Chapter 2:

The calmness around him contrasted sharply with the turmoil raging within. After the senkaimon closed over his sons face, Isshin had opened another one. He ran through the dangai desperately searching for his son. He reached the other side of the gate, startling the shinigami there. He looked frantically around, not so much as taking in the injured who were gathered. Not noticing their bewildered looks. He had eyes only for Ichigo, who was not seen, who was not found.

Urahara approached Isshin, worry etched clearly on his face. "What's wrong? Where's Ichigo? Where's Aizen?" it was then that the flustered Father felt the weight of many eyes upon him. He hesitated cursing himself for letting the worry over his son cloud the objective: stopping Aizen. Not wanting to alarm any of his wounded comrades any more than he already had Isshin motioned for Kisuke and Yoruichi to follow him. He turned and found the Captain Commander Yamamoto walking his way with a steady stride despite his bloodied body. His vise captain following closely behind.

"Report."

And despite the fact that Isshin had not been apart of the Gotei 13 for many years he felt himself snap to attention. "When Ichigo and I entered the dangai it seemed as if the koutotsu had vanished. So thinking that we could use this to our advantage I instructed Ichigo to stop so that he could train with his zanpakuto to learn the final getsuga tenshou. I used the kaikyo kotei technique to stop the flow of kouryu so that Ichigo could accomplish this. But I was wrong. I had to snap Ichigo out of his meditations when I sensed it coming. I was not quick enough and passed out due to my low reitsu levels. It's my fault." Here Isshin's voice hitched only slightly, "I slowed my son down. When I woke I was alone in Karakura town with a senkaimon closing before me."

Yamamoto closed his eyes as Isshin finished. Burdened by this news, burdened more so by what t meant; what he was going to have to tell the child's father who stood before him, "since we do not know the full extent of the ability the kotoutsu hold we must assume the worst." Isshin knew this already, but it did not make the blow anymore bearable. In fact, it seemed as if hearing the words aloud made it that much more real. "As for us, we need to go to Karakura town as swiftly as possible. Pray that Aizen has not already had his way." Yamamoto turned to Captian Unohana to discuss the number of injured. Everything was back to business and Isshin set his shoulders. He had two other children to protect after all. He would mourn later, if he had the time.

Yamamoto was now talking to the available captains. Creating a battle plan. Isshin walked over to offer what help he could. Although he had next to no reitsu left he was able to help gather all the injured and began to bandage their wounds while Yoruichi recruited all of those who had enough strength in them to follow Aizen.

In the midst of this bustle and confusion yet another gate opened in the skies of soul society above the tenkai kezzu town. Out dropped the whole party of shinigami and friends who had gone to Hueco mundo. A few of the shinigami on the ground shielded their eyes to look up at their falling comrades. A small cheer went up from the few who knew and cared. For among them one stood out in particular. Her long auburn hair flowing up behind her. Oruhime Inoue had been saved. Isshin wished his heart could be lightened by the sight of his son's friends back and safe. He could not bring himself to give them the news when they landed.

Without being asked to Oruhime quickly made her way over towards the cluster of more severely wounded and began healing them. Isshin watched as Captain Kuchiki walked brusquely over to head Commander Yamamoto, to give his report no doubt. Among all the familiar faces was the unfamiliar visage of a little girl, and Isshin had to double take. A little aarancar apparently. For there was a mask covering the top of her head, with green hair sticking out from under it in tufts. He heard her loud complaint of "whereth Ichigo?" and the older man lowered his head, buried in his work of bandaging once again. The work could not keep the thoughts of his son out however. How naturally Ichigo made friends. How many nakama he had. How many of them would have traded places with him. Hanataro broke the man out of his solitary musings, offering his slight services in healing.

While Isshin was torturing himself Yamamoto pulled Unohana aside, to assess the damage. She looked him in the eyes, one of the few beings who felt perfectly comfortable doing so. What dwelt within their depths was sadness and a great responsibility that he had to shoulder, what they all had to shoulder in order for the world to continue.

"Yamamoto, it is not looking good. The party that has come back from hueco mundo are probably the least injured and most capable to go in pursuit of Aizen at this time. Though they lack severe injuries, their reitsu levels are low" he was nodding as she spoke.

"See what you can do about the reitsu levels. We will be departing for the living world shortly." She nodded and called upon her bankai.

BREAKBREAKBREAK

When Ichigo woke he knew that something was wrong. First of all he was underwater and for a moment he flailed in panic, until he realized he was breathing, and there was a city scape around him. He took in these surreal surroundings and realized where he was. This epiphany did not alleviate his worries, but doubled them. Why was he here?

