Halibel's earlier words about not letting Aizen kill them looked like they were going to be much harder to follow than originally intended. It was one thing to talk about Las Noches as though it was just a place. After all, the Court of Pure Souls would be nothing without the Souls inside of it. Las Noches was, well, different. It was a foe, a separate entity all onto itself. Even Halibel looked a shade paller as the structure came into view. They had managed to find an entry in Hecuo Mundo that the former Espada knew about. It was supposed to get them into the palace but it had only gotten them near it.

The desert was obviously wearing on Nel. Her usually happy, carefree demenor was dampened severely. As she walked she continued to finger the edge of her scar absently. Everyone knew of what had happened, of where the scar came from and that Nel had spent a long time running around the desert without her memories or powers so when she summoned Gamuza no-one said anything. The desert was clearly a painful reminder to her of what she had once been, of all that she had lost when she had been attacked.

"I fucking hate the desert," Grimmjow announced suddenly.

"Why? Because you got your ass handed to you here?" Ichigo replied.

"You did too!" Grimmjow shot back hotly.

"I did not!"

"Are they going to continue this all the way to Las Noches?" Ulquiorra asked looking at the two of them.

"Ichigo likes to fight," Orihime said with a smile, "so does Grimmjow, I think they will," he let out a frustrated breath, "we could get Soifon to stop them," she said looking over at the 2nd Division Captain.

"I believe the objective is to have one of us alive for each team," he said, "dying is probably the only way for Grimmjow to become more useless."

"You're so mean Ulquiorra," Orihime scolded, though the smile didn't slip off her face.

"So," Renji turned to Nel, "any attempts at Bankai yet?"

"At what?" she asked, obviously suprised.

"Bankai, your final release form," he said nodding towards Gamuza, "you've got the Spiritual Pressure for it."

"That's where Ichigo gets his coat right?" he nodded, "no," she said looking at the ground rather sadly, "I haven't tried it yet," Soifon appeared in front of her, shocking Nel out of her stupor, "how did you—" Soifon appeared behind her, "how are you doing that?" Nel gasped. Halibel seemed to pick up on what Soifon was doing because she vanished and reappeared as well, "Bel-Bel!"

"It's the Shinigami equivilant of Sonido," Halibel said.

"Flash Steps," Soifon replied.

"Focus your power," Halibel said, "and—" she vanished and reappeared a few feet ahead. Nel nodded and bit her lip, summoning her power before she released it. She vanished and reappeared next to Halibel, "very good," she replied with an incline of her head.

Nel reappeared next to Renji.

"You're it," she said hitting his shoulder.

"I'm what?"

"It," Ichigo said, "its called Eternal Tag."

"You remember!" Nel cried joyfully.

"Eternal—" he hit Ichigo, "you're it."

Except for Byakuya, Ulquiorra and Nemu the rest of the group was more than happy for the distraction. Of course Ikkaku and Grimmjow were each 'it' only once, then they learned that having the two of them as 'it' was probably a bad idea. Finally the players dwindled, all too worn out to continue to chase the Flash Steppers. The palace seemed as unmoveable as ever. Halibel had forgotten just how much she loathed Las Noches. It had been so much easier when she was an Espada to just transport herself in there but now, as a Shinigami, the task was clearly impossible.

"You do not expect to return," she said. Byakuya looked over at her with a mild flicker of suprise, "the symbols of your station are missing."

"I expect to complete the mission," he replied cooly, "my return is secondary."

"And do those you've left behind share that sentiment?" she asked.

"No," he said, "but though she is getting wise, my sister is far from fully grown."

"Sister?" she asked, intrigued, "younger I assume."

"Yes," he said.

"You two do not look alike," she said, "I would have remembered a woman with your face."

"No, we do not look alike," he agreed.

"She is not your sister by blood," Halibel said, "you do not strike me as the kind of man to need other people, nor one to admit it when he does. So if she is not your sister by blood she must be related to someone you loved, someone you loved and you lost."

"She is," he said but did not elaborate

"And I suppose that is why you are staring at Ichigo as though you could kill him with your mind?"

"It would be far easier than that," Byakuya stated cooly.

The continued to walk with the palace getting no closer in sight. Conversation dwindled and then stilled as the hopelessness of their situation set in. Nel frowned and looked ahead, her eyes straining to make out the two figures walking along at a distance. Her fingers tightened on Gamuza but for some reason she did not feel as though they were enemies. In fact, they seemed to be rather harmless. She knew she was a Shinigami now but she felt as though she knew them from somewhere. The two figures slowed, their heads swinging around as though searching for something. Something or someone.

"Neliel?" one of them called tentatively. Nel bobbed her head and he burst into tears at once.

"Dondochakka!" she cried running forward.

"Neliel!"

The former Fraccion threw himself at his master sobbing. Through his ramblings they made out that the Fraccion were mostly dead except for him and his companion. Pesche had not been so lucky to survive either. The second Fraccion was much calmer and approached Halibel, pushing back her hood and bowing her head. Halibel seemed suprised but hid it well. Sun-Sun was much calmer than Dondochakka. Halibel had known if any of her Fraccion were to survive it would be Sun-Sun. She gripped the Fraccion's chin with her fingers and examined her for any injuries. The three dots under her eye had become one long scar that started above her eyebrow and sliced neatly down to her jawline. Still she met Halibel's gaze squarely.

