ATTENTION READERS: From here on out, I will be switching Nell's gender to its rightful female side. With Nell's "evolution" in recent chapters, I don't have much of a choice – especially since I plan on using said "evolved" form (please note this as an extremely minor spoiler). ;D

Bwahaha! One year anniversary for the story! xD

Sorry people, I couldn't help but release it now.

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Chapter 14
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The group of four walked into the Urahara Shoten, in an unusual silence. Each thinking something about the predicament they were in. Urahara was trying to figure out a plan to solve the final drop of his sin involving the Hougyoko. Isshin was curious as to what Ichigo was up to, seeing as how his son seemed to like Hueco Mundo more than the other worlds. Rukia was still in shock from her discovery about Ichigo. Said orange haired hybrid was wondering how he got into the whole mess.

They sat around a small table, waiting for someone to break the ice of the topic. After about five minutes, the orange haired hybrid decided to speak.

"Rukia."

"What?"

"I need a favor."

Both adults watched the interaction. The two speaking were acting as if it was their first meeting, and were shy.

"What is it?"

"I'm going back to HM soon. Could you bring some shinigami to help with Aizen's followers? I can deal with Aizen, but not his whole fleet – which is gathering more by the day."

"Bu-"

"Dad, can you go with her? Or are you in the same boat as Urahara?"

"Nah, I'll go with Rukia-chan. It's been a while, and I need to see how Soul Society has changed since your escapades in there." His last sentence lightened the mood greatly; everyone broke into a smile of some sort.

"Good. I don't care who you bring, just think before you bring them. Kurostuchi, I will kill; no questions, hesitations, or anything will stop me when it comes to him. Byakuya wouldn't be smart either, seeing as how we never got along, and if what Rukia said is true, a fight will break out."

"What'll you do, Ichigo?" Isshin asked him. Urahara had the same question shining through his hardly visible eyes.

"I'm gonna wait here with Urahara. There is no way in Heaven or Hell or anywhere else for that matter, that I will go back there without doing some sort of damage."

"What sort of 'damage?'"

"Well, let's say: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

Rukia looked at Ichigo, perplexed at the saying. What does that mean? However, Isshin and Urahara nodded in understanding.

"Alright! Rukia-chan, let's go!" Isshin yelled, grabbing the black haired shinigami and opening the portal to Soul Society. "When should we come back?"

"As soon as possible."

"See ya in the morning son!" The eccentric black haired shinigami announced before dragging Rukia through the doors.

Ichigo turned to Urahara, a partially serious look on his face.

"Is there something wrong, Ichigo-san?"

"Actually, there is. Set up that portal to Hueco Mundo you did on my first trip in there."

"Couldn't you just open the garganta by yourself?"

The orange haired hybrid smirked. "Now where's the fun if I'm going to be helping them directly? I told you before: I'm on neither side in this fight. Our interests may be similar, but that doesn't mean I have to make it easy on those damned shinigami."

"You're starting to sound a little like Aizen, Ichigo-san."

"I just want to have a little fun before I snuff him off the existing planes. As I recall, you do something similar from time to time as well."

"Hehe. Alright then."

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Isshin followed Rukia out of the circular double traditional doors. They stood in front of the thirteenth division barracks with a rushed air about them.

"Rukia-chan, let's see the old man before anything else."

"Old man?"

"The soutaicho."

"Right."

They turned towards the first devision barracks, locking on to Yamamoto's reiatsu. The two dark haired shinigami flash stepped in the direction of their quarry.

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Yamamoto raised an eyebrow at the feeling of a reiatsu that hadn't been around in decades. 'Kurosaki Isshin...' He thought as he turned to face the former captain and the young Kuchiki. "Why are you back, Kurosaki?"

Rukia bowed formally, even if she wasn't acknowledge verbally. Isshin merely smirked.

"I got a request for ya Genryusai-dono."

"What would that be?"

"Sou-chan is still alive, and my son is planning on finishing his business with him. He plans on infiltrating the remains of Las Noches and would like some back up."

