Hot damn. You see this? This right here is what happens when I don't get stalled or distracted.
Not much to say about this one otherwise. I'm real happy with how it turned out, and I hope that more chapters in the future work out as smoothly and as quickly as this one did.
As always, thanks for stopping by.
Chapter 15:
A lot could be said for the recent peace in Las Noches. To anyone who had been in Hueco Mundo for any significant amount of time, the month or so following Sousuke Aizen's return had resulted in the longest uninterrupted stretch of calm while any large amount of Hollows lived in the palace that had ever been seen.
Many who thought that, of course, compared the quiet to a sign on the wall saying 'accident free for _ days'. Each day that passed, the number went higher, and the likelihood of something happening was guaranteed to rise. A few were even counting on it; allegedly some of the more sociable Arrancar had placed wagers on exactly who it would involve.
Many, on the other hand, considered that too obvious a bet.
O--O--O
With an enraged roar and the rumble of crumbling stone, Las Noches shook nearly to it's foundations.
"THOSE LITTLE WHOOOOORES!"
"Yammy," another voice said, and the source of all the noise ceased abruptly, turning ponderously and unintentionally shattering another wall.
The Tenth Espada, Yammy Llargo, currently the height of a two-story building, glared down at the smaller man nearby, though his ire was placed elsewhere. "Ulquiorra," the titanic man grumbled, the deep rumble enough to make the surrounding air vibrate at his size, "The hell do you want?"
His tone might have sounded, to any who didn't know each of the two Espada, as intentionally and blatantly offensive. Somehow though, Ulquiorra Cifer was the only man other than Aizen himself that Yammy ever held any regard for.
The black-haired Arrancar stared up calmly, though even Yammy could see a dangerous glint in those green eyes as he spoke. "I believe Lord Aizen told you not to cause any problems inside Las Noches."
"It wasn't my damn fault, these two bitches attacked me!"
"And you saw fit to grow this large just because of that?"
Yammy growled angrily at the question, and his already massive frame visibly swelled, extending the cracks in the surrounding structure. "One of them stunned me, some stupid electricity shit! By the time I could move again they were gone, it pissed me off."
Ulquiorra examined the other man, curious despite himself; not many could manage to do such a thing, even with so many Arrancar newly created. There were clear scorch marks across the Espada's chest, and one in particular across his lower jaw had left the flesh there an inflamed shade of red.
Fire?
He was distracted by Yammy shifting, teeth gritting in annoyance as he tried to move in the enclosed space. Withholding the tiny spark of curiosity that had appeared in him at the markings, Ulquiorra stopped him with one raised hand, seeming to listen to something for a moment.
"Aaroniero just reported two female Arrancar leaving Las Noches out of the nearest gate." The Fourth Espada gazed back up after relaying the information. "I don't care what you do, Yammy, but do it outside of the walls."
The huge man smirked, the sort of expression that promised bloodshed, and strained for a long moment before shuddering and shrinking to nearly half the size he was before. He stomped away quickly, ducking into a hall leading away.
Ulquiorra turned away as well, eyes tracing over the leftover damage. He suddenly felt the odd urge to sigh.
…I am not a custodian.
O--O--O
Far outside the palace and many hours later, two forms dashed across the lonely desert, pointedly heading away from the silhouette of Las Noches far behind. Each looked to the other wordlessly, skidding to a halt in the sand a moment later.
The two appeared nearly identical in their general appearance; young women of an indeterminate age and average height, both clearly Arrancar from the odd bone structures sweeping back over their heads vertically, six elongated teeth remaining affixed to a flared end just above their brows. From there it curved back in a thinner length over their hair, ending in a smooth point, but with several unique additions. For one, both had a long extension of what seemed to be angular sections of some sort of bone protruding from the furthest tip of their fragments, swinging like a macabre sort of ponytail. Above that, they each had what appeared to be a short, rounded sheath nearly a foot long as a permanent addition to their masks, affixed horizontally, with what was clearly a handle secured on the left side, an ornamental colored tassel hanging from the pommel.
