'Allo amigos and amgias. (Again, it's really nice not to have to apologize off the bat. Let's hope this keeps up). I has a shiny update for you all!

As usual, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the story, and special thanks to my beta-readers for looking over this and editing it.

Moderate angst and violence warning in this chapter. Renji and Ichigo get a bit beat up and naturally a lot of people are angsting over what's happened. Luckily this is the last chapter with a considerable amount of angst, but there is much more violence to come. Yay!

Anyway, with that all taken care of, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 28

The search for answers and resolve

It was a grim morning in the Seireitei.

The shinigami were awakened by the PA system. The shinigami who announced the orders over the PA sounded almost shell-shocked as he broke the news: Soul Society was under a military takeover.

Ise Nanao immediately shot up from her desk chair when she heard the announcement. "What?" she said in astonishment.

She knew her captain had gone to some emergency captains' meeting. She hadn't paid much mind to it until now. With these Zero Squad people in Soul Society, it couldn't be a coincidence.

"I know he can handle himself," she said as she grabbed her zanpakutou and ran for the exit. "But he still might be in danger. I have to-"

Suddenly a person dressed in shinigami robes with a captain haori over his shoulder appeared in the doorway, surrounded by a small throng of soldiers in uniforms Nanao had never seen. "Ise Nanao?" the leader said.

"I am she," she said, straightening her posture. "Who are you?"

"I am one of the Royal Guard. You are to assemble your squad for a meeting."

"I don't have that authority," Nanao said. "And you certainly aren't one to give me orders-"

"I am now," he said, his hand reaching for his sword.

Nanao instinctively reached for hers until she saw the soldiers surrounding him draw theirs. She lowered her hand, though not her guard. Live today, fight tomorrow.

The Guard member nodded, satisfied with her response. "You'd do well not to draw your weapon. Until further notice, all vice-captains are in charge of the squads. You wouldn't want to set a bad example."

The news immediately sent a surge of panic through Nanao. "What did you do to Kyouraku-taichou?" she demanded.

"He and the other captains will be meeting with Captain Ryou and afterward will be detained." The Guardsman's steely eyes held Nanao's gaze. "You should inform your squad not to try anything. Your captain will suffer the consequences if you do."

That scene was being played out in all the squads, leaving the vice-captains or whoever was in charge with no choice but to comply. Without their captains' guidance, they were left to fend for themselves and their squads. All the divisions were practically shut down as the shinigami kept to their rooms. Most were talking to their comrades, trying to understand the situation. Others kept quiet. The vice-captains hoped for the best and prayed for their captain's safety.

As for the captains, they waited for the meeting to start, unaware of the situation they were about to be thrust into.

The remaining captains in Soul Society were assembled in the first division meeting hall, guarded by a group of Royal Guard. The hall was filled with silence, at least until shouting outside was suddenly heard.

The doors banged open and in flew Hitsugaya. He hit the floor and stumbled over the even wooden floorboards. "Damn you!" he shouted as he went.

"Hitsugaya!" Komamura went to help him, but a Guardswoman drew her sword and pointed it at his neck.

As he struggled to his feet, Hitsugaya's icy eyes lifted towards the doorway, where Ryou was walking in with his posse and the other shinigami prisoners. "I don't care who or what you are. You don't toss a captain like a sack of rice!"

"Captain? I would hardly think so," Ryou said as he entered the room. "Not for long, anyway. It's what you get for putting up such a fight."

"Hitsugaya-kun," Momo said worriedly as she was pushed in forcefully by a Guard member. "Are you all right?"

"I'm not even scratched," he said, dusting off his robes. "Don't worry."

Ryou snorted at their exchange. "How cute. If we're done playing friends, let's get down to business." He gestured to the captains. "I will apologize for the early hour, but the Reiou's orders are absolute. Soul Society is going to be under our control now."

"On what grounds?" Unohana calmly asked, her gaze darting towards Ryou. "We have successfully run the main dimension of Soul Society for millennia. I can't see why he would suddenly be interested in taking over again."

"You would dare question him?" Ryou snapped, his nostrils flaring.

"I dare question you," Unohana retorted. "I merely ask for proof of this."

For a moment, there was nothing but a tense silence. Hitsugaya feared Ryou would lash out at Unohana, though he wondered if maybe that wouldn't be a good thing. Unohana wasn't one to be trifled with, not even by the Royal Guard.

To his relief, and perhaps slight disappointment as well, Ryou merely nodded. "I don't have the papers," he said, "that list the orders, but our Commander does. He will be here tomorrow."

