The reason this took so long to was that I had a soccer tournament, which consumed my weekend. Not to mention my computer decided it was a brilliant moment to randomly reboot, as soon as I'm 3/4 done with the chapter. I also had a conference at HTHS; which is going to be labeled as an unimportant memory.

Well, due to school and soccer practically ruling my life at the moment; I haven't had a lot of time to make this chapter. Not to mention I'm having some problems with chapters leading to the ones I have perfectly planned in my squishy piece of meat; aka, my brain.

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Chapter 6
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Rukia stopped walking, and turned her waist to face the way they came. The black haired shinigami had sensed a highly concentrated dark reiatsu disperse throughout the city, and it made her uneasy. Kon had halted his pace a few steps infront of Rukia, after he realized his companion had stopped.

"Nee-san, what is it?"

The small woman shook her head, and rounded back to Kon, who had a face of concern and curiosity painted on his face, in bright and bold colors. She smiled in the meek way she did, when she felt something big was going to happen; something life changing.

"You know that feeling we were talking about as we left the store?"

"Yeah," Kon replied, nodding his head at the question.

"It's getting stronger. I get the feeling we're being followed."

"Are you sure, nee-san? I don't sense anything out of the ordinary."

"I'm sure. It feels dark, foreboding."

The orange haired boy scratched the back of his head, ruffling his hair even more than it is. He sighed, and put his hand on Rukia's shoulder, his smile plastered on his face. She looked at him with some insecurity, before starting the walk home again. Rukia always felt a microscopic twinge of discomfort every time Kon smiled, it didn't seem to fit the face of the boy who always scowled, and occasionally smirked. His personality definitely wasn't Ichigo's.

- - - - -

Two dark figures slowly shifted their bodies to see properly from their vantage point. Each pair of eyes followed the couple, walking down the nearly deserted street. Both figures had partial human forms, and held beast like qualities in different areas of their bodies. Small mask fragments adorned their heads, one large shard a head. One looked determined, the other, anxious.

"Can we go down, now?" The taller one asked, irritated at the long 15 minute stalking period they had been doing.

"Idiot, have patience. If one of them is on guard, then both are," the smaller one replied, annoyance clear in his low tone.

"We have been waiting for a while, if we wait any longer, they could acquire stronger allies!"

"Hm, you have a point. However, I want you to wait a little longer; I want the girl down there to calm down a bit more."

"What if she doesn't?"

"Then we'll strike in another five minutes. I know where their base is."

"Really-?"

"Shut up, she's relaxing; can't undo that."

- - - - -

Urahara walked out of his shop, and stood on his porch. He watched as people passed the ancient looking shop – compared to the other buildings that surrounded it. The blond haired ex-shinigami spread his senses out, feeling for the bodies of the foreboding reiatsu that seemed to surround the tiny store. Four masses were spread out, circulating the shop. Each body was given a quick glance, and Urahara made a note of how each of their reiatsu felt. A small grin formed, and he walked back into his shop.

- - - - -

Ichigo left the high hollow concentration, using shunpo most of the time. The orange haired hybrid didn't want any more road blocks, so he figured speed would prevent them from coming up. About half an hour later, Ichigo slowed to a walk; the wind started to pick up, one side of the hybrid's clothes clung to his side, as the other flared; his cloak looked like black flames, licking at something that wasn't there. He relaxed a bit when he felt the familiar reiatsu of Nell and his siblings.

- - - - -

The tiny arrancar looked up at the horizon, from the "front seat" of Bawabawa, their giant worm pet. He saw a small blob of black, right where the dunes began to rise and fall in drastic and variable ways; the occasional quartz tree would find a place to grow in these hectic sand hills. Nell knew that the blob he saw wasn't one of those lifeless trees, but a breathing creature; one he, at the moment, couldn't identify. It seemed to be waiting for someone, or something, or them to come by; this scared the small arrancar a little.

"Hey, guyth; I thee thomething."

"What is it, yansa?" Dondochakka asked, Peshe nodding at the question.

"I don't know, I can't thee it properly."

"Should we go near it?"

"Hm... let'th thee what it ith. It could be Ichigo-than."

"What if it's not Ichigo-san?"

"Then we runth."

The two older siblings looked at each other, each held the expression similar to: oh shit; what the hell is Nell thinking?! Peshe and Dondochakka prepared themselves to flee; the larger of the two, ready to grab Nell, just in case; Bawabawa moved closer slowly, nervous as well.

When they got close enough to the figure at the top of the dunes, the tiny arrancar got all starry eyed. He jumped off the giant worm, and ran towards the black clad hybrid.

"Ichigo-than!" he cried, as he jumped at Ichigo's chest. The tiny arrancar clasped onto the orange haired hybrid, snuggling into his chest.

