…No," she said lowly, "there's no way…" The same bastard that took her, that nearly killed her friends, that had Grimmjow of all people react like that. This was his number?

"There are three more of higher rank then me, three that I would hesitate to cross paths with. Do you finally understand how fruitless this whole endeavor has been?"

"…I…"

"You're shaking." He was suddenly much closer than she remembered. "Step aside. You're not the one I was sent to kill."

Her grip shook. "…No."

He froze for a moment. It took Rukia another to realize what she had said.

"No! I'm not going to step aside! I don't care how pointless you think it is!"

His hand withdrew, a sigh released. "It makes no difference to me."

Suddenly, Rukia found herself thrown through the open doorway, tumbling down the numerous steps. Her sword fell from her hand becoming a useless block of ice that shattered at the first impact. She rolled all the way to the bottom barely having enough time to process the pain.

A shadow fell over her and she dodged like her life depended on it, rolling away from a powered strike that turned sand to glass.

Number four, her mind was screaming at her. He was only number four.

When he struck again, he met her rematerialized blade. She pushed him away and darted back a step, just out of reach.

She had to keep his attention. If she strayed too far who knew what he might do, but she also had to not die. Bankai would have to be the answer here, but if she didn't want it to fall flat on its face like so many other times she'd attempted it, she'd need to think this one through before activating.

It was hard to think when dodging Ceros. She hissed as one grazed her side, and then yelped as she was grabbed by the collar and thrown into a stone pillar.

For a moment she fell, gasping, sand getting into her nose, her eyes. She squinted past it to see the cracks she left, gaze wandering up. That thing went high, didn't it? With a gasp she realized it was just crazy enough to work.

She sprung upwards, narrowly avoiding another attack right before baiting another. With a mix of satisfaction and dread stewing in her she watched as Cifer chased. What a liar he was. He really did want to kill her.

It was a long way up, a goal higher than she thought she could reach (thank you again, Mashiro), but eventually her foot landed solidly on the flat top. She wasted no time.

"Bankai!"

Cifer landed on a frozen pillar, his feet stuck fast.

"So, this was your plan," he said absently. The frost crept up.

"Yeah," she panted, "it was, and you're not leaving my sight until you're nothing but a statue."

He turned his face to the darkening sky, closing his eyes. "I've wasted too much time here already." He let out a shallow breath and placed his hand on his sword. "Enclose, Murciélago."

Rukia barely had enough time to draw back against the heat only to find herself disoriented by the sudden darkness. She thought too late that erecting an ice shield might be a good idea right about now. It was over as quickly as it started.

His new form wasn't so different, really. His horns had grown some, his coat had lengthened. What really worried her were the large bat wings looming behind him like shadows. She wondered what he could do with those; though, she knew it would only be a matter of time before she found out.

"I didn't think it would come to this." Just by his tone, she could tell he really didn't care, though. "You'd been so compliant until now." He brought up a clawed hand, a Reiryoku spear quickly forming. "It's time to end this."

Now, she acted quickly. She dodged back, pulling her mask over her face.

He moved, proving in an instant that those wings weren't just decoration. He swooped towards her, repelled by a wave of cold, only to circle back around. He struck quickly, locking with her sword, and then struck again, tearing past her every defense and slicing through a corner of her mask. He nearly took her eye along with it.

With a shout she sent out another wave of frost, icicles spiking towards him. She wasn't even sure what he did then, but suddenly she found herself being launched back and off her feet. For a moment, she tumbled, and the second her arm touched the ground she froze it, stopping herself from being thrown off the side.

It hurt.

It also kept his attention. It also kept her from having to test whether she was agile enough to make it back on the platform by herself. It also kept her from having to see if her sinking suspicion was right, that she'd shatter the second she hit the ground.

She peeled her arm off, holding back a cry of pain. The skin unprotected by her kimono sleeve did not come with her.

"You should have stayed compliant," Cifer said, hovering, "stayed in your place."

"If I stayed in my place, I wouldn't be here right now," her voice came out garbled, distorted through the mask.