"And what are we to do until then?" Hitsugaya asked, his eyes still narrowed at Ryou.

"You'll be detained," he said, crossing his arms. "But, in all fairness, we'll wait to strip you of your ranks until the Commander is here. Your vice-captains will be in charge under our supervision."

Kenpachi made a sound of disgust. "What makes you think you can goddamn barge in here and take over the place? You ain't done shit in years and now you want to play boss?"

"Not to mention," Kyouraku added, "I think we deserved some warning as to this. The Central 46 is still in the process of being reassembled and our general commander is comatose. Couldn't this have waited?"

Ryou began to laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "Are you usually this obstinate or did I come on a bad day? What part of 'Reiou's orders' do you not understand?"

"It's not a matter of understanding," Renji said from the back. "We don't believe you. This entire scheme is bullshit."

Slowly, Ryou turned around and faced Renji with a rather incensed expression. "Excuse me?" he said, his voice low and dangerous.

"You heard him," Rukia said, clenching her fists in her restraints. "This might have been slightly believable if it weren't for the fact that you kidnapped a substitute shinigami."

When the other captains started in surprise, Rukia nodded, her smile empty. "I guess you forgot to mention that," she said to Ryou.

"Why did you kidnap Kurosaki Ichigo?" Hitsugaya tilted his head forward, his eyes still glued to Ryou.

"Oh, I wouldn't call it kidnapping.We gave him two choices," Ryou said, smiling in amusement, "but he didn't like the other one. Then again, it did involve killing people, his girlfriend included. He didn't take to it well."

"Taichou!" Rangiku warned when she felt her captain's reiatsu spike. "Please."

"Why did you take him at all?" Hitsugaya demanded, his body shaking from the effort to reign in his temper.

The Royal Guard captain glanced up at the ceiling, as if feigning innocence. But the dark smile that stretched across his face indicated otherwise, and Rukia felt her blood run cold. "It's simple. You had a very powerful weapon all to yourselves. Now that we're taking over, we take the weapon, too."

"He isn't a weapon!" Rukia snapped. "He's a human and still a child!"

"He has incredible powers, and that Hollow form of his…"

Ryou chuckled when those who came from Karakura stared at him in shock. "We know all about it, yes. We did our homework."

But if they had done their 'homework,' Rukia thought, then why hadn't they taken Orihime with Ichigo? Rukia opened her mouth to say something about it, then immediately shut it. There was a small chance that they didn't know about her bond with him, and if that was the case-

"What is it?" Ryou demanded, having seen her about to say something.

"Nothing," she said, turning her eyes away.

His voice took on a warning tone as he stepped towards her. "Kuchiki Rukia, I'm warning you, I'm not to be trifled with."

When she refused to say anything, he made a subtle move towards his sword. Rukia saw it, and so must have Renji, for the vice-captain broke free from his restraints and planted himself in front of Rukia. "Don't even try it," he said, assuming a defensive stance.

Ryou was not amused. Narrowing his eyes, he responded, "How cute. If you two are going to be insubordinate together, then you'll be punished together." He flippantly waved his hand at his men. "Take them to the white tower. I believe that is the penitentiary here."

One of his men grabbed Rukia by the shoulder and began to pull her away. Renji snapped his head around and, when he saw what was happening, charged at the Guard.

"Renji!" Rukia screamed as the rest of the men tackled Renji to the ground.

He bucked, trying to get them off of him. "She's not going back in there!" Once he realized he had too many men on him, Renji elbowed one in the ribcage in an attempt to forcethem off. He was about to give another the same treatment when the Guard securing Rukia released her, throwing her into the wall. In one shunpo he was next to Renji, his sword drawn.

When Rukia managed to stand, she heard the sickening sound of metal sliding through skin and bone. Renji bit back a yell as the sword punctured his hand.

"Stop it!" Rukia ran towards them, though what she could do in restraints, she didn't know. But she had to help Renji somehow.

"Enough." Ryou went to go handle the situation when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Drawing out his sword, he glanced over his shoulder at Byakuya. "I wouldn't try anything, Kuchiki-taichou" he said, having sensed Byakuya step towards him. "They may be your sister and vice-captain, but if you try anything you will be detained with them."

Rukia looked up to find her brother staring down Ryou. On the outside he might have seemed calm, but she knew Byakuya well enough to detect the anger. She didn't doubt her brother's strength, but a fight would only result in more trouble and her brother couldn't afford to be arrested. "It's all right, Nii-sama!" she said. "Renji and I will be fine. Your squad needs you!"

