Chapter 5

Ishida was walking home from his father's hospital, where he worked as an intern. "God damn it, I hate that job." Ishida didn't know how much more condescending looks he could take from his bastard-of-a father, or the worried looks he got from the co-workers. Probably thinking I'll give a bad report of them to Daddy… Ishida thought with sarcasm and disgust. His father was the one who forced him to that job anyway.Ishida was setting up a design business that would make use of his fantastic skill with needle and thread, but his father wanted him to be a doctor like him. Why? I can tell he is disappointed in me, why doesn't he just… Ishida was cut out of his reverie, as an explosion occurred right by him.

Damn it! Is that a hollow! Ishida materialized his bow, only to see in the explosion's epicenter, a startled, yet beautiful girl with a bow similar to his own.

No way, it couldn't be another Quincy, they were all dead! Ishida dematerialized his bow and walked up to her. "Are you okay?" he asked, and she looked up, and nodded. Obviously not the talkative sort not that I should judge... "What is you're name?" he tried again. "Zelda… she answered, then fainted. Ishida caught her, then decided to take her to his apartment. "Damn!" Ishida recalled, horrified "I'm supposed to meet Orihime there! I hope she understands! I don't want to blow my chances with her so soon!"

"Ishida, who is that?" Orihime asked shocked, as her boyfriend appeared in the door, holding a woman who was obviously beautiful, in his arms. "Ishida isn't the type to bring a girl in behind my back, and especially not forget I was coming!" she thought. Then, immediately she saw she was hurt "of course! Ishida wouldn't betray me! I was stupid to think about it." "Let me heal her!" she volunteered, "She looks hurt!" "Thanks Orihime," Ishida said, gratified that this wouldn't be construed the wrong way. He was worried that their new relationship, so fragile, he thought, because he felt she still might have feelings for Ichigo, might not have taken this strain. He underestimated Orihime's understanding, which he would not let happen again. "I found her in the middle of an explosion. I saw her with what looked like a Quincy boy, believe it or not, and then she fainted. "Uryuu! That's wonderful! It could be a living Quincy! Your clan might be still alive!" "I think it is more likely that she has undeveloped Quincy abilities, that was triggered by the explosion, but yes, that is possible."

It was the sixth day, and Link did not have the headway in his training he would have preferred. It was his last day of training, and he still had not achieved shikai. His strength had improved, as had his skill, but that damn sword of his still wouldn't spill it's name. He had seen Ukitake's sword, and it made him want shikai all the more. He turned to face Ukitake, still wearing his smile on his face, and charged him. It was foolhardy to think he could take him, especially with Kotowari released, but he had to try. He was knocked back, and his sword shouted at him. "Stop being so reckless! If you die, what use will your life have been to those who need you!" Link stood back, shocked. That was what he needed to hear. "FINALLY! You're listening now! What is the point of dieing? If you sacrifice yourself, and they are in danger, who will protect them? You are a shield, one who must protect those in need Don't hesitate, or they will die! Don't retreat, or they will die! Don't fail, or they will die! NOW! CALL! OUT! MY! NAME!" Link could hear it this time, and he shouted it, as loud as he could, and it was the first time, that Ukitake could remember, that he was so close to being equaled, and then he was down in a flash. Link was as powerful as him, sans bankai at least.

It was the seventh day. No one but Ukitake had seen Link's release, and Rukia and Ichigo were both apprehensive. Ichigo looked ready to jump in the pit with him, and Rukia had to hold him back, but she wanted down there as well. Then Ukitake told them, "you don't need to worry. He is at least as strong as you were right before you gained bankai, and he has as great a chance at survival down there as you do, Ichigo." Ichigo, shocked said, "How did you get him so strong, so fast," Right as the hollows entered the pit. Ukitake looked at Link then he shook his head "I did not." Then Link put his sword behind him, straight out, and Ukitake continued, "All I did, was get him to shikai, and help him learn how to use it. The strength, comes from him." Then Link shouted so all could hear, "Protect From Evil!…Masutasoto!

At first, Link was surprised, when he found out his sword's name was the name of the one he saved Hyrule with, then Masutasoto that the Master Sword was a timeless sword that went to all hero's of Hyrule, not just living ones. It looked similar to his original sword, but the guard was more angular, his sword a bit thinner and longer, and the yelllow crystal in the center, was now dull. Nevertheless, the most striking thing he found in his zanpaktou, different from everyone else's, was a Medieval-style shield, in a similar fashion to his hylian shield in life, but covered with small versions of his old crest. The ones he new well, all involved his sword, and he was confident that they would see him through, and if worse came to worse, he had his shield to fall back on.

Link, holding his shield at the ready, waited for a hollow to make the first move. When the first one did, he shouted "Gyuuken!" as he spun his sword in a spin attack. His spirit energy shot out his shield, then his sword picked it up, and spun in an attack charged with energy, decapitating the hollow. It's blood splashed on the ground, and some caught on his clothing. When the next one came, he didn't do anything so flashy, he just jumped, blocked it's mask-teeth with his shield, then slashed upward with his sword. Then, as the hollow's sensed a more powerful foe then they counted on, they bunched together, to present a harder target. Link laughed, then said "Yumi!" and his sword and shield transformed, into a bow, a black-and-white version of his hero's bow. He then added "Kamikaze Yumi" and his arrow was charged with explosive energy, then he shot it, and many hollows were greatly injured, with two dead.