Otherwise they appeared fairly normal and still almost entirely identical, only their colors differentiated the two; a loose sort of white sleeveless sweater or jacket outlined in black with a collar reaching hallway up their throats, an ornamental sort of adornment at the collar almost like a bow, then passing over their hips where a short but not immodest pleated skirt sat. Each also wore styled leggings to their mid-thighs and the same type of gloves reaching up to their upper arms, white angular bracelets at their wrists and ankles, the same at the ends of both pieces of clothing, with black knee-high and heeled boots in the typical female Arrancar style. Of the ensemble, the skirt, stockings, and gloves were colored the same as each one's hair; a rich shade of red for one, and a vibrant cobalt blue on the other.
For the colorblind, the most obvious way to tell the difference between the two was their hairstyles, and even then it was a close call; the red twin's hair hung freely to just below her chin, a solitary piece of her bangs poking out from under the wider section of her mask and resting between her eyes. The blue twins hair was the same length with the exception of the front area, which was parted neatly above her forehead by two more tiny angular rings of some unknown material and hung as two small pigtails down to just below her neck, the rest feathered to the sides slightly.
Like many Arrancar, they also had unique markings on their faces; their aqua-colored eyes were outlined by rounded marks of their respective colors, reduced slightly at the innermost corners of their eyes and smoothing into fine points at the opposite sides, rather like ornamental makeup in older times. They also had a thin line of the same at their upper lips, though whether that was another stigmata or actual makeup was impossible to tell.
"Sister," the red woman finally managed to say, though she still appeared winded. "How far are we going to run?"
Her twin, catching her own breath slowly, rose from her crouch and stared back the way they had come before responding. "As far as we need to get away from that lunatic."
"You don't think Yammy would chase us all the way out here? We're nobody, why would he even care?"
The blue woman shook her head slowly, still scanning the sands. Silently she closed her eyes, staying perfectly still for several long seconds while the other watched in worry. With a muttered curse, the blue one opened her eyes once more. "He's still coming alright, and fast."
A heartbeat later they were both on their feet and resuming their flight, leaping over one of the larger dunes with synchronized ease even with their exhaustion. They traveled for some time, the only sound their steps in the sand and their increasingly labored breaths.
Without stopping the red-haired woman glanced back furtively. "I still don't get it," she bit out, shifting her path slightly to avoid one of the tiny crystalline trees poking up at random among the desert. "All we did was bump into the guy, which is hard to avoid when he's so huge." She paused for a moment as she had to navigate around another several obstacles. "It definitely didn't mean he had to try and kill me! He nearly took my head off!"
Her twin agreed, hopping over a rare stone outcropping. "I expected it to stop after that, but I don't think the names you called him helped much," she said breathlessly. "You've heard the rumors about Yammy, he's a loose cannon."
Even before their Lord's return, the Hollow had a reputation for saying or doing whatever he pleased, usually disregarding anyone and everyone in his way. Since becoming an Arrancar that had only worsened, and several seemingly random deaths of lower-tier Hollows could easily be tracked back to the volatile Espada. He was somehow worse than Nnoitra Gilga had ever been, if that was possible; at least the previous Fifth Espada had only a vendetta against one other. Not, of course, that the new Fifth was said to be much better.
In their eyes, most of the Espada were either completely mad or complete sociopaths.
Nearly a full hour passed at their breakneck pace when a massive rounded pillar of stone, possibly the remains of some ancient construction, rose out if the horizon as they approached. Barely needing to confirm with the other, they both swerved towards it, seeking any sort of respite available. They reached the monolith in short time, gasping for air.
"We should have a little bit…of time…" the blue one choked out, plopping down in the sand and leaning against the blessedly cool stone with clear relief. Her sister nodded, barely able to stand as she sank down, legs curled under herself carelessly.
"What then?" she managed to say after a minute. "Where can we even go? We can't fight someone like Yammy, even as Arrancar."
