"Nel...!"
He didn't care about anything else, he was just happy to see her alive.
"I-Ichigo! You are...!" She was out of words. Her happiness and amusement was immeasurable, but suddenly she didn't feel well. "What is...?"
The world around her started twisting around. She felt dizzy and was losing her consciousness.
"It seems... I went too far..." She murmured as an explosion of pink gas returned her to her child form.
"N-Nel...!" Ichigo grabbed her in the air and carefully left her little body in the sand. "*sigh* She's just asleep" He felt relieved.
Ulquiorra regenerated the hole in his chest immediately.
"I-I..." He started saying, but was stopped in an instant.
"Give me one reason not to completely obliterate you...!" Ichigo said as he pinned Ulquiorra to the ground and menaced to slash his throat with Zangetsu.
"I'm indeed sorry for all that, but now you have awakened, my King" He replied.
"W-What?" He flinched and let him go, only for Ulquiorra to get on his knees.
"Your Hollow, Kurosaki Ichigo, is the reincarnation of Gran Rey Cero. Your power, your aura... It can't mean other thing. I know I didn't use the most orthodox methods... But that doesn't matter anymore"
It was only then that Ichigo looked at himself. His white skin, his mask piece, his Hollow hole...
"I... Am...!"
"You are an Arrancar. The strongest of them all in fact" Ulquiorra clarified.
"I... Am just like... You... And Nel...?" He still couldn't digest it well.
"Exactly. Oh... Your Zanpakutou is right there" Ulquiorra pointed a white sword that was behind him.
"But my Zanpakutou is right here!" He said in disbelief, holding Zangetsu.
"That's your Shinigami katana, a mere memory of what you used to be. Your true Zanpakutou now, is the one beside you. Hold it, and learn its name, my King"
"My true... Zanpakutou..." He said as he put Zangetsu back on its Sheath.
He grabbed the white blade that was waiting for him and pulled it out of the sand.
As soon as he released it from the ground, he lost consciousness.
Inside his mind, he encountered that the world had changed once more.
The buildings that used to be in it, turned into some ruins in a desert he recognized as Hueco Mundo.
Sitting on a rock, was Tensa Zangetsu.
"Z-Zangetsu!" He called him.
"Ichigo. You've changed"
"Of course I've changed! That's why I wanna know, how do I go back?"
"Go back? That's impossible"
"What?"
"You're not a Shinigami anymore, and you cannot go back to being a human either. You are a Hollow now, an Arrancar to be exact"
"An... Arrancar..." He repeated.
"That's the way it goes"
"But, Zangetsu, what's the meaning of all this?! Why is Ulquiorra calling me king? Who is Gran Rey Cero? W-What... What's going on?!"
"I honestly don't know. You should ask... That guy" The young man pointed at a deteriorated throne.
Laying carelessly on it, was the other half of him, though instead of the black mask, he had a black crown on top of his head.
"You!" He called.
"Ichigo! We finally meet!" The White Hollow greeted in an unexpectedly friendly way from his seat.
"Huh? What do you mean? I've known for a while now" He replied confused.
"Well, that's true in a way, but imprecise. That's because, the true me has been asleep until this very moment"
"Then, who are you?"
"By now, you should realize that my real name was never Zangetsu"
"Well, I never really bought that, to be honest"
"For now though... Let's not worry about the formal stuff. What they call me is not really important. What you should know now, King, is the name of my blade"
"Your blade?" He remembered the white Zanpakutou.
"Take care of it. It's the strongest Zanpakutou in all Hueco Mundo. It is called..." The White Hollow pointed at the moon in the black sky.
"...Las Noches"
Ichigo came back to the real world, holding the katana in his right hand while pressing Nel against his chest with his left arm, protectively.
"Ulquiorra..." He decided to ask him.
"Yes, my Lord?"
"Would you mind explaining me all this deal of Gran Rey Cero and stuff?"
"There is a legend in Hueco Mundo, about its first King. An Arrancar of skin as white as the moon itself, with the power to bring any other Hollow to its knees just by releasing his Reiatsu..." Ulquiorra stopped for a moment. "To tell the truth, I don't know much about it... But ever since I confronted your Vasto Lorde form, I felt that there was something special about you. I don't really care if you are actually the reincarnation of Gran Rey Cero. All I wanted was to find someone who had the power and the ability to lead us all"
"So your plan was turning me into an Arrancar all along?" Ichigo was impressed.
"Once I learned about the strength of the King of Jigoku, I realized it was the only way... No one else would be capable of matching his power, now more than ever, since he has his Kamibuki back"
"Kamibuki?"
"Right. A weapon of the Gods. Yama is a banished Old God who seeks revenge against the others. I do not know much detail, but that's enough to know what he was looking for here"
"Here? You mean in Hueco Mundo?"
"Correct. I heard he was looking for an artifact called the Heart of Tsukoyomi. Again, I don't have additional information about it, but I heard of someone who could"
"Who would that be?"
"A nomad Arrancar who is said to be immortal"
Ichigo widened his eyes in amazement, although only his left one could be seen.
"Is such a thing... True?" He asked.
"I'm not sure... But I heard Barragan, the old Dos Espada who self-proclaimed as God-Emperor of Hueco Mundo, talking about it once. He sounded quite certain about it, and he was the oldest Hollow in his time"
"I see..." He said as he started getting a notion of what his life would be like from now on.
He wouldn't be able to go back to being human, not easily at least.
He wouldn't be able to go back to Soul Society.
He wouldn't be able to carry a simple life in Hueco Mundo either.
In a matter of minutes, his whole life had taken an unexpected turn into the unknown.
He strongly pressed his fist on his blade's handle with rage as he came to realize it all.
"My King..." Ulquiorra was calling his attention.
"Shut up" He replied angrily. "I don't wanna hear your voice until I know what I'm gonna do with my life from now on. You decided on your own what should have been my choice! You realize that, Ulquiorra?!"