She pushed towards him, shoving against his spear with all her might. With a cry of victory, she sliced through it and his wings.

"I beat the Captain Commander. Do you really think I'm scared of someone like you?"

Then, the shadows grew, and like ink spreading on wet paper the wings were restored as if nothing had even happened. Her face fell. She grew unsure.

"You understood then."

She jerked away. He was far too close far too fast. She kept her sword between them.

"You fell into fear, came with me. What changed?"

She froze. "I…" Was that what she'd done? She shook her head, strengthening her guard, moving away slowly. "Nothing did. I was protecting my friends then, and I am now."

He came closer regardless. "You feel fear, now. I can see it in your eyes."

For a moment she shivered. "So…" She tried again, stronger, "So, what if I'm afraid. I'm not running, not like…" She trailed off, staring at him. Something was clicking in her mind.

He struck suddenly, claws tearing across her jaw as he ripped off the rest of her mask. Before she could even fall, he was lifting her up to eye level by the front of her kimono.

She spat blood in his face.

"You hate him, don't you?" she growled. "All the Hollow do, but you, I bet you hate him even more than Grimmjow. So why won't you do anything about it, huh? Maybe…"

His grip tightened. She continued despite this.

"Maybe you're just afraid." She sliced upward, carving through his arm, catching herself at the last minute. Try and heal that one. The flash of disappointment on his face from before was barely a flicker in comparison to the flood of feelings she saw him experience now. She realized she made a mistake when he settled every ounce of those emotions on her with a single look right before smoothing his face into perfect apathy.

"Orikasa… I see now the trickery you used to recruit Jaegerjaquez. On another day I may report such a thing to Lord Aizen if only so he could gain some fleeting amusement from it. Today, however…"

She rushed him again, stopped at the last moment by a Cero at his fingertips aimed right between her eyes.

"Fear is a terrible motivator. So, instead I will show you the true face of despair."

Her vision suddenly went black and were it not for the roaring in her ears she may have thought she were dead. The Reiatsu around her was the first she'd felt in a while that she could truly call suppressing. She thought she had been long desensitized to the stomach-churning teeth chattering presence of a Hollow. He proved her wrong, and she wasn't happy about it.

When her vision cleared, he was gone. Then she felt claws tapping against the back of her neck. A lashing tail curled around her. His clawed feet were barely visible from the corner of her eye. She gulped.

He whispered, his hand trailing down her spine, "I never understood why Lord Aizen wanted you, an insignificant human. If it didn't mean Jaegerjaquez's number, I may have been glad that he ordered you dead, and having you here, now, I feel nothing."

She heard a loud crunch, felt an intense pressure, but she never felt the expected pain, not even when she saw his hand come out of her chest before going back the way it came. The sound of her gasping before she hit the ground was completely foreign to her. She felt something wet on her cheek and with a start she wondered if it was melted ice or blood. She realized that the ice worried her more.

The pain still didn't hit when she tried to suck in a gasping breath only to fail. When she tried to move, only to find that she couldn't even feel her toes, it didn't hit either.

She just started sinking and couldn't make herself stop.

Part II

Isshin Shiba didn't like to brag.

Yes, boasting about his kids was a preferred pastime of his, and just about everyone in the entire Seireitei got to hear about it from him when Toshiro made Captain, but bragging about himself? He couldn't even make it through an acceptance speech without three pep-talks from Kisuke and a stiff glass of Sake.

Kisuke was always saying that he's too hard on himself, that he shouldn't constantly compare himself to the likes of Captain Ukitake or Unohana and their long-storied careers. He had earned every successful mission, every day on the job well done, every bit of experience.

Well, he at least had enough experience to know something was off about this place, he just wasn't sure what. Kisuke seemed to, at least. He'd warned Isshin about it before they'd even left the Soul Society.

"We may not have much time once we get there," he'd said with a wry smile.

"How much is 'not much?'"

"That depends…" Kisuke hummed.

"…On?"