The obvious statement hung in the air as they both regained some semblance of calm. The blue-haired woman shifted to face away from the pillar, her gaze regaining a hint of steel as she spoke, the words striking deep for both: "Anywhere we have to. Even if we have to leave Hueco Mundo."
She made to rise to her feet just before her expression froze, and her head snapped up in panic. "He's-"
She only got a single word out before Yammy slammed down to the ground not fifteen feet away, showering with them with sand as they struggled to stand, legs threatening to give out, their bodies screaming in protest. The huge man, easily over ten feet and half as wide at the moment, leered down with an ugly grin.
"Foooouuund yooooouuuu," he taunted, seeming oddly like an overgrown, spoiled, and casually cruel child. They may have even laughed, were they not overcome with cold fear.
The gigantic Espada's stomped closer, ever so slowly, savoring seeing them unable to run anymore. The two sisters traded one final look, each closing their eyes as Yammy approached, one hand rising…
"Hey."
All three froze, looking up in unison to see a single white-clothed leg dangling over the side of the pillar far above and a orange shock of hair appear, the figure staring down with eyes like shards of yellow crystal.
"The Demon of Hueco Mundo," the red woman whispered, not realizing she had spoken aloud, and her twin felt the worry in her stomach twist painfully, instantly magnifying.
The Fifth Espada hopped off his perch a moment later, landing nearby with casual ease. His gaze swept over them, almost curiously, and for a moment the women thought their time had finally come – but it didn't last, his scrutiny passing to Yammy, and they were both surprised to see his expression turn to one of…distaste?
The last time they had seen the one known in the lower ranks of Las Noches as the 'Demon' up close, he had taken his seat among the Espada; before that, they had personally witnessed him detonate a cero in the middle of his predecessors head. The fact that he no longer wore the defining horns and claws that had been the source of his title previously hadn't changed anything. They feared Yammy, yes – but this man terrified the pair beyond nearly any other.
The Tenth Espada, for his part, hid his own surprise behind a sneer, matching the other's glare in kind. "What, did I interrupt your nap, Ichigo?" He sneered out the name mockingly, and they caught their breath.
"Something like that," the other said slowly, and they again were shocked to hear him sound so very…normal. The orange-haired man crossed his arms. "So, what's going on here?"
Yammy's cocky grin faded slowly, crag-like brows beetling together. "None of your business, that's what."
"Is that right?"
All present heard the threat in his tone, and the sisters could practically see Yammy's hackles rise. To their unending surprise, he deflated after a moment, snorting. "Whatever. Waste of my damn time."
With that statement he made to walk around the other towards the two, and they shrank back impulsively against the stone – with an unbelievably fast movement, the Fifth Espada took one step closer, right hand pressed against the larger Arrancar's side, and pushed.
With a howl of surprise, Yammy shot into a large dune over fifty feet away like a bullet, disappearing in the ensuing eruption of sand that exploded upwards from the impact.
"Not letting you do what you want is my business," they heard Ichigo – though they were having a difficult time reconciling the normal-sounding name with who stood in front of them – mutter, stalking away after Yammy with another brief glance their way.
They each watched in no small amount of incredulity as Yammy thrashed his way out of the sand, bellowing with rage, and the two collided with the sound of boulders crashing together, the sheer force of it making them shiver.
"I don't know what's going on anymore," the red woman stated, sounding rather shell shocked. Her twin couldn't agree more.
O--O--O
For the first time since he'd awoken in the depths of this world, Ichigo wasn't particularly enjoying a fight.
He growled in annoyance, dodging several wide swipes from Yammy and leaning in to punch at the man's kidney. It didn't have nearly the effect he wanted, and for a brief moment he missed his claws.
I can't even use my zanpakuto yet either, he realized, another wave of irritation sweeping over him. The large blade, apparently more fragile than it should be, was still mending across his back, but he had seen no sign of repair as of yet in the day or two he had been out in the wastes.