"The others did no survive," she replied, her voice calm and collected, "they perished with the other Fraccion."

"How?" Halibel questioned.

"Las Noches," Sun-Sun stated, "the palace began to collapse into itself. A good portion of it was destroyed. Many were caught in the cave ins, those who made it out alive were either attacked or simply could not survive the death of their Espada."

"I see," she said, "how did Mila Rose and Apache die?"

"They died in the third cave in, in the south wing," she said, "holding back Hollows who attempted to storm Las Noches. They died honorable deaths."

"There is little honor in death," Halibel said with a sigh, "thank you," she added.

"We can get to Las Noches now!" Nel said cheerfully.

"Oh shit," Renji said, "that thing's going to—"

"Bawabawa!" she cried as Dondochakka opened his mouth and expelled the massive eel.

"Now that I know where that comes from," Ichigo said, "I don't really want to ride it."

Break

Gin wished they would put him in prison.

Or really that they would put him anywhere but the room he was currently in. He didn't like being in the place that Rangiku died in, it was just too--it was too unsettling for him. Gin did not get scared and he certainly didn't believe in ghosts but he felt like soemone was watching him in the room. Of course he imagined that could largely be due to the fact that he would bet his soul that they were watching his room.

His eyes drifted over to the empty space where her bed had been and he felt the smile slip off his lips. She was gone. Irrationally he was angry at her, angry for leaving him, angry that after everything she had died when it was finally over. On some level he thought he knew that she wouldn't recover. It wasn't pride that made him sure of his ablities, but he had always been far better at killing than he had been at keeping people alive. Rangiku had been the exception. He had kept her alive. Even when he was already a seated officer, even when he was Aizen's subordinate, he had managed it. But in the end Aizen had won, Aizen always won.

His fingers itched to hold Shinso. He missed his Zanpakto terribly. It was the last peice of his old life, both the good and the bad. His Zanpakto marked him like his hair and his eyes. He was mildly amused at the thought of what he would look like without hair or with normal colored eyes. He decided he would look very strange. He had looked strange as a kid—he had looked strange as an adult as well. Beautiful, Rangiku had called him, not handsome but beautiful. She had been a scraggly little thing with a head of hair like the sunset. Under the dirt he had thought she was beautiful as well. He wondered if she knew what he thought of her.

"Good afternoon, Ichimaru," Unohana said as she walked inside the room.

"Here for a check up?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes," she said as he sat up.

"Can I get out of here soon?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not," she said beginning her examination, "Las Noches did not agree with you," she continued, her voice hold no accusation, just a simple, objective statement of the facts, "your body has been severely compromised, even before Aizen stabbed you."

"So?" he looked over his shoulder, his smile slipping fractionally in annoyance.

"There's very little sense in you dying now," Unohana finished stepping back and looking at him calmly, "you always were a killer Gin," she said. He looked forward angrily, "we all wondered what would become of you, you were so strong and so—"

"Evil?" he supplied.

"Talented," she said, "we saw Aizen take and interest in you but after what happened to his Captain we assumed it was for the best," she shook her head sadly, "we had no idea."

"What's done is done," he said, his voice tired, "you can't change what happened anymore than I can."

"No," she said, "but I do owe you an apology."

His eyes widened in suprise.

"We were your superiors, we should have seen what Aizen was doing and we should have done something to stop him. Perhaps then things would be different," she placed something on the edge of his bed, "truly, Gin, I am sorry."

She slipped out. He turned his head to see the bundle Soifon had carried. With shaking hands he reached out and tore off the wrappings, laying Shino on his lap. The Zanpakto was sealed, his own Spiritual Pressure was still weak, so weak he doubted he could even get to Bankai. But his blade was there, damaged and scratched, but it was still whole. One of his hands wrapped around the familiar hilt, the grip fitting perfectly into his fingers like a lost love. Gin frowned and looked down. The inside fabric of the bundle was black. He shook it out to reveal Shingami robes. Keeping Shinso in his hand he walked over and tested the door.

It was unlocked.

Walking back to the bed he looked at the cloths and then at Shinso, painfully aware of the trust that Unohana was placing in him. He was too weak to do any real damage to Soul Society which meant that she was expecting him to do something else entirely. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was expecting him to go to Las Noches. Part of him didn't want to go, part of him wanted to say that if the ones who went were that stupid they should just be allowed to die. Then he thought of Rangiku's face as she proudly introduced the white haired little brat to him or all the evenings she had appeared at his doorstep with Hinamori in tow.

"Damn it," he swore, his voice low and angry as he grabbed the cloths and pulled them on, belting Shinso to his waist.

Of all the people to venture into Las Noches he was the only one who hadn't changed. At least not physically. Aizen had trusted him and Tousen, him more because Aizen knew him better. Even if it was just the Espada walking into Las Noches without Aizen they were walking into a death trap. Apparently he was the only one who had figured it out. Him and Unohana.