"See? Your sister has some sense. Listen to her. Now, once these two are taken to the white tower we'll-"

Ryou was cut off when a messenger bounded up the steps, drawing the attention of everyone. "Sir!" she said to Ryou, going on her knees and knuckles as she bowed her head to him. "I was sent by Captain Nori."

"Oh? Finally." Ryou nodded to her, his smile pleased. "I'm eager to hear his report." He gestured to the shinigami. "All of you should listen and understand your new situation. Your friends in the human world have also been detained."

The messenger tensed, and immediately Ryou's smile fell. "What?" he demanded.

"Forgive us, sir, but things didn't go well. We have a problem."

That "problem" was currently hiding out in Hueco Mundo, hours after they were chased out of the human world. The escapees were camping out not far from Nel and Grimmjow's Hollow settlement, not wanting to attract too much attention while not straying far from help.

"We can't stay here for very long," Urahara said to the others. They had all convened after they had settled in. "It's only a matter of time before the Guard come here and hunt us down. They've been to Hueco Mundo before, so they know how to use a Garganta. If we stay near the village, we're endangering its inhabitants."

Sitting in front of him in a semi-circle were the Vizards, Yoruichi, Tessai, Ishida and Sado. Heaving out a sigh, Shinji nodded at Urahara's assessment. "Figured as much. But what the hell can we do? I'm not gonna sit around and wait for 'em to capture us."

"What else canwe do?" Ishida said, taking off his glasses to rub his tired eyes. "We're no match for them on our own, and Soul Society has been seized. We have no place to go."

"I don't like what I'm hearing here."

They all turned their heads towards the source of the voice. Arms crossed stubbornly, Tatsuki stood off to the right of the congregation. "It sounds like you're all giving up."

"We just don't know what to do," Sado said.

"These people," Urahara began, looking at Tatsuki and imploring for understanding, "are much stronger than us."

She wasn't buying it. "That Nel woman and these guys," She pointed at the Vizards, "managed to take five of them down on their own. They can't be that much tougher."

"They weren't the strongest in the bunch," Kensei pointed out, "and we had the element of surprise."

Tatsuki balled her hand into a fist. It shook as she fought to restrain her temper. "So, what, we give up? What about Ichigo? We can't just leave him in their hands."

"Normally I'd say to go after him, despite the odds," Ishida said, "but Arisawa, we can't get to where he is. The place where the Royal Guard lives is restricted from the outside. You need a key to access it."

"And where is this key?"

"Soul Society, most likely." Urahara sighed, tipping his hat back. "Do you see the problem here?"

Tatsuki was silent for a minute, her jaw slack as she struggled with this tidbit of information. It certainly did make things challenging, and maybe she wasn't one to talk since she couldn't fight like these guys, but… "Then get the damn key, because I am not going to tell my best friend she's never going to see her boyfriend again." But she had Orihime to consider, and that was her priority.

She jerked her head over her shoulder, towards Orihime who was sitting on a rock several meters away. "She hasn't said a word since we got here. She just plays with that bracelet or stares off into space."

Uryuu's eyes saddened as he looked at Orihime. "I know Inoue-san is in a lot of pain, but there's no way for us-"

"There is always a way!" Tatsuki snapped, her temper slipping from its leash. "And I dare you to say otherwise to her face." She inhaled deeply, trying to control her anger as a tear slipped out from her right eye. It surprised her, and the others. She stubbornly wiped it away and glared at the people in front of her, deterring them from saying anything about it. "One of my friends just got kidnapped. That alone is enough for me to go and get him back on my own, if I have to. But he's also my best friend's boyfriend."

The silence she was met with encouraged her to continue. Her glare softened into a look of pleading. "Please. Orihime's only loved two men in her life, and she's already lost one. Don't make her have to lose the other, too."

There was another pause, this one much tenser than the one before. The very air seemed to hold its breath, waiting for someone to respond.

Then, "Aw, damn it." Shinji got to his feet and grabbed Sakanade. "You know where to hit a guy, Arisawa," he said before striding past her.

"Oi, Shinji!" Hiyori hollered after him. "Where the hell are you going?"

"The human world. Gotta start somewhere, right?" He waved over his shoulder before shouting, "Yo, Nel! I need a favor!"

It was well into the evening when Shinji stepped into the human world. Understandably cautious, since there was no telling if there were Royal Guard still around, he glanced all around as he landed on the soft grass. He was in the middle of a park. Actually, it was the very park where the Guard had taken Ichigo, though Shinji wasn't aware of that.

"Is it safe?" Nel asked from the Garganta, sensing for reiatsu as well.