Funny how even my damn sword doesn't work right, I'm clearly defective.
The thought distracted him enough that he didn't see a sweeping blow from Yammy, one massive fist slamming into his stomach like a sledgehammer. He felt something in his torso snap with agonizing clarity, and the next thing he knew he was planted solidly in the now-crumbling side of the stone monolith, dust and rubble falling around his head. He coughed painfully, the acrid taste of copper coating his tongue.
Ichigo felt his stomach heal, and through the dust he saw the two Arrancar girls from before, staring up at him in a strange mix of fear and…hope?
Hah…all this power, and it doesn't even matter. I can't even help a couple of-
"Ichi-nii!"
At the sudden memory a ragged breath caught in his throat. One hand curled into a fist and he levered himself forwards out of the stone with a stubborn grunt. Freeing himself, he kicked off from the pillar, a surge of adrenaline hitting his system again.
Even as he caught Yammy by surprise with a flying kick to the temple he couldn't stop an angry scowl slipping out, more at himself than anything else.
The fuck am I doing, he swore, dipping and dodging through a furious barrage of red projectiles Yammy was sending with a flurry of punches – they looked like a tiny cero, fired in the blink of an eye; and, if Yammy wasn't so laughably slow, may have actually had a chance to hit him. With his fury growing, Ichigo whirled past, a knee to the back of the huge Espada's head sending him face-first to the ground – and right into a conveniently placed boulder – with a satisfying crack.
I swore to myself I'd keep fighting, dammit!
Yammy's form swelled by several inches and he roared upwards in rage, swinging wildly, and caught him with a heavy fist. Ichigo managed to block it but the force still sent him skidding back, his arms stinging from the impact.
But what's the fucking POINT…
Yammy lunged, arms stretched out to catch him; with such a inviting wide target, it was the least he could do to let a cero grow in his palm, letting it blast straight into the other's open mouth.
...if I can't WIN?!
Ichigo swore as Yammy caught his ankle, the hand like a vise. He felt the bones there shatter as the other Espada squeezed, a mocking laugh accompanying his pained grimace.
He leapt away with his good leg, the crushed ankle twisting nauseatingly and healing in midair before he landed, and he took a moment to calm himself.
Listen to Nel, relax…letting myself lose control won't get me anywhere…think. What am I missing? What's so different now? I've never struggled like this, and the odds before were way worse…
With a flash, the offhand remarks from his first time meeting Szayelaporro appeared in his mind.
"You resemble a beast already, no reason to fight like one as well. Unless you want to, of course."
Something about the words rang in his mind, and he felt something in his body shift. The sensation was so unexpected he barely noticed Yammy letting loose a cero in his direction, and he tumbled out of the way in a panic.
He knew that sensation.
Focusing only on evasion, Ichigo darted backwards, Yammy pursuing with an angry bellow.
What was that?
He let his attention wane from the fight, searching for the feeling once more, but it wasn't – he nearly stumbled in shock as he realized what it was.
The same feeling back from before he had become a Vasto Lorde.
As he focused, he could picture the same small ember in the center of his Hollow hole; unlike before, the coal seemed to be burning bright, the flames radiating warmth pulsing out in waves like a heartbeat. His brow furrowed in confusion.
Why didn't I notice that before?
He was momentarily distracted as the Tenth Espada rushed him, and he leapt up and off one massive shoulder, soaring away. He barely heard the man roar 'stop running', but he was so absorbed in examining his findings the words hardly registered.
The last time I noticed this, it lead to a huge stepping stone…what am I missing this time?
Yammy once again interrupted, crashing down from above. An angry roar burst out of Ichigo and he landed a single savage punch to the huge Arrancar's upraised arm.
To their surprise, the blocking limb snapped with a sound that made him wince, the bone shattering, and the other Espada skidded backwards while swearing violently.
The sensation in his chest flared in response.
Ichigo glanced at his hand, clenching it slowly.
Hmm.
