Grimmjow half expected the form in his arms to be cold and stiff when dawn touched his face, but instead he found Ichigo's fever down, the swelling on his ankle much improved. He was still asleep but Grimmjow was pretty sure they had just gotten past the worst of it.

It was hours later before Ichigo woke. In that time Grimmjow had cleaned them both up and had their clothes drying in the sharp wind that had picked up. Ichigo sat, weak and shaky, but awake and himself for the first time in two days. He didn't know how much time had passed, but seeing the ashes in the fire pit, the stakes in the ground for drying their clothes and their weapons laid out at the ready on a flat stone, he knew it had been a while.

"How long have we been here?" he breathed his first coherent words, startling the espada who'd been adjusting the binding on his arm.

"Kurosaki, you finally with it?"

"Grimmjow, how long?"

"Long enough for you not to kick the bucket."

"Please…"

"A couple days since the outpost, if you even remember that."

Ichigo absorbed this. "Yeah…sorta…two days?"

"It doesn't matter," Grimmjow said, retrieving their clothes. They were stiff from the wind but at least some of the grime and sweat had been rinsed from them. Ichigo carefully pushed his ankle through his pant leg but it didn't hurt at much as he thought.

"I had this stuff." Grimmjow held up a bottle of numbing cream from the outpost. He'd been using it on his hip but now the wound finally wasn't paining him anymore. For the first time in a long time, he was the stronger of the two again.

"Listen," he sat before Ichigo, "yeah we lost time, but that's just the way it had to be, okay? You gotta get your strength back and then we go."

"I'm fine now, let's go."

"Yeah right, stand up then."

Ichigo tried to argue but he knew he was being stupid so he let it go. Grimmjow cooked them up another of their soup packets. When they'd eaten he looked over Ichigo's ankle again.

"It looks good."

"Can we go then?"

"We've got two hours of sunlight left. I think we should take one more night."

"Really?"

"Kid, we both know where this path is leading."

"Karakura."

"Yeah, but more importantly, it's leading to a fight—probably one we can't win, not like this anyway. We're gonna get there, but getting there strong and ready to fight is the only way we're going to get her back."

"What if they kill her before we get there?"

"Why would they? There's something there, something…maybe something from before. They need her, probably 'cause she's your sisters, 'cause she's got the same blood in her. But I don't see why that would mean killing her."

"…what if they hurt her though?"

Ichigo half jumped at the hand that fell on his shoulder. Grimmjow met his eyes. "I'm gonna lie, there's a chance of that. But if I thought us leaving right now would change that, I'd be telling you to get up. But I'm not, 'cause I really think this is our best plan."

Ichigo nodded. "Okay then. But first thing, tomorrow."

"First thing," Grimmjow consented. "You should sleep more."

Ichigo watched him stand.

"What are you going to do?"

"Check the road, just see what's happening out there. I won't be long."

"Okay…"

Grimmjow left up the bank of the off-ramp and disappeared in high grass and bushes that had grown up around the edge of the highway here. Ichigo looked around at their encampment, relishing the sound of running water. It was, despite the circumstances, peaceful.

But his heart pounded in his chest in a way it might if he sat in the bowels of hell, because he would never find peace until he had Yuzu back in his arms.

And maybe not even then…

Grimmjow came back down the bank with no news. Ichigo deliberated over speaking for a while then he asked the question.

"My memory of the outpost is a little vague…did you ever make contact with the rest of Las Noches?"

"No."

"You're not just saying that, are you?"

"I wouldn't lie. I don't know if she's still alive, Kurosaki."

He nodded. "Okay."

"Come on, sleep, kid."

"…okay." He lay down again. He needed the extra rest, he knew, but he heart thrummed in his ears and it was hours before he ever fell into a restless sleep.

The highway stretched long and bare ahead of them save the sparkle of sunlight off a few windshields and chrome bumpers. The only sounds were their steady breaths, their uneven footsteps, and one added, hollow thunk that rattled along the blacktop with every other step.

Ichigo's leg was doing better than expected after a day and a half of travel, but he hadn't refused the makeshift walking stick Grimmjow had handed him the morning of their departure. Now he leaned a little more heavily on it as their constant walking caught up to his still aching body.

