A.N: Ok, so I updated pretty fast. That was cuz I got so many reviews. :D Anyways, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint anyone. If it does, feel free to tell me. BTW, I love constructive criticism. And please not the word constructive. Anyways, thank you to the following for reviewing:
ThierryMyst, masterofmercury, dishrag-chan, and Alexandria'S Qiora(XD) () (Awesome name, by the way, Alexandria'S Qiora. LOL!)
And thanks to those who faved/alerted my story, even if you didn't review. I'm hoping that if this chapter is any good, silent readers will review :P
The town was lit up by the early morning sun, grass sparkling with last night's rain, birds filling the silent morning air with happy chirps.
Ichigo sat down on the roof beside a crouching Grimmjow, a shock of cold wetness going through his pants as he managed to sit on a puddle. Cursing silently, he got back to his feet. "What are we waiting for?" He hugged himself to fight off the frigid cold.
Grimmjow didn't bother to answer, apparently finding the question stupid. Instead he kept looking around, as if expecting something.
Out of nowhere, a person dressed entirely in black, appearing to be a ninja, shot an arrow. Ichigo brought Zangetsu up just in time to block it, stumbling back from the force. The ninja took out numchucks, swinging them around as if unused to using them.
Ichigo reminded himself that he wasn't going to ask anymore questions, as he fought of the stranger, wondering why Grimmjow was just watching.
He managed to knock the ninja to the ground. He leaned down to pull off the mask, but was knocked to the ground himself. When the ninja got on top of him, he managed to take the ninja by surprise, and pulled down the mask.
"Ishida?"
The quincy jumped off of him, eyes going wide as he spoke hurriedly into a walkie talkie. "Yeah, he's figured it out. ... But I do know how to use numchucks, Rukia. ... Whatever, I've gotta go." He hung up, disappearing as if he'd never been there to begin with.
"Finally," Grimmjow said, before explaining, "She always sends someone before coming herself. She should be here soon."
As if by magic, Rukia was soon before him. At least he thought it was Rukia. Her eyes were still the same fierce brown, dark hair still long with a strand seemingly glued between her eyes. However, her hair was tied up in a pony tail above her head, as if it were a volcano.
"Rukia?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Ichigo," she replied. "Ready to give up?"
"Give up what?" He had nothing of importance on him, aside from his zanpakuto. "You mean Zangetsu?"
She raised a slender brow. "No, idiot. I mean give up and follow me to soul society, where we will give you an execution for your betrayal."
Before Ichigo could ask what she was talking about, Grimmjow interrupted. "He's not goin' with you, shinigami. You're going with us."
She launched herself off the next building over, doing amazing flips in the air. Ichigo found himself immobilized as he took in the odd event. The voice of his hollow was urging him to move, but how could he? This was just too weird.
A clang was heard, his vision blocked. Grimmjow had stopped Rukia's killing blow. "Damn it, Ichigo. We're supposed to capture her, not admire her skills." He pushed Rukia away, handing the fight over to Ichigo.
This time Ichigo managed to block. He didn't have it in him to hurt the Kuchiki air, even if she was different. Still... "Where did you learn to flip like that?"
"I was an acrobat in the past life," she answered, seeming happy to share. Apparently it was something she was proud of. Distracted, she started to give detailed information on how she swung from swing to swing, having died by falling and hitting her head. Ichigo wasn't particularly fond of the gory details, trying to look interested as Grimmjow snuck up behind her. She paused, sensing the espada's presence. Before she could do anything, Grimmjow had hit her on the back of her head, knocking her out cold.
Meanwhile, in the original world, a more recognizable Grimmjow found himself fending off a strange Ichigo. "What's the hell's wrong with you?"
Ichigo raised a brow. "Me? You're the one acting weird."
Ishida ran around the corner, skidding to a stop upon seeing Ichigo trying to assault Grimmjow in one way or another. "Stop messing around, Kurosaki!"
Said shinigami looked up in confusion. Wasn't he in a ninja phase? "Are you here to take me back to soul society?"
"No, you idiot. I'm here to save Inoue, like you. Now get off the ground and fight!"