O--O--O
The Arrancar twins, hiding behind a large piece of stone that had shattered off from the Fifth Espada slamming into the nearby monolith earlier, watched the ongoing fight in awe.
The red-haired woman shook herself uncomfortably as she saw Yammy's arm break. "Why are we still here?!" she whispered, nudging her sister urgently. "We should get out of here while we still can!"
The blue woman was still staring towards the two Espada in the distance and didn't reply for a long moment. "Sister, can you feel that?"
"The feeling that we should have left ages ago?"
"No, no…" she waved away her twin pulling at her gloved hand insistently.
The crimson sister sighed heavily, peeking back over the stone. She squinted, first at Yammy, then at Ichigo. She blinked. "I…I think so? That guy feels different all of a sudden, right?"
"His spiritual pressure, it's…changing."
The two traded an astonished look before peering back over the stone intently, escape forgotten.
O--O--O
The fire emanating from his core had reached the point where Ichigo could barely hold back anymore. A fury unlike any he had felt before raged through his veins, and each hit he landed on Yammy pulverized the surrounding area from the resulting shockwave.
He felt the coal beating faster, and he struggled to keep control with each passing second.
What am I not getting here?!
Something in his head was blocking the heat from spreading any further, he knew that, but it was difficult enough keeping Yammy off of him to try and figure it out and stay composed at the same time.
As he thought that, the coal flared once more, and he nearly choked at the blinding pain that shot through him. He froze, Yammy taking the opening to send him crashing into the sand with a bone-breaking kick.
Ichigo struggled to rise, leaning on one knee heavily as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
This is really…starting…to piss me off…
The coal pulsed again, and he braced himself for the searing pain…but it never came.
The world seemed to freeze, and he experienced a single moment with perfect clarity; and he knew.
Nelliel had taught him that composure, precision, and the controlling of one's emotions was the way to win every fight. And he had agreed, at first; letting his emotions get the better of him had gotten him into a lot of trouble, both now and when he was human.
But that's the problem…I'm fighting like I'm still only human. Like what I'm doing now isn't worth risking everything else for.
The sensation radiating in his Hollow hole condensed itself before slowly seeping out into the rest of his limbs like molten liquid, inch by agonizing inch.
Letting loose may have gotten me into a lot of trouble…but I never could have lived with myself by taking the easy way out.
Several memories from his younger years came flooding back at the thought, and he almost laughed at the way it all seemed so obvious.
There's no reason to think about all that; I'm fighting for so much more now.
Time began to speed up again, and he could see Yammy raise one car-sized fist above him.
No more worrying about the consequences.
Sound began to return, the Tenth Espada's roaring laughter at seeing him kneel booming in his ears.
No more trying to keep myself in check.
Ichigo felt the sword strapped to his back heat up, nearly burning him through its sheath and the fabric in between.
No more ignoring my instincts.
A single word, a name, rose to the surface of his mind; a title he'd never seen, heard, or even thought before. Regardless, it resonated with every particle of his being.
NO MORE.
His eyes, though he couldn't see it himself, shone a bright yellow as he finally raised his head.
"Run wild," he rasped.
O--O--O
The twins watched in horror as Yammy fell upon the kneeling form of the Fifth Espada, his huge fist drilling towards the smaller man. They saw him mutter something just as he raised his head to meet the oncoming blow –
With a movement too fast to see, one arm shot up, catching Yammy's hand with his own; the sand both behind him and to the sides exploded out, the two women nearly blown away even from their distance by the force, and they had to wipe the grit out from around their eyes to see again.
Ichigo hadn't moved an inch.
Yammy let out a pained howl, recoiling as his hand bled from a dozen different points, white hints of bone poking out from shattered fingers. They both stared incomprehensibly, turning back to see the orange-haired man bare his teeth in a chilling smile and whisper a single word.
The sisters screamed in surprise as the desert around them exploded with the sound a bomb going off.
