Chapter 21: One Missed Call

Grimmjow, Isshin, Yoruichi and the others began their defense of Karakura town, with decisive victories from Isshin defeating the Cero Espada Yammy Liargo, Yoruichi fighting valiantly versus the tres Espada, Nelliel Tu OdelSchwanck. At the last second Orihime was saved from certain death by Grimmjow blocking an oncoming strike from the King of Hueco mundo himself, Nightmare Von Ollivante.

While in the Soul Society…..

"Oi, Rukia! Whats going on, you wanna come hang out with Renji for a while!" Ichigo yelled.

Rukia was sitting outside of Renji's barracks, playing with her diamond moon pendant that hung beautifully from her neck, once in a while stopping to read the inscription on the back….

For my White Moon…..

Rukia sighed and just smiled genuinely to the sky. Thoughts racing through her head about how everything played out.

"Oi Rukia, everything ok out here?" Ichigo was leaning against a wooden beam that stood closest to Rukia.

Rukia finally snapped back to reality. "Huh…. Oh right, yes I'm fine Ichigo thank you for asking…. I was just thinking is all."

"Thinking that involves you smiling brightly towards the skies Rukia?" Ichigo sat next to her.

Rukia chuckled inside, "Yeah lets go with that…."

"Rukia I'm not going to lie lately you have been more happy than I have ever seen you." Ichigo inputted.

Rukia shifted her gaze to meet Ichigo's, a serious look befell her face, "is there a problem with it Strawberry?"

"No." Ichigo tried to avoid another abusive attempt from Rukia, "Not at all Rukia in fact, I'm glad…. It makes me happy to see you like this…. I feel as though I'm full filling my promise I made to you a long time ago…. You know when I said id protect you no matter what?"

"Yeah I Remember…" Rukia looked Ichigo in the eyes. "It's just, I've felt so alone inside…. Ever since I lost Kaien… Then I met you, whom although everyone says you look like him… in some ways I agree, any way after I met you and got to know you , the ice that encased my heart finally began to melt away, but then when you lost all of your powers because you used that Final Getsuga Tensho against Aizen, after we parted, I became so depressed, so cold again, leaving you was the hardest thing I ever did, but after all we did this week, from you getting your powers back, confessing our feelings to one another….."

"Hey now Rukia, let's just stop there before we get too overly emotional here." Ichigo said hugging her closer to him.

"Yeah you're right….. It is ruining my mood. Lets go talk to Renji for a while." Rukia said getting up.

"No might not be a good idea…" Ichigo sighed.

"Why not?" Rukia pouted, "you of all people who would jump on the boat to interrupt important things especially with Renji."

"Because I want to show you something Rukia." Ichigo replied.

Rukia could sense it was something important, she could read the seriousness in his voice.

Ichigo held out his hand to Rukia, "Cmon Rukia."

Rukia took his hand in hers and stood close to him, Ichigo wrapped his other arm around her as they both disappeared in an instant.

Karakura town southern district.

"God Dammit why wont Ichigo pick up his damn phone!" Uryu roared as he threw the interdimensional phone into a pile of rubble and drew back his bow and released another several arrows towards the impending invasion of Menos.

Isshin was starting to get overwhelmed as well, having put forth an fatiguing amount of energy in his attack against Yammy, the Menos just kept coming. Yoruichi wasn't better off, but to her surprise, Nelliel agreed to help her repel the menos attack.

Chad using his favored El Directo attack against the menos invasion, the menos how ever are more content of destroying Karakura Town, not noticing their numbers dwindling.

"Hope Ichigo shows up soon, we need his help!" Chad said fatigued.

"No kidding! I may be a Quincy but this is ridiculous!" Uryu roared.

Back in the Soul Society…..

Ichigo and Rukia began walking through the forests on the outskirts of the Soul Society, Ichigo felt as if he exactly knew where he was going, Rukia just followed wondering why he is going out here.

"Ichigo where exactly are we going?" Rukia asked.

"you will know when you see it…" Ichigo just looked straight forward.

After a few minutes, the two reached the top of a plateau off in the distance the mountains protruded out from the ground and towered to the sky.

"what a view! Ichigo are you looking at this?" Rukia turned to see Ichigo looking downward towards something.

"What is it Ichigo?" Rukia walked up to Ichigo and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I remember this like it was yesterday…" Ichigo sighed.

Rukia looked toward where he was looking and she cupped a hand over her mouth.

The middle of the plateau was literally gone, a very large hole blown in the center area of the plateau almost abyss like, and a large crevice that expanded out from the hole.

"Oh my…. What happened here…" Rukia gasped.

She couldn't believe her eyes at the sight that she witnessed, a plateau that was adorned with beautiful scenery, completely wiped out.