Ichigo got to his feet, facing Ishida in a defensive stance. The quincy seemed on the verge of ripping out hair. "Not me!"
Ichigo lowered his sword. "Ishida, you're not making any sense. Tell Rukia her mind games won't work on me anymore."
"No, shinigami, you're not making any sense," Grimmjow said, agreeing with the quincy on this one.
Then Ulquiorra, who had been eaves dropping, decided to join in. "Even if you find Orihime, she won't follow you."
"Why do I need to find someone who's not lost?"
For once, even Ulquiorra found himself confused. "You didn't come here to save Orihime?"
Ichigo sat back down on the ground, as if two powerful enemies weren't hovering over him. "I didn't come here, remember? I was brought here. You of all people should know that, Ulquiorra." He remained oblivious of the blank stares he was receiving. He wasn't oblivious to the quincy dragging him away, however.
"What're you doing?" he demanded, forced to walk so as not to drag his feet.
"Taking you to Karakura town to see Urahara. We can't save Inoue when you're acting like an idiot."
"Urahara-sama? You know him personally?"
Chad, who had just approached, had a questioning stare. Ishida answered with a, "Don't ask."
Ichigo wondered if he'd ever wake up. After all, this had to be a dream. Or maybe he had died and gone to a lesser hell. Because this was definitely not heaven. Or reality, in any case.
Especially when Grimmjow kept trying to kiss him. He had to admit, the espada was sexy, but Ichigo does not like him that way. Or at least he thinks he doesn't... No, I definitely don't like him like that! Ichigo tried to reassure himself.
He was currently in Grimmjow's room, who claimed it to also be Ichigo's room. The red head only believed him because there were two beds. Rukia had been brought to Urahara, still unconscious. He had yet to know what would happen to her. Rumor had it that she would be forced to join the arrancar army, but no one knew for sure.
Ichigo had no warning as Grimmjow abruptly started undressing, undoubtedly to put on night clothes. Pajamas, he corrected, but it didn't seem to fit. Grimmjow and pajamas almost made him want to laugh...
"You gonna stare at me all night?"
Ichigo flushed and ducked his head, not wanting to see the espada's cocky smirk. "I wasn't staring." Trying to change the subject, he asked, "So where are my PJ's?"
"PJ's? Oh, yeah, that human term. Second drawer. Orihime switched them again."
"Orihime?" Ichigo had nearly forgotten all about her. Why was she in his dream?
"Yeah. That arrancar girl. If she weren't so love-everything," Grimmjow said, sounding disgusted, "then maybe she would have a rank with the espada. But instead she does all the chores around here."
Ichigo was digging through the drawer Grimmjow had mentioned as said hollow spoke. It's surprising how no one finds it strange that I don't know anything. They always have some reason for it. He remembered a movie he had watched, where an alien was going to a public high school. The alien had accidently flown to catch the ball, but no one out of all the viewers thought anything of it. When the alien had eaten a cricket, everyone just figured it was being weird.
He felt sort of like the alien right now, not knowing anything about the people around him, yet with no one realizing that he's practically from another planet. Or dimension, universe, realm... something weird.
The door opened right as Ichigo had taken off his shirt to change. Normally it wouldn't bother him if another guy saw his chest. But this was not a normal occurrence.
Ulquiorra had opened the door, and currently stood staring at Ichigo with wide eyes. Ichigo instinctively pulled his pajama shirt on as quick as he could, a baggy T that showed nothing. Neither acknowledged Grimmjow's warning growl.
"Urahara-sama says that Aizen has awoken, and that Ichigo may speak to him in the morning if he wants."
He actually wanted to speak to Szayel, the one who had started the weirdness in the first place, but he'd take what he could get. "Sure." The two pairs of eyes on him were disconcerting. "I mean, it can't hurt , right?"
He didn't take Ulquiorra's abrupt departure as a good sign. At least he had his own bed...
A.N: I wanted to make Ulquiorra come in and be like, "Hey, that's my bed!" but more in character, of course, and Ichigo to have to share a bed with Grimmjow... but it didn't quite work. ((sighs)) Anyways! Please Review!