They clung to each other desperately as the sand whipped around in a frenzied storm, the entire area tinged an ominous crimson. The wind eventually settled and they sat back up, almost too scared to look out from their cover. Working up the courage, they peered back out to see a huge cloud of sand and smoke still swirling around like a storm cell. Through the haze they saw the barest flutter of white fabric at the closest edge, whipping away immediately afterwards
They heard several pained grunts from what sounded like Yammy and a small red object shot out of the dust, clattering against the pillar behind them before it stuck into the sand; the huge Espada's zanpakuto, still sheathed.
An instant later the cloud dispersed as a shockwave rippled out to reveal Yammy facing away from them and bent halfway over, audibly retching. The man slowly keeled over backwards and slammed to the ground, kicking up sand from his sheer weight. Before it hid him they saw dozens of deep gashes across his entire body, a painful-looking crater of bruised flesh in the center of his stomach. Ichigo, curiously, was nowhere to be seen.
"Yo."
The two jumped violently in surprise, one releasing a mortifying squeak, and they spun in panic. They glimpsed the barest hint of a long white coat rimmed in a bright red, the ragged edges fluttering down to the ground, and two distinctively angled horns before the shape wavered briefly, resolving back into the familiar form of the Fifth Espada. He glanced over them for several seconds before giving a disarmingly cheery grin, pointing one thumb back over his shoulder towards the distant silhouette of Las Noches.
"C'mon. Let's head back home."
O--O--O
Far away, in the bowels of Las Noches, a dry chuckle was the first to break a suspenseful silence.
"Well well," Ichimaru mused, his typical thin smirk spreading wider as he turned away from the monitors showing an expanse of the desert far outside. "Our little 'White' is all grown up. I think I'm gonna cry."
Tousen, in the opposite corner, mused quietly to himself, while Aizen himself still reclined in a simple chair close enough to have seen the video. An unusual energy flashed through his cold eyes as he looked at a freeze frame of the battle next to their old records from over twenty years prior.
He smiled, and both Tousen and Gin witnessed an excitement there that hadn't been present since long before their exodus from the Seireitei.
"To think that the son of an infected Quincy and a Soul Reaper would become a Hollow after death," he mused, standing slowly. "It seems that my original theory was correct, and he continues to exceed our estimations. How interesting."
Gin glanced back to the screens casually. "Even with that, shouldn't we get someone out there? I thought you had plans for Yammy."
"He is in no mortal danger."
The former Third Captain opened one sky-blue eye in surprise, turning back to inspect the monitors fully. He laughed several moments later. "Color me impressed, so he is still alive."
He looked to Tousen, who appeared equally surprised.
"What a kid," Gin murmured softly, a flash of some unknown emotion flitting over his face as he turned away from the other two. "Scary, scary."
O--O--O
--The Human World, Karakura Town--
The town of Karakura in rural Japan had always been a peaceful place, despite it's more supernaturally inclined nature. Most of the residents lived out their lives without ever knowing that their little town was a hotbed for the spiritual, with the possible exception of the 'renowned' Don Kanonji taking his worldwide tour through recently. They were more concerned with the occasional petty theft or accident; the incident at the Kurosaki Clinic all those months ago was one of the more severe, and many friends and clients of the family had since expressed their condolences for the loss. Since the passing of their eldest son, the two sisters and father had been seen spending much of their time grieving together. Finally though, things had settled back down, the clinic had eventually reopened, the younger siblings resumed their school studies, and the town returned to normal.
As normal as it could be, that is.
O--O--O
Far on the eastern side of town sat a small, traditional Japanese two-story wooden building. For as long as anyone in the town could remember, it had remained a nearly permanent fixture even with the plots around it changing hands and shapes every couple decades.
Despite it being an open shop, most typically forgot it was there, with the exception of some of the neighborhood children who occasionally went in to buy candy. Otherwise, the place almost never had any customers, and for those who remembered it for any longer than a minute typically wondered how it remained in business. The thought always passed though, as did any memory or lasting image of the building other than the firm impression that it should remain undisturbed.