"The answer is no, Kurosaki," the old leader answered without missing a beat, in a tone that declared finality.

Rukia's eyes shot up at Yamamoto. They showed shock at his defiant answer. Soul Society owed Ichigo so much, and the general didn't seem to get it. "Soutaicho, why?! Ichigo has done so mu-"

"My answer is no, Kuchiki. Know your place, and remain quiet." His order was backed by a raise in his reiatsu.

Isshin walked in front of the now trembling shinigami, using his reiatsu to cancel the oppressing one. "May we hear your reasoning, Genryusai-dono?"

"That hybrid has been nothing but trouble. He has killed shinigami on a quest to fulfill his own desires. He is not worth sacrificing more soldiers for."

"Have you failed to notice that he had a very good reason for doing the things he has done? Rescuing Rukia-chan here from a meaningless death. And the killings he's done against you is because he was experimented upon because you people couldn't accept what he was. You'd do the same if put in his situations, and you-"

"His actions have been against Soul Society none the less. Therefore, I will not allow any shinigami to join in his little escapade to finish something he swore he had finished. This is merely his own actions coming back at him. I believe you would label it as karma."

"Soutaicho, with all due respect, Isshin-san is right! We're the reason Ichigo is the way he is now! We would've been all killed by Aizen if it weren't for him!"

"Rukia-chan..."

"Kuchiki, hold your tongue. If you cannot do that, then leave."

"Yes... sir..."

"Kurosaki, my answer remains the same. No."

Isshin looked at Yamamoto in disappointment. "You still haven't changed, even after fifty years. No consideration for those under you. I thought you'd change, but an old dog really can't learn new tricks such as kindness and forgivness."

"Leave Kuchiki at the thirteenth devision before you leave again, Kurosaki." With that, Yamamoto turned away from the two companions and their asking for help.

"Genryusai, I hope you will forgive this act of rebellion as well," Isshin said, grabbing Rukia and leaving the soutaicho's office.

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"Oi, Kuroji!" Ichigo voiced loudly from the deserted city within his mind.

A white form looked over from the shady side of the building's wall. "Yes, King?"

"Remember what we planned."

"Yeah, yeah."

"If it's lost, you are to stop it."

"I remember the plan, King. Get off my back."

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Rukia walked a good foot behind Isshin when he let go of her. Her thoughts were clouded in the blunt refusal of help they had come for. She wasn't even paying much attention to where she was following Isshin to. The black haired shinigami barely even registered the sound of a door sliding open.

"I-Isshin-san?!"

"Hey, Jyushiro-san!"

The sound of her shocked captain brought Rukia out of her thoughts. Isshin brought them here? Why? She looked up at her surprised captain, then back at Isshin.

"To what do I owe the visit, Isshin-san?" Ukitake asked after the initial shock wore off.

"Well, Genrysai-san's being his usual self."

A short chuckle escaped the long haired captain. "What did you ask him for?"

"Ichigo is going the storm Hueco Mundo again. Seems he didn't kill Sou-chan for some reason."

"Ah, how is Ichigo-kun?"

"He's alive and kickin'. Quite literally at some points."

"So he needs help," it wasn't a question. "Yamamoto-soutaicho declined quite bluntly, didn't he?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"You're going to go against it, just like the last time he declined something you asked for."

"You know me too well, Jyushiro-san," Isshin replied, a small laugh escaping at the end.

"Judging by Rukia's presence, you want to take her with you?"

"Yeah. She's one of the few that Ichigo trusts. Even if it is a fraction of what it was years ago."

"Well, judging from that," the white haired captain paused for a second, thinking. "I won't be able to stop you either."

"Haha! Thanks Jyushiro-san!"

"It's either that, or her going out on her own. Right, Rukia?"

She jumped at the sudden addressment. Rukia bit her lip, and and nodded, not looking at her captain.

"It's settled then. Go on and help Ichigo-kun."

Both Rukia and Isshin bowed, smiling.