"Something is wrong."

Letting out a sound akin to a squeal Ichigo spun around. Panning his eyes around the empty buildings, trying to find the course of the well recognized voice. Someone stepped on his head, and he raised his glare, to discover Zangetsu, who stood above him scanning the horizon as well with impassive eyes. Standing right next to him was—"

"You!"

Shiro sneered down at Ichigo only briefly, but the weariness in his posture did not alter. Ichigo shifted out of his own fighting stance and looked between his sword and his inner hollow in confusion.

"What's going on?" neither of them answered his question. So he thought back to the last thing he remembered and paled. "the koutetsu had been closing in on me… my dad, my dad made it safely to Karakura town, "Ichigo shut his eyes against the surfacing memory of his father's face right before the gate shut, "so I guess the ko—"

"We are in a different world." Despite Zangetsu's young appearance, his voice was just as gravelly.

"What?" once again no one answered him, "I guess I made it back. Am I just passed out?"

"No dumbass," Shiro spat, "Didncha just here him?"

"Yeah!" Ichigo's patience was running out, "but I have no idea what he means!"

"You don't know nuthin bout nuthin do you?" Shiro sighed and rolled his eyes.

Growing sick of the company he was currently in Ichigo strove to wake himself up from this ridiculous nightmare.

But he couldn't, there was a weight that pushed him back down.

"What the…?" he mumbled to himself.

"Now you feel it for yourself Ichigo." For the first time Zangetsu cast his eyes towards Ichigo and he felt the first tendril of fear. Yes. This was the wrongness that had set him on edge. Shiro had moved down, and now stood next to Ichigo.

"No one knows what happens when a shinigami is caught by the koutetsu because no one has survived to tell the tale."

Ichigo looked his hollow in the eye. He had just assumed that he would die. This was the spark of hope that Ichigo clung to.

Zangetsu had also lowered himself to Ichigo's level. "When you wake you will to a world that you do not know. Be cautious, I don't know if I will be able to materialize—"

"What!"

"Calm yourself, eventually, once I have become used to this strange worlds pressure. You will be able to call me as usual, it will take time. Patience is needed."

Ichigo was silent in thought for a few moments. Then looked up to the sky above the water and sighed. "There's no use, if I'm going to wake up in a crazy upside down world it wont be any different that when I learned about the existence of hollows and soul society." He looked to his hollow now with a mischievous smile on his face. "But no one said I had to just sit around and do nothing while I wait."

His hollow smiled back at him.

BREAKBREAKBREAK

Harry had dumped the unknown boy indiscriminately on the couch in the living room and he found it quite impressive that the boy slept through the ensuing chaos. Vernon yelling and Petunia sobbing, owl after owl flying in and dropping their letters hither to, the howler, Dudley puking. He found it strange that neither his aunt nor his uncle said anything about the stranger. They didn't seem to notice him at all.

Harry's temper slowly boiled to the surface, and drove the orange haired youth from his thoughts.

"YOU HEARD YOUR AUNT NOW GET TO BED!"

Harry stood for a moment in ringing silence. His indignation turned swiftly to rage as he clenched his fists tightly over his wand. He spun on his heel without a backward glance. Once he got to his room he ripped some parchment into three pieces and wrote hurriedly on each:

"I've just been attacked by dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here."

He tapped impatiently on the bars of Hedwig's cage. She had been asleep with her head under her wing and as Harry rattled her cage she ruffled her feathers and clicked her beak at him in annoyance.

"I've got work for you!" Harry snapped. He tied the parchment to her leg, "Peck them until they can write me a decent reply." She took flight, one of her wings cuffing him harshly around the ears as she wheeled out the window.

As Harry watched her silhouette grow smaller and smaller against the night sky his guilt grew and was added onto the other emotions. He fell carelessly onto his bed, unable to even think of sleep.

A short time passed when he heard movement downstairs. He went to his door and stepped out. Creeping along the hallway he looked down, Aunt Petunia was in her light jacket, holding a still shivering Dudley up. Uncle Vernon was getting the keys.

"Where are you going?"

Vernon sneered up at his unwanted nephew. "We are taking Dudley to see a Doctor." Without explaining further the door slammed.

Not sure if not having their company made the situation worse or not Harry realized that it mattered little either way. Because he was still trapped at number 4 private drive. He went slowly back to his room and fell lifeless onto the bed. The energy drained from him along with his anger. Just a lethargic torment remained, eating away at his thoughts.