It had the same sign in formal kanji hanging above the entrance as it had since it was first erected: "Urahara Shop."
"Heeey, Yoruiiichiii~"
A casual call was the only sound in the store one quiet afternoon, the sun slowly setting in the distance and turning the sky a beautiful orange-red.
The front door slid open about a foot, a thin, scraggly-haired man wearing a green and white striped bucket hat peeked out, eyes barely visible under the brim.
"Huh, she was just here…"
The man blinked owlishly as he noticed a silhouette in casual clothes appear walking down the street, turning towards the shop. His eyes widened for a brief moment before he grew a slight smile, opening the door wider and stepping out.
He was dressed in a dark green set of clothes, a black coat with a pattern of white diamonds around the hem over the rest. Traditional wooden geta sandals adorned his feet, clanking softly on the dirt as he faced the person approaching. "It's been a long time…Isshin."
The other man stopped a fair distance away, forming a neutral expression as he gazed back. A slight stubble adorned his face, spiky black hair and ruggedly handsome features completing the impression of a fit man in his early forties. Sharp brown eyes inspected the other for a long moment before he snorted rudely. "Well isn't that just perfect. You haven't changed a bit, Urahara."
The owner of the aforementioned shop chuckled at that. "I suppose so. You seem to be doing well, I'm glad."
"Hmph."
Urahara's humor faded and he reached up to remove his hat, holding it to his chest with one hand respectfully. "I'm very sorry to hear about your son."
Isshin's expression tightened for a brief moment before he waved it away. "Yeah. I came to ask you something about that, actually."
"What, you didn't just want to say hello?"
He smiled again at the responding grunt and moved to open his front door wider, gesturing inside.
O--O--O
"So," Urahara drawled, taking a seat on a comfortable-looking cushion across from the other man, who was still standing. "How can I help you?"
Without saying a word, Isshin closed his eyes. A second later his body flashed, splitting in two. His regularly-clothed form fell forwards limply, only to be caught and lowered to the ground. He now stood in the full black shihakusho of a Shinigami, what appeared to be a captain's Haori partially wrapped around his left sleeve, the bottom half fluttering free dramatically. Urahara whistled. "Well, isn't that a sight. Haven't seen you outside of that gigai since we first met."
"Mmh." With another grunt, he turned the false human body over, facing upwards. "As I told you after Masaki passed, the link was still active."
In their first meeting, an unusual black-colored Hollow had attacked both him and Masaki Kurosaki, a Quincy, before being killed. Soon after that, it was revealed to have merged with the woman's soul, and had nearly devoured her; were it not, of course, thanks to Isshin providing his own soul to link to and counter the beast, thereby allowing Masaki to live her life free of its influence.
The events of that day coming easily, Urahara nodded thoughtfully. "We knew at that point the Hollow that originally attacked her had passed on to your son."
Isshin heaved a long breath, finally deciding to sit down as well. "The reason I'm here today is because after…after Ichigo died, those chains were still in place."
The shopkeeper's eyes widened again, darting down to the gigai. Isshin's next statement had him inhaling sharply: "They broke today. Not faded, but snapped."
"And so you regained your Shinigami powers," Urahara finished, eyes focused on something far distant.
Isshin's crossed his arms, letting out a long breath. "I need to know if you can still go through the records from this body."
The other man blinked before smiling slyly. "If you recall, you had me disable all recording functions on this particular gigai a while before you and Masaki got married," he teased.
"You know damn well what I mean," Isshin snapped, glowering.
Urahara ignored the way the Shinigami's face had turned red, smiling to himself. "I can, yes," he said in response. "It will take some time, but I should be able to retrieve all the data about the link itself." He spent several minutes moving the limp construct to the rear of his shop, coming back to see Isshin still seated, an unusually pensive expression on his face as he stared at the floor.
