When he agreed to go with Toshiro without a fight to the soul society… he didn't think that he'd be walking into a cell…

Hands flat against them, Karuchi stared blankly as he lightly banged his head against the bars. He was so bored. Being bored was not in his plan. He doesn't even know how long he's been locked up. An hour? Maybe close to? He grumbled loudly. "This sucks!"

"Shut up!" A guard yelled at him.

Karuchi smiled slyly in response. He had an idea. "Oh, you must don't know?"

The guard focused close on him. Suspicious. "Know what?"

It was time to reel the fish in. Karuchi took his hands off the bare, turning his head away for a moment. "Oh, the reason why I'm here."

The guard sounded so sure of himself when he said, "Obviously because you've violated a law."

Karuchi shook his head, tsking. "No, no. I guess they didn't tell you. Well, you are just a low rank guard. The details would have been wasted on your ears…"

That made him mad. "What you say—"

"Hold on now. I'm just trying to inform you. You wouldn't want to mistreat a noble in the Kuchiki family, now would you?"

The guard looked speechless then. Dumbstruck. Karuchi could tell that he was half on edge of falling for his—kind of bluff. Technically, it was a bluff in their world, but in his, he really was a noble.

The guard spoke nervously. "You're lying."

"Nah. If only I were. Then you wouldn't look so stupid right now. Byakuya himself had me looked for. I was a long lost and forgotten child for a while, but now, finally found, here I am." He smirked. "So, let me out and take me to the Kuchiki manor."

The guard still had a shred of skepticism left in him. "Doesn't make sense. If that's true, they would've just taken you straight there. Not here."

"Guard man!" Karuchi faked an annoyed exhale. "Use your head. I'm unknown to the Kuchiki family and believed to not exist. Why would they bring me straight there and drop a bomb like this out of nowhere, without proper preparation first?"

A glare of clarity crossed his eyes. "But, doesn't that mean you're supposed to stay here?"

Ugh… Karuchi hoped the guard was more stupid… Karuchi kept his composure, even though he was frustrated as hell on the inside. "Right. Look, I just want to walk around. Get some fresh air. Can you please just grant me that? Tag along if you want."

Karuchi would just ditch him the first chance he gets.

"Well… I guess, okay."

Karuchi smiled. Yes!

Karuchi finally got the chance to explore the soul society. It was just as he remembered. It was as if he was back in his world. Back in time. As if everything was a nightmare in his world and what he was seeing then was truly the only real reality.

Sadly, he had yet to shake loose the stupid guard.

"Is this walking around to your liking?" The guard asked.

Karuchi would like it a lot more without the leash. "Very much so." He should keep it cool, though. It would be very bad if he disappeared on him and was reported as missing. He was not trying to get on the wanted list. He's heard the story of when all of the soul society was after his father. It didn't sound very fun to him. Especially since most of the parts in that story he's father nearly died…

"Oh! Hey!" A loud, surprised voice spoke out. It sounded like a woman and very familiar. Suddenly from behind him, Karuchi felt the cushioning of large breast as he was lifted off the ground, in a tight hug. "Rukia, why did you cut your hair?"

Rukia? That's his mom… He has a pretty good feeling who just grabbed him, too… Karuchi craned his head up, slightly looking back to get a better look at Rangiku. Her faced turned to confusion slowly, but she let him go quickly. "Oh! Sorry. I thought you were someone else."

She thought he was his mom… That's just what every guy wants to hear a woman tell them. She basically just said he looks like a female. He showed her a cool face. "It's okay."

She bent down to his eye level, still not letting the confusion go. Or curiousness. "You. Look. Just like her!"

Okay, he was starting to feel agitated. He's a guy! If anything, she should be saying he looks like his dad. Then again, he should be used to it. Everyone back home has always told him the same thing. Even the Rangiku he knows always said the exact same words. Every time she would see him… Even worse, she would always call him—

"Ru-clone!"

"Did you just come up with that on the spot!?" There's no way! Even in a different world she still came up with the same stupid name…

She laughed, standing back up to normal height. "Sorry, it's just so funny that you look like my friend. She would flip out if she saw you…"

She would really flip out if she knew the reason why he looks so much like her.