The shadows shifted gradually as the moon crossed the sky. Every small sound was clearly heard in the near empty house.

So when a crash sounded from the kitchen below Harry was shocked into a sitting position before he had even noticed his body's movement. Another crash resounded up the stairs and through the hallway, followed by muffled voices. Harry quickly grabbed his wand and went to the doorway. There was silence on the other side and Harry felt that the loudest thing in the whole house was his quickened heartbeat which drummed a staccato rhythm within his rib cage. More noise was heard and it became clear to Harry that whoever was down there wasn't even trying to hide their presence.

He backed away from the door and pointed his want at the lock, his mind made up and a resolute look upon his face. Before a spell could even enter his mind the door blew inwards with a flash of magic.

Standing in the doorway lighted briefly by his spell stood Remus Lupin. More gray hairs silvered his hair and his clothes had never been quite this ragged before. Harry didn't lower his wand, the light faded, leaving an after image. "How do I know you're Remus Lupin."

Remus smiled proudly at his student. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Harry's shoulders sagged slightly with relief and he lowered his wand. Remus strode forward and folded Harry into a hug. He then held the boy an arms length away, scrutinizing his face. "How do I know you're Harry Potter?" he asked teasingly. Harry pushed him away with a smile. But his accompanying laugh was brought up short as a serious look crossed the ex-professor's face, "Harry we have to hurry. We're here to take you away—"

"Well I should hope so!"

"There is an advanced guard waiting downstairs for us, all apart of… well we'll explain that later" Lupin looked around the messy room, "we've got to get your stuff packed."

"Are we going to the burrow?" Harry asked, bending over to pick up some clothes.

Lupin flicked his wand almost lazily and Harry's belongings danced across the room to flop lifeless into his trunk. "No the burrow isn't safe, we're taking you to the headquarters of the O—"

"OI!" a harsh whisper cut through the conversation impatiently and Harry found himself disappointed. The gruff voice had sounded from downstairs. He stuck his head out the doorway. There was the glow of wandlight at the bottom of the stairs and Harry heard the low murmur of more voices. "What is taking so long? Is the boy up there or was it an ambush?" the voice was vaguely familiar to Harry.

"Professor Moody?"

"Not likely boy, didn't do much teaching did I?"

"I guess not."

"We can explain everything later, Lupin I need you down here right now!"

Behind Harry Lupin whispered "Locomotor trunk." He held his wand steady as he moved behind the floating trunk. Harry followed close behind eagerly, curiosity driving his legs.

"Harry you need to grab Hedwig's cage." Lupin said, smiling.

"Oh!" Harry spun on his heels, feeling only a small twinge of guilt for having almost forgotten it. He ran out of his room and was about to launch himself off the fourth stair up in his excitement, but paused, momentarily when he heard the whispers. Harry couldn't quite grasp their meaning so, while holding the cage with both hands so there would be no telltale jangle of metal bars. He crept his way down the stair until the whispers became words.

"… but what should we do with him?" questioned a female's voice that Harry did not recognize.

"Well obviously we obliviate him just in case and leave him here, let the muggles take care of their own." Another voice Harry didn't recognize.

"No, we don't even know if he's seen anything, obliviating him unnecessarily—" that was Lupin.

"We're taking him with us." Harry recognized that voice, it was mad-eye. Inquisitiveness sent Harry around the corner as quietly as he could. He was surprised that Mad-eye hadn't spotted him yet.

Witches and wizards both known and not, one even with brightly colored spiky hair stood around the couch on which the stranger slept.

Harry found it strange that the Dursleys had not kicked him out into the street, since Harry was the last thing they wanted in their home and unknown teenager with street dirt all over him would be second to last thing.

Moody was right in front of Harry and his grotesque profile revealed the face that Harry had come to know in his last year at Hogwarts. Even though it hadn't been Moody himself.

A chill went down Harry's spine. The light blue eye, which was usually rolling chaotically around its socket, was fixated on the boy on the couch with an intensity.

"I'm sorry what?" the girl with the pink hair cocked her head to the side. No one was looking at the boy anymore, but instead at Mad-eye.

"We're taking him with us because, despite appearances, the boy is not human—"

The others went to oppose him and question him, two, a tall black man and the pink haired woman shared a look in which she rolled her eyes heavenward, but Lupin had spotted Harry, who set his body at once into motion so he wouldn't appear to be eavesdropping.

"Sorry it took me so long, its been awhile since I've cleaned out her cage."