"I think so. I doubt they'll be searching here anytime soon." Still, it didn't hurt to be wary. He never stopped keeping his eyes peeled as Nel landed on the ground a yard behind him.

She stepped next to him, her hand resting idly on Gamuza. Pacifist or not, Nel was not taking any chances either. "Where did you want to begin?"

Shinji shook his head, unsure of his course of action. "I'm not sure. Only thing I can think of is that letter the kids mentioned. Said Kuchiki had found it in Ichigo's room."

"Then that's where we should begin," Nel agreed. "Do you think it'll provide much insight?"

Shinji shrugged as he began walking towards Ichigo's home. "Dunno, but it beats just standing around."

Just as Nel fell into step next to him, another Garganta opened behind them. Nel paused and turned, watching as the rip tore open, revealing Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai. In the back, she could see the corner of Pesshe's mask.

"Wait up," Yoruichi said as she jumped out, landing lightly on her feet and immediately walking towards the pair.

Shinji glanced over his shoulder as the men followed suit. Pesshe gave them a thumbs-up before he closed the portal. He nodded to the Arrancar before returning his attention to the former shinigami. "What's up?"

Urahara chuckled, pulling out his fan. "Arisawa-san certainly knows how to lay on the guilt."

"She's a fighter." Shinji snorted lightly. "Sometimes she just fights dirty."

"We need to get back to the shop and see if Jinta and Ururu returned home," Tessai said, glancing uneasily in the direction of the Shouten.

"I was wondering where those two were," Shinji said, glancing back and forth between Urahara and Tessai. It wasn't like them to just leave the kids to fend for themselves. "Where were they?"

Yoruichi shook her head, not at all pleased with the situation. "The one time we let them leave town alone. They both insisted on going into a specialty shop in the next town over alone. Normally we wouldn't, but someone," She sent an obvious look at Urahara, "thought it was time they 'ventured out alone and learned to be independent.'"

Urahara slanted her a narrowed-eye stare from behind his fan. "Well, excuse me for wanting them to assert their independence."

"If you two are done bickering, I'm heading for Ichigo's house." Shinji rolled his eyes at the two; he didn't know how two best friends could act so much like a married couple. "You better search for them."

Suddenly, Nel put her arm on Shinji's shoulder and said, "There are people running this way. I can hear them."

All five adults immediately fanned out, braced for a possible confrontation. A long minute passed, and Shinji was beginning to wonder if Nel wasn't just hearing things when someone burst around the corner.

To everyone's surprise, two more people followed behind. The leader was a pre-teen with short black hair donned in athletic looking wear. She was clutching a paper in her hands as she ran towards him. "Hey, wait!"

The two behind her came to a halt, their eyes wide in surprise. "There you guys are!" one of them said. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"

Tessai started when he recognized the bright red hair spiked in the middle. "Jinta! Ururu!"

"I told you they weren't dead," Ururu whispered as the two kids hurried up to them.

All three pre-teens reached the group of adults, panting from the exertion. Jinta jabbed a finger at Karin and said, "She's Kurosaki's sister. She's been looking for him."

"Karin-chan went by our shop while she was looking. We went to search with her when we couldn't find you guys," Ururu added, clutching her hands tightly.

Karin had bent over to catch her breath, her hands braced on her knees. When she was able to talk, she looked up at them and said, "These two said you know Ichi-nii. Where is he?"

Aw, hell, Shinji thought, resisting the urge to slap his forehead. He wasn't prepared for this at all. "Uh…"

Sensing Shinji's hesitation, Nel stepped forward and bent down to Karin's height. "Karin, I'm Nel. I'm a friend of Ichigo's." Her eyes fell on the paper Karin was clutching. "Is that by any chance the letter he left behind?"

"Yeah." Karin handed it to Nel. "It doesn't say much. Just that he had to leave and that he was sorry. But…"

As Nel opened it and began to read it, Shinji raised an eyebrow. "But what?"

"I kind of got the feeling that he wanted to leave, but at the same time, I don't see why he'd leave Orihime." She ran a hand through her hair, messing it up more as she stared hard at the ground. "He took those pictures she gave him, and in the letter…"

Nel sighed sadly, having just gotten to the part Karin was referring to. "It says, 'Please take care of Orihime. If things had gone better, I think she would have been a big part of our lives. She lives alone in her apartment. I would be grateful if you could keep an eye on her and invite her to dinner sometimes. Please tell her I'm sorry and…'" Nel swallowed, her eyes saddening as she finished, "'I love her. She knows that, but please tell her for me anyway.'"