Ishida was there when the girl…Zelda…woke up. She woke up with a scream, then realized she was in no danger. Ishida commented to her "We didn't know if you were going to wake up." She turned quickly and saw him, then relaxed a little, but a core of tension remained. "Who are you/' she asked, with regal airs. "My name is Uryu Ishida. I wanted to know who you are, because you seem to share a power with me." As he said this, he materialized his bow

"In this place, those with spirit bows are called Quincy. I want to know, if you know anything about that." "I cannot say I do," Zelda replied. "They are my light arrows, they were given to me by my goddesses, that is all I know of them." "Wait, what…no, I should wait to ask about you in greater detail. So you are no Quincy, but you have the innate power. Would you like me to teach you? There are a great many things to our powers than just the bow, though they are our focus. there is the Seele Schneider, the Silver tubes, and the formation of spirit particles…" "Fine, just stop babbling on!" Zelda snapped, annoyed by him, but intrigued at the continuation of her power. If he could teach her, it would get her mind off…" Zelda immediately crushed the thought, and then turned the thought pattern to "protect me from any monsters that might exist." Ishida was shocked at how much she resembled a quieter, more introspective, Rukia.

Link hacked and slashed for what felt like an eternity, changing his sword into bow, boomerang, hookshot, and many of his items formerly used in life.

Ichigo was baffled. How could one sword be so many different things? When he looked around, he sow many others were puzzled as well, but not Ukitake, who sensed his confusion and told him "His sword reflects his immense pre-death weapon training, as well as his tendency to use exactly the right weapon for a given scenario." expanding Ukitake stated "Link, in his past life, had to make use of many different tools in order to save his people. Thus his identity melded into a craftsman's, who would shudder to use an ineffective weapon. While others may use our swords, which may be ill-suited to a certain fight, his weapon is variable, able to adapt to his surroundings."

As if to illustrate his point, Link threw an energy bomb at a cluster of hollows, who blew it up with their energy. "Link is in his perfect fight, against many rather weak enemies, rather than one or two strong ones. He is a defensive fighter, as his sweeping attacks, shield, and long-range attacks attest. He can hold himself. He has no need for your help at this moment" Ukitake said as Ichigo, and Rukia, to a lesser extent than Ichigo, looked ready to jump in again. "That would invalidate the trial, and revert it to an execution. My advice; trust him."

Link was ready to collapse. He had never felt more exhausted, and wondered if the executed here were not overwhelmed, but tired out. Link kept on fighting, but he was low on spirit energy, and didn't think he could hold out much longer. Then, just as he killed a hollow, he felt more energy flow into him. He looked at the hollow, and surprised to find that it was not only larger than a normal hollow, but extremely powerful, and looked like it was evaporating.

Must be one of those Adjucha Menos's or something. No wonder this is so hard, I have to fight swarms of hollows, any one of which might be a Menos in disguise, hiding spirit pressure. THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

When he thought about it again, he felt a feral grin appear in his face, and felt like laughing! They couldn't contest the outcome if he won, and he felt stronger than he ever did before. Also, if he could beat Adjucha with his shikai, he could only imagine what was possible in Bankai. So he fought on, and stood triumphant as the last hollow went down with his Gyuuken, which he imagined was green tinged black, and imagined a voice inside him laughing with feral intensity.

Ichigo felt like applauding, but Rukia kept him down. A silent exchange passed through their eyes, and Ichigo understood the gist of it, that that time came later. It freaked him out, but he was content with it, pleased in fact.

I really should tell her how I feel, but she'll probably just punch me and say to keep that shit out my head, or worse, saying she was in love with…hell I don't know! Probably Renji, but who COULDN'T love this girl! She's perfect!

With a grimace, Ichigo realized just how much he sounded like Keigo right about now.

Rukia was likewise affected by this exchange, though not surprised or upset, she was puzzled.

Could this mean I'm closer To Ichigo than Uryuu, or Sado? That I could be more than Nakama, a title I would have killed for? Could we be…more? Damn it, but I can tell that Orihime is head-over heels with him still, even though she is with Uryuu, and if she got the opportunity… and even besides that, if Neliel, were to return to her adult body, how could I compete with that?!?! And as icing to the damn cake, the infernal Soul Society Women's League declared him the fucking MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR! HE isn't even a full shinigami, and now every women here might come hounding after him. If only I knew how he felt… But he's probably too engrossed with saving the world to want me.

Link, who should be happy, as Yamamoto declared him the new Lieutenant of squad 13, an extremely high rank couldn't shake a feeling of extreme sadness and loneliness.

Ichigo and Rukia will get together, they were made for each other, but what can I have. What will I allow myself to have? How can I forget my Rukia…my soulmate? How can I forget my Zelda…?

Well, how did you like it? I'm sorry, I couldn't hold off my Link/Zelda urges anymore, but forgive me that. Tell me what you think, and how I can improve it I am completely open to suggestions, and maybe some new ideas I didn't think up! Just post a review!