Ichigo turned to Rukia his eyes slightly solemn, "You probably already know what happened here…"

Rukia looked at Ichigo, she knew what he was getting at.

"You and Aizen… did this!" Rukia was in disbelief.

Ichigo just nodded, "Most of it was Aizen's fault, but that long crevice over there. That came from my final Getsuga Tensho."

"Wow…. This is unreal… I don't even think the head captain could cause this much destruction." Rukia added.

"Now do you see why I can't freely use Mugetsu… it is a more powerful alternative to my Getsuga Tensho, but the raw destruction it causes is why I cannot use it in Karakura town."

"But what im wondering is, how did you know where to go to this place?" Rukia asked.

"Well…." Ichigo sighed.

30 minutes ago….

"Renji whats up, what do you need to tell me?" Ichigo asked.

"well I dont know if you want to look for yourself or not, but we found the battleground where you and Aizen disputed your final battle…" Renji said with a sigh, "They told me to tell you, I don't know if they wanted you to know or not but hey requests are requests, you know, I don't know if you want to even look at that hallowed place again."

"Renji.." Ichigo smirked.

Renji faced his long time friend, Ichigo continued, "It doesn't matter to me anymore, I have my power back, if you asked me a year ago, yeah I would have turned the other way and never go there, but now I'm just curious to see if anything changed"

"Right." Renji grinned, Ichigo was just about to leave the room when Renji continued, "Hey Ichigo!"

Ichigo turned around as Renji finished what he wanted to say. "You should take Rukia with you if you're going there, and Thanks for everything man, if it wasn't for you, I doubt any of us would be alive…"

Current time…..

"does that fill your quota of questions today midget?" Ichigo chuckled.

The remark didn't bold well with Rukia for some reason and she threw her elbow into his side.

"Ow GOD DAMMIT what was that for!" Ichigo roared in pain.

"I just felt like it I guess." Rukia giggled.

"Abusive midget…" Ichigo said to himself.

"I heard that!" Rukia yelled and kicked his shin.

"Holy Fuck! What is with you lately!" Ichigo yelped.

"Just proving to you that I haven't forgotten the old ways, plus I don't mind you calling me midget, but if you use it as an insult then I'll kick your ass." Rukia coyed.

"Yeah sure what ever…." Ichigo rubbed his shin.

"Don't push your luck Strawberry." Rukia said smiling. She strode past Ichigo, swinging her hips looking back At him, "C'mon Ichigo, let's get out of here, I've seen enough if this barren warzone you and Aizen created."

Ichigo smiled slightly blushing as well, "Seductive midget…"

"Huh?" Ichigo wondered.

He dug into the pocket of his haori, and found his interdimensional phone.

"the phone…. OH FUCK!" Ichigo dropped his phone after opening it.

"RUKIAAAAA!" Ichigo yelled chasing after her.

The phone was left on the ground open and it said one missed call…

Rukia kept on walking smiling as she did, until she stopped to hear someone yelling her name in the distance.

"RUKIA!" Ichigo yelled as he caught up with her.

"Ichigo whats going on?" Rukia wondered.

"No time, lets go!" Ichigo blurted with a serious tone, he grabbed Rukia around the waist and disappeared in a flash.

Ichigo and Rukia reappeared again in the Sereitei, Rukia stepped away from Ichigo.

"What the hell is going on Ichigo, tell me right now!" Rukia said with seriousness in her voice.

Ichigo was winded, he never flash stepped that fast before. They literally traveled from the battle site to the Sereitei within seconds.

"Rukia **pant** it already started, without us **pant pant** Nightmare already invaded Karakura Town." Ichigo breathed.

"What! When!" Rukia yelled at him grabbing him by the coat.

"My phone, apparently was left on silent mode from the Inauguration, and I checked it at the battle site and it had one missed call, from an hour and a half ago…." Ichigo said. "I cant believe I'm saying this but, I'm scared on what Karakura town is going to look like when I get there…. I really am scared."

Rukia lifted his chin, "Don't worry too much Ichigo, now we have to get to Karakura town now otherwise we wouldn't be doing our duty."

Ichigo nodded and took her hands in his, "Just like Old times?"

"Just like old times." Rukia smiled.

The two flash stepped over towards the senkaimon, when they got there they found Captain Renji Abarai waiting for them.

"Hey you guys!" Renji waved.

"Renji what are you doing here?" the two asked.

"Well if you really want it like old times… then ill tag along, it's been a long time since I was in Karakura Town."

"Renji are you sure about this?" Rukia asked.

"Hell yeah, I can't wait!" Renji added.

"The more the merrier Renji… let's get going!" Ichigo said rushing towards the gate, but he looked down and noticed the faded pulse of red light from his armored arm faded completely gone.