"If I may ask," Urahara said, causing the man to blink as if remembering where he was and glance up. "What do you plan to do with that information? If the Hollow survived?"
Isshin's brow furrowed. "Then it's my duty to put it down. I owe it to my family."
The shopkeep nodded at that, reseating himself before slowly voicing what had been growing at the back of his mind. "And what if, however unlikely, that it's still attached to the soul of your son?"
The Soul Reaper closed his eyes, but the other could still see the tendons in his arms clench.
"Then I'll do what I have to."
O--O--O
--Hueco Mundo, Las Noches--
Nel had to repress a grin at the sight of Ichigo leaning forwards in his seat, left hand planted on one knee, right propping up his chin on the other. His expression was fixed in a truly impressive scowl, and one of his orange eyebrows was twitching every few seconds.
He was flanked by two unfamiliar women.
Nel had inspected the two nearly identical female Arrancar as they had followed close on the heels of her erstwhile protégé not two minutes before, but she still found it hard not to glance between them curiously. Bracing herself so as not to burst out laughing at Ichigo's ongoing irritation, she cleared her throat. "Now then. You two are…?"
"Yin, milady," the cobalt-colored one on the Espada's right said, hands clasped in front of her as she bowed respectfully.
"Yang, milady," the crimson girl followed, mimicking her twin perfectly.
Don't laugh, don't laugh…Nel had to remind herself as Ichigo's eyebrow picked up it's pace on his forehead. "And why are you here?"
Rising from their bows, the two – she had to assume they were sisters, there was no other explaining their similarities – traded a look before nodding to each other and facing forwards once more.
"We owe the Fifth Espada our lives," Yin said, taking the lead.
"We cannot simply ignore that debt," Yang finished.
"And I said," Ichigo ground out, very visibly trying to keep his cool, "that you didn't have to worry about that. Or about Yammy."
The Seventh Espada's lips parted in surprise; she, along with most likely the majority of the residents in Las Noches, had felt the presence of the largest member of the Espada leaving the palace earlier that day and the later massive eruption of Ichigo's spiritual pressure from somewhere far out in the desert, but she hadn't quite put the two together quite yet.
The calm expression Yin wore faded, a worried frown forming as she turned her gaze to Ichigo. "I would agree, milord-"
"Don't call me that."
"-but," she continued determinedly, her blue-rimmed eyes narrowing slightly, "I believe you left that lunatic alive."
Ichigo went to say something, but couldn't seem to get the words out. He finally deflated and looked away from her judging stare. "Well yeah, I already kinda killed one Espada..." he muttered sheepishly.
Yang nodded, her expression full of regret. "Due to that, we are no longer safe in Hueco Mundo."
"Except of course," her sister followed with impeccable timing, "by your side, milord."
The double-teaming had Ichigo wilting slightly, though they managed to catch a mumbled 'don't call me that' as his head drooped.
Nel hid her chuckle behind a delicate cough at the display; she already liked these two.
"In that case, Ichigo," she declared, repressing a satisfied tone at being able to finally enforce her next words, "I believe you should take responsibility for your…inactions, as it were. However well-intentioned." Her true motive still colored her voice ever so slightly, and Ichigo looked back up to glare at her.
"I know what you're doing," he accused, jabbing one finger in her direction.
"What, making sure that two exemplary Arrancar are protected from Yammy? You know as well as I do that the man does what he pleases."
At the word 'exemplary', the twins sent her grateful looks. Ichigo, for his part, resumed his previous pose – this time, both of his eyebrows started twitching. He muttered something incomprehensible.
"…What was that?"
Audibly grumbling, the orange-haired Arrancar closed his eyes in exasperation. "Fine. You two can stick around."
Yin and Yang – how well their names fit still amused her – grew a matching pair of brilliant smiles.
An instant later Pesche entered the the room from behind, remarking, "Oh good, a proverbial leash! Good luck keeping him out of trouble, this one attracts problems like a magnet."
Nel couldn't resist any more – she nearly fell out of her chair laughing.