"We're close." Grimmjow consulted a map as he walked, looking at the mile marker on the road. "We'll be in the outskirts of Tokyo tomorrow."

"Yeah…" Ichigo squinted at a distant sign but couldn't make out the words yet. In any case, a question had been bothering him for quite some time.

"If we're this close to Tokyo—"

"We should be seeing a lot more traffic," Grimmjow concluded for him, knowing his thoughts exactly. As the city remained one of the most populous areas in Japan, it made no sense that there would be no one leaving or coming to the city by the main route.

"You think it has to do with what we've heard from other travellers?"

"Must be. If the Vandenreich are up to something, they may have scared off a lot of people over the last few weeks—enough so that there aren't that many people left to leave now, and that rumours have spread that others aren't interested in coming."

"It would have to be something pretty big to get people out—I mean, most people who stuck around Tokyo weren't easily scared off."

"True…"

Ichigo was reminded of their first meeting—how long ago it seemed now. He remembered the scene of the fight, the fistfuls of cash and thick faces of men with nothing to live for but blood and sex. Surely such men wouldn't be scared off unless there was something big.

They found out the following day, when they did in fact, run into a band of such men on the road. Their heads were covered in hoods, backs with packs, and hands with weapons. There were ten or more, but Ichigo and Grimmjow hadn't seen them coming because of the amount of cars that now obstructed their view. When they met the group, however, they remained in a standoff rather than breaking out into violence. Grimmjow held his sword, the men didn't seem to have a gun, and wisely kept their distance.

"You're Jaggerjaques?" One asked.

"Yeah." Grimmjow guessed his reputation would still be enough to incite at least some hesitation into street thugs.

"Well, I hope you ain't looking to make any money in this town."

Grimmjow relaxed his stance a little bit. In fact, seeing how much stuff these men already carried on their backs, it was possible they had no reason to fight Grimmjow and Ichigo. They were rather lightly equipped and had nothing of much value save their gun—which of course, would be pretty difficult to take.

"Why is that?" he asked.

"Haven't you heard? The city's dead."

Now they really were intrigued.

"I haven't heard. Tell me."

"Those fucks blew up the hydro." The man spat as he spoke.

"The Vandenreich?"

"Yeah whatever they call themselves! Fist we just though they were stirring up trouble when a couple things blew up, then they knocked out the power. Those shits fucked up one of the last places in this hellhole where a man could take a shower!" He spat again, his mates also grumbled their agreement with his outrage.

"Why?" Ichigo asked. The man took him in for the first time and Ichigo regretted speaking. He watched the group survey him, squinting as if trying to see past the years that had aged him. He was pretty sure they recognized him, but then their eyes returned to Grimmjow and his sword, and the conversation continued as if nothing had happened.

"We don't know. But they've settled down. Haven't seen them in the city proper for over a week. But that don't matter now, we got no reason to stick around here, rather head to Junction."

There was nothing more to ask. Grimmjow moved to let them pass through the narrow gaps between cars, keeping himself between them and Ichigo the entire time just in case someone changed their mind. But their parting went smoothly and they pair continued on.

"The Vandenreich must want the area clear," Grimmjow concluded to Ichigo.

"Why?"

He shrugged. "None of it makes much sense. We should get food if we can on our way through."

"Yeah."

One last meal, Ichigo thought—before they most likely lost their lives in a fight with the Vandenreich. He looked sideways at Grimmjow for a moment. He could never voice how glad he was that he hadn't had to make this journey alone. Now he wished he had some way to say how thankful he was Grimmjow would also die, trying to save Yuzu.

Instead he pointed to a thin trail of smoke in the sky and said, "Let's try over there."

They didn't find food at the source of the smoke, just the ashes of pit fire. But about an hour into the city, they did find a small group packing their things, clearly also joining the exodus.

Grimmjow traded something he'd taken from the outpost for food the people couldn't fit into their bag. They took a break, sitting on a bench by a cracked road and ate canned beans spread over lumpy bread the people must have baked themselves.

It was a pretty good last meal.

