Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.
Trascender
"So what do we do now, Urahara?"
"...We make our way back home... we're done here."
Kisuke turned on his heel, walking to gather the fallen corpse of Yoruichi. Turning back around, he faced Ichigo, who stared at him with something akin to guilt.
"Urahara..."
"Save it, Ichigo. It doesn't matter anymore... Nothing matters anymore..."
"... What about the Spirit Queen?"
Kisuke's dead eyes made Ichigo feel weary about letting him go back to Soul Society. However, his next words made him jump in shock.
"...What about her...? She's your problem, not mine..."
"Wha-!? Do you realize that she-?"
"...She's after you... She's your problem."
"But-!"
Kisuke angrily growled and picked Ichigo up by his collar, glaring at him as he held him up. Ichigo's hands gripped and peeled at Kisuke, attempting to get him to let go.
"You're not a kid anymore! Your vengeance... your friends and family...that doesn't matter anymore! This is a war riding on YOUR shoulders, Ichigo! I... I can't help you anymore! You won't do this to me!"
"What!? When have-!?"
"You think Yoruichi was here by coincidence!? Did you not think I sent her to help you!? I won't help you anymore, damnit! Grow up and make your own decisions! I won't make them for you anymore... I'm not risking anymore lives because of you!"
Kisuke dropped Ichigo and turned away creating a Senkaimon. Ichigo jumped to his feet, angry at Kisuke for blaming this on him. Before he could charge at him, a bloody and worn-out hand grabbed his shoulder. Turning, he looked at Grimmjow, who shook his head.
"Let it go, Ichigo..."
"But...!"
"Kurosaki... this is not the time."
Turning, Asguiaro and Luders walked behind them, just as downtrodden as everyone else. On Luders's shoulders, Menoly sat, piggy-back as she was unconscious. Shinji walked up to him, Kensei and Rose tailing behind.
"Kisuke's upset... His entire world pretty much collapsed on him... I don't know if he'll ever be the same... but try to under-"
"I... I do understand..."
Ichigo sighed, planting himself upon a rock as Halibel and Nel surrounded him. He watched as the last of the Soul Reapers began their trek back to Soul Society.
"Shinji! We're leavin'!"
Shinji stayed behind and watched Ichigo, who held his face in his hands.
"But he's right. Your Trascender... it was never yours to begin with. How could you think that you would just assume the responsibilities of a group of people... that you could not have trusted?"
Many would think that Shinji was bold to insult the Espada while they were in front of him, but many of them said nothing. You can't deny a true accusation.
"I don't like to brag like I know everything, but take this as the advice of someone who's done this leadership thing for over a century now. Even if you sympathize with your subordinates, you can't expect them to blindly follow you. You should do things the way you want to do them, and if nobody follows you... it just means you weren't cut out for this position."
Shinji waved over his shoulder as he walked into the Senkaimon, the doors closing behind him. Ichigo heard footsteps behind him, both Soryu and Uryu arriving.
"So what now, Ichigo...?"
"...I... don't know..."
Loly walked towards him, kneeling in front of him as she tried to cheer him up. Uryu sighed as he turned towards his mother.
"It seems Ichigo's finally become aware of his actions."
"That's a good thing... disregarding the circumstances... it's keeping him a step away from Juhabach..."
Grimmjow walked around, subtly kicking Loly away, who screamed at him for upsetting her lord.
"Shut up. Kurosaki... we're gonna start this thing over, from here on out."
"..."
Grimmjow kicked Ichigo in face, flipping him over the rock. Uryu and Soryu sweat-dropped as they watched him fall down so easily.
"Quit that depressing shit. If you're gonna lead us... then I have to be able to respect you. As of now, we can all kick your ass."
"Bullshit. I'm the Primera for a reason... unless you can't count."
Halibel decided to speak, since Grimmjow was turning this into a hostile encounter.
"The Hogyoku picked you for your potential. Your Resurreccion might be powerful, Ichigo, but as long as we have Segunda Etapa..."