"Our favorite little traitor." He flipped through a binder of decoded notes, barely glancing at them. "I've been hesitant to tell the others, but… Aizen's files are incomplete," he grumbled, "not that we didn't assume that going in. The question of the century is, how much is missing? How far along was he, really, on making that key?"

Isshin brought a hand to his temple. He could feel a headache coming on. "In plain Japanese, Kisuke. Are we doomed or not?"

"That's just it, I don't know." He grinned. "But I've got a way to find out. The Captain Commander's agreed to setting a little trap for him. It he falls for it then we know there's hope."

That was one big if.

"Either way, Las Noches probably won't be as lively as usual when we get there. Knowing him, though, there'll be more to it. We'll need to keep our guards up."

It was with no small amount of dread that Isshin realized the place was all but abandoned. Did this mean that they were too late? What would they even do if Aizen got his way?

(Isshin vividly remembered the day that the meek Officer Sosuke became Captain Aizen. He was fresh faced, but levelheaded, a prodigy in his own right. Isshin called him "kid" until… well, until the day he betrayed everyone.)

His thoughts had been harshly derailed when he came across his own kid holed up in a medical supply closet, the girl he thought of as his own daughter crouched over him protectively, sword drawn and teeth bared.

"It's really not that bad," Ichigo said, only just now able to sit on his own power.

"You were stabbed three times," Tatsuki deadpanned.

"Only one of them hit anything vital," he grumbled, "and I'm all patched up now… mostly."

Isshin patted his knee with a crooked grin. "That's the soldier pills talking, kid. You go out there so soon and you won't feel the same."

"And I will," he said pointedly. "We have a handful of Captains, maybe three Lieutenants in Hueco Mundo. Now is not the time for any of us to be laying about."

Tatsuki gave him a look like she was ready to chew him out from here to the Human World, but she instead just sighed. "It'd be nice to know how many of those bastards are left, at least."

"Minus one, now." Isshin didn't have to turn to realize it was Kenpachi skulking by, sword slung over his shoulder, Haori ripped to shreds and covered in blood. He looked happier than Isshin had ever seen him.

"No kidding," Isshin said. "How'd you run into one? Were one of the youngsters there?"

"Nope, just some weirdo, Zommari Rureaux, Séptima Espada, whatever the fuck any of that means. Aside from him–" He scoffed. "I'm glad I didn't bother bringing Madarame. He would have been bored out of his fucking mind."

"That matches all the other accounts," Isshin muttered. "Then they really have mobilized, huh?"

"Wait," Ichigo choked, "they've what now? When were you going to tell us this, old man?!" He looked incredulously at Tatsuki only to draw back when she raised an eyebrow at him. "What, you knew?"

"No… I mean not exactly," she protested. "I'm not surprised, is all." She tapped her temple impatiently. "Think about it for a second. All of us in the literal land of Hollows and we've collectively run into maybe five, all at specific entry points. That doesn't sound like the fortress we had prepped for. That sounds like they were buying time."

Ichigo opened his mouth, closed it, and leaned back, a deep scowl on his face. "Shit, then… Those Espada that we ran into, were they just cannon fodder?"

Tatsuki frowned. "Maybe."

"I'm not so sure about that," Isshin said. He casted a sideways glance at all the accounted for kids.

Sado was sitting with Ishida, grasping his hand tightly as a healer worked with them. They were whispering something to each other, and Isshin couldn't help but wonder when they got so close. The younger Officer insisted they wouldn't have survived if Kisuke hadn't come along.

Abarai was talking animatedly with Unohana, the little Hollow sitting in his lap. He knew personally how close of a call it was for them. He reminded himself to check on them as soon as he could.

"Of course, son, if you told us a bit more about your own fight…" he offered. Ichigo visibly clammed up.

"No, you have a point," he said tersely. "It just doesn't sit well with me, Aizen gutting the entire place right before we get here."

"I don't think it sits well with anyone," Isshin agreed. None of it did, not the thought of where all those Hollows might have gone, or that whoever was left over had them getting away by the skin of their teeth. It had him wondering what lied ahead.

He looked back to the little hollow, Nel, and for a second he hoped.