"I owe ya a drink when we get back."

Ukitake laughed. "I'll hold you to that, Isshin-san."

"I'm sure you will," Isshin said, a chuckle in his voice.

The two dark haired shinigami left the office. Rukia opened the doors to the human world, and led Isshin through.

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"King..."

"They're back aren't they?"

"Yup."

"Their numbers are still two, right?"

"Yeah."

"Not surprising. The old taicho ain't one to forgive for the reactions that are brought from his own actions."

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Ichigo's eyes opened, his chocolate brown sight taking their sweet time in adjusting to the light of a new dawn. After he had talked with Nell about taking her to Hueco Mundo to finish off Aizen, he had retreated to the park. There, he feel asleep in a tree, spending half that time talking with Kuroji.

He stood up on the branch, a short light-headed feeling crashed into him from the quick position change. "Ugh..."

Ichigo jumped off the branch after quickly dropping the dizzy feeling, taking his time in arriving to Urahara's shop.

'Even if it isn't their fault they couldn't bring more, I'll let them wallow for a little,' he thought smugly.

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After thirty minutes, Ichigo looked down at the small shop inbetween two modern buildings. Rukia was on the porch, waiting for him to return in order to tell him the news he was already aware of. A fun idea formed in his mind, and he transformed into his hollow form. His tail twitched a little before he vanished.

Rukia was watching the streets, unaware of the presence behind her. That is, until a slight tickling sensation started to prickle at her neck. At first, she passed it off as a bug or her hair, but it gradually began to lengthen. Just as she was about to swat at the area behind her, a pale claw wrapped around her throat.

"Shinigami..."

'Fuck!' Rukia thought, grabbing her zanpakuto.

"You smell good."

She drew her blade, and cut off the threat's hand that was clutching her throat. A cackle sounded behind her, then to the side. Rukia turned toward the hollow, only to scowl and kick the hollow in the head.

"Ichigo, you ass!"

His hollow skin broke apart, his hand back. He was still laughing, but it was slowing at a descent pace.

"Couldn't help it. Maybe I should do that to that old taicho for what he said to ya." Ichigo said, finally getting himself back together.

Rukia's head lowered. "Sorry we couldn't being more to help Ichigo. Even I'm not supposed to be here."

A strong hand rested on her head. "In all honesty, I wasn't expecting more than just you. I'm sure old taicho is still pissed at what I did. Hell, I'm still pissed," he said, and walked into the shop. "C'mon. We're leaving. Can't have ya dragged back before we go, can we?"

Isshin and Urahara looked up at the two coming into the shop. Both had smiles on, only one was hidden behind a fan.

"Ichigo, you ready?" Isshin asked.

"Nell'th ready!" She said, popping her head over Urahara's shoulder.

"Good. Urahara, the gates ready, right?"

"Yup."

"Excellent. If any shinigami come for Rukia, they can use that and try to find us."

"We're not using it?!" Rukia all but shouted.

"Why the hell would we need to? I can open the garganta, remember?"

"Then what was the point of telling Soul Society your plan?!"

"I dunno."

The short shinigami kicked Ichigo in the shin before crossing her arms and glaring.

"Well, let's open the garganta down in the basement. Might be a bit harder to detect from there."

The four followed Ichigo down, and they watched as he drew Zangetsu. A quick cut across space, and his hollow reiatsu seemed to manifest across the air he cut. It slowly ripped open the air, creating a portal into darkness.

Ichigo sheathed his zanpakuto, and turned towards the group. "We're gonna land a good mile away from my home. From there, we'll go to Las Noches."

Nell jumped onto Ichigo's shoulder as he turned and walked into the portal. A quick glance back, and Rukia followed, then Isshin. Urahara waved them away with his fan.

"Come back alive," he said cheerfully as the portal closed.

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Yeah... I hate this chapter. Nothing happens! Dx However, stuff starts to get fun after this chapter. So that'll give you all something to look forward to. Reviews make me go faster... -coughcough-

Happy Halloween:D

Review people!