Ichigo didn't care, he along with Renji and Rukia traveled through the Senkaimon towards Karakura Town, and off to save the world.

Karakura Town

The three finally made it through the precipe world and into Karakura Town, Ichigo scanned the area and the three proceeded to the downtown area. The entire town was enveloped in a storm with a heavy downpour and lightning danced across the sky.

"It's Raining! Shit on my luck" Ichigo scowled.

When they arrived, it was just as Ichigo feared.

"Good grief this place is a wreck….." Ichigo grimaced.

"The damage can be reversed Ichigo, let's go, we have to repel this invasion." Rukia put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

The three turned simultaneously to a barrage of explosive sounds coming from their area.

"Its Chad and Uryu!" Ichigo roared. "They are getting overwhelmed!"

"Ill go Ichigo." Renji stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.

"Yes let Renji go, I'm sensing someone to the west that is losing his fight… I'll go there I guess." Rukia said.

"Ok go, I'm gonna go find Nightmare, and give him a piece of my damn mind about this shit!" Ichigo snarled.

They nodded to each other as they all flash stepped away.

Uryu and Chad were indeed becoming quickly overwhelmed by the menos.

"God Damn! Where the hell is Ichigo!" Uryu yelled in anger.

An explosion rang out as Sado was thrown through the air landing next to Uryu.

"Chad! You alright?" Uryu cried out.

"Ye-Yeah I'm fine, just a little shaken up." Sado said getting up slowly.

"Isn't this awesome, there are too many hollows, we can't just kill them all, I'm getting awfully tired, and Seele Schneider's arrows are getting weaker." Uryu commented.

The two stopped to sense a new presence on the battlefield.

"BANKAI!" the man roared as Red Reiatsu flowed around him, when the smoke cleared the man wore, along with his white haori and black robes, a red fur piece over his shoulder with a skull on it, a very large skeleton snake with a red mane spiraled around him.

"Hihio Zabimaru!" Renji yelled as he did so, the snake faced forward and screeched into the rain.

"Renji!" Uryu and Sado yelled simultaneously.

Renji turned to them, "Hey guys long time no see."

"Renji what's with the white haori….. Wait did you get promoted?" Uryu asked.

"Yeah I'm captain of squad five now…. But now isn't the time to discuss this, we got things to kill." Renji became serious.

He whipped the snake's tail around as the snake surged forward and wrapped up one Menos its eyes looked down at its prey as it opened its mouth wide and struck down and bit into the menos' head, an explosion happening as it did. Hihio Zabimaru wasn't finished as it found another menos and made quick work of it too.

"Baboon Bone Cannon!" Renji roared.

Every bone segment of the snake split apart, red fire like reiatsu exploded out from every segment as the snake opened its mouth wide and shot a raging beam of red energy from its mouth, obliterating several menos in its wake.

Very soon the southern district was cleared.

"Thanks a lot Renji, we owe you one." Uryu smiled.

"No problem, just like the old days huh." Renji laughed.

"You can say that…" Uryu chuckled.

West Karakura downtown

"God Dammit!" Isshin threw his hands down in rage, as a tall man in a white outfit approached him.

"You didn't think that you could get rid of me easily did you?" Yammy said.

"I swear I saw you vaporize in my attack you bastard…" Isshin panted heavily.

"Damn close though…. If I didn't use Sonido at the last moment I would have died then and there.

Yammy stood once again, blood dripping down profusely from wounds on his head, and arms.

They were both exhausted, too weakened to fight.

Isshin thought to himself. If I was still at full strength I could whip this chump….

"Now Shinigami…. DIE!" Yammy roared.

Isshin stood ready, and then a small woman appeared in front of him.

"Hado 88: hiryugekizokushintenraiho!" Rukia yelled.

She held out one hand and placed the other on her outstretched arm as a tremendous beam of lightning blasted out from her hand and took the heavily wounded Espada by surprise.

Rukia panted a little, steam emitting from the hand she used the high level kido with.

"Rukia?" Isshin cocked an eyebrow.

"Hey Mr. Kurosaki.' Rukia smiled.

"well I'll be, my third daughter is a kido master, a level 88 Hado is very tricky, where did you learn that?" Isshin crossed his arms.

"I did some training with the Kido corps. In the while I was gone, once in a blue moon could I do that without an incantation, but now, I'm just a bit lucky." Rukia laughed.

"Urg Ughhhh." Yammy stood back up once again. His sword arm completely mangled from the blast.

"He's still breathing after that…..Did I not put enough into that…" Rukia gasped.

"Hold on Rukia I got this." Isshin picked up Engetsu and walked right up to the Espada and dropped him to his knees.

With one quick clean slash, the Espada was decapitated right then and there, and its body disintegrated into nothing.