"We...? When did everyone...?"
"Well... not Gantenbainne... he's all natural, if you get my drift."
"Don't say that again Nel..."
"...Why?"
"...That sounds so wrong..."
"Humans say it all the time! What does it mean!?"
"Nel, shut up!"
Halibel face-palmed as Ichigo and Nel began arguing about human customs.
"Enough. Anyway, an Arrancar made from the Hogyoku has the potential to unlock it. Only Grimmjow, Nel, and myself have it..."
Everyone stared at Tesla, who began sheepishly scratching the back of his head and whistling.
"You... Err... You can put me on that last, too. I'd rather not get into the circumstances surrounding that, though."
"And him, apparently. That's going to be our next course of action... That way, you can fight Juhabach and the others on a closer level than before."
Ichigo hopped to his feet as fire burned in his eyes.
"Why the hell didn't we do this a long time ago!?"
Grimmjow punched him in the gut as he walked away.
"You were too busy starting personal vendettas and destroying shit, dumbass!"
"Urahara."
Kisuke stared out of the window as an amputated woman with dark hair and a red-and-white dress walked into his quarters.
"Hello... Kukaku..."
"I heard 'bout what happened."
"..."
"When is the ceremony?"
"Tomorrow."
Kukaku nodded as she sat on his desk. Pretending to look away to the side, she studied him as she noticed his stubble grow out more, forming a disheveled goatee around his mouth. He was studying a sheet a paper thoroughly, not blinking for a moment.
"You can stop pretending, Kisuke. It's just me."
"Pretending? About what?"
"Throwing yourself in work... running away... it isn't going to make it better. I know... better than anyone."
"... She knew what she was getting into. I'm not... fretting over that."
Kukaku raised an eyebrow as she stared at Kisuke.
"Then what...?"
"Do you know about Ichigo's current situation?"
"Yeah. Shunsui filled me in on the way here. What has that got to do with Yoruichi?"
"She... she did something to Ichigo when we confronted him at Ishida's apartment.
Behind him, Yoruichi grabbed him as she pulled him into a hug, whispering into his ear.
"We're not against you, Ichigo... We were trying to keep you from becoming part of this world."
Kisuke raised the paper to her eyes, revealing Yoruichi's secret will.
"...What... what is that?"
"...Yoruichi's legacy.
"Me...? I'm not a good leader!"
Kisuke stared at Rukia as he held the traditional, sleeveless haori for the Sixth Division Captain folded in his hands.
"Yoruichi groomed you to take the mantle. You are the Twenty-Eighth head of the Kuchiki Clan, so it is your right to handle your clan's division."
"But... But... I just... learned Bankai a few years ago... and... I'm not... I just... used it for the first time..."
Kisuke smiled as he pushed the cloth into her hands.
"You can definitely keep Abarai in check... And there's no point in waiting. Captain Hitsugaya did not master his Bankai until recently, so what is there to worry about?"
"Everything!"
"Trust me!"
"I never trust creepy men like you!"
"Creepy? Why would you say that?"
"Because you are!"
"Am not.
"Are too!"
"Dear me... what is going on?"
Rukia and Kisuke halted their arguing when Unohana walked into the room. Renji followed behind her, his wounds recovered.
"You should do it, Rukia. Captain Kuchiki would have considered it a great honor for his wife's sister."
"Don't use my brother's name!"
"Yoruichi was very proud of your skills! She thought very highly of you!"
"Stop using my trainer's name! You won't convince me with emotional talk!"
Unohana shook her head as she quietly stepped out of the room, mentally sweat-dropping as she saw Rukia kick away Kisuke's and Renji's advances while crawling away on the desk.
Sui Feng sat at her own desk, the air conditioner inside the barracks freezing her heart solid.
"Sui Feng..."
She picked up a dagger from her space and threw it at Kisuke, who sat still and watched it past by.
"...I'm sorry... "
"...I want to blame you... but I can't. It is illogical... and Lady Yoruichi would never forgive me if I killed you."
