Chapter 6:
Normal POV
Organization XIII's Castle 9:47 am. Two days later…
"Xemnas, I have some information for you," Saix told Xemnas as he walked into Xemnas's large room.
Xemnas turned his head and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Yes, Saix?" He wondered.
"It's Axel and Roxas, they both disappeared," He told him, a hint of unusual panic in his voice.
Xemnas's golden eyes grew wide. "What do you mean disappeared?" He demanded as he walked over to where Saix was standing.
"I don't know, sir. The last I saw them they were playing Poker with Luxord and then they said they were going to get some fresh air. Its been a couple days and they're hasn't been a sigh of them anywhere," Saix explained. "At first I thought they went to Twilight Town, but they haven't returned yet,"
Xemnas's face twisted into a tight scowl. "Send the other members to each world and have them perform an end-to-end search of each world," Xemnas commanded. "Now Saix!" He boomed.
"Yes sir!" Saix agreed and he ran out of Xemnas's room to tell the other members.
He thought back to the day he last saw them. Nothing much had happened-he had played Poker with Luxord, Axel, and Roxas, he had delivered paperwork to Xemnas …he almost gasped when he realized something. When he had been delivering paperwork he had gotten a strange sensation. It felt evil and empty at the same time, like a Nobody. But much more powerful, and dangerous.
"I should have followed my instincts and checked out why I was feeling it…" He grumbled as he walked through the other member's quarters.
In Karakura Town…
Ichigo walked into the door of Kisuke's shop, Rukia beside him. It was still pretty early but he wanted to know if the man he rescued was okay or not. A couple nights ago he had dreamed of him fighting Grimmjow while trying to protect a spiky blonde haired boy. He had failed and he couldn't save the boy. He remembered kicking Grimmjow's butt like crazy when the man's words echo in his head.
"Save…Roxas…don't worry…about me…"
He had told Rukia about it but it still bothered him. Every since it was all he thought about. It was now eating at his soul like a colony of ants after a piece of bread.
"Who is this Roxas kid?" He asked himself as Rukia knocked on the wooden door.
"Ichigo? Are you okay?" A voice asked.
Ichigo looked up and saw Yoruichi in her human form studying Ichigo with a worried expression on her face. Her purple hair was messy and she was dressed in orange lounge pants and an oversized black T-shirt, three sizes too big.
"I feel guilty because I couldn't save the guy's friend," Ichigo replied.
"Don't worry," Yoruichi assures inviting them inside. "I'm sure he's fine,"
"How can he be fine? He was kidnapped the espada!" Ichigo yelled.
Yoruichi didn't answer. She sighed as she led them into the main room of Kisuke's shop. The main was empty before Kisuke walked into the room, Renji behind him wearing a pure white apron over an orange T-shirt and dark jeans. Rukia bit her lip to stop her from cracking up. She shook off the urge to laugh and her face turned serous again.
"How is he?" She asked.
Kisuke drew in his breath and blew it out in a whistle. "He's okay but extremely tired. His wounds weren't serous but he definitely pushed himself very hard," He began. "In fact he's a wielder of magic, fire to be exact. Plus-"
"Kisuke-san?" A small, quiet voice asked.
Kisuke turned around and saw Ururu standing in the doorway to back of the shop.
"He's beginning to stir," He told him before signaling to him to follow her.
Kisuke followed the little girl with Rukia, Ichigo, and Renji behind him. She led them to the back room where Axel was asleep (or waking up). His eyes were slightly opened and he looked dazed and confused. Kisuke smiled as Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji sat around him like they were observing something. Axel groaned and turned his head toward Kisuke.
"Well you're finally awake, Mr. Sleepyhead," Kisuke commented sitting down too.
"Wh-where am I? Who are you?" He questioned, his voice a dry whisper.
"I'm an Kisuke Urahara, but you can call me Kisuke. And these idiots are Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia," He introduced pointing to them, while getting glares from the trio. He quickly opened up his fan and began fanning himself.
"Where am I?" He asked again.
"Quit the questions, will ya? We have some questions for you," Ichigo told him.
Axel slowly sat up, with the help of Renji, and ran a hand through his spiky red hair. White bandages covered his arms from his elbow to wrist and the upper part of his left arm as well. He was dressed in a black sleeves shirt and black pants as well. A small red mark on his cheek was possibly the only thing that said he was recently in a fight.
"You're in Karakura town. We took you here after you passed out a couple days ago. You've been asleep ever since," Ichigo explained slowly.
"A couple days!" Axel exclaimed throwing the blanket off him and standing up. "I need to get back to the castle or else Saix will-" He fell to him knees clutching his arm.
"Don't push yourself so hard!" Rukia scolded. "You've been asleep for two days and you just think you can run out like that?" He told him as she helped sit back down again.
