a/n - Hey guys, have a chapter thanks for reading =)
Moll slapped Layne as hard as she could, the sound reverberating around the cramped room
The action spoke volumes about just how pissed off she was, Layne had nearly been killed a few times today and she could still muster enough anger to slap him hard enough to leave a large pink handprint on his left cheek
"I can't fucking believe you… there's a psychopathic killer clone of me running around, and you and Joel didn't tell me because fucking Urahara, a man who's judgement we question daily… asked you not to? What in the world were you thinking you fucking idiot"
"He asked me not to" Layne replied lightly "I actually got it, I was taking it pretty hard, it's not like it's a psychopathic clone of me running around"
"I… don't know Layne, we're friends, I can't believe you wouldn't trust me with the fact that there's a mirror of me running around with an axe to grind"
"It was my problem… if it wanted to grind its axe in you, you'd be the first to know… but it's pretty determined for my blood"
"Fuck you" Moll snapped, leaping to her feet "Just for this, I'm declaring our friendship suspended until you can treat me like a fucking equal again, Let me know when our friendship means anything to you again, I'm headed back to the Soul Society, At least I mean something to the people there.
Layne watched her go sadly, but rightly concluding that speaking up would mean that he would get slapped again
Urahara watched Moll storm out of Layne's front door and transfer over into a Hell Butterfly and head back to the Soul Society
Nearby, Ikkaku and Yumichika were being tended to by Tessai and Ururu, A battle more formidable than the one they had with Luppi
Hitsugaya listened to the various shouts of combat medicine and shook his head
"I swear, those guys are obnoxious wherever they are"
"Captain…" Matsumoto said, returning from an errand
"Have you gotten in contact with the Soul Society?"
Matsumoto nodded
Rukia's spirit phone dialed out, beeping in her ear until she removed it in disappointment
"It's strange that it won't connect to Inoue… I wonder if some kind of interference from the battles yesterday might be causing that"
Rukia glanced over at Ichigo's unconscious form, lying on his bed
The amazing part was how easily Isshin, Karin and Yuzu had accepted Rukia's stammered explanation
"Ichigo must get beaten up a lot at school" Rukia considered, thinking a bit further to when the Vizard had tracked Ichigo and Layne down and attempted to heal them
"This is the best I can do… my powers aren't healing as such… more like a time regression. I need to specify a certain point of regression… but Ichigo's and Layne's reiatsu's are mixed in with the Arrancar they fought… I've done what I've can, but now they need to be away from people who have hollow like reiatsu, like ourselves"
Rukia had complied, and taken Layne back to his house under Urahara's shop, and Ichigo back to his own house
"Dammit Ichigo" Rukia whispered, glaring at him has he slept "Just who the hell were those guys… and what kind of power are you and Layne trying to obtain, why did the Arrancar leave when they could've destroyed us, I just, don't, understand… I think I need some fresh air, I'm talking to myself… I'm going to go outside"
Rukia got up and left
At the same moment that Rukia shut the door, Orihime walked through the wall
"Okay… here we go"
Orihime glanced around Ichigo's room
"I'm really here" she whispered to herself, before staring at Ichigo and thinking to herself
You know, I really wanted to say goodbye to a lot of people, like Tatsuki-chan and Sado-kun and Ishida-kun and Trell-kun and Kuchiki-san… but here I am
She knelt down and grasped his hand, trembling slightly and then more and more, as she leaned in closer… and closer, until she stopped, the tears streaming down her face as she whispered
"I… just can't do it"
Orihime chuckled a little to herself as she stood up, wiping the tears from her face and leaning against the wall