"Its okay, we're still waiting for the all clear. Harry this is Mad-eye…."

"Moody… yeah." Harry shifted uncomfortably, he had thought he had known this same man for a year, and being re-introduced to him lent an awkwardness to the short silence. Multiplied by the fact that once again the magical eye was roving seemingly uncontrollably. Harry averted his gaze, not wanting to get dizzy.

"Right," Lupin continued the introductions, and as Harry looked around at all the faces he wished he was still looking upon moody's eye, because it was the only eye in the room that wasn't focused avidly on his scar. Suddenly he was very self-conscious and he fought the urge to pull his bangs lower over his forehead.

"This is Nymphadora—"

"Just call me Tonks!"

"Tonks, who would prefer if you called her by her surname-"

"You'd want to as well if you're fool mother had saddled you with Nymphadora…"

"And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt—" the tall black wizard bowed, his bald head glistening momentarily in the wands light. "Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle," Harry smiled at him, "We've met." Diggle nodded vigorously. "Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore, and Hestia Jones." Harry nodded to each in turn. Taken slightly aback by the amount of people who had come simply too escort him to this "headquarters."

Harry opened his mouth, but was almost instantly cut off by Moody, "We have no time to talk, and its not safe here to do so anyways." The grumpy man stalked off towards the kitchen, the others followed suit. Kinglsey had grabbed the boy. Moody was looking out the window.

"We're waiting for the 'all clear,'" Lupin explained.

"How are we getting there?"

"By broom."

Harry smiled at the prospect, and rather enjoyed the gasps his nimbus elicited when he pulled out of his trunk.

"I'll have to cast the disillusionment charm on you Harry" Lupin took out his wand.

"The dissolution—what now?" Lupin chuckled.

"Your invisibility cloak won't stay on you while we're flying."

The magic felt strange as it oozed down his body, and the affect it had made him slightly dizzy as he passed his hand in front of his face.

Lupin had walked over to the boy and was busy casting the same charm on him.

But it wasn't working.

Again Lupin tapped the orange hair and muttered the magic word. The effect of the spell rippled over the boy's body. But it did not last.

The adults in the room muttered.

Lupin walked back over to Harry, a perplexed look on his face. Behind him Harry saw Hestia and Emmeline attempting to spell as well, with the same conclusion.

"it looks like we may have to borrow your invisibility cloak regardless." Lupin sighed and looked over to Mad-eye, whose back was turned but Harry was sure his posture had stiffened. Harry quickly dug in his trunk until the familiar smooth texture greeted his fingers.

"Sure." He said, handing it to Lupin. "But didn't you say if wouldn't stay on—"

"There's the first signal, get ready everyone." Growled Moody.

Harry watched the process as they cast ropes around Shacklebolt and the boy wondering at what Moody had said.

Once the spells were in place Lupin and Tonks threw the cloak over him, casting more ropes into existence. Moody and most of the other had their gazes on the sky. Harry looked up too.

"Could have done with a bit more cloud cover."Moody mumbled to himself, a sour look on his already perpetually scowling face. He turned to Harry, "we're going to be flying in close formation. Tonks will take point, keep close on her tail, Lupin will be directly below while I'm bringing up the rear, the rest will be circling."

While Harry listened to Mad-eyes contingency plans should any of them die Harry felt a twinge of guilt. The boy, whom he had nothing to do with, was being put into danger because of Harry.

Lupin patted him on the back as they mounted their brooms. "Don't worry Harry, you know how paranoid Alastor is."

Harry did not feel better.

An array of green sparks showered from the sky. Moody signaled them up.

Harry kicked off from the soft grass, the night wind whipped his hair back and he forgot his worries and burdens. For a second it was as if he had left them back on earth. His laughter was lost to the winds.

His excitement and happiness just aimed him through the first half of the trip but the cold sapped his warmth and his tired bones seemed to grind against one another as he attempted to find a comfortable position.

Finally they started their descent. They landed in a grungy London street, garbage piled over the can onto the sidewalk. The smell that greeted Harry overwhelmed all his other senses. He flexed his fingers attempting to work some warmth back into them.

Before he could turn to check on Shacklebolt and the boy Moody shoved a folded piece of paper under his nose.

BREAKBREAKBREAK

Aizen had felt, while trapped in his inner world, the Hougyoku rip itself out of his body and soul. Aizen had felt the loss of its will, and dealt with the emptiness it had left behind.

Now he felt its unique energy signature, pulsing like a heartbeat. He felt it, but he could not pinpoint it.