"Oh! Why don't we just do that?" Rangiku sounded really excited then.

"Wait, what? Do what?" Karuchi asked.

"I want you to meet her. She'll get a kick out of this!"

No. NO. She would not! Geh. I should just run away right now…

The guard had a word to say about this. "Lieutenant Matsumoto… I can't let you do that…"

"Of course you can! Actually, why is a guard following you around, anyway?"

Uh…

"Because he's—"

"Noble!" Karuchi nudged the guard. "Remember?" He chuckled nervously. "Guard man, let's go meet Rukia."

The guard grumbled with a sigh. "Afterwards, we're heading back to your holding cell."

Rangiku looked really lost to the exchange that happened between Karuchi and the guard, but shrugged it off. "I don't know what type of noble gets put in a holding cell…"

"I'm newly discovered…"

"Makes sense." She concluded, as if it was slapped in her face. "Alright then! Let's go."

#

In the captains' meeting room, all the captains were in their split single file lines. The head captain in the middle at the end of both lines as usual. Standing in-between the lines and the head commander, was the Quincy. His wrist were cuffed close together and so were his ankles.

All the captains eyed him with heavy concern and caution. And revulsion.

Rukia couldn't believe that there actually was a Quincy before them. She thought they'd taken care of them all. Wiping them completely from the equation… Apparently she was wrong. Could they possibly have a secrete colony somewhere still? Plotting their next attack? The worried thoughts were endless… but this Quincy… he seemed just as lost as her thoughts.

"I don't know… what the hell is going on… but most of you are supposed to be dead or under a rock somewhere!" The Quincy shouted out. His eyes darted from face to face.

The head commander's brows creased with great confusion. A stern confusion. "My apology. None of us are as you say… Why don't you tell me why you seem to be shocked right now?"

The Quincy brought his attention back to Yamato, his teeth gritting, eyes glaring. "If I didn't have these power dampening restraints on right now… I'd kill all of you!"

"Teh. That's a big claim. You want to test that bet?" Kenpachi seethed.

"Kenpachi. Control yourself." Yamato asked of him. The Quincy shook his shoulders. Tearing his eyes away from the death glare he was receiving from Kenpachi. He looked back to the commander. "I'll ask again. Why do you seem so shocked right now?"

An insane, bitter chuckle raised from him. "Yhwach is supposed to be in charge of the soul society. Quincies have all the reign. And all of you, are supposed to be begging for peace and mercy for us not to kill you off."

Shunsui let a cool smile slip and caught the Quincies attention as he spoke, "Well, I'm sure that would have been a very nice dream for you, but… none of that is reality. We defeated you all and Yhwach in the war… It's been years since then. I don't know if you're senile or…?"

The Quincy looked away from him then, casting his eyes downward. "Senile?" His hands clenched tight in a fist. Eyes ablaze. "This is all that brat's fault. He did something to this world…"

The captains, including Yamato didn't know how to feel about what he was saying. He sounded completely out of place and insane. Yamato closed his eyes briefly as he took a moment's breather. "Guards. Take him back to his cell."

The guards did as they were told and quickly made themselves seen. They grabbed onto the Quincy and hauled him away. The Quincy continued to lowly mumble to himself as he was taken away. Byakuya's eyes followed him closely. He had a feeling that he knew what was going on. He'd heard something similar to this before…

Once he was gone, the captains talked amongst one another. Unsure of what they just witnessed.

"Hitsugaya," Yamato spoke, catching his attention. "The boy you captured that was with the Quincy, did you talk to him any further?"

"No Commander."

Yamato nodded. "This meeting is adjured for now. I want all of you back here in four hours. We will find out about the boy then."

Everyone began to disperse out the room. Before Rukia could break away from him any further outside, Byakuya pulled her to the side.

"Nii-sama?"

"Did you give the pentacle to Kurosaki?"

Oh… Rukia exhaled. Of course that's what he pulled her aside to talk about. Just thinking about the incident made her shiver a bit. What was brought to the light, she really wished would've stayed in the dark. She really wished she would've told her brother to give the pentacle to Ichigo himself. But… common sense told her that would have never happened. "Yes."