"But it was the only way. And I... I said I'm sorry" He looked more confused than sad.
"Well that's not enough, so you better keep your mouth shut"
The Espada only nodded in reply.
After that, he felt the presence of a group of individuals approaching.
It was everyone else, rushing to see how everything had turned out.
"Ichigo!" Rukia called from the distance.
She was very happy to see him alive, standing proudly with his long orange hair being caressed by the desert breeze, his bleach skin and Hollow hole, while holding a white blade in... Wait what?!
"No way..." Renji noticed as well.
"Ichigo..." Chad was speechless.
"Kurosaki is...!" Ishida couldn't believe it either.
"Kurosaki-kun...!" Orihime let a silent scream out as she covered her mouth with both hands.
Ichigo smiled sadly at all his friends.
"Yo..." He greeted, although he suddenly felt faint, collapsing into the black sand.
"My King!" Ulquiorra caught him, not letting him fall roughly, and catching little Nel in the process.
Ichigo had passed out completely though. It had been too much for him. The battle, his transformations, his feelings... His being couldn't take it anymore.
~~~~X~~~~
"U...Ungh..." Nelliel awoke in a familiar room. She was in Urahara's.
"Nel-san, you're awake! I'm so happy..." Orihime hugged her, crying.
"Inoue-san? What...? What happened?" She still felt confused. She had gone back to her adult form, but still felt a bit off.
"It seems you used more Reiryoku than you should have. Urahara-san explained to me that that's why you reverted back to your child form... But I healed that crack in your skull, so now you should be completely fine using all your strength"
"You... Healed it?!" She touched her skull, it was perfectly fine, like it had never been damaged. "Thank you so much Inoue-san! I... I don't know... How can I ever repay you!?" She hugged her strongly as well, crying out of pure happiness. She was so grateful, she couldn't help it.
"Don't worry, Nel-san... I'm glad I could help you. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to remove the scar as well" Orihime blushed due to a certain situation, though she didn't want to embarass her so she didn't say anything about it.
"No, don't worry about it" She wiped the tears off her face and let go. "I don't mind it and Ichigo doesn't seem to dislike..." She realized. "Where is he?!"
"Right by your side" She said smiling, although she still felt shook by everything that had happened.
Ichigo was sleeping soundly in a futton. His face was looking towards them, clearly showing the remaining piece of his mask.
"So... That wasn't a dream" Nel concluded as she caressed his cheek.
"No... We still have trouble believing it as well" Orihime replied sadly.
"How long is he going to be asleep?"
"I don't know. You were out for two days"
"Two days?!"
"Yeah, you took your time... It's not rare that Kurosaki-kun takes a while in waking up after great battles, so we're kinda used to it. I always worry nevertheless" She admitted.
"I see" She yawned. "I guess I'll go see how the rest is doing in the meantime" She got up, slowly realizing she was almost completely naked (only panties), though it didn't bother her much. Ichigo was unconscious and Orihime was a girl after all.
Inoue couldn't help but gaze at her beauty for an instant. Her curves where even more pronounced than hers (which was a real merit) and her lightly tanned skin gave her an exotic touch.
"Oh, right! I asked a friend to buy some clothes. Ishida-kun fixed your battle attire, but I don't think that's suitable to go around the house, right?" She smiled, leaving a striped black and white skirt and a grey armless sweater, as well as a white undershirt.
She wore the outfit, though she instantly blushed when she looked at the mirror.
"Isn't this a bit...?"
"I'm sorry about the odd choice. I asked Rangiku-san why were they so revealing, but she thought you had such a nice body that choosing a more normal attire would have been a waste"
"I understand. Don't worry, tell your friend I'm grateful" She smiled.
"I'll do when I see her, but, she's still in the Human World, so you can tell her yourself if you see her. Don't worry, as long as she sees you with those clothes she'll make sure to let you know it was her doing" She said happily.
"I'll take that into account. I'm gonna check up on the rest" Nel walked to the sliding door.
"Okay" Orihime replied, staying by Ichigo's side.
Such a picture made her feel rather... Uncomfortable.
"Hey, Inoue-san" She started saying with a more worried tone.
"What is it?"
"Later... I would like to talk to you alone"
The human knew that such a conversation would present itself sooner or later.
"I thought so. Don't worry... I know Kurosaki-kun is in love with you. I won't do anything weird, so rest assured"
"Even so, there is stuff I'd like to clear"
"Of course, I also have things I'd like to discuss. Just tell me when you are ready"
"Thank you, Inoue-san" She smiled at her warmly, as she knew she didn't have anything against her.
She decided to check up on her Fracción first, since it was obvious that they wanted to know about about her before anyone else, so she went to the tea room.
"Nel-sama, you're awake!" Pesche greeted her. "We were so worried about you! Dondochakka cried so much the room got flooded and I almost drowned last night..."
"N-Nel-sama!" The named Arrancar cried once again.
"I'm so happy to see you again!" She kindly hugged the two.
"How do you feel?"
"Like never before, look!" She showed them her skull.
"Oh, that's amazing!" The two celebrated.
"All thanks to Inoue-san... But, what about you two? How was your fight?" She sat down to hear them.
"We had to use all of our strength. We didn't tell you before, cause we wanted to keep it a secret but... We know Resurrección!"
"Really? Now that's amazing!" She gave back their compliment. "I can't wait to see how powerful you become!"
"Though... Nel-sama" Dondochakka started saying. "What did you do that forced you to go back to your child form?"
"About that... I also unlocked a new power. I know I shouldn't have in my condition, and I paid the price afterwards but... I unlocked Segunda Etapa"
"So that was it..." Pesche replied, pensive. "I mean, I'm very happy for you, Nel-sama! But even so, I can't imagine the effort you made in order to achieve it like that"
"More than effort, I think it was on impulse. Ichigo was in trouble and I... I just had to do something"
"I know, Nel-sama, but please don't do something so dangerous again!" Dondochakka said worried.