"I'm so terrible, this is the end and I go and try for something like that"
Orihime sighed and stared up at the ceiling
"Oh Kurosaki-kun… I had so much that I wanted to do, I wanted to be a teacher, an astronaut, open a cake store, go to a donut store and say give me everything you have… go to an ice cream store and tell them to give me everything that they have"
Orihime looked back at Ichigo and continued, sadness coloring her voice
"If only I had five lives, then I could be from five different places, pig out on five different types of food, have five different jobs and I could… fall in love with the same person five times"
Orihime smiled sadly at Ichigo's unconscious form before turning to leave through the wall
"Thank you Kurosaki-kun… Goodbye"
Layne stood up from his bed and flexed, suddenly feeling a surge of energy which completely eliminated all the pain he had been in
After dropping down and doing thirty pushups he rolled over and noticed that the clothes he was in had some small blood drops, so panicking a bit, thinking he'd reopened a wound he quickly ripped off his shirt, only to notice that he was completely healed all over
"Man what in the world is happening to me" he muttered to himself "Not twelve hours ago I was at death's door, now I'm in better shape than I was before the fight"
Ichigo hit the floor headfirst as he tumbled out of bed
"What the…" he croaked sleepily "Did I just fall out of bed because I was having a nightmare… that's so lame"
He brought a hand to his head
Man my head hurts like…
His thought train trailed off because he noticed that his hand was completely and utterly healed, not a scratch on it
"It's…like new"
Ichigo brought it back to his head, concentrating as hard as he could in attempting to identify the reiatsu involved in the healing
"This reiatsu is…"
"Most likely from Inoue Orihime" Hitsugaya said from the window, in full shinigami form, his haori and hair slightly blowing in the breeze
"Come with me Kurosaki, this is an emergency"
Ikkaku, Yumichika, Joel, Renji, Layne and Rukia were watching the entrance of Orihime's bedroom as Ichigo and Hitsugaya walked in, they all nodded to them in acknowledgement of their arrival
"How's the interference removal going?" Hitsugaya asked Matsumoto, who was watching the hugeass TV set in the corner
"It appears to be finished" she replied distractedly, glancing back at him
"Good, connect us then"
Everyone directed their attention to the screen, which fizzled a bit and then Ukitake shimmered into existence.
"Taicho?" Joel and Rukia muttered questioningly
From their reaction and Hitsugaya's next words Ichigo gathered they hadn't been expecting him
"Ukitake… wheres the Soutaicho?"
"I'm taking his place" Ukitake answered solemnly
"For what reason?" Hitsugaya replied, narrowing his eyes
"Because I was one of the last person to see Orihime Inoue, before she entered the Senkai Gate"
The words hit the room like a hammer, everyone's expression changing to one of shock,
"Judging from your reactions" Ukitake continued, "She didn't arrive at your end"
"No…just Moll" Layne said, whirling around to Hitsugaya "You knew about this didn't you?"
Hitsugaya betrayed nothing… and in that Layne knew that he was right, but he bit his tongue as Ichigo spoke up
"…What's going on Ukitake-san… where did Inoue go, you guys know something about this… don't you?"
"I'll tell you what we think" Ukitake said "Third Seat Rone returned alive, and she believe that Orihime Inoue was either abducted… or killed by the Arrancar
"Ukitake-taichou" Rukia shouted at the screen
"I know I know" Ukitake said sadly "I didn't want to say it, but we need to talk about possible explanations, Third Seat Rone said they were confronted by an Arrancar and he threw her out of the soul currents, leaving Orihime Inoue with the Arrancar"
Ichigo clenched his fist and everyone noticed the sudden anger colouring his reiatsu
"Don't give me that bullshit!" He yelled "You're just saying she's dead without any proof, don't say shit like that whenever the hell you want!"