"What happened?" Byakuya couldn't hold back the need to know in his eyes.

Rukia could clearly see that. "Ugh…"

"Ugh?"

"Nii-sama… just know, that, something did happen. That man wasn't lying. He really is from another world… and your nephew there." Rukia told him, making sure not to go into detail. Leaving out the part of her finding out that he is her son and Ichigo is the dad! Ugh…

"Then it's just as I suspected…"

Rukia's attention was pulled back from her thoughts. "What?"

"That Quincy is from the other world he was talking about. But if so, how did he get here?"

Wow. Her brother really caught on fast. She didn't even think of that possibility. Like he said, if that is so, how did he get in their world? Plus, he seemed just as clueless as they were. Almost as if he had no idea why everything was different. Did someone bring him to their world without him realizing? "Nii-sama, something serious is going on…"

Byakuya sighed. Frustrated. "I know."

#

Rangiku had lead the way to the 13th division barracks. They walked inside. "Rukia, you won't believe~!"

Sentaro was the only one to make himself present and with a straight, plain face he greeted her. "Oh, hey Matsumoto."

Rangiku leveled her excitement once she realized Rukia was nowhere around. "Hey, Kostubaki. Where's Rukia?"

"She's went to a captains meeting. She should be back anytime now. It was a long while ago when she left…" His head leaned to the side to look past her, eyes going wide as he caught sight of Karuchi. He went completely stunned. "You…" He looked to Rangiku. "She…"

Karuchi's eyes narrowed. Annoyed. "I'm not a she!"

Sentaro's eyes darted back to Karuchi, even more stunned. "It's a guy!?"

Rangiku laughed loud. "That's why I'm here. I want to show Rukia this guy. He looks just like her, huh? I was super surprised, too."

Sentaro zoomed up close to him. Scanning him up and down. Especially by his chest area, almost touching his nose there. "I guess you are a guy… Or maybe you just have really flat boobs…"

One of Karuchi's brows twitched. He had to keep himself in check. In check. There's already a guard watching him like a hawk. He can't. Hit. Him. He can't. But he really wants to! "Ha, haa. So funny." Karuchi shot him a glare. "Get away from me."

Sentaro felt his frustration and backed off quick. "Sorry. Geez. Fiery attitude like her as well…"

That at least made Karuchi smile a bit. That's a comparison he'd gladly accept.

Sentaro's eyes caught sight of the woman they were just talking about walk in. But not alone. Byakuya was with her. He pointed it out to Rangiku. "There she is."

Rangiku giddily turned around to face her. "Rukia! You're back." Her eyes briefly acknowledged Byakuya. "Hey to you, too." Byakuya shook his head at her. "Check this out!"

Rukia couldn't help but smile at her excitement. But the second she focused on who she was excited about, her smile dropped a bit.

Karuchi showed her a friendly face. On the inside, though… he was nervous as hell. That's his mom from another world. She looks so much younger, but still as beautiful and cool as ever. Her hair is longer, he noticed.

"Nii-sama… why does that girl look just like me?" Rukia asked out of amazement.

Karuchi cried on the inside. Even his own mom… called him a girl… "Aha… Hey… I'm a guy."

Rukia looked apologetic then. "Sorry! I can't believe it. You look so much like me I automatically assumed you'd be a girl as well…"

Byakuya's eyes were so focused on him. It was almost as if he was x-raying him. His expression was scary while he did… Some things really don't change. Karuchi realized a moment later then, Byakuya's eyes found something unpleasant to him. He was looking at this wrist… at the… teleportation band?

"You. Come with me. Rukia, you too." Byakuya demanded.

Oh crap. Karuchi was worried that he found him out. If so, he'd really have to escape.

Rangiku and Sentaro were taken back by the sudden change in the atmosphere. From light hearted to serious. The guard said his peace before they left out of sight. "Captain Kuchiki, please not too long. I have to get him back to his cell."

"Cell?" Rukia asked.

Byakuya nodded and continued to lead a way to a secluded room. Rukia and Karuchi made sure to follow him. Rangiku didn't follow. She became even more curious about Karuchi.

Byakuya made sure to slide the doors closed, so that no one walking by could easily hear their conversation.