"I know. You guys must've been really worried, but I'm fine, and Ichigo is too..." She thought a bit if that was true. After all, no one really knew how Ichigo was feeling after the outcome of their battle. "More importantly... Who was that ally you found?"
"Oh that!" Pesche remembered. "You see, the 8th Duke was in search for some powerful artifact in the heart of Ruinas Huecas. We stopped him before he reached it, but after we entered the chamber and observed the object, an Arrancar came as well. He said to be the immortal guardian of the Heart of Tsukoyomi, an ancient relic with amazing powers!"
"What kind?" She was amazed as well.
"Well, about that..." Dondochakka pushed Pesche to say the truth.
"The Arrancar didn't want to tell us, or anybody. He even denied Harribel-sama!" Pesche replied.
"Harribel! How are she and Grimmjow?"
"They are doing quite well right now. Harribel-sama started calling the Hollows back to Hueco Mundo, and it has gone quite well. Grimmjow is... Well, like always" The blonde explained. "The thing is... This Arrancar, Nakagawa-san, said to be willing to tell Ichigo-sama about the Heart of Tsukoyomi"
"Ichigo? Why?" She was confused.
"He didn't explain that either..." Dondochakka made a pose of not knowing.
"Where is Nakagawa?" She wanted to ask him personally.
"In Ruinas Huecas. He said he would wait for Ichigo in there when he wanted answers" Pesche answered.
"How strange... Well, there must be a reason behind this, though I doubt Ichigo will be ready to go back after everything that happened" She remembered someone else. "Where is Ulquiorra?"
"Strangely enough, he's here, in the Human World. Heh, you might imagine that everyone wanted him to drop dead after all this, but he explained how everything was part of his plan to stop the rise of the Demons" Pesche replied.
"So that was it! But then... Ichigo becoming an Arrancar was...?"
"...Part of his plan" The blonde completed. "To evade further conflict, he's staying at Inoue-san's house. She decided so, so don't worry"
"I understand. Where are the others?"
"Well, Ishida and Chad have continued with their normal lives for the moment, but I can tell they are eager to come as soon as Ichigo-sama wakes up"
"I thought so. Rukia-san and Renji-san must be in similar circumstances"
"Yes. They went back to Soul Society, but are ready to come back under the same conditions"
"What about the Vizards?"
"They are currently in Soul Society. It seems that they wanted to bring their other members here to see Ichigo in his new state for some reason" Dondochakka replied.
"I imagine they would be at least interested in doing so... Well, thank you guys for your time!" She got up.
"Where are you going so soon?" Pesche asked.
"I wanted to ask Urahara-san a couple things. He's here, right?"
"That will be impossible" Yoruichi said as she entered the room.
"Yoruichi-san!" Nel greeted her. "What do you mean?"
"Urahara was summoned by the Gotei 13 to attend a meeting regarding this whole Demon-thing. Probably they have absolutely no idea about the situation and how to deal with it so they had no choice but to call him. They are very proud, so it's the only reason I see for them to request his presence. After all, he's quite disliked by the higher ups in Soul Society"
"Oh, I see..."
"He actually took that Demon you two saved along to get more info"
"Oh, Arikado!" She had totally forgotten about him. "Well, so that's how things are..." She was a bit disappointed.
"I bet you want to know more about Ichigo" She predicted.
Nel nodded worried.
"*sigh* I'd love to tell you that he's gonna be okay and all, but the truth is, what Ichigo went through is something no one has ever experienced before, so... We don't really know if his condition is irreversible, which probably is. Although... I don't see how that would be a problem for you"
"Pardon me?" She didn't seem to get it.
"Well, he is one of your kind now. Not gonna lie, Ichigo is pretty popular among women, but with this I think it is pretty much settled that you are the winner"
"Tsk..." Nelliel suddenly felt bothered by such a comment. "Ichigo and I've been dating for almost 2 years" She gave her a dread look.
"Oh really? And what are you married to him or somethin'?" She kept teasing her, although Nelliel was not in the mood for it. "As far as I know (and believe me, I do)... You two have never really done it"
"Done what?" She asked, more confused than angry now.
"Hey, Yoruichi-san, how come Renji's not around to help me with this stuff?!" Rangiku pouted as she entered as well. "Oh, Nel-chan!"
"Do I know you?" Nel asked confused.
"Oh, where are my manners. I'm Matsumoto Rangiku, Lieutenant of the 10th Division, but more importantly, the one who picked that fabulous attire! Oh my God, you look gorgeous! I mean, I knew you would, but seeing you is just... Wow! Ichigo is a really lucky guy, isn't he?"
"Oh... You are Rangiku-san, well... Thanks for-"
"Actually, Rangiku. We were about to have a very important conversation that has to do with that here, so why don't you join us?" Yoruichi invited. "I have Sake"
"Well what is the holdup?! Let's start at once!" She sat down with them. "What is it? Tell me!"
"I-I don't know! Yoruichi-san just... Said something about doing some special thing with Ichi and I really don't get it" Her voice showed how upset that made her.
"Oh my God... Can this be true?!" The dark-skinned woman thought between chuckles with a devilish grin. "You two, go for a walk or whatever, but get out! It's time for a girl's talk"
"Y-Yes ma'am!" Pesche followed her orders. "Let's go, Dondochakka"
"Yeah..." He was already feeling awkward.
Yoruichi closed the doors to the room.
"What's going on?" Nel asked.
Yoruichi got hold of a bottle of Sake that was inside the cabinet and passed it to Rangiku.
"Grab a seat, cause this is gonna be interesting" The Lieutenant said as she winked an eye and filled three small cups.
It had been like an hour of revelations and drinking for the three, although Nel decided to stop after her second drink since she was feeling funny.