"What are we, fifteen km from your home?" Grimmjow asked.
"Just about." Ichigo had been scanning the city. They'd entered from a different prefecture than where they'd first met weeks ago—closer to where the town of Karakura lay buried. Ichigo was now in familiar territory, where he and his friends once took the bus to go shopping, or eat out or go to the movies. Now it was a broken wasteland, and even this far away, the sand that had devoured Karakura had washed through the streets in the winds.

"What could be there?" Ichigo breathed after a while. "Of all places, the sand seemed to hit there hardest."

Karakura really was just a mountain of sand. The dune that had devoured it was bigger than any either Ichigo or Grimmjow had seen in their travels.

"I don't know. But this…clearing out the city…it's a big move. I'm thinking there might be a few more Vandenreich still kicking than I'd thought."

"But their main encampment is in the North."

"Maybe not anymore. Maybe that was a diversion—keep the soul reapers up North, keep their attention away from Tokyo…"

Ichigo glanced at him, sure as soon as the words left Grimmjow's mouth that this was indeed the case. It made his heart beat a little faster. That just gave more credence to there actually being something in Karakura.

"Don't," Grimmjow warned, seeing it in his face. "Don't get your hopes up that there's anything more than your sister there."

Ichigo made to argue but then stopped. He remembered enough of their terrible fight at the outpost that he didn't want to relive it. He let it go.

"I'm ready to keep moving."

"How's the leg?"

"Good." He hadn't needed his walking stick at all today.

"Good."

They left behind the shopping centers, cut through miles of residential areas and finally hit a train track that ran directly to Karakura station. They kept their eyes sharp, knowing that if there was something in Karakura, the Vandenreich would keep it guarded and not just let them stroll right up to it.

It was late afternoon before they saw the mountain of sand.

"Okay." Grimmjow halted them. "They've got to be watching this area."

"I would have thought we'd run into someone by now."

"Me too. I'm not sure what to make of it."

They took a moment to go over the options, but short of searching every abandoned building on their way there for signs of the enemy, they wouldn't know the danger until they saw it.

"We could wait until dark," Grimmjow suggested.

"If they're guarding the area, I don't know how much difference it would make. It's just sand up there."

It was true. They were maybe half a kilometre from the start of it of the dune and the streets were already washed in a thick layer of sand

"Yeah, no cover especially with the moon," Grimmjow agreed. "Alright then, let's do this."

At every turn they waited for ambush but it never came. They began the steep trudge up the side of the dune. Progress was slow. Their feet dragged and the sand shifted, threatening to pull them back down. Grimmjow swore when he tripped and got sand all in his homemade cast. Eventually, he called Ichigo to a stop.

"What are we doing here? I mean, what's the point of climbing this thing?"

"I don't know, Grimmjow. I don't know what I'm looking for any more than you."

"Well what if it gives way like that place outside of Junction."

Ichigo remembered well the day the sand had shifted away from the buildings and nearly swallowed them.

"I'll try not to fall through any sky lights," he reassured.

Grimmjow rubbed his arm at the memory. "Yeah, please."

They continued up without stop from there. When they reached the summit, there was a plateau—a long flat expanse of sand that had buried the town beneath. After drinking deep and catching their breath, they scanned it for signs of life or roof tops—anything.

It was not Ichigo's first time here. He'd already scoured this area thinking his family might be underneath. It was hard to imagine he had missed anything then, but he must have. He couldn't bear thinking that all of this had been a wasted trip.

"Where was that energy signature coming from?" he asked.

"Beats me," Grimmjow shrugged. "Ichigo, for all we know, that computer was busted. Maybe it was relaying old data."

"Then why did the Vandenreich do all the damage to the city?"

Grimmjow couldn't argue. They began to walk again. Evening slipped upon them but neither suggested stopping to make camp. Only when darkness had fully set in did Grimmjow catch Ichigo's arm.

"Take a break. We can't see anything until the moon is up."

Ichigo reluctantly agreed. Grimmjow left him sitting in the sand, rubbing his leg, to go closer to the slope and relieve himself.

He just zipped his fly when he noticed the faint glow—too dim to be noticeable in the day time. It was as if the sand were tinted a faint blue colour that emanated from beneath.

"Kurosaki. Kurosaki! Hey Ichigo—"

"Grimmjow!" He'd run over at the frantic note in Grimmjow's voice. Grimmjow dropped to his knees, trying to scrape away sand, but of course more sand just filled in the hole. Ichigo didn't even have to ask. He saw the same glow and dropped to his knees next to Grimmjow.

