Soldier

A/N: We do apologize for mixing Japanese and English terms.

Disclaimer: See chapter 1. Reviews are welcomed, flames are not

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Chapter 28: Mount Your Horses Take Two

Albus Dumbledore was a wizard on a mission as he walked through the corridors of the Ministry. He had been informed by one of his contacts that Harry had gone to the Ministry for the day.

'What was the boy doing now!? It's too dangerous for him to be running around the Ministry alone.'

The old wizard was now firmly convinced that Harry was going Dark. Was the boy there to undermine all of his hard work? He didn't think that the lad had the power base yet to go against him, but he couldn't be certain.

Albus knew he had to find and stop Harry Potter from doing whatever it was he was doing.

When he arrived Albus couldn't find the Potter heir anywhere. All of his contacts within the ministry hadn't seen him, which was strange. Finally, he had been told by a clerk that Lord Potter and several strangely dressed companions were seen being escorted to the Department of Mysteries by an Unspeakable.

Albus frowned. What was going on now?

He entered the Chamber of the veil in time to see Harry binding the Unspeakable with that strange magic of his.

"WAIT! STOP!" he shouted. "Harry! Release him at once!"

Sirius and Remus started to snicker watching the Unspeakable struggle against the Kido bond.

"I don't think it's funny. Release him, Harry my boy," Albus chided.

Harry frowned. "Unless he realizes that he and the rest of the Unspeakables can not stop what's coming then I won't." Turning to the amused Urahara, he asked."Are you sure Ichigo'll make it? What's a cleaner? What's a Dangai?"

Urahara tugged his hat down to hide his eyes. "The cleaner's just as its name implies. It sweeps the Dangai, or in English – the Precipice World – the tunnel that connects both Living World and the Soul Society. Every seven days, it 'cleans' anything and everything it comes in contact with. Don't worry, Ichigo has met with the cleaner before and knows to be careful."

Everyone, including Albus, paled as Urahara explained what the Dangai was and the danger Ichigo was running through. The Unspeakable stopped struggling as he too was listening.

"You act as if he will return. Everyone knows that no one ever returns once they enter the Veil. It's a death sentence," Albus argued vehemently.

"Anyone living, yes, but Ichigo's different. He entered in his soul form," Urahara assured everyone as they all turned to look at the teen standing next to Harry.

The kneeling Unspeakable continued to protest."But, we need to study this. It was one of Merlin's last requests."

"The Living should not meddled in the affairs of the Afterlife. The Soul Society takes their duty very seriously," Urahara explained as he took measurements of the stone arch. "Go ahead Harry and release him. Ichigo's probably there already and speaking with the Head Commander by now."

"You speak as if you know what's behind the Veil?" the Unspeakable shuddered. He flexed his freed hands as he stood.

"Hey Harry do you think Nee-san will be with him?" Kon asked, hopefully.

"I don't see why not, Kon," Harry said. "Rukia's Ichigo's friend and contact within the Soul Society. According to him, he's never allowed to go unescorted when he's there."

"Nee-san, nee-san, come back to me," Kon chanted as he wiggled happily. Harry slapped him on the back of his head and told him to behave.

Albus was confused. This wasn't the same orange-haired youth that fought at Riddle manor. Just what in Merlin's name was going on?

They waited, watching the Veil for almost an hour.

Sometime during their vigil several other Unspeakables joined them, talking softly among themselves. The first Unspeakable told his colleagues it would not be wise to cross Lord Potter and the ones with him as he had seen and felt the young wizard's strange magic, it was unyielding and unbreakable.

Albus was still trying to take charge of the situation, but everyone ignored his protests. He was certain that when Ichigo entered the Veil he'd died, as were all the others who had gone before him.

Such a waste in his opinion. He said as much, but was ignored.

Suddenly a bright light shot out of the Veil, and several people exited along with Ichigo.

"H. . . .how. . . .?" stuttered the Unspeakables while the rest of the Ministry watchers stood in stunned silence.