Shinji was silent as Karin's fist tightened at her side. "If he loves her," she said through teeth clenched in anger, "he wouldn't have left like he did."

"Your brother didn't want to leave," Urahara told Karin, lowering his fan and tucking it away. "He was coerced into leaving."

She spun around, her eyes wide in shock at Urahara's words. "You mean like they threatened him?"

"Probably not Ichigo himself," Shinji said. "They likely threatened Orihime-chan and everyone he loves. It's the best way to get him to do anything. Ichigo would have gone willingly to protect us."

As much as it hurt Karin to hear, because she wouldn't put it past her brother to do that for his family and friends, it was better than thinking he left because he wanted to. However, knowing her brother's intentions did nothing to amend the situation. "He's always protecting everyone," she said, her eyes falling on the letter in Nel's hands. "Who's going to protect him?"

For the second time that day, Shinji was sucker-punched by guilt, though he knew this time it was unintentional. He gestured for the letter from Nel. She handed it to him and he looked it over, his heart squeezing as he read the part concerning Orihime. I'm such a glutton for punishment, he thought as his eyes rested on it. He flashbacked to Hueco Mundo and the pained expression Orihime had worn since they fled.

It was then, as he held the letter in his hand and as Karin's eyes bore into his that he knew what he had to do. "Well, your brother's a dumbass, but you're right. His dumb ass needs to be protected now and then, too. We're gonna get him back."

Even as Urahara stared at him in disbelief, Shinji grinned, despite the odds he had just stacked against them. "We gotta work out a few details, but we're gonna get him back. I promise."

"Really?" Karin said, obviously relieved. "Do you know where he is? Who even took him?"

"Bad people," Shinji answered. "Very bad, rotten people. We had the displeasure of meeting them. Don't worry, though. We'll beat them at their own game."

Although he was obviously wary of Shinji's motives, Urahara moved towards Karin. "You should get home. I'm sure your family is getting worried, especially after your brother's disappearance."

Shinji turned towards the north. "Hey, Nel. Wanna take a trip with me to the warehouse? There's something I gotta pick up, now that we're gonna mount a rescue mission."

"Sure." Nel gave Karin a parting smile before following Shinji as he headed towards the warehouse, leaving the Shouten gang with Karin.

Urahara watched them leave, his eyes narrowing beneath the shadow of his hat. "I'm getting a strange feeling about this."

"How does Shinji plan on getting into the Realm?" Yoruichi asked, her arms crossed. Like Urahara, she was just as confused as to what Shinji was planning. "You know, normally you're the one who pulls this crap?"

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"Nice try." Yoruichi's amber eyes fell on Karin, who was giving them both a perplexed look. "Your big brother's tough. I'm sure he'll be fine by the time we get there."

Sensing a barrage of questions, Urahara gestured to Karin to start walking. "Let's get you home. I'm sure-"

Tessai turned, and just as he was about to mention someone was coming, Yuzu rounded the corner from the same direction Karin had come in from with Jinta and Ururu.

"Karin-chan!" Yuzu called out, sprinting towards her sister. Just a few yards behind her emerged Isshin, his expression serious as Yuzu ran right towards her sister.

"Yuzu, Goatchin," Karin said in surprise. She grunted when Yuzu plowed right into her, enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Don't do that again!" Yuzu sniffed as she held Karin closer. "I was so afraid you had gone after Onii-chan. It's bad enough when he runs off like this!"

Realizing her sister still wasn't aware of what happened, Karin gently pushed her back. "Yuzu, Ichi-nii didn't run away. Someone took him."

Yuzu's head jerked back in shock, her eyes brimmed with worry. "What? But – no, Onii-chan's so good at fighting. There's no way someone took him."

"They said he was." Karin jerked her head towards Urahara and the Shouten gang.

Isshin had made his way over towards the gathering, one of his hands in his pocket while the other hung at his side. His eyes met Urahara's, and Karin could tell something was exchanged between the two, though what it was she didn't know. "Dad? Do you know this guy?"

"He's an old friend," Isshin answered as he looked down at his daughter. He ruffled Karin's hair with his free hand, but still his smile was absent. It was beginning to worry both his daughters. "Hey, Urahara. Can you get these two somewhere safe?"

Tessai stepped forward, his hands on Jinta and Ururu's shoulders. "I will take them and hide," he said, bowing his head to Isshin. "We'll leave town tonight. They may come back here to look for us."

Urahara nodded in agreement. "They won't be pleased that we escaped. It's only a matter of time before they start hunting, so we need to move quickly."