"I'll be right back." He patted his son once more, this time on the head. "I just have to check in on our dear guest."

With a scowl Ichigo shook out his hair the same way he had since he was a kid. Isshin smiled before getting up and heading towards the senior Captain. He quickly caught up on their conversation.

"…No disrespect," Abarai growled, "but what part of 'saved my life' don't you get? You're a healer, isn't this your job?"

"I am," she said patiently, "and if I believed her to be in danger I wouldn't hesitate, but consider for a moment what you're asking of me, right now, restoring power to one of our enemies at a time like this."

"She's not–!" He cut himself off, noticing Isshin's presence. "Captain Shiba, you understand, right?"

"I do," he said, going down on one knee, "but let me ask a couple of questions, first."

Abarai was apprehensive, but he nodded. "Uh… sure," he said slowly.

"When she was herself, when she helped you, did she remember everything?"

"Yeah, she remembered that freak we fought, she even remembered me, if that's what you're getting at." He narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

He smiled disarmingly at him, then at the little girl. "Nel," he asked quickly, "do you understand what we're talking about?"

Immediately she shook her head before pausing, a finger to her lip. "Nel knows that she took a big hit to the noggin, and some things are… fuzzy. These two are fighting over it." Then she shook herself, standing up. "Nel just wants to help Renji! She swears it!"

He smiled at Unohana. She sent him a withering glare. "That's good to hear," he said, "because here's the thing, the place Renji lives is in trouble right now, and we think you're the only one that can help us."

"Wait," Abarai interrupted, "did you just… Is something happening in Karakura Town? My mom is still there!"

Isshin realized just a moment too late that he shouldn't have said that. Even Ishida seemed to have heard him, head snapping in their direction immediately. "Your mom is safe," he led with. "Nothing will happen to her or Karakura Town if we have anything to say about it."

"Then that settles it!" Nel crossed her arms. "Nel's helping you guys, no two ways about it. It's not like Nel was doing anything before, anyway."

He talked over Abarai's visible distress. "That means going against other Hollows, going against Aizen. Are you okay with this?"

"It's not like the big meanie's ever done anything for Nel. Whenever Nel's bros try and get close to the castle, he sends the Sand Guardian to kill us, even if we're just playing hide and seek! How stupid is that?!"

Isshin turned to Unohana who was still glaring. "I think that speaks for itself," he said.

"I think," she answered evenly, "that I'm telling the Captain Commander that this was your idea."

"Fair." He got up, only to be blocked by Abarai.

"When were you going to tell us that Aizen was after Karakura?" he asked. "…You were going to tell us, right?"

"I didn't even know until after you left," he defended, "and the one person that did is the reason your mom's out of harm's way."

The kid relaxed visibly at that, fists unclenching before he brought up a hand to push back stray hairs from his ponytail.

"And what exactly is he after?" Ishida being upright was a surprise, though he was leaning so heavily on Sado he was practically being carried.

Isshin sighed, and before he managed to answer a loud crack sounded behind them, the castle wall being blown out, dust and debris flying. A large figure fell.

"Wait, is that…?" Renji asked, eyes wide.

"Trouble does follow that Substitute friend of yours, doesn't it?" he asked wryly.

"Then we have to go!" Ichigo yelled, fully in "Lieutenant Mode". He was quickly shrugging on his Kimono.

"Yeah, we have to go," Tatsuki corrected. "You're staying here."

"I just had my stomach ripped out and even I know you look bad," Ishida grumbled. Sado whispered something that sounded suspiciously like, "You're not going, either."

Unohana cleared her throat, eyes still on Nel. "In fact, neither of you are supposed to even be standing. Now would you both please be dears and go back to your cots. Sado if you could help that would be wonderful."

"But–!" Ichigo yelped.

She turned to him, smile on her face. He shut up pretty quick.

"Doc's orders," Isshin said with a shrug. She seemed to take exception to this, judging by her look. Isshin was possibly one of two people in their realm capable of withstanding it, even having heard her old war stories.