Axel drew in his breath and sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm Axel by the way, got it memorized?" He told her pointing to his forehead.
Rukia gave him a strange stare as Kisuke folded up his fan and chuckled. "Well nice to meetcha Axel," He replied.
He opened his mouth to say something else but Ichigo cut him off.
"Tell me…what were you doing fighting the espada two-on-three like that?" He asked him.
Axel gave Ichigo a puzzled stare. "The who?" He wondered scratching his head.
"Those people you and your friend, Roxas I think, were fighting," Ichigo explained briefly.
Axel stared at the ground. "I never intended on fighting them. I was only showing Roxas how the World That Never Was…was exact copy of Twilight Town. Then these lunatics popped out up out of nowhere and challenged us to a fight," Axel began telling the story. "We fought with everything we've got but it wasn't enough. They kept firing a red beam, like the creature that attacked Demyx a week ago. Then Grimmjow, I think, and his partner beat me up pretty bad and then Ichigo showed up. I really can't remember much after that…" He told them, he voice trailing off.
"You said a creature attacked you a week ago, right? What did it look like?" Renji asked rubbing his chin.
"It was huge!" Axel exclaimed. "It was dark red, it had a hole through its chest-"
"A hollow!" Ichigo and Rukia yelled out simultaneously.
"So that's what it's called!" Axel exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "Vexen's been trying to figure out what it was for a week! He's been running all kinds experiments and tests on it like a mad scientist!" He explained quickly. "No wait, he is a mad scientist…" He added.
"It got there because the magic from your world got mixed in our spiritual pressure causing a link between out two world to open," Kisuke began. "While I'm on the subject…judging by your black cloak…you're part of Organization XIII, right?" He asked.
"Yeah, why?" Axel wondered raising an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Kisuke exclaimed punching his fist in the air. "I have a plan and it might work!"
"What plan? And what are you hiding from us, Kisuke?" Renji demanded.
"You see, a couple years ago while I was exploring your world I ran into a man, who is now a good friend of mine," Kisuke started looking at Axel. "He was wearing the same cloak with silver beads on it and he was trying to get a heart or something like that. I forgot him name now…what is it?" He asked himself scratching his chin.
"Xemnas?" Axel guessed.
"Yes! That's him! It's been ages since I've seen him!" Kisuke exclaimed.
"Y-yo-you mean you know a guy from another world!?" Ichigo exclaimed.
"Yup, so I was thinking we could join forces and team up to fight the espada and get Roxas back," Kisuke explained briefly.
"Maybe…just maybe," Axel started. "He might buy it. If we team up with Xemnas and couple other members we might get Roxas back!" Axel exclaimed hopefully.
"First things first, you need to get some rest," Kisuke intruded. "We can't just go into battle with wounds like yours. But lucky you a friend of ours can reject events so you'll be as good as new in, literally, no time!" Kisuke exclaimed giving Axel a thumbs up.
Ichigo offered Axel his hand. Axel took it as Ichigo helped him to him feet. He stumbled but then caught himself at stood up. Rukia followed both of them out of the room. Renji gave Kisuke a strange look and followed them out, throwing off his apron in the process.
Rukia showed Axel around Karakura Town while Ichigo was lost in his thoughts. Why were the espada in that world in the first place? Why did they kidnap this Roxas kid? He obviously knew they had sent the hollow to their world but how did they figure out what happened to it?
"Hey Axel? Has anything weird been happening with the organization lately?" He wondered.
"Other than the hollow attack…not really. But we have been picking up traces of his other force we don't know about. Saix's has been working on that as well," He replied.
"Other force?" Ichigo questioned.
"Yeah, there have also been these blurry spots everywhere. In fact, Demyx dared Roxas to chuck a stick at it and it vanished," Axel explained.
Well…that explains the random stick that fell from the sky and hit my dad on the head. Ichigo thought to himself.
"Those blurry spots are portals to this world," Ichigo started. "When our spiritual pressure mixed with your magic a link between out two worlds opened. Have they're been any huge fights recently?" He wondered.
"Well they're was this huge heartless that popped up and Zexion, Larxene, and Marluxia had to defeat it. Zexion and Larxene are big magic users so that's probably where the large amount of magic came from," Axel pieced together.
"We'll we've corrected one part of the trouble, we just to fix the other," Rukia began. "We need into infiltrate Hueco Mundo and get Roxas back…sounds simple enough, wouldn't you agree?" She told the group.
"One problem…how do you plan on getting back Roxas when they're Arrancars everywhere?" Ichigo pointed out.
"…Right…that's another problem…" Rukia sighed, disappointed.
"Back to the drawing board," Renji commented.