Chapter 9

Normal POV

The group leaped out of the dark portal and landed in the sand of Hueco Mundo. Zexion stood up and brushed sand off of him while Axel and Demyx gazed around in curiosity. The sky was pitch black, no stars, only a crescent moon cast a silver glow across the sandy landscape. There were also a couple silver trees scattered across the gently rolling hills of sand. The air had a sharp chill to it and an eerie feel, as if something evil was lurking here.

"This is Hueco Mundo?" Axel questioned.

"Yeah, happy place isn't it?" Renji replied.

"That's where we're going," Ichigo announced to the group pointing to the Las Noches place. "Do you still have the blueprints, Renji?" He checked.

Renji nodded solemnly. "We should get moving," He decided.

Everyone nodded in agreement and took off running towards the huge palace. They didn't much of anything except for lizards wearing hollow masks and demented-looking birds. The only thing that was on Axel's mind was Roxas. He was going to get Roxas back even if he had to give his own life. Xemnas even became grumpy when he found out about Roxas. So it also meant if they got back Roxas Xemnas would be in a good mood and wouldn't chuck whatever's in his hand at the members.

Elsewhere…

Roxas sat in front of the window in the room. The moon's silver light flittered through the window. His arms and legs were scratched and bruised. Aizen had forced him to tell him how to get into The World That Never Was but Roxas had resisted for a whole five minutes before Aizen forced it outta him by having Grimmjow kick him around a bit. Guilt now overcame Roxas like an ocean wave. He could almost hear the organization yelling at him in his thoughts…

"Traitor!"

"You Moran! Do you realize what you've done?"

"We're all going to die because of you, Roxas…I thought we were friends,"

Roxas balled his hands into fists. Oh how he wanted to take what he did back! If only he were more persistent in battle he wouldn't be in this mess. If the hollow hadn't popped up, Demyx wouldn't have gotten hurt and…it hurt his non-existent heart to think about Axel. The last he saw him he wasn't holding up too well against the espada. He didn't know weather Axel was dead or alive. Roxas wished he could see Axel, just to see if he was alive.

He snapped out of his thoughts when an overwhelming feeling overcame him. It was so powerful it shook the room. He gasped as one word escaped his lips.

"Axel," He was here in Hueco Mundo.

Aizen smirked slightly to himself as soon as he felt Ichigo's spiritual pressure. Just as he had thought, they had come to get Roxas. He snapped out of his thoughts when Gin walked in and bowed respectfully.

"Lord Aizen, Ichigo and a group of soul reapers have entered Hueco Mundo. Should I set up guards?" He asked.

"No, I have a batter idea in store for them," He replied smirking to himself.

Back with Ichigo…

Ichigo stopped dead in front of the Las Noches palace. It was huge! It loomed over them like a dragon about to devour a poor little sheep. It was entirely white and the front door was charcoal grey. Ichigo stepped forwards and opened the door just a crack and pecked in. There was a bare wall ahead and two huge spiral staircases on either side of the huge front hall. Ichigo causality stepped in and gazed around, not a soul in sight.

"The coast's clear," He told the group.

All of them stepped in and gazed around as well.

"Weird…I thought there would be thousands of guards here," Demyx shrugged his shoulders. "Guess Vexen was right for once,"

"The espada aren't idiots," Rukia warned Demyx. "They probably knew we were coming and have laid a trap for us elsewhere. They want us to think we can let our guard down," Rukia explained with a serous look in her eyes.

"I say we should split up," Renji decided pulling out the blueprints. "We really don't where these might lead but we should look,"

"We don't have time to sightsee," Zexion said firmly. "Xemnas's orders were to find Roxas and get out as quick as possible. Plus if we split we'll risk getting hurt because we'll only be half as strong as we would be together," He explained.

Ichigo nodded. "I agree with Zexion. Now, what staircase should we go up?" He wondered looked at the two huge staircases.

Renji studied the blueprints for a second. The left one leads to a coffee stain (according to the blueprints) and the right one leads to a series off hallways leading to the prison hold.

"The only option is to go up the right one because I can't see where the left one goes," Renji told the group. "No thanks to Kisuke's coffee," He added with a mutter.

Ichigo nodded and began to walk up the huge spiral stairway. The rest of the group followed as Zexion carefully studied his surroundings. Of course the place was huge but it was made of a sturdy building material. Zexion also noticed something else: the place felt like it was sealed off my some other force.

"Does anybody else feel like their powers are blocked off by something?" He asked everyone.

"No, why?" Rukia replied.

"I feel…like I can't use a simple fireball," Zexion told Rukia.

Rukia thought for a second. "Try using something simple," She suggested.

Zexion tried to shoot a small fireball the wall head of them but…nothing happened. Axel and Demyx gasped in horror. If Zexion couldn't use magic then they couldn't summon their weapons. Zexion tried it again…but had the same outcome.

"What the heck…why can't I use magic?" Zexion muttered to himself.