He spared a glance at Abarai, who was just about vibrating in place, and Tastuki, arms crossed but fingers twitching.

"That's the main building if I'm not mistaken. We still don't have confirmation if Aizen's left it or not. We're not sure what kind of fight we'll be in for."

"Sounds fun," Kenpachi grinned. "Lead the way Cap'n."

Part III

Yammy tore through Hollows like paper dolls, and for a moment, her back pressed against the palace's outer wall, Orihime felt a spike of fear.

She pushed it down forcefully, staying out of the giant Hollow's sight. She was here for their troublesome ally only, then it was right back to her friend.

Grimmjow wasn't far, hidden in the shadow of the castle as he shook out his sand scratched limbs. He spat out a glob of blood before catching Orihime's eyes with a glare. He casted a look at the flying sand still visible from their position and scoffed like he'd just caught a toddler in the middle of a tantrum. Still, she could see in his eyes that he was nervous.

"How the fuck did you guys get him that angry?" he whispered. He leaned back against the wall wincing for a moment. She could see burns peeking through torn cloth.

"Let me take a look at you," Orihime said automatically.

He scoffed. "I'm fine. I've had worse." He glanced around the wall. "Where the hell's the half-pint?"

"Still fighting. We're going to her, now."

For a moment he stared. Then he barked out a laugh. "There's no use. She's a goner."

Orihime froze. "That…" Her fists shook.

Rukia told me she'd be alright. I want to believe in her.

"She's stronger than you think," she settled on. "Now come on. I'm not leaving without her." Turning her head up to the sky she reached out her senses. Not far from here she could feel a rising pocket of Reiatsu. She'd bet anything that was Rukia. She ran and was somewhat surprised when Grimmjow followed.

"You're making a mistake," he hissed. "You have the Hogyoku. The one guy who wants to kill us is distracted. We should run!"

"That's not how we do things," she snapped. "I don't care how afraid of this Espada you are. Shinigami don't leave friends behind."

"You've got the one thing Aizen would literally kill over in that stupid little backpack of yours, and you're ready to just throw it away for some random human?!"

They were getting closer. A green light flashed overhead at the top of a pillar, definitely not Rukia's. That wasn't good. She picked up the pace.

"Why do you care?" she yelled over her shoulder.

"The one time I think Shinigami and Hollows see eye to eye, and this happens!" He groaned. "This is Aizen we're talking about! Don't you want that bastard to pay?!"

She turned, back to the base of the structure. "No, I don't! I'm not here for revenge, or to make him pay, or whatever! I'm here to help people! It's what I do, and according to you, according to what you just fucking said, my friend needs help. Now, I don't know what you did to trick her into thinking you were her friend, but it stops now. Stay out of my way."

A huge wave of Reiatsu crashed over them, Orihime stumbling from the force. Grimmjow paled. "That can't be good."

Orihime went the fast way, making a platform beneath her feet and lifting herself up in what must have been a record for her. Her heart was pounding the whole way up. It felt like it took way too long.

She stumbled onto the platform, sliding on the ice. She looked just in time to see Rukia fall, a hole in her chest.

"NO!"

Her shield ran ahead of her, enveloping the human girl's still form. She slid to her side, forcing back tears.

"And in the end, you come to me," Cifer said. "How foolish. Though, I must say I did not expect you to come with her, Jaegerjaquez."

Orihime didn't, either. Her eyes snapped to him, his hunched form and his grit teeth. She didn't linger on it.

"I'm just here to make sure that freaky thing doesn't fall into your slimy claws, Cifer. It's not my fault the carrier's an idiot." The words were a mixture of bravado, anger, and… hesitance. He gulped audibly. "What's the new getup about, anyway?"

"Does it matter?" he asked flatly. "You won't be alive to tell the tale."

They clashed. Orihime didn't see.

Her hands were hovered over the shield, shaking. Rukia's heart, or whatever was left of it, was just barely beating, and she didn't dare break her concentration. Her mind raced.