Several men, three young ladies and a young girl with pink hair stepped out of the Veil behind Ichigo and none of them looked too happy.

They were wearing the same black and white Japanese attire that Ichigo was. Everyone had blades strapped somewhere on their bodies. Many of the men wore white overcoats with strange symbols written on the back. Several had a tan armband.

Harry quickly cast a translation spell so all the newcomers could understand what was being said. Kon quickly ducked behind Harry, shivering in fear, muttering "Nee-san" in an adoring tone.

"Greetings, Captains. I see Ichigo told you what we found," Urahara said, stepping forward.

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The sun was shining down on white buildings with terra-cotta roofs as Ichigo stepped out of the strange senkaimon. Before the gate closed behind him, he jammed a fan that he had nicked from Urahara into it so it couldn't close. He would need it as a guide for the return trip. According to Urahara, no one knew about this permanent gate. So he wasn't going to take a chance.

"Hey Ichigo! What are you doing here?" asked a tall red-haired Soul Reaper. "Why did you leave that gate open?"

"Hey Renji! I need to see Ukitake-san," Ichigo ordered as he started to move out, pointing with his thumb to the open senkaimon. He knew when he arrived unexpectedly that he would cause a stir. "That's the reason why I need to see him. Keep everyone away from it, don't let anyone close it. It's my ticket back."

Ichigo quickly explained to his friend what had been discovered in the Living World.

"Oh man! That does explain a few things," Renji said, giving orders for a few of his men to watch, but not approach, the open senkaimon. "Let's go see Ukitake-taicho."

Ichigo reported to the white haired captain of the Thirteenth Squadron, who immediately took him to the Head Captain, who in turned called an emergency meeting.

"This is unheard of!" the old commander of the Gotei 13 roared. "That gate must be closed and destroyed! It upsets the Balance. It was good thinking, Kurosaki Ichigo, to keep it open at the present."

"According to the wizard, it was created by some guy named Merlin back around the ninth century. According to them, they have been using it to send condemned prisoners through, to 'study' it."

Ichigo's sneering contempt was not lost on his listeners. He continued his report, "I didn't see a cleaner, but I did push through several piles of human bones. All of them about as deep as I am tall."

Several captains growled at that comment as Ichigo was close to six feet tall.

"I also found one recently dead body when I ran through. They've been doing it for a very long time, so it is safe to say there isn't a cleaner," Ichigo finished. "I don't know about you, but it's beyond my understanding. I was just sent by Urahara to get some help closing it."

"Agreed," the Commander rasped harshly. "I want all notes, and that gate – destroyed. I don't think we will send anyone from the twelfth since Urahara is already there. It must be destroyed."

One of the captains attending the meeting, wearing black and white face paint, and a strange hat that seemed to be sideways on his head, started to protest. "We need to re-claim it for study!"

"I stand by my decision. Destroy it and all notes!" the Head Captain ordered, ignoring his subordinate's crestfallen whine.

"There's something else," Ichigo said, pulling out a file to hand to the still protesting clown-faced captain. "A wizard in the far past experimented on some Bounts. He created something that's a cross between a hollow and a Bount that not only feeds on souls, but sucks in all the happiness and good memories of anyone that they come into contact with. They are neither alive, or dead."

"Impossible!"

"Outrageous!"

"Fascinating!" exclaimed the white-faced captain of the twelfth squad. "They must be studied!"

"They have been," Ichigo said. "Urahara had one. He destroyed it afterward." The clown-faced Captain whimpered as Ichigo continued. "He said, it was an abomination and it gave him the willies being in the same room with it. Here are all his notes on it."

"These abominations must be destroyed!" Yamamoto declared.

"How many are we talking about?" a concerned Captain Ukitake queried.

"According to the wizards I spoke to, they use 'em as prison guards for an island prison they call Azkaban. and that the numbers are in the hundreds. They seem capable of breeding. So, the numbers given are prob'ly wrong, as the last minister set them loose on a school. I don't think all went back peacefully. Between me and Urahara, we killed about a dozen so far," Ichigo stated.