"Something wrong?" Karuchi asked.

Rukia was wondering as well. "Nii-sama?"

Byakuya turned to face him. His expression stern when he focused it to Karuchi. "You're from that other world, aren't you?"

Karuchi's eyes went wide. His pulse sped up a bit. Was it really the bracelet that gave it away? Thinking about it then… wasn't the one that Kenji talked to when he first went to that world Byakuya? Oh crap. He messed up. There was no point in lying… "I am?"

"Don't try to dance around it. You are." Byakuya said sternly.

"Is he really, Nii-sama? How do you know?" Rukia looked back and forth between the two.

"He wears the same wrist band as the man that gave me the pentacle. He also used it to leave our world. Would only make sense that's how he got here. But my concern is, how did you get the wrist band?"

Rukia started to piece things along with her brother. That would also mean, he was the reason that the Quincy was brought to their world as well.

Karuchi sighed. He looked utterly defeated. "I'm getting an early scolding… great." He noticed that they were confused at that. "Um. The man that gave you the pentacle. He's my brother. Kenji. I snuck the band from him. And… there was a Quincy that decided to tag along… kind of… and that's why he's here as well…"

"I see." Byakuya relaxed his stare. The boy wasn't anything to feel threatened by.

Rukia took a step towards him. She couldn't believe it. Not only did she have one son in another world… she had a second son… that looks so much like her. She reached to touch the side of his face gently, breaking a smile. "You are definitely real… I know that I'm your mother, by the way. Well, the me in your world."

Karuchi broke from her grasp out of shock. "What? You do? How?"

"Your brother told Ichigo he's his father and that I'm his mother in your world. And unless you're his half-brother…"

Karuchi shook his head vigorously. "No. Full blood."

"Excuse me." Byakuya strongly cut in, making his presence known again. "Did you just say he's your son?"

Rukia smiled sheepishly at him. "Ah… yeah. In his world, Ichigo and I—"

Byakuya raised his hand to stop her right there. "Please. Don't even say it." He sighed. "Now I know why that man said I'm his uncle. In his world, I really am…" He closed his eyes out of frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And forcefully family tied to that idiot… Rukia…" He looked at her with disappointing eyes. "how could you?"

Rukia's eyes bugged out. "What!? I didn't. The me in the other world did."

Karuchi laughed. He was enjoying the scene that was taking place. His mother and uncle from another world lightly bickering. "Oh. Um. Rukia…" It was weird to call her his mom since technically she wasn't in that world. She looked at him. "Has Ichigo come to a conclusion about his answer yet? Will he help us?"

"Help you?" Byakuya asked.

Rukia didn't hear the full detail of what happened after Ichigo passed out and talked to Kenji. So she didn't know about it either. She looked just as lost as Byakuya. Rukia shook her head. "No. I don't really know what you're talking about."

Karuchi raised his hand to his head. Rukia didn't fail to notice. He looks like her, but right then, he reminded her of Ichigo. "I guess Ichigo didn't tell you yet then. Talk to him about it. My world needs more than just his help, after all…"

A loud beeping sound made them all slightly wince. Karuchi's gazed dropped down to his wrist. It was the device. And there was a… count down? A countdown? What would there be a countdown? Crap… He's not going to blow up, right!? No. He shook that thought out of his head. That would be stupid… hopefully.

"What's that noise?" Byakuya asked, almost tempted to cover his ears.

"It's the wrist band!" Karuchi shouted a bit. It was just that loud… "There's a countdown on it for some reason…."

"What?" Rukia looked. There were 30 seconds left on the countdown and a thud of worry in her heart. "What's going to happen once it hits zero?"

He shrugged. "That. I don't know. Listen! Don't forget to talk to Ichigo. Please. Don't forget this face either, 'cause, even if I'm not your son in this world, remember that you have a cute son like me in another one. I hope to see you again. I hope…" His eyes went soft. As well as his smile. "I really hope you guys help us." His eyes dropped back down to the device.

Zero.

A bright flash over took the room. Once the blinding light cleared, he was gone. Rukia shared a heavy thoughtful stare with Byakuya. "Nii-sama."

"I already know Rukia."

They're going to help him. Whatever the cause may be.