"I still can't believe you hadn't heard of that!" Yoruichi laughed, chugging another cup.
"I-I mean...! We do know about that in Hueco Mundo. It's just that... It's something some Adjuchas do to each other to establish dominance and stuff... But I never thought love could be involved in that activity!"
"Well, for what I've heard, you don't really know about love in Hueco Mundo in the first place" Rangiku pointed out. "How pitiful..."
"I once overheard from Barragan's Fracciones that he used to have concubines when he was King but... That's not love is it? Especially coming from an arrogant prick like him..." Nel noted.
"But then... Some Arrancar do know the pleasures of the flesh..." Yoruichi pointed out with a smirk.
Nel shrugged, feeling uncomfortable at such a mention. She never felt attracted like that to anyone she'd met before Ichigo. On the contrary, she did suspect some Arrancar to look at her with lustful intent back when she was one of Aizen's Espada, but she preferred to turn a blind eye and avoid any conflict, and since she was number three, only below Barragan (number 1 was left unused until Aizen found the perfect Arrancar), no one ever tried to mess with her in that sense.
"Um... Did you ever love someone... You know... Like that, Rangiku-san?" Nel asked her.
Rangiku seemed surprised at furst, but then a sweet smile was drawn on her lips as she remembered a love of dried persimmon.
"Ha... Yes, I did. But... He's no longer here..." She said with a hint of sadness. "Gin..." She thought, remembering his blue eyes and reptile grin.
"Oh... I'm... Sorry..." She apologized.
"Don't feel bad about it. I'm fine" She didn't lie, although it still was a sad memory
"And... What about you, Yoruichi-san? I heard you and Urahara-san are..." She tried to change the topic.
"Pretty close? I can't deny that... We are childhood friends after all. Do I love him in a romantic way though?" She digressed to herself for a moment. "Beats me. At this point, I don't even know what our relationship would be. If you're wondering about sex though... Of course, we do it from time to time cause, it's just great, haha. And Kisuke... Well, let's just say he's good at it" She smirked.
"But, Nel..." Rangiku called her attention again.
"Yes?"
"You really had never heard of such thing before? I don't know... I just have the feeling that, maybe Hollows have a legend about love or something of sorts"
That made Nel think for a moment.
"A legend..." She suddenly remembered something. "I think this was a very long time ago... But someone I can't remember once told me, something like that"
"Hmm? What was it?" Yoruichi became curious as well.
"That there was a time, in which Hollows found someone else. Someone... Meant for you and only for you. Someone..." She thought of Ichigo. "Who filled the void inside your soul. And that, after becoming one... They were not Hollow anymore. They were complete. They were..."
The word came out of the depths of her mind, until it was in the tip of her tongue, and then coming out of her lips: "...Whole"
The two women were astonished by her revelation.
"Where... Where did you hear that?" Rangiku asked.
"I don't remember. I think... An Arrancar I met back when I was an Adjuchas told me but... I don't know. It was so long ago, and at that time... It sounded so confusing..."
"But it's not anymore. If such a thing is true... You would be killing two birds with one stone" Yoruichi said seriously. "It's clear, isn't it?" She asked her.
She knew what it finally meant, and she had found her other half. They could be... Whole.
"As water" Nelliel felt as if the alcohol was completely eliminated from her system, although her face was still slightly red.
"Mission accomplished then!" Yoruichi concluded, proud. "Well then, don't let this talk go to waste"
"*yawn* Drinking makes me so sleepy" Rangiku said. "Wake me up for dinner, I'm taking a little nap"
"Sure. There are plenty of rooms"
"Thanks. Good luck, Nel-chan!"
"Th-Thanks..." The Arrancar blushed.
"As for me, I'll go sleep in a rooftop or something" She turned into a black cat.
"What?!" Nel was astonished. "Is that you, Yoruichi-san?!"
"The one and only" She replied with a male voice. "See ya" She left by walking elegantly with her four paws.
"Woah... It's been one crazy day, and it's far from over as I gotta go talk with..." She remembered. "...Inoue-san"
She came back to the room where Ichigo was resting.
Orihime was reading a cooking book confused.
"But... Why would they leave this recipe so mediocre? It's clear that this side of mashed potatoes would get even better with a sauce of tabasco, chocolate and wasabi added to the mix" She murmured as she frowned. "Oh, Nel-san. How did it go?"
"Good. Everyone is alright it seems, and I came across Rangiku-san so I thanked her for the clothes"
"Really? That's good to hear. You... Look a bit red"
"Oh this. Well, I drank a bit of Sake with Yoruichi-san and Rangiku-san, but it wasn't much. Guess I'm not used to it"
"Probably"
"Now... I think it's time we have that talk" She went to the main topic.
"Okay. I... I'm not very good at starting complex conversations so, I'd really appreciate if you began"
"No problem" She agreed. "The thing is... That I had my doubts at first. I wasn't really sure about your feelings towards Ichigo... But now it's clear to me. Even now... You... You love him. Don't you, Inoue-san?" She asked, although she was certain of the answer.
"I...!" She was surprised to be asked so directly, but, she was an Arrancar after all. "Yes, I do... But...!"
"I know. You don't plan to get in my way, much less taking Ichigo away from me. I know that, Inoue-san, cause you're too sweet" She smiled at her and hugged her to show her appreciation. "But I wanted to know, cause it's important that you are also true to your own feelings. I... I only want Ichigo to be happy, so if by any chance, he prefers to stay with you, I will understand, and we'll keep being good friends like always"
"Even if you say that... Now that he's like this... *sigh* It's clear that he... He's all yours" Orihime started crying.
"What are you saying Inoue-san? One thing doesn't imply the other. It's true, we're both Arrancar now, but it was never a barrier for me that he was a Shinigami or a Human. I just love him, and that's how you should think as well"
"But..." She didn't want to say it, but she thought it was necessary, to start letting go. "I know how it must've been"
"What do you mean?"