"Use guys have your weapons, don't you? Why can't you just use those?" Ichigo pointed out.

"Moran, you need magic to summon your weapon!" Demyx almost yelled at Ichigo.

Rukia closed her eyes and concentrated. Now looking at it, she could feel spiritual pressure on every wall of the palace. The place was completely sealed off by a powerful spiritual pressure.

"This Aizen guy must have sealed off the building to prevent Roxas from using magic or summoning his Keyblade," Axel concluded. "Since he can't use magic or summon our weapons we're basically just extra weight,"

"Wait! Zexion can't you make an exact copy of somebody else's weapon?" Demyx asked him.

"I can but that requires magic! The best weapon we got is our fist!" Zexion almost yelled at Demyx, he tension in his voice quite clear.

I wish we had dragged along Saix right now. He thought to himself.

"Well…we're in deep s***," Ichigo muttered to himself.

"Wait a second, I have an idea," Rukia told everyone as she took her sword out of it's case. "Zexion, try to use my sword," She told him handing him her sword.

"Rukia, are you crazy?" Renji asked her. "Your zanpakto is your only weapon!" He scolded.

"You're wrong, Renji. We still have our dark force, but for Ichigo that's a bit a problem," She pointed out.

Zexion studied her sword carefully. It looked just like a regular katana and everything. It felt kinda weird to Zexion because the only weapon he's ever used was a book. He stepped ahead of group and took a couple practice swings. It was going to take a little time to get used too, but it's the only opinion.

"I accept you offer…though I would prefer using my Lexicon," Zexion muttered to himself.

"You're telling me I need to use a sword? You've gotta be kidding me, I'd rather us Axel's Chakrams," Demyx complained.

"Hey! My Chakrams are amazing! At least my weapon isn't an oversized guitar!" He yelled back at Demyx.

"What did you call my Sitar?" Demyx shouted back.

"Break it up! Do you want the espada to know we're here?" She yelled at Axel and Demyx.

"She's right, let's go," Ichigo decided.

A while later, after (what seemed like) hours of climbing stairs, the group came to a spacious room. Across the room were two hallways that branched off into unknown areas. Renji stepped forwards and studied the hallways and glanced at the blueprints; then at the hallways again. He shook his head disapprovingly and turned back to the group.

"I can't tell where these tunnels lead too," Renji began. "But either one could lead to Roxas. The only option is to split up,"

"Are you crazy?" Demyx almost screamed. "If we split up, than I won't be able to defend myself. Plus I-"

"The boy's right," A voice agreed.

"Who's there?" Ichigo challenged as he drew his enormous sword.

A figure suddenly appeared in front of the group. Ulquiorra sighed and faced the tense group.

"If you split up, then you risk the chance of losing a comrade. Half of you are powerless, meaning the other half are superior," He pointed out.

Axel growled under his breath. "Where's Roxas? What have you freaks done to him?" He demanded.

Ulquiorra drew in his breath and sighed. "Foolish boy…he is being kept for secret purposes. But if you wish to ventu-"

"I don't care what you say d*mnit!" Axel snapped as he grabbed Rukia's sword from Zexion. "Just tell me where he is!" He screamed as he ran towards Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra drew his sword as well and met match with Axel. Axel swung the sword at Ulquiorra once more, but Ulquiorra easily dodged. He jumped up and swung his sword at Axel. Axel jumped away, just barley missing it as he slashed off a couple strands of red hair.

Ulquiorra swung his sword at Axel, but Axel barley missed it. He jumped up and raised his sword above his head, ready to kill Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra met match with Axel's sword and swung his sword at it, almost knocking it out of Axel's hands. Axel jumped up and swung the sword at Ulquiorra, filled with rage. At the last second, Axel threw the sword at Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra held his ground calmly as he grabbed Rukia's sword.

Axel's eyes grew wide in fear as Ulquiorra charged at him and tried to slash against Axel, but he dodged swiftly. Axel jumped back and Ulquiorra swung the two katanas at him once more. Rukia muttered something under her breath before she shot a fireball at Ulquiorra. The fireball hit Ulquiorra's hand, causing him to drop Rukia's sword. Axel dove towards the sword and grabbed it as Ulquiorra began to charge up for cero. Axel quickly jumped up, barely missing the deadly red beam.

"Dance! Sode No Shiroyuki!" Rukia yelled out as her sword turned white in Axel's hand.

Axel's eyes grew huge at the sight of the white zanpakto. He barely had the chance to react to this before Rukia shouted something out again.

"Pakurn!"

Axel nearly jumped back as a white beam shot out from the zanpakto. Ulquiorra dissappeared in a blurr right before the right beam hit him. He re-appeared a couple yards away from Axel. He stared at them through his emotionless green eyes as he put his sword back in its case.

"You fight well for someone who has never wielded a zanpakto before," He complemented. "Roxas speaks well of you. But next time we meet…I won't show any mercy against you and Ichigo. I will kill you both without hesitation," He finished before he disappeared in a blur of white.