She knew she could keep Rukia alive for a while like this. She could keep her blood flowing, her lungs working, but she also knew she couldn't do anymore than that. Pieces of the girl were missing. Rukia was already dead. Her body just didn't know it yet.

Orihime finally cried, choking back sobs.

Power flared behind her, Grimmjow darting across the platform with a ferocity she had not expected. The battle was fast paced, brutal, and when Grimmjow tumbled, spear imbedded in his leg she knew they didn't stand a chance.

The Arrancar steadied himself, tearing it out with a grunt. Sweat and blood poured down his face, stuck somewhere between a snarl and a grimace. Cifer hovered above him, claws glowing.

Orihime severed the connection, her butterflies coming to Grimmjow's aid just in time. The Cero that rammed into the shield was intense, the worst she'd ever felt, but arms shaking, she forced it to hold. Then, the light faded, and the Espada looked to her, frowning. She looked back, pure hatred in her eyes.

"It was me you wanted, right?" she asked breathlessly. "Well, now you have me."

She fired a spell at him, the Hollow darting back to evade before flying towards her. Before he could make it, Grimmjow had sprung to his feet in the same form she'd seen when she first met him. Claws tore through Cifer's wing, and the two rolled, Grimmjow grunting as the Espada's free tail dug into his side. He was tossed off unceremoniously, nearly right off the top of the pillar, but he hung on. Cifer switched targets again.

He dove at Orihime, deadly tail flicking, and aim steady she fired again. He rolled out of the way this time, tail twisting and in a split second of clarity she saw it hook around the fabric of her pack. She yanked it from harm's way, and in the next moment her arm was on fire.

Scratch that. She didn't have an arm anymore.

It was severed right below the shoulder. Completely numb she stared. It wasn't an unusual injury to see in her line of work, but on her it was strangely mesmerizing.

Shut up, that's the shock talking. Fix it.

Three butterflies came flying towards her, blocking off the wound right before the pain truly set in. She could think about it later.

Grimmjow bolted across the pillar, hand alight as he swiped at Cifer, the blast dissipating into the atmosphere. It connected, his legs suddenly nowhere to be found. Instantly Grimmjow was at her side, and he didn't look very happy about it.

"You still glad we came back?" he growled. "We're literally getting torn apart!" Cifer hung back, his legs already reforming. If only she could do that. "We're gonna die, aren't we?" he grimaced. He looked at her meaningfully, then, pained. "At least I get to give one last fuck you to Aizen. Not that he'll care."

"W-what are you saying?" She didn't like how her voice shook.

"I'm saying now's your last chance to run. Get that thing and get out of here while you still can."

She gaped at him, and then anger flashed through her so strong it was enough to clear her head, if only for a moment.

"No," she bit out. "One stupid orb isn't worth anyone's life, not hers and not yours. I may not like you, but for some reason, she did. I'm not leaving you here to die alone."

He looked at her, and then up at the veritable monster that was supposed to be his ally. He snickered. "What is this world coming to?"

Cifer's body finished reforming, not one drop of blood spilt. He rose fully, and as he did…

Rukia twitched. He paused.

The air grew cold around them, cold enough that in the span of seconds Orihime found herself shivering, teeth chattering. Her breath fogged in the air.

"R-Rukia…" she called. It shouldn't have been possible, it wasn't.

Rukia's arm moved stiffly across the ground, followed by the other, and then the rest of her until she managed to bring herself on her knees. Stomach churning Orihime realized she could see the darkened clouds through her chest.

"Rukia!" she cried. Before she could run to her, Grimmjow's hand clamped over her wrist.

Rukia stood fully, stumbling once, and then steadying. She was pale, as white as the kimono she wore. She turned slowly, and Orihime thought exactly one thing:

That's not Rukia.


Okay! Real talk! We're on a biweekly update schedule now, oops. Things came up, that's all I can really say. (Nothing bad, I promise.) On an unrelated note for about two weeks I had two instances of Nel and Nemu being switched and only one of you said anything! I will fix any typos you point out, guys, and considering I don't have any beta readers I know I have some. Just putting that out there. (I love you.)