"He survived a full powered Getsuga Tensho too, he is a stubborn bastard, but none the less, a worthy opponent, I just gotten a little fat in my time, seventeen months ago I could kick Aizen's ass if it wasn't for his damn hogyoku." Isshin grinned.

"Now I can see where your son gets his pride from…" Rukia laughed with Isshin.

"Speaking of which….. where is he, and on top of that it looks like you got promoted." Isshin asked.

"Yeah I'm a lieutenant now, I have control over the living world with my captain." Rukia added.

"Who is your new captain now?" Isshin asked.

"Hah take a guess." Rukia smiled.

Central Karakura Downtown…..

"Where the hell could he be?" Ichigo said as he flew around the corner of one building, and found a mountainous pile of buildings destroyed.

"Shit…"Ichigo gasped, "What the hell did this?"

Ichigo looked around at the burning buildings, seeing no trace of anybody amongst the rubble.

"Looks like the downtown area was evacuated…." Ichigo said, looking around at the destroyed skyscrapers that once adorned the downtown area, the fire glowing through the dark rainy air.

Ichigo turned his head and heard some crashing and a deafening screeching roar that hurt his ears.

"What… The…Fuck is that." Ichigo flash stepped to where the sound came from.

When he stopped and looked around, he saw a taller man hurtling towards a building, when the man hit the building Ichigo could hear him let out an oof after hitting the building, a cloud of dust broke out from the impact.

The man stepped back out creating a ball of energy in his hand and firing it, creation a huge beam of energy that shot out. As soon as he fired the last of it, his eyes widened and he dashed away in Ichigo's direction.

Ichigo drew out his sword, Tensa Zangetsu, its rain soaked black chain wrapping up his sleeveless right arm and attaching to a point on his jacket.

As the man drew closer, Ichigo could see his face, taking note of his light blue hair. He also wore a black half jacket with the sleeves rolled up and the collar down, the inside of the jacket had an electric blue color to it, that matched his sash, and wore a black shihakusho bottom. His body how ever, was covered in a silvery blue armor his hands and feet were blackened, and his wrists had four claw like blades protruding out over his hands.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo yelled. As Grimmjow not looking accidentally plowed into Ichigo.

"Oof! Fuck who did I hit?" Grimmjow scratched his head.

"Its me you fuck!" Ichigo yelled holding his gut.

"Oh you…. Bout time you showed up Kurosaki…." Grimmjow was about to say something else until a shrieking roar let loose.

"Oh fuck here he comes!" Grimmjow yelled.

Ichigo cocked an eyebrow at Grimmjow and stared forward, his eyes widened with absolute shock.

In the shadows of the rain, wrapping around a skyscraper, blood red piercing eyes stared at the two warriors.

The lightning danced around and illuminated the shadowy beast. It had a very long, thin skeleton body, with many legs tipped with a single scythe like appendage, near the top it had two arms tipped the same way as its legs, two huge bare bone wings were stretched out completely, that protruded from its elbows, it had a long bony neck, its head resembled something like a thin snake head bout the size of Ichigo's torso, the ends of its jaws were beaked like a birds, with four large fangs hanging out, two long spikes protruded out from its head backwards, with a thin grey and white mane reaching back that swayed in the wind. Its tail whipped around constantly, a double edged scythe like spikes protruded from its tail. All in all close to fifty feet long.

"What the Fuck is that!" Ichigo asked.

It let out a deafening roar and looked at Ichigo, "YOU!" it spoke in a deep voice. "you're the one im looking for SHINIGAMI!"

"Uh oh…" Grimmjow spoke.

"So I take it this is Nightmare Von Ollivante?" Ichigo said, giving nightmare the thousand-yard stare.

"Yeah that's him alright," Grimmjow panted, "I was kicking his ass, but he kept that dirty trick of a second release up his sleeve, I'm nearly powerless against that."

"Segunda Etapa huh?" Ichigo pondered.

"How the fuck do you know of that?" Grimmjow asked.

"Because Ulquiorra could go into segunda etapa as well, he pretty much killed me with it back then." Ichigo raised his blade to eye level.

Nightmare uncoiled from the building and flew at tremendous speed at the two, stopping mere yards from them, he stared daftly at Ichigo.

"Are you surprised Shinigami!" Nightmare laughed, "Behold my true form! The embodiment of all fear and terror, I am Nightmare Von Ollivante, king of Hueco Mundo…. Now may I ask who are you, orange haired shinigami?"

Ichigo swung his blade down to his side, "My name is Captain Ichigo Kurosaki, I am the commander of the living world." Ichigo raised his blade as black reiatsu spiraled around it. "I'm also the one who is gonna beat your ass!"

In a flash Ichigo dashed at Nightmare, and clashed his sword against Nightmares scythe like tail.

"This is the End Nightmare!"