Hunting? Karin was aghast at Urahara's choice of words. "Who are these people?" she said, forcing her voice to stay steady. She looked to her father for the answer when Urahara kept silent. "Dad, who took Ichi-nii? You know, don't you?"

"I'll explain later. You need to get out of here." He lightly pushed her towards Tessai and beckoned to Yuzu as well. "I've known these people for awhile, so you can trust them. Just pack some clothes and follow Tessai. Whatever you do," he said, his voice low and hard, "do not stray from his sight. Understood?"

Yuzu's eyes began to water as she gripped Karin's hand. Tessai herded the two away from their father, Jinta and Ururu following. "Daddy…what's going on?" Yuzu sniffled again, her hand trembling, even under Karin's sure grip.

At a loss for words, Karin merely looked at her father as they were led away. He gave her a small smile, but otherwise said nothing as his girls disappeared down the street with Tessai.

Urahara slanted his gaze to Isshin when his girls were out of earshot. "Are you sure about this? I doubt they'll come after your daughters."

"I wouldn't anything past Kurou at this point. If he's willing to take my son from me, then there's no telling what else he will do."

"But you knew there was a chance they'd target Ichigo."

"Not like this." Isshin closed his eyes, his shoulders sagging beneath an invisible weight. "I underestimated Kurou's anger. I also thought he'd come to me for a fight, instead of going behind my back. He's obviously not the man I remember. I certainly didn't think he'd take over Soul Society."

Urahara agreed with a nod, his gaze pointed as he stared off into the distance. "That caught me off guard. Would the Reiou really allow this?"

"That's the only thing I can't understand. Where is he in all of this?" Isshin rubbed the back of his neck. The Reiou was a passive man, but that didn't mean he didn't keep the firecrackers like Kurou on a leash. To let Kurou kidnap a boy and occupy the Gotei 13 was completely unlike him. "There's something else going on."

"I think," Urahara began, suddenly smirking, "there's a lot we don't know. One thing in particular I found interesting. They likely took Ichigo to use him as a weapon, correct?"

"Yes," Yoruichi answered. "Ishida mentioned something about them wanting to make him more cooperative. That's why – oh."

His smile widened. "Yes. Why didn't they take Inoue-san to begin with? It seemed their plan was just to take her hostage so Ichigo cooperated. But if they knew the full extent of his Hollow powers – or at least to the extent we do – they should have taken her as well."

"An oversight?" Yoruichi suggested, glancing at Isshin. "But that's unlikely. These people seem meticulous."

"Kurou would have had the Intelligence unit on surveillance." Isshin tilted his head forward, a considering smile parting his lips. "No, it wasn't an oversight. More like withholding information. Kurou may not have as many friends as he thought."

Yoruichi grinned as well, knowing exactly what Isshin meant. "Well well, if there's dissension in the ranks, an invasion might be a lot easier."

"Shinji-san seems to have some way to get in," Urahara commented, glancing in the direction of the warehouses. "I think I finally know what it is he's been hiding since the battle with Aizen. If that's the case," He darted his eyes to Isshin, his expression expectant, "we'll likely be breaking into the Realm tomorrow."

Isshin's smile faded, though there was a set determination in his lips as he nodded to Urahara. "Right. I'll be ready."

Will I see him again?

That question had been plaguing Orihime for hours, and the torment hadn't let up when Shinji and the others returned from the human world.

She hadn't even noticed their arrival. She still hadn't spoken a word: not to Dondochakka or Pesshe, not to Nel, not to Ishida or Sado, not even to Tatsuki. Words had seemed to abandon her entirely.

Tears had threatened on numerous occasions, but Orihime had refused to let them fall. Everyone was staying strong, and so must she or so her reasoning went. She had to be strong, like Tatsuki and Nel and Shinji.

Like Ichigo.

Her eyes closed momentarily, her last memory with him flashing through the forefront of her mind as it had so many times now. The future – though uncertain – had been filled with hope, and at the very least, she had thought she would be with him still. He had given her that smile he rarely showed to anyone else.

God, did her heart ache at the memory.

"Orihime-chan."

Her eyes snapped open, surprised to hear her name. She lifted up her head and saw Shinji standing in front of her, holding a letter out to her.

Wordlessly, she took it from him and opened it. She immediately recognized Ichigo's handwriting, and she realized that it must have been the letter Rukia had mentioned.

Most of it was addressed to his family, apologizing for leaving so suddenly. He wrote a few lines about his friends, asking his family to apologize to them for him and to tell them how much he appreciated them.

But the last segment was dedicated to her.