"If I knew..."
"You could not have known."
Kisuke watched as Sui Feng stood up, walking around to glance out of the the window, where the Stealth Force was training.
"What's wrong?"
"The death... of Lady Yoru...Yoru... The Shihoin clan wants the... division back. Her death has enabled them to take action."
Kisuke blinked as he noticed her plant her forehead on the frozen glass.
"Yoruichi...? What did she-?"
"There were no powerful Shihoin until recently. Now she's gone... They feel a replacement is in order."
"They can't replace a Captain of mine. I have to approve it."
"That's... the thing, Urahara. I... won't be here for long."
The meaning of her words struck Kisuke cold. The dead look in her eyes spoke volumes from her soul as she leaned back into her desk.
"No... I'm not letting you retire... You know, as well as I do, that there is no such thing as retirement."
She held her hands out, waiting for him to handcuff her and take her to the Maggot's Nest.
"I know... You can take me to th-"
"No. I'm not letting you go there. You're her last legacy. The title of flash Goddess belong to you. I can't let you leave."
"Urahara, you have to-"
"NO! And that's final."
Kisuke turned away and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Before he closed it fully, he glared a Sui Feng, who was taken aback by his attitude.
"I won't... lose anymore familiar things to me."
"Urahara?"
"Yoruichi would have been disappointed in the way you were acting. I know I am."
He closed door, leaving Sui Feng in complete silence.
"...How odd... that he would miss me if I left..."
She turned and stared out of the window, where she noticed a black cat lying on the window's edge.
"What!? Lady Yoruichi!?"
Hearing the knocking on the window, the cat hopped up and stared through the window. Sui Feng opened the window, letting the cat in from the cold as it hopped on her chair and sat..
"Can you...?"
The cat looked at her before licking its palm and blinking as it made a spot on the chair and went to sleep. Sui Feng sweat-dropped as she lowered her head.
"I... guess not, then."
"Alright, Ichigo! We're gonna start today."
"Great! Alright, now how do we begin?"
Halibel and Grimmjow stood in the desert circle of Las Noches, watching as Ichigo prepared himself. Halibel reached into her coat and pulled out a Caja Negacion.
"First, we are going to put you in this..."
"We don't need you fucking Las Noches up anymore than it already is."
"...then you will have to figure that out for yourself."
Ichigo's eyes burst out of his skull when he realized he would get no advice.
"How did you two unlock-!?"
"No, Kurosaki! Shut up and get in the box!"
Ichigo was pulled into the box quite suddenly, not giving him anytime to react or prepare. He landed on the floor, crouching himself into a roll. Getting up, he didn't realize he had landed on someone.
"...Uhhh... Ichigo!? This isn't... the right time for this! But... I mean-!"
"Sorry Orihime... I..."
Ichigo paused when he gazed at his cushions-Orihime. More specifically, her impressive mounds. He failed to notice that she was dressed like an Arrancar or that he was in Las Noches.
"Orihime!? You're... alive!?"
"Uhhmmm... I don't remember dying, but yes... I am still alive, for now... unless we don't move!"
"What?"
Sensing a sword swing behind him, he rolled away with Orihime in tow as he landed. He gazed at the figure who attacked him and saw a white helmet attached to a full head of black hair and bright emerald eyes.
"Y...You...?"
"Do not lose your composure, do not break your stance, stretch out your awareness, and do not let your guard down for even a second."
On the other side of the room, 'Ulquiorra' stood, the same as he was long before. Ichigo was shocked when he noticed that the blade in 'Ulquiorra's' hand wasn't Murcielago. Unwaveringly, he stared at Ichigo, who stood to his feet, the same blade in hand.
"Why do you have La Luna Negra...?"
'Ulquiorra' said nothing as he began to explode in black Reiatsu. The blade in his hand began changing, glowing black as it began to take its new shape.
"If you do not know, then I shall enlighten you. This is the form of true despair."