Quetzal- Hello my friends! Happy New Year to you and Happy Birthday to me! As of the 20th I am 21 now! ^-^ Hope you like the new chapter!

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Chapter 13- Departure from reality

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Days to Rukia's Execution - 25

Seras pounced her zanpokotu biting only air as Ichigo darted out of range. They had been sparing like this for almost three hours now and she was beginning to think she was on to something. Almost 5 days had passed since they had received the message from Byakuya, and they hadn't wasted a single minute as Kisuke and Tessai built the gate to soul society. They had run into a problem though, or rather Seras had. Her zanpokotu had explained to her what she needed to do to learn her name, and that to hear her she had to truly let go of her instincts and not fear losing control and killing those she wished to protect. Excepting that she didn't truly understand her own instincts even with as far as she had come from that terrified newly turned fledgling had been a battle in of itself.

Flashback

Seras scowled at the armored fox who simply stared back unimpressed by her glare. "I do NOT fear my own instincts!" She snarled the zanpokotu just snorted.

"You do not fear hunting and killing anymore Seras! That is what you once feared above all else, but now you fear losing your control and killing everyone you hold dear. Do not think I do not know how much you suppress your nature around the twins and Ichigo! I am not saying that your control is a bad thing, but you must learn to let go of you instincts and USE them in their entirety." The fox snapped back Seras huffed glaring.

"The only problem with your damn argument is that 'letting go' as you put it is going to get everyone around me killed!"

"You do not trust your own soul then? Do you truly think that your family has cause to fear you? Your master understood his instincts and used them, but did he ever even once in his blood lust harm you?" Seras blinked and thought back, her zanpokotu was right she realized. Even those times when her master had gone into a complete rage, or went seemingly insane killing everything around him. Never had he harmed her, not even when she would freeze like a terrified rabbit under his gaze when he ran out of things to kill, he had never hurt her. The fox smirked knowing that her wielder was beginning to understand. "Never forget that you ARE dangerous Seras, but if you do not learn to truly use your instincts they will use you. Then you WILL be the threat to them that you see yourself as, are you truly willing to let that happen?"

Seras looked away silently thinking, she had come so far. Finally learning to hunt and beginning to learn what she was had taken her far from where she had been; however, it would seem that without her master to knock her down a few pegs when she got ahead of herself she had forgotten that she was still just a child in terms of vampires. So much to learn still...how could she have ever thought she could really do this without someone to show her how? Why had she wasted those months with her master over something that seemed so trivial now? "Don't get lost in the past Seras. What is done is done you cannot go back only learn from your mistakes. You may not have your master anymore but you have me now." She stood up then and trotted away into the undergrowth. "you have taken the first steps, the rest you must learn for yourself."

End flashback

Seras hoped she was doing the right thing now, the whole purpose of this fight was to get her to loose control. Ichigo was trying his hardest but he just couldn't quite push her over the edge, it was something they were going to have to continue working on.

"DRACULA-SAN!" Yelled Tessai from the top of the ladder both of them skidded to a halt blades inches away from each other. "A PACKAGE JUST CAME FOR YOU DRACULA-SAN!" Seras blinked at this numbplused who the hell you be sending her something? Walter had only left a few days ago...unless...a truly frightening grin split her face before she bolted for the ladder. Only moments later she was tearing the lid off of a large crate, she stared at the contents for a long moment the grin still in place before pulling out a massive cannon.

"WALTER YOU ROCK!" she yelled joyfully bouncing back down the stairs after

grabbing an ammo box. Tessai looked worried.

"Are you sure its alright for her to shoot that down stairs Urahara-san?" he asked Urahara grinned before following wondering if she would let him fire it once or twice.

"I'm sure it'll be fine Tessai!" He called happily chasing after the cannon wielding vampire.

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Days to Rukia's Execution - 18

Urahara watched wearily as the dust began to settle from the attack he had just blindsided Seras with only to be nearly decapitated by the enraged vampires blade an instant later, he ducked flash stepping away and threw up a shield. He was barely fast enough as bullets of condensed reiatsu impacted the shield sounding like heavy rain on metal, the bullets had been a modification that he had made to the Coyote. The gun was now able to form ammo from Seras's reiatsu, he had gotten the idea from the Quincy only her bullets wouldn't destroy a hollow like Ishida's arrows.

Unfortunately the Harkconnon couldn't be modified like that, but it was an artillery cannon, if she needed to fire it more then the 80 shells she had then she had bigger thing to worry about. Seras appeared out of the dust the grinning visage of her hollow mask sending a spike of fear through him, it wasn't that it made her strong enough to really threaten him, but the primal instinct to flee something that seemed to have every intention of eating you was something no human or shinigami would ever loose.