Please take care of Orihime. If things had gone better, I know she would have been a big part of our lives. She lives alone in her apartment, so I would be grateful if you could keep an eye on her and invite her to dinner sometimes. Please tell her I'm sorry and I love her. She knows that, but please tell her for me anyway. I don't think I told her enough.

That's when it hit her. Now she was the one who was left behind, instead of the one who was leaving. She had essentially done this to Ichigo when she left for Hueco Mundo, though her words had been spoken. Had he felt a similar anguish and hopelessness upon her disappearance? Did he feel as lost and heartbroken as she did now?

"Ichigo-kun." It was the first word she had spoken in hours. The tears threatened to pour again, but this time she let them. She didn't have the strength or will to fight them. "I'm so sorry."

"Orihime." Tatsuki scooted next to her and put her arm around her. "Hey, it'll be okay."

"He left just like I did. But I can't even find a way to save him."

Shinji, who had remained silent up until now, frowned and said, "About that…"

Suddenly there was a sharp pain in Orihime's chest. Her eyes widened and her hand immediately reached up towards her heart. "What the…" She glanced down at her chest, expecting to see a wound or something of some sort.

"What's wrong?" Tatsuki asked, tensing in fear.

She felt another throb of pain. This time, Orihime realized it wasn't coming from her. It was distant, like it wasn't her feeling but-

It dawned on her what this was. She had felt this during the battle with the Vasto Lorde. "This is-"

Ichigo screamed in agony as Kurou pressed his heel harder against his broken hand. It had been damaged just earlier, when Ichigo had refused to bring out his Hollow form. In a fit of rage, Kurou had broken his hand. Now he was making Ichigo suffer more for his indignation.

"It is not," Kurou said through gritted teeth, "that difficult. Bring out that Hollow form."

"I can't, damn it!" After his hand had been broken, Ichigo had decided that maybe just bringing it out briefly would be okay. Maybe he could even use it to overpower these Guard members and escape. After he had learned of their takeover of Soul Society and their plans to kidnap his friends, Ichigo knew he had to break out somehow to protect them.

Like he had in training, he had pressed for that feeling of emptiness he felt during the transformation. He could begin to feel it take effect when his Hollow would intervene and stop the transformation. Kurou would punish his failure with a kick or another broken bone. So far, he had been kicked too many times to count, and one of his ribs and one of the bones in his foot were broken, along with his hand.

Ichigo sucked in huge gulps of air, trying to fight off the pain. "Get off my hand," he said, glaring at Kurou from his sprawled position on the floor.

He still didn't know where he was exactly. He was somewhere in the Royal Palace, and the floor he was lying on was made of marble. He could sense a bunch of other Guard members gathered around him and Kurou.

His response was a swift kick to the stomach. Ichigo flipped over and skidded across the floor. His head smacked against the hard marble when he landed on his side. He opened his eyes, and he noticed several long tables pushed up against the wall. Was this some kind of dining hall?

Just behind him, he heard the sound of steel sliding out of a sheath. He shut his eyes and braced himself for the pain that was bound to follow.

Suddenly, he felt another Guard member come up and step in between Kurou and him. Ichigo opened his eyes and dared to look over his shoulder.

"Enough, Commander," the Guardsman said. He took a step back, the end of his captain's haori brushing against Ichigo's shihakusho. "The boy has taken enough of a beating."

"Kichirou," Kurou said to his leading Intelligence officer, "don't interfere."

"Sir, I understand your reasoning. Based on my surveillance notes, he is more likely to go into his Hollow form when he is seriously injured and threatened. However, it usually involves others being threatened, too."

"Which we could do," Kurou aimed a lethal glare over at Nori, "if you had just done your damn job. We need that girl of his."

Nori bowed his head in apology. "My failure is inexcusable. I assure you, tomorrow we will focus solely on finding her and the others who escaped."

Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise – and in relief. Orihime and the others are safe?

"See, Commander?" Kichirou gestured to Ichigo. "We can't bring out his form until then, so there is no point in abusing him like this."

Kurou sheathed his sword, satisfied with Kichirou's reasoning. "Fine. Take him to his quarters and treat his injuries." His cold eyes laid on Ichigo. "Tomorrow we will continue this, Kurosaki. I suggest you rest well. I assure you, you'll be seeing your girlfriend tomorrow, and then we'll see how cooperative you're feeling." Without further word he turned on his heel and left.

"Leave her alone." Ichigo struggled to his feet, his broken foot repeatedly giving out on him. "Don't touch her! Don't you dare touch Orihime!"