He held his fist up, close to the screen
"Look at this, my wrist was fucked up during yesterday's battle, no one could heal it, but when I got up this morning it was gone without any trace, and there's still some of Inoue's reiatsu in it… If you still think she died after this…"
"I see" a second voice replied behind Ukitake, softly yet sternly "That is unfortunate"
Ichigo stopped yelling as Yamamoto appeared next to Ukitake
"Soutaicho-dono…" Rukia muttered
"Just…what do you mean by unfortunate" Ichigo asked
"If your story is correct, then Orihime Inoue is still alive… but her actions suggest betrayal, if she had been abducted against her will, she would not have been allowed to see you again, to reiterate, the fact that she healed your wound and then vanished means that she joined the Arrancar of her own volition"
"That's craz-" Ichigo began shouting, when he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder
On his left was Renji
"Stop, you'll just make it worse if you keep talking" Renji said to Ichigo
And then to Yamamoto
"I understand this situation Soutaicho Yamamoto, and from here on out, I, Renji Abarai will go to Hueco Mundo in order to open the eyes of the traitor Orihime Inoue"
As he said this Renji turned and gave small smile to Ichigo
"Renji…" Ichigo whispered
"I forbid it!" Yamamoto declared, slamming his walking stick on the ground for extra emphasis "Now that we know that the Arrancar are preparing for war, all members of Hitsugaya's Advance Guard are to return and assist in the defense of the Soul Society"
"Does that mean…you're abandoning Inoue?" Rukia spoke up
"There is no point in weighing one life against the entire world"
"With all due respect Soutaicho" Rukia replied "I cannot obey that order"
"I expected this, and I'm glad I prepared for it" Yamamoto replied, as the sky darkened and a Senkai Gate opened behind everyone, sliding open to reveal Byakuya and Kenpachi
"Chh, that's how it is" Kenpachi said, "Get going you lot"
"Do not resist" Byakuya added "We have orders to use force if required"
Ikkaku, Yumichika, Hitsugaya, Joel and Matsumoto immediately entered the gate, but Rukia and Renji lingered behind
Ichigo stared at the ground for a second before speaking
"…I get it… I won't ask the Soul Society for help, but at least tell me how to get into Hueco Mundo, Inoue is my friend… I'll go and save her myself"
"I forbid it" Yamamoto repeated "Your power will be needed in the upcoming battle, I cannot allow you to act selfishly and then die meaninglessly, Stand by until you receive further orders"
The screen winked out and Ichigo slumped to the ground
"Ichigo…I'm so sorry" was Rukia's last words as she disappeared through the gate
Ichigo beat the ground with his fist, and then rounded on Layne
"So why didn't Moll tells us about this" he snarled, the full force of his anger being blasted at its only outlet
"You were unconscious jerkwad" Layne replied, seemingly calmly "I'm more pissed off that she didn't mention this to me, this highly insignificant event which means literally nothing at all to us"
Layne's sarcasm seemed to cool Ichigo down a little
"I guess… we'll just have to beat Aizen, and wait to save her" he growled, punching the wall, before exiting Orihime's room
Layne shook his head and thought to himself
You couldn't be any more transparent if you tried
Shinji was washing a cloth in a tap, when Lisa approached him
"Shouldn't you be training with Layne?" he asked
"He hasn't come back yet" Lisa replied, shrugging
"Shinjiiiii!" Mashiro shouted as she ran up to them, holding up a small bundle of something "Someone left this outside!"
"What is it?" Shinji asked
"Dunno" Mashiro replied
"Don't pick up strange things and bring them in here" Shinji said with a sweatdrop
Lisa poked through the bundle and extracted a bandage
"Washed bandages? From Ichigo?" Shinji wondered as he took a look "Why would he go to the trouble?"
Shinji and Lisa caught sight of the word written on it
"Thanks"
They glanced at each other
"Those fuckwits"
"Ichigo!"
Tatsuki shouted his name as he walked through the schoolyard with Keigo and Mizuiro
Layne, Chad, Uryuu and Orihime had been the only absentees that day
She walked up to him and grabbed him by the collar
"Where's Orihime?" she demanded
Ichigo attempted to feign no knowledge
"Why would you ask me?"
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT SHIT!" she erupted and slammed him against a window "I felt her presence disappear yesterday, and I looked everywhere for her"
"Why are you asking me?!" Ichigo repeated
"Do you really think… that I don't know anything" Tatsuki replied softly "I've seen you… and that new guy Trell in black kimono's… I've seen Ishida's weird outfit and that thing on Chad's arm… and all of you fighting with those things… enough already Ichigo, tell me everything that you've been hiding from me"
Ichigo watched her and made his choice
"It's… none of your business"
Tatsuki punched his head through the window, shattering it
"Arisawa!" exclaimed Keigo and Mizuiro rushing forwards
Keigo grabbed Tatsuki and held her back, while Mizuiro rushed to Ichigo's side
Ichigo wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand
"What… the hell?"