The mask had been a surprise two days before, she had been blasted though the training grounds by ichigo's first named Getsuga Tensho and had nearly been killed, it was only the timely manifestation of her fox mask that had saved her. The mask looked like a fox with a fairly long snout and long pointed ears, a pair of deep blood red strips crossed the mask from just below the ears curving forward from the sides and across the eyes holes before following the line of snout to the end, the ears were also edged in red as well along the back edge. Two small red dashes on the bottom jaw rounded out the colors of the bone white mask.

She spun blocking an attack from Ichigo while continuing to fire at Urahara's own shield which was beginning to crack under the strain. The two had long sense moved beyond simply sparing against each other to get better, it may allow them to improve the skills they had but letting them fight only each other as inexperienced as they were would get them used to countering only certain attacks. Urahara mixed things up forcing them to adapt to new tricks every few minutes.

Urahara jumped away as his shield finally cracked and shot a Sokatsui at her to stave off her charge while Ichigo slashed at him from the side. He twisted angling Benihime so the attack slid off to the side instead of trying to block the full brunt of the swing. A sudden sting across his shoulder heralded Seras return to the fight, but luckily most of the bullets went wide of his position thanks to the dust cloud ichigo's attack had kicked up. Using the impromptu cover he slide out of the immediate battle and behind a stand of boulders. Without another target Seras pounced on Ichigo knocking the teen flying only for him to launch a getsuga before he hit the ground. Seras dissolved into shadows as the attack connected effectively dodging without actually moving as blowing up shadows was rather difficult, she reformed a glint in her eyes and Ichigo backed off looking wary.

The jaws of Seras's mask cracked open giving him a nice very of the two inch fangs the mask sported on the top jaw before he was distracted by a ball of deep red light beginning to form just inside her jaws. Ichigo went wide eyed and barely had a chance to curse before the cero finished charging and tore through the air towards him. Urahara watch a bit startled from his vantage point as the cero tore through boulders and exploded in the distance, it hadn't been as powerful as some of the cero's he had seen in his life but it was certainly nothing to laugh at for a first try.

It took them ten minutes to find Ichigo after Seras rushed over horrified that she may have killed him, he was banged up and unconscious but mostly unharmed having gotten out of the way in time before getting blown into the rocks by the shockwave. Urahara had quite understandably called it a day after that.

(two hours later)

"So how are they doing?" Asked Isshin as he contemplated the cup of sake in his hand Urahara chuckled.

"Well enough Isshin their strong enough now I don't think they would have trouble with anything up to a vice-captain. They'll still end up in hot water if they try to fight a captain head on of course, and Ichigo's still having issues remembering that he's not fighting alone anymore. I'm sure Zangetsu's patience will run out and he'll pound some sense into the boy sooner or later." Isshin snorted.

"If he's anything like Engetsu Ichigo's in for one hell of a lesson." He answered Urahara grinned.

"Better to let Zangetsu take care of it then try and lecture him." He agreed Isshin rolled his eyes. "Seras on the other hand is still trying to figure out her blades name. Apparently the only thing stopping her is her unwillingness to truly use her instincts without fearing she'll succumb to them. An understandable fear as she has no desire to become one of the near mindless monsters the vast majority of vampire's apparently are." Urahara explained tapping his fan on the table.

"Damn...so you really think they can pull this off Kisuke?" He asked looking skeptical Urahara shrugged.

"I guess we'll just have to hope so won't we? There is more then just their lives on the line here" Isshin Kurosaki stared at Urahara for a long moment before putting his cup down and speaking.

"This entire damn situation is your fault!"He snapped sourly Urahara winced slightly.

"You don't think I know that?" He answered darkly eyes narrowed under his hat. "I would be going with them myself if I could pass through the gate without setting off every monitor in seriseti! Do you think I like letting those two running off to fix my mistakes with only Yuruichi as back up?" Urahara bit back harshly his eyes cold Isshin studied him with narrowed eyes before sighing.

"Sorry Kisuke. I just can't stand the idea of him running off like this without me there to help him. Even with a normal gigai now my powers are little stronger then Karin's, its going to be at least a month before I can even begin to train seriously let alone expect to fight anything but unseated shinigami and minor hollows." He answered Urahara frowned.

"I do understand Isshin you forget that I'v been protecting Ichigo since you first sealed your powers. I'd sooner kill myself then send that boy off to his death!"