"Hey Nell; didn't think you'd walk up to me like that. I thought that your brothers would've dragged ya around me."

"Ichigo-than, big twouble."

The orange haired hybrid raised an eye brow at this, and looked at the skinny hollow for an answer. Ichigo's expression demanded an answer.

"Well, it seems that Aizen has sent a group of about a dozen to Earth. Grimmjaw included, for supervising; if he does anything else, he'll be punished."

"Why the hell would Aizen do that?"

"Same reason as last time: destroy all the trash that has a descent amount of reiatsu."

Ichigo scratched the back of his head, and sighed. Why was the ex-shinigami being so predictable, it didn't seem normal; especially if you took all of his past movements into consideration.

"Did you find anything else out, Peshe?"

"Sorry, Ichigo-san. If I stayed there any longer than I did, I would've been suspected."

"And you weren't while you were digging around?"

"Fortunately."

"Well, it could've been worse," the orange haired hybrid mumbled to himself, while putting Nell on the ground. "I want you, all of you, to go to the human realm, and tell one of the shinigami or humans you know from last time I broke in here. Let them know what's happening. I'm going to the white palace."

"Wha... wha... WHAT?! You want us, to leave Hueco Mundo, and talk to people who could kill us?!"

"I'm not gonna do that, yansa!"

"Why, Ichigo-than?!"

The hybrid's eyes narrowed at the defiance he was getting, even though he knew it was logical fear from his group. "I know you guys don't want to go, but I can't leave here; yet. Besides, I'm sure if you mention that I sent you, you'll be fine... if you find the right people first."

"But, there are more than just those few shinigami that we know over there! What if they don't listen to us?!"

"Then you'll run. I'm sure one of you guys can bring up the garganta."

Nell jumped up and down. "Nell can thummon the garganta!"

A smirk grew on Ichigo's face, and more than just happiness for Nell's ability glowed in his eyes. Minor flakes of malice, superiority, knowing, and smugness flowed through his eyes; his smirk continued to grow.

"See, Nell can open the garganta, and take you to and from the human world. Where's the problem you mentioned earlier?"

The two older siblings tried to fuse themselves with the pale sands of Hueco Mundo, somehow hoping to avoid the job they were just assigned. It took them a few seconds to realize the dark reiatsu flowing from the orange haired hybrid, and when it hit them, they were trembling violently.

A pale sea green, clawed arm grabbed the skinny hollow, and ripped him from the ground. Ichigo's eyes flared with anger, as well as the threat of death if his order wasn't followed. The black sleeve of the hybrid's now hollow-ized arm blew in the now gentle breeze, where the sleeves ended, the tips of blood red streaks ended; it looked as though the life supporting liquid was trickling down Ichigo's arm.

Peshe was dangling about a foot off the ground, desperately struggling to free himself from the orange haired hybrid's wrath. However, it was very difficult, since he was swaying in the breeze, Ichigo keeping a firm hold on his left horn.

"Ichigo-san, please let go," the skinny hollow asked, fear dripping from every syllable spoken.

"You know how to make me let go," Ichigo replied, his tone cold, and demanding.

"Fi... Fine! We'll go to the human realm!"

The hybrid smiled, dropping his captured companion. "I want you guys to explain everything to them, make everything clear – that means staying there until they are satisfied- and then come back here. Understood?"

All three nodded vigorously, a new found respect for their leader. Dondochakka and Peshe sped behind their small sibling, hoping Nell could provide some protection from Ichigo's fury. It seemed to work, seeing as how the hybrid shook his head, gave them one more warning glance, and surrounded himself in black reiatsu; it seemed to be endless and could suck anything that got too close, into its depths.

The three siblings backed up from the black reiatsu, looking at it as though it would jump out and attack them at any moment. After a few minutes, it dissipated, and a hollow, one that looked similar to something extinct stood where Ichigo once was. A pale teal tail shot out, and picked up Nell, by his hood.

"Nell, I want you to go; now."

The tiny arrancar gulped and nodded; Ichigo's eyes seemed to go right through Nell, as well as Peshe and Dondochakka who shuddered behind their brother. Ichigo gently put Nell down, and pushed him toward his brothers.

"Be careful you guys, especially with Aizen's arrancar hunting in the town."

With that, the pale colored hollow turned and ran off in the direction of Aizen's palace. He ran on all four of his legs - instead of two - since through trial and error, Ichigo found that he could cover more ground this way. His long orange mane flew behind him, as he gave up a quick look to make sure that Nell and his brothers had already left; Ichigo mentally smirked when he couldn't sense their reiatsu.

Ichigo turned his attention back to Aizen, and what he planned on doing to worm information out of the former shinigami.