"When he became a Hollow. You... You called his name right?" She deduced.
"Y-Yes... How did you know?"
"Cause when he did so the first time, it was I who screamed his name. Before it happened, Cif...Ulquiorra told me that his plan was awaking his Hollow and that I was needed for it. When I refused to help him, he said he had a backup. I couldn't imagine what he meant by that, but once I heard about the way you rushed to his side, it was all clear to me. Ulquiorra confirmed it. He knew you two were in love, and he knew your voice would force him to keep fighting even when his Shinigami body was dead. His plan relied on the fact that he became an Arrancar trying to protect you from him, but your sudden powerup made things a lot more complicated for his plan"
"Wow... I never... I never thought about it that way" She felt guilty about it. "When I called his name... I just thought he would somehow get back on his feet. I never...! I never imagined he would turn into a mindless Hollow!"
"Don't worry, Nel-san. I know you never had that intention" Now it was her turn to comfort her. "And in the end, there is nothing to lament for. Things just went another way, and you managed to do something I couldn't. You forced Ichigo to fight his Hollow and go a step beyond"
"Was that... Because of me?" She was amused.
"Yeah. I'm sure that no one else could have pulled that off. I heard him, in his sleep... Calling your name" She revealed. "He loves you, more than he'll ever love me. I really... I really don't know where did I go wrong, but maybe, such thing was... Never meant"
"I don't know about that but, the only thing you ever did wrong I think, was not accepting him completely"
"Huh?"
"Back in Hueco Mundo, when we were watching him as he fought Grimmjow, you were scared of his Hollow mask"
"His... Hollow..." She realized, feeling a hint of fear.
"You've always been scared of the Hollow part of him, but, you should have never been. Ichigo is... Ichigo. It doesn't change wether he is a human like you or an Arrancar like me. Even as a savage Vasto Lorde, his true self was still inside, somewhere, and I'm sure that no matter what he decides to do in the future, he will still be himself"
"*sob* I understand" She started crying with deep sorrow. "I feel so stupid for only realizing that fact now. Now I know the reason I lost him... But, there's nothing I can do by knowing that anymore" She smiled sadly.
"But that's where you are wrong! You haven't lost Ichigo... He will always cherish you as one of his best friends, I'm sure" She put her hand in her shoulder in a friendly way. "On the other hand, what you learned of this experience is that when you love, you accept the other as a whole. Nobody is perfect, or how you want them to be, but I believe that learning to live even with those differences can also be fun. Then again... I know next to nothing about love so... Maybe I'm just spouting nonsense here"
Orihime let a single tear out before smiling and washing it away.
"No, not at all. In fact, you have cleared my mind. You are an amazing person, Nel-san. I... I'm even happy to leave Kurosaki-kun in your hands"
"You really think that? Cause, you don't have to act friendly if you don't feel like it. I know it must be difficult to like me after-"
"No. I'm glad, from the bottom of my heart. The only thing I ask... Is that you take care of him, cause you can't even imagine how far he can go just for you to be happy. That's how he is"
"I know, and I will" She replied with a warm smile. "You know? I'm actually ashamed of this… But you see, the main reason I learned Kaidou, wasn't so I could heal Ichigo. It was because I was jealous of you. The first time I saw him drop dead, by Ulquiorra's hands, I thought that was all. I couldn't possibly do anything to save him... But then, you appeared. You were like his angel. No matter what was the damage, you healed him and brought him back to life. Even now… I feel a bit of envy for that. Because I know that I'll never have the power to do such a thing. Now that he's an Arrancar… I doubt he'll need my healing abilities at all… I'm sure his regeneration is a world above Ulquiorra's, which is simply unimaginable. In that sense… I can't help but feel useless"
"Do you really feel that way?" Orihime was surprised.
"Yeah. I thought you were so... Perfect for him. You complimented him with that power, and that's something I'll never be able to do" She made a troubled face.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. Ulquiorra told me about the fight. To be only in Segunda Etapa, you were a real threat to him" She revealed. "Actually, I am jealous of you too, because you are strong. I can only dream of fighting by Ichigo's side. It's true, I don't like fighting, but that's in part because I'm weak. If I had your strength, I'm sure I'd be helping Ichigo fight wherever he went. Even now, you keep growing stronger, to levels of power that might allow you to battle with him by your side even now. You are amazing, Nel-san" She confessed.
"Really? I feel a bit better by hearing that" She chuckled. "How ironic indeed. I would've never thought of something like that. But I can't help but think, that right now, it's possible that his powers are above of what any of us can ever accomplish"
"Maybe what Ulquiorra said is true. By becoming an Arrancar he has become capable of defeating the King of Jigoku"
"I'm sure he has. Ichigo can do anything he sets his mind to" She smiled as she looked at him, still sleeping.
"That is true..." Orihime did the same. "Well, I guess I'll leave him in your hands now. You should be the first one he sees once he wakes up. After all, you are the one he's mostly worried about"
"Are you sure you are okay with this? You don't want to tell him how you feel at least once?"
"There's no need. I understand how things are now, and telling him that would only make us all uncomfortable, wouldn't it?" She looked at Nel awkwardly.
"Well, I can't deny that... But I can leave if-"
"No. It's time... I let him go. And like I said, I can't think of someone better to be with him" She smiled with closed eyes at the Arrancar. "So good luck. And if he asks, just tell him I'm fine"
Nelliel cried due to the emotive nature of the situation, and hugged Orihime strongly, which made the human cry as well.
"You are wonderful Inoue-san. Despite me being a rival in love, you've done only good things for me... I think I've never met someone as kind as you are. I hope... I hope you find someone who loves you and takes good care of you, cause you deserve it more than anyone else"
"Thank you, Nel-san. I too wish for only happiness in your lives" She let go of the hug and stood up with her hands resting on Nel's shoulders. "See ya!" She left with a waving hand.