"Still feels like thats what were doing." Isshin answered after a moment before downing his entire cup of sake Urahara sighed in agreement. A few minutes later Seras reformed out of the shadows in her room a frown on her face before sitting down and entering her inner world.

"Well what do you think?"She asked Shiruba sighed looking pensive.

"From what you overheard and what I am able to perceive through your own sense's when you allow it I am almost certain that Kurosaki Isshin is a shinigami as you thought." He answered.

"I guess that explains how Ichigo was able to become a shinigami even though he's still alive." She muttered Shiruba nodded.

"People like Kurosaki Ichigo are the very reason the penalty for a shinigami having children with a human is so high. Not only are they are incredibly powerful, but they are living souls wielding the powers that many believe only the dead should know." Seras looked at him quizzically.

"Wait what Is the penalty?" She asked Shiruba smiled grimly.

"The penalty is the same one your friend Kuchiki Rukia is facing right now. Complete destruction of the accused's soul and the death of any resulting children" Seras stared at him blankly for a long moment completely incredulous.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?" She demanded

"Many things depending on who you ask." Tora called from her spot on a nearby tree branch. Seras blinked as Kiro and Soren laughed Shiruba sighed looking faintly annoyed.

"Great" She muttered rubbing her face in frustration. "Is there any way to avoid getting killed? Or are we just going to have to keep our mouths shut and hope they don't find out?"

"Like you can fool the Central 46." Spat Yuki from across the clearing Seras turned and stared at the sneering shinigami with narrowed eyes for a moment before he disappeared with a scream of surprise and pain.

"What did you do?" Asked Kiro Seras snorted.

"I'm sick of his comments so I suppressed him. We'll see if he's learned his lesson in a few weeks." She answered tartly Tora snorted.

"About damn time nothing shut that brat up." She commented Seras smirked as her Zanpoktou walked out of the brush at the edge of the clearing.

"Ichigo wishes to talk to you Seras wake up." She said flicking her tails Seras sighed.

"Alright alright I'm going. I'll be back to talk to you guys later alright?" She said Shiruba raised an eye brow.

"You realize you don't have to come here to talk to us correct? You should be able to speak to use the same way you speak to your zanpokotu." He asked Seras nodded with a grin.

"Oh I know that, but its still creepy to talk to people I can't see." She answered before vanishing. Shiruba shook his head at there masters antics, it was odd he thought to himself heading back to where his remaining four trainees were scattered around the church that was the center of Seras's mind, that he really had no problem calling the young vampire master. Even if he hadn't liked the girl he would have done whatever he had to to make sure she was never devoured by another, the memory of being trapped in the hell that had been a true hollows soul still made his shudder in horror. Seras's soul was paradise in comparison to that.

"Yes I would have to agree." said his own zanpokotu quietly Shiruba smiled faintly.

"Not being able to even feel you was terrible Kiri. You were right about giving Seras a chance to prove she was different then them." Kiri Mikoto laughed a white raven materializing on his shoulder and pecking his ear.

"I'm always right you should know that by now!" The bird taunted before taking off and flitting though the tree branches.

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Days to Rukia's Execution - 14

Seras frowned at the portal as Urahara finished setting it up, the day before she and Ichigo had been shocked to learn that Yoruichi the cat had gone off to train Orihime and Chad once she had passed them off to the crazy shopkeeper. They hadn't been expecting any other help then Ishida who they had known was coming with them since the week before. Personally she thought they were both crazy. Neither Chad nor Orihime would have any chance if they ran into a seated shinigami let alone a captain. Orihime was the kind of person Seras would have never let near combat of any kind, but she had been out voted on the grounds that they would need a healer. Ishida at least could probably hold his own and Chad was built like a boulder and could hit like no human she has ever met new powers no withstanding, she figured he wasn't in anymore danger then the rest of them.

However she wouldn't let herself worry about Orihime, if she got into trouble she would have to get someone else to bail her out. Seras only cared about Ichigo and his family, if the opportunity presented itself she would help, but she would not be chasing the bitch all over the countryside to keep her out of trouble. Ishida at least seemed to share her opinion of Orihime coming along, but seemed determined to play white knight at the same time, she was beginning to understand her masters annoyance with humans.

"Right then is everyone ready to depart!" Urahara asked grandly waving his fan in the air. Orihime cheered while the rest of the stared flatly at the shopkeeper. Moments later the gate to soul society glowed and they dashed through.

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Quetzal- Well how was it? Too boring for you? Next chapter we land in soul society and the chaos begins