Grimmjow couldn't dig very well due to his arm but Ichigo fought his way down, desperate for some hope beneath these grains.

"Ah!" He withdrew a bit from what his fingers touched when he'd finally buried his arm as deep as he could.

"What?"

"It…tingles..."

"What does?"
"I don't know. It's strange."

"We have to see what it is."

"How?"

"We just have to dig a wider hole and—"

"I'll save you the trouble."

They froze. The voice came from behind them, just feet away.

"Fuck…" Grimmjow turned slowly. When he saw the white clad figure, he stood. Ichigo drew his hand out and rose next to him.

"Grimmjow is that—"

"I survived, yes." The man began to approach them, his blond hair as straight and neat as it had been in the war. His white uniform was somehow spotless despite this filth ridden world. His eyes were so cold and so familiar.

"Hashwald."

"Greetings, Grimmjow Jaggerjaques. And of course, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo's fists balled. His heart beat furiously against his ribcage. His mind was racing between a hundred possibilities but the most important question screamed out of him. "Where the Hell is my sister?"

"Inside."

"Inside where?"

"Karakura."

There was silence. Ichigo and Grimmjow stood shoulder to shoulder, assessing the threat, but trying to process what he could possibly mean by that statement.

Finally, Grimmjow spoke, "how?"

"It's simple, espada. What Ichigo felt just now, is the same thing the soul reapers put in place around the city of Karakura six years ago."

Both reacted to this. Suddenly the strange feeling made sense to Ichigo but how was he supposed to believe that?

"Not the protective barrier…"

"Well of course."

"Bullshit. That's spiritual—it can't exists in this world anymore."

"On the contrary, Jaggerjaques, Karakura was the nexus of this war—it was at the eye of the storm, so to speak."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning it is the only place in this broken universe that was left untouched—it is the only place where spiritual pressure still remains."

Ichigo took a step forward. Grimmjow caught his arm. "Don't buy it into it, kid."

"But that reading at the outpost, Grimmjow."

"It's Hashwald. He's the enemy! Why don't you ask him what he wants from your sister?"

Ichigo turned from Grimmjow to the soldier.

Hashwald smiled. "You don't really think she's the one I want. She was simply easier to transport."

"W-what?"

"I knew if I took her, you'd come chasing after her. It saved trying to keep you tied up and carry you on a two week journey with soul reaper scum hot on our trail."

"DAMMIT!" Grimmjow drew his sword. "You fucks."

Hashwald simply continued to smile. The moon had risen and he glowed under its cold light.

"That won't do you any good. We've been watching you for some time. It was rather amusing, I must say, to see you floundering for answers."

"Enough." Ichigo spoke up. "Where is my sister?"

"Like I said, inside. Shall we?" Hashwald indicated they descend the slope of the dune.

Ichigo looked between him and Grimmjow. "No Ichigo. For all we know she's already dead." Ichigo's eyes widened. It was harsh but Grimmjow was trying to stress the danger of this situation. "They need you for something, you can't just give yourself up to them."

Hashwald began to move toward them. "There is no point in fighting, Jaggerjaques. You are surrounded and outnumbered."

Grimmjow glanced around but he saw no one right away and he raised his sword to Hashwald's chest when he neared. "Ichigo will come with me one way or the other. He understands there is no other way to get to his sister. I guess you're just too thick to—"

Grimmjow swung. Ichigo cried out, perhaps because he thought killing Hashwald might prevent them finding Yuzu, or perhaps because he saw the stupidity of the move. In swinging, Grimmjow left himself open long enough for Hashwald to move in. They were already standing at the edge of the dune. All it took was a push.

"Grimmjow!"

Ichigo's shoulder was caught before he could go plummeting after him. All he could see in the moonlight was a spray of silver and Grimmjow was quickly too far in the darkness for him to see where he landed.

"He'll be fine. My men will collect him at the bottom. Come," Hashwald said calmly. Ichigo stood a moment longer, but he did in fact, understand that he had no choice.

He descended the slope with Hashwald.

Finally, they've made it back! More revelations/explanations ahead! Thanks for reading and reviewing

Riza