"I won't fail you, Inoue-san. I'll take good care of Ichigo, for the rest of our lives" She thought as she kneeled by the side of the sleeping Arrancar.
~~~~X~~~~
It was far past midnight.
In the end, there was no dinner, as Rangiku did not wake up again that day and Yoruichi was sleepy as well.
It was true that Nel didn't really need to eat under normal conditions, but the poor Reishi present in the Human World's atmosphere did give her a sense of hunger.
Despite that, she did not leave Ichigo's side ever since Orihime left the room.
She was his nurse, she was his guardian and, above all, she was his lover.
Even after being there for hours, she entertained herself by seeing how the moon's shine was reflected on Ichigo's face.
"He's like... The moon itself" She thought happily.
At about 3 AM, she felt a tad sleepy. The alcohol she had drunk earlier was starting to make effect.
"No... I gotta... Stay awake... He... Needs... Me..." She muttered as she remembered how Orihime remarked how important she was for him.
Then, just as she was entering her dreams, it happened.
A yellow eye covered in black sclera was opened.
Ichigo instantly recognized the place, but more importantly, the person that was by his side.
"N... Nel...?" He almost whispered as he slowly woke up.
But that whisper was enough to make her come to life.
"Ichigo!" She opened her eyes immediately.
The two stared at each other for a couple seconds. They couldn't have been happier to see that the other was fine.
"Nel!" He smiled and grabbed her by the head to kiss her.
She missed that so badly. In reality, it had only been a couple hours since she last saw him, but each minute, each second without him had been purgatory.
"Ichigo... I'm so, so happy to hear you again" She embraced him tightly.
As she did so, he felt how his horn touched the top of her head.
"It was... All real" He muttered.
She stopped cuddling to look him in the eye and confirm what he was thinking about.
"Yes, Ichigo... You are... An Arrancar"
He closed his eyes and sighed for a moment.
"Ichi...?" She asked worried.
"Yes?"
"Do you feel...? Troubled by that?"
"Troubled? No. It's just a big change, that's all" He smiled to calm her.
"Did you dream about something?"
"For some reason, I can't remember. What about you?"
"Me neither. When I woke up, I felt like the last thing I saw was you becoming an Arrancar"
"It was what happened before you passed out. You really had me worried..." He caressed her head and hair.
When she remembered that, she couldn't help but cry.
"I'm so sorry... I..." She deviated her look from his. "I broke our promise..."
"I know..." He sighed.
"It was just that... I felt so weak... So helpless and... Gamuza told me that if I betrayed you... I would have the power to save you...!" She hid her face in his futton. "I thought... I thought I would lose you if I didn't do something"
"Nel..." He took her by under her arms, grabbing her shoulders, and pulled her towards him. "You are alive. That's all I care about now..."
She kissed him wildly after hearing that. She still felt a bit guilty, but he had clearly forgiven her.
"Oh, Ichi... I think I've never been happier to be with you. After all that's happened, I feel like it's a miracle to be here... In your arms..."
"Really? Cause I feel exactly the same. Holding you... Is something I can't even imagine, not in my wildest dreams. The only thing that makes it possible for me to believe it, is feeling your soft skin and kissing your lovely lips"
Nel entered the futton completely to cuddle with him like they used to do in the Dangai.
The warmth of his skin, his soft touch and sweet kisses were something that didn't change, even now. In fact, it seemed that his new body made her feel wilder that night. Like an instinct she had never felt was suddenly taking over.
"Hey, Ichigo. Do you remember what you asked me the first time we kissed?"
"Hmm..." He thought for a moment. As soon as he realized, his eye got widened to the limit. "No way...!"
Nel smiled happily as she saw his reaction. He remembered.
"It's true that a side of me wishes I was never a Hollow in the first place… But..." She pressed her forehead against his, gently tangling one of her horns around his. "...Seeing you like this, an Arrancar, just like me… I couldn't be happier to share the rest of my Hollow existence with you..."
"Nel...!" Like always, he was out of words.
"If there is someone in this entire universe that can fill my void... It is you, Kurosaki Ichigo" The warm breath of her mouth converged with his, lustfully calling for him.
Ichigo started to feel especially aroused by her, possibly because of her seductive tone.
"And that…" She was whispering. "That's not nearly as close to describing my love for you. I guess the closest I can put into words… Is that I wish I could die and be born again, to fall in love with you again and again and again for the rest of eternity"
And that choice of words, that exquisite voice, that moonlight gently illuminating the two as they shared that sacred moment... Made Ichigo awaken his true instinct as well.
He did not say another word, he just let his tongue inside her agape mouth to raise the heat.
Their tongues simply collided as the two cuddled the other's body, in between gasps and moans that only made them want more.
She always liked how he touched her. He was always worried that she didn't feel uncomfortable in any way, but today was different. She could sense he was a lot wilder, probably due to the Hollow tendencies nascent in him, and oh how she liked it, but she knew he was still trying to contain his true wishes.
To feed his unusual frenzy, she decided to pull off her undershirt, while still leaving her armless sweater shirt on.
"I know you want to touch them..." She whispered, blushing a bit as it was still a bit embarrassing for her. "...So go ahead. I want you to feel me..."
Ichigo shyly groped her breasts under the sweater, feeling their softness and bounce.
"This... Has to be Heaven" He thought as he bacame enthralled by the exquisite softness of her bust's skin.
She moaned a bit in pleasure as he did so, but she knew there could be more, so she slid her sweater's border towards the center, letting her melons out.
The ex-Shinigami had never gotten the chance to truly behold them in any previous opportunity. Their perfectly round shape and tremendous size was hipnotizing, and seeing her cute pink nipples in the center of such perfection filled his being with a single thought.