- - - - -

Rukia stood infront of Kon, as well as her gigai that now contained Pyon. The black haired shinigami knew that Kon was pretty much as wuss when it came to enemies like this, so she had asked him to keep Pyon in check until she could return to her body.

"You sure you can take us both, girlie?" asked the tall arrancar.

"Do not underestimate this woman, Inai; she is capable of shikai," the smaller one cautioned his partner.

"So? We can both use shikai, and the boy behind her seems pretty worthless."

"Hey, I am not worthless!"

"Shut up Kon. I can handle these two."

"Nee... san..."

"Move your ass, Kon!"

"Right! C'mon Pyon!"

Kon grabbed Rukia's gigai, and started to run. Unfortunately, the smaller of the two arrancar now held his ground, a good 2 yards in the direction the kaizu konpaku was headed.

"We can't allow any of you to leave."

"Shit. Pyon, get on my back, we're running."

"Pyon!"

The konpakuto inhabited Rukia literally jumped onto Kon's back, receiving a groan of pain from her ride. Kon didn't waste time though, as he started sprinting away from the current war zone. He fled down the block, before jumping onto a telephone pole, and then to a nearby roof. The orange haired boy continued this path, to the safest place he could think of: the Kurosaki household.

- - - - -

Rukia faced off against Inai, her sealed zanpakuto facing him, in a defensive stance. Her adversary looked down at her, grinning. He gradually closed the space between them, Rukia taking steps back, away from the threat. It was until she was within touching distance, did the black haired shinigami realize she was backed against the smaller arrancar.

'Shit, I can't believe I walked right into this.'

"Listen girl, it's nothing personal. We must kill you, in order for Aizen-sama to claim his true calling."

"And what the fuck is Aizen's 'true calling?'"

"To be the first one to sit in heaven, from that position, Aizen-sama will have ultimate power."

"Like I'm going to let you do that?"

"We don't expect you to," Inai said, as he swung his zanpakuto down at his prey.

- - - - -

The Ishida couple stared down the pair of arrancar, that happen to greet them at their front door. Two female arrancar glared at them, as if that would kill off their targets; the couple acted the same way.

"What the hell do two arrancar want with us?" Uryu asked, trying to shove all his flaring emotion back.

Tsubaki appeared, floating next to Orihime's head, also glaring at the guests.

"We are here under Aizen-sama's orders; to kill all those with a possibility of threatening Aizen-sama's reign and power." The orange eyed arrancar stated.

"Isn't Aizen dead?" Orihime asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Aizen-sama is an un-dying entity; he will live forever, using us to carry out his goals. We owe Aizen-sama that much, at least," answered the green haired arrancar.

"Yes, Aizen-sama has provided us a relief."

"What the hell do you mean by that?!" Uryu all but shouted at the pair of arrancar infront of him.

"It means you die for the continuation of our existence."

The green haired arrancar brought out her zanpakuto; Tsubaki glided infront of the married couple, waiting for his order to strike.

- - - - -

Ichigo continued to run in the direction of Las Noches, his thoughts taking side trips to old memories from the old war.

'King, you sure this is a good idea?'

'Shut up.'

'I mean it. Ya gotta remember, tha' if you die, I die.'

'Kuroji, I'm well aware of that.'

'Then why are you goin'? It's not like those shinigami bastards did anything for you.'

' ... '

'King?'

'If it weren't for "those shinigami bastards", you wouldn't exist.'

'I know tha'.'

'Since you live in my mind, I'm surprised you don't know more than this.'

'Wha' do ya mean by tha'?'

'You still haven't figured out what I plan on doing during this war, have you?'

'No, I know wha' yer plannin'; I jus' can't believe yer goin' this far for them.'

'Neither can I; but...'

'But...?'

'I still have a dept to pay; and I'm going to pay it. Once it's paid, I'm cutting all ties with them.'

'Ya sure yer ready ta do tha'?'

'I think so.'

'King, ya visit yer family and friends at least once a year. Yer lonely, and I ain't exactly the company ya seem ta be wantin'. Ya gotta know, it's a pain in the ass when ya get all depressed.'

Ichigo stopped, the white palace was in view; it was closer than he remembered. The pale teal hollow sighed a bit, partially from exhaustion and partially from relief. He didn't like having to run what seemed like half of Hueco Mundo to get to the place he was going. Slinking down the last dune, Ichigo hid in the darker shadows of Las Noches, waiting for a window of opportunity to show itself. Ichigo didn't even know what sort of opportunity he was looking for.

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Finally, I have completed chapter 6; sorry it took so long. I put aside my school work to get this out to you guys. I'm not sure when I can find time to update again, seeing as how I have another tournament next weekend; however, I hope to get it out before Christmas (for those of you who don't care about Christmas, that's the 24 and 25 of this month).

Review please, it gives me more of a reason to write... other than for emptying my head of "unique" ideas.