"Well well, going to save the Espada are we?"

And Shinji Hirako.

"How did you get out of your room?" Gin asked turning his head.

"Apparently there's been a lax in training since I left," he said with a grin.

Gin said nothing. Shinji certainly didn't look like he was in the hospital. He had somehow managed to find his regular cloths, cut his hair and secure his Zanpakto apparently with no-one's help. Now he was leaning against the wall with his usual smirk in place, obviously waiting for him. Gin wasn't sure if he was irritated that Aizen's former Captain was waiting for him or somewhat honored that he considered him worth waiting for. Shinji's smirk widened as the confusion showed on Gin's face.

"Its' not hard to figure out that they're trying to cure us," he said with a shrug, "guilt's a powerful motivator. Las Noches is the best place to find whatever they need but since Aizen is one sick fuck I imagine the place is riddled with traps," he smirked, "traps that only him or his trusted second in command could dismantle."

"You said is," Gin said.

"I'd be more shocked if Aizen really was dead," Shinji said, "evil like Aizen doesn't just end, especially not with death. In fact, if anything, death has made him more powerful. There's no more tangible enemy, there's no one you can fight, after all, even Soul Reaper's can't just kill someone whose already dead."

"So how do you fight what's already dead?" Gin asked, his smile re-appearing.

"Its like you said," Shinji replied, "with Aizen it's always a game," he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Ah, I suppose we'll just have to play along then," Gin replied easily.

"Yes, I suppose we will," Shinji said grabbing his Zanpakto and blasting away the door, "after you."

"Why thank you," Gin said.

In the midst of all the chaos the two men walked easily out of the Fourth Division.

Break

"It was a contained blast," Unohana said softly, "it did no damage, it was simply a distraction."

Captain Ukitake said nothing, neither did Shinsui. Both were wisely silent as their oldest friend explained why she had let Gin Ichimaru and Shinji Hirako waltz out of the Fourth Division. The Captain of the Fourth Division looked serene as always. She sat in the interrogation room, her back strait and her hands folded neatly in her lap. She gave no sign of being upset. If anything there was a faint guilt in her eyes but Ukitake had a feeling that guilt was not about giving Gin his Zanpakto or letting the two of them leave. He had a very good feeling he knew why she had done both of those things.

"So there was no damage to the hospital?" he questioned.

"None," she shook her head, "it was completely harmless."

"Retsu," he sighed, frustration in his voice.

"You should not tax yourself, Captain Ukitate, the battle was hard on you."

"Hard on me?" he glared at her, the first real sign of anger he had shown her since their academy days, "you just released a Vizard and one of the men responisble for this mess!"

"I released the former Fifth Division Captain and Aizen's second in command, the two people who have shown great loyalty to Soul Society and who are possibly the only two who can aide those going to Las Noches."

"Retsu—"

"We cannot undo the past," Unohana said, gently cutting him off, "no matter how much we wish it. We can only learn from it and try to keep it from repeating itself," she looked at them, "those who have gone to Las Noches have no chance of returning unless we aide them. The only two who could aide them are those who have an idea of what they're up against. Gin Ichimaru and Shinji Hirako are those people, they are the only people."

"I hate it when you make sense like this," Shinsui said.

"I apologize then, Captain Kyoraku," she said with a smile.

"I'm gonna leave you two alone," he said stepping back, "I may have two blades but so does he."

Unohana smiled and watched him back out, leaving her with a less than pleased Jushiro Ukitake. Apparently his choice to wait for Rukia Kuchiki to become his Vice Captain was the correct one. He was well enough to look properly angry at her. As his primary healer Unohana was pleased about that. As his lover, she was saddened that he didn't understand her actions. She had known he wouldn't but alenating him was not something she wished to do. He walked over to her and pulled the chair on the other side of the desk around to face her. He sat in it, close enough so the edge of his Captain's robe just brushed her own. She turned her gaze to his squarley, trying to detach herself as she would with any other patient. But he was not a patient, not at the moment and even when he was it was almost impossible for her to properly detach herself.

"Do you remember when we met Gin Ichimaru?" she asked.

"I remember when we met Aizen," he said with a shake of his head.

"I think," she confessed softly, "that if we had been different, if things had been different, he could have been like Captain Hitsugaya."

"Retsu," he sighed, "don't blame yourself for what happened to Gin," he said, "if anyone's to blame its Aizen."

"But that doesn't change the fact that Gin is still here and he isn't. That Matsumoto's gone and he's still here," she closed her eyes in a rare show of frustration, "it is our duty, as Captains and as members of Soul Society to act in its best interests. We failed in that, we failed him," she opened her eyes and looked at him, "he is who he is because we were blinded by Aizen."

"And you're trying to remedy that by letting him go to Las Noches," Ukitake said, "with Shinji?"

"I believe no one wants nor deserves revenge on Aizen more than him."

"You never cease to amaze me," Ukitake said softly, "even after all these years."

"Sorry to interupt you two love birds," Shinsui said peering inside, "but they crew that was supposed to go to Las Noches has just arrived and Commander General wants everyone in the Central 46."