"Well, what are we waiting for!" the tall captain of the eleventh huffed. "Are they any good in a fight?"

"Not really, the few I did run into were more interested in 'feeding' than fighting," Ichigo replied. "They're very hollow-like. Frankly, there are most likely too many for me to handle alone."

That silenced the meeting. For Ichigo to admit it was over his head showed how dangerous it really was. Ichigo wasn't afraid of anything, except failure. He would protect those he deemed family with the last breath in his body.

"Assemble a team!" announced the Head Captain, sharply striking his walking stick against the floor, bringing the discussion to a close. "Captain Kurotsuchi you are not to go with them. Everything must be destroyed. It is outrageous that these creatures even exist!"

In the end, Yamamoto-soutaichou authorized six of his captains and a few lieutenants for the mission. They consisted of: Byakuya Kuchiki-taicho of the sixth squad with his lieutenant Renji Abarai; Shunsui Kyoraku-taicho of the eighth with his lieutenant Nanao Ise; Toshiro Hitsugaya-taicho of the tenth and his lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto; Kenpatchi Zaraki-taicho of the eleventh and his lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi, along with two others from the eleventh, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa, two friends of Ichigo. Lastly, Ukitake Jushiro-taicho of the thirteenth, and Rukia Kuchiki, who would oversee the destruction of the files and research. No one from the second, third, fourth, seventh, ninth or the twelfth squads would be going. They were not needed.

"They have a form of kido that is channeled through a wand. If they raise a stick at you, cut it in half. They are too dependent on it," Ichigo informed everyone. "If you see a kid that looks like a mini Byakuya, he's on our side, an ally and my cousin. Don't attack him." Ichigo gave the ones from the eleventh division a glare.

"Che!" was all Kenpatchi said as they gathered in front of the still opened gate causing several to roll their eyes. "Never knew there was a gate here."

"Let's do this!" Ichigo said, leading them back to the gate that he had kept open. He was glad that several of those going with him were friends who he trusted to have his back.

The run through the dark and dangerous Dangai was quick. Ahead they saw the piles of human remains and a bright light.

They stepped out into a stone-lined chamber with several people waiting for them.

At the meeting in the Captains' Hall, Ichigo had explained that wizards can see ghosts and spirits, even though their spirit pressure is low.

The hooded wizards all took a step backwards raising their wands. "Hold your fire!" shouted an imposing woman, wearing a monocle.

Harry stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Welcome to the Wizarding World, Captains, Lieutenants. I am Lord Harry James Potter and an adopted member of the Kuchiki clan."

Ichigo grinned. Harry was always very polite, for an Englishman.

"Excuse me, but just who are you?" asked Albus Dumbledore, holding his wand ready.

"Let me introduce to you several captains and members of the 13 Court Guards of the Soul Society, which is what we term the Afterlife. They police souls that have already departed from their mortal bodies," Harry said, standing in front of the captains, facing the Unspeakables and the Headmaster. "They are also known as Soul Reapers."

"Che. Where's these Dementhings? All this talk's boring," said the tallest and the most intimidating of the group. "I came to fight." Two others nodded their heads in agreement as a young girl giggled. "Yeah! Kenny wants to play!"

Ichigo and Harry exchanged slight smiles at all of the shocked faces. Yes, things just got interesting.

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A/N: Sorry for those wanting the head captain to come through the Veil. I just couldn't see him doing that when he has able-bodied Captains to do the job.

We got a couple of reviews complaining about the arrogance of the Soul Society. Our reply is, when doing a crossover, you have to marry two canons together. Keep what works and throw the rest out. That's what we did.

As for the Soul Society's cavalier attitude about the Veil, would you like someone digging an open, unauthorized back door into your home? That's what the Veil is in their eyes.

Anyways, thanks for the reviews. – GF and The Frau