It didn't take a second before he pressed one of her mountains against his mouth, making her moan even louder.
After a while, he felt her clothing was getting in the way, so he did not even think twice as he pulled Nel's sweater up.
By doing so, he was able to see something he had never gotten his eyes on. In the center of Nel's chest, always covered by her massive jugs, he could see the black void of her being. Her Hollow Hole.
She noticed what he had found, and suddenly covered herself with her hands.
"It must be... Unisightly, isn't it?" She felt saddened.
But Ichigo gently disarmed her protective pose.
"It's beautiful"
"You are just saying-"
"Cause I love everything about you. I love you, Nel. All of you"
And that made her drop a pair of tears of joy as Ichigo kissed her void, her neck and finally...
"Ichigo...!" She embraced him again and pressed her lips against his, moaning inside his mouth as she was engulfed by happiness, born of his unconditional acceptance.
With his white muscular torso against her lightly tanned curvy bossom, Ichigo pulled her hair gently as he continued kissing her.
The moment they reached for air, their mouths separated slowly, leaving a delicate string of saliva still connecting, reminding them how this was just beginning.
"~Haa... Haa...~" She panted. "But Ichi... You still don't get it do you...?" She pinned him to the futton, like a wild beast in heat.
"What...?" He asked confused as he panted as well.
"...I am yours" She whispered in his ear, biting it playfully afterwards.
With that phrase resonating in his head, endlessly forming vicious circles, he carefully pulled her skirt and the rest down.
She did the same with his ragged pants, in order to fulfill her desire completely.
To beckon his lust.
To betray her loneliness.
To become one.
To be...
WHOLE
Ichigo could feel her wet lhabia against his lower body. She was ready, and so was he.
In response, he converged with her being carefully but determined as well.
As he entered her moist and warm inside, he couldn't help but exhale in pleasure.
"Oh fuck..." He couldn't help but say.
"Ah!" She did a little scream of pain.
"Nel... Are you...?" He got worried, even in that situation.
"I-I'm fine... Just... Keep going...!" She moaned with small tears forming in her orbs, as Ichigo held her hand and she thought: "You're so sweet... Ichi"
The first seconds of pain were nothing compared to the world of pleasure she felt afterwards as Ichigo filled her inside.
Their minds couldn't keep up with their feelings, but it was okay. Both were happy, as happy as they could ever be.
Ichigo pulled her towards him, so that they would be as close as physically possible, and that made her feel so joyful.
She wanted to be one with him as much as he wanted it. It was simply perfect.
Ichigo rolled her over as she kissed him madly again, and again, and again...
"~Mhhhm!~" She moaned even as their mouths were together and their bodies were bathed in the other's sweat, only raising their lust as the scent they loved most became the only thing they could smell.
After that long kiss, she went back on top, ready to dance to the symphony of her Ichi's panting, craving for more.
He could see hearts in her eyes as she muttered "I love you..." without stop. Such thing only made him more horny, so he pulled her against him once more and playfully bit her lip.
"I love you... Ichigo... I... Love you... So much..." She moaned with teary hazel eyes.
"I love you... Nel... More... Than you... Can imagine..."
Still as one, they cuddled more and felt the other as much as they could.
She touched his muscular abdominals and chest, while he sucked her breasts and pressed her soft derriere against him.
"Ichi..."
"Nel..."
The two repeated each others' names like there was no end.
For them it was more than just a name, it was a bewitching word containing all that the person they loved was.
"You're amazing... Nel" He thought as he saw her naked figure on top of him bathed by the moonlight, like a Goddess.
"Ah...! Fuck... Me...!" She screamed with pleasure as she was in a trance, drooling in ecstasy because of the mixture of pleasure and pain. She was a masochist after all.
He grabbed her breasts violently with his hands as he frenzily searched for her lips to connect his tongue with hers, feeling her sweet saliva run through his mouth.
"C'mon Ichi... Give me more... Ravage me... You know... I'm addicted to pain... But even more to you!" She moaned, her body begging to be bathed in that marvelous cacophony produced by the addicting pain and the most certainly wonderful pleasure.
He fulfilled her wish by forcing her into submission, proceeding to slap her juicy peach-shaped rear, which got redder with every slap as he heard her screams of ecstasy getting louder and louder.
"Like that! It's no fun... Unless you hit me and make me cry...!" Nel screamed as her mind became blank, only driven by her love and lust towards him, her ass burning hot red and her mouth dripping her healing drool all over the futton.
"You are mad... Nel... And I fucking love that..." Ichigo whispered as he turned her around and entwined his horn around hers as he alternated bites and kisses with her lips.
"I love you, Ichi... I'm crazy for you!" She cried as her nails were embedded on his skin, giving him an extremely arousing pain.
And so they continued, their minds taken over by their most primal instincts.
With a rebel yell, she cried more, more, more... And Ichigo happily fulfilled her wish every time.
"~Haaah~ ~Haaah~" The two panted as the moment was coming closer.
Still, they knew that even after their carnal expression of love was over, the feelings they held for each other would not change.
They would love the other as much as they did now. That, was a fact.
Unvarying.
Unchanging...
UNDYING
"Ahh! ICHIGO!" It was time.
"N-NEL!" And for him as well.
And so the moment the two bodies got to the climax of pleasure arrived at last. The moment both told in a physical manner, how much they loved the other.
Ichigo pressed her against him as he devoured her mouth and left his seed in the temple of pleasure that was her body.
After taking air, while slowly plugging out, Nel held Ichigo's horn to pull him closer.
"*pant* *pant* Ichigo..." She smiled, drunk by pure love.
"Oh, Nel..." He went on top and kissed her again.
The string of saliva formed again as they breathed heavily, going from Nel's wet hanging tongue to his mouth as the two panted.
"Hahahahahaha..." She laughed, still doped by the effect of her own endorphins.
"What's so funny...?" Ichigo asked puzzled.