"WHAT AM I TO YOU!" Tatsuki shouted at him "AREN'T I YOUR FRIEND, YOUR ALLY… the one who's seen you through so many hard times… you don't… hide stuff from people like that"
Tatsuki leant forward in Keigo's grip and appeared to give up
Ichigo picked himself up and shoved his hands into his pockets
"Kiego… Mizuiro, take care of Tatsuki… and do me a favor, Don't associate with me from now on"
Ichigo stalked off, leaving Keigo, Mizuiro and Tatsuki to watch him
The night had fallen, and Ichigo walked up to the Urahara store alone
Urahara was outside, smoking from his pipe
"Welcome, I was just thinking it was time you showed up… Kurosaki-san"
"Why would you think that?" Ichigo replied
"You think I know… the way to Hueco Mundo, and this confirms it"
Urahara turned around and slid open the shop door
"Come on, the preparations are finished"
As they walked, Urahara talked
"I feared that Aizen may have been gunning for Inoue's abilities from the start, so I attempted to remove her from the battle, but I was too late, I took her feelings into the equation and didn't hide her away fast enough… That's why; I intend to do everything I can to help now"
"Is that ok though?" Ichigo replied "You'll be disobeying the Soul Society"
"In one way or another, I've been disobeying them from the start; it's why I'm here"
They walked in silence for about a minute and Ichigo attempted to see if there were any signs of life from Layne's house out of habit
Of course there won't be… he should be with the Vizard
"That's a pretty long face… Kurosaki" Uryuu spoke up from atop a nearby pillar
"Ishida? Why are you here?" Ichigo asked, surprised
"Isn't it obvious" Chad spoke walking out from behind another pillar "To go to Hueco Mundo"
"What, did you think you were going alone?" Layne added, appearing from a third pillar, clothed in his street clothes, a black, brown and cream flanno over a black shirt which had the Green Lantern symbol on the front. Blue jeans and white runners rounded out the ensemble.
"Chad… Layne…"
"Urahara-san told us the news, and we're coming too" Chad explained
Ichigo's expression hardened
"Ishida… Chad… Layne, I appreciate the sentiment, but you guys can't… not with your power"
"Ichigo!" Chad shouted, forming a differently shaped Right Arm of the Giant, and punching Zangetsu, which Ichigo brought up to block just in time
His reiatsu scattered, causing a large explosion
When most of the smoke cleared, the tip of Chad's fist was still smoking
"Is my power… still not enough? Ichigo"
"Ichigo" Layne growled, attracting Ichigo's attention
"You jackass, I bet you thought you were being clever and sneaky when we were at Orihime's earlier"
As a point in fact Ichigo had, but he didn't want to admit it and make himself look stupid
Layne continued, drawing one of his zanpakuto and twirling around idly
"Believe in us Ichigo, don't be so stupid to think you need to bear this burden alone"
"That is what friends are for" Chad added
"Yes, yes" Urahara said, clapping as Layne sheathed his Zanpakuto and dispersed his mask "Are you all ready then?"
The four of them turned to look at Urahara, their determination reflected in their expressions
At last, it seems you are
On the other side of Chad's and Uryuu's pillars were two wooden beams that poked out from the rock
Urahara jumped up onto one of them and began reciting
"In my right hand I hold the stone that connects the worlds; In my left hand I hold the blade that binds existence…"
Ichigo, Ishida, Chad and Layne all glanced at each other and nodded
Ichigo whispered to Layne "Where's your shinigami uniform"
Layne grinned and whispered back "Lisa showed me how to get normal clothes in this, It won't change how I fight, but damned if I don't feel a lot better like this"
Urahara finished his incantation and opened at large oval shaped power between the two beams
"This is a Garganta, there is no path… just a turbulent flow of reishi, if you head towards the darkness you should find Hueco Mundo"
"Understood… Urahara-san, Please take care of my family, and tell them nice things so they don't worry about me."
"And your friends?"
"I'll apologize to them… when we bring Orihime back"
Layne buttoned up his flanno and adjusted his sleeves, as Chad flexed his arms and Uryuu pushed his glasses back up his face
Ichigo looked at the ground and then the Garganta
"Let's go"
With a gigantic leap, the four of them disappeared into it, and Urahara closed the gaping maw behind them.
a/n - There we go, hope you enjoyed the much shorter post period between last chapter and this one, heh