"What…" Orihime covered her mouth with her free hand, trembling as the flux of emotions from Ichigo faded. "What are they doing to him?"

Shinji immediately knelt in front of her, his eyes probing hers. "What's going on?"

"I can feel his emotions, like…"

"Like during the Vasto Lorde battle and training." Shinji glanced over at the other Vizards. "Did you hear that?"

Hiyori crossed her arms in disgust. "So that's what those shitheads are up to. Are they stupid?"

"They must have been spying on us," Rose concluded.

Love shook his head in wonder. "But why? Who would come after a teenager like this?"

"The bigger question is," Urahara began, stepping forward before a barrage of questions could be fired, "why didn't they take Inoue-san with them, if they were spying on us?"

"They wanted to take her earlier," Tatsuki reminded him.

"As a means of coercion," Urahara pointed out. "not as a tool to utilize Kurosaki-san's Hollow form."

Shinji smiled, his grin laced with an edge of hostility. "Did our buddies in the Royal Realm screw up?"

"Possibly," Urahara said, shrugging his shoulders. He had decided to withhold telling them about his conversation with Isshin for now.

Orihime gripped her hands tightly together, her head bowed. "It doesn't matter," she said, tears in her voice. "We can't reach him where he is. He's in so much pain and yet I can't even save him."

"Ah." Shinji's face split with a grin as he tapped her chin with his finger, forcing her to look at him. "Lemme ask ya something. Say we could go get him. Would you be ready to sneak through Soul Society which is currently infested with Royal Guard? Would you be okay with breaking illegally into the Royal Realm? Could you help with taking down any Guard who stood in our way?" He tilted his head in consideration. "Would you be ready to battle and embark on what's probably a suicide mission, if it meant saving Ichigo?"

Orihime nodded without hesitation. "I'd do anything for him. I want to protect him this time." Her eyes fell to the ground. "But-"

"Good. Just making sure you were still with us." Shinji gave her a wink before reaching into his jacket. "I got a surprise for ya." His grin widened, as if it was somehow possible, and he pulled out something. He held it out on his palm. "Know what this is?"

A golden key the width of Shinji's hand lay in his palm. Orihime gasped in surprise. "Is that the Ouken?"

"Yup." He twirled it around in his fingers, ignoring the sharp sounds of surprise and exclamations from some of the others. "Good thing I held onto this, huh?"

"I knew it," Urahara muttered. "Shinji-san, would you be so kind as to tell us where you got that?"

"Off of Yamamoto." Shinji held the key in between his index and middle fingers, examining it closely. "During the fight with Aizen, I had grabbed him before Aizen could kill him. As I was pulling him away, this fell from his robes. I snatched it and hid it in my pocket before Aizen could see it."

"So that's why you kept returning to Soul Society," Ishida said, crossing his arms. "You were trying to return the key."

"Yeah, but no one would let me near Old Yamo. So I held onto this, and decided I would give it back when he was awake." He chuckled at the irony – and the fortune – that he still had it now.

Urahara shouldered his cane, staring in curiosity at the key. "So the elusive hiding place of the Ouken was the General-Commander himself. It makes sense. You don't leave something like the Ouken lying around."

As far as Orihime was concerned, she didn't care where the key had been. What mattered was that it was here, and Ichigo was within reach. "So… we can go help Ichigo-kun?"

Shinji nodded. "Yeah. We gotta figure out a plan first, but we're gonna get our idiot back."

Without warning, Orihime shot forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Shinji froze, shocked at Orihime's rare display of such open affection.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Smiling softly, his eyes lit in amusement and understanding, he patted her back. "Anything in the name of young love, right?"

A/N: Before anyone screams 'Ass-pull!' over the whole Ouken thing, no it's not. Refer back to Chapters 1, 2, 7 and 13. Remember that thing Shinji always had in his pocket and the repeated attempts to see Yamamoto? Ah, yes, it makes sense now, doesn't it?

I know the Ouken is a bit of a mystery, especially regarding its location. I dunno what Kubo has in mind, but personally, I wouldn't leave something that important lying around, even if it's in a vault or something. If the Commander-General is the only one who knows about it, I imagine he would keep it somewhere near or on him at all times. At the very least, that's what I'm going for in this fic. Shinji just hung onto it because it would have been awkward to go up to a captain and say, "Hey, I have this little key here. No reason to be suspicious about me having it, right?" especially with all the crazy shit that's been going on in the story. And like he said, it's a good thing he held onto it.

I'll get to replying to reviews once this is up. Thanks for reading, and 'til next time!