"I was just... Remembering how Yoruichi-san told me this was like the best thing ever..."
"Oh, I see. And... Is it?"
"Thanks to you... It is" She gave him a little peck.
"I'm glad... And I couldn't agree more" He smiled and held her hand, but suddenly turned completely red. "Hey, Nel..."
"What is it?" She noticed he became worried.
"I thing we made quite the ruckus so... It's possible the whole damn shop heard us"
"Ah... Fuck"
"Yeah..." Ichigo could already imagine the puns Yoruichi would throw him the next day, week, month and possibly, she would remind him for the rest of his life.
"Psyche!" She blinked an eye and sticked her tongue out. "I don't think anyone is awake"
"What did you do?"
"Everyone's more than boozed, or well, at least Rangiku-san and Yoruichi-san overdid it, that's how I got to know the term. It was during the late afternoon, so I think they are all asleep. Pesche and Dondochakka stay in the training grounds during the night, so you don't have to worry about them"
"Well... It's a lot better that way" He felt relieved. But, it was not the only thing he felt at that moment. "Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
"I feel... Something in my chest. Like, something's growing..."
"Something... Growing...?" She touched her chest as well.
The two felt the same, but had trouble seeing what was occuring, because of the location of their Hollow Holes, but they could perfectly see it in the other.
"Ichigo...!" She exclaimed astonished.
"What's going on?"
"Around your Hollow Hole... There's a mark shaping"
"What is it?"
Nelliel looked at it. Although the moon was their only light, the mark was shining. It was a pink light, the same color as her Reiatsu.
"It is like... A battle lance" She passed her finger around it.
"Like yours?"
"Not exactly. This one is one-sided only... Though its point seems a lot longer. What does this mean?" She was just as oblivious as him.
"Wait... Let me see your Hollow Hole...!" Ichigo requested.
"R-Right" She complied, carefully showing the space between her breasts.
Around her void, the mark of a black double edged scythe was formed.
"You also have something. It's like a scythe"
"What colour is it?"
"Pitch black" He replied, observing it. "You really have no idea what this could be?"
And then it hit her.
"...After becoming one, they were not Hollow anymore" She remembered her own words. "Could it be...?"
"What is in your mind?"
"I think I know what these markings mean"
"Really?"
"Yes!" She felt so happy as she realized, kissing Ichigo passionately again.
"Heh... Nel, what's with you so suddenly?" He asked.
"These markings, are the proof that we're not Hollow anymore"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I'm not entirely sure, but the only thing I can think of is of an old legend I heard once. One that speaks of the possibility of two Hollows loving each other, and that after their union is consolidated, their void is filled"
"That means...!"
"Yeah!" She pinned him down again and gave him an inuit nose kiss. "We're not Hollows anymore, we're Wholes. I'm literally yours, Ichigo, and you... Are mine, forever" She rested her head in his chest, feeling how his dark emptiness was beating, just like a heart.
She felt delighted, and so did he after hearing that. The two Arrancar, had gained a heart as a reward for their ritual of love.
"And I couldn't be happier any other way"
The inamorata kissed him one last time before finally falling asleep together, with their fingers entangled.
Now they were the same.
They were one.
They were...
W H O L E
~~~~X~~~~
Damn... Before I get anyone saying that I lied when I said that I didn't write lemons, this is what I understand limes as. A sex scene? Yeah, but one correctly paced where the most important thing is the love between the two characters. Also, lots of kisses, cuddles and stuff... But not shit like "And she sucked his massive d...!" No. Just, no.
Anyways, like always, I hope you liked this chapter. It had been a while since we were out of the fighting business, so it should be a nice change of pace.
With that said, let's head to...
Reviews:
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Oh. My. SOUL KING! Amazing chapter! I loved it! I especially liked how you added Ulquiorra's Bleach Brave Souls Anniversary Design along with Ichigo's as well! Amazing! And now, Ichigo is an Arrancar?! Holy moly! What could this mean for the future?! Update again soon! I must have more!
Reply: Well, Ulquiorra's is not exactly the same design (though I based a couple aspects on it), since the eyes are different (because of a reason I'll explain later on another Chapter), he has three pairs of wings instead of two, his Hollow hole remains the same and he gets a Final Weapon. Ichigo's Arrancar design is almost the same as the one you mentioned however (his eyes have black sclera), and I still don't understand how he's not considered "Soul Reaper/Arrancar" but whatever, K-Lab sucks at those labels anyway.
Mr. Marston: Man was this an update! Ichigo will now be able to protect those he cares about awaking his powerful Arrancar form. Keep the chapters coming, this just keeps getting better and better...
Reply: Yeah, now more than ever he'll need this powerup, as the Demons remaining are on another league. I'll keep doing my best!
Guest: Ulquorra's ceros should not have touched Ichigo considering aizen's nuclear ceros could not do much against him. What bloody Ulquorra wanker you are!
Reply: Hahaha! Now, chill, man. Ulquiorra in this fic is way stronger because of the resurrection. His base form is stronger than Harribel's Resurrección. His power scale is more like: Base form equals Dangai Ichigo (past), Resurrección is a bit weaker than new Dangai Ichigo with mask and, Segunda Etapa is stronger than that form but weaker than True Vasto Lorde Ichigo (as I call him).
I checked it all again, and really, if you read it all consciously it is pretty easy to understand the balance of this and other battles. It is also important that you understand that many enemies in this fic don't depend on power alone, making the battles a mixture between classical Shounen rules and JoJo's. I hope this helps you understand. If I wasn't clear enough I'll be glad to discuss it with you, but being a Guest, that seems difficult.
Thank you all for your support, and see you next Chapter!
PD: Just in case any amazing manga-style drawer comes across this fic, please, if you have time, draw an Arrancar Ichigo x Espada Nel image, there's nothing like that on the internet and I'd love to see it (: